Apostle Abebrese said as leaders, the only way to solve challenges in life is the word of God, because it served as a basis for direction and standard for good governance.

He gave the advice in a sermon to launch the 2012 Bible Week Celebration in Accra, on the theme: ‘The Bible: God’s Standard for Leadership.”

Apostle Abebrese said effective leadership helps the nation through times of peril, makes a business organisation successful and enables a not-for-profit organisation to fulfil its mission.

He stressed that good leadership of parents enable children to grow stronger, healthier and productive.

Apostle Abebrese asked school authorities to infuse the study of the Bible in their curriculum to build students physical and spiritually.

Chairman of the Bible Society of Ghana, Reverend Doctor Harry Insaidoo, said the Society is a non – denominational Christian organisation registered under the Trustees Act, 1962 of the country, aimed to make God’s word available and affordable and to encourage its use.

He said the Society is an affiliate of the United Bible Societies, operating in 200 countries, to achieve the widest possible, effective and meaningful distribution of the Holy Scriptures in languages and media, which meet the needs of people worldwide.—GNA

Koku Anyidoho, Communications Director at the Presidency

The Alfred Woyome judgment debt scandal has shot up President John Evans Atta Mills’ integrity in leaps and bounds, director of communications at the presidency has said.
Koku Anyidoho maintained Mills has shown enough conviction and “mettle” in a scandal that has taken two of his cabinet ministers down—one through resignation and the other through dismissal—insisting that the president will not “sacrifice his integrity on the altar of anybody’s indiscretion.”

Alfred Woyome is in police custody over allegations he defrauded the State to the tune of some 58 million cedis in judgement debt paid him between 2010 and 2011.

The Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, who according to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) report, failed to defend the state and whose wife received an amount of 400,000 cedis from Alfred Woyome is also in police custody pending further investigations.

The scandal has kept the nation busy and the airwaves bleeding with politicians, journalists, social commentators, market women, students hardly discussing any other issue.

In an interview with Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, yesterday the director of communications at the presidency said the scandal has boosted the strength of John Evans Mills as a swift but meticulous president who will not act on impulse.

Koku Anyidoho said unlike Mills’ predecessor, John Agyekum Kufuor, who set up an Office of Accountability at the presidency ostensibly to cover-up corrupt activities, this president [President Mills] has not attempted to cover-up or whitewash anything relating to the scandal. Rather, he (president) has acted to strengthen existing state institutions such as EOCO, Anyidoho noted.

He said if the president had acted “gidigidi” to wit, in haste, as critics and opponents clamoured for, nobody would have known that public officials were involved in the scandal either by misleading politicians or benefiting directly or indirectly from the scandal.

The deceased persons, Awudu Issaka, 33 years; Inusah Issaka 30 years; and the injured, Abu, who were all on the motor bike, were said to have been riding from Ejisu to Kejetia to transact business.

According to a relative who spoke with Today the three were all cold store operators who supply goods to customers from Ejisu to Kejetia.

According to reports, they were on a business routine when the accident occurred.

In an interview with the station officer of Tech Police Station’s Accident Squad Unit, Chief Inspector Andrews Augustine Duodu, he disclosed that the three were riding on an unregistered motor bike from Ejisu and heading towards Kejetia at a very high speed.

He said the rider who could not apply breaks as at a time when a trailer with registration number AS 2535 W was turning around the Oduom roundabout, run straight into the tank of the trailer during which the motor bike threw them over-board.

He further stated that the two died on the spot and were sent to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s (KNUST) Hospital and were later transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s Morgue for autopsy.

But Abu who sustained injuries was admitted at the KNUST hospital and later discharged.

STORY: RUTH ANDY

O.B Amoah

The Member of Parliament for the Aburi-Nsawam constituency, Osei Bonsu Amoah, last Friday expressed concerns about the inability of the Akuapem South Municipal Directorate of Education to hold its Best Teacher Award ceremony for the past four years.

He noted that the situation could serve as a disincentive to teachers in the area, and therefore called on the municipal assembly to collaborate with the relevant stakeholders to rectify the situation.

Mr. Amoah pledged to sponsor two years of the backlog and called on the Assembly to also sponsor the other two years, adding: “It is not right to fail to recognise the sacrifices our teachers are making to provide education for our children, to prepare them as future leaders, and we therefore don’t have any excuse not to honour them.”

The MP was speaking at a ceremony in Nsawam where he presented 120 sets of dual-desks and 28 computers to the municipal directorate of education for distribution to some selected schools in the area.

He also presented a set of jerseys and football to the Ghana National Association of Teachers’ football team in the municipality.

The donation formed part of Mr. Amoah’s effort at tackling the deplorable furniture situation in schools in his constituency and to promote ICT education.

Making the presentation, the MP expressed concern about the poor state of educational infrastructure in the area and pledged his unflinching support to tackling the problem.

He commended the municipal directorate of education, teachers, parents and students in the area for their contribution towards the municipality’s record of coming tops in the 2011 Basic Education Certificate Examination.

“While commending all the stakeholders, let me stress that we now have a higher responsibility of at least maintaining this enviable record of 74% pass if not improving upon it this year and the years ahead. I am convinced that with all of us working together, we will be able to raise the standard of education in our schools and we cannot do this without the requisite educational infrastructure and resources,” he noted.

Mr. Amoah particularly stressed the urgent need to give priority attention to ICT education, especially the practical training, adding:  “we need to invest heavily in ICT education so that our children will be able to compete favourably with their counterparts from the well-endowed schools and also be abreast of global happenings.”

Receiving the donation, Stella Nanor, Akuapem South Municipal Director of Education, lauded the MP for his commitment to the promotion of education in his constituency.

Mrs. Nanaor described education as the engine of growth in any human society and called for a collaborative effort among stakeholders to provide the requisite infrastructure and resources needed to improve education delivery in the area.

She expressed worry about the deplorable furniture situation in schools in the area, as well as the absence of textbooks needed for effective teaching and learning, and called on the authorities to come to the aid of the municipality.

Ghana has come a long way, expected to have politicians who are national interest thinkers and not otherwise. A situation where both political parties, that is, the NPP and the NDC are both declaring win for themselves in the coming 2012 election is a threat to the security and stability of our country, Ghana. The intended and ultimate goal of politics of a state, must ensure the continuous provision of the public goods, security and an enabling environment for prosperity. What are we seeing of the NPP and NDC? Enough is enough!

I must state, it is clear that these two political parties—the NPP and the NDC—are destroying the moral political standard of this country. This malfeasance is not only at the national level of our body politics, but has narrowed to our tertiary institutions as well. Antagonism and attack on each other has descended to the various university campuses—especially University of Ghana, Legon.

On 20th October, 2011 when a TEIN van, that is, the NDC branch on University of Ghana campus rerouted to make announcement at Akuafo Hall Annex A, it came under attack by students alleged to be NPP supporters. Stones were fired, windscreen and other mirrors got broken. This is a typical example of an ALL DIE BE DIE ATTITUDE. Is this how we want the faith of Ghana to be decided…?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, insecurity anywhere is a threat to security everywhere. This is a reflection that GHANA IS SITTING ON A TIME BOMB OF CIVIL UNREST.

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP), under Dr. Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, with his humble and respected attitude is what Ghana needs in a time like this.

We all wish that this country lives to fulfil the creed on which it was established; Freedom and Justice, equality, Good governance and Respect for Human Rights.

ARTICLE BY: EMMANEUL OSEI, President Movement for Social Justice University of Ghana   

She was speaking on “Women’s Reproductive Health and Mental Health-What you Need To Know,” at a day’s awareness creation and sensitization workshop in Tema. The workshop, organised by Mindfreedom Ghana, an Accra-based mental health non-governmental organisation, with sponsorship from African Women Development Fund, was on the theme:  “Promoting Good Mental Health In Women’s Reproductive Health.”

Dr. Deganus said sex education would prevent adolescent children, especially girls, from unwanted and premature pregnancies and added that gender could have both positive and negative effects on the reproductive health of women.

She advised women to avoid sexual promiscuity since the practice was against African cultural values.

An official of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Dinah Baah-Odoom, noted that though some people looked physically strong, they had mental and psychological problems.

She explained that mental health was a state of contentment, happiness and hope.

Director of Mindfreedom Ghana, Mrs. Janet Amegatcher, urged society not to stigmatize mental patients, but endeavour to send them to hospital for treatment.—GNA

Mr. Kwaku Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, Ejisu-Juaben MCE

The Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Kwaku Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh has blamed the upsurge in illegal mining on irresponsible leadership and selfishness of some traditional rulers and clan leaders.

He said these unpatriotic chiefs and clan leaders connive and collect huge sums of money from the illegal operators and allocate large parcels of land for them to carry their nefarious activities which does not only affect the environment but also other social lives in the affected communities.

Addressing the chiefs and people of Peminase, a farming community notorious for illegal mining activities, Mr. Yamoah Ponkoh, blamed the fallen standard of education in the community on the deep interest of parents in mining at the expense of their children’s education.

Most school children also run away from school and enter into mining pits to carry sand and prospect for gold.

Mr. Yamoah Ponkoh also inaugurated a kindergarten block for the community.    It was constructed by GETFund at a cost of GH¢119,691 and has a block of three classrooms, dining hall, office and a store.

He said the Assembly would team up with the central government to flush out the illegal miners and appealed to children to go to school instead of engaging in mining activities.

An opinion leader in the town, Opanin Kwasi Owusu, praised the government for the project and pledged the support of the people to ensure the proper use of the facility to help improve academic performance in the area.—GNA

A founding and council member of the Centre for Policy Analysis, and a founding member and President of the Private Enterprises Foundation.

Mr. Yamson previously served as Chairman of the Governance Committee of the Commonwealth Business Council, President of Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and President of the Ghana Employers Association.

Dr. Yamson replaces Dr. Gobind Nankani, who passed away last year.—Citifmonline.com

Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah

Some founding members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Central Region have commended President John Atta Mills for appointing a Deputy Minister for the region in the person of Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West.

At a press conference at Winneba, they commended the President for retaining Mrs. Ama Benyiwa Doe as the Central Regional Minister in his recent Cabinet reshuffle.

They described Mrs. Benyiwa Doe as a hard working woman in whose reign as a Minister the region has seen progress and called for unity between the Minister and her Deputy for more progress to be achieved.

The members appealed to the two officials to work hard to ensure that the NDC captured not less than 14 out of the 18 parliamentary seats in the region in the December general election and the President getting landslide victory in the region.

They cautioned some elements in the party in the region who are not committed members and had been undermining the administration to stop the practice before they were exposed.

The founding members pledged support for the President and assured him that they would do everything possible to ensure that he retained the presidential seat in December.

They said they had already formed campaign team to canvass for votes in all parts of the region.

Present at the conference were Mr. Kofi Mintah, Mr. Batch-Kwofie, Mr. Kwame Donkoh, Mr. Opoku Fofie and Dr. K. Enos.—GNA

Kennedy Agyepong

New Patriotic Party firebrand and Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, says President Mills is still at post because the Minority in Parliament does not have the numbers to impeach him in the wake of revelations in the Woyome scandal.
The MP explained that, if Parliament was controlled by a strong Minority, President Mills would have been impeached because he has shown gross incompetence in the handling of the judgement debt paid to National Democratic Congress financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem following the release of the interim report of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) to President Mills, Kennedy Agyapong said the President should resign honourably.

According to the MP, the president is not fit to continue to parade himself as an incorruptible man when the Woyomegate happened under his watch.

The EOCO report indicates among other things “…that the NDC financier had no basis for making the claims which accorded him the GH¢52 million judgement debt.”

“It found that Mr. Woyome manipulated documents and rode on the negligence and/or complicity of public officials to receive money he was clearly not entitled to.”

The report also reveals orders by President Mills to state officials to stop the payment were ignored.

According to Mr. Agyapong, President Mills had earlier claimed he was not aware of the payment of the judgement debt to Mr. Woyome and this indicates that he is not on top of issues in the country.

The outspoken MP said this Woyomegate will take the NDC back to opposition because the NDC promised in the run-up to the 2008 elections that, the government would not tolerate acts of corruption.

He added that this campaign has been in vain because corruption is now the order of the day in the Mills administration.

Mr. Agyapong bemoaned the situation where some public officials in the country have decided to dupe the nation by conniving with some politicians.

He maintained that some civil servants are so cunning that they use the power of the pen to dupe the state and put the blame on the doorstep of politicians.

He said public officials and politicians who have been indicted in the Woyome scandal should be prosecuted for duping the state.

Mr. Agyapong questioned the basis for giving GH¢ 400,000 to the wife of the State Attorney, who has no direct business with the Attorney General’s department.

The MP called for the dismissal of the Deputy Attorney General, Ebow Barton Oduro based on his earlier statement on another network that the scandal was very bad for the A-G.

“Why is this man still there, if Barton Oduro who is a Fante, same as the President is not dismissed, then President Mills is engaging in tribalism by sacrificing the former Attorney General, Martin Amidu who is a northerner,” he said.

The MP, who first brought the Woyome scandal to light, said based on the series of revelations coming out from the issue, he has been vindicated for pointing out the crime.

However, the Managing Editor of the Al-Hajj newspaper, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature, counter-argued that President Mills has handled the Woyome scandal very well by instructing the EOCO to make their report public.

Alhaji Bature said Ghanaians are happy because the government is being transparent in dealing with the issue.

He said President Mills is not corrupt and therefore will not let anyone dupe the state.

He quoted a portion of the EOCO report which asked, “Upon what basis was he (Alfred Woyome) later demanding over 22 Euros million. If nothing at all there could have been a defense against the quantum that Mr. Woyome was asking for in court,” to buttress his claim that Mr. Woyome deserved some payment.

The Managing Editor dismissed the assertion that the Woyomegate scandal will send the NDC to opposition.—Myjoyonline.com