SIAKON MEDIA

  Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Sunyani, July 2, GNA - Mr. Eric Opoku, the Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, has appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to educate the people to discharge their tax obligations to accelerate Local Economic Development (LED).

He said the country's inability to mobilize enough local resources to support development had been a major factor militating against LED.

The MMDAs must therefore place premium on their internally generated funds (IGFs) through creative and innovative methods beside efficient tax collection systems to ensure a rapid LED, he saidd.

Mr. Opoku was speaking at a one-day workshop on LED organized by the National Association of Local Authority of Ghana (NALAG) at Fiapre for 90 participants.

They included assembly members, district planning officers and budget officers from the Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.

The workshop, sponsored by the District Assemblies Common Fund, aimed at providing relevant information, skills and experiences for the MMDAs to promote the LED concept, share ideas and to encourage them to advance the initiative.

Mr Opoku said LED had been accepted as a process by which partnerships between local governments, community-based groups and private sector were established to manage existing resources to create jobs and stimulate the economy of a well-defined territory.

Mr. Opoku said LED would not be successful without flexibility to respond to changing circumstances at the national and local levels while applying the policy of decentralization as the bedrock of all their endeavours.

He said for the concept to bring returns, local authorities must design and develop their infrastructure like houses, transport, water, roads and electricity because these are building blocks for any local economic take-off.

Mr. Kwame Agyenim Boateng, presiding member of the Sunyani West District Assembly and Brong-Ahafo Regional representative of NALAG, expressed the determination of NALAG to ensure that its members created an environment that would promote new opportunities in the districts where there might be limited opportunities for economic growth.

He said NALAG was ready to join hands with other stakeholders in its drive to push MMDAs to take LED issues seriously.

GNA

SUPPORT AMA's WORTHY CAUSE ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced plans to build 50 two-storey classroom blocks in Accra District as part of the measures to do away with the eyesore spectacle of children attending schools under trees as well as the shift system in certain places.

According to Mr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuje, AMA's Chief Executive, the estimated cost of each of the classroom block is GH?310,000.00. A school has been defined as place where educators (teachers) and educands (learners) meet for the purpose of teaching and learning. A classroom must be conducive to ensure effective class control and class management without which effective teaching and learning will be elusive.

Thus though the AMA project seems ambitious it is commendable as it seeks to address a deficit which should not be countenanced in this digital age: pupils learning under trees! At a recent news conference in Accra, the Hon. Minister for Information, Hon. John Akologo Tia, told the nation that there are whopping 3,947 under-tree schools in this country. It is an incontestable fact that some of the dismal performance of some of our Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates could be blamed on such 'dysfunctioning' schools.

Notwithstanding the grandiose nature of the project we believe that with proper planning, vision and consistency in government policies irrespective of the government in power coupled with the unflinching support of the private sector the project could be prosecuted to its desirable end.

Public Agenda thus commend the AMA and its Chief Executive for this progressive developmental goal, and organizations such as KLM and Zoom Lion, among others, which according to the Chief Executive have donated generously for that worthy cause. We call on other district assemblies to take a cue from the AMA and confront similar challenges which are a drawback on their development efforts and impact negatively on the well-being of their people.

We also urge corporate organizations to seize this golden opportunity to contribute both in kind and in cash to the AMA as part of their social responsibility towards society. This is an opportunity they should not allow to slip by as it has the potential of boosting their image and enhancing their reputation in the eyes of their publics, a factor that they can fall on as succor in times of crisis. Above all such an action will grant them the social license which is indispensable to their activities and operations.

This is free public relations advice for all institutions and organizations. We once again doff our hats for the AMA for such a worthy cause; they deserve the encouragement and support of all sections of society. Let us rise up and face the challenge of providing quality classrooms for our children and wards for a functional education system, for it has long been recognized that education is the bedrock of development.



Author: the Editor

Accra, Jul 27, GNA - All Basic School structures under construction within the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan Area are to be completed before the next academic year to end the shift system.

This was stated by the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuye, when he launched activities to mark the 80th anniversary of the Richard Akwei Memorial School at Ayalolo in Accra on Tuesday.

The Mayor of Accra noted that even though Basic Schools in the area faced a lot of challenges, "In every challenge comes opportunities to turn things around", he said.

He stressed the determination of the AMA to be counted among institutions that contributed to nation building to ensure that every child of school going age had at least eight hours of school work a day.

Mr. Vanderpuye described education as the key for development and said no child should be left out lest she or he became non-competitive in the modern world.

He paid tribute to pioneers in the provision of education and community development and said the Assembly was determined to ensure that the School maintained its status as a great institution that had produced many outstanding personalities.

     The Member of Parliament for Odododiodioo, Mr. Jonathan Nii Tackie-Komme, said education was the cornerstone for the empowerment of the people to take advantage of opportunities.

He gave the assurance that work on paving the school compound was to begin soon and said he was going to provide some educational institutions in the area including the Akwei Memorial School with water reservoirs(poly tanks) from his share of the Common Fund to help solve their water problems.

Mr. Tackie-Komme stressed his determination to complete a three-classroom block he initiated and to assist in solving some of the problems of the School to promote teaching and learning.

The Deputy Metropolitan Director of Education, Madam Juliana Akong, called on parents and guardians to invest in the education of their children and wards and to support the government to make the country's educational policy successful.

She called on them as role models to exhibit morals worthy of emulation by their children and wards to prepare them for the future as responsible citizens.

The Headmistress, Madam Emelia Larbi, enumerated the problems of the school including a dusty compound and the lack of potable water.

She appealed for assistance to expand the Computer Laboratory, which currently is equipped with only eight computers for the over 900 pupils.

Madam Larbi outlined activities for the week-long celebration, which include a clean-up exercise, a home-coming of old pupils, a candlelight procession, a quiz competition, an art and craft exhibition, a speech and prize-giving day and a church service.

The Manager of the Korle Dudor Branch of the Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Theo Ahafianyo, handed over the re-painted school building by the financial institution to the authorities.

He announced an arrangement between the Bank and the Graphic Company to supply the Junior Graphic newspaper to the School to inculcate the habit of reading in the pupils.

A son of the founder of the School, Mr. Richard Akwei, gave a brief history of the establishment of the School on first October 1930.

The Chairman of the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan District Council, Mr. Adjebu Lamptey, who presided, said he would liaise with the Chairmen of the School Management Committee and Parent Teachers Association, Mr. Daniel Okai and Mr. Samuel Armah respectively, to ensure the execution of projects on the compound and provide the School with security.

GNA

Accra, July 23, GNA - The National Executive Committee of Environmentally Concerned Citizen's Association of Ghana (ECCAG) has commended Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for establishing sanitation tribunals to prosecute those who indiscriminately create garbage in their household and the streets.

A statement issued in Accra on Friday and signed by the National President, Mr. J.Y. Aidoo said: "the association wishes to express its support to AMA on its educational campaign programmes on sanitation exercise which would begin in August".

Mr. Aidoo advised the public to clean their surroundings regularly, de-silt chocked gutters to avoid the breeding of mosquitoes, the carrier the malaria parasite and other sickness.

He appealed to the Forestry Commission to establish similar tribunals to check non permissible activities such as illegal tree felling, chainsaw operation, degradation of lands, illegal mining and indiscriminate farming along water bodies to help create a clean and well regulated environment in the country.

"We also appeal to government to replicate the environmental tribunal nation-wide", it added.

GNA

Accra, June 4, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday said the recent increases in electricity tariffs were not to burden Ghanaians with any financial stress.

He gave the assurance that Government still cared about the disadvantaged and vulnerable in society.

"It has become extremely necessary to adjust the tariffs upwards to reflect current circumstance, and Government wished it could maintain the tariffs and even reduced it", President Mills added.

President Mills made the observation when he defied an early morning rain and paid surprise visits to Abbosey Okai Spares Parts Area, Pedestrian Mall at Odorna, and the Surgical Block at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he interacted with a milling crowd of traders and some patients on admissions.

At the Abbosey Okai, President Mills met executives of the Spare Parts Dealers Association and explained that Government did not increase electricity tariffs because it was uncaring.

He pointed out that Government did not increase electricity tariffs by 125 per cent as was being speculated in the media, and expected that consumers, who used more than 50 units of electricity must be prepared to pay a little more.

President Mills explained that Government took into consideration the average Ghanaian consumer of electricity, who used simple gadgets such as radio, television sets and consumed between zero and 50 units of electricity every month.

He said the GH¢48 million subsidy was to cushion management of Electricity Company of Ghana in their operations.

President Mills recalled visiting spare parts dealers during the Election 2008 campaign and said the visit was to fulfill his promise to interact with them periodically.

President Mills assured the traders and residents in the area that, the roads, which are in deplorable conditions, would be rehabilitated and agreed to amend the Procurement Law to provide an even playing field for small, medium enterprises as well as large scale enterprises in the import and procurement business.

"We have to do something about the large scale entrepreneurs enjoying all the benefits", President Mills said.

He commended the traders for their efforts in generating revenue and employment, assuring them of government's partnership to achieve the 'Better Ghana' Agenda.

Mr Joseph Paddy, Chairman of Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, commended government on the economic measures being instituted to ensure stability of the cedi.

However, he appealed for the stabilisation of import duties at least for three months rather than the current changes on weekly basis.

Mr Paddy appealed to government to endeavour to reduce the importation of inferior goods on the market which are sold at reduced prices putting local importers in a disadvantaged position.

At the Pedestrian Mall, where traders were recently re-located from the Kinbu Lorry Park, President Mills was mobbed by a milling crowd in spite of the rain showers.

He commended the traders for the re-location and said government recognised their enormous contribution to the economy.

President Mills assured them that government would never leave them to their fate but would provide the needed assistance.

He directed the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, who accompanied him to the market to ensure pools of water in the market were filled.

Interacting with Madam Bernice Otoo, President of Odorna Traders Association, President Mills asked the traders to constantly interact with AMA to address their concerns.

Madam Otoo commended government for its swift response to matters of their concern.

At the Korle Bu Hospital, Reverend Professor Seth Aryeetey, on behalf of the management welcomed President Mills and thanked him for the visit.

GNA