Accra, July 10, GNA - Ghana needs to do more to promote gender equality in the form of promoting Affirmative Action law to ensure that more women occupy leadership positions and are elected into political offices.   Mrs Juliana Azumah- Mensah, Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, said Ghana, being a lead democratic country in Africa, had more to do in that area since women representation, particularly in the legislature and at the district levels, was too low.   Taking her turn at the meet-the-press series on Tuesday in Accra, Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the sector ministry had initiated various activities to solicit expert views and ideas into drafting the Affirmative Action (AA) bill for subsequent passage into law.   She said  institutions like political parties needed to be gender sensitive as well as the Electoral Commission, Civil society and individuals should supports attempts to ensuring that the AA came into being.   She announced that a National Gender Policy, expected to provide a timely and comprehensive framework to include gender awareness approaches in development, was also being processed to serve as a guide for the various stakeholders operating in the country to design gender sensitive programmes to enhance equitable socioeconomic development for men and women.   The Minister said other issues like exposure of women and children to harmful socio-cultural and antiquated traditional practices such as ritual servitude in witches camp, female genital mutilation and trokosi, human trafficking involving mostly women and children, domestic violence and gender stereotyping, were still major challenges facing women and children in the country.   Also, the high incidence of maternal deaths, breast and cervical cancer as well as gender discrimination in access to and control over productive resources and social services, all together exacerbate women’s vulnerability to poverty.   Mrs Azumah-Mensah indicated that the Ministry had put up interventions including the formulation of policies, coordinating, executing and monitoring of programmes and activities relating to the welfare of women and children, and providing the requisite platform and mechanism to implement government’s commitments expressed at international fora towards improving the status of women and children.   She said a Domestic Violence fund and human trafficking fund had been established to generate funds to assist and care for victims of abuse and for paying the repatriation fares of rescued human traffickers.   She said government launched the Domestic Violence fund with 20,000 Ghana cedis which had grown to 35,889.60 Ghana cedis at ECOBANK with account number 0134404636306 and urged corporate entities to donate towards it.   Mrs Azuma-Mensah noted that the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) in partnership with other development partners, have sponsored and trained  poor girls in vocational and technical institutions to enable them to acquire employable skills.   She announced that a new office complex of the Ministry was being put up near the Afua Sutherland Children’s Park to make more spaces for the staff of MOWAC, adding, the work is about 20 per cent completed and and expected to fully completed in 18 months.       GNA...

Kokofu-Bedomsae (Ash), July 10, GNA – Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II, Omanhene of Kokofu in the Ashanti Region, has donated six-acre of land to Orphans and Needy Smile Foundation (OANSF), a non-for-profit, humanitarian organisation based in Kumasi.   The land located at Kokofu-Bedomase is for the construction of an orphanage complex, which would comprise dormitories, recreational centre, classrooms and an administrative block.   Barima Okogyeasuo said at a sod-cutting ceremony to commence the project, that he has immense passion and concern for the well-being of orphans and has been yearning for the opportunity to support them.   He said this was why he fell in love with the vision of the Foundation and decided to partner it to fulfill his life-long dream.   He said his doors are always opened to the orphanage for any form of assistance for the successful completion of the project.   Reverend Ross Addae, President of OANSF, said his organisation is committed to practically support orphans and the needy in the society to bring smile on their faces.   He observed that the unfortunate children are always filled with grief and despair and it takes gestures like provision of food, clothing shelter and money to make them happy and bring hope to their lives.   Rev Addae said when the project is completed it would initially house 350 inmates.   The President appealed for local and foreign support to enable the foundation reach out to many needy peoples.   GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA - Stakeholders in the maritime industry were on Tuesday tasked to come out with strategies and a roadmap that would effectively curb the scourge of maritime piracy and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.   Mr Peter Issaka Azuma, Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), noted that piracy was becoming the criminal growth of the 21st century and a multi-million dollar criminal enterprise that had the tendency to grow into perpetuity.             According to him, pirates now made use of sophisticated technology and were able to adapt operational and tactical patterns and procedures faster than many navies and coast guards.             Mr Azuma was speaking at the opening of a two-day conference on combating piracy in West Africa.            Maritime Piracy, an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea, has now become a global threat causing lot of international concerns among states.        The conference, jointly held by Hanson Wade and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), would look at issues pertaining to identifying the nature and extent of piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, and maritime security operation in West Africa.             The participants, mainly ship owners and security experts, would also delve into exploring the success of counter-piracy forces and analyze how pirates operations were intercepted and disrupted and how complex maritime threats could be tackled.             The Director General mentioned that from 2006 over 500 to 2000 seafarers had been taken hostage adding that the total cost of those activities to the global economy was estimated at 12 billion dollars.             According to him, despite the world wide awareness of maritime piracy at national, regional and international level to stem it, the situation was becoming worse in West Africa.             He mentioned the lack of economic opportunities and bright futures and livelihood for the youth, lack of governance, peace and political instability as some of the factors accounting for the menace.             Mr Azuma further mentioned other factors as ineffective boarder controls, illegal migrants from troubled spots, maritime boundary disputes and lack of comprehensive strategy at the national and regional levels to address the problem.             He said Ghana has therefore clothed itself with the requisite legislative and administrative infrastructure to handle matters of maritime safety and security.             Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Transport, recounted the number of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide in 2011.             He said 544 cases were reported in 2011 as against 489 cases in the previous year saying that represented an increase of 11.3 per cent.             Alhaji Dauda noted that most areas affected by maritime piracy were East Africa, Far East, South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, South America, the Caribbean and West Africa.             “The number of incident reported for West Africa increased from 47 as reported in 2010 to 61 in 2011. Most incidents which occurred this year took place in Abidjan and Democratic Republic of Congo.”             The Minister said the United Nations Security Council had expressed deep concerns over maritime insecurity in the region and it had therefore condemned the act.             In the case of Ghana, Alhaji Dauda said government had taken steps to curb the situation. These include the passage into law of the Ghana Maritime (Protection of Offshore Operations and Assets) Regulations.             Alhaji Dauda said the Ghana Navy in collaboration with the GMA undertook patrols to deter, interdict, arrest and detain law breakers.             He said the GMA was in an advance state of implementing the Vessel Traffic Management Information Systems.              This, he said, was an integrated electronic surveillance system intended to enhance the country’s maritime domain awareness for the purpose of combating piracy and armed robbery within Ghana’s maritime jurisdiction.             He pledged Ghana’s commitment to align herself with international and multinational bodies to fight unlawful acts at sea.   GNA...

Kumasi (Ash), July 10, GNA – After about 45 years of being governed by the “Minutes Book” of the Church of God, Cleverland, Tennessee of the US, the local church of God, has now become autonomous.   The Church of God, Ghana will now be governed by its own constitution.   According to Bishop David Ofori Adu, Chairman of the Church’s Seven-member constitution drafting committee, said the move was not to break away from the affiliated church but to ascertained sovereignty as a people, church and nation.   He said Ghana as a sovereign nation, must have its people posing the free will to chart its own course in all aspects of human endeavour including religious affairs.   Bishop Ofori was briefing newsmen after the adoption of an 88-page constitution of the church, in Ghana at a four-day national delegates’ conference in Kumasi on Tuesday.   He explained that with the coming into force of the new constitution, the church’s relationship with that of the affiliate mission would no longer be a master-servant one but a sisterly relationship as existed among other churches.   He stated that the church would continue to maintain cordial relationship with the mother church.   Bishop Ofori expressed the hope that this would pave the way for exchange programmes.   The conference was climaxed with the election of national officers who would govern for four years as adopted in the constitution.   GNA...

Takoradi, July 10, GNA - A Takoradi Circuit Court on Tuesday remanded three persons into prison custody for possessing narcotics without authority.   Their pleas were not taken and the court adjourned proceedings to July 31.   Chief Superintendent Felix Danku told the court presided over by Mr Charles Bamford Nimako that on July 4, the personnel of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Police Service undertook a dawn swoop at the Tarkwa Railway station.   He said during the police arrested Nicolas Ntamah,19, with 68 wrappers of dry leaves, James Obeng,23, with 31 wrappers and three compressed parcels of leaves, Ekow Ankomah,24, with 15 wrappers and quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.   Chief Superintendent Danku said that before their arrest the police received reports from Tarkwa that some “wee smokers” had created ghettoes at the Tarkwa railway station, harassing residents at night and snatching people’s mobile phones, bags and other valuables.   He said the police arrested five people while some escaped but after screening, the three accused had dry leaves on them suspected to be Indian hemp.   The prosecution said the substances had been forwarded to the police forensic laboratory for examination in Accra.   GNA...

Accra , July 10, GNA - The Cocoa Affairs Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of  26-year old Lewis Yaw Oppong, who was granted bail pending investigations in connection with an amount of GH¢55, 180.00, stolen from Mr Dua Agyemang.   The Police said this in a press statement issued to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday.   The statement urged anyone with information leading to the arrest of the suspect to contact the nearest police station or call MTN/Vodafone short code 18555 or 0202012211, for a reward.   According to the statement, Oppong is about 5 feet tall, fair in complexion, speaks English and Twi and is believed to be hiding in Takoradi, Accra and Fomesua in the Ashanti Region.   GNA...

Accra, July 10 GNA- An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday discharged 13 students of the University of Ghana, Legon who have been accused of sexually abusing a Madina-base petty trader, Amina Haruna at Mensah Sarbah Hall, Annex ‘B’.   Amina was alleged to have stolen a laptop and a mobile phone.   The court presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava discharged them for want of prosecution.   After making frantic effort to reach the prosecution on phone, Defence counsel Mr Rockson Dafiamekpor prayed the court to discharge the accused persons unconditionally.   Mr Dafiamekpor lamented over the various adjournments and the non appearance of the complainant in court.   But soon after the court had discharged the students, Superintendent of Police Kofi Blagodzi, the prosecutor, entered the court room saying the police had completed investigations and therefore handed the document to the Attorney General.   The 13 students charged were officially with four counts of conspiracy, assault by imprisonment, indecent assault and causing harm to Amina. They have pleaded not guilty and were each admitted to bail in the sum GH¢ 9,000 bail.   They are Alexander Aryee, Benedict Boamoah, Jesse Boamah and Edward Tsito.   The rest are Francis Wiredu Attah, Tornu Mark Dickson, Morris Awuregya, Nana Osei Asiamah, Gideon Agyei Ayirdaga, Aboyadana, Amobila Gabriel, Afeatse Godfred, Evans Addai Boateng and Obed Banini.   The prosecution’s case is that at about 2330 hours on March 30, Amina was arrested at Mensah Sarbah Hall Annex B for allegedly stealing a laptop and a mobile phone belonging to one of the students.   The students retrieved the stolen items from Amina and thereafter locked her in a room until 0300 hours and subjected her to severe beatings.   The prosecution said the students stripped her naked, inserted their fingers into Amina’s private part until she bled.   She was rescued by some security guards and handed over to the Police who in turn took her to the Police Hospital where she was on admission for four days.   The prosecution said some of the students filmed the molestation, distributed copies to some media houses while others posted the incident on the internet.   Amina identified some of the students during an identification parade and some were identified in the video footage and photographs.   Meanwhile university had taken disciplinary sanctions against the accused persons after a committee had submitted its report.   GNA...

Kumasi, July 10, GNA – The Ashanti Regional Police Command is insisting that the man gunned down by the police at Sepe-Timpom in Kumasi, last Saturday was a criminal.          Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Augustine Gyening, the Regional Commander, said the deceased, Kwaku Asante, was a gangster and that he was found with a machete, a claim sharply disputed by not only by his family but the assembly member for the area.         The family denies Asante engaged the police in a gun battle as the police would want the public to believe. He was only part of the youth at Sepe-Timpom, who tried to fend off an attack on their community by a marauding group of gangsters.            They maintain their relative was murdered in cold blood and that he was first shot in the leg to immobilize him before the police finished him off with another shot.         DCOP Gyening, however, had an entirely different side to the story.   He told a press conference held to throw light on the incident that the late Asante belonged to one of the criminal gangs, terrorizing the residents and that apart from the machete the deceased was holding, he also had another cutlass concealed in the pair of trousers he was wearing. DCOP Gyening said his men had gone there to protect the law abiding citizens and could not have killed an innocent person.         He said nine suspected gangsters, whose ages range from 12-17 years had been arrested and gave their names as Issaka Abubakar, Faisal Alhassan, Awudu Seizzan, Adams Rasheed, Gado Zakaria, Fuseini Adams, Surai Mohammed, Sumeila Abdullah and Kamal.         Seized from them were also nine locally manufactured pistols and eight live cartridges.         DCOP Gyening said members of the different criminal gangs often engage in turf fights with guns, cutlasses and other offensive weapons and attack innocent people, robbing them of their monies and other valuables at Aboabo, Sawaba and Asawasi.         They do this to test the potency of the charms they wear.   GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA – Namibia leapt to the summit of the table at the on-going three nation U-20 national teams tournament after drawing goalless with Egypt in their second game played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.   Namibia who drew two all with Ghana on match day one now sit top of the table with two points ahead of the Ghana - Egypt tie on Thursday.   It was a tale of two halves which saw Namibia dominating play in the first half where they created several chances but lacked the cutting edge each time they approached the final third of the Egyptians.   Egypt who are bottom of the table with a point and no goal appeared deadly on the break, but like their opponents, inexperience told on their every move upfront where Mahmoud Abdul-Nonem fluffed all the opportunities that came his way.   In midfield, however, the North Africans enjoyed a fine dominance where they displayed expertise in knocking the ball around with ease with Mohammed Elshami, Mahmoud Hamuad, Mahmoud Wahid  and Osama Ebrahim as architects.   In-between play, Egypt’s goalkeeper Mosaad Awad  stood in the way of Namibia after he calculated well to deny skipper Sadney Urikhob who raced past his markers to unleash a grounder from a fine build up that began from their defence on 35minutes.   Soon, it was the turn of Namibia’s goalkeeper Maxmillian Mbaeva to rescue his side after Egypt's Yasser Ebrahim and Mahmoud Hamdi invaded the former’s defence in what appeared to be a goal in sight.   Egypt resumed from the recess the better side but lacked the fire power to snatch all three points.   Ghana and Egypt play on Thursday to determine who wins the competition at the same venue.   GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA - Representatives of nine political parties from the Brong Ahafo and Upper West Regions have examined facilities of the Electoral Commission (EC) as parts of its measures to deepen confidence of political party executives in the electoral process.   The political parties are the Convention People’s Party (CPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Independent People’s Party (IPP) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).   The other parties are the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the United Front Party (UFP).   The tour, dubbed; “The Inbuilt Integrity of Ghana’s Electoral Process,” was organized by the EC in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID) and KAB Governance Consult, on Tuesday.   Mr Ebenezer Aggrey-Fynn, Commission Member for Brong Ahafo Region, said the project was part of the EC’s determination to enhance the credibility of the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.   He said the tour was an opportunity for party executives to correct all negative impressions about the duties and responsibilities of the Commission on electoral matters calling on them to utilize the platform provided.   “The EC will do all it can to enhance credibility to attain the confidence of party executives and the citizenry in electoral processes therefore I encourage all participants to fully participate in the tour,” he said.   Mr Isaac Asomaning, Director of Elections, EC, introduced participants to the EC’s Fax Room popularly known as the “Strong Room.”   He said impressions created by individuals that the fax room was an extra ordinary place were lies and called on party executives to debunk that notion.   “Each fax machine collates results from the regions therefore the notion that the supposed strong room is made up of huge equipments should be corrected,” he said.   Mr Asomaning called on the executives to support the Commission to discharge its duties and responsibilities.   Mr Anthony Amedzeke, EC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), who led participants on the inspection tour, said the core duties of the department was to implement policies into data information.   He said the ICT department was responsible for the detection of malpractices during voter registration exercises.   Mr Alasidongor Baluri, Member of IPP, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, commended the EC for the project saying it was an effective approach to enhance the credibility of electoral process.   Mr Clifford Tampuori, Upper West Regional Secretary of PPP, expressed disappointment at the state of the EC’s Strong Room saying that the country had come far and needed sophisticated equipments to collate its elections results.   “I am disappointed to see the much talked about strong room in this ordinary state. The EC should purchase modern equipments to facilitate the speed of the collation”.   Mr Abdul-Salam Yakubu, Upper West Regional Chairman of UFP, said the tour was an opportunity for party executives to be educated on mind boggling issues on the on-going biometric voter registrations and the entire electioneering process.   He said the UFP had elected Parliamentary Candidates who would contest for five constituencies in the Upper West Region.   GNA...

Accra, July10 GNA-The Fast Track High Court on Tuesday began the open trial of Christian Asem Darkey who allegedly imported 77 parcels of cocaine on board the MV Benjamin when the state produced the fifth prosecution witness.   The four earlier prosecution witnesses who were invited by the State had to testify in-camera because the court did not want to compromise their security.   Darkey also known as Sherriff, a businessman is standing trial for conspiracy, importation of narcotic drugs, possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, undertaking prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs, and corruption of public officer.   He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded into prison custody by the court presided over by Mr Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh.   Mr Anthony Rexford Wiredu, Principal State Attorney who earlier led the witness in evidence said John Kwabena Dawson, was the former Chief Executive Officer of Dashment Company Limited, the company that chartered the vessel to Asem Darkey.   Mr Dawson narrated to the court how they chartered the vessel to Asem Darkey by tendering in chartered agreement between the company and Darkey which was supposed to last for 60 days and worth 150,000 dollars which both parties signed.   He also tendered in a sales agreement between the company and Darkey worth $250,000 in connection with the sale of the vessel to Darkey.   He said after using the vessel for 60 days Darkey wanted to buy the vessel so they came to an agreement and they both signed the agreement.   Mr Dawson said he met Darkey through their lawyer one Lumor on February 6, 2006. He said the vessel was handed over to Darkey the very day that the sales document was signed.   Mr George Heward-Mills, Counsel for Darkey when cross examining Dawson asked the witness whether he was the Executive Director of the Company when the vessel was chartered by Darkey. Mr Dawson insisted that he was the Executive Director when he entered into the agreement with Darkey and not his son, Joseph Kojo Dawson who is one of the convicted persons in the M.V Benjamin case.   Mr Heward-Mills challenged the witness that his son had told the court that Darkey did not pay directly to Dashment Company because there was high purchase agreement between the company and one Mr Bear who is the original owner of the vessel.   Mr Heward-Mills therefore prayed the court to order the witness to produce the document which shows that he was the Executive Director of the company at the time. The case was adjourned to July 16.   GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA – A 19-year old footballer, Hamidam Azabile has been placed in custody at the Madina Police Station for trying to smuggle four mini packets of Kalyppo stuffed with marijuana into the Police Cells.   The Azabile, who resides at ‘Dome Pillar Two’, claimed he was a footballer with the Katimiya football team in Egypt.   The Madina District Police Commander Mr Owusu Bempah said the accused went to the charge office ostensibly to present some food items to his friend, Mr George Ayitey who is on remand.   He said amongst the gifts borne by the accused included loaf of bread and a twenty-four-packet of Kalyppo soft drinks neatly sealed which was then inspected by the officer at the Charge-Office.    Mr Bempah said whiles inspecting the soft drinks, the police saw that four of the drinks had had their seals tampered with and when the four packets were opened, the police discovered that these packets were stuffed with dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.   He said when confronted about the source of the package Hamidam Azabile said they were sent by a woman from Tema to be given to Ayitey in the cells and refused to disclose the woman’s identity.   Mr Bempah said Azabile was then arrested and placed in the police cells, while the suspected leaves have been sent to the Police Forensic Laboratory for laboratory tests to confirm its content. Meanwhile Azabile has been charged with possession of narcotic drug and attempting to smuggle it into the Police cells.   GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA – Albert Nukpezah, Chief Coach of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) has described the decision to exclude Aziz Zakari from Ghana’s contingent for the summer Olympic Games as justifiable.   Zakari who claims to have qualified for the global event regarded as the biggest sports gathering in the world, was excluded in the nine-member contingent Ghana will hinge her hopes for Olympic glory on beginning July 27 in London.   Coach Nukpezah told GNA Sports that ‘Zakari’s exclusion from the team is justifiable. Though he qualified for the Olympic Games somewhere last year in an European competition, taking him to the event will not benefit Ghana’.   He said ‘Zakari has being to four or five Olympics and if the 4x100 relay team had qualified, then it will have been useful to take him along. At this stage, instead of thinking about just making an appearance, we should think about the future and give attention to young athletes instead’.   The Coach said the future belongs to the likes of Shepherd Agbeko and Appiah Kubi who should have been the focus for the Games after their exploits in the last two years.   It remains unknown if Zakari would be a late addition to the Team Ghana contingent with sources within the GAA disputing his qualification claims.   The nine confirmed athletes for the three-week gathering is made up of three track and field athletes, four boxers, a judoka and one weightlifter.   The quadrennial event slated for July 27 to August 12 will see sprint Queen Vida Anim making her fourth appearance at the global gathering where she dreams of a final berth after three failed attempts.        Margaret Simpson and Ignatius Gaisah complete the list of athletes who will be coached by former Ghanaian runners, Andrew Owusu and Leonard Myles-Mills.     The four boxers, Duke Micah, Isaac Dogboe, Sulemanu Tetteh and Maxwell Amponsah will enjoy the services of trainers- Ofori Asare and Vincent Nettey during the event.     Sole Judoka, Emmanuel Nartey will be trained by Hans Jurgen Klinger while former national champion, Majeti Fetrie will aid Alberta Ampomah in her quest to claim Ghana’s first medal in weightlifting at the Games.   GNA...

Accra July 10, GNA- Gerland Kusterer, the 79-year-old German tourist, who is standing trial for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old pupil was on Tuesday granted bail.   Kusterer was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢ 30,000 with three sureties one to be justified.   The Circuit Court presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava ordered him to deposit his passport with the police and report to the service daily.   The court admitted the accused to bail because the charges against him had been withdrawn, his plea had not been taken on the new charges preferred against him and is ill and old.   When the case was called the trial judge indicated that it had not been able to get a German interpreter for the accused, adding that it was exploring all avenues to secure one.   Following the development, Mr Raymond Bagbanbu, Counsel for Kusterer prayed the court to admit his client to bail because of his ailment and the fact that the accused person was advanced in age and the fact that the police had collected his passport.   Accordingly Kusterer was ready to report to the Police every day.   The matter was adjourned to July 17.   The accused person was previously charged with three counts of abduction of unmarried female under 18, defilement and obscenity.   The new charge sheet maintained the first two charges but the charge of obscenity, which he had pleaded guilty to and was to be sentenced yesterday, was replaced with a new charge of gross indecency.   However, due to the unavailability of an interpreter, the matter has been adjourned to July 10.   The German tourist was arrested by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) recently for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old pupil.   Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sarah Acquah, narrating the facts, during the German’s first appearance in court, stated that the complainant was a security officer and a brother to the victim who lived with their parents at Amarhia, Accra.   She said at about 1400 hours on May 25, the victim visited the complainant at Korle-Gonno and they went to La Beach.   On reaching there, the victim told the complainant that she was hungry he left her under a summer hat to buy some food for her.   While the victim was waiting for her brother, another man whose name is yet to be ascertained joined her and reportedly engaged her in a conversation.   Kesterer allegedly joined them and bought a bottle of Guinness for the victim while he bought a Star lager beer and they both drank. Later, the undisclosed man allegedly sent the victim to town and shopped for her to entice her.   Kesterer and his accomplice lured the victim to Mascot Hotel, where for days the accused had sexual intercourse with the victim in his room.   At about 1735 hours on June 13, after Kesterer had had sexual intercourse with the victim, he allegedly used his digital camera to take nude pictures of the victim and stored them.   The prosecutor said the victim fell sick and she managed to run away from the hotel room.   When she got home, she narrated her ordeal to her brother who reported the matter to DOVVSU where the complainant was issued with a police medical report form to send the victim to hospital for examination.   The prosecutor said the police, in the company of the complainant and victim, went to Mascot Hotel and arrested the accused.   In Kesterer caution statement, he denied having sexual intercourse with the victim but admitted to taking nude pictures of the victim and other young girls which he stored on his camera.   GNA...

Osamkrom (C/R), July 9, GNA – The Gomoa East Director of Ghana Health Services, Mr Wilberforce Adadeh, said the days when Tuberculosis (TB) was feared is over because the disease can now be cured.   Mr Adadeh said this at a TB forum organised by the Gomoa East Health Directorate at Osamkrom Prison Camp in the Central Region for officials and inmates of the camp.   He said the Health Directorate had set up two centres at Gomoa Buduburam and Gomoa Obuasi where a TB patient would go and access treatment.   The District Director said what was important for the patient was to complete the course of the treatment.   He said the treatment covers a six-month period and failure to complete the course would make the disease to develop resistance which made it difficult to cure.   Mr Benjamin Dadson, District Disease Control Officer, said TB is caused by germs called mycobacterium Tuberculosis which infects a person who inhales contaminated air.   He said every Ghanaian is at risk since the disease is air borne and has no respect for anybody.   Mr Dadson appealed to Ghanaians to refrain from lifestyles such as drinking of alcohol and smoking which could affect the immune system making contracting the disease very easy.   Mr Samuel Kudzawu, Executive Director of Alliance for Battle Against TB, a Non-Governmental Organisation, said Tuberculosis is the number one killer of AIDS patients and urged people who coughed for over one week to go for examination.    He pointed out that people who were on TB drugs for over two weeks could not infect any person with the disease.   Mr Kudzawu said the disease could not be contracted through breast milk, but cautioned baby seaters to go for examination to ensure that they were free from the disease in order not to infect the babies.   He advised members of the public to live in well ventilated rooms.   Chief Superintendent Kennedy Asante-Adjei, Camp Commander, said people who drove air-conditioned vehicles were at risk of getting the disease if persons with the disease ride in the vehicle with them.   He advised passengers not to close the windows of the vehicles they travelled on.   He cautioned churches to stop waving handkerchiefs during church services to prevent  the spreading of the disease.     GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA – Management of unibank in partnership with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has inaugurated a two-storey building to house the bank and other administrative offices of the institute.   The building was constructed at a cost of GH¢ 928,000 out of which the bank contributed 70 per cent with the remaining 30 per cent been provided by the institute.   Dr Christine Amoako-Nuama, Chairman of the Governing Council of GIMPA, speaking at the ceremony in Accra on Tuesday, said it was possible by a public-private partnership agreement that has transformed an existing facility to benefit the two institutions.   She said “public-private partnership as we are witnessing, is an innovative way of financing education that must be fully explored.”   Dr Amoako-Nuama noted that Government alone could not fund education, so it was imperative that managers looked for alternative financing mechanisms such as this to help push their infrastructural development.   She urged management of GIMPA to pursue this strategy to attract the private sector operators and encouraged other public institutions to benchmark this in their establishment.   “GIMPA and unibank have shown that public-private partnership in Ghana is possible,” she added   Mr Opoku-Gyamfi Boateng, Chairman of the Board of Directors, unibank, said the collaboration between the two institutions has since moved beyond the pursuit of individual agenda to pooling of resources and energies for development.   He said the bank would continue to support the institute in their financing needs as they have started with the GIMPA laws school project.   “The bank will continue with the vision and identify similar opportunities with other institutions and businesses to enable them move their dreams beyond the drawing board,” Opoku-Gyamfi said.   Professor Yaw Agyeman Badu, Rector of GIMPA, said the building addresses the infrastructural needs of the institute while allowing the bank the opportunity to offer expanded quality service to staff and students.   He said as part of agreement, the bank would use the ground floor of the building for its operations and the remaining floors for administrative purposes of the institute. The structure was inaugurated as part of GIMPA’s 50th and unibank’s 10th Anniversaries.   GNA...

Accra , July 10, GNA -Stakeholders at a workshop on quality education in Ghana have called for a paradigm shift in educational reforms that moves from input-focused to outcome-driven policies to ensure quality outcomes.   They were in agreement that there was an urgent need for shared values and responsibility, where stakeholders could contribute and create a new teacher with a sense of commitment, passion, professionalism, as well as the desire to transform the world with their skills.   The conference, which was organised by STAR-Ghana, a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism for its grants partners working in the field of education, was the first and intended to create a platform for networking, sharing of best practices and collaboration among the donor partners to ensure quality education outcomes.   Mr Akwesi Addae-Boahene, Country Director, World University Services of Canada, in an opening address in Accra on Tuesday, said Ghana’s educational system was in crisis and calls for massive collaboration of all stakeholders to resolve the challenges.   He described the current poor state of education, coupled with the massive falling standards at all levels as unacceptable and it undermines Ghana’s ability to compete internationally.   He said the high school dropout rate leading to low literacy among the youth calls for a change in focus and direction and stressed on the need for collaboration among stakeholders, combine their collective intelligence and skills to address the complicated and urgent issue of poor education outcomes.   Held under the theme; “Building Partnerships towards Quality Education Outcomes”, the two-day workshop is expected create a platform for networking among STAR-Ghana’s education grant partners as well as share results on their respective implemented projects on education.   The STAR – Ghana Education Convention is a learning event targeted at bringing together all the company’s Grant Partners that implemented education projects under the Results Initiative and the twenty-one education grant partners under the education thematic call.   Mr Addae-Boahene said it was critical that policy makers, education managers, donors as well as Non-governmental Organisations working in the education sector made learning the ultimate subject for national development.   “We need to make the education sector a learning organisation, able to address emerging issues and confront challenges with research and innovation”. He attributed the crisis in Ghana’s educational system to issues such as overcrowded classrooms that were often instructed by teachers without any pedagogical training adding that high pupil teacher ratio has remained above 32 over the past decade despite large increases in student’s enrolment.   Other challenges include inequities in the distribution of teachers, higher teacher absenteeism and low morale and low instructional time as major contributors to poor Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results are some major obstacles to quality education in the country.   He said the National Education Assessment (NEA) tests of 2005, 2007 and 2009 outlined the nature of the poor quality of education in Ghana, citing that less than a third of the primary school children reach proficiency levels in English or in mathematics and also identified.   Mr Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, Programme Manager, explained that STAR-Ghana between June and August 2011 put out a comprehensive call for proposals for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and non-state actors interested in undertaking projects that would increase their role in ensuring greater accountability and better performance in education service delivery in Ghana.   He said 21 legally registered Ghanaian CSO and non-state actors with at least three-year proven track record in implementing education projects were awarded a total of 3,550,120 dollars for a maximum working period of three years in value chain areas including advocacy, emphasizing CSO collaboration and networking towards engaging education stakeholders at all levels.   Mr Samuel Zan Akologu, Executive Secretary, National Catholic Secretariat, commenting on the role of faith-based organisations in education said a lot has been achieved through such organisations.   He called for a national conference of stakeholders to harmonise and celebrate the wonderful ideas of actualising, in a more meaningful way, the partnership between government and Faith-Based organisations towards quality education outcomes in Ghana.   GNA...

Ho, July 10, GNA -Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime has noted that there is no room for any “political acrobat” to manipulate chiefs in the area.     “The Konor of Agortime as an Ambassador of Peace and will not countenance any political acrobat to…to create any unnecessary political tension in the Agotime Traditional Area,” he said.   Nene Keteku was responding to the perceived bad blood between the chiefs and Mr Michael Kobla Adzaho, Agotime-Ziope District Chief Executive (DCE).   He said reports of any such sour relationship between the traditional and political authorities in the district were untrue and intended to create tension in the area.   Nene Keteku said the DCE and the traditional authorities maintain good working relations, which, “I will not like anyone to throw into a political contest.”   He therefore advised young people in the area not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to foment trouble.   GNA...

Basake (W/R), July 10, GNA- The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Mr Emmnauel Armah-Kofi Buah, has donated 100 bags of cement to the Basake community.   The donation follows a request forwarded to his office to assist the community complete 2 projects - a toilet facility and a school block, it had initiated to improve the well-being of the people.   The MP, who made the donation at an impressive ceremony at Basake, was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Joyce Buah, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Daniel K.Eshun and some NDC executives.   Mr Buah, who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Energy, said the impressive reception accorded him in every community that he visited was ample testimony that the economic fortunes of the people was improving.   The MP further pledged 15 street light bulbs to the community as part of measures to ensure security during the night.   Chief of the town, Nana Bonya Kofi who chaired the function, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Mr Buah and prayed for God's guidance and blessings for him in order to continue with the good works to better the lot of the people in the area.   GNA...

Kumasi, July 10, GNA – The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has been urged to end the practice under the health insurance scheme (NHIS), drugs are prescribed and dispensed at the same facility.     Emeritus Professor Kwame Sarpong, former Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said that was inconsistent with international best practices.     The two must be separated, he said, saying this was the most efficient means to reduce irrational use of medicines, save the scheme from paying unnecessary bills and enhance sustainability of the NHIS.     Prof Sarpong, addressing a day’s stakeholders’ meeting in Kumasi, noted that there was the tendency for prescribers with financial interest in the drugs dispensed at their facilities to prescribe more and expensive ones than those who have no such monetary gains to make.     The meeting provided the forum to challenges facing community pharmacy practice under the NHIS.     Jointly sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGh) and Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund, it brought together participants from the northern sector of the country.     Prof Sarpong said the community pharmacy practice offered a unique opportunity to address the healthcare needs of the people and therefore must be supported to play their expected role in healthcare delivery.     Mr James Ohemeng Kyei, President of the PSGh, urged private pharmacy practitioners not to leave their facilities under the care of unqualified personnel because that could compromise efficient pharmaceutical care.   GNA...