The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo expresses alarm as rebels advance towards the country's eastern provincial capital of Goma.

Adadientem (Ash), July 10, GNA – The Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, has donated a set of table tennis kit and teachers’ furniture valued at over GH¢ 3,500.00 to the Adadientem Roman Catholic (R/C) Primary School in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality.     He has also paid for the servicing of 20 dysfunctional computers and accessories in the school.     Mr Onyinah said the donation formed part of his personal contribution towards making the school environment friendly for teaching and learning.     Adadientem R/C was Mr Onyinah’s first duty post after he completed the Bogoso Saint Augustine’s Teachers Training College in the Western Region, 39 years ago and he would be retiring from the Ghana Educational Service (GES) in the coming October.     He said similar donations would be made to Toase, Kumasi Anglican and Nsutaman Senior High Schools (SHS), where he also had teaching stints.     Mr Onyinah expressed appreciation for the support, understanding and cooperation of the people in the community where he began his teaching career.     He reminded parents to work together with teachers to provide children good moral training.     Nana Adom Puni III, chief of the town, said they were grateful to the regional director for the gesture.     GNA...

Ho, July 10, GNA - Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime Traditional Area, has said there is no room for any “political acrobats” to manipulate chiefs in the area.        “The Konor of Agortime is an Ambassador of Peace and will not countenance any political acrobat to use him to create any unnecessary political tension in the Agotime Traditional Area,” he said.        Nene Keteku was responding to a perceived ill-will 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 to guard against being used by politicians to foment trouble.   GNA...

Suhum (E/R, July 10 GNA - Kofi Adjei, a 34-year- old farmer, committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree at Akorabo, near Suhum in the Eastern Region.     The deceased was said to have fathered twin babies but could not carter for the family and therefore decided to end his life.      A source close to the Suhum police told the Ghana News Agency that Adjei, who was formerly plying his driving profession in Accra stopped work and returned to Akorabo to do farming on his late father’s land.     He said the deceased who had twin babies with his wife had been complaining of hardship and that on July 5 while sleeping with the wife, the deceased woke up and committed suicide.     GNA...

Suhum (E/R), July 10, GNA - Kwame Asiedu, 38, who defrauded a miner of GH¢ 2,000.00 under the pretence of hiring an excavator to him, was on Tuesday sentenced to 14 months imprisonment in hard labour by the Suhum Magistrate’s Court.      Police Chief Inspector Ben Nyonator, prosecuting, told the Court, presided over by Mrs Naomi Akyeanu that Asiedu resides at Kyebi whilst the complainant stays at Asiakwa in the East Akyem Municipality.      He said in February this year, the complainant and his co-miner, were looking for excavator to work on their mining concession.    The prosecutor said Asiedu who had the information, approached them and introduced himself as an excavator operator who could assist them to get the facility.      The complainant therefore gave Asiedu GH¢1,000.00 to travel to Takoradi where he claimed he could get the machine.       Asiedu on the following day went to the complainant and told him that the owner of the excavator was demanding GH¢1,500.00 before releasing the machine.     He also requested the complainant to give him GH¢500.00 to enable him cart the excavator to Asiakwa.   The prosecutor said, Asiedu after receiving the money switched off his mobile phone and went into hiding and that all attempts to trace him proved futile.      At about 0800 hours on June 24, Asiedu was arrested in connection with another fraud case and the complainant went to the police station and identified him and during interrogation he admitted the crime and was charged with the offence.     GNA...

Sekondi, (W/R) July 10, GNA - A 12-year old Ivorian, Saudou Amin, has been apprehended by the Takoradi Port Police for attempting to stowaway aboard a Liberian vessel that docked at the Takoradi Harbour enroute to Brazil.   The Police has handed him over to the Ghana Immigration Service towards deportation to his home country.   The Takoradi Port Police Unit Commander, Chief Superintendent George Tweneboa, confirmed to the Ghana News Agency, on Tuesday, that the boy boarded the ship at Abidjan when it was sailing to Ghana.   He said on Thursday July 5, at about 1500hours when the Liberian vessel, MV Milos Monrovia, berthed at the Takoradi Port from Abidjan, the crew discovered Saudou Amin hiding in an obscure part of the ship.   Chief Superintendent Tweneboa stated that Amin was, consequently, handed over to the Immigration Service.   The Takoradi Police Unit Commander said the MV Milos Monrovia vessel has since departed to Brazil.     GNA...

Etwebo (W/R), July 10, GNA - Mr. Kenneth Norris, General Manager of Chirano Gold Mines Limited has called on employees to remain dedicated, work hard and ensure that they do not compromise safety in the discharge of their duties.     “We need to work safe and we can do so if we do not allow our years of experience to override our safety and security on the job” he stressed.     Mr. Norris said these when he was introduced to employees of the company on Tuesday as part of his orientation engagement strategy upon his assumption of office as General Manager at Chirano Gold Mines Limited on July 3.    He used the occasion to thank employees for their devotion to duty and reminded them that the Kinross Group had a brighter future and that employees should feel secure.    Mr. Norris assured the workers that management will make the necessary infrastructure and equipment available to enhance their work but “safety cannot be ignored in all we do” he added.    He said Kinross will continue to promote safety everydays which are key issues that the company will focus on to bring out the best in its employees.    Mr. Norris noted that changes were likely to occur and could be traumatic for many but that the company will do its best to ensure that the safety of its employees, family and work were protected.     GNA...

Suhum, July 10, GNA - Mr Samuel Oduro, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) activist, has appealed to the Party’s hierarchy to resolve differences between the former 51 polling station Executives of the party and the Member of Parliament for Suhum Constituency, Mr Fredrick Opare Ansah, to enable the party to win both the parliamentary and presidential elections in the area.     He noted that the differences had brought division among supporters of the party with some of them threatening to vote “skirt and blouse” in the December polls.     Throwing more light on the disagreement, Mr Oduro said during the 2008 parliamentary primary between Mr Opare Ansah and Mr Bryan Akyeampong, both of them had 51 votes each and that the national executive later asked Mr Opare Ansah to represent the constituency in the general election.     He said after Mr Opare Ansah won the election, he dismissed the 51 polling station executives and replaced them with his favourites.    Mr Oduro said that action brought about petty squabbles among party supporters till date.     GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA - Building and civil engineering and road contractors would in September compete for eleven award categories at the second National Contractors Excellence Awards slated for Accra, organisers have said.   The awards, organized jointly by the Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana (ABCECEG) and the Progressive Road Contractors Association (PROCA), is to recognize and reward star performers in the construction industry.   The organisers said contractors, who are desirous of competing for laurels at the event must submit their forms by 4th August.   The maiden award was held last year and limited to building contractors but following keen interest, this year’s edition has been expanded to include road contractors.   Apart from the contractor of the year award, other categories would recognise winners in each of the four classes of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors as well as the four classes of Road Contractors.   There will also be winners in the category of Corporate Social Responsibility for foreign and local contractors.   The Chairman of the Technical Committee of ABCECG, Rockson Dogbegah, said the Contractor of the Year as well as the winners in the Corporate Social Responsibility could either be a Road or a Building and Civil Engineering Contractor.   He said four categories each would be reserved for Building and Civil Engineering Contractors and Road Contractors respectively and that any contractor or construction firm that entered the competition must score at least 60 percent based on the set criteria in order to win an award.   “Even if you are the best in your category but you failed to score 60 percent, you will not be a winner otherwise we might end up rewarding substandard work,” Mr Dogbegah said.   He said a transparent criteria and scoring system, developed by a Committee of Experts chaired by Leslie Awere Kyere, an engineer, has been developed to ensure fairness and to achieve the objective of promoting excellence.   Last year, Jescan Construction Ltd was adjudged the overall best Building Contractor, with Proko Ghana, Consar Ghana, Kumfranky and Malkna winning in other categories. Plaques were presented to the winners while the overall winner drove home a truck donated by BBC Paints.   The National Contractors Excellence has been slated for September 21st this year with various events planned to herald the awards night.   One of the major events to usher in the awards is a Football gala among the various contractor associations at both regional and national levels.   The National Football gala will be held at El Wak Stadium on the 8th of September.     GNA...

Accra, July 10, GNA -  Orlando Wellington has resigned as Coach of the Black Satellites team with barely three weeks to the team’s African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifier billed against Uganda later this month.   Under-fire Wellington who supervised a chain of poor results in recent times walked, off on Tuesday morning, according to George Afriyie, Chairman of the Black Satellites Management Committee.   Afriyie told GNA Sports ‘I have been told about his resignation letter and I should have a hold of it any moment.’   He hinted that a Management Committee meeting originally scheduled for Thursday, July 12 will be pushed a day forward to allow a decision to be taken in time to salvage the effect of Wellington’s decision on the team’s preparation.   The Chairman described Wellington’s move as unfortunate and blamed it on what he described as harsh criticism of the Coach who has been the object of discussions after the Satellites relinquished a 2-0 first half lead to draw with Namibia in a three-nation tourney in Accra last Sunday.   ‘I saw this coming because the pressure is too much. The last few days have been difficult on all of us because of the manner of pressure from everywhere. I think he took the best decision under the circumstance. The criticism is harsh, most unfair and it got to him’   Afriyie was, however, quick to say the timing of the former Heart of Lions trainer’s decision was problematic.   ‘The timing of the resignation is very bad for us since we have almost three weeks to our game with Uganda. But we cannot use that as an excuse. Luckily, we have the core of the team in place and we will need to work hard not to have it affect our plans’         Afriyie however poured scorn on suggestions that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) had plans to show Wellington the door after Sunday’s results which the former considered the last straw.   ‘I do not know where that information is coming from and I can tell you it never featured in our discussion. That was not what we planned discussing at our meeting on Thursday. Wellington has enjoyed our support this far and we were not about to withdraw that.’   Afriyie said management will take a decision on Wellington’s move and report to the GFA for the necessary action in the ensuing days   The Coach was part of the technical staff that aided the Satellites to claim the World Youth Championship title in Egypt in 2009 but failed to qualify the team for the competition as substantive trainer two years on haven exited the AYC as defending Champions at the group stage. The Coach, like all the other local coaches for all the national teams apart from the Black Stars worked without a contract.     GNA...

The University of Ghana has reverted to its old Hall quota of three people to a room, following the decongestion exercise, carried out last semester. The exercise saw the student population at the Halls reducing. For instance Commonwealth Hall which over the past years used to host between 3,000 and 4,000 students, had its number reduced to 928last semester. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, disclosed this at the biennial jamboree on Republic Day at the Commonwealth Hall gardens ... Read More

By A suspected armed robber on the wanted list of the police has been arrested in Accra. Stephen Quarshie, alias Bossing, an ex-convict, is said to be part of a group involved in a number of robberies at filling stations and shops in Tema and Accra. He was released during the Justice for All programme in 2010, after serving three-and-a half years jail term at the Nsawam medium prison. Quarshie, together with others on the run are said to have robbed a filling stations ... Read More

A group of armed robbers on Saturday attacked some Chinese nationals allegedly engaged in illegal gold mining, popularly called galamsey, killing one of them. The incident, which occurred at about 8:30pm at Manso-Mpatasie in the Amansie West District of Ashanti, saw the robbers making away with several items, including cash, mobile phones as well as some gold. Police Superintendent, S.K. Kwakye, Manso Nkwanta District Police Commander, confirmed the incident to The Ghanaian Times and said ... Read More