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 ...

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 ...

The Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) will soon complete its training in the energy sector aim at equipping beneficiaries with skills for the oil and gas job market

Abetifi, July 10, GNA - The Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Mr Peter Wiafe Peprah, has initiated a three-year skill training programme in dressmaking, tailoring and hairdressing for over 150 youth in the constituency. The programme aims to provide capacity building for the youth, especially the females who could not further their education an ...

Apam (C/R), July 11, GNA - The four schools in Gomoa West District managed by the Transition And Persistence (TAP) Project being implemented jointly by USAID and Plan Ghana were presented with awards at a ceremony at Apam.   The TAP Project aims at increasing Junior High School (JHS) enrollment and to bridge the gap between Primary and JHS completion rates.   The Project is being implemented in 156 JHS across 13 districts in four regions, namely Central, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra.   The four schools which are benefiting from the Project in Gomoa West are Nkoransa D/A JHS, Brofo D/A JHS, Mankoadze Methodist JHS and Wassa/Nkran Methodist JHS.   The Project, which is being funded jointly by USAID and Plan Ghana, has three-year duration.   Miss Janet Barnes, a teacher of Nkoransa JHS, was adjudged the best female teacher in the four schools and was presented with a lap top computer whilst Mr Emmanuel Amoah of Mankoadze Methodist JHS also received a lap top for being the best male teacher. Both were also presented with certificates.   Wassa/Nkran Methodist JHS was adjudged the best school and will be provided with an ICT Centre and Library, whilst Nkoransa D/A JHS and Mankoadze Methodist JHS, the first and second runners-up, were presented with certificates.   Mrs Grace Adzo Obodai, Acting Gomoa West District Director of Education, commended the two NGOs, USAD and Plan Ghana for putting in many interventions to ensure pupil retention and completion of schools.   She appealed to the District Assemblies and other NGOs to emulate the examples of the two organisations to ensure that school-dropout rate was minimised.   Miss Obodai expressed concern about how the Project would be sustained after the exit of the two organisations and urged the District Assemblies to take up the challenge.   Miss Edith Lotsu, Construction Engineer, USAID Education Project, said since the inception of the project in July 2010, they had trained 156 teachers in Mathematics and English respectively, 156 teachers in ICT and the capacity of School Management Committees in 156 schools strengthened to support School Improvement Performances.   She said 1,246 girls were sponsored to attend vacation camps, 65 Rights of the Child clubs formed with two patrons trained and major repairs were carried on 19 schools and seven JHS replaced.   Miss Lotsu said they also provided scholarship to needy students and also sponsored teachers for distance learning courses.   She expressed the hope that the support being given would enable pupils enjoy school, stay in school to complete with good grades.   “We want our students to take charge of the future development agenda of our dear nation,” she said.   Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah, Presiding Member of Gomoa West Assembly, said education is the key to human development and urged parents to invest in their children’s education.   The Very Reverend Ebo Walters, Superintendent Minister of the Apam Circuit of the Methodist Church, said lack of supervision in schools was the bane of the falling standard of education.   He expressed concern about the “girl-child” mantra and said if the boys were left out the nation would produce a lot of armed robbers.       GNA...

Kumasi, July 11, GNA – A 22-year-old mechanic who allegedly posed as a soldier and fleeced six people of a total of GH¢ 9,450.00 under the pretext of getting them enlisted into the Ghana Police Service has been remanded into prison custody.      Ebenezer Baffour Asamoah pleaded not guilty to charges of impersonation and fraud. He would re-appear on Wednesday, July 18.      His accomplice, Michael Oppong alias “Osofo” is on the run and the police have mounted a search for him.      Police Chief Inspector James Amekah told the court presided over by Justice D.W.P Amedior that the victims, Frank Akwasi Aning, Kwaku Baffour, Solomon Mensah, Regina Foriwaah, Portia Acheampong and Dorcas Mensah, live in different parts of the Ashanti Region.     The accused has been holding himself as a soldier with the Fourth Infantry Battalion (4BN) in Kumasi.      About a year ago, Foriwaah and Portia were introduced to Asamoah by a pastor of their church as a military officer, who could aid them to join the police service.      The accused promised to get them enlisted and succeeded in swindling the two together with the four others of their monies, which ranged between GH¢1,200.00 and GH¢2,500.00.      The prosecution said Asamoah went into hiding after collecting the money.      He ran out of luck on July 5, when one of the victims spotted him at Bohyen in Kumasi and caused his arrest. The others also made formal report to the police.      The accused admitted the offence in his caution statement.     GNA...

Andre Villas-Boas was unveiled to the media this afternoon at our fantastic new Training Centre at Hotspur Way, Enfield.

     Kumasi, July 11, GNA – A Kumasi Circuit Court has remanded two people into prison custody for allegedly stealing three laptop computers valued at GH¢2,700.00.      Kwabena Owusu, an electrician, and Akwasi Baah, trader, are facing charges of conspiracy and stealing.     They both pleaded innocent and were ordered to re-appear on Tuesday, July 17.     Police Chief Inspector Archibald Kwesi Fandoh told the court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that, the accused persons, on July 4, baited the complainant, Eunice Korda, with what they claimed was a gift of gold dust to bring the computers out of her office.      Under the pretext of performing some esoteric rituals on the gold, they fled with the computers.      The prosecution said two days after the crime, Owusu was spotted at Adum by the complainant and she caused his arrest.      At the police station, he mentioned Baah as his accomplice.      They confessed to the crime in their caution statements.     GNA...

Maxwell Konadu has been appointed the temporary head coach of GhanaÂ’s U-20 side, the Black Satellites.

Kumasi, July 11, GNA - The Sofoline Interchange being built as part of the GH¢ 99.6 million reconstruction of the 11.3-kilometre Kejetia-Abuakwa stretch of the Kumasi-Sunyani road is set to be opened to traffic in October.      Mr Kwaku Boampong, the Resident Engineer, said it is now about 80 per cent complete.      The contractors had finished with all the concrete works as well as the underground pedestrian walkways and drainage. What is left is the asphalt concrete surfacing.      The Sofoline interchange is one of the five underpasses that would be provided on the six-lane carriageway.      The road project was started in August 2007, with the initial contract sum of GH¢73 million. It is being funded by the government.      Mr Boampong estimated the total job done by the contractors, China Geo Engineering Corporation, on the entire stretch at 64 per cent.      He said the delay in the payment of compensation to affected property owners was not helping the smooth implementation of the road project.       He, however, expressed optimism that the July next year deadline would not be missed although the contractors are three months behind schedule.      The Resident Engineer dismissed speculation that the original design of the road had been changed due to the difficulty with funding.      The design makes provision for the construction of another interchange at KATH and five underpasses.     GNA...

The Management of the Amputee Football national team, the Black Challenge, would organize two special justify-your-inclusion sessions in Kumasi and Accra.

Klikor (V/R), July 11, GNA – Vice President John Dramani Mahama has said it was time Ghanaians overcome the erroneous mindset about vocational and technical training.      “As a country it is time we depart from the erroneous mindset about vocational and technical training”, he said.       The Vice President made the call in an address at the first speech day of Dr. Adlise Ivey Porter AME Zion Vocational Institute (AMEZVOC) at Klikor, in the Ketu South District.       It was on the theme “equipping the youth for wealth creation through vocational training”.       Vice-President Mahama said Government   holds a contrary view, in conformity with 2004 UNESCO declaration, that identifies vocational and technical training as the master key to the socio-economic development of every nation.       He said government has therefore earmarked a 35 million US dollar budgetary allocation this year to retool the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) for an expanded apprenticeship and vocational training.      He said in addition, a Social Development Fund (SDF) has been set up under the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) for skills training for the youth and urged them to take advantage of all the various interventions by government.      The Vice President commended the founders of the school for their vision of equipping the youth of the area with vocational skills and further asked students and tutors of the school to maintain the discipline and hard work in furtherance of the focus of the founders of the Institute.     Reverend Samuel Setor, Headmaster of the school, appealed to government to consider absorbing the school into the public sector to help upgrade its infrastructure  and recruit more teachers to improve on enrollment.     He said the school, which was established in 1997 with six students, currently has just 112 students and therefore demanded a vigorous expansion.      GNA...

Former midfielder returns to Spurs to become Andre Villas-Boas's number two. Tottenham Hotspur have announced the appointment of Steffen Freund as their assistant head coach.

Kasoa, July 11, GNA - Mrs Mavies Hawah Koomson, National Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Senya Awutu Constituency, has noted that Ghanaians wants to see an NPP government in power.   She said this is because they want to see a continuation of its programmes aimed at alleviating poverty, and urged members of the party to intensify their campaigns.   Mrs Koomson said this during the inauguration of the Kpormeitey Rent Control branch of the party, on Tuesday, at Kpmeitey, a suburb of Kasoa.   “The party can only win the election if members are able to organize and campaign at homes, work places and markets, also the floating voters.”   Mrs Koomson urged supporters of the NPP to educate the electorate about the good works of the party, when it was in power, and what the party would for them when voted into power.   “The 2012 electioneering campaign is a herculean task since the party is going to compete with other political parties and that demands hard work and selfless devotion to duty”, Mrs Koomson added.   She said the youth, under NPP government, would be trained to acquire skills, which would enable them to establish their own businesses so that they do not become liabilities.   The Kpormeitey branch of the party also used the occasion to swear in new Executives, with Mr Albert Kwesi Abasah as Chairman,  Mr Samuel Amanortey, Vice Chairman, Mr John Erick Atta Mends, Secretary, Mr Joe Teteh Ofoe, Treasurer, Miss Vivian Donkor, Assistant Treasurer, and Madam Comfort Asanttewa, Organizer,   Mr Boniface Kwarteng, Chairman of the Patrons of the Senya Awutu Constituency, urged members to launch a membership drive and register new supporters of the party towards the forthcoming parliamentary and Presidential elections.         GNA...

Assistant coach of the national U-20 team, the Black Satellites C. K. Akunnor has been asked by the football association to step in following the resignation of head coach Orlando Wellington last Tuesday.

Wa, July 11, GNA – Mr James Sohimwinye, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) Parliamentary candidate for Wa Central Constituency, on Wednesday said he was determined to unseat the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Alhaji Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo in the forthcoming December polls.      The 39-year-old Bank Manager said this, in his maiden interaction with the media in Wa.      He said the pragmatic development ideas being trumpeted by the flag-bearer of his party Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom would help him “do the trick.”      He also believed his hard work at the bank had endeared him to the hearts of the constituents, who according to him were very much ready to reward him with their thumbs.      Mr Sohimwinye said even with his current position, he had been able to create some number of jobs for the teeming youth in the constituency and helped some business men and women to grow their businesses.      He said the Wa Central Constituency was a business community and needed a business minded person to lead and direct them to these business opportunities.      He said the PPP’s flag-bearer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom and all his Parliamentary candidates were business minded people, capable of managing the country’s economy to achieve the needed growth and development.      Mr Sohimwinye said the people of Wa Central Constituency were therefore waiting patiently to go for the PPP, as their only alternative, come December 2012.      Mr Sohimwinye said the PPP’s campaign would be based on ideas and not on personalities as had often being the case with the two leading political parties; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).      He advised all politicians to be tolerant and civil in their pronouncements in order to make this year’s election more peaceful than the previous ones.      Mr. Sohimwinye, until his defection to the PPP was the Upper West Regional representative in the National Executive Committee of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and also the Regional Campaign Coordinator for Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, who was then the CPP Presidential candidate for the 2008 elections.      He is currently the Assembly Member for the Zingu Electoral Area in the Wa Municipality and also the PPP Regional Chairman.       GNA...

Former Ghana youth international, Mubarak Wakaso has completed a transfer from Spanish Villareal to La Liga side Espanyol for an undisclosed amount.

  Sunyani (B/A) July 11, GNA - Mr James Bukari Basintale, General Manager of the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Northern Ghana, on Tuesday said the company is committed to strengthening and improving the services of its networks while seeking the welfare of the numerous retailers.          He explained that lots of programmes had been outlined for this month, some of which had been tailored to bring some benefits to retailers, wholesalers and dealers to recognize their contribution and dedicated services to the company.      Mr. Basintale was speaking at a forum, as part of activities lined-up for the Sun City Fest Programme in Sunyani.      He said the company would continue to invest in its network to ensure that it maintained the position as the number one telecommunication industry in Ghana.      The General Manager was not only looking at how best they could promote the socio–economic lives of the current generation, but was also mindful of how the future generation would fare and thus was compelling the company to initiate a number of development project.      Some of these projects included the construction and inauguration of the 10 ICT centres in each of the regions, with the one Brong-Ahafo located at Techimantia in the Tano South District.      Mr. Basintale said other projects include the constructions of schools, boreholes and the male and female wards of the Kintampo and Kwame Danso Hospitals.      Mr. Samuel Gyimah, Regional Manager of MTN, said the Sun City fest is to create opportunities for people to check their blood pressure levels and their weight, as well as educate their retailers to enlighten customers of the networks services.      Mr. Julius Kwayie–Mensah, an official of Zenith Bank in Sunyani, advised the general public to cultivate the habit of saving, which he said, was needful for sound financial management.        GNA...

About 150 branch executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress in the New Juaben South Constituency of the Eastern Region, have crossed carpet to the newly formed National Democratic Party.

Agona Swedru, July 11, GNA-The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has sentenced a 25- year-old barber to 18 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a10-year-old school girl at Gomoa Aboso, near Agona Swedru.    Isaac Prah from Gomoa Aboso was convicted on his own plea of guilty.   Prosecuting, Police Inspector Alfred Boatey, told the Court Presided over by Mrs Ever Williams Bannerman that the Prah stayed with the victim in the same vicinity at Gomoa Aboso.   He said on June 17 parents of the victim traveled and Prah took advantage of their absence and sent the little girl to buy him sachet water. When the victim returned with the water the convict asked her to send the water into his room.     Prah locked the door, gagged her, defiled her and warned her not to tell anybody else she would die.    Inspector Boatey said the girl’s sibling later discovered that blood was oozing from her private part and reported the matter to Agona Swedru Divisional Command of Domestic Violence Victim and Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police who arrested Prah.     GNA...