GHACEM PROVIDES TRANSPORTERS WITH TRUCK PARK (PAGE 29)

THE Ghana Cement Factory (GHACEM) in Tema has inaugurated a 3.2-acre space transporter truck park at a cost of GH¢100,000.
The park is to provide adequate parking space for trucks which load cement from the company.
The transformed fenced park which can accommodate 60 trucks conveniently has two administrative offices , resting places and washrooms.
Inaugurating the project , the Commercial Director of GHACEM , Mr Erik Westerberg, said the objective of providing the park reflected the company’s commitment to its major stakeholders and also to fulfil its promise to deliver value added programmes to its operations.
He said the park had been named after the former Works Manager of GHACEM, Mr David Jamieson.
Mr Westerberg said the Jamieson park was restricted to only authorised users to be determined by the Chief Security Co-ordinator of GHACEM.
The Strategic and Corporate Affairs Director of GHACEM, Dr George Dawson – Ahmoah, commended the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority ( GPHA ) for leasing the land to GHACEM for over a renewable period of 50 years.
He explained that though the trucks were operating from the area, GHACEM could not build it into a well planned and orderly park because the land did not belong to it.
Dr Dawson –Ahmoah expressed appreciation for the support of GHAPOHA and the security services for coming to their aid to recommend that GHACEM took over the operation of the park.
He expressed the hope that drivers and their operatives would take the rules governing the running of the park seriously to bring sanity into the distribution and conveyance of cement to their customers.
The Second in Command of the Tema Regional Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ransford Ninson, said the police would not relent in their efforts to maintain peace in the area.
He said hitherto the place was used by thieves , gamblers , drug peddlers,among others.
ACP Ninson warned that the police would intensify its monitoring operations in and around the area and, therefore, gave the assurance that the police were prepared to ensure peace in the area.
He said anyone found flouting any security rules would be arrested and prosecuted.
The Chairman of the GHACEM Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Mr Jonas Addo, expressed the appreciation of the Union to GHACEM but appealed to it to tar the park and provide a service bay and canteen to enable the drivers to feel comfortable.
Mr Addo appealed to the police to consistently patrol the area to ensure the safety of the drivers and their vehicles.

CPP TO ESTABLISH ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR WOMEN (PAGE 16)

Mrs Yvonne Nduom, wife of the flag bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, has said a CPP government will establish Women’s Enterprise Development Fund to offer women the opportunity to access loans at low interest rates.
She said under a CPP administration, there would be a number of programmes, which have already been outlined, to help women to improve their lot and urged them to vote CPP for a prosperous Ghana.
She toured markets in Tema Communities Two, Five and Nine and also Ashaiman to canvass for votes. She was welcomed by cheerful market women, who were shouting the slogan "yeresesem" (meaning ‘we are changing the status quo’).
Mrs Nduom said a CPP government would set up a development fund to support women to small-scale businesses.
She said the women would be given loans with flexible terms payable over a stipulated period to enable them to feel comfortable with their trading activities and contribute adequately to house-keeping.
She was hailed by the women amidst singing and dancing. She said the CPP would not make empty promises as was being done by others and added: “We shall deliver as we have promised you”.
Mrs Nduom urged floating voters to decide wisely by voting for the CPP.
At the Tema Community Two market she was happy to be told that the market was built in the 1950s. She said the CPP government would use the same plan to extend the market because it represented the ideal type that women needed.
She added that Dr Kwame Nkrumah had the idea to provide only the best for his people and that was why he had the market designed to have shops and sheds.
Mrs Nduom noted that the present designs of markets exposed the women to the sun, which is not the best.
She said further that the CPP would seek the interest of women if voted into power.
When she was told by a section of the women that their husbands were unemployed because they were seamen, Mrs Nduom assured them of the CPP’s intention to revive the seafaring profession to ensure that their husbands were back to work.
Mrs Nduom appealed to all women to ensure that their children went to school to give the economy a booster in the future.
She shook hands with the traders as she went round the markets advising them individually to vote for the CPP.
At the Community Five market, Mrs Nduom realised that the traders had deserted the market because of lack of adequate structures.
She later went to Community Nine and Ashaiman markets and urged them to vote massively for the CPP for development.
She was accompanied by the CPP parliamentary candidate for Tema West, Mr Isaac Kofi Asempa, and some of the party faithful.

CHURCHES PRAY FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS (PAGE 28)

Churches and Religious organisations in the Tema Metropolitan area have held prayers to seek God’s intervention for peaceful elections in the forthcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections on December 7, 2008.
They also prayed that Ghanaians elect the right people to move the nation towards prosperity and not self seekers, who will want to feed on national resources.
The General Overseer of the Full Gospel Church International, Reverend Samuel Mensah, prayed that the lord gives Ghanaians a God-fearing president and parliamentarians, to govern the nation and meet the basic needs of the people.
He said elections were about Ghanaians, their families and their future and, therefore, any mistake made today would go a long way to negatively affect the lives of the people.
Rev. Mensah, who focused his sermon on the need for peaceful elections said Ghanaians must vote for persons of integrity and not parties considering the fact that the December Elections was not about any party.
He urged the congregation to examine the qualities of the candidates before casting their votes on election day.
Rev. Mensah said chosen candidates must be people who had the capabilities to handle the internal security of the country, fight indiscipline, raise the sinking image of Ghana and the purchasing power of the people.
He said the oil find should not be a curse to the nation as happened in other oil producing countries and that Ghanaians will need to be adequately trained to take up positions and ensure serenity in the labour front.
Rev. Mensah said that was the only way to bring sanity into the system in order that no one was aggrieved to rise up against the government.
He said that was the main reason why the people would need to elect a leader, who will be sensitive to their plight and also be a listening government.

PEACEFUL ELECTIONS ESSENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT — KUFOUR (PAGE 17)

THE President John Agyekum Kufour has emphasised the need for peace and stability before, during and after the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He said peaceful elections were essential for national development and growth and therefore urged Ghanaians to vote for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for what it has been able to to do for the country.
The President was addressing a massive rally at Ashaiman where he introduced the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the right person to take over from him.
He expressed joy on seeing the large crowd and said the party was sure of winning the seat in Ashaiman which had hitherto been a no-go area for the party.
President Kufour appealed to the people to ignore the promises being made by some parties and vote the NPP for genuine development in a peaceful environment.
He said the government had started to develop the municipality by granting it a new status and would in no time bring other structures to turn Ashaiman into a city.
President Kufour praised Ghanaians for their dedication and hard work during his term of office and called on them to extend the same goodwill to Nana Akufo-Addo.
He said Nana Akufo-Addo had been one of the big brains behind the scenes in decision making in the party, stating that “ one person does not take decisions in the party”.
President Kufour called on supporters of the party to vote for both the presidential and parliamentary candidates to be in tune with their leaders.
Nana Akufo-Addo called on the electorate to vote wisely and not put their destiny into the hands of people who were not productive.
He commended the administration of President Kufuor for the good and productive work done and promised to continue with the trend.
Nana Akufo-Addo said he would double the size of the police to create a greater security in the country in addition to improving sanitation in the country as a whole.
On rigging of the elections, Nana Akufo-Addo said he was surprised that some people should have that notion because it was rather the NPP party which moved for the introduction of the transparent ballot boxes.
The NPP flag bearer was of the view that there would be free and fair elections and called for peace and stability.
The rally was attended by stalwarts of the party including the Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Nana Ohene Ntow and Sheik I. C. Quaye.

ELEVEN ON BAIL FOR ASSAULT (PAGE 31)

A Tema circuit court has granted bail to 11 members of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) task force with one surety to appear again on December 11, 2008 for allegedly assaulting two journalists.
The bail terms of GH¢220,000 was granted by the Tema Circuit Court ‘A’.
The 11 were remanded in police custody when they first appeared before the court, presided over by Mrs Justice Lorinda Owusu, on November 13, 2008 on charges of assault and causing damage.
The accused persons are Ex WO 1 Joseph Owusu, Stephen Eshun, Alfred Nana Ampadu, Francis Adjei, Charles Dougan, Isaac Duncan, Razak Mamudu, Abraham Adamani, Samuel Osei, Andrew Ackon and Roy Mereku.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them and were represented by their counsel, Mrs Brendalyn Aikings, while the legal counsel of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mrs Cecilia Davis, represented the journalists, Mark Anthony Vinorkor and Samuel Tei Adano.
According to the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Adolf Otchere, on October 22, 2008, the accused persons were spotted by the journalists demolishing some unauthorised wooden structures in the vicinity of the Narh Bita Hospital.
He said they decided to take pictures in view of public complaints about the increases in unauthorised structures in the metropolis.
Chief Inspector Otchere said the 11 men did not take kindly to that and confronted Adano, the photographer.
In the ensuing confrontation, they forcibly seized a new Nikon D40 digital camera which he had bought barely a week before the incident from him .
He said when Vinorkor, the reporter, went to Adano’s aid, the men assaulted them, leading to the loss of a pair of medicated spectacles, camera lens cover, an extra battery and GH¢20.
Chief Inspector Otchere said the two journalists were issued with medical forms for a medical check up as a result of the assault.
Meanwhile, the Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku II, has informed counsel for the GCGL, Mrs Davis, of his intention to intervene and settle the case out of court.
He said in his capacity as the stool father of Tema , he had put in an application to be considered by the court.
The Managing Director of TDC, Ms Mansa Banson, rendered a verbal apology to the complainants, which is to be followed later with a written apology.
She consented to the intention of the Tema Mantse and promised that TDC would replace the lost items and adequately compensate the complainants.
Mrs Davis said she would convey the intentions to the management and the affected journalists, while they waited for the letter.

2 HEADTEACHERS BEING PROBED OVER ILLEGAL FEES (BACK PAGE)

THE Tema Metropolitan Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES ) is investigating two head teachers of some basic schools in the metropolis who allegedly collected illegal fees from pupils.
They would appear before the GES disciplinary committee, and if found guilty of the offence, would be sanctioned .
Confirming this to the Daily Graphic in Tema, the Metropolitan Director of Education, Mrs Victoria Opoku, said the GES was seriously monitoring the tuition-free education system and, therefore, would not spare any head teacher found sabotaging its effort .
She stated that official mails had been dispatched to all basic schools, indicating clearly that any head teacher found guilty of illegal collection of fees in any form would be sanctioned.
Mrs Opoku emphatically denied giving any Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in the metropolis permission to organise extra classes for a fee, as was being circulated, and said the service would not relent on its effort in bringing sanity into the system.
She called on all head teachers in the metropolis to help the service achieve its goal of ensuring tuition-free education at the basic level in all public schools .
Mrs Opoku noted that the policy must not be politicised, because education was the lifeline of every economy and, therefore, neglecting the youth and denying them of education would affect the nation in the near future .
When the Chairman of School Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations in the metropolis, Mr Owusu Asare, was contacted, he confirmed that GES had banned extra classes at the basic education level.
He was, however, of the view that parents could agree to give incentives to teachers to enable them to organise extra classes for their children .
He agreed that some teachers abused it, because they never held the classes, but collected the monies, leading to the downward trend of examination results.
Mr Owusu Asare appealed to the GES to investigate where monies collected from users of school premises went.
He suggested that GES held a forum for the PTAs to explain the policy and also to enable them to understand the differences between legal and unauthorised fees.