Kumasi Polytechnic gets mechatronics laboratory

A laboratory (mechatronics laboratory) to train engineering students of the Kumasi Polytechnic, especially in computer and solar energy, has been completed at a cost of $3 million.

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering that includes mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, control and computer engineering.

Already, the Kumasi Polytechnic has established a centre for renewable energy and energy efficiency towards ensuring that the school becomes self-sufficient in the provision of its own electricity.

The Rector of the Kumasi Polytechnic, Professor Nicholas N.N. Nsowah-Nuamah, made this known to the Daily Graphic during a workshop on the transformation of the polytechnics into technical universities last Tuesday in Kumasi.

He said while the laboratory would be used to impart knowledge about solar energy to the students, the Centre for Renewable Energy of the school would be charged with the responsibility for providing solar and manure energy for the school’s new campus at Kutunase.

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said feasibility studies on the provision of adequate and potable water from yet-to-be-drilled wells on the school’s campuses were also ongoing.

Kumasi Polytechnic was in the news recently for owing water and electricity bills. It owed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) GH¢3 million and the Ghana Water Company GH¢456,777.

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said the school did not want to be saddled with the payment of electricity and water bills, when it had the capacity and capability to generate its own power and water and sell surpluses to the utility providers.

Upgrade

On the polytechnic’s preparations towards becoming a technical university, Professor Nsowah-Nuamah said the school was almost ready, both in terms of infrastructure and human resource.

On human resource, he explained that currently the Kumasi Polytechnic could boast 30 doctorate degree holders and more than 60 senior lecturers, 30 of whom had submitted their works to be promoted.

That, he further explained, meant that by next year, the Kumasi Polytechnic would be having 100 professors at the proposed technical university.

Technical universities

Prof. Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, a former Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who gave a briefing on the status and workings of technical universities, said they were structured to have strong links with industry and business and offered programmes that were vocationally oriented and career focused.

He said the technical universities would also support existing and emerging productive sectors of the economy with technical expertise, adding that technical universities also placed emphasis on innovation and applications of new technologies.

- By Donald Ato Dapatem, graphic.com.gh

NGO calls for prosecution of headmaster for allegedly preventing students from writing WASSCE

Children's NGO, Child Rights International is pushing for the prosecution of the headmaster of the St. Johns Grammar Senior High School, Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle for stopping three final year students from writing a WASSCE exam because they kept bushy hair.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked that the 3 students be registered and prepared to write the paper in the November WAEC remedial examinations. That decision has been criticized by groups which are seeking punishment for the headmaster. Speaking on the Super Morning Show, Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah is calling for the headmaster to be dealt with in court.

“You cannot deny a child’s right to write examination. You are saying that because they have violated a child’s right the best thing you can do is to prepare them to go and write the examination [at a later date].

In this particular case we need to go beyond that and I have already called upon the parents to exercise their right within the court. If they are not ready to do so, we are prepared to be next friends to these people to go to court and ensure that such activities do not happen to our children in the future.

But the headmaster, Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle denies preventing the students from writing the paper as reported by the media.

He told Joy News’ Keminni Amanor that the students were being routinely checked by an examination supervisor for using artificial eye lashes and perming their hair.

He said the affected students were among a group of students who have had previous disciplinary issues and that they were asked to stand aside while their colleagues were searched before being allowed into the examinations hall.

He insisted that there was no way that the supervisor would have prevented the students from writing the exam.

“It was a caution for them to stand there for some time or to go and trim their hair before coming to write,” he explained, “after the rest have entered, the group that was asked to stand aside [by the supervisor] were also searched and were asked to enter."

Unfortunately, he said, three of the students had snuck off from the group. Apparently the three attempted to see the head in his office when they split off from the group but met his absence.

They then chose to break bounds and leave the school premises, unbeknownst to the authorities, and reported to a radio station. Should they have stayed, they would not have missed the paper.

So, Mr Fiemawhle stated, "nobody prevented them from writing WASSCE…it is not true.”

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com

SHS hair rules don’t apply to caucasians, ‘they’ll look ugly’ – Angel Kabonu

The subject of why students in Senior High Schools (SHS) are made to cut their hair has been broached with some controversial views, after 3 students of the St John’s Grammar were disallowed from writing the paper in the ongoing West African Senior Secondary School Certificate examination (WASSCE).

The students failed to cut what the headmaster of the school Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle deemed “bushy” and “unkempt.”

The news has generated some angry response to the headmaster’s decision and the reasoning behind such several decade-long rules has been questioned.

The Vice President of the National Association of Graduate Association (NAGRAT), Angel Kabonu has explained that unlike Ghanaians, Caucasian students in Ghana are not allowed to cut their hair because it makes them look ugly.

“What I gathered was that when Caucascians students cut their hair to the level of black ladies, it makes them look very ugly and it can even affect their looks so Caucasian students are not allowed to cut their hair.There is no rule in the Ghana Education Service concerning Caucasians in Ghana because we are not Caucasians , we are negroes.”

He made the comments while sharing his thoughts on the story of some students at the St. John Grammar School who were prevented from writing the West African Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for keeping their hair bushy.

Afro Hair for Fashion

Kabonu explained that most students are discouraged from keeping unkempt and bushy hair because in some cases they use it for either fashion or to engage in examination malpractices.

” Sometimes when they are about to leave school, they try to keep their hair so that when they leave school they are able to go and do perming and whatever they want to do with it…You cannot keep Afro hair that will look as if you are performing in Hollywood.You are in school and you are supposed to behave uniformly so as to ensure that the objective for which you are in school is achieved so when students have bushy hair, they are asked to cut the hair so as not to flaunt it as if it is a fashion show that we have in school.”

Kabonu pointed out that school authorities are to ensure that students dress properly without students questioning the basis for that particular instruction.

“Obedience to rules is part of the upbringing and training to be a proper person in society,” he said.

Basis for rules

Though Kabonu did not support the decision to exempt students from writing the exams, he stated that such rules have been introduced by the GES to deal with  some challenges.

Below are some of the challenges that according to Kabournu, influenced the GES to introduce such rules.

.Exam Malpractices

Kabonu explained that students in some instances “put materials in their hair and take it to the examination centre”

He said students have on several times been caught with such materials in their hair.

.Distraction

Kabonu said the “maintenance of a bushy hair also distracts the students from concentrating” on their academic work. Another reason according to him is maintain a “uniform look” for students.

He also believes “the rule is  part of the discipline that you are supposed to be subjected to when you are in school.”

How to handle violation of rules

Offering his suggestion on how to handle students who violate spelt out rules in their respective schools, Kabonu said students are expected  to conform to the rules irrespective of whether they agree with them or not.

“A child of a school is supposed to conform to the rules of the schools,… it is part of the upbringing.

“When you get out of school in three years and you want to keep your hair as the forest in the Western Region you can do but so long as you are in school wanting to be brought up within the rules and regulations of the school, you are supposed to abide by the rules and regulations of the school.”

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Brouhaha over bushy hair: GES orders St John’s Grammar to register students at school’s cost

The Ghana Eduction Service (GES) has directed authorities at the St John’s Grammar Senior High School in Accra to prepare three of its students to write the Christian Religious Studies paper in the upcoming November/December edition of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

According to the GES, the school should prepare the students for the examination at its own cost.

The three students — Harriet Boakye, Betty Boakye and Abigail Rockson — were last Monday prevented from writing the paper in the ongoing WASSCE because they had kept bushy hair, contrary to the school’s rules and regulations. 

The acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Jacob Kor, who gave the directive during a visit to the school yesterday, described the timing of the disciplinary action as inappropriate. 

Exercise caution

He said inasmuch as the students had flouted some of the school’s rules and regulations, it was only proper for the disciplinary action to be taken against them after they had written the paper.

“When students in the final year are having disciplinary problems and it is time for examination, they should be allowed to write the examination and thereafter you deal with them. You don’t deal with them during the process of the examination because it gives the students more fear and impatience to write the examination,” he said.

Additionally, he said, once the students had registered with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), there was a contract between the council and the students and as such school administrators should handle such disciplinary issues within the examination period with a bit of caution.

Giving an account of the events that led to the prevention of the students from writing the paper, the Headmaster of St John’s, Mr Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle, said six students were identified to have bushy hair and asked to go and trim their hair before they would be allowed to write the paper.

Unfortunately, he said, three of them refused to adhere to the directive and left to report the school authorities to an Accra-based radio station, Peace FM.

He said the rest of their mates who had stayed and pleaded with the authorities were permitted entry into the examination hall to write the paper.

Mr Fiemawhle, however, conceded that the situation could have been handled better, if the students had stayed with their mates, instead of rushing to report the matter to the radio station.

Student’s indiscipline 

Showing some academic records to the Daily Graphic, Mr Fiemwakle said some of the six students had, over the years, been cited for gross misconduct and indiscipline in the school.

He cited two of the students, in a letter dated November 8, 2013, who had been put on a week’s internal suspension.

He said one of them who was a boarder had been withdrawn from the boarding house for deviant behaviour.

According to the letter, which was copied to some heads of departments of the school, as well as the parents, the student had sneaked out of the school around 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, 2013 to a night club at Lapaz and returned at 1:30 a.m.

It said she had been seen drunk and smoking, a behaviour which was appalling.

“This behaviour of yours shows gross indiscipline and you have been withdrawn from the boarding house. You are not to be seen within and around the boarding house with immediate effect,” the letter stated.

Source: Written by  Zainabu Issah , Graphic Ghana

Mixed reactions greet KNUST lecturers' open support for NPP in 2016 polls

The decision by some lecturers of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to openly declare support for the opposition New Patriotic Party in the 2016 general elections, has been met with mixed reactions.


Although some have commended the group for being bold to openly declare their political affiliations, others have condemned the act as unhealthy and must not be encouraged in schools.

Critics are of the view that such lecturers may attempt to indoctrinate students to believe in their political ideologies and may in some cases also victimize students who disagree with them politically.

But supporters of the idea disagree with this suggestion. They are of the view that lecturers just like other citizens have the right to associate with any party of their choice as long as they do not engage in such political activities on their various campuses which is against the code of conduct in schools.

They have also downplayed suggestions of indoctrination explaining that students at the tertiary level are matured enough to make their political choices without being compelled to do so. Others said such professionals were already engaged in politics albeit secretly, and so there is nothing wrong with those going public.

KNUST NPP Front liners

A group of senior lecturers at the KNUST are mobilizing support from colleague lecturers to support the NPP in the 2016 general elections.

They argue that the NPP possess the intellectual capabilities and policies to develop Ghana at a faster rate hence their decision.

Known as KNUST NPP Front liners, the lecturers say their action is only meant to engineer a win for the NPP come the 2016 elections.

At its inaugural ceremony on Monday, the chairman of the group, Dr. Kwabena Boadu stated that the current state of economy and the numerous challenges facing the country exist due to “deep rooted corruption in government.”

They are therefore convinced that the intellectuals and the middle class in Ghana should “no longer sit and look unconcerned while our dear countries get into an abyss.”

Dr. Boadu therefore appealed to the general public to join the lecturers to support the NPP which according to him is the “best alternative government to salvage our sinking economy.”

“2016 is a must win for our great party,” he declared, adding that “we are ever ready to contribute our quota anyway possible to achieve this goal. I therefore urge all intellectuals to rise up and join the battle.”

UTAG unhappy

Among those criticizing the decision, is the University Teachers Association of Ghana, UTAG.

The General Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Samuel Atintonoo told Accra-based Citi FM that as professionals, it is wrong to openly support a political party.

“From our perspective, we wouldn’t say it is appropriate to do that because we are teachers who teach all kinds of people and so people can belong to political parties as individuals but not as professionals” he explained.

Dr. Atintonoo said UTAG has noticed that lecturers are nowadays called upon to give expert opinion on national issues; a situation he commended and said that is how far lecturers can go.

“Clearly what we are saying is that; it’s not right from our professional point of view as university lectures".


By:Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/tv3network.com/Ghana

Ghana Education Service asks Finance Ministry to release feeding grants on time

The Ghana Education Service , GES, has asked the Finance Ministry to speed up processes for the release of feeding grant to senior high schools in the three regions in the north.


The GES has also pleaded with beneficiary schools to make judicious use of the subsidies already given to them.

The feeding grant mainly for schools in the three regions in the north, have not been released for nearly three years. In place of that, government offers them what it calls subsidies.

The delays in the release of funds, have compelled the beneficiary schools to delay reopening; a situation which often occurs.

The Ghana Education Service blamed the problem on the dwindling government budget.

"We are facing a world financial crunch and this has affected third world countries including Ghana so we have always been at our wits end in the past four years to have these releases on made on time".

Beneficiary senior high schools have received their subsidies awaiting the feeding grant but school heads have postponed re-opening.

The GES through the Ministry of Education has directed the Finance Ministry to speed the processes for the release of funds.

"As I speak to you, my Minister has made representations to the Ministry of Finance and my Deputy Minister for pre-tertiary too has done the same. We have some assurances that the releases will come soon but I cannot say how soon because I don't hold the national purse".

The GES insists it has no arrears to pay on the feeding grant, and asked schools to make judicious use of the subsidies.

"We are not saying that the money is much; it is just a drop in the ocean because if you compare the overall outlay of the feeding grant to that of subsidy, the feeding grant is far more than subsidy. But we are saying that we are putting in every effort to make sure the Ministry of Finance releases the money".

By:tv3network.com/Ghana 

Headmistress of Abetifi Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS) exonerated from striping students naked

Abetifi (E/R), April 21, GNA - A five- member committee set up by the Board of Governors of Abetifi Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS) to investigate allegations of beating and striping of 13 students naked, has exonerated the head mistress.

Addressing a news conference at the school, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr Edward Newton Appah said the committee’s report did not establish, Mrs Charlotte Asante’s involvement in striping the students naked.

He said according to the report, a number of persons including students, house masters, school prefects and an eye witness appeared before the committee, but all denied the media report that the students were stripped naked by the headmistress.

The Board Chairman said, the report stated that, the Parent Teacher Association in collaboration with the headmistress and staff agreed to organise morning prep from 5am to 5: 45am to promote teaching and learning.

According to the report, on the day of the incident, most of the boys did not attend the morning prep, which prompted the prep supervisor to find out the reasons for the low attendance and punish those who absented themselves.

The report stated that, those who absented themselves were at the dormitory with their boxer shorts and when they saw the prep supervisor and his team, they run into the bush.

When the students returned from the bush, they were summoned before the headmistress, who took pictures of them and asked them to go and dress properly and come for invitation letters to their parents.

Dr Appah said, 11 out of the 13 students had signed bonds to be of good behaviour during their stay in the school.

He noted that the school had seen academic improvement since Mrs Asante took over its administration, adding the school placed third in the Eastern Region and 12 in the country in last year’s West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.

The Board Chairman called on parents, teachers, students and other staff of the school to cooperate with the headmistress and other management staff to sustain the development of the school.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Saint Michael Roman Catholic Primary School Wins Nestle Healthy Kids Inter-Schools’ Quiz Contest for Eastern Region

Donkorkrom, April   20, GNA - Saint Michael Roman Catholic Primary School at Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region has won the Nestle Healthy Kids Inter-Schools’ Quiz Contest for the region.

The school, represented by Master James Atikpo and Ms Patience Frimpomaa, took away a cheque for GH¢1000.00 each to supplement their educational expenses at the Senior High School level.

The winning school took way a trophy and exercise books, whilst each of the representatives of the other four competing schools; Bruben D/A Primary, Ntonaboma R/C Primary, Ekye Anglican Primary and Sememhyia Presby Primary had GHC100.00 cash prize and exercise books.

The competition was organised by Nestlé Ghana in conjunction with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon.

It was aimed at assessing the nutrition knowledge and behaviour of the pupils after the introduction of the Nestlé Healthy Kids’ Global programme in five schools each in the two districts.

The quiz was based on nutrition, health and wellness, and according to the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager of Nestle-Ghana, Mr Aaron Fenu, the Nestle Healthy Kids’ was a global programme being implemented in 73 countries.

He recounted that the programme was instituted in Ghana in 2011, and had since benefited over 10,000 pupils in five selected regions-Ashanti, Western, Central, Eastern and the Northern.

“We have also trained 360 teachers and district officials of the Ghana Education Service in the five regions and we are aiming at getting the parents and the communities involved”, he added.

Mr Fenu said the quiz had been held in all the selected regions, and that the national competition would be held by the end of the year, with the winner representing the country in an international competition.     

Mr Gabriel Adu, District Director of Education for the Kwahu Afram Plains North, commended the teachers for the commitment exhibited adding that there was the need for the programme to be sustained.

Mrs Helena Mends-Kito of the GES on behalf of the Director-General of GES, commended the participating schools and urged the pupils to learn hard and desist from negative social activities.

“A sound mind rests in a sound body so continue eating right and exercise to stay healthy always”, she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Use pulpit to help youth dress decently – Nkoranza Municipal Director of Education

Nkoranza (B/A), April 21, GNA – Mr Godfred Axolu, the Nkoranza Municipal Director of Education has urged the clergy to encourage the youth to dress decently.

Mr Axolu also stressed the need for Churches to promote the education of Girls through the pulpit to encourage parents to support their Girl-child’s education so that they could contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

He made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Queenmother of Nkoranza, Nana Adutwumwaa Dudai Kani, to formally introduce himself to her as the new Director for the Municipality.

Mr Axolu expressed concern about the increasing number of teenage pregnancies in the municipality and called on stakeholders in the area to help control the problem before “it gets out of hand.”

He also urged parents to monitor their children, particularly the Girl child against early sexual activities and other social vices.

The Municipal Director of GES called on parents to join hands with teachers towards the promotion of effective discipline in schools and in the communities, and urged Assembly members and Unit Committees to help address moral issues.

The queen-mother thanked Mr. Axolu for the visit and assured that the Queen-mothers’ Association of Nkoranza was addressing the issue of child delinquency and had recently launched an educational campaign against teenage pregnancies.

She said under the campaign, the executive members of the Association would be visiting the communities to educate girls to desist from early sex.

Nana Kani said the Association had reintroduced puberty rites in the communities to help the girls to develop to adulthood before engaging in sexual activities.

The Queen-mother called on parents not to give out their girls for early marriages because such practices affect their education.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Communities mobilize funds for College project

Akyem Aboabo (E/R), April 17, GNA – The chiefs and people of Akyem Asene and Akyem Aboabo, in collaboration with the Methodist College of Education had organized a fund-raising harvest to support the development of a 67-acre land for permanent structures for the College.

The harvest, which was under the patronage of Nana Ampomah Kubra Yeboah the Second, Aboabohene and Nana Karikari Apaul Frempong the Second, Asenehene, was held at Akyem Aboabo, near Akyem Oda in the Birim Central Municipality.

The development of the site would include the securing of a land title and the construction of access road.

The Right Reverend Kwame Barffour Kyei, the Akyem Oda Diocesan Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana in an address said the establishment of the College was the brain child of the then bishop Right Reverend Colonel (retired) Paul Adjei Brewu at the 2010 Annual Synod of the Church.

Rt Rev Bishop Kyei said in May 2011 an implementation committee was formed with the appointment of Mr Badu Fordjour Anyan, the current Principal, to provide professional input for accreditation.

He said Asene and Aboabo communities and the Oda Diocese organized a series of fund-raising activities for the initial expenses, adding that a lot of support came from many sources, including the release of 67 acres of land by the Asene and Aboabo Traditional Councils for the college site.

The Bishop said the Birim Central Municipal Assembly gave the present school building.       

He said the process of moving to the permanent site involved a number of steps and required massive funding and therefore appealed to the people to patronize the function.

The Principal of the Methodist College of Education, Mr Badu Fordjour said in his address that the first accreditation to do Diploma in Basic Education was given in September 2012, and was affiliated to the University of Cape Coast.

He said pioneer students numbering 161, out of a total student population of 392 were on teaching practice, and would complete in July 2015.

He said the Ghana Education Service had assured all private college of education that the students would be posted to government schools upon submission of their diploma certificates.

Nana Ampomah Kubra Yeboah appreciated the implementation committee and pledged to support the College with a 32-inch Samsung flat screen TV.

He also thanked supporters of the function, and appealed to absentee invitees to send their contributions to the committee.

Other persons who gave donations included Dr Paul Awuah, a native of Aboabo who has accepted annual sponsorship for hard working staff and the best English student.

Source: Ghana News Agency

KNUST Authorities to meet ‘NPP lecturers’

The authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) are reportedly working to address the latest move by some lecturers of the school to campaign for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2016 elections. 

This is according to the General Secretary of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Samuel Atintonu. On Eyewitness News, Mr. Atintonu said: “The information I have from my colleagues from KNUST is that the university authorities are taking steps to address that on their campus so yes, it’s completely not the right thing to do.” 

Some lecturers at KNUST on Monday announced their formation of a group called the KNUST NPP Frontliners which will work to galvanize support for the NPP to help the party win next year’s presidential election. 

According to them, the NPP possess the intellectual capabilities and policies to develop Ghana at a faster rate hence their decision.

 However, UTAG has condemned their action and has further dissociated itself from the group. “UTAG does not associate itself with any particular political party and what exactly happened at KNUST is a group of lecturers who expressed their views and that has nothing to do with UTAG,” he stressed.

Mr. Atintonu clarified that the association is not against any member engaging in party politics but it is imperative for UTAG members to remain neutral. 

He acknowledged that UTAG members are individuals who have human rights and are at  liberty to express their support for anybody “but to do so on a campus and tag it like intellectuals, assuming or presuming that all members of the intellectual community and in this case, UTAG members is not quite appropriate to do so.”

 He continued saying, “it is not appropriate to associate ourselves with any political party mainly because we teach all kinds of people in the university…and it’s not something that UTAG supports it.” 

The UTAG General Secretary stated that the association is a highly respectable community and it is wrong to drag it into party politics which has the tendency of undermining their credibility. 


  By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Education Resource Centre for St Monica’s Junior High School (JHS) at Asante Mampong

Mampong (Ash), April 17, GNA - The St Monica’s Junior High School (JHS) at Asante Mampong is building an Education Resource Centre in collaboration with the Asante Mampong Anglican Diocese.

Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, on Thursday, the Right Reverend Cyril Kobina-Smith, the Anglican Bishop of Asante Mampong Diocese, praised the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for the bold initiatives taken to mobilize the needed resources for the GH¢600,000 project.

He said the Church would bring on board its members, former students of the School, as well as the citizens of Asante Mampong to assist in the execution of the project.

He said the Church and the state were partners in education delivery and the country’s development and the church would continue to provide the needed help to the mission schools.

Ms Augusta Achiaa Sarpong, the Mampong Municipal Education Director, advised parents to pay periodic visits to schools to interact with teachers for them to know the academic performance and behaviour of their wards.

She said investing in a child’s education was meant to prepare them for the world of work and leadership adding that parents must have time to monitor such an investment.

Ms Cynthia Ama Nyantakyi, the headmistress of the school, said the three-storey building which was to be built in phases, would have a library, science laboratory, an auditorium, ICT centre and Technical and a Home Science centre.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Volta River Authority (VRA) donates books to Sogakope School

Sogakope (V/R), April 19, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA), has donated 15,000 exercise books and more than 300 textbooks to Sogakope Primary C Basic School in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.

The learning materials along with packs of an educational HIV and AIDS board game, were presented at the weekend to the enthusiastic pupils and their Headmistress, Ms Grace Togbedza by Mrs Rhoda Arthur and Mr Samuel DeGraft-Johnson, information officers of VRA’s Corporate Communications Department.

The donation was part of VRA’s support to communities affected by its operations.

South Tongu District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Mawuko Awuyi expressed gratitude to VRA for the regular donations and scholarships.

He said the donation would go a long way to help teaching and learning in the school because not every child’s parents could afford books.

He said he is “very grateful” for the gesture but suggested that the VRA should give a little more attention to the provision of books and learning materials than scholarships, so as to build the intelligence and capacity of pupils to qualify for the scholarships.

At the District Assembly, the VRA instructed the DCE, the immediate past district assembly members, traditional leaders and opinion leaders, on its Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP); how to interpret the information in the plan and what to do in the event of a dam break or spillover.

As part of safety measures, the VRA has provided districts likely to be affected by dam accidents with its EPP.

The plan includes information and directives for emergency situations, procedures, contacts, notification and communication procedures as well as areas that would be affected by flooding and their attendant safe havens and routes, depending on the severity of the spill.

Mr Kwame Osei Mensah Darkwah, a System Planning Engineer who is the EPP Coordinator of VRA, encouraged the district leaders to keep places that had been identified as safe havens during disaster, in good condition and devoid of any development that could render them unable to provide temporary shelter and relief during emergencies.

Sopurce: Ghana News Agency

Police suspect foul play in death of T-Poly lecturer

Pathologists are to conduct an autopsy on the body of a Takoradi Polytechnic lecturer, who was suspected to have been killed by a train at Kojokrom in Takoradi at the weekend.

According to the police, their initial investigations point to foul play and that they suspect he was murdered and dumped on the railway line to be dismembered by a passing train.

The mutilated body of Seth Dogbe was found on a railway line over the weekend at Kojokrom in the Western regional capital of Takoradi.

Earlier reports suggested he was killed by a train whilst crossing the railway line but police have said they suspect foul play. 

The body has since been handed over to pathologists to ascertain the cause of death.

According to police sources, if indeed he was killed by the train they could have seen blood spilled at the scene but their initial examination of the scene did not yield anything like that.

There were some deep cuts on the body and his intestines had gushed out when he was found.

Police are still investigating. 

His colleague lecturers at the Department of Applied Arts at the polytechnic have said they are devastated and deflated by the development.

They described him as a nice person to be with socially and that he was someone who was very meticulous with his work, quiet and withdrawn.

They said he was one of the finest water colour painters they have had in their generation.

One of the colleagues said he last saw him on Friday at the Applied Arts block on campus.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Peak Milk donates to Ashanti School for the Deaf

FrieslandCampina West Africa Limited, owners of the Peak Milk brand in Ghana, in collaboration with SOKPO, a Dutch educational non­governmental organization, has donated 180 cartons (25,200 servings) of Peak Instant Full Cream Milk Powder to the Ashanti School for the Deaf at Jamasi, in the Ashanti Region.

The gesture which formed part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility was also in line with the company's commitment towards encouraging people to drink Peak milk every day; essential in building stronger bodies and sharper minds.

Ms. Anneke Schnieders, Secretary of SOKPO, who presented the items on behalf of FrieslandCampina, noted that their organization believe very strongly in good nutrition and good education for young people, and especially equal opportunity for people with hearing impairment.

Ms. Schnieders commended the company for their kind support and indicated that the nutritional and health benefits of the Peak milk will go a long way to energize the students both physically and intellectually.

''We trust that the Peak products we present today from FrieslandCampina, will not only relieve the school of the financial cost in providing them but will also go a long way to energize our students'', she said.

She equally lauded the staff of the school for their commitment and dedication to duty in spite of the many logistical challenges they are faced with.

Mr. Marc Desenfans, Business Development Director of FrieslandCampina West Africa Ltd. added that Peak is a household brand committed to providing shared value to its stakeholders; Peak Milk will continue to support and empower the underprivileged in society.

Receiving the items, the Headmaster of the school, Mr. Emmanuel Boachie, revealed that the institution is a special boarding school with a current student population of 600 between the ages of 6 and 20 years, annually prepares pupils to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Concerned about the lack of logistics in the discharge of their duties, he expressed profound gratitude to FrieslandCampina and SOKPO for the kind gesture, noting in particular, Mr. Ron van Burgsteden, one of the company's suppliers in Holland, through whose intervention the donation came to fruition starting last year and repeated this year.

He remarked that the presence of Peak Milk in the diet of the school children will obviously improve their nutritional status.

Mr. Boachie therefore welcomed such support in aid of the school to promote effective teaching and learning.

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com

Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) boss welcomes partisan lecturers

Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Prof. Gyimah Boadi has made a strong case in support of lecturers who want to do partisan politics.

In his view, making public declarations about one’s political affiliation as a lecturer is more preferable to the clandestine political activities senior lecturers engaged in on the various campuses; sometimes hiding behind students political groupings such as TESCON for NPP and NDC’s TEIN.

He was commenting on a group of lecturers from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology called “KNUST NPP Frontliners” with the goal of helping the opposition party to offer policy alternatives and ideas to help improve the country’s socio-economic development. 

Some have criticised the senior staff at KNUST for their decision but Prof. Gyimah Boadi told Joy News “I am glad that the group is coming out… but it comes with a big challenge to all”.

He raised the concern about the likelihood of these lecturers indoctrinating their students on campus. Advocating that the group should be given a rope and monitored to see how their partisanship would influence their academic work, but reiterated that “there is nothing fundamentally wrong” with today’s declaration.

Chairman of the KNUST NPP Frontliners, Dr. Kwabena Boadu reemphasised the need for intellectuals to bring their heads together and begin to do frontline politics having witnessed happenings in the country.

He said the group’s activities will “absolutely” not have any impact on their academic work. 

They will not assemble and address students or workers, he stated.

He said members are aware of the limit they can go to and would be mindful of the positions they hold on campus and as such would not do anything to violate the university’s principles.

Members are constantly reminded not to impose their political orientation on students, Dr. Boadu said.

The KNUST public relations officer, Vincent Ankamah Lomotey says the group will be in violation of the universities rules if they carry their activities on campus.

He acknowledged that the members have the right to belong to any political party so far as their political activities are conducted outside the confines of the university.

Meanwhile, a National Vice-Chair of the NPP, Frederick Fredua Antoh has tasked the intellectual elite to make themselves relevant with critical analysis of political trends with the view to help the NPP regain power in 2016.

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com| Isaac Essel 

University of Ghana SRC election software was compromised - BNI

The software developer at the center of the University of Ghana SRC election admits the process was compromised to favor one candidate but denies been the architect, a highly placed source at the BNI has told Joy News.

According to the source, investigations are still underway to bring closure to the electronic voting system at the center of the controversy.

The Bureau of National Investigations said they acted swiftly in the University of Ghana Students Representative Council election because it had potential national security implications.

The interest of the Bureau, according to the investigator is to further address the allegation of manipulation of ballots used in the polls and to ensure fair play in the choice of the students in choosing their leaders.  

The software developer, Stephen Forson who is the managing director of IPRO Solutions contracted by the university was picked up by the BNI on the 14th of April but has been released on bail pending further investigations.

There were allegations the University of Ghana’s SRC election contested between Davies Ohene Fobi and Mikdad Mohammed had been manipulated to favour one candidate.

This led to confusion and series of demonstration on the University of Ghana campus.

The BNI took over issue after a formal complaint was filed at their office by one of the candidates in the election, Joy News learnt. 

Joy News’ source at the BNI confirmed that initial investigations suggest that the software was tampered with by a yet to be identified person to the advantage of one of the candidates.

Information picked by Joy News indicates that the Bureau retrieved six laptop computers used as servers in the said election for examination.

Using personal laptop provided by the software developer, Stephen Forson a practical demonstration was conducted on its application in the presence of the developer and his father, George Amoah Baiden and other independent persons.

During the demonstration, five voters were added to the University’s electoral roll and Forson was given one of the laptops used in the actual voting to demonstrate how the voting system works in a two man race.

The results after the demonstration showed clearly that the system had been manipulated to favor one candidate as all but one vote went to a particular candidate though they had voted for another.

Source at the BNI says Forson admitted the system which was used in four previous elections at the university has been compromised but denied being the architect.

“What I can say is that Forson as the brand owner of the software is the only person who knows how it works and could manipulate it because not even the Electoral Commissioner who conducted the elections knew how the process worked,” the source indicated.

Joy News is also learning from the investigations that regardless of which candidates one votes for, the electronic voting system is programmed to credit a specific candidate with all the votes from voters whose identification numbers end with an even number whilst votes cast by voters whose identification numbers end with an odd numbers are shared equally between the two candidates.

It also came out clear that architects of the manipulation did so to favor Davies Ohene Fobi and he was credited with all votes cast by students with voters ID numbers ending with an even number even if they voted for the other candidate Mikdad Mohammed.

“We have forwarded our report to the authorities of university but we are looking for the other persons believed to have played a role in the whole exercise because Forson has admitted someone other than him did it,” according to the source.

The Bureau is also denying reports in the media alleging that Forson when arrested was tortured by people at the Flagstaff House and later handed to the BNI.

“Let's clear the air and say that he was taken from his residence by our officers on the morning of 14th April at about 6am following reports received, we are still continuing our investigations and once it is done will forward the docket to the Attorney Generals Department for advice,” the source intimated. 

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com