Year: 2018

The Volta Regional Director of the Information Services Department, Mr Stephen Adza, has said information flow among the people and government is a hall mark of good governance.

He said it was also pertinent for knowledge to be shared on the use of state finances and other resources for sustainable development.

At the Agotime-Ziope district assembly town hall meeting at Agotime-Kpetoe, Mr Adza said, sharing information on government social intervention programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs, free senior high school, anti galamsey operations, Zongo Development Fund, One district, One factory were very vital for good governance to prevail.

That, he said, was because the various social programmes were all designed to create more employment for the youth and lift the poverty burden on parents.

Addressing the town hall meeting to brief them on government policies and take feedback from the people, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Agotime–Ziope District in the Volta Region, Mr David Dickson Dzorkpe, said the assembly was also working with all stakeholders to ensure sustainable development of the district.

He stated that since the government was an all-inclusive one, the assembly would work with all forces of production in the district whether in government or opposition for development.

He also commended heads of department and assembly members for working together as a team to foster development.

Mr Dzorkpe advised them to contact their assembly members to enable them to access facilities made available for the grading of roads adding that there had been considerable improvement in water supply and school infrastructure for certain basic schools.

He announced that there were plans to construct an Islamic school in the district and also to increase the number of beneficiaries under the School Feeding Programme.

Member of Parliament sponsorship

The Member of Parliament(MP) for Agotime-Ziope constituency, Mr Charles Agbeve, said education was vital for human development since it would make a person survive in the highly competitive job market.

He, therefore, announced that he had sponsored a few students to tertiary institutions with his MP’s share of the common fund and that he had entered into a collaboration with a non-governmental organisation known as Pencils of Promise (PoP) to construct classroom blocks in some selected communities in the constituency.

The Akatsi North District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Prince Sodoke, who was a guest at the forum, advised the people to rally behind their leaders to enable them to steer affairs and foster rapid development in the area.

The presiding member for the area , Mr Dodzi Nutor, said town hall meetings were guided by a local government act in accordance with the principles of good governance and that it would afford the people to speak about their problems for redress.

The Bishop of the Winneba Diocese of the Methodist Church, the Right Rev. Dr John Kweku Buabeng Odoom, has counselled opposition political parties to desist from always opposing policies and programmes of the government since it was detrimental to the progress of the country.

He stated that the country was faced with a problem in the sense that “we always think that if a government is bringing a new policy, the opposition must vehemently oppose it to stifle its implementation’’.

He opined that the situation was the bane of the nation and that the country was not developing because the opposition was always looking at things from a negative point of view, adding that “such a practice must not be allowed to continue since it is an impediment to the growth and development of the country’’.

Anniversary launching

Rt Rev. Buabeng Odoom said this in an interview during the official launch of the centenary celebrations of the Ebenezer Methodist Church at Gomoa Ekwamkrom in the Gomoa Central District in the Central Region last Sunday.

The year-long celebration is on the theme: ‘’Hundred years of discipleship, the impact on society, sustaining our gains in community development’’.

Double track system

Speaking in relation to the double track system to be implemented in senior high schools, he noted that the yet-to-be- introduced policy was an innovation which should be embraced by all towards tackling the challenges arising as a result of the free SHS policy.

“I believe the government must move on and implement the policy properly so that the challenges may be minimal in order to achieve its intended purpose,”he said, adding that “the country must have a clear-cut policy whose implementation will dictate the direction of the country’s education system.I believe that once the government has come out with this idea, it cannot be thrown overboard but rather all stakeholders must come together and reason with the government to ensure its successful implementation.’’

He stressed that it was not necessary for the new policy to be condemned and thrown away since it was a temporary measure which would be for some few years after which the old system would be brought back.

He indicated that “if we really want this new double track system to work, it will work and all Ghanaians irrespective of their political inclination should support its implementation since it is not a bad policy’’.

Handover of mission schools

The bishop urged the government to consider handing over mission schools to churches to enable them to make meaningful physical and spiritual contributions to the growth of the educational sector.

He added that if churches were empowered to take over their schools, it would further improve performance and ensure discipline among students, stressing that ‘‘the growing indiscipline among SHS students would be reduced to the barest minimum’’.

Agents of development

The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa Central, Mrs Naana Eyiah Quansah, commended the Methodist Church for its numerous contributions to the growth of the country, particularly in the areas of education and health.

She implored the church to continue to support the government in the implementation of its policies and programmes towards bringing relief to Ghanaians, saying ‘‘the church is a major stakeholder in the development of the country and should always keep the government on its toes towards the transformation of the country’’.

A group calling itself ‘Branch Executives for Spio’ has endorsed Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah as the most ideal candidate who can deliver victory for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 elections.

According to the group, Mr Spio-Garbrah stood out among all the names coming up because his integrity was intact and could not be smeared with “corruption, incompetence, ineptitude and the disregard for party loyalty, party elders, foot soldiers and the endless mediocrity.

The group made its position known at a press conference in Accra which was addressed by its Chairman, Nana Baah, a member of the Madina Constituency of the NDC.

He said if all the aspiring candidates for the NDC flagbearership were candid and truthful, they would admit that Mr Spio-Garbrah had been tested in 2006 and could be relied upon in 2020 for victory for the NDC.

“Mr Spio-Garbrah’s intelligence, articulation of ideas and the knowledge to turn things around in this country makes him the unmatched candidate for other aspirants of the NDC,” he remarked.

No corruption tag

Going into the 2020 general elections, he said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would have no corruption tag on Mr Spio-Garbrah to match the NPP’s corrupt deeds in government such as the Ameri deal over which the Minister of Energy had been sacked.

He said NDC delegates at the branch and constituency levels had spoken clearly by voting out 85 to 90 per cent of the 2016 executive members of the party at the recent NDC branch and constituency level polls.

“We believe that the same will happen in the regional and national elections of the old NDC executive members across the country. It has been a ‘tsunami’, taking away all the old executive members of our great party and bringing in new blood,” he said.

The only hope for the NDC

According to Nana Baah, Mr Spio-Garbrah was the only person who could turn the fortunes of the NDC around towards the 2020 general elections, raise the morale of foot soldiers and bring in disenchanted sympathisers of the party.

“We want to remind and warn that we NDC executive members and delegates will resist the ‘outspoken minority’s’ arrogant and intolerant attitude over the ‘silent majority’ of members of the NDC who will not encourage or vote John Mahama for fear that he will be attacked by the NPP with the corruption tag all the time,” he maintained.

For Nana Baah and those who share the same viewpoint, “the elections will remain his attack versus NPP’s attack. Let’s avoid that mess and elect someone who is clean and can ask the NPP questions that they cannot answer.”

Support for Goosie Tanoh

From the Volta Region, another group calling itself the Youth Action for Development (YAD) of the NDC has called on a founder member of the party, Mr Augustus Obuadum Tanoh, known in political circles as ‘Goosie Tanoh’, to contest the flagbearership position of the party.

The group, which is made up of grass-roots members of the NDC, said their call for Mr Tanoh to lead the opposition party into the 2020 general elections was based on extensive consultations with the rank and file of some members of the NDC across the country who saw him as the best person to secure the future of the party after its humiliating electoral defeat in 2016.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister-designate, Mr Evans Opoku-Bobie has expressed his gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his elevation in the first reshuffle of the government.

Mr Opoku-Bobbie, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo North was until his elevation the Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister.

“I am most grateful to the President for the confidence and trust he has reposed in me”, he told journalists in Sunyani a day after his elevation.

He stated that he had been blessed with unwavering support and inspiration from leaders, colleagues from across the country during his stint in politics and would continue to work for the improvement of the wellbeing of people in the region.

Conflicts

Mr Opoku-Bobbie expressed worry about series of political clashes, chieftaincy disputes and land litigation issues that had bedevilled the region.

He, therefore, pledged to work with key stakeholders such as religious and traditional leaders to ensure peace should his nomination be approved by Parliament.

According to him, the region could develop when there was peace and harmony among the people since chaos and strife were enemies of progress.

“We will sit down with nananom, opinion leaders and the people to deliberate on the way forward for our region so that we will all be part of means to find solutions to problems confronting the region”, he stated.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister-designate said he was overwhelmed about the congratulatory messages he had received from the people since his elevation and pledged to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him should he get the nod from Parliament.

Background

Mr Opoku-Bobbie, 44, holds a Masters degree in Project Management from the University of Cape Coast and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Ghana.

He also has a Diploma in Adult Education from the University of Ghana and Professional Certificate in Loan and Risk Management.

Before being elected as a Member of Parliament, Mr Opoku-Bobie was the General Manager of the Ahafo Community Bank.

Asomah-Cheremeh congratulated

Meanwhile the Brong-Ahafo Regional Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have congratulated Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh for his new portfolio as the substantive Minister of Lands and Natural Resources following the reshuffle of ministerial position by the President Thursday.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh, a former Regional Chairman of the party, was the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister until he was moved to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

A statement signed by the Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kofi Ofosu Boateng stated the executives and the rank and file in the region had “learnt with extreme joy, the news of the elevation oh Hon Asomah-Cheremeh to the high national office of Minister for Lands Natural Resources.

“We wish to convey our most grateful thanks to His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for elevating our hardworking Regional Minister to the portfolio of Minister of Lands Natural Resources”.

According to the release, the new office undoubtedly showed that Mr Asomah-Cheremeh had discharged his duties exceptionally well “and we are convinced he will do same at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources."

It said they were satisfied with the style of leadership and stewardship exhibited while in office as the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister and encouraged him to administer his new office with the same boldness, efficiency and patriotism.

“The new portfolio is a rare opportunity to contribute to the restructuring and development of that critical sector of our economy and we know he is more than capable of surmounting the tasks handed him”, the statement added.