July 7, 2021

UPSA to build capacity of staff of National Security

Accra,- The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has held a special matriculation ceremony for 32 students from Departments and Agencies under the Ministry of National Security.

A statement issued by the UPSA, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the staff were admitted to the Master of Arts degree in Peace, Security and Intelligence (MPSI) for the 2021/2022 academic year.

It said the matriculants comprised 12 females and 30 males.

Speaking at the matriculation ceremony, Professor Abednego F. O. Amartey, the Vice-Chancellor, UPSA, said the MPSI degree was designed to give students “specialised skills to identify, analyse and respond to emerging and complex security challenges.”

He noted that the MPSI course offered prospects for research and innovative thinking for solutions to the myriad of security challenges confronting the African Continent.

“These myriad security challenges require reliable intelligence and effective collaboration of actors from various sectors to achieve sustainable peace and development,” he stated.

He said the Master of Arts degree in Peace, Security and Intelligence (MPSI) was timely, considering the recent discourse about violent crimes in Ghana, the dreaded COVID-19 global pandemic and the emerging threats of terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa.

Prof Amartey said the students of MPSI degree would be “equipped with relevant skills and knowledge to perform their roles in an effective and efficient manner in addressing these emerging security challenges.”

The MPSI programme emphasises the use of advanced technological tools and modern security practices across the world.

The statement said, given that, the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) had made significant investments in technological infrastructure to facilitate teaching and learning for the overall benefit of students.

It said the Assembly was composed of Prof Charles Barnor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Dr Koryoe Anim-Wright, the Registrar; Mr Anthony Afeadie, Acting Director of Academic Affairs, Deans and Directors of various Departments of UPSA.

Source: Ghana News Agency

July 7, 2021

National Peace Council to address discrimination claims in Volta and Oti Regions

Ho,- The National Peace Council (NPC) is embarking on series of community dialogues in the Volta and Oti Regions to address the claim of discrimination against people of the two regions and to promote national peace and unity.

The dialogue on the theme: “Peaceful coexistence through inclusive society,” would involve influential personalities from the Traditional leadership, Christian and Muslim clergy, businessmen and women, the academia and civil society in the two regions to deliberate on the issue.

Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Board Chairman NPC, speaking at the launch of the dialogue in Ho, said phase one of the exercise would discuss the claim of discrimination against the Volta and Oti Regions.

The exercise would document the origin, nature and most noticeable or important things that informed the claim of discrimination and its implication for national cohesion.

He said the dialogue would be held in the southern, middle and northern zones of the Volta Region, adding the outcome of these zonal dialogues would inform a broader conference to help solve the concerns.

He said the main objective of the intervention was to facilitate sustainable peace in Ghana by creating a safe and structured dialogue platform for the various interest groups in the Volta and Oti Regions to inform further action by the government.

The Chairman said the overall goal of the dialogue was to deepen tolerance among the various people to foster and enhance national cohesion, peaceful coexistence and inclusiveness for sustainable peace and national development.

Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the NPC’s mandate was to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution and to build sustainable peace in the country.

It is in line with this mandate that the NPC and its Regional Peace Councils were undertaking the intervention.

The Chairman said the exercise aimed to create an opportunity to address concerns with the potential to disturb the peace by promoting understanding among the people in the two regions and to encourage diversity and tolerance.

He said the use of intemperate and abusive language, particularly during general elections, to malign a group of Ghanaians based on their religious, ethnic or political differences was one of the factors contributing to polarization and division in the country.

He said though Ghana generally was regarded as an oasis of stability in the West African sub-region, there were pockets of protracted conflicts, communal-based conflicts, most of which had their sources in chieftaincy, land or structural differences.

The Chairman said peace-building experts believed that the pockets of conflicts and sporadic violence had the potential to destabilize the country and reverse the gains made.

Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, who launched the dialogue, said ethnic diversity must not be the basis for discrimination and exclusion, but rather a basis for unity and growth.

Naturally, no ethnic group which is discriminated against or excluded would be happy, he said and urged all to support the NPC in its quest to curtail the situation.

Reverend Seth Mawutor, Chairman, Volta Regional Peace Council, said in the Oti Region, the dialogue would be held at Likpe, Lolobi, Brewaniase and Dambai, and called for support from all.

He said the NPC took the claim very seriously as, in multi-ethnic societies such as Ghana, ethnic-based discrimination was considered a risk to social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

He said the claim of ethnic-based discrimination against Ewes were expressed at various fora and in public discourse over the years, adding, however, “we are not clear about its origin, nature and salience.”

Rev. Mawutor, therefore, asked the citizens to provide the necessary support to the NPC to enable it to make appropriate recommendations to entrench national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

Togbui Kwaku Ayim IV, President of Zavi Traditional Council, who deputised for the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, said the dialogue “should be seen as a platform to address the remote causes of this discrimination and marginalisation against the Ewe ethnic group in the country.”

He was optimistic that the NPC would execute this task effectively and find an amicable solution to the problem.

Source: Ghana News Agency

July 7, 2021

AF and FYF inaugurate new facilities and re-commission Yamoransa Model Lab 2

The Helping Africa Foundation (HAF) and the Friends of Yamoransa Foundation (FYF) have inaugurated new additions of the Yamoransa Lab 2 at Gbawe in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

The YM Lab 2 which is one of the eight ultra-modern ICT training centres constructed by the two Foundations under the Yamoransa Model Lab programme was re-commissioned and it’s new additions inaugurated to the students, parents and community of Weija-Gbawe to enhance learning beyond ICT.

The facility which consisted of a 35-seater capacity Edulab and makerspace for Robotics, 3D printing, and coding, currently has a Home economics centre for catering, a sewing centre and a science laboratory and is fully powered by a solar system as its newest additions.

These facilities are to help students of the school and community learn skills that would make them competitive and valuable in the job market in the future.

The project was managed by IMPLEMENTERS, a non-profit project management organization that partners charitable organisations, philanthropists and corporate institutions to positively impact communities.

As project managers, Implementers undertook all the needs assessments, stakeholder consultations and ensured the effective implementation of the project and would continue with the management of the project for the next few years while monitoring, evaluating, and assessing the impact of the project.

Speaking at the occasion to re-dedicate the facility and inauguration the new additions, Mr. Kafui Prebbie, the Chief Executive Officer of TECHAiDE, a non-profit technology company indicated that the Yamoransa Model Lab 2 was running on a solar panel, big enough to power the makerspace (robotic center), home economics block, administration block, science laboratory block, sewing center, and the entire school.

According to him, TECHAiDE which is responsible for the installation of all the Yamoransa Model Labs, would provide the necessary knowledge transfer to the managers of the Lab for proper management and sustainability.

Mr. Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the HAF said the Foundation had a mission to spread computer literacy throughout Ghana and Africa as a whole and disclosed that plans were far advanced for the Yamoransa ICT Model Lab to be introduced in The Gambia and other African countries.

He revealed that the Foundation decided to add the Home Economics block to the L & A Memorial Academy because the school provided free breakfast to the students on each school-going day; and that the solar panels were to also reduce the huge electricity cost on the school.

Dr. Deborah Rose (Ph.D.), President of the HAF said the main purpose of introducing the Yamoransa ICT Model Labs was to promote the learning of ICT in the rural areas of Ghana.

She said the project which was offered for free would ensure quality teaching, learning and research works amongst students, teachers, and community members and that the lab should be made accessible to all the schools in the Municipality.

Dr. Rose revealed that the HAF and its partners had put in measures to assist the beneficiary communities of the Yamoransa Model Labs to manage and sustain their facilities.

According to her, the Foundations had received a request from the Management of L & A Memorial Academy for a bus to be provided for the Centre to transport students to and from the lab.

The President of HAF however said that the bus could only be provided on the condition that the city authorities (municipal assembly, member of parliament, and the chiefs) would ensure that the main road to the school is tarred.

Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, MP for Ablekuma South assured Dr. Deborah Rose of his readiness to assist the MP to lobby the Roads and Highways Minister for the road to be fixed.

Commending Dr. Rose and her partners for supporting needy communities and impacting lives through the Yamoransa Model labs, Dr. Vanderpuije urged the students to take advantage of the Lab to become the best they could ever dream to become.

Mr. Stephen Donkor, Headmaster of the L & A Memorial Academy commended the Helping Africa Foundation and Friends of Yamoransa Foundation for choosing their school to host the lab.

He touted the many successes the school had chalked and the large number of influential personalities the L & A Memorial Academy has produced.

Mr. Donkor assured the readiness of the school management to offer the needed support towards the sustainability of the lab.

The occasion was graced by a representative of the Weija-Gbawe traditional council as a sign of support to the project and an appreciation of the good works of the Helping Africa Foundation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

July 7, 2021

Procuring entities tutored on CoST Monitoring tools

Takoradi,- The Sekondi/Takoradi chapter of the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative, (CoST) has organised a workshop to create awareness on Ghana’s Legal Framework on Citizen Participation in Local Governance and Disclosure of Project.

The workshop was to help build the capacity of District Citizens Monitoring Teams (DCMT) in Infrastructure project monitoring using CoST’s Infrastructure Monitoring Tool and the packaging of Contract Information.

CoST Sekondi-Takoradi launched its 2nd Assurance Report that showcased significant strides made in promoting transparency in the delivery of public infrastructure in the participating MMDAs.

The report highlighted issues on projects and contract data disclosure and made recommendations to spur reform.

Mrs Victoria Araba Dennis, a Member of the CoST Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), said at the opening ceremony that the delivery of public infrastructure was a major priority of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

She said although public procurement was guided by the Public Procurement Act, procurement processes were fraught with perceived and real cases of corruption.

Besides, projects information is often not publicly accessible, resulting in shoddy works, delays and abandonment of a third of all projects commenced by Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Mrs Dennis said issues related to public Infrastructure delivery include non-conformity of designs with feasibility recommendations and lacking user-centeredness.

These inefficiencies diminish the anticipated benefits for citizens in publicly-funded infrastructure, thereby eroding trust in government.

She said one of the four core features of CoST, the Assurance Process, shed light on what happened at each stage of public infrastructure delivery.

This, she added, contributed to the purpose of CoST by turning disclosed data into compelling information in the form of a Report that in turn aided and strengthen social accountability.

The CoST Assurance process was conducted on eight (8) infrastructure projects from submitted eight MMDAs in the Western Region namely; Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly, Ahanta West Municipal Assembly, Nzema East Municipal Assembly, Mpohor District Assembly, Shama District Assembly, Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly and Wassa East District Assembly.

The Assurance Report provides a basis for citizens and other stakeholders to hold duty-bearers to account and lead to better outcomes from investments made into public infrastructure delivery.

As a result, a long-term measure aimed at strengthening citizens’ oversight of infrastructure projects within their districts led to the formation of the District Citizens Monitoring Teams to monitor the implementation of assurance recommendations and improve infrastructure governance using CoST tools and standards.

The MSG member urged them to be good ambassadors, adding, “As ambassadors of the CoST programme, I encourage you to fully participate in this capacity building workshop to ensure that infrastructure governance is enhanced in your various districts.”

Mr Isaac Aidoo, the CoST Sekondi Takoradi Manager, said the 1992 constitution guaranteed participatory democracy hence the need for citizens voice in project implementation.

He said CoST believed in both Reactive and Proactive disclosure of information on projects for well-informed participation.

Mr Aziz Mohammed, a Resource Person said Participatory Monitoring, is a process through which stakeholders at various levels engaged in monitoring particular projects, share control over the content, the process and the results of the monitoring activity and engage in taking or identifying corrective actions.

It hinged on common Principles such as constructive Engagement, Flexible, Evidence-based, Ownership, Sustainability, Solution-Oriented, Learning and Self-evaluation.

He noted some barriers as obstruction by PEs or MMDAs, Civil Society Capacity Absence of strong and active CSOs.

The Resource Person mentioned Citizens Report Card, community Score Card, Social Audit as useful to identify, control and report irregularities in the execution of public projects and Programmes and in that manner preventing abuse of funds and corruption.

He said that monitoring of public works was an independent and neutral arrangement because the public works benefitted all.

Source: Ghana News Agency

July 7, 2021

Openlabs Ghana opens Campus in Takoradi

Takoradi, July 6, GNA – Openlabs Ghana, a specialised IT educators, has established a new campus in Takoradi to provide quality technology-driven knowledge to interested Ghanaians.

The Director and Head of Business of Openlabs, Mr Sujith Tayaprakash said the institution was primarily focused on training IT experts to provide such critical needs, particularly in West Africa.

Openlabs, formerly NIIT Ghana, has branches in Tamale, Tema, Accra and Kumasi.

The Head of Business said, “Our aim is to graduate skilled professionals who can change the lives of millions in Ghana through their innovative solutions.”

“We hope to increase our geographic footprint which has been nurtured over 20 years.”

He said over the period the Openlabs had been a trustworthy education partner for both students and professionals, making Ghana to have the second-highest data penetration rate in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Our quest is to provide the necessary and demanding skills to the youth and motivate them to be young entrepreneurs who can create more job opportunities in Ghana and beyond.”

The Executive Director of NVTI, Mrs Mawusi Nudekor Awity lauded the initiators of the campus and urged them to pay more attention to recruiting women to increase their participation in the IT field.

She also urged women to halt the perception that IT education was for men.

The Chief Director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Fredrick Aggyemang, who represented Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said their presence was going to contribute to the knowledge and open more employment opportunities to the youth in the Western Region based on their IT.

He pledged partnership with the institution and support to make their stay in the Region fruitful.

The Takoradi campus would run courses like Artificial intelligence, robotic engineering, software development, android application and networking, among others.

The school also do IT consultancy based on corporate and individuals needs.

Source: Ghana News Agency

July 7, 2021

Collective effort needed to end teenage pregnancy – Education Director

Tema,- Mr Tawiah Victor Noge, Municipal Director of Education Ledzokuku, has called for a collective effort in protecting and securing the future of the girl-child to prevent the increasing number of teenage pregnancies in the Municipality.

He said even though there was no scientific data for previous years, the number of recorded cases of teenage pregnancy in the municipality was alarming based on research conducted by the Education Directorate from March 2020 to March 2021.

Mr Noge told the Ghana News Agency at Teshie that some deliberate interventions were needed to nip the phenomenon in the bud to safeguard the education of girls.

Therefore, he said, the directorate was making conscious efforts at intensifying awareness creation on back-to-school and re-entry interventions at all levels, educating girls on their reproductive rights, and improving on their assertive skills to be able to resist attempts by boys and men to lure or make advances at them.

According to the research, the Municipality recorded a total of 35 cases of teenage pregnancy between March 2020 and March 2021, with 80 per cent of the recorded cases involving girls under 18 years.

“Girls between the ages of 16 to 18 recorded the highest cases of 19, representing 54 percent, followed by age 13 to 15, nine cases representing 26 percent of the reported cases, while the least age range were those between 22 to 24, one percent, accounting for three per cent,” the study showed.

Mr Noge said the COVID-19 pandemic caused nationwide school closures and affected 240 schools and 50,833 pre-tertiary pupils and students in the Ledzokuku Municipality and said out of the number 25,705 were girls, representing 50.6 percent of all pre-tertiary enrollment in the Municipality.

He said, “In first quarter of 2020, we had information that some of our girls were getting pregnant and the situation was becoming widespread, so there was a need for us to conduct a research and know the severity of it, and to find some solutions to the problem.”

Speaking on the causes of the increasing number of cases in the municipality, especially Teshie Old Town (Maamli) where nine cases were recorded.

He said, “it is a socio-cultural problem and sometimes girls growing up without boyfriends are mostly seen as unworthy of being in the company of their friends some of whom already have children in their teens.

“So there is usually pressure to indulge in sexual activity,” he added and explained that in many cases, girls perceive pregnancy to be a better option than continuing their education, hence the increasing number of cases.

He said girls were stigmatized, and mostly because young girls in the community have had children at tender ages, their peers held them in disdain and that led to them experimenting and indulging in sexual activities resulting in early pregnancies.

Mr Noge said another major problem that was causing the high prevalence of teenage pregnancies was parental irresponsibility in the communities as some parents did not care about their children’s wellbeing.

He said the study had brought to the fore the need to protect and secure the future of the girl-child and remove the bottlenecks militating against their retention and completion of secondary education.

He added that support from parents and the entire community was crucial in ensuring the protection of girls and the provision of a safety net against early pregnancy.

To this end, he said a collective effort of all stakeholders was needed, particularly directed at helping to promote the safety and security of girls in the schools and at home and further make parents in the communities to be more responsible for the upkeep of their wards.

Source: Ghana News Agency

July 7, 2021

MTN FA Cup: My players failed to adhere to my instructions against Asante Kotoko – Frimpong Manso

Asokwa Deportivo head coach, Frimpong Manso says his players failed to play according to his instructions in the MTN FA Cup Round 16 at the Len Clay Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Fabio Gama broke the deadlock for the home side on the 13th-minute with a penalty strike.

However, Evans Adomako increased Kotoko’s tally after connecting Moro Ibrahim’s 38th-minute pass.

The lower tier side pulled a goal back in the second half through Asamoah Boateng.

The goal was not enough as Kotoko claimed a quarter-final qualification.

After the game, Deportivo coach, Frimpong Manso said mistakes from his side’s led to their defeat.

“I think we played very well, except that I know their quality and I knew maybe they could have done more than what they did,” he said.

“In the first half, we didn’t play that well, we made some mistakes in terms of the transition.

“When we win the ball, instead of attacking with speed, then we still slow down so the first half we made mistakes.

“But the second half, I think we played very well, I was very happy with the transition,” he added.

Asante Kotoko await the results from other games to determine which club they next face in round 8.

Source: Modern Ghana

July 7, 2021

Ledzorkuku Municipality records 35 cases of teenage pregnancy – Research

Tema,– The Ledzokuku Municipality in the Greater Accra Region recorded a total of 35 cases of teenage pregnancy between March 2020 and March 2021, a research conducted by the Municipal Education Directorate has revealed.

The study, which targeted two private basic schools, two public second cycle schools and 13 public basic schools in the Municipality, revealed that teenage and adolescent pregnancy was prevalent in Junior High Schools with 22 cases representing 63 percent of all reported cases, being recorded within the period.

Conducted in communities including; Teshie Maamli, Camp Two, Antewe, Tebiliano amongst others, the research also showed that Second Cycle and Primary Schools recorded seven and six cases respectively during the one-year period.

The research, made available to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, revealed that, “Teshie Old Town (Maamli) recorded the highest number of cases with nine cases representing 26 percent followed by the Teshie Camp Two area recording three cases representing nine per cent; while the Antewe and Tebibiano areas both recorded two cases each representing six percent; and 19 cases were recorded from other area representing 53 percent.”

The study, which employed quantitative research methodology with the administration of closed questionnaires through “WhatsApp” and school visitations, captured all pregnancy related cases with follow up visits to schools by the Municipal Guidance and Counselling Coordinator to verify and validate the accuracy or otherwise of the source of data.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused nationwide school closures on March 16, 2020 and affected 240 schools and 50,833 pre-tertiary pupils and students in the Ledzokuku Municipality; out of the number, 25,705 were girls representing 50.6 percent of all pre-tertiary enrollment in the Municipality.

“Girls between the ages of 16 to 18 recorded the highest cases of 19, representing 54 percent; followed by age 13 to 15, nine cases representing 26 percent of the reported cases, while the least age range were those between 22 to 24, one percent, accounting for three percent,” the study showed.

According to the research, out of the 35 cases recorded in the Municipality, 13 of the girls representing 37 percent returned to school with either their pregnancies or after delivery, while six of them, representing 17 percent completed their studies by writing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Unfortunately, an alarming 16 of the girls, representing 46 percent, dropped out of school and could not return to sit their final examination; and 80 percent of the cases involved girls under 18 years.

Mrs Charity Willie-Doe, Guidance and Counselling (Safe School) Coordinator, Ledzokuku Municipal Education Directorate told the GNA in an interview at Tema that, the objective of the research was to raise awareness on the long-term impact of COVID-19-induced school closures on teenage and adolescent girls in the Ledzokuku Municipality, the challenges encountered by girls along the line and how to address those head-on.

She said, pregnancy related issues affected academic work negatively as affected girls found it difficult to go to school due to stigmatization and that mostly led to the high number of girls who dropped out of school.

According to her, girls who managed to go to school were also affected by “poor attendance to school by expectant mothers; increased tendency and likelihood to fail to graduate from secondary school and the likelihood of girls repeating a grade or level.”

Mrs Willie-Doe disclosed that some of the girls showed signs of emotional and psychological disturbances which were likely to affect their academic work, and said parents must be educated and encouraged to meet the psycho-social and financial needs of their girls while education on reproductive health and rights must be improved.

Source: Ghana News Agency