At least fourteen teacher trainees who sat for the just ended teacher licensure examinations are currently in police custody for their roles in the alleged leak of exam questions.

Reports emerged on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 that some of the questions for the exams leaked, while long delays characterised the exam at various centres across the country.

The teachers arrested over the leakages, according to the National Teaching Council (NTC), conductor of the exams, are currently assisting police with investigations.

The NTC had earlier denied reports that the questions leaked, with the Coordinator of the examinations, Francis Kwesi Addai, saying the reports was false.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the NTC, Dr Evelyn Oduro, says the council will not give in to pressures from certain quarters to cancel the entire examinations because of the turn of events.

“Some people were found…their mobile phones had we suspect were questions so we handed them over to the police,” she said.

She said the questions were changed after invigilators found what appeared to be the questions on the mobiles of the teacher trainees.

“In fact, the integrity of the paper is key for us and if you are going in to write the questions [that you already have] then there is no need to write the paper,” she added.

The NTC, an agency under the ministry of education, firmed up plans for the start of the exams amid protest from some teachers.

According to the NTC, teachers will now have to pass the special examination before being granted the licence to teach.

The move, according to the NTC, was to enforce discipline and eliminate non-performing teachers from the system, in accordance with the new Teachers Licencing Policy under the Education Act 778 (2008).

Both the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) are not in support of the exams.

NAGRAT, for instance, said the government was yet to clarify concerns raised over the cost of securing and renewing the licenses, which are to be awarded by the NTC.

Their concerns included the quoted price of renewal fees of the license when it should be renewed as well as revocation and how to get it back.

Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH

Writer’s email: franklin.asare-donkor@todaygh.com

A former Supreme Court Judge, Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, was reported dead at age 95.

He died on Friday morning, September 7, 2018 in Accra after a short illness.

Vincent Cyril Richard Arthur Charles (V.C.R.A.C) Crabbe was born October 29, 1923 at Ussher Town in Accra, Gold Coast. He was educated at the Government Junior and Senior Boys Schools in Accra.

He attended Accra Academy for the Cambridge Junior and Senior School Certificates. He went to London to study Economics at the City of London College Moorgate, London 1950-1952 and was a former Professor of Law at the University of West Indies.

Crabbe, until his death, was a Professor of Law at Mountcrest University College in Accra.

In August 1952, he was admitted to the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple to read law.

He completed the normal three-year course in two years and was called to the Bar on 8th February, 1955 having been granted a dispensation. The same year he was enrolled as a member of the Gold Coast Bar, in order to maintain his seniority at the Bar.

He progressed from Assistant Crown Counsel to Parliamentary Counsel, the first African to be appointed as such and ended up as a Senior Instructor at the International Law Development Centre in Rome, Italy.

In between, he held the post of First Parliamentary Counsel and Constitutional Advisor to the Uganda Government, Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat Scheme for Legislative draftsmen for the West African Region, Southern Africa Region, the Caribbean Region and a Professor of Legislative drafting at the Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, University of West Indies.

Crabbe was Special Commissioner to the 1968 Constitutional Commission; Legislative Draftsmen to the 1969 Constituent Assembly which drafted the 1969 Constitution of Ghana. He was the Chairman of the 1979 Constituent Assembly and drafted the 1979 Constitution of Ghana.

He worked with the Constitutional Review Commission of Kenya and was Leader of the group of Draftspersons who drafted the Kenya Constitution.

He worked with the Zambian Constitutional Commission for the drafting of the Zambian Constitution as well as with the Fiajoe Review Commission for the review of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. He also worked with Justice P.N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and Justice Eso of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to advise on the setting up of the Constitutional Court in South Africa.

Ghana has not had a policy regulating tertiary education in the country, at least not in the last twenty years.

The Minister of State-in-charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, disclosed that the tertiary education space was only being regulated by guidelines.

“There is no policy. There are only guidelines. We don’t have any tertiary education policy at the moment,” he said.

The minister added that “at the moment, the committee working on it was about to hand in their report” and that by the end of September, he expects the policy document to be ready.

According to him, ensuring that this policy was ready was “the most important thing we [government] would like to do” for tertiary education in Ghana.

“There was one in the 90s or so which gave guidelines about the percentage of foreign students a university can allow and so on and so forth. There’s no policy document at the moment, we have only guidelines. And we are bent on having one…At the moment the committee working on it is almost done.”

This notwithstanding, Prof Yankah said the absence of the policy “doesn’t mean that you [universities] do whatever you want.”

When the matter of increasing school fees by tertiary institutions came up, Prof Yankah appeared helpless when he said that although universities had been asked not to charge new fees, they were flouting it.

Prof Yankah further indicated that a tertiary policy could have saved the University of Ghana from the now-controversial Africa Integras deal.

“What happened at Legon about the Africa Integras [deal] would probably not have happened if there had been a policy requiring universities to refer certain loans beyond a certain threshold to the Attorney General.”

In 2015, the University of Ghana entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students’ hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Legon campus.

The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

The management of the University has been compelled to debunk reports that it incurred a $160 million judgement debt following a decision by a UK arbitrator.

It has also been saddled with a lawsuit over contentions of financial loss caused to the state.

Prof. Yankah also said a probe into the workings of the deal would be worthwhile in the future.

“It would be worth stepping back after the dust has settled to investigate all that happened to ensure that a University of the stature of Legon would have laid down regulations by which decisions are taken. I think the university would want to investigate so that it doesn’t really happen again.”

All GETFund projects at the Berekum College of Education in the Brong Ahafo Region have stalled putting pressure on existing facilities.

Berekum College of Education is one of the three Colleges of Education in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The school, established decade ago, has not seen any major expansion over the years, and GETFund projects started eight years ago have stalled.

A staff accommodation project, which started eight years ago, is yet to be completed with a female hostel still at the foundation level.

The Principal of the Berekum College of Education, Prince Yeboah Marfo, in an interview with Citi News said the situation was affecting academic work.

“All our GETFund projects in the school have stalled. A staff accommodation, which started in 2010, is still not completed. A female hostel started in 2013 is also at the foundation stage. The tarring of the road which is also under GETFund has stopped,” Mr Marfo noted.

The school is also struggling with inadequate non-teaching staff.

“Presently, we have no problem with the teaching staff but we need more non-teaching staff because we need people in the offices, we need labourers, security personnel and others,” Mr Marfo disclosed.

Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has indicated that the government was committed to make Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) a major focus of education in Ghana.

 The minister, who made this statement at the official commissioning a $2 million dollars electro-mechanical equipment laboratory at the Koforidua Technical University in the Eastern Region, said his ministry will ensure proper retooling of all technical universities to help them carry out their mandate.

“Government is fully aware of the infrastructural needs of our Technical Universities and efforts have been made at supplying demonstration laboratories for engineering students in some of the technical universities including Ho Technical University by Amatrol.

The ministry of education is taking steps to provide similar laboratories to the rest of the Technical Universities, and this time it is the turn of Koforidua Technical University to benefit from the facility”.

The Amatrol project started in July 2011 with Takoradi and Kumasi Technical Universities.

The Takoradi Technical University was supplied with petrochemical and Hydraulic Teaching Systems, Kumasi Technical University was supplied with Mechatronics teaching systems, which are mechanical, and electronics teaching systems combined.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh added that “this technical laboratory is equipped with worldwide industry standard training systems that combine hands-on skills training with its required theory. These learning systems integrate seamlessly into any manufacturing and production setup and cuts across the various technical fields. These learning systems are equally effective for technicians, engineers, production workers and anyone needing further understanding and skills in areas such as electronics, electrical, mechanical, automotive and automation”.

The interim Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor, Mrs Smile Dzisi, said the equipment will equip students with the prerequisite skills required to achieve global work force experience.

“The introduction of Mechatronics engineering programme will enable us to produce students who can design, develop and implement intelligent engineered products and processes to solve challenging technological problems or meet specific human needs effectively using a variety of innovative methods.”

“That is the reason why we are happy today to commission this ultra modern electromechanical laboratory to support our flagship program and boost the study of engineering in KTU for the development of our nation.”

The President of Amatrol, the company which provided the equipment and carried out the installation, Mr. Paul Perkins, told reporters his organization will continue to provide training and refresher courses for lecturers and students to sharpen their skills to enable them use the equipment efficiently and more effectively.

After the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) directed gold trading firm, Menzgold, to shut down its operations, a number of personalities have publicly declared their support for the company and its owner.

The latest to join that list of personalities, supporting the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, is rapper, Sarkodie.

Sarkodie, who is a known friend of Mr Mensah, has vouched for his credibility.

Rapper Sarkodie says Nana Appiah Mensah genuinely cares about Ghana.

In a tweet, the rapper said, “One man doing the most for our beloved country, knowing him personally he genuinely cares about the country’s progress … might not know the ins and outs but one thing is for sure – the Nam1 mission is for a better Ghana Bless @mn_appiah.”

The SEC had said that Menzgold had been dealing in the purchase and deposit of gold collectables from the public and issuing contracts with guaranteed returns with clients, without a valid license from the Commission.

The business, according to SEC, is in contravention of “Section 109 of Act 929 with consequences under section 2016 (I) of the same Act.”​

Meanwhile, Menzgold has urged its customers to keep calm despite the directive from the SEC.

The gold dealership expressed disappointment in the regulator for leaking to the public, its directive to the company in spite of their cooperation and submission to investigations into their business.

Actress, Benedicta Gafah, in a video, assured all customers of Menzgold to remain calm. She noted that their gold deposit was safe.

Movie producer and board member of Zylofon Art Fund, Socrates Sarfo, has claimed that he contributed to the demise of the movie industry.

Local movie producers say the Ghanaian movie industry has seen a decline in profit margins over the years.

Speaking on Accra-based Hitz FM the popular producer said: “we gave a film like Ghost tears to GBC and they gave us advert to advertise our new movie. Instead of going to pay for it, we thought it was cheaper for us, we were so smart that we are outsmarting the TV stations, so they will give us advert and give us money and advertise our new movie, that was what we did and everybody jumped on it and what happened? the TV stations started owning the films”.

He adding that producers “used to sell 100,000 copies in the market and today they are not able to sell 5,000 copies.”

He, however, stated that they had learnt their lessons and wished the young producers would listen to advice.

In the wake of the crisis in the financial services industry and banking, Gold Coast Holdings Company Limited, a full-blown investment banking firm, has assured its loyal clients that it will continue to work with discipline to ensure their investments are safe.

Consequently, the company has encouraged its customers to be comforted and not panic.

According to a statement, issued by management of Gold Coast over the weekend, it stressed that for the past twenty-five (25) years, it has created and preserved wealth for its clients with sound investment advice.

“Gold Coast has never lost a pesewa for any of its clients,” itt affirmed.

This, Gold Coast said, was a sign of “TRUST and loyalty.”

Furthermore, the statement noted that Gold Coast has made invaluable contributions to the Ghanaian economy.

This, the company has done, by pre-financing over 600 infrastructure projects across the country, including roads, schools, hospitals, bridges, market complexes etc.

Continuing, the statement company added that it has created thousands of jobs and developed a large core of Ghanaian contractors.

Unfortunately, the statement said it has faced panic redemptions of investments by clients

“This year alone, the company has paid out over GHS1.3 billion of investment funds to its customers.  No investment company can survive if even 25% of its customers run to it to redeem their funds invested in productive activities prematurely and at the same time.”

Against this backdrop, the company said it will control the pace of redemptions as part of efforts to preserve and protect all client funds and the investments.

However, the statement indicated that the bulk of the funds with Gold Coast today was invested in the pre-financing of government’s infrastructure projects to the tune of over ghs1.5 billion.”

“For the past three years, some of the contractors whose projects have been completed have not received any payments.

And though payments from the government agencies have started coming in smaller amounts, the statement urged the government to make good on “these receivables.”

Therefore, Gold Coast emphasised that from now on, it will limit payments to the amounts received from government agencies to be made for matured investments.”

Also, as a senior member of the fund management industry, the statement gave the assurance that Gold Coast fully embraced the new industry reforms and directives by the regulator, affirming that it will work to ensure full compliance to eschew market discipline and create value for its customers.

Meanwhile, the company on Saturday honoured its customers in the Brong Ahafo regional capital of Sunyani,

General Manager of Gold Coast Trustees, (the pension advisory wing of Gold Coast Holding), Victoria Aligboh Armah, representing the Chief Executive Officer of Gold Coast Holding, recounted how the company was incorporated in 1993 as Gold Coast Securities, providing Brokerage services and later Fund Management and pension advisory services.

She thanked the customers for being a part of the 25 years successful journey of the company.

“I would like to thank all customers for choosing to do business with us and for making it possible for us to practise our trade and take care of your financial needs. Your trusts in us have urged us to give our all”.

The event formed part of the company’s annual ritual of touching base and strengthening ties with its customers.

As the company marks its 25th anniversary this year, key stakeholders who have been with them from its inception could not be left out.

However, in the wake of the crisis that has hit the financial sector in recent times, Ms Aligboh Armah “assured customers of their safety, as the company has for the past 25 years not lost a pesewa of any customer.” She urged customers to be comforted and assured that even though the market appears turbulent “we are working tirelessly to protect the funds of our customers and preserve the Integrity of Gold Coast Holding.”

For his part, General Manager of Asset Management, Percival Ofori Ampomah spent time to educate clients on the new regulatory directives from the Security and Exchange Commission, the Industry’s regulator and how Gold Coast is positioned to comply fully while creating value to its customers.

The team also comprised General Manager of Gold Coast Advisory, Effa Ahenkorah; Internal Auditor, Benjamin Asante Ayeh, Head of Brokerage, John Awuku, and; Manager of Real Estate Portfolio, Roger Danladi.

The team has so far been to the Brong Ahafo Region, Ashanti Region, specifically Kumasi and Obuasi, Upper East, Northern, Western and Central Regions.

At Elmina in the Central Region, the team was joined by Chairman and President of Groupe Nduom, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, who spoke to the customers on ‘the need to keep faith with the best investment house in the country, as Gold Coast Holding was determined to help create real wealth for Ghanaians through sound investment.’’

He also mentioned some of the invaluable contributions that Gold Coast has made to the Ghanaian economy by helping to pre-finance over 600 infrastructural projects across the country.

Madam Victoria Aligboh Armah with PenTrust also used the stakeholders’ engagement to reiterate, “we are committed to providing a discipline and customer focused Investment and Pension services to customers. We look for even more opportunities in the future to grow bigger.”

She added that “as part of our 25th anniversary, we are investing in our physical evidences across the country to create a more convenient and comfortable atmosphere for our clients. We are also investing in technology to keep up with recent trends and would also continuously invest in our human resource through learning and development to continue to deliver superior service to our clients.”

Some of the customers also took the opportunity to testify about how Gold Coast has helped them create and preserved wealth over the past years while ensuring safety of their investments. They also encouraged others to patronize services of Gold Coast Holding.

The team would proceed to honour other stakeholders in the Upper West, Volta Region-Ho and Hohoe to be precise, Greater Accra and Eastern Regions.

Gold Coast Holding has been recognised and awarded for its excellent services in the industry. The awards include; Best Investment Adviser for 2011, Best Fund Manager for 2013 & 2014, Second Best Brokerage Firm for 2017 and Best Research Company for 2017.

Gold Coast Holding is a group of financial services company within the bigger Groupe Nduom umbrella which includes Gold Coast Fund Management, Gold Coast brokerage, Gold Coast Advisors and Gold Coast Trustees.

Gold Coast, a fully Ghanaian-owned company started business in August 1993 as the 4th dealing member of the Ghana’s Stock Exchange.

In 1993, the four were Gold Coast, Databank, SAS and NTHC. The company which started as Gold Coast Securities is now Gold Coast Holding Company, a full blown investment banking firm with pension, brokerage, fund management, asset management, corporate finance & other specialised divisions.

It operates the Gold Fund Unit Trust, Gold Money Market Fund, Provident Funds and provides project financing.

Gold Coast is the only fund manager in Ghana with the most diversified retail outlets in all the 10 regions with 19 branches. This offers convenience to clients, provides a safe opportunity for investment, promotes financial literacy and financial inclusion in Ghana.

Gold Coast is the biggest fund manager in Ghana with over 800,000 individual clients. This accounts for about 30% of the entire clientele base of the investment banking industry.

Clients of Gold Coast include soldiers, police men/women, public servants, teachers, lawyers, rural banks and other finance houses, traders, medical and other professionals.  Many of our clients started business with us as early as 1993 – when the firm was incorporated and are still with us. Many people on pension rely on regular payments from Gold Coast for their living.

Story: Ato KEELSON

Writer’s email: denniskeelson@yahoo.co.uk

The double-track senior high school (SHS) system will not collapse Ghana’s education system as being claimed by the “professional Jeremiahs,” President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

In the Jewish and Christian religions, Jeremiah was a Hebrew prophet who said that Jerusalem would be defeated and that God would become angry with the Jews and punish them. His name has since become synonymous to doomsayers. The Longman Dictionary, for instance, defines a Jeremiah as a pessimistic person, who always says that bad things are going to happen.

According to President Akufo-Addo, “the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) has secured a $500 million facility for the construction of new schools, and the expansion of infrastructure in existing ones, to help cope with the rising numbers” of students in SHSs due to the free secondary education policy which saw 90,000 more students enrolled last year and 180,000 this year.

The double-track system, according to the President, who is on a four-day visit to the Central Region, “will not destroy our education system as the professional Jeremiahs would want you to believe.”

On the contrary, the President said, “this system will reduce class sizes, it will increase contact hours between teachers and students as well as increase the number of holidays.”

President Akufo-Addo admitted that: “Every new initiative that is rolled out will experience hitches and challenges, however, I’m inspired by the famous Chinese adage which says: ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.’

“We have taken that first step in Ghana and we shall deal with the challenges.

“Today, any young boy from any part of the country who applies himself diligently in spite of his circumstances can dream of also becoming an Odadee” – the revered moniker for old students of one of Ghana best schools, Presbyterian Secondary School, Legon (PRESEC).

Story: Kofi OWUSU TAWIAH

Writer’s email: kofi.tawiah@todaygh.com

The Electoral Commission (EC) was expected yesterday, Sunday, September 16, 2018 to roll out a limited voter registration exercise.

The exercise is expected to end on Tuesday, September 25, 2018

It forms part of plans towards the upcoming referendum on the creation of new regions, scheduled for later this year, 2018.

According to the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, the registration exercise will be rolled out, despite the recent law against the Commission on the same matter.

Addressing the media last [Friday], Mrs Mensa also assured of the commission’s preparedness financially, for the limited registration exercise in some 47 districts that will be affected by the creation of the new regions.

“With regard to the suit, the service of the writ of summons on us was delivered yesterday [Thursday], but it was not with an implication and therefore it cannot be held binding an effective injunction on the commission. And that is why we are going ahead with the limited registration exercise as planned,” she added.

The EC has been hit with two different suits challenging the yet-to-be-held referendum for the creation of six additional regions.

A group calling itself—Strategic Thinkers Network–Africa as well as three individuals, Mayor Agblexe, Destiny Awlimey, and Jean-Claude Koku Amenyaoglo, have dragged the EC and the Attorney General to the Supreme Court in two separate suits.

The commission is putting processes in place to hold a referendum in parts of the country for the creation of six additional regions following recommendations the Justice Brobbey Commission made to government.

The 19-member commission after holding nationwide consultations urged government to create the administrative regions to be known as Oti, Ahafo, Brong East, Western North, North East and Savanna.

The EC at its recent Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting approved a roadmap for organising the referendum, which will begin with a limited voter registration exercise in the beneficiary communities.

The Strategic Thinkers Network-Africa is seeking an injunction on the referendum process to be held in beneficiary communities.

The group wants the Supreme Court to declare as null and void the Electoral Commission’s plan to limit the referendum to only registered voters in the yet-to-be created regions.

The group also wants a declaration that the impending limited voter registration exercise in the beneficiary areas “is arbitrary, whimsical and capricious and violates Articles 45(a) and 296 of the 1992 Constitution and therefore unconstitutional.”

But the EC boss said the commission will publish the full cost of the exercise in due course.

“Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard discussions on the cost of elections and we are very mindful of managing the taxpayers’ resources and we’ll ensure that we use it in the most prudent of manners looking at international best practices. We have received some monies for it and I’d like to assure you that the commission is not cash-starved and therefore, the processes will go on as planned. But we are unable now to let you know the actual cost. I’d like to assure you that we will make this available in due course,” she added.

Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH

Writer’s email: franklin.asare-donkor@todaygh.com

A former Chief of Staff in the Mahama administration, Prosper Douglas Kweku Bani, has been elected as the President of the National Scouts and Guide Fellowship (NSGF).

The election of Mr Bani over the weekend in Accra also ushered new members into various executive positions.

The election came off during the presentation of the 2017 operational report of the National Scouts and Guide Fellowship, which is under the Ghana Scout Association.

Other members who were elected into executive positions were Vice President, NSGF, Rev Anthony Arthur; International Secretary — Patricia Dovi Sampson; Associate International Secretary — Fatima Braimah; Secretary—Stephanie Birikorang; Deputy Secretary—Edna Irene Quartey.

The rest are Treasurer, Eric Okanta with his Deputy—Gabriel Tetteh Vanderpuye.

Addressing the enthusiastic NSGF members, Fellow Bani thanked the members for the honour done him by reposing trust in him.

He promised to ignite the spirit of volunteerism in the teeming youth.

This, he said, he will do by uplifting the image of boys scout and girl guide across the length and breadth of the country.

According to the new president of the National Scouts and Guide Fellowship, there was no reason for leaders of this country to fail the youth of this country.

What is more, Mr Bani intimated that his administration would consult the immediate past executives to help transform lives of the youth, by providing opportunities to enable them actualise their God-given talents.

“We will touch hearts and minds of the youth,” he assured.

For his part, the outgoing President of NSGF, Dr Albert Tetteh Botchway, wished the new executives well and entreated them to continue with where they left off.

He further entreated members to rally behind the new executives for them to steer affairs of the association to greater heights.

Story: Prosper A. Kwaku SALASSY

Writer’s email: psalassy83@gmail.com

Celebrated broadcaster and Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, has called on journalists to exercise a high level of circumspection in their work. 

He said journalists should not misuse their positions to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of others.

According to him, journalists must undertake their duties in the most acceptable

professional manner. The Icon of many journalists was speaking on Eezy FM flagship programme: “Conversation With Mike Eghan.”

“The fundamental preparation for a journalist is your work, your work is your currency and the denomination is your name.”

“So if the potential guest has to work hard to know who you are or his team or handlers have to scramble to decide whether or not you are worth the time then it is going to be difficult,” he noted.

“Your work must speak for you and the good thing about our work as journalists is that it is out there and if you can ride a horse, you don’t need a certificate to prove it. For a journalist, the work you put out every day is your recommendation, is your testimonial and you don’t need your boss to write it for you.”

He also encouraged the youth to remain resolute in the pursuit of their dreams in the face of these trying times.

Story: By Eezy FM

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the government is currently scouting for a strategic investor to inject life into the struggling Komenda Sugar Factory (KSF).

While lamenting the lack of proper planning in the implementation of the project by the Mahama administration, President Akufo-Addo gave assurances of ensuring that the factory becomes viable.

This, he said, will bring economic relief to the area.

“The previous plan that established is not the best. Those who started it could not complete it, and that is why we came to meet staggering dent and an idle factory”, he said.

“The Minister of Trade and Industry is looking for a strategic investor to come and invest here. We are still searching for one because the initial plans were not the best. It is now we are coming to organize things,” President Akufo-Addo added.

The $35 million factory remains dormant, due to a lack of funds.

It was closed down in June 2016; barely a month after then-President John Mahama commissioned it.

It was expected to be producing about 1,250 tonnes of sugar each day.

The factory, at its full capacity, can, in a year, produce 97% of the nation’s sugar needs, representing 250,000 tons.

Following the closure, the factory had to sell sugarcane at its 125-acre seedling plantation to distillers of the local alcoholic beverage popularly known as ‘akpeteshie, local gin.’

Sugarcane farmers who had hopes of cultivating of supplying the Komenda Sugar factory have also been compelled to sell to producers of akpeteshie.

President Akufo-Addo is currently on a four-day working visit to the Central Region.

The Central Regional tour will see the President visit the Cape Coast, Gomoa West, Mfantseman, Agona West and Effutu constituencies.

This follows his visits to the Brong-Ahafo, Western, Volta, Northern, Upper East, Upper West as well as the Ashanti Regions.

Story: Today Correspondent

AS a country under a constitutional rule, laws, rules, and regulations control us.  And like in any civilised society such laws are promulgated to ensure that there are peace and stability for people to go about their normal activities.

IN the same vein, anarchy has become the order of the day in any society that had had no rules and regulations.  Thankfully, Ghana is no such nation.

WE are governed by the 1992 Constitution.  That explains why citizens who fall foul of the law(s) are dealt with.

THE same applies to business entities that fail to operate within the remit of the law.

IN fact, Today would not have waded into this whole seesaw battle between Menzgold Ghana Limited and the State regulatory agencies—Bank of Ghana, Precious Minerals Marketing Company, Minerals Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but for the way things are playing out.

THIS paper will be the first to support the enforcement of our laws and that means that any person/company that flouts the laws of this country should be dealt with accordingly.

THIS whole Menzgold saga is an issue that we believe should have been dealt with by BoG. But having failed to deal with it and for other state agencies to join the fight gives room for suspicion that there is more to it than meet the eye!

WELL, we have heard people urge the management of Menzgold takes up the matter in the law court for a finality to be brought to the issue.  In our estimation, this option is not bad at all.  In fact, it will help settle this matter once and for all.

HOWEVER, in the wake of the ensuing milieu between the State agencies and Menzgold, Today wants to add its voice to Ghanaians who are calling on it to tread cautiously.

IN a nutshell, we are sounding this caution because the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is likely to pay a huge price if it turns out that there is no substance in what the regulatory institutions are doing.  A word to a wise is…

A classic example is from the post-independence era.  The young state of Ghana had huge prospects (also for black people worldwide) to lead Africa by showing that “…after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs.” 

However, mistrust and in-fighting, not just between the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the United Party (UP,) but also within the CPP itself and, incidentally, corruption (also) saw to the downturn of the economy, threw the state into political chaos that eventually led to the overthrow of President Kwame Nkrumah in 1966.  That was the beginning of the end for Ghana; though we can reverse it if we try.

The tragedy today is that such mistrust and infighting, having donned new vestures, still plague our politics and hence economy and social life.  The challenge is that these negative factors have a habit of draining enthusiasm and euphoria in our prospects of how new policies and even programmes must work.  In a nutshell, these drain off the zeal and march towards positive change.

Again, some indigenous traditional authority and religious leaders, by their habit of going to beg a president to forgive ministers whom the president has punished (or is about to punish) over breaking a law, have turned themselves into entities that encourage bad behaviour in public office.  It happens during every administration, but one of the starkest cases is during the Kufuor era.  His minister for Central Region, Isaac Edumadze, misbehaved, yet again, and President Kufuor was set to sack him.  An entire delegation of traditional authority from the Central Region and led by a king went to the Osu Castle to beg Kufuor to spare Edumadze.  Kufuor spared him, but (later did well, for) on his very next reshuffle he asked Edumadze to step aside.

I do not see President Akufo-Addo succumbing to that type of pressure.  However, if he does what he will be doing, effectively, is asking Amidu the Special Public Prosecutor to back away from investigating a particular person.  Thus if that Special Public Prosecutor must attain the president’s dream of fighting corruption, he himself (the president) will have to control himself not to succumb to the historical and cultural pressure (also from cronies) to interfere with the man he has appointed.  However, in the unlikely event that the president does, Amidu must be strong enough to resist the official pressure and continue his work nevertheless.

Another example shows how Amidu is likely to collide with national administrations or its appointees.  The Public Procurement Act, 2003 Act 663 was made to streamline the purchase of commodities and logistics by public agencies, and one of the means frowned upon by the law except in few allowed instances is sole-sourcing.  However, there is more than ample evidence of how several national administrations (or appointees of these) have misused this discretionary means to satisfy itself and its cronies.  If the very entities that initiate the laws, national administrations, are in the habit of violating those very laws when it suits them, then did we go or did we come?  For Amidu, that represents a huge challenge, since fighting the abuse of sole-sourcing (and other ills) is very likely to pit him against national administrations or appointees in such administrations.

Finally…

That is why Amidu needs not lie to himself that after President Akufo-Addo swears him into office the journey into the future will be smooth-sailing.  No, the pressure will be massive and the going very rough indeed.  Our history and our general culture guarantee that.  The going will not be easy for at least three reasons.

First, the real challenge of the task of the Special Prosecutor is fighting persons in national administration and other public officials who conduct or misconduct themselves in ways that make the state lose finances or other resources.  Or – as a philosopher and former lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Classics, University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Emeritus Kwame Gyekye – described Amidu’s target: They are the set who in one way or another breaks rules of ethical conduct in public office and state laws for their personal (and cronies’) benefit.

Second, there will be pressure and fight back against his work.  That means once he gets into office two factors will strike – the (identified) historical and cultural weeds (and more) that strengthen each other – and these will grow to try to choke out the prospect of efficiency in ways that drain out the euphoria.  And they will strike very hard.  In a nutshell, this is what Ti-Kelenkelen is saying: It is not enough to have good laws or policies, etc.  It is also not enough to have the right person in the right jobs.  It is equally important to defend all these from those who benefit from the situations the laws or policies, etc. (and the right person) are set to eliminate.

In the end it all comes back to one point – how Amidu conducts himself as Special Public Prosecutor.  It will take his personal strength and respect for the law and actually working the laws without fear or favour for him to succeed and deliver; at that point, his background and character will be secondary.  The biggest question is whether Amidu can retain his inner strength to rather choke out the historical and cultural weeds that will come to work against him and his work.  In other words, it is Amidu the Special Prosecutor’s future personal battles that will define his capability to be efficient and productive in the job.

And then he should be very careful of his own family and friends.  (The elaboration of that falls outside the pages of a newspaper.  However, Ti-Kelenkelen trusts Amidu is smart enough to know what it reeally means.)

Yet there is a broader prospect if Amidu succeeds.  Because of that same historical and cultural background of Ghana (and Africa), his success, if he attains it, will permeate territory beyond the scope of his work, for he would have shown, in principle, how to deal with factors that are a block to progress in every aspect of our lives.  And to call the creature by name, there are those (internal and external entities) who do not like that because they benefit from the antithesis.

In a nutshell, the task is more awesome than we are conceiving it.  And it is not Ti-Kelenkelen’s place to scare the man who cannot be scared.  It is, however, his (Ti-Kelenkelen’s) task, by the principle of this page, the welfare and progress of the people, to paint for Amidu the clearest, holistic, “live-and-coloured” video for him to know what he is reaaally walking into.

Highlights

“…Some indigenous traditional authority and religious leaders, by their habit of going to beg a president to forgive ministers whom the president has punished (or is about to punish) over breaking a law, have turned themselves into entities that encourage bad behaviour in public office.”

“Thus if that Special Public Prosecutor must attain the president’s dream of fighting corruption, he himself (the president) will have to control himself not to succumb to the historical and cultural pressure (also from cronies) to interfere with the man he has appointed.”

“The biggest question is whether Amidu can retain his inner strength to rather choke out the historical and cultural weeds that will come to work against him and his work.”

(This concludes last week’s article)

Typhoon Mangkhut is lashing China’s most populous province, bringing winds of up to 100 mph (162 kph).

Guangdong is on its highest alert for the storm, which swept in from Hong Kong where it swayed skyscrapers and blew out windows.

The death toll from the Philippines meanwhile jumped from 30 to 49, with most of the victims claimed in landslides caused by heavy rain.

Mangkhut is considered the strongest storm of 2018.

Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall on the Chinese coast near Jiangmen city on Sunday afternoon local time, state media reported.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from Guangdong, and authorities there issued their highest warning level, a red alert.

In Hong Kong, authorities also issued their maximum alert, with residents warned to stay indoors to avoid flying debris. Winds there reportedly reached more than 110 mph (117 kph).

Officials put the number of injured at 111 but the territory avoided a direct hit.

Water levels surged by almost 3.5 m (12 ft) in places and live fish were washed on to the streets.

Most shops and public services were shut, and more than 800 flights have been cancelled at Hong Kong International Airport – affecting more than 100,000 passengers.

Not everyone paid attention to the warnings, though. “I went running this morning. I love fresh air and there’s no one on the streets, no cars. On normal days we can’t see this,” Hong Kong resident Hao Chen told the AFP news agency.

In neighbouring Macau, for the first time in its history the territory’s famous casinos were ordered to close.

Mangkhut is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by Tuesday as it moves inland.

How bad has the Philippines been hit?

Most of the deaths in the Philippines were caused by landslides in the Cordillera and Nueva Vizcaya regions, officials say.

Among the dead are a baby and a toddler. Blocked roads and downed communications lines mean reports are still coming in.

Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall on Saturday, tearing through the main island of Luzon.

Five million people were in its path and more than 100,000 sheltered in temporary centres.

There is also concern over the economic cost of the typhoon, which has caused extensive damage to farmland in Cagayan, a key agricultural province.

Francis Tolentino, a political adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte, told the BBC that he estimated only a fifth of produce there had been harvested in advance – threatening staples like rice and corn.

The Philippines is routinely hit during the typhoon season but the strength of Manghukt evoked memories of the deadliest storm on national record – Super Typhoon Haiyan – which killed more than 7,000 in 2013.

However, preparation and evacuation procedures have been improved since then. Warnings were issued, travel was restricted, schools shut and the army was put on standby in advance.—BBC

Rwanda has pardoned more than 2,000 prisoners, including a top opposition figure.

Victoire Ingabire, of the FDU-Inkingi party, has been serving a 15-year jail term for threatening state security and “belittling” the 1994 genocide.

She has been a leading critic of President Paul Kagame and says her trial was politically motivated.

Mr Kagame has won praise for reforming Rwanda’s economy but has also been accused of human rights abuses.

He won re-election for a third time last year with 98.8% of the vote, in an election observers said was a sham.

In parliamentary elections earlier in September though, two opposition candidates from the Democratic Green Party won seats for the first time.

The release of Ms Ingabire and 2,140 other convicts was announced by the government following a cabinet meeting.

No reason was given for the move, but a statement said that Mr Kagame had exercised mercy under his prerogative as president.

Singer Kizito Mihigo was also freed, having been jailed for 10 years in 2015 for plotting to kill President Kagame.

Ms Ingabire smiled as she left jail, dressed in the colours of her party.

She thanked the president and said she hoped her release marked the opening of “political space” in Rwanda.

Justice Minister Johnston Businge sought to play down the significance of Ms Ingabire’s release.

“There is nothing political about her release – there is nothing political about her imprisonment,” he told Reuters

Ms Ingabire returned from exile in the Netherlands in 2010 to take part in presidential elections.

She was arrested and barred from standing soon after, and has been in jail ever since.

Ms Ingabire, a member of the Hutu ethnic group, had questioned why Rwanda’s official memorial to the 1994 genocide did not include any Hutus.

Most of the 800,000 people killed were ethnic Tutsis but Hutu moderates were also slaughtered by the Hutu extremists.

Mr Kagame’s Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front put an end to the genocide.—BBC

Pyotr Verzilov, an activist with Russian protest group Pussy Riot, has been flown to Berlin for specialist medical treatment following a suspected poisoning in Moscow.

He reportedly fell ill after a court hearing on Tuesday and was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

His symptoms allegedly included losing his sight and ability to speak.

Mr Verzilov is best known for taking part in a protest at the World Cup Final earlier this year.

He is said to have spent several days in intensive care treatment before regaining consciousness on Friday, friends told the Meduza news website.

The 30-year-old’s flight to Germany was reportedly organised by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, whose founder has supported the Russian activist group before.

The chartered plane is said to have arrived at Berlin Schönefeld airport at about 22:45 local time (20:45 GMT) on Saturday night.

Mr Verzilov’s mother, who earlier reported being denied access to her son, is understood to have accompanied him on the flight.

The German tabloid Bild shared video and photographs appearing to Mr Verzilov being aided on the plane, then being transported on a stretcher.

A fellow Pussy Riot member, his ex-wife Nadya Tolokonnikova, was also captured welcoming him at the airport.

Speaking to the newspaper, she said he believed he had been “deliberately poisoned” for either “intimidation or even an assassination attempt”.

Mr Verzilov has been a prominent figure in the anti-Kremlin opposition for several years, including his work with Pussy Riot.

The group’s Twitter account posted a photograph of members posing with a banner alluding to the alleged poisoning on Friday.

Mr Verzilov is a joint citizen of both Russia and Canada.

Earlier this week Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the situation was a “concern, obviously, given actions of recent months by the Russians in the UK” – referring to the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and others in Salisbury.

The cause of his Mr Verzilov’s illness has not yet been confirmed.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been inducted into Odade3 fraternity.

Although he (President Akufo-Addo) had some high school education in the country, he had to continue his secondary education in the United Kingdom at Sussex College.

At the 80th anniversary celebratory durbar of one of the country’s finest secondary school however, he was inducted into the year group of his mates, which is the 1962 group.

Flanked by the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye and the Chairman of the Odade3 1962-year group, President Akufo-Addo was grafted into the alumnus fraternity of the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School – Legon in Accra.

The President was the guest of honour at the event of his new alma mater, which was themed “Powerful Past, Prosperous Present and Prominent Future”.

He took the opportunity to disclose that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had secured a 500 Million dollar funding facility for the construction of new schools and for the renovation and expansion of the facilities in the existing schools.

“Through the innovative double track system, government has found a way to absorb the increased intake using the existing infrastructure. Furthermore, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has secured a 500 million dollar facility for the construction of new schools and the expansion of infrastructure in existing ones to help cope with the rising numbers,” he disclosed.

Other dignitaries present at the anniversary were Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, former Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana’s Ambassador to India, Mike Ocquaye Junior among others.

Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH

Writer’s email: franklin.asare-donkor@todaygh.com

Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) has secured $500 million dollars to build schools and expand existing ones for the government’s free Senior High School policy, President Akufo-Addo has announced.

“The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) has secured a $500 million facility for the construction of new schools, and the expansion of infrastructure in existing ones, to help cope with the rising numbers” of students in SHSs due to the free secondary education policy which saw 90,000 more students enroll last year and 180,000 this year, the president, who is on a four-day tour of the Central Region, said.

According to the president, the double-track senior high school system introduced to absorb the spike in students would not collapse Ghana’s education system as being claimed by the “professional Jeremiahs”.

In the Jewish and Christian religions, Jeremiah was a Hebrew prophet who said that Jerusalem would be defeated and that God would become angry with the Jews and punish them.

His name has become synonymous to doomsayers. The Longman Dictionary, for instance defines a Jeremiah as a pessimistic person, who always says that bad things are going to happen.

The double-track system, instead, “will not destroy our education system as the professional Jeremiahs would want you to believe”, the president noted.

On the contrary, he said, “this system will reduce class sizes, it will increase contact hours between teachers and students as well as increase the number of holidays”.

Nana Akufo-Addo admitted that: “Every new initiative that is rolled out will experience hitches and challenges, however, I’m inspired by the famous Chinese adage which says: ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step’.

“We have taken that first step in Ghana and we shall deal with the challenges.

Story: News Desk