Ghana Today: GMA NEWS CONFAB

Ghana Today: GMA NEWS CONFAB:           The Ghana Medical Association has given the government by the end of May to resolve the matter of Conversion Differ ence and ...

Ghana Today: MORE CONSULTATIONS

Ghana Today: MORE CONSULTATIONS: A leading member of the NPP, George Ayisi Boateng has called for broader consultations on the party’s proposal on affirmative action put f...

WASSCE

     The Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Nana Sarfo Kantanka has asked heads of second cycle institutions in the region to be sympathetic to the plight and difficulties of students in their schools. According to him, some of the absenteeism of the final year students in some schools who are writing the WASSCE could have been avoided if the headmasters had been very close to the students and identified their challenges. Speaking in an interview after visiting some of the examination centres in Kumasi and other parts of the region, Nana Sarfo Kantanka said some of the students are not writing the examination because they owe school fees. He said it may be true that parents might have given the fees to their wards but the students concerned refused to settle the indebtedness. At Adu Gyamfi Senior High School at Jamasi in the Sekyere South District, a candidate who happened to be a day student failed to turn up for the first compulsory paper, Integrated Science yesterday because the student owed the school 400 Ghana Cedis. At the Okomfo Anokye Senior High School at Wiamoase, also in the Sekyere South District, nine students were absent for the first paper for various reasons. Okomfo Anokye SHS was punished last year for examination malpractices. The centre was temporarily cancelled and students ordered to write the remaining papers at the West African Examinations Council office in Kumasi, while the headmaster and tutors caught for their involvement in the malpractices were all either transferred or demoted. However, WAEC on humanitarian gesture, restored the Okomfo Anokye SHS Centre this year, but all the supervisors and invigilators were recruited from other schools to monitor the examination. Other schools visited were Kumasi Girls and Asanteman Senior High Schools. Nana Sarfo Kantanka, who was accompanied by the Chief Director at the Regional Coordinating Council, Isaac Asubonteng, said he was satisfied with the conduct of the examination in the region on the first day.

APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT

     The National Chairman of Ghana Muslim Mission, Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu, has expressed worry about infrastructure challenges confronting the Ghana Muslim Mission Senior High School at Beposo in the Sekyere Central district of Ashanti. He said since the institution became a public assisted Senior High School in 2013 with the total student population of 800, it cannot boast of basic infrastructural facilities such as dormitories, staff accommodation, dining and assembly halls and a bus. These challenges, Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu noted have impeded the growth of the school and appealed to the government, benevolent organizations and especially well-meaning Muslims to lend support in this direction. Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu expressed the sentiment at the handing over of a girls’ dormitory and a classroom building project for the school at Beposo. The girls’ dormitory was built by the Ghana Muslim Mission Women Fellowship, while the classroom building project was undertaken by an Islamic philanthropic organization known as Assam’a Wal Bassar Foundation. The occasion coincided with a fund raising for the establishment of science laboratory for the school. Sheikh Dr. Aminu Bonsu said notwithstanding the challenges facing the school, discipline and high academic excellence exhibited by the institution continue to attract many students. This, according to Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu, makes it imperative for measures to be undertaken to address the school’s infrastructure deficit. The Headmaster of the school, Umar Mudassiru said though the school is an Islamic mission institutions, a sizeable number of the student population are Christians and are allowed to practice their faith on Saturdays and Sundays without hindrance.  He announced plans by the PTA to construct a six unit classrooms block, while the school is to benefit from the Government Secondary Education Improvement project.

ASH WASSCE UNDERWAY

      In the Ashanti region, a total of 62 thousand, 472 candidates making up the highest regional figure in the ongoing West African Secondary Schools Certificate Examinations were expected to sit for the first compulsory Paper today. However, the visit to some of the Examination Centres revealed that not all the candidates who registered for the examination were available for the Integrated Science Paper. At the Kumasi High School Centre at Gyinyase, candidates from two schools, made up of the Kumasi High School itself and the Apostle KwadwoSarfo Senior High School had already started the Paper One at the time of the visit at about 9.15 am. Out of the 547 all male candidates from KUHIS who were expected to be present, one was absent without any reason offered while one female candidate from the Apostle KwadwoSarfo SHS, Sylvia Baah Gyebi was also absent. At the KNUST Senior High School at Boadi, two schools, KNUST SHS and Adabi Educational Centre, were also expected at the Exam Centre. However, according to the External Supervisor, Seth Owusu, two candidates, one each of the school, were absent. KNUST SHS presented 673 candidates, while Adabi Educational Centre registered 63 candidates for the exam.  Mr. Owusu said the start of the Paper delayed for about 15 minutes as a result of heavy vehicular traffic congestion when the examination materials were being transported from the WAEC office to the Centre. At the Saint Louis Senior High School at Oduom, two schools, Saint Louis SHS and Mancell College candidates were writing the same Paper.  The Assistant Headmistress of Saint Louis SHS in charge of Academics, Madam Victoria Ussher disclosed that out of the 511 expected candidates, three were absent. According to her, one of them passed way after the registration while the remaining two stopped school after registering for the examinations. However, all the 45 registered candidates from the Mancell College were present. At all the Centres visited, the atmosphere was peaceful and quiet while no student indiscipline had been recorded. Police personnel and a significant number of invigilators were at post with everything required for the success of the examination had been duly provided by the WAEC.

OFFINSO BOOK LAUNCHED

    A book project highlighting the historic monuments and heritage of the Offinso Traditional Area in Ashanti has been launched at Offinso. It is titled, “Offinso State Book”. The project which was initiated by the Paramount chief of the area, Nana Wiafe Akenten seeks to create a comprehensive and holistic history of the people of Offinso that would serves as a reference material for the traditional council and all key state institutions in the country. The function brought together traditional leaders, academicians, the clergy, politicians, businessmen and indigenes both home and abroad. The Paramount Chief of Offinso, Nana Wiafe Akenten emphasized the need for people in the area to unite behind the traditional council to spearhead the socio-economic development of the area. According to him, a town without heritage has no history and fulfilling future, hence the decision of the Offinso Traditional Council to compile and document all the necessary facts and information of the traditional area for posterity. He mentioned many social interventions the Traditional Council over the years has initiated to augment government efforts at addressing the numerous challenges confronting the area. These include physical infrastructural projects such as construction of a library, post office and schools. Nana Wiafe Akenten urged Offinso indigenes who have reliable or verifiable information on any historical monument within the  traditional area to make them available to the State Book Project committee. The Coordinator for Offinso State Book Project, Isaac Bright Botchway explained that the objective of the project is to provide easy access to the political, religious, culture and economic history of the people Offinso.

MAMPONG HEALTH ISSUES

      Cases of infant mortalityrecorded at the Asante Mampong Government hospital reduced from 11 deaths in 2013 to four deaths in 2014.Incidence of maternal deaths and still births also reduced in the hospital last year. Hypertension-related illnesses and abortion accounted for the number of maternal deaths and infant mortality recorded at the hospital. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Nyarko-Jecteyannounced this at a performance review meeting of the hospital for 2014 at Asante Mampong.He appealed to government to make more funds available to the National Health Insurance Scheme in order to ensure a sustained quality health care delivery at the hospital. According to Dr. Nyarko-Jectey, majority of clients who visit the hospital are NHIS card bearing members, but for five months now the health facility has not been reimbursed monies owed it as claims under the National Health Insurance Scheme. He said the average cost of the hospital monthly electricity bill stood at 12 thousand Ghana Cedis last year. The facility also incurred expenses to the tune of 92 thousand, 609 Ghana Cedis in respect of the purchase of fuel for its generators due to the energy crisis. Dr. Nyarko-Jectey explained that the hospital depends on its Internally Generated Funds as the only source of revenue, hence the need for staff to be proactive in attracting more clients especially to the OPD. The Administrator of the hospital, Collins Kesse, expressed worry about activities of land developers who have encroached on the hospital’s land and called on stakeholders to urgently address the issue.