Amnesty International Ghana has nullified the Ghana Government and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) plan to demolish structures within 50 meters along the railways at Agbogbloshie slums for redevelopment of the railway systems as a gross violation of the inhabitants’ fundamental human rights.
On 7 December, the AMA announced on their website that structures along the railway lines would be demolished as part of a nationwide plan to redevelop Ghana’s railway system, and proceeded immediately with an action of announcing and marking of the likely to be demolished structures in the Agbogbloshie slum with a vacate notification date of December 14, 2010 as the deadline for the slum dwellers.
The Director of Amnesty Ghana, Mr. Lawrence Amesu who addressed the slum dwellers explained that, forced evictions are a violation of human rights of which the Government is obliged to prohibit and prevent.
He said, “Under International Human Rights Laws, evictions may be carried out only as a last resort, once all other feasible alternatives to evictions have been explored and genuine consultation has taken place with the communities”.
He added that the action to be taken was built on no maximum consultation and no alternative accommodation given, which will render the inhabitants homeless or vulnerable to other human rights violation, which ought to have been considered as a required duty to protect and prevent by the Government.
Mr. Amesu, however, reckoned the positivity in the Government and the Railway Company for the plans and concrete efforts made for rehabilitating and modernizing the railway system, but were more emphatic on the consequences of the action on the 1000’s of rural urban immigrants living along the railways.
The consequences he outlined, included increased school drop-outs as parents are traumatized and also lost the sources of income, making them lose capability of catering for their children’s education; increased social vices such as prostitution, cyber fraud and increased vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases; and increased streetism and its attendant social vices.
He added that the plan to evict the Agbogbloshie railway dwellers will also contradict and defeat the Millennium Development Goal Seven (7) which states that, “Have achieved by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers”.
The Director further reminded the Ghanaian government of its party terms to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, with a surety to respect, protect and fulfill its provisions at all levels, thus, adequate alternative provisions should be made before embarking on the intended demolishing plan for development.
He also recalled the government’s avowed commitment to slum upgrading spelt out in the page 85 of its 2008 manifesto and prayed the yet to be taken plan would be well considered a second thought by the government.
The 2008 manifesto page 85 vow of the government, he stated, recognized the fact that slum existence is the results of rural-urban migration limited supply of land and regulatory framework that fail to address the needs of urban poor, of which the railway dwellers are no exception.
“It will be of no use if a project which is intended to improve the lives of the masses of Ghanaians tends to make ‘others’ very poor and destitute,:” he explained.
He stressed out that women and children bear the brunt of traumatized and dislocated communities and as such, called on the government to be conscious of its intended action of forcefully evicting residents along the rails if they fail to vacate the area by December 14.
The director of Women in Slums Economic Empowerment (WISEEP) Frederick Opoku also disclosed that the children is the property of the government and must be protected from such inhumanities which happen to be another form of a disaster.
He added that a good enumeration carried out for quality in citizen’s livelihood planning could be another solution to prevent this type of disaster.
He prayed to the government to help use an alternative solution to the issue as the implementations of the plan will plunge the youth into several social vices.
The yet to be displaced Agbogbloshie slum inhabitants and concerned groups are however, appealing to Authorities to make provisions for relocation of and compensation for the affected victims as part of the rehabilitation of the railway project.
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Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
CLIMATE CHANGE LEADS
Human beings are exposed to climate change through changing weather patterns (for example, more intense and frequent extreme events) and indirectly through changes in water, air, food quality and quantity, ecosystems, agriculture, and economy.
Evidence is gathering that human activities are changing the climate. This 'climate change' could have a huge impact on our lives.
At this early stage the effects are small but are projected to progressively increase in all countries and regions. Given the complexity of factors that influence human health, assessing health impacts related to climate change poses a difficult challenge
In the context of climate variation, anthropogenic factors are human activities that change the environment.
In some cases the chain of causality of human influence on the climate is direct and unambiguous (for example, the effects of irrigation on local humidity), while in other instances it is less clear.
Various hypotheses for human-induced climate change have been argued for many years. Presently the scientific consensus on climate change is that human activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global average temperatures over the past several decades.
Consequently, the debate has largely shifted onto ways to reduce further human impact and to find ways to adapt to change that has already occurred.
Of most concern in these anthropogenic factors is the increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion, followed by aerosols (particulate matter in the atmosphere) and cement manufacture. Other factors, including land use, ozone depletion, animal agriculture and deforestation, are also of concern in the roles they play - both separately and in conjunction with other factors - in affecting climate, microclimate, and measures of climate variables.
CLIMATE EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH/MORTALITY
Climate-Sensitive Disease
Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These "vector-borne" diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Also, algal blooms could occur more frequently as temperatures warm — particularly in areas with polluted waters — in which case diseases (such as cholera) that tend to accompany algal blooms could become more frequent.
AIR QUALITY
Climate change is expected to contribute to some air quality problems. Respiratory disorders may be exacerbated by warming-induced increases in the frequency of smog (ground-level ozone) events and particulate air pollution.
Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, and is especially harmful for those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Sunlight and high temperatures, combined with other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, can cause ground-level ozone to increase. Climate change may increase the concentration of ground-level ozone, but the magnitude of the effect is uncertain. For other pollutants, the effects of climate change and/or weather are less well studied and results vary by region .
1.General Impacts
The impact of temperature on morbidity and mortality can be assessed at both the seasonal and daily level. The variability in occurrence of numerous illnesses is linked to somewhat predictable seasonal trends in temperature (Persinger, 1980), although sig significant year-to-year differences do occur. Medical disorders such as bronchitis, peptic ulcer, adrenal ulcer, glaucoma, goiter, eczema, and herpes zoster are related to seasonal variations in temperature (Tromp, 1963). Heart failure (most often myocardia l infarction) and cerebrovascular accidents represent two general mortality categories that have been correlated many times with ambient monthly temperatures (Persinger, 1980). Complications from these disorders can be expected at higher temperatures sinc e the body responds to thermal stress by forcing blood into peripheral areas to promote heat loss through the skin. This increases central blood pressure and encourages constriction of blood vessels near the core of the body. However, increases in heart d isease are also noted at very cold temperatures as well. Strong negative correlations have been found between winter temperature and deaths in certain North American, northern Asian, and European countries (Persinger, 1980).
2Weather has a profound effect on human health and well-being. It has been demonstrated that weather is associated with changes in birth rates, and sperm counts, with outbreaks of pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis, and is related to other morbi dity effects linked to pollen concentrations and high pollution levels.
3. Hot weather extremes appear to have a more substantial impact on mortality than cold wave episodes. Most research indicates that mortality during extreme heat events varies with age, sex, and race. Factors associated with increased risk from hea t exposure include alcoholism, living on higher floors of buildings, and the use of tranquilizers. Factors associated with decreased risk are use of air conditioning, frequent exercising, consumption of fluids, and living in shaded residences. Acclimatiza tion may moderate the impact of successive heat waves over the short term.
4.Humidity has an important impact on mortality since it contributes to the body's ability to cool itself by evaporation of perspiration. It also has an important influence on morbidity in the winter because cold, dry air leads to excessive dehydr ation of nasal passages and the upper respiratory tract and increased chance of microbial and viral infection.
Evidence is gathering that human activities are changing the climate. This 'climate change' could have a huge impact on our lives.
At this early stage the effects are small but are projected to progressively increase in all countries and regions. Given the complexity of factors that influence human health, assessing health impacts related to climate change poses a difficult challenge
In the context of climate variation, anthropogenic factors are human activities that change the environment.
In some cases the chain of causality of human influence on the climate is direct and unambiguous (for example, the effects of irrigation on local humidity), while in other instances it is less clear.
Various hypotheses for human-induced climate change have been argued for many years. Presently the scientific consensus on climate change is that human activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global average temperatures over the past several decades.
Consequently, the debate has largely shifted onto ways to reduce further human impact and to find ways to adapt to change that has already occurred.
Of most concern in these anthropogenic factors is the increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion, followed by aerosols (particulate matter in the atmosphere) and cement manufacture. Other factors, including land use, ozone depletion, animal agriculture and deforestation, are also of concern in the roles they play - both separately and in conjunction with other factors - in affecting climate, microclimate, and measures of climate variables.
CLIMATE EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH/MORTALITY
Climate-Sensitive Disease
Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These "vector-borne" diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Also, algal blooms could occur more frequently as temperatures warm — particularly in areas with polluted waters — in which case diseases (such as cholera) that tend to accompany algal blooms could become more frequent.
AIR QUALITY
Climate change is expected to contribute to some air quality problems. Respiratory disorders may be exacerbated by warming-induced increases in the frequency of smog (ground-level ozone) events and particulate air pollution.
Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, and is especially harmful for those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Sunlight and high temperatures, combined with other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, can cause ground-level ozone to increase. Climate change may increase the concentration of ground-level ozone, but the magnitude of the effect is uncertain. For other pollutants, the effects of climate change and/or weather are less well studied and results vary by region .
1.General Impacts
The impact of temperature on morbidity and mortality can be assessed at both the seasonal and daily level. The variability in occurrence of numerous illnesses is linked to somewhat predictable seasonal trends in temperature (Persinger, 1980), although sig significant year-to-year differences do occur. Medical disorders such as bronchitis, peptic ulcer, adrenal ulcer, glaucoma, goiter, eczema, and herpes zoster are related to seasonal variations in temperature (Tromp, 1963). Heart failure (most often myocardia l infarction) and cerebrovascular accidents represent two general mortality categories that have been correlated many times with ambient monthly temperatures (Persinger, 1980). Complications from these disorders can be expected at higher temperatures sinc e the body responds to thermal stress by forcing blood into peripheral areas to promote heat loss through the skin. This increases central blood pressure and encourages constriction of blood vessels near the core of the body. However, increases in heart d isease are also noted at very cold temperatures as well. Strong negative correlations have been found between winter temperature and deaths in certain North American, northern Asian, and European countries (Persinger, 1980).
2Weather has a profound effect on human health and well-being. It has been demonstrated that weather is associated with changes in birth rates, and sperm counts, with outbreaks of pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis, and is related to other morbi dity effects linked to pollen concentrations and high pollution levels.
3. Hot weather extremes appear to have a more substantial impact on mortality than cold wave episodes. Most research indicates that mortality during extreme heat events varies with age, sex, and race. Factors associated with increased risk from hea t exposure include alcoholism, living on higher floors of buildings, and the use of tranquilizers. Factors associated with decreased risk are use of air conditioning, frequent exercising, consumption of fluids, and living in shaded residences. Acclimatiza tion may moderate the impact of successive heat waves over the short term.
4.Humidity has an important impact on mortality since it contributes to the body's ability to cool itself by evaporation of perspiration. It also has an important influence on morbidity in the winter because cold, dry air leads to excessive dehydr ation of nasal passages and the upper respiratory tract and increased chance of microbial and viral infection.
Friday, October 29, 2010
F.D.A. Rejects Qnexa, a Third Weight-Loss Drug
The Food and Drug Administration rejected another new diet pill on Thursday, the latest setback in the quest to develop treatments for overweight Americans amid the nation’s obesity epidemic.
The rejected drug, called Qnexa, is the third weight loss medicine to run into trouble this month because of concerns about safety. Last week, the F.D.A. declined to approve another new drug, lorcaserin, because it caused tumors in rats. And earlier in the month it forced the withdrawal of Meridia from the market after 13 years, citing the risk of heart attacks and strokes for certain patients.
“It looks pretty bleak out there for anyone trying to get a drug approval for weight loss,” said Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the center for weight management at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego.
Vivus, the developer of Qnexa, said late Thursday in a statement on its Web site that the F.D.A. had requested that the company provide a thorough evaluation of the drug’s potential for causing birth defects and heart problems.
The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., said it was confident it could provide this information to the F.D.A. in about six weeks. If the F.D.A. were to be satisfied, the drug could win approval sometime next year.
There has been no new prescription diet pill approved since Roche’s Xenical in 1999. Xenical is now the only drug approved for long-term use in managing weight.
“It’s tough to be a doctor and try to do something about the biggest problem in the U.S.,” said Dr. Fujioka, who is a consultant to some drug companies, including Vivus.
Some drug companies shied away from the diet market, after part of the popular fen-phen diet combination was removed from the market in 1997 because it damaged heart valves. The debacle resulted in huge legal settlements.
The F.D.A.’s decision on Qnexa was not unexpected, given that an advisory committee to the agency had voted 10 to 6 against approval in July.
But it is nonetheless disappointing to some specialists because Qnexa produced about twice as much weight loss as other diet pills. In clinical trials, patients on the highest dose of Qnexa lost an average of 10.6 percent of their weight after one year, compared with 1.7 percent for those taking a placebo.
Qnexa is a combination of two existing drugs — phentermine, a stimulant that is approved for short-term use as a weight loss drug, and topiramate, an epilepsy and migraine drug sold by Johnson & Johnson under the name Topamax.
An F.D.A. advisory committee in December will consider another diet drug, called Contrave, developed by Orexigen Therapeutics. But if that one also is not approved, some experts say it would discourage already wary pharmaceutical companies from working on drugs for obesity.
“It’s going to put the brakes on all obesity drug development for a decade,” said Dr. W. Timothy Garvey, chairman of the department of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was an investigator in the clinical trials of Qnexa.
Morgan Downey, an advocate for obese people who also consults for pharmaceutical companies, said the F.D.A. appeared to believe that a very effective drug would be used so much that unanticipated side effects would show up, while less effective drugs were not worth any risk.
“The F.D.A. has gotten itself into a real knot,” said Mr. Downey, who describes himself as obese and edits the Downey Obesity Report Web site. “They can’t approve a very effective drug and they can’t approve a modest drug.”
The F.D.A. does not comment or publicly release its reasons for turning down a drug.
Dr. John Jenkins, director of the agency’s office of new drugs, told reporters this month that the agency was “committed to working toward approval” of new obesity drugs, “so long as they are safe and effective for the population for which they are intended.”
Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women and Families, said the diet drugs that have made it to market are not very effective, so the F.D.A. should pay close attention to safety. “The vast majority of people taking them don’t stay on them long enough to get any health benefit,” she said.
About a third of Americans are obese and another third merely overweight. Obesity contributes to many other health problems like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
So an effective diet pill could help cut medical costs over all and should, at least in theory, become a blockbuster.
“This is the biggest field, bigger than statins potentially,” Jack Lief, chief executive of Arena Pharmaceuticals, the developer of lorcaserin, said a year ago, referring to the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor.
Yet no diet pill has ever become a true blockbuster. COmbined sales of all prescription obesity drugs in the United States have been falling over the last few years and totaled only $154 million in 2009, according to IMS Health, a health care information company.
That is mainly because they generally produce a weight loss of only 5 percent or so. The body has so many mechanisms to maintain weight that any one drug is not likely to have much effect, scientists say.
A study published in the journal Obesity in January that used insurance records found that fewer than 1 percent of adults used obesity pills despite the considerable number of obese people. And only 11 to 18 percent of the users stayed with the drugs for longer than three months, a far greater dropout rate than for statins.
“With a statin, patients rely on their doctor to tell them whether they should be taking it or not,” said John A. Tucker, a pharmaceutical industry consultant in San Diego. “With an obesity drug, they can judge for themselves,” and many are disappointed in the weight loss they achieve.
The difficulties, and safety setbacks, have already soured many pharmaceutical companies on obesity drugs. When two drugs used in the fen-phen diet pill combination were withdrawn from the market in 1997 for damaging heart valves, their manufacturer Wyeth, now part of Pfizer, was left with more than $20 billion in liability.
Three years ago, the F.D.A, citing the risk of suicidal thoughts and depression, declined to approve rimonabant from Sanofi-Aventis. Merck and Pfizer then abandoned development of drugs that worked in the same way.
Dr. Fujioka said another reason obesity drugs were not more popular is that many physicians “have a bias against obese patients and don’t want to give them the easy way out.”
Unlike advocates for patients with, for example, AIDS or cancer, those who are obese may be more reluctant to pressure an agency like the F.D.A., because overweight people often view their condition as a sign of a lack of willpower.
“Most people feel it is their personal responsibility, so they are uncomfortable to go out and make a claim on society for additional help,” Mr. Downey said.
Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of the center for nutrition and weight management at Boston University Medical Center, who has consulted for drug companies, said, “We’ve shown over and over again that it’s very difficult for anyone to lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone.” When that approach is successful, she said, it often requires intensive coaching, which is impractical for medical offices to provide on a large scale.
Despite the setbacks, there are still diet drugs under development. The next generation will probably not be pills but rather injections of synthetic versions of hormones the body already uses to control weight.
Bariatric surgery, which can reduce weight far more than pills, is now restricted for use in severely obese people because of risks and costs. In December, an F.D.A. advisory committee will consider a proposal from Allergan to lower the weight threshold for use of its Lap-Band gastric banding system.
There are also devices in development that do not require invasive surgery. Still, no surgical approach is likely to be as practical for a huge population as drugs.
“We have over 50 antihypertensive agents on the market,” Dr. Apovian said. “We have lots of drugs on the market for diabetes. With the epidemic of obesity, how is it possible that we have only two drugs on the market?”
The rejected drug, called Qnexa, is the third weight loss medicine to run into trouble this month because of concerns about safety. Last week, the F.D.A. declined to approve another new drug, lorcaserin, because it caused tumors in rats. And earlier in the month it forced the withdrawal of Meridia from the market after 13 years, citing the risk of heart attacks and strokes for certain patients.
“It looks pretty bleak out there for anyone trying to get a drug approval for weight loss,” said Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the center for weight management at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego.
Vivus, the developer of Qnexa, said late Thursday in a statement on its Web site that the F.D.A. had requested that the company provide a thorough evaluation of the drug’s potential for causing birth defects and heart problems.
The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., said it was confident it could provide this information to the F.D.A. in about six weeks. If the F.D.A. were to be satisfied, the drug could win approval sometime next year.
There has been no new prescription diet pill approved since Roche’s Xenical in 1999. Xenical is now the only drug approved for long-term use in managing weight.
“It’s tough to be a doctor and try to do something about the biggest problem in the U.S.,” said Dr. Fujioka, who is a consultant to some drug companies, including Vivus.
Some drug companies shied away from the diet market, after part of the popular fen-phen diet combination was removed from the market in 1997 because it damaged heart valves. The debacle resulted in huge legal settlements.
The F.D.A.’s decision on Qnexa was not unexpected, given that an advisory committee to the agency had voted 10 to 6 against approval in July.
But it is nonetheless disappointing to some specialists because Qnexa produced about twice as much weight loss as other diet pills. In clinical trials, patients on the highest dose of Qnexa lost an average of 10.6 percent of their weight after one year, compared with 1.7 percent for those taking a placebo.
Qnexa is a combination of two existing drugs — phentermine, a stimulant that is approved for short-term use as a weight loss drug, and topiramate, an epilepsy and migraine drug sold by Johnson & Johnson under the name Topamax.
An F.D.A. advisory committee in December will consider another diet drug, called Contrave, developed by Orexigen Therapeutics. But if that one also is not approved, some experts say it would discourage already wary pharmaceutical companies from working on drugs for obesity.
“It’s going to put the brakes on all obesity drug development for a decade,” said Dr. W. Timothy Garvey, chairman of the department of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was an investigator in the clinical trials of Qnexa.
Morgan Downey, an advocate for obese people who also consults for pharmaceutical companies, said the F.D.A. appeared to believe that a very effective drug would be used so much that unanticipated side effects would show up, while less effective drugs were not worth any risk.
“The F.D.A. has gotten itself into a real knot,” said Mr. Downey, who describes himself as obese and edits the Downey Obesity Report Web site. “They can’t approve a very effective drug and they can’t approve a modest drug.”
The F.D.A. does not comment or publicly release its reasons for turning down a drug.
Dr. John Jenkins, director of the agency’s office of new drugs, told reporters this month that the agency was “committed to working toward approval” of new obesity drugs, “so long as they are safe and effective for the population for which they are intended.”
Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women and Families, said the diet drugs that have made it to market are not very effective, so the F.D.A. should pay close attention to safety. “The vast majority of people taking them don’t stay on them long enough to get any health benefit,” she said.
About a third of Americans are obese and another third merely overweight. Obesity contributes to many other health problems like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
So an effective diet pill could help cut medical costs over all and should, at least in theory, become a blockbuster.
“This is the biggest field, bigger than statins potentially,” Jack Lief, chief executive of Arena Pharmaceuticals, the developer of lorcaserin, said a year ago, referring to the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor.
Yet no diet pill has ever become a true blockbuster. COmbined sales of all prescription obesity drugs in the United States have been falling over the last few years and totaled only $154 million in 2009, according to IMS Health, a health care information company.
That is mainly because they generally produce a weight loss of only 5 percent or so. The body has so many mechanisms to maintain weight that any one drug is not likely to have much effect, scientists say.
A study published in the journal Obesity in January that used insurance records found that fewer than 1 percent of adults used obesity pills despite the considerable number of obese people. And only 11 to 18 percent of the users stayed with the drugs for longer than three months, a far greater dropout rate than for statins.
“With a statin, patients rely on their doctor to tell them whether they should be taking it or not,” said John A. Tucker, a pharmaceutical industry consultant in San Diego. “With an obesity drug, they can judge for themselves,” and many are disappointed in the weight loss they achieve.
The difficulties, and safety setbacks, have already soured many pharmaceutical companies on obesity drugs. When two drugs used in the fen-phen diet pill combination were withdrawn from the market in 1997 for damaging heart valves, their manufacturer Wyeth, now part of Pfizer, was left with more than $20 billion in liability.
Three years ago, the F.D.A, citing the risk of suicidal thoughts and depression, declined to approve rimonabant from Sanofi-Aventis. Merck and Pfizer then abandoned development of drugs that worked in the same way.
Dr. Fujioka said another reason obesity drugs were not more popular is that many physicians “have a bias against obese patients and don’t want to give them the easy way out.”
Unlike advocates for patients with, for example, AIDS or cancer, those who are obese may be more reluctant to pressure an agency like the F.D.A., because overweight people often view their condition as a sign of a lack of willpower.
“Most people feel it is their personal responsibility, so they are uncomfortable to go out and make a claim on society for additional help,” Mr. Downey said.
Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of the center for nutrition and weight management at Boston University Medical Center, who has consulted for drug companies, said, “We’ve shown over and over again that it’s very difficult for anyone to lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone.” When that approach is successful, she said, it often requires intensive coaching, which is impractical for medical offices to provide on a large scale.
Despite the setbacks, there are still diet drugs under development. The next generation will probably not be pills but rather injections of synthetic versions of hormones the body already uses to control weight.
Bariatric surgery, which can reduce weight far more than pills, is now restricted for use in severely obese people because of risks and costs. In December, an F.D.A. advisory committee will consider a proposal from Allergan to lower the weight threshold for use of its Lap-Band gastric banding system.
There are also devices in development that do not require invasive surgery. Still, no surgical approach is likely to be as practical for a huge population as drugs.
“We have over 50 antihypertensive agents on the market,” Dr. Apovian said. “We have lots of drugs on the market for diabetes. With the epidemic of obesity, how is it possible that we have only two drugs on the market?”
Thursday, October 14, 2010
BEACH COMMUNITIES FALL SHORT IN EDUCATION
The United Nations Basic Millennium Development Goal of universal education and the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) system has come to a stand-still in sea-shore communities in Accra.
The inhabitants of these deprived societies, which include Chorkor, Jamestown and Teshie-Nungua, are mostly unemployed, fishermen or fishmongers who lack quality education and good livelihood.
They therefore adheres no importance to education and seek after their individual daily breads only.
The children, mostly found loitering at the beaches refuses to attend school on grounds of lack of money by parents, neglection, lost of passion for education and several non-educational accessibility problems.
The Chorkor suburb, a decade ago, was blessed with an education-free-no-paying educational academy through Alpha and Omega Academy.
The educational unit was established by Madam Gertrude Quartey in 1997, then a fibroid patient, who had been operated upon at the Tema General Hospital.
Believed to have established the educational unit under the directives of God Almighty, Madam Quartey, explains that God had a purpose for saving her life after several doctors proposal of surgery with fear of death, of which the very last was a success.
The school now serves 360 pupils, five voluntary youths in tuition, and has only one roofed-building and an attached hole-in canopy classroom for learning and administrative works.
The Christian schools close-by, was no substitute as educational minded families in the community could not afford the tuition fees.
Madam Quartey explained that the inhabitants of the suburb, needs education, not only in the classroom for children but social livelihood as well.
She explained that total negligence and laziness exemplified by most parents in the community, hinders educational development in the fishing community.
She also stated that most children avoid going to school due to financial difficulties.
“The children take it upon themselves to seek and sell charcoals among other small manual works for their meals in a day”, she added.
Alpha and Omega Academy was however registered as an association due to the immense support and intellectual development given to the children the deprived society.
Surprisingly, since the inception of the academy seven years ago, pupils do not pay tuition fee, except a feeding fee of 30pesewas a day of which 30 orphans are exempted.
The teachers receive monthly pay of ¢50 a month each, with no pay for the founder and principal of the school, Madam Quartey.
Madam Quartey outlined that the suburb was hostile to the educational academy.
She said, “Even inhabitants who offer services to us charges triple the price and landlords increase rent greatly”.
She stated that the current location of the academy is the fifth since inception seven years ago.
She however appealed for assistance to maintain Alpha and Omega Academy.
She as well prayed for education among sea-shore communities and change in mentality among the inhabitants.
The Academy is as well taking care of three teenage pregnant girls to ensure safety in their lives since they have been neglected by their families.
Characteristically of deprived communities, teenage pregnancy has greatly rose high in the sea-shore communities, leaving most of the young mothers live in danger.
The story at Christ the King of Kings Academy at Jamestown depicted no different fate.
The Academy, a three minute walk from the beach occupies the former GAPOHA warehouse building for children’s daily classroom activities.
Their classroom is demarcated by wood barns to differentiate various academic classes.
The principal, Mr. Emmanuel Ashie a physically challenged person, explained that, he established the school to help develop the fishing community children and to help curb risk faced by children at the beach.
He proclaimed that the school was a non-fee-paying school but one cedi is paid for feeding and teachers allowance.
He added that most families could not afford the cedi payment daily and decided to stop their children from attending but rather, join them either in selling or fishing at the beaches.
The inhabitants of these deprived societies, which include Chorkor, Jamestown and Teshie-Nungua, are mostly unemployed, fishermen or fishmongers who lack quality education and good livelihood.
They therefore adheres no importance to education and seek after their individual daily breads only.
The children, mostly found loitering at the beaches refuses to attend school on grounds of lack of money by parents, neglection, lost of passion for education and several non-educational accessibility problems.
The Chorkor suburb, a decade ago, was blessed with an education-free-no-paying educational academy through Alpha and Omega Academy.
The educational unit was established by Madam Gertrude Quartey in 1997, then a fibroid patient, who had been operated upon at the Tema General Hospital.
Believed to have established the educational unit under the directives of God Almighty, Madam Quartey, explains that God had a purpose for saving her life after several doctors proposal of surgery with fear of death, of which the very last was a success.
The school now serves 360 pupils, five voluntary youths in tuition, and has only one roofed-building and an attached hole-in canopy classroom for learning and administrative works.
The Christian schools close-by, was no substitute as educational minded families in the community could not afford the tuition fees.
Madam Quartey explained that the inhabitants of the suburb, needs education, not only in the classroom for children but social livelihood as well.
She explained that total negligence and laziness exemplified by most parents in the community, hinders educational development in the fishing community.
She also stated that most children avoid going to school due to financial difficulties.
“The children take it upon themselves to seek and sell charcoals among other small manual works for their meals in a day”, she added.
Alpha and Omega Academy was however registered as an association due to the immense support and intellectual development given to the children the deprived society.
Surprisingly, since the inception of the academy seven years ago, pupils do not pay tuition fee, except a feeding fee of 30pesewas a day of which 30 orphans are exempted.
The teachers receive monthly pay of ¢50 a month each, with no pay for the founder and principal of the school, Madam Quartey.
Madam Quartey outlined that the suburb was hostile to the educational academy.
She said, “Even inhabitants who offer services to us charges triple the price and landlords increase rent greatly”.
She stated that the current location of the academy is the fifth since inception seven years ago.
She however appealed for assistance to maintain Alpha and Omega Academy.
She as well prayed for education among sea-shore communities and change in mentality among the inhabitants.
The Academy is as well taking care of three teenage pregnant girls to ensure safety in their lives since they have been neglected by their families.
Characteristically of deprived communities, teenage pregnancy has greatly rose high in the sea-shore communities, leaving most of the young mothers live in danger.
The story at Christ the King of Kings Academy at Jamestown depicted no different fate.
The Academy, a three minute walk from the beach occupies the former GAPOHA warehouse building for children’s daily classroom activities.
Their classroom is demarcated by wood barns to differentiate various academic classes.
The principal, Mr. Emmanuel Ashie a physically challenged person, explained that, he established the school to help develop the fishing community children and to help curb risk faced by children at the beach.
He proclaimed that the school was a non-fee-paying school but one cedi is paid for feeding and teachers allowance.
He added that most families could not afford the cedi payment daily and decided to stop their children from attending but rather, join them either in selling or fishing at the beaches.
JAPAN EMBASSY SUPPORTS DORMAA VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE
Japan has committed $103,388 to support the construction of a female hostel for the Dormaa Vocational Training Centre(DVTC) in Accra.
The amount will also be used to provide other ancillary facilities in the Dormaa West municipality.
An agreement to pave the way for the release and disbursment of the funds was signed at a ceremony in Accra.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami signed on behalf of Japan while Mr Richard Addo-Gyamfi, the Centre Manager of DVTC, initialled for the centre.
Addressing the ceremony, Mr Katakami said the amount was provided by the Japanese Government under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects Scheme (GGHSP).
He stated that girl-child empowerment had been a key to the holistic to national development and his country was proud to associate itself to such developments.
He added that the completion of the project would significantly increase female enrolment in the municipality.
He said that the recipient of the grant was mandatory to the judicious utilisation of the amount for the project.
The centre manager of DVTC, Mr Richard Addo-Gyamfi, who received the grant on behalf of DVTC, expressed profound gratitude to the Japan government for its approval of the project.
He, however, stated that a well-structured vocational training could equip the youth with employable skills.
He also expressed joy in the increased intake of girls for the centre, from in and outside the environs of Dormaa upon completion of the project.
The Dormaa West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, gave the assurance that the assembly would work to implement the project as designed.
The amount will also be used to provide other ancillary facilities in the Dormaa West municipality.
An agreement to pave the way for the release and disbursment of the funds was signed at a ceremony in Accra.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami signed on behalf of Japan while Mr Richard Addo-Gyamfi, the Centre Manager of DVTC, initialled for the centre.
Addressing the ceremony, Mr Katakami said the amount was provided by the Japanese Government under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects Scheme (GGHSP).
He stated that girl-child empowerment had been a key to the holistic to national development and his country was proud to associate itself to such developments.
He added that the completion of the project would significantly increase female enrolment in the municipality.
He said that the recipient of the grant was mandatory to the judicious utilisation of the amount for the project.
The centre manager of DVTC, Mr Richard Addo-Gyamfi, who received the grant on behalf of DVTC, expressed profound gratitude to the Japan government for its approval of the project.
He, however, stated that a well-structured vocational training could equip the youth with employable skills.
He also expressed joy in the increased intake of girls for the centre, from in and outside the environs of Dormaa upon completion of the project.
The Dormaa West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, gave the assurance that the assembly would work to implement the project as designed.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere inducted as new Methodist Church Admistrative Bishop
Story: Stephen Bonsu
The first and current general director of the board of ministries of the Methodist church Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere, has been inducted into office as the Administrative Bishop of the church in Accra.
Rev. Asamoah-Okyere, who earlier served on acting basis of his current position, from October 2009 to September 2010, was elected to serve on a six-year term of office, which begun on October 1st, 2010.
The Presiding Bishop of the church, The Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Asante, inducting the new administrative bishop into office called on Rev. Asamoah-Okyere to be steadfast and humble before the Almighty Father irrespective of his already established long, calm and dedicative services of high prestige.
He added, “This is not just an appointment, but a call to graciousness of God and as such, begin from simplicity to heavenly favours as exemplified by Simone Peter upon his first encounter with Christ Lord”.
He however, prayed for God’s strength and power for the Bishop in performance of his duties as streamlined by the Methodist constitutional doctrine.
Responding to the call to servitude, Rev. Asamoah-Okyere said, “I am so persuaded and I am so determined by Gods Grace”.
He expressed gratitude to the Almighty and all wishers and prayed for continuous support of prayer
The new Administrative Bishop further outlined that the ministry is a holistic church that seeks to support its members in social, economic and spiritual needs and health.
He also noted out that the Christian ministry will initiate a strategic plan to create good relationship, nearness to and feeling of the presence of God among the Christian family under their protectorate.
He explained that the strategic plan will seek to guide the ministers of the church in leading the members spiritually, socially and economically.
He added that it will as well create an enabling environment for the church members to be in ministering.
Rev. Asamooah-Okyere added, “We the Methodist church, we talk about priesthood of all believers. It is for us to create the necessary atmosphere, for every member to feel obliged to preach the gospel”.
He called out to all Christians for teamwork as the principles of the Methodist church was never built on individuality but togetherness, which maps-up the Methodist church and its dioceses.
The induction ceremony, however, witnessed the attendance of several bishops across the country, converging at the Wesley Cathedral in Accra to give substantial support and pay homage to their new Administrative Bishop.
The first and current general director of the board of ministries of the Methodist church Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere, has been inducted into office as the Administrative Bishop of the church in Accra.
Rev. Asamoah-Okyere, who earlier served on acting basis of his current position, from October 2009 to September 2010, was elected to serve on a six-year term of office, which begun on October 1st, 2010.
The Presiding Bishop of the church, The Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Asante, inducting the new administrative bishop into office called on Rev. Asamoah-Okyere to be steadfast and humble before the Almighty Father irrespective of his already established long, calm and dedicative services of high prestige.
He added, “This is not just an appointment, but a call to graciousness of God and as such, begin from simplicity to heavenly favours as exemplified by Simone Peter upon his first encounter with Christ Lord”.
He however, prayed for God’s strength and power for the Bishop in performance of his duties as streamlined by the Methodist constitutional doctrine.
Responding to the call to servitude, Rev. Asamoah-Okyere said, “I am so persuaded and I am so determined by Gods Grace”.
He expressed gratitude to the Almighty and all wishers and prayed for continuous support of prayer
The new Administrative Bishop further outlined that the ministry is a holistic church that seeks to support its members in social, economic and spiritual needs and health.
He also noted out that the Christian ministry will initiate a strategic plan to create good relationship, nearness to and feeling of the presence of God among the Christian family under their protectorate.
He explained that the strategic plan will seek to guide the ministers of the church in leading the members spiritually, socially and economically.
He added that it will as well create an enabling environment for the church members to be in ministering.
Rev. Asamooah-Okyere added, “We the Methodist church, we talk about priesthood of all believers. It is for us to create the necessary atmosphere, for every member to feel obliged to preach the gospel”.
He called out to all Christians for teamwork as the principles of the Methodist church was never built on individuality but togetherness, which maps-up the Methodist church and its dioceses.
The induction ceremony, however, witnessed the attendance of several bishops across the country, converging at the Wesley Cathedral in Accra to give substantial support and pay homage to their new Administrative Bishop.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Conform To Covenant On Force Evictions-Amnesty International, Ghana Warns
Story: Stephen Bonsu
Amnesty International, Ghana Section, has hinted to the Ghanaian government of its non-conformity to and breach of the United Nations (UN) covenant on ‘the right to adequate housing due to the government’s frequent deployment of forced evictions in the Accra Metropolis.
Article 11 (1) of the covenant noted out by UN stipulates that special attention should be paid to, “undertaking major clearance operations and should take place only when conservation and rehabilitation are not feasible and relocation measures are made”.
Also in the global strategy for shelter from 1988 to the year 2000, the general assembly adopted in its resolution 43/181, that, the fundamental obligation (of Governments) is to protect and improve houses and neighborhoods, rather than damage or destroy them.
The director of Amnesty International, Ghana Section, Mr. Lawrence Amesu, addressing the media, stated that “Government has not ensured full compliance with Ghana’s international and regional human right obligations and commitment as explicitly set-out in the treaties has rectified”.
With reference to Abuja and CMB forcible eviction, the director said that the action possibly deprives residence of their homes, including women and children, and in most cases with their means of earning their living.
He added that the eviction was done without enough notification or compensation or an alternative means such as relocation with accommodation.
“Forced evictions are un-tolerable under the UN treaty and as such, government must go through the rightful means of property eviction for national development”, he added.
He beckoned on the government to conform to the covenant and seek to redress its mode of eviction of homes for possible development as it is a violation of affected victim’s internationally enshrined humanitarian right.
He however added that Ghana has not yet committed itself fully to the abolition of the death sentencing penalty as agreed internationally.
Mr. Amesu therefore, questioned the reasons behind the detention of death sentenced inmates of the Ghanaian prisons since 1973, and further called on the government to incorporate the total abolition of the death penalty in the on-going constitutional review for full compliance of the treaty.
He also called on the government to ensure fast, free and fair prosecution of detained prisoners whose warrant card and document of arrest and prosecution has expired, cannot presently be traced or have no genuine evidence against, yet serving unspecified remand jail terms.
The Growth and Activism Coordinator, Frank Kwaku Doyi also added that “As with other rights, if the right to adequate housing is not being respected, protected or fulfilled by governments , then it is considered to be a human rights violation”.
He further noted out that informal settlers or squatters may not be forcibly evicted even if they are illegally occupying a land.
He explained that under normal circumstances, notifications must be made 90 days with frequent notification and alternative provision of accommodation before destruction of an individual’s property.
Although he reckoned the inability of the government to provide houses for every individual, Mr. Doyi added that the governed voted the government into power to prong them into development and improvement in future livelihood, but not problems of forceful evictions.
He added that, forced evictions through demolishing, mainly victims unaware, more often leaves victims with loss of valuables upon perpetrators invading their premises with an aim of helping out during the exercise.
Amnesty International, Ghana Section, has hinted to the Ghanaian government of its non-conformity to and breach of the United Nations (UN) covenant on ‘the right to adequate housing due to the government’s frequent deployment of forced evictions in the Accra Metropolis.
Article 11 (1) of the covenant noted out by UN stipulates that special attention should be paid to, “undertaking major clearance operations and should take place only when conservation and rehabilitation are not feasible and relocation measures are made”.
Also in the global strategy for shelter from 1988 to the year 2000, the general assembly adopted in its resolution 43/181, that, the fundamental obligation (of Governments) is to protect and improve houses and neighborhoods, rather than damage or destroy them.
The director of Amnesty International, Ghana Section, Mr. Lawrence Amesu, addressing the media, stated that “Government has not ensured full compliance with Ghana’s international and regional human right obligations and commitment as explicitly set-out in the treaties has rectified”.
With reference to Abuja and CMB forcible eviction, the director said that the action possibly deprives residence of their homes, including women and children, and in most cases with their means of earning their living.
He added that the eviction was done without enough notification or compensation or an alternative means such as relocation with accommodation.
“Forced evictions are un-tolerable under the UN treaty and as such, government must go through the rightful means of property eviction for national development”, he added.
He beckoned on the government to conform to the covenant and seek to redress its mode of eviction of homes for possible development as it is a violation of affected victim’s internationally enshrined humanitarian right.
He however added that Ghana has not yet committed itself fully to the abolition of the death sentencing penalty as agreed internationally.
Mr. Amesu therefore, questioned the reasons behind the detention of death sentenced inmates of the Ghanaian prisons since 1973, and further called on the government to incorporate the total abolition of the death penalty in the on-going constitutional review for full compliance of the treaty.
He also called on the government to ensure fast, free and fair prosecution of detained prisoners whose warrant card and document of arrest and prosecution has expired, cannot presently be traced or have no genuine evidence against, yet serving unspecified remand jail terms.
The Growth and Activism Coordinator, Frank Kwaku Doyi also added that “As with other rights, if the right to adequate housing is not being respected, protected or fulfilled by governments , then it is considered to be a human rights violation”.
He further noted out that informal settlers or squatters may not be forcibly evicted even if they are illegally occupying a land.
He explained that under normal circumstances, notifications must be made 90 days with frequent notification and alternative provision of accommodation before destruction of an individual’s property.
Although he reckoned the inability of the government to provide houses for every individual, Mr. Doyi added that the governed voted the government into power to prong them into development and improvement in future livelihood, but not problems of forceful evictions.
He added that, forced evictions through demolishing, mainly victims unaware, more often leaves victims with loss of valuables upon perpetrators invading their premises with an aim of helping out during the exercise.
Agbogbloshie Exotic vegetable Group Donates to Osu Childrens Home
Story: Stephen Bonsu
THE Agbogbloshie Co-operative Exotic Vegetables Farmers and Marketing Society Limited, has donated non-perishable foods and exotic vegetables amounting to ¢800 to the Osu Children’s Home in Accra.
The association, which has the widest exotic vegetable market in West Africa comprised of farmers and root producers of their products, hence, deemed the kind gesture as their widow’s mite to the poor.
The donated food items included two bags of 25kg rice, a gallon of oil, baskets of cucumbers, carrots, cabbages, yellow melon, green beans, squash, pepper, cauliflowers and spring onions among others.
Briefing Daily Graphic after the donation, the chairman of the Agbogbloshie Co-operative Exotic Vegetable Farmers and Marketing Society Limited, Mr. George Opare Asante explained that the donation calls on the general public to see it as a responsibility to help the vulnerable especially the orphans in the society.
“This is what we sell and produce and helping others like donations at least, helps advertise and bring us out to the world aside other undeniable benefits”, he added.
The chairman was also of the view that the food items will help develop and supplement the children with a balanced diet for healthy growth.
He noted out that the producers of the exotic vegetables are given enough education in their cultivation of their farm produce for human consumption.
The Head Supervisor of the Osu Children’s Home, Mrs. Sharon Abbey, who received the donation, expressed sincere gratitude to the donors for their kind gesture.
Mrs. Abbey, however, recalled the excitement in receiving such balanced nutritional food supplements for the home as several donations had always comprised of non-perishable foods and items.
She added, “In order to prepare a balanced diet for the children, we need to box the mills with fresh vegetables and these vegetable donations will immensely support us“.
The Head Supervisor further called on all and sundry to come to the children’s homes aid as government’s aid to them is limited.
THE Agbogbloshie Co-operative Exotic Vegetables Farmers and Marketing Society Limited, has donated non-perishable foods and exotic vegetables amounting to ¢800 to the Osu Children’s Home in Accra.
The association, which has the widest exotic vegetable market in West Africa comprised of farmers and root producers of their products, hence, deemed the kind gesture as their widow’s mite to the poor.
The donated food items included two bags of 25kg rice, a gallon of oil, baskets of cucumbers, carrots, cabbages, yellow melon, green beans, squash, pepper, cauliflowers and spring onions among others.
Briefing Daily Graphic after the donation, the chairman of the Agbogbloshie Co-operative Exotic Vegetable Farmers and Marketing Society Limited, Mr. George Opare Asante explained that the donation calls on the general public to see it as a responsibility to help the vulnerable especially the orphans in the society.
“This is what we sell and produce and helping others like donations at least, helps advertise and bring us out to the world aside other undeniable benefits”, he added.
The chairman was also of the view that the food items will help develop and supplement the children with a balanced diet for healthy growth.
He noted out that the producers of the exotic vegetables are given enough education in their cultivation of their farm produce for human consumption.
The Head Supervisor of the Osu Children’s Home, Mrs. Sharon Abbey, who received the donation, expressed sincere gratitude to the donors for their kind gesture.
Mrs. Abbey, however, recalled the excitement in receiving such balanced nutritional food supplements for the home as several donations had always comprised of non-perishable foods and items.
She added, “In order to prepare a balanced diet for the children, we need to box the mills with fresh vegetables and these vegetable donations will immensely support us“.
The Head Supervisor further called on all and sundry to come to the children’s homes aid as government’s aid to them is limited.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
International Youth Festival(IYF)
25/07/10
Story: Stephen Nana Osei Bonsu.
One thousand-eight hundred youth from 30 countries across the globe has participated in the third edition of the International Youth Festival (IYF) in Accra.
IYF, the multi-cultural youth festival of music, celebrated annualy was staged on the theme, “Inspiring the youth for tomorrow” for the 2010 cultural festival camping.
The chairman and founderof IYF, Rev. Ock Soo Park in his welcome adress said, “Music is a moral law; it gives soul to the universe and wings to the mind”.
He added that it has a charm to soothe a savage beast and education of it is virtue.
He cited that human relation is like the durine fruit, getting closer to it makes you relate to it profitabilly.
He expressed gratitude for the turn-out and urged all participants to merry, learn and gain quality education in such opportune programmes.
The Guest of Honour, The Sorts Minister, Hon Rashid Pelpoe, addressing the gathering, stated that youth have the tendency to know what will happen in the world but greatly exposed to danger.
Citing himself as an example, he proclaimed that life actually begun from his place of birth likewise the youth present.
He added that, welcoming ones surrounding and condition plays a major factor in ones development.
He further stated, “Knowledge for nothing, grab it; festival for nothing, grab it”, adding that such enactments broadens narrowed knowledge among youths.
He outlined that IYF festival of unity was an opportunity for the youth to redefine and reach out to all people.
He however challenged the youth to be agents of change in the future world.
The deputy minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Nii Nortey Duah stated that the the Youth and Sports minstry upholds high youth and cultural values.
He added that it was of such calls does the ministry engage in pan-African festivals for diverse cultural knowledge.
The occassion also witnessed splendid gospel song performances by the Gracias Choir from South Korea.
The 60-member choir, comprising only one Ghanaian and a Mexican, trilled the gathering to both english christmas carols and Ghanaian gospel songs.
Among the Ghanaian songs included 'halleluia-yesu do me', which made the gathering yell in excitement.
The birth of Jesus Christ was as well enacted amidst songs and motion in at the theatre.
The occasion however created a platform for the promotion of cohesion among the youth of the world.
Apostles Revelation society Delegation(gn)
21/07/10
Story: Henrietta Brocke & Stephen Bonsu
A 24-member delegation from the Apostles Revelation Society (ARS) yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asan-Ahensah, to formally announce the death of their leader and spiritual Primate, James Kwaku Amegah.
The late Amegah 91, died on March 11, 2010 leaving behind 24 children and a wife.
Led by an elder of the church, Professor Wisdom Gagakuma, the delegation used the opportunity to introduce to the minister and the government the newly-appointed High Priest of the church.
According to the family, funeral rites had been performed for Amega, adding that the final memorial and thanksgiving service would be held on the December 25, 2010.
Prof. Gagakuma said the thanksgiving ceremony would coincide with the church’s 71st annual anniversary celebration.
Prof. Gagakuma stated that the head primate worked tirelessly to ensure total salvation for heathens, which transcended the borders of Ghana to neighbouring African countries, and had also presided over 500 branches all over the world.
The late Amegah was succeeded by the son of the founder of the church, Nunorlaga Nyeenyami Etsey Wovenu.
Prof. Gagakuma said Nunorlaga Wovenu was appointed through a prophecy by the church and ordained by the Governing Body of the Church on the May 23, 2010.
The delegation presented three schnapps to the ministry as tradition demands.
Receiving the delegation, Mr Asum-Ahensah paid glowing tribute to the memory of the late Primate.
He said “we are told the Primate was a man of God, who dedicated his life to the spread of the gospel to Africa and European countries”.
Mr Asum-Ahensah stated that the gesture showed that the Primate had the nation at heart.
He assured the delegation of the government’s representation at the memorial and thanksgiving service.
The ARS was founded by the late Prophet C.K.N. Wovenu on November 2, 1939.
John Mensah supports deprived children
16/07/10
Story: Stephen Bonsu
THE deputy skipper of Black Stars, John Mensah, has donated GH¢4,000 and assorted drinks to two schools and an orphanage in Accra.
The beneficiary schools are Alpha and Omega Academy at Chorkor, and Christ the King of Kings Academy at Jamestown.
Mr Mensah, who made the donation in collaboration with Kid's Kingdom, a non-governmental organisation, said the gifts were his widow's mite offertory for God's protection and life granted to him, adding that he wished to reach out to the young but needy children in communities in education.
 |
| MAD. QUARTEY RECEIVING THE DONATION FROM JOHN MENSAH. |
Mensah added that children are great assets for development in every nation, for which reason much needed to be put into children's education for a better future.
The Proprietress of Alpha and Omega Academy, Madam Gertrude Quartey, greatly appreciated the kind gesture and appealed to the public to follow the footsteps of Mensah and Kid's Kingdom's initiative.
Emmanuel Ashie, a physically challenged Principal of Christ the King of Kings Academy also expressed gratitude to the donors and called on other philanthropists to come to their aid as they lived on stony edges.
The Director of Kid's Kingdom, however, expressed continuous support for the schools.
He stated that their vision was to assist and encourage deprived children in Ghana to lead a healthy and reproductive life through good health care and quality education.
He called on all abled bodies to join in these initiatives to help children at beaches to gain quality education like any other Ghanaian child.
Trinity Methodist cuts sod(gn)
18/07/10
STORY:Stephen Bonsu
THE Methodist Bishop of Accra Diocese, Rt Rev. Abraham Tagoe has cut the sod for the commencement of work on a four-storey-building project for the Trinity Methodist Church in Accra.
The church steward, Commander James McCarthy-Boham, said the church started with ?? dedicative?? services and greater participation by members, residents and Evangelist Benjamin Obeng, who later established the Dzorwulu branch.
"The church, which started with membership of twelve Christians have today risen between a hundred and five to two hundred and fifty membership composition", said Cdr Boham.
He indicated that the ground floor would be used as a nursery school for moral upbringing of church and community young ones. This he said, was part of their social responsibility towards the community.
The first and second floor, he indicated would be used for services, conferences and offices.
The third floor will be the abode of the resident circuit superintendent minister, he said.
Cdr McCarthy-Boham established that the project was solely financed by church members during harvest, weekly offertory, tithes and individual donations.
He added that the church was targeting fifteen thousand cedis for the November annual harvest offertory.
He also hinted that the nursery school will aid in further development of the complex building.
Assisting the officiating minister included the Circuit Superintendent Minister Very Rev. Henry Ampaw Asiedu, Rt Rev. Ebenezer K. Dadson, Very Rev. Alfred Aryeetay, Very Rev. Prof. Asamoah Gyedu, Rev. Anthony Sackey, Very Rev. Eric Asante Danquah among other high profiled bishops.
WOMEN TO DOMINATE 2010 ASSEMBLY ELECTION
02/0/10
Story: Stephen Bonsu
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWaC), in the implementation of UN’s Beijing platform for Action (BFPA) on gender equality, has targeted the 2010 district assembly elections for success.
BFPA, a United Nations (UN) internationally agreed development plan, seeks to achieve equality for women across 12 critical areas including poverty, education and training, health, armed conflict, development, decision making and political participation.
The director of MoWaC’s women department, Mrs. Patience Opoku has outlined that a capacity building project labeled, ‘the district assembly 2010’, seeks to empower women in decision making policies.
The programme, she said, would soon be launched at the national headquarters in Accra.
She explained that the project will as well seek to build women participation and capacity in the forth coming 2010 district assembly elections.
Mrs Opoku also stated that, much as MoWaC seeks to address socio-cultural developments among women, it is also mandated to promote women in all spheres of decision making.
“The 2008 general election unfortunately disfavored the women ministry in our quest to develop women in all decision making bodies, especially the political world”, she said.
She added that it however dawned on the ministry to educate and gain women interest to participate in the forth-coming 2010 district assembly elections.
Mrs. Opoku explained that, MoWaC had begun collaborative works with all local government authorities to champion this project.
She added that the MoWaC’s district directors correlated with local government authorities to unearth potential women who have been coached with the necessary skills needed in political and decision making policies.
She also stated that the women ministry, together with the district assemblies, will facilitate continuous training programmes for women candidates’ through-out the country.
The women’s department director further explained that such capacity building programmes would help distinguish socio-cultural factors that undermine women development, especially in political participation.
Recounting on some challenges faced by women, Mrs. Opoku said that most women lacks the confidence associated with men.
She added that most potential women are constraint in finance; hence the ministry will seek to support them financially, psychologically and materially to boost their participation.
She stated that the capacity building exercise will focus on skills, dialogue and leadership lobbying, and confident debating development, required in political participation.
She added that, the support will psych women candidates to mount platforms to compete for gender equality propounded by UN’s Beijing Platform for Action
She outlined that MASLOC, financial assistance to women, which has been halted for sometime, will soon bounce back to improve women’s development.
She explained that the ministry also has the women networking meetings held monthly at its headquarters in Accra to deliberate over holding issues of needed concern.
The network includes smaller NGO’s, women advocate groups, women organizations in governmental institutions, women opinion leaders among others which holds over 50 groups in the capital city.
Mrs. Opoku, however, tasked women to change their attitude towards money-making in catering for families only, and get involved in decision making as well for women development.
Story: Stephen Bonsu
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWaC), in the implementation of UN’s Beijing platform for Action (BFPA) on gender equality, has targeted the 2010 district assembly elections for success.
BFPA, a United Nations (UN) internationally agreed development plan, seeks to achieve equality for women across 12 critical areas including poverty, education and training, health, armed conflict, development, decision making and political participation.
The director of MoWaC’s women department, Mrs. Patience Opoku has outlined that a capacity building project labeled, ‘the district assembly 2010’, seeks to empower women in decision making policies.
The programme, she said, would soon be launched at the national headquarters in Accra.
She explained that the project will as well seek to build women participation and capacity in the forth coming 2010 district assembly elections.
Mrs Opoku also stated that, much as MoWaC seeks to address socio-cultural developments among women, it is also mandated to promote women in all spheres of decision making.
“The 2008 general election unfortunately disfavored the women ministry in our quest to develop women in all decision making bodies, especially the political world”, she said.
She added that it however dawned on the ministry to educate and gain women interest to participate in the forth-coming 2010 district assembly elections.
Mrs. Opoku explained that, MoWaC had begun collaborative works with all local government authorities to champion this project.
She added that the MoWaC’s district directors correlated with local government authorities to unearth potential women who have been coached with the necessary skills needed in political and decision making policies.
She also stated that the women ministry, together with the district assemblies, will facilitate continuous training programmes for women candidates’ through-out the country.
The women’s department director further explained that such capacity building programmes would help distinguish socio-cultural factors that undermine women development, especially in political participation.
Recounting on some challenges faced by women, Mrs. Opoku said that most women lacks the confidence associated with men.
She added that most potential women are constraint in finance; hence the ministry will seek to support them financially, psychologically and materially to boost their participation.
She stated that the capacity building exercise will focus on skills, dialogue and leadership lobbying, and confident debating development, required in political participation.
She added that, the support will psych women candidates to mount platforms to compete for gender equality propounded by UN’s Beijing Platform for Action
She outlined that MASLOC, financial assistance to women, which has been halted for sometime, will soon bounce back to improve women’s development.
She explained that the ministry also has the women networking meetings held monthly at its headquarters in Accra to deliberate over holding issues of needed concern.
The network includes smaller NGO’s, women advocate groups, women organizations in governmental institutions, women opinion leaders among others which holds over 50 groups in the capital city.
Mrs. Opoku, however, tasked women to change their attitude towards money-making in catering for families only, and get involved in decision making as well for women development.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
US MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS GHANA AIR FORCE
A US military delegation led by the Transportation Command Combatant Commander, General Duncan McNabb has paid a courtesy call on the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Chief of Air Staff at the military base in Accra.
Among the delegation was the 17th Air Force US Air Force Africa, Major General Margaret H. Woodward.
The visit was to open discussions on existing ties in safe transportation of goods by US to Africa and the Diaspora.
Gen. McNabb expressed joy in the good security co-operation between Ghana and US in their aid projects.
He called for continuous training and collaboration between the two and appealed to the government to listen to the pleas and needs of the Ghana Air Force for its progress and success.
He congratulated his host, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Michael Sampson-Oje for the Black Star’s victory over the American team at the just ended South Africa 2010.
Gen. McNabb proclaimed he was honoured to be in Ghana and was very optimistic of returning even if not on official duty.
The Chief of Air Staff expressed sincere gratitude to the delegation and prayed for continuous discussions and meetings to dissect challenges faced by the Force.
He welcomed the delegation with presentation of gifts, including traditional smock (batakari), wood-carvings (Akuaba)), Kente cloth and bag.
GMA @ 50 beating the retreat
Story: Stephen Nana Osei Bonsu
THE Ghana Millitary Academy (GMA) Golden Jubilee celebrations have been climaxed with the ‘Beating the Retreat' drill, which signifies a call for retirement of troops from positions held from unsuccesful contests or danger.
The master of ceremony (MC), Brigadier General J.S. Nkrumah recounting the history of 'Beating the Retreat' said it was an old millitary tradition with its origin not well known.
He said in the olden days, the hours of darkness meant cessation from hostilities between warring factions.
Brig. Gen. Nkrumah, however, stated that the call was originally beaten on drum signals alone and later saw the introduction of 'Fifes', followed by 'Buggles'.
The tradition, he said, was variously referred to as watch setting or synchronising the hour of last night (Sunset), which is indicated in the Rules and Ordinance for War(1554), Robert Barrets Theory and Practice of Modern Wars(1598).
He added that 'Beating the Retreat' was strictly at sunset because it was the hour when conventionally, hostilities were to cease untill daybreak, adding that the present day ends with a gun salute.
The Brigadier General led a minute silence in memory of Lt Col Sammy Ashiagbor, a member of the ten-member GMA golden Jubilee Celebrations Planning Board.
The guest of honour, Commodore Steve Obimpeh(rtd) told the gathering that the event which signified the long-cherished traditions of the millitary was not lost yet.
"If ever there was any one organization that thrived on traditions, then it is the millitary", he said.
He stated that Ghana had been a country of rich cultural heritage and acknowledges roles ancestors played in making us who we are today.
Cdre Obimpeh added that, that cultural heritage embraced millitary traditions, ensured cohesion and esprit-de corps among service personels.
He, however, expressed joy in re-union by the ceremony and appealed for re-introduction of 'Mess Dinner' and 'Ladies Night' among other millitary re-union programmes.
He beckoned serving millitants to uphold high the noble millitary culture by ferreting-out and reviving all seemingly insignificant traditions playing vital role in inculcating in the officer or man the desired millitary values.
Cdre Obimpeh further appealed to the Chief of Defence Staff to resource the Director of GMA Music to enable the band record some of its melodious music played on parade.
The ceremony witnessed colourfully-uniformed parade processions, instrumental musicals and splendid craft displays by various millitary bands, keeping the gathering thrilled and overwhelmed.
The bands included The Armed Forces Central Band(Accra), The Army Band(Kumasi), The Navy Band(Tema) and The Air Force band(Takoradi).
The bands thrilled the gathering to tunes of 'saa-saa kroma'(Twerepong), 'Aklido Gokame'(Dzawoyo), 'Tu-u-tu Gborvi', 'Woni Yafi Woni' by Sisingo and Halleluiah(Orchestrated piece) among other melodious tunes.
The ceremony was graced by people, including the Minister for Defence, Lt. Gen. J . H. Smith, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Peter Blay, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal M. Sampson-Oje, the Honorary Consul of Ghana in Lebanon, Mr Micheal Haddad, the IGP, Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, ministers of State, diplomats, retired Generals and Senior Officers.
THE Ghana Millitary Academy (GMA) Golden Jubilee celebrations have been climaxed with the ‘Beating the Retreat' drill, which signifies a call for retirement of troops from positions held from unsuccesful contests or danger.
The master of ceremony (MC), Brigadier General J.S. Nkrumah recounting the history of 'Beating the Retreat' said it was an old millitary tradition with its origin not well known.
He said in the olden days, the hours of darkness meant cessation from hostilities between warring factions.
Brig. Gen. Nkrumah, however, stated that the call was originally beaten on drum signals alone and later saw the introduction of 'Fifes', followed by 'Buggles'.
The tradition, he said, was variously referred to as watch setting or synchronising the hour of last night (Sunset), which is indicated in the Rules and Ordinance for War(1554), Robert Barrets Theory and Practice of Modern Wars(1598).
He added that 'Beating the Retreat' was strictly at sunset because it was the hour when conventionally, hostilities were to cease untill daybreak, adding that the present day ends with a gun salute.
The Brigadier General led a minute silence in memory of Lt Col Sammy Ashiagbor, a member of the ten-member GMA golden Jubilee Celebrations Planning Board.
The guest of honour, Commodore Steve Obimpeh(rtd) told the gathering that the event which signified the long-cherished traditions of the millitary was not lost yet.
"If ever there was any one organization that thrived on traditions, then it is the millitary", he said.
He stated that Ghana had been a country of rich cultural heritage and acknowledges roles ancestors played in making us who we are today.
Cdre Obimpeh added that, that cultural heritage embraced millitary traditions, ensured cohesion and esprit-de corps among service personels.
He, however, expressed joy in re-union by the ceremony and appealed for re-introduction of 'Mess Dinner' and 'Ladies Night' among other millitary re-union programmes.
He beckoned serving millitants to uphold high the noble millitary culture by ferreting-out and reviving all seemingly insignificant traditions playing vital role in inculcating in the officer or man the desired millitary values.
Cdre Obimpeh further appealed to the Chief of Defence Staff to resource the Director of GMA Music to enable the band record some of its melodious music played on parade.
The ceremony witnessed colourfully-uniformed parade processions, instrumental musicals and splendid craft displays by various millitary bands, keeping the gathering thrilled and overwhelmed.
The bands included The Armed Forces Central Band(Accra), The Army Band(Kumasi), The Navy Band(Tema) and The Air Force band(Takoradi).
The bands thrilled the gathering to tunes of 'saa-saa kroma'(Twerepong), 'Aklido Gokame'(Dzawoyo), 'Tu-u-tu Gborvi', 'Woni Yafi Woni' by Sisingo and Halleluiah(Orchestrated piece) among other melodious tunes.
The ceremony was graced by people, including the Minister for Defence, Lt. Gen. J . H. Smith, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Peter Blay, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal M. Sampson-Oje, the Honorary Consul of Ghana in Lebanon, Mr Micheal Haddad, the IGP, Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, ministers of State, diplomats, retired Generals and Senior Officers.
AFLATOUN
STORY:Stephen Nana Osei Bonsu
A three-day international workshop to deliberate on a the “Aflatoun” educational programme aimed at providing children with building blocks of life to make positive changes in their lives and communities is underway in Accra.
The workshop which brought together delegates from Netherlands, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia among others seeks to deliberate on the implementation of the programme in Ghana and other countries school curriculum.
The Aflatoun programme is a movement reaching 700,000 children internationally and seeks to provide children aged six to fourteen years (14) with social and financial education to encourage them to save their resources and start their own innovative enterprises.
The programme which is under the auspices of the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and Women and Development
Project (WADEP) also addresses social and financial educational problems relating to children.
The ceremony also witnessed the launch of Ghanaian versions of Aflatoun books, in correlation with the Ghanaian educational curriculum.
Launching the books, the Director of Teacher Education of Ghana Educational Service (GES), Mr Victor Mantey said, GES was committed to ensuring that programmes that would promote children’s learning and their holistic development was given the necessary recognition and support.
He believed that the programme would give the children a better understanding of social and financial education.
Aflatoun Regional Representative in Ghana, Patricia Formadi said the programme was constituted with a comprehensive curriculum which balances social education with financial education.
“In order to embed the learning and its future impact, children are encouraged to practice what they have learnt through participating in child-led social and financial activities like setting up savings systems”.
She said the programme was currently been implemented in Volta, Central and Central Regions in Ghana.
The SNV representative, Mrs Fati Seidu explained that SNV aims to partner GES and other organisations to mobilise resources so as to expand Aflatoun to all 18 districts the Ghana Education Thematic area covers.
She further stated that the ability to reach to all children and help them with good understanding of who they are in uniqueness, will help build in them strong characters for strong nation building.
A three-day international workshop to deliberate on a the “Aflatoun” educational programme aimed at providing children with building blocks of life to make positive changes in their lives and communities is underway in Accra.
The workshop which brought together delegates from Netherlands, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia among others seeks to deliberate on the implementation of the programme in Ghana and other countries school curriculum.
The Aflatoun programme is a movement reaching 700,000 children internationally and seeks to provide children aged six to fourteen years (14) with social and financial education to encourage them to save their resources and start their own innovative enterprises.The programme which is under the auspices of the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and Women and Development
Project (WADEP) also addresses social and financial educational problems relating to children.
The ceremony also witnessed the launch of Ghanaian versions of Aflatoun books, in correlation with the Ghanaian educational curriculum.
Launching the books, the Director of Teacher Education of Ghana Educational Service (GES), Mr Victor Mantey said, GES was committed to ensuring that programmes that would promote children’s learning and their holistic development was given the necessary recognition and support.He believed that the programme would give the children a better understanding of social and financial education.
Aflatoun Regional Representative in Ghana, Patricia Formadi said the programme was constituted with a comprehensive curriculum which balances social education with financial education.
“In order to embed the learning and its future impact, children are encouraged to practice what they have learnt through participating in child-led social and financial activities like setting up savings systems”.
She said the programme was currently been implemented in Volta, Central and Central Regions in Ghana.
The SNV representative, Mrs Fati Seidu explained that SNV aims to partner GES and other organisations to mobilise resources so as to expand Aflatoun to all 18 districts the Ghana Education Thematic area covers.
She further stated that the ability to reach to all children and help them with good understanding of who they are in uniqueness, will help build in them strong characters for strong nation building.
RIDGE CHURCH SCHOOL SPEECH AND PRIZE-GIVING DAY
Story: Stephen Nana Osei Bonsu
THE Accra Ridge Church School has held its 53rd Speech and Price-giving Day with a call on students, parents and teachers to cultivate the habit of saving in order to help secure their future.
The Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Databank Financial Services Limited, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, who gave the advice, also urged Ghanaians to spend less of their incomes, quit the habit of borrowing and avoid extravagant lifestyles.
He urged the students, teachers and parents of the school to appreciate the value of teamwork, stressing that with that they could achieve their goals.
Citing the example of the success of the Black Stars at the just-ended FIFA World Cup, he said although the team was composed of different players from various backgrounds, they played with passion, teamwork and humility.
He urged the students to value the quality of education they had been provided, adding that with their education they could attain great heights.
The Chairperson for the occasion, Mrs Nancy Thompson, a member of the Ridge Church Council, said the Accra Ridge Church School was accustomed to church values and principles for students’ development.
The Headmistress, Mrs Afua Dake, in a review of the school’s academic performance, congratulated the nine-member school management committee.
She stated that two new teachers, three temporary teachers and 17 teaching assistants, mainly old pupils, had been employed during the academic year.
She said the poor performance of students of the school in local languages at the BECE led to the introduction of Akuapem Twi and Ga in Primary One, adding that during the year the school also placed some focus on the teaching and learning of French.
Mrs Dake indicated that the school's greatest challenge for the year had been difficulty related to the computer placement of its candidates into senior high schools of choice.
THE Accra Ridge Church School has held its 53rd Speech and Price-giving Day with a call on students, parents and teachers to cultivate the habit of saving in order to help secure their future.
The Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Databank Financial Services Limited, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, who gave the advice, also urged Ghanaians to spend less of their incomes, quit the habit of borrowing and avoid extravagant lifestyles.
He urged the students, teachers and parents of the school to appreciate the value of teamwork, stressing that with that they could achieve their goals.
Citing the example of the success of the Black Stars at the just-ended FIFA World Cup, he said although the team was composed of different players from various backgrounds, they played with passion, teamwork and humility.
He urged the students to value the quality of education they had been provided, adding that with their education they could attain great heights.
The Chairperson for the occasion, Mrs Nancy Thompson, a member of the Ridge Church Council, said the Accra Ridge Church School was accustomed to church values and principles for students’ development.
The Headmistress, Mrs Afua Dake, in a review of the school’s academic performance, congratulated the nine-member school management committee.
She stated that two new teachers, three temporary teachers and 17 teaching assistants, mainly old pupils, had been employed during the academic year.
She said the poor performance of students of the school in local languages at the BECE led to the introduction of Akuapem Twi and Ga in Primary One, adding that during the year the school also placed some focus on the teaching and learning of French.
Mrs Dake indicated that the school's greatest challenge for the year had been difficulty related to the computer placement of its candidates into senior high schools of choice.
WAIFEM 9th course inaugration(gn)
Story: Stephen Nana Osei Bonsu
FORTY-FIVE public servants from five West African countries are attending a seven-week regional course in specialised report writing skills and presentation techniques in Accra.
The participating countries are Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
The course is to empower participants with writing skills needed to operate more effectively in their respective institutions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director-General of West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Professor Akpan H. Ekpo, said the course was aimed at using correct grammatical structures in the English Language in a clear and concise manner, relating to specific purpose, audience and readership.
WAIFEM's regional course further looks at the organisation of information in logical and professional forms for both oral and written presentations.
The topics to be covered include grammar in writing, writing styles, principles and types of reports, minutes writing, legal issues in communication and technical report writing.
Prof. Ekpo said since the institute was established 12,000 officials had benefited from its training programmes.
The clientele base, he said, had expanded from traditional users, the legislature, the media and other relevant public and private institutions.
FORTY-FIVE public servants from five West African countries are attending a seven-week regional course in specialised report writing skills and presentation techniques in Accra.
The participating countries are Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
The course is to empower participants with writing skills needed to operate more effectively in their respective institutions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director-General of West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Professor Akpan H. Ekpo, said the course was aimed at using correct grammatical structures in the English Language in a clear and concise manner, relating to specific purpose, audience and readership.
WAIFEM's regional course further looks at the organisation of information in logical and professional forms for both oral and written presentations.
The topics to be covered include grammar in writing, writing styles, principles and types of reports, minutes writing, legal issues in communication and technical report writing.
Prof. Ekpo said since the institute was established 12,000 officials had benefited from its training programmes.
The clientele base, he said, had expanded from traditional users, the legislature, the media and other relevant public and private institutions.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Echo redefined: New album, new management, better music
Echo (Elijah & Charles). Photo: priesthoodentertainmentgroupgh.com
The Ghanaian musical group Echo is set to make Ghana proud and raise the flag of Ghana high in the international scene. The duo who recently released a single from their upcoming album is set to sign on to a UK based record label this Friday the 21st of May. The new album is titled Terminology and has tracks such as Echo Music, Natural beauty and the hit track “Shokoli”. Listen to Shokoli by Echo featuring Iwan
The musical duo will on this Friday be signed on to Leo Boy Entertainment, a UK based record label which has been in existence for a while now. Speaking to an enchanted Echo they expressed their excitement and enthusiasm about their signing and the prospects of their album.
“We are very glad that something like this has come our way. We believe that our hard work has paid off and we are glad with the response we had with the album so far. Information reaching us suggests that the deal will include production, distribution and costume.
In a related development the group is set to release their album late this year.
“We are preparing for the album launch and Ghana should prepare for a shocker. This album is one of the best to hit the market and we believe in what we have produced.
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