NO NEED FOR EARLY CONGRESS, SAMIA TELLS NDUOM

The only member of parliament and chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) Madam Samia Yaba Nkrumah at a news conference yesterday categorically reiterated her position that the leadership of the party cannot be forced to go for an early congress since it is not a solution to the party’s poor performance in previous elections.

Addressing party supporters and the media at the press conference at the party’s headquarters in Accra, the Member of Parliament for Jomoro, constituency stated ardently that the party is in no hurry to elect a flag bearer as there are other pressing issues that needs to be attended to. To her, the priority of the party for now is to strengthen support at the grass-root level, reconstitute party structures and committees as well as market the party through publicity before holding primaries early next year.

The press conference which was attended by party executives and bigwigs was triggered by calls for early national congress by members who are believed to be incited by Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, former presidential candidate of the party. Reports circulating around indicate that the former flag bearer, who had just 1.34% in the 2008 presidential polls, is secretly campaigning for early primaries. He is accused of inciting his followers to put pressure on party executives to elect a flag bearer earlier than scheduled. A call the daughter of the founder of the party says is ‘nonsense’.

Mr Geoge Agudey, also a former presidential candidate of the party in 2004, supported the stance taken by the chairperson by stating that there is no need for a congress earlier than planned. To him the party is guided by laid down rules and regulations hence, saw no reason why someone will try to force the party to deviate from the laid down rules. According to Mr Agudey, what is needed is a strong party not an early congress. He therefore cautioned elements within the party who are agitating for early congress to refrain from that behaviour or risk been expelled from the party.
The CPP held its delegates congress to elect executives in September this year and is expected to hold another congress early next year to elect presidential and parliamentary candidates for the 2012 general elections.

Teachers demonstrate against G.E.S. Director

Activities in basic schools in the Offinso North District on Friday, 20th of May, 2011, came to a halt as Headmasters and teachers opted for the streets instead of the classrooms to stage a demonstration against the District Director of Education, Mrs Docia Abban whom they accuse of been arrogant, disrespectful and having poor human relations.

Sanctioned by the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools, the angry teachers are calling for removal of the Director. The teachers also claim the Director who has barely lasted for a year in the district refuses to endorse any form for loans and promotions sent to her office for no apparent reasons and also wastes state resources because she commutes from another region to her office daily though she was offered an accommodation at where the office is located. ‘Instead of Akomadan, in the Ashanti Region, the woman lives in Techiman which is in the Brong Ahafo Region’ One demonstrator said.

It is again alleged that she fails to distribute teaching and learning materials meant for schools in the district. They are therefore appealing to the Ashanti Regional Director of Education for her removal before they advise themselves.

The demonstration took place in the district capital Akomadan and as at 8 a.m., most schools were either under locks or with few pupils loitering around ideally whiles their teachers were spotted on the streets with red bands and placards marching amidst the singing of war songs.

After close to 7 hours of marching, the angry teachers later converged at the District Assembly’s office to petition The District Chief Executive, Mr, Appiah-Kubi. However the D.C.E. was not available so The District Coordinator hosted them on his behalf. In their resolution, the teachers threaten to embark on an indefinite sit down strike in the subsequent days if the Director continues to stay in office.

The entire demonstration was peaceful without any recorded incidence since the Ghana Police Service delegated officers to ensure maintenance of peace and other.

Attah-Effah Badu/Ghananewslink.com

Offinso North District Assembly to get new Administration block

The Ashanti regional Minister, Agyemang Mensah has cut a sod at a ceremony in Akomadan to mark the commencement of the building of an ultra-modern Administration Block for the Offinso North District Assembly.

The over GHC 990.000 project which is scheduled to be completed in 12 months will be financed by the government of Ghana and the District Assembly. When completed, the new Administration Block will house various departments of the assembly and it is expected to ensure effective administrative work of the Assembly.

Addressing the chiefs and the people at a durbar for the sod cutting ceremony which was graced by the Offinsomanhene, Nana Wiafe Akenteng and the District Chief Executive of the area S.K. Appiah Kubi, the Regional Minister hailed the continuous collaboration between the Assembly and the chiefs especially the Offinsomanhene, who has donated 50 acres of land to the Assembly for its o developmental projects.

He also charged the traditional rulers and people of the area to rally behind the Assembly and also sustain the peace enjoyed in the district since it is the “prerequisite for development”.

The D.C.E., Hon.S.K. Appiah Kubi, in his speech also thanked the Omanhene for his kind gestures towards the development of the district. He again lamented that the project is a clear indication of the Attah Mills led government’s commitment and bid to improve the lives of Ghanaians through the “Better Ghana Agenda” Honourable Appiah Kubi in addition made mention of some projects his outfit is undertaking. Such projects, he said includes building of new schools, the upgrading of old ones as well as the provision of new health facilities in some selected towns in the district. Concluding his address, the D.C.E. made a passionate appeal to the Regional Minister to help upgrade road networks linking farming communities in the area.

The Offinso North district was among the newly created districts in the erstwhile Kufour administration in 2007 with Akomadan as its capital.

Attah-Effah Badu/Ghananewslink.com

Occultism hits Basic School children in Akomadan

The issue of occultism in the Akomadan-Afrancho townships in the Offinso North District in the Ashanti Region should not raise eye brows since it hosts the famous and dreaded fetish priest, Nana Kwaku Bonsam. However, what is worrying is the engagement of school children between the ages of 7 to 12 in the act as well.

This revelation was made known after authorities of the Akomadan RC Junior High School questioned four children who were spotted in the bush practicing the act.

The four were hauled in front of the school’s disciplinary committee after they were seen in the bush by a parent who saw them reciting some incantations invoking apparently what is believed to be dwarfs and spirits.

According to the parent, she overhead their voices from the bush and out of curiosity drew closer only to find the children chanting. She reported them to authorities of the school and upon interrogation, they all confessed their involvement in the act. Shockingly, one of them, a Twelve year old JHS 1 pupil whose name is withheld due to ethical reasons was singled out as the leader of the group.

To the surprise of the teachers present, this innocent looking boy confirmed the claim of his other colleagues and also admitted initiating them into occultism.

According to the boy, he was also introduced to the act by a friend when they were in primary school.

He claimed the membership of the group he leads cuts across different schools in the town and made mention of some group members which shockingly included a 7 year old boy. He also asserted that he possessed 8 dwarfs and named some of them. When asked what they stand to gain from the practice, he said ‘depending on the spirit you call, among other things they give us biscuits, toffees, money and strength for fighting’. “They sometimes even give us examination questions” he added.

Interestingly, a check on the academic records of the children was nothing to write home about as they all performed poorly in their respective classes.

Subsequent investigations and interviews in the township confirmed that indeed occultism among school children was very common and for that matter there is the existence of different occultism groups in the schools.

Teachers from different schools also narrated their encounters with some of these children and expressed their worries. “This requires divine intervention, sometimes you go to the classrooms to find broken eggs and powder smeared everywhere” one teacher who pleaded anonymity lamented.

Some parents also articulated their worries at the issue. “Instead of them to learn, they go about talking to dwarfs” a worried parent said.

Junior High schools in the Akomadan and Afrancho townships are among the poor performing schools when it comes to the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

Previous and recent records from the District Education Office shows that most schools record less than 10% passes every year to the extent that some even record 0% passes annually. With this new development, the situation may get even worse if it is not quickly addressed.

Attah- Effah Badu/Ghananewslink.com

RESIGN FROM NDC, GENERAL SECRETARY TELLS JUNE 4TH ABSENTEES

The Ashanti Regional General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mr Joseph Yammin has called on party bigwigs and members who undermine the ideologies of the June 4th Revolution in 1979 to bow down their heads in shame and resign from the party with immediate effect.
Mr. Yammin made this call at a massive rally at the Kumasi Golden Jubilee Park to climax the 32nd commemoration of the Jerry John Rawlings led June 4th uprising which toppled General Akuffo’s Supreme Military Council II in 1979. The well attended rally in the Ashanti Regional was graced by the founder of the party and former president of the country Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings who is also gunning to become the presidential candidate of the party come July 8th. Though the gathering drew hundreds of party faithfuls from different parts of the country to the park, conspicuous and notable absentees at the rally included the constitutional leader of the party and president of the country, His Excellency J.E.A. Mills, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Agyemang Prempeh and other party gurus prompting Mr Yammin who served as the moderator of the event to make this call. ‘NDC can’t be NDC without June 4th’ hence all true party members who fail to recognise the importance of the ideologies of the revolution and the day must bow down their heads in shame and resign from the party’ he said. ‘I therefore expect to see many people resigning from the party!’ he stressed.
In the same vein, Mr. Henry Oware, another speaker at the rally, a staunch member of Movement for Konadu 2012 also condemned the absence of President Mills and other executive members at the rally. Mr, Oware recalled that ‘in 2004, the then candidate Mills missed a similar occasion yet he delegated Rojo Mettle Nunoo, the current Deputy Minister of Health to represent him’ hence saw no reason why the Presidency neither present nor was represented at this year’s function. He again noted that the revolution is part and parcel of the NDC since the history of the party can’t be written without the uprising.
Article 51 of the NDC Constitution recognizes of the June 4th uprising which is also dubbed as ‘accountability day’ and as such commemorated annually. This year’s commemoration was under the theme Unity in Diversity, Our Strength’. The last time the remembrance was held in Kumasi was in 2008.