Seth J. Bokpe's Ghana Newsreel

GOLDFIELDS Ghana Limited today presented a cheque for US $5 million to the Government as its dividend for the 2009 financial year. The amount represents the Government’s 10 per cent share in the company. Mr Peter Turner, Executive, Vice President of Goldfields Ghana who presented the cheque for the amount to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Mr Collins Dauda, said the company was committed to  its responsibilities. He said the company believed in long-term investments that could make positive impacts on the local communities. “We will work to sustain the communities in which we operate.” He added. Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the ceremony, Mr Turner  said even though the increase in utility tariffs were affecting the cost of operations of the mine, the company together with players in the industry would  come to a consensus with the government on the tariffs in addition  to cost-cutting measures to ensure that the company remained in busine...

The Director of Studies of the Global Evangelical Church, Rev Prof Elorm Dovlo, has called on Christian leaders to unite and weed out dubious characters parading themselves as men of God and leading people astray. He said even though the Bible warned of grave punishment for such persons who had no calling, Christian leaders had a role to play in ensuring that the Christian fraternity was spared such characters. Rev Prof Dovlo spoke to the Daily Graphic after the 2010 commissioning and ordination of pastors of the Global Evangelical Church in Accra. In all, 12 pastors were ordained, while 5 were commissioned for the work of the vineyard. According to the church’s doctrine, a pastor qualifies for ordination after graduating from the Global Theological Seminary (GTS) and serving and pasturing a congregation for two years, while candidates for commissioning are fresh graduates of the GTS. Rev Prof Dovlo also urged Christian leaders to lead the crusade against corruption and indis...

THE management of Coca-Cola in Ghana is collaborating with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to raise US$1.5 million to help improve water supply and sanitation in the country for the next three years. The company is also making similar investments to the tune of US$30 million to improve access to potable water and sanitation for more than 300 million Africans. The Franchise Manager, Coca-Cola Equatorial Africa,  Mr Philippe Ayivor,  made this known at a media soiree organised in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra last Friday. The soiree was the company’s way of building partnerships with the media because of their contribution to the development of democratic institutions in the country. He commended the media for creating a “politically astute citizenry in the country”. Mr Ayivor said the company would sponsor the “Health Reporter of the Year” award in this year’s edition of the GJA Awards to encourage health repor...

THE National President of the Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Mr Edward Kwao Amanor, has called on the government to engage the association in the development of  policies and programmes that affect the construction sector to ensure that the implementation of such polices do not run into difficulties. He said "we are stakeholders in the sector and, therefore, it is necessary that we are engaged to voice  out anything that affect us. When we are informed, it makes things easy when confronted with difficulties." Mr Amanor was speaking at a seminar organised by the  Adabraka office of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service as part of its monthly engagement of its stakeholders on the need for all businesses to comply with the VAT Law and also encouraged qualified businesses to register and ultimately reduce the number of defaulters. The programme is also aimed at clarifying, to the participants, aspects of the VAT Act amendment in 2002 that concern...

SOME residents of Accra New Town have called on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to, as a matter of urgency, revive efforts to construct a big drain that would  run through the community.       The residents contended that failure to construct the drain would amount to inviting malaria and cholera epidemics in addition to the destruction of properties should there be  heavy flooding. The drain in question has been taken over by garbage, comprising plastic bags, empty water sachets, leftover food and human waste. The stench from the drain fills the air, making breathing difficult. Domestic animals were also seen feasting in the drain.        A fish-smoking oven and a 'pito' joint sited close to the edge of the drain seem to be struggling for position with the mountain of rubbish dumped around.       An opinion leader, Mr Gibriela Agadi, told the Daily Graphic that even though clearin...

A Family life educator and counsellor, Mrs Flora Sackey, has called on parents to foster friendship between them and their children to ensure that the children do not fall victim to bad influence outside the home. She said when children had the friendship of their parents, they did not get distracted by outside influence that could jeopardise their future. Mrs  Sackey made the call at the second graduation ceremony of the Pre-school Department of the GETSA Model School at Lashibi, near Tema. The school started two years ago with a pupil population of 35 but now boasts 200 pupils, 32 teaching staff and six non-teaching staff. Mrs Sackey observed that the formative years of children needed a lot of attention because it was at that period  that  they formed  most of their character traits. She, therefore, advised parents to  invest their time and prayer in the lives of their children, saying, “You can give the children material things but those will not last, ...

AN argument over who was responsible for the disposal of human excreta under a kiosk, used as a place of abode, turned tragic when a 25-year old driver allegedly stabbed his colleague to death at Pig Farm, a suburb in Accra.       The suspect, Nelson Kpeli, and his colleague drivers lived in one kiosk while the deceased, Richard Hukporti, 26 and his family lived in adjacent kiosks.       Giving an account of the tragedy, a source who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity said the  suspect returned from work and found a panty containing human excreta under his kiosk,  which emitted a foul odour inside the kiosk.      Suspecting it to have come from the deceased’s daughter, he confronted the deceased’s wife and heaped insults on her. The deceased’s wife denied the allegation and invited some neighbours to have a look at the pant and its content. The source said the neighbours confirmed t...