The remains of the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, the Most Reverend Dominic Kodwo Andoh, were laid to rest at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra yesterday.
The auditorium of the Holy Spirit Cathedral and its environs were filled to full capacity, as people from all walks of life, including Catholic Bishops, Reverend Fathers, groups and societies, family and friends, went to pay their last respects to the late Archbishop.
For the family and the church, the event marked a celebration symbolising the Most Rev Andoh’s victory and transition to eternity, for which reason they wore white.
The Most Rev Andoh died, after a short illness, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on May 17, 2013 at the age of 84.
In attendance were former President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife Theresa; the Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Bani, and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Julius Debrah.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, was the principal celebrant, while the rite of committal was performed by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, the Most Rev Joseph Osei Bonsu.
In a sermon, the Catholic Bishop of Ho, the Most Rev Francis A.K. Lodonu, urged Ghanaians to live in peace, love and harmony as one people.
In a tribute, the family of the Most Rev Andoh said the loss of their relative had made them feel inadequate, adding, “We have been extremely proud of his little contribution to the growth of the Catholic Church in the Accra Diocese.”
To the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, the Most Rev Andoh was gentle, affable, pleasant, hardworking and forgiving.
The Most Rev Andoh attended the St Theresa’s Seminary at Amisano, near Cape Coast, and was ordained by the late Bishop Joseph Oliver Bowers on December 23, 1956.
In July 1971, Pope Paul VI elevated him to the Episcopal See of Accra, becoming its first Ghanaian Bishop.
It was under his tenure that the Accra Diocese was elevated to the status of an archdiocese, with him as the first Archbishop.
He held the position of President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference from 1973 to 1982.
The Most Rev Andoh retired on March 30, 2005 at the age of 75, with the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle as his successor.
Friday 14 June 2013
Forty Nine shops guts fire, Daily Graphic, May 27, 2013 page 1
FORTY-NINE shops were destroyed by fire at the Makola Shopping Mall in Accra, last Friday.
The fire which destroyed wooden structures started at midnight.
When the Daily Graphic reached the scene around 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, the gates to the shopping mall were locked, while the police and the market security stood on guard.
When the gates were finally opened at around 7:30a.m, anxious traders rushed in to check their shops.
While some victims of the fire could not stand the sight of their burnt shops and stall and burst into uncontrollable tears, others whose shops were not affected gave thanks to God.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The affected shop owners traded in jewelry and cosmetics.
The Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Prince Billy Anaglate, told the Daily Graphic that they received a call three minutes after 12 midnight that fire had gutted the Makola Shopping Mall.
He said personnel of the Fire Service got to the scene within five minutes with about six fire engines to fight the fire.
An official of the Makola Shopping Mall told the Daily Graphic that management would brief the media in the course of the week.
In a related development, officials of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) have demolished newly erected wooden structures being used as stalls by traders at the Kantamanto Market in Accra.
The exercise was said to have taken place in the early hours of yesterday.
However, traders at the market are said to be fuming with rage, describing the exercise as a breach of an agreement they reached with the city authorities at a recently held meeting.
Mr Evans Ofori Atta, Vice Chairman of the Second-hand Clothes Sellers Association at Kantamanto, told Joy News that he was at church when information reached him about the exercise, and faulted the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for that unilateral decision.
He said what he found surprising was that the AMA had not complained about the new structures put up by the traders.
According to Mr Ofori Atta, there had been dialogue between members of the association and the assembly, and as such he could not fathom why the AMA would carry out such an exercise without giving them a hint.
The Kantamanto Market was razed down by fire early this month, destroying property running into thousands of Ghana cedis.
The fire which destroyed wooden structures started at midnight.
When the Daily Graphic reached the scene around 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, the gates to the shopping mall were locked, while the police and the market security stood on guard.
When the gates were finally opened at around 7:30a.m, anxious traders rushed in to check their shops.
While some victims of the fire could not stand the sight of their burnt shops and stall and burst into uncontrollable tears, others whose shops were not affected gave thanks to God.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The affected shop owners traded in jewelry and cosmetics.
The Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Prince Billy Anaglate, told the Daily Graphic that they received a call three minutes after 12 midnight that fire had gutted the Makola Shopping Mall.
He said personnel of the Fire Service got to the scene within five minutes with about six fire engines to fight the fire.
An official of the Makola Shopping Mall told the Daily Graphic that management would brief the media in the course of the week.
In a related development, officials of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) have demolished newly erected wooden structures being used as stalls by traders at the Kantamanto Market in Accra.
The exercise was said to have taken place in the early hours of yesterday.
However, traders at the market are said to be fuming with rage, describing the exercise as a breach of an agreement they reached with the city authorities at a recently held meeting.
Mr Evans Ofori Atta, Vice Chairman of the Second-hand Clothes Sellers Association at Kantamanto, told Joy News that he was at church when information reached him about the exercise, and faulted the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for that unilateral decision.
He said what he found surprising was that the AMA had not complained about the new structures put up by the traders.
According to Mr Ofori Atta, there had been dialogue between members of the association and the assembly, and as such he could not fathom why the AMA would carry out such an exercise without giving them a hint.
The Kantamanto Market was razed down by fire early this month, destroying property running into thousands of Ghana cedis.
Use dividend for staff welfare - NMC Chairman, Daily Graphic
THE Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, has asked the management of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to channel its annual dividend into the welfare of staff of the company.
Inaugurating a new Board of Directors for the GCGL in Accra yesterday, Mr Blay-Amihere wondered why, at a time the company was facing financial challenges, it was paying dividend to the government.
He said the annual dividend could be “re-invested in the welfare of staff and other areas of operation to enable the company to serve this nation better”.
The board, chaired by Dr Doris Yaa Dartey, comprises Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, the Managing Director of the GCGL; Prof Kwame Karikari, Mr Ben Assorow, Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Hajj Mohammed Amir Kpakpo Addo, Mr Gerald Ankrah and Nana Asantewaa Afadzinu.
Ghana has four state-owned media institutions, namely, the GCGL, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Ghana News Agency and the New Times Corporation.
Mr Blay-Amihere said while there was the need for prudent financial management and strict accountability in all the state-owned media to ensure their viability, the related welfare of workers was also critical.
He urged members of the governing boards of the four state-owned media and all their members of staff, particularly editors and reporters, to be guided in their work by Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Blay-Amihere urged the state-owned media to hold governments accountable to the people of Ghana in the discharge of their duties.
Despite the perception that the state-owned media were the mouthpiece of governments, he said, the Constitution guaranteed the freedom and independence of all media, including those owned by the state.
Mr Ashigbey, on behalf of the former board of directors, said they were grateful for the opportunity given them by the NMC to serve the country.
He urged the incoming board to continue the good work started by the immediate past board.
On behalf of the new Board Chairperson, Mr Assorow stressed the need for co-operation between the management and the board to ensure smooth operations in the company, adding that “management should support us to work together”.
He called for teamwork to ensure that objectivity, integrity and efficient services were rendered to the good people of Ghana.
Inaugurating a new Board of Directors for the GCGL in Accra yesterday, Mr Blay-Amihere wondered why, at a time the company was facing financial challenges, it was paying dividend to the government.
He said the annual dividend could be “re-invested in the welfare of staff and other areas of operation to enable the company to serve this nation better”.
The board, chaired by Dr Doris Yaa Dartey, comprises Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, the Managing Director of the GCGL; Prof Kwame Karikari, Mr Ben Assorow, Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Hajj Mohammed Amir Kpakpo Addo, Mr Gerald Ankrah and Nana Asantewaa Afadzinu.
Ghana has four state-owned media institutions, namely, the GCGL, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Ghana News Agency and the New Times Corporation.
Mr Blay-Amihere said while there was the need for prudent financial management and strict accountability in all the state-owned media to ensure their viability, the related welfare of workers was also critical.
He urged members of the governing boards of the four state-owned media and all their members of staff, particularly editors and reporters, to be guided in their work by Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Blay-Amihere urged the state-owned media to hold governments accountable to the people of Ghana in the discharge of their duties.
Despite the perception that the state-owned media were the mouthpiece of governments, he said, the Constitution guaranteed the freedom and independence of all media, including those owned by the state.
Mr Ashigbey, on behalf of the former board of directors, said they were grateful for the opportunity given them by the NMC to serve the country.
He urged the incoming board to continue the good work started by the immediate past board.
On behalf of the new Board Chairperson, Mr Assorow stressed the need for co-operation between the management and the board to ensure smooth operations in the company, adding that “management should support us to work together”.
He called for teamwork to ensure that objectivity, integrity and efficient services were rendered to the good people of Ghana.
Rev Owusu-Prempeh pursues her ambition with zeal Daily Graphic June 13, 2013
Describe her as an ambitious woman with multiple talents and you will not be far from that. That is the best description for the Chief Executive Officer of Tin-ifa Ghana, Rev Nanayaa Tina Owusu-Prempeh, 45, who is an international motivational speaker, skin care and beauty consultant and an Information Technology (IT) expert.
To enable her perform her responsibilities as an international motivational speaker, Rev Owusu-Prempeh has set up the Spirit, Soul and Body Workshop under which she has initiated a series of workshops to motivate, inspire and educate staff of organisations, individuals and associations through workshop held in Accra, America,Togo and Nigeria.
Her Spirit, Soul and Body Workshop, which was launched on July 31, 2010 is broadcast on two channels on the Multi network as “An evening with Nanayaa” and the “Total U” Television programme.
She said she had touched the lives of a number of the participants who attend her workshops, adding that, as part for the workshop, she organises training sessions for corporate and religious bodies, NGOs, women’s organisations and youth groups.
“I believe in one person making a change and I believe I have to start making that change by motivating and making an impact on an individual” she said.
Improving productivity
She also believes in encouraging business owners to motivate their staff to build their confidence, and work towards improving productivity and increase profits.
Rev. Owusu-Prempeh also works as a skin care and beauty consultant by giving consultation on how to do and handle make ups. She said she believed in not only taking care of the spirit and soul but also taking good care of the skin.
She is the Sales Director of Mary Kay Cosmetics and the Unit Leader of Avon cosmetics, having trained as a skin care and beauty consultant by Mary Kay Cosmetics while in the USA.
“Taking care of the skin is not only limited to women but men as well. Also skin care is not only about make up but about the whole body and how to maintain it. Taking care of the skin means the things you take in your body and how they react to your skin.
The kinds of foods we eat are very important and this is where I come in as skin care consultant who would direct you as to what is good for you and how to keep the body healthy as you grow old” she said.
Rev. Owusu-Prempeh said as a technology consultant, her organisation, Tin-ifa Group Limited, an IT company, deals in computer networking, data storage and data recovery for companies, maintenance service provision for companies, and land mile Internet service which is to bring onto the door step of users.
“I closed down the Internet service for a while, so I am trying to negotiate with some telecommunication companies to rebuild it again. As a woman in this industry it has not been easy at all, I had to close down for a while due to some financial constraints“, she said.
She said while she was a child she liked to fiddling with appliances and electronics so she pursued a first degree in Computer Management from Gibbs College, and was a founding member of Soalvei USA, a mobile phone company.
She was also licensed by the State of New Jersey as Real Estate Salesperson, a Mortgage Solicitor and Notary Public.
Education and Family
Born on September 21, 1967 to Mrs Rose Serwaa Adjei and his Lordship Nana Isaac Barfour Adjei at Kofiase, Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Nanayaa had her primary education at Garrison Primary and continued her secondary education at Tema Secondary School.
She is multi lingua and can speak six local languages and three international languages which are English, Spanish and French.
She furthered her education in the United States of America in various capacities including; obtaining her first degree from Gibbs College in Computer Management and business administration, specialising in technology.
The St. Thomas University, Canterbury, Kent, England conferred on her a doctorate in Business and Human Management.
“I am very sensitive to the needs of my family” she said. She is a mother of two girls and two boys who stay in the United States with their father. “My husband and I have a lot of businesses in the country so there was the need for one to come down and look after it” she said.
“Initially when we left it for people, things were not managed well so one of us had to come down and take care of the businesses” she said.
However, she said the distance did not affect the relationship between her and the family because they communicate all the time and the children called her when they needed her assistance as a mother.
Life, work and challenges
Asked how she was able to cope with the demands of her business, she said although it had not been easy, she was able to surmount the problems through her believe in the grace of God, adding that she also had good human relations which helped her to deal with people at all times.
She said her life was God first, her family second then her career. When asked if there were any challenges that suppressed her work, she mentioned economic constraints.
She said the one challenge she faced was inadequate, unreliable and disloyal human resources.
“People say there are no jobs but when they get the jobs they do not want to work, as an entrepreneur, my role is to facilitate the ideas but you hardly get people who are ready to do that”, she said.
She explained that team work and reliable work force increases productivity which definitely increase income.
Advice to women
She said everybody had a talent but the full potential was influenced by the environment within which the person grew saying “it is important that you fill your mind with good and positive thoughts”.
Rev Owusu-Prempeh said she pursued a lot of courses because she believed God had given each and every one a talent and ,therefore, “there was no need restricting yourself to what God has given to you.”
She advised that young women should not allow men to use money to entice and abuse them because whatever a man can do a woman can do and “with God all things are possible”.
She encouraged women, who are God fearing and business-oriented, intelligent, and hardworking, to go into politics. She said with these qualities, a woman could play a critical role in national development.
She was a board member of the Ghana News Agency and was appointed by former President George W. Bush as honorary Chairperson of the Republican Party Business Advisory Committee of the New Jersey, United States of America.
To enable her perform her responsibilities as an international motivational speaker, Rev Owusu-Prempeh has set up the Spirit, Soul and Body Workshop under which she has initiated a series of workshops to motivate, inspire and educate staff of organisations, individuals and associations through workshop held in Accra, America,Togo and Nigeria.
Her Spirit, Soul and Body Workshop, which was launched on July 31, 2010 is broadcast on two channels on the Multi network as “An evening with Nanayaa” and the “Total U” Television programme.
She said she had touched the lives of a number of the participants who attend her workshops, adding that, as part for the workshop, she organises training sessions for corporate and religious bodies, NGOs, women’s organisations and youth groups.
“I believe in one person making a change and I believe I have to start making that change by motivating and making an impact on an individual” she said.
Improving productivity
She also believes in encouraging business owners to motivate their staff to build their confidence, and work towards improving productivity and increase profits.
Rev. Owusu-Prempeh also works as a skin care and beauty consultant by giving consultation on how to do and handle make ups. She said she believed in not only taking care of the spirit and soul but also taking good care of the skin.
She is the Sales Director of Mary Kay Cosmetics and the Unit Leader of Avon cosmetics, having trained as a skin care and beauty consultant by Mary Kay Cosmetics while in the USA.
“Taking care of the skin is not only limited to women but men as well. Also skin care is not only about make up but about the whole body and how to maintain it. Taking care of the skin means the things you take in your body and how they react to your skin.
The kinds of foods we eat are very important and this is where I come in as skin care consultant who would direct you as to what is good for you and how to keep the body healthy as you grow old” she said.
Rev. Owusu-Prempeh said as a technology consultant, her organisation, Tin-ifa Group Limited, an IT company, deals in computer networking, data storage and data recovery for companies, maintenance service provision for companies, and land mile Internet service which is to bring onto the door step of users.
“I closed down the Internet service for a while, so I am trying to negotiate with some telecommunication companies to rebuild it again. As a woman in this industry it has not been easy at all, I had to close down for a while due to some financial constraints“, she said.
She said while she was a child she liked to fiddling with appliances and electronics so she pursued a first degree in Computer Management from Gibbs College, and was a founding member of Soalvei USA, a mobile phone company.
She was also licensed by the State of New Jersey as Real Estate Salesperson, a Mortgage Solicitor and Notary Public.
Education and Family
Born on September 21, 1967 to Mrs Rose Serwaa Adjei and his Lordship Nana Isaac Barfour Adjei at Kofiase, Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Nanayaa had her primary education at Garrison Primary and continued her secondary education at Tema Secondary School.
She is multi lingua and can speak six local languages and three international languages which are English, Spanish and French.
She furthered her education in the United States of America in various capacities including; obtaining her first degree from Gibbs College in Computer Management and business administration, specialising in technology.
The St. Thomas University, Canterbury, Kent, England conferred on her a doctorate in Business and Human Management.
“I am very sensitive to the needs of my family” she said. She is a mother of two girls and two boys who stay in the United States with their father. “My husband and I have a lot of businesses in the country so there was the need for one to come down and look after it” she said.
“Initially when we left it for people, things were not managed well so one of us had to come down and take care of the businesses” she said.
However, she said the distance did not affect the relationship between her and the family because they communicate all the time and the children called her when they needed her assistance as a mother.
Life, work and challenges
Asked how she was able to cope with the demands of her business, she said although it had not been easy, she was able to surmount the problems through her believe in the grace of God, adding that she also had good human relations which helped her to deal with people at all times.
She said her life was God first, her family second then her career. When asked if there were any challenges that suppressed her work, she mentioned economic constraints.
She said the one challenge she faced was inadequate, unreliable and disloyal human resources.
“People say there are no jobs but when they get the jobs they do not want to work, as an entrepreneur, my role is to facilitate the ideas but you hardly get people who are ready to do that”, she said.
She explained that team work and reliable work force increases productivity which definitely increase income.
Advice to women
She said everybody had a talent but the full potential was influenced by the environment within which the person grew saying “it is important that you fill your mind with good and positive thoughts”.
Rev Owusu-Prempeh said she pursued a lot of courses because she believed God had given each and every one a talent and ,therefore, “there was no need restricting yourself to what God has given to you.”
She advised that young women should not allow men to use money to entice and abuse them because whatever a man can do a woman can do and “with God all things are possible”.
She encouraged women, who are God fearing and business-oriented, intelligent, and hardworking, to go into politics. She said with these qualities, a woman could play a critical role in national development.
She was a board member of the Ghana News Agency and was appointed by former President George W. Bush as honorary Chairperson of the Republican Party Business Advisory Committee of the New Jersey, United States of America.
A project to mitigate the effects of floods in Accra is to begin today.
A contract for the project, dubbed the Accra Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water Alleviation, was signed in Accra yesterday between the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on one side and Conti Group, West Africa, the contractors for the project.
Conti Group is to prefinance the project which is expected to cost $663,299,497million.
The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Collins Dauda, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwesi Oppong Fosu, and the Chief Executive of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye, signed on behalf of the government while the President of Conti Group, West Africa, Mr Simon Misrach, signed on behalf of the contractors.
The decision by the government is to tackle the problem of perennial flooding associated with heavy rains in Accra.
Over the years, the Accra Metropolis has been experiencing flooding due to seasonal rainfall. The situation which has become an annual problem does not only destroy properties running into thousands of cedis but lives are also lost.
Recently there have been major floods at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie and Mallam. The floods are due to choked gutters and drains which are filled with refuse.
The Accra Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water Alleviation Project was approved by Parliament in December 2012 to tackle perennial flooding in Accra.
The project is in two stages, and would be completed within five years.
The first stage of the project which begins today involves cleaning and excavating 150,000 metres of channels, and is expected to be completed in nine months.
The AMA is to provide 20 trucks and three loaders for the waste collection.
Some of the major drainages to be tackled are the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project (KLERP) interceptor area, Central Business Drainage (CBD) and Odaw Channel.
The second phase is expected to start in December, 2014 and is expected to be completed in 2017.
During this stage,15 kilometres of storm sewer and combination sewer works would be installed.
Also, six kilometres of priority drains which would include the Mataheko drain, Mamponse drain, South Kaneshie Drain and Odorna Drain would be rehabilitated.
Some 6,300 metres of U-drain covers in the Mataheko drain and Central Business District drain are expected to be installed while incidental street upgrades would be carried out.
The existing Jamestown Waste Water Treatment Plant would be re-commissioned and upgraded, and a 450 tonne per day waste sorting facility would also be constructed in addition to the provision of 50 public toilets.
A contract for the project, dubbed the Accra Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water Alleviation, was signed in Accra yesterday between the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on one side and Conti Group, West Africa, the contractors for the project.
Conti Group is to prefinance the project which is expected to cost $663,299,497million.
The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Collins Dauda, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwesi Oppong Fosu, and the Chief Executive of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye, signed on behalf of the government while the President of Conti Group, West Africa, Mr Simon Misrach, signed on behalf of the contractors.
The decision by the government is to tackle the problem of perennial flooding associated with heavy rains in Accra.
Over the years, the Accra Metropolis has been experiencing flooding due to seasonal rainfall. The situation which has become an annual problem does not only destroy properties running into thousands of cedis but lives are also lost.
Recently there have been major floods at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie and Mallam. The floods are due to choked gutters and drains which are filled with refuse.
The Accra Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water Alleviation Project was approved by Parliament in December 2012 to tackle perennial flooding in Accra.
The project is in two stages, and would be completed within five years.
The first stage of the project which begins today involves cleaning and excavating 150,000 metres of channels, and is expected to be completed in nine months.
The AMA is to provide 20 trucks and three loaders for the waste collection.
Some of the major drainages to be tackled are the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project (KLERP) interceptor area, Central Business Drainage (CBD) and Odaw Channel.
The second phase is expected to start in December, 2014 and is expected to be completed in 2017.
During this stage,15 kilometres of storm sewer and combination sewer works would be installed.
Also, six kilometres of priority drains which would include the Mataheko drain, Mamponse drain, South Kaneshie Drain and Odorna Drain would be rehabilitated.
Some 6,300 metres of U-drain covers in the Mataheko drain and Central Business District drain are expected to be installed while incidental street upgrades would be carried out.
The existing Jamestown Waste Water Treatment Plant would be re-commissioned and upgraded, and a 450 tonne per day waste sorting facility would also be constructed in addition to the provision of 50 public toilets.
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