Anas exposes ‘rogue ’ Police officers in latest documentary

Ace Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has finally released his latest undercover report which exposes some dishonest police officers in Ghana.
Dubbed “Bad Cops”, the latest investigative piece which is the last part of the Tiger Eye PI’s “Ghana’s Soul Takers” documentary, reveals the role some police personnel play in the various forms of chaos that happens on Ghana’s roads.

‘Ghana’s Soul Takers’ which aims at uncovering the artificial causes of avoidable deaths and carnage on roads in the country looked at the rot at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, and how officials procure license for cripples, madmen, minors, among others for cash.

The about one-hour documentary details how some miscreants among the Police Service use their job to perpetrate wrongful acts that go against the mandate and principles of the Service
The last investigative piece by Anas shook the foundations of the Judiciary after some notable Judges were caught on tape taking bribe or allowing themselves to be induced.

These went a long way to influence the judgement of their cases and in some cases letting wrongdoers go without the law taking its course.

The new full video documentary released by Anas on the police, however, is geared towards creating road safety awareness and responsibilities among the general Ghanaian public and especially the Police MTTU

Source: Ghanaweb.com

UCC security officer murders ex-lover after raping her on Christmas Eve

A University of Cape Coast security officer is in the grip of the police for allegedly raping and killing his ex-girlfriend on the Eve of Christmas.

Adolf Coffie, 45, reportedly dragged the 32-year-old woman identified as Maame Serwaa into the bush where he raped her and hit her with an object after the sexual encounter.

The tragic incident happened at Kwapro near Ankaful in the Central Region, Joy News’ Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reported Friday.

A hunter who happened to be on his usual expedition reportedly heard the scream of the woman and rushed to the scene.
He threatened to kill Adolf if the woman was not rushed to the hospital, the police say.

The security officer abandoned Serwaa on the roadside and bolted.
Seeing what Adolf had done, the hunter reportedly rushed to her aid but she passed out after she gave details of the suspect.

The police subsequently arrested Adolf and charged him with murder.
He has since been remanded into police custody by a Cape Coast High Court pending further investigations and due to reappear on January 9, 2018.

Adolf, a father of five, is said to have been engaged as a security officer about a decade ago at the University of Cape Coast.

Spokesperson of the police in the Region, ASP Irene Oppong told Joy News they have retrieved some items from the residence of Adolf, which the police believe will provide a useful lead in their investigations.

Credit: Myjoyonline

Headmaster impregnates 16 year old student at Akim Oda

The Assistant Headmaster of St Francis Senior High Technical at Akim Oda in the Eastern region is reported to have impregnated a 16-year student of the school.

The assistance headmaster, Mr Vincent Otoo, has been lusting after the teenager since her appearance in the school thus luring her into a secret relationship.
The victim whose name is only given as Abigail is seven months pregnant after being in secret relationship with Mr Otoo since a year now.

It is also established that the suspect together with some teachers was trying to cover the issue to make the student give birth at home instead of the hospital.
The news which is being rumoured in the school, according to a close source indicated that a tutor in the school who doubles as Elder, Mr Obenu, led a delegation to the pregnant student family’s house to settle the matter at home.

It is confirmed that the parent who rejected the headmaster’s request, sent them away from their house.
The Senior House Master of the school, Mr Theodore, who confirmed the alleged pregnancy of the 16-year-old student, stated that investigations were still ongoing to come out with the true husband of the victim’s pregnancy.

Meanwhile, some of the students who shared their views on the issue indicated categorically that, they wouldn’t be surprised if the situation was true.

According to them, Abigail was not the first victim, as Mr Otoo had been luring a lot of the “girls into sex, all in the name of money and good grades.”

Source : Adomonline.com

22-year-old university student produces paper-made bricks

A 22-year-old university student has been adjudged as winner of the Young Icon category at the 2nd Kwame Nkrumah African Genius Awards after amazingly producing bricks made of paper.

Elijah was born to Ghanaian parents, but currently resides in South Africa where he studies Industrial Engineering at a university.

The young innovator rose to prominence after producing a type of brick made from paper in an attempt to help solve South Africa’s waste and housing problems.

According to him, the realization that the country has been struggling with paper waste management, as well as affordable housing, inspired him to bring forth this innovation.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Elijah explained that the idea of producing paper-made bricks, known as ‘nubrix’, started when he was a child.

In fact, as early as 11 years, he already had plans of finding a way to make housing in South Africa cheaper, which ultimately led to the invention of his innovation.

“New bricks came back in primary school when I was 11 years old. Back then I was very passionate about Science. When I was in Grade 6 my dad used to burn his old photocopy text books and this was the time during global warming and me, being the scientist thought of something to do,” he narrated.

He added: “In about a few days later, one of the TV programmes was poaching one of the shortest of RDP housing in South Africa and RDP housing is a form of cheaper housing by the government.

“So I said let’s see if I could use a paper to help cellutape this [papers] so I did different tests, different ratios of different stuff, different methodologies of how we can turn the paper into bricks and use that whole scientific process.”

Elijah is confident that if the world should adopt the use of paper-made bricks, then global warning could as well be reduced because waste will be put to effective use, instead of being burned.

He is, therefore, seeking official certification from a regulatory body in order to be able to put his innovation on the market for sale.

According to him, his paper-made bricks are weather resistant and have the ability to stand harsh conditions.

The wondrous nature of Elijah’s innovation led to him winning the Young Icon category at this year’s Kwame Nkrumah African Genius Awards held in Accra.

His innovation was also selected as one of the best during the first Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) held on African soil early in 2017.

Credit: Citifmonline

The Need To Post University Teacher Trainees To The Classroom, The Government Must Hear This!!

Policies come with projections and in this same direction, comes the success of such policies.

Ghana is bent on alleviating poverty through the introduction of social intervention policies and such example of a policy is the free Education policy, which offers most parents, the opportunity to educate their wards to even as far as the second cycle level, and most children, the opportunity to enjoy second cycle education for free.

To support this policy requires structures, both the human and structural resources.

But it appears the issues of teacher deficit is still on the rise and it is indeed not the best for a country like Ghana.

Educational courses in the Universities are a great impact on the policy since it is this very level at which we can even and also be more efficient.

Teaching is a gift as many believe. And this justifies the reason why many people could think of no other profession than teaching, in which they find joy, devoid of the compensation conditionalities.

One may wonder how it feels to be in the University, in anticipation of impacting knowledge into society, only to complete and realise the fact that, there are no ready jobs for such people.

One could even wonder what one goes through in the University just in a bid to acquire a first degree in Education in an anticipation to impact knowledge into society just for the sake of social and economic development.

In the recent budget read before parliament by the honourable minister for finance, Ghana, as it stands, have a teacher deficit of seventy thousand (70, 000). At this time and period of the free education policy, we should have even had a lower teacher deficit if only we want the resources positioned.

Our only question is, are the University teacher trainees not qualified to fill such positions of teacher deficit ....?

The government must employ teacher trainees if only they are committed to the Free Education Policy and bent on reducing graduate unemployment because we, the University teacher trainees believe that employment of this very category of unemployed graduates in question is also a step geared towards reducing and curbing graduates unemployment.

We, the students of the University of Education Winneba and its affiliated campuses, the University for Development Studies also with its sister campuses, the University of Cape Coast and other Universities with educational specialisation(s), hereby present our justifications before the Government.

We also call on other schools to join and support our coalition. It is our hope that government takes a critical look at this development and we will by this make moves to further remind the government of our plights if we did not see any change in our favour.

.......Signed...........
Ebenezer Fokuo Mensah
University of Education, Winneba (Alumni)
Enoch Ansah P1
University of Education, Winneba
Joseph Arthur
University of Education Winneba

The Second Semester Calendar for 2017/2018 academic year

UEW saga: Court declares as null and void mandate of defunct governing council

The Winneba High Court on Thursday, December 14, 2017, has ruled on the landmark case brought before it by a private businessman and former assemblyman of Donkoryiam electoral area of Winneba, Supi Kofi Kwayera against the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Minister of Education as first and second respondents respectively.

The Court presided over by His Lordship Justice George Atto Kwamena Mills-Graves in his three-hour ruling at a very packed courtroom declared as null and void and of no legal effect, the mandate of the defunct governing council.

He also ruled that the injuncted Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mawutor Avoke, and the Finance Officer, Dr Theophilus Ackorlie were deeply implicated in financial malfeasances and procurement breaches and they are therefore not fit to come back continue holding their positions.

This implies that two shall not return to their respective positions held before the case. Reliefs A, B, C, D, F, H and I sought by the applicant were upheld and a cost of 8,000 Ghana Cedis was awarded against UEW.

The reliefs focused on:
1.Extension of the mandate of the governing council, mandate of the defunct council in award of contract, all decisions are taken by defunct body or person who constituted themselves as governing council of the 1st respondent by virtue of directives of the 2nd respondent are all null and void and of no legal effect, a declaration that no state institution or authority has the power to extend the tenure of a member of the governing council of 1st respondent unless such extension is in accordance with Act 672;
2. MOU signed by 1st respondent with Ghana Highways Authority was a sham and it was used as a decoy to embezzle public funds, payment to Larmas was done without express written consent of the Ghana Highways Authority and was a breach of the MoU and the same must be refunded;
3. Illegally appointed of Principal Officers of the 1st respondent, wilfully misappropriating public funds by failing to put on public tender the construction of North Campus road, construction of UEW GUSSS commercial centre, construction of lectures office complex on Winneba campus, construction of distance learning centre and guest house in Accra and thereby causing financial loss to the state.

His Lordship George Atto Kwamene Mills-Graves ordered for a refund of Millions of Ghana cedis payment made to Larmas Company Ltd owned by the National Democratic Congress constituency Chairman Paa Nii Lamptey who is also a worker at the Ghana Highways Authority, Winneba. He described the award of the North Campus road construction project as a massive fraud to the state and ordered for a forensic audit into the contract.

He described the award of the North Campus road as a create, loot and share conundrum used by Justice Jones Dotsey in a Supreme Court ruling.
He stated further that the MoU signed between UEW and the Ghana Highways Authority did not allow any third party to come in. He revealed that the certificate of business obtained by Larmas Ltd for its operations allowed it to do building construction, drainage among other related works but not road construction.

The presiding judge pointed out that a number of disguised companies were sublet contracts in breach of the MoU between UEW and the Ghana Highways Authority. Ironically all these companies that were sublet contracts belonged to Paa Nii Lamptey. He received all payments made.

On the appointment and promotion of senior members by the appointments and promotions board during the period under contention, he stated that it should not be thrown overboard. He intimated that those affected could not lose their appointment simply because the council was defunct. He held that the appointments and promotions board was duly constituted.

His Lordship Mills-Graves questioned if central government directive could change an Act of Parliament. He opined that the fact the 1st Respondent was silent on the operation of the search committee constituted to appoint the VC and FO was in itself a tacit admission of guilt. Two letters from the former government through Education Minister was read.

These letters indicated a caretaker role for the former governing council but emphasised that they should not commit the University to policy decisions, contracts and agreements without seeking clearance from the government when need be. The then Education Minister Prof. Jane Nana Opoku Agyeman on the floor of parliament in July 2016 admitted the expiration of the then governing council's tenure of office when an urgent question was filed by Hon. Alex Afenyo Markin.

His Lordship quizzed whether clearance was sought on all the decisions.
The presiding judge made a profound observation to the effect that a bad case can never be transmitted into a good case. He indicated that in civil cases the plaintiff has the burden of proof and that the plaintiff had sufficiently discharged this burden with the evidence he made available to the court.

The presiding judge held that the extension of the mandate of the governing council is in breach of section 8 of Act 672 and stated that not even the president of the Republican of Ghana has the power to extend the tenure of the governing council contrary to Act 672 of UEW.

How could the President then, being the Head of the Executives, extend the tenure of the governing council, he opined.
Read more : UEW VC, others asked to step aside over missing files
Justice Mills-Graves said all the blame should be laid at the door steps of the VC and FO since they failed in their supervisory role stated in Statutes 6 and 10 for VC and FO.

The presiding judge described payments in respect of the North Campus road construction project as a naked rip-off and wondered little that the applicant exercised his right as a citizen of the land through order 44 of the high court civil procedure rules (C. I 47 of 2004).
The presiding judge ruled that all payments made by VC and FO were done in reckless violation of the laws of the land as they dole out money recklessly.
Lawyers for both applicants and 1st respondent were absent in court but a lawyer at the court stood on behalf of the bar to praise and thank the judge for that landmark ruling. The ruling was greeted with some celebrations on the streets of Winneba.

It would be recalled that on June 13, 2017, the case was first heard and has witnessed a lot of controversies notable among which were the shutting down of UEW by the former registrar Dr C. Y. Akwaah Mensah which brought public condemnation over that decision.

The case also saw several joinder application including that of UTAG-UEW but all these were thrown out. UTAG-UEW executives declared a unilateral strike action which was strongly resisted by a section of its members in Winneba with Kumasi and Mampong campuses disassociating themselves from the strike.

UTAG national also declared a failed nation-wide strike all in support of the embattled officers.
The case also saw a plethora of interesting articles for and against the Winneba High court in its earlier rulings mostly on social media and online.

Source : myjoyonline

Student denied examination at Sunyani Technical University

A year two electronic marking student at the Sunyani Technical University has been denied examination for failing to do online registration on time despite the physical payment receipt shown as evidence for a 60% fee before any year two or three students can write the exam as instructed by the school.

Narrating to Techiman based winners 98.5 FM, the student lamented that it was not easy for him to mobilize the 60% but wonder why he was denied to write on12th December 2017.

"We started the exam on money 11th December 2017, my first paper was 3-6pm, so I was lucky to pay the money around2:00 pm, so I was not able to do the online registration due to time factor but was given a chance to write the first paper , and unfortunately for me , our papers delayed for about an hour and a half so we finished late which was the perceived interference for me to achieve my online registration goal". He said
He added that the following day's paper was in the morning so couldn't do it since no café was open but was chased out of the examination hall for failing to do it though was an involuntary on his part.

The student is, however, making a passionate to the Ghana Education Board, Ministry of Education, National Board for Tertiary Examination to come to his aid since he has no money to register a resist examination

Fake Nurse Grabbed At KATH

A young man believed to be in his mid-20s has been arrested at the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital for posing as a nurse of the facility and extorting money from innocent patients.

The imposter whose identity was only given as Nelson claimed to be a worker at Bomso Clinic which turned not be true was immediately picked up on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, by the Emergency Police Station after attempting to attend to a patient.

Speaking to OTEC News’ Nana Asare, a management member of the hospital confirmed the suspect is not known in any official records of the hospital.
According to an eyewitness, the suspect claims he had applied for a job at the facility but has since not received any confirmation and has been hovering around every day in uniform in the facility.

He said the frustration of joblessness after completing his nursing training compelled him to arbitrarily start work at the hospital, indicating that his first attempt at attending to a patient gave him up.

He claimed he had applied for a job here but they haven’t given him an appointment letter and somehow decided to offer philanthropic services without anybody’s authority.

The Ashanti region police have begun questioning the suspect to ascertain his motive for taking the life-threatening job as a nurse.

President of NASPA suspended

The president of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), Philip Quaye has been suspended over allegations of malfeasance and misconduct towards council members.

A statement signed by Acting NASPA president, Mohammed Hardi has, therefore, warned the general public not to deal with the suspended president.
Meanwhile, the National Service Secretariat has reconsidered its decision to make compulsory deductions from service personnel’s allowances as insurance.

In a press statement signed by the Executive Director, Mustapha Ussif, the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) said the “insurance policy is now optional.”

The latest decision was taken at an Emergency Executive Council Meeting of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) in Accra on Wednesday.

There were earlier threats to sue the National Service Secretariat over the move.
Convener for a group calling itself the Concerned National Service Personnel Association of Ghana, Agbodo Williams had indicated that they had gathered enough signatures from personnel all over to begin a legal challenge against the move.

But the recent statement said that the management of the scheme has now suspended the mandatory GH¢15 deduction from the monthly allowance of service personnel.

UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

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UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

UCC HOT NUUZ: Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

Drop your comments

Breaking News: Swine Flu, H1N1 cause of KUMACA Mysterious deaths – Health Report

The Health Ministry has confirmed that a viral infection, Swine Flu, H1N1, caused the death of four students at the Kumasi Academy School.
Out of 19 samples sent to the NOGUCHI Memorial Institute from the Kumasi Academy in the Ashanti Region, 12 tested positive for influenza type A, the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu has announced.

According to the Minister, reports on further tests were received confirming Influenza type-A H1N1 2009 [Otherwise known as Swine Flu], pandemic strain.
The tests became necessary following what many have called mysterious deaths involving four students of the school in the past week.

Several students are also on admission, whereas the whole student population have been administered with antibiotics as part of a prophylaxis.
Of the 32 cases on admission 27 had signs of fever, headaches, joint and body pains, coughs abnormal chest signs and auscultation.

«Acute respiratory infections likely cause of deaths«
The Health Minister also suggested that some of the deaths mat have been caused an outbreak of acute respiratory infections.
Based on findings on respiratory samples sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Mr. Agyemang-Manu said there was “an outbreak of an acute respiratory infection with severe presentations and some resulting in death.”

“Fortunately, the outbreaks are so far confined to a small area in Kumasi Academy. It hasn’t spread to the very nearest town where their school is located,” the Minister added.
It should be noted that the outright cause of death of the four students of the school and the hospitalization of 32 has yet to be fully confirmed.

«WHO’s notes on influenza«
There are three types of seasonal influenza viruses, types A, B, and C, but only influenza type A viruses are known to have caused pandemics.
Placed under the umbrella of seasonal influenza, the World Health Organisation notes that this virus is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, cough, headaches, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and a runny nose.

Most people are said to recover from the fever and other symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention but influenza can cause severe illness or death in people deemed high risk.
Pregnant women, children aged between six to 59 months, the elderly, individuals with specific chronic medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, asthma, and chronic heart or lung diseases, and health-care workers have the highest risk of contracting the virus, according to WHO.
Vaccination is said to be the most effective way to prevent the disease, even when circulating viruses may not exactly match the vaccine viruses.

«Swine Flu«
It’s an infection caused by a virus. It’s named for a virus that pigs can get. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. In 2009 a strain of swine flu called H1N1 infected many people around the world.
The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is a vaccineavailable to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by
Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.

Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
Staying home from work or school if you are sick.

«End of panic and uncertainty«
The discovery of the cause of death brings some relief to parents, especially since there is a vaccine to prevent further infections.
The Ministry of Health has recalled students who were earlier treatement with antibiotics based on suspictions that the deaths were caused by a bacteria and sent home.
So far forty four students have been infected with the virus in the school.

Credit : EducationGhana

NSS Boss; scheme sued by personnel over ‘compulsory’ insurance

NSS Boss Mustapha Ussif
Some disgruntled National Service personnel have sued the National Service Scheme and its Executive Director, Mustapha Ussif, over the GH¢ 15 compulsory insurance charges.
The personnel say the deduction from their allowance is unlawful and unreasonable.

They are therefore asking the court to compel the National Service Scheme to cease the deductions which took effect from November, 2017.

A lawyer for the aggrieved National Service Personnel, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, told Citi News “They [personnel] have not authorized anybody to enter into an insurance contract on their behalf. An insurance contract must have a policyholder who should enter into a contract with the insurance company [but this did not happen].”

“Where is the insurance policy? Where is the contract?” he questioned.
Some National Service personnel have been up in arms over the compulsory insurance policy, which they say has been imposed on them by the National Service Scheme headed by Ussif Mustapha.
The personnel argued that, the decision to have the insurance program, was not made by them, neither were they consulted before its implementation, hence deductions must not be made from their meager allowances compulsorily.

NSS personnel petition CHRAJ over compulsory insurance
Some National Service Personnel earlier this week petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), over the mandatory insurance package introduced for them by the National Service Secretariat.
According to them, the imposition of the insurance package infringes on their basic human rights since the decisions taken by the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), does not bind all service personnel.

Service personnel agreed to ‘compulsory’ insurance – NSS Boss
The National Service Scheme’s head, Mustapha Ussif, has denied suggestions that the compulsory insurance package meant for all service personnel in the country is being imposed on the personnel.

He insisted that the personnel backed the insurance package, and even pushed the management of the Scheme to implement it. He said the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA), the group which represents service personnel across the country, decided unanimously at their Congress to back the policy.

The insurance package
The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.
This compulsory insurance package spearheaded by various insurance companies is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.
The claims vary from GHc 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GHS3,000 for cases of disability. As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.

NSS insurance meant to reward NPP financier – Kpessah Whyte
A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr. Michael Kpessah-Whyte, had alleged that the compulsory insurance package is a venture to pay back a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) election campaign.

According to him, the insurance scheme may have been put together to reward the owner of a known insurance company, who supported the NPP’s campaign with GH¢1 million.
He is thus of the view that the policy is not in the interest of National Service persons, and that it constitutes “daylight robbery.”

NSS insurance scheme not a reward from NPP – GLICO
However, GLICO Life has denied allegations that its engagement with the NSS to provide an insurance package for National Service personnel, is a reward for the company because the owner was a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Managing Director of GLICO Life, Forkuo Kyei, in a statement to citifmonline.com said the allegations are unfounded as GLICO Life is part of five other companies offering the insurance package to the service personnel.

Credit: Jonas Nyabor«citifmonline

Admit WASSCE Students With Grade D7 And E8 Into Varsity - Prof

Reverend Professor Emmanuel Adow-Obeng has suggested that WASSCE students with grade D7 and E8 in the core subjects be allowed to enter the universities through an access course programme.

He said the only option left for students with those grades was to re-sit the examination thus losing almost a year and added that it was possible for private universities to mount access courses for these students.

Rev. Adow-Obeng, who is the president of the Presbyterian University College (PUC), explained that the access programmes could be done under the supervision of the mentor universities for a specific duration and then be admitted to a full university course.

Speaking at the 15th matriculation of the school at the Akropong campus, he noted that during the A-level times D and E grades qualified people to enter the university and added that “many therefore entered the university with these grades and so let’s consider it seriously”.

The ceremony saw the formal admission of 722 people into the various programmes on the five campuses at Okwahu, Asante-Akyem, Akuapem, Kumasi and Tema to pursue various undergraduate programmes.

Rev Adow-Obeng who is the board chair for the Ghana Broadcasting Corperation mentioned the relief tax given to the private universities as a step in the right direction and while thanking government for that, he also called for the extension of the Getfund for lecturers in the private universities for upgrading.

He announced that to facilitate teaching and learning in the school, the University in collaboration with Vodafone Ghana had issued modems each to the entire student population and each student would enjoy 1.5gigabyte data monthly throughout the year including vacations.
According to him, under this arrangement, there would not be any limitations to students’ access to the internet and advised the students to use the opportunity to research into additional files that would support their academic work.

He cautioned that the PUC was a Christian university and believed that faith in God was key to success and reminded the fresh students that the university’s anthem talked about “hard work, humility, perseverance, faithfulness, and commitment”, that they needed to uphold to build them up.

Source: GNA

Two students die, three others hospitalized at Kumasi Academy

Two first year students of Kumasi Academy are reported dead after being rushed to the hospital on Thursday.
The students died at the KNUST hospital, where they were taken to after being taken ill for showing symptoms of fever.
Three others are said to be on admission for the same illness, which is yet to be disclosed.

The two are said to be a General Science and Business students.
Earlier this year, in April to be precise, four students lost their lives after an outbreak of meningitis.

This generated fear and panic on campus with parents and guardians storming the school to have their wards taken home .
Parents storm the campus in April to take their children home
Some of the students claimed the deaths were spiritual.

Coincidentally, the recent deaths come on the eve of Kum Aca’s golden jubilee to be held on Saturday.

More to follow…

Source: 3News

Gov’t in talks with WAEC over change in WASSCE date to May

Ghana’s Education Ministry says it is in talks with the West African Examination Council in a bid to extend the date for writing the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) beginning 2018.

In a statement issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh during the Meet-The-Press series on Thursday, November 30,2017.,the Minister explained that the purpose of the supposed extension was to ensure that the full nine terms of teaching and learning are fully exhausted by students as required by the syllabus.

According to the Minister, the change is expected to improve results for final year students since they would have adequate time to prepare.
“The SHS syllabus is for nine terms, three terms in a year, so we envisage that by the time the child has finished the nine terms, he or she would be ready to take the West African Senior School Certification Examination. The West African Senior School Certification Examination starts in February, which is the second term, and finishes just the first week in the third term, so it means that the whole of the second term they lost teaching and learning to exams and they never had any teaching and learning for the third term. Meaning that three terms out of the nine wasted, so it was six terms they were using for a syllabus that said nine terms. No wonder the results were poor.”he exclaimed.

He also indicated that the Education Ministry has met WAEC over the issue and is hopeful that the examination will no longer begin in February but May in 2018.

Source :EducationGhana.net

Teachers cry over unending theft cases in Wa

Teachers in Dorimon in the Way West district of the Upper West region are complaining bitterly of the continues theft cases in the district which is affecting their works as teachers in the district.

Some of the teachers have complained of how their items including mattresses, home appliances and even sandals get stolen when they travel during holidays.
According to one of the teachers,his mattress and bedsheet were stolen and when he laid a complain nothing was done so he issued a threat to take an oath, after some few days these items were found in a nearby bush.

Another teacher said his shoes were stolen also and when he threatened to take an oath these sandals were later returned but he refused to push the case further for personal reasons.

In a related story by upperwestmedia.net, when the website contacted Ababasa , assembly man for the area , he lamented, “we are aware of the disturbing issue, most teachers have reported similar cases to us but when we insist on pursuing the issue further they resisted”.
The Assembly member also directed the also the issue of increasing crime rate to the few number of police officers they have in the area.

“When there is a problem, what we do is to contact the wechiau patrols which is situated far from here if something can be done about that, am not satisfied with the number of police officers we have and besides some are not performing their duties”.he stated.

The teachers lamented on the adverse effects of the theft cases on academic work at Dorimon Schools because teachers don’t have interest in working there.

Source :EducationGhana.net

KTI and Islamic SHS in bloody clash at INTERCO leaving 5 Students in Critical Condition

At least five (5) students of the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi have been wounded Thursday evening after clashes broke out between the students of Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) and Islamic Senior High School.

Abusua FM’s Osei Kwadwo reported that there was a little misunderstanding between the students at Baba Yara Stadium during the Inter- Schools Competition on Wednesday November 29, 2017.

The angry KTI students the following day stormed the promises of Islamic senior high school and started throwing stones on the players of Islamic Senior High when they arrived in their school leading to five students sustaining injuries.
The students of Islamic Senior High went for cutlasses in the school to protect themselves from KTI students, threatening to storm the KTI campus and retaliate.

It took the timely intervention of the Police to save the situation and calm tempers. The students of KTI who perpetrated the attack are yet to be identified after the incident.
The five (5) affected students of Islamic Senior High are receiving treatment at the First Care Hospital.

Source :EducationGhana

Compulsory NSS insurance must be reviewed – NASPA

Some National Service Personnel are asking the National Service Scheme (NSS) to reconsider its decision to compulsorily deduct GH¢ 15 from their allowances for an insurance package.

They want the insurance payment to be optional and not mandatory for all service personnel.

Following the launch of the insurance package earlier in November, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Ussif Mustapha, in a circular this week, directed all regional directors to deduct GH¢ 15 from the GH¢559 monthly allowances of service personnel beginning this month.

But speaking to Citi News, the NASPA president for Awutu Senya Municipal, Luis Kwame Anane said the decision is arbitrary and must be reviewed.

“Even though it is a congress decision, all the service personnel are against it. I suggest that the outgoing NSS and the necessary stakeholders listen but if they want to face the outrage of personnel of people picketing and refusing to go to work and cause that mayhem before they react, it will be bad because they need to be proactive.”

“Listen to the voice of the people. When you look at accommodation and employment issues of personnel, delay in [payment of] allowances and all that, they should look at policies that that will address these concerns. That is what they should focus on,” he said.

About the NSS Insurance Package

The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.

This compulsory insurance package, spearheaded by various insurance companies, is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.

The claims vary from GH¢ 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GH¢3,000 for cases of disability.

As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GH¢ 500 loan which is payable within six months.

But some service personnel have kicked against the package, saying that it is being imposed on them. According to them, they were not informed about the package before it was formally launched.

They also expressed disappointment that it was not made optional but compulsory.

Source: Citifmonline

NUGS Commends Govt’s Efforts To Ensuring Quality Education

The National Union of Ghana Students yesterday had their 51st Handing Over ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre after the 51st Annual Residential Congress held at Methodist University College, Dansoman Campus.
This ceremony saw major stakeholders, alumni and dignitaries attending not forgetting the very students the union seek to serve.

The ceremony saw the likes of the Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Adutwum, the Gender and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Mustapha Ussif, the CEO of NEIP, Lawyer John Kumah, Justin Kodua of YEA, Director of GETFund, representatives from the Scholarship Secretariat, Students Loan Trust Fund, Information Ministry, Security services, the press corps, alumni of the union, and members from the various institutions and blocs under NUGS under the chairmanship of the CEO of NEIP, Lawyer John Kumah.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Education Minister together with the Gender and Social Protection Minister charged the union along the same lines: the union must stand for what it stood for and be more vibrant as it was in the past and ensure that the union serves its core mandate to the very people they seek to serve.

The outgoing Secretary, Mr. Akwasi Agyemang also charged New executives to serve the interests of the students they seek to serve and ensure that the right things are done. He added that, the struggle continues but it is up to new executives to live above the struggles and make the union better.

The newly sworn-in President, Mr. Elisha Oheneba Essumang commended Government’s efforts in ensuring that education is accessible to all. He further reiterated that, the union’s core mandate is to ensure that education be a right and not a privilege to help all have access to it and was therefore grateful that the government was committed to ensuring that this is achieved.

He commended the government over their decision to absorb the registration fees of BECE candidates in the Junior High Schools. He further commended the government for their decision to increase the Capitation grant by 100% from the initial 4.50p to 9 cedis as announced by the Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori Atta in the 2018 budget statement.

The union led by the President also commended the Ministry of Education’s ” Basic Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (BSTEM)” program to be introduced in all basic schools which would solve the technological and digital gap between Ghana and the developed states in the near future which they intend to embark on beginning from next year and further welcomed the Ministry’s commencement to review the Basic level Curriculum to emphasize on the 4 R’s (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic and cReativity). Indeed, literacy, numeracy and creativity are the bedrocks of modern education and we cannot survive as a nation without them.

The union further commended the government for the all time best Educational Policy; Free SHS Policy which has not only increased the enrolment of students into the various SHS but also lessened the burden of parents who sometimes had to go for loans and pass through frustrating moments to send their wards to school.

We commend the Ministry of Education for this life saving and enhancing policy and the union supports the call by some concerned citizens and leaders of the nation to challenge philanthropists of Education, donors, corporate bodies, and everyone who can to help fund the Free SHS/ TVET policy and that a realistic percentage of our GDP, 10% of import taxes and about 30-50% of oil revenue be considered to help sustain this great policy.

While keeping our eyes on this outstanding initiative by the government of Ghana to ensure its sustainability and the help deal with the challenges it comes with-there is nothing without challenges especially in its early stages, we as the union that speaks for All students want to also send a note of caution to all saboteurs of this marvellous policy to refrain from such habits.

The students of Ghana and the youth alike will not take it easy with any person or group of persons who would want to belittle, fight or destroy this all- time important policy. Without mincing words, we shall not hesitate to clamp down such enemies and foes of the nation.

The union also commends government’s effort to scrap off the 25% corporate income tax paid by privately owned and managed universities and we call on the stakeholders of the various private universities to drastically reduce their fees to reflect the change. We further commend the restoration of the Nurses and Teacher Training allowances by the government.

Source: Starrfmonline.com

GH¢15 NSS deduction for insurance to start in November

The Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), has directed all regional directors to ensure the deduction of Ghc15.00 from the allowances of all National Service Personnel effective this month [November], as part of the implementation of the compulsory insurance package for personnel.

The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.
This compulsory insurance package spearheaded by various insurance companies, is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.

However some personnel have kicked against it, calling for an optional package.
The claims vary from GHc 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation, and gh3,000 for cases of temporary disability.
As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.
The compulsory insurance package will also provide free MTN data calls and monetary incentives for personnel and their next of kin.

A circular sighted by Citi News has charged regional directors to deduct the amount before submitting payment vouchers.

“I am directed by the Executive Director to inform you that the National Service premium deduction will take effect from 1st November 2017. You are required to deduct GHC 15 monthly premium from all National Service allowance before submitting the payment vouchers to the internal audit. Please treat as urgent and comply.”

A former Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, Dr. Michael Kpessah Whyte, had said that the introduction of the insurance package for National Service personnel is purely an attempt to enrich some persons fraudulently .

According to Dr. Kpessah Whyte, who was speaking on Eyewitness News, the motives behind the sudden introduction of the insurance policy by the current management of the NSS were unclear, suggesting that it was certainly not for the benefit of the service personnel.

“We have several insurance companies in this country and that presupposes that insurance is good. In insurance studies, we actually say insurance is a necessary evil. It is a very good thing, but insurance has to be bought only when it solves particular risks or addresses particular contingencies. To that extent, what the National Service Management is doing which the greatest respect to them, is not solving any problem. In other words, they are not clear on what they want to do and the problem they want to address with this policy,” he noted.

Credit: Citifmonline

Payment of Teacher Trainee Allowances Underway

The Management of the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has been closely following media reports that seem to suggest that teacher trainee allowances are not being paid.

We take this opportunity to inform the general public and our immediate stakeholders that payment of teacher trainee allowances started in October 2017 for the 2017/18 academic year.

Prior to the reintroduction of the allowances, the Students Loan Trust Fund which is now mandated by Government to disburse the allowances held extensive consultations with the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) and the Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana (TTAG) to agree on the modalities for payment.

The SLTF also visited all 41 Colleges of Education who are benefiting from the allowance to educate the trainees on the conditions they need to satisfy to benefit from the allowance. For trainees to benefit from the allowance, certain conditions must be met by the trainee and by the College of Education in which s/he is enrolled in. The trainees must be duly registered in the academic year in their institution. In addition, the trainee must obtain a SSNIT number and an E-zwhich account number onto which the allowance is paid electronically. The College of Education must in turn forward a list of all eligible students to the SLTF for verification and payment.

The following is an update of the process so far:

Allowances for October and November have been disbursed to all colleges that presented school lists on time. 28,467 students have been paid as at 24^thNovember 2017.For those colleges that presented their lists late, payment of both October and November allowances is being paid this month.There have been some challenges with the data of some students including presentation of wrong SSNIT numbers, misspelling of names, wrong ezwhich numbers, and duplication of student data. Once these anomalies are corrected, the affected students will be paid all their outstanding allowances.Many colleges are yet to present complete data of their first year students. Once this is done, they will be paid their outstanding allowances.By the agreed timetable with stakeholders, allowances are payable at the end of every month in which trainees are in school.

The SLTF is committed to putting in place a rigorous disbursement system that will protect the public purse and serve its stakeholders efficiently.

Credit: Myjoyonline

Video: Police brutalise KATANGA Hall students

The police in Asokwa have been captured on video brutalising students from the KATANGA Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology after a Luv FM Old School’s reunion on Saturday.

Some police officers were seen slapping and kicking the students at the Tech junction in Kumasi after an alleged clash between students of the KATANGA Hall and their colleagues from the Unity Hall.

Helpless, as these students looked, the police will take no plea from them and on lookers as they slapped and dragged the students into a waiting police van.

Eight students who were arrested by the police have been released on bail.

Click the link below to watch the video
https://youtu.be/AjOMVNW7NM4

Credit: 3News

Free Bus Piloting Is Not Favoring Us - President Of UCC Disability Student Association

The President of Disabilities Student Association of University of Cape Coast [UCC], Atubi Abraham, has expressed his displeasure at the free busing piloting system launched by the Student Representative Council [SRC] two weeks ago.

According to him, measures have not been duly put in place to address the challenges of students with disability as they currently have to struggle to board these buses.

To expose the gross extent of the issue, he disclosed in an exclusive interview with ATL FM News, that a physically challenged student was denied getting on board for he had a wheel chair with him, which according to the drivers will occupy space in the bus.

Despite the challenges, Mr. Atubi Abraham commended the SRC for the initiative but called on them to look into the situation, proposing that security persons be allocated to the various bus terminals to ensure discipline.

He further urged the students to be selfless and take into consideration the situation of persons with disability when getting on board the buses.

Source: ATL FM News

Yilo Krobo SHS Suspends Female Students Indefinitely for meeting Boyfriends at Night

The Yilo Krobo Senior High School at Somanya in the Eastern Region has suspended 15 of its Form 3 Students indefinitely on different charges.
According to document sighted by EducationGhana.net , the 15 students comprises 9 girls and 6 boys respectively.
According to reports, 7 of the girls who supposedly in their final year were suspended indefinitely on the charges of meeting their boyfriends at night.
One of the girls was also suspended for sending nude videos to her boyfriend who happens to be a student of the same school.
Another girl was suspended for over staying her exeat .
On the part of the boys, 5 of them were suspended for meeting their girlfriends at night and one was suspended for receiving nude videos from his girlfriend.
The degree of punishment meted out to the students has been met with public ridicule, as many believed it was too much .

Source : EducationGhana.net

Unpaid utility bills threatens exams at Takoradi Technical University

The Takoradi Technical University in the Western Region has said that it is saddled with utility bills so much that if the government of Ghana does not come to its aid, examinations in the school will be disrupted.

According to the chairperson of the university’s council, Dr. Henrietta Abane, the inability of the government to honour its promise of absorbing the bills, particularly the electricity bills, has brought series of disconnection threats from the utility providers.
Speaking at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the Takoradi Technical University, Dr. Abane appealed to the government to honour its financial obligations to the university.

She said “government’s promise to absorb, in particular, the electricity bills of the university has not been honored; consequently, we are sometimes faced with threats of disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana during examination periods…these bills threaten academic work”.

Other challenges confronting the university, according to Dr. Abane, includes the lack of funds from the Ghana Education Trust Fund [GetFund], to complete ongoing projects in the university.

She said “a number of GetFund projects have stalled, so I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to facilitate payments from the fund to ensure completion of these projects”.
Others are that, the university acquired a site at Akatakyie in the Ahanta West District. where the African Development Bank and COTVET, have developed five infrastructural projects for a TVET campus for the Faculty of Engineering.
“These projects are expected to have a counterpart funding from the government. Whilst the first stage of building infrastructure is ready, the second stage of fixing equipment has not been met because government has delayed to release its counterpart funds”.
The university at its 2nd graduation ceremony conferred Bachelor of Technology degrees on168 students, whilst 1,657 received Higher National Diplomas.

88 Civil Engineering students also received the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations, NABPTEX certificates.
In all, a total of 1,913 students graduated.

Source: Atlfmonline

Unpaid utility bills threatens exams at Takoradi Technical University

The Takoradi Technical University in the Western Region has said that it is saddled with utility bills so much that if the government of Ghana does not come to its aid, examinations in the school will be disrupted.

According to the chairperson of the university’s council, Dr. Henrietta Abane, the inability of the government to honour its promise of absorbing the bills, particularly the electricity bills, has brought series of disconnection threats from the utility providers.
Speaking at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the Takoradi Technical University, Dr. Abane appealed to the government to honour its financial obligations to the university.

She said “government’s promise to absorb, in particular, the electricity bills of the university has not been honored; consequently, we are sometimes faced with threats of disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana during examination periods…these bills threaten academic work”.

Other challenges confronting the university, according to Dr. Abane, includes the lack of funds from the Ghana Education Trust Fund [GetFund], to complete ongoing projects in the university.

She said “a number of GetFund projects have stalled, so I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to facilitate payments from the fund to ensure completion of these projects”.
Others are that, the university acquired a site at Akatakyie in the Ahanta West District. where the African Development Bank and COTVET, have developed five infrastructural projects for a TVET campus for the Faculty of Engineering.
“These projects are expected to have a counterpart funding from the government. Whilst the first stage of building infrastructure is ready, the second stage of fixing equipment has not been met because government has delayed to release its counterpart funds”.
The university at its 2nd graduation ceremony conferred Bachelor of Technology degrees on168 students, whilst 1,657 received Higher National Diplomas.

88 Civil Engineering students also received the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations, NABPTEX certificates.
In all, a total of 1,913 students graduated.

Source: Atlfmonline

Voting Begins for National Students’ Awards 2017

The 2017 edition of the National Students’ Awards is scheduled for December 16,2017.
The Award is meant to expose the hardworking students in all Educational Institutions in the Country, bringing together students from the Basic Schools to the Tertiary Institutions.

In a statement released by the organizers of the event and copied to EducationGhana.net , it has been announced that voting for nominees begins Monday ,November 27,2017 and ends on
December 16, 2017 at 12:00noon prompt.
This year’s awards is anchored on the theme: “ Education, the cure to the Modern-Day Slavery of Human Trafficking”
The awards will bring together students across the country; from the basic to the tertiary level, Vice Chancellors, Headmasters/Principals, Ministers of State, Top Government Officials, NGOs on Human Rights/Trafficking, Diplomats, Traditional Leaders, Business Owners and Managers who are passionate about education.

The venue is the Great Hall of the University of Ghana and the date is December 16, 2017 at 6:00pm.
Please visit our website: www.nsaghana.org/polls to cast your vote.
Voting is free and all that you need is a phone or computer with internet access.

Source :EducationGhana.net

Presec, Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Wesley Girls, Prempeh et al to be cancelled from Free SHS program?

Ghana has about 872 Second Cycle Institutions of which 66% (575 schools)are government controlled or state owned.

The interesting thing is that majority of these state owned schools which constitute the 66% are also missionary schools.
Missionary schools like the Presbyterian Boys School, Mfantsipim School, Wesley Girls High School, T.I Ahmadiyya, Adisadel, St. Augustine’s, Prempeh College were taken over in 1984 by the government.

President Nana Addo, who promised an absolutely free Senior High School education in the immediate past national elections kept his word by implementing the policy against all odds, a generous gesture for which majority of Ghanaians should benefit immensely once the logistics are properly managed.
However, I have concerns that this free education policy might not be quite robust as it appears that Nana Addo must have taken Ghanaians for ‘fools’ because he recently took the ‘U TURN’ to promise the release of the FULL control of the missionary schools (which constitute the majority of the state owned institutions) back to their original owners.

Does this ‘SMART’ move mean the free Senior High Schools (SHS) education policy might no longer cover students of those institutions as they now qualify to be called PRIVATE institutions?

This development, as a matter of fact will cushion or absorb the serious financial burden that the government might be carrying on its shoulders.

The Ministry of Education must come clear on what precisely it means by FULL control of the missionary schools by explaining the amount of power yielded to the these missionary schools because now , this paints a picture of a 419 and would be the biggest fraudulent scandal perpetrated by the government in broad daylight as it appears they are running away from their responsibilities.

Already the free SHS education policy has faced some challenges. It only covers fresh form 1 students and this has no bearing with the “free SHS education for all” campaign which the NPP government preached.

The policy doesn’t even cover form one students who had the need to repeat the year on accounts of poor academic performance. People are still studying under harsh conditions, some students are struggling with a place to sit and these challenges affect a great deal the quality of our education.

From the foregoing it will be very prudent for government, for the avoidance of doubt in the minds of well meaning Ghanaians to set out the modalities in the takeover of missionary schools vis-a-vis its next line of action as far as the implementation of the free SHS policy is concerned.

Source: GhanaCrusader.Com

Fake Law Lecturer arrested at KNUST

The Ashanti Regional Police have arrested a 34-year-old man who has been parading himself as a law lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Micheal Asante, also known as Lawyer Asante or Micheal Yaw Antwi Boasiako has according to the police, defrauded a number of persons of an amount of GHS748,000 under the pretext of securing them contracts.

The fake lawyer also promised to, among other things enlist some of his victims into the security services, get them admissions into tertiary institutions and other unspecified jobs.

He, however, failed to fulfil his promise and went into hiding until his arrest on October 24, 2017.

Police say investigations conducted so far have revealed that the suspect also parades himself as a legal consultant.
On other occasions, he presents himself to his unsuspecting clients as a travel consultant and a Senior State Attorney at the Attorney General’s office in Kumasi.
During the month of April through to October 2017, introduced himself to two contractors as a special assistant to the CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) with a promise that he could secure them contracts to build oil storage tanks for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

He then asked the two contractors to pay him an amount of GHS695,000 to facilitate the process for them.
The two contractors then gave him the said amount, but he failed to honour his promise and went into hiding.
The two mentioned the issue to a National Security Operative who managed to arrest him at Kumasi in his vehicle and handed him over to the Police.

Investigations have also revealed that he is not a special assistant to the CEO of GNPC neither has he gotten any transactions with TOR.
He has, however, admitted having collected the said amount from the complainants but did not give it to anybody at TOR as he told the complainants.

In the course of the investigations, others having heard of his arrest also reported to the Regional CID and complained that suspect Micheal Asante under the same guise collected various sums of money ranging from GHS5,000 to GHS40,000 to assist in enlisting them into the security services, secure them admissions into the tertiary institutions and secure them jobs in some Ministries and Agencies.
Investigations also revealed that suspect Micheal Asante is involved in a series of fraud cases in Accra and Kumasi and is being prosecuted in the Law Courts.

The police believe that there are victims who have fallen prey to his fraudulent activities and are urging them to report to the Regional CID to assist in further investigations.

Credit:myjoyonline.com

UCC Security Inadequately Resourced To Combat Criminals

Personnel at the University of Cape Coast [UCC] Security Section are inadequately resourced to effectively deal with the kind of robberies reported from the University community and its environs.

This was revealed by an intelligence officer with the UCC security section, Warrant Officer Moses Frempah in an interview on the Atlantic Wave on Thursday.

Mr. Frempah says they are only armed with truncheons, whistles and torchlights and these cannot counter the weapons wielded by the criminals.

The section also has just two vehicles serving the entire university community making them unable to respond promptly to crimes when they are reported.
The University of Cape Coast is surrendered by about seven communities where some students seek accommodation from private developers.
The issue of security in these communities have continued to be a challenge though the university’s security section has in varied ways supported to ward off criminals.

Providing security at the diaspora is part of the responsibilities of hostel owners. The private hostel community meetings chaired by the Dean of Students is one avenue where security at the diaspora is discussed.

Mr. Frempah says the security section has offered to train security men when they are employed by private hostels but most hostel owners have failed to employ security personnel.
The security section however says there has been a relative reduction of crime on campus compared to the situation in previous times.

The section says there has been no report of theft or robbery at any of the halls of residence since school reopened two months ago.

Source: Christian Baidoo / ATL FM News

NSS Apologizes To Service Personnel

The Deputy National Service Director in charge of Operations, Henry Nana Boakye says the secretariat is putting in measures to pay the allowances of service personnel.

According to him, the secretariat is carrying out an audit to ensure that payment is done accordingly and also erase the pay roll of Ghost names hence the delay in payment of the service allowance.

National Service personnel across the country have for the past two (2) months not received their allowances.

The government approved the amount of GHc 559 to be paid as monthly allowance to National Service personnel.

Payments of the upward adjustment started from April 1, management of the National Service Secretariat said.

Acting NSS Executive Director, Ussif Mustapha, in a statement thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the approval.

The NSS allowance was increased by President John Mahama in his last days in office.

But speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ programme, Henry Nana Boakye explained that they understand the conditions of the service personnel.

“We are however pleading with them to bear with us as we will soon release the payment of the allowances”, he added.

Nana Boakye also added that the enrollment of service Personnel this year alone increased and that the secretariat must be able to work out the payment for all the enrolled.

“They should bear with us we will soon pay them”, he reiterated.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

National Service Scheme releases certificates

The Ghana National Service Scheme (GNSS) has released certificates for National Service Personnel who completed their Service for the 2015/2016 service year.

A statement signed by the Executive Director of the Scheme, HON. USSIF MUSTAPHA, said All national service personnel who successfully completed their mandatory national service for the above stipulated period could therefore contact their various NSS regional secretariats from Wednesday, 4th October, 2017.

“Personnel who completed their service for the 2015/2016 service year can visit the Regional Office of the Region they did their national service to collect their certificates,” the statement added.

NATIONAL SERVICE CERTIFICATES FOR 2015/2016
Accra, Ghana – Monday, October 2, 2017: The Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has completed all processes towards issuance of National Service Certificates for the 2015/2016 service year.
All national service personnel who successfully completed their mandatory national service for the above stipulated period could therefore contact their various NSS regional secretariats from Wednesday, 4th October, 2017 with valid NSS identification and or national identification cards for collection of their national service certificates.

Signed
HON. USSIF MUSTAPHA
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KNUST Suspends 23 Students for Hooting at Female Colleagues

Twenty-three students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been suspended by authorities of the University for hooting at a female colleague

The suspended students include the Public Relations Officer of Unity Hall, Dominic Donkor who led freshers affiliated to the hall to hoot at female students on campus.

KNUST Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Mr. Nathaniel Arthur confirmed on campus radio Focus FM hooting is prohibited on campus and therefore punishable.

“In as much as hooting at ladies was overlooked in the Hall, it was not appropriate for residents of the halls to engage in the act”, he stated.

“This is uncalled for and discriminatory all students should learn to quite from it”, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee pointed out.

Meanwhile, some students have condemned hooting on campus and have welcomed the news of suspension of their colleagues.

KNUST Suspends 23 Students for Hooting at Female Colleagues

Twenty-three students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been suspended by authorities of the University for hooting at a female colleague

The suspended students include the Public Relations Officer of Unity Hall, Dominic Donkor who led freshers affiliated to the hall to hoot at female students on campus.

KNUST Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Mr. Nathaniel Arthur confirmed on campus radio Focus FM hooting is prohibited on campus and therefore punishable.

“In as much as hooting at ladies was overlooked in the Hall, it was not appropriate for residents of the halls to engage in the act”, he stated.

“This is uncalled for and discriminatory all students should learn to quite from it”, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee pointed out.

Meanwhile, some students have condemned hooting on campus and have welcomed the news of suspension of their colleagues.

KNUST Suspends 23 Students for Hooting at Female Colleagues

Twenty-three students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been suspended by authorities of the University for hooting at a female colleague

The suspended students include the Public Relations Officer of Unity Hall, Dominic Donkor who led freshers affiliated to the hall to hoot at female students on campus.

KNUST Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Mr. Nathaniel Arthur confirmed on campus radio Focus FM hooting is prohibited on campus and therefore punishable.

“In as much as hooting at ladies was overlooked in the Hall, it was not appropriate for residents of the halls to engage in the act”, he stated.

“This is uncalled for and discriminatory all students should learn to quite from it”, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee pointed out.

Meanwhile, some students have condemned hooting on campus and have welcomed the news of suspension of their colleagues.

Angry JHS pupils repeated for poor performance set classrooms ablaze

About 130 pupils and teachers of Tabiri Gyansa Junior High School at Mpasaaso Number One in the Ashanti, Region have been left without shelter after fire ravaged their three-unit classroom block.

Wednesday night’s incident in the Ahafo Ano South District saw teaching and learning materials and other school property completely burnt. 

Though the cause of the fire has not been established yet, school authorities suspect a group of pupils who had been asked to repeat their class for non-performance, is behind the fire.

News of inferno at the school which sits on the outskirts of the town came as a surprise to many because there is no electricity there.

Distress calls to the nearest fire station at Mankranso yielded no result.

Members of the community managed to salvage only a few pieces of furniture.
Pupils and teachers arrived at the compound Thursday morning to a devastating sight of the destruction.

They later wore red armbands, calling for investigations to track down and bring the perpetrators to book.

The pupils said they brought the threats to the attention community leaders and police after an earlier arson attempt.

Though teachers will not speak on record, they said they have been targets of robbery.

The community is saddened at the incident.           

Nana Obiri Yeboah, a concerned parent said the whole community has kept awake since the time of the incident.

Police at Mankranso have commenced investigations into the matter.

District Commander, Supt. John Adusei indicated that they are working with the community to uncover the mystery behind the incident.

"We have been on the ground since the incident happened, my men were even present when the fire was consuming the building. The people are suspecting arson so we will consider that as well", he said.

The community has proposed a Senior High School structure under construction should be used temporarily by the displaced JHS pupils.

Omanhene of the area, Nana Tabiri Gyansah said the community will prepare the proposed site to receive the students.

Meanwhile, the District Education Directorate has assured that it will liaise with the community to resettle the pupils, based on advice from the District Security Committee.

Public Relations Officer, Osei Brenya disclosed the Directorate is also considering sharing pupils among schools in the community.

Teachers upon request will be transferred temporarily from the community until the place is declared safe for them.

"Teachers do not feel safe so we will also consider their safety in every step we take", he Mr. Osei Brenya added.

Credit: myjoyonline

In Kumasi: KNUST level 100 student commits suicide

A level 100 BA Geography and Rural Development student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has reportedly committed suicide.

The student, identified as Stephen Nana Agyei Manu, was reportedly found lying in a prone position inside a female washroom in the CCB building on the campus of the university in the hot afternoon of Thursday with an empty bottle of Nopest insecticide.

He is alleged to have taken in doses of the insecticide in a suicide mission.

Manu was initially rushed to the KNUST Hospital for treatment by the security officials of the University.

According to the police, at about 3:00 pm Thursday they received information from the KNUST security officers that a student of the institution had attempted suicide by gulping down poisonous insecticide.

Crime scene officers dispatched to the University found the young man dead and later identified him as Stephen Nana Agyei Manu, who was pursuing a BA degree in Geography and Rural Development, the police said.

The 20-year old, who had no torture marks on his body, was reportedly dressed in a pair of blue jeans trousers matched with white, blue and black shirt.

His body has since been deposited at the morgue of the KNUST Hospital.

Investigation is ongoing, whilst the cause of death has provisionally been put as insecticide poisoning, pending confirmation by the coroner during the inquest, according to the Daily Guide newspaper.

UHAS rusticates five students, two others to be sacked

The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has rusticated five students for examination malpractices in the second semester of the 2016/2017 academic year.

Two other students are to be expelled from the University for examination related misconduct, Professor John Gyapong, the Vice Chancellor of the University, said at the six matriculation of newly admitted students for the 2017/2018 academic year.

He said UHAS “takes examinations very seriously and abhors examination malpractices” and urged the fresh students to read and abide by all regulations governing the conduct of students especially on the conduct of examinations in the students’ handbook.

Prof Gyapong called on the students to play responsible roles saying you were admitted as individuals and would therefore be responsible individually for all actions throughout your stay in the University.

He said in the last five years, the University has made significant progresses and asked the students to take advantage of facilities and opportunities in the University to excel.

Prof Gyapong said the University was gratified that a major challenge faced by students in the past was gradually being resolved with the inception of Metro Mass Transit Services to provide transport services for students and staff.

He said the University Management had assembled competent and experienced professors, lecturers, administrators and other professionals to ensure that students were productive during their stay in UHAS.

The Vice Chancellor urged the students to build long lasting relationships with their colleagues and be disciplined by imbibing the values and ethos of the University.

A total of 1,401 students were admitted but 824 enrolled out of 5,340 applications for undergraduate programmes.

The University also received 112 applications for postgraduate programmes in the School of Public Health, admitted 27 and enrolled 25.

Credit: 3news

CBS CENTRE, UCC Marks First Anniversary Of The Commissioning

Exactly a year today, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of UCC, Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupole accompanied by the learned Professor, Patrick Otieno Lumumba, commissioned the Campus Broadcasting Services (CBS) Center.
The commissioning paved way for the eventual relocation of ATL FM from studio 442 ATL Hall, old site into the Campus Broadcasting Services Center.
The centre currently houses ATL FM and ATL FM online.

An official opening ceremony last year signifying the official maiden broadcast of ATL FM from the Kofi Totobi Quakyi Studio, saw the attendance of some members of the University management, well-wishers and pioneers of the station. For many in the university community, September 21 will be an unforgettable landmark in the history of ATL FM and University of Cape Coast at large.

Credit: Atl fm online