UMaT renamed George Grant University of Mines and Technology

President Akufo-Addo has officially renamed the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to the George Grant University of Mines and Technology, after the first President of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).

The Tarkwa-based tertiary institution was renamed on Friday, January 12, 2018 at a special congregation held at the school to install former President John Kufuor as its Chancellor.

Kufuor, who commissioned the school back in August 2005, will be its first Chancellor.
President Nana Addo, who announced the renaming of the university, said: “It is only fitting that this great modest man who can lay a legitimate claim of being the father of modern Ghanaian nationalist should be properly honoured by a grateful posterity by us who are heirs of the freedom he so violently fought for especially by the citizens of this great Western Region.”

“I appreciate the special moment this will be for me, a descendant of all the myriad of persons who assembled at Saltpond under his president , the lost United Gold Coast Convention UGCC on that fateful Saturday 4th August 1947 when the power of Ghanaian freedom and independence was nominated to be the president who will have the privilege to assent to this decision,” he added.

Chairman of the University’s Council, Dr. Stephen S. Yirenkyi, in his address pleaded with the President Akufo-Addo to allocate funds to the school for the completion of legacy projects, incompletion is impeding teaching and learning.

“I humbly request that the President commits adequate funds for the expansion of this University for the completion the uncompleted projects which are fast deteriorating,” he said.
While calling on the government and the University Staff to support Kufuor govern the school, Dr. Yirenkyi noted that the new Chancellor had an enormous task to enable the institution “continue to stand tall.”

“Today the University is seeing a new phase. The Chancellor has an enormous responsibility to make this University continue to stand tall and maintain its positions as the best public-funded University in Ghana. I am also optimistic that he will be given the needed support by the President and his government, Captains of the mining and the allied industries and rank and file of the university to make his work as the chancellor a pleasant one,” he said.
Originally known as the Tarkwa Technical Institute in 1952 when it was first established, the school became a fully fledged University in November 2004 by an Act of Parliament (Act 677).

About George Grant

George Alfred Grant, popularly known as Paa Grant was a merchant and politician.
As a political activist, he was a founder and the first president of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947.

Grant was educated at Wesleyan School in Cape Coast and through private tuition given by Joseph D. Abraham, a wealthy merchant friend of his father’s.

Grant was subsequently employed in the timber trade, first at Axim and then for five years in the Ivory Coast.
In 1896, he established his own firm, George Grant and Company.He prospered as a timber merchant, with a flourishing export business, at a time when the trade was dominated by European companies.

In 1926 he was appointed to the Legislative Council, representing Sekondi. Grant was also a member of the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society and was instrumental in many development projects including introducing street lighting and pipe-borne water to Sekondi and Axim.

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.