He therefore announced plans by Brand Ghana to embark on a domestic campaign that sought to make Ghanaians become more patriotic people with a common mindset to establish a compelling image for the country.

Mr Akotia said this when he gave a presentation during the 31st Annual Management Day organized by the University of Ghana Business School on the theme “Strong Brands for a Strong Nation.”  The Annual Management Day event is held to enable students to interact with those in industry and policy makers about various management ideas.
    “Ghana’s reputation and citizenship capital are imperative to our strategic development.the process of citizenship development must therefore be conscious and proactive,” he stressed.
.     Mr Akotia expressed worry that there was no consciously espoused shared values and common vision in Ghana and blamed it on too much of division among the people.
   He announced his office’s preparedness to work with all citizens of Ghana to develop and implement a proactive and integrated internal and international brand strategy and called on  Ghanaians to support the idea.
    Mr David Venn, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, sharing the Vodafone branding experience in Ghana said consumers or customers were the most important part of branding since the success of a brand depended on customers.
   He therefore urged companies and organizations to give their consumers quality products and services and mentioned that Vodafone was adjudged the 7th best Company in terms of brands worldwide.
    Professor Kwesi Yankah, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said branding or maintaining of a good image was not solely the responsibility of management but a collective responsibility.
  He urged the University of Ghana Business School to strive to allow the best business practices imparted to students to also permeate the culture of work within the university.

GNA

She said this year’s paragliding festival was well package to have a new look from the previous ones with the inclusion of side attractions such as a health walk, adventure hikes, musical shows, dances, street carnival and other activities.

Mrs Okaikoi was addressing the opening of the fifth paragliding festival at Atibie in the Kwahu South District on Easter Friday, where 14 plaits from the United State of America (USA), South Africa, Norway, France, Benin and Germany were taking part.  She stressed the Ministry’s determination to promote the paragliding festival and all other tourists’ attraction in the country, in a way to generate people’s interest to cherish and participate in all planned activities, to enable them enjoy their heritage and help promote domestic tourism.

 The Minister of Tourism said with collective efforts, tourism could be used as an enviable option to transform the lives of the people to generate revenue for community development and offer employment to the people especially the youth. 

She said domestic tourism could be use as effective tool to foster social harmony, understanding and peace among Ghanaians which was vital for national development and also help to boost the development of micro, small and medium scale enterprises in the communities.

  The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo said the Region which was referred to as the land of the origin of cocoa, also has the potential to become the most preferred tourism destination in the country.
   He said those great economic potentials would only remain a dream if the tourism industry players, investors and other stakeholders do not come together to develop the tourism resources.
   Mr Ampofo said the challenge facing the tourism stakeholders in the Kwahu area was how to collaborate and use the destination management approach to develop the area holistically as a single tourism destination.
   He therefore made a passionate appeal to all stakeholders in the tourism sector including the District Assemblies, the Ghana Tourist Board, the Presbyterian University College, the Kwahu Traditional Council, the Kwahu Citizens Association, Tourism and Business Operators and the Media, to collaborate to achieve the dream of developing Kwahu into the “honey moon destination of West Africa”.
   The Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Julius Debrah said local pilots would be trained to make the paragliding a regular affair to allow tourists to visit the area.
   The Adontenhene of the Kwahu Traditional area, Nana Asiedu Adjeman, III appealed to the government to rehabilitate roads leading to the Kwahu area to enable more tourists to visit the various tourists site in the area.

GNA

 He noted that, in the country’s quest for development, the citizenry must exhibit positive traits like honesty, truthfulness and hard work and the state should also ensure that its citizens are well-sheltered and catered for.  In an Easter message to Ghanaians through the GNA in Cape Coast, Rev. Dr Anakwa advised political parties to work in concert and contribute their quota to national development, stressing that, the country would only succeed if everyone plays his or her role well and with unity.

Rev. Anakwa cited the reconciliation of Pontius Pilate and King Herod (Luke 23:12) who were “bitter enemies” but had to forget personal interest and exonerate Jesus Christ of his accusers and in the process reconciled and therefore urged all politicians to place the interest of the nation paramount and unite to ensure its socio-economic growth.

In another message, the Bishop of the Cape Coast Diocese of the Anglican Church, Right Rev. Daniel Sylvanus Adotei Allotey, urged Ghanaians to emulate the sacrifices Jesus Christ made on the cross to atone for their sins and tolerate each other, in order to manage any kind of crisis that the nation may encounter. He said without peace and stability the future of the nation is bleak and urged all Ghanaians to work towards achieving that, as posterity will not forgive this present generation if it failed.

Rev. Adotey asked the citizenry to respect those in authority and offer constructive criticisms, while the leadership of the nation should also have the welfare of the ordinary Ghanaian at heart.

 Bishop Allotey appealed to the media to desist from sensationalism and be truthful in their reportage to maintain their credibility. To the youth, he urged them to work diligently, focus on God and to do away with “get rich quick” attitudes in order not to fall prey to social vices like “sakawa”, drug peddling and pre-marital sex.

He noted that most of the youth has great potentials but needed training to enhance their capabilities and urged them to be disciplined and desist from mis-conducting themselves.  The Bishop of Cape Coast Methodist Diocese, Reverend Nicholas Asane, said Easter manifests the love God showed to all mankind and emphasized that God still loves all.

He re-echoed calls to the leadership of the country to remain focused and to seek God’s counsel and directions in all its decisions and urged all to use the occasion to live in harmony with one another.
GNA

 The show is to project, modernise, and move agriculture to a highly commercial level.  Ms Tetteh called on stakeholders to collaborate to make agriculture attractive to all and sundry, especially the youth.  She said because agriculture continued to be an important part of national development, people should be encouraged to take up the venture as an essential aspect of national life.

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Information called for the separation of agriculture as a subject in the school curricula to encourage students to choose it as a profession.
   Mr Philip Abayori, Chairman of FAGRO Advisory Board, said agriculture was the bedrock of Ghana’s economy and contributed 34 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
   He said FAGRO was instituted because of the problems associated with the marketing and promotion of agricultural produce and facilitate post harvest management and technologically driven production.
   Mr Abayori said expected exhibitors at FAGRO 2010, would include farmers, fishermen and other stakeholders from the 10 regions as well as Africa, Europe and Asia.
   It would also offer an opportunity to scientists, engineers, agricultural institutions, buyers, exporters, dealers and suppliers of agro inputs and machinery to showcase their talents and inventions in the quest to address problems and challenges facing the agricultural sector.
   Ms Alberta Nana Akyea Akosa, Exhibition Director said FAGRO sought to promote Ghana’s traditional foods and assist in making agriculture attractive for the youth.
   Mr Paul Agyiri, Acting Deputy Managing Director, Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) said the fair should alert all stakeholders in agriculture about the state of the industry and do more to uplift it.
   He said ADB would continue to be the main agricultural financing institution in the country, notwithstanding the perception that the bank was drifting away from its primary focus.

GNA

Madam Soma, who chaired the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Campus Lectures, organised by the Students Representation Council of the Takoradi Polytechnic, with the All African Students Union, at the weekend, stressed that Essikadu deserved special mention each time Ghana’s Pre-Independence stories were told.  It was on the theme, “His ideas, His vision, his Times and the Record.

 She said Anthony Woode, a trade unionist, Pobee Biney, a railway driver and several other railway workers, took active parts in the ‘Positive Action’ that later spread to several parts of the country, culminating in Ghana’s independence. “We were arrested, beaten, injured and some, including Nana Kobina Nketsia, the IV, went to prison for their various roles in the Independence Struggle,” she added.

Essikadu is a major suburb of the Sekondi, the city which pairs with Takoradi as the capital of the Western Region.  Nana Soma who was then 21 years old, said the current practices of divide and rule, ethnic bias and abuses against each other were signs of the disasters which Dr Kwame Nkrumah tried to prevent.

She said Dr. Nkrumah promoted unity and worked with people of various educational and tribal backgrounds without discrimination so present day governments should emulate such principles in the interest of national peace.  “Polarisation of the country along tribal, ethnic, educational and social lines is a recipe for disaster that must be avoided at all costs.”

 Nana Soma advised the youth to be ready to die for their country, adding that, this would be the greatest sacrifice anyone could make to his or her nation.  She challenged people in government to adopt some of the leadership styles of Dr. Nkrumah and focus more on the infrastructural development of the country.

GNA

A statement signed by Mr. Paul Okoh, Member for Asutifi North and Nana Abu Bonsra, observed with regret on Friday, the recent conflict between the two traditional rulers of Techiman and Tuobodom and called on Nananom to refrain their followers from conducts that could endanger any positive effort towards achieving peace. 

Mr. Okoh who read the statement acknowledged the efforts of government to ensure that peace and harmony returned to Tuobodom and Techiman.  The caucuses called on the media to assist in bringing the matter to a peaceful end.  “Exhibit high standard of professionalism in your reportage on issues relating to the conflict,” he told the media.

 They also called on the security agencies to conduct themselves in an impartial manner and urged government to deal sternly with any public official who compromised his or her office in the matter.  They noted that the development of their respective regions would be undermined without peace and called on Ghanaians to support Nananom to observe the peace.

 They therefore commended the Asantehene and the Techimanhene for calling on their peoples to be calm.

GNA

Dr Amoo said it was important that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) focused attention on health education to get Ghanaians to adopt good
healthy habits including how they eat and what they should eat and drink.  He said the project sought to bring to the fore basic health care
and advice to the doorsteps of communities, regarding malaria, respiratory infections hypertension, anaemia, muscular pains,
diarrhoea, skin problems and eye allergies.  The organisation used the occasion to dispense drugs and reading glasses free of charge to people.

Reverend Alex Nkrumah, Head Pastor of Revival Restoration Centre of the Assemblies of God Church; Roman Ridge Accra, under whose
auspices the outreach was being organised said 1500 pieces of reading glasses worth 60,000 Ghana cedis would be given out free to those who
needed them.  Drugs worth 120,000 Ghana cedis some donated by Ayton Drugs and Tobinco pharmaceutical company would also be given free of charge.

He said about six communities were expected to benefit from the outreach programme in the Ho Municipal area. “Our purpose is to minister to the body, soul and spirit of ou people,” Rev. Nkrumah said.  Mr John Pullen, of the EPI, USA said people in the rural communities were in tremendous need for medical care and treatment.  He said he was impressed with the high level of friendliness and appreciation shown by the rural folks which, he said was a tribute to the life and culture of Ghana.

Mr Kwesi Daniel Ntifu, an elderly patient expressed satisfaction about the way he was attended to by the team.

GNA

 Togbe Ayim made the call when he addressed a group of female traditional leaders from the municipality in Ho on Tuesday.  The meeting, organized by the Royal Vision International (ROVI), a non-governmental organization, was under the theme, “Female traditional leaders in community development.”

 Togbe Ayim observed that the rich store of ideas and wisdom of female traditional leaders which formed the core of the traditional political and social systems seemed lost to the modern Ghanaian society. He said in traditional societies of old, female traditional leaders proved to be astute strategists, tacticians, thinkers as well as social and political organizers, both in peace times and in emergencies such as wars.  ”Their role was monumental. Though regarded as weak physically in actual fact they are strong,” Togbe Ayim said.  He said it was therefore time for female traditional leaders to reassert themselves through their own initiatives.

Ms Edem Wuttor, Executive Director of ROVI, said the 1992 Constitution recognizes the position of  queenmothers by its definition of a chief.  Ms Wuttor said while efforts were being made to create formal structures for Queenmothers as their male counterparts nationally, they should seize the initiative by organizing themselves at the local and district levels.

Ms Ellen Alai, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Women, assured the Queenmothers that the department would support any initiatives they would take at the local level to gain visibility in local and national affairs.
GNA

Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector General of Police (IGP) made the announcement at the end-of-year party and awards ceremony of the MTTU in Accra on Friday. The IGP said the Police Administration was conducting training and retraining exercises with a special focus on capacity building in areas where personnel were found to be deficient. He said but for few actions of incorrigible individuals in the MTTU which accounted for the Service’s poor performance rating and placement in the corruption index, the entire Service was and remained a credible institution adding, the Administration was determined to maintain it.

 “You must remember that it takes just a single act to damage the corporate image of the Service but it will take the collective actions of all of us and over a period of time to cleanse that tarnished image. Let us win back our prestige and respect from the public through hard work, honesty and sincerity” the IGP said. He said the Service would therefore, put special emphasis on Police Public Relations, integrity, professional etiquette and the equitable application of the tenets of democracy. He observed that despite efforts, road accidents continued to be on the increase and challenged the MTTU to intensify its efforts at addressing the issue.

The IGP said there was the need for coordination among stakeholders in enforcing road safety regulations and called for a reciprocal service support from all partners in road traffic management. He questioned why “in the 21st century, Police will not be able to access vehicle registration information in a Police Office but will have to obtain it on paper only from the DVLA after several hours or days on request.  “It also beats my imagination that Police have been enforcing motor vehicle insurance regulations for decades without reciprocal contribution to our logistical needs from the Insurance Companies” he said.

He commended the MTTU for its excellent contribution towards reducing vehicular congestion in the cities. He assured that the Police high command was working round the clock to secure the facilities, amenities and conditions that would help uplift the spirits and morale of personnel. Mr. Daniel Avorga, National Commanding Officer of the MTTU, said the Unit faced challenges such as inadequate manpower and vehicles to facilitate patrols and supervision, inadequate communication equipment among others which were hampering its efficiency.

Mr Avorga said despite this, the Unit had generated GHc397,646.4 through prosecutions of road traffic offences into the consolidated fund. He gave the provisional accident statistics for 2009 as 12,565 cases out of which 1,587 resulted deaths and 9,767 in injuries. He promised an improved performance by the MTTU this year.

GNA

Madam Hanna Twumasi-Ankrah, Tema Metropolitan Director of the Births and Deaths Registry, gave the statistics in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema on Wednesday.  Madam Twumasi-Ankrah, who gave the breakdown of the births as 8,484 males and 7,211 females, added that out of the total figure of 10,344, 5,207 males and 5,137 females were births registered during the year.  A total of 5,396 births, comprising 3,307 males and 2,089 females registered in 2009, were older than one year.

She indicated that the highest births were recorded in the second quarter of the year, which saw the registration of 4,098 children, followed by 4,009 in the first quarter, 3,888 in the third quarter and 3,700 in the fourth quarter of the year 2009.  Madam Twumasi-Ankrah stated that out of the 2,029 deaths registered last year, 1,162 were males and 867 were females.  She said 57 infant child mortalities were recorded last year, showing an increase over 50 registered in 2008.

The records, she said, revealed that the highest deaths of 552 were registered during the first quarter of last year, 507 in the third quarter and 497 and 473 in the fourth and second quarters respectively. She noted that cardio-related diseases accounted for majority of the deaths registered.  She, therefore, advised the public to take physical exercise serious and attend periodic medical checkups.

Touching on the challenges of her outfit, she said limited funds were allocated to the Registry, despite the numerous outreach programmes and mass registration exercises it undertook to ensure the availability of accurate and reliable data. Madam Twumasi-Ankrah stated that but for the support of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) it would have been difficult for the Registry to meet its targets.