By: Eric K. Amponsah, Collins Boateng and Alhasan Niziru
The Ablekum sub – metro district yesterday had its turn of the National identification card exercise.
The exercise was the third face of the registration, and it’s starting from 11th to 21st of January this year at 7am to 5pm.
Speaking to M r. Jonathan Amos Nduakor, the registration officer of the Odorkor Taaten, said, the registration has been peaceful, and that all the people who have gotten their name registered are all up to the task and have responded to the exercise positively.
Meanwhile, one of the participants who gave his name as John Mensah, said the days for the registration should be increase so those who offer daily duties can participate.
He laid an allegation against the registration offers as to their attitude towards the work. He said some put electronic gadgets in their ears therefore shifting their attention from the participants. He also said that the officers consider their friends and relatives first regardless of those in the guile.
The story was different when times visited Akweteman, speaking to the residents in the area about the exercise; they said they were satisfied with the way the exercise was going. Children were separated from the adult to enable the exercise move on smoothly and to easy human traffic.
According the residents, if the registration exercise was to go on smoothly as it is now then the NIA would be able to cover all the people living in the Akweteman.
Mr. Legibo Augustine- Seidu, the registration officer told Times that the exercise has been well organized except that the environment was not conducive for the registration exercise.
He noted that due to the sun raise when taken pictures, his officials find it difficult, and has been a great challenge but despite that all is well.
Friday, March 19, 2010
FDB BOSS IN CORRUPTION
BY: COLLINS BOATENG AND ERIC K. AMPONSAH
The Progressive Nationalist Forum a Non-governmental organization whose aim is to fight corruption has leveled a number of malfeasances against the Food and Drug board director.
Mr. Fred Amankwa Sarfo, the General Secretary of the group in a press briefing yesterday accused the FDB boss of spending 84, 000.00 thousand dollars equivalents to 1,201,200,000.00 old Ghana cedis for renting a two year house apartment, 144,000.00 thousand dollars equivalent to 2,059,200,000.00 old Ghana cedis per year for renting an FDB office and a Toyota V8 land cruiser for his official use in addition to his official vehicle.
He said, the above expenses do not tally with the financial administration Act of the Public Procurement Act. Of the 1992 constitution which is a serious issue of corruption. It is a clear violation and must be dealt with; he said the group has petitioned CHRAJ to investigate into the case.
He said when the issue came to public domain, the FDB directors reactions prove unsatisfaction and explained that he took those decisions with the blessing of Ministry of Health.
According to the group, Mr. Mpuni accepted that he rented an official residence at a cost of 84,000.00 dollars (1,201, 200, 000, 00) for two years, 7,000.00.dollars to 12,000.00 dollars or144, 00dollars (2,059,200,000.00) per year. And that the V8 land cruiser was allocated to him for long distance travel by the Minister of Health.
Meanwhile, the group said the above expending were not recourse to the governing board of the FDB but instead a sole instructions of Mr. Mpuni.
“We stand by our position that the FDB boss abused his office and was in a conflict of interest situation when he identified that the property at Kanda himself, okayed the “renting” of the property, and went ahead to occupy the said property” her stated.
The group has charged the FDB director to come out openly and explain to the public who negotiated and at what price and to what extend was the interest of Ghana factored into the negotiation.
Is the 84,000 alleged rent actually a mortgage payment in full or in part?
What is the average cost of the houses at Kanda and the best deal we could have made?
Whose chose the negotiating team and why they did not follow the procedures in the public procurement act, and many questions they inquire the FDB boss explain to the general public.
Mr. Aankwa Sarfo said, the decisions of the FDB boss by the Minister does not make the decision legal as it is required that any major decisions of expenditure such as the case of Mr. Mpuni should be approve by the governing board.
The government should carry out comprehensive review of public board and agencies with regards to financial expenditure to help curb corruption and lose of state funds.
Reacting to the allegation raised by the group, Dr. Steven Opuni said the approval by Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, the Minister of Health.
He said those decitions were taken without recourse to the governing when Board because it is a normal practice when huge monies are involved.
Dr. Opuni said, if FDB needs to procure anything above the threshold of the officially approved financial level of the FDB, Ministerial tender Review Board.
He described the actions of the group as mischievous who are being used against him in his quest to ensure that standardized food and
The Progressive Nationalist Forum a Non-governmental organization whose aim is to fight corruption has leveled a number of malfeasances against the Food and Drug board director.
Mr. Fred Amankwa Sarfo, the General Secretary of the group in a press briefing yesterday accused the FDB boss of spending 84, 000.00 thousand dollars equivalents to 1,201,200,000.00 old Ghana cedis for renting a two year house apartment, 144,000.00 thousand dollars equivalent to 2,059,200,000.00 old Ghana cedis per year for renting an FDB office and a Toyota V8 land cruiser for his official use in addition to his official vehicle.
He said, the above expenses do not tally with the financial administration Act of the Public Procurement Act. Of the 1992 constitution which is a serious issue of corruption. It is a clear violation and must be dealt with; he said the group has petitioned CHRAJ to investigate into the case.
He said when the issue came to public domain, the FDB directors reactions prove unsatisfaction and explained that he took those decisions with the blessing of Ministry of Health.
According to the group, Mr. Mpuni accepted that he rented an official residence at a cost of 84,000.00 dollars (1,201, 200, 000, 00) for two years, 7,000.00.dollars to 12,000.00 dollars or144, 00dollars (2,059,200,000.00) per year. And that the V8 land cruiser was allocated to him for long distance travel by the Minister of Health.
Meanwhile, the group said the above expending were not recourse to the governing board of the FDB but instead a sole instructions of Mr. Mpuni.
“We stand by our position that the FDB boss abused his office and was in a conflict of interest situation when he identified that the property at Kanda himself, okayed the “renting” of the property, and went ahead to occupy the said property” her stated.
The group has charged the FDB director to come out openly and explain to the public who negotiated and at what price and to what extend was the interest of Ghana factored into the negotiation.
Is the 84,000 alleged rent actually a mortgage payment in full or in part?
What is the average cost of the houses at Kanda and the best deal we could have made?
Whose chose the negotiating team and why they did not follow the procedures in the public procurement act, and many questions they inquire the FDB boss explain to the general public.
Mr. Aankwa Sarfo said, the decisions of the FDB boss by the Minister does not make the decision legal as it is required that any major decisions of expenditure such as the case of Mr. Mpuni should be approve by the governing board.
The government should carry out comprehensive review of public board and agencies with regards to financial expenditure to help curb corruption and lose of state funds.
Reacting to the allegation raised by the group, Dr. Steven Opuni said the approval by Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, the Minister of Health.
He said those decitions were taken without recourse to the governing when Board because it is a normal practice when huge monies are involved.
Dr. Opuni said, if FDB needs to procure anything above the threshold of the officially approved financial level of the FDB, Ministerial tender Review Board.
He described the actions of the group as mischievous who are being used against him in his quest to ensure that standardized food and
PATH
BY: ERIC K. AMPONSAH
The program coordinator for Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) Mrs. Patience Cofie has proposed the need for local base solution to the country’s health problem.
She said the time has come to look out for technologies that are necessary for the highly trained health workers even though the technologies have to be both cost effective and culturally appropriate.
She said this at the commission of Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), a non-governmental organization in Accra.
The program was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and all the key partners’ organization across the country.
Mrs. Patience Cofie, said the health sector of Ghana has chalked some success in the health indicators such as reducing childhood deaths and increasing antenatal coverage, among others.
However, there are still challenges regarding incidence of malaria and maternal deaths, though improved significantly, still stands high and that professional staff for critical health service delivery is still inadequate and resources for scaling up interventions in the sector are also inadequate.
She said the office of PATH in Ghana is currently focused on MCHN and oversees the Oxytocin Initiative project which works with the GHS and Kintampo Health Research Center, and supporting the Malaria Vaccine Initiative through malaria vaccine trials in KHRC and Agogo Hospital and Meningococcal “A” vaccine trial at Navrongo Health Research Center, for prevention of cerebrospinal meningitis.
Mrs. Cofie noted, “we work in maternal, newborn and child health nutrition, health systems strengthening, reproductive health, malaria, TB and other emerging diseases, HIV|AIDS and vaccine development as well as immunization programs.
She complemented the government effort in improving maternal health, and announced the commencement of the oxytocin Initiative (OI) project in Ghana, the three year Oxytocin Initiative (OI) research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates which will investigate the administration of oxytocin via Inject device during the third stage of labor by health care providers, specifically Community Health Officers (CHOs) in order to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) occurring at home births in Ghana.
Mrs. Cofie added that, the ultimate goal of the OI project is to look for solutions that contribute to the reduction of the high maternal mortality rate in Ghana, particularly those attributed to postpartum hemorrhage of which the reduction will assist Ghana to achieve the MDG5.
The Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah who commissioned the offices said, the history of the development of the health sector in Ghana would have noted that under this government the health sector in Ghana has put before it some of the most difficult policies which are aimed at improving in sustainable manner of the health status of all Ghanaians.
These policies require that we work with the private sector and nongovernmental organization to ensure that we achieve the desired result and it is against this background that I welcome the presence of PATH in Ghana, he noted.
He added that engaging organizations such as PATH, will give Ghana the opportunity to take on board new ideas and pave the way for the introduction of new technologies.
Dr. Quaye-Kumah stressed that the policy of free deliveries in health facilities is also being vigorously promoted and for the first time the Ministry will take the initiative to ensure that the mal-distribution of human resource for health is dealt with.
He urged PATH to keep a keen focus on the health of our rural communities while in Ghana because it is the rural communities who produce the bulk of our nation’s wealth.
Dr. Quaye-Kumah cautioned PATH to make maximum use of the facilities government will put at their disposal and also recognize that the facilities cost government huge sums of money.
The program coordinator for Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) Mrs. Patience Cofie has proposed the need for local base solution to the country’s health problem.
She said the time has come to look out for technologies that are necessary for the highly trained health workers even though the technologies have to be both cost effective and culturally appropriate.
She said this at the commission of Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), a non-governmental organization in Accra.
The program was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and all the key partners’ organization across the country.
Mrs. Patience Cofie, said the health sector of Ghana has chalked some success in the health indicators such as reducing childhood deaths and increasing antenatal coverage, among others.
However, there are still challenges regarding incidence of malaria and maternal deaths, though improved significantly, still stands high and that professional staff for critical health service delivery is still inadequate and resources for scaling up interventions in the sector are also inadequate.
She said the office of PATH in Ghana is currently focused on MCHN and oversees the Oxytocin Initiative project which works with the GHS and Kintampo Health Research Center, and supporting the Malaria Vaccine Initiative through malaria vaccine trials in KHRC and Agogo Hospital and Meningococcal “A” vaccine trial at Navrongo Health Research Center, for prevention of cerebrospinal meningitis.
Mrs. Cofie noted, “we work in maternal, newborn and child health nutrition, health systems strengthening, reproductive health, malaria, TB and other emerging diseases, HIV|AIDS and vaccine development as well as immunization programs.
She complemented the government effort in improving maternal health, and announced the commencement of the oxytocin Initiative (OI) project in Ghana, the three year Oxytocin Initiative (OI) research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates which will investigate the administration of oxytocin via Inject device during the third stage of labor by health care providers, specifically Community Health Officers (CHOs) in order to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) occurring at home births in Ghana.
Mrs. Cofie added that, the ultimate goal of the OI project is to look for solutions that contribute to the reduction of the high maternal mortality rate in Ghana, particularly those attributed to postpartum hemorrhage of which the reduction will assist Ghana to achieve the MDG5.
The Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah who commissioned the offices said, the history of the development of the health sector in Ghana would have noted that under this government the health sector in Ghana has put before it some of the most difficult policies which are aimed at improving in sustainable manner of the health status of all Ghanaians.
These policies require that we work with the private sector and nongovernmental organization to ensure that we achieve the desired result and it is against this background that I welcome the presence of PATH in Ghana, he noted.
He added that engaging organizations such as PATH, will give Ghana the opportunity to take on board new ideas and pave the way for the introduction of new technologies.
Dr. Quaye-Kumah stressed that the policy of free deliveries in health facilities is also being vigorously promoted and for the first time the Ministry will take the initiative to ensure that the mal-distribution of human resource for health is dealt with.
He urged PATH to keep a keen focus on the health of our rural communities while in Ghana because it is the rural communities who produce the bulk of our nation’s wealth.
Dr. Quaye-Kumah cautioned PATH to make maximum use of the facilities government will put at their disposal and also recognize that the facilities cost government huge sums of money.
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