Couples for Christ, a group of eleven married couples from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the OLA and Sacred Heart Parishes in Bolgatanga has cautioned Junior High School students who are yet to enter the Senior High Schools to make God a major part of their lives as they go into the Senior High Schools.

The group started holding seminars in 2009 to prepare children morally every year before they go into Senior High School. The Couples for Christ also seek to educate children on how to handle themselves at the Senior High School so they can realize their dreams as future leaders.

Chairman of Couples for Christ, Joseph Jesse Panin in an exclusive interview with A1 News at this year’s seminar held over the weekend at the Asongtaaba Guest house here in Bolgatanga said the seminar was based on the idea that, if the family is well-organized then society will also be well-organized.

 He said children should be guided in their daily activities to enable them learn good things and practice them. Mr. Panin reminded parents and teachers that all children belong to God and should be given the best support to enable them achieve their goals in life.

By: Cletus Adugbire | A1radioonline.com | Ghana

Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Daniel Syme has urged youth of the region to respect the elderly and draw inspiration from them.

He was addressing students of the Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School during the commemoration of the 8^th African Youth Day over the weekend.

The Deputy Minister said Ghanaian youth must remain effectively engaged and involved in efforts to achieve sustainable development of the country and Africa at large.

The African Youth Day is set aside for governments, Civil Society Organizations and the youth to take stock of activities, successes, failures and challenges faced by young people in Africa and to propose plans to address issues relating to the youth.

Upper East Regional Youth Coordinator of  the National Youth Authority, Daud James Abang-Gos said  even though some youth in Ghana and for that matter, Africa  are involved in some negative activities, a majority of them have contributed in nation building in the areas of agriculture, sports, academia and maintenance of general security. He therefore called for the youth to be celebrated.

By: Joshua Asaah | A1radioonline.com | Ghana

As the 2014 District Assembly Elections draws nearer, the Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC), a Non Governmental Organization working to promote good governance and community development in the Upper East Region has called for the involvement of women in local governance.

At a day’s sensitization workshop held over the weekend for members of the Coalition of NGOs in Local Governance, it was made known that women in the Upper East Region as well as other parts of the country are not always courageous enough to take up leadership positions.

Some current and aspiring assembly women said financial constraints often hinder some women from contesting in district Assembly Elections.

Bawku Municipal Director for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Hakeem Suleman emphasized the need for government to include women in decision-making since women constitute the greater population of the country.

By: Joshua Asaah | A1radioonline.com | Ghana

The 2013 Ghana Nurses and Midwife Trainees Association – Students’ Representative Council’s (GNMTA-SCR) annual week celebrations of the Bolgatanga Nurses’ Training College was last Friday disrupted, when a first year student of the college got drowned at the Blue Sky Hotel swimming pool at Kumbosco, near Bolgatanga, during a pool party.

Some colleagues of the deceased, Enoch Yeboah, who were with him when the incident occurred, said they suspected a bottle of Guinness he took might have led to his drowning in the swimming pool. His body was deposited at the Regional Hospital Mortuary in Bolgatanga.

The expectations of the celebrants, who hoped to have used the event to raise funds during the climax at the weekend, through their much-awaited Beauty Pageant and Live Music Concert, were cut short.

The SRC of the college had intended to raise money during the two events to construct a toilet for the students.

Musah Mac-Moomin, Principal of the College confirming the death of Enoch, said the management of the College received the news with shock, because they had warned the celebrants to go about all outdoor activities with optimum caution, so as to stay away from trouble during the week-long programme.

Though regrettable, the Principal said the death of the student was an eye-opener for both management and the student body, as they would take into consideration some restrictions and precautionary measures to avert a repetition of such an incident whenever out-door events are to be organized by the school.

Beautiful Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson, has called on President John Mahama to take steps to improve the plight of “suffering” Ghanaians.

In a blunt tweet Friday afternoon, Yvonne asked the President via his handle, @JDMahama,  to “do something” because Ghanaians were “suffering”.

Yvonne made a vague reference to the recent hike in recent utility tariffs, implying that Ghanaians were struggling to cope with the new tariffs.

“Mr President. Ghanaians are suffering. The people of Ghana are SUFFERING. #fuel #electricity #water plsdosomething! Thank you,” the actress tweeted.

“God save us!!! Help our land”, Yvonne, who has 182,700 followers on twitter, added.

The President has yet to respond to the tweet.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Kingsley Obeng Kyereh of GBC Radio Saturday night emerged the GJA-PAV Ansah Journalist of the Year at the Ghana Journalists Association’s annual Awards bash to reward good journalism.

Obeng Kyereh’s story titled “Where did half the ladle go?” saw him pick the ultimate from a formidable line-up of journalists whose works have been acknowledged over the period of assessment. It also handed him another award – Best Science Report.

His story exposes the dangers inherent in the use of metallic cooking utensils.

The colourful ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the State House turned out to be a wrestling bout between journalists of the Graphic Communications Group Limited and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

The Ghanaian Times and the Multimedia Group also had a good showing.

Below is the full list of award winners 

Honorary Awards

• Cyril Acorlatse
• Ms Wendy Asiamah
• Mr Tom Dorkenoo
• Mrs Margaret Sarfo
• Mr Theophilus Mawusi Afele

• Journalist of the Year – Kingsley Obeng Kyereh – GBC Radio
• Best in News Reporting (Print) – Charles Benoni Okine – Graphic Business

• Best in News Reporting (Radio) – Kwaku Owusu Peprah – Joy FM

• Best in News Reporting (TV) – Manasseh Azure Awini – Joy FM

• Best in Feature (Print) – Edmund Kofi Yeboah – Daily Graphic

• Best in News Reporting (TV) – Odelia Ofori – TV3

• Best in Investigative Reporting – Kwetey Nartey – TV Africa

• Best in Photojournalism – Emmanuel Quaye – Daily Graphic

• Best in Sports – Dzifah Tetteh – The Ghanaian Times

• Best in Arts/Entertainment & Domestic Tourism – Rebecca Awuah – GTV24

• Best Entry in Small and Micro Scale Enterprises – Maxwell Akalaare – Graphic Business

• Best in Environmental Report – William Asiedu – The Mirror

• Best Report in Health – Rebecca Quaye – The Mirror

• Best Report in HIV and AIDS – Jamila Akweley Okerchire – Daily Guide

• Best in Development Journalism for furthering MDGs – Efua Acquaah-Harrison – TV3

• Best in Rural Reporting – Gifty Andoh Appiah – Joy FM

• Best in political Reporting – Konrad Kakraba – GTV

• Human Rights (focus on Child Rights) Fanny Nana Ampong – GTV

• Best Report on Disability – Rosemary Gaisie – GBC Radio

• Best Report on Peace, Democracy and Peace Building – Radio XYZ

• Best Report on Education – Seth Bokpe – Daily Graphic

• Best Report in Agriculture – Isabella Owusu Oppong – GTV

• Best radio/TV programme – Akan – Radio Peace (Winneba)

• Best radio/TV programme – Ga – Obonu FM

• Best Report on Science – Kingsley Obeng Kyere – GBC Radio

• Young Promising Journalist of the Year – Hannah Acheampong Amoah – Junior Graphic

• Young Promising Journalist of the Year (Runner-up) David Adadevoh – The Ghanaian Times

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Visitors from Ghana and four other countries to the United Kingdom will no longer be required pay a  £3,000 security bond before entering that country.

This is because the UK Government’s plans to force visitors from “high risk” countries to pay the £3,000 security bond to enter the UK have been scrapped, the Sunday Times has reported.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s scheme was due to be piloted from this month as a way of deterring temporary visitors from staying on in the UK after their visas expire.

Visitors from Ghana, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nigeria would have been required to pay the deposit for a six-month visa, but the scheme has now been scrapped.

Deputy UK Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg had threatened to block the plans to levy a £3,000 security bond from visa applicants, as he played up policy differences with Conservative coalition partners.

Speaking at his party conference in Glasgow, and under fire from activists for being too compliant with the policies of the Conservatives, Mr. Clegg was at pains to highlight the divisions between the two parties.

Mr Clegg told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show “of course in a coalition I can stop things” and added: “I am absolutely not interested in a bond which becomes an indiscriminate way of clobbering people who want to [visit the UK].”

Some Ghanaians were incensed by the announcement of the plan especially given that only the week before that announcement, President John Mahama had held bilateral talks with Prime Minister David Cameron at No. 10 Downing Street.

Mr. Cameron praised Ghana’s democratic credentials only for his government to list Ghana amongst ‘high-risk’ countries and to contemplate imposing a £3,000 security bond on Ghanaian visitors to the UK.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the plans and warning they had the potential to harm trade relations between the two countries.

The widespread condemnation, coupled with the threat by the Liberal Democrats may have influenced the UK government’s decision to scrap the plans.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

President John Mahama on Thursday held discussions with the senior management of the Scania Group, a Swedish automobile company, for the supply of public transport buses to the Intercity STC and the Metro Mass Transit Companies.

The discussions took place during a visit to the company, as part of the President’s activities, while in Sweden to attend the mid-term review meeting of the GAVI Alliance.

This was contained in a statement from the Flagstaff House Communication Bureau and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

According to the statement, the meeting was arranged by the Swedish Government through their Ministries of Enterprises and Foreign Affairs, to afford the President an opportunity to assess the various range of Scania public transport buses available and discuss the country’s requirements.

The President told the company’s officials that as government begins the implementation of a rapid bus transport system, it also intends to deploy a lot of public transport buses for intra city commuting to utilize the bus lanes, while making it possible for commuters to park and board buses from the outskirts of the major cities into the Central Business Districts.

The statement said with Intercity STC facing various challenges, President Mahama, who has already reconstituted the Board of the company, has promised to ensure that the management of the bus company is also strengthened and given clear targets to achieve.

“The supply of new, quality and passenger friendly buses will be a good beginning for the struggling company.”

The statement added that President Mahama had earlier held discussions with officials of the Swedish Government on a number of issues including urban transport management.

Source: GNA