Jumat, 05 Oktober 2012

MORDEN ABBATOIR OPENS IN MADINA

 STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

THICK black smoke rises from the uncompleted building into the air clouding the building.
Bare-chested men covered in blood and dirt furiously fan and open fire fuelled by tyres to prepare slaughtered animals for the market.

Then an army of houseflies, ant and other insects oblivious of the human organised activity around attacked the pile of lifeless animals ready to be skinned.

Just beside the heap of carcass, there is stinking pool full of blackish water filled with plastics and burnt fleece.

 These are but a few of the many nauseating scenes that met one until the construction of the new ultra-modern abattoir facility at Madina in Accra.

Compared to the old slaughter house, the new abattoir is miles ahead in terms of both safety and hygiene.
Johnny’s Food and Meat Complex (as the new place is known) is a one stop shop for a tall list of agricultural produce livestock and poultry.

The well ventilated abattoir is tiled and has a slaughter room specifically for the butchering of animals. The room is immediately washed and cleaned after every slaughter to keep the place hygienic at all times.

The animal is then fleeced in an oven and then washed twice in a basin under a clean running water to have a clean skin to get the skin----‘wele’ which is a delicacy for many Ghanaians.

The carcass is then run through a cutter which is so sharp that it cuts through the bones of the animal rendering the butcher’s knife useless.

The meat is then packaged into clean plastic bags before being transported into the market.

An excited Chief Butcher at Madina Market, Mr Inusa Fuseini, was full of praises for the new abattoir.

“It is safer and more convenient. The hustle associated with the old is far reduced comparably.”

He could not resist the temptation of narrating how animals are handled at the old place.

He started: “the animals, when slaughtered, are laid on the bare floor to drain the blood from them.”

“An open fire mostly made of car tyres is then prepared. The dead animal is then placed on the fire in order to burn and brush its skin which usually lasts more than an hour.”

According to him, the carcass is again washed on the bare floor and cut into pieces to remove the unwanted substances from the animal.

Mr Inusa said the processes were also done at a fast pace in order to meet the demand of customers and
clients.

Interestingly, the health implications were not lost on him.

 “We usually don’t take many precautions on the sanitation aspect because we do not have anywhere else to operate and this building was put up by us so we do things our own way”, he explained.

The slaughtering of  meat in unhygienic conditions in the country has been a matter of concern for some time now.

Meat processed in this old dilapidated abattoir is grim hence poses a health risk to consumers.

Many Ghanaians buy meat from these butchers every day without knowing the abattoir it is coming from, sometimes compromising their health.

These situations have, therefore, made the safety of meat on the Ghanaian market; particularly those slaughtered locally, a source of concern over the years.

To stem the trend, the Chief Executive Officer of the complex, Mr Ohene Agyekum, said the abattoir was equipped with sophisticated modern facilities to ensure high quality control standard of the complex.

 In addition, the abattoir has a veterinary office, two big warehouses for the storage of food and meat produce, slaughtering and dressing departments, a parking lot for customers and a mini market.

He told the Daily Graphic that management of the abattoir was environmentally conscious hence animal waste substances was converted into gas for reuse.

According to him, slaughtered animals went through rigorous routine checks at the complex to ensure that they were clean and healthy before going to market for consumption.

“There is a department that handles the slaughtering, dressing, beef bone in, beef liver, beef burger among others,” he explained.
Additionally, the complex is intended to deal with farmers both within the poultry and the farming industry.

The abattoir also has a kraal and a pen to keep animals bought from farmers within the country and slaughtered at the abattoir by customers who placed orders.

He said the abattoir provides instant slaughtering of about five cows, 40-50 goats and sheep and 50 birds for customers daily.

“This is a whole modern farm factory. All you have to do is to come in and choose any farm produce you want and we would slaughter it for you”, he said.

Mr Agyekum further told Daily Graphic that a mini market was also under construction within the complex so as to receive and harbour market women who would want to operate and sell their wares within the complex.

This he said would improve on food security and create job opportunities for the youth who were coming out of the tertiary institutions in the country with speciality in agriculture.

Mr Agyekum therefore called on the government to provide support which would help hasten the completion of the abattoir for it to start operating fully in the country.

Butchers at the Madina Market who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed satisfaction with the meat production at the complex.

They said the new and modern facility involved in the slaughtering and dressing of the animals had helped to improve on their meat delivery and sales.

“In the past, it took a longer time to get meat ready for sale but now we do not have to worry about the time. We get the meat when we want it”.

They also called on the government to see to it that the poultry, livestock and farming sectors in the country were well catered for and provided the necessary equipment and facility to improve the sector.










CHIEF IMAM URGES POLITICIANS

 STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

THE National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has called on politicians to put the interest of Ghanaians and Ghana first in all their endeavours.

He also urged them to desist from making unguarded statements which had the tendency to destabilise the country.

Sheikh Sharubutu made the call when the National Executives of the Zongo Caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) paid a courtesy call on him.

They were on a tour visiting Islamic leaders in the country to seek Allah’s protection and guidance for the upcoming general elections.

The visit also provided the opportunity for the caucus to formally introduce the executive body to the Chief Imam as they embarked on a door to door campaign to seek votes for the NDC.

The Chief Imam cautioned the group to desist from unhealthy arguments during their tour as it was an easy way to start chaos.

“Always engage in healthy arguments as it helps to broaden ones knowledge in life but try as much as possible not to engage in arguments that would lead to violence as Allah frowns on violence,” he said.

Additionally, he urged Muslims in the various Zongo communities to always be guided by the principles of Islam and continue to seek Allah’s guidance and protection at all times.

He further urged Ghanaians to continue to live in peace with one another as it was healthy for socio-economic and national development.

The leader of the delegation, Alhaji Baba Sharif, said the NDC government, in its quest to prioritise education for the Muslim community, was currently paying Arabic teachers who teach in most of the Arabic schools in the country.

He also stressed government’s commitment to ensure an incident free hajj this year, adding that this year’s hajj was part of the government’s better Ghana agenda.

He urged all Ghanaians to vote massively for the NDC come December for more developments and wealth creation in the country.

The Chief Imam of Alhusunna Waljamah, Sheik Umar Ibrahim, called for enhanced education in the Zongo communities by improving on educational infrastructure and the quality of education.   

MAHAMA FUN CLUB LAUNCHED

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

A fun club, known as the Mahama Fan Club, has been launched in Accra with the aim of ensuring that President John Dramani Mahama secures an overwhelming mandate from the good people of Ghana, come December 2012.

This, it said, would be done by mobilising floating voters, the youth, members from the diaspora and teen members form the various tertiary institutions to campaign vigorously for the President and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

It would also educate the people and the grass root supporters of the party on matters relating to the elections.

The club draws its membership from communities across the country and the diaspora, who believe in the ideals of the party and the President.

Speaking at the launch, the National Communications Director of the club, Mr Zimblim Saaka, said the club was initiated to demonstrate an appreciation to the NDC for all it had done for countrymen and women since the inception of the multi-party democracy under the Fourth Republican Constitution.

He said the President and the NDC had proven over the years that it had hope for the ordinary people and would lead all Ghanaians to a great future if given the mandate in 2012.

He recalled that President Mahama, during his tenure as the Chairman of the Economic Management Team, led the country to experience sustained single digit inflation, economic boom, financial reforms, gas infrastructural development among other beneficial developmental projects.

Also, President Mahama,in his position as Chairman of the Police Council, led the nation to witness sustainable peace and security and massive infrastructural development of all security agencies.

“We are convinced that new initiatives and life changing developments would be rolled out again if President Mahama should continue the phase two of the better Ghana agenda,” he explained.

Mr Saaka, however, expressed optimism that President Mahama  would deliver on his programmes and policies when given the mandate again to lead the country for the next term.

He reaffirmed the club’s commitment to peace, hence they would ensure that it would not be cowed into any diabolic agenda but rather divert its attention to win the upcoming elections.

AFRICA WORLD AIRLINE FINALLY LAUNCHED

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH



GHANA’S fifth domestic airline, Africa World Airline (AWA), has launched its commercial operations to boost the local economy and enhance travel by both local and foreign investors in the country.

AWA is a joint venture between the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Strategic African Securities (SAS), both of Ghana, and Hainan Airlines of China.
It now joins Antrak Air, CityLink, Starbow Airline and Fly 540 on the domestic airline market.

The founder of the airline, Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, said at the launch yesterday that the airline would begin its first commercial flight from Accra to Kumasi and subsequently to the other major destinations including Tamale and Takoradi.

He expressed optimism that as the market condition of the airline increased, so would the fleet of the airline.
“We expect to have a large fleet size and this will mean large operations to enable us to offer competitive fares so that our customers will have value for money,” he explained.

Togbe Afede XIV assured Ghanaians of reliability and safety on board the flight.

In his address, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Gong Jianzhong, said the establishment of AWA was an important milestone for China-Africa co-operation in the aviation sector.

He expressed confidence that with the participation of the shareholders, the airline would play an important role in promoting Ghana’s regional position as the logistics and passenger centre in West Africa.

He further affirmed the Chinese government’s readiness to work continuously and closely with the Government of Ghana to enhance mutual beneficial co-operation to create a better environment for investment.

Mr Gong also expressed optimism that China-Ghana joint ventures would contribute to the economic development of the country.

The Minister of Tourism, Madam Akua Sena Dansua, lauded the effort of the airline to boost domestic tourism in the country.

She encouraged the airline to spread its tentacles wider to the other tourism sectors in the country in order to encourage local travel in the country.

IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO HELP CHANGE THE ADVERTISING SECTOR

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

The President of the Advertisers Association of Ghana, Mrs  Norkor Duah, has called on stakeholders in the advertising industry to implement strategies that would help meet the challenges of the sector.

This, she said would make the industry well regulated to ensure an efficient and credible advertising industry which would be devoid of unprofessional and undesirable practices.

Mrs Duah made this remarks today during a stakeholders meeting on the Advertising Industry Bill in Accra organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and BUSAC to critically study, assess and evaluate the bill before submitting it to Parliament.

The Bill when passed into law would allow the Advertising Council to regulate the practice of advertising, register practitioners and license advertising companies.

The Council would also ensure that advertising is legal, honest and fruitful and that the best interest of the consumer of advertising was protected.

The meeting was also to sensitise the public about the advertising rules and regulations and also advocate for the immediate passage of the bill into law.

She said currently, the advertising agency in the country faces several challenges which include the proliferation of advertising agencies and media organisations in the country resulting to unethical and unfair practices that tend to discredit the industry.

She said the registration and operation of advertising agencies without due recourse to any rules and regulations, lack of mechanisms for the public to report on offensive advertisements that are published in the mass media, among others were some of the malpractices being executed in the industry.

She emphasised, however, that the regulation of the advertising industry was an ongoing exercise in the various countries in the world adding that Nigeria has recently held a summit to make proposals which would regulate alcoholic beverage marketing communications in the country.

Mrs Duah, therefore urged the stakeholders to make the implementation of the bill a key priority in order to awaken the principles and objectives of the industry in the country.

Presenting the Bill, a Legislative Draft Consultant, Mrs Estelle Matilda Appiah, said as a matter of public interest, there was the need to advocate for more responsible and responsive advertising to reassure consumers who have the right to factual information.

“There should be a complaints mechanism for the public to deal with unethical advertising and advertisements that make false claims,” she said.

She also called on the Food and Drugs Authority to play a role in restraining the advertisement of drugs on television sets without approval.

CORPORATE BODIES DONATE TOWARDS FARMERS DAY

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH
Eleven organisations, including two insurance companies, have donated assorted items and cheques to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) towards the  28th National Farmers Day in Accra.

The event will be held at Abokobi in the Ga East municipality of the Greater Accra Region on the theme: “Grow More Food: Strengthening Farmer-Based Organisations for Marketplace Bargaining Power”.

The organisations and their presentations are: Gbe-Hanger, GH¢1,250; AP Oil and Gas, GH¢1,000; Unique Insurance Company Limited, a cheque for GH¢2,000 and insurance cover worth GH¢5,000; Quality Life Insurance company, a cheque for GH¢20,000 for the three top winners of the awards.

Others are Accra Brewery Limited (ABL), 220 cartons of assorted drinks; Allied Home Group, four track tyres and a cheque for GH¢10,000; Wynca Sunshine, spraying machines valued at  GH¢15,640, and Anointed Electricals Ghana Limited, a generator set valued at GH¢30,000.

The rest are Continental Christian Traders (CCT), GH¢5,500 worth of fishing cables, and Wienco Ghana Limited, pesticide sprayers worth GH¢20,000 and a cheque for GH¢10,000.

Donations were also made by Crocodile Machete Limited, Yara Ghana, Ghana Cement Company (GHACEM) and Best Environmental Technologies.

The Sales Officer of Crocodile Machete, Mr Frank Akosah Yiadom, presented 14 boxes of machetes worth GH¢4,300 for distribution to the farmers and a cheque for GH¢1,000 to support the organisation of the event.

The Retail Sales Manager of Yara Ghana, Mr Henry Otoo-Mensah, gave a cheque for GH¢10,000 and assorted fertilisers worth GH¢43,000.

On behalf of GHACEM, its Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director, Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, presented GH¢1,000 bags of cement worth GH¢25,000 for the construction of farm projects such as wells and ponds.

Best Environmental Technologies also presented six gallons of RE3 poultry feed enhancer worth GH¢400 to support the farmers. This was presented by the Director of Sales of the company, Mr Patrick  P. Morttey.

A Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops, Mr Effa Baafi, commended the organisations for their support and assured them that the donations would be used for the intended purposes.

He appealed to other corporate bodies in the country to donate towards the event.

The Technical Director of ABL, Mr Kevin Osborn, said the organisation recognised the immense contribution of farmers to the sustenance of the country, adding that a large quantity of farm produce from Ghana was used in the production of the company’s drinks.

The Marketing Director of Allied Home Group, Mr Kishore N. Mukhi, lauded the efforts of farmers, adding that they were key to the growth and development of the country.

PASS THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS REGULATORY BILL- DR SAMUEL YAW OPOKU

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

Dr Samuel Yaw Opoku.
The Registrar of the Allied Health Task Force Secretariat, Dr Samuel Yaw Opoku , has appealed to the leadership of Parliament to do everything humanly possible to hasten the passage of the  Health Professions Regulatory Bill before the tenure of the current Parliament ends for the year.

He said the bill which also comprises of the Health Professions Regulatory Bill, when passed into an Act would regulate the training and practice of allied health professions in the country.

He said the need for such regulations was important due to the fact that the involvement of the private sector in the healthcare delivery system was on the increase.

“It is important to recognise the urgent need to protect “Patients” and ensure that the public are protected from the activities of those who have entered the healthcare delivery system with the sole aim of making money,” he said.

Dr Opoku made the call at the 2nd Induction and Oath Swearing –In ceremony of Allied Health Interns today in Accra.

The ceremony was on the theme, “Delivering Safe and Effective Practice in Allied Health Professions through Efficient and Responsive Regulatory Framework.”

He said with the advancement of with technological development in medical and health sciences, there was the need to show concern about the calibre and competencies of people who worked in the various medical fields.

He advised the interns to be cautiously innovative, continually search for new knowledge and seek advice from colleagues when necessary.

Dr Opoku further urged them to be guided by true sense of brotherliness and nationhood adding that they should not be too frequent with strike actions and abandon the country for money.

Speaking on the theme, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Professor Fred Binka revealed that 52 per cent of the health workforce was located in the district level and 15.6 per cent located in the sub district level.

He said the regional hospitals constituted 8.9 of the workforce and a further 12.4 were located within the teaching hospitals hence the figures unacceptable.

He, therefore called for more professionals into the healthcare system in order to increase the workforce to serve the underserved rural populations.

This he said would lead to displacing the untrained service providers thereby delivering safe and effective practices at the district level to ensure a healthy population for national development.

Professor Binka encouraged the interns to put their knowledge into practice in order to contribute the quota fully to the society.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo in his remarks lauded the efforts of the task force secretariat for being able to facilitate continious professional development in the country.

He assured them of the Ministry’s effort to secure funds to support their activities as it remains one of the key tasks to better place the profession and reduce numerous medico-legal issues that arise from professional negligence.

He advised the interns to turn every challenge they encounter into an opportunity so as to be able to defend and honour their chosen careers other than to bring disgrace to themselves.

“Let your hard work reflect in your day to day activities as you strive for excellence in support of the vision of the health sector,” he added.

Mr Mettle-Nunoo  further assured  them of the Ministry’s commitment  of improving human capital for the country’s development efforts.

EYRAM TAWIA AKOFA WINS YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

THE Chief Executive Officer of Leti Games, a game industry in Ghana, Mr Eyram Tawia Akofa, has been adjudged the winner of this year’s Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) Award.

The 28-year old graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), will join winners from 17 countries to participate in a shared study tour of the media sector of the UK.

Mr Akofa will also have the chance to attend the 2012 London Film Festival, which starts from October 10 to 25, this year.

Organised by the British Council, the YCE award allows the winners to gain unique access to and insight into the UK media industry and provides the opportunity to make a wide range of business contacts that will act as a springboard for future business internationally.

Established in 2006, the award identifies and connects a global network of emerging innovative entrepreneurs in the creative and cultural sector.

It also champions those who find new ways to take creative work to audiences and communities.
The focus of the programme is to catalyse future collaboration and business between the UK and participating countries around the world.

At the event to announce the winner in Accra last Thursday, the Head of Programmes at the British Council, Ms Bridget Konadu-Gyamfi, explained that the YCE award sought to find young entrepreneurs with passion to develop the creative sector and the cultural market.

‘’Over the past five years, we have selected three winners (two from fashion and one from the media) to participate in a shared programme in the UK. We hope to continue to offer young entrepreneurs in these areas such opportunities,’’ she said.

Giving details of the criteria for selection, Ms Konadu-Gyamfi said 50 people applied for this year’s YCE award.

“Applicants were shortlisted, screened and six finalists selected. They went through interview sessions and the eventual winner was selected,’’ she said.

According to her, Mr Akofa was selected based on his creativity in designing and implementing games in most programming languages.

“Due to the limitation in finding local expertise in the scale of game development, his company tries to contribute to academia by improving the Computer Science curriculum using game development,’’ she said.

Mr Akofa observed that the idea behind the creation of Leti games was to bridge the gap between Science and Arts.

“This will create a whole new industry in Africa that will create job opportunities for the creative media industry,’’ he said.

POLICE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTED TO PEACEFUL ELECTIONS-IGP

 STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has called on the leadership of political parties to advise their supporters to conduct themselves in a way that will not breach the peace in the run-up to the general election.

He said the Police Administration was committed to ensuring that the December elections were successful.
Inaugurating a music theatre building to provide a suitable learning environment for the Accra Police Band in Accra last Thursday, Mr Quaye said personnel of the Ghana Police Service had been urged to exhibit impartiality in the discharge of their duties.

He said the police would, therefore, deal ruthlessly with anyone who breached the peace.

He urged police personnel to maintain peace at all times.

“Bias policing must be eschewed if we are to win the confidence of the people,” he added.
Christened; “The Paul Tawiah Quaye Music Theatre”, the building was funded by members of the band.
It comprises a practising room, a bandmaster’s office, a library and a music laboratory.

Mr Quaye lauded the effort of the band to construct the building.

“This shows how resilient the Band Unit has been over the years to live up to its mandate, even in the face of challenges,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the new facility would lead to the production of melodious tunes to project the Music Department and the Police Service in general.

He said the band played a very important role in the Police Service, adding that it was a source of relaxation during regimental assignments and other social functions

He urged the band to cultivate the culture of maintenance in order to maintain the building and prolong its lifespan.

Mr Quaye pledged his commitment to the development of the entire Police Service, adding that he would not relent in his efforts at finding the necessary resources to fully equip the various departments and units of the service.

He also urged them to continue to be disciplined in all their endeavours.

The Director of Music of the Police Band, DSP Godfred Tawiah, said the construction of the building started a year ago with a donation of GH¢2,000 by the IGP after a parade by the band.

He said the initial structure, which was put up about 87 years ago, was only designed as a practising shed to contain only 25 people and could, therefore, not contain the current numerical strength of the band which stands at 200.

He expressed the desire of the band to be affiliated to the University of Ghana to study courses of the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music.

DSP Tawiah called on the Police Administration to provide the band with full sets of regimental and dance band instruments and also tar the ground on which the bandsmen undertook rehearsal and drill exercises.

GHAHA TO HAVE AN ARMS PRODUCTION UNIT BY 2013

 STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

Plans are far advanced to set up an arms production unit in the country by 2013, the Director General of Defence Industries Department (DID), Mr Hyacinth Nii Armah Tagoe has revealed.

He said the country currently imports ammunitions into the country including blank ammunitions for training which costs a lot and drains the country’s budget and resources.

“If we have our own ammunition plant here, we would be able to produce our own guns to be distributed to the various security agencies and also export if necessary,” he said.

The arms production unit forms part of the numerous project that the department is undertaking by the year 2013 and they include,the construction of affordable housing units, vehicle assembling points, agro processing plants, renewable energy and radios, garment and foot wear tailoring centres, printing and computer centres.

The required capital to start these projects stands at US$2,210 and when completed would create 8,400 jobs in the country.

The DID was set up in 2011 with consultation  with the Military High Command and the Ministry of Defence to evolve a strategic plan for the effective management of emerging threats to the social-economic and human security challenges confronting the country.

Mr Armah Tagoe made this known in his presentation on the areas of concern and possible cooperation of the Defence Industries Holding Company (DIHCO) Limited, to a 30 member delegation from South Africa who paid a working visit to the Ministry today.

DIHCO is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will implement the  mission, vision, and the objectives of the Military High Command with a mission to collaborate with the Civil Authority for socio-economic development.

The visit led by the Minister for Public Enterprises from South Africa, Mr Mauls Gigaba was to see how best both countries would collaborate with each other to improve the economy and welfare of its people.

The delegation was made up of representatives from the transport, rails and logistics, energy, Information Communication Technology (ICT), forestry, mining, defence manufacturing, and airways.

Mr Tagoe further revealed plans to build three referral hospitals in two, six and seven garrisons in the country adding that the addition of new hospitals would help the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goals four, five and six.

Additionally, a pharmaceutical  drugs production plant would also be set up  to ensure that all the drugs listed  on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and other essential drugs in the health management scheme are sold to the public and private health facilities  at discounted prices.

“This is to ensure that the financial burden at the NHIS posses to the Government’s annual budget is reduces drastically,” he said.

He explained further that the project would ensure that the health delivery system in the country was affordable to all and sundry irrespective of social or financial status.

He however, pledged the Ghana Armed Forces commitment to support the Civil Authority to undertake accelerated developmental projects in the country.

“This noble institution of state is dedicated to the realisation of its vision and capable of achieving the mission within the proposed time frame,” he added. 

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Defence, the Acting Director General of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Micheal Offei expressed optimism that the visit of the South African delegation would go a long way in paving a very flexible and productive collaboration that would go a long way to consolidate and support the existing relationship.

Furthermore, the development and growth of both countries would have positive impact on the lives of its citizenry adding that it was a very laudable idea to constantly deliberate on issues to know how to move the nations further.

He however, called for corporation that could support the Ministry to move forward and develop other sectors of the economy to generate employment and create job opportunities for the youth.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Denel , a defence manufacturing company in South Africa, Mr  Riaz Saloojee,  in his remarks expressed interest to collaborate with the Ministry to set up an ammunition plant for the production of arms and a vehicle assembling point in the country.

ORGANISATIONS REWARDED FOR THEIR QUALITY SERVICE

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

Thirty-two organisations and individuals were today awarded outstanding performance in customer service delievery in the country.

They received the recognition for their contribution to the sector for the past 12 months at the 2nd Ghana Customer Service Conference and 3rd awards ceremony on customer service in Accra.

The awards event was to promote high professional standards in the customer service fraternity as well as encourage excellence among customer service practitioners and reward businesses for their attitude, contribution and commitment towards their customers.

The theme for this year’s event was “Achieving Customer Service Excellence in Ghana; The role of Stakeholders.”

Speaking at the ceremony, the National Customer Service Advocate and Coordinator of the Ghana Customer Service Week, Mr Hector Wulff said excellent customer service opens doors for investment and businesses in Africa.

He said with the collective efforts of stakeholders in the customer service industry, a lot could be achieved as organisations would be forced to provide the best of services to their clients and customers who play a bigger role in the success of their companies.

He revealed that the award was instituted to promote awareness for excellent customer service concept and its importance to the success of businesses.

Mr Wulff said the annual national event was devoted to raising the standards of customer service across the country through awareness creation, education and sharing of global best practice in service delivery.

The Minister of State In- Charge of Public Sector Reform, Mr Alhassan Azong, in his remarks advised stakeholders to ensure quality customer care at all times.

He said without the customer, companies and organisations would not be as successful as they are because they play very important roles in every organisations success.

He therefore urged the awardees to continue to exhibit a sense of professionalism in their work by giving the customer every needed attention.

The President of the Customer Advocacy Centre, Dr Mrs Goski Alarbi who chaired the function urged customers to always demand their rights as clients of various companies and organisations.

The awards which were in 12 categories saw City Lights Ghana Limited, Toyota Ghana Limited, Somotex Ghana Limited, the Spinal Clinc, Nest of Ideas Consulting Limited, Rlg Communications, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, TV3 Ghana, Goldcoast Securities Company Limited and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry  win under the Ghana Customer Service Hall of Fame category.

The Corporate Ambassadors for Service Excellence category was awarded to 12 organisations which include Everpure Ghana Limited, State Insurance Company, National Investment Bank, Starlife Assurance Company Limited, Vodafone Ghana, Goil Ghana Limited and Virgin Atlantic Ghana.

The rest were Elite Kingdom and Investments and Consulting Limited , Alisa Hotel, Akroma Plaza Hotel, JD Fast Foods and Restaurants, and  Ashanti Home Touch and Restaurants.

The Service Oriented Institution of the year went to Bank of Africa while Jaka Investment Limited took the
Promising Customer Service Organisation of the year 2012 to 2013.

Indomie , was awarded the Customer Trusted Brand of the Year whilst  Professor Robert Hinson of the University of  Ghana Business School took  the Service Excellence Publication of the year 2012 to 2013 with his publication on service marketing excellence.

The Customer Service Consultancy of the year 2012 to 2013, was won by Mam Corporate Resources Africa  whilst the Chief Executive Officer of  Mobile Zone Ghana Limited, Mr Maxwell Techie  and the CEO of  Mibes  Hospitality  Limited, Mrs Bridget Markwe won the Customer Service King and Queen of the year.

The Customer Service Professionals of the year 2012 to 2013, went to the Head of Customer  Service and Public Relations  of National Investments Bank (NIB), Mr J N Harlm and the Head of Customer Service of Toyota Ghana, Madam Rebecca Ansong.

The Managing Director of Lizzy Cold Stores, Madam Elizabeth Boni was awarded the National Traders Ambassador for Customer Service Excellence for the year 2012 to 2013.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Sales and Marketing Manager of Everpure Ghana Limited, Mr Ephraim Wuaku expressed the company’s commitment of continues quality customer service in the country.

He further thanked their customers for their loyalty to them adding that without their loyalty, the company would not have come this far.

“Our customers are not only the purpose of our business but they are part of it and we appreciate them for doing us this honour,” he explained.

WASCO DELEGATION MEETS MINISTER OF TRANSPORT IN GHANA

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH
The President of the West African Road Safety Organisation (WASCO), Mr Osita Chidoka, has called on members to map out strategies that would ensure the free movement of ECOWAS vehicles into other countries.

He said the strategy when implemented would ensure that every country had the same road traffic regulations thereby allowing drivers from different countries to operate without any disturbance.

Mr Chidoka who also doubles as Corps Marshal of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC),made this remark when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Transport, Mr Collins Dawuda today to introduce some members of the organisation and to also learn about some traffic regulations in the country which could be implemented in other countries.

WASCO was formed in May 2008 under the auspices of ECOWAS commission which comprises ECOWAS member countries. Its aim is to promote and reinforce road safety in Africa.

He said there was the urgent need for all countries to be able to reduce road traffic accidents by 50 per cent by the end of 2013 adding that all should do their best to make it a possibility.

The Minister of Transport, Mr Alhaji Collins Dawuda on his part, pledged the countries support to provide inputs which would help improve road traffic accidents not only in Africa but the world at large.

He was of the view that every country had the responsibility of ensuring the safety of its citizen’s by all means possible hence harmonising road traffic regulations in West African countries was in order.

“We should try and make it possible to have one rule and same standards for every driver everywhere so as to ensure smooth operations and regular checks of road users,” he said.

Present at meeting was the Executive Director of National Roads Safety Commission (NRSC), Mr Noble Appiah, the Director, Planning and Programmes of NSRC, Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, and some other members of the NRSC.

TRANSPORT UNIONS TO BE GIVEN RENEWABLE LINCENCES

STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

Local transport unions and organisations will, from next year, be registered and given renewable licences to operate.

The measure is intended to ensure that the entities deliver quality assurance services to passengers.
Commercial drivers will also be required to provide proof of their training prior to the renewal or upgrading of their licences.

The move will provide drivers the opportunity to improve their safety culture and also help build their capacity to respond to the ever-changing risk profiles within the road environment.

In a speech read on his behalf at the Third National Road Safety Awards in Accra yesterday, the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, expressed concern over the rate of road accidents in the country

The awards, organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), were on the theme; “Consolidating the Decade of Action for Road Safety Through Regional Integration”.

The event was also to mark the opening ceremony of the fourth Annual General Meeting of the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) in Accra.

 Mr Amissah-Arthur said every day road crashes accounted for about 3,200 lives globally and about 1.2 million deaths annually, leaving several millions others incapacitated.

He said in developing countries, road traffic crashes cost about $65 billion each year and in some countries that amount was more than what was received in international aid, thereby consuming as much as two per cent of their Gross National Product (GDP)

Additionally, road crashes at the national level were responsible for about 2,000 deaths annually, with about 60 per cent of the crash victims being between 18 and 55, while 23 per cent were passengers.

The Vice-President expressed the view that commercial drivers needed to improve their knowledge and perceptions about road safety.

He pledged the government’s commitment to reach the goals of the United Nations Decade of Action for road safety by the year 2020, adding that the government would continue to improve the road network in the country.

He also urged the winners to share some of their best practices, experiences and knowledge with their colleagues to collectively improve the general road safety situation in the West African sub-region.

The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda, in his address, said road traffic accidents were reversible if only  all and sundry were able to translate  the passion for road safety into practice.

The President of WARSO, Mr Osita Chidoka, in his remarks, said there was the need for urgent steps and actions within the sub-region to reduce road accidents drastically.

The Executive Director of the NRSC, Ing Noble John Appiah, said the awards this year focused on transport organisations as a demonstration of the need for operators to develop and implement policies which impacted positively on road safety.

“When transport operators institute safety-related operational standards, road users benefit and the image of the industry is enhanced,” he said.

Great Imperial Transport Limited was adjudged the Best Road Safety Commercial Passenger Transport Organisation, while the Progressive Transport Owners Association and Intercity STC Limited were the first and second runners-up, respectively.

Under the Best Road Safety Haulage Organisation Category (Solid Goods), Freight Links Logistics Limited and Global Haulage Company Limited came first and second, respectively.
J K Horgle Transport Limited and J K Ahiadorme Transport came first and second, respectively, in the Best Road Safety Haulage Organisation (Liquid Goods) Category.

Under the Media Category, Mr Geoffery Buta of the Ghanaian Times, Madam Francisca Kakra Forson of Joy Fm and Madam Mavis  Obeng Mensah of GTV won for Print, Radio and TV, respectively.

Certificates of recognition were presented to some print and electronic media houses, some organisations and individuals for their commitment to and promotion of road safety.

They included the Daily Graphic, Multimedia Group Company Limited, TV3,TV Africa,  the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Oman FM, Unique FM, Channel R, the Searchlight and the Daily Dispatch.

Others were Total Ghana Limited, Toyota Ghana Limited, the Finder newspaper, Shell Ghana, Daily Guide and Rev Amankwa Addo, the President of the Association of Driving Schools.

A citation of recognition was also presented to the President, John Dramani Mahama, the Minister of Transport, Mr Collins Dauda and some individuals who have distinquished themselves in promoting road safety in the country.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of J K Horgle and Company Limited,  lauded the initiative of the awards and called on the NRSC to set up rest stops on the major highways for drivers.

GHANA SCHOOL BAGS LAUNCHED IN ACCRA.

 STORY AND PICTURES BY ZAINABU ISSAH

The Krokrobitey Institute today launched the Ghana School Bag (GSB) to encourage children to encourage children to cultivate the habit of keeping the environment clean.

The GBS initiative is based on the principle sod education and training, recycling waste management, job creation and social entrepreneurship.

It goals are to educate Ghanaians about environmental sustainability, provide jobs for unskilled young people and give recycled school bags to the Ghanaian school children.

The locally made, hand crafted, recycled school bag are made from plastic, fabrics, car and bicycle tyres which are normally waste products that add up to the sanitation situation in the country.

It is also to encourage children to be ambassadors of the environment and also build the culture of recycling where ever they find themselves.

Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of the Institute, Madam Renee Neblette said the bags were of quality, style and class for every school child to appreciate.

She said the initiative also aims to provide important environmental information for students and teachers through an educational booklet that comes with every bag.

She further urged Ghanaians and corporate bodies to show commitment towards a green Ghana by purchasing the bags.

The Chief Director of Mohinani Group, Mr Ashok Mohinani, in his address lauded the institute for their effort in providing alternative ways of controlling waste in the country.

He said waste products if not properly recycled added up to create filth in the country which form part of the factors of diseases such as malaria, cholera among others.

He therefore called on Ghanaians to embrace the initiative in order to create more jobs for the youth in the country and also keep the country clean.

The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr William Billy William, in his remarks tasked Ghanaians to support the initiative to reduce, reuse and recycle waste products in order to make the country safe and green.   

He expressed optimism that the initiative would extend to other parts of the country in the coming years in order to provide jobs for the unemployed in the society.

Present at the launch was the South African High Commissioner, Ms Jeanette T Ndhlovu, the Israeli Ambassador  Mrs Sharon Bar-li, the Liberian Ambassador Mr Rudolf P  Von Ballmoos , and some traditional rulers of the Akuapim Traditional Area.