Calm returns to Larteh Akuapem

Calm has returned to Larteh Akuapem after scores of irate youth, on Saturday, went on rampage in the area. The youth, in an attempt to destool the Lartehhene and Benkumhene of the Akuapem Traditional area, Osabarimah Asiedu Oko Ababio, reportedly fired gun shots and tried to burn down the chief’s palace. However the Eastern region Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Ayisi, told Citi News that they have taken certain steps to bring the situation under control. According to Chief Superintendent Ayisi, the police “are on the ground protecting the palace” and surveilling “all other necessary places we think people may destroy.” He added that the police were not as yet sure of “the cause of the chieftaincy problem” but were committed to ensuring that peace is maintained.” “In order that there will be no violence, we are here.” “We won’t allow anybody to act violently and we are sure there will be no problem,” he said.

Teachers must improve in their dressing

The District Director of Education for the Akuapem South District, Mrs. Judith Esther Offeibea Donkoh has entreated teachers to improve on their dressing to school. “All your dressing should be decent for the children to learn, because children learn from you their teachers more than their parents”, she observed. Obviously taking the female teachers on, she explained that teaching is a noble profession and teachers should uphold its integrity. Certain style of dressing that paints the teacher in a bad light and goes to distract their students should be shunned. She advised the younger female teachers to desist from wearing tight dresses, short skirts, tops that exposes their breasts, and overly using make ups to school. Such modes of dressing divert the attention of the pupil’s from what is being taught in the classroom to the dressing of the teacher. She made these comments as the first Speech and Prize Giving Day of the Aburi Presbytarian Junioh High School. Mrs. Offeibea Donkor also addressed the need for parents to play their part in the education of their children. She outlined that parents should also put up behaviours that are worthy of emulation. “As parents what are we doing to reinforce the quality of education we want our wards to attain”, she said. She entreated parents to up hold high moral standard since what they do at home are imparted onto their children. “Parents should be more careful of the morals they impart onto their wards”, she warned. The Education Director further called on parents to visit their children’s schools in order to ensure that their wards are receiving quality education and training needed to secure a better future. “By so doing, they will know the progress being made by their children in school”, she added. She explained that “the qualities we want (in education) begins right from the home; what they eat, wear, where they sleep should all be of concern”. “Lack of parental care and control usually prevents the child from getting good grades in school”, she added. Mrs. Offeibea Donkor cautioned that if quarrelling indiscipline is portrayed in the community, the children will imitate, because these act will be perceived to be good since their parents are doing same. The maiden event was under the theme “Quality Education, Our Pride” and it welcomed personalities like the District Chief Executive Hon. Winston Afari Gyan, a representative of the Member of Parliament, Hon O.B. Amoah, District Director of Education, some parents of the pupils, headteachers within the Aburi circuit, Marketing Manager for Latex Foam, teachers, and some old students of the school. The barely five year old school was established to reduce the pressure on the Demonstration Junior High School. The Headmistress, Mrs. Vida Nkansah Kyeremanteng of the school called on all stakeholders to play their part in improving the quality of education in the school.

Larteh Ahenease water may be polluted

Residents of Larteh Ahenease Akuapem leave in a seeming danger of contracting communicable diseases if the nothing is done about Kwaati, their source of water situation. Kwaati is a big well from which the town folks fetch water from, it is however at the disposal end of the main drainage that collects liquid waste in the town. Kwaati is just about 1 meters from the disposing point of this drainage or gutter. Interestingly, the Assembly member of the area, Mr. Gyampoh asserts that due to some works that has recently been done on the well, residents might be saved from risk. “The well has been covered, so the water from the gutter will not go into the well, the people are safe for now”, he said. He went on to reveal plans his outfit is putting in place to permanently find a solution to the issue in order to avert an epidermic. Mr. Gyampoh disclosed “I have held discussions with the chiefs of the town and we are now soliciting for funds to be able to extend the drainage from where it ends now”. For the time being the residents will continue to fetch water from this well which is at the disposing end of a gutter, the drainage of the town.

Aburi Girls SHS over-populated by nearly 500

Aburi Girls Senior High School is overpopulated by nearly 500 students and this is putting a lot of pressure on the infrastructure in the school. “Our school’s infrastructure is meant to serve 1,200 students and so there is a lot of pressure on our facilities when we have all the students in school from form 1-3”. This was revealed by the Headmistress of the school, Ms Rosemond Bampoe, at this year’s Speech and Prize Giving Day held under the theme “Nurturing Girls to be Global Achievers”. The school population at the beginning of the academic year stood at 1,680, indicating an overpopulation of 480 from the schools strength. It has however seen a reduction in the population with the exit of the third years who sat for the West African Examination Council. Ms Bampoe revealed that overpopulation in the school “creates congestion and overstretches the schools facilities”. She explained that the situation is “making it extremely difficult to give the desired quality of instruction and supervision that the GES and other stakeholders expect”. She further revealed that the situation has led to “overcrowding in the classrooms, dormitories and dining halls” which does not “give the teachers and students the comfort and peace of mind needed to teach and learn”. The headmistress therefore appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) “to stick to the number of vacancies that we will declare when the time comes for the placement of students through the Computerization School Selection Placement System (CSSPS)”. Speaking on the theme for the event, Ms Bampoe explained since the phenomenon of the global village is promoted by the Information Communication Technology (ICT), the school is striving to improve ICT infrastructure. The school has therefore established two 56-seater ICT labs on each of the compounds with the second one on the Irene Anderson E-learning center established in January this year. She further insisted that in nurturing girls to be global achievers, the students should “build their foundation to great achievement on time-tested values such as a commitment and dedication to their studies, both academic and co-curricular; self-discipline; truth and honesty and a mindset which sees the pursuit of excellence as a way of life. This year’s Speech and Prizes Day was organized by the 89 graduating year group of the school. The first Ghanaian headmistress of the school was honoured with a giant cake.

I am still the Ankobeahene of Larteh Ahenease - Enyine Gyedu Nkansah II

Ankobeahene of Larteh Ahenease, Oberempong Enyine Gyedu Nkansah II has rubbished rituals that were observed to destool him. He believes that he is still the Ankobeahene of Larteh-Ahenease. The embattled traditional ruler is however certain that since due process was not strictly adhered to in the performance of the said rituals to unseat him, his detractors were not successful. “I am still the Ankobeahene because I have performed all what custom demands that should be performed for one to be installed as a chief”, he revealed. He went on to explain that “where my detractors sat to perform those rites purportedly to destool me is not the right place to perform such rituals and also the day they chose to do those things is not the day set in custom for the destolement of an Ankobeahene”. Obirempong Gyedu Nkansah II expressed confidence that his family still looks up to him as the Ankobehene of Ahenease and they are the only ones that can unseat him. He stressed that “for me I am still the Ankobeahene and the family (that presented me) recognizes me as such and I perform everything that an Ankobeahene does”. “In my estimation what they did does not mean they want to destoool me”, he added. The embattled traditional ruler was certain that the raging disagreement and factionalism that has developed among the traditional rulers of the town is the cause of all problems facing the town. He therefore called for cool heads to prevail and the challenges could be resolved in a day. He explained “the challenges confronting Larteh can be resolved in a day if we are all committed towards it”. “I believe that once these issues are solved all people who share in his vision to develop Larteh will contribute their resources to help in improving the standard of education, health issues, economic issues and all other things confronting the community”, he opined. Late last year, some members of the traditional council performed rituals aimed at destooling the Ankobehene of Ahenease, Obirempong Enyine Gyedu Nkansah II. A sheep was slaughtered and libation said to invoke the gods to witness their apparent inability to work with him. The event was witnessed by close to hundred town folks who took time out of the fateful Thursday morning. Among those assembled were the Adanta hene, Nfoa hene, Sumankwa hene, Akwamu hene and Okomfo Sofo. Leading the Akyeame was the Akyeame hene as he was ably accompanied by the Guanhemea Kyeame and Nkosuo hemea Kyeame. Some of the accusations that stood against him at the time included his threats of destooling the reigning Lartehene, Osabarima Asiedu Okoo Ababio, availing himself for rituals that are reserved for Lartehene to be performed on him, insubordination towards other chiefs, among others.

DOMFOE MANTE CHALKS TEN

The youngest traditional ruler in Akuapem, Nana Okoampa Domfoe Mante II celebrated ten years of his installation as a chief of Aboaseman in Larteh Akuapem. Aboase comprises of Akremede, Agyankode, Annukode and Abugyode clans of the town. As Aboase hene, he is also the Asona hene of Larteh Akuapem and Head of the Konkom Shrine. He has also been installed as the Akwamu hene of the Benkum division of Akuapem.

Nana Domfoe Mante II commended stakeholders working towards the re unification Akuapem in order to re establish peace and unity among the feuding traditional leaders of Akuapem. News of a peace accord signed to signify the re unification is a welcome news by all well meaning children of Akuapem. Our most respected Chiefs have been engaged in a disagreement which led to the creation of four more paramountcies and a strained relationship among some of the chiefs. Speaking at his tenth anniversary Ohum festival, Nana Okoampah Domfoe Mante II commended all those who contributed in making this peace pact see the light of day. He however singled out Osabarima Asiedu Okoo Ababio III, Chief of Larteh and Akuapem Benkumhene for his efforts. Others who played immense roles were also commended. He said “I am also indebted to Eastern Regional Minister, our Municipal Chief Executive, all stakeholders and individual who fought day and night for this day”. The Akwamuhene of the Benkum division used the platform to call for support for his long held policy of enhancing education opportunities for all. Nana Okoampah Domfoe Mante expressed his relentless passion for seeking to improve livelihoods for the Youth.

Nana Domfoe Mante II was enstooled Chief of Aboase in Larteh immediately after his Secondary School education and has acquitted himself excellently as a traditional ruler. His annual Aboaseman festival has been the talk of town ever since its inception. The weeklong festival witnessed a variety of activities; prominent among them was the installation of an Ankobeahene Nana (OKyerefo Kwafo Akoto I) and an Okyeame for the Akwamuhene stool. Other activities included a cooking competition, a musical concert, a love feast, thanksgiving service and a durbar to climax the festival. The very well attended durbar of chiefs and people was attended by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akropong, Hon. W.O. Boafo, Former Adenta MP, Hon Opare Hammond, Winner of last year’s edition of Ghana’s Most Beatiful, Emefa, Chief of Anum Apapam and many other Chiefs and Queen mothers of both Larteh Kubease and Ahenase.

A plague of honor was presented to Hon. W.O. Boafo for contributing to the development of the area. Emefa of Ghana’s Most Beautiful fame used the opportunity to sensitize the gathering on the need to educate the woman. She said “it is obvious that female education is essential prerequisite for development”. The theme for the festival was “Raising the Standard of Education, The Role of all Stakeholders”.

MENOPAUSE IS NOT WITCHCRAFT

A renowned Gynecologist, Dr. Clarence Addo-Yobo has cautioned women to desist from the habit of blaming witches and other spiritual forces for changes in their body as they advance in age. These changes are natural and a normal occurrence in growing women.

He disclosed that these symptoms of are a clear manifestation of menopause and has nothing to do with the witches underpinning they are blamed on. He expressed his frustration with the worrying tendency of women attempting to use spiritual therapies in treating these symptoms of menopause. Dr. Addo-Yobo made these observations as he was speaking at the health segment of the ninth edition of the Akuapem Education Day Celebration of the Akuapem Community Foundation held at Obosomase Presby Church. He further revealed that some of the symptoms of menopause in women aside the seizure of the monthly blood flow known commonly as menstruation. These symptoms include among others rashes, heavy sweating at night, and some bodily discomforts. “They are not demonic or the work of witches”, he cautioned. Speaking to the issue of teenage pregnancy, Dr. Addo-Yobo charged parents to fulfill their godly responsibility on their children by feeding, clothing, sheltering and educating their children. He revealed that most cases of teenage pregnancies in our communities are as a result of unbearable hardships faced by the children. The hardships faced by these children make them prone to the deception of men who give them small amounts of money for sexual favours from these children. He stressed that the children who turn mothers are immature with human systems that are not fully developed. This therefore affects the children they bear at that age as most of these children are not always very clever. He challenged the queenmothers to take up this duty of educating the female children on the need to abstain from sex at the tender ages to avoid teenage pregnancies. Queen mothers are seen as the mothers of the society and should therefore use their privileged positions to help arrest this worrying trend. In another health related development at the event, Dr. Mahmoud of the Focus Orthopedic Hospital sensitized the gathering on the condition known as “low back pain”. He revealed that low back pain is the medical term of the condition generally known as waist pain. This is mostly caused by bad sitting positions and indulging in activities involving heavy lifting. He gave a demonstration on good sitting positions, stressing on upright sitting and avoiding hanging feet. The medical officers present screened over hundred people for various illnesses and counseled them on good eating habits.

ADUKROM HEALTH C’TEE AWAITS REP FROM TRADITONAL COUNCIL

The Adukrom Health Committee is awaiting a representative of the town’s traditional council to join them as they seek to support health delivery in the town. The health committee takes its membership from established institutions in the town. It is currently comprised of a representative of the Christian community, Muslim community, indigenes of the town living outside the locality, the Municipal health directorate, sub district parent and some of the health workers. Its executives include Col. Rtd. Sally Odoi Gyampoh as its Chairman, Rev. Sampson Owusu as the Vice Chairman, and Mr. Iddi Salley as the Secretary. Speaking in an interview, secretary of the committee, Mr. Iddi Salley disclosed that the committee has sent two letters of invitation to the traditional council. He said “we sent them letters and we are waiting for their response”. He was however hopeful that traditional council will show up at their next meeting”. He again emphasized that their represented at the committee is important. “We really need them”, he stressed. The Adukrom sub district of the Akuapem North Municipality provides health delivery services for over ten communities within its catchment area. It is also a point of referral for three CHPS compound within the sub district namely Akunni, Aseseeso, and Abonse. It serves a population of 19,770 with 19 communities including Monu, Apirede, Akuni number 1 and 2, Domease Srokpo, Bepoase, just to mention as few As a health worker at the facility, Mr. Iddi lauded the establishment of a committee with the mandate of improving infrastructure for health delivery among other things. As a committee, its mission is “to work in collaboration with all partners to ensure that every individual, household and community in the district is adequately informed about health and has access to high quality health delivery”. He bemoaned a growing trend where relatives of patients become incensed when they are referred to hospital for further treatment. “This is normally in the interest of the patient but they think we are refusing to treat them”, he explained. The committee has prioritized the provision of an ambulance to convey referred patients to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital. The health facility has requested the upgrading of the roads leading to the facility. This it believes will significantly improve the speed of health delivery in the sub-district. Health committee’s play an important role in health delivery as it assembles representatives of all stakeholders in health delivery. These stakeholders contribute their might to infrastructural development and sensitizations of the public on health related issues.

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE TO WHAT EFFECT

Ghana celebrates another independence day again, and this is the 57th time we are doing this. Of course among the league of independent states we hold so much pride to be counted among the pioneering nations in Africa. ‘The first country south of the Sahara to gain independence in Africa’ has always been the refrain. But the question of whether this independence should mean anything at all to us is a debate for another day. Most of us have also read and heard countless discussions on how meaningless our independence has been since we still depend on the west for most aspects of our economic development. The recent refusal of foreign donor agencies to support our economy with some estimated $700 million is seen by some as a recipe for national disaster. At this point we need to salute Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. Anyway, we are still an independent state and what we must be committed to doing as to live our lives daily fighting for the realization of the dreams of our country’s founders for a truly independent society. You might agree that this is surely not what our founders wished for us when they shed their blood for our independence. To a lot of us, independence still remains a dream, a dream which has not been fully realized more than 57 years after it was conceived. Education, western formal education is a purely colonial initiative and an apparent sign of western cultural domination. However, it is one aspect of the white man culture we should determined to stick to as it refines and literal empowers us. Sadly, recent results reveal a steep downward slide in the performance of pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examination. When close to 50% of candidates presented at an examination fails a great deal is wrong, it cannot be good. Aggregate six has now become as privileged as securing a visa to heaven. Save Okorase St Mary’s, no school produced candidates with aggregate six in the district. And this is from eighty-eight schools ranging from Obosomase to Kobokobo. This should certainly call for an urgent stakeholders meeting if we really control our own affairs and we have a say in our future. As independent as we are we don’t seem to care about the dwindling academic fortunes of our children. Children have been left to sort their educational life out with their teachers and this cannot be good. Our independence must be seen in the provision of quality education for our children. In the past when some of us schooled here, times were harder, learning was tougher but our results were better. Children, stick to your books. Parents don’t shirk your responsibilities. Because certainly we are independent and rightly so, our future depends on our own selves. Afehyiapa!!!!

PURSUIT OF ‘CHALE WOTE’ LEADS TO BOY 5’S DEATH

When a five year old boy decided to run after his ‘chale wote’ which was been washed away in the drains of Tutu Akupem as it rained, little did everyone know that he was running his life to death. The morning after that his lifeless body was found in a ditch whilst his slipper was seen lying beside the gutter. As he was playing in the falling rain, the five year old James Awuni, lost his slipper to the drains brimming with rain water. Not ready to let it go without a fight he run after it and apparently fell into the gutter. He was washed out like a paper, taken under the bridge at courtyard, through the nearby bushes, across the street and eventually left in the ditch about seventy meters from the main road. Recounting the incident to this reporter, a sobbing bereaved mother Ama Afi said she last saw his son about thirty minutes into the rain when it subsided a little. The boy sought permission to with his elder brother to go to their aunt who lived about fifty meters away. Little did she know it was just an excuse to go and play in the rain. The widowed mother of five said when they were unable to locate the boy a report quickly made to the queen mother who acted swiftly by organizing a search for the boy through the town. When they failed to locate the boy, a report was made to the Mampong Police Station. In the company of a search party assembled by the traditional council and the assembly man, the police went looking for the boy. When the lifeless body was found, it displayed bruises on the forehead, a deep cut at the back and many other injuries on the body. It is believed that these injuries were attained as the body was been washed through the bush. A barber in the town who saw the boy running through the rain shouted at him to leave to go home. This was however ignored as the boy continued to pursue his asset as it seemed. The boy who was yet to be enrolled in school is reported to be seen playing in the rain anytime the rains come down.

BASIC EDUCATION NEGLECTED as 43% fail BECE in Akuapem North

Nearly half of the total number of candidates presented for the Basic Education Certificate Examination by the Akuapem North Municipal Directorate in 2013 failed. This represents forty three percent (43%) of candidates from the Municipality at the examination. The percentage however indicated a marginal improvement of the 2012 results where forty five percent (45%) failed. Four schools in the Municipality had all their candidates failing in all the nine subjects they sat for. These schools are Lakpa M/A Junior High School, Addo Nkwanta Anglican Junior High School, Mamfe Young Souls Junior High School, and Mampong Demodeaf Junior High School. This is a repeated record of the number of schools with zero percent (0%) in the examination. As the pupils prepare for the next examination in June it is important that we pay a critical look at their performance over the past two years. Out of the two thousand four hundred (2400) registered candidates for the examination, Two thousand three hundred and eighty two (2382) candidates turned up to write. Reasons cited for the eighteen (18) absentees included pregnancy (5), travelled (3), dead (1), dropout (3), absent without reason (5). This is double the number who refused to turn up on the day of the examination. Less than one percent of the candidates received aggregate six with all of them coming from one school, St Mary Preparatory School in Okorase. This in actual figures is nineteen (19), comprising of eleven boys and eight girls. St Mary Preparatory is one of the fourteen schools who attained a hundred percent record in the Municipality. These fourteen schools with a total of three hundred and sixty candidates, representing fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of candidates from the Municipality passed in all subjects they wrote. Some highly rated schools like Nana Ankobea Takyiwa School in Mampong Akuapem and Akropong P.T.C Demonstration, who normally receive appreciable number of candidates with aggregate six disappointed this time around. In the order of performance, Nana Ankobea was overtaken from its long held first position by St Mary Preparatory; coming in second place is Akropong P.T.C. Demonstration with Nana Ankobea placing third. By way of giving further statistics of the results, nearly half of the candidates at the examination received aggregates between sixteen to thirty (16-30). This group carried a whooping forty nine percent of the candidates from the Municipality at the examination. The percentage in actual figures translates to one thousand one hundred and sixty five (1165) of the total number of candidates 2382 at the examination. Similarly, one hundred and eighty three (183) candidates scored between aggregate (6-15). The figure translates into a meager eight percent (8%). It can be deduced from the above statistics the worrying of the standard of education in the Municipality. Even though, the Municipality recorded marginal improvement in the performance of the candidates it presented, the record is not one to be proud of and efforts should be made to reverse it.