Accra,-- Mr Simon Okletey, 25, a final year geology student of the University of Ghana, has won the first edition of the Guinness Sttout Effort Award Scheme. A statement issued by the five-member independent selection panel, said Mr Okletey was selected for his bravery in risking his life to rescue his course mate, Mr Samuel Abanyie, after an attack Mr Okletey, who was jointly nominated by five eminent lecturers of the Geology Department, including Mr Yakubu Iddrisu, Departmental Head, is said to have saved Mr Abanyie's life during their eiin field geological mapping exercises. The statement said the two were returning home after a day's work when they ran into a hive of wild bees, resulting in an attack which caused them to flee in different directions. It said when Mr Okletey got home and realised that his colleague could not make it, he quickly organised a search party but on seeing the bees, the party fled leaving Mr Okletey alone. " Mr Okletey persisted in his search and found the unconscious body of Mr Abanyie and fought the bees gallantly with his bare hands notwithstanding the incessant attacks on him". Mr Okletey carried his colleague to the hospital and after three week's admission, he was discharged and has gone back to complete his fieldwork. The Guinness Stout Effort Award Scheme was re-introduced this year by Guinness Ghana Limited to publicly recognize and reward individuals who excel in bravery.
UNESCO Donates Equipment To UCC Cape Coast, -- UNESCO today presented equipment and reference books valued at 15,800 dollars (about 30 million cedis) to the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) of the U The equipment are computers and scanners for Desktop publishing and photocopiers. Mr. John Kusi-Acheampong, secretary of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, presented the items. He said the UN agency has a moral obligation to educate people in order to foster international peace and understanding. Any measure to improve education depends on the qualification, ability and drive and the potentials of the teaching staff. This, he said, was the basis upon which UNESCO collaborated with the Ghana government to establish the IEPA.
Savana Research Centre Gets 80mC Bio-Agents Lab Nyankpala(N/R), -- An 80 million-cedi bio-agents rearing laboratory for biological control of cassava pests has been handed over by the Smallhholder Agricultural Development Programme (SADEP) to The laboratory would be used for mass-rearing of parasites and predators such as the cassava green mite and mealy bug. A 37 million-cedi Pajero vehicle was also handed over to the institute for use by the laboratory. Mr S.A. Adongo, programme coordinator of SADEP, said the facility is aimed at boosting the activities of both SADEP and SARI in an effort to increase cassava production in the Northern and Brong He called on the researchers to put in an extra effort to ensure that the facilities are well utilized for the benefit of the farmers. Dr A.B. Salifu, a Senior Research Entomologist of SARI who received the keys to the laboratory, said the gesture is very opportune and a bold initiative that would help in improving cassava prod He said the facilities would be of good use in the exploration of general biological control of major pests of other food crops in the northern zone.
Farmer Appeals For Insecticides Nkyensekorkor (W/R), - Nana Kofi Ntow, chief farmer of Nkyensekorkor has appealed to the government to make insecticides readily available to farmers. He said this will enable the farmers to fight the blackpod and swollen shoot diseases which have affected cocoa farms in some parts of the region. Nana Ntow made the appeal at Nkyensekorkor, near Sefwi Bonsu Nkwanta, at a meeting with society chief farmers. According to the chief farmer who is also the chief of the town, last year he had only one carton of insecticide to spray his farm instead of the required ten cartons. Nana Ntow further appealed to Juabeso-Bia district assembly to provide the inhabitants with two boreholes to solve their perennial water problems. The department of feeder roads should help to rehabilitate the road from Asoredanho to Nkyensekorkor to facilitate cocoa and foodstuffs evacuation to the marketing centres.
NBSSI To Reactivate Micro-Projects In B/A Sunyani, - The National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) is this year helping two district assemblies in the Brong Ahafo region to reactivate two micro industries which have come to a This is part of its efforts to create employment opportunities in the rural areas. The projects are the Bamire bricks and tiles factory in the Techiman district and the Derma tomato factory in the Tano district. Mr Ishmael Ibrahim, regional manager of the board disclosed this in an interview at Sunyani. He said the assistance of the board is in the areas of managerial and technical support as well as supply of plant components and machinery. Mr Ibrahim said work on the brick and tiles factory has been completed and is now in full production.
ACDRs To Be Re-organized? Salaga (N/R), - The Association of Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (ACDR'S) are to be reorganised to give them a democratic outlook to meet the challenges of the times. Under the reorganisation exercise, the association will no rpt no longer be limited to only cadres of the December 31 revolution. It will be opened to all interested persons who identify themsel Mr Chris Tanga, Northern regional coordinator of the Progressive Voluntary Organisations (PVO'S) announced this at a meeting with the Northern regional Minister, Mr Gilbert Iddi, at Salaga yeste Mr Tanga said leadership positions in the newly constituted ACDRS will no longer be by appointment but thr Mr Iddi commended the cadres for their zeal and sacrifice at the grassroots and assured them of the necessary support. He described the cadres as "foot soldiers of the NDC" and that there is no difference between cadres of the 31st December revolution and the membership of the NDC. "We should not create differences between us for the opposition to capitalise on. Our very survival will be threatened if we divide our ranks," Mr Iddi told the cadres.
NPP Commends Afigya-Sekyere Voters Accra,- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed its appreeciation to voters in the Afigya-Sekyere East Constituency for making the June 10 Parlimentary elections peaceful. In a statement signed by Mr Adu Kwabena-Essem, press secretary of the party, the NPP commended the police and the national electoral commission for ensuring a free and peaceful election. The party expressed its profund shock at the loss of life in an accident involving its supporters returning from a rally held just before the elections and extended its sympathies to the berea ''The death of these party members and the injuries suffered by several of the them have not been in vain'', it said. .
Ethnic Diversity Should Lead To Development - Prof Agyeman Accra, - Professor Dominic Kofi Agyeman, a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, has said the country's ethnic diversity should be exploited for nation building. He said equitable allocation of state resources and a non-ethnic mode of the selection of public officials should be the policy of all governments. Prof. Agyeman was delivering a paper on "Managing Ethnic Conflicts in Ghana" at a round-table discussion organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra. He said even though no ethnic conflict has had the potential of putting the entire country in flames, disenchantment resulting from poverty and deprivation among a particular ethnic group, could The sociologist warned: "Ethnic conflict in Ghana is likely to change from verbal confrontation to physical ones if the regime in power treats with contempt complaints of opposition parties whil Prof. Agyeman condemned extremists who exploit the ignorance and anger of people to wage unjustified attacks to further their political and personal interests. ''Bigotry and chicanery'' should not be encouraged. Rather sober and objective ways must be sought for impartial solutions to defuse ethnic tensions, he said. On resolution of ethnic conflicts, he cautioned that under no circumstance should a group be forced to accept a pact. All parties, he said, should be encouraged to interact to reach an all-embracing settlement. "When people are forced to accept peace, non-conformists run underground only to explode violently..." Prof. Agyeman said the nation has a hope in the constitution and warned that any attempt by any group to subvert it would undermine the progress so far made at national integration. He praised politicians for demonstrating their personal commitment to a multi-party system spelt out by the constitution. "Nobody has so far opted for a religious or ethnic political party." Dr Yakubu Saaka, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, said governments should play impartial roles in the resolution of ethnic and chieftaincy disputes.
