Establish centre for distance learning at Mampong or Ejura

Jamasi (Ash), Nov. 10, GNA- A teacher at Dome in the Sekyere West district's portion of the Afram Plains, has called for the establishment of a distance learning centre for Continuing Education of the University of Cape Coast either at Mampong or Ejura to cater for teachers in the area.

Mr Andrew Joe Opoku, a teacher at the Dome Local Authority Primary School, who made the call said the establishment of a centre at any of the two towns would enable teachers who had sacrificed to teach at Afram Plains also benefit from the facility.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Jamasi near Mampong on Sunday, Mr Opoku asked the Ghana Education Service (GES) to educate teachers on the importance of the distance education. He said due to the distance from the Afram plains to Kumasi where there is a study centre, teachers in the area could not easily reach the programme.

Mr Opoku, who is also chairman of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO), said it was difficult getting a vehicle to either Ejura or Mampong to buy the basic necessities of life let alone travel to Kumasi for the programme.

Mr Opoku, however, commended the universities of Cape Coast and Winneba, for introducing the diploma in basic education through distance learning programme.

Set up special units to deal with corruption- Aliu tells institutions Accra, Nov. 10, GNA- Vice President Aliu Mahama, on Monday, urged both public and private institutions to set up special units to receive and deal with complaints of corruption, bribery and indiscipline from the public against their officials.

He said corruption bribery and indiscipline had robbed Ghana of the gains it would have otherwise made from the many years of hard work, adding that if individuals and institutions did not commit themselves to reversing the trend, the nation would hardly progress.

Vice President Mahama, who was inaugurating the Petitions and Complaints Unit of the Judicial Service, therefore, commended the Judicial Council for its initiative in that direction and said other institutions should consider the Unit as a model of emulation. The Unit has already received 47 petitions on various issues. Nineteen are on bribery and corruption against officials of the Judicial Service and one is against the Chief Justice for allegedly delaying the listing of a case for hearing by the Supreme Court.

Unknown to the petitioner, however, the case had already been listed.

Vice President Mahama reiterated the government's determination to minimize corruption, bribery and indiscipline as declared by President J A Kufuor in his declaration of "Zero Tolerance for Corruption" and the Campaign for Greater Discipline.

"The recent report on Corruption Perception Index ranked Ghana at an uncomfortable position, and if we as individuals do not change from our dishonest ways, the nation will have nothing to show in spite of our efforts at speeding up the process of development," he said. He said it was important for the present generation to work hard and leave a worthy legacy for future generations to inherit and build on.

Vice President Mahama expressed the hope that the administration of justice would be strengthened with the establishment of the Complaints Unit, which would be replicated in all regional capitals in due course. Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, urged the courts to be bold, firm and fair in the administration of justice to all.

Lawyers, he said, should make justice their paramount goal and put it above the interest of their clients.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah also encouraged the public to have confidence in the Judiciary since lack of that would breed chaos and anarchy.