Poor BECE (Secondary) Results in E.Region - Ghana

School records 0% BECE pass for eight years!! - Ghanaweb

Not a single pupil from the Anyinam Kotoku Local Authority Methodist Junior High School (JHS), near Akyem Oda in the Eastern Region, has passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for the past eight years.

The situation has adversely affected enrolment as there are currently only eight students in the school who are about to enter form three to prepare for the BECE in April, next year.The unfortunate development has compelled the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Birim South, Baffour Mensah Takyi, to hold a stakeholders' meeting attended by teachers, parents, school prefects, traditional rulers, officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the district assembly, at Anyinam Kotoku to identify the problems and find lasting solutions to them.

Addressing the meeting, Baffour Takyi threatened to close down the school and transfer the teachers and pupils to other schools if the staff and parents of the school did not take realistic measures to reverse the poor performance of the pupils.

He dismissed the notion by the teachers, pupils and some parents that a spiritualist had revealed that someone had cast a spell on the school by spiritually planting an amulet on the school compound, hence the children's poor academic performance.
The DCE warned that the government could not continue to invest huge sums of money in education without getting any fruitful results.He advised the parents and teachers of the school against misusing the labour of the schoolchildren for their selfish interests.

Baffour Takyi also cautioned the pupils to refrain from truancy and lateness to school, warning "drastic action would be taken against any schoolchild who would go to the bush in search of 'bonawa' (games) at the expense of his/her education".

The Royal Bretuo Abusuapanin of Anyinam Kotoku, Nana Kwame Fosu Akowiah, who acted as the spokesperson for the chiefs and people of the town, said the continuous poor academic performance of the schoolchildren was of great concern to them.
He, therefore, thanked the DCE for assembling the stakeholders in education to find out the challenges that militated against the academic progress of schoolchildren and help find antidote to them.

Mr Fosu stressed that the traditional rulers and parents would practically support any practical move to be adopted to reverse the falling standards of education in the area.

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New - HIV gene decoded for new treatments

Structure of HIV genome 'decoded' (Source: BBC News)

The team hope their work will pave the way to new treatments
Scientists say they have decoded the entire genetic structure of HIV-1 - the main cause of Aids in humans.
They hope this will pave the way to a greater understanding of how the virus operates, and potentially accelerate the development of drug treatments.
HIV carries its genetic information in more complicated structures than some other viruses.
The US research, published in Nature, may allow scientists the chance to look at the information buried inside.
HIV, like the viruses which cause influenza, hepatitis C and polio, carries its genetic information as single-stranded RNA rather than double-stranded DNA.
The information enclosed in DNA is encoded in a relatively simple way, but in RNA this is more complex.
We are also beginning to understand tricks the genome uses to help the virus escape detection by the human host
Ron Swanstromstudy author
RNA is able to fold into intricate patterns and structures. Therefore decoding a full genome opens up genetic information that was not previously accessible, and may hold answers to why the virus acts as it does.
The team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said they planned to use the information to see if they could make tiny changes to the virus.
"If it doesn't grow as well when you disrupt the virus with mutations, then you know you've mutated or affected something that was important to the virus," says Ron Swanstrom, professor of microbiology and immunology.
"We are also beginning to understand tricks the genome uses to help the virus escape detection by the human host."
Deep inside
Dr David Robertson from the University of Manchester welcomed this "definitive analysis".
"What this may reveal is some of the proteins operating at a level below the structures, which may have all sorts of functions within the virus.
"More generally, if we can unpick the structures then we can compare the systems of different viruses and gain new understanding of how they work."
Keith Alcorn of the HIV information service NAM added: "Encouraging the virus to mutate is not a new idea, but it is one of a number of options on the table.
"How important this information will be for the development of new drugs remains to be seen, but it is a useful addition to what we know."

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Owning your Ghana Home - 2009

By C.F. Prah - Cedezhomes Ltd

The current global market downtown and recession in many developed and developing markets such as South Africa has reduced choices in investing in countries such as Ghana.

Unfortunately, despite Africa being an innocent bystander in the global credit crunch crisis, we have all been hit in varying degrees particularly with finances in our pockets. One will be forgiven to say, we wait until the situation improves before investing back again in the property market in Ghana. Well, I'll say do so at your peril, for in 2 to 4 years time, Ghana will be one of the emerging markets for business in West Africa. With the discovery of large off-shore oil reserves of Tullow Ltd, drilling of Ghana petroleum is expected in early 2010 with a large oil industry for its 25 million people and other outside skilled staff.
The oil industry in Ghana will need locally trained as well as experts from abroad to assist in the smooth running and distribution for local and foreign markets.

Lack of housing in Accra is currently a growing problem with many completed houses still holding their value or increasing further by 8-10% each month in price. Renting is also getting very expensive with the average chamber and hall (with kitchen) with toilet facilities being GHc 60 per month and rising. General workers pay has remained but inflation has risen to 15% since the new Mills' administration came into power. Food stuffs at the local markets in Accra are getting more expensive for most with GHc 100 being the average spend every week to fortnight if they wish to survive. However average pay remains at approximately GHc 150 for blue colour workers.

With such difficulties, the new government may wish to address the housing crisis in due course but for investors and potential homeowners, this may be the best time to secure a Ghana property in Accra. Ghana's successful elections in 2008 has shown the world that democracy does work in Africa. There has been several blue chip companies now set up in Ghana such as Volvo, Porche, Mercedez, Toyota, Vodafone and others are doing well there.

For this reason, CedezHomes Ltd, a real estate developer aim to assist investors and potential homeowners with gaining an exclusive opportunity with us. Visit our website at http://www.cedezhomes.co.uk and contact us for a free consultation.

You will be glad you contacted us as we explain any questions you may have about your investment. We have offices in Ghana and UK and we are waiting for your call. www.cedezhomes.co.uk

DR Congolese flee widespread unrest

Congolese flee widespread unrest - BBC

Many of the FDLR fled to DR Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide
Some 250,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been displaced following an operation to flush out Hutu rebels, aid agency Oxfam has said.

The joint operation against the rebels earlier this year was hailed as a great success by both Rwanda and DR Congo.
But now that the better-trained and equipped Rwandan army has left DR Congo, the Hutu militia is reportedly re-emerging from the forests.

Oxfam says various armed groups are now attacking civilians in the east.
Marcel Stoessel, Oxfam's country director in DR Congo, said the continued insecurity in North Kivu Province was making it difficult to deliver aid to those displaced.
"There is widespread looting, burning of villages and an unacceptable peak of sexual violence," he told the BBC.

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing from around the town of Kanyabayonga towards Lubero, a more populated area where they felt safer, he said.
"Oxfam is very worried that continued military operations are having a serious effect on the people who've had to flee their homes," he said.

On-and-off fighting involving the Hutu FDLR militia, the army and other militias has already displaced more than one million people in North Kivu since late 2006.

No pay
The BBC's Africa analyst Mary Harper says reports from the area indicate that it is members of the Congolese army and the FDLR militia that are attacking civilians, each accusing them of supporting the other side.
The fact that Congolese soldiers have not been paid for the past three months adds to the problem.

They are hungry, frustrated and probably terrified of attack from the many armed groups in the region, she says.

It seems the FDLR has not been crushed at all, she adds, rather that it engaged in a tactical retreat, vanishing for a few weeks only to reappear as a determined fighting force.

The FDLR's presence in DR Congo lies behind years of unrest in the region.
Some of the group's leaders are accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.
After the 1994 genocide, many of those responsible crossed into DR Congo as Tutsi rebels took power in Rwanda.
Rwanda has twice invaded DR Congo, saying it wants to stop the FDLR from staging attacks.

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LIFE for Lucky Dube's 3 Killers

Report by BBC - 2/4/09

A South African judge has sentenced three men to life in prison for killing reggae star Lucky Dube in 2007.

The 43-year-old was shot as the three stole his car in a Johannesburg suburb in a case which shocked the nation.
Family members broke down in tears, cheered and applauded in response, the South Africa Press Association reports.

"The sentence won't heal me, but we are happy they were arrested and that the law took its course," his wife Zanele Dube said afterwards.
The BBC's Mpho Lakaje outside the South Gauteng High Court says musicians and fans gathered outside to show their support.
I don't think we will ever recover from this. But we are happy that justice has been done
Backing singer Tonique Thala - South Africa's singing peacemaker
The court had heard that the three men thought their victim was Nigerian and did not realise his identity until they read about it in the newspapers the following day.

Our reporter says one of the banners outside court read: "Lucky Dube did not look like a Nigerian; he's an African."
According to Sapa, the court also sentenced Sifiso Mhlanga, Julius Gxowa, and Mbuti Mabe to 15 years each for the attempted robbery of Dube's car.
Murder alarm

One of Dube's backing vocalists said there was a sense of relief that the trial was over.
"I don't think we will ever recover from this. But we are happy that justice has been done," Tonique Thala said.

South Africa's best-selling reggae artist, Dube recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans during his 25-year career.
The killing had led to renewed domestic calls for the restoration of the death penalty in a bid to stem one of the world's highest murder rates.

Our reporter says South Africa's international image has been tarnished by its alarming crime levels. Nearly 19,000 people were murdered last year, according to official statistics.
Millions of visitors are expected for next year's football World Cup.

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Sanitaton worsens in La sub metro

Story by Naa Lamiley Bentil
One major problem facing the La sub.metro office of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly is the lack of sound sanitation in the La community.

Indiscriminate dumping of refuse and defecating in drains is a common practice in the community according to the sub.metro director, Mr Noah tumfo. He attributed the indiscriminate dumping of refuse partly to the reduction in the number of sanitary site in the area from 12 to six . He explained that the six sanitary sites were woefully inadequate to cater for the many household in the community.
The sub-metro, however,had to give up the six sanitary sites when owners of the land which they were sited demanded the lands on which they were located.
He said even when the sites were 12, there were issues of overflowing refuse skips and indiscriminate dumping, and ask how much more when sites were now just six.
Mr Tumfo said the Ghana @ 50 project for the community, which was the construction of two public places of convenience at strategic locations had stalled for over a year now.
The two projects, one at Gonse near the La Presbyterian Church, and the other at Agyeman, close to the Regimanuel Gray offices, are both at the lintel level.
The community, he said, urgently needed the facility but had been unable to complete the two projects since they were awarded by the Ghana @ 50 secretariat.
Attempts to get officials of the secretariat to get work on the project completed had proved futile, Mr Tumfo said.
Mr Tumfo said the work of the sub-metro was a daunting one but gave the assurance that in spite of the challenges, the personnel were doing their best to ensure sound sanitation practices.
He expressed regret that some residents in this day and age found nothing wrong in defecating into drains and beaches, and appealed to such people to halt the practice to ease the sub-metro's work.

Addressing violence against women in Ghana

A story by Nana Oye Lithur - Graphic paper (17/6/08)

In 2003, a Ghanaian court adjudicated on a case, convicted, sentenced and repatriated an Indian national for defiling two Ghanian girls. It was discovered afterward that he was HIV positive.No protocols or guidelines had been adopted by the judiciary, Attorney General, Ghana Health service, or the department of social welfare to address emerging linkages between rapes, incest, defilement and HIV/AIDS at that time.

This Indian escaped serving his sentence at the Nsawam prison, the girls were through the defilement, exposed to the HIV virus.this sad case of the girls were taken up by gender advocates but no assistance was given to them by the Ghana health service.

There are no national standards under our criminal justice system on conducting routine HIV testing for convicted, and or accused rapist, basically due to the cost implications and a lack of coordination between the judicial service, Attorney General;s department and Ghana Health service.

Or is it a lack of commitment on their part? this leaves hundreds of girls who are defiled through condomless sex very vulnerable. In 2004 and 2005 defilement was the second case reported at the Domestic violence and victim support unit of the Ghana police service recording 734 and 713 cases were respectively.

On average therefore,roughly 700 girls in Ghana were forced in one year to have sex with men without condoms. this obviously places a lot of Ghanaian children at risk of HIV.

Oil hits new price levels

Crude oil prices surged to a new record high yesterday by nearly 140 US dollars by a barrel, propelled by weakness in the US dollar which offset the bearish impact of plans by Saudi Arabia to boost output.

US light, sweet crude for July delivery was up to 3.74 at 138.60 US dollar a barrel after falling as much as 1.40 Us dollar a barrel, or about 1 per cent, earlier in the session. US crude set a record high of 139.89 US dollars a barrel.

London Brent crude was up 3.05 at 138.16 US dollars. Prices leapt as the dollar fell after publications of the data from the New York Federal Reserved that showed manufacturing in the state of New York contracted in June for the fourth time in five months.

''Prices rose sharply in three minutes. US manufacturing data was week, so it is pressuring the dollar down, '' said Mike Wittner, energy analyst at Societe General.

Earlier in the session prices has dropped back after United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said over the weekend that Saudi Arabia, the world biggest oil exporter, was set to increase output to 9.7 million barrels per day in July, its second supply boost in many months.

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Inflation inches up

The rate of inflation rose by 1.59 per cent to close the month of May at 16.9 per cent, the Ghana Statistics Service (GSS) has said.

The major movers of the index was due to higher cost of transport and food items. The 1.6 per cent change from April to May indicated that consumer prices in the country were continuing to feel the pressure of higher global fuel and food prices.

Overall, food items, mostly fish, bread and cereals, contributed 7.2 per cent to the monthly increase. Non - food items, including transport, contributed 9.7 per cent.

Ghana's consumer prices maintained their upward march despite the Bank of Ghana's decision last month to raise its prime interest rate by a bigger - than - expected 175 basis point to 16 per cent to try control inflation.

It is the intention of government to inflation to a single digit by the close of the year. However, with geopolitical events coupled with the crude oil prices, it is impossible to bring inflation to a single digit by the close of the year.

Since January this year, the rate of inflation has been rising steadily. At the beginning of the year,the rate stood at 12.8 per cent and close at 13.2 per cent by the end of February rising again in March to settle at 13.8 per cent.

The rate closed at 15.8 per cent in April.

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NGOs promote education in Sawla - Tunu - Kalda District

NGOs have instituted measures including the Complementary Education Programme (CEP) to assist children aged between eight and 14 in the Sawla - Tunu - Kalda District of the Northern Region, to help them read and write in their mother tongue, as well as in the study of numeracy.

A baseline survey conducted in 2005, which revealed that 45,000 children in the district were out of school thereby compounding the high illiteracy rate in the newly created district.

In this regard, the organizations have organized week - long skills building training workshop to equip 27 CEP facilitators in the district to offer participants new teaching methodology skills and ideas, as well as mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the CEP programme.

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Zimbabwe elections not free and fair

A campaign of violence in Zimbabwe has extinguished any hope of free and fair run off presidential elections, Human Rights watch has warned.
In a new report, the New - York based group said it had extensive evidence linking senior officials loyal to Robert Mugabe with violence incidents.

The report said torture camps has been run by President Mugabe's governing ZANU - PF party and its allies.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai faces Mr. Mugabe in June 27 vote.
The Human Right Watch report said violence against supporters of Mr. Tsvangirai Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had worsened in the lead up of the run - off.

'' Zimbabwe can't vote freely if they fear their vote may get them killed'', said Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director at Human Right Watch.

The much - delayed results from the first round in March showed Mr Tsvangirai ahead, but not by enough to win outright.

Mr Mugabe is widely accused of economic mismanagement, resulting in a runaway inflation, soaring unemployment and the decline of Zimbabwe's agricultural sector.

Mr Mugabe blames former colonial power Britain and its Western allies for the crisis.

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