February 26

spread_Feb 26 2018.qxp_SHOWBIZ TEMP 2/23/18 8:01 PM Page 1
News
DAILY HERITAGE, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
Akyemansa
District Assembly
battles teenage
pregnancy
BY KOJO ANSAH
THE AKYEMANSA District
Assembly in the Eastern Region is
calling for the support of Non-
Governmental Organisations and
child right activists to help the
district curb the alarming teenage
pregnancy in the district.
The Akyemansa District topped
teenage pregnancy cases in the
Eastern Region in 2016.
The district recorded 445 teenage
pregnancy cases which represented
18% of all pregnancy cases recorded
in the district during the year under
review
In 2017, the number of teenage
pregnancies increased to 488
representing 20.6% of pregnancy
cases recorded in the district.
The Akyemansa District Health
Director, Madam Gifty
Sunu, worried about the menace,
has called on traditional rulers,
Ghana Education Service (GES)
and the District Assembly to join
the health directorate to find
solution to the problem.
“We need stakeholders onboard,
if we want to fight the high rate of
teenage pregnancy in the
Akyemansa district, let’s talk about
the traditional authorities we have in
our communities, when they come
together to set up by-laws that will
prevent men impregnating these
young girls, there should be some
laws put in place.
“They district assembly they also
have a key role to play, Ministry of
Education or GES they have key
roles to play, the National
Commission on Civic Education, all
have to come onboard.”
The District Chief Executive
(DCE) for Akyemansa, Mr Paul
Asamoah said teenage pregnancy
menace had become a burden on
the district, hence some
interventions are needed.
“During our previous assembly
meetings we realised that we have to
stamp our foot down and push
some of these things into our by -
laws so that we can enforce them to
stop some of these things. Some
parents when their children below
16 years are impregnated, they go
and sit with the person to settle
such criminal matter amicably in the
house so we want to stop all these
things,” he stated.
Family planning has been
suggested as emergency option, but
the DCE said the teenagers are not
showing interest in any of
the family planning services
available despite education by the
health directorate.
“We need
stakeholders
onboard, if we
want to fight the
high rate of
teenage pregnancy
in the Akyemansa
district, let’s talk
about the
traditional
authorities we
have in our
communities,
when they come
together to set up
by-laws that will
prevent men
impregnating
these young girls,
there should be
some laws put in
place.”
Surveyors appeal to govt for a Council
BY PAUL AMPONG-MENSAH
THE PRESIDENT of
the Ghana Institute of
Surveyors, Mr Edwin
Addo-Tawiah has
revealed that currently
the Institute does not
fall under any government agency to
regulate its activities.
Speaking to the press at the
opening ceremony of the 13th
Surveyors' Week and 49th Annual
General Meeting, the president said
“as it stands now, we as a professional
body can't touch anyone who works
as a surveyor but is not a member of
the institute.
"As we are waiting for government
to come out with a Council, we have
also submitted a Bill (Survey Council
Bill) to Cabinet to be sent to
Parliament for passage.”
According to him, currently any
foreigner could come to Ghana to
practice as a surveyor without
supervision which is not done in
other countries, “so this Bill when
passed will allow the Ghana Institute
of Surveyors to monitor and regulate
the services of foreign surveyors in
the country.”
He said the Institute is looking
forward to be considered by
government in terms of
infrastructural development so that
they could offer advice on corrupt
practices.
Mr Addo-Tawiah urged the
government to attach local surveyors
to contractors whether foreign or
local because the Institute has three
divisions-land surveyors, quantity
surveyors and valuation surveyors.
Penplusbytes engages Gender
Ministry on Social Policy Brief
NOTWITHSTANDING
SUCCESSES chalked in the area of
scope, financial inclusion and
programme delivery improvement for
the Livelihood Empowerment against
Poverty Programme (LEAP) and the
Ghana School Feeding Programme
(GSFP), there still remain genuine
questions about programme impact,
sustainability and how citizens can
add their voice to the effective
implementation of the selected social
intervention policies.
Penplusbytes under its twoyear
‘Tech Driven Social
Accountability for Results’ project has
deployed new digital tools, which has
enabled citizens in the two project
districts – Ashaiman (Greater Accra
Region) and Ellembelle (Western
Region) to actively monitor and
provide feedback on how the selected
social intervention policies are being
implemented in their communities.
Feedback collated from citizens’
monitoring using digital tools and
offline means have informed the
policy brief that the project team
from Penplusbytes presented in a
roundtable discussion with officials at
the Ministry of Gender, Children and
Social Protection.
Findings from the monitoring data
indicate that the increment of cash
transfers by 24.9% across board
between 2013 and 2017 has indeed
contributed to cushioning the social
safety net for beneficiaries of LEAP
in all 216 districts across Ghana.
However, the main risk to the
programme sustainability is weak
fiscal performance, considering the
dwindling donor grant over the years.
LEAP has also impacted positively
•Edwin Addo-Tawiah, President and CEO of the Ghana Institute of Surveyors
•Otiko Afisa Djaba, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection
on access to National Health
Insurance Scheme, school enrolment
and non-consumption expenditure,
among others. GSFP has recorded
some meaningful impacts on school
enrolment and attendance for both
sexes, albeit the evidence of its
impact on performance,
concentration and discipline is
checkered.
Another key finding on the GSFP
was the fact that caterers were indeed
sourcing their food stuff from local
farmers; however, these farmers were
said to be unable to meet the capacity
requirements of caterers. Although it
is not clear whether the capacity
shortfall is quantitative or qualitative,
or both, it clearly points out a
bottleneck in the agricultural supply
chain that needs immediate attention.
According to Penplusbytes’
Programmes Director, Jerry Sam,
“the policy brief ultimately affirms
that indeed without provision of high
quality health and education services,
citizens’ aspiration to be free and
enjoy the dividends of an open
society will be impossible.”
Recommendations from the brief
which are grouped under Policy
Innovation; Data Management
Capacity and Community Buy-in are
expected to help advocate for
reforms where necessary in social
protection policy making, by directly
capturing the needs of citizens and
document lessons learnt on social
accountability in Ghana.
The two-year ‘Tech Driven Social
Accountability for Results’ project,
which is being funded by the Open
Society Initiative for West Africa
seeks to equip ordinary citizens with
usable information via online
platforms mashed-up with social
media and mobile based platforms to
promote their purposeful
participation in demanding
accountability and responsiveness
from decision makers for effective
public service delivery.
Cracks in New
Juaben South
NPP deepen
BY KOJO ANSAH
THE KOFORIDUA Circuit
Court 'B' has granted bail to
the four accused persons
including New Juaben South
Organiser of the New
Patriotic Party arrested for
allegedly attacking and robbing
the constituency secretary, Mr
Isaac Adjabeng.
The four accused - Obeng
Manu, constituency organiser,
Alex Owusu (Gunta), Rolland
Opoku Sarkodie alias
Woadoski and Justice Peter
Afful alias Oboo Yanki all
pleaded not guilty to charges
of conspiracy to commit
robbery and robbery.
They have been granted bail
of GH¢ 100,000.00 with two
sureties each to reappear in
court on March 21, 2018.
The Prosecuting Officer,
Dickson Donkor, narrated to
court last Wednesday that the
accused persons both residents
in Koforidua, on Sunday night
attacked the complainant who
is the New Juaben South
constituency secretary while
asleep.
He said the accused
persons tied both hands and
legs, assaulted him and took
away two mobile phones, GH¢
4,000.00 and a polling station
register.
He said Police
investigations led to the arrest
of one of the accused persons
who mentioned his
accomplices including the
constituency organiser who
•The suspects
allegedly hired them.
They were subsequently
arrested by the New Juaben
Municipal Police. Meanwhile,
Police are searching for two
other accomplices.
Party supporters and
heavy security in court
There was heavy security
presence in court as about 30
armed SWAT Police personnel
took over the court during the
appearance of the accused
persons.
Scores of party
supporters from the
constituency thronged the
court to sympathise with the
constituency organiser.
They want the matter to be
settled internally by the
regional executives of the
party since it is a party issue.
The attack has been linked
to confusion and attacks which
had characterised both the
polling station and the yet-tobe
held constituency elections;
however the Police say it is
treating the issue as a criminal
matter.
The party in the
constituency has been divided
along two factions -the
incumbent Member of
Parliament, Dr Mark Asibe
Yeboah faction and Michael
Kofi Okyere Baafi, Chief
Executive Officer of Ghana
Free Zones Board who had
been widely tipped by most
supporters of the party to be
their 2020 parliamentary
candidate.