The installation ceremony which took place at the UMaT campus on Friday was to confer authority on the new Chancellor and welcome him officially to the University system.

Hundreds of people including representatives of government, organizations, traditional authorities, members of the university staff across the country, students and the general public attended the special event.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led former President Kufour through the swearing of oath of office.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nana Akufo-Addo commended the university’s council for recognising the immense contributions of the former President made during his term in office for UMaT and mother Ghana.

The President said with the nine uncompleted Mineral Development Fund (MDF) projects on UMaT’s campus, Mr. John Peter Amewu, minister of Lands and Natural Resource has assured him that through the MDF all the deficit projects would be completed soon to commemorate the event.

President Akufo-Addo said he had been informed that 26 kilometers square of land had been donated to the university by the chief and people of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area  and that designs for the construction of the 20,000 student capacity complex had been completed awaiting funds for the commencement of the project .

The President noted that the government would give an annual special budgetary allocation of 5 million Cedis to the University for projects.

He said there were  few countries in the world with Universities dedicated to mining and allied industries and added that UMaT would provide higher education in mining technology and related science and also acted as a catalyst in the development of mining and technology.

He pointed out that ministry of Lands and Natural Resource and the university in its contribution to the fight against illegal mining had trained 400 small scale miners with additional 1,000 more set to be trained this year on sustainable mining practices.

According to the President, “The Ministry of Railway Development and UMaT wanting to revive the railway training school is a step in the very right direction considering government’s determination to revamp the railway sector”.

President Akufo-Addo said his government would rehabilitate and equip existing laboratories as well as the construction of new buildings that were currently on-going to enable the university deliver effectively on its mandate of teaching, research and community service.

Delivering his address, former President Kufour said in the current world, the future belonged to the economies that take technology and innovation seriously, and made the conscious effort to train their manpower in these competencies.

He said science, technology, engineering and mathematics education should be the cornerstone of the educational curricula of any serious nation that seek to develop industrially.

The former President said the university chosen to be committed singularly to this all important academic endeavor, with accompanying practical experience, was worthy of commendation and support from government.

He said “I envisage a future where this university will fast become the centre of the industry-driven transformational economic takeoff that you have resolved and declared as the cornerstone of your government’s development policies”.

“Your Excellency, Mr. President, l know that the exploitation of the country’s bauxite resources is dear to your heart, and you envision an integrated aluminium and bauxite industry as well as other metallurgical industries in the not too distant future,” he said.

He pledged to work with the government to provide technologies and the requisite trained manpower to realise their noble vision under his chancellorship and appealed to Ghanaians to support UMaT to become a true centre of excellence in mining and technology.

Professor Jerry Kuma, Vice Chancellor indicated that if UMaT is given the necessary support to expand its infrastructure, laboratory equipment and staff development, the university would do more in the area of research and bring out more inventions to benefit Ghanaians.

In addition, he said UMaT would also be in a better position to absorb more of the students who would gain admission as a result of the free Senior High School programme.

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Source: GNA

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As Ghana celebrates 25 years under the fourth republic, Mr. Kufuor downplayed comparisons with more successful countries like Rwanda, which have autocratic regimes.

[contextly_sidebar id=”RsAyGnprZT1ghHYfzfsTkUzB4qZynMUQ”]He said the rule of law must not be compromised as Ghana strives for development, regardless of the slow pace.

“We believe we can have democracy with development. That is what I believe is evolving in Ghana and we should sustain it and respect it,” the former President said to the media at a ceremony to outdoor him as the patron of the Ghana Jobs Bank Initiative.

He stressed that democracy must ultimately reflect positively in the lives of the masses.

“People talk of the democratic Dividend. I believe the dividend should translate into wellbeing, employment, good earnings not just for the state but for all citizens. Everybody should feel the count as citizens of this land.”

However, people who suggest that a dictatorship or autocratic regime would be best for Ghana’s development take their freedoms for granted, Mr. Kufuor suggested in response to a question on the matter.

“Anybody who will talk like that is exposing himself or herself as not really befitting of the title of a citizen. Democracy working on the basis of rule of law should function with citizen’s rights acknowledged and fundamental human rights respected… Yes, there may be a little too much noise but the laws are there to ensure that when you talk out of turn, you may be disciplined under the law,” he said

Freedoms can’t be sacrificed for progress

Regardless of the development in autocratic states, Mr. Kufuor said basic rights and freedoms of citizens could not be sacrificed for quick development.

“Will you sacrifice your right of expression to just be fed like a captive animal? Do you want to be put in a golden cage? As we sit here, as human beings, just because you are in a golden cage and every morning you are fed with something and you are denied the right to express yourself; what you think and what you want to say, is that what you want? So the comparison shouldn’t happen,” he stated.

“We have suffered our bit of ups and downs. We are coming out from the woods and we should sustain this move and put ourselves on a trajectory that will give us both the economic benefits as well as the benefit of human rights. Everything should be defined on the basis of human rights.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the private sector has the capacity to positively influence the nation’s development efforts, hence his suggestion.

[contextly_sidebar id=”X5RztPtgKqDHtI3voqN1EnVeYUV8gxqi”]He advised that the government should partner the private sector “to do all the jobs society needs to be done for it and if along the line, the company makes profit, that is the rationale for private enterprise.”

“This where I believe governments from now into the future should work with. The government alone cannot do it. The private person with his initiative and risk-taking  will make the profit and we should not envy them. We should encourage them to do more. If you go the United States of America you will not government businesses rather private business.”

He was speaking at the Thanksgiving Service for the Jospong Group of Companies.

The event, which is held in December every year, brought together staff and management of the company to thank God and appreciate his goodness for successes chalked by the entities under the group.

The service, held at the forecourt of the Zoomlion Ghana Headquarters at Adenta in Accra, had representatives of other companies and state officials in attendance.

This year’s event was also used to honour former President Kufuor as he celebrated his 79th birthday.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Jospong Group of Companies, Mr. Joseph Siaw Agyapong, applauded former President Kufuor for the various roles he played during the formative years of his business.

He said the former president’s motivation and the support he gave him when he started Jospong’s flagship company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited in 2006, was what pushed him to pursue the agenda of helping address some of the development challenges of Ghana.

“Apart from showing gratitude to God, I personally thank former President Kufuor who did not know me from anywhere but called me and encouraged me during the early years of Zoomlion. It was his words that motivated me to do things I never thought I could do,” Dr. Agyapong said.

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By: Philip Nii Lartey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said that the good projects that he (Kufuor) started, including the numerous social intervention programmes, were abandoned by his immediate successors – Prof Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama.

As a result of the poor leadership style of the Mills-Mahama administrations, former President Kufuor observed that the country could not develop rapidly during the eight-year tenure of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, Ghana could have made giant strides in terms of proper infrastructural development and economic growth, if Nana Akufo-Addo had succeeded him as president in 2009.

Mr Kufuor said that Ghana’s growth stagnated when he left office because his successors were not proactive leaders.

“I started a good work by introducing several social intervention programmes to tame poverty and also bring about jobs and wealth creation so that our people would live comfortable lives.

“But sadly, there was some interference, with regards to the ‘Promised Land,’ where I was directing Ghana to when I left political office in 2009. Those who came after me didn’t have the same vision.

“Their mismanagement hampered the social intervention programmes that I introduced to accelerate Ghana’s development and improve the lives of the masses; they were abandoned,” former President Kufuor bemoaned.

The Kufuor administration introduced several social intervention programmes such as National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Metro Mass Bus Transit (MMT), School Feeding programme, among others.

Speaking at the 68th Annual Speech and Prize-Giving Day celebration of Prempeh College in Kumasi on Sunday, Mr Kufuor – an ‘old boy’ of the school – said the country could have benefitted from a lot more social intervention programmes to improve the lives of the citizenry if President Akufo-Addo had succeeded him in 2009.

“My heart is at peace now that Nana Akufo-Addo is the president because I know he will revive my social intervention programmes and even introduce more positive policies.

Showering praises on the current Ghanaian leader, Mr. Kufuor stated that he shares similar traits with Nana Addo.

Mr Kufuor described the recently-introduced Free Senior High School (SHS) policy as a laudable social intervention programme introduced by Nana Akufo-Addo after only a few months in office.

Touching on other issues, Mr Kufuor stressed the need for Ghanaian youth, especially students, to exhibit good morals so that they will become good leaders after their studies.

President Akufo-Addo, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo), Education Minister; Ministers of State; Members of Parliament (MPs); old students; parents and guardians, among others, attended the event.

–

Daily Guide/Ghana

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The Executive Secretary of NIA, Prof. Ken Agyeman Attafuah, who made the revelation on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, said the cards will be issued to them instantly after their details are captured onto the NIA system.

[contextly_sidebar id=”E84gaYibcNP9swRyxsUYJB0hZeL8OSUQ”]Mr. Attafuah noted that the security agencies as well as the judicial service and staff of the Flagstaff House, will all be registered within the first phase of the project which will end on or before November 15, 2017.

“Before the 15^th of November, we expect to register the entire security sector and service commanders in the Greater Accra Region. By that I mean Ghana Armed Forces, Prisons, Police, their veterans and all of those in hat category. Then we will also register the judicial service, we will register the three former presidents and their households and offices. We will register the flagstaff House, the seat of government,” he added.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the first to have been issued with the card to commence the registration of Ghanaians onto the rebranded NIA system.

The National ID scheme is expected to formalize the economy through the establishment of a national database linking the Passport Office, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana Revenue Authority among others.

October 2018 deadline

Prof. Attafuah said the phase two of the project which will continue after November 15, will be extended to schools, the banking sector and Ghanaian residents within the Greater Accra Region, where every Ghanaian will be issued an instant ID card.

He added that his team will later continue the registration in the Central Region, and proceed to the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions respectively.

He said NIA is hoping to complete the registrations by October 2018.

Ghanaians abroad to be registered

The NIA Executive Secretary also disclosed that Ghanaians living abroad will not be left out.

“We are expecting to conclude all these in October 2018. In the course of this work, when we are about six months into it, we will talk with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to begin the registration of Ghanaians abroad as required by law. So we will work through the Ghana Commissions abroad and establish modalities for registering Ghanaians across the world,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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“President Akufo-Addo’s government is not cassava to mature in six months,” Mr. Kufuor told critics of the current NPP administration, stating that President Akufo-Addo’s government is implementing policies to ensure proper development of the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7JkKdqBQhIEGNWe5eFh8D028gs8O3hBt”]He particularly entreated the populace not to fall for the NDC’s weak and unfounded claims that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government under the leadership of Akufo-Addo, has failed to deliver its campaign promises.

According to him, eight months is too short for anybody to accuse the NPP administration of not delivering on its promises, predicting that the party, which has a four-year mandate, would surely fulfill its campaign promises within that period.

He disclosed this when addressing NPP delegates from the 275 constituencies of the country during a mammoth rally to climax the ruling political party’s annual National Delegates’ Conference at the Victoria Park in Cape Coast Central Region, on Saturday.

President Nana Akufo-Addo and his wife, Rebecca; Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and his wife, Samira; Fredie Blay; John Boadu; Sammy Awuku as well as other party gurus, were all present.

Jabs NDC

Mr. Kufuor accused the NDC of always indulging in propaganda and lies to confuse the masses, admonishing the citizenry to treat the NDC’s concocted political messages with the contempt they deserve.

According to him, while in opposition, the NDC promised to introduce a one-term payment of premium of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), but could not implement it after eight years in political office.

“Don’t listen to the blatant lies being peddled about the Akufo-Addo administration by the NDC. They (NDC) could not implement the one-term premium payment of the NHIS, yet they have the audacity to accuse the NPP,” he fumed.

Nana Promises Real Development

Mr. Kufuor stated that the fulfillment of Nana Akufo-Addo’s campaign promises would ensure the rapid development of the country, and urged the citizenry to exercise patience and support the government.

“Once the NPP programmes have been rolled out, their benefits would be experienced by the people for more than two decades,” Mr. Kufuor said, stressing that Ghana is now in the safe hands of Nana Akufo-Addo as the president.

Gov’t For The Youth

Mr. Kufuor charged the youth in the country to rally behind the Nana Akufo-Addo administration, pointing out that the current government has better plans to massively transform the lives of the youth.

“The youth of this country, this is your government,” the former Ghanaian leader assured, indicating that the high unemployment situation and other challenges facing the country would soon be a thing of the past.

He said he was extremely happy to see thousands of youth on the streets of Cape Coast dressed in NPP colours during the party’s conference, and pointed out that the NPP, which has the backing of the youth, has a strong future.

–

Source: Daily Guide

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“I believe that what the president said is the right thing to say. When you see something wrong you should have the courage of your conviction to move against the wrong report to the investigative authorities and the chain to secure justice.  The president’s approach I believe is the right approach. After all he is a lawyer and you don’t convict people before you even investigated and tried them,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1fao0yje8bQOblyntnOrUyBhWbnHMQUb”]Speaking to Citi News’ Caleb Kudah, President Kufuor also said Ghanaians must be concerned about who the president selects for the Special Prosecutor office in the fight against corruption.

He said “the most important thing for all of us to look forward to is that whoever is appointed as the special prosecutor would be the type of good person we are talking about.”

“Get the right person in the good place and get the right solutions,” he remarked.

I won’t spare corrupt NPP officials – Akufo-Addo 

President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday disclosed that he has given the security agencies a directive to investigate any official within his administration who will be accused of corruption.

This he said follows his promise of not condoning corruption in his government.

“Let me reassure you of one thing. Any allegation about corruption against any official member of my government will be investigated by the law enforcement agencies. And those who made that allegation better be prepared to support it when they are making these allegations of corruption because nobody is going to get away with it,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Kufuor endorses probe of corrupt officials in Nana Addo’s gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said such development have the tendency of “destabilizing” the party.

Speaking at the party’s 25th Annual Delegates’ Conference in Cape Coast, Kufuor said persons who feel aggrieved or have problems with developments within the party should use the existing internal party structured to air them.

“I want to entreat each and every one of us not to, and let me repeat, not to say or do anything or conduct ourselves in any way that will destabilize the party…If you have any criticisms, please render the criticism indoors. You don’t wash dirty linen in public,” he said.

The NPP in 2015 suffered serious internal wrangling that saw some of its top officers going public with challenges of the party.

The development resulted in two of the party’s executives, Kwabena Agyapong who was the General Secretary and Paul Afoko, Chairman, being indefinitely suspended.

It resulted in a division in the party but their quick regrouping months ahead of the 2016 polls saw them claim victory ahead of a seemingly more united National Democratic Congress.

Meanwhile, former President Kufuor has also called on the party leaders to hire strategists and thinkers who will serve as backroom staff to enable the party remains in power for more years.

He said the strategists must be adequately remunerated to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the party to determine its short, medium and long term strategies for the sustenance of its future.

“It has taken quite a long time for us to come into government. And now that we have it and there is so much to do, unfortunately, the term of office is so short, we must keep on winning perhaps three, four, five times, before the roots will go deep and we become the party of the nation,” he said.

For this to be possible, Kufuor said “we must have full-time back room very professional thinkers and workers,” he added.

“The back room people don’t tend to be too good on platforms, that’s the profession of politicians like us but invariably behind us, we’ve got the backroom people working for us. It’s the same in government. So the party headquarters must be equipped with such full timers. They must be paid well and their role is just to sit and think and strategize for us. They will be strengthening the party’s future. We talk about sustainability these days and I think the way to get to it is to get so professional in the back room,” he stressed.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Don’t criticize party in public – Kufuor to NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, such people must be paid well and made to develop extensive roadmap and short, medium and long term strategies for the sustenance of the NPP’s future.

“It has taken quite a long time for us to come into government. And now that we have it and there is so much to do, unfortunately the term of office is so short, we must keep on winning perhaps three, four five times, before the roots will go deep and we become the party of the nation,” he said.

For this to be possible, Kufuor said “we must have full time back room very professional thinkers and workers.”

“The back room people don’t tend to be too good on platforms, that’s the profession of politicians like us but invariably behind us we’ve got the backroom people working for us. It’s the same in government. So the party headquarters must be equipped with such full timers. They must be paid well and their role is just to sit and think and strategize for us.  They will be strengthening the party’s future. We talk of sustainability these days and I think the way to get to it is to get so professional in the back room,” he added.

The former President made the call when he was speaking at the Annual National Delegates Conference of the NPP at Cape Coast on Saturday.

“We should never forget that in current times we are in the era of technocracy; the digital age. You may be a democrat alright but if you do not know the dynamics of the time, you talk democracy and at the end of the day your economy might be faltering, you may not be able to do the necessary social interventions to ensure equality of opportunity that is also part of our DNA. So my prayer is that when the party retires into detailed deliberations the party will see how we will balance democracy with technocracy,” he added.

He also urged the party to be united and solve any issue they have internally.

The Conference themed: “NPP, delivering on our promises, our roots, our strength, our future” is to help the party to among other things take stock of its achievements in the last few years.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Employ thinkers to keep NPP in power for five terms – Kufuor to NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The vehicles which were originally brought into Ghana to be used by District Chief Executives across the country, have been under the mercy of the weather for the past 16 years because the then Kufuor government failed to distribute them to the various assemblies citing the absence of a written contract in the purchase of the vehicles.

Successive governments have also failed to reach an amicable settlement with the importers of the vehicles, African Automobile Company Limited.

[contextly_sidebar id=”EnLEITaMxKTboJrXB1rP4RK4f1sVThr1″]Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, said the National Democratic Congress administration in their eight years tried on several occasions to take over the vehicles but was unsuccessful.

“I felt ashamed at the time I went to the Local Government Institute and saw these vehicles parked there. I felt sad for this country and I sincerely will believe that anybody culpable to have willfully caused financial loss to the state through the failure to allow the state to have access to these vehicles and to use them appropriately should be sanctioned.”

He lamented that, at the time, the matter was politicized such that it complicated the whole issue.

“This issue was politicized, became a partisan issue and we as such were not able to really exhaustively look at it; nationalistically, patriotically and with the lenses of national economy. The taxpayers money had been used and I would have said that if even the procedure for acquiring those vehicles were not properly followed, for the vehicles to stay there and rot aware while we will still pay for them, it’s better to be put to use and then whatever procedure which was breached, people who breached those procedures could be dealt with. But for people to deliberately decide that it will not happen was a problem.”

For MMDCEs/Sanitation exercise

He said the NDC government tried allow the newly created district assemblies to use the vehicles but it wasn’t successful.

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye also added that, the former Local Government Minister, Julius Debrah in 2012, also tried to get the vehicles to boost the national sanitation exercise, but also failed following the protracted legal tussle over the matter.

“As far back as 2013, there were attempts by Mills government to get the vehicles that were motorable, to be given out to some of our DCEs who at the time were having problems with their vehicles. The newly created district assemblies didn’t have equipment, among others. So the suggestion was that, why don’t we give them these vehicles but as at the time, because there had been a long legal tussle over the vehicles, it was difficult for anyone to use them.”

“I remember very well again that, after the 2012 election, when I became Deputy Minister, I remember Julius [Debrah] tried to get us these vehicles so that when we are embarking on the national sanitation exercise, we were trying to see if we could get these vehicles to the assemblies to facilitate and help them do their work because when we went there, some of the assemblies complained about lack of mobility. We tried again but we were not successful,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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