After the second weekly draw, Mr. Collins Nkrumah Gyabeng, who emerged as the second winner, is now a proud owner of a plot of land at Appolonia city in Accra.

The ‘Win a Piece of Ghana’ promo, which was launched on 1^st March 2018, seeks to reward 16 loyal Guinness drinkers over a period of 16 weeks with plots of land in Appolonia City.

During the presentation ceremony at the office of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited in Accra, Marketing Manager for Guinness, Mrs. Lesego Lebogang Babe, said “I am very elated that once again we have given another Ghanaian starting his adult life with a real taste of independence. This means a lot to us because we are giving them a head start to a great future with opportunity to own land”.

She noted that “two weeks after the launch of this promo, I am very happy to announce that we have had over 800,000 entries, which is a clear sign that this is a promotion that really resonates with Ghanaians.”

She indicated that the promotion was the brands way of celebrating independence with Ghanaians and showing appreciation to its consumers for their loyalty to Guinness over the last 57 years.

Receiving his prize, Mr. Collins Nkrumah Gyabeng, expressed appreciation to Guinness for coming up such an innovative campaign to empower Ghanaians.

“I still cannot believe it. I am very excited and encouraged to complete my studies, graduate in 2019 and take my time to plan what I want to do with my land. Thank you to Guinness for this reward, indeed I have been given the nod to be independent,” he said.

There are still 14 plots of land left to be won during the promotion as well as the opportunity to win millions of instant prizes including airtime and data. Guinness drinkers should look out for limited edition GHANAIAN bottle in bars and in store and SMS the code under the crown to 2125 to stand a chance to win.

For all of the latest details on the promotion and winners, make sure to like the Guinness Ghana Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Guinness.Gh.

Guinness is a bold, distinctive beer that has been proudly brewed here in Ghana for over 57 years.  It is an iconic beer that isn’t afraid to express itself, a beer that has the darkest liquid, but the brightest flavours.

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Source: Guinness

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The committee has Professor Omane Antwi, Representative of Internal Audit Agency (IAA) as its chairman while other members include Mr Samuel Peterson Larbi who is also a representative of IAA, Mr Kofi Abaidoo from the Institute of Chartered Accountants as well as representatives of the Council, Dr Thomas Agyarko-Poku and Dr Edem Amenumey.

They will serve a two-year term subject to renewal.

The Audit Committee is expected to, among other things, review and advice the University on strategic and annual internal audit plans and monitor the implementation of agreed audit recommendations.

[contextly_sidebar id=”LuPo3zn2C2pLg9QdvdZOp5VTDxQ8Nbt2″]It will also review its activities and ensure that no unjustified restrictions or limitations are placed on the Internal Auditors.

Furthermore, it will help to promote the effective functioning of the Internal Audit Unit and follow up on the implementation of audit recommendations to ensure efficient and effective utilization of public resources in line with the objectives of the Public Financial Management Act.

Inaugurating the committee, Mrs Nancy Thompson, Chairperson of the UCC Governing Council, said the appointment of the Committee was in fulfilment of Section, 86(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), Section 30(1) of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584).

That Act required all institutions subject to auditing by the Auditor-General to establish Audit Committees.

She said the Committee has been mandated to annually prepare statements showing the status of implementation of any recommendation contained in all audit reports of the Auditor-General which have been accepted by Parliament and any other related directives from Parliament.

Mrs Thompson urged them to be objective and discharge their duties with commitment, diligence, professionalism, transparency and teamwork.

“In executing your responsibilities, members and secretarial staff may have access to confidential information. Therefore, it is important to maintain strict confidentiality of proceedings and materials to the fullest extent” she said.

She expressed confidence that the Committee would be a major organ through which corruption could be reduced and called on members to bring their knowledge, expertise and experience to bear.

Mr Ransford Agyei, the Acting Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, said the establishment of the audit committees would ensure public accountability, transparency, efficient operational and financial performance and safeguard the judicious use of public assets.

He said the Committee had authority to conduct or authorise investigations into any matter within its scope or responsibility so as to champion transparency and accountability at the university.

Mr Agyei urged members of the Committee to acquaint themselves with the laws, policies and rules that govern the establishment of the university as well as the PFM Act 921.

The Chairman, Professor Omane Antwi on behalf of the Committee implored the internal auditors and the entire university community to provide them with the needed information that would help them provide insightful guidance to the Vice Chancellor and the university’s governing council.

He said the committee would operate in an environment of cooperation and trust and discharge their duties as the law required.

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Source: GNA

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He has thus challenged graduate students to apply the knowledge they acquire in solving demanding socio-economic situations in the society, saying that will justify the investment made into their studies.

The acclaimed scholar  said, “The post-graduate degree would affect your persistence, determination, intellectual prowess and your ability to handle challenging situations; these qualities are of great importance to employers.”

Sir Dr. Sam Jonah threw the challenge on Saturday, in his address at the 6^th Session of the Congregation of the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Cape Coast.

The Congregation for the School of Graduate Studies for the year 2017, recorded 1,307 men and women, passing out with doctorate and master’s degrees across different disciplines.

The Chancellor reminded graduates that, passing out as a post-graduate student comes with higher expectations from the local community level to the international level, saying, “Your community and the nation are looking up to you, and the future of the nation rests on your shoulders”.

He stated that, as prospective employees, holders of graduate degrees would be expected to possess the qualities of “stamina, discipline, leadership and the ability to work well with others” in order to demonstrate success in the long-term situation, and that such qualities make them have greater opportunities for growth.

“For this level of achievement, no one would accept excuses or mediocrity from you, and brace yourselves for action, and if I may say so, act now”, Sir Dr. Sam Jonah added.

Of the five colleges that presented finalists for the post-graduate studies, the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, had the least female number of sixty-five, out of a total of two hundred and twenty-four from that college.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He says the wide gap between what universities teach, and what industry expects, exists because industry doesn’t have the needed confidence in investing in research outcomes.

According to him, “a lot of issues have cropped up about training in the universities and its relevance to industries, but as an academic institution, relating this (research outcomes) to what happens in the industries means a lot, but industry must be able to make a move”.

Prof. Ampiah was speaking on Tuesday at the Open Day Ceremony of University of Cape Coast, that saw different schools, colleges and departments, displaying their research products to the public.

This year’s Open Day, which preceded the university’s 2^nd-5^th session of the 2017 congregation, showcased products from biotechnology, medicine, agriculture and the humanities.

Bemoaning the lack of collaboration between academia and industry, Prof. Ampiah noted that, universities are teaching and research centres, and are bereft of adequate funds to produce research products on large scale, thus it behooves industry to take steps to make research outcomes relevant to society.

Concerns are rife about what Ghana’s educational curriculum churns out is at variance with what industry or services require at the workplace, and diverse calls have been made for drastic changes to link education to the economy.

However, the Vice Chancellor says, “We (the universities) can go to them (industry) and suggest a lot of things, but if they are not interested, then definitely nothing will happen; it involves a lot of money, and if we are going to scale some of these things up, we as a university are not capable of doing that, and industry itself must be interested in these things”.

Meanwhile, the university is presenting a total of 6,826 graduands who have completed undergraduate and postgraduate programmes from its various colleges and schools for graduation for the year 2017, with the College of Humanities and Legal Studies having the highest number of 2,128.

In his speech at the 2^nd session of the congregation on Wednesday, the Vice Chancellor admonished the graduating men and women to seize every good opportunity that comes their way, saying, “This world is full of opportunities, but most people miss these opportunities because the opportunities are usually dressed in overalls and look like work”.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The number is less than half of a total of 12,240 applications the university received for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Out of the number, 555 are pursuing various graduate programmes, with a thirty-five percent female representation while females represent forty-one percent in both levels of programmes.

In his address yesterday (Saturday), the Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, said the university “is hoping to get to a point where we will admit more females to have a fifty-fifty (male-female) ratio”.

The Vice-Chancellor warned the matriculants that the university will not hesitate to rusticate deviant students, advising that they should strive to stay off trouble.

Prof Ghartey Ampiah asserts, “We have lecturers here; we have counselors here to guide you, but if you will not listen to them and every dawn you disturb everyone and you go on all sorts of march passes and we get hold of you, then don’t blame anybody”.

The university is currently in court over its rustication of some twenty-two students after a clash between Oguaa and Atlantic Halls in March this year, and the Vice Chancellor told the newly admitted students to make their academic life a priority over all other endeavors on campus.

“There are many things we have banned because of the behaviour of students and therefore you must find out what you have to do and not to do because when you are caught in the web, we won’t set you free; we are in court because we rusticated some students, and we won’t mind rusticating others if you do the same thing”, he further warned.

He noted the university will not compromise on its acclaimed academic and disciplinary standards and advised students to eschew examination malpractices because culprits will not be spared.

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By: Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The variety, that has a sucrose yield of 15-23% as against the 15-18% level of what is currently at the factory’s nursery, also takes a shorter period to mature than varieties currently grown in the country, the researchers have indicated.

The laboratory work on the variety began in 2016 in consultation with officials of the Komenda Sugar Factory, and it was generated through a biotechnology rapid multiplication protocol.

At a press conference on Friday, Dr Aaron T. Asare, head of the team noted there was obvious “lack of research and adequate planning prior to building the the Komenda Sugar Factory”.

The team further noted it was moved to commence the research because of the “need for adequate production of the requisite sugarcane variety to meet industrial need for processing to produce sugar for domestic and industrial uses in Ghana”.

The Komenda Sugar Factory was commissioned by former President Mahama in May, 2016, but just after its few days of test-run, the factory closed due to lack of funds and the unavailability of raw material.

Checks also show that most of the varieties grown by out growers who are currently waiting to sell their sugarcane to the factory have very low sucrose levels.

To sustain the mass growing of the variety at the factory and out grower farms, the team also has a comprehensive irrigation module that will tap water from the River Pra to feed the sugarcane farms.

Dr Asare further stated, “the University of Cape Coast has the research expertise to put together a short-medium and long term research plan for execution in collaboration with other stakeholders to enable the Komenda Sugar Factory operate”.

The team added, “we refute any argument that it is impossible for Ghana to produce sugarcane for functioning of the Factory, and the University is ready for government, collaborators locally and internationally to put our hands together to see to it that this factory realise its dream of producing sugar”

They, however, appealed for “government commitment, financial support and release of land for use”, indicating though this is an initiative of the University, the team needs “a definite government policy and commitment to link research to policy”.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UCC unveils higher sucrose yielding sugarcane variety appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said they shouldn’t see that as a punishment but a way of contributing their quota to the development of Ghana.

Ghana’s doctor to patient ratio currently stands at one doctor to 8,000 patients a situation the president described as “woefully inadequate.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”6DVcAIPCBiZ81TiSMpd7C0xuigQuZBU8″]The President made the comment while speaking at the congregation ceremony for medical students at the University of Cape Coast Medical School in the Central Region no Saturday as part of his tour of the region.

“Our doctor patient ratio is even more lump sided when you get to the rural and deprived areas of our country. I do not put the all the blame on our medical doctors unwillingness to work in these communities. If we had good road networks and good schools are available around the country and not only in the urban centers, if we had electricity supply in all communities we will not have to be asked indeed insist that our young doctors take up postings in the rural communities. As we train more doctors to solve the shortage of doctors, we must also do more to keep them,” he added.

Brain drain

The president also complained about the brain drain of doctors.

According to him although Ghana trains a lot of doctors only few remain and serve the country and thus encouraged the young medical doctors from the Cape Coast University to stay and work in Ghana.

“…our medical schools have got a good reputation and have been training good doctors but the doctor population ratio in our country remains very unsatisfactory after 60 years of independence. We have trained a lot of doctors but many are not practicing in Ghana. We have lost them to mostly to countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom and Germany. I’m told that Ghana’s doctor patient ratio is approximately one doctor to 8,000 patients. This is woefully inadequate and unacceptable,” he lamented.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Joseph Ackon-Mensah /citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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They were made up of teaching and non teaching staff comprising 27 junior and 31 senior staff, and 15 senior members.

The retirees, one of whom was honoured posthumously, had served the UCC for periods ranging between 15 and 41 years and were awarded based on their length of service.

Their awards ranged from table top and double cabin refrigerators, television sets, washing machines, living room furniture and citation plaques.

Staff in active service who are perceived to have rendered quality services over the past period, were also honoured with plaques, certificates and a cash of GH¢3,000 each.

The longest serving staff, Mr Alfred Nti, who had served for 41 years, was full of praise of the University authorities for recognising his contribution to the success story.

Other notable long servers were Professor Haruna Yakubu, an Associate Professor with the Department of Physics who had served for 31 years, and Prof. Victor Yankah, also an Associate Professor with the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, serving for 29 years.

Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, the Vice Chancellor of UCC, expressed profound gratitude to the retirees and the other staff for their years of service and efforts to help make the University’s vision a reality.

The Vice-Chancellor indicated that they were being awarded for their persistent devotion to duty and determination and urged the staff to emulate their examples to enhance the development of the University.

He said the University would continue to strengthen its relationship with the retirees and constantly engage them to tap their experiences in the development of the institution.

Prof. Ghartey Ampiah advised all the retirees to be health conscious at this period of their lives and to spend quality time with their families.

Prof. Yankah, on behalf of the retirees, expressed appreciation to the University for giving them the opportunity to serve and honouring their efforts.

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Source: GNA

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He urged graduates to develop entrepreneurial skills and take advantage of employable opportunities in the country.

“We cannot sit down and wait for government to provide jobs for us so we need to do something for ourselves…develop entrepreneur skills but at the same time there should be some opportunities out there for us. I think what the government can do is to create that atmosphere that will enable a lot of private investors into the system. That atmosphere that will give room for graduates to manifest their potentials and do something for themselves rather than depending on the institutions that government has provided by itself”, he emphasized.

Mr. Prince Affum gave the advice at a day Capacity Building Training Workshop organized by the Brong Ahafo Regional Chapter of Distance Education Students Association of Ghana-University of Cape Coast (DESAG-UCC) for its members in the region.

It was on the theme: “Capacity Building for Effective Modern Day Graduate” and attended by members drawn from its nine (9) centres.

He recommended government concentrate on creating the enabling environment for graduates to realize their own potential by starting businesses.

In his welcome address, Regional President of the association, Mahama Babie encouraged them to use the skills and knowledge acquired to set up business to create employment opportunities for the youth in the country.

He noted the major challenge of the association was placement of its members to schools and institutions in the country and appealed to  government to absorb their graduating members to address the teacher deficit in the country.

“So we believe if government absorbs our members into teaching vacancies from primary to Senior High School level unemployment will reduce and employment opportunities given to people to contribute to national development” that we all aspire to have in this country,” he observed.

Mr. Babie mentioned Hwidiem, Kintampo, Dormaa, Nkoranza, Seikwa, Drobo, Techiman and Sunyani as centres where the UCC-DESAG courses are organized.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The caution comes on the back of a survey by the National Service Personnel Association in the Central Region, which concluded that some male students of UCC were engaging young girls in the University community in “sex for money” activities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”TmVR5eFkXD5yepLxt3RHnPzzbteULDzZ”]The Regional Director of the Department of Gender in the Central Region, Thywill Eyram Kpeh, explained that actions taken by the department will help reduce the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in the region, especially within the University community.

“We need parents, we need community leaders to be able to inform us, to tell us what is going on in their community to report such cases to DOVVSU. I believe they will take steps to apprehend any man who does that. We also need to get the girls to understand that if a man impregnates you and you are below 16 and you are impregnated by a student and you are not able to speak out whiles that student is on campus, when that student leaves, the burden of poverty, the burden of catering for that child becomes your headache. “

The practice by some of these male students in the University has contributed to rise in teenage pregnancy and child prostitution in Cape Coast and its adjoining communities, where several children are also school dropouts due to extreme poverty.

In a house-to-house interaction with some youth by personnel of NASPA to ascertain why the children engage in prostitution and the measures to curb the act, some teenagers located in Apewosika and Amamoma blamed the male students of UCC for going round and sleeping with girls in the community in exchange for money, hence the rampant teenage pregnancy and prostitution in the area

About 5,106 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the Central Region between July and December 2016.

Out of this, 430 were aged between 13 and 15, while the remaining 4,682 pregnancies were recorded among 16 and 19.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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