We don’t take delight in strikes – Ghana Medical Association

Dr Frank Serebour, Vice-President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has said doctors do not take pleasure in using strikes as a bargaining tool.

According to him, although they are aware of the adverse effects of their industrial action, they have no option than to resort to same since government has failed to listen to their concerns.

Doctors in the country have threatened an indefinite strike, effective Monday, 6 August 2018, until a list of their demands are met by government.

All doctors in the public sector will withdraw their outpatient services until August 19 and heighten the industrial action by withdrawing emergency services from 20 August until 27 August when they declare a full-blown strike if their demands are still not met.

The GMA arrived at this decision at their 4th National Executive Council meeting held at Jirapa in the Upper West Region from 27 – 28 July 2018.

According to the GMA, the issue of doctors having suffered reduced pensions following their migration onto the single spine pay policy; and non-payment of conversion differences, is still outstanding since December 2011, in spite of the NLC’s compulsory arbitration award which binds both parties and subsequent directive from the NLC to government to correct same.

The GMA also accused government of not fully implementing their condition of service document signed in October 2015.

The Association also bemoaned the “inequitable distribution of critical healthcare staff which has resulted in most deprived communities not receiving the desired standard of care.”

They are calling on government to consider the incentive packages recommended by the GMA at its Annual General Conference held in Tamale in November 2010.

Speaking on Ghana Yensom hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Accra 100.5FM on Monday, 30 July, Dr Serebuor said: “It is not as if we take delight in fighting for a better condition of service, we don’t take delight in strike at all but the situation demands that we do this to achieve our purpose.”

He added: “We don’t sit and say we are just thinking about ourselves, we think of Ghanaians and at the same time we also think about ourselves, we are also workers who are entitled to certain benefits.”

COPIED FROM 
www.ghanaweb.com 

News making the headlines in the newsapapers, July 30th, 2018

 Daily Graphic

• Catholic Bishops fight corruption

• Victims of human trafficking get state shelter

• Prez allays fears about double intake

• 16-page Greater Works supplement inside

• UMB averts cyber attack

• Parliament approves $2bn barter deal with China

Daily Guide

• Bettty defends Woyome GHC51m fraud

• MPs approve $2bn Chinese deal for roads, railways

• Law school exams leaked

• UMB cyber attack

Samira Bawumia lands new ambassadorial role

The Second Lady of Ghana has been handed an ambassadorial position by the World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation (WHAF) and she dazzled in a very beautiful dress as the honor was conferred on her to mark the occasion.

In a post on Instagram to announce the honor, the Second Lady posted pictures of herself and captioned them, “I am honored to be named the World Habitat Humanitarian Ambassador and to be awarded for Global Excellence in Leadership, Humanitarian and Philanthropic activities in Africa and Investiture by World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation (WHAF)”, she revealed.

“The World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation (WHAF) is an NGO committed to working towards sustainable development goals and core values in dedication to achieving urban development.

Thank you to the WHAF for the award and the Ghana High Commission in Abuja for hosting the presentation of the award”, she continued.

Samira Bawumia who has been admired for her way of dressing once again did not disappoint when she had to be conferred with her new ambassadorial role.

Samira Bawumia has over the period showed her high fashion sense and has ‘slayed’ in her outfit any time she had to make a public appearance.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Starr FM to commemorate the According to the Second Lady, the businesses of her dressmakers had seen a remarkable boom and invariably, it has made their lives comfortable by creating more jobs for them.

She said the dressmaking industry was booming because of the many talents who made dresses for her that got others talking whenever she stepped out.




I am honoured to be named the World Habitat Humanitarian Ambassador and to be awarded for Global Excellence in Leadership, Humanitarian and Philanthropic activities in Africa and Investiture by World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation (WHAF). The World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation (WHAF) is an NGO committed to working towards sustainable development goals and core values in dedication to achieving urban development. Thank you to the WHAF for the award and the Ghana High Commission in Abuja for hosting the presentation of the award.

NEWS MAKING HEADLINES IN THE NEWSPAPERS

Stories making headlines on the front pages in the major newspapers include:

Daily Graphic:

- Truck runs into traders* 1 killed, 6 injured

- Ghanaians mourn Former Vice-President

Publisher:

- As Amissah-Arthur goes home..Asiedu Nketia weeps

- Truck runs over traders at Ashaiman

Weekend Today:

- Actress Zynell Zuh stuns in new birthday photos

- Taipei and Accra to host WTCA confabs

Chronicle:

- Palm wine you drink could be dangerous!

- Ghana mourns Amissah-Arthur

- Funny names of villages excite MPs

Daily Guide:

- ‘Wicked’ cop caged for assaulting a woman

- Truck kills girl in Ashaiman

Stop harassing students sexually - Director tells teachers

Teachers who have been sexually harassing students have been warned to desist from such acts. Any teacher found culpable will be made to face the law.

The warning was issued by the Eastern Regional Director of Education, Gertrude Mensah, at the maiden Best School, Teacher and Students’ Award ceremony in Koforidua.

She said the educational sector is grateful for the Wesleyan Mission's support towards quality education in Ghana.

She said as stewards, it is important to uphold, sustain and maintain the cherished enviable ethos and standards of teaching and learning.

A Former Director General of Ghana Education Service, Very Rev. Ama Afo Blay, appealed to religious bodies to come out with innovations to support government’s effort in transforming the educational system in the country.

The award ceremony saw 14 teachers, 16 students and 21 schools receiving refrigerators, computers, gas cylinders, set of school band, citations and books as rewards.

You can't put things in book and say you're hiding it from Africans' - Matilda Amissah-Arthur

Former second lady of Ghana, Matilda Amissah-Arthur has disclosed that important things can no longer be hidden from Africans when put in books as been "bandied" around for many decades.

Speaking on the Morning Xpress on Radio XYZ 93.1MHZ to commemorate the World Book and Copyright Day, Mrs Amissah-Arthur noted she does not believe ideas could be hidden from Africans in the 21st century.

She said the reading culture among Africans or blacks has evolved over the past decades, leading to the improvement of literacy across the continent.

"Now, to come to the old saying that if you want to hide something from a black person, put it in a book, a lot of people do not even know how that saying came about. that saying was from Malcom X and if you put it in the right context,then you'll understand what he said. He was referring to the time when the slave masters would hide things from the slaves and because the slaves were illiterates and had not been to school, they could not read...that is the context of it," said the former second lady.

She further observed the saying has been used "out of context" over the years against Africans which does not help the image of blacks, adding that " the context is not as we are now so I do not agree with it because now black people read."

Madam Amissah-Arthur, a woman who is passionate about reading, stated that although the literacy level in Africa is advancing steadily, parents must also inculcate the habit of reading in their kids as a basis for future development.

"Reading manifests itself in various aspects of our lives, especially on the socio-economic issues like unemployment. All of us know that there is an obvious link between illiteracy and poverty on one hand and literacy and economic prosperity on the other hand," she said.

To her, a country with a lot of illiterates means there will be a lot of people who cannot be employed which will eventually lead to problems or social vices.

She therefore admonished parents to be interested in reading and encourage their kids to cultivate the habit of reading to expose them to new vocabularies, new ideas, and also help advance the literacy level of the country.

Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur is a Guest Speaker at 'GHANA READS', an initiative by Ghana Reads Initiative which is geared at encouraging Ghanaians, especially children and the youth, to love reading.

The initiative which is also aimed at promoting the reading of Ghanaian fiction literature, bridge the gap between readers and authors or publishers, and teach the skills and importance of reading, will take place at the British Council on Monday, April 23,2018.

The second phase of “GHANA READS” will be led by the Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei-Sowah.

radioxyzonline.com

Court orders EOCO to unfreeze Dr. Opuni’s accounts

A High Court in Accra has ordered the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), to de-freeze all bank accounts of the former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni.

EOCO froze all the assets of Dr. Opuni including his bank accounts due to the impending court issues against him.

Former COCBOD CEO, Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni and one Seidu Agongo together are facing 27 charges of causing financial loss to the state.

Dr. Stephen Opuni has rejected all the 27 charges leveled against him by the state.

He told the Accra High court that he is not guilty of causing financial loss to the state, when he first appeared in court in what is predicted to be a long “political” trial.

But in February 2017, the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) froze the assets of Dr Opuni as part of investigations into his tenure as CEO of COCOBOD.

The charges against the two come a week after President Nana Akufo-Addo told Ghanaians in his address at the 61st Independence Anniversary celebrations, to expect more prosecutions of persons deemed to have engaged in the misappropriation of public funds.

According to President Akufo-Addo, “with the office of the Special Prosecutor now in place, we can expect more prosecutions for corruption in the coming months, and public officials, present and past, should be on notice that they will be held accountable for their stewardship of our public finances”.

“Can you imagine what we can do with GH¢5.4 billion? It can certainly finance the Free SHS for five years,” he said while touching on the recent audit by the Auditor General into the liabilities of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies which led to the disallowance of some GH¢5.4 billion of claims”.

Dr. Opuni, appointed on November 30, 2013 to head COCOCBOD, is alleged to have mismanaged the cocoa sector during four-year tenure.

Dr. Opuni who once headed the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) was relieved of his post on January 12, 2017, barely a week after the Akufo-Addo regime took office.

His passport was seized and was subsequently invited by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) where he reportedly endured some six-long hours of questioning on a wide range of issues, including alleged massive corruption in the cocoa sector.

Dr. Stephen Opuni is said to be the main brain behind the award of the contracts totaling about $512 million during the transition period.