The discussions will centre on the construction industries of Ghana and Liberia and how indigenous contractors in the two countries could co-operate in the provision of infrastructural projects.

A statement signed by Mr Samuel Essien, Chief Administrator of the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) – Ghana, copied to the Ghana News Agency yesterday, noted that, the Liberian delegation arrived in the country on May 5, for a six-day tour of construction projects.

It said after meeting the Minister, the delegation would sign a memorandum of understanding with their Ghanaian counterparts adding that, this will signify the establishment of a bond of co-operation between them.

The statement said the Liberian delegation consists of ten men and two women drawn from the ALCC, the Ministry of Public Works and the International Labour Organisation.

It said on May 6, the ALCC delegation led by Mr Foday M. Komora, the National President, met with the National Executives of ASROC – Ghana, led by its National Chairman, Mr Joseph Ebo Hewton.

It said the two sides discussed how contractors in both countries could co-operate in strengthening each other and contribute effectively to building up their respective economies and improving the lives of their people.

The statement said while in Ghana, the delegation will visit the offices and sites of some Ghanaian local contractors, the Koforidua Training Centre of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and J. A. Plant Pool Limited in Accra.

Source: GNA

Making the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Nkoranza, Mr Osei-Worae pointed out that the current weather conditions indicate that the harmattan would be severe therefore; there was the need for the people to be careful about the manner they handle fire both at home and in the communities.

He expressed concern about bushfires becoming an annual ritual despite the intensified education especially in the rural communities.

Mr Osei-Worae urged traditional rulers, assemblymen and women and the unit committees to educate their people to be cautious in handling fire.

He advised palm wine tappers to be extra careful in their operations, while farmers preparing their lands for farming should engage the services of community fire volunteers when setting fire to prevent bushfires.

He appealed to opinion leaders to check illegal chainsaw operations in their communities which were affecting the environment.

Source: GNA

In this regard, he said, the University has embarked upon a “live performance’” of Literature set books being studied in schools for internal and external examinations.

Mr Weittey was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the Sekondi Methodist Senior High School (MEHSEC) as part of a live performance of “In The Chest of A Woman,” a play by Efo Kodwo Mawugbe, former Director of the National Theatre.

Earlier, the Abibigromma Drama Troupe of Legon took the performance to the Bonzo Kaku Senior High School (BOKASS), Nsein Senior High, Mpohor Senior High, all in the Western Region.

Mr Weittey said the rationale behind the move is to dramatize the play before students to deepen their understanding and put up better performances during West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

On the relevance of the themes espoused by Efo Mawugbe in his work, Mr Weittey said, it is appropriate as it deals with male chauvinism in society and made a strong case for women empowerment to hold public offices.

Mr Weittey used the occasion to appeal to public spirited organizations and individuals as well as government to sponsor the programme as they were financially constrained.

Source: GNA

Orchid received the Gold Category of the International Quality Crown Award in recognition of its outstanding commitment to quality, leadership, technology and innovation organised by the Business Initiative Directions (B.I.D.).

At a presentation ceremony held in London, Mrs Rebecca Amoh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, was presented with a certificate and a plaque by Jose E. Prieto, President of BID Business Initiative Directions and Dayle L. Fickling, Vice President.

Mr Prieto described Orchid Hospitality Management Services as being “made up of a team oriented towards the continuous improvement of processes, striving for an important role in the leadership of the business world.”

Established five years ago, Orchid manages hospitality services, events and estates, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ghana.

Source: GNA

The sector Minister, Hon. Joe Gidisu, outlined the policy objectives of the road sector as contained in its Meduim Term Development Plan.

The objectives include; creating and sustaining accessible, effective and efficient transport network, integrating land use, transport planning, development planning and service provision and creating a vibrant investment and performance based management environment that maximize benefits for public and private sector investment.

Mr Gidisu said the Ministry would continue to work with the private sector for the financing, construction and management of the road infrastructure.

Mr Xola Senaya, Ag. Chief Director of the Ministry of Information, who chaired the event on behalf of the Minister, Hon. Fritz Baffuor urged journalists to support public officials to protect state properties such as road infrastructure by questioning motorists who over load their heavy trucks in order to prolong the life span of roads in the country.

Source: ISD

It was the 14th Matriculation of the Institute and the first under the newly-inducted Rector, Prof Linus Abraham.

Delivering the matriculation address in Accra last Friday, Prof  Abraham noted that over the past few decades, the media industry around the world— driven by technology, deregulation, commercialisation and globalisation— had undergone profound change and growth.

Prof Abraham said in Ghana, the more remarkable changes had been in the broadcasting sector, with the exponential growth in radio and television stations.

He said the boom and expansion in the media was creating a huge demand for audio-visual content as well as for skilled human resource to produce content and manage the media.

Regrettably, Prof. Linus said, the demand for content was being met through the importation of foreign material while the industry lacked the skilled human resources essential to the sector and, more importantly, the training institutions and facilities to develop the required professionals.

He said in response to the situation, NAFTI was on the verge of becoming a Media Arts University to create a pool of skilled professional class of media workers who would help the country to systematically exploit its creative arts and media resources, turn them into a viable area of economic growth of the country, make media products globally competitive and, more importantly, reduce Ghana’s and Africa’s dependence on the foreign media.

He admonished the fresh students not to aim at becoming technocrats to be employed by the government or media houses, but to endeavour to become a central part of the video-film production industry by playing active roles as commercially successful and independent quality filmmakers.

Prof Abraham assured the students that NAFTI, with a longstanding international reputation of excellence in film and television training, would build on that reputation with international associations and exchange programmes that would bring international best practices to support teaching and professional development.

In his address, the Guest Speaker, Dr Osei Darkwa, President of the Ghana Telecom University College, stressed the need to take advantage of emerging television and movie technologies such as 3-D technology, cartoon animation and gaming to transform the creative arts industry and make Ghana occupy its rightful place in the industry.

In her closing remarks, the Chairperson for the occasion, Dr Awo Asiedu, Acting Director of the School of Performing Arts, called on the students to be creative, disciplined and live by the truth.

Source: ISD (G.D. Zaney)

The provisions of the rigs, which have been handed over to the Human Security Unit of National Security outfit, are expected to enhance operations of the department towards effective and efficient drilling of boreholes across the country.

Although the unit has able to provide mechanized boreholes for various health institutions, schools, markets, institutions and communities with just a couple of drilling rigs, the additional rigs will help to assist more areas.

According to the unit, some of the rigs would be allocated to various security agencies to enable them to undertake the drilling operations on their own to support their various stations and host communities in need of water.

To ensure that various security agencies have well trained personnel to operate the rigs, the Human Security Sector is also training personnel in that regard.

So far, one of the rigs has been presented to the military for drilling works in the various barracks and operational areas.

The provision of the new rigs follows a recent distribution of some 11 new rigs to the regional coordinating councils to support boreholes drilling operations in the various districts of the regions.

The Human Security Unit believes that the allocation of the rigs to the security agencies and other selected instructions will take the pressure off the Unit’s drilling team which has been grappling with increasing requests for boreholes.

Recently, the Human Security Unit embarked on a partnership project aimed at mobilizing support for the provision of potable water for deprived communities.

The project, dubbed, ‘We Drill, You Mechanise,’ involves a system which allows the National security to undertake the drilling, while donors finance the mechanisation of the drilled boreholes for communities.

To ensure the success of the project, the council has appealed to the business community, organisations and philanthropists to provide theneeded support to assist deprived communities.

Per the project, the Human Security Unit drills for water, while the donors would be required to fund the mechanisation of the system.

Source: Ghanaian Times

He said this at a sod cutting ceremony for work to begin on the project being undertaken by COCOBOD in collaboration with the Club of Banks.

Nana Kwesi Ofori expressed the hope that on completion, education in the area would improve and appealed to the banks to equip the school and to support it to become a model school.

He suggested that pupils of the school should be linked to the outside world through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Nana Ofori said the Association would continue to collaborate with COCOBOD to protect the quality of cocoa beans through intensive education of its members.

Source: GNA

The Spelling Bee is a literacy programme which teaches primary school children the effective use of the English Language and also equips teachers with the approaches to teaching the English Language.
The Spelling Bee is the local version of the Scripps National Spelling Bee of the USA.

Earlier in the year teachers of participating schools received training in spelling techniques and methods of teaching English. The competition will be held in eight out of the 10 regions.

The top prize is a trip to the USA to participate in the 86th Scripps National Spelling as Ghana’s (and Africa’s only) representative.

Source: GNA

Black Secret Makeup is a beauty brand devoted to expressing and enhancing the natural beauty of women of colour. Being a leading make-up company in Africa, Black’s Secret Makeup prides itself in providing today’s woman with make-up experience unparalleled in Africa and beyond, creating this range with women of colour in mind.

The pageant organized by Berlin Investments Limited will combine facial beauty, intelligence and talent. The winner of this year’s event will serve as a Brand Ambassador and also lead a campaign on Cervical Cancer nationwide.

Statistics shows that Ghana has a population of 6.57million women ages 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year 3,038 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 2,006 die from the disease. Cervical cancer ranks as the 1st most frequent cancer among women in Ghana, and the 1st most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

According to Gifty Quarcoopome, the Operations Manager of Berlin Investments, the data above calls for an immediate education and prevention and that is what the ‘Face of Black Secret’ project seeks to achieve.

‘Face of Black Secret’ is eligible for any female [regardless of her place of birth] between the ages of 18 to 30 [by the pageant date. One’s appealing face and confidence is a plus not necessarily the person’s body size.

Models picked for the pageant would be judged in the following segments; Preliminary Interview, African Attire, Contestants’ Performance, Talent, Evening Wear coupled with numerous photo shoots and fashion shows ahead of the grand finale.

To be part of the competition, just walk into any shop that sells Black Secret products, purchase a product of Black’s Secret and you will be presented with a form. Fill it and present it on the day of audition.

Auditions begin on Tuesday May 15th in Kumasi at Aphrodisiac, Takoradi on Thursday May 17th at the premises of Sky Radio and in Accra on Saturday May 19th 2012 at the Alisa Hotel. The time is 8am on each day.

Winner of ‘Face of Black’s Secret’ 2012 would take home a Kia Picanto Car and GH¢ 3.000.00. The first and second runner-up [second and third positions] takes home GH¢ 1.500.00 and GH¢1.000 plus hampers from the sponsors respectively. Other contestants will also go home with hampers.