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Ontario Premier GHANA: Kathleen Wynne participates 57th Milestone of Nationhood in Black History Month reception at Queen’s Park By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne along with the members of Ontario Liberal Caucus attended a reception in recognition of Black History Month at Queen’s Park on Thursday, February 21, 2014. The event was co-hosted by MPP Michael Coteau and MPP Mitzie Hunter. Ontario has recognized Black History Month since 1993. The national recognition of Black History Month first occurred in 1996. cont'd on pg 16
Fifty-Seven Years ago on March 6th, 1957, six political leaders led by Kwame Nkrumah stood on a podium at the Old Polo Grounds in Accra and declared the birth of a new nation called Ghana. The declaration was the country’s weaning of itself from the former colonial ruler, Britain. On that night the British Flag, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time and the flag of the new nation, formerly known as
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine with Black History Month Poster at Queen's Park
Black History Month Awards celebration at the Ghana Methodist Church in Toronto
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah First President of Ghana the Gold Coast, was hoisted. In his historic independence cont'd on pg. 52
Tribute to Nelson Mandela at Ottawa University Gala By: Emmanuel Ayiku and David Menyah, Ottawa, Ont
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story on pg.51
From left: Rev. Regina Dartey, Zondwa Mandela, Lindo Zici, Rev. Dr. Ralpa Dartey, Gwen Madiba story on pg. 50
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
EDITORIAL KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH WITH NEWS FROM HOME AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ISSUES
EDITORIAL Publisher / Editor Emmanuel Ayiku Contributing Editors Dr. Michael Baffoe Joe Kingsley Eyiah Director of Operations Comfort Ayiku Community Reporter Jonathan Annobil Winnipeg Bureau Dr. Michael Baffoe
The Ghanaian News Publishes news and comments from the Community, serves Ghanaians across Canada with good source of information is committed to give good community Journalism The Ghanaian News is published in Canada by The Ghanaian News Corporation Editorial Office 2256 Sheppard Ave. Suite 202 Toronto, Ont. M9M 1L7 Tel:(416) 916-3700 Advertising Fax (416) 916-6701 Internet: www.ghanaiannews.ca E-mail: cayiku@gmail.com info@ghanaiannews.ca $1:00 per copy Subscription costs $12.00 for one year. $22.99 for two years. plus postage U.S. and foreign subscriptions costs US$79.99 per year.
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Another 6th of March: Another “Celebration”. It’s here again. Another March 6th. Another “celebration”. This month marks fifty seven years of the attainment of nationhood by our dear nation, Ghana. Translation? It has been 57 years when we declared that we were an independent nation capable of running our own affairs to improve and maintain good standards of living for the citizens of our nation. It has been our custom to salute our nation and its citizens on this anniversary in this column every year. On previous times, on this anniversary, we have normally felt proud as Ghanaians. We have held our heads high and wished our compatriots the best of the anniversary and the best in the years to come. On this year’s anniversary, in the year 2014, we are in a fix. We sincerely do not know what to wish our nation and its citizens. A “happy” anniversary wish is certainly out of place because there is practically not much, if any, to be happy about in our nation. It seems like everything in that country is going wrong. There is no regular supply of the basic necessities of life: water, electricity, and food. The country has been bumping from one crisis to another, some of them self-inflicted and avoidable. Ghana has all it takes to take off in a big way to provide quality of life for its citizens. We have our fair share of natural resources including evergreen forests, minerals and good weather almost all year round. Food production should be no problem, but many or our citizens routinely go hungry. A few years ago, we discovered crude oil in commercial quantities and started production. Although our output has not reached the levels of the top oil producing countries, we produce enough to augment our petroleum needs and to be able to export some to generate additional revenue. The nation abounds in intellectual capacity, possessing one of the top literate populations in Africa. In almost every sphere of national endeavour that we wish to embark on, Ghana possesses enough educated people with the requisite skills to execute the jobs if these human resources are well harnessed. We have abundant sunshine 365 days a year if we care to tap into solar energy. In fact our list of abundant resources is endless. To all intents and purposes therefore, Ghana therefore has no excuse and reasons for failure and non-performance as a nation. The questions that need to be posed now are: why does everything seem to be going wrong about Ghana? Why is that we cannot sustain regular water, food and power supply for twelve hours a day for our citizens? Why can this nation with close to 90 per cent of its vegetation capable of supporting all kinds of food production not able to feed its citizens? Why is the nation’s economy reaching crisis point that public service workers are routinely not paid their wages? Why is the political climate and culture in Ghana so poisoned and toxic that all that politicians do is to insult each other instead of focusing on the problems facing the nation? These and more are the pertinent questions hanging over the Ghanaian nation as it marks 57 years of nationhood. All our compatriots should sit up and reflect on these questions. We cannot, for whatever our political affiliations and beliefs are, pretend that all is well with our nation. We should have something better to report and celebrate next year and the years after. This year, however, certainly calls for very sombre reflection and call to action, not celebrations.
Opinion/ Commentary Towards Critical and Modern Approaches to Mental Health Care in Ghana By Kwabena Akuoko Other than provoking a minor debate and also creating token awareness of mental illness and mental health care, the recent comprehensive r e f o r m s o f G h a n a ’s mental health legislation seem to be much ado about nothing. Care for the mentally ill is still inconsistent with international standards. And the shortcomings of the previous Mental Health Act of 1972, which necessitated the reforms, remain nevertheless. The Ministry of Health therefore needs to redouble its efforts in bringing mental health care in Ghana to acceptable international practices. General perceptions about the disease and approaches to caring for those in need certainly require serious refocusing. Critics are therefore right in pointing out that mental health care in Ghana has not been prioritized, and there is a lack of quality services. The passage of the Mental Health Act on March 2, 2012 was undoubtedly long overdue that was why the Act was hailed, and seen as a welcome relief by mental health advocacy groups. But two years after the law took effect, nothing seems to have changed. The reforms promised in the new legislation are yet to be implemented and they are in an essence only on paper. Supposedly under the new law, mental health care will be shifted from institutionalized care provided by the country’s three psychiatric hospitals to community level care where the mentally ill will be promptly identified and treated. This approach according to the new legislation will not only curtail the cost of caring for mental health patients, but also prevent their influx into the three public psychiatric institutions. And most importantly, the Act provides a framework that promotes recoveryoriented practices, minimizes the duration of enforced treatment, safeguards the rights and dignity of people with mental illness and enhances oversight while encouraging innovation and service improvement. Regardless of the reforms, mental illness remains the least understood of all human conditions in Ghana a n d u n s u r p r i s i n g l y, approaches to caring for the mentally ill are still
rooted in the 19th century care models. The recent announcement by Dr. Akwasi Osei; the head of the Mental Health Authority about his organization’s intention to clear all mental health patients off Ghanaian streets is yet another example of the need for prompt implementation of mental health care under the Mental Health Act of 2012. Dr. Osei’s proposed plan of rounding up all mentally ill persons off the streets certainly raises eye brows given the timeline and perceived rights violations associated with it. For instance, how would the Mental Health Authority go about rounding up all mentally ill individuals off Ghanaian streets, “treat and reintegrate them back into society within three months” without violating their rights? The expression used here, “rounding them up” has certain punitive and criminal connotations attached to the policy and move. It assumes, as is the general perception in Ghanaian society, that people ending up on the streets with mental illness are a nuisance to the “normal” society, are doing something wrong and therefore need to be “rounded” up and kept out of view of “normal” society. The proposed measure is clearly shortsighted because it simply fails to recognize and address the underlying care needs of mental health patients. First of all, the country’s three psychiatric hospitals are underfunded and overcrowded, therefore the question remains where will those “rounded up” off the streets be sent for the treatment? Dr. Osei needs to realize that in his capacity as Ghana’s Chief Psychiatrist, he has a duty to ensure that the rights of mentallyill persons are not only protected, but respected as well. The new law should adopt a human rights based, and caring approaches in accordance with the United Nations standards for the caring needs of the mentally ill. While the Mental Health Act seeks to prevent discrimination against mental health patients and offers them equal opportunities, many rights violations still occur on regular basis in most care facilities whether public or private. These include charismatic
churches and traditional shrines that purport to specialize in “healing” mental illnesses. Under the new law therefore, there is a need for the Mental Health Authority to properly regulate both private and public facilities to ensure appropriate treatment of those in care. Conditions and rights in care facilities must also be regulated in order to prevent any form of abuse anywhere in the country. No longer should mentally ill persons receiving institutionalized care, especially in private facilities or elsewhere be chained to trees and subjected to any form of inhumane treatment. Similarly, the appalling lackadaisical attitudes towards mental illness in general need to change. Because the social stigma associated with it as a “disease of the mind” wrongly leads to the wrong belief that mental illness is brought upon by evil spirits. This then partly explains the over-reliance on faithbased entities for caring or treating [“healing”] of those who suffer from mental illness. Given that people who suffer from any form of mental health condition tend to be helpless and neglected, there is a need for speedy implementation of compassionate and holistic approaches that are in harmony with modern standards of practice in response to caring for our compatriots who happen to be mentally ill. Without further delay, the Mental Health Authority must thus vigorously embark on a large-scale public awareness campaign to educate the public about mental illness. Last, but not the least the authorities must step up to provide information and education to increase general understanding of mental illness and services that strongly promotes mental health awareness among the general population. The overhaul of the mental health care system in Ghana is a noble first step, but the reforms are incomplete without taking further steps towards innovative approaches to caring for fellow citizens who are mentally ill.
The Ghanaian News
Time to move Ghana to the next level – Mahama
“The time has come for us to move Ghana to the next level, and we must work together to be able to achieve this.” On patronizing made in Ghana goods, the President urged the public to reduce the appetite for imported items in favour of home-grown products. According to him, Ghanaians are most enterprising, smart, creative, crafty and hardworking who can deliver when put to test. He therefore challenged all to use their God-given gifts to transform the country by producing proudly Ghanaian items. He therefore advocated that Ghanaians go a step further to make everyday a “Ghana Day”. “We should all continue with the practice of putting on national wear introduced by President Kufuor’s Government. But I’m asking us to go one step further. With every piece of clothing we wear, with every item of food we prepare for our meals, with every single thing we use, let us ask ourselves, how much of this is made in Ghana and even importantly, if it was not made in Ghana, let’s ask ourselves, could it have been made in Ghana?’ “But if you ask yourself, could it have been made in Ghana and the answer is ‘yes’, then for the love of this country, our country, start thinking of ways in which we can
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or individuals or exist beyond our national borders and that is precisely what we are doing when the majority of what we consume come from outside.
After 57 years of gaining political independence from the British colonial rule, President John Mahama has declared that it is time the nation moved to the “next level”. Recognising the efforts of his predecessors, the President in a speech to commemorate this year ’s Independence Anniversary at the Black Star Square on Thursday called for concerted efforts to move Ghana forward.
February 2014
President John Mahama transform our society and our economy by making it happen.” Stating the significance of Ghana’s independence to Africa and the rest of the world, the President reminded Ghanaians that freedom being enjoyed must go hand in hand with equality. He described inequality as one of the world’s biggest risk. This “flashpoint of social and national tension”, he said, must be addressed by bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. There is therefore the need for every Ghana to live in dignity, have access to basic tools such as shelter, school, health care, build decent life for kids, he said. This dream would be relentless pursued, President Mahama stated. The President further stated: “If we are truly independent, we cannot allow our destiny to be determined by corporations, industries
“It is precisely what we are doing when all that we export are raw materials extracted from t h e eart h . T h e d ay s when our very wealth was based on natural and mineral resources must be a thing of the past. Yes, it’s true God has blessed Ghana richly with gold, bauxite, timber and now oil but as I’ve said many times before and will continue to maintain, G h a n a ’s g r e a t e s t resource is its people”.
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The anniversary was graced by various dignitaries including the President of Guinea Prof. Alpha Condé, former President John K u f u o r, d i p l o m a t i c corps, traditional and religious leaders. This year’s Independence Day celebration is on the theme, “Building a Better and Prosperous Ghana through Patriotism and National Unity”. The beauty of the anniversary was marred by torrential rains forcing parade commanders to cut off most of the activities to mark the day. Myjoyonline.com
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957 It would be exactly 57 years ago on March 6, this year (2014) that Ghana gained its independence from British Colonial rule. The struggle for independence had begun with the United Gold Coast Convention in the aftermath of World War II. However, the man who led the nation to freedom and became its first President was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Dr.Nkrumah was overthrown in a military coup in 1966 and since then the nation has seen 5 more military governments and 4 more civilian administrations. As we celebrate the 56th birthday of our great nation, we bring to our readers the profiles of the heads of governments in Ghana since 1957 when the country became a sovereign state.
D r. K w a m e N k r u m a h (21 Sept; 1909 – 27April 27 1972) Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who became the first head of government of independent Ghana under the Convention People Party (CPP) in 1957 was born on Saturday, September 21, 1909 at Nkroful in the Western region of Ghana. He married Helena Ritz Fathia, a relative of President Gamal Abdel Nassar of Egypt in 1958 and had three children with her. Nkrumah was formerly known as Francis Nwia-Kofi, but he later changed his name to Kwame Nkrumah. Interestingly, the Fanti teacher who enrolled Francis Nwia-Kofi Ngonlomam into school inadvertently wrote “Nkrumah” for “Ngonloma” and it remained as such. After completing his elementary education at Half Assini, Nkrumah in 1927 entered the Government Training College in Accra (became known as Achimotta School later that year). He obtained his Teacher’s Certificate from the College in 1930. His life as a schoolteacher was brief as in 1932 he became a student at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amisano near Cape Coast. He left for USA in 1935 to further his studies and obtained his BA degree in 1939 and another one, this time in Theology in 1942, all from the Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. By 1943, Kwame Nkrumah had annexed MSc Education and MA Philosophy degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Meanwhile, he had combined his studies with lectureship, a job he did so well that he was voted the “Most Outstanding Professor-Of-TheYear” by ‘The Lincolnian’ in 1945. In the same year Kwame Nkrumah left USA for London, England to study Law for his
Doctoral degree. He shortly met George Padmore in London and they teamed up to organize the Sixth Pan-African Congress in Manchester, England. Thereafter, Nkrumah intensified his activities for the decolonization of Africa. He wrote his first book titled ‘Towards Colonial Freedom’ in 1947. In December 1947 Nkrumah returned to Gold Coast and became the General Secretary of United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The Colonial government in 1948 detained him and 5 other Executive Members of the UGCC. Nkrumah was dismissed as the General Secretary of UGCC the same year due to his radical stand on independence. He had already formed the Convention Peoples Party (CPP); and declared Positive Action to demand Independence for the then Gold Coast in December 1949. He was arrested in January the following year and incarcerated. However, while in prison, Nkrumah won the seat for Accra Central in an election held in February 1951. He was immediately released from prison to form new government. Kwame Nkrumah again won the 1956 elections leading to independence and subsequently declared Ghana’s Independence on March 6th 1957. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah then turned his efforts toward the unification of African States. He therefore held an AllAfrican Peoples Conference in Accra in December 1958. I n 1 9 6 0 D r. N k r u m a h declared Ghana as Republic. Unfortunately, he became the target of assassination attempts by his ‘political enemies’ as was seen in the Kulungugu bombing in August, 1962. Dr. Nkrumah narrowly escaped death in that attempt on his life. He turned Ghana into One Party-State with himself as Life President in 1964. Political tension gripped Ghana and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was deposed in a military coup d’etat while he was on a peace mission to Hanoi, North Vietnam. He went to live in Conakry, Guinea after his overthrow in 1966 until he died naturally in a Romania hospital on April 27th, 1972. His body was brought to Ghana for a fitting burial on July 7th, 1972.
Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah (18th Aug., 1915 – 2 5 t h N o v. , 1 9 9 2 ) The next head of government after Dr. Nkrumah was a soldier by profession. He was Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah, a native of Accra. Gen. Ankrah was recalled from
enforced retirement following the February 1966 coup staged by Gen. Kotoka and Gen. Afrifa to be the chairman of the National Liberation Council (NLC) and head of state. From a very humble beginning, Ankrah had worked hard to obtain his Cambridge School Certificate in 1937. Two years later, he was mobilized into West Africa Frontier Force on the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1946, he trained as Officer Cadet in U.K. and was commissioned as Lieutenant in 1947. By the dint of hardwork he rose through the ranks over the years to become Lieutenant Colonel. In August 1960 he was appointed Colonel, a position that few Ghanaians could occupy at that time. He was made a Brigade Commander of the UN Peace Keeping Force in Congo from 1960 to 1961. Ankrah exhibited excellent soldiering qualities that won him a promotion to Brigadier in 1961. Unfortunately, 3 years after being the head of government has was forced to resign as the Chairman of NLC and head over a bribery scandal. He died on 25th November 1992 leaving behind several wives and 18 children.
Lt. General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa (24 April, 1936 – 16 June, 1979) Upon the resignation of Gen. Ankrah in 1969, Lt. General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa became the chairman of NLC and the head of government. Afrifa was born at Mampong, Ashanti where he attended the Presbyterian Boys Boarding School. He had his Secondary education at Adisadel College, Cape Coast from 1952 to 1956. He had his military training, first at the Regular Officer’s Special Training School from 1957 to 1958; and at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England in 1958, From 1958 to 1960 he continued with his training at the Military Academy in Sandhurst, England; and in 1961 at the School of Infantry, Hythe in England. He returned to Ghana and became the Commander of the Rifle Company and, as a General Staff Officer from 1962 to 1964. Afrifa was made the Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion of Infantry in 1966. It was during the same year in Kumasi where he was the Commander of First Infantary Brigade under Kotoka that the two planned and carried out the coup that toppled Nkrumah. He became a member of the eight-man ruling NLC, and a Commissioner of Finance, Trade and Economic
Affairs. However, he took over as the Chairman of NLC and head of government in 1969 when Gen. Ankrah was forced to resign that position. In 1972, Gen. Afrifa was arrested and detained for almost the whole year by the National Redemption Council regime under Gen. Acheampong. He led the Popular Movement for Freedom and Justice to protest against UNIGOV and demanding the return of the nation to constitutional rule. On 16th June, 1979 he was taken from his farm at Mampong and executed by firing squad after the June 4th, 1979 upspring.
Sociology and Culture at the University of Leiden in The Hague. He later moved to the University of Oxford in England as Senior Member of St. Anthony’s College. Dr. Busia returned from exile in 1966 after Dr. Nkrumah’s overthrow and got appointed as the chairman of the National Advisory Committee of the NLC. From 1967 to 1968 he served as the chairman of the Center for Civic Education selling himself as the next leader through his countrywide assignments. In 1968 he formed the Progress Party when the ban on politics was lifted and won elections in 1969 to become head of government (as a Prime Minister following the British type of government). He adopted a liberalized economic system and devalued the cedis by 44% in 1971. This attracted a lot of resistance from the public and while he was away in London his government was ousted in a coup led by Colonel I.K. Acheampong on January 13th, 1972.
Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia (11th July, 1913 – 28th August, 1974) Gen. Afrifa in October, 1969 handed over the governing of Ghana to Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) after the parliamentary elections of that year which the PP won 104 of the 105 seats contested. Thus, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, a native of Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region became the second civilian head of government in Ghana after Dr. Nkrumah. He was anti – Nkrumaist stance. The education and career life of Busia could be described as very academic. He entered Mfantsipim College at Cape Coast after completing his elementary education at the Wenchi Methodist School. Busia trained as a professional teacher in 1931 and 1932 at the Wesley College in Kumasi. From 1936 to 1939 he taught at the Achimota College in Accra during which period he did a correspondence course to gain a first degree with honors in History from the University of London. He went to the Oxford University in England and by 1941 earned his BA degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics as well as MA and Ph.D. degrees i n S o c i a l A n t h r o p o l o g y. Dr. Busia returned to Ghana and worked as a District Commissioner from 1942 to 1949. He was appointed the first lecturer in African Studies at the University of Gold Coast in 1949. Eventually, Dr. Busia became the first African to occupy a Chair in that University. In 1951 the Ashanti Confederacy elected Dr. Busia to the Legislative Council. He became the leader of the Ghana Congress Party, which joined with the other opposition parties to form the United Party (UP). As a leader of the opposition against Nkrumah, Busia felt his life was not safe and therefore fled the country in 1959 to Netherlands where he worked as Professor of
General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (23rd Sept., 1931 – 16th June, 1979) General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong used the general discontent against Busia’s government to stage a coup in 1972 to become the 3rd military head of government in Ghana. Acheampong schooled at Trabuom elementary school near Kumasi where he was born. He furthered his education at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Kumasi and Central College of Commerce at Agona Swedru in the Central Region. From 1945 to 1957 he worked at Timber Sawmill in Kumasi as Stenographer Secretary; at Kumasi Commercial College as a Tutor; and at Agona Swedru College of Commerce as Vice Principal. He got enlisted as a Private in the Ghana Army in 1951 and later went to Cadet training at Mons, Aldershot. Upon his return to Ghana in 1959 he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Determined to climb the ladder in the Army, Acheampong between 1959 and 1966 attended various courses including one in Personnel Administration at the Staff College. He also trained at Leavenworth, Kansas in USA and later became the Commanding Officer of the 5th and 6th Battalion. Gen. Acheampong served as the chairman of Western Regional Committee of Administration from 1966 to 1971; and as the Commander of the First Infantary Brigade from 1971 to 1972.
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
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Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957
When he assumed the head of government of Ghana in 1972, Gen. Acheampong reversed the devaluation of the cedis and refused to pay the debts Ghana owed the outside world. He also embarked on the “Operation Feed Yourself”. However, by 1976 Acheampong’s regime has become unpopular as a result of mismanagement and economics hardships. His UNIGOV idea which was to do away with partisan government was vehemently opposed with massive protests. There were clashes with his opponents and some protestors were killed in Kumasi. On July 5th, 1978 Gen. Acheampong’s second-in-command, General Fred Akuffo and other members of the ruling supreme Military Council (SMC) staged a palace coup and removed Acheampong as the head of government. Acheampong was confined to his hometown, Trabuom in Ashanti Region until he was picked up and executed alongside other top military officer on 16th June, during the 1979 uprising.
General Fredrick William Kwasi Akuffo (21st March, 1937 – 16th June 1979) When Gen. Acheampong was removed in a palace coup on 5th July, 1978 General Fredrick Akuffo became chairman of SMC II and the head of government. Akuffo who hailed from Akropong-Akwapim in the Eastern Region was educated at the Presbyterian Secondary School at OdumasiKrobo from 1952 to 1955. He got enlisted as an OfficerCadet in the Ghana Army in 1957. He then studied at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK from 1958 to 1960; and at the Staff College in 1967; and also at the National Defense College, India in 1973. Posts he held included: Commanding Officer, Airborne Training School in Tamale from 1965 to 1966; commanding Officer, 6th Battalion from 1969 to 1970; Director General of Operations and Planning, Ministry of Defense in 1970. Gen. Akuffo was appointed Army Commander in 1974 and Chief of Defense Staff in 1976. When he took over from Acheampong, he initiated the return of the country to civilian rule by instituting a new Constitution Drafting Committee. He lifted the ban on politics though some prominent politicians were still banned. Unfortunately, his efforts could not solve the country’s economic problems, which sent workers demonstrating in the streets. Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and his men took advantage of the situation in the country and
staged a coup d’etat on the 4th of June 1979 to overthrow the SMCII. Rawlings became the chairman of ruling Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the fifth military head of government in Ghana. However, the AFRC handed over power to democratically elected head in September, the same yar. Gen. Akuffo was shot by firing squad at the Teshie Military range with Gen. Acheampong and other on June 16th 1979.
Dr. Hilla Limann (12th Dec; 1934 – 23rd Jan; 1998) Flt. Lt. Rawlings and the AFRC organized elections in 1979 to return the country to civilian rule 3 months after the June 4th uprising. Dr. Hilla Limann who was the presidential candidate for the Peoples National Party (PNP) won the elections to become the third civilian head of government in Ghana. He was sworn in on 24th September, 1979 as the President of the Third Republic of Ghana. Limann was born on 12th December, 1934 at Gwolu in the Upper West Region. He was named Babini but he was brought up by his uncle, Heli Limann whose name he (Dr. Limann) assumed on entering primary school. Limann attended Tamale Government Middle School from 1946 to 1949. He became a District Councilor at Tumu in the Upper West Region between 1952 and 1955. In 1954, he lost parliamentary elections as an Independent Candidate. Limann left Ghana for London in 1957 and later to France where he obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science and Constitutional Law in 1965 from the University of Paris. He was made Head, Europe Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs form 195 to 1968. In 1967 he served as a member of the Constitutional Commission. After working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Head of Ghana’s Mission in Togo and Counselor of Ghana’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, Dr. Limann returned to Ghana in 1975 and when the ban on politics was lifted Alhaji Imoro Egala, a ‘giant’ in the PNP – a group of Nkrumahistselected him to lead the party. Thus, Dr. Limann became the head of government when PNP won the elections in 1979. He immediately replenished the depleted food stock in the country and launched the Gold Endowment Fund to attract investors to Ghana. Unfortunately, on 31st December 1981 Flt. Lt. Rawlings took power back from Dr. Limann in a military coup called “a revolution”. Dr. Limann lived a private life till he died of natural causes on 23rd January, 1998 in Ghana.
Flight – Lieutenant Jerry John Kwasi Rawlings (22nd June, 1947-) Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings came back to Ghana politics as the sixth military head of government in 1981 and ‘metamorphosized’ himself in 1992 to become the fourth civilian head of government and the President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. His second and final term of office (by the constitution) expires at the end of this year, 2000. The only head of government who is still alive is Rawlings. Though a native of Dzelokope in the Volta Region, Rawlings was born in Accra on June 22, 1947 and has since lived almost his whole life in Accra. He schooled at St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School at Adabraka in Accra and furthered his studies at Achimota School also in Accra in 1966. In August 1967 he got enlisted as a Flight Cadet at the Ghana Air Force Station in Takoradi, Western Region. He was selected for Officer-Cadet Training at the Military Academic, Teshie in Accra. Rawlings went for Military Training Course in Takoradi after which he was commissioned as Pilot Officer in January 1969 (won the coveted Speed Bird Trophy as the Best Cadet in flying and airmanship). In April, 1969 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. On May 28, 1979 Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings was arrested for muting of the junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces. Before he could be sentenced on June 4, 1979 he was sprung from jail by Major Boakye-Djan and some junior officers. The coup makers formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with Flt. Lt. Rawlings as the head. The AFRC did some ‘house cleaning’ by executing 3 former military heads of state and other military officers by firing squad. They handed over power to Dr. Limann and his PNP government in September, 1979. But Rawlings came back and ousted the Limann government in 1981. He formed the Provincial National Defense Council (PNDC) to carry out a “revolution”. In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the Army and contested elections on the ticket of National Democratic Convention (NDC) and won. He won again in the 1996 elections.
Mr. John Kofi Agyekum Kufour Ghana’s 4th Republic saw a smooth changeover
from the NDC government to a new government of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of Mr. John Kofi Agyekum Kufour on January 7, 2001. Thus, Mr. Kufour became the fifth civilian head of government after Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings. At the age of 62 years, Kufour who hails from the Ashanti Region of Ghana is the first opposition leader in Ghana to have beaten the i n cu m be n t g o v e r n m e n t ’s presidential candidate to become the President of Ghana. Like the first, second and third civilian heads of government, Kufour is well educated. He went to Oxford University in Britain and earned a Masters degree in philosophy, political science and economics. He was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in London in 1961 but he soon returned to Ghana and took to politics. He became a member of the Constitutuent Assemblies, which drafted G h a n a ’s r e p u b l i c a n constitution in 1969 and 1979. Mr. Kufour won a parliamentary seat and was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister in 1969 when Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) came to power. Busia government was overthrown in 1972 and Kufour went into business running a brick and tile factory. However, he returned to politics in 1979 and became the Deputy Minority parliamentary Leader when Ghana returned to democratic rule. That was to be for short time since Flt. J.J. Rawlings overthrew the government of Ghana in 1981. Kufour was then appointed by Rawlings as Minister for Local Government but after nine months in office Kufour resigned from Rawling’s PNDC government due to political incompatability. He then returned to entrepreneurship until 1992 when he came back to politics Kufour lost the presidential elections to Rawlings in 1996 but stood again for presidency and won in 2000 to become the 5th civilian head of government of Ghana. He won the presidency for the 2nd time in 2004. It is interesting to note that Ghana’s new democracy since 1992 has seen stability and grown over the years. This is evidenced by the fact that the last two presidents of the country, in the persons of Rawlings and Kufour have both successfully served as heads of state for two consecutive terms of 8 years a term each. Kufour will hand over his presidency to a newly elected president in January, 2009, thus, ending successfully his second term in office as the Head of State of Ghana. Kufour is married to Theresa, a nurse with whom he has five grown-up children. We congratulate Kufour and Rawlings (the only heads of states of our country still alive) as Ghana celebrates its 51st independence anniversary.
on the ticket of the then opposition National Democratic Party (NDC). He was sworn in by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Georgina Theodora Wood on January 7, 2009 as the Third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. (the 3rd John consecutively to rule Ghana!) Prof. John Atta Mills was born on 21 July 1944 at Tarkwa in western Ghana. He graduated in law at the University of Ghana in 1967 before pursuing his legal studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. John Atta Mills then won a Fulbright scholarship at Stanford Law School in the US. He came back to his alma mater the University of Ghana as a lecturer for nearly 25 years. From 1986 to 1993, Prof Atta Mills was the Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and the substantive Commissioner during 19931996. He was then selected as the running mate to former President Jerry Rawlings for the 1996 elections, and served as vice president from 1997 to 2001. He was a keen hockey player, at one time a member of the national team, and also enjoyed swimming. President Mills had more than one dozen publications in the taxation and law fields to his credit. The 64-year old former President of Ghana was married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, a director of education and trained marriage counsellor. He died on July 12, 2012, the first sitting President of the country to die in office.
John Dramani Mahama: (July 24, 2012-present) President John Mahama was born on November 29, 1958 at Damongo, in the Northern Region of Ghana. He is a communications expert, historian, writer, former Member of Parliament and Minister of State, and immediate former Vice-President of Ghana. He ascended to the high office of President following the death of the incumbent President John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday, July 24 in Accra. After completing his education, President Mahama went on to pursue an additional postgraduate diploma in social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, and returned to Ghana from 1991 to 1996. He worked as Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra. In 2000, President Mahama was re-elected for another four-year term as the MP for the Bole/Bamboi Constituency. He was again re-elected in 2004 for a third term.
Professor John Evans Atta Mills (2009-2012) John Atta Mills became President of Ghana after two failed attempts. He lost twice against former President John Kufuor in 2000 and 2004. However, in 2008 he won the country’s presidential election
From 2001 to 2004, President Mahama served as the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications and in 2002 he was appointed the Director of Communications for the NDC. He was swornin on Monday, January 7, 2013, as the fourth President of Ghana's Fourth Republic. President Mahama has seven children. He is married to Mrs. Lordina Mahama.
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
FOCUS What Black History Month Should Teach Us By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Teacher, Brookview Middle School, Toronto “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”.-Nelson Mandela Once again Black History Month is with us (especial those of us in North America). It is February! The celebrations marking African Heritage are on and awards to deserving people are given, but what lessons do we learn year in and year out from the Black History Month (BHM)? Lessons are meant to be learnt. History always has its own lessons. The lessons in Black History or African Heritage are simple but very encouraging. Self-confidence, determination, perseverance, hard work, hope and victory! They remind me of the meaning behind the lyrics of one patriotic song of Ghana written by the late renowned Ghanaian teacher, preacher, philosopher and songwriter cum composer, Dr. Ephraim Amu. The words of the song written in Akan language go: Yen ara asase ni. Eye aboden de ma yen. Mogya nana nom hwei gu de to ho ma yen. Edu me ne wo nso so se ye be ye bi atoa so…. which refer to the struggles of our forefathers in building a heritage for us and the need for us to continue from where they left off so that our future generation would also benefit from what we strive to accomplish today. Our forefathers succeeded in their struggles because they united their efforts, put away bitterness and backbiting, divisions as well as acrimony. They sacrificed their lives devoid of selfishness, envy, bigotry and truly served their communities! Unfortunately, what do we see in our communities nowadays? Unhealthy competitions, selfishness, milking of our community resource for selfish gains, unpatriotic spirit and evil intentions!!!!!! We ought to learn the good lessons of history and change for the better! Some Brief History from ‘Black History’: Africa has its own rich history. That coupled with the history of early African Canadians as in the stories of the Underground Railway, Afriville Village and others encourage in us selfconfidence to succeed as Black people. “Say it loud, I’m black and
proud!” to borrow the words of the celebrated Black singer of blessed memory, James Brown. Did you know that there is a connection between Harriet Ross Tubman of the Underground Railroad and Ghana? “Two of Harriet’s great grandparents had been members of the Ashanti tribe in Africa and had been captured and transported from Central Ghana about 1725. Harriet was the fourth generation of her family to be enslaved in the United States” (Rosemary Sadlier, Toronto, 1997). Accoding to Daryl Michael Scott, (Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2011), “The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and of Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which Black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century”. Not Just a Ritual: I hope the celebration of the Black History Month has not become just an annual ritual. That it brings us through the year the awareness of our ancestral heritage and gives the opportunity, at least every February, for Blacks to receive the positive reaffirmation that is necessary to help the community flourish. The celebration of February each year as Black History Month in America since the 1920s has become a huge national affair. And in the Ontario Province of Canada, an official item on the calendar since 1978 when the Ontario Black History Society successfully pushed for its formal recognition by the City of Toronto. Black men and women of old like Sundiata, Mansa Musa of the ancient Songhai and Ghana
empires of West Africa; Yaa Asantewaa of the ancient Ashanti Kingdom; Rosa Park and Martin Luther King Junior of the United States; Elijah McCoy and Rose Fortune of Canada; Halie Saliesa of Ethiopia, Lumumba of Congo, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Steve Biko of South Africa and many others of our ancestral heritage remind us of the struggles of the past. What role(s) are we playing in the struggles of today – freedom from ignorance, economic exploitation, neo-colonialization and racial segregation? Black History Month provides us the opportunity to feel affirmed and the pathways to arrive at an understanding of ourselves as Black people in the most comprehensive socio-historical context that we can produce. It is a clarion call to all nations and cultures, especially those of America and Canada, to acknowledge the contributions of people of African descent in their nation building. Black History empowers us as a distinct group to achieve social, economic and political feats. To quote the President of Ontario Black History Society, Rosemary Sadlier, “Black history provides the binary opposite to all traditional histories. One needs traditional history to engender a common culture; one needs Black history to engender a clearer and more complete culture.” A story is told of a successful slave-master in the Caribbean who was invited to America during the era of slaves’ rebellion in America to advise his colleagues on how to control their slaves. He told his colleagues in America of a plan he employed to put a lid on his slaves. His plan was that of sowing seeds of mistrust and division among his slaves so that they could not unite in purpose to rebel against him. The greatest lesson to be learnt here is that of unity. As long as we unite as Black people we would achieve a lot for our communities. Black History should be made to bring all people of African descent together wherever they are to combat the forces, which militate against our advancement as “a nation of Black people”. Encouraging Black Youth for High Achievements: I see great potential in our youth to succeed where we have failed if only
they will learn from history. If only we will educate them about the rich history of our ancestors. Our forefathers were wise, resilient and dedicated to the struggles against ignorance, oppression and immorality. African heritage has a lot to inspire us to take cultural ownership and encourage our young people to achieve success spiritually, socially and economically. Speaking at this year’s (2014) BHM Awards night for the Ghanaian community in Toronto, Tony Rivire of the Toronto Police who was the keynote speaker advised our youth to have a purpose driven by passion and sustained by perseverance which is influenced by good people
in their lives. He told his personal story based on the 4 ‘p’s (purpose, passion, perseverance & people) and entreated the youth to set achievable goals and work towards them with the support of family, friends and associates who are the most influential people in their lives. He then challenged our young people to do voluntary work in their communities and use their energy, wealth and time wisely. Rivire nailed it with the fact that, “learning is the most important thing at school and education is an effective insurance policy for our youth”. We must therefore encourage black youth to take their education seriously. For, education
is one of keys to success. We need to have role models to guard our young ones to understand the social forces, which have shaped and influenced their community and their identities as a way of feeling connected to their experiences as people of African descent. We should aid our young people in their struggles along the road to becoming victors in their individual fields of endeavor. History won’t forgive us if we fail to learn the lessons of unity, hard work, perseverance, self-confidence, sacrifice, responsibility, hope and victory which BHM teaches us not only during the month of February but all year round.
Mahama to start free secondary education programme President John Dramani Mahama has announced the preparation of government to implement a free secondary education programme which is part of the national education policy of Ghana. Delivering the state of the Nation address in parliament today, the president said following a consultation with stakeholders, cabinet is yet to receive a road map to introduce a continuous
free secondary education which would reduce the burden on parents as spell out by the 1992 Constitution. The president said government is looking to rationalize senior high school fees and advised parents to report heads of high school institutions who charge more than the approved fees. Addressing the campaign promise of building
200 community based schools to ease the burden on the existing ones, the president said architectural drawings et.al are complete and that the construction of the first batch of schools would commence on March 3. This is the second State of the Nation Address President John Dramani Mahama is delivering before parliament since he took office in January 2013. Ghanaweb
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The Ghanaian News
February 2014
13
LEGAL MATTERS How much money can I get for a slip and fall injury By Bode Odetoyinto, Mississauga Here is a typical scenario: While walking down the aisle at a convenience store, Kofi a nurse suddenly and unexpectedly slipped and fell to the ground. He felt something break in his leg during the fall. He was unable to get up. An ambulance was called. While Kofi waited for medical help, he noticed that a cleaner employed by the store had negligently spilt and not mopped up some water on the floor where he slipped. There were no signs in the area that could have warned him of the ongoing cleaning or of the slippery conditions prior to his fall. At the hospital, after an x-ray was done, Kofi was informed that had multiple fractures. He had to be operated upon immediately. His leg will be in a cast for 6 weeks. The surgeon informs him that he will likely be unable to return to his job 3 more months depending on how the fracture healed. What are Kofi’s rights? What can he claim? In Ontario, a person injured due to the negligence of a third party has the right to sue the at fault party to recover damages (money) for losses directly attributable to the injuries suffered. What they can you claim? In Ontario, there are generally two types of damages. Damages that can be calculated (pecuniary damages) and damages that cannot be easily calculated (non-pecuniary). Damages for Pain and Suffering (NonPecuniary Damages) Some compensatory damages are relatively easy to quantify such as reimbursement for lost wages or medical bills, others are more difficult such as placing monetary value on pain and suffering or the inability to enjoy hobbies because of physical limitations caused by
injury suffered; the length of time it will take the injury to heal; • t h e n a t u r e o f the treatment required to treat the injury (is surgery necessary); • the length of time that a person is accident-related injuries. hospitalized In the above scenario, or sent to Kofi obviously suffered rehabilitation; pain as a result of the • t h e p h y s i c a l injury. He felt pain and emotional directly after the fall, limitations that surgery and in the months the injury will and years as he struggled cause the injured to get his health and life p ers on s , b o th back together. Years later, in the short and he still has arthritic pains long term; and and has been advised • any pre-existing that he may never fully injuries that the heal. Pain medicine is injured person how he tolerates his days. had when they In dealing with a case were injured. such as Kofi’s, our Courts will compensate him for O t h e r t y p e s o f “pain and suffering”. compensation that are This is what is called typically claimable are non - pecuniary damages. loss of income, medical and rehabilitation The Supreme Court of expenses, housekeeping Canada in 1978 capped and home maintenance the amount of damages s e r v i c e s , f a m i l y that can be awarded m e m b e r c l a i m s . for pain in suffering. Wi t h i n f l a t i o n , t h a t In addition to damages award is approximately for pain and suffering, $340,000.00 for the most a Court in Ontario can severe cases of pain award an injured party and suffering, such as damages for other losses in the case of a young that they have suffered adult who has lost limbs. or which they will suffer in the future under the In Andrews v. Grand & above heads of damages. Toy Alberta Ltd., our Supreme Court opined For example, in the that damages for pain a b o v e s c e n a r i o , t h e and suffering are not injury resulted in the really compensatory as no victim being off work money can provide true for months. He would restitution. Accordingly, likely require extensive such damages should physiotherapy treatments be viewed as simply and will incur expenses providing additional such as purchase of money to make life more crutches, medications and endurable. Therefore, the other assistive devices. range of damages awarded If he had a family and for pain and suffering was primarily responsible range anywhere from for looking after meals, $1.00 to $340,000.00 cleaning, clearing snow depending on the nature etc, he may need to hire and gravity of the injury. someone to assist with these activities of daily In Ontario, a variety of living. These legitimate factors go into determining expenses are recoverable the amount that a Court from the store where will award for pain and the injury occurred. suffering. Factors that the Courts consider are: Stated differently, he • the age of the will be able to recover injured person; the past lost income, the • the severity of the costs of physiotherapy •
and other medical treatments, crutches, pain medications etc. In addition, he will also be able to recover legitimate costs paid for assistance with day-to-day activities ordinarily done by him If the injury is a long term injury, he can recover future loss of income, projected future care costs and rehabilitation costs from the store. Because these damages are damages that have not yet been suffered, it will be necessary to obtain medical opinions about how his injuries will progress in the future and what surgical interventions may be required and what
limitations if any will impact his ability to work, to look after his family etc. It may also be necessary to obtain reports from an economist, actuary and/or a rehabilitation specialist to fully determine the amount of future losses. In contrast to damages for pain and suffering, damages for past and future loss of income, care and rehabilitation costs do not have a limit and are based on the injured person’s circumstances. In conclusion, damages flow from liability. The amount of money a person can receive for a slip and fall injury varies. If the injury is serious and long term, the award can be in
six figures especially if the injured party is unable to return to work. Where the injury is of a less severe or transitory nature and there has been full healing, the award by a court for pain may be less. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a slip and fall or other personal injury, it’s a good idea to consult a personal injury Lawyer as soon as possible. The consultation is usually free. Bode Odetoyinbo is Partner at Odetoyinbo’s L L P, B a r r i s t e r and Solicitors. 905-487-6333, bode@ lawyer4me.com , www.lawyer4me.com
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Let's Talk Politics
The State, Government, and “We the People” By Dr. Francis Wiafe-Amoako, Toronto The role of the state and for self-determination, the responsibilities of and bonded together to the governing elite seem argue that irrespective to elude citizens in the of differences in tribal developing world. This affiliations and other piece attempts to shed attachments to smaller some light on this issue groupings, they share a and emphasize the critical common belief, culture, role of the governing elite and have a sense of in positively projecting what governing system the image of the state. they want to develop The role of the governing and be governed. In e l i t e s i s t h e m o s t contemporary times, it is essential puzzle of the safe to say that citizens relationship between the of a state (“Oman” as state, government and the it’s called in the Akan people. In the developing language) do not have world in general, and problem at all to not only Ghana in particular, it associate with the state, is not uncommon for or better still countries, citizens to be confused but are also proud of about the nature and their respective statesrole of the state, and the patriotism (“omanba” responsibilities of the also in the Akan language) governing elites who are supposedly tasked Government refers to with administering state the ruling elite who functions. channel the order and benefit of the state to the In the book, Politics as people. In other words, a Vocation, Max Weber government is the vessel describes the state as through which the state an organization that exhibits its potentials. “has the monopoly of The governing elite the legitimate use of usually have different physical force” within ideologies and opinions. a given territory. Such This is intended to foster use of “legitimate force” effective and productive is essential for order, engagements within the stability and development society, and to arrive within states. The state at an optimal decision system, where people for strengthening the organize themselves state and its people. The politically based on a existence of different broader shared belief, g o v e r n i n g b o d i e s is foreign to societies provides choices for the in the developing world people regarding which w h i c h h a d m a i n l y ruling elite or government organized themselves is capable of distributing in units during the pre- the nation’s resources for colonial era: families, the benefit of all. Contrary tribes, etc. However, to the state, Ghanaians during the struggles for and citizens of countries independence, states throughout the world u n d e r c o l o n i a l r u l e seem to have problems used the concept of with government (“Aban” the state system to call as it is called in the Akan
language). Citizens, though they outnumber the governing elites, are often overpowered by the elite because the elite has control and they use the institutions of the state (police, army, “laws”) to subdue the people. Nevertheless, the people have a good idea regarding the power and potential of the state. In most cases expectations of the people regarding the state is high. The relationship between the state, government and the people has been very interesting in most post-independent state including Ghana. After mass movements had challenged colonial powers, elites (governments) have succeeded in capturing the state and use state institutions and resources to oppress their own people instead of empowering them. Post-independent states have become predatory states, or others such as Professor Ali A. Mazrui will refer to the state as “Frankenstein.” The governing elites have succeeded to use
Ghana is an apology of an independent state – Akosa Ghana was 57 years on Thursday March 6, as an independent nation but former Flagbearer Aspirant Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa says the country is an “apology of an independent country.” Prof Akosa argues t h a t : “ We ’ v e l o s t the significance of independence because we’ve given back to the colonial masters everything that we fought for, for independence. So for me, I think independence has now become almost like just a word.” According to him, “the significance of [independence] is such that, today it’s the World Bank and all the UN
agencies that think for us. It’s the various Embassies in this country that think for us.” The Pathologist told Moro Awudu on the XYZ Breakfast Show on Wednesday that: “We’ve lost our political independence.” “It was ‘seek ye first the political kingdom and everything else’, and immediately after that, the Government moved to ensuring economic emancipation for this country. And if you imagine that in a matter of almost between 57 and 66, this country was littered with so many industries using what we have. Three Bamboo industries; two of them, I think, are lost. There’s only one that is functioning.
One in Assin Fosu that somebody has bought and is running but we’ve got bamboo so why did we allow those two bamboo industries to get lost? “We’ve got clay deposits everywhere. We had Satlpond ceramics. What happened to Saltpond ceramics? Now we buy tiles from everywhere and yet we could have been producing these things ourselves so we’ve lost our essence. And as far as I am concerned, yes we celebrate 6th March [but] it’s just tokenism…but are we truly independent? Are we truly independent? These are questions that we probably must put to our political leaders,” Prof Akosa said. Radioxyzonline.com
institutions of the state to scare the people. Rival governing elites have concentrated on each other instead of the people who are an essential component of the state. Government strategies and long term plans have focused on how to render opponents weak other than how to empower the people. In Gh an a an d o t h er developing states, this situation has become the new normal. It should not be a surprise when overall economic development targets cannot be attained. Projects started by previous governments are discontinued because when completed and successful, the previous government will use the project’s success as
campaign ammunition to defeat the incumbent government in the coming elections. In one African country that I visited, an MP from the opposition party told me that the development fund allocated to his constituency and that of other opposition MPs, have not “arrived.” However, the same funds for MPs in the ruling party had “arrived” and distributed in their respective constituencies for development projects. This situation significantly explains why election times are the most dangerous times in the developing world. Election results determine one’s economic wellbeing, safety, human rights, and human security
conditions in the coming years. This should not have to be the case. The people need not be fooled nor neglected. Citizens know exactly what the problem is. To them it is the government (“Aban”) not the state (“Oman”) which is responsible for successes or failures in the economy and their well-being. Government has the responsibility to focus on the people and develop strategies to improve the health and economic well-being of the people. At the end of the day, when WE THE PEOPLE are happy, the governing elite will be happy, and all of us will enjoy the resources and benefits that the Ghanaian state offers.
We must bridge gap between the rich and poor – Mahama The President, John Mahama, has stated that the gap between the rich and the poor must be bridged to ensure equality among all Ghanaians.
The president described these as “realistic goals” which must be met because the lives of Ghanaians depend on it.
He called for vigilance in attempts to address the issues of existing inequality in Ghana saying, “the gap between the rich and the poor must be bridged.”
He also pointed out that Ghana is a nation “with the capacity and courage to achieve whatever it is we dare to desire; whether it is freedom or democracy or development.”
According to him, every child in Ghana “must have access to quality education, whether they are male or female, or whether they live in the village or they live in the city. Young people must also be afforded the skills needed in order to find gainful employment. Proper health care must be available to all our people.”
He expressed the willingness of his government to fulfill the desires and needs of Ghanaians. Delivering the 57th Independence Day address at the Black Star Square, President Mahama noted that “the door we opened on 6th March, 1957, was not just a door to our future;
it was not just to our freedom…this is what we are as Ghanaians.” He mentioned that Ghanaians are “able to take what other people consider impossible and make it possible. We are not easily defeated. We are willing to go the full distance in the protection of our country and in service of our dreams.” The president declared his government will ensure the ideals of the founding fathers of Ghana are followed to the latter by providing the basic necessities to build a decent life for every citizen. “This is an ideal we must, and will continue working to achieve,” he said. Citifmonline.com
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February 2014
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Budget squeeze continues but federal deficit nearly gone: Flaherty
O T T A WA - - T h e Conservative government continues to ratchet in the iron corset that will squeeze an eye-catching election-year surplus for the Canadian body politic.
But amid leaks of a 2015 Conservative electioneering strategy that already appears well developed, the 201415 austerity budget is also stuffed with lowor zero-cost promises F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r that wink toward the J i m F l a h e r t y ’s 1 0 t h c o m i n g c a m p a i g n . federal budget all but balances the books this Constituencies perceived fiscal year, leaving a to be complementary to negligible $2.9-billion the Conservative brand shortfall heading into get a break -- including the 2015-16 election veterans, recreational y e a r - - w hen P r ime fisheries, rural web surfers Minister Stephen Harper and snowmobilers -will go to the electorate while smokers and public sporting a surplus that servants take it on the chin. could exceed $6 billion. It’s all done on the cheap. It’s the fourth consecutive belt-tightening blueprint “ S o m e p e o p l e w i l l for Flaherty, who used s a y t h i s b u d g e t i s Tuesday’s budget speech b o r i n g ; I c o n s i d e r in the Commons to echo that a compliment,” the words of Canada’s Flaherty said at a news 1868 finance minister: conference, tipping his hat to former Ontario Minister of Finance Progressive Conservative Jim Flaherty tables the p r e m i e r B i l l D a v i s . federal budget in the H o u s e o f C o m m o n s “It doesn’t have flashy on Parliament Hill in spending in it for this Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. and for that and the 11, 2014. (The Canadian other baubles that some Press/Fred Chartrand) people might want.” “I say that we ought to be most careful in our outlay, and consider well every shilling we expend,” quote Flaherty.
The budget’s lack of specifics left critics of the Conservatives firing wildly at an amorphous, moving target.
“There’s nothing in this budget that will create jobs, and that’s the issue because that’s one of the first priorities for Canadians,” complained NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.
amounts to a total of just $700 million -exactly the amount the government expects to raise from new tobacco taxes -- against spending cuts that top $2 billion.
growth are factored in.
12.4 per cent by 2018-19.
To t a l g o v e r n m e n t spending is expected to rebound somewhat to $286.9 billion in the 2015-16 election year.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the deficit is being slashed “on the backs of workers” due to a fat surplus in the employment insurance account.
The net result is that total government spending, including debt servicing charges, actually falls slightly in 2014-15, to $279.2 billion. That’s down from $280.5 billion in the fiscal year just ended, and marks a dramatic decrease when inflation and population
The inexorable squeeze is best illustrated by government program expenditures as a p e r c e n t a g e o f G D P. They are down to 13 per cent this year from 13.8 per cent in 2011-12 -- a huge decrease on a $1.8-trillion economy -and are projected to fall to
“The extent of the cuts to direct program spending are very substantial, yet we knew the government had to downsize from the recession stimulus or there was no way we could handle the aging baby boom generation,” said Mary Webb, senior economist at Scotiabank.
“This government has run out of ideas and is demonstrating it once again.”
“There’s actual good, hard reasons for why they’re doing this.” cont'd on pg. 58
Added Green party Leader Elizabeth May: “Overall, this budget’s largest environmental feature is the pretty picture on the cover of bicyclists enjoying our spectacular wilderness.” The left-leaning Council of Canadians had a darker view, saying the real story of the budget is found in the deep, ongoing cuts to public services. “This is not a ‘do-nothing budget’, it’s an intentional assault on the public interest,” spokesman Brent Patterson thundered in a release. Actual new spending
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES By: James A. Kwaateng, B.A. (Hons), LLB (Hons)
In-Canada Applications for Refugee Claims versus In-Canada Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), refugee protection is conferred on a person when the person has been determined by the Refugee Board to be a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection or when the Minister allows an application for protection. A claim for refugee protection may be made in or outside Canada. Claims made inside Canada are made to an immigration officer, who, pursuant to the Act, shall, upon receipt of a claim, promptly determine whether the claim is eligible to be referred to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) for further action on the claim. The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is allowed to grant protection on three different basis which are on convention refugee ground; on ground of danger of torture and,
and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) while the danger of torture grounds are dealt with in section 97(1)(a) of the Act and risk to life and of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment grounds are dealt with in section 97(1)(b) of the Act. lastly, on ground of a risk to life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.
There is a mistaken belief that the requirements for refugee claims and protection applications are necessarily the same as the requirements for humanitarian and compassionate applications. Based on this false assumption, there is a tendency for people who are unaware of this difference to submit applications for convention refugee or for protection instead of making humanitarian and compassionate applications and vice versa.
The first ground – convention refugee ground - needs to relate to the person’s political opinion, race, religion, nationality or membership in a particular social group. The second and third grounds – a danger of torture and a risk to life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment - are the basis for finding a claimant to be a person in need of protection. To apply for permanent residence from within The convention grounds Canada on humanitarian are dealt with in section a n d c o m p a s s i o n a t e 96 of the Immigration grounds (H&C), one
must be a foreign national currently living in Canada. The person would also need an exemption from one or more requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or Regulations. Strictly speaking, a person is eligible to apply for permanent residence from within Canada only if he or she falls within the following classes: Spouse or Commonlaw partner; Live-in caregiver; Protected person and Conventional refugees, and Temporary Resident Permit Holders. If you do not fall within any of the aforementioned categories, you need an exemption. Section 25(1) of the Act allows foreign nationals who are inadmissible or who are ineligible to apply in an immigration class, to apply for permanent residence, or for an exemption from a requirement of the Act, based on humanitarian and compassionate
UK expels 25 Ghanaians About 25 Ghanaians are being deported from the United Kingdom (UK) to Ghana this Wednesday. The 25 people are among 72 West Africans being deported from the UK for various offences. The deportees are coming in a chartered flight which will be touching down at the Kotoka International Airport today. This is the first deportation from the UK this year. Last year, the UK dep orted 219 Ghanaians to the country. The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) confirmed the news when con tacted by The Finder, adding that British authorities communicated it to the GIS.
deportees have worked in the UK for over 10 years. According to the source, the deportees are coming with armed escorts who would release them to their families. The GIS told The Finder that on ar rival, the airline would inform immigration that deportees are on board. Immigration officers at the fraud office will then be assigned to the flight to receive the escorts and deportees. The GIS explained that the escorts would then present documents on the deportees covering their names, offences committed and other relevant information to the GIS fraud office.
According to The Finder ’s sources, the deportees, both males and females, have varied professional backgrounds and fall under the v a ri ous age gr oups.
The GIS fraud office will in turn take statements from the deportees, which would be added to the docum ents presented to them by the escorts, before they will allow the deportees to go home.
The source said reasons f o r d e p o r ta t i o n a r e overstay of visa and involvement in criminal activities. Some of the
The Telegraph of UK on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 reported
that more than 3,000 foreign criminals are fighti ng deportation. The paper said almost 2,300 of the foreign offenders awaiting deportation were told to leave more than a year ago, with more than 600 others still in the UK five years after being told they must go home. Overall, 3,133 foreign offenders were in the UK as of September last year, including 64 who could not be deported because the authorities did not even know their identity or nationa lity.
centres, figures showed. Data from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) revealed that as many as 2,940 Ghanaians were deported to Ghana last year while the number of Ghanaians who were refused entry into the various countries they were travelling to at airports amounted to 676. The United Kingdom tops the list of European countries while Libya dep orted the highest number of Ghanaians. The deportees came from several countries such as Germany, Holland, Canada, United States of America (USA), Spain and Saudi Arabia.
The figures were released after it emerged earlier this month that Britain was being forced to pay tens of millions of pounds to keep nearly 1,500 foreign criminals behind bars beyond the term of their sentence as they fight deportation.
According to the data, a total of 237 Ghanaians were voluntarily repat riated from various countries t o G h a n a l a s t y e a r.
The cost could reach the equivalent of £55 million a year as more than 500 foreign prisoners are held in jails after their sentences have ended while almost 1,000 are being kept in immigrat ion removal
The GIS information also indicates that 179 people who hid aboard ships (stowaways) in order to obtain free passage into other countries were also arrested and deported to Ghana. The Finder
considerations. For the application to succeed, the H&C applicant should demonstrate in his or her application that he or she would experience unusual and undeserved or disproportionate hardship if the application does not succeed and he or she is made to go back home and apply. It should be noted that H&C applications would rarely succeed without elements of hardship. Even though hardships can arise out of risk to life and risk of torture, cruel and unusual treatment, hardships are not necessarily risks. Caution must be exercised by applicants not to convert their H&C
applications to refugee claims or applications for protection under the Act (IRPA) and vice versa. They are not the same. The requirements and mode of assessment for H&C applications are substantially different from those of refugee claims or applications for protection. Seek professional advice when in doubt. James A. Kwaateng is an Immigration Law practitioner with offices located at 168A Oakdale Road, Suite 4, Toronto, Ontario. For thorough discussion of your immigration and related social and legal issues, you may contact him at telephone number (416) 743-2758.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne participates in Black History Month reception at Queen’s Park cont'd from pg. 1 Hon. Jean Augustine, who was then the First African Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons proposed a motion to the Parliament of Canada declaring February as Black History month in Canada that received unanimous consent on December 1995. In her remarks at the event, Premier Kathleen Wynne emphasized how lucky we all are to live in a province where “every person is valued, respected and protected, a place where every voice and every perspective counts”, she said. She paid glowing tribute to those whose bravery and leadership have brought us to where are today. She recounted how for generations, Black Ontarians who wanted to contribute to the future of our province had to overcome immense barriers to do so. In fighting to participate as equals, they changed our society. Their struggles against prejudice and
racism have inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to believe in themselves and in each other. Their struggles, she said, have also taught us about the huge role the black community has played in shaping what we cherish today: a future of limitless potential. The premier highlighted the fact that the Province of Ontario has unanimously passed a bill designating January 21 of each year as Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario. She expressed the hope that January 21st, Linc’s birthday, will soon be recognized as Lincoln Alexander Day across Canada. Premier Wynne promised never to stop teaching young people that diversity and respect for each other is among our greatest strengths. She stressed the importance of also honouring the brave men and women who fought to get us here, stressing that their efforts lift us all up and strengthen our diversity.
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February 2014
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
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The Improvement of HealthCare Delivery & Managing Its Cost Is Everyone’s Business. Can our fragile NHIS withstand the pressure and demand of its services? Ghanaians certainly have more choices of food than ever before. We now also have relatively more access to hospitals, clinics and medicines, and therefore should be a healthy society. But, Ghanaians’ health has been declining and our average life-span is reducing over the years. To promote and improve on health care delivery and health wellness the people and government of Ghana need to think of healthcare system in a holistic approach, by looking at the interrelated elements that affect the health of our people. First, the food we consume has a major effect on our health. For example, the sugar, salt and fat content of our diets are perhaps accelerating our speedy journey to the health facilitates and grave yard prematurely due largely in part to our blissful ignorance of what is actually killing us so sadly. Secondly, our environment is intricately linked to our health. I’m not a medical doctor, but it’s my conviction that , solving basic human problems —like domestic waste and poor sanitation, etc---are just as important as finding medical solutions to our aliments or curing a disease. We cannot expect to have a good cost-effective health care delivery system in this country without a major private and public investment
in development and deployment of ways to solve basic human problems in our communities and society. Besides the unhealthy foods, and poor sanitation, our food processes, storage and distribution need a critical revamp. Watch how vegetable growers especially in the urban areas such as Accra sprinkle filthy water on their plants just before harvesting for market vendors to sell them to consumers. Take a trip to slaughter houses and food parlors across the land and you will understand where I’m coming from. The effectiveness of a healthcare system is best measured in terms of how well it keeps its people healthy, properly and quickly it treats patients at least cost. This calls for the NHIS to collaborate with the other preventive agencies to educate the public. In addition, our modern society is increasingly driven by measures of ‘financial success’ by any means necessary. This manifest itself in the form of affluent lifestyle.This has created a high level of unprecedented stress and related chronic health conditions. Therefore, there is a need for the government to work to alleviate the achievement material craze that place intense pressure on young people, especially.
diseases .The government’s intervention is therefore urgently needed to address some of our health concerns before the fragile NHIS falls apart. Yes, Personal responsibility is vital when it comes to health issues. But, collective action is also necessary because the consequences of individual’s choices are borne in part by the whole society through the NHIS. The government and businesses (especially, the multi-national food- processing companies) in Ghana should therefore consider offering perks and incentives to Ghanaians to stay healthy. It shouldn’t stop there—the Ghanaian consumer should be made to pay a little penalty (through taxation) for consuming products that are unhealthy like tobacco or alcohol. The NHIS should offer reduce annual premium to subscribers who loss weight or stop smoking and attend wellness classes. “ S a y
w h a t ? ”
Now, you want to argue with me before you even know what I’m going to say. You want to tell me that you won’t change your lifestyle or eating habit if you’re offered cash incentive or required to pay more tax on some chemically –saturated foods you consume? Even the well-funded and most ef- Good for you! I don’t care and no one ficient health care system could not else does if you think the fat, sugar withstand a rising tide of chronic and salt- saturated food should kill
you softly, then it’s your own business. The National Health Insurance Scheme debate right now is all about giving more Ghanaians affordable access to doctors, hospitals and medicine. Yet, the vast majority of health care decisions—90 percent or more, experts say---are really made by individuals instead of medical professionals; whether choices are about diet and exercise or ways of managing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart diseases. Therefore, patient’s failure to follow even a basic regiment of prescription drug can leave them with serious medical complications and big medical cost. The government often loses money when people don’t take their medications for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension and later on show up at the hospital, which costs more to treat them. Addressing the deficiencies in health care delivery or improving health care delivery in Ghana requires systematic change in the government’s role and intervention by monitoring how food is advertised on TV, processed and distributed for consumption---and that also means we need to be willing to pay more attention to our lifestyle and what we watch on TV. So it’s necessary for NHIS to incorporate behavioural medicine into the medical twist. Medicine is ninety-percent listening--it’s by listening to the patient’s body cont'd on pg. 24
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
How a Ghanaian refugee from Toronto worked his way to a Wall Street law firm
By: Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter, Kwame Dougan is no stranger to poverty, having grown up in Toronto community housing counting on Goodwill for donated clothes and Sally Ann for food.
poverty was my motivation,” Dougan said in an interview. “My mom is very proud of me because it validated the risk she took to come here.” Dougan is the youngest of five boys raised single-handedly by their mother. He was the only one who made it to Canada.
Kwame Dougan is no stranger to poverty, having grown up in Toronto community housing, where he and his mother counted on Goodwill for clothes and Sally Ann for food.
Upon their arrival in Toronto in 1990, Dougan and his mother filed a refugee claim that was initially rejected but granted after an appeal.
But the drive to get out of poverty has enabled the young Ghanaian refugee to overcome what life has thrown at him — including a diagnosis of dyspraxia, a disability that affects his cognitive skills — and pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer. Now, almost 25 years after he and his mother, Georgina Anderson, sought asylum in Canada, Dougan, 32, is a Wall Street corporate lawyer specializing in securities and commercial litigation f o r S h e a r m a n & S t e r l i n g L L P. He has never forgotten his humble roots
KFS
Kwame Dougan NICHOLAS KEUNG / TORONTO STAR Order this photo
in Toronto, where he spoke this week at a Dean’s Circle of Student Scholars event at York University, his alma mater, sharing his experience and inspiring others to overcome adversity and shine. “I try anything that will give me a leg up to chart my own course, and
The two settled in the Scarborough area but moved seven times in the first year alone before securing government housing in the Martin Grove Rd. and Eglinton Ave. area, where Dougan spent his childhood. He attended Parkfield Junior School, Dixon Grove Junior Middle School and Martingrove Collegiate Institute, but a university education seemed out of reach, as his mother worked at a warehouse and he had a job at Walmart and a local grocery store.
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“I didn’t know I was a have-not until I saw the homes of my classmates, who didn’t have to worry about what to do in the summer,” recalled Dougan. “We had a school trip to go to Ontario Place and I had to come up with excuses because we couldn’t afford the $8 ticket.” Fortunately, a guidance counsellor at Martingrove, Tammy Saumon, c o n n e c t e d D o u g a n w i t h Yo r k University’s now-defunct Bridging the Solitudes program that provided students with financial and social support. With help from Harry Jerome, National Millennium and Bank of Montreal scholarships, he finished his undergraduate degree in political science, law and society at York in 2005. Ever since he was a kid, Dougan said he, dreamed of becoming a lawyer because he was fascinated by television legal dramas such as Matlock, but he hardly saw any black lawyers around. cont'd on pg. 32
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Ombudsman powers may be expanded to include school boards and municipalities TORONTO -- Ontario’s ombudsman would get new powers to investigate school boards, colleges and municipalities, while the province’s child advocate would get similar powers to investigate Children’s Aid Societies under proposed new legislation.
The bill would also create a provincial patient advocate to deal with complaints about hospitals, long term care homes and community care access centres. Premier Kathleen Wynne promised the wide-ranging accountability legislation will be introduced in a few weeks, and will also give government the power to impose hard caps on salaries of public sector executives. Another measure would clarify the rules for keeping government documents so they aren’t destroyed in an attempt to avoid freedom of information requests. Police are currently investigating the deletion of emails by officials in former premier Dalton McGuinty’s office related to the Liberals’ $1.1 billion decision to cancel two gas plants prior to the 2011 election. The opposition parties say Wynne has little credibility when it comes to openness and transparency and call the proposed legislation a crass political ploy by Liberals who know it stands little chance of being passed. Tory Leader Tim Hudak called the Liberals one of the most corrupt governments in Ontario’s history, noting there is also a police investigation into irregularities at the Ornge air ambulance service The Canadian Press.
24
The Ghanaian News February 2014
Profile of Earl Antham Introducing Earl Antham, an Actor with over 30 years of acting experience. Earl is the instructor of Reel Facts Film & Television Workshop, a 6 week on-camera program which facilitates student learning in auditioning techniques for television commercials and film. At the end of the workshop the students are assisted in propping up their resume, headshots, training and an introduction to meet A.C.T.R.A- related agents across Canada and the United States for potential opportunities. Antham’s first job as an actor was in a movie called “The Warm December” at Pinewood Studios in London, England. Sidney Poiter was the lead actor and he was his standin. He played this super-star, Sideny Poiter in a movie called “The Gilda Radner Story”. He has also worked with actors like Lou Gossette Jr. Laurence Fishbourne, Alfie Woodware, and Denzel Washington over the years. Earl Antham maintains that Actors stimulate the audience by using language like an orchestra to paint pictures with their voice and their body language to convey the dialogue to the person they are
reacting with. Actors use voice and movement, but they do it with such synchronicity and confidence that they are able to convince you even though you had a 5 course meal and you are not hungry, to go out and buy a Big Mac. Remember you hold people’s attention and they are listening to you. And he thinks Actors are winners, financially, physically and spiritually. What are the tools a new actor needs? What is needed is a training program that gets the budding actor involved and motivated about the industry. including auditioning techniques for television commercials and auditioning techniques for film. Usage and correct pronunciation with
clarity and confidence of voice and movement, working with products on-camera, correct handling and positioning to camera, selling yourself, selling the product, radio commercials, improvisation, mime, scene study, character development, monologue building. Wi t h g o o d p r o f e s s i o n a l headshots and resumes, a demo reel and a good professional agent, the young actor is on the journey as a well-empowered 360 degree left and right brained being. There is no retirement age, in A.C.T.R.A. There are performers in their late 80s. In the movie “Titanic” the old lady who played Rose, was 76 when she got her first acting job, she hasn’t looked back since. Earl has personally taught a 66 year old woman. He will be providing monthly pertinent information every month in this column about the interesting World of Film & Television in Canada.If you would like to get intouch with Earl Antham concerning questions or concerns do contact him at: earllchrysostom@yahoo. ca & (647)388-4421
Boachi Fine Tailoring Custom Tailoring and Fashion Design For Men and ladies Contact: Kwame 905-794-1604 (Bus) 416-994-8208 (Cell) Email: boachitailor@yahoo.com 55 Crystalview Cres, Brampton, Ont. (The Gore/Ebenezer)
The Improvement of HealthCare Delivery & Managing Its Cost Is Everyone’s Business. cont'd from pg. 21 and what he says about his aliments. Mindful of the fact that we’re talking about the need for ‘two experts (the MD and patient) to work hand in hand .The Doctor is an expert in human biology and psychology and chemistry. The patient is an expert in feelings, (emotionally and physically). Without bringing these two experts together in harmony, no good cost-effective medicine could be accomplished. Behavioural economists have been telling us for years that people aren’t always rational when it comes to making choices. Sometimes, it takes a little extra push and cash payment or taxation to provide the nudge to encourage or discourage people to rearrange their lifestyles or do what they should be doing for themselves for the sake of self-preservation and longevity. Yes, employers using incentives as a way to get employees into gym, wellness programs,
loss weight, stop smoking or other health improvement programs is the step in a right direction if we really want to save money and sustain the NHIS. By the way, who is regulating the skyrocketing herbal medicines invasion in the country? People are wantonly and naively consuming these unhygienic and low standardized drugs with little or no instructions. Unfortunately, some of these herbal medicines are just based on nothing, but wishful thinking, fortified by ignorance. Yes, improving on the health delivery system in Ghana and limiting its cost is everyone’s business—including individuals, government, herbal medicine peddlers, food companies, food vendors and chop bars operators, therefore using incentives and taxes as a tool is not a wacky idea at all. KwakuAdu-Gyamf i ( Vo i c e o f R e a s o n ) Asuom, Kwaebibirem District.
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
25
ISLINGTON NORTH CHIROPRACTIC Dr. M. Agyemang, B.Sc. (Hons.), D.C.
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26
The Ghanaian News February 2014
INDIA AFRICA
Central Market
We Carry All Your Tropical Grocery Items
GROCERS LTD.
For All Your Family Grocery Needs * Fresh Ghana Yam (Pona) * Palm Oil * Titus Sardine * Exeter Corned Beef * Accra Kenkey * Akwaabi * Fresh Garden Eggs * Red Snapper And much more at discount prices
For all your Ghanaian and Nigerian Groceries Produce, Meat, Fish etc..
We are open 7 Days a week. Sundays from 12 noon to 6:00 pm
Tel: 416-745-5928
Buy anything by the box and SAVE!!
5010 Steeles Ave. W., Unit 2B, Etobicoke (Steeles/Kipling)
LARGE SELECTION OF BEAUTY & HAIR PRODUCTS
OBAAPA
Excellent Prices, Courteous, One Stop Shopping
The Superstore * African * Caribbean Foods
Tel: (416) 241-5435 2121 Jane Str. Downsview, Ont., M3M 1A2
New Kantamanto Market
1 Steeles Ave. East #12 (Steeles /Hurontario, KFC Plaza) Brampton, Ont. L6W 4J5
Under New Management
Phone: 905-874-8053
Specializing In African and Caribbean Food & Hair Products
Business Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9 am - 8:30 pm * Sat.: 9 am - 9 pm Sun.: 11 am - 5 pm Open most holidays
Open 7 Days A Week * Amane * Palm Oil * Atadwe * Adwene * Zomi Oil *Werewere * Fufu * Fish * Momone * Alata Samina * Rice * Fresh Yam * Nkuto * Garden Eggs * Goat Meat * Apem * Koobi * Shito * Kenkey * Geisha * Kpako * Gari * Kokonte * Asanka
UNCLE SETH TROPICAL FOODS
Food Containers On Sale
1288 Wilson Avenue, Unit #D, Toronto, Ontario
Specializing in African, Caribbean, Asian & Canadian Foods
*WHITE RICE * WHITE CORN FLOUR *ACCRA KENKEY WHITE CORN MEAL * POTATO FLAKES *POTATO STARCH * OX HEAD SCENTED RICE *PALM SOUP *GRACE KENNEDY SCENTED RICE *GARI *ALREADY MIXED FUFU *ADWENE *KONKONTE * FRESH PONA YAMS *ASANKA *KOOBI *QUALITY ZOMI *GHANA BREAD *BODIE FUFU *SHITO
Twins Sister Tel: 416-235-1470 Cell: 416-948-2531
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Denton * Red Snapper * Tilapia * King Fish Steak * Mackerell We are open Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
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1712 Jane Street, Toronto (Jane/Lawrence)
Listen to Ghanaian News Radio Sunday 5:30 pm on 1040 AM
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
27
Door-to-door mail delivery to end in Oakville this fall O T TAWA - - E l e v e n centres will start collecting mail at community boxes this fall as Canada Post begins its move to end door-to-door delivery.
neighbourhoods will be affected, and delivery will continue to businesses.
In the smaller municipalities, nearly all households and a I t ’s t h e f i r s t s t a g e higher proportion of o f a f i v e - y e a r p l a n businesses will move to announced in December community mailboxes. and will involve about 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 a d d r e s s e s . Canada Post says these neighbourhoods are near Canada Post says that areas that already have in large cities during community mailboxes, this phase, only a few so the infrastructure
is already in place. The Crown Corporation will ask for feedback about the change for use as the program moves to other communities. The national mail service says rising costs and falling mail volumes have made it impossible to continue its traditional operations It says only about one-
in Winnipeg (Postal codes start with R2P, R2V) (12,500 addresses)
The 11 communities and the approximate number of affected addresses are:
- Oakville, Ont. (26,400 addresses)
- Some neighbourhoods in Calgary (Postal codes start with T2B, T3J) (10,450 addresses)
- Neighbourhoods in Kanata (Postal codes start with K2K, K2L, K2M) (7,900 addresses)
- F o r t M c M u r r a y, Alta. (8,450 addresses)
- Rosemere, Que. (3,350 addresses)
- Some neighbourhoods
- Lorraine, Que.
(2,550 addresses) - Bois-des-Filion, Que. (2,750 addresses) - Charlemagne, Que. (1,300 addresses) - R e p e n t i g n y, Q u e . (14,400 addresses) - Halifax neighbourhoods in the Lower Sackville and Bedford areas (Postal codes start with (B4A, B4B, B4C, B4E, B4G) (9,950 addresses). CP24
63 Dundas West, Mississauga, Ont
BANTAMA Supermarket
Tel: 905-281-9515
Quality Products from Africa & Caribbean
African Caribbean Groceries Inc
Business Hours
third of Canadians are still getting home delivery.
Monday - Wednesday - 10:00am - 8:00pm Thursday - Friday - 10:00am - 9:00pm Saturday - 9:30am - 6:30pm Sunday - 12:30pm - 5:30pm
NEW LOCATION 63 Dundas West of Hurontario Mississauga, Ontario
M A K O L A Tropical Foods THE SUPERMARKET IN THE HEART OF ACCRA-GHANA IS NOW HERE IN THE HEART OF TORONTO QUALITY FOODS
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fresh yam * plantain * cocoyam * adwene* koobi * abodoi * egusi * gari * konkonte * goat meat * fufu * kenkey * snails * herrings *sugar bread etc. etc. TWO LOCATION TO SERVE YOU 2400 Finch Ave. W., #2B Toronto, Ontario (Finch/Milvan)
Our Products: * White Yams * Smoked Cat Fish (Pitre) *Smoked Herrings (Amane) * Smoked Herrings (Nsisaawa) * African Ocean Mackerel in chilli sauce or in tomates * And much more....
Tel: 647-764-0159 / 647-764-2335 2300 Finch Ave. W., Unit #48, Toronto, Ont., M9M 2Y3
Atwima Marfo Enterprise (Formerly East-End Tropical Market)
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9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Tel: 416-740-9922 / 416-824-3737 / 416-244-4496
Asafo Market
(Behind old store) * African Yam * Chicken * Box of Mackerel * Burnt Goat * Red Mullet * Ram Goat Meat * Carnation Milk * Black Soap
* Obaatan Pa Mackerel * Goat Head * Clean Tilapia * Box of Red Snapper * Ackees * Chicken Legs * Grace Soup Mix
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28
The Ghanaian News February 2014
BUSINESS Your Debts Are Not Forgiven You Just Because Time Has Passed By: Ken Ntiamoa, MBABIA Insolvency Counsellor
.In my long-standing practice as a Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act Insolvency Counsellor, the biggest untruth that I consistently come across is a wide held believe among many Canadians that if 7 years have passed and the banks and the collection agents have ceased calling, then your debts are wiped out. The believe that your debts are wiped off in 7 seven years stems from a misinterpretation of the laws governing the Credit Bureaus in Canada. When you owe a credit card debt, a personal loan or car loan, every month the banks send information about how you pay those debts to the Credit Bureaus. The information the banks send includes, the amount of credit facility they gave you, how much of the credit facility you have used and how frequently you pay. The credit bureaus calculate your credit rating based on that information. One of the laws governing
standing creditors. The Bank, a collection agent or a lawyer representing the bank can call any time to demand the principal, accumulated interest and collection fees.
the Credit Bureaus is to strive to be as accurate and as current as possible in reflecting your true status to potential lenders by reporting an accurate credit rating. The law also says that, if within a period of 7 years, a debtor has not updated a borrower’s file at the credit bureau, then the credit has an obligation to delete that particular debt from their files to keep the file clean. The act of cleaning a debtor’s file by the Credit Bureaus does not in itself mean that the debt is forgiven or wiped out. You still owe that money for as long as you haven’t paid, settled or declared bankruptcy. .So, it may be possible to have a clean credit report while you still owe a chunk of money to your long-
It is easy to understand what I am saying when you consider it from a personal point of view. Let us say that before you left the old country, you went to a friend to borrow money for your plane ticket to Canada. You have lived here for 20 years. For 20 years, your friend never had your contact information and you never bothered to contact him to pay. If you went back home for a visit and your friend meets you in a beer bar, does he have a right to collect his money then? Do you still owe him or you don’t because 20 years have passed? If you are having debt problems, call me at 416-398-1877 ext 201. I will help you face them squarely and resolve them. Ken Ntiamoa, MBA BIA Insolvency C o u n s e l l o r Mortgage Broker
Saving the cedi: BoG imposes new forex rules The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has announced additional measures to shore up the cedi against the major foreign currencies. As part of the measures, it has banned commercial banks and other financial houses from issuing cheques and cheque books on Foreign Exchange Accounts (FEA) and foreign currency accounts (FCA).
Again, over-the-counter cash withdrawals from foreign exchange and foreign currency accounts not exceeding US$10,000 shall only be permitted for travel purposes outside Ghana or its equivalent in convertible currency per person per travel.
It has also directed that no bank should grant a foreign currencydenominated loan or foreign currency-linked facility to a customer who is not a foreign e x c h a n g e e a r n e r.
The directives, which were contained in a release signed by the Secretary to the bank, Mrs Caroline Otoo, also said “all undrawn foreign currency-denominated facilities shall be converted into local currency-denominated facilities with the coming into effect of this notice”.
The central bank has also prohibited offshore foreign deals by resident companies, including exporters in the country.
“ H o w e v e r, e x i s t i n g fully drawn foreign currency-denominated facilities and loans to non-foreign exchange
earners shall run until expiry,” the release added. Since the beginning of the year, the cedi has declined by more than four per cent. Currencies elsewhere have been chaotic since the beginning of the year. The Argentine peso, the Turkish lira and the South African rand have been tumbling since January, 2014, but the drop in the value of the cedi is causing some investor scare. Among other measures by the BoG to halt the fall of the cedi are the prohibition of transfers from one currency-denominated account to another and the requirement that transfers outside Ghana from foreign exchange and foreign accounts be supported by
Ontario to combat auto insurance fraud in effort to lower premiums TORONTO -- Ontario’s governing Liberals are introducing legislation today that they say will help reduce auto insurance rates, even though they’re not mandating a cut to premiums. Finance Minister Charles Sousa says rates have dropped five per cent on average across Ontario and will fall further to the 15 per cent target if the bill passes. He says the legislation will combat fraud, make it easier to settle disputes and curb costs. Sousa says the dispute resolution system
for injured drivers would be moved to an existing tribunal run by the Attorney G e n e r a l ’s m i n i s t r y. Only licensed health service providers would be able to get paid directly by insurers. Critics point out Ontario made regulatory changes in 2010 that greatly reduced costs for the insurance i n d u s t r y, b u t t h o s e savings have not been passed along to drivers. Progressive Conservative Jeff Yurek says the big discounts on premiums are coming from companies that insure bad drivers,
while good drivers are seeing their rates go up. That’s because Sousa told insurers to lower their rates on average, he said. So they’re inflating that average by reducing premiums for bad drivers who are paying more for insurance anyway. Good drivers are paying the price while the minority Liberals placate the New Democrats to stay in power, he said. “The NDP and the Liberals have given an extra discount to the bad drivers, and the good drivers -- what I’m hearing from my office -their rates are still going up,” Yurek said. CP24
Chrysler picks Windsor to build minivans, spurns government money Company CEO Sergio Marchionne says $2B decision became a ‘political football’ Chrysler will continue to build its popular minivan in Windsor, Ont., and has withdrawn all requests for government financial assistance in relation to the redevelopment of its assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton. Chrysler directly notified Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne of its decision. At the Detroit auto show seven weeks ago, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said that changes at the Windsor plant alone would cost at least $2 billion, and that Chrysler needed government help to finance the project. Chrysler said in a media release Tuesday it will now “fund out of its own resources whatever capital requirements the Canadian operations require.” Industry Minister James Moore said t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s commitment to the auto industry is strong and he was surprised by Chrysler ’s decision.
“We’ve been having very good conversations with Chrysler about their future in Canada,” Moore said from Ottawa. “They’ve made a decision to push away from the table, principally because of concerns about the political dynamic in the province of Ontario, quite frankly. So it’s a surprise to us, but it’s a judgment that they have to make as a company,” he added. ‘What more can we do? I was told all was going well.’— Essex Conservative M P J e f f Wa t s o n Essex Conservative MP Jeff Watson, whose riding is just south of Windsor, said he believed talks were going well. “ We w e r e p r e p a r e d to invest in exchange for guarantees for Canadian production and a Canadian supply chain,” Watson said. Wa t s o n s a i d t h e purpose of the $500 million dedicated to the Automotive Innovation Fund in last month’s budget was to back up the government’s commitment to Chrysler. “What
more
can
we do? Discussions were proceeding w e l l , ” Wa t s o n s a i d . Watson said Chrysler now has “to clarify the level and extent of the investment.” In the same release, Chrysler confirmed it will continue to build its flagship minivan at the Windsor Assembly Plant and also continue to run the Brampton plant, where the company builds sedans. ‘Our commitment to Canada remains strong.’—Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne “Our commitment to Canada remains strong,” Marchionne said. “We have been active participants of the Canadian economy for nearly 90 years, both as a manufacturer and as a seller of cars, trucks and vans. “It is clear to us that our projects are now being used as a political football, a process that, in our view, apart from being unnecessary and illadvised, will ultimately not be to the benefit of Chrysler,” the company said in a news release. cont'd on pg. 30
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
29
TALKING FINANCES Financial Comfort Zone By: Gabriel Quayson, Toronto Most human beings will have an “A-Ha” moment at some point in their life. A point in time when they come to a realization that: I don’t belong here, this is not for me, my talents are being wasted. I was made for something greater and better than what I am doing. It could be the result of major life changing activities (divorce, finding salvation, shameful event, death, calamity, aging or travel, etc.) Some take the realization and do something about it, and become the person they have always envisioned. Some will ponder the ideas and never take the steps. This article is intended to shed light on what could happen, if you settle for the confines of your current achievement and become afraid to go beyond current boundaries. As children we dreamt of many lofty ideas, goals and accomplishments. The Creator has placed and inscribed in each of us our true purpose. The inscription is as real and unique as our finger prints or the colour of our eyes. Our gifts are
intended to leave our mark on the world and make a difference in the life of others and push us to our full potential (self-actualization). It is our assignment in the physical world. The moment we are born, society (enemies, haters, friends, family, associates, etc.) start fighting to assign us what they believe our purpose ought, should and must be. Some are well intended, yet it will fall short of what the Creator has intended for you, and your gift to world will be tainted, if you surrender to the training. The pressure from society to produce average citizens is so powerful that a large portion of its citizens are compelled to compromise to societal standards, be an average Joe. Society will provide us with a convincing case that those childhood dreams are just pie-in the sky ideas that will never be reached and we should focus on what is real. Mark Cuban’s (Billionaire and owner of Dallas Maverick Basketball team) parents
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were so concerned about his financial future, they convinced him to have a trade as carpet installer. According to his own accounts, he was one of the worst carpet installers in the history of the USA. Yet he spent valuable time and energy becoming an installer, due to advice from concerned parents: i.e. “you must have a trade in order to feed yourself at all times”. You may have been brought up in a situation that limited your understanding of your potential, but it’s time now for the past to lose its hold on you. As indicated by rapper and actor LL Cool J “Your past should never hold your future hostage”. We have to push beyond the great unknown to see what treasures are waiting for us to claim. Your current zone has been fully researched, the odds of finding something new is highly unlikely. Force yourself beyond your comfort zone and see what life will bring you. We see images of great
accomplishment daily and admire the achievement of others. Their path to success is outlined for all who wish to pursue similar accomplishments. Many are not comfortable with their current station in life and know the path to another destination. Why don’t they do it? They fear moving beyond their comfort zone. They stay within the confines o f w h a t t h e y k n o w. Studies have showed that the bulk of welfare recipients are generation recipients. Their parents and their parents were also recipients of the Government handouts. Going beyond one’s comfort zone is hard work and scary. Once you are used to living a certain lifestyle, it is hard to convince yourself about some other option that is far better. Even when they are shown, they still cannot gather themselves to move toward the new, exciting and fulfilling option. Moving beyond your comfort zone is hard work. Hard work pays off later, where as laziness and indulgence pays of now. Staying in bed watching TV and waiting for your welfare cheque is easy and the payoff (rest) is right away. Going out daily as self employed individual and handing out multiple business cards and networking in hope of future clients is hard and the benefits are far in the future without guarantees. This is what
African Supermarket & Beauty Supply African Crops * Smoked Fish & Meat * Yam * Plantain * Gari * Fufu etc.
Email: ben@the-wire.com
Call Rosina Boakye Tel: 905-913-0033 Cell: 647-588-5755
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8887 The Gore Rd., #56 Brampton, Ont. (Jaipur Gore Plaza)
Mercies African Supermarket We Specialize in African Caribbean Groceries & much more...
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stops many individuals from moving beyond their financial comfort zone. It takes effort to cross a habitual zone and adopt another mode of behaviour. People are comfortable receiving a small guaranteed pay cheque. They are afraid to receive no cheque while they reinvent (go to school, start a business, change careers and implement ideas) themselves in pursuit of a gigantic payout or meaningful life. It’s better to invest a little now so you can enjoy a lot of happiness and fulfillment later than to enjoy a little happiness now and suffer a lot later. An eagle has 7000 feathers, can fly to altitudes of 10,000 feet. They can reach speed of 160km per hour. It has 6 to 8 feet wind span. It hunts in areas ranging from 2000 acres to 10,000 acres. The creator of this amazing bird also created you, and we are his highest creation with more gifts. Each of us has a unique eagle plus talent hidden in us. The challenging work is to discover your gifts, talents and callings so you can take flight.
There’s an old, well known story of a chicken farmer who found an eagle’s egg. He put it with his chickens and soon the egg hatched. The young eagle grew up with all the other chickens and whatever they did, the eagle did too. He thought he was a chicken, just like them. Since the chickens could only fly for a short distance, the eagle also learnt to fly a short distance. He thought that was what he was supposed to do. So that was all that he thought he could do. As a consequence, that was all he was able to do. One day the eagle saw a bird flying high above him. He was very impressed. “Who is that?” he asked the hens around him. “That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” the hens told him. “He belongs to the sky. We belong on the ground, we are just chickens.”So the eagle lived and died as a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was. Don’t restrict your finance and your life to the same faith, find the eagle in you and soar to the destination you had always envisioned.
Rowntree Meat Ltd Rowntree OPEN Meat Ringing The Bell - Seasoned B.B.Q. * Chicken * Meat * Jerk Seasoning 7 DAYS Call For Your Order Ahead Of Time - 416-742-6333
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2687 Kipling Ave. W Unit 5, Etobicoke, Ont (Rowntree Plaza)
Kaf African Caribbean Market Tel: 905-855-3595 We specialize in African, Caribbean Groceries: *Gari Pounded *Yam *Vegetable Salad *Fufu *Potato Starch *Stock Fish *Salted Fish *Smoked Fish *Cerelac *Rice *Bournvita *Milo *Corned Beef *Phone Cards *Cosmetics *Goat meat and many more We are wholesalers and distributors of smoke fish
MONEY TRANSFER THROUGH MONEYGRAM
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Mon-Sat. 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sun.
LOCATION: 2642 Liruma Rd, #2A, Mississauga, Ont., 401 or 403 to South on Erin Mills Pkwy, Exit West on Dundas, 2nd light left Liruma Road, Behind Mr. Lube
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Ethiopian Airlines hijacker threatened to crash plane, passenger says Rome-bound flight hijacked by co-pilot, lands in Geneva Locking the pilot out of the cockpit, an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked a plane bound for Italy on Monday and diverted it to Geneva, where he asked for asylum, officials said. One passenger said the hijacker threatened to crash the plane if the pilot didn’t stop pounding on the locked d o o r. A n o t h e r s a i d passengers were terrified “for hours” as the plane careened across the sky. The Boeing 767-300 took off from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on an overnight flight to Milan and Rome, but an Ethiopian official said it sent a distress message
over Sudan that it had been hijacked. Once the plane was over Europe, two Italian fighter jets and later French jets were scrambled to accompany it. The plane, which was supposed to go to Milan first, landed in Geneva at about 6 a.m. local time. Officials said no one on the flight was injured and the hijacker was taken into custody after surrendering to Swiss police. “The pilot went to the toilet and he [the copilot] locked himself in the cockpit,” Geneva airport chief executive Robert Deillon told reporters. “[He] wanted
asylum in Switzerland.” It wasn’t immediately clear why the co-pilot, a 31-year-old Ethiopian man, chose Switzerland, where voters recently demanded curbs on i m m i g r a t i o n . I t a l y, however, has a reputation among many Africans as not being hospitable to asylum seekers. Ethiopian Airlines is owned by Ethiopia’s government, which has faced persistent criticism over its rights record and its alleged intolerance of political dissent. Geneva police said the co-pilot claimed he felt threatened in Ethiopia. An Italian passenger
on board, Francesco Cuomo, told the Italian news agency ANSA that some passengers woke up shortly after midnight when the plane started to “’bounce.” Pilot tried to knock down cockpit door “The pilot was threatening to open the cockpit door and tried to knock it down without succeeding,” said Cuomo, a 25-year-old economist. “At this point, a message was transmitted by the loudspeakers in poor English, but the threat to crash the airplane was clearly understood,” he added.
Chrysler picks Windsor to build minivans, spurns government money cont'd from pg. 28 “As a result, Chrysler will deal in an unfettered fashion with its strategic alternatives regarding product development and allocation, and will fund out of its own resources whatever capital requirements the Canadian operations require.” In February, Ontario Progressive Conservative L e a d e r Ti m H u d a k accused Marchionne of holding the Ontario Liberals for “ransom.” Last week, Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis began a countrywide newspaper ad campaign touting the benefits of investing in the auto industry. After reading the Chrysler statement, Francis said, “It’s a very well-worded letter. It has a number of messages included.” “We have to recognize, as a country, that automakers can move their plants, their investments, their technology, their capital around the world with a click of the button. “Chrysler is a significant part of our industry, it’s our top industry, and we want to protect it.” In his news release Tuesday, Marchionne said, “It is my sincere hope that all stakeholders involved commit to do what they can to preserve the competitiveness o f t h e c o u n t r y, a n d in particular of the province of Ontario,” “We will do what we can to preserve and nurture the competitiveness of our operations, but we reserve the right, as is true for all global manufacturers,
to reassess our position as conditions change.” Jobs saved in 2 cities Choosing Windsor saves thousands of well-paying jobs in southern Ontario. It should secure 4,600 hourly jobs in Windsor and nearly 3,000 in Brampton. “At this stage, Chrysler really has nowhere else to build that minivan. They have no other facility in North America they could move the minivan to,” said auto analyst Tony Faria. “Windsor is the only place in the short run where it could be built. But the announcement doesn’t go so far as to say Chrysler is going to make the up to $2.3-billion makeover at the plant they have been talking about.” According to the Ontario government, the auto sector employs 94,000 Ontarians, and supports as many as 500,000 families through indirect jobs. Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment Eric Hoskins praised Chrysler ’s decision. “We welcome Chrysler’s decision that it will begin to invest in the next generation of vehicle production at its plants in Windsor and in Brampton,” Hoskins said in an emailed statement. “We will continue to work positively and proactively with Chrysler and with other auto companies to partner in a fiscally responsible way to attract new investment, new jobs, and new product lines to Ontario.” U n i o n w a n t s government support Unifor Local 444
president Dino Chiodo, who represents hourly employees in Windsor, said he wasn’t completely surprised by Marchionne’s announcement.
Chiodo said a $2.3-billion investment would secure three generations of minivans, which could secure jobs for decades.
“I heard he was probably going to make a decision sometime in March,” Chiodo said Tuesday.
“That’s why I think it’s important the government open the communication and say ‘we’re there,’” Chiodo said. ‘More uncertain today’
When Marchionne asked for government assistant, Chiodo said, he was not asking for a government handout. “The money is paid back in full. It’s a way to make sure there is enough money to make sure the investment occurs and takes place and it gets paid back,” Chiodo said. “It is not a handout.”
Unifor Local 444 quickly held a conference call with executives who were gathered in Port Elgin for a meeting. Unifor Local 444 vicepresident Mike Lovric called the announcement “a kick in the ass.”
Former CAW national president Ken Lewenza, now retired, Chiodo said Tuesday’s w a s i n o n t h e c a l l . announcement is short of the $2-billion “We feel more uncertain retooling and flexible today than we did two m a n u f a c t u r i n g l i n e years ago,” Lewenza said. employees were looking for in Windsor. Chiodo has sent a letter to Chrysler, asking for a ‘In the short term, I can meeting with Marchionne. say Windsor’s good.’-— U n i f o r L o c a l 4 4 4 Marchionne also wants president Dino Chiodo u n i o n c o n c e s s i o n s . “My concern is the amount of investment. From this letter, it sounds like he’ll put just enough in to create the intervention to make sure we have the next product. In the short term, I can say Windsor’s good. In the long term, I question that and I’m not really sure,” Chiodo said.
Of particular importance for this evaluation will be the outcome of our collective bargaining negotiations that will be carried out in 2016 with Unifor,” the company said Tuesday.
C h i o d o s a i d Marchionne has not yet approached the union “The government’s role to ask for concessions. now is to get a hold of Marchionne and say we “ I w o u l d e x p e c t want to participate in Marchionne would have investment. Then we that conversation going could talk about the flex into collective bargaining manufacturing in Windsor in 2016,” Chiodo said. Assembly Plant like was “He might be looking originally planned.” f o r t h e s h o r t f a l l o f the government [investment].” CBC News
Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 702 departed from Addis Ababa and was scheduled to land in Rome, but was forced to land in Geneva instead. (Harriet Hadfield/Twitter) Oxygen masks then came down, he said, making everyone on the plane very tense. “We had no clue about the hijacking, but got scared when the plane suddenly started diving, it seemed like it was falling from the sky,” Italian passenger Diego Carpelli, 45, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Carpelli was returning to his native
Rome from a vacation in Kenya with his family. “Someone in an intimidating tone said we should put on our oxygen masks,” Carpelli said, adding that he was terrified for the rest of the flight. E t h i o p i a ’ s communications minister, Redwan Hussein, named the alleged hijacker as Hailemedhin Abera and said the man had worked for Ethiopian Airlines for five years. He said Ethiopia will seek his extradition. “His action represents cont'd on pg. 60
Saving the cedi: BoG imposes new forex rules relevant documentation. According to the BoG, foreign exchange purchased for the settlement of import bills would be credited to a margin account that would be operated and managed by the bank on behalf of the importer for a period not exceeding 30 days. New measures for forex bureau operators The central bank has also outlined new measures for forex bureaux operators which direct them not to sell or buy more than US$10,000 or its equivalent per transaction. The new regulations also require forex bureau operators to computerise their operations by adopting the certified softwares approved by the BoG by April 30, 2014. The directives also asked forex bureau operators to cease issuing manual receipts after April 30, 2014 and only issue electronic receipts for all transactions (purchases and sales) in the format prescribed by the BoG. The operators are also expected to keep electronic records of all purchases and sales that will include the name of the customer, the date of transaction, the amount purchased or sold and proof of identity, such as a passport, a voter’s or national ID or a driving licence. They are also to submit monthly returns electronically to the BoG within five working days after the end of the month, with no manual returns being accepted after April 30, 2014. The central bank has
warned that failure to comply with the directives shall attract penalties, including pecuniary sanctions, suspension and revocation of licence, in accordance with the Foreign Exchange Act 2006, ( Act 723). That, the bank said, was part of measures to modernise, enhance and address antimoney laundering issues. Repatriation of export proceeds The bank also directed exporters to collect and repatriate all the proceeds of their exports to their local banks within 60 days of shipment. According to the central bank, five days upon receipt of the export proceeds, commercial or local banks were required to convert the proceeds into Ghana cedis based on the average interbank foreign exchange rate prevailing on the day of the conversion, with a spread not exceeding 200 pips. The BoG advised exporters with retention accounts to continue operating them in accordance with their retention agreements. But the retention proceeds which are sold to the banks shall be converted into Ghana cedis based on the average interbank foreign exchange rate prevailing on the day of the conversion within a spread not exceeding 200 pips. The bank also warned that failure to comply with the directives would result in sanctions, jail terms, suspension and revocation of operating licences. Graphic Online
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February 2014
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Youth Journal
MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR YOUTH THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY
Ghana’s Lingering Child Poverty Threatens National Development By Kwabena Akuoko, MSW, RSW,, Toronto
Notwithstanding the Preamble of the 1990 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child’s clear recognition that children must be always placed “in a privileged position at the centre of family and community life”, many Ghanaian children live on the fringes of society because of the increasing level of child poverty. Poverty in childhood has now become a chronic problem in our country. And given the devastating effects often associated with the problem, if left unchecked, childhood poverty will impact on our country’s human capital, which will in turn affect national development for generations. As a country, Ghana seems to have lost sight of the important concept of a child’s privileged position in society as vividly enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights of the Child. It a shame that many children have to beg for alms and sell goods on the streets from dusk to dawn in order to meet their basic needs. Many of these children migrate from rural areas and mostly northern part of the country to big urban centres mainly because of extreme child poverty. And in the cities, these vulnerable children are left to fend for themselves. Most of them unfortunately end up being homeless. They work in the same manners as adults amid hostile conditions in order to make ends meet. The sad reality is that these children live in miserable conditions without access to health care and education among other things. While successive governments have attempted to reduce child poverty and also ensure that at least, all Ghanaian children have access to basic education, there are significant numbers of them who roam on the streets and practically left to support themselves and their families. It is for instance a common sight in urban centres where minor children who are as young as under ten years of age selling goods to the traveling public on daily basis. The most dangerous and disheartening aspect of this phenomenon from my standpoint have to do with the fact that these children sell their wares routinely and dangerously alongside or chasing moving automobiles. The unique nature of childhood as a specific period of physical, mental, emotional and social growth makes children particularly susceptible to all forms of exploitation coupled with the extreme poverty they have to deal with. Children’s lack of power in society then provides a moral responsibility for all stakeholders to work together to eradicate child poverty. Furthermore, the implications of allowing child poverty to flourish, and society’s failure to invest in children are not only limited to the individual children. Child poverty affects the country’s economic health and productivity of future generations, and of course society as a whole. There are therefore compelling economic,
social, moral and other important rationales for urgently addressing child poverty in the interest of the whole nation. Given the absence of clearly defined child welfare practice in Ghana, children are either neglected in development planning or seen as special cases only in extreme circumstances of neglect and abuse. Policy directions in terms of the well being of children are usually an added on as afterthought relative to national development agenda. Consequently, a significant number of Ghanaian children are inadvertently denied their basic rights to education for instance. And as our own doyen of international diplomacy Mr. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations succinctly put it during his 2001 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo, “Poverty begins when even one child is denied his or her fundamental right to education… Only in a world that is rid of poverty can all men and women make the most of their abilities”. Children who are drawn to child labour are basically driven because of poverty and lack of schooling. And since schooling is a platform for early intervention against child poverty, enforced school enrollment policy for all Ghanaian children regardless of geographic locations and socio-economic backgrounds will significantly help address the problem. Clearly, unless fundamental economic changes are brought about in our country amid continuous new sense of moral awareness of child poverty, not all Ghanaian children will be able to escape the cruelty of childhood misery. The effects of child poverty are enormous and can linger for generations. It is for example identified as behind the tradition in which rural children are given away to live with urban relatives, to reduce the number of mouths a rural family has to feed, and to increase the rural child’s educational opportunities. However, this tradition has nowadays become increasingly commercialized with children being recruited to not just live with, but work for others. Such children often work very long hours, have little or no leisure time and rarely attend school. Although the crucial need to paying attention to children by tackling child poverty has long been recognized in Ghana, such recognition has not really reflected in the country’s development planning. This perhaps explains why child poverty has become an endemic problem in the country. Poverty in childhood is a conundrum that we can no longer afford to ignore. It needs to be recognized as unique and different than general poverty and must be given prominence in the country’s national development agendas. Child poverty is far more than a problem of specific groups of children. It is a phenomenon, which clearly threatens national development if left unresolved.
Ontario officially signs on for Canada Job Grant TORONTO -- Canada’s most populous province has signed a framework agreement with the federal government over the Canada Job Grant. Ontario Training Minister Brad Duguid says he’ll now work with Ottawa to iron out details about how the job training program will work. He says it will allow the province to pro-
vide the best possible programs it can for out-of-work Ontarians. Duguid says there have been good discussions with Ottawa about two other labour agreements for older workers and those with disabilities. The provinces and territories had initially refused to sign on to the original jobs training proposal, but dropped their opposi-
tion after Ottawa agreed to numerous changes. Duguid said he expects the other provinces and territories will soon sign on to the framework agreement. Quebec finalized a deal with the federal government to renew its labour market agreement earlier this week The Canadian Press.
How a Ghanaian refugee from Toronto worked his way to a Wall Street law firm cont'd from pg. 22 “I didn’t know any black lawyer. None of my brothers are professional. None of them went to university,” sighed Dougan, who spent a summer working at the African Canadian L e g a l C l i n i c a s a r e s e a r c h e r.
law in the Netherlands and later spent a year at Beijing’s Tsinghua University to learn Mandarin. He was called to the New York bar in 2010 and hired by Shearman & Sterling, a law firm with more than 850 lawyers worldwide.
Wi t h a R o t a r y A m b a s s a d o r i a l Scholarship, Dougan studied at the London School of Economics and earned a graduate degree in international relations.
Last year, Dougan co-founded iYa Ventures, an investment fund dedicated to supporting African startups.
After returning to Canada in 2006, he spent a year working as a risk analyst at a Toronto insurance company before attending Columbia Law School in New York.
“You just have to take risks and not be afraid to fail. When you fail, you reinvent yourself,” said Dougan, a regular donor to the Founders College at York. “I want to have the next Twitter and Facebook in Africa from our investment fund.” TheStar.com
He further studied international criminal
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Children Ministry Day at Ghana Methodist Church By Jonathan Annobil, Toronto On Sunday February 16, 2014, the Ghana Methodist Church of Toronto celebrated Children’s Day under the theme “Obey God’s Word and Live”. The children in the church were given the opportunity to conduct the service for that Sunday. The preacher was the Very Rev. Samuel V. Mpreh who preached on the theme “Obey God’s Word and Live”. He exhorted not only the children but the entire congregation to be obedient to the Word of God and live. He added that the end result of being obedient to God’s word is peace with God. All the Bible readings, from the Old Testament to the New Testament were done by the children. They also recited various biblical verses mostly in Twi and some in English and French. They did renditions of some songs as part of the programme as well as a short biblical play. Appeals for funds to help the children’s Ministry was initiated with Kwasi Afranie Frempong, Chairman for the occasion and his supporters helping financially. The liturgist was Abigail Kwofie.
Group picture of Children Ministry
From left: Glenda Osei, Douglas Nyame, Kwasi Afranie Frempong, Samuel Okyere, Eric Somuah, Martin Diawuo, Kwasi Fosu Very Rev. Samuel Mprah and Very Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Asare Kusi with some members of Children Ministry
Performance by the Children's Ministry
A cross section of the Children's Ministry
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Recognition Service for Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah part 1 By Jonathan Annobil, Toronto
A recognition service was held on Sunday March 2, 2014 at the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church, Toronto for Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah. The Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah was ordained a priest in Ghana and was seconded to the Presbyterian Church of Canada. The recognition service was necessary because to be able to take charge of Ghanaian Presbyterian Church in Toronto, he has to be recognized by the Presbyterian Circuit of West Toronto.
Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah
Rev. Thomas Kim, Interiam Mederator
Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock inducting Rev. Abekah
The moderator of West Toronto Presbytery, Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock together with Ms. Tori Smit, Clerk of the West Toronto Presbytery and other clergy were on hand to witness the induction of Rev. Abakah by the Moderator Rev. K. Dimock for a 5 year service. As part of the induction, the various groups cont'd on pg. 35
Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah signing the Act of Recognition. Looking on are Ms Tori Smit and Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock, Clerk and Moderator of West Toronto Presbytery respectively
Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock, Moderator West Toronto Presbytery and Rev. & Mr. Baah Abekah
Members of West Toronto Presbytery Invited Clergy with Rev. & Mrs Baah Abekah and Very Rev. Mpreh
Clerk of Session Eugene Kotey leading the procession with the Holy Bible
Rev. Baah Abekah and family with Church Choir
Rev. & Mrs. Baah Abekah and Men's Fellowship
Rev. Baah Abekah and family with Urshers
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Recognition Service for Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah part 2 cont'd from pg. 34
within the church sang to welcome R e v. A b e k a h a s he was charged to lead the church. In his short remarks, he promised to uphold the truth as entrusted to him and serve the Lord and the church.
Some Elders of the Church
Singing Band
A cross section of congregation
Rev. Baah Abekah praying for the choir
Rev. Abekah with elders and delegation from
A cross section of congregation
An inspiring Story based on Traditional African beliefs
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Community
y in pictures
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PEOPLE AND PLACES Joe Kingsley Eyiah Elizabeth Tweneboah of Afro Beauty Supply and Jonathan Annobil celebrated her 60th birthday with family and of the Ghanaian News received Black History friends at TLC on Sunday February 23, 2014 Month Awards
Ekwam Bilson launched New CD "Onyame Do" at Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church February 22, 2014
Last minute party for T.O.’s 180th Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly rolled out a cake Thursday to celebrate To r o n t o ’s 1 8 0 th birthday. Kelly was joined by a handful of councilors to blow out the candles on the cake in the City Hall rotunda as part of a brief ceremony marking the milestone …York was incorporated as a town on March 6, 1864. This is a magnificent city and the people, who founded it, I’m sure, wouldn’t have expected to see the magnificent metropolis that now sits beside Lake Ontario, “Kelly
said. I’m glad that they planted the seeds here in Toronto. I think the virtues of hard work and fair play have guided us all throughout our various manifestations and I’m delighted that we’ve maintained that spirit while we’ve changed the physical l o o k o f t h e c i t y. ” The deputy mayor’s office organized the event quickly when they realized nothing had been planned to make the milestone. An e-mailed invitation went out from the d e p u t y m a y o r ’s office to the mayor,
councillors and staff around 45 minutes before the event. Kelly confirmed he’ll be paying for the cake out of his own pocket and won’t be billing his office budget. “It didn’t cost the taxpayers any money at all,” he said. Asked why Mayor Rob Ford wasn’t at the event, Kelly shrugged. “I understand he is in Etobicoke,’” Kelly said. We invited everyone that was present at City hall.” Ford spent most of Thursday touring two private apartment buildings in Etobicoke. Council voted last
month to designate March 6 as City of To r o n t o D a y. T h e City of Toronto Day proclamation posted
Thursday had to be revised because it described the city as a country. A city spokesman admitted the
blunder and promised to have it fixed. Don Peat, City hall Bureau Chief
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Black History month Celebrated at Vaughan City Hall By Jonathan Annobil, Vaughan
2014 Black History Month was celebrated at Vaughan City Hall with the Tornhill African Caribbean Canadian Association as the organizers. The event took place on Sunday 9th February 2014. Karen Jewels rendered the Canadian national anthem and Black anthem after which the Mayor of Vaughan Maurizio Bevilacqua in his remarks threw his support behind the celebration. All the councilors of the City of Vaughan were on hand to participate in the celebration. Mr. Tim Crawford a teacher and historian took the celebrants through history culminating in the abolition of slavery started by Sir William Wilberforce. He also spoke on the impact Sir Simcoe on slavery in Upper Canada and the influences of Black stalwarts like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther king. The Mayor of Oro Medonte, Harry Hughes offered an invitation to the invited guests to visit his township where the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church, built out of logs by Oro Black settlers in 1849 stands. It is likely the oldest log African church still standing in North America which has gone through many refurbishments. It has been designated a Canadian national historic site and efforts are being made
From left: Councillor Tony Carella, Regional Coun. Michael Di Biase, Coun. Rosanna De Francesca, Reg. Coun Deb Schulte, Mayor Bevilacua, Vernon Hendrichson, Dep. Mayor Gino Rosati, Coun. Alan Shefman, Coun. Sandra Yeung Racco, York Reg. Police Chief Jolliffe, Coun Marilyn Iafrate
for it to be recognized as UN historical site. Other speakers at the event were Mr. Reginold Ncamane Consul Political at the South African Consulate, Toronto, York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe and a representative of the Mayor of Markham, Mr. Scapelti. The 1st President and founder of TACCA (Tornhill African
Caribbean Association) in his remarks touched on the impact Mandela and Martin Luther King has had on world affairs as we celebrate Black history month. A one minute silence was also observed for Mandela. He said that we should continue with the good works initiated by these great Black leaders who have all passed on.
Appreciation and Farewell Service for the family of the Late Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Bediako's family on Saturday February 22, 2014
Mrs. Faustina Owusu Bediako and family thanking the congregation
Mrs. Faustina Owusu Bediako and family at the Service
Apos. Dr. Emmanuel Owusu and Pastors of The Church of Pentecost
Invited Clergy and Mr. Joseph Annin, Consul-General for Toronto
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Community in pictures - Ottawa
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Frankly Speaking Ghana at “Station 57”: Train without driver, journey to no-where By: Dr. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, MB
“Land of our birth, we pledge to thee…when we are old, and take our place…as men and women we shall be”. This is an extract from one of the patriotic songs that were drummed into our ears in the early years after Ghana’s “independence”. Those were the days when everyone, almost every Ghanaian held their heads high and felt proud being Ghanaian. Even the citizens of some of our neighboring countries felt proud to be associated with either being honorary Ghanaians or be seen to have visited Ghana. 57 years ago, Ghana as a nation held so much promise for itself, for Africa, for the Black race and for most countries around the world. 57 years later, everything about the once shining Black Star seems to be going wrong. 57 years is a long time, half of a century, for any child to learn to walk on his/her own. We all agree that life in Ghana is now a complete mess. The economy, the engine of the nation, has grounded to such a screeching halt that the current government has resorted to desperate half-baked, not wellthought out measures to salvage the economy. However the measures they have adopted will only succeed in making things worse, and infact they have started making things worse. So what went wrong? What has gone wrong? And what is really going wrong with our nation, the land of our birth to which we pledge? The answers to the above questions can be found in very simple corners: Over the past 57 years the fortunes of the Ghanaian nation have sometimes been entrusted into the hands of some no-so-smart people masquerading as “leaders”. At other times, some people with no legitimate claim at all to anything closer to smartness have usurped the leadership of the country. The cumulative effect of the rule by less smart and no-so-smart
“leaders” over the past 57 years is the bitter medicine the citizens of Ghana are now being forced to swallow. 57 years after we proudly proclaimed: “freedom, freedom”, we do not seem to even know the meaning of what that word is. Yes, we do not seem to know what the independence we claim to have achieved 57 years ago is all about. For over 50 years now, we have reduced the celebration of this important event in our nation’s life to a sort of march drill of school children. No effort has been made over the past fifty years to get Ghanaians, young and old, actively involved in this most important national event to understand the real significance of the occasion. I don’t know who decided, and at what point, to make the celebration of this most important national day an event to be observed only by children, but this is what we have reduced the status of this national day to. And the march drill of children on March 6th every year has become
institutionalized. At some points in Ghana’s h i s t o r y, s o m e m a d men masquerading as “revolutionaries” and “redeemers” disrupted the constitutional order of Ghana on a number of occasions. They rather succeeded during the time of their reigns of terror to command the whole nation to celebrate and actively observe and get involved in celebrating their “days of madness”: June 4th and December 31st of every year until these mad days for celebration were banned by a court order in 2001. Over the past fifty years, we have embarked on certain behaviours as a nation that call into question our collective intelligence and our willingness or ability to use the brains that the Creator gave us to steer the affairs of our nation. Instead, we have resigned ourselves to relying on prayers for some divine intervention for all our problems. This has led to the emergence of a society where the only thing we do is pray, pray and pray always for some miracle to solve our problems. And this has led to the emergence of very powerful groups of people calling themselves men and women of God to whom all should bear allegiance. Everything about Ghana now is about prayer and God. We forget that whoever God is gave us intelligence and He/She expects us to
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use that intelligence to be creative to find answers to our problems. It is only after we have used this intelligence that this God gave us that we should pray for His/Her help in the implementation of the ideas we have crafted with the intelligence He/ She gave us. But no! we prefer to put the brains that God gave us aside and only pray, pray and pray. I honestly do not think that whoever this great God is will take us serious. The prayer business has taken so much hold on Ghana that the late President John Attah Mills turned the seat of government, the Osu Castle into a prayer camp where every Friday night he and his cronies held all-night prayer vigils with the help of some pastors imported from one of our neighbouring countries. Oh ho!!. As if this madness was not enough, recently one of such religious charlatans masquerading as a “bishop” subjected the free falling national currency, the Cedi, to
some tongue-lashing. He “commanded” the Cedi to stop losing value and stabilize. Oh gracious!! Where did we throw the intelligence that the Creator gave us to study and apply the principles of economics in nation building? If this is not madness, I really need someone to tell me what this behaviour of Ghanaians amounts to. Where are all the top economists and bankers, administrators, educators and engineers that Ghana has produced? Are we going to continue this watch and pray business till thy kingdom come? Still in the watch and pray business, the International Wo m e n A G L O W organization has now been “contracted” by government to pray for the nation every month at the Independence Square in Accra. Whoever convinced Ghanaians that prayers without the exercise of the brains the Creator gave you will bear fruit? It certainly will not. Today, at 57 years of adulthood, even those
claiming to be the current crop of “leaders” agree that the nation is in deep trouble on all fronts. The national train is either without a driver, the driver has no compass for the direction to take the national train and/ or the national driver and his conductors have no ideas about how to start the train’s engine in the first place. Everything in Ghana now is on reverse gear and our only solution is watch and pray? On March 6, 2014 the Creator was so angry with our mockery of the Independence day celebration in Ghana that He/She caused massive rainfall to disrupt the children’s march drills across the whole country. Are we picking any lessons out of these signs? Beginning our journey to Station number 58 on the nationhood endeavour, I believe we should devote more time pledging to the land of our birth that as we grow old we shall use our brains more and pray less for solutions to our self-inflicted problems.
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Students thriving in Toronto’s pioneering Africentric school program Torstar News ServiceSedonia Moulton makes her way to math class in Canada’s first Africentric high school program, housed a t S c a r b o r o u g h ’s Wi n s t o n C h u r c h i l l Secondary School. You wouldn’t know to look at them — they don’t wear uniforms or have their own wing — but 19 teens at an east Toronto high school are part of what may be the boldest education experiment in the country.
This little clutch of Grade 9 students makes up the first Africentric program at a public Canadian high school. Despite early cries of “segregation” and angry pushback from the first site suggested, Scarborough’s Winston Churchill Collegiate welcomed the proposal two years ago as a way to support black students who may be disengaged. However, the Toronto District School Board
was so cautious about spreading the word, it took a year to drum up enough students for a class. Now, halfway through its first year and accepting students for this fall in grades 9 and 10, Torstar News Service got the first look at how the program is working. Africentric students take core subjects t o g e t h e r, b u t s h a r e gym, drama and other options with students from Winston Churchill.
“On TV basically everyone’s white, so you want to know if people from your background ever did something good other than Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela,” said Carl Exina, 14, who wants to be a pediatrician. His class took a field trip last fall to Buxton, near Chatham, an early settlement for freed slaves. “No other class would learn what I’m learning,” he said. Open to students of
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pass-rate proven to reduce the chance of a student dropping out. The class has students at every skill level, an example of the kind of “destreamed” Grade 9 class called for in a new report. They all study the same material, but assignments vary by ability. Stronger students might do one assignment worth 50 per cent of the term mark while weaker students could do more small assignments, explained the principal. At the end of the course the teacher grants each student the level of credit (academic, applied) he or she has earned. The variety of abilities has led to some behaviour problems, noted English teacher Dayo Baiyewu, but after a fall leadership weekend, students began to bond and now often help each other, he said. When the class read the short story “My Grandfather and I,” set in a part of Jamaica near where student Shanoya Spencer grew up, “I liked that,” she said. “It’s good to learn more about people with black roots.” Baiyewu had the class read a gripping South African play about apartheid called My Children! My Africa! by Athol Fugard to get them excited about drama before introducing them to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, with its Elizabethan language. “They couldn’t wait to sign up each day to read the different characters’ lines,” said Baiyewu, who found many had not heard of apartheid, which ended before they were born. “It’s not so much about having all black teachers,” said Baiyewu, who is black. “You need teachers who are comfortable using materials that are more culturally diverse than what they’re used to, and you don’t have to be black to do that.”
Gladys Aghimien
Student Blake Perryman calls himself “a kid who usually doesn’t like to read, but when the teacher told us to read up to page 50, I just kept going and didn’t stop till page 80. “ I t ’s a r e a l l y c o o l play. Everyone should be learning this stuff, not just our class.” His mother, Nicole Blake, was initially “troubled” that her son chose the Africentric program because “I didn’t want any kind of segregation. “But then I realized they’re just trying to make sure the curriculum speaks to a lot of black males who aren’t completing high school — and you know what? That sounded good,” said Blake, noting the program is named after former MPP Leonard Braithwaite, the first black Canadian elected to Queen’s Park, who fought racial segregation in Ontario schools. “ I t ’s a p i o n e e r i n g program, and I would love to see it expand.” A group of 11 students now takes some Africentric courses at Downsview Secondary School in the west end, near the Africentric Alternative Elementary School that opened in 2009 and now has nearly 200 students. At the Leonard Braithwaite program, science teacher Narmatha Maharaj let the class veer from the usual Canadian focus on bio-systems to study the coral reefs of the Caribbean, where so many have their roots. She taught them about ‘blood diamonds” of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “You don’t want to use examples of places like Algonquin Park where many of these kids have never been,” said Maharaj. “At the end of the day, we have this program to promote a sense of belonging.” TorStar
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
View Point
Community Concerns
Raising Confident Children: Be part of Child’s up Bringing
Developing and maintain positive relationships with your Teenage Child(ren) Doris Osei Bonsu,
By Golda Abena Quayson
Every parent wants their children to be happy, by acquiring self confidence that will make the most of their lives easy. What can we do to make sure that our children have the confidence to go through life challenges? It is a tough call and most parents do not have the easy answers. Most of the time, we often feel insecure about the whole process. To u n d e r s t a n d t h e process of acquiring or been confident, one must understand the feelings of insecurity which brings low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Everybody is born with self-esteem, but it needs nurturing. Sparing the rod doesn’t spoil children, but sparing words does: lack of praise or approval can ruin a child’s life. The challenges of parenting is when a child goes astray or does something wrong. How do we face or handle it? This the time when your own skill as a parent is called into play. How you utilize the skill has impact on the child. Some parents do use words that are very harsh to criticize their children. Some children can take such criticisms, but we must remember that harsh criticism goes a long way to damage children mentally. These may lead to psychological wounds that are likely to scar their minds forever. Let us examine some of the issues that cause low self-esteem or lack c o n fi dence, and the signs for recognizing a child experiencing low self-esteem. The first is social withdrawal. When you notice your child has withdrawn socially it may be that he/she is facing some anxiety and/ or emotional turmoil. He/ she may be confused or disorganized. Another may be the expression of depression and/or bouts of sadness. This condition can be serious and it can even lead to some serious crisis. As a parent, this where you need to engage your child in closer, intimate conversations with a view to getting a handle on what is bothering them. Children undergoing
crisis need a trusting adult to confide in and the first line of defence is you, the parent. If they don’t find that solace in you, they may turn to others outside, often with no-so-good results. Teenagers especially may adopt all kinds of coping mechanisms: Some of the children acquire eating disorders, not eating properly or overeating because the child does not care about themselves. They are unable to accept compliments, even when they do something nice. They exaggerate concern over what they imagine other people think about them and the things they do. They in turn practise what is known as “self neglect” treating themselves badly but not other people. They turn to worry whether you have treated others badly, but accept when people treat them bad. They are reluctant to take on any new challenges and show lack of interest in anything. This reluctance to put the self first causes inferiority complex. They do not trust their own opinion and rely on the opinion of others, even those that are less smart. They show less drive for motivation, expecting little out of life. At this stage they show they even ready to give up in life. The above is a picture of a child undergoing low self-esteem which leads to lack of confidence. Now let us take a look at some few pointers that will help us to install confidence in our children. Communication is vital. We need to pay attention to the fact that there is often a huge gap between intention and perception. What we do and the meanings the children attach to these are often different. We see ourselves instilling values, whereas children
feel our views are forced upon them. We should therefore use more encouragement whenever the opportunity arises, rather than criticism, or indifference, which is even more chilling. Well, teaching is a good way to learn something, and by encouraging our children’s confidence, parents can improve their own self-esteem.
For a child to be psychologically and physically healthy requires the fulfilment of his or her core needs. These include encouraging words from adults even when they are going astray. Use encouraging words to point out the wrong things they have done. That is more likely to steer them back on the right path. All human beings, including children, have certain basic needs: These include: * The need to give and receive attention * the need to look after your body * the need for meaning, purpose and goals setting * the need for a connection to something greater than ourselves (God)
Crisis Counselor, Toronto As teenagers become more independent, they often spend more time away from home. It might also feel like your child is less interested in talking to you. But there are plenty of things you can do to maintain a strong positive relationship and stay connected with your teenager. T The teenage years are known as the “Age of Adolescence” and this is a challenging time when parents and children begin to spend more time apart. This is partly because teenagers need to explore relationships with friends and others outside their family. It helps them: *
develop a sense of independence
* understand their place in the world as young adults * workoutindependentvaluesandbeliefs. But your teenager still needs a strong relationship with you to feel safe and secure as she meets the challenges of adolescence. Having a relationship with your child is being available and responsive to his or her needs. It’s more than just spending time around each other – after all, family members can sometimes share the same physical space without really being in a relationship. Having a relationship can be casual, which involves using frequent everyday interactions to build closeness. Or it can be planned – this is when you schedule time to do things together that you both enjoy. Casual Relationship Casual connecting is a way of using everyday interactions to build closeness. The best opportunities for casual relationships are when your child starts a conversation with you – this generally means he/she is in the mood to talk. Ti p s f o r c a s u a l r e l a t i o n s h i p
* the need for creativity and stimulation * the need for intimacy and connection to others * the need for a sense of control * the need for a sense of status and recognition from others * the need for a sense of safety and security. At any one time, one or more of these may be slightly lacking in your life and the lack of this may produce some consequences. However, in the long-term, they must all be catered for one way or another. Children especially need the help of their adult care givers to utilize these needs. And we must assist them in this effort. This will help build, maintain and/or restore their self-esteem and self-confidence.
and leave the two of you worse off. Planning to have time together Planned relationship involves scheduling time to do things with your child that you both enjoy. We are all busy. Busy lives and more time apart can make it difficult to spend fun time together. That is why you need to plan it. Teenagers aren’t always enthusiastic about spending time with their parents, but it’s worth insisting that they do – at least sometimes. Tips for planned time together * Schedule time together. You need to find a time that suits you both. Initially, it can help to keep the time short. * Let your child choose what you’ll do, and follow his/her lead. This will motivate him/her to want to spend time with you. * Concentrate on enjoying your child’s company. Try to be an enthusiastic partner and actively cooperate with what your child is doing – the activity itself is less important than shared fun and talking with your child. * Be interested and accepting, rather than correcting your child or giving advice. It’s not easy to give up the teaching and coaching role, but this is a time for building and improving your relationship. So if you see a mistake or an easier way to do something, let it go without comment. * Keep trying and stay positive. At first, your child might not be as keen as you to take part in these activities, but don’t give up. Keep planned times brief to begin with, and your child will come to enjoy this time with you. * Your child avoids spending time with you Making the most of everyday opportunities to connect – such as chatting during the drive to school – can help you get over this hurdle. If your child is reluctant to spend scheduled time with you, you could try the following:
* When your child opens up to talk, stop what you’re doing and focus on the moment. Even if it lasts for just a few seconds, give your child your full attention. Connecting works best when you send the message that ‘right now, you’re the most important thing to me’.
* Keep it brief to begin with – a cup of coffee at a favourite café after school, for example.
* Look at your child while he/she’s talking to you. Really listen to what he/ she’s saying. This sends the message that what she has to say is important to you. If the child sees that your attention is divided when he/she is talking to you, it may shut the door to future conversations.
* Don’t give up – it might take a little while but the more time you spend together, the more you can both relax into it.
* Show interest. Encourage your child to expand on what he/she’s saying, and explore his views, opinions, feelings, expectations or plans. *
Listen without judging
* or correcting. Your aim is to be with your child, not to give advice or help unless he/she asks for it. * Just be there – you might be in the kitchen when your child is in his/her bedroom. Teenagers benefit from knowing that sources of support are available. You can also actively try to create opportunities for casual connecting, but don’t push it if your child doesn’t want to talk. Trying to force a conversation can lead to conflict
* Let your child choose the activity (even if you do have to sit through a teenage romantic comedy or action movie!)
Your child refuses to talk with y o u a b o u t w h a t h e ’s d o i n g You and your child might feel closer if you make the most of casual conversations during the day. Every little chat is an opportunity to listen and talk in a relaxed, positive way. Yo u f e e l y o u ’ r e t h e o n l y o n e w h o ’s m a k i n g a n e f f o r t If you’re kind and considerate with your child, this can help create goodwill and positive feelings. Often, simple things make a big difference – for example, saying please, giving hugs, pats on the back, knocking before entering a bedroom, cooking a favourite meal, providing treats or surprise fun activities. This approach creates a more positive environment, even if your child isn’t joining in. Make a point of doing kind things, even when you don’t feel like it. If you wait to feel positive before you act positively, you might never do it.
The Ghanaian News
Ask The Doctor
February 2014
45
Lifestyle
By: David Yaw Twum-Barima, MD, MSc, FRCPC
This column is devoted to answering your questions on health and discusions of diseases which are common among the African Canadians.
Changing your eating habits can be tough. Start with these strategies to kick-start your way toward a heart-healthy diet. Heart-healthy diet: 6 steps to prevent heart disease
in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Heart-Healthy Living Although you might know that eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, it’s often tough to change your eating habits. Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, here are some hearthealthy diet tips. Once you know which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, you’ll be on your way toward a heart-healthy diet.
that you’ll remember to eat it. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredient, such as vegetable stir-fry or fresh fruit mixed into salads. 3. Select whole grains •
1. Control your portion size How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories, fat and cholesterol than you should. Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs. Keep track of the number of servings you eat — and use proper serving sizes — to help control your portions. Eating more of low-calorie, nutrientrich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and less of high-calorie, highsodium foods, such as refined, processed or fast foods, can shape up your diet as well as your heart and waistline. 2. Eat more vegetables and fruits Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits contain substances found in plants that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you eat less highfat foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods. Featuring vegetables and fruits in your diet can be easy. Keep vegetables washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep fruit in a bowl in your kitchen so
Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart h e a l t h . Yo u c a n increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products. If you are making fufu, use fresh plantains rather than the possessed plantain flour which has no fiber. Similarly the possessed potato flour has no fiber and gives no nutrients. Examples of high fiber products include:Whole-wheat flour, Whole-wheat flour Whole-grain bread, preferably 100% whole-wheat bread or 100% whole-grain bread ,High-fiber cereal with 5 g or more of fiber in a serving, Whole grains such as brown rice, barley and buckwheat (kasha), Whole-grain pasta and Oatmeal (steel-cut or regular).
The best way to reduce saturated and trans fats in your diet is to limit the amount of solid fats — butter, margarine and shortening — you add to food when cooking and serving. You can also reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet by trimming fat off your meat or choosing lean meats with less than 10 percent fat. You may also want to check the food labels of some cookies, crackers and chips. Many of these snacks — even those labeled “reduced fat” — may be made with oils containing trans fats. One clue that a food has some trans fat in it is the phrase “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list. •
When you do use fats, choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts and seeds, also are good choices for a heart-healthy diet. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. But moderation is essential. All types of fat are high in calories.
•
Some good choices include:Olive oil, Canola oil, Margarine that’s free of trans fats and Cholesterollowering margarine, such as Benecol, Promise Activ or Smart Balance
•
4. Limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol Limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques
5. Choose lowfat protein sources Lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and egg whites or egg substitutes are some of your best sources of protein. But be careful to choose lower fat options, such as skim milk rather than whole milk and skinless chicken breasts
rather than fried chicken. Fish is another good alternative to high-fat meats. And certain types of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats called triglycerides. You’ll find the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil. Legumes — beans, peas and lentils — also are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat. Substituting plant protein for animal protein — for example, a soy or bean burger for a hamburger — will reduce your fat and cholesterol intake. 6. Reduce the sodium in your food Eating a lot of sodium can contribute to high
blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Reducing sodium is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. The Department of Agriculture recommends: •
Healthy adults have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day (about a teaspoon)
•
People age 51 or older, African-Americans, and people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease have no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day
Although reducing the amount of salt you add to food at the table or while cooking is a good first step, much of the salt you eat comes from canned or processed foods, such as soups and frozen dinners. Eating fresh foods and making your own soups
and stews can reduce the amount of salt you eat. If you like the convenience of canned soups and prepared meals, look for ones with reduced sodium. Be wary of foods that claim to be lower in sodium because they are seasoned with sea salt instead of regular table salt — sea salt has the same nutritional value as regular salt. 1.Reference: Modified f ro m M a y o C l i n i c Housecall : 2012 2 . D r D a v i d Ya w Tw u m - B a r i m a i s a specialist in Diabetes a n d E n d o c r i n o l o g y. Appointments ( by referral only through your family doctor), may be made by faxing referral letter to : LMC Endocrinology and Diabetes, 4121235 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, ON. L6H 3P1. Fax:905 337-0044
46
The Ghanaian News February 2014
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Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416916-3700
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The Ghanaian News
Sell, Order or Ship Avon Product
February 2014
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If you want to sell, order or ship Avon Product to Ghana or another countries * Roll-on * Perfumes * Creams * Lotions * Body Wash etc. For Special Discount
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
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The Ghanaian News
February 2014
49
40 Days of Prayer and Fasting ends with Revival at The Apostles' Continuation Church
By Jonathan Annobil, Toronto
The Apostles' Continuation Church of Canada on Sunday March 2, 2014 held a special service to end their 40 days of Prayer and fasting revival. The theme of the fastomg was "Arise and Shine" taken from Isaiah 60:1-2. Prophet Jacob Nana Essandoh, guest preacher from New Jersey exhorted the congregation to be prayerful and also be transform by the renewal of our minds. God also answers our request through consistent prayer and fasting. Prophet Essandoh ministered from Thursday with climax on Sunday.
Apos. Charles AnokyeManu, Host Pastor
Prophet Jacob Nana Essandoh, Invited Preacher Apos. Anokye-Manu and some Clergy and elders of the church
The host pastor Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu thanked Prophet Essandoh for honouring their invitation at a very short notice Media crew Congregation
Apos. Anokye-Manu(2nd right), Prophet Essandoh (3rd right) and some Clergy and elders of the church
Congregation
Evangelist Winnifred Antwi and some elders and members of Women's Fellowship Congregation
Praise Time
Congregation
Congregation Praise and worship team and Prophet Essandoh
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Tribute to Nelson Mandela at Ottawa University Gala The Fifth annual Black History Month Awards Gala was held at the Huguette Labelle Ballroom, University of Ottawa on Saturday February 28, 2014. Themed “Will you accept the Torch?” the Awards Gala looked to the future and paid tribute to the late South African President Nelson Mandela who died on December 5, 2013. Zondwa Mandela, 31, was the guest of honour at the Gala. In his speech, Zondwa who was visting Canada for the first time is the eldest son of Zindzi Mandela and the grandson of Nelson Mandela South.. Zondwa’s speech was highlighted on South Africa culture, what it means to be an African in a global society and a reflection on hi s r e l a t i o n ship with his grandfather.
Left Zondwa Mandela and wife at the gala
Rev. Dr. Ralph Dartey and Rev. Mrs. Regina Dartey (center) at the gala
Twelve awards were given out to persons in recognition of their selfless dedication and contribution to society as well serving as being cont'd on pg. 58 Transforming Life Centre (TLC) Choir
Zondwa Mandela and wife at TLC
At Ralph Dartey's residence Rev. Dr. Ralph Dartey and family
Instrumentalists of TLC
TLC Congregation
Rev. Dr. Ralph Dartey and some guests
Some of the Dartey's family
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
51
Black History Month Awards Celebration at the Ghana Methodist Church Toronto The premises of the Ghana Methodist Church in Toronto was the venue for this year’s Black History Month Awards Celebration for the Ghanaian community in Toronto. The event which was held on February 16, 2014 began with a prayer by the Very Reverend Dr. Emmanuel Asare Kusi. That was followed by the singing of the Canadian national anthem and cultural performance by Vanessa and Pricilla Otuo-Acheampong. Rick Gosling, the president of the Children’s Breakfast Clubs of Toronto gave the opening remarks praising the organizers for the untiring efforts to bring to
Osabarima La-Kumi Sasraku, Guest Speaker
the fore the contributions of personalities in the community and honor them for their achievements. The guest speaker was Osabarima LaKumi Sasraku known in private life as Dr. Martin La-Kumi (see page for the full speech)
Supt. Tony Riviere, of Toronto Police Service 31 Division, Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Annobil, recipient and family
Delivering the keynote address at the Awards night, Superintendent Tony Riviere of the Toronto Police Division 31 advised our youth to have a purpose driven by passion and sustained by perseverance which is cont'd on pg. 63
Group picture of recipients, invited guests and organizers
Rev. Eric Amoah, recipient, with family and church members
Invited guests Joseph Kingsley Eyiah, recipient with family, friends and church members
Ghanaian Presbyterian Church Choir, recipients
Ghana Methodist Circuit Choir
52
The Ghanaian News February 2014
GHANA: 57th Milestone of Nationhood
cont'd from pg. 1
declaration, the first Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah declared that the new nation and its citizens reserved the right to “manage or even mismanage its own affairs”. Over the past 57 years, Ghana has undergone tremendous changes, some very positive, others not so positive while others have been damaging and even self-destructive. The early years of nationhood under the first President, Kwame Nkrumah and the first post-colonial government run by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) were full of euphoria, promises, and high expectations. Dramatic infrastructural changes, social and economic development were undertaken in the country. This period saw the construction of the much famous Akosombo Hydro Power dam, the AccraTema Motorway, the Tema Harbour, the Independence Square, among others. This period also saw the introduction of an accelerated fee-free elementary education which dramatically transformed the hitherto mainly illiterate population. An affordable and accelerated secondary and technical education was launched under the Ghana Education Trust initiatives. The objective was to train enough manpower to man the civil and industrial services that were created from the early independence years. Free Teacher Training Education was also introduced that helped to train teachers to staff the numerous elementary schools that were opened across the country. Alongside this was the introduction of what was termed “Mass Education”, a mass literacy drive that targeted illiterate adults in the rural areas to read and write. For post-secondary education the CPP government expanded the University of Ghana, the Premier University opened earlier by the colonial government in 1948. Two more universities were established: The University of Science and Technology in the nation’s second largest City, Kumasi to train the nation’s needed technical personnel. A third University was opened in the Central Region City of Cape Coast, the cradle of Ghana’s education network, the Cape Coast University originally mandated to train teachers to staff the numerous secondary/ technical and teachers’ colleges that had sprang up all over the country. In terms of education, this period can be described as the finest in Ghana’s history. On the industrial front, a number of industries were established which were grouped and managed under the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC). The
Nsawam Cannery, GIHOC Distilleries, the Kumasi Jute factory, among others, were started under this scheme. A national airline, Ghana Airways, was launched. Ghana was then set to fly high and determined to take its place among the community of nations. The country became the center for the independence and anti-colonial struggle for other sub-Saharan African countries still under colonial rule. Two major liberationoriented conferences were held in Accra: the All-Africa People’s Conference in 1958 and the Conference of Independent African States in 1965. Most African countries looked up to Ghana for political leadership and inspiration. It became known as the “Black Star” of Africa. On this front the nation was somehow “managing” its own affairs. All was not rosy though. The period between 1957 and 1962 was also characterized by some political and social instability. Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government displayed intolerance of criticism and political opposition. A draconian l a w, t h e P r e v e n t i v e Detention Act, was passed in 1959 which gave the CPP government sweeping powers to arrest and detain its political opponents, real and imaginary. Most of the perceived opponents of the government were shipped off and incarcerated at a medium security prison that was built near the town of Nsawam, some 25 miles north of Accra. Many of the opposition politicians were either incarcerated or fled into exile. The exiles included Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, the leader of the main opposition party, the United Party. As fate will have it, he was to become Ghana’s second constitutional Prime Minister some ten years later in 1969. The high expectations and hopes for Ghana’s accelerated development and political stability and maturity did not materialize or last long enough. The first post-colonial government headed by Kwame Nkrumah lasted nine years and was violently overthrown in a military take-over initiated by the American C.I.A on 24 February, 1966. This event accelerated the political upheavals, social and economic dislocations and destruction that had begun earlier in 1959 through the early 1960s. On July 1st, 1960, the then Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana a Republic, and dumped the Queen of Britain as its political Head of State. Kwame Nkrumah then assumed the title of President of the Republic of Ghana. From this point onwards, the President sought to establish closer ties with the Socialist eastern countries much to the annoyance of the West, especially the United States who did not want to see what they perceived as a “communist” satellite regime in West Africa. It was this and other events that led to the CIA-engineered overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP government on 2 4 t h F e b r u a r y, 1 9 6 6 .
Of the 57 years that Ghana has existed as an independent nation, the military has intervened four times to overthrow the elected or reigning governments. It has succeeded in ruling the country for 21 years of its fifty-seven years of life as a nation. The first military government, established with the 1966 take-over lasted from February 1966 to August 1969 when the military government then headed by Lt. General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa handed over power to a democratically elected government headed b y D r. K o f i A b r e f a Busia and his Progress Party (PP) government. This was the result of elections held in August 1969 which the Progress Party won by a landslide. This Parliamentary government headed by Prime Minister Kofi Busia lasted only 28 months before it was shot down by another bunch of restless soldiers led by then Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong who established the National Redemption Council government. This government ruled for three years and re-organized itself into a Supreme Military Council manned by all the service commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces who felt that their junior officers were doing all the looting and “chopping” of the nation’s resources and demanded to participate in the looting of the nation’s resources. A palace coup organized in July 1978 dumped then General Kutu Acheampong and brought in a new set of military commanders into power with the establishment of another Supreme Military Council headed by Lt. General F.W.K Akuffo. On May 15, 1979 a group of young military officers led by Flt. Lt. Jeremiah John Rawlings attempted to overthrow the government of the Supreme Military Council. The uprising failed and the mutineers were arrested. In the course of their trial before a military tribunal, another group of young officers engaged the government in a violent shoot-out and succeeded in overthrowing the government on June 4, 1979. They established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) government manned by corporals and sergeants which ruled for only three months: June 4, 1979 to September 23, 1979. This three-month rule of the AFRC was a real watershed in Ghana’s history. This period witnessed the most brutal and worse human rights abuses ever unleashed on the population of the country. Unruly, undisciplined and drunken soldiers roamed the streets and neighborhoods of the country, terrorized and cowed the population into submission. Six top military officers including three former Heads of State were executed by firing squad by Jerry Rawlings under some very flimsy and questionable excuses. Thank God this traumatic experience lasted only three months, but it left serious
wounds and scars on the nation’s psyche which have not yet healed. The AFRC and Jeremiah Rawlings handed over power to a new democratically-elected government headed by Dr. Hilla Liman and his Peoples National Party (PNP) on 23 September 1979 after the PNP had won elections held on June 26, 1979. This was the launch of the Third Republic of Ghana. The same Jeremiah John Rawlings who handed over power to Dr. Hilla Liman again staged another military take-over of the government on 31 December, 1981, only 27 months into the life of the government of the Third Republic. He established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which ruled the country until December 1992. As is his manner and style, Jerry Rawlings and his second military government subjected Ghanaians to another bout of brutality and human rights abuses including the arrest and brutal murder of three high court judges and a retired military officer on June 30, 1982. Under pressure from the international community to return the country to constitutional rule, Jeremiah Rawlings lifted the ban on political activity to allow political parties to be formed and function. He formed his own political party, got a Constitution to be written (on his terms), got elections organized and won the Presidency along with his political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This was the beginning of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. Rawlings ruled the country again as President for another eight years, the maximum two terms allowed under the Constitution. The second elections of the Fourth Republic organized in December 2000, was won by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under John Agyekum Kufour who won the Presidency after a second round run-off with the second place runner, John Evans Attah Mills. The NPP also won a slight majority of 124 of the then 200seat Parliament. President Kufour and his NPP won reelection in December 2004 for another four-year term. Perhaps the greatest test of stability of the nation came in the run-up to the 2008 elections which ended the term of office of President Kufuor. The NDC party won the Parliamentary elections on December 8, 2008 but the hotly-contested Presidential elections again run into a second round. In the end, John Attah Mills beat the NPP candidate Nana Akufo Addo in the run-off by less than 20,000 votes to win the Presidency. Tension in the country over this election reached fever pitch threatening to plunge the country into mayhem. Political giants like former U.N Secretary General, Kofi Annan had to be flown into the country to persuade the warring electoral opponents to let cool heads prevail to salvage Ghana’s image as a peace-loving nation and the beacon of political maturity and stability for
Africa. In the end, the NPP and Akufo Addo had to concede defeat. John Evans Attah Mills was sworn in as President on January 7, 2009 as the third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana with John Dramani Mahama as his Vice President. The first three years of the Attah Mills-led NDC government also tested the stability of the nation. A culture of political intolerance, insults and naked robbery of the nation’s resources and finances have engulfed the country. Political opponents publicly haul insults at each other, in the media especially on radio and television. The most guilty of these behavior of political insults and intolerance have been government and NDC party officials. They attack their political opponents, real or imagined, at will. The then President and Father of the nation, John Evans Attah Mills did nothing about this dangerous culture of political insults and intolerance which have engulfed and enveloped the nation and the culture has continued till today. A new shrewd way of officially stealing the nation’s resources was instituted under the AttahMills-Mahama government from 2009. It is known as “judgment debt”. Naked robbery and pillaging of the nation’s resources that has been occurring since the country attained nationhood reached alarming proportions from 2009. Under this scheme, individuals and companies were actively encouraged by government officials to sue the government (and the nation) in court claiming payments for “contracts” the government had abrogated. Just before the close of the year 2011, a whooping forty million dollars of the nation’s money was paid out to a known financier and member of the ruling party in some very questionable circumstances. The government’s own Attorney General and Minister of Justice questioned the legality of that payment, describing the process as a “gargantuan” rape of the nation’s finances. His patriotic and honest stand incurred the wrath of the ruling party and the then President Attah Mills fired him early in 2012. By a twist of circumstances, President John Evans Attah Mills who was visibly known to have been suffering from some undisclosed illness that was constantly denied by his government, died “suddenly” through as yet unexplained circumstances in July 2012. He was immediately succeeded by his Vice president, John Dramani Mahama to complete the last six months of the term of his mandate. John Dramani Mahama led the NDC through another bitterly-fought elections in December 2012 with their main opponents, the New Patriotic Party led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. John Mahama was declared winner of the Presidential elections in some very questionable circumstances by the Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Djan. Not satisfied
with what they termed as an electoral fraud, the New Patriotic Party challenged the election results and the legitimacy of the declaration of Mahama as President to the Supreme Court of Ghana, as stipulated under Ghana’s constitution. The election petition, heard by nine of the Supreme Court Judges, ran for eight months from January 2013 to August 2013. On August 29, 2013, the Supreme Court released a very questionable judgment dismissing the electoral petition of the NPP. The ruling was so bizarre that the integrity of the court and some of the judges were called into question. Between 2012 and 2013, the social and economic life of the country has deteriorated to low levels never seen in the country’s history. The most painful of these have been the long disruptions to electricity and water supplies. The m o s t a ff e c t e d a r e t h e large urban centers where businesses have collapsed as a result of constant water and electricity supply disruptions. Ghanaians have disparagingly termed the frequent power interruptions as “dum so, dum so”, literally meaning constant on and off switching of power. Cost of living has soared to levels never seen in the country’s 57 year history, with the current government seemingly oblivious to solutions to the social and economic problems facing the people. The nation called Ghana has over the past fiftyseven years fulfilled the declaration and prophesy of its first leader, Kwame Nkrumah who declared on independence night, the right of the country to “manage or mismanage” its own affairs. Overall Ghana has succeeded in “mismanaging” its affairs much better than “managing” its affairs. We have earned very high marks in the field of economic, political and social mismanagement of the nation. The future looks really bleak for the nation and its citizens. These are the background events within which Ghana is celebrating 57 years as a nation. As we celebrate this anniversary, we all need to hold our breadth and pray for some divine intervention, if it exists, to rescue the nation from the quagmire it finds itself with no solution in sight. The portends are not really good. In the midst of this total confusion in which Ghana is engulfed presently, we can only hold on the message and hope from the words of our national anthem: God should bless our homeland, Ghana and make our nation great and strong. Yes, the nation Ghana needs real divine intervention. But what good will divine interventions do when the human beings, the citizens of the nation who ask for this divine intervention continue to do things that are totally “undevine”? We pause here for an answer. It is difficult to wish Ghanaians any goodwill and happiness on this anniversary. We can only wish the nation good luck as it tries to keep its head above the current choppy waters of nation-building.
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
53
Greater Swedru Cultural Association of Toronto End-of-year Party at 30 Tangiers Rd. Kwesi Eduful President
Members Some of the members of the Association
Members
From left: Kenneth Okai, William Lagbeneku, (Assoc. father), Sampson Opare, Solomon Ghansah, Kwesi Eduful (President), Patrick Manful
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Do you want to Experience Dominion Living, having Authority Over the Affairs of LIFE, Just As Adam and His Wife Enjoyed? Join Pastors Ebow & Hannah Essel at Dominion Miracle Center in Pickering and Toronto Branches. With their Practical and indept Teaching, God will lead you into an Experience of Dominion Living
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Pastors Ebow & Hannah Essel THE METHODIST CHURCH GHANA NORTH AMERICA MISSION
THE INAUGURATION OF TORONTO CIRCUIT SOCIETIES:
GHANA METHODIST CHURCH OF TORONTO GHANA CALVARY METHODIST UNITED CHURCH GHANA METHODIST CHURCH OF MONTREAL GHANA METHODIST CHURCH OF OTTAWA BETHEL METHODIST CHURCH, CALGARY WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH, EDMONTON THEME: “BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION OF JESUS CHRIST” EPH. 2:20
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The Ghanaian News
February 2014
55
FASHION Happy Winter to all my Fashionistas Boo’s! And a happy fabulous YOU! By Beni Boo Fashions
This is the year to celebrate your beauty through your personal fashion touches. Although we are still in the midst of winter, the cold air shouldn’t stop you from shinning through. Go ahead and experiment by pairing that dark jacket with a magenta bag or scarf to add a little pop of colour, same goes for all your other winter accessories. Layering is the perfect way to transition from the below zero weather to the winds of spring lol my bad winds of winter. Ladies & gentlemen -You know how you always buy that really expensive but truly good and fashionable jacket and boot every winter and you tell yourself oh it’s an
investment for your wardrobe or it’ll be worth it and its never the case because come next winter you’ll buy a new one cos its in season and you feel like it a waste of money and how you really didn’t get much of a use out of the old ones’? Well now you should be happy J 2014 winter got your bag – you are getting your $ worth out of your winter clothes this year. So here are a few tips to keep you and your budget going till spring wardrobe act: e 1. That laid back long sleeve, like a boyfriend cardigan, sitting on top of skinny jeans held up with a thin belt (more colour!) and a loose asymmetric top works for all –the young & the mature
2. Those shoes: lace up booties, calf highs, pumps, whatever you feel can work with your mood, attitude and occasion without leaving out our dear Canadian weather! 3. This is the year, the winter, the trend of the sexy colourful print -oversized knit wear 4 . Wa n t t o l o o k fashionably adorable? Then get some oversized earmuffs, scarves & gloves and work it with your current clothes 5. The perfect transseasonal outfit: The ¾ /long sleeve chequered/ plaid dress or shirt for our men coupled with that slim fit pant for now then single them out when
the weather is right . Finally remember no outfit is complete without your signature piece! Whether it’s those African print cuffs your auntie brought you
from back home or that fabulous custom made Beni Boo blazer, all that matters is that you feel as beautiful as you are! Stay warm and stay fab! x o x o
Model : Miko Clothes: Beni Boo Styles Accessories: Vi c t o r i o u s M e P h o t o s b y : Photography Zoheb
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
This Day in History: February 24, 1966 Nkrumah's Overthrow! On February 24, 1966, Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah flew out of Accra to Hanoi, Democratic Republic of North Vietnam at the invitation of President Ho Chi Minh. Nkrumah was to offer his Vietnam War solution. Ghana was left in the control of a 3-man Presidential Commission, consisting of a traditional Chief and 2 politicians. In the early morning hours of 24 February, 1966, Ghana's armed forces, with the cooperation of the National Police, took over government in "Operation Cold Chop", a well organized coup d'etat. The first announcement made from Radio Ghana said that the coup was led by Col. Kotoka of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. A National Liberation Council (NLC) was formed to run the affairs of state. Parliament was dissolved. Nkrumah's ruling political party, the Convention People's Party (C.P.P.), was banned and Nkrumah himself was dismissed as President of Ghana's First Republic. General J. A. Ankrah, was selected to be head of the new government.
Cover of Africa Report magazine, 1966.
Victim: Brigadier Afrifa who overthrew Nkrumah
Major (Lieutenant) General J. A. Ankrah
Nkrumah was mocked
Col. Kotoka of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Kotoka, an outstanding soldier, was a national hero, honored for valor and bravery while serving as part of Ghana’s United Nations 1960 and 1961 Congo contingent was also one of the coup plotters
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
57
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Budget squeeze continues but federal deficit nearly gone: Flaherty
cont'd from pg. 15 When the Conservatives came to office in 2006, Canada was spending 17 cents of every tax dollar on debt, down from more than 30 cents in the early 1990s. Last year, that was down to 11 cents and it should hit 10.5 cents this year. “They’re trying to put things back on a sustainable path,” said Webb. “Is there a lot of pain and dislocation? Of course there is. Austerity is never easy ....” A new poll from Harris-Decima shows an overwhelming Canadian consensus -- 57-34 -- in favour of clearing up the deficit before any new spending occurs. The telephone survey of 1,008 respondents found the consensus crossed regional and party lines. And there are some spoonfuls of sugar with the harsh medicine.
The Conservatives are moving to staunch a gaping political wound by topping up the Last Post funeral fund for veterans and expanding the eligibility criteria to veterans of modern conflicts like Afghanistan. There’s a promise of $305 million over five years to expand rural and northern broadband Internet service, and almost $400 million over five years to help fix Parks Canada’s crumbling infrastructure. They’ll spend another $10 million on snowmobile trails, while giving anglers a say in the conservation of fish stocks. The budget document, in fact, is scattered with penny-ante announcements that usually can’t crowd into a fiscal blueprint that covers almost $280
billion in government spending. There’s a $150,000, for instance, “to increase mentorship among women entrepreneurs” and $200,000 to study a breakwater proposal in Saint John harbour. There are also a host of non-budgetary measures that carry no cost, but were larded into the spare budget to pad it out to a typical 400-plus pages. The Conservatives say they will “empower the commissioner of competition to enforce” undefined n e w r u l e s a g a i n s t d i ff e r e n t i a l country pricing of consumer items. The budget promises to publicize employment insurance benefits for apprentices, promote a “Made-inCanada” branding campaign and interprovincial trade, crack down on terrorist financing, and assert Canada’s claim to the North Pole. Much of the froth was strategically leaked by the government in advance to colour media and public perceptions of the budget before anyone had a chance to examine the entrails.
Tribute to Nelson Mandela at Ottawa University Gala
cont'd from pg. 50
positive role models. Among the recipients were Dr. Ralph Dartey, General Overseer of Transforming Life Centre International, Traci Melchor, reporter for CTV’s ETalk and co-host of The Social and activist and philanthropist Malika Bongo Ondimba.
Angie Sakla-Seymour and Lou Seymour were celebrated for promoting diversity and equality. Social activist Eddie Ndopu and junior tennis player Françoise Abanda were among the young and dynamic Mr. Zondwa Mandela and his wife individuals recognized at the Gala. Lindo Zici received an award on The Event was organized by Ottawa behalf of Zoleka Mandela for her work University Student Federation, in fighting for the rights of women with Gwen Madiba as Coordinator. in South Africa. The Gala featured
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Derek Vanstone, Harper’s former deputy chief of staff, took to Twitter on Monday evening to scoff at all the talk of budget “leaks.” “It’s not a (budget) leak if it’s intentional; it’s pre-positioning,” Va n s t o n e w i s e l y o b s e r v e d . I t ’s a n o b s e r v a t i o n t h a t m i g h t be extended to the entire budget document, which can be viewed as prepositioning for the 2015 election. CP24
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The Ghanaian News
For All Your Events Coverage Call The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Ethiopian Plane Hijack: The Political Connection It is definitely the first time an international carrier jet has been hijacked by its own crew member. Answering ‘why’ is not a simple matter. The act by the co-pilot is intertwined with all that is wrong with our country. It is the crystallization of all our woes in one neat package. The alleged hijacker is reported to be in his early 30’s. To be a copilot of a commercial jet is a big deal. It is a huge accomplishment. What circumstances force such a person to commit a crime with harsh penalties is what we should try to answer. It is the kind of act that results from the pressure of living under a totalitarian government. A place where your employer owns your body and soul and where one is constantly reminded of his disposability on a daily basis. One comes to a point where there is nothing to live and hope for. It is reported that the alleged hijacker has been an employee for five years. It is enough time for the person to know the inner working of the organization he is part of. From his current decision, it is obvious that he did not agree with or like what he saw. Some would ask why he did not just leave. That is one option. He must have gone to pilot school for a few years to get his certification. Of course he must have flown hundreds of hours to be promoted and occupy a copilot seat of a big jumbo jet. If he is in his early thirties, fly-
ing has occupied most of his life. With such a professional resume, why he didn’t just leave and get a job somewhere else is a good question. Maybe he heard the fate of technicians that used to work for EAL but were offered a job by foreign carriers and were prevented from leaving by his country’s Immigration after EAL passed their names. Even if he managed to leave, it is doubtful EAL would give him any reference, let alone a positive one. The only option was to submit and humiliate oneself. Yes, there is more to the story. The co pilot could be a patriotic Ethiopian that is able to see the degradation of his country and people and vowed to do something about it. Some one that decided a bold action is called for to show the unbearable situation our people are put through and called TPLF out in a very loud manner. We are a very quiet and reserved people. We like to hush hush problems and sweep all that we do not want to see under the rug. Our copilot is rocking the boat. He exposed the ethnic regime for what it is – a place where such a young professional person does not feel free to live his life in peace. The American whistleblower Edward Snowden sacrificed so much to protect freedom and privacy and it looks to me our young co-pilot has sacrificed so much and faces a very uncertain future but showed the
an’s opinion, he succeeded in showing the desperate situation the Human Right situation is in Ethiopia. The government in power is terrified of the people and is resorting to criminal methods to instill fear. Such bold acts by individuals like the brave co-pilot draw attention to our country and the dire situation. There are hundreds that die in Somalia, Red Sea, Yemen, southern Africa
world how much the situation in Ethiopia has deteriorated. Whether he meant to or not is not the question. What the world is now talking about is how repressive and closed Ethiopia is. It makes the Western enablers work of propping up the minority regime a little difficult. It also makes it easy for our supporters in the European Union and the US Senate to show the other face of Ethiopia removed from Woyane pie in sky propaganda. Situations like this are a very revealing moment about the people in power. They often forget that they are accountable for their actions and words. In Ethiopia they control the means of communications. They are free to change the story from one day to the next and they make sure no one challenges their spin. It is different in the West. It was a little disorienting to see Ato Redwan Hussein with the title of ‘Government Spokesman’ answering questions re-
garding the incident. He is reported by Reuters to have said: ‘the flight has made a scheduled stop in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where the hijacker or hijackers might have boarded the plane.’ ESAT carried an interview with a female passenger that boarded in Addis and deplaned in Rome. According to her, it was a direct flight from Addis to Rome and continued to Milan. The hijacking took place between Milan and Rome and the plane was redirected to Geneva. How a Government Spokesman could make such a false statement in front of the media says a lot about our country. It is because it has always came very easy for Woyane officials and their underlings to tell a story any way they wish since it can always be altered and retold tomorrow. We are relieved no one was hurt. We hope Swiss officials will take the political nature of his desperate act when they try his case. In most Ethiopi-
and many other places fleeing Ethiopia for a better life. They appear just as numbers in UN statistics. The world might think of them as numbers but they are real and important to their family. Our young and educated are migrating out at an alarming rate. The co-pilot’s action is a wake up cry for us the stake holders to wake up and pay attention. By Yilma Bekele Ethiopian Review
Ethiopian Airlines hijacker threatened to crash plane,
passenger says
cont'd from pg. 30 a gross betrayal of trust that needlessly endangered the lives of the very passengers that a pilot is morally and professionally obliged to safeguard,” Redwan said. Redwan said the plane was carrying 200 people, including seven crew members. They included 139 Italians, 11 A m e r i c a n s , 1 0 Ethiopians, five Nigerians and four French citizens. Swiss authorities at first thought the Ethiopian plane just wanted to land in Geneva for an emergency refuelling before realizing it was being hijacked, Geneva police spokesman Eric Grandjean said. A few minutes after landing in Geneva, the co-pilot left the cockpit using a rope, then went to police forces close to the aircraft and “announced that he was himself the
hijacker,” Grandjean said. Police escorted the plane’s passengers out one by one, their hands over their heads, from the taxied plane to waiting vehicles. Geneva airport was closed down for about two hours. Geneva prosecutor Olivier Jornot said the co-pilot will be charged with taking hostages, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The Swiss federal prosecutors’ office said later Monday that it had taken over the case. Asylum chances seen as slim Jornot said the hijacker’s chances of winning asylum were slim. “Technically there is no connection between asylum and the fact he committed a crime to come here,” he said. “But I think his chances are not very high.” Both Italy and Switzerland, however, do not extradite those who may face the death penalty at home. The leader of Ethiopia’s opposition Blue party, Yilikal Getnet, said he believed the hijacker was trying to make a statement about the political situation in Ethiopia, where the late strongman Meles Zenawi’s party has dominated politics since the 1990s. “I think he took the measure to convey a message that the ... government is not in line with the public,” he said. H uman R ig h ts Watch says Ethiopia’s human rights record “has sharply deteriorated” over the years. The rights group says authorities severely restrict basic rights of freedom of expression, association and assembly. The government has also been accused of targeting journalists, opposition members and minority Muslims. There have been at least eight hijackings by Ethiopians or involving Ethiopian planes in the last 25 years. The deadliest came in 1996, when hijackers stormed the cockpit of a flight from Ethiopia to Ivory Coast via Kenya, demanding that the plane go to Australia. The plane ran out of fuel and crashed off the island nation of Comoros, killing 125 of the 175 people aboard. The Associated Press
The Ghanaian News
February 2014
61
Let's Think Family - By Rev. Dr. Samuel Kisseadoo GOSSIP AND SLANDER IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS I would want us to discuss the issue of GOSSIP AND SLANDER in our daily communication, as well as in our marriages, and all of our relationships. Gossip and slander are among the most subtle and most destructive forms of communication that each human being can easily be lured into. You can slip in out of gossip and slander several times, and get so caught up in the sticky, syrupy, satanic trap of their juicy elements that tickle your base human sentiments to the point that they become a lifestyle and eventually a form of bondage that cause you to be an agent of destruction of fellowship, love, marriages, homes, and families in your community. I am yet to meet any human being under the sun who has never indulged in any form of gossip and slander. Even the most mature and most spiritual person slides into gossip and some slander here and there, even if it is once a year in a pulpit, in a special speech, during a radio broadcast or television discussion, on telephone or in other forms of conversation, in a group discussion, during testimony time, in a letter or electronic mail, in a newspaper article, at the lunch or dinner table, during a car or bus trip, on an airplane, at a committee meeting or conference, during an interview, in a bedroom love-chat session etc. Look back and honestly admit where you can catch yourself falling victim in any of these occasions engaging in gossip or slander. Kindly take note of the following points: 1) Gossip is rumor or
talk of a personal or sentimental nature. It also refers to someone who, habitually, spreads sensational or intimate facts. Such a person reveals secrets and confidential information that he or she is supposed to faithfully keep and protect. Such an individual is therefore an unfaithful fellow who cannot be trusted. He or she is in fact detrimental to any successful marriage or family life, and any progress in any community or organization. Such a person should never be trusted as a friend to you, your spouse, or children and other family members. He is or she is simply a danger to effective and healthy c o m m u n i c a t i o n ! We may sometimes use the term loosely to refer to the sharing of the latest interesting news in town, but the use of the term gossip is normally derogatory, and in every society, a gossip usually means a person who engages in idle chatter and spreading of rumors through conversation. Gossip and slander, in my opinion, have broken up groups and separated close friends more than many others factors of disunity. 2) Slander is a false or malicious statement that is harmful to another person’s reputation. 3) Gossip and slander are
more of character traits that emerge from within us, and are therefore more spiritual than physical. We should know that words (which constitute all forms of gossip and slander) are not physical things we can see or hold. They can easily entangle us through their highly deceptive nature, and the spirits behind them can bind and enslave us. Therefore if someone has such bad habits, the person has to make a deliberate effort to build an inward character that constitutes a mind and heart that are loving, godly, and God-fearing, and consequently upright. You cannot claim to sincerely love someone, and simultaneously say evil or damaging things behind him or her. True love for your neighbor that seeks for his or her welfare will cause your mind and heart to avoid destroying the one with gossiporiented or slanderous communication. 4) Learn to control your tongue. Before you marry anyone, one of the primary areas you will need to thoroughly discuss, caution each other, and honestly face the facts and teach each other is the control of the tongue. Seek to develop the best communication between the two of you, and with everyone around you. When your reputation is degraded by gossip and slander, it is often sad when you finally learn that your precious secret that everyone is kicking about in your environment, or the devastating rumor damaging your hardearned reputation in your community was surprisingly engineered by your own spouse,
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lover, family member, in-law, or close friend. 5) Seek to be a lover of the truth, and a sincere neighbor who looks out for the welfare of others. One of the best ways to avoid gossip and slander is to always ask yourself two questions: i) Is that story true? ii) How will I feel and react if that story is told about me? Every time you hear or read a story about anyone, pause to question its veracity, then check the facts before you believe and react to it or begin to tell others about it. If you are really in doubt or upset about it, and especially if you love the one being slandered, then go to the person personally and find out the truth for yourself. Talk is cheap, and anyone can therefore become an expert in gossip and slander without sitting in any classroom and learning under any frivolous speech guru. When we need favors from others and crave to be in people’s good books (especially people who can supply us with money and other resources, or are in positions of power), our selfish human nature easily drives us to tell secrets and “special” stories about others to those we seek to please. Because gossip and slander are among the most useless and unfruitful works that mankind can produce, the less productive and lazier you are in society, the greater your chances of becoming a skilful gossip or slanderer. Both sexes engage in such acts, but women in particular, who are naturally gifted to talk more than men, must be trained by their spouses, parents, and elders to bridle their tongue. All of us must eschew greed, selfishness, and malice, and train ourselves to develop controlled desires and emotions. Some conditions (for example feelings of pain, frustration, hurt, anger, offence, disappointment, envy, jealousy, shame, and boredom) provide fertile grounds for slander and gossip. We must all watch out for bitter airing of grievances, complaints, grumbling, protests, and self-defense that is done in the wrong spirit, or ignores the real facts of the matter in question. You should
also beware of prolonged or intimate conversation and discussions or meetings with protracted chit-chat that have no definite goals, especially in hair-dressing saloons, parking lots, in the malls, bars and restaurants, and particularly on telephone when talk is cheapest, and when you cannot even see the face of each other to detect the reactions of the receiver of your gossip and slander. Yes, it is important to discuss important and baffling issues that come out of meetings, discussions, family issues, or love affairs, but we can often drift into backbiting, hypocritical, selfish, greedy, self-promoting, and malicious comments that we were not bold enough to utter in front of the person or people we interacted with during the meeting or at home. We might end up going to our homes with poisoned minds. Some spouses or family members always go home with an unloving or hostile and ungrateful attitude or mindset after visiting some particular individuals or being at some places. If your spouse, lover, or member of your household visits his or her home country, attends a funeral or a particular function, or visits a particular friend or in-law, you should be alert with wisdom and discernment to detect significant changes in his or her speech, actions, and behavior that sound the warning bells of mental and spiritual pollution from some toxic gossip and slander intended to destroy your marriage, family, home, or relationship. These are days when promiscuous and illicit sexual or love affairs are rampant, promoted by liberal philosophies and pornography, especially on the Internet and in magazines. There are people who therefore set out to virtually “steal” other people’s dear husbands, wives, fiancées, and loved ones. Others use gossip and slander to steal people’s trusted friends, business partners, church or career associates, and diligent labor companions. Persons competing for position and power, in the home or outside the home, are often
caught up in this kind of messy communication, even among competing husbands and wives, children, and other family members. They compete for money, recognition, intelligence, family prestige, property, attention, love, and use of resources, and end up shamefully destroying each other. Even church leaders, respectable business executives, college professors, great politicians, intimate friends, honorable fathers and mothers or husbands and wives, are all guilty of shameful gossip and malicious slander from time to time. These bad habits are no respecter of persons!! Sometimes we are even deceived to believe that we have the right to say some damaging things because of our special circumstances, especially when we are criticized, misunderstood, ignored, abandoned, mistreated, abused, unloved, deceived, disagreed with, defeated, lost an opportunity, not obtained our expected reward, not supported, and worst of all, when we hear that someone or the particular person we are dealing with is spreading gossip, slander, and rumors about us. We immediately spring into action to revenge with “better” g o s s i p a n d s l a n d e r. This has caused many separated spouses to finally end their marriage in divorce, and there are experts in the society who graduate in making sure that they separate close friends, destroy homes, and break up marriages with diabolic slander and crafted gossip. When tempted to engage in gossip and slander, we must immediately go to God in prayer and rely on Him for strength, grace, and guidance to use wisdom, humility, patience, and diligence to deal with ourselves, and the situation. Otherwise our inability to gather courage and faith to move on in life, and occupying yourself with useful activity will make “the devil to give idle hands some work to do”. Always plan to make your important point in few words, and learn to shut your mouth and control your spirit to cease talking, and learn cont'd on pg. 65
62
The Ghanaian News February 2014
PLACES OF WORSHIP DIRECTORY HOLY ALPHA & OMEGA CHURCH
Ghana Methodist Churches in Canada ( SOCIETIES UNDER THE GHANA METHODIST CONFERENCE)
We invite you to worship with us The Superintendent Minister-In-Charge
Church Service: Sunday Worship: 10.00a.m. - 12.30 p.m. Wednesday Bible Studies: 6.00p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Friday Prayer Meeting: 7.00p.m. - 9.00 p.m.
JESUS Loves You
invites you to worship with us Prophet John Mensah
Toronto Society
Very Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Asare-Kusi
Place of Worship: 19 Penn Drive, North York, Ont. (off Finch Av./Milvan)
869 Wilson Avenue, North York, Ont.
Tel: 416-638-5990 / 416-419-6671
EVANGEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH
416-743-4555 (Office) 905-216-2323 (Residence) Day and Time of Worship: Sunday: Bible Class Meeting: 41 10:00 a.m. - 10.30 a.m. Church Service: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Jericho Hour Prayer Meeting 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Friday: Bible Teaching/Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m. Saturday Organizational Meeting: 6.30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m. Sunday Brampton Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. Calgary Methodist - 403-603-2864 Edmonton Methodist - 587-336-1223 Ottawa Methodist - 613-823-2291
1245 Martin Grove Road, Rexdale, Ontario, M9W 1L4
Tel: 416-242-7950 Fax: 416-242-8573 Church Activities Pastor in Charge Rev. Milton Offei
Sunday School: Church Service: Sunday Evening: Wednesday Bible Studies: Friday Prayer Meeting:
10a.m. -11:00a.m. 11a.m. - 1:30p.m. 7p.m. - 8:30p.m. 7p.m. - 8:30p.m. 7p.m. - 9:00p.m.
Disciples Revival Church Healing & Deliverance Centre Rev. Dr. & Rev (Mrs) Charles Mantey Foundes/Senior Pastors
416-614-7771
In Montreal at: Place of Worship: 6870 Rue de Terreborne, Montreal, Que, H4B 1C5
Day and Time of Worship Sunday Divine Service: 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Friday Prayer Meetings: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Rev. Emmanuel Ohene Gyimah - 514-542-0871 SERVICES ARE CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONAL GHANA METHODIST LITURGY. PLEASE COME AND JOIN US. WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU
CHRIST REDEEMER CHURCH
Pastor-in-charge: Pastor Eric Amoah Tel: (416) 748-1242 Cell: (416) 300-9970 Church Services Sunday Service: Bible Study: 10 a.m.-11a.m. Worship Service: 11a.m. - 1p.m. Wednesday: Bible Study 6:30p.m.-7:30p.m. Friday Night Prayer: 8p.m.-10p.m. Pastor Eric Amoah Location: 4 Racine, Unit 9
(Kipling/Rexdale)
Email: info@disciplesrevivalchurch.org www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org
Peace Light Ministries
SUNDAY SERVICE - Morning - 10:00 am
Senior Pastor & Founder: Rev. Augustine Adu-Anane BRE, M.Th. CPC
Senior Associate Pastor: Rev. Eleanor Adu-Anane BRE, ECE
Mid-Week Service Wed: Bible Study & Prayer: 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Friday: Youth Service 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Friday: Adult Intercessory Prayer - 7:00 - 9:00 pm For deliverance & healing, come to Disciples, a Church that caters to your needs Do visit our website and sign up for the Pastor's monthly newsletter
TIME OF WORSHIP
Rev. Augustine Adu-Anane
Wednesday: Bible Study 7:00 - 9:00 pm Friday: Group Prayer Meeting 8:00 - 11:00 pm Sunday: Christian Education 9:30 am - 10:30 am Sunday Service: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Tel: 416-839-1662 / 647-892-9412
www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org
LOCATION: 100 Penn Drive, Unit #3, North York, Ont. M9L 2A9
30 Gordon Mackay Rd, North York, ON, M9N 2V6
Happy are those who work for PEACE, for God will call them His children Mtt: 5:9
The Ghanaian News
FOOD FOR LIFE
February 2014
63
Bringing the Gospel to our Community By: Rev. Joseph Osei-Amoah JESUS AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA “7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus
said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to
you am He.” (John 4:526 NKJV) When the Assyrian empire defeated the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722 BC, they carried most of the Jews into captivity in Assyria. They brought non Jewish people to live among the remaining Jews in the region of Samaria to keep the Jews from rebelling against them. Over the years the non-Jewish and their Jewish neighbors intermarried leading to their observance of a mixture of Jewish and heathen religious practices contrary to the Mosaic Law or the Law God gave to Moses. The Jews who later returned to Israel from captivity and the Samaritans hated each other up to the time of Christ. This explains the woman of Samaria’s negative reaction to Jesus when the Lord asked her for water. It was unusual for Jesus who was considered a Jewish Rabbi to lead his disciples to go through the region of Samaria when any Jew travelling from Jerusalem to Galilee would avoid Samaria. As the Son of God, who came purposely into the world to offer himself as “the Lamb of God” to save humanity from eternal condemnation (John 1:29), the Lord Jesus would not let such an opportunity slip by without reaching out to the despised Samaritan woman who was lost in
sin. (“…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19: 10 NKJV) His main critics, the Pharisees and the Sadducees who accused Him of associating Himself with sinners would have avoided the woman and denied her the only opportunity to be saved from her sins. The Lord Jesus seized the opportunity to introduce the living water (the Holy Spirit) to the woman. Even today the Lord still makes the Holy Spirit available to whoever will come to Him. (On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39 NKJV) T h e L o rd J es u s h as
policy for our youth”. Achievers from the community including journalists, musicians, educationists, chiefs, pastors and community activists were presented with The Black History Month Posters and Certificates of Service from the Office of Hon. Judy A. Sgro, Privy Council who is a Member of Parliament of Canada for York West. Among the awards recipients were two staff members of the versatile Toronto-based community newspaper, the Ghanaian News. They were Mr. Jonathan Annobil, the community
news reporter and, Mr. Joe Kingsley Eyiah who is a contributing editor as well as an experienced educationist. The Choirs of the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church and the Ghana Methodist Church provided gospel music to support the program. Ms. Hilda D’jan was the hostess for the function. The closing remarks were given by Mr. Joseph Abankwah who organized the Awards Nite. The Reverend Raymond Baah Abekah of the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church gave the closing prayer.
being was capable of satisfying God’s righteous demands. For this reason, God the Father, sent His only perfect Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, filled with His Holy Spirit (Luke 4:16-21) to introduce the dispensation of the Grace of God which enables whoever believes in His Son will be declared righteous. Jesus told the woman that God was Spirit, and as such desired to be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:21-24). The woman had no doubt Jesus was the expected Messiah, called the Christ and to her delight the Lord confirmed it (John 4:2526). She called the people of her village to meet Jesus and many accepted the Lord as the Messiah. (John 4: 28-30, 39-41) No human being can please a holy and righteous God. It takes the Holy Spirit to transform any person who will believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died for the sins of the world and was raised from the dead (Romans 10:9, 10). That is eternal life!
Living Word Assembly of God Church (Affiliated with P.A.O.C.)
139 Millwick Drive
Black History Month Awards Celebration at the Ghana Methodist Church Toronto cont'd from pg. 51 influenced by good people in their lives. He told his personal story based on the 4 ‘p’s (purpose, passion, perseverance & people) and entreated the youth to set achievable goals and work towards them with the support of family, friends and associates who are the most influential people in their lives. He then challenged our young people to do voluntary work in their communities and use their energy, wealth and time wisely. Riviere nailed it with the fact that, “learning is the most important thing at school and education is an effective insurance
promised his followers of the help of the Holy Spirit to enable them please God. In those days, it was unethical for a man to engage in a conversation with a woman without the husband being present. When the woman of Samaria showed interest in the “living water” and the Lord asked her to bring her husband, she replied that she was unmarried. To her surprise, the Lord revealed that she had been married and divorced and remarried five times and that her on-going relationship with a man was not a legal marriage. The woman might have had the shock of life but never disputed the truth revealed by the Son of God. Obviously embarrassed by the Lord’s revelation concerning her personal life, she changed the subject and asked for Jesus’ opinion of the proper place of worship, whether on mount Gerizim being the Samaritans’ choice or in Jerusalem approved by the Jews. Throughout the dispensation of the Law given to Moses, no human
Toronto, Ont. (Steeles/Islington) Tel: 416- 741-6285 Fax: 416- 741-0133 Email: livingwordag@bellnet.ca
Church Activities
Senior Pastor: Rev. Joseph Osei-Amoah
Sunday Early Morning Prayer: 8:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Prayer: 10:00 a.m-12 noon Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday Prayer 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. (Last Friday of the month “All Night Prayer”): 7:30 p.m.-12 mid-night Youth Service (Fridays): 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Departmental Meeting (Every other Sunday): 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
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Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church, Toronto 65 Mayall Avenue, Toronto Ontario, M3L 1E7
Tel: 416-614-6110 647-341-7305 Email: gcmuc.org Invites all Christians to join us to worship and glorify the Living God
Worship Schedule:
Sunday Church Service/Class Meetings: 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Friday Prayer Meeting: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Bethel Prayer Ministry Int'l Do you desire to experience the power and the presence of God demonstrated in your life? Do you want to experience the marvelous work of God's grace in your life? Then, Bethel Prayer Ministry International would like to invite you to visit their church where the word of God is preached powerfully to release the power of God in your life. Pastor Dennis Awuku COME AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED Senior Pastor
Contact:
Res. 416-740-6963 Church 416-642-0390 Worship Hours: Sunday Service: 9am - 1pm Tuesday 9am - 2 pm Consultation Wednesday: 7pm - 9p.m. Friday: 9pm - 12 pm Saturday (Prayer Warriors) 6pm - 8pm Location: 52 Carrier Drive, Unit 12, (Albion/Hwy 27)
Very Rev. De-Graft Semie Obiri (Calvary Methodist)
Saturday Auxilliary Minister Youth Musical & Computer Rev. Samuel Victor Mpereh Lessons Fellowship Meetings Choir Practice, Singing Band Practice 647-770-8440
Venue of Worship
Etobicoke, Ont., M9w 5S5
Harvest Christian Church Invites you for a wonderful time with the Lord
Worship Hours Sundays (Mornings) 10 - 12:45pm Wednesday (Bible Study) 7 -8:30 pm Friday (All Night Prayer) 8-10:30pm
65 Mayall Avenue, Toronto, ON (Route: Through Jethro Road or Haymarket Road, off Wilson Ave. between Weston Rd. and Jane St., or walk across bridge from Chalkfarm North)
Rev Moses Sarpong
Come and Experience the power of the Word Join us at 196 Toryork Drive(Corner of Weston/Finch)
Tel: 416-743-2507
Tel: 416-614-6110
Email: gcmuc.org
It’s Harvest Time So Reach Out And Make A Difference
It’s A Great Commission!
The Ghanaian News
GOSSIP AND SLANDER IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS
February 2014
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cont'd from pg. 61 to listen, so that the other person can digest what you have said, and will have the opportunity to give appropriate response. This will also contribute immensely in saving you from gossip and slander. If you are in doubt of what you are listening to, or definitely detect that it is gossip or slander, then I suggest you: 1) Leave the scene if necessary or if possible, but walk away or hang up the phone in a wise way. Do not do it a way that will prevent you from reaching out to help the one out of the bad habit in the future. 2) If it is not possible to leave, then try to switch of your mind and heart to dam the poison from flooding your mind and spirit. 3) You may confront the speaker verbally, and let him or her know that you do not approve of what he or she is saying. 4) You can show your disapproval by your behavior and facial expression (but do so in a mature way without
violence, rudeness, or being silly). 5) Learn how to quickly ask questions or make statements to change the subject that is provoking the gossip and slander. 6) Ask for godly wisdom to nullify the poison of the gossip and slander with a good testimony, exhortation, counsel, or any form of statements or discussion that will draw the mind and heart of the gossip and slanderer to true wisdom, and the need for love and forgiveness for his or her fellow human beings, and the consideration of God’s justice, mercy, wisdom for all mankind. Obtain more information from Dr. Kisseadoo’s books online from: RedLeadBooks.com or Amazon.com by searching with his name. Tune in to JOY 99.7 FM in Accra, Ghana on Saturdays at 5:30 am – 6:00 am (Ghana Time) or US Eastern ST 12:30 am – 1:00 am November to March, and listen to Dr. Kisseadoo’s broadcast
“Hope For Your Family”. Access on the Internet using MYJOYONLINE. COM, and click on “Live Radio”. Contact him in the USA (1-757-7289330) for copies of his books, free counseling and prayer. Visit his website: www. fruitfulministriesint. com for essentials that will enrich your life, relationships, and ministry. DrSamuel Kisseadoo or RevDr. Kisseadoo to access his Wall on Facebook. Copyright March 2013 Rev. Dr. Samuel A. Kisseadoo (Professor of Biology, USA. International Evangelist. Ordained & Licensed Minister. Teacher, Conference Speaker). Founder and President, Fruitful Ministries International Inc. (Evangelistic & Te a c h i n g M i n i s t r y ) . 6 Red Robin Turn, H a m p t o n , Vi rg i n i a 23669, USA. Tel.1757-7289330 E-mail: kisseadoo@msn.com
THE APOSTLES' CONTINUATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (CANADA) North American Headquarters: 10 Belfield Road Toronto, Ont., M9W 1G1 Tel: 416-247-6629 Fax: 416-247-5308
Lighthouse Assembly of God Church Lead Pastor: Isaac Takyi De-Graft SUNDAY: 9:00am-10:00am 10:00am-11:00am 11:00am-1:30pm
Prayers School of the Light Joint Service
Other Weekly Opportunities: Tuesday- (Time with the Holy Spirit) 10:00am-12:30pm (At Church) Wednesday- (Bible Studies) 7:00pm- 9:00pm (On Phone 647 722 5570 Access code 731 297#) Friday- (Time in His presence) 7:00pm-9:30pm (At Church) Every First Friday is a Special Youth Service 7:00pm-9:30pm (At Church) Every Fourth Friday is Half Night Service 8:30pm-12:30am (At Church)
LOCATION:
42 Steinway Blvd. Unit 1&2
(Hwy 27/Steeles) Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6Y6
Tel: 416-740-1200 Fax: 416-740-6435 Email:
lighthouse@lighthouseag.caWebsite: http:/www/lighthouseag.ca
Power of Grace Chapel Int'l Invites all Christians, Non-Christians and members of the Resurrection Power Tradition to join us worship the Great Jehovah
Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu
SERVICE TIMES:
Worship Service Bible Studies Service All Night Service Deliverance
Toronto
Contact Lines: Tel: 416-321-2796 (Pastor's Res) 289-981-1547 (Church)
Cell: 647-921-2414
Montreal Assembly
10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629
378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5
Scarborough Assembly 1632 Midland Ave., M1P 1C2 Tel: 416-288-1333 Pastor In-Charge: Pastor Ohene Kena Contact: 647-281-5303
Tel: 514-271-9083 Pastor-In-Charge: John Arhin
Contact: Res: 450-687-4916 Cell: 514-654-6178
Immanuel Assembly of God Church, Scarborough
350 Deerhide Cres, North York, ON Rev. Joe Bonnah Days And Time of Worship - Divine Worship - 10a.m. - 1p.m.Pastor-in-charge - Bible Studies 7p.m. - 9p.m. - Prayer / Deliverance - 7p.m. - 10p.m.
- Sunday 10:30 a.m. Wednesday 9:00 p.m. - Friday 9:30 p.m. - Saturday 4:00 p.m.
Worship With Us At These Branches In Canada
Place of Worship:
Sunday Wednesday Friday
Website: www.apostlescontinuation.org
Rev. Douglas O. Ansah Pastor-in-charge
Sunday School: 9:30am -10:30am Church Service: 10:30am - 12 noon
LOCATION Don Montgomery Community Centre 2467 Eglinton Ave. E. Scarborough, Ont., (Kennedy/Eglinton Subway Station) For more info contact:
647-880-4216
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Secret Church camp in Oyibi bush for three years A religious group called Spoken Word has been camping several families in a bush at Oyibi for the past three years. The group, led by one Daniel Navel, believes the second coming of Christ has passed so they have been selected to live forever in that camp. Adom News Reporter Maabena Duho Mensah visited the camp under cover because the campers are under strict instructions not to interact with the outside world except the police, social workers, and sometimes family.
Rev. Raymond Baah Abekah
She reported that the camp is located behind Kas Estates at Oyibi, and the campers include several children and pregnant women, adding that the youngest child is seven years old.
New Light Chapel International 190 BOVAIRD DRIVE, UNIT 12 @ HWY 10, BRAMPTON
Maabena said she counted about eight rubber tents all hidden in bushes and hardly visible to outsiders.
You have been to Calvary for pardon, but you have not been to Pentecost for power. We invite you to worship with us and experience the Pentecostal power in your life.
WORSHIP SCHEDULE. Sunday - Divine Worship 10am- 12pm Wednesday - Bible Study 7pm - 10pm (Call ahead) Friday Prayer Meeting 7pm - 10pm (Call ahead)
“They sleep on the floor in tents made out of white polythene bags, and they have no potable water, electricity, TV, radio and telephones. They have no communications with the outside world,” she said.
Rev. Kwaku Asare
For information call: Rev. Kwaku Asare
905-654-7364, 905-840-2012, 416-270-6822 GHANAIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH ST. ANDREW’S PARISH 2547 KIPLING AVE. TORONTO ONTARIO M9V 3A8
MASS TIMES: 2:00pm – 4:00pm ON THE 1ST AND 3RD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
Several of them, according to her, were university graduates and professionals, but they had all quit their jobs and now live on meager income from mushroom and charcoal they produce and sell at the nearby Madina Market.
They also get water supply from the outside world, as Maabena saw a noncamper pushing a wheel barrow full of gallons of water to the camp to supply them with water. Camp leader, Daniel Navel told Maabena Duho Mensah they are not breaking any laws because each member came to the camp willingly and they were under no duress to stay in camp. “We are not ignorant people - we have graduates here in the camp. We just choose to live here in isolation - our children are here with us and they are schooling,” Navel said. He also said some Oyibi P o l i c e O ff i c e r s a n d staff from the Social Welf are D epar tment had been to the camp to interrogate him and other campers and convinced themselves that they were not breaking any laws. Meanwhile, one of the campers, Kwame Kpogoh, who is in the camp with his graduate wife and three children, have gotten his extended family worried particularly about his children. His younger brother, Divine Kpogoh told Adom News Kwame
used to be a teacher and house master at Ghanata Colleges at Dodowa, but he and his family went missing for two years before the family found him in camp having quit his teaching job and taken his children out of school. “We found him in the camp and told him about our father’s death but he told us he did not know us and he never came to participates in the funeral rites of our late father even though he is our seniormost brother,” he said. Divine Kpogoh said Kwame had since cut all communication with family and all efforts to get him or the children out has proven futile. He blames Pastor Navel for the preventing outsiders from seeing their family members in the camp, because “anytime we go there he [Navel] tells us we can’t see him.” Even though Navel claims the kids in camp get education, Divine Kpogoh wondered how they could provide the children with any proper education in the bush. Divine Kpogoh said they have reported the matter to DOVVSU and also petitioned the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affair, but to no avail. Myjoyonline. com
For All Your Events Coverage Call The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700
Transformation Centre Assembly of God Church, Mississauga Join us on Sundays for worship at: Venue: Meadowvale Community Centre, Mississauga
Address: 6655 Glen Erin Drive Main Intersection: Glen Erin Drive and Aquitaine Avenue Room: Youth and Seniors
Time: 10.00AM-1.00PM CONTACTS; FR. ALEX OSEI CSSp (Priest-In-Charge) - 416-266-6787 FR. ANTHONY ADUSEI CSSp 416-266-6787 REV. MR. JOSEPH OWUSU AFRIYIE - 905-970-0824
Contact: Pastor Isaac K. Bonful Tel: 289-814-5482 Email: transformcentreag@yahoo.ca "...Be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2a
The Ghanaian News
Christian Hope Ministry Int'l Invites You All To Come Worship With Us Apostle-in-charge: Apostle Twumasi Ankrah
"And these signs will follow those who believe, in My Name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick , and they will recover. Amen (Mark 16:17)
"COME AND EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF GOD"
Gospel Action Ministry Location: 135 Oakdale Rd. (Back door)
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GHANAIAN ANGLICAN CHURCH OF TORONTO 1796 Lawrence Avenue West (Jane & Lawrence) Sunday: Bible Study - 2pm-3:00pm - 3pm-5:00pm Sunday Worship Tuesday: Teaching/Prayer - 7pm-9:00pm Thursday: Prayer Meeting 10:30am-12noon Friday: Prayer Meeting - 7pm-9:00pm Saturday: Group Meetings - 3pm-7:30pm
Tel: 647-344-6726 Cell: 416-200-2453 TIME OF WORSHIP: Sunday 10:30 am - 1:30 pm Tuesday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Friday 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Apostle Twumasi Ankrah
VENUE: 1177 Finch Dr. #20, North York
February 2014
Rev. Fr. Gabriel Opoku Ware Priest-in-charge
Res: 416-901-3932 Cell: 647-624-4044
Bro. Donald Amo (People's Warden) 647-979-9247 Sis. Monica Akrofi(Priest's Warden)416-748-8246 Sis. Beatrice Asare(Secretary) 416-745-8148
Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries Affiliated with the Evangelical Church In Canada
Snr. Pastor & Founder: Evang. & Prophetess Winnie Manu BRE, M. Div.
Senior Pastor: Rev. Peter Awuah
Worship Celebration Services
Tel: 416-836-9235, 416-667-8637
Sunday Worship Celebration: 10 a.m. Friday Prayer Meeting / Discipleship Group: 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Last Sunday of Every Month: Healing Service
Rev. Peter Awuah
Service Schedule Sunday: Church Service 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm Tuesday: Prayer Meeting 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Friday: Bible/Prayer Meeting 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Last Friday of the month: All Night Prayer Meeting 11:00 pm
Ghanaian Congregation
St. John's Anglican Church
Place of Worship 236 Queen Mary Drive Brampton, ON L7A 3L3
Contact Info: Tel: 647 210 7057 Fax: 905 495 4789 Website: www.whemtoday .org
Email: info@whemtoday.org
Healing Service: Last Sunday of every month at Cheyne Middle School. 236 Queen Mary Dr. Brampton.
Glory Pentecostal Ministry of Toronto
VENUE: 2125 WESTON RD., WESTON ONT.
Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Rockson Owusu Atwima - 416-708-7742
Priest-in-charge: Rev. Michelle Childs-Ward , Incumbent 647-234-8229 Rev. Fr. Jojo Eduam Entsiwah, Associate Priest 647-400-7055
Invites all Christians and Non-Christians to join us to worship the Almighty God
Sunday: Bible Study - 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Regular Service: 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Isaac Aborah-Sei - 647-859-9922 Daniel Oteng - 647-891-4211 Evans Ackah - 647-403-6385 Dwomoh Abebrese - 647-774-0747
WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Regular Service 11:00 am to 1:30 pm Tuesday Prayer and Healing Service 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday Prayer Night 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm
PLACE OF WORSHIP 230 Eddystone Ave., #207, North York, Ont. M3N 1H7 We are more tan our conquerors Romans 8:37 "Come and see the manifestation and the power of the Holy Spirit at work"
Praise Temple of Christ International Snr. Pastor: Apostle Osei-Bonsu
336 Gary Ray Drive @ Signet Worship Schedule Sunday Worship - 10 am - 12:30 pm Wednesday - Bible Study - 7 pm - 9 pm Friday - Prayer Meeting - 8 pm - 10 pm Second and last Friday of each month All Night Prayer Meeting 8 pm - 12 midnight
For information call: Apostle - 905-487-6658 Emmanuel - 289-400-7626 (cell)
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
Around the Ghana Sports Scene with Jonathan Annobil Black Stars go down in Montenegro Dramatic draw yields mixed reactions
The first audition for Ghana’s World Cup hopefuls got off but not to the kind of result many had anticipated as the Black Stars lost 1-0 to Montenegro.
Though a friendly, the fast-paced game in Podgorica on Wednesday did not lack the competitive spirit. Montenegro handed Ghana a good test as the much-physical Brave Falcons came up tops before an expectant home crowd at the Stadium Pod Goricum. Dejan Damjanovic scored an early goal from the spot past Adam Kwarasay after Ghana defender David Addy had tripped an opponent in the box. The Black Stars were not lacking in ambition as attempts by Majeed Waris, Michael Essien, Jordan Ayew, John Boye, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Asamoah Gyan failed to find target. For the Ghana coach, Kwesi
Appiah the competition for places is still on as he fine-tunes his squad for the World Cup in Brazil. It was the first warm-up for the Black Stars before the May announcement of the 23-man World Cup squad. Appiah will now look ahead as Ghana line up another international friendly against the Netherlands in Rotterdam on 31 May. G h a n a
l i n e
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Adam Kwarasey, Daniel Opare, David Addy/Samuel Inkoom, Jerry Akaminko, John Boye, Michael Essien/ Kwadwo Asamoah, Christian Atsu/ Asamoah Gyan, Agyemang Badu/ Sulley Muntari, Majeed Waris, Jordan Ayew/Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mubarak Wakaso/Albert Adomah. U n u s e d S u b s Stephen Adams, Jonathan Mensah, Andre Ay e w Ghanafa.org
Black Queens progress in African qualifiers Ghana are through to the second round of qualifying for the 2014 African Women’s Championship after backto-back wins over Burkina Faso. The Black Queens reproduced another 3-0 victory against their opponents on Saturday at the Accra Stadium in the return leg of the first-round qualifier. The result handed Ghana a 6-0 aggregate victory over both legs. Ghana will meet Ethiopia in the next round of qualifying for a place at final tournament to be staged by Namibia in October of this year. Fiaza Ibrahim after 21 minutes started the rout when she opened the scoring after
controlling a cross from Helena Kobbina and slamming it into the roof of the net. Ghana doubled their lead from the spot in the 26th minute after being awarded a penalty and Agnes Aduako, who elected herself for the penalty duty slotted in from 12 yards. The Black Queens led 2-0 going into the break. After recess, Ghana pushed to increase their lead but they had to keep knocking on the door. In the 73rd minute, Ghana finally found target when Aduako, made it a personal second to complete the scoring for the Black Queens. Ghanafa.org
Sellas calls up 30 for screening exercise Thirty players, constituting the third-batch of invitees are to report at the national U-20 team camp in Accra on Wednesday, February 26. The called are players are expected to arrive at the team’s camp base, the Jerfkings Palace Hotel in Adenta by 5:00pm. The list is made up of some players who have been called up previously and some debutants. Coach Sellas Tetteh and his technical team of the Black Satellites will continue with their screening exercise. C a l l e d
u p
P l a y e r s
1. Christopher Bonney - Kotoko 2. Joshua Oninku - Dwarfs 3 . M u s a h Yu s i f - D e p o r t i v o 4 . Ta m i m u M u n t a r i - L i b e r t y 5. Francis Kyeremeh - Techiman Cty 6. Eugene Amoah - Edubiase 7. Iddrisu Neini Cato - Feyenoord
8. Eric Kumi - Hearts Of Oak 9. Charles Quarcoo - Nania F. C. 10. Osman Abdul - Glory Stars 11. William Amartey - Dreams 12. Benjamin Tetteh - Mighty Jets 13. Stephen Nyarko - Wa All Stars 14. Noah Martey - Bechem 15. Moses Owusu - Capital Express 16. Abdul Latif - Tema United 17. Iddrissu Ahmed - Amidaus 18. Jonathan Eshun - Amidaus 19. Patrick Asmah - B. A. United 20. Collins Afriyie - Mirren 21. Hans Sarpei - Gt. Olympics 22. Mohammed Mustapha - Bofoakwa 23. Abubakar Alhassan - Dawhenya Utd. 24. Rueben Acquah - Liberty 25. Joe Amoah - Feyenoord 26. Mutawakilu Seidu - Kotoko 2 7 . G e o rg e A p r o n t i - A s h g o l d 28. Emmanuel Derrick - Kejebi Warriors 2 9 . M u s a h H a s h m i n - RT U 30. Yusif Gomah - Bolga All Stars Ghanafa.org
The audible ripple of excitement in Montreal’s Windsor Hotel told its own story. Some tournament draws pass without much drama, but this one - determining the groups for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup - was anything but unremarkable.
do, I want us to win the G h a n a c o a c h Bashir Hayford
As holders, USA will arguably start as favourites, but there seems no chance of coach Michelle French underestimating her Canada 2014 opponents. She said: “We have a great deal Group A: Canada, Gha- of respect for the teams na, Finland, Korea DPR in our group and fully G r o u p B : G e r m a - expect each opponent ny, USA, China PR, Brazil to be excellent both G r o u p C : E n g - technically and tactically, l a n d , K o r e a R e p u b - as well as extremely orlic, Mexico, Nigeria ganised and competiG r o u p D : N e w tive. By the time we set Z e a l a n d , P a r a - foot in Canada in August, guay, France, Costa Rica we want to ensure the And while every sec- players are armed with tion had its sub-plots and any and all information share of intrigue, there that will help them feel was one in particular that prepared and confident.” caused gasps throughout M u c h a t t e n t i o n i n the room. After all, Group Montreal had centred B - with USA, China on how Canada would PR and Brazil - was fare in the draw, and already shaping up to be t h e c o n s e n s u s w a s formidable when Ger- that, while Ghana, Finmany dropped in to land and Korea DPR will establish it beyond doubt all test the hosts’ mettle, a s t h e t o u r n a m e n t ’s they should be confident s t a n d o u t g r o u p . of advancing. Indeed, How could it be otherwise, coach Andrew Olivieri with China former final- was already looking ists, Brazil established towards the last eight h e a v y w e i g h t s a n d , when he said: “If we more significantly, the get through this group, Americans and Germans we will likely have to – champions and runners- play against Germaup in 2012 – having ny or USA in the quarterwon between them five finals, and that’s going to of the six editions to be challenging. Both are d a t e ? N o n e t h e l e s s , great teams. But this Canwhile every one of the ada side can dream of Group B coaches would doing whatever it wants.” have been forgiven for T h e h o s t s ’ m a t c h cursing their luck, all against Ghana will double reacted philosophically as the tournament›s to having drawn such curtain-raiser, and the a demanding section. Africans’ coach, Bashir Brazil’s Adilson Santos, Hayford, is just as confor example, said: “We fident as Olivieri in his know we will encoun- side’s potential. He said: ter teams with various “It may be a bit intimidatstrengths, but we will ing but we are up for the come prepared. Bra- challenge. If you’re askzil will help make this ing me how Ghana will do, an exciting World Cup.” I want us to win the cup.” Finland coach, Marianne It may be a bit intimidat- Miettinen, had expressed ing but we are up for the a pre-draw preference for challenge. If you’re ask- the toughest task possible, ing me how Ghana will and that desire was satis-
fied by the challenge of squaring up to the hosts. “It’s fantastic to be in the same group as Canada,” she said. “They are a team with powerful individuals who play with great heart and, given the support they will receive from the home fans, it will be a great experience. Overall, it’s an interesting group and we’re looking forward to some great football.” Group C is arguably the toughest to predict, with Nigeria and Korea Republic - semifinalists in 2012 and 2010 respectively - facing England and Mexico, both of whom impressed during the qualifiers. “All four are great teams,” said Korea Republic coach Jong Songchon. “But I have belief that our team will show great things at this World Cup, and that everyone will be surprised at what we are capable of.” France, meanwhile, will begin their bid for a double of European and world titles with a section that involves a trip into the unknown against Costa Rica, Paraguay and New Zealand. “We don’t know anything about these teams, so we will look to find some video footage to get to know them,” admitted coach Gilles Eyquem. “We have friendly matches coming up against USA and Germany, and we will prepare well for this tournament and the challenges posed by this group.” The appetite of everyone present at the Windsor Hotel has certainly been whetted by the draw, and all would have echoed the sentiments in Eyquem’s concluding remarks as he looked ahead to the August showpiece. “I’m sure,” he said, “that this tournament is going to be a really great showcase for women’s football.Fifa.com”
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NEW BOOK RELEASE African Traditional and Oral Literature as Pedagogical Tools in Content Area Classrooms, K-12 From Staff Writer, Winnipeg, MB An exciting new book aimed at highlighting the importance of utilizing African oral and traditional literature as well as other aspects of African culture into teaching in North American classrooms has been released. The book titled: African Traditional and Oral Literature as Pedagogical Tools in Content Area Classrooms, K-12, was co-edited by Ghanaian News Contributing Editor, Dr. Michael Baffoe, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg and Dr. Lewis Asimeng-Boahene, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education at Penn State University, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. It is published by Information Age Publishing of North Carolina, USA. The book explores how educators, literacy educators, learners, activists, policy makers, and curriculum developers can utilize the powerful yet untapped gem of African oral literature as pedagogical tools in content area classrooms to help expand educators repertoire of understanding beyond the ‘conventional wisdom’ of their pedagogic creed. It is a comprehensive work of experienced and diverse, scholars, academicians, and educators who have expertise in multicultural education, traditional oral literature, urban education, children’s literature and culturally responsive pedagogy that have become the focus of discourses in public education and teacher preparation in North America. The uniqueness of this collection is the idea of bringing the content and the pedagogy of most of the genres of African oral arts under one umbrella and thereby offering a practical acquaintance and appreciation with different African cultures. It therefore introduces the world of African mind and thoughts to the readers. In summary, this anthology presents an academic area which is now
Dr. Michael Baffoe slowly gaining its long overdue recognition in the academia. This book is divided into three parts: Part 1 explores oral literature as pedagogical tools that target 6 Pre-K1- 3. Here, contributing authors share their perspectives about Children’s Oral Literature through Singing Games, African Oral Literature through Poetry, African Music as a Pedagogical Tool in the Classroom and Constructing Lessons through Artifacts, Books, and Drama. The importance and use of poetry in pedagogy are highlighted by the authors of Chapters Two. The authors stress the fact that hearing poems read aloud helps children cultivate an appreciation for sound and language or that poetry’s rhythm and rhyme delight children of every age. Part 2 focuses on oral literature as pedagogical tools for Grades 4-8. In this section, the contributors share their thoughts on other aspects of African oral literature. They include an examination of the Influences of African Cultural Naming Patterns on the Identity and Personality Development of Immigrant Children of African Descent in North American Classrooms. Others are the use of African Proverbs as Culturally Responsive Tools in Content Area in Social Studies Classrooms, and the use of Riddles as Communicative and Pedagogical Tool to Develop a Multicultural Curriculum in
Dr. Lewis AsimengBoahene, Social Studies Classrooms. African proverbs create a safe space to make use of critical thinking which can serve as literal, metaphorical, or psychological tonic. For example, one head does not exchange ideas (Akan, Ghana), which means two heads are better than one. Thus, African proverbs are valuable for education because they often create an imaginative space, where the mind is free to see alternative perspectives. Consequently, elders of African use proverbs as a tool to make a point, set examples, or explain situations. He that has never travelled thinks his mother is the only good cook in the world (Kenya). Part 3 examines how oral literatures could be used as teaching tools in Grades 9-12 classrooms. Interesting discussions in this section include The Metaphor of Ghanaian Cloth: Decoding the Symbols in Ghanaian wax prints, and Utilizing Drama and Literature as Cultural Tools to address Culture and Context for Urban Students in the Content Classroom. Others are the Human Ingenuity as a Pedagogical Tool of Dialogic Performance and Competence using African ceremony of Libation. The significance of Story-Telling and Drumming takes the next section of Part Three in which the
authors highlight the role of Story Telling in the context of Social Justice, Pedagogy and Vision. Traditionally, Africans have revered good stories and story tellers from the past to the present. Ancient writing traditions do exist on the continent, but most Africans today, as in the past, are primarily oral peoples, and their art forms are oral rather than literary. Drawing insights from social justice, the authors of this chapter explore story-telling among the Veekuhane of Botswana, and more specifically, highlight the pedagogical potential of stories in the transmission of cultural ideas to school-going children to promote diversity, social harmony and justice in line with Botswana’s Vision 2016 ideals.
The aspect of African oral literature through storytelling permeates most African cultures. With their fantasies, availability and entertainment value, stories are effective communication tools that teachers can readily employ to foster cultural fluency in multicultural educational environments. This is also exemplified by what the author of Chapter Thirteen articulates as Griots and Market Square Pedagogy: Call, Response and Performative Storytelling in the Classroom. As in most African cultures and ceremonies this section and the book closes with African drumming which the author poignantly presents as a Pedagogical tool for Social Justice and Cultural Diversity in Urban Classrooms in the United States.
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The Ghanaian News February 2014
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February 2014
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