Last Updated- Feb 28, 2009 18:05 - - 0 Comments

Kabiasi of Kwara State in Nigeria visits alma mater in Ghana

The Kabiasi of Erin-Ile in the Kwara State of Nigeria, His Royal Majesty, Oba Alidubaniyu Ajibola Olusrokun II on Friday paid a visit to his alma mater, Philip Quaquo Boys School at Cape Coast, in Ghana describing the visit as a very important event in his life.

Accompanied by his wife Olori Alhajia Balilat Ibrahim and a high powered government delegation and other important dignitaries, the Kabiasi who is in the country to receive an international award in Accra on Saturday, said, “the visit is more than enough”.

In a brief address, Oba Olusrokun II thanked God for giving him the opportunity to live to see his alma mater which he left some 53 years ago and prayed for divine wisdom for the pupils and advised that they should study hard for them to become prominent personalities and useful adults in future.

“If you don’t have education, forget it”, the Kabiasi declared, adding that the current era required excellent education and that they should aspire to get quality education and desist from watching unprofitable programmes on television.

He told the pupils that they are better off compared to their days when it was very difficult to access education saying they had to walk long distances to school among other difficulties.

He also recalled the olden days when children were very respectful and disciplined and expressed concern that, there was so much indiscipline among the younger generation and attributed this to lack of parental care and control and noted that, if parents should play their roles well “we would not have such problems”.

The headmaster of Philip Quaquo Boys School, Mr Richard Mensah Attah thanked the Kabiasi for the visit as well as the computers presented to the school and pledged that they would be put to good use.

He gave a brief history of the school which, he said was known as the Government High School in the then Gold Coast.

Source: GNA

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Some small U.S. companies thrive despite recession

Thomas Johnson, a native of Ghana, owns a thriving manufacturing company in Virginia that has not been touched by the recession.

Like the owners of many small businesses, he finds customers are still coming through his doors at the Thomas A. Johnson Furniture Company. Despite the tough economy, his company, with fewer than 10 employees, has revenues of $400,000 a year with profits of $56,000 a year.

“We’re doing great. We have orders coming in because we are diverse. We are able to survive the shock,” said Johnson, 46, who came to the United States in 1993 with $20 in his pocket.

He started his company in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1996, and has expanded from selling furniture to marketing kitchen cabinets and decorative molding. He has won contracts with a variety of businesses: He supplies a boutique hotel and is turning a 100-year-old warehouse into lofts.

“My customers don’t owe me money. They pay me [on time],” Johnson said.

Johnson’s is a success story that runs counter to the tough times faced by many large financial companies, retailers and car manufacturers in the United States.

Analysts report that there are other niche businesses like Johnson’s that are doing well in this gloomy climate. They have some things in common. They didn’t overextend themselves. They provide good service. And they make sure they are in a market with customers who really need their goods or services.

“Most businesses do OK most of the time. In a recession, we sort out the people who do a good job and are financially strong,” said William Dunkelberg, the chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Take Austin Generator Company in Austin, Texas, which is owned by Kurt Summers and has $3.8 million in yearly sales, a figure that has grown in each of the past two years.

While the company’s recent success is partly due to demand for generators after hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast region, Summers has kept the company growing for 30 years. Like Johnson, he has diversified his products and services. Not long ago, he began renting equipment that detects weaknesses in large electrical systems. His customers include utilities, residential complexes and large businesses. That rental business is national.

“We’re growing. We’re hiring people,” said Summers, who has 20 employees. “If you live within your means and buy what you need when you need it, you really are going to be in better shape.”

Some service businesses are thriving too. The Van Dyke Technology Group Inc., of Columbia, Maryland, is a thriving company with $14 million in annual revenues that provides information-sharing solutions to the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies.

Gary Van Dyke, the chief executive, said the company has a few advantages. The federal government has not been hit as severely as other parts of the economy, and many of his company’s 100 employees have hard-to-come-by credentials: security clearances and expertise in information assurance.

Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland School Of Business, said companies with a niche market that provide a hard-to-find service do well, even in a down market. It is the “unique customer base” that keeps them afloat. But if the recession deepens, he said, even some of these companies will be affected.

Small business is the engine that drives the U.S. economy. In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, small businesses (defined as those with fewer than 500 employees) created nearly 1 million jobs – or nearly 80 percent of all new jobs – according to the Small Business Administration. In 2007, there were 27 million businesses in the United States, and 99 percent of them were small businesses, the SBA said.

SBA studies show that two-thirds of new, small businesses survive at least two years; roughly one-third survive at least seven years.

While many small businesses are holding their own, there is uncertainty among many owners.

Billy Knorpp who owns RVP Business Systems, which sells computerized cash registers in Boise, Idaho, said his company has $2 million in yearly receipts and 15 employees, and is doing quite well now because Boise remains a diversified market that includes company headquarters, a thriving agricultural economy and three major ski resorts.

But while generally optimistic, Knorpp acknowledges that there is a reason to be cautious. “In this economy, you wonder what will happen next month,” he said.

Source: News Blaze

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Ghana, others raise Vietnam rice exports

The first two months of 2009 have seen rice exports increase in both quantity and revenue, twice as much compared to the same period last year. However, total exports are likely to reach only $8 billion, down five percent compared to last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Vietnam expects to export 4.5-5m tons of rice this year.

Vietnam exported more than 1 million tons of rice in January, worth $479 million, said Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on February 27.

Total rice exports in February were 750,000 tons with a turnover of $350 million.

In the first two months, Vietnam exported rice mainly to the Philippines, Iraq, Cuba and the African countries of Ghana, Cameroon and Senegal.

It is expected that the quantity of rice will reach 4.5 – 5 million tons rice in 2009.

In the same period many other products decreased in export.

The cut in exports stems from a price slump for Vietnam’s staples on the world market, as well as shrinking markets due to the global economic crunch. Major markets, such as the US, EU, ASEAN area, and Japan have reduced orders by more than 20 percent.

Vietnam is expected to enjoy a trade surplus of about $295 million in the first two months of 2009, 3.7 percent of the country’s total exports. However, a dramatic decline in imports critical to domestic production may cause severe difficulties for the Vietnamese economy.

Source: Saigon Daily

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HIV/AIDS tests now free in Ghana

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has directed that henceforth all HIV/AIDS tests at settings, facilities and during outreach programmes must absolutely be at no cost to clients.

This was contained in a circular signed by Dr. Elias K. Sory, Director- General of the Ghana Health Service and released in Kumasi on Thursday.

It said the directive had become necessary to help increase and encourage many people to participate in the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) exercise to improve their health status.

The release urged heads of facilities at hospitals and health centres to ensure that all fees previously collected for HIV Testing should be duly accounted for and a report submitted to the Regional Directorates of Health Services at the end of February 2009.

Dr. Thomas Agyarko Poku, HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator in charge of Ashanti Region told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the directive was laudable and hoped it would pave the way for many people to undertake VCT to improve their health.

He advised people to take their health seriously and attend hospitals and clinics when necessary.

Dr Poku urged the public to practice regenerative health by eating healthy and balanced diet, exercising their bodies as well as resting at all times.

Source: GNA

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Kingston injury is just another blow for Hearts

Laryea Kingston

Hearts have been given the bad news that the midfielder, Laryea Kingston, faces up to two months on the sidelines. Scans have shown the Ghana internationalist has torn a hamstring, ruling him out for the bulk of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League run-in.

Kingston aggravated the injury during the recent draw with St Mirren. Csaba Laszlo, the Hearts manager, has other selection problems ahead of this afternoon’s game at Dundee United and the Kingston news only deepened his gloom.

“Laryea had a scan and the news isn’t good,” said the manager. “He has torn his hamstring and this is disappointing for the player and the club. He has had a number of injury problems this season and this is another setback.”
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Hearts, two points above United in third place, are short of strikers and central defenders for the trip north. A suspension for Christian Nade has been exacerbated by a fitness problem for Gary Glen, while Mike Tullberg is at least a week away from returning after a thigh problem.

Laszlo admits 21-year-old Calum Elliot may not be ready to step in, despite hitting 11 goals during a loan spell with Livingston.

“He came back from Livingston after a very good half-season, but there is a big difference between the Premier League and the first division,” Laszlo said.

“I’m trying to push him but at the moment he can’t help us, we must help the player more. He is one who needs a little bit of time because of his history here and his attitude.”

While Laszlo does not believe the result at Tannadice will be defining, he insists Hearts can make a significant step towards securing a Europa League spot if they win with an under-strength team. “For me it’s an important game but if one team loses, it’s not the end,” he said.

The United manager, Craig Levein, says the only statistic he is interested in is the one which tells him where his team have finished at the end of the season. He said: “We’re in fourth place with 40 points and there are seven games left to the split. It’s not a bad situation to be in, is it?

“We’re not intentionally drawing games, we’ve been doing our best to win. Against Aberdeen we went ahead twice and were pegged back, and against Inverness we came back from a goal down to win a point.”

Twelve months ago United ran out of steam in the race for Europe, but this year Levein is confident he has a big enough squad to cope. He said: “I’m happy with the way things are going, I look at the training ground and see a lot of positives.”

Source: The Herald

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Vodafone fuels mobile expansion in Africa

Vodafone is expected to further expand in Africa after South Africa’s competition tribunal allowed the company to acquire another 15 percent of Vodacom from Telkom South Africa.

Vodafone can now pay more than US$2 billion (22 billion rand) to increase its stake in Vodacom and consolidate its expansion plans into the African mobile market, which has become a battleground for international companies.

Last year, Vodafone, which is based in the U.K., paid $900 million to acquire 70 percent of Ghana Telecom.

Vodacom is South Africa’s largest mobile phone service provider with a presence in East Africa and the Southern African regions including Tanzania and Mozambique. Vodafone and Telkom each own half of Vodacom. But the acquisition of 15 percent more of the company means that Vodafone will own 65 percent.

Vodafone’s objective was “to make a priority the increase of stake in Vodacom,” said CEO Vittorio Colao.

Meanwhile, Telkom plans to unbundle its remaining 35 percent of Vodacom to diverse shareholders.

But Telkom claimed that giving Vodafone a larger stake in Vodacom is uncompetitive and will restrict Telkom’s own Africa own expansion plans. Fears that the domination of foreign capital would create an economic and security risk also arose during the debate.

The competition tribunal, however, said it approved the 15 percent acquisition by Vodafone unconditionally.

Telkom plans to further dominate the telecom market by serving as a pan-African integrated service provider, offering international communications and connectivity, hosting and managing data service, and providing wireless voice and mobile broadband solutions.

Among growth strategies being considered by the Telkom is the transformation of its fixed-line business to incorporate key value-added services, including fixed-mobile converged services.

Source: Computer World

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UK authorities arrest man over export of e-waste

Authorities in the UK have arrested a man over the export of e-waste into developing countries.

The 46-year-old man, who was not named but identified as from West Sussex is the first to be arrested as part of ongoing crackdown on the illegal export of e-waste from Britain to the developing world, the Environment Agency (EA) of the UK has said. He was arrested on February 18, 2009 and released on bail until May 5, 2009.

The EA has also said it was increasing its efforts to intercept e-waste as it leaves Britain and had prevented 33 cargo containers of electrical goods from leaving the UK in the past six months.

Investigations by Greenpeace, an environmental group and some media, including The Independent and Sky News revealed that 23,000 tonnes of computers are being dumped illegally in Africa every year from the UK, in violation of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE).

On Friday February 27, 2009, ghanabusinessnews.com carried a story about the arrest of a container full of e-waste at the port of Amsterdam, in Holland that was ready to be shipped into Ghana.

Ghana and Nigeria have been identified as a choice destination for e-waste or electronics waste, due to weak laws and in most cases lack of enforcement of existing regulations. Local authorities in these countries are ill-equipped and in some cases ill informed on and about the issue of e-waste.

Meanwhile, the Director of Pollutions at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of environment has told ghanabusinessnews.com that it is time for sub-regional efforts to tackle the problem. He said the country was embarking on a clampdown of importers of unusable electronics items into the country.

E-waste is the generic name for electronic or computer wastes. These are discarded electronics devices that come into the waste stream from several sources. They include gadgets like televisions, personal computers (PCs), telephones, air conditioners, cell phones, and electronic toys.

The list can further be widened to include appliances such as lifts, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, kitchen equipment or even air crafts.

Electronics equipment is one of the largest known sources of heavy metals, toxic materials and organic pollutants in city waste.
E-waste is known to contain dangerous chemical pollutants that are released into the atmosphere and underground water.

The modes of disposal, which include dumping old gadgets into landfills or burning in smelters, also expose the environment and humans to a cocktail of toxic chemicals and poison. These chemicals contain substances like lead, mercury and arsenic.

The cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in most computer monitors and television screens have x-ray shields that contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead, mostly embedded in glass.

Flat screen monitors that are mostly used in laptops do not contain high concentrations of lead, but most are illuminated with fluorescent lights that contain some mercury.

A PC’s central processing unit (CPU), the module containing the chip and the hard disk, typically contains toxic heavy metals such as mercury (in switches), lead (in solder on circuit boards), and cadmium (in batteries).

Plastics used to house computer equipment and cover wire cables to prevent flammability often contain polybrominated flame retardants, a class of dangerous chemicals. Studies have shown that ingesting these substances may increase the risk of cancer, liver damage, and immune system dysfunction.

Lead, mercury, cadmium, and polybrominated flame retardants are all persistent, bio-accumulative toxins (PBTs), that can create environmental and health risks when computers are manufactured, incinerated, landfilled or melted during recycling. PBTs, in particular are a dangerous class of chemicals that linger in the environment and accumulate in living tissues.

And because they increase in concentration as they move up the food chain, PBTs can reach dangerous levels in living organisms, even when released in minute quantities. PBTs are harmful to human health and the environment and have been associated with cancer, nerve damage and reproductive disorders.

Looked at individually, the chemicals contained in e-waste are a cocktail of dangerous pollutants that kill both the environment and humans slowly.

Lead, which negative effects were recognized and therefore banned from gasoline in the 1970s causes damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems, kidney and the reproductive system in humans.

Effects of lead on the endocrine system have been observed, including the serious negative effects it has on children’s brain development. When it accumulates in the environment, it has high acute and chronic effects on plants, animals and micro-organisms.

Cadmium compounds are also toxic with a possible risk of irreversible effects on human health and accumulate in the human body, particularly the kidneys. Cadmium occurs in certain components such as SMD chip resistors, infra-red detectors, and semi-conductor chips.

Mercury on the other hand, can cause damage to various organs including the brain and kidneys as well as the fetus. More especially, the developing fetus is highly susceptible through maternal exposure to mercury.

These are only few of the chemicals used in the manufacture of electronics equipment. Other chemicals are Hexavalent Chromium which is used as a corrosion protection of untreated and galvanized steel plates and as a decorative or hardener for steel housings. Plastics including, PVC are also used. Plastics constitute about 13.8 pounds of an average computer.

The largest volume of plastics, 26% used in electronics is PVC. When PVC is burned, dioxin can be formed because it contains chlorine compounds. Barium, is a soft silvery-white metal that is used in computers in the front panel of a CRT, to protect users from radiation.

Studies have shown that short-term exposure to barium has caused brain swelling, muscle weakness, damage to the liver, heart and spleen.

Considering the health hazards of e-waste, another ubiquitous computer peripheral scrap worth mentioning is toners. The main ingredient of the black toner is a pigment commonly called, carbon black – the general term used to describe the commercial powder form of carbon.

Inhalation is the primary means of exposure, and acute exposure may lead to respiratory tract irritation.
The UK government’s action, looked at in context, should be a good sign that something practical is being done to address the issue of e-waste from the UK being dumped into developing countries.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

Email: edogbevi@hotmail.com

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President Mills: Government will review draft oil law

President Atta Mills

Government is to review the draft oil law put in place by the previous Government and ensure that needed regulations and transparency measures are put in place.

President John Evans Atta Mills said Government would also put agreements entered into, and future ones into the public domain.

The President made the announcement at a New Year interaction, in the form of a cocktail dinner with the Diplomatic Community at the Castle, Osu Accra.

President Mills entreated Ghana’s development partners and non-governmental agencies to support Government’s effort for transparency and anti- corruption initiatives.

“I assure our development partners that accountability of public office holders will be a non-negotiable principle that will guide our administration.

“Your Excellencies, I am aware that in Africa and elsewhere, the onset of oil wealth, in the absence of adequate legal structures and safeguards, tends to erode democratic accountability.

“This government will take steps to address transparency and governance concerns relating to the nation’s oil find,” President Mills said.

He also called for support from the Diplomatic Community in the Governments efforts to stamp out drug trafficking in Ghana.

The President reiterated the cherished friendship and co-operation with the various organizations and countries that were represented by the Diplomatic Community, and gave an assurance that Ghana would remain a partner to advance key global initiatives, help define the shape of multilateral institutions.

It would also continue to be an ally in confronting the tough challenges facing the international community.

President Mills said Ghana would be a good advocate on issues of global poverty, hunger, access to water, conflicts, international trade, international stability and climate change, as well as be a good advocate for greater co-operation on energy, environment and international security.

He expressed concern about cross-border crimes and said it was imperative to ensure a full and effective functioning of the criminal intelligence and investigation bureau of ECOWAS.

President Mills said his administration would endeavour to ratify outstanding ECOWAS Protocols, including the Convention on small arms and light weapons, general convention on the equivalent on degrees diplomas, certificates and other qualifications in ECOWAS member states.

That would also affect the protocol establishing the criminal intelligence and investigation bureau.

Ghana would also remain committed to conflict prevention, conflict management and mediation efforts in the sub-region, African and the world, the President said.

He called on the institutions of democracy in Africa in a way that they would be seen to represent the genuine aspirations of the people.

President Mills commended the Diplomatic Community for their interest in the last general elections and working behind the scenes to ensure that, “Ghana remained the bedrock of true democracy when it appeared political tension was rising.”

The President urged people placed in positions of trust in Africa to help the continent overcome negative perceptions about the continent, which he said called for the strengthening the resolve to protect the democratic gains made and respect the rule of law.

Government would remain committed to achieving macro economic stability, reiterating that despite the disturbing picture of Ghana’s economy, there was no cause for despair.
“We know we can count on the understanding of our development partners as we evolve out rescue plan.”

Mr. Tete Jean-Pierre Gbikpi-Benissan, Head of the Diplomatic Community in Ghana, commended the President and his Vice Mr. John Dramani Mahama on their assumption of their high offices.

He commended Ghana for the success at its last elections and said the process established Ghana as country of true democracy worthy of emulation in the midst of other African countries affected by political conflicts.

Mr Gbikpi-Benissan said the political maturity sent clear signs to the Diplomatic Community that Ghana’s democracy had come of age.

He expressed the determination of the countries represented by the Diplomatic Community for increased ties with Ghana, and advocated the continuation of business on a much larger scale.

The Dean praised Ghana’s traditional authorities for being agents of unity and mobilizing the people for social and economic development.

He further expressed the confidence that the Mills administration would fight corruption and ensure proper management of Ghana’s oil.

Source: GNA

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Filipinos jailed in Nigeria for oil theft freed

The thirteen Filipino seamen who were last week convicted by Justice Chukwura Nnamani of the Federal High Court in Benin City for stealing crude oil have been released from jail. This was confirmed yesterday by Filipino Vice President and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Mr Noli De Castro.

The 13 Filipino seafarers were found guilty for stealing or illegally transporting oil, known as oil bunkering. Justice Nnamani in his judgement, sentenced the 13 accused persons to five years imprisonment, or a fine of N1,000,000 each. The 13 Filipino seamen were on board MT Akuada and were contracted by the Filipino manning agency, SEAGEM.

When they were convicted last Friday, De Castro immediately asked SEAGEM to hasten the payment of fine for the immediate release of the seamen

But yesterday, De Castro said the Greek owners of the ship, Corinthian City, paid the fine for the release of each of the Filipino seaman.The Filipino Vice President said yesterday: “I’m sure that the families of these 13 Filipino seamen are very happy with this news. I hope that their experience will serve as a lesson to OFWs and employment agencies to first make a background check on the potential employers and the kind of job that the OFWs will be taking abroad.”

The Filipino Vice President expressed disappointment with SEAGEM, which is facing several complaints and is now under preventive suspension. The conviction of the 13 seamen in Nigeria is the second incident that involved the local mining agency.

Earlier, nine Filipino OFWs contracted by SEAGEM were stranded in Nigeria after they escaped from armed pirates.

De Castro pointed out that there is an existing deployment ban on Nigeria, which Seagem violated.

The Vice President said he had received a report from the Philippine Embassy in Abuja that the National Seafarers Welfare Board of Nigeria has expressed its concern regarding the frequency of oil bunkering incidents involving Filipino seafarers.

“The Nigerian Welfare Board suggested that to address this problem, there is a need to inform all Filipino seafarers, private employment entities and concerned government agencies to check the type of shipping operations, place of operation and where the ship is going before they sign up,” De Castro said.

A team of naval personnel from Forward Operation Base (FOB) had arrested the Filipinos with 12,000 metric tons of petroleum products which was already on an outbound transit around Escravos Breakwater and were subsequently handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Seven Ghanaians and a Nigerian were also recently arrested in Delta with stolen petroleum products worth over N300million. The eight of them have been arraigned at a Benin Federal High Court.

Source: This Day