The DCE for Ningo-Prampram, Hon. AL-Latiff Tetteh Amanor has advised candidates of the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to desist from examination malpractices, he said this when he visited Ayetepa D.A Basic cluster of schools and Nyigbenya D.A. in Tsopoli.
Addressing the candidates, he told them about the many prominent personalities that emerge from the district and why it was important to protect that image. “We don’t want to come in the news or be the headline for the wrong discussions” he said, he urged them to have the confidence in writing the exams, “never allow the paper to intimidate you, for success awaits all of you.” He added. He also admonished them that their success at the exams will determine which profession they will belong to in the future, because without good grades, they could not go far.
He was accompanied by the District Director of Education, Madam Sarah Adibrosu who made it known to the candidates that WAEC has a way of detecting malpractices. When caught, the papers of those candidates will be put aside for further investigations which will delay in the results of the candidates. She pleaded with the candidates to desist from any act that will affect their future.
At Ayetepa D.A Basic Cluster of schools, 359 were registered, 209 are boys and 150 girls while 2 of the candidates are pregnant and 1 absent without any reason. The exam’s is under the supervision of 12 invigilators and 2 supervisors at that centre. Nyigbenya D.A. basic school registered 288 candidates ,156 comprises boys and 132 girls. 4 have absented themselves. 10 invigilators and 2 supervisors.
As part of his working visit, the DCE, Hon. Al-Latiff Amanor visited some exam centers within the district to firstly encourage the 3,382 registered BECE candidates who begun their exam on Monday to write well and pass so they take advantage of the Free Senior High School Education. The visit intends to continue throughout the week to the last day of the exam as it gives the DCE the opportunity to familiarize with the children and the communities in his jurisdiction.
He urged the candidates to have confidence in themselves, and produce what they have learnt on paper, he urged them to put up a good behavior in the exam hall so they don’t find themselves in the wrong side of the authorities. He reminded them to pass well in order to benefit from the Free SHS.
Candidates registered for the examination within the district is a total of Three Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty-Two (3,382) from fifty-one (51) public basic schools and sixty-six (66) private basic schools across eleven (11) examination centres. The examination is expected to end on Friday 19th November 2021. The 11 examination centres are Prampram D/A Basic B Sch, Ayetepa D/A Basic A& B Sch, Afienya D/A Basic A. school, Ningo SHS1, Prampram Freeman Meth Basic school, Afienya D/A Basic C School, Dawhenya Methodist Basic A&B School, Nyigbenya D/A Basic Sch, Dawhenya D/A Basic School, Mataheko D/A Basic A&B school and Ningo SHS 2.
The Regional Minister Hon. Henry Quartey has sworn in the new DCE for Ningo-Prampram Hon. Al Atiff Tetteh Amanor at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council in Accra. The DCE was led by the Regional Minister to administer the Oath of Office, Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Secrecy. Hon. Henry Quartey said the duties of a DCE is to among other things formulate policies to help bring development to the district, responsible for the day to day performance of the executive and administrative functions of the district, the DCE is also responsible for the supervision of departments of the Assembly and Preside at meetings of the Executive Committee of the district.
He admonished him to take interest in the functions of the assemblies spelt out in Section 12 of the Local Governance Act, he said other rules, regulations and procedures must be followed in all dealings in the performance of his duties. He encouraged him to use the rules of good governance which is about modesty, openness, accessibility and accountability. He was charged to promote the clean city agenda in his district, adding that the work of a DCE is enormous. The DCE Hon. Amanor thanked the President for the opportunity to serve his district and promised to live up to his expectation. He further assured the Regional Minister that he would support his agenda as stated earlier, he added that he is here to serve the district and he will be guided by that.
The Presiding Member Hon. Solomon Djangmah employed the DCE to team up with assembly members and work for success, he said the assembly members were behind him the reason they voted 100% for him. In attendance were the assembly members, party executives, queen mothers of the two traditional councils, some staff family and friends of the newly confirmed.
The president’s nominee for Ningo-Prampram District, Hon. Al-Latiff Tetteh Amanor has been confirmed as the fourth District Chief Executive for the District. The DCE obtained a hundred percent (100%) vote out of the total vote cast in just the first round of the voting. The process was peaceful. In the short balloting, presided over by the District Electoral Commissioner Mr. Charles Botsway, Hon. Latif was overwhelmingly confirmed with a total of thirty two (32) “Yes” votes. There were no spoilt, rejected and “No” ballotts recorded.
This in essence signified the acceptance of the president’s nominee by all the 32 Assembly Members. Early on, the Presiding Member Hon. Solomon Djangmah called on his colleague Assembly Members to vote one time for the nominee since the Assembly had already called off the first date of nomination due to some circumstances. According to him, it was important to complete the process today, so the Assembly can move forward. He quoted the Local Governance Act and the Model Standing Orders that empowers Assembly Members to confirm DCE. In his victory speech, Hon. Amanor praised the smooth process, he thanked all for voting 100% for him. According to him a 100% means Ningo-Prampram understands democracy. He added that it was important for the district to be remarketed. He called on all to set aside all forms of partisanship, join hands to build the home called Ningo-Prampram, while charting the course for a new era and prosperity.
The Programme brought together the Regional Ministers representatives, Chiefs, Traditional Leaders, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives from other Districts Assembly Members, security, and the general public to witness the short ceremony.
The new DCE is expected to be sworn in at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council together with his Assembly Members on Thursday.
As part of efforts to support this year’s celebration of the Homowo festival, the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NiPDA) has donated assorted items to the Ningo and Prampram Traditional Councils. Each Traditional Council received packs of bottled water, packs of canned malts, crates of drinks, two gallons of palm nut oil, four bags of palm nuts, two bags of maize, schnapps and an undisclosed amount of money.
Presenting the items, the District Chief Executive, Hon. Jonathan Teye Doku assured the chiefs and elders of the traditional council’s, of the Assembly’s maximum support and wished them well as they embark on this year’s celebration. Homowo, meaning “hooting at hunger” is an annual festival celebrated in the month of August by the Ga people of Ghana. It is to commemorate the day their ancestors had victory over hunger and hooted at it with songs and dancing. During this season, the traditional meal for the festival, Kpokpoi is prepared and served to the gods as thanksgiving for seeing them through the period of severe famine.
Speaking on the activities during the festival, Nene Banahene Tetteh Asiameh of Ningo Traditional Council revealed that this year’s Homowo festival will be celebrated in the various family houses instead of the usual mass gatherings for the performance of festive rites. This he said is as a result of the president’s restrictions on public gatherings due to the surge in the third wave of the covid-19 pandemic. He expressed his gratitude over the donations. In the same vein, Asafoatse Omensu lll of the Prampram Traditional Council received the items and also appreciated the efforts of the Assembly towards the celebration. Other undesirable issues, such as the adverse effects of the activities of sand miners, especially during the time of the festivity and faulty streetlights amongst others were raised as major concerns bothering the community.
The DCE assured the chiefs and elders that proper measures are underway to ensure that things are put in place before and after the festival to ensure peace and tranquility in the district. The Homowo festival is one of the most patronized festivals in Ghana as many travel from far and near to join the celebration and learn more about the traditions.
The Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Connexions, Ghana, in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development under the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NiPDA) has organized a sensitization workshop on the Alternative and Kinship Care of vulnerable children for the stakeholders of Child Protection within the district. The rationale for the workshop is to promote the idea of de-institutionalization of child care, give alternative care to orphans and the vulnerable children in the family settings, which in effect would give them a sense of belongingness.
The workshop also sorts to identify OVC in the district and provide them a family as well as establish a reliable database on OVC for reference and decision making. Some of the potential beneficiaries to this programme would be abandoned/neglected, orphaned, trafficked, disabled and marginalized children in our communities. These children would be integrated into existing families for care, protection and general wellbeing, making institutional homes a matter of last resort. The workshop which came off on Monday, 16th, August 2021 at the Prampram Methodist Church, equipped participants with the necessary information and awareness to understand the importance of de-institutionalization of abandoned children to residential homes for absolute care and training. The President of OVC Connexions Ghana, Rev. David Kwodwo Ofosuhene explained that the OVC Connections is not against the operations of Orphanage homes. He acknowledged their contributions in Child Welfare but revealed that it is important to keep children connected in a family centered society as it allows the child to grow up staying connected to a family home which is in the best interest of the child.
According to the Deputy Director of Social Welfare and Community Development Madam Augustina Nartey, “In the year 2006, a committee on the Rights of Children on Ghana’s report recommended that State parties, Inter Alia provide active support for significant increase of the availability of family type of Alternative Care such as the extended family or fostering care in order to make institutional care a matter of last resort. In view of this, a Care Reform Initiative (CRI) was launched in 2007 with the goal of de-emphasizing the over reliance on care systems for vulnerable children based on institutions and move towards a range of integrated family and community based child care services. “This, she said offers the child a closer approximation to normal family living which plays an essential role in the child’s upbringing. She further stated that since the inception of the CRI, over 85 Orphanages have been closed down because most of them had not followed the right procedure for running the homes and about 80% of the children were there because their parents were poor and not because they are orphans. Madam Augustina Nartey further mentioned that as the children are reintegrated into the family care context, identified caretakers are to be supported by the various stakeholders such as the Church, Government agencies, Traditional authorities, NGOs, Community leaders, Opinion leaders etc to cater for them as the child’s welfare becomes the responsibility of the society as a whole.
The Deputy Director for the Assembly, Mr. David M. Tuglo emphasized on the need for extended family members to embrace such children as members of the wider extended family. They should play an influential role in ensuring that the child grows into a well-cultured and responsible individual in the society. He urged the participants to facilitate open dialogues within their communities to empower families and promote child concerns in the community. He advised the Director of the Social Welfare Department to take cognisance of this agenda and ensure expenditures related to this initiative is reflected in their budgeting so the assembly can as well support the success of the project. A planning committee was constituted, consisting of representatives from the various organizations present. They were tasked to plan and execute interventions which will enable the stakeholders and other benevolent members of the society to raise funds and support the initiative. Rev. David K. Ofosuhene urged all participants to give their maximum support and contribute immensely for the success of this laudable initiative.
The Minister, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye, his Deputy and entourage paid a working visit to the District to inspect the progress of work on the sea defence project which commenced in 2019. At a meeting with chiefs and elders of the two traditional councils, the Minister told the traditional leaders how important the construction of the sea defence is to the government, he noted that the sod for the 5km project was cut in 2019 by His Excellency the President and it was prudent for him to be present to see the state of work.
He said the Country has a total of 550 coastal area, and two- thirds of it needs to be protected against sea erosion, he added that building a sea defence was a costly venture but the government is committed to construct them to protect the coastal areas including lives and properties.He called on the chiefs to help promote the benefits of the project for people to embrace the project to foster its completion soon. The GH₵ 300million Sea Defence Project which is 55% complete is meant to block the devastating effect of the high sea tides on the lives of people within the catchment area.
According to the Minister,the project is envisaged to be completed by December.The DCE Hon. Jonathan Teye Doku assisted the team to evaluate the project, the team was positive the project would be completed on schedule.
The Agricultural Department of the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly has distributed 2,500 mango seedlings and 1,000 coconut seedlings to 17 farmers and some institutions within 6 operational areas of the district to grow on a commercial scale. The gesture forms first part of the government programme dubbed “Planting for Export and Rural Development”. The DCE Hon Jonathan Doku, inaugurating the project, said the Programme is in fulfillment of the Government agenda, he said other tree crops such as cashew, palm tree were available however the coconut and mango seedlings are suitable for the area.
He urged the farmers to nurture the crops well so they grow to meet the objective of the project, noting that the district can only receive more crops if the first batch does well. He mentioned other projects such as the Rearing for Food and Jobs that will also be rolled out soon.
The District Director of Agric Prince Ofori-Boateng in a brief statement said the government intends to promote the planting of tree crops, which is directly linked to the 1D1F, he noted the District is the 4th among the 29 assemblies in Greater Accra to benefit from the programme, he urged the farmers to nurture the crops to grow to meet the objectives of the programme. He also applauded the effort made by the DCE for making the seedlings available early enough.
The Department of Social welfare and Community Development of the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NiPDA) supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has organized a one-day Community Sensitization Training for Child Protection Committee members in the district to build their capacity on the Inter-Sectoral Standard Operating Procedures (ISSOP) for Child Protection and Family Welfare. The training was held on the 1st of July, 2021 at the District Assembly Hall. The Government of Ghana supported by UNICEF developed the ISSOP for Child and Family Welfare to serve as a guideline for Child Protection and Family Welfare Case Management. The ISSOP provides a harmonized framework of agreed standards, principles and procedures for all Child Protection and Family Welfare stakeholders to understand each other’s role and responsibility.
According to the District Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, Madam Augustina Nartey, UNICEF is currently supporting the department to undertake various activities in the area of Child Protection and one of them is this training as every Child Protection Institution and organization have their own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which are uncoordinated with respect to Child Protection Services. The ISSOP is to help the stakeholders to have a clear and common understanding of details regarding Child Protection and Family Welfare to better co-ordinate their work together, hence, the essence of the training. The training focused on the roles of key duty bearers of ISSOP and the legal framework for Child Protection in Ghana, taking into consideration the availability of Institutional arrangements. This is to equip the stakeholders with the appropriate forms, tools and guidelines to provide efficient and effective services to children in need of care and protection. The various stakeholders which include the Ghana Education Services (GES), Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ghana Health Service (GHS), Civil Society Organizations, the Judiciary and two selected queen mothers from the two traditional areas in the district (Ningo and Prampram) were the second group to be trained as the first group of 25 participants were trained in December 2020.
The participants were taken through the Categories of Child Protection and Family Welfare cases, Case management, the Role of Case Managers with some Guiding Principles and important tips amongst other relevant information to assist them in handling cases with respect to Child Protection and a copy of the referral form of the Ghana ISSOP in Child Protection was provided for each of the participants to acquaint themselves with what it entails.
A staff of Community Development unit demonstrated the use of some tool kits provided by UNICEF to support their course in addressing the plight of children in vulnerable situations. The welfare of the child is a collective responsibility and as child abuse is relevant in all settings, the stakeholders were embolden to adopt interventions that are in the best interest of the child at any point in time. Participants were awarded certificates at the end of the training.
The centre for National Culture Ningo-Prampram District has held it’s 2nd Biennial Traditional Festival (TRATALFEST 2021) on Friday, 18th June, 2021 at the Prampram Education Directorate. “TRATALFEST” which is an abbreviation for Traditional Talent Festival came to light in 2019 to help identify and develop student talents through Arts and Culture.
The Culture Officer of Tourism and Culture for Ningo-Prampram, Madam Joyce Guddah in her speech stated that, Tratalfest was introduced to help young ones maintain and develop their culture and traditions and also aid in decreasing unemployment in the district by choosing talents pertaining to arts amongst the second cycle schools to be nurtured so that after school their interest will grow and develop.
This year’s Tratalfest dubbed “Identifying Student Talents through Art and Culture” came off with three second cycle schools in the district, Prampram Senior High, Ningo Senior High and Global Senior High showcasing their talents in traditional dance, drama, cook arts and craft work. Beautiful artifacts were exhibited amidst beautiful performances to mark the occasion. Addressing the students, the Chairperson for the program, Dr. Narh Hargue, a lecturer at the department of Dance Studies, University of Ghana and also an Artistic Director (Ghana Dance Ensemble, University of Ghana) urged them never to get tired because Arts to the African is a way of life and artist have a sacred duty to reflect life in all forms. He called on the Member of Parliament for the area to support students and youths who are artistically inclined for them to develop their skills and move the district forward.
At the end of the competition, Global Senior High with 88points came 1st in the traditional dance competition whiles Ningo Senior High and Prampram Senior High followed as 1st and 2nd runners up with 86 and 82 points respectively. With 73 points, Ningo Senior High came 1st in the drama competition whiles Global Senior High and Prampram Senior High took the 2nd and 3rd position with 72 and 66points respectively. Moving to the Cooking Arts and Craft Work, Global Senior High once again took the 1st position with 86 points followed by Prampram Senior High, 74points and Ningo Senior High 66points. Global Senior High School emerged as the overall winner and as part of the prize package; the students will undergo training with the University Of Ghana School Of Performing Arts. The Deputy Director for the Assembly, Mr. David Mawufemo Tuglo assured that the Assembly in collaboration with the traditional leaders and private organizations will continue to unearth the talents of young ones and support them to greater heights. The program was sponsored by Nene Tetteh Wakah III the paramount chief of Prampram traditional area and the Kingdom Books and Stationary Ltd.
