News
1,729 basic schools in Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions undergo disinfection
In an effort to protect pupils in basic schools against the coronavirus disease, Zoomlion Ghana Limited on Monday, begun disinfecting both public and private basic schools in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.
The exercise, which will last for about a week, will cover 1,729 basic schools in the three regions.
Speaking to journalists, the Regional Director of Education, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions, Dr Peter Attefuah, urged parents to allay the fears of their children that when they return to school they would contract COVID-19.
He assured that measures were in place to protect the students and pupils against the COVID-19 attack.
With observation of social and physical distancing, he said, each SHS class would accommodate a maximum of 25 students.
In this regard, Dr Attefuah advised parents to provide their children with all that they would need on campus, insisting that “visitors would not be allowed for the period that they will be on campus till they finish writing their exit final paper.”
He also charged parents to buy nose masks in addition to the three the government would be giving to every student.
He, therefore, implored the students to comply with all the COVID-19 safety protocols.
At Nkwabeng, a suburb of Sunyani in the Bono Region, which was the first port of call, a crew of six Zoomlion field officers with knapsack sprayers disinfected the Boanhen Korko A/B Presby Model, a cluster of Presbyterian schools.
And here classrooms from kindergartens (KGs), lower primary and the JHSs were all disinfected.
For his part, the Regional Manager of Presbyterian Schools for the three regions – Mr Eugene Laryea – announced that the schools had already put measures in place to protect their pupils, noting that they had all bought “Veronica buckets, soaps and also alcohol-based hand sanitisers which would be made available to the pupils when they resume.”
According to him, the schools also formed task-forces whose responsibility would be to enforce the COVID-19 protocols amongst the pupils.
He, therefore, urged parents to ensure that they prepare food for their children to bring along when they were coming to school.
The Writer Bureau Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Robert Kwaku Adjei, revealed that the disinfection of about 65 senior high schools (SHSs) in the three regions (Bono, Bono East and Ahafo) would start today.
He said already his outfit had disinfected 30 tertiary institutions in the three regions.
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
