News
Universities, Zoomlion launch nationwide disinfection exercise
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu has announced plans by the university to invest in e-learning to be able to admit more free senior high school graduates.
He said it was imperative to consider online as a useful tool to addressing accommodation challenges that confronted most tertiary institutions in Ghana.
Prof. Owusu was speaking at the launch of a nationwide disinfection of all tertiary institutions by Zoomlion Ghana Limited at the University of Ghana yesterday.
The Vice Chancellor noted that the use of online in the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Ghana for teaching and learning activities had yielded positive result and asked other universities to utilise it.
It is recalled that teaching and learning activities came to a halt in March, 2020 following the outbreak of the disease also known as (COVID-19).
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo subsequently lockdown Accra, Kumasi and Tamale as part of efforts to contain the virus.
Few weeks ago, the President eased restrictions on the mitigation factors including the order for final year university students to return to school.
Learning does not only take place in a physical space, Prof. Owusu observed and stated that Ghana needed to adopt strategic measures if it was to catch up with the rest of the world.
Importantly, Prof. Owusu who is the chairman of Vice Chancellors Ghana, said students should observe social distancing protocols, use alcohol-based hand sanitisers, use face masks and regularly wash hands with soap under running water.
Prof. Owusu appealed to the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh to organise fumigation of students’ hostels to rid them of bed bugs.
For his part, Dr Prempeh said the disinfection would take place at public and private tertiary institutions including basic schools.
Responding to the request for fumigation, Dr Prempeh said he would help in that regard.
While thanking Zoomlion Ghana Limited for its tremendous support towards the promotion of good hygienic practices, he urged them to continue to provide quality services.
Mrs Florence Larbi, the Managing Director of Zoomlion said the company had deployed motorised boom sprayers and knapsack to rid viruses, fungi, bacteria and other vector causing diseases.
She said Zoomlion offered its disinfection/ fumigation exercise at a 50 per cent discount and urged individuals and organisation to take advantage of that.
Zoomlion Ghana Limited had earlier this year, carried out disinfection of markets, lorry stations, drains, schools including specialised facilities such as the Akropong School for the Blind, universities, technical institutions and many others.
The company was executing the project under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
Last month, Zoomlion fumigated/disinfected more than 4,000 police facilities nationwide.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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
