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Ten Basic Schools with special needs receive teaching aids
Ten basic schools with children with special needs in Accra have received teaching materials worth GHø20,000 from Chance for Childhood (CfC), an International Non-Governmental Organisation to aid in their teaching.
The items were sandpaper letters and numbers, an animal puzzle, colour tower, and toddler puzzle (shapes and colours and building blocks ).
It was to mark this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, to raise awareness about disability, and draw attention to critical issues relating to the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The beneficiaries were Kanda Accra Metropolitan Basic School, Alwaleed Islamic Training Basic School, Ayawaso North Municipal Model School, John Westley Basic School, and Ayalolo ‘3’ Basic School.
The rest were Kaneshie Kingsway Basic School, Rasad Islamic Basic School, A.N.T ‘3’ Basic School, Abavana Down Basic School and Alajo 1 Basic School.
Making the presentation in Accra yesterday, the Global Inclusive Safe Garden Lead of CfC, Mr Richard Opoku stressed the need for inclusive education for all in the country.
He called on the Ministry of Education to increase budget allocation to inclusive education, adding that it would ensure that children with disabilities and other special needs receive key learning interventions that would help them learn to achieve their potential.
“The Ministry should facilitate the sensitization of parents and caregivers on disability and inclusive education, this would ensure that parents and caregivers get useful information to support children with disabilities and effectively work with school, ”he added.
He called on the management of the schools to maintain the teaching materials and use them for its intended purposes.
Mr Opoku stated that such donations would be replicated in other regions.
The Unit Head, Education for Learners with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Special Education Division at the Ghana Education, Ms Belinda Bukari on behalf of the beneficiaries commended Cfc for the kind gesture.
Ms Bukari urged parents to play the advocacy role by not hiding their children with special needs but give them the needed support to contribute their quota in the communities.
She advised teachers to use best practices in caring for children with disabilities in the country.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
