VRA holds workshop on environment

THE Volta River Authority (VRA) has organised a workshop on Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for stakeholders of the Akosombo and Kpong generating stations to determine the key social and environmental impacts of the construction of the dams and their operations.
The Deputy Chief Executive of VRA, Mr Kirk Koffie, in his remarks, noted that his outfit had implemented a number of environmental, social and public health measures to reduce or compensate for adverse impact of the dams.
He said VRA now operated a medical boat to provide health care services to people along the Volta lake and had embarked on a gorge afforestation project as well as periodic dredging activities at the estuary.
Mr Koffie said VRA was preparing an EMP in accordance with the best practices to ensure that the dams were operated in an environmentally sustainable manner and also ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements were complied with.
The Special Assistant to the Chief Executive of VRA, Major John Gyasi (retd), stated that the preparation and implementation of the EMP for the two dams was to fulfil a key legal requirement of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as required by the environmental assessment regulation.
He said the EMP would identify the total impact of the construction of the dams both upstream and downstream and outline measures to be taken to mitigate them.
A consultant to the project, Mrs Margaret Hartman, observed that the overall objective of the EMP was to ensure continuous improvement in environmental performance in reducing or compensating for the adverse impact.

Mechanic jailed for assaulting peace officer

An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mr C. A. Wilson has sentenced  Theophilus Quarcoe to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour for assaulting a peace officer.
 Quarcoe was served the sentenced on his own plea of guilty to  each count of the offence.
The judge, however, stated that henceforth persons who assault peace officers and other public servants would be handed a stiffer punishment.
According to the prosecution, the convict, a motor mechanic who resides in 'Abola' in James Town was on January 29, 2010 seen riding his unregistered motorbike along the Guggisberg Avenue to Korle-Bu Road in Accra at 7.00a.m.
The complainant, who was together with his colleagues on duty to check motor riders plying that road without registration numbers, asked him to stop.
The complainant, at the time in police uniform, held the carrier of the motorbike and ordered the convict to push the bike to the police station.
 Quarcoe rather sped off with the complainant still hanging onto the carrier of the motorbike.
He dragged the complainant on the main road from the Korle-Bu main bus stop to the Korle-Bu traffic light where he was rescued by other policemen but the convict managed to escape on the motorbike.
On May 27, 2009, Quarcoo was brought to the police station for committing a crime and was apprehended by the police for his earlier offence.
He was then arraigned before the court and charged with the offences.

Make-up bar now in Ghana

For the first time in the nation’s history Ghanaian women will have the chance to have their make-up done for them in the newly established make-up bar which has been introduced in the country by the Berlin Investment Limited.
Apart from the traditional role of the bar, clients will also have great fun and entertainment at all times where artistes and popular stars will meet and provide mentorship and private lessons in make-up artistry.
The CEO of the make-up bar explained that the make-up bar serves as a showroom and retail centre and provides exceptional and world-class make-up products and services to Ghanaian women.
He further stated that the make-up bar, being the first of its kind, will introduce varieties of the Black Secret products for the face, eye, lips, cheeks and nails to customers.
“We shall also provide make-up services for brides, private lessons, parties, fashion shows and day make-up”, he added.
He also noted that the Black Secret brand seeks to project quality, protection  and style.
Berlin Investment Limited is the manufacturer and distributor of Black Secret products. The products range from press powder, cream, powder foundation, loose powder, waterproof mascara, lip gloss, eye-shadow and facial wipes.






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New Beer Launched

Accra Brewery Limited last weekend introduced Club Gold premium lager to add to their portfolio of brands. 

Briefing the press, Mr Greg Metcalf, Managing Director of the company explained that Club Gold is  brewed with the finest crystal malt, which gives a rich taste, fuller body, golden colour and aroma.

"It is a home grown premium lager that meets international standards of quality and taste" he added.

Mr  Metcalf also stated that although the product is a truly home grown premium lager it comes with genuine international credentials, adding that it has been carefully brewed with the choicest ingredients from around the world.

"The development of this brand has been through an in-depth understanding of our target consumer. We discovered through this process that our consumers value good quality brands that have style, but more importantly substance and depth" noted Mr Chris Wulff-Ceasar, the Marketing Manager.

He also added that Club Gold is a crafted premium lager which contain the finest crystal malt and has been tailor-made for the ‘Urban Aspirers’. Stressing that these are highly driven individuals who combine local pride with a global outlook, and wants to be seen drinking only the best.

He further stated, that the introduction of Club Gold to the market will employ integrated marketing channels which appeal to the lifestyle and choices of our target consumers.

Accra Brewery Limited  has been operating within the country since  1931 and has among it portfolio of brands, Club Premium Lager, Castle Milk Stout, Club Minerals, Redd"s Fruit Fusion and Vitalmalt Plus.

Chocofest 2010 launched

The Ghana Tourist Board, in collaboration with Cocoa Processing Company Limited, has launched this year’s celebration of the National Chocolate Day dubbed 'Chocofest 2010’ at a ceremony at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra.

Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Julius Debrah, explained that the idea behind the celebration was not only to make consumption of chocolate popular during a particular period of time, but to also promote the consumption of made-in-Ghana products, including cocoa products.

The name will soon be changed to ‘Ghana Chocolate Day’ to distinguish the celebration of the day from the idea of it being a day for the celebration of other foreign chocolates, he noted.

He stated further that steps were being put in place to run programmes that will encourage people to eat chocolate at all times.

In his address, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Mr Kobby Acheampong, observed that cocoa, first brought as a seed, had now developed to become a product that tells the Ghanaian success story, adding that cocoa should be patronised by all as it has a lot of health benefits.

The Manager of Special Events, Mr Alex Boakye, added that the day was celebrated to promote made-in-Ghana chocolate, which was acclaimed to be one of the best in the world, especially for health reasons, among others.

He stated further that activities for the celebration of the event would span a period of three days. 

Outlining the programme of activities for the celebration, he said proceedings would begin with a tour by children from deprived schools to cocoa processing companies, followed by exhibitions to be held in selected hotels, drinking spots and restaurants.

The celebration will be climaxed with a beach party at Kokrobite Beach to entertain guest at a special chocolate party, which will lead up to a dinner for selected ‘Valentine couples’ and their wards who will be served with a chocolate meal.

He said a deliberate effort was being made at inculcating in children the habit of consuming chocolate as they are formidable agents who could influence their guardians in their purchases.

The Managing Director of Cocoa Processing Company Limited, however, expressed disappointment that even though cocoa farmers were the producers of the cocoa product, there were some who had never tasted a bar of chocolate in their life. 

He consequently promised that the next consignment of packages to be presented by the company as awards on Farmers Day would include chocolate.

He also called for the inclusion of chocolate in the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

VRA ladies mark 10th anniversary

The Ladies Association of the Volta River Authority (VRA) last weekend held a fund-raising and dinner dance in Accra to climax its 10th anniversary celebration.

The fund-raising was in aid of needy, brilliant girls in the VRA’s resettlement communities.

 Mrs Tandy Chothia, the President  of the association, in her welcoming address, explained that the resettlement communities had been adversely affected by the operations of the VRA, adding, “It is, therefore, appropriate that we do what we can to alleviate some of the problems.”

“Being a ladies’ association, we took into consideration the plight of the girl child and felt that the best way we could help would be in the area of education,” she noted.

She said the association had previously sponsored a few girls  at Mpakadah at the basic level of education, noting that with the advent of the free education policy, it had decided to target the senior high school level and planned to sponsor five girls. 

Mrs Chothia called on the public to help conserve energy. 

Contemporary gospel show at National Theatre

Impact Project Ministry, a non-denominational gospel music ministry, will on February 7, 2010, treat its patrons to the ‘best of contemporary gospel music at the National Theatre in Accra.

 Speaking to The Mirror, Mr Sena Adzam, President of the ministry, explained that the event had the social objective of raising awareness on Dyslexia; learning mental disorder and children.

The concert, which is the fifth edition of the ministry, is  dubbed ‘Evolution 5’.

Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Soul Winners and Worshippers Ministry International are among the gospel musicians that will be performing on the night.

Tickets for the concert are available at Citi FM, Sunny FM, Choice FM and the Legon Hall Main Porters Lodge of the University of Ghana. There will be buses to convey students from the University of Ghana, as well as people who live in the vicinity to and back from the event.              

Miss Zenith crowned Face of Tertiary

After what seemed a boring sermon which sent most of the audience sleeping and others leaving the auditorium, at this year’s Face of the Tertiary event Miss Zenith College was finally crowned the winner.

Jasmine Seyram Akortu, a 19-year-old, first-year accounting student, received a Proton saloon car, a monthly salary of GH¢1200.00 and a ticket to represent Ghana at the finals of Miss World University Pageant to be held in Seoul, South Korea in March. 

She will, as part of her reign, be the Ambassador of the Anti-Child Labour Project which aims at eradicating child labour from Ghana.

 Miss Cape Coast University, the first runner-up took home GH¢1,000 and a laptop, while Miss University of Education, second runner-up took home GH¢700 and a cooker.

All the other finalists each took home  GH¢200.

The competition, which started about six months ago, had 23 contestants  representing their various schools after winning similar pageants in their schools. 

The contestants opened the show, dressed in casual wear and in groups of three while their fans screamed as they appeared.

This was followed by each contestant appearing alone and giving a speech after which each of them answered a question from the judges. 

After this segment the contestants came on stage to showcase their talents. Miss Zenith won that segment after performing a dance move of the late Michael Jackson.

The fashion show segment followed and the contestants modelled beautifully crafted designs.

The number was then pruned to eight with Miss UCC, Miss Zenith, Miss K. Poly, Miss Catholic University, Miss Wisconsin, Miss UDS and Miss UEW making it to the finals.

 The eight finalists then came on stage one after another and presented their project findings to the audience, after which the best three were crowned that the night.

Miss Kumasi Poly and Miss Bolga Poly won the Miss Eloquence and Miss Personality categories respectively.

But for the  musical interlude by the DJ, the audience would have been left sleeping as the stage was left ideal sometimes for as long as five minutes before the show continued.

There were also performances by Rough ‘n’ Smooth which the audience enjoyed.