Communities in litigation will get grant - Benefo

Mankessim (C/R), Aug 21, GNA - Communities engaged in land disputes will not benefit from the National Resource Management Grant, a component of the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP, a poverty reduction programme with a grant for the management of natural resources such as forestation, protection of water bodies and sacred groves.

Mr Jonathan Benefo, a Planning Officer of the Mfantseman District Assembly, stated this at a seminar for Assembly Members, Unit Committees and some executives of the Mankessim Town Council at Mankessim. Mr Benefo who is in-charge of the project appealed to Chiefs and opinion leaders in such communities to find an amicable solution to the disputes to enable them to qualify for the grant. He urged beneficiaries of the micro-credit facility under the project, not to regard the loans as "manna from heaven," but to strive to repay them.

Mr Benefo pointed out that the inability of beneficiaries to pay back loans under the various Poverty Reduction Interventions had stalled such programmes and deprived others from benefiting. He called on the people to prevent the project from suffering the same fate.

Mr Robert Quainoo-Arthur, District Chief Executive, stated that the Assembly was making every effort to strengthen Town and Area Councils to enable them to play their roles effectively since most of the poverty reduction interventions were community driven. He cautioned the people against misapplying poverty alleviation funds and using them for marriages and funerals but to use them judiciously to enable them to repay the loans. 21 Aug 05

NSOC 04 Social Drivers Measures Apam GPRTU takes measures to reduce accidents

Apam (C/R), Aug 21, GNA - The Apam branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has instituted measures to reduce accidents. They include regular eye screening, periodic education on road signs and regular maintenance of vehicles. Mr John Coffie, Chairman of the branch, who announced this at a meeting with transport owners and drivers at Apam, said the Union was arranging with the Apam Catholic Hospital for Eye Specialists to screen the sight of the drivers periodically. He said similar arrangements were being made for officials of the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to educate them on road signs.

Mr Coffie expressed concern about the attitude of some vehicle owners who forced drivers to use faulty vehicles because they did not want to lose their daily sales.

He said faults should be repaired immediately they occurred and stated that under no account should faults be deferred to Sundays. Mr Kenneth Labu-Amissah, Vice Chairman, said the branch had instructed Porters at the stations not to load vehicles with worn out tyres and appealed to the owners to ensure that such parts were in order.

Mr P K Amoako, Secretary cautioned the drivers against overloading and speeding.

He especially advised those plying the Accra route not to take advantage of the good state of the road to speed unnecessarily.