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ATU training students to gain employable skills
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Confronted with the issue of the country’s increasing population and its related problem of unemployment, the Accra Technical University (ATU) has introduced entrepreneurship programme to prepare students to become self employed.
Under the current trend of business model, the university would eventually develop a curriculum that would train students with the requisite skills to enable them to solve the problem of unemployment and at the same time tackle the issue of environmental degradation.
Prof Samuel Nii Odai, the Vice Chancellor of ATU, who was addressing the Social Enterprises and Youth Employability; Stakeholders Consultative Meeting in Accra, said the introduction of Social Enterprises Model was the panacea to solving the problem of unemployed youth in the country.
The programme was organised by ATU in collaboration with Boston University, Huddersfield University, Achievers Ghana, Social Enterprise Programme, and the British Council, as the main sponsor.
He said ATU would imbibe in the students the skills to enable them to come out with their own enterprises, an enterprise that would have a positive effect on the people in the community not the business that would have effect on the society and a business that would be sustainable, but not the type which the entrepreneur would be interested in its profit margin.
The Vice-Chancellor said ATU would work hard to become an Institute of Social Enterprise to enable it to play a meaningful role in training the country’s needed manpower.
Mr Andrew Mensah, an official of the British Council, who chaired the programme, said higher institutions that produce graduates with modern skills, required further training to meet the workplace employable skills.
He said while graduates needed to be more employable, the universities needed to produce graduates who would be self employed, but not those who would look for jobs, which unfortunately, were not available.
Mr Mensah said universities were gravitating towards innovation and entrepreneurship, a trend which he described as very encouraging and pragmatic.
He said the universities were required to act as catalysts for change, learning, innovation and commercialisation, adding that they must also play an important role and research in the ecosystem.
Mr Mensah said in response to the needs of the universities, the British Council has designed the innovation for African universities to strengthen them to develop their capacities as the key players in the ecosystem.
He said the project would foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the universities and facilitate the development of skills required to feed industry, company products and services, adding that the objective of the project was to strengthen the universities with their capabilities as key players in the entrepreneurship.
Ms Sarah Teiko of Amartefio Chambers who spoke on the State of the Regulatory Framework of Social Enterprises in Ghana, urged the students not to shy away from forming their own enterprises while they were still at school.
She said young entrepreneurs who employed young graduates and young entrepreneurs who were physically challenged but established their enterprises were entitled to tax exemptions for a period of five years.
Ms Teiko encouraged them to take advantage of the numerous opportunities to establish their businesses, adding that they must take a bold step in doing something which would be of immense benefit to the community.
By Raymond Kyekye
The forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace, was a mixture of rich tradition and emotional scenes as thousands of mourners concluded the three-day adua for the late Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Yaa Naa Abukari II.
For the period, the Gbewaa Palace became the spiritual and cultural heartbeat of the Dagbon Kingdom as Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, politicians, security personnel and ordinary citizens united in prayer for the repose of the soul of the revered monarch.
From dawn each day, streams of mourners, mostly dressed in traditional smocks and black attire, steadily filled the palace grounds and adjoining streets, transforming the royal seat into a sea of mourners.
Men, women, youth and children sat under canopies and open spaces while verses from the Holy Qur’an echoed across the palace, creating an atmosphere of reverence and reflection.
The air occasionally reverberated with ceremonial gunshots and traditional warrior displays, symbolising honour, bravery and the rich cultural heritage of the Dagbon Kingdom.
The adua, observed in accordance with Islamic tradition following the burial of the Yaa Naa, was attended by eminent Imams and Mallams who offered continuous prayers, seeking Allah’s mercy and eternal peace for the departed King.
Throughout the three-day observance, a steady flow of dignitaries visited the Gbewaa Palace to pay their respects and sign the book of condolence.
Among them were the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John Mburidiba; the Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu; and the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who joined members of the royal family, traditional rulers and mourners in honouring the late Yaa Naa.
Security remained tight throughout the mourning period, with the Ghana Police Service deploying 450 personnel to ensure law and order.
The officers were stationed at strategic locations, including the Gbewaa Palace, major entry points into Yendi and other key installations, where they managed traffic, maintained public order and provided security for thousands of mourners and visiting dignitaries.
Beyond the official ceremonies, the event reflected the deep respect the people of Dagbon and Ghanaians at large had for the late monarch.
The conclusion of the three-day adua marks another important milestone in the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa and signals the gradual transition towards the customary processes leading to the selection and enskinment of a new Overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom.
Although the formal three-day prayers have ended, mourning activities continue, with the seventh-day Islamic prayers expected to draw another large gathering of traditional authorities, government officials, religious leaders and well-wishers from across the country.
From: Geoffrey Buta, Yendi
An Optometrist, Dr Adjoa Pokua Osae Awulai has called on parents to take keen interest in regularly presenting their wards for eye screening.
That, he said, would help with early detection of defects or abnormalities with the eye and seek lasting solution for them.
Dr Osae Awulai made the call at the 13th graduation ceremony of the 3 Garrison Early Childhood Development Centre, Liberation Barracks in Sunyani where a total of 106 pupils made up 50 boys and 56 girls graduated.
According to her, problems with the eye have usually been ignored by some parents that preferred to self-medicate and in the process, making the condition worse.
But she stated that the eye was an important organ that must be treated or handled with extreme care.
According to Dr Awulai, the first eye examination must actually start from birth to six months, adding that “this must be done at least twice in a year.”
This, according to her, was a significant step in improving the wellbeing and academic performance of the children as they grow.
She explained that kids with eye defects develop low self-esteem, lack confidence and perform poorly in school due to their condition.
Dr Awulai said despite her regular school visits to sensitise and create awareness on eye health and safety, most people are just reluctant and find excuses not to seek medical care.
“Some people have become so superstitious; they hold on to their religious beliefs rather than seeking medical care,” she said and urged parents to be regular and intentional about problems with their wards eyes.
She commended the management and staff of the 3 Garrison Early Childhood Development Centre for the care, sacrifice, love, and compassion for the training of the school children.
The Headmistress of 3Garrison Early Childhood Development Centre Mrs Helen Korkor Bamfo appealed to parents and teachers to show and demonstrate love, care, patience, and empathy in nurturing the young children.
This she said is a responsibility that must guide every efforts being made to train the future leaders of our dear country.
Mrs Bamfo said training kids with creative skills encompasses providing the essential support and nourishment conducive for developing their cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual and problem solving skills.
Lt. Michael Tetteh, who represented the Commanding Officer of 3BN Lt Col. Michael Naar, appealed to fathers to make their presence count, indicating that “it is critical in raising children.”
Lt. Tetteh praised the teachers for their professionalism and selfless dedication to duty.
The school pupils entertained their parents and guests with choreographed dances and poetry recitals at the ceremony.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani
