News
CSIR launches 5-year development plan
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched a 5-year strategic plan which will serve as a guideline for its operations.
According to Director-General of CSIR-Ghana, Professor Paul P. Bosu, the strategic plan which was launched last week Thursday at its head office in Accra was developed based on four key drivers.
The four key drivers Prof Bosu noted were financial resource mobilization, staff and system performance improvement, re-branding and visibility improvement, private sector Research and Development (R and D), and technological innovation.
Additionally, he said the aforementioned four key drivers which formed the basis for the development of the strategic plan had four different objectives which are to develop and transfer at least three industry-driven technologies per institute per year, and to generate at least 30% of annual recurrent expenditure by 2027 through the attraction of funding.
The other objectives of the strategic plan are to ensure positive visibility of CSIR through weekly branding in the print and electronic media, enjoy significant goodwill from identifier stakeholders, and get 80% of the workforce to be passionate, result-oriented, and positive and ethically minded enough to pursue the vision of CSIR.
Prof Bosu further asserted that aside from the objectives, the five-year strategic plan had various targets which the CSIR was determined to meet through hard work and dedication.
Some of the set targets he outlined were the operationalization of 130 private-public partnership arrangements, addressing 52 stakeholder interests annually, distribution of 140 different types of promotional materials to at least 375 stakeholders, and the publication of 280 feature articles.
Others include the development, validation, and adoption of 195 industry-relevant technologies by industries, the publication of 195 scientific papers, the training of 500 staff in specialised areas to drive technology development, attraction of USD 306.37 M from submission of winning proposals, and the benefit from more attractive incentives, loans and award schemes by at least 1780 staff.
In terms of monitoring and evaluation, the Director-General asserted that the four key drivers which formed the basis for the development of the strategic plan would be measured through various performance indicators such as the number of industry-driven technologies developed, and feature articles published.
According to Prof Bosu, the grand total budget for the strategic plan was ₵22,237,534.80, adding that a Strategic Plan Auditing Team (SPAT) responsible for auditing the operations of the Strategic Plan Implementation and Coordinating Committee (SPICC) and Institute Strategic Plan Implementation Committee (ISPIC) would be established.
Both the SPICC and ISPIC that would be established under the corporate CSIR and at all 13 institutes, Prof Bosu said would be made up of seven members and would be mandated to manage and drive the implementation of all aspects of the strategic plan, and to drive the internal implementation of institute strategic plans.
Prof Bosu, in a brief remark, charged the members of the Council to “have the mindset of a private organisation to ensure that the strategic plan is successfully implemented to achieve its set targets and objectives”.
Copies of the five-strategic plan were presented to the Council members of the CSIR after its launch for their perusal.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
Muslims across the country celebrated this year’s Eid-ul-Adha in a colourful and spiritually uplifting atmosphere under the theme, “A Season of Sacrifice, Solidarity and Spiritual Renewal.”
The celebration brought together Muslims from diverse backgrounds in a remarkable display of faith, unity and cultural heritage.
The occasion was marked by special Eid prayers at various designated grounds, the slaughtering of rams in homes for sharing among family members, friends and the less privileged, as well as musical concerts and recreational activities including horse riding.
Leading the celebration was the Chief Imam, Dr Sheikh Osman Sharubutu.
While the national celebration was held at the Black Star Square where President John Dramani Mahama was the Special Guest of Honour, similar gatherings took place at different centres across the capital and other regions of the country.
A visit by The Spectator to some celebration grounds revealed Muslims, both young and old, elegantly dressed in colourful jalabiya and other Islamic attire, reflecting the rich culture and traditions of the Muslim community.
The celebration also portrayed the spirit of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the country, as a number of Christians joined their Muslim counterparts to mark the occasion.
Muslim leaders and government officials used the opportunity to call on the faithful to uphold the teachings of the Holy Quran, renew their spiritual commitment and refrain from acts capable of undermining the peace, unity and security of the nation.
They further urged Ghanaians to continue to live in harmony and support one another for national development.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
Dear Obaa Yaa,
During Eid-ul- Adha celebration, I decided to spend the weekend at my boyfriend’s place since we were planning towards our marriage.
To my surprise, what keeps me wide awake, restless and frustrated every single time is that he snores loudly like a generator running on full power, and I genuinely cannot get any rest
At a point, I thought it was just a normal thing, but I have realised it is something he does with ease and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.
When he steps out in the morning, I try to get enough sleep because I may not sleep in the evening.
The most annoying thing is that, he always wants to cuddle me. These two things are a no for me and a red flag.
We are about to get married, what should I do?
Enam, Keta.
Dear Enam,
The snoring and constant cuddling are frustrating, but you don’t have to choose between sleep and closeness.
Start with the snoring: check if it’s worse when he sleeps on his back, cut out alcohol before bed, try nasal strips or a humidifier, and see a doctor if he pauses while breathing.
For quick relief, foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones help a lot.
Separate blankets, a bigger bed, or sleeping apart on some nights often makes couples rest well and feel closer overall.
Bring this up before the wedding .Tell him you want to wake up next to him for years to come, but sleep deprivation makes you both miserable.
Test earplugs and side-sleeping this weekend, and if it’s still unbearable, bring in a doctor. Good sleep matters more for your marriage than staying glued together all night.
