Programme this year, the Deputy Director of the LEAP Programme, Mr Lawrence Ofori Addo, has said.
Approximately 64,000 households are currently benefiting from the programme.
Averagely, a household comprises four persons and the additional 11,000 will bring the total beneficiaries to 75,000.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Wednesday, Mr Addo said currently, officials were using a community based targeting method and a proxy means testing system to identify the extremely poor households in the communities.
That, he said, was done by going to the communities to ask people who they thought were extremely poor, for the people in the various communities to give their dimension.
“We do this but cannot rely on that to identify the poor households since some people might mention only their relatives for them to be aided”, he added.
The LEAP is a programme that provides money and free health insurance to extremely poor households across the country to help improve short-term poverty and encourage long-term human capital development.
It is a flagship programme of the National Social Protection Strategy and implemented by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW).
The LEAP started on a pilot phase in March 2008 with about 2000 households, and expanded gradually in 2009 and 2010. In June 2010, approximately 35,000 households were enrolled with an annual expenditure of about USD 11 million.
Mr Addo, therefore, proclaimed that the proxy means test, which used a number of questions programmed on a database, was used to select and verify the extremely poor households, as well as categorise them into groups.
Taking the Daily Graphic through the database selection process on which various extremely poor households were selected and categorised, Mr Addo explained that poverty was widespread in Ghana, so to be able to identify the extremely poor, the two methods; community base and proxy means test were used.
He further stated that it was likely to increase the grant given to the households to about GH¢36 a month per household.
He stated that the programme looked at households which had at least one of its members who was a single parent with orphan or vulnerable child (OVC), elderly poor or a person with extreme disability and unable to work.
He held that those people suffered a lot of prejudices and abuses from the society, thus the need to help alleviate the poverty and suffering.
According to Mr Addo, there had been an agreement with the Ministries of Local Government, Education, Food and Agriculture, Women and Children’s affairs and the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to use a common mechanism of targetting the poor in the communities.
He also stated that they were rolling out that strategy with the Ministry of Health as well, to identify and help individuals in the very poor households.
Delays in the releases of funds from the central government to households selected is a major challenge that has affected the implementation of the LEAP Programme.
Mr Addo affirmed to the Daily Graphic that the programme had arrears of eight months to pay to the beneficiaries of the programme, adding that funds had been released for the payment of the arrears to be made in about a week or two.
Other great challenges that had affected the facilitation and implementation of the programme was human resource constraints, which were due to the government’s policy on employment that no person be employed except when there was vacancy in an office and the giving of wrong information by the people in the communities, which made the work difficult for the LEAP officers.
According to Mr Addo, the less number of officers at the LEAP Programme office affected the work at the office since the same officers who mobilised the people for the programme were the same people to collect data in the communities.
The administration of the LEAP Programme, therefore, called on the government to help resolve these problems and assured Ghanaians that they would streamline things this year to develop a more systematic way of enrolling the beneficiaries, to allow a lot more of beneficiaries to benefit from the programme to help reduce poverty and encourage human capital development in the country.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Persons in leadership asked to allow God in their mission
GHANAIANS and all Christians in leadership positions have been urged to allow God to drive and encourage them in their various leadership roles to be able to make a difference in society.
The Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, Rev Herbert Anim Opong, speaking at the induction ceremony of the National Men’s Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Accra yesterday, stated that people in leadership positions should note that it was God who had called them into their various positions, adding that they, therefore, needed to worship God and abide by his laws.
According to him, God chose people to lead others in a group or society due to the circumstances or situations of those people.
Rev Anim Opong, therefore, advised the newly inducted executive to work together with other groups in the church to come up with solutions to alleviate the evil and wrongdoing in the church and society at large.
“You have been called by God. You should, therefore, know the meaning of the context of your calling,” he said.
Lt Col Jonas Yaw Asamoah (retd) was inducted as the national president; Mr James Frempong, the national vice-president (Finance); Dr Steve S.Y. Yirenkyi as the national vice-president (Development and Property) and Mr Stephen Kweku Armah as the national vice-president (Education and Evangelism).
Mr Felix Boampong Wiredu, Mr Charles Oduro Nyarko, Mr John Ofori Jnr, Mr Heiric H. Newman, Rev Peter Kofi Nyarkoh and Mr Patrick Frempong were inducted as national secretary, treasurer, financial secretary, music director, national chaplain and national public relations officer, respectively.
Inducting the executive members into office, Rev Opong, who represented the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, called on the almighty God to enlighten and strengthen them by the power of the holy spirit to enable them to discharge their duties to the glory and praise of God.
The newly inducted executive also pledged to discharge the duties of the various offices diligently and faithfully, according to the constitution of the Men’s Fellowship, to seek the material and spiritual growth of the fellowship, for the service of Christ and the nation at large.
The Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, Rev Herbert Anim Opong, speaking at the induction ceremony of the National Men’s Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Accra yesterday, stated that people in leadership positions should note that it was God who had called them into their various positions, adding that they, therefore, needed to worship God and abide by his laws.
According to him, God chose people to lead others in a group or society due to the circumstances or situations of those people.
Rev Anim Opong, therefore, advised the newly inducted executive to work together with other groups in the church to come up with solutions to alleviate the evil and wrongdoing in the church and society at large.
“You have been called by God. You should, therefore, know the meaning of the context of your calling,” he said.
Lt Col Jonas Yaw Asamoah (retd) was inducted as the national president; Mr James Frempong, the national vice-president (Finance); Dr Steve S.Y. Yirenkyi as the national vice-president (Development and Property) and Mr Stephen Kweku Armah as the national vice-president (Education and Evangelism).
Mr Felix Boampong Wiredu, Mr Charles Oduro Nyarko, Mr John Ofori Jnr, Mr Heiric H. Newman, Rev Peter Kofi Nyarkoh and Mr Patrick Frempong were inducted as national secretary, treasurer, financial secretary, music director, national chaplain and national public relations officer, respectively.
Inducting the executive members into office, Rev Opong, who represented the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, called on the almighty God to enlighten and strengthen them by the power of the holy spirit to enable them to discharge their duties to the glory and praise of God.
The newly inducted executive also pledged to discharge the duties of the various offices diligently and faithfully, according to the constitution of the Men’s Fellowship, to seek the material and spiritual growth of the fellowship, for the service of Christ and the nation at large.
Work begins on Accra Academy library
WORK has commenced on the construction of a modern library block for the Accra Academy Senior High School .
The ultra-modern facility, which will also contain an administration block, is a project funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND), at a provisional cost of GHC520,000.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the project, the Managing Director of Patriq Green Limited, the contracting firm, Mr Patrick Quainoo, said the facility, when completed would contribute to the development of the nation, by producing more prominent leaders.
He assured the board of the school, teachers and students that the facility to be built will be a 21st century library to accommodate a large number of students and generations yet unborn.
He expressed gratitude to the board of the school for awarding the contract to him and urged the students to make good use of the facility .
The fourth headmaster of the school, Mr Vincent Birch Freeman, appealed to the students to cultivate the habit of reading, to enable them excel academically, adding that “the more you read, the more you gain more knowledge to do extremely well”.
He advised that the library, when completed, be manned by a professional librarian, and not an ordinary teacher.
Mr Freeman also called on the school authorities to ensure the maintenance of the facility, and to make sure that the students, as well, make good use of the library to make the school the best school in West Africa.
An alumni of the school, Mr Ben C. Eghan, also expressed his joy over the construction of the new library, since according to him, the old one that had been there since he was a student in the 1960s, was a very small one that could not contain a large number of students at a time.
He called on the alumni of the school, to contribute their quota to the development of the school and the nation at large.
The headmaster of the school, Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, said the facility, when completed, would make the school one of the top schools in Africa and would help it to improve its current standard.
The ultra-modern facility, which will also contain an administration block, is a project funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND), at a provisional cost of GHC520,000.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the project, the Managing Director of Patriq Green Limited, the contracting firm, Mr Patrick Quainoo, said the facility, when completed would contribute to the development of the nation, by producing more prominent leaders.
He assured the board of the school, teachers and students that the facility to be built will be a 21st century library to accommodate a large number of students and generations yet unborn.
He expressed gratitude to the board of the school for awarding the contract to him and urged the students to make good use of the facility .
The fourth headmaster of the school, Mr Vincent Birch Freeman, appealed to the students to cultivate the habit of reading, to enable them excel academically, adding that “the more you read, the more you gain more knowledge to do extremely well”.
He advised that the library, when completed, be manned by a professional librarian, and not an ordinary teacher.
Mr Freeman also called on the school authorities to ensure the maintenance of the facility, and to make sure that the students, as well, make good use of the library to make the school the best school in West Africa.
An alumni of the school, Mr Ben C. Eghan, also expressed his joy over the construction of the new library, since according to him, the old one that had been there since he was a student in the 1960s, was a very small one that could not contain a large number of students at a time.
He called on the alumni of the school, to contribute their quota to the development of the school and the nation at large.
The headmaster of the school, Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, said the facility, when completed, would make the school one of the top schools in Africa and would help it to improve its current standard.
Dansoman road project ready July
WORK on the reconstruction of the Dansoman main dual carriage road will be completed by July this year.
The Chief Executive Officer of PMC Construction Limited, Mr Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, told journalists in Accra yesterday that conveying construction materials from the Central Region and the Shai Hills to the main construction site at Dansoman had been the main challenge confronting the project.
He said about 90 per cent of the work had been completed and that the rest would be accomplished by July this year.
The Dansoman main road was initially a single carriage road which, according to the contractor and the Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma South, Mr Fritz Baffuor, was full of potholes.
The initial plan was to fill the potholes which posed a threat to both drivers and all those who used the road.
The project was later changed to the reconstruction of a dual carriage highway instead to ease traffic and alleviate the various road threats it posed to those who plied it.
The dual carriage highway reconstruction, which started more than two years ago and has run far beyond its completion date, led to business activities along the Dansoman Highway coming to a standstill due to the dust that entered the shops along the highway.
While inspecting the work done so far on the project, Mr Abdullah affirmed that 13 bus stops would be put up on the road.
He also indicated that street lights, speed humps and bus stops could not be put up before the completion of the project and called on the people who were suggesting that such facilities be provided before the completion of the work to put a stop to that suggestion.
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic said there had been several tours of inspection of the road but its completion had become a problem.
They complained about the health hazard the project had posed since it was started.
The Daily Graphic also noted that part of the road had been tarred, while the untarred part was sprinkled with water to avoid dust.
But, according to the residents, the sprinkling was not done always but only when there was going to be an inspection of the road.
Mr Abdullah pointed out that water could not be poured on the road always because of the cost involved in purchasing a tanker of water to the construction site for sprinkling on the ground.
“The road cannot be built somewhere and brought here, so there will definitely be dust while the construction goes on and the sprinkling of water on the road to lessen the dust was not included in the contract,” he added.
According to him, a tanker of water cost GH¢300 and in a day about five trips would be needed, which would cost the government huge sums of money if included in the budget for the construction of the road.
Mr Abdullah assured the government and the public of a 10-year warranty which would guarantee that the there would not be any potholes on the road after completion.
Mr Baffuor noted that the construction of the Dansoman main road was only one of the many projects he had embarked on and completed in the area and expressed optimism that he would win the Ablekuma South Constituency seat again.
The Chief Executive Officer of PMC Construction Limited, Mr Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, told journalists in Accra yesterday that conveying construction materials from the Central Region and the Shai Hills to the main construction site at Dansoman had been the main challenge confronting the project.
He said about 90 per cent of the work had been completed and that the rest would be accomplished by July this year.
The Dansoman main road was initially a single carriage road which, according to the contractor and the Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma South, Mr Fritz Baffuor, was full of potholes.
The initial plan was to fill the potholes which posed a threat to both drivers and all those who used the road.
The project was later changed to the reconstruction of a dual carriage highway instead to ease traffic and alleviate the various road threats it posed to those who plied it.
The dual carriage highway reconstruction, which started more than two years ago and has run far beyond its completion date, led to business activities along the Dansoman Highway coming to a standstill due to the dust that entered the shops along the highway.
While inspecting the work done so far on the project, Mr Abdullah affirmed that 13 bus stops would be put up on the road.
He also indicated that street lights, speed humps and bus stops could not be put up before the completion of the project and called on the people who were suggesting that such facilities be provided before the completion of the work to put a stop to that suggestion.
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic said there had been several tours of inspection of the road but its completion had become a problem.
They complained about the health hazard the project had posed since it was started.
The Daily Graphic also noted that part of the road had been tarred, while the untarred part was sprinkled with water to avoid dust.
But, according to the residents, the sprinkling was not done always but only when there was going to be an inspection of the road.
Mr Abdullah pointed out that water could not be poured on the road always because of the cost involved in purchasing a tanker of water to the construction site for sprinkling on the ground.
“The road cannot be built somewhere and brought here, so there will definitely be dust while the construction goes on and the sprinkling of water on the road to lessen the dust was not included in the contract,” he added.
According to him, a tanker of water cost GH¢300 and in a day about five trips would be needed, which would cost the government huge sums of money if included in the budget for the construction of the road.
Mr Abdullah assured the government and the public of a 10-year warranty which would guarantee that the there would not be any potholes on the road after completion.
Mr Baffuor noted that the construction of the Dansoman main road was only one of the many projects he had embarked on and completed in the area and expressed optimism that he would win the Ablekuma South Constituency seat again.
Monday, 16 January 2012
GCGL pays bills for 4 child cancer patients
THE Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) yesterday presented a cheque for GH¢10,200 to the Department of Child Health of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).
The donation is to help defray the medical bills of four needy children suffering from child cancer at the hospital.
An additional amount of GH¢5,000 was donated to the parents of one of the children, Prince Kwesi, for the child’s upkeep during the operation.
The money is from the Graphic Needy Trust Fund (GNTF) which was established in the late 1980s with the aim of appealing for funds nation-wide in a co-ordinated manner to help needy people have access to medical treatment.
Since 1989, the company and its collaborators, through the fund, have helped about 180 needy patients in the country. The GNTF has become one of the company’s major tools for social responsibility, with a lot of needy Ghanaians turning to it for help to access medical care.
The Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Ken Ashigbey, presenting the cheque, said that the development of the country was very critical and so there was the need to ensure that people had access to good health.
He said the situation at the Department of Child Health of the KBTH was a pathetic one that needed support from all Ghanaians, not the government alone.
Mr Ashigbey underscored the need for Ghanaians to extend support to the government, particularly in the development of infrastructure in society, stressing, “We must all see it as our responsibility when it comes to the growth of the economy.’’
He appealed to corporate organisations and the public to extend support to the needy in the communities, as well as doctors and nurses, to eliminate poverty and sickness.
The Paediatrician in charge of the Department of Child Cancer, KBTH, Dr Lorna Awo Renner, who received the cheque, expressed profound gratitude to the GCGL and other organisations which, for years, had supported the department.
She intimated that 75 per cent of child cancer could be cured when detected early, adding, “Your support will equip the institution to fully discharge its duties to save the lives of children.’’
She called on the government to include the treatment of child cancer under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
That, according to her, would aid in saving the lives of many children suffering from the disease, adding that childhood cancer represents only one per cent of cancers.
The donation is to help defray the medical bills of four needy children suffering from child cancer at the hospital.
An additional amount of GH¢5,000 was donated to the parents of one of the children, Prince Kwesi, for the child’s upkeep during the operation.
The money is from the Graphic Needy Trust Fund (GNTF) which was established in the late 1980s with the aim of appealing for funds nation-wide in a co-ordinated manner to help needy people have access to medical treatment.
Since 1989, the company and its collaborators, through the fund, have helped about 180 needy patients in the country. The GNTF has become one of the company’s major tools for social responsibility, with a lot of needy Ghanaians turning to it for help to access medical care.
The Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Ken Ashigbey, presenting the cheque, said that the development of the country was very critical and so there was the need to ensure that people had access to good health.
He said the situation at the Department of Child Health of the KBTH was a pathetic one that needed support from all Ghanaians, not the government alone.
Mr Ashigbey underscored the need for Ghanaians to extend support to the government, particularly in the development of infrastructure in society, stressing, “We must all see it as our responsibility when it comes to the growth of the economy.’’
He appealed to corporate organisations and the public to extend support to the needy in the communities, as well as doctors and nurses, to eliminate poverty and sickness.
The Paediatrician in charge of the Department of Child Cancer, KBTH, Dr Lorna Awo Renner, who received the cheque, expressed profound gratitude to the GCGL and other organisations which, for years, had supported the department.
She intimated that 75 per cent of child cancer could be cured when detected early, adding, “Your support will equip the institution to fully discharge its duties to save the lives of children.’’
She called on the government to include the treatment of child cancer under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
That, according to her, would aid in saving the lives of many children suffering from the disease, adding that childhood cancer represents only one per cent of cancers.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Speech and Language Therapy Programme to be further developed in Ghana
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the University of Columbia Speech and Language Therapy Teachers College, New York, USA, is working to further develop a Speech and Language Therapy programme in Ghana.
The therapy programme will help to identify a person's communication challenges and then develop recommendations that the family and teaching or medical staff could implement to help the persons with speech and language disability communicate well.
The programme also includes the training of students from the medical school to become specialists in Speech and Language Therapy, and will help create awareness about the nature of the impediment and educate Ghanaians about it not being anything to be ashamed of.
The University has been organising the programme for the past five years and has helped to support and train doctors, teachers and specialists to treat patients,students and those suffering from speech and language impairments.
Speech and language impairment is when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice. Difficulties pronouncing sounds, or articulation disorders, and stuttering are examples of speech disorders.
The Deputy Health Minister, Mr Rojo Mettle Nunoo, at a meeting with the University’s directors and eighteen students from the university today(Thursday) at Korle Bu, stated that his ministry was happy to join hands to implement such a beneficial programme for all Ghanaians, and expressed hope that the sector Ministry will establish a training unit at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for future training and development purposes.
According to him, the programme should ideally be opened to all to have a greater impact on schools, especially the Nursery and Primary School levels, as well as the general public.
Mr Nunoo told the Daily Graphic that Ghana should be able to train 15,000 specialists in this field in order to improve and continue to develop the training of specialists to cater for affected people in the future. .
He mentioned that it was important to raise awareness of the social challenges faced by those suffering from speech and language difficulties, whether they had suffered from a stroke, severe trauma or had faced difficulties since birth.
The Director of the Columbia University Speech and Language Therapy Teachers College, Mrs Cate Crowley, was optimistic that Ghanaians would be able to train their own speech and language therapists and stressed the importance of diminishing discrimination against those affected by speech and language impediments.
The students have worked at two major teaching hospitals in Accra and Kumasi, within Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department, cleft palate, and craniofacial departments, and with the unit schools for students with disabilities. They have been working with stroke victims in an attempt to improve communication through the use of pictures and spoke positively of its success.
The therapy programme will help to identify a person's communication challenges and then develop recommendations that the family and teaching or medical staff could implement to help the persons with speech and language disability communicate well.
The programme also includes the training of students from the medical school to become specialists in Speech and Language Therapy, and will help create awareness about the nature of the impediment and educate Ghanaians about it not being anything to be ashamed of.
The University has been organising the programme for the past five years and has helped to support and train doctors, teachers and specialists to treat patients,students and those suffering from speech and language impairments.
Speech and language impairment is when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice. Difficulties pronouncing sounds, or articulation disorders, and stuttering are examples of speech disorders.
The Deputy Health Minister, Mr Rojo Mettle Nunoo, at a meeting with the University’s directors and eighteen students from the university today(Thursday) at Korle Bu, stated that his ministry was happy to join hands to implement such a beneficial programme for all Ghanaians, and expressed hope that the sector Ministry will establish a training unit at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for future training and development purposes.
According to him, the programme should ideally be opened to all to have a greater impact on schools, especially the Nursery and Primary School levels, as well as the general public.
Mr Nunoo told the Daily Graphic that Ghana should be able to train 15,000 specialists in this field in order to improve and continue to develop the training of specialists to cater for affected people in the future. .
He mentioned that it was important to raise awareness of the social challenges faced by those suffering from speech and language difficulties, whether they had suffered from a stroke, severe trauma or had faced difficulties since birth.
The Director of the Columbia University Speech and Language Therapy Teachers College, Mrs Cate Crowley, was optimistic that Ghanaians would be able to train their own speech and language therapists and stressed the importance of diminishing discrimination against those affected by speech and language impediments.
The students have worked at two major teaching hospitals in Accra and Kumasi, within Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department, cleft palate, and craniofacial departments, and with the unit schools for students with disabilities. They have been working with stroke victims in an attempt to improve communication through the use of pictures and spoke positively of its success.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
WATCH-NIGHT services were held in churches in many parts of the country, amid singing and dancing, to herald 2012.
Many people also stayed in their homes, while others were at drinking spots and tourists centres to await the dawn of the new year.
As soon as it struck midnight, revellers welcomed the year with the blaring of sirens, tooting of car horns, shouts of joy and firing of firecrackers in homes and on the streets.
Worshippers in churches greeted the new year with shouts of ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Glory to God’, amidst singing and dancing to gospel tunes.
The theme for most of the watch-night services was the need for Ghanaians to be thankful for what God had done and continued to do for them and pray for a peaceful and successful 2012 general election.
Ghanaians were also urged to stay away from indiscipline, insulting behaviour and violence and avoid being used by politicians to achieve their selfish interests.
At the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, Accra, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, urged Christians not to dwell on the bad things that happened in the past year but thank God for the good things that happened in their lives, reports Rebecca Kwei.
Quoting the Scriptures, he said all things worked for the good of those of who loved the Lord and so it was important to thank God for good health, the gift of life, family and friends, freedom to worship and the relative peace the country was enjoying.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said those who loved God saw His hand at work even in the midst of challenges and tragedies, adding, “In all things, give thanks to God, and even if you do not understand, pray that God will help you see with His eyes that He loves you.”
At the Calvary Methodist Church, Tema Community 3, the Minister in charge, Rev Ebenezer Douglas Bruce-Tagoe, advised Ghanaians, especially Christians, to have patience in all situations, since God had His own way of manifesting His love and grace for mankind, reports Albert Sam.
He said those who waited upon the Lord and lifted high His name and that of His Son Jesus Christ would have His protection and defence in a more righteous way.
Albert K. Salia reports from the St Peter’s Catholic Church, Osu, that the Parish Priest, Rev Fr Dominic Amegashiti, who based his New Year Homily on Deuteronomy 31:6, urged Ghanaians, particularly Christians, not to live in fear in the New Year, as the blessings of God would be poured upon them in abundance.
He urged them to be strong and courageous, as God would not forsake them, stressing, “Whatever we lost in 2011 will be regained in 2012. All the disappointments will be turned into divine appointment.”
Seth J. Bokpe reports that in a sermon based on Psalm 26 and on the theme: “2012, My Year of Divine Encounter”, Rev Dr Francis F.K Abotchi, the Parish Pastor of the Trinity Parish of the Global Evangelical Church at Kotobabi in Accra, called on Christians to renew their commitment to God in order to achieve their dreams.
“Delay is not denial. God will help realise your dreams, but you will have to commit your time, talents and resources because God will not put fire where there is no sacrifice,” he said.
In a rather rare message on New Year’s eve, Rev Dag Heward-Mills, the Founder and Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Chapel International, shared 25 reasons why it was important for Christians to contribute to the building of the church, Samuel Doe Ablordeppey reports.
He said the church, with all its flaws and mistakes, was God’s most important priority and, therefore, needed Christians and businesses to align their visions to what the Lord was doing in that direction.
“It is the best vision to align yourself with building and growing the church, which is the first priority of Christ, as every other thing grows out of the church,” he told an assembly of over 5,000 worshippers at The Quodesh, the global head office of the LCI.
At the Mount Olivet Methodist Church, hundreds of worshippers, many of whom were none members of the church, thronged the church premises to bid farewell to 2011 and to welcome the new year, Charles Benoni Okine reports.
In his short message before midnight, Mr Tim Acquah-Hayford, a local preacher in the church, called on Christians to ensure that they worked hard towards making their New Year resolutions a reality.
“You do not need to come here again next year same time to repeat the same resolutions,” he said, adding that resolutions were very important because of the impact they had on the lives of Christians.
Alice Aryeetey reports that at the St Peter’s Methodist Church, Odorkor, the Resident Minister, Rev Ebenezer Agyemang Badu, in his sermon, urged all Ghanaians to be very prayerful in the New Year.
He urged Ghanaians to pray for peace as the country entered an election year.
“Act according to the will of God in order to enjoy God’s mercies and let Him fulfill the promises He made for you,” he said.
The Anglican Archbishop of the Province of West Africa and Bishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Dr Justice O. Akrofi, in a New Year message, called on Ghanaians to pursue peace, justice, righteousness, reconciliation, truth and true compassion as the new year beckoned, reports the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
He explained that those values were needed for every nation or community to honour and uphold because any country that did not honour and uphold those values would be a ground for confusion, violence and destruction, thereby undermining the well-being of humanity.
The Most Rev Akrofi noted that 2012, being an election year, could generate heat and controversy and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to put into their minds those values which could contribute to the peace and security of all and sundry.
Mary Ankrah reports from the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) Cathedral in Accra that the priest, Isaac Asare, entreated the congregation to refrain from sin and practise righteousness so that they would receive the full blessings of God.
He said God was ready to help His children if only they obeyed and abided in His Word.
He said the congregation would be able to achieve success in 2012 if they relied on the strength and mercies of God and lived upright lives.
As soon as it struck midnight, revellers welcomed the year with the blaring of sirens, tooting of car horns, shouts of joy and firing of firecrackers in homes and on the streets.
Worshippers in churches greeted the new year with shouts of ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Glory to God’, amidst singing and dancing to gospel tunes.
The theme for most of the watch-night services was the need for Ghanaians to be thankful for what God had done and continued to do for them and pray for a peaceful and successful 2012 general election.
Ghanaians were also urged to stay away from indiscipline, insulting behaviour and violence and avoid being used by politicians to achieve their selfish interests.
At the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, Accra, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, urged Christians not to dwell on the bad things that happened in the past year but thank God for the good things that happened in their lives, reports Rebecca Kwei.
Quoting the Scriptures, he said all things worked for the good of those of who loved the Lord and so it was important to thank God for good health, the gift of life, family and friends, freedom to worship and the relative peace the country was enjoying.
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said those who loved God saw His hand at work even in the midst of challenges and tragedies, adding, “In all things, give thanks to God, and even if you do not understand, pray that God will help you see with His eyes that He loves you.”
At the Calvary Methodist Church, Tema Community 3, the Minister in charge, Rev Ebenezer Douglas Bruce-Tagoe, advised Ghanaians, especially Christians, to have patience in all situations, since God had His own way of manifesting His love and grace for mankind, reports Albert Sam.
He said those who waited upon the Lord and lifted high His name and that of His Son Jesus Christ would have His protection and defence in a more righteous way.
Albert K. Salia reports from the St Peter’s Catholic Church, Osu, that the Parish Priest, Rev Fr Dominic Amegashiti, who based his New Year Homily on Deuteronomy 31:6, urged Ghanaians, particularly Christians, not to live in fear in the New Year, as the blessings of God would be poured upon them in abundance.
He urged them to be strong and courageous, as God would not forsake them, stressing, “Whatever we lost in 2011 will be regained in 2012. All the disappointments will be turned into divine appointment.”
Seth J. Bokpe reports that in a sermon based on Psalm 26 and on the theme: “2012, My Year of Divine Encounter”, Rev Dr Francis F.K Abotchi, the Parish Pastor of the Trinity Parish of the Global Evangelical Church at Kotobabi in Accra, called on Christians to renew their commitment to God in order to achieve their dreams.
“Delay is not denial. God will help realise your dreams, but you will have to commit your time, talents and resources because God will not put fire where there is no sacrifice,” he said.
In a rather rare message on New Year’s eve, Rev Dag Heward-Mills, the Founder and Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Chapel International, shared 25 reasons why it was important for Christians to contribute to the building of the church, Samuel Doe Ablordeppey reports.
He said the church, with all its flaws and mistakes, was God’s most important priority and, therefore, needed Christians and businesses to align their visions to what the Lord was doing in that direction.
“It is the best vision to align yourself with building and growing the church, which is the first priority of Christ, as every other thing grows out of the church,” he told an assembly of over 5,000 worshippers at The Quodesh, the global head office of the LCI.
At the Mount Olivet Methodist Church, hundreds of worshippers, many of whom were none members of the church, thronged the church premises to bid farewell to 2011 and to welcome the new year, Charles Benoni Okine reports.
In his short message before midnight, Mr Tim Acquah-Hayford, a local preacher in the church, called on Christians to ensure that they worked hard towards making their New Year resolutions a reality.
“You do not need to come here again next year same time to repeat the same resolutions,” he said, adding that resolutions were very important because of the impact they had on the lives of Christians.
Alice Aryeetey reports that at the St Peter’s Methodist Church, Odorkor, the Resident Minister, Rev Ebenezer Agyemang Badu, in his sermon, urged all Ghanaians to be very prayerful in the New Year.
He urged Ghanaians to pray for peace as the country entered an election year.
“Act according to the will of God in order to enjoy God’s mercies and let Him fulfill the promises He made for you,” he said.
The Anglican Archbishop of the Province of West Africa and Bishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Dr Justice O. Akrofi, in a New Year message, called on Ghanaians to pursue peace, justice, righteousness, reconciliation, truth and true compassion as the new year beckoned, reports the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
He explained that those values were needed for every nation or community to honour and uphold because any country that did not honour and uphold those values would be a ground for confusion, violence and destruction, thereby undermining the well-being of humanity.
The Most Rev Akrofi noted that 2012, being an election year, could generate heat and controversy and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to put into their minds those values which could contribute to the peace and security of all and sundry.
Mary Ankrah reports from the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) Cathedral in Accra that the priest, Isaac Asare, entreated the congregation to refrain from sin and practise righteousness so that they would receive the full blessings of God.
He said God was ready to help His children if only they obeyed and abided in His Word.
He said the congregation would be able to achieve success in 2012 if they relied on the strength and mercies of God and lived upright lives.
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