NCR COMMITTED TO THE USE OF ICT TO DRIVE GHANA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH

The Dean of the newly formed Network of Communications Reporters Mr. Charles Benoni Okine  has pledge the network’s commitment to ensuring that ICT becomes a major driver of economic growth in the country, given the sector’s enormous and largely under-tapped potential. According to him the network will constantly keep an eye on government policy implementation in the area of ICT as a contribution to ensuring that the country gets the best out of every ICT project.

“If it is said that every 10 per cent growth in ICT in every economy results in an additional percentage increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), then there is no excuse why we should not make it a preoccupation to contribute to making the sector a lot more vibrant” he added.

Speaking at the official inaugural ceremony of the Network of Communication of Reporters at the Ghana India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT in Accra, the Dean reminded industry players that the Network is not formed to do the bidding of any player in the sector, let alone the regulator or the ministry, but further pointed out that network members will be as objective as possible ensuring utmost fairness in its reportage and advocacy work in the interest of the consumer.

He acknowledged the various transformations in policy direction in the sector which includes the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration; Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and presently the drive towards migrating into the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) which is expected to be fully rolled out by the end of 2014, and stressed NCR’s commitment to help in the education of the public on the digital migration for it to become another major success.

Mr. Benoni Okine then appealed to the ministry and other players in the industry to also help broaden the knowledge of the members through workshops and seminars to enable members better understand the issues so they can be in a better stead to pass on the information to public.

The ceremony which witnessed in attendance high profile industry players were sponsored by tiGO, Vodafone, Nokia,  Airtel, and Alltel Company Ltd.

Glo Mobile introduce Glo Soccer TV Reality Show in Ghana

Glo Mobile, Africa’s fastest growing telecoms operator, has unveiled in Ghana the Globacom Soccer Academy, a TV Reality show organized to discover and train talented young footballers in West Africa. According to organizers the concept of the Glo Soccer Academy has been conceived to provide a once-in-a lifetime opportunity for young talented footballers to kick-start their career in professional football.

At a brief ceremony in Ghana’s capital Accra, the General Manager in-charge of Advertising at Glo Mobile Ghana, Mr. Tunde Kaitell explained that the Academy is designed to scout through Ghana, the Benin Republic and Nigeria over a period, to screen thousands of promising youngsters out of which some 33 talented finalists will be camped in a soccer academy based in Lagos, Nigeria and trained by celebrity coaches for five weeks.

“From this lot, 16 participants will emerge as the last of the pack who will earn mouth-watering pecks including cash prizes, scholarships and a training tour with the Manchester United Soccer Schools” he said.

Mr Kaitell acknowledged that Glo Mobile has been in the forefront of football sponsorship in Ghana even before the company commenced commercial operations in April this year. He also noted that part from sponsoring the Glo Premiere League and the Ghana Black Stars, Glo Ghana also sponsor the Ghana National Supporters Union (GHANSU), and for the most sentimental reasons, Glo have chosen Ghana as the venue for the prestigious Glo-CAF Awards on three unprecedented occasions – in 2007, 2010 and 2011.

According to the Advertizing Boss, he foresee the Glo Soccer Academy as growing to become a major turning point in the lives of youngsters with hidden talents in our localities across West Africa. “One of the final 16 players at the Academy will win the ultimate prize of Sixty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 60,000) for being the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the competition, while the rest will win Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 10,000) plus G BAM Scholarships worth Nine Thousand Three Hundred and Seventy-five Ghana Cedis each” he added.

The Glo Soccer Academy will be a gathering of talented future African footballers while the Academy itself is a perfect recipe for the creative infusion of fun and excitement into the sport and signal the arrival of a new dawn in football entertainment not only in Ghana, Nigeria and the Benin Republic but across all Africa.

Bank of Ghana lift suspension on Access Bank Ghana Ltd. from engaging in foreign exchange business

The Bank of Ghana has decided to lift the suspension of Access Bank Ghana Ltd. from engaging in foreign exchange business with effect from Monday, 24^th September, 2012.

This follows a review of Access Bank’s compliance with the directives, internal control measures put in place to forestall the recurrence of the breaches as well as efforts being made to repatriate the proceeds of the illegal foreign exchange transferred. It  could be recalled that the Bank of Ghana on 23^rd July, 2012 imposed a six (6) month ban on Access Bank Ghana Limited, suspending it from undertaking foreign exchange business as a result of some violations of the Foreign Exchange Act 2006, (Act 723).

In a statement issued and signed by the Public Relations Officer of Bank of Ghana Ms Esi Hammond in Accra on Monday, it noted that  Bank of Ghana having reviewed Access Bank’s compliance with the directives, internal control measures put in place to forestall the recurrence of the breaches as well as efforts being made to repatriate the proceeds of the illegal foreign exchange transferred, the Bank of Ghana has decided to lift the suspension of Access Bank Ghana Ltd. from engaging in foreign exchange business with effect from Monday, 24^th September, 2012.

The statement however reminded all banks and licensed dealers in foreign exchange to comply strictly with the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Act 2006, (Act 723) and the accompanying Guidelines or face severe sanctions including prosecution.

Ghana’s Roberts-Mensah participate in ICC Tenth Anniversary in Nuremberg, Germany

One of Ghana’s ace veteran broadcast journalist Joseph Roberts – Mensah has been invited to participate as a resource person at a workshop to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Nuremberg, Germany.  Mr. Roberts-Mensah who is currently serving as the Africa Director for Wayamo Communication Foundation and  popularly known in Ghana as  Kojo Mensah  is expected to join two other international media trainers,  Bettina Ambach, Course Director, Wayamo Communication Foundation and Janet Andersson from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting  as resource persons for a media training workshop organized  by the German Federal Foreign Office, Wayamo Foundation and Nuremberg municipal museums as part of the activities marking the Tenth Annivesary of the International Criminal Court (ICC) under the theme: “Through the Lens of Nuremberg: The International Criminal Court at its Tenth Anniversary”.
Speaking to journalists in Accra before air borne to Nuremberg, Germany, Mr. Mensah noted that the conference will focus, inter alia, on the role of the Nuremberg principles in the development of international criminal law and how these principles‘claim of universality can be furthered. Speakers will include experts on the Nuremberg trials, representatives from the ICC and other international courts and tribunals, the African Union and Arab League, and a number of renowned international criminal law experts from academia, government and civil society.

They will be taking participants through series of presentation that borders on the Information needs and misconceptions about the International Criminal Court Justice. Other topical presentation to be discussed during the workshop would include “Key stages of Criminal trials before International Court, The Golden Rule of Court Reporting and How to cover the ICC in a factual, balance and responsible manner”.

A special feature of the workshop would be a media encounter  which is expected to attract a high level of international  legal luminaries  including Mr. William Lietzan, Deputy Aassistant Secretary of Defense, Rule of Law and Detainee Policy, Pentagon, Washington, Mr. Philip Ambach, Special Assistant to the President of the International Criminal Court, Mr. Fredrick Ruhindi, State Minister of Justice, Uganda, Dareen Aboul Naga, Desk Officer for Legal Affairs at the Cabinet of the secretary General of the Leagues of Arab States, Cairo and Mr. Hassa n Bubacar Jallow, Prosecutor International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Arusha, Tanzania among other.

The ICC's 10th anniversary is a symbolic milestone that will be celebrated throughout 2012 by all actors involved in the fight against impunity for grave crimes. It is an opportunity to reflect upon the tremendous achievements made in the field of international criminal justice in the past 10 years, as well as a reminder of the urgency for all states committed to justice to ensure continued support for the Rome Statute.
Many members of the Coalition from around the world have started planning activities and events, such as lectures, conferences, demonstrations and media actions to raise awareness of this anniversary year.

MOBILE CONNECTIVITY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY AT DELEGATE RALLY

Networks of the major telecommunication operators in Ghana were jammed for hours at the Special National Delegate Congress of the country’s ruling party, the National Democratic Congress NDC. This development has not only put lots of constraint in the ways of the organizers but has also made communications at the congress ground very difficult, where thousands of delegate has converged at the Baba Yara Sports Stadia in Kumasi to reaffirm the nomination of the president H.E John Dramani Mahama for the 2012 general election as the flagbearer and the leader of the ruling party . Connectivity on the same network platform has become a problem disrupting even the doing of business at the venue by sales agents of the various telco companies.

The coverage of the program by the media was also put on hold for several hours as they also struggle to get their calls through to their colleagues at the ground and also get their internet modems working to enable live streaming of their programs.  Most of them disclosed to BiztechAfrica how frustrated their MTN and Airtel internet modem are not working.  Efforts to get the Ashanti Regional operational team by organizer to rectify the problem according to one of the organizers has proven futile. In spite of these challenges the sale of call cards of the various network operators are booming as demand shoots up.

The Minister of Communication Hon. Harruan Iddrissu although was present at the congress grounds but could not help the situation bedeviling the free flow of communication at the Congress grounds.

The use of other social media in Ghana this year has become one that most politicians are depending on now to get their messages across as they prepare for the country general election on the 7^th of December 2012.. The newly sworn in president H.E John Dramani Mahama who has identified himself with youth has been a strong advocator of the use of the various ICT tools to grow the economy of Ghana.