Published in the Daily Graphic on 29/01/10, (spread) middle pg.
Story: Matilda Attram
The Managing Director of Merchant Bank Ghana Limited, Mr Peter Iliasu, has stated that the bank has now been positioned to support the growth and development of indigenous Ghanaian businesses to ensure accelerated national development.
He said the support would be in the form of credit and the provision of business advice, among others.
Mr Iliasu made this remark when he led some executives of the bank to pay a visit to the head office of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in Accra yesterday.
The visit was to revitalise and strengthen the relationship between the two companies.
Mr Iliasu stated that it was the belief and vision of the bank that it was only when small, medium and large-scale indigenous Ghanaian businesses expanded, that they would be able to create employment opportunities to help minimise the unemployment rate in the country.
He said the bank was the biggest local bank in the country and was determined to spread its tentacles across the entire African continent.
“We want to consolidate our efforts with our strong team into a big and better banking institution that will improve on the productivity of our local companies,” Mr Illiasu stressed.
He, therefore, expressed the company’s gratitude to the GCGL as partners, adding that “a collective work would help improve our economy”.
The Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Ibrahim Awal, stated in his remarks that the company was ready to link up businesses to influence policies that would help improve the economy.
He said it was to this end that GCGL shared in the vision of the bank and was, therefore, ready to partner the bank for the attainment of its corporate objective on a win-win basis.
He also disclosed that GCGL had attained 60 this year and was planning activities towards its celebration.
He, therefore, welcomed the assurance by the MD of Merchant Bank that it would collaborate with the GCGL in the organisation of this year’s Graphic Business Round Table Conference, as well as a joint health screening exercise.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
St Mary's Senior High Supports girls' education
Published in the Daily Graphic on 26/01/10, pg 11
Article: Matilda Attram
SIXTY years after its establishment, the St Mary’s Senior High School in Accra is recognised as one of the female educational institutions that has trained a number of women who find themselves in responsible positions and different sectors of the country’s developmental processes.
In recognition of the fact that effective girl child education creates a better opportunity for women to partake in the decision making process of the country, a group of Catholic Sisters known as the ‘Sister Servant of the Holy Spirit’ (SSPS), thought it wise to establish a collage for young girls at Korle-Gono in Accra in 1950 to benefit women from communities where most parents found it difficult to access education.
The college, which later became the St Mary’s Girls’ Secondary School, now the St Mary’s Senior High School, started with only 10 students who were studying Dressmaking, Home Economics, Mathematics and English Language.
Over the years the school, with a current student population of 765 has trained more than 250,000 students offering Home Economics, Mathematics, English Language, General Arts, Science and Visual Arts.
As part of the activities slated for its 60th anniversary celebrations the management, staff and old students of the St Mary’s Senior High School (MERRIES) over the weekend organised a float through some principal streets of Accra to commemorate the achievements of the school, to honour the good work of the founding mothers and to encourage the young generation to take education seriously.
The anniversary was on the theme “6O Years of Progressive and Holistic Girls’ Education: The Challenges of the 21st Century”.
The current Headmistress of the school, Ms Doris Ama Bramson emphasised the need to encourage girl child education as an important element to national development.
She said empowering women with knowledge through education was a major key to local and national development and the country needed to create the necessary environment to promote girl-child education.
“The initial curriculum for training girls in the olden days have changed, its time for the us to encourage our young ones in education and engage them in the development activities of the country”, she said.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the school’s academics performance, Ms Bramson pointed out that the school was noted among the best second cycle schools in the country and that had been one of its great achievement.
She added that “The vision for setting up the school is being achieved. Girls trained up here over the years have all been responsible in their various positions out there and that has been consistent since the establishment of the school”.
She however mentioned land constraints and a computer laboratory that lacked equipment, as some of the challenges facing the school which needed to be considered for support.
Ms Bramson commended the Government, Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) members of the school, staff, and old students for their support and encouraged current students to take their academic work seriously.
The National President of St Mary’s Old Students Association (SMOGA), Mrs Grace Amarteifio, also expressed the need to instil discipline in students and called on parents to get involved in educating their children, especially girls by support and supervising them.
Some current students also expressed their joy to be part of the celebration and used the opportunity to appeal to the Government and educational stakeholders to consider the views of students when taking decisions concerning their welfare.
Other activities marking the anniversary include homecoming of old students, candle light possession and bonfire to be climaxed with a speech and prize giving day on the 6th of February this year.
Article: Matilda Attram
SIXTY years after its establishment, the St Mary’s Senior High School in Accra is recognised as one of the female educational institutions that has trained a number of women who find themselves in responsible positions and different sectors of the country’s developmental processes.
In recognition of the fact that effective girl child education creates a better opportunity for women to partake in the decision making process of the country, a group of Catholic Sisters known as the ‘Sister Servant of the Holy Spirit’ (SSPS), thought it wise to establish a collage for young girls at Korle-Gono in Accra in 1950 to benefit women from communities where most parents found it difficult to access education.
The college, which later became the St Mary’s Girls’ Secondary School, now the St Mary’s Senior High School, started with only 10 students who were studying Dressmaking, Home Economics, Mathematics and English Language.
Over the years the school, with a current student population of 765 has trained more than 250,000 students offering Home Economics, Mathematics, English Language, General Arts, Science and Visual Arts.
As part of the activities slated for its 60th anniversary celebrations the management, staff and old students of the St Mary’s Senior High School (MERRIES) over the weekend organised a float through some principal streets of Accra to commemorate the achievements of the school, to honour the good work of the founding mothers and to encourage the young generation to take education seriously.
The anniversary was on the theme “6O Years of Progressive and Holistic Girls’ Education: The Challenges of the 21st Century”.
The current Headmistress of the school, Ms Doris Ama Bramson emphasised the need to encourage girl child education as an important element to national development.
She said empowering women with knowledge through education was a major key to local and national development and the country needed to create the necessary environment to promote girl-child education.
“The initial curriculum for training girls in the olden days have changed, its time for the us to encourage our young ones in education and engage them in the development activities of the country”, she said.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the school’s academics performance, Ms Bramson pointed out that the school was noted among the best second cycle schools in the country and that had been one of its great achievement.
She added that “The vision for setting up the school is being achieved. Girls trained up here over the years have all been responsible in their various positions out there and that has been consistent since the establishment of the school”.
She however mentioned land constraints and a computer laboratory that lacked equipment, as some of the challenges facing the school which needed to be considered for support.
Ms Bramson commended the Government, Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) members of the school, staff, and old students for their support and encouraged current students to take their academic work seriously.
The National President of St Mary’s Old Students Association (SMOGA), Mrs Grace Amarteifio, also expressed the need to instil discipline in students and called on parents to get involved in educating their children, especially girls by support and supervising them.
Some current students also expressed their joy to be part of the celebration and used the opportunity to appeal to the Government and educational stakeholders to consider the views of students when taking decisions concerning their welfare.
Other activities marking the anniversary include homecoming of old students, candle light possession and bonfire to be climaxed with a speech and prize giving day on the 6th of February this year.
Promote local content in programmes
Published in the Daily Graphic on 21/01/10, pg 32
Story: Matilda Attram
The Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, has charged private television and radio stations to promote local content in their programming.
He said the current stage of the country’s development required a vibrant media which will not only inform but educate the people , forge national cohesion and promote the nation’s culture.
The deputy minister of information gave the charge when he paid a working visit to MultiTV and Joy FM, subsidiaries of the Multimedia Group Limited in Accra to acquaint himself with their operations.
He also challenged the management of MultiTV to promote local content in their dissemination of information to enhance and complement the efforts of the local industries especially the movie industry in the country.
During interactions, Mr Ablakwa, said the media played a vital role in the development of the nation since it promoted democracy by reaching out to the community on activities in the country and beyond.
“ There is more to the media than freedom of expression. The level of satisfaction the public derived from what the media does is also important,” Mr Ablakwa said.
He assured the organisations of the Government’s support and urged them to exhibit professionalism in their duties.
He entreated the management of Joy online to institute measures to curb intolerant viewer comments on its pages.
The News Editor of Joy online, Mr Isaac Yeboah, in reaction said the organisation was putting measures in place to control some of the excesses of particularly callers into phone-in programmes.
He expressed concern about the slow pace of the internet in facilitating the processing of information for dissemination as a major challenge to the organisation and appealed to the Government to help provide a backbone to the organisation’s Internet problems.
The Director of Programmes of MultiTV, Mr Abdulai Awudu, said the organisation was a multiple channel station which disseminated both local and foreign contents.
He expressed gratitude for the minister’s visit and called on the Government to support the efforts of the local movie industry to promote national development.
Story: Matilda Attram
The Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, has charged private television and radio stations to promote local content in their programming.
He said the current stage of the country’s development required a vibrant media which will not only inform but educate the people , forge national cohesion and promote the nation’s culture.
The deputy minister of information gave the charge when he paid a working visit to MultiTV and Joy FM, subsidiaries of the Multimedia Group Limited in Accra to acquaint himself with their operations.
He also challenged the management of MultiTV to promote local content in their dissemination of information to enhance and complement the efforts of the local industries especially the movie industry in the country.
During interactions, Mr Ablakwa, said the media played a vital role in the development of the nation since it promoted democracy by reaching out to the community on activities in the country and beyond.
“ There is more to the media than freedom of expression. The level of satisfaction the public derived from what the media does is also important,” Mr Ablakwa said.
He assured the organisations of the Government’s support and urged them to exhibit professionalism in their duties.
He entreated the management of Joy online to institute measures to curb intolerant viewer comments on its pages.
The News Editor of Joy online, Mr Isaac Yeboah, in reaction said the organisation was putting measures in place to control some of the excesses of particularly callers into phone-in programmes.
He expressed concern about the slow pace of the internet in facilitating the processing of information for dissemination as a major challenge to the organisation and appealed to the Government to help provide a backbone to the organisation’s Internet problems.
The Director of Programmes of MultiTV, Mr Abdulai Awudu, said the organisation was a multiple channel station which disseminated both local and foreign contents.
He expressed gratitude for the minister’s visit and called on the Government to support the efforts of the local movie industry to promote national development.
Audit Service staff urged to work diligently
Published in the Daily Graphic on 21/01/10, pg 38
Story: Matilda Attram
THE General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Fred Degbe, has challenged the staff of the Ghana Audit Service to deliver their services fervently to please God rather than man.
He said a Christian employee was expected to go about his duties on earth as serving God, believing he would be rewarded at the right time.
“A Christian worker should never do an average work; we must go beyond the average to do what God expects from us. Let us not work to please man on earth, for our service here is only a fraction of the eternal life God has given us,” he stated.
Rev. Degbe was delivering a sermon at the 2009 end-of-year thanksgiving service organised by the Ghana Audit Service in Accra.
He was speaking on the theme: “Whatever you do, do it heartily unto God, not men”.
The 2009 thanksgiving service formed part of activities slated to celebrate the service’s centenary anniversary next year.
Rev. Degbe said most Ghanaians, in the delivery of service in their various fields, did it to gladden the hearts of men rather than God and that could be a hindrance to productivity.
He noted that God created work for mankind to enable him to earn a living, as well as take care of others.
“It provides us the opportunity to be a blessing unto others and to take care of those in need,” he added.
He urged the congregation to create a favourable relationship with God and their colleagues and in all activities to improve on the development of the organisation and the nation.
“As you have the opportunity to be alive, do what you know will glorify God and the nation, because you reap more than you sew,” he said.
Addressing the media later, the acting Auditor of the Ghana Audit Service, Mr Richard Quartey, said the organisation had improved on its services through ICT to IT auditing, value for money auditing and forensic auditing, and would later introduce environmental auditing.
Story: Matilda Attram
THE General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Fred Degbe, has challenged the staff of the Ghana Audit Service to deliver their services fervently to please God rather than man.
He said a Christian employee was expected to go about his duties on earth as serving God, believing he would be rewarded at the right time.
“A Christian worker should never do an average work; we must go beyond the average to do what God expects from us. Let us not work to please man on earth, for our service here is only a fraction of the eternal life God has given us,” he stated.
Rev. Degbe was delivering a sermon at the 2009 end-of-year thanksgiving service organised by the Ghana Audit Service in Accra.
He was speaking on the theme: “Whatever you do, do it heartily unto God, not men”.
The 2009 thanksgiving service formed part of activities slated to celebrate the service’s centenary anniversary next year.
Rev. Degbe said most Ghanaians, in the delivery of service in their various fields, did it to gladden the hearts of men rather than God and that could be a hindrance to productivity.
He noted that God created work for mankind to enable him to earn a living, as well as take care of others.
“It provides us the opportunity to be a blessing unto others and to take care of those in need,” he added.
He urged the congregation to create a favourable relationship with God and their colleagues and in all activities to improve on the development of the organisation and the nation.
“As you have the opportunity to be alive, do what you know will glorify God and the nation, because you reap more than you sew,” he said.
Addressing the media later, the acting Auditor of the Ghana Audit Service, Mr Richard Quartey, said the organisation had improved on its services through ICT to IT auditing, value for money auditing and forensic auditing, and would later introduce environmental auditing.
Two to train teachers of French
Published in the Daily Graphic on 2/02/10, pg 24, (spread) middle pg.
Story: Matilda Attram
TWO French-related organisations in the country have collaborated to organise a training programme for Francophone untrained teachers in private schools to enhance their teaching skills.
The organisations are the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the Federation Internationale Des Professeurs de Francaise (FIPF).
Dubbed "Trainers of Trainees Project", the programme was to upgrade the teaching skills of French teachers in the country and to encourage the teaching and learning of the French language in Africa.
The programme, which started in January this year, would also enable beneficiaries to become accredited international resource persons to their mother associations and other OIF/FIPF-related associations in the world.
The President of the Ghana Association of French Teachers (GAFT), Mr Evans Kokroko, detailed the successes of the programme during a meeting between GAFT executive and the Minister of Education in Accra.
The meeting was to brief the minister on the support FIPF was providing towards the improvement of the teaching and learning of French in Ghana.
Mr Kokroko said a request had been made to the OIF to train 200 more untrained teachers this year in Kumasi, along the same line as one which was organised last year in Accra.
"It includes selected training programmes, a seminar on Common European Framework for Languages, Training in basic ICT skills and the organisation of annual national congresses for members," he stated.
Mr Kokroko further proposed an end to the categorisation of schools, arguing that it misled parents during the selection of schools for their children.
"Categorisation of schools into A and B causes problems when parents are selecting schools for their children. To the best of some parents’ understanding, Category B implies lower academic standard," he said.
He also appealed to the minister to help upgrade schools sited in the centre of the city for the benefit of workers during training sessions.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, commended the two organisations (OIF and GAFT) for their efforts in promoting the teaching and learning of French in Ghana, and assured them of his support in their activities to enhance education in Ghana.
Story: Matilda Attram
TWO French-related organisations in the country have collaborated to organise a training programme for Francophone untrained teachers in private schools to enhance their teaching skills.
The organisations are the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the Federation Internationale Des Professeurs de Francaise (FIPF).
Dubbed "Trainers of Trainees Project", the programme was to upgrade the teaching skills of French teachers in the country and to encourage the teaching and learning of the French language in Africa.
The programme, which started in January this year, would also enable beneficiaries to become accredited international resource persons to their mother associations and other OIF/FIPF-related associations in the world.
The President of the Ghana Association of French Teachers (GAFT), Mr Evans Kokroko, detailed the successes of the programme during a meeting between GAFT executive and the Minister of Education in Accra.
The meeting was to brief the minister on the support FIPF was providing towards the improvement of the teaching and learning of French in Ghana.
Mr Kokroko said a request had been made to the OIF to train 200 more untrained teachers this year in Kumasi, along the same line as one which was organised last year in Accra.
"It includes selected training programmes, a seminar on Common European Framework for Languages, Training in basic ICT skills and the organisation of annual national congresses for members," he stated.
Mr Kokroko further proposed an end to the categorisation of schools, arguing that it misled parents during the selection of schools for their children.
"Categorisation of schools into A and B causes problems when parents are selecting schools for their children. To the best of some parents’ understanding, Category B implies lower academic standard," he said.
He also appealed to the minister to help upgrade schools sited in the centre of the city for the benefit of workers during training sessions.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, commended the two organisations (OIF and GAFT) for their efforts in promoting the teaching and learning of French in Ghana, and assured them of his support in their activities to enhance education in Ghana.
Ghanaian students to access GlobalCampus website
Published in the Daily Graphic on 3/02/10, (spread)middle pg.
Story: Matilda Attram
A Foreign social entrepreneur, Mr Maurizio de Franciscis, has introduced a new online system in the country to help students realise and improve on their talents.
This was done in collaboration with the Association of International Students in Economics, Science and Commerce (AIESEC) Ghana, a student organisation that promotes leadership development among the youth.
The website, 'GlobalCampus', is an online system that would enable students to get connected to universities and organisations worldwide.
It is focused on helping individuals to improve upon their talents in every field.
It will also enable universities and organisations to know more about students during admission processes, as well as connects the needs of universities to students across the world.
At a press conference in Accra to formally introduce the system in Ghana, Mr Maurizio de Franciscis, who is the founder and Chief Executive Office of GlobalCampus, explained that the GlobalCampus was a free online system that enabled students to get easy access and connection to universities and organisations worldwide for education and scholarships.
He said the system was focused on bringing opportunities for higher education and further development to talented young people around the world.
Mr Franciscis pointed out that the GlobalCampus provided information on universities and scholarships to interested persons who had an account with the website around the world.
"Every year around the world, there are 300,000 million dollars of scholarships but find no one to apply due to lack of access to information," he said.
He indicated that there were universities and organisations around the world who needed foreign talented persons for admission and to work with, but could not have access to them due to the lack of information on programmes that would help connect to such people.
He stated that one could be a member of the system by creating an account through a personal profile on what one does and what one wanted to do to improve on his life, adding, "It is similar to facebook but this connects you to institutions and organisations around the world."
He further mentioned Rwanda, Egypt and Nigeria as some African countries who were already part of the system.
The Vice-President of Talent Management and Outgoing Exchange of AIESEC Ghana, Miss Abena Owiredu-Nkansah, said AIESEC Ghana collaborated with GlobalCampus to ease the pressure on graduates and undergraduates when searching for universities and other institutions to further their education around the world.
"We supported this initiative on the basis of AIESEC's goal to give leadership opportunities to the youth and promote cultural integration," she stated.
Story: Matilda Attram
A Foreign social entrepreneur, Mr Maurizio de Franciscis, has introduced a new online system in the country to help students realise and improve on their talents.
This was done in collaboration with the Association of International Students in Economics, Science and Commerce (AIESEC) Ghana, a student organisation that promotes leadership development among the youth.
The website, 'GlobalCampus', is an online system that would enable students to get connected to universities and organisations worldwide.
It is focused on helping individuals to improve upon their talents in every field.
It will also enable universities and organisations to know more about students during admission processes, as well as connects the needs of universities to students across the world.
At a press conference in Accra to formally introduce the system in Ghana, Mr Maurizio de Franciscis, who is the founder and Chief Executive Office of GlobalCampus, explained that the GlobalCampus was a free online system that enabled students to get easy access and connection to universities and organisations worldwide for education and scholarships.
He said the system was focused on bringing opportunities for higher education and further development to talented young people around the world.
Mr Franciscis pointed out that the GlobalCampus provided information on universities and scholarships to interested persons who had an account with the website around the world.
"Every year around the world, there are 300,000 million dollars of scholarships but find no one to apply due to lack of access to information," he said.
He indicated that there were universities and organisations around the world who needed foreign talented persons for admission and to work with, but could not have access to them due to the lack of information on programmes that would help connect to such people.
He stated that one could be a member of the system by creating an account through a personal profile on what one does and what one wanted to do to improve on his life, adding, "It is similar to facebook but this connects you to institutions and organisations around the world."
He further mentioned Rwanda, Egypt and Nigeria as some African countries who were already part of the system.
The Vice-President of Talent Management and Outgoing Exchange of AIESEC Ghana, Miss Abena Owiredu-Nkansah, said AIESEC Ghana collaborated with GlobalCampus to ease the pressure on graduates and undergraduates when searching for universities and other institutions to further their education around the world.
"We supported this initiative on the basis of AIESEC's goal to give leadership opportunities to the youth and promote cultural integration," she stated.
Take drugs with precausion-to avoid negative implications
Published in the Daily Graphic on 3/02/10 pg 29, Lead story
Story: Matilda Attram
Last month, the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) ordered the recall of substandard Ciprofloxacin tablets (500 mg) USP produced by GR Industries Limited in Accra.
That was after the board had found the drug to be unwholesome when it was sampled and analysed through the its post-market surveillance activities.
A statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stephen K. Opuni, and issued by the board in Accra said the product had no batch number and manufacturing date on both the primary and secondary packages.
Additionally, the product had no legible date of expiry on the primary package and no date of expiry on the secondary package.
This means it is very necessary for people to check all this information on food and drug products before purchases are made, in view of the danger unwholesome products pose to public health and safety.
The Communications Manager of the FDB, Mr Yarnie Lartey, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on the purchase of unregistered consumer goods, cautioned Ghanaians to make deliberate efforts to check the particulars on the labels of consumer goods before purchasing them.
He said the sale of unregistered items such as food and medicine was illegal under the law and there was the need for maximum support and co-operation from the public to make the enforcement of the law effective.
He further explained that the FDB was a regulatory body concerned with the testing and registration of consumable goods in the country, noting that the board could only perform its duties with information from the public on manufacturers who sold items without going through the process of registration.
Reacting to the sale of drugs in moving vehicles, Mr Yartey called for self-regulation among the public regarding where and how they bought things.
"When it comes to buying, it is a matter of choice where one goes, but the problem of most Ghanaians concerns the exercise of self-regulation," he said.
To step up public education on the need for consumers to be vigilant when purchasing drugs, the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Ghana, Mr Joseph Nyoagbe, has advised the public to purchase all drugs from recognised licensed chemical or pharmaceutical shops in order to identify and trace manufacturers and distributors for non-compliance with existing regulatory measures.
He also cautioned people who sold in moving vehicles, at lorry parks and marketplaces to desist from that practice, stressing that it was illegal for an individual to sell drugs without a licence and the authority of the council.
“It is a criminal offence to supply or sell medicine without license and anyone who engages in such a practice faces arrest and prosecution,” he said.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Nyoagbe pointed out that the problem of drug peddling was of great concern to the council and called for public support to deal with the issue.
He indicated that the council was working in collaboration with the FDB, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the police to address the issue in all parts of the country.
“The council has, over the years, been assisting the police by organising swoops to apprehend culprits. It has also met with executives of the GPRTU to sensitise members to discourage drug peddlers from selling drugs in their vehicles,” he stated.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Pharmacy Council, Madam Victoria Goka, said medicine, although helpful to the human system, could also be dangerous if taken without precaution.
She said the negative implications of medicine were sometimes caused by its form and way of storage, depending on the chemicals used in its preparations.
“Some of these medicines sold are stored in plastic bags which are carried under the sun’s rays for a long time and this can cause the generation of another disease, instead of curing the other,” she stated.
She said the council had started a national campaign on issues concerning medication through the Ghana Pharmacy Students Association to educate the public.
“The campaign started last year in the Northern Region and will continue from there till we cover the whole country,” she said.
Madam Goka advised the public to seek assistance from professional pharmacists for counselling any time there was the need to purchase drugs and encouraged the public to report to the council any unsatisfactory and unprofessional conduct on the part of chemical and pharmaceutical shop operators.
Story: Matilda Attram
Last month, the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) ordered the recall of substandard Ciprofloxacin tablets (500 mg) USP produced by GR Industries Limited in Accra.
That was after the board had found the drug to be unwholesome when it was sampled and analysed through the its post-market surveillance activities.
A statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stephen K. Opuni, and issued by the board in Accra said the product had no batch number and manufacturing date on both the primary and secondary packages.
Additionally, the product had no legible date of expiry on the primary package and no date of expiry on the secondary package.
This means it is very necessary for people to check all this information on food and drug products before purchases are made, in view of the danger unwholesome products pose to public health and safety.
The Communications Manager of the FDB, Mr Yarnie Lartey, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on the purchase of unregistered consumer goods, cautioned Ghanaians to make deliberate efforts to check the particulars on the labels of consumer goods before purchasing them.
He said the sale of unregistered items such as food and medicine was illegal under the law and there was the need for maximum support and co-operation from the public to make the enforcement of the law effective.
He further explained that the FDB was a regulatory body concerned with the testing and registration of consumable goods in the country, noting that the board could only perform its duties with information from the public on manufacturers who sold items without going through the process of registration.
Reacting to the sale of drugs in moving vehicles, Mr Yartey called for self-regulation among the public regarding where and how they bought things.
"When it comes to buying, it is a matter of choice where one goes, but the problem of most Ghanaians concerns the exercise of self-regulation," he said.
To step up public education on the need for consumers to be vigilant when purchasing drugs, the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Ghana, Mr Joseph Nyoagbe, has advised the public to purchase all drugs from recognised licensed chemical or pharmaceutical shops in order to identify and trace manufacturers and distributors for non-compliance with existing regulatory measures.
He also cautioned people who sold in moving vehicles, at lorry parks and marketplaces to desist from that practice, stressing that it was illegal for an individual to sell drugs without a licence and the authority of the council.
“It is a criminal offence to supply or sell medicine without license and anyone who engages in such a practice faces arrest and prosecution,” he said.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Nyoagbe pointed out that the problem of drug peddling was of great concern to the council and called for public support to deal with the issue.
He indicated that the council was working in collaboration with the FDB, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the police to address the issue in all parts of the country.
“The council has, over the years, been assisting the police by organising swoops to apprehend culprits. It has also met with executives of the GPRTU to sensitise members to discourage drug peddlers from selling drugs in their vehicles,” he stated.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Pharmacy Council, Madam Victoria Goka, said medicine, although helpful to the human system, could also be dangerous if taken without precaution.
She said the negative implications of medicine were sometimes caused by its form and way of storage, depending on the chemicals used in its preparations.
“Some of these medicines sold are stored in plastic bags which are carried under the sun’s rays for a long time and this can cause the generation of another disease, instead of curing the other,” she stated.
She said the council had started a national campaign on issues concerning medication through the Ghana Pharmacy Students Association to educate the public.
“The campaign started last year in the Northern Region and will continue from there till we cover the whole country,” she said.
Madam Goka advised the public to seek assistance from professional pharmacists for counselling any time there was the need to purchase drugs and encouraged the public to report to the council any unsatisfactory and unprofessional conduct on the part of chemical and pharmaceutical shop operators.
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