The business of second hand electronics importation ,distribution and sales has become one of the fastest growing one in Ghana with the highest concentration in Lapaz a suburb of Accra as well as its environs. - One does not walk for more than 50-100 yards without spotting these items. The history of the second hand gadgets importation is believed to have stated some fifty years ago following the migration of indigenes to seek greener pastures abroad, hence sending some of these gadgets home as they may still be useful. However, it started as real business some decades ago when it was actually being imported in larger quantities for sale. Majority of Ghanaian expatriates are very much …

The rate with which second hand electronic appliances are pouring fourth into the country is alarming. You hardly walk through the streets of Accra without spotting them, there seem to be no end in sight with each passing day what were once new equipment become obsolete. - These reasons have prompted energy experts to warn government to regulate the importation of such items into the country.Mr.Akwasi Donkor,an energy expert argues that most of the gadgets imported into the country are not actually manufactured to suit the conditions in Africa and Ghana for that matter, ‘we have problems to deal with regarding our energy in the country, persistent importation of these gadget will worse…

The media in Ghana have failed in sensitizing the public enough with regards to environmental issues such as global warming and its associated effects. For a fact, the media has become one of the powerful institutions in every country responsible for educating, informing and entertaining its citizenry. - As it stands climate change threatens three major water bodies in Ghana namely, the River Pra, River Tano and Lake Bosomtwi are reported to be drying up at a frightening rate due to changes in the climatic conditions and human activities. Keta coast in the Volta Region of Ghana is also experiencing beach erosion 3m per year. Studies indicate that temperatures will rise on the average of 0…

Fisher folks living within the James-Town metropolis, a fishing community in the Greater Accra Region are threatened by the increase in sea level which is gradually depleting the lands at the coastal areas thereby destroying several properties and rendering most indigenes homeless. - The sudden rise in the sea level has been attributed to the melting of the polar ice at the temperate regions hence increasing the volume of the water. Majority of Ghanaian fisher folks resides with their families at the coastal areas because of the nearness to the sea in other to earn their daily bread. For some years now, the indigenes complain that they have noted a constant rise in sea level which also…

The Ghana Government have delivered the first badge of school uniforms to school pupils nation wide as part of its manifesto promise to Ghanaians. The pupils in Manchie Basic School in the Ga-West municipality have received their fare share of the national cake. - The school uniforms were distributed in the presence of the headteacher of the school Mr.Agbomadzi Manasseh,the school management committee chairman as well as the parent -teacher association chairman to ensure fairness and equity. In a short address by the headteacher of the school,he advised pupils to take extra care of the uniforms given to them and take their studies serious too. In an interview with Madam Vivian Aklasu,a p…

The fact remains that Ghana was the first African nation to qualify for the world cup with about two matches to spare. The historic world cup to be held in South Africa is some few months away and football fans in Ghana can not just hold on to the impending great tournament. - The conception that women do not love football in Ghana and Africa for that matter was also disillusioned judging from the support that Ghanaian ladies gave the Black stars despite the fact that they emerged second of the 27th African cup of nation held at Angola after giving the pharaohs of Egypt a good run for their money. Ghana is in the same group with Germany, Australia as well as Serbia the place of origin of…

Papaase is a small village in the Ga-west municipality noted for large scale cultivation of maize as well as other staple food crops but due to unavailability of electricity and other storage facilities such as electricity, Farmers have no option than to sell their farm produce to middlemen at much cheap price. - The persistent outcry by the people of papaase for government to provide them electricity has proven futile. Folks have therefore devised a local mechanism that enables them store their farm produce for a longer period relying on the unpredictable weather. Papaase village is also noted for the extensive cultivation of cassava and tomato as well but the difficulty here lies in th…

Coconut remains one of the cheapest and affordable (drupe) fruits in Ghana; it is enjoyed both by the pitiable and the well heeled. The voices of Africa reporter noticed that there have been influx of energy drinks into the country which mostly have chemical preservative which can be harmful to the body. - Ghanaians enjoy coconut most often but wondered if they are really aware of its nutritional contents. This prompted the reporter to research into the nutritional component of coconut juice as compared to the chemically preserved drinks as well as sample views from the public. The coconut tree widely found in tropical regions has a cylindrical trunk about 45 cm (about 18 inches) in diameter…

Despite the modernization science and technology has brought the world in the past decades. The rural folks living within the Ga-west Municipal in the Greater Accra Region seem to be content with the thatch houses. The thatch houses remain the oldest form of accommodation ever to be built in the Gold Coast epoch and still predominant in the rural areas. - One significant thing about the mud or thatch houses is that it is very cool both in the hot and cold season unlike the block houses which are still hot even with electrical fans according to Mr. Emmanuel Tetteh. In an interview Mr. Emmanuel ‘the mud house is easy to build and does not require any high level of expertise to put up…

At least folks of Amasaman can now afford a smile after decades of drinking water from impure streams and lakes that flows in the town. Amasaman is the municipal capital of the Ga-west municipality a suburb in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, regrettably the district which was upgraded to the municipal status lacks basic social amenities such as regular electricity supply as well as portable drinking water defeating the purpose of its status until sometimes last year when the foundation was dug to provide them drinking water which subsequently saw its final completion in the later part of December, 2009. - This laudable initiative was powered by world vision international a non -government…

Regardless of free education and provision of books as well as uniforms by Governments, folks in the rural communities care less and are indifferent whiles they continue enjoying their conventional habit of taking their wards to farm as well as other work places. - The Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) mandates all parents to take their wards to school free of charge. Parents have no room therefore but to take their wards to school under no pretext because text books and other relevant teaching learning materials are provided for by government. The reporter can say authoritatively that such is not the case in the rural areas despite free provision of books. The reporter s…

Due to unavailability of farmland, vegetable farmers within the Dzorwulu metropolis a suburb in the Greater Accra region of Ghana have defied all health risks associated with staying with or close to high tension poles as they continue to farm. - According to scientist people who stay with or close to high tension poles risk getting cancer, a malignant tumor which is caused as a result of growth of cells which multiply uncontrollably destroying the healthy tissues . It is in this light that government have continued warning that all persons staying close to the high-tension poles to abandon all such site. Mr.Mumuni Alhasan,said he inherited the land from his father some fifteen years ago…

After the Ghana Education Service has launched a new programme on teaching and learning using the local languages in basic schools from class one to class three referred to as the lower primary. - In an interview with the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service, Mr Charles Parker Allotey, he said, the policy which was implemented since 2006 have already trained about one thousand, nine hundred and two (1,902) teachers and are yet to train about eighty thousand (80,000) teachers, head teachers and supervisors in eleven (11) local languages. The researcher visited some schools in the Greater Accra Region to sample pupils views on the policy. On arrival pupils were very excit…

My name is Edward Kwame Aklade a Mobile Phone Reporter from Accra, Ghana's capital. I am a former student of the Presbyterian College of Education and currently a student of the University of Cape-Coast. - I wish to become an international journalist reporting issues about Africa. Voices of Africa Media Foundation have provided that conducive atmosphere to share my experienced with the rest of the world. My hobbies are researching as well as reading research materials.I also enjoy reporting crucial issues from the rural communities and how it affects their lives.

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Ali Muntari's exclusion from the 23 -man Ghana Black Stars squad for the orange African Cup of Nations in Angola 2010 have stirred dust high up among sports enthusiast all over the country. Whiles others describe the attitude of the midfielder as indiscipline, others say he is frank and that his absence will greatly affect the team in several ways. - Sulley Muntari among others players such as Stephen Appiah, John Mensah, Laryea Kingston and John Painstil the senior players with rich experience are all missing in action due to injury. Ghana is in the same group with Togo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. However, coach Milo have indicated authoritatively that …

The centre for continuing education of the University of Cape Coast in Accra, Ghana, has matriculated over six thousand students drawn from the entire region of Ghana who are mostly workers. - ‘This is the highest number of students to be matriculated so far as the distance education is concerned and this is encouraging’, Mr. Albert Kobina Koomson, the director at the centre added. The nature of this distance education program is designed in such a way to suit specific needs of student workers. The difficulty in securing jobs in Ghana have led to the massive enrolment of workers on this program so as to maintain their jobs and school at the same time to upgrade ones knowledge…

I always watch Michael Essien play football, he is a very strong player, and he has speed and I want to be like him. This is Emmanuel Atto the captain of the Kotokoraba under-twelve team speaking. He and his friends have turned a gutter into a soccer stadium in the heart of at Cape Coast, in Accra, Ghana. - Curiosity drew me closer just like a cat to the place only to see young enthusiastic boys with age's way below twelve years displaying very good soccer much to the amazement of all and sundry except for the indigenes who are regular patrons of such great tournament. I enquired from the 14-year old team manager Kwabena Ntsiful why they were playing football in the gutter; He explained…

Music and dance has the tendency to heal and to liquefy stress when it is given the full attention and the needed concentration. These are the words of Dr.Barbara Streets, an American cultural studies scholar visiting Ghana. Africans have very beautiful culture and must be allowed to tell their own stories and one of the means of telling these stories is through music and dance, she added. - Prominent persons in the bible such as King David and King Solomon used music to reach and please God Hence the ever-powerful nature of music and dance should not be relegated to the background. By and large, education, science and technology are enlightening us so much, so that we tend to question tradi…

Farmers in the Ga-West Municipal Assembly have been awarded meritoriously for their hard work for producing and sustaining food in our homes and markets. The 25th municipal farmers day celebration was held at Adjen Kotoku located in the Ga-West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region. - The theme for the occasion was ‘Accelerated Agricultural Modernization for food Security and Economic Transformation’. Among those awarded were Mr. Edward Obiow, the best poultry farmer as well as Mr.Philip Ameko the best local rice farmer respectively. The two were thankful to government and the organizers for instituting the program to award hardworking farmers. Among the items given to the…

Some people living with the Buruli Ulcer disease in the Ga-west municipality, in Ghana, are still skeptical about the actual cause of this disease and will not go to the hospital after several interventions such as free treatment and continuous education on the disease. - Even though the cause of the disease is not known, it is believed to be predominant around water bodies and mining areas. Isolated cases, however, have been found in scattered communities in the Ga-west municipality where sand winning is extensively practiced . Amasaman is the district capital where the treatment centre is located. Inmates are housed and treated free of charge by government. Other non-governmental organi…

The influx of second hand electronic gadget and deforestation have been identified as major causes of the depletion of the ozone layer and consequently the extensive change in the climatic conditions Ghana is experiencing. Farmers in Ghana depend largely on the timeliness of the weather before deciding which crops to grow, farmers who depend largely on rains and sunlight are very much worried this time and are complaining bitterly because of the dramatic change in the climatic pattern. - ”The rains are not coming as we anticipate, the harmattan has started rather too early; the high rate of heat is making our crops shrink” Mr. Korley a farmer lamented. He added that this was not …

Sections of Ghanaians have reacted to the budget statement for the 2010 fiscal year presented by Government to Ghanaians in parliament on November, 19th 2009. In an interview with cross sections of the public, most of them expressed satisfaction provided the government will ensure the strict implementation of the contents of the budget. - Mr. Sena Crownford an entrepreneur said that the government idea to improve the community health based planing and services (chps) was a good one, citing an example that ‘most of our food stuffs come from these rural areas and it is crucial for government to make their health a priority’. The government in its budget statement intend improvin…

The Guakoo Sacred Groove in Pokuase is being threatened by real estate developers as they move in to build houses and raze the forest down. Guakoo sacred groove is one of the few forest reserves that had been handed over to the people of Pokuase in the ga west municipal assembly of the greater Accra region of Ghana by their fore bearers. - Somehow, estate developers are gradually eating into the groove and destroying the habitat of the animals as well as rendering them homeless. Mr. Mensah, an indigene said: ‘Sometime ago, animals of different species could be seen hovering along near by paths but that can not be said to be the case now, not even an ant passes by he also bemoaned the p…

The inhabitants of Amasaman, a suburb of Accra in the Ga-West Municipality, have shared their thoughts on the swine flu pandemic otherwise known as the H1N1. The natives of Amasaman have not recorded any casualty as at now and are not hoping for any either but have less knowledge on these deadly and highly contagious virus. - A survey conducted by Frontpage Communications, a research and communications company in Accra, within the municipality attests to the fact that at least three out of ten people knew about the pandemic which is very threatening per the seriousness of the virus. The governments of Ghana have instituted some crucial policies to curb these menaces. The measures include …

The people of Manchie have been relieved of having to sit very close to very hot flame and intense fumes during gari processing. The modern hearth now used by the women has long wall designed to shade the heat and the smoke of the fire from reaching them. The old system exposed these poor women to several health hazards including catarite, skin diseases and other related health hazards. - An interview with 60-year old Madam Beauty Kpeto revealed that she has been doing the gari processing job for over three decades, she goes for an eye check up every fortnight because of a problem she developed due to the fumes and heat she has to sit by during the gari processing; she could not hide her exc…