Kotoko is Africa's Club of the century

International Football Federation of History and Statistics has nominated Kumasi Asante Kotoko as Africa’s club of the century. The Porcupine Warriors will recieve their award during The world's Football Gala 2010 which will take place at the exclusive Hurlingham Club in London(Fulham) on Monday February 1st, 2010.
The club of the century for each of the six continents and the winners of the annual world votings and world rankings of IFFHS will be honoured during Gala 2010

Confirming Kotoko’s achievement in an exclusive interview on Sunyani based radio –RADIO B.A.R with sports host Cubagee , former FIFA Gen Secretary Michel Zen Ruffinen who is the coordinator of 2010 Football Gala explained that details of the criterion used to select the award winners of the various categories will be published on the website of IFFHS in due course.

According to him ,letter officially informing the Porcupine warriors of their achievement is expected to arrive in Ghana from Germany latest by the close of next week.

Zen Ruffinen commended Kumasi Asante Kotoko for their feat and said it is a huge plus for Ghana football .

Details of the award winners are:

Africa’s club of the century-Kumasi Asante Kotoko(Ghana)

Europe’s Club of the century-Real Madrid (Spain)

South America’s club of the centrury-CA Penanol Montevideo(Uruguay)

Asia’s club of the century- AL Hilal FC Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

Central and North America’s club of the century-CD Saprissa San Juan de Tibas San Jose-(Costa Rica)

Oceania’s club of the century-South Melbourne FC-(Australia)

The World’s best Referee 2009 Each of the continental clubs of the century will receive a golden trophy and a certificate.

The Trophies will be handed over to the winners by world famous footballers . Also to grace the occasion are captains of the national teams that have qualified for the 2010 FIFA World tournament in South Africa .

Other awards will go to :

The World’s best national Coach 2009

The World’s best Goalkeeper 2009

The World’s best playmaker 2009

The World’s best Top Goal scorer 2009

The World’s best club coach 2009

The World’s best top division goal scorer 2009

First of the club world ranking 2009

The strongest National league in the world 2009.

Conflict of interest? K-POLY RECTOR IN $19 000 CIRCUS

…Accused of breaching procurement procedures

By Issah Alhassan, Kumasi

Administration Block of Kumasi Polytechnic . Insert Dr. B. E. K. Prah

THE RECTOR of Kumasi Polytechnic, Dr. B.E.K. Prah has been caught in a web of administrative malfeasance, after being accused of breaching the 2003 Public Procurement Act (Act 663), in the award of a contract worth over $19,000 for the school’s computer workshop project.

Dr. Prah is being accused of awarding a contract to a US-based Computer System Company, owned by his own nephew, without resorting to the procurement procedures. After bypassing the statutory instrument and the school’s academic board, Dr. Prah was alleged to have unilaterally awarded the contract for the establishment of a computer workshop project dubbed - “Computer Clinic”, to his nephew by name Mr. Andrew Prah, a US-based Computer System Administrator, without open tender, raising issues of conflict of interest on his part.

According to the Public Procurement Act (Act 663), a public procurement entity shall invite consulting Services by causing a notice seeking expression of interest in submitting a proposal to be published in the procurement bulletin or national dailies for consultancy contracts, but the rector of the school was reported to have skipped the process and secured the services of the US-based consultancy services run by his own nephew, sparking anger and suspicion among the rank and file of the school administration.

According to documents and investigations conducted by The Chronicle, beside having issues with the strange nature in which the $19,000 contract was awarded, there seems to be overgrowing discontentment amongst Staff, Management and Student body over the arbitrariness with which the Rector made decisions without consulting the appropriate authorities.

The paper’s investigation revealed that between July 14 and August 22, 2008, the Rector contracted the services of the US-based Computer System Administrator to assist the school assembly, service and maintain computers.

The company later sent down an invoice which amounted to $19,000 from their base in the USA, as contract fee, which the school eventually paid from its coffers.

Some concerned members of the institution alleged that the workshop was a platform used by Dr. Prah to siphon money from the Polytechnic’s dollar account, since according to them, one Japanese volunteer, Mr. Koyabashi, popularly known as Tom, who first set up the programme, did the same work for free.

Dr. Prah’s adversaries also averred that the claim by the school that the US-based Computer System Administrator was responsible for the first computer assembled by the Polytechnic was not true, contending that it was the Japanese volunteer who taught students of the Electrical/Electronic departments of the school how to assemble, service and maintain, but could not end his service before he left the country.

Concerned members of the school have, therefore, appealed to the in-coming Board of the School to do due circumspection of the activities of the Rector and make sure every decision he makes goes through the appropriate channel.

Meanwhile, the Rector, in an interview with The Chronicle admitted contravening the procurement procedure, but said in his view there was nothing wrong with it, since the project was his personal initiative which involved the use of specific technical expertise.

According to him, the project was not just an award of contract which must pass through procurement, adding that he took the decision after consultation with the Chairman of the Entity Tender Board.

Dr. Prah also justified the contractual amount of $19,000 explaining that the amount involved the purchase of two servers and 15 pieces of up-to-date computers.

With his procurement officer beside him, the Rector said the contractual amount was far more cost-effective, insisting that the institution rather benefited from the project.

“Go to the market and find out how much is charged for a brand new computer,” Dr. Prah stated, and made a poignant accusation at the school’s branch of Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG), for being behind the moves to dent his image and that of the institution.

“I know that POTAG is responsible for all these moves, but I am not bothered because I know I am doing the right thing,” he noted. Dr. Prah also described the assertion by his accusers that the Japanese volunteer did a similar project for free as baseless, saying the work embarked upon by Mr. Koyabashi was to repair old computers at the school’s computer laboratory, while his nephew’s project was entirely a different one.

Touching on the issue of the conflict of interest, Dr. Prah stated -“Yes, its true that the man is my nephew, but look, must we compromise excellence and efficiency with that of conflict of interest, the man is a seasoned computer expert, and come to think of it, the benefit we have gained from this project far outweighs the investment we made, so what are they talking about,” he answered rhetorically.

The Rector also rebuffed allegations by his accusers that he was autocratic, and contended that he always takes decisions in consultation with the Management of the school and the Polytechnic Council.

Dr. Prah said he has become a target of criticisms and accusations because he has vowed to ensure that the proper things are done, since he took over the helm of affairs in the institution, adding that “because certain people do not have the chance to do what they used to do, they feel peeved.”

Source:The Chronicle

Ghana: KNUST Rated Best university In Ghana

The latest world universities ranking on the web has placed the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as the best in Ghana and 30th in Africa.

A copy of the rankings made available to the Daily Graphic at the inauguration of the Council of the KNUST in Kumasi had the University of Ghana coming second in Ghana and 50th in Africa

The "Webometrics Ranking of World Universities" is an initiative of the Cybermetrics Laboratory, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigations Científicas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain.

The CSIC, which is among the first basic research organisations in Europe, is attached to the Ministry of Education of that country.

Commenting on the latest placing, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, said the university had over the years carried itself with excellence in the fields of science and technology and was determined to go the extra mile to achieve more in its activities.

Mr Paul Victor Obeng, a former Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs in the first NDC administration, chairs the 19-member council, which was sworn in by the Supervising High Court Judge of Kumasi, Mr Justice Frank Amoah.

Prof. Adarkwa said even though KNUST continued to make strides in educational development, it also continued to encounter challenges, which demanded support to address.

For instance, the Vice Chancellor said whereas about GH¢23.6 million was needed to complete 15 ongoing projects on campus, only GH¢2.9 million was released this year for the projects.

The university, he said, needed to modernise its laboratories, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres, among other projects, to enhance teaching and learning.

Prof. Adarkwa stated that from the developments, it would be necessary for the university to privatise some of its activities and also enter into partnerships to ensure that various projects and programmes were undertaken without much difficulty.

In spite of the challenges, he said the university administration would not rest on its laurels but put in extra efforts to attain successes for the university.

Mr Obeng said being a council member was to serve and not to be served. It was, therefore, important for the members to avoid personal interests and work towards the uplift of the KNUST.

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Nana Otuo Siribuo, for the great work he did and pledged to continue with it.

Mr Obeng acknowledged the challenges facing the university and said “we are here to respond to these challenges but not to mourn over them or needlessly pass the buck”.

“In doing so we have to remember that there are additional human capital resources outside the council, management and the immediate university community. We should recognise this pool of resources as we embark on this journey,” he said.

He thanked the appointing authorities for the confidence reposed in his team.

Story : Kwame Asare Boadu/graphicghana

GHANA: KNUST turns away two-thirds of applicants

Education Minister, Alex Tettey-Enyo Only one-third of applicants who applied to enter the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for the 2009-2010 academic year were offered admission due to inadequate lecturers and facilities. Authorities are worried about the situation but say the trend is likely to continue for some time as funds are not in sight to help reverse the situation. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Kwafo Adarkwah says already the lecturer/student ratio is way beyond the university’s own standards. He laments that despite a large tract of land available for expansion to meet the growing number of prospective students the university is constrained by funding. He told Luv FM in Kumasi that the university was liaising with other private universities to stem the tide. As part of these efforts the university has entered into an agreement with Ghana Telecom and Data Link universities to absorb some of the applicants. According to Prof. Adarkwa, another agreement which will see the campus of the Ghana Law School established on the KNUST campus to solve the perennial quota system has been reached. Story by Elton John Brobbey/Luv FM/Kumasi