Toyota Ghana awards best technicians and service advisors

Toyota Ghana Limited has ended its second National Technical Skills contest for technicians and service advisors in Accra, with two winners earning a paid trip to the Customer Service Champions Assembly in Japan in September.

     The winners are Mr Henry Afiatse, from the Service Advisors Category and Mr Francis Teidzor from the Technicians Category. 

     The contest was aimed at developing the skills and proficiency standards of the technicians and to ingrain in them the importance and purpose of quality checks.

     It also encouraged the contestants to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupation, as well as strengthening after-sales service support provision to customers.

     Five competitors entered from each of the categories.

     Mr Takahiko Takabayashi, Managing Director of Toyota Company Ghana Limited, said at the awards ceremony on Tuesday that the contest, which started last year with only the technicians but had to be extended this year to cover the service advisors.

     He said the contest involved both theory and practical work and expressed the hope that “with their skills enhanced, continuous improvement of quality service delivery will follow”.

     He urged the other contestants who did not win the ultimate to work harder and put in more efforts in future contests.

     Nii Armah Ashitey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, who was the Guest of Honour, said the contest was a welcomed opportunity since the contestants would enhance their skills and competence.

     The platform, he said, would also create an environment for the contestants to share ideas and experiences, which would enhance and strengthen the after sales service of the company and human capacity as well.

     He urged staff and management to pay special attention to customer care, adding that “most workers do not know that their very existence depends on their customers and therefore do not pay special attention to them”.

     “Any time a customers feels unhappy due to poor customer care, he or she can decide to change to another company,” he said.

     He expressed concern about the influx of inferior parts on the market, saying unsuspecting customers go in for those parts and within a short period replace them.

     Nii Ashitey appealed to the management of the company to consider investing or encouraging business partnership with other corporate entities to invest in the assembly plant industry.

    “We have talented and hardworking individuals in the country who can work in the assembling plants, “he added.

     Other packages for the first winners included a cash price of GH¢1,000 each, a trophy, Home theatre set, Toyota branded souvenirs and a certificate of participation.

     The second and third places in the various categories went to Mr Isaac Mensah and Mr Dennis Dzope respectively

Toyota Ghana educates mechanics on authentic spare parts

Eighty mechanics from 60 garages in the Greater Accra Region on Thursday participated in a day’s training seminar on how best to identify genuine Toyota parts on the Ghanaian market.

     The training was to make the mechanics aware of the existence of fake Toyota parts.

     Mr Eric Dako, General Manager of Toyota Ghana Limited, urged the mechanics to use genuine Toyota parts in their operations, for customers’ satisfaction.

     He assured them of the company’s continued support to promote the auto mobile industry.  

     Mr Leslie Ohene-Ampong, Accra Parts Manager, in a presentation on spare parts enumerated numerous dangers in the use of fake Toyota parts including short life span of the engine, high maintenance cost, uncomfortable driving conditions, safety, security of passengers and vehicle.

     He said the training was to educate the mechanics to appropriately service their customers on the dangers of using fake Toyota spare parts.

     On the benefits of using genuine parts, Mr Ohene-Ampong noted that it was cost effective and would not bring any problems to their vehicles.

     "Some of the Toyota key products imitated include; oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, brake pads, drive belts, spark plugs and shock absorbers," he added.

     Explaining the difference between the genuine drive belt and the fake, he said the genuine Toyota drive belt was rubber coated to prevent cracking while non-genuine belts had simple configuration and inferior combination of materials.

     For the genuine oil filter, it has dual texture elements with high heat resistant gasket which delivers long lasting stable performance while non-genuine oil filter has fine and thin element which could easily tear with low heat resistant gasket that easily deforms making the valves to easily fail causing leakages.  

     Mr Kenneth Badong, Lubes Specialties Engineer at Total Petroleum Ghana Limited, in a presentation on Lubricant Technology, said the function of lubes were to reduce friction in the engine.

     In addition, it prevents engines from rusting and cohesion.

     He advised the mechanics to challenge any Total Filling Station that dealt in fake lubricants and report to the appropriate authorities.

     The mechanics appealed to management to regularly organise training workshops for the junior and senior apprentices to equip them adequately in the industry for the future.

     In addition, management should provide maintenance manual to update their knowledge.

     Special awards were presented to the mechanics for their loyal, dedication and outstanding performance in the promotion of Toyota Genuine parts last year.

     The recipients were Amass Company Limited, for the Gold Award, Modern Garages for Bronze, Solar Auto Works for Silver and Moonic Auto Clinic the 2010 New Discovery. 

     They were grateful to the management for instituting the awards scheme to encourage mechanics to perform better.

Media development fund for journalists

      The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has advocated for the establishment of a Media Development Fund to support media development in the country.

    The Fund when established would be managed by a board of trustees made up of representatives of major stakeholders in the media and journalists, and would be under the auspices of the National Media Commission.

    Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of the GJA, announced this at the launch of findings of the Ghana Media Standards Improvement (GMSIP) survey on Rural Radio Stations in Ghana and the regional re-launch of the GJA Code of Ethics at Ho in the Volta Region on Monday.

    He said the Fund could be supported by individuals, corporate bodies and non-governmental organisations and government institutions.

    He said journalists and media organisations who intended to do investigative work and developmental reportage could apply for support from the fund.

     On the recent investigative work by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Mr Tetteh said “we do not think it is unusual for institutions, corporate organisations and even government organisations to engage mainstream media by way of sponsorship.

     “We can attest to the fact that renowned international media houses in developed democracies do programmes in collaboration with institutions both governmental and non-governmental,” he added.

     Mr Tetteh noted that the cardinal principles that needed to be observed in such sponsorship arrangement included the non-interference of the hiring agency with the independence of the work of the journalist or media house.

     He said the re-launch of the code of ethics will serve as a reminder to all media practitioners to recommit themselves to the values and ideals of professionalism.

     He said the GJA would encourage other media practitioners to expose corruption in the country, and expressed the hope that it would stop the stealing of public resources for selfish gains.

      Dr Margaret Amoakohene, Director of the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, in a presentation on “Profiles of Rural Radio Stations in Ghana”, said there was the need for media owners to re-examine the salaries for media practitioners and remuneration for journalist.

    She said a survey indicated that most Rural Radio Stations did not have programme content to keep the stations running but would rather opt for affiliation to other “big” stations.

    “It seemed to highlight the fact that many of the rural radio stations studied were predominantly located in Akan speaking areas,” she said.

     “Since there were entire districts in Ghana which had no FM radio stations, whereas others had more than one, it may be necessary to re-examine the concentration of radio stations to determine how they contribute to undermine pluralism,” Dr Amoakohene added.

Residents of Asempanaye undergoes medical screening

     The Accra Ring Road Central Rotary Club in partnership with Centre for Health Outreach and Research Ghana, an NGO has organised a medical outreach programme for residents of Asempanaye.

     Asempanaye is in the Akuapim North District of the Eastern Region.

     Ms Galina Okartei- Akko, President of the Club, in an interview with Ghana News Agency on Friday said the programme was part of activities the body was embarking upon to help improve on the health needs of the community.

     The residents got the opportunity for free screening, diagnosis and follow-up medical care where they were given drugs ranging from Multivitamin, Malaria drugs, pain killers among other medication.

     She noted that some pharmaceutical companies including Kinapharma limited, Starwin Ghana and J.M Addo and Sons were supporting the campaign with drugs.

     Ms Okartei-Akko said the club had adopted the community and was focusing on providing educational facilities, water and sanitation and health to the people.

     She said members have also dedicated their time and professional expertise to facilitate the development of the community.

     “We demonstrate by collaborating with a variety of partners on innovative programmes. We are able to provide shelter, nourish, motivate and inspire people,” Ms Okartei-Akko said.

     Meanwhile a six-unit classroom block has been constructed and furnished for students of Asempanaye Local Authority School with a headmaster office attached.

     The president announced that the club was currently expanding another six-classroom junior high school block with partnership from different groups including Rotary Club of Denmark, Holland, US and MTN, a communication company.

     She expressed the view that the aspirations of the residents of the community could be realised if they have accessible public education system, saying that a sustainable health and vibrant community would be the main driver of success.

     She said the club was constructing a four- unit place of convenience and a borehole for residents.

     The club presented a number of used clothing and shoes to some residents.

     Dr Sebastian Eliason, Team Leader of the Centre for Health and Research Ghana, said residents were educated on how best they could take their rest and the type of diet they should take to keep them healthy.

     Nana Ampem Darko, Odikro of Asempanaye, thanked the club for the programme and expressed the hope that it would go a long way to help residents.

     He appealed to the government to extend the National School Feeding Programme to the area to make pupils stay in class.

     Nana Darko called on other corporate institutions to come to the aid of the community by providing more educational facilities to the people.

     He said the provision of the six units classroom block had boosted enrolment by 200 per cent.

     “The community also needs additional borehole to make portable water accessible to all,” he added.

     He said the chiefs and people also helped the club with communal labour to speed up progress of work.

     Asempanaye is predominating a farming community with more than 500 people engaged in Cocoa, cassava, oil palm, maize and plantain production.

UG student’s undergone orientation on NSS online registration

Mr Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), has said this year’s posting of service personnel would focus on local governance and rural development, agriculture, community policing, disaster management, health and Education.

     He said the training students had acquired from their various institutions has adequately equipped them to perform their duties anywhere they would be posted to.

     Mr Kuagbenu said this at an orientation to educate students of the University of Ghana, on online registration for national service, in Accra on Saturday.

     He also announced that some national service personnel would be assigned to engage in sanitation practice to curtail the spread of cholera in the country.   

     Mr Kuagbenu said it was mandatory for all graduates of tertiary institution, 18 years and above, to observe a one year national service, adding that this year, doctors, laboratory technicians and nurses among others would be involved in the service.

     He cautioned students whose intension was to abandoned the programme and that they would be prosecuted.

     Mr Kuagbenu appealed to national service personnel to obey rules of the service and to offer voluntary service at their communities.

     He asked students to register for the National Health Insurance Scheme to enable them have access to health.

     Mr Fiifi Asubonteng, Head of Information Technology at NSS, asked students to careful when registering for postings online      and cautioned them to avoid choosing any region twice.

     Students asked questions ranging from allowances, accommodation and motivation.

Every two minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer- Dr Hiadzi

Dr Edem Hiadzi, Medical Director of Lister Hospital on Tuesday said statistics available indicated that every two minutes a woman dies of Cervical Cancer worldwide.

    He noted that the disease was the second most common cancer affecting women worldwide and accounting for about 10 per cent of all cancer cases.

    Dr Hiadzi announced this at a sensitisation programme on the “effects of Cervical and Prostate Cancer on Reproductive Health of Individuals” for students of the Central University College, at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.

    He said the programme was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of the hospital to educate the public on issues affecting their health.

    “Cervical Cancer develops in the cervix, the low, narrow neck of the uterus that opens into the vagina,” he said.

    In addition, he said the disease was of vital importance because it prevents infections from reaching the uterus.

    He explained that cervix plays a major role in pregnancy and birth stages, adding that it lengthens during pregnancy serving as a barrier to protect the foetus and also expands during child birth to allow the baby to pass through.

    On the causes of Cervical Cancer, Dr Hiadzi said, it was caused by a virus called Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which was transmitted during sexual intercourse and sometimes through intimate genital skin to skin contact.

    “Every sexually active women risk catching the virus. In fact up to 80 per cent of women will be infected with some type of the virus at sometime in their lives,” he added.

    He warned that the risk of infection starts from the first sexual encounter and would continue through life.

    Dr Hiadzi indicated that every year, across Africa, 79,000 women were diagnosed with the disease with about 62,000 women dying.

    Most health care providers lack the needed skills to educate, provide screening services, identify and manage cases appropriately.

    He announced that a vaccine against the HPV infection was now available in the country and therefore prevention was currently possible.

    Dr Hiadzi urged women to vaccinate alongside screening to reduce the risk of the disease.

    He advised sexually active female students to go for checkups to know their Cervical Cancer status while admonishing the inactive ones to abstained from sex.

    Touching on Prostate Cancer, the medical director said this was the leading cause of death in men especially in developing countries like Ghana.

    Prostate Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in a man’s prostate gland. The prostate is found just below the bladder.

    He said as the life expectancy in developing countries increased the incidence of prostate cancer also sours up.

    Dr Hiadzi noted that African and black Americans men were more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of their lives.

    He said screening for the cancer was to detect the disease at the early stages, adding that “age is a risk factor, the older you are the higher the risk of the ailment”.

    Minimising the chance of getting Prostate Cancer, Dr Hiadzi said people could eat more low fat and high fibre foods, stressing that vegetables like kontomire, broccoli, cauli-flower, carrots and cabbage with food supplements such as vitamins D and E may also help prevent the disease. 

    He advised men to talk to their doctors about the disease for early screening and prevention.

    Symptoms of Prostate Cancer include weak or interrupted flow of urine, frequent urination especially at night, Blood in the urine, difficulty urinating and erectile dysfunction.