Student Thesis
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- ItemByzantine architecture: an expression of byzantine culture(1964) Bart-Plange, E. V. E.
- ItemCompletion of a classroom in Kwamo(1967-10-20) Koffie, John VictorThe Ghana Government has, in recent years embarked upon the development of the country be preparing planning schemes of towns and villages but in most cases only few of these layouts are actually implemented. These are those in urban areas declared Statutory Areas. The reason for this unfortunate situation is two-fold: a. inability of the Central Government to pay for implementation; b. inadequacy of planning staff But in order that villages may keep abreast with developments taking place in the urban areas, the government encourages them by providing technical aid so that they can improve their living conditions through self-help. Self-help is a technique of community development by which the efforts of the people are joined with those of the government in order to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of communities into the life of the national progress. The enthusiasm of the people is secured from the start but where this is not forthcoming it is stimulated through lectures, photographs, cinemas and concerts organized by the Social Welfare and Community Development Department. To this end the Social Welfare and Community Development gives aid to villages in the form of technical know-how to direct the people in carrying out small scale project as construction of schools, roads, and health centres, aid is in the form of materials and sometimes cash. Foreign agencies such as the United States agency for International Development and the Ford Foundation have, in recent years, been providing aid through the Social welfare and Community Development. While undertaking various self-help projects in the villages it is necessary to have trained personnel to guide the villagers. This project report exercise is therefore designed to introduce the Physical Planner to get some insight into his future work. As part of the final examination, each student was given the option to choose a village, select a project from it and carry it through survey, analysis design (where necessary) and implementation through local self-help. This project report has five chapters, each chapter covering a specific topic. Chapter I deals with the preliminary work; selection of villages out of which final project was to be chosen; final selection of village and project. Initially three villages, namely, Ayeduase, Kotei and Kwamo were selected. The main factor taken into consideration in selecting these villages was their proximity to the University since this would permit frequent and regular visits to the site. These villages having been selected, problems facing each village were discussed with the respective chiefs, elders and members of the Village Development Committee and their felt-needs listed in order of priority. Kwamo was finally selected because the villagers seemed extremely enthusiastic on self-help. Felt-needs of the village were listed as follows: a. completion of a Middle School classroom; b. completion of public pit latrines; c. construction of a Primary School. In selecting the final project from these three, preference was given to the one which satisfied most of the following criteria: a. the project should be capable of completion by 1 May 1967; b. it should meet the immediate felt-needs of the people and not the needs as conceived by an outside expert; c. it should represent a physical improvement of immediate use of the local people; d. money to be spent on the project should not exceed N¢167.00 (one hundred and sixty-seven new cedis) if possible; e. the project should allow for maximum use of local labour, materials and technical know-how with emphasis on self-help and community development techniques. With these criteria as a guide, the completion of the Middle School classroom was selected by the villagers as their immediate felt-need. Chapter II deals with the location, physical features, population trend, land tenure, political, economic and social aspects of the village. Kwamo is about nine miles east of Kumasi along the Kumasi-Accra trunk road. It lies on a ridge and is bordered by Fomisua on the west, Jachie on the north, Ejisu on the east and Krapa on the south. It has a population of 1,131. The village has moved once and is now resettled three quarters of a mile from its former site. The main occupation of the people is cocoa farming but a few of them trade in palm-wine, basket making and petty trading. There is a Community Centre, one Catholic Church, two Primary Schools, a Middle School and a Field.
- ItemSettlement pattern in regional planning: (A study of the Central Region)(1967-10-25) Anipa, Seth Emanuel KomlaINTRODUCTION: This thesis is a study of the existing settlement pattern in the Central Region of Ghana with the purpose of evolving a rational settlement pattern for planning. The author’s contribution to the Regional Design Thesis is in the same field. The settlement pattern can be defined as the pattern of where people live in relation to their work, their schools, their hospitals, and other social amenities and in relation to where other people live. His problem re-stated therefore, is the study of Central places in the Central Region of Ghana, and their role as production and service centers in Regional Planning. A central place is a settlement which provides services for the area for which it is a centre. Ghana., like other developing countries, is under going transition from a partial subsistence economy to a full monetary economy. With the completion of the hydro-electricity project at Akosombo, Ghana has “taken off” on the road to industrialization. This transition, calls for the practice of commercial agriculture to produce crops for our industries; it calls for an expansion in our export trade, and it also calls for a new settlement pattern so that all sections of the population may benefit from the social and economic facilities that will be provided. The justification for this study therefore can be found in the words of the Physical Development Plan: “in order that the proposed economic and social investments may be distributed economically throughout the country, the existing settlement patterns must change” (1) This suggests that there is existing at the moment en economically irrational settlement pattern and unless a radical step is taken the economic returns of our national investments cannot be maximized , and consequently not all sections of the population will benefit directly from the provision of the social end other services. In this work therefore the existing settlement pattern in the Central Region is examined with a view to recommending changes if necessary, so that the disparities in living conditions and opportunities and employment that now exist between one region end others, and between the villages and towns, can be corrected and the problems of urbanization can be minimized. In an undertaking like this some modesty is needed. This is because there is no one answer to the problem; many different settlement patterns can be evolved for the Central Region, or Ghana as a whole, depending upon the forces and factors which dominate, upon the level of our development and the period of time. It should therefore be expected that many factors and forces will affect the future pattern of settlements in Ghana. The construction of the mighty dam at Akosombo, for instance, has necessitated the resettlement of about 77,000 people in an enormous area at the Volta Basin. The zone of the resettlement. covers many square miles of land area This project has transformed the existing settlement pattern in that region, but conforming, to some degree, to the pattern of the people’s local farming and the manufacturing economics of the country. The factors and forces that will effect the future settlement pattern stand out clearly if we distinguish, after Clawson,( l) between the optimum and probable settlement patterns. The optimum settlement pattern is that settlement pattern which will offer maximum satisfactions to all the people involved, and at the least cost for the satisfactions obtained. Tastes as well as levels of satisfaction differ but the satisfaction as used here assumes that the provision of basic facilities like health schools, water, electricity and the like will satisfy communities and check to a great extent the rate of influx of people from the rural areas to the urban centers where they hope to enjoy “urban life”. The probable pattern is the nearest approximation to the optimum. The probable settlement pattern will be dominated to a great degree by the existing pattern because the resistance to change are innate in man, and are also numerous and powerful. The optimum pattern will be strongly effected by the present pattern and also by the present capital investments in the various sectors of our economy. The emphasis in this study is on the optimum settlement pattern. The contribution of this study is both theoretical and practical. As a theoretical study it contributes to the methodology of the Study of settlement patterns in Ghana and as a practical study it makes proposals that are in tune with the economic and social aspirations of Ghana. It recognizes the technical methods of planning are as important as the policy since integrated method for planning has not developed widely among countries, (I) for example the Eastern European groups of countries has developed techniques primarily for economic planning and has derived physical and social planning accordingly. The older established countries with industrial economies have developed fiscal. mechanisms for influencing, indirectly the pattern of economic and social development essentially as adjustments, while their physical and social planning have been selective and local. But developing countries like Ghana must face the problem of national development as a whole simultaneous process, and will be in a likely position to integrate the various techniques. The proposals made in the study, therefore, are guided by an integration of various methods and techniques of planning adapted to the needs of Ghana. Fifty-three settlements have beer studied in detail. All these centers ere of population 2,000 and above by the 1960 Population Census of Ghana. The method of study was by direct Survey and information was collected on goods and services available in each center. This provides the information on the existing services at the centers. Goods are considered to be commodities which are sold both in the markets and in shops, and services are such facilities as schools, hospitals end the like. A set of questionnaires was administered in each of the centers and local teachers, heads of institutions and other establishments were greatly relied upon. It is unfortunate that no detailed information could be collected on the distribution and organization of markets in each center. But the magnitude of this shortcoming is greatly minimized by the fact that it was realized that large markets were in almost all cases characteristic of the larger centers, and also that most of the miscellaneous manufactured goods sold in the markets were a also available in the shops. An important characteristic of this study, however, is that the author travelled to each of the 53 centers and this extensive research apart from giving the present day picture also affords the author much confidence in commenting on any regularities or irregularities in his analysis. It is hoped that this study Will be of some value to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Town and Country Planning Division, Accra and any other individuals or groups of individuals who may be interested in the elaboration of regional planning methods, adapted to the needs and conditions of Ghana.
- ItemAgricultural Technical Aid Project Peki(1973-10-20) Bansah, Emmanuel KudzoThe average farmer in Ghana with the help of family labour and relatively little capital works a crop area of 1½ to 4 acres a year; using traditional husbandry methods. The opportunities for a high rate of capital formation and technological advance under this system are limited. Moreover the traditional farmer faces other problems such as long distances to farms, the total dependence on the weather and soil fertility, lack of storage and marketing facilities. Farming in general, until recently in Ghana, was considered a profession for the rural illiterate folks. The young middle School Leavers who should take up farming for their livelihood to leave the rural areas for the urban centres in search for “white collar” jobs. This drift from the rural to urban centers has dual effects. As the towns and cities continue to experience yearly influx of unwanted Middle School Leavers, the villages on the other hand suffer from depopulation. The growth of the average Ghanaian village is therefore at a stand-still. The above mentioned problems are not alien to the Peki District. Between 300 to 400 pupils complete Middle Form Four yearly in the district. Out of this number only few find their way into training Colleges and Commercial Schools. The rest drift to the cities and big towns especially Accra and Kumasi in search of jobs.
- ItemCommunity involvement in health care in Ghana: an evaluation of Brong Ahafo Rural Integrated Development Programme - Barided (1974-81)(1982-06-26) Oppon-Kumi, AugustineSince the Danfo Project - (a Joint Community Health and Family Planning project, initiated by the University of Ghana Medical School and University of California, Los Ange1es), community involvement and participation in the delivery of health care service and health programming has been recognized in Ghana to be an important factor in maintaining health systems and in sustaining community development. But what part community members should play and how they can be motivated and committed to initiate community health programmes have not been subjected to critical and empirical analysis. Recognizing the important role community members can play in health systems, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization - WHO, initiated a 5-year health project in the (former) Wenchi District in Brong -Ahafo region of Ghana, called THE BRONG AHAFO RURAL INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, hereafter coded BARIDEP, or Baridep for short. The BARIDEP is a programme for studying and obtaining experience in “how activities for improvement of health can be integrated into the general development process based on the community development approach with the active involvement of local communities.”1 Moreover, it is a programme for evaluating the effects of such integration. The programme has two components viz, the Implementation component and the Research/Evaluating component. Responsibility for the former component rests solely with the Government of Ghana primarily through the Ministry of Health, whilst the Evaluating aspect is the joint responsibility of Ghana Government and the World Health Organization - WHO, with some assistance from the Swedish, International Development Agency - SIDA.
- ItemRural Development through Agricultural Modernisation in Ghana: A Case Study of the Tongu District of the Volta Region(1984-09-07) Agbezuke, AnthonyIn recent times, rural development has received a great deal of attention in development, in national plans, on political platforms and in the lending programme of most donor countries. This is because it has now been realised, that an improvement in the working and living conditions of the rural people is the first steps towards the achievement of a balance urban – rural development, which has come to be regarded as indispensable in any worthwhile development programme. However, the need for rural development is more pressing in the developing countries, where the rural sector is appreciably large than the urban sector. There is no doubt much has been done in Ghana by way of attempts to identify and to prescribe solutions to some of the thorny problems facing the economy. “One problem area that has been identified as critical and echoed in virtually every development plan since 1953 has been the condition of poverty that characterizes the rural sector”.1 The problem of rural poverty has been seen as directly related to the rather “backward” subsistence nature of agriculture in the rural sector. The theoretical formulation was embodied the vicious in the circles of poverty thesis made famous by Ragnar Nurkse; according to this thesis: The poverty of the mass of the rural population was a consequence of the very low productivity of the farming population. The low productivity led to low incomes. Little or nothing was left for savings or investment after consumption.2 The suspended 7-year development plan (1963/64-1969/70) emphasized the crucial role of agriculture in general economic development in Ghana in the following terms: It is nonetheless obvious that however much progress is made in the non-agricultural sector of the economy the general level of prosperity in Ghana cannot increase significantly unless agriculture which employs nearly 2/3 of the labour force also undergoes a revolutionary change.3 Although the importance of agriculture has been recognized yet it was all coated £68m which was about 14.3% of the total budgetary expenditure while mining and industry had £109.3m (23%) of the total budgetary expenditure during the plan (i.e. the seven year plan) period.4 It can, however, be argued that the amount voted for agriculture was not meant to undermine the place of agriculture in economic development but perhaps the absorptive capacity of this sector was not very strong in the initial stages of our economic development. In addition the machinery needed for the mining sector is expensive and high salaries and wages are demanded by workers of the mining sector because of the risky nature of the work. Thus in the 1975-80 five-year development plan, agriculture was voted ¢999.065, 876 which was 25% of the total budgetary expenditure while mining and industry had 12.8%.5 Economic development is characterized by a substantial increase in demand for agricultural product and failure to expand food supplies in pace with growth in demand can seriously impede economic growth. There is no doubt that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Ghana. Agriculture plays an important role in the lives of the rural population. For example in 1970 the percentage ration of agriculture to the rural population was 80.5%, whereas 73.3% of all persons employed in the rural sector were engaged in agriculture. Furthermore, of all the people employed in agriculture in 1970, 90.1% lived in the rural areas.6 The first role of agriculture may seem obvious but on close examination we can see that its importance goes beyond the need to keep a growing population alive. If the food supply is increasing more slowly than the population, nutritional standards will either be lower or will be maintained by increasing food imports. Spending scarce foreign exchange on food means that less is available to import capital, technology, skilled labour and management – the factors of production that tend to be in short supply in the country. Poor agricultural performance hinders the growth of the rest of the economy and limits the resources available to promote development. Another important aspect of food production is its contribution to the formation of human capital. Malnutrition causes both mental and physical retardation and poor diet also affects general health. As a result worker absenteeism is higher and on-the-job productivity lower than would be the case with a well nourished labour force. A slowly growing agricultural sector can also result in inflationary pressures. If domestic food production is not growing rapidly – and particularly if food imports are limited by foreign exchange constraints – both the absolute and the relative price of food will tend to rise. These inflationary effects will be particularly burdensome for the very poor, who spend 50% or more of their income on food. The second major role of agriculture in the process of development is to provide a market for the products of the industrial sector. The speed of the industrialisation process itself will depend on how rapidly agricultural incomes are rising. If economic growth is confined to urban areas, the domestic market for manufactured goods will be very restricted and import substitution possibilities thus will be limited. In the early periods of economic growth, rising incomes in the agricultural sector can expand the market not only for light consumer goods (radios, bicycles, kitchen, and utensils) but also for agricultural implements. The agricultural sector is important as a source of savings. That is if sufficient domestic food requirement can be provided then the scarce foreign exchange that may be used in importing food could be saved to build up foreign capital. In the same vein, increased food crops production by the small scale farmer could lead to increased income for him to meet his basic needs, domestic capital can then be mobilized from the surplus earnings of these small-scale farmers. Agricultural and its closely related activities provide about 62% of the foreign exchange earnings for the country. Nevertheless, tapping the agricultural potential is not an easy task, even if the agricultural sector is growing rapidly. The task in even difficult if agricultural output is increasing only enough to keep up with population growth. Poor agricultural performance hinders the growth of the rest of the economy and limits the resources available to promote development. Agriculture should also supply substantial amounts of foreign exchange and domestic revenue or capital for financing governmental activities, servicing of foreign debt and actual non-farm investment. Finally, agriculture employs the bulk of the labour force in the initial stage of development. In the long run, as this sector becomes developed it would then release labour for employment in the sector of the economy.
- ItemImpact of diamond mining on agricultural activities in the West Akim Abuakwa Sub-Region(1985-04-19) Ofosu, George KwameThis study was undertaken to determine the conditions within which both mining operations and agricultural activities within the West Akim Abuakwa Sub-region can co-exist. The main objective of the study was to ascertain the effect diamond mining activities have had on agriculture in the West Akin Abuakwa subregion as a whole. The minor objectives were: i. to review the various agricultural systems practised in the diamond mining areas of the West Akin Abuakwa sub-region; ii. to determine the consequent problems that would face agriculture in those areas after the exhaustion of the diamonds; iii. to make recommendations to solve problems likely to arise. The major findings were as follows: a. Loss of Soil Fertility: The exploitation of the diamonds has led to loss of soil fertility which is made evident by low productivity of the farmers. b. There baa been a scarcity of land for farming. c. The scarcity of farming lands has led, to increased land rent. d. The scarcity of farming lands has also led to the exodus of some farmers to ether neighbouring towns to acquire land for farming. The recommendations that were finally made in the study were that 1. There should be the rationalization of the exploitation of diamonds in the line with laws laid down by mining legislative; 2. Laws should be enacted to compel the mining companies and concession owners to practise afforestation to prevent soil erosion end also to prepare the land for future agricultural use; 3. the Government should set up a plant pool within the district so that farmers can hire those machines to plough those areas that have boon littered with mine pits. The main objective which was set out in this study has boon achieved. This is because, from the study, it has been found through interviews arid other documentary sources that mining activities within the West Akim Abuakwa Sub-region have had both beneficial end adverse effects on agricultural activities in the area. There observations have been proved statistically to be significant at some levels of probability.
- ItemHerbal Medicine Centre, Techiman(1986-06-26) Yeboah, Seth KwabenaIt is an undeniable fact that, the time has come in the history of medicine for developing countries like Ghana to find alternative drugs from local materials so as to cut down on the huge foreign exchange spent on orthodox drugs, and also reduces their incidence of promoting further diseases instead of curing them. Thus, the idea of some individuals arid, certain Health Organisations in seeking to promote the research and development of herbal or plant medicine is something worth embracing. This thesis sets out to examine the concept of healing by the use of herbs. The outcome of the findings will serve as the basis for the design of the proposed centre. The content of the dissertation is briefly outlined a follows: The first chapter deals with a general introduction, the problems at stake with respect to traditional medicine and the clients’ development intentions, chapters two and three looked at herbalism as an aspect of fringe medicine and also traditional African medicine in its totality, drawing out certain distinctions in the latter. The fourth chapter considers the case for the intermarriage of traditional and orthodox medicine, citing the merits and demerits in each, and typical experiences in other cultures. Case Studies to guide evolve a comprehensive Design brief is what the fifth chapter deals with; the detail design brief followed in the next chapter. As a guide in spatial determination and planning, some relevant areas of technical studies and design considerations were looked into in the seventh and eighth chapters. Chapters nine arid ten contain an evaluation of the survey area, site selection and planning, followed by eleventh chapter which is devoted to the actual design process. This chapter has description of the various units required at the proposed centre for the research and production of prototypes of herbal medicine - A clinical unit with an adjacent Administration block; Research Laboratories and. production unit tucked away and welfare block centred in the developments. Supporting units are so located close to areas they are fictionally needed. Due to the nature of the project, a programme of development has been drawn out on phasing in the last chapter. The conclusion and recommendations of the author’s view of the thesis research are also stated in this chapter.
- ItemRural Industrial Complex, Awaham Nkwanta(1986-09-10) Yakubu, SalifuDevelopment strategies the world over have for long laid undue emphasis on the use of high level technology in industry, most often inappropriate to existing economic, social and physical situations. Diligent industrial developments often thrive in urban areas at the expense and strangulation of rural communities, in so far as they largely incite and perpetuate a rural-urban migration of the youth who are by all means ‘the blood of rural settlements’. Urbanisation has not only led to intractable problems in banditry, vandalism and wanton unemployment, but has largely exposed men to ludicrously complicated urban and city management systems. These problems have often disposed several governments to awkward and desperate situations, and motivated them towards evolving measures to either check, or reverse wanton migration to cities from the countryside. Incontestably however, all such attempts are deemed to exquisite failure unless rural areas are given their fair share of the national cake by way of physical development in the first instance. The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government of Ghana has drawn up an Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) which emphasises the consolidation of our national agricultural base; a laudable idea which together with its policy of decentralization of the national administrative machinery promises to constitute a suitable platform for take-off to regional development. In the very short term therefore, rural industrial concerns that will largely employ agricultural products as basic input deserve emphasis. Such rural industrial concerns may not only discourage rural-urban migration, but sliinore-pT-ticu1arly become growth poles thereby presenting formidable joints for both backward and forward industrial linkages for the total development of Ghana. Fortunately, a few conscientious Ghanaian Industrialists, who certainly deserve all encouragement and support from central government as well as the blessings and prayers of the rural poor, have decided to take advantage of the government rural industrialisation policy. One of such pragmatic nationalist’s is Mr. J.K. Kwaw of Gokab Limited, who has acquired a tract of land of about 11,34 hectares ( 28 acres) at Awaham Nkwanta, between Asaniankese and Osenase, in the Eastern Region of Ghana for a rural industrial complex. There are cogent signs that Ghanaians may soon be ushered into a true ‘rural industrial revolution’, and era that will rely on the use of appropriate technology and locally available input in rural industrial concerns. It is one of the objectives of this thesis to create an architectural entity for the proposed Rural Industrial Complex at Awaham Nkwanta, in order to demonstrate physically the feasibility of the concept of rural industrialization.
- ItemLibation - a unifying factor between the performing and the visual arts(1987-05-08) Ofori, Henry AsiamThe aim of the thesis is mainly to examine the old order - libation - which has played a meaningful role in the lives of the people of Ashanti-Akim Agogo. It further seeks to bring out the considerable potentiality embedded in it as a source of artistic inspiration as well as finding out how it unifies the performing and the visual arts. Due to this, the main problem which invariably is the title of the thesis has been broken down into sub-problems to enable the author solve the problem in a methodical way. The entire thesis has been broken down into five chapters including the conclusion. The break down of the chapters reveals the link between the life styles of the people and their art and how this is made manifest in their way of pouring libation on certain occasions which in the light of this people are very important. The research for the thesis was conducted through a combination of library studies, Interviews by the help of questionnaires, logical constructs and personal familiarisation with this form of charitable prayer. The photographs used here-in are from the on-the-spot performance at the shrine. However, most of the illustrations are made from the artistic Imagination of the author while some are culled from certain books. The illustrations are hand-drawn and these have been used to illustrate the main theme as aids to the understanding of the entire work.
- ItemSome factors contributing to the paucity of yellow fever in the Ashanti Region of Ghana(1988-05-08) Esena, Reuben KwasiMosquitoes occurring in an urban and two rural areas of Ashanti were identified in a study to find out why the Ashanti Region of Ghana has nearly always escaped Yellow Fever epidemics that have swept through the country since 1900. Several species of the Yellow Fever mosquitoes were encountered, namely Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti Linnaeus, Aedes (Stegomyia) africanus Theobald, Aedes (Stegomyia) luteocephalus Newstead, Aedes (Stegoiuyia) vittatus Bigot. Other mosquitoes were Culex (Culex) decens Theobald, Culex (Culex) thalassius Theobald, Culex (Lutzia) trigripes Granpre, Anopheles gambiae S.I. and Toxorhynchites brevipalpis Theobald. The mean Aedes mosquito indices throughout the research work were as follows: Biting rate 0.53; House Index 8.85; Container Index 3.67 and Breteau Index 11.45. Although the values are considered capable of promoting the transmission of Yellow Fever, they are remarkably lower than the International Threshold values of Biting rate 2; House Index 35; Container index 20; Breteau Index 50 and therefore unlikely to promote Yellow fever transmission by Aedes aegypti in the urban cycle. Rainfall and Relative Humidity (%) at 1500 hours GMT were remarkably correlated with larval and Biting indices. The low larval indices which may have reflected on the low man—vector contact rates were probably influenced by the vast distribution, resi1nce and predatory propensity of Toxorhynchites brevipalpis. Other minor predators found on the Aedes mosquito were Culex fLutzia) tigripes, Notonecta, Nepa sp. (Water scorpion), Hydrometra (Water Stick), Belostoma (giant water bug) and Lispa (anthomyid fly). Toxorhynchites preferred feeding on Aedes aegypti to other mosquito species such as Culex decens and Anopheles gambiae. No Toxorhynchites were found in other regions bordering Ashanti where Yellow Fever epidemics have been recorded.
- ItemDetermination of total arsenic content of some food and cash crops, cooked food, vegetation, fish and meat from Kumasi and Obuasi(1989) Amekor, Emmanuel Melvin KofiThe total arsenic content of some food and cash crops from Kumasi and Obuasi farms and markets have been determined. Analyses were also conducted on vegetation, cooked food obtained from some homes, local fish, and meat as well as some soil and water samples. In all, 266 samples were examined. Sampling was random depending on which samples were available and obtainable at the different locations Vegetation was as far as possible collected from sources of water utilized for domestic purposes. KUIASI - food crops, 84 samples; cash crops, 8 samples; cooked food, 6 samples; vegetation, 6 samples; fish and meat, 2 samples. OBUASI - food crops, 104 samples; cash crops, 11 samples; cooked food 9 samples; vegetation, 20 samples; fish and meat, 2 samples; soil, 7 samples; and water, 7 samples. Two methods, Calorimetric and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric (A.A.S) techniques of analysis were employed for arsenic determination. Arsenic concentration values for Kumasi ranged between 0.05 and 4.85 mg/kg with the colorimetric method while A.A.S gave a range of 0.07 to 7.20 mg/kg. In Obuasi ranges of 0.05 to 52.00 and 0.12 to 70.50 mg/kg were obtained f or the calorimetric and A.A.S methods respectively. The data showed that arsenic levels from Obuasi are much higher than those from Kumasi. Secondly the A.A.S method gave greater arsenic content than the calorimetric method f or the same samples.
- ItemSimple firing technique in ceramics for second cycle institution(1989-04-16) Adjei – Henne, GeorgeAlthough most teachers teach ceramics, very few of them are able to preserve the students works as they do to the other art works. Some of the students’ works are unique and need to be preserved but surprisingly they are left in the bone dry, fragile state to break. Some of such pieces are re-cycled whilst others are swept from the art rooms into bins. The effect of this attitude of teachers is the disinterest which students show in clay-work because they see it as valueless. Most of the teachers interviewed in the preliminary enquiry about firing complained of lack of funds and technical knowhow for the construction of kilns. To them firing cannot be made possible without conventional kilns. The schools w1tb kilns do firing about once in a year, following the same firing procedure without any variation.
- ItemFinancing small-scale farmers in the Techiman District, Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana(1989-05-08) Owusu-Ansah, EmmanuelThe desire for food self-sufficiency in C-ham has been a dream of all succeeding governments since independence. However, this dream has become an enigma, for a long time, as the country continues to rely on massive food importation and food aid to supplement her food requirements. One way of realising this dream of self-sufficiency in the country’s food needs is by increasing the productivity of the small-scale farmer. However, the growth andtdeve1opmen of the small-scale farmer is beset with many problems, most important of them being inadequate financing. Small-scale farmers in the Techiman District are no exception to this problem. The study, therefore, set out to analyse the characteristics of the financial constraints facing the small-scale farmers in the Techiman District and the reaction of the financial institutions in solving their financial problems. It was revealed from the study that most of the farmers are illiterates, use traditional implements, depend on rain-fed agriculture, have limited farm sizes and depend on family hands as farm labour. The characteristics of the existing sources of finance also revealed that the formal sources of finance play an insignificant role in financing small-scale farmers in the district not only because of their rigid lending procedures but also due to the poor repayment rate, diversion of loans from the purposes for which they were acquired, refusal to pay the loans and the dispersed nature of the small-scale farmers. These factors combine to make the banks very repulsive in granting loans to farmers. Informal sources such as money-lenders, personal savings, friends and relatives and cash advances from middlemen and traders, therefore, form the backbone for financing small-scale farmers. It was revealed that the informal sources are not only unreliable but also charge high interest rates which means that after repayment of the loan most farmers cannot have enough to meet their social expenditure and for further reinvestment in agriculture. It is against the background of the unreliability and. the high rate of interests of the informal sources that recommendations have been offered to help small-scale farmers get out of their financial problem. These recommendations include the need to increase extension services, formation of co-operative associations, fanner education, opening of more rural banks, the integration of formal and informal sources of finance and improvement in the marketing and distribution networks. It is hoped that these recommendations could help in solving the financial constraints, to the growth and development of small-scale farmers in the Techiman District and. other food producing areas in Ghana.
- ItemThe state of the arts in Ghana – a critical appraisal of Organization and Administration(1989-06-26) Doku, Mark AnthonyCulture constitutes a fundamental dimension of development process which helps to strengthen the independence, sovereignty and identity of nations. Growth has frequently been conceived by quantitative terms, without taking into account its necessary qualitative dimension, namely the satisfaction of man’s spiritual and cultural aspiration. The aim of genuine development is the continuing well-being and fulfillment of each and every individual for the betterment of the entire society. Art is indisputably an integral part of culture. Since independence, attempts have been made to promote the art in the cultural establishment. The promotion of the arts has been the task of the Ministry of Education and Culture, in the revolutionary process. Art and culture have been accorded remarkable support by the government. Quite recently, the Provisional National Defence Council (P.N.D.C.) government has established the Commission on National, Culture – a body to formulate policies to be implemented by the Centres for National Culture in the regions. Its main objective includes the promotion, the presentation and preservation of the art. The author of this thesis, who is an official of the Centre for national Culture, Greater Accra region, sees the need to direct the attention of the commission on National Culture towards more effective and efficient organization and administration of the art in the context of Cultural and National Development hence this research effort. This thesis, is an attempt to appraise the current organization and administration of arts in Ghana and bring to the fore its strengths and weakness and to make some suggestions for improvement, the main research method employed is the Descriptive and Analytical approach. The research instruments used are questionnaires and interview. The scope of the research covered the newly established commission on National Culture, the Centre for National Culture – Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, and practicing artistes and artists in both regions as well. The sample population totaled 97. The report is presented in six chapters as follows: Chapter one; this is the introductory chapter which deals with the problem and its setting. Chapter two, this chapter deals with literature review. Chapter three, this chapter looks at the historical overview of the development of the Art in Ghana fro 1951 – 1986. Chapter four, this deals with the present state of the Art in Ghana touching on organization and administration in the revolutionary era. Chapter five, the analysis and interpretation of field dada obtained have been presented in this chapter Chapter six, this chapter deals with the conclusion, suggestions and recommendation of the report.
- ItemLeadership art at Bekwai(1989-06-26) Appiah-Asare, AlexThis thesis shows the study of regalia of Bekwai with the view to: (a) identifying and describing some of the important artifacts; (b) examine their socio-political functions, importance, significance and influence on Bekwai citizens and their culture; and (c) investigating the changes and development that have occurred in the regalia and whether there has been an introduction of foreign elements into the artifacts or not. To realise these aims, and for the success of the entire work, the thesis is organised into five chapters, excluding the preface and other preambles. The first chapter is mainly devoted to the ethnographic study of Bekwai. The next three identify and describe the regalia, show their significance and consider their aesthetic quality and the socio-poliitical functions of the artifacts, while the last chapter concerns discussion designed to show the importance and influence of the regalia, some findings, suggestions, recommendations and a conclusion. The research reveals that the paramount regalia include stools, state swords, palanquins, linguist staffs, necklaces, bracelets, rings and footwear. The insignia are central to the Bekwai culture, and while some of them foster unity, proclaim the grandeur of the chief and influence socio-political gatherings, others lend credence and authority to the messages of the envoys and linguists for example linguist staffs and courier swords. As noticed in the actual text, the foundation of Bekwai is associated with a legendary snake which is symbolished and added to the regalia. Moreover, the ancestors are represented by black stools which allegedly assist the people to contact these spirits for supernatural assistance. The thesis further shows that the regalia are aesthetically pleasing. The artifacts are marked by stylistic variations and developments, an introduction of foreign materials into the fabrication and by gifts from Britain. It is however hoped that this thesis, will be beneficial to the people of Bekwai and of Ghana as a whole.
- ItemThe place of the visual arts in Pre-University education in Ghana(1990-04-16) Adjei, Anthony KwasiOne of the major aims of education is to contribute to the development of a dynamic, self-renewing society. It is significant to note that formal education which takes place in schools and collages aims at transmitting to the young people, the skills and knowledge, values, aptitudes chats will help them contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the nation. It the country does not have citizens with adequate technical skills and knowledge, the country cannot develop fully. No wonder, many nations treat education as an investment for the future. Visual art education, is therefore considered as a contributing factor to national development for many authorities in education agree that in every nation, art act as a the flesh to the bony disciplines such as engineering, medicine or physics, and that no nation can advance without the full enjoyment of its arts, for they are of prime importance to human life and development. However, it is unfortunate to note that in Ghana, despite official pronouncement on the relationship between art and culture, visual art has always been considered frill in the school programme, but not a priority area of study, hence, due attention has not been given to its teaching and learning. This is because the Ghanaian believes that it has no direct economic value to the nation. It is also believed to be a subject which is understood by persons with low academic mentality. Therefore it has been a little or no importance to most of our educational leaders. It is in the light of the above statement that the thesis seeks to clarify certain attitudes, contentious and misconceptions about art, so that it will be given due attention by educational authorities in the country. This will ultimately promote the effective teaching and learning of the visual arts in our schools and colleges. The research methodologies employed are the descriptive and analytical survey methods. The research instruments used are questionnaire opinionnaires and interviews. As a matter of convenience, eighteen selected schools and colleges were used for the study. The first chapter deals with the review of related literature. Chapter two discusses a historical over view of the development of the visual art education in Ghana since 1920. Chapter three examines the significance of the visual art to the society. Chapter four also discusses the place of the visual arts in formal education in Ghana. Chapter five deals with procedures for the research on the visual arts in per-university education in Ghana, chapter six deals with the results of research findings and finally, the seventh chapter concludes with the summary, recommendation and conclusion of the study. The research has revealed that visual art education has been treated as a secondary subject of study and not the basis of education, as philosophers of education claims. Therefore it has not been adequately catered as English, Mathematics and science, which are considered priority subject in the school curriculum. It is the view of the author that if more attention is paid to the teaching and learning of visual arts, individuals and society will benefit more from general education, and the socio-economic life of Ghana will be greatly improved. It is therefore hope that if visual art education will be given equal opportunity and due attention, it will contribution immensely to the enrichment of the curricula of schools and colleges in the country.
- ItemTowards a framework for the promotion of technical and managerial entrepreneurship capabilities in Small Scale Industries in Rural Districts — a Case Study of West Gonja District in Ghana(1990-09-03) Uliwa, Peniel S. B.It is widely accepted that rural development in the Third Ir1ci. Countries (TWCs) require an integrated sectoral approach. Attempts made in rural industrialization are meant to supplement the efforts in other sectors. Although emphasis was laid on modern and large—scale industries, it has been recognized that they are net sustainable and in the rural industrialization process, mal1 Scale Industries (SIs) are inevitable. The issue is how to promote such rural SSIs in the light of numerous problems confronting them. A research was, hence, conducted as a contribution to the efforts in searching for an optimum promotional strategy for rural industrialization. A case study of existing entrepreneurs in SSIs in the West Gonja District was undertaken. This study area has a major problem of low supply of indigenous entrepreneurship. Additionally, the few existing entrepreneurs possess relatively low level of technical and managerial capabilities. Institutional and government support designated for the sector is uncoordinated and never felt in the area. Also the social and technical environment and the business climate in general are not conducive enough to attract industries. Production risks in SSIs are, hence high and these adversely affect the supply of entrepreneurship. It is being argued in this study that, an entrepreneur is central to the initiation, survival and growth of SSIs. Unlike post efforts, which used a problem—solving approach, an integrated approach, forging linkages and putting the entrepreneur first is being called for. The objective of the study was to assess the state of technical and managerial capabilities possessed, their acquisition and diffusion modalities and identification of problems confronted. A look was also made into the institutional framework to see how a pattern of support services could be made practical and accessible to rural SSI entrepreneurs. The study confirmed the existence of low supply of entrepreneurship manifested in the low level of industrial activities. Surprisingly, however, entrepreneurs were found to possess stocks of’ capabilities, which were predominantly acquired informally. They financed their operation solely from private means end there were interesting innovation in technological development especially in dye-making and farm implements, among others. Over 80 per cent of entrepreneurs work single handedly on both production and management aspects and employment generation of only 2.5 persons per enterprise was revealed. Competence in both aspects of production and management is unlikely to be embodied in one per son. No institutional support was availed to entrepreneurs; neither did they know of the existence of such support programmes. Laudable policies and programmes of the government and SSI promotional institutions have never reached the target rural entrepreneurs. Improvement in social and technical infrastructure is still lagging behind. Consequently, the entrepreneurial capabilities have remained static and measures to generate dynamic capabilities are essential. Potentials were assessed for strengthening such capabilities and stimulating new entrepreneurs, end it was found out that the District is endowed with a raw material base (agricultural and non—agricultural such as lime and salt respectively). Entrepreneurs also displayed latent talent and, institutionally, it has been recognized that entrepreneurs can be identified, trained and developed and that they come from all walks of life. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (N13551) has started an entrepreneurship Development Programme (r) in the urban areas of Kumasi and Accra, and this is being extended to Cape Coast and Tamale. There s, hence, a ground to suggest that first and foremost, the promotional strategy should centre on the entrepreneurs in order to strengthen their technical and managerial capabilities his will enable them come up with viable projects which is the pressing problem. In this way, other problems particularly finance which is felt as the urgent problem would have been minimized. Rather than capital chasing viable projects, characterising the status quo “viable projects should chase capital” The recommendations stressed the need for, as far as possible, the utilization of local resources in an integrated way. The need for technical and managerial training, technology exposure, multi—purpose industrial cooperatives, rural workshop clusters and government support services were suggested. The EDP was seen as a major tool for the stimulation of rural entrepreneurs in a single, comprehensive package. No new institution was advocated for. Rather a coordination and synchronization of existing institutions whereby the NBSSI, (at the national level and the District Development Planning Unit, at the District level) are responsible, was emphasized. Implementation of these proposals would have contributed to the reorientation of promotional strategies of rural SSI entrepreneurs.
- ItemOre reserve estimation for mine planning at Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Limited, Akwatia(1990-09-03) Ashong, Emmanuel TetteyAt Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Limited (GCD), production figures for the past four years indicate that there is a significant difference between the estimated ore reserve and what is actually obtained at the end of a mining programme. While other unit operations like the mining method and the efficiency of the treatment plants may be contributing to this disparity, one of the major reasons could be that the current estimation method is not adequately reliable. The objective of this thesis is to assess the current method of ore reserve estimation on the mine and to investigate other estimation method that may be applicable. The standard arithmetic method, which is the current estimation method on the mine, has been used to estimate reserves in a selected area of the GCD concession. The triangular and geostatistical methods were used to estimate the reserves within the selected area. The justification for choosing the triangular method has been outlined. The applicability of geostatistical method has also been justified by the fact that the grade distribution of the different geological regions within the selected area could be fitted with the spherical semi-variogram models. It is suggested that the current estimation is good since the tonnages estimated using this method 1ie in between those of the other two methods However, the estimated grades and the variances were least in the case of geostatistical method. If the drilling programme could be intensified to produce adequate samples, geostatistics could serve as a tool to narrow the observed disparity between estimated and mined grades at Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Limited.
- ItemA study of farm input supply in the West Gonja District: implications for smallholder development(1990-09-11) Dosoo, EbenezerThe population of the West Gonja District is increasing at an annual rate of 4.2 percent while agricultural productivity is rather very low. To be able to feed the present and. the future population, agricultural production, especially food crops production must increase at an applicable rater. The farmers who will increase agricultural production are mainly smallholders (over 80 percent) who continue to employ traditional technology in farming. This prompted the present study which seeks to investigate the circumstances of the smallholders in relation to the availability and use of improved farm inputs especially fertilizers which increase agricultural productivity, several folds, and all other condition being suitable. Literature is cited on some theories and practice of input supplies. Examples of farm input supplies as practiced both in Ghana and elsewhere are also cited. A conceptual framework is also advanced to give some support to the examples of experience cited and to throw some light on the various factors affecting inputs supplies. The need for an effective supply system for agricultural inputs is also highlighted. Data for the study were collected from both secondary and primary sources. The secondary sources included mainly library research. Primary data were collected by administering interviews schedules inn a Smallholder Household Survey in four settlements: Damongo, Buipe, Daboya and Mpaha officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Parastatals as well as private companies involved in farm input supply were also interviewed The analysis of data gathered is based on the socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder farmers which are likely to influence their adoption of improved technology. Factors such as transportation and warehousing and other social and technical infrastructure which are likely to affect input distribution, as well as government agricultural policies are also analysed and their implication noted Major findings from the analysis and their implications for smallholder development are also given. Based on the major findings and implications, recommendations are offered for the development of smallholder farming in particular and agriculture as a whole in the West Gonja District and Ghana in general Conclusions are drawn from these and the need for future research into the farm input supply system echoed.