WATER COMPANY EXTENDS POWER TO BUSUMASE (PAGE 3)

THE Western Regional branch of the Aqua Vitens Rand of the Ghana Water Company Limited has extended electricity to Busumase, the host community for its main water collection point in the Mpohor District in the Western Region.
The company will also bear the cost of electricity used by the community for domestic purposes.
Apart from extending the electricity to the community, the company has provided the town with street lights.
The people of the community, who could not hide their excitement, said the location of the company’s collection point in the community gave them hope for extension of certain facilities to them.
At the inaugural ceremony, the General Manager in charge of Commercials, Mr Cor Lievers, said it was very important that corporate bodies and their host communities related well to ensure industrial and social harmony.
“Therefore, we thought it right to provide the community with electricity, as we can not ignore the community when it comes to fulfilling our corporate social responsibilities,” he said.
He said apart from the fact that the town would be illuminated at night, it would also provide the comfort for schoolchildren to study at night to help them improve academically.
Mr Lievers, however, cautioned the people not to use the power for commercial purposes and that they should be ready for challenges such as interruption in power supply, which might happen once in a while.
The Regional Chief Manager, Mr Emmanuel Ashia, said the company had provided some few facilities for the community, including the replacement of a weak footbridge.
The chief manager said the beneficiaries of the water they collected from the Busumase were consumers in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
Therefore it was just right to ensure that host community also benefited from electric power.
He said since the establishment of the plant in 1996, the company and the community had no misunderstanding, saying, “that is a sign of brotherliness and we have to cherish it and to further explore how best we can complement each other’s efforts”.
He explained to the community that although the power provided was not enough to undertake industrial activities, the company would consider request for use of the power for small scale commercial activities.
“What we are saying is that we are responsible for your domestic use of the electricity. Therefore, if somebody wants to establish a commercial business, the person should apply to use the power for commercial purpose to attract the appropriate billing,” he said.
The chief of the town, Nana Kwesi Asafoah Ntiful, was grateful to Ghana Water Company for the project and expressed the hope that it would go a long way to make the community more attractive.

CHECK THESE HAULAGE TRUCK DRIVERS (PAGE 25)

The National Road Safety Commission and the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service have a lot of work to do to reduce the speed at which haulage trucks and commercial vehicles travel on roads in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.
Because of the Takoradi Port where raw materials such as cocoa, manganese, bauxite, timber and other goods are shipped to the international market, the roads are always busy.
Due to the inefficient rail system, haulage trucks have taken over haulage services, which hitherto were the prime source of activity for the Ghana Railway Company.
As a nation, exports are the mainstay of the economy and, therefore, haulage of materials by truck would be with us for a long time because the rail sector lacks the capacity to satisfy that demand.
But inasmuch as we have to depend on the road transport to meet such demands, it is prudent that haulage truck drivers travel within the required or acceptable speed limits.
The trucks should also have with them warning signals to warn other road users of danger in the event of a breakdown.
This is because the road has many sharp curves and the drivers need to be careful.
The situation on the Takoradi-Cape Coast-Accra road at present needs to be given urgent attention.
In these modern times truck drivers still use branches of trees as warning signals whenever these trucks break down on the way. This should be seriously checked because the practice has claimed many lives on countless occasions.
There are associations of haulers in the various port cities in the country, and they must from time to time invite the road safety commission and the MTTU to update the knowledge and skills of their members on road safety regulations.
The December national elections are just so close and many political parties and their followers are campaigning to solicit for votes. If care is not taken to educate haulage truck drivers and commercial drivers on how to conduct themselves on the roads there would be more fatalities than expected.

TWIN-CITY POLICE DESERVE COMMENDATION (PAGE 25)

Despite the limited resources at the disposal of the Ghana Police Service the Western Regional Police Command led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan has demonstrated its class and readiness to handle any rowdy situation in the metropolis and the region as a whole.
This display of professionalism was demonstrated in a proactive manner during the just-ended annual delegates conference of the New Patriotic Party in the twin-city of Sekondi-Takoradi, which attracted a large number of supporters from all the 10 regions of the country.
It was expected that the police would have a hectic time controlling the crowd, which had taken over every street corner in the metropolis and danced uncontrollably to irresistible sounds.
In the past, this reporter had noticed during some programmes that had been organised in the metropolis that the police had a hectic time controlling the crowds for the guests to move to the dais to perform their functions.
Amazingly this time round before the arrival of the guests and the teeming supporters started converging on the Takoradi Polytechnic Park, the police had already taken over the area from Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital to Paa Grant Roundabout.
They busily direct both vehicular and human traffic in a professional manner. The interesting part was that the regional commander and his second-in-command did not just give orders, but got on the ground to ensure security.
On many occasions, roads had to be blocked to control traffic when programmes were being held at the Poly park but this time although the park was crowded, there was free movement of traffic.
Many of the people who patronised the event were amazed at the professionalism displayed by the police and expressed the hope that they would continue to display such professionalism in future.
One resident, Mr A. Zowunu, expressed satisfaction with the manner the police exercised their authority for the programme to go on smoothly, although he had never doubted the professional capabilities of the Ghana Police Service.
He said what the police needed was encouragement and being more focused on taking proactive measures instead of being reactive and commended the regional commander for his able leadership.
In a related development, while the people were busy paying attention to what the speakers were saying amidst the Kangaroo dances, pickpockets were busily doing brisk ‘business’ and picking people’s mobile phones.
Detective Chief Inspector Raymond Gai, the officer commanding the temporary station set up at T-Poly, arrested a young man who had allegedly recruited some boys to pick people’s mobile phones while the celebrants were busy relishing the programme.
The detective chief inspector said the police had retrieved about 20 mobile phones and arrested the ring leader, Kwesi Owusu, 34. The police found eight mobile phones on Owusu.
He said some of the victims of the theft had called the very day and come to identify the phones and collected them while others made it to the station the next day to collect theirs.
When this reporter got to the station Chief Inspector Gai was busily controlling and trying to calm other young men who were demanding the release of the suspects to be given mob justice.
Detective Chief Inspector Gai told the young men: “We are very grateful that you arrested them and brought them to the station; that is a perfect thing to do as good citizens, but I am pleading with you to allow the police to take over from here.” These few words from Chief Inspector Gai sent the agitating yound men back and they joined their colleagues in the Kangaroo dance at the rally.

INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION HOLDS KEY TO PEACEFUL ELECTION (PAGE 34)

A FORMER Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr Edwin Barnes, has stressed the need for the strengthening of inter-agency collaboration, particularly between the security services, the media, traditional leaders and civil society organisations, to ensure peace before, during and after the December elections.
He says peace is a prerequisite for development, adding that Ghanaians cannot compromise on the peace currently prevailing in the country.
"We have set for ourselves a certain stature in Africa, so let us try and maintain it. If Ghana is on fire, everyone would suffer for it", he said.
Mr Barnes made the remark when he delivered a paper on the topic "Inter-agency Collaboration for the December 2008 Election" at a workshop at Elmina at the weekend.
The workshop, which was organised by the National Peace Council (NPC), with sponsorship from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was aimed at promoting non-violent elections in December.
It was attended by traditional leaders, security personnel, officials of civil society organisations and media practitioners.
Mr Barnes said to ensure effective inter-agency collaboration, there was the need to build trust and transparency among agencies based on established ground rules, as well as the definition and understanding of roles.
He also suggested a system that would help manage or resolve conflicts, stressing that the judiciary must endeavour to handle electoral disputes with dispatch.
"Ghana is building a new democratic institution, so we should all give our support for its success. Every individual has a responsibility to discharge,” he added.
The security personnel at the workshop affirmed their commitment to ensuring smooth elections, urging individuals to furnish them promptly with information to enhance their work and help deal with acts of violence and crime.
For their part, the traditional leaders promised to educate their subjects on the need to promote peace before, during and after the December elections.
The clergy promised to preach peace to their congregation so as to ensure peaceful elections.
Some of the participants advised supporters of political parties, especially the youth, to avoid casting insinuations, engaging in the politics of insults and wearing of their party T-shirts to functions organised by other political parties.
They urged the media to regulate phone-in programmes such that derogatory remarks and foul language would be cut off, adding that media practitioners must show maturity and not allow social commentators to use their media to undermine the peace.
The participants advised Muslims not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble during the electioneering but rather use the Ramadan to preach and promote peace.
The Omanhene of Mpohor in the Western Region, Osabarima Kwaw Entsi II, who chaired the function, urged the participants to share the knowledge they had acquired so as to spread the message of peace.
He also advised the youth to desist from violence, saying "Ghana is the only country we have, so we must ensure peace in the country".

WR CEMENT DISTRIBUTORS ON STRIKE OVER PRICE HIKES (BACK PAGE)

CEMENT distributors in the Western Region have embarked on a strike action to register their displeasure at frequent increases in the price of cement by the Ghana Cement Factory (GHACEM).
They have also ordered drivers loading the product to Kumasi and other parts of the country to halt their operations.
They said they were dissatisfied with the unfair surge in prices without proper consultation.
“We can no longer pass the high price to the public; it is about time we told them enough of the hike,” they said.
They were also of the view that the increases were not fair, since they pre-paid for the commodity, adding that with the price increases they had to struggle to sell because there were other brands of cement on the market that were cheaper than that of GHACEM.
They said in less than three months, the company had increased its price twice and left the public to think they (the distributors) were increasing the prices for high profit.
“We have to face reality that the monopoly of GHACEM is no longer there; there are other producers of the same product in the country and the price is lower than that of GHACEM cement.
“Therefore, we the distributors look stupid and greedy in the eye of the public,” they said.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Chairman of the National Association of Cement Distributors, Mr Kofi Afari-Appiah, appealed to the government to intervene to control the price increases by the company.
“On June 16, this year, cement price was increased from GH¢7.13 to GH¢7.59 and on August 24, 2008, the price went up by the same margin of GH¢0.46, which means the unit price at the market would now be more than GH¢8,” he said.
“What we are saying is that, as a matter of urgency, the government should draw the attention of GHACEM to look into its operations to manage the waste in the system instead of passing it on to the public through price increases,” he said.
When contacted, officials of GHACEM confirmed the price increase, but said it would have been proper if the distributors had tabled their concerns instead of embarking on a strike.
“It is rather wrong for them to embark on strike and even order the truck drivers not to load, as well as members not to make payment. As it is now we are waiting for them to write to us,” the officials said.

THIEVES RAID SCHOOL, KILL WATCHMAN (PAGE 35)

From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu & Gifty Appiah-Adjei, Takoradi

Thieves broke into the administration block of the Government Secretarial School at Sekondi and made away with a television set after killing the security man on duty.
They tied the hands and legs of the watchman, whose name was given as Moro Kunajwe, aka Baba Issaka, who was said to have been suffocated to death and his body pushed under the stairway that leads to the upper part of the block
The thieves also broke into four other offices and ransacked the place after scattering the contents of every drawer in the offices on the floor.
One of the rooms they broke into contained the belongings of student nurses, and secretarial students resident in the school’s hostel, who are currently on vacation, and made away with valuables.
An eyewitness told newsmen that some of the students informed him that the rooms where the students kept their belongings had been opened.
“I, therefore, moved to the place and found out that it was true. I decided to look for the watchman and ask him why that door was opened and who opened it,” he said.
The eyewitness continued that, “I started shouting the name of the watchman but there was no response. I decided to move around to see if he was behind the building only to discover that he had been tied up and covered with a piece of cloth.
“I went to the Adiembrah Police station to report and when the police arrived and uncovered the body, they discovered that Issaka was dead,” the eyewitness said.
The CID unit of the Sekondi Police, led by the Station’s Crime Officer, Mr A.S. Anyarah, visited the crime scene and cautioned the public to be mindful of the way they rushed to inform radio stations when a crime was committed instead of the police.
He said it was not wrong to inform the radio stations, adding that the police are professionals and that they should be contacted first.
Mr Anyarah said before the case could be reported to the police, some press houses had moved to the scene and interfered with evidence that could give clues to what happened.
However, the officials of the school were not available for comment. The police are continuing with their investigation while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

DISPLAY VOTERS REGISTER EARLY (PAGE 43)

A LECTURER at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Dr Kumi Ansah-Koi, has challenged the Electoral Commission (EC) to display the voters register early enough in order to avoid any controversy that may undermine national peace.
He said the early display of the register would give ample time to clean up the register and avoid instances where political parties might reject it as being over-bloated.
Dr Ansah-Koi said this at the opening of a two-day workshop on “Non-violent election in 2008” at Elmina in the Central Region.
It was organised by the NPC in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for traditional leaders, security personnel, members of civil society organisations and the media.
The NPC is a body of eminent persons committed to the promotion of peace in the country through education and capacity-building.
This year, the council is particularly focusing on a peaceful election in December by engaging the various actors in the electoral process on how they could all contribute to the peaceful process.
Dr Ansah-Koi said it was wrong for the EC to undertake the limited voters registration exercise at a time the major political parties had elected their flag bearers, adding that the late opening of the register contributed to the violence that characterised the exercise.
He urged the commission to ensure a timely declaration of results after the December election to avoid a situation whereby the media and political parties would unofficially declare the results and consequently cause confusion.
Dr Ansah-Koi said with modern technology, such as the use of mobile phones, it should be possible for the EC to declare the results as early as possible.
He said civil society and the clergy had the power to bring politicians to order and stop them from making inflammatory statements, adding that politicians would always change if they knew that society frowned on their actions, which could undermine their political fortunes.
Dr Ansah-Koi further stressed the need for civil society to compel political parties to keep to the rules of the game, while urging the media to desist from sensationalism and distortion in their reportage, since that could be harmful to national peace and security.
He said there was no civil war in Africa whose cause did not involve the media, and stressed the need for the media and all Ghanaians to eschew complacency in the quest for a peaceful election.
The Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Council, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, who chaired the function, called on traditional leaders, security personnel, civil society and the media not to allow a few Ghanaians to plunge the nation into chaos during the December election.
He said recent events of election violence in some African countries were enough indications to make Ghanaians eschew complacency for a peaceful election.
Osabarima Kwesi Atta said peace was vital for the progress and well-being of the people, pointing out that traditional rulers, civil society and the media had a cardinal responsibility to ensure peace in the country before, during and after the December election..
The Catholic Bishop of Ho, Bishop Francis Lodonu, said the role of traditional leaders, security personnel, the media and civil society in creating a peaceful environment before, during and after the December election could not be overestimated.
He said in recent times, elections had been a source of insecurity in many African countries, such as Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Bishop Lodonu urged the participants to formulate appropriate methods that would help address early warning signs.
He said the NPC was an independent, non-partisan, impartial and credible agent for the maintenance and consolidation of national peace.
The Programme Officer in charge of Peace and Governance at the UNDP Country Office, Mr Francis Azumah, urged Ghanaians to celebrate their diversity rather than use it as a means of fomenting violence
He said election was only a minute aspect of the governance equation and wondered why people should use that to plunge the nation into violence.

ILLEGAL MINING AFFECTS UNDERGROUND WATER IN WR (SPREAD)

INCREASED indiscriminate illegal mining activities in various communities in the Western Region are seriously threatening underground water safety and could affect the health of the people, if immediate steps are not taken to address the situation.
According to officials of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), traces of mercury and other harmful chemicals have been detected in underground water in some communities.
The acting Regional Director of CWSA, Mr Kwesi Brown, made this known after a tour of Jomoro and Ahanta West districts in the region by the board of directors of the agency.
He explained that unlike the big mining companies, whose activities are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the illegal miners were not regulated and as a result they disregarded the implications of their use of chemicals around water sources.
“It is sad and unfortunate for people to pursue their selfish interest at the expense of the larger community by disregarding the harmful effect of these chemicals, especially mercury, to the health of the people,” he added.
Mr Brown said the detection of heavy metals hindered the effort of the agency to improve and increase the quality and safety of water it provided under the project.
He said the region had the least number of community water projects in the country, adding that it was wrong for illegal miners to pollute water sources.
“Sadly, we do not have the power to effect arrest and prosecute, but I am happy that the board has been informed and I hope appropriate action will be taken to avert any unpleasant situation in the near future,” he said.
Mr Brown noted that there were about 30 on-going projects in the region, adding that contracts for the commencement of work on 20 out of the 30 projects had been signed.
The government of Ghana, the European Union (EU) and the International Development Agency (IDA) have embarked on a 10-million-euro water supply project for small towns and communities in the Western Region.
Under the project, the EU and IDA will respectively take charge of 20 and 10 boreholes, while the government will provide support services to ensure early completion of the projects.
In a presentation, Mr Brown emphasised that high electricity cost and lack of funding for capacity building of newly created districts were some of the challenges threatening the sustainability of water systems in the area.
He mentioned also poor quality of water, particularly in the Agona-Nkwanta and Asankragwa areas, as constraints affecting water consumption in those communities, pointing out that plans had been put in place to solve the problem.
The Board Chairman of the CSWA, Mr J. Adusei Sarkodie, said the tour was to give the members first-hand information on the challenges facing community water projects in the region and how best to address them.

DANGEROUS: POLICEMEN STRUGGLE FOR TROTRO WITH ARMS (PAGE 25)

One serious spectacle in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis is how some police officers going on assignments board public transport with their AK47 assault riffles.
As the name suggests this weapon is for assault in battle and it should be handled with caution.
The Automatic Kalashnikov 1947 or the AK47 is a gas-operated assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, and produced by Russian manufacturer Izhevsk Mechanical Works and was used in many Eastern bloc countries during the Cold War.
The weapon was adopted and standardised in 1947. It is one of the first true assault rifles and remains the most widely used and known.
Research has shown that more AK47 rifles and variants have been produced than any other assault rifle and production continues to this day.
From the above there should be no occasion other than in war or serious security situations that the riffles should be used for guard duties as it is done by personnel of the Ghana Police Service.
In other parts of the world where violence is recorded on a daily basis, police officers on guard duties use side pistols, are trained physically to combat crime and are equipped with walkie-talkie equipment to constantly communicate with their superiors.
Here in Ghana, side pistol and walkie-talkies have become a status symbol for the police personnel as junior officers on patrol duties have to carry their heavy rifles on duty without communication devices.
This reporter was shocked when he saw two police officers struggling alongside other passengers with their AK47 rifles to board a ‘trotro’ to Takoradi when he was returning to Takoradi from Aboadze after covering an assignment.
The police officers managed to board the trotro, and the reporter trailed the vehicle to Takoradi, where they alighted at a fuel station near the Jubilee Park at West Tanokrom and tried to board another trotro to the Central Market. He then pulled up and gave the police officers a lift in his private car to the police barracks in Takoradi.
Further checks made revealed that this has been the practice over the years. In Washington DC, New York City and other states in the US all police officers on duty carry side pistols and communication devices.
The story is different in this country where the walkie-talkie and side pistols are used by the senior police officers sitting in the office.
Personnel in the field have to use their personal mobile phones to communicate with their commanding officers (OCs) when the need arises.
That aside the rifles they carry are so heavy that before the police officers get to their duty points from their stations they are already tired.
When contacted the Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, acknowledged the problem and said one of the biggest problems facing the Ghana Police Service was inadequate transport.
He said those on assignment are conveyed every morning to the duty points. When they close they do not have the patience to wait for them to be properly relieved but find their way back to their stations or barracks by public transport with their weapons.
DCOP Alhassan said in recent times, duty points had increased without a corresponding increase in logistics and that the police administration was taking a serious look at the situation.
“At present what we have done at the Western Regional Police Command is the development of a transport system under which personnel are picked from their station to their duty points at 5:30 a.m. and brought back after the close of work,” he added.
The Western Regional police commander acknowledged that it was dangerous to commute in public transport with weapons although the routes are many. He gave the assurance that the situation would improve with time.

PRESERVE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS IN TWIN-CITY (PAGE 25)

There are many historical buildings in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi but have been left in deplorable conditions.
Some of the buildings are the old court buildings, Fort Orange, First West African Bank and offices of the district commissioner, popularly known as the DC, offices of the Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper house. These buildings have very beautiful architectural designs and this is evident even in their present state of disrepair.
The only thing keeping some of these buildings alive is that some residents who have accommodation problems are occupying them.
A close look at these structures indicates that they have not been maintained for a long time and most of them are a potential danger to the lives of people who live near them, especially those around the beach in Sekondi, as they can collapse on them.
In developed countries such as the Netherlands, France, Spain and Belgium, their historic buildings are preserved and some of them have been adopted by the United Nations.
In Amsterdam, for example, students who go on field studies are asked to make presentations on the history behind certain buildings. In 2002, when this reporter was on a sponsored study tour of the Netherlands, at the University of Professional Studies, Hogschol van Utrecht, he was taken to the Dome, a very huge structure with the floors marked with countless rectangular shapes.
The Dome is a place prominent people were buried and that building has been preserved for exhibition and other activities.
In Spain, there are various buildings put up by Great Surrealists in the Dada and Gaudy movement and the Picassos, among others, where postcards on every stage of the city’s development are printed.
In the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi however, there are no surrealists, yet there are very important buildings, which, if maintained and their rich history chronicled, would do the twin-city a lot of good.
For example, where did Nana Kobina Nketsia IV, the Omanhen of the Essikado Traditional Area, and one of the traditional rulers who were in the vanguard of the independence struggle alongside the politicians who proclaimed the “Positive Action” live? one might ask.
The magnificent structure in the heart of Sekondi, which used to house the offices of the Daily Telegraph, has been left to rot.
A greater part of the building has collapsed and some individuals who might not know the history of the place are occupying the remaining part.
Also, the building which used to house the First West African Bank has completely collapsed. But for the fact that the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority currently uses Fort Orange as a light house, that also would have been likened to Fort Prizestine at Keta, which the sea consumed some years ago.
Interestingly, the situation at Sekondi is the direct opposite of what pertains in the city of Barcelona in Spain, where in the months of June, people from all over the world visit its financial district of Catalonya, walk on the Ramblem to the port, board the air bus to the Gaudy Centre, tour the city, the Olympic Village, Picasso and other museums and pay some fees.
On sight, one would see anything worth his/her attention at these historical sites as the tour guides add to one’s joy or otherwise when they narrate the history behind those structures and show photographs. It’s really amazing.
It is sad that in Sekondi, structures that housed the first post office, the First West African Bank, the Daily Telegraph and other interesting places have been left to collapse without any attempt to preserve or document the history behind them.
In the United States, there are, for example, the Capitol Building on the Capitol Hill in Washington DC, the town hall in Philadelphia, the Freedom Bell and other historical monuments, which have been preserved and have great visitor attractions, providing jobs for the youth as tour guides.
Our case is a sorry one. The Museums and Monument Board and the Ghana Tourism Board seem to have divided opinions over who should be in charge of these buildings and to preserve them.
It is the hope of this reporter that the traditional and metropolitan authorities will take keen interest in these buildings and chronicle the history behind them for posterity. The development and preservation of the historical building would create jobs and be a source of great revenue for the assemblies.

TRUCK PUSHERS ARE A MENACE (PAGE 25)

Truck pushers who operate around the Takoradi Central Market (Market Circle) have become a nuisance to motorists and pedestrians and if they are not brought to order now, the possibility of a serious clash between them and other road users cannot be wished away.
Movement around the market circle is anticlockwise, and therefore, every motorist that moves around the circle has to follow that direction.
But during the early hours of the day, between 6am and sundown at about 5:30 pm, drivers moving around the market circle have to be extra careful because the truck pushers, who normally carry goods for hawkers, and the second-hand goods dealers choose to move in the opposite direction.
They are also not patient enough and force their way into the lane of drivers, thereby disrupting the orderly flow of traffic around the market circle.
Also because of the lack of a parking space around the market, visitors to the market are forced to park their vehicles on one side of the road, thereby reducing the dual lane into a single lane, which has to be shared between the truck pushers and the vehicles in traffic.
Motorists, especially private vehicle owners, for fear that the truck pushers might scratch their vehicles, have to give way to the truck pushers.
One motorist told the Daily Graphic that they had to battle with the truck pushers any time they wanted to use the roads around the market, which provide the fastest link to other major roads in Takoradi.
“The truck pushers will not make things easy for us. I have had my vehicle scratched here before and as the truck pusher had no money to repair it for me, I had nothing to do. Unfortunately, we have to endure this obstinate conduct of the truck pushers all time,” he said.
Officials at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in Takoradi have expressed serious concern about the situation, hinting that they had made several appeals to the assembly to address the problem.
According to the commission, the confusion around the market circle, coupled with the use of the shoulders of the road by vehicles as parking lots, was against the road safety regulations.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Mr John Laste, attributed the problem to the obstinacy of the truck pushers.
“We have tried to save the situation by using our guards and enforcement of the law, and would intensify our efforts to ensure that sanity returns to the market circle,” he said.
He gave the assurance that the assembly would take serious action to restore sanity to the area after reconstruction works on the Takoradi Market to make it a modern one commenced. Mr Laste warned the truck pushers to abide by traffic regulations or face the consequences of their actions.

58 YOUTH UNDERGO TRAINING IN VOCATIONAL SKILLS (PAGE 11)

FIFTY-EIGHT youth from 15 communities in the Nzema East Municipality and the Ellembele District in the Western Region have undergone six months training in vocational skills with support from Adamus Resources and the Australian High Commission in Ghana.
They were trained in batik and tie-dye, soap making, home management, catering and information technology at the Axim Community Development Vocational Training Institute.
The beneficiaries were from communities such as Duale, Akango, Salman, Aluku, Anwia, Teleku Bokazo, Nkroful, Kikam, Asasetre, Nvuma, Avrebo, Nzema, Adelekezo and Awukyire.
Out of the 58 trained persons, 33 were presented with self-business start-up materials worth GH¢200 and cash of GH¢50 each, while the remaining 25 would be given employment in catering, house keeping and clerical services at Adamus Resources when it commences business.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the Director of Operations of Adamus Resources, Mr Mark Connely, said the purpose of the programme was to equip the communities in and around the company’s operational areas with entrepreneurial skills to enable them to set themselves up in business.
He said the objective of providing this type of training was to prepare the participants in readiness for jobs in the mining sector and to give them the opportunities to be self-employed.
“I must emphasise that Adamus resources should be seen by its host communities and stakeholders as their development partner rather than an exploiter of the people and their resources,” he said.
Mr Connely added that the company believed in community stakeholders’ involvement, dialogue, mutual respect and understanding to ensure peace and harmony between the company and its host.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, commended the company, the Australian High Commission in Ghana and the training institution for the initiative.
She said human resource development was one of the most valuable assets in the life of every nation.
The CEO said as part of the commitment to the development of human resources and for peaceful co-existence with their host communities, the Chamber had instituted a chair for Geo-Environmental Studies at the University of Mines and Technology at Tarkwa.
Ms Aryee said this would enable students to study and handle environmental and social issues that confronted the industry.
That aside, she said, with the support from the Business Advocacy Challenge Fund, the Chamber had also embarked on a project to develop standards for compensation for farmers who lost their lands to the mining activities with special emphasis on social dimensions on compensation.
Ms Aryee expressed the hope that the move would go a long way to help avert some of the problems member companies had with their host communities.

PNC TO SUPPORT NPP IN ROUND 2 (PAGE 13)

THE People’s National Convention (PNC) has given a clear hint that it will throw its weight behind the candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the event of a run-off in the December presidential poll.
“We are promising you that as a political party, at that critical time when the going gets tough, the PNC — the small axe — is always there to assist you to continue with your good works,” Mr Henry Asante, an executive member of the PNC, assured the NPP in Sekondi on Saturday.
He however urged the NPP’s vice-presidential nominee, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the party to take good care of their daughter, Samira. Mrs Samira Bawumia is the wife of Dr Bawumia and daughter of the PNC’s Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan.
Delivering a solidarity message at the 16th annual delegates conference of the NPP, Mr Asante who was the leader of the three-memebr delegation, said since 1992, the PNC was one of those who made it possible for the NPP to win political power in 2000.
“We are praying that you will continue to be where you are not forgetting the small axe that made it possible for you to be where you are today.”
He said all the political parties were in the race to win the 2008 general election, and was optimistic of the chances of the PNC winning.
Mr Asante also expressed the hope that in the event that the PNC took the lead, the NPP would also support the party to win the election.
In a similar solidarity message, Mr Bede Ziedeng of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) congratulated the NPP for successfully organising its conference to take stock of its performance and to position it for the forthcoming elections in December.
Mr Ziedeng said the processes that led to the selection of presidential and parliamentary candidates and its associated problems were normal, and that it should be considered as an act to deepen the country’s democratic process.
“We must know that those challenges are not peculiar to the NPP but a bye-product of democracy which we must all endeavor to manage.” he stated.
Mr Ziedeng appealed to the NPP to let the conference be a refreshing platform for the healing of wounds as well as rejuvenation of the party. “We of the DFP believe that when political parties which are the building blocks of any democracy are healthy, then democracy itself becomes healthy of which its growth could be ensured and guaranteed.”
The DFP is fully committed to the promotion of democratic practice and will encourage all political parties to demonstrate their unequivocal support to its growth, Mr Ziedeng stated.
He dismissed the notion that the race to the presidency was only between the NPP and NDC, saying that “we of the DFP will not only disagree but it is a wrong deal and as far as we are concerned we are all fully in the race and any of us could win the race.”
“Because any of us could win, DFP would like all political parties to commit themselves to accept the outcome of the elections no matter what surprises that may spring up. Let us all respect the will of the people of Ghana ,” he said.
Mr Zieding said the DFP would like to assure all Ghanaians that, they would accept the outcome of the results and respect their will.

I'LL RISE TO CHALLENGE ...Bawumia assures NPP delegates (PAGE 3)

THE running mate of the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has assured delegates, the party’s teeming supporters and Ghanaians that he would rise to the challenge and ensure total victory for the party in the December election.
“My professional career and circumstances over the years have confined me to matters of economic and financial governance of this country and naturally in these circumstances my participation in partisan politics has not been known,” he said
“Even though I may not be known on the political platform, I have been very active at the apex of the economic platform and I am proud to say that I have contributed to the economic achievement of the NPP under the leadership of President John Agyekum Kufour,” he said.
Making his first public address at the 16th annual delegates’ congress of the NPP in Sekondi yesterday, after his introduction as the running mate of the flag bearer, Dr Bawumia said he had had meetings with most of the highly eligible individuals who were considered for the position of running mate.
At the end of it all, he said, he was glad that all of them had agreed to work together as a team to ensure the victory of the party in December.
He said his selection was not just for the success of the party but also as a source of encouragement for the youth of this country, noting that “now they can feel well represented at the highest level to serve the country”.
The running mate said he had been involved in putting together monetary policy framework at the Bank of Ghana and also played a major role in banking reforms that had seen major openings of new banks and branches across the country, thereby increasing credit accessibility.
“I have been involved in government negotiations with the World Bank and the IMF since 2001 through HIPC and the poverty reduction growth facility,” he added.
Dr Bawumia said it was important to note that it was partly as a result of those negotiations and good policies of the government that Ghana, for the first time since 1983, successfully ended its dependency on the IMF and allowed the country to pursue more independent polices without IMF conditionality.
His speech, amidst dancing by those gathered around the public address system, was interrupted by cheers from the delegates and other party faithful.
Dr Bawumia said as chairman of the Capital Market Committee, he was responsible for mapping out strategies for accessing the international market with the issuance of a bond that was four times over subscribed.
Under the current President, he said, the foundations laid were very strong and with the proceeds from the bond presented to the international capital market, there was strong hope for the construction of a dual carriageway from Accra to Kumasi, the rehabilitation of the western railway system and undertaking other projects in the energy sector.
The running mate urged Ghanaians to vote for the NPP government, whose eight years in office had positioned the country well in the international community and given hope for further development in future.
“I can also tell you that the selection of Nana Akufo-Addo and myself is supported by destiny as his father and my father were at the fore-front in the struggle for deepening democracy in the country way back in time,” he said.
In a short remark, the Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, commended Dr Bawumia for his achievements and said he was a perfect choice for the NPP presidential ticket.
The activities were preceded by an interfaith church service, which was attended by the President and his vice and other top government officials, as well as the party’s executive members and delegates.

NPP RETAINS JOE BAIDOE-ANSAH (PAGE 14)

The Effia-Kwesimintsim Constituency primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) which was characterised by controversies has finally been held with Mr Joe Baidoe-Ansah, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) being retained to contest the seat.
Amidst heavy security he had 59 out of the 66 ballots cast and his closest rival, Mr Adoku Williams, a former chairman of the constituency, had three votes. There were four invalid ballots.
The total number of delegates for the constituency is 90 but only 66 were present to cast their vote.
Prior to the process, there were agitations by some youth, believed to be supporters of Nana Kofi Coomson who was disqualified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP.
They chanted the name of Mr Coomson, “Kofi ooh, Kofi, Kofi ooh, Kofi” as they moved towards the venue, the West Line Hotel.
But for the timely intervention of the Kwesimitsim District Commander, ASP M.R. Sam, they would have disrupted the peaceful voting process conducted by NEC.
After the declaration of the results, the group threatened to vote “skirt and blouse” in the forthcoming general election in the constituency.
Mr Williams for his part alleged that the executive committee of the party had not been fair to him because he was only informed about the elections at about 3 a.m.of the day that the primary took place.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Baidoe-Ansah urged all members of the party to put the past behind them and work in concert to secure a resounding victory for the party, both at the constituency and the national levels.
“We are one people and our focus is the same, that is, to win a resounding victory for the party, come December 7, 2008. We have to work as a team which is moving forward.”
The constituency Chairman, Mr Paul Addo, said the long battle of selecting a candidate to represent the constituency had come to an end, and that the way forward was now how to win the elections.

MTTU MUST ENFORCE TRAFFIC REGULATIONS (PAGE 25)

The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service need to check the activities of truck drivers in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi to ensure their compliance with road safety regulations.
The indiscipline on the part of the drivers, coupled with their impatience on the roads, make the roads unsafe in the metropolis.
When the trucks break down the drivers and mechanics place warning signals, mostly tree branches and triangles, and begin to repair them right in the middle of the road.
Many months after the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan authorities relocated the trucks to a park at Apowa in the Ahanta West District, partly because of the Ghana 2008 tournament, and as result of a series of publications on the reckless parking of vehicles in some strategic places in the metropolis, many of them have returned to parking in the metropolis.
Some of the haulage truck drivers are gradually resuming the use of the shoulders of the roads as parking lots. The worst culprits are those still using the road from the Port roundabout to Harbour View area.
They park on both sides of the filling station, popularly known as Axim-Road Shell Station, and in front of KQ Spot, a popular bar in Takoradi, for several days.
Interestingly, the cocoa belongs to a cocoa licensed buying company that has a mini warehouse behind the fuel station, and most of the time the haulage trucks of the company’s drivers obstruct the flow of traffic when turning to enter the premises of the warehouse.
When the trucks arrive in the metropolis and it is not their turn to offload the cocoa they park on the shoulders of the road in front of the fuel station.
Any visitor to the metropolis who is confronted with the traffic congestion should not conclude that there is traffic in Takoradi. It is either that there is repair works taking place on a haulage truck in the middle of the road, a church holding traffic for their members to cross, or commercial drivers using the lay-bys as loading bays.
When contacted, the Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police Adusa Poku, said the problem could largely be attributed to the absence of towing trucks for such heavy duty trucks.
“I have received a lot of complaints from members of the public; the least we can do is to provide some form of support until the mechanics finish repairing the vehicles and move them away,” he said.
For those who have resumed parking on the shoulders of the roads, the MTTC commander said it was a serious problem the unit was trying to deal with.
He warned that the unit would act swiftly to stop the practice.

DRUG PEDDLERS MENACE IN SEKONDI/TAKORADI (PAGE 25)

Peddlers of medicine have increased their activities at lorry stations and households by moving from door to door to sell their drugs in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
This development, according to the regional pharmacy council, was not a healthy practice and blamed chemical sellers and some wholesale drug dealers for the upsurge in such activities.
The chemical sellers in the metropolis have therefore expressed their anger at the drug peddlers who they accuse of depriving them of maximum patronage.
The Regional Manager of the Pharmacy Council, Mr Kofi Obeng-Mensah, said drug peddlers got their supplies from the chemical shops, and therefore, it was wrong for them to turn around and accuse them of destroying their business.
He said drugs being peddled in the metropolis could be very harmful to the those who used them, and advised residents of the metropolis to visit health facilities to consult a a medical officer and trained pharmacist when they fell ill.
He said before the Pharmacy Council gave the green light to any chemical shop operator, it satisfied itself that the person was trained.
“He or she is the only one who is expected to operate the shop but you go to many of the shops and those who are granted licences to operate have also employed other persons who are not trained to sell the medicines,” he lamented.
The regional manager advised members of the Western Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Chemical sellers not to make excessive profit-making their primary motive at the expense of the health of the people.
He advised members of the public to ensure that they made use of pharmacies and licensed chemical shops and stop patronising the services of drug peddlers.
He announced that the council was preparing to set up chemical shops in the metropolis with trained attendants and also to educate people on the dangers involved in patronising the services of the wayside peddlers.
The Regional Chairman of the Chemical Association, Mr Osei Buamah, said the impact of the activities of the drug peddlers was serious, and therefore expressed the preparedness of the association to help the Pharmacy Council and law enforcement agencies to curb it.
Mr Buamah also stressed the need for a stronger monitoring mechanism by the regulatory bodies to check peddling of pharmaceutical drugs.
He said the chemical sellers did not only dispense drugs wrongly but also evaded tax whereas members of the association promptly honoured their obligations.

NO ABUSE OF INCUMBENCY AT CONGRESS — LORD COMMEY (PAGE 16)

The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Lord Commey, has given the assurance that the party would not tolerate abuse of incumbency or the use of government facilities at their upcoming national delegates conference in the Western Region.
He says the conference in the region is purely a party affair and there would not be room for abuse of incumbency.
“We, in the past, have written to the Chief of Staff that no government facility should be allowed at any party function and it has been our guiding principle and we abide by it,” he told the press in Takoradi on Monday.
Mr Commey who was speaking on the upcoming conference, said there would not be state vehicles or any state facility at the conference, “but, as we all know, the only person who is covered is the President, who is covered by law. But that aside, I can assure the people of Ghana that there would not be abuse of incumbency”.
There are feverish preparations for the conference to kick off smoothly and party functionaries can be seen clearing places that would be used for the rally as well as the Sekondi College where the conference would be held.
He said the party was expecting about 1,500 delegates and more than 500 special guests from Ghana and abroad as well as their teeming supporters and sympathisers.
Mr Lord Commey said many of the party’s supporters would love to be present but for distance and space.
“Therefore, proceedings would be paid for and carried live on national television, where the party will account to the people of Ghana,” he added.
The national organiser said some ministers from various key ministries would be made to give account of their stewardship.
The National Executive Committee, he added, would be meeting to discuss the agenda of the conference.
On Friday, he continued, President J.A. Kufuor and the flag bearer of the party, Nana Akufo-Addo, would join a thanksgiving ceremony at which some top gospel musicians in the country would perform.
On Saturday, the national chairman is scheduled to open the conference and launch the party’s draft manifesto which would be discussed and debated for approval as the party’s working document.

MAN, 56, HELD OVER 'WEE' (PAGE 54)

A 56-YEAR-old man, Samuel Enyan, has been arrested by the Sekondi Police with 15 jumbo-sized sacks stuffed with dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Two large “Ghana Must Go” bags also filled with the substance and 80 large wrapped ones, which Enyan had hidden at a location in new Takoradi, a suburb of the metropolis, have also been recovered by the police.
Also arrested was a woman whose name was given as Veronica, a suspected accomplice of Enyan.
Briefing the media, at the weekend, the Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said Enyan was arrested upon a tip-off and added that it took the narcotic unit of the CID, led by the Regional Crime Officer, Dennis Abade, two weeks to find the location and arrest him.
He said upon arrest, Veronica, who was with Enyan, begun sweating profusely, which prompted the police to rush her to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital for medical attention.
He said when the police arrived at the location, the sacks of Indian hemp were packed in the room in such a way that it was difficult to detect.
DCOP Alhassan commended the public for co-operating with the police, which led to the arrest and said such a collaboration would deal a severe blow to the narcotic trade.

WESTERN POLICE COMMAND SETS UP RAPID DEPLOYMENT FORCE (PAGE 65)

THE Western Regional Police Command has inaugurated its Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), a unit trained to combat crime without the use of weapons.
Formerly known as the Mobile Force Unit, the RDF is composed of 100 trained and fully equipped police officers with expertise to handle difficult situations.
The unit has been trained on how to deal with violent mobs, demonstrators, as well as crowds.
In an address, the Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, advised the personnel to respect the fundamental rights of the citizenry in the discharge of their statutory duties, as they would be held accountable for their actions.
“You need to show empathy and always anticipate the results of your action. Nothing more than the effective maintenance of law and order is expected of you. Therefore, you should not see yourself as being above your counterparts in the regular Police Service and the citizens you are to protect,” he said.
He said the unit would become a standby force to be deployed when it became absolutely necessary in order to deal with security threats.
The regional commander re-emphasised that RDF was not a special paramilitary force but one of the units of the Ghana Police Service. He said the deployment of the unit would be based on the principles of necessity and accountability with all their actions aimed at the protection and preservation of human life, property and dignity.
DCOP Alhassan said the unit had been formed at a time when the government was doing everything possible to resource the Police Service.
He urged them to protect life and property and defend the dignity of the Ghana Police Service.
In his remarks, the Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, reminded the officers to be careful in their dealings with other members of the public to avert serious confrontations. “They are our brothers and sisters and you must show them care in your quest to ensure order.”

COCAINE: 4 HELD (PAGE 65)

FOUR people have been arrested for allegedly transporting substances suspected to be cocaine. concealed some of it in a rice bag, and They got the rest stuffed in between well-packed cartons of beverages.
The suspects were arrested after they were alleged to have attempted to outsmart the police at various checkpoints in the Western Region.
Two of the suspects, Edward Quansah and Hafiz Adams, were arrested at Apimanim and Takoradi respectively, while the other two, Abdulai Farouk and Hawa Afizi, were arrested when they boldly walked to the regional police command and attempted to bribe the arresting officer with GH¢10,000.
The officer accepted the bribe and afterward ordered their arrest and matched them to the office of the regional commander.
The cocaine and other highly prohibited drugs were well-compressed between tins of milk and Milo while a five kilogramme rice bag was emptied and the content replaced with the drugs.
The Western Regional Police Commander, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, told the press after the arrest that the “Operation Stop and Check”, which took place in two separate locations, discovered the new tricks that had been adopted by the smugglers.
He said a team of policemen from the regional motor traffic unit at Sekondi on duty at Apimanim intercepted well-packed cartons of beverages made up of 198 tins of milk and 24 tins of Milo.
He said when the owner, Edward Quansah, was asked to produce receipt for the items, he failed.
The suspect was then marched to the Agona-Nkwanta Police Station where the sacks containing the items were cut open and the police found white rocky substances, 29 wrapped silver foils containing a powdery substance and 141 transparent sachets also containing a powdery substance, all suspected to be cocaine. The sack also contained unspecified amount of money in Ghana cedis, dollars and pounds.
The commander said Quansah then pulled out money to bribe the police and later asked them to take the items and all the monies on him and allow him to go free.
He said the other suspect, Hafiz, was arrested at Takoradi and the keys to his VW Golf, with registration number W R150 Z, seized. He denied involvement in any drug-related business upon interrogation at the spot.
Mr Alhassan said when a search was conducted on the vehicle, a five kilogramme bag originally containing rice was found and upon careful examination the content turned out to be a substance suspected to be narcotics.
“One of the ball-shaped contents was cut open in his presence, and it contained 18 thumb-sized capsules of whitish substances and four transparent sachets containing medium-sized quantities of brownish substances, all suspected to be narcotic drugs,” he added.
He said while investigations were ongoing the other two suspects, Hawa and Farouk, who claimed to be the wife and brother, respectively.
Adams, went to the station with a bribe of GH¢ 7,000 to influence officials to release him.
“The officer accepted the money and later caused their arrest subsequently charging them for the offence of giving bribe to influence a public officer,” he said.
The regional commander commended his men for the display of professionalism.

KWESIMINTSIM POLYCLINIC GETS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT (PAGE 29)

The Ghana Bible Fellowship Association in collaboration with the Universal Bible Church in Los Angeles, USA, has presented medical equipment worth thousands of Ghana cedis to the Kwesimintsim Polyclinic in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
The items included 1,300 surgical caps, 107 surgical gowns, 1,200 surgical gloves, uniforms and surgical gowns worth GH¢11,850.00 to improve upon medical care at the hospital.
Presenting the items, Pastor Leo Fiagbe, a member of the association, said the polyclinic had been of great help to them any time they requested their assistance.
“We, therefore, decided to include them in the list of hospitals to benefit from the collaboration between us and our sister fellowships in America,” he said.
He said as a fellowship they did not only help to meet the spiritual needs of people in the targeted communities, but also tried as much as possible to ensure that they provided things that would make life comfortable.
“There is nothing more important than to see the smile back on the face of people, who through no fault of theirs have to suffer. To us, the best form of service to God is to help one another, especially those in need, so that it affects other members of the larger community,” he said.
Pastor Fiagbe expressed the hope that the donation would not only serve as the bond of friendship between them and the facility, but a healthy union that would benefit the people.
The Hospital Administrator, Nana Ntim Adjei, expressed his gratitude to the fellowship for their support and the love demonstrated and that the hospital critically needed the items.
He said the government’s quest to prioritise health care in the country would require the support of philanthropic individuals and other well-meaning members of the society.
“I must be honest to tell you that with groups and individuals such as the fellowship, the running of hospitals will be much better than what we have at the moment and I must say the donation is timely and most needed,” he said.
Nana Adjei gave the assurance that the items would be used for the benefit of the people.
Sister Margaret Araba Annan, in charge of nurses, who received the items, also thanked members of the fellowship and asked other groups to emulate their example.

DON'T ASK ONLY FOR VOTERS ID — EC (PAGE 13)

The Western Regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC) has appealed to officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) to ask people who present themselves for the NIA-ID to bring other forms of identification other than a voters identity card.
It said the request for voter's ID by the NIA-ID had compelled people who had lost their ID cards to join the long queues to be registered.
The appeal follows the reported cases of double registration by people who should have requested from the EC the replacement of their ID instead of presenting themselves for fresh registration.
“Please ask them other forms of identification that are nationally accepted. If they present their voters ID fine, but if you ask them and they don’t have, ask them for other identification,” the Deputy Regional Director of the EC, Mr George Gyabaah, appealed to the NIA and other organisations.
According to Mr Gyabaah, people who were supposed to report their missing IDs to the EC for replacement were rather registering all over again.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Sekondi, he said “in their quest to get the national ID, when the officers asked them to go and bring their voters ID and they could not find it immediately, they then go and join the queue to register.”
“Just yesterday, a middle-aged woman walked to our offices with two voters ID cards that she had been asked to bring a voters ID card and since she could not find the old one she went to register again, but when she got home she found the old one, therefore, she has to return the new one to the EC,” he said.
He said there were other forms of identifications such as driver’s license, Health Insurance ID and passport and that if the officials asked the people to go and bring their voter’s ID they should be specific to ask them to bring other IDs if they did not have the voters ID.
He further explained that when someone brought a case of missing ID card, they would have to fill a form in order for information to be retrieve for a new card to made available to them during the exhibition of the voters register .
“The exercise at the moment is for those who are between 18 and 20 years and interestingly those in the targeted group are being relegated to the background,” he said.
Asked if the EC was aware of the reported cases of logistical constraints at the various centres, he said only a shortage of form A1 had been reported in some parts of the region, adding that “as we speak the vehicle is moving from Accra to the region undertake distribution”
Mr Gyabaah said depending on the population of the areas the centres are located, they allocated between 4,000 and 10,000 to the respective communities.
He also deplored the failure on the part of some party agents to make use of the challenge form to register their protest.
When the Daily Graphic moved through some parts of the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, most centres had long queues.
The officials in the rural communities such as Elubo and Axim said that on a day, they registered between 55 and 60 people, whereas in the metropolis the officials said they registered between 120 and 130 a day.
That aside, they also complained about the lack of batteries for the cameramen.
When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in command of the Western Regional Police, DCOP Mohammed Arhmed Alhassan, said the police personnel would not be positioned at centres but they would from time to time go round.

Horror At Prayer Camp - Lunatic Butchers Pastor’s Daughter (1b)

Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu

A 55-year-old female lunatic who is undergoing treatment at the Twelve Apostles Prayer Camp at Anwia in the Nzema East District of the Western Region has butchered an eight-year-old daughter of the camp owner.

The woman, Nyankuamoah Ewuraba, was said to have been chained to a tree as part of the healing process and in the night, while other inmates and camp officials had gone to bed, she freed herself from the chains, took a machete from the compound, went on rampage and butchered the girl who was then asleep.

The victim was identified as Comfort Prah, the daughter of Obaa Yaa, known at the camp as Osofo Maame, who is in charge of the Twelve Apostles Church.

Currently, about five lunatics who are chained in the open, day and night, at the camp because of their alleged violent behaviour are awaiting their healing through Osofo Maame’s fasting and prayers.

The Axim District Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Mr Ohene Gyan, told the Daily Graphic that on the night of July 22, 2008, residents of Anwia, a community near Teleku-Bokazo, heard cries for help from the room where the late Comfort was sleeping.

According to the district commander, residents who responded to the distress call found Comfort lying motionless with deep cuts on her neck and spinal cord and rushed her to the Ekwei Hospital, where she died.

He said the police had arrested the mad woman and kept her at the police station at Esiama, while the body of Comfort had been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital.

The district commander used the opportunity to remind the public to send their mentally ill relations to specially trained professionals for treatment.

He said “there are psychiatric homes with specialists; therefore, if anything, our unfortunate brothers and sisters should be sent to the specialists, while we also support them with prayers instead of keeping them in chains at prayer camps”.

DON'T EXPLOIT RESIDENTS OF WESTERN REGION (PAGE 14)

THE Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsea V, has advised investors who have turned their attention to the Western Region because of the discovery of oil not to exploit the people.
He urged the investors to adopt ethical investment practices that would benefit communities in the area.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said ethical practices were needed to engender a peaceful environment for businesses to flourish and the communities in the area to develop.
The discovery of oil in the region, as announced in 2007, has generated a lot of interests and has, therefore, drawn businessmen to the region.
Nana Nketsea said, "Ethical investment is what we need. We don't want investors to come into the area, use what we have and turn round to cheat us. That is not ethical and will not help us."
“The people might not be rich. Therefore, a token at the moment will mean much to them, but after they have finished and realised they have been cheated and their future mortgaged, they will not be happy,” he added.
According to him, ethical practices would promote industrial and social harmony.
Nana Nketsea said if the people felt comfortable with the dealings of the investor community, they would feel part of the businesses and contribute their quota for the growth of those businesses.
He also called on the investors to help develop the areas where they operated into modern cities and towns.

HIGHWAY ASSURES RESIDENTS OF AKWADAE (PAGE 3)

THE Western Regional Manager of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr J.K. Nsiah, has assured the people of Akwadae, Cape Three Points and surrounding communities that preparations towards the commencement of work on the 24-kilometre road from Akwadae to Cape Three Points is on course.
He explained that the road was initially under the control of the Department of Feeder Roads but after it was identified as one of the roads leading to some tourist sites in the area, it was moved to the GHA.
“We have had the directive to take over work on the road from Feeder Roads, as it has been slated for comprehensive construction work and will be asphalted to last longer,” he said.
The Western Regional Director of Feeder Roads, Mr Peter Yawson, corroborated the claim by the GHA regional director and added that although the department had handed over the road to the GHA, the two institutions were working together to ensure that the programme was successful.
These assurances followed an action by the people of Akwadae, a town before Cape Three Points in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region, who destroyed the only strategic wooden bridge linking their town and Agona-Nkwanta to the Cape Three Points community.
The fear of the people was that after the oil discovery, the explorers would use aircraft to the rig, a development which, according to them, meant that their roads would not be attended to.
They destroyed the bridge to prevent the officials and visitors from using only 4x4 vehicles to visit the place, while the people would have to travel on foot on the unmotorable road.
They also threatened to deal with the Chief of Cape Three Points, Nana Atsekese, for allegedly collecting gifts from the visitors and also selling parcels of land to speculators, an action which they said amounted to neglecting them and mortgaging the future of the town and its subjects.
The Ahanta West District Chief Executive, Mr Kwesi Biney, however, intervened to mediate and called for the reconstruction of the wooden bridge.
When contacted, Mr Biney said it was a fact that the only road leading to the town was very bad and that a portion had been reduced to a footpath by overgrown weeds.
“I am constantly checking on them and from my last check there is no doubt that work will commence soon. I, therefore, want to assure my people that work will commence soon,” he said.

Attempt to traffic 17 children to Cote d'Ivoire ...6-MAN GANG BUSTED ...At Kwasimintsim (LEAD STORY, JULY 29)

THE police at Kwesimintsim yesterday intercepted a 207 Mercedes Benz bus carrying six suspected child traffickers and 17 children said to have been picked from Garu in the Upper East Region for sale in Cote d’Ivoire.
All the six men are currently in police custody, while the 17 children have been handed over to the Western Regional Office of the Department of Social Welfare.
The six suspects are George Laree, 20; Azuma Laree, 31; Jean Badu, 42; Combite Latie, 30; Najet Lamboni, 33, and Laree Lamboni, 37.
The Kwesimintsim Police patrol team, led by the District Commander, ASP Magnus R. Sam, said the bus was intercepted while it was conveying the suspects and the victims towards the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border at Elubo.
The team said the children were being taken to Cote d’Ivoire to work as labourers on cocoa farms.
The police said during interrogation, all the children appeared to have been coached as to what to tell the police and other officials when questioned on where they were going and who they were travelling with.
The suspects denied knowledge of the children and said they had only boarded the same bus at the Kumasi Lorry Station and that they had never seen the children before. But when the police took the suspects to where the children were and the children were asked to identify whom they were travelling with, one of the suspects, Azuma Laree, who had changed his earlier statement and told the police that he was travelling with only one child, had six other children identifying him as the one with whom they were travelling.
Other suspects were identified by two or three of the children as being responsible for their trip.
However, some of the older ones, probably in their teens, told the police that they were travelling on their own and initially refused to board the bus which had arrived to convey them to the Department of Social Welfare.
They demanded that the suspects, whom they claimed they did not know, should be released to go with them.
One of the children, a little girl of about seven, said she was travelling with Azuma Laree to Cote d’Ivoire to work as a baby sitter for a family in that country.
Speaking to the press after preliminary police interrogations, the Kwesimintsim District Police Crime Officer, ASP Boakye Ansah, said the bus conveying the suspects and the children was intercepted when it was branching off at Apemanim towards the Elubo Border.
“The leader of the team, who is also the District Commander of Kwesimintsim, became suspicious and demanded to know whom the children were travelling with and where they were going,” he said.
ASP Boakye Ansah said there was no answer to the question and so he asked the driver to make a U-turn to the police station.
In a statement to the police, the driver said his vehicle had not been hired and that he was at the station when the children came and bought the tickets and boarded the vehicle one by one.
The only passengers aboard the 207 bus were the suspects and the victims.
According to the suspects, they were from Togo and were only passing through Garu to Cote d’Ivoire.

MP LOSES SON IN ACCIDENT (PAGE 21)

THE son of the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for Amenfi West Constituency, Mr John Gyetuah, who was involved in an accident with his father, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The MP was said to be responding to treatment at the Dixcove Hospital in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region.
He is expected to be transported to Accra for further medical care soon.
According to officials at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Mr Ebenezer Twene 22, a second-year student of the University of Cape Coast, was brought in with serious head injury, while he bled through his nose and mouth.
He explained that he and his team did everything possible to save the deceased, adding: “We lost him barely 24 hours after he was brought to the hospital”.
Mr Twene’s body has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital mortuary.
The Western Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr J. R. K. Kobina, had visited the MP when the Daily Graphic arrived at the hospital.
It will be recalled that the MP and his son were involved in an accident at about 2 a.m. on their way to his constituency.
The MP’s driver, however, died right on the spot.

FOUR HELD OVER CHILD TRAFFICKING (PAGE 14)

THE Western Regional Police Command has arrested four mini-buses loaded with 155 children from Ekumfi-Immuna, near Mankessim in the Central Region, who were allegedly being sent to work in the fishing and cocoa industries along the coast of Anlotuape New-Town in Cote d’Ivoire.
The latest arrest follows a similar one a few days ago involving five suspected child traffickers from Garu. The children were between the ages of seven and 18.
In what looked like the slave cargoes of the past, more than 47 children were packed in each of the four mini-buses that were registered to carry only 15 passengers.
Almost all the children were holding identity cards in English or French, which they claimed were issued to them by teachers in their schools at a cost of GH¢2 to enable them to travel across the border to Cote d’Ivoire.
The vehicles they were travelling on had only five small bags and about 88 locally made grass mats, which the drivers claimed were for the children.
The drivers of the buses were Anthony Atubrah, Mohammed Mamude, Faisal Etsie and Paul Williams. When questioned by the police, the drivers said the children did not pay them and that they were taking them to their parents in Half-Assini, where they expected to be paid by their parents.
But one of the drivers, Mamude, said he was taking the children to a village between the Elubo border and New Town, where the children would be met by their escorts to various fishing and farming communities in Cote d'Ivoire.
Asked why they decided to take the risk of transporting the children in such unsafe manner if they had no vested interest in them, they said that was what they had been doing over the years.
“They go there, work and get some money for themselves, and pay their school fees and buy uniforms. Since this is the fishing season in Cote d'Ivoire, they will get work to do,” the drivers claimed.
However, some of the children told newsmen that the weekend trip was their first time and that they were going to work with fishermen and help fishmongers smoke their fish in Cote d’Ivoire and Half Assini areas.
Briefing the media, the Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said it was during a surprise check that the vehicles were intercepted and found to be overloaded with the children.
He said with the current attention given to issues of child trafficking and child labour, he and his men were very much alert.
He said at the moment the police were on the preliminary stage of their investigation and advised people with similar intentions to desist from it and rather ensure that the future leaders of the country were not sold into slavery.
Meanwhile, the children have been given to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service for them to be transferred the Department of Social Welfare.

MAN DIES FIGHTING TO WIN BACK 'WIFE' (MIRROR, PAGE 35)

From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu,
Takoradi
One blow from a suspected wife snatcher, in what could have easily passed for a normal fight between two rivals, has sent the supposed husband to his grave at Kojokrom in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis in the Western Region.
The woman in the centre of the controversy had two children with her late ‘husband’ who had not performed the marriage rites. This compelled this woman to pack out of the man's house to her father’s, insisting that the man should perform the rites before she returned.
According to a police source at the Takoradi Central Police (Criminal Investigations Unit), the deceased, Samuel Boham, was said to have tried to win back his wife , but all was to no avail.
Accordingly, the source said, when he saw his wife in the company of the suspect, John Ackon, at Kojokrom Train Station, it did not go down well with him, and his attempt to get her on his side did not work either. This attempt, unfortunately, resulted in a fight between him and the supposed wife snatcher.
The source said attempts by onlookers to intervene also failed and the first blow from the suspect on the face of Samuel Boham sent him falling heavily on the ground.
An attempt by his friends to revive him yielded no result, and was thus rushed to the Effia-Nkwantah Regional Hospital, where he was pronounce dead.
The suspect, the police source said, was then arrested and charged with murder. He is currently on remanded in police custody assisting in investigations.
The suspect told the police that he did not know the deceased anywhere, and was surprised that he attacked him.
He said he, the lady at the centre of the controversy, and other passengers boarded the same taxi from Sekondi to Kojokrom, where they both alighted and moved in the same direction.
According to the source, the suspect claimed they later parted company after a brief conversation.
The police said Ackon alleged that no sooner did he part company with the lady than he was punched by Boham.
He said Boham (the deceased) continued to be on the offensive, and he (Ackon) also decided to retaliate, but the first blow he dished out sent Boham to the ground. There and then, he left the scene after onlookers had intervened.

NDC MP IN ACCIDENT (PAGE 3)

THE vehicle of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Amenfi-West, Mr John Gyetuah, was involved in an accident in the early hours of yesterday, killing his driver instantly.
The vehicle, a Toyota 4x4, with registration number GE 6792 W, collided with a cargo truck, with number UR 89 X, which was loaded with foodstuffs and travelling from Tarkwa towards markets in Agona-Nkwanta and Takoradi.
Both vehicles were severely mangled.
The MP and his son were taken to the Dixcove Hospital, while the driver of the cargo truck was rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital, where they are on admission.
The name of the MP’s deceased driver was given as Dickson Esirifi.
Mr Gyetuah, accompanied by another pick-up, was said to be travelling to his constituency years to encourage people who had attained 18 years to register for the 2008 general election.
According to an eyewitness, the driver of the cargo truck moved from his lane into that of the MP’s vehicle and the pick-up, which was then ahead of the MP’s.
“The driver of the pick-up saw the cargo truck and, therefore, swerved, but it was too late for the MP’s driver to do same, resulting in the crash,” he said.
When contacted, the Western Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr J.R.D. Kobina, described the situation as sad.
He, however, used the opportunity to commend the people of Akyekyewire, the community where the accident occurred, for going to the aid of the accident victims.
When contacted, the doctor in charge of the Dixcove Hospital, Dr Osei Frimpong, said the condition of the MP was stable.

AKWADAE YOUTH DESTROY STRATEGIC BRIDGE (BACK PAGE)

The situation at Cape Three Points is getting to a critical stage as the youth of the town have threatened to damage any government vehicle that dares enter the town.
That aside, personnel of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) are currently stranded as they could not send fuel to the lighthouse located on one of the three capes.
That lighthouse, according to an official source of the GPHA, is the navigational point for vessels departing from the Takoradi Port to their destinations and if the fuel runs out and the place went dark, it would create a bad situation for vessels.
The youth, who have already destroyed the only bridge linking the town to the outside world, have threatened to attack anybody who dares to cross to the other side using canoes.
Some of the officials of the GPHA who work at the lighthouse were compelled to use a canoe to cross over to the other side in order to report for work.

DON'T BLOCK ROADS FOR FUNERALS, PARTIES (PAGE 29)

One of the disturbing development in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi is the blocking of roads for funerals, parties and other activities without permission.
The sad aspect of the situation is that road users drive with the hope of getting to their destinations on time only to be forced to make a detour because the road has been blocked for a funeral or party.
Ghanaians have time for their parties, and revere their dead. They block this road for more than three to four days without any notice to prompt the metropolitan authorities or security agents to redirect traffic.
They only use blocks, tables and benches to block the roads and then proceed with their activities and care little about the implications of their actions.
Interestingly, the roads are not for parties and funerals and if any group of people should decide to give a fitting farewell to their dead, it would have been more appropriate to make use of school parks.
Those who are interested in organising parties can also move to the beautiful beaches within the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
When contacted, the Public Relations Directorate of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly said those who had the intention of blocking streets needed to obtain permit from the Assembly to do so.
Mr Eric Sam, who is in charge of the Takoradi sub-metro told the Daily Graphic that their biggest challenge was the attitude of the people.
He said their challenge was people obeying the rules by reporting to the various offices of the Assembly for advice on what to do. “It is wrong for people on their own to do what they think is right and expect everybody to be all right and abide by it.”
He said those who even reported to the offices of the assembly for permit had to make sure that they provided signposts to redirect traffic “but what we have realised is that they come and pay and don’t comply with the directives; therefore creating a lot of troubles for everybody”.
Asked what the sub-metro is doing to arrest the situation, Mr Sam said at present they were trying to engage the services of the metro guards to do follow-up to the premises of the people and monitor the people who block roads without permission.

NAVAL JUNIOR RATINGS NEED ACCOMODATION (PAGE 29)

Junior ratings in the Ghana Navy at the Western Naval Command in Sekondi face serious accommodation problems. They pay their own rent and other utility bills.
They feel neglected and uncared for as compared with their counterparts in the army who are well-housed and their utility and housing needs are catered for by the state.
The naval ratings who live at various parts of the metropolis because they were not provided with accommodation after passing out, use part of their meager salaries to rent their own apartments, and pay their own utility bills.
This is in contravention of their service regulations which state that they should be accommodated and fed for three years, after which apartments will be allocated to them.
The ratings are not at a barracks, therefore, in case of emergency it is difficult to mobilise men for assignment. The land which the naval authorities acquired to build a barracks near Shama has been taken back by the chiefs because the government has not paid compensation.
The situation is creating so much tension as the ratings do not have the peace of mind to work. Interestingly, they hardly patronise the services at the junior ratings mess at Sekondi; therefore, it has been allocated to a private person to manage.
Last year, due to the lack of accommodation, the navy did not recruit freshmen. Some of the juniors have accommodation in an area as far as Beposo which is about 30 kilometers away, and have to commute every day in their uniforms to and from their base in Sekondi by public transport .
This reporter learnt about the plight of the junior ratings at a bus station when a parent who had visited the son for the first time only realised that he accomodation was not given and that he was living in one of the deprived communities in the metropolis.
The woman who was talking to somebody, spoke to the Daily Graphic and pleaded anonymity in order not expose the son, said she had regretted encouraging the son to join the army.
“I have love to see the military in their uniforms and when my son passed out it was joy for me and my family, even though before he joined the military we were not having a place of our own, at least we are better, where my son sleeps is dirty, no toilet, water and its very muddy,” the concerned mother has said.
She explained further that, anytime they want to come and visit the son, he told them that he would be on duty, not knowing that it was because he did not have accommodation.
Daily Graphic investigations revealed that many took loans to rent accommodation to ensure that they got to work on time.
Only a few of them were accommodated at 2BN at Apremdo where they are two to a room.
That aside those who have found accommodation in Sekondi/Takoradi are always having problems with their landlords over rent, water and electricity.

PRUNE BRANCHES OF TREES ALONG STREETS (PAGE 29)

The Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan assembly is yet to prune the dead and overgrown branches of trees planted along the major roads and compounds of various public places in the twin-city.
This is several months after the Daily Graphic had drawn the attention of the metropolitan authorities to the danger they posed to residents.
The streets along which some of the overgrown branches of trees can be found are the Enyansia-Essikado and the Sekondi-Takoradi roads.
The danger is that if these dead and overgrown branches are not prunned they could cause a major accident.
It appears no particular service provider or authority wants to take the responsibility of pruning the branches.
At present the dry branches of these trees, which were planted with the well intended purpose of greening the environment, have turned out to be a danger to residents.
Because some of the trees were planted over 50 years ago, some of the branches of these trees have withered and keep falling on the roofs of vehicles and on the streets, creating a lot of inconvenience to the motoring public.
Even though workers of the sanitation management company, Zoomlion, clear the debris each and every day they still pose a danger to people.
Recently, however, one of the trees on the compound of the Star of the Sea Catholic Church, near the Paa Grant roundabout in Takoradi, was uprooted during a slight windstorm.
It took days for the debris to be cleared. Interestingly there are schools around the place with a designated Zebra-Crossing that is right under the trees.
The trees on this compound provide shade to people who visit the premises of the church for their spiritual upliftment.
Exactly where the tree fell, the branches of other trees have overgrown and entangled their branches with the electricity cables and poles along the road.
Should a cable snap during a rainstorm, there is a high probability that power could transmit through them,with dire consequences for human lives.
Trees around the Railways Quarters and other parts of the metropolis also have their branches resting on the exposed electric cables.
It is the hope of this reporter that the relevant institutions would act promptly to prune the branches before the unexpected happens.

KOFI COOMSON DISQUALIFIED ...From NPP primary (1b)

THE Publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle, Nana Kofi Coomson, has been disqualified from contesting the Effia Kwesimintsim primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but the man has vowed this is not the end of the matter.
In a statement issued in Takoradi, the National Steering Committee (NSC) of the party said Mr Coomson had been disqualified for using the letterhead of the party to solicit for funds without the express permission of the party.
It said Mr Coomson, in various letters written to individuals and organisations to seek funding, created the impression that he was the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency.
But the action was swiftly met with protests and demonstrations by his supporters within the constituency who described it as unreasonable, unfair and tantamount to dictatorship by the NSC.
Mr Chris Larbi-Boateng, the spokesman for the group of Coomson’s supporters, who addressed the press after the demonstration, said the decision, if not reversed, would spell doom for the party at the December polls.
He said the reasons given by the NSC were untenable and accused the Chairman of the party, Mr Peter Mac Manu, of dictating how affairs were to be run in the constituency.
“It is time for members of the party to resist such dictatorial tendencies,” he said.
He said after the announcement of Mr Coomson’s disqualification, Mr Mac Manu was quoted as saying that polling station executives could not take decisions for the party at the constituency level and that it was the national executives who could determine who a good candidate was.
The spokesman disagreed with that position.
Mr Larbi-Boateng described the statement as wrong and added that Article 9 of the party’s constitution stated that “the constituency Executive Committee shall be responsible for overseeing the operations of the party within the constituency and the implementation of its programmes for promoting social and political awareness and general political education within the constituency. It will also be responsible for recruiting members into the party and for mobilising support for the party before and during elections”.
He said based on the above clause in the party’s constitution, the national chairman had no right to say that polling station chairmen had no power, adding that “that statement is preposterous”.
“We are, therefore, appealing to the national and regional executive members of the party, the campaign team and the leader, Nana Akufo-Addo to, as a matter of urgency, do whatever they can to call the NSC to order to ensure tranquillity in the constituency.
When contacted, the Central Regional Chairman of the party, Nana Owusu-Ankomah, said the power to disqualify any candidate was the prerogative of the NSC of the party.
From his base in Accra, Mr Coomson said the decision of the steering committee could not be a finality and that the final decision rested with the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
He expressed his belief that the NEC would take an impartial look at the case and review the decision of the NSC.