The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Busumtwi-Sam, has stated that the health of children and pregnant women is very important to the government.
Consequently, the government would do everything in its power to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
Launching this year’s Child Health Promotion Week in Takoradi, she said despite the modest achievements made in that area, there was still a lot to be done if the country was to achieve the health sector aspect of the Millennium Development Goals.
The deputy minister said: “The health of our babies and pregnant women is of great concern to the government and it would do everything possible to sustain and improve the health of these target groups as well as that of all Ghanaians.”
Ms Busumtwi-Sam said it was a fact that the intellectual development of children depended on their health and other factors.
She asked pregnant women and nursing mothers to comply with the directives and advice given them by medical officers to ensure that children were not attacked by preventable diseases.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbour, said it would take the collective efforts of all to ensure that children received the necessary health care delivery services at the right time to achieve the aim of the week-long celebration.
“Let me remind all that it is our responsibility to ensure that children in our care are growing and developing as recommended by the caregivers,” he said.
He said the child health records, popularly known as the “weighing card”, was specifically designed to assist health care delivery.
That, he said, would enable the caregivers to detect any problems pertaining to the growth of children early enough.
Dr Kumbour said although the theme for this year’s celebrations placed emphasis on child growth and development, he was happy that the service delivered during the celebration included immunisation, the administration of Vitamin A supplement, monitoring of growth and birth registration.
The deputy minister said although these services were already available and being rendered daily at all public health facilities and other outreach points, the week-long celebration was to provide the platform to showcase and deliver those services better and also ensure wider coverage.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
TWIN-CITY RESIDENTS URGED TO SUPPORT DEV INITIATIVES (PAGE 29)
residents of Sekondi/Takoradi have been urged to support development programmes to reposition the twin-city as the best in the country.
The Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, made the call when he presented cartons of high energy saving bulbs and accessories to replace streetlights in the various communities in the metropolis.
The other items included sports equipment worth GH¢9,000.
He also launched an education committee and tasked it with the responsibility to select and award scholarships to needy brilliant students in the metropolis.
He said the metropolis was growing faster than expected, and that one of the things that should be taken seriously was the safety and security of residents and visitors to the metropolis.
He said although the security services were doing their best, they required certain basic services that would make it difficult for people with diabolic intentions to visit pain on their fellow citizens.
The MP said he decided to provide the energy saving bulbs and accessories for replacement and maintenance of streetlights in the various communities in the metropolis because when one drove through various parts of the metropolis one realised that security was compromised as the twin-city was only illuminated by reflections of light from residences at night.
He said other plans he had for the youth in Takoradi was to ensure that they acquired employable skills to ensure that they contributed to the socio-economic development of the country.
“If we have to reduce unemployment, there is the need to first look at equipping the youth who do not have any skills and also help those who already have skills to help others,” he said.
He said it was very important to be employable than to be unemployable. Being unemployable, he said, made one dependent on others, “therefore, my focus is to help people get skills that will help them to support themselves”.
Mr Darko-Mensah said one of the things that the youth should pay attention to was the acquisition of the requisite skills to generate income for themselves.
“There are many services that will be required by various companies that will be relocating to the city due to the oil find, and their requirements will vary from one to the other,” he said.
“If the indigenes do not take advantage of the opportunities, the corporate world will not wait for you to go and train, they will employ workers from outside the metropolis and that is not the best for us,” he said.
Mr Darko-Mensah said it was very important that apart from his support the youth should equip themselves with employable skills.
He said the call for local content in the quest to get the indigenes employed required the efforts of the local people themselves.
He expressed the hope that the items would help improve the security situation in and around the metropolis.
The Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, made the call when he presented cartons of high energy saving bulbs and accessories to replace streetlights in the various communities in the metropolis.
The other items included sports equipment worth GH¢9,000.
He also launched an education committee and tasked it with the responsibility to select and award scholarships to needy brilliant students in the metropolis.
He said the metropolis was growing faster than expected, and that one of the things that should be taken seriously was the safety and security of residents and visitors to the metropolis.
He said although the security services were doing their best, they required certain basic services that would make it difficult for people with diabolic intentions to visit pain on their fellow citizens.
The MP said he decided to provide the energy saving bulbs and accessories for replacement and maintenance of streetlights in the various communities in the metropolis because when one drove through various parts of the metropolis one realised that security was compromised as the twin-city was only illuminated by reflections of light from residences at night.
He said other plans he had for the youth in Takoradi was to ensure that they acquired employable skills to ensure that they contributed to the socio-economic development of the country.
“If we have to reduce unemployment, there is the need to first look at equipping the youth who do not have any skills and also help those who already have skills to help others,” he said.
He said it was very important to be employable than to be unemployable. Being unemployable, he said, made one dependent on others, “therefore, my focus is to help people get skills that will help them to support themselves”.
Mr Darko-Mensah said one of the things that the youth should pay attention to was the acquisition of the requisite skills to generate income for themselves.
“There are many services that will be required by various companies that will be relocating to the city due to the oil find, and their requirements will vary from one to the other,” he said.
“If the indigenes do not take advantage of the opportunities, the corporate world will not wait for you to go and train, they will employ workers from outside the metropolis and that is not the best for us,” he said.
Mr Darko-Mensah said it was very important that apart from his support the youth should equip themselves with employable skills.
He said the call for local content in the quest to get the indigenes employed required the efforts of the local people themselves.
He expressed the hope that the items would help improve the security situation in and around the metropolis.
NON-MONITORING OF PROJECTS — CAUSE OF SHODDY JOB (PAGE 29)
One of the problems facing development in the metropolis and other parts of the country is the inability of some contractors to undertake projects with little or no defects.
The lack of effective monitoring of projects has affected development in various parts of Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis.
Many contractors do shoddy work or abandon projects after collecting their mobilisation fees.
The contract for the construction of a six-classroom block for the Kwaw Nketsia Primary and Junior High schools near Effia-Nkwanta has been awarded but one can only see pillars at the site. The contractor allegedly abandoned the project a few months after the commencement of work.
In the same area, the contractor who was awarded the contract to improve the roads at Nkotompo did a very shoddy job.
The Sekondi Sports Stadium is another glaring example of the execution of shoddy work.
Work on the Effia-Nkwanta-Fijai junction road, which links the regional hospital and the main Accra-Takoradi highway, was hurriedly done by the contractor for the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and less than four months after its completion, the road has developed potholes and started deteriorating. It is not safe for those who travel on it the first time.
That aside, the rains have exposed the poor work done by contractors who were asked to fill potholes in the metropolis.
At the moment, driving through the metropolis has become very difficult and uncomfortable, since motorists have to be dodging potholes, thereby driving recklessly.
The contractors who worked on the Cocoa Villa Road, the road in front of Takoradi Polytechnic, Shippers Council Roundabout, I-Adu Metal and Anaji road, all in the metropolis, did poor work because of the lack of monitoring.
The central government, at the beginning of every budget year, identifies certain projects and sets aside funds to implement them but the problem has always been with how to ensure that contracts for the execution of the works go to the right people.
In the spirit of accountability and good governance the time has come for contracts to be awarded to the right people.
The previous administration provided many interventions for the improvement in social infrastructure, but many of the projects were not well executed by the contractors.
There is, therefore, the need for the Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly to establish a unit to monitor all projects to ensure transparency and accountability in the metropolis. The unit should also be mandated to ensure that contracts are awarded to the right people.
The lack of effective monitoring of projects has affected development in various parts of Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis.
Many contractors do shoddy work or abandon projects after collecting their mobilisation fees.
The contract for the construction of a six-classroom block for the Kwaw Nketsia Primary and Junior High schools near Effia-Nkwanta has been awarded but one can only see pillars at the site. The contractor allegedly abandoned the project a few months after the commencement of work.
In the same area, the contractor who was awarded the contract to improve the roads at Nkotompo did a very shoddy job.
The Sekondi Sports Stadium is another glaring example of the execution of shoddy work.
Work on the Effia-Nkwanta-Fijai junction road, which links the regional hospital and the main Accra-Takoradi highway, was hurriedly done by the contractor for the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and less than four months after its completion, the road has developed potholes and started deteriorating. It is not safe for those who travel on it the first time.
That aside, the rains have exposed the poor work done by contractors who were asked to fill potholes in the metropolis.
At the moment, driving through the metropolis has become very difficult and uncomfortable, since motorists have to be dodging potholes, thereby driving recklessly.
The contractors who worked on the Cocoa Villa Road, the road in front of Takoradi Polytechnic, Shippers Council Roundabout, I-Adu Metal and Anaji road, all in the metropolis, did poor work because of the lack of monitoring.
The central government, at the beginning of every budget year, identifies certain projects and sets aside funds to implement them but the problem has always been with how to ensure that contracts for the execution of the works go to the right people.
In the spirit of accountability and good governance the time has come for contracts to be awarded to the right people.
The previous administration provided many interventions for the improvement in social infrastructure, but many of the projects were not well executed by the contractors.
There is, therefore, the need for the Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly to establish a unit to monitor all projects to ensure transparency and accountability in the metropolis. The unit should also be mandated to ensure that contracts are awarded to the right people.
NEED TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES (PAGE 29)
ONE of the challenges that the newly approved Sekondi/Takoradi metropolitan chief executive will face is how to change the attitude of people in the metropolis.
Residents of the twin-city need to change their attitude to development issues while the assembly also needs to make socially-just decisions in its quest to position the twin-city as the financial hub of the region.
At the moment, the assembly is confronted with the indiscriminate dumping of refuse, congestion at the Takoradi Central Market, hawkers selling along the streets with impunity, double parking on the streets, creation of unauthorised bus terminals, the development of appropriate parking lots for private vehicles, fixing of malfunctioning traffic lights and improvement in the deplorable link roads.
The twin-city is one of the best metropolises in the country which hitherto had unique features of clean street corners and little traffic congestion, but for some time now it has had to battle with increases in traffic, refuse generation etc.
One of the problems former chief executives faced was the fierce resistance to the strict enforcement of the assembly’s core functions and the implementation of its development programmes by residents.
With the discovery of oil, there has been sharp increase in the population in the metropolis and many companies, especially those that deal in oil and related goods and services, are competing to relocate to the metropolis.
This has resulted in an increase in the number of applications to the offices of the assembly for permits to put up structures to facilitate their operations. Corporate bodies have identified places in the metropolis to be developed into modern office complexes, but people occupying government buildings, especially those of the assembly, are reluctant to relocate for the buildings to be renovated.
Some of the companies claim they bought the structures from the then Ministry of Local Government and made part payment, so they will not vacate them.
The population of traders around the Market Circle has tripled, as traders have taken over the streets around the market, and shop owners battle with hawkers for the spaces in front of their shops.
The efforts of the former metropolitan chief executive, Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, to decongest the Market Circle were thwarted by traders who threatened to vote against the government of the day if the assembly went ahead with the decongestive exercise.
All the 62 assembly members overwhelmingly voted to endorse Mr Kobina Pra Annan, who is popularly known as Marlon, as the metro chief executive. The challenge for Mr Annan is how to decongest the central business district.
In Sekondi, traders have abandoned their sheds in the market and prefer to sell along the streets to the market because the structures are very weak and unfriendly.
There is every indication that the assembly members voted overwhelmingly for Mr Annan because they think he has the interest of the metropolis at heart.
All the assembly members have expressed concern about the congestion at the central business district and urged politicians to educate their followers on the need for the decongestive exercise.
Some of the assembly members said it was necessary for the city to be redeveloped to conform to the standards of modern cities.
During many meetings with the chiefs and other opinion leaders in the metropolis, prior to his confirmation, Mr Annan asked for their support and told them they all had a role to play in developing the metropolis into a modern city so there was no need to politicise the exercise.
Residents of the twin-city need to change their attitude to development issues while the assembly also needs to make socially-just decisions in its quest to position the twin-city as the financial hub of the region.
At the moment, the assembly is confronted with the indiscriminate dumping of refuse, congestion at the Takoradi Central Market, hawkers selling along the streets with impunity, double parking on the streets, creation of unauthorised bus terminals, the development of appropriate parking lots for private vehicles, fixing of malfunctioning traffic lights and improvement in the deplorable link roads.
The twin-city is one of the best metropolises in the country which hitherto had unique features of clean street corners and little traffic congestion, but for some time now it has had to battle with increases in traffic, refuse generation etc.
One of the problems former chief executives faced was the fierce resistance to the strict enforcement of the assembly’s core functions and the implementation of its development programmes by residents.
With the discovery of oil, there has been sharp increase in the population in the metropolis and many companies, especially those that deal in oil and related goods and services, are competing to relocate to the metropolis.
This has resulted in an increase in the number of applications to the offices of the assembly for permits to put up structures to facilitate their operations. Corporate bodies have identified places in the metropolis to be developed into modern office complexes, but people occupying government buildings, especially those of the assembly, are reluctant to relocate for the buildings to be renovated.
Some of the companies claim they bought the structures from the then Ministry of Local Government and made part payment, so they will not vacate them.
The population of traders around the Market Circle has tripled, as traders have taken over the streets around the market, and shop owners battle with hawkers for the spaces in front of their shops.
The efforts of the former metropolitan chief executive, Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, to decongest the Market Circle were thwarted by traders who threatened to vote against the government of the day if the assembly went ahead with the decongestive exercise.
All the 62 assembly members overwhelmingly voted to endorse Mr Kobina Pra Annan, who is popularly known as Marlon, as the metro chief executive. The challenge for Mr Annan is how to decongest the central business district.
In Sekondi, traders have abandoned their sheds in the market and prefer to sell along the streets to the market because the structures are very weak and unfriendly.
There is every indication that the assembly members voted overwhelmingly for Mr Annan because they think he has the interest of the metropolis at heart.
All the assembly members have expressed concern about the congestion at the central business district and urged politicians to educate their followers on the need for the decongestive exercise.
Some of the assembly members said it was necessary for the city to be redeveloped to conform to the standards of modern cities.
During many meetings with the chiefs and other opinion leaders in the metropolis, prior to his confirmation, Mr Annan asked for their support and told them they all had a role to play in developing the metropolis into a modern city so there was no need to politicise the exercise.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
SIX JAILED 115 YEARS FOR DEALING IN NARCOTIC DRUGS (PAGE 47)
THE Takoradi Circuit Court has sentenced an ex-soldier and five others to a total of 115 years’ imprisonment in hard labour for dealing in narcotic drugs.
Five of the convicts — Muftawu Karim, 20; Abudu Fatao, 28; Sally Abu, 38; Mohammed Yakubu, 19, and Julius Kumbri, the ex-soldier, 42 — were handed 20 years each, while Richmond Tandoh, 19, was given 15 years.
The convicts were arrested in separate operations by the Western Regional Drug Law Enforcement Agency of the Ghana Police Service.
The convicts, who claimed they had people who supplied them with the drugs, failed to provide the source of the drugs.
In the course of the operation, items found on them were later detected to be 28g of cannabis, 3.1705g of cocaine and 2.5793kg of heroin.
Before passing judgement, the presiding judge, Mr Kwesi Boakye Yiadom, said it was unfortunate that the youth had moved into the drugs trade.
He said the convicts, therefore, deserved the sentences to serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons.
According to the persecutors, Chief Inspector Alice Parker Wilson and Inspector Agbemordzi, the ex-solder was, until his conviction, an employee of a private security firm.
The prosecutors said when the police got to Kumbri’s house at Kwesimintsim upon a tip-off, he was caught busily working on Indian hemp in his kitchen.
Kumbri was arrested and charged with the offence, while the others were arrested in their ghettos around Top 10 in Takoradi and other parts of the region.
Fatao was arrested on board a passenger vehicle in a joint police-CEPS operation at Nyamebekyere Barrier on the Takoradi-Elubo road about 11 p.m.
The prosecutors said when the driver was asked to open the boot of the vehicle for inspection, Fatao got down and took to his heels but he was later arrested by some members of the community.
A search in the car boot revealed a mini sack and a suitcase containing cannabis weighing 3.70kg.
Abu was arrested at Mpataba with two mini bags, four compressed parcels and 61 wrapped pieces of Indian hemp.
The remaining convicts were charged on their own pleas and sentenced accordingly. A search on them revealed 13 wrapped pieces of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 79 wrapped pieces and powdery substance suspected to be narcotic drugs.
Apart from the six convicted persons, the same court convicted 21 others between the ages of 18 and 35 to sentences between 10 and 20 years for drug-related offences.
Five of the convicts — Muftawu Karim, 20; Abudu Fatao, 28; Sally Abu, 38; Mohammed Yakubu, 19, and Julius Kumbri, the ex-soldier, 42 — were handed 20 years each, while Richmond Tandoh, 19, was given 15 years.
The convicts were arrested in separate operations by the Western Regional Drug Law Enforcement Agency of the Ghana Police Service.
The convicts, who claimed they had people who supplied them with the drugs, failed to provide the source of the drugs.
In the course of the operation, items found on them were later detected to be 28g of cannabis, 3.1705g of cocaine and 2.5793kg of heroin.
Before passing judgement, the presiding judge, Mr Kwesi Boakye Yiadom, said it was unfortunate that the youth had moved into the drugs trade.
He said the convicts, therefore, deserved the sentences to serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons.
According to the persecutors, Chief Inspector Alice Parker Wilson and Inspector Agbemordzi, the ex-solder was, until his conviction, an employee of a private security firm.
The prosecutors said when the police got to Kumbri’s house at Kwesimintsim upon a tip-off, he was caught busily working on Indian hemp in his kitchen.
Kumbri was arrested and charged with the offence, while the others were arrested in their ghettos around Top 10 in Takoradi and other parts of the region.
Fatao was arrested on board a passenger vehicle in a joint police-CEPS operation at Nyamebekyere Barrier on the Takoradi-Elubo road about 11 p.m.
The prosecutors said when the driver was asked to open the boot of the vehicle for inspection, Fatao got down and took to his heels but he was later arrested by some members of the community.
A search in the car boot revealed a mini sack and a suitcase containing cannabis weighing 3.70kg.
Abu was arrested at Mpataba with two mini bags, four compressed parcels and 61 wrapped pieces of Indian hemp.
The remaining convicts were charged on their own pleas and sentenced accordingly. A search on them revealed 13 wrapped pieces of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 79 wrapped pieces and powdery substance suspected to be narcotic drugs.
Apart from the six convicted persons, the same court convicted 21 others between the ages of 18 and 35 to sentences between 10 and 20 years for drug-related offences.
Monday, May 18, 2009
THERMAL PLANT FACES SETBACK (SPREAD)
THE Takoradi Thermal Plant cannot run on natural gas as has been anticipated due to the lack of supply of natural gas from Nigeria.
Officials of the Volta River Authority (VRA), who had earlier converted the plant to run on natural gas for the production of power at a far cheaper cost, have been compelled to re-convert the plant to run on crude oil.
Under the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project, Nigeria is supposed to supply natural gas to Ghana for the running of the plant but following the inability of Nigeria to meet Ghana’s demand, the project has been put on hold for the time being.
According to a source at the VRA, the signals from Nigeria indicated that that country could not meet its domestic demand for gas, let alone supply some to Ghana.
In view of the difficulty involved in the supply of natural gas, the VRA has been compelled to re-convert the thermal plant to run on crude oil, while it awaits the outcome of negotiations between the two countries for the supply of natural gas.
At the moment, the VRA and the Takoradi International Company (TICO) produce 550 megawatts of electricity using crude oil at a very high cost to the nation.
“We cannot tell you exactly how much it costs to produce power with crude oil, compared with gas, due to the unstable world price of crude oil. But on authority we can say it will be much cheaper with natural gas,” a source at the VRA told the Daily Graphic.
It said after the conversion of the plant to run on natural gas, the VRA initially test-ran it for six hours and continued throughout the following day to confirm its readiness.
The authority’s valves, according to the source, had been closed after the successful test run and change but had to be reopened in view of the lack of natural gas flow from Nigeria.
When contacted, the Head of Corporate Affairs at the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Ms Harriet Wereko-Brobby, attributed the difficulties to technical problems.
Asked about the way forward if Nigeria failed to supply the natural gas, she expressed the hope that even in the face of the difficulty in meeting its domestic demand for natural gas, Nigeria would honour its promise.
“One of the things we must also look at is that we are still working on our converter station in Nigeria which will be completed by the end of this year,” she said.
Ms Wereko-Brobby expressed the hope that there would soon be solutions to the hitches.
In December 2004, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo reached an agreement to establish a common framework for the operation of the West African Gas Pipeline Company across the four countries.
Officials of the Volta River Authority (VRA), who had earlier converted the plant to run on natural gas for the production of power at a far cheaper cost, have been compelled to re-convert the plant to run on crude oil.
Under the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project, Nigeria is supposed to supply natural gas to Ghana for the running of the plant but following the inability of Nigeria to meet Ghana’s demand, the project has been put on hold for the time being.
According to a source at the VRA, the signals from Nigeria indicated that that country could not meet its domestic demand for gas, let alone supply some to Ghana.
In view of the difficulty involved in the supply of natural gas, the VRA has been compelled to re-convert the thermal plant to run on crude oil, while it awaits the outcome of negotiations between the two countries for the supply of natural gas.
At the moment, the VRA and the Takoradi International Company (TICO) produce 550 megawatts of electricity using crude oil at a very high cost to the nation.
“We cannot tell you exactly how much it costs to produce power with crude oil, compared with gas, due to the unstable world price of crude oil. But on authority we can say it will be much cheaper with natural gas,” a source at the VRA told the Daily Graphic.
It said after the conversion of the plant to run on natural gas, the VRA initially test-ran it for six hours and continued throughout the following day to confirm its readiness.
The authority’s valves, according to the source, had been closed after the successful test run and change but had to be reopened in view of the lack of natural gas flow from Nigeria.
When contacted, the Head of Corporate Affairs at the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Ms Harriet Wereko-Brobby, attributed the difficulties to technical problems.
Asked about the way forward if Nigeria failed to supply the natural gas, she expressed the hope that even in the face of the difficulty in meeting its domestic demand for natural gas, Nigeria would honour its promise.
“One of the things we must also look at is that we are still working on our converter station in Nigeria which will be completed by the end of this year,” she said.
Ms Wereko-Brobby expressed the hope that there would soon be solutions to the hitches.
In December 2004, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo reached an agreement to establish a common framework for the operation of the West African Gas Pipeline Company across the four countries.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
ARSON: TWO BURNT TO DEATH (PAGE 34)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE village of Borwuhumodin, near Asankragwua in the Western Region, last Thursday woke up to a horrifying scene of the remains of two labourers who had been set ablaze in their hut as a result of a farmland dispute.
The suspect, Bro. Tetteh, 35, drank poison few minutes before his arrest by the police and died on arrival at the hospital.
The labourers were fast asleep, when Tetteh, a settler farmer and a native of Ada, mistook them for their master, who is a contender in the dispute.
The deceased, Mohammed Tarri and Iddrisu Yussif, both migrants from the Northern Region and contracted as farm labourers, died at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Sekondi, on arrival and their remains have since been deposited at the hospital’s morgue pending autopsy.
When Tetteh was arrested, he was reported to have told the police, “You don’t have to waste time on me because I have drunk enough poison and I will soon die. I know I cannot win in the litigation. Therefore, I decided to set my other contender ablaze but mistakenly it was his labourers.”
“I decided to kill him by setting his hut ablaze in the night so that I could take over the farm and the rest of the land after his death, but I did not know that he is no longer sleeping in it,” Tetteh added.
A police source said the two had sustained severe burns and were unconscious before they were brought out of the fire and rushed to the Catholic Hospital but were later referred to the Regional Hospital at Sekondi, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
The police source further stated that after the confession, Tetteh was rushed to the hospital but died at about 2:30 a.m last Wednesday.
Police investigations, however, continue.
THE village of Borwuhumodin, near Asankragwua in the Western Region, last Thursday woke up to a horrifying scene of the remains of two labourers who had been set ablaze in their hut as a result of a farmland dispute.
The suspect, Bro. Tetteh, 35, drank poison few minutes before his arrest by the police and died on arrival at the hospital.
The labourers were fast asleep, when Tetteh, a settler farmer and a native of Ada, mistook them for their master, who is a contender in the dispute.
The deceased, Mohammed Tarri and Iddrisu Yussif, both migrants from the Northern Region and contracted as farm labourers, died at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Sekondi, on arrival and their remains have since been deposited at the hospital’s morgue pending autopsy.
When Tetteh was arrested, he was reported to have told the police, “You don’t have to waste time on me because I have drunk enough poison and I will soon die. I know I cannot win in the litigation. Therefore, I decided to set my other contender ablaze but mistakenly it was his labourers.”
“I decided to kill him by setting his hut ablaze in the night so that I could take over the farm and the rest of the land after his death, but I did not know that he is no longer sleeping in it,” Tetteh added.
A police source said the two had sustained severe burns and were unconscious before they were brought out of the fire and rushed to the Catholic Hospital but were later referred to the Regional Hospital at Sekondi, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
The police source further stated that after the confession, Tetteh was rushed to the hospital but died at about 2:30 a.m last Wednesday.
Police investigations, however, continue.
POLICE DERSERTER NABBED FOR STEALING (MIRROR, LEAD STORY)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
The long arm of the law has caught up with a policeman who deserted his post in Accra over his involvement in a stealing case to mastermind another robbery at Sefwi Dwinase in the Western Region.
L/Cpl. Dan Fianu, dressed in police uniform, was nabbed when he mounted guard at the entrance of the Okyereso Nyame Cold Store at Sefwi Dwinase while his two accomplices went into the store to execute their plan.
According to the Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Adiku, a passer-by saw the suspects and raised an alarm.
The informant, who said she was surprised to see the office opened at that time of the night, shouted for help in order to get Fianu and his accomplices arrested.
As Fianu attempted to get the two others out of the cold store, people responded to the shouts for help and Fianu was given a hot chase, thereby diverting attention and enabling the two to escape.
She said Fianu was then apprehended and sent to the police in his uniform and was identified as the wanted officer of the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) attached to the Police Headquarters in Accra.
The police said Fianu was involved in a stealing case in Accra while on duty and had deserted his post at the headquarters after the theft was discovered.
Fianu was said to have told his counterparts at the station that he was in the region to seek spiritual help for his problems.
After deserting his post, he was said to have bolted with some police accoutrements, which he allegedly used for his self-styled policing.
He was arraigned and remanded in police custody.
The long arm of the law has caught up with a policeman who deserted his post in Accra over his involvement in a stealing case to mastermind another robbery at Sefwi Dwinase in the Western Region.
L/Cpl. Dan Fianu, dressed in police uniform, was nabbed when he mounted guard at the entrance of the Okyereso Nyame Cold Store at Sefwi Dwinase while his two accomplices went into the store to execute their plan.
According to the Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Adiku, a passer-by saw the suspects and raised an alarm.
The informant, who said she was surprised to see the office opened at that time of the night, shouted for help in order to get Fianu and his accomplices arrested.
As Fianu attempted to get the two others out of the cold store, people responded to the shouts for help and Fianu was given a hot chase, thereby diverting attention and enabling the two to escape.
She said Fianu was then apprehended and sent to the police in his uniform and was identified as the wanted officer of the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) attached to the Police Headquarters in Accra.
The police said Fianu was involved in a stealing case in Accra while on duty and had deserted his post at the headquarters after the theft was discovered.
Fianu was said to have told his counterparts at the station that he was in the region to seek spiritual help for his problems.
After deserting his post, he was said to have bolted with some police accoutrements, which he allegedly used for his self-styled policing.
He was arraigned and remanded in police custody.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
SEFWI ASAFO YOUTH ATTACK POLICE STATION (PAGE 31)
IRATE youth of Asafo in the Sefwi Wiawso District of the Western Region have attacked the police station in the town and vandalised property worth thousands of Ghana cedis.
The group, carrying guns, cudgels and other offensive weapons, demanded the release of a driver, Bashiru Teye, who had run over and killed a resident of the town.
At the moment, the police station has been closed down and the policemen and their families, as well as the driver, have been evacuated to safety in Sefwi Wiawso.
According to police sources, the driver reported himself to the police to inform them of the accident when the youth moved in.
“Just before the driver’s statement could be taken, a mob besieged the station, demanding the release of the driver for instance justice,” they said.
They said the police tried to explain to the mob that it would not be lawful and that the police were in control.
The sources added that the explanation did not go down well with the mob as they left to mobilise more to attack the station.
They said Bashiru, who was driving a Nissan Urvan from Asawinso through the town unfortunately knocked down one Joyce Acquah, killing her instantly.
They said the driver then ran to the police station to report himself but before the police could act the mob had besieged the station demanding instant justice.
According to the sources, the situation was currently under control as a police reinforcement had been sent to the place to ensure the safety of the remaining property.
The group, carrying guns, cudgels and other offensive weapons, demanded the release of a driver, Bashiru Teye, who had run over and killed a resident of the town.
At the moment, the police station has been closed down and the policemen and their families, as well as the driver, have been evacuated to safety in Sefwi Wiawso.
According to police sources, the driver reported himself to the police to inform them of the accident when the youth moved in.
“Just before the driver’s statement could be taken, a mob besieged the station, demanding the release of the driver for instance justice,” they said.
They said the police tried to explain to the mob that it would not be lawful and that the police were in control.
The sources added that the explanation did not go down well with the mob as they left to mobilise more to attack the station.
They said Bashiru, who was driving a Nissan Urvan from Asawinso through the town unfortunately knocked down one Joyce Acquah, killing her instantly.
They said the driver then ran to the police station to report himself but before the police could act the mob had besieged the station demanding instant justice.
According to the sources, the situation was currently under control as a police reinforcement had been sent to the place to ensure the safety of the remaining property.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
DON'T ENGAGE IN CONFRONTATIONS WITH OIL COMPANIES (PAGE 32)
THE Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosomtwe-Sam, has charged fishing communities to undertake their activities in a manner that would prevent confrontation with the oil exploration companies.
Ms Bosomtwe-Sam made the call in response to complaints by the fishermen that they had been encountering difficulties with the companies, when she visited Dixcove, a fishing community in the Amanita West District, where five fishermen were involved in an accident on the high seas.
She reminded the fishermen that their work and that of the explorers was very important to the socio-economic development of the country and urged them to cooperate with the explorers.
The deputy minister said currently, their fishing activities would take a different dimension from the past due to the country’s oil discovery but urged them to cooperate with the explorers.
She implored the fishermen to acquire lifejackets to ensure that during unfortunate situations such as the disaster that happened to their five departed colleagues, they could escape unhurt.
The Chief Fisherman of Dixcove, Nana Kwamena Acheampong, expressed surprise at the minister’s visit and added “We felt the disaster was just a normal misfortune, therefore, your visit has shown that the government cares for us.”
He stressed that they were not in business to thwart the efforts of the oil companies.
Nana Acheampong thanked the minister for the visit and assured her that they would play their expected role to ensure the success of the fishing industry.
Picture: Ms Bosomtwe-Sam interacting with the fishermen during the visit.
Ms Bosomtwe-Sam made the call in response to complaints by the fishermen that they had been encountering difficulties with the companies, when she visited Dixcove, a fishing community in the Amanita West District, where five fishermen were involved in an accident on the high seas.
She reminded the fishermen that their work and that of the explorers was very important to the socio-economic development of the country and urged them to cooperate with the explorers.
The deputy minister said currently, their fishing activities would take a different dimension from the past due to the country’s oil discovery but urged them to cooperate with the explorers.
She implored the fishermen to acquire lifejackets to ensure that during unfortunate situations such as the disaster that happened to their five departed colleagues, they could escape unhurt.
The Chief Fisherman of Dixcove, Nana Kwamena Acheampong, expressed surprise at the minister’s visit and added “We felt the disaster was just a normal misfortune, therefore, your visit has shown that the government cares for us.”
He stressed that they were not in business to thwart the efforts of the oil companies.
Nana Acheampong thanked the minister for the visit and assured her that they would play their expected role to ensure the success of the fishing industry.
Picture: Ms Bosomtwe-Sam interacting with the fishermen during the visit.
Monday, May 4, 2009
5 DIXCOVE FISHERMEN RESCURED ON HIGH SEAS (MIRROR, PAGE 29)
From Western Region
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Five fishermen from Dixcove in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region were rescued when their canoe capsized on the high seas about 38 nautical miles off the coast of Sekondi/Takoradi.
They were rescued by a supply ship, the MV Blue River, under the command of Captain Simon Gideka, which was returning from the Jubilee Oil Field at 10 a.m. last Monday.
Those rescued were identified as Samuel Sekinnie, 26; Francis Arthur, 22; John Kussie, 35; Benjamin Arthur, 32, and John Badu, 22.
They had hung perilously onto the capsized canoe for hours before they were rescued, according to the crew of the supply ship.
Their outboard motor, fuel, food, nets and other fishing equipment were, however, lost in the storm.
At the time of the rescue, they were said to be virtually naked and trembling.
After the rescue, the fishermen were taken to the Takoradi Hospital for medical attention before they were released to their families.
According to the victims, they were five on board the canoe from Dixcove and were on their normal fishing expedition when the weather changed suddenly and the tide became so high that they lost control of their canoe.
The leader of the fishermen, Kussie, said they clinged to the boat, with the hope of getting some help or being washed ashore. Fortunately for them, the supply boat came to their rescue.
The leader said initially they had thought that they could turn the canoe but it was very difficult and they were left with no option but to hold on to it.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosomtwe-Sam, urged fishermen across the country to take enough precaution to ensure their safety at sea, especially with the onset of the rainy season.
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Five fishermen from Dixcove in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region were rescued when their canoe capsized on the high seas about 38 nautical miles off the coast of Sekondi/Takoradi.
They were rescued by a supply ship, the MV Blue River, under the command of Captain Simon Gideka, which was returning from the Jubilee Oil Field at 10 a.m. last Monday.
Those rescued were identified as Samuel Sekinnie, 26; Francis Arthur, 22; John Kussie, 35; Benjamin Arthur, 32, and John Badu, 22.
They had hung perilously onto the capsized canoe for hours before they were rescued, according to the crew of the supply ship.
Their outboard motor, fuel, food, nets and other fishing equipment were, however, lost in the storm.
At the time of the rescue, they were said to be virtually naked and trembling.
After the rescue, the fishermen were taken to the Takoradi Hospital for medical attention before they were released to their families.
According to the victims, they were five on board the canoe from Dixcove and were on their normal fishing expedition when the weather changed suddenly and the tide became so high that they lost control of their canoe.
The leader of the fishermen, Kussie, said they clinged to the boat, with the hope of getting some help or being washed ashore. Fortunately for them, the supply boat came to their rescue.
The leader said initially they had thought that they could turn the canoe but it was very difficult and they were left with no option but to hold on to it.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosomtwe-Sam, urged fishermen across the country to take enough precaution to ensure their safety at sea, especially with the onset of the rainy season.
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