The youth at Wassa-Bekwai, a farming community near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, have lynched a police officer detailed to arrest a suspect.
In their quest to disarm the police officer to prevent him from carrying out his lawful duty of arresting the suspect, the AK 47 rifle being carried by the policeman went off, killing the Unit Committee Chairman, Kofi Asare Agyepong.
The death of the unit committee chairman was said to have angered the youth, who attacked the policeman, G/Cpl Martin Akandago, with clubs and other offensive instruments, leading to his death. The youth later fled the town to avoid being arrested.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, the officer was detailed to effect an arrest at Wassa-Bekwai, in the company of two community police officers.
He said upon reaching the town, one of the suspects, only named as “Fish” told the police that the case had been settled by the unit committee chairman of the town.
At that point, according to the police, a mob started gathering in the house of the suspect, Fish, and the parties involved proceeded to the house of the unit committee chairman with the police.
Mr Agbetornyo said the mob followed and later attacked the policeman and attempted to snatch the rifle from him. He added that during the scuffle the policeman’s gun went off and the unit committee chairman was hit by a bullet on the left shoulder.
The regional crime officer said after the death of the committee chairman, the mob attacked the policeman. He died at about 7p.m. last Tuesday.
He said the two accompanying community police managed to escape to give an account of the incident.
Mr Agbetornyo said when the police got to the scene, the two lifeless bodies were in the middle of the town.
He said the police had started an investigation into the matter.
The bodies of the two have currently been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital, and the rifle, the spent shell and the remaining live ammunitions have been retrieved by the police.
Friday, July 31, 2009
POLICE LYNCH AT WASSA AKROPONG (P. 14)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Youth at Wassa-Bekwai, farming community, near Wassa Akropon in the Western Region have murdered a police officer detailed to arrest a suspect.
In their quest to disarm the police officer and to prevent him from carrying out his lawful duty, the AK 47 riffle went off killing their Unit Committee Chairman.
The death of the Unit Committee Chairman, Kofi Asare Agyepong was said to have angered the youth and they also murdered the police, G/Cpl Martin Akandago and later fled the town to avoid being arrested.
The bodies of the two have currently been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital and the riffle, the spent shell and remaining live ammunitions have been retrieved by the police.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, the officer was detailed to effect an arrested at Wassa-Bekwai near Hiawa in the company of two community police officers.
He said upon reaching the town, one of the suspects only named as “Fish” told the police that the case has been settled by the Unit Committee Chairman of the town.
At that point according to the police, mob had started gathering in the house of the suspect, Fish as the parties involved and the police proceed to the resident of the Unit Committee chairman.
Mr Agbetornyo said, the mob followed and later attacked the police and attempted snatch to riffle from G/Cpl Akandago and during the scuffle they pulled the trigger and the unit committee chairman was hit by a bullet on the left shoulder.
The regional crime officer said after the death of the committee chairman, the mob then attacked the police man with clubs and other offensive instruments killing him at about 7p.m. last Tuesday.
He said the two accompanying community police managed to escape to give accounts of what happened.
Mr Agbetornyo said when the police got to the scene; the two lifeless bodies were in the middle of the town.
He said the police have launched investigation into the matter.
Youth at Wassa-Bekwai, farming community, near Wassa Akropon in the Western Region have murdered a police officer detailed to arrest a suspect.
In their quest to disarm the police officer and to prevent him from carrying out his lawful duty, the AK 47 riffle went off killing their Unit Committee Chairman.
The death of the Unit Committee Chairman, Kofi Asare Agyepong was said to have angered the youth and they also murdered the police, G/Cpl Martin Akandago and later fled the town to avoid being arrested.
The bodies of the two have currently been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital and the riffle, the spent shell and remaining live ammunitions have been retrieved by the police.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, the officer was detailed to effect an arrested at Wassa-Bekwai near Hiawa in the company of two community police officers.
He said upon reaching the town, one of the suspects only named as “Fish” told the police that the case has been settled by the Unit Committee Chairman of the town.
At that point according to the police, mob had started gathering in the house of the suspect, Fish as the parties involved and the police proceed to the resident of the Unit Committee chairman.
Mr Agbetornyo said, the mob followed and later attacked the police and attempted snatch to riffle from G/Cpl Akandago and during the scuffle they pulled the trigger and the unit committee chairman was hit by a bullet on the left shoulder.
The regional crime officer said after the death of the committee chairman, the mob then attacked the police man with clubs and other offensive instruments killing him at about 7p.m. last Tuesday.
He said the two accompanying community police managed to escape to give accounts of what happened.
Mr Agbetornyo said when the police got to the scene; the two lifeless bodies were in the middle of the town.
He said the police have launched investigation into the matter.
POLICE LYNCH AT WASSA AKROPONG (P. 14)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Youth at Wassa-Bekwai, farming community, near Wassa Akropon in the Western Region have murdered a police officer detailed to arrest a suspect.
In their quest to disarm the police officer and to prevent him from carrying out his lawful duty, the AK 47 riffle went off killing their Unit Committee Chairman.
The death of the Unit Committee Chairman, Kofi Asare Agyepong was said to have angered the youth and they also murdered the police, G/Cpl Martin Akandago and later fled the town to avoid being arrested.
The bodies of the two have currently been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital and the riffle, the spent shell and remaining live ammunitions have been retrieved by the police.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, the officer was detailed to effect an arrested at Wassa-Bekwai near Hiawa in the company of two community police officers.
He said upon reaching the town, one of the suspects only named as “Fish” told the police that the case has been settled by the Unit Committee Chairman of the town.
At that point according to the police, mob had started gathering in the house of the suspect, Fish as the parties involved and the police proceed to the resident of the Unit Committee chairman.
Mr Agbetornyo said, the mob followed and later attacked the police and attempted snatch to riffle from G/Cpl Akandago and during the scuffle they pulled the trigger and the unit committee chairman was hit by a bullet on the left shoulder.
The regional crime officer said after the death of the committee chairman, the mob then attacked the police man with clubs and other offensive instruments killing him at about 7p.m. last Tuesday.
He said the two accompanying community police managed to escape to give accounts of what happened.
Mr Agbetornyo said when the police got to the scene; the two lifeless bodies were in the middle of the town.
He said the police have launched investigation into the matter.
Youth at Wassa-Bekwai, farming community, near Wassa Akropon in the Western Region have murdered a police officer detailed to arrest a suspect.
In their quest to disarm the police officer and to prevent him from carrying out his lawful duty, the AK 47 riffle went off killing their Unit Committee Chairman.
The death of the Unit Committee Chairman, Kofi Asare Agyepong was said to have angered the youth and they also murdered the police, G/Cpl Martin Akandago and later fled the town to avoid being arrested.
The bodies of the two have currently been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital and the riffle, the spent shell and remaining live ammunitions have been retrieved by the police.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, the officer was detailed to effect an arrested at Wassa-Bekwai near Hiawa in the company of two community police officers.
He said upon reaching the town, one of the suspects only named as “Fish” told the police that the case has been settled by the Unit Committee Chairman of the town.
At that point according to the police, mob had started gathering in the house of the suspect, Fish as the parties involved and the police proceed to the resident of the Unit Committee chairman.
Mr Agbetornyo said, the mob followed and later attacked the police and attempted snatch to riffle from G/Cpl Akandago and during the scuffle they pulled the trigger and the unit committee chairman was hit by a bullet on the left shoulder.
The regional crime officer said after the death of the committee chairman, the mob then attacked the police man with clubs and other offensive instruments killing him at about 7p.m. last Tuesday.
He said the two accompanying community police managed to escape to give accounts of what happened.
Mr Agbetornyo said when the police got to the scene; the two lifeless bodies were in the middle of the town.
He said the police have launched investigation into the matter.
NGYERESIA FACES ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS (P.30)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Egyeresia
Ngyeresia, a fishing community in Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Area is faced with serious socio-environmental problems that require immediate attention.
The community is faced with improper disposal of fecal matter in the community, inadequate toilet facilities, poor refuse disposal, and inadequate access to potable water.
Even though the community is located in the heart of the Western Regional Capital, the people had to fetch water from a stream that passes through the community due to the lack of adequate water supply.
Children are seen taking bath along this unhygienic stream and the toilet that serve the community was built in the early 1940s and had developed serous cracks in the walls as well as very bad roof.
The floors of the toilet where those responding to the call of nature would squat had developed serious cracks that are prone to explosion. According to the attendant, there had not been explosion because the floor was solid but described it as an eminent danger.
The attendants said the place was full to capacity and they had to close some of the pits for fecal matter to naturally go down.
This they said had resulted in the people of the community resorting to free-range, thereby, creating an unhealthy situation at the community’s stretch of beach where the some people sit to mend their nets for their fishing expeditions.
One of the serious aspects is that where the fecal matter or excreta spill out is where some women smoke their fish for public consumption.
The refuse disposal in the community is not the best, according to the residents, the communal container in the community with the inscription SAEMA was placed in the community more than a year.
They said the waste management department of the assembly had turned the blind eyes to the container after the dump it there yeas ago.
The container is full and had been half swallowed by the earth with the waste spilling all over. The community continues to dump there and that sometimes they burn or during the rainy season, the running waters sweep into the ocean.
Interestingly, the toilet and the refuse dump apart from been close fish smokers was also near the community school, and during dry season, the wind also sweeps it to the compound of the school.
Takoradi based, NGO, Friends of the Nation, (FoN) had secured some funding to provide the community with toilet to avert any disaster.
According to the Chief Executive of FoN, Mr Donkris Mevuta, the proposed budget for this six months project for the community was $29,825.
He said the counterpart contribution $5,974 and the FoN with the support, Co-operative Housing Foundation (CHF), an American NGO $23,851 to complete the project.
Asked, with the level poverty in the community if the people would be able to raise the counterpart funding to enable them complete the project, he said the funding could be provided in cash or kind.
“When we commence the project the community could decide to provide labour and other activities that we could quantify to the value of the required amount,” he said.
In the area of water, FoN would also provide the community with water kiosk to enable them store water when the taps run-out, this he said would stop the people from using the contaminated water that run through the community.
He said the community contract with regards to the projects had been developed and signed by all stakeholders for implementation.
Mr Mevuta said the community sanitation educational forum would be organised to educate residents on effective and sustainable waste disposal strategies and cleaner environment.
That aside he said there has been a dialogue meetings organized for residents of Ngyeresia and stakeholders for improved drains and relocation of the fecal matter disposal site from Ngyeresia organized.
Ngyeresia, a fishing community in Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Area is faced with serious socio-environmental problems that require immediate attention.
The community is faced with improper disposal of fecal matter in the community, inadequate toilet facilities, poor refuse disposal, and inadequate access to potable water.
Even though the community is located in the heart of the Western Regional Capital, the people had to fetch water from a stream that passes through the community due to the lack of adequate water supply.
Children are seen taking bath along this unhygienic stream and the toilet that serve the community was built in the early 1940s and had developed serous cracks in the walls as well as very bad roof.
The floors of the toilet where those responding to the call of nature would squat had developed serious cracks that are prone to explosion. According to the attendant, there had not been explosion because the floor was solid but described it as an eminent danger.
The attendants said the place was full to capacity and they had to close some of the pits for fecal matter to naturally go down.
This they said had resulted in the people of the community resorting to free-range, thereby, creating an unhealthy situation at the community’s stretch of beach where the some people sit to mend their nets for their fishing expeditions.
One of the serious aspects is that where the fecal matter or excreta spill out is where some women smoke their fish for public consumption.
The refuse disposal in the community is not the best, according to the residents, the communal container in the community with the inscription SAEMA was placed in the community more than a year.
They said the waste management department of the assembly had turned the blind eyes to the container after the dump it there yeas ago.
The container is full and had been half swallowed by the earth with the waste spilling all over. The community continues to dump there and that sometimes they burn or during the rainy season, the running waters sweep into the ocean.
Interestingly, the toilet and the refuse dump apart from been close fish smokers was also near the community school, and during dry season, the wind also sweeps it to the compound of the school.
Takoradi based, NGO, Friends of the Nation, (FoN) had secured some funding to provide the community with toilet to avert any disaster.
According to the Chief Executive of FoN, Mr Donkris Mevuta, the proposed budget for this six months project for the community was $29,825.
He said the counterpart contribution $5,974 and the FoN with the support, Co-operative Housing Foundation (CHF), an American NGO $23,851 to complete the project.
Asked, with the level poverty in the community if the people would be able to raise the counterpart funding to enable them complete the project, he said the funding could be provided in cash or kind.
“When we commence the project the community could decide to provide labour and other activities that we could quantify to the value of the required amount,” he said.
In the area of water, FoN would also provide the community with water kiosk to enable them store water when the taps run-out, this he said would stop the people from using the contaminated water that run through the community.
He said the community contract with regards to the projects had been developed and signed by all stakeholders for implementation.
Mr Mevuta said the community sanitation educational forum would be organised to educate residents on effective and sustainable waste disposal strategies and cleaner environment.
That aside he said there has been a dialogue meetings organized for residents of Ngyeresia and stakeholders for improved drains and relocation of the fecal matter disposal site from Ngyeresia organized.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
HOLD GOVT IN CHECK - PREZ (FRONT PAGE)
Story: Kweku Tsen & Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sefwi
The President Professor John Evans Atta Mills has called on electorates to constantly draw the attention of the government to its weaknesses and shortcomings in the management of the country.
He said “nobody will be assaulted, mistreated or prosecuted for subjecting our policies and programmes to criticism since it is your civic right to comment and issues that affects the administration of the country.”
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Sewfi Ownase today on day two of his tour of Western and Brong-Ahafo regions, President Mills said human beings were prone to mistakes. Therefore, the masses, who elected the government into office must always be permitted to express their opinions about the way the country is been governed.
With the information that the president was passing through to the Sefwi areas, some communities along the road had to stop him to address them before getting to his final destination.
The President stopped in many towns and villages, including Beopso, Ayanfori and others to address groups of people, who had gathered that early welcome the president to the region and to wish him well.
According to Professor Mills, the government would always welcome public criticism in good faith to ensure that its policies and programmes impacted positively on the living conditions of the people.
He said in order to sustain public confidence in government; his administration would always consider the views and opinions of Ghanaians in the formulation of national policies and programmes.
Professor Mills told the gathering that, government would always focus on issues which would unit the country and ensure its forward match.
“We will not behave as political ostriches and remain oblivious of the real and genuine concerns of the broad masses of the people we will do everything possible to ensure that economic relieve came to the people,” he said.
President Mills noted that the country needs peace now more than ever to consolidate the gains of the country’s democratic process which began in 1992.
He explained that, the commitment to chart the path of democracy remained unshakable, stressing that “Democracy has brought recognition and acceptance to Ghana among the community of nations.”
President Mills told the gathering about the adverse economic plight of the country upon his assumption of office and assured the people that government had taken the appropriate steps to reverse the decline of the economy in order to improve the quality of life for the people.
He noted that he government was aware of the high expectation of the people and remarked that everything was being done to ensure that the region and the country as a whole was provided with adequate resources to improve the condition of the people.
The President commended electorates for voting massively for NDC in the last general election and said their efforts would be rewarded by the government through the provision of social and economic infrastructure which would also provide job for the people especially the youth.
The President Professor John Evans Atta Mills has called on electorates to constantly draw the attention of the government to its weaknesses and shortcomings in the management of the country.
He said “nobody will be assaulted, mistreated or prosecuted for subjecting our policies and programmes to criticism since it is your civic right to comment and issues that affects the administration of the country.”
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Sewfi Ownase today on day two of his tour of Western and Brong-Ahafo regions, President Mills said human beings were prone to mistakes. Therefore, the masses, who elected the government into office must always be permitted to express their opinions about the way the country is been governed.
With the information that the president was passing through to the Sefwi areas, some communities along the road had to stop him to address them before getting to his final destination.
The President stopped in many towns and villages, including Beopso, Ayanfori and others to address groups of people, who had gathered that early welcome the president to the region and to wish him well.
According to Professor Mills, the government would always welcome public criticism in good faith to ensure that its policies and programmes impacted positively on the living conditions of the people.
He said in order to sustain public confidence in government; his administration would always consider the views and opinions of Ghanaians in the formulation of national policies and programmes.
Professor Mills told the gathering that, government would always focus on issues which would unit the country and ensure its forward match.
“We will not behave as political ostriches and remain oblivious of the real and genuine concerns of the broad masses of the people we will do everything possible to ensure that economic relieve came to the people,” he said.
President Mills noted that the country needs peace now more than ever to consolidate the gains of the country’s democratic process which began in 1992.
He explained that, the commitment to chart the path of democracy remained unshakable, stressing that “Democracy has brought recognition and acceptance to Ghana among the community of nations.”
President Mills told the gathering about the adverse economic plight of the country upon his assumption of office and assured the people that government had taken the appropriate steps to reverse the decline of the economy in order to improve the quality of life for the people.
He noted that he government was aware of the high expectation of the people and remarked that everything was being done to ensure that the region and the country as a whole was provided with adequate resources to improve the condition of the people.
The President commended electorates for voting massively for NDC in the last general election and said their efforts would be rewarded by the government through the provision of social and economic infrastructure which would also provide job for the people especially the youth.
GOVT WON'T TOLERATE MISUSE OF OIL REVENUE (SPREAD)
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has stated that the government will not tolerate the misappropriation and misapplication of revenue from the oil find at the expense of the people.
He said it would deal ruthlessly with individuals or groups of persons who would use clandestine means to siphon resources from the oil find meant for the overall development of the country for their personal gains.
Speaking at a durbar in Takoradi, President Mills said those who had conceived the idea of embezzling the money accruing from the oil find should be prepared to face the full rigours of the law.
Flanked by the ministers of Health, Roads and Highways, and Chieftaincy Affairs, President Mills assured the gathering that revenue from the oil find would be prudently utilised to improve the quality of life of the people.
“Nobody has monopoly over the oil find to manipulate the system to his individual advantage. It is a blessing from God which should be used to improve the material conditions of the vast majority of the people, as well as resuscitate the economy which is seriously challenged at the moment,” he said.
He explained that the government would liaise with the chiefs in the region for the release of land which would be used for the establishment of industries for the oil find to provide employment for the people, especially the youth.
President Mills expressed the government’s resolve to ensure that the services needed by oil-drilling companies in the area would be provided mostly by Ghanaians.
He directed that the salary arrears of workers of the Ghana Railways Corporation should be paid to them to enable them to take good care of their families.
He also told the gathering that the government was in the process of rehabilitating the rail lines to ensure that timber and other resources from the hinterland were sent to the ports at minimal cost.
President Mills said the present situation where timber logs and other mineral resources were sent to the port by road tended to reduce the lifespan of our roads, compelling the government to find money to rehabilitate them.
For his part, the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Awulae Attibrukusu IV, pledged the support of the chiefs to the government and called on President Mills to set up a special oil fund to address the myriad of problems confronting the region and its people.
He thanked the government for instituting the appropriate framework that would deal with the agitation usually associated with the oil industry.
Awulae Attibrukusu also made a passionate appeal to President Mills to consider providing employment for the youth of the area when the drilling of oil in the area commenced in 2010.
He said the house of chiefs was currently engaged in an educational drive to explain the potential and hazards associated with the oil industry to the people in the area.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, thanked the people for the warm reception accorded the President and gave the assurance that the government would commit massive resources into the development of the region which, he said, was the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy.
He said it would deal ruthlessly with individuals or groups of persons who would use clandestine means to siphon resources from the oil find meant for the overall development of the country for their personal gains.
Speaking at a durbar in Takoradi, President Mills said those who had conceived the idea of embezzling the money accruing from the oil find should be prepared to face the full rigours of the law.
Flanked by the ministers of Health, Roads and Highways, and Chieftaincy Affairs, President Mills assured the gathering that revenue from the oil find would be prudently utilised to improve the quality of life of the people.
“Nobody has monopoly over the oil find to manipulate the system to his individual advantage. It is a blessing from God which should be used to improve the material conditions of the vast majority of the people, as well as resuscitate the economy which is seriously challenged at the moment,” he said.
He explained that the government would liaise with the chiefs in the region for the release of land which would be used for the establishment of industries for the oil find to provide employment for the people, especially the youth.
President Mills expressed the government’s resolve to ensure that the services needed by oil-drilling companies in the area would be provided mostly by Ghanaians.
He directed that the salary arrears of workers of the Ghana Railways Corporation should be paid to them to enable them to take good care of their families.
He also told the gathering that the government was in the process of rehabilitating the rail lines to ensure that timber and other resources from the hinterland were sent to the ports at minimal cost.
President Mills said the present situation where timber logs and other mineral resources were sent to the port by road tended to reduce the lifespan of our roads, compelling the government to find money to rehabilitate them.
For his part, the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Awulae Attibrukusu IV, pledged the support of the chiefs to the government and called on President Mills to set up a special oil fund to address the myriad of problems confronting the region and its people.
He thanked the government for instituting the appropriate framework that would deal with the agitation usually associated with the oil industry.
Awulae Attibrukusu also made a passionate appeal to President Mills to consider providing employment for the youth of the area when the drilling of oil in the area commenced in 2010.
He said the house of chiefs was currently engaged in an educational drive to explain the potential and hazards associated with the oil industry to the people in the area.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, thanked the people for the warm reception accorded the President and gave the assurance that the government would commit massive resources into the development of the region which, he said, was the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy.
FISHERMEN KICK AGAINST REMOVAL OF SUBSIDY (BACK PAGE)
FISHERMEN along the country’s coast have dismissed suggestions that the removal of government subsidy on premix fuel will restore sanity into the fishing industry.
Explaining their position, chief fishermen in the various fishing communities said the problem with premix fuel was not with its distribution, but rather with the small quantity given to fishermen.
They insisted that removing the subsidy on it would rather increase their cost of production and deepen their current frustration.
At the Tema Canoe Beach, fishermen were of the view that removal of the subsidy would shoot up their production cost, which would also lead to higher prices for local fish and make it less competitive against imported fish.
They said instead of the abolition of subsidy on premix fuel, the government should be urged to endeavour to make more of the product available on the market.
Some of the fishermen were of the view that abolishing the subsidy on premix would further undermine the local industry, to the advantage of importers of frozen fish.
The Tema Chief Fisherman, Nii Odametey, in an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, also expressed his disappointment at statements which sought to blame fishermen for the shortage of the product on the market.
Nii Odametey said fishermen at the Tema Canoe Beach had no problem with the constitution of the premix committees put in place to manage distribution of premix to fishermen, but that their problem was with the lack of the product.
He said, for instance, that the Association of Canoe Fishermen in Tema had 300 registered members who were supplied with one tanker a week, out of which each fisherman had less than 10 gallons for a whole week of fishing.
Denying allegations that fishermen were diverting the fuel intended to boost their trade, the chief fisherman said the situation on the ground meant that the issue was not about distribution but rather about inadequate supplies.
A member of the premix committee at Kormantse and Abandze, Nana Kow Gyanye, said the last time they had premix was two months ago, adding that now they had to buy super petrol and mix it with engine oil.
In the Central and Western regions, the fishermen said they spent about GH¢350 on one fishing expedition and that if the subsidy was removed, they would spend about double that amount.
Mr J. E. Afful, one of the chief fishermen, said he spent more than GH¢5,000 on premix per trip but hardly made a good catch.
He said the idea of putting the subsidy on storage might be a good one but it would not serve the interest of fishermen now because of their present financial position.
He said the solution to the problem was to release the premix to the chief fishermen and their teams.
Explaining their position, chief fishermen in the various fishing communities said the problem with premix fuel was not with its distribution, but rather with the small quantity given to fishermen.
They insisted that removing the subsidy on it would rather increase their cost of production and deepen their current frustration.
At the Tema Canoe Beach, fishermen were of the view that removal of the subsidy would shoot up their production cost, which would also lead to higher prices for local fish and make it less competitive against imported fish.
They said instead of the abolition of subsidy on premix fuel, the government should be urged to endeavour to make more of the product available on the market.
Some of the fishermen were of the view that abolishing the subsidy on premix would further undermine the local industry, to the advantage of importers of frozen fish.
The Tema Chief Fisherman, Nii Odametey, in an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, also expressed his disappointment at statements which sought to blame fishermen for the shortage of the product on the market.
Nii Odametey said fishermen at the Tema Canoe Beach had no problem with the constitution of the premix committees put in place to manage distribution of premix to fishermen, but that their problem was with the lack of the product.
He said, for instance, that the Association of Canoe Fishermen in Tema had 300 registered members who were supplied with one tanker a week, out of which each fisherman had less than 10 gallons for a whole week of fishing.
Denying allegations that fishermen were diverting the fuel intended to boost their trade, the chief fisherman said the situation on the ground meant that the issue was not about distribution but rather about inadequate supplies.
A member of the premix committee at Kormantse and Abandze, Nana Kow Gyanye, said the last time they had premix was two months ago, adding that now they had to buy super petrol and mix it with engine oil.
In the Central and Western regions, the fishermen said they spent about GH¢350 on one fishing expedition and that if the subsidy was removed, they would spend about double that amount.
Mr J. E. Afful, one of the chief fishermen, said he spent more than GH¢5,000 on premix per trip but hardly made a good catch.
He said the idea of putting the subsidy on storage might be a good one but it would not serve the interest of fishermen now because of their present financial position.
He said the solution to the problem was to release the premix to the chief fishermen and their teams.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
GOVT SETS UP WESTERN CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (SPREAD)
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills yesterday announced the establishment of the Western Corridor Development Authority (WCDA) to facilitate the accelerated development of the Western and Central regions.
Funding for the project will be provided by the European Union and the World Bank, with a significant proportion also provided by the government of Ghana.
President Mills announced the project when he addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Western Region at the Golden Jubilee Park in Takoradi on the first day of his tour of the Western and Brong Ahafo regions.
The President also announced the formation of a committee to spearhead the rehabilitation of the rail sector and said he had tasked the committee to report back to him within three weeks.
He assured the people of the Western Region that the government would not shirk its responsibility to improve upon their socio-economic and material conditions, explaining that it was duty bound to fulfil the social contract that it entered into with the people to ensure qualitative improvement in their living conditions.
The President is on a tour of the Western and Brong Ahafo regions to inspect development projects and acquaint himself with the socio-economic challenges of the people in those regions.
The visit is also intended for him to interact with the people and express his appreciation to them for the confidence they have reposed in him.
He is also expected to outline the policies the government intends to use to address distortions in the economy and alleviate the sufferings of the people.
President Mills told the crowd that the government would definitely fulfil its electoral promises before the end of its term.
He thanked the people of the region for voting for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He remarked that the endorsement of the NDC by the people implied that “you have confidence in the NDC to deliver you from the economic predicament brought about by the previous government”.
He said being aware of the expectations of the people, the government would not go to sleep but work hard to ensure remarkable transformation in the lives on the people.
President Mills briefed the gathering on the difficult economic situation that the NDC inherited on assumption of office.
He said the economy faced very adverse challenges and so it needed massive overhaul and capital injection to revamp.
He called on the people to exercise patience while the government continued to implement corrective measures to salvage the economy and improve the lot of the people.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, announced that plans were being put in place to rehabilitate and improve the western corridor roads from Elubo through Enchi to Juaboso and others in the region.
Prior to the arrival of the President, the people had gathered at the Jubilee Park and chiefs from far and near were seated in their numbers to welcome him.
It was a difficult situation driving to the Jubilee Park as a massive crowd rushed to welcome the President.
That left the President with no option but to open the top of his vehicle to respond to the cheers. The President’s convoy had to drive at a snail’s pace until it finally arrived at the park for the commencement of the programme.
The Western Regional House of Chiefs, led by its President, Awulae Attibrukusu, and other members of the house, as well as some prominent members of society and the business community, welcomed the President and his entourage.
Funding for the project will be provided by the European Union and the World Bank, with a significant proportion also provided by the government of Ghana.
President Mills announced the project when he addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Western Region at the Golden Jubilee Park in Takoradi on the first day of his tour of the Western and Brong Ahafo regions.
The President also announced the formation of a committee to spearhead the rehabilitation of the rail sector and said he had tasked the committee to report back to him within three weeks.
He assured the people of the Western Region that the government would not shirk its responsibility to improve upon their socio-economic and material conditions, explaining that it was duty bound to fulfil the social contract that it entered into with the people to ensure qualitative improvement in their living conditions.
The President is on a tour of the Western and Brong Ahafo regions to inspect development projects and acquaint himself with the socio-economic challenges of the people in those regions.
The visit is also intended for him to interact with the people and express his appreciation to them for the confidence they have reposed in him.
He is also expected to outline the policies the government intends to use to address distortions in the economy and alleviate the sufferings of the people.
President Mills told the crowd that the government would definitely fulfil its electoral promises before the end of its term.
He thanked the people of the region for voting for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He remarked that the endorsement of the NDC by the people implied that “you have confidence in the NDC to deliver you from the economic predicament brought about by the previous government”.
He said being aware of the expectations of the people, the government would not go to sleep but work hard to ensure remarkable transformation in the lives on the people.
President Mills briefed the gathering on the difficult economic situation that the NDC inherited on assumption of office.
He said the economy faced very adverse challenges and so it needed massive overhaul and capital injection to revamp.
He called on the people to exercise patience while the government continued to implement corrective measures to salvage the economy and improve the lot of the people.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, announced that plans were being put in place to rehabilitate and improve the western corridor roads from Elubo through Enchi to Juaboso and others in the region.
Prior to the arrival of the President, the people had gathered at the Jubilee Park and chiefs from far and near were seated in their numbers to welcome him.
It was a difficult situation driving to the Jubilee Park as a massive crowd rushed to welcome the President.
That left the President with no option but to open the top of his vehicle to respond to the cheers. The President’s convoy had to drive at a snail’s pace until it finally arrived at the park for the commencement of the programme.
The Western Regional House of Chiefs, led by its President, Awulae Attibrukusu, and other members of the house, as well as some prominent members of society and the business community, welcomed the President and his entourage.
GOVT PLEDGES GH¢100m SUPPORT FOR UMaT (PAGE 11)
THE government has pledged a GH¢100 million support for the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to help accelerate infrastructural development in the school.
It has also increased the school’s yearly budget allocation by 85 per cent.
The President, Prof. John Evan Atta-Mills, whose speech was read on his behalf by the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, stated this at the school’s first congregation in Tarkwa. He explained that the GH¢100 million was separate from the GETFund allocation and would be spread over the next five years.
In all, a total of 231 students, graduated in Geomantic, Mining, Geological, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
President Mills assured the university that in the coming years, the government would make other special allocations towards the school’s development through the GETFund.
The development of UMaT, the President said, was dear to the heart of the government.
“We expect that the money would be used to provide infrastructure, lecture halls, laboratories and workshops to fulfil the mandate of the university, which is to provide higher education in mining and petroleum and technology.”
Prof. Mills said with the strategic position of the university in the Western Region for mining and the new oil find, the government had no option than offering the needed support to enable it achieve its aim.
He said he had followed the processes through which the university became what it is today, adding, “From the humble beginning of a technical institute, this university, the sixth public university in the country, is now the one and the only mining university in the West African Sub-region.”
The Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah, thanked the government for the support.
He said the university was getting ready to commence programmes in petroleum engineering next academic year.
This, according to him, was to satisfy the country’s demand for skilled manpower for the emerging oil and gas industry.
He further stated that the school was also determined to start new programmes in civil engineering, wind and solar energy engineering and biomass energy engineering.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah noted that the country was potentially rich, since it was gifted with more natural resources than what had been extracted.
He said aside the exploration of gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, salt, sand and gravel, “We also have iron, casseterite, asbestos, limestone, marbles, andalusite, mica, talc, silica, garnet, felspar, sandstone, beryl columbite, lithium, monazite, copper, kaoline as well as oil and gas, of which we are yet to tap to the country’s advantage.”
The challenge at the moment, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah said, was how to use correct mining and processing methods to mine these minerals in an environmentally friendly manner to minimise environmental damage.
“The direct inference is that if we need to develop our country to become an industrial nation, then we need to develop this university and we need to resource it amply, so that it can carry out its mandate effectively,” he said.
As part of the ceremony, five distinguished personalities were decorated by the university with doctoral degrees in science and for their dedication to the cause of education and national development.
The awardees included Mr Stephen Saforo Yirenkyi of Goldfields Ghana, Hotelier and Strategic Planner; Mr Kofi Sarfo Ababio, Lawyer and Lecturer; Ms Joyce Rosalind Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Mines; Madam Elizabeth Ohene, former Minister of State, and Osagyefo Dr Kwamena Enimil VI, the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area.
Before conferring the honour on them, Prof. Bruce Banoeng-Yakubu said these individuals had played very important roles in the development of education in the country.
On behalf of the awardees, Mr Yirenkyi said they were humbled by the recognition even when they were working just for the good of mankind.
He said all the award winners were taken by surprise, saying, “We were just working for our fellow compatriots and it is interesting that somebody took interest and decided to award us.”
Mr Yirenkyi said the award should inspire the youth, society and corporate Ghana to be dedicated to their line of duty to ensure that the country’s interest was placed first.
He, therefore, thanked the university for the honour done them and pledged their unflinching support to ensure that the university positioned itself as the take-off point of modern-day industrial revolution.
It has also increased the school’s yearly budget allocation by 85 per cent.
The President, Prof. John Evan Atta-Mills, whose speech was read on his behalf by the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, stated this at the school’s first congregation in Tarkwa. He explained that the GH¢100 million was separate from the GETFund allocation and would be spread over the next five years.
In all, a total of 231 students, graduated in Geomantic, Mining, Geological, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
President Mills assured the university that in the coming years, the government would make other special allocations towards the school’s development through the GETFund.
The development of UMaT, the President said, was dear to the heart of the government.
“We expect that the money would be used to provide infrastructure, lecture halls, laboratories and workshops to fulfil the mandate of the university, which is to provide higher education in mining and petroleum and technology.”
Prof. Mills said with the strategic position of the university in the Western Region for mining and the new oil find, the government had no option than offering the needed support to enable it achieve its aim.
He said he had followed the processes through which the university became what it is today, adding, “From the humble beginning of a technical institute, this university, the sixth public university in the country, is now the one and the only mining university in the West African Sub-region.”
The Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah, thanked the government for the support.
He said the university was getting ready to commence programmes in petroleum engineering next academic year.
This, according to him, was to satisfy the country’s demand for skilled manpower for the emerging oil and gas industry.
He further stated that the school was also determined to start new programmes in civil engineering, wind and solar energy engineering and biomass energy engineering.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah noted that the country was potentially rich, since it was gifted with more natural resources than what had been extracted.
He said aside the exploration of gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, salt, sand and gravel, “We also have iron, casseterite, asbestos, limestone, marbles, andalusite, mica, talc, silica, garnet, felspar, sandstone, beryl columbite, lithium, monazite, copper, kaoline as well as oil and gas, of which we are yet to tap to the country’s advantage.”
The challenge at the moment, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah said, was how to use correct mining and processing methods to mine these minerals in an environmentally friendly manner to minimise environmental damage.
“The direct inference is that if we need to develop our country to become an industrial nation, then we need to develop this university and we need to resource it amply, so that it can carry out its mandate effectively,” he said.
As part of the ceremony, five distinguished personalities were decorated by the university with doctoral degrees in science and for their dedication to the cause of education and national development.
The awardees included Mr Stephen Saforo Yirenkyi of Goldfields Ghana, Hotelier and Strategic Planner; Mr Kofi Sarfo Ababio, Lawyer and Lecturer; Ms Joyce Rosalind Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Mines; Madam Elizabeth Ohene, former Minister of State, and Osagyefo Dr Kwamena Enimil VI, the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area.
Before conferring the honour on them, Prof. Bruce Banoeng-Yakubu said these individuals had played very important roles in the development of education in the country.
On behalf of the awardees, Mr Yirenkyi said they were humbled by the recognition even when they were working just for the good of mankind.
He said all the award winners were taken by surprise, saying, “We were just working for our fellow compatriots and it is interesting that somebody took interest and decided to award us.”
Mr Yirenkyi said the award should inspire the youth, society and corporate Ghana to be dedicated to their line of duty to ensure that the country’s interest was placed first.
He, therefore, thanked the university for the honour done them and pledged their unflinching support to ensure that the university positioned itself as the take-off point of modern-day industrial revolution.
GOVT SUPPORTS UMaT
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Tarkwa
The government has pledged GHC 100 million supports for the University of Mines, Tarkwa (UMaT) to help speed infrastructural development at the school.
It has also increased the school’s yearly allocation by 85 per cent.
The President, Prof. John Evan Atta-Mills who made the pledge and announce the increment at the school’s first congregation at Tarkwa explained that the GHC100 million was separate from the GETFund allocations and would be spread over the next five years.
In all a total of 231 students made up of 31 first class, 197 BSc honors and 34 with MPhil and MSc honors in Geomantic, Mining, Geological, Mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering graduated.
He assured the university that in the coming years, the government would make other special allocations towards the school’s development through the GETFund.
The development of the UMaT, the president said was dear to the heart of government.
“We expect that the money would be used to provide infrastructure, lecture halls, laboratories and workshops to fulfill the mandate of the university, which is to provide higher education in mining and petroleum and technology.
Prof Mills said with the strategic position of the university in the Western Region for mining and new oil discovery, government had no option than to offer the needed support to enable it achieve its aim.
He said he had followed the processes by which the university became what it is today adding “From the humble beginning of a technical institute, this university, the sixth public university in the country is now the one and only Mining University in the West African Sub-region.”
He said in 2007, a special allocation was made towards the acquisition of the state of the art laboratory for the school.
“Aside these, separate allocations have been made to towards the training of faculty members of the university over the years totaling GHC489,350,” he said.
President Mills said the move was against the backdrop of an increase from 25 per cent in 2008 to 32 per cent in 2009 from the GETFund allocations for tertiary institutions.
The president congratulated the students and urged them to be good ambassadors of the school saying “I urged you to behave in as efficient engineers and work diligently.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah thanked the government for the support and appealed for support of the university.
The government has pledged GHC 100 million supports for the University of Mines, Tarkwa (UMaT) to help speed infrastructural development at the school.
It has also increased the school’s yearly allocation by 85 per cent.
The President, Prof. John Evan Atta-Mills who made the pledge and announce the increment at the school’s first congregation at Tarkwa explained that the GHC100 million was separate from the GETFund allocations and would be spread over the next five years.
In all a total of 231 students made up of 31 first class, 197 BSc honors and 34 with MPhil and MSc honors in Geomantic, Mining, Geological, Mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering graduated.
He assured the university that in the coming years, the government would make other special allocations towards the school’s development through the GETFund.
The development of the UMaT, the president said was dear to the heart of government.
“We expect that the money would be used to provide infrastructure, lecture halls, laboratories and workshops to fulfill the mandate of the university, which is to provide higher education in mining and petroleum and technology.
Prof Mills said with the strategic position of the university in the Western Region for mining and new oil discovery, government had no option than to offer the needed support to enable it achieve its aim.
He said he had followed the processes by which the university became what it is today adding “From the humble beginning of a technical institute, this university, the sixth public university in the country is now the one and only Mining University in the West African Sub-region.”
He said in 2007, a special allocation was made towards the acquisition of the state of the art laboratory for the school.
“Aside these, separate allocations have been made to towards the training of faculty members of the university over the years totaling GHC489,350,” he said.
President Mills said the move was against the backdrop of an increase from 25 per cent in 2008 to 32 per cent in 2009 from the GETFund allocations for tertiary institutions.
The president congratulated the students and urged them to be good ambassadors of the school saying “I urged you to behave in as efficient engineers and work diligently.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah thanked the government for the support and appealed for support of the university.
WE WILL NOT TOLORATE MISAPPROPRIATION OF OIL REVENUE - PREZ
Story: Kweku Tsen & Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
The President Professor John Evans Atta Mills today said the government would not tolerate the misappropriation and misapplication of revenue from the oil find at the expense of the people.
He explained that the government would deal ruthlessly with individuals or group of persons who would use clandestine means to siphon resources from the oil find which is meant for the overall development of the country.
Speaking at a mammoth durbar at Takoradi, President Mills said those who have conceive the idea of embezzling monies accrued from the oil find should be prepared to face the full rigors of the law.
Flanked by the ministers of health, roads and highways, and chieftaincy, president Mills assured the gathering that revenues from the oil find would be prudently utilized to improve the quality of life for broad masses of the people.
“Nobody has monopoly over the oil find to manipulate the system their individual advantage. It is a blessing from God for which it should be used to improve the material conditions of the vast majority of the people as well as resuscitate the economy which is seriously challenged at the moment,” he said.
He explained that, the government would liaise with chiefs in the region for the release of lands which would be used for the establishment of industries associated with the oil find and which would provide employment for the people especially the youth.
President Mills remarked that government was also resolved to ensure that services needed by companies which would drill oil in the area were mostly provided by Ghanaians.
President Mills also directed that, the salaries arrears of workers of the Ghana Railways Corporation should be paid to enable them to take good care of their families.
He also told the gathering that, the government was in the process of rehabilitating the rail lines to ensure that timber and other resources from the hinterland were sent to ports at minimal cost.
President Mills said the present situation where timber logs and other mineral resources were sent to the port by road tended to reduce the life span of such roads and for which the government had to find money for its rehabilitation.
For his part, the Awulae Attibrukusu IV, the president of the Western Regional House of Chiefs pledged the support of the chiefs to the government and called on President Mills to set up a special oil fund to address the myriad problems confronting the region and its people.
He also touched on the oil find in the region, and thanked the government for instituting the appropriate framework that would deal with agitations usually associated with the oil industry.
Awulae Attibrukusu also made a passionate appeal to President Mills to consider providing employment to the youth of the area when the drilling of oil in the area fully commences in 2010.
He said the house of chiefs was currently engaged in educational drive to explain the potential as well as the hazards associated with the oil industry to the people in the area.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evan Aiddo thanked the people for the warm reception accorded the president and gave the assurance that the government would commit massive resources for the development of the region which he said, was the main stain of the Ghanaian economy.
The President Professor John Evans Atta Mills today said the government would not tolerate the misappropriation and misapplication of revenue from the oil find at the expense of the people.
He explained that the government would deal ruthlessly with individuals or group of persons who would use clandestine means to siphon resources from the oil find which is meant for the overall development of the country.
Speaking at a mammoth durbar at Takoradi, President Mills said those who have conceive the idea of embezzling monies accrued from the oil find should be prepared to face the full rigors of the law.
Flanked by the ministers of health, roads and highways, and chieftaincy, president Mills assured the gathering that revenues from the oil find would be prudently utilized to improve the quality of life for broad masses of the people.
“Nobody has monopoly over the oil find to manipulate the system their individual advantage. It is a blessing from God for which it should be used to improve the material conditions of the vast majority of the people as well as resuscitate the economy which is seriously challenged at the moment,” he said.
He explained that, the government would liaise with chiefs in the region for the release of lands which would be used for the establishment of industries associated with the oil find and which would provide employment for the people especially the youth.
President Mills remarked that government was also resolved to ensure that services needed by companies which would drill oil in the area were mostly provided by Ghanaians.
President Mills also directed that, the salaries arrears of workers of the Ghana Railways Corporation should be paid to enable them to take good care of their families.
He also told the gathering that, the government was in the process of rehabilitating the rail lines to ensure that timber and other resources from the hinterland were sent to ports at minimal cost.
President Mills said the present situation where timber logs and other mineral resources were sent to the port by road tended to reduce the life span of such roads and for which the government had to find money for its rehabilitation.
For his part, the Awulae Attibrukusu IV, the president of the Western Regional House of Chiefs pledged the support of the chiefs to the government and called on President Mills to set up a special oil fund to address the myriad problems confronting the region and its people.
He also touched on the oil find in the region, and thanked the government for instituting the appropriate framework that would deal with agitations usually associated with the oil industry.
Awulae Attibrukusu also made a passionate appeal to President Mills to consider providing employment to the youth of the area when the drilling of oil in the area fully commences in 2010.
He said the house of chiefs was currently engaged in educational drive to explain the potential as well as the hazards associated with the oil industry to the people in the area.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evan Aiddo thanked the people for the warm reception accorded the president and gave the assurance that the government would commit massive resources for the development of the region which he said, was the main stain of the Ghanaian economy.
GOVT SET UP WESTERN CORRIDOR DEV. AUTHORITY
Story: Kweku Tsen & Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills yesterday addressed vast crowd and chiefs and people of the Western Region at the Golden Jubilee Park at Takoradi and Assured that the government will shirk its responsibilities to improve their socio-economic and material conditions.
He explained that the government was duty bound to fulfill the social contract that it had entered into with the people to ensure the qualitative improvement in their living conditions.
President Mills, who is on a two-day tour of the region pointed out that the government, would definitely fulfill its electoral promises before the end of its term.
The visit would afford President Mills the chance to assess at first hand the social and economic plight of the people and also appreciate the problems affecting their well-being.
President Mills was also expected to outline the policies government intended to address distortions in the economy and alleviate the sufferings of the broad masses of the people.
The thanked the people of the Western Region for voting massively for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
President Mills remarked that the massive endorsement of the NDC by the people implied that “you have the confidence in the NDC to deliver you from the economic predicament brought about by previous government.”
He said being aware of the expectation of the people, the government would not go to sleep, but work harder to ensure the remarkable transformation in the lives on the people.
President Mills briefed the vociferous gathering about the difficult economic situation that the NDC inherited upon assumption of political office.
President Mills said the economy faced very adverse challenges which needed massive overhaul and capital injection to revamp it.
He said called on the people to exercise patient while the government continued to implement the corrective measures to salvage the economy and improve the lots of the people.
Prior the arrival of the President, the crowd had gathered at the Jubilee Park and the chiefs from very far and near were seated in their numbers to welcome the president.
It was a difficult situation driving to the Jubilee Park as massive crowd rushing the welcome the President the halted traffic on the routes to the ground.
That left the president with no option than to open the top of his vehicle to respond to crowd. The slim convoy of the president had to drive at a tortoise pace until it finally arrived at the park for the commencement of the programme.
Colorfully, the chiefs from the Western Regional House of Chiefs, led by its president Awulae Attibrukusu and other members of the house as well as other prominent members of the society and business community welcomed the president.
The president went round to exchange pleasantries with the chiefs while those, who made it to the ground gave the police and other security agencies tough time as every one ones to catch a glimpse of the president.
From the Western Regional capital, the President would continue to the nother part of the region then to the Brong Ahafo Region.
The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills yesterday addressed vast crowd and chiefs and people of the Western Region at the Golden Jubilee Park at Takoradi and Assured that the government will shirk its responsibilities to improve their socio-economic and material conditions.
He explained that the government was duty bound to fulfill the social contract that it had entered into with the people to ensure the qualitative improvement in their living conditions.
President Mills, who is on a two-day tour of the region pointed out that the government, would definitely fulfill its electoral promises before the end of its term.
The visit would afford President Mills the chance to assess at first hand the social and economic plight of the people and also appreciate the problems affecting their well-being.
President Mills was also expected to outline the policies government intended to address distortions in the economy and alleviate the sufferings of the broad masses of the people.
The thanked the people of the Western Region for voting massively for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
President Mills remarked that the massive endorsement of the NDC by the people implied that “you have the confidence in the NDC to deliver you from the economic predicament brought about by previous government.”
He said being aware of the expectation of the people, the government would not go to sleep, but work harder to ensure the remarkable transformation in the lives on the people.
President Mills briefed the vociferous gathering about the difficult economic situation that the NDC inherited upon assumption of political office.
President Mills said the economy faced very adverse challenges which needed massive overhaul and capital injection to revamp it.
He said called on the people to exercise patient while the government continued to implement the corrective measures to salvage the economy and improve the lots of the people.
Prior the arrival of the President, the crowd had gathered at the Jubilee Park and the chiefs from very far and near were seated in their numbers to welcome the president.
It was a difficult situation driving to the Jubilee Park as massive crowd rushing the welcome the President the halted traffic on the routes to the ground.
That left the president with no option than to open the top of his vehicle to respond to crowd. The slim convoy of the president had to drive at a tortoise pace until it finally arrived at the park for the commencement of the programme.
Colorfully, the chiefs from the Western Regional House of Chiefs, led by its president Awulae Attibrukusu and other members of the house as well as other prominent members of the society and business community welcomed the president.
The president went round to exchange pleasantries with the chiefs while those, who made it to the ground gave the police and other security agencies tough time as every one ones to catch a glimpse of the president.
From the Western Regional capital, the President would continue to the nother part of the region then to the Brong Ahafo Region.
Monday, July 27, 2009
LATEX FOAM OPENS SHOWROOM IN TAKORADI (BACK PAGE)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
The General Manager of Latex Foam, Mr Salim Nahlous has stressed the need for manufacturers to get closer to consumers of their products across the country.
He said the contemporary consumer had become sophisticated and endlessly seeking the value for every cedi spent saying “that has always been the focus of Latex Foam, not to only seek what the company would derived from consumers, but how to ensure that they are satisfied as well as honouring our corporate social responsibilities.”
The company had also donated some of its products to the Military medical center of the Second Battalion of Infantry (2BN) at Apremudo.
Speaking at the launch of their showroom in Takoradi, Mr Nahlous said from its humble beginning in 1969 the company had grown to become one of the strong forces in West African Sub-region with factories in Accra , Kumasi , Niger and Burkina Faso .
He said there was not doubt that there was a constant demand for its products due to the time and resources invested in it to ensure that the final output met customer satisfaction and to help reduce unemployment.
The general manager said with the establishment of showroom in the region was to ensure that customers of the company had access to its products and at will and to ensure that they stepped out of the showroom content.
He recalled that about two years ago the company had suffered a major blow when fire gutted its Accra factory, “But where others would have succumbed to defeat, Latex Foam surged forward by introducing new range of products in the face of great adversity.”
Mr Nahlous said the company was ware of the income levels and had taking into consideration various segments of society before pricing and would ensure that the products were affordable to all.
“We have put in place measures to ensure that the poor and rich, the actual and potential buyer, students, workers, woodworkers, fishermen and all other segments of society,” he said.
The General Manager of Latex Foam, Mr Salim Nahlous has stressed the need for manufacturers to get closer to consumers of their products across the country.
He said the contemporary consumer had become sophisticated and endlessly seeking the value for every cedi spent saying “that has always been the focus of Latex Foam, not to only seek what the company would derived from consumers, but how to ensure that they are satisfied as well as honouring our corporate social responsibilities.”
The company had also donated some of its products to the Military medical center of the Second Battalion of Infantry (2BN) at Apremudo.
Speaking at the launch of their showroom in Takoradi, Mr Nahlous said from its humble beginning in 1969 the company had grown to become one of the strong forces in West African Sub-region with factories in Accra , Kumasi , Niger and Burkina Faso .
He said there was not doubt that there was a constant demand for its products due to the time and resources invested in it to ensure that the final output met customer satisfaction and to help reduce unemployment.
The general manager said with the establishment of showroom in the region was to ensure that customers of the company had access to its products and at will and to ensure that they stepped out of the showroom content.
He recalled that about two years ago the company had suffered a major blow when fire gutted its Accra factory, “But where others would have succumbed to defeat, Latex Foam surged forward by introducing new range of products in the face of great adversity.”
Mr Nahlous said the company was ware of the income levels and had taking into consideration various segments of society before pricing and would ensure that the products were affordable to all.
“We have put in place measures to ensure that the poor and rich, the actual and potential buyer, students, workers, woodworkers, fishermen and all other segments of society,” he said.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
BOMPEH SHS STUDENTS SPEAK ON FLOODS IN TAKORADI (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, JULY 22, PAGE 15)
I believe the way forward in dealing with the flood situation in the country is for waste management and good environmental practices to be taught in our schools, especially at the basic level.
This is because children are normally those who carry waste to the disposal sites. What I have realised is that sometimes when they go there and the refuse container is full, they just dump the refuse anywhere and go away.
But I believe if children are taught the negative effects of dumping refuse anywhere at all, they will not do that.
I have also realised that our attitude is one of the major causes of floods in the country. This is because we do not do the right things. For instance, we do not consult the Town and Country Planning Department before we put up buildings. It is about time people accepted that floods can be prevented if we all learn to do the right things.
It hurts me a lot when I hear people ask the government to construct more drainage systems. This is because the very people who ask for these are those who have turned our gutters into waste bins just because they do not want to pay any money for dumping refuse at designated dumping sites.
Because of their behaviour, many students have had their homes flooded during the rains, thereby affecting their academic work.
My school, Bompeh Senior High School, for instance, got flooded during the recent rains and we are now working hard to make up for the days lost.
Floods are natural disasters but in our case we caused them because we have turned our gutters into waste bins.
The recent rains have taught us some painful lessons which I hope we will not forget even when the rains stop. The rains should provide us the opportunity to change our negative attitudes.
During the recent downpour in the Takoradi Metropolis, I saw how dangerous floods could be. Many houses in the metropolis got flooded and properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis were destroyed.
In our school, for instance, by the time the rains stopped, it had left a heap of rubbish on the compound which disrupted academic work for days.
I believe this could have been prevented if we had not thrown waste materials into gutters. Sometimes we think throwing only one empty sachet or a piece of paper into the gutter will not cause any harm, forgetting that if everybody drops one plastic bag into the gutter, it will build up with time.
So each individual should act responsibly to ensure that we do not create more problems for ourselves. We should also ensure good environmental practices and not leave everything to Zoomlion and other waste management companies.
We cannot continue to count our losses during every rainy season. As citizens, we all have a role to play in ensuring that we do not experience floods again. Students of this school have started by ensuring that our compound is always kept clean.
Dust bins have also been provided to ensure that students do not litter the compound. I believe that with these measures being put in place, even if in future there is any flood here, its impact will be minimal.
I hope we also give government agencies, such as the Town and Country Planning Department, the free hand to enable them do their work well.
This is because children are normally those who carry waste to the disposal sites. What I have realised is that sometimes when they go there and the refuse container is full, they just dump the refuse anywhere and go away.
But I believe if children are taught the negative effects of dumping refuse anywhere at all, they will not do that.
I have also realised that our attitude is one of the major causes of floods in the country. This is because we do not do the right things. For instance, we do not consult the Town and Country Planning Department before we put up buildings. It is about time people accepted that floods can be prevented if we all learn to do the right things.
It hurts me a lot when I hear people ask the government to construct more drainage systems. This is because the very people who ask for these are those who have turned our gutters into waste bins just because they do not want to pay any money for dumping refuse at designated dumping sites.
Because of their behaviour, many students have had their homes flooded during the rains, thereby affecting their academic work.
My school, Bompeh Senior High School, for instance, got flooded during the recent rains and we are now working hard to make up for the days lost.
Floods are natural disasters but in our case we caused them because we have turned our gutters into waste bins.
The recent rains have taught us some painful lessons which I hope we will not forget even when the rains stop. The rains should provide us the opportunity to change our negative attitudes.
During the recent downpour in the Takoradi Metropolis, I saw how dangerous floods could be. Many houses in the metropolis got flooded and properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis were destroyed.
In our school, for instance, by the time the rains stopped, it had left a heap of rubbish on the compound which disrupted academic work for days.
I believe this could have been prevented if we had not thrown waste materials into gutters. Sometimes we think throwing only one empty sachet or a piece of paper into the gutter will not cause any harm, forgetting that if everybody drops one plastic bag into the gutter, it will build up with time.
So each individual should act responsibly to ensure that we do not create more problems for ourselves. We should also ensure good environmental practices and not leave everything to Zoomlion and other waste management companies.
We cannot continue to count our losses during every rainy season. As citizens, we all have a role to play in ensuring that we do not experience floods again. Students of this school have started by ensuring that our compound is always kept clean.
Dust bins have also been provided to ensure that students do not litter the compound. I believe that with these measures being put in place, even if in future there is any flood here, its impact will be minimal.
I hope we also give government agencies, such as the Town and Country Planning Department, the free hand to enable them do their work well.
COMPUTERISATION OF RURAL BANKS ON TRACK (PAGE 33)
THE ARB Apex Bank has assured rural and community banks that, its computerisation programme is on track and that the process will commence before the end of this month.
The Managing Director of Apex Bank, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, who gave the assurance urged rural banks to consider mergers so as to cut down the cost of the excercise.
The managing director hinted that the programme was being undertaken with the assistance from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).
He said the financial outlay was huge and it was against this background that rural banks were being urged to consider the possibility of mergers instead of each bank trying to survive on its own.
He said under the project, all rural banks would be expected to log into a central database system which would be hosted at the Apex Bank Head Office in Accra through a wide-area-network.
He, therefore, urged rural banks to strengthen their internal controls to ensure that their operations were carried out in an orderly manner and were consistent with best practices in the banking industry.
Mr Osei-Bonsu also charged boards and management of rural banks to also put necessary structures in place to identify and mitigate the incidence of risk which may adversely affect the achievement of their bank’s objectives.
He said with more than 60 per cent of the country’s population living in rural areas, there was the need for the rural and community banks to take stock of their achievements and chart a new way forward for further improvement.
The managing director said with the discovery of oil in the Western Region, more businessese were likely to spring up there and therefore called on rural and community banks to position themselves well to take advantage of the upsurge of various business that would arise in the area.
The Managing Director of Apex Bank, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, who gave the assurance urged rural banks to consider mergers so as to cut down the cost of the excercise.
The managing director hinted that the programme was being undertaken with the assistance from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).
He said the financial outlay was huge and it was against this background that rural banks were being urged to consider the possibility of mergers instead of each bank trying to survive on its own.
He said under the project, all rural banks would be expected to log into a central database system which would be hosted at the Apex Bank Head Office in Accra through a wide-area-network.
He, therefore, urged rural banks to strengthen their internal controls to ensure that their operations were carried out in an orderly manner and were consistent with best practices in the banking industry.
Mr Osei-Bonsu also charged boards and management of rural banks to also put necessary structures in place to identify and mitigate the incidence of risk which may adversely affect the achievement of their bank’s objectives.
He said with more than 60 per cent of the country’s population living in rural areas, there was the need for the rural and community banks to take stock of their achievements and chart a new way forward for further improvement.
The managing director said with the discovery of oil in the Western Region, more businessese were likely to spring up there and therefore called on rural and community banks to position themselves well to take advantage of the upsurge of various business that would arise in the area.
CONTRACTORS WHO FAIL TO DELIVER TO REFUND MONIES (BACK PAGE)
CONTRACTORS in various parts of the Western Region who have collected mobilisation fees but have failed to perform may face prosecution if they do not refund the money.
Some of the contractors are said to have collected more than GH¢500,000 as mobilisation fees, only for them to abandon government projects such as classroom blocks, dormitories, assembly halls and roads across the region.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, who sounded the caution, said those contractors would soon be referred to the Attorney-General’s Department for appropriate action.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Sekondi, the regional minister said contractors, who were on the job and whose performances had not been encouraging, would also have their contracts terminated.
He said it was sad that money meant for the improvement of social infrastructure rather found its way into the hands of people entrusted to deliver, but who woefully failed to perform, thereby worsening the plight of their compatriots.
He also condemned the mode of awarding contracts, pointing out that at a point in time, a six-kilometre stretch of road was awarded to more than three contractors.
Mr Aidoo said after bidding and winning contracts, most contractors left the region to undertake different projects in other parts of the country.
He said for the total transformation of the region to materialise, infrastructural development, including road network should be of great concern to all.
He asked members of the RCC to be conversant with ongoing projects and insisted that the right things were done.
He said the RCC, in consultation with stakeholders, had formulated a blueprint for the development of the region.
The meeting was attended by metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, as well as the various heads of departments in the region.
Some of the contractors are said to have collected more than GH¢500,000 as mobilisation fees, only for them to abandon government projects such as classroom blocks, dormitories, assembly halls and roads across the region.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, who sounded the caution, said those contractors would soon be referred to the Attorney-General’s Department for appropriate action.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Sekondi, the regional minister said contractors, who were on the job and whose performances had not been encouraging, would also have their contracts terminated.
He said it was sad that money meant for the improvement of social infrastructure rather found its way into the hands of people entrusted to deliver, but who woefully failed to perform, thereby worsening the plight of their compatriots.
He also condemned the mode of awarding contracts, pointing out that at a point in time, a six-kilometre stretch of road was awarded to more than three contractors.
Mr Aidoo said after bidding and winning contracts, most contractors left the region to undertake different projects in other parts of the country.
He said for the total transformation of the region to materialise, infrastructural development, including road network should be of great concern to all.
He asked members of the RCC to be conversant with ongoing projects and insisted that the right things were done.
He said the RCC, in consultation with stakeholders, had formulated a blueprint for the development of the region.
The meeting was attended by metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, as well as the various heads of departments in the region.
Monday, July 20, 2009
MAN STRANGLES SON TO DEATH (PAGE 35, MIRROR)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A farmer, James Kofi Mensah, has been arrested by the Bibiani police for allegedly strangling his one-and-half-year-old son at Basinkele, a village near Bibiani in the northern part of the Western Region.
Mensah was said to have strangled his son under the influence of a locally brewed gin (akpeteshi), last Saturday, July 11, 2009, at a time when most residents were glued to their television sets watching activities of the visit of the American President and his wife while others were on their farms.
The suspect, Kofi Mensah, is said to be temperamental and usually engages his wife in fights.
Last Saturday, in one of his fits of anger, Mensah was said to have taken advantage of his wife’s absence and strangled their son who he later dumped at a ticket near his house.
Mensah was apprehended when the police traced the blood vomited by the little boy from around the ticket, where he was dumped to his room where the strangulation took place.
The body of the little boy has since been deposited at the Bibiani Government Hospital for autopsy.
According to the police, Mensah had a misunderstanding with his wife, the mother of the child, as a result of which the woman relocated to another house, a few metres from her matrimonial home.
This was to avert further confrontations between them, but Mensah went for the child and strangled him.
The police said Mensah who could not explain why he did that was seen by some members of the community in the late afternoon with the child.
According to the police, Mensah’s wife returned from the farm in the evening and was looking for the child but to no avail. This prompted her to rush to the chief’s palace to make a report and gong gong was beaten to announce the disappearance of the child.
On hearing the sound of the gong gong, Mensah dragged the dead child to a nearby ticket and dumped his body there in the night.
A search party was organised early the following morning, which was a Sunday.
The search party was said to have combed every part of the town and later moved to the house of Mensah where traces of blood from the dead child were found near his house.
The elders of the town immediately informed the police who arrested him.
The Bibiani District Police are currently continuing with their investigations.
A farmer, James Kofi Mensah, has been arrested by the Bibiani police for allegedly strangling his one-and-half-year-old son at Basinkele, a village near Bibiani in the northern part of the Western Region.
Mensah was said to have strangled his son under the influence of a locally brewed gin (akpeteshi), last Saturday, July 11, 2009, at a time when most residents were glued to their television sets watching activities of the visit of the American President and his wife while others were on their farms.
The suspect, Kofi Mensah, is said to be temperamental and usually engages his wife in fights.
Last Saturday, in one of his fits of anger, Mensah was said to have taken advantage of his wife’s absence and strangled their son who he later dumped at a ticket near his house.
Mensah was apprehended when the police traced the blood vomited by the little boy from around the ticket, where he was dumped to his room where the strangulation took place.
The body of the little boy has since been deposited at the Bibiani Government Hospital for autopsy.
According to the police, Mensah had a misunderstanding with his wife, the mother of the child, as a result of which the woman relocated to another house, a few metres from her matrimonial home.
This was to avert further confrontations between them, but Mensah went for the child and strangled him.
The police said Mensah who could not explain why he did that was seen by some members of the community in the late afternoon with the child.
According to the police, Mensah’s wife returned from the farm in the evening and was looking for the child but to no avail. This prompted her to rush to the chief’s palace to make a report and gong gong was beaten to announce the disappearance of the child.
On hearing the sound of the gong gong, Mensah dragged the dead child to a nearby ticket and dumped his body there in the night.
A search party was organised early the following morning, which was a Sunday.
The search party was said to have combed every part of the town and later moved to the house of Mensah where traces of blood from the dead child were found near his house.
The elders of the town immediately informed the police who arrested him.
The Bibiani District Police are currently continuing with their investigations.
WR FISHERMEN CONCERNED ABOUT PRE-MIX FUEL SHORTAGE (PAGE 22, JULY 18)
FISHERMEN in the Western Region, especially those using canoes, are complaining bitterly about the shortage of pre-mix fuel in the area.
According to them, they had to struggle with vehicles at various fuel stations for diesel and petrol to be able to embark on their fishing expedition.
When the Daily Graphic visited the shores, the pre-mix storage facilities were empty and officials were nowhere to be found as they could not stand the persistent questions from the fishermen who wanted to know when they would be getting their supply.
At the Albert Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour at Sekondi and other harbours in various parts of the region, the fishermen said they had not been supplied with pre-mix fuel since the beginning of the fishing season.
According to theme, even though the pre-mix fuel was subsidised, fixing the price of a gallon at GH¢2.50, the fuel stations in the region were selling it at GH¢5 and even at that exorbitant price, they had to struggle before getting some to buy.
One of the fisherman, Opanyin Francis Simon, said as a result of the problem, only few people went fishing.
He said at the moment, the position of the moon required that they mended their nets in a day or two, which was normal with their trade.
The fishermen at Shama, Abuesi, Cape Three Points, Axim and those in the Jomoro District have appealed to the government to ensure that a special allocation of pre-mix fuel is given to them, adding that the commodity should be evenly distributed.
Another fisherman, Opanyin Twie Egya, stressed the need for canoe fishermen to be given attention to ensure that the seasonal gains did not elude them.
On the issue of pair trawling, the fishermen said with the support of the Ghana Navy, the trawlers had moved a little farther.
According to them, they had to struggle with vehicles at various fuel stations for diesel and petrol to be able to embark on their fishing expedition.
When the Daily Graphic visited the shores, the pre-mix storage facilities were empty and officials were nowhere to be found as they could not stand the persistent questions from the fishermen who wanted to know when they would be getting their supply.
At the Albert Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour at Sekondi and other harbours in various parts of the region, the fishermen said they had not been supplied with pre-mix fuel since the beginning of the fishing season.
According to theme, even though the pre-mix fuel was subsidised, fixing the price of a gallon at GH¢2.50, the fuel stations in the region were selling it at GH¢5 and even at that exorbitant price, they had to struggle before getting some to buy.
One of the fisherman, Opanyin Francis Simon, said as a result of the problem, only few people went fishing.
He said at the moment, the position of the moon required that they mended their nets in a day or two, which was normal with their trade.
The fishermen at Shama, Abuesi, Cape Three Points, Axim and those in the Jomoro District have appealed to the government to ensure that a special allocation of pre-mix fuel is given to them, adding that the commodity should be evenly distributed.
Another fisherman, Opanyin Twie Egya, stressed the need for canoe fishermen to be given attention to ensure that the seasonal gains did not elude them.
On the issue of pair trawling, the fishermen said with the support of the Ghana Navy, the trawlers had moved a little farther.
SEKONDI-TAKORADI TO SUPPORT DEPT OF SOCIAL WELFARE (PAGE 29, JULY 17)
The Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly has given the assurance that it will support its Department of Social Welfare to discharge its duties effectively and efficiently.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kobina Praa Annan, who gave the assurance, said for the Women and Children’s Ministry to function effectively, there was the need to resource the Social Welfare Department which had a traditional role in helping to reform and shape society.
The MCE, who was speaking at the graduation ceremony for caregivers from various care homes in the metropolis, urged the caregivers to ensure that children were given sound foundations to build on.
He said the assembly was considering the possibility of putting up a good structure for the training of women from the various care homes and other areas of the economy.
Mr Annan said it was a one thing putting up a beautiful structure and admitting children and another thing taking care of the needs of the caregivers.
“The teachers or the caregivers at these facilities are just like parents, and so their basic needs should be well catered for, so that they can also have the patience to give the needed attention to our children,” he said.
The Deputy Director of Child Rights Promotion, Mrs Joanna Mensah, urged parents not to force their children to speak English and relegate their mother tongues to the background.
She said it was sad that some children could not express themselves in their mother tongues because their parents spoke only English with them.
“English is one medium of communication, but please don’t force it on the children. At the right time, they will pick the language themselves,” she said.
She said the Department of Social Welfare had contributed a lot to the country’s development, and needed to be given the needed attention.
“It is the department that first organised boxing and beauty pageants in the country,” she said.
Mrs Mensah said the department was established in the early 1940s and tasked to cater for social problems such as growing juvenile delinquency in urban centres, due to the absence of fathers, acute housing problems, agitation and other issues.
She thanked the assembly for the proposed support and said when completed, the new building for the training of women would go a long way to ensure effective skills development to meet emerging challenges.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kobina Praa Annan, who gave the assurance, said for the Women and Children’s Ministry to function effectively, there was the need to resource the Social Welfare Department which had a traditional role in helping to reform and shape society.
The MCE, who was speaking at the graduation ceremony for caregivers from various care homes in the metropolis, urged the caregivers to ensure that children were given sound foundations to build on.
He said the assembly was considering the possibility of putting up a good structure for the training of women from the various care homes and other areas of the economy.
Mr Annan said it was a one thing putting up a beautiful structure and admitting children and another thing taking care of the needs of the caregivers.
“The teachers or the caregivers at these facilities are just like parents, and so their basic needs should be well catered for, so that they can also have the patience to give the needed attention to our children,” he said.
The Deputy Director of Child Rights Promotion, Mrs Joanna Mensah, urged parents not to force their children to speak English and relegate their mother tongues to the background.
She said it was sad that some children could not express themselves in their mother tongues because their parents spoke only English with them.
“English is one medium of communication, but please don’t force it on the children. At the right time, they will pick the language themselves,” she said.
She said the Department of Social Welfare had contributed a lot to the country’s development, and needed to be given the needed attention.
“It is the department that first organised boxing and beauty pageants in the country,” she said.
Mrs Mensah said the department was established in the early 1940s and tasked to cater for social problems such as growing juvenile delinquency in urban centres, due to the absence of fathers, acute housing problems, agitation and other issues.
She thanked the assembly for the proposed support and said when completed, the new building for the training of women would go a long way to ensure effective skills development to meet emerging challenges.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
AWAY WITH ACTS THAT THWART DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 15)
District heads of departments, agencies, assembly members and members of Parliament have been urged to do away with acts that might thwart development efforts.
The District Chief Executive for Jomoro in the Western Region, Mr Victor Nyanyin Kabla, said the focus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was to develop and make life better for the people and called on all to support the government.
He said it would be wrong if issues of development were relegated to the background.
Mr Kabla, who was speaking at the special General Assembly Meeting at Half-Assini, said it was important “we work as a team to justify the confidence the people reposed in us”.
He said the district was resourced and it was about time that they did everything possible to ensure that the potential of the area was harnessed to the advantage of the people.
“I have taken office as chief executive, but I would be relying on your cooperation and understanding through teamwork to ensure that the people do not lose confidence in us,” he said.
“We have to be innovative and exhibit a high sense of discipline in the performance of our duties to facilitate the delivery of government’s mission and also the business of the district assembly,” he said.
The DCE assured the department of his support and urged the staff to know that the assembly stood the chance of developing faster if they worked as a team.
The Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, expressed her gratitude to the presiding member, the chief executive and the entire management of the assembly for their support.
She said through teamwork, both the district administration and the Member of Parliament would achieve a lot to better the lives of the people in the area who she described as well endowed.
“The said agenda as we all pursue, was to seek the general good of our people. The challenges confronting us are obvious and are staring at us for answers, therefore we must unite for the good of our people,” she said.
“The people of the district are looking for the answers for the poor school infrastructure, poor health facilities and road networks to sanitation, water and environment,” she said.
The MP said the issues of unemployment, and others were daunting saying “we must remember that, it is against this back-drop that we have chosen among ourselves to represent the interest of our people to bring relieved to our problems.”
She said she had no doubt that with the assemblage of all in the assembly, the task ahead would be easy to surmount.
The District Chief Executive for Jomoro in the Western Region, Mr Victor Nyanyin Kabla, said the focus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was to develop and make life better for the people and called on all to support the government.
He said it would be wrong if issues of development were relegated to the background.
Mr Kabla, who was speaking at the special General Assembly Meeting at Half-Assini, said it was important “we work as a team to justify the confidence the people reposed in us”.
He said the district was resourced and it was about time that they did everything possible to ensure that the potential of the area was harnessed to the advantage of the people.
“I have taken office as chief executive, but I would be relying on your cooperation and understanding through teamwork to ensure that the people do not lose confidence in us,” he said.
“We have to be innovative and exhibit a high sense of discipline in the performance of our duties to facilitate the delivery of government’s mission and also the business of the district assembly,” he said.
The DCE assured the department of his support and urged the staff to know that the assembly stood the chance of developing faster if they worked as a team.
The Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, expressed her gratitude to the presiding member, the chief executive and the entire management of the assembly for their support.
She said through teamwork, both the district administration and the Member of Parliament would achieve a lot to better the lives of the people in the area who she described as well endowed.
“The said agenda as we all pursue, was to seek the general good of our people. The challenges confronting us are obvious and are staring at us for answers, therefore we must unite for the good of our people,” she said.
“The people of the district are looking for the answers for the poor school infrastructure, poor health facilities and road networks to sanitation, water and environment,” she said.
The MP said the issues of unemployment, and others were daunting saying “we must remember that, it is against this back-drop that we have chosen among ourselves to represent the interest of our people to bring relieved to our problems.”
She said she had no doubt that with the assemblage of all in the assembly, the task ahead would be easy to surmount.
TWIN-CITY GETS ITS SHARE OF FLOODS (PAGE 29)
The rainy season is here and as usual the Western Regional capital of Sekondi/Takoradi is experiencing its share.
However, the resultant stagnant waters continue to flood streets and pedestrians walking on the pavements along the streets are splashed with water when vehicles move speedily on the streets.
Weeds have also overgrown and need to be cleared but are left by the relevant institutions tasked to undertake such projects.
This is due to the slow recession of stagnant water due to the blockage of channels created purposely to carry the stagnant water to bigger drains.
The blockage of these channels was as a result of inability of the of Urban Roads Department of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to carry out its routine maintenance work.
On various busy streets in the metropolis, there have been various openings to channel rain water to the gutters.
After the end of the last rainy reason, when the Daily Graphic drew the department’s attention to that it was quickly taken care of and the authorities promised that such maintenance work was going to form part of their periodic activities.
It was the expectation of this paper that, before the rains, this would have been taken care of but the department has forgotten about it.
Information available indicate that the department is not ready for any major work this year because their budget for this year has not been approved.
According to officials of the metro urban roads, periodic maintenance of roads in the metropolis, patching of pot holes, clearing choked openings to ensure free flow of rain water to bigger drains and others was supposed to be taken care of by the department.
The source said because the budget had not been approved they would not be in a position to carry out works such as patching of potholes, clearing the streets corners of weed and other minor activities.
At the moment the side of the streets from Fijai Junction, STMA road, and other parts of the metropolis are overgrown with weeds.
That aside, the sand which gathers at the street corners find their way into the gutters, thereby blocking the free flow of liquid waste through these channels.
On some major streets, there are serious potholes. The Fijai road has countless ones at either side and the same could be said of other roads through Anaji.There is also a huge one in front of the Nana Boah Fuel Station near the offices of the regional administration.
However, the resultant stagnant waters continue to flood streets and pedestrians walking on the pavements along the streets are splashed with water when vehicles move speedily on the streets.
Weeds have also overgrown and need to be cleared but are left by the relevant institutions tasked to undertake such projects.
This is due to the slow recession of stagnant water due to the blockage of channels created purposely to carry the stagnant water to bigger drains.
The blockage of these channels was as a result of inability of the of Urban Roads Department of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to carry out its routine maintenance work.
On various busy streets in the metropolis, there have been various openings to channel rain water to the gutters.
After the end of the last rainy reason, when the Daily Graphic drew the department’s attention to that it was quickly taken care of and the authorities promised that such maintenance work was going to form part of their periodic activities.
It was the expectation of this paper that, before the rains, this would have been taken care of but the department has forgotten about it.
Information available indicate that the department is not ready for any major work this year because their budget for this year has not been approved.
According to officials of the metro urban roads, periodic maintenance of roads in the metropolis, patching of pot holes, clearing choked openings to ensure free flow of rain water to bigger drains and others was supposed to be taken care of by the department.
The source said because the budget had not been approved they would not be in a position to carry out works such as patching of potholes, clearing the streets corners of weed and other minor activities.
At the moment the side of the streets from Fijai Junction, STMA road, and other parts of the metropolis are overgrown with weeds.
That aside, the sand which gathers at the street corners find their way into the gutters, thereby blocking the free flow of liquid waste through these channels.
On some major streets, there are serious potholes. The Fijai road has countless ones at either side and the same could be said of other roads through Anaji.There is also a huge one in front of the Nana Boah Fuel Station near the offices of the regional administration.
CONCERTED EFFORTS NEEDED TO CURB ACCIDENTS (PAGE 29)
The Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers Council, Mr Kofi Mbiah, has called for concerted efforts at curbing the high rate of accidents on the country’s roads.
He said it was sad and inexplicable that the country lost more than 1,800 productive and skilful humans through road accidents in a year, with corresponding cargo loss averaging $165 million.
Speaking at the Road Cargo Transport Education Forum in Takoradi, Mr Mbiah said the present haulage system must give way to a well-organised system.
He explained that the organised system should enable haulers to build a strong financial capital for owners to retool, modernise their fleet and re-engineer their operations.
The forum was to educate drivers on the importance of adhering to the required axle load allowed on the country’s roads and its socio-economic importance to the nation and transporters/haulers.
The chief executive said the high rate of loss of lives and cargo through road accidents was unacceptable and needed to be curbed by attitudinal change and firm adherence to the required loads.
He said the time had come for those in the industry to take a good stand and ensure that the current sorry state of the haulage industry was reversed.
“Our neighbours within the West African sub-region are taking measures to check overloading on their roads,” he said.
He, therefore, urged transporters/haulers to be mindful of those developments by respecting the axle load limits currently being enforced on the country’s highways.
Mr Mbiah said the role of road cargo transport in the distributive trade of the economy could not be overemphasised.
“It is the main mode of transport for imports and exports through our ports,” he said.
For that reason, he said, it was imperative that road transport was given a high level of attention to promote an efficient operational chain.
He stressed the need for efficiency in the logistics chain which was dependent on its functioning as a seamless web.
Mr Mbiah said any break in the chain caused disastrous and catastrophic consequences to human lives and cargo on board, the owner of the vehicle, the cargo owner and its associated linkages that the transport sector created.
He said it was appropriate for the shippers council and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to decide to use education as the key to ensure adherence to safety issues.
The forum was attended by major players in the industry, such as the National Road Safety Commission, the police, etc.
He said it was sad and inexplicable that the country lost more than 1,800 productive and skilful humans through road accidents in a year, with corresponding cargo loss averaging $165 million.
Speaking at the Road Cargo Transport Education Forum in Takoradi, Mr Mbiah said the present haulage system must give way to a well-organised system.
He explained that the organised system should enable haulers to build a strong financial capital for owners to retool, modernise their fleet and re-engineer their operations.
The forum was to educate drivers on the importance of adhering to the required axle load allowed on the country’s roads and its socio-economic importance to the nation and transporters/haulers.
The chief executive said the high rate of loss of lives and cargo through road accidents was unacceptable and needed to be curbed by attitudinal change and firm adherence to the required loads.
He said the time had come for those in the industry to take a good stand and ensure that the current sorry state of the haulage industry was reversed.
“Our neighbours within the West African sub-region are taking measures to check overloading on their roads,” he said.
He, therefore, urged transporters/haulers to be mindful of those developments by respecting the axle load limits currently being enforced on the country’s highways.
Mr Mbiah said the role of road cargo transport in the distributive trade of the economy could not be overemphasised.
“It is the main mode of transport for imports and exports through our ports,” he said.
For that reason, he said, it was imperative that road transport was given a high level of attention to promote an efficient operational chain.
He stressed the need for efficiency in the logistics chain which was dependent on its functioning as a seamless web.
Mr Mbiah said any break in the chain caused disastrous and catastrophic consequences to human lives and cargo on board, the owner of the vehicle, the cargo owner and its associated linkages that the transport sector created.
He said it was appropriate for the shippers council and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to decide to use education as the key to ensure adherence to safety issues.
The forum was attended by major players in the industry, such as the National Road Safety Commission, the police, etc.
COMPUTERISATION OF RURAL BANKS BEGINS (PAGE 28)
The Association of Rural Banks (ARB) Apex Bank has assured rural and community banks that the long- awaited computerisation under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) will commence before the end of July.
The Managing Director of the Apex Bank, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, who gave the assurance, urged rural banks to consider merging their operations in order to cut down cost of the computerisation.
He said but for the support of the MCA, it would have been more difficult to undertake the project.
“It is in the light of this challenge and the financial outlays involved in these innovations that we deem it prudent for rural banks to consider the possibility of mergers, instead of each bank trying to survive on its own,” he said.
He said under the project, all rural banks would be expected to log on to a central database system which would be hosted at the Apex Bank Head Office in Accra through a wide-area network.
Mr Osei-Bonsu urged rural banks to strengthen their internal controls to ensure that their operations were carried out in an orderly manner and consistent with the best practices in the banking industry.
He also charged the boards and management of the rural banks to put the necessary structures in place to identify and mitigate the incidence of risk which might adversely affect attainment of their objectives.
He said with more than 60 per cent of the country’s population living in the areas, there was the need for the rural and community banks to take stock of their achievements and chart the new way forward for further improvement.
The managing director said with the discovery of oil in the region, business would boom, adding that if the banks positioned themselves well, it would be to their advantage.
He said with the computerisation programme, e-zwich, which was being managed by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GhIPSS), was a convenient and secure way of accessing and making payment.
“Therefore, it is our hope that all rural and community banks will be open to this electronic payment and settlement system with the biometrics verification process that allows card holders to deposit, withdraw, receive salaries, make payments, check balances, as well as make third party payments,” he said.
He said the current manual system of clearing cheques would be replaced with a cheque codeline clearing (CCC) system which was an electronic-based clearing system.
Mr Osei-Bonsu said under the manual system of clearing cheques, all representatives of banks met at a point to physically exchange cheques on a daily basis.
“Under the CCC, cheques will be scanned and images transmitted electronically to the clearing house with a clearing cycle of two days,” he said.
The managing director said within a short time, the two-day cycle would give way to same-day clearing and all clearing zones in the country would be merged into one for effective and efficient service delivery.
He said under the same computerisation system, the automated clearing house would be used to handle bulk electronic credit and debit items without images where instructions from an organisation’s funds and salaries could be transferred to its employees.
The Managing Director of the Apex Bank, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, who gave the assurance, urged rural banks to consider merging their operations in order to cut down cost of the computerisation.
He said but for the support of the MCA, it would have been more difficult to undertake the project.
“It is in the light of this challenge and the financial outlays involved in these innovations that we deem it prudent for rural banks to consider the possibility of mergers, instead of each bank trying to survive on its own,” he said.
He said under the project, all rural banks would be expected to log on to a central database system which would be hosted at the Apex Bank Head Office in Accra through a wide-area network.
Mr Osei-Bonsu urged rural banks to strengthen their internal controls to ensure that their operations were carried out in an orderly manner and consistent with the best practices in the banking industry.
He also charged the boards and management of the rural banks to put the necessary structures in place to identify and mitigate the incidence of risk which might adversely affect attainment of their objectives.
He said with more than 60 per cent of the country’s population living in the areas, there was the need for the rural and community banks to take stock of their achievements and chart the new way forward for further improvement.
The managing director said with the discovery of oil in the region, business would boom, adding that if the banks positioned themselves well, it would be to their advantage.
He said with the computerisation programme, e-zwich, which was being managed by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GhIPSS), was a convenient and secure way of accessing and making payment.
“Therefore, it is our hope that all rural and community banks will be open to this electronic payment and settlement system with the biometrics verification process that allows card holders to deposit, withdraw, receive salaries, make payments, check balances, as well as make third party payments,” he said.
He said the current manual system of clearing cheques would be replaced with a cheque codeline clearing (CCC) system which was an electronic-based clearing system.
Mr Osei-Bonsu said under the manual system of clearing cheques, all representatives of banks met at a point to physically exchange cheques on a daily basis.
“Under the CCC, cheques will be scanned and images transmitted electronically to the clearing house with a clearing cycle of two days,” he said.
The managing director said within a short time, the two-day cycle would give way to same-day clearing and all clearing zones in the country would be merged into one for effective and efficient service delivery.
He said under the same computerisation system, the automated clearing house would be used to handle bulk electronic credit and debit items without images where instructions from an organisation’s funds and salaries could be transferred to its employees.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BLIND WOMAN IN BED WITH CORPSE (MIRROR, PAGE 29)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A blind old woman in a village near Sefwi-Asawinso in the Sefwi-Wiawso District of the Western Region was made to spend the night with a corpse when suspected murderers killed and dumped the body of a man in her bedroom.
The woman had no idea that she had been in the room with a corpse all night until she had some visitors later in the day who saw the body and drew her attention to it. And when she was told that she had spent the night with a corpse, she nearly collapsed.
According to the police, the deceased, Kofi Fofie, was likely to have been murdered elsewhere and put in the old, visually impaired woman’s room.
Her relatives, who had gone to visit her, found blood stains on her door frame.
The police said the blind woman, who did not know about her new “roommate”, had been going in and out of her room until her relatives drew her attention to the body in the room.
The woman, Madam Ama Mensah, told the police that she did not know that she had been living in her room with a corpse until visitors came into her compound.
She said the visitors had conversed with her and when they were about to leave, one of them asked her why there was blood on the door frame and parts of the entrance to the room.
To satisfy their curiosity and ensure that Madam Mensah was safe, the visitors followed the traces, only to discover the horror of a body lying supine on the floor of her room.
They then shouted for help. They also suspected that the deceased, a native of Sefwi-Asawinso, had been killed in the night and deposited in the room.
The police then proceeded to the scene and upon careful examination realised that there were bruises and some marks of assault and blood stains on the neck of the deceased. The face also seemed to wear a frown.
The Western Regional Police Crime Unit confirmed the story and called for public support to arrest the perpetrators. It said investigations were currently ongoing.
Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been removed and deposited at the Asafo Catholic Hospital for autopsy.
A blind old woman in a village near Sefwi-Asawinso in the Sefwi-Wiawso District of the Western Region was made to spend the night with a corpse when suspected murderers killed and dumped the body of a man in her bedroom.
The woman had no idea that she had been in the room with a corpse all night until she had some visitors later in the day who saw the body and drew her attention to it. And when she was told that she had spent the night with a corpse, she nearly collapsed.
According to the police, the deceased, Kofi Fofie, was likely to have been murdered elsewhere and put in the old, visually impaired woman’s room.
Her relatives, who had gone to visit her, found blood stains on her door frame.
The police said the blind woman, who did not know about her new “roommate”, had been going in and out of her room until her relatives drew her attention to the body in the room.
The woman, Madam Ama Mensah, told the police that she did not know that she had been living in her room with a corpse until visitors came into her compound.
She said the visitors had conversed with her and when they were about to leave, one of them asked her why there was blood on the door frame and parts of the entrance to the room.
To satisfy their curiosity and ensure that Madam Mensah was safe, the visitors followed the traces, only to discover the horror of a body lying supine on the floor of her room.
They then shouted for help. They also suspected that the deceased, a native of Sefwi-Asawinso, had been killed in the night and deposited in the room.
The police then proceeded to the scene and upon careful examination realised that there were bruises and some marks of assault and blood stains on the neck of the deceased. The face also seemed to wear a frown.
The Western Regional Police Crime Unit confirmed the story and called for public support to arrest the perpetrators. It said investigations were currently ongoing.
Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been removed and deposited at the Asafo Catholic Hospital for autopsy.
CRIME RATE WORSENS IN PARTS OF WESTERN REGION (MIRROR, PAGE 29)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Axim
Murder, robbery and illegal drug (wee) trafficking continue to rock the peace in certain parts of the Western Region.
The victims are usually either beheaded or inflicted with deep machete wounds, a development that is making it difficult for residents in these areas to move about when darkness falls.
While the police at various checkpoints have intercepted substances suspected to be Indian hemp concealed in compartments of vehicles, there have been more than five murder cases in less than two months.
At Enchi, a man was beheaded; in the Jomoro area, a man slaughtered his sister after accusing her of witchcraft; at Sefwi Asawinso, a man was killed and his body dumped in a thicket, while in the vicinities of Mpohor, a man who was responding to the call of nature was mistaken for a game and shot dead by a hunter.
The latest was a taxi driver who was killed and dumped at Axim with several machete wounds. His taxicab and perpetrators have not yet been found.
The deceased, Kwame Narteh, believed to be about 35, was found dead in a bush near Axim with fresh machete wounds.
The police are yet to uncover the mystery surrounding his death but told The Mirror that the victim was found dead in a bush along the coasts of Axim.
The police said the incident was reported by a group of people led by the assembly member for the area.
The police said Narteh’s body had several deep machete wounds especially on the head.
The source continued that, just when they were about to convey the body to the morgue after the examination, a mobile phone in the pocket of the deceased rang.
“When we picked the call, we heard a voice of a woman who claimed she was the wife of the deceased and that Narteh left for work the night of June 29, 2009 and did not return,” the police said.
According to the wife, she lived together with the deceased at Assakai in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis and that he was the driver of a yellow and ash taxicab, with registration number GE 8446 V.
The police are currently looking for the whereabouts of the taxi and assailants. When contacted, the Axim District Police Commander, ASP Ohene Gyan, confirmed the story and called for public support to apprehend the suspects.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital for autopsy.
In the face of these murder and robbery cases however, the police have given the assurance that they are in control of the situation and doing everything possible to ensure that peace prevails.
Murder, robbery and illegal drug (wee) trafficking continue to rock the peace in certain parts of the Western Region.
The victims are usually either beheaded or inflicted with deep machete wounds, a development that is making it difficult for residents in these areas to move about when darkness falls.
While the police at various checkpoints have intercepted substances suspected to be Indian hemp concealed in compartments of vehicles, there have been more than five murder cases in less than two months.
At Enchi, a man was beheaded; in the Jomoro area, a man slaughtered his sister after accusing her of witchcraft; at Sefwi Asawinso, a man was killed and his body dumped in a thicket, while in the vicinities of Mpohor, a man who was responding to the call of nature was mistaken for a game and shot dead by a hunter.
The latest was a taxi driver who was killed and dumped at Axim with several machete wounds. His taxicab and perpetrators have not yet been found.
The deceased, Kwame Narteh, believed to be about 35, was found dead in a bush near Axim with fresh machete wounds.
The police are yet to uncover the mystery surrounding his death but told The Mirror that the victim was found dead in a bush along the coasts of Axim.
The police said the incident was reported by a group of people led by the assembly member for the area.
The police said Narteh’s body had several deep machete wounds especially on the head.
The source continued that, just when they were about to convey the body to the morgue after the examination, a mobile phone in the pocket of the deceased rang.
“When we picked the call, we heard a voice of a woman who claimed she was the wife of the deceased and that Narteh left for work the night of June 29, 2009 and did not return,” the police said.
According to the wife, she lived together with the deceased at Assakai in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis and that he was the driver of a yellow and ash taxicab, with registration number GE 8446 V.
The police are currently looking for the whereabouts of the taxi and assailants. When contacted, the Axim District Police Commander, ASP Ohene Gyan, confirmed the story and called for public support to apprehend the suspects.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital for autopsy.
In the face of these murder and robbery cases however, the police have given the assurance that they are in control of the situation and doing everything possible to ensure that peace prevails.
ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI SUPPORTS 8 COMMUNITIES (PAGE 23)
ANGLOGOLD-Ashanti (Eduapriem mines) has donated farm inputs worth GH¢40,000 to more than 2,700 farmers in eight communities in its operational area in the Western Region.
The gesture formed part of the company’s efforts to introduce the communities to alternative means of livelihood.
The items included 7,500 improved oil palm seedlings, vegetable and maize seedlings, fertilisers, wellington boots, wheat bran, high pressure knapsack spraying machines, weedicides, pesticides, watering cans and a quantity of machetes.
According to the Managing Director of the company, Mr David Kwesi Renner, the company had since its inception in 2004, invested more than $2 million in its alternative livelihood programme called “Hand-in-hand”.
He said many people had benefited directly from the programme and this had positively affected about 500 households in the communities.
The managing director said the focus of the company was to create and share with their host communities to ensure that life was left better than they it was.
Mr Renner said education continued to be the focus of the company.
He said when the project started, the company engaged the expertise of a non-governmental organisation, but “at the moment, we are collaborating with a government agency, that is, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to ensure that the farmers derived the maximum benefit”.
“So far MoFA has been assisting to improve farming methods and has introduced high yielding maize seeds for about 90 community farmers,” he said.
On the benefits of those interventions, Mr Renner said if the processes were followed with the help of MoFA officials, income to those 90 farmers should rake in about GH¢27,000 into their local economy within a short period.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Tarkwa, Mrs Christina Kobina, urged the farmers who had benefited from the company’s programme to impart the knowledge acquired to other people in the community.
The gesture formed part of the company’s efforts to introduce the communities to alternative means of livelihood.
The items included 7,500 improved oil palm seedlings, vegetable and maize seedlings, fertilisers, wellington boots, wheat bran, high pressure knapsack spraying machines, weedicides, pesticides, watering cans and a quantity of machetes.
According to the Managing Director of the company, Mr David Kwesi Renner, the company had since its inception in 2004, invested more than $2 million in its alternative livelihood programme called “Hand-in-hand”.
He said many people had benefited directly from the programme and this had positively affected about 500 households in the communities.
The managing director said the focus of the company was to create and share with their host communities to ensure that life was left better than they it was.
Mr Renner said education continued to be the focus of the company.
He said when the project started, the company engaged the expertise of a non-governmental organisation, but “at the moment, we are collaborating with a government agency, that is, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to ensure that the farmers derived the maximum benefit”.
“So far MoFA has been assisting to improve farming methods and has introduced high yielding maize seeds for about 90 community farmers,” he said.
On the benefits of those interventions, Mr Renner said if the processes were followed with the help of MoFA officials, income to those 90 farmers should rake in about GH¢27,000 into their local economy within a short period.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Tarkwa, Mrs Christina Kobina, urged the farmers who had benefited from the company’s programme to impart the knowledge acquired to other people in the community.
Monday, July 13, 2009
RAINS CAUSE MORE HAVOC IN ACCRA, TDI (1C)
HEAVY rains yesterday caused massive floods in parts of Accra and displaced hundreds of people in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis where property running into thousands of Ghana Cedis were also destroyed.
In Accra, a Rapid Response Team comprising personnel of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) moved to the western part of the city to rescue victims from the floods.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NADMO, Major Nicholas Mensah (retd), commenting on the situation in the flood-prone areas during the downpour, attributed the situation to the activities of residents who had defied warnings from NADMO to relocate.
“Those residents who have on a number of occasions been advised to leave for their own safety continue to stay only to call on NADMO for support when their houses get flooded,” he said.
He said all attempts to convince the residents in low-lying areas to find alternative abode to save themselves from drowning and protect their valuables had so far fallen on deaf ears and reiterated that they better listen to advise because the rains had not as yet ended.
“Until we have been able to work on the drains, we will continue to experience flooding so it is better if those living in flood-prone areas relocate before they are faced with serious problems,” he added.
He said NADMO had erected tents at Mataheko and Sakaman and expressed the hope that those closer to the tents would make use of them to protect themselves from floods.
To help prevent any outbreak of diseases in the flooded areas, Major Mensah said the Disease and Epidemic Committee of NADMO, which is made up health professionals, had visited the affected areas to access the situation and offer advice accordingly.
He also said that quite a number of relief items had been distributed to the victims and said the items included mattresses, blankets, second hand clothing and food items.
Areas such as Kaneshie, Mataheko, Atico, Sakaman, Bubuashie, Sukura, Dansoman-Agege, Abossey Okai and surrounding areas which got flooded last week and claimed at least seven lives once again experienced the floods which made residents call on NADMO for assistance.
The organisation, in some instances had to use water pumping machines to pump out water from homes of people after the rains especially in and around Sakaman.
In the Sekondi/Takoradi area, residents of Nkotompo, Kansawurodu, Assakei, Windo, Apremudu and Kokompe, all in the metropolis kept wake due to the non-stop rains which started at about 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The rains also halted economic and school activities for hours as some basic and second cycle institutions remained closed after the rain subsided late Monday afternoon.
At the time of going to the press at about 3:30 p.m. it continued to drizzle and the weather remained much clouded.
The flood, according to the engineers, was due to the location of buildings on the water ways and if the rains did not stop it could cause more havoc.
At a low land area at Nkontopo near the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, residents said they were tired of scooping flood waters water out of their houses because the running water from the higher parts of the metropolis continued to settle in the community.
At the Kansawurodu and I-Adu Metal roads, shops and other residential facilities were not spared. Victims said they did not anticipate such volume of water to flood their shops and homes since the weather was normal last Sunday.
As at the time the Daily Graphic news team got to some of the affected areas, some people were still trapped in their houses.
According to the officials of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly engineering department, the root of the problem was the indiscriminate siting of buildings at unapproved places.
The assembly expressed shock at the location of some of the building and wondered how the owners got the approval or managed to complete their houses in such a short time.
At Assekai, those affected were seen wading through the mud to salvage the remaining items from their rooms.
The residents are calling food and other forms of support to help them survive until they got back on their feet.
In Accra, a Rapid Response Team comprising personnel of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) moved to the western part of the city to rescue victims from the floods.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NADMO, Major Nicholas Mensah (retd), commenting on the situation in the flood-prone areas during the downpour, attributed the situation to the activities of residents who had defied warnings from NADMO to relocate.
“Those residents who have on a number of occasions been advised to leave for their own safety continue to stay only to call on NADMO for support when their houses get flooded,” he said.
He said all attempts to convince the residents in low-lying areas to find alternative abode to save themselves from drowning and protect their valuables had so far fallen on deaf ears and reiterated that they better listen to advise because the rains had not as yet ended.
“Until we have been able to work on the drains, we will continue to experience flooding so it is better if those living in flood-prone areas relocate before they are faced with serious problems,” he added.
He said NADMO had erected tents at Mataheko and Sakaman and expressed the hope that those closer to the tents would make use of them to protect themselves from floods.
To help prevent any outbreak of diseases in the flooded areas, Major Mensah said the Disease and Epidemic Committee of NADMO, which is made up health professionals, had visited the affected areas to access the situation and offer advice accordingly.
He also said that quite a number of relief items had been distributed to the victims and said the items included mattresses, blankets, second hand clothing and food items.
Areas such as Kaneshie, Mataheko, Atico, Sakaman, Bubuashie, Sukura, Dansoman-Agege, Abossey Okai and surrounding areas which got flooded last week and claimed at least seven lives once again experienced the floods which made residents call on NADMO for assistance.
The organisation, in some instances had to use water pumping machines to pump out water from homes of people after the rains especially in and around Sakaman.
In the Sekondi/Takoradi area, residents of Nkotompo, Kansawurodu, Assakei, Windo, Apremudu and Kokompe, all in the metropolis kept wake due to the non-stop rains which started at about 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The rains also halted economic and school activities for hours as some basic and second cycle institutions remained closed after the rain subsided late Monday afternoon.
At the time of going to the press at about 3:30 p.m. it continued to drizzle and the weather remained much clouded.
The flood, according to the engineers, was due to the location of buildings on the water ways and if the rains did not stop it could cause more havoc.
At a low land area at Nkontopo near the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, residents said they were tired of scooping flood waters water out of their houses because the running water from the higher parts of the metropolis continued to settle in the community.
At the Kansawurodu and I-Adu Metal roads, shops and other residential facilities were not spared. Victims said they did not anticipate such volume of water to flood their shops and homes since the weather was normal last Sunday.
As at the time the Daily Graphic news team got to some of the affected areas, some people were still trapped in their houses.
According to the officials of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly engineering department, the root of the problem was the indiscriminate siting of buildings at unapproved places.
The assembly expressed shock at the location of some of the building and wondered how the owners got the approval or managed to complete their houses in such a short time.
At Assekai, those affected were seen wading through the mud to salvage the remaining items from their rooms.
The residents are calling food and other forms of support to help them survive until they got back on their feet.
MURDER CASES SURGE IN W/R (MIRROR)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Axim
Murder is continuously, robbery and unlawful drugs (wee) trafficking continue to rock the peace at certain parts of the Western Region especially in the town and villages.
The victims were either beheaded or inflicted with deep machete wounds on their body.
These developments are making it difficult for residents in these areas to move about when darkness falls for the fear of not knowing who the next victim would be.
In less than two months, the Mirror can recall that there had been more than five murder cases, at Enchi a man was beheaded, in Jomoro areas, a man also slaughtered his sister after accusing her of witchcraft, at Sefwi Asawinso, a man killed and dumped, Mpohor areas, a man who was responding to the call of nature was mistaken for a game and shot dead by a hunter.
The police at various check points have also uncovered some parcels and wrappers of wee concealed in compartments of vehicles.
The latest was a taxi driver killed and dumped at the Axim with several cutlass wounds. His taxi cab and perpetrators could not be found.
The deceased, Kwame Narteh, believes to be about the age 35, married with children was found dead in a bush near Axim with fresh machete wounds.
The police are yet to uncover the mystery surrounding his death and told The Mirror that victim was found dead in a bush along the coasts of Axim.
The police said the incident was reported by a group of people led by the Assembly member for the area.
The police said at the crime scene there were several deep machete wounds on the head and the body of the victim.
The source continued that, just when there were about to convey the body to the morgue after the examination, a mobile phone in the pocket of the deceased rang.
“When we picked the call, we heard a voice of a woman who claimed she is the wife of the deceased and that he left for work the night on June 29, 2009 and did not return,” the police said.
The deceased according to the wife live with her at Assakai in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis and that he was the driver of Yellow and Ash taxi cab with the registration number GE8446 V.
The police are currently looking for the whereabouts of the taxi and assailants. When contacted, the Axim District Police Commander, ASP Ohene Gyan confirmed the story and called for public support to apprehend the suspects.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital for autopsy.
In the face of this murder and robbery cases, police had given the assurance that they were in control of the situation and were doing everything possible to ensure that murder made extremely less attractive to the liked minded people.
Murder is continuously, robbery and unlawful drugs (wee) trafficking continue to rock the peace at certain parts of the Western Region especially in the town and villages.
The victims were either beheaded or inflicted with deep machete wounds on their body.
These developments are making it difficult for residents in these areas to move about when darkness falls for the fear of not knowing who the next victim would be.
In less than two months, the Mirror can recall that there had been more than five murder cases, at Enchi a man was beheaded, in Jomoro areas, a man also slaughtered his sister after accusing her of witchcraft, at Sefwi Asawinso, a man killed and dumped, Mpohor areas, a man who was responding to the call of nature was mistaken for a game and shot dead by a hunter.
The police at various check points have also uncovered some parcels and wrappers of wee concealed in compartments of vehicles.
The latest was a taxi driver killed and dumped at the Axim with several cutlass wounds. His taxi cab and perpetrators could not be found.
The deceased, Kwame Narteh, believes to be about the age 35, married with children was found dead in a bush near Axim with fresh machete wounds.
The police are yet to uncover the mystery surrounding his death and told The Mirror that victim was found dead in a bush along the coasts of Axim.
The police said the incident was reported by a group of people led by the Assembly member for the area.
The police said at the crime scene there were several deep machete wounds on the head and the body of the victim.
The source continued that, just when there were about to convey the body to the morgue after the examination, a mobile phone in the pocket of the deceased rang.
“When we picked the call, we heard a voice of a woman who claimed she is the wife of the deceased and that he left for work the night on June 29, 2009 and did not return,” the police said.
The deceased according to the wife live with her at Assakai in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis and that he was the driver of Yellow and Ash taxi cab with the registration number GE8446 V.
The police are currently looking for the whereabouts of the taxi and assailants. When contacted, the Axim District Police Commander, ASP Ohene Gyan confirmed the story and called for public support to apprehend the suspects.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital for autopsy.
In the face of this murder and robbery cases, police had given the assurance that they were in control of the situation and were doing everything possible to ensure that murder made extremely less attractive to the liked minded people.
BLIND WOMAN IN BED WITH DEAD BODY (THE MIRROR)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A blind old woman in a village at Sefwi-Asawinso in the Sefwi-Wiawso District of the Western Region, who had her hut turned into a mortuary by murderers nearly collapse after the discovery of dead body in her bedroom by her visitors.
The dead body was deposited in the hut of the blind old woman, who had no idea that she had been in the room with a corpse all night until she had visitors later in the day to inform her.
According to the police, the deceased, one Kofi Fofie was murdered was likely to have been murdered elsewhere and then deposited in the room of the old visually-impede woman.
Her relatives, who visited her found blood-stain on her door frame. The police said the blind woman who did not know about her new “roommate” had been going in and out of her hut.
The woman, Madam Ama Mensah, told the police that she did not know that she had been living in her room with a dead body until visitors came to her compound.
She said the visitors had tête-à -tête with her and when they were about parting, one of them asked why the blood on the door frame and the clay in front of her entrance.
To satisfy their curiosity and to ensure that Madam Mensah was alright and safe, the visitors followed the traces only to discover the horror of a dead body lying in a supine position on the floor of her room.
The visitors them shouted for help and realized that the deceased Kofi Foffie a native of the areas was killed and in the night deposited in the room of the poor blind woman.
The police then proceeded to the scene and upon careful examination realized that, there were bruises and some marks of assault and blood stain on the neck of the deceased with so much pain on the face.
The police regional crime unit confirmed the story and called for public support to arrest the offenders. Investigations are currently on going.
The body of the deceased had been removed and deposited at the Asafo Catholic Hospital for autopsy. While the police continued with their investigations.
A blind old woman in a village at Sefwi-Asawinso in the Sefwi-Wiawso District of the Western Region, who had her hut turned into a mortuary by murderers nearly collapse after the discovery of dead body in her bedroom by her visitors.
The dead body was deposited in the hut of the blind old woman, who had no idea that she had been in the room with a corpse all night until she had visitors later in the day to inform her.
According to the police, the deceased, one Kofi Fofie was murdered was likely to have been murdered elsewhere and then deposited in the room of the old visually-impede woman.
Her relatives, who visited her found blood-stain on her door frame. The police said the blind woman who did not know about her new “roommate” had been going in and out of her hut.
The woman, Madam Ama Mensah, told the police that she did not know that she had been living in her room with a dead body until visitors came to her compound.
She said the visitors had tête-à -tête with her and when they were about parting, one of them asked why the blood on the door frame and the clay in front of her entrance.
To satisfy their curiosity and to ensure that Madam Mensah was alright and safe, the visitors followed the traces only to discover the horror of a dead body lying in a supine position on the floor of her room.
The visitors them shouted for help and realized that the deceased Kofi Foffie a native of the areas was killed and in the night deposited in the room of the poor blind woman.
The police then proceeded to the scene and upon careful examination realized that, there were bruises and some marks of assault and blood stain on the neck of the deceased with so much pain on the face.
The police regional crime unit confirmed the story and called for public support to arrest the offenders. Investigations are currently on going.
The body of the deceased had been removed and deposited at the Asafo Catholic Hospital for autopsy. While the police continued with their investigations.
13 COMMUNITIES TRAPPED BY FLOOD
Picture & Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Nzema Akropong
Hundreds of people have been trapped in two communities in the Ellembele District of the Western Region due to the rising level of flood waters as a result of continuous rains which started last Sunday.
Roads to the communities especially Nzema-Akropong are cut off, and more than 120 housing units have collapsed in 13 other communities and properties, farm produce, livestock worth thousands of Ghana Cedi has been lost.
At Nzema Akropong and Adubrim, the towns have completely submerged as the level of the water soared to the roof and the people have relocated to school blocks on higher grounds while academic work had been put on hold.
Other affected areas include Essiama, Nkroful, Teleku Bokazo, Anwiah, Asaasetre, Aiyinase-Nyamekyere, Bakantu, Sanzuley Kamgbinli, Awiebo, Nvuma and Salman.
The Ghana Air Force had succeeded in air-lifting food and other relieves items to the people of Akropong, while the Ghana Navy and the Field Engineering Regiment of the Ghana Army, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and Police are on the ground.
According to NADMO, about four trucks load of relieve items have been dispatched to the affected communities and would be evenly distributed to the affected people.
The roads to the affected areas which are mainly feeder roads had been taken over by high current flood waters; therefore, vehicular moments are currently restricted.
At the moment, the people in these areas are struggling with reptiles and other domestic animals and games for survival.
The right of entry to Akropong, Adubrim, and other communities which are in the middle of the forest surrounded by the flood could only be done by air.
Even though the weather was still bad, the Air Force, Captain Appiah Adjei and his co-pilot managed to airlifted the Daily Graphic news team round the areas to have a first hand information.
There is still heavy flow of flood water from the hilly parts of the affected areas which gives the indication that inhabitants should move to safer ground.
The danger at the moment is that, many houses still risk collapsing as the foundations of the rest have been rendered weak.
The threatening part of the situation is that, streams and rivers within these areas are also overflowing into the communities.
At the moment, the many of the villages such as Asaretre and Akropong cannot be reached with assistance even though the water have partially gone down.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the District Chief Executive Mr Daniel K. Eshun said the people in these areas seriously needed nothing more than attention.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said they would do everything possible to ensure that the people are safe.
He said at the moment, officers from the Field Engineering Regiment, Ghana Navy, NADMO and Ghana Police service are collaborating to ensure that people are safe.
The MP, who is also the Deputy Minister of Energy called on the people to remain calm and stay on the higher grounds until help get to them.
RAINS CAUSE MORE HAVOC IN ACCRA, T'DI (FRONT PAGE)
Pictures & Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Continues rains in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis have displaced hundreds of people and destroyed properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedi.
Residents of Nkotompo, Kansawurodu, Assakei, Windo, Apremudu and Kokompe all in the metropolis kept wake due to the non-stop rains which started at about 10pm on Sunday.
The rain also halted economic and school activities for hours as some basic and some second cycle institutions remained closed after the rain subsided late Monday afternoon.
At the time of going to the press at about 3:30pm it continued to drizzle and the weather remained much clouded.
The flood according to the engineers was due to the location of buildings on the water ways and if the rains did not stop it could cause more havoc.
At a low land area at Nkontopo near the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, residents said they were tired of scooping the water out of their houses as the flows from the higher parts of the metropolis continue to settle in the community.
At the Kansawurodu and I-Adu Metal roads, shops and other residential facilities were not spared as victims said they did not anticipate such volume of water to flood their shops and homes since the weather was normal last Sunday and that they did not show any sign of rain.
As at the time the Daily Graphic news team got to some of the affected areas, some people were still trapped in their houses.
According to the officials of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly engineering department, the root of the problem was the indiscriminate sitting of buildings at unapproved places.
The assembly expressed shock at the location of some of the building and wondered how the owners got the approval or managed to complete their houses in such a short time.
At Assekai, the affected were seen wading through the mud to salvage the remaining items in their rooms.
The residents are calling food and other forms of support to help them survive until they get back on their feet.
ANGLOGOLD SUPPORT COMMUNITY
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Eduapriem
AgloGold-Ashanti, Eduapriem mines have presented farm inputs worth GHC40, 000 to more than 2,700 farmers in eight communities in its operational areas in the Western Region.
The move formed part of their quest to introduce the communities to alternative means of deriving incomes and to help the beneficiaries to improve on their produce such as oil palm, vegetables and animal husbandry projects and fish farming.
The items presented included 7,500 improved oil palm seedlings, vegetable and maize seedlings, fertilizers, Wellington boots, wheat bran, high pressure knapsack spraying machines, weedicides, pesticides, watering cans and hundreds of machetes.
According to the Managing Director of the company, Mr David Kwesi Renner, at present, the company had invested more than $2 million in its alternative livelihood programme called Hand-In-Hand since its inception in 2004.
He said under the programme many people have benefited directly from the programme and had rippled positively on about 500 households in the communities.
The managing director said the focus of the company was to create and share with their host communities to ensure that life was left better than the way they came to meet it.
To foster good socio-corporate-economic relationship with the people of its catchment areas, he said Anglo-Gold Ashanti had been in constant touch with the people to think through the social problems and formulate solutions together.
Mr Renner said education continue to be their focus which led to the improvement in the MD’-Scholarship and to also motivate teachers by the creation of better environment for both pupils and teachers to triumph.
He said in the area of palm fruit, the company had introduce farmers under that aspect of the programme to value addition, which had caught up well with communities such as Adieyie and Teberebie after the provision of processing plant for the communities.
The managing director said, when the project started, they engaged the expertise of a non-governmental organisation, but “at the moment we are collaborating with government agency such as Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) with the expertise to ensure that the farmers derived the maximum benefit.”
“So far MOFA has been assisting to improve farming methods and has introduce high yielding seed maize for about 90 community farmers,” he said.
On the benefits of these interventions, Mr Renner said, it was expected that if the processes were followed with the help of MOFA officials, income to these 90 farmers should rake in about GHC27, 000 into their local economy within a short period.
The way forward for the company and the community was to ensure that fish farming, micro-credit was upgraded and also the focuses on value addition of other farm produce and increase youth apprenticeship.
The Tarkwa Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Christina urged those had benefited from the company’s programme to impact positively on their communities.
She said micro-credit under the project, those who had contracted such monies should ensure that, they paid for others to also benefit.
AgloGold-Ashanti, Eduapriem mines have presented farm inputs worth GHC40, 000 to more than 2,700 farmers in eight communities in its operational areas in the Western Region.
The move formed part of their quest to introduce the communities to alternative means of deriving incomes and to help the beneficiaries to improve on their produce such as oil palm, vegetables and animal husbandry projects and fish farming.
The items presented included 7,500 improved oil palm seedlings, vegetable and maize seedlings, fertilizers, Wellington boots, wheat bran, high pressure knapsack spraying machines, weedicides, pesticides, watering cans and hundreds of machetes.
According to the Managing Director of the company, Mr David Kwesi Renner, at present, the company had invested more than $2 million in its alternative livelihood programme called Hand-In-Hand since its inception in 2004.
He said under the programme many people have benefited directly from the programme and had rippled positively on about 500 households in the communities.
The managing director said the focus of the company was to create and share with their host communities to ensure that life was left better than the way they came to meet it.
To foster good socio-corporate-economic relationship with the people of its catchment areas, he said Anglo-Gold Ashanti had been in constant touch with the people to think through the social problems and formulate solutions together.
Mr Renner said education continue to be their focus which led to the improvement in the MD’-Scholarship and to also motivate teachers by the creation of better environment for both pupils and teachers to triumph.
He said in the area of palm fruit, the company had introduce farmers under that aspect of the programme to value addition, which had caught up well with communities such as Adieyie and Teberebie after the provision of processing plant for the communities.
The managing director said, when the project started, they engaged the expertise of a non-governmental organisation, but “at the moment we are collaborating with government agency such as Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) with the expertise to ensure that the farmers derived the maximum benefit.”
“So far MOFA has been assisting to improve farming methods and has introduce high yielding seed maize for about 90 community farmers,” he said.
On the benefits of these interventions, Mr Renner said, it was expected that if the processes were followed with the help of MOFA officials, income to these 90 farmers should rake in about GHC27, 000 into their local economy within a short period.
The way forward for the company and the community was to ensure that fish farming, micro-credit was upgraded and also the focuses on value addition of other farm produce and increase youth apprenticeship.
The Tarkwa Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Christina urged those had benefited from the company’s programme to impact positively on their communities.
She said micro-credit under the project, those who had contracted such monies should ensure that, they paid for others to also benefit.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
POLICE FOIL DAYLIGHT ROBBERY (PAGE 25, MIRROR)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A Highway patrol team of the Tarkwa Police has foiled a broad daylight robbery attempt at Bawdie, near Bogoso, in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region.
Two of the four suspects managed to escape, but a young man, who later went to the police in an attempt to negotiate the release of the other two, was also arrested to help in investigations.
Their names were given as Albert Atinga, 21, Evans Smith, 26 and James Andoh, 29.
According the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, a search conducted on their vehicle revealed one green helmet, one Russia-made shotgun with 14-rounds of bullets, military uniforms, knifes, etc.
He said the suspects were in an unregistered Ford saloon car in a very suspicious manner at Bawdie, when the patrol team ordered them to pull over.
The crime officer said two of the occupants were in military uniform and looked very questionable; they were requested by the police to follow them to the district police station.
He said before the police could ask of their mission, the two in uniform had already taken to their heels, and the other two were apprehended.
A Highway patrol team of the Tarkwa Police has foiled a broad daylight robbery attempt at Bawdie, near Bogoso, in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region.
Two of the four suspects managed to escape, but a young man, who later went to the police in an attempt to negotiate the release of the other two, was also arrested to help in investigations.
Their names were given as Albert Atinga, 21, Evans Smith, 26 and James Andoh, 29.
According the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Victor Agbetornyo, a search conducted on their vehicle revealed one green helmet, one Russia-made shotgun with 14-rounds of bullets, military uniforms, knifes, etc.
He said the suspects were in an unregistered Ford saloon car in a very suspicious manner at Bawdie, when the patrol team ordered them to pull over.
The crime officer said two of the occupants were in military uniform and looked very questionable; they were requested by the police to follow them to the district police station.
He said before the police could ask of their mission, the two in uniform had already taken to their heels, and the other two were apprehended.
TIME TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS (PAGE 18)
District, municipal and metropolitan assemblies have been urged to move away from workshops,conferences and rolled their shirtsleeves and get down to real business to address the needs of the people.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, who said this after his tour of the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi, said the problems on the ground were practical and it was about time lasting solutions were found for them.
“Enough of conferences, workshops and review conferences when the problem is still the same, the time for the practical work is now,” he said.
He said at the moment, there was pressure on the facilities in the metropolis due to the country’s oil find and the expected economic activities onshore.
This he said required swift and pragmatic measures to contain the demands on its social infrastructure.
The deputy minister commended the assembly for the measures it had taken to avert flooding in the twin-city this season, and that there was still a lot of work to be done if the metropolis had to contain the demands on space.
Mr Ankrah gave the assurance that the ministry would collaborate with the assembly and ensure that the right things were done to create an environment that would support the socio-economic development of the people.
He urged members of the general public especially traders, to collaborate with the assembly to create the needed environment for development.
“Change is a very difficult thing, but it pays in the long run, if we continue to rush through relevant issue, it only means that we are delaying the bigger issues, which will come back to hit us unexpectedly, ”he said
The deputy minister urged the assembly to ensure that they adopted the proper approaches to the decongestion exercise to ensure that people understood the problems at stake.
“As you are getting ready to build huge multi-purpose structure for trading activities, there will be relocation and displacement of traders to pave way for the new infrastructure, but it is just right that we do a lot of public education to psyche them up for that change,” he said.
For his part, the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Kobina Prah Annan, gave the assurance that the assembly would do everything possible to ensure that the demands of the people were met.
He said the assembly would continue with ongoing projects which were initiated by his predecessor while initiating new ones.
Mr Annan said to change and conform to present prevailing demands of the metropolis might be difficult but the public had to realise that it was not the focus of the assembly to chase people or displace traders.
Rather, he said, every move of the assembly was to create the needed environment for stronger economic take-off of the local economy, especially in the wake of the expected oil boom.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, who said this after his tour of the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi, said the problems on the ground were practical and it was about time lasting solutions were found for them.
“Enough of conferences, workshops and review conferences when the problem is still the same, the time for the practical work is now,” he said.
He said at the moment, there was pressure on the facilities in the metropolis due to the country’s oil find and the expected economic activities onshore.
This he said required swift and pragmatic measures to contain the demands on its social infrastructure.
The deputy minister commended the assembly for the measures it had taken to avert flooding in the twin-city this season, and that there was still a lot of work to be done if the metropolis had to contain the demands on space.
Mr Ankrah gave the assurance that the ministry would collaborate with the assembly and ensure that the right things were done to create an environment that would support the socio-economic development of the people.
He urged members of the general public especially traders, to collaborate with the assembly to create the needed environment for development.
“Change is a very difficult thing, but it pays in the long run, if we continue to rush through relevant issue, it only means that we are delaying the bigger issues, which will come back to hit us unexpectedly, ”he said
The deputy minister urged the assembly to ensure that they adopted the proper approaches to the decongestion exercise to ensure that people understood the problems at stake.
“As you are getting ready to build huge multi-purpose structure for trading activities, there will be relocation and displacement of traders to pave way for the new infrastructure, but it is just right that we do a lot of public education to psyche them up for that change,” he said.
For his part, the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Kobina Prah Annan, gave the assurance that the assembly would do everything possible to ensure that the demands of the people were met.
He said the assembly would continue with ongoing projects which were initiated by his predecessor while initiating new ones.
Mr Annan said to change and conform to present prevailing demands of the metropolis might be difficult but the public had to realise that it was not the focus of the assembly to chase people or displace traders.
Rather, he said, every move of the assembly was to create the needed environment for stronger economic take-off of the local economy, especially in the wake of the expected oil boom.
FAKE BANK DEFRAUDS 5 COMMUNITIES (BACK PAGE)
A fake financial institution operating in the Juaboso District of the Western Region is reported to have defrauded five communities of more than GH¢4 million.
The victims, who are mainly cocoa farmers and traders, were said to have been lured into depositing their monies at the ‘bank’ called Gye Nyame Financial Association and in order to access loans within 48 hours, as well as fantastic interest after three months of saving.
The suspects reportedly designed loan forms with the country’s coat of arms and fake letters from the Accountant-General‘s Department declaring the support of the Central Bank for it to operate at Juaboso as a loans and savings institution.
The unsuspecting customers sent their monies there, and at the end of the third month, they were given forms to apply for loans.
Before the middle of the fourth month, the managers of Gye Nyame Financial Institution vacated their premises and left their “headquarters” at Juaboso.
The employees of the bank gave the names of those who established the bank as Frank Fiifi Ameyaw, who is currently in police grips, while the rest: Ebow Sillas, Jeff, Noah and Asante are currently at large.
According to the employees who are now facing the wrath of the customers, daily mobilisation amounted to millions of Ghana cedis since farmers lodged their monies with the company, in anticipation of accessing loans after three months.
They said the four suspects told the people that those who wished to purchase vehicles could deposit any amount they had to enable them access loans after three months.
“They told us that their bankers are the Ghana Commercial Bank and Barclays, and, therefore, they have to travel to Takoradi to deposit the monies there,” one of the employees said.
One of the employees, Mr Salifu Seidu, told the Daily Graphic that he was a native of Juaboso and recruited by the officials to mobilise savings from customers.
He said apart from the daily mobilisation, the farmers responded positively to the vehicle loan and deposited huge sums of money.
“At the end of the third month, we had a lot of people trooping to our office for loans, but our bosses were no where to be found,” he said.
He mentioned some of the communities they mobilised monies from as Buaboso, Asempanye Pomoya, Bonsu, Nkwanta and other cocoa growing communities.
The police confirmed the arrest of Ameyaw, who is helping them in their investigation.
The victims, who are mainly cocoa farmers and traders, were said to have been lured into depositing their monies at the ‘bank’ called Gye Nyame Financial Association and in order to access loans within 48 hours, as well as fantastic interest after three months of saving.
The suspects reportedly designed loan forms with the country’s coat of arms and fake letters from the Accountant-General‘s Department declaring the support of the Central Bank for it to operate at Juaboso as a loans and savings institution.
The unsuspecting customers sent their monies there, and at the end of the third month, they were given forms to apply for loans.
Before the middle of the fourth month, the managers of Gye Nyame Financial Institution vacated their premises and left their “headquarters” at Juaboso.
The employees of the bank gave the names of those who established the bank as Frank Fiifi Ameyaw, who is currently in police grips, while the rest: Ebow Sillas, Jeff, Noah and Asante are currently at large.
According to the employees who are now facing the wrath of the customers, daily mobilisation amounted to millions of Ghana cedis since farmers lodged their monies with the company, in anticipation of accessing loans after three months.
They said the four suspects told the people that those who wished to purchase vehicles could deposit any amount they had to enable them access loans after three months.
“They told us that their bankers are the Ghana Commercial Bank and Barclays, and, therefore, they have to travel to Takoradi to deposit the monies there,” one of the employees said.
One of the employees, Mr Salifu Seidu, told the Daily Graphic that he was a native of Juaboso and recruited by the officials to mobilise savings from customers.
He said apart from the daily mobilisation, the farmers responded positively to the vehicle loan and deposited huge sums of money.
“At the end of the third month, we had a lot of people trooping to our office for loans, but our bosses were no where to be found,” he said.
He mentioned some of the communities they mobilised monies from as Buaboso, Asempanye Pomoya, Bonsu, Nkwanta and other cocoa growing communities.
The police confirmed the arrest of Ameyaw, who is helping them in their investigation.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
COMPANY SUPPORTS PALM FRUIT PRODUCERS (PAGE 20, JUNE
PANINVEST Group, a Ghanaian-Italian bio-energy company, has reached an agreement with palm fruit producers in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region to provide it with tools in order to add value to its products for export.
Under the agreement, the farmers would be given machines at no cost to enable them to extract the palm oil and sell to the company at a competitive and value-added price.
According to the farmers, before they were approached by Paninvest, there were only two buyers who determined the price of their primary products.
This, they said, demoralised many farmers who contracted loans to expand their farms, leading to some cutting down their palm trees for palm wine or cultivating other crops.
Speaking at a meeting with the farmers, chiefs and opinion leaders at Busua, the Country Director of Paninvest, Mr Samuel Martin Kyerematen, urged them not to be discouraged.
“I can assure you that every component of the palm tree is useful, but unfortunately, we only know the palm tree for oil, soup, soap and palm wine, which constitute the minute part of what the tree could be used for,” he said.
The Chief of Ahanta, Otumfuor Baidoo-Bonsu XV, for his part, thanked the company for the move to empower farmers to add value to their products.
He said farmers in the district were into large-scale palm plantation, adding “I can assure you that with your help, they would provide you all the quantity that you would require.”
However, he said it was sad that during the bumper harvest, prices of palm fruit fell and the producers were left with no option than to sell them to existing companies at give-away prices.
Otumfuor Baidoo-Bonsu said with the value addition, the farmers would preserve the product during the bumper harvest to ensure that they had a fair bargain.
He also urged the company to consider training some of the young ones to enable them to service the machines in case they developed faults.
Under the agreement, the farmers would be given machines at no cost to enable them to extract the palm oil and sell to the company at a competitive and value-added price.
According to the farmers, before they were approached by Paninvest, there were only two buyers who determined the price of their primary products.
This, they said, demoralised many farmers who contracted loans to expand their farms, leading to some cutting down their palm trees for palm wine or cultivating other crops.
Speaking at a meeting with the farmers, chiefs and opinion leaders at Busua, the Country Director of Paninvest, Mr Samuel Martin Kyerematen, urged them not to be discouraged.
“I can assure you that every component of the palm tree is useful, but unfortunately, we only know the palm tree for oil, soup, soap and palm wine, which constitute the minute part of what the tree could be used for,” he said.
The Chief of Ahanta, Otumfuor Baidoo-Bonsu XV, for his part, thanked the company for the move to empower farmers to add value to their products.
He said farmers in the district were into large-scale palm plantation, adding “I can assure you that with your help, they would provide you all the quantity that you would require.”
However, he said it was sad that during the bumper harvest, prices of palm fruit fell and the producers were left with no option than to sell them to existing companies at give-away prices.
Otumfuor Baidoo-Bonsu said with the value addition, the farmers would preserve the product during the bumper harvest to ensure that they had a fair bargain.
He also urged the company to consider training some of the young ones to enable them to service the machines in case they developed faults.
HASMAL BEAT WISE (BACK PAGE, JUNE 29)
The second half of the match between Hasaacas and Eleven Wise was halted for about 15 minutes due to a spontaneous brawl which spilled over into the stands.
The police also had their share of the spoil in a serious confrontation with club officials, resulting in the firing of tear gas.
It all started when a player of Wise tried to break into a human chain formed by players of Hasaacas as they held each other’s hand on their way to the pitch.
Minutes later, Charles Nartey of Hasaacas was seen exchanging fierce blows with goalkeeper Mohammed Alhassan of Wise in the Wise goal area.
This triggered a spontaneous reaction from fans of both sides who also engaged each one another in a free for all fight.
When the dust settled, though, Hasaacas held onto their 12th minute goal scored by Joe Agyeman.
Both teams displayed good football as the game swung from one end of the pitch to the other, with Wise struggling in vain to cancel the lone goal.
The police also had their share of the spoil in a serious confrontation with club officials, resulting in the firing of tear gas.
It all started when a player of Wise tried to break into a human chain formed by players of Hasaacas as they held each other’s hand on their way to the pitch.
Minutes later, Charles Nartey of Hasaacas was seen exchanging fierce blows with goalkeeper Mohammed Alhassan of Wise in the Wise goal area.
This triggered a spontaneous reaction from fans of both sides who also engaged each one another in a free for all fight.
When the dust settled, though, Hasaacas held onto their 12th minute goal scored by Joe Agyeman.
Both teams displayed good football as the game swung from one end of the pitch to the other, with Wise struggling in vain to cancel the lone goal.
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