The failure of the kitchen staff of Archbishop Porter Girls’ Senior High School to observe simple hygiene and food safety measures has been identified as the cause of food poisoning which affected the students of the school in February this year.
Analysis conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIR) on food products from the school revealed that the school’s pantry used a milling machine which was not cleaned after it had been used the previous day to mill tomatoes.
A report of the laboratory analysis released by NMIR and made available to the Daily Graphic said as a result of the failure of the school’s pantry to observe food safety measures, the tomato paste used to prepare meals for the students was contaminated with salmonella species.
Last February, some students of the school had diarrhoea and stomach pains after eating food prepared for them. Fifteen students had to be admitted to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital and the Essikado Hospital for treatment.
In a panic reaction, parents went to the school to withdraw their children to prevent the students from being affected by the sickness.
In the wake of the incident, the Food and Drugs Board took food samples from the groundnut paste, groundnut soup and tomato puree from the school’s tomato mill for examination by the NMIR.
The report indicated that after milling the tomatoes, the school’s pantry staff failed to clean the milling machine to prevent bacterial infection.
The day before the food was served to the children, the unclean machine was used to mill tomatoes again. Therefore, those who took the first meal from the machine had serious abdominal problems.
According to the report, salmonella could lead to diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and fever within 72 hours after eating food contaminated by the species.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the FDB, Mr John Odami-Darkwah, advised the school to be more careful in handling food.
He said after the incident, the FDB had educated the school on food safety.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
MAAN, 42, STABS MOTHER TO DEATH (BACK PAGE, MAY 29, 2010)
A man has stabbed his 75-year-old mother to death, allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol, at Kwesimintsim in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis of the Western Region.
The family of the deceased tried to cover up the crime but the suspect, Kwame Ansah, 42, who bolted after committing the crime, later reported himself to the police.
“Please I stabbed my mother, Madam Afia Badu, and I did not know what came over me. Here I am,” he told the police.
According to the police, Ansah returned from his Kumasi base, where he had lost his job as a taxi driver, and took to excessive intake of alcohol and hard drugs.
They said when Ansah got to the house at Kwesimintsim, his stepfather was outside the kitchen, preparing fish for the evening meal.
The stepfather told the police that the suspect, without greeting him, entered the kitchen where his mother was then pounding fufu.
“A few minutes later, we heard his mother screaming,” the stepfather said.
Before his stepfather and other members of the household could go to Madam Badu’s rescue, Kwame had bolted.
The injured mother was later rushed to the Kwesimintsim Hospital, from where she was transferred to the Effia-Nkwantah Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead a few hours after arrival.
Some members of the family, in their attempt to cover up the crime, told the police that there had been a fight between two people and that the deceased, while trying to separate them, was stabbed in the process.
The family of the deceased tried to cover up the crime but the suspect, Kwame Ansah, 42, who bolted after committing the crime, later reported himself to the police.
“Please I stabbed my mother, Madam Afia Badu, and I did not know what came over me. Here I am,” he told the police.
According to the police, Ansah returned from his Kumasi base, where he had lost his job as a taxi driver, and took to excessive intake of alcohol and hard drugs.
They said when Ansah got to the house at Kwesimintsim, his stepfather was outside the kitchen, preparing fish for the evening meal.
The stepfather told the police that the suspect, without greeting him, entered the kitchen where his mother was then pounding fufu.
“A few minutes later, we heard his mother screaming,” the stepfather said.
Before his stepfather and other members of the household could go to Madam Badu’s rescue, Kwame had bolted.
The injured mother was later rushed to the Kwesimintsim Hospital, from where she was transferred to the Effia-Nkwantah Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead a few hours after arrival.
Some members of the family, in their attempt to cover up the crime, told the police that there had been a fight between two people and that the deceased, while trying to separate them, was stabbed in the process.
MASSIVE WRECK...Collapsed mast disrupts power supply (LEAD STORY, MAY 29, 2010)
A telecommunication mast co-shared by two service providers collapsed on a high tension pole carrying 33,000 volts during a rainstorm at Mpintsim in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
As a result, more than 33 communities have been deprived of electricity.
It has also thwarted the operations of businesses in the affected areas, stretching from Mpintsim to Manso and beyond.
It is estimated that it will cost the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) thousands of dollars to restore service to the affected communities, since all the high tension lines were extensively destroyed.
The mast was built on a small hill in the middle of Mpintsim and it was surrounded by a cluster of schools and residential facilities.
The collapsed mast landed just three metres away from a residential facility.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, it was detected that the collapsed structure was very weak and rusty, as part of it could easily be bent with the bare hand without using much force.
Some engineers the Daily Graphic spoke to said the steel used in the construction of the mast was not of the right quality and urged telecommunication companies to study what the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) used for their transmission lines.
Some residents of the area where the mast fell said it was a terrifying scene, noting that “if it had happened in the afternoon when the children were in school or if it had fallen in the direction of the schools, it would have been a national disaster”.
Officials of ECG were in the affected communities to inform them about the reasons for the blackout.
The move, according to the Western Regional Public Relations Officer of the company, Mr Adjai Larbi, was to assure the affected communities that the ECG would do everything possible to ensure that power was restored to consumers.
As a result, more than 33 communities have been deprived of electricity.
It has also thwarted the operations of businesses in the affected areas, stretching from Mpintsim to Manso and beyond.
It is estimated that it will cost the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) thousands of dollars to restore service to the affected communities, since all the high tension lines were extensively destroyed.
The mast was built on a small hill in the middle of Mpintsim and it was surrounded by a cluster of schools and residential facilities.
The collapsed mast landed just three metres away from a residential facility.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, it was detected that the collapsed structure was very weak and rusty, as part of it could easily be bent with the bare hand without using much force.
Some engineers the Daily Graphic spoke to said the steel used in the construction of the mast was not of the right quality and urged telecommunication companies to study what the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) used for their transmission lines.
Some residents of the area where the mast fell said it was a terrifying scene, noting that “if it had happened in the afternoon when the children were in school or if it had fallen in the direction of the schools, it would have been a national disaster”.
Officials of ECG were in the affected communities to inform them about the reasons for the blackout.
The move, according to the Western Regional Public Relations Officer of the company, Mr Adjai Larbi, was to assure the affected communities that the ECG would do everything possible to ensure that power was restored to consumers.
Friday, May 21, 2010
FLOODS HIT SEKONDI/TAKORADI (SPREAD, MAY 21, 2010)
A Heavy downpour in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis yesterday flooded the central business district (CBD) of the metropolis and surrounding areas, forcing many residents to stay indoors and businesses to suspend operations.
Banks around the Market Circle had to barricade their banking halls to prevent water which had stagnated on their premises from sipping into the halls.
Owners of stores at the market which were affected by the floods were still counting their losses as of the time of filing this report.
The flooding was worsened by choked gutters, which impeded the flow of water, particularly in areas such as Railway Quarters, the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic lights, Kwesimintsim, Takoradi Central Police Station, Apremudo and Kansawurodu.
The main road from the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic lights to the CBD was covered with mud, which blocked the free flow of water into the drains.
Residents blamed the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly for not taking measures to ensure that the drains were cleared before the onset of this year’s rains.
They said if less than two hour of rain could cause that havoc, then the city should get ready for the worst at the peak of the rainy season.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the assembly for response, officials said the metropolitan chief executive was not in the office.
Last year, the Chief Executive, Mr Kobina Prah Annan, promised to ensure that the drains were free from solid waste but he is yet to fulfil that pledge.
Banks around the Market Circle had to barricade their banking halls to prevent water which had stagnated on their premises from sipping into the halls.
Owners of stores at the market which were affected by the floods were still counting their losses as of the time of filing this report.
The flooding was worsened by choked gutters, which impeded the flow of water, particularly in areas such as Railway Quarters, the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic lights, Kwesimintsim, Takoradi Central Police Station, Apremudo and Kansawurodu.
The main road from the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic lights to the CBD was covered with mud, which blocked the free flow of water into the drains.
Residents blamed the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly for not taking measures to ensure that the drains were cleared before the onset of this year’s rains.
They said if less than two hour of rain could cause that havoc, then the city should get ready for the worst at the peak of the rainy season.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the assembly for response, officials said the metropolitan chief executive was not in the office.
Last year, the Chief Executive, Mr Kobina Prah Annan, promised to ensure that the drains were free from solid waste but he is yet to fulfil that pledge.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
EQUIP TRAINING COLLEGES (SPREAD, MAY 20, 2010)
The immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Addow-Obeng, has deplored the inability of the colleges of education to train teachers to acquire good teaching skills and high competencies in different subject areas.
He said the state of facilities in some colleges of education since they received accreditation in 2007, did not befit their status as diploma-awarding institutions.
He said after the changeover from certificate-awarding institutions, tutors were still using the same methodology to teach teacher trainees for diploma certificates.
“The teachers have to be trained so that they have a good mastery of the subject content matter, as well as the use of the right pedagogy to teach,” he said.
Professor Addow-Obeng expressed the sentiments at the third congregation of the Holy Child College of Education in Sekondi.
He said some of the trainee teachers, who had to impart knowledge to children in basic schools, were deficient in the use of the English language.
“They make errors in the areas of spelling, punctuation, tenses and their inability to construct a simple sentence,” he said.
Rev Prof. Addow-Obeng gave some examples of spelling mistakes by some of the trainee teachers as: “Elephant is spelt elefant, tyres as tires, bungalows as bangaluws and meanwhile as meanwhy.”
In the area of sentence construction, he said some of the trainees wrote, “I saw a dwarf, which upside himself while walk in the forest. The start it fool classes. The mob beat the robber and lynched him, after lying there for sometime, the robber got up and runaway.”
Such a deficiency in grammar, Prof. Addow-Obeng said, was not good enough for laying a solid foundation for students who would be the future leaders of the country.
Rev. Prof. Addow-Obeng said in view of the number of subjects studied at the colleges and duration of the training, the three-year programme was not enough to produce teachers with good teaching skills and competency.
He said the programme rather produced general teachers, who were jack of all trade but masters of none, saying that “this does not augur well for quality”.
To arrest the situation, Rev. Prof. Addow-Obeng said, there was the need to enhance the quality of staff and the facilities of the collages of education.
The Principal of the school, Mrs Magritte Lamer, commended the students and said the college was committed to producing good quality teachers.
Dr Ishmael Yamson, who chaired the occasion, urged the private sector to contribute towards the provision of educational infrastructure in the country.
He said the state of facilities in some colleges of education since they received accreditation in 2007, did not befit their status as diploma-awarding institutions.
He said after the changeover from certificate-awarding institutions, tutors were still using the same methodology to teach teacher trainees for diploma certificates.
“The teachers have to be trained so that they have a good mastery of the subject content matter, as well as the use of the right pedagogy to teach,” he said.
Professor Addow-Obeng expressed the sentiments at the third congregation of the Holy Child College of Education in Sekondi.
He said some of the trainee teachers, who had to impart knowledge to children in basic schools, were deficient in the use of the English language.
“They make errors in the areas of spelling, punctuation, tenses and their inability to construct a simple sentence,” he said.
Rev Prof. Addow-Obeng gave some examples of spelling mistakes by some of the trainee teachers as: “Elephant is spelt elefant, tyres as tires, bungalows as bangaluws and meanwhile as meanwhy.”
In the area of sentence construction, he said some of the trainees wrote, “I saw a dwarf, which upside himself while walk in the forest. The start it fool classes. The mob beat the robber and lynched him, after lying there for sometime, the robber got up and runaway.”
Such a deficiency in grammar, Prof. Addow-Obeng said, was not good enough for laying a solid foundation for students who would be the future leaders of the country.
Rev. Prof. Addow-Obeng said in view of the number of subjects studied at the colleges and duration of the training, the three-year programme was not enough to produce teachers with good teaching skills and competency.
He said the programme rather produced general teachers, who were jack of all trade but masters of none, saying that “this does not augur well for quality”.
To arrest the situation, Rev. Prof. Addow-Obeng said, there was the need to enhance the quality of staff and the facilities of the collages of education.
The Principal of the school, Mrs Magritte Lamer, commended the students and said the college was committed to producing good quality teachers.
Dr Ishmael Yamson, who chaired the occasion, urged the private sector to contribute towards the provision of educational infrastructure in the country.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
GHANA TO LOSE $1M IF... (LEAD STORY, MAY 17, 2010)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbotu, Sekondi
GHANA could lose up to $1 million a day if the chemical plant needed at the Takoradi Port to maintain the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, is not completed before its arrival in July.
On a visit to the Takoradi Port, the Transport Minister, Mr Mike Hammah, was met with the accusation that authorities at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Headquarters were using unnecessary bureaucratic means to unduly delay the lease of land for the establishment of the facility.
If the facility is not completed before the arrival of the vessel in July, the partners in the Jubilee Fields, including the government of Ghana, through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), will incur the avoidable debt of $1 million a day for as long as it takes to complete it.
According to port officials, the Tullow and Jubilee partners decided to set up the chemical plant at the Takoradi Port to avoid the high cost involved in getting the needed chemicals for the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah and also boost local content.
And to achieve that, they applied for a lease in the port last year but the GPHA Headquarters in Accra was yet to give approval for commencement of work, they said.
Mr Hammah, who was not happy with the situation, accordingly gave the port authorities a week to conclude the procedure.
According to officials of Tullow, even though it would take some time to build the structure, if they were given the authority soon
GHANA could lose up to $1 million a day if the chemical plant needed at the Takoradi Port to maintain the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, is not completed before its arrival in July.
On a visit to the Takoradi Port, the Transport Minister, Mr Mike Hammah, was met with the accusation that authorities at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Headquarters were using unnecessary bureaucratic means to unduly delay the lease of land for the establishment of the facility.
If the facility is not completed before the arrival of the vessel in July, the partners in the Jubilee Fields, including the government of Ghana, through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), will incur the avoidable debt of $1 million a day for as long as it takes to complete it.
According to port officials, the Tullow and Jubilee partners decided to set up the chemical plant at the Takoradi Port to avoid the high cost involved in getting the needed chemicals for the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah and also boost local content.
And to achieve that, they applied for a lease in the port last year but the GPHA Headquarters in Accra was yet to give approval for commencement of work, they said.
Mr Hammah, who was not happy with the situation, accordingly gave the port authorities a week to conclude the procedure.
According to officials of Tullow, even though it would take some time to build the structure, if they were given the authority soon
MAN SHOT DEAD FOR STEALING PIG (BACK PAGE, MAY 15, 2010)
A 57-year-old man has been gunned down after he allegedly stole a pig from the farm of his neighbour at Edukrom near Debiso, Enchi in the Western Region.
The body of the deceased, Kwadzo Anini, has since been deposited at the Enchi Government Hospital while the suspect is currently in police custody pending further investigations.
According to the police, the suspect, Kwesi Gyebi 32, a farmer, always had his pigs stolen from his farm when the animals were matured for him to sell.
The suspect, therefore, decided to stay on guard to see who had been stealing from his farm.
In the night of the incident, Gyebi allegedly loaded his single-barrelled gun and waited patiently when Anini entered his farm.
After the suspect had carried a pig on his back, Gyebi allegedly shot Anini, killing him instantly.
The body of the deceased, Kwadzo Anini, has since been deposited at the Enchi Government Hospital while the suspect is currently in police custody pending further investigations.
According to the police, the suspect, Kwesi Gyebi 32, a farmer, always had his pigs stolen from his farm when the animals were matured for him to sell.
The suspect, therefore, decided to stay on guard to see who had been stealing from his farm.
In the night of the incident, Gyebi allegedly loaded his single-barrelled gun and waited patiently when Anini entered his farm.
After the suspect had carried a pig on his back, Gyebi allegedly shot Anini, killing him instantly.
WOMAN TO BE HANGED ...For killing husband over cocoa farm (LEAD STORY, MAY 15, 2010)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A middle-aged woman broke down in tears yesterday after the Sekondi High Court had handed her the death sentence by hanging for murdering her husband.
The convict, Ama Ackon, killed her husband, Kwame Amoako, ostensibly to take control of his large cocoa farm.
After a seven-member jury had unanimously found her guilty of murder, the convict, who spotted an all red attire and held a specially made club in the dock, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
But the court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Oppong, ignored her plea and applied the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
The facts of the case, as presented by a Principal State Attorney, Mr George Kpodo, were that the late Amoako, a native of Brong Ahafo, relocated to Sefwi-Asawinso in the Western Region, got married to Ackon and had three children with her in the process.
Ackon’s mother then gave a large parcel of land to the couple for the cultivation of cocoa, which was very successful.
The marriage later collapsed and Ackon relocated to neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire.
After a few years, she returned to the community and dragged the husband to court to demand her share of the farm.
The farm was later divided into three equal parts, with the man, who was then taking care of their three children, given two parts, while Ackon was given the remaining part.
On November 12, 2006, Ackon, dressed in her usual all-red attire and armed with a club, followed her former husband to the farm.
On reaching the farm, she clubbed Amoako, who was then busily working, resulting in his instant death.
Another farmer who witnessed the incident asked Ackon why she had done that and she replied, “The blood of Jesus will even deal with him (Amoako) even after his death.”
The other farmer reported the incident to the police, but before they could get to the crime scene, Ackon had dragged Amoako’s body to the deepest part of the forest and covered it with weeds.
She confessed to killing the husband after her arrest and led the police to retrieve the body from the forest.
A middle-aged woman broke down in tears yesterday after the Sekondi High Court had handed her the death sentence by hanging for murdering her husband.
The convict, Ama Ackon, killed her husband, Kwame Amoako, ostensibly to take control of his large cocoa farm.
After a seven-member jury had unanimously found her guilty of murder, the convict, who spotted an all red attire and held a specially made club in the dock, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
But the court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Oppong, ignored her plea and applied the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
The facts of the case, as presented by a Principal State Attorney, Mr George Kpodo, were that the late Amoako, a native of Brong Ahafo, relocated to Sefwi-Asawinso in the Western Region, got married to Ackon and had three children with her in the process.
Ackon’s mother then gave a large parcel of land to the couple for the cultivation of cocoa, which was very successful.
The marriage later collapsed and Ackon relocated to neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire.
After a few years, she returned to the community and dragged the husband to court to demand her share of the farm.
The farm was later divided into three equal parts, with the man, who was then taking care of their three children, given two parts, while Ackon was given the remaining part.
On November 12, 2006, Ackon, dressed in her usual all-red attire and armed with a club, followed her former husband to the farm.
On reaching the farm, she clubbed Amoako, who was then busily working, resulting in his instant death.
Another farmer who witnessed the incident asked Ackon why she had done that and she replied, “The blood of Jesus will even deal with him (Amoako) even after his death.”
The other farmer reported the incident to the police, but before they could get to the crime scene, Ackon had dragged Amoako’s body to the deepest part of the forest and covered it with weeds.
She confessed to killing the husband after her arrest and led the police to retrieve the body from the forest.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
JUBILEE SUBSEA STRUCTURE NEARS COMPLETION (PAGE 55, MAY 12, 2010)
THE contractors for the subsea structures at the Jubilee Oil Fields,Technip, has said the company has completed more than 65 per cent of various installations in readiness for the arrival of the floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).
It said almost all the connections to the drill centres on the seabed to the riser bases had been completed, while other works and fabrication off and onshore were currently ongoing to ensure that the country started its production from the last quarter of this year.
The Country Manager for Technip, Mr Stéphane Solé, said the completion of the other parts which involved the installation of four production risers, two gas risers, water injection risers and other facilities to the FPSO would be done by a special vessel, Deep Pioneer.
He said the completion of the FPSO in Singapore was good news to the company’s operation since they had gotten close to the area where the remaining works would be the connection of the needed lines from the bases to the turret for production to commence.
Mr Solé said the Deep Pioneer would arrive in the country two weeks after the FPSO had taken position, and would be accompanied by two other supply vessels, which would feed it with the needed input for the timely completion of the Jubilee Project.
He explained that even though the Deep Pioneer was a multi-purpose vessel, it needed more space, and as such, it had to sail with two other vessels to enable it to perform its functions effectively.
Before arriving in the country, the country manager said Deep Pioneer would make a stopover at Technip Flexible Plant in Le Trait, France, to load some of the flexible risers to be installed at the Jubilee field.
Mr Solé acknowledged that they were encountering some difficulties working in the country, and that they were hampering their duties, since the country was new to them.
He, however, expressed the hope that the country stood a chance of becoming a strong member of oil producing nations in the world as more related oil services would start arriving due to the country’s high level of economic and political stability.
He said conducive business environment was very important to the investor community, and that Ghana had demonstrated that.
Mr Solé said Technip was also doing everything possible to ensure that it enhanced its local content and maximum safety in its line of operation.
It said almost all the connections to the drill centres on the seabed to the riser bases had been completed, while other works and fabrication off and onshore were currently ongoing to ensure that the country started its production from the last quarter of this year.
The Country Manager for Technip, Mr Stéphane Solé, said the completion of the other parts which involved the installation of four production risers, two gas risers, water injection risers and other facilities to the FPSO would be done by a special vessel, Deep Pioneer.
He said the completion of the FPSO in Singapore was good news to the company’s operation since they had gotten close to the area where the remaining works would be the connection of the needed lines from the bases to the turret for production to commence.
Mr Solé said the Deep Pioneer would arrive in the country two weeks after the FPSO had taken position, and would be accompanied by two other supply vessels, which would feed it with the needed input for the timely completion of the Jubilee Project.
He explained that even though the Deep Pioneer was a multi-purpose vessel, it needed more space, and as such, it had to sail with two other vessels to enable it to perform its functions effectively.
Before arriving in the country, the country manager said Deep Pioneer would make a stopover at Technip Flexible Plant in Le Trait, France, to load some of the flexible risers to be installed at the Jubilee field.
Mr Solé acknowledged that they were encountering some difficulties working in the country, and that they were hampering their duties, since the country was new to them.
He, however, expressed the hope that the country stood a chance of becoming a strong member of oil producing nations in the world as more related oil services would start arriving due to the country’s high level of economic and political stability.
He said conducive business environment was very important to the investor community, and that Ghana had demonstrated that.
Mr Solé said Technip was also doing everything possible to ensure that it enhanced its local content and maximum safety in its line of operation.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
GOVT TO BUILD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IN WR (PAGE 23, MAY 8, 2010)
The government will build an industrial estate in the Western Region to house the petrochemical and other industrial facilities which will come along with onshore gas processing.
The Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah, who announced this, said there was also the need for a mini harbour, warehousing facilities, rail lines and storage tanks to contain the flow of the gas to the shore.
He said with the present projects offshore which has a huge gas deposit, there was the need to put the structures in place to receive gas and the industrial estate was the perfect facility to take care of that in an acceptable manner.
In line with that, the deputy minister said, a pipeline had been constructed from the riser station offshore to convey gas to the proposed gas processing plant at Bonyere in the Western Region.
The receptacle onshore, he said, would lead to the production of products such as ethanol, propane and fertiliser, as well as boost the country’s power generation and change the face of the communities around the plant.
“With the availability of gas as a cheap energy source, all sorts of industrial activities could take place in the areas with the proper structures in place,” he said.
Mr Buah said the prospects of the oil discovery were endless for local professionals and investors.
He said the government would create the perfect environment for locals to move into other areas and urged the youth to take their studies seriously.
The deputy minister also said the entire shore of the country, from Half-Assini to Aflao, held huge deposits of oil and gas which could be bigger than the Jubilee fields.
He said there was the firm belief that the Jubilee project would be replicated in other parts of the country soon.
The deputy minister said what was important was to build a strong local content and put the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure that the country was ready.
There were suggestions and questions from various communities at the forum.
The Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah, who announced this, said there was also the need for a mini harbour, warehousing facilities, rail lines and storage tanks to contain the flow of the gas to the shore.
He said with the present projects offshore which has a huge gas deposit, there was the need to put the structures in place to receive gas and the industrial estate was the perfect facility to take care of that in an acceptable manner.
In line with that, the deputy minister said, a pipeline had been constructed from the riser station offshore to convey gas to the proposed gas processing plant at Bonyere in the Western Region.
The receptacle onshore, he said, would lead to the production of products such as ethanol, propane and fertiliser, as well as boost the country’s power generation and change the face of the communities around the plant.
“With the availability of gas as a cheap energy source, all sorts of industrial activities could take place in the areas with the proper structures in place,” he said.
Mr Buah said the prospects of the oil discovery were endless for local professionals and investors.
He said the government would create the perfect environment for locals to move into other areas and urged the youth to take their studies seriously.
The deputy minister also said the entire shore of the country, from Half-Assini to Aflao, held huge deposits of oil and gas which could be bigger than the Jubilee fields.
He said there was the firm belief that the Jubilee project would be replicated in other parts of the country soon.
The deputy minister said what was important was to build a strong local content and put the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure that the country was ready.
There were suggestions and questions from various communities at the forum.
Friday, May 7, 2010
ONE MORE JAIL BREAKER ARRESTED (PAGE 19, MAY 7, 2010)
One more of the eight jail breakers of the Sekondi Central Prison has been arrested by a joint military and police team.
One more G3 rifle has also been recovered.
Known as Awudu Bukari, a Fulani herdsman, the escapee, who was serving a 50-year sentence for robbery, was arrested at Nyameasi, a village on the banks of the Pra River near Beposo in the Shama District of the Western Region.
His capture brings to six the number of jail breakers arrested after they had escaped from the Sekondi Prison on Sunday, May 2, 2010.
One of the escapees, a Nigerian national, Raphael Ayo Bouro, and three others are said to have in their custody the remaining arms and the joint military-police team are hunting for them.
According to the Western Regional Police Command, Awudu Bukari surfaced in the Nyameasi village at about 11:40 pm on Wednesday and told the villagers that he went to a farm with a woman who contracted him but could not find his way back to the road.
The police said the villagers directed him, but he came back saying he could not find the way, which aroused the villagers’ suspicion that he was one of the escapees.
They led him towards the road but upon reaching a point, he told them to go back and that he could find his way.
The villagers then pounced on him and took him to the Beposo Police Station, where on hearing the duty officer calling the prison officers to come and identify him, Bukari took to his heels.
He was given a chase and later arrested and identified by the prison authorities as one of the escapees.
Awudu Bukari has since been handed over to the authorities at the Sekondi Central Prison. He is currently helping the security team to locate the other four jail breakers and the arms.
One more G3 rifle has also been recovered.
Known as Awudu Bukari, a Fulani herdsman, the escapee, who was serving a 50-year sentence for robbery, was arrested at Nyameasi, a village on the banks of the Pra River near Beposo in the Shama District of the Western Region.
His capture brings to six the number of jail breakers arrested after they had escaped from the Sekondi Prison on Sunday, May 2, 2010.
One of the escapees, a Nigerian national, Raphael Ayo Bouro, and three others are said to have in their custody the remaining arms and the joint military-police team are hunting for them.
According to the Western Regional Police Command, Awudu Bukari surfaced in the Nyameasi village at about 11:40 pm on Wednesday and told the villagers that he went to a farm with a woman who contracted him but could not find his way back to the road.
The police said the villagers directed him, but he came back saying he could not find the way, which aroused the villagers’ suspicion that he was one of the escapees.
They led him towards the road but upon reaching a point, he told them to go back and that he could find his way.
The villagers then pounced on him and took him to the Beposo Police Station, where on hearing the duty officer calling the prison officers to come and identify him, Bukari took to his heels.
He was given a chase and later arrested and identified by the prison authorities as one of the escapees.
Awudu Bukari has since been handed over to the authorities at the Sekondi Central Prison. He is currently helping the security team to locate the other four jail breakers and the arms.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
COMMITTEE TO PROBE SEKONDI JAILBREAK (1B, MAY 5, 2010)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC) is to set up a committee to investigate the jailbreak at the Sekondi Prison.
The decision followed a crucial meeting held by the REGSEC yesterday to deliberate on the matter.
While the REGSEC is studying the situation to come up with the right terms of reference for the committee, it has come out with a package to motivate security personnel who are currently combing every nook and cranny to recover the arms which were stolen by the escapees and re-arrest the three remaining fugitives.
The committee is expected to come up with recommendations to avert future jailbreaks.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosumtwi-Sam, who chaired the meeting in Sekondi, said the council would make all efforts to re-arrest the jail breakers.
On Sunday, May 2, 2010, eight prisoners escaped from the Sekondi Prison in an operation masterminded by a visitor to the prison.
They escaped with weapons and ammunition belonging to the prison, including seven G3 rifles.
In an exercise, a joint military and police team managed to re-arrest five of the fugitives after they had allegedly gone to rob residents of Ituma Estate in the Shama District of their mobile phones and money.
Four G3 rifles and ammunition are yet to be recovered from the remaining three escapees and the fake visitor who are now at large.
Ms Bosumtwi-Sam said the greatest worry of the Western Regional Administration and the REGSEC concerned the remaining arms and ammunition in the hands of the fugitives.
She said the allowance for the officers in the search had become necessary, since the period for the re-arrest of the fugitives and recovery of the arms had stretched beyond days.
She assured members of the public that the various security agencies would do everything possible to ensure their safety.
The deputy minister appealed to members of the public to quickly inform the security agencies about any suspicious movements in their communities.
She used the opportunity to commend the security agencies for their teamwork, which led to the re-arrest of five of the jail breakers.
Meanwhile, at the Sekondi Prison, arms and ammunition in the damaged armoury are said to have been moved to a safer place, while surveillance, security and movement in and around the facility have been intensified.
The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC) is to set up a committee to investigate the jailbreak at the Sekondi Prison.
The decision followed a crucial meeting held by the REGSEC yesterday to deliberate on the matter.
While the REGSEC is studying the situation to come up with the right terms of reference for the committee, it has come out with a package to motivate security personnel who are currently combing every nook and cranny to recover the arms which were stolen by the escapees and re-arrest the three remaining fugitives.
The committee is expected to come up with recommendations to avert future jailbreaks.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosumtwi-Sam, who chaired the meeting in Sekondi, said the council would make all efforts to re-arrest the jail breakers.
On Sunday, May 2, 2010, eight prisoners escaped from the Sekondi Prison in an operation masterminded by a visitor to the prison.
They escaped with weapons and ammunition belonging to the prison, including seven G3 rifles.
In an exercise, a joint military and police team managed to re-arrest five of the fugitives after they had allegedly gone to rob residents of Ituma Estate in the Shama District of their mobile phones and money.
Four G3 rifles and ammunition are yet to be recovered from the remaining three escapees and the fake visitor who are now at large.
Ms Bosumtwi-Sam said the greatest worry of the Western Regional Administration and the REGSEC concerned the remaining arms and ammunition in the hands of the fugitives.
She said the allowance for the officers in the search had become necessary, since the period for the re-arrest of the fugitives and recovery of the arms had stretched beyond days.
She assured members of the public that the various security agencies would do everything possible to ensure their safety.
The deputy minister appealed to members of the public to quickly inform the security agencies about any suspicious movements in their communities.
She used the opportunity to commend the security agencies for their teamwork, which led to the re-arrest of five of the jail breakers.
Meanwhile, at the Sekondi Prison, arms and ammunition in the damaged armoury are said to have been moved to a safer place, while surveillance, security and movement in and around the facility have been intensified.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The drama at Sekondi Prisons...BACK TO JAIL ....Barely 24 hrs after escape (LEAD STORY, MAY 4, 2010)
Story: Moses Aklorbortu, Sekondi
IN what appears to be a semblance of a Hollywood movie, two out of the three daring fugitives who broke jail at the Sekondi Prison last Sunday after they had been sentenced to 120 years in prison two weeks ago have been rearrested. They had misused their new found freedom to allegedly commit another robbery and were nabbed in the process.
A joint military and police team arrested them after they had joined three other fugitives to allegedly rob residents of Ituma Estate in the Shama District of their mobile phones and money.
The two are Ebenezer Okoley Tetteh and Raphael Laweh, who had each been jailed 40 years by the Sekondi High Court two weeks ago.
The three other fugitives who allegedly took part in the Ituma Estate robbery have been identified as Garriba Ibrahim and Ibrahim Jarru, both Fulani herdsmen, who had also been jailed 60 years and 40 years, respectively, and Kweku Abeiku, who had been in jail for a robbery offence.
After breaking jail, the escapees broke into the prison’s armoury and made away with seven G3 rifles and ammunition.
So far three, of the rifles have been recovered, while the remaining four are still with those at large.
According to the police, before the arrest of the five, they had allegedly attacked residents of Ituma Estate and robbed them to enable them to get some money to pay their fare to Accra.
The police said the escapees, who were on board an Accra-bound minibus, broke a side glass of the bus at Beposo and jumped out in an attempt to run away when they realised that prison officers were at the toll gate.
They were, however, re-arrested by security personnel, with the assistance of the people of the town.
According to the police, the robbers told them that the remaining G3 rifles were in the hands of the remaining three escapees and the one who had posed as a visitor to the prison which had led to the jailbreak.
The police said the re-arrested prisoners named Raphael Ayo Buoro and Olabode, both Nigerians, as their leaders.
Preliminary investigations, however, indicated that there had been many security lapses on the part of the prison authorities.
According to a source, there had been only four prison officers on duty on the day of the incident.
It said when the visitor entered the prison yard, he had not been searched, while his records had also not been taken as required.
In addition, the arms in the armoury had also not been chained through the trigger-guard, as was required by the rules of every armoury, while there had been no guard in the tower overseeing the prisons.
That aside, the Regional Prisons Commander and his deputy were said to be out of town at the time of the incident.
The source added that a senior prison officer who had been transferred to Nsawam but was in Sekondi at the time of the incident moved in to save the situation.
At the moment, there were questions as to why only four officers were on duty to control more than 800 prisoners and why the small gate inside the building had been left open, the source said.
It also questioned why prisoners who were slapped with such heavy sentences were left in the Sekondi Central Prison and not transported to Nsawam.
IN what appears to be a semblance of a Hollywood movie, two out of the three daring fugitives who broke jail at the Sekondi Prison last Sunday after they had been sentenced to 120 years in prison two weeks ago have been rearrested. They had misused their new found freedom to allegedly commit another robbery and were nabbed in the process.
A joint military and police team arrested them after they had joined three other fugitives to allegedly rob residents of Ituma Estate in the Shama District of their mobile phones and money.
The two are Ebenezer Okoley Tetteh and Raphael Laweh, who had each been jailed 40 years by the Sekondi High Court two weeks ago.
The three other fugitives who allegedly took part in the Ituma Estate robbery have been identified as Garriba Ibrahim and Ibrahim Jarru, both Fulani herdsmen, who had also been jailed 60 years and 40 years, respectively, and Kweku Abeiku, who had been in jail for a robbery offence.
After breaking jail, the escapees broke into the prison’s armoury and made away with seven G3 rifles and ammunition.
So far three, of the rifles have been recovered, while the remaining four are still with those at large.
According to the police, before the arrest of the five, they had allegedly attacked residents of Ituma Estate and robbed them to enable them to get some money to pay their fare to Accra.
The police said the escapees, who were on board an Accra-bound minibus, broke a side glass of the bus at Beposo and jumped out in an attempt to run away when they realised that prison officers were at the toll gate.
They were, however, re-arrested by security personnel, with the assistance of the people of the town.
According to the police, the robbers told them that the remaining G3 rifles were in the hands of the remaining three escapees and the one who had posed as a visitor to the prison which had led to the jailbreak.
The police said the re-arrested prisoners named Raphael Ayo Buoro and Olabode, both Nigerians, as their leaders.
Preliminary investigations, however, indicated that there had been many security lapses on the part of the prison authorities.
According to a source, there had been only four prison officers on duty on the day of the incident.
It said when the visitor entered the prison yard, he had not been searched, while his records had also not been taken as required.
In addition, the arms in the armoury had also not been chained through the trigger-guard, as was required by the rules of every armoury, while there had been no guard in the tower overseeing the prisons.
That aside, the Regional Prisons Commander and his deputy were said to be out of town at the time of the incident.
The source added that a senior prison officer who had been transferred to Nsawam but was in Sekondi at the time of the incident moved in to save the situation.
At the moment, there were questions as to why only four officers were on duty to control more than 800 prisoners and why the small gate inside the building had been left open, the source said.
It also questioned why prisoners who were slapped with such heavy sentences were left in the Sekondi Central Prison and not transported to Nsawam.
Monday, May 3, 2010
KILLERS ON THE LOOSE (1B, MAY 2, 2010)
THREE armed robbers who were jailed two weeks ago to a total of 120 years in prison have been let loose following a jailbreak at the Sekondi Prison yesterday.
The three were said to have masterminded the break, released five other prisoners and escaped with a quantity of police weapons and ammunition, including seven G3 rifles.
The armed robbers — Ebenezer Okoley Tetteh, 22; Raphael Ayo Buoro, 28, a Nigerian, and Raphael Larweh, 22 — were convicted two weeks ago by the Sekondi High Court.
On their conviction, they took turns to tell the presiding judge, “Thank you very much.”
According to the police, an alleged armed robber posed as a visitor who was bringing food to an inmate of the prison and that led to the break.
In the process, the armed robbers vandalised the prison’s armoury and made away with seven G3 rifles and ammunition after shooting and injuring the duty officer, Sergeant Song Abu, about 12:30 p.m.
They also stabbed another officer and after successfully making it out of the prisons with the rifles, they started firing indiscriminately and bolted in a hijacked taxi.
On their way out of the metropolis, the convicts were involved in an accident at the Sekondi Cemetery, after which they hijacked a “torero” and fled, leaving behind the accident taxi and three of the G3 rifles they had stolen from the prison armoury.
Two of the inmates of the Sekondi Prison who escaped with the three armed robbers were later arrested and sent back to custody.
The three were said to have masterminded the break, released five other prisoners and escaped with a quantity of police weapons and ammunition, including seven G3 rifles.
The armed robbers — Ebenezer Okoley Tetteh, 22; Raphael Ayo Buoro, 28, a Nigerian, and Raphael Larweh, 22 — were convicted two weeks ago by the Sekondi High Court.
On their conviction, they took turns to tell the presiding judge, “Thank you very much.”
According to the police, an alleged armed robber posed as a visitor who was bringing food to an inmate of the prison and that led to the break.
In the process, the armed robbers vandalised the prison’s armoury and made away with seven G3 rifles and ammunition after shooting and injuring the duty officer, Sergeant Song Abu, about 12:30 p.m.
They also stabbed another officer and after successfully making it out of the prisons with the rifles, they started firing indiscriminately and bolted in a hijacked taxi.
On their way out of the metropolis, the convicts were involved in an accident at the Sekondi Cemetery, after which they hijacked a “torero” and fled, leaving behind the accident taxi and three of the G3 rifles they had stolen from the prison armoury.
Two of the inmates of the Sekondi Prison who escaped with the three armed robbers were later arrested and sent back to custody.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
HEALTH, SAFETY OF PEOPLE NOT NEGOTIABLE (PAGE 38, MAY 1, 2010)
President John Evans Atta Mills has declared that the health and safety of Ghanaians are non-negotiable.
He therefore asked companies, particularly bulk importers and dealers in petroleum products, not to compromise on the health and safety of the people in their areas of operation.
Expressing concern about recent fire outbreaks in the country, President Mills attributed the spate of fire incidents to non-compliance with safety precautions by companies and business operators.
The President made the declaration in a speech read on his behalf on Wednesday at the inauguration of an oil storage facility owned by the Cyrus Oil Services in New Takoradi.
President Mills said although the oil storage facilities were important to the socio-economic development of the country, safety was equally important.
He advised companies to mount sustained programmes to educate the people in communities where they operated on what to do in case of emergency.
“I urge you to adhere to strict standards of health and safety applicable to highly inflammable products that would be handled by your facilities,” he stated.
The President said importers should not limit themselves to regular training of their staff and underscored the need for “continuous collaboration with the community to ensure a proper understanding of the risks associated with their operations and measures required to mitigate the consequences in case of emergency”.
He commended the Cyrus Oil Services for their bold initiative and foresight for establishing two of such facilities in Tema and Takoradi within a short time.
The President said what was more gratifying was that the company was fully owned and operated by Ghanaians.
The President also used the opportunity to challenge Ghanaians to establish a wholly Ghanaian-owned oil refinery in the country to complement the effort of Tema Oil Refinery.
Expressing such optimism, the President said: “We look forward eagerly to the day when a wholly Ghanaian-owned private refinery will be established to produce to feed the demands of the country and to export the surplus.”
“I would like to assure the investor community, both local and international, that the government is committed to establishing an environment that would enable business to flourish in the country,” he added.
The Managing Director of Cyrus Oil Services, Mr Nkum Adipa, said the underlying factor for the establishment of the facility was informed by the problems of transporting petroleum products from Tema to the rest of the country and the associated cost and risks.
He said many lives and assets had painfully been lost in the quest of the transporters to get the products to the final consumers.
Mr Adipa assured the government of the commitment of the company to be a good corporate citizen.
He therefore asked companies, particularly bulk importers and dealers in petroleum products, not to compromise on the health and safety of the people in their areas of operation.
Expressing concern about recent fire outbreaks in the country, President Mills attributed the spate of fire incidents to non-compliance with safety precautions by companies and business operators.
The President made the declaration in a speech read on his behalf on Wednesday at the inauguration of an oil storage facility owned by the Cyrus Oil Services in New Takoradi.
President Mills said although the oil storage facilities were important to the socio-economic development of the country, safety was equally important.
He advised companies to mount sustained programmes to educate the people in communities where they operated on what to do in case of emergency.
“I urge you to adhere to strict standards of health and safety applicable to highly inflammable products that would be handled by your facilities,” he stated.
The President said importers should not limit themselves to regular training of their staff and underscored the need for “continuous collaboration with the community to ensure a proper understanding of the risks associated with their operations and measures required to mitigate the consequences in case of emergency”.
He commended the Cyrus Oil Services for their bold initiative and foresight for establishing two of such facilities in Tema and Takoradi within a short time.
The President said what was more gratifying was that the company was fully owned and operated by Ghanaians.
The President also used the opportunity to challenge Ghanaians to establish a wholly Ghanaian-owned oil refinery in the country to complement the effort of Tema Oil Refinery.
Expressing such optimism, the President said: “We look forward eagerly to the day when a wholly Ghanaian-owned private refinery will be established to produce to feed the demands of the country and to export the surplus.”
“I would like to assure the investor community, both local and international, that the government is committed to establishing an environment that would enable business to flourish in the country,” he added.
The Managing Director of Cyrus Oil Services, Mr Nkum Adipa, said the underlying factor for the establishment of the facility was informed by the problems of transporting petroleum products from Tema to the rest of the country and the associated cost and risks.
He said many lives and assets had painfully been lost in the quest of the transporters to get the products to the final consumers.
Mr Adipa assured the government of the commitment of the company to be a good corporate citizen.
PRESIDENT CAUTIONS FISHERMEN...Against danges of oil rigs (BACK PAGE, MAY 1, 2010)
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills has advised fishermen in the Western Region to adhere to warnings about the dangers their operations could pose to oil rigs in the area.
He said by the middle of this year, the Floating Production and Offloading (FPSO) vessel would arrive in the country for it to be positioned off the coast of the Western Region for the commercial production of oil.
It is, therefore, important for operators in the maritime industry, including fishermen, to respect the rules to ensure that both the drilling and fishing, which are very important to the country’s economic development, co-existed without posing any danger to one or the other.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Emmanuel K. Buah, at the inauguration of the Tank Farm of Cyrus Oil Services at New Takoradi on Thursday, the President said the role of the fishermen was very important in the country’s development but it was also important for them to respect the directive to stay away from various production and exploration facilities.
Reports indicate that some fishermen have been fishing and using naked fire to cook around the oil rigs.
“We should not endanger our precious lives as we are all needed alive to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country,” the President said.
He said before sailing in the direction of the rig, the fishermen should consider the social discomfort of their families and the huge loss of investment that the country would incur in the event of any disaster.
President Mills urged them to make safety their prime focus and appealed to the chiefs in those coastal communities and the chief fishermen to talk to their people.
He commended them for their contribution to the food needs of the country and urged them to help make the first production of oil successful by staying away from restricted areas.
He said by the middle of this year, the Floating Production and Offloading (FPSO) vessel would arrive in the country for it to be positioned off the coast of the Western Region for the commercial production of oil.
It is, therefore, important for operators in the maritime industry, including fishermen, to respect the rules to ensure that both the drilling and fishing, which are very important to the country’s economic development, co-existed without posing any danger to one or the other.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Emmanuel K. Buah, at the inauguration of the Tank Farm of Cyrus Oil Services at New Takoradi on Thursday, the President said the role of the fishermen was very important in the country’s development but it was also important for them to respect the directive to stay away from various production and exploration facilities.
Reports indicate that some fishermen have been fishing and using naked fire to cook around the oil rigs.
“We should not endanger our precious lives as we are all needed alive to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country,” the President said.
He said before sailing in the direction of the rig, the fishermen should consider the social discomfort of their families and the huge loss of investment that the country would incur in the event of any disaster.
President Mills urged them to make safety their prime focus and appealed to the chiefs in those coastal communities and the chief fishermen to talk to their people.
He commended them for their contribution to the food needs of the country and urged them to help make the first production of oil successful by staying away from restricted areas.
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