Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Companies in Trinidad & Tobago have expressed interest in the establishment of gas-fed industries near the gas plant in the Jomoro District in the Western Region.
The latest company to express interest is Caribbean Atlantic Financial Holdings, which has expressed its readiness to establish a multi-billion dollar gas-fed industrial estate and energy city project.
Others include Trinidad and Tobago National Gas Company, Phoenix Park Gas Processors and Point Lisas Industrial Estate.
The districts which have caught the attention of the investors are Axim, Ellembelle and Jomoro.
As a result, the chiefs and people of the selected districts have given their blessing and are currently on a six-day trip to Trinidad & Tobago as part of a partnership arrangement between Nzemaland and the Caribbean Atlantic Financial Holdings.
At the moment, 2,000 acres of land banks have been earmarked for the projects.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minister of Energy, who spoke to the Daily Graphic from Port of Spain, said the team also visited the $3 billion Point Lisas Industrial Estate, which houses the world’s biggest ammonia plant.
The facility also hosts a total of 103 industries connected to gas feedstock comprising a mix of world-class methanol, ammonia and urea plants, three steel plants, a power plant and service companies.
The Chief Executive of the estate, Mr Nigel Salina, told the delegation that the group was seeking to replicate the Point Lisas Industrial Estate in Ghana but on a larger scale.
He said they had resolved to replicate the gas industry in Ghana, since records indicated that the country had more gas associated with the oil than his country.
The delegation also met Mr Andrew Macintosh, the President of the National Gas Company, and Mr Eugene Tieh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Phoenix Park Gas Processors, and other companies that are interested in the Ghana gas project.
For his part, Mr Buah said the focus of the government was to ensure that the gas coming from the jubilee and other fields in the country was harnessed for the benefit of the people of Ghana.
He said the President was of the strong belief that the gas deposit in the country held another avenue for opening doors to the gas industry.
Monday, January 31, 2011
HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS BANNED... After 6p.m. country-wide (LEAD STORY, JAN 29, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Police Administration has banned the movement of heavy duty trucks country-wide after 6 p.m. as part of measures to curb the carnage on the country’s roads.
After 6 p.m., all checkpoints across the country are supposed to order every heavy duty truck to park and display triangles and reflectors till 6 a.m. the following day.
These were contained in a directive from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, to all Regional Police Commanders in the country.
The directive said the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), was also to conduct a thorough examination of all trucks and offenders should be prosecuted.
It said all long heavy duty and cargo trucks were supposed to park before 6 p.m. in an acceptable manner and completely off the road with enough reflectors to warn other road users.
Regional commanders across the country, it said, were to ensure strict enforcement of the directive, adding that offenders should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It also directed regional commands to come up with special operations on Fridays to ensure that the roads were free from careless parking and driving.
The Western Regional Police Commander, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, told the Daily Graphic that the directive indicated that there were various rest spots on the highways and that drivers should be mindful of the time to ensure that they pull over to these places before 6 p.m. and park safely till the following day.
He said the enforcement of the directive in the region started yesterday.
“Today we pulled over 200 vehicles before 6 p.m. and ensured that they parked safely,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama noted that most of the drivers who were stopped looked tired.
THE Police Administration has banned the movement of heavy duty trucks country-wide after 6 p.m. as part of measures to curb the carnage on the country’s roads.
After 6 p.m., all checkpoints across the country are supposed to order every heavy duty truck to park and display triangles and reflectors till 6 a.m. the following day.
These were contained in a directive from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, to all Regional Police Commanders in the country.
The directive said the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), was also to conduct a thorough examination of all trucks and offenders should be prosecuted.
It said all long heavy duty and cargo trucks were supposed to park before 6 p.m. in an acceptable manner and completely off the road with enough reflectors to warn other road users.
Regional commanders across the country, it said, were to ensure strict enforcement of the directive, adding that offenders should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It also directed regional commands to come up with special operations on Fridays to ensure that the roads were free from careless parking and driving.
The Western Regional Police Commander, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, told the Daily Graphic that the directive indicated that there were various rest spots on the highways and that drivers should be mindful of the time to ensure that they pull over to these places before 6 p.m. and park safely till the following day.
He said the enforcement of the directive in the region started yesterday.
“Today we pulled over 200 vehicles before 6 p.m. and ensured that they parked safely,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama noted that most of the drivers who were stopped looked tired.
Sea erosion threatens Essipon-Sekondi highway (BACK PAGE, JAN 29,2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE Essipon-Sekondi highway, one of the busy roads in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, is being threatened by sea erosion.
Experts say if nothing is done immediately the road could cave in because of the heavy traffic it carries.
Strong tidal waves at Ngyeresia have cut off parts of the road and currently the distance between the road and the sea cliff, measured last Thursday by a civil engineer is less than a metre.
Strangely, motorists, mainly fully loaded timber and quarry trucks, have not noticed the danger and keep plying the road.
Other heavy mining and oil drilling equipment is also transported on this road to and from Takoradi and Home Port of the Western Naval Command.
A private civil engineer who pleaded anonymity after taking the Daily Graphic round the danger spots indicated that if nothing was done immediately it could lead to a serious fatality, since the dangerous cliff is on the blind side of the motoring public.
The current traffic on the road, he said, was too much and was not factored into the initial design of the road and expressed the hope that the authorities would not wait for any disaster before moving to save the situation.
Indications picked by the Daily Graphic were that even though the maintenance of that road falls under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has to first construct a sea defence wall before any meaningful work could be done.
At the moment, one of the best solutions, the experts said, was to close the road to traffic, which would mean residents from Shama, Ituma, Inchaban and Essipon, would have to detour through Ketan or Kojokrom before entering Sekondi/Takoradi.
THE Essipon-Sekondi highway, one of the busy roads in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, is being threatened by sea erosion.
Experts say if nothing is done immediately the road could cave in because of the heavy traffic it carries.
Strong tidal waves at Ngyeresia have cut off parts of the road and currently the distance between the road and the sea cliff, measured last Thursday by a civil engineer is less than a metre.
Strangely, motorists, mainly fully loaded timber and quarry trucks, have not noticed the danger and keep plying the road.
Other heavy mining and oil drilling equipment is also transported on this road to and from Takoradi and Home Port of the Western Naval Command.
A private civil engineer who pleaded anonymity after taking the Daily Graphic round the danger spots indicated that if nothing was done immediately it could lead to a serious fatality, since the dangerous cliff is on the blind side of the motoring public.
The current traffic on the road, he said, was too much and was not factored into the initial design of the road and expressed the hope that the authorities would not wait for any disaster before moving to save the situation.
Indications picked by the Daily Graphic were that even though the maintenance of that road falls under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has to first construct a sea defence wall before any meaningful work could be done.
At the moment, one of the best solutions, the experts said, was to close the road to traffic, which would mean residents from Shama, Ituma, Inchaban and Essipon, would have to detour through Ketan or Kojokrom before entering Sekondi/Takoradi.
Trinidad & Tobago pledges support to gas industry (PAGE 51, JAN 31, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Trinidad & Tobago has pledged her maximum co-operation to ensure that Ghana’s natural gas from the Jubilee Field is well harnessed.
This is to help Ghana to derive full benefit from the gas, which could lead to the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs Kamla Persad Bissessar, gave the assurance when a team of chiefs from the coastal paramountcies of the Western Region, led by the Deputy Energy Minister and member of the National Gas Commercialisation Task Force, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, visited that country on an investment drive.
Mrs Bissessar said her government had approved in principle to co-operate with Ghana on the exploitation of the country’s natural gas.
She said the Caribbean nation depended 100 per cent on natural gas for its entire energy needs of some 1,500 megawatts.
“We now have the expertise and knowledge and Ghana has acknowledged that. We hope that Ghana will approve of our proposal to make this expertise available to her,” she said.
Mrs Bissessar said the move was much in tune with her country’s vision of greater south-south co-operation among members of the Commonwealth, which included Ghana and several African and Caribbean nations.
She said co-operation between Ghana and her country was the first time her country had had the opportunity to go out of the island to share its experience and expertise for the benefit of another producer country.
She expressed the hope that the partnership would be of immense mutual benefit to the the peoples of the two countries.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Buah, said the Ghana Government was excited about the partnership with Trinidad & Tobago and that the nation was open to business.
He said it was the determination of President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration to ensure that the hydrocarbon discovery and production in Ghana brings benefits to Ghanaians.
Mr Buah said the government would ensure greater accountability and transparency, and protect the interest of Ghana to ensure that the country adoptsthe best standards in the oil and gas industry.
For his part, Awulae Attibrukusu III, the Vice-President of the National House of Chiefs and board member of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, lauded the growing co-operation between the two countries.
Other members of the delegation were paramount chiefs of Western Nzema, Awulae Annor Agyaye and Awulae Amihere Kpainyinli, Mrs Catherine Afeku, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue Gwira, the chief executives of Jomoro and Ellembele districts and Nzema East Municipality.
Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Trinidad & Tobago has pledged her maximum co-operation to ensure that Ghana’s natural gas from the Jubilee Field is well harnessed.
This is to help Ghana to derive full benefit from the gas, which could lead to the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs Kamla Persad Bissessar, gave the assurance when a team of chiefs from the coastal paramountcies of the Western Region, led by the Deputy Energy Minister and member of the National Gas Commercialisation Task Force, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, visited that country on an investment drive.
Mrs Bissessar said her government had approved in principle to co-operate with Ghana on the exploitation of the country’s natural gas.
She said the Caribbean nation depended 100 per cent on natural gas for its entire energy needs of some 1,500 megawatts.
“We now have the expertise and knowledge and Ghana has acknowledged that. We hope that Ghana will approve of our proposal to make this expertise available to her,” she said.
Mrs Bissessar said the move was much in tune with her country’s vision of greater south-south co-operation among members of the Commonwealth, which included Ghana and several African and Caribbean nations.
She said co-operation between Ghana and her country was the first time her country had had the opportunity to go out of the island to share its experience and expertise for the benefit of another producer country.
She expressed the hope that the partnership would be of immense mutual benefit to the the peoples of the two countries.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Buah, said the Ghana Government was excited about the partnership with Trinidad & Tobago and that the nation was open to business.
He said it was the determination of President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration to ensure that the hydrocarbon discovery and production in Ghana brings benefits to Ghanaians.
Mr Buah said the government would ensure greater accountability and transparency, and protect the interest of Ghana to ensure that the country adoptsthe best standards in the oil and gas industry.
For his part, Awulae Attibrukusu III, the Vice-President of the National House of Chiefs and board member of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, lauded the growing co-operation between the two countries.
Other members of the delegation were paramount chiefs of Western Nzema, Awulae Annor Agyaye and Awulae Amihere Kpainyinli, Mrs Catherine Afeku, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue Gwira, the chief executives of Jomoro and Ellembele districts and Nzema East Municipality.
BOY, 13, GUNS DOWN LUNATIC (1C, JAN 31, 2011
Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A 13-year-old primary schoolboy shocked residents of Enhuutem-Eniehu, near Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, last Friday when he shot and killed a man believed to be mentally unstable.
The boy, Amos Okrah, was said to have used his father’s shotgun to commit the offence.
The gunshot woke the community up at about 12:30 a.m. last Friday, but residents were confined to their rooms, assuming that armed robbers had attacked the village.
Those who later mustered courage and came out of their rooms, were horrified to see the deceased, Victor Amankwah, lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
The incident occurred in the absence of the boy’s father, who was said to have travelled to the Brong Ahafo Region to attend to some family issues, leaving Okrah and his siblings behind and with the gun in the room.
According to the police, the only explanation the little boy could give was that the deceased entered their compound about 12:30 a.m., using the machete he was wielding to hit an empty aluminium pot left outside.
“I came out several times to ask him to stop but he would not mind me. Then I went for the gun and shot him,” Little Amos told the police.
According to him, his father had travelled and the deceased was disturbing him and his siblings by using the machete to hit the empty pot.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital, while Amos has been taken into custody.
The police said the boy’s father had been contacted to report immediately to help in investigations.
It would be recalled that last December a similar incident occurred at Magagia Camp, also near Sefwi-Wiawso, when a four-year-old boy shot his seven-year-old sister when he was playing with his father’s shotgun.
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A 13-year-old primary schoolboy shocked residents of Enhuutem-Eniehu, near Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, last Friday when he shot and killed a man believed to be mentally unstable.
The boy, Amos Okrah, was said to have used his father’s shotgun to commit the offence.
The gunshot woke the community up at about 12:30 a.m. last Friday, but residents were confined to their rooms, assuming that armed robbers had attacked the village.
Those who later mustered courage and came out of their rooms, were horrified to see the deceased, Victor Amankwah, lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
The incident occurred in the absence of the boy’s father, who was said to have travelled to the Brong Ahafo Region to attend to some family issues, leaving Okrah and his siblings behind and with the gun in the room.
According to the police, the only explanation the little boy could give was that the deceased entered their compound about 12:30 a.m., using the machete he was wielding to hit an empty aluminium pot left outside.
“I came out several times to ask him to stop but he would not mind me. Then I went for the gun and shot him,” Little Amos told the police.
According to him, his father had travelled and the deceased was disturbing him and his siblings by using the machete to hit the empty pot.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital, while Amos has been taken into custody.
The police said the boy’s father had been contacted to report immediately to help in investigations.
It would be recalled that last December a similar incident occurred at Magagia Camp, also near Sefwi-Wiawso, when a four-year-old boy shot his seven-year-old sister when he was playing with his father’s shotgun.
MORE GAS TO FLOW... As multi-billion Jubilee Gas Project begins (LEAD STORY, JAN 31, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
WORK has begun on the multi-billion dollar Jubilee Gas Project to harness the country’s natural gas deposits with the laying of flow lines to pipe the gas from the Jubilee Field to the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
Technip, the company which did the subsea installation for oil production for the Jubilee partners, has been contracted by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to engineer, weld and install a 14-kilometre rigid steel flow line under Phase I of the project for onward extension to the shore.
Under the current phase, the flow lines will be connected to the gas export riser linked to the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah for onward transportation to the shore.
Officials say the flow lines will constitute the deep-water section of a pipeline which will be used to pipe natural gas from the Jubilee Field to the onshore processing plant.
At the moment the move by the country to harness its natural gas has attracted the attention of power producers and other companies that are interested in the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol using natural gas.
Technip has successfully completed the fabrication and spooling of the 14 kilometres of 12,75-inch flow lines on board the laying vessel, Apache II, at the Technip Spool Base in Alabama, USA, and the vessel is expected to arrive in Ghana next Thursday.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Ghana Country Manager for Technip, Mr Stephane Sole, said the company did not engage only its own expertise but also involved some officials of GNPC in the process of designing and welding the flow lines, as well as the procurement and engineering staff at its Paris office during the preparation phase.
He said the move was to afford Technip the opportunity to transfer its skills and knowledge to Ghana through the GNPC, a policy which was in line with its resolve not only to work for the country but also enhance the skills of Ghanaians, whom he described as curious and highly trainable.
Mr Sole said the onshore operations would be run from the Sekondi Naval Base which had supported Technip since its arrival in the country.
The Apache II, he said, was fully loaded with the flow lines and would start work immediately it arrived, as the initial preparations had been concluded.
He said the offshore operations would integrate workers from the GNPC to attend to the operations offshore, saying, “Within our onshore team to support the offshore operations there will also be the involvement of the GNPC team during the whole project, from engineering to installation.”
Mr Sole said there had been meetings with lead operators of the Jubilee Field partners, including the GNPC, and they had been very co-operative.
“From the beginning of the project, the permanent and effective communication among the GNPC, Tullow Oil and the partners and Technip will be one of the key factors for the success of these operations,” he said.
WORK has begun on the multi-billion dollar Jubilee Gas Project to harness the country’s natural gas deposits with the laying of flow lines to pipe the gas from the Jubilee Field to the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
Technip, the company which did the subsea installation for oil production for the Jubilee partners, has been contracted by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to engineer, weld and install a 14-kilometre rigid steel flow line under Phase I of the project for onward extension to the shore.
Under the current phase, the flow lines will be connected to the gas export riser linked to the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah for onward transportation to the shore.
Officials say the flow lines will constitute the deep-water section of a pipeline which will be used to pipe natural gas from the Jubilee Field to the onshore processing plant.
At the moment the move by the country to harness its natural gas has attracted the attention of power producers and other companies that are interested in the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol using natural gas.
Technip has successfully completed the fabrication and spooling of the 14 kilometres of 12,75-inch flow lines on board the laying vessel, Apache II, at the Technip Spool Base in Alabama, USA, and the vessel is expected to arrive in Ghana next Thursday.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Ghana Country Manager for Technip, Mr Stephane Sole, said the company did not engage only its own expertise but also involved some officials of GNPC in the process of designing and welding the flow lines, as well as the procurement and engineering staff at its Paris office during the preparation phase.
He said the move was to afford Technip the opportunity to transfer its skills and knowledge to Ghana through the GNPC, a policy which was in line with its resolve not only to work for the country but also enhance the skills of Ghanaians, whom he described as curious and highly trainable.
Mr Sole said the onshore operations would be run from the Sekondi Naval Base which had supported Technip since its arrival in the country.
The Apache II, he said, was fully loaded with the flow lines and would start work immediately it arrived, as the initial preparations had been concluded.
He said the offshore operations would integrate workers from the GNPC to attend to the operations offshore, saying, “Within our onshore team to support the offshore operations there will also be the involvement of the GNPC team during the whole project, from engineering to installation.”
Mr Sole said there had been meetings with lead operators of the Jubilee Field partners, including the GNPC, and they had been very co-operative.
“From the beginning of the project, the permanent and effective communication among the GNPC, Tullow Oil and the partners and Technip will be one of the key factors for the success of these operations,” he said.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Waste oil pollutes Axim coastline (Back Page Jan 28)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Axim
A LONG stretch of the coastline at Axim in the Western Region has been inundated with heavy oil spillage, known as tar balls, as a result of the increase in vessel traffic in the country’s waters.
The substance is not the country’s sweet crude currently being produced offshore at the Jubilee Fields but heavy waste oil from vessels that supposedly visit the country’s ports for commercial or supply services.
At the moment, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is yet to identify the particular vessels that continuously discharge the waste oil into the country’s waters.
The inhabitants of three communities in the Axim municipality — Amanfukumam, Akyinim and Brawire — who are mainly fishermen cannot use their beaches as a result of the situation.
However, the Western Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Mr Gershon Sogbey, and a team from the Eco Brigade have moved in to clean portions of the beach to enable the fishermen and the community to use it.
Mr Sogbey told the Daily Graphic that the team had managed to clean most of the affected areas, especially the place the fisher folk could use for their trade.
He said his outfit was very vigilant and proactive and would ensure that the affected areas were cleared in order not to affect the activities of fishermen.
When contacted, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency said they had visited the area and taken samples of the substance for examination.
A LONG stretch of the coastline at Axim in the Western Region has been inundated with heavy oil spillage, known as tar balls, as a result of the increase in vessel traffic in the country’s waters.
The substance is not the country’s sweet crude currently being produced offshore at the Jubilee Fields but heavy waste oil from vessels that supposedly visit the country’s ports for commercial or supply services.
At the moment, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is yet to identify the particular vessels that continuously discharge the waste oil into the country’s waters.
The inhabitants of three communities in the Axim municipality — Amanfukumam, Akyinim and Brawire — who are mainly fishermen cannot use their beaches as a result of the situation.
However, the Western Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Mr Gershon Sogbey, and a team from the Eco Brigade have moved in to clean portions of the beach to enable the fishermen and the community to use it.
Mr Sogbey told the Daily Graphic that the team had managed to clean most of the affected areas, especially the place the fisher folk could use for their trade.
He said his outfit was very vigilant and proactive and would ensure that the affected areas were cleared in order not to affect the activities of fishermen.
When contacted, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency said they had visited the area and taken samples of the substance for examination.
Fishermen angry with aspects of new Fisheries Law (Back Page Jan 28, 2011
Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Canoe Owners Association (COA) has urged the government to review the provision in the Fisheries Act which criminalises the use of light for fishing.
It said the government should approve the use of light as a new technology for fishing, instead of criminalising it as a practice which depleted fingerlings.
At a press conference at the Albert Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour in Sekondi, the Secretary of COA, Mr Joe Eshun, said the clampdown on fishermen who use light to fish was collapsing the businesses of small-scale fishermen.
“To us, what is destroying the sea is actually the pair and single trawlers which sweep the sea bed with their nets and select what they want and trade the rest at sea,” he said.
Mr Eshun said using light for fishing did not involve the application of chemicals or use of any prohibited fishing methods that could endanger the country’s fish stock.
“If possible, the authorities should set a time for us to use the light and after that period we stop. At the moment, we are in debt to individual lenders, as well as the banks,” he said.
He added that there were many acts of illegal fishing in the country but the law enforcement agencies only focused on the use of light for fishing.
When contacted, the Western Regional Director of the National Fisheries Commission, Mr Alex Sabah, said he had received the complaint of the fishing community and indicated that his outfit was doing everything possible to ensure that their interest was protected.
He said the government outlawed the use of light for fishing in order to prevent fishermen from destroying fingerlings and allow them to reproduce.
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Canoe Owners Association (COA) has urged the government to review the provision in the Fisheries Act which criminalises the use of light for fishing.
It said the government should approve the use of light as a new technology for fishing, instead of criminalising it as a practice which depleted fingerlings.
At a press conference at the Albert Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour in Sekondi, the Secretary of COA, Mr Joe Eshun, said the clampdown on fishermen who use light to fish was collapsing the businesses of small-scale fishermen.
“To us, what is destroying the sea is actually the pair and single trawlers which sweep the sea bed with their nets and select what they want and trade the rest at sea,” he said.
Mr Eshun said using light for fishing did not involve the application of chemicals or use of any prohibited fishing methods that could endanger the country’s fish stock.
“If possible, the authorities should set a time for us to use the light and after that period we stop. At the moment, we are in debt to individual lenders, as well as the banks,” he said.
He added that there were many acts of illegal fishing in the country but the law enforcement agencies only focused on the use of light for fishing.
When contacted, the Western Regional Director of the National Fisheries Commission, Mr Alex Sabah, said he had received the complaint of the fishing community and indicated that his outfit was doing everything possible to ensure that their interest was protected.
He said the government outlawed the use of light for fishing in order to prevent fishermen from destroying fingerlings and allow them to reproduce.
ANOTHER CASUALTY IN TAKORADI ACCIDENT (1C, JAN 28, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE last of the children who were involved in the accident at Kwesimintsim in the Western Region which claimed five lives has died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after weeks of efforts to save her life.
Eleven-year-old Melissa Donkor took her final breath yesterday after two weeks of fighting to stay alive.
She was said to have sustained a deep laceration and multiple fracture of her pelvic bone and could not make it after two weeks on admission at Korle-Bu.
The hope of her family that their child would rejoin them was dashed, as Melissa, whose brother and others died on the spot, while her sister and other schoolmates sustained various degrees of injury, passed on in the early hours of yesterday.
When she was on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, Melissa did not respond well to treatment but was said to have shown positive signs of recovery, for which reason she was airlifted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
The team of doctors who had worked around the clock to ensure that she survived expressed regret that she could not pull through and consoled Melissa’s family for their loss.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, who had earlier visited the children in the hospital, was distressed by the news of the girl’s death.
He said he was about to hold a meeting with the school authorities when the news of Melissa’s death came to him.
He expressed his deepest condolence to the family of the deceased and the other bereaved families, saying, “It was my hope and prayer that Little Melissa would get well and rejoin her family and the nation but she sadly passed on.”
The accident in question, which happened two weeks ago, had the driver of an articulated truck run over and kill four schoolchildren and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim.
The driver then bolted, but he later surrendered to the Kumasi Police before he was transferred to Takoradi.
Meanwhile, the driver is still in custody and will reappear in court on February 2, 2011.
THE last of the children who were involved in the accident at Kwesimintsim in the Western Region which claimed five lives has died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after weeks of efforts to save her life.
Eleven-year-old Melissa Donkor took her final breath yesterday after two weeks of fighting to stay alive.
She was said to have sustained a deep laceration and multiple fracture of her pelvic bone and could not make it after two weeks on admission at Korle-Bu.
The hope of her family that their child would rejoin them was dashed, as Melissa, whose brother and others died on the spot, while her sister and other schoolmates sustained various degrees of injury, passed on in the early hours of yesterday.
When she was on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, Melissa did not respond well to treatment but was said to have shown positive signs of recovery, for which reason she was airlifted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
The team of doctors who had worked around the clock to ensure that she survived expressed regret that she could not pull through and consoled Melissa’s family for their loss.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, who had earlier visited the children in the hospital, was distressed by the news of the girl’s death.
He said he was about to hold a meeting with the school authorities when the news of Melissa’s death came to him.
He expressed his deepest condolence to the family of the deceased and the other bereaved families, saying, “It was my hope and prayer that Little Melissa would get well and rejoin her family and the nation but she sadly passed on.”
The accident in question, which happened two weeks ago, had the driver of an articulated truck run over and kill four schoolchildren and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim.
The driver then bolted, but he later surrendered to the Kumasi Police before he was transferred to Takoradi.
Meanwhile, the driver is still in custody and will reappear in court on February 2, 2011.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
US NAVAL RESERVES HONOURS GHANAIAN NAVAL OFFICER (PAGE 23, JAN 27, 2011)
A GHANAIAN Naval Officer who served on the just ended African Partnership Station (APS) of the United State of Africa Command, (AFRICOM) has been honoured by United States Naval Reserves (USNR) on behalf of the US Government.
The Commanding Officer of the Ghana Navy Basic Training and Leadership Skills School, Lt. Comdr. Samuel Ayelazono, was awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Rear Admiral Robert Wray of USNR during his visit to the Eastern Naval Command, Tema for his dedication to duty.
The citation reads, “Meritorious service while serving as the Ghanaian member of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) USS Gunston Hall (LSD44) Staff”.
He said the officer demonstrated exemplary professionalism and attention to detail he co-ordinated all APS maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea for 200 personnel from four African countries and ships of three navies, enhancing regional partnerships and proficiencies of maritime professionals.
“During the Haitian Earthquake Relief Operations, he crafted a patent tracking system, rendered urgent medical assistance, and helped with humanitarian aid distribution,” he said.
He said Lt. Comdr. Ayelazono’s exceptional professionalism, personal initiative and complete dedication to duty were in line with the highest traditions of the naval service.
Rear Admiral Wray and his four member delegation were later taken round by the Commanding Officer of the Base, Commander Kwafo, to tour the ships ‘Anzone’ and ‘Sebo’ at the Tema Port.
Interacting with the naval officers at the Wardroom, Rear Admiral Wray commended them for working hand in hand with the Americans. He urged them to go the extra mile to continue with the good works, to ensure that their partnership endured.
He said his visit to Ghana was not only to strengthen the existing ties between the US and Ghana but also to afford him a firsthand knowledge of how the Ghana Navy was co-ordinating with the African Partnership Station Programme (APS).
The Commanding Officer of the Ghana Navy Basic Training and Leadership Skills School, Lt. Comdr. Samuel Ayelazono, was awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Rear Admiral Robert Wray of USNR during his visit to the Eastern Naval Command, Tema for his dedication to duty.
The citation reads, “Meritorious service while serving as the Ghanaian member of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) USS Gunston Hall (LSD44) Staff”.
He said the officer demonstrated exemplary professionalism and attention to detail he co-ordinated all APS maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea for 200 personnel from four African countries and ships of three navies, enhancing regional partnerships and proficiencies of maritime professionals.
“During the Haitian Earthquake Relief Operations, he crafted a patent tracking system, rendered urgent medical assistance, and helped with humanitarian aid distribution,” he said.
He said Lt. Comdr. Ayelazono’s exceptional professionalism, personal initiative and complete dedication to duty were in line with the highest traditions of the naval service.
Rear Admiral Wray and his four member delegation were later taken round by the Commanding Officer of the Base, Commander Kwafo, to tour the ships ‘Anzone’ and ‘Sebo’ at the Tema Port.
Interacting with the naval officers at the Wardroom, Rear Admiral Wray commended them for working hand in hand with the Americans. He urged them to go the extra mile to continue with the good works, to ensure that their partnership endured.
He said his visit to Ghana was not only to strengthen the existing ties between the US and Ghana but also to afford him a firsthand knowledge of how the Ghana Navy was co-ordinating with the African Partnership Station Programme (APS).
SANITY RETURNS TO STREETS OF TWIN-CITY (PAGE 23, JAN 27, 2011)
Streets in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis have seen less congestion after a private company introduced the park and pay system in the city.
The system situation has eliminated the situation where visitors to the metropolis, shoppers and customers, as well as staff of corporate bodies with vehicles parked on the both sides of the streets.
At present, all the streets in the central business district have been marked and vehicle owners who park on these streets have to pay GH¢0.50p every hour.
According to the Chief Executive of Gold Street Real Estate, Mr Kakraba Amppeh, the focus and the agreement reached with the metropolitan assembly and sub-metros was to create the consciousness that would make vehicle owners park in an acceptable manner.
At the moment, Mr Amppeh said young men and women had been employed to sell tickets to people who parked at the designated places in the metropolis while wrongly parked vehicles were usually clamped.
The company, he said, was researching and assessing the needs of companies and their employees who operate from the central business district and had designed special stickers for them.
“With that, the vehicle owner is at liberty to purchase a sticker for a month, two months, quarterly, half-a-year or a whole year to save the vehicle owners the problems of paying 50p every hour,” he said.
Mr Kakraba said there were also designated places in the metropolis where vehicles of shop owners, white-colour workers and other people with businesses in the CBD could park the whole day.
He said the situation in the metropolis if not managed on time could degenerate into more chaotic congestion which would not only create slow movement but also reduce productivity.
He said while moves were being made to ensure that there are expansion in social infrastructure, there was the need to manage the current space until the perfect environment was created.
“At the moment, the streets within the railways quarters are been studied for the creation of one way, while the other is marked for parking,” he said.
Asked if there are any difficulties, he said the only problem had to do with co-operation by members of the general public and added, “That was the initial problem but the public have come to understand and appreciate the need to park-and-ride or park well at a fee”.
He appealed to members of the general public to demand their ticket after parking and paying, saying “the vehicle owners should note that ticket lasts for just an hour and they will be charged extra after another hour”.
He, however, cautioned corporate bodies that if they had paid for a month, quarterly and yearly, then they had the exclusive right to designated places as some companies had posted notice of no parking in front of their offices.
He also said the sticker did not guarantee indiscriminate parking and “if your car is parked at unapproved place, it would be clamped”.
He said even though the focus was not on money, it was important to let vehicle owners also pay for the use of the designated places to ensure that the assembly generated more revenue for development projects.
The system situation has eliminated the situation where visitors to the metropolis, shoppers and customers, as well as staff of corporate bodies with vehicles parked on the both sides of the streets.
At present, all the streets in the central business district have been marked and vehicle owners who park on these streets have to pay GH¢0.50p every hour.
According to the Chief Executive of Gold Street Real Estate, Mr Kakraba Amppeh, the focus and the agreement reached with the metropolitan assembly and sub-metros was to create the consciousness that would make vehicle owners park in an acceptable manner.
At the moment, Mr Amppeh said young men and women had been employed to sell tickets to people who parked at the designated places in the metropolis while wrongly parked vehicles were usually clamped.
The company, he said, was researching and assessing the needs of companies and their employees who operate from the central business district and had designed special stickers for them.
“With that, the vehicle owner is at liberty to purchase a sticker for a month, two months, quarterly, half-a-year or a whole year to save the vehicle owners the problems of paying 50p every hour,” he said.
Mr Kakraba said there were also designated places in the metropolis where vehicles of shop owners, white-colour workers and other people with businesses in the CBD could park the whole day.
He said the situation in the metropolis if not managed on time could degenerate into more chaotic congestion which would not only create slow movement but also reduce productivity.
He said while moves were being made to ensure that there are expansion in social infrastructure, there was the need to manage the current space until the perfect environment was created.
“At the moment, the streets within the railways quarters are been studied for the creation of one way, while the other is marked for parking,” he said.
Asked if there are any difficulties, he said the only problem had to do with co-operation by members of the general public and added, “That was the initial problem but the public have come to understand and appreciate the need to park-and-ride or park well at a fee”.
He appealed to members of the general public to demand their ticket after parking and paying, saying “the vehicle owners should note that ticket lasts for just an hour and they will be charged extra after another hour”.
He, however, cautioned corporate bodies that if they had paid for a month, quarterly and yearly, then they had the exclusive right to designated places as some companies had posted notice of no parking in front of their offices.
He also said the sticker did not guarantee indiscriminate parking and “if your car is parked at unapproved place, it would be clamped”.
He said even though the focus was not on money, it was important to let vehicle owners also pay for the use of the designated places to ensure that the assembly generated more revenue for development projects.
BOILING BITUMEN CLAIMS LIFE OF DEALER (1C, JAN 26, 2011)
RESIDENTS of Lagos Town in the Sekondi/Takoradi twin-city were witnesses to a horrifying spectacle last Sunday afternoon when a 51-year-old bitumen dealer fell into boiling bitumen.
The man, George Charles Paapa, died shortly after he had been rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
He was said to have gone to a yard at Tadisco Down where he usually melted the material before supplying it to customers the following day.
The police said after melting the bitumen, the deceased was in the process of pouring it into containers when he fell over into the boiling bitumen.
According to the police, at the time of the incident, the owner of the yard had gone to church and the deceased was the only person there.
But he was later rescued and rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later.
According to the police, the deceased sustained serious injuries and vomited blood after the accident.
The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy, while the police continue with investigations into the matter.
The man, George Charles Paapa, died shortly after he had been rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
He was said to have gone to a yard at Tadisco Down where he usually melted the material before supplying it to customers the following day.
The police said after melting the bitumen, the deceased was in the process of pouring it into containers when he fell over into the boiling bitumen.
According to the police, at the time of the incident, the owner of the yard had gone to church and the deceased was the only person there.
But he was later rescued and rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later.
According to the police, the deceased sustained serious injuries and vomited blood after the accident.
The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy, while the police continue with investigations into the matter.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
CHAINSAW OPERATOR KILLED BY FALLING TREE (PAGE 3, JAN 25, 2011)
A chainsaw operator met his death at Prestea in the Prestea-Huni-Valley District of the Western Region when the branches of a tree he was felling, fell on him, killing him instantly.
The police said the chainsaw operator, Kingsley Ave, 31, had been contracted to clear a piece of land for farming purposes when the accident occurred.
According to the police, Ave was a chainsaw operator and he had been asked to clear a piece of land for farming purposes at Dwiregum, a community near Prestea.
After clearing the bush, the owner of the land asked him to fell the trees which had occupied portions of the land meant for farming.
The police said in the process, Ave cut the first tree which fell on another tree near it.
That, according to the police, brought the cut tree down with speed, hitting Ave on the chest and killing him instantly.
The body of the deceased has since been examined and released to the family for burial.
The police said the chainsaw operator, Kingsley Ave, 31, had been contracted to clear a piece of land for farming purposes when the accident occurred.
According to the police, Ave was a chainsaw operator and he had been asked to clear a piece of land for farming purposes at Dwiregum, a community near Prestea.
After clearing the bush, the owner of the land asked him to fell the trees which had occupied portions of the land meant for farming.
The police said in the process, Ave cut the first tree which fell on another tree near it.
That, according to the police, brought the cut tree down with speed, hitting Ave on the chest and killing him instantly.
The body of the deceased has since been examined and released to the family for burial.
TRAGIC END OF ILLEGAL MINER (1C JAN 25, 2011)
A galamsey operator lost his life over the weekend when he fell into one of the numerous abandoned mining pits at Tokoto, a community near Wassa Akropong in the Wassa Amenfi East District of the Western Region.
The police said the deceased, Kwame George, 48, was said to have lost balance and fell into the pit. His cries for help had not been heard by his colleagues.
According to his colleagues, the pit was full of sharp rocks.
When his colleagues noticed his absence and went in search of him, he was already dead.
According to the police, the deceased had gone prospecting for gold and after the day’s business about 5 p.m., he had gone to a pond to wash himself.
They said his cries for help did not get to his colleagues, since the pit was a distance from where they had been prospecting and, therefore, he could not get help on time.
His colleagues, the police said, noticed his absence because his tools had not been fully packed. That was when they decided to look for him, only to realise that his clothes were at the edge of the pit.
A search conducted later indicated that George had died in the pit.
The incident was then reported to the police and the body has been deposited at the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital mortuary.
The police said the deceased, Kwame George, 48, was said to have lost balance and fell into the pit. His cries for help had not been heard by his colleagues.
According to his colleagues, the pit was full of sharp rocks.
When his colleagues noticed his absence and went in search of him, he was already dead.
According to the police, the deceased had gone prospecting for gold and after the day’s business about 5 p.m., he had gone to a pond to wash himself.
They said his cries for help did not get to his colleagues, since the pit was a distance from where they had been prospecting and, therefore, he could not get help on time.
His colleagues, the police said, noticed his absence because his tools had not been fully packed. That was when they decided to look for him, only to realise that his clothes were at the edge of the pit.
A search conducted later indicated that George had died in the pit.
The incident was then reported to the police and the body has been deposited at the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital mortuary.
Monday, January 24, 2011
DRIVERS NEED MORE EDUCATION ON ROAD SAFETY (PAGE 23, JAN 24, 2011)
A cross section of the public in Sekondi/Takoradi is asking the Western Regional Road Safety Commission to re-orient drivers in the metropolis to make the roads safer to avert future accidents.
Refering to the accident which claimed the lives of four schoolchildren and a woman last week they were of the view that many road signs in the metropolis were either removed or faded, therefore, drivers or motorist thought they have the road to themselves without observing traffic regulations.
According to them, at most pedestrain crossings it is difficult to get the attention of motorists since there were no signs to prompt them of the potential halt ahead.
On a drive through the metropolis, the Daily Graphic observed that many of the road signs had faded and the zebra crossing which is supposed to be reflective were not in place.
One could only see the two ends of zebra stripes.
The Regional Police Command had actually deployed its personnel to various crossings but that was not enough since the police were needed for other duties.
Refering to the accident which claimed the lives of four schoolchildren and a woman last week they were of the view that many road signs in the metropolis were either removed or faded, therefore, drivers or motorist thought they have the road to themselves without observing traffic regulations.
According to them, at most pedestrain crossings it is difficult to get the attention of motorists since there were no signs to prompt them of the potential halt ahead.
On a drive through the metropolis, the Daily Graphic observed that many of the road signs had faded and the zebra crossing which is supposed to be reflective were not in place.
One could only see the two ends of zebra stripes.
The Regional Police Command had actually deployed its personnel to various crossings but that was not enough since the police were needed for other duties.
MILLS ASSURES OF FULL PROTECTION FOR COUNTRY'S MARITIME DOMAIN (SPREAD, JAN 24, 2011)
President John Evans Atta Mills has assured the nation that the fight against illegalities in the maritime domain will not be concentrated around the recently found oil off west Cape Three Points in the Western Region but will cover all illegalities offshore.
He said criminals who were involved in all manner of activities which cost the country millions of cedis should not think that the country’s attention would be shifted to the oil fields for them to have relief to continue their nefarious activities offshore.
He acknowledged that the “the new resource has changed our maritime security landscape considerably. We are already grappling with illegal fishing activities, smuggling and trafficking of narcotics which cost the country several millions of dollars a year”.
The President said this in a speech read on his behalf at a ceremony to inaugurate a new vessel, the GNS Stephen Otu, at the home port of the Western Naval Command.
The vessel has a length of 33.1 metres, breadth of 6.92 metres and draft of 2.38 metres, with a speed of 35 knots, making it versatile for many tasks.
President Mills said with the oil find, “new challenges such as the risk of spillage, increase in shipping off our coast and the possibility of accidents cannot be ruled out, while criminal activities at sea are likely to increase”.
He advised miscreants in society who were bent on derailing the efforts by the government to make Ghana an icon of stability, peace and transparency in the sub-region to stop their activities before the law caught up with them.
He said since the oil resource was very crucial to the country’s development agenda, there was the need for measures to safeguard it by resourcing the Ghana Navy.
President Mills said the time had come for the Navy to be equipped and gave the assurance that by the end of this year two new crafts of 600 metres would be delivered to the Ghana Navy for commissioning into service next year.
He assured the Navy of the government’s support to re-equip it to deliver and commended the personnel for excellent work in the face of limited resources.
For his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Matthew Quarshie, said the procurement of the vessel was timely, adding that it was the dream of the Ghana Navy to stay at sea to perform its functions.
The Korean Envoy to Ghana, Mr Lee Sang-hak, said the friendship between the two countries would work for the benefit of the two.
He said the vessel was one of the best in the fleet of the Korean Navy and gave its original name as “Kamzori”, meaning See Evil, and expressed the hope that it would support Ghana to fight maritime crime.
He said criminals who were involved in all manner of activities which cost the country millions of cedis should not think that the country’s attention would be shifted to the oil fields for them to have relief to continue their nefarious activities offshore.
He acknowledged that the “the new resource has changed our maritime security landscape considerably. We are already grappling with illegal fishing activities, smuggling and trafficking of narcotics which cost the country several millions of dollars a year”.
The President said this in a speech read on his behalf at a ceremony to inaugurate a new vessel, the GNS Stephen Otu, at the home port of the Western Naval Command.
The vessel has a length of 33.1 metres, breadth of 6.92 metres and draft of 2.38 metres, with a speed of 35 knots, making it versatile for many tasks.
President Mills said with the oil find, “new challenges such as the risk of spillage, increase in shipping off our coast and the possibility of accidents cannot be ruled out, while criminal activities at sea are likely to increase”.
He advised miscreants in society who were bent on derailing the efforts by the government to make Ghana an icon of stability, peace and transparency in the sub-region to stop their activities before the law caught up with them.
He said since the oil resource was very crucial to the country’s development agenda, there was the need for measures to safeguard it by resourcing the Ghana Navy.
President Mills said the time had come for the Navy to be equipped and gave the assurance that by the end of this year two new crafts of 600 metres would be delivered to the Ghana Navy for commissioning into service next year.
He assured the Navy of the government’s support to re-equip it to deliver and commended the personnel for excellent work in the face of limited resources.
For his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Matthew Quarshie, said the procurement of the vessel was timely, adding that it was the dream of the Ghana Navy to stay at sea to perform its functions.
The Korean Envoy to Ghana, Mr Lee Sang-hak, said the friendship between the two countries would work for the benefit of the two.
He said the vessel was one of the best in the fleet of the Korean Navy and gave its original name as “Kamzori”, meaning See Evil, and expressed the hope that it would support Ghana to fight maritime crime.
WR SECURITY DENIES INFLUX OF REFUGEES (SPREAD, JAN 24, 2011)
The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has denied reports of the influx of refugees from Cote d’Ivoire into the country through Elubo, Jewi-Wharf, New Town and other entry points in the region.
It said since the crisis began in that country, the region had not recorded even a single person as a refugee and that places prepared for that possibility in the Ellembele District were still unoccupied.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Western Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said those reported as refugees were actually seasonal fishermen and their families who were returning home after their fishing expedition.
He said it was important not to confuse Ghanaian fishermen returning home with refugees seeking asylum as a result of the conflict in their home country.
“The REGSEC is in touch with the relevant institutions and has mounted surveillance at the various entry points but no refugee has been recorded,” he said.
He said trading between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire had resumed in a very peaceful manner and there was no sign of the influx of refugees.
Mr Aidoo said the people of Cote d’Ivoire and the Western Region, especially those living close to the border, were blood relations and the people from the other side of the border should not, therefore, be mistaken for refugees.
When the Daily Graphic got to the three most prominent entry points in the Jomoro District, namely, New Town, Jewi-Wharf and Elubo, traders were doing brisk business.
The people were surprised about the news of the influx of refugees into Ghana, explaining that the situation in their country did not warrant such an action.
When contacted, the District Police Commander, DSP John F. Dzineku, told the Daily Graphic that there had not been any record of refugees.
Other security agencies at the border corroborated the claim that there was no rush of refugees into the country, noting that trading between the two countries had rather resumed.
It said since the crisis began in that country, the region had not recorded even a single person as a refugee and that places prepared for that possibility in the Ellembele District were still unoccupied.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Western Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said those reported as refugees were actually seasonal fishermen and their families who were returning home after their fishing expedition.
He said it was important not to confuse Ghanaian fishermen returning home with refugees seeking asylum as a result of the conflict in their home country.
“The REGSEC is in touch with the relevant institutions and has mounted surveillance at the various entry points but no refugee has been recorded,” he said.
He said trading between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire had resumed in a very peaceful manner and there was no sign of the influx of refugees.
Mr Aidoo said the people of Cote d’Ivoire and the Western Region, especially those living close to the border, were blood relations and the people from the other side of the border should not, therefore, be mistaken for refugees.
When the Daily Graphic got to the three most prominent entry points in the Jomoro District, namely, New Town, Jewi-Wharf and Elubo, traders were doing brisk business.
The people were surprised about the news of the influx of refugees into Ghana, explaining that the situation in their country did not warrant such an action.
When contacted, the District Police Commander, DSP John F. Dzineku, told the Daily Graphic that there had not been any record of refugees.
Other security agencies at the border corroborated the claim that there was no rush of refugees into the country, noting that trading between the two countries had rather resumed.
Friday, January 21, 2011
OIL, GAS CONFERENCE HELD IN TAKORADI (PAGE 19, JAN 21, 2011)
A three-day oil and gas conference opened in Takoradi yesterday, with a call on civil society, the media and traditional rulers across the country to take special interest in issues on the operations of the oil industry.
The conference, the first since Ghana officially started drilling oil, is aimed at creating a better understanding of the operations of the new oil and gas industry in the country.
It is being sponsored by Tullow Oil.
The Public Affairs Director at Tullow Ghana, Mr Tony Aubbyn, said as the country moved from oil exploration to production and export, it was important that participants in the conference, who serve as links with the public, had a clear understanding of the operations of the new industry.
That would ensure that all stakeholders felt a part of the industry and contributed to educate the public on its benefits to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the way forward for a successful oil industry in the country was through proper communication, in which stakeholders were taken through the operations of the major operators to enable them to ask the necessary questions that truly reflected the thoughts of the people in their communities.
The public affairs director said Tullow was committed to operating with the support of the people, for which reason it would continue to dialogue with the people and share information to ensure that the operations of the industry were properly understood.
Mr Aubbyn expressed the hope that at the end of the conference, participants would be equipped to understand the industry and help relay it to members of the larger community.
For his part, the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kobby Okyere-Darko Mensah, said it was important that the public who were the real owners of the resource understood the operations of the industry.
He said there was much expectation and so if the people were made to understand the real issues, it would help manage some of that expectation.
A resource person, Mr Ian Philip, an industry expert from the Robert Gorden University, took participants through technical introduction on the upstream and downstream aspects of the oil industry.
He also took them through the risks and benefits associated with the industry.
The conference, the first since Ghana officially started drilling oil, is aimed at creating a better understanding of the operations of the new oil and gas industry in the country.
It is being sponsored by Tullow Oil.
The Public Affairs Director at Tullow Ghana, Mr Tony Aubbyn, said as the country moved from oil exploration to production and export, it was important that participants in the conference, who serve as links with the public, had a clear understanding of the operations of the new industry.
That would ensure that all stakeholders felt a part of the industry and contributed to educate the public on its benefits to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the way forward for a successful oil industry in the country was through proper communication, in which stakeholders were taken through the operations of the major operators to enable them to ask the necessary questions that truly reflected the thoughts of the people in their communities.
The public affairs director said Tullow was committed to operating with the support of the people, for which reason it would continue to dialogue with the people and share information to ensure that the operations of the industry were properly understood.
Mr Aubbyn expressed the hope that at the end of the conference, participants would be equipped to understand the industry and help relay it to members of the larger community.
For his part, the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kobby Okyere-Darko Mensah, said it was important that the public who were the real owners of the resource understood the operations of the industry.
He said there was much expectation and so if the people were made to understand the real issues, it would help manage some of that expectation.
A resource person, Mr Ian Philip, an industry expert from the Robert Gorden University, took participants through technical introduction on the upstream and downstream aspects of the oil industry.
He also took them through the risks and benefits associated with the industry.
TAKORADI ACCIDENT VICTIM IDENTIFIED (PAGE 3, JAN 21, 2011)
THE police have identified the woman who was killed when an articulated truck ran over and killed four schoolchildren and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim in Takoradi.
The body of the woman, identified as Madam Perpetual Oppong, 55, has since been released to her family for burial.
She had gone to her grandchildren’s school to pick up her two grandchildren who survived the accident.
Family members said Madam Oppong was a very dedicated grandmother who always went to pick up her grandchildren after school.
They commended the branch manager of the company whose truck ran over the children for helping to apprehend the driver of the vehicle and the financial support they got.
Some of the children who were caught up in the accident are said to be doing well after being discharged from hospital, while others are still undergoing reviews.
One of them, 12-year-old Melisa Donkor, whose injuries were serious, has been flown to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for further medical attention.
The District Police Commander, DSP Ayamga Akologo, said the driver of the accident vehicle had been processed for court on provisional charges of careless and inconsiderate driving.
“But the docket has since been presented to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice and the suspect is supposed to be back in court on February 2, 2011,” he said.
He called on drivers to be mindful of the implications of not being meticulous on the road.
The four children who died in the accident were buried on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The body of the woman, identified as Madam Perpetual Oppong, 55, has since been released to her family for burial.
She had gone to her grandchildren’s school to pick up her two grandchildren who survived the accident.
Family members said Madam Oppong was a very dedicated grandmother who always went to pick up her grandchildren after school.
They commended the branch manager of the company whose truck ran over the children for helping to apprehend the driver of the vehicle and the financial support they got.
Some of the children who were caught up in the accident are said to be doing well after being discharged from hospital, while others are still undergoing reviews.
One of them, 12-year-old Melisa Donkor, whose injuries were serious, has been flown to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for further medical attention.
The District Police Commander, DSP Ayamga Akologo, said the driver of the accident vehicle had been processed for court on provisional charges of careless and inconsiderate driving.
“But the docket has since been presented to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice and the suspect is supposed to be back in court on February 2, 2011,” he said.
He called on drivers to be mindful of the implications of not being meticulous on the road.
The four children who died in the accident were buried on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
ELEVEN ELLEMBELLE C'NITIES CONNECTED TO NATIONAL GRID (BACK PAGE, JAN 19, 2011)
Eleven communities in the Ellembelle Constituency, in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region have been connected to the national grid under the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP).
The beneficiary communities are Salman, Awiaso, Sendu, Aiyinase-Nyamebeyere, Kanokware, Atababo, Ekokonu, Fiasoro, Aluku, Asasetre-Nyamebekyere and Adubrim.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, initiated the programme.
The MP said the extension of electricity to the communities would have a multiplier effect on the communities socially and economically and urged the beneficiary communities to use the electricity wisely.
He said apart from using it to operate small-scale-businesses, it would also facilitate learning and teaching in schools and thereby help raise the standard of education.
The MP, who is also a Deputy Minister for Energy, promised to collaborate with the district health directorate to provide Community Health Improvement Programme (CHIP) Compounds in some communities.
The MP said the government meant it, when it said it would create the needed environment for every Ghanaian to realise his or her potential.
At Adubrim, the MP was carried in a palanquin amidst songs of praises from the outskirts of the town to the ceremonial grounds.
For his part, the acting Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Anthony Asan, called on the people to monitor the project and report faults to its offices for early rectification.
He said the district officers of the ECG would visit the communities to educate them on electricity usage and called on them to manage the electricity wisely in order not to create problems for themselves.
The chief of the Adubrim community, Nana Assua Miea III, commended the MP for always being in touch with his people and his ability to lobby for development and his personal contribution to that effect.
On behalf of the beneficiary communities the Adubrimhene expressed their gratitude to the government and the MP for the projects.
The District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Mr Daniel K. Eshun, called on the beneficiary communities to remain united and promote the development of their various localities.
He said it was to improve the state of their roads that the assembly had procured a grader to reshape them temporarily until the government got the resources to reconstruct them.
Mr Eshun prevailed upon the communities to rekindle their communal spirit and initiate projects for the assembly to support them.
He also appealed to parents to ensure that their children used the light to study instead of watching television.
The beneficiary communities are Salman, Awiaso, Sendu, Aiyinase-Nyamebeyere, Kanokware, Atababo, Ekokonu, Fiasoro, Aluku, Asasetre-Nyamebekyere and Adubrim.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, initiated the programme.
The MP said the extension of electricity to the communities would have a multiplier effect on the communities socially and economically and urged the beneficiary communities to use the electricity wisely.
He said apart from using it to operate small-scale-businesses, it would also facilitate learning and teaching in schools and thereby help raise the standard of education.
The MP, who is also a Deputy Minister for Energy, promised to collaborate with the district health directorate to provide Community Health Improvement Programme (CHIP) Compounds in some communities.
The MP said the government meant it, when it said it would create the needed environment for every Ghanaian to realise his or her potential.
At Adubrim, the MP was carried in a palanquin amidst songs of praises from the outskirts of the town to the ceremonial grounds.
For his part, the acting Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Anthony Asan, called on the people to monitor the project and report faults to its offices for early rectification.
He said the district officers of the ECG would visit the communities to educate them on electricity usage and called on them to manage the electricity wisely in order not to create problems for themselves.
The chief of the Adubrim community, Nana Assua Miea III, commended the MP for always being in touch with his people and his ability to lobby for development and his personal contribution to that effect.
On behalf of the beneficiary communities the Adubrimhene expressed their gratitude to the government and the MP for the projects.
The District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Mr Daniel K. Eshun, called on the beneficiary communities to remain united and promote the development of their various localities.
He said it was to improve the state of their roads that the assembly had procured a grader to reshape them temporarily until the government got the resources to reconstruct them.
Mr Eshun prevailed upon the communities to rekindle their communal spirit and initiate projects for the assembly to support them.
He also appealed to parents to ensure that their children used the light to study instead of watching television.
SWIFT, TOUGH VESSEL FOR NAVY...To protect oil activities (1B, JAN 19, 2011)
The Ghana Navy has taken delivery of a naval vessel to protect the nation’s territorial waters and offshore oil activities.
Delivered under an agreement between the Ghanaian and the Korean governments, the quick attack armoured vessel has a cabin capacity for a 28-member crew and is equipped to distil sea water into fresh water.
According to a source at the Western Naval Command, the vessel is expected to be named after one of the former top commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces.
It said the vessel had greater speed than any of the vessels currently under the command of the Ghana Navy and would help the Navy to increase its presence in the maritime domain, especially protecting the Jubilee Fields from intrusion by fishermen and pirates.
It said currently new vessels with designs to meet the country’s security needs were under construction in Korea and China and would soon be delivered to augment the fleet of the Ghana Navy.
It said the vessel had undergone its first maintenance at the home port of the Western Naval Command and was awaiting its official inauguration by President J.E.A. Mills.
The source added that Ghana’s coastline would be patrolled to ensure that the country’s fish stock was protected to make the issue of pair-trawling a thing of the past.
It noted that there were plans for the establishment of a military unit in the Jomoro District of the Western Region to serve as a base for the Navy, the Ghana Air Force and the Ghana Police Service.
At the moment, most of the vessels of the Ghana Navy are old and this has brought much pressure on the military budget in terms of maintenance and running cost.
The source lauded the arrival of the new vessel and said it would effectively play the role of defender, in collaboration with other vessels such as the GNS Achimota, the GNS Yogaga, the GNS Anzoni, the GNS Dzata, the GNS Hanson, the GNS Bonsu, among others.
Delivered under an agreement between the Ghanaian and the Korean governments, the quick attack armoured vessel has a cabin capacity for a 28-member crew and is equipped to distil sea water into fresh water.
According to a source at the Western Naval Command, the vessel is expected to be named after one of the former top commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces.
It said the vessel had greater speed than any of the vessels currently under the command of the Ghana Navy and would help the Navy to increase its presence in the maritime domain, especially protecting the Jubilee Fields from intrusion by fishermen and pirates.
It said currently new vessels with designs to meet the country’s security needs were under construction in Korea and China and would soon be delivered to augment the fleet of the Ghana Navy.
It said the vessel had undergone its first maintenance at the home port of the Western Naval Command and was awaiting its official inauguration by President J.E.A. Mills.
The source added that Ghana’s coastline would be patrolled to ensure that the country’s fish stock was protected to make the issue of pair-trawling a thing of the past.
It noted that there were plans for the establishment of a military unit in the Jomoro District of the Western Region to serve as a base for the Navy, the Ghana Air Force and the Ghana Police Service.
At the moment, most of the vessels of the Ghana Navy are old and this has brought much pressure on the military budget in terms of maintenance and running cost.
The source lauded the arrival of the new vessel and said it would effectively play the role of defender, in collaboration with other vessels such as the GNS Achimota, the GNS Yogaga, the GNS Anzoni, the GNS Dzata, the GNS Hanson, the GNS Bonsu, among others.
Monday, January 17, 2011
MEDEAMA BEAT RTU 2-1 (BACK PAGE, JAN 17, 2011)
Medeama Sporting Club yesterday beat visiting RTU 2-1 in their Premiership tie at the Sekondi Stadium.
Striker Louis Agyeman shot Medeama ahead as early as the fourth minute to throw the home fans into a frenzy.
However, Samuel Atia levelled up for RTU in the 35th minute to throw the game wide open.
But the homesters, who were bent on seeking revenge doubled their efforts after recess, leading to the fetching of the match winner by enterprising Emmanuel Dogbe after 52 minutes.
Tempers began to flare in the 75th minute, and that resulted in a red card being flashed on RTU’s Toufik Alolo for a verbal assault on Akatsi-based referee Samuel Suka.
It was Medeama’s turn to have their strength reduced five minutes later when Otuo Acheampong was marched off for an early shower following a savage tackle on an opponent.
Striker Louis Agyeman shot Medeama ahead as early as the fourth minute to throw the home fans into a frenzy.
However, Samuel Atia levelled up for RTU in the 35th minute to throw the game wide open.
But the homesters, who were bent on seeking revenge doubled their efforts after recess, leading to the fetching of the match winner by enterprising Emmanuel Dogbe after 52 minutes.
Tempers began to flare in the 75th minute, and that resulted in a red card being flashed on RTU’s Toufik Alolo for a verbal assault on Akatsi-based referee Samuel Suka.
It was Medeama’s turn to have their strength reduced five minutes later when Otuo Acheampong was marched off for an early shower following a savage tackle on an opponent.
200 PERCENT PENALTY ON SMUGGLED RICE (1B, JAN 17, 2011)
THE Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has slapped a 200 per cent penalty on smuggled rice brought into the country by rice importers through Elubo in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
This followed the arrest of three truck drivers who were carrying among them 1,539 bags of rice but declared only 400 bags and, therefore, paid only GH¢5,449.23 as duty, instead of about GH¢40,000.
The brands included low grade 50kg of Uncle Sam, Lion and Papillion brands of rice, with accompanying documents examined and passed by officials of the Customs Division of GRA at the Elubo Border.
No duty was, therefore, paid on the extra 1,139 bags of high grade rice, mostly 25kg, which had been concealed among the low grade ones.
The illegal act was uncovered after a re-examination of the trucks at the Police Reserve Park in Takoradi last Saturday. The quantity of rice shot up from 400 bags to a whopping 1,539 bags of high grade Uncle Sam rice.
The re-examination of the smuggled rice, carried out by the Anti-Revenue Leakage Unit of the GRA and National Security officials in the Western Region, in the presence of the police, was on the orders of the Head of the GRA, Mr George Blankson.
Ghana currently loses about GH¢200,000 a week through smuggling, which is usually carried out through the Elubo and other entry points.
On the GC-Net document shown to the Daily Graphic, the first truck, with the registration number WR 1525 P, had declared that it was carrying 400 bags of low grade broken rice but it was later discovered to be carrying 855 bags of high grade rice sandwiched with the low grade ones.
The second and third trucks, with the registration numbers AS 3371 Y and AS 8857 V, respectively, which were said to be sharing the 400 bags with the first truck, were seen to be carrying 500 bags and 184 bags, respectively, using the same method.
Explaining the modus operandi of the smugglers to the Daily Graphic, a member of the team from Accra, Mr T.O. Mills, said the smugglers packed the high grade rice into the trucks and used the low grade 50-kg bags to cover it.
That aside, he said, they also used onion bags and other low duty commodities imported through the border to smuggle in the high grade rice in order to evade tax.
The smugglers, according to Mr Mills, issued out Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices on the sale of the smuggled rice.
“This they show at the barriers, making it look as if they bought the rice in the country and, therefore, should not attract any import duty,” he said.
The smugglers, according to the officials of the Anti-Revenue Leakage Unit who carried out the exercise, attempted to bribe them (the officials), for which reason they would also be prosecuted on charges of bribery.
This followed the arrest of three truck drivers who were carrying among them 1,539 bags of rice but declared only 400 bags and, therefore, paid only GH¢5,449.23 as duty, instead of about GH¢40,000.
The brands included low grade 50kg of Uncle Sam, Lion and Papillion brands of rice, with accompanying documents examined and passed by officials of the Customs Division of GRA at the Elubo Border.
No duty was, therefore, paid on the extra 1,139 bags of high grade rice, mostly 25kg, which had been concealed among the low grade ones.
The illegal act was uncovered after a re-examination of the trucks at the Police Reserve Park in Takoradi last Saturday. The quantity of rice shot up from 400 bags to a whopping 1,539 bags of high grade Uncle Sam rice.
The re-examination of the smuggled rice, carried out by the Anti-Revenue Leakage Unit of the GRA and National Security officials in the Western Region, in the presence of the police, was on the orders of the Head of the GRA, Mr George Blankson.
Ghana currently loses about GH¢200,000 a week through smuggling, which is usually carried out through the Elubo and other entry points.
On the GC-Net document shown to the Daily Graphic, the first truck, with the registration number WR 1525 P, had declared that it was carrying 400 bags of low grade broken rice but it was later discovered to be carrying 855 bags of high grade rice sandwiched with the low grade ones.
The second and third trucks, with the registration numbers AS 3371 Y and AS 8857 V, respectively, which were said to be sharing the 400 bags with the first truck, were seen to be carrying 500 bags and 184 bags, respectively, using the same method.
Explaining the modus operandi of the smugglers to the Daily Graphic, a member of the team from Accra, Mr T.O. Mills, said the smugglers packed the high grade rice into the trucks and used the low grade 50-kg bags to cover it.
That aside, he said, they also used onion bags and other low duty commodities imported through the border to smuggle in the high grade rice in order to evade tax.
The smugglers, according to Mr Mills, issued out Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices on the sale of the smuggled rice.
“This they show at the barriers, making it look as if they bought the rice in the country and, therefore, should not attract any import duty,” he said.
The smugglers, according to the officials of the Anti-Revenue Leakage Unit who carried out the exercise, attempted to bribe them (the officials), for which reason they would also be prosecuted on charges of bribery.
FISHERMEN THREATHEN OIL BASE (1C, JAN 15, 2011)
FISHERMEN in the Western Region continue to fish around the restricted areas of the Jubilee Field located about 75 nautical miles into the sea, a development which poses danger to vital oil installations.
The fishermen, some of whom are said to have come from Cote d’Ivoire, operate very close to the turret, where the production platform, the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, is hooked to the seabed and near 17 oil wells on the Jubilee Field.
The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has declared five nautical miles radius of the Jubilee Field a no-go area and, therefore, asked fishermen not to fish in that area, but they have ignored the directive.
The Commanding Officer of the Western Naval Command, Commodore Steve Appiah, and sources close to the Jubilee partners who confirmed the intrusion of the restricted area by fishermen urged the fishermen to respect the directive of the GMA.
The fear of the Jubilee partners is that if the nets of the fishermen get entangled on the oil production lines, it will cost the nation and the Jubilee partners millions of cedis.
Last Wednesday, 49 fishermen, including some Chinese, were rounded up in a special operation by the Western Naval Command for allegedly engaging in illegal fishing in restricted areas along the coast.
In December last year, President John Evans Atta Mills symbolically pressed the knob on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to officially signify the beginning of oil drilling at the Jubilee Field.
The first phase of the Jubilee project was successfully completed at the cost of $3.35 billion.
The fishermen, some of whom are said to have come from Cote d’Ivoire, operate very close to the turret, where the production platform, the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, is hooked to the seabed and near 17 oil wells on the Jubilee Field.
The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has declared five nautical miles radius of the Jubilee Field a no-go area and, therefore, asked fishermen not to fish in that area, but they have ignored the directive.
The Commanding Officer of the Western Naval Command, Commodore Steve Appiah, and sources close to the Jubilee partners who confirmed the intrusion of the restricted area by fishermen urged the fishermen to respect the directive of the GMA.
The fear of the Jubilee partners is that if the nets of the fishermen get entangled on the oil production lines, it will cost the nation and the Jubilee partners millions of cedis.
Last Wednesday, 49 fishermen, including some Chinese, were rounded up in a special operation by the Western Naval Command for allegedly engaging in illegal fishing in restricted areas along the coast.
In December last year, President John Evans Atta Mills symbolically pressed the knob on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to officially signify the beginning of oil drilling at the Jubilee Field.
The first phase of the Jubilee project was successfully completed at the cost of $3.35 billion.
Crushing of 4 kids in Takoradi...KILLER DRIVER OWNS UP (LEAD STORY, JAN 15, 2011)
THE driver of the articulated truck which ran over and killed four children and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim last Thursday has surrendered to the police.
Police sources told the Daily Graphic that the driver, Mohammed Abass, 30, initially fled to Kumasi after the accident and reported himself to the police in Kumasi yesterday, from where he was transferred to Takoradi.
Earlier, the owner of the articulated truck had assured the police that he would do everything possible to ensure that the driver of the truck was arrested.
The District Commander of Police in charge of the area, DSP Ayamga Akologo, told the Daily Graphic that the vehicle owner reported himself to the police when he heard of the accident and had been very co-operative.
He said the vehicle owner had provided the cell-phone number of the driver and had persisted in calling him on the phone until he finally responded and agreed to report to the police.
One of the children who survived the accident is still in critical condition but three others are said to be responding to treatment at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
A team of doctors, led by the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Paul Ntodi, which is attending to Little Melisa Donkor, is, however, hopeful that she will come out of her critical condition.
The doctors said other schoolchildren who were involved in the accident but did not sustain any serious injuries had been treated and discharged.
DSP Akologo said the woman whose Honda Accord car was run over by the truck was doing well but was traumatised.
As of now, the identity of the woman who died with the four children is yet to be established by the police.
Meanwhile, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, has visited the children at the hospital and made donations to them.
The minister used the occasion to urge motorists to be cautious on the roads.
Police sources told the Daily Graphic that the driver, Mohammed Abass, 30, initially fled to Kumasi after the accident and reported himself to the police in Kumasi yesterday, from where he was transferred to Takoradi.
Earlier, the owner of the articulated truck had assured the police that he would do everything possible to ensure that the driver of the truck was arrested.
The District Commander of Police in charge of the area, DSP Ayamga Akologo, told the Daily Graphic that the vehicle owner reported himself to the police when he heard of the accident and had been very co-operative.
He said the vehicle owner had provided the cell-phone number of the driver and had persisted in calling him on the phone until he finally responded and agreed to report to the police.
One of the children who survived the accident is still in critical condition but three others are said to be responding to treatment at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
A team of doctors, led by the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Paul Ntodi, which is attending to Little Melisa Donkor, is, however, hopeful that she will come out of her critical condition.
The doctors said other schoolchildren who were involved in the accident but did not sustain any serious injuries had been treated and discharged.
DSP Akologo said the woman whose Honda Accord car was run over by the truck was doing well but was traumatised.
As of now, the identity of the woman who died with the four children is yet to be established by the police.
Meanwhile, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, has visited the children at the hospital and made donations to them.
The minister used the occasion to urge motorists to be cautious on the roads.
Friday, January 14, 2011
BOY, 15, TAKEN FOR GAME (MIRROR, LEAD STORY, JAN 15, 2011)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A 15-YEAR-OLD JSS school dropout was last Monday mistaken for a game and shot dead by a farmer at Wansampo near Akontombrah in the Sefwi-Wiawso District in the Western Region.
Kwabena Asiamo was said to have climbed a tree in the bush to pluck some fruits.
The police said the suspect, John Kofi Yeboah, 52, was on his way to the farm with his gun when he saw movements on the tree.
After shooting at his target and thinking that he had got himself meat for the evening meal, Yeboah was said to have climbed the tree to retrieve the carcass only to realise that he had killed a human being.
He became alarmed and started shouting for help, leaving behind the gun he used to commit the crime.
Asked what the boy was doing in the bush, the police explained that the boy was a school dropout and was in the bush to pluck some fruits.
The body has since been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital Morgue for autopsy.
The single barrel gun with a spent shell has been retrieved from the crime scene and the suspect is currently in police custody helping in their investigation.
A 15-YEAR-OLD JSS school dropout was last Monday mistaken for a game and shot dead by a farmer at Wansampo near Akontombrah in the Sefwi-Wiawso District in the Western Region.
Kwabena Asiamo was said to have climbed a tree in the bush to pluck some fruits.
The police said the suspect, John Kofi Yeboah, 52, was on his way to the farm with his gun when he saw movements on the tree.
After shooting at his target and thinking that he had got himself meat for the evening meal, Yeboah was said to have climbed the tree to retrieve the carcass only to realise that he had killed a human being.
He became alarmed and started shouting for help, leaving behind the gun he used to commit the crime.
Asked what the boy was doing in the bush, the police explained that the boy was a school dropout and was in the bush to pluck some fruits.
The body has since been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital Morgue for autopsy.
The single barrel gun with a spent shell has been retrieved from the crime scene and the suspect is currently in police custody helping in their investigation.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
EP CHURCH TO BUILD SCHOOL COMPLEX IN TWIN-CITY (PAGE 23, JAN 13, 2011)
THE Sekondi/Takoradi headquarters of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church is constructing a multi-purpose school complex to support the educational drive in the twin-city
The project, which will cost GHc650,000, will provide good ambience for education and will serve Fijai, Nkontompo, the Nurses quarters, Cocoa Villa, residents of Effiakuama and other communities in the twin-city.
The sod-cutting ceremony was performed by the former moderator of the E.P. Church, Very Reverend Dr Livingstone K. Boamah.
For his part, the District Pastor, Rev. Emmanuel K. Amegbletor, said the main source of funding would come from the church in the twin-city and from external sources in religion and education.
He said the church would also source funding from corporate bodies with a shared vision and mission of ensuring good quality education in the country.
Rev. Amegbletor said education which formed the foundation for development of every country should not be left solely on the shoulders of the government alone.
“It is therefore important for us to see the provision of education infrastructure in our communities as a challenge to support the state in that direction,” he said.
He said the facility when completed would not only serve as an educational facility but also a place to instil good moral and religious values in the children to shape their talents and enable them to become responsible citizens in future.
“ Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis have to take these bold steps to stick our heads out for the construction of the Basic Education complex for the metropolis,” he said.
He said with the discovery of oil and gas, there would be more demand for increased educational facilities, and that was why the church had moved in to support in this endeavour.
The district pastor expressed the hope that the completion of the project would lessen the pressure on the government for more educational facilities at the basic level.
The project, which will cost GHc650,000, will provide good ambience for education and will serve Fijai, Nkontompo, the Nurses quarters, Cocoa Villa, residents of Effiakuama and other communities in the twin-city.
The sod-cutting ceremony was performed by the former moderator of the E.P. Church, Very Reverend Dr Livingstone K. Boamah.
For his part, the District Pastor, Rev. Emmanuel K. Amegbletor, said the main source of funding would come from the church in the twin-city and from external sources in religion and education.
He said the church would also source funding from corporate bodies with a shared vision and mission of ensuring good quality education in the country.
Rev. Amegbletor said education which formed the foundation for development of every country should not be left solely on the shoulders of the government alone.
“It is therefore important for us to see the provision of education infrastructure in our communities as a challenge to support the state in that direction,” he said.
He said the facility when completed would not only serve as an educational facility but also a place to instil good moral and religious values in the children to shape their talents and enable them to become responsible citizens in future.
“ Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis have to take these bold steps to stick our heads out for the construction of the Basic Education complex for the metropolis,” he said.
He said with the discovery of oil and gas, there would be more demand for increased educational facilities, and that was why the church had moved in to support in this endeavour.
The district pastor expressed the hope that the completion of the project would lessen the pressure on the government for more educational facilities at the basic level.
3 COPS INTERDICTED (PAGE 3, JAN 12, 2011)
THREE policemen who allegedly subjected a rape suspect in their custody to severe beating, resulting in his death, have been interdicted.
After the suspect’s death, the three policemen were said to have attempted to conceal the incident by not reporting it to their district and regional command until an informant reported it to the command.
The three policemen, all stationed at Elubo, were named as Inspector J.E.K. Mensah, Corporal Yamba Bawa and Constable Ebenezer Kujo. They have since been interdicted and detained, pending further investigations.
The police said when the case of rape was brought against the deceased, Manye Nyanzu, 28, a teacher, he admitted having been at the bar where he was alleged to have attempted to sexually harass the operator of the drinking bar but declined further comment.
The three policemen were said not to be satisfied with the “no comment” Manye Nyanzu had written on his statement form and, therefore, subjected him to a barrage of slaps and other forms of torture in their quest to compel him to speak.
According to the police, Manye Nyanzu looked weak after the maltreatment he had suffered and when he was sent to cells, he started complaining of pains and other forms of weakness.
The police said for fear of trouble, the three policemen took him to a nearby clinic, where he was given only pain killers, after which he was returned to cells, where he died on January 1, 2011.
After his death, the policemen were said to have concealed the information and refused to report it to their district and regional authorities until an informant called the Western Regional Police Commander to inform him about the incident.
The police further explained that Manye Nyanzu was said to have gone to a drinking bar at Kojokrom near Elubo and got himself drunk.
According to the police, in his state of drunkenness, he pounced on the woman selling the alcohol and started harassing her sexually. It was then that her husband appeared on the scene and rescued her.
To avoid embarrassment, Manye Nyanzu and the rape victim’s husband agreed on a settlement, but days after the agreement, Manye Nyanzu failed to honour his side of the bargain and the case was reported to the police, which led to his arrest.
The police said when Manye Nyanzu reached the police station at Elubo, the three policemen subjected him to severe beatings to compel him to confess, which he refused.
When contacted, the Western Regional Police Commander, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, confirmed the interdiction and the death case and said the police were investigating the matter.
He assured the family of the deceased that the police would fully investigate the incident and ensure that justice was done.
After the suspect’s death, the three policemen were said to have attempted to conceal the incident by not reporting it to their district and regional command until an informant reported it to the command.
The three policemen, all stationed at Elubo, were named as Inspector J.E.K. Mensah, Corporal Yamba Bawa and Constable Ebenezer Kujo. They have since been interdicted and detained, pending further investigations.
The police said when the case of rape was brought against the deceased, Manye Nyanzu, 28, a teacher, he admitted having been at the bar where he was alleged to have attempted to sexually harass the operator of the drinking bar but declined further comment.
The three policemen were said not to be satisfied with the “no comment” Manye Nyanzu had written on his statement form and, therefore, subjected him to a barrage of slaps and other forms of torture in their quest to compel him to speak.
According to the police, Manye Nyanzu looked weak after the maltreatment he had suffered and when he was sent to cells, he started complaining of pains and other forms of weakness.
The police said for fear of trouble, the three policemen took him to a nearby clinic, where he was given only pain killers, after which he was returned to cells, where he died on January 1, 2011.
After his death, the policemen were said to have concealed the information and refused to report it to their district and regional authorities until an informant called the Western Regional Police Commander to inform him about the incident.
The police further explained that Manye Nyanzu was said to have gone to a drinking bar at Kojokrom near Elubo and got himself drunk.
According to the police, in his state of drunkenness, he pounced on the woman selling the alcohol and started harassing her sexually. It was then that her husband appeared on the scene and rescued her.
To avoid embarrassment, Manye Nyanzu and the rape victim’s husband agreed on a settlement, but days after the agreement, Manye Nyanzu failed to honour his side of the bargain and the case was reported to the police, which led to his arrest.
The police said when Manye Nyanzu reached the police station at Elubo, the three policemen subjected him to severe beatings to compel him to confess, which he refused.
When contacted, the Western Regional Police Commander, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, confirmed the interdiction and the death case and said the police were investigating the matter.
He assured the family of the deceased that the police would fully investigate the incident and ensure that justice was done.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
THREE TRUCKS WITH UNCUSTOMED RICE IMPOUNDED (BACK PAGE, JAN 11, 2011)
MORE than 1,200 bags of rice smuggled through unapproved entry points along Ghana’s western corridor have been intercepted at Esiama in the Western Region.
The offence, which was allegedly committed by some local importers, with the connivance of some officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), was uncovered by a joint team of the National Security and the GRA.
A member of the team told the Daily Graphic that after the goods had been seized, the Secretary of the Head Load Importers Association at Elubo, Mr Kwadwo Solomon, offered the team a GH¢2,500 bribe but the leader declined and ordered the arrest of the smugglers.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the arrest, an official of the GRA, Mr E.O. Mills, said two of the three trucks had been moved to the Western Regional Police Command, awaiting officials of the GRA in Accra to re-examine the goods for further action.
He said the quantity declared on customs documents covering the consignment was 400 bags, when the actual quantity was more than 1,200 bags.
The goods were jointly examined and signed by customs officials whose names were indicated on the documents as N. Quayson, Augustine Appiah, P.K. Kumapley and one Mr Asiedu.
He explained that the original document indicating that the truck, with registration number WR 1525 P, was carrying 400 bags and attached, was given to another truck, with the registration number AS 3371 Y, with a different consignment.
He said a third truck, also carrying close to 350 bags, had no document at all.
Mr Mills said for some time now revenue from the Elubo entry point kept dwindling and as a result the GRA decided to carry out an investigation, only to discover that importers were engaged in massive smuggling, with the connivance of customs officials who were supposed to be checking them.
The offence, which was allegedly committed by some local importers, with the connivance of some officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), was uncovered by a joint team of the National Security and the GRA.
A member of the team told the Daily Graphic that after the goods had been seized, the Secretary of the Head Load Importers Association at Elubo, Mr Kwadwo Solomon, offered the team a GH¢2,500 bribe but the leader declined and ordered the arrest of the smugglers.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the arrest, an official of the GRA, Mr E.O. Mills, said two of the three trucks had been moved to the Western Regional Police Command, awaiting officials of the GRA in Accra to re-examine the goods for further action.
He said the quantity declared on customs documents covering the consignment was 400 bags, when the actual quantity was more than 1,200 bags.
The goods were jointly examined and signed by customs officials whose names were indicated on the documents as N. Quayson, Augustine Appiah, P.K. Kumapley and one Mr Asiedu.
He explained that the original document indicating that the truck, with registration number WR 1525 P, was carrying 400 bags and attached, was given to another truck, with the registration number AS 3371 Y, with a different consignment.
He said a third truck, also carrying close to 350 bags, had no document at all.
Mr Mills said for some time now revenue from the Elubo entry point kept dwindling and as a result the GRA decided to carry out an investigation, only to discover that importers were engaged in massive smuggling, with the connivance of customs officials who were supposed to be checking them.
Monday, January 10, 2011
SEAWELD ORGANISES PARTY FOR INMATES OF ITS CARE HOME AT APREMDO (PAGE 18, JAN 8, 2011)
Seaweld Engineering Ghana, an on and offshore oil service provider, organised Christmas party for inmates of its care home at Apremdo in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis.
The inmates were served with hot meals and drinks by the officials of the company and care-givers at the home as they danced with them.
For his part, the Deputy Chief Operations officer, Mr Michael Avorkliyah, said the company was moved to build the facility for the homeless since it started its operations.
He said it was the focus of the company to ensure that the needs of the community it operated in were met and the party was just to put a smile on the faces of the less privileged.
Mr Avokliyah said since the company built the facility, many of the inmates had found a home at the place and some had even been registered in schools while those interested in learning a trade had been sponsored accordingly.
The deputy chief of operations said some of the homeless girls picked on the street were pregnant or had babies and were sleeping in the open.
“We, as a company, think that this is the area to focus on instead of the privileged ones. Our company has actually taken responsibility to ensure the well-being of these people just to make them feel good and smile again,” he said.
Others, he said, were not in position to do anything on their own and had been added to those in the home and the company was taking full responsibility for their upkeep and medication, with the support from the Regional Directorate of Health.
The trained Psychiatric Nurse, Madam Gladys Frimponmah, who is offering voluntary service to the home, thanked the company for the support and called for support from other companies to ensure that the inmates were made to feel part of society.
The inmates were served with hot meals and drinks by the officials of the company and care-givers at the home as they danced with them.
For his part, the Deputy Chief Operations officer, Mr Michael Avorkliyah, said the company was moved to build the facility for the homeless since it started its operations.
He said it was the focus of the company to ensure that the needs of the community it operated in were met and the party was just to put a smile on the faces of the less privileged.
Mr Avokliyah said since the company built the facility, many of the inmates had found a home at the place and some had even been registered in schools while those interested in learning a trade had been sponsored accordingly.
The deputy chief of operations said some of the homeless girls picked on the street were pregnant or had babies and were sleeping in the open.
“We, as a company, think that this is the area to focus on instead of the privileged ones. Our company has actually taken responsibility to ensure the well-being of these people just to make them feel good and smile again,” he said.
Others, he said, were not in position to do anything on their own and had been added to those in the home and the company was taking full responsibility for their upkeep and medication, with the support from the Regional Directorate of Health.
The trained Psychiatric Nurse, Madam Gladys Frimponmah, who is offering voluntary service to the home, thanked the company for the support and called for support from other companies to ensure that the inmates were made to feel part of society.
TWIN-CITY OVERWHELMED BY PROSTITUTION, HIGH RENT & CRIME (PAGE 18, JAN 8, 2011)
WHILE Ghanaians celebrate the country’s first oil, residents in Sekondi/Takoradi now christened “Oil-City” (OC) are getting overwhelmed by vices such as prostitution, pilfering and high cost of living as a result of the oil find.
Residents say the oil find has made the twin-city, hitherto, a calm place, now a very expensive city and crime-prone.
Prostitution which used to be limited to certain parts of the metropolis and in the heavy-duty truck terminals, have now spread in a more sophisticated manner to other parts of the city.
Others travel from neighbouring countries to the metropolis to practice prostitution.
At brothels in the metropolis, these young ladies enter and change their dresses into more provocative ones.
The owners of these facilities said they had problems with the activities of the prostitutes, but it was actually a good business for them since the expatriates and some members of the community loved to visit because of those young ladies.
In the recent past, the hotel owners had to drive some of the young ladies away because apart from their embarrassing posture, they were also stealing from their clients.
On the other hand, snatching of bags using the motorbike, car break-ins, attacking people in isolated areas have become rampant in the metropolis.
As a result, uniform and plain-clothed police officers have been deplored all over the metropolis to arrest such people.
Customers who use their ATMs in the night are attacked with knifes and their money collected from them. People can no longer walk freely, at the weekend.
The Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, said even though most of these cases were not reported to the police, they, through their intelligence machinery picked those signals.
He said with the clamour for limited jobs in the oil industry across the country and movement of the people to the region accounted for that situation.
The commander said request for jobs had also given birth to fake employment agents in Takoradi with some posing as agents for Kosmos Energy, Tullow Oil Ghana and other oil firms.
The police said they had received several complaints from oil companies and oil-related service providers of people using their logos to design employment and training forms and selling them to unsuspecting members of the public.
The Regional Police Command has, however, warned prospective job seekers in the oil sector to beware of these fake agents.
It said a suspect arrested had designed a letterhead and employment forms with the name Opet Oil Company, which he sold for GH¢20.00 and collected an agency fee of GH¢700.00 from his victims.
Another aspect is the introducton of gambling and heavy smoking at most bars.
Rent and Rent Control
Rent for residential facilities have also increased more than 800 per cent in some places. A four bedroom house in Takoradi, which used to go for about GH¢200 a month, is currently been rented for $700.00 and the rents are non negotiable.
Owning a property in the Western Region, especially in the Twin-City of Sekondi/Takoradi is a lucrative venture. In some areas, people have even demolished their toilets and developed the space into a sleeping place.
Landlords of such houses then tell the tenants to make use of the public toilet in the community.
The rent control office said, it had lost count of the number of cases pending before it as landlords were seriously trying to eject their tenants.
It said some of the landlords do not even serve eviction notices to the existing tenants before forcing them out of the houses.
These residential facilities are then converted into offices for financial institutions or a company trying to provide one service or the other to the oil fields.
“These conversions are not necessarily for the oil companies but rather oil- related businesses such as the banks or other services,” it said.
Others try to increase the rent and where the existing tenants are not able to pay, they are asked to move out.
At the moment, people who hitherto would not rent their apartment, are giving them out to make some money.
As for the people who live in the central business district, the landlords there are ejecting them and converting their homes into offices.
The vibrant nature of the twin-city has bounced back as there has been extension in nightlife activities leading to increase in entertainment spots in the metropolis.
Gone are the days when entertainment was limited to highlife at Harbour View and the then Atlantic Hotel.
Weekend in the twin-city starts from Friday night with constant Western Region styled live band music which see most of these expatriates dancing to the rhythms in their own way.
That aside, there are restaurants which provide both local and international dishes. Most of these food joints and restaurants are operated by local people.
There is also a serious development of beach hotels and resorts which receive visitors from all parts of the metropolis- Casablanca to Last Hour beach in Takoradi.
Interestingly, these entertainment spots receive only few expatriates since jobs in the oil and gas industry, especially offshore, is an energy-consuming venture.
Therefore, most of the expatriates, who return from the rigs, either fly out in a day or two or immediately. But the locals are seen mostly at the bars discussing their experiences on various rigs offshore.
Residents say the oil find has made the twin-city, hitherto, a calm place, now a very expensive city and crime-prone.
Prostitution which used to be limited to certain parts of the metropolis and in the heavy-duty truck terminals, have now spread in a more sophisticated manner to other parts of the city.
Others travel from neighbouring countries to the metropolis to practice prostitution.
At brothels in the metropolis, these young ladies enter and change their dresses into more provocative ones.
The owners of these facilities said they had problems with the activities of the prostitutes, but it was actually a good business for them since the expatriates and some members of the community loved to visit because of those young ladies.
In the recent past, the hotel owners had to drive some of the young ladies away because apart from their embarrassing posture, they were also stealing from their clients.
On the other hand, snatching of bags using the motorbike, car break-ins, attacking people in isolated areas have become rampant in the metropolis.
As a result, uniform and plain-clothed police officers have been deplored all over the metropolis to arrest such people.
Customers who use their ATMs in the night are attacked with knifes and their money collected from them. People can no longer walk freely, at the weekend.
The Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, said even though most of these cases were not reported to the police, they, through their intelligence machinery picked those signals.
He said with the clamour for limited jobs in the oil industry across the country and movement of the people to the region accounted for that situation.
The commander said request for jobs had also given birth to fake employment agents in Takoradi with some posing as agents for Kosmos Energy, Tullow Oil Ghana and other oil firms.
The police said they had received several complaints from oil companies and oil-related service providers of people using their logos to design employment and training forms and selling them to unsuspecting members of the public.
The Regional Police Command has, however, warned prospective job seekers in the oil sector to beware of these fake agents.
It said a suspect arrested had designed a letterhead and employment forms with the name Opet Oil Company, which he sold for GH¢20.00 and collected an agency fee of GH¢700.00 from his victims.
Another aspect is the introducton of gambling and heavy smoking at most bars.
Rent and Rent Control
Rent for residential facilities have also increased more than 800 per cent in some places. A four bedroom house in Takoradi, which used to go for about GH¢200 a month, is currently been rented for $700.00 and the rents are non negotiable.
Owning a property in the Western Region, especially in the Twin-City of Sekondi/Takoradi is a lucrative venture. In some areas, people have even demolished their toilets and developed the space into a sleeping place.
Landlords of such houses then tell the tenants to make use of the public toilet in the community.
The rent control office said, it had lost count of the number of cases pending before it as landlords were seriously trying to eject their tenants.
It said some of the landlords do not even serve eviction notices to the existing tenants before forcing them out of the houses.
These residential facilities are then converted into offices for financial institutions or a company trying to provide one service or the other to the oil fields.
“These conversions are not necessarily for the oil companies but rather oil- related businesses such as the banks or other services,” it said.
Others try to increase the rent and where the existing tenants are not able to pay, they are asked to move out.
At the moment, people who hitherto would not rent their apartment, are giving them out to make some money.
As for the people who live in the central business district, the landlords there are ejecting them and converting their homes into offices.
The vibrant nature of the twin-city has bounced back as there has been extension in nightlife activities leading to increase in entertainment spots in the metropolis.
Gone are the days when entertainment was limited to highlife at Harbour View and the then Atlantic Hotel.
Weekend in the twin-city starts from Friday night with constant Western Region styled live band music which see most of these expatriates dancing to the rhythms in their own way.
That aside, there are restaurants which provide both local and international dishes. Most of these food joints and restaurants are operated by local people.
There is also a serious development of beach hotels and resorts which receive visitors from all parts of the metropolis- Casablanca to Last Hour beach in Takoradi.
Interestingly, these entertainment spots receive only few expatriates since jobs in the oil and gas industry, especially offshore, is an energy-consuming venture.
Therefore, most of the expatriates, who return from the rigs, either fly out in a day or two or immediately. But the locals are seen mostly at the bars discussing their experiences on various rigs offshore.
TOO MUCH RELIGIOUS INDISCIPLINE IN SEKONDI-TAKORADI (PAGE 18, JAN 8, 2011)
Religious indiscipline on the part of members of some churches in the twin-city has become a source of worry to the public and the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service.
Members of these churches who own vehicles park them on both sides of the streets during church services thereby making it difficult for other motorists to drive freely.
Other churches with parking areas would halt traffic until all their members join the main road, therefore, creating long traffic on the major roads in the metropolis.
Interestingly, those without their own means of transport, after church, stand anywhere to stop vehicles even when bus stops are just a walking distance from the church premises.
On the Sekondi/Takoradi high street, which is one of the busy roads, easy to access the regional hospital at Effia Nkwanta, ambulance and fire services in case of emergency is actually difficult on Sundays and on other days when these churches hold crusades.
At the Central Gospel Church, behind the Ajumakoma Printing Press in Takoradi, members of the church normally use the front of the building to park their cars, which is perfect.
There is actually no problem when they are entering their parking area, but confusion starts after church service.
The church’s self-appointed traffic wardens halt traffic at will for their members to join the main road, resulting in traffic jams from the entrance of their church premises to the Paa Grant Roundabout.
And then those travelling from Sekondi and New Site have to also join the long traffic jam from the entrance of the church premises to the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic light and beyond.
The interesting part of the situation is that instead of employing the services of the police or having its wardens trained on how to control traffic, the church rather gives more attention to their members.
Interestingly, while the traffic wardens ignore the right of other road users and allow their members to join the main road at will, those without vehicles also stand on the walkways to stop taxis.
That aside, these church members go to the extent of negotiating the fares before boarding the taxi, a situation that does not augur well for safety on the road.
From the Central Gospel, there is another church next to Ahenfie Hotel, where car owners of this church actually park on the street, reducing the size of the road from the Barclays traffic light and the business centre.
Members of the Catholic Church in the same area also refuse to go to the bus-stops nearby but instead stand by the gate to stop taxis to their destinations.
From there, there is also a church opposite the Central Police Station; they park on both sides of the road, therefore reducing the size of the street for vehicles and other road users to use thus creating confusion among motorists and pedestrians.
When contacted, the Takoradi Police District Commander, DSP Dela Dzansi, said the police had noticed that with much concern.
He said the activities of these churches make the roads very unsafe and therefore the police would write to them and also discuss possible solutions to the problem.
Members of these churches who own vehicles park them on both sides of the streets during church services thereby making it difficult for other motorists to drive freely.
Other churches with parking areas would halt traffic until all their members join the main road, therefore, creating long traffic on the major roads in the metropolis.
Interestingly, those without their own means of transport, after church, stand anywhere to stop vehicles even when bus stops are just a walking distance from the church premises.
On the Sekondi/Takoradi high street, which is one of the busy roads, easy to access the regional hospital at Effia Nkwanta, ambulance and fire services in case of emergency is actually difficult on Sundays and on other days when these churches hold crusades.
At the Central Gospel Church, behind the Ajumakoma Printing Press in Takoradi, members of the church normally use the front of the building to park their cars, which is perfect.
There is actually no problem when they are entering their parking area, but confusion starts after church service.
The church’s self-appointed traffic wardens halt traffic at will for their members to join the main road, resulting in traffic jams from the entrance of their church premises to the Paa Grant Roundabout.
And then those travelling from Sekondi and New Site have to also join the long traffic jam from the entrance of the church premises to the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic light and beyond.
The interesting part of the situation is that instead of employing the services of the police or having its wardens trained on how to control traffic, the church rather gives more attention to their members.
Interestingly, while the traffic wardens ignore the right of other road users and allow their members to join the main road at will, those without vehicles also stand on the walkways to stop taxis.
That aside, these church members go to the extent of negotiating the fares before boarding the taxi, a situation that does not augur well for safety on the road.
From the Central Gospel, there is another church next to Ahenfie Hotel, where car owners of this church actually park on the street, reducing the size of the road from the Barclays traffic light and the business centre.
Members of the Catholic Church in the same area also refuse to go to the bus-stops nearby but instead stand by the gate to stop taxis to their destinations.
From there, there is also a church opposite the Central Police Station; they park on both sides of the road, therefore reducing the size of the street for vehicles and other road users to use thus creating confusion among motorists and pedestrians.
When contacted, the Takoradi Police District Commander, DSP Dela Dzansi, said the police had noticed that with much concern.
He said the activities of these churches make the roads very unsafe and therefore the police would write to them and also discuss possible solutions to the problem.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
HUNTING EXPEDITION TURNS TRAGIC (PAGE 3, JAN 6, 2011)
A HUNTING expedition a day into the new year turned tragic at Sefwi-Dwenase-Kokokrom when a hunter mistook another hunter for game and shot at him.
According to the police, after the incident, the hunter, Thomas Danoba, rushed the wounded man to the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The deceased was identified as Moses Midogo, 32, a resident of Kokokrom. His body has since been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital morgue for autopsy.
The police said Danoba had indicated in his statement that about 11.30 p.m. last Sunday, after he had vigorously searched the bush for game, he saw an object which he thought was an animal and shot at it.
He was reported to have told the police that he did not see that it was a human being, but that all he saw, with the help of his hunting light, was an object which he shot at.
According to the police, Danoba said he later moved to the scene to pick the supposed game he had fired at, only to realise that it was a human being.
He told the police that he was left with no option but report himself to the police and explain to them what had happened during the expedition.
The Western Regional Police, which confirmed the incident, said Danoba had since been remanded in police custody to help in investigations.
The gun Danoba used and that of the deceased, as well as other hunting equipment, have been retrieved by the police.
According to the police, after the incident, the hunter, Thomas Danoba, rushed the wounded man to the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The deceased was identified as Moses Midogo, 32, a resident of Kokokrom. His body has since been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital morgue for autopsy.
The police said Danoba had indicated in his statement that about 11.30 p.m. last Sunday, after he had vigorously searched the bush for game, he saw an object which he thought was an animal and shot at it.
He was reported to have told the police that he did not see that it was a human being, but that all he saw, with the help of his hunting light, was an object which he shot at.
According to the police, Danoba said he later moved to the scene to pick the supposed game he had fired at, only to realise that it was a human being.
He told the police that he was left with no option but report himself to the police and explain to them what had happened during the expedition.
The Western Regional Police, which confirmed the incident, said Danoba had since been remanded in police custody to help in investigations.
The gun Danoba used and that of the deceased, as well as other hunting equipment, have been retrieved by the police.
Monday, January 3, 2011
FARMER SHOT DEAD ON XMAS DAY (BACK PAGE, JAN 3, 2011)
A 72-YEAR-OLD farmer was shot dead at Mpataba in the Jomoro District of the Western Region on Christmas day.
Police sources said the incident could be linked to a raging dispute over a piece of farmland.
Nyangah Abangah died on his way home from farm in the company of his wife at about 9:30 p.m.
The assailant shot the legs of Nyangah’s 62-year-old wife, Abena Abangah, and robbed the couple of the money they had from the sale of cocoa.
The police said Nyangah and his wife were returning from the farm after the sale of some cocoa to join the rest of their family for the Christmas celebration when they were attacked by the suspect, identified as John Mensah, aka Mmofra-Mmofra.
The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital morgue, while his wife is currently on admission at the St Martin de Porres Hospital at Ekwei in the Ellembele District of the Western Region.
John Mensah has since been arrested, together with two other suspects, Amo Kablan and Ndaah Ackah, and placed in police custody to help in investigations.
According to the Half-Assini District Police Commander, DSP John F. Dzineku, the deceased and one of the suspects, Ndah Ackah, had a long-standing dispute over a farmland.
Police sources said the incident could be linked to a raging dispute over a piece of farmland.
Nyangah Abangah died on his way home from farm in the company of his wife at about 9:30 p.m.
The assailant shot the legs of Nyangah’s 62-year-old wife, Abena Abangah, and robbed the couple of the money they had from the sale of cocoa.
The police said Nyangah and his wife were returning from the farm after the sale of some cocoa to join the rest of their family for the Christmas celebration when they were attacked by the suspect, identified as John Mensah, aka Mmofra-Mmofra.
The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital morgue, while his wife is currently on admission at the St Martin de Porres Hospital at Ekwei in the Ellembele District of the Western Region.
John Mensah has since been arrested, together with two other suspects, Amo Kablan and Ndaah Ackah, and placed in police custody to help in investigations.
According to the Half-Assini District Police Commander, DSP John F. Dzineku, the deceased and one of the suspects, Ndah Ackah, had a long-standing dispute over a farmland.
GOVT TO PROVIDE LAPTOPS TO TEACHERS (PAGE 13, JAN 3, 2011)
The government will this year enhance teaching and learning in junior and senior high schools by providing the tutors with laptops, internet and projectors to teach their students.
For a start, about 2,000 junior high schools across the country would be supplied five laptops with projectors each to facilitate multi-media teaching/learning as it continues its quest to increase physical infrastructure.
About 250 senior high schools (SHS) will also be provided with internet facility to enhance teaching and research in the selected schools.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, who announced this in the Western Region said the ministry was also at an advanced stage of negotiating funding to equip all JSS and SHS with the state-of-the-art Information Communications Technology.
“Further, about 500 JHS will benefit from the community learning centers project which will provide such facilities for use by a cluster of other schools within walking distances,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said the ministry was in collaboration with USAID, MTN and Intel Corporation to support the provision of Internet facility for schools this year which she said had become necessary.
Mrs Amoah-Tetteh said improving teaching and learning was very important to the government and with the introduction of ICT centers in schools and communities across the country, “what is left for us to do as a people and a nation is to master the use of computers.”
“We must know that all these ICT facilities will not bring us all the development we so desire until its effective use which lies in the judicious use of the facilities in the active learning process,” he said.
For a start, about 2,000 junior high schools across the country would be supplied five laptops with projectors each to facilitate multi-media teaching/learning as it continues its quest to increase physical infrastructure.
About 250 senior high schools (SHS) will also be provided with internet facility to enhance teaching and research in the selected schools.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, who announced this in the Western Region said the ministry was also at an advanced stage of negotiating funding to equip all JSS and SHS with the state-of-the-art Information Communications Technology.
“Further, about 500 JHS will benefit from the community learning centers project which will provide such facilities for use by a cluster of other schools within walking distances,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said the ministry was in collaboration with USAID, MTN and Intel Corporation to support the provision of Internet facility for schools this year which she said had become necessary.
Mrs Amoah-Tetteh said improving teaching and learning was very important to the government and with the introduction of ICT centers in schools and communities across the country, “what is left for us to do as a people and a nation is to master the use of computers.”
“We must know that all these ICT facilities will not bring us all the development we so desire until its effective use which lies in the judicious use of the facilities in the active learning process,” he said.
E-LEARNING CENTRE FOR AIYINASE COMMUNITIES (PAGE 11, JAN 3, 2011)
A FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND-CEDI electronic-learning centre with internet facility has been provided for Atuabo and Aiyinase communities in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
The project was financed by the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, through his share of the common fund with support from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
The centre is fitted with HP computers and servers, multi-media children’s computers for beginners, wireless networking system and a wide range of multi-media educational software, which covers children from nursery through primary to second-cycle.
The facilities also include: a digital library comprising Encarta Encyclopedia and digital dictionaries as well as digital photocopiers and standby generator with an instructor, who would monitor the activities of the children at the centre.
Mr Buah said although Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had become one of the core subjects in schools in Ghana, children in the rural areas did not have access to the facilities to enhance their learning.
He said his resolve was to focus on education and health to ensure that the development gap between children in his rural area and their counterparts in towns and cities were bridged.
Mr Buah said long before he assumed office, he had a vision to create an enabling environment for children which encouraged him to solicit funds from Nzemas in London for the establishment of the computer centre at Aiyinase.
“Another project we are working on is to open another centre at Asaretre as well as a million dollar ICT centre at Esiama with support from the MTN and World Bank,” he said.
The MP, who is also the deputy minister of Energy said, “I hope with the facility, the online registration and checking of results and other issues of examination that will require the use of the Internet will not be a problem for pupils and students from the area again.”
“I feel sad to see my little brothers travelling because they want to have a photocopy of lecture notes, or access to the Internet in other towns,” he said.
The Deputy Minister in charge of tertiary education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, said there were renewed efforts by the government regarding the promotion of ICT as tutors in 38 colleges of education had been trained in that direction.
She said all 26 technical institutes and training collages were also equipped with ICT equipment with Internet access last year.
“Over 50 basic school teachers have been trained and 200 schools from all regions and pre-tertiary levels had undergone a train-the-trainer workshop to equip them to deliver,” she said.
The deputy minister later inaugurates and named the centre after a prominent mother of Atuabo community, Madam Anoma-Eba, who was described as a community leader who devoted her life to save lives and feed the hungry.
The project was financed by the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, through his share of the common fund with support from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
The centre is fitted with HP computers and servers, multi-media children’s computers for beginners, wireless networking system and a wide range of multi-media educational software, which covers children from nursery through primary to second-cycle.
The facilities also include: a digital library comprising Encarta Encyclopedia and digital dictionaries as well as digital photocopiers and standby generator with an instructor, who would monitor the activities of the children at the centre.
Mr Buah said although Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had become one of the core subjects in schools in Ghana, children in the rural areas did not have access to the facilities to enhance their learning.
He said his resolve was to focus on education and health to ensure that the development gap between children in his rural area and their counterparts in towns and cities were bridged.
Mr Buah said long before he assumed office, he had a vision to create an enabling environment for children which encouraged him to solicit funds from Nzemas in London for the establishment of the computer centre at Aiyinase.
“Another project we are working on is to open another centre at Asaretre as well as a million dollar ICT centre at Esiama with support from the MTN and World Bank,” he said.
The MP, who is also the deputy minister of Energy said, “I hope with the facility, the online registration and checking of results and other issues of examination that will require the use of the Internet will not be a problem for pupils and students from the area again.”
“I feel sad to see my little brothers travelling because they want to have a photocopy of lecture notes, or access to the Internet in other towns,” he said.
The Deputy Minister in charge of tertiary education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, said there were renewed efforts by the government regarding the promotion of ICT as tutors in 38 colleges of education had been trained in that direction.
She said all 26 technical institutes and training collages were also equipped with ICT equipment with Internet access last year.
“Over 50 basic school teachers have been trained and 200 schools from all regions and pre-tertiary levels had undergone a train-the-trainer workshop to equip them to deliver,” she said.
The deputy minister later inaugurates and named the centre after a prominent mother of Atuabo community, Madam Anoma-Eba, who was described as a community leader who devoted her life to save lives and feed the hungry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)