Sstory: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Giants of the West, Sekondi Hasaacas, yesterday put the smiles back on the faces of their teeming supporters by pipping visiting Heart of Lions 1-0 in their Onetouch Premier League match at the Gyandu Park.
After squandering countless scoring chances, Benjamin Annan snatched the only goal of the match in the 81st minute.
Friday, December 21, 2007
WE NEED BRIDGE OVER WHIN RIVER (Page 21...Published Mon Dec 17, 2007)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Manso
THE people of Manso in the Wassa Mporhor District in the Western Region have called for the construction of a bridge over the Whin River to avert a looming disaster.
At the moment very weak logs have been used for a temporary bridge to enable people from Enyinase, Kromatery, Baumfrie and Kwamedabakrom to make their journey to Manso township.
The weak wooden bridge is used daily by schoolchildren from three towns to attend school at Manso which is about two and half miles away.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the stool secretary of Preso Traditional Area, Mr Samuel Kofi Ben-Safo, said their main concern was the schoolchildren who sometimes had to be escorted by an elderly person before they could cross the bridge to school.
“If we are not careful and it collapses when children are crossing from school, then we should be ready for the pain,” he added.
“The daily economic and social lives of the people of these towns are done on foot. There is no vehicular movement in the towns because of the bad road and the bridge,” he added.
“Either rain or shine we have to endure the heat and the dust to get to our destinations, that is our story because we do not have other alternatives,” he said.
Mr Ben-Safo said, at the moment the community needed a little attention to make life comfortable for the people because they were completely cut off from the rest of the region.
THE people of Manso in the Wassa Mporhor District in the Western Region have called for the construction of a bridge over the Whin River to avert a looming disaster.
At the moment very weak logs have been used for a temporary bridge to enable people from Enyinase, Kromatery, Baumfrie and Kwamedabakrom to make their journey to Manso township.
The weak wooden bridge is used daily by schoolchildren from three towns to attend school at Manso which is about two and half miles away.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the stool secretary of Preso Traditional Area, Mr Samuel Kofi Ben-Safo, said their main concern was the schoolchildren who sometimes had to be escorted by an elderly person before they could cross the bridge to school.
“If we are not careful and it collapses when children are crossing from school, then we should be ready for the pain,” he added.
“The daily economic and social lives of the people of these towns are done on foot. There is no vehicular movement in the towns because of the bad road and the bridge,” he added.
“Either rain or shine we have to endure the heat and the dust to get to our destinations, that is our story because we do not have other alternatives,” he said.
Mr Ben-Safo said, at the moment the community needed a little attention to make life comfortable for the people because they were completely cut off from the rest of the region.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
ESSIPUN GETS READY FOR GHANA 2008....Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Essipon
There is a mad rush by landowners at Essipun, in the Western Region, which is one of the host communities of the Ghana 2008 tournament, to develop their land before the commencement of the tournament.
Those who did not have land in the area are rushing to grab some space before prices escalate in a crude oil fashion in the “Essipun world market”.
Plots of land everywhere at Essipun, especially those along the main road are under massive development like the slogan of the big sponsor of the tournament.
Such developments have turned into joy for people in the community who now say the town should be referred to as the “Gateway to the Western Region”.
According to them, Essipun was not recognised in the past. “Some referred to the community as a village. We took it in good faith, but the zeal being demonstrated by the land developers says it all”, members of the community said.
“We have a first class road through the community; we are a lovely, welcoming people. What else could people be looking for in a modern settlement like Essipun?” one elder said enthusiastically.
New houses, stores, drinking spots and other recreational facilities have been constructed at Essipun over the past few months in readiness for the sports fans from the four nations that would be trooping to the community to cheer their countries to victory.
When one drives through Essipun one cannot fail but notice the feverish preparations going on for the big game, and there is no doubt that after the tournament the community would change from a small one into a mini city.
In the past the only thing that kept the community going and gave it some form of recognition was the construction of the first class road that links Sekondi with the Regimanuel Estates which are also far from the real settlement.
At present many new structures have sprung up, with the community agog with business as people keep struggling to get some spot within the Essipun community to mount their structures.
The Chief of Essipun, Nana Kofi Abuna V, has also embarked on various activities that would ensure that the community does not only host the tournament but also welcomes visitors with the pure Essipun brand of Ghanaian hospitality that would leave a lasting impression on the teeming supporters.
Asked how the tournament had transformed the community thus far, Nana Kofi Abuna said when the road to the region was moved through Kojokrom, “the community was classified as a village.” She added that those who had parcels of land did not even want to develop them, “but now the story is different. The structures that are springing up everywere some of which are near completion as well as the massive construction works going on are evidence of what to expect after the tournament.
“We are happy and enchanted that the tournament is doing all this to the community. The first port of call is the community and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the people relate to the visitors in a way that would not be to our disadvantage” the chief said.
The chief added that one of the problems the community faced was overgrown grass on the shoulders of the road and the location of the community toilet.
“Workers of the Ghana Highway Authority used to clear the weeds for us but for some time now they have not been doing it. Therefore, I have to look for people to clear it and they are about to do it.
“As the father and the mother of the community, my next line of action is to embark on a serious HIV/AIDS educational drive for both young and old, male and female, to ensure that the community is protected.
“We are grateful for the opportunities that have brought life to the community. At the regional level, we are the ‘Gateway to the Western Region’. I can assure you of that,” Nana Kofi Abuna cheerfully said.
But one interesting thing is that the toilet facility for the community has been constructed along the road, which gives very bad odour during the day.
That aside, the area is still being used by the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly as a human waste dump site.
At the moment, work on the portion of the road between Essipun and Enye Nsiah has begun. When completed it would make travelling to and from Accra through Essipun to Sekondi Takoradi very easy.
There is a mad rush by landowners at Essipun, in the Western Region, which is one of the host communities of the Ghana 2008 tournament, to develop their land before the commencement of the tournament.
Those who did not have land in the area are rushing to grab some space before prices escalate in a crude oil fashion in the “Essipun world market”.
Plots of land everywhere at Essipun, especially those along the main road are under massive development like the slogan of the big sponsor of the tournament.
Such developments have turned into joy for people in the community who now say the town should be referred to as the “Gateway to the Western Region”.
According to them, Essipun was not recognised in the past. “Some referred to the community as a village. We took it in good faith, but the zeal being demonstrated by the land developers says it all”, members of the community said.
“We have a first class road through the community; we are a lovely, welcoming people. What else could people be looking for in a modern settlement like Essipun?” one elder said enthusiastically.
New houses, stores, drinking spots and other recreational facilities have been constructed at Essipun over the past few months in readiness for the sports fans from the four nations that would be trooping to the community to cheer their countries to victory.
When one drives through Essipun one cannot fail but notice the feverish preparations going on for the big game, and there is no doubt that after the tournament the community would change from a small one into a mini city.
In the past the only thing that kept the community going and gave it some form of recognition was the construction of the first class road that links Sekondi with the Regimanuel Estates which are also far from the real settlement.
At present many new structures have sprung up, with the community agog with business as people keep struggling to get some spot within the Essipun community to mount their structures.
The Chief of Essipun, Nana Kofi Abuna V, has also embarked on various activities that would ensure that the community does not only host the tournament but also welcomes visitors with the pure Essipun brand of Ghanaian hospitality that would leave a lasting impression on the teeming supporters.
Asked how the tournament had transformed the community thus far, Nana Kofi Abuna said when the road to the region was moved through Kojokrom, “the community was classified as a village.” She added that those who had parcels of land did not even want to develop them, “but now the story is different. The structures that are springing up everywere some of which are near completion as well as the massive construction works going on are evidence of what to expect after the tournament.
“We are happy and enchanted that the tournament is doing all this to the community. The first port of call is the community and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the people relate to the visitors in a way that would not be to our disadvantage” the chief said.
The chief added that one of the problems the community faced was overgrown grass on the shoulders of the road and the location of the community toilet.
“Workers of the Ghana Highway Authority used to clear the weeds for us but for some time now they have not been doing it. Therefore, I have to look for people to clear it and they are about to do it.
“As the father and the mother of the community, my next line of action is to embark on a serious HIV/AIDS educational drive for both young and old, male and female, to ensure that the community is protected.
“We are grateful for the opportunities that have brought life to the community. At the regional level, we are the ‘Gateway to the Western Region’. I can assure you of that,” Nana Kofi Abuna cheerfully said.
But one interesting thing is that the toilet facility for the community has been constructed along the road, which gives very bad odour during the day.
That aside, the area is still being used by the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly as a human waste dump site.
At the moment, work on the portion of the road between Essipun and Enye Nsiah has begun. When completed it would make travelling to and from Accra through Essipun to Sekondi Takoradi very easy.
TAKORADI POLICE ARREST IMPERSONATOR ....Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Criminals Investigation Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police Command has arrested a 48-year-old unemployed, Andy Laryeh, who posed as an employee of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and Food and Drugs Board (FDB).
The suspect said he decided to impersonate as a staff of the two institutions because he was unemployed.
He used the names of prominent members of society, such as Azuma Nelson, Akosua Agyepong, Grace Omaboe (Maame Dokunu) and other stars to support his claim.
“I am sorry, it was due to poverty, that is why I travelled from Accra to where I am not known, I am sorry please forgive me,” he pleaded after confessing to the crime.
According to the police, the suspect went to Christian Faith Pre-School and told the head teacher that he was the presenter and producer of the Children’s channel on GTV.
The Regional Crime Officer, Mr D. Abade said he told his victims that he was directed by the show editors in Accra to feature the school in their next edition.
He then asked the school authorities to get children together to demonstrate their cultural skills.
After the demonstration, Laryeh told the head teacher that the programme was very expensive and that there were other schools clamouring for the little air time devoted to the programme and that they should give him GH ¢50 in addition to transport to enable him travel to Accra to bring his crew.
The unsuspecting school authorities granted his request and he returned as promised, but with a cameraman and a camera without GTV sticker and told them not to ask the cameraman anything but direct all questions to him.
The school authorities called the police when they became suspicious when he failed to produce his identity card on request.
The cameramen said they did not know him and that he only contracted them to cover a programme for him.
The police said upon his arrest, about four other people had come to testify that the suspect had used the same trick to dupe them.
THE Criminals Investigation Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police Command has arrested a 48-year-old unemployed, Andy Laryeh, who posed as an employee of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and Food and Drugs Board (FDB).
The suspect said he decided to impersonate as a staff of the two institutions because he was unemployed.
He used the names of prominent members of society, such as Azuma Nelson, Akosua Agyepong, Grace Omaboe (Maame Dokunu) and other stars to support his claim.
“I am sorry, it was due to poverty, that is why I travelled from Accra to where I am not known, I am sorry please forgive me,” he pleaded after confessing to the crime.
According to the police, the suspect went to Christian Faith Pre-School and told the head teacher that he was the presenter and producer of the Children’s channel on GTV.
The Regional Crime Officer, Mr D. Abade said he told his victims that he was directed by the show editors in Accra to feature the school in their next edition.
He then asked the school authorities to get children together to demonstrate their cultural skills.
After the demonstration, Laryeh told the head teacher that the programme was very expensive and that there were other schools clamouring for the little air time devoted to the programme and that they should give him GH ¢50 in addition to transport to enable him travel to Accra to bring his crew.
The unsuspecting school authorities granted his request and he returned as promised, but with a cameraman and a camera without GTV sticker and told them not to ask the cameraman anything but direct all questions to him.
The school authorities called the police when they became suspicious when he failed to produce his identity card on request.
The cameramen said they did not know him and that he only contracted them to cover a programme for him.
The police said upon his arrest, about four other people had come to testify that the suspect had used the same trick to dupe them.
TIGHTEN SECURITY AT T'DI AIRFIELD.....Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE airfield at the Takoradi Air Force Station, which is supposed to be one of the major entry points for teams taking part in the Ghana 2008, has become a common footpath for pedestrians and a rest place for animals, thus posing danger to the aircraft that would land at the aerodrome.
Apart from the numerous public footpaths that criss-cross the airfield, the northern part of the runway is also being used by herdsmen, gardeners, and it also serves as a home for lunatics as well as drug pushers.
Most of the time, when an aircraft is approaching the station, the fire officers at the station have to drive away pedestrians, herdsmen as well as the stray animals to avert danger.
As the airfield is being upgraded to some acceptable standard as having VVIP and VIP lounges, arrival and departure halls as well as a restaurant and other facilities, it would be disastrous if nothing is done to stop those unauthorised human activities around the airfield.
An expert has expressed the view that developing infrastructure at the airfield without fencing it is not the best and called for the airfield to be fenced.
During a tour of the airfield by the Minister of Aviation, Ms Gloria, and her entourage recently, the station commander said it was evident that the aerodrome needed to be safeguarded against unauthorised human and animal activities.
At the time of the minister’s visit, some members of the community were seen walking across the airfield, oblivious of the dangers they were exposed to. Even though the northern part of the field was overgrown with weeds, some of the drug pushers still patronise the paths.
Communities living around the airfield also farm around the station.
The Station Commander, Air Commodore Samson Oje, said the activities of the fringe communities posed a threat to safety at the station.
He said the only solution to the problem was to provide a fence between the Takoradi Cemetery and the Air Force Training School.
“The Takoradi airfield is now virtually surrounded by buildings and roads, especially the northern part,” he said.
He warned that the security problems associated with those human activities were numerous, “and this needs to be tackled before a very serious problems arises”.
Air Cdr Oje said as a result of the exposure, firemen at the station had to chase people and the stray animals away from the runway before an aircraft could land and that a little oversight could lead to serious consequences.
When the Daily Graphic news team visited the airfield later, it saw animals resting on the runway after grazing around the aerodrome.
THE airfield at the Takoradi Air Force Station, which is supposed to be one of the major entry points for teams taking part in the Ghana 2008, has become a common footpath for pedestrians and a rest place for animals, thus posing danger to the aircraft that would land at the aerodrome.
Apart from the numerous public footpaths that criss-cross the airfield, the northern part of the runway is also being used by herdsmen, gardeners, and it also serves as a home for lunatics as well as drug pushers.
Most of the time, when an aircraft is approaching the station, the fire officers at the station have to drive away pedestrians, herdsmen as well as the stray animals to avert danger.
As the airfield is being upgraded to some acceptable standard as having VVIP and VIP lounges, arrival and departure halls as well as a restaurant and other facilities, it would be disastrous if nothing is done to stop those unauthorised human activities around the airfield.
An expert has expressed the view that developing infrastructure at the airfield without fencing it is not the best and called for the airfield to be fenced.
During a tour of the airfield by the Minister of Aviation, Ms Gloria, and her entourage recently, the station commander said it was evident that the aerodrome needed to be safeguarded against unauthorised human and animal activities.
At the time of the minister’s visit, some members of the community were seen walking across the airfield, oblivious of the dangers they were exposed to. Even though the northern part of the field was overgrown with weeds, some of the drug pushers still patronise the paths.
Communities living around the airfield also farm around the station.
The Station Commander, Air Commodore Samson Oje, said the activities of the fringe communities posed a threat to safety at the station.
He said the only solution to the problem was to provide a fence between the Takoradi Cemetery and the Air Force Training School.
“The Takoradi airfield is now virtually surrounded by buildings and roads, especially the northern part,” he said.
He warned that the security problems associated with those human activities were numerous, “and this needs to be tackled before a very serious problems arises”.
Air Cdr Oje said as a result of the exposure, firemen at the station had to chase people and the stray animals away from the runway before an aircraft could land and that a little oversight could lead to serious consequences.
When the Daily Graphic news team visited the airfield later, it saw animals resting on the runway after grazing around the aerodrome.
INSTALL STREELIGHTS BETWEEN EFFIA-NKWANTA HOSPITAL, FIJAI....Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Nurses residing at the nurses’ quarters near the GBC office and those on night shift are never safe until they arrive at their workplace at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.
This is because there are no street lights along the road from their residence to the hospital. They have to make it to their workplace in darkness.
Those on night duty therefore have to seek the assistance of those not on duty to escort them to the hospital. They have complained that some of their colleagues were attacked on many occasions by thieves who made away with their belongings.
This came to light when this reporter drove through the quarters to the hospital at night. The road was in total darkness and the nurses who are mainly young ladies have become the targets of social deviants.
During the visit this reporter saw three nurses who were walking with their hand bags under their armpits and trying to avoid the social miscreants by moving quickly to the road when they saw the light of the vehicle.
They said they were scared and went into hiding when “we saw a man running in our direction in the darkness only to move out when the road was clear”.
Unfortunately, the location of their quarters is quite a distance from the main road and the hospital. Therefore, commercial vehicles and taxis refuse to ply that route.
“If you are on duty, you have to wait for your friends to finish whatever they are doing and then escort you to the hospital premises,” they lamented.
There were no lights on the premises of the health facility and the whole area was very dark. The only lights seen were the flashes of light from headlights of vehicles or lights from residents living around the hospital.
Provision has been made for street lights in the area, but there are no bulbs and the lamp holders are very old, some of them even without wires.
The nurses said when the nation suffered from the energy crisis the situation was understandable but expected that after the crisis something would be done to ensure that the street lights were restored to provide some security for them.
The fear of the nurses aside, some residents also condemned the insecurity the darkness had exposed them to, and urged the authorities to provide street lights in the area to save life and property.
When contacted, the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital Administrator, Mr Micah Bediako, described the situation as unfortunate and that the hospital had provided bulbs and connected light to the area on many occasions.
“But the sad aspect is that when you provide the facility, at night, some unscrupulous members of society go there and remove the wires and the bulbs,” he said.
He added that even though they needed street lights along the main road from Fijai Junction to the emergency unit up through Nkontompo to the hospital, it was a capital-intensive project, which the hospital could not undertake alone and urged the metropolitan authorities to live up to their responsibilities.
Nurses residing at the nurses’ quarters near the GBC office and those on night shift are never safe until they arrive at their workplace at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.
This is because there are no street lights along the road from their residence to the hospital. They have to make it to their workplace in darkness.
Those on night duty therefore have to seek the assistance of those not on duty to escort them to the hospital. They have complained that some of their colleagues were attacked on many occasions by thieves who made away with their belongings.
This came to light when this reporter drove through the quarters to the hospital at night. The road was in total darkness and the nurses who are mainly young ladies have become the targets of social deviants.
During the visit this reporter saw three nurses who were walking with their hand bags under their armpits and trying to avoid the social miscreants by moving quickly to the road when they saw the light of the vehicle.
They said they were scared and went into hiding when “we saw a man running in our direction in the darkness only to move out when the road was clear”.
Unfortunately, the location of their quarters is quite a distance from the main road and the hospital. Therefore, commercial vehicles and taxis refuse to ply that route.
“If you are on duty, you have to wait for your friends to finish whatever they are doing and then escort you to the hospital premises,” they lamented.
There were no lights on the premises of the health facility and the whole area was very dark. The only lights seen were the flashes of light from headlights of vehicles or lights from residents living around the hospital.
Provision has been made for street lights in the area, but there are no bulbs and the lamp holders are very old, some of them even without wires.
The nurses said when the nation suffered from the energy crisis the situation was understandable but expected that after the crisis something would be done to ensure that the street lights were restored to provide some security for them.
The fear of the nurses aside, some residents also condemned the insecurity the darkness had exposed them to, and urged the authorities to provide street lights in the area to save life and property.
When contacted, the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital Administrator, Mr Micah Bediako, described the situation as unfortunate and that the hospital had provided bulbs and connected light to the area on many occasions.
“But the sad aspect is that when you provide the facility, at night, some unscrupulous members of society go there and remove the wires and the bulbs,” he said.
He added that even though they needed street lights along the main road from Fijai Junction to the emergency unit up through Nkontompo to the hospital, it was a capital-intensive project, which the hospital could not undertake alone and urged the metropolitan authorities to live up to their responsibilities.
NIGERIAN, IVORIAN COOKS INVADE ESSIPON ......Centre Page
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Traditional caterers from Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire are trooping to Essipon, one of the venues of the Ghana 2008 tournament, where the national teams of the two countries will be playing.
The caterers are trying to secure space to operate eating places for the many supporters expected to turn up.
Gari and yam, the main meals of the two countries, are expected to be on high demand for the period of the tournament and the caterers from both countries have approached developers at Essipon to partner them or provide them with space to serve food.
The Nigerians and Ivorians say they will be serving “Eba and Ogbono” soup, as well as “Attieke” and other traditional dishes. Some Ghanaian caterers have also indicated that they will serve a variety of local and international dishes in addition to operating drinking spots, clubs and other recreational centres.
It is estimated that about 30,000 and 24,000 supporters from Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, respectively will be in the metropolis to support their national teams.
Apart from food, the prices of parcels of land have already sky-rocketed because of the tournament.
Land prices have risen by about 60 per cent, compared to what they were before the stadium was built, and indications are that as demand keeps rising, so will prices.
Interestingly, the traditional diet of the Ivorians is similar to that of Ghanaians, that is, mainly grains and tubers. But those looking for the space to serve customers will include on their menu the popular “Attieke” (grated cassava), which is an Ivorian desert.
The Ivorians will mount open-air restaurants which are normally referred to as Maquis.
Additionally, one of the biggest hotels in the Shama Ahanta East metropolis, the Raybow Hotel, is also creating a complete village for the teeming Nigerian supporters to be served with the popular ‘Gari and Ogbono’ soup.
At the moment, a team from the hotel has left Takoradi for Nigeria to buy a container full of ingredients that will last for the period.
According to Mr S.K. Liemuoh, the owner of the Stadium View Spot, a drinking bar located at the junction of the stadium, he had been approached by the caterers for the use a space near his drinking spot.
“I am at the moment preparing the place for them. They are coming in their numbers. They said they just wanted to mount their tents and serve their supporters,” he said.
He said his spot would also be serving all kinds of Ghanaian traditional food, such as tuo zafi, fufu, akple and fetri detsi.
The Manager of the Raybow Hotel, Mr Anthony K. Addiaba, said the management was creating a complete village where people from Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and other countries could come and have the feel of the traditional foods of their countries.
Mr Addiaba said he had provided a place for football teams and officials where they could be safe and comfortable and enjoy traditional dishes, while some residents took care of the supporters.
As a result of the dominance of the major sponsor, MTN, at the community, other corporate bodies who want their presence to be felt are feverishly painting various drinking spots and food joints and other structures in their colours.
A few years ago, Essipon was a place where most people would not stay or work, especially when the Inchaban-Sekondi road deteriorated to such an extent that people going from Sekondi to Inchaban or Essipon had to make a detour through Takoradi or Effia Kuma.
With the construction of the road and a completely new stadium, and the tournament only 37 days away, Essipon is now a complete “city” in the making. There are superstructures that could be comparable to others in Takoradi.
The Chief of the town, Nana Kofi Abuna V, one of the few female chiefs in the country, says anyone interested in development activities could approach the elders for a partnership to develop the community, adding, “We are ready for the visitors and investors. Let them come.”
Traditional caterers from Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire are trooping to Essipon, one of the venues of the Ghana 2008 tournament, where the national teams of the two countries will be playing.
The caterers are trying to secure space to operate eating places for the many supporters expected to turn up.
Gari and yam, the main meals of the two countries, are expected to be on high demand for the period of the tournament and the caterers from both countries have approached developers at Essipon to partner them or provide them with space to serve food.
The Nigerians and Ivorians say they will be serving “Eba and Ogbono” soup, as well as “Attieke” and other traditional dishes. Some Ghanaian caterers have also indicated that they will serve a variety of local and international dishes in addition to operating drinking spots, clubs and other recreational centres.
It is estimated that about 30,000 and 24,000 supporters from Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, respectively will be in the metropolis to support their national teams.
Apart from food, the prices of parcels of land have already sky-rocketed because of the tournament.
Land prices have risen by about 60 per cent, compared to what they were before the stadium was built, and indications are that as demand keeps rising, so will prices.
Interestingly, the traditional diet of the Ivorians is similar to that of Ghanaians, that is, mainly grains and tubers. But those looking for the space to serve customers will include on their menu the popular “Attieke” (grated cassava), which is an Ivorian desert.
The Ivorians will mount open-air restaurants which are normally referred to as Maquis.
Additionally, one of the biggest hotels in the Shama Ahanta East metropolis, the Raybow Hotel, is also creating a complete village for the teeming Nigerian supporters to be served with the popular ‘Gari and Ogbono’ soup.
At the moment, a team from the hotel has left Takoradi for Nigeria to buy a container full of ingredients that will last for the period.
According to Mr S.K. Liemuoh, the owner of the Stadium View Spot, a drinking bar located at the junction of the stadium, he had been approached by the caterers for the use a space near his drinking spot.
“I am at the moment preparing the place for them. They are coming in their numbers. They said they just wanted to mount their tents and serve their supporters,” he said.
He said his spot would also be serving all kinds of Ghanaian traditional food, such as tuo zafi, fufu, akple and fetri detsi.
The Manager of the Raybow Hotel, Mr Anthony K. Addiaba, said the management was creating a complete village where people from Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and other countries could come and have the feel of the traditional foods of their countries.
Mr Addiaba said he had provided a place for football teams and officials where they could be safe and comfortable and enjoy traditional dishes, while some residents took care of the supporters.
As a result of the dominance of the major sponsor, MTN, at the community, other corporate bodies who want their presence to be felt are feverishly painting various drinking spots and food joints and other structures in their colours.
A few years ago, Essipon was a place where most people would not stay or work, especially when the Inchaban-Sekondi road deteriorated to such an extent that people going from Sekondi to Inchaban or Essipon had to make a detour through Takoradi or Effia Kuma.
With the construction of the road and a completely new stadium, and the tournament only 37 days away, Essipon is now a complete “city” in the making. There are superstructures that could be comparable to others in Takoradi.
The Chief of the town, Nana Kofi Abuna V, one of the few female chiefs in the country, says anyone interested in development activities could approach the elders for a partnership to develop the community, adding, “We are ready for the visitors and investors. Let them come.”
Friday, December 7, 2007
MURDER OVER PHONE ....Odikro, 3 others arrested (1b)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE plot by the Odikro of a farming community in the Jomoro District of the Western Region and four others to divert attention after allegedly shooting a 25-year-old man in the bush has been uncovered.
The Odikro and his alleged accomplices have been arrested and put behind bars.
John Kofi Baah, the Odikro of Mile Two, Tamor Tanoe, Awuku Kaku, alias Santana, Ebusuapenyin Peter Ekuma and Kwabena Baah, the Tufohene of the village, were said to have shot and killed the deceased, who is yet to be identified.
They reportedly dumped the body by the roadside and went home.
The day after the suspects had dumped the body by the roadside, a passer-by chanced upon it and went to the Odikro’s house to report the matter to him. Pretending that he knew nothing about the act, the Odikro went to the police to report.
Unknown to the Odikro and the others, however, some people in the community had seen them chasing the young man with a gun into the bush the day before.
The police, upon a tip-off by those who had seen the suspects chasing the deceased, arrested the five.
In their statements to the police, the suspects confessed that upon suspicion that the young man had stolen a mobile phone belonging to Tanoe, they chased and shot him at the outskirts of the settlement.
They told the police that after killing him, they hid the body in the bush and at 12 midnight they dumped it at the roadside to create the impression that the deceased was an armed robber.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr D. Abade, the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Half-Assini Government Hospital.
THE plot by the Odikro of a farming community in the Jomoro District of the Western Region and four others to divert attention after allegedly shooting a 25-year-old man in the bush has been uncovered.
The Odikro and his alleged accomplices have been arrested and put behind bars.
John Kofi Baah, the Odikro of Mile Two, Tamor Tanoe, Awuku Kaku, alias Santana, Ebusuapenyin Peter Ekuma and Kwabena Baah, the Tufohene of the village, were said to have shot and killed the deceased, who is yet to be identified.
They reportedly dumped the body by the roadside and went home.
The day after the suspects had dumped the body by the roadside, a passer-by chanced upon it and went to the Odikro’s house to report the matter to him. Pretending that he knew nothing about the act, the Odikro went to the police to report.
Unknown to the Odikro and the others, however, some people in the community had seen them chasing the young man with a gun into the bush the day before.
The police, upon a tip-off by those who had seen the suspects chasing the deceased, arrested the five.
In their statements to the police, the suspects confessed that upon suspicion that the young man had stolen a mobile phone belonging to Tanoe, they chased and shot him at the outskirts of the settlement.
They told the police that after killing him, they hid the body in the bush and at 12 midnight they dumped it at the roadside to create the impression that the deceased was an armed robber.
According to the Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr D. Abade, the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Half-Assini Government Hospital.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
POLICE BARRACKS CRY FOR HELP..... (PAGE 25)
STORY: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE infrastructural facilities of most police barracks in the Shama Ahanta East metropolitan area are in a deplorable state.
Some of the barracks visited by this reporter showed that the occupants did not have adequate bathhouses, while some of the buildings had developed cracks.
Despite efforts by the Sekondi Regional Police Command to improve these facilities, some of the barracks do not have adequate bathhouses, and that has compelled old, young, male and female tenants to share the same mass bathhouse. They also do not have adequate kitchen facilities.
The structure that is being used as a bathhouse in one of the barracks is a large open building that does not give privacy to users of the facility. They make use of a KVIP public place of convenience .
At Effiekuma, the structures are weak and pose a danger to occupants.
While tenants at Sekondi barracks have a big place for their use as a mass bathhouse, those at the Effiakuma barracks have small wooden structures located behind their buildings for that purpose.
According to some of the tenants, the structures at Effiakuma frequently collapse during rainy seasons, and the occupants who are mostly junior officers, have to look for money to do repair works on them.
The officers said they had no other option than to stay in the buildings.
They complained that during the last rainy season, many buildings collapsed and others developed deep cracks, rendering them not fit for habitation.
At the barracks called the Reserve or the Mobile Force Unit, the structures have multiple cracks and look weak. The buildings have not been painted for many years.
Apart from the cracks on the main structure, the roofs also leak.
The occupants have therefore appealed to the authorities to renovate the barracks to make them safe and comfortable.
THE infrastructural facilities of most police barracks in the Shama Ahanta East metropolitan area are in a deplorable state.
Some of the barracks visited by this reporter showed that the occupants did not have adequate bathhouses, while some of the buildings had developed cracks.
Despite efforts by the Sekondi Regional Police Command to improve these facilities, some of the barracks do not have adequate bathhouses, and that has compelled old, young, male and female tenants to share the same mass bathhouse. They also do not have adequate kitchen facilities.
The structure that is being used as a bathhouse in one of the barracks is a large open building that does not give privacy to users of the facility. They make use of a KVIP public place of convenience .
At Effiekuma, the structures are weak and pose a danger to occupants.
While tenants at Sekondi barracks have a big place for their use as a mass bathhouse, those at the Effiakuma barracks have small wooden structures located behind their buildings for that purpose.
According to some of the tenants, the structures at Effiakuma frequently collapse during rainy seasons, and the occupants who are mostly junior officers, have to look for money to do repair works on them.
The officers said they had no other option than to stay in the buildings.
They complained that during the last rainy season, many buildings collapsed and others developed deep cracks, rendering them not fit for habitation.
At the barracks called the Reserve or the Mobile Force Unit, the structures have multiple cracks and look weak. The buildings have not been painted for many years.
Apart from the cracks on the main structure, the roofs also leak.
The occupants have therefore appealed to the authorities to renovate the barracks to make them safe and comfortable.
TRUCKS CREATE CONGESTION IN SEKONDI=TAKORADI ...(PAGE 25)
STORY: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THIS year’s cocoa season is here again and the number of haulage trucks in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis has increased. This has resulted in congestion along the shoulders of the various roads in the metropolis.
The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA), which some time ago promised to construct a haulage terminal to provide parking lots for the haulage trucks had failed to fulfil its promise.
Cocoa, which is the main cash crop of the country, is mainly shipped to other countries through the Takoradi Port.
The trucks evacuate cocoa beans from various parts of the country to the Takoradi Port. However, due to the limited number of warehouses for storage before onward shipment, the trucks park anywhere, creating so much congestion in the metropolis.
According to some of the cocoa clerks and the haulage truck drivers the Daily Graphic interviewed, the congestion in the districts from where they carted the produce was more than what pertained in the metropolis.
They said though the various marketing companies or shippers directed them to wait until the congestion at the port had minimised before bringing in more cocoa beans, “ we prefer to move to the city because if you don’t even evacuate the produce, the people will sell what we have bought to others.”
To them, the Western Region also has an unpredictable rainfall pattern and bad roads, and if they did not move from the districts to the regional capital, it would get worse should the rain intensify.
These trucks are, therefore parked everywhere in the metropolis, especially at the Fijai Junction, on the shoulders of the road.
During the same season last year, the Shama Ahanta East Metropilitan Assembly promised to provide a truck terminal for those in the haulage industry.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr John Laste, said one of the problems facing the Assembly was lack of interest by private investors to provide such a facility for use by those in the haulage industry.
He said the assembly was very worried about the dangers posed by those trucks when they parked at unapproved places in the metropolis.
The PRO said to ensure sanity on the roads in the metropolis during the Christmas period and the period of the Ghana 2008 CAN football competition, some private investors in the haulage industry had come forward and a land had been allocated to them at Npintsin for the construction of the truck terminal.
He said when complete, the terminal could take more than 200 heavy duty trucks at a time in addition to providing a resting place, as well as warehouses.
He said the Assembly had realised that investing in warehouse and truck terminals at designated points could be best handled by the private sector, adding that though the Assembly was not in the position to invest in those areas, it was ready to give the necessary assistance to those interested in the sector.
Mr Laste said it was the wish of the Assembly that those in the industry would have a decent place to park and rest.
He said the Ghana Shippers Council was also doing everything possible to ensure that the needed environment was created for its members by providing facilities to help address the problem.
The PRO gave the assurance that the necessary by-law would be enforced after the haulage truck terminals had been completed to decongest the city.
THIS year’s cocoa season is here again and the number of haulage trucks in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis has increased. This has resulted in congestion along the shoulders of the various roads in the metropolis.
The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA), which some time ago promised to construct a haulage terminal to provide parking lots for the haulage trucks had failed to fulfil its promise.
Cocoa, which is the main cash crop of the country, is mainly shipped to other countries through the Takoradi Port.
The trucks evacuate cocoa beans from various parts of the country to the Takoradi Port. However, due to the limited number of warehouses for storage before onward shipment, the trucks park anywhere, creating so much congestion in the metropolis.
According to some of the cocoa clerks and the haulage truck drivers the Daily Graphic interviewed, the congestion in the districts from where they carted the produce was more than what pertained in the metropolis.
They said though the various marketing companies or shippers directed them to wait until the congestion at the port had minimised before bringing in more cocoa beans, “ we prefer to move to the city because if you don’t even evacuate the produce, the people will sell what we have bought to others.”
To them, the Western Region also has an unpredictable rainfall pattern and bad roads, and if they did not move from the districts to the regional capital, it would get worse should the rain intensify.
These trucks are, therefore parked everywhere in the metropolis, especially at the Fijai Junction, on the shoulders of the road.
During the same season last year, the Shama Ahanta East Metropilitan Assembly promised to provide a truck terminal for those in the haulage industry.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr John Laste, said one of the problems facing the Assembly was lack of interest by private investors to provide such a facility for use by those in the haulage industry.
He said the assembly was very worried about the dangers posed by those trucks when they parked at unapproved places in the metropolis.
The PRO said to ensure sanity on the roads in the metropolis during the Christmas period and the period of the Ghana 2008 CAN football competition, some private investors in the haulage industry had come forward and a land had been allocated to them at Npintsin for the construction of the truck terminal.
He said when complete, the terminal could take more than 200 heavy duty trucks at a time in addition to providing a resting place, as well as warehouses.
He said the Assembly had realised that investing in warehouse and truck terminals at designated points could be best handled by the private sector, adding that though the Assembly was not in the position to invest in those areas, it was ready to give the necessary assistance to those interested in the sector.
Mr Laste said it was the wish of the Assembly that those in the industry would have a decent place to park and rest.
He said the Ghana Shippers Council was also doing everything possible to ensure that the needed environment was created for its members by providing facilities to help address the problem.
The PRO gave the assurance that the necessary by-law would be enforced after the haulage truck terminals had been completed to decongest the city.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
ACTION UNAUTHORISED ... (PAGE 3)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE Western Naval Command has stated that it did not authorise any movement of troops to attack the police in Sekondi last Saturday after the arrest of two naval officers during a police swoop on the metropolis.
However, police sources in Sekondi maintained that those who attacked the police station, assaulted the duty officer and attempted to release the two naval officers were naval officers and that their denial was for self defence.
The Navy said the Sub-Lt who went to the station to negotiate the release of the two naval ratings did not have power to move troops and that he was only a duty officer on the day of the incident.
However, the two Able Seamen, Philip Berko Okyere and Emmanuel Nyanyo who were arrested during the swoop have been handed over to the Navy and have been put in a guard room while investigations continue.
Captain George Kofi Anim, the Command Operations Officer of the Western Command, asked, “According to the police report those who were alleged to have attempted to break the cell gate were in civilian clothing, so how can we then say they are naval officers?”
Captain Anim said those who went to attack the police could be the youth from the community where the swoop took place.
“We are not saying that all our men are good or blameless but we do not condone wrongdoing or anything relating to drugs,” he said.
The Command Operations Officer said the Petty Officer who was arrested was just passing through and did not know anything about the problem.
o
THE Western Naval Command has stated that it did not authorise any movement of troops to attack the police in Sekondi last Saturday after the arrest of two naval officers during a police swoop on the metropolis.
However, police sources in Sekondi maintained that those who attacked the police station, assaulted the duty officer and attempted to release the two naval officers were naval officers and that their denial was for self defence.
The Navy said the Sub-Lt who went to the station to negotiate the release of the two naval ratings did not have power to move troops and that he was only a duty officer on the day of the incident.
However, the two Able Seamen, Philip Berko Okyere and Emmanuel Nyanyo who were arrested during the swoop have been handed over to the Navy and have been put in a guard room while investigations continue.
Captain George Kofi Anim, the Command Operations Officer of the Western Command, asked, “According to the police report those who were alleged to have attempted to break the cell gate were in civilian clothing, so how can we then say they are naval officers?”
Captain Anim said those who went to attack the police could be the youth from the community where the swoop took place.
“We are not saying that all our men are good or blameless but we do not condone wrongdoing or anything relating to drugs,” he said.
The Command Operations Officer said the Petty Officer who was arrested was just passing through and did not know anything about the problem.
o
POLICE, NAVY IN A BRAWL (LEAD STORY ... Dec 4, 2007)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi.
A LARGE crowd of civilians looked on in awe when about 30 Naval officers engaged an equal number of police officers in a brutal street brawl at the Sekondi Police Station last Saturday night.
The free-for-all followed an attempt by the Naval officers to forcibly free two of their colleagues who had been arrested during a swoop on a hideout in Sekondi believed to be the den of drug peddlers and violent criminals.
In the end, the police triumphed and succeeded in keeping the attacking Navy men at bay. They arrested one of the Navy men, identified as Chief Petty Officer or WO Abu Abubakari, and locked him up with the two at the same police station.
Police sources said the two Navy men were among a group of suspected criminals who were engaged in the smoking of ‘wee’ when the police mounted the exercise. The police rounded them up and placed them in police cells.
The source said when news of the arrest got to the colleagues of the two at the Naval Base, they invaded the police station, assaulted the police woman on duty and attempted to open the cell gate by smashing the locks with stones and metals.
Further investigations by the Daily Graphic revealed that the rampaging naval officers were led by one Sub-Lt Teye Dzadza in the attempt to rescue their two colleagues, who were identified as Philip Berko Okyere and Emmanuel Nyanyo, both Able Seamen stationed in Sekondi.
The officer was said to have made an initial visit to the station to attempt releasing his colleagues but when it was explained to him that they were in lawful custody, he left, only to return with more soldiers to apply force.
With the reinforcement, the soldiers were said to have pounced on the station officer, beat her up before moving to the cell gate to attempt breaking the locks. At that point, the duty officer was said to have blown her whistle to alert the other police officers about the imminent cell break. The alarm attracted the attention of her colleagues who were within hearing range and they immediately rushed in.
Upon the arrival of more policemen, a serious fight ensued, resulting in injuries on both sides. The most severely injured was a policeman who suffered a twisted waist and a broken wrist.
The police however, foiled the attempt to rescue the suspects and arrested one of the Naval officers.
After being so fiercely resisted, the men from the Naval Base left the fight venue, which had then been reduced to a scene of broken stones and other debris.
Information reaching the Daily Graphic indicate that the alleged leader of the group, Sub-Lt Dzadza, is being held for questioning, while the Regional Co-ordinating Council is making attempts to resolve the issue.
The acting Regional Police Commander, ACP R. M. Azu, said the police are investigating but declined further comment.
A LARGE crowd of civilians looked on in awe when about 30 Naval officers engaged an equal number of police officers in a brutal street brawl at the Sekondi Police Station last Saturday night.
The free-for-all followed an attempt by the Naval officers to forcibly free two of their colleagues who had been arrested during a swoop on a hideout in Sekondi believed to be the den of drug peddlers and violent criminals.
In the end, the police triumphed and succeeded in keeping the attacking Navy men at bay. They arrested one of the Navy men, identified as Chief Petty Officer or WO Abu Abubakari, and locked him up with the two at the same police station.
Police sources said the two Navy men were among a group of suspected criminals who were engaged in the smoking of ‘wee’ when the police mounted the exercise. The police rounded them up and placed them in police cells.
The source said when news of the arrest got to the colleagues of the two at the Naval Base, they invaded the police station, assaulted the police woman on duty and attempted to open the cell gate by smashing the locks with stones and metals.
Further investigations by the Daily Graphic revealed that the rampaging naval officers were led by one Sub-Lt Teye Dzadza in the attempt to rescue their two colleagues, who were identified as Philip Berko Okyere and Emmanuel Nyanyo, both Able Seamen stationed in Sekondi.
The officer was said to have made an initial visit to the station to attempt releasing his colleagues but when it was explained to him that they were in lawful custody, he left, only to return with more soldiers to apply force.
With the reinforcement, the soldiers were said to have pounced on the station officer, beat her up before moving to the cell gate to attempt breaking the locks. At that point, the duty officer was said to have blown her whistle to alert the other police officers about the imminent cell break. The alarm attracted the attention of her colleagues who were within hearing range and they immediately rushed in.
Upon the arrival of more policemen, a serious fight ensued, resulting in injuries on both sides. The most severely injured was a policeman who suffered a twisted waist and a broken wrist.
The police however, foiled the attempt to rescue the suspects and arrested one of the Naval officers.
After being so fiercely resisted, the men from the Naval Base left the fight venue, which had then been reduced to a scene of broken stones and other debris.
Information reaching the Daily Graphic indicate that the alleged leader of the group, Sub-Lt Dzadza, is being held for questioning, while the Regional Co-ordinating Council is making attempts to resolve the issue.
The acting Regional Police Commander, ACP R. M. Azu, said the police are investigating but declined further comment.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Accident at Nkontonpon
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Nkontonpon
SEVEN children were seriously injured, two of them in critical condition, when a heavily loaded grader with failed brakes rammed through a crowd of Sunday school goers at Nkontonpon, in the Western Region.
But for divine intervention, the casualty figures would have been higher as the grader decended a hill and headed in the children’s direction.
Many of the children managed to escape but the objects cleared by the grader on its way downhill seriously injuring the seven who are now on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The injured children included Francisca Nyamekeh, 6; Ruth Amoasi, 7; Mariam Ameye, 7; Angelina Esibuch,7; Gloria Ankoma, 8; Emmanuel Entsuah, 7, and Kaala Sam.
Apart from injuring the children, the machine also destroyed a petty trader’s shop and prefabricated metal canopies parked off the road for rental, before finally crashing into a building, causing extensive damage to it.
According to an eyewitness, the machine was working without any problem in the early hours of the day but at about 1.00 p.m., the operator moved to the top of the hill where the problem started.
"On his way downhill, we heard the operator shouting as he tried to control the speed of the machine to no avail. The older ones among the children managed to escape but the younger ones were trapped by objects that had been cleared by the machine," the eyewitness said.
Madam Akosua Kakraba, a middle-aged woman whose room was badly damaged by the machine, said, "From church I entered the room and only moved out again as a result of the pandemonium, not knowing that I was rather escaping death."
When this reporter entered Madam Kakraba’s room, it was evident that debris from the part of the building that was hit by the machine were on the bed.
The building is currently not habitable, as it has developed more cracks than before, according to the residents.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, the mother of one of the victims, Ruth, said she could only thank God that none of the children died and prayed that her daughter and other children on admission would get well soon to join their colleagues.
When contacted, the Director of CA Company, Mr Charles Mensah, who expressed shock at the turn of events, assured the community and those affected that his company would be responsible for the damage caused to the property and the children.
The Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Mr George Adussa-Poku, said the police had taken control of the situation and were currently investigating the cause.
SEVEN children were seriously injured, two of them in critical condition, when a heavily loaded grader with failed brakes rammed through a crowd of Sunday school goers at Nkontonpon, in the Western Region.
But for divine intervention, the casualty figures would have been higher as the grader decended a hill and headed in the children’s direction.
Many of the children managed to escape but the objects cleared by the grader on its way downhill seriously injuring the seven who are now on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The injured children included Francisca Nyamekeh, 6; Ruth Amoasi, 7; Mariam Ameye, 7; Angelina Esibuch,7; Gloria Ankoma, 8; Emmanuel Entsuah, 7, and Kaala Sam.
Apart from injuring the children, the machine also destroyed a petty trader’s shop and prefabricated metal canopies parked off the road for rental, before finally crashing into a building, causing extensive damage to it.
According to an eyewitness, the machine was working without any problem in the early hours of the day but at about 1.00 p.m., the operator moved to the top of the hill where the problem started.
"On his way downhill, we heard the operator shouting as he tried to control the speed of the machine to no avail. The older ones among the children managed to escape but the younger ones were trapped by objects that had been cleared by the machine," the eyewitness said.
Madam Akosua Kakraba, a middle-aged woman whose room was badly damaged by the machine, said, "From church I entered the room and only moved out again as a result of the pandemonium, not knowing that I was rather escaping death."
When this reporter entered Madam Kakraba’s room, it was evident that debris from the part of the building that was hit by the machine were on the bed.
The building is currently not habitable, as it has developed more cracks than before, according to the residents.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, the mother of one of the victims, Ruth, said she could only thank God that none of the children died and prayed that her daughter and other children on admission would get well soon to join their colleagues.
When contacted, the Director of CA Company, Mr Charles Mensah, who expressed shock at the turn of events, assured the community and those affected that his company would be responsible for the damage caused to the property and the children.
The Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Mr George Adussa-Poku, said the police had taken control of the situation and were currently investigating the cause.
15 perished in Accident
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Asuoko-Assaman
THE small town of Asuoko-Assaman, near the Shama Junction in the Western Region, was on Friday night thrown into a state of profuse mourning when a Ford mini bus ran into an abandoned articulated truck, resulting in the death of 15 people on board the bus.
The accident, which occurred around 11.00 p.m., claimed seven lives on the spot, while the remaining five died shortly afterwards when they were rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi.
The articulated truck was said to have developed a fault at about 8:30 p.m. last Friday and was left in the middle of the road, with its parking light on. The driver of the truck claimed that apart from the parking light, he had positioned a warning triangle a distance behind the truck to warn oncoming vehicles of the danger.
But the Ford mini bus, which was said to be travelling at top speed, ran into the truck, resulting in the prohibitive loss of lives.
The dead included two military officers who were travelling to their duty station in Takoradi.
The identities of the remaining victims are yet to be established.
The impact of the crash was so great that it took the police and residents of the town more than six hours to disentangle the badly wrecked Ford mini bus, with registration number WR 2119 X, which had gone deep under the truck, with the registration number AS 5655 S and fully loaded with goods, and to retrieve the dead bodies.
The residents, who had to cut their sleep to help before the arrival of a police rescue team, could not to do much, as the victims had been seriously trapped under the heavy truck, from the rear of the truck to its axle.
According to the Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service , Mr George Adussa-Poku, the police had the signal at about 11.00 p.m. and moved immediately to save the situation.
“The impact was so great that we could not have access to the victims, as they were trapped deep under the articulated truck,” he said.
“It took my men a hectic time to cut the metals and flip the mangled mini bus open to have access to some of the passengers who were already dead,” he said.
He said judging from the impact of the accident, the driver might have been travelling between 140 and 150 kilometres per hour, which he described as outrageous.
“If the driver had been travelling within the stipulated speed limit, knowing that he was approaching a town, the impact would not have been that powerful and we would have had some of the passengers alive to tell us what happened,” he added.
He disclosed that the driver of the truck had said his truck had developed a fault on the road to Takoradi at about 8:30 p.m. and that he (the driver) had erected a warning triangle and put on his parking lights.
Mr Adussa-Poku explained that in the night if only the parking lights of a stationary vehicle were on, without the hazard lights, other vehicles approaching the faulty vehicle would presume the vehicle was in motion.
He said the identities of the victims were not yet known but added that the police managed to retrieve their mobile phones and relatives who had called to find out if their loved ones had arrived safely were greeted with the bad news of their death.
The Regional MTTU Commander said most accidents happened in the night when the police had retired for the day, adding that information available with regard to the Ford bus indicated that from the time the driver left the station in Accra to the time of the accident, he (the Ford driver) had travelled two hours, which was unacceptable.
Mr Adussa-Poku said the driver of the faulty articulated truck was currently in police custody and would be formally charged and processed for court today.
At the Ford Station in Takoradi, officials said the mini bus had 16 passengers on board who were travelling from Accra to Takoradi but only one person had alighted before the accident occurred.
They said it would be very difficult to make any comment, since they could not confirm the speed at which the driver of the Ford had been travelling.
The police expressed the hope that the families of the victims would be located soon to inform them of the tragic incident.
The bodies have since been deposited at the morgue at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, while the MTTU has since moved the two vehicles to the Sekondi Police Station.
THE small town of Asuoko-Assaman, near the Shama Junction in the Western Region, was on Friday night thrown into a state of profuse mourning when a Ford mini bus ran into an abandoned articulated truck, resulting in the death of 15 people on board the bus.
The accident, which occurred around 11.00 p.m., claimed seven lives on the spot, while the remaining five died shortly afterwards when they were rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi.
The articulated truck was said to have developed a fault at about 8:30 p.m. last Friday and was left in the middle of the road, with its parking light on. The driver of the truck claimed that apart from the parking light, he had positioned a warning triangle a distance behind the truck to warn oncoming vehicles of the danger.
But the Ford mini bus, which was said to be travelling at top speed, ran into the truck, resulting in the prohibitive loss of lives.
The dead included two military officers who were travelling to their duty station in Takoradi.
The identities of the remaining victims are yet to be established.
The impact of the crash was so great that it took the police and residents of the town more than six hours to disentangle the badly wrecked Ford mini bus, with registration number WR 2119 X, which had gone deep under the truck, with the registration number AS 5655 S and fully loaded with goods, and to retrieve the dead bodies.
The residents, who had to cut their sleep to help before the arrival of a police rescue team, could not to do much, as the victims had been seriously trapped under the heavy truck, from the rear of the truck to its axle.
According to the Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service , Mr George Adussa-Poku, the police had the signal at about 11.00 p.m. and moved immediately to save the situation.
“The impact was so great that we could not have access to the victims, as they were trapped deep under the articulated truck,” he said.
“It took my men a hectic time to cut the metals and flip the mangled mini bus open to have access to some of the passengers who were already dead,” he said.
He said judging from the impact of the accident, the driver might have been travelling between 140 and 150 kilometres per hour, which he described as outrageous.
“If the driver had been travelling within the stipulated speed limit, knowing that he was approaching a town, the impact would not have been that powerful and we would have had some of the passengers alive to tell us what happened,” he added.
He disclosed that the driver of the truck had said his truck had developed a fault on the road to Takoradi at about 8:30 p.m. and that he (the driver) had erected a warning triangle and put on his parking lights.
Mr Adussa-Poku explained that in the night if only the parking lights of a stationary vehicle were on, without the hazard lights, other vehicles approaching the faulty vehicle would presume the vehicle was in motion.
He said the identities of the victims were not yet known but added that the police managed to retrieve their mobile phones and relatives who had called to find out if their loved ones had arrived safely were greeted with the bad news of their death.
The Regional MTTU Commander said most accidents happened in the night when the police had retired for the day, adding that information available with regard to the Ford bus indicated that from the time the driver left the station in Accra to the time of the accident, he (the Ford driver) had travelled two hours, which was unacceptable.
Mr Adussa-Poku said the driver of the faulty articulated truck was currently in police custody and would be formally charged and processed for court today.
At the Ford Station in Takoradi, officials said the mini bus had 16 passengers on board who were travelling from Accra to Takoradi but only one person had alighted before the accident occurred.
They said it would be very difficult to make any comment, since they could not confirm the speed at which the driver of the Ford had been travelling.
The police expressed the hope that the families of the victims would be located soon to inform them of the tragic incident.
The bodies have since been deposited at the morgue at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, while the MTTU has since moved the two vehicles to the Sekondi Police Station.
Waste Management: lessons from America
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Philadelphia
THERE have been various Metropolitan Chief Executives (MCEs) who have headed the Tamale, Accra , Kumasi, and the Twin-City of Sekondi/Takoradi metropolises since their creation at different times.
Their main headache and what mostly caused their exit was their quest to modernise the metropolises or cities to make them conform to international standards, an ambition that was always thwarted by the uncooperative behaviour of members of the public.
The Chief Executive of the Shama Ahanta East (SAEMA), Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, and his counterparts in the Kumasi, Tamale and Accra have tried tirelessly to rid their metropolitan areas of filth as well as congestion on the streets but that has been fiercely resisted.
It was about 11:30 p.m. when a team of journalists from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Guinea left the hotel to visit the Ground Zero in Yew York City, where work was seriously going on for the construction of the new premises of the World Trade Centre.
The reporters were there until lunch time, and within a twinkle of an eye, an open space near the tribute centre was filled with people who had come out to eat lunch provided by food vendors who were there on time to sell.
Everybody at the open space had something to eat from disposable plastic cups and plates. I was keen to know how they were going to dispose of their waste after they had taken their lunch.
Each of them picked his or her plastic waste and into the bins provided for the sellers.
There, I said to myself if this were to be in Ghana, it would have been very interesting as the people would have left the waste there with impunity.
The story was not different on the streets of Washington, Maryland, Philadelphia, and other parts of the United States.
The system in the United States is working, the people know their rights, they know it is wrong to litter the streets; they know the importance of litter bins, which are provided at every street corner in the cities.
A long bus is being operated by one driver, no conductor, no security officer, the people know what to do, unlike here in Ghana where the Metro Mass Transit has countless people working on just one bus so that people will not cheat the system.
In the trains and the buses in various cities is just a simple notice: “No drinks, No smoking, No eating, No spitting or littering, No playing of radio or other instruments except connected to an earphone” and violation of this ordinance is punishable by fine or jail, but just try boarding any Metro Mass Transport bus and you would see that things are the opposite.
The story about Ghana in the international community is very interesting. I felt good when we toured the offices of the officials at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Government Accountability Office, Justice Department in Washington and New York, the World Bank and other state departments and non-governmental organisations. The people in those offices had a good impression about Ghana. They remarked that we had press freedom, good governance, growing democracy and political system, economic stability as well as a sustained fight against corruption.
But what they did not know is that the attitude of the people after 50 years is a drain on the development of the country.
In the early part of this year, Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi metropolises embarked on demolition and decongesting exercises, but they yielded no long lasting result.
Traders have returned to the Market Circle in Takoradi, the streets of Accra and Kumasi, the moves by their MCEs to ease all manner of congestion in our cities were fiercely resisted by hawkers of these metropolises.
At the Market Circle, the officials of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly were embarrassed as the politicians came to the rescue of the hawkers.
It is a basic fact and general knowledge that one cannot compare the level of development in Ghana or any African country to that in the United Stated of America, but it will do us a lot of good if we appreciate the need to change our attitude and beautify our communities, cities and towns.
When the streets of Accra were decongested, traders in the shops in the Metropole-Lane in Accra had more customers visiting their shops because people could move freely on the streets.
But today, the hawkers are back on the streets and do we have to always blame the politicians for not providing the needed change when we are not ready to accept the change?
It is said that as we expect others to be perfect, we should ask ourselves whether we are also perfect to match the kind of perfection we expect from others.
A lot of people desire to go to America or Europe to work but they fail to realise that those societies had been made attractive by people who appreciate the importance of litter bin and the need to dispose of waste at the appropriate place. If the attitude of Ghanaians does not change, we will continue to blame political office holders of inefficiency when they are not to be blamed.
After discussing the issue of filth and indiscipline with my colleagues from other parts of the continent, we all arrived at one answer — that it appeared the advocacy for the need for people to accept change and implement change has been left at the door of political leaders.
This is because many of the people are not enlightened, they do not know their rights. Therefore, to them they can only develop when they remind politicians that they have the power to vote them to power without knowing that they have a role to play.
Shopowners in various parts of New York visited by the team of African journalists had the quantity of goods their shops could take at a time so that the front of their shops were free of goods. However, here in the central business districts in the four metropolises in Ghana mentioned in this piece, it is directly the opposite.
It is common to see shopowners in Sekondi/Takoradi displaying their wares in front of their shops and only park them in the warehouses at the close work.
Why can’t we do the right thing for a moment? I believe the people at the helm of the AMA, SAEMA and KMA need to study the system in developed countries and institute the necessary changes. That should be supported by a change in the attitude of Ghanaians.
The Ministry of Information and National Orientation has a lot of work to do in that regard and should attend to it with some urgency, and educate the people, especially traders in the four metropolises, about the need to keep hawkers off the streets.
The hawkers need to be educated and their opinions sought; they need to be part of the solution to the problem. It should not be just a case of the AMA, SAEMA or KMA evoking the powers vested in them by pushing and destroying tables and kiosks around town.
Because the Metropolitan Assemblies use force as the only method to effect change, the people also intimidate them by telling the politicians that they have the power to vote them out of or retain them in office.
But that should not be the case; developed cities like Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and Maryland in the US, and other cities in Europe and other parts the world have developed with the help of their peoples.
Until the people realise their role in transforming the society, we will not achieve any result. We must first work on the attitudes of the people by making sure they welcome and appreciate the change before we move into action.
Washington D.C. receives millions of tourists and that rakes in millions of dollars for the economy of the United States. We have so much to sell to the world, but without the right approach, we will be far from achieving results.
I do not think it is the duty of the metropolitan authorities to educate the people; it is the responsibility of the National Commission on Civic Education, Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
We should always remember that a weak man can not sit on his donkey while it is standing. He, therefore, waits until the donkey bend down and then he mounts it to show people that he can also ride on his donkey.
That means that if we want to create the kind of metropolis that we dream of, we must take a look at the approach we use.
We have some of the most finest journalists on the continents of Africa. They are very vocal and good with the pen. But they seem to have turned their focus on politics while development issues have been relegated to the background.
THERE have been various Metropolitan Chief Executives (MCEs) who have headed the Tamale, Accra , Kumasi, and the Twin-City of Sekondi/Takoradi metropolises since their creation at different times.
Their main headache and what mostly caused their exit was their quest to modernise the metropolises or cities to make them conform to international standards, an ambition that was always thwarted by the uncooperative behaviour of members of the public.
The Chief Executive of the Shama Ahanta East (SAEMA), Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, and his counterparts in the Kumasi, Tamale and Accra have tried tirelessly to rid their metropolitan areas of filth as well as congestion on the streets but that has been fiercely resisted.
It was about 11:30 p.m. when a team of journalists from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Guinea left the hotel to visit the Ground Zero in Yew York City, where work was seriously going on for the construction of the new premises of the World Trade Centre.
The reporters were there until lunch time, and within a twinkle of an eye, an open space near the tribute centre was filled with people who had come out to eat lunch provided by food vendors who were there on time to sell.
Everybody at the open space had something to eat from disposable plastic cups and plates. I was keen to know how they were going to dispose of their waste after they had taken their lunch.
Each of them picked his or her plastic waste and into the bins provided for the sellers.
There, I said to myself if this were to be in Ghana, it would have been very interesting as the people would have left the waste there with impunity.
The story was not different on the streets of Washington, Maryland, Philadelphia, and other parts of the United States.
The system in the United States is working, the people know their rights, they know it is wrong to litter the streets; they know the importance of litter bins, which are provided at every street corner in the cities.
A long bus is being operated by one driver, no conductor, no security officer, the people know what to do, unlike here in Ghana where the Metro Mass Transit has countless people working on just one bus so that people will not cheat the system.
In the trains and the buses in various cities is just a simple notice: “No drinks, No smoking, No eating, No spitting or littering, No playing of radio or other instruments except connected to an earphone” and violation of this ordinance is punishable by fine or jail, but just try boarding any Metro Mass Transport bus and you would see that things are the opposite.
The story about Ghana in the international community is very interesting. I felt good when we toured the offices of the officials at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Government Accountability Office, Justice Department in Washington and New York, the World Bank and other state departments and non-governmental organisations. The people in those offices had a good impression about Ghana. They remarked that we had press freedom, good governance, growing democracy and political system, economic stability as well as a sustained fight against corruption.
But what they did not know is that the attitude of the people after 50 years is a drain on the development of the country.
In the early part of this year, Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi metropolises embarked on demolition and decongesting exercises, but they yielded no long lasting result.
Traders have returned to the Market Circle in Takoradi, the streets of Accra and Kumasi, the moves by their MCEs to ease all manner of congestion in our cities were fiercely resisted by hawkers of these metropolises.
At the Market Circle, the officials of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly were embarrassed as the politicians came to the rescue of the hawkers.
It is a basic fact and general knowledge that one cannot compare the level of development in Ghana or any African country to that in the United Stated of America, but it will do us a lot of good if we appreciate the need to change our attitude and beautify our communities, cities and towns.
When the streets of Accra were decongested, traders in the shops in the Metropole-Lane in Accra had more customers visiting their shops because people could move freely on the streets.
But today, the hawkers are back on the streets and do we have to always blame the politicians for not providing the needed change when we are not ready to accept the change?
It is said that as we expect others to be perfect, we should ask ourselves whether we are also perfect to match the kind of perfection we expect from others.
A lot of people desire to go to America or Europe to work but they fail to realise that those societies had been made attractive by people who appreciate the importance of litter bin and the need to dispose of waste at the appropriate place. If the attitude of Ghanaians does not change, we will continue to blame political office holders of inefficiency when they are not to be blamed.
After discussing the issue of filth and indiscipline with my colleagues from other parts of the continent, we all arrived at one answer — that it appeared the advocacy for the need for people to accept change and implement change has been left at the door of political leaders.
This is because many of the people are not enlightened, they do not know their rights. Therefore, to them they can only develop when they remind politicians that they have the power to vote them to power without knowing that they have a role to play.
Shopowners in various parts of New York visited by the team of African journalists had the quantity of goods their shops could take at a time so that the front of their shops were free of goods. However, here in the central business districts in the four metropolises in Ghana mentioned in this piece, it is directly the opposite.
It is common to see shopowners in Sekondi/Takoradi displaying their wares in front of their shops and only park them in the warehouses at the close work.
Why can’t we do the right thing for a moment? I believe the people at the helm of the AMA, SAEMA and KMA need to study the system in developed countries and institute the necessary changes. That should be supported by a change in the attitude of Ghanaians.
The Ministry of Information and National Orientation has a lot of work to do in that regard and should attend to it with some urgency, and educate the people, especially traders in the four metropolises, about the need to keep hawkers off the streets.
The hawkers need to be educated and their opinions sought; they need to be part of the solution to the problem. It should not be just a case of the AMA, SAEMA or KMA evoking the powers vested in them by pushing and destroying tables and kiosks around town.
Because the Metropolitan Assemblies use force as the only method to effect change, the people also intimidate them by telling the politicians that they have the power to vote them out of or retain them in office.
But that should not be the case; developed cities like Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and Maryland in the US, and other cities in Europe and other parts the world have developed with the help of their peoples.
Until the people realise their role in transforming the society, we will not achieve any result. We must first work on the attitudes of the people by making sure they welcome and appreciate the change before we move into action.
Washington D.C. receives millions of tourists and that rakes in millions of dollars for the economy of the United States. We have so much to sell to the world, but without the right approach, we will be far from achieving results.
I do not think it is the duty of the metropolitan authorities to educate the people; it is the responsibility of the National Commission on Civic Education, Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
We should always remember that a weak man can not sit on his donkey while it is standing. He, therefore, waits until the donkey bend down and then he mounts it to show people that he can also ride on his donkey.
That means that if we want to create the kind of metropolis that we dream of, we must take a look at the approach we use.
We have some of the most finest journalists on the continents of Africa. They are very vocal and good with the pen. But they seem to have turned their focus on politics while development issues have been relegated to the background.
Police lament spate of accidents
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
A number of accidents that occurred on the Accra-Takoradi Road and parts of the Shama Ahanta East metropolis over the past three weeks have claimed 21 lives.
Some of the victims also sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Mr E. Adusa-Poku, who described the situation as alarming, said 11 people were confirmed dead in a tragic accident involving a Ford Bus and an articulated truck at the weekend.
He said that was followed by an accident involving another Ford bus and a Mercedes Benz bus in a head-on collision that claimed five lives on the spot in addition to five people killed in other accidents at different locations in the metropolis within the period.
He said the carnage on the road could be avoided if drivers respected road signs and driving regulations and avoided speeding.
He attributed the accidents to speeding, lack of maintenance, alcohol intake by drivers and driver fatigue as well as lack of good judgement before overtaking.
"They speed, drink, overtake in curves and dangerous areas leading to fatalities daily. My men are on the road daily but they cannot be there throughout the day," he said
To check drink driving among drivers, the police mounted an exercise on the road and the alcohol testing machine (Alchometer) used to measure the level of alcohol intake by the driver of a Mercedes Benz bus, Abraham Doi, developed a fault after the test due to the high level of alcohol in his system.
The driver was on Tuesday convicted to a fine of GH¢6,000 (¢60 million), equivalent to 500 penalty units, by the Sekondi Magistrate Court. He faces a 12-month jail term in default.
Mr Adusa-Poku regretted that some drivers drove more than 100 km/h through town and crowded areas and warned motorists not to go beyond the stipulated 50 km/h speed limit when approaching towns.
He was not happy that motorists, both commercial and private vehicle owners, misused the good nature of the Accra-Takoradi road and certain parts of the metropolis to speed.
The regional MTTU commander said the biggest challenge now was how to ensure sanity on the road to protect life and property .
"The police will not be everywhere at all the time and the best thing to do is to ensure that as citizens, we do the right, " he said.
Mr Adusa-Poku gave the assurance that his men would be up to the task during the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations tournament and indicated that they would be supported by the community police who had been trained under the National Youth Employment Programme.
When contacted, some drivers of the various drivers’ unions, including the Ford Minibus drivers, attributed the spate of accidents to tiredness and wrong judgement while overtaking.
The Secretary of the Takoradi branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Francis K. Kwaku, explained that the distance from Takoradi to Accra should be covered within four hours and Anomabo in the Central Region had been identified as a rest stop.
"But we fail to rest because the passengers are eager to get to their destination early," he said.
Mr Kwaku described the clamouring for passengers and the quest to make more money by going on a number of trips before the close of the day as unfortunate.
He, therefore, appealed to the authorities to ensure that drivers abided by the regulations.
Some drivers in the metropolis blamed pedestrian accidents on the attitude of pedestrians, who do not take the necessary precautions while crossing the road.
When the Daily Graphic visited the local Ford station, business was brisk as usual, and a passenger who was asked why he wanted to travel on that vehicle said he needed to be in Accra before mid-day.
A number of accidents that occurred on the Accra-Takoradi Road and parts of the Shama Ahanta East metropolis over the past three weeks have claimed 21 lives.
Some of the victims also sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Mr E. Adusa-Poku, who described the situation as alarming, said 11 people were confirmed dead in a tragic accident involving a Ford Bus and an articulated truck at the weekend.
He said that was followed by an accident involving another Ford bus and a Mercedes Benz bus in a head-on collision that claimed five lives on the spot in addition to five people killed in other accidents at different locations in the metropolis within the period.
He said the carnage on the road could be avoided if drivers respected road signs and driving regulations and avoided speeding.
He attributed the accidents to speeding, lack of maintenance, alcohol intake by drivers and driver fatigue as well as lack of good judgement before overtaking.
"They speed, drink, overtake in curves and dangerous areas leading to fatalities daily. My men are on the road daily but they cannot be there throughout the day," he said
To check drink driving among drivers, the police mounted an exercise on the road and the alcohol testing machine (Alchometer) used to measure the level of alcohol intake by the driver of a Mercedes Benz bus, Abraham Doi, developed a fault after the test due to the high level of alcohol in his system.
The driver was on Tuesday convicted to a fine of GH¢6,000 (¢60 million), equivalent to 500 penalty units, by the Sekondi Magistrate Court. He faces a 12-month jail term in default.
Mr Adusa-Poku regretted that some drivers drove more than 100 km/h through town and crowded areas and warned motorists not to go beyond the stipulated 50 km/h speed limit when approaching towns.
He was not happy that motorists, both commercial and private vehicle owners, misused the good nature of the Accra-Takoradi road and certain parts of the metropolis to speed.
The regional MTTU commander said the biggest challenge now was how to ensure sanity on the road to protect life and property .
"The police will not be everywhere at all the time and the best thing to do is to ensure that as citizens, we do the right, " he said.
Mr Adusa-Poku gave the assurance that his men would be up to the task during the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations tournament and indicated that they would be supported by the community police who had been trained under the National Youth Employment Programme.
When contacted, some drivers of the various drivers’ unions, including the Ford Minibus drivers, attributed the spate of accidents to tiredness and wrong judgement while overtaking.
The Secretary of the Takoradi branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Francis K. Kwaku, explained that the distance from Takoradi to Accra should be covered within four hours and Anomabo in the Central Region had been identified as a rest stop.
"But we fail to rest because the passengers are eager to get to their destination early," he said.
Mr Kwaku described the clamouring for passengers and the quest to make more money by going on a number of trips before the close of the day as unfortunate.
He, therefore, appealed to the authorities to ensure that drivers abided by the regulations.
Some drivers in the metropolis blamed pedestrian accidents on the attitude of pedestrians, who do not take the necessary precautions while crossing the road.
When the Daily Graphic visited the local Ford station, business was brisk as usual, and a passenger who was asked why he wanted to travel on that vehicle said he needed to be in Accra before mid-day.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Alleged extortion Under NHIS, Doctors Face Probe
Story By Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Shama
Thursday, January 18, 2007
A number of doctors in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis are to be probed for allegations of extortion under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The action, to be undertaken by the Western Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), follows accusations by managers of the scheme and NHIS card holders that the doctors illegally collected between ¢800,000 and ¢2 million per person before treating patients who were covered by the scheme.
The acting Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Linda Vanotoo, said such a practice would pose a serious threat to the survival of the scheme in the region and gave the assurance that the allegation would not be taken lightly.
The victims are said to be mostly the rural poor who were duly registered under the NHIS poor who were duly registered under the NHIS but had little knowledge about the scheme.
Daily Graphic investigations have revealed that those in the farming and fishing communities are no longer interested in the renewal of their insurance because it has rather brought them hardships as a result of the behaviour of some self-seeking doctors at the health facilities.
The Efia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi and the Essikado Hospital have been cited as being the most notorious for the practice.
Farmers in Abuesi, Shama, Komfueku and a host of other towns and villages in the Western Region who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed regret at having wasted their time and money registering under the NHIS.
The Daily Graphic travelled to various communities and managed to locate some of the victims of the alleged extortion, who included a 70-year-old man and a physically-challenged young woman covered by the scheme, who narrated their experiences with anger, regret and pain.
Seventy-year-old Opanyin Kojo Arthur said he reported at the Essikado Hospital for a hernia operation in November last year and after the necessary medical tests, a doctor demanded ¢1 million before he would commence treatment.
Hernia operation is covered by the scheme.
“I was taken through the other processes and my health insurance card covered the expenses at that level. But when I was referred to the doctor, he asked me to pay ¢1 million before he starts,” the sad-looking old man said, almost in tears.
Opanyin Arthur said he managed to secure ¢400,000 but the doctor refused to treat him until he could raise the whole amount.
According to Opanyin Arthur, because of that experience he had decided not to renew his insurance.
At Abuesi, another card bearer, a 35-year-old fisherman, Mr Seth Konduah, said he was shocked when, after showing his health insurance card to the same doctor, he was asked to bring ¢800,000 before he could commence treatment on him.
“Because I did not have the money on me he asked me to go home and look for the money,” he said.
“It took me some days to raise the money and he did not even give me a receipt for it. I have just come to realise that I should not have paid because of the NHIS card. Now I want my money back,” he said.
Mr Konduah said after the operation, he had to sell some of his belongings to enable him to pay for the drugs prescribed for him.
Another card holder, Mr Solomon Baah, said in the first week of November last year, he was asked to pay ¢1 million before the commencement of his hernia operation at the same hospital.
At Efia-Nkwanta, an employee of the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Limited (BOPP) in Takoradi who did not want to be named alleged that another doctor collected ¢2 million from him on December 19, 2006 to perform a fibroid operation on his wife although he was a card holder.
Ms Monica Adu, who is physically-challenged, also alleged that her only hope for her fibroid operation was the health insurance but she had no co-operation from the health authorities when she reported at the health facility in April 2006.
She then contacted the scheme manager at Shama, who has now referred her to a private health facility at Daboase.
When contacted to verify the complaints by the victims, the Scheme Manager at Shama, Mr F. K. Blankson, confirmed the claims.
He said he had received those complaints from clients and added that it was wrong for doctors to collect money from patients at health facilities covered by the scheme.
According to him, it was wrong to ask an insured patient to pay at the point of service, saying, “Doctors only write requisitions for whatever items they will need to carry out surgery.”
He said he had made an arrangement for Opanyin Arthur and Ms Adu to undergo their surgery at the Ahmadiyya Hospital at Daboase, a private health facility.
The Administrator of the Efia-Nkwanta Hospital, Mr Micah, said he heard about the complaints when he met with the scheme managers, adding that his outfit was going to investigate.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the NHIS said he was shocked when he also heard about the issue when he met with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health at the Regional Administration.
He deplored it, saying it was a serious threat to the national campaign to bring more people under the scheme.
Aklorbortu, Shama
Thursday, January 18, 2007
A number of doctors in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis are to be probed for allegations of extortion under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The action, to be undertaken by the Western Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), follows accusations by managers of the scheme and NHIS card holders that the doctors illegally collected between ¢800,000 and ¢2 million per person before treating patients who were covered by the scheme.
The acting Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Linda Vanotoo, said such a practice would pose a serious threat to the survival of the scheme in the region and gave the assurance that the allegation would not be taken lightly.
The victims are said to be mostly the rural poor who were duly registered under the NHIS poor who were duly registered under the NHIS but had little knowledge about the scheme.
Daily Graphic investigations have revealed that those in the farming and fishing communities are no longer interested in the renewal of their insurance because it has rather brought them hardships as a result of the behaviour of some self-seeking doctors at the health facilities.
The Efia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi and the Essikado Hospital have been cited as being the most notorious for the practice.
Farmers in Abuesi, Shama, Komfueku and a host of other towns and villages in the Western Region who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed regret at having wasted their time and money registering under the NHIS.
The Daily Graphic travelled to various communities and managed to locate some of the victims of the alleged extortion, who included a 70-year-old man and a physically-challenged young woman covered by the scheme, who narrated their experiences with anger, regret and pain.
Seventy-year-old Opanyin Kojo Arthur said he reported at the Essikado Hospital for a hernia operation in November last year and after the necessary medical tests, a doctor demanded ¢1 million before he would commence treatment.
Hernia operation is covered by the scheme.
“I was taken through the other processes and my health insurance card covered the expenses at that level. But when I was referred to the doctor, he asked me to pay ¢1 million before he starts,” the sad-looking old man said, almost in tears.
Opanyin Arthur said he managed to secure ¢400,000 but the doctor refused to treat him until he could raise the whole amount.
According to Opanyin Arthur, because of that experience he had decided not to renew his insurance.
At Abuesi, another card bearer, a 35-year-old fisherman, Mr Seth Konduah, said he was shocked when, after showing his health insurance card to the same doctor, he was asked to bring ¢800,000 before he could commence treatment on him.
“Because I did not have the money on me he asked me to go home and look for the money,” he said.
“It took me some days to raise the money and he did not even give me a receipt for it. I have just come to realise that I should not have paid because of the NHIS card. Now I want my money back,” he said.
Mr Konduah said after the operation, he had to sell some of his belongings to enable him to pay for the drugs prescribed for him.
Another card holder, Mr Solomon Baah, said in the first week of November last year, he was asked to pay ¢1 million before the commencement of his hernia operation at the same hospital.
At Efia-Nkwanta, an employee of the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Limited (BOPP) in Takoradi who did not want to be named alleged that another doctor collected ¢2 million from him on December 19, 2006 to perform a fibroid operation on his wife although he was a card holder.
Ms Monica Adu, who is physically-challenged, also alleged that her only hope for her fibroid operation was the health insurance but she had no co-operation from the health authorities when she reported at the health facility in April 2006.
She then contacted the scheme manager at Shama, who has now referred her to a private health facility at Daboase.
When contacted to verify the complaints by the victims, the Scheme Manager at Shama, Mr F. K. Blankson, confirmed the claims.
He said he had received those complaints from clients and added that it was wrong for doctors to collect money from patients at health facilities covered by the scheme.
According to him, it was wrong to ask an insured patient to pay at the point of service, saying, “Doctors only write requisitions for whatever items they will need to carry out surgery.”
He said he had made an arrangement for Opanyin Arthur and Ms Adu to undergo their surgery at the Ahmadiyya Hospital at Daboase, a private health facility.
The Administrator of the Efia-Nkwanta Hospital, Mr Micah, said he heard about the complaints when he met with the scheme managers, adding that his outfit was going to investigate.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the NHIS said he was shocked when he also heard about the issue when he met with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health at the Regional Administration.
He deplored it, saying it was a serious threat to the national campaign to bring more people under the scheme.
Customs To Beef Up System In Readiness
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Business/Finance Posted - Mon, 14 May 2007
The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has said it is ready to make a seamless migration from the old currency to the new Ghana cedi without problems.
The Takoradi Sector Commander of CEPS, Mr Anthony Kodzo Sewor, said the Ghana Community Network (GCNet), an electronic clearing processing platform, is expected to install a software on June 1, 2007 at the front ends of all clearing agents, to automatically convert the amount from the old currency to the new Ghana Cedi.
“If we are not able to use the correct conversion rates, we will over-collect or under-collect revenue which will not favour the one paying and the collecting agency,” Mr Sewor said at a workshop for CEPS officials in Takoradi.
He said the software would be activated by midnight of June 30, this year.
He said the software would help CEPS by making the conversion faster to ensure accuracy and efficiency during the periods preceding and coming after the re-denomination exercise.
The sector commander said as the collector of about 55 per cent of all direct taxes for the country, an intensive education for CEPS officials on the application and the conversion from old to the new currency was necessary.
“If we fail, the effects of under-collection and over-collection will be disastrous for the country,” he said.
Mr Sewor said all stakeholders, particularly the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), would be involved to prevent any confusion during the implementation.
The Deputy Head, Issue Unit of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Emmanuel Bannerman, took the officials through the advantages of the re-denomination exercise.
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Business/Finance Posted - Mon, 14 May 2007
The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has said it is ready to make a seamless migration from the old currency to the new Ghana cedi without problems.
The Takoradi Sector Commander of CEPS, Mr Anthony Kodzo Sewor, said the Ghana Community Network (GCNet), an electronic clearing processing platform, is expected to install a software on June 1, 2007 at the front ends of all clearing agents, to automatically convert the amount from the old currency to the new Ghana Cedi.
“If we are not able to use the correct conversion rates, we will over-collect or under-collect revenue which will not favour the one paying and the collecting agency,” Mr Sewor said at a workshop for CEPS officials in Takoradi.
He said the software would be activated by midnight of June 30, this year.
He said the software would help CEPS by making the conversion faster to ensure accuracy and efficiency during the periods preceding and coming after the re-denomination exercise.
The sector commander said as the collector of about 55 per cent of all direct taxes for the country, an intensive education for CEPS officials on the application and the conversion from old to the new currency was necessary.
“If we fail, the effects of under-collection and over-collection will be disastrous for the country,” he said.
Mr Sewor said all stakeholders, particularly the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), would be involved to prevent any confusion during the implementation.
The Deputy Head, Issue Unit of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Emmanuel Bannerman, took the officials through the advantages of the re-denomination exercise.
Man Nabbed For Illegal Connection
Story By Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu,
Takoradi
Posted - Thu, 26 Apr 2007
Officials of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) have arrested a car washing bay operator for illegal connection.
The operator, Isaiah Obeng, had earlier been disconnected for non-payment of bills but he contracted a plumber to reconnect the water through another channel, which did not pass through the meter for him to be billed.
When officials of the GWCL visited the bay on their regular inspection tour of the metropolis, they demanded from those working there the source of the water they were using.
The workers told the officials that it was an underground reservoir which supplied them with the water but the officials were not convinced and demanded to see the meter.
It was upon checking the meter that they discovered Obeng had channelled the water through a different means to its operation point.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Takoradi District Commercial Manager of the GWCL, Mrs Genevieve Ayim, said the operator of the washing bay was disconnected for non-payment of bills in 2005 but he did not settle or even negotiate on the payment of his bills, since he had found a new way of accessing water for his business.
The district manager said the GWCL would calculate the volume of water he had used over the years and ask him to pay, adding that Obeng would be handed over to the police if he failed to settle his debt.
Mrs Ayim announced that the company had set up a Loss Control Unit to check people who had adopted dubious means of cheating the system.
The workers told this reporter that Obeng collapsed on his way to the washing bay after he had been told that the illegal connection had been discovered by officials of the GWCL and he was rushed to the hospital.
Takoradi
Posted - Thu, 26 Apr 2007
Officials of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) have arrested a car washing bay operator for illegal connection.
The operator, Isaiah Obeng, had earlier been disconnected for non-payment of bills but he contracted a plumber to reconnect the water through another channel, which did not pass through the meter for him to be billed.
When officials of the GWCL visited the bay on their regular inspection tour of the metropolis, they demanded from those working there the source of the water they were using.
The workers told the officials that it was an underground reservoir which supplied them with the water but the officials were not convinced and demanded to see the meter.
It was upon checking the meter that they discovered Obeng had channelled the water through a different means to its operation point.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Takoradi District Commercial Manager of the GWCL, Mrs Genevieve Ayim, said the operator of the washing bay was disconnected for non-payment of bills in 2005 but he did not settle or even negotiate on the payment of his bills, since he had found a new way of accessing water for his business.
The district manager said the GWCL would calculate the volume of water he had used over the years and ask him to pay, adding that Obeng would be handed over to the police if he failed to settle his debt.
Mrs Ayim announced that the company had set up a Loss Control Unit to check people who had adopted dubious means of cheating the system.
The workers told this reporter that Obeng collapsed on his way to the washing bay after he had been told that the illegal connection had been discovered by officials of the GWCL and he was rushed to the hospital.
Four Arrested For Diverting Rice
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Western Regional Police Command has arrested four persons for allegedly diverting 12,000 bags of rice, which were being conveyed to Mali, onto the local market.
The rice is valued at more than ¢350 million.
The four, who are a businessman, Alhaji Tahiru, two security men of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) in Takoradi and an insurance clerk, have been granted bail.
A fifth suspect, identified as Nowel Nkum and believed to be the brain behind the deal is however, on the run.
The rice, which was in transit to Mali, was branded as “sweeping rice” by the perpetrators and diverted to Accra.
A source close to the GPHA, which confirmed the deal to the Daily Graphic, said the police and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) had taken over investigations into the case.
It said as soon as the deal was discovered, the perpetrators went to the open market with the view to buying some rice to replace the diverted consignment but the perpetrators could not get the same brand and quantity which was imported from Pakistan.
The suspects were arrested by the BNI when they met at a popular spot in Takoradi, Harbour View, to discuss how to refund the money to the importer.
Narrating how the deal was executed, the source said the tally clerks of GPHA and the contracted insurance company prepared the waybill to cover the truckload of 1,200 bags of rice to ensure a safe passage through the port.
After they had succeeded in crossing the port security, the two who prepared the waybill managed to pick the duplicates of the waybill to prevent it from being entered into the database of GPHA.
The source said Nowel Nkum allegedly contracted Alhaji Tahiru to look for a buyer, who took all the 12,000 bags, and the money was shared among them.
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Western Regional Police Command has arrested four persons for allegedly diverting 12,000 bags of rice, which were being conveyed to Mali, onto the local market.
The rice is valued at more than ¢350 million.
The four, who are a businessman, Alhaji Tahiru, two security men of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) in Takoradi and an insurance clerk, have been granted bail.
A fifth suspect, identified as Nowel Nkum and believed to be the brain behind the deal is however, on the run.
The rice, which was in transit to Mali, was branded as “sweeping rice” by the perpetrators and diverted to Accra.
A source close to the GPHA, which confirmed the deal to the Daily Graphic, said the police and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) had taken over investigations into the case.
It said as soon as the deal was discovered, the perpetrators went to the open market with the view to buying some rice to replace the diverted consignment but the perpetrators could not get the same brand and quantity which was imported from Pakistan.
The suspects were arrested by the BNI when they met at a popular spot in Takoradi, Harbour View, to discuss how to refund the money to the importer.
Narrating how the deal was executed, the source said the tally clerks of GPHA and the contracted insurance company prepared the waybill to cover the truckload of 1,200 bags of rice to ensure a safe passage through the port.
After they had succeeded in crossing the port security, the two who prepared the waybill managed to pick the duplicates of the waybill to prevent it from being entered into the database of GPHA.
The source said Nowel Nkum allegedly contracted Alhaji Tahiru to look for a buyer, who took all the 12,000 bags, and the money was shared among them.
Transport Owner Arrested For Bribing Cop
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Posted - Wed, 16 May 2007
A forty-six-year-old transport owner, Mr Peter Mensah, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a police officer with ¢500,000 to set free the driver of his vehicle.
The suspect was said to have been warned when he made the first attempt but he returned to tell the police officer that he had doubled the amount.
The driver had committed a traffic offence and had been arrested by the Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, Mr George Adusa-Poku.
Mr Mensah was daring enough to go to the Regional Commander’s office to attempt to bribe him.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic in his office, Mr Adusa-Poku said Mensah entered his office and said, “Masa, I have studied the offence and my driver is at fault so take this and let the case rest.”
That angered the commander and he asked Mensah to walk out of his office, explaining that he could not be bribed.
He said Mensah went outside and returned in a few hours, saying, “Masa, I have doubled the thing so take it and release my man.”
The commander said he was speechless and when he regained his composure he called the crime officer to arrest Mensah with the exhibit.
He said the driver of the vehicle was arrested because he parked his overloaded truck which had developed a fault in the middle of the road at Kwesimintsim.
The commander said when he came upon the truck and realised the danger it posed, he could not leave the scene, adding that at about 11.00 p.m. the driver emerged and after he had driven the vehicle to safety, he was arrested.
Mr Adusa-Poku reminded the public that bribing was an offence and both the giver and recipient were guilty.
He cautioned motorists, particularly those providing haulage services, to be mindful of the places they parked, saying that the police would not take kindly to any blatant disregard for road traffic regulations.
Posted - Wed, 16 May 2007
A forty-six-year-old transport owner, Mr Peter Mensah, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a police officer with ¢500,000 to set free the driver of his vehicle.
The suspect was said to have been warned when he made the first attempt but he returned to tell the police officer that he had doubled the amount.
The driver had committed a traffic offence and had been arrested by the Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, Mr George Adusa-Poku.
Mr Mensah was daring enough to go to the Regional Commander’s office to attempt to bribe him.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic in his office, Mr Adusa-Poku said Mensah entered his office and said, “Masa, I have studied the offence and my driver is at fault so take this and let the case rest.”
That angered the commander and he asked Mensah to walk out of his office, explaining that he could not be bribed.
He said Mensah went outside and returned in a few hours, saying, “Masa, I have doubled the thing so take it and release my man.”
The commander said he was speechless and when he regained his composure he called the crime officer to arrest Mensah with the exhibit.
He said the driver of the vehicle was arrested because he parked his overloaded truck which had developed a fault in the middle of the road at Kwesimintsim.
The commander said when he came upon the truck and realised the danger it posed, he could not leave the scene, adding that at about 11.00 p.m. the driver emerged and after he had driven the vehicle to safety, he was arrested.
Mr Adusa-Poku reminded the public that bribing was an offence and both the giver and recipient were guilty.
He cautioned motorists, particularly those providing haulage services, to be mindful of the places they parked, saying that the police would not take kindly to any blatant disregard for road traffic regulations.
Directions At Essipon In Chinese
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
& Ruth Assabil
Chinese inscriptions at the Essipon Stadium intended to give directions to spectators are likely to create confusion as the Chinese language can not be read or understood.
The directions, showing the emergency exits, are in the Chinese and English languages only. The inscriptions in Chinese are much bolder than the one in English when the contractors are aware that the Chinese have no match to play in Ghana, Essipon and Tamale specifically.
This is likely to affect communication for those coming from the Francophone countries, as observed when pressmen accompanied the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, on a tour of the stadium.
Many people the Graphic Sports spoke to said much as the contractors were from China and wanted to project the image of their country, they should not have forgotten the fact that they were constructing the stadium for Francophone and Anglophone countries.
Some were of the view that the writings should be done in English, French, Ewe and Fante so that those from Togo read Ewe and Ivorians can also read French. They gave as an example, various meeting points in Europe where you have the directions written in French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and German.
When contacted, the consultant, Mr Kwabena Boadi-Aboagye, said the issue would be looked at and addressed.
He said, they are working hard to meet the deadline for the completion of the external works which comprise a fence wall, pavement within the evacuation square, access road, the perimeter around the stadium, external electricals, among others.
Though impressed with work done so far, Prof. Fobih warned external contract workers that the Ministry would not sacrifice the interest of the nation.
Prof Fobih told them that the Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would be monitoring their work closely to ensure that work was completed within the stipulated time.
The minister also toured places designated for training pitches to ascertain at first hand, the progress of work.
He commended the Chinese contractors for executing the project on scehdule.
Mr Boadi-Aboagye told the Minister and his entourage that about 60 per cent of the work was completed and promised, “we will do everything humanely possible to ensure that the work is completed by the end of September.”
He also announced that there would be one main access road from the junction to the stadium.
Asked if one access road would be enough for a big tournament like the CAN 2008 which is expected to host spectators from nations and their supporters, he replied in the affirmative, saying the number of access roads would be determined by the number of vehicles that would be making the trip to the stadium.
“Since there would be a five-hundred capacity car park for the public which would be located outside the stadium, there would be no problem”.
Shanghai Group, the contractors said work on the stadium itself has been completed except for tidying up the place and painting parts of the building that had been dirtied.
& Ruth Assabil
Chinese inscriptions at the Essipon Stadium intended to give directions to spectators are likely to create confusion as the Chinese language can not be read or understood.
The directions, showing the emergency exits, are in the Chinese and English languages only. The inscriptions in Chinese are much bolder than the one in English when the contractors are aware that the Chinese have no match to play in Ghana, Essipon and Tamale specifically.
This is likely to affect communication for those coming from the Francophone countries, as observed when pressmen accompanied the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, on a tour of the stadium.
Many people the Graphic Sports spoke to said much as the contractors were from China and wanted to project the image of their country, they should not have forgotten the fact that they were constructing the stadium for Francophone and Anglophone countries.
Some were of the view that the writings should be done in English, French, Ewe and Fante so that those from Togo read Ewe and Ivorians can also read French. They gave as an example, various meeting points in Europe where you have the directions written in French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and German.
When contacted, the consultant, Mr Kwabena Boadi-Aboagye, said the issue would be looked at and addressed.
He said, they are working hard to meet the deadline for the completion of the external works which comprise a fence wall, pavement within the evacuation square, access road, the perimeter around the stadium, external electricals, among others.
Though impressed with work done so far, Prof. Fobih warned external contract workers that the Ministry would not sacrifice the interest of the nation.
Prof Fobih told them that the Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would be monitoring their work closely to ensure that work was completed within the stipulated time.
The minister also toured places designated for training pitches to ascertain at first hand, the progress of work.
He commended the Chinese contractors for executing the project on scehdule.
Mr Boadi-Aboagye told the Minister and his entourage that about 60 per cent of the work was completed and promised, “we will do everything humanely possible to ensure that the work is completed by the end of September.”
He also announced that there would be one main access road from the junction to the stadium.
Asked if one access road would be enough for a big tournament like the CAN 2008 which is expected to host spectators from nations and their supporters, he replied in the affirmative, saying the number of access roads would be determined by the number of vehicles that would be making the trip to the stadium.
“Since there would be a five-hundred capacity car park for the public which would be located outside the stadium, there would be no problem”.
Shanghai Group, the contractors said work on the stadium itself has been completed except for tidying up the place and painting parts of the building that had been dirtied.
Appiah Powers Yeboah XI To Victory
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu,
Posted Monday, January 01, 2007
Anthony Yeboah XI carried the day after beating Tony Baffoe XI 3-2 in a special All Stars Charity Cup Match at the Sekondi Gyandu Park last Saturday.
Ironically, it was Baffoe XI who shot ahead after 10 minutes through Black Stars midfielder, Sule Muntari.
Stars skipper, Stephen Appiah, cancelled the lead in the 55th minute, but Liberty Professionals striker, Emmanuel Allan, restored the lead for Baffoe XI two minutes later.
As if the day was for Black Stars players to display their shooting ability, Matthew Amoah emerged from nowhere to register his name on the scorecards on the hour mark thus bringing Yeboah XI on level terms.
When everything pointed to a drawn game, Appiah snatched the match winner for Yeboah XI in the dying minutes of the game to climax a thrilling soccer fiesta.
The match, organised in aid of Orphanage Africa, a non-governmental organisation working for the welfare of orphans in Africa, was the second charity event organised by the Global Avanti Sports Alliance, expected to raise more than ¢40 million to support two institutions in the Western Region.
According to the organisers, the event will be held annually to raise funds to support orphanages in the country.
Funds raised from the match will be given to Orphan Cry and Rehabilitation Centre of the Department of Social Welfare in Sekondi.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, a spokesman for the organisers, Mr Jamil Maraby, said it was very important attention was given to the less-privileged in society.
He said although his outfit had to go through a lot to put the players together, it was fulfilling to organise a successful event that did not only see the participation of some of the nation’s great football stars but also brought excitement to the spectators.
He thanked soccer fans in the Twin-City for turning up to watch the match and gave the assurance that monies paid would go a along way to make life a little better for some under-privileged children.
“What we did was to organise the match and go through the pain to get the stars together and raise funds for Orphanage Africa to support children who had become orphans through no fault of theirs,” he said.
He seized the opportunity to thank the sponsors of the event, adding that “if we all learn to lend a helping hand to those who were less fortunate in society, the world would be a better place than this.”
The captains of the two teams, Tony Yeboah and Tony Baffoe, said they saw the event as a way of giving back to society what they were able to achieve through their prayers and support over the years.
“If we have to do it over and over again we will consider it a duty to society and will not hesitate to do it,” they said.
The match which also featured former stars like Mohammed Polo, Abdul Razak, Odartey Lamptey and former French Captain, Marcel Desailly, also saw Stephen Appiah, Sule Muntari, Laryea Kingson, Matthew Amoah, Richard Kingson, Mohammed Gargo, Yaw Preko, Aminu Draman, Alex Takyi-Mensah, Adwoa Bayor and Florence Okoe (Black Queens), Skido, among others, thrilling the crowd.
The occasion was graced by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Papa Owusu Ankomah, the Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, and his deputy, Mr Kwesi Blay, Nana Kobina Nketia, Chief of Essikado, Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Philip Nkrumah and others.
The sponsors were Onetouch and Puma, with Metro TV and Skyy TV, Global Media Alliance, Avis, Pepsi Cola, Vanguard Assurance as some of the partners.
Posted Monday, January 01, 2007
Anthony Yeboah XI carried the day after beating Tony Baffoe XI 3-2 in a special All Stars Charity Cup Match at the Sekondi Gyandu Park last Saturday.
Ironically, it was Baffoe XI who shot ahead after 10 minutes through Black Stars midfielder, Sule Muntari.
Stars skipper, Stephen Appiah, cancelled the lead in the 55th minute, but Liberty Professionals striker, Emmanuel Allan, restored the lead for Baffoe XI two minutes later.
As if the day was for Black Stars players to display their shooting ability, Matthew Amoah emerged from nowhere to register his name on the scorecards on the hour mark thus bringing Yeboah XI on level terms.
When everything pointed to a drawn game, Appiah snatched the match winner for Yeboah XI in the dying minutes of the game to climax a thrilling soccer fiesta.
The match, organised in aid of Orphanage Africa, a non-governmental organisation working for the welfare of orphans in Africa, was the second charity event organised by the Global Avanti Sports Alliance, expected to raise more than ¢40 million to support two institutions in the Western Region.
According to the organisers, the event will be held annually to raise funds to support orphanages in the country.
Funds raised from the match will be given to Orphan Cry and Rehabilitation Centre of the Department of Social Welfare in Sekondi.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, a spokesman for the organisers, Mr Jamil Maraby, said it was very important attention was given to the less-privileged in society.
He said although his outfit had to go through a lot to put the players together, it was fulfilling to organise a successful event that did not only see the participation of some of the nation’s great football stars but also brought excitement to the spectators.
He thanked soccer fans in the Twin-City for turning up to watch the match and gave the assurance that monies paid would go a along way to make life a little better for some under-privileged children.
“What we did was to organise the match and go through the pain to get the stars together and raise funds for Orphanage Africa to support children who had become orphans through no fault of theirs,” he said.
He seized the opportunity to thank the sponsors of the event, adding that “if we all learn to lend a helping hand to those who were less fortunate in society, the world would be a better place than this.”
The captains of the two teams, Tony Yeboah and Tony Baffoe, said they saw the event as a way of giving back to society what they were able to achieve through their prayers and support over the years.
“If we have to do it over and over again we will consider it a duty to society and will not hesitate to do it,” they said.
The match which also featured former stars like Mohammed Polo, Abdul Razak, Odartey Lamptey and former French Captain, Marcel Desailly, also saw Stephen Appiah, Sule Muntari, Laryea Kingson, Matthew Amoah, Richard Kingson, Mohammed Gargo, Yaw Preko, Aminu Draman, Alex Takyi-Mensah, Adwoa Bayor and Florence Okoe (Black Queens), Skido, among others, thrilling the crowd.
The occasion was graced by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Papa Owusu Ankomah, the Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, and his deputy, Mr Kwesi Blay, Nana Kobina Nketia, Chief of Essikado, Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Philip Nkrumah and others.
The sponsors were Onetouch and Puma, with Metro TV and Skyy TV, Global Media Alliance, Avis, Pepsi Cola, Vanguard Assurance as some of the partners.
Another ‘Galamsey’ Disaster - Nine Dead, More Trapped
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Posted: Wed, 18 Apr 2007
Nine illegal miners are reported dead, while more are feared trapped in a pit at Nsuapim in the Wassa Amenfi East District of the Western Region.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when the pit in which they were operating collapsed.
The dead are made up of six women and three men and their bodies have been conveyed to the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital.
A source stated that when the incident occurred, the people around failed to inform the community on time for the victims to be rescued.
When contacted, the Wassa Amenfi East District Chief Executive (DCE), Madam Doris Gyapomah Oduro, who described the situation as disastrous, said a rescue team from Golden Star (Bogoso Prestea Mines) Limited had to be called in to save the situation, since more people were alleged to have been trapped underground.
The DCE said it was not clear the number of people trapped in the pit, since the victims were illegal miners and there were no records on the number of people who were operating in the pit.
She said it was sad that young, able and energetic men and women could lose their lives in such a tragic manner.
When contacted, the Vice-President in charge of Operations of Golden Star Limited, Mr Colin J.S. Belshaw, said the company had information about the incident at about 5.00 p.m. on Monday.
He indicated that the area was not part of the company’s concession but since human lives were involved, it was incumbent on it to go to their rescue.
Mr Belshaw said some personnel and equipment had been sent to the area to save the situation adding that his outfit had deployed the best safety and security equipment, as well as its human resource, to help the people.
The Deputy Western Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Francis Mills, said he had received the report on the disaster and the fact that Golden Star Limited had taken control of the situation.
Mr Mills commended Golden Star for moving in to help the people, even though the victims had been operating illegally.
Posted: Wed, 18 Apr 2007
Nine illegal miners are reported dead, while more are feared trapped in a pit at Nsuapim in the Wassa Amenfi East District of the Western Region.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when the pit in which they were operating collapsed.
The dead are made up of six women and three men and their bodies have been conveyed to the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital.
A source stated that when the incident occurred, the people around failed to inform the community on time for the victims to be rescued.
When contacted, the Wassa Amenfi East District Chief Executive (DCE), Madam Doris Gyapomah Oduro, who described the situation as disastrous, said a rescue team from Golden Star (Bogoso Prestea Mines) Limited had to be called in to save the situation, since more people were alleged to have been trapped underground.
The DCE said it was not clear the number of people trapped in the pit, since the victims were illegal miners and there were no records on the number of people who were operating in the pit.
She said it was sad that young, able and energetic men and women could lose their lives in such a tragic manner.
When contacted, the Vice-President in charge of Operations of Golden Star Limited, Mr Colin J.S. Belshaw, said the company had information about the incident at about 5.00 p.m. on Monday.
He indicated that the area was not part of the company’s concession but since human lives were involved, it was incumbent on it to go to their rescue.
Mr Belshaw said some personnel and equipment had been sent to the area to save the situation adding that his outfit had deployed the best safety and security equipment, as well as its human resource, to help the people.
The Deputy Western Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Francis Mills, said he had received the report on the disaster and the fact that Golden Star Limited had taken control of the situation.
Mr Mills commended Golden Star for moving in to help the people, even though the victims had been operating illegally.
Safeguard Nation’s Interests First - Veep
Story by Charles Benoni Okine & Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has advised flag bearers and aspiring flag bearers of the various political parties to be circumspect in their campaigns to ensure continuous stability of the country.
“Although we are all aspiring to be winners, we need to ensure that we do so in a manner that will not compromise the stability of this great nation of ours,” he said.
The Vice-President said this when he addressed some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who had thronged the residency of the Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, to welcome him on his visit to the region.
The supporters, who drummed and sang, also congratulated him on filing his nomination to contest the flag-bearer position of the party.
The Vice-President’s official visit forms part of a three-regional tour of the Western, Ashanti and Northern regions, where he is scheduled to inspect on-going government development projects.
Alhaji Mahama said “as leaders, we should not incite our people against each other because that can spark hatred and divide the nation”, adding that “God has already ordained the winner”.
He said he had the calling to lead the country, and was sure of a resounding victory come December 22, 2007.
The Vice-President is among 19 other candidates contesting the flagbearership of the NPP.
“I have worked with President Kufuor for the past seven years, and I have understudied him,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama said with that experience, there was no better candidate to continue the good work of President Kufuor than him.
He said unlike the other vice- presidents in the past, he had not had any confrontation with President Kufuor, and that showed his maturity and commitment to do his job as a vice- president.
He said when given the job, he would excel to the expectation of the NPP, adding that among all the candidates, he was the most popular because of his numerous rounds across the length and breadth of the country.
“I have travelled and met people everywhere. I eat with them, I drink with them and I chat with them to know their problems. Those that I can solve immediately, I do so and those that I need further deliberations, I follow them up,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama said with those traits, he hoped the delegates were very much aware of his experience and would, therefore, vote for him.
The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has advised flag bearers and aspiring flag bearers of the various political parties to be circumspect in their campaigns to ensure continuous stability of the country.
“Although we are all aspiring to be winners, we need to ensure that we do so in a manner that will not compromise the stability of this great nation of ours,” he said.
The Vice-President said this when he addressed some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who had thronged the residency of the Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, to welcome him on his visit to the region.
The supporters, who drummed and sang, also congratulated him on filing his nomination to contest the flag-bearer position of the party.
The Vice-President’s official visit forms part of a three-regional tour of the Western, Ashanti and Northern regions, where he is scheduled to inspect on-going government development projects.
Alhaji Mahama said “as leaders, we should not incite our people against each other because that can spark hatred and divide the nation”, adding that “God has already ordained the winner”.
He said he had the calling to lead the country, and was sure of a resounding victory come December 22, 2007.
The Vice-President is among 19 other candidates contesting the flagbearership of the NPP.
“I have worked with President Kufuor for the past seven years, and I have understudied him,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama said with that experience, there was no better candidate to continue the good work of President Kufuor than him.
He said unlike the other vice- presidents in the past, he had not had any confrontation with President Kufuor, and that showed his maturity and commitment to do his job as a vice- president.
He said when given the job, he would excel to the expectation of the NPP, adding that among all the candidates, he was the most popular because of his numerous rounds across the length and breadth of the country.
“I have travelled and met people everywhere. I eat with them, I drink with them and I chat with them to know their problems. Those that I can solve immediately, I do so and those that I need further deliberations, I follow them up,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama said with those traits, he hoped the delegates were very much aware of his experience and would, therefore, vote for him.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Four Held Over Stolen Vehicle
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Criminal Investigations Department unit at the Takoradi Central Police Station in the Western Region has arrested four teenagers as they attempted to sell a stolen 19-seater 207 Mercedes Benz, valued at ¢150 million, for a token ¢40 million.
The teenage suspects — Yao Amoako, 19, a driver’s mate in the stolen vehicle; Patrick Ali (aka Dodzi), 19; Ebenezer Ansah, 19; Samuel Opong (aka Paa Kwaw), 18 — were said to have stolen the vehicle from Alajo in Accra and drove it to Takoradi to sell it.
The vehicle, with registration number GW 9782 X, had its number plate removed and its ignition system destroyed. The suspects joined wires to start the engine.
The deal was said to have been masterminded by the mate of the said bus who confessed to the police.
The name of the original driver of the bus was given only as Master JB and the owner, as written on the driver’s side of the vehicle, is Abdule Rauf Abubakar of Madina in Accra.
According to the one who offered to buy the vehicle, he received a call from an accomplice in Takoradi that he had a vehicle for sale and priced it for between ¢60 million and ¢100 million.
The prospective buyer said when he saw the vehicle, he realised it had once been registered and the seats inside were not original.
“I asked the boys for the papers and Amoako, who said he was the leader of the gang, said it was a connection vehicle, that he could not produce the papers immediately and that I should find a way of registering it in my name”.
The buyer, whose name is being withheld, told the Daily Graphic, “I entered the vehicle but I realised that its ignition system had been destroyed,” he said.
“I negotiated the price from ¢100 million to ¢40 million and when they were pressing for the money, I called the police who came in to effect their arrest,” he said.
Upon interrogation, Amoako said he was Master JB’s mate and that after the close of the day’s business at 10.00 p.m. on Friday, he had informed Dodzi, who was also an expert in joining wires to start a vehicle and could also drive, about the plan to steal the vehicle.
He said their accomplices in Takoradi, Samuel Opong and Ebenezer Ansah, had also by then completed arrangements for the sale of the vehicle.
According to Amoako, Dodzi, who lived near the Railway Station in Accra, went to his (Amoako’s) residence at Odawna in Accra and they moved to Alajo where the vehicle had been parked and drove it to Takoradi, where Opong and Asare were waiting to take them to the buyer.
Asked how they managed to fuel the vehicle, Amoako said they took passengers and used the fare to buy diesel.
The police are trying to locate the owner and the driver of the vehicle in Accra.
When contacted, the Crime Officer in charge of the Takoradi Central Police Station, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dela Dzansi, said the four suspects and the vehicle were being transferred to Accra for further investigations.
The Criminal Investigations Department unit at the Takoradi Central Police Station in the Western Region has arrested four teenagers as they attempted to sell a stolen 19-seater 207 Mercedes Benz, valued at ¢150 million, for a token ¢40 million.
The teenage suspects — Yao Amoako, 19, a driver’s mate in the stolen vehicle; Patrick Ali (aka Dodzi), 19; Ebenezer Ansah, 19; Samuel Opong (aka Paa Kwaw), 18 — were said to have stolen the vehicle from Alajo in Accra and drove it to Takoradi to sell it.
The vehicle, with registration number GW 9782 X, had its number plate removed and its ignition system destroyed. The suspects joined wires to start the engine.
The deal was said to have been masterminded by the mate of the said bus who confessed to the police.
The name of the original driver of the bus was given only as Master JB and the owner, as written on the driver’s side of the vehicle, is Abdule Rauf Abubakar of Madina in Accra.
According to the one who offered to buy the vehicle, he received a call from an accomplice in Takoradi that he had a vehicle for sale and priced it for between ¢60 million and ¢100 million.
The prospective buyer said when he saw the vehicle, he realised it had once been registered and the seats inside were not original.
“I asked the boys for the papers and Amoako, who said he was the leader of the gang, said it was a connection vehicle, that he could not produce the papers immediately and that I should find a way of registering it in my name”.
The buyer, whose name is being withheld, told the Daily Graphic, “I entered the vehicle but I realised that its ignition system had been destroyed,” he said.
“I negotiated the price from ¢100 million to ¢40 million and when they were pressing for the money, I called the police who came in to effect their arrest,” he said.
Upon interrogation, Amoako said he was Master JB’s mate and that after the close of the day’s business at 10.00 p.m. on Friday, he had informed Dodzi, who was also an expert in joining wires to start a vehicle and could also drive, about the plan to steal the vehicle.
He said their accomplices in Takoradi, Samuel Opong and Ebenezer Ansah, had also by then completed arrangements for the sale of the vehicle.
According to Amoako, Dodzi, who lived near the Railway Station in Accra, went to his (Amoako’s) residence at Odawna in Accra and they moved to Alajo where the vehicle had been parked and drove it to Takoradi, where Opong and Asare were waiting to take them to the buyer.
Asked how they managed to fuel the vehicle, Amoako said they took passengers and used the fare to buy diesel.
The police are trying to locate the owner and the driver of the vehicle in Accra.
When contacted, the Crime Officer in charge of the Takoradi Central Police Station, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dela Dzansi, said the four suspects and the vehicle were being transferred to Accra for further investigations.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Seven -Yr-Old Girl Amputated
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
One of the seven children who were caught up in last Sunday’s tragic incident at Nkontompo near Sekondi in which a grader ran into a group of Sunday School children has had her left leg amputated.
Doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital are said to have done everything possible to save the situation but the damage to the left leg of Little Ruth Amoasi, 7, coupled with the high rate of infection, made it impossible for them to spare her leg.
Hospital sources said the doctors were confronted with two options — either to amputate the leg to save her life or lose her in the process of saving her leg.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic yesterday, the doctor in charge, Dr Tawiah Siame, said the flesh on the affected leg was completely dead and also badly infected.
“It was a very difficult decision for us, since that was the only option to save her life. We had to call a lot of other doctors to assess the situation and pass their comments, as well as take several photographs, all in an attempt to salvage the leg,” he said.
He said given that sad development, the hospital authorities found it difficult to make the decision known to the parents to understand the situation in which their daughter was.
“To us, life is more precious and we involved her parents because of the legal implications,” Dr Siame said.
However, the remaining six victims are in stable condition and the doctors said it was likely some of them would be discharged by yesterday.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, who could not stand the sight and the pain of her daughter losing one of her legs, is yet to come to terms with the reality.
At Ruth’s bedside were some of her family members who sobbed intermittently as they spoke to this reporter.
One of the seven children who were caught up in last Sunday’s tragic incident at Nkontompo near Sekondi in which a grader ran into a group of Sunday School children has had her left leg amputated.
Doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital are said to have done everything possible to save the situation but the damage to the left leg of Little Ruth Amoasi, 7, coupled with the high rate of infection, made it impossible for them to spare her leg.
Hospital sources said the doctors were confronted with two options — either to amputate the leg to save her life or lose her in the process of saving her leg.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic yesterday, the doctor in charge, Dr Tawiah Siame, said the flesh on the affected leg was completely dead and also badly infected.
“It was a very difficult decision for us, since that was the only option to save her life. We had to call a lot of other doctors to assess the situation and pass their comments, as well as take several photographs, all in an attempt to salvage the leg,” he said.
He said given that sad development, the hospital authorities found it difficult to make the decision known to the parents to understand the situation in which their daughter was.
“To us, life is more precious and we involved her parents because of the legal implications,” Dr Siame said.
However, the remaining six victims are in stable condition and the doctors said it was likely some of them would be discharged by yesterday.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, who could not stand the sight and the pain of her daughter losing one of her legs, is yet to come to terms with the reality.
At Ruth’s bedside were some of her family members who sobbed intermittently as they spoke to this reporter.
British Tourists Visit Western, Central Regions
Story By Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Seven hundred and thirty five British tourists from Southampton in London docked at the Takoradi Port on last week Tuesday for a day’s tour of places of interest in the Western and Central regions.
The tourists, who were on Around Africa Tour aboard the Black Watch vessel operated by Fred Olsen Cruises, left Southampton on January 5 this year and arrived at Takoradi Port in the early hours of Tuesday.
They were taken to Kakum National Park, various forts and castles in the two regions and also had a tour of Takoradi during which they visited the Takoradi central market.
The tourists, who were so excited, described Ghanaians as friendly and warm people, adding, “we are overwhelmed by their hospitality and we will not miss the next opportunity to come back to Ghana”.
The tour, which was made possible by Sunseekers Tours, a private tour operators in the country with the aim of packaging the country’s tourist potential well for the international tourism market.
The Chief Executive Officer of Sunseekers, Mr Kwame Ansong, called on leaders of countries within the West African sub-region to embark on targeted marketing to harness the potential of countries along the west coast of Africa.
He said the level of excitement and willingness of tourists to stay longer than they anticipated should be measured so that that could prompt the countries to plan what to do to improve tourism.
He said facilities such as hotel accommodation were not adequate in Takoradi for the 735 tourists to make their stay comfortable had they decided to stay a day or two, and sadly said that “we therefore have to helplessly watch them move on”.
“The hotel accommodation in Takoradi would not be enough for the people if they decided to sleep and continue their exploration of the regions,” he said
Mr Ansong said the country had a lot to offer in terms of tourism and even though tourism demand was increasing at a faster rate there was no corresponding increase in the facilities to meet the demand.
He said there were many countries interested in contracting the Fred Olsen Cruises to include them in their world tour but they chose Ghana.
“Therefore if other countries along the cost could develop and market their countries, the ship could have moved from Ghana to Togo, Nigeria, or elsewhere along the west coast, but sadly, from Ghana the ship is moving to Sao Tome, Namibia and then to South Africa,” he said.
Seven hundred and thirty five British tourists from Southampton in London docked at the Takoradi Port on last week Tuesday for a day’s tour of places of interest in the Western and Central regions.
The tourists, who were on Around Africa Tour aboard the Black Watch vessel operated by Fred Olsen Cruises, left Southampton on January 5 this year and arrived at Takoradi Port in the early hours of Tuesday.
They were taken to Kakum National Park, various forts and castles in the two regions and also had a tour of Takoradi during which they visited the Takoradi central market.
The tourists, who were so excited, described Ghanaians as friendly and warm people, adding, “we are overwhelmed by their hospitality and we will not miss the next opportunity to come back to Ghana”.
The tour, which was made possible by Sunseekers Tours, a private tour operators in the country with the aim of packaging the country’s tourist potential well for the international tourism market.
The Chief Executive Officer of Sunseekers, Mr Kwame Ansong, called on leaders of countries within the West African sub-region to embark on targeted marketing to harness the potential of countries along the west coast of Africa.
He said the level of excitement and willingness of tourists to stay longer than they anticipated should be measured so that that could prompt the countries to plan what to do to improve tourism.
He said facilities such as hotel accommodation were not adequate in Takoradi for the 735 tourists to make their stay comfortable had they decided to stay a day or two, and sadly said that “we therefore have to helplessly watch them move on”.
“The hotel accommodation in Takoradi would not be enough for the people if they decided to sleep and continue their exploration of the regions,” he said
Mr Ansong said the country had a lot to offer in terms of tourism and even though tourism demand was increasing at a faster rate there was no corresponding increase in the facilities to meet the demand.
He said there were many countries interested in contracting the Fred Olsen Cruises to include them in their world tour but they chose Ghana.
“Therefore if other countries along the cost could develop and market their countries, the ship could have moved from Ghana to Togo, Nigeria, or elsewhere along the west coast, but sadly, from Ghana the ship is moving to Sao Tome, Namibia and then to South Africa,” he said.
Protracted chieftaincy dispute
Story Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
A protracted chieftaincy dispute at Adjua in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region has left pupils of the primary school at the mercy of the weather.
The chiefs are said to have sold part of the land designated for a school project and are also not ready to release the rest for the construction of new classrooms for the school.
As a result, the Ahanta West District Assembly is likely to allocate the fund for the school block to other communities that are ready to provide land for the project.
According to the Junior Graphic in a report filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, pupils of the only primary school in the area are sharing a three classroom block, which is in a deplorable state among classes one to six.
Classes one to three use the classrooms, while those in primary four, five and six use the veranda of the block. Sadly, anytime it rains, school work is disrupted because of leaking roofs.
The factions are also aware that the Ahanta West District Assembly is ready to finance the project but they are not ready to release the land for the project.
The head teacher of the school, Mrs. Mary Mensah, said aside the poor infrastructure, the residents of the town had also resorted to the stealing of school furniture left on the veranda for use as firewood.
When contacted, the Ahanta West District Chief Executive, Mr Kwesi Biney, expressed regret at the conditions under which the children had to study.
He reminded the two factions that the children were being deprived of a sound learning environment because of the entrenched positions they had taken on the dispute.
The DCE confirmed that those involved in the dispute were aware that the assembly had set aside money for the construction of a classroom block but said "it will go to another community since the factions are not ready to compromise for the development of the community".
He bemoaned the fact that the chiefs had sold part of the land earmarked for the construction of the school.
In a related development, the nursery department of the school, is crowded with between 70 and 100 children in one small classroom which has very poor ventilation.
Teachers of the nursery department have no choice but to endure the heat in the classroom and continuously wipe off their sweat while teaching.
A protracted chieftaincy dispute at Adjua in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region has left pupils of the primary school at the mercy of the weather.
The chiefs are said to have sold part of the land designated for a school project and are also not ready to release the rest for the construction of new classrooms for the school.
As a result, the Ahanta West District Assembly is likely to allocate the fund for the school block to other communities that are ready to provide land for the project.
According to the Junior Graphic in a report filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, pupils of the only primary school in the area are sharing a three classroom block, which is in a deplorable state among classes one to six.
Classes one to three use the classrooms, while those in primary four, five and six use the veranda of the block. Sadly, anytime it rains, school work is disrupted because of leaking roofs.
The factions are also aware that the Ahanta West District Assembly is ready to finance the project but they are not ready to release the land for the project.
The head teacher of the school, Mrs. Mary Mensah, said aside the poor infrastructure, the residents of the town had also resorted to the stealing of school furniture left on the veranda for use as firewood.
When contacted, the Ahanta West District Chief Executive, Mr Kwesi Biney, expressed regret at the conditions under which the children had to study.
He reminded the two factions that the children were being deprived of a sound learning environment because of the entrenched positions they had taken on the dispute.
The DCE confirmed that those involved in the dispute were aware that the assembly had set aside money for the construction of a classroom block but said "it will go to another community since the factions are not ready to compromise for the development of the community".
He bemoaned the fact that the chiefs had sold part of the land earmarked for the construction of the school.
In a related development, the nursery department of the school, is crowded with between 70 and 100 children in one small classroom which has very poor ventilation.
Teachers of the nursery department have no choice but to endure the heat in the classroom and continuously wipe off their sweat while teaching.
Nine police officers busted
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
Nine police officers have been busted and interdicted on suspicion of their involvement in cocaine trade.
Police sources said the officers deserted their posts in Accra to escort five suspected dealers to Half Assini to retrieve parcels of cocaine that had been washed ashore the Gulf of Guinea.
The sources said the nine policemen, who were armed with AK 47 assault rifles, pistols and several rounds of ammunition for their intended operation at Nyamebekyere-Mile 32, a Police/CEPS checkpoint at Apremdo, near Takoradi in the Western Region, had been interdicted.
This brings to 50 the number of police personnel who have been interdicted for various acts of misconduct within a month of the launch of an exercise to flush out drug-tainted nuts from the service.
Five other suspected drug dealers have been arrested while five saloon cars that were being used by the suspects at the time of their arrest have been impounded.
The affected policemen are L/Cpl Ben Somuah, G/L/Cpl Ebenezer Quao Afatsao and L/Cpl Daniel Kagya, all of the Armoured Car Squadron in Accra; G/Cpl George Obuobi of the Darkuman Police Station and G/Constable John Mensah-Grey of the Service Workshop attached to the Regional Headquarters, Accra.
The others are G/Constable Cudjoe Mensah, L/Cpl Gideon Sakabito and G/Constable Dennis Agyeman, all of the La Police Station.
The suspected drug dealers are Eric Asamoah, 35, a businessman and a resident of London; Kwame Attah Yeboah, 33, a car dealer; Kodjo Annim alias Olympio, 35, a businessman; Alex Addo, 36, a car dealer, and Kwasi Kumeke, 27, a businessman, all from Accra.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, confirmed the story and said following the event, a high-powered delegation from the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, led by the Deputy Director General of the CID, Mr Patrick Timbilla, had been dispatched to the area.
He said for sometime now the security agencies had been receiving information that a vessel from an unidentified origin had discharged some parcels of substances suspected to be cocaine into the Atlantic Ocean and believed the parcels would be washed ashore on the west coast of Ghana, especially in the Western Region.
The IGP said the information further had it that a number of suspected drug dealers mainly from Accra had been marauding along the beaches from Sekondi to Half-Assini and paying huge sums of money to fishermen and persons along the beaches to assist to retrieve the parcels.
He said the security personnel at the various checkpoints were put on high alert while a number of policemen were quickly deployed to beef up security at all the checkpoints in the region in order to track them down.
Those positioned at the Apremdo Police Checkpoint near Takoradi spotted a BMW 4X4 with a DVLA number plate, a VW Golf with registration number GE 9487 X, a Nissan Sentra with registration number GW 6309 X and Geo Prism saloon car with registration number GE 4501 W and intercepted them while in a convoy.
The IGP said the vehicles were thoroughly searched but nothing incriminating was found in them. However, the occupants were highly suspected to be dealers who were being given protection and security by the police officers.
Further investigations indicated that two of the suspected persons, Kodjo Annim and Eric Asamoah, were known dealers in Accra.
On June 1, 2007 all the suspects were arraigned before the District Magistrate’s Court at Sekondi and were remanded in police custody to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Mr Acheampong said on June 1, 2007, at about 9:45 a.m. an unregistered Nissan Primera saloon car was also spotted at Samenye Barrier at the Elubo-Half-Assini junction and when it was stopped for inspection the driver sped off.
He said a message was sent out to other checkpoints to look for and arrest the occupants of the vehicle and on the same day at 11:00 a.m., the vehicle pulled up at the Nyamebekyere-Mile 32 Police/CEPS Checkpoint on the Takoradi-Axim road.
The IGP said the occupants of the vehicle comprised three policemen and two civilians and the three policemen first alighted from the vehicle leaving the two civilians that included the driver.
He said while the driver was being directed to park properly for the vehicle to be searched he reversed at top speed and sped off towards Axim leaving the policemen behind.
The policemen were consequently arrested and handed over to the Regional CID, Sekondi and on June 2, 2007 the unregistered Nissan Primera with a trial number plate was found abandoned in the bush on the outskirts of Nsein near Axim.
A search in the bush by the police revealed two AK 47 assault rifles and magazines loaded with seven and four rounds of ammunition respectively.
The three policemen were also remanded in prison custody by the District Magistrate’s Court in Sekondi to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Nine police officers have been busted and interdicted on suspicion of their involvement in cocaine trade.
Police sources said the officers deserted their posts in Accra to escort five suspected dealers to Half Assini to retrieve parcels of cocaine that had been washed ashore the Gulf of Guinea.
The sources said the nine policemen, who were armed with AK 47 assault rifles, pistols and several rounds of ammunition for their intended operation at Nyamebekyere-Mile 32, a Police/CEPS checkpoint at Apremdo, near Takoradi in the Western Region, had been interdicted.
This brings to 50 the number of police personnel who have been interdicted for various acts of misconduct within a month of the launch of an exercise to flush out drug-tainted nuts from the service.
Five other suspected drug dealers have been arrested while five saloon cars that were being used by the suspects at the time of their arrest have been impounded.
The affected policemen are L/Cpl Ben Somuah, G/L/Cpl Ebenezer Quao Afatsao and L/Cpl Daniel Kagya, all of the Armoured Car Squadron in Accra; G/Cpl George Obuobi of the Darkuman Police Station and G/Constable John Mensah-Grey of the Service Workshop attached to the Regional Headquarters, Accra.
The others are G/Constable Cudjoe Mensah, L/Cpl Gideon Sakabito and G/Constable Dennis Agyeman, all of the La Police Station.
The suspected drug dealers are Eric Asamoah, 35, a businessman and a resident of London; Kwame Attah Yeboah, 33, a car dealer; Kodjo Annim alias Olympio, 35, a businessman; Alex Addo, 36, a car dealer, and Kwasi Kumeke, 27, a businessman, all from Accra.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, confirmed the story and said following the event, a high-powered delegation from the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, led by the Deputy Director General of the CID, Mr Patrick Timbilla, had been dispatched to the area.
He said for sometime now the security agencies had been receiving information that a vessel from an unidentified origin had discharged some parcels of substances suspected to be cocaine into the Atlantic Ocean and believed the parcels would be washed ashore on the west coast of Ghana, especially in the Western Region.
The IGP said the information further had it that a number of suspected drug dealers mainly from Accra had been marauding along the beaches from Sekondi to Half-Assini and paying huge sums of money to fishermen and persons along the beaches to assist to retrieve the parcels.
He said the security personnel at the various checkpoints were put on high alert while a number of policemen were quickly deployed to beef up security at all the checkpoints in the region in order to track them down.
Those positioned at the Apremdo Police Checkpoint near Takoradi spotted a BMW 4X4 with a DVLA number plate, a VW Golf with registration number GE 9487 X, a Nissan Sentra with registration number GW 6309 X and Geo Prism saloon car with registration number GE 4501 W and intercepted them while in a convoy.
The IGP said the vehicles were thoroughly searched but nothing incriminating was found in them. However, the occupants were highly suspected to be dealers who were being given protection and security by the police officers.
Further investigations indicated that two of the suspected persons, Kodjo Annim and Eric Asamoah, were known dealers in Accra.
On June 1, 2007 all the suspects were arraigned before the District Magistrate’s Court at Sekondi and were remanded in police custody to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Mr Acheampong said on June 1, 2007, at about 9:45 a.m. an unregistered Nissan Primera saloon car was also spotted at Samenye Barrier at the Elubo-Half-Assini junction and when it was stopped for inspection the driver sped off.
He said a message was sent out to other checkpoints to look for and arrest the occupants of the vehicle and on the same day at 11:00 a.m., the vehicle pulled up at the Nyamebekyere-Mile 32 Police/CEPS Checkpoint on the Takoradi-Axim road.
The IGP said the occupants of the vehicle comprised three policemen and two civilians and the three policemen first alighted from the vehicle leaving the two civilians that included the driver.
He said while the driver was being directed to park properly for the vehicle to be searched he reversed at top speed and sped off towards Axim leaving the policemen behind.
The policemen were consequently arrested and handed over to the Regional CID, Sekondi and on June 2, 2007 the unregistered Nissan Primera with a trial number plate was found abandoned in the bush on the outskirts of Nsein near Axim.
A search in the bush by the police revealed two AK 47 assault rifles and magazines loaded with seven and four rounds of ammunition respectively.
The three policemen were also remanded in prison custody by the District Magistrate’s Court in Sekondi to reappear on June 14, 2007.
Super Glue In Lover’s Ear
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
To punish his girlfriend who had deserted their home for six months after over six-years of turbulent relationship, a young man decided to teach her a lesson.
Benjamin Kumi, a trader, cunningly replaced the content of his partner’s ear drop with super glue and managed to get it to her at her new home.
The unsuspecting victim who has a chronic ear problem also took it, applied it and got deaf in the left ear for several agonising hours.
Fortunately for her, the glue had been removed at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, Kumi has been charged for causing unlawful harm to his partner by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at the Western Regional Headquarters in Sekondi and has been arraigned before the Sekondi Magistrate Court.
He pleaded guilty and the court sent him to prison for nine months with hard labur. In addition, Kumi is to pay ¢2 million as compensation to the woman, Vida Kyei.
According to the Unit Commander of DOVVSU, Ms Cecilia Arko, even though they were not married, Kumi and his girlfriend lived together as a couple at Adakope, a suburb of Sekondi.
She said Kumi and the girlfriend, Vida Kyei, always had problems over minor issues and at a point, Vida left their home at Adakope to stay with her uncle at Port-Quarters in Takoradi.
The saga began when Kumi, who who did not take kindly to this decided to punish Vida for leaving him.
According to Ms Arko, after planning his scheme, Kumi went to buy super glue and poured it into one of the empty ear drop containers that Vida had finished using and boldly went to her at Takoradi and handed it over to her.
Vida, apparently unaware of Kumi’s intentions took the drug and told Kumi that she had no grudge against him so he could visit her at home any time he was in Takoradi.
Ms Arko said Vida later applied the ‘drop’ in her left ear and in some few seconds, the drop hardened and completely sealed her ear together with her ear-ring coupled with severe pains.
Ms Arko said the uncle got angry and demanded to know where she bought the drug and, to his surprise she said it was Kumi who sent it to her from their former house.
She said the uncle then made a report to the police and Kumi was arrested.
Kumi upon interrogation, at first denied knowledge but later admitted switching the contents of the super-glue and the ear-drop, pleading that he did not know what came over him.
To punish his girlfriend who had deserted their home for six months after over six-years of turbulent relationship, a young man decided to teach her a lesson.
Benjamin Kumi, a trader, cunningly replaced the content of his partner’s ear drop with super glue and managed to get it to her at her new home.
The unsuspecting victim who has a chronic ear problem also took it, applied it and got deaf in the left ear for several agonising hours.
Fortunately for her, the glue had been removed at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, Kumi has been charged for causing unlawful harm to his partner by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at the Western Regional Headquarters in Sekondi and has been arraigned before the Sekondi Magistrate Court.
He pleaded guilty and the court sent him to prison for nine months with hard labur. In addition, Kumi is to pay ¢2 million as compensation to the woman, Vida Kyei.
According to the Unit Commander of DOVVSU, Ms Cecilia Arko, even though they were not married, Kumi and his girlfriend lived together as a couple at Adakope, a suburb of Sekondi.
She said Kumi and the girlfriend, Vida Kyei, always had problems over minor issues and at a point, Vida left their home at Adakope to stay with her uncle at Port-Quarters in Takoradi.
The saga began when Kumi, who who did not take kindly to this decided to punish Vida for leaving him.
According to Ms Arko, after planning his scheme, Kumi went to buy super glue and poured it into one of the empty ear drop containers that Vida had finished using and boldly went to her at Takoradi and handed it over to her.
Vida, apparently unaware of Kumi’s intentions took the drug and told Kumi that she had no grudge against him so he could visit her at home any time he was in Takoradi.
Ms Arko said Vida later applied the ‘drop’ in her left ear and in some few seconds, the drop hardened and completely sealed her ear together with her ear-ring coupled with severe pains.
Ms Arko said the uncle got angry and demanded to know where she bought the drug and, to his surprise she said it was Kumi who sent it to her from their former house.
She said the uncle then made a report to the police and Kumi was arrested.
Kumi upon interrogation, at first denied knowledge but later admitted switching the contents of the super-glue and the ear-drop, pleading that he did not know what came over him.
Cashier Held Over GH¢20,000
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
A cashier at the Takoradi Branch of the Merchant Bank who allegedly capitalised on the illiteracy and trust of a customer of the bank to steal a cheque leaflet from the customer’s cheque book, forged his signature and withdrew GH¢20,000 (¢200 million) from his account has been arrested.
The suspect, Aaron Afful, was also alleged to have diverted various sums of other customers’ deposits into the accounts of his creditors as a way of settling debts he owed them.
He has been charged with fraud and is currently being held by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police Command to aid in investigations into the matter.
Daily Graphic investigations revealed that a customer of the bank who could not write always withdrew money with cheques with the assistance of his nephew.
Unfortunately for the customer, a quarry contractor, his nephew was not around on June 15, 2007 when he wanted to withdraw some money for his business. When he went to the bank, he was assisted by Afful to write a cheque for ¢85 million which he signed.
While the contractor was waiting for his money, Afful asked him to give him the cheque book to enable him (Afful) to check something for him. According to Afful’s own confession, he then went back to the office and removed one leaflet which directly followed the white cheque reorder form from the cheque book.
The cashier then allegedly forged the customer’s signature and succeeded in withdrawing ¢200 million.
Unfortunately for Afful, the customer issued a cheque for ¢200 million months later to cover his indebtedness. He was surprised when the creditor came back to tell him that he (the contractor) did not have enough money in his account so the cheque had been dishonoured.
The angry customer then stormed the bank where the records indicated that the said amount had been withdrawn earlier. He then reported to the police and the bank officials were invited.
The contractor said Afful had requested for his (the contractor’s) cheque book to check something for him the day he had gone to withdraw the ¢85 million. He, therefore, believed Afful was a key suspect in the matter.
During investigations, it came to light that the cheque leaflet had been removed by Afful.
Upon interrogation, Afful admitted the offence, as well as the diversion of part of other customers’ deposits into his creditors’ accounts.
He is currently being held by the police in Sekondi for further investigations.
A cashier at the Takoradi Branch of the Merchant Bank who allegedly capitalised on the illiteracy and trust of a customer of the bank to steal a cheque leaflet from the customer’s cheque book, forged his signature and withdrew GH¢20,000 (¢200 million) from his account has been arrested.
The suspect, Aaron Afful, was also alleged to have diverted various sums of other customers’ deposits into the accounts of his creditors as a way of settling debts he owed them.
He has been charged with fraud and is currently being held by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police Command to aid in investigations into the matter.
Daily Graphic investigations revealed that a customer of the bank who could not write always withdrew money with cheques with the assistance of his nephew.
Unfortunately for the customer, a quarry contractor, his nephew was not around on June 15, 2007 when he wanted to withdraw some money for his business. When he went to the bank, he was assisted by Afful to write a cheque for ¢85 million which he signed.
While the contractor was waiting for his money, Afful asked him to give him the cheque book to enable him (Afful) to check something for him. According to Afful’s own confession, he then went back to the office and removed one leaflet which directly followed the white cheque reorder form from the cheque book.
The cashier then allegedly forged the customer’s signature and succeeded in withdrawing ¢200 million.
Unfortunately for Afful, the customer issued a cheque for ¢200 million months later to cover his indebtedness. He was surprised when the creditor came back to tell him that he (the contractor) did not have enough money in his account so the cheque had been dishonoured.
The angry customer then stormed the bank where the records indicated that the said amount had been withdrawn earlier. He then reported to the police and the bank officials were invited.
The contractor said Afful had requested for his (the contractor’s) cheque book to check something for him the day he had gone to withdraw the ¢85 million. He, therefore, believed Afful was a key suspect in the matter.
During investigations, it came to light that the cheque leaflet had been removed by Afful.
Upon interrogation, Afful admitted the offence, as well as the diversion of part of other customers’ deposits into his creditors’ accounts.
He is currently being held by the police in Sekondi for further investigations.
Couple Held For Trafficking Three Girls
Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVISU) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a couple for allegedly attempting to traffic three young girls from Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire.
The couple, Kwesi Nyame, 27, and Akuba Kojokyirie, were reported to have lured the children, aged 10, 12 and 13, during break-time at school with the promise of lucrative jobs and happy lifestyles in Cote d’Ivoire which would be the envy of their compatriots back home.
They were arrested with the girls while crossing the Ghana side of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border at Jewi Wharf.
The girls, whose names were withheld, have since been re-united with their families.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic shortly before the couple were whisked to court, Nyame said he was a farm labourer at Nsuekyiri in Cote d’Ivoire.
He said his master asked him to look for young girls to help his sister, who was a food vendor.
“I then proceeded to Ghana, met the girls and told them about my mission and they all agreed to go with me. So I was taking them to my master who had provided funds for their transport to Nsuekyiri,” he said.
Asked if he had informed the families of the children, he retorted in vernacular, “Master, that was the mistake I made. That was because the children told me that if I did so, their parents would not agree.”
He said that was the first time he had been asked to bring children to Cote d’Ivoire but it was not for any bad intention.
“I was just responding to my master’s call and it has landed me in trouble, with handcuffs on my hands and on my wife’s,” he said.
According to the Unit Commander of the DOVVISU, Ms Cecelia Arko, the couple were arrested after somebody who knew the children had confronted Nyame over where he was taking the children to.
She said when Nyame could not provide any tangible answer, the informant called the families of the children at Nbem in the Jomoro District to enquire if they had authorised the suspects to travel to Cote d’Ivoire with the children.
The unit commander said the parents of the children expressed surprise at the development and based on that the informant made a report to Immigration authorities at the border, who effected the arrest of the couple.
The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVISU) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a couple for allegedly attempting to traffic three young girls from Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire.
The couple, Kwesi Nyame, 27, and Akuba Kojokyirie, were reported to have lured the children, aged 10, 12 and 13, during break-time at school with the promise of lucrative jobs and happy lifestyles in Cote d’Ivoire which would be the envy of their compatriots back home.
They were arrested with the girls while crossing the Ghana side of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border at Jewi Wharf.
The girls, whose names were withheld, have since been re-united with their families.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic shortly before the couple were whisked to court, Nyame said he was a farm labourer at Nsuekyiri in Cote d’Ivoire.
He said his master asked him to look for young girls to help his sister, who was a food vendor.
“I then proceeded to Ghana, met the girls and told them about my mission and they all agreed to go with me. So I was taking them to my master who had provided funds for their transport to Nsuekyiri,” he said.
Asked if he had informed the families of the children, he retorted in vernacular, “Master, that was the mistake I made. That was because the children told me that if I did so, their parents would not agree.”
He said that was the first time he had been asked to bring children to Cote d’Ivoire but it was not for any bad intention.
“I was just responding to my master’s call and it has landed me in trouble, with handcuffs on my hands and on my wife’s,” he said.
According to the Unit Commander of the DOVVISU, Ms Cecelia Arko, the couple were arrested after somebody who knew the children had confronted Nyame over where he was taking the children to.
She said when Nyame could not provide any tangible answer, the informant called the families of the children at Nbem in the Jomoro District to enquire if they had authorised the suspects to travel to Cote d’Ivoire with the children.
The unit commander said the parents of the children expressed surprise at the development and based on that the informant made a report to Immigration authorities at the border, who effected the arrest of the couple.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Accident on the High Seas
JOMORO :
Accident on the High Seas
What should have passed off as a normal fishing trip for daily bread by seven fishermen, turned tragic when their boat was run into by a supply ship in the deep waters off Half Assini in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, resulting in the drowning of four of them.
The remaining three were rescued by the crew of the ship.
According to the Daily Graphic in a story filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, as of press time, a search team organised to help retrieve the bodies of the four drowned fishermen had not yet achieved its mission.
The names of the four were given as Okantah Duodu, 52; Felix Odenke Annan, 37; Ayitey Armah, 41, all from Osu in the Greater Accra Region, and Kobina Andrew, 51, from Sekondi.
The names of the three rescued fishermen were also given as Michael Tetteh, 41; William Annan Osam, 23, and Sui Mensah, 45.
The fishermen were said to have anchored and were fast asleep in their canoe, after many hours of fishing, waiting for the dawn of the next day to sail back to their base in Sekondi with their catch when the Supply Platform Ship, belonging to Seacon Madison, moving in the same direction, collided with their canoe.
The supply ship was said to be moving from Abidjan to Togo.
The badly damaged canoe was washed ashore the coast of Esiama in the Nzema East District.
Apart from the four dying and their canoe being damaged, the outboard motor, hooks, fuel and other fishing tools were also lost in the collision.
When the Daily Graphic contacted one of the survivors on telephone, he said "My brother, I cannot say anything now. I am traumatized; I cannot think straight, and I have too much on my mind." "It will be difficult for me to tell you something without recollecting the painful incident that night. I am not OK, my brother. I beg you; I am sorry," he said, as his voice faded off on the telephone.
The Graphic said a source informed it that the fishermen had sailed from Sekondi on July 4, 2007 for their usual fishing expedition.
They had fished throughout the night into the next day and had had enough for the night. They then decided to anchor to take a rest to regain their strength so that they could sail back to their base in Sekondi in the morning.
The source said at the time of the incident, all the seven men were sleeping and so they could not see the supply ship approaching. One of them who woke up started shouting but it was too late for him to wake his colleagues up before the giant ship ran into their canoe, resulting in the death of the four.
The captain of the ship then ordered the crew to stop for them to search for the fishermen in the canoe, but after 18 hours of search, they managed to rescue only three of them.
The captain and his men then moved to the Sekondi Naval Base where they reported the incident.
The families of the four in Accra, Sekondi and New Takoradi, according to the source, had been contacted by officials in Takoradi to inform them about the disaster.
The Chairman of the Land-Hook Canoe Fishermen Association, Mr Emmanuel Oninku, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, was grateful to the captain for stopping the supply ship to rescue the victims. He said other captains would have ignored them.
He said at the moment the three rescued fishermen were doing well, having been told to return to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Clinic in Takoradi if they complained of pains.
Asked if they had to sleep on the ocean, the fishermen laughed and said it was a normal practice, explaining that they did not use compasses or other sophisticated maps, as such when they became tired they anchored and rested till dawn before sailing back to the shore.
Accident on the High Seas
What should have passed off as a normal fishing trip for daily bread by seven fishermen, turned tragic when their boat was run into by a supply ship in the deep waters off Half Assini in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, resulting in the drowning of four of them.
The remaining three were rescued by the crew of the ship.
According to the Daily Graphic in a story filed by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, as of press time, a search team organised to help retrieve the bodies of the four drowned fishermen had not yet achieved its mission.
The names of the four were given as Okantah Duodu, 52; Felix Odenke Annan, 37; Ayitey Armah, 41, all from Osu in the Greater Accra Region, and Kobina Andrew, 51, from Sekondi.
The names of the three rescued fishermen were also given as Michael Tetteh, 41; William Annan Osam, 23, and Sui Mensah, 45.
The fishermen were said to have anchored and were fast asleep in their canoe, after many hours of fishing, waiting for the dawn of the next day to sail back to their base in Sekondi with their catch when the Supply Platform Ship, belonging to Seacon Madison, moving in the same direction, collided with their canoe.
The supply ship was said to be moving from Abidjan to Togo.
The badly damaged canoe was washed ashore the coast of Esiama in the Nzema East District.
Apart from the four dying and their canoe being damaged, the outboard motor, hooks, fuel and other fishing tools were also lost in the collision.
When the Daily Graphic contacted one of the survivors on telephone, he said "My brother, I cannot say anything now. I am traumatized; I cannot think straight, and I have too much on my mind." "It will be difficult for me to tell you something without recollecting the painful incident that night. I am not OK, my brother. I beg you; I am sorry," he said, as his voice faded off on the telephone.
The Graphic said a source informed it that the fishermen had sailed from Sekondi on July 4, 2007 for their usual fishing expedition.
They had fished throughout the night into the next day and had had enough for the night. They then decided to anchor to take a rest to regain their strength so that they could sail back to their base in Sekondi in the morning.
The source said at the time of the incident, all the seven men were sleeping and so they could not see the supply ship approaching. One of them who woke up started shouting but it was too late for him to wake his colleagues up before the giant ship ran into their canoe, resulting in the death of the four.
The captain of the ship then ordered the crew to stop for them to search for the fishermen in the canoe, but after 18 hours of search, they managed to rescue only three of them.
The captain and his men then moved to the Sekondi Naval Base where they reported the incident.
The families of the four in Accra, Sekondi and New Takoradi, according to the source, had been contacted by officials in Takoradi to inform them about the disaster.
The Chairman of the Land-Hook Canoe Fishermen Association, Mr Emmanuel Oninku, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, was grateful to the captain for stopping the supply ship to rescue the victims. He said other captains would have ignored them.
He said at the moment the three rescued fishermen were doing well, having been told to return to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Clinic in Takoradi if they complained of pains.
Asked if they had to sleep on the ocean, the fishermen laughed and said it was a normal practice, explaining that they did not use compasses or other sophisticated maps, as such when they became tired they anchored and rested till dawn before sailing back to the shore.
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