STORY: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
In spite of the challenges, Mrs Nana Yamfoah Amua-Sekyi, the Western Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), remains committed to her work.
The fact that some people walk to her office and enquire of her boss, thinking that the one in charge of affairs at the organisation is a man and not a woman, does not deter her from performing her duties.
Asked how she feels about that attitude, she said it was normal as some people expected to see a man directing affairs at the regional office, “but work must go on and I have a big heart to listen to people and work as a professional”.
Appointed as the Western and Central Regional Director of the commission in 1997, she said she did not accept failure as a normal way of life and played the role of a mother in the lives of many people who expected her to offer immediate solutions to their socio-economic problems.
“I take inspiration from God when I have to take decisions to resolve human rights issues and I do so tactfully to justify the hope and confidence reposed in the commission,” she said.
She is guided by the mission statement of the commission to enhance the scale of good governance, democracy, integrity, peace and social development by promoting, protecting and enforcing fundamental human rights and freedoms and administrative justice for all persons in Ghana.
Working in conjunction with district officers, other sectional heads and members and staff of the commission, her duties entail broadly investigating complaints concerning the violation of fundamental human rights, injustice, corruption, abuse of power and unfair treatment of any person by a serving public officer.
Her office also investigates corruption and misappropriation of public money by officials, and practices and actions by persons, private enterprises and other institutions that violate fundamental constitutional rights and freedoms.
She said her office received cases from aggrieved persons from the two regions and also visited prisons to assess conditions there. Additionally, they go on field trips to educate market women, schoolchildren and fishermen on their human rights and freedoms to create human rights awareness and undertake further education through publications, lectures and symposia.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi is a product of Achimota School, from where she proceeded to the University of Ghana and the Ghana Law School. She is a member of Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
Mrs Amua-Sekyi, who is the last of the three girls of her parents, said, “We lost our father when I was still in school but our mother served as a strong pillar behind us, educated us and constantly reminded us of our capabilities and told us the truth about life.”
“I try as much as I could to ensure that I help where possible and I am always careful not to say things that would discourage the people who come to the office with problems, since they look up to us for the restoration of hope,” she stressed.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
TACKLE HEALTH EXPANSION PROJECTS ONE BY ONE (THURSDAY, FEB 28, PAGE 25)
STORY: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
With the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), various health facilities in the country have seen a steady increase in out-patient department (OPD) attendance which provide services under the scheme.
But there has not been a correspondent increase in health infrastructure and personnel to match the teeming numbers who seek medical care at the facilities.
The NHIS has, indeed, given hope to those who previously relied solely on herbal preparations to treat their ailments.
It is an undisputed fact that the provision of health infrastructure requires a huge capital outlay especially when the internally generated revenue of the hospitals is nothing to write home about.
That is why the release of funds to facilities that provide health care should be regular and prompt.
Interestingly, the flow of funds from the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) to the service providers is not the best and it is creating a lot of problems for the service providers.
It is the duty of the district assemblies to support the health facilities in their expansion of infrastructure but they are also faced with demands from other sectors including education, which they must fulfil.
What is worrying, however, is that the management of some hospitals plan to undertake expansion programmes without ensuring that there is enough funding to complete the projects on schedule. A typical example of this anomaly can be found in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi. Currently there are two ongoing hospital expansion projects that are yet to be completed.
These are the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals.
What is basically delaying the completion of the two projects can be traced to the lack of funds. But one wonders why the Shama Ahanta East Assembly (SAEMA) initiated the expansion projects when they knew that funds were not available.
Why should the hospitals commit hard-earned resources on projects they cannot complete when other areas are left unattended to?
Considering the proximity of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals in Sekondi-Takoradi the initiators of the projects should have tackled the expansion projects one after another instead of starting the two at a time and abandoning them halfway.
The exact time expansion work started on the Effia-Nkwanta hospital is not known but from the records, that of the European Hospital was started in 2004 and work at the site was abandoned in 2005 due to lack of funds.
Many a resident in the twin-city are worried at what is happening and would have wished that the authorities had committed the funds for two casualty units to one and completed before moving on to the second project.
The casualty unit of the European hospital does not have an ambulance and ambulance bay, and there are countless problems at the delivery wards and theatres. Even though the expansion work at the casualty unit was important it would have done a lot of good if the money invested in the uncompleted project had been spent in solving the urgent needs of the hospital.
With the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), various health facilities in the country have seen a steady increase in out-patient department (OPD) attendance which provide services under the scheme.
But there has not been a correspondent increase in health infrastructure and personnel to match the teeming numbers who seek medical care at the facilities.
The NHIS has, indeed, given hope to those who previously relied solely on herbal preparations to treat their ailments.
It is an undisputed fact that the provision of health infrastructure requires a huge capital outlay especially when the internally generated revenue of the hospitals is nothing to write home about.
That is why the release of funds to facilities that provide health care should be regular and prompt.
Interestingly, the flow of funds from the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) to the service providers is not the best and it is creating a lot of problems for the service providers.
It is the duty of the district assemblies to support the health facilities in their expansion of infrastructure but they are also faced with demands from other sectors including education, which they must fulfil.
What is worrying, however, is that the management of some hospitals plan to undertake expansion programmes without ensuring that there is enough funding to complete the projects on schedule. A typical example of this anomaly can be found in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi. Currently there are two ongoing hospital expansion projects that are yet to be completed.
These are the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals.
What is basically delaying the completion of the two projects can be traced to the lack of funds. But one wonders why the Shama Ahanta East Assembly (SAEMA) initiated the expansion projects when they knew that funds were not available.
Why should the hospitals commit hard-earned resources on projects they cannot complete when other areas are left unattended to?
Considering the proximity of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals in Sekondi-Takoradi the initiators of the projects should have tackled the expansion projects one after another instead of starting the two at a time and abandoning them halfway.
The exact time expansion work started on the Effia-Nkwanta hospital is not known but from the records, that of the European Hospital was started in 2004 and work at the site was abandoned in 2005 due to lack of funds.
Many a resident in the twin-city are worried at what is happening and would have wished that the authorities had committed the funds for two casualty units to one and completed before moving on to the second project.
The casualty unit of the European hospital does not have an ambulance and ambulance bay, and there are countless problems at the delivery wards and theatres. Even though the expansion work at the casualty unit was important it would have done a lot of good if the money invested in the uncompleted project had been spent in solving the urgent needs of the hospital.
WESTERN REGION IRS POISED FOR MORE REVENUE (THRUSDAY, FEB 28, PAGE 25)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Western Region is poised to see a significant improvement in its revenue mobilisation efforts this year as economic activities in the region increase steadily.
With the increase in infrastructure in the hospitality industry, the discovery of oil, which is attracting many people to the area, the completion of the West African Gas Pipeline project, coupled with an increase in physical social infrastructure, officials of the regional IRS have predicted a significant improvement in their collection efforts.
The Western Regional Manager of the IRS, Mr Eben Osabutey, told the Daily Graphic that one of the challenges the service faced was mobility, saying that was because of the lack of vehicles to move across the region in the quest to bag every pesewa for the State.
He said that problem seemed to have been solved with the allocation of new vehicles which would be distributed to various collection points which hitherto had difficulties reaching taxpayers.
Mr Osabutey said the collection point exceeded its 2007 target by 15.3 per cent and added that all the collection points except one performed well.
“The Western Region exceeded its revenue target for the year ending December 2007. We collected a total revenue of GH¢280 million,” he said, adding that even though one of the collection points did not do well as a result of some logistical constraints, its performance was 13 per cent higher that the previous year’s.
Mr Osabutey said during the year under review, the self-employed sector recorded a downturn of three per cent, compared to the 29 per cent it recorded in 2006.
He said but for the unexpected energy crisis the country experienced, things would have been better.
“We are aware of the contributions we receive from our taxpayers as partners in national development and we will do our best to cover the greater part of the region,” he said.
Mr Osabutey said apart from the vehicles allocated to the districts, their offices had been renovated and equipped to create the congenial environment for enhanced service delivery.
He said the establishment of quality assurance and compliance units as additional regional units would complement the efforts of the district offices in the Western and Central regions.
THE Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Western Region is poised to see a significant improvement in its revenue mobilisation efforts this year as economic activities in the region increase steadily.
With the increase in infrastructure in the hospitality industry, the discovery of oil, which is attracting many people to the area, the completion of the West African Gas Pipeline project, coupled with an increase in physical social infrastructure, officials of the regional IRS have predicted a significant improvement in their collection efforts.
The Western Regional Manager of the IRS, Mr Eben Osabutey, told the Daily Graphic that one of the challenges the service faced was mobility, saying that was because of the lack of vehicles to move across the region in the quest to bag every pesewa for the State.
He said that problem seemed to have been solved with the allocation of new vehicles which would be distributed to various collection points which hitherto had difficulties reaching taxpayers.
Mr Osabutey said the collection point exceeded its 2007 target by 15.3 per cent and added that all the collection points except one performed well.
“The Western Region exceeded its revenue target for the year ending December 2007. We collected a total revenue of GH¢280 million,” he said, adding that even though one of the collection points did not do well as a result of some logistical constraints, its performance was 13 per cent higher that the previous year’s.
Mr Osabutey said during the year under review, the self-employed sector recorded a downturn of three per cent, compared to the 29 per cent it recorded in 2006.
He said but for the unexpected energy crisis the country experienced, things would have been better.
“We are aware of the contributions we receive from our taxpayers as partners in national development and we will do our best to cover the greater part of the region,” he said.
Mr Osabutey said apart from the vehicles allocated to the districts, their offices had been renovated and equipped to create the congenial environment for enhanced service delivery.
He said the establishment of quality assurance and compliance units as additional regional units would complement the efforts of the district offices in the Western and Central regions.
LANDLORDS DISPOSE OF HUMAN WASTE INTO DRAINS (THURSDAY, FEB., 28, 2008)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Some residents and people in the hospitality industry in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi are connecting their septic tanks to the drains nearer to their homes and their places of operation.
Their action has become a nuisance to their neighbours and other residents of the metropolis. The reason for this development, according to some residents, is that there are no access routes to their homes for septic trucks to evacuate the waste when their tanks are full and so they have no option but to channel the tanks into the open drains.
While some landlords justify their action because of the lack of access roads, others claim they are doing so to avoid the high cost involved in contracting waste management companies to collect the waste from their tanks.
Whether the excuses the landlords are giving are justified or not, these activities are seriously polluting the metropolis, as the perpetrators have completely ignored the health implications of their actions.
The city authorities are worried about these developments as the people involved seem to ignore the effect that their actions will have on the larger society.
The Public Relations Manager of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA), Mr John Laste, said the city authorities were not taking the issue lightly at all and that the assembly recently prosecuted some of the culprits. He said the health hazards associated with such acts had been disregarded.
“There must be a solution to every problem and it is wrong for anybody to say that because there is no access road to his or her premises, he or she must drain his or her human waste into the drains,” he said.
He said the waste tanker drivers who provided such services had hoses that could be joined to the premises of their customers to evacuate the waste and that it was strange and interesting that after realising the seriousness of their offence, the landlords came up with all sort of excuses.
“We have the support of some members of the public who are volunteering information on such activities to our environmental desk for action and I can assure you that in the heart of the capital, some hotels have been reported to us and we will soon descend on them seriously,” he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to all city dwellers to report such activities to the assembly for action.
“We are grateful to those who are taking the initiative to report to us. We at the assembly cannot be everywhere all the time and, therefore, we cherish the support we receive from members of the public. They are one of the sources where we derive our strength,” he said.
Some residents and people in the hospitality industry in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi are connecting their septic tanks to the drains nearer to their homes and their places of operation.
Their action has become a nuisance to their neighbours and other residents of the metropolis. The reason for this development, according to some residents, is that there are no access routes to their homes for septic trucks to evacuate the waste when their tanks are full and so they have no option but to channel the tanks into the open drains.
While some landlords justify their action because of the lack of access roads, others claim they are doing so to avoid the high cost involved in contracting waste management companies to collect the waste from their tanks.
Whether the excuses the landlords are giving are justified or not, these activities are seriously polluting the metropolis, as the perpetrators have completely ignored the health implications of their actions.
The city authorities are worried about these developments as the people involved seem to ignore the effect that their actions will have on the larger society.
The Public Relations Manager of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA), Mr John Laste, said the city authorities were not taking the issue lightly at all and that the assembly recently prosecuted some of the culprits. He said the health hazards associated with such acts had been disregarded.
“There must be a solution to every problem and it is wrong for anybody to say that because there is no access road to his or her premises, he or she must drain his or her human waste into the drains,” he said.
He said the waste tanker drivers who provided such services had hoses that could be joined to the premises of their customers to evacuate the waste and that it was strange and interesting that after realising the seriousness of their offence, the landlords came up with all sort of excuses.
“We have the support of some members of the public who are volunteering information on such activities to our environmental desk for action and I can assure you that in the heart of the capital, some hotels have been reported to us and we will soon descend on them seriously,” he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to all city dwellers to report such activities to the assembly for action.
“We are grateful to those who are taking the initiative to report to us. We at the assembly cannot be everywhere all the time and, therefore, we cherish the support we receive from members of the public. They are one of the sources where we derive our strength,” he said.
RAIL WORKERS ON STRIKE (PAGE 14)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
ABOUT 2,420 rail workers throughout the country are asking for a 150-per cent salary increase and better conditions of service as a condition for ending their more-than-one-week strike.
Their action is said to have had a serious effect on the company and its clients.
The company is said to have an outstanding debt running into millions of dollars.
A spokesperson of the workers said for many years, they had not seen any upward adjustment in their salaries, described as very scanty.
Consequently, he said they could not access any of the credit facilities made available by various financial institutions in the country, adding that the problem was beyond the reach of the current management and called for ministerial intervention.
The workers had described the strike as “hunger strike”.
When contacted, the Managing Director of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC), Mr Ruphus Quaye, said the management was doing everything possible to put the railway sector back on its feet.
He said when the management took over in November, last year, there was six-month salary arrears and at a meeting between the workers union and the management, the workers resolved to work hard to clear the outstanding salaries and also continue with other plans that would improve on the fortunes of the company.
“We have worked hard to clear four months’ salary arrears and it is left with two months. All of a sudden, they have rested their tools, which is not only going to affect revenue, but also slow the business activities of our clients, which include bauxite and manganese companies”.
The managing director said the staff strength of the company at the moment was 2,420 and that 75 per cent of the total revenue of the company went into servicing the salaries of workers, with little left for the running of the company.
“This means that we have to find a way of dealing with our main problem, which was settling of huge debts with the Social Security and National Insurance Scheme (SSNIT) and also to retrench workers,” he said.
“I must also stress that the company is also distressed; we have a lot of debts to settle. There are more workers than the activities of the company at the moment. We still have hope that there is so much revenue to generate but until we finish dealing with the problem, we cannot move on,” Mr Quaye said.
“We have had attention in recent times from investors and the government. Therefore, we must be seen to be doing what will send the right signals to investors instead of strikes,” the managing director said.
Mr Quaye pointed out that at the moment, the company was waiting for $45 million from the government, part of which would be used to service the debt and thereafter begin work on the rehabilitation of the lines.
The MD said there was the need for the workers to know that they no longer received government subvention and that they were now reaching out for full cost recovery, adding that there was the need for co-operation from all members of staff.
The General Secretary of the Rail Workers Union, Mr Samuel Kokovena, said it was true that since the management took over in November last year, they had managed to clear four out of the six-month salary arrears.
He also agreed that the size of the company’s staff was bigger than needed, which does not augur well for the development of the company.
He justified the 150-per cent upward salary adjustment being demanded by the workers, since for many years the workers had not seen any increase in salary.
“We will love to work, because bauxite, manganese and others are all there. We have a huge deposit of manganese in Nyinahin and Kyebi and the revamping of the sector would pay. With the establishment of the aluminium company here in the Western Region, which would depend so much on rail transport, there are prospects but our service conditions are poor,” he said.
ABOUT 2,420 rail workers throughout the country are asking for a 150-per cent salary increase and better conditions of service as a condition for ending their more-than-one-week strike.
Their action is said to have had a serious effect on the company and its clients.
The company is said to have an outstanding debt running into millions of dollars.
A spokesperson of the workers said for many years, they had not seen any upward adjustment in their salaries, described as very scanty.
Consequently, he said they could not access any of the credit facilities made available by various financial institutions in the country, adding that the problem was beyond the reach of the current management and called for ministerial intervention.
The workers had described the strike as “hunger strike”.
When contacted, the Managing Director of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC), Mr Ruphus Quaye, said the management was doing everything possible to put the railway sector back on its feet.
He said when the management took over in November, last year, there was six-month salary arrears and at a meeting between the workers union and the management, the workers resolved to work hard to clear the outstanding salaries and also continue with other plans that would improve on the fortunes of the company.
“We have worked hard to clear four months’ salary arrears and it is left with two months. All of a sudden, they have rested their tools, which is not only going to affect revenue, but also slow the business activities of our clients, which include bauxite and manganese companies”.
The managing director said the staff strength of the company at the moment was 2,420 and that 75 per cent of the total revenue of the company went into servicing the salaries of workers, with little left for the running of the company.
“This means that we have to find a way of dealing with our main problem, which was settling of huge debts with the Social Security and National Insurance Scheme (SSNIT) and also to retrench workers,” he said.
“I must also stress that the company is also distressed; we have a lot of debts to settle. There are more workers than the activities of the company at the moment. We still have hope that there is so much revenue to generate but until we finish dealing with the problem, we cannot move on,” Mr Quaye said.
“We have had attention in recent times from investors and the government. Therefore, we must be seen to be doing what will send the right signals to investors instead of strikes,” the managing director said.
Mr Quaye pointed out that at the moment, the company was waiting for $45 million from the government, part of which would be used to service the debt and thereafter begin work on the rehabilitation of the lines.
The MD said there was the need for the workers to know that they no longer received government subvention and that they were now reaching out for full cost recovery, adding that there was the need for co-operation from all members of staff.
The General Secretary of the Rail Workers Union, Mr Samuel Kokovena, said it was true that since the management took over in November last year, they had managed to clear four out of the six-month salary arrears.
He also agreed that the size of the company’s staff was bigger than needed, which does not augur well for the development of the company.
He justified the 150-per cent upward salary adjustment being demanded by the workers, since for many years the workers had not seen any increase in salary.
“We will love to work, because bauxite, manganese and others are all there. We have a huge deposit of manganese in Nyinahin and Kyebi and the revamping of the sector would pay. With the establishment of the aluminium company here in the Western Region, which would depend so much on rail transport, there are prospects but our service conditions are poor,” he said.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
WATER PROBLEM AT NKROFUL AGRIC SHS SOLVED (PAGE 20)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Nkroful
TWO mining companies have provided a mechanised borehole and three jumbo water tanks worth GH¢30,000 to the Nkroful
Agricultural Senior High School in the Nzema East District of the Western Region.
The companies, Adamus Resources and African Mining Service, provided the facility in response to an appeal made by the headmaster of the school.
The Community Relations Officer of Adamus Resources, Mr Francis Baah, who made the presentation, said the two companies would not neglect the needs of the communities, where they operated, only if the requests were within their power.
“We deem the provision of the facilities is a part of our corporate social responsibility to the community, and we can assure you that we will do more only if the request is within our power.”
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.B. Asmah, said the needs of the school were enormous, and therefore, appealed for urgent assistance to make life bearable for students and their tutors.
He described the positive and timely response by the two companies as a great relief, saying “before then, the students had to search for water at a time they were expected to be learning.”
He said due to a lack of a reliable water system, the school could not use the modern aqua privy toilets, but instead resorted to using pit latrines in the bush, which were not healthy for both students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
The headmaster mentioned other problems facing the school as a lack of accommodation and inadequate dormitories for the girls.
He said as a result of the lack of accommodation, teachers posted to the school did not stay for long.
Mr Asmah seized the opportunity to appeal to other corporate institutions and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to come to the aid of the school.
TWO mining companies have provided a mechanised borehole and three jumbo water tanks worth GH¢30,000 to the Nkroful
Agricultural Senior High School in the Nzema East District of the Western Region.
The companies, Adamus Resources and African Mining Service, provided the facility in response to an appeal made by the headmaster of the school.
The Community Relations Officer of Adamus Resources, Mr Francis Baah, who made the presentation, said the two companies would not neglect the needs of the communities, where they operated, only if the requests were within their power.
“We deem the provision of the facilities is a part of our corporate social responsibility to the community, and we can assure you that we will do more only if the request is within our power.”
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.B. Asmah, said the needs of the school were enormous, and therefore, appealed for urgent assistance to make life bearable for students and their tutors.
He described the positive and timely response by the two companies as a great relief, saying “before then, the students had to search for water at a time they were expected to be learning.”
He said due to a lack of a reliable water system, the school could not use the modern aqua privy toilets, but instead resorted to using pit latrines in the bush, which were not healthy for both students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
The headmaster mentioned other problems facing the school as a lack of accommodation and inadequate dormitories for the girls.
He said as a result of the lack of accommodation, teachers posted to the school did not stay for long.
Mr Asmah seized the opportunity to appeal to other corporate institutions and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to come to the aid of the school.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
TEACHER BITES SON (MIRROR, LEAD STORY)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbotu, Sekondi
A Teacher, who has adopted biting as a way of punishing his five-year-old son for his poor academic performance, is in the grip of the law after biting the boy severally, resulting in scores of cuts on his wrists and shoulders.
The boy was spotted by some food vendors, who saw him writhing at school and asked him how he came by such numerous “teeth wounds” on both hands.
The boy told them that it was his father who bit him like that, because the father claimed he was not academically good; the boy went ahead to show them the fresh wounds on his shoulders as well.
The vendors, who were also mothers, reported the conduct of the said teacher to the school authorities.
The victim, (name withheld), a pupil of Judea Preparatory School in Takoradi, told the police that his father, Charles Prah, claimed he was not intelligent, and, therefore, made rules that would compel him to be academically smart.
The pains, according to the boy, were so excruciating that he had to cry for a long time.
The boy said one of the rules was that whenever his father was teaching him, or engaging him in any academic exercise, and he did not get the answers right, he had to receive a painful bite from him.
He described the bite as too painful as the father would continue biting him until blood flowed.
The story of the little boy was supported by the many scars on his wrists and the two fresh wounds on his shoulders which were sufficient evidence the father could not dispute.
The man, who is a divorcee and teacher at Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), confirmed the son’s story, and said he did it to enable his son buck up, adding that for sometime now, the bites had been an agreed punishment between him and his son.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Unit Commander of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, ASP Cecilia Arko, said the authorities of the boy’s school brought him to the unit to lodge a complaint.
She said the unit had taken custody of the boy and prepared him for medical attention at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, and would later be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.
She, however, expressed concern over the behaviour of the father, and added that the poor academic performance of a five-year-old boy did not warrant such treatment.
The unit commander said the man, after confessing, said he was a single parent living with the boy at Tadisco-Down in Takoradi.
She said the man was currently in police custody, pending further investigations.
A Teacher, who has adopted biting as a way of punishing his five-year-old son for his poor academic performance, is in the grip of the law after biting the boy severally, resulting in scores of cuts on his wrists and shoulders.
The boy was spotted by some food vendors, who saw him writhing at school and asked him how he came by such numerous “teeth wounds” on both hands.
The boy told them that it was his father who bit him like that, because the father claimed he was not academically good; the boy went ahead to show them the fresh wounds on his shoulders as well.
The vendors, who were also mothers, reported the conduct of the said teacher to the school authorities.
The victim, (name withheld), a pupil of Judea Preparatory School in Takoradi, told the police that his father, Charles Prah, claimed he was not intelligent, and, therefore, made rules that would compel him to be academically smart.
The pains, according to the boy, were so excruciating that he had to cry for a long time.
The boy said one of the rules was that whenever his father was teaching him, or engaging him in any academic exercise, and he did not get the answers right, he had to receive a painful bite from him.
He described the bite as too painful as the father would continue biting him until blood flowed.
The story of the little boy was supported by the many scars on his wrists and the two fresh wounds on his shoulders which were sufficient evidence the father could not dispute.
The man, who is a divorcee and teacher at Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), confirmed the son’s story, and said he did it to enable his son buck up, adding that for sometime now, the bites had been an agreed punishment between him and his son.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Unit Commander of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, ASP Cecilia Arko, said the authorities of the boy’s school brought him to the unit to lodge a complaint.
She said the unit had taken custody of the boy and prepared him for medical attention at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, and would later be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.
She, however, expressed concern over the behaviour of the father, and added that the poor academic performance of a five-year-old boy did not warrant such treatment.
The unit commander said the man, after confessing, said he was a single parent living with the boy at Tadisco-Down in Takoradi.
She said the man was currently in police custody, pending further investigations.
Monday, February 18, 2008
NGO SUPPORTS PRESTEA GOVT HOSPITAL ...(PAGE 29)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Mankesim-Prestea
AN Italy-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Prestea Voluntary Organisation (PVO), has presented hospital equipment worth 39,000 euros to the Prestea Government Hospital.
The items included 40 adjustable beds, 100 bed sheets, 100 blankets, 70 mattresses, thermometers, drip-stands, wheelchairs, pillows and detergents.
Presenting the items, the President of PVO, Mr Joseph King Nffah, said Prestea citizens were moved by the lack of the facilities at the hospital to make the donation to enhance quality healthcare delivery there.
Before the presentation, facilities at the hospital which served more than 38 communities, were woefully inadequate.
“We cannot offer money to the people of Prestea and its environs, since we will not be able to reach out to everybody in the community. By improving upon facilities at the hospital and other parts of the community, we hope to bring some form of relief to the hospital, which will benefit a larger number of our people,” Mr Nffah said.
He stated that the Prestea community in Italy had many plans to assist the community but added that it could only provide one help after another.
“We have many things to present to the hospital, including an ambulance to help transport patients who are referred to major hospitals but cannot afford the transport charges,” Mr Nffah said.
Receiving the items, the Matron of the hospital, Mrs Herberta Nyame, thanked the organisation for its support and gave the assurance that the management would put the items to good use for the benefit of the people.
AN Italy-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Prestea Voluntary Organisation (PVO), has presented hospital equipment worth 39,000 euros to the Prestea Government Hospital.
The items included 40 adjustable beds, 100 bed sheets, 100 blankets, 70 mattresses, thermometers, drip-stands, wheelchairs, pillows and detergents.
Presenting the items, the President of PVO, Mr Joseph King Nffah, said Prestea citizens were moved by the lack of the facilities at the hospital to make the donation to enhance quality healthcare delivery there.
Before the presentation, facilities at the hospital which served more than 38 communities, were woefully inadequate.
“We cannot offer money to the people of Prestea and its environs, since we will not be able to reach out to everybody in the community. By improving upon facilities at the hospital and other parts of the community, we hope to bring some form of relief to the hospital, which will benefit a larger number of our people,” Mr Nffah said.
He stated that the Prestea community in Italy had many plans to assist the community but added that it could only provide one help after another.
“We have many things to present to the hospital, including an ambulance to help transport patients who are referred to major hospitals but cannot afford the transport charges,” Mr Nffah said.
Receiving the items, the Matron of the hospital, Mrs Herberta Nyame, thanked the organisation for its support and gave the assurance that the management would put the items to good use for the benefit of the people.
Friday, February 15, 2008
PRESTEA DOCTOR RE-ASSIGNED (Page 14)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Prestea
THE people of Prestea and 38 communities in the Wassa West District of the Western Region have had to live without a doctor for some time as the doctor who was at the Prestea Hospital has been re-assigned to the Bibiani Government Hospital.
A source at the Western Regional Health Service indicated that there was no doctor to be assigned immediately to take up the post of the transferred doctor.
“I must be honest with you that getting doctors to work in areas like that is a difficult task. Last year only two doctors were posted to the region,” it said.
When contacted, the Western Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Sylvester Anamana, said the GHS was doing everything possible to find another doctor for the Prestea Hospital.
He described the problem that led to the ejection of the doctor from his bungalow and the problems the communities had to go through as unfortunate.
“Whatever the situation, we have to find a doctor for the facility. It will not be easy but we are doing everything possible, as other health facilities are also crying for doctors,” he said.
He said at the moment the district director of health would continue to visit Prestea as the GHS struggled to find a solution to the problem.
The Daily Graphic managed to locate the embattled doctor who said he was not going back to his post at Prestea and that he had been re-assigned.
He explained that when he assumed duty at Prestea, he was given a bungalow near the hospital. But there was so much dust and noise and so he complained to the health service directorate that his residence was not habitable, leading to his being allocated the place from where he was evicted.
THE people of Prestea and 38 communities in the Wassa West District of the Western Region have had to live without a doctor for some time as the doctor who was at the Prestea Hospital has been re-assigned to the Bibiani Government Hospital.
A source at the Western Regional Health Service indicated that there was no doctor to be assigned immediately to take up the post of the transferred doctor.
“I must be honest with you that getting doctors to work in areas like that is a difficult task. Last year only two doctors were posted to the region,” it said.
When contacted, the Western Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Sylvester Anamana, said the GHS was doing everything possible to find another doctor for the Prestea Hospital.
He described the problem that led to the ejection of the doctor from his bungalow and the problems the communities had to go through as unfortunate.
“Whatever the situation, we have to find a doctor for the facility. It will not be easy but we are doing everything possible, as other health facilities are also crying for doctors,” he said.
He said at the moment the district director of health would continue to visit Prestea as the GHS struggled to find a solution to the problem.
The Daily Graphic managed to locate the embattled doctor who said he was not going back to his post at Prestea and that he had been re-assigned.
He explained that when he assumed duty at Prestea, he was given a bungalow near the hospital. But there was so much dust and noise and so he complained to the health service directorate that his residence was not habitable, leading to his being allocated the place from where he was evicted.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF THE ARMED FORCES (PAGE 25)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
There were high hopes that the Ghana 2008 tournament would not only help change the looks of the Essipun community, but also its status from a village to a mini-city.
To some extent, members of the community succeeded in giving the community a facelift but economic benefits they had hoped for were all dashed as the supposed 60,000 visitors the venue organising committee said would come to the twin-city failed to show up.
Even the little who came were quickly transported to Takoradi. Organised supporters who came in to support their national teams left the community after every match as the people of the host community watched in amazement. The visitors did not even stop to ask for the prices of the wares members of the community had in stock.
To the residents they might lose economically, but at least the tournament had added economic value to the town and positioned it firmly on international sporting maps.
But after the match the people of the host community could just boast of the fact that they witnessed the game in their life time and have also seen the upgrading of facilities such as streetlights. The name of the community has been mentioned internationally.
The economic benefits that came with hosting matches were all taken over by smart traditional cooks from Nigeria , Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.
People in the twin-city went to every length to obtain loans to secure spaces near the stadium to sell local meals and wares, thinking that they would be patronised but the story was different after the commencement of the tournament.
To them they would not even describe the situation as low patronage but rather “no show”.
The 26th Africa Cup of Nations, (Ghana 2008), is over and the people are yet to come to terms with the losses they made.
To them, their ultimate dream was not to make profit, but they recorded great losses that made them regret ever thinking of taking the loans.
It all started on the first day after the match between the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and Nigerians Super Eagles. Just after the match supporters of both teams boarded buses back to Takoradi.
The vendors said they became alarmed and thought the situation would change, but it continued till the end of the tournament.
The sad aspect of the situation was that the host community did not have hotels or guest houses that could attract the supporters to stay there. The only thing that kept the community alive was the police camp and the busy road through the community to Sekondi-Takoradi.
Therefore, night life in the community was dull as if there was nothing going on.
“We might have lost the economic benefits but here all is not lost and we have so much to live for,” one elder said.
There were high hopes that the Ghana 2008 tournament would not only help change the looks of the Essipun community, but also its status from a village to a mini-city.
To some extent, members of the community succeeded in giving the community a facelift but economic benefits they had hoped for were all dashed as the supposed 60,000 visitors the venue organising committee said would come to the twin-city failed to show up.
Even the little who came were quickly transported to Takoradi. Organised supporters who came in to support their national teams left the community after every match as the people of the host community watched in amazement. The visitors did not even stop to ask for the prices of the wares members of the community had in stock.
To the residents they might lose economically, but at least the tournament had added economic value to the town and positioned it firmly on international sporting maps.
But after the match the people of the host community could just boast of the fact that they witnessed the game in their life time and have also seen the upgrading of facilities such as streetlights. The name of the community has been mentioned internationally.
The economic benefits that came with hosting matches were all taken over by smart traditional cooks from Nigeria , Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.
People in the twin-city went to every length to obtain loans to secure spaces near the stadium to sell local meals and wares, thinking that they would be patronised but the story was different after the commencement of the tournament.
To them they would not even describe the situation as low patronage but rather “no show”.
The 26th Africa Cup of Nations, (Ghana 2008), is over and the people are yet to come to terms with the losses they made.
To them, their ultimate dream was not to make profit, but they recorded great losses that made them regret ever thinking of taking the loans.
It all started on the first day after the match between the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and Nigerians Super Eagles. Just after the match supporters of both teams boarded buses back to Takoradi.
The vendors said they became alarmed and thought the situation would change, but it continued till the end of the tournament.
The sad aspect of the situation was that the host community did not have hotels or guest houses that could attract the supporters to stay there. The only thing that kept the community alive was the police camp and the busy road through the community to Sekondi-Takoradi.
Therefore, night life in the community was dull as if there was nothing going on.
“We might have lost the economic benefits but here all is not lost and we have so much to live for,” one elder said.
ESSIPUN'S FINANCIAL HOPES DASHED (Page 25)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Essipun
There were high hopes that the Ghana 2008 tournament would not only help change the looks of the Essipun community, but also its status from a village to a mini-city.
To some extent, members of the community succeeded in giving the community a facelift but economic benefits they had hoped for were all dashed as the supposed 60,000 visitors the venue organising committee said would come to the twin-city failed to show up.
Even the little who came were quickly transported to Takoradi. Organised supporters who came in to support their national teams left the community after every match as the people of the host community watched in amazement. The visitors did not even stop to ask for the prices of the wares members of the community had in stock.
To the residents they might lose economically, but at least the tournament had added economic value to the town and positioned it firmly on international sporting maps.
But after the match the people of the host community could just boast of the fact that they witnessed the game in their life time and have also seen the upgrading of facilities such as streetlights. The name of the community has been mentioned internationally.
The economic benefits that came with hosting matches were all taken over by smart traditional cooks from Nigeria , Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.
People in the twin-city went to every length to obtain loans to secure spaces near the stadium to sell local meals and wares, thinking that they would be patronised but the story was different after the commencement of the tournament.
To them they would not even describe the situation as low patronage but rather “no show”.
The 26th Africa Cup of Nations, (Ghana 2008), is over and the people are yet to come to terms with the losses they made.
To them, their ultimate dream was not to make profit, but they recorded great losses that made them regret ever thinking of taking the loans.
It all started on the first day after the match between the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and Nigerians Super Eagles. Just after the match supporters of both teams boarded buses back to Takoradi.
The vendors said they became alarmed and thought the situation would change, but it continued till the end of the tournament.
The sad aspect of the situation was that the host community did not have hotels or guest houses that could attract the supporters to stay there. The only thing that kept the community alive was the police camp and the busy road through the community to Sekondi-Takoradi.
Therefore, night life in the community was dull as if there was nothing going on.
“We might have lost the economic benefits but here all is not lost and we have so much to live for,” one elder said.
There were high hopes that the Ghana 2008 tournament would not only help change the looks of the Essipun community, but also its status from a village to a mini-city.
To some extent, members of the community succeeded in giving the community a facelift but economic benefits they had hoped for were all dashed as the supposed 60,000 visitors the venue organising committee said would come to the twin-city failed to show up.
Even the little who came were quickly transported to Takoradi. Organised supporters who came in to support their national teams left the community after every match as the people of the host community watched in amazement. The visitors did not even stop to ask for the prices of the wares members of the community had in stock.
To the residents they might lose economically, but at least the tournament had added economic value to the town and positioned it firmly on international sporting maps.
But after the match the people of the host community could just boast of the fact that they witnessed the game in their life time and have also seen the upgrading of facilities such as streetlights. The name of the community has been mentioned internationally.
The economic benefits that came with hosting matches were all taken over by smart traditional cooks from Nigeria , Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.
People in the twin-city went to every length to obtain loans to secure spaces near the stadium to sell local meals and wares, thinking that they would be patronised but the story was different after the commencement of the tournament.
To them they would not even describe the situation as low patronage but rather “no show”.
The 26th Africa Cup of Nations, (Ghana 2008), is over and the people are yet to come to terms with the losses they made.
To them, their ultimate dream was not to make profit, but they recorded great losses that made them regret ever thinking of taking the loans.
It all started on the first day after the match between the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and Nigerians Super Eagles. Just after the match supporters of both teams boarded buses back to Takoradi.
The vendors said they became alarmed and thought the situation would change, but it continued till the end of the tournament.
The sad aspect of the situation was that the host community did not have hotels or guest houses that could attract the supporters to stay there. The only thing that kept the community alive was the police camp and the busy road through the community to Sekondi-Takoradi.
Therefore, night life in the community was dull as if there was nothing going on.
“We might have lost the economic benefits but here all is not lost and we have so much to live for,” one elder said.
KWEIKUMA ESTATE RESIDENTS CRY FOR STREETLIGHTS (Page 25)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Kweikuma
Residents of the Kweikuma Estate are appealing to the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly to see to the maintenance of the streetlights in their community.
The streetlights from the High Court Junction to the court premises and to the community are all not functioning.
The only illumination in the community at night results from the flashes of light from various homes and this makes it dangerous to move about at night. There have been some reported cases of the presence of thieves, who operate under the cover of darkness in the vicinity. The streetlights are hanging on electricity poles on the shoulders of the streets at the estate, but the bulbs are either non-functional or the system is not working.
The area that looks more dangerous is the bypass from the Sekondi-Takoradi road towards the Sekondi High Court to the estate.
This area is very bushy, dark and isolated because there are no houses at the sharp curve.
The junction to the estate is bushy and very dark in the evenings.
According to the residents, initially they contributed to make the streetlights functional but the proceeds from the contribution were allegedly misappropriated, thus discouraging them from achieving that objective.
That aside, the community members said any time SAEMA provided the lights, some unidentified people either broke the bulbs or stole them and then plunged the area into darkness so that they could operate in the dark.
They said their attempt to contribute towards the provision of the streetlights in the estate was informed by the attacks on people at the bushy entrance to the community.
“We will be happy if the Assembly installs some streetlights at the junction to the high court from where one branches to the estates.
It would interest you to know that you cannot send your child out even at 7 p.m. because the place is so dark,” they said.
When contacted, the Public Relations Manager of Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly, Mr John Laste, said he would not doubt the existence of lamp holders without power running through them.
He said work had started on the rehabilitation of the streetlights in the central business area and work would be completed before moving to the various communities.
“We at the assembly have taken the trouble to move in the night to see the situation for ourselves and we would have wished to tackle the problem immediately but because it involves huge capital outlay we have to tackle one project at a time,” he said.
He said apart from the complaint from the Kweikuma Estate residents, some parts of the metropolis were also experiencing similar problems and “it is our hope that with time we will cover all areas”.
Residents of the Kweikuma Estate are appealing to the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly to see to the maintenance of the streetlights in their community.
The streetlights from the High Court Junction to the court premises and to the community are all not functioning.
The only illumination in the community at night results from the flashes of light from various homes and this makes it dangerous to move about at night. There have been some reported cases of the presence of thieves, who operate under the cover of darkness in the vicinity. The streetlights are hanging on electricity poles on the shoulders of the streets at the estate, but the bulbs are either non-functional or the system is not working.
The area that looks more dangerous is the bypass from the Sekondi-Takoradi road towards the Sekondi High Court to the estate.
This area is very bushy, dark and isolated because there are no houses at the sharp curve.
The junction to the estate is bushy and very dark in the evenings.
According to the residents, initially they contributed to make the streetlights functional but the proceeds from the contribution were allegedly misappropriated, thus discouraging them from achieving that objective.
That aside, the community members said any time SAEMA provided the lights, some unidentified people either broke the bulbs or stole them and then plunged the area into darkness so that they could operate in the dark.
They said their attempt to contribute towards the provision of the streetlights in the estate was informed by the attacks on people at the bushy entrance to the community.
“We will be happy if the Assembly installs some streetlights at the junction to the high court from where one branches to the estates.
It would interest you to know that you cannot send your child out even at 7 p.m. because the place is so dark,” they said.
When contacted, the Public Relations Manager of Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly, Mr John Laste, said he would not doubt the existence of lamp holders without power running through them.
He said work had started on the rehabilitation of the streetlights in the central business area and work would be completed before moving to the various communities.
“We at the assembly have taken the trouble to move in the night to see the situation for ourselves and we would have wished to tackle the problem immediately but because it involves huge capital outlay we have to tackle one project at a time,” he said.
He said apart from the complaint from the Kweikuma Estate residents, some parts of the metropolis were also experiencing similar problems and “it is our hope that with time we will cover all areas”.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
TWIN-CITY HOTELIERS, TRADERS COUNT COST (Page 30)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Traders and some hotel operators in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi began counting their losses a day after the Sekondi Sports Stadium ceased to be one of the venues for the competition as the tournament headed for the semi-finals.
The venue witnessed its last game when the Ivorian national team, the Elephants, walloped their Guinean counterparts 5-0.
A cross-section of traders who spoke to the Daily Graphic were bemonaing the heavy losses they incurred during the period and wondered how they would be able to offset them.
Some of them said they had to borrow at very high rates of interest to sustain and expand their business during the period.
Most of the traders and hoteliers anticipated a windfall in the sale of Ghanaian and continental dishes to the large Ivorian and Nigerian fans that followed their teams to the competition as well as from lodging facilities.
However, it turned out that most of the patrons of the tournament were not familiar with the foods that were sold by Ghanaian food vendors. Besides, most of the supporters also lodged in classrooms throughout the period or made return trips to and from the country when their teams were playing.
The hardest hit were those who went to the extent of acquiring parcels of land at very high cost to mount structures to attract customers. They claimed they failed to break even.
Also, some hotels had constructed large car parks and employed security guards 24 hours but no vehicle parked there during the period.
The foreign fans also complained of high hotel bills, which they described as prohibitive.
The buses which transported the fans from Cote d’Ivoire to Sekondi to support the Elephants during their matches were ready to take the supporters back to the newly created Ivorian Village near the Takoradi Polytechnic after the matches, where different varieties of Ivorian cuisine were sold by Ivorian food vendors, leaving their Ghanaian counterparts to compete for the few Ghanaian fans who patronised their food.
Some Nigerian and Ivorian supporters came with their own cooks and after every game they had buses to carry them to the villages they created around the stadium and in Takoradi.
It was also learnt that the Beninois nationals who followed their teams to the metropolis established their village near the St John’s School in Sekondi, where their cooks prepared various Beninios dishes for them.
The patrons of the villages located near the stadium, the Polytechnic Park, Bompe Senior High School Park and the St John’s School in Sekondi said things were too expensive in the metropolis.
Auntie Maggie, a food vendor, who had acquired a space at the Ivorian village to sell, said “from today, I am thinking about how to repay the loan I took in the hope that I would make some money to repay.”
However, their Ivorian counterparts were happy because, to them, they knew what their Ghanaian counterparts were selling would not appeal to their target groups.
Madam Ahawa Konne said Ivorians were different and they would not eat anything when they had access to their traditional food.
Traders and some hotel operators in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi began counting their losses a day after the Sekondi Sports Stadium ceased to be one of the venues for the competition as the tournament headed for the semi-finals.
The venue witnessed its last game when the Ivorian national team, the Elephants, walloped their Guinean counterparts 5-0.
A cross-section of traders who spoke to the Daily Graphic were bemonaing the heavy losses they incurred during the period and wondered how they would be able to offset them.
Some of them said they had to borrow at very high rates of interest to sustain and expand their business during the period.
Most of the traders and hoteliers anticipated a windfall in the sale of Ghanaian and continental dishes to the large Ivorian and Nigerian fans that followed their teams to the competition as well as from lodging facilities.
However, it turned out that most of the patrons of the tournament were not familiar with the foods that were sold by Ghanaian food vendors. Besides, most of the supporters also lodged in classrooms throughout the period or made return trips to and from the country when their teams were playing.
The hardest hit were those who went to the extent of acquiring parcels of land at very high cost to mount structures to attract customers. They claimed they failed to break even.
Also, some hotels had constructed large car parks and employed security guards 24 hours but no vehicle parked there during the period.
The foreign fans also complained of high hotel bills, which they described as prohibitive.
The buses which transported the fans from Cote d’Ivoire to Sekondi to support the Elephants during their matches were ready to take the supporters back to the newly created Ivorian Village near the Takoradi Polytechnic after the matches, where different varieties of Ivorian cuisine were sold by Ivorian food vendors, leaving their Ghanaian counterparts to compete for the few Ghanaian fans who patronised their food.
Some Nigerian and Ivorian supporters came with their own cooks and after every game they had buses to carry them to the villages they created around the stadium and in Takoradi.
It was also learnt that the Beninois nationals who followed their teams to the metropolis established their village near the St John’s School in Sekondi, where their cooks prepared various Beninios dishes for them.
The patrons of the villages located near the stadium, the Polytechnic Park, Bompe Senior High School Park and the St John’s School in Sekondi said things were too expensive in the metropolis.
Auntie Maggie, a food vendor, who had acquired a space at the Ivorian village to sell, said “from today, I am thinking about how to repay the loan I took in the hope that I would make some money to repay.”
However, their Ivorian counterparts were happy because, to them, they knew what their Ghanaian counterparts were selling would not appeal to their target groups.
Madam Ahawa Konne said Ivorians were different and they would not eat anything when they had access to their traditional food.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
CRISIS AT WASSA ...Over resident doctor's ejection from bungalow (1a)
Story" Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Prestea
THE ejection of the resident doctor of the Prestea Hospital from his bungalow has created a serious crisis for health delivery in the Wassa West District of the Western Region.
Since the ejection of the doctor which is said to be the property of the defunct State Gold Mining Corporation (SGMC), last December, six pregnant women are said to have died from complications on their way to hospitals in Tarkwa where they had been referred as a result of the absence of a doctor at Prestea.
Hospital officials on duty confirmed the referrals to other hospitals in Tarkwa but added that although they had heard that some pregnant women had died on their way to Tarkwa, they could not confirm that because the deaths did not occur at the hospital.
A spokesman for the Prestea Hospital said, “We did well to refer them to where they could be safe and since they did not die at this hospital, we do not have any records of them. Besides, in the absence of a doctor, there is no one here who can sign a death certificate.”
The source explained that most of the pregnant women who went to the hospital reported with very critical cases and, therefore, they had to transferred elsewhere.
He said the death toll could be more because people in the villages and communities far from the town were not aware of the problem at the hospital and made long journeys to the hospital with serious cases, only to be told that the doctor was no longer at post.
The doctor was evicted by officials who said they had an order from a court in 2005 to evict occupants of about 102 houses belonging to the defunct corporation.
Some residents of the town who took reporters around the hospital called for something urgent to be done about accommodation for a resident doctor.
They said the sense of duty of the evicted doctor was commendable and pleaded with SGMC officials to suspend the enforcement of the court order which was issued in 2005.
An opinion leader in the town said it would be difficult to get another doctor anytime soon, asking, “I am aware that even the regional and other district hospitals and health posts are also crying for a substantive doctor. Therefore, if we had one and we allowed him to go in that painful manner, which doctor would like to come here again?”
“If the SGMC is state owned and the doctor is also working in this deprived community for a government institution, why should he be ejected when he is working for the same Ghana?” he asked.
Tarkwa is about 37 kilometres from Prestea and the death of the women, some of whom had travelled from surrounding villages, was attributed to their inability to arrive early in Tarkwa, which is linked to Prestea by one of the poorest road networks in the country.
The transferred women were described as first-time expectant mothers who had developed some complications.
Hospital workers at Prestea have predicted more fatalities, since the hospital, the only facility which serves the 38 communities, is still without a doctor.
When reporters visited the house from which the doctor was evicted, there were some people there, while some of the buildings were also empty.
The out-patients department of the hospital is in the open, the records and other offices are housed in a kiosk and when it rains patients have to walk through it to see the doctor.
With the absence of a doctor, the matron and ward master are the two key persons maintaining the place, with the district medical director visiting them once a week.
THE ejection of the resident doctor of the Prestea Hospital from his bungalow has created a serious crisis for health delivery in the Wassa West District of the Western Region.
Since the ejection of the doctor which is said to be the property of the defunct State Gold Mining Corporation (SGMC), last December, six pregnant women are said to have died from complications on their way to hospitals in Tarkwa where they had been referred as a result of the absence of a doctor at Prestea.
Hospital officials on duty confirmed the referrals to other hospitals in Tarkwa but added that although they had heard that some pregnant women had died on their way to Tarkwa, they could not confirm that because the deaths did not occur at the hospital.
A spokesman for the Prestea Hospital said, “We did well to refer them to where they could be safe and since they did not die at this hospital, we do not have any records of them. Besides, in the absence of a doctor, there is no one here who can sign a death certificate.”
The source explained that most of the pregnant women who went to the hospital reported with very critical cases and, therefore, they had to transferred elsewhere.
He said the death toll could be more because people in the villages and communities far from the town were not aware of the problem at the hospital and made long journeys to the hospital with serious cases, only to be told that the doctor was no longer at post.
The doctor was evicted by officials who said they had an order from a court in 2005 to evict occupants of about 102 houses belonging to the defunct corporation.
Some residents of the town who took reporters around the hospital called for something urgent to be done about accommodation for a resident doctor.
They said the sense of duty of the evicted doctor was commendable and pleaded with SGMC officials to suspend the enforcement of the court order which was issued in 2005.
An opinion leader in the town said it would be difficult to get another doctor anytime soon, asking, “I am aware that even the regional and other district hospitals and health posts are also crying for a substantive doctor. Therefore, if we had one and we allowed him to go in that painful manner, which doctor would like to come here again?”
“If the SGMC is state owned and the doctor is also working in this deprived community for a government institution, why should he be ejected when he is working for the same Ghana?” he asked.
Tarkwa is about 37 kilometres from Prestea and the death of the women, some of whom had travelled from surrounding villages, was attributed to their inability to arrive early in Tarkwa, which is linked to Prestea by one of the poorest road networks in the country.
The transferred women were described as first-time expectant mothers who had developed some complications.
Hospital workers at Prestea have predicted more fatalities, since the hospital, the only facility which serves the 38 communities, is still without a doctor.
When reporters visited the house from which the doctor was evicted, there were some people there, while some of the buildings were also empty.
The out-patients department of the hospital is in the open, the records and other offices are housed in a kiosk and when it rains patients have to walk through it to see the doctor.
With the absence of a doctor, the matron and ward master are the two key persons maintaining the place, with the district medical director visiting them once a week.
Monday, February 11, 2008
A 65-YEAR-OLD MAN WANTED FOR FRAUD (Page 39)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
The Western Regional Police Command has declared a 65-year-old man wanted for allegedly defrauding a British of £10,000.
The suspect, John K. Arthur, is also believed to have defrauded other Ghanaian nationals of unspecified amounts.
He is alleged to have set up a well-furnished office in Takoradi where he lured his unsuspecting victims to part with various sums of money on the pretext of recruiting young people to help them stowaway.
He is also said to have lured the British, Captain George Fredrick, who is a captain of a Merchant Ship and a Surveyor exploring for crude oil at Saltpond in the Central Region, to part with the money on the pretext of entering into a business partnership.
According to a source at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police, Captain Fredrick met Arthur who claimed to be a businessman and asked that the two of them form a business partnership.
The source said Arthur made several business proposals to Captain Fredrick, including the export of salt to Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Arthur, according to the source, claimed that they could make up to about £1,500 on each trip.
That aside, the police said Arthur also took his victim to his office and later visited some salt ponds which convinced Captain Frederick that the business was a good one.
It said Arthur offered Captain Frederick the position of a director in the company, Link-Up Shipping Agency Ltd.
The police said Arthur had indicated to Captain Fredrick that they would be venturing into cocoa export as well, adding that it was based on this that Captain Fredrick started sending money to Arthur to finance the business after he (Fredrick) had returned to London.
Arthur, the police said, sent reports to Captain Fredrick indicating that the business was doing well and requested for more money to enable him to export more salt to Burkina Faso due to the high demand from that country.
It said Captain Fredrick became convinced by the proposals and secured a loan of £5,276 to support the exports.
According to the police, after transferring the money, Captain Fredrick never heard from Arthur again as efforts to contact him on phone and e-mail proved futile.
It said Captain Fredrick came to Takoradi to look for his business partner but could not locate him at the office and subsequently reported the matter to the police.
The police said a number of people had also reported that Arthur had collected money from them to assist them stowaway.
The police therefore appealed to any member of the public with information on Arthur’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.
The Western Regional Police Command has declared a 65-year-old man wanted for allegedly defrauding a British of £10,000.
The suspect, John K. Arthur, is also believed to have defrauded other Ghanaian nationals of unspecified amounts.
He is alleged to have set up a well-furnished office in Takoradi where he lured his unsuspecting victims to part with various sums of money on the pretext of recruiting young people to help them stowaway.
He is also said to have lured the British, Captain George Fredrick, who is a captain of a Merchant Ship and a Surveyor exploring for crude oil at Saltpond in the Central Region, to part with the money on the pretext of entering into a business partnership.
According to a source at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Western Regional Police, Captain Fredrick met Arthur who claimed to be a businessman and asked that the two of them form a business partnership.
The source said Arthur made several business proposals to Captain Fredrick, including the export of salt to Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Arthur, according to the source, claimed that they could make up to about £1,500 on each trip.
That aside, the police said Arthur also took his victim to his office and later visited some salt ponds which convinced Captain Frederick that the business was a good one.
It said Arthur offered Captain Frederick the position of a director in the company, Link-Up Shipping Agency Ltd.
The police said Arthur had indicated to Captain Fredrick that they would be venturing into cocoa export as well, adding that it was based on this that Captain Fredrick started sending money to Arthur to finance the business after he (Fredrick) had returned to London.
Arthur, the police said, sent reports to Captain Fredrick indicating that the business was doing well and requested for more money to enable him to export more salt to Burkina Faso due to the high demand from that country.
It said Captain Fredrick became convinced by the proposals and secured a loan of £5,276 to support the exports.
According to the police, after transferring the money, Captain Fredrick never heard from Arthur again as efforts to contact him on phone and e-mail proved futile.
It said Captain Fredrick came to Takoradi to look for his business partner but could not locate him at the office and subsequently reported the matter to the police.
The police said a number of people had also reported that Arthur had collected money from them to assist them stowaway.
The police therefore appealed to any member of the public with information on Arthur’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
TAKORADI LANDLORDS PAINT HOUSES ....(Page 29)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorboru, Takoradi
After the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) started prosecuting some property owners in the metropolis for non-compliance with the assembly’s directives to them to paint their houses which have not seen paint in the past five years, the vogue now is that almost every landlord is painting his/her house.
The demand for painters far exceeds what is available as property owners are rushing to paint their houses to escape the wrath of the metropolitan assembly.
People who occupy family property, who initially refused to finance the painting of the houses because they did not belong to them, are now doing so.
Corporate bodies, who were warned by the SAEMA, have either contacted the property owners to paint the houses or are through their own initiative painting them.
Before the celebration of Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary, the assembly held a series of meetings with property owners in the metropolis at which it impressed upon them to paint their buildings but they did not heed to the friendly advice given them by the assembly on many occasions.
In December last year, the assembly decided to enforce its regulations and bye-laws, after many persuasions had failed to yield the desired results, and to compel the property owners to paint their buildings.
When the SAEMA moved into action many buildings which hitherto did not look habitable have now been given a facelift with a few buckets of paint making one to wonder why the property owners had to wait to be told to do the right thing.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr John Laste, property owners were expected to paint their houses every five years. “We at the assembly thought that property owners will voluntarily paint their buildings because of the horrible state of the structures.”
He said most of the buildings were being rented to individuals and corporate bodies and it was just right that when rents were taken, the property owners would spend a few cedis to paint them to enhance the beauty of the metropolis.
“It is not the wish of the assembly to go chasing people to paint their properties. Ours is to prosecute as stated in the laws governing the metropolis but we decided first to appeal to the property owners to do so but the appeal fell on death ears. We were compelled to enforce the law and we will continue to prosecute all recalcitrant landlords,” he said.
Mr Laste said there were many on the list to appear before court and more were yet to be added.
After the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) started prosecuting some property owners in the metropolis for non-compliance with the assembly’s directives to them to paint their houses which have not seen paint in the past five years, the vogue now is that almost every landlord is painting his/her house.
The demand for painters far exceeds what is available as property owners are rushing to paint their houses to escape the wrath of the metropolitan assembly.
People who occupy family property, who initially refused to finance the painting of the houses because they did not belong to them, are now doing so.
Corporate bodies, who were warned by the SAEMA, have either contacted the property owners to paint the houses or are through their own initiative painting them.
Before the celebration of Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary, the assembly held a series of meetings with property owners in the metropolis at which it impressed upon them to paint their buildings but they did not heed to the friendly advice given them by the assembly on many occasions.
In December last year, the assembly decided to enforce its regulations and bye-laws, after many persuasions had failed to yield the desired results, and to compel the property owners to paint their buildings.
When the SAEMA moved into action many buildings which hitherto did not look habitable have now been given a facelift with a few buckets of paint making one to wonder why the property owners had to wait to be told to do the right thing.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr John Laste, property owners were expected to paint their houses every five years. “We at the assembly thought that property owners will voluntarily paint their buildings because of the horrible state of the structures.”
He said most of the buildings were being rented to individuals and corporate bodies and it was just right that when rents were taken, the property owners would spend a few cedis to paint them to enhance the beauty of the metropolis.
“It is not the wish of the assembly to go chasing people to paint their properties. Ours is to prosecute as stated in the laws governing the metropolis but we decided first to appeal to the property owners to do so but the appeal fell on death ears. We were compelled to enforce the law and we will continue to prosecute all recalcitrant landlords,” he said.
Mr Laste said there were many on the list to appear before court and more were yet to be added.
GHANA 2008: OPPORTUNITIES WASTED (Page 29)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
One of the expectations of those in the Western Region was that the rich culture and tourism potential of the region would be showcased for the supporters of the four nations based in the metropolis to patronise.
But the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi failed to enjoy any of the interesting things that came with the hosting of the Ghana 2008.
It was sad that on the days that there were no football matches, the people only relaxed. Even television programmes telecast in the country were soap-operas that told the visitors about other people’s culture and nothing about where to visit and what to do when there were no matches.
In September last year, this reporter and journalists from other five African countries toured some states in the United States of America . On our first day in Washington DC and subsequent days in other states, everything about America and the city of Washington and other states were on their television networks.
Before the one in charge of Africa at the Foreign Press Centre visited us to brief us on the day’s schedule, the reporters were so anxious to visit places they saw on television networks in Washington.
The story was the same in Maryland, Philadelphia, New York and other places that we had the opportunity to squeeze time out of our busy schedule to visit.
That depicted the spirit of a country that wanted to stay ahead.
The Western Region of Ghana has many beautiful safe beaches and African touch beach resorts.
It also has the largest collection of European trading forts which were later used in the slave trade; the highest tropical jungles; numerous mines, picturesque villages and friendly people; old architectural styles and vivacious festivals and the home of kingpins in the country’s struggle for independence.
The story of the railway workers and their contribution towards independence, and the contributions of the chiefs and their traditional administrations before the introduction of politics were all left untold.
The visitors did not even visit the beautiful beach resorts we have in the metropolis because the service providers in the region thought they could make all the money at once and forgot their responsibility to help market the metropolis and the country as a whole.
Even though the hosting of the tournament in the metropolis was a success, what happened could be described as an opportunity lost or wasted.
Those in the hospitality industry were left to do their own thing as there was no price control mechanism to ensure that the visitors to the metropolis enjoyed their stay.
The international networks like CNN, BBC, VOA, Super Sports and other highly reputed networks featured Ghana daily. We were not even aware of how much it would have cost us to advertise Ghana on their network.
It is sad that most of the soccer fans who visited the twin-city came with their own form of entertainment, food and everything. It is not clear if those countries which participated in the tournament hosted by Ghana would have allowed soccer tourists to come with their own forms of entertainment and food and create their own village, sell their own food and decide what to do.
They would ensure that the visitor made a reservation, had health insurance, enough money to take care of him/her, and transportation among others and to ensure that they spent the money in their country.
We in Ghana, especially in the host communities, were not expecting people from the four nations to take any good memories with them when they came to sleep in mosquito infested classrooms and on tables.
We failed to repackage and sell the country as expected. The Ghana Tourist Board should have taken it upon itself to market the country if there are no tour organisers in the metropolis.
Time and opportunity like this take long to come and yet when we had the opportunity to market our country we blew it up.
One of the expectations of those in the Western Region was that the rich culture and tourism potential of the region would be showcased for the supporters of the four nations based in the metropolis to patronise.
But the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi failed to enjoy any of the interesting things that came with the hosting of the Ghana 2008.
It was sad that on the days that there were no football matches, the people only relaxed. Even television programmes telecast in the country were soap-operas that told the visitors about other people’s culture and nothing about where to visit and what to do when there were no matches.
In September last year, this reporter and journalists from other five African countries toured some states in the United States of America . On our first day in Washington DC and subsequent days in other states, everything about America and the city of Washington and other states were on their television networks.
Before the one in charge of Africa at the Foreign Press Centre visited us to brief us on the day’s schedule, the reporters were so anxious to visit places they saw on television networks in Washington.
The story was the same in Maryland, Philadelphia, New York and other places that we had the opportunity to squeeze time out of our busy schedule to visit.
That depicted the spirit of a country that wanted to stay ahead.
The Western Region of Ghana has many beautiful safe beaches and African touch beach resorts.
It also has the largest collection of European trading forts which were later used in the slave trade; the highest tropical jungles; numerous mines, picturesque villages and friendly people; old architectural styles and vivacious festivals and the home of kingpins in the country’s struggle for independence.
The story of the railway workers and their contribution towards independence, and the contributions of the chiefs and their traditional administrations before the introduction of politics were all left untold.
The visitors did not even visit the beautiful beach resorts we have in the metropolis because the service providers in the region thought they could make all the money at once and forgot their responsibility to help market the metropolis and the country as a whole.
Even though the hosting of the tournament in the metropolis was a success, what happened could be described as an opportunity lost or wasted.
Those in the hospitality industry were left to do their own thing as there was no price control mechanism to ensure that the visitors to the metropolis enjoyed their stay.
The international networks like CNN, BBC, VOA, Super Sports and other highly reputed networks featured Ghana daily. We were not even aware of how much it would have cost us to advertise Ghana on their network.
It is sad that most of the soccer fans who visited the twin-city came with their own form of entertainment, food and everything. It is not clear if those countries which participated in the tournament hosted by Ghana would have allowed soccer tourists to come with their own forms of entertainment and food and create their own village, sell their own food and decide what to do.
They would ensure that the visitor made a reservation, had health insurance, enough money to take care of him/her, and transportation among others and to ensure that they spent the money in their country.
We in Ghana, especially in the host communities, were not expecting people from the four nations to take any good memories with them when they came to sleep in mosquito infested classrooms and on tables.
We failed to repackage and sell the country as expected. The Ghana Tourist Board should have taken it upon itself to market the country if there are no tour organisers in the metropolis.
Time and opportunity like this take long to come and yet when we had the opportunity to market our country we blew it up.
EUROPEAN HOSPITAL CRIES FOR HELP (Page 29)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
The Takoradi Hospital, popularly known as the European Hospital, is crying for renovation. Since its construction in 1927, the hospital has not seen any major renovation.
The delivery ward and main theatre of the hospital need urgent attention. The beds at the wards are broken down and midwives go through a lot of inconveniences to deliver expectant women of their babies.
The story is the same at the theatre.
The hospital does not have an ambulance at its casualty unit. At critical moments, patients are carried in the hospital’s pick-ups to access medical care at other health facilities.
That aside, the incubator at the delivery ward is also out of order, the state of the delivery room where babies are delivered and bathed after delivery is deplorable. Toilets and other facilities at the ward are in a complete state of disrepair.
Pools of water can be found in the bathrooms and the toilets at the maternity block as a result of a burst pipe laid since the inception of the hospital in 1927.
Waste water also seeps into the office of one of the doctors. Although the hospital in general needs urgent renovation the state of the maternity block and theatre must be given priority. Beds at the theatre must be replaced, plumbing works should be done anew and an incubator procured urgently for the hospital.
In 2007, more than 967 babies were delivered at the hospital.
The general environment at the hospital is dusty.
When contacted, the hospital administrator, Mr M. Yaw Danso, said the authorities were trying to improve upon the environment to enable it to provide quality health care to patients.
He said the problem at the maternity ward needed urgent attention but huge capital outlay was required to undertake the renovation.
He said because of the National Health Insurance Scheme many patients patronised the hospital but funds from the health insurance secretariat to settle claims were slow in coming.
He attributed that to delays in processing claims.
He expressed the hope that the hospital would be able to tackle the problems at the maternity block and the theatre and other areas of the hospital.
The Takoradi Hospital, popularly known as the European Hospital, is crying for renovation. Since its construction in 1927, the hospital has not seen any major renovation.
The delivery ward and main theatre of the hospital need urgent attention. The beds at the wards are broken down and midwives go through a lot of inconveniences to deliver expectant women of their babies.
The story is the same at the theatre.
The hospital does not have an ambulance at its casualty unit. At critical moments, patients are carried in the hospital’s pick-ups to access medical care at other health facilities.
That aside, the incubator at the delivery ward is also out of order, the state of the delivery room where babies are delivered and bathed after delivery is deplorable. Toilets and other facilities at the ward are in a complete state of disrepair.
Pools of water can be found in the bathrooms and the toilets at the maternity block as a result of a burst pipe laid since the inception of the hospital in 1927.
Waste water also seeps into the office of one of the doctors. Although the hospital in general needs urgent renovation the state of the maternity block and theatre must be given priority. Beds at the theatre must be replaced, plumbing works should be done anew and an incubator procured urgently for the hospital.
In 2007, more than 967 babies were delivered at the hospital.
The general environment at the hospital is dusty.
When contacted, the hospital administrator, Mr M. Yaw Danso, said the authorities were trying to improve upon the environment to enable it to provide quality health care to patients.
He said the problem at the maternity ward needed urgent attention but huge capital outlay was required to undertake the renovation.
He said because of the National Health Insurance Scheme many patients patronised the hospital but funds from the health insurance secretariat to settle claims were slow in coming.
He attributed that to delays in processing claims.
He expressed the hope that the hospital would be able to tackle the problems at the maternity block and the theatre and other areas of the hospital.
HOTELIERS, ORGANISING C'TTEE MEMBERS TRADE ACCUSATIONS (Page29)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Some operators in the hospitality industry in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi and the Sekondi-Tokaradi Venue Organising Committee (STVOC) are trading accusations for their inability to reap the benefits from the ongoing Ghana 2008 tournament.
While the operators are blaming the local organising committee for the low patronage of their hotel facilities by allowing the visitors to check into school dormitories, the STVOC is also accusing the operators of hiking the prices of their services to scare the visitors away.
According to the hotel operators, the venue organising committee gave an indication that more than 60,000 supporters would be trooping to the metropolis to support their teams.
As a result, those in the industry also increased their facilities in readiness for the said number of supporters only for the metropolis to receive not even quarter of the expected number.
That aside, they blame the local venue organising committee for not allowing them to first check into the available hotels before going to schools when they had negotiated with some of the supporters unions in advance.
To the operators, although it was right to prepare the classrooms for the soccer tourists, the local venue organising committee should have first ensured that the hotels in the metropolis were full before considering the school facilities as a second option.
The Sekondi/Takoradi local organising committee has shifted the blame on hospitality service providers, whom they accused of hiking the prices of their services beyond the pockets of the visitors.
“Even we as the STVOC in collaboration with some private people invested millions of Ghana cedis into the preparation of beds and mattresses which we expected the supporters to pay less than GH¢5 to lodge but they refused,” one official said.
He said through the instrumentality of the chief executive of the Skyy Group of companies, they managed to secure about 3,500 student mattresses while plumbers and carpenters were contracted to prepare beds and replace toilet bowls at selected schools for the visitors.
“We at the STVOC are battling the same problems, since we have to find a way of settling the money we invested in fixing of the toilets, beds and other facilities at various schools we selected but which the supporters refused to use,” he said.
When this reporter visited the St Johns School, one of the schools in the metropolis where the supporters from Benin lodged, some of them said they did not mind sleeping on the floor till the next football day. We are just supporters but Ghanaians want to make all the money from us, we don’t have the money so we have brought our own food and cooks,” they said.
They said they had paid high amount for the tickets and were expecting that the prices of hotels and other accommodation facilities would be cheaper, but rather the prices were high.
One of them who gave his name as Afevia and spoke to this reporter in Dahomey Ewe said he would have wished to sleep in a hotel or a guest house but the prices were too high. He said he preferred to sleep on the table in the classroom until their team was eliminated.
Interestingly, the Ivorians who came in their numbers said the behaviour of those in the hospitality industry was too bad and, therefore, considering the proximity of their country to Ghana some decided to make a return trip after every game.
The Ivorians managed to negotiate for a huge space near the Takoradi Polytechnic which was well fenced and named the Ivorian Village where all Ivorian foods were served.
That, according to them, was far cheaper than staying in a hotel irrespective of the risks involved in commuting to and fro and sleeping under tents.
“We will go and come every day, Ghana is not far from Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana is also our home besides we have a village here where we can eat all our traditional foods, so there is no need for such avoidable expenditures here in Ghana,” they said.
Some operators in the hospitality industry in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi and the Sekondi-Tokaradi Venue Organising Committee (STVOC) are trading accusations for their inability to reap the benefits from the ongoing Ghana 2008 tournament.
While the operators are blaming the local organising committee for the low patronage of their hotel facilities by allowing the visitors to check into school dormitories, the STVOC is also accusing the operators of hiking the prices of their services to scare the visitors away.
According to the hotel operators, the venue organising committee gave an indication that more than 60,000 supporters would be trooping to the metropolis to support their teams.
As a result, those in the industry also increased their facilities in readiness for the said number of supporters only for the metropolis to receive not even quarter of the expected number.
That aside, they blame the local venue organising committee for not allowing them to first check into the available hotels before going to schools when they had negotiated with some of the supporters unions in advance.
To the operators, although it was right to prepare the classrooms for the soccer tourists, the local venue organising committee should have first ensured that the hotels in the metropolis were full before considering the school facilities as a second option.
The Sekondi/Takoradi local organising committee has shifted the blame on hospitality service providers, whom they accused of hiking the prices of their services beyond the pockets of the visitors.
“Even we as the STVOC in collaboration with some private people invested millions of Ghana cedis into the preparation of beds and mattresses which we expected the supporters to pay less than GH¢5 to lodge but they refused,” one official said.
He said through the instrumentality of the chief executive of the Skyy Group of companies, they managed to secure about 3,500 student mattresses while plumbers and carpenters were contracted to prepare beds and replace toilet bowls at selected schools for the visitors.
“We at the STVOC are battling the same problems, since we have to find a way of settling the money we invested in fixing of the toilets, beds and other facilities at various schools we selected but which the supporters refused to use,” he said.
When this reporter visited the St Johns School, one of the schools in the metropolis where the supporters from Benin lodged, some of them said they did not mind sleeping on the floor till the next football day. We are just supporters but Ghanaians want to make all the money from us, we don’t have the money so we have brought our own food and cooks,” they said.
They said they had paid high amount for the tickets and were expecting that the prices of hotels and other accommodation facilities would be cheaper, but rather the prices were high.
One of them who gave his name as Afevia and spoke to this reporter in Dahomey Ewe said he would have wished to sleep in a hotel or a guest house but the prices were too high. He said he preferred to sleep on the table in the classroom until their team was eliminated.
Interestingly, the Ivorians who came in their numbers said the behaviour of those in the hospitality industry was too bad and, therefore, considering the proximity of their country to Ghana some decided to make a return trip after every game.
The Ivorians managed to negotiate for a huge space near the Takoradi Polytechnic which was well fenced and named the Ivorian Village where all Ivorian foods were served.
That, according to them, was far cheaper than staying in a hotel irrespective of the risks involved in commuting to and fro and sleeping under tents.
“We will go and come every day, Ghana is not far from Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana is also our home besides we have a village here where we can eat all our traditional foods, so there is no need for such avoidable expenditures here in Ghana,” they said.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
TAKORADI CEPS EXCEEDS TARGET ...Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
The Takoradi Collection Point of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has exceeded its set target for 2007.
In 2007, the collection point was given a target of GH¢107 billion, but by the end of December 31, 2007, it had collected GH¢111 billion, representing an increase of three per cent.
Speaking at the joint end-of-year get-together and awards ceremony in Takoradi, the Sector Commander, Mr Anthony K. Sewor, attributed the feat, after five years of negative performance, to the dedication of the staff.
He reminded the officers that the good performance by the Takoradi Collection Point should be seen as a great challenge which required harder work to achieve better results in the first three quarters of 2008.
The sector commander said this was an election year, and it was known that the activities of importers during the fourth quarter of an election year always dwindled.
“We must, therefore, pursue policies so that we can collect enough in the first three quarters to offset any shortfall that may occur in the last quarter; we must aspire to do more since attention is now on us, and we must not let mother Ghana down,” he said.
He said the CEPS had drawn up a strategic plan with the adoption of its mission statement to employ modern progressive, efficient, transparent and fair processes to collect as much revenues as possible and account for them.
To achieve the set objectives, he stressed the need to equip officers with appropriate knowledge and skills through in-service training programmes to enhance their performance.
Mr Sewor said currently, all staff were undergoing computer training at the collection point and the service was also building checkpoints on the Agona Junction-Elubo road, commonly referred to as “Mile 32”.
Deserving senior and junior staff were awarded prizes for distinguishing themselves in various fields.
The Takoradi Collection Point of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has exceeded its set target for 2007.
In 2007, the collection point was given a target of GH¢107 billion, but by the end of December 31, 2007, it had collected GH¢111 billion, representing an increase of three per cent.
Speaking at the joint end-of-year get-together and awards ceremony in Takoradi, the Sector Commander, Mr Anthony K. Sewor, attributed the feat, after five years of negative performance, to the dedication of the staff.
He reminded the officers that the good performance by the Takoradi Collection Point should be seen as a great challenge which required harder work to achieve better results in the first three quarters of 2008.
The sector commander said this was an election year, and it was known that the activities of importers during the fourth quarter of an election year always dwindled.
“We must, therefore, pursue policies so that we can collect enough in the first three quarters to offset any shortfall that may occur in the last quarter; we must aspire to do more since attention is now on us, and we must not let mother Ghana down,” he said.
He said the CEPS had drawn up a strategic plan with the adoption of its mission statement to employ modern progressive, efficient, transparent and fair processes to collect as much revenues as possible and account for them.
To achieve the set objectives, he stressed the need to equip officers with appropriate knowledge and skills through in-service training programmes to enhance their performance.
Mr Sewor said currently, all staff were undergoing computer training at the collection point and the service was also building checkpoints on the Agona Junction-Elubo road, commonly referred to as “Mile 32”.
Deserving senior and junior staff were awarded prizes for distinguishing themselves in various fields.
SEKONDI-TAKORADI SAVOURS STARS' VICTORY IN STYLE ... Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Residents of the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi kept wake on Monday night after the match between Ghana and Morocco, which the Black Stars of Ghana won by 2-0.
Members of the community, irrespective of their social status, danced openly and hugged each other.
Many people did not stay at home to watch the match, but rather moved to various bars, restaurants and parks with giant screens to watch with other enthusiastic crowds.
The journey from Essipun to Takoradi, which is normally undertaken in 10 minutes, took the Daily Graphic news team more than an hour to cover.
At Enyensia, both young and old took over the highway jubilating.
By the blast of the final whistle, people rushed to the streets and were doing all the traditional and contemporary dances, amid all kinds of noise, just to be part of the celebrations of the vintage performance by the Black Stars.
The passion with which the people celebrated the Black Stars’ victory in the metropolis and other parts of the region was such that if Ghana had lost the match, the story would have been different.
At the Jubilee Park at West Tanokrom, traffic came to a standstill as the jubilant fans defied all efforts by a joint military-police team to clear the road for traffic to flow.
Motorists, who normally expressed anger under such circumstances, rather joined the people to dance and to celebrate the sweet victory.
The celebrations went late into the night as drinking bars played music loudly to attract patronage. By 2 a.m. people were still jubilating.
Some of the fans who talked to the Daily Graphic said they knew Ghana would carry the day. They expressed the view that with the team spirit exhibited by the players, Ghanaians should not be surprised to see Ghana win the Nations Cup.
Residents of the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi kept wake on Monday night after the match between Ghana and Morocco, which the Black Stars of Ghana won by 2-0.
Members of the community, irrespective of their social status, danced openly and hugged each other.
Many people did not stay at home to watch the match, but rather moved to various bars, restaurants and parks with giant screens to watch with other enthusiastic crowds.
The journey from Essipun to Takoradi, which is normally undertaken in 10 minutes, took the Daily Graphic news team more than an hour to cover.
At Enyensia, both young and old took over the highway jubilating.
By the blast of the final whistle, people rushed to the streets and were doing all the traditional and contemporary dances, amid all kinds of noise, just to be part of the celebrations of the vintage performance by the Black Stars.
The passion with which the people celebrated the Black Stars’ victory in the metropolis and other parts of the region was such that if Ghana had lost the match, the story would have been different.
At the Jubilee Park at West Tanokrom, traffic came to a standstill as the jubilant fans defied all efforts by a joint military-police team to clear the road for traffic to flow.
Motorists, who normally expressed anger under such circumstances, rather joined the people to dance and to celebrate the sweet victory.
The celebrations went late into the night as drinking bars played music loudly to attract patronage. By 2 a.m. people were still jubilating.
Some of the fans who talked to the Daily Graphic said they knew Ghana would carry the day. They expressed the view that with the team spirit exhibited by the players, Ghanaians should not be surprised to see Ghana win the Nations Cup.
SAEMA TO ENSURE PROPER DEVELOPMENT AT ESSIPUN ..Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Essipun
The Essipun community near Sekondi is to see an increase in social infrastructure such as modern places of convenience, access roads through the town to link the town’s major roads, school blocks, among others.
As a host community for the Nations Cup, the community has developed faster than expected. To ensure that its development is in accordance with the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly’s layouts, the assembly is turning its attention to the community to ensure that development is planned to match the multi-million dollar sport facility sited in the community.
The Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr John Laste, told the Daily Graphic that officials of the assembly had met with the chiefs and people of the community on the issue. He said the chiefs and people of Essipun made some requests and the assembly was looking at them with the view to providing them in order of preference.
He said as an emerging community, the assembly would not sit down for people to do things anyhow and that its development needed to be well planned.
He said they would initially tackle the problem of drainage, the construction of school blocks and access roads through the town, and the relocation of the community toilet to a more acceptable area in the community.
He said with the location of the stadium, the population was likely to increase and, therefore, there was the need to collaborate with the chiefs and other stakeholders to ensure that the development of the Essipun community, like of any other community within the metropolis, followed the laid-down structures.
Mr Laste said one of the immediate problems the assembly had realised in the community, especially around the stadium was hawking, and that the assembly had allocated some space for the hawkers to do their business there, instead of on the streets.
He said the stadium might be used for other sporting activities, and stressed the need to provide certain standards to ensure that no unauthorised structures sprang up for the assembly to waste money to demolish.
The Essipun community near Sekondi is to see an increase in social infrastructure such as modern places of convenience, access roads through the town to link the town’s major roads, school blocks, among others.
As a host community for the Nations Cup, the community has developed faster than expected. To ensure that its development is in accordance with the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly’s layouts, the assembly is turning its attention to the community to ensure that development is planned to match the multi-million dollar sport facility sited in the community.
The Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr John Laste, told the Daily Graphic that officials of the assembly had met with the chiefs and people of the community on the issue. He said the chiefs and people of Essipun made some requests and the assembly was looking at them with the view to providing them in order of preference.
He said as an emerging community, the assembly would not sit down for people to do things anyhow and that its development needed to be well planned.
He said they would initially tackle the problem of drainage, the construction of school blocks and access roads through the town, and the relocation of the community toilet to a more acceptable area in the community.
He said with the location of the stadium, the population was likely to increase and, therefore, there was the need to collaborate with the chiefs and other stakeholders to ensure that the development of the Essipun community, like of any other community within the metropolis, followed the laid-down structures.
Mr Laste said one of the immediate problems the assembly had realised in the community, especially around the stadium was hawking, and that the assembly had allocated some space for the hawkers to do their business there, instead of on the streets.
He said the stadium might be used for other sporting activities, and stressed the need to provide certain standards to ensure that no unauthorised structures sprang up for the assembly to waste money to demolish.
EFFIA-NKWANTA DOCTORS ARE OVERSTRECHED ... Page 25
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
INadequacy of doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital is compelling those on duty to go the extra mile in order to cater for the increasing number of patients who attend the hospital for medical care daily.
Attendance at the hospital has increased considerably since the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme, without a corresponding increase in the number of medical doctors.
Many people who seek medical care at the hospital are not only from the metropolis, but also from other parts of the region with various illnesses which could have been handled at polyclinics and other hospitals in the region.
Authorities at the hospital say the facility requires about 54 doctors to handle cases, but unfortunately at the moment, only 24 doctors are available, which is woefully inadequate.
As a result of the inadequacy of doctors, those on duty have to do the work of colleagues who are on their annual leave or attend programmes in and outside the region.
That aside, the hospital’s out-patient department (OPD) is always overcrowded because of its small size, and two or more doctors share a consulting room.
When this reporter visited the hospital, it was realised that patients who report to the hospital to seek medical attention go with three or four family members or friends, thus worsening the congestion at the OPD and making the work of the nurses and other health workers very difficult. Health workers, especially the nurses who try to bring sanity to the OPD by asking relations or friends of patients to go out to create space for patients attract the wrath of the people.
The reporter witnessed a nasty spectacle when a nurse tried to persuade a young lady, who had accompanied her friend to the hospital to vacate her seat for a patient. The lady rained insults on the nurse. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr R. Sagoe, corroborated the problems of the hospital and said the number of doctors at the regional hospital was woefully inadequate.
He said the hospital needed more than 53 doctors, but had only 24 now. According to him, some departments were seriously handicapped, because doctors were not available.
He said there were other health facilities in the metropolis that could have taken care of some patients, but the public preferred the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital as their first port of call.
Dr Sagoe said many patients who were supposed to visit other hospitals rather went to the Effia-Nkwanta facility, because the hospital was not operating the gatekeeper system.
Under “the gatekeeper system”, no patient can just walk to the hospital without first accessing the services of polyclinics and other health centres and being referred to it.
Dr Sagoe expressed the hope that from the beginning of the second quarter of this year, the hospital would get four new doctors to help reduce the difficulty existing professionals went through and the long hours and queues one had to follow in order to see a doctor.
Dr Sagoe said the regional hospital faced the same problems other district hospitals in the region faced.
He advised families and friends who accompanied their relatives to the hospital and other health facilities to leave the patients for the doctors to take care of them and later take them home.
“It is wrong to have three or four people who are not sick accompanying one patient to the health facility. It is our duty to ensure that we do everything possible to save life,” he said.
INadequacy of doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital is compelling those on duty to go the extra mile in order to cater for the increasing number of patients who attend the hospital for medical care daily.
Attendance at the hospital has increased considerably since the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme, without a corresponding increase in the number of medical doctors.
Many people who seek medical care at the hospital are not only from the metropolis, but also from other parts of the region with various illnesses which could have been handled at polyclinics and other hospitals in the region.
Authorities at the hospital say the facility requires about 54 doctors to handle cases, but unfortunately at the moment, only 24 doctors are available, which is woefully inadequate.
As a result of the inadequacy of doctors, those on duty have to do the work of colleagues who are on their annual leave or attend programmes in and outside the region.
That aside, the hospital’s out-patient department (OPD) is always overcrowded because of its small size, and two or more doctors share a consulting room.
When this reporter visited the hospital, it was realised that patients who report to the hospital to seek medical attention go with three or four family members or friends, thus worsening the congestion at the OPD and making the work of the nurses and other health workers very difficult. Health workers, especially the nurses who try to bring sanity to the OPD by asking relations or friends of patients to go out to create space for patients attract the wrath of the people.
The reporter witnessed a nasty spectacle when a nurse tried to persuade a young lady, who had accompanied her friend to the hospital to vacate her seat for a patient. The lady rained insults on the nurse. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr R. Sagoe, corroborated the problems of the hospital and said the number of doctors at the regional hospital was woefully inadequate.
He said the hospital needed more than 53 doctors, but had only 24 now. According to him, some departments were seriously handicapped, because doctors were not available.
He said there were other health facilities in the metropolis that could have taken care of some patients, but the public preferred the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital as their first port of call.
Dr Sagoe said many patients who were supposed to visit other hospitals rather went to the Effia-Nkwanta facility, because the hospital was not operating the gatekeeper system.
Under “the gatekeeper system”, no patient can just walk to the hospital without first accessing the services of polyclinics and other health centres and being referred to it.
Dr Sagoe expressed the hope that from the beginning of the second quarter of this year, the hospital would get four new doctors to help reduce the difficulty existing professionals went through and the long hours and queues one had to follow in order to see a doctor.
Dr Sagoe said the regional hospital faced the same problems other district hospitals in the region faced.
He advised families and friends who accompanied their relatives to the hospital and other health facilities to leave the patients for the doctors to take care of them and later take them home.
“It is wrong to have three or four people who are not sick accompanying one patient to the health facility. It is our duty to ensure that we do everything possible to save life,” he said.
Friday, February 1, 2008
TEAM-BUILDING IS KEY TO RAISING STANDARDS — SCHANS (G/S Page 11)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
Dutch coach, Arie Schans, has urged African teams to focus on team-building instead of putting stars together to play without the necessary team spirit in most cases.
He says there is a vast difference between having all the stars and building a team, and that until the cord of building a team is found African teams would assemble all the world’s acclaimed stars but would achieve little.
He observed that there were many talents and wonderful players abounding in Africa, but there was the need to focus on building teams that could match any team in the world and raise the standards beyond what the world was witnessing in the ongoing Ghana 2008 tournament.
“I can assure you that Africa can play better than what we are witnessing today, and as a coach my focus is first on having a good team with the help of the players.”
Guinea’s coach, Robert Nouzaret, revealed that his team was much prepared for the next stage of the competition knowing well what the other teams were made of.
“We will improve upon our play and make sure that we do not leave anything to chance. We are playing with our eyes set on the prize and the joy it will bring to the people who are looking forward to that moment of joy,” he said.
“For the next match we are going for a win as we have adopted various game plans that we hope will give us the needed victory,” he added.
Dutch coach, Arie Schans, has urged African teams to focus on team-building instead of putting stars together to play without the necessary team spirit in most cases.
He says there is a vast difference between having all the stars and building a team, and that until the cord of building a team is found African teams would assemble all the world’s acclaimed stars but would achieve little.
He observed that there were many talents and wonderful players abounding in Africa, but there was the need to focus on building teams that could match any team in the world and raise the standards beyond what the world was witnessing in the ongoing Ghana 2008 tournament.
“I can assure you that Africa can play better than what we are witnessing today, and as a coach my focus is first on having a good team with the help of the players.”
Guinea’s coach, Robert Nouzaret, revealed that his team was much prepared for the next stage of the competition knowing well what the other teams were made of.
“We will improve upon our play and make sure that we do not leave anything to chance. We are playing with our eyes set on the prize and the joy it will bring to the people who are looking forward to that moment of joy,” he said.
“For the next match we are going for a win as we have adopted various game plans that we hope will give us the needed victory,” he added.
EGUAVOEN WARNS OF REAL SHOWDOWN (Page 11)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
The assistant coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen, has warned Ghana’s Black Stars to be ready for a real showdown in Sunday’s quarter-final match at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra.
Coach Eguavoen told mediamen at a post-match conference last Tuesday that the Eagles were ready to fly beyond the glittering of the Stars on Sunday.
“We have the game plan that will ensure that we prick the eyes of the Stars to gather enough clouds to cover their glitter.
“That aside, the Nigerians are one of the best-rated teams in the world and any country that is paired against the Super Eagles must be extra-motivated to justify their inclusion in tournaments of this nature,” he said.
While admitting that the fighting spirit of the Black Stars cannot be underestimated, he said “we have so much respect for the Stars and we know it is not going to be easy, but we are sure that we will sail through and Ghana should be ready for us.”
Eguavoen said whether at the Nations Cup or on a different platform, matches between the two nations have always been very tough and Sunday would be no different as it would offer everybody the chance to appreciate the beauty of the African football.
He said the rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria dated back to the early ’50s and the two sides could be likened to brothers.
The former Nigerian international said Nigeria should not be judged by their performance in the group matches, since they were aware of the task ahead and would do everything possible to ensure that no stone was left unturned.
Chelsea youngster, John Mikel Obi, who was adjudged man of the match in Tuesday’s game against Benin, also said the biggest joy for him was the fact that amidst all fears and doubts, they managed to qualify to the next stage of the competition.
“I know what Ghana is made of and I can assure you that it is going to be difficult, but we will emerge the victors that day and do everything possible to justify our inclusion in the last four and win the cup,” he said.
For his part, the coach of Benin, Reinhard Fabisch, praised his players for performing creditably against some of the best stars in the world in a tough group.
“We played with some best-rated teams in Africa and my team which is a young one performed marvellously, and I have no option but to congratulate them on their classic performance,” he said.
The assistant coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen, has warned Ghana’s Black Stars to be ready for a real showdown in Sunday’s quarter-final match at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra.
Coach Eguavoen told mediamen at a post-match conference last Tuesday that the Eagles were ready to fly beyond the glittering of the Stars on Sunday.
“We have the game plan that will ensure that we prick the eyes of the Stars to gather enough clouds to cover their glitter.
“That aside, the Nigerians are one of the best-rated teams in the world and any country that is paired against the Super Eagles must be extra-motivated to justify their inclusion in tournaments of this nature,” he said.
While admitting that the fighting spirit of the Black Stars cannot be underestimated, he said “we have so much respect for the Stars and we know it is not going to be easy, but we are sure that we will sail through and Ghana should be ready for us.”
Eguavoen said whether at the Nations Cup or on a different platform, matches between the two nations have always been very tough and Sunday would be no different as it would offer everybody the chance to appreciate the beauty of the African football.
He said the rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria dated back to the early ’50s and the two sides could be likened to brothers.
The former Nigerian international said Nigeria should not be judged by their performance in the group matches, since they were aware of the task ahead and would do everything possible to ensure that no stone was left unturned.
Chelsea youngster, John Mikel Obi, who was adjudged man of the match in Tuesday’s game against Benin, also said the biggest joy for him was the fact that amidst all fears and doubts, they managed to qualify to the next stage of the competition.
“I know what Ghana is made of and I can assure you that it is going to be difficult, but we will emerge the victors that day and do everything possible to justify our inclusion in the last four and win the cup,” he said.
For his part, the coach of Benin, Reinhard Fabisch, praised his players for performing creditably against some of the best stars in the world in a tough group.
“We played with some best-rated teams in Africa and my team which is a young one performed marvellously, and I have no option but to congratulate them on their classic performance,” he said.
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