5 DIXCOVE FISHERMEN RESCUED ON HIGH SEAS (BACK PAGE)

Five fishermen from Dixcove in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region were rescued when their canoe capsized on the high seas about 38 nautical miles off the coast of Sekondi/Takoradi.
They were rescued by a supply ship, the MV Blue River, under the command of Captain Simon Gideka, which was returning from the Jubilee Oil Field at 10 a.m. last Monday.
Those rescued were identified as Samuel Sekinnie, 26; Francis Arthur, 22; John Kussie, 35; Benjamin Arthur, 32, and John Badu, 22.
They had hung perilously onto the capsized canoe for hours before they were rescued, according to the crew of the supply ship.
Their outboard motor, fuel, food, nets and other fishing equipment were, however, lost in the storm.
At the time of the rescue, they were said to be virtually naked and trembling.
After the rescue, the fishermen were taken to the Takoradi Hospital for medical attention before they were released to their families.
According to the victims, they were five on board the canoe from Dixcove and were on their normal fishing expedition when the weather changed suddenly and the tide became so high that they lost control of their canoe.
The leader of the fishermen, Kussie, said they clinged to the boat, with the hope of getting some help or being washed ashore. Fortunately for them, the supply boat came to their rescue.
“We saw the boat from far and one of us managed to stand on the almost submerged canoe to wave at its crew for help,” he said.
The leader said initially they had thought that they could turn the canoe but it was very difficult and they were left with no option but to hold on to it.
“We had to take off our clothes so that we could become less heavy to avoid been carried away by the strong current, but we lost everything,” Kussie said.
He thanked the crew of the MV Blue River for coming to their rescue, as well as officials of NADMO and the Takoradi Hospital for the care.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosomtwe-Sam, urged fishermen across the country to take enough precaution to ensure their safety at sea, especially with the onset of the rainy season.

JAPAN MOTORS GIVES TO METRO STARS (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 16)

Japan Motors, an automobile marketing company in the country has presented sets of football jerseys to Metro Stars, a Division One team in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
According to the regional branch manager of the company, Mr Steven Nti, the donation was in response to a request made to the company by executive members of the club.
He said Ghana which is arguably a football nation needed to maintain the passion of football for her people at all times.
“Therefore to maintain this passion there is the need to contribute towards it, that is why the company in its small way has decided to respond to the call from Metro Stars as part of its contribution to the development of football in the country,” he said.
He said the company moved to the Western Region not only to create wealth for itself, but to create and share it with its host community through sports and to ensure that the people were happy.
The regional sales representative of the company, Mr Sidik Shardow, said the company had brought its expertise closer to the people in the region.
He expressed the hope that Metro Stars and the Japan Motors would work together to promote each other’s interest at the same time keeping the smile and the passion of the region as well as the nation as a whole alive.
“In the region our activities comprise the sale of automobiles, motorcyles and generator sales and services; general trading; real estate and construction; and information technology services and the customers in the region would feel much closer.
The Chairman of Metro Stars, Mr Clement Dandori, expressed his club’s gratitude to the company for the quick and timely response.
He said to get sports to the level that everyone expects demanded a joint effort to ensure that its administration was not left in the hands of few individuals.
He said football currently required huge capital outlay which demanded the support from the business community, noting that if there was a region in Ghana that had produced some of the best players that region was the Western Region.
He hoped that the good example set by the Western Regional Branch of Japan Motors would be emulated by others to increase the region’s representation in the premiership.
He assured fans of Metro Stars that the team was in good shape and with some motivation it could make it the premiership.

CHECK ILLEGAL TEXTILE IMPORTS (PAGE 32)

The Head of the Textile Department of Takoradi Polytechnic, Mr Richard Quaye, has called on the government to take measures to check illegal importation of cheap textile products.
Additionally, he said, there was the need for the government to encourage demand for local textiles and check the influx of second-hand clothing on the local market.
In an interview, Mr Quaye said the implementation of those measures could shore up the textile industry and create job opportunities for people.
He was of the view that the dwindling fortunes of the textile industry had become a disincentive for students and graduates in the garment industry as they had problems with internship and job placements because of the low capacity of the textile industry to employ more hands.
Hitherto, he said, the local textile industry produced raw cotton, grey baft, calico, wax prints, Java prints, fancy prints, upholstery fabrics, curtains, towels, blankets, batik and tie-dye fabrics, jute sacks, bandages, kitchen napkins, socks, T-shirts, among others.
“But over the past few years, the textile industry, which was supposed to be the major employer of students after school, has suffered a massive decline,” he observed.
The downturn, Mr Quaye said, had led to massive job cuts in the industry. According to him, more than 25,000 workers were employed in 1975 by the sector alone, but today the industry employed barely 3,000 workers.
He said out of about 20 large-scale textile factories that were established in the 1970s only five are presently struggling to survive.
“Apart from the large to medium-scale textile factories that have collapsed, there were thousands of small-scale textile set-ups scattered across the length and breadth of the country whose activities have come to an end due to frustration,” he said.
He said to help whip up interest in the local textile industry, the department had instituted a Special Textile Day Float to educate the general public on the subject matter.

RADIO MAXX FETES STREET CHILDREN (PAGE 28)

As part of this year’s Easter celebrations, Radio Maxx, a local radio station in Sekondi-Takoradi, fed and provided medical care for thousands of street children in the metropolis.
The children defied the early morning downpour, which nearly disrupted the programme, to be treated to hot plates of rice from the Radio Maxx Orange Easter Kitchen.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Radio Maxx, Mr Kwame Adu-Mante, the move was to give back something little to the society and to put the smiles back on the faces of the underprivileged.
He said it was important to make time away from the core focus of the company, which was to inform, educate and entertain and contribute to the well-being of members of society especially children.
The CEO said the aim of the company was to feed close to 2,000 street children in the metropolis and other deprived areas, but the number kept increasing beyond their expectation, but “we managed to satisfied everybody who made it to venue”.
“Though this year’s maiden event organised by the radio station was targeted at feeding 2,000 needy people in the twin city, an estimated number of more than 5,000 people were fed and cared for medically,” Mr Adu-Mante said.
The chief executive said the Maxx Orange Kitchen was organised through the generous donations of some corporate institutions and individuals in the metropolis who were committed to a just cause.
He said one of the interesting things about the orange kitchen was that people did not only donate to feed the needy, but some prominent members of the business community in Takoradi, some students of the Takoradi Polytechnic and the Takoradi Nursing and Midwifery Training College and the staff of the station volunteered to serve.
“It was indeed a colourful event and fulfilling experience, as the faces of the needy people were beaming with joy when they were served their plates of rice with chilled Coca Cola,” he said.
He said some of the children also looked very unhealthy and that after their meal, they were given medical care at the medical stand, which conducted a series of medical checks and dispensed more than 3,000 packs of dewormers donated by KOJACH Pharmacy.
Mr Adu-Mante thanked members of the business community, the medical team, individuals and “all those who contributed to the success of the programme to put the smiles back on the faces of our unfortunate brothers and sisters”.

MY ADMINISTRATION WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT (PAGE 29)

THE nominee for the position of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive has given the assurance that he will provide an accountable and transparent leadership, if he gains the approval of the assembly to serve.
The nominee, Mr Kobina Pra-Annan, said to meet the expectation of the people in as far as the development of the metropolis was concerned, there was the need to ensure that everybody was made to feel part of the decision-making process.
He said there was the need to ensure close collaboration between various sectors of the community in the Sekondi-Takoradi twin-city, to deliberate, take decisions and pursue programmes which would be of benefit to the people.
Mr Pra-Annan was reacting to calls by chiefs that he should be friendly, approachable and to focus on uniting the people for development.
The chiefs also advised Mr Pra-Annan not to distance himself from his people or allow the position of the chief executive to overwhelm him into making him a tin god to lord it over the people.
The chiefs complained that most people who were appointed to the high office of the chief executive from among the people turned to distance themselves from the chiefs after assuming office.
The metro chief said when he was confirmed, he would put the interest of the people at heart and ensure that he and the assembly met the expectations of the people.
He said there was a lot of work to be done, which requires the support of all.
“Development is a continuous process and we have to work as a team to harness our limited resources and explore other areas that would contribute to the attainment of our set targets.”

OPINION AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO BAIL OUT OIC (PAGE 29)

Opinion and religious leaders at Effia in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have pledged to raise GH¢100,000 to support the Opportunity Industrialisation Centre Ghana (OIC-Ghana) in the next three years.
The fund will be used to improve infrastructure at the school and to support the underprivileged to acquire self-employable skills to make them less dependent on society.
According to the Programme Manager of the centre, Mr Moses Amoamah-Antwi, the focus of the training centre was to ensure that idle hands were trained to make them self-reliant to contribute to national development.
“Since we started, many youth had applied for various skills for which we cannot enrol them because of lack of funds,” he said.
“Interestingly, the people who report at the centre to be trained were unable to meet the bills,” he said, adding that the future of these underprivileged would be more secured if they are given the training to make them independent instead of turning them away for the mere fact that they could not afford the bills.
“I have to commend the chiefs, religious bodies and all those who came up with the idea of raising funds to support the centre to help those who cannot afford to support themselves for the programme duration,” he said.

PANINVEST PANOIL TO GENERATE POWER FROM WASTE (PAGE 29)

A new waste management company is to set up a multi-million dollar waste processing plant to generate energy for domestic and industrial use in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
The company, Paninvest Panoil, Ghana, has completed feasibility studies on the project and has declared that it could access raw material for generation of power from Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi. Apart from the investment, the investors said the company would provide more skills training and job opportunities for the , if the company was granted the permit to operate in the country.
The investors from Italy and their Ghanaian partners were led to the Palace of the Omanhene of Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, by the Co-ordinating Director of the metropolis, Mr Clement Dandori.
Mr Samuel Martin, the Managing Director of the company, said various sources of generating power were very injurious to the planet, and, therefore, the time had come for the world to adopt other sources which were environmentally friendly.
He stressed the need to change the mindset of the people about how to handle the waste they generated in their homes, and if possible recycle it for other uses.
Mr Martin said he had met with players in various sectors of the economy and after going round the country, the investors would apply to the Ministries of Health, Energy and Environment and science for permission to commence business.
“Our problem is that various communities are badly littered because those who generate the waste have no use for it, but if they know that liquid gas could be generated out of the waste they would change their attitudes and habits,” he said.
Mr Martin said if that was achieved the fight against filth to ensure clean environment was half won and the health of the people would improve.
He said apart from Sekondi-Takoradi, Accra and Kumasi, they would also move to the Volta Region.
Explaining their mode of operation, Mr Martin said they would establish plants that would burn the refuse that was generated and then convert it into energy.
He said the project would generate employment opportunities for about 40 youth at the plant besides those who would do the collection and perform other administrative duties.
He expressed the hope that commencement of the alternative energy production would not only help boost the country’s energy needs but also create a safe environment.
The Public Relations Officer of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, John Laste, said it was very important the attention was being shifted from waste disposal to processing for other uses.
He said it was important that people would realise that the indiscriminate disposal of waste was not helpful to anybody and that one needed to be a little more in control of how he/she handled the refuse generated at home and at work.

FARMER CHOPS OFF SISTER'S HEAD (BACK PAGE)

A farmer who blamed his sister for the cause of his inability to make any progress in life murdered her at Tikobo No 1 in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
Adams Isaka, 25, currently under arrest, caused a stir in the farming community when he took a machete and chopped off the head of his elder sister, Ajara Isaka.
After executing his barbaric act at about 2p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2009, the suspect walked to the chief of the village to report himself.
The headless body and the severed head of the 45-year-old victim have been deposited at the Half Assini Government Hospital.
A police source told the Daily Graphic that the suspect’s demeanour did not show any regret for his action.
According to the police, the suspect was said to have also reported the incident to his father, Alhaji Isaac, that his sister was the cause of his abject poverty and warned Ajara on several occasions to reverse the mystical powers that were hindering his progress but all fell on deaf ears.
After he had convinced himself that the only way out of his predicament was to do the unthinkable, the suspect sharpened his machete and painfully chopped off the head of his sister to the horror of the Isaka-household and the entire village.
The Jomoro District Police under the command of ASP Issifu have taken over the investigations while the suspect is being processed for court.

CATHOLIC CHURCH DONATES TO ORPHANAGE (PAGE 36)

THE Knights and Ladies of Marshall of the Catholic Church in the Twin-City of Sekondi/Takoradi have presented food items, toiletries and used clothes to the Egyam Orphanage in the Ahanta West District in the Western Region.
The donation of the GH¢1,000 items, including tubers of yam, bags of rice, laundry soaps, fruits, toilet rolls, toys, gallons of cooking oil, cartons of milk and educational materials, formed part of the church’s Easter activities.
The Knights and Ladies also sang and danced with the children for hours.
At the ceremony, the leader of the group, Mr Joseph Essilfie, said over the years, the Catholic Church’s charity society had been undertaking benevolent programmes to bring joy to the less privileged in society.
He said the members had made similar donations to the sick, underprivileged, as well as the physically challenged, to assure them that they were part of the larger society.
Mr Essilfie said this year’s focus was on Our Lady of Lourdes Orphanage at Egyam in order to make the inmates part of the society.
He said it was not the wish of those young ones to find themselves in care homes, but was due to circumstances beyond their control.
“It is, therefore, the duty of society to give them the needed love and care,” Mr Essilfie added.
He said it was important also to focus on both the spiritual and physical needs of mankind through the display of brotherliness to make the world more habitable for all through unity, charity and service.
“As we entered the place, our joy was not what we are bringing the children, but the smile on their faces as we sang and danced with them to impart to them brotherly and motherly love to make them feel part of the bigger society,” he said.
Mr Essilfie appealed to other members of the society to contribute to the upkeep of the inmates and expressed the hope that their contribution would be useful to them.
The Administrator of the home, Mr Daniel Payne, thanked the Knights and Ladies of Marshal for their support and assured them that the items would be used for the upkeep of the children.

USAID SUPPORTS IMMUNISATION CAMPAIGN (PAGE 32)

THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed $400,000 towards this year’s polio immunisation campaign at community health planning and services (CHPS) sites around the country.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Donald G. Teitelbaum, joined volunteers at Fasin in the Western Region to administer the vaccine and help create awareness of the need to immunise children against polio.
He said the country was considered polio free until last year when a polio case was registered in northern Ghana, explaining that to confront that reality and ensure that the country was free from polio to save the future generation, the USAID had committed itself to its eradication.
Among other contributions to improve health in the country, he said, the USAID had provided technical assistance and financial support to establish and reinforce CHPS zones in 30 districts and provided motorbikes, bicycles, basic medical equipment and training for community health officers (CHOs) and health volunteers in 139 CHPS zones.
At Busua in the Ahanta West District, the Ambassador joined the chiefs and people at the community park where the community theatre group performed a play on the dangers of malaria and its prevention.
Mr Bob Hellyer, the Head of USAID, said it was very important to adopt proactive measures in the case of polio and malaria by communicating their prevention and effects to the people through drama.
"Community theatre is an important feature of USAID’s Ghana Sustainable Change Project (GSCP), and with support from district health directorates, we have developed and implemented communication campaigns on malaria, family planning, breastfeeding and complementary feeding at the community level," he said.
Mr Hellyer said the USAID had worked with the country’s health officials to develop and generalise the CHPS approach to bring basic health services to rural communities.
Ambassador Teitelbaum visited the CHPS compound at Fasin, where he observed health volunteers championing the use of insecticide-treated nets to prevent the spread of malaria.
The Ambassador also visited other sites supported by USAID in the Western Region, including the Agona Nkwanta Health Centre and the Dixcove Hospital.