MEMBERS of the Criminal Investigations Departments (CID) of the Ghana Police Service have expressed reservations about what they described as ‘a drastic reduction in their clothing allowance’ under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
They expressed surprise at the slash in their clothing allowance from last month’s high figure when they were first paid with the new scheme.
They accused the implementers of the scheme of cutting their allowance by more than 150 per cent on their payslips this month (August), with no explanation from the headquarters.
However, a source at the national headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Accra told the Daily Graphic that the cut became necessary when it was realised that with the introduction of the SSSS, staff at the CID unit were taking far more than their colleagues, with the director of CID earning more than the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The Daily Graphic got hold of some of the payslips before and after the SSSS; those in the inspectorate rank were taking GH¢85.53 for clothing. After the introduction of the single spine, the clothing for the inspectorate rank was increased to GH¢260.89.
“But we were surprised that in the month of August, it has been reduced from GH¢260.89 to GH¢86.96 which is only GH¢1.43p more than before without explanation,” they said.
They said those in the rank of superintendent were taking about GH¢360 for clothing but had been reduced to GH¢150.00, which is only about GH¢2 higher than the previous amount before the introduction of the single spine.
A constable in the service before the single spine got GH¢45.00 but after the introduction in July it went up to GH¢170.00 but decreased again to GH¢58.00 this month.
The source at the police headquarters in Accra said after the computation of the much publicised single spine salary structure, the salary of staff at the CID directorate went up and the salary of the director CID, for example, was allegedly higher than that of the IGP.
It said that prompted the action to slash the clothing allowance of the staff at the CID department.A check at various CID offices in the region confirmed the slash but the staff would not openly comment, indicating that they would rather have wished the situation was explained to them before the action was taken.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
FAKE NOTES: COP GRABBED (1C, AUGUST 26, 2010)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A bold and vigilant taxi driver in Takoradi, last Monday, caused the arrest of a policeman, who was alleged to be possessing fake currency notes.
The policeman, L/Cpl. Kyei Baah, who was then in mufti, was alleged to have used part of the fake notes to pay his taxi fare.
Sensing something fishy, the driver (name withheld), was said to have confronted the policeman, who then took to his heels.
According to the police, the taxi driver raised an alarm and Kyei Baah, attached to the Port Police, was given a chase and arrested.
He was then escorted to the Rapid Deployment Force Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Takoradi, where he was confirmed to be a policeman.
When he was later searched, GH¢50.00 in GH¢10.00 denominations and GH¢8.00 in GH¢1.00 denominations with the same serial numbers were found on him.
Kyei Baah told the police during interrogation that he boarded a taxi the previous day and gave the driver GH¢50.00, which he (the driver) changed into GH¢10 denomination from another taxi driver.
The Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, confirmed the story and said the suspect had been interdicted pending investigations.
A bold and vigilant taxi driver in Takoradi, last Monday, caused the arrest of a policeman, who was alleged to be possessing fake currency notes.
The policeman, L/Cpl. Kyei Baah, who was then in mufti, was alleged to have used part of the fake notes to pay his taxi fare.
Sensing something fishy, the driver (name withheld), was said to have confronted the policeman, who then took to his heels.
According to the police, the taxi driver raised an alarm and Kyei Baah, attached to the Port Police, was given a chase and arrested.
He was then escorted to the Rapid Deployment Force Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Takoradi, where he was confirmed to be a policeman.
When he was later searched, GH¢50.00 in GH¢10.00 denominations and GH¢8.00 in GH¢1.00 denominations with the same serial numbers were found on him.
Kyei Baah told the police during interrogation that he boarded a taxi the previous day and gave the driver GH¢50.00, which he (the driver) changed into GH¢10 denomination from another taxi driver.
The Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, confirmed the story and said the suspect had been interdicted pending investigations.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
CAL BANK ASSISTS ORPHANAGE (SPREAD, AUGUST 24, 2010)
National Service persons attached to Cal Bank in the Takoradi/Sekondi metropolis have presented items valued at GH¢7,000 to Egyam Orphanage Foundation in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region.
The items include three desktop computers, bags of rice, plates, cooking oil, laundry soaps, tinned tomatoes, fish, stationery and biscuits.
Others are soya milk, sugar, soft drinks, insecticides, detergents, laundry baskets, plastic chairs, toothpaste, aluminium and plastic bowls and ice chest.
The orphanage, established on December 27, 2007 with initial 32 children to help the less privileged in society, now has 51 children comprising 32 boys and 19 girls.
After the presentation, the persons interacted with inmates at the orphanage and encouraged them to aspire to become responsible citizens in future.
The Director of Human Resource at Cal Bank, Mr Samuel Boafo, said the focus was to reach out to the less privileged in the communities within the catchment area of the bank.
Receiving the items, the Administrator of the orphanage, Mr Daniel Payne, thanked the service persons and the bank, as well as other donors, for the support.
Later, the service persons went on a float through the principal streets of the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis to educate people on the importance of blood donation and afterwards donated blood to the Blood Bank of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The items include three desktop computers, bags of rice, plates, cooking oil, laundry soaps, tinned tomatoes, fish, stationery and biscuits.
Others are soya milk, sugar, soft drinks, insecticides, detergents, laundry baskets, plastic chairs, toothpaste, aluminium and plastic bowls and ice chest.
The orphanage, established on December 27, 2007 with initial 32 children to help the less privileged in society, now has 51 children comprising 32 boys and 19 girls.
After the presentation, the persons interacted with inmates at the orphanage and encouraged them to aspire to become responsible citizens in future.
The Director of Human Resource at Cal Bank, Mr Samuel Boafo, said the focus was to reach out to the less privileged in the communities within the catchment area of the bank.
Receiving the items, the Administrator of the orphanage, Mr Daniel Payne, thanked the service persons and the bank, as well as other donors, for the support.
Later, the service persons went on a float through the principal streets of the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis to educate people on the importance of blood donation and afterwards donated blood to the Blood Bank of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
TULLOW, PATNERS ASSURE WORKERS OF INSURANCE COVER (PAGE 29, AUGUST 24, 2010)
TULLOW Ghana Limited and its Jubilee Partners have given assurance to all offshore workers of adequate insurance cover to take care of possible emergencies.
The assurance comes against the backdrop of a request made by some Ghanaian crew members working on the Deep Water Block for the Jubilee Partners to be updated on issues of compensation in case of injury.
Mr Gayheart Mensah, Communications Manager of Tullow Ghana, said “we are fully aware that the drilling and production environment is a potentially dangerous place to work, and much as we try to follow the requirements for safety, we also deserve the right to be briefed periodically.”
He said partners in the Jubilee Project had assured the workers that they were aware of their contributions to ensure the success of the Jubilee Phase I project, as the country prepared to be counted among the community of oil producing nations.
According to the Jubilee partners, they would not allow any contracted third party agency to bend the rules and place its employees in a disadvantaged position.
The offshore crew members were assured that all third party companies contracted to provide rig labour or other services for the Jubilee operations were required to have an adequate workman compensation plan for each crew member before the commencement of its services.
Recently a crew member, Prosper Kone, an employee of Menergy, which is a local company that provides rig labour, sustained injury in the course of work. He was immediately evacuated in an air ambulance to Takoradi and then to the 37 Military Hospital for initial medical attention.
The Jubilee Partners said safety and good working conditions for the staff and crew were not negotiable and not limited to any category of people but applied to all personnel on the project site and facilities.
Aside the adequate insurance cover, there were also two standby well-equipped medical facilities in Takoradi operated by the International SOS and the West African Rescue Association to give the best medical care in case of injury.
The partners remained confident of producing first oil in the last quarter of this year. Following the signing of three offshore licences in 2006, Tullow has made three field discoveries in Ghana to date.
The assurance comes against the backdrop of a request made by some Ghanaian crew members working on the Deep Water Block for the Jubilee Partners to be updated on issues of compensation in case of injury.
Mr Gayheart Mensah, Communications Manager of Tullow Ghana, said “we are fully aware that the drilling and production environment is a potentially dangerous place to work, and much as we try to follow the requirements for safety, we also deserve the right to be briefed periodically.”
He said partners in the Jubilee Project had assured the workers that they were aware of their contributions to ensure the success of the Jubilee Phase I project, as the country prepared to be counted among the community of oil producing nations.
According to the Jubilee partners, they would not allow any contracted third party agency to bend the rules and place its employees in a disadvantaged position.
The offshore crew members were assured that all third party companies contracted to provide rig labour or other services for the Jubilee operations were required to have an adequate workman compensation plan for each crew member before the commencement of its services.
Recently a crew member, Prosper Kone, an employee of Menergy, which is a local company that provides rig labour, sustained injury in the course of work. He was immediately evacuated in an air ambulance to Takoradi and then to the 37 Military Hospital for initial medical attention.
The Jubilee Partners said safety and good working conditions for the staff and crew were not negotiable and not limited to any category of people but applied to all personnel on the project site and facilities.
Aside the adequate insurance cover, there were also two standby well-equipped medical facilities in Takoradi operated by the International SOS and the West African Rescue Association to give the best medical care in case of injury.
The partners remained confident of producing first oil in the last quarter of this year. Following the signing of three offshore licences in 2006, Tullow has made three field discoveries in Ghana to date.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
DOCTOR-PATIENT RATIO IN WR ALARMING (PAGE 43, AUGUST 23, 2010)
THE doctor-patient ratio in the Western Region is alarming, a situation which puts pressure on the doctors manning more than 357 health facilities in the region.
According to the ratio, one doctor is responsible for 33,000 patients.
As a result, some patients, who attend health facilities, join queues and those who are unable to see doctors, have to return home without being attended to.
The region with a population of about 1.9 million, has only 68 doctors and 1,210 nurses, making it very difficult for them to provide the needed healthcare for the people in the region.
Some doctors also refuse posting to communities in the districts since there are limited opportunities for them to make additional money by working as part time doctors or undertaking other private activities.
The situation compels doctors in the districts to work for 24 hours daily, seven days in a week.
Some of the health facilities in the region are without doctors.
In his presentation, when he took his turn at the regional “meet the press” in Takoradi, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo deplored the situation and said the government would do everything possible to improve on it.
Other factors identified among the main problems affecting quality health delivery were lack of accommodation to attract doctors and nurses and lack of improved infrastructure at various government health centres in the region.
The regional minister said the health of the people was among the top priorities of the government, adding that the government had received a loan from the Chinese Government for the construction of a well-equipped regional hospital.
Mr Aidoo said other major projects the government started last year included the construction of a modern hospital at Tarkwa at a cost of GH¢16.5 million, adding that about 50 per cent of work on it had been completed.
He said a new GH¢15 million health centre at Dadieso had also been completed.
Mr Aidoo stated that the regional health directorate took delivery of four Pick-up vehicles, 27 saloon cars, 400 motorbikes and medical equipment to boost health service delivery in the region.
He observed that the region had made significant progress in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region as about 70 per cent outpatients who attended the health facilities in the region were insured.
The Minister of Information, Mr John Tia Akologu, commended the people in the region for their commitment to the development of the region.
Heads of departments, municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives, as well as traditional rulers across the region, attended the function.
According to the ratio, one doctor is responsible for 33,000 patients.
As a result, some patients, who attend health facilities, join queues and those who are unable to see doctors, have to return home without being attended to.
The region with a population of about 1.9 million, has only 68 doctors and 1,210 nurses, making it very difficult for them to provide the needed healthcare for the people in the region.
Some doctors also refuse posting to communities in the districts since there are limited opportunities for them to make additional money by working as part time doctors or undertaking other private activities.
The situation compels doctors in the districts to work for 24 hours daily, seven days in a week.
Some of the health facilities in the region are without doctors.
In his presentation, when he took his turn at the regional “meet the press” in Takoradi, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo deplored the situation and said the government would do everything possible to improve on it.
Other factors identified among the main problems affecting quality health delivery were lack of accommodation to attract doctors and nurses and lack of improved infrastructure at various government health centres in the region.
The regional minister said the health of the people was among the top priorities of the government, adding that the government had received a loan from the Chinese Government for the construction of a well-equipped regional hospital.
Mr Aidoo said other major projects the government started last year included the construction of a modern hospital at Tarkwa at a cost of GH¢16.5 million, adding that about 50 per cent of work on it had been completed.
He said a new GH¢15 million health centre at Dadieso had also been completed.
Mr Aidoo stated that the regional health directorate took delivery of four Pick-up vehicles, 27 saloon cars, 400 motorbikes and medical equipment to boost health service delivery in the region.
He observed that the region had made significant progress in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region as about 70 per cent outpatients who attended the health facilities in the region were insured.
The Minister of Information, Mr John Tia Akologu, commended the people in the region for their commitment to the development of the region.
Heads of departments, municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives, as well as traditional rulers across the region, attended the function.
Friday, August 20, 2010
TRAGIC END...Fisherman drowns on expedition (MIRROR, LEAD STORY, AUGUST 21, 2010)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
what could have passed as a normal fishing expedition by a young fisherman in New Takoradi turned tragic when he fell off his boat and drowned due to high currents.
According to the police, the body of the deceased, Egya Amoasi 21, who went to fishing with his peers in separate boats, had been retrieved after three days underwater.
The police said the deceased and his colleagues had anchored their boats and were fishing with hook and line. Amoasi’s friends returned home the following day without him.
The police said the chief and other opinion leaders dispatched some people to search for him, but they only found his boat anchored.
They looked round and could not trace him but suspected he might have drowned. They sent his boat to the shore and reported to the chief that he was still missing.
After a long fruitless wait for his body to be washed ashore, the elders poured libation and asked the gods to search and release him. His body was found after three days in a state of decomposition.
The body has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital pending autopsy while the Takoradi Central Police continue their investigations.
According to the police the practice of fishing with hook and line was common in the New Takoradi Fishing community where people use smaller boats, hook and line for fishing and that the catch from such expeditions were very expensive.
what could have passed as a normal fishing expedition by a young fisherman in New Takoradi turned tragic when he fell off his boat and drowned due to high currents.
According to the police, the body of the deceased, Egya Amoasi 21, who went to fishing with his peers in separate boats, had been retrieved after three days underwater.
The police said the deceased and his colleagues had anchored their boats and were fishing with hook and line. Amoasi’s friends returned home the following day without him.
The police said the chief and other opinion leaders dispatched some people to search for him, but they only found his boat anchored.
They looked round and could not trace him but suspected he might have drowned. They sent his boat to the shore and reported to the chief that he was still missing.
After a long fruitless wait for his body to be washed ashore, the elders poured libation and asked the gods to search and release him. His body was found after three days in a state of decomposition.
The body has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital pending autopsy while the Takoradi Central Police continue their investigations.
According to the police the practice of fishing with hook and line was common in the New Takoradi Fishing community where people use smaller boats, hook and line for fishing and that the catch from such expeditions were very expensive.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
GAS AT LAST...West African project on stream (LEAD STORY, AUGUST 18, 2010)
THE long-awaited plan of the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) to supply gas to the Volta River Authority (VRA) through an alternative delivery point in Tema finally came on stream yesterday with the delivery of 60 million British thermal units (mmbtu) of free flow gas to the authority for power generation.
The VRA has concluded arrangement with the NGAS, marketers of WAPCO, to supply 35 million thermal units of gas out of the delivery to the Asogli Power Plant, which was completed a year ago but has remained idle because of lack of gas.
With the gas now flowing, the Asogli Power Plant will be able to generate 180 megawatts of energy to complement that of the VRA.
The acting Head of Public Relations of the VRA, Ms Bellona Gerard, told the Daily Graphic in Accra today that the supply of gas to the VRA generating plants in Tema meant that the authority would now be able to generate energy to meet total local demand and also take care of any technical emergencies and scheduled maintenance operations.
Until the delivery of gas to an alternative point in Tema, gas supplies were channelled directly to the authority’s plants in Takoradi, which depend on gas and fuel for combustion and energy generation.
Currently, the national energy demand is 1,500 megawatts but the VRA is generating 1,650 megawatts while the Asogli Power Plant will provide additional 180 megawatts to bring the national total to 1830 megawatts.
The supply of gas to the VRA will be increased to 120 million standard cubit feet of compressed gas by the end of the year.
According to Mrs Harriet Wereko Brobby, Head of Corporate Affairs of the WAPCO, the increase in gas supply to the VRA would be made possible after the completion of the company’s compressor station in Nigeria by the end of the year.
She explained that the WAPCO began firing gas to Ghana last year but was suspended because of technical hitches.
She said the company reactivated its supplies to the VRA in March, 2010 and indicated that the supply to an alternative delivery point in Tema, which was accomplished today, meant that the VRA had been able to convert its equipment to use gas and other energy forms.
Meanwhile, the generating unit of the VRA, Aboadze Thermal Plant, which exploded last July, has resumed full operations after the replacement of the burnt transformer at a cost of $2 million.
The explosion of the generating plant affected the output of the VRA by 110 megawatts.
Two plants of the generating unit, which depended on crude oil, have now been switched to the use of gas from WAPCO to reduce operational cost.
VRA, Aboadze and its sister company, Takoradi International Company (TICO), contribute a total of 550 megawatts to the country’s energy needs.
The Director, Thermal Generation of VRA, Mr Richard Badger, told the Daily Graphic that currently all the units were available and had recovered the 110 megawatts of energy which were lost as a result of the explosion.
He said after the incident last month, officials of the plant conducted thorough examination of the remaining units to ensure that the systems were in perfect condition.
The VRA has concluded arrangement with the NGAS, marketers of WAPCO, to supply 35 million thermal units of gas out of the delivery to the Asogli Power Plant, which was completed a year ago but has remained idle because of lack of gas.
With the gas now flowing, the Asogli Power Plant will be able to generate 180 megawatts of energy to complement that of the VRA.
The acting Head of Public Relations of the VRA, Ms Bellona Gerard, told the Daily Graphic in Accra today that the supply of gas to the VRA generating plants in Tema meant that the authority would now be able to generate energy to meet total local demand and also take care of any technical emergencies and scheduled maintenance operations.
Until the delivery of gas to an alternative point in Tema, gas supplies were channelled directly to the authority’s plants in Takoradi, which depend on gas and fuel for combustion and energy generation.
Currently, the national energy demand is 1,500 megawatts but the VRA is generating 1,650 megawatts while the Asogli Power Plant will provide additional 180 megawatts to bring the national total to 1830 megawatts.
The supply of gas to the VRA will be increased to 120 million standard cubit feet of compressed gas by the end of the year.
According to Mrs Harriet Wereko Brobby, Head of Corporate Affairs of the WAPCO, the increase in gas supply to the VRA would be made possible after the completion of the company’s compressor station in Nigeria by the end of the year.
She explained that the WAPCO began firing gas to Ghana last year but was suspended because of technical hitches.
She said the company reactivated its supplies to the VRA in March, 2010 and indicated that the supply to an alternative delivery point in Tema, which was accomplished today, meant that the VRA had been able to convert its equipment to use gas and other energy forms.
Meanwhile, the generating unit of the VRA, Aboadze Thermal Plant, which exploded last July, has resumed full operations after the replacement of the burnt transformer at a cost of $2 million.
The explosion of the generating plant affected the output of the VRA by 110 megawatts.
Two plants of the generating unit, which depended on crude oil, have now been switched to the use of gas from WAPCO to reduce operational cost.
VRA, Aboadze and its sister company, Takoradi International Company (TICO), contribute a total of 550 megawatts to the country’s energy needs.
The Director, Thermal Generation of VRA, Mr Richard Badger, told the Daily Graphic that currently all the units were available and had recovered the 110 megawatts of energy which were lost as a result of the explosion.
He said after the incident last month, officials of the plant conducted thorough examination of the remaining units to ensure that the systems were in perfect condition.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
GAS AT LAST ... West African gas Project on main stream (Lead Story)
The long-awaited plan of the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) to supply gas to the Volta River Authority (VRA) through an alternative delivery point in Tema finally came on stream yesterday with the delivery of 60 million British thermal units (mmbtu) of free flow gas to the authority for power generation.
The VRA has concluded arrangement with the NGAS, marketers of WAPCO, to supply 35 million thermal units of gas out of the delivery to the Asogli Power Plant, which was completed a year ago but has remained idle because of lack of gas.
With the gas now flowing, the Asogli Power Plant will be able to generate 180 megawatts of energy to complement that of the VRA.
The acting Head of Public Relations of the VRA, Ms Bellona Gerard, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that the supply of gas to the VRA generating plants in Tema meant that the authority would now be able to generate energy to meet total local demand and also take care of any technical emergencies and scheduled maintenance operations.
Until the delivery of gas to an alternative point in Tema, gas supplies were channelled directly to the authority's plants in Takoradi, which depend on gas and fuel for combustion and energy generation.
Currently, the national energy demand is 1,500 megawatts but the VRA is generating 1,650 megawatts while the Asogli Power Plant will provide additional 180 megawatts to bring the national total to 1830 megawatts.
The supply of gas to the VRA will be increased to 120 million standard cubic feet of compressed gas by the end of the year.
According to Mrs Harriet Wereko Brobby, Head of Corporate Affairs of the WAPCO, the increase in gas supply to the VRA would be made possible after the completion of the company's compressor station in Nigeria by the end of the year.
She explained that the WAPCO began firing gas to Ghana last year but was suspended because of technical hitches.
She said the company reactivated its supplies to the VRA in March, 2010 and indicated that the supply to an alternative delivery point in Tema, which was accomplished yesterday, meant that the VRA had been able to convert its equipment to use gas and other energy forms.
Meanwhile, the generating unit of the VRA, Aboadze Thermal Plant, which exploded last July, has resumed full operations after the replacement of the burnt transformer at a cost of $2 million.
The explosion of the generating plant affected the output of the VRA by 110 megawatts.
Two plants of the generating unit, which depended on crude oil, have now been switched to the use of gas from WAPCO to reduce operational cost.
VRA, Aboadze and its sister company, Takoradi International Company (TICO), contribute a total of 550 megawatts to the country's energy needs.
The Director, Thermal Generation of VRA, Mr Richard Badger, told the Daily Graphic that currently all the units were available and had recovered the 110 megawatts of energy which were lost as a result of the explosion.
He said after the incident last month, officials of the plant conducted thorough examination of the remaining units to ensure that the systems were in perfect condition.
The VRA has concluded arrangement with the NGAS, marketers of WAPCO, to supply 35 million thermal units of gas out of the delivery to the Asogli Power Plant, which was completed a year ago but has remained idle because of lack of gas.
With the gas now flowing, the Asogli Power Plant will be able to generate 180 megawatts of energy to complement that of the VRA.
The acting Head of Public Relations of the VRA, Ms Bellona Gerard, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that the supply of gas to the VRA generating plants in Tema meant that the authority would now be able to generate energy to meet total local demand and also take care of any technical emergencies and scheduled maintenance operations.
Until the delivery of gas to an alternative point in Tema, gas supplies were channelled directly to the authority's plants in Takoradi, which depend on gas and fuel for combustion and energy generation.
Currently, the national energy demand is 1,500 megawatts but the VRA is generating 1,650 megawatts while the Asogli Power Plant will provide additional 180 megawatts to bring the national total to 1830 megawatts.
The supply of gas to the VRA will be increased to 120 million standard cubic feet of compressed gas by the end of the year.
According to Mrs Harriet Wereko Brobby, Head of Corporate Affairs of the WAPCO, the increase in gas supply to the VRA would be made possible after the completion of the company's compressor station in Nigeria by the end of the year.
She explained that the WAPCO began firing gas to Ghana last year but was suspended because of technical hitches.
She said the company reactivated its supplies to the VRA in March, 2010 and indicated that the supply to an alternative delivery point in Tema, which was accomplished yesterday, meant that the VRA had been able to convert its equipment to use gas and other energy forms.
Meanwhile, the generating unit of the VRA, Aboadze Thermal Plant, which exploded last July, has resumed full operations after the replacement of the burnt transformer at a cost of $2 million.
The explosion of the generating plant affected the output of the VRA by 110 megawatts.
Two plants of the generating unit, which depended on crude oil, have now been switched to the use of gas from WAPCO to reduce operational cost.
VRA, Aboadze and its sister company, Takoradi International Company (TICO), contribute a total of 550 megawatts to the country's energy needs.
The Director, Thermal Generation of VRA, Mr Richard Badger, told the Daily Graphic that currently all the units were available and had recovered the 110 megawatts of energy which were lost as a result of the explosion.
He said after the incident last month, officials of the plant conducted thorough examination of the remaining units to ensure that the systems were in perfect condition.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
FOUR ARRESTED FOR STEALING DRAIN COVERS (PAGE 29, AUGUST 18, 2010)
FOUR young men who were found in possession of metal drain covers have been arrested by the Takoradi Central Police in collaboration with the assembly and Vodafone.
The four Kobby Nketsiah, 30; Abubakari Sawadogo, 27; Kwadwo Ofori, 39 and Mutal Yahaya were found with 27 heavy chamber covers of Vodafone underground cables and fabricated metal for pavement culverts, some embossed with corporate logos.
According to the police, they continuously receive complaints from the assembly and other telecom companies about the theft of their chamber covers.
The police said the uncovered drains and the chambers of the telecom companies, as well as fire hydrants, are dangerous to pedestrians as they could cause death or serious injury if one should fall in any of them.
The police further noted that the covers are mostly removed at night, making it difficult for pedestrians to be aware of the dangers ahead, particularly as many parts of the metropolis, especially the heavily populated areas, are not illuminated.
The Takoradi Central District Police Commander, DSP Dela Dzansi, urged members of the public to report the activities of people who steal the metal covers to the police.
He said most of these crimes were committed in communities and if society fails to report, either the one failing to report or his/her close associate could fall a victim.
“The companies and the metropolitan assembly knew very well that leaving the culverts uncovered was dangerous to the very people they were trying to provide services for, therefore, if one decides to steal these covers and sell them for personal gain it constitutes a crime,” he said.
Officials of the assembly assured the public that the assembly would do everything possible to ensure that the city was safe and cautioned that unscrupulous members of the society whose activities make life unbearable for their fellow humans would be made to face the law.
The four Kobby Nketsiah, 30; Abubakari Sawadogo, 27; Kwadwo Ofori, 39 and Mutal Yahaya were found with 27 heavy chamber covers of Vodafone underground cables and fabricated metal for pavement culverts, some embossed with corporate logos.
According to the police, they continuously receive complaints from the assembly and other telecom companies about the theft of their chamber covers.
The police said the uncovered drains and the chambers of the telecom companies, as well as fire hydrants, are dangerous to pedestrians as they could cause death or serious injury if one should fall in any of them.
The police further noted that the covers are mostly removed at night, making it difficult for pedestrians to be aware of the dangers ahead, particularly as many parts of the metropolis, especially the heavily populated areas, are not illuminated.
The Takoradi Central District Police Commander, DSP Dela Dzansi, urged members of the public to report the activities of people who steal the metal covers to the police.
He said most of these crimes were committed in communities and if society fails to report, either the one failing to report or his/her close associate could fall a victim.
“The companies and the metropolitan assembly knew very well that leaving the culverts uncovered was dangerous to the very people they were trying to provide services for, therefore, if one decides to steal these covers and sell them for personal gain it constitutes a crime,” he said.
Officials of the assembly assured the public that the assembly would do everything possible to ensure that the city was safe and cautioned that unscrupulous members of the society whose activities make life unbearable for their fellow humans would be made to face the law.
TWIN-CITY RESIDENTS UNAHPPY WITH REFUSE COLLECTORS (PAGE 29, AUGUST 18, 2010)
RESIDENTS in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi are questioning the roadworthiness of vehicles of some of the refuse collectors in the metropolis.
They also want to know why the Sekondi/ Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has released its refuse containers that are supposed to be placed in communities to private companies.
The residents are appalled that the vehicles collecting refuse are themselves in a bad state, littering the streets with the waste that they have collected as they drive through the metropolis.
When the Daily Graphic came across one of the vehicles with the inscription ABC, it was carrying a container that was supposed to be placed at one location earmarked for the community to dump their waste.
That aside, the container itself was longer than the base called the “roller” on which it was placed, and the vehicle did not even have a DVLA registration number at the back.
Again, the container had been strapped to the base with chains, a tie and ropes.
The Daily Graphic also spotted the truck again at about 2:45p.m. parked in the middle of the road in front of the SNNIT offices in Takoradi, thereby slowing vehicular movement.
Apparently, it had developed a fault and the driver’s mates had to get down and drag the heaps of refuse on the streets and throw them into the container through the windows.
In their quest to finish on time, the refuse collectors spilled some of the refuse into nearby gutters and on the streets.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to find out if they considered how equipped companies were before awarding contracts to them, official sources said the assembly were aware that some companies were using trucks fixed with long containers, belonging to the assembly which were given to them by the assembly.
The sources indicated that they were aware of the dangers posed by strapping the long containers on the shorter ‘rollers’ and said that the situation persisted due to a directive from a source that they did not disclose.
They also want to know why the Sekondi/ Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has released its refuse containers that are supposed to be placed in communities to private companies.
The residents are appalled that the vehicles collecting refuse are themselves in a bad state, littering the streets with the waste that they have collected as they drive through the metropolis.
When the Daily Graphic came across one of the vehicles with the inscription ABC, it was carrying a container that was supposed to be placed at one location earmarked for the community to dump their waste.
That aside, the container itself was longer than the base called the “roller” on which it was placed, and the vehicle did not even have a DVLA registration number at the back.
Again, the container had been strapped to the base with chains, a tie and ropes.
The Daily Graphic also spotted the truck again at about 2:45p.m. parked in the middle of the road in front of the SNNIT offices in Takoradi, thereby slowing vehicular movement.
Apparently, it had developed a fault and the driver’s mates had to get down and drag the heaps of refuse on the streets and throw them into the container through the windows.
In their quest to finish on time, the refuse collectors spilled some of the refuse into nearby gutters and on the streets.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to find out if they considered how equipped companies were before awarding contracts to them, official sources said the assembly were aware that some companies were using trucks fixed with long containers, belonging to the assembly which were given to them by the assembly.
The sources indicated that they were aware of the dangers posed by strapping the long containers on the shorter ‘rollers’ and said that the situation persisted due to a directive from a source that they did not disclose.
BOMPEH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL IS 25 YEARS (PAGE 29, AUGUST 17, 2010)
BOMPEH Senior High Technical School in Takoradi has marked its silver jubilee celebration with the call for improved infrastructure to contain the growing needs of the school.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, in his response assured parents and head of schools that the ongoing additional classroom blocks to accommodate the first year group will be ready for the next academic year.
He reiterated that plans to enroll the first year group to schools this academic year was on course and there should be no cause for alarm.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said all schools in the country would be provided with at least the minimum requirements to facilitate quality teaching and learning.
Knowing the urgency required to get the additional classroom ready, he said the government did not delay in awarding the contracts for the commencement of work.
“Reports across the country indicate that work had already started in most of the schools with the support of various district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies,” the Minister said.
He also stated that apart from the current project to house first year group, other projects had been started in phases and efforts were being made to ensure that all schools would have their share of needed infrastructure.
The minister said initial preparations regarding the review of the school curriculum to meet the current changes in the duration of senior high schools had started and there should not be any problem in that respect.
He indicated that with the support from the development partners, there was a capacity building; training for teachers in second cycle in core subject areas such as English, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies.
Mr Teteh-Enyo said the government had also put in place an initiative to improve the computerised school selection and placement system to ensure efficiency.
He expressed the hope that as many candidates as possible that qualify for this year’s admissions would be admitted to continue their education at the senior level.
The government he said was committed to fulfill its mandate towards the provision of quality and affordable education for the entire citizenry but would require the contributions of all stakeholders to play their roles in this regard.
The guest speaker, Prof. D.D. Kuupole, Pro-vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, urged the government to reposition technical and vocational education and training in the country to feed the growing need in the industrial sector.
He said with the latest discovery of oil and gas, there was the need for critical attention to ensure that technical education became the catalyst for the country’s development.
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Aba Smith, enumerated some of the challenges facing the school and called for support.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, in his response assured parents and head of schools that the ongoing additional classroom blocks to accommodate the first year group will be ready for the next academic year.
He reiterated that plans to enroll the first year group to schools this academic year was on course and there should be no cause for alarm.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said all schools in the country would be provided with at least the minimum requirements to facilitate quality teaching and learning.
Knowing the urgency required to get the additional classroom ready, he said the government did not delay in awarding the contracts for the commencement of work.
“Reports across the country indicate that work had already started in most of the schools with the support of various district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies,” the Minister said.
He also stated that apart from the current project to house first year group, other projects had been started in phases and efforts were being made to ensure that all schools would have their share of needed infrastructure.
The minister said initial preparations regarding the review of the school curriculum to meet the current changes in the duration of senior high schools had started and there should not be any problem in that respect.
He indicated that with the support from the development partners, there was a capacity building; training for teachers in second cycle in core subject areas such as English, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies.
Mr Teteh-Enyo said the government had also put in place an initiative to improve the computerised school selection and placement system to ensure efficiency.
He expressed the hope that as many candidates as possible that qualify for this year’s admissions would be admitted to continue their education at the senior level.
The government he said was committed to fulfill its mandate towards the provision of quality and affordable education for the entire citizenry but would require the contributions of all stakeholders to play their roles in this regard.
The guest speaker, Prof. D.D. Kuupole, Pro-vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, urged the government to reposition technical and vocational education and training in the country to feed the growing need in the industrial sector.
He said with the latest discovery of oil and gas, there was the need for critical attention to ensure that technical education became the catalyst for the country’s development.
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Aba Smith, enumerated some of the challenges facing the school and called for support.
DEBRIS ON SEKONDI-TAKORADI HIGHWAY NOT CLEARED (PAGE 29, AUGUST 18, 2010)
A LARGE amount of sand deposited on the shoulders of the Sekondi/Takoradi highway opposite the Monkey Hill at the Pa Grant Roundabout, together with some trees weeks after a landslide, is yet to be cleared.
The trees were quickly cleared and they are believed to have been sold off for economic gains, leaving the sand which has piled by the sides of the road due to vehicular movement.
A large amount of dried leaves which were trimmed from the tree branches and left on the road have also been swept by the wind into nearby open drains.
In addition, other trees with very weak roots, which could easily fall in the likelihood of a windstorm, are still standing by the roadside, posing a danger to passengers who use a bus terminal in the area.
Furthermore, the metropolitan assembly looks on unconcerned as concrete covers of major drains continue to fall into the drains.
In the central business district, the streets are untidy as hired sweepers do shoddy work, and employees of sanitation contractors only gather papers and leaves and allow the sand to heap at the sides of the streets.
Some officials of the assembly who spoke to the Daily Graphic said that the management of the metropolis seems to be getting out of hand.
“There is total lawlessness everywhere and the assembly seems not to care. People are selling everywhere, cars park and pick passengers everywhere and unauthorised places have been turned into terminals,” they said.
They accused the metropolitan chief executive of completely taking over all the duties and failing to take into account the opinion of others concerning the management of the metropolis.
The trees were quickly cleared and they are believed to have been sold off for economic gains, leaving the sand which has piled by the sides of the road due to vehicular movement.
A large amount of dried leaves which were trimmed from the tree branches and left on the road have also been swept by the wind into nearby open drains.
In addition, other trees with very weak roots, which could easily fall in the likelihood of a windstorm, are still standing by the roadside, posing a danger to passengers who use a bus terminal in the area.
Furthermore, the metropolitan assembly looks on unconcerned as concrete covers of major drains continue to fall into the drains.
In the central business district, the streets are untidy as hired sweepers do shoddy work, and employees of sanitation contractors only gather papers and leaves and allow the sand to heap at the sides of the streets.
Some officials of the assembly who spoke to the Daily Graphic said that the management of the metropolis seems to be getting out of hand.
“There is total lawlessness everywhere and the assembly seems not to care. People are selling everywhere, cars park and pick passengers everywhere and unauthorised places have been turned into terminals,” they said.
They accused the metropolitan chief executive of completely taking over all the duties and failing to take into account the opinion of others concerning the management of the metropolis.
NON-PARTISAN THINK TANK NEEDED FOR WR (PAGE 12, AUGUST 17, 2010)
THE Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, has called for a non-partisan socio-economic think tank to take up development challenges of the region.
He said the region with vast natural resources had seen very little development and such an independent think tank could help overcome the challenges facing the region.
He mentioned some of the resources as gold, cocoa, timber, ore, limestone, silica, iron, solar salt, glass sands, clays and the newly discovered oil and gas.
The regional minister said if the region and any other part of the country would progress there was the need for unity of purpose devoid of partisan political consideration.
He said that the region needed to speak with one voice in order to make progress.
At the meet the press series in Takoradi, the minister said the region had most of the bad roads in the country.
He said the total length of roads in the region was estimated at 1,430km and that only about 20 per cent was in good condition, 34 per cent in fair condition and 46 per cent in very poor condition.
The minister said there was still much work to be done to open up the region to link up with other regions.
This he said was necessary to enhance easy movement of goods and services across the country.
He observed that transporting goods during the rainy season was very difficult and this impacted negatively on the living conditions of farmers at the local level and the national economy.
“If the goods or foodstuff is transported with less difficulty, the prices would come down.”
In order to improve the conditions, he said the Ghana Highway Authority had executed some projects including the upgrading of the Telekubokazo-Aniben Junction, sectional gravelling of Daboase-Osenegya road and Sefwi-Wiawso-Akontonbra roads.
He said the construction of critical culverts on Prestea-Samreboi and Aboni-Samaraboi roads were progressing well.
In the first quarter of this year, the minister said, there had been improvement on the 30km Prestea-Samreboi road and the construction of the 30km Enchi-Dadieso road.
He said the rehabilitation of Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayanfuri roads covering about 94.4km which served as one of the very important roads in the region was at the procurement stage and there would also be the rehabilitation of 110km Apimanim-Elubo roads.
He said the region with vast natural resources had seen very little development and such an independent think tank could help overcome the challenges facing the region.
He mentioned some of the resources as gold, cocoa, timber, ore, limestone, silica, iron, solar salt, glass sands, clays and the newly discovered oil and gas.
The regional minister said if the region and any other part of the country would progress there was the need for unity of purpose devoid of partisan political consideration.
He said that the region needed to speak with one voice in order to make progress.
At the meet the press series in Takoradi, the minister said the region had most of the bad roads in the country.
He said the total length of roads in the region was estimated at 1,430km and that only about 20 per cent was in good condition, 34 per cent in fair condition and 46 per cent in very poor condition.
The minister said there was still much work to be done to open up the region to link up with other regions.
This he said was necessary to enhance easy movement of goods and services across the country.
He observed that transporting goods during the rainy season was very difficult and this impacted negatively on the living conditions of farmers at the local level and the national economy.
“If the goods or foodstuff is transported with less difficulty, the prices would come down.”
In order to improve the conditions, he said the Ghana Highway Authority had executed some projects including the upgrading of the Telekubokazo-Aniben Junction, sectional gravelling of Daboase-Osenegya road and Sefwi-Wiawso-Akontonbra roads.
He said the construction of critical culverts on Prestea-Samreboi and Aboni-Samaraboi roads were progressing well.
In the first quarter of this year, the minister said, there had been improvement on the 30km Prestea-Samreboi road and the construction of the 30km Enchi-Dadieso road.
He said the rehabilitation of Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayanfuri roads covering about 94.4km which served as one of the very important roads in the region was at the procurement stage and there would also be the rehabilitation of 110km Apimanim-Elubo roads.
Non-Partisan think tank needed for W/R
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, has called for a non-partisan socio-economic think tank to take up development challenges of the region.
He said the region with vast natural resources had seen very little development and such an independent think tank could help overcome the challenges facing the region.
He mentioned some of the resources as gold, cocoa, timber, ore, limestone, silica, iron, solar salt, glass sands, clays and the newly discovered oil and gas.
The regional minister said if the region and any other part of the country would progress there was the need for unity of purpose devoid of partisan political consideration.
He said that the region needed to speak with one voice in order to make progress.
At the meet the press series in Takoradi, the minister said the region had most of the bad roads in the country.
He said the total length of roads in the region was estimated at 1,430km and that only about 20 per cent was in good condition, 34 per cent in fair condition and 46 per cent in very poor condition.
The minister said there was still much work to be done to open up the region to link up with other regions.
This he said was necessary to enhance easy movement of goods and services across the country.
He observed that transporting goods during the rainy season was very difficult and this impacted negatively on the living conditions of farmers at the local level and the national economy.
"If the goods or foodstuff" is transported with less difficulty, the prices would come down."
In order to improve the conditions, he said the Ghana Highway Authority had executed some projects including the upgrading of the Telekubokazo-Aniben Junction, sectional gravelling of Daboase-Osenegya road and Sefwi-Wiawso-Akontonbra roads.
He said the construction of critical culverts on Prestea-Samreboi and Aboni-Samaraboi roads were progressing well.
In the first quarter of this year, the minister said, there had been improvement on the 30km Prestea-Samreboi road and the construction of the 30km Enchi-Dadieso road.
He said the rehabilitation of Tarkwa Bogoso-Ayanfuri roads covering about 94.4km which served as one of the very important roads in: the region was at the procurement stage and there would also be the rehabilitation of 110km Apima-Elubo roads.
He said the region with vast natural resources had seen very little development and such an independent think tank could help overcome the challenges facing the region.
He mentioned some of the resources as gold, cocoa, timber, ore, limestone, silica, iron, solar salt, glass sands, clays and the newly discovered oil and gas.
The regional minister said if the region and any other part of the country would progress there was the need for unity of purpose devoid of partisan political consideration.
He said that the region needed to speak with one voice in order to make progress.
At the meet the press series in Takoradi, the minister said the region had most of the bad roads in the country.
He said the total length of roads in the region was estimated at 1,430km and that only about 20 per cent was in good condition, 34 per cent in fair condition and 46 per cent in very poor condition.
The minister said there was still much work to be done to open up the region to link up with other regions.
This he said was necessary to enhance easy movement of goods and services across the country.
He observed that transporting goods during the rainy season was very difficult and this impacted negatively on the living conditions of farmers at the local level and the national economy.
"If the goods or foodstuff" is transported with less difficulty, the prices would come down."
In order to improve the conditions, he said the Ghana Highway Authority had executed some projects including the upgrading of the Telekubokazo-Aniben Junction, sectional gravelling of Daboase-Osenegya road and Sefwi-Wiawso-Akontonbra roads.
He said the construction of critical culverts on Prestea-Samreboi and Aboni-Samaraboi roads were progressing well.
In the first quarter of this year, the minister said, there had been improvement on the 30km Prestea-Samreboi road and the construction of the 30km Enchi-Dadieso road.
He said the rehabilitation of Tarkwa Bogoso-Ayanfuri roads covering about 94.4km which served as one of the very important roads in: the region was at the procurement stage and there would also be the rehabilitation of 110km Apima-Elubo roads.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
TECHNIP JOINS FIGHT AGAINST MALARIA IN TWIN-CITY (PAGE 18, AUGUST 14, 2010)
TECHNIP, the company working on the sub-sea component of the Jubilee Oilfield drilling project offshore, has presented more than 2,200 pieces of treated mosquito nets to schoolchildren, teaching and non-teaching staff of four primary schools and its surrounding communities in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
Each child and staff of the beneficiary schools, including the Essipon M. A. Primary School, Ekuasi Methodist School, Ngyiresia M.A. Primary School, and Essikado Roman Catholic School were presented with one treated net each under its malaria awareness and prevention programme.
The company also contracted other NGOs under the project to educate the schoolchildren on the dangers on malaria and how to prevent it.
The environmental officers of the company also took the schoolchildren through how to preserve the environment and how waste should be disposed.
It said solid waste should be deposited at designated places and not in drains to prevent water from flowing and thereby, breed mosquitoes.
The company said even though the presentation formed part of its co-operate social responsibility, it had always been their style to ensure that they related well with their hosts.
The Country Manager of Technip, Mr Stephan Sole, said Malaria Control and Awareness programme was very important to ensure that children were not only protected but also made aware of the benefits of sleeping in treated nets.
He said healthy citizenry was a strength of every nation and it was through that they could develop. Therefore, as a company, Technip would do everything to ensure that in every country that it had its operations there was a strong bond of friendship between the company and its host communities or nations.
“I am glad that through the interaction, the children were made aware that clean environment will reduce the breeding ground for mosquitoes and if they were healthy, they will do well academically,” he said.
“Even though Technip is working on installations offshore on the sub-sea component of the Jubilee Oilfield, we always want a lovely relationship with the communities in which we operate as good corporate citizens,” he added.
For her part, Chief of Essipon, Nana Kofi Abuna V, commended the company for the relationship with members of the communities and developing interest in the education and health needs of children.
She said health was the utmost need of children and it was very gratifying that the company had chosen to attend to the health needs of the children in her community.
TAILOR SLAYS EX-WIFE...He's been placed in police custody (LEAD STORY, AUGUST 14, 2010)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Kajebil
BEASTLY instincts took the better part of a 28-year-old man when he allegedly butchered his estranged wife at Kajebil in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region yesterday morning.
The 26-year-old woman, Victoria Amoako, a mother of three who had separated from her partner, suffered her fate after she had been invited by the husband to his tailoring shop for money for the upkeep of their children, since he was about to travel out of town.
Without any provocation, the man, John Arthur, who had in the past accused the wife of infidelity and had expressed fear of losing her to another man, pulled out a well-sharpened machete and inflicted deep wounds on the neck, back, knees and wrists of the woman, killing her instantly.
According to the police, when Victoria reached the tailoring shop, Arthur offered her a seat and asked her to wait while he counted the money for her.
The woman, who was said to be sitting with her back towards the husband, did not see Arthur pulling the machete.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene of the incident about 5:30 a.m., the victim’s body was lying in a pool of blood.
The incident was reported to the Kwesimintsim District Police Command, which moved in to begin investigations into it.
According to the police, the couple had been married for many years and were blessed with four children but one died.
They said the couple had everything going well until the man started accusing the woman of having multiple sexual affairs with other men.
That, according to the police, brought a lot of quarrels between them, a situation which marred the beautiful relationship.
According to them, efforts made to resolve the differences yielded no positive results and, as a result of the mistrust between them, the woman requested that they should be separated, since she was tired of the daily quarrels.
The police said the husband granted the request, without reneging on his responsibility to his children.
According to the police, since the man had been supporting the upkeep of the children, Victoria never anticipated that he had nurtured a plan to kill her when he invited her to his shop.
Victoria’s body has been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, while the suspect has been placed in police custody pending further investigations.
BEASTLY instincts took the better part of a 28-year-old man when he allegedly butchered his estranged wife at Kajebil in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region yesterday morning.
The 26-year-old woman, Victoria Amoako, a mother of three who had separated from her partner, suffered her fate after she had been invited by the husband to his tailoring shop for money for the upkeep of their children, since he was about to travel out of town.
Without any provocation, the man, John Arthur, who had in the past accused the wife of infidelity and had expressed fear of losing her to another man, pulled out a well-sharpened machete and inflicted deep wounds on the neck, back, knees and wrists of the woman, killing her instantly.
According to the police, when Victoria reached the tailoring shop, Arthur offered her a seat and asked her to wait while he counted the money for her.
The woman, who was said to be sitting with her back towards the husband, did not see Arthur pulling the machete.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene of the incident about 5:30 a.m., the victim’s body was lying in a pool of blood.
The incident was reported to the Kwesimintsim District Police Command, which moved in to begin investigations into it.
According to the police, the couple had been married for many years and were blessed with four children but one died.
They said the couple had everything going well until the man started accusing the woman of having multiple sexual affairs with other men.
That, according to the police, brought a lot of quarrels between them, a situation which marred the beautiful relationship.
According to them, efforts made to resolve the differences yielded no positive results and, as a result of the mistrust between them, the woman requested that they should be separated, since she was tired of the daily quarrels.
The police said the husband granted the request, without reneging on his responsibility to his children.
According to the police, since the man had been supporting the upkeep of the children, Victoria never anticipated that he had nurtured a plan to kill her when he invited her to his shop.
Victoria’s body has been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, while the suspect has been placed in police custody pending further investigations.
Friday, August 13, 2010
GOOD SAMARITAN STABBED TO DEATH (MIRROR, LEAD STORY, AUGUST 14, 2010)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
ONE of two brothers, who attempted to stop a group of young men from engaging in a violent fight, was killed instantly when a knife was driven through his body. The other, who was also stabbed, is now on admission at the hospital.
The two victims, Kweku Yeboah and Sampson Manu were said to have seen some friends in their community in Adobewura No 2 near Sefwi Bekwai in the Western Region in a violent fight and decided to separate them. The brothers, in the process of stopping the fight, were mistakenly stabbed by Cudjoe Akibe, who was said to be involved in the fight.
Cudjoe told the police in a statement that he stabbed them in self defence and that he collected the knife from one of many young men, who pounced on him when he walked past them without any provocation.
According to the police, at about 8 p.m. on Sunday, August 8, 2010 there was a misunderstanding between Cudjoe and a group of young men in their community.
The two brothers, therefore, decided to separate the fighters and in the process, Cudjoe stabbed Yeboah in the lower abdomen and Manu on the chest.
The police said the brothers went down in a pool of blood and pain, and members of the community quickly rushed them to the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital, where Manu was pronounced dead on arrival.
Doctors were said to have managed to save the life of Yeboah and was said to be responding to treatment at the hospital.
Cudjoe told the police that, he was passing through an area when a group of young men started making fun of him and warned them to stop and before he could finish talking the young men pounced on him.
In self defence, he collected a knife from one of them who threatened to stab him and explained that he did not know that the two had come to his rescue.
Meanwhile, the body of the victim has been deposited at the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital while the police have launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the fight and the stabbing of the two brothers.
ONE of two brothers, who attempted to stop a group of young men from engaging in a violent fight, was killed instantly when a knife was driven through his body. The other, who was also stabbed, is now on admission at the hospital.
The two victims, Kweku Yeboah and Sampson Manu were said to have seen some friends in their community in Adobewura No 2 near Sefwi Bekwai in the Western Region in a violent fight and decided to separate them. The brothers, in the process of stopping the fight, were mistakenly stabbed by Cudjoe Akibe, who was said to be involved in the fight.
Cudjoe told the police in a statement that he stabbed them in self defence and that he collected the knife from one of many young men, who pounced on him when he walked past them without any provocation.
According to the police, at about 8 p.m. on Sunday, August 8, 2010 there was a misunderstanding between Cudjoe and a group of young men in their community.
The two brothers, therefore, decided to separate the fighters and in the process, Cudjoe stabbed Yeboah in the lower abdomen and Manu on the chest.
The police said the brothers went down in a pool of blood and pain, and members of the community quickly rushed them to the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital, where Manu was pronounced dead on arrival.
Doctors were said to have managed to save the life of Yeboah and was said to be responding to treatment at the hospital.
Cudjoe told the police that, he was passing through an area when a group of young men started making fun of him and warned them to stop and before he could finish talking the young men pounced on him.
In self defence, he collected a knife from one of them who threatened to stab him and explained that he did not know that the two had come to his rescue.
Meanwhile, the body of the victim has been deposited at the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital while the police have launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the fight and the stabbing of the two brothers.
Monday, August 9, 2010
GOVT READY FOR OIL-RELATED DISPUTES (SPREAD, AUGUST 9, 2010)
THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has indicated the determination of the government to create a strong national security and efficient judicial systems through training to deal with the anticipated oil and gas disputes and litigation likely to be associated with the industry.
He said the government was also aware of the high expectations of the populace in relation to the emerging oil industry of the country.
The country is expected to start producing oil and gas in commercial quantities in the last quarter of the year and has created a petro-related human resource agenda to that effect.
In an address read on his behalf at the opening ceremony of the 10th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Takoradi last Saturday, Mr Mahama said the government was committed to ensuring the successful management of the oil and gas industry.
On the theme: “Empowered by the Holy Spirit”, the six-day meeting is being attended by 1,000 delegates involving 50 per cent laymen and 50 per cent ordained ministers from both local and overseas congregations of the 182-year old Presbyterian Church.
The conference is expected to adopt strategies for the coming year and elect the 16th Moderator, who would head the church for a six-year term.
The Vice-President said the government, through its “Better Ghana” Agenda, recognised the modernisation of agriculture, provision of key infrastructure, fiscal stability, development of the emerging oil and gas industry, information and communication technology, as well as the delivery of quality social service programmes, as the targeted areas for poverty alleviation.
He noted that the problem of high levels of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, corruption, poor housing and other evils militating against the country’s growth agenda could only be solved when all stakeholders in the country, which the church is a part pooled resources to build a prosperous and vibrant nation.
Mr Dramani added that the government was also concerned about the growing level of indiscipline, ethnicity, lack of respect for political leadership and sabotage in the country which were affecting the fledgling democracy.
He suggested that the church established special resource centres for the training of moral and servant leaders while engaging in more income generating ventures, as well as carrying out more effective advocacy and social action programmes on issues such as child trafficking, drug abuse, tribalism and constitutional review.
The outgoing Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt. Revd Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, urged the church to move away from its over-dependence on offerings and tithes in the light of current trends of fatigue in giving and poverty of most of members of the church.
“Let us put in every effort and resources and with the help of God to execute our resolve for viable investments and projects to sustain the financial base of this church,” he emphasised.
The Rt. Revd Frimpong-Manso said the Millennium Development Fund established by the church had so far yielded about GH¢146,652.37 which it had since invested with the Databank Asset Management and Intercontinental Bank Investment Account.
He also said the Presbyterian Foundation had yielded a reserve of GH¢1,312,163.66 as of June 2010.
The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Fred Deegbe, said the council had formed a coalition with the Ghana Pentecostal Council, for the purpose of advocating the prudent use of the expected revenue that would accrue from oil and gas production.
He explained that it was the belief of the council that the revenue from oil and gas production would be better managed if it was solely managed by an independent commission with parliamentary oversight.
Deserving members of and some individuals including the Regional Page Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Samuel Kyei Boateng, were honoured in recognition and appreciation of their contribution to the church in particular and the nation at large.
He said the government was also aware of the high expectations of the populace in relation to the emerging oil industry of the country.
The country is expected to start producing oil and gas in commercial quantities in the last quarter of the year and has created a petro-related human resource agenda to that effect.
In an address read on his behalf at the opening ceremony of the 10th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Takoradi last Saturday, Mr Mahama said the government was committed to ensuring the successful management of the oil and gas industry.
On the theme: “Empowered by the Holy Spirit”, the six-day meeting is being attended by 1,000 delegates involving 50 per cent laymen and 50 per cent ordained ministers from both local and overseas congregations of the 182-year old Presbyterian Church.
The conference is expected to adopt strategies for the coming year and elect the 16th Moderator, who would head the church for a six-year term.
The Vice-President said the government, through its “Better Ghana” Agenda, recognised the modernisation of agriculture, provision of key infrastructure, fiscal stability, development of the emerging oil and gas industry, information and communication technology, as well as the delivery of quality social service programmes, as the targeted areas for poverty alleviation.
He noted that the problem of high levels of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, corruption, poor housing and other evils militating against the country’s growth agenda could only be solved when all stakeholders in the country, which the church is a part pooled resources to build a prosperous and vibrant nation.
Mr Dramani added that the government was also concerned about the growing level of indiscipline, ethnicity, lack of respect for political leadership and sabotage in the country which were affecting the fledgling democracy.
He suggested that the church established special resource centres for the training of moral and servant leaders while engaging in more income generating ventures, as well as carrying out more effective advocacy and social action programmes on issues such as child trafficking, drug abuse, tribalism and constitutional review.
The outgoing Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt. Revd Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, urged the church to move away from its over-dependence on offerings and tithes in the light of current trends of fatigue in giving and poverty of most of members of the church.
“Let us put in every effort and resources and with the help of God to execute our resolve for viable investments and projects to sustain the financial base of this church,” he emphasised.
The Rt. Revd Frimpong-Manso said the Millennium Development Fund established by the church had so far yielded about GH¢146,652.37 which it had since invested with the Databank Asset Management and Intercontinental Bank Investment Account.
He also said the Presbyterian Foundation had yielded a reserve of GH¢1,312,163.66 as of June 2010.
The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Fred Deegbe, said the council had formed a coalition with the Ghana Pentecostal Council, for the purpose of advocating the prudent use of the expected revenue that would accrue from oil and gas production.
He explained that it was the belief of the council that the revenue from oil and gas production would be better managed if it was solely managed by an independent commission with parliamentary oversight.
Deserving members of and some individuals including the Regional Page Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Samuel Kyei Boateng, were honoured in recognition and appreciation of their contribution to the church in particular and the nation at large.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
MORE PROSPECTS FOR OIL EXISTS (PAGE 55, AUGUST 4, 2010)
THE country has more prospects in oil and gas production and its exploration will tremendously enhance the country’s position in the commity of oil producing nations.
At a stakeholders forum in Takoradi, Mr Michael M. A. Aryeetey of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said prospects existed for inland oil production in the coastal areas and in the shelf-regions of the country.
The deep water areas constitute about 27,000km2 out of which 18,000 km2 has been licensed, while on the shelf-region, the size covers a total area of about 23,000 km2 with only 6,650 licensed.
Mr Aryeetey said a total size of 107,100km2 of coastal and inland areas were yet to be licensed.
He said with more discoveries such as Tweneboa, Owor, Sankofa, Odum and the Dzata wells, the country’s oil production output would witness a significant surge.
He stated that if the companies appraised and commenced production as it was in the case of the Jubilee partners, the story would be different.
The jubilee project, he said at the moment, was at installation, hook-up and inauguration stage, while more than 70 per cent of equipment needed to be installed at the seabed had been completed.
He said it was expected that the phase 1 of the project would produce 120,000 barrels of oil and by 2014, production was expected to double to 240,000 and 240,000 standard cubic meters of gas daily after the completion of the phase II.
The GNPC, he said, had faced many challenges which included lack of proper data which had limited many companies to explore the oil potentials of the country.
Mr Aryeetey pointed out that the new challenges of GNPC was lack of infrastructure , experienced and skilled professionals and pointed out that there was the need for capacity building for key organisations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Energy, as well as GNPC.
He said there was also the need for the re-capitalisation of GNPC and addressing the issues of local content, as well as the passing of appropriate legislation and policies to support local operations in the country.
Other important areas he said were environmental, health and safety issues ,youth and community education, as well as management of offshore interference.
He also used the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to rise to the occasion to explore the potential.
The function was attended by Members of the Council of State, industry players and chiefs from various parts of the Western Region.
They expressed the hope that local content would ensure that the locals benefited from the oil find.
At a stakeholders forum in Takoradi, Mr Michael M. A. Aryeetey of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said prospects existed for inland oil production in the coastal areas and in the shelf-regions of the country.
The deep water areas constitute about 27,000km2 out of which 18,000 km2 has been licensed, while on the shelf-region, the size covers a total area of about 23,000 km2 with only 6,650 licensed.
Mr Aryeetey said a total size of 107,100km2 of coastal and inland areas were yet to be licensed.
He said with more discoveries such as Tweneboa, Owor, Sankofa, Odum and the Dzata wells, the country’s oil production output would witness a significant surge.
He stated that if the companies appraised and commenced production as it was in the case of the Jubilee partners, the story would be different.
The jubilee project, he said at the moment, was at installation, hook-up and inauguration stage, while more than 70 per cent of equipment needed to be installed at the seabed had been completed.
He said it was expected that the phase 1 of the project would produce 120,000 barrels of oil and by 2014, production was expected to double to 240,000 and 240,000 standard cubic meters of gas daily after the completion of the phase II.
The GNPC, he said, had faced many challenges which included lack of proper data which had limited many companies to explore the oil potentials of the country.
Mr Aryeetey pointed out that the new challenges of GNPC was lack of infrastructure , experienced and skilled professionals and pointed out that there was the need for capacity building for key organisations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Energy, as well as GNPC.
He said there was also the need for the re-capitalisation of GNPC and addressing the issues of local content, as well as the passing of appropriate legislation and policies to support local operations in the country.
Other important areas he said were environmental, health and safety issues ,youth and community education, as well as management of offshore interference.
He also used the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to rise to the occasion to explore the potential.
The function was attended by Members of the Council of State, industry players and chiefs from various parts of the Western Region.
They expressed the hope that local content would ensure that the locals benefited from the oil find.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
GHANA CAN BE PLUNGED INTO CIVIL CONFLICT IF...Says Dr Ansah-Koi (PAGE 35, AUGUST 4, 2010)
A LECTURER at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Dr Kumi Ansah-Koi, has warned that Ghana can be plunged into civil conflict if disagreements over the exploitation of natural resources are not managed carefully.
He observed that African countries like Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo were plunged into civil conflicts due to such disagreements, pointing out that with its abundant natural resources, Ghana could suffer similar fate if contentions over such resources were not managed properly.
Dr Ansah-Koi gave the warning in a presentation on natural resource-based conflicts in Ghana at a consultative seminar for key actors in the mining sector organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) at the weekend at Busua in the Western Region.
The seminar, which was sponsored by the UNDP, was a follow-up to previous engagements with mining communities and mining companies as part of an initiative by the NPC to resolve issues leading to conflicts between the two parties and smoothen their relationship.
The forum was attended by the Ameer and Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Wahab Adam, who is also the acting Chairman of the NPC, the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Osagyefo Akumfi-Ameyaw, a representative of the Chief Imam, Sheikh Mahmoud Gadel, the Catholic Archbishop of Ho, the Most Reverend Francis Lodonu and a lecturer at the Linguistic Department of the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, all members of the NPC.
The participants included representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Commission, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Navy, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Ghana Chamber of Mines, the media, civil society and mining communities.
Dr Ansah-Koi said considering how the country had managed recent conflicts between mining companies and their host communities, Ghana could have a bigger problem to deal with in respect of its oil exploration.
He, therefore, urged the police, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to do more towards addressing natural resource-based conflicts.
Dr Ansah-Koi mentioned some of the root causes of conflicts as land use, land control, royalties, access to land, regulatory and legislative frameworks and lack of capacity to know profit margins of mining companies.
In another presentation on the government’s policies on natural resource exploitation and their security implications, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr Edwin Barnes, identified some challenges in policy implementation that could lead to conflicts as inadequate consultation and inadequate knowledge of critical issues.
He stressed the need for communities to be sensitised to the issues to enable them to make informed decision, adding, “Our ability as agencies to get people informed will go a long way to address conflicts.”
The Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Alhaji Hamidu, said conflicts existed everywhere, including the home, but the main challenge had been the ability to manage them such that they did not degenerate into violence.
He commended the NPC for the positive role it was playing to foster peace in the country, saying, “If Ghana is called an oasis of peace today, it is because we have the NPC.”
On allegations that the police normally took sides with mining companies against their host communities during conflicts, DCOP Hamidu said much as the communities had the right to demonstrate, “it will be irresponsible for the police to stand and watch infrastructure being destroyed.”
The Executive Director of WACAM, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that champions the cause of communities affected by mining, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, said land was like oxygen to many farming communities and so once the land was taken away from them, they were deprived of life itself.
He said it was inappropriate to allow mining in forest reserves and urged the government to prohibit mining in such reserves.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng said there were many intangible things that mining companies could not compensate the people for, adding that if water bodies, which embodied the spirit of the people, were destroyed for mining purposes, no compensation would be justifiable.
Another official of WACAM, Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, said the social and environmental cost of mining far outweighed the investment made by mining companies and so “if you want to quantify the real cost of mining, we are losing.”
An official of AngloGold Ashanti, Mr James Appiah, said the mining companies paid huge sums of money as compensation to farmers but because they did not have entrepreneurial skills, they misapply the money and began agitation afterwards.
He, therefore, stressed the need for the government to help such community members buy shares in the companies in order to give them sustainable income.
Maulvi Adam, who chaired the seminar, said it was important to tackle conflicts head-on because they undermined development.
Osagyefo Akumfi-Ameyaw urged chiefs of mining communities to pursue the larger interest of their communities instead of their personal interest.
The Research Officer of the NPC, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, expressed concern about the alleged use of arms by Chinese citizens involved in small-scale mining in the country.
He emphasised the need for owners of guns to register their weapons, while urging those who had registered their weapons to endeavour to renew their licenses.
He said given the frankness with which the participants discussed issues, the seminar could not have been more successful, adding that the NPC would seek to build on the positive gains made towards finding a lasting solution to the conflict between mining communities and their hosts.
The participants stressed the need for a national forum on mining to discuss pertinent challenges in the industry to enable the nation to derive maximum benefit from it.
They observed that the mining sector had been fraught with many challenges, such as conflicts between mining companies and their hosts, environmental degradation, illegal mining and legislation shortfalls, stressing that an urgent national forum was required to address those challenges.
The participants observed that there was the need for even the regulatory bodies, police and judges to be sensitised to the critical legal and social issues to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
They said as corporate citizens, mining companies should respect the values, culture and laws of their host communities.
They stressed the need for tolerance among mining companies and the communities, while urging the mining companies to protect the environment by reclaiming the land after their operations and also acting swiftly to address accidents like cyanide spillage.
The participants urged chiefs and communities to frown on illegal mining, since it was destructive to the environment.
He observed that African countries like Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo were plunged into civil conflicts due to such disagreements, pointing out that with its abundant natural resources, Ghana could suffer similar fate if contentions over such resources were not managed properly.
Dr Ansah-Koi gave the warning in a presentation on natural resource-based conflicts in Ghana at a consultative seminar for key actors in the mining sector organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) at the weekend at Busua in the Western Region.
The seminar, which was sponsored by the UNDP, was a follow-up to previous engagements with mining communities and mining companies as part of an initiative by the NPC to resolve issues leading to conflicts between the two parties and smoothen their relationship.
The forum was attended by the Ameer and Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Wahab Adam, who is also the acting Chairman of the NPC, the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Osagyefo Akumfi-Ameyaw, a representative of the Chief Imam, Sheikh Mahmoud Gadel, the Catholic Archbishop of Ho, the Most Reverend Francis Lodonu and a lecturer at the Linguistic Department of the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, all members of the NPC.
The participants included representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Commission, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Navy, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Ghana Chamber of Mines, the media, civil society and mining communities.
Dr Ansah-Koi said considering how the country had managed recent conflicts between mining companies and their host communities, Ghana could have a bigger problem to deal with in respect of its oil exploration.
He, therefore, urged the police, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to do more towards addressing natural resource-based conflicts.
Dr Ansah-Koi mentioned some of the root causes of conflicts as land use, land control, royalties, access to land, regulatory and legislative frameworks and lack of capacity to know profit margins of mining companies.
In another presentation on the government’s policies on natural resource exploitation and their security implications, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr Edwin Barnes, identified some challenges in policy implementation that could lead to conflicts as inadequate consultation and inadequate knowledge of critical issues.
He stressed the need for communities to be sensitised to the issues to enable them to make informed decision, adding, “Our ability as agencies to get people informed will go a long way to address conflicts.”
The Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Alhaji Hamidu, said conflicts existed everywhere, including the home, but the main challenge had been the ability to manage them such that they did not degenerate into violence.
He commended the NPC for the positive role it was playing to foster peace in the country, saying, “If Ghana is called an oasis of peace today, it is because we have the NPC.”
On allegations that the police normally took sides with mining companies against their host communities during conflicts, DCOP Hamidu said much as the communities had the right to demonstrate, “it will be irresponsible for the police to stand and watch infrastructure being destroyed.”
The Executive Director of WACAM, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that champions the cause of communities affected by mining, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, said land was like oxygen to many farming communities and so once the land was taken away from them, they were deprived of life itself.
He said it was inappropriate to allow mining in forest reserves and urged the government to prohibit mining in such reserves.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng said there were many intangible things that mining companies could not compensate the people for, adding that if water bodies, which embodied the spirit of the people, were destroyed for mining purposes, no compensation would be justifiable.
Another official of WACAM, Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, said the social and environmental cost of mining far outweighed the investment made by mining companies and so “if you want to quantify the real cost of mining, we are losing.”
An official of AngloGold Ashanti, Mr James Appiah, said the mining companies paid huge sums of money as compensation to farmers but because they did not have entrepreneurial skills, they misapply the money and began agitation afterwards.
He, therefore, stressed the need for the government to help such community members buy shares in the companies in order to give them sustainable income.
Maulvi Adam, who chaired the seminar, said it was important to tackle conflicts head-on because they undermined development.
Osagyefo Akumfi-Ameyaw urged chiefs of mining communities to pursue the larger interest of their communities instead of their personal interest.
The Research Officer of the NPC, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, expressed concern about the alleged use of arms by Chinese citizens involved in small-scale mining in the country.
He emphasised the need for owners of guns to register their weapons, while urging those who had registered their weapons to endeavour to renew their licenses.
He said given the frankness with which the participants discussed issues, the seminar could not have been more successful, adding that the NPC would seek to build on the positive gains made towards finding a lasting solution to the conflict between mining communities and their hosts.
The participants stressed the need for a national forum on mining to discuss pertinent challenges in the industry to enable the nation to derive maximum benefit from it.
They observed that the mining sector had been fraught with many challenges, such as conflicts between mining companies and their hosts, environmental degradation, illegal mining and legislation shortfalls, stressing that an urgent national forum was required to address those challenges.
The participants observed that there was the need for even the regulatory bodies, police and judges to be sensitised to the critical legal and social issues to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
They said as corporate citizens, mining companies should respect the values, culture and laws of their host communities.
They stressed the need for tolerance among mining companies and the communities, while urging the mining companies to protect the environment by reclaiming the land after their operations and also acting swiftly to address accidents like cyanide spillage.
The participants urged chiefs and communities to frown on illegal mining, since it was destructive to the environment.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Govt, Barge Energy at The Hague...ROW ERUPTS...Over gas project (LEAD STORY, AUGUST 2, 2010)
Story: Michael Donkor & Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
The country's hope of using gas from the commercial production of oil to generate energy is under threat as a result of a legal dispute between the government and Balkan Energy, operators of the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu in the Western Region.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the case, which is now pending at the Court of Arbitration at The Hague, The Netherlands, has prompted Balkan Energy to lay off a large number of staff working on the Osagyefo Barge.
The case arose as a result of Balkan Energy’s insistence on auditing the country’s entire power lines before firing the power barge and full details of the facility’s component parts, moves which have been opposed by the government.
Explaining the issues which the government and Balkan Energy have presented for abitration at The Hague, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini said the government had also demanded to know whether or not the barge was ready to generate power.
He said this request was turned down by the Balkan Energy compelling the two bodies to send the issues for abitration at the Hague.
Alhaji Fuseini said Balkan Energy turned down the government’s request on the grounds that Ghana was not ready to distribute the power that would be produced from the barge.
He said Balkan Energy attributed this to the unsuccessful demand it made for an audit of the country’s power lines before firing the facility.
Alhaji Fuseini maintained that government had already set the lines to receive power from the barge and that there was no need to audit them before firing the facility.
He would not delve into further details but a source at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said the case was likely to affect efforts by the GNPC to deliver gas to the barge for power generation.
It said the prime focus of the corporation was to first feed the barge and later work to lay pipelines to transport the rest of the gas to the Aboadze Thermal Plant in the Shama District.
“At the moment, the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu has its doors shut and many of the staff laid off, with only a few at post. The project has stalled, pending the resolution of the case in The Hague,” it indicated.
The source said the GNPC had initiated moves to engage the Ministry of Energy, the Volta River Authority (VRA), as well as independent power producers (IPPs) in discussions to work out the possibility of deploying power plants to the Bonyere area to receive and utilise gas, which will be a by-product from the commercial production of oil.
Meanwhile, in a presentation at a stakeholders’ forum in Takoradi on Wednesday, the Senior Geologist of the GNPC, Mr Michael Aryeetey, said if the legal and technical issues associated with the Osagyefo Barge were not addressed in a timely manner, the problem would affect the GNPC’s ability to meet its objectives.
“The issues with the Osagyefo Power Plants have made the ‘First Gas at First Oil’ objective difficult to achieve,” he said.
Mr Aryeetey expressed the hope that there would be a positive response from the IPPs to fast-track their plans to locate their power plants near the gas processing plant at Bonyere for the utilisation of gas.
The country's hope of using gas from the commercial production of oil to generate energy is under threat as a result of a legal dispute between the government and Balkan Energy, operators of the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu in the Western Region.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the case, which is now pending at the Court of Arbitration at The Hague, The Netherlands, has prompted Balkan Energy to lay off a large number of staff working on the Osagyefo Barge.
The case arose as a result of Balkan Energy’s insistence on auditing the country’s entire power lines before firing the power barge and full details of the facility’s component parts, moves which have been opposed by the government.
Explaining the issues which the government and Balkan Energy have presented for abitration at The Hague, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini said the government had also demanded to know whether or not the barge was ready to generate power.
He said this request was turned down by the Balkan Energy compelling the two bodies to send the issues for abitration at the Hague.
Alhaji Fuseini said Balkan Energy turned down the government’s request on the grounds that Ghana was not ready to distribute the power that would be produced from the barge.
He said Balkan Energy attributed this to the unsuccessful demand it made for an audit of the country’s power lines before firing the facility.
Alhaji Fuseini maintained that government had already set the lines to receive power from the barge and that there was no need to audit them before firing the facility.
He would not delve into further details but a source at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said the case was likely to affect efforts by the GNPC to deliver gas to the barge for power generation.
It said the prime focus of the corporation was to first feed the barge and later work to lay pipelines to transport the rest of the gas to the Aboadze Thermal Plant in the Shama District.
“At the moment, the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu has its doors shut and many of the staff laid off, with only a few at post. The project has stalled, pending the resolution of the case in The Hague,” it indicated.
The source said the GNPC had initiated moves to engage the Ministry of Energy, the Volta River Authority (VRA), as well as independent power producers (IPPs) in discussions to work out the possibility of deploying power plants to the Bonyere area to receive and utilise gas, which will be a by-product from the commercial production of oil.
Meanwhile, in a presentation at a stakeholders’ forum in Takoradi on Wednesday, the Senior Geologist of the GNPC, Mr Michael Aryeetey, said if the legal and technical issues associated with the Osagyefo Barge were not addressed in a timely manner, the problem would affect the GNPC’s ability to meet its objectives.
“The issues with the Osagyefo Power Plants have made the ‘First Gas at First Oil’ objective difficult to achieve,” he said.
Mr Aryeetey expressed the hope that there would be a positive response from the IPPs to fast-track their plans to locate their power plants near the gas processing plant at Bonyere for the utilisation of gas.
Govt, Barge Energy at The Hague ROW ERUPTS over gas project (Lead Story)
The country's hope of using gas from the commercial production of oil to generate energy is under threat as a result of a legal dispute between the government and Balkan Energy, operators of the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu in the Western Region.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the case, which is now pending at the Court of Arbitration at The Hague, The Netherlands, has prompted Balkan Energy to lay off a large number of staff working on the Osagyefo Barge.
The case arose as a result of Balkan Energy’s insistence on auditing the country’s entire power lines before firing the power barge and full details of the facility’s component parts, moves which have been opposed by the government.
Explaining the issues which the government and Balkan Energy have presented for abitration at The Hague, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini said the government had also demanded to know whether or not the barge was ready to generate power.
He said this request was turned down by the Balkan Energy compelling the two bodies to send the issues for abitration at the Hague.
Alhaji Fuseini said Balkan Energy turned down the government’s request on the grounds that Ghana was not ready to distribute the power that would be produced from the barge.
He said Balkan Energy attributed this to the unsuccessful demand it made for an audit of the country’s power lines before firing the facility.
Alhaji Fuseini maintained that government had already set the lines to receive power from the barge and that there was no need to audit them before firing the facility.
He would not delve into further details but a source at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said the case was likely to affect efforts by the GNPC to deliver gas to the barge for power generation.
It said the prime focus of the corporation was to first feed the barge and later work to lay pipelines to transport the rest of the gas to the Aboadze Thermal Plant in the Shama District.
“At the moment, the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu has its doors shut and many of the staff laid off, with only a few at post. The project has stalled, pending the resolution of the case in The Hague,” it indicated.
The source said the GNPC had initiated moves to engage the Ministry of Energy, the Volta River Authority (VRA), as well as independent power producers (IPPs) in discussions to work out the possibility of deploying power plants to the Bonyere area to receive and utilise gas, which will be a by-product from the commercial production of oil.
Meanwhile, in a presentation at a stakeholders’ forum in Takoradi on Wednesday, the Senior Geologist of the GNPC, Mr Michael Aryeetey, said if the legal and technical issues associated with the Osagyefo Barge were not addressed in a timely manner, the problem would affect the GNPC’s ability to meet its objectives.
“The issues with the Osagyefo Power Plants have made the ‘First Gas at First Oil’ objective difficult to achieve,” he said.
Mr Aryeetey expressed the hope that there would be a positive response from the IPPs to fast-track their plans to locate their power plants near the gas processing plant at Bonyere for the utilisation of gas.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the case, which is now pending at the Court of Arbitration at The Hague, The Netherlands, has prompted Balkan Energy to lay off a large number of staff working on the Osagyefo Barge.
The case arose as a result of Balkan Energy’s insistence on auditing the country’s entire power lines before firing the power barge and full details of the facility’s component parts, moves which have been opposed by the government.
Explaining the issues which the government and Balkan Energy have presented for abitration at The Hague, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini said the government had also demanded to know whether or not the barge was ready to generate power.
He said this request was turned down by the Balkan Energy compelling the two bodies to send the issues for abitration at the Hague.
Alhaji Fuseini said Balkan Energy turned down the government’s request on the grounds that Ghana was not ready to distribute the power that would be produced from the barge.
He said Balkan Energy attributed this to the unsuccessful demand it made for an audit of the country’s power lines before firing the facility.
Alhaji Fuseini maintained that government had already set the lines to receive power from the barge and that there was no need to audit them before firing the facility.
He would not delve into further details but a source at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said the case was likely to affect efforts by the GNPC to deliver gas to the barge for power generation.
It said the prime focus of the corporation was to first feed the barge and later work to lay pipelines to transport the rest of the gas to the Aboadze Thermal Plant in the Shama District.
“At the moment, the Osagyefo Barge at Effasu has its doors shut and many of the staff laid off, with only a few at post. The project has stalled, pending the resolution of the case in The Hague,” it indicated.
The source said the GNPC had initiated moves to engage the Ministry of Energy, the Volta River Authority (VRA), as well as independent power producers (IPPs) in discussions to work out the possibility of deploying power plants to the Bonyere area to receive and utilise gas, which will be a by-product from the commercial production of oil.
Meanwhile, in a presentation at a stakeholders’ forum in Takoradi on Wednesday, the Senior Geologist of the GNPC, Mr Michael Aryeetey, said if the legal and technical issues associated with the Osagyefo Barge were not addressed in a timely manner, the problem would affect the GNPC’s ability to meet its objectives.
“The issues with the Osagyefo Power Plants have made the ‘First Gas at First Oil’ objective difficult to achieve,” he said.
Mr Aryeetey expressed the hope that there would be a positive response from the IPPs to fast-track their plans to locate their power plants near the gas processing plant at Bonyere for the utilisation of gas.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
GNPC TO FINALISE US$1BN GAS PROJECT (PAGE 29, JULY 31, 2010)
THE Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is in the process of finalising a joint venture pact with the investor community and the World Bank to finance phase one of its onshore gas project estimated at a cost US$1 billion.
The equity debt ratio of 40:60 makes the project attractive to financing, as such the corporation would finance 50 per cent of the equity portion at a cost of US$200million.
The Senior Geologist of GNPC, Mr Michael Aryeetey in his presentation at a stakeholders meeting on oil and gas in Takoradi, said the corporation was concluding discussions with the World Bank to finance the project. “The corporation is also finalising joint venture agreement with a strategic partner to pipe the gas to the shore”.
He said, “the corporation is working steadily to ensure that the initial project objective of first gas at first oil is pursued aggressively”.
Mr Aryeetey said the initial plan was to pipe the conditioned gas on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel to Bonyere in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
He said plans were advanced for the installation of 14-kilometers of 12-inch deepwater pipeline by Technip, the company currently working on the subsea structures for the jubilee partners.
Mr Aryeetey said discussions were also ongoing for the manufacture of the rest of the pipeline required for the project.
He said the contract for the supply of the 14km, 12-inch pipeline had been awarded to V&M and the manufacturing of the pipelines had commenced. In order to build a stronger team, he said two engineers from GNPC left last month to Rhenania, Netherlands to participate in the pipeline coating preproduction meeting.
The equity debt ratio of 40:60 makes the project attractive to financing, as such the corporation would finance 50 per cent of the equity portion at a cost of US$200million.
The Senior Geologist of GNPC, Mr Michael Aryeetey in his presentation at a stakeholders meeting on oil and gas in Takoradi, said the corporation was concluding discussions with the World Bank to finance the project. “The corporation is also finalising joint venture agreement with a strategic partner to pipe the gas to the shore”.
He said, “the corporation is working steadily to ensure that the initial project objective of first gas at first oil is pursued aggressively”.
Mr Aryeetey said the initial plan was to pipe the conditioned gas on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel to Bonyere in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
He said plans were advanced for the installation of 14-kilometers of 12-inch deepwater pipeline by Technip, the company currently working on the subsea structures for the jubilee partners.
Mr Aryeetey said discussions were also ongoing for the manufacture of the rest of the pipeline required for the project.
He said the contract for the supply of the 14km, 12-inch pipeline had been awarded to V&M and the manufacturing of the pipelines had commenced. In order to build a stronger team, he said two engineers from GNPC left last month to Rhenania, Netherlands to participate in the pipeline coating preproduction meeting.
UNKNOWN VESSEL POLLUTES ANKOBRAH BEACH (PAGE 3, JULY 31, 2010)
THE Ankobrah Beach, stretching miles towards Ekwei in the Western Region, has experienced oil pollution suspected to have been spilled by an unknown vessel in the country’s territorial waters.
The heavy crude substance has settled on the shore of the twin districts of Axim and Ellembelle, seriously destroying the beauty of the beach.
But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the situation is under control, as it has already taken samples for analysis and will soon come out with its findings.
It described the substance as “star-ball”, which forms as a result of a discharge of heavy crude into the ocean by vessels.
The Western Regional Office of the EPA moved to the area to assess the situation and assured the public that there was no cause for panic and that other security agencies had been informed of the development in order to be on the look out for the perpetrators.
It said the EPA had also informed the communities along the coast to report any strange substance washed ashore to its regional or district offices for prompt and appropriate action.
Addressing the media in Sekondi after a tour of the affected area, the Deputy Minister of Science and Environment, Dr Omani Boamah, assured the public that the safety and preservation of the country’s ecology were very important to the government.
He said the country’s best bet was to have a formidable Navy to police its territorial waters and deter vessels from dumping waste materials into its territorial waters.
He said the government had purchased two German vessels for the Ghana Navy and also put in place a monitoring system to track the activities of all vessels that would enter the country’s territorial waters.
“The government will not compromise on safety and the protection of the country’s ecological system, since those issues are not negotiable. We will form a partnership with the communities to ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.
He assured the public that the EPA would do everything possible to ensure that the samples collected were analysed and appropriate action taken.
The heavy crude substance has settled on the shore of the twin districts of Axim and Ellembelle, seriously destroying the beauty of the beach.
But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the situation is under control, as it has already taken samples for analysis and will soon come out with its findings.
It described the substance as “star-ball”, which forms as a result of a discharge of heavy crude into the ocean by vessels.
The Western Regional Office of the EPA moved to the area to assess the situation and assured the public that there was no cause for panic and that other security agencies had been informed of the development in order to be on the look out for the perpetrators.
It said the EPA had also informed the communities along the coast to report any strange substance washed ashore to its regional or district offices for prompt and appropriate action.
Addressing the media in Sekondi after a tour of the affected area, the Deputy Minister of Science and Environment, Dr Omani Boamah, assured the public that the safety and preservation of the country’s ecology were very important to the government.
He said the country’s best bet was to have a formidable Navy to police its territorial waters and deter vessels from dumping waste materials into its territorial waters.
He said the government had purchased two German vessels for the Ghana Navy and also put in place a monitoring system to track the activities of all vessels that would enter the country’s territorial waters.
“The government will not compromise on safety and the protection of the country’s ecological system, since those issues are not negotiable. We will form a partnership with the communities to ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.
He assured the public that the EPA would do everything possible to ensure that the samples collected were analysed and appropriate action taken.
UNKNOWN VESSEL POLLUTES ANKOBRAH BEACH (PAGE 3, JULY 31, 2010)
THE Ankobrah Beach, stretching miles towards Ekwei in the Western Region, has experienced oil pollution suspected to have been spilled by an unknown vessel in the country’s territorial waters.
The heavy crude substance has settled on the shore of the twin districts of Axim and Ellembelle, seriously destroying the beauty of the beach.
But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the situation is under control, as it has already taken samples for analysis and will soon come out with its findings.
It described the substance as “star-ball”, which forms as a result of a discharge of heavy crude into the ocean by vessels.
The Western Regional Office of the EPA moved to the area to assess the situation and assured the public that there was no cause for panic and that other security agencies had been informed of the development in order to be on the look out for the perpetrators.
It said the EPA had also informed the communities along the coast to report any strange substance washed ashore to its regional or district offices for prompt and appropriate action.
Addressing the media in Sekondi after a tour of the affected area, the Deputy Minister of Science and Environment, Dr Omani Boamah, assured the public that the safety and preservation of the country’s ecology were very important to the government.
He said the country’s best bet was to have a formidable Navy to police its territorial waters and deter vessels from dumping waste materials into its territorial waters.
He said the government had purchased two German vessels for the Ghana Navy and also put in place a monitoring system to track the activities of all vessels that would enter the country’s territorial waters.
“The government will not compromise on safety and the protection of the country’s ecological system, since those issues are not negotiable. We will form a partnership with the communities to ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.
He assured the public that the EPA would do everything possible to ensure that the samples collected were analysed and appropriate action taken.
The heavy crude substance has settled on the shore of the twin districts of Axim and Ellembelle, seriously destroying the beauty of the beach.
But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the situation is under control, as it has already taken samples for analysis and will soon come out with its findings.
It described the substance as “star-ball”, which forms as a result of a discharge of heavy crude into the ocean by vessels.
The Western Regional Office of the EPA moved to the area to assess the situation and assured the public that there was no cause for panic and that other security agencies had been informed of the development in order to be on the look out for the perpetrators.
It said the EPA had also informed the communities along the coast to report any strange substance washed ashore to its regional or district offices for prompt and appropriate action.
Addressing the media in Sekondi after a tour of the affected area, the Deputy Minister of Science and Environment, Dr Omani Boamah, assured the public that the safety and preservation of the country’s ecology were very important to the government.
He said the country’s best bet was to have a formidable Navy to police its territorial waters and deter vessels from dumping waste materials into its territorial waters.
He said the government had purchased two German vessels for the Ghana Navy and also put in place a monitoring system to track the activities of all vessels that would enter the country’s territorial waters.
“The government will not compromise on safety and the protection of the country’s ecological system, since those issues are not negotiable. We will form a partnership with the communities to ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.
He assured the public that the EPA would do everything possible to ensure that the samples collected were analysed and appropriate action taken.
CHINESE CAPTAIN< CREW ON GH¢50,000 BAIL (PAGE 3, JULY 31, 2010)
The Sekondi High Court has granted a GH¢50,000 bail to a Chinese captain and his crew who are on trial for allegedly throwing three Ivorian nationals into the sea.
Counsel for the accused told the court that per the laws of Ghana, under Section 118 of the Criminal Code, Act 30, the Attorney-General (A-G) could not initiate the prosecution of foreign nationals for offences committed in the country’s territorial waters without the consent of the President of the Republic.
He further stated that the accused were innocent of the crime and that before the A-G could initiate any legal proceeding of misdemeanour committed in the country’s territorial waters, it needed presidential consent.
Counsel, Mr Samuel Agbottah, continued that the evidence being used against his clients could be that of any of the numerous people who worked in the vessel at the port of Abidjan before they moved towards Ghana.
He said the captain of the vessel, Mr Li Zibin, had been a captain and worked in the maritime industry for more than 30 years and knew the implications involved in maltreating stowaways and as such would not do anything to the contrary.
The team of prosecutors, led by Ms Patience Klinogo, also argued that Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution empowered them to initiate legal action on behalf of the State.
However, Justice Oppong, who presided, said in his previous ruling he had refused the accused bail due to the nature of the offence but with the new development which required presidential consent, his reviewed ruling was to grant the accused captain and the crew members bail with a surety.
He also asked the accused to submit their passports to the law enforcement agencies.
Agents of National Security recently impounded a vessel and investigated a case of cruelty on the high seas in which three Ivorians were alleged to have been thrown into the ocean by the captain of a Chinese vessel.
But the captain of the vessel said the stowaways had not been on board his vessel and that he and his crew had searched the vessel four times before leaving the port of Abidjan.
Counsel for the accused told the court that per the laws of Ghana, under Section 118 of the Criminal Code, Act 30, the Attorney-General (A-G) could not initiate the prosecution of foreign nationals for offences committed in the country’s territorial waters without the consent of the President of the Republic.
He further stated that the accused were innocent of the crime and that before the A-G could initiate any legal proceeding of misdemeanour committed in the country’s territorial waters, it needed presidential consent.
Counsel, Mr Samuel Agbottah, continued that the evidence being used against his clients could be that of any of the numerous people who worked in the vessel at the port of Abidjan before they moved towards Ghana.
He said the captain of the vessel, Mr Li Zibin, had been a captain and worked in the maritime industry for more than 30 years and knew the implications involved in maltreating stowaways and as such would not do anything to the contrary.
The team of prosecutors, led by Ms Patience Klinogo, also argued that Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution empowered them to initiate legal action on behalf of the State.
However, Justice Oppong, who presided, said in his previous ruling he had refused the accused bail due to the nature of the offence but with the new development which required presidential consent, his reviewed ruling was to grant the accused captain and the crew members bail with a surety.
He also asked the accused to submit their passports to the law enforcement agencies.
Agents of National Security recently impounded a vessel and investigated a case of cruelty on the high seas in which three Ivorians were alleged to have been thrown into the ocean by the captain of a Chinese vessel.
But the captain of the vessel said the stowaways had not been on board his vessel and that he and his crew had searched the vessel four times before leaving the port of Abidjan.
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