Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Ghana needs immediate measures to tackle climate change
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu & Ama A. Baafi, Akosomb
Ghana needs to put in place immediate measures to deal with the economic implications of climate change, which is already having debilitating effects on the various sectors of the economy.
Dr Delali B. Dovie of the Regional Institute of Population Studies at the University of Ghana, who gave the warning said: “The looming crisis will affect sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture, industry, health and the country has to rethink its development process and employ scientific findings to contain any effects”.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Akosombo at the on-going Climate Change training for journalists across the country, Dr Dovie said even though it might not reflect directly in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) it would have serious effects on the sectors contributing to it.
The training programme is being sponsored by Africa Adaptation Programme and the International Centre for Journalists.
He said one of the sectors that could seriously be affected was the country’s agriculture sector which depends heavily on rain and is also as major source of employment.
That aside “If we don’t have rain
agriculture will be affected, the Akosombo Hydro plant will shut down and it will affect the country’s energy and it will trickle down to production and people will be out of business,” he said.
Dr Dovie said if the country’s agriculture sector would soon be recording poor yields and some crops would not be able to do well, under the new weather, then income of the poor farmer would diminish.
He said as a matter of urgency, the country should start putting monetary values on losses the country was likely to incur as a result of climate change on various sectors.
Dr Dovie said it was about time that linkages were explored financially, such that if agriculture, industry, energy and other sectors were affected there would be plans to deal with it.
“It is therefore very important that serious steps were taking to plan ahead of time to avert the challenges pose by climate change,” he said.
In the area of infrastructure, he explained that when there was a change in the weather and the floods destroy the roads, water tables falling deep down more financial resources had to be put in to fix it.
“We have to rethink our development process, our planning, action plans as well as our budgetary concerns to ensure that financial implications mostly negative that might emerge from the impact of climate change does not manifest itself in the near future as far as Ghana was concern,” he said.
He said there are various funds available to mitigate the impact of climate change, but many were embedded in the development agenda of all nations, therefore to access them there was the need to justify that there was a need for extra fund to pursue it.
Dr Dovie said currently, most of the development partners were of the view that since climate change adaptation is related to development, it should be the responsibility of governments and not the partners.
“That is where we have insisted science has a role to play to diversify our strategies or our approaches in arriving at some of these justifications to enable us as a country to benefit,” he said.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Trinidad & Tobago firms show interest in Ghana (PAGE 3, JAN 29, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Companies in Trinidad & Tobago have expressed interest in the establishment of gas-fed industries near the gas plant in the Jomoro District in the Western Region.
The latest company to express interest is Caribbean Atlantic Financial Holdings, which has expressed its readiness to establish a multi-billion dollar gas-fed industrial estate and energy city project.
Others include Trinidad and Tobago National Gas Company, Phoenix Park Gas Processors and Point Lisas Industrial Estate.
The districts which have caught the attention of the investors are Axim, Ellembelle and Jomoro.
As a result, the chiefs and people of the selected districts have given their blessing and are currently on a six-day trip to Trinidad & Tobago as part of a partnership arrangement between Nzemaland and the Caribbean Atlantic Financial Holdings.
At the moment, 2,000 acres of land banks have been earmarked for the projects.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minister of Energy, who spoke to the Daily Graphic from Port of Spain, said the team also visited the $3 billion Point Lisas Industrial Estate, which houses the world’s biggest ammonia plant.
The facility also hosts a total of 103 industries connected to gas feedstock comprising a mix of world-class methanol, ammonia and urea plants, three steel plants, a power plant and service companies.
The Chief Executive of the estate, Mr Nigel Salina, told the delegation that the group was seeking to replicate the Point Lisas Industrial Estate in Ghana but on a larger scale.
He said they had resolved to replicate the gas industry in Ghana, since records indicated that the country had more gas associated with the oil than his country.
The delegation also met Mr Andrew Macintosh, the President of the National Gas Company, and Mr Eugene Tieh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Phoenix Park Gas Processors, and other companies that are interested in the Ghana gas project.
For his part, Mr Buah said the focus of the government was to ensure that the gas coming from the jubilee and other fields in the country was harnessed for the benefit of the people of Ghana.
He said the President was of the strong belief that the gas deposit in the country held another avenue for opening doors to the gas industry.
Companies in Trinidad & Tobago have expressed interest in the establishment of gas-fed industries near the gas plant in the Jomoro District in the Western Region.
The latest company to express interest is Caribbean Atlantic Financial Holdings, which has expressed its readiness to establish a multi-billion dollar gas-fed industrial estate and energy city project.
Others include Trinidad and Tobago National Gas Company, Phoenix Park Gas Processors and Point Lisas Industrial Estate.
The districts which have caught the attention of the investors are Axim, Ellembelle and Jomoro.
As a result, the chiefs and people of the selected districts have given their blessing and are currently on a six-day trip to Trinidad & Tobago as part of a partnership arrangement between Nzemaland and the Caribbean Atlantic Financial Holdings.
At the moment, 2,000 acres of land banks have been earmarked for the projects.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minister of Energy, who spoke to the Daily Graphic from Port of Spain, said the team also visited the $3 billion Point Lisas Industrial Estate, which houses the world’s biggest ammonia plant.
The facility also hosts a total of 103 industries connected to gas feedstock comprising a mix of world-class methanol, ammonia and urea plants, three steel plants, a power plant and service companies.
The Chief Executive of the estate, Mr Nigel Salina, told the delegation that the group was seeking to replicate the Point Lisas Industrial Estate in Ghana but on a larger scale.
He said they had resolved to replicate the gas industry in Ghana, since records indicated that the country had more gas associated with the oil than his country.
The delegation also met Mr Andrew Macintosh, the President of the National Gas Company, and Mr Eugene Tieh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Phoenix Park Gas Processors, and other companies that are interested in the Ghana gas project.
For his part, Mr Buah said the focus of the government was to ensure that the gas coming from the jubilee and other fields in the country was harnessed for the benefit of the people of Ghana.
He said the President was of the strong belief that the gas deposit in the country held another avenue for opening doors to the gas industry.
HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS BANNED... After 6p.m. country-wide (LEAD STORY, JAN 29, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Police Administration has banned the movement of heavy duty trucks country-wide after 6 p.m. as part of measures to curb the carnage on the country’s roads.
After 6 p.m., all checkpoints across the country are supposed to order every heavy duty truck to park and display triangles and reflectors till 6 a.m. the following day.
These were contained in a directive from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, to all Regional Police Commanders in the country.
The directive said the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), was also to conduct a thorough examination of all trucks and offenders should be prosecuted.
It said all long heavy duty and cargo trucks were supposed to park before 6 p.m. in an acceptable manner and completely off the road with enough reflectors to warn other road users.
Regional commanders across the country, it said, were to ensure strict enforcement of the directive, adding that offenders should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It also directed regional commands to come up with special operations on Fridays to ensure that the roads were free from careless parking and driving.
The Western Regional Police Commander, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, told the Daily Graphic that the directive indicated that there were various rest spots on the highways and that drivers should be mindful of the time to ensure that they pull over to these places before 6 p.m. and park safely till the following day.
He said the enforcement of the directive in the region started yesterday.
“Today we pulled over 200 vehicles before 6 p.m. and ensured that they parked safely,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama noted that most of the drivers who were stopped looked tired.
THE Police Administration has banned the movement of heavy duty trucks country-wide after 6 p.m. as part of measures to curb the carnage on the country’s roads.
After 6 p.m., all checkpoints across the country are supposed to order every heavy duty truck to park and display triangles and reflectors till 6 a.m. the following day.
These were contained in a directive from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, to all Regional Police Commanders in the country.
The directive said the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), was also to conduct a thorough examination of all trucks and offenders should be prosecuted.
It said all long heavy duty and cargo trucks were supposed to park before 6 p.m. in an acceptable manner and completely off the road with enough reflectors to warn other road users.
Regional commanders across the country, it said, were to ensure strict enforcement of the directive, adding that offenders should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It also directed regional commands to come up with special operations on Fridays to ensure that the roads were free from careless parking and driving.
The Western Regional Police Commander, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, told the Daily Graphic that the directive indicated that there were various rest spots on the highways and that drivers should be mindful of the time to ensure that they pull over to these places before 6 p.m. and park safely till the following day.
He said the enforcement of the directive in the region started yesterday.
“Today we pulled over 200 vehicles before 6 p.m. and ensured that they parked safely,” he said.
Alhaji Mahama noted that most of the drivers who were stopped looked tired.
Sea erosion threatens Essipon-Sekondi highway (BACK PAGE, JAN 29,2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE Essipon-Sekondi highway, one of the busy roads in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, is being threatened by sea erosion.
Experts say if nothing is done immediately the road could cave in because of the heavy traffic it carries.
Strong tidal waves at Ngyeresia have cut off parts of the road and currently the distance between the road and the sea cliff, measured last Thursday by a civil engineer is less than a metre.
Strangely, motorists, mainly fully loaded timber and quarry trucks, have not noticed the danger and keep plying the road.
Other heavy mining and oil drilling equipment is also transported on this road to and from Takoradi and Home Port of the Western Naval Command.
A private civil engineer who pleaded anonymity after taking the Daily Graphic round the danger spots indicated that if nothing was done immediately it could lead to a serious fatality, since the dangerous cliff is on the blind side of the motoring public.
The current traffic on the road, he said, was too much and was not factored into the initial design of the road and expressed the hope that the authorities would not wait for any disaster before moving to save the situation.
Indications picked by the Daily Graphic were that even though the maintenance of that road falls under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has to first construct a sea defence wall before any meaningful work could be done.
At the moment, one of the best solutions, the experts said, was to close the road to traffic, which would mean residents from Shama, Ituma, Inchaban and Essipon, would have to detour through Ketan or Kojokrom before entering Sekondi/Takoradi.
THE Essipon-Sekondi highway, one of the busy roads in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, is being threatened by sea erosion.
Experts say if nothing is done immediately the road could cave in because of the heavy traffic it carries.
Strong tidal waves at Ngyeresia have cut off parts of the road and currently the distance between the road and the sea cliff, measured last Thursday by a civil engineer is less than a metre.
Strangely, motorists, mainly fully loaded timber and quarry trucks, have not noticed the danger and keep plying the road.
Other heavy mining and oil drilling equipment is also transported on this road to and from Takoradi and Home Port of the Western Naval Command.
A private civil engineer who pleaded anonymity after taking the Daily Graphic round the danger spots indicated that if nothing was done immediately it could lead to a serious fatality, since the dangerous cliff is on the blind side of the motoring public.
The current traffic on the road, he said, was too much and was not factored into the initial design of the road and expressed the hope that the authorities would not wait for any disaster before moving to save the situation.
Indications picked by the Daily Graphic were that even though the maintenance of that road falls under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has to first construct a sea defence wall before any meaningful work could be done.
At the moment, one of the best solutions, the experts said, was to close the road to traffic, which would mean residents from Shama, Ituma, Inchaban and Essipon, would have to detour through Ketan or Kojokrom before entering Sekondi/Takoradi.
Trinidad & Tobago pledges support to gas industry (PAGE 51, JAN 31, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Trinidad & Tobago has pledged her maximum co-operation to ensure that Ghana’s natural gas from the Jubilee Field is well harnessed.
This is to help Ghana to derive full benefit from the gas, which could lead to the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs Kamla Persad Bissessar, gave the assurance when a team of chiefs from the coastal paramountcies of the Western Region, led by the Deputy Energy Minister and member of the National Gas Commercialisation Task Force, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, visited that country on an investment drive.
Mrs Bissessar said her government had approved in principle to co-operate with Ghana on the exploitation of the country’s natural gas.
She said the Caribbean nation depended 100 per cent on natural gas for its entire energy needs of some 1,500 megawatts.
“We now have the expertise and knowledge and Ghana has acknowledged that. We hope that Ghana will approve of our proposal to make this expertise available to her,” she said.
Mrs Bissessar said the move was much in tune with her country’s vision of greater south-south co-operation among members of the Commonwealth, which included Ghana and several African and Caribbean nations.
She said co-operation between Ghana and her country was the first time her country had had the opportunity to go out of the island to share its experience and expertise for the benefit of another producer country.
She expressed the hope that the partnership would be of immense mutual benefit to the the peoples of the two countries.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Buah, said the Ghana Government was excited about the partnership with Trinidad & Tobago and that the nation was open to business.
He said it was the determination of President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration to ensure that the hydrocarbon discovery and production in Ghana brings benefits to Ghanaians.
Mr Buah said the government would ensure greater accountability and transparency, and protect the interest of Ghana to ensure that the country adoptsthe best standards in the oil and gas industry.
For his part, Awulae Attibrukusu III, the Vice-President of the National House of Chiefs and board member of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, lauded the growing co-operation between the two countries.
Other members of the delegation were paramount chiefs of Western Nzema, Awulae Annor Agyaye and Awulae Amihere Kpainyinli, Mrs Catherine Afeku, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue Gwira, the chief executives of Jomoro and Ellembele districts and Nzema East Municipality.
Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Trinidad & Tobago has pledged her maximum co-operation to ensure that Ghana’s natural gas from the Jubilee Field is well harnessed.
This is to help Ghana to derive full benefit from the gas, which could lead to the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs Kamla Persad Bissessar, gave the assurance when a team of chiefs from the coastal paramountcies of the Western Region, led by the Deputy Energy Minister and member of the National Gas Commercialisation Task Force, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, visited that country on an investment drive.
Mrs Bissessar said her government had approved in principle to co-operate with Ghana on the exploitation of the country’s natural gas.
She said the Caribbean nation depended 100 per cent on natural gas for its entire energy needs of some 1,500 megawatts.
“We now have the expertise and knowledge and Ghana has acknowledged that. We hope that Ghana will approve of our proposal to make this expertise available to her,” she said.
Mrs Bissessar said the move was much in tune with her country’s vision of greater south-south co-operation among members of the Commonwealth, which included Ghana and several African and Caribbean nations.
She said co-operation between Ghana and her country was the first time her country had had the opportunity to go out of the island to share its experience and expertise for the benefit of another producer country.
She expressed the hope that the partnership would be of immense mutual benefit to the the peoples of the two countries.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Buah, said the Ghana Government was excited about the partnership with Trinidad & Tobago and that the nation was open to business.
He said it was the determination of President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration to ensure that the hydrocarbon discovery and production in Ghana brings benefits to Ghanaians.
Mr Buah said the government would ensure greater accountability and transparency, and protect the interest of Ghana to ensure that the country adoptsthe best standards in the oil and gas industry.
For his part, Awulae Attibrukusu III, the Vice-President of the National House of Chiefs and board member of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, lauded the growing co-operation between the two countries.
Other members of the delegation were paramount chiefs of Western Nzema, Awulae Annor Agyaye and Awulae Amihere Kpainyinli, Mrs Catherine Afeku, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue Gwira, the chief executives of Jomoro and Ellembele districts and Nzema East Municipality.
BOY, 13, GUNS DOWN LUNATIC (1C, JAN 31, 2011
Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A 13-year-old primary schoolboy shocked residents of Enhuutem-Eniehu, near Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, last Friday when he shot and killed a man believed to be mentally unstable.
The boy, Amos Okrah, was said to have used his father’s shotgun to commit the offence.
The gunshot woke the community up at about 12:30 a.m. last Friday, but residents were confined to their rooms, assuming that armed robbers had attacked the village.
Those who later mustered courage and came out of their rooms, were horrified to see the deceased, Victor Amankwah, lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
The incident occurred in the absence of the boy’s father, who was said to have travelled to the Brong Ahafo Region to attend to some family issues, leaving Okrah and his siblings behind and with the gun in the room.
According to the police, the only explanation the little boy could give was that the deceased entered their compound about 12:30 a.m., using the machete he was wielding to hit an empty aluminium pot left outside.
“I came out several times to ask him to stop but he would not mind me. Then I went for the gun and shot him,” Little Amos told the police.
According to him, his father had travelled and the deceased was disturbing him and his siblings by using the machete to hit the empty pot.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital, while Amos has been taken into custody.
The police said the boy’s father had been contacted to report immediately to help in investigations.
It would be recalled that last December a similar incident occurred at Magagia Camp, also near Sefwi-Wiawso, when a four-year-old boy shot his seven-year-old sister when he was playing with his father’s shotgun.
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
A 13-year-old primary schoolboy shocked residents of Enhuutem-Eniehu, near Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, last Friday when he shot and killed a man believed to be mentally unstable.
The boy, Amos Okrah, was said to have used his father’s shotgun to commit the offence.
The gunshot woke the community up at about 12:30 a.m. last Friday, but residents were confined to their rooms, assuming that armed robbers had attacked the village.
Those who later mustered courage and came out of their rooms, were horrified to see the deceased, Victor Amankwah, lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
The incident occurred in the absence of the boy’s father, who was said to have travelled to the Brong Ahafo Region to attend to some family issues, leaving Okrah and his siblings behind and with the gun in the room.
According to the police, the only explanation the little boy could give was that the deceased entered their compound about 12:30 a.m., using the machete he was wielding to hit an empty aluminium pot left outside.
“I came out several times to ask him to stop but he would not mind me. Then I went for the gun and shot him,” Little Amos told the police.
According to him, his father had travelled and the deceased was disturbing him and his siblings by using the machete to hit the empty pot.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital, while Amos has been taken into custody.
The police said the boy’s father had been contacted to report immediately to help in investigations.
It would be recalled that last December a similar incident occurred at Magagia Camp, also near Sefwi-Wiawso, when a four-year-old boy shot his seven-year-old sister when he was playing with his father’s shotgun.
MORE GAS TO FLOW... As multi-billion Jubilee Gas Project begins (LEAD STORY, JAN 31, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi
WORK has begun on the multi-billion dollar Jubilee Gas Project to harness the country’s natural gas deposits with the laying of flow lines to pipe the gas from the Jubilee Field to the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
Technip, the company which did the subsea installation for oil production for the Jubilee partners, has been contracted by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to engineer, weld and install a 14-kilometre rigid steel flow line under Phase I of the project for onward extension to the shore.
Under the current phase, the flow lines will be connected to the gas export riser linked to the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah for onward transportation to the shore.
Officials say the flow lines will constitute the deep-water section of a pipeline which will be used to pipe natural gas from the Jubilee Field to the onshore processing plant.
At the moment the move by the country to harness its natural gas has attracted the attention of power producers and other companies that are interested in the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol using natural gas.
Technip has successfully completed the fabrication and spooling of the 14 kilometres of 12,75-inch flow lines on board the laying vessel, Apache II, at the Technip Spool Base in Alabama, USA, and the vessel is expected to arrive in Ghana next Thursday.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Ghana Country Manager for Technip, Mr Stephane Sole, said the company did not engage only its own expertise but also involved some officials of GNPC in the process of designing and welding the flow lines, as well as the procurement and engineering staff at its Paris office during the preparation phase.
He said the move was to afford Technip the opportunity to transfer its skills and knowledge to Ghana through the GNPC, a policy which was in line with its resolve not only to work for the country but also enhance the skills of Ghanaians, whom he described as curious and highly trainable.
Mr Sole said the onshore operations would be run from the Sekondi Naval Base which had supported Technip since its arrival in the country.
The Apache II, he said, was fully loaded with the flow lines and would start work immediately it arrived, as the initial preparations had been concluded.
He said the offshore operations would integrate workers from the GNPC to attend to the operations offshore, saying, “Within our onshore team to support the offshore operations there will also be the involvement of the GNPC team during the whole project, from engineering to installation.”
Mr Sole said there had been meetings with lead operators of the Jubilee Field partners, including the GNPC, and they had been very co-operative.
“From the beginning of the project, the permanent and effective communication among the GNPC, Tullow Oil and the partners and Technip will be one of the key factors for the success of these operations,” he said.
WORK has begun on the multi-billion dollar Jubilee Gas Project to harness the country’s natural gas deposits with the laying of flow lines to pipe the gas from the Jubilee Field to the Jomoro District of the Western Region.
Technip, the company which did the subsea installation for oil production for the Jubilee partners, has been contracted by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to engineer, weld and install a 14-kilometre rigid steel flow line under Phase I of the project for onward extension to the shore.
Under the current phase, the flow lines will be connected to the gas export riser linked to the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah for onward transportation to the shore.
Officials say the flow lines will constitute the deep-water section of a pipeline which will be used to pipe natural gas from the Jubilee Field to the onshore processing plant.
At the moment the move by the country to harness its natural gas has attracted the attention of power producers and other companies that are interested in the production of fertiliser, ammonia, urea and methanol using natural gas.
Technip has successfully completed the fabrication and spooling of the 14 kilometres of 12,75-inch flow lines on board the laying vessel, Apache II, at the Technip Spool Base in Alabama, USA, and the vessel is expected to arrive in Ghana next Thursday.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Ghana Country Manager for Technip, Mr Stephane Sole, said the company did not engage only its own expertise but also involved some officials of GNPC in the process of designing and welding the flow lines, as well as the procurement and engineering staff at its Paris office during the preparation phase.
He said the move was to afford Technip the opportunity to transfer its skills and knowledge to Ghana through the GNPC, a policy which was in line with its resolve not only to work for the country but also enhance the skills of Ghanaians, whom he described as curious and highly trainable.
Mr Sole said the onshore operations would be run from the Sekondi Naval Base which had supported Technip since its arrival in the country.
The Apache II, he said, was fully loaded with the flow lines and would start work immediately it arrived, as the initial preparations had been concluded.
He said the offshore operations would integrate workers from the GNPC to attend to the operations offshore, saying, “Within our onshore team to support the offshore operations there will also be the involvement of the GNPC team during the whole project, from engineering to installation.”
Mr Sole said there had been meetings with lead operators of the Jubilee Field partners, including the GNPC, and they had been very co-operative.
“From the beginning of the project, the permanent and effective communication among the GNPC, Tullow Oil and the partners and Technip will be one of the key factors for the success of these operations,” he said.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Waste oil pollutes Axim coastline (Back Page Jan 28)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Axim
A LONG stretch of the coastline at Axim in the Western Region has been inundated with heavy oil spillage, known as tar balls, as a result of the increase in vessel traffic in the country’s waters.
The substance is not the country’s sweet crude currently being produced offshore at the Jubilee Fields but heavy waste oil from vessels that supposedly visit the country’s ports for commercial or supply services.
At the moment, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is yet to identify the particular vessels that continuously discharge the waste oil into the country’s waters.
The inhabitants of three communities in the Axim municipality — Amanfukumam, Akyinim and Brawire — who are mainly fishermen cannot use their beaches as a result of the situation.
However, the Western Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Mr Gershon Sogbey, and a team from the Eco Brigade have moved in to clean portions of the beach to enable the fishermen and the community to use it.
Mr Sogbey told the Daily Graphic that the team had managed to clean most of the affected areas, especially the place the fisher folk could use for their trade.
He said his outfit was very vigilant and proactive and would ensure that the affected areas were cleared in order not to affect the activities of fishermen.
When contacted, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency said they had visited the area and taken samples of the substance for examination.
A LONG stretch of the coastline at Axim in the Western Region has been inundated with heavy oil spillage, known as tar balls, as a result of the increase in vessel traffic in the country’s waters.
The substance is not the country’s sweet crude currently being produced offshore at the Jubilee Fields but heavy waste oil from vessels that supposedly visit the country’s ports for commercial or supply services.
At the moment, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is yet to identify the particular vessels that continuously discharge the waste oil into the country’s waters.
The inhabitants of three communities in the Axim municipality — Amanfukumam, Akyinim and Brawire — who are mainly fishermen cannot use their beaches as a result of the situation.
However, the Western Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Mr Gershon Sogbey, and a team from the Eco Brigade have moved in to clean portions of the beach to enable the fishermen and the community to use it.
Mr Sogbey told the Daily Graphic that the team had managed to clean most of the affected areas, especially the place the fisher folk could use for their trade.
He said his outfit was very vigilant and proactive and would ensure that the affected areas were cleared in order not to affect the activities of fishermen.
When contacted, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency said they had visited the area and taken samples of the substance for examination.
Fishermen angry with aspects of new Fisheries Law (Back Page Jan 28, 2011
Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Canoe Owners Association (COA) has urged the government to review the provision in the Fisheries Act which criminalises the use of light for fishing.
It said the government should approve the use of light as a new technology for fishing, instead of criminalising it as a practice which depleted fingerlings.
At a press conference at the Albert Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour in Sekondi, the Secretary of COA, Mr Joe Eshun, said the clampdown on fishermen who use light to fish was collapsing the businesses of small-scale fishermen.
“To us, what is destroying the sea is actually the pair and single trawlers which sweep the sea bed with their nets and select what they want and trade the rest at sea,” he said.
Mr Eshun said using light for fishing did not involve the application of chemicals or use of any prohibited fishing methods that could endanger the country’s fish stock.
“If possible, the authorities should set a time for us to use the light and after that period we stop. At the moment, we are in debt to individual lenders, as well as the banks,” he said.
He added that there were many acts of illegal fishing in the country but the law enforcement agencies only focused on the use of light for fishing.
When contacted, the Western Regional Director of the National Fisheries Commission, Mr Alex Sabah, said he had received the complaint of the fishing community and indicated that his outfit was doing everything possible to ensure that their interest was protected.
He said the government outlawed the use of light for fishing in order to prevent fishermen from destroying fingerlings and allow them to reproduce.
Aklorbortu, Sekondi
THE Canoe Owners Association (COA) has urged the government to review the provision in the Fisheries Act which criminalises the use of light for fishing.
It said the government should approve the use of light as a new technology for fishing, instead of criminalising it as a practice which depleted fingerlings.
At a press conference at the Albert Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour in Sekondi, the Secretary of COA, Mr Joe Eshun, said the clampdown on fishermen who use light to fish was collapsing the businesses of small-scale fishermen.
“To us, what is destroying the sea is actually the pair and single trawlers which sweep the sea bed with their nets and select what they want and trade the rest at sea,” he said.
Mr Eshun said using light for fishing did not involve the application of chemicals or use of any prohibited fishing methods that could endanger the country’s fish stock.
“If possible, the authorities should set a time for us to use the light and after that period we stop. At the moment, we are in debt to individual lenders, as well as the banks,” he said.
He added that there were many acts of illegal fishing in the country but the law enforcement agencies only focused on the use of light for fishing.
When contacted, the Western Regional Director of the National Fisheries Commission, Mr Alex Sabah, said he had received the complaint of the fishing community and indicated that his outfit was doing everything possible to ensure that their interest was protected.
He said the government outlawed the use of light for fishing in order to prevent fishermen from destroying fingerlings and allow them to reproduce.
ANOTHER CASUALTY IN TAKORADI ACCIDENT (1C, JAN 28, 2011)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE last of the children who were involved in the accident at Kwesimintsim in the Western Region which claimed five lives has died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after weeks of efforts to save her life.
Eleven-year-old Melissa Donkor took her final breath yesterday after two weeks of fighting to stay alive.
She was said to have sustained a deep laceration and multiple fracture of her pelvic bone and could not make it after two weeks on admission at Korle-Bu.
The hope of her family that their child would rejoin them was dashed, as Melissa, whose brother and others died on the spot, while her sister and other schoolmates sustained various degrees of injury, passed on in the early hours of yesterday.
When she was on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, Melissa did not respond well to treatment but was said to have shown positive signs of recovery, for which reason she was airlifted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
The team of doctors who had worked around the clock to ensure that she survived expressed regret that she could not pull through and consoled Melissa’s family for their loss.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, who had earlier visited the children in the hospital, was distressed by the news of the girl’s death.
He said he was about to hold a meeting with the school authorities when the news of Melissa’s death came to him.
He expressed his deepest condolence to the family of the deceased and the other bereaved families, saying, “It was my hope and prayer that Little Melissa would get well and rejoin her family and the nation but she sadly passed on.”
The accident in question, which happened two weeks ago, had the driver of an articulated truck run over and kill four schoolchildren and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim.
The driver then bolted, but he later surrendered to the Kumasi Police before he was transferred to Takoradi.
Meanwhile, the driver is still in custody and will reappear in court on February 2, 2011.
THE last of the children who were involved in the accident at Kwesimintsim in the Western Region which claimed five lives has died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after weeks of efforts to save her life.
Eleven-year-old Melissa Donkor took her final breath yesterday after two weeks of fighting to stay alive.
She was said to have sustained a deep laceration and multiple fracture of her pelvic bone and could not make it after two weeks on admission at Korle-Bu.
The hope of her family that their child would rejoin them was dashed, as Melissa, whose brother and others died on the spot, while her sister and other schoolmates sustained various degrees of injury, passed on in the early hours of yesterday.
When she was on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, Melissa did not respond well to treatment but was said to have shown positive signs of recovery, for which reason she was airlifted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
The team of doctors who had worked around the clock to ensure that she survived expressed regret that she could not pull through and consoled Melissa’s family for their loss.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, who had earlier visited the children in the hospital, was distressed by the news of the girl’s death.
He said he was about to hold a meeting with the school authorities when the news of Melissa’s death came to him.
He expressed his deepest condolence to the family of the deceased and the other bereaved families, saying, “It was my hope and prayer that Little Melissa would get well and rejoin her family and the nation but she sadly passed on.”
The accident in question, which happened two weeks ago, had the driver of an articulated truck run over and kill four schoolchildren and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim.
The driver then bolted, but he later surrendered to the Kumasi Police before he was transferred to Takoradi.
Meanwhile, the driver is still in custody and will reappear in court on February 2, 2011.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
US NAVAL RESERVES HONOURS GHANAIAN NAVAL OFFICER (PAGE 23, JAN 27, 2011)
A GHANAIAN Naval Officer who served on the just ended African Partnership Station (APS) of the United State of Africa Command, (AFRICOM) has been honoured by United States Naval Reserves (USNR) on behalf of the US Government.
The Commanding Officer of the Ghana Navy Basic Training and Leadership Skills School, Lt. Comdr. Samuel Ayelazono, was awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Rear Admiral Robert Wray of USNR during his visit to the Eastern Naval Command, Tema for his dedication to duty.
The citation reads, “Meritorious service while serving as the Ghanaian member of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) USS Gunston Hall (LSD44) Staff”.
He said the officer demonstrated exemplary professionalism and attention to detail he co-ordinated all APS maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea for 200 personnel from four African countries and ships of three navies, enhancing regional partnerships and proficiencies of maritime professionals.
“During the Haitian Earthquake Relief Operations, he crafted a patent tracking system, rendered urgent medical assistance, and helped with humanitarian aid distribution,” he said.
He said Lt. Comdr. Ayelazono’s exceptional professionalism, personal initiative and complete dedication to duty were in line with the highest traditions of the naval service.
Rear Admiral Wray and his four member delegation were later taken round by the Commanding Officer of the Base, Commander Kwafo, to tour the ships ‘Anzone’ and ‘Sebo’ at the Tema Port.
Interacting with the naval officers at the Wardroom, Rear Admiral Wray commended them for working hand in hand with the Americans. He urged them to go the extra mile to continue with the good works, to ensure that their partnership endured.
He said his visit to Ghana was not only to strengthen the existing ties between the US and Ghana but also to afford him a firsthand knowledge of how the Ghana Navy was co-ordinating with the African Partnership Station Programme (APS).
The Commanding Officer of the Ghana Navy Basic Training and Leadership Skills School, Lt. Comdr. Samuel Ayelazono, was awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Rear Admiral Robert Wray of USNR during his visit to the Eastern Naval Command, Tema for his dedication to duty.
The citation reads, “Meritorious service while serving as the Ghanaian member of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) USS Gunston Hall (LSD44) Staff”.
He said the officer demonstrated exemplary professionalism and attention to detail he co-ordinated all APS maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea for 200 personnel from four African countries and ships of three navies, enhancing regional partnerships and proficiencies of maritime professionals.
“During the Haitian Earthquake Relief Operations, he crafted a patent tracking system, rendered urgent medical assistance, and helped with humanitarian aid distribution,” he said.
He said Lt. Comdr. Ayelazono’s exceptional professionalism, personal initiative and complete dedication to duty were in line with the highest traditions of the naval service.
Rear Admiral Wray and his four member delegation were later taken round by the Commanding Officer of the Base, Commander Kwafo, to tour the ships ‘Anzone’ and ‘Sebo’ at the Tema Port.
Interacting with the naval officers at the Wardroom, Rear Admiral Wray commended them for working hand in hand with the Americans. He urged them to go the extra mile to continue with the good works, to ensure that their partnership endured.
He said his visit to Ghana was not only to strengthen the existing ties between the US and Ghana but also to afford him a firsthand knowledge of how the Ghana Navy was co-ordinating with the African Partnership Station Programme (APS).
SANITY RETURNS TO STREETS OF TWIN-CITY (PAGE 23, JAN 27, 2011)
Streets in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis have seen less congestion after a private company introduced the park and pay system in the city.
The system situation has eliminated the situation where visitors to the metropolis, shoppers and customers, as well as staff of corporate bodies with vehicles parked on the both sides of the streets.
At present, all the streets in the central business district have been marked and vehicle owners who park on these streets have to pay GH¢0.50p every hour.
According to the Chief Executive of Gold Street Real Estate, Mr Kakraba Amppeh, the focus and the agreement reached with the metropolitan assembly and sub-metros was to create the consciousness that would make vehicle owners park in an acceptable manner.
At the moment, Mr Amppeh said young men and women had been employed to sell tickets to people who parked at the designated places in the metropolis while wrongly parked vehicles were usually clamped.
The company, he said, was researching and assessing the needs of companies and their employees who operate from the central business district and had designed special stickers for them.
“With that, the vehicle owner is at liberty to purchase a sticker for a month, two months, quarterly, half-a-year or a whole year to save the vehicle owners the problems of paying 50p every hour,” he said.
Mr Kakraba said there were also designated places in the metropolis where vehicles of shop owners, white-colour workers and other people with businesses in the CBD could park the whole day.
He said the situation in the metropolis if not managed on time could degenerate into more chaotic congestion which would not only create slow movement but also reduce productivity.
He said while moves were being made to ensure that there are expansion in social infrastructure, there was the need to manage the current space until the perfect environment was created.
“At the moment, the streets within the railways quarters are been studied for the creation of one way, while the other is marked for parking,” he said.
Asked if there are any difficulties, he said the only problem had to do with co-operation by members of the general public and added, “That was the initial problem but the public have come to understand and appreciate the need to park-and-ride or park well at a fee”.
He appealed to members of the general public to demand their ticket after parking and paying, saying “the vehicle owners should note that ticket lasts for just an hour and they will be charged extra after another hour”.
He, however, cautioned corporate bodies that if they had paid for a month, quarterly and yearly, then they had the exclusive right to designated places as some companies had posted notice of no parking in front of their offices.
He also said the sticker did not guarantee indiscriminate parking and “if your car is parked at unapproved place, it would be clamped”.
He said even though the focus was not on money, it was important to let vehicle owners also pay for the use of the designated places to ensure that the assembly generated more revenue for development projects.
The system situation has eliminated the situation where visitors to the metropolis, shoppers and customers, as well as staff of corporate bodies with vehicles parked on the both sides of the streets.
At present, all the streets in the central business district have been marked and vehicle owners who park on these streets have to pay GH¢0.50p every hour.
According to the Chief Executive of Gold Street Real Estate, Mr Kakraba Amppeh, the focus and the agreement reached with the metropolitan assembly and sub-metros was to create the consciousness that would make vehicle owners park in an acceptable manner.
At the moment, Mr Amppeh said young men and women had been employed to sell tickets to people who parked at the designated places in the metropolis while wrongly parked vehicles were usually clamped.
The company, he said, was researching and assessing the needs of companies and their employees who operate from the central business district and had designed special stickers for them.
“With that, the vehicle owner is at liberty to purchase a sticker for a month, two months, quarterly, half-a-year or a whole year to save the vehicle owners the problems of paying 50p every hour,” he said.
Mr Kakraba said there were also designated places in the metropolis where vehicles of shop owners, white-colour workers and other people with businesses in the CBD could park the whole day.
He said the situation in the metropolis if not managed on time could degenerate into more chaotic congestion which would not only create slow movement but also reduce productivity.
He said while moves were being made to ensure that there are expansion in social infrastructure, there was the need to manage the current space until the perfect environment was created.
“At the moment, the streets within the railways quarters are been studied for the creation of one way, while the other is marked for parking,” he said.
Asked if there are any difficulties, he said the only problem had to do with co-operation by members of the general public and added, “That was the initial problem but the public have come to understand and appreciate the need to park-and-ride or park well at a fee”.
He appealed to members of the general public to demand their ticket after parking and paying, saying “the vehicle owners should note that ticket lasts for just an hour and they will be charged extra after another hour”.
He, however, cautioned corporate bodies that if they had paid for a month, quarterly and yearly, then they had the exclusive right to designated places as some companies had posted notice of no parking in front of their offices.
He also said the sticker did not guarantee indiscriminate parking and “if your car is parked at unapproved place, it would be clamped”.
He said even though the focus was not on money, it was important to let vehicle owners also pay for the use of the designated places to ensure that the assembly generated more revenue for development projects.
BOILING BITUMEN CLAIMS LIFE OF DEALER (1C, JAN 26, 2011)
RESIDENTS of Lagos Town in the Sekondi/Takoradi twin-city were witnesses to a horrifying spectacle last Sunday afternoon when a 51-year-old bitumen dealer fell into boiling bitumen.
The man, George Charles Paapa, died shortly after he had been rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
He was said to have gone to a yard at Tadisco Down where he usually melted the material before supplying it to customers the following day.
The police said after melting the bitumen, the deceased was in the process of pouring it into containers when he fell over into the boiling bitumen.
According to the police, at the time of the incident, the owner of the yard had gone to church and the deceased was the only person there.
But he was later rescued and rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later.
According to the police, the deceased sustained serious injuries and vomited blood after the accident.
The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy, while the police continue with investigations into the matter.
The man, George Charles Paapa, died shortly after he had been rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
He was said to have gone to a yard at Tadisco Down where he usually melted the material before supplying it to customers the following day.
The police said after melting the bitumen, the deceased was in the process of pouring it into containers when he fell over into the boiling bitumen.
According to the police, at the time of the incident, the owner of the yard had gone to church and the deceased was the only person there.
But he was later rescued and rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later.
According to the police, the deceased sustained serious injuries and vomited blood after the accident.
The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy, while the police continue with investigations into the matter.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
CHAINSAW OPERATOR KILLED BY FALLING TREE (PAGE 3, JAN 25, 2011)
A chainsaw operator met his death at Prestea in the Prestea-Huni-Valley District of the Western Region when the branches of a tree he was felling, fell on him, killing him instantly.
The police said the chainsaw operator, Kingsley Ave, 31, had been contracted to clear a piece of land for farming purposes when the accident occurred.
According to the police, Ave was a chainsaw operator and he had been asked to clear a piece of land for farming purposes at Dwiregum, a community near Prestea.
After clearing the bush, the owner of the land asked him to fell the trees which had occupied portions of the land meant for farming.
The police said in the process, Ave cut the first tree which fell on another tree near it.
That, according to the police, brought the cut tree down with speed, hitting Ave on the chest and killing him instantly.
The body of the deceased has since been examined and released to the family for burial.
The police said the chainsaw operator, Kingsley Ave, 31, had been contracted to clear a piece of land for farming purposes when the accident occurred.
According to the police, Ave was a chainsaw operator and he had been asked to clear a piece of land for farming purposes at Dwiregum, a community near Prestea.
After clearing the bush, the owner of the land asked him to fell the trees which had occupied portions of the land meant for farming.
The police said in the process, Ave cut the first tree which fell on another tree near it.
That, according to the police, brought the cut tree down with speed, hitting Ave on the chest and killing him instantly.
The body of the deceased has since been examined and released to the family for burial.
TRAGIC END OF ILLEGAL MINER (1C JAN 25, 2011)
A galamsey operator lost his life over the weekend when he fell into one of the numerous abandoned mining pits at Tokoto, a community near Wassa Akropong in the Wassa Amenfi East District of the Western Region.
The police said the deceased, Kwame George, 48, was said to have lost balance and fell into the pit. His cries for help had not been heard by his colleagues.
According to his colleagues, the pit was full of sharp rocks.
When his colleagues noticed his absence and went in search of him, he was already dead.
According to the police, the deceased had gone prospecting for gold and after the day’s business about 5 p.m., he had gone to a pond to wash himself.
They said his cries for help did not get to his colleagues, since the pit was a distance from where they had been prospecting and, therefore, he could not get help on time.
His colleagues, the police said, noticed his absence because his tools had not been fully packed. That was when they decided to look for him, only to realise that his clothes were at the edge of the pit.
A search conducted later indicated that George had died in the pit.
The incident was then reported to the police and the body has been deposited at the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital mortuary.
The police said the deceased, Kwame George, 48, was said to have lost balance and fell into the pit. His cries for help had not been heard by his colleagues.
According to his colleagues, the pit was full of sharp rocks.
When his colleagues noticed his absence and went in search of him, he was already dead.
According to the police, the deceased had gone prospecting for gold and after the day’s business about 5 p.m., he had gone to a pond to wash himself.
They said his cries for help did not get to his colleagues, since the pit was a distance from where they had been prospecting and, therefore, he could not get help on time.
His colleagues, the police said, noticed his absence because his tools had not been fully packed. That was when they decided to look for him, only to realise that his clothes were at the edge of the pit.
A search conducted later indicated that George had died in the pit.
The incident was then reported to the police and the body has been deposited at the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital mortuary.
Monday, January 24, 2011
DRIVERS NEED MORE EDUCATION ON ROAD SAFETY (PAGE 23, JAN 24, 2011)
A cross section of the public in Sekondi/Takoradi is asking the Western Regional Road Safety Commission to re-orient drivers in the metropolis to make the roads safer to avert future accidents.
Refering to the accident which claimed the lives of four schoolchildren and a woman last week they were of the view that many road signs in the metropolis were either removed or faded, therefore, drivers or motorist thought they have the road to themselves without observing traffic regulations.
According to them, at most pedestrain crossings it is difficult to get the attention of motorists since there were no signs to prompt them of the potential halt ahead.
On a drive through the metropolis, the Daily Graphic observed that many of the road signs had faded and the zebra crossing which is supposed to be reflective were not in place.
One could only see the two ends of zebra stripes.
The Regional Police Command had actually deployed its personnel to various crossings but that was not enough since the police were needed for other duties.
Refering to the accident which claimed the lives of four schoolchildren and a woman last week they were of the view that many road signs in the metropolis were either removed or faded, therefore, drivers or motorist thought they have the road to themselves without observing traffic regulations.
According to them, at most pedestrain crossings it is difficult to get the attention of motorists since there were no signs to prompt them of the potential halt ahead.
On a drive through the metropolis, the Daily Graphic observed that many of the road signs had faded and the zebra crossing which is supposed to be reflective were not in place.
One could only see the two ends of zebra stripes.
The Regional Police Command had actually deployed its personnel to various crossings but that was not enough since the police were needed for other duties.
MILLS ASSURES OF FULL PROTECTION FOR COUNTRY'S MARITIME DOMAIN (SPREAD, JAN 24, 2011)
President John Evans Atta Mills has assured the nation that the fight against illegalities in the maritime domain will not be concentrated around the recently found oil off west Cape Three Points in the Western Region but will cover all illegalities offshore.
He said criminals who were involved in all manner of activities which cost the country millions of cedis should not think that the country’s attention would be shifted to the oil fields for them to have relief to continue their nefarious activities offshore.
He acknowledged that the “the new resource has changed our maritime security landscape considerably. We are already grappling with illegal fishing activities, smuggling and trafficking of narcotics which cost the country several millions of dollars a year”.
The President said this in a speech read on his behalf at a ceremony to inaugurate a new vessel, the GNS Stephen Otu, at the home port of the Western Naval Command.
The vessel has a length of 33.1 metres, breadth of 6.92 metres and draft of 2.38 metres, with a speed of 35 knots, making it versatile for many tasks.
President Mills said with the oil find, “new challenges such as the risk of spillage, increase in shipping off our coast and the possibility of accidents cannot be ruled out, while criminal activities at sea are likely to increase”.
He advised miscreants in society who were bent on derailing the efforts by the government to make Ghana an icon of stability, peace and transparency in the sub-region to stop their activities before the law caught up with them.
He said since the oil resource was very crucial to the country’s development agenda, there was the need for measures to safeguard it by resourcing the Ghana Navy.
President Mills said the time had come for the Navy to be equipped and gave the assurance that by the end of this year two new crafts of 600 metres would be delivered to the Ghana Navy for commissioning into service next year.
He assured the Navy of the government’s support to re-equip it to deliver and commended the personnel for excellent work in the face of limited resources.
For his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Matthew Quarshie, said the procurement of the vessel was timely, adding that it was the dream of the Ghana Navy to stay at sea to perform its functions.
The Korean Envoy to Ghana, Mr Lee Sang-hak, said the friendship between the two countries would work for the benefit of the two.
He said the vessel was one of the best in the fleet of the Korean Navy and gave its original name as “Kamzori”, meaning See Evil, and expressed the hope that it would support Ghana to fight maritime crime.
He said criminals who were involved in all manner of activities which cost the country millions of cedis should not think that the country’s attention would be shifted to the oil fields for them to have relief to continue their nefarious activities offshore.
He acknowledged that the “the new resource has changed our maritime security landscape considerably. We are already grappling with illegal fishing activities, smuggling and trafficking of narcotics which cost the country several millions of dollars a year”.
The President said this in a speech read on his behalf at a ceremony to inaugurate a new vessel, the GNS Stephen Otu, at the home port of the Western Naval Command.
The vessel has a length of 33.1 metres, breadth of 6.92 metres and draft of 2.38 metres, with a speed of 35 knots, making it versatile for many tasks.
President Mills said with the oil find, “new challenges such as the risk of spillage, increase in shipping off our coast and the possibility of accidents cannot be ruled out, while criminal activities at sea are likely to increase”.
He advised miscreants in society who were bent on derailing the efforts by the government to make Ghana an icon of stability, peace and transparency in the sub-region to stop their activities before the law caught up with them.
He said since the oil resource was very crucial to the country’s development agenda, there was the need for measures to safeguard it by resourcing the Ghana Navy.
President Mills said the time had come for the Navy to be equipped and gave the assurance that by the end of this year two new crafts of 600 metres would be delivered to the Ghana Navy for commissioning into service next year.
He assured the Navy of the government’s support to re-equip it to deliver and commended the personnel for excellent work in the face of limited resources.
For his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Matthew Quarshie, said the procurement of the vessel was timely, adding that it was the dream of the Ghana Navy to stay at sea to perform its functions.
The Korean Envoy to Ghana, Mr Lee Sang-hak, said the friendship between the two countries would work for the benefit of the two.
He said the vessel was one of the best in the fleet of the Korean Navy and gave its original name as “Kamzori”, meaning See Evil, and expressed the hope that it would support Ghana to fight maritime crime.
WR SECURITY DENIES INFLUX OF REFUGEES (SPREAD, JAN 24, 2011)
The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has denied reports of the influx of refugees from Cote d’Ivoire into the country through Elubo, Jewi-Wharf, New Town and other entry points in the region.
It said since the crisis began in that country, the region had not recorded even a single person as a refugee and that places prepared for that possibility in the Ellembele District were still unoccupied.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Western Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said those reported as refugees were actually seasonal fishermen and their families who were returning home after their fishing expedition.
He said it was important not to confuse Ghanaian fishermen returning home with refugees seeking asylum as a result of the conflict in their home country.
“The REGSEC is in touch with the relevant institutions and has mounted surveillance at the various entry points but no refugee has been recorded,” he said.
He said trading between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire had resumed in a very peaceful manner and there was no sign of the influx of refugees.
Mr Aidoo said the people of Cote d’Ivoire and the Western Region, especially those living close to the border, were blood relations and the people from the other side of the border should not, therefore, be mistaken for refugees.
When the Daily Graphic got to the three most prominent entry points in the Jomoro District, namely, New Town, Jewi-Wharf and Elubo, traders were doing brisk business.
The people were surprised about the news of the influx of refugees into Ghana, explaining that the situation in their country did not warrant such an action.
When contacted, the District Police Commander, DSP John F. Dzineku, told the Daily Graphic that there had not been any record of refugees.
Other security agencies at the border corroborated the claim that there was no rush of refugees into the country, noting that trading between the two countries had rather resumed.
It said since the crisis began in that country, the region had not recorded even a single person as a refugee and that places prepared for that possibility in the Ellembele District were still unoccupied.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Western Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said those reported as refugees were actually seasonal fishermen and their families who were returning home after their fishing expedition.
He said it was important not to confuse Ghanaian fishermen returning home with refugees seeking asylum as a result of the conflict in their home country.
“The REGSEC is in touch with the relevant institutions and has mounted surveillance at the various entry points but no refugee has been recorded,” he said.
He said trading between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire had resumed in a very peaceful manner and there was no sign of the influx of refugees.
Mr Aidoo said the people of Cote d’Ivoire and the Western Region, especially those living close to the border, were blood relations and the people from the other side of the border should not, therefore, be mistaken for refugees.
When the Daily Graphic got to the three most prominent entry points in the Jomoro District, namely, New Town, Jewi-Wharf and Elubo, traders were doing brisk business.
The people were surprised about the news of the influx of refugees into Ghana, explaining that the situation in their country did not warrant such an action.
When contacted, the District Police Commander, DSP John F. Dzineku, told the Daily Graphic that there had not been any record of refugees.
Other security agencies at the border corroborated the claim that there was no rush of refugees into the country, noting that trading between the two countries had rather resumed.
Friday, January 21, 2011
OIL, GAS CONFERENCE HELD IN TAKORADI (PAGE 19, JAN 21, 2011)
A three-day oil and gas conference opened in Takoradi yesterday, with a call on civil society, the media and traditional rulers across the country to take special interest in issues on the operations of the oil industry.
The conference, the first since Ghana officially started drilling oil, is aimed at creating a better understanding of the operations of the new oil and gas industry in the country.
It is being sponsored by Tullow Oil.
The Public Affairs Director at Tullow Ghana, Mr Tony Aubbyn, said as the country moved from oil exploration to production and export, it was important that participants in the conference, who serve as links with the public, had a clear understanding of the operations of the new industry.
That would ensure that all stakeholders felt a part of the industry and contributed to educate the public on its benefits to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the way forward for a successful oil industry in the country was through proper communication, in which stakeholders were taken through the operations of the major operators to enable them to ask the necessary questions that truly reflected the thoughts of the people in their communities.
The public affairs director said Tullow was committed to operating with the support of the people, for which reason it would continue to dialogue with the people and share information to ensure that the operations of the industry were properly understood.
Mr Aubbyn expressed the hope that at the end of the conference, participants would be equipped to understand the industry and help relay it to members of the larger community.
For his part, the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kobby Okyere-Darko Mensah, said it was important that the public who were the real owners of the resource understood the operations of the industry.
He said there was much expectation and so if the people were made to understand the real issues, it would help manage some of that expectation.
A resource person, Mr Ian Philip, an industry expert from the Robert Gorden University, took participants through technical introduction on the upstream and downstream aspects of the oil industry.
He also took them through the risks and benefits associated with the industry.
The conference, the first since Ghana officially started drilling oil, is aimed at creating a better understanding of the operations of the new oil and gas industry in the country.
It is being sponsored by Tullow Oil.
The Public Affairs Director at Tullow Ghana, Mr Tony Aubbyn, said as the country moved from oil exploration to production and export, it was important that participants in the conference, who serve as links with the public, had a clear understanding of the operations of the new industry.
That would ensure that all stakeholders felt a part of the industry and contributed to educate the public on its benefits to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the way forward for a successful oil industry in the country was through proper communication, in which stakeholders were taken through the operations of the major operators to enable them to ask the necessary questions that truly reflected the thoughts of the people in their communities.
The public affairs director said Tullow was committed to operating with the support of the people, for which reason it would continue to dialogue with the people and share information to ensure that the operations of the industry were properly understood.
Mr Aubbyn expressed the hope that at the end of the conference, participants would be equipped to understand the industry and help relay it to members of the larger community.
For his part, the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Kobby Okyere-Darko Mensah, said it was important that the public who were the real owners of the resource understood the operations of the industry.
He said there was much expectation and so if the people were made to understand the real issues, it would help manage some of that expectation.
A resource person, Mr Ian Philip, an industry expert from the Robert Gorden University, took participants through technical introduction on the upstream and downstream aspects of the oil industry.
He also took them through the risks and benefits associated with the industry.
TAKORADI ACCIDENT VICTIM IDENTIFIED (PAGE 3, JAN 21, 2011)
THE police have identified the woman who was killed when an articulated truck ran over and killed four schoolchildren and a woman at a zebra crossing at Kwesimintsim in Takoradi.
The body of the woman, identified as Madam Perpetual Oppong, 55, has since been released to her family for burial.
She had gone to her grandchildren’s school to pick up her two grandchildren who survived the accident.
Family members said Madam Oppong was a very dedicated grandmother who always went to pick up her grandchildren after school.
They commended the branch manager of the company whose truck ran over the children for helping to apprehend the driver of the vehicle and the financial support they got.
Some of the children who were caught up in the accident are said to be doing well after being discharged from hospital, while others are still undergoing reviews.
One of them, 12-year-old Melisa Donkor, whose injuries were serious, has been flown to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for further medical attention.
The District Police Commander, DSP Ayamga Akologo, said the driver of the accident vehicle had been processed for court on provisional charges of careless and inconsiderate driving.
“But the docket has since been presented to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice and the suspect is supposed to be back in court on February 2, 2011,” he said.
He called on drivers to be mindful of the implications of not being meticulous on the road.
The four children who died in the accident were buried on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The body of the woman, identified as Madam Perpetual Oppong, 55, has since been released to her family for burial.
She had gone to her grandchildren’s school to pick up her two grandchildren who survived the accident.
Family members said Madam Oppong was a very dedicated grandmother who always went to pick up her grandchildren after school.
They commended the branch manager of the company whose truck ran over the children for helping to apprehend the driver of the vehicle and the financial support they got.
Some of the children who were caught up in the accident are said to be doing well after being discharged from hospital, while others are still undergoing reviews.
One of them, 12-year-old Melisa Donkor, whose injuries were serious, has been flown to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for further medical attention.
The District Police Commander, DSP Ayamga Akologo, said the driver of the accident vehicle had been processed for court on provisional charges of careless and inconsiderate driving.
“But the docket has since been presented to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice and the suspect is supposed to be back in court on February 2, 2011,” he said.
He called on drivers to be mindful of the implications of not being meticulous on the road.
The four children who died in the accident were buried on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)