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.
Friday, January 28, 2011
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.
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