Rose Hayford Darko's Stories

Sakumono police nab imposter (Page 19, jan 28)

2011-01-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Story: Rose Hayford Darko and Dela Russel Ocloo, Tema

A 32-YEAR-OLD businessman who posed as an official of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and succeeded in defrauding three people of GH¢10,000 has been arrested by the Sakumono Police.
Yaw Apedor, who claimed to be stationed at the Castle, Osu, took the amount under the pretext of assisting the victims to buy cars from the Tema Port and a plot of land at East Legon.
The police arrested Apedor from his hideout at Adabraka in Accra.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic, the Tema Police Regional Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Turkson, said Apedor approached two women and a man and introduced himself as an official of the BNI attached to the Castle and, therefore, influential.
She also claimed to know some big men at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) who would help him buy cars at cheaper prices.
Chief Inspector Turkson said the victims expressed interest and accepted to pay for the cars.
She said the victims chose to buy a Kia Rio, a Hyundai Elantra and a Toyota Camry at GH¢2,700, GH¢2,700 and GH¢2,400, respectively.
She added that Apedor collected the money and promised to return with the documents on the vehicles but rather went into hiding.
Chief Inspector Turkson said for two months the victims could not trace the suspect and his mobile phone was off.
She said on Thursday, January 20, 2011, the victims got Apedor on the phone and feigned interest in buying a car from him.
She said they arranged to meet him at a place and on the following day, January 21, the suspect was arrested.
Chief Inspector Turkson said the police were investigating Apedor’s involvement in other fraudulent activities and after obtaining evidence would put him before court.

GPHA to expand container terminal... To accomodate larger vessels (Page 17, Jan 28)

2011-01-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema

THE Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) is to provide a bigger container terminal to accommodate new generation vessels which call at the Tema Port.
These vessels are huge and have large cargo-hold capacities capable of carrying large quantities of bulk cargo.
The Marketing and Customer Service Manager of the GPHA, Mrs Alice Torkornoo, said this when she presented a plaque on behalf of the authority to the Captain of the M/V Ten Yu Maru which arrived at the Tema Port on January 15, 2011 on its maiden voyage.
Mrs Torkornoo disclosed that from the last quarter of 2009 the number of vessels and the quantity of cargo arriving at the port had increased greatly, an indication that the global economy was improving.
She gave the assurance that the Tema Port had the ability and adequate equipment to attend to all sizes of vessels, adding, “The GPHA will continue to build good relations with all stakeholders to encourage them to operate from the port.”
She said the more cargo that came through the port, the better for the Ghanaian economy.
The Captain of the vessel, Virgilio S. Cruz, expressed the gratitude of the crew to the GPHA for displaying a gesture that would encourage them to come back.
He said the vessel, with a capacity of 58,110 metric tones, was built in China and launched on September 11, 2010 and presently had 23 crew members.
Capt Cruz said Ghana was the vessel’s first port of call after it was launched and congratulated the nation on its peace and stability which had encouraged vessels to dock at the Tema Port.
He said the vessel loaded 34,000 tonnes of rice at Kohsichang in Thailand originally for Cote d’Ivoire but was later directed by the charters to divert the cargo to Ghana because of the political instability in that country.
Captain Cruz said the vessel would be in Ghana until the first week of February when it would set sail for Lome in Togo.
The Managing Director of GETMA Ghana, the local agents of the vessel, Mr Christophe Monmarche, congratulated the GPHA on its efficiency and capabilities.
He appreciated the gesture displayed by the authority and gave the assurance that the company would entice more vessels to use the Tema Port.

KASSEH TO GET FIRE STATION (PAGE 23, JAN 27, 2011)

2011-01-26T08:58:00.001-08:00

The Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) is to establish a fire post at Kasseh Junction to ensure proper handling of accident victims as part of its efforts to reduce the rate of loss of life and property on the Tema –Aflao highway.
The Service is also seeking resources to open another post on the Spintex Road to respond on time to emergencies in the Tema Metropolis .
The Tema Regional Fire Commander, DO1 Gilford Tetteh Adams, who disclosed this in Tema, appealed to corporate bodies to support the effort to help ensure a more effective and better responsive Fire Service.
He also called on the government to quicken the pace of equipping the service to enable it to tackle challenges ahead .
DO1 Adams also called on officers to dedicate themselves to the call of saving lives and property in the year 2011.
He called on the public to promptly report all road crashes to the police and the service for immediate attention .
DO1 Adams disclosed that last year, the GNFS in Tema responded to 35 road collisions, which recorded 150 injuries and 41.
He said the service again responded to 214 fire outbreak which resulted in eight deaths and 10 injuries .
DO1 Adams noted that damage caused as a result of the fire outbreaks was estimated at GH¢1,430,605.00.
Taking stock of the past year, he said the service intensified community fire education in the various communities including Kpone and Tema New Town.
DO1 Adams said the personal contact and community form of education helped to reduce incidents of fire outbreaks in the Tema Metropolis.
He stated that the service was currently faced with new challenges of floods which had begun to inundate parts of the regions indicating that GNFS is rendered incapable due to lack of equipment .
The Tema regional fire commander has as a first step started training a team of divers and swimmers who will need to acquire skills before being deployed for the task .
He said the personnel would need public support in being equipped with life jackets outboard motors, boots among others.
DO1 Adams said another area of concern which posed a challenge to the region is the West African Pipe line which has a terminal in Tema.
He expressed the hope that the government would energise the service to enable it to handle any incident that may occur at the shorelines.

2 ARRESTED FOR RE-BRANDING EXPIRED MILK (PAGE 3, JAN 25, 2011)

2011-01-25T06:29:00.000-08:00

THE Tema Regional Police have arrested two persons who were caught re-labelling suspected expired milk at a hideout in Ashaiman.
The suspects, a man and a nursing mother whose names are being withheld for security reasons, were re-labelling the milk with Ideal Milk wrappers.
The Tema Regional Police Commander, ACP Augustine Gyening, who confirmed the arrest, said on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, the Police Buffalo Unit, while on its rounds, saw the two suspects re-labelling milk tins.
He said upon interrogation, it came out that they were agents who had been contracted to do the re-labelling.
ACP Gyening said although Nestle Ghana Limited had claimed ownership of the product, the police had not ascertained how it got out of Nestle’s premises and why it was not branded because it was supposed to be factory reject and not for sale.
He explained that the milk could have suffered some production defects in the production line and, therefore, was declared unfit for the market.
ACP Gyening said the identity of the suspects was being withheld to enable the police to conduct thorough investigations into the incident to protect consumers against unwholesome products.

RESIDENTS OF KAKASUNANKA APPEAL TO TMA (PAGE 18, JAN 18, 2011)

2011-01-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

Residents of Kakasunanka near Michel Camp in the Tema Metropolis have called on the Tema Metropolitan Assembly(TMA) to rescind it’s decision to demolish a 12-seater public place of convenience constructed in 2004 by the Assembly because of its location.
They have also appealed to the Ghana at 50 Commission to release the 22-seater Jubilee toilet facility which is 90 per cent complete and located at Kakasunanka, to serve the needs of the people including the disabled instead of placing a ban on it at the detriment of residents.
The Jubilee toilet facility has 22 seats with designs for the disabled and was started in 2007 but was closed down by the Ghana at 50 Commission of Enquiry to enable it investigate the Commission.
According to interviews conducted at Kakasunanka by the Daily Graphic, the community which has a large population does not have a single public toilet facility and therefore,the situation has created insanitary conditions in the community.
They claimed that the abandoned ten-seater facility which served the people was constructed in 2004 by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly but had to be abandoned on the instructions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after a month use because it was wrongfully located .
It was observed that people in the community have resorted to other means of attending to nature’s call because of lack of such amenities.
The Daily Graphic learnt that the Tema Metropolitan Assembly(TMA) had ordered the demolition of the facility which had for the past six years been abandoned in the bush.
According to the Assembly Member of the area, Mr Samuelson Allenge, the Ghana at 50 project was initiated through the Tema Metropolitan Assembly for the Metropolis in 2007 and was located at Kakasunanka because of the availability of land .
He said the 22-seater water closet facility had part of it designed for the disabled in the community and, therefore, could have benefited the capable and incapacitated persons living in the community .
Mr Allenge noted that because of its importance, the people appealed to the Ghana at 50 Commission to grant them the opportunity to complete the project which is left with only a few fittings.
He disclosed that water and light had been connected to the structures and it had doors, windows and seat pads well fitted .
Mr Allenge noted that request to complete the project was not met .
He said the people at Kakasunanka earlier in 2004 had access to the 12-seater toilet facility but were stopped from it’s use by the EPA which Mr Allenge stated was ‘uncalled for ’ because pipelines which serve the people of Tema were far from the facility.
Mr Allenge said the Kakasunanka community is one of the peri-urban areas in the Tema Metropolitan Area which has not seen much development and called on the TMA to extend its development activities to the area.
The Planning Officer of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Kwaku Taylor Appiah, when contacted explained that the location of the facility should have been inspected and confirmed as favourable before the start of the project .
He said those who executed the project might not be available to explain the circumstances that led to the order from the EPA to lock up the facility.

TEMA ASSEMBLY TO FIGHT INDISCIPLINE (PAGE 18, JAN 18, 2011)

2011-01-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly has earmarked this year as an action year to fight indiscipline and to ensure that illegal structures such as kiosks, containers and second-hand electronic items sales points in the metropolis are cleared.
The exercise will extend from Tema Business District to the various communities including Sakumono, Lashibi and their environs.
In separate interviews with officials of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Tema, they advised the owners of unapproved structures to start packing before the demolishing task force set out to demolish them.
Tema, otherwise known as the Harbour City is gradually becoming a slum because of the rapid growth in population and rural-urban migration, coupled with indiscriminate siting of wooden structures in unauthorised areas.
This situation has rendered the Metropolis prone to fire outbreaks and sanitation hazards .
Last year the Metropolis experienced some fire outbreaks which destroyed domestic and industrial properties.
The influx of migrants has also contributed to prostitution which has made the HIV /AIDs pandemic rate high in Tema.
Such indiscriminate sexual activities goes on in illegal structures which are located in areas with insanitary conditions.
The Tema Development Corporation which is the city planners has as a result decided to decongest the city starting from the business centre .
According to the Managing Director, Mr Joe Abbey, the TDC is determined to ensure that those who have taken advantage of public space and have, therefore, occupied them must start packing or will have themselves to blame.
He indicated that the situation was chaotic around the Meridian Enclave in the city centre where vendors of second hand items have taken over pavements and frontage of businesses.
Mr Abbey stated that some residential communities in Tema extending to Lashibi and it’s surrounding areas would be covered by the exercise.
He called on other stakeholders to co-operate to make the exercise a success and also asked owners of the illegally sited vending points to vacate before the exercise takes off.
The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Fire Service, Mr Timothy Affum, explained that the decision to decongest the township was necessary because most fire outbreaks recorded in the Metropolis were from wooden structures which had illegal electrical connections.
He noted that illegal structures had been erected on hydrants and blocked routes which fire tenders used to enter areas wherever there was a fire outbreak.
Mr Affum was not happy with the authorities whose duty it was to ensure that structures were built at legally demarcated areas.
He disclosed that the fisher folks in Tema New Town who lived in structures along the seashore would be educated on precautionary measures to ensure safety of the West African Gas Pipeline which comes to shore through the area .
Mr Affum said with the harmattan wind blowing people should be cautious to put off all fires after cooking and warned smokers who carelessly throw away the pieces of cigarette with fire at their tip.
He said some people have tapped electricity from main lines with illegal wires which are not recommended for the purpose and, therefore, easily caused flashes which caused fires.
Mr Affum commended the Tema Metropolitan Assembly for engaging in some decongestion at the outskirts of the Tema Central Market and the Community Two satellite market .
Meanwhile, the Tema Development Corporation says dates given to people located in unauthorised areas had expired the decongestive exercise would start anytime from now.

NARH-BITA COLLEGE HOLDS MATRICULATION (PAGE 18,, JAN 11, 2011)

2011-01-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

THE Narh-Bita College of Nursing, in the port city of Tema, has held its seventh joint matriculation and graduation ceremony with a renewed pledge by the College Board to make the institution a centre of excellence in West Africa for the training of nurses.
The college was the first private nursing training institution in Ghana to be accredited by the National Accreditation Board.
It runs the three-year Registered General Nursing Diploma, the Health Assistants Clinical certificate and the Medical Laboratory Technicians certificate programmes.
The college is engaged in tropical nursing research collaboration and student and staff exchange programmes with Crest University, Pennsylvania, USA, Teesside University, Middlesborough, UK, Harstead University in Norway and the Metropolitan University College, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Students of the college have access to practical training in government hospitals but the Narh-Bita Hospital, which provides services to over 80,000 patients in the Tema metropolis annually and which serves more than 60 corporate clients in the port city, provides additional excellent facilities for the practical training of students of the college.
The hospital also runs the only private neurosurgical centre in the country, where spine and brain surgery are performed in addition to diagnosis, treatment and research into neurotic diseases.
In recognition of its performance, the medical facility received accreditation from the West Africa College of Physicians in 1998, making it the first private hospital in Ghana to provide postgraduate training for doctors in Family Practice.
Several rural communities have benefited from the annual Students and Staff Medical Outreach Programme of the Narh-Bita College of Nursing. Communities which benefit from medical aid under the college’s outreach programme are typically poor communities lacking basic amenities such as schools, potable water supply and health facilities.
Under the programme, teams of medical staff and students from the school treat the people of such communities for malaria, anaemia, bilharzia, scabies, intestinal worm infestations, eye diseases and other medical conditions prevalent in rural communities. Cases requiring specialist consultations are referred to hospitals.
The hospital is affiliated to several local and international organisations in a bid to keep abreast of the current and emerging trends in medical practice. These have impacted positively on the quality of training students of the nursing college receive.
The college has a well-stocked library with titles covering subjects like anatomy, physiology, medical and surgical nursing, with supplementary teaching and learning materials in the form of CD-ROMS and video tapes. All computers of the college are connected to the Internet.
At the joint ceremony last week, 68 students graduated and 230 students were matriculated.
Miss Victoria Nartey received three awards for excellence — the overall best Medical Laboratory Technician student award and an award each for being the best student in Haematology and Clinical Chemistry respectively during the academic year.
Mr Isaac Asiamah was presented with an award for being the overall best student of the academic year and a second award for being the best student in Clinical Anatomy.
In his address at the ceremony, the President of the college, Dr Edward A. Narh, called for a radical review of the programme for the practical training of students of private nursing training institutions in the country.
Under the prevailing system for the practical training of students of private nurses training institutions, the students are charged fees for their practical attachment in public hospitals.
Dr Narh said the Ministry of Health needed to support the practical training of students from private nurses training institutions by cancelling the payment of fees by the students on practical attachment in public medical facilities.
He noted that during their practical attachment, nursing students from private training institutions contributed significantly to the provision of medical care and it was therefore unfair to charge them training fees.
“Nursing students already pay high fees for their training in private institutions and to charge them fees for their practical attachment in public hospitals is a financial burden on the students,” Dr Narh said.
He said since most products of private nursing training institutions in the country ended up working in the public hospitals, the Ministry of Health should have an interest in their training.
The President of the college said since the public health delivery system benefited immensely from the training of nurses by private training institutions, the government also needed, as a matter of urgency, to find a way of assisting the private training institutions to access funding from financial and other institutions for the development of infrastructure and the provision of adequate equipment and materials for the training of nurses .
Students of the Adom Medical Laboratory Technicians Training School in Tema, which is one of the training institutions under the Narh-Bita Group of training institutions, also needed to benefit from fee-free practical training programmes in government hospitals, Dr Narh said.
He said the government could contribute further towards the training of highly qualified nurses for the country’s hospitals and clinics by supporting programmes for the further training of the graduates of private nursing training institutions up to the Master’s degree level.
Present at the ceremony were Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, the Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Krakue II, Professor Korsah and Professor Afari, both members of the College Council, and Dr Appiah Denkyira, Director of Health Services.

TMA OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO NEEDY PUPILS (SPREAD, JAN 11, 2011)

2011-01-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

THE Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has awarded three years’ scholarships worth GH¢67,240.00 to 50 students to attend senior high schools of their choice across the country.
The TMA has since 1996 awarded scholarships to 200 needy students to attend various second-cycle schools in the country.
According to the officer incharge of education at the TMA, Mr Sevlo Adjei, the students had the option to choose to become either day or boarding students.
He made this known when the selected 50 students received their scholarship packages for the 2009 and 2010 academic years at a presentation ceremony.
Mr Adjei said the selected 50 beneficiaries were made up of 30 boarding students who received a package of scholarships worth GH¢1,521 for three years each and 15 day students who had a package of GH¢630.00 each for three years.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, who presented the scholarships to the beneficiaries, assured the students of the assembly’s support but advised them to learn hard to retain the scholarship.
He said they must justify the expenditure the government was making on them from the taxpayer’s toil, adding that the package would be withdrawn if they failed to perform well by producing good results.
The Metropolitan Director of Education, Mr Kwesi Hutchful, expressed the gratitude of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the assembly’s support for the students.

FDB DESTROYS UNWHOLESOME CHICKEN PRODUCTS (BACK PAGE, DEC 24, 2010)

2010-12-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) yesterday destroyed a large quantity of chicken thighs, wings and gizzards valued at GH¢200,000 at Kpone, near Tema.
The products, which were seized from some major frozen food importers comprised 2,500 cartons of chicken thighs and wings, as well as 777 boxes of gizzards.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the landfill site where two bulldozers were used in the destruction exercise, the Head of Import and Export Control Department of the FDB, Mr Emmanuel Yaw Kwarteng, said the products were not even fit for animal consumption and had to be destroyed.
He explained that at the beginning of December, 2010, the FDB, in collaboration with the security agencies undertook an operation to determine the wholesomeness of foods imported.
Mr Kwarteng said an inspection at the Servista Frozen Foods Company, revealed large quantities of gizzards in cold rooms.
He said the company was noted for being a major importer of animal products and some of them had already been distributed.
Mr Kwarteng said other smaller outlets which received products from Servista were also inspected and all the gizzards analysed there were found to be unwholesome and subsequently seized.
He disclosed that another importer of chicken products, Cocas Impex Company, received an import of 2,500 cartons of chicken but decided to contact the FDB to check on the status of the products .
According to Mr Kwarteng, when analysed it was detected that the chicken thighs could not even be used for poultry feed though they looked attractive.
He said the FDB would continue to monitor imports arriving at the port within the period and after the festivities to ensure that consumers bought healthy foods.
Mr Kwarteng cautioned traders who bought anything at unauthorised places to ensure that food items were wholesome .
He warned that the FDB would not shirk its responsibilities but ensure that they rid the markets and stores of all unwanted goods and foods.

SHAI RURAL BANK MAKES PROFIT (PAGE 55, DEC 23, 2010)

2010-12-23T04:12:00.000-08:00

THE Shai Rural Bank at Dodowa recorded a net profit of GH¢35,490.00 in 2009 as against the GH¢3,786.00 the bank recorded in 2008.
The Board Chairman of the bank, Mr Ebenezer Djagbletey Djanie, said at the 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank at Dodowa, that despite the challenging year the bank was able to meet its financial obligation to post the modest net profit.
He appealed to the shareholders of the bank to buy more shares to enable the bank to achieve more successes.
Mr Djanie said the bank’s assets had equally grown from GH¢1,540,910.00 in 2008 to GH¢2,367,876 representing a growth of 34.92 per cent over the previous year’s performance.
He said the bank currently operated two agencies located at Adentan and Ashaiman, which according to the Board Chairman contributed to the growth of the bank.
Mr Djanie said computerisation of operations of the Head Office at Dodowa in August 2009 had brought efficiency and effectiveness in the turnaround time of the bank and hinted that the Adentan and Ashaiman agencies would soon be hooked on to the computerised network.
Mr Djanie disclosed that the bank had introduced a Micro Finance Operations and had developed its mobile banking business to cover all clients within the community in which the bank operates.
That, he said, included loans for funeral, school fees, medical bills and church projects, among others .
The board chairman said the bank had plans to migrate from the current interest- based revenue to commission –based revenue such as the ATM and SMS banking.
The Managing Director of the ARB Apex Bank Ltd , Mr Eric Osei Bonsu, in a speech read on his behalf by the Head of Internal Control Department of the ARB APEX Bank, Mr Hyginus S. Zon, commended the bank for its achievements and said those achievements must be consolidated.
He emphasised that the banking industry was undergoing a rapid technological transformation with the introduction of electronic banking and expressed the hope that the bank would invest in ICT to improve its operational efficiency.
Mr Osei Bonsu said some of the innovations were :e-Zwich, Electronic Financial Analysis and Surveillance Systems (e FASS), Cheque Codeline Clearing (CCC) and Automated Clearing House (ACH).
He stated that the Apex Bank would also migrate its star product, the Apex Link Money Transfer Product onto an ICT Platform very soon to make it more efficient.
The Dangme West District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Odoi Ayimi Lartey, commended the bank, and appealed to citizens of the area to patronise the services of the two rural banks in the district.
He noted that the presence of the two banks had contributed to the elimination of poverty in the area.
Mr Lartey further commended the Shai Rural Bank for instituting a scholarship scheme for the needy and urged shareholders to increase their shares.

296 NYEP RECRUITS TO HELP IN TRAFFIC CONTROL (SPREAD, DEC 18, 2010)

2010-12-20T02:44:00.000-08:00

The Ghana Police Service has mobilised 296 personnel from the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to support the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) to control traffic in Accra and Tema.
They have been trained under the community policing module of the NYEP and would be engaged by the Police Service for the next two years.
Forty-nine of the trained personnel, made up of 10 females and 39 males, have been posted to Tema while the rest have been stationed in Accra.
The Commander of the MTTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Angwubutoge Awuni, who was in Tema to meet them, advised them to make discipline the hallmark of their work.
He said the police service needed disciplined people to be attached to the MTTU to help direct traffic especially during the Yuletide.
The MMTU boss noted that traffic had become a problem in the cities and stressed the need to have more hands to help make the roads safe for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
ACP Awuni said some of the NYEP community policing personnel had been found to be habitual absentees when posted to duty points and warned that those who indulge in such behaviours would not be entertained.
He, however, said those found to be obedient and hardworking would be absorbed into the Police Service.
He advised them to be friendly to the public and said as peace officers, they were expected to maintain law and order.
He appealed to them to show commitment to their work and put up attitudes that would justify the confidence reposed in them.
The Tema Regional Police Commander, ACP Augustine Gyenning, asked the NYEP personnel to be mindful of the numerous road construction works going on in Tema, which has resulted in roadblocks and heavy traffic, and said they would need to work hard at the various road intersections to control vehicular movement.

ASHAISEC LAUNCHES 20TH ANNIVERSARY (MIRROR, PAGE 35, DEC 18, 2010)

2010-12-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

From Rose Hayford Darko, Ashaiman

The Ashaiman Senior High School (Ashaisec), the premier secondary school in Ashaiman, is 20 years and has accordingly launched its 20th anniversary to celebrate pioneers, who through hard work, have brought the school to its present status .
It was themed ‘Accessibility to quality education – the need for parity in resource distribution’.
The school started with 30 students and three members of staff, without non-teaching staff and infrastructure to boost teaching and learning .
Twenty years later, the school now boasts a moderate infrastructure, a staff strength of 88 and student population of 1,450 made up of 733 boys and 717 girls .
The Ashaiman Municipal Director of Education, Ms Florence Quaye, who launched the anniversary, commended the founders of the school for ensuring that Ashaiman had a senior high school to promote education .
She said the growing student population buttressed the theme for the celebration which was evident with the ongoing construction works in the school .
Ms. Quaye noted that although government had the responsibility to provide infrastructure and financial resources for the promotion of quality teaching and learning ,the community in which the school was located had to be equally responsive to its needs .
She stated that government and other stakeholders had made bold attempts to improve on the infrastructure of the school to cater for the growing student population.
Ms Quaye said Ashaisec had a solid human resource with highly qualified, experienced and motivated staff who had inculcated in the students, discipline, honesty, self confidence, hardwork, patriotism and tolerance .
She commended both teachers and students for excelling in various activities including sports, culture and others which was a proof that the school was not concerned with only the academics but also the holistic training of the individual .
Ms Quaye cautioned the students to eschew negative practices and lift the banner of the municipality high .
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle, outlined the highlights of the celebration which included debates, clean up exercises, health walk, float, symposium and speech and prize giving day.

TEMA GES AWARDS 21 TEACHERS (MIRROR, PAGE 35, DEC 18, 2010)

2010-12-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

From Rose Hayford Darko, Tema

THE Tema Metropolitan Directorate of Ghana Education Service (GES) has awarded 21 teachers for their hard work and dedication to duty at its Best Teachers Award ceremony in Tema.
The award winners were from the primary, junior high and senior high schools in various disciplines of Science , Mathematics , General subjects , vocational and technical categories .
Also awarded were some hard working and dedicated non-teaching staff at the Metropolitan office of the GES.
Those who came first in their categories took home a double door fridge, second positions had four burner standing gas cooker and the third place winners received 21 inch flat screen television sets.
The Deputy Director General of the GES, Mr Victor Adu-Mante, said the awards formed part of incentives meant to promote quality basic education in the country.
He said it was also to provide the opportunity as well as challenge for the basic and second cycle schools to strive for excellence.
Mr Mante called on school directors to properly manage their capitation grants and commended heads of senior high schools for their effort during the admission of first year students in the face of all odds; and assured them that GES recognised that motivation enhanced excellence.
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, said the Assembly would continue to support and invest in education, adding that the Assembly would provide six pavillions and also meet the infrastructure needs of SHSs in the Metropolis.
Mr Ofosuware said work would soon begin on the construction of 10 new classroom blocks for schools throughout the metropolis with funding from the GetFund.
The Metropolitan Director of Education, Mr Kwesi Hutchful, appealed for decent accommodation for the GES and stressed the need to check the encroachment of school lands in the metropolis.
The Greater Accra Member of the Council of State, Mr Adjei Annang, who chaired the programme, accompanied Mr Mante to inspect a guard of honour mounted by the Navy Cadet of OLAM Senior High School with support from Chemu Senior Secondary School band.

NEW VESSEL TO DEEPEN TRADE DOCKS IN TEMA (PAGE 55, DEC 17, 2010)

2010-12-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

A geared container vessel 'CMA CGM Africa One' with a capacity of 3,600 teu (twenty equivalent units) and designed to meet specifications of African ports for quick delivery of goods first docked at the Tema harbour.
The ship christened 'Nassau ' to link Asia to West Africa trade route is geared towards independent port operations with its own in-built cranes which maximise the loading of goods at shallow draft ports .
It is currently the largest vessel to enter the waters of Africa since 2007 when the largest vessel entered with a capacity of 2,500 teu .
It was built and delivered in August 2010 at the Hanjin Heavy Industries shipyard in Hong Kong.
Briefing the media on the vessel, the Commercial Manager for CMA CGM Group, on behalf of its subsidiary in Ghana ,Delmas Shipping Ghana, Mr Geoffrey Cole said the ship was one of the four to be delivered later .
He noted that the capacity of the vessels had been exclusively designed and built with flexibility considering the in built cranes , draught and length which made it operate autonomously where necessary in all major African ports irrespective of the level of equipment and the characteristics of the port .
Mr Cole said bigger vessels reduce cost per unit the freight rate of imported goods and, therefore, offered competitive rates for importers and exporters .
He said vessels of a certain draft and length had had difficulties in berthing at the Tema port, especially because of the varying berthing space, but the new vessels had their own mechanisms which made them fit in uniquely.
Mr Cole said with the four new container vessels ,delays in loading and discharging would be a thing of the past and make sea transport more dynamic .
The General Manager of the Delmas Shipping Ghana of the CMA CGM Group , Mr Hugh Curtis, observed that the innovative design of the vessel CMA CGM Africa One would allow a high quality service in African ports, especially Tema port which had one of the best levels of productivity in West Africa .
He said the vessel docked with 700 containers from Asia would sail with 800 containers for export .
Mr Curtis said the objective of introducing the bigger vessel was to have them operate directly between Asia and Africa to promote trade .
He disclosed that CMA CGM Group is a major stakeholder in the development of the Ghanaian economy and with the new big vessels entering its fleet,the Group had emphasised its commitment to Africa .
Mr Curtis stated that Ghana had a fast growing economy in the sub -Saharan region and had been an important market for the Group hence its four direct weekly services from Far East,Northern Europe and the Mediterranean operating as number one operator of exports out of the country carrying mainly cocoa, perishable goods ,foodstuff and timber whilst being a major carrier of Ghana's large variety of imported goods from Asia .
The Captain of the vessel,Andriy Pakholchuk from Ukraine in an interview said the technicalities of the vessel was comparably the same with other vessels but only needed a little more care to manoeuvre because of the size and weight .
He said the vessel was capable of making a trip under 30 days from Asia to Ghana and also had a compartment for passengers who would want to experience sea journey and all the comfort that went with it.
Some importers and exporters who were on board the vessel said they were happy to have a direct service to enable them do fast business void of demurrage.

KPONE REJECTS DEAD BODIES (1B, DEC 13, 2010)

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bereaved families who sent the bodies of their relatives for burial at the Kpone Public Cemetery were disappointed when they were prevented from doing so by the youth of the town.
Some of the families had to look for alternative burial grounds around Tema, while about nine of the bodies were sent back to the morgue.
Personnel from the Police Buffalo Unit of the Tema Regional Police who had been detailed to the Kpone Cemetery to enforce the law could not help the mourners, as the Kpone youth, numbering more than 400, refused to yield.
Wearing red armbands and headgear and armed with rods and machetes, the youth sang war songs to deter the mourners.
They refilled the graves with sand, barricaded the entrance to the cemetery and burnt tyres there to prevent vehicles from driving in.
Mourners had to redirect their vehicles to avoid any confrontation with the demonstrators and that created heavy traffic on the Tema-Aflao road.
The protest followed a resolution passed and read at a press conference held last week by the coalition of youth groups in Kpone to resist the continued use of their land “as a dumping ground by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA)” and the indiscriminate sale of their lands by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).
At the press conference, the coalition indicated that it would resist all attempts by the TDC to forcibly acquire Kpone land and use it against the people’s wish.
According to the spokesman for the coalition, Mr William Josiah, the people of Kpone were fed up with the use of the area “as a waste basket for the people of Tema” and would use demonstrations to say “enough is enough”.
He said the action would be extended to other sites which had illegally been acquired as sanitation concerns and landfill sites.
Mr Josiah said the people of Kpone now needed land to support their growing population and called on the TDC to release all lands belonging to the Kpone Stool.
He said Kpone became landless after the 1952 compulsory acquisition of its land by the then government which ceded 17,000 acres of the land, representing almost 90 per cent of Kpone lands, to the TDC.
He said all appeals to the TDC to release the unused lands to the people had proved futile, noting that the demonstration was an extension of that demand.
He said in spite of the sacrifice, no good thing had been extended to Kpone to benefit the people, only “bad things like public refuse dumps and cemeteries”.
“We are not fools, but even if we were, we are now wide awake,” Mr Josiah said.
The Chief Environmental Health Officer of the TMA, Mr Peter Amuzu, reacting to the action by the Kpone youth, said as a temporary measure, the Environmental Health Department of the TMA had decided to provide space for some of the bereaved families at the Community 9 Cemetery which had been closed to enable them to bury their corpses later.
He said he had led a delegation to the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) to discuss plans to use an area originally demarcated for a cemetery but now cultivated by farmers from Kpone but that had been also met with stiff resistance from the farmers.
Mr Amuzu said the Kpone Cemetery covered an area of 240 square feet, with 7,200 bodies already buried there.

NO FIRE HYDRANTS AT TEMA MAJOR MARKETS (PAGE 18, DEC 11, 2010)

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IT has been found that the four major markets in the Tema Metropolitan area have no water hydrants and therefore stand the risk of being razed in case of a fire outbreak.
The markets, located at Tema community One, Tema Newtown, European Market at Community Two and the Ashaiman main market, do not also have big openings at the entrances to enable fire vehicles to enter during fire outbreaks.
This was observed when a team of fire personnel from the Tema Regional Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Electricity Company of Ghana, Tema Region, went the markets to locate the hydrants to service them for any eventuality.
At the European Market at Tema Community Two, it was detected that a building had been situated on the only hydrant.
The owner had been given a permit by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to construct a storey building on the site.
The Ashaiman and the Tema Newtown markets did not have water hydrants at all and the Tema main market at Community One had its two hydrants encroached on with shops and sheds.
All the markets had loose and naked electrical wiring, posing danger to the patrons of the market.
The Tema Regional Fire Officer, Mr Clifford Tetteh Adams, who led the team, blamed the various assemblies for overlooking the safety aspects of the markets.
He said the GNFS had written several letters to the assemblies to co-operate with them to demolish structures which had been erected on the hydrants.
Mr Adams said the fire tenders could carry a certain quantity of water which will need to be replenished after a short period of use.
Mr Adams called on the assemblies to expand the entrances for vehicles to enable the GNFS to put out fires effectively, even with its resources available.
He stated that after a reminder to the assemblies, the GNFS will make revolutionary moves to demolish the structures to save life and property in times of fire.
Mr Adams said with the harmattan setting in, the weather was ripe for fires.
The team mounted a campaign to educate the traders, especially those involved in the operation of chop bars in the markets.
The traders were educated on how to prevent fires by ensuring that their gas bottles were sealed safely without leakage and also desist from engaging in illegal electricity connections.
The Operations Engineer of ECG in Tema, Mr Francis Atsyatsya, and Mr Emmanuel Appoe of the Protection and Control Unit of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) said they were not happy with what they saw at the markets.
Mr Appoe said the ECG will embark on an operation to disconnect the wires and disclosed that all those found guilty would be made to pay for power consumed over the period.
He explained that illegal connections were done without expert advice and therefore posed danger to lives and property and appealed to the traders to desist from the practice and apply for meters from the ECG.
The Public Relations Officer of the Tema GNFS, Mr Timothy Affum, said the exercise will continue in other industries to ensure that they had fire certificates and were operating within the rules.

VALCO REACTIVATES OPERATIONS (PAGE 51, DEC 8, 2010)

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THE Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) has been reactivated for operations after being shut down for two years.
Consequently, the smelter plant is expected to produce its first primary aluminium metal of 80,000 metric tonnes in January 2011.
The Managing Director of VALCO, Mr Emmanuel Lartey, announced this when the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, visited the plant in Tema yesterday.
He said VALCO had 20,000 metric tonnes of alumina ready and was stockpiling carbon to start smelting.
He added that the designed capacity of the smelter plant was 200,000 metric tonnes of primary aluminium metal per year when all the five lines were in operation.
He said currently the long-term London Metal Exchange price of aluminium was estimated at $2,500 per tonne, noting that the long-term potential sales revenue of VALCO would be $500 million per annum.
Mr Lartey said for a start, the company would produce to feed local companies downstream before exporting to the international market.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said the government viewed VALCO as one of the critical agents which served as an anchor for Ghana's integrated industrial development strategy through aluminium, saying it was in the light of this that President Mills, in July 2009, tasked him to facilitate the conduct of a study of VALCO.
The minister said verifiable evidence from the study indicated that a properly mainstreamed VALCO held a significant place in the country's economic transformation agenda.
He said the reactivation of VALCO provided a unique opportunity to create 8,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs in the over 150 downstream industries and the several other companies engaged in aluminium fabrication and use, as well as service provision activities.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said with the activation of VALCO, the downstream industries would source their raw materials locally, without the attendant huge freight and other costs associated with the importation and clearing of their basic raw materials from other countries.

ASHAIMAN SHS LAUNCHES 20TH ANNIVERSARY (PAGE 11, DEC 8, 2010)

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THE Ashaiman Senior High School (ASHAISEC), which is the premier secondary school in Ashaiman, is 20 years and has accordingly launched its 20th anniversary to celebrate pioneers who through hard work, have brought the school to its present status.
It was themed “Accessibility to quality education – the need for parity in resource distribution”.
The school started with 30 students and three members of staff to boost teaching and learning .
Twenty years on the school now boasts of moderate infrastructure, a staff strength of 88 and a student population of 1,450 made up of 733 boys and 717 girls .
The Ashaiman Municipal Director of Education, Ms Florence Quaye, who launched the anniversary commended the founders of the school for ensuring that Ashaiman had a senior high school to make secondary education accessible to the people.
She noted that although government had the responsibility to provide infrastructure and financial resources for the promotion of quality teaching and learning in schools, the communities in which schools were located, also had to be equally responsive to the needs of such institutions.
She stated that government and other stakeholders have made bold attempts to improve on infrastructure in the school to cater for the teeming student population.
Ms Quaye said the school had a solid human resource capacity with highly qualified, experienced and motivated staff who had inculcated in the students, discipline, honesty, self-confidence, hardwork, patriotism and tolerance.
She commended both teachers and students for excelling in activities including sports, culture symposia and others which is a proof that the school is not concerned with only academic issues but also the holistic training of the individual.
Ms Quaye called on the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Board, old students of the school and corporate bodies to poll resources to make ASHAISEC grow .
She cautioned the students to eschew negative practices adding that “you can be agents of change wherever you find yourselves to move Ashaiman forward, as indicated by the school’s motto ‘modernisation calls for change’ .”
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle, described the celebration as historic and emphasised their commitment to train quality students to become future leaders.
He, therefore, called on government to provide adequate support in terms of infrastructure and teaching materials to enable the school authorities perform their roles creditably.
Mr Fiemawhle mentioned that some of the highlights of the celebration of the anniversary were debates, clean-ups, health walk, float and symposium .
He stated that a speech and prize giving day will climax the anniversary on December 11th 2010. AS

CONTANMINATED FISHMEAL AT ASHAIMAN MARKET (MIRROR, DEC 4, 2010, PAGE 35)

2010-12-06T03:55:00.000-08:00

From Rose Hayford Darko, Ashaiman

CONTAMINATED fishmeal has flooded the Ashaiman timber market where many poultry farmers buy their fishmeal.
The contaminated fishmeal is alleged to contain saw dust, sand and other foreign materials and farmers who fed their chicks with it had experienced high mortality rates among the birds on their farms.
Also affected are fish hatchery operators whose fingerlings are unable to survive after being fed with the contaminated fishmeal.
Investigations conducted by The Mirror confirmed that the traders rebagged the sacks of certified dealers with the contaminated ones .
An Official of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), who confirmed the situation, said some culprits were found rebagging the sacks with the contaminated stuff but they managed to abscond, escaping police arrest.
Mr James Lartey, Communications Manager of the FDB, advised poultry farmers to buy from certified dealers to avoid any contaminations on their farms as the Board monitored the situation .
A poultry farmer, Mr Daniel Kissiedu of Kisbenz and Menz Poultry Limited at Gbetsile near Ashaiman, said only 170 out of his 700 chicks survived the contaminated fishmeal only after administering antibiotics on them at an extra cost.
Mr Kissiedu, however, said just five out of another consignment of 1,500 chicks died when he changed the fishmeal and fed the chicks with those bought from the Ghana Protein Limited.
Another farmer, who is engaged in hatchery at Akuse, Mr Daniel Marfo, said his company was compelled to buy the fishmeal from the open market because Ghana Protein Limited was unable to satisfy the market with its product 'which qualifies to be the best of all'.
He appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture to monitor the fishmeal on the market to weed out the contaminants and save their farms from such huge losses.
Meanwhile, Ghana Protein Limited, the only mechanised fishmeal producing company in the country, is considering relocating from Ghana to Brazil because of lack of co-ordination in the supply of fish from the Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) and the Customs Division of the Revenue Authority(CEPS) at the port.
According to Mr Anthony Adu-Nketia, an Administrator of Ghana Protein Limited, though the company had the capacity to produce 360 tonnes of fishmeal daily it now produced only 29 tonnes because of unfair allocation of fish from the supply agencies .
He explained that the company used raw and steamed offal from PFC and uncleared fish which were auctioned by the CEPS at the port for fishmeal and not for human consumption .
Mr Adu-Nketia said the uncleared fish which were unwholesome did not get to the fishmeal companies but found their way to the market for sale for consumption, denying the companies of raw materials .
He said the company’s workforce of 150 had been cut to 50 and appealed to the Minsitry of Agriculture to intervene and streamline the supply chain of the fish to enable the company to satisfy the market with hygienic products, adding that the company also had machinery for fish pellets to serve fish farmers to boost aqua culture .

HIV/AIDS INFECTION IN TEMA GOES UP (PAGE 36, DEC 6, 2010)

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STATISTICS show that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS infection in Tema has doubled from two per cent last year to four per cent, which is twice the average national prevalent rate.
This means that one person out of 25 people is HIV positive in the Tema Metropolis.
The theme chosen for the day in Tema was “Act aware: Stop the prejudice to protect yourself and others” as against the main theme: “Universal Access and Human Rights. Action now.”
The Group Medical Advisor at Unilever Ghana, Dr Kwaku Sarkodie, made this disclosure at Tema during the celebration of the World Aids Day in Tema.
He said residents of Tema were at a higher risk than anywhere in Ghana today and called for intensified effort to educate the public on the need to ensure safe practices to avoid being infected.
Addressing a cross-section of students drawn from first and second cycle schools in the metropolis, community based organisations, peer educators and the public at a programme to mark the day, Dr Sarkodie said UNAIDS statistics indicated the disease had stabilised and new HIV infections were declining while mortality rate was still high.
He said 90 per cent of infected people in Ghana were between 15 and 49 years which represented the economic sector of the nation.
Dr Sarkodie appealed to residents in Tema to redouble their effort to reduce the present rate.
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, in an address read for him, said the youth represented the window of hope for the nation and, therefore, needed to exercise restraint in conducting themselves sexually.
He noted that the rate of prevalence in the metropolis was alarming, stating that Tema has 2,462 people living with AIDs made up of 758 males and 1,704 females .
Mr Ofosuware said it was in the right direction that the Day was dedicated to schoolchildren who were more vulnerable and needed to be educated more on the disease.
He said it was the responsibility of all to get involved in creating awareness that the virus was still infecting and affecting people.
Mr Ofosuware called on the students to desist from indiscriminate sexual activities, suggesting that HIV/AIDS clubs must be formed in all schools in the metropolis to keep the youth well informed.
He reminded them of the Yuletide which he said was close and advised that it was observed in line with the teachings of the Bible to avoid over-indulgence which would lead them to misbehave.
Mr Ofosuware urged corporate bodies to factor the youth in their contingency budgets to help educate them.
At Ashaiman, the day was marked with a durbar of students, chiefs, assembly members, market women, traders and heads of departments in the municipality.
The HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator in Ashaiman, Mrs Patience Boni, who represented the Municipal Director of Health for Ashaiman, declared that records as of June, 2010, indicated that 3,053 pregnant women were tested for the virus and 167 tested positive .
She said voluntary counselling and testing had 133 people testing positive out of 984 people who subjected themselves to the testing.
Mrs Boni said all those who tested positive had been referred for management.
She urged people to take advantage of the free counselling and testing to know their status to prevent the spread of the disease.
That, she said, called for behavioural change and the expansion of services for the Prevention to Mother to Child Transmission (PTMCT).
The Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, cautioned against stigmatising people living with HIV which obviously is against their fundamental human rights.
He called on all infected persons not to despair as a result of the government’s commitment to ensure that Anti Retroviral drugs were made available at less cost, urging them to commit themselves to the treatment course to enable them live healthy lives.
There were sketches and poetry recitals by the students on the need to abstain from sex or be protected with condoms.

REPLACE TEMA SEWER LINES (PAGE 36, NOV 29, 2010)

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THE President of the Full Gospel Church International, Rt. Revd Samuel Mensah, has appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to replace sewer lines in the Metropolis to avoid any future environmental disaster.
He said frequent blockage and subsequent explosion of some sewer lines in Tema, which exposed faecal materials, must be taken seriously and a solution must be found to it.
Rt. Revd Mensah who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Tema on recent developments in the Metropolis noted that the sewer lines had outlived their lifespan and, therefore, must be changed.
He acknowledged the good work of the Assembly and commended the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, for the efforts he is making to give Tema a facelift.
He explained that the ongoing asphalt projects on some major roads in the metropolis and filling of pot holes in the communities were commendable.
Rt. Revd Mensah said roads in Tema had seen some improvement as promised by the Chief Executive when he took Office in 2009 and urged him on to do more to bring Tema to its status as the industrial city of the country.
He noted that Mr Ofosuware had shown commitment to the work he had been tasked to do.
Rt. Revd Mensah noted that while performing his duty, the Chief Executive, Mr Ofosuware, must take note of the sewer system and slums which were rapidly emerging.
He cautioned that the road works must be closely monitored to ensure that the contractors did good and quality work.
Rt. Revd Mensah called on the Metropolitan Engineers to insist on specifications which would make the work last with regard to their intended life span.
On the slums, Rt. Revd Mensah acknowledged the need for people to be housed but noted that indiscriminate, unsightly and unplanned structures must be pulled down.
He stated that the efforts of the Assembly would come to naught if slums were encouraged, adding that the beauty of the harbour city would be tarnished.
Rt. Revd Mensah urged residents to help the Assembly to execute its planned projects by paying their levies and rates.
The Head of the Waste Management Department of the Assembly, Mr Edward Mba, in an interview, said sewer lines linking households in the metropolis were over-aged and would need to be changed at a cost running into millions of Ghana Cedis.
He said the capacity of the pumping station could not cope with the increasing population and needed to be increased while the treatment plant needed to be rehabilitated.
Mr Mba noted that there were several sewer lines connected to the pumping station which, with gravity, sent the house to house waste to the treatment plant.
He stated that there were some communities which were not hooked on to the sewer system because the capacity of the pumping station could not accommodate them.
Mr Mba said the capacity of the pumping station needed to be increased to have all the sewer lines hooked on it.
He stated that the pumping station and sewer lines were installed in the 1950s to serve the modern township of Tema but had never been changed or rehabilitated over the years.

TEMa RESIDENTS EDUCATE ON HARZARDS OF FIRE (PAGE 36, NOV 29, 2010)

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The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in Tema has, in collaboration with Cirrus Oil Services Limited organised a fire safety sensitisation exercise for traders at the Community One Central Market to educate them on fire hazards and the need to prevent them.
The traders were also taken through various aspects of putting off fire, flammable items and the different types of fire.
As part of the exercise, the Tema branch of the Ghana National Fire Service and the Tema Oil Refinery Fire Brigade jointly had a simulation exercise at the premises of the company where the loading gantry of Cirrus was deemed to be engulfed with fire.
A siren was sounded for the workers to assemble at an emergency point, while the internal safety personnel made efforts to put off the fire before the arrival of the Fire Service personnel who managed to bring the fire under control during the simulation exercise.
The Health,Safety and Environment Co-ordinator at Cirrus Oil Services Limited, Mr Divine Kweku Tetteh, said the company was observing a week-long celebration of safety with the theme: ‘Health and Safety – a commitment for life’ to create awareness among its workers and the public to be fire conscious.
Mr Tetteh noted that the company had operated for 862 days without any incident.
He explained that since July 2008 when the company started operating, it had not suffered any accident.
Mr Tetteh said as part of the safety programme, the company deemed it necessary to go to the market where fire had in recent times destroyed property belonging to the traders and the government, to educate the operators at the markets on safety measures.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Oil Services Limited, Mrs Ivy Appiah Owusu, said safety should be incorporated in all activities, especially when the company deals in oil, which is highly flammable .
She noted that when investments grow without safety measures, all invested items would come to nothing if consumed by fire.
The Tema Metropolitan Fire, Mr William Abaka Blankson, said in the third quarter of 2010, Tema experienced 47 fires.
He said in July, there were 11 fire outbreaks which caused damage to property estimated to cost GH¢12,350.00, while in August, damages caused by fire was GH¢ 30,560.00 in 18 fires.
Mr Blankson said in September, Tema had 18 fires which damaged property estimated to cost GH¢111,440.00
He said they were mostly domestic, vehicular and electrical fires.
Mr Blankson commended the Cirrus Oil Services for its decision to engage the public in fire education to help minimise fires which in recent times were on the increase.
He called on the public to be cautious to avoid the occurrence of fires to save life and property .
The Metropolitan Fire Officer, Mr Blankson and the Operations Officer of the GNFS in Tema, Mr Mark Quarcoo, conducted the simulation exercise at the premises.

PERI URBAN AREAS OF TEMA LACK AMENITIES (PAGE 36, NOV 29, 2010)

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Some communities in the peri-urban areas of the Tema Metropolis lack basic amenities, good roads and social service facilities though they continue to form the base of the metropolis.
They have no roads, markets, lorry parks and well planned demarcated housing projects .
The acquisition area of Tema has seen a significant growth as far as development is concerned and has a historical background dating back to decades.
As the Tema Development Corporation (TDC), was tasked with the development of well planned and demarcated houses ,the Local Government Act 54 of 1961 paved the way for the Department of Town Planning to oversee the day to day social services for the towns and its various settlements.
These demarcations were to enable the planning authorities to have adequate control over such settlements.
A survey conducted by the Daily Graphic in the peri-urban areas indicated that, some of these communities which come under the Tema Metropolitan Assembly have been neglected and lacked basic amenities which are to enable them move within the pace of development planning of the Metropolis.
Some of the communities under the Tema Metropolitan Assembly are Sasabi, Kakasunanka One and Two, Gbetsile, Okushieblie, Appolonia, Katamansu, Saaki, Kpoi-ete and Zenu .
Others are Bawaleshie, Kpone, Sewrepor, Mataheko, Manhean, Lashibi, Adjei-Kojo and Sakumono, among others.
Development has, however, been located mainly in the Tema township to the detriment of these communities which add up to make the Metropolis, therefore, giving developers the opportunity to indiscriminately put up structures which do not conform to building regulations .
People in these communities are mostly farmers and fishermen who have contributed in many diverse ways to lift high the name of Tema by winning the district and regional fishermen and farmers awards some years back.
The Tema development area was re-demarcated in the 1980’s for easy access for planning, but from all indications this has not brought any significant change.
With the district level elections around the corner, people in these areas are looking forward to elect assembly members who are conscious of initiating development projects .
The Tema Metropolitan Development Planning Officer, Mr Kofi Taylor Appiah in an interview with Daily Graphic confirmed that the peri-urban communities lacked amenities but explained that the people had refused to pay their levies, liquid and solid waste management fees and their property rates.
He said the assembly was already burdened with the rising cost of waste collection in the Metropolis stating that about 80 per cent of the Assembly’s common fund and internally generated funds went into waste collection.
Mr Taylor–Appiah said the Assembly had a four year medium term development plan for 2010-2013 to provide markets, lorry parks, classroom blocks, roads, drains and health posts for some communities in the Metropolis .
He said the assembly would rely on the needs of the people to undertake the project after consultation with them.
Mr Taylor-Appiah said population had far exceeded development, therefore, rendering the existing facilities inadequate .
He said Tema was currently operating dangerously on an over 40 year old sewer pumping station which is not able to contain the workload of the liquid waste .
Mr Taylor –Appiah said the Assembly would need to look for funds to replace the pumping station .
He stated that the Assembly would embark on public fora in all the peri-urban areas to educate them on the need to pay their levies .
Mr Taylor-Appiah said it was the intention of the TMA to open up the Metropolis to ensure that the people were brought closer for transparency. He said the Assembly’s financial base had dwindled considerably because of the inability of some companies to honour their obligations to the Assembly.
He reiterated the governments policy on public toilets and noted that the Assembly would no more provide such facilities in the metropolis and asked landlords to put up places of convenience for their tenants .
Mr Taylor- Appiah appealed to people living in the peri-urban areas to conform to the Local Government Act which demanded that they fulfilled their tax obligations to enable the Assembly provide the needed amenities.

FDB RECEIVES MINI LABORATORY (PAGE 29, NOV 25, 2010)

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THE Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has received a mini laboratory from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Germany, to help analyse food products for the presence of vitamins and minerals to ensure good health for Ghanaians .
The pocket size equipment which has been validated for food analysis will check for fortified food items within seven minutes instead of the five hours as existed previously to reduce deficiencies and malnutrition by 30 per cent in the country.
The equipment, known as 'i Check Chromo' and its accessories cost 8,520 Euros and it is the first to be produced as a sample for Ghana.It is yet to be produced on commercial basis .
Introducing the equipment to stakeholders in Tema, the Project Manager, Mr Richard Odum Nyumuah, said the FDB had introduced a logo to be pasted on fortified products to assure consumers of the genuineness of the product .
He said producers and importers who would display for sale or import products without complying with the laid down regulations would be sanctioned and the products re-exported to its source of importation.
Mr Nyumuah stated that the Ministry of Health had noted that most imported and locally produced cooking oils lacked vitamin A after refining.
This, he said, led to increase in deficiencies which made people to rely on supplementation.
Mr Nyumuah said wheat flour was one of the food items that needed to be fortified with minerals, zinc, iron, vitamins A and B and folic acid .
He said GAIN in line with the project gave support of $1.8 million to flour producing companies in the country to institute measures to fortify their products .
Mr Nyumuah noted that the FDB would soon promote the logo to educate the public on the need to look out for the fortified logo .
The Head of Import and Export Unit of FDB, Mr Emmanuel Kwarteng, said the introduction of the equipment was a milestone in the operations of the FDB in the ports and at the border crossings.
He was of the view that the operations with the food analysing equipment would ensure safe and efficacious medicines and food products on the market to assure consumers of good health .
Mr Kwarteng commended the Customs Division of the National Revenue Authority, members of the Customs Clearing Agencies and the National Security for their vigilance which had exposed some dubious deals at the ports.
He cautioned the public against the use of food and drugs which had not been approved by the board and appealed to the public to inform it of any shady deals. Mr Kwarteng said herbal preparations were not excluded and called for support to help control the inflow of sub -standard products into the country.
The Head of Food Laboratory Unit of the FDB, Mr Cheetham Mingle, demonstrated how the equipment works.

AYUBA WINS FIDE;ITY BANK DRAW (PAGE 23, NOV 25, 2010)

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THE Deputy Managing Director of the Fidelity Bank, Mr Jim Baiden, has reiterated the need for Ghanaians to cultivate the culture of savings to guarantee their financial independence .
He said “some people, even in this era have never stepped into a banking hall and continue to hide their monies at home” .
Mr Baiden appealed to the citizenry to change their attitude and start patronising the banks .
Speaking at the second draw of the Fidelity Bank's 'Go for Gold 'promotion at Tema, Mr Baiden said personnel of the bank had embarked on a door to door campaign to educate people to patronise the bank.
A customer of the Kumasi Adum branch of the bank,Yakubu Ayuba , won the bank's second monthly draw representing one in a series of six draws to be held by the bank to reward customers .
He was rewarded with a 42 inch Plasma flat screen television, while the second and third place winners received a table top fridge and a 4G IPOD respectively .
The ultimate prize at stake after the six draws is a 24-carat one kilogram gold bar worth $60,000 and other prizes.
Mr Baiden said 10 customers from across the country were rewarded last month from the draw and urged new and old customers of the bank to join the promotion for attractive rewards .
He also stated that the bank had 21 branches in the country where they could go and open an account to join the raffle .
The Director of Administration and Human Resources at the Chamber of Mines , Mrs Evelyn Adei Sarpong, commended the bank for using gold, which is a cherished commodity in Ghana, for the promotion.
She was of the view that, the use of gold to reward the winner will go a long way to impact on the winner's life noting that 'you are setting the pace for the banking industry.
Mrs Sarpong stated that, this was the first time in the history of banking in Ghana that a bank was giving away a gold bar as a gift to its customer .
She noted that with this, Ghanaians who had gold in their possession would be reminded of its value and therefore protect it .
Ten tickets belonging to customers from Kumasi, Tem, Accra, Tamale and Takoradi won the raffle with Yakubu Ayuba from Kumasi, Adum branch winning the first prize.

CULTIVATE THE HABIT OF SAVING — BAIDEN (PAGE 18, NOV 13, 2010)

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THE Deputy Managing Director of the Fidelity Bank, Mr Jim Baiden, has reiterated the need for Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of saving.
“Some people even in this era have never stepped into a banking hall and continue to hide their money at home,” he said, stressing that there was the need for the citizenry to change their attitude and start to patronise the banks.
Speaking at the second draw of Fidelity Bank's 'Go for Gold promotion’ in Tema, Mr Baiden said personnel of the bank had embarked on a door-to-door campaign to educate people to patronise banking services.
A customer of the Kumasi Adum branch of the bank, Yakubu Ayuba, won the second monthly draw, representing one of a series of six draws to be held by the bank to reward its customers.
He was presented with a 42-inch Plasma flat screen television set, while the second and third winners received a table- top fridge and a 4G iPOD, respectively.
The ultimate prize at stake after the six draws is a 24-carat, one kilogramme gold bar worth $60,000 and other prizes.
Mr Baiden said 10 customers from across the country were rewarded last month from the draw and urged new and old customers of the Fidelity Bank to join the promotion for attractive rewards.
He stated that the bank had 21 branches in the country where prospective customers could go and sign up to join the raffle.
The Director of Administration and Human Resource at the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mrs Evelyn Adei Sarpong, commended the bank for using gold, which is a cherished commodity in Ghana, for the promotion.
Ten tickets belonging to customers from Kumasi, Tema, Accra, Tamale and Takoradi won the raffle.

CENTRAL UNIVERSITY TO OPEN TEACHING HOSPITAL (BACK PAGE, NOV 18, 2010)

2010-11-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

THE Central University College is to establish a teaching hospital and to offer medical attention to communities in its catchment area.
The 200-bed hospital will be equipped with facilities to handle referral cases.
At present, the university runs medical programmes such as nursing, pharmacy and physician assistants but sends the students to other hospitals for practical training.
The President of the Central University College (CUC), Professor Victor Patrick Yao Gadzekpo, made this known at the swearing-in ceremony of a 13-member executive committee of the college’s branch of the Physician Assistants Students Association of Ghana (PASAG).
He said the location of the university on the main Accra-Aflao road made it convenient to receive cases, including accident victims.
He explained that it became difficult for the college to start the physician assistants’ degree programme and was grateful that it had finally begun.
Professor Gadzekpo said the ratio of 2000 medical practitioners to the country’s estimated population of 24 million called for urgent steps to be taken to train more professionals to fill the gap.
He stated that the university was founded on the Word of God and, therefore, had compassion to extend its services to communities that lacked medical facilities.
Professor Gadzekpo called on the first batch of graduates, who have entered the job market after their graduation in October, 2010, to be committed to their work and exhibit different work ethics at their workplaces.
The outgoing President of the PASAG, Mr Shaibu Mohammed, called for international networking to pave the way for affiliation of the physician assistants programme with institutions outside the country.
The incoming President, Mr Emile Asiedu, expressed his gratitude to the students for the trust reposed in him and assured them of hard work to build a strong association.

TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL TEACHERS ATTEND WORKSHOP (PAGE 61, NOV 15, 2010)

2010-11-13T04:54:00.001-08:00

A two-week capacity building workshop for 30 technical and vocational teachers and policy makers has opened in Tema.
The workshop, which is being organised by the Department of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of the ECOWAS Commission, is also intended to update the knowledge of the participants on employable skills and enhance technical and vocational education locally.
The ECOWAS international resource person, Mr Joshua Mallet, said the programme was the first to be held in Ghana, although it had been going on in other ECOWAS countries .
He was hopeful to see a competency-based technical expertise that would fit into the growing industrialisation of member states .
Mr Mallet said Ghana was the only African country which had a council for Technical, Vocational and Educational Teachers (TVET), which is an indication of the government's determination to make education a priority .
An Assistant Director of Education at the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Division, Mr Cephas Adjei-Mensah, said the government had fashioned out a new policy to promote technical and vocational education and training as a way of skills development.
He said that vision had been articulated in various documents, including the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) 2003 - 2005, the Education Strategic Plan 2003-2015 and the government’s White Paper on the report of the Education Review Committee (2004) .
Mr Adjei-Mensah said the TVET policy framework of Ghana recommended that competency-based training (CBT) be delivered to serve as a model to all TVET programmes .
He said that curriculum development experts, skilled instructors and competent teachers with workplace experience would serve as the cornerstone to the acquisition of employable skills by all categories of learners.
He underscored the critical role of TVET and called for the institutionalisation of training of trainers and continuous development programmes for technical teachers within national TVET systems.

TMA DONATES TO OLDIES LEAGUE (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 11, NOV 12, 2010)

2010-11-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly has donated 10 footballs and a cheque for GH¢2,000 to support an impending ‘oldies league’ for retired footballers in Greater Accra.
The league has been packaged to have the retired footballers play in a fortnightly match to boost soccer in the country .
The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, presenting the cheque and the footballs to the Retired National Footballs Association said it was refreshing to have the retired footballers energizing themselves to promote the sport .
He said as footballers, they contributed positively to soccer in the country through their efforts to lift the nation’s flag on the international scene .
Mr Ofosuware explained that the present achievements of the country’s soccer was as a result of the efforts of the retired players .
He commended them for their achievements and urged them to continue to shine ‘in your corner ’.
Mr Ofosuware said the donation was the modest contribution of the Assembly, adding that ‘we would be monitoring the game.
Mr Willie Klutse, a retired ace footballer in showing appreciation for the gesture, said it had come at the right time .
He said the support will pay off some of their transportation and financial needs .
Mr Klutse said the Retired National Footballers Association is made up of individual players in Premier or Division one clubs .
He said the Association had been able to organize players from Chorkor extending to Tema in the Greater Accra .
Mr Klutse said the membership is 2000 retired footballers who have been grouped in 16 teams for the impending league .
He said the Association also had plans to bring the retired footballers together for coaching courses to teach basic techniques of football to the youth to have fore knowledge of the sport.
Mr Daniel Owusu, a retired footballer, Awuley Quaye and Mohammed Polo, were present to receive the donation .

HOMEOPATHIC, HERBAL CLINIC OPENED IN TEMA (PAGE 18, NOV 9, 2010)

2010-11-13T00:32:00.000-08:00

A New homeopathic facility, Gilead Homeopathic and Herbal Clinic, has been opened in Tema.
Addressing the ceremony, a Registrar of the Traditional and Herbal Medicine Practice Council at the Ministry of Health (MoH), Togbui Hlortsi Akakpo, stressed the need for herbal practitioners to register with the Council and be certified by the MoH.
He said those who failed to do so would be considered to be operating illegally.
Togbui Akakpo also said it was important to test the potency of their herbal medicine “to build the confidence of the people in using such medicine.”
He explained that according to records from the MoH, seven out of every 10 persons sought alternative health care such as herbal medicine and pointed out that the government was putting in place structures and the necessary support to encourage the practice of alternative medicine .
He cautioned the management of such facilities to engage only qualified people to render quality service to their clients and not to just create employment.
Togbui Akakpo appealed to all herbal medicine practitioners to insist on rendering quality and standard service to the public, adding that “the MoH would be ready to assist you to address the challenges you encounter in your operations as herbal practitioners”.
The Executive Director of the Clinic, Rev. Dr Eric Tetteh, said the facility had a staff of 14 trained herbalists and nurses.
He said it rendered diagnostic and massaging services, as well as consulting and dispensary, and had out-patients and counselling departments.
Rev Dr Tetteh disclosed that the clinic treated infertility in men and women, fibroid, cardiovascular diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, stroke, skin diseases and sexual weakness among others.
The President of the Full Gospel Church International, Rt. Revd Samuel Mensah, commended the management of the clinic and urged them to work hard to satisfy the needs of the people.
He said the opening of the clinic had come at a time when Ghanaians needed to step up efforts to promote access to health care.
Rt. Revd Mensah urged them to counsel people to change from their negative behaviour and appealed to people in the medical field to desist from travelling abroad for greener pastures and rather help build the nation.
He urged the management to ensure that the staff at the clinic were adequately trained.
The clinic was opened to the public for free screening for various ailments.

22 COMPLETE TRAINING IN PORT MANAGEMENT (PAGE 18, NOV 9, 2010)

2010-11-13T00:31:00.000-08:00

TWENTY-TWO people drawn from six organisations involved in port operations have completed a year’s training programme aimed at equipping them with modern port management skills.
The training programme, dubbed “Train-For-Trade”, was facilitated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Dublin Port Company experts and local experts from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and sought to foster economic development.
The 22 participants were drawn from organisations such as the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), MOL Ghana, Ghana Shippers Authority, Ghana Maritime University, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and Advanced Stevedoring Company.
Participants were taken through International Trade and Transport modules, Organisation of a Port System, Future Challenges to Ports, Methods and Tools of Management, Technical Management and Human Resource Development, among others.
The UNCTAD Project Expert, Mr Mark Assaf, commended the GPHA for its role in the training programme.
He said the Modern Port Management training was implemented by UNCTAD in port communities of English-speaking developing countries in co-operation with Dublin Port Company, and with support from Irish Aid participating ports on a pilot base.
Other countries involved in the programme include Tanzania, Indonesia, Malaysia and Maldives.
The Director-General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Galley, expressed appreciation to UNCTAD, Irish Aid and Dublin Port Company for extending the training programme to Ghana and called on all companies at the port to get involved in the project to improve the knowledge of their staff.
He indicated that the programme, which was organised on a pilot basis, was a good investment because at the end of the course, participants would appreciate the industry better.
The participants were awarded certificates and presented with books on the maritime industry to enhance their knowledge.
Mr Galley also indicated that the GPHA had renewed the participation contract in order to develop the industry and expand it to cover many people.
A lecturer in the Port and Shipping Department of the Ghana Maritime University, Mrs Felicity Ankomah Sey, was adjudged the best participant. She was given certificates of merit, maritime books and a laptop as her award.
Officials from Dublin Port Company, represented by a Director, Mr John Moore, and an evaluation team made up of Mr Patrick Madger and Mr John Hoy from Irish AID evaluated the course.

POLICE MOUNT SEARCH FOR ECG ENGINEER (PAGE 51, NOV 4. 2010)

2010-11-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

THE Police in Tema have mounted a search for an engineer of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), George Gbafah, who allegedly connived with officials of Melody Industries Limited, a Chinese-owned company at the Tema Heavy Industrial Area, to consume more than GH¢107,154.23 energy through illegal connection.
Already, the police have arrested the Assistant Manager of the Chinese company, Hao Lin also known as Maxwell, to help in their investigations.
The Tema Regional Director of the ECG, Mr Felix Fiebor, told the Daily Graphic that during an operation to check illegal connection in Tema last Friday and acting upon a tip off, a team from the National Revenue Loss Control Unit of the Company went to the Melody Industries Limited, producers of mineral water bottles, on Tuesday October 26, 2010 to inspect the electrical lines.
During the operation it was detected that the company was producing without meters, meaning that it was accumulating losses to the ECG.
He said the lines were disconnected on Tuesday and officials of the company asked to report and settle their indebtedness.
Mr Fiebor said when the team went back in the company of the police to ensure that the lines had not been reconnected, the factory was surprisingly found in full production.
The ECG officials immediately disconnected the lines and ordered that all the machines be put off.
A closer examination of the factory revealed that the company had mounted its own transformer and connected fresh lines to two new ECG project poles.
During interrogation, the Assistant Manager said George Gbafa was the one who did the connections for them.
In another development, the team disconnected other illegal connections at the Tema Light Industrial Area, where an Indian company, Zeetech Limited, produced sachet water packs.
The company had connected the cables directly to the circuit breakers and was, therefore, operating outside the meters, resulting in a loss of GH¢71,590 over a period of 18 months.
The Manager, Mr Francis Selvaraj, was not at the factory when the team went on the operation at the company but there was information later that he had gone to make part payment to avoid prosecution.
When the resident electrician of the company, Mr Teye Mama, was questioned, he explained that he did the illegal connections to save the company from going bankrupt.
A chain of 10 huge containers which had been converted into cold stores were also disconnected at the fishing harbour.
The owners of the containers allegedly put off the cold stores during the day and put them on in the night to freeze fish, and therefore, avoided the watchful eyes of the ECG officials.
The original owners allegedly disappeared to avoid being picked up by the police and their representatives were sent to the Community One Police Station.
Mr Fiebor appealed to the public to help arrest people who had illegally connected power to their homes and factories.
He said the ECG lost 30 per cent of every amount of power sold out, resulting in losses to the company.
Mr Fiebor said the ECG would not shield any official who would condone illegalities.

ASHAIMAN MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY CONSTRUCTS DRAINS (PAGE 18, NOV 2, 2010)

2010-11-06T03:21:00.000-07:00

THE Ashaiman Municipal Assembly has intensified efforts to educate residents on the need to desist from the indiscriminate dumping of refuse to prevent flooding in the municipality
The assembly is also constructing drains in the various electoral areas to enhance the free flow of running water.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic after rains caused floods in some parts of Accra recently, the Public Relations Officer of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyamfi, said although the municipality did not experience any floods during last rains, “the Assembly is determined to prevent loss of lives and properties, hence the need to collaborate with the residents to adopt habits that will eliminate the dumping of refuse into drains and gutters.”
He said under the programme, which involves the assembly members of the 11 electoral areas in the municipality, residents would dialogue on how to keep their surroundings clean, since the indiscriminate dumping of refuse constituted 90 per cent of the causes of flooding.
The programme will also tackle erection of structures on watercourses.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi announced that the assembly had authorised the task-force led by the Municipal Engineer, Mr Isaac Lamptey, to inspect and demolish unauthorised structures which were springing up along drains and prohibited areas.
He said according to recommendations by the security task-force which inspected flooded areas in the municipality after the June 20, 2010, down pour that caused floods in the area, a distance of 50 ft must be left on each side of storm drains and roads to prevent disasters in future.
A visit to Ashaiman Newtown where the Gbemi and Amatsuru rivers flooded their banks showed that the displaced residents had returned and were putting up in dilapidated structures.
Storm drains at Community 22 and Roman Down where the rivers flooded, because of garbage, have been cleared.
The PRO noted that the assembly had been given a tipper truck, pay loader and a caterpillar to be used to clear storm drains regularly.
He said before the assembly received this support, it hired some equipment and also tasked the Zoomlion to clear the gutters at a cost.
Mr Adu –Gyamfi stated that the assembly had funded a street light project in all the 11 electoral areas at a total cost of GH¢360,783.28, which is near completion, to improve security in the area.
He said the beneficiary areas were Market Square, Assenso, Mantseman, Niiman, Manmomo, Taboo, Tulaku, Obakatse and Tsinagber electoral areas.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said the project was undertaken by three electrical contractors namely Matthew Electrical Works, Prefos Ltd and Alexis Brothers Electrical works under the supervision of personnel from the Works Department of the assembly and the assembly members.
He also indicated that work had started on the construction of the road networks from the Ashaiman central business area to Zenu, covering a distance of 4.8 kilometres, with funds from the government, while other roads in the municipality had been awarded on contract.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi appealed to the residents to help the assembly to build a positive image for Ashaiman to attract investments and tourists to help in developing the municipality.

UNILEVER FOUNDATION HONOURS EIGHT FEMALE GRADUATES (PAGE 11, NOV 2, 2010)

2010-11-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

UNILEVER Ghana Foundation has rewarded eight best female graduates of some public tertiary institutions in the country for their exceptional performance in various fields during the 2008/2009 academic year .
They are Hilda Heidi Akati from Koforidua Polytechnic, Jennifer Azuma Aduah, Bolgatanga, Janet Tse, Takoradi, Leticia Gyamfuaa Sarfo, Sunyani, Joana Addae, Kumasi and Christabel Serwah Amporfo, Accra Polytechnic.
The others are Juliet Ankomah and Juliet Aaferemwin Yirerong ,who are best graduating students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and were honoured for their excellent performance in human Biology and Microbiology respectively.
The Chairman of the Foundation, Mr Andrew Evans-Quayson, congratulated the graduates on holding the name of women high.
He said the Foundation had since its inception two years ago, invested GH¢70,000.0 in its women empowerment programme covering 455 females from the country’s universities and polytechnics.
According to Mr Evans-Quayson, besides the excellence awards, the Foundation sponsors girls in public senior high schools from across the country to participate in Science, Maths, Technology and innovation clinics undertaken by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
He said the Foundation also sponsors entrepreneurial skills training for women in small and medium enterprises in semi-urban areas .
Mr Evans-Quayson, said empowering women was a positive step to ensure equal education for both boys and girls, as well as improve access to health for children and mother to curb infant and maternal mortality, stressing that the focus of the award on female excellence was in line with women empowerment programmes.
Mr Evans- Quayson noted that Unilever would award people for excellence and encourage more women to strive for excellence .
He stated that the Foundation had invested GH¢300,000 in the provision of water system and public places of convenience to serve nine communities in the three regions in the north and three communities in the Sene district of the Brong Ahafo Region and seven communities in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region.
Mr Evans-Quayson was of the view that, it would be difficult to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, which aims at reducing child mortality rate, if women were not empowered to appreciate the essence of health and hygiene and its role in safe maternity.
The graduates, who were presented with certificates, products of the company and undisclosed sum, expressed their appreciation to Unilever for recognising their efforts
The award winners were taken round the factory on a guided tour by the Corporate Relations Manager of Unilever, Ms Bernice Natue, to observe the production processes.

RAIL BACK ON TRACK...Accra-Tema revamped...Other cities to be linked (LEAD STORY, OCT 29, 2010)

2010-10-29T09:38:00.001-07:00

PRESIDENT John Atta Mills yesterday inaugurated a $23-million diesel engine train service with a capacity of 600 passengers on an expanded Accra-Tema rail network.
The President was one of the passengers on the train’s inaugural journey from Tema to Accra on the rail line which has been expanded at a cost of $14.7 million.
He used the occasion to assure Ghanaians that the railway sector would receive a major boost during the next two years to link various parts of the country, especially the rural communities where foodstuffs and mineral ore and cash crops could be transported to urban communities and the ports for export.
The President said the complete overhaul of the country’s infrastructural network, especially the rail sector, was uppermost in the scheme of activities of the government during its tenure of office, adding that, “we promise to work assiduously in actualising that objective”.
He said the government expected the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) to come up with innovations which would ensure that comfortable passenger coaches were rolled out to ensure that workers, especially those in the urban centres, availed themselves of the coaches during and after work.
He told the large gathering that the improvement of the rail sector would in no small measure reduce pressure on the country’s roads, which suffered massive deterioration after few years of construction.
President Mills catalogued other advantages of the rail sector over road transport as the avoidance of traffic jams, which have become a permanent feature of the country’s urban roads and other stretches of highways, and the carrying of bulk goods and precious metals at cheaper rates.
He urged the GRDA to devise more appropriate ways of maintaining the coach to prolong its lifespan, as well as maximise the needed revenue from its operations.
Apparently unhappy about the trading of insults among Ghanaians of late, the President asked the people to direct their energies into productive ventures, which is what would ensure the reconstruction of the country and renewal of the society.
He said the use of abusive language, especially on the airwaves, had the potential of sending wrong signals to the youth, who might perceive insults as a good thing and indulge in them when they grew into adults.
He said differences among the various political groupings should not degenerate into the use of intemperate language, which is not part of the country’s traditional values.
The Minister for Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, said the new train service was expected to ease traffic congestion within the Accra-Tema Metropolis and move commuters safely and conveniently to their destinations.
He noted that with the revamping process being vigorously pursued, the railway company would soon be able to stand on its feet and wean itself from government financial support.
Mr Hammah commended the contractor on the rail line project, M/S Amandi Investments, for the level of professionalism and competence exhibited during the period of execution.
The Board Chairman of the Ghana Railway Company Limited, Dr Clement Hammah, gave the assurance that the company would justify the investments made by the government to improve the country’s rail sector.
Mr Dan Markin, Board Chairman of the Ghana Railways Development Authority, said the authority was in discussion for the extension of other rail lines in the country and appealed to the public to assist the authority by being watchdogs to safeguard and protect the investment made by the government.

BOY, 10, DROWNS RESCUING A SHEEP (1B, OCT 28, 2010)

2010-10-28T11:16:00.001-07:00

Story: Rose Hayford Darko & Della Russel Ocloo, Tema

A 10-year-old boy, Anas Malik, got drowned in a reservoir belonging to the Ghana Water Company Limited near the Tema Secondary School (TEMASCO) when he attempted to rescue a sheep that had been trapped in it.
The incident, according to eyewitnesses, occurred about 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday when the boy jumped into the reservoir filled with water after the stray animal had fallen into it.
Anas Malik, a Class Four pupil of the Anglican School at Tema Community One, was said to be playing on the nearby children’s park when the incident occurred.
His body, together with the dead animal, was retrieved from the reservoir by officials of the Ghana National Fire Service about 7 a.m. yesterday.
The Crime Officer of the Community One Police Station, DSP Reynolds Manteaw, who confirmed the incident, said the body had been released to the family for burial, in accordance with Islamic tradition, after an autopsy had been conducted on it at the Tema General Hospital.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Bawa Ustarz, the boy’s guardian, said his nephew had gone to the Tema Children’s Park to play after returning from school.
According to him, the family became alarmed when, around 10 p.m., he had still not returned home, prompting them to file a complaint at the police station after a search party had fruitlessly combed the entire community looking for him.
Mr Bawa said the search team continued to search around the children’s park and its surrounding communities for Anas on Wednesday morning, during which they were informed of a body lying in the reservoir.
He said a close examination by family members among the search team revealed the body to be that of the deceased.
The Assembly Member for the Padmore Electoral Area, Mr Asumah Mohammed Danladi, indicated that the latest drowning was the third in two years, with two children aged 9 and 11 also having got drowned in the same reservoir.
“Several vehicles have also fallen into the trench which has been left uncovered over the last 35 years, resulting in fatal accidents,” he lamented.
Mr Danladi appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Department of Urban Roads to, as a matter of urgency, cover the trench along the stretch to avert future disasters.

40 VEHICLES IMPOUNDED FOR VIOLATING ROAD SAFETY RULES (PAGE 29, 0CT 28, 2010)

2010-10-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

A task force made up of personnel from the Tema Regional police Command, Driver and Vehicle licensing Authority (DVLA) in Tema and the Road Safety Commission on Tuesday impounded about 40 commercial and private vehicles for violation of road safety regulations.
The drivers who are to be processed for court were arrested for driving on the shoulders of the road causing traffic jam, driving without licences, careless driving, overloading, drink driving, underage drivers and heavy duty trucks loaded with chippings that had not been covered, which posed danger to other road users.
The exercise was also to check roadworthiness of vehicles and fake documentation.
The task force which undertook the exercise on the main road linking the Ashaiman Timber Market and the Motorway Roundabout, was on the road before 8am, and by 10 am, 40 vehicles had been arrested for various offences. The vehicles were escorted to the Ashaiman Divisional Police Command park whilst the drivers waited to be processed for court.
The Tema DVLA Director, Alhaji Iddrisu Huseini, who was part of the task force, said from his technical point of view at least one vehicle out of 20 which used the road during the period they were around was not roadworthy.
He explained that some had their certificates expired while others had worn-out tyres with others having used transparent waterproof materials as a substitute for damaged windscreens.
Alhaji Huseini noted that when vehicles were not roadworthy passengers suffered the risk most and appealed to passengers to ensure that they played greater roles in checking drivers on the road.
He said the number of vehicles arriving in the country kept on increasing, stating that every year the number of vehicles registered increased by about 80 per cent and the greater number of the vehicles operated in Accra and Tema.
The Regional Police MTTU Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daniel Ansong Dankyi, who led the exercise, said it was targeting to achieve discipline on the road from now and beyond Christmas and warned that those arrested would be processed for court.
He said a number of indisciplined practices were recorded on the road during this period of the year, stressing that during the third quarter of the year, the police recorded 109 accidents in the region involving 188 vehicles, which caused 37 deaths, with 97 people suffering various degrees of injury.
The Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Turkson, said the exercise was undertaken to bring sanity on the road.
She said it would also be used as a platform to educate the drivers on the need to observe road traffic regulations to prevent accidents and therefore appealed to the public to co-operate with the police to make the exercise a success.
Chief Inspector Turkson commended the DVLA for providing a vehicle for the exercise.

E P YOUTH BUILDERS MARKS BIENNIAL RALLY (PAGE 18, OCT 23, 2010)

2010-10-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

THE Tema Zone of the West Volta Presbytery of the Lorenze Wolf Evangelical Presbyterian Church Christian Youth Builders (CYB), has held a thanksgiving service to mark the second Biennial Rally of the Tema Zone.
Activities marking the celebration included Bible quiz, clean-up exercises, blood donation and sporting activities.
An Associate Pastor of the Lorenze Wolf congregation of the West Volta Presbytery Rev. Dzandu Helidor, who preached at the thanksgiving service urged Christians to help society fight crimes such as adultery, stealing at work places, pilfering and other social vices.
Rev. Dzandu was speaking on the topic “ Rejoice over the repentant sinner” and the theme was "Striving for Newness in Christ,- A challenge for all”.
He said although the scriptures abhors such conducts, God forgives repentant sinners because of His kindness to mankind.
He called on Christians to appreciate this kindness and close the chapter on committing of sins.
Rev. Dzandu appealed to the youth to desist from anti-social vices and direct their energies to the work of Christ and national development.
The Zonal Secretary of the CYB, Mr Michael Asempa called on the church to equip the youth with employable skills to reduce unemployment and poverty among members of the congregation.
He said the society had acquired land to put up a resource centre to train people in employable skills like dress-making, catering, block-laying and engineering .
Mr Asempa mentioned lack of funds as a major challenge to the project and appealed to patrons of the CYB, benevolent societies and NGOs to extend support to the CYB to enable it complete the resource centre.
Mr Jimmy Fugah, who chaired the programme commended the membership of the CYB for undertaking a project to train unemployed youth in the church, and called on the church to get involved to make the project a reality because its success would benefit the entire congregation and the youth as a whole.
The three-day event brought together seven youth groups from the E.P Church in the West Volta Presbytery

ANKAFUL HOSPITAL DECLARES WAR ON DRUG ABUSE (PAGE 46, OCT 18, 2010)

2010-10-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital in the Central Region has instituted an annual regional educational programme to declare war on drugs to save young people from addiction.
The programme, which has come as a result of the rate at which young people are being admitted at the hospital for drug use, takes the form of symposia and cultural performances for students in various senior high schools.
The medical team has already been to Cape Coast and Takoradi and plans to cover the Ashanti and northern sectors of the country soon.
More than 500 students from senior high schools in Tema, Nungua and Ashaiman took part in the Tema programme.
A clinical psychologist at the Ankaful Hospital, Dr Kojo Sagoe, expressed concern over the high rate of youth indulgence in cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.
He said hospital records showed that people between 13 and 35 abused drugs, while those in the range of 60 also indulged in drugs and alcohol.
Dr Sagoe said the situation spelt doom for the next generation and, therefore, called for serious efforts to reverse the trend.
Speaking on the theme: “The drug epidemic facing our youth”, he said the drug epidemic was a ticking time bomb in the heart of civilisation, adding, “We need to act fast or we lose our future generation.”
He said many people started abusing drugs because of the lack of information on their harmful effects and, therefore, experimented with them.
He advised parents to spend more time with their children and endeavour to make them their priority.
He said some effects of drug addiction included low intelligence quotient, suicidal tendencies, isolation, withdrawal and the tendency to commit crime.
Dr Sagoe suggested the inclusion of education on drugs and their effects in the school curriculum to sensitise the youth to abstain from their use .
A Registered Mental Nurse at the Ankaful Hospital, Ms Diana Ahiabor, said people abusung drugs were living dangerously because the drugs affected them morally and spiritually.
She explained that the programme was to create awareness among the youth to save them from falling into the trap of abusing drugs.
Ms Ahiabor tasked various organisations and churches to collaborate with state institutions in the fight against drug abuse to save the youth who were the future managers of the nation.

GPHA WORKERS URGED TO CLOSE RANKS (PAGE 46, OCT 18, 2010)

2010-10-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) have been advised to close their ranks to save the nation from losing billions of cedis through diversion of business to competing West African ports.
According to them, for the first time in the records of the GPHA, it recorded losses in the three consecutive quarters of 2009, leading to great losses to the nation, with their attendant job losses.
Addressing a press briefing which had in attendance shop stewards representing workers’ leaders in the various sub-divisions of the GPHA in Tema, Mr Emile Asiedu, a representative of the workers, cautioned workers not to do anything that would be misinterpreted by the international community and other vested port operators to mean that the ports in Ghana were not safe for business.
He said the GPHA was a strategic state asset and any misinformation on it would not augur well for the nation .
Mr Asiedu said the last quarter of the year was the normal peak period for port work since many ships called at the ports.
He was of the view that the level of work now was assuring and that “the GPHA has its head above water”, compared with last year when they felt that the port was being threatened by the fate that befell some state-owned enterprises.
He said workers were meeting their work contracts with the authority and called for peace to prevail.
He denied that there was tension among the workers, noting that workers of private operators in the port also referred to themselves as port workers which could be misleading.
Mr Asiedu said the GPHA had structures in place to address the concerns of staff which should be channelled through the shop stewards, the local unions and finally relayed to management and that they would not act without any justification.
He denied that the workforce was contemplating embarking on any industrial action and called on people who wanted to write about the GPHA to cross-check their facts.
He explained that being one of the highest revenue generators, the GPHA would need the support of all people to work assiduously to move the country forward.
Mr Asiedu called for co-operation from the community to assist those entrusted with the responsibility of managing the port to do so honourably in a peaceful atmosphere to generate enough revenue for national development .
The press briefing was attended by some workers of the authority.

TEMA CANOE OPERATORS URGE GPHA TO RESCIND DECISION (PAGE 18, OCT 16, 2010)

2010-10-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

BOAT owners and fishmongers at the Tema canoe beach have called on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to rescind its decision to lease out the parcel of land where they operate their business to an international palm-oil processing company, Wilmar Limited, to prevent the reoccurrence of any confrontation.
According to them, over 11,000 people would be out of employment while poverty will be on the rise , if the GPHA carried out its plan.
The fishermen made the call at a sensitisation forum organised by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to address their concerns .
Some youth and fishermen went on the rampage on September 17, 2010 and destroyed property running into thousands of Ghana cedis in an attempt to protect the land from being developed by the company.
They claimed that two people, Emmanuel Mantey Martey 26, and Annan Abo, 24, died during the shoot-out on the day of the incident and called on the authorities to release the over 23 suspects who were still in police custody to ease tension in the area.
The fishermen vowed to chase out any one who would make any attempt to develop the land.
They claimed that fishermen and the government were partners in development, hence the need for peace to prevail in the area.
The forum was attended by fishermen and fishmongers from the area, who made various contributions.
A contributor, Woleinye Korkor, said their great grandfathers lived in Tema at the Old Meridian Hotel site long before being re-located to their present place .
She noted that during the 50 years celebration of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) , Ghanaians were deceived into believing that Tema was celebrating 50 years of existence, explaining that their great grandfathers lived in the area and were fishermen long before TDC was established to manage the city.
She said the beach stretches from Benin through Tema to Axim but Tema has been a converging point for many fishermen hence the presence of visiting fishermen swelling up the population of those involved in the industry.
Woleinye appealed to the government to step in and stop the GPHA from taking the land away from them, since that would lead to collapse of the fishing industry.
Another contributor Woleinye Naa Kale, said the fishermen had been cheated for too long, noting that 'this is the only land left for us to operate our businesses to cater for our children and households .'
Woleinye Kale said they would fight with their blood to recover the land.
The Management of GPHA was represented by the Public Affairs Manager , Mr Oscar Cudjoe. He called on the people to exercise restraint and stop any violence. He assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to stakeholders.
Mr Cudjoe said all wrong actions would be corrected to put to rest all matters which triggered the disturbances.

CHRISTIAN NGO SUPPORTS RURAL COMMUNITIES (PAGE 15, OCT 16, 2010)

2010-10-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

A Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Meaningful Life International (MLI), is making impact on the lives of some deprived rural communities in the country by supporting them with boreholes and free medical care.
The communities dotted across the country include Jumpo in the Nkwanta District of the Volta Region, Opijua in Kokomba South, Yadodo in the Wulensi District of the Northern Region, Chasea and Sietore in the Jirapa District of the Upper West Region and Kpakplabuni communities, as well as Jyanvuuri in the Wa East District.
Other beneficiary communities are some cocoa farming communities in the Ashanti, Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions and Ga Rural.
An industrial technologist and Chief Executive of the Meaningful Life International, Pastor Godwin Ahlijah, told the Daily Graphic that the gospel was not just about preaching but also improving upon the living conditions of deprived people.
He said: ' There is the need to empower individuals to fulfil their God-given dreams'.
Pastor Ahlijah also stressed the need for the local people to be oriented to basic management and creativity skills to free their minds from poverty, which was mind-related.
He said the MLI had trained the local people in basic management techniques to enable them to undertake maintenance and repair works on the boreholes.
Pastor Ahlijah said they were also encouraged to form water committees.
He explained that one of the objectives of the Meaningful Life International was to support the needy in deprived communities. He announced that MLI would embark on a project to operate a mobile medical van system which would provide affordable medical care and educate rural folks on their health needs in support of the efforts of the government in providing quality and affordable healthcare to the underprivildged in the country.
Pastor Ahlijah said in line with the vision, the Meaningful Life International had with support from its local and foreign partners completed the first phase of the medical centre off the Afienya road at a cost of US$ 430,000 to serve as the hub of the operations of the mobilie Medical Van.
The Executive Director said the medical centre would have a 52-bed ward, a well-equipped surgical theatre, intensive care unit, conference facility for the training of health personnel and modern facilities estimated to cost over US$ 800,000 when completed.
Pastor Ahlijah said water-related diseases were some of the major challenges rural dwellers suffered and this called for the provision of potable water to enable the people to access clean and disease -free water.
He said a medical team led by Dr (Mrs) Lenusia Ahlijah of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital made the assessment when the team visited many rural areas including cocoa- growing villages in the West Akim District in collaboration with the Meaningful Life International. Some of the communities visited included: Mensah Krom, Roll Call on the Asamankese-Nsawam road and Akyease among others.
Pastor Ahlijah said the medical team, made up of laboratory technicians, nurses, doctors and community health nurses numbering about 20, went on each trip.
Pastor Ahlijah expressed the view that the mobile medical van system would help expand programmes of the MLI and enable the medical team to treat the rural dwellers at their doorsteps while referring those in critical condition to hospitals at a minimal fee.
He said the MLI was considering to partner the National Health Insurance Scheme to offer healthcare-related services for a minimal fee.
Pastor Ahlijah called on all Christian organisations to join hands to support the deprived in society not only by providing them with health care and potable water, but also construct educational facilities to help accommodate the ever- increasing number of schoolchildren.

SUPERVISE SMALL-SCALE FISH MEAL PRODUCERS (PAGE 38, OCT 11, 2010)

2010-10-10T09:07:00.001-07:00

WITH Christmas approaching , poultry and livestock farmers have intensified their business activities to attract buyers. However, all is not rosy for some poultry farmers who claim they have to incur additional costs in the purchase of drugs for the treatment of poultry and livestock diseases.
An interaction with some poultry farmers with the Daily Graphic in Tema and its environs, indicate that poultry farmers have to invest more in the purchase of antibiotics to keep their birds healthy leading to an increase in the prices of poultry produced locally, while the markets for those engaged in the sale of imported chicken, has become lucrative.
After the interaction with the poultry farmers, this reporter followed up with a visit to some drying sites at Tema New Town to find out how fish meal was processed, and that revealed that the it was done under unhygienic conditions.
Some workers of the small-scale fish meal companies disclosed that drying was done either by spreading fresh unwholesome or steamed fish gathered from the beaches and offal on the ground.
Apart from the environmental pollution caused by their activities as a result of the stench from the fish, the drying process attracts migrating birds, and vultures and creates an unsightly scene.
The unhygienic way of producing fish meal goes on despite the fact that Ghana Protein Ltd., a company located in the heavy industrial area in Tema and engaged in the production of fish meal, has a capacity to produce 360 tons daily but cannot meet the market demand because of lack of materials to feed the mill. The company presently produces at less than 30 per cent capacity.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, a Manager of the company Mr Anthony Adu–Nketia expressed concern about the activities of some fish meal producers noting that the blame of high cost of running poultry farms must be put at the doorstep of those people.
He called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to streamline the operations of all registered companies engaged in the production of fish meal to ensure that they practised under hygienic conditions to reduce the cost involved in operating poultry farms.
On their operations, Mr Adu-Nketia said the company employed 50 workers who operated the machines which produced the fish meal but had not met the market demands, adding that the activities of indigenous fish meal producers had made it difficult for the factory to have adequate raw materials and that has thereby affected their operations.
He said the company imported fish meal from South Africa and Senegal and other places to augment its production and were in the process to install equipment to boost aqua culture.
The General Manager of Ghana Protein Ltd. Mr Fabrice Pizano said the company was the only mechanised fish meal producing factory in Ghana and operated with international standards.
He said the market would be streamlined if the ministry intensified animal and poultry health education to create awareness among operators in the industry.
He called for more support to enable the company install adequate equipment to generate products from their operations for export and in the production of pharmaceuticals including cosmetics and Omega H3 products .
Some people interviewed by the Daily Graphic said many Ghanaians had turned to the consumption of fish and therefore called for strict measures to supervise those in the business and curb the situation where some people diverted unwholesome fish to the market.
They also urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to take a critical look at how animal feed products are produced in the country to boost the livestock and poultry industry.

FIRE SERVICE TO GET MODERN EQUIPMENT (PAGE 19, OCT 2, 2010)

2010-10-03T10:36:00.001-07:00

THE government is expecting in the country very soon modern fire fighting equipment ordered for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
The first consignment of the equipment is expected to arrive from the United States of America (USA) by December, this year.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr Martin Amidu, who announced this, said the government would soon sign a €9.7 million partnership agreement with the Government of Belgium to supply 75 fire tenders, including hydraulic platforms, to enable fire personnel to fight fire from heights of about 36 floors of buildings.
Already, he said, Parliament has given approval for the government to secure a concessionary loan for the purchase of modern equipment for the fire service.
Mr Amidu made this known when he led a delegation from the Interior ministry and the GNFS to inspect what remained of the Midland International Company, which was gutted by fire, killing four persons in the process.
He was conducted round and briefed by Mr Jecty Obese, the Managing Director of Midland International Company.
Mr Amidu expressed surprise at the extent of damage caused by the fire and called on the GNFS to conduct intensive investigation into circumstances that led to the incident and present its report as early as possible.
He said the law required that GNFS give approval before any operation was conducted at areas where inflammable materials were kept.
Mr Amidu said the ministry would ensure that its mandate of saving lives and property was fulfilled and, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to learn the rudiments of how to prevent fire to safeguard property.
The minister and his delegation later went to the residence of Mike Safo-Mensah, 40, the deceased engineer of M&B Engineering Company, who perished in the fire incident last Saturday, to console the bereaved family.
A spokesman for the bereaved family, Mr Emmanuel Opare Asiedu, thanked the minister and his delegation for their concern.
The Chief Fire Officer of the GNFS, Mr William Acquaye Brown, and the Deputy Fire Officer in charge of Tema, Mr Godwin Damalie, were part of the delegation.

NEW PHARMACY FOR TEMA GENERAL HOSPITAL (PAGE 23, SEPT 29, 2010)

2010-09-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

THE Tema General Hospital (TGH) now has a separate block for its pharmacy department to avoid overcrowding and congestion in the existing facility which is in the main out-patients block.
The new pharmacy which is located near the fevers unit of the hospital has a conference room, counselling unit, drug information unit, four store rooms and three offices and was constructed at GH¢270,000.
It was initiated by the Head of the Pharmacy department of the hospital, Mr Stephen Adase.
Speaking at the ceremony to officially open the pharmacy, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr (Mrs) Charity Sarpong, said the project was funded through the hospital’s internally generated funds.
She said the hospital had not seen any major renovation since it was established over 50 years ago.
That, Dr Sarpong noted, had created overcrowding and congestion at the existing facilities. He also hinted that most of the departments leaked but the pharmacy was the worst hit.
“This has led to extensive destruction of drugs stocked for distribution to patients,” she lamented.
According to her, the old pharmacy department had a limited space for the client population that visited the facility daily.
While commending the staff for strides made to ensure the completion of the expanded facility, Dr Sarpong paid glowing tribute to the officials of GR Pharma, Tobinco Pharmacy and Ernest Chemist for providing furnishing and drug stock for the department.
She appealed to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to speed up the processes of upgrading the facility into a regional hospital as it has become a referral point for all forms of cases in and out of Tema.
The Director General of the Ghana Health Services, Dr Ellias Sory, who inaugurated the project with the assistance of the Tema Mantse Nii Adjei Kraku challenged other health institutions to emulate the effort made by the management of the Tema General Hospital and take the initiative instead of waiting for funding from the GHS .
He called for better maintenance practices towards the project to extend the lifespan of the facility.
Dr Sory was of the view that maternal deaths that occurred at health facilities were not necessarily from complications and negligence but also from unhygienic conditions at the centres.
He explained that this has been identified as a major threat to the efforts of the GHS to fight against maternal and child mortality.
Dr Sory called for greater collaboration between hospital staff, management and the general public towards clients who trooped to health facilities daily for solutions to their health needs.
The Tema Mantse Nii Adjei Kraku who chaired the function praised the management of the hospital for their initiative .
He said the construction of the facility had come at an opportune time to serve the numerous referred and accident cases owing to its proximity to main roads leading to the Volta and Eastern Regions.
Nii Kraku re-echoed earlier calls for the adoption of good maintenance cultures.

MOVE TO SAVE LIVES ON VOLTA LAKE (PAGE 18, SEPT 28, 2010)

2010-09-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

ONE hundred and ten trainees have undergone a two-week intensive life saving training at the Eastern Naval Command to help save lives and property on the lake.
The training, a component of the Volta Lake Enhancement Project, focussed on basic life saving programmes such as boat work, survival drill, foot drill, life saving skills, voice communication and physical education.
The programme was put together by Zoil Services Limited, a subsidiary of waste management company Zoomlion, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, with support from the Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, among others.
The trainees, drawn from the Northern, Volta, Eastern, Brong Ahafo, Western and the Greater Accra regions were made up of 30 females and 81 males.
Addressing the passing out ceremony at Tema, the Deputy Transport Minister, Mrs Dzifa Attivor, said the deployment of life guards on the Volta Lake under the Volta Lake Transport Enhancement Project has significantly reduced incidents of boat disasters in the country .
According to Mrs Attivor, the commencement of the project has ensured absolute safety of inland watercourses.
She commended partner agencies and the Parliamentary select committee on youth and transport for ensuring a smooth realisation of the programme.
Mrs Attivor charged the graduates to ensure total commitment and prove themselves worthy of calling.
She noted that as a major stakeholder in the transport business, the Ministry considered human resource development as a key factor aimed at achieving government’s development goals, “hence our commitment to improve transportation on the lake to satisfactorily serve the communities towards the enhancement of their social, economic and cultural activities.”
The General Manager of Zoil Services, Mr Samuel Alex Opoku-Manu, noted that frequent boat disasters on inland watercourses necessitated the introduction of the programme with the objective to addressing such disasters.
He explained that the mechanism and structures had been developed to ensure constant patrolling on the lake, supervision and regulation of boat operators were also taken into account to ensure future disasters were prevented.
He said the programme, since its inception, had distributed 10,000 life jackets to regular commuters on the lake while the supply of an additional set of 2,600 was underway at various landing and boarding sites.
“And while we ensure that lives and property were protected, Zoil services has commissioned three speed boats procured for the purposes of patrolling and monitoring on the lake,” he added.
He announced the commitment of ZOIL Services towards the purchase of additional three speed boats and commended the government for making available resources that had effectively improved the programme.
He charged the graduates to deliver the responsibilities attached to the training and be committed and devoted to duty as their role was very crucial to their communities and the nation as a whole.
The Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Albert Bentil Addison, earlier in his welcome address, observed that the successful rescue of people and a vehicle which fell over the ferry a week after graduation by the last batch justified the sustainability of the programme.
He challenged the implementation agencies of the programme to develop follow-up modules for assessment and subsequent evaluation. The Deputy Minister, Mrs Ativor, later presented the graduates with certificates.

4 DIE IN TEMA INFERNO (1B, SEPT 27, 2010)

2010-09-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

FOUR died and a huge investment was destroyed on Saturday when fire engulfed the Midland International Company, an ethanol (alcohol) storage warehouse in the Tema Port area but outside the customs-bonded zone.
Also burnt were an alcohol discharging tanker truck with registration number GT 2193 W, which was discharging ethanol, a parked pickup, which was burnt beyond recognition, the offices and office equipment and some storage facilities.
The company, which has six huge tanks in which it stored imported ethanol for companies, including Kasapreko Company, an alcoholic beverage-producing company, caught fire late in the evening of Saturday, September 25, 2010, when contract welders and an engineer were working on one of the tanks.
The burnt bodies of three of the victims, who were welders, were recovered by the fire personnel. A fourth victim, the engineer, Mike Safo Mensah of M&S Engineering Company, who contracted the welders, was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition but died later in the night of Saturday.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene at about 5p.m. on Saturday, a burnt body of one of the victims had been recovered while the other two were recovered on Sunday morning about 8:30 a.m.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic at the fire scene, a shivering and disturbed security officer of Midland, Mr James Arthur, who was on duty with another colleague at the time of the fire but escaped unhurt, said at about 4:15 p.m. on Saturday as the welders were working on the tanks by scrapping the rusts off the tanks and doing some welding maintenance, they heard a blast followed by fire.
He said all that they saw was fire blazing through the company’s yard, which they tried to put out. Mr Arthur said the fire became intense and they, therefore, made a distress call to various Fire Service centres, which acted promptly.
He said the victims could not escape because they were up on the tanks and needed to descend by a number of steps during which period the fire engulfed the ground area of the tank.
Mr Arthur confirmed that the company had eight huge tanks six of which contained alcohol and with two filled with water because of the explosive nature of the alcohol.
Mr Arthur also said the company had two main water hydrants which the Fire personnel used in putting out the fire. It took a combined team of fire personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service , Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Tema Oil Refinery Fire Brigade over six hours of vigorous fighting to bring the blazing fire under control.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service office in Tema, Mr Timothy Affum, said it took the personnel a hectic time to fight the fire because there was a leaking valve letting out alcohol, which countered the force of the water they used in putting out the fire.
He said there was no tall equipment to enable the fire fighters to control the fire from heights while the pressure from the hydrants was low and therefore could not shoot high.
Mr Affum said the fire was finally put out at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, noting that investigations would be conducted for the cause of the fire.
There were officials from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, led by the Director of Ports, Mr Richard Anamo, to ensure the safety of other warehouses in the area and to prevent the fire from spreading to affect other property in the area .
They were of the view that the welders probably tampered with some safety measures while welding or the leaking valve let out some alcohol that had contact with the welding fire.
The Public Relations Officer of the GPHA Headquarters, Ms Joana Addah, emphasised that the Midland International Ghana Ltd was located on the premises of the GPHA but outside the bonded area of the port.
She allayed the fears of importers who had their goods stocked in the port that the fire did not affect any imported consignment in the port.
Meanwhile importers continue to rush to the port to verify if their goods were affected.
The heavy presence of the police, the army and the navy was felt as they warded off people to safeguard life and property in the area.

UNWHOLESOME FISH PROCESSED INTO FISHMEAL (PAGE 23, SEPT 27, 2010)

2010-09-27T04:42:00.000-07:00

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has granted a request from Daireson Company Limited, a fish processing company located at Tema, to process expired goldfish which was to be destroyed by the board two months ago, into fish meal.
The 2,000 cartons of imported fish were declared unwholesome when it arrived at the Tema Port and was detained by the Customs, Excise Preventive Service (CEPS) at the Tema Container Terminal (TCT).
It was later detected that the cargo had been moved and stored at the Greenwich Cold Store at Tema Fishing Harbour.
Concerned about public consumption of the unwholesome fish, the FDB stepped in and put a detention order on the cold store to ensure that the fish was not sold to the public.
The acting Deputy Chief Executive of the FDB, Mr J. Odame Darkwa, told the Daily Graphic that following an application from the fish meal company and further analysis on the expired fish, the commodity was found 'good' for fish meal .
A letter signed by Mr Odame Darkwa on behalf of the Chief Executive of the FDB acknowledging receipt of an application requesting to convert the fish into animal feed indicated that the Food and Drugs Board agreed to the request based on the condition that officials of FDB would supervise the carting of the commodity from the cold store and the conversion of the fish into the feed at the processing plant at a fee to be determined by the FDB.
As a result of the negotiation, the fish processing company, Daireson Ltd, has started the production of fish meal at their site near Tema Manhean, under close supervision of the FDB.
The Head of the Drugs Unit of the FDB, Mr Vigil Edmund Prah-Ashun, said they would supervise the milling of the expired fish.
A Director of Daireson Company, Mr Sammed Bawa, said the fish would go through steaming and drying before it is milled .
He indicated that the company had been operating for over four years and depended on waste from the Pioneer Fish Cannery and unwholesome fish from coldstores .
Mr Bawa said the company paid GH¢8,000 to CEPS for the two 40-footer container consignment of unwholesome fish and gave the assurance that he would co-operate with the FDB to ensure that the fish did not enter the market.

TEMA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL CALLS FOR SUSPENSION OF PROJECT (PAGE 18, SEPT 25, 2010)

2010-09-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

The Tema Traditional Council (TTC) has appealed to the government to suspend all activities concerning the construction of a proposed oil refining project at the canoe beach of the Tema Fishing Harbour until concerns about sustainable livelihood for the fishermen is resolved.
They claimed that WILMAR, the oil company’s decision to commence the project was made unilaterally by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority without the consent of the people of Tema .
The council raised these concerns in a press release statement issued and signed by the Mankralo, Nii Adjetey Agbo; Shippi Nii Armah Somponu, Ashaiman Chief Fisherman; Nii Adjierteh Mattor, Awudum Chief Fisherman; Nii Odamatey, Ashaman Akawshongtse; Nii Tetteh Tsru Orkoor and Nii Adjei Kwame Awudum Akwashongtse .
The statement said the parcel of land in question had been used exclusively by the fishermen since 1959 when the people of Tema were resettled.
It claimed that the land is a replacement for the landing beaches of the people at the old Tema, in accordance with clauses 26 and 27 of the terms of resettlement when government acquired their land for the construction of the harbour .
The statement further indicated that the Acquisition Act merely gave the GPHA administrative and managerial oversight of the land and “not absolute ownership of the canoe beach” as such the authourity could not arbitrarily give the land away without the consent of the people .
The chiefs denied reaching any terms with the WILMAR Consultant, Mr Alex Asiedu, and added that they had not concluded any agreement with the laison committee of the council .
The chiefs explained that the traditional council was surprised and disappointed that the GPHA negotiated and approved terms and conditions of the said land with WILMAR long before they had any discussions with them .
The statement noted that the leasing of the land which had been used by the fisher folk for the past 52 years without their consent generated resistance from the fisher folk and other citizens .
Despite recognising the existence of a 17-member committee which was discussing the said project with the GPHA and WILMAR, the chiefs called for the suspension of the project to enable the committee finish its work and submit the report to ensure fruitful discussions on the matter .

TEMA TO IMPLEMENT PILOT PLASTIC PROJECT (PAGE 18, SEPT 24, 2010)

2010-09-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

ENVIRONMENTALISTS from Ghana and the United States have met in Tema to brainstorm and seek ways to protect and restore ocean and coastal waters from waste.
As part of the meeting ,Tema has been proposed to have a demonstration project to reduce the amount of plastic waste and other trash entering the Gulf of Guinea through research and education to protect natural marine resources and keep the beaches clean.
The proposed project will consider an incentive package for residents to make it self sustaining and also increase the capacity of organisations in Ghana to recycle plastics.
Environmentalists and representatives of various organisations involved in the protection of the marine ecosystem and human health in the Gulf of Guinea who made the recommendation at a one-day workshop called for community involvement in the project.
Participants were drawn from research institutions in the United States and Ghana, Waste Management departments of Assemblies, fishermen, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fisheries Commission, NGOs and plastic recycling companies .
The workshop, on the theme "Protecting the marine Ecosystem and Human Health in the Gulf of Guinea from uncontrolled disposal of plastics and other Metropolitan wastes," is to serve as a back up for a six-month research programme after which foreign and local resource funding will be sought to start the project.
With support from the United Nations University, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the USA, Africa Navy Partnership Station, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US State Department, the project will focus on the Metropolis of Tema where marine activities have attracted marine waste because of the ports .
The Foreign Affairs Specialist at the National Oceanic & Fisheries Atmospheric Administration, Keith E. Chanon, in outlining plans to be adopted, said the project would incorporate some components including the analysis of the amount and constituents of solid waste entering the ocean from the city of Tema and its projected fate and transport.
He noted that outreach and education to inform the public about the value of marine resources, impact of trash on these resources and human health and the benefits of segregating wastes and recycling, would form part of the project component.
Mr Chanon said the experts would introduce a plastic waste thermal processor to increase and expand the recycling capacity of the Metropolis.
He noted that the project component would document the lifecycle of solid waste to be able to establish the quantities and constituents of waste entering the ocean.
Mr Chanon stated that a technology device that was used to compact and process plastics would be provided to assist in recycling plastic waste from ships landing in the port of Tema as well as to increase domestic recycling.
Professor Chris Gordon of the Environment and Sanitation Institute who facilitated the workshop said marine debris has been a problem along shorelines and in coastal waters, estuaries and oceans throughout the world.
He observed that more people moved near the nation's coasts each year so there was the need to control the disposal of trash and waste.
Participants gave varied suggestions through which waste disposal into the sea and along the beaches could be stopped.
They called for clean-up exercises and a reduction of waste generated and a check against the indiscriminate dumping of debris into watercourses and coastlines.

YOUTH ON RAMPAGE...Venicles, offices, chief's palace vandalised (BACK PAGE, SEPT 18, 2010)

2010-09-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

AN angry mob of fishermen and youth of Tema Manhean went on rampage yesterday firing locally manufactured pistols and hurling stones.
In the ensuing melee a number of vehicles were smashed and burnt.
The rioters vandalised and set ablaze two pick-ups and a Toyota 4-runner belonging to the Tema Traditional Council, a Komatsu Bulldozer and a Toyota Tacoma.
Also vandalised and set ablaze was the Toa office yard from where the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) operated, but fire fighters from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived promptly to bring the fire under control.
The mob resisted all attempts by the police to control the situation and rather engaged them in a shoot-out that made the police call for reinforcement and support from the 1st Battalion of Infantry, Michel Camp, and the Ghana Navy.
Other offices visited by the mob were the Tema East Sub-Metro and the Meridian FM.
The mob, on seeing the security reinforcement, ran and sought refuge at the beach at Abonkor, an area in Tema Manhean.
Fifteen suspects were arrested during the operation and sent to the Tema Regional Police Command.
A wrapped substance suspected to be moringa powder, laced with cocaine and 'wee', was found on one of them.
Giving a background to what the police termed 'indiscipline', the Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Augustine Gyenning, said the Tema Metropolitan Assembly pulled down some structures in an area at the fishing harbour.
He said when the workers returned there yesterday morning to burn the debris and clear the land the mob attacked them.
ACP Gyenning said the police were called to ensure that there was peace, but were met with attacks from the mob, who were mostly fishermen and some youth.
He said the mob attacked and shot at the police with locally manufactured pistols, noting that 'the police ensured that lives were not lost during the scuffle and gave the assurance that they would do their best to protect lives and property”.
ACP Gyenning said the police would continue to patrol the area to deter any mob attacks on innocent people.
Some of the residents told the Daily Graphic that the incident was as a result of the sale of a parcel of land to a foreign oil company to put up a factory.
They claimed that the land was the only area left for them to do their fishing business on.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on phone, the Chief Fisherman, Nii Adjeiter Mator, said the fishermen did not go to sea because of the mob action.
He said he was in support of the action taken by the youth, noting that the land was for the people of Tema Manhean, who had engaged in activities there for the past 51 years.
He said he did not see why it had to be taken away from them.
Nii Mator said 'the sale of the land had made the government unpopular among the fisherfolk'.
The Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Krakue, had taken refuge at an unknown destination, and so was not present when the mob attacked the palace.
His palanquin and drums were seized by the mob and deposited in the middle of the road leading to the palace.
The chief’s son, Richard Adjei Adjetey Krakue, a student who was present when the mob attacked the palace, said they came with knives and pistols, calling for the blood of his father.
He said he and two others, Asafoanye Nabla and Joshua Addo, hid to avoid being harmed, while the mob smashed windows, doors, plastic chairs, vehicles and some decorative structures, including statues of two of the lions mounted at the frontage of the palace.
Richard said the mob explained that his father, Nii Adjei Krakue, had a hand in the sale of the land.
He said his father went on air on Meridian FM to announce his innocence to the citizens before taking refuge.
At the TMA Sub -Metro offices at Manhean, the mob destroyed computers and other office equipment.
The Daily Graphic could not meet any senior citizen of Tema Manhean to talk to because they had all taken refuge to avoid the wrath of the youth.
At a press conference held by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority later in the day, management explained that the land in question was the property of the authority as embodied in the Tema Township Acquisition Act 1952.
Addressing the media, the Director General of GPHA, Mr Nestor Galley, said the authority only leased out a portion of the land to the oil refining company WILMA Africa, to enable it to put up structures for its operations.
He says the Tema Traditional Council and the GPHA have set up a 17-member committee to consider some aspects of employment opportunities, among others, for the natives when the company starts work.

TOR SUFFERS MAJOR SETBACK (PAGE 3, SEPT 14, 2010)

2010-09-14T09:58:00.001-07:00

THE Tema Oil Refinery suffered a major setback when its utility section mistakenly pumped sea water into the boilers which serve the plant, causing severe damage to the refinery’s two operative giant boilers, the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) .
Workers of the refinery have, for almost two weeks now, been working around the clock to restore the plant by pumping out the salty water which has diluted the products, causing a huge loss to the company.
According to a source at the refinery, the sea water was supposed to be pumped for fire service operations when it was mistakenly pumped into the boilers of the plant, displacing the chemically based water and causing damage to the CDU, RFCC and the boilers.
The source was of the view that somebody must be made to answer for the situation that had led to a shutdown for almost two weeks without production.
The Daily Graphic learnt that it would cause the refinery so much resource to complete the work because all the chemicals would have to be put back afresh after pumping out the diluted water in the equipment.
The source said the situation caused an automatic shutdown of the plant and discarded the hue and cry about the shutdown by management for lack of crude.
Some of the workers told the Daily Graphic that they were suspicious of ‘saboteurs’ at the plant and called on the government to set up a committee to investigate the situation and deal with the culprits.
They said the three managers in charge of the utility section should be held responsible for the damage caused to the refinery.
Some of the workers were furious and threatened to embark on a strike at the appropriate time to ensure that sanity prevailed at the refinery.
The Public Relations Officer of the refinery, Mrs Aba Lokko, declined to talk about the situation but indicated that the salty water situation had been rectified and was hopeful that the plant would start operations before the end of this week.
She confirmed that the workers were indeed angry, noting that it did not have anything to do with the shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) on the market.
Mrs Lokko said management was concerned about how to restore the plant before looking for any culprit.
She said the refinery had sufficient stock of fuel and therefore did not suffer any shortage of the product on the market.

FOMWAG INAUGURATES ASHAIMAN BRANCH (PAGE 18, AUGUST 17, 2010)

2010-08-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Greater Accra President of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Ghana (FOMWAG), Hajia Sirina Ketuw, has urged Muslim women to build a strong and upright family structure which will produce responsible and righteous youth for the nation.
She said research had shown that children who grew up without good parenting were likely to be deviant in society.
Hajia Sirina made the remarks at the inauguration of the Ashaiman branch of FOMWAG where she noted that in Islam, every aspect of life was prescribed for the man but the best object of the world is a pious woman.
She noted that FOMWAG was an umbrella of all Muslim women associations in Ghana and it sought to mobilise, educate, conscientise and help Muslim women to contribute their quota towards the national development.
Hajia Sirina called on Muslim women to stand by the truth and shun dishonesty and falsehood.
She explained that since the woman was the family’s first instructor, she should be educated to enable her care and educate her children.
Hajia Sirina was of the view that giving children a solid foundation in Islamic education will go a long way to inculcate its lessons in the child.
She noted that deviant children had no respect for family values and grew up to become bad parents themselves, building a vicious cycle of a bad society.
Hajia said that if the family structure was strong and upright, children would be responsible and grow to become righteous citizens.
She said knowledge was a prerequisite for serving ‘Allah’ hence the need to educate the Muslim woman through seminars, workshops and conferences.
Hajia Sirina said FOMWAG believed that the most important role for a woman was to be a good Muslim who lived in conformity with the tenants of Islam.
This, she noted, made such a woman obedient, truthful and sincere, eliminating all forms of corruption.
Hajia Sirina appealed to the Muslim women to be good achievers through education, morals and walk in the fear of God.
Inaugurating the Ashaiman branch of FOMWAG, the National Vice-President, Hajia Fati Suleman, outlined the objectives of the association and appealed to the women to discard some negative remarks made about Muslim women.
She stated that the notion that Muslim women were treated as objects, had no right to choose their partners and did not have the right to inheritance was false and urged them to strive to make significant moves to build their image in society and in national development.
Hajia Fati later swore in the executives of the Ashaiman branch of the association.

'POISON' FOR SALE? (1B, AGUST 3, 2010)

2010-08-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

THE Greenwich Cold Store in Tema has come under intense scrutiny by the security agencies who are looking for 2,000 cartons of imported ‘gold fish’ which were declared unwholesome by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) but were allegedly diverted into the warehouse in the Port City.
The action by the security agencies follows concerns that the diverted fish, two 40-footer container consignments, could be on sale for public consumption.
The fish was declared unwholesome when it arrived at the Tema Port and embargoed for clearance at the Tema Container Terminal (TCT) near the Golden Jubilee Terminal.
However, per a letter dated July 14, 2010 and signed for the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Sector Commander in Tema, Mr K.K. Laryea, the cargo was allegedly sold to a fish processing company, Daireson Company, in Tema for GH¢4,200 per container for processing into fish meal.
The letter was explicit that “the containers would be moved to your operational areas under armed escort to ensure that no diversion takes place”.
But a security source at the Tema Harbour told the Daily Graphic that instead, the cargo ended up in a cold store at the Tema Fishing Harbour, raising serious security and safety concerns.
Further information gathered by the Daily Graphic indicated that the entire quantity of fish was dislodged from the containers into two cargo trucks, with registration numbers AS 4490 E and AS 2980 E, and conveyed to the Greenwich Cold Store under no armed guard, as was expected.
When information on the movement of the fish was made available to the Tema Office of the FDB, it acted swiftly and sealed the entrance of the cold store for further investigations.
The Head of the Drugs Control Unit at the Tema Office of the FDB, Mr Vigil Edward Prah-Ashun, confirmed the information.
He said the managing director of the cold store, whose name was not made available, was made to sign an undertaking to ensure that the seals were not broken.
He said the FDB would, in conjunction with other security agencies, start investigations into how the embargoed unwholesome fish was sold and moved out without any armed guard.

TEMA NCCE EDUCATES SCHOOL CHILDREN ON ORAL HEALTH (PAGE 45, JULY 28, 2010)

2010-07-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Tema Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), has extended its activities to promote oral health education among school children to schools in the metropolis .
As part of the programme, NCCE officials in Tema have in collaboration with Unilever Ghana and the Dental department of the Tema Polyclinic launched the oral education programme at the Salvation Army Basic School .
Over 453 school children from Kindergarten to Junior High School of the school benefited from the programme.
They were taken through oral health, including how to keep their mouth healthy and how to brush their teeth.
Health officials from the Tema Polyclinic took the children through the exercise.
According to the Programme Officer for the project Mr Theophilus Amewu , the exercise was to enable the children to have healthy growth.
He said the exercise would cover schools in the Tema Metropolis and expressed the hope that by the end of it many children would have learnt the proper way of brushing their teeth and how often it should be done.
The Headteacher of the school, Mr Samuel Gyimah Abaidoo, commended the NCCE for including children in their activities.
He said health was included in the school’s curriculum but the exercise would help the children to understand better the need to keep their teeth healthy because of the inclusion of the professional dentists.
A Principal Dental Nurse at the Tema Polyclinic, Ms Hilda Achengba, who took the children through the practical way of brushing the teeth, explained that tooth decay was on the increase and advised parents to send their children to the clinic at least every six months for check up.
She said tooth decay and other problems were on the increase among children because they usually took in a lot of sweets .
Ms Achengba urged the children to rinse their mouths anytime they ate sweets and that their parents should provide them with soft tooth brushes.
She said soft brushes were the best because hard brushes had given the users cuts resulting in swollen gums and gingivitis.
Ms Achengba took the children through practical ways of using the brush after which they were given some tubes of Close Up tooth paste.

COURT NULLIFIES TERMINATION OF HEADMISTRESS'S APPOINTMENT (PAGE 46, JULY 26, 2010)

2010-07-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Accra Fast Track High Court has declared the termination of the appointment of the former headmistress of the Tema Parents' Association School as null and void.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Edward Amoako Asante, described the governing board of the school which terminated the appointment of Mrs. Leona Anyele Nsakie- Kassim as an 'illegally constituted one.’
In its judgement, the court ruled that the appointment of the defendants as directors of the board of the school was of no legal effect and directed the reinstatement of the previous board.
Justice Amoako Asante was giving the ruling in a case which had dragged on for over two years between Mrs. Kassim and seven defendants who claimed to have terminated her appointment with effect from November 23, 2007.
Mrs. Kassim had sued the defendants, Mr E.O. Mensah, Mr G.W.K. Adanuvor, Mr Martey Plange, Mr S.A.S. Nunoo, Mr Eddie Armah, Mr A.B. Assan and Madam Carole Odamtten for wrongful termination of her appointment and wrongfully holding themselves up as Directors of the Board of the school.
She had prayed the court for a perpetual injunction to restrain them from unlawfully interfering with her employment contract.
She contended in her statement of claim that the defendants held an unlawful meeting during which they decided to terminate her appointment and caused her position to be advertised in the Daily Graphic of October 30, 2007.
She stated that the defendants dismissed her per a letter dated 27th November signed by Mr G.W.K. Adanuvor, who acted as the Chairman of the Board.
The plaintiff contended that the said Board had no lawful authority to dismiss her, hence the writ against them.
In its judgement, the court referred to the complaints of the defendants that the appointment of the previous Board which they purportedly ousted was illegal, pointing out that the appointment of the new Board did not also conform to the regulations of the company and was, therefore, equally illegal.
According to the court, the appointment of the new Board was in contravention of regulations 25 and 26 of the school.
General damages of GH¢3,000 was awarded against each of the seven defendants in favour of the plaintiff.
The court also awarded costs of GH¢3,000 jointly and severally against the defendants for the plaintiff.

WOMEN IN MARITIME INDUSTRY FORM ASSOCIATION (PAGE 46, JULY 26, 2010)

2010-07-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

WOMEN in the maritime industry have called for the institution of a sub-regional coast guard network that can police the waters from the shipping range of Mauritania to Angola to provide maximum security along commercial shipping routes.
They called on maritime administrations, shippers and port authorities to intensify their integration for regional and sub-regional co-operation, partnerships and networking.
The President of the Women International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Ghana, an organisation of women in management positions involved in maritime transportation business, Mrs Naa Densua Aryeetey, made the call at the inauguration of the association in Tema.
She said the association had among its objectives the need to facilitate the exchange of contacts, information and the promotion of the education of its members.
Mrs Aryeetey said the need to fight piracy and armed robbery would require the initiatives of all port authorities in the sub-region emphasising that 'no one country can do it alone”.
She said there were national WISTAs in over 28 countries world-wide, and in Africa, Ghana was the third country to have a national association with the others being WISTA Nigeria and WISTA South Africa.
Mrs Aryeetey said WISTA Ghana was established in June 2009 with a current membership drawn from both the public and private sectors to promote the role of women in the maritime industry.
She noted that its objectives were in line with the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) agenda on women and development.
Mrs Aryeetey said that the marine industry was an international and dynamic one which depended on trade.
She estimated that between 2010 and 2015, there would be tremendous growth in the industry, though it would mostly be from Asia, specifically, China and India.
Mrs Aryeetey said with occurrences of oil spills, marine pollution and piracy among others, there was the need to invest more in maritime education to build the necessary human resource capacity to meet those challenges.
She explained that with the discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities, the issue of security and safety could become critical, especially as the commodity would have to be exported and transported from one destination to the other.
Mrs Aryeetey emphasised that WISTA would help to promote the maritime industry and urged members to play their roles effectively for the growth and development of the industry .
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, commended the women for forming the association to bring players in the shipping industry together.
She said it was the desire of the government that the bond of unity among Ghanaian women would be extended to sister countries in the sub-region.
Mrs Attivor stressed that women today had more opportunities in all aspects of life including education, career development and business to improve their access to training, employment, social protection and better working conditions.
She encouraged them to be honest, diligent and hardworking to achieve their objectives.
The Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Mr Isaac P. Azumah, congratulated the WISTA Ghana, and said the GMA had since its inception tried to promote gender equality in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
Mr Azumah was of the view that this had reflected in its recruitment policy of giving qualified women equal opportunity in the organisation and ensured that staff development was spread equally to equip both men and women to excel at their jobs.
He gave the assurance that the GMA would partner WISTA Ghana to promote the progress of women in the maritime industry to achieve the 2015 deadline of the millennium development goals .
Mr Azumah urged members to exhibit high levels of commitment to the association and keep abreast of various developments in the industry .
A Representative of WISTA International, Ms Dime Agboire, expressed happiness that women in the marine industry in Ghana had succeeded in forming an association and pledged to support it to make greater strides.
She said it was a landmark in the history of WISTA International and urged them to network, learn and share experiences to make the association grow.
The President of WISTA Nigeria, Mrs Ify Akerele, and other executives from Nigeria presented to the WISTA Ghana brochures and documents which would help them to build on their knowledge.
Other dignitaries at the function included the Minister for Women and Children, Mrs Juliana Azumah, the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) , Mr Nestor Galley, Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Mr Kofi Mbiah, and the Rector of the Regional Maritime University, Mr Enoch Asamoah.

Land guards invade Irrigation Site at Ashaiman, (PAGE 29, JULY 21, 2010)

2010-07-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Ashaiman
ENCROACHERS, described as land guards, are said to have invaded the vegetable farms at the Irrigation Dam site at Roman Down and Jericho, near Ashaiman, and selling the land to potential developers.
More than 150 acres of land were acquired by the government for the Irrigation Development Authority (IDA) for demonstration farming but half of it has been illegally acquired and turned into residential facilities.
A spokesman for the Ashaiman Roman Down Co-operative Farmers Society, Mr Emmanuel Doe, told the Daily Graphic that the situation was brought to the attention of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly long ago but the rate of encroachment kept increasing.
Sources at the IDA and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly confirmed the story but added that there were plans to demolish structures in the area because the developers had crossed the buffer zones which protected the dam.
According to sources, the land guards were often armed with dangerous weapons to ward off any resistance from the farmers as they (land guards) demarcated the land for potential developers.
Mr Doe said many more pillars had been erected at vantage points on the land, indicating that those areas had been sold out, but he could not tell the person behind the activities of the land guards.
He said the 150-acre land had virtually been reduced to half and expressed the fear that very soon the whole land area would be covered with buildings, pushing the IDA and the farmers out.
When contacted, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Augustine Gyenning, said activities of the land guards in the Ashaiman area had become a matter of concern to the police.
He said land guards created multiple problems because after they had aided their agents to secure the land, they in turn attacked the developer for compensation for work done.
ACP Gyenning said attempts to refuse them had led to bloody incidents and harassment.
He said there were some of such cases pending at the courts and appealed to victims to report any such incident to the police for action.
ACP Gyenning urged chiefs to desist from the practice of using land guards to achieve their objectives.
Meanwhile, the Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, has confirmed that the government acquired and reserved the farmlands for farming.
He said the assembly had called for the original site plan of the area from the IDA to enable it to undertake the demolition operation.

Pix- one
The spokesman for the farmers, Mr Emmanuel Doe, pointing at the encroached land which, hitherto, had vegetables and other crops but now have some structures springing up.

PLANT TO PROCESS CONVENTIONAL FUEL INTO ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY PRODUCT (PAGE 46, JULY 22, 2010)

2010-07-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

An estimated GH¢800,000 pilot plant to process conventional fuel into a cost- effective product, which reduces emissions and saves about 30 per cent cost on fuel consumption, has been unveiled in Tema.
The plant,when it becomes operational, will produce to serve boiler and furnace user industries.
The technology, which uses petroleum, water and emulsifiers to turn out the refined product, will also help to minimise the intermittent shut downs of boilers and furnaces for maintenance.
Branded M-Fuel, the plant which was patented in Korea, is being test run on a capacity of 60,000 litres of fuel daily to turn out 80,000 litres of the refined product. The plant is expected to begin supplying its refined products by the end of July 2010.
According to the Group Managing Director of Marado Company, Mr Robert Adomako, the technology could be used for all types of fuels ranging from diesel, bio-diesel, bunker oil and kerosene.
He said the M-Fuel would concentrate on the processing of diesel and residual fuel which were by-products from oil refineries which emitted high levels of nitrogen oxides and were harmful to the environment.
Mr Adomako said the M-fuel company would purchase conventional fuel on the market and sell the processed product at cheaper cost to industries, but would also accept contracts from industries to refine their conventional fuel products for them to run the boilers and furnaces.
He explained that after processing, the quantity of oil delivered to the company by various industries would increase by 30 per cent because of the use of water in the process.
Mr Adomako called on industries to cut down on production cost by patronising the M-fuel in order to benefit fully from the innovation.
The Chief Executive of Marado Company, Mr Lloyd Amoah, who took invited guests through the process of refining the emulsified fuel, said the plant processed about 60 per cent oil and 40 per cent water.
He emphasised that the M-fuel system was economical to use and environmentally friendly .
Mr Amoah was of the view that the technology could help reduce production cost of industries by 30 per cent with the use of the M-fuel .
He stated that fuel produced by the technology was stable under normal storage conditions for up to a year without any subsequent stirring.
Dr Ali Abugre, a retired Deputy Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), commended the management of Marado Company for transferring the innovation to Ghana and therefore Africa, to support the industry.
He said the supply of conventional fuel on the market should not hinder their operations because as an independent entity, the company could fall on the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs ) for supply.
Dr Abugre described the system as an innovation to the boiler system, which would enable fuel to burn completely and reduce maintenance cost.
He said the system was another means of economising on fuel use in the country and advised industries to patronise the product.
Dr Abugre said the 30 per cent savings to be made on the use of the product was very significant aside the health implications that users of the conventional fuel suffered.
He explained that the TOR was a refinery and not into the nano-technology which would operate with water, fuel and emulsifiers and that it could be done only if TOR decided to build a plant for it.
There was a demonstration to show the difference between conventional fuel and the processed fuel under the nano-technology.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana National Fire Service, representatives of industries, engineers and the general public observed the process.
Korean experts, who built the plant, demonstrated by firing two improvised furnaces and the conventional fuel burned with red flames and thick black smoke, while there was no smoke when the processed M-Fuel was fired.

NCCE INTENSIFIES EDUCATION ON DISTRICT POLLS (PAGE 14, JULY 0, 2010)

2010-07-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

THE National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has intensified its efforts at educating the people on the forthcoming district assembly elections to whip up interest and encourage eligible voters to participate effectively.
At a forum of opinion leaders, chiefs, educationists and eligible voters at Tema Manhean, the Tema Metropolitan Director of the NCCE, Mr Ebenezer Tetteh-Wayo, expressed concern over the low turnout of voters during district level elections.
He said the poor turnout was a national phenomenon, adding that in 2002, the overall turnout was 33.3 per cent of the voting population, while in 2006, it was about 44 per cent.
That, Mr Tetteh Wayo said, was of concern to the NCCE, which is responsible for education.
He urged the people to embrace the district assembly concept, which is enshrined in Chapter 20 (Article 256) of the Constitution and the Local Government Act 462, for participatory democracy in the development of the nation.
He called on the people to be interested in those they chose to lead them in the assembly, saying they must be vigilant and actively involved in the effective use of assembly funds for proper accountability.
He noted that some citizens had lost confidence in their assembly members for non-performance, hence their decision to abstain from voting.
He said assembly members were there to represent the people and convey the concerns of the people to the assembly for resolution.
Mr Tetteh-Wayo said assembly members were to liaise with the people in the communities, hold meetings and discuss the people’s needs, as well as inform the people on how the assembly operated.
He said effective participation in governance was the surest way to attain the objectives of democracy and appealed to the citizenry to attach importance to the district level elections, just as they did to presidential and parliamentary elections, and come out in their numbers to elect their community leaders.
He advised the youth to refrain from violence and electoral malpractice that would mar elections and prevent people from exercising their franchise.
Mr Tetteh–Wayo urged aspiring candidates to endeavour to satisfy all the requirements of the electioneering processes before they posted their posters for the elections.
During the open forum, participants were surprised to hear that assembly members were not paid salaries, nor were they given money to undertake development projects.
They appreciated the education by the NCCE and appealed to the government to resource the organisation to enable it to undertake more programmes.
An aspiring assembly member was not happy that some candidates were being sponsored by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly in the forthcoming district level elections and called on the NCCE to ensure that everything was fair to whip up the interest of as many people as possible to take part.

TMA TO RETRIEVE STOLEN STREET BULBS (PAGE 18, JULY 20, 2010)

2010-07-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

THE Tema Metropolitan Assembly has instituted measures to retrieve a missing quantity of street-light bulbs supplied by the Ministry of Energy to support the Assembly to provide light in the metropolis.
As a result, a team of assembly members has been tasked to a count all street-light bulbs installed in their electoral areas and to submit reports to the assembly by the end of this month.
The Chairman of the Tema East Sub Metro , Mr Enoch Adjei Mensah, who is leading the Tema East task force, told the Daily Graphic in an exclusive interview that the complaint was made on the floor of the assembly by some members of the house.
Mr Adjei-Mensah made the comment when the issue resurfaced at an educational forum organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at Tema Manhean to encourage eligible voters to come out and vote massively when the time comes.
At the forum, a participant complained that an individual in the community was claiming ownership of ten streetlights installed by the assembly at the U compound area of Tema Manhean and inscribed his name on them with the indication that he had supported the area with the provision of light and therefore appealed to the assembly to investigate the issue.
Mr Adjei–Mensah, who is also a Principal Officer at the Tema NCCE, explained that the Assembly had already taken steps to investigate how the bulbs were taken out in somebody’s name.
Mr Adjei-Mensah recounted that late last year, the Energy Ministry supplied a quantity of street-light bulbs to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to install on ceremonial routes in the metropolis.
He said when the issue was brought to the notice of assembly members, they suggested that the bulbs were rather fixed in the communities which were dark.
This, Mr Mensah said, was accepted by the house and therefore, each of the 39 electoral areas was given ten bulbs, with poles, to be erected in their communities, in collaboration with the residents.
He gave the break down in the electoral areas as Tema East-17 , Tema West-12 and Kpone Katamanso-10 which totalled 39 bulbs in all.
Mr Adjei Mensah said the task force was scheduled to start work on Monday, July 20, 2010, to count all streetlights in the metropolis.
He noted that some people, through personal contributions, provided streetlights in their areas but said they were different from the ones supplied by the Ministry of Energy.
Mr Adjei–Mensah who was confirming the allegations made by the concerned citizen said the assembly had taken up the issue, and called on people who had any information about it to contact the Sub–Metro office at Tema Manhean.
The concerned participant who lived at U Compound area at Tema Manhean had explained at the forum that the suspicion arose because the ten poles and bulbs were conveyed and installed in the area by a team of engineers from the TMA.
He said residents witnessed the installation and therefore, were surprised that an individual had his name inscribed on them and was campaigning that he had supplied light in order to win their favour in the forthcoming elections.
Meanwhile, information available to the Daily Graphic indicates that the one alleged to have inscribed his name on the bulbs was aspiring to become an assembly member in the forthcoming district level election.

TEMA FISHERMEN REAISE RED FLAGS (PAGE 38, JULY 19)

2010-07-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

FISHERMEN and fishmongers at the Tema canoe beach and concerned citizens of Tema Manhean say they will resist all attempts by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA ) to sell a tract of land on which they performed their vocation to a palm oil exportation company.
They claimed: ‘‘We are ever ready even at the peril of our lives to make sure that this palm oil exportation project is not cited on this particular land.’’ The fishermen have in turn given the GPHA a three day ultimatum to explain how they land became their property.
At a forum of fishermen, fishmongers and concerned citizens clad in red head bands, they said they were not happy that GHPA had issued a quit order to them to quit the ‘Tema beach 5’ site as the land area is referred to and claimed that the decision to prevent the fisherfolk from mending their nets, drying of fish and repairing their canoes at the site for the export business was ‘uneconomical, unprofitable and extremely unfair to the fisher folks and the people of Tema’.
A statement issued by the fishermen in collaboration with concerned citizens of Tema Mahean emphasised that the fishermen and the citizens were not against the palm oil exportation project but were concerned about the process adopted in the purchase of the land without the involvement of the local people or discussions with the people involved in the day to day activity of the said land.
The statement which was signed by a spokesman of the concerned citizens, Michael Nii Abbey, indicated that the land in question had been an avenue for extra related fishing activities and fisher training grounds as well.
He noted that information gathered from GPHA indicated that the said oil palm export company would be able to offer employment for only about 500 people as against over 12,500 direct jobs which were created at the beach through the fishing expedition of over 500 canoes with its crew, fish mongers, porters, truck pushers, and general trading at the beach.
Nii Abbey recounted how the already congested situation on the Tema Mahean road would look like if oil tankers start operating to offload the palm oil with its risks of accidents. He was optimistic that the introduction of such a big and busy entity on the road would push further the already squeezed land area of Manhean.
Nii Abbey urged GPHA to consider leaving the land for their use and rather relocate the company to the western gate of the port to make accessibility to the port easier and incident free.
He noted that the said parcel of land must remain an inter-generational cultural heritage and reliable source of livelihood for the people.
The Tema Mantse, Nii Adjetey, who said he was against the proposed location of the company, recouted the historical backgroud of the people of Tema from when they were moved from their old village to where they are now.
He said GPHA engaged in illegal deals with some people who have sold out the land to satisfy their personal interests. Nii Krakue said if things were not done right, Tema Mahean would gradually disappear because all its land will be taken away and there would not be anything left ‘not even the sea’.

TWO FIRE SERVICE WOMEN EXCEL IN EMERGENCY SERVICE TRAINING (PAGE 11, JULY 10, 2010)

2010-07-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

TWO women from the Ghana National Fire Service (Tema Region) have excelled in a one week capacity building in emergency service delivery held at the Ghana Airports Fire Training Centre.
The course was to encourage women to take part in fire fighting, as hitherto, they remained in the office and performed administrative work.
The two female fire officers, Ago Aba Otoo and Belinda Alayine, were among a group of 20 who underwent the training at the Airports Fire Training Centre in Accra .
Speaking to the Daily Graphic , the Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Mr Timothy Osafo- Affum said the training equipped beneficiaries, who were referred to as incident responders, to work in difficult situations during rescue operations.
Mr Osafo-Affum said the women were also trained to undertake firefighting in modern ways and in an expedient manner .
He said the Tema Region was fortunate to have had two female personnel benefiting from the training and excelling after the course to impact on firefighting in the region .
On their return, the two women demonstrated the skills they had acquired in emergency service delivery techniques to the delight of officers and men of the Tema GNFS.
Their demonstration included how to use the breathing apparatus to attend to firefighting and also how to contain the apparatus .
Mr Osafo-Affum said this was the first time women had participated in the course and hoped other women would take part in firefighting.
Previously, women in the GNFS had been in administrative positions.
He was optimistic that training of the women would change the situation and ensure that all hands were put on deck in firefighting.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO HELP ASHAIMAN (PAGE 18, JULY 9, 2010)

2010-07-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

SOME international financing agencies and NGOs, with support from their foreign partners, have decided to provide sanitation and waste-treatment projects for slum areas in Ashaiman to help upgrade its status as a municipality.
One of such agencies is a Dutch-based project organisation, Safisana Foundation, which is partnering the local Assembly and local operators in a joint-venture agreement to design, build and operate a centralised waste digestion and processing pilot plant in Ashaiman.
Construction work on the pilot waste-treatment project estimated to cost 1.5 million Euros is expected to start on the outskirts of Ashaiman in September for the production of industrial biogas and organic fertiliser.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Ashaiman, the Managing Director of the foundation, Mr Art Van Den Beukei, said Safisana Foundation’s goal was to set up a Communal Services Blocks(CBS’s) to service the treatment plant.
The sanitation block, estimated to cost 25,000 euros would have basic toilet and drinking water services, shower and kiosk services all designed to meet the local need of the people.
Mr Beukei said the project also had a waste collection, processing and recycling unit which would help the executors of the project to provide better sanitation, reduce environmental and health hazard due to indiscriminate defecation in bushes and pools and also improve waste collection in the selected areas.
He stated that to be able to sustain the project, users would be made to pay minimal user fees to be used as capital for maintenance.
Mr Beukei explained that the project was a non-profit one, with Safisana acting as a business partner, financial counterpart and co-ordinator of local branches.
He gave an insight into how the systems of the project would work, saying that the processing plant would stimulate regular collection of the effluent from the service blocks for the production of organic fertiliser.
He said additional income would be generated by selling these products.
Mr Beukei disclosed that the foundation had discussed the need to supply the fertiliser to the Irrigation Development Authority (IDA) and distribution of the biogas to local industries in the Greater Accra Region.
Earlier in a presentation at a forum of representatives of the various groups and organisations in the Ashaiman community, the Programmes Officer of the Ashaiman office of Safisana Foundation, Mr Frederick Tettey-Lowor, took the participants through the technical details of the project.
The participants included assembly members, private operators, contractors, traditional authorities, persons with disabilities, religious groups, the youth, women groups, landlords, contractors and consultants.
Mr Tettey-Lowor explained that the various groups were included in the initial stage of the project to enable them to disseminate information to people in the communities and also build their capacity in readiness for the project.
He said the implementers would need the people to play various roles to facilitate the mobilisation of the communities and monitor project implementation.
Mr Tettey-Lowor said the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly had major roles to play, including the provision of legally documented land for the work.
An Urban Planner of the Training, Research and Networking for Development(TREND), an NGO engaged in the Tripartite Partnership Project(TPP) in the provision of improved sanitation and water supply service delivery to the urban poor, Mr Benedict Tuffuor, took participants through a Learning Alliance (LA) platform, which according to him was to promote active multi-stakeholder-community participation in project implementation, ownership, facilities operation, management and maintenance and urged participants to strengthen the sector capacity for planning and delivery of the services.
He said the NGO operated on the tripartite partnership of public, private and NGO sectors.

LEDZOKUKU-KROWOR CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF BASIC SCHOOLS INAUGURATED (PAGE 11, JULY 7, 2010)

2010-07-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Ledzokuku-Krowor Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) has been inaugurated to strengthen relations between headteachers of basic schools in the municipality and to raise standards of teaching at the first cycle level.
The President of the conference, Pastor Charles Akafia, explained that COHBS, which had been under the Accra Metro branch, had to be reorganised as a result of the creation of the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly.
Pastor Akafia recounted that with 23,914 pupils, the municipality had 54 headteachers and 679 teachers, 44 junior high schools, 42 primary schools and 19 kindergartens.
He appealed to the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly to provide enough school desks to the Education Directorate to enhance teaching and learning.
Pastor Akafia said the municipality, with the support of COHBS, achieved some academic laurels in the 2009/20 academic year by winning the President’s Award at the basic education level.
The Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Rosetta Addison Sackey, urged the headteachers to strengthen relations between schools and the community to erase all forms of suspicion.
Mrs Sackey explained that the education system in Ghana was examination oriented, and therefore quality education was measured by the number of pupils who passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination.
She cautioned COHBS to respect the views of others and not turn their staff meetings into shops or disciplinary camps where they become unapproachable and inaccessible to colleague teachers.

TEMA CONTRACTORS ADVISED TO SPEED UP WORK (PAGE 8, JULY 5, 2010)

2010-07-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, has appealed to contractors engaged in the rehabilitation of roads in Tema to speed up in order to ease traffic congestion and provide a conducive environment for drivers and pedestrians.
He urged them to work faster to complete work within the scheduled time.
Nii Armah Ashietey, who inspected sections of the 53-kilometre roads currently under construction in the Tema metropolis, expressed concern about the slow pace of work and the bad nature of the roads which was an inconvenience to the driving public.
On the Kpone stretch from the Valco Roundabout through the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) road, the contractor, Mr Kobby Lartey of Kob Construction, was behind time and had done 25 per cent of work instead of 40 per cent.
The Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mr Stephen Attipoe, who conducted the Regional Minister around on the inspection tour explained that there was a change in the scope of work, leading to the delay.
He said the initial work was changed from ordinary rehabilitation to a complete road project because it was realised that the road needed to be made to stand the test of time, as heavy duty trucks plied it constantly.
Mr Attipoe said the Tema Oil Refinery had contributed $100,000 for work on the frontage of the plant because of the regular movement of trucks there.
He disclosed that the rains had revealed some defects in the work so far done, and that the contractor had, therefore, been directed to raise the side to divert water flow.
Construction work on the Republic Road was progressing and the contractor, Mr James Cuddle of the Lagna Constructions, said it was essential to asphalt the road in the next stage of work. He was optimistic the work would be completed by the end of next month.
The Roads Engineer, Mr Attipoe, told the Regional Minister that Tema Roads had not been re-constructed in the last 40 years and that it was necessary to ensure that a good job was done so that the roads would last for the next 20 years or more.
At the Community Three junction linking the Harbour –Meridian road, beach road – Nungua barrier and the Community Two road, Mr Attipoe said the contractor, Eagle Star Constructions, had almost completed work on the Lashibi road.
He noted that there were plans to change the beach road to a dual carriageway which the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) had promised to assist but the work was continuing because of the delay in the fulfilment of the promise.
Mr Attipoe said work on most of the Tema roads would be completed by the end of July, 2010, noting that there were plans to patch roads which were not included in the rehabilitation package.
He said the major roads rehabilitation was being funded by the Government of Ghana. The Vice-President, Mr John Mahatma, cut the sod for work to begin on the 53kilometres stretch of roads in the Tema metropolis which was to be funded by the Government of Ghana.
For sometime now, the contractors who were immediately awarded the contracts had seemingly slowed down work causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians as well.
The Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, who was accompanied by the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Ofosu Ware, and some officials of the assembly, appealed to the contractors to complete the work on time.

15 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS COMPLETE TRAINING COURSE (PAGE 22, JULY 3, 2010)

2010-07-06T03:47:00.001-07:00

A three week capacity training course for 15 electrical engineers and technicians from Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone, under the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) co-ordination has ended at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Training School in Tema.
This brings to 43 the number of trainees from member countries who have undergone the technician and engineers course designed by WAPP with financial support from the European Union since April, this year.
The training is expected to contribute to the integration of the national electricity companies of ECOWAS member- states.
The participants were taken through transformer and sub-station maintenance, overhead lines and cable network operations and maintenance, distribution system design operation, protection and SCADA management among others.
A representative of the Secretary General of WAPP, Mr Mustapha Zakari Cisse said WAPP in collaboration with the European Union Technical Assistance designed the training modules to address unique problems of the power utilities in the West African sub-region and to contribute to the improvement of performance of the utilities.
He said the training would also create an enabling environment for enhancing regional cohesion through mutual understanding and co-operation among WAPP members.
Mr Cisse commended the EU for its involvement and financial support for the programme.
He also appreciated the Board and Management of the Electricity Company of Ghana for opening up its facilities to other members of the Pool.
Mr Cisse called on the participants to make the investment in them worthwhile by making the greatest impact of their training felt by customers in their countries.
He indicated that WAPP would be justified to approach financiers to provide money to train others for advanced levels of continuous training.
The Head of Infrastructure and Sustainable Section of the Delegation of the European Union in Ghana, Mr Jannik Vaa said the support programme to WAPP started in September 2009 and will run over a period of three years .
He noted that the EU financial assistance amounted to 1.8 million euros which is about GH¢3.24 million and was through the ACP –EU Energy facility.
Mr Vaa said the EU support to the WAPP sought to assist ECOWAS countries to develop electricity production and distribution at regional level and to subsequently strengthen regional integration in West Africa .
He commended the participants and said the EU was encouraged by the training programme for having trained 43 electrical engineers and technicians on three modules with each course running for three weeks.
The WAPP Consultant , Mr Igor Zakharov said based on the success of the programme, French speaking WAPP members had also expressed interest which was an indication that the ECG had the human resource base to impart knowledge to others in less endowed countries.

ASHAIMAN FLOOD VICTIMS INGNORE WARNING (SPREAD, JULY 3, 2010)

2010-07-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

Some victims of the devastating flood which claimed several lives and displaced thousands of people in Ashaiman have ignored warnings of heavier rains this season and started re-constructing their buildings.
They are using heaps of sand which piled up in parts of Ashaiman as a result of the flood for their constructional works.
In separate interviews, some of the victims told the Daily Graphic that they did not have anywhere to go and that the land belonged to them, saying, “God will listen to our prayers.”
According to them, the only homes they had were the ones which were washed away by the floods, which underscored the need for them to build new ones to replace those which were destroyed.
Most of the structures under construction are at Roman Down in the Obakatse Electoral Area where the flood had been severest and claimed many lives.
Commenting on the situation, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman, Mr Alfred Agbesi, said it was sad that the residents were re-constructing houses in the same area where the flood destroyed their properties.
He expressed concern over the health hazards posed by the resort to the use of dirty water from the drains because the floods had disrupted water supply in Ashaiman.
The MP said it was unfortunate that at a time when efforts were being made to secure support from organisations and ministries involved in road works and the provision of water, shelter and clothing, the victims were rather going back to establish themselves again.
He appealed to them to heed the advice not to build on water courses and in green belts because they were purposefully designed in low-lying areas.
Mr Agbesi emphasised that it was time strict sanctions were imposed on those who gave permits and allocated land to the people in prohibited areas.
He said he could not decide the fate of those who were re-constructing their houses on water courses and appealed to the assembly to take steps to stop them.
Mr Agbesi appealed to government to set up a committee at government level to find solution to the problem once and for all.
He said the medical needs of the people ,relocation , provision of alternative schools for displaced children and clothing among others must be considered by the committee.
Meanwhile the Member of Parliament, Mr Agbesi had led a team of NDC party executives to distribute food items to the victims.
The items comprised 220 bags of rice and 16 cartons of cooking oil valued at GH¢9,000 .
He explained that the total amount used in the purchase of the items comprised GH¢5,000 from the MP’s office and GH¢4,000 from the former First Lady Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings when she visited and consoled the victims.
The distribution was done in nine flood communities in Ashaiman, including Manmomo, Roman Down (Obakatse), Jericho, Assenso, Malian Estates, Chief Fafra and Behind Presby.
The victims complained that there was no transparency in the distribution because the actual victims were not benefiting from the supplies.

VEEP INAUGURATES POLICE STATIONS IN TEMA (SPREAD, JULY 1, 2010)

2010-07-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has inaugurated a police station at Tema Community 11 to help curb activities of armed robbers and other anti-social elements in the community.
The facility, which was constructed by the Rotary Club of Tema at an estimated cost of GH¢80,000 to serve Communities 10, 11 and 12, has a female, male and juvenile cells.
Mr Mahama commended the Rotary Club for its effort to support the Ghana Police Service to fight crime.
He stated that communities had a stake in their own safety by identifying criminals in their vicinity.
The Vice-President said the government was taking steps to equip the police by installing a new database for fingerprint and to upgrade its laboratories for DNA tests.
The Vice-President, who is also the Chairman of the Police Council, observed that the police in Ghana were working under challenging circumstances and called on society to encourage them than to condemn them outright, adding that “there are bad lots everywhere”.
He appealed to philanthropic organisations to continue to support the police to enable them to work harder.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Alhassan, said effective law enforcement was a shared responsibility without which good results could not be achieved.
He gave an assurance that the police administration would make efforts to equip the station and provide it with a vehicle to enable the police to work efficiently to serve the communities by fighting crime effectively.
The President of the Rotary Club of Tema, Mr John Bisiw, announced that the project was financed locally by the Club and appealed to the Police Administration to equip the station immediately to make it functional.
Mr Bisiw said hitherto residents had witnessed car snatching and strange killings in the three communities and expressed optimism that residents would now enjoy some tranquillity because of the presence of the police in the area.

VEEP INAUGURATES INTER-MINISSTERIAL COMMITTEE (PAGE 19, JULY 1, 2010)

2010-07-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

THE Fight against crime in Tema communities 10, 11 and 12 received a boost when the Vice-President, John Dramani Mahama, inaugurated a new police station for the Ghana Police Service.
The police station, funded by the Rotary Club of Tema at a cost GH¢80,000, has separate cells for females, males and juveniles, making the new station the only one in the Greater Accra Region with a facility for juveniles.
Armed robbery and other anti-social activities have become the bane of Tema communities 10, 11 and 12 but the nearest police station to the communities was located in Community One, over three kilometres away.
Performing the inaugural ceremony, the Vice -President commended the Rotary Club of Tema for its effort to support the Ghana Police Service to fight crime in Tema.
He stated that communities had a stake in their own safety and in identifying criminals in their vicinity hence the need to contribute towards the provision of facilities.
Mr Mahama said the government was taking steps to equip the police by installing new database for fingerprinting and upgrading its laboratories for DNA tests.
The Vice-President, who is also the Chairman of the Police Council, observed that the Ghana Police Service was working under challenging circumstances and called on society to encourage the police than to condemn them outright, adding that ‘there are bad lots everywhere.’
He appealed to philanthropic organisations to continue to support the police to enable them work harder even as the government continued in its effort to beef up the workforce of the service.
Mr Mahama said the government would soon recruit 2000 officers into the service to augment the existing number.
He called on people in the various communities to take advantage of the rewards which the service had instituted to encourage them to volunteer information on suspected criminals to enable the police to curb crime.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr Mohammed Alhassan, in an address, said effective law enforcement was a shared responsibility and that good results could not be achieved without collaborative effort between the police and society.
He commended the Rotary Club of Tema for the initiative and asked other organisations to emulate the example.
Mr Alhassan gave an assurance that the police administration would make efforts to equip the station and provide it with a vehicle to enable the police personnel to work efficiently to serve the communities.
The Deputy IGP noted that population growth and corresponding crime wave with its socio-economic dynamics had continued to take a toll on the budget of the police.
Mr Alhassan appealed to the public and police personnel who would be sent there to ensure the safety of the facility to justify the substantial investment made by the Rotary Club of Tema.
The President of the Rotary Club of Tema, Mr John Bisiw, announced that the project was financed locally by the Club and appealed to the Police Administration to equip the station immediately to make it functional.
Mr Bisiw said hitherto residents had witnessed car snatching and strange killings in the Communities, but was optimistic that residents would now enjoy some tranquillity because of the presence of the police in the area .
Mr Bisiw, however, appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to provide a drainage to solve a major drainage challenge that faced the area in the frontage of the building.
Tema Regional Police Commander and the Tema Mantse Nii Adjei Kraku assisted the Vice-President to cut the tape to declare the station open.

FORMER ASSEMBLY MEMBER ELECTROCUTED (PAGE 18, JUNE 25, 2010)

2010-06-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

THE body of a former Assembly Member of Obakatse Electoral Area at Ashaiman Roman Down, Billy Tsinasi, 57, has been retrieved from the floods which has ravaged the Tema Municipal Area since Sunday.
family members who found the body were at the Ashaiman Police Station where they had conveyed it for documentation when the Daily Graphic got there.
They reported that Tsinasi, who was their breadwinner appeared to have been electrocuted when he attempted to walk through the flooded area to inspect his land located in the electoral area.
The Ashaiman Police Commander, Superintendent Peter Kobina, said the official figure of bodies retrieved in Ashaiman was 13 and efforts were being made to retrieve more missing bodies.
He said out of the 13 bodies, nine had been buried in line with the dictates of their muslim religion, but the remaining ones were at the morgue of the Tema General Hospital.
Superintendent Kobina told the Assembly Member for Obakatse Electoral Area, Mr Thomas Adongo, that most of the deaths occurred at the Roman Down area.
He said one other person had been reported missing in the area and a search party was on the lookout for a 10-year old girl Dzigbodi whose body was washed away in the big drain which flows into the Gbemi River.
The Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre, Mr Gabriel Atsu, said a 41-year-old man, Kofi Adatsi, who attempted to assist a victim also got drowned. He said the body had been deposited at the Tema morgue.
Presently Ashaiman is in a mess while people continue to salvage few things that they could lay their hands on.
More than 2,000 people in Ashaiman have been rendered homeless.
Anger is mounting among residents because of the Assembly’s decision to remove buildings located on low-lying grounds reserved for farming and those located close to storm drains in order to save life and property.
The areas, according to the concerned people, include the Ashaiman Roman Down agricultural lands and the dam site at Jericho, managed by the Irrigation Development Authority(IDA), which is under threat because of encroachment.
Huge permanent structures have been built at the Ashaiman Roman Down farm area, where farmers there have cultivated crops such as okro, tomatoes, corn and pepper and also reared animals like ducks, grasscutters and fowls.
The irrigation dam site where rice is cultivated in addition to crops and buildings were also flooded.
It was discovered that people occupying those buildings had vacated the houses which were alleged to have been constructed illegally.

ENFORCE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT..Pleads Tema children (PAGE 11, JUNE 24, 2010)

2010-06-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Children from some selected Junior High Schools in the Tema Metropolis have called for the strict enforcement of the Human Trafficking Act, 2005, to ensure that children grow in a secured and protective environment.
The children made the call at a press briefing in Tema to commemorate this year’s African Union (AU) Day of the African Child. The programme was organised by the Abibiman Foundation through its Green Life Clubs which are set up in schools.
This year's AU Day of the African Child was on the theme “Planning and budgeting for children: Our collective responsibility”. Every year, the AU adopts themes and campaigns relating to the welfare and progress of African children.
The day was instituted on June 16, 1976, during the Apartheid era when a number of black school children were killed in South Africa, as they undertook a peaceful walk to draw attention to the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language.
Speakers at the forum in Tema stressed the need for the government and related agencies, as well as all those who have the interest of children at heart, to resolve to stop all forms of child labour, exploitation and trafficking, take positive steps to address inequalities and discrimination against children, including those with disability in order to promote their growth and development.
They contended that taking these steps would guarantee a sustainable future for the Ghanaian child and reaffirm the government’s commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which was adopted in the year 2000 at the UN summit in New York.
The children said it was important to ensure that every child had equal rights and opportunities to growth and development, to save the children who are the future leaders of the nation .
Ms Yvonne Acheampong of the Green Life Club noted that it was worrying that the Ghanaian child continued to suffer from the rippling effect of poverty, illiteracy, maternal and child mortality , malaria and other diseases.
She said a number of children have become vulnerable to all forms of social vices as a result of poverty and pointed out that for that reason, most children were unable to access quality education and quality health care.
She commended the government for making giant strides in making education accessible to children,under the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education Programme, and through the provision of other incentives such as the capitation grant, school feeding programme, free school uniforms, text books and free bus ride for school crildren.
Ms Acheampong said although these have led to increase in school intake, there was still a lot to be done, adding that some children continued to study under trees, while the teacher- population was also inadequate.
She called on the government to uphold all international agreements and protocols relating to budgetary allocations for the achievement of the MDGs.
Ms Acheampong appealed to the group of Eight Developed countries to support developing countries to invest more in their education and health sectors.

TEMA PRESS ABANDONED (PAGE 23, JUNE 24, 2010)

2010-06-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

THE Tema Press, a former subsidiary of the Ghana Publishing Corporation, is now an abandoned edifice, though it was put on the divestiture list over 12 years ago.
The building, depicting colonial architecture, is sandwiched between several new warehouses at the Fishing Harbour Industrial Area and has two-storey offices, a detached printing section, an open hall and warehouses.
Although efforts have been made to protect the structures, parts of the building are crumpling due to lack of maintenance.
The press, a product of Dr Kwame Nkrumah's vision, was inaugurated in 1964 by Ghana’s first President and was expected to print books to ensure the steady supply of stationery to the many schools constructed under the education-for-all policy of the First Republic.
A visit to the premises of the press revealed its appalling state and erratic supply of electricity and water.
Some residents in the area that the Daily Graphic spoke to said some people sneaked into the premises to sleep there at night.
They claimed that security men often patrolled the area during the day and night to prevent intruders from entering and the head of the skeletal staff, Mr Joseph Nkrumah, who the Daily Graphic met at the press, confirmed that there was no activity at the press and explained that the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) took over the administration and management of the press when the government listed it for divestiture.
He said the skeletal staff was made up of 11 people, including five watchmen who ensured that intruders did not loiter in the yard.
Mr Nkrumah said the DIC mandated them to take over the running of the premises until a potential buyer was found. He explained that they were also mandated to generate their own funds and, therefore, had rented out the six warehouses to cover overhead costs and salaries.
Mr Nkrumah named some of the organisations to whom some of the warehouses had been rented as Kingdom Books and Stationery Limited, the Ghana Education Service and Dizengoff Ghana Limited.
He said there was an accountant who handled the revenue so there was nothing illegal about the renting of the warehouses and hinted that a potential Ghanaian investor accompanied by some foreigners had visited the press so very soon, investment documentation would be completed.
He noted that with the monies accrued from the rents, the staff had maintained the structures and the premises to avoid the situation where squatters would convert the facility into their sleeping places.

MOVES TO UNITE ASHAIMAN YOUTH FOUNDATION (PAGE 14, JUNE 22. 2010)

2010-06-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Youth groups in the Ashaiman Municipality, under the umbrella of the Ashaiman Youth Coalition (AYOC), have organised a breakfast meeting to unite them and strengthen the youth front for national development.
The former executive of the AYOC was dissolved and a new seven-member ad hoc committee was put in place to review the constitution of the coalition and act as the electoral college for the election of substantive executive members of the AYOC on July 1, 2010.
The committee was tasked to submit its report and findings to enable changes to be made for the election to take place.
The acting President of the AYOC and founding member, Mr Prince Mohammed, said the coalition had encountered setbacks since its inception in 2001 and had not been able to oversee the activities of the youth in Ashaiman, thus creating internal leadership problems.
He stated that some executive members had joined the groups with individual political intentions and, therefore, created tension which had given Ashaiman and its youth a bad name.
Mr Mohammed said with the new interventions, Ashaiman must begin to see different dimensions of good things to make it assume a good name befitting its status as a municipality.
He said AYOC was formed to bring all youth groups in Ashaiman together in unity to pursue its development hence the reason for the fight for a municipal status.
Mr Mohammed appealed to the youth in Ashaiman to help restore the vibrancy in the coalition and remove hatred, self-centred motives and political interests from it in order to build a just coalition of youth groups.
He commended the founding members of the coalition and urged them to help maintain peace and tranquillity in the Ashaiman Municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, swore in the seven-member committee and appealed to them to be fair and ensure that the constitution of the coalition was made viable for the growth of the youth in national development.
He appreciated the youth for using the AU Day to unite for what the day stood for.
Numo Addison said the AU Day was dedicated to the youth to enable them to know how the founding fathers of the country struggled to hold the continent together.
He said the youth in Ashaiman should commit themselves to the development of the municipality and consider its beginning and where it was now.
Numo Addison said as Africa focused on Ghana for the celebration of the day, the youth in Ashaiman should take the opportunity to strengthen the youth front for progress.
He announced that the assembly was setting up an integrated centre for employable skills to train the youth to become entrepreneurs.
Numo Addison urged the youth to show interest in the forthcoming district level elections to enable them to exhibit their vibrancy and youthful ideas in nation building.
The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Malam Abdul Karim Abass, thanked the youth for the trust reposed in him and the other committee members.
He said the members would work hard to ensure that they came out with a good working paper to enable the youth in Ashaiman to stand up in unity and in strength.
Malam Abass appealed to the youth groups to make inputs into the constitution to make it comprehensive and uniform.

SHIPPING FIRM ORGANISES HEALTH SCREENING EXERCISE IN TWO REGIONS (PAGE 29, JUNE 17, 2010)

2010-06-18T05:58:00.001-07:00

A Shipping and Logistics Company in Tema, the Global Cargo and Commodities Limited, has organised a free Hepatitis B screening for residents in the Krachie, Wulensi and Kpandai districts in the Northern and Volta regions and educated the people on the dangers of the disease.
The exercise was also to make the people aware of their status and be educated to avoid being infested with the disease .
Those who were found to be positive after the tests were supported medically to manage the disease while others were vaccinated to prevent their being infected.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on why the company embarked on the campaign, the Managing Director of Global Cargo and Logistics Company, Mr Jacob Gbati, noted that the decision emanated from a National Research report which declared the Northern and Volta regions as high on the Hepatitis B prevalent rate in the country.
He said the exercise attracted over 600 people out of which 83 were found to have been infected, including an 11-year-old girl.
The NKD laboratories under took the medical tests.

GRIDCO PROMISES TO STABILISE POWER SUPPLY (PAGE 23, JUNE 17, 2010)

2010-06-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

Ghana Grid Company Ltd (GRIDCO) has initiated moves to regularise and stabilise the power supply system in Accra and its environs.
Contracted projects under the initiative include the stringing of a fourth transmission circuit 30 kilometre line from the main switch yard in Tema to the sub-station at Achimota at a cost of U$ 1.5 million to be undertaken by SAE Power Lines.
Another contract is to be awarded to Fedders Lloyd Corporation, an Indian company to upgrade the Mallam substation with additional two 66 megavolts ampere (MVA) transformers at a cost of U$5 million.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview on the recent increase in tariffs and plans to satisfy the demand of consumers, the Public Affairs Manager of the GRIDCO, Mr Albert Quainoo, disclosed that the company was concerned about the power situation and, therefore, had started immediate plans to improve its services to its clients.
He stated that GRIDCO currently runs on three lines from Tema to Achimota with each running on a capacity of 215 MVA.
Mr Quainoo explained that anytime there was a problem, the company had to inconvenience consumers to undertake maintenance but said with the fourth line, there would be room for redundancy on the lines which would, therefore, not affect operations .
He said the redundancy would make it possible to take one line out for the maintenance without causing any outage .
Mr Quainoo said the additional two 66MVA transformers which would upgrade the Mallam substation was a World Bank funded project being implemented by GRIDCO in conjunction with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) .
He noted that under the project, one of the transformers would be mounted by the end of this year.
Mr Quainoo appealed to people operating in the areas where GRIDCO has its towers to stay away from the locations to enable the contractors to work within time .
He said the work would entail pulling of cables and equipment and, therefore, their presence would hinder work and deny the contractor the opportunity to complete the project on schedule .
Mr Quainoo was of the view that these projects would bring a lot of relief to customers noting that with the completion of the two projects customers in the Western part of Accra would have benefited from them.
Power outages in the country have been a concern to users of electrical gadgets and general clients while the operators have complained that obsolete equipment and low tariffs were some of bootle-necks hindering effective operation. .
Mr Quainoo gave the assurance that after these, other projects would follow.

SCRAP NOMINATIONS OF DCES (PAGE 14, JUNE 14, 2010)

2010-06-14T05:14:00.000-07:00

STAKEHOLDERS at the Constitution Review Commission forum at Ashaiman have reached a consensus that nomination of Chief Executives and government appointees in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must be scrapped and replaced with a democratically elected system.
This would make the assembly non-partisan as subscribed in the Local Government law which set up the assemblies, they stated.
They expressed the view that government appointments in the assembly had swayed decisions to favour the political party in government and therefore did not portray a genuine position of the people they represented.
The forum, which was to sample the views of people at the grass roots for possible amendments in the constitution, was patronised by tribal heads in Ashaiman, community-based organisations, Non governmental organisations (NGO) Security services and head of decentralised organisations.
Reverend Professor Samuel K. Adjepong, a member of the commission led a four member team of officers from the Commission to meet the people and to document their views.
The forum came out with views on the electoral process in the country noting that it was shrouded in some secrecy and called for an amendment to make it transparent.
They explained that, the Electoral Commission must be made autonomous by having its own source of funding instead of relying on the government.
On the number of ministers appointed by the government, the forum called for review of article 78(2) which did not put a ceiling on the number of ministers that the President could appoint and number of ministries the President may establish.
They expressed the view that ministers must not be appointed from Parliament to enable parliamentarians concentrate on their work.
Other areas they touched on included the tenure of office of the President, the ban onchiefs in politics and the role of the police and funding.
Rev. Prof. Adjepong commended the people of Ashaiman for their comportment and having made input to the review process.
He said Ashaiman was the first place in Greater Accra where the commission had made a stop.
Rev. Prof. Adjepong noted that the commission had received 6000 submissions since it started its work and appealed to every citizen to take part in the discussion when the commission got to their district.
He said the constitution was the most sovereign document any country could have and therefore needed to take the exercise serious.
Numo Addison urged them to be free in expressing their views without any political motive to make the document fit into the new trend of affairs .

ROTARY CLUB BUILDS LIBRARY FOR GBETSILE (PAGE 46, JUNE 9, 2010)

2010-06-09T02:13:00.001-07:00

THE Rotary Club of Tema has handed over a library stocked with books to the Gbetsile Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) School Complex in the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency to encourage pupils to cultivate the habit of reading.
The project cost GH¢26,500.
The books which included Literature, Science, Mathematics for Kindergarten up to the junior high school level were valued at GH¢10,000.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, who inaugurated the project, commended the Rotary Club of Tema for its role in promoting education at various levels.
She said Rotary had partnered the government in providing educational facilities and had helped in bringing education closer to rural communities.
Mrs Amoah-Tetteh said the provision of a library was the first step to education and a ladder to success.
She appealed to parents to show interest and build the confidence in their children. She also encouraged them to visit the library to research and make references.
Mrs Amoah-Tetteh appreciated the efforts of the school’s management team, the chief of Gbetsile and all sponsors for supporting the Rotary Club of Tema to build the library.
She affirmed the government’s determination to phase out the shift system and pupils learning under trees by providing the necessary facilities for teaching and learning.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Nii Afotey Agbo, in a speech read on his behalf, commended the Rotary Club of Tema for its efforts to uplift education at Gbetsile which is a rural community in the Tema Metropolis.
He called on the school authorities to liaise with the metropolitan Directorate of Education to employ a qualified librarian to run the library and provide adequate supervision and support to the children for the books to last longer.
The President of the Rotary Club of Tema, Mr John Bison, in an address recounted how the club solicited for support from both local and international sources to put up the library.
He commended the State Insurance Company for being the major sponsor of the project, Brothers’ Brother Foundation of the United States of America for making the intentions of the club a reality.
Mr Bisiw said the club had through its literacy programmes assisted deprived schools with quality books, organised book fairs to promote literacy among the youth and provide health amenities to communities beyond Tema.
He thanked the people, teachers and the chief of Gbetsile for the cordial relations and support and appealed to them to encourage the children to make good use of the library for their own benefit.
The chief of Gbetsile, Nii Kweku Teye, in his appreciation said the library would be put to good use.
He appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to help extend electricity to the school to enable the pupils benefit from other modern facilities.
The Tema Metropolitan Director of Education, Mr Kwesi Hutchful,on behalf of the school, later received 10 computers and a set of tennis equipment donated by the MP for the area, Nii Afotey Agbo.
He thanked the MP for the gesture and said it would give children in the rural community the opportunity to access quality reading materials to help them in their studies.
The children entertained the gathering through poetry recitals and cultural activities.

ASMA PREPARES BLUEPRINT FOR DEVELOPMENT OFMUNICIPALITY (PAGE 29, JUNE 9, 2010)

2010-06-09T02:05:00.000-07:00

The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASMA) has prepared a blueprint to serve as a road map to help develop and achieve the objectives of the assembly.
The document has education, health, security and environmental issues as priorities that must be tackled without delay.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic ,the Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, appealed to all stakeholders within and outside the municipality to contribute and support the implementation of the programme to enable the assembly achieve its vision to transform Ashaiman into a modern city.
The municipal chief executive, who took over the administration the ASHMA in May 2009, said the assembly had been able to complete a streetlight project from the Adjei-Kojo underpass to the timber market roundabout and construct roads and a drainage system under the Urban, Environmental and Sanitation Project (UESP) at the market square and the Taboo electoral areas.
He said the assembly had graded some selected roads in the municipality, decongested the main business district of the municipality, created a new market and lorry station, cleared drains and supplied 525 desks to schools in the municipality.
Numo Addison expressed concern about challenges facing the Ashaiman Municipal Health Directorate and the Ashaiman Polyclinic in particular.
He made a special appeal to non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies, philanthropists and community-based organisations to go to the aid of the Ashaiman Health Directorate and the Polyclinic.
Numo Addison said the assembly would soon raise funds to assist the Ashaiman Polyclinic to procure an ambulance and a scanning machine.
On sanitation, Numo Addison said the assembly had, since it was created, accumulated a debt of GH¢700,000 which must be paid back to private waste management contractors.
He said Ashaiman had plans to privatise waste collection to prevent any further debts.
Numo Addison commended the Municipal Security Committee for the peace and security the metropolis was enjoying as a result of the decrease in the crime rate in the municipality.
He also congratulated the police and all security agencies in the municipality on the good work they were doing.
Numo Addison said the assembly was ensuring that all ongoing projects were completed in the shortest time.
These include the construction of school blocks, a two-unit ward at the polyclinic, rehabilitation of the assembly hall, library and ICT centre at the Ashaiman Senior High School, youth in agriculture and provision of over 750 jobs for the youth.
He commended the women’s group of the Ashaiman Circuit of the Methodist Church for donating food items, toiletries, bedding, treatment equipment and plastic products to the Ashaiman Polyclinic to assist in promoting good health at the clinic.
Numo Addison called on other social groups to support and emulate the gesture of the group.

MAN ARRESTED FOR STEALING OIL FROM TRANSFORMERS (PAGE 18, JUNE 5, 2010)

2010-06-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

A middle-aged man suspected to have been stealing oil from electricity transformers in the Sakumono and Parakuo estates, leading to power outages in those areas, has been arrested by the police.
The alleged operation of the suspect, who gave his name only as Yaw, was said to have plunged the Sakumono and Parakuo estates into darkness for six days and cost the nation GH¢26,000.
According to the Nungua District Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Anthony Esiape, the company observed consistent power outages in the Sakumono and Parakuo estates.
He said initial investigations showed that the power outages were due to lack of oil in a transformer located in the Sakumono area but because the ECG had been ensuring that there was always oil in the transformer, there was suspicion that someone was mischievously tampering with the oil.
Mr Esiape said the ECG alerted the residents of those areas, who arrested the suspect, who was allegedly found filling his car with two yellow gallons of oil on Saturday May 29, 2010.
According to Mr Esiape, some of the residents saw the suspect, who allegedly brought eight more gallons from his Opel Kadett car, with registration number GR 9665D, to fill with oil.
He said the residents raised an alarm and two officials of the ECG, Mr Isaac Odai and Jackson Hall, who were called to verify the product, confirmed that it was oil which served as a coolant and insulation for the transformer.
Mr Esiape said the suspect was therefore handed over to the Sakumono police for further investigation.
He said the ECG recently had to replace the transformer at a cost of GH¢26,000 to restore power to the residents because oil which maintained the transformer had been drained off.

SUPPORT EFFORTS TO BUILD STRONG FAMILY STRUCTURE...FOMWAG tells Muslim women (PAGE 11, JUNE 5, 2010)

2010-06-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Greater Accra President of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Ghana (FOMWAG), Hajia Sirina Keltu, has urged Muslim women to be mindful of various efforts to build a strong family structure and contribute meaningful to these efforts to help produce responsible and righteous youth for the nation.
She said research had shown that children who were abandoned and without good parenting were likely to be deviant in society and would grow to become bad parents themselves, thereby building a vicious cycle.
Hajia Sirina, who made the remarks at the inauguration of the Ashaiman branch of FOMWAG, stated that Islam adores pious women, adding that FOMWAG was an umbrella of all Muslim women associations in Ghana, which aimed at mobilising,educating and helping Muslim women to contribute their quota to national development.
She called on Muslim women to stand by the truth and shun dishonesty and falsehood, adding that since the woman serves as the family’s first instructor,she should be educated to enable her educate children.
She said giving children a solid foundation in Islamic education would go a long way to shape their lives in future, stressing that if the family structure is strong and upright, the children will be responsible and righteous citizens.
Hajia Sirina said FOMWAG believed that the most important role of a good Muslim woman was the one who lived in conformity with tenets of Islam, stressing that such women are obedient, sincere and avoided all forms of corrupt practices.
Inaugurating the Ashaiman branch of the FOMWAG, the National Vice-President,Hajia Fati Suleman outlined the objectives of the association and appealed to the women to strive to make significant moves to build their image in society and in national development.
Hajia Fati later swore in executive members of the association.

STOREY BUILDING COLLAPSES (1B, JUNE 5, 2010)

2010-06-06T09:41:00.001-07:00

A FOUR-STOREY building situated along the Spintex Road, near Tema, collapsed yesterday stirring conflicting reports on the number of casualties.
While some eyewitnesses feared as many as six persons, including a four-year-old boy, could have been buried under the debris of officials of the Natioanal Fire Service said only two masons, Isaac Nartey and Derick Oppong sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Sakumono Hospital
The Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Mr Prince Anaglate, said the two told their rescuers that they were in the building when the building collapsed .
Mr Anaglate commented on the quality of materials used in constructing the building, noting that the concrete had little cement in it and called for experts to be involved in projects of this nature .
On the wreckage, Mr Anaglate conceded that only 15 per cent of the rescue work had been done but disclosed that since the victims were out the search exercise would be abandoned .
An eyewitness however said the calamity occurred when labourers were preparing to commence work on the multi-purpose shop attached to the Fish Up Filling Station and feared there were more people in there. The property belonged to one George Kwame-Gyan.
When the Daily Graphic arrived at the scene yesterday afternoon, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the police and a large number of volunteers were making frantic efforts to rescue those who were believed to have been buried under the debris.
The eyewitness, Richard Apenu, who narrowly escaped the accident, told the Daily Graphic that he had information yesterday morning that some labourers were being recruited to work on the building and went to join about seven others in search of work as casual labourers.
He said after waiting for some time, word came that the one responsible for the registration would delay in coming to the site, due to the early rains, adding that because he (the eyewitness) lived in the neighbourhood, he decided to go home and come back later.
According to Richard, no sooner had he arrived home than he heard a loud bang, followed by information that the “building we were expected to work on that morning had collapsed”.
He said he went back to the spot and in the company of passers-by and attempted to rescue the victims but that did not yield any result.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Marian Osei-Adu, who is in charge of the Sakumono District, her outfit received a distress call about 9 a.m. yesterday that a building under construction had collapsed on six people.
She said she quickly rushed her men to the spot, in the company of the owner of the place, Mr George Kwame-Gyan, who arranged for some machines to rescue those who might have been buried under the debris.
She said the GNFS and NADMO were informed and they swiftly responded to the call.
She expressed the hope that bigger excavators would be brought in to do the work because what was on site could hardly cope.
ASP Osei-Adu refuted the allegation that some bodies had been retrieved and sent to the hospital, adding, “The police did not meet any retrieved body because we organised for the excavators.”
Mr Prince Anaglate, said because of the difficulty in digging into the debris, firemen were using extricating machines to cut the iron rods in the collapsed structures to enable the excavators to lift the slabs of the building.
He said the uncompleted storey building had been roofed and had cement blocks packed on the second floor to enable the workers to have easy access to them while they worked.

TEMA ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES (PAGE 23, JUNE 3, 2020)

2010-06-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Metropolitan Planning Co-ordinating Unit of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly has held a one-day stakeholders forum to identify and assess the needs and problems of the metropolis to determine its development and growth path for 2010-2013.
The forum, the first in a series, would also come up with outputs that would enhance similar processes already undertaken and those yet to be taken.
The participants were drawn from the traditional councils of Tema and Kpone, state and public enterprises, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate entities, assembly members and a cross-section of residents.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, who opened the forum, said the proposed programme and projects would be funded by the government, donors and grants and support from the assembly’s internally generated funds.
Mr Ofosuware commended the gathering for the high turnout and said it was important to have input from all stakeholders in the metropolis to build a vibrant and successful community.
He explained that the forum would enable the city’s planners to plan the development of the metropolis to improve the living standards of residents.
Mr Ofosuware said the TMA prepared its Medium Term Development Plan Strategy to improve and sustain the standard of living of the people through effective participation.
He said over the years, the TMA had implemented activities with its development partners and the government to provide opportunities for the citizens to participate in the local decision-making process.
Mr Ofosuware explained that the programme was intended to deepen the decentralisation programme and improve quality service delivery to ensure the total development of the metropolis.
He called on the stakeholders to make useful inputs to help shape policies and strategies that would lead to the selection of development programmes and projects for the metropolis.
The Planning Officer for the metropolis, Mr Kofi Taylor-Appiah, said Act 479 of the National Development Planning Commission empowered metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to hold fora at the various levels to solicit inputs for development.
He said it also provided the legal framework for the formulation and execution of plans, programmes and strategies for effective mobilisation of resources for the overall development of the districts, municipalities and metropolises.
The presentation gave the outline of the physical and natural environment of the Tema Metropolis and its demographic characters.
The population of the metropolis grew at an annual rate of 2.6 per cent from 298,432 in 2009 to 387,045 in 2010.
It is estimated that the population growth would reach 418,444 by the end of the planning period in 2013.
The stakeholders gave various views on the development of the metropolis and expressed the wish to be included in the planning of the area’s development for it to become the vibrant city befitting Tema.
The Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku, and the Kpone Mantse, Nii Tetteh Otu, were present at the forum.

ASSEMBLY, NGO TO IMPROVE SANITATION IN ASHAIMAN (PAGE 29, JUNE 2, 2010)

2010-06-01T11:12:00.001-07:00

The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has launched a partnership project to provide improved sanitation facilities in slums in the municipality.
The project is estimated to cost GH¢1.5 million.
The NGO, TREND, is to work with the assembly and the community, represented by the assembly members for the management of the facilities.
The project, which is made up of four different types of 12-seater water closet facilities at four different locations, will let the people have easy access to the facility and bring to a halt the numerous take over of ‘toilets’ in the municipality.
Ashaiman presently has 18 public places of convenience.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Nii Adinortey Addison ,in an address at the launch of the project, said Ashaiman was an urban centre with challenging sanitation problems.
He said attempts to have ‘toilets’ provided in homes have not been successful, and therefore, there was the need to provide adequate toilet facilities to serve the people.
Nii Addison appealed to residents of the municipality to support the project by ensuring that when completed, those put in charge would account for the proceeds to enable the assembly to provide more facilities in the municipality.
The Urban Planner /Researcher of TREND, Mr Benedict Tuffour, in a presentation said the TREND represented –Tripartite Partnership (TAP) project.
This, he explained, meant that the project was for the project co-ordinators, the assembly and the community, adding that no one group would have the legal capacity to take over the facilities.
Mr Tuffour said the project was being funded by the African Development Bank , Netherlands Water Partnership Partners (NWPP), TREND and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly.
He said Ashaiman needed over 60 public toilets to adequately meet the demands of the people and that residents would be adequately served if the project increased the capacity of the facilities.
He said the facilities would have improved washroom services, water kiosks and water storage facilities .
Mr Tuffour noted that the construction of the facilities was scheduled to begin in January 2011 and would be completed by August 2011.
He said TREND was building the capacity of the assembly members and some selected local people to enable them to take care of the facilities when completed.
Meanwhile, the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly has organised a programme to educate residents on the need to meet their tax obligations for improved amenities.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Nii Adinortey Addison, expresed concern about the poor payment of levies resulting in the inability of the assembly to implement its development projects .
He said the assembly was able to collect only 21 per cent of its set revenue target last year and appealed to residents to pay their tolls, property rates, and other levies to enable the assembly meet its obligations.
Nii Addison said Ashaiman was expanding rapidly and therefore had to work hard to be able to collect revenue to finance its development programmes.
He said with support from the Social Investment Fund ( SIF) the assembly had engaged 50 volunteers to assist in the collection of revenue and also educate residents on the need to pay their rates .
Nii Addison said the SIF was to ensure that poor communities gained under the urban poverty reduction project (UPRP).

NYEP TRAINS 600 YOUTH IN TEMA (PAGE 36, MAY 31, 2020)

2010-05-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Kempes Ofosuware, has said the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) has successfully trained over 600 youth in the metropolis.
He said some were still undergoing training in their chosen areas of the modules of the NYEP in Tema West, Tema East and Kpone- Katamanso constituencies in the metropolis.
Mr Ofosuware, who was addressing the Assembly’s first ordinary meeting, said the NYEP was one of the Assembly's ongoing development programmes hence the need to ensure that its three sub-metropolitan district councils support the programmes.
He noted that the Assembly had so far trained 120 youth in dressmaking while 17 others had completed training in the ICT module.
Mr Ofosuware said other areas of training were waste management, eco-brigade, health extension and grasscutter rearing.
He said that waste and sanitation management had attracted 60 youth who supported the Assembly's sanitation and waste management programmes and that 220 young people had been engaged to clean and protect the beaches and tourism sites along the coastal belt.
Mr Ofosuware stated that those who were selected to undergo the grasscutter training of trainers course were to impart the knowledge to youth in the sub-metro areas after their course and that would also be programmed into the youth in agriculture module to benefit those who would express interest in farming.
Mr Ofosuware said the youth must take advantage of the programme and take up available jobs to make some earnings, as well as help in the development of the metropolis.
Mr Ofosuware also hinted that the assembly was considering the introduction of a special GH¢2 per annum levy on all rateable adults in the metropolis and hoped that would provide the needed funds to boost its development agenda.
Mr Ofosuware observed that revenue from outdoor advertising could be one of the major sources of income to the assembly and called for a well-regulated and monitored activity to ensure that there was full compliance.
He said a committee would be set up to streamline the processes of the site registration and, mapping and suggest revenue mobilisation avenues in the advertising field to ensure that the assembly derive maximum revenue in its operational areas.

TEMA ASSEMBLY TO PULL DOWN 600 ILLEGAL STRUCTURES (PAGE 18, MAY 28, 2010)

2010-05-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly(TMA) has cautioned residents of the metropolis who have built on unaproved locations and flood prone areas to start packing because the Assembly has initiated moves to demolish all structures on watercourses to avert flooding this rainy season.
In line with the intended demolition exercise,the Assembly has earmarked over 600 households whose structures will be demolished.
Areas affected include the Ramser Site,Community 3 Down,Communities 18, 19 and 20, Valco Down at Tema Manhean, Zenu Dam Site and the Chemu lagoon enclave.
A press release from the Public Relations Unit of the TMA did not state when the exercise will commence but warned those living at those areas to start removing their structures to avoid any embarrassment.
The statement said the Ramser Site has 216 households; Chemu lagoon enclave — 150 household; Zenu dam site — 30 households; Valco down – 65 households; Communities 18, 19 and 20 —135 households and Community 3 down – 18 households.
The statement explained that a careful study undertaken by the Assembly revealed that the areas mentioned were natural watercourses and storm drains,and therefore, encroachment of any form impeded the physical structures which tended to divert the flow of water.
It noted that the metropolitan area had over the last three years experienced flooding in settlements along the waterbodies and low lying areas.
The statement said this situation had caused flooding downstream and inconvenienced people living in the vicinity.
The statement said the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in Tema had programmed a monthly clean-up exercise to rid the drains of silted materials to ensure the free flow of water during heavy down pour.
It noted that people would be educated and sensitised to prevent erection of illegal structures on watercourses and other unauthorised places.
The release stated that the demolishing exercise backed by Act 462 of the Local Government LI which established the assemblies and empowered it,will improve environmental situation in the metropolis and therefore, called on the public to support it.

NCCE TO WORK FOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY — MRS AFUTU (PAGE 14, MAY 24, 2010)

2010-05-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Joyce Benedicta Afutu, has reaffirmed the NCCE’s commitment to ensure that constitutional democracy and effective citizen participation in governance is achieved.
She said this would be the basis for true national stability and prosperity attained through vigorous civic education delivery.
Mrs Afutu was addressing officers and men of security services in the region at a forum in Tema to mark the Greater Accra Regional NCCE is 10th annual constitution week celebration.
The well attended forum had participants drawn from the Military, Navy, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, Police, Immigration and the Fire Service.
She appealed to government agencies mandated by the Constitution to defend the nation and maintain law and order to work harder to maintain the Constitution of Ghana .
Mrs Afutu observed that the country had made some constitutional gains which must be consolidated in the quest to make Ghana the beacon of democracy in Africa .
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Kempes Ofosuware, in a speech read on his behalf commended the security services for acquitting themselves creditably in the present constitutional dispensation which had brought peace to the country.
He was of the view that the government would do everything possible to equip the security services to ensure that the people of Ghana lived in absolute peace and security.
Mr Ofosuware noted that the forum would promote participatory local governance to strengthen civil–security relations.
He appealed to the NCCE to project the constitutional rights of the security and civil society.
In a presentation on the topic ‘ The Role of the Security Services in Consolidating the gains made by the 1992 Constitution’ the Flag Officer Commanding the 1st Garrison, Commodore Albert Addison, noted that it was time the security services were guided by the tenets of the Constitution to avoid being misled as a result of ignorance.
He noted that some gains of the 4th Republic included free and fair elections, good governance, rule of law, freedom of speech, economic development, conflict management and cordial civil –military relations, which Commodore Addison said must be cherished and protected.
Commodore Addison commended the security services for having performed well regardless of the challenges they have had to deal with.
He congratulated the government for the launch of the five year strategic National Policing Plan which aims to transform the service, and enumerated some of the roles of the security services which included disaster management and rescue operations which needed vehicles and other resources.
He was optimistic that with constant education, the security services and citizenry in general would understand the Constitution and know their rights .

TEMA FISHERMEN APPEAL TO GPHA (PAGE 18, MAY 21, 2010)

2010-05-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Fishermen at the Tema Fishing Harbour canoe beach have appealed to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to heed their call and replace the over 40-year-old net mending wharf, which has become a death-trap at the beach.
According to them, they presently mend their net at unauthorised areas, where vehicles run on the lanes and fishmongers also conducted their businesses, posing inconvenience to the fishermen.
The Chief Fisherman, Nii Odametey, told the Daily Graphic at Tema, that a team of engineers from the GPHA and the TMA visited and inspected the wharf to assess the situation but nothing had been done on the approaches to the wharf.
He explained that the wharf was specially built to help make possible the mending and fixing of nets in a more professional manner.
Nii Odametey noted that during fish seasons, people thronged the beach and there was no space left for the fishermen to conduct their business.
He blamed the destruction of their nets on the state of the wharf and appealed to the authorities to come to their aid.
Nii Odametey said the canoe beach in Tema had over 500 resident canoes in addition to visiting ones, which migrate from other regions for fishing expedition in Tema.
He stated that fish was scarce and fishermen travelled long distances in search of it resulting in the migration of the visiting fishermen.
Nii Odametey said fishermen were expecting the season to start in June and prayed that things would get better than the previous two seasons when they experienced poor catch.
He noted that regular and sufficient supply of the premix fuel could contribute to their ability to navigate long distances in search of fish and keep longer at sea.
Nii Odametey called on Parliament to pass the law prohibiting the use of light at sea, adding that the absence of the law had encouraged people to continue with the practice with impunity.
He was of the view that if steps were not taken to stop the bigger vessels from the use of the light at sea, there would be low catch the season.
Nii Odametey explained that if the use of light was not checked, fishermen using canoes, who supply fish to feed local consumers, would not be able to compete with the bigger vessels which use light.
He was optimistic that if all inputs were provided, the fishermen would strive to produce sufficient during the expected season.
A source at the GPHA confirmed that a team of engineers had assessed the state of the wharf at the canoe beach but could not tell when work would start.
The source said an amount of US$4 million dollars would be needed to rebuild the wharf, noting the Board of Directors were yet to meet to approve the project for international bidding because of its foreign component.
The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Frank Asante, said the Assembly was collaborating with the GPHA to place notices of caution at the wharf area to ward off people who would under-estimate the danger that it posed.

TEMA ASSEMBLY MAKES FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS (PAGE 23, MAY 20, 2010)

2010-05-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly has projected to generate GH¢ 5,648,807.00, for the year 2010.
The assembly generated GH¢ 4,391,254.38 last year representing about 92 per cent of the total budgeted revenue.
Addressing the opening of the First Ordinary Meeting of the 4th Session of the Assembly, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, announced that the expected internal generated fund for the year 2010 was 130 per cent higher than the assembly’s expected Common Fund of GH¢ 2,485,618.00.
He said the current revenue level was an indication that the assembly exercised strict expenditure control in the year under consideration.
On expenditure, Mr Ofosuware said the assembly could perform better but stated that some factors made it impossible.
He explained that increases in fuel prices, salary increases, the inability of companies like VALCO to honour their financial obligations to the assembly, had adversely affected its financial status.
Mr Ofosuware gave the assurance that the Assembly had identified new sources of revenue and in order to improve revenue mobilisation, it had started a programme to expand its revenue base .
The Chief Executive also focused his sessional address on issues including the security situation of the Metropolis, 2010 district level election, on-going development programmes and projects, education and sports, beautification of the city, preparation of a four year medium and long term development plan and challenges.
Mr Ofosuware said the metropolis had enjoyed relative peace without any major threat to the people.
He said the Tema Security Council was constantly monitoring all flash points to ensure that calm was always maintained.
Mr Ofosuware reminded members of the assembly of the 2010 district level election, noting that the ‘spirit of competition’ would be rekindled to elect new sets of assembly and unit committee members.
He appealed to interested members to put the national interest first and urged them to campaign in an atmosphere of peace and not to characterise it with acrimony, hatred and violence which can potentially disturb the peace of the metropolis.
Mr Ofosuware also appealed to women to let their presence be felt by participating fully in the elections.
On the improvement of environmental sanitation and waste management, Mr Ofosuware said the assembly had started clearing drains and engaged the services of small-scale enterprises for routine cleaning of selected streets, drains and choked sewers in the Tema metropolis.
Mr Ofosuware said the TMA was collaborating with Zoomlion to improve the output of workers under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to ensure effective supervision of work at the waste management department of the assembly and the Metropolitan Public Health Department.
He said the assembly was holding discussions with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology to rehabilitate the Tema Sewerage system for which a proposal had been submitted to the ministry for consideration.
Mr Ofosuware pointed out that the road infrastructure project was ongoing to improve the road network in the metropolis.
He called on the assembly to formulate policies that would help move the metropolis forward to satisfy the interests of the electorate.
The meeting was attended by heads of various departments, community and opinion leaders, chiefs and some dignitaries.

TEMA POLICE HAUNT FOR SUSPECTS (PAGE 23, MAY 17, 2010)

2010-05-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Tema Regional Police Command has mounted a search for two suspects who allegedly broke into the room of their employer and made away with GH¢ 120,000 meant for paying some cashew nut farmers at Sampa in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The suspects, Efoe Evans Kouko, a 25-year-old houseboy and Francis Appiah, a 35-year-old security guard of G4 Security Services, have absconded and are on the run.
According to the Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Chief Inspector Olivia Turkson, the Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema has issued warrants for their arrest, adding that anyone with information on the suspects would ‘be suitably rewarded’.
Narrating the incidence to the Daily Graphic, Chief Inspector Turkson said on the May 5, 2010, the Director of 3F Ghana Limited, exporters of agricultural products, Mr Kush Tandon, who lived at Tema Community 11 instructed his houseboy, Kouko, to be up early because he (Kush) would be travelling to Sampa in the Brong Ahafo Region where he purchased cashew for export.
She said when Mr Kush got up the following morning, May 6, 2010, he could not find the houseboy but was later informed by his garden boy that he found the gates opened when he reported for duty.
Chief Inspector Turkson said it was then that the absence of the security officer was noticed and, therefore, a report was made to the G4 Security Services.
She said Mr Kush then went to check on the money he had brought home to enable him pay for the agricultural products he had ordered for.
Chief Inspector Turkson said Mr Kush found out that the positions of the boxes in which he kept the money had shifted and finally realised that it had been stolen.
She said Mr Kush, therefore, reported the case to the police but an initial search for the culprits did not yield any results.
Chief Inspector Turkson says the houseboy, Kouko, is fair in complexion, stoutly built, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and speaks Ewe, Twi, English and is believed to be hiding in Tema Community 11, Tema New Town, Ho, Bamako-Mali or Lome-Togo.
Francis Appiah-Kyi, the security guard, is an Nzema, 5 feet 6 inches tall, dark in complexion and believed to be hiding in Tema Community 2, Cape-Coast, Sekondi Takoradi, Abidjan or Eikwei.
Chief Inspector Turkson said people with information on the two suspects must contact the police on telephone numbers 0303-201543, 0303-202937,0243-111884 or report to the nearest police station.

GPHA REDUCES STEVEDORING COMPANIES (PAGE 23, MAY 17, 2010)

2010-05-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

THE Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has reduced the number of stevedoring companies allowed to operate at the Tema port as part of measures to decongest the port.
The action is also intended to facilitate the offloading of ships at the port.
Currently, the number of stevedoring companies operating at the port has been reduced from 18 to nine and the licences of stevedoring companies will be renewed annually to ensure that only the most effective are allowed to operate.
Addressing a press conference in Tema, the Director of Port of the GPHA, Mr Richard Anamu, explained that changes would also minimise loitering and redundancy in the absence of vessels at the port.
Mr Anamu explained that some shipping companies had expressed concern about the increasing number of stevedoring companies in the port, which could lead to ‘choking the port’.
He noted that the stevedoring companies operating in the port were on yearly renewable licence and therefore were selected based on laid-down criteria by the GPHA.
Mr Anamu stated that the quantum of projected traffic available to be stevedored each year was limited, a situation which called for limited number of stevedoring companies that could be licensed to operate each year.
He said the volume of traffic for stevedoring would remain unchanged and therefore did not need many companies in the port .
Explaining the role of dock workers in the port, Mr Anamu said dock workers were engaged based on the availability of vessels and were laid off after offloading.
He said the engagement of dock workers had brought many people into the port to do the same work which could be done with a limited number of stevedoring companies .
Mr Anamu said although GPHA recognised private participation, the company would not give all its operations to private companies only for it to suffer in future.
He said the outsourcing of some of the operations of GPHA adversely affected its finances and labour force gave an instance where 1,500 workers had to be laid off because the authority outsourced 67 per cent of its operations to private businesses.

NAPRM INAUGURATES OVERSIGHT C'TTEES (PAGE 20, MAY 15, 2010)

2010-05-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Governing Council of the National African Peer Review Mechanism (NAPRM) has inaugurated three oversight committees in Tema to advocate and promote the concept of the APRM at the district level.
The three committees, which represented the last batch of committees to be inaugurated in the 170 administrative districts of the country, were the Tema Metropolitan, Ashaiman and Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal APRM oversight committees.
Each committee is made up of nine members, taking into consideration gender balance to promote equal levels of advocacy.
In his inaugural speech, the Chairman of the NAPRM Governing Council, Prof. S.K. Adjepong, said the APRM was being decentralised to reach people at the grass roots to enable them to make decisions to benefit every citizen in the district.
He called on members not to politicise the APRM because it was founded on the concept of promoting democracy, good governance and human rights .
Prof. Adjepong said the development of any nation depended on peace and not crisis, noting that Africa had all the resources and arable lands but was the least developed.
He stated that Africa was plagued with poverty, disease and bad governance, adding that Ghana was determined to practise democracy and economic and corporate governance, hence the decision to accede to the APRM.
Prof. Adjepong noted that the concept would enable member countries to examine themselves and come up with their weaknesses and strengths for solution.
He said 29 countries in Africa, representing 75 per cent of the population, acceded to the APRM, which has its headquarters in South Africa.
Prof. Adjepong said Ghana was in the lead and the only country to have inaugurated its oversight committees.
A member of the NAPRM Governing Council, Prof. S.K.B. Asante, said members of the committees would be required to educate and sensitise the masses to the need to co-operate for positive results.
He emphasised the need to be independent and not to politicise the APRM, adding that members must not allow themselves to be influenced by politicians because “politicians would come and go but APRM is Ghana and will not go”.
Prof. Asante said the various assemblies would debate the decisions of the committees, and, therefore, called on them to be “truthful” in their programmes.
He announced that the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) had been tasked to assist the oversight committees to educate the public on their rights and unearth social vices in the system.
The Greater Accra representative on the Council of State, Mr Emmanuel Adzei Annang, observed that the NCCE was a constitutional institution and vital in assisting in governance but was bitter that it was not equipped to perform creditably.
He said it was time the NCCE was funded adequately to enable it to step up its duties.
Mr Adzei Annang said the NCCE must be strengthened to play its role effectively to gain the needed recognition.
He cautioned members of the committees to know their limits and not become politicians while performing their roles as advocates for democracy and human rights.
A minute’s silence was observed for the former Executive Secretary of the NAPRM, Dr Francis Appiah, who died recently.

TEMA WORKERS SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH TOR (SPREAD, MAY 12, 2010)

2010-05-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

A section of workers in Tema yesterday staged a demonstration to add their voices to calls being made by their counterparts at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) on the government to address the problems facing the refinery.
Wearing red armbands, the workers, drawn from various companies under the umbrella of the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL), carried placards and marched through some principal streets of the metropolis.
Some of the placards read, “Free TOR from GNPC now”, “Tolling can’t pay TOR workers”, “Dr Ampofo is gone, Dr Oteng–Adjei must follow”, “TOR is not for the Ahwois”, “We need our own crude oil”, “Mr President, when are you taking over shipyard completely?”
In a resolution to the President, signed on behalf of the workers by the Chairman of the TDCL, Mr Wilson Agana, and the Secretary, Mr Ebenezer Kodwo Taylor, the workers expressed concern over developments at TOR which, in their view, could result in the collapse of such an important national asset as the refinery.
It explained that the demonstration was primarily an appeal to the Office of the President to rescind its decision to make TOR a tolling facility.
It said TOR faced imminent collapse if those challenges were not confronted and addressed in the national interest.
It called on the government to give the TOR management the free hand to manage the refinery to forestall the erratic supply of crude oil to the plant.
It commended the government for the recent payment made to defray TOR’s indebtedness to the Ghana Commercial Bank and called on it to make every effort to pay outstanding debts of the refinery to enable it to establish letters of credit to facilitate its smooth operations.
The statement called on the government to immediately go to the aid of the refinery and help to settle the crippling debts it owed to institutions such as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Provident Fund, the Internal Revenue Service and the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC).
It called for investigations into the TOR recovery levy receipts and application and subsequently bring to book those who might have misused the levy.
It advised the government to apply the levy for the purposes for which it was established.
Earlier, the Chairman of the local union, Mr Albert Pinto, had described as uneconomical the decision by the government to negotiate for one million barrels of crude annually to feed the refinery.
He said the refinery was able to process 45,000 barrels a day per its installed capacity and it was, therefore, expected that the negotiations would have covered about 65,000 barrels a day to cater for the Volta River Authority (VRA) thermal plant.
He saw the negotiations that went into the one million barrels as unfortunate and a joke on the capacity of the refinery.
On May 5 , 2010, workers of TOR, in reaction to the removal of their Managing Director, Dr Kwame Ampofo, said the action would not solve the problems of the refinery.
They were of the view that the removal of the managing director would not necessarily solve the problems of TOR but pointed out that the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) was the problem.
Mr Pinto told the Daily Graphic that the refinery was processing the last bit of the crude oil sent for tolling at the plant, noting that the processing would be completed by next week Saturday and that no crude oil was expected from GNPC after the processing.
He said the workers were preparing to submit a petition to the government, through Parliament, to explain its stance on the problems coming up at TOR.

TOR MD SACKED...But workers say worries not over (LEAD STORY, MAY 6, 2010)

2010-05-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

Story: Rose Hayford Darko & Della Russel Ocloo

WORKERS of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) say the removal of Dr Kwame Ampofo as Managing Director of the refinery alone will not solve the problems of the ailing refinery.
They insisted that the action could only succeed if it was backed by a firm resolve not to use the refinery to process crude brought in by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
Dr Ampofo’s turbulent 11-month tenure in an acting capacity ended yesterday when he was dismissed from office and replaced with Mr Ato Ampiah, one-time Managing Director of GHAMOT.
A government statement signed by the Communications Director at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho, gave no reasons for the action, but in recent times workers of TOR have been agitating for the removal of Dr Ampofo, the management, the entire board of directors of the company, as well as the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, for various allegations, including incompetence and corruption.
Reacting to the change at the helm of affairs at the refinery, the workers said it had not altered their resolve to resist attempts to use the refinery to refine crude oil brought in by the GNPC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Tema, the Chairman of the TOR Workers Union, Mr Albert Pinto, said workers of the refinery were not happy with events at the plant and appealed to the President to “trickle down his action to the real problems of TOR and not personalities”.
He emphasised that workers would resist the new appointment if it was to impose on the workers a person who would yield to pressure from the GNPC to use the plant as a tolling place where it would refine crude and pay low rates.
The Secretary of the workers union, Mr Gideon Avorgbedor, explained that there had not been any communication to the workers on the removal of Dr Ampofo and his replacement.
He said on hearing the announcement on air, executive members of the union conferred among themselves to confirm if all the others had heard it.
Mr Avorgbedor noted that the workers were convinced that the President had taken steps to act on their calls but added that they felt it was not what they needed that had been done for them.
He stated that the workers were of the view that Dr Ampofo was not alone in implementing the decision to allow the GNPC to refine crude at the plant at GNPC’s own determined rate.
He said the workers would be ready to work with any one put in Dr Ampofo’s position but they would vehemently resist any attempt to give in to pressure from some “powers that be”.
Explaining why the workers were against the GNPC and its operations at the plant, Mr Avorgbedor said TOR was a profit- making company, as envisioned by Dr Kwame Nkrumah when he inaugurated the plant.
He said when the plant processed between 900 and one million barrels of crude in a month, it made a profit of between $7 and $9 million, but the GNPC 's contract was to yield lesser amounts to be determined also by the GNPC for TOR to do the same work.
At the time of the Daily Graphic’s visit to the premises, scores of workers were seen in groups discussing the latest development.
The Vice-Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of TOR, Mr Daniel Fugar, also told the Daily Graphic that dismissing Dr Ampofo had never been a core issue in the workers’ agitation and that rather the GNPC’s continuous exertion of influence had been the major headache the workers had been grappling with.
“If his dismissal was orchestrated owing to his resistance to the tolling arrangement, then the government’s continued preaching of rescuing the refinery is a failed initiative,” he said.
The capability to manage and direct affairs at the refinery by the former legislator, who assumed the hot seat in an acting capacity some 11 months ago, was constantly called into question in the wake of the unavailability of crude for the refinery to operate at full pegging.
Attempts to reach Dr Ampofo on the latest development proved futile, as his mobile phone had been switched off.
The workers who had in the past called for his removal recently renewed their call for the removal of Dr Oteng-Adjei for decreeing that the GNPC must be the only agency to supply crude oil to the refinery.
They also accused officials of the GNPC and its Board Chairman, Mr Ato Ahwoi, of using their influence with state powers to make the refinery a tolling facility, at the expense of the taxpaye

TRADERS ADVISED TO PROTECT CHILDREN AT THE MARKET (PAGE 11, MAY 1, 2010)

2010-05-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Ashaiman Municipal Social Welfare Officer of the Department of Social Welfare, Ms Augustina Nartey, has advised women to monitor the movement of children when they are busily engaged in business activities at the market and other places.
She said while conducting their businesses, some mothers tended to forget their children who often strayed and got missing.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Ashaiman, the Municipal Social Welfare Officer said the office had on daily basis, received reports of abandoned children who were between the ages of eight months and 10.
These children, she said, were found loitering or abandoned and, therefore, picked up by sympathisers and sent to the Social Welfare office.
Ms Nartey said in the past weeks, the police had handed over a total of 35 children whose parents could not be traced to the office.
She added that investigations had revealed that most mothers lost touch with their children while the mothers were trading.
Ms Nartey said the ‘Save Them Young Orphanage’ at Ashaiman had supported the Social Welfare Department and the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service by keeping the children while announcements were made to trace their parents.
She announced that the orphanage still had some unclaimed children aged between two and eight and appealed to market queens and heads to step up educational programmes on the welfare of their children.
She cited the case of a 10-year girl who was stranded and claimed to have come from Drobo in Brong Ahafo Region.
She said her outfit, in collaboration with the DOVVSU and some NGOs were working hard to trace her home at Drobo, and appealed to the public to help them locate the relatives of the child.

TMA TO CONSTRUCT 7 MAJOR STORM DRAINS (PAGE 18, APRIL 30, 2010)

2010-05-02T10:52:00.001-07:00

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) is spending about GH¢4.7 million to construct seven major storm drains and culverts in the metropolis to avert flooding and alleviate the suffering of residents during rainy seasons.
The project, funded by the World Bank under the Urban Environment and Sanitation Project (UESP), is to cover drains in the Ashaiman Municipality.
The storm drains are the Tema Market One Market drain, Tema Oil Refinery Drain which runs into the Chemu Lagoon before entering the sea at the Canoe beach,the SOS drain which collects water from communities nine, eight and seven into the sea and the timber market drain.
The others are the Gao Lagoon at Kpone,Gbemi stream at Ashaiman Newtown and the Water Works drain behind the Ashaiman Senior High school.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Metropolitan Architect, who is the Project Co-ordinator, Mr Xorla Ahadji, said the contract was signed in December 2009 and awarded to Rinacand/Big Aidoo Contractors.
He said documentation on the project was at its final stage and that the contractors were given 18 months to finish the work.
Mr Ahadji noted that the project was necessary because most areas in the Tema Metropolis and Ashaiman Municipality were low lying ground, which made them flood prone.
He said it was unfortunate some residents had encroached on the edges of the drains,making the situation worse.
Mr Ahadji explained that garbage generated by these squatters and developers who did not have permits had choked the drains.
He commended the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly for initiating the demolition exercise to pave way for the project .
Mr Ahadji appealed to residents to co-operate for the project to be executed effectively and efficiently.
Meanwhile, work on the 53 kilometre road network in the Tema Metropolis and the Ashaiman Municipality is ongoing.
The Vice-President, John Mahama, cut the sod for work to start on the roads.
He said the project, which was solely funded by the government of Ghana, was estimated to cost GH¢ 30 million.
A drive round Tema and part of Ashaiman showed positive signs that work is ongoing, with dug out drains which hitherto, were not available.
Residents have expressed their appreciation for the work but appealed to the contractors to create alternative bypass for drivers and pedestrians who are currently finding it difficult to use the roads.
It was, however, observed that the dug out soil from the side drains of the new drains have contributed to the heap of soil along the roads.
Roads currently under construction are the Tema central business district,Tema Oil Refinery road, Kpone main roads linking the junction on the Ada road to Tema, Ashaiman, Zenu, Meriadian to beach road, Lashibi and Klagon roads.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Mr Kempes Ofosuware, said the area had only 30 per cent of its network in good condition and was optimistic that after completion of the road works, Tema and the other areas captured in the project would have first class road network.

Massive illegal power connection...GANG BUSTED...More than 60 houses involved (LEAD STORY, APRIL 20, 2010)

2010-04-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

A syndicate engaged in massive illegal power connection has been busted at Mataheko, near Afienya, during a joint swoop by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the police.
More than 60 houses were uncovered to be illegally connected to a private power network with the use of under-sized conductors.
The ECG team, in collaboration with the Afienya Police, arrested a 38-year-old man, Evans Zotorvie Tetteh, in connection with the illegal activity and it is investigating the matter to apprehend the other culprits.
According to the officer in charge of the Afienya Police Station, Inspector Daniel Kofi Tetteh, four other accomplices had been arrested and they are helping the police to uncover the deal and all others involved in it.
He said Zotorvie would be processed for court after the police had exhaustively investigated the case.
Under police escort, the suspect and the ECG team went to Mataheko, where it was discovered that Zotorvie had an improvised meter board placed behind his house, numbered PR/MT/196, from where all the connected clients were served.
Zotorvie claimed that he collected a flat rate of GH¢30 every month from each client.
The Tema Regional Director of the ECG, Mr Felix Fiebor, said Mataheko was a new settlement and had electric power at certain parts, while the rest of the community had an ongoing Ghana Electrical Development and Asset Project to provide power for them.
He said the suspect had his house in the area where there was power but he was disconnected two years ago after failing to pay his bills.
Mr Fiebor said Zotorvie took advantage of the situation and decided to involve others who did not have power to enrich himself.
He said an ECG monitoring team, while on its routine rounds, found the connections with undersized cables unusual, posing danger to lives and property.
He said a closer look made the team observe that the connections had been done illegally.
Mr Fiebor appealed to the public to report any suspicious connections to the ECG for action, noting that some of the fire outbreaks in recent times had been attributed to electrical faults.

ASSEMBLY TO RECOVER UNPAID MASLOC LOANS (PAGE 21, APRIL 17, 2010)

2010-04-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly has declared its intention to recover the over GH¢ 242.064.30 owed the Municipal Micro finance and Small Loan Centre(MASLOC).
The Assembly has as a result been mandated by the Management of MASLOC to put in place a five member debt collection team to ensure a fast rate of repayment of the debt.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, said these at the First Ordinary Meeting of the Third Session of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly last Wednesday.
He explained that the government had recognized the important role of the private sector in promoting national development and therefore introduced the MASLOC.
Numo Addison said it was to provide loans to the small scale entrepreneur but was not happy that previous beneficiaries of the facility had failed to honour their loan commitment resulting in a colossal debt.
He stated that the strategy to employ the services of the five member team was also to ensure that beneficiaries lived up to their responsibilities.
Numo Addison said the Assembly performed significantly in the first quarter of the year and was optimistic that it would improve as it continued to steadily implement its strategies.
He stated that the Assembly was taking steps to strengthen the institution and structures and would build capacity of revenue collectors and create a billing unit to improve the Assembly’s revenue performance.
Numo Addison said with effect from May 1, 2010, the Ashaiman Municipal would commence with house numbering ,street naming and valuation of properties alongside the review of its data base.
He said in pursuance of government’s effort at encouraging the youth to go into agriculture , the Assembly had adopted the block farming concept to provide employment opportunities for the youth to empower them economically.
Numo Addison said the Municipality had been assigned the cultivation of rice and onions with a target of 30 hectares of onion and 50 hectares of rice.
He explained that the youth would be grouped into 5 to 10 people to attract an interest free loan.
He appealed to the youth to embrace the idea and ensure its success for the benefit of the nation and themselves.
The Presiding Officer of the Assembly, Mr Emmanuel Nikoi Dsane, called for collaboration among heads of the various departments in the Municipality.
He said the vision to move the Assembly forward would be achieved only through coordination without which the Assembly would lack growth.
Mr Dsane pointed out some lapses like lateness , grouping under trees during working hours and closing before time as attitudes affecting the general image and output of the Assembly.

ASHAIMAN ASSEMBLY DEMOLISHES HOUSES ON STORM DRAIN (PAGE 21, APRIL 19, 2010)

2010-04-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

THE Ashaiman Municipal Assembly has started a demolition exercise to clear all structures situated on a storm drain which passes through Community 22 to receive water flows from the Gbemi and Armatsuru streams.
About 250 houses have been earmarked for demolition during the exercise expected to last for five days.
Areas affected by the exercise are Ashaiman New Town, Moneomanye, Ashaiman Zone 5 , Lebanon , Jericho , Roman Down and the Irrigation Dam Site.
Residents of the area were able to remove their valuables before the start of the demolition exercise, which affected concrete and wooden structures.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, some residents were seen busily gathering their belongings while others were raining insults on the Assembly’s task force and making derogatory remarks about the demolishing gang.
Two bulldozers were used in the exercise and as one pulled down the houses, the other cleared the debris from the drain and levelled the sides of the storm drain .
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on site , the Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, said the Assembly met with the residents last year to inform them of the need to demolish structures which they had constructed on the storm drain.
He said radio announcements and discussions were made to further explain the reasons why the exercise was necessary.
Numo Addison said the area experienced flooding following the least rainfall because of human activity on the drain and over-grown vegetation.
He noted that flood water could not pass through the silted drain and had to over-flow its banks leading to loss of lives in the last two years.
He said the exercise would be extended to other areas of the municipality to ensure that development was controlled.
The Municipal Engineer, Mr Isaac Lamptey, who supervised the exercise, explained that the drain was heavily silted while the supposed 100ft buffer area had also been encroached upon.
He stated that the exercise would limit the buffer space to about 50 ft on each side of the storm drain and clear it of silt while waiting for work on it to start.
Mr Lamptey said the construction of a new storm drain was underway under the Urban Environment Sanitation Project(UESP) II.
He was optimistic that the exercise would be beneficial to the residents because they would now sleep and have their valuables safe when it rained.

GOVT ON COURSE TO DELIVER ON PROMISES (PAGE 16, APRIL 14, 2010)

2010-04-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

A Deputy Minister for Information, Mr Sam Okudjeto Ablakwa, has met cadres of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Tema Metropolis and interacted with them on the Better Ghana Agenda set by the government .
He told them that the government was on course and would ensure that it delivered on its promises .
Mr Ablakwa said it was the duty of the cadres who formed the link between the party and the grass oots, to establish a communication channel to propagate the good work of the government .
He said the government had achieved a lot, but because of lack of information, many people did not know about those achievements .
Mr Ablakwa was not happy that even though documents on budgets, forums and policy statements were reproduced and the cadres were expected to pick and study them, that had not been done . He said the documents were educative and would keep them well informed.
Mr Ablakwa was of the view that the cadres would be helping to shape the nation if they had adequate information about the day-to-day occurrences in government circles .
He affirmed that the government had paid the chunk of the debt left by the previous government and said that was a clear sign that the NDC government was making headway.
On job creation , Mr Ablakwa said he still stood by the employment figures which were recently released and that these were credible, noting that these were figures produced by professional bodies. He said the figures were not concocted but collated from credible sources such as the Head of Civil Service and professional agencies involved in employment issues.
He announced that more jobs were in the pipeline, and added that the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) had registered over 200 companies for the oil and gas industry.
Mr Ablakwa said that would create about 1,800 jobs by the year 2011 and explained that investors in areas such as the airline, hospitality and salt industries were interested in establishing industries that were oil and gas-related.
He said the country had huge potential in the area of job creation and assured the cadres that with their support, the government would be returned to power after the next general election .
The Tema United Cadre Front of the NDC has members drawn from Tema, Ashaiman, Prampram, Kpone, Katamanso and Ada .
A representative of the cadres, Nana Yaw Amanianpong, expressed the gratitude of the cadres and gave an assurance that they would carry the message to the grass roots.