SOME parents in the Tema Metropolis and Ashaiman Municipality have urged operators of day care centres to ensure the security and safety of their children.
The parents said some children had gone missing from their day care centres because they had either strayed onto the streets or been lured by strangers and announcements had only been made about the children as missing without the mention of the names of the centres.
Some of these centres are so close to the roads and without proper fencing, while others simply do not have adequate security.
The concerned parents have, therefore, appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to bring some sanity into the operations of the centres by enforcing strict rules to ensure the safety and security of the children.
They have also suggested that the authorities conduct regular inspections of the premises of these centres to ensure that trained proprietors, teachers and attendants were employed to take care of the children.
Some of the parents who did not want their identities disclosed, told the Daily Graphic that many of the centres charged high fees with the claim of giving exceptional care to the children but they lacked the necessary facilities.
Day care centres are supposed to give support to parents to enable them to attend to their official and other duties.
The idea is to offer the basic education to children as young as three months to about four years, depending on the facilities available at the centre.
The parents also expect to see playgrounds with educative playing materials to enable the children to learn while they play but according to them many centres do not have them.
They are also not happy with the limited space available to the increasing number of children since only small cubicles could be found in most day care centres.
A retired educationist and proprietress of the Sweet Mother Daycare Centre at Community 8, Tema confirmed that many day care centres in the metropolis did not have adequate security, adding that this type of work demanded the institution of security measures and that required financial resources.
Madam Kumah was concerned about the fact that drug addicts and some mentally challenged persons occasionally invaded the grounds of many of the centres except those who operated in homes and others who had proper security.
She said some sand winners had dug trenches on the compounds of some of these centres or very close to them, a situation that has created a lot of worry for parents and operators.
Madam Kumah regretted that even though several reports had been made to the security agencies, these had not yielded any positive results making it very uncomfortable for the operators.
Contrary to what most parents believe, Madam Kumah said it was not necessary to have playing materials for the children because they were very young.
Madam Kumah has started fencing her centre and said she would employ a security man.
Making further rounds within Tema, Ashaiman and Kpone to ascertain the conditions under which some of the centres operated, the Daily Graphic observed that some day care centres had inadequate security and no playgrounds, while others which had play areas had no playing materials.
At one of the centres in Tema, the Daily Graphic team walked in without any one asking questions because the gate was not locked, while the children were playing without any supervision.
At Kpone, the team observed that some proprietors were changing their structures from wooden to concrete, while others had children of different ages placed in the same cubicles that were also used as living rooms.
At Ashaiman, parents complained about the high fees and poor facilities.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
UNILEVER ASSISTS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (PAGE 111, JAN 23)
Unilever Ghana Limited has presented students of the Adjei Kojo State School for the Deaf with food items, detergents and cleaning agents to help with the upkeep of the pupils.
The items, worth GH¢500, were made up of Frytol cooking oil, Royco, rice, Key soap and Vim.
Receiving the items, the Headteacher, Mr Michael Cudjoe, said the school needed support from individuals and organisations to be able to care for this less fortunate students.
He explained that the government had been its major source of funding but there were sometimes delays in releasing funds, a situation which put both the teachers and the students in a difficult situation.
Mr Cudjoe thanked Unilever Ghana for being helpful to the school and its students, and appealed to it to continue with the gesture which had been on a yearly basis.
The Corporate Relations Manager of Unilever, Ms Bernice Natue, who presented the items on behalf of Unilever, promised that the company would continue to support the students.
She said discipline and punctuality constituted the hallmark of Unilever which had, for the past three years, set up a fund into which fines from latecomers at the workplace were deposited and used for charity.
Ms Natue said it was the wish of the management of Unilever to instil discipline through example in employees and through that impart it to the students who were expected to apply that in their everyday lives.
She said Unilever had been helping the school for the past three years and would continue to do so.
The items, worth GH¢500, were made up of Frytol cooking oil, Royco, rice, Key soap and Vim.
Receiving the items, the Headteacher, Mr Michael Cudjoe, said the school needed support from individuals and organisations to be able to care for this less fortunate students.
He explained that the government had been its major source of funding but there were sometimes delays in releasing funds, a situation which put both the teachers and the students in a difficult situation.
Mr Cudjoe thanked Unilever Ghana for being helpful to the school and its students, and appealed to it to continue with the gesture which had been on a yearly basis.
The Corporate Relations Manager of Unilever, Ms Bernice Natue, who presented the items on behalf of Unilever, promised that the company would continue to support the students.
She said discipline and punctuality constituted the hallmark of Unilever which had, for the past three years, set up a fund into which fines from latecomers at the workplace were deposited and used for charity.
Ms Natue said it was the wish of the management of Unilever to instil discipline through example in employees and through that impart it to the students who were expected to apply that in their everyday lives.
She said Unilever had been helping the school for the past three years and would continue to do so.
CADRES OF TEMA, ASHAIMAN CONGRATULATE MILLS, MAHAMA (PAGE 15, JAN 21)
PROGRESSIVE cadres of Tema and Ashaiman have congratulated President J.E.A. Mills and his Vice, John Dramani Mahama, on their historic victory in the 2008 elections.
In a statement copied to the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), it also congratulated the Ghanaian electorate and the entire civil society on conducting themselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after the elections.
They pledged their continued support and loyalty to the NDC and the government in their efforts inchampioning democracy on the African continent.
The cadres promised to provide leadership at the grassroots level through education and consolidation of their membership.
According to the statement, the cadres would not hesitate to offer objective and constructive criticisms where necessary.
They expressed the hope that the President would follow and implement the promises spelt out in the NDC manifesto to enhance the social and economic status of the people.
They further congratulated Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings, Captain (retd) Kojo Tsikata (retd) and all others on their untiring efforts and commitment to redeem the party’s image and reclaiming power for it to lead the country again.
The message also thanked the media for their vigilance and contributions to sustain Ghana’s democracy.
In a statement copied to the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), it also congratulated the Ghanaian electorate and the entire civil society on conducting themselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after the elections.
They pledged their continued support and loyalty to the NDC and the government in their efforts inchampioning democracy on the African continent.
The cadres promised to provide leadership at the grassroots level through education and consolidation of their membership.
According to the statement, the cadres would not hesitate to offer objective and constructive criticisms where necessary.
They expressed the hope that the President would follow and implement the promises spelt out in the NDC manifesto to enhance the social and economic status of the people.
They further congratulated Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings, Captain (retd) Kojo Tsikata (retd) and all others on their untiring efforts and commitment to redeem the party’s image and reclaiming power for it to lead the country again.
The message also thanked the media for their vigilance and contributions to sustain Ghana’s democracy.
ANDANIS IN ASHAIMAN CONGRATULATE MILLS
ANDANIS in the Ashaiman Municipality have extended a congratulatory message to President John Evans Atta Mills on his election to the presidency and pledged their support to him.
In a letter to the President and copied to the media, the spokesman, Baba Abdulai Gomda, commended President Atta Mills for promising Ghanaians that he would be a father to all, to promote unity and understanding in the country.
They, however, appealed to him not to relent on the promises he made to the Andanis, which attracted massive votes for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Andanis referred specifically to the promise made by the NDC to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of the Yaa Naa.
The letter called for an independent investigation into the matter to once and for all put to rest the case about the murderers of the Yaa Naa.
It indicated that as part of his campaign message, the President promised the Andanis a full-scale enquiry to ensure peace in Dagbon by bringing the factions together.
According to the message, the Andanis have trust in the President and, therefore, took his word for it, urging him to go by his promise.
The message promised him of their support in all times to help bring development to the nation.
It indicated that the Dagbon area had human resource and experts who could contribute to building the nation .
It also stated that there were people who would devote themselves to helping any committee that the President would set up to help unravel the truth in the killing of the Yaa Naa.
The message wished the President wisdom to enable him deliver to the satisfaction of the people of Ghana by encouraging them to vote again for NDC in the next four years.
Baba Gomda took the opportunity to condemn the activities of the youth in Ashaiman who took over 19 places of convenience, and urged them to allow time for the law to take its course.
In a letter to the President and copied to the media, the spokesman, Baba Abdulai Gomda, commended President Atta Mills for promising Ghanaians that he would be a father to all, to promote unity and understanding in the country.
They, however, appealed to him not to relent on the promises he made to the Andanis, which attracted massive votes for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Andanis referred specifically to the promise made by the NDC to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of the Yaa Naa.
The letter called for an independent investigation into the matter to once and for all put to rest the case about the murderers of the Yaa Naa.
It indicated that as part of his campaign message, the President promised the Andanis a full-scale enquiry to ensure peace in Dagbon by bringing the factions together.
According to the message, the Andanis have trust in the President and, therefore, took his word for it, urging him to go by his promise.
The message promised him of their support in all times to help bring development to the nation.
It indicated that the Dagbon area had human resource and experts who could contribute to building the nation .
It also stated that there were people who would devote themselves to helping any committee that the President would set up to help unravel the truth in the killing of the Yaa Naa.
The message wished the President wisdom to enable him deliver to the satisfaction of the people of Ghana by encouraging them to vote again for NDC in the next four years.
Baba Gomda took the opportunity to condemn the activities of the youth in Ashaiman who took over 19 places of convenience, and urged them to allow time for the law to take its course.
EIGHT PERISH IN MOTORWAY ACCIDENT (PAGE 31, JAN 19)
Eight people, including a four-month-old baby, died on the spot when a 207 Mercedes Benz bus skidded off the Accra-Tema Motorway, somersaulted and crashed into a ditch on Friday evening.
The driver and his mate, together with other passengers on the bus, sustained various degrees of injury and are responding to treatment at the Tema General Hospital.
According to Mr Philip Ansah, an eyewitness who said he was crossing the road when the accident occurred, about 5 p.m. on Friday, during the usual rush hour, the bus, which was moving from the Accra end of the Motorway and loaded with gallons of Akpeteshie, baskets of palm fruit and bunches of plantain, went out of control after bursting a tyre near the Trassaco Valley Estates.
The eyewitness said the back right tyre of the vehicle got detached from the axle and the bus hit a street light before somersaulting into a ditch.
The accident had resulted in heavy vehicular traffic on that part of the road when the Daily Graphic got to the scene.
Residents of the area assisted police personnel from Tema and Accra to control the movement of vehicles and direct traffic.
The driver and his mate, together with other passengers on the bus, sustained various degrees of injury and are responding to treatment at the Tema General Hospital.
According to Mr Philip Ansah, an eyewitness who said he was crossing the road when the accident occurred, about 5 p.m. on Friday, during the usual rush hour, the bus, which was moving from the Accra end of the Motorway and loaded with gallons of Akpeteshie, baskets of palm fruit and bunches of plantain, went out of control after bursting a tyre near the Trassaco Valley Estates.
The eyewitness said the back right tyre of the vehicle got detached from the axle and the bus hit a street light before somersaulting into a ditch.
The accident had resulted in heavy vehicular traffic on that part of the road when the Daily Graphic got to the scene.
Residents of the area assisted police personnel from Tema and Accra to control the movement of vehicles and direct traffic.
Friday, January 16, 2009
STICK TO PERMISSIBLE LOAD — POLICE TELL TRUCK DRIVERS (PAGE 30)
Articulated truck drivers have been cautioned to ensure that they load within the stipulated tonnage to protect roads and enable them to last the period for which they were constructed.
The warning came after the management of the Axle Load Control Unit on the Tema Motorway had assessed that about 98 per cent of articulated trucks using the Motorway were loaded with 11 tonnes of goods, which was a tonne above the permissible weight on the road.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview on the motorway, the Head of the Axle Load Control Unit, Mr Albert Owusu Ansah, said some trucks avoided the weigh bridge by using unapproved routes through Afienya, Dodowa, Madina, the Ashaiman Bypass and the Spintex-Sakumono roads.
He said those who offended most were articulated trucks which conveyed transit goods from the port to Ghana’s neighbouring countries.
Mr Owusu Ansah disclosed that the offence attracted a fine of between GH¢100 and GH¢150 or imprisonment of not less than three years or both.
He said the provision of more weigh bridges would help to minimise the situation, which was now getting out of hand.
Explaining the need for trucks to load minimally, Mr Owusu Ansah said the weight of the trucks put pressure on the roads, damaging them in a short time after they had been constructed.
He said apart from destroying the roads, the trucks had the tendency for causing multiple accidents and, therefore, appealed to their drivers to help protect lives and property.
He cited the Tema Beach road as an example, saying that some years to come, the effect of the weight of trucks would manifest, because continuous pressure on the road would soon bring it to the sea level, which was environmentally dangerous.
He said by its nature, the beach road allowed trucks loaded up to 10 tonnes, while the Motorway could stand the weight of 11 tonnes.
Mr Owusu Ansah stated that a new axle load control unit with a weigh bridge was under construction on the beach road before the rail crossing to solve some of the problems of overloading.
He was of the view that unannounced checks to arrest the trucks had not achieved the maximum result because immediately the highway officials left the scene, the drivers still used the road.
Mr Owusu Ansah appealed to the law enforcement agencies to assist the unit to check those trucks, because they sometimes refused to stop for checks and rather drove dangerously past.
The warning came after the management of the Axle Load Control Unit on the Tema Motorway had assessed that about 98 per cent of articulated trucks using the Motorway were loaded with 11 tonnes of goods, which was a tonne above the permissible weight on the road.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview on the motorway, the Head of the Axle Load Control Unit, Mr Albert Owusu Ansah, said some trucks avoided the weigh bridge by using unapproved routes through Afienya, Dodowa, Madina, the Ashaiman Bypass and the Spintex-Sakumono roads.
He said those who offended most were articulated trucks which conveyed transit goods from the port to Ghana’s neighbouring countries.
Mr Owusu Ansah disclosed that the offence attracted a fine of between GH¢100 and GH¢150 or imprisonment of not less than three years or both.
He said the provision of more weigh bridges would help to minimise the situation, which was now getting out of hand.
Explaining the need for trucks to load minimally, Mr Owusu Ansah said the weight of the trucks put pressure on the roads, damaging them in a short time after they had been constructed.
He said apart from destroying the roads, the trucks had the tendency for causing multiple accidents and, therefore, appealed to their drivers to help protect lives and property.
He cited the Tema Beach road as an example, saying that some years to come, the effect of the weight of trucks would manifest, because continuous pressure on the road would soon bring it to the sea level, which was environmentally dangerous.
He said by its nature, the beach road allowed trucks loaded up to 10 tonnes, while the Motorway could stand the weight of 11 tonnes.
Mr Owusu Ansah stated that a new axle load control unit with a weigh bridge was under construction on the beach road before the rail crossing to solve some of the problems of overloading.
He was of the view that unannounced checks to arrest the trucks had not achieved the maximum result because immediately the highway officials left the scene, the drivers still used the road.
Mr Owusu Ansah appealed to the law enforcement agencies to assist the unit to check those trucks, because they sometimes refused to stop for checks and rather drove dangerously past.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
MOTORWAY ACCIDENT KILLS ONE PERSON (BACK PAGE, JANUARY 7)
ONE person died on the spot and 10 others sustained serious injuries when a Mercedes Benz 207 bus, with registration number GW 9402 Z, on which they were travelling veered off the Accra-Tema Motorway and crashed into a ditch after hitting a Kia pick-up vehicle.
The Kia truck, with registration number GR 4756 V, had lost control after skidding on palm oil that had spilled on the road.
The body of the deceased, whose name was given as Ibrahim Osmanu, 28, has been sent to the Police Hospital in Accra.
The driver of the Kia pick-up, which was loaded with the palm oil, escaped but his mate was arrested by the police and is being held for investigations.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic at the scene of the crash, the Metropolitan Director of the National Mobilisation Programme, Mr Abraham Reynolds, who was one of the first people to arrive at the scene, said at about 5.30 a.m. yesterday, the Kia truck, loaded with containers of palm oil, on reaching the Trassaaco Valley Estates, got its cargo pouring on the road.
He said the Mercedes Benz 207 bus, on its way from Accra, on reaching the accident spot, lost control and veered off the road into a ditch, causing the death of the driver.
He said all the gallons of palm oil on the Kia truck got destroyed.
Mr Reynolds said the presence of the oil made the road slippery, making the Benz bus driver to lose control and hitting the KIA pick-up before veering into the ditch.
The metal head of the Kia truck got detached from its wooden body and the driver drove away, leaving his mate behind at the accident scene.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service in Tema used foam to clean the road to avoid further accidents.
The Kia truck, with registration number GR 4756 V, had lost control after skidding on palm oil that had spilled on the road.
The body of the deceased, whose name was given as Ibrahim Osmanu, 28, has been sent to the Police Hospital in Accra.
The driver of the Kia pick-up, which was loaded with the palm oil, escaped but his mate was arrested by the police and is being held for investigations.
Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic at the scene of the crash, the Metropolitan Director of the National Mobilisation Programme, Mr Abraham Reynolds, who was one of the first people to arrive at the scene, said at about 5.30 a.m. yesterday, the Kia truck, loaded with containers of palm oil, on reaching the Trassaaco Valley Estates, got its cargo pouring on the road.
He said the Mercedes Benz 207 bus, on its way from Accra, on reaching the accident spot, lost control and veered off the road into a ditch, causing the death of the driver.
He said all the gallons of palm oil on the Kia truck got destroyed.
Mr Reynolds said the presence of the oil made the road slippery, making the Benz bus driver to lose control and hitting the KIA pick-up before veering into the ditch.
The metal head of the Kia truck got detached from its wooden body and the driver drove away, leaving his mate behind at the accident scene.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service in Tema used foam to clean the road to avoid further accidents.
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