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.
Friday, December 10, 2010
ASHAIMAN SHS LAUNCHES 20TH ANNIVERSARY (PAGE 11, DEC 8, 2010)
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
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
Monday, December 6, 2010
CONTANMINATED FISHMEAL AT ASHAIMAN MARKET (MIRROR, DEC 4, 2010, PAGE 35)
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 .
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)
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.
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.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
REPLACE TEMA SEWER LINES (PAGE 36, NOV 29, 2010)
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.
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)
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.
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)
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.
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.
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