THE Country Representative of the Burkina Faso Shippers Council, Mr Yedan Yaya, has appealed to the authorities of the Tema Motorway Axle Load Control Unit to release 20 transit trucks which are being held by the unit for overloading.
He claimed that since the drivers had pleaded guilty and been fined by a circuit court, they should be pardoned and cautioned not to indulge in the practice again.
Mr Yaya made the call when commenting on the stranded trucks and their detention at the Tema Motorway Axle Load Control Unit for the past three weeks for load shedding after an order from a circuit court in Ashaiman.
The Tema Axle Load Control Unit has, for the past month, intensified its operations to ensure that transit trucks do not load above the permissible weight, a practice which has contributed to the deterioration of the country's roads.
As a result of the action, all overloaded trucks using the Motorway were impounded by the unit and processed for court by the police.
According to the Ghana Highway Authority Axle Load Control Law, trucks found guilty of the offence will have their seals broken and the excess cargo unloaded by Customs, Excise and Preventive Service personnel to enable the truck to continue the journey with the permissible weight.
The Axle Load Unit, as a result of its action, has started with the load shedding but the truck drivers have not provided vehicles for the transfer of the goods, bringing the operations of the unit to a halt.
Mr Yaya was not happy that the unit had, all of a sudden, decided to impound overloaded trucks.
He explained that though the law on shedding excess load and prosecuting offending drivers had existed since 2006, the intensity of the enforcement had not been communicated to the drivers.
He made it known that the drivers expected the law to be enforced but that unfortunately the enforcement had come earlier than expected.
Mr Yaya gave the assurance that if granted the freedom to go, the drivers would henceforth abide by the law.
The Chief Executive of the Tema Axle Load Control Unit, Mr Albert Owusu-Ansah, was against the views of the drivers, indicating that 85 per cent of transit truck drivers diverted their courses by using unapproved routes.
He said most of the recalcitrant drivers drove Burkina Faso-bound trucks, emphasising that trucks enroute to Niger had kept faith with the unit because that country had strictly enforced the law.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
2 BURNT TO DEATH (1B)
TWO persons were burnt beyond recognition when the Audi saloon car, with registration number GT 9276 Z, on which they were travelling from Tema to Accra on Friday night skidded off the Accra-Tema Motorway, somersaulted and caught fire.
The car, which somersaulted across two rails on the motorway, landed on its roof, with the wheels up in the air, before bursting into flames.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, the car was mangled and completely burnt. Personnel from the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who went to the scene could only assist to retrieve the charred bodies of the victims into sacks to be sent to the 37 Military Hospital by the police.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Mr Prince Billy Anaglate, the station received a distress call informing it of the accident near the junction to the Accra Abattoir.
He said personnel from the service promptly responded to the call but after fighting the fire they could not trace the bodies.
Mr Anaglate said it was detected during the exercise that there had been two people in the car when the accident occurred, noting that while the driver was trapped in the car, the passenger fell off and got trapped under the car.
He said the fire personnel removed the doors of the car to enable them to remove the driver, after which the passenger was found under the car.
He said it took the firemen 30 minutes to hammer out the doors to remove the victims, adding that the charred bodies were put into sacks and handed over to the police, who deposited them at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
Police from Ashaiman were first to get to the scene to control traffic and ensure safety on the road.
The car, which somersaulted across two rails on the motorway, landed on its roof, with the wheels up in the air, before bursting into flames.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, the car was mangled and completely burnt. Personnel from the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who went to the scene could only assist to retrieve the charred bodies of the victims into sacks to be sent to the 37 Military Hospital by the police.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Mr Prince Billy Anaglate, the station received a distress call informing it of the accident near the junction to the Accra Abattoir.
He said personnel from the service promptly responded to the call but after fighting the fire they could not trace the bodies.
Mr Anaglate said it was detected during the exercise that there had been two people in the car when the accident occurred, noting that while the driver was trapped in the car, the passenger fell off and got trapped under the car.
He said the fire personnel removed the doors of the car to enable them to remove the driver, after which the passenger was found under the car.
He said it took the firemen 30 minutes to hammer out the doors to remove the victims, adding that the charred bodies were put into sacks and handed over to the police, who deposited them at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
Police from Ashaiman were first to get to the scene to control traffic and ensure safety on the road.
COCAINE BUSTED IN TEMA...Woman, 3 others arrested (1b)
A 40-foot container with 61 parcels of a substance suspected to be cocaine was intercepted at the Tema Port on Tuesday.
The parcels, with a total weight of 71.45 kilogrammes, were said to have been concealed in a cargo which had been declared as chewing gum from Ecuador in South America.
The container, consigned to Augustina Abu of Abu Augustina Enterprise, was intercepted after it had gone through the scan at the port.
The Daily Graphic was told on arrival at the port that the container, together with the exhibits, had been taken to Accra for investigations to commence.
A source at the port said the container was among the cargo on board a vessel which had docked at the port on May 3, 2009.
It said based on intelligence reports, surveillance was mounted on it until Tuesday when it was checked to undergo scanning.
According to the source, the scan indicated that there were some irregular goods in the container and a team of security personnel which was following closely at the checkpoint called for a thorough search of the cargo.
It said two travelling bags which looked different from the chewing gum containers were found during the search. The substances were discovered during an examination.
The Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr John Kudalor, confirmed the incident but gave no further details.
Officials in Accra, however, told the Daily Graphic that the consignee, Augustina, reported to the police later in the day while three suspects, including two clearing agents and a driver, were assisting the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) in investigations.
The suspects in custody have been identified as Kennedy Osei, Simon Fafa Bedy, both of Seko Clearing Agency in Tema, and Francis Abbey, the driver of the truck, with registration number GR 9241 A, which was to cart the container from the port.
The Executive Secretary of NACOB, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Robert Ayalingo, told newsmen yesterday that the interception of the drugs followed weeks of surveillance and profiling by the Joint Port Control Unit under NACOB.
He explained that after the profiling, personnel of the unit, comprising personnel from NACOB, CEPS, BNI and the police, decided to tag it for thorough investigations.
ACP Ayalingo said the 61 parcels were concealed in two travelling bags and placed at the entrance of the container, which he explained was to facilitate “easy hand-picking” before any searches.
He said field tests on the samples proved positive for cocaine, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
He said the interception only confirmed positive measures that had been put in place to deal with the drug menace and prevent the drug from getting to the streets.
He, however, said the method of concealment had become so sophisticated that the government needed to provide more equipment, especially itemisers, at all the points of entry.
ACP Ayalingo justified the need for the equipment at all points of entry because the 588 parcels of cocaine that were intercepted at Nsawam last year came through the Paga border.
Commenting on the interception, a security expert, Dr Kwesi Aning, said the seizure “shows the dangerous nature of the challenge that we are facing, namely, that drug lords and leaders apply both business and warfare tactics to undermine, lull and eventually deliver the blow that destroys their opponents”.
He said the government’s consistent rhetoric about curbing the drug menace in Ghana and making this country an unattractive narcotics highway and transit point to Europe had seriously sent shock waves around the globe.
He explained that the response of the drug lords had been what was expected and based on their rational choices and calculations as to what government’s real intentions were.
“What is important is to understand the variables that go into the calculations of drug lords. And, in this case, their calculus is that African governments make noise and pull back from the brink. Secondly, that they will test the government to see its seriousness and, therefore, what happened in Tema is reflective of this 'testing of the waters' or government’s resolve. This is a victory for Ghana because this ship has been on the high seas for just about two weeks or less and, therefore, the rationale was to see if the defences could be breached,” he stated.
Dr Aning, however, advised the government to back its rhetoric with operational support for all the agencies mandated to respond to that threat.
“This is because while the government works and thinks in four and eight-year cycles, drug lords work and think in 20 and 30-year cycles, infiltrating their agents into important sectors. This will be a long, difficult, dangerous and uphill task for the government,” he added.
The parcels, with a total weight of 71.45 kilogrammes, were said to have been concealed in a cargo which had been declared as chewing gum from Ecuador in South America.
The container, consigned to Augustina Abu of Abu Augustina Enterprise, was intercepted after it had gone through the scan at the port.
The Daily Graphic was told on arrival at the port that the container, together with the exhibits, had been taken to Accra for investigations to commence.
A source at the port said the container was among the cargo on board a vessel which had docked at the port on May 3, 2009.
It said based on intelligence reports, surveillance was mounted on it until Tuesday when it was checked to undergo scanning.
According to the source, the scan indicated that there were some irregular goods in the container and a team of security personnel which was following closely at the checkpoint called for a thorough search of the cargo.
It said two travelling bags which looked different from the chewing gum containers were found during the search. The substances were discovered during an examination.
The Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr John Kudalor, confirmed the incident but gave no further details.
Officials in Accra, however, told the Daily Graphic that the consignee, Augustina, reported to the police later in the day while three suspects, including two clearing agents and a driver, were assisting the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) in investigations.
The suspects in custody have been identified as Kennedy Osei, Simon Fafa Bedy, both of Seko Clearing Agency in Tema, and Francis Abbey, the driver of the truck, with registration number GR 9241 A, which was to cart the container from the port.
The Executive Secretary of NACOB, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Robert Ayalingo, told newsmen yesterday that the interception of the drugs followed weeks of surveillance and profiling by the Joint Port Control Unit under NACOB.
He explained that after the profiling, personnel of the unit, comprising personnel from NACOB, CEPS, BNI and the police, decided to tag it for thorough investigations.
ACP Ayalingo said the 61 parcels were concealed in two travelling bags and placed at the entrance of the container, which he explained was to facilitate “easy hand-picking” before any searches.
He said field tests on the samples proved positive for cocaine, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
He said the interception only confirmed positive measures that had been put in place to deal with the drug menace and prevent the drug from getting to the streets.
He, however, said the method of concealment had become so sophisticated that the government needed to provide more equipment, especially itemisers, at all the points of entry.
ACP Ayalingo justified the need for the equipment at all points of entry because the 588 parcels of cocaine that were intercepted at Nsawam last year came through the Paga border.
Commenting on the interception, a security expert, Dr Kwesi Aning, said the seizure “shows the dangerous nature of the challenge that we are facing, namely, that drug lords and leaders apply both business and warfare tactics to undermine, lull and eventually deliver the blow that destroys their opponents”.
He said the government’s consistent rhetoric about curbing the drug menace in Ghana and making this country an unattractive narcotics highway and transit point to Europe had seriously sent shock waves around the globe.
He explained that the response of the drug lords had been what was expected and based on their rational choices and calculations as to what government’s real intentions were.
“What is important is to understand the variables that go into the calculations of drug lords. And, in this case, their calculus is that African governments make noise and pull back from the brink. Secondly, that they will test the government to see its seriousness and, therefore, what happened in Tema is reflective of this 'testing of the waters' or government’s resolve. This is a victory for Ghana because this ship has been on the high seas for just about two weeks or less and, therefore, the rationale was to see if the defences could be breached,” he stated.
Dr Aning, however, advised the government to back its rhetoric with operational support for all the agencies mandated to respond to that threat.
“This is because while the government works and thinks in four and eight-year cycles, drug lords work and think in 20 and 30-year cycles, infiltrating their agents into important sectors. This will be a long, difficult, dangerous and uphill task for the government,” he added.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
ARMED ROBBERS HARASS RESIDENTS OF COMMUNITIES 11 AND 12 (PAGE 30)
RESIDENTS of Tema communities 11 and 12 are currently living in fear following successive robberies and attacks by a group of armed robbers in the area on the dawn of last Thursday.
The robbers left in their trail, the death of one person and made away with their booty, which they looted from seven houses within the two communities.
The deceased was identified as Clleta Massisgillino, an Italian and an employee of the Desimone Company. Mr Massisgillino was allegedly killed when he tried to interfere in the operations of the robbers.
For several hours, the other residents who were robbed of their properties were locked up in their rooms with their watchmen tied up.
In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, some of the residents alleged that the robbers attacked three houses including a flat belonging to Desimone at Community 11 and forced the residents into one room and locked it up to enable them loot the houses without any resistance or hindrance.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the death of Massisgillino, the residents said at the time of the robbery, the deceased was in another room when he was attracted by the shouts of his neighbours.
According to them, as the armed robbers were making away with the booty, the deceased upon seeing them, attempted to take photographs of them.
Unfortunately, the armed robbers saw him, inflicted machete wounds on him before shooting him in the stomach, killing him instantly.
The robbers extended their operations to Community 11 and robbed four houses and a gas filling station.
The Tema Police have said that investigations were underway to identify the armed robbers.
According to the residents, they are afraid because the area links up with the motorway, which makes it easy for robbers to get access to their communities.
They called for intensive police patrols. They also appealed to the police high command to ensure that police telephones were active and working because on the night of the incident, they called the police but to no avail.
The robbers left in their trail, the death of one person and made away with their booty, which they looted from seven houses within the two communities.
The deceased was identified as Clleta Massisgillino, an Italian and an employee of the Desimone Company. Mr Massisgillino was allegedly killed when he tried to interfere in the operations of the robbers.
For several hours, the other residents who were robbed of their properties were locked up in their rooms with their watchmen tied up.
In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, some of the residents alleged that the robbers attacked three houses including a flat belonging to Desimone at Community 11 and forced the residents into one room and locked it up to enable them loot the houses without any resistance or hindrance.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the death of Massisgillino, the residents said at the time of the robbery, the deceased was in another room when he was attracted by the shouts of his neighbours.
According to them, as the armed robbers were making away with the booty, the deceased upon seeing them, attempted to take photographs of them.
Unfortunately, the armed robbers saw him, inflicted machete wounds on him before shooting him in the stomach, killing him instantly.
The robbers extended their operations to Community 11 and robbed four houses and a gas filling station.
The Tema Police have said that investigations were underway to identify the armed robbers.
According to the residents, they are afraid because the area links up with the motorway, which makes it easy for robbers to get access to their communities.
They called for intensive police patrols. They also appealed to the police high command to ensure that police telephones were active and working because on the night of the incident, they called the police but to no avail.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
CHIEFS URGED TO PLAY LEADERSHIP ROLES EFFECTIVELY (PAGE 18)
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosu-Ware, has appealed to chiefs in the area to play their leadership roles effectively to engender the needed conducive atmosphere for development.
He said without a harmonious peaceful and conducive atmosphere and relationship between the leaders and the assembly, it would be difficult to view each other as partners in development who needed to come together to accomplish roles assigned to them.
Mr Ofosu-Ware made the call when he paid separate courtesy calls on the Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku, and the Kpone Mantse, Nii Tetteh Otu, at their palaces in Tema Manhean and Kpone respectively to announce to them his official assumption of office as the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.
He asked for their prayers, blessings and support to enable him to achieve what he had set out to do for the people in the metropolis.
Mr Ofosu Ware gave a promise to be a good listener and work hard to ensure that in 2012 the electorate renewed their mandate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to continue in office.
He also gave a promise to promote unity in the metropolis to ensure that everybody contributed his quota to the development of the metropolis.
At Tema Manhean, Nii Adjei Kraku urged the metropolitan chief executive to leave a good mark of hard work at the end of his tenure.
Congratulating Mr Ofosu Ware for assuming the high office of the metropolitan chief executive, Nii Kraku stressed the need for him to study structures in the metropolis to enable him to understand the needs of the people to attract their support.
“Tema has expanded leaving behind problems of sanitation among others,” he said.
An elder of the Kpone Traditional Council, Mr Nathaniel T. Nortey, said the assembly concept was supposed to be non-partisan hence the need to de-couple partisanship to give way for development.
He said it was easier to make promises but difficult to fulfil them, and, therefore, called on the metropolitan chief executive to make his ideas visible through action.
The Paramount Chief of the Kpone Traditional Area, Nii Tetteh Otu, said he was glad to receive the new chief executive because as he put it Kpone-Katamanso had been very faithful to the NDC.
He advised Mr Ofosu Ware to be patient with the staff of the assembly but ensure that the right thing was done in accordance with the laws of the assembly and guidelines of the Civil Service.
Nii Otu urged the assembly to set up a task force to strictly enforce building laws and that presently residents in the metropolis had abused the lay-outs and were building indiscriminately with some extending their structures onto the streets.
He expressed concern about the use of dug-out gravel pits on Kpone lands, which had over the years become dumping grounds for liquid waste by private waste management companies from Accra.
Nii Otu said the traditional council would in due course send a delegation to the assembly to discuss issues militating against development in the Kpone area and the metropolis as a whole.
The chief executive was accompanied by a team of officials from the assembly including the Metropolitan Co-ordinating Director, Mr Kwaku Akpotosu, and the Engineer, Mr Victor Mensah.
He said without a harmonious peaceful and conducive atmosphere and relationship between the leaders and the assembly, it would be difficult to view each other as partners in development who needed to come together to accomplish roles assigned to them.
Mr Ofosu-Ware made the call when he paid separate courtesy calls on the Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku, and the Kpone Mantse, Nii Tetteh Otu, at their palaces in Tema Manhean and Kpone respectively to announce to them his official assumption of office as the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.
He asked for their prayers, blessings and support to enable him to achieve what he had set out to do for the people in the metropolis.
Mr Ofosu Ware gave a promise to be a good listener and work hard to ensure that in 2012 the electorate renewed their mandate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to continue in office.
He also gave a promise to promote unity in the metropolis to ensure that everybody contributed his quota to the development of the metropolis.
At Tema Manhean, Nii Adjei Kraku urged the metropolitan chief executive to leave a good mark of hard work at the end of his tenure.
Congratulating Mr Ofosu Ware for assuming the high office of the metropolitan chief executive, Nii Kraku stressed the need for him to study structures in the metropolis to enable him to understand the needs of the people to attract their support.
“Tema has expanded leaving behind problems of sanitation among others,” he said.
An elder of the Kpone Traditional Council, Mr Nathaniel T. Nortey, said the assembly concept was supposed to be non-partisan hence the need to de-couple partisanship to give way for development.
He said it was easier to make promises but difficult to fulfil them, and, therefore, called on the metropolitan chief executive to make his ideas visible through action.
The Paramount Chief of the Kpone Traditional Area, Nii Tetteh Otu, said he was glad to receive the new chief executive because as he put it Kpone-Katamanso had been very faithful to the NDC.
He advised Mr Ofosu Ware to be patient with the staff of the assembly but ensure that the right thing was done in accordance with the laws of the assembly and guidelines of the Civil Service.
Nii Otu urged the assembly to set up a task force to strictly enforce building laws and that presently residents in the metropolis had abused the lay-outs and were building indiscriminately with some extending their structures onto the streets.
He expressed concern about the use of dug-out gravel pits on Kpone lands, which had over the years become dumping grounds for liquid waste by private waste management companies from Accra.
Nii Otu said the traditional council would in due course send a delegation to the assembly to discuss issues militating against development in the Kpone area and the metropolis as a whole.
The chief executive was accompanied by a team of officials from the assembly including the Metropolitan Co-ordinating Director, Mr Kwaku Akpotosu, and the Engineer, Mr Victor Mensah.
TOR RESUMES OPERATIONS (PAGE 3)
THE Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) which was shut down last January for maintenance works will resume regular supply of petroleum products to the consuming market from Monday, June 22.
The plant is 92 per cent through with the maintenance works, with the remaining eight per cent of work to be done representing fine-tuning the parameters of the equipment to ensure a smooth start up.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Affairs Manager of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, confirmed the completion of work and gave the assurance of a regular supply from Monday.
She said the plant had to be shut down completely in mid January to enable the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC ) to undergo major routine maintenance works.
Mrs Lokko explained that the RFCC ran a complex business process and, therefore, needed to undergo utility tests several times to ensure that it synchronised after fine-tuning.
She said the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) had residue input for the RFCC and, therefore, the plant had no problem supplying the market.
Mrs Lokko gave the assurance that there would not be any shortage of fuel because finished products brought in by private oil companies were still being supplied.
She said TOR would supply petrol, gas oil, liquefied petroleum gas and all the other by-products.
When motorists got wind of the closure of the refinery early this month, there was a rush for petroleum products, which created a shortage on the market.
This was followed by rumours about increases in the price of petroleum products, adding to the woes of motorists.
However, with the deregulation, private oil companies lifted finished products to fill the yawning gap and sought the assistance of TOR in the storage and supply of the products.
The plant is 92 per cent through with the maintenance works, with the remaining eight per cent of work to be done representing fine-tuning the parameters of the equipment to ensure a smooth start up.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Affairs Manager of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, confirmed the completion of work and gave the assurance of a regular supply from Monday.
She said the plant had to be shut down completely in mid January to enable the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC ) to undergo major routine maintenance works.
Mrs Lokko explained that the RFCC ran a complex business process and, therefore, needed to undergo utility tests several times to ensure that it synchronised after fine-tuning.
She said the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) had residue input for the RFCC and, therefore, the plant had no problem supplying the market.
Mrs Lokko gave the assurance that there would not be any shortage of fuel because finished products brought in by private oil companies were still being supplied.
She said TOR would supply petrol, gas oil, liquefied petroleum gas and all the other by-products.
When motorists got wind of the closure of the refinery early this month, there was a rush for petroleum products, which created a shortage on the market.
This was followed by rumours about increases in the price of petroleum products, adding to the woes of motorists.
However, with the deregulation, private oil companies lifted finished products to fill the yawning gap and sought the assistance of TOR in the storage and supply of the products.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
UNCTAD TRAINS 23 IN PORT MANAGEMENT (PAGE 55)
THE Training and Capacity Development section of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has opened a five-day training programme for 23 personnel engaged in port management to begin a two-year training cycle.
Ghana is the first English-speaking West African country to benefit from module one of the programme designed by the UNCTAD in collaboration with the Dublin Port Company to ensure efficiency and improvement in port operations.
The participants were drawn from Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Shippers Council, Regional Maritime University, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Advanced Stevedores and MoL Ghana Ltd.
The programme is to improve on the capacity of the participants, as well as make them become trainers of trainers in a series of training courses that will be run on eight modular series in two years.
At the inaugural launch of the programme, the Project Officer in charge of Train for Trade Programme of UNCTAD, Mr Mark Assaf, said the main objective of the programme was to promote the integration of developing countries into the world economy, to help shape the current policy debates.
Mr Assaf said the policy focused on ensuring that domestic and international actions were mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development to make progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
He said UNCTAD had provided continuous support to member states in the field of transport and port activities through research, consensus building and technical assistance.
Mr Assaf noted that specific programmes at UNCTAD had dedicated resources and efforts to sustain activities in the field of trade facilitation, transport and logistics, customs modernisation policy and legislation.
He said port communities around the world had a vital role to play in attracting trade flows and contributing to the development of their national economies.
Mr Assaf urged port communities to foster economic development by providing efficient and competitive services to facilitate trade.
The acting Director-General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Galley, said the authority in conjunction with UNCTAD, would continue to commit resources to the development of human resources and skills to achieve its vision of becoming the most preferred port in the West African sub-region.
The Local UNCTAD Co-ordinator, Mr Alphonse Wordi, and three others made up of Mr Richard Acquah, Mr Komieteh Botchway and Ms Perpetual Osei Bonsu, were the first to attend the first training of trainers workshop in Dublin with the support of Irish Aid under UNCTAD-Dublin Port Company co-operation.
They would form the core human resource base for the local training programme to impart what they learnt in Dublin to their colleagues in Ghana.
Ghana is the first English-speaking West African country to benefit from module one of the programme designed by the UNCTAD in collaboration with the Dublin Port Company to ensure efficiency and improvement in port operations.
The participants were drawn from Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Shippers Council, Regional Maritime University, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Advanced Stevedores and MoL Ghana Ltd.
The programme is to improve on the capacity of the participants, as well as make them become trainers of trainers in a series of training courses that will be run on eight modular series in two years.
At the inaugural launch of the programme, the Project Officer in charge of Train for Trade Programme of UNCTAD, Mr Mark Assaf, said the main objective of the programme was to promote the integration of developing countries into the world economy, to help shape the current policy debates.
Mr Assaf said the policy focused on ensuring that domestic and international actions were mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development to make progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
He said UNCTAD had provided continuous support to member states in the field of transport and port activities through research, consensus building and technical assistance.
Mr Assaf noted that specific programmes at UNCTAD had dedicated resources and efforts to sustain activities in the field of trade facilitation, transport and logistics, customs modernisation policy and legislation.
He said port communities around the world had a vital role to play in attracting trade flows and contributing to the development of their national economies.
Mr Assaf urged port communities to foster economic development by providing efficient and competitive services to facilitate trade.
The acting Director-General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Galley, said the authority in conjunction with UNCTAD, would continue to commit resources to the development of human resources and skills to achieve its vision of becoming the most preferred port in the West African sub-region.
The Local UNCTAD Co-ordinator, Mr Alphonse Wordi, and three others made up of Mr Richard Acquah, Mr Komieteh Botchway and Ms Perpetual Osei Bonsu, were the first to attend the first training of trainers workshop in Dublin with the support of Irish Aid under UNCTAD-Dublin Port Company co-operation.
They would form the core human resource base for the local training programme to impart what they learnt in Dublin to their colleagues in Ghana.
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