Thursday, January 31, 2008

CALL ON CEPS OFFICERS TO BE VIGILANT ... (Page 30)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE acting Brong Ahafo Regional Sector Commander of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Mr Alorchie Apetor, has urged personnel of the service to be vigilant and professional in the conduct of their duties at the various frontiers and checkpoints, since soccer fans from the sub-region will pass through the region to Kumasi and Tamale, which are host cities for the Ghana 2008 tournament.
He noted that CEPS officials stationed at the various entry points of the country were the first ports of call, as well as 'ambassadors' to all visitors, and, therefore, they must be professional in the discharge of their duties to leave a lasting impression on the minds of visitors, since their inaction or actions would damage the reputation of the country.
Mr Apetor, who is a Chief Collector, made the call at the regional sector command end-of-year dinner and awards night held in Sunyani over the weekend.
He stated that although Brong Ahafo was not playing host to Ghana 2008, there was the likelihood of football fans passing through the region to Kumasi and Tamale and, therefore, there was the need for CEPS officials to be professional in the conduct of their duties.
The acting sector commander disclosed that the command exceeded its revenue target when it collected GH¢2,696,232.37, as against the GH¢2,360,00 set for last year, representing an increase of 14.29 per cent.
He stated that it was the first time in two years that the Sunyani collection point had exceeded its targeted for the year, in spite of the political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire.
Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, also congratulated officials of the Sunyani collection point on exceeding the target for last year and urged them not to rest on their laurels.
He noted that despite the hard conditions under which CEPS officials stationed at the frontier stations in the region worked, they still found time to assist the communities where the border posts were located by helping the people to repair their access roads.
Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawire II, the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, who chaired the function, was full of praise for the officials of the command and urged them to map out more effective strategies to enable them to exceed the target set for this year.
Some officials of the command were rewarded for their hard work and dedication to duty.     

Monday, January 28, 2008

SUNYANI AUDIT STAFF WEAR RED BANDS (Page 32)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE staff of the Sunyani branch of the Audit Service in the Brong Ahafo Region have begun wearing red bands in their offices to press home their demands for the immediate implementation of their new salary structure by the Audit Service Board (ASB).
The decision of the workers, who are members of the Public Service Workers Union (PSWU), to put on the red bands is also in protest against the lack of response to the several petitions sent to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MFEP) and the Office of the President on the delay of the implementation of the new salary structure.
In a resolution adopted at an emergency meeting in Sunyani on Tuesday and jointly signed by Mr Joseph Anamoo, E.R. Bennin and Anne T. Ninfaabeliede, the local chairman, secretary and executive member of the PSWU of the Audit Service respectively, they said the red bands were a warning signal that the workers would advise themselves if the government failed to implement the new salary structure immediately.
The resolution said the wearing of the red bands was also in solidarity with their colleagues in the three northern regions — Tamale, Bolgatanta and Wa, who started wearing the red bands from November, last year, to press home the immediate implementation of the new salary structure.
   Giving a background to the impasse, the resolution said in October, 2006, the ASB decided to review the salary of the staff of the Audit Service, and accordingly engaged a consultant to come up with proposals for the board’s consideration.
It said the consultant’s report, together with explanatory memorandum and the basis for the revision, was sent to the Public Services Commission (PSC) in accordance with Article 189 (3) (a) of the Constitution. After studying the memorandum, the PSC was convinced that a case for upward review of salary had been established.
“We were reliably informed that the office of the President, by letter No. SCR. A14/12 dated September 17, 2007, requested MOFEP for comments on the proposed salary structure, as well as the payment of the arrears but MOFEP, by a letter No. PAD/07//SAL. dated November 1, 2007, responded that the 2007 budget could not accommodate the proposed salary increase and the proposed salary structure should be referred to the Fair Wages Commission for assessment,” the resolution stated.
The resolution stated that they therefore saw the action of the Presidency and MOFEP as a deliberate ploy to frustrate the staff of the Audit Service.

DISASTER AT COP'S FUNERAL ...Stray bullet kills 2, injures 2 (1a)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE funeral and burial service for a police officer at Asueyi, a farming community near Techiman in the Brong-Ahafo Region, on Saturday turned fatal when one of the shots fired by some of his colleagues to show solidarity killed two mourners.
The bullet, allegedly fired by Constable Andrew Yankey of the Police Dragon Unit, who police sources say was not part of the official police delegation to the funeral, hit Opanin Kwaku Addai in the abdomen, killing the 70- year-old farmer instantly.
After killing Opanin Addai, who hailed from Mesidan, a farming community near Asueyi, the bullet hit three other persons, namely, Police Constable Owusu Ansah, Police Constable Amaniampong and Opanin Kwaku Nyamekye, a 75-year-old farmer from Kenten, near Techiman. The three injured persons were rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital on Saturday, but Opanin Nyamekye died yesterday from his wounds.
The incident created commotion, with many mourners and sympathisers running to take cover. Opanin Addai was the uncle of the late Police Inspector Peter Kwabena Addai whose funeral he had attended. Inspector Addai died at Nsawkaw in the Tain District on December 25, last year through a motor accident while on night patrol.
Eyewitnesses said the body of the late Inspector Addai, who was a member of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Patrol Dragon Unit, had been laid in a casket at the Roman Catholic Church at Asueyi for the burial service when the incident occurred.
They said the policemen also shot through the roof of the church building, bringing the entire proceedings to an abrupt end.
According to them, the policemen, wielding loaded guns, began to fire into the air as a last respect to their dead colleague. The eyewitnesses said some of the bullets hit Opanin Addai and the two others who were all mourners at the funeral. Mourners and sympathisers who had come from far and near to pay their last respect fled the funeral grounds for their various destinations.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, confirmed that Constable Yankey had been arrested and placed in police custody and that he would be put before court for murder.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh disclosed further that Constable Yankey, who was returning from night patrol the previous day, decided to pass by the funeral ground, carrying his duty weapon.
He said according to police regulations, no policeman was permitted to display weapons or fire shots at the funeral of a deceased colleague, except the police arm party that could fire at the graveside of the deceased, upon order, after the casket had been lowered into the grave.
Meanwhile, the late Inspector Addai has been buried at Asueyi Catholic Cemetery, while the bodies of Opanin Addai and Opanin Nyamekye have been deposited at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
The injured Constable Owusu-Ansah is on admission at the same hospital and said to be responding to treatment, while Constable Amaniampong was treated and discharged.
  

Sunday, January 27, 2008

GIRL, 13, BURNT TO DEALTH ... (MIRROR PAGE 30)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Techiman

Tarko, a suburb of the Techiman municipality in the Brong-Ahafo Region, was thrown into a state of mourning and despair when a 13-year-old Primary Three pupil of the Techiman Zongo Local Authority Primary School was burnt to death last Thursday evening when a fuel tanker that had fallen into a ditch exploded and busted into flames.
The tanker went into the ditch after being hit at the rear by a tipper truck loaded with sand. At the time of the explosion the victim and others were drawing petrol from the tanker.
The Primary Three pupil, whose name was only given as Akeem, was said to have closed from school and, in the company of other children, he went to the scene of the accident at Tarko to draw some of the fuel that was dripping out of the tanker.
According to eyewitnesses, nine other people, including three children, namely, Johnson Amponsah, 12, a Primary Four pupil; Enoch Owusu Gyamfi, 14, of the Ahmadiyya Junior High School, and Fred Obideaba of the Seventh-Day Adventist School, also sustained severe burns.
The children, including the four adults who sustained injuries, are currently on admission at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital.
The tanker driver, Godwin Obeng, who sustained a minor injury, said the tanker was loaded with petrol from Tema to Tamale and it was hit at the back by the tipper truck when it attempted to overtake the tanker at Tarko.
The accident attracted many people to the scene, including children, some of whom began to draw the fuel when a towing truck was called in to remove the tanker from the ditch.
In the process of towing the tanker from the ditch, it fell back into the ditch and burst into flames which resulted in Akeem’s death and injury to the nine people who were said to be part of the people who were drawing the fuel from the tanker.
Fire men from the Techiman Fire Service Station who had been called to the scene took an hour to put out the flames, by which time the tanker had been burnt beyond recognition.

WOMEN'S GROUPS URGED TO SUPPORT FIGHT AGAINST HIV (Page 11)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sampa

THE District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jaman North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, Madam Elizabeth Obah, has called on women’s groups to relentlessly work in support of the fight against stigmatisation of persons living with HIV.
She also asked them to collaborate with health officials to mount intensive public education campaign to help control the spread of the disease.
She said, “I strongly believe that if women decide to play active role in public education against HIV, the fight will eventually be won, because women are caring, peace lovers and are focused on whatever we decide to do, and we do it well.”
Madam Obah stated this at a day’s sensitisation seminar organised by the Brong Ahafo Regional Directorate of the Department of Women on the theme “Womanhood, Reducing Stigmatisation and HIV and AIDS” held at Sampa, the district capital.
She described the theme for the seminar as appropriate and important, and pointed out that women could not be ignored in society if the nation seriously wanted to tackle the fight against any epidemic.
Madam Obah said it was important to deal with the issue of stigmatisation against People Living with HIV and AIDS, so that HIV positive persons would not hide their status in order to continue to spread the disease.
She said there was a shred of evidence that some HIV positive persons had lived a healthy and positive life for more than 15 years after testing HIV positive, and pointed out that if the disease was accepted like any other chronic diseases such as TB, diabetes or hypertension, then those living with the virus would equally feel accepted by their own communities.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Women, Madam Victoria Owusu-Kyeremaa, for her part, stated that the regional prevalence rate of the disease reduced from 3.2 per cent in 2005 to 2.7 per cent in 2006, and the worst affected people were women, adding that the most important lesson to be learnt was to prevent new infection and improve the quality of care for people living with HIV and AIDS.
She disclosed that the regional secretariat had decided to choose Sampa for the seminar, since it was a border town where many people might pass through to their various destinations and, therefore, the residents needed to be extra careful with their behaviour.
Madam Owusu-Kyeremaa further stated that education on the disease was important at the time that the nation was hosting the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, and urged all, especially parents, to take good care of their children so as not to expose them (the children) to situations which could result in their trafficking.
She also urged the people in the district to take all recommended precautionary measures to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS, and urged the youth to stay away from risky sexual and other immoral behaviour.
An HIV/AIDS Counsellor at Sampa, Hajia Amina Amadu, who presented a paper on the theme, called for education for community members on the effects of stigmatisation and discrimination, and urged all to show love, compassion, care and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS. 

DEVELOP APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES TO MANAGE WASTE (PAGE 20)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE), Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, has challenged waste management experts in the country to come up with appropriate, low-cost sanitation technologies for the management of the ever-increasing quantities of the waste generated in the country.
“It is time for us to move away from the traditional ways of waste management and see waste as resources, which could be used to create wealth and generate employment opportunities. The concept of Waste Stock Exchange must be vigorously pursued,” he stressed.
Mr Adjei-Darko threw the challenge at the opening ceremony of a two-day annual review and planning meeting of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD) of the MLGRDE in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The meeting was attended by about 43 participants, including Regional Health Environmental Officers, their deputies, programme officers from the MLGRDE/EHSD and civil society groups. Others were coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other related agencies in water and sanitation, representatives of some development partners, namely United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
UNICEF sponsored the meeting.
Mr Adjei-Darko expressed concern about the filth that had engulfed cities and towns in the country; drains choked with garbage and excreta; open spaces, which should serve as recreational grounds turned into defecating and dumping sites, and littering at lorry parks and streets, among others, that had become a great source of public health concerns.
He added that more than 60 per cent of such morbidity cases as malaria and diarrhaeal diseases, which were reported at health facilities, were as a result of poor sanitation, which also accounted for most of the infant mortalities.
“Though low funding and inadequate capacity at the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) could be some of the factors militating against effective service delivery in the country, indiscipline and ignorance on the part of the citizenry had been the major setback,” Mr Adjei-Darko stressed.
He stated that his ministry, in collaboration with other sector players and development partners, had put in place the required strategies to improve the situation.
The minister stated that, apart from those strategies to improve sanitation, the ministry had also put in place the necessary legal and regulatory framework to ensure that sanitation laws of the MMDAs were rigidly enforced.
He said to prove the ministry’s commitment to ensuring sanitation discipline in all communities throughout the country, 2,000 sanitation guards had been deployed in the 138 MMDAs to assist environmental health officers in education and law enforcement.
According to the minister, reports reaching him from most of the MMDAs indicated very positive results.
The Director, EHSD of the MLGRDE, Naa Leneson Demedeme, said the meeting was to evaluate the impact of the programmes and activities put in place last year by the directorate, as well as evolve new strategies for the year.
He said the United Nations had declared 2008 as an international year of sanitation to sensitise politicians to make sanitation a top priority.
Naa Demedeme stated that plans were underway to start Bachelor of Science degree programme in Environmental Sanitation at the School of Public Health (SPH), Legon, and a diploma course in Water and Sanitation at the University of Cape Coast.
He said the primary aim was to build the capacity of the staff and the graduates from the School of Hygiene.
 

Friday, January 25, 2008

SACKEY LAUDS ICT POLICY IN EDUCATIONAL REFORMS (Page 31)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

The Executive President of e-toys and more, Mr George Sackey Jnr, has stated that the inclusion of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the strong foundation in pre-school in the new educational reform was a step in the right direction.
He observed that education in recent times had undergone a global transformation, where modern methods of delivery were being employed to replace the traditional ones and added that it was therefore commendable that the government saw the need to make ICT education an integral part of the new reforms.
Mr Sackey made the observation at the inauguration of a state-of-the-art e-learning centre at a cost of GH¢50,000 for the Peprah Agyemang (PA) Capital School at Abesim, near Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
The construction of the centre — equipped with latest multimedia with powerful e-learning software suite, broadband internet facility, multimedia junior computers and electronic educational toys, digital library and interactive video learning resources among others — has been made possible through a collaboration between the school, e-toys and more and Ghana Leasing Company.
Mr Sackey noted that education had become completely technology-driven and adopting technological resources, as well as the Internet. It was, therefore, the corporate mission of his organisation to provide technological solutions to the educational needs of children and schools.
This way, he said, the Ghanaian child could also benefit from the huge technological explosion taking place globally.
The centre, Mr Sackey explained, would develop critical thinking, stimulate creativity, ignite imagination, correct slow development and build confidence in the child, adding that early learning was greatly inspired and the full potential of our children was greatly explored.
“An e-learning centre is the perfect learning environment for today’s digital child. It takes the routine and boredom out of teaching and learning and simplified, as well as created more option for children and teachers. The reference and research skills of both the teacher and children are greatly developed at the centre,” the executive president stressed.
The Board Chairman of the school, Dr E. Yaw Peprah-Agyemang , who spoke on the theme; “Preparing future leaders adequately for tomorrow”, said it was the aim of the school to achieve academic excellence, and go beyond that to produce well-grounded people ready to lead their society to the next level of human development by way of strong moral values, competence and confidence in their own capabilities.
He stated that the school would focus on computer training as a linchpin of education for all pupils and students, since appropriate training in computer and their usage would drastically improve the students’ horizon and tremendously enhance their capabilities.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the school, Mrs Patricia Peprah-Agyemang, thanked e-toys and more and Ghana Leasing Company for the collaboration and added that the centre would enable the pupils in the school to learn modern communication skills.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

CALL ON CEPS OFFICERS TO BE VIGILANT ... (Page 30)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE acting Brong Ahafo Regional Sector Commander of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Mr Alorchie Apetor, has urged personnel of the service to be vigilant and professional in the conduct of their duties at the various frontiers and checkpoints, since soccer fans from the sub-region will pass through the region to Kumasi and Tamale, which are host cities for the Ghana 2008 tournament.
He noted that CEPS officials stationed at the various entry points of the country were the first ports of call, as well as 'ambassadors' to all visitors, and, therefore, they must be professional in the discharge of their duties to leave a lasting impression on the minds of visitors, since their inaction or actions would damage the reputation of the country.
Mr Apetor, who is a Chief Collector, made the call at the regional sector command end-of-year dinner and awards night held in Sunyani over the weekend.
He stated that although Brong Ahafo was not playing host to Ghana 2008, there was the likelihood of football fans passing through the region to Kumasi and Tamale and, therefore, there was the need for CEPS officials to be professional in the conduct of their duties.
The acting sector commander disclosed that the command exceeded its revenue target when it collected GH¢2,696,232.37, as against the GH¢2,360,00 set for last year, representing an increase of 14.29 per cent.
He stated that it was the first time in two years that the Sunyani collection point had exceeded its targeted for the year, in spite of the political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire.
Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, also congratulated officials of the Sunyani collection point on exceeding the target for last year and urged them not to rest on their laurels.
He noted that despite the hard conditions under which CEPS officials stationed at the frontier stations in the region worked, they still found time to assist the communities where the border posts were located by helping the people to repair their access roads.
Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawire II, the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, who chaired the function, was full of praise for the officials of the command and urged them to map out more effective strategies to enable them to exceed the target set for this year.
Some officials of the command were rewarded for their hard work and dedication to duty.     

Monday, January 21, 2008

DON'T ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE USED (Page 16)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

Society for National Affairs (SoNA), a national youth think tank, has admonished the youth of Ghana to reject any attempts by groups or individuals to use them to cause chaos before, during and after the December 2008 general election.
This is because the self-seeking politicians and their partners who goad the youth into fomenting trouble always shield their own children and relatives from such troubles.
Mr Anane Agyei, Executive Director of SoNA, gave the admonition in Sunyani at a national youth forum organised by SoNA to deliberate on some national issues.
The forum, which had the theme “Towards Ghana@100, the New Vision and the Nation in Retrospect”, was attended by members of various youth groups, political parties, traditional rulers, religious groupings and a cross-section of the public.
Mr Agyei further advised leaders of the various political parties and their followers to refrain from using untoward and unguarded statements in their campaigns, since such remarks had the tendency of inflaming passions which could eventually plunge the nation into chaos.
He stressed that Ghana was bigger and more important than any organisation, hence any political party that would use threats and intimidation in its campaign must be rejected by the electorate.
Mr Agyei disclosed further that the objectives of SoNA, were, among others, the promotion of nationalism and patriotism among the youth, upholding of democracy and good governance, instilling in the youth a higher sense of tolerance and discipline and encouraging proper stewardship of the environment.
He said the forum was to sensitise the youth to the need to be concerned about national issues because it was when the youth were actively involved in such issues that the sustainable development of the nation could be guaranteed, stressing that the time had come for the young ones to be included in decision-making.
Osahene Boakye Djan, the Head of Government and Spokesperson of the erstwhile Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), who was one of the speakers at the forum, blamed the current state of the nation on coup makers, but he was quick to justify the June 4 1979 coup, which he claimed was to restore constitutional governance.
He stated further that the December 31, 1981 coup led by former President Rawlings and previous ones were blatant violations of the Constitutions of the various periods.
Osahene Djan vouched that Ghana had come too far to entertain coups and other trends that retard national progress and condemned the recent statement by the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills, that sought to invoke fear that there would be “Kenya in Ghana” if the 2008 elections were rigged.
“The time has come for us, the silent majority in the country, to speak up and tell them bluntly that while we may endure some of their antics, when the threatened mayhem does come they and they alone must be made to bear its brunt and pain,” he remarked.
For his part, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, a Deputy Minister of Trade, PSD and PSIs, expressed the hope that because of the excellent performance by the Kufuor Administration Ghanaians would retain the NPP in power after the general election.
He, however, bemoaned some bad practices such as faking of documents, examination malpractice and laziness which some of them had resorted to, and called for a change in attitude, stressing that it was through good conduct that the nation could be placed on the right pedestal.
Mr Thomas Ahimah, the 1987 National Best Farmer, also pointed out that the only way by which the nation could attain its desired middle-income status was to put premium on agriculture and modernise it to make it attractive to the youth.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Co-ordinator of the National Youth Council, Mr Kobina Afena Sam, briefing the gathering on the draft national youth policy, said attention was being given to the youth so they take advantage of it to make their importance felt in all facets of national life.
Mr Joseph Danso, Superintendent of Community Development at Newmont Gold Ghana Limited, in a leadership session earlier, schooled the participants on some secrets for excellence in leadership.
He hinted that if one was successful but did not have a successor, then he could not be said to be successful. He, therefore, called for effective leadership in which members of an organisation would be encouraged to exhibit their potential.
Nana Kwame Korang V, Omanhene of Awua-Odumase Traditional Area, and Vice-President of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, who co-chaired the function with Nana Yeboah Pene, the Queen of Chiraa, near Sunyani and Benkumhemaa of the Dormaa Traditional Area, commended SoNA for its initiative and urged the youth to always channel their energies into productive ventures which would promote national progress.

BA RESIDENTS ASSURED OF UNINTERRUPTED TV RECEPTION (Page 24)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Mr Victor Appeah, and the Public Relations Officer of the Sunyani Office of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr Alaasan Abaaba, have given the assurance that they have put the necessary measures in place to enable people in the region to watch the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations matches uninterrupted.
According to Mr Appeah, one of the two TV transmitters, which were inaugurated some 15 years ago, broke down in the first week of this month, but had since been repaired and was in good working condition.
“The engineers who worked on the transmitter left Sunyani last Friday, and all things being equal, the people of this region will watch the whole tournament,” he stressed.
Mr Appeah, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, stated that a team had also been put in place to tour the country to repair any TV transmitter that might go off during the tournament.
He denied that the Sunyani transmitter, which broke down on January 2, this year, was due to the technical inefficiency of the management and staff of the Brong Ahafo Regional GBC office, but said the equipment was rather old and it was difficult in securing its parts.
For his part, Mr Abaaba said VRA, as a utility provider, had carried out its maintenance work in all its areas of operations to ensure that the people in the region enjoyed uninterrupted power supply throughout the tournament.
He told the Daily Graphic that a standby team had been put in place to move in to restore power immediately, in case of any power outage in any part of the region.
Mr Abaaba explained that most of the outages experienced in the region were caused by human activities.
According to him, some people used tall bamboo TV poles that usually interfered with their power lines, while branches of cocoa, teak and plantain plantation under VRA high tension poles sometimes also tripped the lines.
Mr Abaaba also attributed some of the power outages to illegal connections.
He, therefore, appealed to people whose plantations were under the VRA lines to call on the company to clear the way to prevent such human trips.
At a recently held press soiree in Sunyani, the Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, made an appeal to the two state organisations, GBC and VRA, to ensure that the people in the region had a feel of the Ghana 2008 tournament.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

BUSINESSMAN GRANTED BAIL FOR ILLEGAL POWER CONNECTION (Page 21)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Fiapre

THE Fiapre Circuit Court near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region has granted a Sunyani-based businessman bail in the sum of GH¢2,000 for illegal connection of electricity, stealing power and tampering with a pre-paid meter belonging to the Volta River Authority (VRA).
The accused, Mark Oppong Bossman, who pleaded guilty to the charges, explained that the power was illegally tapped by his younger brother during his absence.
The Presiding Judge, Mr John Kwadwo Owusu Gyamfi, after listening to the explanation of the accused, ordered him to produce his younger brother or he would be dealt with drastically.
He, therefore, adjourned the case to January 28, 2008 when the accused is to report with his brother.
The court, however, remanded in prison custody, Kwasi Appiah, a barber who also resides in Sunyani, on the same counts.
Appiah, who pleaded not guilty to the charges of stealing power, illegal connection and tampering with a meter, is to reappear before the court on January 21, 2008.
The court also issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kwaku Amoah, who has also been charged for the same offences but failed to appear before court.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector E.K. Boison said the complainant in the cases, was the chief security man of the Sunyani branch of VRA while the accused persons were all resident in Sunyani.
He said between October and December, 2007, the VRA formed a task force to clamp down on people who had tampered with their pre-paid meters and were enjoying electricity free of charge as a resulting of illegal connection, which had deprived others from getting good supply.
Chief Inspector Boison told the court that Bossman failed to buy the card to feed his pre-paid meter so he had no power in his house, but decided to use the flexible wire under the meter to tap power free of charge.
He said the VRA task force arrested him and charged him with the offences, while Appiah was also arrested for tampering with the VRA’s pre-paid meter as well as illegal connection.
The prosecutor stated that Appiah, who illegally connected power from the main meter to his store which was not approved by the VRA, was subsequently arrested and charged with the offence.

LANCE CPL DARBAH LAID TO REST ... (Page 20)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE mortal remains of the late Police General Lance Corporal Moses Kofi Darbah were laid to rest at the Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Bakoniaba, a suburb of Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, at the weekend.
The late Lance Cpl Darbah, 26, of the Volta Regional Police Task Force at Ho lost his life while on official duty during the Anloga chieftaincy dispute in the Volta Region last year.
He was among 150 policemen deplored in Anlo to maintain law and order.
Among the dignitaries who attended the burial and funeral service for the late Cpl Darbah, held at the Ghana@50 Jubilee Park in Sunyani, were the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh and his Volta Regional counterpart, DCOP B.G. Dery.
Also present were representatives from the military, and Prisons and Fire services, as well as a cross-section of the public, who could not withhold their tears.
The IGP, who was also the chief mourner, and DCOP Oppong-Boanuh read the first and second Bible readings respectively.
In a sermon the Rev S.K. Abayie, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Chaplain and the officiating minister, consoled the bereaved family and paid glowing tribute to the late Lance Cpl Darbah for his exceptional qualities as a policeman.
He stated that the work of the police officer was a call to national duty and a sacrificial one.
Rev Abayie, therefore, urged all personnel of the service not to be deterred by what happened to their late colleague but must resolve to maintain law and order, more especially before, during and after this year’s general election.
Rev Abayie said the death of Lance Cpl Darbah must also strengthen the Police Service to continue to discharge their duties without fear or favour as specified in the nation’s Constitution.
He urged Ghanaians not to take the laws of the country into their own hands, especially in chieftaincy and land matters, which have been rampant in recent times, to unleash violence and mayhem on others, but to resort to dialogue to resolve the disputes.
The Police Regional Chaplain noted that it was because of the greed and litigation of others that the late Darbah lost his life.
He, therefore, called on people involved in chieftaincy and land disputes across the country to follow the due process instead of resorting to violence that resulted in the loss of lives and property and also stalled development.
A citation read in honour of the late Lance Cpl Darbah by Superintendent Charles Botwe, the Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, described him as a brave, hard-working and respectful police officer.
It said it was in recognition of his exceptional qualities that the Police Administration promoted him posthumously on November 1, last year, to the rank of lance corporal.
“By his death, the service has lost a gallant officer. His death is a big blow to the entire police service,” the citation stated.
The late Lance Cpl Darbah was born in Sunyani, the capital of the Brong Ahafo Region, on July 24, 1981 to Mr Victor Kwasi Darbah and Madam Nina Asamoah.
He had both his basic and secondary education in Sunyani and joined the police service in February 15, 2005.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

BRONG AHAFO RECORDS FEWER CRIMES

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

No violent crimes were recorded in all the 19 districts in the Brong Ahafo Region before, during and after the Christmas and the New Year periods.
This was as a result of the deployment of both police and military personnel in the districts and on the Techiman-Kintampo-Tamale highway, which is prone to highway robbers.
According to the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, some members of the patrol team were deployed at watch night services in the various churches and other entertainment centres to provide security,” he stressed.
He gave the assurance that the highway patrols would continue, while the Police Dragons Patrol units would also be in force to sustain the clampdown on criminals in every nook and cranny of the region.
He said the police Dragon Patrol foiled four highway robbery attacks on the Techiman-Kintampo Road in which the robbers had used logs to block a section of the road.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh expressed his appreciation to the public for their co-operation and urged them to volunteer more information on suspicious characters to the police.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

CHAINSAW OPERATOR KILLS WIFE, COMMITS SUICIDE (Page 20)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Kenyase No. 2

A chainsaw operator, believed to be in his early 30s, decided to end his six-year-old marriage at Kenyasi No.2 in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region, when he shot his wife with a single barrelled gun and later committed suicide by shooting himself.
The deceased husband, Kwasi Akowah, alias Amedika shot the wife, Madam Abena Saaman, a 44-year-old farmer in the stomach, after she had attended to nature’s call with the couple’s five year old son at a nearby pit latrine.
Akowah, who for sometime now had been engaging the wife in petty quarrels, took that decision to end their relationship after he had failed in his bid to woo the wife back to their matrimonial home at Bomjampa, a farming community near Kenyasi.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the incident, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Richard Appiah, the Kenyasi District Police Commander, said the couple lived at Bomjampa and on December 27, 2007 the woman decided to move from their matrimonial home to live with her mother at Kenyasi No.2 as a result of persistent quarrels with her husband.
He said when the woman was leaving , she took along their five-year- old son.
ASP Appiah told the Daily Graphic that the man followed up to Kenyasi No.2 and persuaded his wife to return with him to their village but she refused due to the persistent petty quarrels between them.
According to the District Commander, the husband had been engaging the wife in several quarrels and anytime there was this misunderstanding, his wife’s family came in to settle the dispute but this time around, the wife decided she had had enough and therefore she was no more going to return to the village with the husband.
ASP Appiah said on January 4, this year, the man went again to take the wife to the village but she refused to go with him.
He said at about 5.30 a.m. that day, the woman in the company of their five-year-old son attended natures call at a pit latrine near their house and when they were returning home, her husband who had laid ambush shot the woman in the stomach.
ASP Appiah said after shooting the wife, Akowah fled the scene and their five -year- old son began to shout ‘my father has killed my mother’ which attracted a large crowd to the scene.
He said the police were later informed and they moved to the crime scene and while there, news came in that a certain man had shot himself at Tutukwa.
He said the police again moved to the scene and found out that it was Akowah who had shot himself in the neck with the same gun that he used to kill his wife.
ASP Appiah said the bodies of the couple had been deposited at the St. Elizabeth Hospital at Hwidiem for autopsy while investigations continue.

Friday, January 4, 2008

BRONG AHAFO RECORDS 65 ROBBERY CASES

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

SIXTY-FIVE armed robbery cases, including highway and fuel filling station attacks, were recorded in the Brong Ahafo Region during which cash and property running into millions of cedis were seized from the victims last year.
During the same period, 60 drug related cases, 27 rape incidents and 103 defilement cases were also recorded.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, who disclosed this in Sunyani also recalled with regret the unfortunate and dastardly incident which occurred at Atronie last Easter Sunday, where the Administrator of the Goaso Government Hospital, the late Anthony Yeboah-Boateng, lost his life in a mob action.
"In fact, the incident tarnished the enviable image of the region and I wish to take the opportunity to commend the Regional Police Command for the efforts made to arrest the perpetrators for prosecution,” he added.
Addressing the last ordinary meeting of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), Mr Baffour-Awuah further indicated that the most significant drug case was the discovery of a five-acre Indian hemp farm at Ohiamankyene, a village near Nsawkaw in the Tain District, and disclosed that two men who were guarding the farm had been arrested but the owner of the farm was on the run.
He said during the course of the year, the national security council allocated three Toyota Pick-ups to the Police for patrol duties on the highways, and that the donation had helped to reduce the spate of highway robberies.
Turning to the assemblies, the Regional Minister pointed out that almost all the district and municipal assemblies failed to submit their financial statements (trial balance) and quarterly administrative progress reports on time.
According to Mr Baffour-Awuah, only the Dormaa District Assembly was able to submit its November Trial Balance in the second week of December as stipulated by law and added that the remaining 18 assemblies were in arrears, ranging from one to three months.
On revenue mobilisation, he indicated that on the average, all the assemblies improved upon the collection of their internally generated funds.
Mr Baffour-Awuah further indicated that a few of the assemblies were able to exceed their estimated revenues, including Pru, 102 per cent as of September 2007; Kintampo South, 127 per cent as of October 2007; Tano North, 214 per cent as of October; Jaman North, 110 per cent as of October and Atebubu/Amantin as of October.
According to the Regional Minister, as of November 2007, only six of the assemblies were able to use part of their revenue to undertake development projects.
Touching on Education, Mr Baffour-Awuah said at the basic level, each district assembly now had an average of 50 schools constructed since the New Patriotic Party came to power in 2001.
However, he pointed out that an analysis of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results over the last three years indicated that the performance of school children at the basic level had not improved much.
He disclosed that the average performance of the region had been hovering between 63.2 per cent in 2005, 65.1 per cent in 2006 and 65.7 per cent in 2007, adding that Sunyani had consistently been among the top three while Kintampo South, Tain and Wenchi, had been alternating the last three positions.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

POLICE NAB 3 ROBBERS (Page 38)

Story: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THREE of the five armed robbers who attacked Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamanhinso, all in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, on December 31, last year have been arrested by a joint police and military patrol team.
The three, Kwaku Boganga, 20, an apprentice auto electrician, Abass Musah 19, a driver, and Issah Mensah, 18, were arrested by the patrol team deployed to ensure peaceful Christmas festivities at the Sunyani Tuosom Estate Junction on the Sunyani-Atronie road.
The two others are on the run.
The robbers were in possession of five locally-manufactured pistols, including one shotgun with live cartridges, a dagger and masks.
According to the police, the robbers, who are in custody, confessed during interrogation that they had been recruited from Kumasi to rob a rich traditional ruler at Ntotroso but they had failed in that bid when information got to the town before their operation.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, said a combined team of police and military personnel on night patrol around 12.30 a.m. on New Year's Eve intercepted a Nissan bus belonging to the Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (OIC) office at Ntotroso, which the robbers had stolen for their operations.
He said the team signalled the vehicle to stop but the driver ignored them and sped off.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh said the team gave the robbers a chase and they later abandoned the vehicle at a section of the road and took to their heels. But the police chased them and managed to arrest Boganga, while the others escaped. When Boganga was searched, the police found a locally-manufactured pistol with live cartridges on him.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh said Boganga told the police that the five had arrived in Sunyani on December 30, 2007 and lodged with one Mallam Fuseini, who lives at the Sunyani Zongo.
He said the robbers told the police that they waited till 9.30 p.m., after which their host gave them a bag which contained weapons.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh said the robbers went in a taxi to Ntotroso, with the intention of robbing the rich traditional ruler, but they could not get to the chief's residence because there was a records dance going on in the middle of the town.
He said before the robbers could go to the chief's house, they decided to go to the OIC office where they attacked the night watchman, beat him severely, plastered his mouth and ordered him to show them the keys to the Nissan bus. When he did so, they drove the bus away.
The Regional Police Commander told the Daily Graphic that on their way, the robbers met a young man who was a member of the Community Protection Unit and threatened him at gunpoint but he managed to flee and reported the incident to the police. Later, he said information spread through town that there were armed robbers in the town, adding that the youth of the town barricaded the road but the 19-year-old expert driver, Abass Musah, managed to manoeuvre his way with the bus and escaped.
He said when they got to Gyedu, the robbers attacked a petrol dealer, Zurinka Na, 45, who had no money on him at that time, for which reason the robbers subjected him to severe beatings and when he tried to struggle with them he was shot in the thigh, the right hand and the scrotum.
Zurinka Na is currently receiving treatment at the Hwidiem Government Hospital.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh said the robbers then moved to the next town, Wamahinso, around 11.15 p.m., attacked a provision shop owner, Kwame Odoko, and robbed him of GH¢450 and packets of cigarette and fled, amidst the firing of warning shots.
Having left on their way to Sunyani, the robbers jumped a police barrier on the road but when the joint patrol team signalled them to stop they refused and they were chased and arrested.
The Regional Police Commander told the Daily Graphic that the police contacted all lorry stations in Sunyani to look out for four young men who met the description of the robbers. He said around 2.00 a.m. the police received information from a taxi driver that two young men had hired him to Kumasi but he told them that he needed to look for one other person to join them.
He said when the taxi driver alerted the police, they quickly moved in to arrest the two and when they were brought to the station, Boganga identified them as his accomplices.
A search on the other two revealed three locally-manufactured pistols, a sharp knife and a mask.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh gave the assurance that the police had mounted a hunt for the two who were at large.