EXECUTIVES of the Tema West Constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who boycotted the just-ended constituency election have rejected the outcome of the polls which saw 66-year-old John Kwame Awuah being elected as chairman.
A press release jointly signed by the Second-Vice Chair and Constituency Secretary, Dr Martin K. Antwi, and Henry Osei-Owusu, declaring the process null and void, is calling members within the constituency to disregard the said elections.
At a ceremony in Tema last Sunday, the retired employee of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), Mr Awuah, was elected as chairman, thrashing his closest rival, Mr Paul Sampana Azure, the incumbent, by 306 votes to 58.
The elections which were boycotted by seven of the 10 old executives who pointed accusing fingers at the chairman, Mr Paul Sampana-Azure, and the MP for the area, Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo, whom they accused of subverting the process of electing polling station executives by intimidating members into accepting their selected persons.
The elections, supervised by the Tema Metropolitan Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Michael Boadu, also saw Francis Boadu polling a total of 277 for the first vice-chairmanship position, while Esther Dovlo-Fiano polled 273 to emerge as the second vice-chairperson.
Edward Mantey Mensah polled a total of 252, beating three other contestants to become the new secretary.
Emmanuel Kankam Boadu, Alice Addo, Agnes Adu-Mensah, Emmanuel Arhin and Richard Nii Amugi were elected as organiser, treasurer, women’s organiser, youth organiser and assistant secretary in that order already mentioned.
The Tema Zonal Co-ordinator for the elections, Mr Boye Laryea, who swore in the newly elected officers into office, charged them to abide by the party’s constitution.
However, as many as six out of the 10 executives of the constituency have in a strongly worded statement, barely 24 hours after the exercise, declared in no uncertain terms that “the so-called election conducted by Irene Naa Torshie Addo, the MP, and the Constituency Chairman, Mr Azure Sampana, is null and void and of no consequence”.
The statement, which was jointly signed by the 2nd Vice-Chairman and the Constituency Secretary, Dr Martin K. Antwi and Henry Osei-Owusu respectively, said the two did not follow laid-down modalities outlined by the national executives for the compilation of the delegates album for such a process, which was the subject of a law suit pending at the High Court in Tema.
That aside, the statement said, “A letter dated October 16, 2009, and signed by the party’s National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac Manu, ordered the suspension of all activities in relation to elections of polling station executives, electoral area co-ordinators and constituency officers until all petitions were resolved”, adding that “it was, therefore, not only surprising, but utterly shocking that a group of people could undermine the power and authority of the very party they profess to love”.
The statement appealed to the rank and file of the party to remain calm and wait for further directives from the national body.
It will be recalled that after the polling station elections in October, this year, a registered member of the party, Kobina Ampiah-Biney, filed a writ at the Tema High Court seeking, among others, an order to restrain the defendants from using polling station registers compiled by the MP and the Tema West Constituency chairman in the conduct of any elections in the Tema West Constituency.
Following the service of the writ on the defendants, the national chairman of the NPP in a letter dated October 16, 2009, suspended all activities related to the election of party officers in the constituency.
In her reaction to all the developments, the MP for the area described the action as coming from “a group of discontented people who are out to create confusion in the constituency”.
Speaking on a telephone interview, she said “the fact that somebody sits somewhere and writes something called a press release does not mean you should publish it”.
After the polls, a disgruntled Mr Azure later in an interview expressed disappointment at the outcome of the polls that saw him lose miserably.
Although he sensed some form of conspiracy which he intended to investigate, he said he would accept the outcome and work with the newly elected executives as they made strides to return the party to power in 2012.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
TEMA POLICE ARREST LAND GUARDS (PAGE 14, NOV 23)
THE Tema Regional Police Command, in a joint operation with the military last Wednesday, arrested five land guards from the Adjei-Kojo, Gbetsile and Zenu enclaves, following complaints of harassment from residents and new developers.
Three motorbikes have been impounded and the police believe two of them which were unregistered, were used by the guards in their operations. The other one had a number plate bearing registration number GE 8620 Z.
One locally manufactured pistol, two machetes, a saw, a pair of large scissors and a military camouflage uniform were also retrieve from them.
A large quantity of leaves believed to be Indian hemp in plastic and cement paper bags were also seized from them.
The suspects are Louise Asare, 28; Kofi Salifu, 35; Abraham Kwetey Masimey, 25; Degbey Vedoh, 24; and Abdulai Sakibu, 24.
According to the Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Augustine Gyenning, the police had mounted a search for one T.T, whose name constantly came up in several criminal cases but had managed to escape arrest.
He has, therefore, appealed to the public to report his whereabouts to the police.
Mr Gyenning said based on over 18 complaints from residents and developers, the police, in conjunction with the military, went into the bushes with the aim of tracking down the terrorist gangs during which they found a kiosk mounted on a short wall hidden in the bush.
He said while the police and the military were surveying the area, the armed gangsters saw them from an outpost, which they had mounted to enable them to see any intruder in their territory.
Mr Gyenning said as the police and the military approached, the criminals fled into the bush but the five were arrested.
A search in the kiosk revealed the dangerous implements and the wrapped and bagged leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. The motorbikes were found hidden in the bush.
He said the structure serving as the criminals’ hideout had been burnt down.
Mr Gyenning cautioned chiefs who use people to harass developers to satisfy their litigious desires to desist from that.
Three motorbikes have been impounded and the police believe two of them which were unregistered, were used by the guards in their operations. The other one had a number plate bearing registration number GE 8620 Z.
One locally manufactured pistol, two machetes, a saw, a pair of large scissors and a military camouflage uniform were also retrieve from them.
A large quantity of leaves believed to be Indian hemp in plastic and cement paper bags were also seized from them.
The suspects are Louise Asare, 28; Kofi Salifu, 35; Abraham Kwetey Masimey, 25; Degbey Vedoh, 24; and Abdulai Sakibu, 24.
According to the Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Augustine Gyenning, the police had mounted a search for one T.T, whose name constantly came up in several criminal cases but had managed to escape arrest.
He has, therefore, appealed to the public to report his whereabouts to the police.
Mr Gyenning said based on over 18 complaints from residents and developers, the police, in conjunction with the military, went into the bushes with the aim of tracking down the terrorist gangs during which they found a kiosk mounted on a short wall hidden in the bush.
He said while the police and the military were surveying the area, the armed gangsters saw them from an outpost, which they had mounted to enable them to see any intruder in their territory.
Mr Gyenning said as the police and the military approached, the criminals fled into the bush but the five were arrested.
A search in the kiosk revealed the dangerous implements and the wrapped and bagged leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. The motorbikes were found hidden in the bush.
He said the structure serving as the criminals’ hideout had been burnt down.
Mr Gyenning cautioned chiefs who use people to harass developers to satisfy their litigious desires to desist from that.
LPG SHORTAGE HITS TEMA (NOV 21, PAGE 18)
Shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has hit Tema and its surrounding communities.
The situation, which has culminated in long queues at various lorry stations in the metropolis, has also made commercial activities difficult.
A visit to various fuel vending stations within the metropolis saw ‘NO GAS’ signposts mounted at various sales points.
Commercial drivers have taken advantage of the shortage and are charging commuters exorbitant transport fares.
It took this reporter two hours to fill a gas cylinder on Monday evening, after she had travelled from Tema to Afienya in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region.
Commercial drivers interviewed at the Galaxy Filling Station at Afienya said they had travelled from neighbouring Ashaiman, Tema, Akosombo and Juapong to Afienya to purchase fuel owing to the shortage of the product in those communities.
Daily Graphic sources at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) revealed that the restrictions imposed on the refinery by Ecobank Ghana Limited, which had guaranteed the letters of credit (LCs) to the refinery in October, might have accounted for the shortage of fuel in the system, as finished products from the 999,000 barrels of crude oil were locked up in various storage facilities at the refinery.
It attributed the shortage to the contractual agreements signed between TOR and Ecobank last October which bound TOR, as the receiving agency of the LCs, to ensure that all the money owed it by oil marketing companies (OMCs) was paid before they were allowed to lift products.
Officials of TOR, who had earlier agreed to talk to this reporter, refused to comment on the shortage when they were later contacted.
The situation, which has culminated in long queues at various lorry stations in the metropolis, has also made commercial activities difficult.
A visit to various fuel vending stations within the metropolis saw ‘NO GAS’ signposts mounted at various sales points.
Commercial drivers have taken advantage of the shortage and are charging commuters exorbitant transport fares.
It took this reporter two hours to fill a gas cylinder on Monday evening, after she had travelled from Tema to Afienya in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region.
Commercial drivers interviewed at the Galaxy Filling Station at Afienya said they had travelled from neighbouring Ashaiman, Tema, Akosombo and Juapong to Afienya to purchase fuel owing to the shortage of the product in those communities.
Daily Graphic sources at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) revealed that the restrictions imposed on the refinery by Ecobank Ghana Limited, which had guaranteed the letters of credit (LCs) to the refinery in October, might have accounted for the shortage of fuel in the system, as finished products from the 999,000 barrels of crude oil were locked up in various storage facilities at the refinery.
It attributed the shortage to the contractual agreements signed between TOR and Ecobank last October which bound TOR, as the receiving agency of the LCs, to ensure that all the money owed it by oil marketing companies (OMCs) was paid before they were allowed to lift products.
Officials of TOR, who had earlier agreed to talk to this reporter, refused to comment on the shortage when they were later contacted.
CENTRAL, WESTERN REGIONS EXPORTERS TOUR TEMA PORT (PAGE 18, NOV 21)
EXPORTERS of local products from the Central and Western regions have toured the Tema Port to familiarise themselves with and ascertain the processes and documentation which their goods go through before shipment.
The exporters belong to the Western and Central Regional Shipper committees under the umbrella of the Ghana Shippers Council.
Those from the Central Region export citrus to places including the Far East, the Middle East and India, while those from the Western Region export varieties of agricultural produce and minerals, including cocoa, manganese and bauxite.
The tour took them to the various terminals of loading and discharging where they saw how cargo and containers were handled.
At the Golden Jubilee Terminal, the Operations Manager, Mr Nii Amasa, took the exporters through processes of documentation, noting that the Jubilee Terminal was solely for the devanning of containers which had items belonging to groups of people.
He stated that the port now operated on electronic systems and, therefore, had not had cases of misplaced cargo nor delay in the clearance of cargo.
Nii Amasa explained that documents were received electronically and processed before the arrival of containers.
He said between 3,500 and 4,000 containers were processed monthly at the terminal for clearing, adding that the terminal had challenges of fraudulent documentation and forged signatures in the clearing of goods but he was emphatic that those involved had not succeeded in their deals.
The Chairman of the Western Regional Shipper Committee, Mr Robert Huedelu, in an interview, appealed to the government to seriously consider revamping the country's railway system to cut down on cost of transportation and also save the road network from further deterioration.
He was optimistic that the rail system would boost transit trade as well.
The Chairman of the Central Regional Shipper Committee, Opanyin Kwame Tenadu, said members sometimes had difficulty in logging on to the GCnet.
He stated that the use of the GCnet was also to help in monitoring the arrival of vessels and documentation.
He urged the various divisions at the port to ensure that the Gcnet worked effectively to help smoothen the sea trade.
He noted that the tour had been a healthy approach to make the exporters have first-hand information on the operations at the port and commended the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority for improving the facilities at the port.
The Head of the Shipper Services Department of the Ghana Shippers Council, Mrs Sylvia Asana Owu, explained that the exporters needed to be well informed to be able to understand the operations at the port.
The exporters belong to the Western and Central Regional Shipper committees under the umbrella of the Ghana Shippers Council.
Those from the Central Region export citrus to places including the Far East, the Middle East and India, while those from the Western Region export varieties of agricultural produce and minerals, including cocoa, manganese and bauxite.
The tour took them to the various terminals of loading and discharging where they saw how cargo and containers were handled.
At the Golden Jubilee Terminal, the Operations Manager, Mr Nii Amasa, took the exporters through processes of documentation, noting that the Jubilee Terminal was solely for the devanning of containers which had items belonging to groups of people.
He stated that the port now operated on electronic systems and, therefore, had not had cases of misplaced cargo nor delay in the clearance of cargo.
Nii Amasa explained that documents were received electronically and processed before the arrival of containers.
He said between 3,500 and 4,000 containers were processed monthly at the terminal for clearing, adding that the terminal had challenges of fraudulent documentation and forged signatures in the clearing of goods but he was emphatic that those involved had not succeeded in their deals.
The Chairman of the Western Regional Shipper Committee, Mr Robert Huedelu, in an interview, appealed to the government to seriously consider revamping the country's railway system to cut down on cost of transportation and also save the road network from further deterioration.
He was optimistic that the rail system would boost transit trade as well.
The Chairman of the Central Regional Shipper Committee, Opanyin Kwame Tenadu, said members sometimes had difficulty in logging on to the GCnet.
He stated that the use of the GCnet was also to help in monitoring the arrival of vessels and documentation.
He urged the various divisions at the port to ensure that the Gcnet worked effectively to help smoothen the sea trade.
He noted that the tour had been a healthy approach to make the exporters have first-hand information on the operations at the port and commended the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority for improving the facilities at the port.
The Head of the Shipper Services Department of the Ghana Shippers Council, Mrs Sylvia Asana Owu, explained that the exporters needed to be well informed to be able to understand the operations at the port.
NPP'S LOSS OF POWEER NATIONAL TRAGEDY — PROF OCQUAYE (PAGE 14, NOV 21)
THE New Patrotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya and Second Deputy Speaker, Professor Mike Oquaye, has described the party’s loss of the last general election as a tragedy that has befallen the country.
Prof. Oquaye made the remarks at the launch of Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe’s campaign for the position of Greater Accra Regional Chairman in Ashaiman.
He described the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government as propagandist and one whose ideals and beliefs lay in the propagation of falsehoods that caused disaffection for their opponents.
Continuing, he foretold the demise of the NDC party in the next three years and appealed to NPP delegates to rally behind Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe to ensure a resounding victory for the NPP in the 2012 general elections.
When Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe mounted the platform, he told the teeming party supporters that he chose Ashaiman for the launch of his campaign because of its cosmopolitan nature.
He indicated that the 2012 general election would be a ‘guerilla war’ which needed a dynamic and strong-willed person like him to match the ruling party.
He cautioned that the NPP would not hesitate to quadruple its efforts to get back at the ruling party.
An aid to the ex-Serbian envoy, Titus Glover-Quartey, noted that a resounding victory for Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe would ensure the demise of intimidation in the country’s politics.
Former Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, said the NPP ‘s first victory in the 2000 general election was a divine act by God that saw Ghanaians being liberated from slavery.
He appealed to delegates to massively rally behind the retired soldier and medical doctor in order to turn the fortunes of the party around, come 2012.
Prof. Oquaye made the remarks at the launch of Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe’s campaign for the position of Greater Accra Regional Chairman in Ashaiman.
He described the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government as propagandist and one whose ideals and beliefs lay in the propagation of falsehoods that caused disaffection for their opponents.
Continuing, he foretold the demise of the NDC party in the next three years and appealed to NPP delegates to rally behind Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe to ensure a resounding victory for the NPP in the 2012 general elections.
When Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe mounted the platform, he told the teeming party supporters that he chose Ashaiman for the launch of his campaign because of its cosmopolitan nature.
He indicated that the 2012 general election would be a ‘guerilla war’ which needed a dynamic and strong-willed person like him to match the ruling party.
He cautioned that the NPP would not hesitate to quadruple its efforts to get back at the ruling party.
An aid to the ex-Serbian envoy, Titus Glover-Quartey, noted that a resounding victory for Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe would ensure the demise of intimidation in the country’s politics.
Former Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, said the NPP ‘s first victory in the 2000 general election was a divine act by God that saw Ghanaians being liberated from slavery.
He appealed to delegates to massively rally behind the retired soldier and medical doctor in order to turn the fortunes of the party around, come 2012.
SUSPEND TEMA WEST NPP POLLS — MAC-MANU (PAGE 3, NOV 21)
THE National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Peter Mac Manu, has ordered executives of the Tema West Constituency branch of the party to suspend all activities relating to the constituency elections until the national office finds lasting solutions to the fracas within the rank and file.
He was speaking in a telephone interview with the Daily Graphic in reaction to news that arrangements were in place for the constituency elections to be held tomorrow.
Mr Mac Manu said the issue of the disputed polling station elections held in September had been referred to the party’s election committee and that even though some meetings had been held with the various parties in the dispute, a ruling was yet to be made on the matter.
“It is, therefore, wrong and improper for any party to take the law into its own hands and run an election of any kind,” he stressed.
The Tema West Constituency witnessed various forms of controversy during the election of polling station executives, leading to aggrieved members pointing accusing fingers at the Chairman, Mr Paul Sampana-Azure, and the MP for the area, Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo, whom they accused of subverting the process by intimidating members into accepting their selected persons, instead of electing persons using the laid down modalities.
This resulted in a member of the NPP taking the matter to court to seek reliefs, among others, to declare null and void the polling station elections.
It is learnt that aggrieved members, who pleaded anonymity, have vowed to disrupt activities should the MP and the chairman, as well as their allied bodies, continue with their plans to hold the elections.
He was speaking in a telephone interview with the Daily Graphic in reaction to news that arrangements were in place for the constituency elections to be held tomorrow.
Mr Mac Manu said the issue of the disputed polling station elections held in September had been referred to the party’s election committee and that even though some meetings had been held with the various parties in the dispute, a ruling was yet to be made on the matter.
“It is, therefore, wrong and improper for any party to take the law into its own hands and run an election of any kind,” he stressed.
The Tema West Constituency witnessed various forms of controversy during the election of polling station executives, leading to aggrieved members pointing accusing fingers at the Chairman, Mr Paul Sampana-Azure, and the MP for the area, Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo, whom they accused of subverting the process by intimidating members into accepting their selected persons, instead of electing persons using the laid down modalities.
This resulted in a member of the NPP taking the matter to court to seek reliefs, among others, to declare null and void the polling station elections.
It is learnt that aggrieved members, who pleaded anonymity, have vowed to disrupt activities should the MP and the chairman, as well as their allied bodies, continue with their plans to hold the elections.
Friday, November 20, 2009
BREAKTHROUGH...Ghanaian invents condom dispensing machine (MIRROR, LEAD STORY, NOV 21)
By Della Russel Ocloo
AN embarrassing situation which occurred while buying a condom from a pharmacy some 10 years ago sowed the seed in Mr Prince Nkrumah as to how such situations could be avoided in future.
His experience, coupled with a research finding he chanced upon that states that 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women report some level of embarrassment when buying condoms resulted in the invention of the condom dispensing machine.
Given the rate at which the human resources of nations are decimated by STDs, one would expect that purchasing condoms would be viewed as desirable.
The said research also indicates that 80 per cent of those who said they were embarrassed noted that being spotted at the cashier was more intimidating than being seen in the display area.
Interestingly, this embarrassment is not unique to students and singles but cut across to married couples as well giving an indication that fewer people use condoms even though sensitisation on the spread of STDs is on the increase.
It would, therefore, be a very effective health strategy to develop mechanisms that can make the purchase of condoms a non-embarrassing one, and the most convenient method is to use an automatic vending machine.
His quest to find a solution to this dilemma resulted in the invention of a condom vending machine which dispenses condom when a text message is sent to a short code on the MTN network.
The new technology known as ‘Mobivend’, according to Mr Nkrumah, is to save people from embarrassing situations they encounter daily in their quest to purchase the product at sales points.
The machine which could be mounted at washrooms in hotels, night clubs, drinking spots, educational institutions, fun parks amongst other places, according to him, is to afford people the opportunity to be at ease during purchase of the product as well as complement the Ghana Aids Commission’s efforts in the fight against the deadly HIV/AIDs and its related sexually transmitted diseases.
The machine which is the first of its kind in the world has several advantages over other existing systems which dispense soft drinks in other countries across the globe. It can carry a total of 150-250 packs of condoms at a time.
The device which comes with a cashless system to discourage vandalism among users also has functions which allow the system to automatically adjust prices in the event of increase in prices of goods and commodities as well as send inventory status to managers for an efficient and monitoring system.
Forty-one-year old Prince Nkrumah, who is also a lecturer in communication engineering and computer aided systems (CAD) at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) had his early education at the Datus Complex and Naval Base experimental basic schools all in Tema.
He proceeded to Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takoradi for his Advance and Ordinary level certificates from 1982-89 and thereafter entered the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1991 where he studied a Bachelor of Science (BSc) programme in electrical engineering majoring in telecommunication engineering.
After a year’s national service with the then Ghana Telecom, Mr Nkrumah was employed as a data communication engineer at Reiss Information Systems.
After a year’s service to Reiss, he joined the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) in 1997 and worked there for nine years as a computer network administrator.
He told The Mirror, his challenging experience at VALCO was when he led a group of information technology (IT) personnel to develop a system that saw successful change of the company’s email systems (the word perfect systems) they were using at that time to the Microsoft Exchange which was being deployed by a few multi-national corporations in the country at that time.
The old system, according to him, often fails to deliver the needed information for production when a lot of people are logged on.
“The task was challenging as it involves rolling the old system into the new exchange which needs a tactical approach to ensure old mails do not get lost during the transition period as it may affect production works in the plant”, he remarked.
The installation of the new system therefore offered an added advantage to staff to access mails outside the office as well as work from remote locations in the country.
Following a redeployment exercise at the plant due to its dwindling fortunes, he resigned in December 2008 to concentrate on the activities of a consultancy he set up in 1997.
The firm, Princetronics Engineering, has over the years been providing services in the areas of networking and email message systems to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Tema Development Corporation, Alpha Wireless and Tema Tuna Ventures among other companies.
The shy-looking Mr Nkrumah, who also holds a post graduate diploma in Telecommunications from the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), was born on March 16, 1968 at Takoradi in the Western Region to Mr William Johnson Nkrumah, a retired naval officer from Jamasi in the Ashanti Region and Ms Eleanor McCarthy a native of Cape Coast.
Mr Nkrumah, who is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, is married to Genevieve, a trained teacher with whom he has two children namely, Princess, eight, (who is schooling in the United States of America) and four-year-old Phoebe Nkrumah.
AN embarrassing situation which occurred while buying a condom from a pharmacy some 10 years ago sowed the seed in Mr Prince Nkrumah as to how such situations could be avoided in future.
His experience, coupled with a research finding he chanced upon that states that 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women report some level of embarrassment when buying condoms resulted in the invention of the condom dispensing machine.
Given the rate at which the human resources of nations are decimated by STDs, one would expect that purchasing condoms would be viewed as desirable.
The said research also indicates that 80 per cent of those who said they were embarrassed noted that being spotted at the cashier was more intimidating than being seen in the display area.
Interestingly, this embarrassment is not unique to students and singles but cut across to married couples as well giving an indication that fewer people use condoms even though sensitisation on the spread of STDs is on the increase.
It would, therefore, be a very effective health strategy to develop mechanisms that can make the purchase of condoms a non-embarrassing one, and the most convenient method is to use an automatic vending machine.
His quest to find a solution to this dilemma resulted in the invention of a condom vending machine which dispenses condom when a text message is sent to a short code on the MTN network.
The new technology known as ‘Mobivend’, according to Mr Nkrumah, is to save people from embarrassing situations they encounter daily in their quest to purchase the product at sales points.
The machine which could be mounted at washrooms in hotels, night clubs, drinking spots, educational institutions, fun parks amongst other places, according to him, is to afford people the opportunity to be at ease during purchase of the product as well as complement the Ghana Aids Commission’s efforts in the fight against the deadly HIV/AIDs and its related sexually transmitted diseases.
The machine which is the first of its kind in the world has several advantages over other existing systems which dispense soft drinks in other countries across the globe. It can carry a total of 150-250 packs of condoms at a time.
The device which comes with a cashless system to discourage vandalism among users also has functions which allow the system to automatically adjust prices in the event of increase in prices of goods and commodities as well as send inventory status to managers for an efficient and monitoring system.
Forty-one-year old Prince Nkrumah, who is also a lecturer in communication engineering and computer aided systems (CAD) at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) had his early education at the Datus Complex and Naval Base experimental basic schools all in Tema.
He proceeded to Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takoradi for his Advance and Ordinary level certificates from 1982-89 and thereafter entered the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1991 where he studied a Bachelor of Science (BSc) programme in electrical engineering majoring in telecommunication engineering.
After a year’s national service with the then Ghana Telecom, Mr Nkrumah was employed as a data communication engineer at Reiss Information Systems.
After a year’s service to Reiss, he joined the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) in 1997 and worked there for nine years as a computer network administrator.
He told The Mirror, his challenging experience at VALCO was when he led a group of information technology (IT) personnel to develop a system that saw successful change of the company’s email systems (the word perfect systems) they were using at that time to the Microsoft Exchange which was being deployed by a few multi-national corporations in the country at that time.
The old system, according to him, often fails to deliver the needed information for production when a lot of people are logged on.
“The task was challenging as it involves rolling the old system into the new exchange which needs a tactical approach to ensure old mails do not get lost during the transition period as it may affect production works in the plant”, he remarked.
The installation of the new system therefore offered an added advantage to staff to access mails outside the office as well as work from remote locations in the country.
Following a redeployment exercise at the plant due to its dwindling fortunes, he resigned in December 2008 to concentrate on the activities of a consultancy he set up in 1997.
The firm, Princetronics Engineering, has over the years been providing services in the areas of networking and email message systems to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Tema Development Corporation, Alpha Wireless and Tema Tuna Ventures among other companies.
The shy-looking Mr Nkrumah, who also holds a post graduate diploma in Telecommunications from the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), was born on March 16, 1968 at Takoradi in the Western Region to Mr William Johnson Nkrumah, a retired naval officer from Jamasi in the Ashanti Region and Ms Eleanor McCarthy a native of Cape Coast.
Mr Nkrumah, who is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, is married to Genevieve, a trained teacher with whom he has two children namely, Princess, eight, (who is schooling in the United States of America) and four-year-old Phoebe Nkrumah.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
ECOBANK BARS TOR (PAGE 3, NOV 17)
THE various finished products obtained from the 997,000 barrels of crude oil are stocked in various storage facilities at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), following restrictions imposed on the refinery by Ecobank Ghana Limited which guaranteed the purchase of the oil from a Nigerian company.
The restrictions by Ecobank are meant to ensure that it recoups its money from TOR.
TOR’s indebtedness to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) to the tune of $600 million, which almost saw the bank on the verge of bankruptcy, may have informed Ecobank’s decision to streamline measures to enable it to retrieve the money invested in the oil transaction.
Last October, Ecobank established letters of credit (LCs) amounting to $74 million to enable TOR to take delivery of crude oil from Sahara Energy, a Nigerian oil lifting company.
A source at TOR told the Daily Graphic that the refinery, as a receiving agency of the LCs, was bound by conditions on the LCs to ensure that all the money owed it by oil marketing companies (OMCs) was paid before allowing them to lift fuel.
The source also hinted that out of the over 49 OMCs that lifted products from the refinery, 43 still owed TOR huge debts.
According to the source, officials of Ecobank believed the huge indebtedness of the OMCs could jeopardise TOR’s interest and investment if the refinery allowed the companies to continue to lift products.
It further noted that some OMCs, such Total, Goil and Shell, did not need any form of guarantee to lift products, since they were multinational companies and could be easily located, while the likes of Allied Oil, Galaxy and Top Oil were the only entities whose credit levels guaranteed them to continually lift products.
Attempts to reach the acting Managing Director of TOR, Dr Kwame Ampofo, for his comments on the said regulations failed as several calls to his telephone were not answered.
For a greater part of the year, TOR virtually closed down its operations following the acute shortage of crude oil.
The desperate situation was precipitated partly by the huge debts owed by TOR to crude supplying agencies and the GCB.
The government gave the refinery a lifeline when it intervened, leading to a deal with Ecobank for a guarantee of LCs to enable TOR to take delivery of crude oil imported into the country by Sahara Energy.
The restrictions by Ecobank are meant to ensure that it recoups its money from TOR.
TOR’s indebtedness to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) to the tune of $600 million, which almost saw the bank on the verge of bankruptcy, may have informed Ecobank’s decision to streamline measures to enable it to retrieve the money invested in the oil transaction.
Last October, Ecobank established letters of credit (LCs) amounting to $74 million to enable TOR to take delivery of crude oil from Sahara Energy, a Nigerian oil lifting company.
A source at TOR told the Daily Graphic that the refinery, as a receiving agency of the LCs, was bound by conditions on the LCs to ensure that all the money owed it by oil marketing companies (OMCs) was paid before allowing them to lift fuel.
The source also hinted that out of the over 49 OMCs that lifted products from the refinery, 43 still owed TOR huge debts.
According to the source, officials of Ecobank believed the huge indebtedness of the OMCs could jeopardise TOR’s interest and investment if the refinery allowed the companies to continue to lift products.
It further noted that some OMCs, such Total, Goil and Shell, did not need any form of guarantee to lift products, since they were multinational companies and could be easily located, while the likes of Allied Oil, Galaxy and Top Oil were the only entities whose credit levels guaranteed them to continually lift products.
Attempts to reach the acting Managing Director of TOR, Dr Kwame Ampofo, for his comments on the said regulations failed as several calls to his telephone were not answered.
For a greater part of the year, TOR virtually closed down its operations following the acute shortage of crude oil.
The desperate situation was precipitated partly by the huge debts owed by TOR to crude supplying agencies and the GCB.
The government gave the refinery a lifeline when it intervened, leading to a deal with Ecobank for a guarantee of LCs to enable TOR to take delivery of crude oil imported into the country by Sahara Energy.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
GHANAIAN MANUFACTUERS CONDOM DISPENSER (PAGE 32, NOV 16)
A Ghanaian entrepreneur has invented a condom vending machine which dispenses condoms when a text message is sent to a short code.
The new technology, according to the inventor, will save people from the embarrassing situation they go through when purchasing condoms at sales points.
The vending machine, which can be mounted at various washrooms in night-clubs, drinking spots and institutions, is to afford people the opportunity to feel at ease when making purchases to complement the Ghana AIDS Commission’s efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The inventor, Mr Prince Nkrumah, a lecturer in Communication Engineering at the Regional Maritime University (RMU), said the machine, which is the first of its kind in the world, had several advantages over existing systems in other countries.
He said he was inspired to develop the technology because of the uncomfortable situations people went through when they wanted to purchase condoms.
The device, according to him, came with a cashless system that would discourage vandalism among its users.
The machine is also designed to automatically adjust prices in the event of increases in the prices of goods and services and currency change. It can also automatically send inventory status to managers for an efficient and effective stocking system.
“A monitoring system that prevents unauthorised persons from tampering with the technology is also in place to avert vandalism,” he remarked.
He indicated his commitment to collaborate with mobile telecommunication companies operating in the country as part of efforts to control the spread of HIV/AIDS and its related diseases.
Mr Nkrumah said Scancom Ghana Limited, operators of MTN, had agreed to support the idea to control the spread of the disease in the country.
The system can also be installed for canned drinks of all sizes.
He called for support from stakeholders in the manufacturing sector to adopt the technology in order to create jobs to complement government’s efforts at reducing youth unemployment in the country.
He said he had plans to export the technology to other countries across the West African sub-region.
The new technology, according to the inventor, will save people from the embarrassing situation they go through when purchasing condoms at sales points.
The vending machine, which can be mounted at various washrooms in night-clubs, drinking spots and institutions, is to afford people the opportunity to feel at ease when making purchases to complement the Ghana AIDS Commission’s efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The inventor, Mr Prince Nkrumah, a lecturer in Communication Engineering at the Regional Maritime University (RMU), said the machine, which is the first of its kind in the world, had several advantages over existing systems in other countries.
He said he was inspired to develop the technology because of the uncomfortable situations people went through when they wanted to purchase condoms.
The device, according to him, came with a cashless system that would discourage vandalism among its users.
The machine is also designed to automatically adjust prices in the event of increases in the prices of goods and services and currency change. It can also automatically send inventory status to managers for an efficient and effective stocking system.
“A monitoring system that prevents unauthorised persons from tampering with the technology is also in place to avert vandalism,” he remarked.
He indicated his commitment to collaborate with mobile telecommunication companies operating in the country as part of efforts to control the spread of HIV/AIDS and its related diseases.
Mr Nkrumah said Scancom Ghana Limited, operators of MTN, had agreed to support the idea to control the spread of the disease in the country.
The system can also be installed for canned drinks of all sizes.
He called for support from stakeholders in the manufacturing sector to adopt the technology in order to create jobs to complement government’s efforts at reducing youth unemployment in the country.
He said he had plans to export the technology to other countries across the West African sub-region.
Friday, November 13, 2009
TOGOLESE PAEDOPHILE JAILED 20 YEARS (DAILY GRAPHIC, PAGE 3, NOV 13)
THE Tema Circuit Court yesterday sentenced a 45-year-old Togolese to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defiling two children at Kpone-Kokompe, near Tema.
The accused, Mawuli Amegadzie, is also to be deported back to the Togo after he has finished serving his sentence.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of unnatural carnal knowledge and defilement under the Domestic Violence Law, Act 723, and was sentenced on each count as such. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Matilda Tetteh told the court, presided over by Mrs Justice Lorinda Owusu, that the convict and the complainant in the case, Mr Eric Kofi Amankwah, reside in the same vicinity at Kpone-Kokompe.
She said the complainant, who also doubles as the father of the children, aged eight and 11, received reports from a trader who also resides in the neighbourhood of his children’s constant visits to the convict’s residence.
Following earlier information of an alleged defilement case, for which the convict was remanded in police custody last year for a month but was released for lack of evidence, the complainant confronted the children over their association with him, which they denied.
Further interrogation by their father as to their acquisition of new children’s dolls, quantities of candies and other playing materials in their possession led to the younger of the two confessing to receiving them as gifts from the convict after he had sucked their genitals on each occasion.
Chief Inspector Tetteh noted that Mr Amankwah, equipped with the information, lodged a complaint at the Tema regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), from where a team, with the help of the Kpone Police, managed to arrest the convict after two hours of resistance, during which he bolted into a nearby bush on seeing the police approaching.
Amegadzie, who looked distressed throughout proceedings, pleaded guilty to the offence, while still holding on to his earlier explanation of his attraction to young boys any time he saw them, following his persistent failure to get an erection around women as a result of a spell cast on him by his stepmother.
The accused, Mawuli Amegadzie, is also to be deported back to the Togo after he has finished serving his sentence.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of unnatural carnal knowledge and defilement under the Domestic Violence Law, Act 723, and was sentenced on each count as such. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Matilda Tetteh told the court, presided over by Mrs Justice Lorinda Owusu, that the convict and the complainant in the case, Mr Eric Kofi Amankwah, reside in the same vicinity at Kpone-Kokompe.
She said the complainant, who also doubles as the father of the children, aged eight and 11, received reports from a trader who also resides in the neighbourhood of his children’s constant visits to the convict’s residence.
Following earlier information of an alleged defilement case, for which the convict was remanded in police custody last year for a month but was released for lack of evidence, the complainant confronted the children over their association with him, which they denied.
Further interrogation by their father as to their acquisition of new children’s dolls, quantities of candies and other playing materials in their possession led to the younger of the two confessing to receiving them as gifts from the convict after he had sucked their genitals on each occasion.
Chief Inspector Tetteh noted that Mr Amankwah, equipped with the information, lodged a complaint at the Tema regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), from where a team, with the help of the Kpone Police, managed to arrest the convict after two hours of resistance, during which he bolted into a nearby bush on seeing the police approaching.
Amegadzie, who looked distressed throughout proceedings, pleaded guilty to the offence, while still holding on to his earlier explanation of his attraction to young boys any time he saw them, following his persistent failure to get an erection around women as a result of a spell cast on him by his stepmother.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
ANOTHER PAEDOPHILE CASE ROCKS KPONE (IB, NOV 11)
Story & pix: Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
A 45-year-old Togolese has been grabbed by the Tema Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) in another reported case of paedophilia in the country.
The suspect, Mawuli Amegadzie, a mason by profession, is alleged to have defiled two children, aged eight and 11, at Kpone-Kokompe, near Tema.
According to the Tema Regional Co-ordinator of DOVVSU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rebecca Nyamah, the suspect, on a number of occasions, allegedly lured the victims to his residence under the pretext of providing them with candies and children’s dolls and engaged them sexually by sucking their genitals after stripping them naked.
She said the complainant in the case, Mr Eric Kofi Amankwah, is the father of the children and resident of the community.
ASP Nyamah said Mr Amankwah received a report on his children’s constant visits to the suspect’s residence from a trader who also resides in the vicinity. Following earlier information of an alleged defilement case, for which the suspect was remanded in police custody last year but was released for lack of evidence, the complainant confronted the children over their association with the suspect.
Further interrogation by their father as to their new acquisition of children’s dolls and other playing materials led to the younger of the two confessing to receiving them as gifts from the suspect after he had sucked their genitals on each occasion.
A report was immediately lodged at DOVVSU, from where a team was dispatched which, with the help of the Kpone Police, managed to arrest the suspect after two hours of resistance, during which he bolted into a nearby bush on seeing the police approaching.
According to the police, Amegadzie admitted the offence in his caution statement and explained that he was attracted to young boys any time he saw them, following his persistent failure to get an erection around women as a result of a spell cast on him by his stepmother.
The suspect, according to ASP Nyamah, would be put before court immediately investigations were over.
She appealed to the general public to report the suspicious activities of people in their communities as part of moves to rid society of miscreants.
A 45-year-old Togolese has been grabbed by the Tema Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) in another reported case of paedophilia in the country.
The suspect, Mawuli Amegadzie, a mason by profession, is alleged to have defiled two children, aged eight and 11, at Kpone-Kokompe, near Tema.
According to the Tema Regional Co-ordinator of DOVVSU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rebecca Nyamah, the suspect, on a number of occasions, allegedly lured the victims to his residence under the pretext of providing them with candies and children’s dolls and engaged them sexually by sucking their genitals after stripping them naked.
She said the complainant in the case, Mr Eric Kofi Amankwah, is the father of the children and resident of the community.
ASP Nyamah said Mr Amankwah received a report on his children’s constant visits to the suspect’s residence from a trader who also resides in the vicinity. Following earlier information of an alleged defilement case, for which the suspect was remanded in police custody last year but was released for lack of evidence, the complainant confronted the children over their association with the suspect.
Further interrogation by their father as to their new acquisition of children’s dolls and other playing materials led to the younger of the two confessing to receiving them as gifts from the suspect after he had sucked their genitals on each occasion.
A report was immediately lodged at DOVVSU, from where a team was dispatched which, with the help of the Kpone Police, managed to arrest the suspect after two hours of resistance, during which he bolted into a nearby bush on seeing the police approaching.
According to the police, Amegadzie admitted the offence in his caution statement and explained that he was attracted to young boys any time he saw them, following his persistent failure to get an erection around women as a result of a spell cast on him by his stepmother.
The suspect, according to ASP Nyamah, would be put before court immediately investigations were over.
She appealed to the general public to report the suspicious activities of people in their communities as part of moves to rid society of miscreants.
Zoomlion donates Bins to Tema Manhean (DAILY GRAPHIC, FRI NOV 6, 09) PAGE 29
Story: Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
ZOOMLION Ghana limited, a waste management company has donated a quantity of plastic dust bins valued at GHC 1,400 to residents of Tema Manhean towards promoting safe environmental practices among residents.
Presenting the items, the Tema zonal coordinator of Zoomlion, Ms Augustina Asare indicated the donation forms parts of the company’s social responsibility programme for communities in which they operates.
She called on residents to complement Zoomlion’s efforts by keeping their surroundings clean.
She regretted that people often turned plastic bins belonging to the company into water storage facilities and cautioned residents against such practices.
She challenged members of the Tema Youth Association (TYA) who requested for the bins on behalf of the community to put monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure the dust bins are used for the intended purpose.
The Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Krakue II who received the items on behalf of the community commended members of the TYA for their initiative in acquiring the bins for the community.
He urged them to live in unity as they strove to bring development to Manhean and its surrounding communities whose residents live in abject poverty.
Nii Krakue advised the youth to desist from interfering in chieftaincy matters particularly chieftaincy disputes, a practice he said retards development. ‘Do not allow yourselves to be used to fan disputes by aggrieved persons whose interest lies in retarding development of our community’, Nii emphasised.
He noted the socio-economic legacies left by the nation’s first President; Dr Kwame Nkrumah has been left to deteriorate over the years while successive governments begged develop countries for aid to embark on developmental projects.
In a related development, Zoomlion has presented plastic bins worth GHC560 to the Afienya Divisional Police Command at a brief ceremony at Afienya in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra region.
Station Officer, Inspector Daniel Kofi Tetteh who received the items on behalf of the division express profound appreciation to the company for the gesture.
Inspector Tetteh used the opportunity to appeal to the police high command and corporate institutions to come to the aid of the division which he described as lacking the needed logistics for effective policing within the area.
ZOOMLION Ghana limited, a waste management company has donated a quantity of plastic dust bins valued at GHC 1,400 to residents of Tema Manhean towards promoting safe environmental practices among residents.
Presenting the items, the Tema zonal coordinator of Zoomlion, Ms Augustina Asare indicated the donation forms parts of the company’s social responsibility programme for communities in which they operates.
She called on residents to complement Zoomlion’s efforts by keeping their surroundings clean.
She regretted that people often turned plastic bins belonging to the company into water storage facilities and cautioned residents against such practices.
She challenged members of the Tema Youth Association (TYA) who requested for the bins on behalf of the community to put monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure the dust bins are used for the intended purpose.
The Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Krakue II who received the items on behalf of the community commended members of the TYA for their initiative in acquiring the bins for the community.
He urged them to live in unity as they strove to bring development to Manhean and its surrounding communities whose residents live in abject poverty.
Nii Krakue advised the youth to desist from interfering in chieftaincy matters particularly chieftaincy disputes, a practice he said retards development. ‘Do not allow yourselves to be used to fan disputes by aggrieved persons whose interest lies in retarding development of our community’, Nii emphasised.
He noted the socio-economic legacies left by the nation’s first President; Dr Kwame Nkrumah has been left to deteriorate over the years while successive governments begged develop countries for aid to embark on developmental projects.
In a related development, Zoomlion has presented plastic bins worth GHC560 to the Afienya Divisional Police Command at a brief ceremony at Afienya in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra region.
Station Officer, Inspector Daniel Kofi Tetteh who received the items on behalf of the division express profound appreciation to the company for the gesture.
Inspector Tetteh used the opportunity to appeal to the police high command and corporate institutions to come to the aid of the division which he described as lacking the needed logistics for effective policing within the area.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
PORT AUTHORITIES CREATE SPACE FOR OIL EQUIPMENT (BACK PAGE, NOV 10)
GHANA Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has reserved 100 metres of the Tema port berthing area for companies preparing for commercial oil production to facilitate the clearing of their equipment.
The GPHA has also allocated certain places at the Takoradi port for the storage of machinery and materials of those oil companies to enhance their operations.
The Director General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Percy Galley, who made this known at a durbar of staff of the GPHA in Tema, said the measures were part of the policy initiatives being implemented by the authority to ease cargo and vehice congestion at the Tema Port.
He said the GPHA would undertake a series of development projects in 2010 to enhance the operations of the ports.
The projects include the construction of a six-lane road from the Tema Motorway Roundabout to the port, a two-lane dual carriageway from the Nungua barrier to the port and a Transit Truck Village at Kpone, near Tema.
Mr Galley said the GPHA, in its quest to complement government’s goal of providing adequate and appropriate facilities to support Ghana’s emerging oil industry, was collaborating with Tullow Oil Company to work on the installation of oil service facilities at the Takoradi Port.
He, therefore, called for support from stakeholders in the maritime industry to come on board and support the GPHA and Government to achieve its vision of making the Ghana’s ports the preferred destination in the sub-region.
He encouraged workers to eschew indiscipline and misconduct, saying the management would institute a reward scheme to motivate them to work hard.
The Director of the Tema Port, Mr Richard Anamoo, charged the workers to work hard to achieve increased productivity.
He said the authority, in its quest for ensuring that employees played functional roles in turning its fortunes around, would soon begin training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for all the staff and, therefore, encouraged employees to take advantage of the training.
The Secretary of the local union, Mr Emile Asiedu, appealed to the management to have another look at the concession agreement among GPHA and Meridian Ports Services (MPS) and Safebond Company Ltd (SCL), since the agreements were not bringing in the desired royalty, considering the heavy capital investment made by the GPHA in developing that part of the port.
The GPHA has also allocated certain places at the Takoradi port for the storage of machinery and materials of those oil companies to enhance their operations.
The Director General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Percy Galley, who made this known at a durbar of staff of the GPHA in Tema, said the measures were part of the policy initiatives being implemented by the authority to ease cargo and vehice congestion at the Tema Port.
He said the GPHA would undertake a series of development projects in 2010 to enhance the operations of the ports.
The projects include the construction of a six-lane road from the Tema Motorway Roundabout to the port, a two-lane dual carriageway from the Nungua barrier to the port and a Transit Truck Village at Kpone, near Tema.
Mr Galley said the GPHA, in its quest to complement government’s goal of providing adequate and appropriate facilities to support Ghana’s emerging oil industry, was collaborating with Tullow Oil Company to work on the installation of oil service facilities at the Takoradi Port.
He, therefore, called for support from stakeholders in the maritime industry to come on board and support the GPHA and Government to achieve its vision of making the Ghana’s ports the preferred destination in the sub-region.
He encouraged workers to eschew indiscipline and misconduct, saying the management would institute a reward scheme to motivate them to work hard.
The Director of the Tema Port, Mr Richard Anamoo, charged the workers to work hard to achieve increased productivity.
He said the authority, in its quest for ensuring that employees played functional roles in turning its fortunes around, would soon begin training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for all the staff and, therefore, encouraged employees to take advantage of the training.
The Secretary of the local union, Mr Emile Asiedu, appealed to the management to have another look at the concession agreement among GPHA and Meridian Ports Services (MPS) and Safebond Company Ltd (SCL), since the agreements were not bringing in the desired royalty, considering the heavy capital investment made by the GPHA in developing that part of the port.
NINE INJURED IN MOTORWAY ACCIDENT (BACK PAGE, NOV 10)
NINE people sustained various degrees of injury when a Mercedes Benz 207 bus on which they were travelling, ran into a ditch when attempting to avoid a KIA truck which had veered into the lane of the bus on the Accra-Tema Motorway.
The accident resulted in a heavy vehicle traffic along the motorway.
The Ashaiman Divisional Station Officer of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Chief Inspector Paul Kyeremeh, who briefed the Daily Graphic on the accident, said the Benz bus with 19 passengers on board, was travelling from Kaneshie in Accra to Tema when the accident occurred.
He said the driver of the bus, on reaching the former cattle bridge near the Accra Abattoir, saw the KIA truck driven by Prince Darko, 30, from Community 20 heading towards Tema.
On joining the motorway, the KIA driver drove into the lane of the Benz bus, forcing the driver of the bus, Alfred Kwame, to veer to the left in his attempt to avoid running into the truck.
In the process, the Benz bus ran into a ditch in the middle of the motorway, after somersaulting.
The injured, including the driver and his mate, are currently on admission at the Tema General Hospital, while the 10 other passengers who sustained minor injuries were treated and discharged at the same hospital.
The driver of the KIA truck is being held by the Ashaiman Police to assist in investigations.
The Ashaiman District Police Commander, Superintendent Peter Kobina, has, meanwhile, appealed to motorists plying the motorway to drive with extra care to reduce accidents.
He also called on the Ghana Highway Authority to, as a matter of urgency, put adequate measures in place at the adjoining routes to avoid similar occurrences.
The accident resulted in a heavy vehicle traffic along the motorway.
The Ashaiman Divisional Station Officer of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Chief Inspector Paul Kyeremeh, who briefed the Daily Graphic on the accident, said the Benz bus with 19 passengers on board, was travelling from Kaneshie in Accra to Tema when the accident occurred.
He said the driver of the bus, on reaching the former cattle bridge near the Accra Abattoir, saw the KIA truck driven by Prince Darko, 30, from Community 20 heading towards Tema.
On joining the motorway, the KIA driver drove into the lane of the Benz bus, forcing the driver of the bus, Alfred Kwame, to veer to the left in his attempt to avoid running into the truck.
In the process, the Benz bus ran into a ditch in the middle of the motorway, after somersaulting.
The injured, including the driver and his mate, are currently on admission at the Tema General Hospital, while the 10 other passengers who sustained minor injuries were treated and discharged at the same hospital.
The driver of the KIA truck is being held by the Ashaiman Police to assist in investigations.
The Ashaiman District Police Commander, Superintendent Peter Kobina, has, meanwhile, appealed to motorists plying the motorway to drive with extra care to reduce accidents.
He also called on the Ghana Highway Authority to, as a matter of urgency, put adequate measures in place at the adjoining routes to avoid similar occurrences.
Monday, November 9, 2009
MET PAYS $309,848 CLAIMS (NOV 9, PAGE 49)
THE Managing Director of Metropolitan Insurance Company (MET), Mr Kwame-Gazo Agbenyadzie, has stressed the importance of life assurance policies, and called on all employers to provide workmen’s compensation insurance for their employees.
He said that would ensure adequate compensation for all cases of workplace injuries and incapacitation.
Mr Amenyadzie made the call when he presented a cheque for US$309,848 to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) as claims covering the authority’s 200-tonnes crane equipment that was involved in an accident in April this year.
He indicated the strain on the Government treasury in the event of an accident could be enormous in the absence of an appropriate insurance cover and urged employers to consider insurance covers as part of motivation package for their employees.
Mr Amenyadzie commended the GPHA for not only investing in machinery and equipment, but also indemnified them against risks, thereby reducing pressure on the Ministry of Transport’s budget, an example, the MET CEO said, was worth emulating by all state-owned enterprises.
The Director General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Percy Galley, expressed profound appreciation to the insurance company for the importance it attached to the transaction, saying the claim would enable the authority to replace the damaged equipment with a new 220-tonne crane. — GB
He said that would ensure adequate compensation for all cases of workplace injuries and incapacitation.
Mr Amenyadzie made the call when he presented a cheque for US$309,848 to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) as claims covering the authority’s 200-tonnes crane equipment that was involved in an accident in April this year.
He indicated the strain on the Government treasury in the event of an accident could be enormous in the absence of an appropriate insurance cover and urged employers to consider insurance covers as part of motivation package for their employees.
Mr Amenyadzie commended the GPHA for not only investing in machinery and equipment, but also indemnified them against risks, thereby reducing pressure on the Ministry of Transport’s budget, an example, the MET CEO said, was worth emulating by all state-owned enterprises.
The Director General of the GPHA, Mr Nestor Percy Galley, expressed profound appreciation to the insurance company for the importance it attached to the transaction, saying the claim would enable the authority to replace the damaged equipment with a new 220-tonne crane. — GB
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