WORK has begun on the construction of an orphanage and a community school complex for Gomoa Dabanyin in the Central Region.
The project, which is an initiative of the Future Hope for Africa, a United States of America (USA)-based humanitarian organisation, is expected to cost $375,000.
A parcel of land measuring 7.5 acres has already being released by the chiefs and people of the community as their contribution towards the project.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony, the President of the organisation, Mr John Gillien, who is also the First Vice-President of the J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in the USA, said the project formed part of his outfit’s programme aimed at reducing poverty in selected African countries.
The project, which is expected to be completed within six months, would provide home to abandoned, orphaned and street children who had missed out of education owing to extreme poverty.
“It will also provide entrepreneurial training for school dropouts in the community of location,” he stated.
Mr Gillien said the project, which would be replicated in the Ashanti Region, as well as one of the three northern regions, would also provide job opportunities for the indigenes.
According to him, that would minimise the movement of people from the communities to the urban centres in search for non-existent jobs.
He charged people in the community to provide communal labour for the construction of the facilities, since they would benefit from them.
The Queen of the community, Nana Akua Amoh XII, commended the foundation for the initiative and pledged her support to ensure that the facility came to fruition.
She called on well-meaning Ghanaians to extend support to the community, which, according to her, had been living in abject poverty owing to the lack of social amenities.
The Future Hope for Africa, a subsidiary of the Hope for Africa, has over the years provided logistic support to selected African countries towards the improvement of education.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
GPHA NOT THWARTING EFFORTS OF TULLOW OIL (PAGE 3, AY 22, 2010)
OFFICIALS of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) have denied that the authority is frustrating Tullow Oil in its efforts at constructing a chemical plant at the Takoradi Port ahead of the arrival of the floating production storage and offloading vessel, the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah.
According to them, the authority was never aware of any proposal submitted by Tullow Oil for approval for the proposed plant.
They denied that they were engaged in unnecessary bureaucracy to stall government’s projects.
Reacting to allegations levelled against the GPHA by officials of Tullow Oil, the Director-General of the authority, Mr Nestor Galley, who was out of the country at the time the allegations were made, indicated that the authority had co-operated fully with Tullow in all its transactions.
According to him, Tullow, in its application for the lease of an operational area in 2008, indicated that it wanted to install a storage reservoir for the erection of a liquid and dry bulk plant (LBP) to support the development of hydrocarbon resources in the western corridor.
He said in response to the application, the GHPA allocated 1,650 square metres of land to Tullow.
“I can tell you for a fact that there is no delay regarding the leasing, as there is physical and legal possession of the land by Tullow,” he said.
A letter signed by Mr Galley to the Transport Minister, dated May 19, 2010 and spelling out the issues raised by Tullow during the Minister’s visit to the Takoradi Port recently, which was made available to the Daily Graphic, indicated that the GPHA was in the process of renewing the existing lease agreement.
It said putting the issues in perspective, GPHA’s master licence agreement with Tullow, signed on July 4, 2008, for a two-year period was due to expire in July this year.
According to the letter, the licence agreement signed between the authority and Tullow as the operator also covered two other operational areas, an additional operation area and a dedicated berth area for Tullow’s vessels, amounting to 3,795 square metres.
It further stated that Tullow did not apply for land to build a chemical plant, as reported in the Monday, May 17, 2010 edition of the Daily Graphic.
“We are really saddened by such comments, as they have serious international implications on the integrity and reputation of the GPHA, as well as its officials,” Mr Galley lamented.
He said the construction of a chemical plant, apart from the required permit from the GPHA, with the necessary drawings, would also require an environmental impact assessment permit.
The Director-General also intimated that the authority had discussions with Tullow on the renewal of the lease and gave the assurance that the agreement would be renewed ahead of the date of expiration.
It would be recalled that the Daily Graphic, in its May 17, 2010 edition, published that Ghana stood to lose $1 million daily if the chemical plant needed at the Takoradi Port to maintain the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah was not completed before the arrival of the vessel.
According to them, the authority was never aware of any proposal submitted by Tullow Oil for approval for the proposed plant.
They denied that they were engaged in unnecessary bureaucracy to stall government’s projects.
Reacting to allegations levelled against the GPHA by officials of Tullow Oil, the Director-General of the authority, Mr Nestor Galley, who was out of the country at the time the allegations were made, indicated that the authority had co-operated fully with Tullow in all its transactions.
According to him, Tullow, in its application for the lease of an operational area in 2008, indicated that it wanted to install a storage reservoir for the erection of a liquid and dry bulk plant (LBP) to support the development of hydrocarbon resources in the western corridor.
He said in response to the application, the GHPA allocated 1,650 square metres of land to Tullow.
“I can tell you for a fact that there is no delay regarding the leasing, as there is physical and legal possession of the land by Tullow,” he said.
A letter signed by Mr Galley to the Transport Minister, dated May 19, 2010 and spelling out the issues raised by Tullow during the Minister’s visit to the Takoradi Port recently, which was made available to the Daily Graphic, indicated that the GPHA was in the process of renewing the existing lease agreement.
It said putting the issues in perspective, GPHA’s master licence agreement with Tullow, signed on July 4, 2008, for a two-year period was due to expire in July this year.
According to the letter, the licence agreement signed between the authority and Tullow as the operator also covered two other operational areas, an additional operation area and a dedicated berth area for Tullow’s vessels, amounting to 3,795 square metres.
It further stated that Tullow did not apply for land to build a chemical plant, as reported in the Monday, May 17, 2010 edition of the Daily Graphic.
“We are really saddened by such comments, as they have serious international implications on the integrity and reputation of the GPHA, as well as its officials,” Mr Galley lamented.
He said the construction of a chemical plant, apart from the required permit from the GPHA, with the necessary drawings, would also require an environmental impact assessment permit.
The Director-General also intimated that the authority had discussions with Tullow on the renewal of the lease and gave the assurance that the agreement would be renewed ahead of the date of expiration.
It would be recalled that the Daily Graphic, in its May 17, 2010 edition, published that Ghana stood to lose $1 million daily if the chemical plant needed at the Takoradi Port to maintain the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah was not completed before the arrival of the vessel.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
TEMA RECORDS INCREASE IN TB CASES (PAGE 29, MAY 20, 2010)
THE Tema Metropolis alone recorded a total of 310 cases of tuberculosis (TB) in 2009, out of a total of 678 cases collated in the Greater Accra Region.
The Metropolitan TB Coordinator, Ms Katherina Kwao, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme for residents of Tema on the pandemic H1N1 influenza and tuberculosis (TB).
The programme, put together by Zerah Foundation, a Tema based non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and facilitators from the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, was aimed at developing interventions to reduce poverty among marginalised communities.
The forum also discussed the mode of transmission of the H1N1 influenza, signs and symptoms, as well as its prevention and treatment.
According to Ms Kwao, tuberculosis, a contagious disease, often spread through sneezing and coughing and affected the lungs primarily, but can also damage other parts of the body.
The co-ordinator, said TB has symptoms like the loss of appetite, weakness and chronic coughing, and could lead to barrenness if not properly treated.
He, therefore, commended the foundation for organising the sensitisation programme to complement the Ghana Health Service’s efforts.
The HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Ms Margaret Asante, who educated participants on the H1N1 flu, indicated that the influenza, which first occurred in Ghana in August 2009, had infected over 700 people. Schoolchildren are the most affected and Greater Accra has the highest number of recorded cases in the country.
She urged the general public to adhere to the various preventive measures such as the washing of hands with soap, drinking of fluids and avoiding contact with infected people.
The Executive Director of Zerah Foundation, Mr Michael Awuni, stated that the programme had become necessary owing to the rapid rate at which the two diseases were spreading.
He said the 700 reported cases nationwide was an indication that awareness of the pandemic had been minimal.
According to him, the foundation was working on three cross-cutting thematic areas; reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, advocacy and influence, and gender development and would extend the programme to the rural communities within the Tema and Ashaiman.
“These interventions are parts of interventions put in place to ensure that access to information is not restricted to only urban dwellers and the affluent in society,” Mr Awuni noted.
He called on sister NGOs, as well as public spirited Ghanaians to join hands as health authorities made efforts to combat the disease.
Mr Awuni expressed optimism that participants would ensure that information shared at the forum would be beneficial to their households, neighbours and their entire community.
Zerah Foundation is a pro-poor NGO, which is committed to the promotion of equity and equality among the less privileged in society.
The Metropolitan TB Coordinator, Ms Katherina Kwao, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme for residents of Tema on the pandemic H1N1 influenza and tuberculosis (TB).
The programme, put together by Zerah Foundation, a Tema based non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and facilitators from the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, was aimed at developing interventions to reduce poverty among marginalised communities.
The forum also discussed the mode of transmission of the H1N1 influenza, signs and symptoms, as well as its prevention and treatment.
According to Ms Kwao, tuberculosis, a contagious disease, often spread through sneezing and coughing and affected the lungs primarily, but can also damage other parts of the body.
The co-ordinator, said TB has symptoms like the loss of appetite, weakness and chronic coughing, and could lead to barrenness if not properly treated.
He, therefore, commended the foundation for organising the sensitisation programme to complement the Ghana Health Service’s efforts.
The HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Ms Margaret Asante, who educated participants on the H1N1 flu, indicated that the influenza, which first occurred in Ghana in August 2009, had infected over 700 people. Schoolchildren are the most affected and Greater Accra has the highest number of recorded cases in the country.
She urged the general public to adhere to the various preventive measures such as the washing of hands with soap, drinking of fluids and avoiding contact with infected people.
The Executive Director of Zerah Foundation, Mr Michael Awuni, stated that the programme had become necessary owing to the rapid rate at which the two diseases were spreading.
He said the 700 reported cases nationwide was an indication that awareness of the pandemic had been minimal.
According to him, the foundation was working on three cross-cutting thematic areas; reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, advocacy and influence, and gender development and would extend the programme to the rural communities within the Tema and Ashaiman.
“These interventions are parts of interventions put in place to ensure that access to information is not restricted to only urban dwellers and the affluent in society,” Mr Awuni noted.
He called on sister NGOs, as well as public spirited Ghanaians to join hands as health authorities made efforts to combat the disease.
Mr Awuni expressed optimism that participants would ensure that information shared at the forum would be beneficial to their households, neighbours and their entire community.
Zerah Foundation is a pro-poor NGO, which is committed to the promotion of equity and equality among the less privileged in society.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
SEX SCANDAL ROCKS CHURCH...But pastor says charges are mere fabrications (LEAD STORY, MAY 19, 2010)
AN alleged sexual misconduct involving a female administrator and some leading members of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana is said to have scandalised the congregation at Tema Community 4.
At the centre of the allegation is the District Administrator, Ms Doris Sobre, and the District Pastor of the Trinity Congregation, Rev. Kissiedu Ayi, who described the allegations as “mere fabrications by a faction in the church bent on tarnishing my hard-won reputation”.
Doris is also alleged to be in illicit relationships with other senior presbyters of the church, as well as the session clerk, all of whose wives she is said to have often engaged in open fights.
The crisis spilled into the public domain on Sunday, May 9, 2010 when Doris and another young woman of the congregation, Nana Abena Dankwah Ahenkan, engaged in an open fight at the entrance of the church.
Doris later lodged a complaint of assault with the Community 4 Police, where Abena was detained and later released.
The Station Officer of the Community 4 Police Station, Inspector Tawiah, said the police were investigating the matter.
Other members of the church complained to the Daily Graphic that the affair between the church administrator and some of the leading men of the church, which had resulted in Doris and various women in the church engaging in frequent brawls at the frontage of the church, was a source of embarrassment to members.
They also accused the administrator of financial malfeasance by way of inflating the prices of items procured by the church for its expansion projects and general procurement.
They added that no action had been taken against Doris, apparently because of some of the leaders’ own sense of guilt.
The spokesperson for the youth, Mr Augustine Egbenya Mawutor, told the Daily Graphic that apart from continually supporting the action of the administrator, Rev Aryee was also at loggerheads with almost the entire leadership of the church, including his deputy, who had raised issues with his leadership style and the way he took decisions without recourse to the church’s leadership.
He noted that although a formal complaint had been lodged at the Ga Presbytery of the church, its Chairman, Professor Emmanuel Martey, was yet to constitute an investigative body to look into the concerns being raised by members, describing the supervising body’s hesitation as regrettable.
The President of the Men’s Fellowship, Mr Kojo Oppong, expressed regret at the fact that the district minister failed to resolve an impasse between the Deputy Minister, Rev Elizabeth Ofosu, and the Director of Church Life and Nurture, Mrs Diana Ofosu Appiah, who he said had both been assaulted before by Doris.
In view of the deepening confusion, the leadership of the general groupings, made up of the Men’s and the Women’s fellowships, the Young Adults’ Fellowship (YAF) and the Young People’s Guild, has called on the General Assembly of the church to take steps to immediately remove the district head and the administrator to ensure peace in the church.
The situation, according to the leadership, had culminated in a drastic reduction in the church’s membership and finances.
Other members of the congregation who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity after this reporter had witnessed the open fight between Doris and Nana Abena said the happenings in the church were not only embarrassing to members but had also made mockery of the famed Presbyterian discipline.
They also accused Rev Aryee of adopting an autocratic style of leadership, culminating in he and the administrator taking major decisions for the congregation without consultation.
When contacted on telephone, Rev Aryee denied the allegations, questioning why he would want to engage himself in such controversies which, according to him, were calculated fabrications by a faction in the church bent on tarnishing his hard-won reputation.
He challenged his accusers to provide evidence of the said allegations if they had any.
He, however, admitted that there was grumbling in the church which, according to him, was typical, owing to the church’s nature as a human institution where various people would often voice out their frustrations if regulations being implemented did not favour them.
Rev Aryee threatened to seek legal action against individuals spreading falsehood about him, saying, “I will not hesitate to consult the law should I be defamed.”
Attempts to reach Ms Sobre on these developments proved futile, as her mobile phone was said to be switched off.
The Ga Presbytery Chairman, Professor Martey, could also not be reached for his comments on the matter.
At the centre of the allegation is the District Administrator, Ms Doris Sobre, and the District Pastor of the Trinity Congregation, Rev. Kissiedu Ayi, who described the allegations as “mere fabrications by a faction in the church bent on tarnishing my hard-won reputation”.
Doris is also alleged to be in illicit relationships with other senior presbyters of the church, as well as the session clerk, all of whose wives she is said to have often engaged in open fights.
The crisis spilled into the public domain on Sunday, May 9, 2010 when Doris and another young woman of the congregation, Nana Abena Dankwah Ahenkan, engaged in an open fight at the entrance of the church.
Doris later lodged a complaint of assault with the Community 4 Police, where Abena was detained and later released.
The Station Officer of the Community 4 Police Station, Inspector Tawiah, said the police were investigating the matter.
Other members of the church complained to the Daily Graphic that the affair between the church administrator and some of the leading men of the church, which had resulted in Doris and various women in the church engaging in frequent brawls at the frontage of the church, was a source of embarrassment to members.
They also accused the administrator of financial malfeasance by way of inflating the prices of items procured by the church for its expansion projects and general procurement.
They added that no action had been taken against Doris, apparently because of some of the leaders’ own sense of guilt.
The spokesperson for the youth, Mr Augustine Egbenya Mawutor, told the Daily Graphic that apart from continually supporting the action of the administrator, Rev Aryee was also at loggerheads with almost the entire leadership of the church, including his deputy, who had raised issues with his leadership style and the way he took decisions without recourse to the church’s leadership.
He noted that although a formal complaint had been lodged at the Ga Presbytery of the church, its Chairman, Professor Emmanuel Martey, was yet to constitute an investigative body to look into the concerns being raised by members, describing the supervising body’s hesitation as regrettable.
The President of the Men’s Fellowship, Mr Kojo Oppong, expressed regret at the fact that the district minister failed to resolve an impasse between the Deputy Minister, Rev Elizabeth Ofosu, and the Director of Church Life and Nurture, Mrs Diana Ofosu Appiah, who he said had both been assaulted before by Doris.
In view of the deepening confusion, the leadership of the general groupings, made up of the Men’s and the Women’s fellowships, the Young Adults’ Fellowship (YAF) and the Young People’s Guild, has called on the General Assembly of the church to take steps to immediately remove the district head and the administrator to ensure peace in the church.
The situation, according to the leadership, had culminated in a drastic reduction in the church’s membership and finances.
Other members of the congregation who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity after this reporter had witnessed the open fight between Doris and Nana Abena said the happenings in the church were not only embarrassing to members but had also made mockery of the famed Presbyterian discipline.
They also accused Rev Aryee of adopting an autocratic style of leadership, culminating in he and the administrator taking major decisions for the congregation without consultation.
When contacted on telephone, Rev Aryee denied the allegations, questioning why he would want to engage himself in such controversies which, according to him, were calculated fabrications by a faction in the church bent on tarnishing his hard-won reputation.
He challenged his accusers to provide evidence of the said allegations if they had any.
He, however, admitted that there was grumbling in the church which, according to him, was typical, owing to the church’s nature as a human institution where various people would often voice out their frustrations if regulations being implemented did not favour them.
Rev Aryee threatened to seek legal action against individuals spreading falsehood about him, saying, “I will not hesitate to consult the law should I be defamed.”
Attempts to reach Ms Sobre on these developments proved futile, as her mobile phone was said to be switched off.
The Ga Presbytery Chairman, Professor Martey, could also not be reached for his comments on the matter.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
RAIL-LINE NEARS COMPLETION (BACK PAGE, MAY 15, 2010)
A 7.1 kilometre rail line being constructed from Tema to Asoprochona, near Sakumono in the Accra metropolis is to be completed next month.
The project, being executed by a Swiss company, Armandi Holdings, at a cost of $16.5 million, is expected to reduce traffic, particularly on the Spintex Road and the Tema Motorway as commuters from Accra to Tema can use the rail-line instead of the roads.
The Resident Engineer of Armandi Holdings, Mr Enyo Matrevi, made this known when the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, inspected work on the project.
Mr Matrevi said because the rail-line was closed to the sea, the company had applied anti-corrosive materials to the tracks to prevent corrosion.
The minister, who was accompanied by the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Company and top officials of the ministry, expressed satisfaction at the progress of work and challenged the contractors not to compromise on the quality of work.
Mr Hammah said the government had secured two new coaches at a cost of GH¢21.7 million to facilitate rail transport in the country.
He said the ministry was considering road maps developed by the Ghana Railway Company to open up the Chorkor, Kasoa and Achimota corridors.
“A feasibility study on the project which is currently on my desk waiting approval would be given topmost attention and made public,” he stated.
Mr Hammah and his entourage later visited the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), where they were taken round and briefed by the Director of Ports, Mr Richard Anamoo.
The project, being executed by a Swiss company, Armandi Holdings, at a cost of $16.5 million, is expected to reduce traffic, particularly on the Spintex Road and the Tema Motorway as commuters from Accra to Tema can use the rail-line instead of the roads.
The Resident Engineer of Armandi Holdings, Mr Enyo Matrevi, made this known when the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, inspected work on the project.
Mr Matrevi said because the rail-line was closed to the sea, the company had applied anti-corrosive materials to the tracks to prevent corrosion.
The minister, who was accompanied by the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Company and top officials of the ministry, expressed satisfaction at the progress of work and challenged the contractors not to compromise on the quality of work.
Mr Hammah said the government had secured two new coaches at a cost of GH¢21.7 million to facilitate rail transport in the country.
He said the ministry was considering road maps developed by the Ghana Railway Company to open up the Chorkor, Kasoa and Achimota corridors.
“A feasibility study on the project which is currently on my desk waiting approval would be given topmost attention and made public,” he stated.
Mr Hammah and his entourage later visited the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), where they were taken round and briefed by the Director of Ports, Mr Richard Anamoo.
Monday, May 10, 2010
FACE-LIFT FOR TEMA STADIUM (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 11, MAY 11, 2010)
A multi-purpose court is to be constructed soon at the Tema Sports Stadium as part of plans to develop the facility into a world class stadium.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Council(NSC), Mr Worlanyo Agra, who disclosed this to the Graphic Sports said the project would be financed by AngloGold Ashanti at the cost of $100,000.
The project forms part of a $2million stadiums developmental projects earmarked by the NSC for implementation next year.
The facility, when completed, will include volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, as well as tartan tracks.
“The NSC is currently awaiting a clearance letter from the National Procurement Authority to enable construction works to begin, while a comprehensive plan to develope the frontage of the facility into shops and offices was being considered as part of a programme to generate income for the council”, he stated.
Mr Agra indicated that a comprehensive plan to upgrade the park to a 20,000 seater capacity facility has also been drawn following the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s (TMA) decision to contribute GHC500,000 to enable the project to take off.
He said works on the dressing room of the stadium which was stalled owing to other financial problems and budget constraints would resume early next year as the project were being considered a priority in the council’s budget for 2011 and assured that the stadium enhancement project would help preserve the FIFA- sponsored astro-turf pitch as a huge legacy for the country.
He hinted that the NSC in its quest to improve the development of sports in the country had developed modules aimed at deploying district sports organizers in all the 130 districts in the country.
The programme which, according to him was awaiting financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Youth and Sports Ministry, would also see the appointment of a coach for each district to help discover talents in the various disciplines under the council’s supervision.
Mr Agra charged stakeholders in the industry, as well as corporate entities operating in the Tema Metropolis to assist the council in their bid to improve sports facilities in the country.
The Tema sports stadium which was constructed as a community park some three decades ago was developed into an astro-turf facility by the world governing body in 2008.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Council(NSC), Mr Worlanyo Agra, who disclosed this to the Graphic Sports said the project would be financed by AngloGold Ashanti at the cost of $100,000.
The project forms part of a $2million stadiums developmental projects earmarked by the NSC for implementation next year.
The facility, when completed, will include volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, as well as tartan tracks.
“The NSC is currently awaiting a clearance letter from the National Procurement Authority to enable construction works to begin, while a comprehensive plan to develope the frontage of the facility into shops and offices was being considered as part of a programme to generate income for the council”, he stated.
Mr Agra indicated that a comprehensive plan to upgrade the park to a 20,000 seater capacity facility has also been drawn following the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s (TMA) decision to contribute GHC500,000 to enable the project to take off.
He said works on the dressing room of the stadium which was stalled owing to other financial problems and budget constraints would resume early next year as the project were being considered a priority in the council’s budget for 2011 and assured that the stadium enhancement project would help preserve the FIFA- sponsored astro-turf pitch as a huge legacy for the country.
He hinted that the NSC in its quest to improve the development of sports in the country had developed modules aimed at deploying district sports organizers in all the 130 districts in the country.
The programme which, according to him was awaiting financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Youth and Sports Ministry, would also see the appointment of a coach for each district to help discover talents in the various disciplines under the council’s supervision.
Mr Agra charged stakeholders in the industry, as well as corporate entities operating in the Tema Metropolis to assist the council in their bid to improve sports facilities in the country.
The Tema sports stadium which was constructed as a community park some three decades ago was developed into an astro-turf facility by the world governing body in 2008.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
SANTROFI OUTDOORED AT TEMA (SHOWBIZ, PAGE 5, MAY 6, 2010)
By Della Russel Ocloo
Prominent musicians who turned up at the Koreana Hotel in Tema to perform as part of Nana Fynn’s Santrofi album launch to commemorate his 10th anniversary in the music business, took patrons down memory lane with a string of hit songs.
Ben Brako, Bessa Simmons and Shasha Marley were in the house to support one of their own and they kept the audience dancing throughout the entire six- hour duration of the launch programme.
Coming on stage at about midnight with his trademark headgear to match a beautiful African wear, Nana Fynn rendered songs from the Santrofi album. Backed by the Perfect Six band, he also sang earlier hits like Menkoaa and Nkotodwe.
Nana Fynn, however, expressed disappointment at the poor attendance of the event but was quick to assure himself saying: “Even Jesus began his ministry with twelve disciples but ended up being the greatest man in history with millions of followers.”
Notwithstanding the poor attendance and some hitches with sound from Fredyma and his crew who engineered the programme, everything else went well as the old acts were exciting to watch. Guitarist and singer, Andy Tay may not be be widely known but he gave a good account of himself.
The biggest entertainer for the night was Felix Owusu. A former lead singer with the Western Diamonds band, he dug deep into his thrilling repertoire and exhibited his usual fine singing which got the audience to sing along with him.
The Aha Yede hitmaker, Nana Borro, Filanzzy, Chemphe, Danso Abiam and upcoming act, Togbe did not live up to expectation and the audience audibly expressed their disappointment with what they put out.
Pope Skinny, on the other hand, gave the audience a true meaning of hiplife music and received the thumbs up from patrons including star actress Nana Ama McBrown who doled out some cedis on him.
In a chat with Showbiz after the launch, Nana Fynn said his 10-year involvement with the music industry had been challenging, but the desire to keep an appropriate legacy had kept him going.
According to him, there were times when he thought of quiting music due to issues like piracy, payola and the lack of adequate legislation to protect intellectual property. He attributed the decision to continue to encouragement from great friends like Willie Roy and Shasha Marley.
Santrofi is Nana Fynn’s sixth album. He has planned a nation-wide tour to promote the eight-track collection.
Prominent musicians who turned up at the Koreana Hotel in Tema to perform as part of Nana Fynn’s Santrofi album launch to commemorate his 10th anniversary in the music business, took patrons down memory lane with a string of hit songs.
Ben Brako, Bessa Simmons and Shasha Marley were in the house to support one of their own and they kept the audience dancing throughout the entire six- hour duration of the launch programme.
Coming on stage at about midnight with his trademark headgear to match a beautiful African wear, Nana Fynn rendered songs from the Santrofi album. Backed by the Perfect Six band, he also sang earlier hits like Menkoaa and Nkotodwe.
Nana Fynn, however, expressed disappointment at the poor attendance of the event but was quick to assure himself saying: “Even Jesus began his ministry with twelve disciples but ended up being the greatest man in history with millions of followers.”
Notwithstanding the poor attendance and some hitches with sound from Fredyma and his crew who engineered the programme, everything else went well as the old acts were exciting to watch. Guitarist and singer, Andy Tay may not be be widely known but he gave a good account of himself.
The biggest entertainer for the night was Felix Owusu. A former lead singer with the Western Diamonds band, he dug deep into his thrilling repertoire and exhibited his usual fine singing which got the audience to sing along with him.
The Aha Yede hitmaker, Nana Borro, Filanzzy, Chemphe, Danso Abiam and upcoming act, Togbe did not live up to expectation and the audience audibly expressed their disappointment with what they put out.
Pope Skinny, on the other hand, gave the audience a true meaning of hiplife music and received the thumbs up from patrons including star actress Nana Ama McBrown who doled out some cedis on him.
In a chat with Showbiz after the launch, Nana Fynn said his 10-year involvement with the music industry had been challenging, but the desire to keep an appropriate legacy had kept him going.
According to him, there were times when he thought of quiting music due to issues like piracy, payola and the lack of adequate legislation to protect intellectual property. He attributed the decision to continue to encouragement from great friends like Willie Roy and Shasha Marley.
Santrofi is Nana Fynn’s sixth album. He has planned a nation-wide tour to promote the eight-track collection.
TOR MD SACKED...But workers say worries not over (LEAD STORY,DAILY GRAPHIC, THUR MAY 6, 2010)
Story: Rose Hayford Darko & Della Russel Ocloo
WORKERS of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) say the removal of Dr Kwame Ampofo as Managing Director of the refinery alone will not solve the problems of the ailing refinery.
They insisted that the action could only succeed if it was backed by a firm resolve not to use the refinery to process crude brought in by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
Dr Ampofo’s turbulent 11-month tenure in an acting capacity ended yesterday when he was dismissed from office and replaced with Mr Ato Ampiah, one-time Managing Director of GHAMOT.
A government statement signed by the Communications Director at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho, gave no reasons for the action, but in recent times workers of TOR have been agitating for the removal of Dr Ampofo, the management, the entire board of directors of the company, as well as the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, for various allegations, including incompetence and corruption.
Reacting to the change at the helm of affairs at the refinery, the workers said it had not altered their resolve to resist attempts to use the refinery to refine crude oil brought in by the GNPC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Tema, the Chairman of the TOR Workers Union, Mr Albert Pinto, said workers of the refinery were not happy with events at the plant and appealed to the President to “trickle down his action to the real problems of TOR and not personalities”.
He emphasised that workers would resist the new appointment if it was to impose on the workers a person who would yield to pressure from the GNPC to use the plant as a tolling place where it would refine crude and pay low rates.
The Secretary of the workers union, Mr Gideon Avorgbedor, explained that there had not been any communication to the workers on the removal of Dr Ampofo and his replacement.
He said on hearing the announcement on air, executive members of the union conferred among themselves to confirm if all the others had heard it.
Mr Avorgbedor noted that the workers were convinced that the President had taken steps to act on their calls but added that they felt it was not what they needed that had been done for them.
He stated that the workers were of the view that Dr Ampofo was not alone in implementing the decision to allow the GNPC to refine crude at the plant at GNPC’s own determined rate.
He said the workers would be ready to work with any one put in Dr Ampofo’s position but they would vehemently resist any attempt to give in to pressure from some “powers that be”.
Explaining why the workers were against the GNPC and its operations at the plant, Mr Avorgbedor said TOR was a profit- making company, as envisioned by Dr Kwame Nkrumah when he inaugurated the plant.
He said when the plant processed between 900 and one million barrels of crude in a month, it made a profit of between $7 and $9 million, but the GNPC 's contract was to yield lesser amounts to be determined also by the GNPC for TOR to do the same work.
At the time of the Daily Graphic’s visit to the premises, scores of workers were seen in groups discussing the latest development.
The Vice-Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of TOR, Mr Daniel Fugar, also told the Daily Graphic that dismissing Dr Ampofo had never been a core issue in the workers’ agitation and that rather the GNPC’s continuous exertion of influence had been the major headache the workers had been grappling with.
“If his dismissal was orchestrated owing to his resistance to the tolling arrangement, then the government’s continued preaching of rescuing the refinery is a failed initiative,” he said.
The capability to manage and direct affairs at the refinery by the former legislator, who assumed the hot seat in an acting capacity some 11 months ago, was constantly called into question in the wake of the unavailability of crude for the refinery to operate at full pegging.
Attempts to reach Dr Ampofo on the latest development proved futile, as his mobile phone had been switched off.
The workers who had in the past called for his removal recently renewed their call for the removal of Dr Oteng-Adjei for decreeing that the GNPC must be the only agency to supply crude oil to the refinery.
They also accused officials of the GNPC and its Board Chairman, Mr Ato Ahwoi, of using their influence with state powers to make the refinery a tolling facility, at the expense of the taxpaye
WORKERS of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) say the removal of Dr Kwame Ampofo as Managing Director of the refinery alone will not solve the problems of the ailing refinery.
They insisted that the action could only succeed if it was backed by a firm resolve not to use the refinery to process crude brought in by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
Dr Ampofo’s turbulent 11-month tenure in an acting capacity ended yesterday when he was dismissed from office and replaced with Mr Ato Ampiah, one-time Managing Director of GHAMOT.
A government statement signed by the Communications Director at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho, gave no reasons for the action, but in recent times workers of TOR have been agitating for the removal of Dr Ampofo, the management, the entire board of directors of the company, as well as the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, for various allegations, including incompetence and corruption.
Reacting to the change at the helm of affairs at the refinery, the workers said it had not altered their resolve to resist attempts to use the refinery to refine crude oil brought in by the GNPC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Tema, the Chairman of the TOR Workers Union, Mr Albert Pinto, said workers of the refinery were not happy with events at the plant and appealed to the President to “trickle down his action to the real problems of TOR and not personalities”.
He emphasised that workers would resist the new appointment if it was to impose on the workers a person who would yield to pressure from the GNPC to use the plant as a tolling place where it would refine crude and pay low rates.
The Secretary of the workers union, Mr Gideon Avorgbedor, explained that there had not been any communication to the workers on the removal of Dr Ampofo and his replacement.
He said on hearing the announcement on air, executive members of the union conferred among themselves to confirm if all the others had heard it.
Mr Avorgbedor noted that the workers were convinced that the President had taken steps to act on their calls but added that they felt it was not what they needed that had been done for them.
He stated that the workers were of the view that Dr Ampofo was not alone in implementing the decision to allow the GNPC to refine crude at the plant at GNPC’s own determined rate.
He said the workers would be ready to work with any one put in Dr Ampofo’s position but they would vehemently resist any attempt to give in to pressure from some “powers that be”.
Explaining why the workers were against the GNPC and its operations at the plant, Mr Avorgbedor said TOR was a profit- making company, as envisioned by Dr Kwame Nkrumah when he inaugurated the plant.
He said when the plant processed between 900 and one million barrels of crude in a month, it made a profit of between $7 and $9 million, but the GNPC 's contract was to yield lesser amounts to be determined also by the GNPC for TOR to do the same work.
At the time of the Daily Graphic’s visit to the premises, scores of workers were seen in groups discussing the latest development.
The Vice-Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of TOR, Mr Daniel Fugar, also told the Daily Graphic that dismissing Dr Ampofo had never been a core issue in the workers’ agitation and that rather the GNPC’s continuous exertion of influence had been the major headache the workers had been grappling with.
“If his dismissal was orchestrated owing to his resistance to the tolling arrangement, then the government’s continued preaching of rescuing the refinery is a failed initiative,” he said.
The capability to manage and direct affairs at the refinery by the former legislator, who assumed the hot seat in an acting capacity some 11 months ago, was constantly called into question in the wake of the unavailability of crude for the refinery to operate at full pegging.
Attempts to reach Dr Ampofo on the latest development proved futile, as his mobile phone had been switched off.
The workers who had in the past called for his removal recently renewed their call for the removal of Dr Oteng-Adjei for decreeing that the GNPC must be the only agency to supply crude oil to the refinery.
They also accused officials of the GNPC and its Board Chairman, Mr Ato Ahwoi, of using their influence with state powers to make the refinery a tolling facility, at the expense of the taxpaye
Sunday, May 2, 2010
CEO OF SAMBA FOODS WIN INTERNATIONAL AWARD (PAGE 23, APRIL 29, 2010)
THE immediate past Vice-President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and Chief Executive Officer of SAMBA Foods, Mrs Leticia Osafo-Addo, has been adjudged the overall winner of the 2009 edition of ‘Builders of the African Economy’ prize in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
She became the first Ghanaian to win the award, joining the likes of Sudanese business mogul, Dr Mo Ibrahim, Globacom’s Chief Executive, Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, a former Chief Executive Officer of the MTN Group, Phuthuma Nhleko, and Malian-born Cheick Modibo Diarra, the current chairman of Microsoft Africa.
The annual award, instituted in 2006 by Colombe Marketing and Communications, an Abidjan-based communications and advertising consultancy company, is an event which celebrates excellence and contributions made by Africa’s top businessmen and women in their chosen fields aimed at improving their economies.
This year’s edition also saw the organisers profiling personalities, institutions, businesses and their owners, as well as award winners in English and French magazines.
The new addition, according to the organising committee, was to promote African businesses beyond the borders of the continent.
The award, which was in recognition of Mrs Osafo-Addo’s continuous promotion of agri-business and food packaging to meet international acceptance, according to the committee, was a test case for small and medium-scale enterprises across the continent.
Mr Russel Lohore, a panel judge on the committee, indicated that agri-business under the small and medium enterprises on the continent had not grown to the levels expected owing to inadequate support from financial institutions, which had led to the closure of several firms whose owners had now turned to trade and commerce.
He said the case of SAMBA Foods went to reiterate a point that investing in the sector would enhance African countries’ desire to achieve a middle-income status.
Mrs Osafo-Addo, sharing her thoughts on the award with the Daily Graphic, challenged policy makers to develop clear policies and programmes that would boost agri-businesses in the country.
SAMBA, according to her, started as a micro initiative and had grown into a medium-scale enterprise, adding, “This is a clear case that if enough support is extended to small-scale enterprises, the country will make major in-roads towards the attainment of the middle-income status.
She expressed regret that successive governments had paid lip service to the sector, although the AGI and its stakeholders had, in the past, advocated that policy makers should identify measures which they would use to develop the country.
Mrs Osafo-Addo, who has in the past won the Danish Concept Award for SME Development, was also a winner of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) award in 2001, as well as the coveted African Business Woman of the Year award in 2005, the Dutch Fellowship Award for quality assurance in the Food Processing Enterprise in The Netherlands, among several other international awards.
The award winner, who is referred to as ‘Auntie Samba’ by most people, has also featured in business advocacy programmes in several media aimed at promoting agri-business and entrepreneurial development among the youth.
Mrs Osafo-Addo appealed to the government to provide regulations at the macro level that would motivate financial institutions which are major financiers of business projects to develop better relationships with the SMEs in complementing government’s efforts towards the country’s development.
Mrs Osafo-Addo holds a Master of Business Administration in Management Technology and Innovation from the Wangeningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands.
She also holds a Diploma in Assurance and Marketing in Food Processing from the same university.
The one-time board member of the Social Investment Fund currently serves as a member of the Advisory Panel of the African Guarantee Fund, the African Development Bank (AFDB) and the International Finance Corporation based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mrs Osafo-Addo, a former student of Technology Secondary School, now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) SHS, has over the years mentored young women in tertiary institutions and training colleges across the country in food processing and preservation.
She was not happy about the lack of finance, inadequate managerial skills and the lack of ready market for locally made products that continued to impede the growth of local industries.
She also expressed disappointment at the fact that although successive administrations preached the gospel of private-public sector partnership in the economy, the same entities were doing very little to rescue agro-based companies that ran into problems.
The SAMBA CEO noted that the resuscitation of her factory from a long slumber should serve as a test case for small-scale businesses and challenged managers of such entities to stand firm as they made efforts to promote the development of agri-business.
She also called for an intervention by the Ghana Standards Board, the Food and Drugs Board, the Food Science Department of the universities and other stakeholders in order to make black pepper (Shito) a national product that could be identified with Ghana when it was mentioned, just as Mercedes Benz is linked to Germany.
She paid tribute to her staff, whose encouragement and willing attributes, she said had contributed to the company’s success since its resuscitation and dedicated the award to the several women who had dominated the SME sector in the informal economy.
She said the award would be presented to the First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, hoping that it would serve as a motivation for other women entrepreneurs.
She became the first Ghanaian to win the award, joining the likes of Sudanese business mogul, Dr Mo Ibrahim, Globacom’s Chief Executive, Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, a former Chief Executive Officer of the MTN Group, Phuthuma Nhleko, and Malian-born Cheick Modibo Diarra, the current chairman of Microsoft Africa.
The annual award, instituted in 2006 by Colombe Marketing and Communications, an Abidjan-based communications and advertising consultancy company, is an event which celebrates excellence and contributions made by Africa’s top businessmen and women in their chosen fields aimed at improving their economies.
This year’s edition also saw the organisers profiling personalities, institutions, businesses and their owners, as well as award winners in English and French magazines.
The new addition, according to the organising committee, was to promote African businesses beyond the borders of the continent.
The award, which was in recognition of Mrs Osafo-Addo’s continuous promotion of agri-business and food packaging to meet international acceptance, according to the committee, was a test case for small and medium-scale enterprises across the continent.
Mr Russel Lohore, a panel judge on the committee, indicated that agri-business under the small and medium enterprises on the continent had not grown to the levels expected owing to inadequate support from financial institutions, which had led to the closure of several firms whose owners had now turned to trade and commerce.
He said the case of SAMBA Foods went to reiterate a point that investing in the sector would enhance African countries’ desire to achieve a middle-income status.
Mrs Osafo-Addo, sharing her thoughts on the award with the Daily Graphic, challenged policy makers to develop clear policies and programmes that would boost agri-businesses in the country.
SAMBA, according to her, started as a micro initiative and had grown into a medium-scale enterprise, adding, “This is a clear case that if enough support is extended to small-scale enterprises, the country will make major in-roads towards the attainment of the middle-income status.
She expressed regret that successive governments had paid lip service to the sector, although the AGI and its stakeholders had, in the past, advocated that policy makers should identify measures which they would use to develop the country.
Mrs Osafo-Addo, who has in the past won the Danish Concept Award for SME Development, was also a winner of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) award in 2001, as well as the coveted African Business Woman of the Year award in 2005, the Dutch Fellowship Award for quality assurance in the Food Processing Enterprise in The Netherlands, among several other international awards.
The award winner, who is referred to as ‘Auntie Samba’ by most people, has also featured in business advocacy programmes in several media aimed at promoting agri-business and entrepreneurial development among the youth.
Mrs Osafo-Addo appealed to the government to provide regulations at the macro level that would motivate financial institutions which are major financiers of business projects to develop better relationships with the SMEs in complementing government’s efforts towards the country’s development.
Mrs Osafo-Addo holds a Master of Business Administration in Management Technology and Innovation from the Wangeningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands.
She also holds a Diploma in Assurance and Marketing in Food Processing from the same university.
The one-time board member of the Social Investment Fund currently serves as a member of the Advisory Panel of the African Guarantee Fund, the African Development Bank (AFDB) and the International Finance Corporation based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mrs Osafo-Addo, a former student of Technology Secondary School, now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) SHS, has over the years mentored young women in tertiary institutions and training colleges across the country in food processing and preservation.
She was not happy about the lack of finance, inadequate managerial skills and the lack of ready market for locally made products that continued to impede the growth of local industries.
She also expressed disappointment at the fact that although successive administrations preached the gospel of private-public sector partnership in the economy, the same entities were doing very little to rescue agro-based companies that ran into problems.
The SAMBA CEO noted that the resuscitation of her factory from a long slumber should serve as a test case for small-scale businesses and challenged managers of such entities to stand firm as they made efforts to promote the development of agri-business.
She also called for an intervention by the Ghana Standards Board, the Food and Drugs Board, the Food Science Department of the universities and other stakeholders in order to make black pepper (Shito) a national product that could be identified with Ghana when it was mentioned, just as Mercedes Benz is linked to Germany.
She paid tribute to her staff, whose encouragement and willing attributes, she said had contributed to the company’s success since its resuscitation and dedicated the award to the several women who had dominated the SME sector in the informal economy.
She said the award would be presented to the First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, hoping that it would serve as a motivation for other women entrepreneurs.
FARMER GETS 20 YEARS FOR DEFILEMENT (MIRROR, PAGE 22, SAT MAY 1, 2010)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Ashaiman
A 22-year-old farmer, Nartey Adade, has been sentenced to a 20- year jail term by the Ashaiman Circuit Court presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah for defiling a 15 year-old deaf and dumb girl.
Nartey was alleged to have lured the victim into a nearby bush at Abonya, near Dodowa when the victim went to attend to the call of nature.
Prosecuting the case, Inspector Diana Sedame told the court that the victim was sent to a prayer camp at Abonya for healing, while the accused was a farmer in the community.
Ms Sedame said on February 3, 2010, the victim left the camp to attend to the call of nature but failed to return many hours after she sought permission to visit the facility, necessitating the deployment of a search party.
The prosecutor said the search party after combing the area for hours saw the victim lying in a nearby bush close to the latrine.She bleed profusely from her private part when she was found.
A complaint was therefore, lodged at the Dodowa police, who issued her a medical form after it was detected that she had been defiled.
The accused however, bolted from the community when news of the victim’s plight hit the town. Ms Sedame said the accused however, resurfaced soon after a gong-gong was beaten for the perpetrator of the act to come out.
He pleaded with the victim’s family for an amicable settlement of the case, offering to pay for the hospital expenses. He, however, went into hiding again when he got to know that the case was pending before the police who were investigating.
Nartey was arrested on March 24, 2010 from his hideout at Asutsuare by the community’s watchdog committee who saw him sleeping in a nearby bush close to three weeks and handed him over to the Dodowa branch of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) after he confessed and pleaded with the team for his release.
He admitted the offence in his caution statement and pleaded for leniency.
Mr Azumah, passing judgement, expressed regret at the high incidence of defilement and rape cases that continually flood the court on a daily basis, saying,“so long as men like you cannot keep your zipper closed to young girls, the court would also apply stringent measures to deter others from such heinous and inhumane acts”.
A 22-year-old farmer, Nartey Adade, has been sentenced to a 20- year jail term by the Ashaiman Circuit Court presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah for defiling a 15 year-old deaf and dumb girl.
Nartey was alleged to have lured the victim into a nearby bush at Abonya, near Dodowa when the victim went to attend to the call of nature.
Prosecuting the case, Inspector Diana Sedame told the court that the victim was sent to a prayer camp at Abonya for healing, while the accused was a farmer in the community.
Ms Sedame said on February 3, 2010, the victim left the camp to attend to the call of nature but failed to return many hours after she sought permission to visit the facility, necessitating the deployment of a search party.
The prosecutor said the search party after combing the area for hours saw the victim lying in a nearby bush close to the latrine.She bleed profusely from her private part when she was found.
A complaint was therefore, lodged at the Dodowa police, who issued her a medical form after it was detected that she had been defiled.
The accused however, bolted from the community when news of the victim’s plight hit the town. Ms Sedame said the accused however, resurfaced soon after a gong-gong was beaten for the perpetrator of the act to come out.
He pleaded with the victim’s family for an amicable settlement of the case, offering to pay for the hospital expenses. He, however, went into hiding again when he got to know that the case was pending before the police who were investigating.
Nartey was arrested on March 24, 2010 from his hideout at Asutsuare by the community’s watchdog committee who saw him sleeping in a nearby bush close to three weeks and handed him over to the Dodowa branch of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) after he confessed and pleaded with the team for his release.
He admitted the offence in his caution statement and pleaded for leniency.
Mr Azumah, passing judgement, expressed regret at the high incidence of defilement and rape cases that continually flood the court on a daily basis, saying,“so long as men like you cannot keep your zipper closed to young girls, the court would also apply stringent measures to deter others from such heinous and inhumane acts”.
MAN, 30, DEFILES GIRL, 15 (MIRROR, PAGE 19, SAT MAY 1, 2010)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Ashaiman
THE Ashaiman Circuit Court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 15-year-old pupil in Tema.
Alhassan Mohammed, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement contrary to section 101(1) Act 29 of 1960, was however, found guilty by the court presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah.
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Enyonam Klu, told the court that the complainant in the case, Ms Mary Fletcher sent the victim to her sister on February 2, 2010.
ASP Klu said two days later, whilst on the way to school, Mohammed stopped and sent her to buy something for him in the neighbourhood.
She said Mohammed lured the victim into his room upon her return from the errand, detained and sexually assaulted her for three days and warned her not to reveal her ordeal to anyone as she would die if she does so.
The victim however, confessed to her mother upon interrogation, leading to the arrest of Mohammed, who admitted sleeping in the same room with the girl but denied abusing her in his caution statement.
A medical examination carried out on the victim at the Tema General Hospital confirmed a broken hymen, establishing that the victim was defiled.
Justice Azumah, passing judgement expressed regret at the increasing number of defilement cases at the courts and warned of stiffer punishment to such perpetrators.
The convict however, sent the court sprawling with laughter when he pleaded with the judge to rather kill him in place of the jail term.
THE Ashaiman Circuit Court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 15-year-old pupil in Tema.
Alhassan Mohammed, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement contrary to section 101(1) Act 29 of 1960, was however, found guilty by the court presided over by Justice Seyram Yao Azumah.
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Enyonam Klu, told the court that the complainant in the case, Ms Mary Fletcher sent the victim to her sister on February 2, 2010.
ASP Klu said two days later, whilst on the way to school, Mohammed stopped and sent her to buy something for him in the neighbourhood.
She said Mohammed lured the victim into his room upon her return from the errand, detained and sexually assaulted her for three days and warned her not to reveal her ordeal to anyone as she would die if she does so.
The victim however, confessed to her mother upon interrogation, leading to the arrest of Mohammed, who admitted sleeping in the same room with the girl but denied abusing her in his caution statement.
A medical examination carried out on the victim at the Tema General Hospital confirmed a broken hymen, establishing that the victim was defiled.
Justice Azumah, passing judgement expressed regret at the increasing number of defilement cases at the courts and warned of stiffer punishment to such perpetrators.
The convict however, sent the court sprawling with laughter when he pleaded with the judge to rather kill him in place of the jail term.
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