THE Police administration intends to intensify motorised and foot patrols in various towns and suburbs in the coming Christmas and New Year season.
As such, the joint police/military patrols, dubbed “Operation Calm Life”, which was re-invigorated through a joint training exercise, would be expanded to ensure regular patrols throughout the Yuletide.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, disclosed this at the inauguration of a new police station at the EMEFS Estate at Mataheko, near Afienya in the Dangme East District in the Greater Accra Region.
According to him, the concept of the community policing, where the police work hand in hand with inhabitants using local knowledge and resources, was being revised for the provision of security across all jurisdictions.
“It is in this light that we have entered into negotiations with our international partners to develop an all-inclusive programme that would serve the security needs of our communities,” Mr Quaye stated.
The project was constructed by EMEFS Construction Limited at the cost of GH¢426,000.
The new police station has, among other features, a charge office, male and female cells, and offices for both the station officer and the resident CID head, a multi-purpose hall with a seating capacity of 20, as well as residential facility to accommodate 12 personnel.
A double cabin pick-up valued at GH¢20,000 was also provided to personnel to facilitate the transportation needs of the station.
“The amount, although colossal, if compared to the services that will be rendered from the building, is an investment that is worth undertaking,” Mr Quaye said.
The IGP bemoaned the state of policing in the Greater Accra Region in view of the rapid developments of new and unplanned suburbs.
While commending the management of EMEFS for providing the facility, Mr Quaye called for the promulgation of a legislation that would ensure that estate developers incorporate the provision of police posts in their design before permits were issued to them for construction works.
The General manager of EMEFS Construction Limited, Mr Enoch Entsuah-Mensah, said the company’s decision to put up the post was informed by incidents of car-snatching along the Tema-Akosombo highway, where the estates are located.
The chairman of the residents association, Mr Francis Dadzie, charged districts, municipal and metropolitan assemblies to ensure the incorporation of security posts, as well as fire stations, in major development projects within their catchment areas.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Tema Regional Police Commander, ACP Augustine Gyening, expressed concern about the increasing rate of road accidents in the jurisdiction.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
BOY, 10, DROWNS RESCUING A SHEEP (1B, OCT 28, 2010)
Story: Rose Hayford Darko & Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
A 10-year-old boy, Anas Malik, got drowned in a reservoir belonging to the Ghana Water Company Limited near the Tema Secondary School (TEMASCO) when he attempted to rescue a sheep that had been trapped in it.
The incident, according to eyewitnesses, occurred about 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday when the boy jumped into the reservoir filled with water after the stray animal had fallen into it.
Anas Malik, a Class Four pupil of the Anglican School at Tema Community One, was said to be playing on the nearby children’s park when the incident occurred.
His body, together with the dead animal, was retrieved from the reservoir by officials of the Ghana National Fire Service about 7 a.m. yesterday.
The Crime Officer of the Community One Police Station, DSP Reynolds Manteaw, who confirmed the incident, said the body had been released to the family for burial, in accordance with Islamic tradition, after an autopsy had been conducted on it at the Tema General Hospital.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Bawa Ustarz, the boy’s guardian, said his nephew had gone to the Tema Children’s Park to play after returning from school.
According to him, the family became alarmed when, around 10 p.m., he had still not returned home, prompting them to file a complaint at the police station after a search party had fruitlessly combed the entire community looking for him.
Mr Bawa said the search team continued to search around the children’s park and its surrounding communities for Anas on Wednesday morning, during which they were informed of a body lying in the reservoir.
He said a close examination by family members among the search team revealed the body to be that of the deceased.
The Assembly Member for the Padmore Electoral Area, Mr Asumah Mohammed Danladi, indicated that the latest drowning was the third in two years, with two children aged 9 and 11 also having got drowned in the same reservoir.
“Several vehicles have also fallen into the trench which has been left uncovered over the last 35 years, resulting in fatal accidents,” he lamented.
Mr Danladi appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Department of Urban Roads to, as a matter of urgency, cover the trench along the stretch to avert future disasters.
A 10-year-old boy, Anas Malik, got drowned in a reservoir belonging to the Ghana Water Company Limited near the Tema Secondary School (TEMASCO) when he attempted to rescue a sheep that had been trapped in it.
The incident, according to eyewitnesses, occurred about 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday when the boy jumped into the reservoir filled with water after the stray animal had fallen into it.
Anas Malik, a Class Four pupil of the Anglican School at Tema Community One, was said to be playing on the nearby children’s park when the incident occurred.
His body, together with the dead animal, was retrieved from the reservoir by officials of the Ghana National Fire Service about 7 a.m. yesterday.
The Crime Officer of the Community One Police Station, DSP Reynolds Manteaw, who confirmed the incident, said the body had been released to the family for burial, in accordance with Islamic tradition, after an autopsy had been conducted on it at the Tema General Hospital.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Bawa Ustarz, the boy’s guardian, said his nephew had gone to the Tema Children’s Park to play after returning from school.
According to him, the family became alarmed when, around 10 p.m., he had still not returned home, prompting them to file a complaint at the police station after a search party had fruitlessly combed the entire community looking for him.
Mr Bawa said the search team continued to search around the children’s park and its surrounding communities for Anas on Wednesday morning, during which they were informed of a body lying in the reservoir.
He said a close examination by family members among the search team revealed the body to be that of the deceased.
The Assembly Member for the Padmore Electoral Area, Mr Asumah Mohammed Danladi, indicated that the latest drowning was the third in two years, with two children aged 9 and 11 also having got drowned in the same reservoir.
“Several vehicles have also fallen into the trench which has been left uncovered over the last 35 years, resulting in fatal accidents,” he lamented.
Mr Danladi appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Department of Urban Roads to, as a matter of urgency, cover the trench along the stretch to avert future disasters.
Monday, October 25, 2010
NRSC AIMS AT SINGLE DIGIT ACCIDENT FATALITY RATE (PAGE 23, OCT 23, 2010)
THE National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is working towards achieving a single digit accident fatality rate per 10,000 vehicles by 2015.
The commission believes that the attainment of the single digit will go a long way to improve tourism revenue which has been on the decline owing to the high incidence of road accidents, thus reducing patronage of tourist sites across the country.
Launching the national axle load campaign programme in Tema,the Executive Director of the commission, Mr Noble Appiah, expressed worry at media reports of Ghana being among the list of worst accident prone countries in the world.
According to him, the selection of the country in 2006 by the World Bank as a model for best practice in road safety regulations clearly demonstrated the country’s safety commitment.
The programme, which seeks to enforce axle load limits at various weigh bridges aimed at discouraging incidence of overloading and other road associated risks, is being supported by the European Union (EU).
Mr Appiah said that the United States alone recorded about 40,000 road deaths annually.
He said Russia alone recorded 25,000 deaths every year, which were far higher than 14,000 car crashes with 2,000 deaths being recorded in Ghana.
“Ghana has the institutional capacity for better management of road safety but lack of commitment and passion from politicians, policy makers and engineers are thwarting efforts aimed at improving transport and its infrastructure,” Mr Appiah stated.
He also expressed worry at low remuneration of drivers, thus compelling them to engage in overloading and other illegal activities to survive, and charged transport owners and institutions to redefine welfare packages and incentives for drivers.
Mr Appiah also announced that the NRSC’s new transport regulations which were before cabinet would see the employment of stringent measures where persons wishing to operate transport businesses must belong to associations.
While commending the EU for releasing GH¢ 50,000 for the commencement of the campaign, Mr Appiah charged stakeholder institutions to complement the commission’s efforts towards ensuring the regulations that would effectively prolong the life-span of road infrastructure in the country.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, said his ministry in collaboration with the Ghana Highway Authority, the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would utilise weigh bridge registration of trucks.
He said seven high speed weight-in-motion sensors had been installed on some major trunk roads to enable stakeholders to obtain accurate statistics on overloading.
Mr Gidisu also announced that his ministry in partnership with its development partners was in the process of installing intelligent monitoring systems to address corruption at axle load check points.
He lamented the Road Traffic Act, Act 684 which prohibits the imposition of fines proportional to overload, thus giving haulers a fair advantage to maximise overload and pay meagre fines to the detriment of the road.
Mr Hammah also announced that the government was considering a new legislative instrument on axle load to effectively control overloading, which would considerably reduce the life-span of roads.
The Secretary of the Ghana Haulage Drivers Association, Mr Mohammed Ghani, called for an interception between the policy framework and operation.
According to him, the government ought to sensitise artisans involved in the construction of trailers at the Suame Magazine on the need to use lighter materials that met specifications.
That, he said, would also minimise pressure on the roads since tonnage of goods would meet the roads requirement.
The Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinator of the NRSC, Assistant Commissioner of Police (retd) Victor Tandoh also called for the erection of mobile axle load points on transit routes across the board.
The commission believes that the attainment of the single digit will go a long way to improve tourism revenue which has been on the decline owing to the high incidence of road accidents, thus reducing patronage of tourist sites across the country.
Launching the national axle load campaign programme in Tema,the Executive Director of the commission, Mr Noble Appiah, expressed worry at media reports of Ghana being among the list of worst accident prone countries in the world.
According to him, the selection of the country in 2006 by the World Bank as a model for best practice in road safety regulations clearly demonstrated the country’s safety commitment.
The programme, which seeks to enforce axle load limits at various weigh bridges aimed at discouraging incidence of overloading and other road associated risks, is being supported by the European Union (EU).
Mr Appiah said that the United States alone recorded about 40,000 road deaths annually.
He said Russia alone recorded 25,000 deaths every year, which were far higher than 14,000 car crashes with 2,000 deaths being recorded in Ghana.
“Ghana has the institutional capacity for better management of road safety but lack of commitment and passion from politicians, policy makers and engineers are thwarting efforts aimed at improving transport and its infrastructure,” Mr Appiah stated.
He also expressed worry at low remuneration of drivers, thus compelling them to engage in overloading and other illegal activities to survive, and charged transport owners and institutions to redefine welfare packages and incentives for drivers.
Mr Appiah also announced that the NRSC’s new transport regulations which were before cabinet would see the employment of stringent measures where persons wishing to operate transport businesses must belong to associations.
While commending the EU for releasing GH¢ 50,000 for the commencement of the campaign, Mr Appiah charged stakeholder institutions to complement the commission’s efforts towards ensuring the regulations that would effectively prolong the life-span of road infrastructure in the country.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, said his ministry in collaboration with the Ghana Highway Authority, the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would utilise weigh bridge registration of trucks.
He said seven high speed weight-in-motion sensors had been installed on some major trunk roads to enable stakeholders to obtain accurate statistics on overloading.
Mr Gidisu also announced that his ministry in partnership with its development partners was in the process of installing intelligent monitoring systems to address corruption at axle load check points.
He lamented the Road Traffic Act, Act 684 which prohibits the imposition of fines proportional to overload, thus giving haulers a fair advantage to maximise overload and pay meagre fines to the detriment of the road.
Mr Hammah also announced that the government was considering a new legislative instrument on axle load to effectively control overloading, which would considerably reduce the life-span of roads.
The Secretary of the Ghana Haulage Drivers Association, Mr Mohammed Ghani, called for an interception between the policy framework and operation.
According to him, the government ought to sensitise artisans involved in the construction of trailers at the Suame Magazine on the need to use lighter materials that met specifications.
That, he said, would also minimise pressure on the roads since tonnage of goods would meet the roads requirement.
The Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinator of the NRSC, Assistant Commissioner of Police (retd) Victor Tandoh also called for the erection of mobile axle load points on transit routes across the board.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
DEVELOP THE HABIT OF SAVINGS — TORKORNO (PAGE 29, OCT 19, 2010)
THE Head of Asset Management at UT Bank, Mr Cephas Torkorno, has challenged the youth to develop the habit of savings.
According to him, putting away little resources at present will enable them meet future expectations in order not to be dependent on others for basic necessities.
Mr Torkorno made the call at the 12th biennial delegates’ conference of the Guild of the Servant of the Sanctuary Anglican Accra Diocese . The programme was on the theme: “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly”.
Sharing his experiences with the youth group, Mr Torkorno said the investments they made now would determine the kind of future they would build as individuals.
Officials of the Ecobank Development Corporation (EDC), who made presentations to the delegates on investment tips and financial independence, encouraged them to embrace the company’s iFund investment scheme.
Mr Jeffrey Baiden and Nii Lantei Lamptey, both investment officers with EDC took participants through the lecture and pointed out that contributing to such mutual funds would enhance individual financial stability.
Mr Baiden stated that the performance of the iFund in 2009 was impressive with a record returns of 27 per cent, making the fund one of the safest and highest yielding in the country.
The Archdeacon of the Accra North Diocese, Venerable Joseph Lamptey, charged members of the society to be humble as they strove to posses their heavenly inheritance.
He also charged participants to embrace the investment idea mooted by executives as insurance to sustain the future.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the outgoing Director of the guild, Mr Emmanuel Markwei, announced that work on the society’s two-storey secretariat at the Mataheko TT Cluster of Schools was near completion.
He said the project, estimated at GH¢100,000, would house a permanent office for the guild, a bookshop and a resource centre.
He charged the incoming executives to provide quality service that would develop the guild. Mr Markwei also entreated them to make the completion of work on the secretariat a priority.
Delegates later elected Messrs Michael Buckman and Cecil Nortey as Director and Deputy Director respectively, for a two-year term.
Other elected executives included: Gillian Addo, Secretary; Jemima Aryee, Assistant Secretary, and Daniel Amissah as Treasurer.
According to him, putting away little resources at present will enable them meet future expectations in order not to be dependent on others for basic necessities.
Mr Torkorno made the call at the 12th biennial delegates’ conference of the Guild of the Servant of the Sanctuary Anglican Accra Diocese . The programme was on the theme: “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly”.
Sharing his experiences with the youth group, Mr Torkorno said the investments they made now would determine the kind of future they would build as individuals.
Officials of the Ecobank Development Corporation (EDC), who made presentations to the delegates on investment tips and financial independence, encouraged them to embrace the company’s iFund investment scheme.
Mr Jeffrey Baiden and Nii Lantei Lamptey, both investment officers with EDC took participants through the lecture and pointed out that contributing to such mutual funds would enhance individual financial stability.
Mr Baiden stated that the performance of the iFund in 2009 was impressive with a record returns of 27 per cent, making the fund one of the safest and highest yielding in the country.
The Archdeacon of the Accra North Diocese, Venerable Joseph Lamptey, charged members of the society to be humble as they strove to posses their heavenly inheritance.
He also charged participants to embrace the investment idea mooted by executives as insurance to sustain the future.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the outgoing Director of the guild, Mr Emmanuel Markwei, announced that work on the society’s two-storey secretariat at the Mataheko TT Cluster of Schools was near completion.
He said the project, estimated at GH¢100,000, would house a permanent office for the guild, a bookshop and a resource centre.
He charged the incoming executives to provide quality service that would develop the guild. Mr Markwei also entreated them to make the completion of work on the secretariat a priority.
Delegates later elected Messrs Michael Buckman and Cecil Nortey as Director and Deputy Director respectively, for a two-year term.
Other elected executives included: Gillian Addo, Secretary; Jemima Aryee, Assistant Secretary, and Daniel Amissah as Treasurer.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Execution of housing project...STX GETS SET ...Offloads equipment at Tema Port (LEAD STORY, OCT 18, 2010)
A SHIP loaded with equipment belonging to the STX Korea Group has arrived at the Tema Port, lending credence to reports that the government’s STX Housing Project is in the process of being executed.
The vessel, Korean RoRo STX Chang-Xing Rose, offloaded 458 assorted items, including tipper trucks, construction equipment, saloon vehicles, excavators, fork-lifts, Hyundai 4X4 vehicles and bulldozers.
The STX Korea Group owns the STX Engineering and Construction firm which has been engaged by the government to construct some 200,000 housing units in the country.
The arrival of the equipment comes ahead of the growing optimism that the legal bottlenecks would be cleared for the government and STX Engineering and Construction of Korea to sign the deal to pave the way for the execution of the project soon.
On September 20, 2010, the ceremony at the Castle, Osu for the Korean firm and the government to sign the deal on the project was rescheduled because some anomalies were detected in the deal, which required that the issues be referred to the Attorney General and Minister for Justice for fine-tuning.
Officials on board the vessel could not explain whether the unloaded cargo was to be used for the STX housing project being undertaken by its local representatives, because the government and its associates were yet to seal the deal for work to begin.
The captain of the vessel, Choe Chargbik, was evasive on the issue when approached by the Daily Graphic, while personnel of local shipping agent, Hull Blyth, were also tight-lipped on the issue.
Although widespread speculations within the port suggested that the items were meant for the STX housing project, officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would also not comment.
The Public Relations Manager of the Tema Port, Mrs Esther Gyebi Donkor, said the Authority might not know the ultimate purpose of the cargo since port officials were not directly involved in the business.
The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Bissiw, when contacted on the telephone, denied suggestions the cargo of the vessel was meant for the housing project that had generated heated controversy in the country.
She said the arrival of the vessel and its cargo were news to her, as neither the ministry nor the government was aware of the vessel’s presence in the country.
Caption: The cargo of the vessel being unloaded at Berth 11 inside the Tema Port.
IX: DELLA RUSSEL OCLOO
The vessel, Korean RoRo STX Chang-Xing Rose, offloaded 458 assorted items, including tipper trucks, construction equipment, saloon vehicles, excavators, fork-lifts, Hyundai 4X4 vehicles and bulldozers.
The STX Korea Group owns the STX Engineering and Construction firm which has been engaged by the government to construct some 200,000 housing units in the country.
The arrival of the equipment comes ahead of the growing optimism that the legal bottlenecks would be cleared for the government and STX Engineering and Construction of Korea to sign the deal to pave the way for the execution of the project soon.
On September 20, 2010, the ceremony at the Castle, Osu for the Korean firm and the government to sign the deal on the project was rescheduled because some anomalies were detected in the deal, which required that the issues be referred to the Attorney General and Minister for Justice for fine-tuning.
Officials on board the vessel could not explain whether the unloaded cargo was to be used for the STX housing project being undertaken by its local representatives, because the government and its associates were yet to seal the deal for work to begin.
The captain of the vessel, Choe Chargbik, was evasive on the issue when approached by the Daily Graphic, while personnel of local shipping agent, Hull Blyth, were also tight-lipped on the issue.
Although widespread speculations within the port suggested that the items were meant for the STX housing project, officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would also not comment.
The Public Relations Manager of the Tema Port, Mrs Esther Gyebi Donkor, said the Authority might not know the ultimate purpose of the cargo since port officials were not directly involved in the business.
The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Bissiw, when contacted on the telephone, denied suggestions the cargo of the vessel was meant for the housing project that had generated heated controversy in the country.
She said the arrival of the vessel and its cargo were news to her, as neither the ministry nor the government was aware of the vessel’s presence in the country.
Caption: The cargo of the vessel being unloaded at Berth 11 inside the Tema Port.
IX: DELLA RUSSEL OCLOO
Friday, October 15, 2010
POLICEMEN CHARGED FOR THEFT (PAGE 27, MIRROR, OCT 16, 2010)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
FIVE policemen who are standing trial at the Tema Circuit Court for their role in the disappearance of 8000 bags of sugar they intercepted on the Tema Motorway in January, this year are to reappear on October 20, 2010 to open defence in the case in which they have been charged for conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.
Lance Corporal Joseph Tetteh Okoso, L/Cpl Kingsford Kabanyi of Ashaiman Police Station, L/Cpl Anthony Owusu, Francis Yirenkyi and Edem Kuleosi of Teshie Police Station and Inspector (rtd) Michael Amematsro were said to have arrested the driver and the articulated truck carting the products at the Ashaiman overhead bridge on the motorway.
A seventh person, identified only as an official of the Immigration Service of Ghana, is said to be at large.
Prosecuting the case, Chief Inspector Adolphus Otchere told the court, presided over by Justice Lorenda Owusu, that the accused persons on January 18, this year at about 8 p.m. intercepted a truck load of sugar enroute to Kumasi and arrested the driver, Stephen Boadu near the overhead bridge.
The accused persons, according to the prosecutor, told the driver he was being sent to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Accra for questioning after forcing him out of the truck.
Chief Inspector Otchere said the men took the driver to the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout where they demanded money from him although he pleaded with them to return him to the vehicle to enable him lock it up.
He stated that the policemen drove back to the Tema end of the motorway, turned and headed back to the Accra end where they later abandoned the driver at the cattle underpass bridge near the Adjei-Kojo junction after they were able to extort an amount of GH¢10 which was in his possession at the time of his arrest.
The prosecutor said the driver later picked a taxi to the spot where the vehicle was abandoned but realised to his dismay that the truck and its content had disappeared.
He then lodged a complaint at the Ashaiman Police station, which led to the arrest of L/Cl Kabanyi, whose vehicle was allegedly used on the night of the operation.
FIVE policemen who are standing trial at the Tema Circuit Court for their role in the disappearance of 8000 bags of sugar they intercepted on the Tema Motorway in January, this year are to reappear on October 20, 2010 to open defence in the case in which they have been charged for conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.
Lance Corporal Joseph Tetteh Okoso, L/Cpl Kingsford Kabanyi of Ashaiman Police Station, L/Cpl Anthony Owusu, Francis Yirenkyi and Edem Kuleosi of Teshie Police Station and Inspector (rtd) Michael Amematsro were said to have arrested the driver and the articulated truck carting the products at the Ashaiman overhead bridge on the motorway.
A seventh person, identified only as an official of the Immigration Service of Ghana, is said to be at large.
Prosecuting the case, Chief Inspector Adolphus Otchere told the court, presided over by Justice Lorenda Owusu, that the accused persons on January 18, this year at about 8 p.m. intercepted a truck load of sugar enroute to Kumasi and arrested the driver, Stephen Boadu near the overhead bridge.
The accused persons, according to the prosecutor, told the driver he was being sent to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Accra for questioning after forcing him out of the truck.
Chief Inspector Otchere said the men took the driver to the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout where they demanded money from him although he pleaded with them to return him to the vehicle to enable him lock it up.
He stated that the policemen drove back to the Tema end of the motorway, turned and headed back to the Accra end where they later abandoned the driver at the cattle underpass bridge near the Adjei-Kojo junction after they were able to extort an amount of GH¢10 which was in his possession at the time of his arrest.
The prosecutor said the driver later picked a taxi to the spot where the vehicle was abandoned but realised to his dismay that the truck and its content had disappeared.
He then lodged a complaint at the Ashaiman Police station, which led to the arrest of L/Cl Kabanyi, whose vehicle was allegedly used on the night of the operation.
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Tema New Town riots...28 GRANTED BAIL (OCT 7, 2010)
TWENTY-EIGHT suspects who were remanded in custody by the Ashaiman Circuit Court in connection with violent outbursts at Tema Newtown early last month have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 each with two sureties.
They are Nii Adjei Kraku, George Bruce, Charles Kwame Essel, Paa Kwesi, Kwame Ayiah, Isaac Tawiah, Vincent Agya Kally, Robert Oppong, Kwadwo Mensah and Isaac Nana Essuman.
Others are Mark Addo, Ato Kwame, Ashietey Larbi, Emmanuel Ansah, Ekow Mensah, Mensah Brabba, Daniel Mahama Martey, Kwesi Ansah, Kwamena Anso Nyamekye and Theophilus Boakye.
The rest are Isaac Armah, Jonathan Klottey, Tetteh Elvis, Nii Tetteh Kwamena, Adjei Quaye, Adjei Tawiah, John Nketiah and James Koranteng.
They all pleaded not guilty to three counts of rioting, assault on public officers and causing damage to property running into millions of Ghana cedis.
Three juveniles, James Koranteng, Isaac Amarh and Kofi Annan, who were granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties each to be justified at the first hearing were, however, absent from court, prompting the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ms Enyonam Klu, to pray the court for a bench warrant for their arrest.
Rischter Nii Armah Amarfio, the 2008 CPP parliamentary candidate for Tema East, who was alleged to have spearheaded the attack, had, however, been granted bail by the Accra High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist.
That followed an application for bail filed by his counsel, Mr Tuinese Amuzu, for his release after the Ashaiman Circuit Court had refused an earlier application for bail.
The suspects are to re-appear on October 27, 2010.
Presenting the facts of the case, Ms Klu told the court that the suspects were among some irate youth who went on rampage on September 17, 2010 at the Tema Fishing Harbour and attacked officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) who were on duty at the Toa yard which had been leased out to a private developer for the construction of a palm oil refinery.
She said the group, wielding guns, machetes and other dangerous implements, set ablaze three offices belonging to the GPHA, a bulldozer estimated at $285,000 and a Nissan pick-up valued at $14,000.
The accused persons, she said, also ransacked the offices of the Tema Traditional Council, where they vandalised the palace, smashed glass doors and burnt two pick-ups and a Toyota 4Runner belonging to the council.
She said not satisfied, the group also raided the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) sub-metro office located in the community and made away with an undisclosed amount of money after destroying computer accessories and other office furnishings.
Ms Klu said the group later raided the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) prepaid vending station also in the community and destroyed office equipment.
A team of defence counsel, led by Mr Adomako Acheampong, moved an application for bail for the accused persons.
According to Mr Acheampong, the reference of the accused persons by the prosecution as a mob where names of individuals were not mentioned as orchestrators of the September 17th violent attacks clearly demonstrated the innocence of the accused.
They are Nii Adjei Kraku, George Bruce, Charles Kwame Essel, Paa Kwesi, Kwame Ayiah, Isaac Tawiah, Vincent Agya Kally, Robert Oppong, Kwadwo Mensah and Isaac Nana Essuman.
Others are Mark Addo, Ato Kwame, Ashietey Larbi, Emmanuel Ansah, Ekow Mensah, Mensah Brabba, Daniel Mahama Martey, Kwesi Ansah, Kwamena Anso Nyamekye and Theophilus Boakye.
The rest are Isaac Armah, Jonathan Klottey, Tetteh Elvis, Nii Tetteh Kwamena, Adjei Quaye, Adjei Tawiah, John Nketiah and James Koranteng.
They all pleaded not guilty to three counts of rioting, assault on public officers and causing damage to property running into millions of Ghana cedis.
Three juveniles, James Koranteng, Isaac Amarh and Kofi Annan, who were granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties each to be justified at the first hearing were, however, absent from court, prompting the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ms Enyonam Klu, to pray the court for a bench warrant for their arrest.
Rischter Nii Armah Amarfio, the 2008 CPP parliamentary candidate for Tema East, who was alleged to have spearheaded the attack, had, however, been granted bail by the Accra High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist.
That followed an application for bail filed by his counsel, Mr Tuinese Amuzu, for his release after the Ashaiman Circuit Court had refused an earlier application for bail.
The suspects are to re-appear on October 27, 2010.
Presenting the facts of the case, Ms Klu told the court that the suspects were among some irate youth who went on rampage on September 17, 2010 at the Tema Fishing Harbour and attacked officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) who were on duty at the Toa yard which had been leased out to a private developer for the construction of a palm oil refinery.
She said the group, wielding guns, machetes and other dangerous implements, set ablaze three offices belonging to the GPHA, a bulldozer estimated at $285,000 and a Nissan pick-up valued at $14,000.
The accused persons, she said, also ransacked the offices of the Tema Traditional Council, where they vandalised the palace, smashed glass doors and burnt two pick-ups and a Toyota 4Runner belonging to the council.
She said not satisfied, the group also raided the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) sub-metro office located in the community and made away with an undisclosed amount of money after destroying computer accessories and other office furnishings.
Ms Klu said the group later raided the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) prepaid vending station also in the community and destroyed office equipment.
A team of defence counsel, led by Mr Adomako Acheampong, moved an application for bail for the accused persons.
According to Mr Acheampong, the reference of the accused persons by the prosecution as a mob where names of individuals were not mentioned as orchestrators of the September 17th violent attacks clearly demonstrated the innocence of the accused.
Monday, October 4, 2010
TASK FORCE DESTROYS FAKE TEXTILE PRINTS (SPREAD, OCT 4, 2010)
THE Ministry of Trade and Industries (MoTI) has sent its strongest warning yet to dealers in illegal textiles, by publicly destroying 391 pieces of counterfeit wax prints smuggled into the country.
The action was undertaken in Tema last Friday by a task force, made up of officials of the ministry, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) and the Ghana Police Service.
It was the first such public wax print destruction to be undertaken by the task force, which was established earlier this year with a mandate to monitor the movement of smuggled fabrics, target relevant warehouses and seize for destruction pirated and smuggled textile prints to deter the dealers and others who may be tempted to deal in such goods.
A representative of the ministry who briefed newsmen at the site said the action was a warning to all dealers that the ministry was determined to destroy the illicit trade and salvage the local textile industry.
The fake wax prints, alleged to have been smuggled into the country mostly from China and labelled with the logo and trademarks of the three local major textile companies, namely Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL), Textiles Ghana Limited (GTP) and Printex Limited, were set ablaze at the Kpone Landfill Site.
Representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), the Ghana Textiles Manufacturers and Importers (GTMI) and the Textiles, Garment and Leather Workers Union (TEGLEU) were also present at the site.
The Acting Director of Import and Export at the Ministry of Trade and Chairman of the task force, Mr Appiah Donyina, lamented that the industry, which formerly employed more than 30,000 workers, currently employed only 3000, signifying the government’s loss of revenue from the sector and significant job losses in the cotton and textile industries.
According to him, the pirated designs, said to have originated from China, were substandard and constituted dumping, which destroys local textile industries.
“The pirated designs, apart from being substandard and inferior, are also a menace to users as chemical components used in their production pose major health risks to consumers,” Mr Donyina stated.
The Head of Destination Inspection at the GSB, Mr Prince Arthur, said the wax prints contained over 28 banned chemicals that were not allowed in textile manufacturing the world over owing to their ability to cause skin cancer and other skin diseases in the event of usage.
The General Secretary of the TEGLEU, Mr Abraham Koomson, lamented the apathy displayed by the public towards the government’s efforts to stop the illegal trade in pirated prints.
That, he stated, was impacting negatively on the economy.
He said TEGLEU had, since 1990, been advocating consistent and effective national policies to protect the country’s textile industry.
The importation of cheap pirated designs into the local market was a major contributory factor to graduate unemployment among industry players some of whom have folded up and are engaged in commerce,” Mr Koomson said.
He noted that the dwindling fortunes of the country’s once vibrant cotton industry, coupled with recent agitation among producers, was a clear indication of the gloomy future the industry faced if stringent measures were not enforced to protect it from total collapse.
He challenged policy makers to join TEGLEU in the war against the smuggling of pirated wax prints into the country, while developing programmes that would boost the textile and manufacturing industry in the country.
The action was undertaken in Tema last Friday by a task force, made up of officials of the ministry, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) and the Ghana Police Service.
It was the first such public wax print destruction to be undertaken by the task force, which was established earlier this year with a mandate to monitor the movement of smuggled fabrics, target relevant warehouses and seize for destruction pirated and smuggled textile prints to deter the dealers and others who may be tempted to deal in such goods.
A representative of the ministry who briefed newsmen at the site said the action was a warning to all dealers that the ministry was determined to destroy the illicit trade and salvage the local textile industry.
The fake wax prints, alleged to have been smuggled into the country mostly from China and labelled with the logo and trademarks of the three local major textile companies, namely Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL), Textiles Ghana Limited (GTP) and Printex Limited, were set ablaze at the Kpone Landfill Site.
Representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), the Ghana Textiles Manufacturers and Importers (GTMI) and the Textiles, Garment and Leather Workers Union (TEGLEU) were also present at the site.
The Acting Director of Import and Export at the Ministry of Trade and Chairman of the task force, Mr Appiah Donyina, lamented that the industry, which formerly employed more than 30,000 workers, currently employed only 3000, signifying the government’s loss of revenue from the sector and significant job losses in the cotton and textile industries.
According to him, the pirated designs, said to have originated from China, were substandard and constituted dumping, which destroys local textile industries.
“The pirated designs, apart from being substandard and inferior, are also a menace to users as chemical components used in their production pose major health risks to consumers,” Mr Donyina stated.
The Head of Destination Inspection at the GSB, Mr Prince Arthur, said the wax prints contained over 28 banned chemicals that were not allowed in textile manufacturing the world over owing to their ability to cause skin cancer and other skin diseases in the event of usage.
The General Secretary of the TEGLEU, Mr Abraham Koomson, lamented the apathy displayed by the public towards the government’s efforts to stop the illegal trade in pirated prints.
That, he stated, was impacting negatively on the economy.
He said TEGLEU had, since 1990, been advocating consistent and effective national policies to protect the country’s textile industry.
The importation of cheap pirated designs into the local market was a major contributory factor to graduate unemployment among industry players some of whom have folded up and are engaged in commerce,” Mr Koomson said.
He noted that the dwindling fortunes of the country’s once vibrant cotton industry, coupled with recent agitation among producers, was a clear indication of the gloomy future the industry faced if stringent measures were not enforced to protect it from total collapse.
He challenged policy makers to join TEGLEU in the war against the smuggling of pirated wax prints into the country, while developing programmes that would boost the textile and manufacturing industry in the country.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
PORT LADIES DONATE TO NEWLIFE ORPHANAGE (PAGE 18, OCT 2, 2010)
THE Port Ladies Association (PLASS), a grouping made up of female employees of the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority has presented items worth GHC7, 000 to the Newlife Orphanage at Nungua.
The items made up of five computers, toiletries, food items, five bags of rice, books, among others also came with a GHC1000 cash donation.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the events committee chairperson of PLASS, Ms Phillipa Amanda Armah, noted that, the donation forms part of the association’s annual outreach programme aimed at providing relief to the less privileged in society.
According to her, the association’s social responsibility strategy was to provide relief that sought to complement government’s poverty reduction measures.
She said, the decision of the association to support Newlife was informed by its location within the group’s catchment area, as PLASS had over the last 20 years of its formation provided assistance to deprived homes across the country.
Ms Armah called on district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies to extend support to institutions within their catchment area that were making strides to protect and provide for the nation’s human resources who had been orphaned through no fault of theirs.
The Founder of the orphanage, Mr Cephas Mensah Afortey, who received the items on behalf of the home, commended the association for the gesture.
According to him, the home which started some 10 years ago with two children currently host over 40 inmates who were picked from the streets in the metropolis.
He appealed for public support for the construction of a mobile library for the home to provide inmates’ access to reading and learning materials.
Mr Afortey said the construction of a modern school complex for the home to provide quality education to both inmates and non-resident deprived children was underway and called on the general public to support worthy causes that would go to improve the capabilities of the country’s human resources.
The items made up of five computers, toiletries, food items, five bags of rice, books, among others also came with a GHC1000 cash donation.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the events committee chairperson of PLASS, Ms Phillipa Amanda Armah, noted that, the donation forms part of the association’s annual outreach programme aimed at providing relief to the less privileged in society.
According to her, the association’s social responsibility strategy was to provide relief that sought to complement government’s poverty reduction measures.
She said, the decision of the association to support Newlife was informed by its location within the group’s catchment area, as PLASS had over the last 20 years of its formation provided assistance to deprived homes across the country.
Ms Armah called on district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies to extend support to institutions within their catchment area that were making strides to protect and provide for the nation’s human resources who had been orphaned through no fault of theirs.
The Founder of the orphanage, Mr Cephas Mensah Afortey, who received the items on behalf of the home, commended the association for the gesture.
According to him, the home which started some 10 years ago with two children currently host over 40 inmates who were picked from the streets in the metropolis.
He appealed for public support for the construction of a mobile library for the home to provide inmates’ access to reading and learning materials.
Mr Afortey said the construction of a modern school complex for the home to provide quality education to both inmates and non-resident deprived children was underway and called on the general public to support worthy causes that would go to improve the capabilities of the country’s human resources.
Friday, October 1, 2010
SECURITY OFFICER POUNDED TO DEATH (MIRROR, PAGE 20, OCT 2, 2010)
From Della Russel Ocloo, Tema
THE Tema District Magistrate Court has remanded four persons into prison custody for allegedly clubbing a security officer of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to death.
The suspects, Francis Ntim, 26, Kofi Boadu, 34, Augustine Emmanuel, 25 and Mohammed Tahiru, 31, all residents of Tema Newtown are to reappear on the October 22 to answer a substantive case of murder filed against them. A fifth person, known only as Nazia, was said to be at large.
Prosecuting, Inspector Assan told the court that the deceased, Cletus Adudgri, a senior security officer with the GPHA, while on a night duty at the inner gate of the Fishing Harbour, was attacked by the suspects on September 14 at about 3:15am.
According to her, the deceased officer was said to have, earlier in the day, denied the suspects access to the harbour on suspicion that they were involved with a group of residents who had organised a series of demonstrations in the past months against officials of the GPHA in respect of the lease of a parcel of land belonging to the authority to a private developer.
She said the suspects who felt humiliated by the deceased’s act later attacked him at his duty post using clubs and other dangerous objects. He was later found in a pool of blood and rushed to the Tema General Hospital.
Inspector Assan said the deceased died the following day at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he was referred to for further treatment.
The presiding judge, Justice Rita Agyemang-Budu, in remanding the suspects, bemoaned the spate of lawlessness among the youth and appealed to the police to intensify their investigations into the incident.
THE Tema District Magistrate Court has remanded four persons into prison custody for allegedly clubbing a security officer of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to death.
The suspects, Francis Ntim, 26, Kofi Boadu, 34, Augustine Emmanuel, 25 and Mohammed Tahiru, 31, all residents of Tema Newtown are to reappear on the October 22 to answer a substantive case of murder filed against them. A fifth person, known only as Nazia, was said to be at large.
Prosecuting, Inspector Assan told the court that the deceased, Cletus Adudgri, a senior security officer with the GPHA, while on a night duty at the inner gate of the Fishing Harbour, was attacked by the suspects on September 14 at about 3:15am.
According to her, the deceased officer was said to have, earlier in the day, denied the suspects access to the harbour on suspicion that they were involved with a group of residents who had organised a series of demonstrations in the past months against officials of the GPHA in respect of the lease of a parcel of land belonging to the authority to a private developer.
She said the suspects who felt humiliated by the deceased’s act later attacked him at his duty post using clubs and other dangerous objects. He was later found in a pool of blood and rushed to the Tema General Hospital.
Inspector Assan said the deceased died the following day at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he was referred to for further treatment.
The presiding judge, Justice Rita Agyemang-Budu, in remanding the suspects, bemoaned the spate of lawlessness among the youth and appealed to the police to intensify their investigations into the incident.
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