The Parent Teacher Association of Adisadel college has rejected a letter of appreciation from the outgoing headmaster of the school, indicating that the PTA bought some vehicles for him as his retirement package. The headmaster, Rev. Herbert Graham took home four luxurious vehicles as his retirement package at a send- off service held for him but the PTA says, they have nothing to do with cars and thus cannot be appreciated for a gesture they have not done. According to Myjoyonline, Rev. Herbert Graham who is still at post after his send-off service, wrote a letter thanking the PTA for having bought him some vehicles as his retirement package and thanking them profusely for the honour done him. But in a sharp rebuttal, the PTA has written to him rejecting his appreciation. According to a letter written and signed by the vice chairman of the PTA, Rev. Emmanuel Abole, the Parents and teachers recognize the retirement plans of the headmaster but have never bought vehicles for him to take home. During the retirement service, four nicely decorated vehicles - Nissan Xterra, Ford Eexplorer, BMW four wheel drive and Opel car - were given to him to take home. However, students are being pressured to pay 30 Ghana cedis levy upon arrival from vacation, to settle their debtors for the vehicles purchased. The school has a population of about 1,700 students. With the PTA denying having bought the vehicles, it is not clear who ordered for the purchase of the four luxurious vehicles. The Ghana Education Service (GES) however, says the levy on the students is illegal. Parents have also been levied 50 Ghana cedis towards the celebration of the 104th anniversary and speech and prize giving-day. The expenditure for the celebration amounts to over a billion old Ghana cedis, an amount the parents and teachers have described as irrational. In a related development, the PTA is calling on the GES to ensure that the headmaster who has retired does not continue to sign letters and cheques and does not control the affairs of the school. They want the headmaster to leave the scene because, the continued stay in office by Rev. Herbert Graham will further increase the tension and division in the school.  

  The Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) has taken over investigations into the arrest of a radio show host who accused the police in Wa of incompetence as well as aiding and abetting criminals. Following the accusations during a live discussion on Sungmale FM in Wa in the Upper West Region on Wednesday, the police stormed the studios and arrested the host, Tinaa Adams and his two panelist, forcing the station to abruptly end the programme. The three were taken into Police custody and were later released on bail after their statements were taken. A statement signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs at the Police Administration DCOP (Rev.) David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin condemned the action of the Wa Police, stating that, “the action, irrespective of the circumstances is unacceptable.” “It is the belief of the Police Administration that the issue could have been handled in a more professional manner,” the statement said. The Police Administration further apologised to the management and staff of Sungmale FM for the incident.  

  A stakeholder sensitisation forum on the construction of  an interchange connecting the Accra-Cape Coast highway to the West Hills Mall at Dunkonah was held at Weija in Accra last Tuesday. The shopping centre, which is expected to be completed and opened this year, is a joint venture owned by Delico Property Investments Ghana Limited and Social Security & National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). At the forum, a five-stage construction schedule designed to reduce traffic congestion in the area during construction was unveiled to residents and other stakeholders. The interchange, expected to take 10 months to complete, and described as one of the most critical components of the West Hills Mall development, is being built in close collaboration with the Ghana Highway Authority(GHA) which approved its design and standard specifications.  The project has generated considerable public interest because of its size, location and the variety of add-ons, many of which are new to retail shopping in West Africa. West Hills Mall has an extended parking bay with a capacity for 1,400 cars. The essence of the interchange The interchange became necessary following stringent and meticulous traffic impact assessment conducted respectively by the developer and the (GHA). Mr. Joshua Ayimbora, an engineering consultant on the project said the key component of the interchange was a bridge or a structure which will serve as an underpass from the highway to the Mall.  He said this bridge will be constructed in five phases and to ensure that traffic flow is not unduly affected by the works, two diversions will be constructed with two lanes in both directions and motorists will be adequately and constantly guided by a set of signage, notices and alarms. Explaining the design, Mr. Ayimbora said the interchange will have slipways which will enable motorists from Accra or Mallam to enter the service road for access to existing businesses and residential area to the North of the interchange while shoppers and visitors to the Mall may simply enter the slipway and continue through an underpass straight onto the Shopping mall’s car parking area while other commuters may be dropped off by busses and taxis at designated bus bays. Shoppers from the cape coast approaching through the Kasoa end of the road will drive through the slipway and enter the shopping mall’s parking area while delivery vehicles from that direction will use the service road located west of the Mall. Mr. Isaac Kyei Mensah, representing Delico Property Developments said the completion of the Mall will redefine the local community's business and recreational topography and open up the entire western part of Accra to a new world of opportunities.  The forum was attended by local residents, representatives from Ghana Highway Authority, the Ga South Municipal Assembly, The Weija District Police Command, Chiefs and Elders of neighbouring communities and the Member of Parliament fror the area, bright dzimoje.     Located at Dunkonah in western Accra, just off the Accra-Kasoa-Cape Coast highway, the West Hill Mall development comes with a mix of local and international tenants and has two supermarket anchor tenants, some 65 line shops, a chain of restaurants and a five-screen cinema complex. Industry watchers have touted the new development as possibly the biggest retail shopping centre in West Africa on account of its massive rentable space. Among tenants already lined up for business at the West Hills Mall when it is completed later this year are Shoprite, Palace, Edgars, Mr Price, Woolworth, Jet, MTN, Stanbic, Barcellos, Foods Inn, Basillia, Tante Marie, Bata Pierre Cardin, Lufian, Truworth and Identity.  

  Commercial transport operators (drivers of trotros and taxis) have up to March 31, this year, to secure new transport stickers from their various assemblies within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). Operators who fail to comply, according to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuye, will face appropriate legal sanctions. “Please note that the closing date for renewal is March 31, 2014 after which non compliance operators will be dealt with according to the law,” he stated. The introduction of the new stickers, which comes in blue for all categories of trotros and red for taxis, is part of the implementation of a standard vehicle sticker by the Steering Committee on Urban Transportation (SCUTA). The SCUTA is made up of 13 assemblies that are to enjoy the services of the bus rapid transit (BRT) project within the GAMA. Explaining the rationale for the implementation of the new stickers, Mr Vanderpuye said it became necessary to harmonise the stickers issued by the 13 assemblies after SCUTA’s enforcement exercise revealed that some drivers used fake stickers as a result of the multiple stickers issued by the various assemblies. “The issuance of these new colour-coded stickers shall commence this month, January 2014, in all assemblies,” he stated, and directed all registered transport operator entities such as the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the  Cooperatives and Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) to acquire their 2014 operating permits from the assemblies they registered with. It is envisaged that the new stickers will also check the ‘floating driver’ menace, which is attributed to congestion at bus stops on Accra’s roads.  Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) associations Even before infrastructural works begin on the newly selected Accra-Amasaman BRT corridor, three transport companies which will secure the buses and operate them have been established. They are the Accra GPRTU Rapid Bus Transit Company Limited, Amalgamated Bus Transit Services Limited and the Ghana Co-operative Bus Rapid Transit Association Limited. Mr Vanderpuye said about 86 buses would be needed, and it was also envisaged that the three companies would run three different services on the Amasaman corridor.  New timelines for BRT “We emphasis again that the government is committed to starting the High Quality Bus Services in July, this year,” Mr Vanderpuye stated. The Accra mayor indicated that the engineering studies on the Amasaman-Tudu and the Adenta-Tema Station were far advanced while preparations, according to him, were also being made to procure the services of a contractor to undertake the infrastructural works. Writer’s email: [email protected]  

  Work on the Kwame Nkrumah Circle project is progressing steadily. The Brazilian construction firm, Queiroz Galvao, executing the 74-million euro project is currently laying the foundation for the construction of the flyovers on the Akasanoma-Nsawam road section of the project. Work on the three-tier interchange started in September last year. So far, eight piles which form the foundation for the overheads and support for the piers (pillars) have been drilled. That side of the project is designed to have 10 piers. One pier, according to the Resident Engineer, Mr Kweku Diafo, has 12 piles. The circle itself has been cordoned off and inside it the contractor is preparing the four remaining piles to pave the way for the rest of the work to continue. “The project is proceeding gradually. What is happening now seems not to be catchy so nobody sees exactly what we are doing,” the Project Co-ordinator of the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), Mr William Donkor, told the Daily Graphic during a visit to the project site last Monday. Mr Donkor indicated that about three kilometres of roadside drains beginning from the Feo Oyo road, close to the New Times Corporation, had already been completed.  “We have already done the drains on both sides of the road from the SSNIT offices, near the New Times Corporation, towards the Awudome Junction,” he said. Apart from those works, he said, the contractor had moved to the eastern end, where it was now working from the Ring Road Central towards the Nkrumah Circle again.  Roadside drains for the Ring Road West (from Odaw towards the Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle) were about 90 per cent complete, according to Mr Diafo. Drainage works on the Nsawam Road, the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and the Ring Road Central are yet to begin.   The new design “The roadside drains define the limit of the road, so once those are accepted, we can now work in between the drains on the left and the right,” Mr Diafo said. The first level flyover of the new project will be between the Akasanoma road, towards the Accra Newtown Junction on the Nsawam road, as well as from the Newtown Junction on the Nsawam road to the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, around PTC in the opposite direction. The second level flyover is on the Ring Road between the Fanofa Bridge and Feo Oyo and connects the Ring Road Central to the Ring Road West. The ground level has a roundabout at the existing circle. The Ring Road flyover also lifts the Ring Road above the Odaw River and the rail line.  “We just started work on those bridges and we are building their foundations,” Mr Diafo said. Traffic management and diversions The Director of the DUR, Mr Abass Awolu, said the department was working in line with the contractor’s work plan to provide alternative roads.  He said vehicular traffic would be diverted onto the Otublohum-Dadeban road once its riding surface was improved.  Challenges The major challenge now is the rather slow pace at which the piles are being drilled.  Mr Diafo explained that the contractor was, however, trying to get a more appropriate drilling machine to work on the type of soil (soft materials) within the roundabout to facilitate a faster drilling process. Compensation/relocation of utility lines Mr Awolu indicated that the relocation of utility lines, water, electricity and telecommunication was ongoing.  The office of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) which is sited along the project way will, however, be affected. Consequently, the DUR, Mr Awolu indicated, had come to an agreement with the GWCL officials to build another office at a different location.  Significance of project The Ring Road, of which the Kwame Nkrumah Circle is part, was constructed in the 1960s but it has long exceeded its capacity. The Kwame Nkrumah Circle is a key intersection in the arterial road network in Accra and carries about 84,000 vehicles a day.  It, however, constitutes a major bottleneck in the major road network that links the suburban areas of Accra to the central business district.  Writers email: [email protected]  

  A 29-year-old Nigerian has been arrested for attempting to acquire a visa with a fraudulently obtained Ghanaian passport. The man, whose actual name is William Wilson, had a passport bearing the name Yeboah Wilson William and his picture. The passport, with the number G061359, indicated that it was issued on September 26, 2013 and would expire on September 25, 2018. High Commission Last Tuesday, January 21, 2013, William Wilson went to the Canadian High Commission with the passport which had a Schengen visa indicating he had visited Holland from October 19, 2013 to January 1, 2014. Officials at the high commission, who were processing his visa documents, suspected that the Schengen visa and the immigration stamps indicating he had embarked at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra and disembarked at the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in Holland were fake. The high commission, therefore, called the Document Fraud Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service to cross-check the authenticity of the passport and the visa applicant. Officers of the unit, after conducting a profile check, found out that the passport was genuine even though the bearer was not a Ghanaian. The passport had all the security features of a Ghanaian passport. A Ghanaian from Ewe During interrogation after his arrest, Wilson maintained that he was a Ghanaian even though his accent gave him up as a Nigerian. He claimed to be a “Ghanaian from Ewe”.  That drew laughter from the Ghanaians as Ewe is a Ghanaian language spoken by the people of the Volta Region and not a name of a town where one could hail from. Wilson was said to have claimed that he was attending a health and safety conference in Toronto, Canada. He later admitted that he was a Nigerian from the Edo State and he had arrived in Ghana two weeks ago by road. Wilson claimed that he traded in human hair for women and that the passport was acquired by his brother, Henry Wilson, who lived in Tema, through a Ghanaian by name Abdulai. He also claimed that he only visited the passport office in Ghana once to take a picture and have his fingerprints taken.  He has been charged with fraudulently acquiring a passport contrary to section 520 of the immigration act 2000(Act 573).  Writer’s email: [email protected]  

  Officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) and the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) last Tuesday met in Accra to initiate a strategic partnership to effectively promote tourism, especially domestic travel and tours. This was in line with plans to actively engage key stakeholders in the three portfolios under the ministry –  tourism, culture and creative arts – to foster mutually beneficial relationships. The sector minister, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu Adjare, said she believed that such partnerships would help to stimulate greater public interest and participation in the ministry’s programmes and activities. Last year, President John Mahama, through Executive Instrument (E. I. 2013), established the new Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to replace the Ministry of Tourism. That increased the number of agencies under the ministry from three to 14, thus placing a greater responsibility on its officials, hence the need to bring all hands on deck to support the new ministry. “I thank the Graphic Communications Group for the support it extended to us in the past year, especially during the Panafest and Emancipation Day celebrations, as well as the company’s conscious efforts to promote tourism, culture and the arts,” the minister said. She declared 2014 as a ‘Tourism Year,’ saying together with the Graphic Communications Group, the Ghana Tourism Development Company, the Ghana Tourism Federation, the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Musicians Union of Ghana and other players, exciting monthly events would be rolled out in all parts of the country during the year to attract Ghanaians, especially the youth, to domestic tourism. The move was also aimed at making creative arts and cultural products appealing to the people. The Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, said the group would use the various platforms that its five newspapers presented, to drive domestic tourism. “We believe that if we encourage Ghanaians to patronise domestic tourism, they can encourage foreign travellers to visit the country. We must believe in ourselves so that we can compete in the comity of nations,” he stated, and added that the GCGL would continue to propagate the benefits of tourism at all times. The Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at GCGL, Ms Shirley Acquah-Harrison,  said  the GCGL would liaise with the ministry to set up a committee made up of representatives of the various stakeholders to draw up an action plan that would spell out the programme of activities for this year. She hinted that some of the activities might include organised trips to towns across the country during traditional festivals, visits to tourism sites, as well as food bazaars.  The GCGL delegation  included Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh,  the Director in charge of Newspapers, Mrs Janet Quainoo, the Editor of The Mirror, and Mr Dodzi Anedor,  the Sales and Advertising Manager, all of whom promised to support the call to promote tourism, arts and culture, to help speed up the national drive for economic development.  

  The Lebanese community in Ghana is to sponsor the children of Ghanaian soldiers who lost their lives while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ali Halabi, made this known when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Defence, Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, in Accra. The gesture by the Lebanese community is in recognition and appreciation of the tremendous sacrifices Ghanaian troops have made to Lebanon through peace support operations undertaken by the United Nations. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence after the meeting, Mr Halabi said although the Lebanese community in Ghana had supported the education of some Ghanaians at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), it was time to extend the gesture to the children of soldiers who  lost their lives in Lebanon. Should the military high command not find such suitable children, the scholarship will be extended to cover children of such soldiers from other peacekeeping missions, whom he referred to as ‘children of martyrs.  Mr Woyongo thanked the Lebanese community in Ghana for their benevolence.  He said Ghanaian troops excelled in peacekeeping wherever they were deployed. The UNIFIL was established by the United Nations Security Council in March 1978 by UN Resolutions 425 and 426. To date, 30 Ghanaian peacekeepers have lost their lives.  

  The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has begun an exercise to relocate transport stations in unapproved terminals to reduce traffic congestion within the Kumasi Metropolis, particularly in the central business district of Adum Pampaso and Kejetia. At a media briefing in Kumasi, the Co-ordinating Director of the KMA, Mr Solomon Asiedu, told the media that the KMA intended to move two major lorry stations to new areas. The relocation He said the first station to be relocated would be the Kejetia-Adum-Pampaso terminal, which currently connects to 14 destinations in the Western Region, to the Afua Kobi Bus Terminal, near the Abinkyi Market. Mr Asiedu said the second station, which operates from seven different locations within the metropolis to the three northern regions, would be moved to the Suame Hill Top Terminal. He mentioned the affected destinations in the Adum-Pampaso and Kejetia area as Asankragwa, Sefwi Bekwai, Tarkwa, Wassa Akropong, Takoradi, Prestea, Sefwi Juaboso, Bonsu Nkwanta, Sefwi Wiawso, Sefwi Debiso/Essam, Prampamaso, Agona-Wassa, Bibiani and Enchi, all in the Western Region. In the second station, he said, there were those loading at House of Faith, Ashtown, Allah-Bar, Manhyia , Roman Hill, Bompata and Mmrom areas to some parts of the three northern regions. The exercise The Head of Metro Transport, Mr Randy Wilson, indicated that the exercise was necessary due to the heavy vehicular traffic in the metropolis and added that the KMA had discussed the issue with the transport operators, as well as members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU). He recalled that there had been several interactions and discussions with all the transport unions in the affected areas and added that initially, the plan was to begin the relocation exercise simultaneously on January 8, 2014, but that was later changed to January 14, 2014 and finally rescheduled for January 21, 2014.  Inspection of sites He indicated that before the exercise, the KMA, together with representatives of the two affected terminals, the GPRTU and the members of the other transport unions, had inspected the new sites.  Mr Wilson gave the assurance that there would be military patrols at the affected areas to ensure that the exercise was conducted successfully.  

  A 24-year-old teacher, who allegedly defiled a five-year-old kindergarten pupil, was yesterday put before the Accra Circuit Court. Nana Yaw Adu-Larbi, a teacher at the victim’s school at Gbawe in Accra, allegedly abused the girl sexually around 3 p.m. on January 14, 2014. He pleaded not guilty to one count of defilement and was remanded by the court, presided over by Ms Ellen Amoah, to reappear on February 2, 2014. Prosecution’s Case Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mrs Sarah Acquah said the school had closed on that day and the victim was waiting for the school bus to pick her up when she felt like urinating. She then went to the washroom designed for nursery pupils to urinate but Adu-Larbi followed her there and sexually abused her. He then warned her not to inform anyone or risk being lashed by him. The victim bled as a result of the act and on reaching home around 5 p.m., she pleaded with her mother’s friend, who was then washing clothes, to wash her pants for her because she (victim) was feeling uncomfortable. The woman obliged and directed the victim to remove her pants but, to the woman’s surprise, the victim’s pants were soaked with blood, while blood oozed out of her vagina. Victim rushed to hospital The attention of the victim’s mother was drawn to her daughter’s predicament and that prompted the mother to rush the victim to hospital. A medical doctor who examined the victim confirmed that she had, indeed, been defiled. Upon interrogation, the victim informed the doctor that she had been defiled by Adu-Larbi.  The doctor then referred her to the Police Hospital for further examination. A complaint was subsequently lodged with the Odorkor Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), resulting in the arrest and prosecution of the accused person. Writer’s email: [email protected].  

    At least 3,584 streets in the Accra Metropolis have been digitised and assigned names under the street-naming and property-addressing project. The project is spearheaded by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) with funding from the World Bank, through the Ghana Land Administration Project. When completed, the system will provide the platform for proper identification of all physical structures; the opportunity for effective revenue mobilisation and collection; and the necessary platform for effective accountability on development in the metropolis. Background of the project. During the launch of the National Urban Policy Framework and Action Plan in March 2013, President John Dramani Mahama directed the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to ensure that streets were named within 18 months. In November 2013, the President gave an ultimatum to metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to complete the street-naming and house-numbering exercises in their respective areas or lose their jobs by September 2014. The implementation of the exercise is guided by the National Street-Naming and Property-Addressing Policy, and the National Operational Guidelines on Street-Naming and Property-Addressing System. AMA Address Briefing the media during an inspection tour of Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of the AMA, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpujie, said 22 communities, two per each sub-metro, were consulted during the naming exercise to seek their views on the names to be given to the streets. “We have involved the chiefs, the business communities, the traders, the home owners and all various interested parties so that  we, as AMA, will not generate the names but  the names will come from within the communities,” he said  Mr Vanderpuijie mentioned that the assembly had completed piloted signages in five communities for residents to identify the street names that they provided and also seek redress if they had any issues with the names. The communities were James Town, Korle Dudor, Ministries area, Makola and South Industrial Area.  Mr Vanderpujie said a city-wide validation of all street names would be held on February 11, 2014, to exhibit the new names to the general public for their comments. How the streets will be named. The AMA boss said the streets would be named after prominent citizens who had made a mark on society through their contributions to national development. He said some of the streets would also be named after foreign nationals who had also made an impact in the country, adding that “no street would be named after anyone alive.” He, therefore, denied claims that some individuals had paid some amounts to have some streets named after them.    

  Road accidents in the Ashanti Region reduced from the 1,791 cases recorded in 2012 to 1,390 cases in 2013. Three hundred and six people lost their lives in 2012 against 280 in 2013. A total of 2,213 people sustained various degrees of injuries in 2012 as against 1,495 in 2013 Additionally, 352 pedestrians were knocked down in 2012, while 197  were knocked down in 2013 and those accidents involved 761 commercial vehicles, 449 private ones and 130 motorbikes. The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mr Thomas Bismark Boakye, in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, said the region was given a national target of 428 on fatalities but the region did its best and recorded 280, representing 65.4 per cent reduction. He said the commission was working hard to further reduce the national target of 381 for 2014 to 250, representing 65.6 per cent reduction, and called for the support of all for further reduction. Mr Boakye admitted that though the NRSC reduced road accidents in 2013, it failed a little in the last quarter of the year when about 37 people died in four separate accidents that occurred at Dominase on the Kumasi-Obuasi road, Juaso on the Accra-Kumasi highway, Asonomaso Nkwanta on the Kumasi-Mampong road and Mfensi on the Kumasi-Sunyani road. He said his outfit would ensure 80 per cent enforcement of the road safety regulations and added that the 20 per cent would be used on driver education. Mr Boakye gave an assurance that his outfit would intensify its fight against road accidents and indicated that the NRSC office had introduced road safety ambassadors such as  Peace FM’s Gabby Adu-Gyamfi to reduce road accidents. He said the NRSC offices in the region had collaborated with the Sonnie Badu Ministries to organise a gospel show at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on January 31, 2014 to pray to God to intervene in the unusual road accidents that might occur in 2014. He also said the NRSC would collaborate with the National Drivers Academy (NDA), the police and the Driver and Vehicle License Authority (DVLA) to fight the menace. He, however, appealed to all stakeholders in road safety and the general public to help in the fight against road accidents.  

  Pig farmers who lost their pigs to the African Swine Fever in the Ellembelle area will not be compensated, the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services in the Western Region, Dr Christopher Tagoe, has said. He, however, told the Daily Graphic that the Ellembelle District Assembly was in discussions with the farmers to see whatever form of assistance to provide the farmers other than compensation. He said officials of the Veterinary Services Department had begun an exercise in the catchment area to exterminate pigs which had contracted the disease and contain its spread to other areas. Dr Tagoe said the exercise was expected to last two months, during which period the pigsties in the area would be fumigated. He said measures had been put in place to ensure that the carcasses did not end up on the market. According to him, the pig farmers were being sensitised to the dangers of selling the carcasses. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture last Tuesday announced an outbreak of African Swine Fever in the Ellembelle District and its environs in the Western Region, resulting in the death of 600 pigs. It, therefore, warned against the eating of carcasses in the area.  

  The tremendous roles women play in the supply chain, logistics and transport industry in Ghana cannot be overlooked. Their contribution is equally as important and necessary as that of their male counterparts.  For this reason, the women’s wing of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT) Ghana, has been launched in Accra, with the mission to encourage the participation of women in the logistics and transport profession and to support their career development. Launched by the CILT International Ambassador, Chief Teete Owusu-Nortey,  WiLAT Ghana has Mrs Doreen Owusu-Fianko, the only female fellow of the institute in Ghana and immediate past Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Airports Company, as its President  Other executive members are Ms Bettina Afi Hewlett, Vice Chairperson; Mrs Patience Abladey-Dortey, Secretary; Ms Mabel Kabutey, Organising Secretary; and Ms Michelle Adubofour, Treasurer. Ms Owusu Fianko is expected to bring on board her over 35 years’ experience in both the transport and tourism industry to impact on the lives of women who are into the logistics and transport profession. Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, entreated women in the industry to embrace the opportunity WiLAT was providing to support their career development.   She emphasised the need for women to disabuse the mind of the public that the logistics and transportation profession was a no-go area for them. “The time is now ripe for you to show your capabilities in supporting your male counterparts in the industry,” Mrs Obiri-Yeboah added. She was optimistic that the programmes to be undertaken by WiLAT Ghana would go a long way to provide role models for young women in the Ghanaian society to emulate.  The Head of Religious Broadcasts, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Ms Helena Opoku Sarkodie, charged the new executive to make an impact and difference in pursuing the ultimate goal of WiLAT Ghana.  

  More than 60 structures were yesterday demolished at Adjei Kojo near Ashaiman during an exercise to clear land acquired by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) for the expansion of Tema. Before the exercise began, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West, Ms Irene Naa Toshie Addo, led some residents to protest against the exercise, but she was ignored by the TDC task force which carried out the exercise supervised by a joint military and police team. The exercise, code-named; “Operation Halt,” will be extended to Gulf City, Bethlehem and Ramsar Site near Klagon, among other areas.  According to information gathered by the Daily Graphic, series of such exercises would be conducted in other areas to stop the sale of lands by land guards. As a result of the demolishing exercise, the affected residents were rendered homeless.  When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, there were payloaders and bulldozers being directed by the security personnel to pull down the structures. The area was cordoned off by the security personnel to prevent people from interfering with the exercise. As a result of the agitation by  some affected persons, the security personnel fired warning shots and attempted to apprehend any one who went  close to the area. TDC’s reaction When  contacted, the  Public Relations Officer of the TDC,  Ms Dorothy Asare Kumah, explained that a survey was conducted  last year by personnel of  the 48 Engineers Regiment for the TDC to regularise those who had permits to build on the land. She said it was, however, found that most of the residents had built on waterways  and in areas earmarked for roads, while others could not produce genuine documents covering the acquisition of the land. Assembly member The assembly member for the Adjei Kojo Electoral Area, Mr  Romeo Elikplim Akahoho,  whose jurisdiction is close to communities 23 and 24 where the operation was carried out, had to drive off quickly to avoid the wrath of both the residents and the security personnel. When he spoke to the Daily Graphic later, he explained that some residents in the affected area woke him up at dawn to seek his intervention.  “In my capacity as the assembly member, l went to the scene to seek audience with the security personnel but I was unfortunately cautioned to move my car,” he said. According to him, the security said they would not allow any intervention to thwart their effort to clear the area of encroachers and land guards.  

  The National Sports Authority Medical Directorate and the National Ambulance Service will organise a Sports/Emergency medicine seminar for all medics and paramedics attached to football clubs and sporting associations. Each club and association is expected to nominate at least two medical persons (masseurs, physiotherapists, medical doctors) to attend the seminar. A statement issued by the organisers said the seminar would be held at the Accra Sports Stadium from 9 a.m. on January 24, 2014. It said topics such as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and first aid in sports; sudden collapse and sudden cardiac death; African statistics, on-pitch and immediate management of the injured player, rehabilitation and return to sports/play would be discussed. It urged all prospective participants to register at either the GFA Secretariat or the Accra Sports Stadium or call: 0244560631, 0243 316051, 0246156909 or 0249754155 for enquiries.  

Feeling peeved for being jilted by his fiance, a man decided to post naked pictures of his former lover on Facebook. As if that was not enough, he added the caption, “Porn star, pay and f***”. He then proceeded to attach his former fiance’s mobile phone number to the uploaded picture for interested persons to call. Henry Alibah, a student, allegedly committed the offence at Mamprobi in Accra on November 25, 2013 after his 10-minute ultimatum to the complainant to rescind her decision to leave him had elapsed. He was Wednesday put before the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Ms Ellen Vivian Amoah, and charged with causing emotional, verbal or psychological abuse, contrary to Sections 1 (b) (iv) and Section 3 (2) of the Domestic Violence Act 737/07. The court entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on his behalf and remanded him to reappear on February 5, 2014. Facts of the case Inspector Kofi Atimbiri told the court that the complainant had, for the past two years, been the fiance of the accused person. However, the complainant called off the relationship three months ago via a telephone call but her decision infuriated the accused person, who insisted that the relationship should continue. According to the prosecution, Alibah called the complainant and warned her to return to him or have her naked pictures posted on Facebook. On November 25, 2013, the accused person again called the complainant on phone and gave her 10 minutes to change her mind or have her naked pictures uploaded on Facebook. He uploaded the pictures after the 10-minute ultimatum when he was convinced that the complainant was not prepared to return to him. The complainant’s friends saw her naked pictures on Facebook and quickly drew her attention to them. She later reported the matter to the police, resulting in the arrest of the accused person. Writer’s email: [email protected].

A new revelation concerning what transpired before two instalments of GH¢17 million each were paid to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome has emerged. It surfaced at the Financial Division of the Fast Track High Court yesterday that the government and Woyome entered into a pre-trial settlement at the Commercial Court before the last two instalments, totalling GH¢34 million, were paid to the businessman who is currently on trial for wilfully causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence. The Commercial Court, presided over by Mr Justice Amadu Tanko, had in 2010 granted GH¢51.2 million in judgement debt in favour of Woyome against the state over financial engineering services Woyome claimed he had performed for the government. It, however, ordered that GH¢17 million be paid to Woyome, while the remaining GH¢34 million be stalled until the court decided on whether or not to set aside its earlier judgement in favour of Woyome. Lead counsel for Woyome, Mr Sarfo Buabeng, made the revelation on the GH¢34 million settlement while cross-examining an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Odame Okyere, at the court’s sitting in Accra. Counsel had sought to suggest to Mr Okyere, the investigator in the case, that the GH¢51.2 million had been paid to Woyome based on the judgement obtained by Woyome, but the investigator disagreed. According to the investigator, the court had given permission for only GH¢17 million to be paid until the Attorney-General’s application to set aside the entire judgement was resolved. The revelation At that point, Mr Buabeng asked the witness whether or not he found out the state of the matter at the Commercial Court before the second and third instalments were made.  The witness answered in the negative. Mr Buabeng further queried the witness if he found out whether or not the second and third instalments were paid after a pre-trial settlement between Woyome and the government at the Commercial Court, to which the witness said, “I did not find out.” Mr Okyere, who had earlier stated that Woyome and the government had compromised the court’s judgement, attempted to explain that parties that compromised court orders could go back to the court to explain settlement terms. His position was met with a sharp rebuttal from the trial judge, Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, who held the view that such compromises were contemptuous. Office of the President Asked if a former Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Alex Segbefia, knew of Woyome’s claim to the government, the investigator said he interrogated Mr Segbefia who said the Presidency had no hand in matters relating to the judgement debt. Witness said Mr Segbefia further denied personal knowledge of the said claim and asserted in his statement to the police that Woyome had come to see him (Mr Segbefia) over a different issue and not on matters related to the GH¢51.2 million. Mr Okyere said he could not get a former Deputy Chief of Staff, Ms Valerie Sawyerr, for interrogation over Woyome’s claim. According to the witness, he was also not aware of the membership of the team that negotiated Woyome’s claim against the government for providing financial engineering services. Government agencies The witness initially disagreed with Mr Buabeng’s suggestion that the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of CAN 2008 were government agencies. Counsel had sought to prove to the witness that a letter from the Bank of Austria which urged those bodies to accept a financial offer of one billion euros before September 30, 2005 or lose it was, in fact, connected to the government, but the investigator disagreed. After back and forth questions, answers and further questions, Mr Okyere finally conceded that those bodies were agencies of the government. Hearing continues on January 30, 2014. Fact Sheet Alfred Agbesi Woyome faces two counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently on a GH¢20 million bail. The government is currently at the Commercial Division of the Fast Track High Court to retrieve the GH¢51.2 million but Woyome is battling the state on the grounds that he was entitled to the claim. Writer’s email: [email protected].