The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, has arrested a robber and his accomplices who were allegedly unloading stolen goods from a van in the bush near the Kotoka International Airport on January 15, 2014. Three accomplices on the run  Musah Amadu, a 26-year-old marketing officer, was arrested, while his three accomplices are on the run.  The three — Benjamin Chikpa and Alex Osei-Boateng, both offloading boys, and Daniel Akwei, a driver — are workers of Newrest First Catering Limited, an international catering service that supplies food and drinks to airlines at the Kotoka International Airport. Mr Alhassan, who was on a monitoring duty, used a route behind the tarmac at the airport, known as Gate 48, and appeared on the scene where the robbers were undertaking their operation. With the help of some civilians who had laid ambush and were monitoring the movement of the robbers, the IGP managed to arrest one of the suspects. Thievery suspicion  The Airport Police Crime Officer, Superintendent Felix Anyidoho, told the Daily Graphic that the suspect was handed over to the Police Patrol Team which took him to the Airport Police Station for further investigations. He said the Manageress of Newrest First Catering Limited, Ms Irene Ayitor-Bright, said the company had been experiencing a series of theft of its foreign drinks and raw materials meant for preparing food for the airlines. Security tightened  The management of the company, Mr Anyidoho said, recently tightened its security on suspicion that the missing items were being taken by some workers. According to him, about 5:30 p.m. on January 15, 2014, the company, located on the Spintex Road in Accra, dispatched a truck, with registration number GC 9857-12, with the three suspected accomplices on board to serve an Emirates flight at the airport. He said the driver used the bush road leading to the airport, instead of the Airport Road, due to the criminal intentions he and his accomplices had. Mr Anyidoho said on reaching an area behind the tarmac, the three accomplices conspired to unload some of the assorted drinks onto an unregistered Toyota Camry saloon belonging to Amadu. “They had, at the time they were arrested, succeeded in stealing a carton of Dimes Pineapple drink valued at GH¢48,” said the Airport Crime Officer.  According to Mr Anyidoho, the driver of the Toyota Camry was the only one who was arrested out of the four suspected thieves, while the other three managed to abandon the truck near the airport and escaped.

  An outbreak of African Swine Fever has hit the Ellembelle District and its environs in the Western Region, resulting in the death of 600 pigs. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA), which announced this in Sekondi, has, therefore, warned against the eating of carcasses in the area. African Swine Fever African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks pigs. The disease may occur in acute, sub-acute or chronic forms. The acute form causes the death of majority of infected pigs and migration of animals is said to be the cause of the rapid spread of the disease. Briefing Speaking at an inter-departmental meeting at the Western Regional Coordinating Council yesterday, Mr Victor Oko Nai, the Regional Director of Agriculture, said one farmer in the district had reported the death of 98 animals yesterday. He, however, gave an assurance that the department was working hard to bring the outbreak under control. Mr Nai said additional staff from Accra had been dispatched to the region and they, together with district and regional officers, were investigating the incident and would advise farmers accordingly. He urged the farmers not to transfer or sell the affected animals to anybody or for commercial purposes. The Western Regional Minister, Mr E. K. T. Addo, urged the department to ensure that the situation was controlled quickly to ensure public safety.  

          A 21-year-old unemployed, Kafui Asemsuro was on Tuesday remanded into Police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defiling a 13 -year-old pupil in a nearby bush at Legon. Asemsuro, charged for defilement has pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by Ms Ellen Amoah. The court noted that the offence preferred against Asemsuro was non-bailable, hence remanded him to reappear on February 4. Prosecuting Chief Inspector Veronica Mercy Ofei told the court that the victim resides at Ateamu, near Legon in Accra, whiles Asemsuro resides at Zongo Junction, near Madina. Prosecution said on January 16 this year, the victim went out to sell her roasted plantain. Asemsuro lured the victim into a nearby push under the pretext of purchasing all the plantain and threatening the victim with a knife had sex with her. Prosecution said the victim after various screams was rescued by Madam Elizabeth Achaa Nyarko. According to prosecution, Madam Nyarko led the victim to lodge a complaint with the Police at Legon, who also issued a medical form to the victim for examination and treatment. The Police mounted a search in the bush and smoked out Asemsuro from his hideout and apprehended him.          

  A 40-year-old hunter, Ackah Sai, from Ebonloa, near Half-Assini in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, mistook his colleague for a game and shot him. Michael Nkrumah Alerfeh, 42, died shortly on arrival home, and the corpse has been deposited at the Half-Assini-Government Hospital morgue, pending autopsy. The suspect has been placed in custody, and would soon be arraigned before the Half-Assini Magistrate Court for prosecution. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles Mensah, Jomoro District  Crime Officer, who  confirmed the tragic incident to the Ghana News Agency on Monday, said  the deceased and the suspect were friends, who resided at Ebonloa and mostly went on hunting expedition together. ASP Mensah said on Wednesday January 8, the two went on a hunting expedition together, but on arrival in the forest, they separated to search for a game. The district crime officer said Sai was trailing a small monkey in anticipation for a bigger game and suddenly, he saw the bush shaking in a far distance. ASP Mensah said Sai thought it was an animal hidden in the shrub and, therefore, shot at it with his gun, and when he got closer, he realized that he had shot at his colleague. Sai could not carry Alerfeh home alone, and so he came home to inform the town folks, who conveyed him home, but he died shortly afterwards, the district crime officer concluded.  

  TAQA, an Abu Dhabi based energy company, has agreed with the government of Ghana to build another facility to generate 300 megawatts of power at the Takoradi Thermal plant. Apart from that, the company is also willing to support Ghana in liquefied natural gas to undertake industrial activities. This was the outcome of a meeting held between President John Dramani Mahama's delegation to Abu Dhabi and the management of TAQA Group of Companies at the Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel on Tuesday. President Mahama has been in the oil-rich country for the past three days and attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Renewable Energy conference and held discussions with other leaders. TAQA has already constructed some projects at the Takoradi Thermal plant.   Apart from completing power projects at Takoradi, the company is also expected to complete another facility at the plant that will generate 110 megawatts of energy by the end of 2014. The additional 300 megawatts would start soon after the completion of the current 110 megawatts under construction by the end of this year. President Mahama said the completion of all those projects would make the precarious power situation in the country a thing of the past and pave way for Ghana to become a net exporter of power. He said Ghana's target of generating 5,000 megawatts of power by 2016 was on course and that it would be achieved with the active involvement and partnership with the private sector. "What we really need now is the Liquefied Natural Gas in addition to what we have to streamline our supply and consumption in the country," President Mahama said. The Group has also said with the additional 300 megawatts of power and the Liquefied Natural Gas, it would also enhance the supply of electricity and potable water to the Western and Central regions. TAQA also expressed interest to invest in other sectors in Accra and later expand such investments to other parts of the country and promised to come to Ghana to finalize talks and negotiations on such investments. Mr Emmanuel Kofi Buah, Minister for Energy and Petroleum, said his Ministry would pursue some of the good practices he learnt from the renewable energy conference to be implemented in Ghana as soon as possible.  

  TAQA, an Abu Dhabi based energy company, has agreed with the government of Ghana to build an additional  facility to generate 300 megawatts of power at the Takoradi Thermal plant. Apart from that, the company is also willing to support Ghana in liquefied natural gas to undertake industrial activities. This was the outcome of a meeting held between President John Dramani Mahama's delegation to Abu Dhabi and the management of TAQA Group of Companies at the Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel on Tuesday. President Mahama has been in the oil-rich country for the past three days and attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Renewable Energy conference and held discussions with other leaders. TAQA has already constructed some projects at the Takoradi Thermal plant.  Apart from completing power projects at Takoradi, the company is also expected to complete another a facility at the plant that will generate 110 megawatts of energy by the end of 2014. The additional 300 megawatts would start soon after the completion of the current 110 megawatts under construction by the end of this year. President Mahama said the completion of all those projects would make the precarious power situation in the country a thing of the past and pave way for Ghana to become a net exporter of power. He said Ghana's target of generating 5,000 megawatts of power by 2016 was on course and that it would be achieved with the active involvement and partnership with the private sector. "What we really need now is the Liquefied Natural Gas in addition to what we have to streamline our supply and consumption in the country," President Mahama said. The Group has also said with the additional 300 megawatts of power and the Liquefied Natural Gas it would also enhance the supply of electricity and potable water to the Western and Central regions. TAQA also expressed interest to invest in other sectors in Accra and later expand such investments to other parts of the country and promised to come to Ghana to finalize talks and negotiations on such investments. Mr Emmanuel Kofi Buah, Minister for Energy and Petroleum, said his Ministry  would pursue some of the good practices he learnt from the renewable energy conference to be implemented in Ghana as soon as possible.  

  All wrongly placed billboards along roads and streets in the Accra metropolis are to be removed by June this year. Henceforth, advertising agencies are to seek the approval of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDA’s) on the technical specifications regarding the design, installation and location of billboards before placing them along the roads. This was the outcome of a stakeholders meeting on outdoor advertising, attended by the Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG), the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Safety Ghana, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and road safety advocates. It was organised by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in Accra to discuss the unauthorised erection of billboards across the country and its effect on road users. Speaking at the meeting, the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the NRSC, Mr David Osafo Adonteng, said it was unpardonable for advertisers to ignore advertising guidelines to the detriment of road users. “We are not out to disturb anybody’s business but we think if an advertisement will constitute a danger or hazard, then we are interested and that is where we will use the appropriate mechanism to address the problem,” he said. Mr Adonteng advised the assemblies to follow due process in issuing advertising permits, particularly those for billboards. In his remarks, the Executive Director of the AAG, Mr Francis Dadzie, said the association was ready to comply with the rules and regulations for erecting billboards saying, “We are ready to enforce the law as it brings credibility to the advertising business.” For his part, an Engineer with the GHA, Mr Ernest Boakye, said the organisation had started issuing notices to advertisers who had flouted the regulations on outdoor advertising. He said it was worrying to see some billboards crowded at one point and causing heavy traffic because they distracted the attention of drivers.  

The Driver and Vehicle License Authority (DVLA) has urged policy makers to check second-hand vehicles and spare parts that are imported into the country. It said most imported vehicles, especially the commercial ones, and spare parts were accident vehicles that had been completely destroyed and beyond safety. In an interview, the Deputy Director of Vehicle Inspection and Registration of the DVLA, Alhaji Iddrisu Huseini, told the Daily Graphic that most road accidents occurred because of the accident vehicles and spare parts that were imported and highly patronised by car owners and drivers. The situation There are lots of rickety commercial vehicles in the country with most of them being overused. A lot of accident cars have been imported into the country. Some of the vehicles are mainly second-hand minibuses and vans that have been changed into passenger vehicles, with crude seats and often without enough leg room.  Other vehicles also have exposed metals that often tear the clothes of passengers and/or injure them, with the attendant danger of tetanus infections.  Sometimes during rainfall, commuters get wet while in the vehicles because of the holes that have developed on the roofs.  Some also have spoilt doors which expose passengers to the dangers of falling off from the vehicles.  DVLA intensifies efforts According to Alhaji Huseini, the DVLA will collaborate with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service to intensify its efforts to ensure that the number of rickety vehicles on the road are reduced. However, he said, it was necessary for policy makers to check the importation of accident vehicles and spare parts into the country. For instance, he said car tyres which had been used for more than four years (from the date of manufacture) were not to be used, but the reverse was the case in the country. He urged car owners and drivers to make the safety of commuters a priority by properly and regularly maintaining their vehicles.

  Relatives, friends and well-wishers of Komla Dumor continue to troupe to his father's residence at Haatso in Accra to mourn with the Dumor family after the ace broadcast journalist died at his home in London last Saturday. The well-wishers included a delegation from the Holy Spirit Cathedral Church and fellow broadcast journalists including Kwabena Adisi Anokye (Bola Ray), Adwoa Aidoo and Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. Others who commiserated with the family were Ms Dzifa Gomashie, a deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts; Mr Jake Okanta Obetsebi Lamptey, National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KAMA Group Limited and Board Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC), Professor Audrey Gadzekpo of the University of Ghana and Mr Herbert Mensah, a former Chief Executive Officer of Asante Kotoko. Books of condolence have been opened at the residence, at JOY FM, where he last worked in Ghana and at the Ghana International Press Centre in his honour. Family members who were present to receive the visitors included Mr Victor Gbeho, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata and his wife, Ms Esther Cobbah, who is the spokesperson for the family. The mood in the house was pensive, as people tried to suppress their tears. Some shed tears quietly as others hugged themselves to console one another. A relative who wanted to remain anonymous said the family was trying to keep the death of Komla Dumor as quiet as possible. According to the source,  although the family members were shocked by the news of the death of their beloved son, they have taken it in good faith. Some of the mourners the Daily Graphic spoke to said they were equally shocked by the news of the death of a man who was "healthy and full of life." "The last time I saw Komla was about a month ago when he came to observe five years of the death of his mother," said a mourner. Some of his former colleagues at Multi-Media were also in shock and disbelief. Some consoled his father, Professor Dumor, with songs, while others encouraged him. The delegation from the Catholic Church sang and prayed for him and the rest of the family. Ambassador Gbeho thanked the visitors and said the family was yet to take any decision because they were waiting for more information from London where Komla died. In a related development, Dr Ezanetor A Rawlings, daughter of former President J. J. Rawlings, in her tribute, noted that “In a time of such inequity, strife, apathy, political uncertainty and betrayal of electorate in many countries, his genuine concern and passion for the affairs of the continent was ablaze. Komla Dumor was an African star on the ascendancy. I pray that even in death he has awakened the same passion for the crucial issues that affect our continent in many more people. Our prayers are with his family. Rest in peace.” Writer's email: [email protected]  

  The Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs Helen Adjoa Ntoso, last Sunday, exhibited her evangelistic powers at Kwahu Fodoa by engaging in a 20-minute non-stop Christian prayers for two victims of the gas explosion which hit the town at the weekend. Ironically, the two victims, one Madam Aishetu, who was not directly affected by the inferno  but was traumatised and the other, Mr Muhamed Osman, who sustained injuries and also lost four of his five children, submitted to the prayers which they hoped would help them to overcome their trauma. Relief items Mrs Adjoa Ntoso, who was also a Christian evangelist, was in the town to present relief items to 126 of the inhabitants who were directly affected by the gas explosion which had so far claimed eight lives. As soon as she had presented the relief items — bags of rice, maize and blankets — to the community leaders on behalf of President John Mahama, her attention was drawn to the two victims and she rushed to their houses where she laid her hands on them and prayed fervently for them. Community astonished Mrs Adjoa Ntoso, who seemed to have been possessed by the Holy Spirit, continued to pray for the victims for about 10 minutes each to the astonishment of the inhabitants, mostly Muslims. Some of the Muslims who did not believe that a regional minister and a Christian could break protocol to pray for the victims were heard saying, “after all Christianity and Islam are bedfellows and the prayers will foster unity among the people in the town made up of Muslims and Christians”. Earlier, Mrs Adjoa Ntoso had told the gathering that the presentation was the first step being taken by the government to assist the victims, and that building materials such as roofing sheets and cement would be made available for them to rehabilitate their buildings which were damaged by the fire. Chiefs praise government Nana Yaw Owusu Kyere II, Chief of Kwahu Bisease on whose land the disaster occurred and Nana Prof. Agyakwa Frempong, Chief of Kwahu Fodoa, who shares borders with Bisease as well as the Bisease Sarikin Zongo, Alhaji Omaru Muhammed were full of praise for the government for coming to their aid. It would be recalled that a gas tanker on its way from Nkawkaw to Kumasi at the weekend crashed into a building at Kwahu Fodoa. The accident resulted in volumes of the gas leaking to the nearby Muslim community of Kwahu Bisease burning to death a five-month-old baby boy. Seven out of the 27 victims, who were rushed to the nearby Presbyterian Health Centre at Kwahu Praso, the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, also died and were buried at the weekend in line with the Islamic traditions.  

  A fake medical doctor who defrauded four traders of GH¢19,700 on pretext of assisting them medically to have babies has been hauled before an Accra Circuit Court. Kofi Agyemang Duah (aka Dr Prince Boakye), who claims to be a doctor at Lister Clinic located at Airport, has also been accused of prescribing drugs to some of his victims who were mainly from Okaishie and Kantamanto. A search conducted in Duah’s room revealed some medical instruments and drugs, laboratory and X-ray reports of complainants and other victims, a stethoscope and pictures of him dressed as a doctor. Duah, unemployed, who is being held for practising medicine without authority and on four counts of defrauding by false pretences, has pleaded not guilty. The court, presided over by Ms Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, has remanded Duah in police custody to reappear on January 30. Prosecuting, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr A. Atibilla told the court that the complainants were traders at Okaishie and Kantamanto.  Mr Atibilla said Duah is a self-styled medical doctor resident at Ayigbe Town in Accra. The prosecution said the complainants (name withheld) had individual problems in relation to fertility and in the year 2013 they came across Duah, who told them that he was a gynaecologist at Lister Hospital at Airport Residential Area. Mr Atibilla said Duah made the complainants to believe that he could support them medically to overcome their infertility problems. Duah therefore collected various sums of money totalling GH¢19,700.00 from the complainants and administered drugs and injections on them. The complainants, the prosecution said, applied the drugs prescribed by Duah for months only for them to realise that he was not a doctor. The prosecution said a complaint was made to the police. On January 8, this year, Duah was arrested and a search conducted in his room revealed some medical instruments, some drugs, laboratory and X-ray reports of complainants and other victims, a stethoscope and pictures of him dressed as a doctor. Some books which had the name Dr Prince Boakye Da Costa were also retrieved.  Duah has, however, denied being a medical doctor but admitted that he had been administering drugs to the complainants, because he had worked as a pharmacy attendant at various shops and had referred complainants with complicated cases to hospitals. The prosecution said more people were reporting cases against Duah.  —  GNA  

  The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has organised a workshop on leadership and high performance at the workplace for directors and potential leaders at the institution. The three-day workshop was facilitated by Quantum Shift Coaching Solutions. It drew 22 participants, made up of directors, deputies, potential directors, senior scientists and administrators from the 13 research institutes of the CSIR. The workshop focused on ‘emotional intelligence’ and its impact on high performance leadership. The Head of the CSIR, Dr A.B Salifu, said at the opening session of the workshop that leadership roles came with huge responsibilities and challenges that required aspiring leaders to be fully prepared to face them head-on.  “It is for this reason that a well-designed programme such as ‘Emotional Intelligence and High Performance Leadership’ is so critical, especially for future leaders of the council,” he emphasised. Dr Salifu urged the participants to open themselves up to absorb the modules that had been tailor-made to their peculiar needs to ensure that the training had a direct impact on their respective roles at the council.  The head of the CSIR also paid glowing tribute to Quantum Shift Coaching Solutions, saying “after sitting in a session, I have no regrets whatsoever that I approved this training with Quantum Shift Coaching Solutions.” The CSIR, on a yearly basis, identifies and promotes deserving researchers to occupy vacant managerial roles. It has, therefore, acknowledged that improving their emotional intelligence and skills required for high performance leadership was very vital to the overall progress of the CSIR. Quantum Shift Coaching Solutions got the nod to train the researchers at CSIR after delivering a tailor-made course that seeks to help researchers moving from mere managers to high-performance leaders in their respective institutes.  Quantum Shift’s speciality in personal and corporate transformation has resulted in high pay-offs in its vision of changing the realities of people by touching their core thoughts and beliefs. The company employs seminars, workshops, open fora, events, business coaching and personal development as tools to effect the desired transformation.  

  The body of Komla Dumor will be flown to Ghana for burial as soon as  the necessary formalities have been completed, both in the UK and in Ghana. “Once the family takes a decision on when the body will arrive, arrangements associated with receiving the body will be duly communicated,” the family said in a statement. It noted that since the sad passing of Komla Dumor, the family had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy, support and prayers from Ghana, Africa and the rest of the world.  “We are greatly comforted by these expressions of love and remain grateful,” it said. The statement said a website — www.komla-dumor.com  — had been created, where information from the family would be available. It explained that linked to the website was a facebook page where tributes could be posted, adding that a hotline had also been set up with the following phone number:  +233 (0)303932383.   

  A decision whether to toll roads on the campus of the University of Ghana or not will be taken after a crucial meeting scheduled between the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the university officials at a date yet to be fixed. The meeting between the ministry, to be led by the Minister, Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani, and academia has become necessary following the university’s announcement that it would begin the tolling of some rehabilitated roads on the campus. The university funded the cost of rehabilitation. The tolling of the new roads is expected to take effect from February 14, but the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the university has expressed reservations about the tolling, which its President, Mr Eric Edem Agbana, described as exorbitant. The Ministry of Roads and Highways had indicated that it was considering absorbing the cost of rehabilitation on some university campuses, including the University of Ghana, in its 2014 budget. When contacted on whether the absorption of the cost of rehabilitation of the roads by the ministry would reverse the university’s decision to collect tolls on the roads, Alhaji Sulemani said that decision would only be clear after the meeting with the university officials. He described the rehabilitation of campus roads as laudable, since the roads facilitated and supported academic work.  He, however, stated that the introduction of tolls on those roads could create inconvenience for some of the regular road users, hence the government’s intervention. Alhaji Sulemani said the ministry would ensure that roads on the campuses of major institutions were maintained at reasonable standards throughout the country. User charges The university has announced that with effect from February 1, 2014, all vehicles entering the main Legon campus and those using the road passing through the Staff Village will be required to pay a user charge.  Private vehicles will pay GH¢1 per entry, while taxis and other small commercial passenger vehicles will be required to pay GH¢2 per entry. Large trucks delivering goods or passing through the campus will pay GH¢3 per entry. The university authorities said arrangements were being made for private road users to make one-time payments of GH¢400 per year, GH¢250 for six months and GH¢150 for three months.  Exemption The university authorities said only employees of the institution and their dependants using vehicles issued with the university’s stickers would be exempted from paying the charges. Writer’s email: [email protected]  

  Two persons were Monday sentenced to a total of 40 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for robbing a lotto writer in Accra. Abdul Razak Mustapha, a driver, and Francis Ampofoh,  a cobbler,  are to serve 20 years each in prison after the circuit court in Accra found them guilty on two counts of conspiracy and robbery. According to the prosecution, the convicts robbed the complainant, a lotto writer, of GH¢2,900 at Lapaz in Accra around 7 p.m. on June 18, 2011.  The court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, convicted them to five years’ imprisonment each on each count of conspiracy and 20 years on each count of robbery. The sentences are to run concurrently. The convicts had pleaded not guilty to the charges, but the court held the view that the prosecution had proved their guilt beyond reasonable doubt after a full trial. Fact The facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution, were that the complainant had closed for the day and was about to hand over his sales to his employer when the convicts and three others now on the run appeared on the scene, armed with machetes, knives and broken bottles. They ordered the complainant to hand over the daily sale of GH¢2,900 but he declined to do so, resulting in the robbers threatening to stab him to death if he refused to obey their orders. Sensing danger, the complainant handed over the money to them. On August 18, 2011, the complainant received information on the whereabouts of the robbers. He relayed the information to the police, who subsequently effected their arrest. Background • The Accra Circuit Court has sentenced two men to serve 40 years in prison for robbing a lotto writer of GH¢2,900 in Accra. • The two, Abdul Razak Mustapha, a driver, and Francis Ampofoh, a cobbler, will each serve 20 years.  

  Genius Creative Media,  in collaboration with Micjoy Advertising and the Africa Media Consult, a media consultancy based in Kumasi, has honoured some personalities for their contributions to the development of the country. A former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffour; former Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (now the Central Regional Minister), Mr Samuel Sarpong; the Sekyere South District Chief Executive, Mr Edward Kusi Ayarkwa and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the First Class Hospital at Konongo, Dr Steve Ogbordjor, were honoured at a ceremony in Kumasi. Speaking on the theme: “Giving Flower to the Living not the Dead,” the President of the African Media Consult, Michael Nana Ampong, noted that many times, society said good things about people and honoured them only when they were dead, a phenomenon he described as unfortunate. He said it was necessary to honour people for their sterling performances when they were alive for others to emulate and not when they were dead. He, therefore, called for a reversal of the trend. Nana Ampong said Dr Duffour, as Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and minister, contributed to the socio-economic development of the country. He said as an entrepreneur, he had employed a number of people, particularly the Ghanaian youth through the establishment of banks, a radio station and other businesses in the country, saying his shining example must be acknowledged for society to learn from it. For Mr Sarpong, he said when he was the KMA boss, he worked hard to win the support of his assembly members and initiated a number of projects in the Kumasi metropolis though the KMA chief executive position is the hottest seat of government in the Ashanti Region. He said  Mr Sarpong also undertook a decongestion exercise which led to the proper management of the metropolis and that his efforts needed to be acknowledged. Nana Ampong said Mr Ayarkwa, as a DCE, had been accessible to the people and they had branded him a servant-leader for his down-to-earth qualities, a character usually uncommon among government officials. His quest for national development, Nana Ampong said, had been exemplified in projects he had initiated across the district. Nana Ampong said Dr Ogbordjor, a medical doctor, had instituted free extra and vacation classes for schoolchildren in the deprived community of Donkorkrom in the Afram Plains area. He further said Dr Ogbordjor had also instituted scholarship packages for students in the Asante Akim Central municipal capital of Konongo to improve the standard of education in the area. Nana Ampong said Dr Ogbordjor had also built a science laboratory for the Konongo MA Junior High and Primary schools and provided a library with contemporary books in the municipality. Apart from that, he said Dr Ogbordjor had drilled two mechanised boreholes for the Konongo Zongo community to help reduce the problem of the perennial water shortage in some parts of Konongo. He also owns a football academy where over 70 amateur footballers have been trained.  

    There are growing concerns over the conversion of bus stops into illegal trotro and taxi stations, a development which is responsible for the worsening traffic situation in parts of Accra. One of such illegal stations is the 37 Military Hospital bus stop, which an official of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service described as the worst example. Out of the 34 bus stops identified by the Daily Graphic, 15 appeared more as lorry stations than bus stops. Bus stops are provided during road construction to facilitate the loading and offloading of passengers, but in parts of Accra this idea is turning into a nightmare which city authorities have to nip in the bud. It is common to find trotros and taxis parked for long hours at these designated bus stops. In the morning and evening rush hours, the vehicles usually overstay their welcome of ‘One Minute’ which is boldly displayed, as the drivers’ mates solicit for more passengers. When the rather small bus stops are full, other commercial drivers are compelled to park along the shoulders of roads, and in some cases the inner roads, to make passengers get down or pick passengers.  That situation often results in unnecessary congestion and a long tailback.  There is no precise record on the number of bus stops in Accra,  but those that have become a source of worry to road users are the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange bus stop, opposite the Accra Mall; the bus stop opposite the Max Mart supermarket near the 37 Military Hospital; the Nima bus stop under the bridge close to the market, the bus stop at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, near Vodafone offices; the Kingsway bus stop near the COCOBOD Head Office in the central business district of Accra; the bus stops at the Movenpick Hotel, the Novotel Hotel, the Gulf House, the Madina Zongo Junction, the Kaneshie Market and the Achimota bus stop under the overpass. Ironically, the Police Headquarters bus stop is not left out of the invasion, as commercial bus drivers defy the ‘One Minute’ sign to load their buses, sometimes in the full glare of the police.  Other bus stops where commercial vehicles pitch camp to ply their trade include the bus stop opposite the Flagstaff House, the seat of government; all the bus stops close to the Danquah Circle, the Labone Junction, the Pig Farm bus stop, the bus stop opposite the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, the Dzorwulu Junction, Paloma and Silver Cup bus stops.  Real challenge, little solution Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Augustine Akrofi of the Accra Central MTTD conceded that the bus-stops-turned-lorry stations had become a huge problem for the unit.  He indicated that the Accra Central MTTD alone had three patrol teams in charge of monitoring and controlling traffic offences, including drivers who parked at bus stops to look for passengers. Drivers are only supposed to park and allow passengers to alight at these bus stops, but that is far from what is happening at many places. Mr Akrofi attributed the problem to the fact that some of the drivers did not belong to any station but were just ‘floating drivers’. But that was sharply contradicted by Mr Godfrey Abew, a trotro driver operating at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, who told the Daily Graphic that he belonged to an association but found it convenient to load his vehicle along the way. Mr Abew, however, declined to mention the name of his lorry station but added that “usually you have to be in a long queue at the station, so once I leave, I try to make some cash before I return”. Recalcitrant drivers As if in despair, Mr Akrofi stated, “We have made countless arrests and prosecuted some drivers over this issue and other road traffic offences but the problem still persists.” “For as long as we are on the ground, the situation is normal, but as soon as we leave, then there is chaos,” he stated, and added that perhaps many of the drivers did not find the fines punitive enough, for which reason they parked without any recourse to the law. Enforcement is the way forward “What is the point in providing all the road signs such as ‘No Parking’, ‘One Minute’, for instance, if these cannot be enforced?” the Accra Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mr Benjamin Adomah, asked.  According to him, the only way to deal with the problem was to enforce the laws. Victims... Some of these bus-stops-turned-lorry-parks are also dens for criminals and pickpockets who operate under the guise of trying to board vehicles. Richard Eli Xavier shared the experience his friend went through at one of such places.  “Checking these illegal bus stops will help reduce pick-pocketing… My friend was almost picked around Spanner Junction (Tetteh Quarshie), but unfortunately for the thief he ended up picking papers and some slaps…” Dwayne Takyi Collins described the situation as “very bad and so the police should do their work”.    

  A renowned cardio surgeon, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has called on the Ghanaian public, especially young adults, to “take control of their lives” to avoid preventable deaths. He noted that pressure of work, coupled with unhealthy eating habits, drinking, smoking, lack of exercise, among other negative practices, was cutting short the lives of many people. He said the situation could be curtailed if people took a keen interest in how they lived their lives. Stress Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra Monday, the heart surgeon indicated that stress was increasingly touching the lives of many people these days but managing it had always been a difficult problem. He said although stress was normal with human life, it could result in health, psychological, emotional and even physical problems, including heart attacks, if left unmanaged. Even though he said there were certain stress-related issues one could hardly avoid, “It is important for people to know the things that stress them and avoid them.” He would not delve into the death of ace BBC journalist, Mr Komla Afeke Dumor, who reportedly died from cardiac arrest in London last Saturday, saying, “As a doctor, I cannot stand here and say I know what killed him.” Nonetheless, he stated that heart attack always had a trigger and stress could be one. Prof Frimpong-Boateng, one-time Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre and CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, said he was saddened by the demise of the man he described as a great personality and intelligent journalist.  Journalists and stress He emphasised the fact that journalists, especially those working with the international media, were under constant stress from their work “because we expect a lot from them".  But it was not only journalists who were under stress, as the situation cut across all spheres of life. “Just imagine the watchman who cannot make ends meet but has to spend sleepless nights keeping watch at his workplace,” he noted. Such a person, Prof Frimpong-Boateng noted, could never run away from stress but could at least manage it. Poor management of stress He expressed concern over the way some people took to unhealthy ways of managing their stress.  He said, for instance, that some resorted to smoking, drinking and living quiet lifestyles by withdrawing from friends. “These can never solve the problem; they can only compound the problem,” he noted. Prof Frimpong-Boateng indicated that the effect of stress could be compounded if one was under conditions such as high blood pressure (HBP). High Blood Pressure He said the irony of the situation was that some hypertensive would neither take their drugs nor seek medical attention even though they were aware of their situations. He gave some frightening statistics about HBP in the country, indicating that about 40 per cent of Ghanaians above 40 years had the condition but 30 per cent of that figure did not know they had the medical problem. Eating local food While calling on Ghanaians to eat “our own food” because it was healthy, Prof Frimpong-Boateng also stressed the need for improved environmental practices to improve human lives. He wondered why in Ghana food was served in plastic bags, when research indicated that plastic posed health threats to human lives. He advised people to periodically check their blood pressure and take their medication regularly.   

  ABANTU for Development, a gender based non-governmental organisation, has urged the media to do more to  promote a gender responsive media landscape in the country.   According to the organisation, “there should be fair and balanced portrayal of men and women in the media” to open up equal development opportunities for all. The statement was made at a strategic meeting between Abantu and some media personnel in Accra, which was aimed at enhancing gender and social responsiveness in media reporting. Abantu is a gender and policy advocacy organisation in the West Africa sub-region, focusing on governance, peace building and climate change. Media and gender Making a presentation on ‘towards a gender responsive media landscape in Ghana,’ a programme officer at Abantu, Ms Afua Gyapomaa, said although the media had shown some efforts at being gender responsive, there was still gender-based stereotypes in reporting women’s actions, knowledge, expertise, concerns, opinions and viewpoints.  She said a cursory look at the media landscape over the years showed low percentage of stories highlighting gender equality or inequality aspects of events and issues in the areas of politics, governance, economics, business, war, poverty, technology and sports among other areas. Linking kayayei, female senior citizens and NHIS According to her, Abantu, which had began a project with a focus on the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) and its accessibility to female head porters (popularly referred to as ‘kayayei’) and female senior citizens, had shown that there were many socio-economic issues that had implications on gender and social inclusion in health. She said the media’s focus on areas such as geographical access to health centres, the head porter and female senior citizen’s financial access, clinics or hospitals’ opening hours not being suitable to the head porters, lack of sensitivity by some health workers and long waiting periods before one was attended to, which were all hindrances to these vulnerable groups, could be explored as story angles. Ms Gyapomaa called for a fair portrayal of women and men in the media including equal gender portrayal in editorial content in the various media. At the end of the meeting, the media resolved that they would work harder to help end the stereotyping of women in the media, as well as sensitising their colleagues to be more sensitive to issues on women, children and the vulnerable in the society. Writer's [email protected]  

  The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, has organised a New Year get-together for staff of the ministry in appreciation of their immense support and hard work in 2013. The programme brought together staff of the ministry to take stock of its activities during the year under review and to map out strategies for 2014. It was attended by a deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Benita Sena Okity-Duah, representatives from the National Chief Imam, heads of departments and units of the ministry and Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, the Prayer Director of the Women’s Aglow Fellowship International. Achievement Addressing the gathering, Nana Lithur said her ministry’s expanded mandate came with enormous responsibilities because of its target groups that included men, women, children, persons with disability and the vulnerable in society. Touching on the ministry’s achievement for last year, she said her ministry developed legislative instruments for the Domestic Violence and the Human Trafficking Acts and finalised a comprehensive child protection policy for Ghana. She said the ministry also increased the number of households benefiting from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) from 65,000 to 74,347 in 99 districts in the 10 regions.  She also commended their partners within government, civil society groups, the media and all other stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, UNICEF, the World Bank, UNAIDS and foreign missions for their immense support to the ministry. She said this year, the ministry would among other things, facilitate the development of its five-year strategic plan and coordinate the implementation of interventions to prevent and prosecute offenders of gender-based violence, and also rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate survivors into the society. The Prayer Director of the Women’s Aglow Fellowship International, Mrs Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, speaking on the theme: “Let Us Raise and Build,” entreated the staff of the ministry and Ghanaians in general to be optimistic of good things to happen, adding that there was something good about to happen in the country.