I have heard with shock and dismay the disheartening news of the sudden death of Komla Dumor, the young BBC anchorman. Komla has been a source of great pride and joy to all Ghanaians as a hard working media practitioner who strove for excellence in journalism. I recall his trailblazing radio morning show in our country.His very professional and diligent approach soon turned him into a role model for many young journalists in Ghana and Africa. His sudden demise is a deep loss not just to media and journalism in Ghana but to Africa and the world. The world is certainly the poorer for his passing. He was somebody I was proud to call my friend. My wife, Rebecca, and I, and our children extend our deepest condolences to his bereaved wife, Kwansema, and his children, Elinam, Elorm and Emefa Araba, to his father, Professor Dumor, and the rest of the family, and pray for God's protection for them during these trying times.May his soul rest in perfect peace.He will be sorely missed.

The following is a tribute by the New Patriotic Party to the memory of broadcaster Komla Dumor. The New Patriotic Party is saddened by the loss of Komla Dumor, who died suddenly at his London home on Saturday at the age of 41. Undoubtedly, Komla Dumor was one of the brightest and best journalists our country, and indeed the rest of Africa, has been blessed with over the last decade. The leadership and entire membership of the party wishes to convey our thoughts, sympathies and prayers to the wife, children and family of Komla Dumor in this time of mourning. We hope you will be consoled by your cherished memories of Komla and be comforted by the presence of family and friends. Ghana is grateful for his dedication, pride in our country and service to Africa and the world.      It was through hard work and determination that he was, in November 2013, named in the list of 100 most influential Africans, as he established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting, who had considerable influence on how the continent is covered. As a presenter on the BBC World News and its "Focus on Africa" programme, Africa's energy and enthusiasm seemed to shine through every story Komla told.We will miss him dearly and it is our prayer that God grants him rest and safely keeps him in His bosom. ……signed……Jake Obetsebi-LampteyNational Chairman                                  

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has received with shock the death of Mr. Komla Dumor, a Ghanaian broadcaster with the BBC. Mr. Dumor was one of Ghana’s distinguished broadcasters, whose dedication and hardwork earned him both local and international reputation. The NDC saw him as a committed broadcaster, with an unquestionable urge to pursue the cardinal principles of his profession – “loyalty to the people.” This zeal to defend the people was vividly demonstrated in his expression, “for the benefit of our listeners.”We also remember him as an astute media practitioner with unflinching passion for the development of Ghana’s fledgling democracy which has become a beacon of Africa in democracy and multi-party practices. Indeed his role in Ghana’s democracy manifested in his desire to pursue issues of interest to their logical conclusion through interviews.The NDC on this occasion extends its sympathies to the family of the deceased, especially his wife and children. We wish also, to express our deepest condolences to the staff of Multimedia and the BBC, former and current employers respectively, before his demise.MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE  SIGNED – 19/1/14Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary.

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama , in the following statement pays tribute to broadcaster Komla Dumor who died suddenly on Saturday, January 18, at age 41. It is with great shock and profound sadness that I learned of the sudden death of one of the most illustrious sons of Ghana, the internationally-acclaimed BBC TV broadcaster, Komla Afeke Dumor.Komla was a hardworking, dedicated and consummate professional, who blazed a trail, from his days of great success as Ghana’s most popular broadcaster with Joy-FM in Accra, where he won the Ghana Journalist of the Year award, to his inspiring rise at the BBC in London.Komla was a friend, a brother and a patriot, who cared very deeply about Ghana and Africa and also about global leadership that serves people and improve lives. His brilliant broadcast work during the recent passing of South Africa’s global icon, Nelson Mandela, was hailed by many around the world. He always sought every opportunity to share his deep passion for Ghana’s success. He called on me during his last visit to Accra and we discussed varied issues relating to Ghana and Africa. He invited me to take better advantage of BBC’s strategic reach to project the positive achievements Ghanaians are chalking.In his passing, Ghana, Africa and indeed the world have lost a great, dedicated and wonderful human being and world broadcaster.  May his soul rest in peace.On behalf of my Government and the people of Ghana, I wish to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, Kwansema and the children and also to his father, Professor Ernest Dumor, his siblings Mawuena and Korshie the entire family.  Our sympathies also go to his colleagues at the BBC and in the international broadcasting and journalism fraternity.

  Journalists who a participated in  a day’s sensitisation workshop on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) seemingly ended up getting more confused after they had been exposed to the different sides of the biotechnology giving birth to the GMOs. Although all three resource persons who addressed the journalists said GMOs resulted from biotechnology, they shared different opinions and aspects of GMOs, which raised a lot of questions that, at certain points, almost turned the workshop into a debate, forcing the moderator  to call the workshop to order on such occasions. The meeting, organised by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), in collaboration with the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD), was meant to educate the journalists on GMOs and what they portended for Ghana, Africa and the world. Making the first presentation, Mr Bernard Guri, leader of the CIKOD team, asked all stakeholders, as well as the government, to hasten slowly in putting Ghana on the map of countries that had adopted GMOs. “Food is not only for consumption but also the total well-being of people. It is power. It is an identity. If we modify the food we have, it means we lose our culture,” he stated. Mr Guri also said there was growing evidence of the negative impact of GMOs, while the European Union had banned GMO seeds because it was not sure of their safety. He asked the government to support research into using indigenous methods such as desmodium, a common legume-“weed” species that repelled the stem borer, an insect pest on the maize plant, to solve agricultural problems, instead of resorting to GMOs. He explained that there were still numerous uncertainties regarding GMOs, such as terminator seeds that could not be planted twice, the environmental and health impact on humans and their socioeconomic impact on farmers’ livelihoods because they would not be able to afford the seeds due to their cost and patent rights. Will Ghana shift completely to GMOs? Professor Walter Alhassan, a Biotechnology consultant (Policy), nonetheless, said the use of GM seeds would be the farmer’s choice when it was commercialised, while consumers would have a choice on the purchase and consumption of GM foods. He refuted the assertion that GM seeds could not be replanted and opined that Ghana was putting in place structures to adopt GMOs to replace other biotechnologies because every technology had a life span and had its efficacy reduced over time. Professor Alhassan asked for proper training of farmers on GMOs before they were allowed to grow crops that were genetically modified. Effects of GMOs Responding to the contention that there were visible health effects as a result of the consumption of GMOs, Professor Alhassan said no visible adverse effects of GMOs on farmers had been recorded yet. He stated that all the negative perceived attributes of GMOs also occurred in conventional crops. “There are problems with almost every crop. People have allergies. If the product is useful, use it,” he said. Professor Alhassan said while the anti-GMO agencies had enhanced awareness-creation activities, they had created a lot of anxiety among the public. According to him, the problems that the adoption of GMOs in Ghana was likely to face were rather infrastructure and other support services such as a market for the food and warehousing. Plant Breeders Bill While Mr Yaw Opoku, a member of Food Sovereignty, a grass-roots food advocacy movement, and Mr Guri maintained that the Plant Breeders Bill currently before Parliament was connected to GMOs, Professor Alhassan said it was not. Mr Opoku said when the bill, in its present state, was passed into law, it would give too much power to both local and foreign-based breeders. He stated that it would also allow foreign plant breeders to operate freely in Ghana, either directly or through agents in Ghana, and that most of the scientists advocating GMOs hoped to become agents for foreign-based breeders in order to make money.  

  The death toll in the Kwahu-Fodoa gas explosion has risen to eight. Two more victims died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi yesterday. That brings the number of deaths from the gas explosion in the farming community to eight. The deceased were among the 13 people who sustained various degrees of injury from the explosion and were referred to the Burns Unit of KATH last Wednesday. Victims identified The deceased have been identified as Basharu Mohammed, three; Ismail Mohammed, six; Abdul Aziz Mohammed, 16, and Jamal Mohammed, four, all siblings. Others were named as six-month-old Yussif Zakaria, whose body was burnt beyond recognition; Ramatu Hassan, Sahada Zakaria, four, and Salou Zakari. Their bodies have been deposited at the KATH and the Holy Family Hospital in Nkawkaw. Six others are on admission at the Holy Family Hospital, including a 25-year-old student of the All Nations University College in Koforidua, Hayford Adjei. Responding to treatment A medical officer at the Holy Family Hospital, Dr Kwame Hector, said the victims were responding to treatment. Seven others are also reported to be receiving attention at the Burns Unit of the KATH. The victims were among 28 people who suffered burns resulting from a gas explosion that sparked fireballs and a plume of black smoke that forced people out of their homes at Kwahu Fodoa.  

BBC TV presenter Komla Dumor has died suddenly at his home in London at the age of 41, it has been announced. He was said to have died from a cardiac arrest on Saturday. The Ghanaian Broadcast Journalist with BBC World News TV and presenter of Focus on Africa live from London, interviewed a #SouthSudan ex child soldier musician @EmmanuelJAL, on Focus on Africa on Friday at 1730GMT. It was to be his last. He was only last week nominated to be the face of the BBC for the World Cup in Brazil this summer. Former Chief Executive of Kotoko, Mr Herbert Mensah's wife is a neighbour to Dumor in London.  She was present when the doctors pronounced the BBC presenter dead on Saturday. Mr Mensah, himself a close pal of Dumor told Joy FM in Accra that Esther Cobbah, head of Stratcomm Africa, and a friend to the Dumor family has been appointed to speak on the family's behalf. He was married to Kwansema Dumor. They have three children. BBC Global News Director Peter Horrocks called Dumor a leading light of African journalism who would be deeply missed. "Komla's many friends and colleagues across Africa and the world will be as devastated as we are by this shocking news," Mr Horrocks said in a statement. "The sympathies of all his colleagues at the BBC are with his family and friends." Komla Dumor was born on 3 October 1972 in Accra, Ghana. He graduated with a BA in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Ghana, and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University. He won the Ghana Journalist of the Year award in 2003 and joined the BBC four years later. From then until 2009 he hosted Network Africa for BBC World Service radio, before joining The World Today programme. In 2009 Komla Dumor became the first host of Africa Business Report on BBC World News. He travelled across Africa, meeting the continent's top entrepreneurs and reporting on the latest business trends around the continent. He interviewed a number of high-profile guests including Bill Gates,  Kofi Annan and former US president Bill Clinton. Last month, he covered the funeral of former South African President, Nelson Mandela, whom he described as "one of the greatest figures of modern history". He anchored live coverage of major events including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the funeral of Kim Jong-il, the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the Norway shootings and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. In his review of 2013, published last month, Dumor said the passing of Mandela was "one of the moments that will stay with me". "Covering the funeral for me will always be a special moment. I will look back on it with a sense of sadness. But also with gratitude. I feel lucky to have been a witness to that part of the Mandela story." Dumor was the only West African news reader on the BBC World news until his death. He achieved his feat in journalism without a formal journalism training.

  The Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, on the advice of the Volta Regional Security Council and by Executive Instrument, has renewed the curfew imposed on Alavanyo and Nkonya with effect from Friday, January 17, 2014. A statement signed by the minister said the curfew hours remained from 8:p.m. to 5:a.m. It also said the government continued to urge the chiefs, elders, opinion leaders and people of the areas to exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting them and use non-violent means in the resolution of their conflicts and disputes. ‘Meanwhile, government reiterates that there is a ban on all persons in the two towns and their environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapons,” the statement said. It said any person found with any arms or ammunition would be arrested and prosecuted.     

  Investigations conducted by the National Security Council (NSC) have established that the 1.5 tonnes of supposed gold alleged to have been sold by President John Dramani Mahama to Iran is not true. The gold was supposed to settle Ghana’s financial commitment to Iran over an unknown transaction. The NSC said its investigations had revealed that the samples supposed to have been gold were not gold after all. Briefing the press in Accra yesterday on the outcome of the investigations, Mr Marcus Awelinga of the NSC said investigations indicated that 30 boxes of what was believed to be gold did not contain gold. Rather, they contained substances whose chemical components comprised 0.468 per cent of zinc, 1.24 per cent of tin, 0.310 per cent of iron, 0.101 per cent of silicon, 0.644 per cent of copper, 0.031 per cent of aluminium, 0.25 per cent of gold and 96.13 per cent of nickel. Background On December 31, 2012, there were news reports that President Mahama had sent 1.5 tonnes of gold to Iran to settle financial commitments over an unknown transaction. The consignment was detained in Turkey because the crew could not produce a valid airway bill on it. The issue generated a lot of criticism in the media and, therefore, the NSC initiated an investigation into the matter. Findings of the investigation According to Mr  Awelinga, investigations by the NSC had shown that the aircraft which carried the supposed 1.5 tonnes of gold originated from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) at 10.20 p.m. on December 31 2012. He said checks conducted revealed that the supposed gold was actually supplied by Omanye Gold Mining Limited (OGML) and not President Mahama. Mr  Awelinga said Mr Peter Kofi Bedzra, the Director of OGML, now deceased, admitted supplying “gold bars” and that they were loaded from the KIA. He said despite OGML being a registered company, it appeared to be an obscure enterprise. He said the office of OGML could not be located. He explained that that was because its address provided at the Registrar-General’s Department could not be traced. According to Mr Awelinga, the consignment of the supposed gold had been returned to Ghana from Dubai and was now in the custody of Aviance, waiting clearance by OGML (owners). He said OGML had, however, sent a petition to court, claiming it was gold that it exported. He said investigations were ongoing to unravel the truth or otherwise of that claim.  

  The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has directed pension fund managers to disinvest funds made in non-permitted investment areas immediately upon maturity. According to the acting Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Mr Laud A. K. Senanu, compliance inspection had revealed that some fund managers had made investments in unapproved instruments such as microfinance and non-bank financial institutions to the tune of GH¢32.1 million. Mr Senanu gave the directive at a meeting with stakeholders in Accra on Thursday. Compliance Although the overall compliance level was encouraging within the industry, Mr Senanu said the findings included improper accounting on scheme funds which resulted in delay in crediting the returns on investment to respective contributors, unoperational schemes or schemes established with no beneficiaries signed on, as well as not communicating changes of directorships to the authority. In addition, he said, conflict of interest issues, where the managing director of a trust company doubled as the managing director of a pension fund management company, came up, while some pension fund managers were also investing the funds in their parent or holding companies. Temporary Pension Fund Account Mr Senanu reiterated that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) would continue to collect tier-two contributions from both employers with and those without schemes until employers were enrolled on schemes to avoid chaos. However, he said the trust would be paid a fee for the collection. Mr Senanu said the NPRA had set up a committee, comprising representatives from SSNIT and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, to reconcile collections with contributors and schemes. After that, an independent auditor would be invited to audit the data before transfers of about GH¢1.14 billion being invested at the Bank of Ghana would be disbursed to corporate trustees, he added. He was hopeful that the process would end in about a month for the transfers to be effected within the first quarter of the year. Educational campaign Mr Senanu said the authority would devote a better part of the year to educational campaigns for establishments to register schemes for formal and informal sectors. The authority would also refer to its board the need to provide incentives for corporate trustees that spread their tentacles to the regions. Past credit He said the board of the NPRA was also studying for approval a formula for determining how much of the lump sum of persons below 55 years who contributed to the SSNIT had to be migrated onto the enhanced pensions regime with three-tier contributory levels. The NPRA currently has 86 service providers, including companies with provisional approval status, comprising licensed corporate trustees, pension fund custodians (usually banks) and pension fund managers. The stakeholders called on the NPRA to stick to its own timelines and deliver on its promises to move the industry forward. Rev Daniel Ogbarmey-Tetteh, who represented Databank, said to give ample room for fund managers to get good returns for beneficiaries, the guidelines on investments should be streamlined, so that the hands of the fund managers would not be tied. He explained that if care was not taken, beneficiaries would go home with only treasury bill returns, as the investment space was restrictive.  

  The Royal Gbenyo Stool Father of Adina in the Volta Region, Togbe Seth Abotsi, has contested the claim by the chiefs and people of Agbozume that the Keta Lagoon where salt is being mined by a British company belongs to them. Togbe Abotsi made the call when he led a three-member delegation to the Graphic offices in Accra to react to the Daily Graphic publication of December 27, 2013. The publication had carried a story in which the chiefs and people of Abgozume had expressed concern about the government’s decision to give the lagoon to a foreign company to mine salt. The chiefs and people of Agbozume in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region staged a protest on December 25, 2013, accusing the government of taking their livelihood away from them by giving the Keta Lagoon to the Kesington Salt Factory to mine salt. Hundreds of people, including the elderly and children, led by the chiefs of Kpejakope, Nogokpo and surrounding villages, joined the protest. The protest, which also attracted the Volta Regional Security Co-ordinator, Lt Col David Dovlo and dozens of police personnel led by the Regional Police Commander, Mr O. I.  Mensah to the area, brought activities in the area to a halt. The people claimed that without consulting them, the government decided to give the lagoon on which their livelihoods depended to the mining company. They also said the activities of the mining company were denying them access to the lagoon, thereby increasing poverty in the area, exposing them to environmental danger, as well as making life unbearable. Reacting, Togbe Abotsi said it was a fact that the land from the Atlantic Ocean to Adinamornu,(which is being called Kpedzakope) into which the large Keta Lagoon flows to its centre was the property of the Adina stool and its people.                  He indicated that it was the people of Adina who gave out the consent for the establishment of the mining company and that the Kensington Industries Limited (KIL) was not an Indian Company but a British company. Togbe Abotsi added that Togbe Awuaba V was ,therefore, called to conform to the decision arrived at the Regional Security Council (RESEC) meeting on the salt winning project at Adina on 15th November, 15, 2013 at the Ketu South Assembly. The meeting, he indicated,was attended by the Deputy Regional Minister, the Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive and heads of all security agencies, adding that another meeting of municipal security council was also held on December, 5, 2013 to resolve the issue. According to him, Kensington Industries Limited was duly registered in Ghana and was involved in a legal business of setting up an Industry with relevant leases and licences obtained from the relevant government agencies. Togbe Abotsi, therefore, called on communities in the Ketu South Municipality to allow the area to develop in order to catch up with the rest of the country. He said, “the Ketu South Municipality needs progress in economic emancipation” According to him, the Kensington Industries Limited was duly registered in Ghana, adding that its operations were legal and had an aim of bringing up industrial and economic development to the whole community. Touching on the environmental protection of the land, he said it was a process which was in progress and all the relevant government agencies were working assiduously to safeguard the community.  

  A 25-year-old teacher has been arrested by the Odorkor Police for allegedly defiling a five-year-old pupil. The suspect, Nana Yaw Addo Larbi, popularly called Sir Larbi, was said to have defiled the pupil in the washroom of a school at Gbawe in Accra on Tuesday,  January 14,  2014. Even though the victim is a pupil of the school where Sir Larbi teaches, he is not her class teacher. Waiting for school bus Confirming the case to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the Odorkor District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Mr Abraham Acquaye, said the victim’s parents reported the case to the police after they had sought medical attention for their daughter who had bled from her private parts on that fateful Tuesday. The victim was in the school with other pupils who were waiting after school hours for a school bus to send them home. The commander said the victim told a medical doctor that a teacher called Sir Larbi forcibly had sex with her in the washroom. She said Sir Larbi had followed her to the washroom when she went to urinate in the course of waiting for the school bus. That was after the victim had refused to disclose to her parents and other relations who had questioned her after seeing blood in her panties what had happened to her. 24 Lashes threat The girl is said to have told the doctor that the teacher had threatened to give her 24 lashes if she disclosed what had happened to anybody. About 5 p.m. on that Tuesday, when the girl got home, she told her mother that she wanted to wash her panties while a relative was washing their dirty clothes. Even though the mother protested, the relative asked the girl to go ahead and wash her panties. “It was when she removed her panties to wash that her mother and the other relative noticed that the panties were soaked with blood,” Mr Acquaye said. Clots of blood An examination of the victim’s private parts revealed that she had clots of blood oozing out. She was quickly rushed to  a nearby private clinic, where she confided in the doctor who examined her that she had been defiled by one Sir Larbi. As a result of the nature of her condition, the doctor referred the victim to the Police Hospital for further treatment. Mr Acquaye said the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Odorkor Police had concluded its investigations and would process the suspect for court on Tuesday, January 21, 2014.   Writer’s email: [email protected]  

  The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has released GH¢50.4 million for the payment of feeding grants for senior high schools in the three northern regions and the northern parts of the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions. The money will cover the payment of arrears of feeding grants for the third term of the 2012-2013 academic year and the first term of the 2013-2014 academic year. In addition, the Ministry of Finance has released GH¢31 million to the Scholarship Secretariat for the payment of outstanding arrears of scholarships of Ghanaian students studying abroad. The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Education, Mr Paul Kofi Krampah, made this known to the Daily Graphic. According to him, the ministry will continue to facilitate the early release of funds to schools to ensure smooth academic activities on the various campuses. He expressed the hope that the schools and those abroad would get their money by next week following the release of the grants by government. Delay in release of grants Eighty-three senior high schools in the three northern regions last Monday, January 13, 2013, delayed reopening as a result of arrears in feeding fees and subsidies owed them by the government. The schools included 44 SHSs in the Northern Region, 23 in the Upper East Region and 16 in the Upper West Region. The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in the Northern Region,  Alhaji Tahiru Abdul-Rahman Mahama, had told the Daily Graphic that the conference had written to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to officially inform them about their grievances. He stated that the feeding subsidies were in arrears for two terms, adding, “we have not received our feeding subsidies for the third term of the 2012/2013 academic year and the first term of the 2013/2014 academic year.” The failure of the government to pay the arrears, he said, had affected academic work in most of the senior high schools, especially those with boarding facilities. Alhaji Mahama also said all the SHSs in the three northern regions owed their suppliers; a situation that had compelled the suppliers to discontinue their credit supplies to the schools. According to him, the general subsidies paid to SHSs were also in arrears and that had affected the payment of their bills.  

  The Attorney-General’s Department and Ministry of Justice says work on the preparation of a docket on the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) report is far advanced and will be taken to court soon. The Public Relations Officer of the Attorney-General’s Department and Ministry of Justice, Mr Owusu Ansah, told the Daily Graphic that the AG, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had been conducting investigations to build the docket since the report was referred to them by President John Mahama late 2013. Besides, he said, a team of experts was looking at the various contracts signed under GYEEDA while another team was considering other aspects of it. Mr Ansah also said the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, was committed to gathering impeccable evidence on GYEEDA before going to court. He indicated that if the evidence gathered went against any company or individual, such a company or an individual would not be protected. Mr Ansah asked the public to be patient with the Attorney-General’s Department and Ministry of Justice since it was committed to protecting the interest of Ghana. He added that GYEEDA was a national programme and stated that the Attorney-General’s Department and Ministry of Justice would pursue the case in the interest of Ghanaians. Retrieval of money Mr Ansah confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the Attorney-General’s Department and Ministry of Justice had written letters to rlg Communications, Asongtaba and Craftpro to refund about GH¢55 million to the state. He said the letters had given deadlines to the three companies to make the payment but he did not have information on whether some companies had started making payments or not. He, however, indicated that the laws would catch up with any company that failed to pay the money on time.  

  A 19-year-old unemployed man who allegedly took advantage of the absence of the parents of a 12-year-old girl, abducted  and defiled her has been arrested. Samuel Kwaku Kwakye was arrested from his hideout by the father of his victim and handed over to the police. After investigations, Kwakye was charged with abduction and defilement and arraigned before the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Court. The court, presided over by Mr William Boampong, remanded Kwakye in custody to reappear on Friday, January 17, 2013. Presenting the facts of the case,  Chief Inspector Guilliver Tenkorang said the complainant in the case was Matthew Adjei, a mechanic and father of the victim. Chief Inspector Tenkorang said on December 20, last year, the victim arrived home from school and the father asked of her end of term report. The victim was unwilling to show  the report to her father and told him she did not  know where she had placed it. This, the prosecutor said, infuriated her father, who warned her daughter to find the report or face his wrath. According to Chief Inspector Tenkorang, the victim who got scared, left  home, and Kwakye, who stayed in the same neighbourhood, took advantage of the girl’s situation and lured her into his room and slept with her. After the act, Kwakye  failed to release the girl to go back home and made her spend another night with him. According to Chief Inspector Tenkorang, after the act, Kwakye warned the girl not to disclose her ordeal to anybody else he would organise a gang to beat her. However, the prosecutor said, the victim was questioned by her father about where she had been the previous night and mentioned Kwakye as the one who abducted and slept with her. A report was made to the police and Kwakye was arrested on December 28, 2013 and handed over to the police.  

  Tomato farmers at Akomadan in the Offinso North District have appealed to the government to prevent the importation of tomatoes from Burkina Faso. That, they said, would ensure that Ghanaian tomato farmers got ready markets for their produce all year round and also save them from incurring losses. According to them, when tomatoes were in season in  Burkina Faso, the market women hardly patronised their produce as they preferred buying from the neighbouring country. The farmers, however, admitted that the Burkina Faso tomatoes were of higher quality and lower water content which made it less perishable. Protection from Government That notwithstanding, they believed that if they enjoyed some protection from the Ghanaian government, they could also grow their business and improve on their varieties to match that of Burkina Faso. The Secretary to the Akomadan Tomato Farmers Co-operative, Kingsford Baffoe, told the Daily Graphic that aside the non-guaranteed price for their produce and the cost of fertiliser and other chemicals used for the cultivation of the crop, they were also faced with the high cost of electricity, particularly those of them farming at the irrigation dam site. Increase in Utility Tarrifs According to him, because of the increase in utility tariffs, members of the co-operative now paid GH¢700 instead of GH¢400 to cultivate an acre of land for three months, by which time they would have harvested their produce. The amount includes the use of the land, water from the dam and the maintenance fee for the dam. Mr Baffoe, who has been farming for the past 20 years, said the business was lucrative and could get better if the government could stop the importation of tomatoes from Burkina Faso. He said even though the government had helped with the provision of the dam to help them cultivate the produce even during the dry season, “the Ouaga (Burkina Faso) issue is really worrying us.” “Although we are in the dry season in which tomato is a bit scarce, some of the farmers still have some of the produce but there are no buyers and these days, they don’t stop here. They bypass us to Ouaga to go bring tomatoes when we have some here,” he lamented. Breaking Even He said even though the market women paid very little for their produce, particularly when there was a glut, most of them managed to break even and remain in business, and believed that if they could be assured of ready markets all year round, “it will be good for our business.” Currently, he said, a box of tomato is being sold between GH¢15 and GH¢20 “but this could go as high as GH¢200 during the lean season.” Another issue hampering their business is the deplorable state of roads to their farms which prevents traders from coming to their farms, especially during the rainy season.  

  A 60-year-old farmer, Yao Kuma has committed suicide to avert punishment and shame after defiling a 14-year-old student . The corpse of the deceased has been deposited at the Presbyterian Health Post morgue at Dormaa, pending autopsy. The District Police Commander for Bia West and Bia East, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Daniel Wiafe confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday. He said both the victim and Kuma resided at Sefwi-Tema Cottage, near Sefwi-Kaase in the Bia West District of the Western Region. ASP Wiafe said two weeks ago, Kuma sneaked into the victim's room and defiled her. He said the victim later reported the act to her parents and Kuma was summoned to appear before the elders of the town on Tuesday January 14. However, to avert punishment and shame, Kuma took a concoction suspected to be poison, collapsed afterwards and died shortly on arriving at the hospital. ASP Wiafe said the incident occurred on January 14, when the deceased was supposed to appear before elders of the town.  

Brothers and Sisters In Christ Serving International (B.A.S.IC.S) International, a faith based charity organisation located in the fishing community of Chorkor, Ghana, has celebrated its 14th Anniversary of impactful existence in Ghana. The celebration was commemorated with a 'Thank You' dinner at the Royale Fiesta Hotel on January 12, 2014, in honour of all BASICS Int. sponsors and stakeholders both past and present. Sponsors honoured were Lycopodium, African Mining Services, Geodrill, Barclays, African Women Development, Ice Cool Water, Royale Fiesta, Antrak Air amongst others. Special Guest for the occasion, Mrs. Matilda Amissah- Arthur, the 2nd Lady of the Republic of Ghana, commended BASICS Int. for its good work and commitment to alleviating poverty through educating the children in under developed communities in Ghana. She said she had worked with BASICS Int. for the past 9 years and has seen the kind of impact they have had on the children and families of Chorkor. Mrs. Amissah- Authur appealed to all to partner with and support BASICS Int. to continue to provide the needed education for the children in Chorkor where education was not much valued. She emphasised that education was very key and without education one cannot achieve much. BASICS Int. currently supports 4 children in Universities across Ghana, 8 in Senior High School and 150 in basic school. Also BASICS Int. already have 4 Tertiary graduates to its credit. Patricia Wilkins the Founder of BASICS Int. was much appreciative of the efforts of all sponsors who have made tremendous impact on the children and families of Chorkor and surrounding communities. She said with all the support that has come from sponsors, BASICS International has been able to keep children in school and supporting the Capitation Grant, providing a place to learn computer and beneficial social skills as well as shelter for endangered teenage girls. She pleaded with the public to partner her organisation to continue working with communities to achieve its mission of ending the cycles of illiteracy, poverty, hunger and child labor in Ghana.

  The town of Fasen in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region, was on Thursday thrown into a state of pandemonium when the ghost of a 39-year old man allegedly arrested a fetish priest.     The ghost of Kweku Musu purportedly manifested itself in a woman, Maame Abome, and arrested Nana Tandoh, the fetish priest, who supposedly shot him spiritually. The Chief of Fasen, Nana Obomu Nketsia, III, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency. He said Oldman Armoo’s mobile phone got lost about three months ago and upon several announcements he did not find it, therefore, he reported the theft to a powerful fetish priest, Nana Tandah at Kwamekrom, to deal drastically with the thief. Interestingly, the chief said, Armoo bought the phone from the fetish priest therefore Nana Tandoh performed all the necessary rituals at his shrine and then preceded to Fasen, where the phone was stolen, and shot a gun three times in the air. The chief said the one who stole the phone then left the phone at the door mat of the owner, Armoo, in the evening. The next day, Armoo went to Kwamekrom and informed the fetish priest about the return of the phone and asked Nana Tandoh to reverse the ritual but he told him it was too late and warned Armoo not to touch the phone. Unfortunately, the chief said, Kweku Musu, died mysteriously last Monday January 13, and when the family of the deceased inquired about the death of their relative from a shrine, it was revealed that Nana Tandoh killed him. Therefore, the family of the deceased returned to Fasen to bury Kweku Musu on Thursday January 16, however, the ghost of the deceased manifested itself in a woman and went to Kwamekrom and arrested the fetish priest from his shrine. The chief said the ghost dragged the fetish priest, including the gun and a pot to the funeral ground thereby creating pandemonium at the town. Nana Nketsia said the residents of the town then brought the fetish priest to the palace where he confessed shooting Kweku Musu with a spiritual gun. The chief said it took his personal intervention to prevent the fetish priest from being lynched by the angry mob. Nana Obomo said he had asked the family of the deceased to report the case to the police. He said currently, the fetish priest had returned to his shrine at Kwamekrom, however, the gun, bullets and a clay pot had been seized and kept at the chief’s palace at Fasen.  

  A 25-year-old auto mechanic, Eric Togbe Yao Awuku, in New Fante Town near Daboase did the unthinkable when he picked a three-year-old child from her sleeping mother’s arms at about 2:30 a.m. and defiled her, resulting in serious health complications. The child is now unable to defecate through the anus and passes both urine and faeces through her female genital with accompanying blood. The child is currently on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital and medical doctors are doing everything possible to save her life. Awuku, had since been arrested and is helping the police in their investigations. Speaking to The Mirror, the Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer,  ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, said at dawn on Monday, January 13, 2013, the child and the mother, Felicia Aidoo, were fast asleep in their room at Mpohor. According to ASP Adiku, Awuku then sneaked into the room, took the sleeping child and vanished into the bush, where he sexually assaulted her. ASP Adiku said some members of the community were awoken by the loud cry of the victim and traced the child’s cry to the bush. She said Awuku took to his heels when he saw the search party. He was chased and apprehended, while the child was rushed to the hospital.