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].      

  Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Martin Amidu is heading back to court for a review of the court ruling on the cases involving businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome, Waterville and Isofoton. The Supreme Court by a unanimous decision ruled in favour of Martin Amidu in the suit he filed against Mr. Woyome and the other two institutions. The court directed that the GHC41 million cedis paid to Mr. Woyome and the other two institutions should be refunded. The Supreme Court also stated that the GHC51. 2 million cedis paid to Mr. Woyome will be ruled on after the same case pending in the High court is ended. But Mr. Martin Amidu later filed an application for review of the earlier court ruling which he won. According to Mr. Amidu, there was a miscarriage of justice in the ruling. The Supreme Court has finally set January 29 to begin hearing on the application for review filed by Mr. Martin Amidu.  

  President John Mahama has announced plans to seek international cooperation to move Ghana from being a primary processor of mineral resources to adding value to its minerals. According to him, this will create job avenues for the youth in the mining communities as well as boost the earnings from minerals. "...we need to move some of that secondary processing into Ghana to create additional jobs for the young people to be able to do. We cannot continue to export gold in its raw form; we don't even refine them, we don't do polishing [and] we don't do jewellery. "We export bauxite in its raw form and then we import alumina to feed our aluminium smelter and then we export the aluminium and re-import the aluminium to feed our industry; it just doesn't make sense". Mr. Mahama made the comments on Wednesday, when he opened a World Economic Forum session on Responsible Mineral Development Initiative in Davos, Switzerland. The session was attended by Liberian President, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson and Guinean President, Alpha Conde. The initiative aims at helping countries develop their mineral resources in a socially and economically responsible manner. According to president Mahama, Ghana still lives her accolade as the Gold Coast but the sector faces a few challenges such as illegal mining and foreigners taking over large land areas and mining in environmentally unsustainable way. About 4,700 foreigners engaged in illegal mining were deported last year. He said in addition the pieces of legislation enacted to inject sanity into the sector, there is the need for technical expertise to manage the system. The President said it was a shame that intra African trade accounted for only 11 per cent of world trade. Africa, he insisted, must remove all the barriers that undermine trade among African coountries.  

  The Accra Metropolitan Assembly would, on February 11,  embark on City wide validation of the 3,584 street names within the Accra sub-metro. The exercise would depict the propose streets names  in the various places of the sub-metro for public viewing, as well as afford the opportunity to the public to make comments and suggestions before its implementation. Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye, Mayor of Accra, who disclosed this on Tuesday during a tour of the proposed street names in Accra, said five maps have been placed at  strategic points within the sub-metro for community validation. Dr Vanderpuye said, out of the 3,584 street names, 337 streets are at Ablekuma Central, 329 at Ablekuma South, 421 at Ablekuma North, 86 at Ashiedu Keteke, 173 at Ayawaso Central, 94 at Ayawaso East, 638 at Ayawaso West, 410 at Okaikoi North and 302 at Okaikoi South. He said prior to the naming of the streets, the AMA organized  consultation meetings, comprising chiefs, traders, property owners, and the business community, adding that pilot sign ages in five communities have been completed in James Town, Korle Dudor, Ministerial Area, Makola and South Industrial Area. Dr Vanderpuye said pole placement maps have been completed within AMA, while parcel identification have also been completed in Osu Klottey, with property numbering currently on-going. He said the City of Accra has experienced rapid growth and created many under-serviced neighborhoods and that the street naming system would provide platforms for directional activities, proper identification for physical structures and effective revenue mobilization. The nation-wide street naming system has been identified and named by the Town and Council Planning for the Accra Metropolis in 2013, after President Mahama gave a directive, instructing all the Assemblies to identify and name streets in their various areas of jurisdiction. The project is estimated to cost GHc 3.8 million, with  funding from the World Bank through the Ghana Land Administration Project.  

  A 42- year-old pupil teacher, has been remanded into prison custody by a Tarkwa Magistrate court for beating his wife Akua Gyetuah, 31, to death. The suspect, Joseph Kwofie pleaded not guilty and will re-appear before the court on February 10. Police Prosecuting Inspector Faustina Selestina Anaman told the court presided over by Madam Juliana Millicent Ocran that the suspect is married to the deceased who was a hairdresser for 12 years and they both have two children and reside at Tarkwa-Bremang near Bogoso in the Western Region. She said on December 24, last year at about 0900 hours, Kwofie went to the deceased who lived with his grandfather, Nana Ampokwa and gave her an amount of 80 Ghana cedis to purchase Christmas dresses for the children and left. Inspector Anaman said, on that same day around 1730 hours the suspect returned to the house to demand the money he gave to the deceased with the reason that he had already bought the dresses for the children. The Prosecutor said Akua refused to refund the money and Kwofie became unhappy pushed her to the ground and subjected her to severe beatings with his legs and hands. Inspector Anaman said the deceased fell unconscious and was rushed to El Shiva Clinic at Bawdie for treatment but she died shortly on arrival. She said the suspect was arrested and detained for investigation.  

  The Tema Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana has inducted  Very Rev. Samuel Ofori-Akyea, the Superintendent Minister of the Tema North Circuit, as its Synod Secretary. The induction service, which was attended by high ranking members of the clergy of the church, was officiated by the Tema Diocesan Bishop, Rt Rev. Thomas Brown Forson.  The clergy included the Rt Rev. Frederick Nnuro, the immediate Past Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese; Rt Rev W.H.Y. Ametepe, the immediate past Bishop of the Tema Diocese, the General Director for Ministries, Methodist Headquarters, Very Rev. William Mpere-Gyekye and the Very Rev. Samuel Mensah, the Director, Human Resource and Administration The Rt Rev. Forson asked the Very Rev Ofori-Akyea, among others, to serve as a servant of Christ with humility, faithfulness and in fear. “Do you solemnly promise that by the help of God’s grace you will endeavour faithfully to preach the word of God as given in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and that you will diligently discharge all the duties of a Secretary of Synod?,” Rt Rev Forson asked Very Rev Ofori-Akyea. He said a minister’s authority laid in his holiness and asked further whether the Very Rev. Ofori-Akyea would strive to live a holy life and be an example to the people he would serve. He asked the congregation to support the Very Rev. Ofori-Akyea in his work and also give him due honour and respect. Later in a sermon on the theme: ‘Our Testimony”, Rt Rev. Forson encouraged the Very Rev. Ofori-Akyea to have the good qualities of a  leader as exhibited by Jesus and be a problem solver. ‘Your success in life depends on your willingness to help others with their problems. You should take an inventory of your life today and identify the things you could do to help others,’ he charged. He further asked him not to allow what people would say about him to disturb him and change his opinion about himself. Rt Rev. Forson said Christian life was the life of a person who knew Jesus and that Christians needed to have a constant relationship with Jesus Christ so that they could testify about Him. He urged them to renew their hearts and surrender everything to God if they wanted to have a relationship with Him. The Very Rev. Ofori-Akyea promised to do all that had been entrusted to him with the Lord being his helper. He thanked God for bringing him that far and added that he would support the bishop in realising his vision and mission during his tenure of office. Ministerial role The Very Rev. Ofori-Akyea has served in the ministerial position of the church for the past 26 years. Among others, he was a former Connexional Director for the Children’s Ministry at the Methodist Head Office and the Co-ordinator, Children’s Ministry, with additional responsibility for the Non-formal Education Division of the Accra Diocese.  

  The Awutu Camp Prison is to embark on income-generating activities to support the running of the camp and also to develop the skills of the inmates. Consequently, the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the camp, CSP Eric Ainoo-Ansah, has appealed to management of the Blue Rose Ltd, an estate developer, to consider engaging some inmates of the camp as labourers at its construction sites. The move, he said, would not only generate income, but would also serve as a training ground for those without skills. Donation CSP Ainoo-Ansah made the appeal when the company presented a quantity of items worth more than GH¢2,000 to the camp. The items included rice, biscuits, soft drinks, toiletries, first-aid kit, wheel barrows and second hand clothes. The camp, currently houses 138 male inmates. Collaboration with Blue Rose Limited  He said the camp was privileged to be in close collaboration with the company.“Whenever we run short of essentials, we fall on them and they never hesitated,” he said The Chief Executive Officer of Blue Rose Limited, Mr Eric Ebo Acquah, was happy to collaborate with the camp in the area of skills development, adding that, “this will serve as a training ground for inmates without skills to gain some level of skills so that when they come out, they will useful citizens”. He said the company would be excited to be part of the success story of inmates leaving the camp fully equipped with employable skills. Touching on the presentation, he said it was part of the company’s social responsibility towards the less-privileged in the areas the company operate. Addressing the inmates, Mr Acquah urged them to be change agents by the time they left the camp. The Administrator of the camp, Chief Gabriel Nortey, who received the items, expressed the gratitude of management of the camp and appealed to others to emulate the example of Blue Rose Limited.  

  The Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services (AGREDS), in collaboration with Maatwerk Bij Terugkeer in the Netherlands, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has organised a day’s workshop on the challenges of illegal migration for the youth at Korle Gonno in Accra. The objective of the awareness-creation event, which was co-funded by the European Union, was to give the participants an insight into the economic and socio-cultural challenges that illegal immigrants face to enable them to weigh the options  before they decide to travel. Challenges In an address to open the workshop, Mrs Grace Kombian, the Programme Officer for the Migration Programme at AGREDS, said developed countries had their own challenges; prominent among which was economic depression.  She also said the situation had forced them to tighten their economic and migration policies to ward off migrants, while  those in the system already were being flushed out through the refusal to grant them resident and work permits, among others.  The result, according to her, was that there was desperation among migrants who could no longer provide basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and health. Mrs Kombian noted that most prospective migrants were also ignorant of the economic and socio-cultural challenges they would face on their arrival, such as their inability to speak the languages of the host countries. That, she said, incapacitated their ability to meet their goals. Migration flux  Mrs Kombian added that there had been a sharp increase in migration to Europe  over the last two decades, resulting in the youth adopting several means of migration, apart from territorial and sea migration. She cited the recent Lampedusa boat disaster in Italy and the associated bad press which suggested that the victims were escaping harsh conditions in their countries due to their governments’ inability to create conditions to empower their citizens to be self-sufficient. She urged the government to do more to meet the needs of its youth and encouraged families and communities to be more accommodative of members who returned empty-handed after travelling abroad. “Migrants’ decision to return is usually not an easy one and if families are not welcoming enough, it puts them into more emotional, psychological and mental trauma,” she said. A deportee who did not want to be named shared his experiences with the participants and impressed on them not to be in a hurry to migrate since they could make a decent living in the country. “I now have a profitable business,” he said.  

  The people of Appollonia in the Kpone–Katamanso District in the Greater Accra Region have installed a new chief with the stool name Nii Nuertey Amobi ll. He  replaces Nii Tei Adumuah ll, who reigned for over 40 years and died at the age of 86.  Swearing-in of new chief The new chief, known in private life as Mr Nathaniel Nortey Tettey, a 35-year-old electrical engineer,  swore the oath of allegiance to the Kpone Paramount Stool through Nii Ofosu Oblie,  the Kpone Mankralo, and pledged to work hard to bring the needed development to the area. According to the spokesperson of Kojo We of Appollonia, Mr William Nuertey Josiah, the death of Nii Tei Adumuah was announced last Wednesday, January 15, 2014, by the Regent of Appollonia, Nuumo Elisha  Dortey. He said that Nii Tei Adumuah had been indisposed for quite sometime now so Numo Dortey was appointed as the regent to support the ailing chief by performing the day-to-day traditional  duties of the stool. Death of Adumuah Mr Nuertey said the death of Nii Adumuah was announced to the Paramount Chief of Kpone, Nii Tetteh Otu, because traditionally, Appollonia is a sub–stool of Kpone and he in turn informed the Kojo We of Appollonia and Kpone of their turn to present a candidate for consideration to become the next chief. Candidacy of new chief Mr Nortey Tettey was, therefore, nominated and presented to the kingmakers of both Kpone and Appollonia and he was accepted unanimously. He indicated that the new chief was installed immediately after the demise of the old chief to enable him to perform the funeral rites of his predecessor. He said based on the acceptance, the process of installation started with confinement on Saturday, January 18, 2014, and  the chief was installed on Monday after the necessary rites had been  performed before the subchiefs, elders and the entire people of Appollonia. Allegiance Nii Nuertey Amobi pledged his allegiance to the chiefs, elders and   people of Appollonia and Kpone and thanked them for the trust reposed in him to lead  the people of Appollonia. He pledged to lead the development  of the area and also step up education to ensure that the people valued  his leadership. Funeral of  chief  The Stool Secretary of Appolonia,Mr Joseph  Akuertey Tettey, explained that the new chief would start work immediately and, in collaboration with the elders of the stool, start planning for the funeral rites of Nii Adumuah. He noted that the late Nii Tei Adumuah was a professional teacher  who held various positions, including the presiding Member of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly(TMA), adding that the Kpone Paramount Stool and Appollonia Stool had lost a real  gem who was a great son and one who deserved a fitting burial.  

  Sixty-five people were killed in 235 road traffic accidents in the Upper West Region in 2013. They were made up of 54 males and 11 females. Additionally, 308 people sustained various injuries. In all, 69 commercial vehicles were involved in the accidents while motorbikes, which are the major means of transport in the area, recorded 172 accidents. An increase Disclosing this to the Daily Graphic in an interview, the District Police Commander of Wa municipality, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Stephen A.B. Tetteh, said the number of accidents recorded last year was a 13 per cent increase over cases recorded in 2012.  He also said the Wa municipality topped the list, recording 150 road crashes out of which 48 people lost their lives. The dead were made up of 39 males and nine females. Attribution Most of the accidents, he said, were attributed to careless driving, speeding, mechanical problems and poor road network, among others. DSP Tetteh added that 30 pedestrians were also reportedly knocked down during the year under review.  He said it was regrettable that statistics on accidents showed an increase, and added that the police had as such increased sensitisation programmes for the public to stem the tide.  

  A 51-year-old businessman based in Kumasi, Mr Owusu Afriyie, has been installed the Krontihene of Wadie Adwumakase near Mampongten in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region. Under the stool name, Nana Owi Asamoah II, he succeeds Nana Kwaku Agyei of the Asene Clan who died in 1944. At a grand durbar held at the royal forecourt at Wadie Adwumakase, Mr Afriyie swore the oath of allegiance to the Wadie Adwumakasehene, Obrempong Wadie Asim II, who also doubles as the Pomponsuohene of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Ceremony nearly marred Some extended family members of the Asene Clan nearly brought the installation to a halt when they tried to prevent Mr Afriyie from swearing the oath of allegiance. A security detail fired gun-shots before the aggrieved persons finally left the ceremony for the swearing-in and installation to continue. Mr Afriyie, after being sworn in, was carried on the shoulders and introduced to the whole community as the new Kontihene. Education of masses In interview with the Daily Graphic after the ceremony, Mr Afriyie said education was one of the priorities dear to his heart. He expressed the belief that with advancement in education, the community and, for that matter society, could make steady progress for its socio-economic development. He said there was the need to institute an education fund to support the education of schoolchildren in the area and gave the assurance that he would collaborate with the Wadie Adwumakasehene to design strategies to promote quality and affordable education in the area. Mobilisation of the youth Additionally, the new chief indicated that he would mobilise the youth in the area by engaging them in technical and vocational training to enhance private sector development and reduce unemployment in the area in particular and the country as a whole. He called for peace, unity and support  for the speedy development of the area.  

  The Society of Women against AIDS (SWAA) has taken its campaign for promoting the use of female condom to the Agbobloshie and the Kokomba markets. The sensitisation programme formed part of a year-long campaign by the SWAA to promote the use of female condom in the country.  The campaign, which is in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), is aimed at reducing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially HIV and AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies. Female porters, popularly referred to as ‘Kayayee’ and market women, were sensitised to the use of the female condoms after which they were given some of the condoms to protect themselves during sex. A complement  In an interview, the Public Relations Officer for SWAA, Madam Gloria Dei Tutu, told the Daily Graphic that education on the female condom was not intensive when it was introduced in 2000. The organisation and its partners, therefore, have renewed their commitment to promote the use of female condoms through intensive education programmes throughout the country. The female condom is a potential safe and effective contraceptive method that provides protection against unwanted pregnancies and STDs, Madam Tutu said, adding that women should see it as a complement to the male condom. About 6,000 of the condoms were distributed to the women and few men at the Agbobloshie and Kokomba markets. To ensure easy access to the female condom for women, Madam Tutu said outlets would be created in the various markets to sell them. She, therefore, encouraged women to patronise the female condom to ensure their safety. Commendation The President of the Kayayee Association of Ghana, Mr Mohammed I. Salifu, commended SWAA and its partners for educating the women on the use of the female condoms. That, he said, was very important because men took advantage of the women who slept on the street and had raped them without protecting themselves from STDs.  He said the women had the option to use the female condom if the men refused to use the male condom before having sex with them. The initiative, Mr Salifu said, would help reduce unplanned pregnancies among the young girls and women who had come to the city in search of greener pastures.  

      A large crowd besieged the Accra Central Police Station yesterday when word went round that a female head porter had been arrested with six human heads. Although it was difficult to tell the source of the rumour, most of the people who thronged the station claimed they had heard it on some radio stations. The crowd, dominated by head porters, popularly referred to as Kayayei, also included hawkers, market women and shoppers. When the Daily Graphic got to the scene about 10 a.m., policemen on duty at the police station who considered the rumour a hoax were having a hectic time trying to disperse the crowd. Commotion  The presence of the crowd forced the policemen to block all entrances to the station but that did not deter the people, who drew closer and insisted they wanted to see the human heads, while the kayayei in the crowd pleaded with the police to release their colleague. Vehicles and pedestrians could not move freely as the road in front of the police station was taken over by the crowd. The commotion brought trading activities in the central business district (CBD) of Accra to a temporary halt, as shopkeepers locked their shops to catch a glimpse of the alleged suspect and the human heads. Pickpockets  It was also an opportunity for some criminals such as pickpockets to have their way, as a 27-year-old woman, Beatrice Nyameko, was seen crying following the loss of her GH¢700. Nyameko, a student, said she had gone to the CBD to buy some items for school.  “When I heard about the bag of human heads which a kayayo was carrying, I followed the people. At a point when I removed my phone to make a call, I realised my purse was gone,” she explained.  The crowd, which had hung around from the morning, started dispersing in disappointment about 12 noon when they realised that the information they had been given was false. The strange woman According to Alima Musah, a head porter, she had been told that a woman had hired the services of one of her colleague porters to carry a heavy sack to a point. She said while her colleague was following the woman with the load, an Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) official approached the porter to pay her daily toll. “I heard that even though the kayayo wanted to pay the regular fee, the AMA officer said she should pay more, since her load was bigger, and that resulted in a quarrel,” Alima narrated. She said when the kayayo tried to by-pass the AMA official, her pan fell and the contents of the sack were exposed. “That was when the people around claimed that they saw human heads,” she said. “Sensing danger, the owner of the alleged heads disappeared and the kayayo was arrested and sent to the police station. That is why we are here,” Alima said, with her head pan balanced on her head.  Rumour on radio  When the Accra Regional Police Commander, Mr Christian Tetteh Yohonu, was contacted, he said he heard about the rumour when some radio stations called him to find out if the police had arrested a kayayo with human heads. “When I went out of the office, I found a crowd,” he said, and added, “The crowd has been building up since morning. The people are pouring in from all over, with the notion that the police are hiding something from them.” Rumours in the past  This is not the first time that a hoax has sent gullible people on a wild goose chase. Some people who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed worry that such rumours brought memories of the past when people were lynched in broad daylight as a result of rumours. In January 2006, there had been a rumour that a kayayo had been transformed into a fowl by a magician in the full glare of other kayayei, motorists, hawkers, among others. When an alarm was raised, policemen at a traffic point close by rescued the magician who was nearly lynched. However, the rumour continued to spread even when the police had established that it was a false alarm, leading to people converging on the police station. In another instance, a rumour that a handshake with another person had led to the disappearance of that man’s sexual organs led to the lynching of a number of innocent people in Accra. writer’s email: [email protected]      

  The Director of Global news at the BBC, Peter Horrocks has announced plans to establish a foundation in Komla Dumor's memory for aspiring African journalists. Mr. Harrocks made this known when he joined dozens of BBC staff to remember their departed colleague at a memorial gathering on Monday January 20, 2014 in London.  Speaking at the service held at the All Souls Church, Mr. Horrocks, warmly recalled how Dumor would always call him 'boss' despite his protestations to the contrary. 'He blazed a path for so many others,' said Horrocks. A series of moving tributes followed from Dumor's closest friends and colleagues. "He called me 'chief'’’ said head of the African Service, Solomon Mugera. Several speakers recalled that they had been told to 'look after' him when he first arrived in the UK but that he soon became more like a 'big brother', looking out for them instead. Liliane Landor, controller of languages at global news, described him as a man 'big in stature, intellect and heart'. Komla Dumor died at his London home on Saturday after a cardiac arrest.   

  A Principal Nursing Officer (PNO) at the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Clinic of the Adabraka Polyclinic, Ms Bernice Okoh, has called on young girls to desist from using postinor to prevent pregnancy after sex. According to her, the current trend was that young girls were using postinor, which was an oral emergency contraceptive, to prevent them from becoming pregnant. Ms Okoh, who made that known at a youth colloquium on “Adolescent  pregnancy, abortion and the effects on adolescent development,” organised by the National Population Council (NPC) in Accra, said the worrying fact was that most of those girls who reported at the STI Clinic indicated that the drugs were given to them by their boyfriends. Postinor as contraceptive Postinor can help prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of unprotected sex and it is more effective the sooner it is taken after unprotected sex, but according to Ms Okoh, the drug should be taken once in a year. However, she said some of those young girls took the drug regularly after every sexual intercourse. That act, she said, could lead to weaknesses in their uterus, among other complications. Postinor, she advised, should only be used as an emergency measure. Ms Okoh, who was speaking on reproductive tract infections, also called on the youth to practise safe sex, saying that both men and women were at risk when it came to contracting STIs. She also called on boys to desist from practising homosexualism, saying that many young boys were reporting with anal watts at the clinic. Teenage pregnancy  Ms Diana Bona, a Principal Nursing Officer, Public Health, in a presentation, said a total of 1,107 teenagers between 10 and 14 years had reported with pregnancies between 2010 and 2013 to health facilities in the Greater Accra Region  Another 41,431 teenagers between 15 and 19 years reported with pregnancies to health facilities within the Greater Accra Region over the same period. According to her, the sad aspect of the situation was that the number of people who committed abortion was more than those numbers recorded for pregnancies and, therefore, called on the youth to desist from having unprotected sex. She said not only did abortions end the life of a baby, but they also had harmful physical, emotional and spiritual effects on the women involved. The Greater Accra Regional Director of Health, Dr Linda Vanotoo, called on parents to educate their wards on sex, saying that sexual instinct was part of the growing up process and that the most important part was how it was managed.  The Greater Accra Regional Director of the NPC, Ms Florence Hagan, said the country’s population was youthful and, therefore, the need to talk to them about sex, adding that sexual habit was formed at the adolescent stage. She said adolescent and teenage pregnancy was the most contributory factor to maternal mortality in the country. Writer's [email protected]