Involve us in your programmes- NDC youth to aspirants

Date: Jan 03 , 2019 , 06:18

BY: Benjamin Xorman Glover

Ms Ruth Seddoh, Deputy NDC Youth Organiser addressing the gathering

The Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on all the flag bearer aspirants to engage the youth of the party in their plans and policies in order to achieve the target of capturing power in the 2020 general election.

According to the youth wing, engaging and involving the youth would go a long way to help the NDC in its grand plan of capturing power from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

A Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NDC, Ms Ruth Seddoh, said this during the 37th anniversary of the December 31 Revolution held at the Mandela Park in the Ashaiman Municipality in the Greater Accra Region last  Monday.

Present at the function was the leader of the revolution and former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, national executive of the NDC, some flag bearer aspirants, former appointees, cadres, NDC Members of Parliament (MPs), as well as traditional rulers and other ethnic chiefs within the Ashaiman municipality.

“To our flag bearer aspirants, the youth want to hear more from you, we want to know what is in stock for us. While at it, be kindly reminded that we are in an internal contest, we are in this together, power in 2020 is our prime interest and we urge you all, don't divide us, unite us, don't use us, partner us,” she said. 
 
“To those working towards victory 2020, we support you, we are motivated to help you achieve that dream. To my fellow youth, let's get together, let's work harder, let's help one another, Ghana is in crises due to poor leadership, we must change this government now,” she added.

The theme for this year’s commemoration was “Deepening the core principles of good leadership for political governance.”

Core principles

Ms Seddoh reminded the youth of the party of the essence of the December 31 Revolution and cautioned them not to let the history of the revolution be lost on anyone.
She said it was the revolution that gave birth to the NDC, a congress of diverse ideas, opinions and people who are united with a purpose.

Ms Seddoh said the situation in the NDC was not the same as it started, noting that there was so much internal rancour, disrespect for leadership, name calling and character assassination.

“We recorded our worse defeat ever in 2016 and it seems we haven't gotten over it yet, the earlier we do and prepare for the task ahead of us, the better for us and the future of the masses.

 “We are a social democratic party with principles of probity, accountability and social justice. In all circumstances, the interest and welfare of the masses is always supreme in our considerations. Somehow, we faltered somewhere along the line, human became Zeus, with no listening ears and disregard for our youth and party hierarchy,”  she said.

Governance

The deputy NDC youth organiser said current happenings in Ghana were not what Ghanaians were promised, stressing that corruption was at its peak. 

She said Ghanaians and for that matter NDC members do not have the luxury of time, therefore, there was the need for the party members to get together, win political power and fix the system. “It is possible. Ghanaians deserve better and we can do it better for them,” she added.. 

Inspiration

The deputy NDC youth organiser commended the founder and leader of the revolution for his leadership, emphasising that many of the youth take inspiration from his ideals of probity, transparency, accountability, integrity and social justice.

“Your unparalleled leadership qualities of promoting grassroots participatory democracy will continue to guide us even as we wrestle for power in 2020,” she said
Ms Seddoh said the youth of the NDC were hungry for power and were more than poised and charged to return NDC to power come 2020 and indicated that any force, person or group of persons who would try to impede their progress would be fiercely resisted, stating that they take a cue from our founder's, “positive defiance” mantra.

She also called on the newly appointed EC chairperson and her team to ensure a level playing field and work in the interest of Ghana and not the appointing authority.
She stated that any attempt to gerrymander election 2020 would be resisted by the NDC

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/ghana-news-involve-us-in-your-programmes-ndc-youth-to-aspirants.html

Assailant dies by own knife

Date: Jan 05 , 2019 , 10:38

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

AN Assailant who assaulted a 42-year-old mason twice was unlucky for the third time when his victim overpowered  and stabbed him with his own deadly weapon — a knife.

According to the Tema Regional Police Command, the deceased, Mohammed Tijani, had assaulted the suspect, Francis Appiah, on December 29, 2018. 

Briefing

The Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Joseph Benefo Darkwah, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, said the suspect reported the case to the Community Eight police station where he was issued a medical form to go to the hospital for treatment. 

According to the police, last Wednesday, Tijani and five others attacked Appiah again and allegedly hit his head with a stone.
Mr Darkwah said the suspect went back to the police and reported the matter, adding that the police again issued him with a medical form. 

Out of luck

He indicated that efforts to arrest the deceased proved futile as he kept avoiding the police.

According to the police, last Thursday at about 8:30 a.m., the deceased who was holding a knife, allegedly attacked the suspect again. However, the suspect overpowered him, took the knife and stabbed the deceased. 

He said the suspect was currently in custody, while investigations were going on. 

The body had been kept at the Tema General Hospital for preservation and autopsy, Mr Darkwah said

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-assailant-dies-by-own-knife.html

K.K. Fosu in accident on Accra -Tema Motorway

Date: 12 January 2019

By: Benjamin Xornam Glover

HIGHLIFE Musician, K.K Fosu, narrowly escaped death on the Accra-Tema Motorway after he was involved in a freak accident on Saturday, January 12.   

The accident happened near the Abattoir Junction on the Accra section of the Motorway around 7:00 am.

In what looked like a serious accident, the Anadwo Yede singer did not sustain any physical injuries, but a passenger had a minor cut on the forehead.

su was taken to the Tema General Hospital in a taxi by an acquaintance whose name was only given as Kwesi who was phoned by some witnesses.

Kwesi's number was said to be the last number the musician dialed before the accident.

In a brief interview with Showbiz at the Accident and Emergency Centre of the Tema General Hospital, K.K. Fosu, said he was en route to Happy FM in Accra and on reaching the Abattoir end of the motorway, a herd of cows suddenly crossed the road. 

KK Fosu(left) and his acquaintance at the Accident and Emergency Centre of the Tema General Hospital, after the musician was attended to

He said he momentarily lost control of the steering but managed to regain control of the vehicle which had its windscreen badly damaged.

K.K. Fosu said he hit his chest against the steering wheel and had some sharp pains in his chest. He said but for the seat belt, he would have sustained severe injuries.

He bemoaned the practice where animals are allowed to roam freely on major highways and said "these are some of the things musicians should be singing about."

K.K Fosu was temporarily discharged at about 10:am after an examination by the doctor on duty and asked to go and do an X-ray.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/showbiz/news/kk-fosu-in-a-freak-motor-accident.html#&ts=undefined

Suspect in Tema port PR manager’s murder remanded

Jan 18 , 2019
BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

The suspect, Christian Agyei

The Tema TDC Magistrate Court has remanded into prison custody the houseboy of the murdered Marketing and Public Relations Manager of the Tema Port, Mrs Josephine Asante.

The remand follows a request by the prosecution to enable it to carry out further investigations, including the examination of the suspect’s body fluids and analysis of prints at the police forensic laboratory.

The accused person, Christian Agyei, 22, is facing committal proceedings for the murder of his boss.

 No pleas were taken from Agyei, who has been provisionally charged with murder.

The court, presided over by Mrs Akosua A. Adjepong, adjourned hearing to January 31, 2019.

Brief 

Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Beatrice Ayeh, told the court that the complainant in the case was Mr Amos Apraku, an employee and driver of the murdered Mrs Asante.

She said the deceased was residing at Block E of EMEFS Estate on the Afienya-Akosombo road together with her husband, their 12-year-old son and the suspect.

She said the deceased’s husband travelled to the United Kingdom in December 2018, leaving her with the suspect and their son. 

 According to the prosecution, on January 12, this year, Mrs Asante attended a get-together organised by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) at the senior staff club house at Tema Community six.

She said at about 11:30 p.m., the complainant drove her from the party grounds towards her home.
 
However, at Michel Camp, she said the driver was said to have alighted and handed over the car, a Mercedes Benz saloon, to Mrs Asante to continue the journey home at EMEFS Estates by herself.

According to the prosecutor, the accused person met Mrs Asante when she arrived home and collected a plastic bag from her and returned to his room at the boys’ quarters, but he could not tell the time of her arrival or whether there was another person with her in the car.

The prosecutor said the accused person informed investigators that at about 3:30 a.m. last Sunday, he and the deceased’s son heard some unusual sound in the compound and went to check but did not find anything and therefore went back to bed.

Inspector Ayeh said the suspect, however, claimed he saw a male figure on the night wearing a black T-shirt and jeans running through the living room and escaping through the main gate.

Discovery

She said the following morning at about 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 13, 2019, the suspect and the deceased’s son tried opening Mrs Asante’s bedroom door but found it locked and so they called the complainant.

The complainant, according to the police, found the keys to Mrs Asante’s room at the entrance of the gate when he arrived in the house and used same to open the deceased’s door and found her in a pool of blood.

The prosecutor said investigators who were assigned to the case after the complaint had been lodged, collected semen found in her vagina, finger prints and other traces of evidence at the scene.

According to the police investigators, during their checks, the suspect was spotted burying a polythene bag which upon examination contained GH¢430 and the deceased’s wristwatch behind his room and subsequently apprehended him.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-suspect-in-tema-port-pr-manager-s-murder-remanded.html

Fuel spillage causes accidents on Accra-Tema Motorway

Jan 22 , 2019 

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

 Four persons sustained injuries when the vehicles they were travelling on got involved in an accident on the Accra-Tema motorway on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

Although no death was recorded as at the time of filing this report, the injured were conveyed to the Tema General Hospital for medical attention.

The accident happened at abount 7:50 am around the Kasapreko area on the Tema bound section of the motorway.

According to the Second-in-Command of the Tema office of the Ghana National Fire Service, Divisional Officer 1, (DO1) Mr Timothy Osafo Afum, the accident occurred after a Toyota Corolla with registration number GE 1640-15 skidded off the road and spilled its fuel content on portions of the road.

DO1 Afum said because of the fuel spillage, the road became slippery which resulted in a second accident involving a Nissan Navarra Pick-up with registration number GN 9099-16 which also skidded off the road injuring the driver on board.

He said the personnel of the GNFS had to use a foam compound to wash off the fuel on the road to prevent further slippages.

via; https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/fuel-spillage-causes-accidents-on-accra-tema-motorway.html

30 Fire volunteers trained in Shai-Osudoku District

Jan 25 , 2019 , BY: Benjamin Glover

Some of the fire volunteers demonstrating the skills and knowledge gained during the training

The Ghana National Fire Service in the Tema Region has trained 30 fire volunteers in the Shai-Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region.

The volunteer fire fighters who were taken through a one-week training programme came from Doryumu, Jokpanya, Kodiabe and other satellite communities in the district.

In a speech at the passing out ceremony, which also coincided with the launch of the 2018-2019 bushfire prevention campaign at Doryumu yesterday, the Tema Regional Fire Service Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Mrs Frances Rockson, said the programme formed part of efforts to boost vegetation growth and curb environmental degradation.

She explained that the purpose of training the fire volunteers was to help prevent the area's vegetation from being destroyed by fire.

Bush fires

Mrs Rockson said in 2017 and 2018, the Tema Region recorded 26 and 43 incidents of bush fires, representing 6.3 per cent and 9.4 per cent, respectively, of the total fire outbreaks in the region, adding that those fires resulted in the destruction and loss of property and millions of cedis, hence the need for all to help curb the menace.

She expressed the hope that with the training of the fire fighters and support from the community members, the vegetation cover in the community would improve in a short while.

Community sensitisation

The Shai-Osudoku District Chief Executive, Mr Daniel Akuffo, commended the GNFS for the training and said the assembly would support the initiative by empowering traditional authorities and community leaders to educate the people and sensitise them to negative effects of bush fires in the area.

He said the assembly could no longer continue to ignore the staggering destruction of goods, forest reserves, buildings, food barns and other natural resources through rampant bush fires and admonished the volunteers to educate the people on the need to refrain from causing bush fires which destroyed the environment.

Appeal

The Chief of Doryumu, Lanimo Adjartey Konor II, entreated the fire volunteers to take their work seriously and work diligently to prevent the rampant bush fires in the area.

He appealed to the GNFS to provide the Doryumu Community with a fire station as the distance from Doryumu to Dodowa, the district capital, where the nearest fire station is located 12 miles away while the distance from Dodowa to Osuwem, another major community in the district, is 26 miles.

The chief stated that the presence of a fire station in the Doryumu community will help create fire safety awareness and make it easy for the community to contact the service in times of emergency.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/30-fire-volunteers-trained-in-shai-osudoku-district.html

Driver of murdered Tema Port manager remanded

Feb 01 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

A driver of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Amos Apraku, who is the complainant in the case of the murdered Marketing and Public Relations Manager of the Tema Port, Mrs Josephine Asante, has been arrested and remanded in prison custody.

Apraku, who appeared before the Tema TDC Magistrate Court, presided over by Mrs Akosua A. Adjepong, yesterday, was remanded to reappear on February 14, 2019.

The court also remanded the first accused person, Christian Adjei, 22, who is facing committal proceedings for the alleged murder of Mrs Asante, in prison custody to reappear on February 14, 2019.

Tema Port's Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Mrs Josephine Asante

Plea not taken

The police prosecutor, Chief Inspector Beatrice Ayeh, told the court that the docket on the case was sent to the Police Headquarters in Accra but was returned to her last Thursday morning without the fact sheets.

She did not state when the complainant-turned-accused person was arrested but indicated that his (Apraku’s) semen, footprints and fingerprints had been retrieved for analysis and examination at the Police Forensic Laboratory and the results were yet to be received.

She said the fact sheet and the forensic report would be made available at the next sitting.

Facts

At the court’s last sitting on January 17, 2019, the prosecutor told the court that Apraku was an employee of the GPHA and driver of the deceased.

She indicated that on January 12, this year, Mrs Asante attended a get-together organised by the GPHA at its Senior Staff Club House at Tema Community Six and that about 11:30 p.m. the accused drove her from the party towards her house.

However, she said, the driver was said to have alighted at Michel Camp and handed over the keys of the Mercedes Benz saloon car to Mrs Asante to continue the journey to her home at EMEFS Estates by herself.

Inspector Ayeh told the court that about 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 13, 2019, the first accused person, Adjei, who is the deceased person’s house help, and her 12-year-old son, tried opening Mrs Asante’s door but found it locked. They, therefore, called Apraku.

According to the prosecution, Apraku found the keys to the room at the entrance of the gate when he got there on receiving the call and used same to open the deceased’s door, only to find her in a pool of blood.

The prosecutor told the court that investigators who were assigned to the case after the complaint was lodged collected semen found in her (deceased), fingerprints and other evidence at the scene.

Houseboy

Adjei’s remand follows a request by the prosecutor that Agyei’s semen, footprints and fingerprint be analysed at the Police Forensic Laboratory.

Meanwhile, some colleagues of the GPHA driver have expressed shock and dismay at the turn of events.

According to one of them who was at the court, Adjei’s wife, who was heavily pregnant, had to deliver prematurely after her husband was picked up by the police.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghananews-driver-of-murdered-tema-port-manager-remanded.html

Suspect in Assemblies of God pastor's killing remanded into prison custody

Jan 17 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

Francis Nabegmado, the suspect who allegedly murdered the Pastor of the Community Four Central Assemblies of God Church, Rev David Nabegmado has been remanded into prison custody by a District Court in Tema.

The court presided over by Mrs Akosua A. Adjepong on Thursday, Januuary 17, 2019 renewed the remand of the suspect and adjourned proceedings to January 31, 2019 to enable prosecution complete its investigations including the psychiatric evaluation of the suspect as directed by the court at its last sitting.

Police Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Mr Jacob Asamani informed the court that based on a directive issued by the court at its last sitting,  the suspect was sent to the psychiatric hospital at Pantang on three occasions for an examination.

Psychiatric evaluation

Mr Asamani said the suspect was also examined by the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Awasi Osei who after examination ordered for further medical test and directed them to come back on January 28, 2019

He said some of the test including a CT scan have been done while others were yet to be conducted.

Mr Asamani said the police investigators have been to the crime scene to pick evidenced which has been sent to the police forensic laboratory. He however indicated that the result are yet to be released.

Pathologist

The Prosecutor said a pathologist has performed an examination on the deceased and the result released to the family.

The magistrate requested the prosecution to furnish the court with a copy of the pathologist report and also ensure that copies of the psychiatric report when concluded are also filed in court

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-suspect-in-assemblies-of-god-pastor-s-killing-remanded-into-prison-custody.html

Tema Courts remain in deplorable state

Feb 01 , 2019

By Benjamin Xornam Glover

Part of the precincts of Circuit Court B is water logged leading to the growth of algae giving off a pungent smell

Ten months after the Chief Justice, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, tasked the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to improve court infrastructure in the metropolis, the situation remains the same.

A visit by The Mirror to the TDC Magistrate Court, the Circuit Court A and B, as well as the Community Centre District Court last Monday revealed that furniture in the three court rooms were in a state of dilapidation.

The upholstery on the chairs and pews for both lawyers and the public were all worn out in the three courts visited.

Danger

The TDC Magistrate Court, for example, operates from what looks like a pavilion with a dwarf wall constructed round it, exposing the magistrate, police prosecutors, lawyers and other court workers to danger.

Apart from the decrepit furniture, the ceiling fans looked corroded while parts of the ceiling had peeled off.

The situation at the Court A and B is no better. Parts of the precincts of the two courts is water logged leading to the growth of algae that gives off a pungent smell.

The cement floors of the two circuit court rooms have also developed cracks.

CJ’s concerns

Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo during a working visit to the courts in Tema in March 2018 called on the TMA to upgrade the infrastructure of the lower courts in order to improve the services of the judiciary.

"My objective is that the lower courts should operate like a 21st century court where judges and magistrates and other stakeholders work in a comfortable environment because the people of Ghana deserve the best," she said.

Some of the court workers, who spoke to this reporter, but will not go on record bemoaned the poor working environment they operate in and called on the TMA to rectify the situation.

When the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, was contacted, he said as part of the preparation works, the assembly had carried out some preliminary works to prepare quantities and the necessary costing required.

He said he was optimistic that works would soon begin to upgrade the court infrastructure to enhance justice delivery.

According to him, the long term objective of the assembly was to mobilise resources to complete a proposed court complex for Tema located near the former Meridian Hotel enclave.

The court complex project, which commenced over two decades ago, had been abandoned with parts of the land gradually being encroached on by private developers.

via:  https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-tema-courts-remain-in-deplorable-state.html

Trade ministry commends Tropical Cables

Feb 12 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah(5th left) with the award winners. With them is Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi (5th right) MD of TCCL

A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has lauded the private sector of the country for playing a major role in industrial growth by not only contributing to national development but also by creating new job opportunities for the youth.

At an awards ceremony organised by Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd (TCCL) for its distributors in Tema, Mr Ahenkorah said the government was committed to creating the right atmosphere for businesses such as TCCL to thrive.

“We have identified the difficulties of companies or factories such as TCCL, especially the unnecessary challenges and competition that you go through with the influx of sub-standard materials or import of electrical cable that will not match your standards.

It is just unfortunate that some people, by way of trying to make profits, will always want to cut corners to achieve their aim,” he said.

Laws

Mr Ahenkorah said the government would introduce stringent measures, especially regarding wiring of buildings, adding that the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority had now been empowered by law to ensure that only materials that met Ghanaian standards were procured and used for wiring. 

He said TCCL was one of the leading players in electrical cable industry due to its standard, quality and performance over the years.

Engage more idle hands

While commending TCCL for its contribution to the growth of the economy through the production of globally competitive products, Mr Ahenkorah admonished them to transfer their overtime payments into recruiting more people as a means of supporting the government’s efforts at job creation.

“We realised that last year, TCCL posted quite a substantial profit but delving into their records, we realised that the profits were supported by overtime labour; so our request to them and other industries is to consider engaging a few more idle hands and offer them employment so they can help in the job creation efforts,” he said.

The Assistant Sales and Marketing Manager of TCCL, Mr Michael Abbey noted that even though 2018 was a difficult year for the company, the distributors were loyal in doing business with the company.

Mr Abbey complained of the emergence of inferior electrical cables on the Ghanaian market, adding that a cursory look at the national fire statistics showed that about 80 per cent of fire outbreaks on buildings in Accra and Kumasi were as a result of either bad electrical wiring or the use of inferior cables.

He, therefore, lauded the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standard Authority for initiating a programme to certify electricians, emphasising that TCCL was ready to partner the two institutions to ensure that only properly qualified and certified professionals engaged in electrical wiring and installation works.

Awards

The award categories included appreciation to those who achieved their target and those who exceeded their targets.

Mrs Joyce Mensah of Naanajoise Ventures in Accra emerged the Overall Best Distributor. The prize packages included full high-definition television sets and refrigerators

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/ghananews-trade-ministry-commends-tropical-cables.html

Ashaiman: 10 years after attaining municipal status

 Feb 14 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

On February 29, 2008, the government under the leadership of President J. A. Kufuor carved out Ashaiman Municipal Assembly from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) under the Legislative Instrument LI 1881 and Local Government Act of 1993 (Act 462) with a view to bringing governance to the doorsteps of the people and accelerate development of the area.

Ashaiman is a heterogeneous community with an estimated population of 300,000 people with a growth rate of 4.6 per cent which is higher than the national growth rate of 2.6 per cent.

Over time, the city has increasingly become the recipient of a large number of migrants from all over Ghana and some West African countries.

Due to the influx of people from the West African subregion, many refer to the community as the “United States of West Africa”

Mpoase

Initially known as Mpoase.Ashaiman was founded in the 17th century by the late Nii Tetteh Amui I, a native of Tema.

He was a fisherman who settled in the area to carry out farming activities due to low catches.

According to the Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adzor, Nii Tetteh Amui I had a friend named Doku Ashai who would normally travel from Tema to Dodowa to trade.

On one occasion when Nii Ashai was heading towards Saasabi enroute to Dodowa, he met Nii Amui I who offered him a piece of land to settle.

Nii Adzor said in the course of time, the town became a meeting place for traders who were moving between Tema and Dodowa to trade and became known as Ashaiman, translated as ‘Ashai’s town.’

Negatives

Traders in Ashaiman have extended their trading activities onto the streets inconveniencing other road users

Like any inner city in Ghana, Ashaiman is one of the economically viable and vibrant communities but comes with some negatives.

However, the city has over a period had to bear the tag as the citadel of all sorts of crime, filth and other violent practices.

This has impacted negatively on the development of the area to the extent that some people shy away from being considered residents of the area.

Indeed at a point in time, Ashaiman was considered among the five high-risk areas in the Greater Accra Region that suffer crime and lawlessness.

Thankfully, due to the hard work of successive MCEs and heads of the security agencies, the narratives about Ashaiman is changing and the town is rubbing shoulders with other cities in Ghana as far as development and economic activities are concerned.

10th anniversary

At the launch of the 10th anniversary celebration of the creation of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA), the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Albert Boakye Okyere, said the municipality had seen tremendous transformation since its establishment.

“When I took office as the MCE of Ashaiman, the expectation of the people was to see a change in transforming the various communities,” Mr Okyere, who incidentally was the first MCE for the area when it was created recalled.

On the theme: ‘The new Ashaiman, 10 years of transformation,’ Mr Okyere noted that Ashaiman was at the threshold of unlocking the hidden potential through creativity to spearhead monumental but sustainable growth and development.

Ashaiman transformation

Indeed Ashaiman is changing.

A first-time visitor to the town will notice a plethora of banks, non-banking institutions, as well as other businesses scrambling for any available land space to either set up new businesses or open new branches.

The MCE said the development had made land one of the expensive economic commodities in the area.

Mr Okyere said to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the municipality, the assembly had earmarked the construction of a youth centre which would also house a library, an ICT centre and a maternity ward at the Ashaiman Polyclinic.

He appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to consider constructing a modern football pitch across the country due to the abundance of talented sportsmen and women in the area.

A former Chief Executive Officer of the Tema Municipal Assembly, under whose tenure Ashaiman Municipal Assembly was created, Mr Daniel Quaye Annang, noted that the negative image Ashaiman was noted for had changed and it was now a place where people could feel a lot more comfortable.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghananews-ashaiman-10-years-after-attaining-municipal-status.html

EOCO, Police destroy unwholesome turkey at Kpone landfill site

 Feb 15 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

Officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office in Tema, in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, yesterday disposed of a large consignment of unwholesome turkey which was being repackaged for sale to the public.

Personnel destroying the seized items

The turkey, which was confiscated in a dawn swoop by the personnel of the EOCO and the Ghana Police Service, was dumped and destroyed at the Kpone landfill site in the presence of officials from the Environmental Health Directorate of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and the security agencies.

An official of the EOCO told the Daily Graphic that the outfit received information that some scavengers at the Kpone landfill where picking fresh turkey, which they processed and packaged for sale to the unsuspecting public.

The source said at about 3:30 a.m. yesterday, officials of the EOCO and the Ghana Police Service went to the landfill and were directed to the abode of some squatters suspected to be engaged in the act.

Processing

According to the official, they met two girls, both aged 16, at the house and saw about three baskets full of turkey which had been steamed and another pack of two baskets which had been roasted while others were in a grill.

The EOCO official said further checks in the house revealed sack loads of the fresh product that had offensive odour.

The official said in the process of interrogating the two girls, a man came and identified himself as Lawe Adibo, the husband of the owner of the turkey, whose name he gave as Rebecca (aka Asobo) who is now on the run.

The three were arrested and sent to the Tema Regional Police Headquarters for further investigations, while officials of the three agencies transported the seized items to the dumping site and with the aide of a bulldozer supervised their destruction.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-eoco-police-destroy-unwholesome-turkey-at-kpone-landfill-site.html

300 NABCO recruits start work at Customs

Feb 19 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

The NABCO personnel posted to the GRA Customs Division at a parade to officially welcome them into the service

The Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Isaac Crentsil, has asked personnel of the Nation Builders' Corps (NABCO) posted to the division to work hard to ensure that the authority achieves the GH¢17.1 billion target set by the government this year.

Speaking at a parade in Tema last Friday to welcome the 300 personnel into the service after they had undergone a four-week para-military training to prepare them for the task ahead, Mr Crentsil advised them to eschew all forms of negative tendencies and exhibit strict discipline to ensure effective revenue mobilisation.

He said Tema was expected to collect about 70 per cent of the GRA’s target.

Challenges

Mr Crentsil recalled that due to so many challenges, revenue collection for last year went down by 18.7 per cent, something which he said had never happened.

He said as part of measures to achieve the target, the service had come up with strategies to enhance revenue mobilisation, adding that the NABCO recruits, working under the supervision of senior customs officers, would be assigned to various sections such as warehousing and transit goods to support the implementation of the measures and strategies aimed at raising the needed revenue.

Deployment

The Customs Division Commissioner said some of the recruits would also be deployed to engage in trade facilitation, while others would be engaged in tax education campaigns to increase tax compliance and address incidents of tax evasion.

He asked them to bring to bear on the job, the skills and values they learnt during the para-military training, such as discipline, time management, teamwork, perseverance and leadership, in support of the reforms taking place in the GRA aimed at raising revenue targets.

Mr Crentsil pointed out that the interns were joining the Customs Division at a time when so many reforms had been introduced, particularly in the area of professionalism, to promote voluntary compliance to get people to pay the required duties.

Background

The Nation Builders' Corps (NABCO) programme is a government’s initiative to address graduate unemployment. So far, about 90,000 out of the expected 100,000 graduates have been engaged in the programme.

Under the programme, recruits are attached to various service and public sector institutions such as health, education, agriculture, technology, governance and the revenue mobilisation agencies

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghananews-300-nabco-recruits-start-work-at-customs.html

Prosecution modifies facts of case on Tema Port Officer’s murder

Feb 21 , 2019

BY: Benjamin Xornam Glover

Prosecutors in the case involving the murdered Marketing and Public Relations Officer of the Tema Port, Mrs Josephine Tandoh Asante, have rearrested the two prime suspects, Christian Agyei and Amos Apeku, with the same charges but modified facts.

Agyei, the house boy of the deceased, and Apeku, her driver, were immediately put before the court and joined as defendants in the case. The Tema TDC Magistrate Court, presided over by Mrs Akosua A. Agyepong, subsequently remanded them in police custody to reappear on Feb 28.

At its sitting last Thursday, lawyers for the two accused persons, Messrs Baba Jamal and Isaac Eshun for Christian Agyei, the first accused, and Amos Apeku, the second accused, respectively, had argued for bail for their clients.

Bail refused

The prosecutor, Inspector Beatrice Ayeh, however, opposed the application for bail, stating that since the case was under investigation and the body fluids of the suspects and other pieces of evidence from the crime scene were still being analysed at the Police Forensic Laboratory, granting them bail could affect investigations.

The magistrate, Mrs Akosua A. Agyepong, in her ruling, said even though the Supreme Court had ruled that all cases were bailable, her court was not clothed with the powers to try the accused.

She, therefore, directed the lawyers of the two accused persons to apply for bail in the appropriate court and adjourned the case to February 28, 2019.

Facts revised

The court had earlier, based on the application of the prosecution, struck out the initial charges and facts presented by the prosecution against the two accused persons, leading to their discharge by the court.

The two suspects were, however, immediately re-arrested and put before the court with fresh charges of murder.

The cases of the two have also been consolidated.

Inspector Ayeh told the court that Mrs Asante lived at EMEFS Estates at Mataheko, near Afienya, with her 12-year-old son and the first accused person, who lived in the boys’ quarters of the house.

She said the second accused person worked at the GPHA and was the official driver of the deceased.

He said on January 12, 2019, Mrs Asante attended a party organised by the GPHA at the Senior Staff Club House at Community Six, Tema.

Inspector Ayeh said at about 11:30 p.m., the second accused person drove the deceased in her Mercedes Benz saloon car and alighted at the Michel Camp bus stop, while she drove the rest of the distance to her, getting home about 12:30 a.m. on January 13, 2018.

Inspector Ayeh said about 3:30 a.m., the deceased’s son was awakened by unusual screaming from his mother’s room and got up to ascertain what the problem was but met the houseboy in the hall, which was unusual, and the boy went back to sleep.

The prosecutor said later the houseboy called the deceased’s son and told him that he had seen the figure of a male adult wearing a black shirt and jeans running out of the house through the main gate.

She said the boy became frightened and went to sleep in the boys’ quarters with the houseboy.

She said in the morning when the houseboy and the deceased’s son woke up about 8:30 a.m., they realised that Mrs Asante had still not woken up, and that was unusual of her.

When the boy tried opening the door to find out what the problem was, he found it locked.

Driver called

The prosecutor said the boy later peeped through the window and saw her mother lying helplessly in a pool of blood on the floor.

He quickly alerted the houseboy and later called the driver on phone to come to the house to witness his mother’s condition.

She said when the driver came to the house, he was holding the keys to the house, which included those to Mrs Asante’s room which he claimed to have found at the entrance of the main gate of the house.

Inspector Ayeh said the key was used to open the deceased’s bedroom, where she was found dead in a pool of blood in a supine position on the floor.

She said the police were informed, and while they were conducting crime scene investigations, the houseboy was seen allegedly burying a consignment wrapped in a plastic bag in a hole he had dug near the boys’ quarters.

The prosecutor said the houseboy was accosted and when it was opened, GH¢430 and a wrist watch belonging to Mrs Asnate were found concealed in it.

She said the two suspects were arrested to assist in investigations, while the body was conveyed to the Police Hospital mortuary for preservation.

She said on January 16, 2019, a post-mortem examination of the body gave the cause of death as death from asphyxia, strangulation and suspected homicide (unnatural).

Inspector Ayeh added that the two suspects denied their involvement in Mrs Asante’s death

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/prosecution-modifies-facts-of-case-on-tema-port-officer-s-murder.html