Kpone Katamanso Assembly endorses DCE nominee

The members of the Kpone Katamanso District Assembly in the Greater Accra Region have overwhelmingly endorsed President’s nominee, Mr. Solomon T. Appiah, for the position of District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area.

The three times defeated New Patriotic Party Parliamentary hopeful for the Kpone Katamanso constituency, received a 100 percent endorsement from the members of the Assembly. The DCE polled 25 “Yes” votes out of the total 25 votes cast.

The Assembly is made up of 29 members, however four of the members were absent at the meeting.

Mr. Appiah on three occasions contested the parliamentary elections but lost out on  all occasions to Mr. Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister.

Acceptance speech

In his victory speech, the new DCE pledged to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Assembly members who endorsed him.

He called for unity from the Assembly Members and all stakeholders in the district to fast-track development of the area.

“Very often, after this colorful event, the unity with which people expect all sides  of the house to work in the assembly,  gives way to partisanship which inures to no ones benefit”’ he said.

Mr. Appiah said in order to prosecute the President’s vision of creating employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth in the district, there is the need for all members of the assembly to irrespective of their political party affiliation, rally behind his administration.

This, he explained will go a long way to help the district  benefit from the government policy interventions such as the One District, One factory programme all targeted at creating jobs and improving  the lives of the people.

“Partisanship in the past has done us more harm than good. I am for all and we can only develop Kpone Katamanso District Assembly if we weaned ourselves off partisan attire and clothe ourselves in unity since the end product of such a united front is development beyond imagination”

Collaboration

The Member of Parliament for Kpone Katamanso, Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo pledged his unflinching support to working closely with the DCE to fight for the development for their district.

He said as MP, he enjoys some rapport with the current ministers of state hence through collaboration; he and the DCE can work to facilitate the development needed in the area for wellbeing of their people.

Put aside partisanship

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Isheal Ashitey, his Deputy, Mrs. Mrs. Elizabeth Sackey, and Mr. Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, former MCE for Tema were among dignitaries that witnessed the confirmation of the DCE.

Mr. Ashitey described the DCE as a hardworking man, adding that it was on of the contributory factors that contributed to his nomination by the President to lead the Assembly.

He appealed to the assembly members to put aside political affiliation and work for the development of the district, which was carved out of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly five years ago.

Tema marks Kplejoo festival

BENJAMIN XORNAM GLOVER                                    

13 APRIL 2017

An all-female traditional dancers

The chiefs and people of Tema over the weekend celebrated their annual Kplejoo festival amidst singing, dancing and merry-making at the Kpletsoshishi at Tema Manhean.

Kplejoo is forerunner to the annual Homowo festival and during this celebration, the traditional priest and priestesses worship the gods of the land, cleanse the various stools and pray to them for bountiful food and fish.

The Kplejoo is celebrated over two days. On Friday, which is called Sakumo Kplee, the Sakumo Wulomo, Nii Ashiboi Kofi presides over the festivities which is celebrated by a carnival like procession with drumming and dancing and display of flags.

Traditional priests pouring libation at the festival

The second day is known as Tsaade Kplee which is superintended by the Paramount Chief of Tema, Nii Adjei Krakue II who doubles as a priest.

Celebrants clad in white to signify purity and victory showed up in their numbers to make merry and renew their brotherliness.

Kplejoo celebration is song and drum-based and during the festival, special songs are sung by mostly the youth to inspire or critique individuals on their accomplishments.

The festival affords the youth an opportunity to express their resentment, criticise the wrong doings of people in authority including the chief and elders through specially composed songs. However, these songs after the period of the celebration constitute a customary offense.

Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Krakue II (left) welcoming the Greater Accra Regional minister, Mr. Lshmeal Ashitey

In his welcoming address, Nii Armah Somponu, an elder of the Tema Traditional Council called on the people to live in peace and unity to foster development of the area.

The MP for Tema East, Mr Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus Glover said his vision “is to help preserve and market the culture of the people” and disclosed that he was liaising with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts and other private TV production companies to package and market the festival to attract people from the diaspora.

MP for Tema East, Mr. Titus Glover joins a youth group to dance to Kplee songs

Mr Titus Glover, who is also the Deputy Minister for Transport revealed that he intends to channel his share of the one-constituency-one-million-dollar policy of the government  towards the construction of an alternative route into the  Tema Manhean community  via the VALCO area as well as the construction of a 100 bed community clinic to help meet their health care needs.

On his part, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Ishmael Ashittey urged the fisherfolks to “adopt improved fishing methods and techniques to save the marine fish stock for posterity and for sustainable development of the sector, which is the main occupation of the people.”

The Paramount Chief of Tema, Nii Adjei Krakue II advised the people especially the youth to eschew violence and leave in harmony especially with the end of the hectic political electioneering activities

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/showbiz-news/tema-marks-kplejoo-festival.html

Police kill suspected "car snatcher" at Tema New Town

BENJAMIN XORNAM GLOVER 

 

09 MAY 2017  

A 30-year-old man was in the early hours of Tuesday shot and killed by the police at Tema New Town in Accra.

Patrick Mensah, was fired at by some members of the Police Patrol Team who were responding to a distress call in the area at about 1:30 am.

The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Police Command, ASP Mr. Joseph Darkwa told Graphic Online that the police received a distress call from someone (name withheld) to the effect that he was under attack.

Car invasion 

According to him, the complainant told the Police Patrol Team that he had parked his car to buy something only to return to find another person in the driving seat.

He said, the complainant added that in an attempt to question the intruder, a struggle ensued and the suspect was joined by another person in the car.

Mr Darkwa said the car owner on realising that he could not handle the ensuing struggle placed a call to the police.

He said the suspects on seeing the police took to their heels but were pursued by the policemen who later apprehended the deceased.

Weapon snatching 

According to Mr Darkwa, in an attempt to handcuff the deceased, he allegedly snatched the rifle of the policeman and in the process of taking the rifle back, the other policeman who was with the team shot the deceased.

He said the body has since been conveyed to the police hospital morgue for autopsy.

Mr. Darkwa said the Regional Police Command has opened investigation into the case.

Protest

Meanwhile, some residents of Tema New Town have staged a protest over the incident.

They pelted the police station with stones leading to the damage of a police operational vehicle with registration number GP 3842.

Mother of the deceased has also disputed the account of the police insisting her son, who had gone to buy food after close of work, was not a robber as alleged.

About 20 armed police men are guarding the New Town Police station at the time of filing this report.

via : http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/police-kill-suspected-car-snatcher-at-tema-new-town.html

Tema: Suspected robbers gun down businessman at TOR traffic light

BENJAMIN XORNAM GLOVER     

08 MAY 2017

A 45-year-old businessman was on Monday afternoon gunned downed by two suspected robbers near the Tema Oil Refinery Traffic Light.

The two suspected robbers, who were riding an unregistered motorbike, shot the deceased identified as Wahab Mohammed in the head and bolted with an unspecified amount of money.

The deceased and his brother Issahaku Suraj, who are believed to be scrap metal dealers, were returning from the Industrial Area branch of Zenith Bank where they had withdrawn an unspecified amount of money.

The suspects, according to eyewitnesses, trailed the deceased and his brother after the bank transaction and on catching up with them in traffic, shot and killed the deceased after which they bolted with the bag containing the money.

The Tema Community One District Police Commander, Superintendent Stephen Kwakye who confirmed the incident to Graphic Online said at about 2pm on Monday, the police had information that a young man has been shot dead at the TOR traffic light.

He said personnel of the service proceeded to the scene and found the deceased lying in a pool of blood. 

According to Mr Kwakye, on the spot investigation revealed that the deceased and his brother had gone to withdraw money from the bank and on reaching the TOR traffic light, they were attacked by the two yet to be identified men on an unregistered motor bike armed with a pistol.

He said in the process, the suspects shot Wahab on the head and took the money away adding that Issahaku Suraj, who sustained injuries, was rushed to the Tema General Hospital.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Tema General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

He indicated that investigations were ongoing to identify the said robbers

Writer's email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh 

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/tema-suspected-robbers-gun-down-businessman-at-tor-traffic-light.html

Five schools shine at Bonanza Mental Challenge

BENJAMIN GLOVER                               

26 APRIL 2017

The second edition of the Bonanza School Challenge dubbed Bonanza Mental Challenge 2017 has been held for public schools in the Tema Metropolis.

The Project Coordinator of the Bonanza Mental Challenge 2017, Ms Awurakua Anyaniwa Antwi, explained that the Bonanza Card Game is a simple arithmetic game that probes the mental abilities of players in basic mathematics, as well as logical reasoning and swift cognitive skills.

She said the players used the cards given them to achieve the highest or lowest whole number depending on the game mode. 

The formation of the highest whole number is labelled as ‘SUNRISE’ and the formation of the lowest whole number is labelled as ‘SUNSET’. 

The schools that emerged winners in their respective classes were presented with certificates, school bags, exercise books, pens, erasers, pencils and Daffodils game products.

Teachers and coaches of the competing schools were also presented with a gift voucher of GH¢100.

The competition, organised by Daffodils Games and Publishing Limited, was designed as a piece of entertainment to promote the learning of Mathematics among students using the Bonanza Card Game. It was sponsored by Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST).

Competing schools which made it to the final after the preliminary rounds were Holy Child R/C Basic School (Classes Four and Six), Sakumono School Complex 1 Primary (Class Five), Baatsona TMA JHS B (JHS One), Old Lashibi TMA JHS (JHS Two), and Redemption Valley 1 Primary (Class Four).

The rest were Naylor SDA Primary (Class Five), Star Primary (Class Six), Community 8 No. 4 JHS (JHS One),  Community 8 No. 1 JHS (JHS Two), Community 4 No. 2 Primary (Class Four), Salvation Army Basic School (Class Five and JHS Two),  Mexico Primary (Class Six), and Twedaase JHS (JHS One)

The schools which came out tops after five rounds of the competition were Community 4 Number 2 Primary School, (Class Four), Salvation Army Basic School, (Class Five), Holy Child R/C Basic, ( Class Six), Baatsona TMA JHS, ( JHS One) and Community 8 Number 1 JHS, ( JHS Two).

In his welcome address, a Director of Daffodils Games and Publishing Limited, Mr Francis Darkwa, said the Bonanza School Challenge Initiative was designed to promote the love for Mathematics among students through play. 

The Tema Metropolitan Education Directorate Coordinator for Science and Mathematics, Madam Beatrice Ofori-Adu, urged the students to disabuse their minds of the erroneous notion that Mathematics was a difficult, boring and irrelevant subject.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/juniors/junior-news/five-schools-shine-at-bonanza-mental-challenge.html

Let’s say no to galamsey now - Methodist Church

BENJAMIN GLOVER                           

01 MAY 2017

Bishop Thomas B. Forson, the Methodist Bishop of Tema, with delegates to the synod

The Methodist Church Ghana, has joined the “Stop ‘galamsey” campaign with a call on Ghanaians to speak with one voice against illegal mining and encourage their relatives engaged in the practice to always act in ways that will put the national interests first.

Addressing the 20th Annual Synod of the Tema Diocese of the Methodist Church, the Bishop of Tema, Rt Rev. Thomas B. Forson, stressed that “as a nation we must act with posterity in mind.”

He noted that if past generations had wasted the natural resources God had blessed the country the way the present generation was doing, Ghanaians would have been plunged into a trench of irredeemable poverty.

"This is too serious an issue to play politics with. Let us say no to galamsey now and save our water bodies," he urged.

Lawlessness 

On the upsurge of vigilante groups within political parties, Rt Rev. Forson urged the government and other stakeholders to ensure that such groups were disbanded immediately, before they turned into terrorist group, as had happened in other countries.

He said such groups had for years caused mischief to the nation on the back of political power and added that God had preserved the peace of Ghana by His grace, in spite of the many things the citizens had done to jeopardise it. 

"Let us not do further harm to ourselves any longer. We should all be responsible in preserving the enviable peace we have been enjoying so far by making the rule of law work." he said.

Later in a sermon, Rt Rev. Forson called on Christians, in particular, and Ghanaians in general “to be faithful in all that they do,” stressing that the person who practised faithfulness would always be filled with joy, hope, happiness and contentment.

Anniversary 

The four-day event is being attended by more than 250 delegates made up of the clergy and laity from the 15 Circuits of the Diocese. It is on the theme: "Celebrating 20 years of God's faithfulness towards qualitative and quantitative church growth."

As part of the celebration, some personalities were honoured for their transformational contributions to the growth of the church.

They were Nii Adjei Krakue II, Paramount Chief of Tema; Rt Rev. Dr Seth A. Aryee,  Rt Rev. Samuel Oseikrom Tutu Achamfuo-Yeboah and Rt Rev. Winfred H. Yaw Ametefe, all past Bishops of the Tema Diocese. 

Others included past and present lay chairmen, secretaries of synod and other officers of the church. They each received a mementos.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/let-s-say-no-to-galamsey-now-methodist-church.html

Fisheries Commission holds workshop on illegal fishing

BENJAMIN GLOVER                        

29 APRIL 2017

Mrs Matilda Quist addressing participants in the workshop

The Fisheries Commission, Ghana has organised a two-day workshop for members of the National Working Group of a regional task force to strengthen enforcement of fisheries regulations in fishing communities.

Ghana’s National Working Group is part of the West African Task Force of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC).

The workshop in Tema was aimed at creating awareness of inter-agency efforts at combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) and strengthening inter-agency cooperation through the National Working Group.

The FCWC is a regional fishery body comprising six West African countries, namely Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. It was established to ensure the conservation and optimal utilisation of the living marine resources in the Gulf of Guinea and encourage sustainable development of fisheries.

Violation of fisheries laws

Opening the workshop, the Head of Marine, Fisheries Management Division of the Fisheries Commission, Mrs Matilda Quist, noted that Ghana and other countries in the West-Central Gulf area had recently become the target of IUU fishing activity from both foreign and local fishing fleets, decimating local fish stocks and rendering local communities vulnerable and poor.

She said the seasonal bumper fish catches had become history, and that was attributable to the rampant violation of fisheries laws and regulations, including light fishing, use of unauthorised nets and net meshes, trans-shipment, dumping of fish at sea and use of explosives and poisons.

“IUU fishing has multiple and cumulatively harmful economic and social consequences, depriving legitimate fisherfolk their livelihoods even as it also deprives fisheries managers of information critical to accurate stock assessments,” she said.

Economic losses

Mrs Quist disclosed that IUU fishing was costly to the environment and economies of countries.

She, therefore, charged participants who were drawn from agencies such as the Ghana Immigration Service, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Air force, Port Health, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Customs Division to partner the Fisheries Enforcement Unit to reduce illegal fishing.

The Head of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Division of the Fisheries Commission, Mr Godfrey Baidoo-Tsibu, who facilitated the workshop, stressed the need for information sharing among the various agencies to enable them to resolve the complex problem of IUU fishing in an effective manner.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/fisheries-commission-holds-workshop-on-illegal-fishing.html