Govt urged to help Maritime University acquire training vessel

BENJAMIN GLOVER  

26 JUNE 2017

Mr Teddy Mensah handing over the mattresses to Mrs Jane Antwi, Head of Nursing at the Tema General Hospital. With them are some staff members of the hospital and members of the club

The Maritime Professionals Club (MPC) has urged the government to provide the Regional Maritime University (RMU) with a training vessel to enhance practical training of cadets from the institution.

The MPC said the provision of such a facility would enable the RMU to offer hands-on training that meets global standards for the cadets.

The First Vice-President of MPC, Chief Engineer Teddy Mensah, made the appeal in an interview with journalists last Thursday after members of the club had donated 50 mattresses and pillows worth GH¢19,000 to the Female Ward of the Tema General Hospital.

The donation was part of activities by the club to mark this year's World Seafarers Day which fell on June 25.

Maritime Professionals Club

The MPC was formed in 2014 with the main objective to enhance and promote professionalism in the maritime sector.

It serves as the backbone for providing expertise and the necessary professional inputs in formulating policies for the emerging oil and gas industry.

Some of its members are engaged in capacity building and in the training of undergraduates at the RMU.

Mr Mensah said shipping companies were in need of experienced seafarers but most of them were not prepared to give graduates the opportunity for practical training.

According to him, although the RMU has partnered the Bernhard Schulte Ship Management (BSM) to provide training and employment opportunities for graduates, such opportunities are limited to only a few while majority of graduates from the university have to look elsewhere for such practical training opportunities, a situation he described as very challenging.

He noted that as seafarers and an alumni body of the Regional Maritime University, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, they were happy to donate to the hospital.

YAF donates

In a related development, members of the Tema Community One branch of the Young Adults Fellowship (YAF) of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) have also donated items worth ¢5000 to the Children's Ward of the Tema General Hospital.

The items included 30 pieces of mosquito nets, medical examination kits, water bottles, cups, kettles, as well confectioneries for the children on admission

A member of the fellowship, Madam Ida Boahene, expressed the hope that the items would help the hospital satisfy some of its pressing needs.

 She said the group also visited the various police cells in the metropolis to share food and fellowship with the inmates in a bid to “take the word of God to the unsaved”.

The items were received by Madam Vivian Danso, a Nursing Officer on duty.

She expressed her gratitude to the group and appealed to other individuals and organisations to emulate them.

via| http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/govt-urged-to-help-maritime-university-acquire-training-vessel.html

BOST explains why it sold contaminated fuel

BENJAMIN XORNAM GLOVER  

27 JUNE 2017

The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) has challenged anyone with information on the illegal sale of contaminated or off-spec product at the pumps to report such action to the appropriate authority for immediate action.

A statement from BOST and copied to Graphic Online said a technical team of BOST carried out due diligence and inspected the facility of the off taker and was satisfied that the product released was going to be scheduled to reflect the capacity at any point in time.

“BOST deploys the use of only Bulk Road Vehicles (BVR) that have tracking devices installed and have duly met the requirements of NPA to haul products, thus rendering BOST extremely responsible. Anyone who has a contrary view should provide a credible laboratory report and detail analysis,” the statement said.

Revenue

Responding to a call by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) for the Chief Executive Officer of BOST, Mr. Alfred Obeng Boateng to step aside for a full-scale investigation into the alleged sale of contaminated fuel, BOST defended its decision to sell off the contaminated or off-spec products to Movenpiina saying the move was the most prudent considering the potential loss in revenue.

“BOST sold the off-spec product GH c 1.30p per liter as against the normal ex-refinery rate of GH c1.75p for normal products. Thus 26 percent discount off the normal product and this is normal and acceptable practice in the industry”

“The assertion that, the off-spec product should have been sold at GH 2.50p is misleading because ex-refinery price and pump price are completely different. BOST only sells products at ex-refinery rate. BOST does not sell its products at ex-pump price so those who are quoting same should move away from that assertion,” the statement said.

Status

Touching on the status of oil company, Movenpiina in the whole deal, BOST said nothing prevents an entity from having business discussion with a company which is at a business promotion stage.

The statement said, at the time Movenpiina was engaged by BOST in respect of the off-spec product sales, it had been duly registered with the Registrar General Department.

Options

BOST said the product in question was declared off-spec after going through an in-house technical assessment and a laboratory test by the Tema Oil Refinery adding that after the realisation of the state of the product, BOST, after a thorough analysis and consultation, had three options to deal with the situation.

“The first option is to have a corrective treatment of the off-spec product at TOR but this option was however not possible because TOR is not refining at the moment.”

“The second option was to gradually inject a total of about seventy thousand (70,000) litres of the off-spec product into ten million litres (10,000,000) of normal product over a period which will take about ten (10) solid months for BOST to accomplish. The implication of this option is however the opportunity cost of losing the commercial value of over five million and seven hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 5,700,000). This arrangement would have deprived the BDCs of getting space to store their products. The capacity of the tank holding the off-spec product is twenty million litres (20,000,000 lts).”

“The third option involves the selling of the off-spec product at a competitive ex-depot price. Comparatively, the possible revenue loss here cannot outweigh the loss in Option 1 and 2.”

“Clearly, OPTION 3 was the ideal from a business point of view,” the statement added.

The statement concluded by saying BOST would ne pleased if ACEP will advice the category of NPA license for such a waste oil dealer.

via: | http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/bost-explains-why-it-sold-contaminated-fuel.html

2 injured as workers on Tema Port expansion embark on sit down strike - Injuries at Tema port expansion sit down strike

22 JUNE 2017

Two people, including the Operations Commander of the Tema Regional Police Command were injured on Thursday when workers on the Tema Port Expansion project embarked on a sit down strike.

Two people, including the Operations Commander of the Tema Regional Police Command were injured on Thursday when workers on the Tema Port Expansion project embarked on a sit down strike.

The commander sustained the injury when one of the stones the workers hurled at the police hit him, reports Graphic Online's Benjamin Xornam Glover from Tema.

The workers undertaking the Tema Port expansion project on behalf of Chinese Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) embarked on the industrial action to demand for better conditions of service.

The strike action, which followed a similar one held on May 18, 2017, saw the workers protesting about poor remuneration, discrimination between them and their Chinese counterparts.

A representative of the workers, who gave his name only as Steven who spoke to Graphic Online outside the company’s premises, said the workers only engaged in a sit-down strike to press home their demands for better working conditions following a stall in negotiations at the National Labour Commission (NLC).

Sit-down strike

What started as a peaceful sit-down strike action turned chaotic when police personnel called in by the management to quell the workers action fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the stone throwing demonstrators.

This led to the injury of one of the workers, identified only as William. He was hit in the left eye and rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment.

Also injured in the clash was the Operations Commander of the Tema Police Command, who sustained a cut in the lower left eye after the workers pelted the police with stones.

The police personnel on arrival at the scene tried to disperse the workers but that failed. This resulted in a confusion and the stone-throwing by the protesters. One of the stone allegedly hit the Operations Commander.

The police responded to the immediate threat by chasing the demonstrating workers into the Community Three SSNIT residential compound which is opposite the project site while firing tear gas and rubber bullets towards the angry workers.

One of the rubber bullets injured the eye of one of the workers while three of the protestors were arrested by the police and sent to the Community Two Police Station.

Management response

Lawyer for CHEC, Mr Raymond Twumasi later in an interview with Graphic Online said the action of the workers was about grievances with respect to their condition of service.

According to Mr Twumasi, CHEC, as a matter of policy had outsourced recruitment of workers to a third party L’aine Services Ltd.

He said the workers were not happy with the conditions of service offered them by L’aine Services Ltd hence they embarked on a strike action three weeks ago.

He said a few days back, management of CHEC picked snippets o9f information that the workers were going to undertake another strike action so management petitioned the National Labour Commission for certain declarations.

These declaration, he said included the fact that since the workers were not employed directly by CHEC, management does not have the capacity to even negotiate the condition of service with workers but rather with L’aine Services Ltd.

Mr Twumansi said the National Labour Commission upheld CHEC’s grievances and cautioned the workers against any strike action since that will be illegal.

“We were however surprised that after the declaration by the NLC, we came to work today only to realise that the workers have declared a strike without notice to management,” he said.

The lawyer for CHEC said management therefore called in the police to protest life and property at the site.

He said CHEC was ready to engage the workers on the way forward in order not to cause unnecessary delays of the Port Expansion Project.

Mr. Twumasi indicated that CHEC, because of the demand of the workers to sack L’aine Services Ltd have initiated steps to terminate the contract with the Human Resource Agency and engage another agency which will offer better conditions of service hence were surprised by the action of the workers.

He urged the workers to remain calm while management with another service provider

At the time of filing this report, the workers had dispersed and calm restored to the scene.

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

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/2-injured-as-workers-on-tema-port-expansion-embark-on-sit-down-strike/injuries-at-tema-port-expansion-sit-down-strike.html

Police arrest another suspected killer of cop

BENJAMIN GLOVER     

19 JUNE 2017

The late Constable Micheal Kporyi

The Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a second person suspected to have participated in the murder of Police Constable Micheal Kporyi.

The suspect, Razak Salifu, alias Baba, was arrested about 2 a.m. last Friday.

The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Joseph Benefo Darkwah, said police investigations revealed that the suspect was one of the two persons who had trailed the constable on a motorbike, shot and killed him and later sped off.

"On arrival at the suspect’s residence, Salifu, on seeing the police, decided to escape by scaling the fence wall of the house. To prevent the suspect from running away, the police shot him in the leg and immediately rushed him to the Tema General Hospital for treatment,” he said.

Mr Darkwah added that the suspect was currently on admission under police guard.

Background

Last Monday, Constable Kporyi was gunned down by unknown assailants on the Tema-Akosombo highway.

Constable Kporyi, who was with the Tema Regional Rapid Deployment Force, was on a motorbike patrol duty when he was attacked by the assailants, who were said to be riding a motorbike too.

Impounded bikes

In a related development, the police in Tema have impounded nine motorbikes in an operation that was carried out last Thursday.

According to Mr Darkwah, intelligence gathered by the police indicated that a member of a gang, identified as Alidu, kept a fleet of motorbikes on his premises at Lebanon Zone 2, Ashaiman, which were used by the gang in its operations.

He said the police embarked on an operation to arrest the suspect and retrieve the said motorbikes, but on sighting the police, suspect Alidu fled.

However, the motorbikes which were parked in his house were impounded by the police.

via: http://www.dailygraphiconline.com/news/general-news/police-arrest-another-suspected-killer-of-cop.html: 

Rawlings calls on Ghanaians to embrace family planning

BENJAMIN GLOVER  

16 JUNE 2017

Former President John Jerry Rawlings

Former President John Jerry Rawlings has called on Ghanaians to embrace family planning to control population explosion.

He pointed out that the means to have safe sex was always available and that people should explore it in order not to burden society with children they could not take care of.

The former President who was addressing a political rally last Saturday at the Mandela Park in Ashaiman as part of the 25th anniversary celebration said one of the things that undermined Ghana’s development was the lack of serious family planning.

“No matter what we do or how hard we work, if we do not do something about family planning, it will keep undermining our attempt to develop. You can see it right in your homes, your ability or capacity to feed your children, clothe them and pay their school fees, etc. so it is, this kind of situation is transmitted into the community, society and nation. Let’s think about it”

“When I see children all over the place, the way they sweat it out in the streets, trying to sell, just so they can survive, it is so difficult. Every Friday, I have to look for money so that when I am passing by, I can give to them for the weekend,” he said.

Embrace Family Planning

He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to embrace family planning as a way of controlling the rapid population growth with its attendant impact on national development.

Rapid population growth has also been identified as having negative impacts on overstretched health systems and other resources and amenities.

The use of family planning methods is said to have a number of benefits, including reducing maternal and neonatal mortality,as well as unsafe abortion which contributes to 20 per cent of all maternal deaths and positive socio-economic benefits to the family and community.

Family planning does not only deal with pregnancy prevention or delay, but it also includes support for people living with infertility by providing them with counselling and methods to assist them achieve pregnancy.

Bush burning

The former President also bemoaned the recent incidence of bush fires leading to the burning of electric poles.

He recounted a recent newspaper article in The Ghanaian Times about some electric poles that got burnt through bush fires and advised municipal and district assemblies to form volunteer groups to weed around tension poles in their communities in an effort to curb the burning of electric poles.

“Telephone your people in the various parts of the country to be a little more responsible and take responsibility for these poles. During our era, assembly people were constituted into gangs to regularly weed the little bush and bushels around the teak poles in order to prevent the poles from catching fire. This is not an NPP, NDC matter. This is electricity which we all need,” he said.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/rawlings-calls-on-ghanaians-to-embrace-family-planning.html

Chemu SHTS marks AU Day

BENJAMIN GLOVER 

31 MAY 2017

A group of Chemu SHTS students in their respective African attires

 Students and tutors of the Chemu Senior High Technical School (CSTHS) marked this year’s Africa Union (AU) Day in style.

For the celebration, an initiative of the Student’s Representative Council (SRC), both tutors and students wore colourful traditional attires to depict the diverse cultures of the various regions of Ghana and some African countries.

The occasion was spiced up with choral music by the school’s choir, poetry recitals and brief presentations on selected African countries.

Master Godwin Kwame Boduah presented a cocoa seedling which was planted to commemorate the day.

Master Boduah explained that the gesture was to create awareness of Ghana’s leading foreign exchange earner and encouraged his fellow students to help reduce the dangers caused to the environment.

The Public Relations Officer for the Tema Metropolitan Education Directorate, Mr Azeriya Ayeriga, who represented the Metropolitan Director of Education, commended the management, tutors and students of Chemu SHTS for observing the day to learn more about the country and the continent.

He advised students to be disciplined and serious with their studies so that they could become useful citizens in the future.

Ms Kudiratu Ismeal, a student of the school who excelled in a French Language competition with another student in the Greater Accra Region, received cheers and a standing ovation from her mates.

In a related development, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the Chemu SHTS donated 21 tables and 34 benches valued at GH¢8,000 to the school.

The donation was part of efforts by the PTA to help improve on the furniture situation in the school for students, especially during dining time.

The PTA Chairman, Rev. Samuel Frisby Ntow-Adjei, who presented the furniture on behalf of the Association, said one of the pressing issues identified by the PTA was the inadequate contact hours between teachers and students.

He said the PTA executive had realised that a lot of time was lost at the school’s canteen due to inadequate tables and chairs during meal times; hence, the donation to reduce the time lost during that period.

An Assistant Headmistress of the school, Mrs Monica Kumahor, expressed appreciation to the PTA for the gesture.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/juniors/junior-news/chemu-shts-marks-au-day.html

Suspected robber dies in shoot-out with police

BENJAMIN GLOVER 

 

12 JUNE 2017

The MP 22 pistol, 15 rounds of live ammunition and spent shells retrieved from the deceased robber at Tema Community 9

 A suspected armed robber was last Thursday gunned down after a shoot-out with the police in Tema. He is alleged to have shot a policeman in the thigh before he was shot in the neck, resulting in his death.

The deceased was part of a four-member gang a police patrol team stopped to interrogate at a spot known as Top Ten Club, near the Banners of Grace Ministries, at Community Nine.

Other members of the group, according to the police, escaped in the ensuing melee.

A pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition and 12 live ammunition in the pocket of the deceased were retrieved after he was shot.

A saloon car and two motorcycles were also impounded.

Briefing

Mr Joseph Benefo Darkwa, Tema Regional Police PRO

Speaking to journalists in Tema last Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Joseph Benefo Darkwa, said at about 10:30 p.m. last Thursday, while on night patrol duties at Community Nine, the police saw the young men at a spot known as Top Ten Club near the Banners of Grace Ministries, smoking dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

He said the patrol team stopped to interrogate the but the deceased, who was part of the group, allegedly pulled a revolver and shot twice, hitting the left thigh of a police constable.

He said the constable returned fire which hit the neck and shoulder of the deceased.

Mr Darkwa said both the injured police constable and the suspect were taken to the Tema General Hospital, where the suspect was declared dead.

The police constable was, however, treated and discharged.

Investigations

Mr Darkwa said the Tema Regional Police Command had commenced investigation into the incident.

In a related development, the Tema Regional Police Command has arrested nine suspects, including an ex-military man, in a swoop in the Ashaiman Municipality.

The operation,  part of the command’s operational plan to clamp down on criminal activities, was carried out based on intelligence gathered that some miscreants were hiding in some places and dealing in narcotic drugs.

Mr Darkwa gave the names of the suspects as WO2 George Hagan, 52, who was arrested with a black handbag which contained dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp; Kojo Nyarko, 32; Alhassan Abdulai, aka, Cubicle and Seth Onomah, 37.

The rest are Jerry Atibire, 58; Desmond Wogah, 28; Seletian Duboss, 48; Joshua Afrifa, 53, and Alhassan Nuhu, 24.

The Police PRO said the suspects, who were rounded up in various ghettos within the Ashaiman Municipality, were in police custody.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/suspected-robber-dies-in-shoot-out-with-police.html

Ensure the NPP fulfils all promises - Amissah-Arthur urges Ghanaians

BENJAMIN GLOVER 

13 JUNE 2017

Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur

Former Vice-President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has urged Ghanaians to demand answers and ensure that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government fulfils all the promises that it made prior to the last general election.

Addressing a rally organised by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Ashaiman last Saturday as part of the 25th anniversary of the party, Mr Amissah-Arthur said the NDC must continue to champion the agenda of the people of Ghana.

"In all, they (NPP) have made 170 promises. We have to make sure that all the 170 promises are fulfilled so that the people of Ghana can benefit from the work that they claim they are coming to do," he said.

The rally was attended by the two former Presidents produced by the party, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings and John Dramani Mahama, the party Chairman, Mr Kofi Portuphy; the General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia; the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu; former appointees of the NDC and national and regional executive members of the party.

Move on

The former Vice-President said it was time the party members moved on and put the electoral defeat behind them and worked towards unity.

He said the recrimination of the past must give way to unity, adding, "We must unite our people so that we can work together. Combining our strengths and attitudes of the people in the NDC, we can recapture power and work for the good people of Ghana."

“The 2016 general election is over and it is important for us to move on because the agenda of the Ghanaian people is important,” he added.

He expressed appreciation to Ghanaians for their support, saying: “I am here to pay homage and to say how grateful we are to the common people of this country. We are also here because we want to celebrate another 25 years of progressive politics," he noted.

Blame game

Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia accused the NPP of blaming the past administration for the hardships in the country instead of fulfilling their electoral promises.

 Mr Haruna Iddrisu also demanded a stop to what he termed ‘the crippling lawlessness growing in the country’.

"We cannot accept it as part of our Ghanaian culture. The President must ensure that this country remains a country governed by the rule of law where wrong is punished," he said.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/ensure-the-npp-fulfils-all-promises-amissah-arthur-urges-ghanaians.html

Explosion kills two at Pioneer Food Cannery

BENJAMIN GLOVER & DELLA RUSSEL OCLOO 

13 JUNE 2017

Officials of the fire service struggling to put out the blaze

An explosion at a fuel pump at the Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC), a tuna canning company, last Sunday killed two persons and left five others with various degrees of  burns.

The incident, which occurred about 5:15 p.m., followed what has been described as the company’s failure to put in place control measures when a fuel pump that connects the steam boiler facility at the company’s production plant developed a fault and was being replaced.

Sparks of fire from the welding works are said to have come into contact with some fuel that leaked from the pumps when the replacement was being done, sparking of the fire in the process.

The deceased’s have been identified as Kelvin Quainoo and Isaac Quaye, both of Matelco Engineering Services. The injured workers who were rushed to the Tema General Hospital (TGH) have since been referred to the Burns Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment. 

Some of the injured workers being taken away from the disaster scene

Items such as the steam boiler, two fuel tanks, computers and accessories running into millions of cedis were destroyed in the two-hour blaze, while the fuel tank spilled its content over the entire premises after the tank had exploded.

The Tema Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Fire Officer Frances Rockson, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, said a combined team of firefighters from the Tema Regional, Industrial Area and Tema Newtown fire brigades, as well as officials from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), managed to put out the fire in about two and half hours.

Scores of workers who turned up for work yesterday morning were subsequently sent home by officials of the company, who promised to recall them when the situation was normalised.

Company officials who were agitated by events had tightened security at the factory and also barred the media from accessing the facility.

A senior management member, Mr Daniel Nkumda, sacked the Daily Graphic team when it visited the factory to ascertain the level of destruction and also speak to officials.

“We are not granting media interviews and I would ask you to leave the premises immediately. As and when management is ready, we will issue a statement to the public on the incident,” Mr Nkumda said.

Indications are that the incident could possibly cripple the company's operations, as the steam boilers which are used to apply heat to the processed tuna to eliminate microbiological risk in the food would have to be replaced because the damaging effects suggest it cannot be immediately repaired.

The factory on fire.

Negligence

Safety experts have attributed the accident to negligence on the part of the management of the company and the contractor.

It is believed the safe system of work procedure which required the company and the contractor to conduct a risk assessment prior to the commencement of work was not followed, as managers of the facility wanted the maintenance work to be done with during the weekend to enable production to resume fully yesterday.

Similarly, a work permit expected to be given to the contractor by the Health and Safety Officer of the company, spelling out what was to be done before, during and after the repair works were was also said to have been neglected.

According to the Tema Metropolitan Director of the Factories Inspectorate Department, Dr Stephen Ankamah Lomotey, who visited the factory yesterday, the accident could have been avoided if the company’s safety policy had been deployed in its maintenance duties.

He maintained that the failure by many companies to follow closely defined safety procedures in their operations had seen an increasing spate of accidents at workplaces.

Congestion

The PFC, which was built in the early 1990s and presently produces some 55,000 tonnes of canned Starkist tuna brands, has, over the years, outgrown its space capacity following an expansion in the company’s operations.

Presently, apart from the Starkist tuna brands, the company also extracts oil from the head of the tuna, which it exports for the production of the dietary supplement, Omega-rich oils (Omega-3, Omega-5) and brine. 

The company also uses the tuna residue to produce animal feed which is sold for agricultural purposes.

Dr Lomotey said the incident ought to be a wake-up call for the company to relocate some of its operations outside the factory.

“We have launched our own investigations and tasked the company to also present its report on the incident for further investigations”, he said.

via: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/explosion-kills-two-at-pioneer-food-cannery.html