Oldest, bulletproof police station at Prampram (Daily Graphic,Feb - 17 - 2023 Page 28 )

 Feb - 17 - 2023

Prampram Police Station, the oldest police facility in Ghana

Prampram is a fishing community in the Greater Accra Region. Located in the Ningo Prampram District, Prampram is home to a sprawling sandy beachfront and a holiday destination for revellers.

Apart from being a destination for tourists and holidaymakers. The community boasts a rich history.

One such history is the fact that the town is the home of the oldest police station in Ghana. Not only is the structure the oldest but it is also resistant to bullets (bulletproof).

The facility was originally built in 1814 by the Danes who were in the then Gold Coast, as the first prison in Ghana.

Operational

Located in Lakpleh in Lower Prampram, the structure is currently still operational and serves as a police station for the Prampram township.

During a visit to the community, the Daily Graphic learnt that with the except for the roof of the facility that had been changed, the walls and beams remained much the same since it was built.

A traditional ruler, Asafoatse Lartey Bantama IV, a member of the Prampram Traditional Council, told the Daily Graphic at a community clean-up exercise last Tuesday that Prampram, like many other coastal communities, boasted of a rich history and untapped tourist attractions.

He bemoaned the fact that successive political leaders had not given the needed attention to the development of Prampram and pledged that his office would do everything possible to develop the tourism potential of the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/oldest-bulletproof-police-station-at-prampram.html

Asafoatse leads Larkpleh community clean-up exercise( Daily Graphic, Feb - 16 - 2023 Page 29)

 Feb - 16 - 2023

 

Community members desilting a drain during the clean-up exercise

Residents of the Larkpleh community in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region last Tuesday came out in their numbers to participate in a clean-up exercise to rid the community of filth.

The exercise was organised by Asafoatse Lartey Bantama IV, a member of the Prampram Traditional Council, in collaboration with the Larkpleh Youth Association.

By 5 a.m., residents had started converging on the grounds around the Prampram Polyclinic to participate in the exercise which spanned 6 a.m. to 12 noon.It was led by Asafoatse Bantama and Nene Sorsey Quarshie VI, Chief Fisherman for the Lower Prampram Landing Beach.

Cleanliness

The effort, according to the organisers, was to rekindle the spirit of communal labour, while promoting hygienic living conditions.

The exercise was also aimed at promoting environmental cleanliness in the community, as well as sensitising residents to the need to change their attitude towards the environment.

Heaps of refuse that impeded the flow of liquid waste in the drains along the four-kilometre road from the Prampram Polyclinic to the Lower Prampram Landing Beach were cleared during the exercise.

Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service who participated in the clean-up exercise also flushed out the silt after the debris was removed.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic during the exercise, Asafoatse Bantama said the clean-up was to rejuvenate the sense of communal labour which had been abandoned by the residents.

Asafoatse Bantama commended the residents, especially the youth, fishermen and market women, for their enthusiastic support for the exercise, and urged them to maintain hygienic standards of living in their homes.

“There is a lot of filth in the Larkpleh community, but sadly our political leaders are watching and not doing anything about it. As a traditional leader, I decided to organise my community on a day like Valentine’s Day, which traditionally represents a day for showing gratitude to loved ones, to show love and impact on the environment,” he said.

Sustained

He indicated that the exercise would be sustained in the community through regular campaigns, as well as the establishment of a community taskforce, to keep the Larkpleh community clean.Asafoatse Bantama said Prampram could boast of interesting places that attracted tourists, hence keeping the environment clean was pivotal in driving that vision.

Nene Quarshie welcomed the initiative of the traditional ruler, and pledged the support of the fishermen and market women to keep the environment clean.

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

via : https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/asafoatse-leads-larkpleh-community-clean-up-exercise.html

GH₵50m Narcotics destroyed (Daily Graphic Feb - 09 - 2023 Back Page)

Feb - 09 - 2023

 

 

• Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh (2nd from left), Director-General of NACOC, with representatives of the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States and the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, setting fire to the seized cannabis

 The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), on Wednesday destroyed narcotic substances estimated to be worth GH¢50 million at the Bundase Training Camp of the Ghana Armed Forces in the Greater Accra Region. This followed a court order that asked NACOC to burn the cannabis intercepted from drug peddlers. 

The latest seizures, estimated at 50 tonnes, were made between the years 2021 and 2023 in the Volta and Eastern regions. 

Destruction 

The destruction exercise was done in the presence of officials of the court, the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States, the United Kingdom National Crime Agency and Border Force, as well as the police, National Security, the military and the media. 

The materials were first tested to confirm if they were the actual drugs intercepted before they were set ablaze. The acting Director, Public Affairs and International Relations, NACOC, Francis Opoku Amoah, told journalists that the illegal cannabis was one of the biggest haul made by the commission in recent years. 

He explained that the destruction exercise was in accordance with the commission's law, Act 1019, which required NACOC to seize, investigate and prosecute perpetrators, as well as destroy seized narcotic drugs after following all legal procedures, including securing a destruction certificate.

 He said although it was illegal to use drugs, under Section 54 of Act 1019, NACOC was shifting from incarceration to making drugs use a public health issue to enable persons suffering from substance use disorders to receive the necessary counselling and treatment. 

Fund 

 Mr Amoah said the persons arrested and prosecuted for drug-related offences could be ordered by the court, upon assessment, to seek treatment or rehabilitation and social reintegration. He said the commission was mandated to set up a rehabilitation fund, which could enable the commission to build such centres across the country to take care of such persons as opposed to incarceration of offenders. 

He cautioned the public, particularly owners and drivers of commercial vehicles, not to allow themselves to be used as couriers by smugglers. "They must always be sure to check the content of consignments they intend to convey from one destination to another. 

Vehicle owners should also conduct background checks on their employees before handing over their vehicles to them to avoid having their vehicles seized," he said. 

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

 

 

 https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/gh-50m-narcotics-destroyed.html

Fire guts wooden structures at "Cambodia" (Daily Graphic Feb - 09 - 2023 Page 40)

 Feb - 09 - 2023

Government urged to support private universities (Daily Graphic Feb - 09 - 2023 Page 28)

Feb - 09 - 2023

Jose Moses Michael (left), Overall Best Student, receiving his award from Ernest Ansah, founder of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology

 

The President of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology (DLIBT), Professor Stanley Saamoah Moffatt, has urged the government to consider all universities, both public and private, as a public good that must be supported in equal measure. 

 He stressed that private universities, just like their public counterparts, were key stakeholders in the delivery of quality education in the country. Prof Moffatt was addressing the 13th graduation ceremony of the DLIBT on Thursday, January 26, 2023 in Tema. 

A total of 235 students graduated in various courses such as Master of Science (MSc) Accounting, Strategic Management. Others completed courses in Bsc Computer Science, Information and Communications Technology, Business Administration as well as Advanced Diploma in Logistics and Transport. 

Awards 

Jose Moses Michael emerged the Overall Best as well as the best Male Student and best student in Computer Science, while Juliana Adu was adjudged the best student in Human Resource. Other award winners were Nixon Kweku Hamilton (Best Student MPhill Strategic Management), Ethel Adoma (Best Female Student, MSc Strategic Management), and Hope Smith Lomotey, Best Male Student. 

Enumerating some of the challenges facing private universities in the country, Prof Moffatt said private universities competed with the public universities in recruitment and retention of highly qualified faculty. 

He said salary increments for government workers made the compensation packages of public universities more attractive than what most private universities could afford. Prof Moffatt noted that the most debilitating challenge facing most private universities was inadequate funding. "DLIBT, like most private universities, rely almost entirely on internally generated funds for all its programmes and activities while most public universities receive funding from a variety of sources, including government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and business interests," he said 

According to him, that never-ending challenge was exacerbated by the tortuous processes of accreditation and affiliation which placed excessive financial pressure on the private universities. 

He called on the government not to deprive private universities of government interventions such as grants from the state, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the Scholarship Secretariat, research grants, as well as subsidies for infrastructure expansion. 

While commending the government for abolishing corporate tax, he said the state should further help by waiving all taxes on inputs required for teaching, learning and innovation in the private universities. 

National Development Plan 

Prof Moffatt reiterated the need for a National Development Plan which would serve as a guide for academic institutions to develop programmes and courses that would feed into the plan. 

"A national development plan, in a way, can guide the government to offer competitive contracts to both public and private universities to conduct research and other activities that are believed to be in the broader public interest." he said. 

 A former Dean of the University for Development Studies(UDS) Faculty of Integrated Development, Prof Paul Kwame Nkegbe, who spoke on the theme: “Turning economic crises into opportunities”, said despite facing numerous challenges, tertiary educational institutions had demonstrated an ability to adapt and innovate to meet the needs of their students and society.

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

 

 

 

https://www.graphic.com.gh/?view=article&id=179185:government-urged-to-support-private-universities&catid=270

Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Project produces banana plantation - Set to create employment for 600 (Daily Graphic Nov - 27 - 2022)

Nov - 27 - 2022
 

The new banana plantation under cultivation

Golden Exotics Limited (GEL), a leading producer of bananas in Ghana has invested in a new plantation under the completed and modernised Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Project (KLBIP).

The move forms a major expansion drive by the GEL which already operates a 2,000-hectare plantation in Kusunya near Asutsuare in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region, under the Kpong Irrigation Scheme.

The expansion project is in line with GEL’s expectation of continued growth in Ghana.

Background

The KLBIP forms part of a World Bank-funded Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) to facilitate access to reliable water and land.

The Torgorme project, estimated at $34 million was designed to expand irrigable land from the initial 450 hectares constructed in the 1970s to about 2,500 hectares for farmers to go into commercial farming.

Ceremonial planting

Speaking at a ceremonial planting of banana seedlings at the KLBIP in Torgorme in the North Tongue District last Wednesday, the Managing Director of GEL, Benedict Rich, said the plantation expansion would cover 500 hectares of land.

He said when fully completed over the next two to three years, the new plantation would employ about 600 people, adding that given the right support from the chiefs, people and policy makers as well as enough water supply, which they expressed the hope to expand in the future.

Mr Rich said the company’s plantation in Ghana, which was started in 2003, now exported over 85 per cent of 100,000 tonnes of bananas produced from Ghana annually, while employing 3,500 full time employees.

He said while they cherished the opportunity given to GEL to invest in the rehabilitated Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Scheme, the size of land allocated to them was smaller than their standard size of a banana plantation.

Mr Rich, however, expressed the hope that the success of the new venture would open other opportunities for them to grow the farm to the size of its Kasunya plantation.

He also expressed the hope that issues of land allocation to local farmers, which the Lands Commission was working on, would be expedited to avoid the problem of encroachment on lands already allocated to commercial farmers and the destruction of crops by cattles. 

Transformation agenda

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, commended GEL for being the first out of the 14 commercial farmers allocated lands, to take advantage of the rehabilitated Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Project at Torgorme.

He said this move would contribute substantially to the transformation agenda of the government.

The minister called for cooperation between investors, the chiefs and people of Torgome to ensure that the scheme was successfully implemented, so it went a long way to improve their standard of living.

He disclosed that to address some concerns of the chiefs, some portions of the project area had been allocated to smallholder farmers in the Torgorme community for vegetable cultivation.

Challenges

The vice-president of Compagnie Fruitier in Ghana, major shareholders of GEL, Olivier Chassang, appealed to the government to improve the road network linking their production site and the Tema Port, to facilitate easy transportation of the produce.

He hinted of GEL’s desire to take advantage of the Tema-Mpakadan railway line currently under construction, to facilitate the transportation of produce from their production site to the Tema Port.

He said the benefit of such intervention would include a reduction in generalised cost, comprising vehicle operating cost, travel time, reduction in transportation cost and reduction in post-harvest losses.

The Mankrado of the Torgorme Traditional Area, Torgbe Gidi IV, said the project would create employment opportunities for the youth, alleviate poverty and enhance development in the communities within the catchment area of the irrigation scheme.

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

https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/kpong-left-bank-irrigation-project-produces-banana-plantation-set-to-create-employment-for-600.html

Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Scheme rehabilitated

 

Ashaiman; other side of the town’s origin (Daily Graphic Friday Dec - 02 - 2022 Page 28)

  Dec - 02 - 2022

The name Ashaiman comes from two Ga words; "Ashai" being the name of a person, in this case, Nii Ashai, and "Mang" being the Ga word for a town. The name Ashaiman is ,therefore, said to mean Ashai's town.

According to a great grandson of Nii Ashai- the man said to have founded Ashaiman- Ibrahim Nii Ashai, Ashaiman has never been called “Mpoase”.

But where from the name Mpoase? 

Mpoase

Ibrahim Nii Ashai told the Daily Graphic that the name Mpoase came about due to conversations that usually took place among fishmongers who in the past came from the mountainous areas of Aburi, Akuapim among others to Tema to buy fish.

Narrating how that name came about, Ibrahim said when they (fishmongers) reached Ashaiman after trekking for a long time, they would go and greet Nii Ashai, the founder of Ashaiman and ask him, ‘mpo no asei anaa’? Nii Ashai will respond by saying, ‘mpo no asei” or ‘mpo no nsei ye’ meaning, there is turbulence at sea or not.“If Nii Ashai says there is turbulence at sea, they would stay with him for some days until they hear that the situation has changed, meaning there is bumper harvest. Then they would go to Tema and buy their fish. This turned out to be the usual conversation between Nii Ashai and the traders from the mountains.

“So this is where the “mpoase” comes from. Everybody coming to Ashaiman was very clear in his/her mind that he or she was coming to Ashai’s Town (Ashaiman),” he said.

Founding

On how Ashaiman was founded, Ibrahim explained that Nii Ashai, originally a fisherman on the shores of Tema, moved to the area after becoming interested in farming and after a good harvest decided to settle in the village with his only son Nii Doku. He said over time, the name ASHAIMAN (Ashai's Town) was formed.The great grandson of Nii Ashai, Ibrahim, who was reacting to an earlier publication in the Daily Graphic, titled “Welcome to Jericho, Lebanon, New York, Middle East, Ashaiman’s foreign communities” published on Friday, November 18, 2022, insisted that Nii Ashai founded Ashaiman without anybody’s support.

 

 https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/features/ashaiman-other-side-of-the-town-s-origin.html

Welcome to Jericho, Lebanon, New York, Middle East: Ashaiman’s ‘foreign’ communities (Daily Graphic, Date: Nov - 18 - 2022 Page 23)

 Nov - 18 - 2022

W.T. Mensah Street in Ashaiman Middle East 

 

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

In an interview with the Daily Graphic recently, the Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adzor, said Nii Tetteh Amui I was a fisherman who settled in the area to carry out farming activities due to low catches.

According to the regent, Nii Amui 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 en route to Dodowa, he met Nii Amui who offered him a piece of land to settle on.

Nii Adzor said as time went by, 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’.

Over time, the town has increasingly become the recipient of a large number of migrants from all over Ghana and some West African countries. The population of the municipality, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, stands at 208,060, with 103,410 males and 104,650 females.

Due to the influx of people from the West African sub-region, many refer to the community as the “United States of West Africa”.

Expansion

Over the period, the population of Ashaiman has increased and the town has expanded, giving way to more suburbs springing up, some of which bear names of foreign cities.

From suburbs such as Tulaku, Market Square, Fitter Line, Taboo Line, Tsinai Agbe, Zongo Laka, Roman Down, Night Market, Asensu Bar, Official Town, Taifa, Newtown, Valco Flats, Afariwaa, Christian Village and Atadeka, the community has expanded to include new suburbs such as Middle East, Jericho, Lebanon Zones one to five, New York and Washington among others.

But how come these “foreign” names became attached to suburbs when most residents living in areas with such names probably have absolutely no idea how those names came to be associated with the area or suburb?

One may tend to think these areas are actually named after these foreign cities because perhaps they share similar attributes with them, but that is not the case.

The regent of Ashaiman explained that in a few cases, persons returning from those foreign lands who resided first in the new places named the places after the foreign country or city they had sojourned in.

Lebanon

In the case of Lebanon, Nii Adzor said most of the military personnel who returned to Ghana from peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, the country located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, bought lands in those areas and put up properties.

He said Ashaiman Lebanon was demarcated from zones one to five, adding that with time and as a result of population growth and expansion, suburbs such as the Middle East, Jericho, New York and Washington, named by been-tos or returnees from those states or countries, emerged.

He said the new suburbs had brought a lot of changes to the city, whereas in the past the town had to bear the tag as the citadel of all sorts of crime, filth and other violent practices.

That impacted negatively on the development of the area to the extent that some people shied away from being considered residents of the area; however, the situation had changed greatly, he said.

Nii Adzor noted that the negative image of Ashaiman had changed and it was now a place where people could feel a lot more comfortable.

So the next time you are in a trotro to Jericho or order a ride via a ride-hailing app to visit a friend at Jericho, be sure to ask for further clarification as the Jericho in question could be the Ashaiman Jericho, which is completely different from what is mentioned in the Bible.

You also do not need travel documents to travel to New York, Washington, Lebanon or Middle East since they are all communities in Ghana.

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

 https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/features/welcome-to-jericho-lebanon-new-york-middle-east-ashaiman-s-foreign-communities.html

 

 

 

Fire destroys makeshift homes, shop at Ashaiman ( Daily Graphic Tues, February 7, 2023. Back Page)

 

 

Tues, February 7, 2023

 

Ghana Baptist Convention launches 60th anniversary (Daily Graphic, Feb - 05 - 2023)

 Date: Feb - 05 - 2023 (Page 25)

 

The Ghana Baptist Convention,(GBC)  has launched its 60th anniversary, with a call on Ghanaians to to guard against the depletion of the environment and natural resources.

The Executive President of the GBC, Rev Enoch Nii Narh Thompson who made the call on Sunday, February 5, 2023 said issues of the environment should be of great concern to everyone in the country because the high rates of degradation could affect all.

He noted that creations are gifts from God and that mankind had a duty to use resources judiciously by consciously preserving and conserving natural resources not only in one’s country but the world at large for future generations.

The 60th anniversary was launched at the First Baptist Church in Tema on theme: “Fulfilling God's purpose, growing God's church-60 years on."

Activities lined up for the year-long anniversary celebration includes lectures, tree planting exercise among other events. The celebration would be the climaxed with a national thanksgiving service at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi on the November 26, 2023.

Degradation 

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the anniversary launch, Rev Thompson expressed concern about the rapid rate of environmental degradation an mentioned with regret the activities of illegal mining saying they could have grievous effects on the environment.

"If we Christians, as most of the people of this nation claims to be should have the consciousness of God's concern for the environment, then we should keep our environment tidy and avoid degradation." he said

He urged Christians involved in galamsey to rethink about the effect of their mining activities and guard against the depletion of resources.

Rev. Thompson e said bearers of God’s image, all Christians have the responsibility not only to be reconciled with God but also and privilege of caring for God’s creation. 

Anniversary launch

The GBC which started as a mustard seed has growing into one of the largest denominations in Ghana, with over 1,300 local churches in Ghana.

Rev. Enoch Nii Narh Thompson  thanked God for guiding the GBC throughout its existence in the country.

The anniversary, he said, was significant because it highlighted the numerous contributions the GBC had made to the country in all spheres of life.

He noted that the church has played a crucial role in the area of education, quality healthcare delivery and improving the physical and spiritual lives of people in the country.

He highlighted the GBC's efforts in putting up medical facilities across the country such as their flagship Baptist Medical Centre at Nalerigu and other health facilities across the country, the provision of boreholes in a number of communities to improve the lives of the people, their contribution to the development of Ghana’s human Capital through the Ghana Baptist University College, the early childhood development centres, and the Baptist Vocational training centre focusing on the training of girls who have been rescued from the Trokosi system.

Rev Thompson said for the rest of the period that that the GBC will exist, they commit to preach the unadulterated word of God
"As we stand on this pinnacle of 60 years, we look further afield, and see that there remain many mountains to be climbed, that there are valleys to be passed and some rivers to be crossed. Into the future we seek progress in evangelism, in financial solvency, human resource development and provision conducive places of worship for their ur congregations.

Brief historyThe current Ghana Baptist Convention's early beginnings were associated with the Nigerian Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention of USA.

The Nigerian Baptist brothers and sisters came to the Gold Coast to trade in the early part of the 1900's.

These Yoruba Baptist traders later grouped themselves to form Baptist churches in Ghana.

In 1963, the Nigerian Baptist Convention granted the conference independence. The conference was renamed Ghana Baptist Convention in January 1964. 

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

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-baptist-convention-launches-60th-anniversary.html

 

 

Contributions by women to the fisheries sector. A tour of Tema Canoe Basin (The Mirror. Saturday, February 4, 2023)

  

press cuts 2

 

Constituency Watch: Community of untapped potential - Tema East ( Nov - 04 - 2022)

  Nov - 04 - 2022 

 

Yohane Armah Ashitey (3rd from right), MCE for Tema, interacting with some fishermen at Tema Manhean during a visit to the area

Despite the fact that Tema is considered to be a well-demarcated metropolis, Tema East Constituency, which occupies the centre of the metropolis (community one and Manhean) is beset with developmental challenges.

The challenges include frequent breakdown of the sewage system, poor sanitation, springing up of unauthorised structures and inadequate potable water and street lights.

Only one major road connects Tema Community One to Tema Manhean and many road users have called for an alternative route to link the two communities since the only road contributes to congestion.

With these concerns, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) is in discussions with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to get alternative roads to link Tema Manhean and Community One to improve mobility for all road users in the area.

Demographics

The constituency has formal and informal workers, including factory workers, fishermen, fish processors, teachers, civil and public servants, health workers, traders and commercial drivers. 

Location

It is located on the coastal belt and is one of the two constituencies in the Tema Metropolis of the Greater Accra Region. The other is Tema Central.

Tema East Constituency is host to a number of industries including the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and the Tema Port. It is also a commercial centre and a fishing centre.

Politics 

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area is Isaac Ashai Odamtten of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) snatched the seat from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Daniel Titus Glover in the 2020 election.

Mr Odamtten polled 41,692 votes to defeat Mr Glover, who secured 31,956 votes.

Prior to his election as the MP for Tema East, Mr Odamtten had served as Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Tema in the NDC administration.

Of the eight general elections held since 1992, the NPP had won the parliamentary seat six times, while the NDC had won twice.

In 1996, the NPP's Ishmael Ashitey polled 33, 421 votes to annex the seat, beating the NDC's Nii Adjei Larbie who had 29, 915 votes.

Mr Ashitey retained the seat in the 2000 election with 35,044 votes to defeat NDCs Ebenezer T. Anuwa-Amarh who had 18,435.

Mr Ashitey emerged victorious again in the 2004 election when he polled 41, 518 votes to defeat NDC's Emelia Kai Adjei who had 27, 272 votes.

In the 2008 election, a new NPP candidate, Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, polled 40, 444 votes to defeat the NDC's Robert Kempes Ofosuware who had 33, 011 votes.

Mr Glover won the 2012 election with 30,075 votes, just three votes more than the 30,072 garnered by Mr Ofosuware of the NDC. In 2016, Mr Glover retained the seat with over 4,000 votes difference.

A taxi driver at the Mankoadze Roundabout , Daniel Adjei , who plies the Community One - Tema Manhean route told the Daily Graphic that the road connecting Tema Manhean and Community One was narrow and had developed potholes, particularly at the Unilever portion, putting the lives of motorists and commuters at risk.

However, the MCE for Tema, Yohane Armah Ashitey, told the Daily Graphic that discussions were underway with the Ministry of Roads and Highways for alternative roads to link Tema Manhean and Community One because the single road contributed to persistent traffic congestion.

He disclosed that the assembly had entered into an arrangement with the Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL) on a transport project to be implemented to improve mobility for all road users.

The arrangement will improve on parking of vehicles and ensure the safety of pedestrians. Overall, it will improve transport management.

No response

Efforts to reach Mr Odamtten yielded no response.

Premix fuel

Being a fishing community, one major challenge the fisherfolk had to grapple with is the occasional shortage of premix fuel.

A fisherman at Tema Manhean, Nii Laryea Adjei, said shortage of the premix fuel had become an annual ritual and, therefore, called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development as well as the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to let the welfare of the fisherfolk be their priority since some of them had to resort to middlemen to access the product at a high cost.

Responding to the challenge, the MCE said the assembly was working in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to restructure the system of fuel distribution to ensure equity and transparency in the system.

Other interventions

Giving account of his stewardship, the MCE said the Metropolitan Security Committee had in place measures to improve security in the area.

Some of the measures included the installation and rehabilitation of street lights, which had improved the security in areas such as the Urban Health Roundabout through the Tema Stadium Road to the TDC Traffic lights.

The intervention has also seen places such as the TDC Traffic light to Our Lady of Mercy SHS, the Regional Fire Service road, and the Community 5 Traffic light to the General Hospital road illuminated.

In addition, Mr Ashitey said the successful completion and operationalisation of the Divisional Police Command at Tema Manhean was one of the measures taken to improve security in the constituency.

He revealed that the TMA continued to implement a number of social intervention programmes geared towards alleviating poverty and improving lives.

These include the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), and the National Youth Employment Programme.

On the LEAP, he stated that 489 households had been approved to access cash transfers.

In the areas of health, the MCE said the assembly had resolved to commit more resources to public health issues.

Also, the provision of start-up kits to 30 beneficiary youth on apprentice programmes was geared towards improving employment skills.

Infrastructure

Expatiating on infrastructure, Mr Ashitey said since he assumed office, a four-kilometre asphaltic overlay at the Tema Town Centre (Meridian Enclave) had been completed, as well as the construction of a six-unit classroom block with auxillary facilities at Manhean Presby School, and the renovation of the canoe basin bridge at Tema Manhean.

The assembly had also, through a robust inter-agency coordination and collaboration, reconstructed the watercourse to solve perennial flooding in some parts of Homowo and Oninku Electoral Areas.

Also, a major footbridge connecting the Sea Light Electoral area and the fishing harbour had been rehabilitated.

Solid waste management in the Tema Metropolis has become a major challenge, with some residents complaining that in recent times, service providers have not adhered to schedules for lifting their refuse.

A resident of Community One, Madam Ruth Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that the collection of waste in her neighbourhood has not been regular.

However, the MCE, in a reaction, said the assembly had come up with a software called MetroSani Watch which would be deployed to enable residents to report sanitation challenges and also to track and monitor service providers.

He added that following the institutionalisation of the Operation Clean Your Frontage programme complemented by the City Response Team, the assembly was poised to intensify the fight against poor environmental sanitation with renewed vigour.

"Plans are afoot to introduce more service providers to promote competition which will lead to overall improvement in service quality. More focus would be on Aboboyaa operators in the slum areas such as Site 2, Site 20, Ozokue Naa and Chemu Lagoon Naa," he said.

Haphazard development

Mr Ashitey said the assembly recently embarked on a decongestion exercise that saw the demolition of about 50 unapproved structures in areas such as the frontage of the Metro Health Directorate office, behind the TMA administration block in Community One as well as the Meridian enclave, also in Community One.

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/community-of-untapped-potential.html

 

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Afia Schwarzenegger fined GH¢60K, signs bond of good behaviour

Date: Jan - 31 - 2023 

 

The Tema High Court has fined socialite, Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger an amount of GH¢60,000 (5,000 penalty units) in a contempt case pending before the court.

The court also fined the socialite GH¢5000 to be paid to Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi, as cost.

Afia Schwarzenegger was sentenced to 10 days in prison for contempt of court on December 1, 2022.

However, Afia Schwarzenegger was absent on the day of pronouncement.

She made an appearance on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 in the company of her lawyer, Adrian Duke Amaning who moved a motion on notice for a variation of the sentence.

Coming under Order 50 Rule 4(1) and Rule 5 of the High Court (Civil Procedures) Rules which deal with suspension of an order and discharge of a person committed, respectively, he prayed the court to suspend the sentence.

Order 50 Rule 4(1) states that the court, which makes an order of committal, may by an order direct that the execution of the order of committal shall be suspended for such period or on such other terms and conditions
as it may specify, while Rule 5 (1) states that the court may, on the application of any person committed to prison for contempt of court, discharge the person.

Mr Amaning further indicated that his client had shown remorse and had since published her apology to the court.

The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah at its sitting on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 granted the application of the convict and substituted the jail sentence to 5000 penalty units.

The court further ordered the her to sign a bond of good behaviour for 36 months. She was also ordered not to comment on the case on any platform during the pendency of the bond.

The court directed that any breach of the orders will warrant she being hauled back to the court.

The court said considering the fact that the applicant has apologised and shown remorse, she deserve a second chance.

Recall

It would be recalled that Chairman Wontumi had dragged Afia Schwarzenegger and other contemnors including United Television (UTV) to court after she and the other contemnors ran commentary on a case pending before the court during an entertainment show, United Showbiz, broadcast on UTV in July 2022.

Three other contemnors namely Felicity Ama Agyeman, aka Nana Ama Mcbrown, Kwame Asare Obeng, alias Kwame A-Plus and Emmanuel Barnes alias Mr Logic were fined GH¢60,000 each (5,000 penalty units), which they have since paid.

A fourth person, Fadda Dickson Narh, an Executive Producer of United Television (UTV), was pardoned by the court after the court held that he showed remorse before the case was brought to it by apologising on UTV.

 

https://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/showbiz-news/afia-schwarzenegger-fined-ghc-60k-signs-bond-of-good-behaviour.html

Murder of GPHA staff: 2 accused persons discharged and re-arrested

Date: Jan - 26 - 2023

The two accused persons in the murder case of Mrs Josephine Asante, a former Marketing and Public Affairs Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), have been discharged. They were discharged Thursday by the TDC District Court in Tema after four years of trial. However, Graphic Online's Benjamin Xornam Glover reports from Tema that they were re-arrested by the police. The two are Amos Apeku, personal driver of the deceased and Christian Adjei, a houseboy. They were arrested in connection with the death of the former Marketing and Public Affairs Manager of GPHA four years ago. However after years of court processes, the Attorney-General's Department advised that the two suspects be discharged after the case had gone cold. The A-G's advise was read in the court presided over by Benedicta Antwi on Thursday (Jan 26, 2023). But shortly after the court proceedings, the two were re-arrested by personnel from the Cold Case Unit under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service. Background Ms Asante died on January 13, 2019 at her residence at EMEFS Estates near Afienya in the Greater Accra Region. She was said to have been attacked in her bedroom after returning from a staff party. According to a police report, she was locked inside her room after the alleged murder incident. The body was discovered the following morning after occupants of the house found the keys to her bedroom on the compound. The assailant(s) did not take anything away. The two were arrested as part of police investigations, charged and arraigned at the TDC District Court. They were granted bail by the High Court in Accra. 

 

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

 

VIA: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/2-accused-persons-in-former-gpha-staff-murder-case-discharged.html