Ensuring sustainability: It’s time to review free SHS - Varsity don to govt(Daily Graphic, Tuesday, January 30, 2024. Page 13)

A former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. George Kwaku Toku Oduro, has urged the government to take immediate steps to review the free senior high school (SHS) policy through stakeholder engagement.

He said the “very commendable” free SHS policy must be evaluated through stakeholder dialogue to ensure sustainability.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic last Saturday on the sidelines of the 40th anniversary celebration of Creator Schools in Tema, he said he found it strange that calls on the Ministry of Education to review the current mode of implementing the free SHS policy to ensure quality and equity-indexed education had become a political issue, with “review unfathomably” interpreted as a cancellation.

“I must, of course, concede that isolating basic education for quality without ensuring quality at the SHS level undermines the benefits associated with secondary education,” he said.

Prof. Oduro, a Professor in Educational Leadership at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration of the UCC, indicated that in every human and organisational endeavour, there was the need for evaluation and review so that one could identify what was going on well, and strengthen that which was not going on well.

“There is no dictionary I have accessed which has defined review to mean cancellation. Review simply means evaluating processes or assessment of something with the intention of instituting change, if necessary,” he said and urged the Ministry of Education to think critically about the call for stakeholder engagement to look at the free SHS in order to put in strategies that would make the policy more beneficial to those who needed it.
 

Perspectives

“Unless as a nation, we put in place measures to bridge the gap between the disadvantaged and the advantaged, the rural and urban, we will not be improving, and our educational system will continue to suffer.

Let us put away politics and look at education from an education perspective,” he said.

Prof. Oduro said inadequate funding to support the policy resulting in delayed releases of funds and the lack of curriculum, among others, were some of the challenges facing the implementation of the policy.

“When you initiate anything, funding becomes critical, and at the early stages of the free SHS implementation, I called on the government not to hasten in the implementation of the policy, but rather define what the free actually means, who and who should benefit from that policy.

Now, funding free SHS has become very challenging and parents are now suffering,” he said.

He added that teachers were also suffering because they did not have time to rest and recharge their creative energies, rethink and modify their teaching methodologies, stressing that the current workload on them meant that they only prioritised teaching students how to pass their examinations instead of offering the students holistic training.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-ensuring-sustainability-its-time-to-review-free-shs-varsity-don-to-govt.html

 

 

President commissions $2bn Sentuo Oil Refinery in Tema (Daily Graphic, Monday, January 29, 2024 Page 16)

 

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned a $2billion oil refinery, Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited, at the Tema industrial hub.

Situated on a 100-acre land, the project, which is under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) policy, can refine five million barrels of oil per annum.

It will produce high-quality finished gasoline (petrol), aviation kerosene, diesel, asphalt and lubricating base oil, and also create about 1,000 job opportunities.

Other products are solvent oil, polypropylene, liquefied petroleum gas, ammonium sulfide, sulfuric acid, sulphur and other by-products.

The first phase of the project, which commenced in 2022, will pump out 40,000 barriers of refined products per day and ramp up to 100,000 barrels daily upon completion of the second phase next year.

The commissioning of the biggest oil refinery in the country attracted people from far and near, including the President of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali; the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, ministers of state, Members of Parliament (MPs), chiefs, captains of industry and chief executives of regulatory bodies.

Significance

President Akufo-Addo said the project was a symbol of the determination of the country to shape its destiny, strengthen the economy, reduce its dependence on foreign oil and inspire investment in its economy.

He said it was also a step towards securing the country’s future and a demonstration of cooperation between the private and public sectors that had enabled investment to flourish.

“No longer will we be solely reliant on external sources for fuel. Instead, we will harness our natural resources to fuel our progress.

Aerial view of the Sentuo Oil Plant in Tema

It will not only provide a stable supply of petroleum products, but will also create jobs and empower local communities to contribute to our industrialisation drive,” the President said.

Currently, Ghana imports 97 per cent of its petroleum products requirement, resulting in heavy reliance on external resources, thus posing economic challenges and a drain on the country’s foreign currency reserve.

President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the efforts of the Chinese promoter, Xu Ning Quan, whose collective efforts with other partners for the past 15 years had culminated in strengthening the industrialisation agenda of the government.

He said that had led to the setting up of the refinery, including the Fujian Sentuo Ceramic Company Limited, a ceramic tile production company located in Kpone in the Greater Accra Region.

“These are good examples of the excellent relations that Ghana enjoys with China,” the President said.

On Team Oil Refinery (TOR) and its challenges, he said, the government remained committed to ensuring the full operationalisation of the refinery to make sure more oil was refined locally.

Commendation

The Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said Sentuo was performing well and that its positive impact would soon be seen in the country.

“Today, we are witnessing the transition from the construction phase to an operational 40,000 barrels per day refinery to support the local economy. 

“I believe for this, the management team at Sentuo deserves commendation for the investments made in this country,” he added.

Dr Prempeh commended the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for its supervisory role in the establishment of the refinery.

Appreciation

The Executive Chairman of the Sentuo Group of Companies, Xu Ning Quan, expressed appreciation to the government for establishing a sound business environment that had allowed their investment to take off and flourish.

He described China as his mother and Ghana as his wife, and said in the last few years the Sentuo Group had established four factories that included tile manufacturing, and chain stores.

via :  https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-president-commissions-2bn-sentuo-oil-refinery-in-tema.html

Workers demand Tier 2 pensions fund( Daily Graphic, Saturday, January 27, 2024. Page 21)

It has emerged that the mandatory five per cent Tier Two monthly deductions of public service workers has not been lodged with the relevant trustee over the last 10 months.

The employers are in both the private or public sectors. Per the National Pensions Act, employers are required to remit five per cent out of the 18.5 per cent mandatory pension contribution to a private Corporate Trustee on behalf of employees. Contributions are based on monthly pay and are deducted from gross pay before tax.

The affected workers have said the delay on the part of the government to transfer the deductions is hampering the smooth operation of the second Tier Occupational Pension Schemes in the public sector which has put the pensions of workers in danger.

The workers are, therefore, calling on the government to comply with the statutory obligation by paying the money into the accounts of the respective fund managers to be invested for and on behalf of workers.

President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, who disclosed this in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the Health Sector Occupational Pensions Scheme (HSOPS) mobile application at Senshi last Wednesday, described the situation as really difficult.

“So far as the money has not been paid, the fund managers cannot also invest it for the benefit of the contributor; hence, it is a really difficult situation that puts the contributor at a disadvantage,” she said.

Complaints 

Mrs Ofori-Ampofo, who is also the Member Secretary of the HSOPS, said despite numerous complaints filed at the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA), the regulator of pensions, about the delay in the payment of the deductions, the  principal and the three per cent surcharge, as stipulated by the law, had not been paid.

Mrs Ofori-Ampofo refuted assertions that leaders of workers were laid back in their demands on the employer to do the right thing, stressing that as leaders, they had not reneged on their fiduciary responsibility to see to it that the money, having been deducted from workers salaries, was paid to the respective fund managers for investment purposes so that the contributor could benefit at the end of the day.

She said having filed several complaints with the NPRA, they expressed the hope that the regulator would act to ensure that the right things were done but, unfortunately, that had not been the case, stressing that the continuous delay in the transfer of the funds to the various schemes for the past 10 months was adversely going to affect  the level of lump sum or gratuity a retired officer was likely to receive in the second Tier .

The Member Secretary of HSOPS thus called on the employer to remedy the situation as early as practicable so the right investment could be made on behalf of the contributors.

Options

On what options were available to workers to force the government to fulfil its mandate, Mrs Ofori-Ampofo said the options available to workers at the moment was for them to continue to engage the employer and the regulator to ensure the arrears were paid.The other option, she said, would be for the contributors to rise up and demand their money. “We don't want to get there because it brings about labour unrest and chaos and all those things but to what extent can we hold back?” She queried.

 via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/ghana-news-workers-demand-tier-2-pensions-fund.html

Mobile App for Health Sector Occupational Pension Scheme ( Daily Graphic, Friday, January 26, 2024 Page 26)

 

The Health Sector Occupational Pensions Scheme (HSOPS) has introduced a new mobile application that allows subscribers to track their second tier contributions.

Known as the HSOPS App, it will enable contributors to monitor their contributions and management from the comfort of their homes, instead of visiting the offices of the fund managers.

The app has been designed to provide members with first-hand information on pensions and allows members to track their second tier contributions.

Embedded with member authentication features, the HSOPS App — which will operate on both android and iOS smartphones — will empower subscribers to make basic enquiries for support, ensuring an efficient channel of seeking assistance.

Personalised portal

At the launch of the app at Senchi, near Akosombo, in the Eastern Region last Wednesday, the Chairman of the HSOPS Board of Trustees, Dr Derek Amoateng, described the HSOPS App as a personalised portal that would ensure a seamless membership management and instant access to subscribers’ pension account.

“It is a personalised portal and members could download their statement and delve into detailed records at their convenience,” he stressed.

He was optimistic that the new mobile app would help leadership reach out to all the 227,000 contributors within Ghana and engage with them on the management of their contributions. 

Strides

Dr Amoateng said the scheme, made up primarily of health sector workers in the public sector, had made significant strides since it started operations in 2012.

He said the scheme had done this through the retirement income benefit for subscribers through structures that would engage and bring together all health sector workers so they could retire comfortably.

Also, HSOPS launched a website five years ago as part of its efforts to provide members of the scheme with concrete information and give them access to track their pension contributions.

However, with a significant increase in access to mobile devices, the Board of Trustees introduced the mobile app to save contributors time and money to access information on their contributions and to track their funds.

The Secretary of the HSOPS Board of Trustees, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, said the main objective of the scheme was to provide employees with a means of income replacement on retirement and guarantee their dependents income support in the event of death while in service.

Trailblazer

The Managing Director of Enterprise Trustees Limited, Joseph Ampofo, described the HSOPS as a trailblazer among the Public Sector Schemes and commended them for the pioneering role they played in securing the future of their members.

He said for a scheme that was worth almost GH¢ 4 billion, it was their firm view that such innovations would not only enable members to track their contributions via the mobile phone, but also push the scheme further to higher heights to bring relief and comfort to contributors in their retirement.

Functionality

At the launch of the scheme, the Akwamu Kronti Adontinhene and Akosombohene, Nana Ansa Prem IV, who was Guest of Honour at the occasion, applauded the Board of Trustees of the HSOPS for their initiative in providing members with first-hand information on pensions and also giving access to members to track their second tier contributions.  

He expressed the hope that managers of the scheme would expand on the innovation by building an offline functionality into HSOPS mobile app to ensure that the system remained accessible and useful, regardless of internet connectivity in remote communities with health workers who were members of the scheme. 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-mobile-app-for-health-sector-occupational-pension-scheme.html

TAGG Supports 21 brilliant, needy students (Junior Graphic, Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 4)

 

Go into entrepreneurship - Dr Agyekum Addo urges graduates (Daily Graphic, Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Page 27)

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mikaddo Holdings, Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, has challenged graduates of tertiary institutions in the country to pursue entrepreneurship rather than rely solely on the pursuit of white-collar jobs.

He made the call at the 14th Congregation of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology in Tema.

A total of 265 students graduated in various courses in 'Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Strategic Management, Master of Science (MSc) Strategic Management, and Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Business Administration in Marketing, Human Resource Management, Accounting and Finance.

Some completed courses in BSc Information Communication Technology, BSc Computer Science and Information Systems, while others received certificates from the International Advance Diploma in Transport and Logistics for the 2022-2023 academic year.
 

Awards

Deborah Mawume-Ablordey, a graduate of Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing), won the Overall Best Graduate in the undergraduates’ category, while Henrietta Quaye emerged tops in the Master’s category.

Other award winners were Joshua Ngmertey, (Best Male Student); Titus Owusu Afriyie, (Best Student – Accounting); Frederica Birikorang, (Best Student - Human Resource Management); Henrietta Quaye and Bright Kwesi Gbadago, (Best Students, MPHIL Strategic Management); Belinda Okyere-Darko (Best Student - MSC Accounting and Finance) and Asamoah Yaw David, (Best Student, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport  Programme).

Entrepreneurship

Speaking on the theme: “Positioning tertiary institutions in emerging economies for entrepreneurship and wealth creation”, Dr Addo said in this era of globalisation and technological revolution, tertiary institutions had been tasked with nurturing not only skilled professionals but also dynamic and innovative managers and entrepreneurs.

He pointed out that entrepreneurship was the key to unlocking the doors of prosperity and personal fulfilment and charged the graduates to pay attention to the needs of society and find creative means to address those needs.

Dr Addo said Ghana, known for its rich culture, vibrant people and growing economy, offered a plethora of entrepreneurship opportunities across various sectors and urged the graduates to explore such opportunities for new ideas and businesses.

He indicated that the country’s agrarian economy presented vast opportunities for agribusiness entrepreneurs, adding that with fertile lands and diverse climate, there was potential for growth in crop cultivation, livestock farming and agro-processing.

Other opportunities, he said, existed in the area of technology and innovation sectors of the economy, stressing that the country had a wealth of opportunities for tech-savvy entrepreneurs and urged the­- graduates to explore that sector.

Dr Addo further indicated that sectors such as tourism and hospitality, renewable energy and green initiatives, health care and wellness, and the creative sector offered ample opportunities for the young people and tasked the graduands to use the knowledge gained in the classroom as a key to unlocking the doors of prosperity and personal fulfilment.

Challenges

The President of DLIBT, Professor Stanley Saamoah Moffatt, said the institute, like all other private universities, was faced with serious challenges ranging from inadequate funding, inadequate infrastructure, inability to recruit and retain highly experienced faculty and staff, tortuous process of affiliation and accreditation, inadequate research output, and logistical support, and low student enrolment.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/ghana-news-go-into-entrepreneurship-dr-agyekum-addo-urges-graduates.html

Presby Hope Congregation dedicates Children’s block (Daily Graphic, Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Page 23)

The Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Hope Congregation, Sakumono Estates, has dedicated its children's block and re-named it after the late Reverend Dr Erasmus Nii Bonne Odonkor, a former Minister in Charge of the congregation and past General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana.

The service, which took place last Sunday, was officiated by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye and supported by the Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rev. Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor and other principal officers of the church.

Dedicating the four-storey block for children and teens, Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye stressed the need for congregations of the PCG to create an enabling environment where children were guided to pursue friendship with God.

While commending the Hope Congregation for the initiative, he urged other congregations of the church to pay attention to the growth of children and holistically groom them in the right atmosphere so they could use their God-given gifts for the collective benefit of the church, their society and the world.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana described the late Rev. Dr Odonkor as one of the many blessings of God brought into the life of the PCG and commended the Hope Congregation for naming a building after him.

He said as the church prepared itself for its 200th anniversary, it was his prayer that all congregation would follow the example of the Hope Congregation, Sakumono Estates in immortalising the ministries and lives of persons who have been a blessing to the church.

Profile

The Senior Presbyter of the Hope Congregation of the PCG, Vivian Danso-Dodoo said the late Rev. Dr Odonkor’s relationship with the Hope Congregation, Sakumono Estates began in September 1994 when he was posted to the congregation as a Minister in Charge and was on record as the longest serving minister, having served a total of 12 years.

She said the late Rev. Dr Odonkor, who later in life was appointed the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana from 2010 to 2019, was a gallant soldier of Jesus Christ whose commitment and zeal knew no bounds, adding that he contributed meritoriously to the growth of the Presbyterian Church at Sakumono Estates and was instrumental in making the congregation a force to reckon with in the PCG.

She said from a congregation that was meeting in a primary school in the Sakumono Estates, the late Rev. Dr Odonkor led the then session to complete a modern church auditorium and a Manse.

 She said he also set up the main administrate structures of the congregation and also pushed for the acquisition of a minibus for the congregation.

Appreciation

The Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rev. Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, who is also a brother of the late Rev Dr Odonkor, as well as the wife of the deceased minister, Beatrice Odonkor, on behalf of the family, expressed appreciation to the General Assembly of the  PCG, the Moderator, the Sakumono District Minister, Rev. Daniel Amoako Nyarko and the Session for the honour done the family by immortalising the memory of their son and husband.

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-presby-hope-congregation-dedicates-childrens-block.html

Domestic fires top fire incidents across Tema Region in 2023(Daily Graphic, Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Page 44)

New Ningo gets modern community library (Daily Graphic, Friday, January 19, 2024. Page 28)

A new community library has been inaugurated for the New Ningo community in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region to help promote the culture of reading among pupils and students. The 100-seating capacity project, which was executed by the Maya Abou-Jaoude Memorial Library Project, with support from FC Group in the United Kingdom and other partners, comprises furniture, bookshelves, a librarian’s office and a washroom.

It is stocked with reading materials and an Information Technology (IT) hub to enable users of the facility to have hands-on experience in IT skills and to broaden their knowledge in a fast-evolving digital world. 

Monument

The Team Lead at the Maya Abou-Jaoude Memorial Library Project, who doubles as the Founder, Ghana Twins Foundation (GTF), Zeena Abou-Jaoude, explained that the project was built in memory of her late twin sister, Maya Abou-Jaoude, who spent her life nurturing a love for learning and reading to children.

Speaking at the handover ceremony of the facility, Ms Abou-Jaoude said the facility would promote reading among children and help them to understand themselves and the society they lived in while cultivating essential literacy skills for academic success.

Ms Abou-Jaoude emphasised the importance of reading as one of the most effective ways to acquire quality education, adding that reading exposes children to a wealth of knowledge found in books and other reading materials.

She said children required constant exposure to books to develop and maintain an interest in reading as well as knowledge, which played a critical role in shaping their academic performance, hence it was crucial to instil in them the habit of reading and make reading and learning materials readily available to students in underprivileged communities.

She acknowledged the role played by the Traditional Council of Ningo, as well as partners including FC Group, DUCO, Renee's Classic Designs, CP Drilling Supplies and Minirex Ghana, in supporting the vision.

Support

The Managing Director of FC Group, Fenton Curley, said the Library project was their commitment to making a positive impact in communities wherein they found great potential.

He said the project, which was birthed in 2018, initially seemed a huge challenge.

However, with diligence, determination and support from donors across the globe, that vision had become a reality.

Mr Curley said libraries were more than just buildings filled with books, stressing that they were places where people could come together to learn, grow and connect, and expressed the hope that people of all ages and backgrounds would come together to explore new ideas, discover new passions and make new friends. 

Appreciation

Nene Teye Djangmah IV expressed appreciation to the GTF for providing the town with its maiden library facility.

The Resident Minister in Charge of the Methodist Church Ghana, Rev. Immanuel Nana Hammond, appealed to the traditional authority in New Ningo to appoint a reading ambassador for the community.He was optimistic that the new library would provide an appropriate environment for pupils and students to spend more of their time there, instead of idling and engaging in social vices.

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/ghana-news-new-ningo-gets-modern-community-library.html

Liberty Hills International School holds reading festival (Junior Graphic, January 17, 2024 Page 8/9)

 

PNC announces timelines for internal elections… Awingobit to contest presidential primary (Daily Graphic, Friday, January 12, 2024 Page 19)

The People’s National Convention (PNC) has announced timelines for its internal elections with its regional and national executive polls scheduled for January 15 to 31 and March 2, 2024, respectively.

This will be followed by the presidential primary on March 24, 2024 to elect a flag bearer for the party for the December 7, national election.

The party has also fixed the filing fees for the presidential aspirants at GH¢100, 000 while those going for the positions of National Chairperson, National Vice Chairperson and General Secretary are to pay GH¢35, 000 and GH¢25, 000 respectively.

Those going for national organiser position will pay GH¢15, 000 while for the national women’s organiser, national treasurer, and national youth organiser position are to pay GH¢10, 000 as filing fees and their deputies GH¢5, 000.

For the regional elections, chairperson, vice chairperson and regional secretary aspirants are to pay GH¢3,000 and GH¢2,000 respectively as filing fees while those going for the regional organiser, youth, women and treasurer positions are to pay GH¢1,500 and their deputies GH¢500.

Women contestants

A statement issued and signed by the General Secretary of the PNC, Janet Asana Nabla to announce the timelines for the elections said women contestants in all positions are only required to pay half of the specified amount for their respective positions.

It said nomination forms could also be purchased at the cost of GH¢200 for the regional elections, GH¢500 for the national elections, and GH¢2, 000 for the presidential election. 

Awingobit

Meanwhile a stalwart of the party, Sampson Asaaki Awingobit, has declared his intention to contest the upcoming presidential primary of the party.

Mr Awingobit would be attempting the flag bearer slot for the second time, having contested in 2020 and placed second to David Apasera. He polled 789 votes as against 1,315 votes garnered by Mr Apasera.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Tema, Mr Awingobit, who is also the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, said he was better placed to lead the PNC in moving Ghana beyond the duopoly of the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NPP).

Late start

The PNC flag bearer hopeful, while commending the leadership of the party for publishing the roadmap, said the processes should have started earlier to offer the prospective aspirants adequate time to prepare for the 2024 general election.

Mr Awingobit argued that an early roadmap would have allowed aspirants time to campaign ahead of the date for the primary to offer them enough time to engage with delegates.

That notwithstanding, he said, it was an improvement of the 2020 processes where elections were held less than three months to the general election.

On the filing fees, Mr Awingobit said it was too high and called for a review, saying he and other aspirants, who would emerge for the race, would engage the party leadership to consider a review of the fees at all levels of the contest.

While admitting that the party would need a lot of resources to strategise and execute its campaign, the party must also make room for loyal, committed and competent members to contest for positions in the party.

He said in 2020, the filing fee for presidential aspirants was pegged at GH¢30,000 but at the end of the day, they paid GH¢20,000 and it was as a result of the candidates who came together to appeal for it to be reduced.

via https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/ghana-news-pnc-announces-timelines-for-internal-elections-awingobit-to-contest-presidential-primary.html

 

 

Review of major events in Tema, neighbouring communities in 2023(Daily Graphic, Friday, January 12, 2024 Page 23)

 

 The Tema Metropolis and its neighbouring Municipalities and Districts witnessed a beehive of activities as part of its contribution to national growth and development.

In November last year, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated a fleet of new gantry cranes and also cut the sod for the commencement of phase two of the Tema Port Expansion Project

The inauguration of the 15 additional gantry cranes and the commencement of civil works under phase two of the Tema Port Expansion Project, operated by Meridian Port Services Ltd (MPS), will add 270,000 square metres to the existing one million square metres and set in motion a transformation that will fundamentally alter Ghana's standing in the maritime industry in West Africa.

The Metropolis had the opportunity to host the Greater Accra Regional Independence Day parade to the admiration of all while the Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly also hosted the Greater Accra Regional event of the 39th edition of Farmers' Day celebration.
 

Crimes

Neighbouring Ashaiman Municipality had its share of gruesome crimes, distasteful for its residents. On Saturday, March 4, 2023, a 21-year-old soldier, Sherif Imoro, was allegedly killed at dawn.

Later on March 7, 2023, some soldiers invaded Ashaiman and in order to find perpetrators of the said murder, took over the streets of Ashaiman, brutalised some residents and arrested 184 suspects who were later released.

In a statement issued later, Ghana Armed Forces explained that the operation was sanctioned by the Military High Command.

The death of the soldier and the brutality by the military residents of Ashaiman were roundly condemned by the Ashaiman Traditional Council, former and sitting members of Parliament for Ashaiman, as well as political parties in Ashaiman.

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior, led by its Chairman, Kennedy Agyapong, and the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, visited the community to interact and assuage the pains of the residents.

In February, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, ordered the immediate towing of all abandoned cars around the Tema end of the motorway, which served as a risk to drivers.

Later in September 2023, the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) initiated a GH¢1million project to partially decommission the tollbooth structures on the Accra-Tema motorway.

Earlier in August, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, bemoaned the constant presence of articulated trucks parked indiscriminately at sections of the Tema Harbour to Akosombo Highway.

He said the presence of the loaded articulated trucks, with cargo beyond the acceptable weight levels along the shoulders of the highway between Tema Harbour Roundabout and the newly constructed Tema Motorway Interchange, destroyed the road.
 

Boat accident 

In September, fisher folk at Ada in the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region woke up to the news of an accident involving two fishing canoes which had capsised after the canoes were hit by strong waves near the estuary at Azizanya. Out of the 19 fishermen who were involved in the boat accident at the Ada estuary, 17 were found, with 15 alive and two dead.

Two others remain missing.

In July, two fishermen from Tema died at sea at dawn, sparking a furore between fishers and port authorities over what caused their deaths. 

The fishers, mostly from Tema Manhean (Newtown), claimed the two were part of 12 members who were on a ritual Homowo fishing expedition when a patrol boat from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) rammed into their canoe at the Tema Port anchorage, causing it to capsise.

But the GPHA denied that assertion, saying no such incident happened at sea.
 

Industrial Action

In June, Petroleum Tanker Drivers under the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers and Petroleum Gas Drivers Union declared a sit-down strike over the deplorable condition of the Tema Oil Refinery to Kpone Road in the Greater Accra Region.

The members of the union, who load their products from petroleum enclaves in Takoradi, Kumasi and Buipe, withdrew their services until the deplorable roads leading to those depots were rehabilitated.

Following the action, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, and his counterpart from the Ministry of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, intervened by ensuring that the contractor working on the road returned to the site to fix all potholes on the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to Kpone Road to make it motorable, a situation that led to the suspension of the strike action.
 

Agriculture

In July, the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Project (GIRSAL) commenced the export of chilli pepper to the European Union (EU) Market.

The Bird's Eye chilli variety which was cultivated at Dawhenya in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region and harvested under a pilot project rolled out to grow and export chilli pepper using shade net house technology, met the phytosanitary requirements of the EU market.
 

Flooding 

In November, some residents in the Lalluekpo Electoral Area near Dawhenya in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region were displaced after a stream overflowed its banks and inundated their community.

Most of the residents who reside in the lowland areas of the community woke up to the sight of water on their premises.

The stream, which flows from the mountains upstream and feeds the Dawhenya Irrigation Dam, was said to have overflowed its banks in the early hours and caused severe flooding.

Politics

The Tema High Court, in November, dismissed an application brought against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and her two deputies for contempt of court over the limited voter registration exercise.  

The applicant, Precious Ayitah, had prayed the High Court to commit Mrs Mensa, Dr Eric Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey for contempt of court for going ahead with the limited registration exercise in the district offices of the EC despite an injunction application she filed that sought to put the exercise on hold.
 

Entertainment 

In the Showbiz sector, the Tema High Court, in January, imposed a fine of GH¢60,000 on socialite Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger, in a contempt case pending before the court in January.

The court also ordered her to pay GH¢5,000 to be given to Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi, as cost.

Award-winning Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie also staged his second “This is Tema Festival” in December, where he delivered back-to-back performances at a free concert held at the Chemu Park in Community Seven, Tema.

Via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-review-of-major-events-in-tema-neighbouring-communities-in-2023.html

GWCL water meter thief jailed 15 months(Graphic Online, Friday, January 5, 2024)

 A 33-year-old man who stole a water meter belonging to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has been convicted and sentenced to 15 months in jail.

Richard Afful, was found guilty by a magistrate court in Tema.

He was charged with stealing and on January 4, 2024 was found guilty.

He stole the water meter at Community 11 in Tema.

The convict was arrested on December 24, 2023 by the police in Community 11 for stealing the water meter and after investigations was  arraigned on January 4, 2024 at the TDC Magistrate Court presided over by Benedicta Antwi. 

Afful pleaded guilty to two counts preferred against him and was accordingly convicted.

The convict was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on count one and three months imprisonment on the second count. He was also fined an amount of GHc10,000.He will spend an additional four months in prison in default.

All the sentences are to run concurrently.

 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/gwcl-water-meter-thief-jailed-15-months.html