Tema Oil Refinery will be revived - Energy Minister assures (Daily Graphic, Saturday, July 27, 2024 Page 27 )

 

The Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, Herbert Krapa, has given an assurance that the government will guide and support the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to conclude the process of securing a strategic partner within the next 90 days. 

He indicated that while the process progressed, there was the need for immediate interventions to prepare the refinery and these included operationalising some of the departments such as the laboratory.

He emphasised that the government’s prime objective had been the determination to provide TOR with “capital, technology and efficiency”. 

Mr Krapa made this known during a working visit to the TOR, his first to a sector agency since he assumed office.

Briefing

During the briefing, the Managing Director of TOR, Kofi Tagoe Mocumbi, assured the minister that TOR had commenced the process of selecting a strategic partner to help revamp it and also expand its operations. He also gave the 90-day deadline.

He was accompanied by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Wilhelmina Asamoah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officers of the National Petroleum Authority, Ghana, Perry Curtis Kwabla Okudzeto and Linda Asante, and the various Directors and Heads of Department from the Ministry. 

Mr Krapa who held meetings with management and staff emphasised the government's commitment towards ensuring the viability of TOR. 

Capacity

The TOR has a refinery capacity of 45,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) and remains a major refinery of crude oil in Ghana. However, presently, the facility serves as a depot and storage facility for oil marketing companies which import finished petroleum products into the country.

Addressing journalists after the tour, Mr Krapa gave the assurance that the government would work with management to find a strategic investor to revive the company. 

“I am looking forward to engaging management on what their plans are. I am quite intimately familiar with the issues that TOR has.

I believe that finding a strategic partner is really the objective on the horizon but while we wait for that, there should be some immediate interventions to prepare us towards that,” he said. 

Mr Krapa was of the strong conviction that finding a strategic partner was the objective on the horizon and expressed the hope that all the stakeholders, especially the board, management and the union would form a united front to save time and make progress in revamping TOR.

Urgent attention

The minister further stated that TOR required urgent attention and that securing a strategic investor should be an event but prior to that the work that must be done should be executed to culminate in the smooth entry of the investor.

These works, he explained, included the terminal, pipelines, laboratories, storage, which should be made to work efficiently and fully to create revenue which he described as low-hanging fruits for the refinery.

Giant step

The Managing Director of TOR, Kofi Tagoe Mocumbi, told the minister that management had taken a giant step in the revival process of the facility and was optimistic that the company would start full operation with its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) within three months. 

Support

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Perry Okudzeto, said as a regulator, they were ready to provide the necessary support, guidance and regulations to make sure TOR got back on its feet to fast-track the transformation of the vital state asset. 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/tema-oil-refinery-will-be-revived-energy-minister-assures.html

First Sky Group supports Assemblies of God Legacy Temple projects (Daily Graphic, Thursday, July 25, 2024 Page 48 )

 

First Sky Group, (FSG), a Ghanaian group of companies with an interest in construction, hospitality, insurance, commodities and banking, has supported the Assemblies of God (AG) Church, Ghana, with the construction of 50 church auditoriums in rural communities of the Greater Accra Region. 

The 50 church buildings to be constructed in selected rural communities of the Greater Accra Region would have a seating capacity ranging from 200 to 450 and would include offices and a children’s chapel. The company is also putting up 50 two-bedroom self-contained places of residence for pastors who would be posted to these rural communities.

Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the project at New Ningo in the Ningo Prampram District on Monday, the Executive Chairman of First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, explained that decision was motivated by the covenant established between the company and God to invest in advancing the Kingdom of God through the activities of the church.

Mr Kutortse also stressed that the gesture was also consistent with the company’s policy to commit 30 per cent of its profit after tax to building churches and taking care of the less privileged in the country, adding that over the past eight years, the company had constructed 72 church buildings across the country and also donated GH¢ 34 million to the Renal Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to bring relief to humanity.

He said as part of the contribution to assist the church’s growth, the company decided to build 50 church auditoriums and 50 mission houses in rural communities of the Greater Accra Region to help the growth of missions of the Assemblies of God, adding that the project would be completed by the end of the year.

This year, God has spoken to us to construct 50 churches for the Greater Accra Region of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, and this was confirmed by Rev. Andrews N. Awintia, the Greater Accra East Regional Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana when he visited my office. “So, we knew that this is coming from the Lord,” he said. 

Appreciation

The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church Ghana, Rev. Dr Stephen Wengam, commended the directors, management, and staff of FSG for assisting the church’s growth emphasising that the gesture fell in line with the Legacy Temple project, a transformation agenda initiated by the Assemblies of God, Ghana.

An artistic impression of the church auditorium.

The initiative, he explained, was aimed at championing the construction of church buildings in rural communities.

Rev. Wengam said 60 per cent of Assemblies of God churches in Ghana were in rural areas and not blessed with decent places of worship, hence his vision to encourage members of the church to build temples in rural areas.

He encouraged individuals, groups of persons, and agencies within the church to put up the buildings in places of their choice adding that church members, who took the initiative to build temples for churches, would be honoured at the general council meeting.  “They shall receive special awards, and have their names immortalised on the walls of the church buildings”.

He urged the members of the church to be involved in all church activities and also take care of the leaders by praying for them and seeking their welfare to promote God’s work.

 

Rev. Andrews N. Awintia, the Greater Accra East Regional Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, said the projects when completed would reduce the number of local churches that worshipped in classrooms and under trees in the rural communities and help the growth of missions of the Assemblies of God.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-first-sky-group-supports-assemblies-of-god-legacy-temple-projects.html

Ashaiman Nii Adjor Market project nears completion (Daily Graphic, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Page 23)

Construction works on the Nii Adjor Market expansion project at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region are near completion.

Under the first phase of the project, 828 stores and other ancillary facilities out of a total of 918 stores have been completed. Work on the second phase, which includes a transport terminal, with the capacity to hold 100 vehicles, is about to commence.

The project, which is an initiative of the assembly, is being constructed by private partners, Nat Uprising Company Limited and Akyemfour and Sons Constructions, and forms part of the assembly’s programme intended to regenerate the old Ashaiman Kufuor Station, also known as Nii Adjor Market, into a modern market complex to provide a serene environment for business activities.

The project, according to the contractor, included banking halls, conference rooms, a transport terminal, a public place of convenience, a crèche, police and fire service posts, restaurants and warehouses.

Speaking to journalists after a tour of the facility, last Friday, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ashaiman, Albert Boakye Okyere, said the newly constructed stores would enable traders and residents of Ashaiman and beyond to undertake their day-to-day economic trading activities, to improve their lives, as well as increase revenue generation efforts of the assembly.

He said the visit to the project site was to ascertain the progress of work made so far, to ensure that the project was executed and handed over for use before the end of the year.

He said the assembly would ensure that the market stores were distributed to traders who would take proper care of the facility, stressing that the right measures would be put in place to ensure a good maintenance culture.

Management

The MCE said the assembly intended to partner private management with expertise in property management to run the market facility on its behalf to ensure the facility was managed in a manner that not only generated the needed revenue but also ensured its sustainability.

A view of the market

The contractor of the project, Nathaniel Amankwah Cudjoe, stated that the project would be completed and handed over by the end of the year.

The Business Development Director of Nat Uprising Company Limited, Nana Boakye Acheampong, said the initial plan was to construct 1,150 stores, but as the project progressed, the design was reconfigured to allow for a bigger lorry terminal to service the new market complex.

He commended the Ashaiman Traditional Council, particularly the Chief of Ashaiman, Nii Anang Adjor, and the Queenmother of Ashaiman, Naa Akweley Amui, for their commitment towards the successful execution of the project.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-ashaiman-nii-adjor-market-project-nears-completion.html

Residents of Community 25, Prampram, others protest over bad road (Daily Graphic, Monday, July 15, 2024 Page 23)

Residents of Community 25, Prampram, Dawhenya, Devtraco and neighbouring communities in the Greater Accra Region, have embarked on a demonstration to draw home the deplorable state of their roads. 

The residents said the poor state of the road stretching from the Kpone Barrier towards Prampram had become a major challenge for motorists and residents, especially now that the rainy season has begun.

The concerned residents took to the streets last Friday, to protest against the bad roads in the community.

Clad in red T-shirts, the residents massed up at the Kpone Barrier as early as 6 a.m. to begin the protest holding placards with inscriptions such as: “We are also Ghanaians, #FixTheRoads”, “Kpone Dawhenya Road also matters”, “Roads are a right, not a privilege”, “We pay property rate and taxes, fix our road”, “We are citizens, not spectators”, among others.

The protesters marched from the Kpone Barrier towards Dawhenya which has developed deep potholes which have been left to expand after reconstruction works were started in 2022 as part of the dualisation of the Tema-Aflao road that has stalled.

The road project forms part of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor connecting five West African countries; Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.  

The residents in a petition addressed to the Ministry of Roads and Highways said although the road was a critical artery for businesses and essential services in the nation’s economy and the West African sub-region, it had been abandoned and that had resulted in unbearable traffic congestion.

“Ghana is home to the head office of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and yet, one of the major facilitating platforms, that is this very road, is almost akin to an unpaved road to hell. How do businesses within the region derive the expected benefit from the policy objective?” the residents queried.

Accidents  

They said the poor state of the road was endangering the lives of commuters, especially schoolchildren and workers, and had also resulted in the closure of shops and businesses along the stretch due to the immense gridlock experienced by commuters daily.

Policemen were dispatched in their numbers to oversee the march

The residents further indicated that the frequent accidents recorded on the stretch, including trucks turning over in the temporary roundabouts, among other dangers, had led to the loss of lives.

The residents urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, recall the contractor to complete the road project, provide a timeline for the completion of the road rehabilitation and ensure the safety of commuters and residents.

“In the interim, we demand the immediate grading or asphalting of all inner rounds in our communities, to ease the horrendous traffic situation. The presence of these inner roads, despite their deplorable nature, continues to ease the burden off the main roads.

It is only appropriate that they are upgraded to improve movement, as well as ease the stress on our vehicle parts.

“We appeal to your sense of urgency and responsibility to address this critical issue. The lives and livelihoods of thousands depend on it. And we cannot wait any longer,” the residents said.  

via:   https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-residents-of-community-25-prampram-others-protest-over-bad-road.html

 

TMA constructs waste treatment plant in Bankuman (Daily Graphic, Tuesday, July 9, 2024 Page 23)

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has constructed a wastewater treatment plant to solve the perennial faecal waste disposal problems in Bankuman and surrounding communities.

The 3,000 cubic metres capacity wastewater treatment plant also has the ability to turn the dried sludge into compost for agricultural use.

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Yohane Amarh Ashitey, who disclosed this at the first ordinary meeting of the first session of the ninth Assembly of the TMA, said the facility was designed to treat sewage discharged from the eastern basin of the Tema Metropolis which covers parts of Communities Four and Seven, to acceptable Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) effluent levels, before discharging into the ocean.

The plant

Mr Ashitey said the facility consisted of a grit chamber, detention pond, an innovative trickling filter technology, a secondary detention tank and a sludge drying bed, adding that it was envisaged that the dried sludge would be converted into compost to be used by farmers in the near future.

He said the assembly, with support from its partners, had digitised the sewer network map in the Tema Metropolis, emphasising that through that, the sewerage network had been mapped into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for use by the Waste Management Department of the assembly and residents at large.

This, the MCE explained, had improved operation and maintenance and also ensured easy identification and location of sewer lines and inspection chambers to allow free flow of sewage.

Mr Ashitey said since assuming office, the assembly had taken steps to prioritise environmental sanitation to ensure that Tema regained its past glory as a clean and well-planned city.

Environmental sanitation

He said this year, the assembly would collaborate with all the relevant institutions and agencies to embark on routine clean-up exercises within the metropolis. “Already the Regional Co-ordinating Council led by Daniel Titus-Glover has taken the lead in ensuring that the region is clean.

We have submitted our sanitation and clean-up exercise plan to the region as requested and very soon vigorous action will be seen in the metropolis,” he said. He also disclosed that the assembly’s bye-laws had finally been gazetted and this was expected to instil some form of discipline and ensure compliance by all residents of the Tema Metropolis.

Mr Ashitey said the Environmental Health Unit of the assembly had also instituted measures to strengthen its prosecution of sanitation offenders. He called on the assembly members to support the assembly to realise its agenda of making Tema restore its past glory as the cleanest metropolis.

 

via : https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-tma-constructs-waste-treatment-plant-in-bankuman.html

CPC fetes schoolchildren to mark World Chocolate Day (Daily Graphic, Monday, July 8, 2024 Back Page)

Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) has reiterated the need for all to consume made in Ghana Cocoa products as they are made from high-quality premium cocoa beans.

The Head of Sales and Marketing, Nana Agyemang Ansong, made the call last Friday when Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) hosted about 300 pupils from the Ashaiman Cluster of Schools in the Greater Accra Region as part of activities marking this year's World Chocolate Day celebration, which falls on Sunday, July 7.

The day, which is celebrated globally on July 7 each year, was started in 2009 to commemorate the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550.  To mark the day, learners and teachers in the schools sampled one of the flagship products of the company, the Golden Tree Alltime Instant Drinking Chocolate.

He recounted the history behind the day, adding that it was aimed at inculcating into Ghanaians, especially the young ones, the habit of consuming cocoa products daily for better health.

He said the company targeted the youth, especially the young ones, to consume chocolate for its health benefits, adding, “We need to build a healthy future for this nation by starting with the children.”

Nana Ansong said because Ghana was a major stakeholder in the cocoa enterprise, the management of the company felt the need to highlight the importance of the cocoa beans and their products hence the engagement with the learners to introduce them to the products and continue to remind them about the need to consume cocoa products.

He was optimistic that through such campaigns, CPC would be able to increase the consumption of cocoa products and help young people derive health benefits from the cocoa beans.

Nana Ansong lauded the government’s initiative of providing learners cocoa drinks under the school feeding programme, adding  that the CPC was making efforts to bring the basic schools on board by celebrating days such as World Chocolate Day and National Chocolate Day to bring to the fore the need for Ghanaians to consume cocoa products. 

The Director of Education for Ashaiman Municipality, Clifford Henaku Budu, expressed gratitude to the CPC for the intervention, saying it would increase awareness among the learners of the health benefits of consuming cocoa products. 

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-cpc-fetes-schoolchildren-to-mark-world-chocolate-day.html

Provide land for automated premix fuel vending machine (Daily Graphic, Saturday, July 6, 2024 Page 6)

 

 

 

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has issued an ultimatum to the Tema Canoe Landing Basin to provide space for the installation of an automated premix fuel vending machine to stop diversion and hoarding of the product.

Mrs Koomson, who was answering questions from fish processors at the Tema Canoe Basin on the inadequate and inequitable distribution of premix fuel to artisanal fishers at Tema, indicated that the inability of the leadership of the Tema Canoe Landing Basin to secure land for the installation of the premix vending machine was responsible for the shortage of premix fuel in the area.

Ultimatum

The Minister gave the ultimatum last Thursday when she presented fishing closed-season relief items to artisanal fishers and fish processors at the Tema Canoe Landing Beach. 

She warned that failure to provide space for the installation of the vending machine as soon as possible could result in the curtailment of premix fuel supply to the basin.

The items, which included bags of rice, cartons of cooking oil and canned fish, as well as basins and wire meshes were to cushion the beneficiaries to cope with the fishing closed season.

She said in communities, such as Nungua, Akplabanya, Chorkor and Elmina, where the automated machines had been installed, the issue of corruption and protocol distribution of premix fuel had been curtailed and fishers were experiencing increased accessibility of the product.

The Automated Premix Fuel Distribution System is a fuel management and tank gauging system designed to enhance the effective and efficient management of premix fuel. To access the premix fuel, a fisherman presents the card reader on which the quantity of fuel allocated is loaded. Once authorisation is granted, the card is debited and the pump starts dispensing.

Science and data

Mrs Koomson said the closed season was based on scientific advice and its implementation was in consultation with the various fisheries associations. 

She commended the fishermen for observing the close season voluntarily and for adhering to the directives of the Ministry.

“I have told the fishers not to listen to those who say they want to cancel the closed season. If they can cancel, they would have cancelled that of the trawlers because it is the trawlers that are giving us problems,” she said.

Mrs Koomson said when she assumed office, she met 76 trawlers. However, currently, there are only 41 trawlers that are functional due to measures put in place by the Ministry, adding that she was committed to working towards curbing overfishing, reducing fishing pressure, restoring overexploited fish stocks and replenishing dwindling fish populations.

Sustainable livelihoods

Mrs Koomson said as part of efforts to promote sustainable livelihoods for fishers, the Ministry and its partners, including the Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity, had launched alternative livelihood training programmes.

She said last year, about 5,000 fishers in four regions were trained in various skills such as masonry, carpentry, dressmaking, hairdressing, electronics and auto engineering. 

She said this year, the training had been expanded to cover 8,000 fishers. However, the Ministry had decided to complement the ongoing support to help trainees establish their own businesses and generate income from their trades, as a result of which the Ministry ordered a number of sewing machines and hair dryers to support livelihood training programmes.

She said by the end of August this year, the Ministry would take delivery of several outboard motors for the fishermen at subsidised prices, all aimed at supporting the sector.

The National Coordinator of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit, Commodore Francis A. Nyarko, said most fishermen use monofilament net lights, dynamite, explosives and small nets to overfish and, therefore, cautioned fishermen to desist from using such gears.

She warned that the FEU would arrest culprits who flouted the fishing regulations through the use of unauthorised fishing methods.

A chief fisherman at Tema, Nii Adjierteh Mator III, said the leadership of the Landing Beach Committee would intensify efforts in securing space to facilitate the installation of automated premix fuel vending machines to address the persistent issues of artificial shortages and hoarding of premix fuel.

Nii Adjierteh Mator III also called for a ban on the sale and importation of monofilament nets on the market.

via: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/provide-land-for-automated-premix-fuel-vending-machine.html