Tema: Suspected robbers gun down businessman at TOR traffic light

BENJAMIN XORNAM GLOVER     

08 MAY 2017

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

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

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are believed to be scrap metal dealers, were returning from the Industrial Area branch of Zenith Bank where they had withdrawn an unspecified amount of money.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He indicated that investigations were ongoing to identify the said robbers

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

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

Five schools shine at Bonanza Mental Challenge

BENJAMIN GLOVER                               

26 APRIL 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s say no to galamsey now - Methodist Church

BENJAMIN GLOVER                           

01 MAY 2017

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

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

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

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

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

Lawlessness 

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

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

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

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

Anniversary 

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

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

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

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

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

Fisheries Commission holds workshop on illegal fishing

BENJAMIN GLOVER                        

29 APRIL 2017

Mrs Matilda Quist addressing participants in the workshop

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

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

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

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

Violation of fisheries laws

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

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

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

Economic losses

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

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

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

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

New Town residents briefed on fire safety

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 

Personnel of the GNFS engage in discussion with the traders 

The Tema New Town District Command of the Ghana Fire Service have embarked on a programme to educate market women of the New Town main market on fire prevention.

The fire personnel, led by the District Fire Commander, Divisional Officer III, Ms Naomi Quarshie inspected electricity installations and other electrical appliances being used at the market.

Ms Quarshie and her team also advised to switch off all their electrical appliances before leaving for home, and cautioned food sellers to ensure that they put off their fires before leaving for home.

The Fire Commander urged the women to engage competent electricians to fix their electricity installations to avert fire out breaks and urged them to acquire fire extinguishers.

SAFTEY EDUCATION

Later in an interview with the Daily Graphic, she said the safety education forms part of the proactive approaches adopted to prevent fires and added that apart from the markets, the District Office has also targeted house-to-house, public and radio education campaigns to sensitise inhabitant of the areas.

She disclosed that the station has already recorded 14 fire incidents within the first quarter of the year compared to 12 cases recorded within the same period last year and emphasized that the public education campaign was very timely as domestic fires continue to destroy lives and properties.

She noted that activities of fisher folks contribute largely to fire outbreaks, and warned traders against the improper storage of premix fuel and the illegal connection of electrical wires in the markets in access for power supply.

           

“We are here to protect lives and properties hence this activity. Some fisher folks here keep premix fuel in their homes or shops and this can cause fire when the fuel is exposed to naked fires. Some women also cook in the market and either forget or refuse to put out the fire. This can cause fire especially at night when no one is around to put it out at the initial stages”, she said.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

DOIII appealed to the residents to engage the services of professional electricians to handle electrical connections in their homes and markets.

She noted that as part of strategic measures in firefighting, prevention and control in the market, personnel will be deployed at night to patrol and ensure that fires are completely put off before the traders leave the market.

She added that fisher folks, will also taken educated on Tuesdays, which is a rest day for fishing on how to prevent fire through proper handling of premix fuels.

Support aolescent reproductive health education. Health Service provider tells parents

Daily Graphic, Tuesday, April 18, 2017

“My interest in sex started at a tender age of 10 years when l chanced on three boys having sex in turns with an equally young girl. I was forced by them to have a taste of the act. I enjoyed the experience and continued to explore with girls who were far older than me.”

“I had my first sex at the age of 13years but did not discharge into the girl as l was afraid. I currently have two girlfriends, I have regular sex with one and only engage in kissing and caressing with the other.”

These are experiences shared by two young adolescents shared with Adolescent Health service providers in Tema as recounted by the Focal person for Adolescent Health, Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, Mrs. Grace Eddy Amewu.

Mrs Amewu making a presentation to the Assembly Members of  TMA

PRESENTATION

In a presentation to the Assembly Members of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, (TMA) at its sitting last Wednesday, Mrs Amewu said such cases come to them frequently and though they are making efforts to help the children come out of them, more is expected of parents to help curb the problem.

She indicated that parents have a bigger role to educate their wards and promote the sexual and reproductive health of their adolescent children and urged them  to open up to their children.

She said due to the inability and unwillingness of parents to discuss Sexual Reproductive Health matters with their wards, these young ones are pushed to explore and experiment as a means of finding answers to their questions.

STATISTICS

Giving a statistics on Adolescent Teenage Pregnancy for 2016 for persons between the ages 10-19, the Tema Focal person for Adolescent Health disclosed that Tema East Constituency had more teenage pregnancies with 313 cases in the Metropolis while Tema West and Central Constituencies 106 and  294 cases respectively.

She said the Tema East cases it could be due to poor standards of living in that community and urged the Assembly Members to collaborate with adolescent health service providers to extend adolescent health services into the communities.

DEATHS

In the area of Maternal Health, Mrs Amewu disclosed that the Adolescents
and young people were also not being left out.

She disclosed that in 2014 out of the total of 35 death recorded four representing 11 percent involved persons within the ages of 20-24 years. In the year 2015, out of the 46 cases recorded, 12 cases representing 26 percent involving persons of ages 20-24 while in 2016,  out of the 49 cases recorded, 15 cases representing 31 percent of persons within that same age bracket was recorded.

Mrs. Amewu further disclosed that two cases each was recorded in 2015 and 2016 involving persons with the age group of 10-19 years.

the Assembly Members of  TMA listening to the presentation

She said while most adolescent found it difficult to talk to their parents and guardians, they had confidence in talking to health workers since they are willing listeners and not condemnatory and therefore pleaded with the TMA and Assembly Members to provide the Adolescent Health Service Providers with facilities within their communities to host health and communication centers to provide counseling, screening and testing services as well as distribution of social behavioral communication materials and condoms to the youth

The Presiding Member of TMA, Mr Richard Fiadumor pledged the commitment of the assembly to help address the issues and save the lives of the youth in the metropolis

TEMA FIRE SERVICE MAKES STRIDES

By Benjamin Xornam Glover, TEMA

The Tema Office of the Ghana National Fire Service, (GNFS) recorded 112 fire outbreaks in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to 150 recorded within the same period last year, which is a 25.3 per cent reduction.

The Regional Commander of the GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, (ACFO), Ms Frances Rockson attributed the strides made to intensified public education on basic fire safety tips by the service.

ACFO  Rockson in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Tema revealed that her outfit in collaboration with other stakeholders including the Metropolitan Assembly, Traders, and Ghana Police Service have been organising a series of public campaigns to educate the general public on basic fire safety tips.

MARKET FIRES

In the era of recent incidents of fire outbreaks in major markets across the country, the Tema Community One market, the major market in the Metropolis,  is yet to record any major market fire incident and this the Regional Fire Commander said was due intensive patrols of the market.

She said to protect this enviable record,  Market Patrol Teams have been formed to regularly patrol all major markets within the Tema area and beyond to avert any unfortunate incidents and the attendant destruction of wares and goods in the markets.

Ms Rockson said the GNFS would collaborate with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and the Market Queens on this to educate traders in the markets for them to adhere strictly to safety practices in the various markets

She also spoke of the need for rigid enforcement of bye-laws on fire prevention passed by the TMA stressing that District Commanders of the GNFS have been tasked to liaise with their respective Assemblies to put in place and enforce by-laws that prohibits indiscriminate use of naked flames in the markets.

COLLABORATION

The Regional Fire Commander said the District Commanders have also been tasked to help the market authorities to designate specific areas for cooking and heating and also clear allays in the markets for easy access to the markets by Fire Tenders in case of emergencies.

Ms Rockson said an audit of fire hydrants meant to serve as water sources to fight fire in the metropolis revealed that a number of them have been encroached on by illegal structures while others have been sealed by the Ghana Water Company.

She said the GNFS working with the Assembly and the Ghana Water Company to ensure that the hydrants are functional especially in and around the markets to aid in fire fighting.

ACFO Rockson said her outfit has also initiated an education campaign to ensure that peoples home and their families as well as business and are prepared in the event of a fire.

She said the focus is to highlight the importance of fire prevention throughout the year with the view to reducing fire-related deaths, injuries, and damages.

RESCUE

ACFO Rockson said the GNFS is also responsible for the rescue and evacuation of victims from all forms of accidents to safety and as a region that has the Motorway and other highways running through its jurisdiction, rescue squads have been formed to ensure the quick extrication of road crash victims.

She mentioned the Tema-Accra Motorway, Tema-Ada Highway, Afienya-Akosombo Highway and Accra-Dodowa-Somanya Road as some of the highways in focus.

ACFO Rockson said the Command is also liaising with Assembly members and Opinion leaders along those routes  to train Community Rescue Volunteers on the proper and scientific way to extricate road crash victims on all the accident the prone roads in the Tema area.

This, she explained is to ensure that in the event of road crashes along these routes, the public does not end up aggravating the conditions of the victims.

EXPANSION

The Regional Fire Commander said as a region, the GNFS has identified the time lag between when they receive emergency calls and the time they arrive at emergency scenes on the Tema – Ada road and as a measure to stem the tide, the Command is in consultation with the Ada West District Assembly to establish a new Fire Station at Sege to reduce the response time in those area.

A similar move, she indicated is being explored for the establishment of a Fire Station on the Spintex Road which houses many homes and industries, stressing that when this is done, many more lives and properties will be saved in the event of fires and road crashes.

INDUSTRIAL FIRES

Tema is home to many industries and thus very prone to fire incidents. It would be recalled that on February 25 this year, twelve fuel tankers went up in flames when fire engulfed a tanker yard near the Ashaiman Timber Market.

 

Also on January 25, 3017 three trucks containing fuel got burnt after a tanker exploded at Kpone, near Tema. In both instances, no casualty was recorded following the swift intervention by personnel of the GNFS to bring the inferno under control.

In order to prevent fire outbreaks and in line with the  Fire Precaution (Premises) Regulations, L.I. 1724, the Command in March this year embarked on a number of  industrial visit to inspect fire safety certificate.

During the visit, premises which were operating without a fire safety certificates had their premises locked up and asked to cease operations until they acquire the necessary certificate.

END