THE Director General in charge of Community Policing of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Florence Arthur, has directed community police personnel to ensure that no suspected criminals in their communities are subjected to instant justice.
She said as members of the communities in which they served, their utmost responsibility was to help provide security for every person but not to look on unconcerned while suspected criminals were being lynched.
ACP Arthur gave the directive when she addressed personnel of the Community Police at Koforidua on Wednesday.
ACP Arthur, who was accompanied by her assistant, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Marian Osei Kodjo, said it had always been the habit of people to subject suspected criminals to instant justice.
The development, she said, had in most cases led to the deaths of the suspects, some of who were later found out to be innocent.
ACP Arthur, therefore, directed them to ensure that no person in their communities was subjected to lynching, adding that it was a criminal act and those found guilty of that would be dealt with accordingly.
“Suspected and even convicted criminals should not be lynched; it is the courts of law which deal with them, so anybody found in that act would be dealt with according to the law”, ACP Arthur stated.
ACP Arthur was later led by the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami and the Eastern Regional Commander of the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, to address the Koforidua Zongo community.
She explained community policing and the activities of neighbourhood watchdog committees to the people and urged them to support the two concepts.
A spokesperson of the Zongo community, Alhaji Suleiman Salifu Ahmed, briefed the gathering and the police officers on how some people were creating confusing in the community and solicited the support of the police to prevent chaos and hostility.
Superintendent Naami said he was aware of the problem, adding that his outfit was investigating the issue to take the necessary action that would bring peace to the community.
He, therefore, called on the people to cooperate with the police in that respect.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
FACILITIES TO BE AVAILABLE FOR TEACHER TRAINING ...Prez Mills assures (PAGE 11)
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills has hinted that the government is making the necessary facilities available for the training of teachers to keep them abreast of current technological advancements.
President Atta Mills made these remarks in an address read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh, at the first congregation of the Kyebi Presbyterian College of Education at Kyebi in the Eastern Region last Saturday.
In all 334 students passed out and were presented with Diploma in Basic Education at the colourful ceremony on the theme “Training Efficient and Devoted Teachers for the Service of Ghana”. It was witnessed by dignitaries such as the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, top clergymen of the Presbyterian Church and parents.
President Atta Mills said teacher education needed to be accorded utmost attention in national development, since “it constitutes the basic in-built mechanism which services all components of development.
He further stated that since the quality of human resource in any nation depended on the quality of education offered and the quality of education given was also determined by the quality of teachers, it was important that at all times, the standard of teachers must be in tandem with the current expansion in knowledge due to rapid technological advancements.
President Atta Mills therefore said it was in that respect that the government was making every effort to improve the image and condition of service for teachers for their retention in the classroom to help produce good pupils.
The President, who praised the Presbyterian Church for its tremendous contributions to teacher education and education in general, congratulated the principal, staff and the Board of Governors of the college on guiding the graduates through the course and expressed the hope that the newly qualified teachers would impact the knowledge acquired on their pupils.
Professor James Adu Opare, Director of the Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast, who was the guest speaker, told the graduates that as professional teachers, they must be dedicated, efficient and proficient in their subject areas, keeping in mind the needs of pupils they guide.
He advised the graduates to make good use of courses offered by the Centre for Continuing Education, University of Cape Coast, to upgrade their knowledge.
The Principal of the college, Rev E.Y. Omenako, told the gathering that over the past three years, the college offered two major academic programmes, made up of the regular three-year Diploma in Basic Education and the Untrained Teachers’ Diploma in Basic Education, with the latter combining distance and face-to-face modes of instruction.
He said under the regular programme, a special Mathematics, Science and a general programme was offered, which does not attract adequate number of students, especially females, to the two perceived difficult subjects and suggested that utmost attention should be given to the two subjects at the senior high school level.
With regard to the infrastructural development of the college, Rev Omenako said it needed a modern and spacious library,the re-surfacing of its 2.4 km stretch of access and internal roads as well as staff accommodation and suggested that the building used by the erstwhile Kyebi Men’s Training College should be handed over to the college to be used for that purpose.
President Atta Mills made these remarks in an address read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh, at the first congregation of the Kyebi Presbyterian College of Education at Kyebi in the Eastern Region last Saturday.
In all 334 students passed out and were presented with Diploma in Basic Education at the colourful ceremony on the theme “Training Efficient and Devoted Teachers for the Service of Ghana”. It was witnessed by dignitaries such as the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, top clergymen of the Presbyterian Church and parents.
President Atta Mills said teacher education needed to be accorded utmost attention in national development, since “it constitutes the basic in-built mechanism which services all components of development.
He further stated that since the quality of human resource in any nation depended on the quality of education offered and the quality of education given was also determined by the quality of teachers, it was important that at all times, the standard of teachers must be in tandem with the current expansion in knowledge due to rapid technological advancements.
President Atta Mills therefore said it was in that respect that the government was making every effort to improve the image and condition of service for teachers for their retention in the classroom to help produce good pupils.
The President, who praised the Presbyterian Church for its tremendous contributions to teacher education and education in general, congratulated the principal, staff and the Board of Governors of the college on guiding the graduates through the course and expressed the hope that the newly qualified teachers would impact the knowledge acquired on their pupils.
Professor James Adu Opare, Director of the Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast, who was the guest speaker, told the graduates that as professional teachers, they must be dedicated, efficient and proficient in their subject areas, keeping in mind the needs of pupils they guide.
He advised the graduates to make good use of courses offered by the Centre for Continuing Education, University of Cape Coast, to upgrade their knowledge.
The Principal of the college, Rev E.Y. Omenako, told the gathering that over the past three years, the college offered two major academic programmes, made up of the regular three-year Diploma in Basic Education and the Untrained Teachers’ Diploma in Basic Education, with the latter combining distance and face-to-face modes of instruction.
He said under the regular programme, a special Mathematics, Science and a general programme was offered, which does not attract adequate number of students, especially females, to the two perceived difficult subjects and suggested that utmost attention should be given to the two subjects at the senior high school level.
With regard to the infrastructural development of the college, Rev Omenako said it needed a modern and spacious library,the re-surfacing of its 2.4 km stretch of access and internal roads as well as staff accommodation and suggested that the building used by the erstwhile Kyebi Men’s Training College should be handed over to the college to be used for that purpose.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
20 CHIEF EXECUTIVES IN ER SWORN IN (PAGE 13)
TWENTY out of the 21 nominees for municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the Eastern Region who were recently confirmed by their respective assemblies have been sworn into office and presented with their instruments of authority.
The only nominee, Madam Ophelia Koomson, could not be sworn in because she did not get the nod for the Birim Central Municipality. However, her name appeared on the list among those to be sworn into office.
Those sworn in were Messrs Alex Kwaku Asamoah, Godfred Twum, Seth Otchere, Simon Asirifi and Alex Obeng Somuah were for New Juaben, Akuapem South, West Akyem, East Akyem and Kwahu West municipalities respectively.
The others were Messrs Adomako Asiama, George Agyeman Duah, Abass Huseini Saabe, George Opare Addo, Sammy Kwabi, Kwame Omari, Johnson Ahiakpor, Isaac Agbo and Andrew Soga for the Birim North, Kwaebibirem, Fanteakwa, Akuapem North, Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar, Kwahu South, Asuogyam, Lower Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo districts respectively.
The rest were Messrs Charles Apreku, Emmanuel Atta Twum, Tom Budu, Nana Baffour Mensah Takyi, Samuel Asamoah and Joseph Tetteh Angmor for the Kwahu North (Afram Plains), Atiwa, Akyemansa, Birim South, Kwahu East, and the Upper Manya districts respectively.
The joyous occasion brought together a number of former ministers of state and other dignitaries.
They included Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Mr D.S. Boateng, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ahmed Baba Jamal, the Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr S.A. Bawa, heads of departments and security agencies in the region, traditional rulers such as Osabarima Ansah Sasraku, Chief of Mamfe, Nana Ampem Darko, Tufuhene of Akropong Akuapem who represented the Okuapehene, Oseadeoyo Addo Dankwa II as well as Mr Kofi Attoh, MP for Ho Central, spouses and relatives of the MDCEs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who performed the ceremony, advised the new district political heads to undertake their activities in conformity with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, which is aimed at providing the basic necessities of life to improve the living conditions of the people.
He said with their appointments, they had become servants of the people whose interest they should consider at all times but not to lord it over them, adding that any deviation would go against them.
“As the President’s representatives at the district level, and as social democrats , your approach to topical issues must be distinct when compared to strategies adopted by other parties which uphold the principle of ‘Property owning democracy”, he stated.
“This, therefore, requires that you study the NDC manifesto and appreciate the social contract that we have signed with the good people of Ghana who have voted us into power”, Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated.
On decentralisation, he said the concept was not intended to end at the district level but should be extended to cover the zonal, town and area councils as well as unit committees.
The regional minister, however, stated that unfortunately most of the structures which had been established at the grassroots level were not functioning and asked them to reveive the structures to enhance internal revenue generation for the assemblies and reduce the over reliance on the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
With regard to the provision of offices and residential accommodation for assembly staff, especially the MDCEs, Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed his dissatisfaction about the inability of some assemblies to provide such facilities as a result of which huge sums of money were being used to rent offices and bungalows for the officials.
He, therefore, urged the new MDCEs to use the resources available for the construction of permanent buildings for their district
Mr Ofosu Ampofo enjoined the chief executives to be humble and associate themselves with the people, be transparent and accountable in the performance of their duties and judiciously use state resources for the benefit of the people in the communities.
Mr Kofi Attoh urged MDCEs to make great improvement at least in one area such as education to help improve the lives of the people, especially those in the remote areas.
Mr Attoh also advised MDCEs to always associate themselves with the NDC party since it was through it that they got their positions and also co-operate and support the MPs in their respective areas.
Mr D.S. Boateng who also spoke at the ceremony, implored the MDCEs to identify the economic potential in their areas and develop them for the benefit of the people.
The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alex Asamoah, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked President John Evans Atta Mills for the appointments as well as the Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who called for support for their confirmations.
Major Ted Tetteh(retd) , one-time Eastern Regional Minister, chaired the function.
The only nominee, Madam Ophelia Koomson, could not be sworn in because she did not get the nod for the Birim Central Municipality. However, her name appeared on the list among those to be sworn into office.
Those sworn in were Messrs Alex Kwaku Asamoah, Godfred Twum, Seth Otchere, Simon Asirifi and Alex Obeng Somuah were for New Juaben, Akuapem South, West Akyem, East Akyem and Kwahu West municipalities respectively.
The others were Messrs Adomako Asiama, George Agyeman Duah, Abass Huseini Saabe, George Opare Addo, Sammy Kwabi, Kwame Omari, Johnson Ahiakpor, Isaac Agbo and Andrew Soga for the Birim North, Kwaebibirem, Fanteakwa, Akuapem North, Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar, Kwahu South, Asuogyam, Lower Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo districts respectively.
The rest were Messrs Charles Apreku, Emmanuel Atta Twum, Tom Budu, Nana Baffour Mensah Takyi, Samuel Asamoah and Joseph Tetteh Angmor for the Kwahu North (Afram Plains), Atiwa, Akyemansa, Birim South, Kwahu East, and the Upper Manya districts respectively.
The joyous occasion brought together a number of former ministers of state and other dignitaries.
They included Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Mr D.S. Boateng, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ahmed Baba Jamal, the Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr S.A. Bawa, heads of departments and security agencies in the region, traditional rulers such as Osabarima Ansah Sasraku, Chief of Mamfe, Nana Ampem Darko, Tufuhene of Akropong Akuapem who represented the Okuapehene, Oseadeoyo Addo Dankwa II as well as Mr Kofi Attoh, MP for Ho Central, spouses and relatives of the MDCEs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who performed the ceremony, advised the new district political heads to undertake their activities in conformity with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, which is aimed at providing the basic necessities of life to improve the living conditions of the people.
He said with their appointments, they had become servants of the people whose interest they should consider at all times but not to lord it over them, adding that any deviation would go against them.
“As the President’s representatives at the district level, and as social democrats , your approach to topical issues must be distinct when compared to strategies adopted by other parties which uphold the principle of ‘Property owning democracy”, he stated.
“This, therefore, requires that you study the NDC manifesto and appreciate the social contract that we have signed with the good people of Ghana who have voted us into power”, Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated.
On decentralisation, he said the concept was not intended to end at the district level but should be extended to cover the zonal, town and area councils as well as unit committees.
The regional minister, however, stated that unfortunately most of the structures which had been established at the grassroots level were not functioning and asked them to reveive the structures to enhance internal revenue generation for the assemblies and reduce the over reliance on the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
With regard to the provision of offices and residential accommodation for assembly staff, especially the MDCEs, Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed his dissatisfaction about the inability of some assemblies to provide such facilities as a result of which huge sums of money were being used to rent offices and bungalows for the officials.
He, therefore, urged the new MDCEs to use the resources available for the construction of permanent buildings for their district
Mr Ofosu Ampofo enjoined the chief executives to be humble and associate themselves with the people, be transparent and accountable in the performance of their duties and judiciously use state resources for the benefit of the people in the communities.
Mr Kofi Attoh urged MDCEs to make great improvement at least in one area such as education to help improve the lives of the people, especially those in the remote areas.
Mr Attoh also advised MDCEs to always associate themselves with the NDC party since it was through it that they got their positions and also co-operate and support the MPs in their respective areas.
Mr D.S. Boateng who also spoke at the ceremony, implored the MDCEs to identify the economic potential in their areas and develop them for the benefit of the people.
The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alex Asamoah, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked President John Evans Atta Mills for the appointments as well as the Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who called for support for their confirmations.
Major Ted Tetteh(retd) , one-time Eastern Regional Minister, chaired the function.
PEOPLE WON'T CONTRACT SWINE FLU FROM PORK CONSUMPTION (PAGE 22)
PORK consumption will not make one contract the swine flu, now referred to as the A (H1N1).
It is rather an air-borne disease transmitted from human to human.
The Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr George Bonsu, made this known at the launch of the Eastern Regional public education programme on the A (HINI) at Koforidua during which an 11-member committee was inaugurated to deal with the issue.
He, therefore, called on consumers to continue relying on pork and its products to boost pig farming in the country.
The event brought together coordinating directors, information officers, traditional and religious leaders and pig farmers from the 21 districts of the region as well as students and pupils drawn from selected educational institutions in the region.
It was aimed at educating the public on the disease, particularly how to prevent it in the region.
According to Dr Bonsu, recent scientific studies had revealed that the consumption of pork or pork products would not make one contract the disease which, he said, was transmitted from human to human.
He, however, suggested that pork should be well prepared and cooked to get rid of any germ.
Giving details of the swine flu which was first detected in Mexico about three months ago and had claimed a number lives, he said its spread was initially associated with pigs, hence the disease was first called swine flu but the name had to be changed to A(H1NI), a virus transmitted from human to human.
Dr Bonsu stated that the HINI virus was spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza and that at times, one might become infected by touching something with flu viruses after which one touched one’s nose and mouth.
He further explained that the virus could survive on environmental surfaces and was capable of infecting a person between two and eight hours after it had been deposited on the surface.
Early signs of the disease, he said, included fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Dr Bonsu further stated that signs such as fast breathing or difficulty in breathing, bluish discoloration of lips and tongue, severe or persistent vomiting, uncontrollable convulsions, being less responsive than normal or becoming confused and child being so irritable child does not want to be held are all dangerous signs of the disease that required emergency care.
He said although currently there was no cure for the disease, any person with signs of it should report at a hospital for treatment.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who launched the programme, said an erroneous impression had been created about pork as the cause of the disease which had negatively affected its consumption and the activities of pigs, and that the regional coordinating directorate had to allay such fears in order to boost pork production.
He also assured the people that there was no cause for alarm about the disease since the government had set up a technical team together with the regional task force to assess the situation and develop strategies to manage it if it spreads.
He called on the municipal/district coordinating directors and others assigned with the task of preventing the disease in the region to be proactive in their responses.
For his part, the Regional Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Osafo Duah, said since there was the possibility of the disease spreading to Ghana, his outfit had prepared for it, adding that any sign of the disease should be reported to his outfit on mobile phone numbers 020-2019090/021772926 or 08120678.
The Medical Administrator of the Regional Hospital, Koforidua, Dr Obeng Apori, urged leaders of Pentecostal and charismatic churches to stop the practice whereby their members shouted and waved handkerchiefs during church services, adding that the handkerchiefs should rather be used to cover their mouths to prevent any airborne virus from spreading.
It is rather an air-borne disease transmitted from human to human.
The Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr George Bonsu, made this known at the launch of the Eastern Regional public education programme on the A (HINI) at Koforidua during which an 11-member committee was inaugurated to deal with the issue.
He, therefore, called on consumers to continue relying on pork and its products to boost pig farming in the country.
The event brought together coordinating directors, information officers, traditional and religious leaders and pig farmers from the 21 districts of the region as well as students and pupils drawn from selected educational institutions in the region.
It was aimed at educating the public on the disease, particularly how to prevent it in the region.
According to Dr Bonsu, recent scientific studies had revealed that the consumption of pork or pork products would not make one contract the disease which, he said, was transmitted from human to human.
He, however, suggested that pork should be well prepared and cooked to get rid of any germ.
Giving details of the swine flu which was first detected in Mexico about three months ago and had claimed a number lives, he said its spread was initially associated with pigs, hence the disease was first called swine flu but the name had to be changed to A(H1NI), a virus transmitted from human to human.
Dr Bonsu stated that the HINI virus was spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza and that at times, one might become infected by touching something with flu viruses after which one touched one’s nose and mouth.
He further explained that the virus could survive on environmental surfaces and was capable of infecting a person between two and eight hours after it had been deposited on the surface.
Early signs of the disease, he said, included fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Dr Bonsu further stated that signs such as fast breathing or difficulty in breathing, bluish discoloration of lips and tongue, severe or persistent vomiting, uncontrollable convulsions, being less responsive than normal or becoming confused and child being so irritable child does not want to be held are all dangerous signs of the disease that required emergency care.
He said although currently there was no cure for the disease, any person with signs of it should report at a hospital for treatment.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who launched the programme, said an erroneous impression had been created about pork as the cause of the disease which had negatively affected its consumption and the activities of pigs, and that the regional coordinating directorate had to allay such fears in order to boost pork production.
He also assured the people that there was no cause for alarm about the disease since the government had set up a technical team together with the regional task force to assess the situation and develop strategies to manage it if it spreads.
He called on the municipal/district coordinating directors and others assigned with the task of preventing the disease in the region to be proactive in their responses.
For his part, the Regional Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Osafo Duah, said since there was the possibility of the disease spreading to Ghana, his outfit had prepared for it, adding that any sign of the disease should be reported to his outfit on mobile phone numbers 020-2019090/021772926 or 08120678.
The Medical Administrator of the Regional Hospital, Koforidua, Dr Obeng Apori, urged leaders of Pentecostal and charismatic churches to stop the practice whereby their members shouted and waved handkerchiefs during church services, adding that the handkerchiefs should rather be used to cover their mouths to prevent any airborne virus from spreading.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
SCHOOL HEADS WANT FEEDING FEE INCREASED (PAGE 55)
HEADMASTERS of government -assisted senior high schools in the Eastern Region have appealed to the government to increase the feeding fee by June 14, this year, or they will be compelled to either send all boarding students home or let them buy their own food.
At an emergency meeting in Koforidua, the authorities said the current feeding fee of 80Gp per student per day which was fixed in 2006 was woefully inadequate, due to the rapid rise in food prices in the country.
The meeting was attended by executives of the Eastern Regional Chapter of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Schools (CHASS) at the Koforidua Secondary Technical Senior High School.
Briefing the press after the meeting, the Regional Chairman of CHASS, Nana Addo Gyau Akabisa II, said even when the feeding fee of a student per day was fixed at 80Gp three years ago, the schools found it difficult to feed the boarders.
Nana Akabisa who is also the Headmaster of Benkum Senior High School at Larteh, said due to the increase in prices of foodstuffs, it had become necessary that the 80Gp feeding fee per student should be periodically reviewed but that was not done, putting the heads of the schools in a very difficult situation.
“How can you feed students who are young adults with 80Gp per day at this time when prices of foodstuffs have increased tremendously and since we cannot starve them, the best options are to send them home or let them feed themselves while in school”, he said.
The Regional Chairman further stated that apart from the low feeding fee, the government had since last year only paid half of the fees it absorbed in respect of areas such as postal services, practical science, sports and maintenance as a result of which creditors have been harassing the headmasters.
CHASS, has therefore called on the government to as early as possible make funds available for such services to enable the headmasters to discharge their duties effectively.
At an emergency meeting in Koforidua, the authorities said the current feeding fee of 80Gp per student per day which was fixed in 2006 was woefully inadequate, due to the rapid rise in food prices in the country.
The meeting was attended by executives of the Eastern Regional Chapter of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Schools (CHASS) at the Koforidua Secondary Technical Senior High School.
Briefing the press after the meeting, the Regional Chairman of CHASS, Nana Addo Gyau Akabisa II, said even when the feeding fee of a student per day was fixed at 80Gp three years ago, the schools found it difficult to feed the boarders.
Nana Akabisa who is also the Headmaster of Benkum Senior High School at Larteh, said due to the increase in prices of foodstuffs, it had become necessary that the 80Gp feeding fee per student should be periodically reviewed but that was not done, putting the heads of the schools in a very difficult situation.
“How can you feed students who are young adults with 80Gp per day at this time when prices of foodstuffs have increased tremendously and since we cannot starve them, the best options are to send them home or let them feed themselves while in school”, he said.
The Regional Chairman further stated that apart from the low feeding fee, the government had since last year only paid half of the fees it absorbed in respect of areas such as postal services, practical science, sports and maintenance as a result of which creditors have been harassing the headmasters.
CHASS, has therefore called on the government to as early as possible make funds available for such services to enable the headmasters to discharge their duties effectively.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
MODERNISE OUTMODED WIDOWHOOD RITES ...Akropong women (PAGE 20)
THE Akropong Women’s Ministry, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the welfare of women in the Akuapem Traditional Area, has presented a petition to the traditional council to either modernise or stop some of the widowhood rites which it considered inimical to women in the area.
The ministry’s president, Miss Mercy Ohene, presented the petition to the Omanhene, Oseadeoyo Addo Dankwa II at a mini durbar at his palace at Akropong.
The petition contained a number of widowhood rites that the ministry considered cruel and dehumanising, and militating against the development of not only women in Akuapem, but also in other parts of the country.
According to the ministry, although it believed in the culture and tradition of the people as laid down by their ancestors, it had taken that course of action since most of the widowhood rites had for the past years inflicted pain on women who should rather be comforted after losing their husbands.
Some of the widowhood rites that the ministry wanted to be stopped were, the provision of 40 pieces each of soap, towels and buckets by widows as burial items for the corpses of their husbands, the sale of a bucket of water at GH¢50 to widows to bath,women again sent to a stream in the early morning to bathe in cold water, resulting in some of the widows contracting pneumonia.
Others were the locking up of widows with the dead bodies of their husbands in a room overnight, filling calabashes with their tears, having their heads shaved, kneeling on stones before the dead bodies of their husbands and detention in a room for three days during which they were only fed with pepper and onions.
According to the group, the most disgusting of the lot was when the widow together with the children were driven away from their matrimonial home after the death of the husband, losing property jointly acquired with the husband.
The ministry stated that it considered all those rites as outmoded and they traumatised, depressed and impoverished the widows and for that matter, the Okuapehene should as a matter of urgency make a pronouncement that would compel people within his jurisdiction from engaging in what it described as wanton abuse of women’s rights.
The Okuapehene in response, gave the assurance that he would appoint some of the traditional leaders to go into the matter, giving the assurance that outmoded widowhood rites would be done away with.
“One of my predecessors, the late Nana Addo Dankwa I whose name I have taken, believed in human rights and I am following his footsteps so I will do my best so that you enjoy your fundamental human rights”, the Okuapehene stated.
The ministry’s president, Miss Mercy Ohene, presented the petition to the Omanhene, Oseadeoyo Addo Dankwa II at a mini durbar at his palace at Akropong.
The petition contained a number of widowhood rites that the ministry considered cruel and dehumanising, and militating against the development of not only women in Akuapem, but also in other parts of the country.
According to the ministry, although it believed in the culture and tradition of the people as laid down by their ancestors, it had taken that course of action since most of the widowhood rites had for the past years inflicted pain on women who should rather be comforted after losing their husbands.
Some of the widowhood rites that the ministry wanted to be stopped were, the provision of 40 pieces each of soap, towels and buckets by widows as burial items for the corpses of their husbands, the sale of a bucket of water at GH¢50 to widows to bath,women again sent to a stream in the early morning to bathe in cold water, resulting in some of the widows contracting pneumonia.
Others were the locking up of widows with the dead bodies of their husbands in a room overnight, filling calabashes with their tears, having their heads shaved, kneeling on stones before the dead bodies of their husbands and detention in a room for three days during which they were only fed with pepper and onions.
According to the group, the most disgusting of the lot was when the widow together with the children were driven away from their matrimonial home after the death of the husband, losing property jointly acquired with the husband.
The ministry stated that it considered all those rites as outmoded and they traumatised, depressed and impoverished the widows and for that matter, the Okuapehene should as a matter of urgency make a pronouncement that would compel people within his jurisdiction from engaging in what it described as wanton abuse of women’s rights.
The Okuapehene in response, gave the assurance that he would appoint some of the traditional leaders to go into the matter, giving the assurance that outmoded widowhood rites would be done away with.
“One of my predecessors, the late Nana Addo Dankwa I whose name I have taken, believed in human rights and I am following his footsteps so I will do my best so that you enjoy your fundamental human rights”, the Okuapehene stated.
STEPS TO CURB ROAD ACCIDENTS INTENSIFIED (PAGE 20)
THE EASTERN Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bil has outlined a number of measures to be instituted to reduce the high rate of motor accidents in the region.
The measures include the removal of all breakdown vehicles along the roads, especially the accident-prone Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the Accra-Kumasi highway and a directive for long distance vehicles from the Northern Regions and beyond to be manned by two drivers.
In an exclusive interview at Koforidua over the weekend, DCOP Anko-Bil said under the measures which would soon take off, his outfit would get in touch with a motor vehicle recovery company to tow all breakdown vehicles along the roads, especially the Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway which he said had become dangerous for motorists.
He stated that since driver fatigue had also led to most of the accidents on the Eastern Region portion of the Accra-Kumasi highway, the police was studying the possibility of contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Interior Ministry to get in touch with drivers’ unions in the neighbouring countries to ensure that vehicles from such countries were manned by two drivers.
Apart from those measures, DCOP Anko-Bil said his outfit had always positioned policemen at vantage points throughout the region to ensure that drivers conformed to traffic regulations.
The regional commander, however, appealed to motorists to be abreast of the rules to help reduce accidents and also save themselves from prosecution.
He directed police personnel assigned on patrol duties to maintain discipline on the roads, stressing that the travelling public should also help check undisciplined drivers since “it is our collective responsibility to ensure sanity on the roads”.
The measures include the removal of all breakdown vehicles along the roads, especially the accident-prone Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the Accra-Kumasi highway and a directive for long distance vehicles from the Northern Regions and beyond to be manned by two drivers.
In an exclusive interview at Koforidua over the weekend, DCOP Anko-Bil said under the measures which would soon take off, his outfit would get in touch with a motor vehicle recovery company to tow all breakdown vehicles along the roads, especially the Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway which he said had become dangerous for motorists.
He stated that since driver fatigue had also led to most of the accidents on the Eastern Region portion of the Accra-Kumasi highway, the police was studying the possibility of contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Interior Ministry to get in touch with drivers’ unions in the neighbouring countries to ensure that vehicles from such countries were manned by two drivers.
Apart from those measures, DCOP Anko-Bil said his outfit had always positioned policemen at vantage points throughout the region to ensure that drivers conformed to traffic regulations.
The regional commander, however, appealed to motorists to be abreast of the rules to help reduce accidents and also save themselves from prosecution.
He directed police personnel assigned on patrol duties to maintain discipline on the roads, stressing that the travelling public should also help check undisciplined drivers since “it is our collective responsibility to ensure sanity on the roads”.
ER POLICE MOVES TO COMBAT CRIME IN VILAGES (PAGE 20)
EASTERN Region, the third most populous region after Ashanti and Greater Accra, is one of the political entities with comparatively very low crime rate compared with some of the other regions.
The region, however, records a number of criminal acts such as defilement, rape, assault and petty stealing cases in all the communities, especially in the rural areas.
While people in the big towns like Koforidua, the regional capital, Oda, Kade, Somanya, Nkawkaw, Suhum and Kyebi have been provided with police stations to promptly deal with all criminal cases, most of the smaller towns and villages do not have such facilities.
The situation has compelled inhabitants of such communities who suffer from criminal activities to go on foot or by road to the towns with police stations or posts to lodge complaints for the apprehension of the criminals.
Since most of the police stations also do not have vehicles for their operations, the complainants have to look for their own means of transport to convey policemen assigned to arrest the alleged culprits.
The difficulty entailed in securing vehicles and the long period involved in arresting the alleged culprits constitute a big problem and conveying the criminals in the same vehicles as the complainants and officials of the law-enforcment agents (at times a lone unarmed policeman) makes it easy for the criminals to abscond.
There were even instances where some criminals beat up policemen aboard the vehicles or ambushed victims on their way to the police stations and severely assaulted them.
To remedy such an unpleasant situation, the Regional Police Command, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bil, with the support of the various communities, has taken up the responsibility of providing the smaller towns and villages without police stations with such facilities.
While the people provide buildings for use as police stations or posts through communal labour, DCOP Anko-Bil provides logistics and men to man the stations.
DCOP Anko-Bil, whose posting to the region has helped reduce criminal activities due to his swift response to all criminal acts, has made known his readiness to continue to collaborate with the people for the provision of such facilities to promptly deal with criminals.
One of such facilities, which was inaugurated at the weekend, is a renovated Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOOD) depot at Wirenkyiren Amanfrom, a small town in the East Akyem Municipality.
The inhabitants of the town, which lies on the old Suhum-Kyebi road, hitherto had to rely on policemen at either Kyebi or Apedwa, and since the distance to the two places is about 20 kilometres apart, it was difficult to apprehend criminals in the town.
The provision of the facility has been welcomed by the entire inhabitants of the community as the best package ever to be presented to the town.
The Assembly member for the area, Mr Oaten Adjei, the Nkusuohemaa, Nana Asiah Beyeeman I and Barima Ofosuhene Peprah IV, the chief of Wirenkyiren Amanfrom, together with the citizens resident in Accra and abroad, played significant roles in the opening of the police station.
“I want to say that this police station is God-send and it is a dream come true,” elated Nana Asiah Beyeeman told the gathering at its inauguration.
She, however, urged the inhabitants not to forget that acts by miscreants were not confined to the big cities.
According to her, what made their community’s security situation more frightening was the diversion of the main Accra-Kumasi highway from the town, isolating it and making it vulnerable to criminals.
Nana Asiah Beyeeman was, however, hopeful that with policemen in the town now, criminal activities would be checked.
For his part, Barima Peprah appealed to the Police Administration to resource the police station with a vehicle and other logistics that would ensure speedy apprehension of criminals.
Inaugurating the police station, the former acting Inspector-General of Police, Mrs Elizabeth Robertson, praised the people of the town for providing the facility, which, she said, was necessary since the government alone could not provide everything needed for policing.
She, therefore, stressed the need for the district assemblies, companies and individuals to help in that direction by providing offices, living quarters and logistics to improve policing in their respective communities.
While the people of Wirenkyiren Amanfrom deserved praise for the initiative they took to provide the town with a police station to safeguard their security, it is hoped that the Regional Police Command would ensure that police personnel posted to man the facility would live up to the ethics of the their profession by eschewing negative tendencies that had for some time tarnished the reputation of the law enforcers.
This would ensure that the toil of the people who provided the facility would be rewarded with a crime-free society in which inhabitants of the town and its environs would go about with their daily activities without fear.
The region, however, records a number of criminal acts such as defilement, rape, assault and petty stealing cases in all the communities, especially in the rural areas.
While people in the big towns like Koforidua, the regional capital, Oda, Kade, Somanya, Nkawkaw, Suhum and Kyebi have been provided with police stations to promptly deal with all criminal cases, most of the smaller towns and villages do not have such facilities.
The situation has compelled inhabitants of such communities who suffer from criminal activities to go on foot or by road to the towns with police stations or posts to lodge complaints for the apprehension of the criminals.
Since most of the police stations also do not have vehicles for their operations, the complainants have to look for their own means of transport to convey policemen assigned to arrest the alleged culprits.
The difficulty entailed in securing vehicles and the long period involved in arresting the alleged culprits constitute a big problem and conveying the criminals in the same vehicles as the complainants and officials of the law-enforcment agents (at times a lone unarmed policeman) makes it easy for the criminals to abscond.
There were even instances where some criminals beat up policemen aboard the vehicles or ambushed victims on their way to the police stations and severely assaulted them.
To remedy such an unpleasant situation, the Regional Police Command, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bil, with the support of the various communities, has taken up the responsibility of providing the smaller towns and villages without police stations with such facilities.
While the people provide buildings for use as police stations or posts through communal labour, DCOP Anko-Bil provides logistics and men to man the stations.
DCOP Anko-Bil, whose posting to the region has helped reduce criminal activities due to his swift response to all criminal acts, has made known his readiness to continue to collaborate with the people for the provision of such facilities to promptly deal with criminals.
One of such facilities, which was inaugurated at the weekend, is a renovated Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOOD) depot at Wirenkyiren Amanfrom, a small town in the East Akyem Municipality.
The inhabitants of the town, which lies on the old Suhum-Kyebi road, hitherto had to rely on policemen at either Kyebi or Apedwa, and since the distance to the two places is about 20 kilometres apart, it was difficult to apprehend criminals in the town.
The provision of the facility has been welcomed by the entire inhabitants of the community as the best package ever to be presented to the town.
The Assembly member for the area, Mr Oaten Adjei, the Nkusuohemaa, Nana Asiah Beyeeman I and Barima Ofosuhene Peprah IV, the chief of Wirenkyiren Amanfrom, together with the citizens resident in Accra and abroad, played significant roles in the opening of the police station.
“I want to say that this police station is God-send and it is a dream come true,” elated Nana Asiah Beyeeman told the gathering at its inauguration.
She, however, urged the inhabitants not to forget that acts by miscreants were not confined to the big cities.
According to her, what made their community’s security situation more frightening was the diversion of the main Accra-Kumasi highway from the town, isolating it and making it vulnerable to criminals.
Nana Asiah Beyeeman was, however, hopeful that with policemen in the town now, criminal activities would be checked.
For his part, Barima Peprah appealed to the Police Administration to resource the police station with a vehicle and other logistics that would ensure speedy apprehension of criminals.
Inaugurating the police station, the former acting Inspector-General of Police, Mrs Elizabeth Robertson, praised the people of the town for providing the facility, which, she said, was necessary since the government alone could not provide everything needed for policing.
She, therefore, stressed the need for the district assemblies, companies and individuals to help in that direction by providing offices, living quarters and logistics to improve policing in their respective communities.
While the people of Wirenkyiren Amanfrom deserved praise for the initiative they took to provide the town with a police station to safeguard their security, it is hoped that the Regional Police Command would ensure that police personnel posted to man the facility would live up to the ethics of the their profession by eschewing negative tendencies that had for some time tarnished the reputation of the law enforcers.
This would ensure that the toil of the people who provided the facility would be rewarded with a crime-free society in which inhabitants of the town and its environs would go about with their daily activities without fear.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
PUBLIC SERVANTS ADVISED AGAINST PARTISANSHIP (PAGE 17)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has called on public servants to put aside party partisanship and support government programmes to improve the lot of the people in the region.
He said although public servants had the right to belong to any political party, they were obliged to support government initiatives since they covered the whole community but not members of a specific political party.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo said this when he paid familiarisation visits to the offices of a number of ministries and agencies at Koforidua last Friday.
The offices included the Ghana Health Service, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Education Service (GES), Information Services Department, Statistical Service, Labour Office, Land Valuation Board/Stool Lands, New Juaben Municipal Agricultural Directorate, Youth Council, Birth and Death Registry, Trade, Audit Service and Factory Inspectorate.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo said the government was committed to the development of every community in the region, but stressed that unless civil servants put aside their political affiliations and support the government ,there was no way the region could developed.
He, therefore, emphasised the need for civil servants to support any government policy or programme to that effect since they were paid with the tax payers’ money.
The regional minister gave the assurance that he would do his best to address the challenges facing their outfits to enable them to play their expected roles.
At the Ghana Health Service, the first place of call, the Regional Director, Dr Erasmus Adongo told the regional minister that a programme to establish mini- health service facilities in the smaller communities was on course despite some challenges being faced.
At the GES, the Regional Director, Mrs Rene O. Boakye Boateng unveiled a plan that would ensure that teachers were made available for every class, especially in the Kwahu North District (Afram Plains).
Mrs Boakye Boateng also told Mr Ofosu Ampofo that the region registered about 30 pregnant pupils this year some of who took part in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
She said her outfit was drawing up a programme to address the issue.
Assistant Commissioner James Tribe in charge of the Koforidua Office of CEPS, briefed the regional minister on the processes of impounding and disposing of vehicles brought into the country illegally, many of which had been parked and were getting rusted in front of the office.
According to him, such vehicles could only be disposed of on orders from the Castle.
At the Lands Valuation Board, Mr Ampofo advised the workers not to indulge in practices that would make land acquisition cumbersome since that would drive investors away.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo was shocked when he realised at the office of the Factory Inspectorate that nothing was going on because no funds had been made available to the office for the payment of electricity as a result of which none of the equipment was functioning.
He urged the officer in charge as a matter of urgency to take the necessary steps to keep the office running.
He said although public servants had the right to belong to any political party, they were obliged to support government initiatives since they covered the whole community but not members of a specific political party.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo said this when he paid familiarisation visits to the offices of a number of ministries and agencies at Koforidua last Friday.
The offices included the Ghana Health Service, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Education Service (GES), Information Services Department, Statistical Service, Labour Office, Land Valuation Board/Stool Lands, New Juaben Municipal Agricultural Directorate, Youth Council, Birth and Death Registry, Trade, Audit Service and Factory Inspectorate.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo said the government was committed to the development of every community in the region, but stressed that unless civil servants put aside their political affiliations and support the government ,there was no way the region could developed.
He, therefore, emphasised the need for civil servants to support any government policy or programme to that effect since they were paid with the tax payers’ money.
The regional minister gave the assurance that he would do his best to address the challenges facing their outfits to enable them to play their expected roles.
At the Ghana Health Service, the first place of call, the Regional Director, Dr Erasmus Adongo told the regional minister that a programme to establish mini- health service facilities in the smaller communities was on course despite some challenges being faced.
At the GES, the Regional Director, Mrs Rene O. Boakye Boateng unveiled a plan that would ensure that teachers were made available for every class, especially in the Kwahu North District (Afram Plains).
Mrs Boakye Boateng also told Mr Ofosu Ampofo that the region registered about 30 pregnant pupils this year some of who took part in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
She said her outfit was drawing up a programme to address the issue.
Assistant Commissioner James Tribe in charge of the Koforidua Office of CEPS, briefed the regional minister on the processes of impounding and disposing of vehicles brought into the country illegally, many of which had been parked and were getting rusted in front of the office.
According to him, such vehicles could only be disposed of on orders from the Castle.
At the Lands Valuation Board, Mr Ampofo advised the workers not to indulge in practices that would make land acquisition cumbersome since that would drive investors away.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo was shocked when he realised at the office of the Factory Inspectorate that nothing was going on because no funds had been made available to the office for the payment of electricity as a result of which none of the equipment was functioning.
He urged the officer in charge as a matter of urgency to take the necessary steps to keep the office running.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
PARTIES WANT NEW REGISTER (1B)
ISSUES concerning security and the need for a new voters register dominated a three-day Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting which opened at Akosombo in the Eastern Region yesterday.
The meeting involves the Electoral Commission (EC) and all the political parties in the country and although the opening ceremony was held in camera, some of the participants the Daily Graphic spoke to expressed various views on the last general election.
Mr Huudu Yahaya, one of the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), suggested that since the EC had admitted that the register for the 2008 elections had been bloated and the figures were more than what was statistically acceptable, it must be replaced with a new one.
That, he said, would make future elections more credible.
He also said the NDC was of the view that during general elections, representatives of political parties must be strategically placed at polling stations to observe the process, especially the counting of votes.
He also suggested that the EC must furnish the political parties on the movement of electoral materials to the voting centres.
Nana Ohene Ntow of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) suggested the setting up of an IPAC security task force to complement the work of the state security apparatus to monitor future general elections, adding that such an initiative would not make it possible for macho men engaged by political parties to intimidate voters at the polling stations on voting day.
He also said the counting of votes must be done at selected centres, instead of at the polling stations, to make it impossible for people to interrupt the counting process.
For his part, Mr Bernard Monarh of the People’s National Convention (PNC) suggested that voting in future elections must start from 6 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. to make it possible for the counting of the votes to be done before nightfall.
That, he stated, would prevent the snatching of ballot boxes which normally occurred in the night.
The Democratic People’s Party’s (DPP’s) Mr Thomas Ward-Brew called for a constitutional review to make it mandatory for the state to sponsor political parties, while Mr Ivor Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) proposed the streamlining of the process for the replacement of lost voter identity cards.
The political parties being represented are the ruling NDC, the NPP, the CPP, the PNC, the Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), the National Reform Party (NRP), the New Vision Party (NVP), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and the Reform Patriotic Democrats (RPD).
The event, on the theme, “Safeguarding the Integrity of the Ballot”, is to review the 2008 elections with the view to ensuring the integrity of future general elections so that their results will be acceptable to all participating parties.
It is being organised by the EC, in collaboration with the CAB Governance Consult, with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
The NDC is being represented by Messrs Yahaya and Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the party’s National Vice-Chairman and the National Organiser, respectively, while Nana Ohene Ntow, the General Secretary of the NPP, is leading his party’s team, with the CPP being represented by Mr Greenstreet, the party’s General Secretary.
The PNC is led by Mr Monarh, its General Secretary, with the DPP being represented by its leader and founder, Mr Ward-Brew.
All the other political parties are being represented by some of their national executives.
The meeting involves the Electoral Commission (EC) and all the political parties in the country and although the opening ceremony was held in camera, some of the participants the Daily Graphic spoke to expressed various views on the last general election.
Mr Huudu Yahaya, one of the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), suggested that since the EC had admitted that the register for the 2008 elections had been bloated and the figures were more than what was statistically acceptable, it must be replaced with a new one.
That, he said, would make future elections more credible.
He also said the NDC was of the view that during general elections, representatives of political parties must be strategically placed at polling stations to observe the process, especially the counting of votes.
He also suggested that the EC must furnish the political parties on the movement of electoral materials to the voting centres.
Nana Ohene Ntow of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) suggested the setting up of an IPAC security task force to complement the work of the state security apparatus to monitor future general elections, adding that such an initiative would not make it possible for macho men engaged by political parties to intimidate voters at the polling stations on voting day.
He also said the counting of votes must be done at selected centres, instead of at the polling stations, to make it impossible for people to interrupt the counting process.
For his part, Mr Bernard Monarh of the People’s National Convention (PNC) suggested that voting in future elections must start from 6 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. to make it possible for the counting of the votes to be done before nightfall.
That, he stated, would prevent the snatching of ballot boxes which normally occurred in the night.
The Democratic People’s Party’s (DPP’s) Mr Thomas Ward-Brew called for a constitutional review to make it mandatory for the state to sponsor political parties, while Mr Ivor Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) proposed the streamlining of the process for the replacement of lost voter identity cards.
The political parties being represented are the ruling NDC, the NPP, the CPP, the PNC, the Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), the National Reform Party (NRP), the New Vision Party (NVP), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and the Reform Patriotic Democrats (RPD).
The event, on the theme, “Safeguarding the Integrity of the Ballot”, is to review the 2008 elections with the view to ensuring the integrity of future general elections so that their results will be acceptable to all participating parties.
It is being organised by the EC, in collaboration with the CAB Governance Consult, with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
The NDC is being represented by Messrs Yahaya and Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the party’s National Vice-Chairman and the National Organiser, respectively, while Nana Ohene Ntow, the General Secretary of the NPP, is leading his party’s team, with the CPP being represented by Mr Greenstreet, the party’s General Secretary.
The PNC is led by Mr Monarh, its General Secretary, with the DPP being represented by its leader and founder, Mr Ward-Brew.
All the other political parties are being represented by some of their national executives.
Monday, May 11, 2009
NDC READY TO FORGE NEW RELATIONSHIPS — BABA JAMAL (PAGE 13)
THE Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Muhamed Ahmed Baba Jamal, has said the NDC government is ready to forge a new relationship with religious organisations for the total development of the country.
He therefore stressed the need for all religious institutions to take up the new challenge in that respect.
He made these remarks when he addressed the 30th annual Synod of the Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church at Koforidua in the Eastern Region last Thursday.
The event, which brought together delegates from all parts of the diocese, was to take stock of the diocese’s activities and to strategise for the future.
According to Baba Jamal, the government considered churches, especially the Methodist Church, as partners in development and had extended its hands to them to play a more proactive role in supporting it for the provision of the much needed development for the various communities.
Baba Jamal who commended the Methodist Church for its significant contributions in education and social services expressed the hope that it would continue with such contributions to enable the people to enjoy a high standard of living as well as ensuring high moral, ethical and social values for the fulfilment of the nation’s spiritual and physical obligations.
To help fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Baba Jamal pleaded with the churches to make HIV/AIDS lessons part of their regular preaching and Bible classes to create awareness within the various congregations.
In his address, the Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese, Rt Rev Frederick Nnuro, outlined a number of projects that were being undertaken within the diocese to improve both the physical and material well-being of the people.
These, he said included a piggery and a school complex ranging from the KG to junior high at Maame Krobo as well as land for the establishment of another school at Ntonaboma, all in the Kwahu North District (Afram Plains).
Other projects, he stated, were a clinic at Hweehwee in the Kwahu West District while the same project was being considered for Abomosarefo and Supom in the Kwahu North District as well as a hostel for the Kukurantumi Campus of the Methodist University.
With regard to evangelism, he told the gathering that the diocese which won the coveted Presiding Bishop’s Special Evangelism Award had intensified its drive for that purpose, and that some of the circuits had already planted new churches at various places such as Ahwerease, near Aburi, Tei Nkwanta and Asuoyaa, near Adweso.
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, the Most Rev. Robert Aboagye- Mensah, who also addressed the synod said the church had made a headway in income generating activities, and that the revenue accrued was being ploughed back to improve the fortune of the church, its members and society at large.
The Presiding Bishop who would soon be stepping down from his position stated that the church’s 10-Year Strategic Plan was in progress and allayed the fears of some members who were of the view that the plan would be discontinued as soon as he passed the mantle to his successor.
The Presiding Bishop whose speech sounded like a farewell message thanked members of the church for supporting him for the past six years as head of the church.
The Lay Chairperson of the diocese, Madam Frieda Bediako Asare, expressed her happiness about Rt. Rev. Nnuro’s address which according to her had the potential of improving the status of the diocese.
In a fraternal message, the Deputy Eastern Regional Police Commander, ACP Ampah Benning, praised the church for engaging the youth in a number of activities that had helped in reducing crime in the region.
He therefore stressed the need for all religious institutions to take up the new challenge in that respect.
He made these remarks when he addressed the 30th annual Synod of the Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church at Koforidua in the Eastern Region last Thursday.
The event, which brought together delegates from all parts of the diocese, was to take stock of the diocese’s activities and to strategise for the future.
According to Baba Jamal, the government considered churches, especially the Methodist Church, as partners in development and had extended its hands to them to play a more proactive role in supporting it for the provision of the much needed development for the various communities.
Baba Jamal who commended the Methodist Church for its significant contributions in education and social services expressed the hope that it would continue with such contributions to enable the people to enjoy a high standard of living as well as ensuring high moral, ethical and social values for the fulfilment of the nation’s spiritual and physical obligations.
To help fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Baba Jamal pleaded with the churches to make HIV/AIDS lessons part of their regular preaching and Bible classes to create awareness within the various congregations.
In his address, the Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese, Rt Rev Frederick Nnuro, outlined a number of projects that were being undertaken within the diocese to improve both the physical and material well-being of the people.
These, he said included a piggery and a school complex ranging from the KG to junior high at Maame Krobo as well as land for the establishment of another school at Ntonaboma, all in the Kwahu North District (Afram Plains).
Other projects, he stated, were a clinic at Hweehwee in the Kwahu West District while the same project was being considered for Abomosarefo and Supom in the Kwahu North District as well as a hostel for the Kukurantumi Campus of the Methodist University.
With regard to evangelism, he told the gathering that the diocese which won the coveted Presiding Bishop’s Special Evangelism Award had intensified its drive for that purpose, and that some of the circuits had already planted new churches at various places such as Ahwerease, near Aburi, Tei Nkwanta and Asuoyaa, near Adweso.
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, the Most Rev. Robert Aboagye- Mensah, who also addressed the synod said the church had made a headway in income generating activities, and that the revenue accrued was being ploughed back to improve the fortune of the church, its members and society at large.
The Presiding Bishop who would soon be stepping down from his position stated that the church’s 10-Year Strategic Plan was in progress and allayed the fears of some members who were of the view that the plan would be discontinued as soon as he passed the mantle to his successor.
The Presiding Bishop whose speech sounded like a farewell message thanked members of the church for supporting him for the past six years as head of the church.
The Lay Chairperson of the diocese, Madam Frieda Bediako Asare, expressed her happiness about Rt. Rev. Nnuro’s address which according to her had the potential of improving the status of the diocese.
In a fraternal message, the Deputy Eastern Regional Police Commander, ACP Ampah Benning, praised the church for engaging the youth in a number of activities that had helped in reducing crime in the region.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
4 DIE IN ACCIDENT (PAGE 22)
FOUR persons, including three members of the same family, died instantly while two others sustained injury when a vehicle on which they were travelling plunged into the River Kobina near Somanya in the Eastern Region last Thursday.
The bodies of the deceased who were identified as Gerald Abduramani, the driver; Augustine Adjei, and his two children, Dorothy Adjei and Emmanuel Adjei ,have been deposited at the Atua Government Hospital near Odumase-Krobo which also treated and discharged the injured persons.
The vehicle, a Nissan VD Pickup with registration number GT 7935 Y belonging to the Tema Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), was on its way from Tema to Nkawkaw through Somanya when the accident occurred.
According to the Eastern Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, the accident occurred at about 5 p.m. when the vehicle hit the edge of the bridge spanning the river after which it plunged into the water.
He said the bodies of the deceased and the injured persons were sent to the Atua Government Hospital where the injured were treated.
Supt Peprah said although the cause of the accident had not yet been determined, speeding could not be ruled out.
He cautioned drivers to adhere to traffic regulations to prevent fatal accidents.
The bodies of the deceased who were identified as Gerald Abduramani, the driver; Augustine Adjei, and his two children, Dorothy Adjei and Emmanuel Adjei ,have been deposited at the Atua Government Hospital near Odumase-Krobo which also treated and discharged the injured persons.
The vehicle, a Nissan VD Pickup with registration number GT 7935 Y belonging to the Tema Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), was on its way from Tema to Nkawkaw through Somanya when the accident occurred.
According to the Eastern Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, the accident occurred at about 5 p.m. when the vehicle hit the edge of the bridge spanning the river after which it plunged into the water.
He said the bodies of the deceased and the injured persons were sent to the Atua Government Hospital where the injured were treated.
Supt Peprah said although the cause of the accident had not yet been determined, speeding could not be ruled out.
He cautioned drivers to adhere to traffic regulations to prevent fatal accidents.
Friday, May 8, 2009
ASAMOAH CONFIRMED MCE FOR NEW JUABEN (PAGE 13)
MR Alex Asamoah, a development consultant who occupied the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for New Juaben for only four months (October 2000-January 2001) when the National Democratic Congress (NDC relinquished power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is now the new political head of the municipality.
Mr Asamoah whose nomination by President John Evans Atta Mills sparked protests from some members of the NDC in the municipality, surprisingly got the nod when all the 66 assembly members present voted for him on Monday.
Mr Asamoah who until his nomination was referred to as an ‘injury time MCE’, pledged with the membership of the NDC as well as the people of New Juaben to unite in order to accelerate its development to the status of a metropolis.
“Let us forget about the past, unite and forge ahead to raise the status of the municipality to that of a metropolis,” Mr Asamoah told the gathering which included business tycoons in the area as well as traditional rulers such as Nana Kodua Kese, Chief of Oyoko who is also the Adontenhene of New Juaben.
According to the new MCE, New Juaben deserved to be given the status of a metropolis so he would work assiduously to provide the necessary infrastructure and called on the assembly members to support him.
The Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, had in an earlier speech called on the assembly to vote for Mr Asamoah who he described as a technocrat, capable of administering the area to improve the lot of the people.
“Mr Asamoah who has already tasted the office of an MCE has all the capabilities to transform the area and you should all support him to carry the day and improve the infrastructure of the area,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo pleaded with the assembly.
Earlier in the day, there was jubilation on the premises of the Lower Manya Krobo District Assembly, office at Odumase-Krobo, the district capital, when a 31-year- old chemistry tutor of the Adisadel College, Cape Coast, Mr Tetteh Agbo, was confirmed as District Chief Executive (DCE) for Lower Manya.
He secured 21 out of the 30 votes when the assembly members decided his fate in a ballot at Odumase Krobo.
Mr Agbo who, was hailed by the assembly members as a ‘young father’ of the district, in his acceptance speech also called for unity and support to enable him to administer the area.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo advised the young DCE not to be swollen headed with his new position but to be humble, firm and bold in taking decisions that would improve the lot of the people.
The regional minister also appealed to the people, especially the assembly members and traditional rulers to guide the new DCE when necessary.
Mr Asamoah whose nomination by President John Evans Atta Mills sparked protests from some members of the NDC in the municipality, surprisingly got the nod when all the 66 assembly members present voted for him on Monday.
Mr Asamoah who until his nomination was referred to as an ‘injury time MCE’, pledged with the membership of the NDC as well as the people of New Juaben to unite in order to accelerate its development to the status of a metropolis.
“Let us forget about the past, unite and forge ahead to raise the status of the municipality to that of a metropolis,” Mr Asamoah told the gathering which included business tycoons in the area as well as traditional rulers such as Nana Kodua Kese, Chief of Oyoko who is also the Adontenhene of New Juaben.
According to the new MCE, New Juaben deserved to be given the status of a metropolis so he would work assiduously to provide the necessary infrastructure and called on the assembly members to support him.
The Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, had in an earlier speech called on the assembly to vote for Mr Asamoah who he described as a technocrat, capable of administering the area to improve the lot of the people.
“Mr Asamoah who has already tasted the office of an MCE has all the capabilities to transform the area and you should all support him to carry the day and improve the infrastructure of the area,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo pleaded with the assembly.
Earlier in the day, there was jubilation on the premises of the Lower Manya Krobo District Assembly, office at Odumase-Krobo, the district capital, when a 31-year- old chemistry tutor of the Adisadel College, Cape Coast, Mr Tetteh Agbo, was confirmed as District Chief Executive (DCE) for Lower Manya.
He secured 21 out of the 30 votes when the assembly members decided his fate in a ballot at Odumase Krobo.
Mr Agbo who, was hailed by the assembly members as a ‘young father’ of the district, in his acceptance speech also called for unity and support to enable him to administer the area.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo advised the young DCE not to be swollen headed with his new position but to be humble, firm and bold in taking decisions that would improve the lot of the people.
The regional minister also appealed to the people, especially the assembly members and traditional rulers to guide the new DCE when necessary.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
'CLAB GARDEN' MAKES DEBUT (PAGE 20)
OKORASE, a suburb of Koforidua, now has a place to cater for visitors.
A new hospitality facility, christened Clab Garden, the initiative of a 35-year-old man, started operating last week.
According to the proprietor of the 14-room edifice, Mr Jonathan Kwadwo Asante, he decided to put up the modern facility at this small semi-urban community to enable the dwellers to also have a feel of the hospitality industry.
He said the community, which is about three kilometres from Koforidua, had for a long time been without such a facility, making it impossible for visitors, especially mourners, to spend the night in the town.
Mr Asante stated that he had planned to upgrade the hotel to a two-star edifice in the future, adding that such an initiative would provide jobs for some of the unemployed people in the area.
A new hospitality facility, christened Clab Garden, the initiative of a 35-year-old man, started operating last week.
According to the proprietor of the 14-room edifice, Mr Jonathan Kwadwo Asante, he decided to put up the modern facility at this small semi-urban community to enable the dwellers to also have a feel of the hospitality industry.
He said the community, which is about three kilometres from Koforidua, had for a long time been without such a facility, making it impossible for visitors, especially mourners, to spend the night in the town.
Mr Asante stated that he had planned to upgrade the hotel to a two-star edifice in the future, adding that such an initiative would provide jobs for some of the unemployed people in the area.
CURBING ACCIDENTS ON NKAWKAW-APEDWA ROAD (PAGE 20)
THE Accra-Kumasi highway, which links the two largest and most populous metropolises, Accra and Kumasi, is the busiest road in the country.
It is also the most important artery that links Ghana with its northern neighbours, Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as La Cote d’ Ivoire on the north-western corridor.
In view of its importance as a trans-West African highway, previous governments took steps to recondition its portion in Ghana to conform to international standards to make it easier and safer for the numerous motorbikes, tricycles and different types of vehicles ranging from saloon cars to articulated trucks that ply the routes.
One of such highways starts from the northern border post of Hamile through Tamale, Kumasi down to Accra and Tema, Ghana’s industrial hub and port city that deals with heavy cargo, some of which go to the landlocked countries.
Owing to its importance, previous governments took steps to recondition the long route, as a result of which certain portions on the highway have been rehabilitated to be among the best in the country.
The Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the highway, which is among the best reconditioned roads, under normal circumstances, should have been free from the vehicular accidents normally associated with bad roads.
However, that stretch of the road has now become one of the graveyards in the country because of the frequency with which accidents occur on that portion, causing the death and maiming of many people, including important personalities such as Professor Quartey, Ghana’s best known neurologist, and three of his colleagues, about four years ago.
Although many factors such as drunkenness, faulty vehicles and non-adherence to traffic regulations account for motor accidents on the stretch, fatigue on the part of the drivers is the main cause.
The distance involved, particularly from Hamile to Accra, is very long (approximately 600 kilometres) and under normal circumstances, the vehicles, mostly articulated trucks, each of which should be manned by two drivers, have only one driver in control.
Instead of resting after being behind the steering wheel for more than four hours as stipulated by road safety regulations, such drivers ignore the regulations and drive non-stop to Accra, and some of them end up in accidents, especially on the Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the road, due to fatigue.
To avert such disastrous accidents, the Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Police, Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, has come out with a panacea, that is, two drivers per long distance vehicle.
Superintendent Peprah, who has been in the region for less than six months, after a thorough study, has realised that most of the accidents that occurred at night on the stretch involved vehicles from the Kumasi direction.
“Some of these long distance drivers from Hamile do not rest so on reaching the Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch in the night, they start dozing off and collide their vehicles with oncoming or stationary ones, leading to fatal accidents”.
One of such accidents involving a Mercedes Benz bus with registration number GR 1521 Z being driven by one Kwasi Kwale, bumped into a parked articulated truck with registration number AS 2021 X at Akyem Asafo, in which three persons died during the Easter period.
“A lot of lives are being lost due to fatigue on the part of drivers who also use the headlights wrongly when approaching oncoming vehicles and can you believe that 38 accidents occurred in the night between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. on the stretch and other parts of the region during the Easter period (April 10-14) out of which 12 persons died?” Supt Peprah asked.
The regional MTTU boss said his men had been positioned at vantage points, particularly near disaster-prone areas.
He cautioned drivers about the dangers associated with their recklessness while behind the steering wheel and conform to road safety regulations.
The Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, also expressed concern about the carnage on the stretch of the road and has supported the idea of two drivers per a long distance vehicle.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who was an eyewitness to one of such fatal accidents during the Easter festivities, has also suggested the use of log books indicating the departure and arrival time of long distance vehicles with traffic officers being stationed along the route to ensure its compliance.
“It must also be mandatory for vehicles that set off from the northern regions for Kumasi and further down south to change drivers at either Techiman or Kintampo because no single driver can cover the journey without being tired,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated.
“So many accidents occurred at the dangerous curve at Potroase on the main Accra-Kumasi highway and that led to the diversion of the road from that spot but we are recording the same rate of accidents on this well-constructed road so the police must do their best in checking drivers on traffic regulations such as speed limit and driver fatigue,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo stressed.
He called for the provision of facilities that would enable drivers to rest and park their vehicles along the stretch, since that would go a long way to minimise the high rate of motor accidents.
The regional office of the Road Safety Commission has also come in to deal with the issue and has planned to form a traffic management team that would operate on the stretch to deal with all issues associated with road safety.
According to Mr Stephen Anokye, the Regional Co-ordinator of the commission, vehicles, especially the long distance ones, would be periodically stopped to ensure that both the vehicles and their drivers were in “good shape”, and called on passengers to co-operate with officials assigned with that responsibility.
With such measures, it is expected that the rampant motor accidents occurring along the stretch of the road of late resulting in the loss of human lives and property, would be drastically reduced.
It is also the most important artery that links Ghana with its northern neighbours, Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as La Cote d’ Ivoire on the north-western corridor.
In view of its importance as a trans-West African highway, previous governments took steps to recondition its portion in Ghana to conform to international standards to make it easier and safer for the numerous motorbikes, tricycles and different types of vehicles ranging from saloon cars to articulated trucks that ply the routes.
One of such highways starts from the northern border post of Hamile through Tamale, Kumasi down to Accra and Tema, Ghana’s industrial hub and port city that deals with heavy cargo, some of which go to the landlocked countries.
Owing to its importance, previous governments took steps to recondition the long route, as a result of which certain portions on the highway have been rehabilitated to be among the best in the country.
The Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the highway, which is among the best reconditioned roads, under normal circumstances, should have been free from the vehicular accidents normally associated with bad roads.
However, that stretch of the road has now become one of the graveyards in the country because of the frequency with which accidents occur on that portion, causing the death and maiming of many people, including important personalities such as Professor Quartey, Ghana’s best known neurologist, and three of his colleagues, about four years ago.
Although many factors such as drunkenness, faulty vehicles and non-adherence to traffic regulations account for motor accidents on the stretch, fatigue on the part of the drivers is the main cause.
The distance involved, particularly from Hamile to Accra, is very long (approximately 600 kilometres) and under normal circumstances, the vehicles, mostly articulated trucks, each of which should be manned by two drivers, have only one driver in control.
Instead of resting after being behind the steering wheel for more than four hours as stipulated by road safety regulations, such drivers ignore the regulations and drive non-stop to Accra, and some of them end up in accidents, especially on the Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch of the road, due to fatigue.
To avert such disastrous accidents, the Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Police, Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, has come out with a panacea, that is, two drivers per long distance vehicle.
Superintendent Peprah, who has been in the region for less than six months, after a thorough study, has realised that most of the accidents that occurred at night on the stretch involved vehicles from the Kumasi direction.
“Some of these long distance drivers from Hamile do not rest so on reaching the Nkawkaw-Apedwa stretch in the night, they start dozing off and collide their vehicles with oncoming or stationary ones, leading to fatal accidents”.
One of such accidents involving a Mercedes Benz bus with registration number GR 1521 Z being driven by one Kwasi Kwale, bumped into a parked articulated truck with registration number AS 2021 X at Akyem Asafo, in which three persons died during the Easter period.
“A lot of lives are being lost due to fatigue on the part of drivers who also use the headlights wrongly when approaching oncoming vehicles and can you believe that 38 accidents occurred in the night between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. on the stretch and other parts of the region during the Easter period (April 10-14) out of which 12 persons died?” Supt Peprah asked.
The regional MTTU boss said his men had been positioned at vantage points, particularly near disaster-prone areas.
He cautioned drivers about the dangers associated with their recklessness while behind the steering wheel and conform to road safety regulations.
The Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, also expressed concern about the carnage on the stretch of the road and has supported the idea of two drivers per a long distance vehicle.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who was an eyewitness to one of such fatal accidents during the Easter festivities, has also suggested the use of log books indicating the departure and arrival time of long distance vehicles with traffic officers being stationed along the route to ensure its compliance.
“It must also be mandatory for vehicles that set off from the northern regions for Kumasi and further down south to change drivers at either Techiman or Kintampo because no single driver can cover the journey without being tired,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated.
“So many accidents occurred at the dangerous curve at Potroase on the main Accra-Kumasi highway and that led to the diversion of the road from that spot but we are recording the same rate of accidents on this well-constructed road so the police must do their best in checking drivers on traffic regulations such as speed limit and driver fatigue,” Mr Ofosu Ampofo stressed.
He called for the provision of facilities that would enable drivers to rest and park their vehicles along the stretch, since that would go a long way to minimise the high rate of motor accidents.
The regional office of the Road Safety Commission has also come in to deal with the issue and has planned to form a traffic management team that would operate on the stretch to deal with all issues associated with road safety.
According to Mr Stephen Anokye, the Regional Co-ordinator of the commission, vehicles, especially the long distance ones, would be periodically stopped to ensure that both the vehicles and their drivers were in “good shape”, and called on passengers to co-operate with officials assigned with that responsibility.
With such measures, it is expected that the rampant motor accidents occurring along the stretch of the road of late resulting in the loss of human lives and property, would be drastically reduced.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
FIVE DCE NOMINEES FOR ER APPROVED (PAGE 17)
FIVE Presidential nominees for the positions of district and municipal chief executives in the Eastern Region were last week given the approval by their respective assemblies.
They were Dr Godfred Twum, for the Akuapem South Municipality, Mr Simon Asirifi, East Akyem Municipality, Mr Joseph Tetteh Angmor, Upper Manya Krobo District, Mr Samuel Asamoah, Kwahu East and Mr Alex Obeng, Kwahu West.
Dr Twum, a medical practitioner, polled 60 out of 62 votes to carry the day when the ballot was cast on him at Nsawam while Mr Asirifi, an accountant secured 32 out of 40 votes in what initially seemed to be a herculean task for the nominee when the assembly members decided his fate in the ballot at Kyebi, the municipal capital.
At Abetifi, where the Kwahu East Assembly members voted on Mr Asamoah, he had 20 out of the 25 votes while at Nkawkaw, capital of the Kwahu West Municipality where the event took place, all the 25 assembly members voted for Mr Obeng.
Before the ballots were cast, the Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu- Ampofo appealed to the assembly members to vote for the nominees who he said had the capability to administer their respective areas.
He said with their appointments endorsed, it would therefore be possible for such municipalities and districts to implement their development projects and programmes to improve the lot of the people.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo cautioned the new appointees to be honest, humble but firm in dealing with all matters affecting their areas.
The appointees in turn assured the people that they would not do anything that would negatively affect them, adding that they would serve but not lord over them.
At Asesewa, Caroline Boateng reports that the President’s Nominee for the Upper Manya Krobo District, Mr Joseph Angmor, has been confirmed.
Mr Angmor a public servant, was confirmed with 32 out of the 36 votes cast.
He told the Daily Graphic that with his confirmation, he would be focusing on infrastructure development in the area.
A predominantly farming area, he said good road infrastructure was important to ensure the sustainable transportation of food stuffs from the district to marketing areas and that would be one of his priorities for the area.
Mr Joseph Nomo, a tutor at the Manya Krobo Senior High School, was also chosen as Presiding Member of the Assembly. Mr Nomo is the assembly member for the Sawa electoral area.
The Member of Parliament of the Area, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao expressed his satisfaction with the confirmation, saying that with the confirmation over, the focus of all will be for the development of the area.
He said he had formerly worked with district chief executives of different parties for three consecutive terms.
That had come with some hurdles, however, some gains had also been made.
He was of the view that with a DCE of the same political persuasion, there would be concerted efforts to develop the area.
They were Dr Godfred Twum, for the Akuapem South Municipality, Mr Simon Asirifi, East Akyem Municipality, Mr Joseph Tetteh Angmor, Upper Manya Krobo District, Mr Samuel Asamoah, Kwahu East and Mr Alex Obeng, Kwahu West.
Dr Twum, a medical practitioner, polled 60 out of 62 votes to carry the day when the ballot was cast on him at Nsawam while Mr Asirifi, an accountant secured 32 out of 40 votes in what initially seemed to be a herculean task for the nominee when the assembly members decided his fate in the ballot at Kyebi, the municipal capital.
At Abetifi, where the Kwahu East Assembly members voted on Mr Asamoah, he had 20 out of the 25 votes while at Nkawkaw, capital of the Kwahu West Municipality where the event took place, all the 25 assembly members voted for Mr Obeng.
Before the ballots were cast, the Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu- Ampofo appealed to the assembly members to vote for the nominees who he said had the capability to administer their respective areas.
He said with their appointments endorsed, it would therefore be possible for such municipalities and districts to implement their development projects and programmes to improve the lot of the people.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo cautioned the new appointees to be honest, humble but firm in dealing with all matters affecting their areas.
The appointees in turn assured the people that they would not do anything that would negatively affect them, adding that they would serve but not lord over them.
At Asesewa, Caroline Boateng reports that the President’s Nominee for the Upper Manya Krobo District, Mr Joseph Angmor, has been confirmed.
Mr Angmor a public servant, was confirmed with 32 out of the 36 votes cast.
He told the Daily Graphic that with his confirmation, he would be focusing on infrastructure development in the area.
A predominantly farming area, he said good road infrastructure was important to ensure the sustainable transportation of food stuffs from the district to marketing areas and that would be one of his priorities for the area.
Mr Joseph Nomo, a tutor at the Manya Krobo Senior High School, was also chosen as Presiding Member of the Assembly. Mr Nomo is the assembly member for the Sawa electoral area.
The Member of Parliament of the Area, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao expressed his satisfaction with the confirmation, saying that with the confirmation over, the focus of all will be for the development of the area.
He said he had formerly worked with district chief executives of different parties for three consecutive terms.
That had come with some hurdles, however, some gains had also been made.
He was of the view that with a DCE of the same political persuasion, there would be concerted efforts to develop the area.
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