* LATEST GHANA NEWS - Week 16  

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Essam (ER), April 19, GNA- The people of Essam in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region have reiterated their call for the Municipal Assembly and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to supply the town with electricity.

Mr. Reginald Sackey, Assembly Member for Essam Electoral Area near Akim Oda told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the people had purchased low-tension poles, estimated at 1,800 Ghana cedis. According to him, about 56 poles were needed for the electrification project but as a poor farming community, it was difficult for them to raise additional funds for the rest of the poles.

Mr. Sackey who spoke for the town's electrification committee stated that officials from the regional office of the ECG were at Essam to enumerate the households to be covered and were emphatic that the government would supply the low-tension poles without cost to the community the promise had not been fullfilled.

He said Essam catered for more than 10 surrounding villages and that with the completion of the project, the area could be opened up for more commercial activities that would enhance the people's living conditions. Mr Sackey, therefore, urged the authorities to come to their assistance to prevent the decay of the poles they had already purchased.

Kumasi, April 18, GNA- Ten out of 14 media personnel on board an Urvan bus in the Ashanti Regional Minister's convoy sustained various degrees of injuries when their vehicle run into a ditch at Kwame Adu junction near New Edubiase in the Adansi South District.

The press men who were part of Mr. Kofi Opoku-Manu'a entourage were on their way back to Kumasi from New Edubiase when the accident occurred. All but one of the injured were treated and discharged at New Edubiase Government Hospital where they received initial treatment. Those whose conditions were serious were rushed to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and are responding to treatment.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Ebenezer Benson, the District commander, said the driver of the Urvan Bus, in a bid to close up with the other vehicles lost control when negotiating a sharp curve at Kwame Adu junction and run into a ditch. However, the driver escaped unhurt.

Ho, April 18, GNA- President John Evans Atta Mills arrived to a warm welcome in Ho the Volta Regional capital on Friday and declared the region his second home.

"As I drove through town I waved more than I could bear", he quipped. "If today I come to you as President it's because you made it possible," President Mills told a motley crowd of royals, party members and sympathizers, including some former regional stalwarts of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who jumped ship prior to the 2000 elections perhaps seeking to make a comeback. President Mills, who is on A three-day visit to the region to express his appreciation to the people would however, limit his activities to the Ho Municipal area.

A mild late afternoon sun crawling across from the Eastern sky to the West, cast a golden brightness on the colourful atmosphere of conviviality at the forecourt of the Asogli Palace where the crowd, amidst the throbbing of talking drums waited patiently and expectantly for the arrival of President Mills. His arrival at the forecourt suddenly sparked off pushing and shoving as the crowd sought to have a physical touch of him, compelling the police at certain stages to form a human barrier between the President and his admirers.

After the necessary traditional courtesies the Agbogbomefia Togbe Afede XIV minced no words in telling President Mills why the region contributed to his victory efforts and their expectations of him. "Volta Region desired change because we have not fared well" it is therefore the expectation that the "next eight years" would bring landmark changes to the region, the Agbogbomefia said. The stool father and uncle of Agbogbomefia, Togbe Akpo put it more bluntly as he poured libation wishing President Mills well and reminding him of the dashed hopes of the region in the first eight years of the NDC rule.

Togbe Afede said the expectations of the people of the Volta Region, not withstanding, President Mills should be leader of the whole of Ghana, ruling in justice, fairness and humility. In a brief response, President Mills thanked Togbe Afede for his role in the transition process, "I say a big thank you for coming to our aid". "I know that the greatest expectation of the region is your roads, you have Joe Gidisu," in reference to the Minister of Roads and Highways.

Adomi Bridge - Minister calls for prosecution

of public officials

Kpong (E/R), April 17, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Minister, has directed officials of the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) to take legal action against drivers who carry weights above the acceptable tonnage across the Adomi Bridge. He has also appealed to the GHA and the Ghana Police Service Administration to investigate the conduct of their personnel who were on duty at the Adomi Bridge on the night of April 15 to the dawn of the following day and allowed overweight vehicles to cross the bridge. The minister said appropriate sanctions should be taken against any official found to have misconducted himself.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this when he inspected two loaded articulator trucks, one weighing 51 tons and the other 50 tons, which were arrested at Kpong after they had crossed the bridge on April 16. He expressed regret that state officials detailed to protect national assets like the Adom Bridge rather turned round to connive with others to break the law to destroy property that they were supposed to protect.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo went to the area after he had been informed that an official of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) who tried to prevent overweight vehicles from crossing the bridge had his VW Golf three salon car with registration number GR 2894 T destroyed when one of the cargo truck drivers intentionally crushed his truck into the vehicle last Wednesday night. Patrick Jiagre, the driver of the cargo truck with registration number GT 3126 H weighing 49.8 tons, has been arrested by the Atimpoku Police and placed in custody. The maximum weight of vehicles allowed to cross the bridge is 30 tons.

Accra, April 16, GNA - Vodafone was officially launched in Ghana on Wednesday night with a pledge that it would provide customers with the highest quality and most reliable mobile network.

After buying a 70 per cent shareholding in the Ghana Telecommunication Company in August 2008, partnering with the Government of Ghana, Vodafone has made significant investments to improve the performance and to expand the capacity of its networks, an official statement in Accra said.

It said Vodafone had also signed a multi-million dollar deal with Huawei Technologies to bring its 3G network services to the Ghanaian market, giving customers access to high speed mobile internet services in the future.

Mr David Venn, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, said: "Today's announcement is the next step in a telecommunications renaissance across Ghana. Vodafone will offer the most reliable and cost effective services in the Ghanaian market and we will set the benchmark for customer satisfaction. Our customers should expect an excellent network as the basis for these services and we are committed to delivering it."

He added: "I would like to thank all Ghanaians for the welcome we have received and the tremendous interest they have shown in Vodafone since we arrived here in this market. We have also invested in the social fabric of Ghana, deploying community booths, supporting National Farmers day and helping the educational funds of a number of the traditional areas. I look forward to announcing similar initiatives in due course."

The statement said the official launch of Vodafone follows the successful joining together of the Ghana Telecommunications Company (GT) with Vodafone Group, which serves over 290 million customers in 27 countries around the world.

The statement noted that Vodafone Ghana, originally the Post and Telecommunications Department of the Civil Service, went through several transformations before being renamed Ghana Telecom in 1996. It was divested first to a consortium called G-Comm Limited led by Telekom Malaysia and was later managed by a Norwegian management services company known as Telenor Management Partners (TMP). It employs close to 3,400 Ghanaians and is a major source of employment in the communications industry. As the industry leader, providing fixed, mobile and broadband services, the company serves as the backbone for economic growth and development in the ICT sector. Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile telecommunications company, with equity interests in 27 countries and Partner Markets in more than 40 countries. As of 31 December 2008, Vodafone had approximately 289 million proportionate customers worldwide.  16 April 2009

Only CASH

Health Ministry blamed for sale of application forms

Ho, April 15, GNA - Nurses training college entry application forms which are meant to be free are allegedly being sold for 4.00 Ghana cedis each in Ho.

Some prospective applicants told the Ghana News Agency that they bought the forms at the Ho Nurses Training College even though advertisements in one of the dailies indicated that the forms could be obtained for free at the College.

One of them, who wants to remain anonymous, said she was turned away because she did not have the money to buy the forms until she called some days later with the money. She showed the GNA the form on which it was boldly written "NOT FOR SALE."

Mr. James Agboada, Principal of the Nurses Training College in Ho, said the situation arose because the Ministry of Health put the forms on the internet for people to download instead of sending them to the training institutions.

He said people who could download the forms were selling them to those prospective applicants who could not download them and the situation is countrywide and not peculiar to Ho. Mr. Agboada said the forms would be available at the Ho Nurses Training College by the end of the week for prospective applicants to obtain free of charge.

Armed robbers kill two women on Bolgatanga

bound vehicle

Bolgatanga, April 15, GNA - Armed robbers on Sunday attacked a Benz Bus travelling from Tamale to Bolgatanga and shot and killed two women, injuring four other passengers, near Karminga in the Northern Region. The Bolgatanga Municipal Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kwame-Owusu Sekyere, confirmed the tragedy to GNA and said a tyre of the bus got bust by gunshots, forcing the driver to stop. He said the robbers fired their guns to threaten the passengers and took away their money and personal belongings, resulting in the deaths and injuries.

Sup. Sekyere said a passenger informed a policeman in Bolgatanga about the incident on mobile phone but by the time a team of police personnel got to the scene, the robbers had fled on their motorbikes.

He explained that even though the crime scene was under the jurisdiction of the Northern Region, it was the Bolgatanga police that reacted because they were nearer to the spot. Sup. Sekyere said the police were investigations the armed robbery and the injured passengers were responding to treatment at the Bolgatanga Hospital and the deceased deposited at the mortuary. Some eyewitnesses told GNA that the alleged robbers looked like Fulani men.

Mankessim, April 14, GNA - FED KASTLE Promotion Awards Foundation, a non-governmental organization based at Saltpond, has honoured former President John Agyekum Kufuor for his contributions to the development of Mfantseman Municipality and Ghana as a whole.

The organisation also awarded 20 youths from the area for various contributions they had made to the Municipality in their distinct fields of endeavours such as education, sports, music, culture and entrepreneurship.

The former President was presented with a plaque and a citation on his achievements for Ghana and Africa.

The other award winners were presented with shields and certificates at the third Mfantseman Youth Achievers Award Day at Mankessim under the theme: "Raising Young Leaders of Integrity for Sustainable Development."

Speaking at the function, Mr Francis Ejaaku Donkoh, Executive Director of the NGO said the organization decided to institute the award to honour achievers in the Municipality following a national award he also received in 2006 for his leadership role in society.

"I was so motivated that I felt I must also encourage the youths in the area to achieve excellence in their various fields of endeavour," Mr Donkoh stated.

A society, he said, which did not award achievers was not worth dying for, and urged the recipients of the awards to continue to do their best.

Osagyefo Manfo Edu VI, Omanhene of Mankessim Traditional Area told the award winners that the greatest challenge they had to overcome was how to sustain standard.

He urged them to open up to others for them to learn from their achievements. "Sharing with others makes one to know more and helps to improve standards," the chief told them. He also urged them to bear in mind that humility, respect and law-abiding were fundamental to success in life.

Mr Peter Mensah, the Manager of the Mfantseman Community Bank expressed disappointment about the level of development in the area in spite of the fact that the place stood tall in the country's political history.

He urged the youth not to expect anyone from elsewhere to develop the area for them and advised them to channel their strength into developmental activities.

Mr Anthony Arthur, the Municipal Youth Coordinator expressed concern about the incidence of teenage pregnancy in the area and appealed to parents to exert some control over their children especially young females.

Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, the former Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, who received the award on behalf of the former President, called for the need to empower the youth to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

He said this must be done devoid of partisan politics and added that good achievers could only be gotten when people buried their ideological differences. "Politics must be done in the interest of the economy", the former minister said.

Tarkwa (W/R), April 14, GNA - Vodafone's promotion in Tarkwa, which started on Tuesday, ended up in a brawl between its workers and that of Tigo. According to onlookers most of the workers of Vodafone were found pasting their posters on that of Tigo's, replacing the umbrellas given to the retailers by Tigo with that of Vodafone and taking the Tigo umbrellas away. This resulted in a serious argument between Vodafone and Tigo workers who heard of Vodafone's action later. When the GNA interviewed some of the retailers, they said, they did not understand why the workers of Tigo were going round demanding their umbrellas.

According to them they were aware that almost all the mobile phone networks in Tarkwa provided umbrella, adding, if the management of Tigo needs its umbrella they should go to Vodafone. When the GNA contacted the management of both networks for their version, they refused comment.

Gomoa Afransi (C/R), April 14, GNA - Obaabun Ogyedom Obrenuwa Adwoa Yankey I, the development queen of Afransi, on Saturday observed that the high infant mortality and poverty rates were some of the challenges impeding development in the area. She has therefore promised to source funding for the construction of a modern hospital to provide quality health care for the people, particularly women and children.

Addressing the 23rd annual Akwambo festival of the Chiefs and People of Gomoa Afransi in the Gomoa East district of the Central Region, Obrenuwa Yankey said she has been "touched by the suffering of the people" and would therefore help them out of their predicament. Apart from the pledge for the provision of quality health care, Obrenuwa Yankey promised to construct a computer school for Afransi for ICT training for pupils and also embark on an exchange programme between students within the Afransi community and Canadian students for their mutual benefit.

Nana Ogyedom Obrenu Kwesi Atta VI, Chief of Gomoa Afransi expressed his sincere gratitude to the development queen for her great interest to assist in the development of the district.

Nana Ogyedom appealed to the government to construct teachers' quarters in the district to help retain teachers posted there, saying that the proximity of the quarters to the schools in the area would enhance the general academic performance of students. He also appealed to the district assembly to construct a modern market at Afransi, the district capital of Gomoa East, to help create jobs for the people and boost the commercial business activities to eradicate poverty. Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Pre-tertiary, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Twifo Atti Mokwaa urged parents to be supportive in their wards education, if the area is to see development in the near future. She said education is one of the priorities of the present government and would therefore leave no stone unturned to ensure that the district get a senior high school.

Mrs Amoah-Tetteh advised male teachers not to befriend their students and cautioned that the law will take its full course when caught and urged female students to take their studies seriously by resolving to attain higher positions in future. Present at the festival were Mr Mike Hammah, Minister for Roads and Transport and Mr Isaac Okyere Adu-Amoah, MP for Gomoa East.

Kumasi, April 14, GNA- Armed robbers on Tuesday shot and killed a Police Officer at his residence at Meduma, near Kumasi in the Kwabre District. Detective Chief Inspector Jacob Nyame, of the Ashanti Central Division was said to have been shot twice by the robbers, when they raided his house in an attempt to rob the residents.

Police Superintendent A. John Ernest Owusu, Ashanti Regional Crime Officer, briefing the GNA, said the deceased decided to spend the Easter holidays in his newly constructed house at Meduma. He said, while asleep, a group of armed robbers stormed the house. Superintendent Owusu said a tenant Pastor in the house raised an alarm when he heard the unfamiliar noise of the robbers. The deceased woke up and in an attempt to verify what was happening, the robbers opened fire and shot him twice, hitting the right thigh and chest.

Superintendent Owusu, said the robbers also shot the Pastor whose name he could not immediately give, but, he did not die. He said the robbers after the shooting, fled without taking away anything from the house.

He said the Pastor was rushed to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) where he had been admitted while the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Hospital morgue. Superintendent Owusu said the Police had launched investigation into the case to arrest and to bring to justice those who carried out the act.

 * 13.04.2009

Cement Company to produce 20,000 bags of cement daily

Buipe,(N/R), April 13, GNA - The Savanna Cement Company Limited (SAVACEM) would produce an initial 1000 tons or 20,000 bags of cement per day when it starts production by the middle of the year. According to a geological survey, the potential resource of cement in the mining area was about 34 million tons but the Company would initially produce 19.52 million tons when production starts.

Mr. N. Srimvasa Rao, General Manager of the Company, disclosed this to Mr. Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister, when he conducted him round the project site to inspect the progress of work at the company's premises at Buipe in the Central Gonja District, at the weekend.

Major works feverishly taking place at the Company's site include: the installation of mining equipment, cement and coal mill, a crate cooler, compressions crusher and their auxiliaries.

Mr. Rao said the Company had also liaised with the Volta River Authority to construct a seven megawatts power sub station to run the factory's production activities at the cost of three million dollars. He explained that only 20 percent of the power would be used by the Company while the remaining 80 percent would be made available for use by the community and other companies, which would establish their businesses in the area.

The General Manager said so far the Company had spent over 40 million dollars in the construction of the project, adding that about 100 people were already employed by the Company. He said when full scale production starts about 500 people would be employed.

Mr. Nayina, who was highly impressed about the extent of work at the company's site, said it was the first viable project in the region after other companies such as the Nasia Farms and the Cotton Company had collapsed.

He expressed the hope that the establishment of the Cement Company would bring employment to the youth and also make the cost of cement cheaper to enable people build their houses at affordable costs. Mr. Nayina, however, appealed to the people of the region to strive to maintain peace and tranquillity to woo more investors to establish industries in the region.

Kongo (UE), April 13, GNA- Mr. Moses Asaga, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nabdam Constituency in the Upper East Region at the weekend assured the people in his constituency that he was committed to bringing more development projects to the area.

He gave the assurance at a thanksgiving rally at Kongo in the Talensi-Nabdam District in the Region.

He told them that he had already lobbied and secured a reconstruction dam project for Sakote, a community in the area, at a cost of 85,000 Ghana cedis, which was ongoing and would be completed in November. The dam, he noted would be expanded and rehabilitated to enable it store a large quantity of water that would enable the people in the area, especially the youth to engage in dry season farming and also serve as a source of drinking water for animals.

Mr. Asaga said the Asongi-Sakote, Sakote -Pelingu and Nangodi -Pelingu roads would be tarred to enhance the transportation of goods and services.

He said he was also working hard to help bring more portable drinking water to the people in the area and thanked them for electing him the fourth time to represent them in parliament. Ms Vivian Anafo, nominated District Chief Executive of the area, asked the people to bury their political difference and contribute positively to the development of the area.

She appealed to the assembly members in the area to confirm her as the DCE for the area.

She assured them that she would involve them in decision-making so that together they could help move the development of the area forward. She noted that the Assembly would team up with the MP to speed up development projects in the area to enhance the living standard of the people.