| News Home (Main Page) | | African Newspaper | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | Ghanaian Media: | | Public Agenda | | GNA-Ghana News Agen. | The Statesman | | ..more Media Links | | | | Ghana Weather -Live | | Africa Cup -Angola 2010 | | Africa Cup -Ghana 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2009 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2007 | | PHOTO REPORTS | | VIDEO REPORTS | | ARTS in GHANA | | Food & Drinks in Ghana | | Ghana Hotels | | Links / Websites | | Ghana Districts | | Ghana Tourism | | Ghana Classifieds | Names in Ghana | | | | * 12.01.2010 | Hanah Bisiw Exposes Pure Water Operator * Source: The Daily Democrat /Ghana | The Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, has exposed an illegal pure water operator for tapping the main pipe line serving the people of Tema and some parts of Accra at Akuse.
The Deputy Minister after chasing of the vehicles of the illegal tapper, who has operated for decades, handed him over to the Police at Akuse in the Eastern Region. The Deputy Minister made the arrest when, together with the Acting Board Chairman of Works and Housing and the media, made a trip to Akuse based on a tip off about a water stealing syndicate. Hon. Bisiw and the team first visited the illegal connection point where they took pictures on how the situation looks.
Information gathered by this paper indicates that, the culprit has operated for decades, and through that has denied a number of people the access of getting quantity of water they are supposed to get.
The culprit, one Mr. Jonathan Ayitey, denied tapping the water illegally but claimed that he applied for the supply for construction and other purposes and has paid 25 million old Ghana cedis to a Ghana Water Company official.
Hon. Hanah Bisiw however charged the Police Commander of the Akuse District, ASP Twum Barima, to conduct an in-depth investigation into the amount alleged to have been received by the GWC Official. Another charge leveled against the culprit by ASP Twum Barima was that he is operating with a vehicle without a registration number.
Later, the Deputy Minister, asked the police to take possession of three full tanks of water which have been drawn from the tapping point by the culprit. She urged the media and the general public to help expose all those involved in illegal connections to save the country from incurring unnecessary costs.
According to Hon. Hanna Bisiw, her Ministry is doing everything possible to track down people who are preventing others from getting water. | | | | | | ______________________ |
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| LATEST GHANA NEWS Tuesday, 12 January 2010 WEEK 01 - 2010 |
| * Tuesday, 12 January 2010 | Castle Security in tears over cash * Source: Daily Guide | Presidential Security guards are grumbling and fuming with rage over alleged shabby treatment from superior officers, calling for the removal of some security chiefs at the seat of government before the unexpected happens.
“The Presidential security guards are given meager allowances. There are sometimes no cars to even pick officers to work because drivers complain there is no fuel. Officers do not have adequate communication equipment whilst superiors distribute walkie-talkies to girlfriends to show-boat and all these are affected the morale of officers,” Castle source close to the security guards told Daily Guide.
Lt. Col. Atachie, Military Assistant (MA) to the Chief of Staff; Lt. Col. Tanye, Presidential Security Coordinator, and Angola, Head of Counter Intelligence, have been particularly fingered for allegedly frustrating and demoralizing all the hardworking security officers who are risking their lives to ensure the safety of the President and the presidency.
“These people are making President Mills look wicked in the eyes of Presidential Security Guards; but some of us have worked with the President from the time he was the Vice-President and we know he is a good person,” Castle sources stated, pleading that something should be done immediately to raise the morale of officers.
According to information gathered, police officers who are part of the Presidential security detail are grumbling and regretting being part of the Castle security as their colleagues elsewhere feel they are enjoying all the perks from the Presidency.
However, contrary to the perceived insensitivity of some superiors, ASP Adade and Mr Balo, personal bodyguard of President Mills and Commander of Close Escort respectively, have been exceptionally praised for their care for the security officers. “These people are caring, compassionate and they actually solve problems of presidential guards, using monies from their own pockets,” an aggrieved security man said.
Daily Guide learnt that the guards, mostly hit by poor motivation, are the black-suited and sun-shade wearing officers in the Presidential Escort and Counter Intelligence units. The reports indicate that the officers who accompanied President John Atta Mills to the Farmers Day Celebration in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, in December last year, were given a paltry GH¢5 each as their per diem for almost a week in the north, which according to close associates of the security guards, is an affront to the invaluable sacrifices the officers are making to the state.
It was also learnt that the Muslims among the security guards were each given 5 kg bag of rice and a fowl, which cost about GH¢30, to celebrate the Islamic Eid festivities although Presidential spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, had asked for the release of GH¢7,000, out of which each Muslim was supposed to receive goodies worth more than GH¢100.
Some police officers in the group, Daily Guide was told, refused to take the mini bag rice and the fowls, describing the gifts as a betrayal of their unquestioned loyalty o the presidency, with only the military officers receiving the pittance for fear of being charged for mutiny.
The Presidential Guards, Daily Guide was further told, did not understand why the office of the National Security had overspent its budget of 2009 and yet security officers were not financially motivated, questioning what the huge expenditures were made on.
A document comprising expenditure returns for the period January to September 2009, prepared by the Office of Government Machinery (OGM), indicted that the office of National Security apparently exceeded its budget by over GH¢7million. | | > BACK to TOP < | Two seriously injured in accident on Winneba/Swedru road * Source: GNA | Two people were injured when their private car collided with a Metro Mass Transport Bus on the Winneba/Agona Swedru road on Monday.
A spokesman for the Winneba Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service said Mr Francis Dwamena and his wife were injured.
The spokesman said they were returning to Agona Swedru from Accra when his car burst a tyre and ran into the bus coming from the opposite direction.
It went under the bus and it took personnel from the Police and Fire Service about an hour to pull the car from underneath the bus. | | > BACK to TOP < | GH¢160m for road contractors * Source: Daily Graphic | Contractors whose payment has been in arrears from last year after executing projects on behalf of the state have been relieved of their frustration with the release of GH¢160 million by the government to clear the arrears.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has consequently asked the 25 contractors, most of them local ones, to come for their release letters on Monday, January 18, 2010 to be presented to the Controller and Accountant General for payment to be effected. This payment means a lot for the domestic economy, as it will help the contractors to meet their obligations to their creditors, mainly the financial institutions, and enable them to continue with more projects to create jobs.
At a meeting with contractors in Accra Monday, the Finance Minister said the swift payment had become necessary because of the importance the government attached to infrastructural development, as espoused in the 2010 Budget Statement.
“We want to move the economy forward quickly and we want to try as much as possible to make an impact on the road sector, which includes city, urban and feeder roads,” Dr Duffuor stated. The 2010 Budget basically hinges on infrastructural development to create jobs and bring about economic transformation.
Consequently, the minister said the government sympathises with the frustration of contractors who took contracts for which resources were not available. The huge arrears owed contractors are having a ripple effect on many sectors of the economy. First, the banks to whom the contractors are heavily indebted to have started making provisions for bad and doubtful debts, which will translate into lower profits and taxes and consequently lower employment and a contraction in the economy.
Dr Duffuor said the government was doing everything possible to clear all the road sector arrears pertaining to the consolidated Fund to pave the way for more infrastructural projects to take off this year. He also called for partnership with the contractors to resolve all outstanding contractors to resolve all outstanding issues and difficulties to advance the cause of infrastructural development in the country.
The government spelt out a strategy in 2010 Budget to liquidate the arrears. They include various domestic sources, coupled with development partners lending. The present funding is entirely from domestic borrowing, with some budgetary allocation, and forms part of the execution of the 2010 Budget.
The contractors welcomed the government’s decision to liquidate the arrears and appealed to it to also look at other arrears relating to contracts awarded from the Road Fund.
Dr Duffuor assured them that the issue would be tackled at his subsequent meeting with the contractors in the spirit of partnership to move the economy forward. | | > BACK to TOP < | Ghana, Nigeria Consider Exchange Of Prisoners * Source: The Ghanaian Times | Ghana and Nigeria are considering a Nigerian proposal on a possible exchange of prisoners between the two countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni disclosed this in Accra yesterday, when the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Madueke, paid a courtesy call on him.
He neither elaborated on the issue nor explained its objective. The Minister did also not say how many prisoners are in each other’s country.
Chief Madueke who was accompanied by an eight-member delegation including the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said his visit was to promote bilateral co-operation especially in the area of trade.
The two sides discussed, behind closed doors, the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project, provision of oil at concessionary rate to Ghana and training of Ghana technicians in the oil industry. The meeting also reviewed Ghana-Nigeria relations.
Chief Madueke said Ghana and Nigeria had to set the pace for Africa’s integration agenda by promoting trade between them. He said the trade agreements between Ghana and Nigeria needed to go beyond paper agreements and must be translated into concrete actions to ensure easy movement of goods and services between the two countries.
That, he noted, would improve the economic conditions of citizens of the two nations. He pointed out that whatever affected Ghana had equal repercussions on Nigeria and therefore avenues should be created for citizens of the two countries to trade in other’s country without any hindrance. Chief Madueke commended Ghana for its democratic credentials, stressing the way and manner in which the transition of one government to another was handled, indicating that Ghana’s democracy had come to stay.
Alhaji Mumuni, on his part stressed the need to deepen bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the two countries. He said Ghana and Nigeria had had long standing co-operation which “date back to history.” The two countries, he said, played major roles in establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Such fruitful relationship, the Minister said should be harnessed not only for the mutual benefit of the two countries but also for the sub-region at large. | | > BACK to TOP < | Fuel Shortage Hits Yendi Municipality * Source: GNA | The Yendi Municipality has been hard hit by fuel shortage particularly petrol for close to a month. The situation is gradually grounding the area’s socio-economic activities to a sharp halt.
Explaining the situation, Hon. Walvis Mahama Adama Hudi, Yendi Municipal Chief Executive attributed the shortage to the activities of smugglers popularly called “Kalabule” operating in the municipality.
He alleged that the smugglers took advantage of Ghana’s perceived fuel shortage somewhere November last year and connived with filling station operators in the area to hoard fuel products especially petrol which they acquired in large quantities and were selling at exorbitant prices to users.
Upon a tip off, “The Municipal Security Committee which I am the Chairman mobilized security operatives in the municipality to flush out the smugglers who monopolized fuel delivery around that time by intensifying checks at the entry points,” Hon. Walvice explained.
The Yendi Municipal Chief Executive said the fuel shortage was affecting his office’s development agenda but that stringent efforts have been made to get enough fuel commodities to meet the high demand.
Hon. Walvice hinted that the assembly has placed premium on peace management and conflict resolution and that his office is creating more job opportunities to engage the services of the unemployed youth.
This intervention in his estimation will disengage the attention of idle youth from activities that rekindle the unfortunate age long protracted Abudu and Andani chieftaincy dispute in Yendi. | | > BACK to TOP < | Takoradi Timber Coys In Battle Over GH¢65,850 Debt * Source: The Chronicle /Ghana | The management of Fidey Company Limited, a Takoradi based timber company, has filed contempt charges against their counterparts from ASD Lumber Company Limited, also a timber processing company based in Sekondi-Takoradi, for disobeying the orders of a Sekondi High Court to auction its assets to offset a GH¢65, 850 debt it owes the former.
Fidey brought an action at the court against ASD, which took over the management of Western Veneer and Company Limited (WVLC), for failing to settle the GH¢65,850 it owes.
Though Fidey won the case, ASD still failed to settle the debt, compelling the creditors to file a writ of FIFA at the same court for the seizure and auction of properties of the company to pay the debt, a request which was granted by the court, which went further to fix December 23, last year, for the auctioning of the properties.
Among the equipment to be auctioned were two OTT compressor machines, three oven heaters, four plywood cutters, a generator plant, two dryer machines, and six pillars. The Chronicle gathered that when the auctioneer, bailiffs and two police personnel went to the premises of the ASD on the agreed date to auction the aforementioned items, they were prevented by the management from undertaking the legally-sanctioned duty.
The management of ASD, led by one Mr. George Sancherey, prevented them from entering the premises of the company to auction the properties on grounds that the company was government-owned, therefore no one would be allowed entry, as was written on the gate of the company
As a result, the bailiffs, auctioneer and the two police personnel were not allowed entry into the company. The three have already filed their report back to the court, while sources at the court confirmed the story to The Chronicle when contacted.
The auctioneer, Mr. Calvis Okine, who was to carry out the auction, in his report to the court mentioned George Sancherey, together with Kofi Atta, Opoku Agyemang, Frimpong Manso, among others, as people who prevented him from carrying out his duty.
The unhealthy development has compelled Fidey to file contempt charges against Nana Ampaabeng and George Sancherey, first and second defendant respectively, who are management members of ASD. Fidey is praying the court to commit the two into prison for contempt of court. According to counsel for Fidey, the conduct of the two and their agents in interfering with the course of justice, constitute a grievous interference with the administration of justice, and has brought the authority of the court into disrepute and disrespect.
“That unless committed to prison, the respondents will continue to show disrespect for judicial authority,” Fidey argued.
The court would hear the contempt charges on January 14th this year. ASD Lumber, according to the Chronicle sources, is also indebted to three companies in the region to the tune of GH¢149,000 in fuel, logs and vehicular tyres supplied to the company. The companies are Asona Timbers, NOBCO and Bikat Company Limited. Management sources at the above mentioned companies confirmed the company’s indebtedness to the Chronicle. | | | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | Archived News for 2010 | | * Tuesday, 12 January 2010 | - Castle Security in tears over cash - Two seriously injured in accident on Winneba/Swedru road - GH¢160m for road contractors - Ghana, Nigeria Consider Exchange Of Prisoners - Fuel Shortage Hits Yendi Municipality - Takoradi Timber Coys In Battle Over GH¢65,850 Debt - Tomato Glut Hits Brong Ahafo - Hanah Bisiw Exposes Pure Water Operator | | | Go to 11.01.2010 Go to 10.01.2010 Go to 09.01.2010 Go to 08.01.2010 Go to 07.01.2010 Go to 06.01.2010 Go to 05.01.2010 Go to 04.01.2010 | | Your REPORT Your STORIES * Your PHOTOS PUBLISH NOW! | 
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| | | | * 12.01.2010 | Tomato Glut Hits Brong Ahafo *Source: Eric Bawah / Daily Guide | Tomato farmers in the Brong Ahafo region are in a limbo, following a glut of the vegetable in the region.
Some farmers have even refused to harvest the vegetables, claiming that “it is better to leave them to rot on the fields rather than to spend time and money to harvest due to the unacceptable prices being offered by business women.”
As at the time of filing this report, a crate of tomatoes was selling at GH¢8 at the Techiman market. Farmers who went for loans to cultivate tomatoes are in a fix because they are finding it difficult to pay their loans. As a result, some farmers have committed suicide while others are running away to avoid arrest by creditors.
Several young men and women have also left their towns and villages, with others traveling to Libya through the desert.Business in tomato growing areas like Akomadan, Afrancho, Derma, Bechem, Tuobodom, Techimantia and others has gone down drastically.
When this reporter visited Tuobodom, a major tomato producing area in the Techiman Municipality, several crates of tomatoes were sighted along the main road of the town. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in an interview, Akwasi Takyia, a 48-year-old tomato farmer, said he had never experienced such calamity.
He noted that the only year that the farmers experienced such a glut was in 1987, adding that there were buyers in that particular year. Mr. Takyia appealed to the government to complete the Techiman tomato factory, which was started by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to prevent such situations in future.
“If the factory starts to operate, farmers in Brong Ahafo Region would be able to supply it with the raw materials all year round,” he added. Madam Abena Nsiah who sells tomatoes at the Techiman market told CITY& BUSINESS GUIDE that all her working capital had gone into the selling of tomatoes.
“I pay the school fees of my three children in the senior high school because I am a widow; but as it stands now, things will be difficult for me when school re-opens. “Businesswomen travel from Accra to Burkina Faso to purchase tomatoes, claiming that tomatoes from Burkina Faso are durable,” she stressed.
A businesswoman, Naa Adortey told this paper that farmers in Burkina Faso use a particular type of chemical to spray their vegetables to make them more resistant to the hash whether | | > BACK to TOP < | | | | | | |
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