Seth J. Bokpe's Ghana Newsreel

William K Asilejoe and John Malm The vigilance of an informant at Ashale-Botwe in Accra has resulted in the arrest of two suspected armed robbers. The informant, who had spotted the suspects breaking into cars and stealing from them called the Adenta District Police Commander, DSP Stephen K. Ahiatafu, while he monitored the activities of the robbers. The suspects, John Malm and William Kuku Asilejoe, both 40 years, realising that the informant was trailing them, turned their vehicle around and drove directly to where the informant was in an attempt to kill him but he managed to escape unhurt. The Adenta District Police Commander, DSP Ahiatafu, told journalists in Accra that he received a call from an informant on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at about 4.30 pm that a group of armed robbers in a VW Golf 4, with registration number GE 2445-10, was breaking into cars along the Ashale-Botwe-Nmai Djorn road. He said since he was not far from the area the informant described, he set off to

The traders scrambling for space THE movement of traders from the Novotel Park to the Odawna Pedestrian Shopping Mall yesterday was characterised by blows and verbal exchanges as the women scrambled for positions to sell their wares. Using cement blocks, plywood, tables, chairs, clothes and even their own bodies, the women demarcated their positions. In the ensuing melee, chairs and tables flew around, accompanied by physical and verbal brawls. The market women, who took over the offloading bay meant for trucks to deliver goods, accused the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) of discrimination. They contended that even though the AMA had assured them of a place to settle, they were refused entry into the main market. However, others told the Daily Graphic that the main market had no space to contain all of them, hence the need to find places outside. The main market was, however, calm, with the traders going about their business in an orderly manner. Some of the stalls remain

Some sympathisers of Rita Marley salvaging some of the  musical instruments from being destroyed by the fire A Fierce fire has reduced the Aburi-Gyankama music recording studio and residence of Mrs Rita Marley, the wife of the legendary reggae music icon, Bob Marley, into a pile of rubble. There were no casualties. It took personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) more than four hours to bring the fire, which began at 6 p.m. on Saturday, under control. Even though the immediate cause of the fire could not be ascertained, some sources blamed it on electrical fault. An eyewitness who gave his name as Emmanuel Sackey said he was with Mrs Marley, after some people had been there to interview her, when the fire started from the main studio. "We managed to put it out with water but later realised that the room was filled with smoke and so we rushed to the office of the fire service at Mampong," he said. Mr Sackey said it took more than two trips to the offi

Minister of Education, Alex Tetteh-Enyo THE Chairman of the University of Education Governing Council, Okofo Amoako Bondam III, has advised policy makers to depoliticise the country's educational system in order not to jeopardise the future of generations. "Effective and results-oriented educational reforms involve more than merely changing names and titles of institutions and altering the duration of academic programmes," he stated. Okofo Bondam was speaking at the maiden Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Salvation Army Senior High School (SHS) at Akim Wenchi in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region. The event was on the theme, "The Educational Reform: Challenges and opportunities for a developing school in a rural setting". Okofo Bondam, who was the quest speaker, decried the frequent changes the educational system had undergone over the past three decades, describing the result as disastrous. He questioned the rationale behind the curren

A GH¢55,000 kindergarten classroom block has been inaugurated at NmaiDjorn in the Adenta municipality. The project, which was initiated by the Assembly Member for the area,Mrs Gladys G.N. Tetteh, and financed by Trassaco Estate Development Company Limited (TEDCL), has an office, a storeroom, a sleeping bayand a toilet facility. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, said education remained the pillar on which the nation could progress,hence the need to provide the needed environment to promote quality teaching and learning. He urged parents to complement the efforts of teachers not only by way of instilling discipline in their children but also inculcating the spirit of scholarship in them. He commended the assembly member for the initiative, saying, “Women have a special place in the development of this nation and, therefore, we need to empower more women like you in the decision-making process.” M

President Laurent Gbagbo The Cote d’Ivoire Embassy in Accra has launched an Industrial Trade Fair to pave way for preparations to mark the Golden Jubilee celebration of the country in Ghana. The fair, among other objectives is expected to nurture partnerships between the two countries as a means of boosting trade and also promote the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire Co-operation with the view of improving the quality and the competitiveness of cocoa production and marketing. The Fair which is on theme: “Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana working together towards a sustainable Cocoa economy, ” will be held from August 21 to September 1, 2010. The Embassy is also organising a workshop for the business community in Ghana on the investment opportunities in Cote d’Ivoire Launching the Fair, the Ivorian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Emmanuel Auguste Ackah, stated that the choice of Ghana “ is an eloquent expression of the strong desire of the Ivorian government to strengthen and deepen the bonds of friendship and bro

THREE suspected armed robbers yesterday gave false information to the Police Information Room in Accra to divert a police patrol team to a location about six kilometres away from the robbery scene and succeeded in carrying out a robbery spree at Adenta. One of the victims was critically wounded as the gunmen attacked four houses in succession and escaped with their booty before the arrival of the patrol team. The victim is in critical condition at the 37 Military Hospital. The incident, which took place at Adenta Housing Down about 1.30 a.m., had the armed robbers calling the police under the pretext of giving them information on another armed robbery going on at Ashale-Botwe, which is about six kilometres from the area of their operation. The IGP-Paul Tawiah Quaye In response to the wrong information to the Police Information Room, three separate patrol teams were dispatched to comb the Ashale-Botwe area, thereby giving the robbers the leeway to scale walls and attack their vic

 In a move to enhance increased efficiency in the media, the government, beginning this year, is to award scholarship to media personnel to promote specialised reportage in Ghana. The Minister of Information, Mr John Tia Akologo , who made this known at the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop on water resource management in Accra for media personnel, indicated that the government also intended to institute an award for the Best Pro-Development Journalist as part of the Ghana Journalists Association ( GJA ) awards scheme this year. The workshop, which is on the theme: “The contribution of big water infrastructures in the sustainable development of countries in West Information Minister John Tia Akologo Africa”, brought together more than 40 journalists and policy makers in the water sector from the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) sub-region. The workshop, which is a collaboration between the European Commission and the Global Water Partnership ( GWP ),

THE delays in transacting business at the Tema port and corruption on the Tema-Ouagadougou route have been found to be the major impediments to promoting competitive trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso. According to a study by the West Africa Trade Hub (WATH), a non-governmental organisation with a focus on removing trade barriers in West Africa, delays in Tema remained the major bottleneck on importation, as almost half the standard time and                                                                                         Trade Minister, Hannah Tetteh more than half the additional delays occurred during the port clearing process. The study, the 11th in the series of other studies in the sub-region aimed at lowering transport cost, conducted in the last quarter of 2009, also found that bribes paid at road barriers amounted to less than 10 per cent of the total amount of bribes paid by traders on imports. The USAID sponsored study, which forms part of the WATH’s Improve

Tourism Minister, Zita Okaikoi THE German Government has expressed its commitment to support the establishment of a tourism academy at Axim in the Western Region. The academy will help train Ghanaians and ultimately help to develop skills in the hospitality industry because of the oil discovery in that part of the country. In that regard, the German Embassy is collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism and the necessary agencies to work out the form the assistance would take. The Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Ghana, Mr Hans Christian Winkler, made this known when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, to discuss possible areas of co-operation between Ghana and Germany in the tourism sector. He said Germany had one of the biggest tourism economies in the world and expressed his country’s preparedness to assist Ghana in its quest to develop the sector and make it more vibrant. Mr Winkler expressed the German Government’s interes

THE Greater Accra regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey has advised members of the Regional National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and police committees to be incorruptible, transparent and fair in the discharge of their duties. Nii Ashitey gave the advice at the inauguration of the two committees in Accra. He said the security challenges confronting the region required a high sense of commitment, dedication and professionalism. Article 204 (1) of the 1992 Constitution mandates the formation of Regional Police Committee made of experts from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, the district assemblies the Ghana Bar Association, the Atorney-General’s Department and the Regional House of Chiefs, to bring experiences and expert advice to ensure that peace and security prevail in the region. The Regional NADMO Committee on the other hand was established by Act 517 of 1996 and is expected to offer recommendations on how to control the perennial floods and

Churches in the country have been urged to use their influence to promote youth empowerment for national development. The Chairman of the Accra Presbytery of the Global Evangelical Church, Rev. Christian Fred Worlali Gbekor, made the call at the 36th Accra Presbytery Representatives’ Conference in Accra. The three-day conference brought together more than 200 church leaders in the presbytery to deliberate on issues concerning the growth of the church, review strategies and also make recommendations for the way forward. Rev. Gbekor said "a nation that neglects its youth does so at its own detriment. The entire nation, society and the church must put youth programmes at the forefront to enable the youth take their rightful place in society". He said the youth had a lot to offer as stewards and to benefit from their diverse expertise, there was the need to understand their concerns and link up with them. He said as part of measures to revive and promote evangelism

In a move to enhance increased efficiency in the media, the government, beginning this year, is to award scholarship to media personnel to promote specialised reportage in Ghana. The Minister of Information, Mr John Tia Akologo, who made this known at the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop on water resource management in Accra for media personnel, indicated that the government also intended to institute an award for the Best Pro-Development Journalist as part of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards scheme this year. The workshop, which is on the theme: “The contribution of big water infrastructures in the sustainable development of countries in West Africa”, brought together more than 40 journalists and policy makers in the water sector from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region. The workshop, which is a collaboration between the European Commission and the Global Water Partnership (GWP), has objectives including informing and se

The billboard which crashed onto the High Street in Accra. INSET: A classroom block at Ofankor which had its roof ripped off by the rainstorm THE vulnerability of Accra to floods during rainstorms manifested again yesterday when parts of the city and its streets were deeply submerged in water after two hours of stormy rains. In some other parts, trees and a mighty advertising billboard belonging to Coca-Cola were uprooted, slamming onto busy streets but with no casualty recorded. Some buildings also had their roofs ripped off, especially at Ofankor, where some primary school pupils were injured. On the High Street in Accra, close to the Old Parliament House, the Coca-Cola billboard was uprooted and slammed onto the road, affecting traffic flow. An eyewitness told the Daily Graphic that the giant billboard crashed onto the road during the storm but fortunately disaster was avoided because there was no vehicle or person where and when it fell. The two-hour rain, which started

A disturbance, similar to what led to the desecration of the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church at Mamprobi, has hit the Mamprobi branch of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church with which the Martyrs of Uganda Church shares a wall. A call for accountability in the management of the church’s funds and the reaction to it by the Parish Pastor, Rev Dickson Tetteh, has resulted in a call for the removal of the pastor. Members of the church have accused Rev Tetteh of invoking a curse on them after a communion service on Sunday, May 9, 2010 and are, therefore, demanding his immediate removal by the church hierarchy. Rev Tetteh was alleged to have described those members of the church who were demanding accountability as "agents of doom" for spreading false rumours about the church administration and the management of church funds. Even though church service took place on Sunday, May 16, 2010 without any incident, some agitated youth outside the church auditorium told the Dail

The European Union (EU) has committed GH¢3.24 million to support capacity building programmes for the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) project. The EU financial assistance is an intervention under the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP)-EU Energy Facility, which is aimed at increasing access to sustainable and affordable energy services for people living in ACP countries, including Ghana. The support programme, which started in September 2009, will end in 2012. The WAPP is a means by which member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have decided to come together to pool their electricity recourses to provide cheaper and quality electrical power to their citizens. Opening a training programme in Tema for some 43 electrical engineers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Gambia, the Head of Infrastructure Development of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, Mr Jannik Vaa, said clean and efficient energy remained vital to reaching the goals of the West African

THE Women Fellowship of the Sakaman Methodist Church has donated items, food and toiletries to the inmates of the Weija Leprosarium. The donation forms part of activities marking the 15th anniversary celebration of the fellowship. Making the donation, the President of the fellowship, Mrs Mary Osei-Baidoo, said the donation was to demonstrate the group's support for and solidarity with the inmates and added, 'very often, we tend to forget you but rest assured that our visits and prayers would be more than before". She said as Christians, the least the members of the fellowship could do was not only to pray for them, but also contribute in their small ways to cater for the needs of the inmates. Mrs Osei-Baidoo urged individuals, corporate institutions and groups to support the inmates in order to improve their living condition at the leprosarium. The Resident Pastor of the church, Reverend Philip Norgbodzi, said it was important for the church to pray for the inmates’

The newly appointed Party Education Director of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Thomas Maxwell Aidoo, has said "2012 is a make or break for the CPP.” “We must make ourselves relevant to the political landscape or forever remain in the wilderness", he told the Daily Graphic in an interview. Sharing his ideas on how to make the CPP viable and strong, he called for a consented effort to increase the party's seats in parliament in the 2012 general election in order to improve the party's presidential fortunes in subsequent elections. Dr Aidoo, who is also a Research Fellow of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, said the party recorded some significant figures in some constituencies at the parliamentary level, hence the need to concentrate on such constituencies and win at least 30 seats. According to him, winning more parliamentary seats will enable the party win either the 2016 or 2020 elections, adding "we can form the next go

THE Aburi Girls’ Old Students Association, Class of 1985, last Monday put smiles on the faces of patients and medical staff of the by donating items worth GH¢5,700. The donation formed part of activities marking the Silver Jubilee of the group which will be climaxed by a speech and prize-giving day on May 29, 2010. The items included cartons of assorted soap and detergents, mosquito repellents and antiseptics, toilet rolls, brooms, mops, buckets, bread and cotton wool. Presenting the items, the President of the group, Mrs Uriel Andoh, said it was motivated to assist the hospital because of “the special care given us whenever we were referred to the hospital while we were in school. We want to show our appreciation for your dedicated service to us for all these years.” She said the hospital remained very dear to the hearts of the alumni of the school because it played a crucial role in promoting the health of the students. “It is our hope that the hospital will continue to render

A Science Resource Centre aimed at promoting the teaching and learning of Physics and related subjects has been inaugurated at the Ada Senior High School in the Dangbe East District of the Greater Accra Region. The centre, which is known as the UK Institute of Physic Ada Centre, is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education and the UK Institute of Physics, and has facilities such as Physics and Chemistry laboratories, an Information Communication Technology Laboratory, Biology and Electronics laboratories. The centre is aimed at promoting the use of practical equipment in the teaching of Physics, electronics and ICT, enhancing the competence level of teachers in the teaching of Physics, Electronics and ICT as the participation of girls in the study of ICT. The centre, which is the first of its kind in West Africa and the second in Africa after Rwanda, also has facilities for the fabrication and repair of science equipment and is expected to ultimately serve as a m

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has threatened a mass sit-down strike in the Greater Accra Region, if its grievances concerning the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system are not addressed. The union said its engagement with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had yielded no fruit because the AMA was bent on imposing its wishes and position on the union without taking the union’s interest into consideration. At a meeting with the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, yesterday to discuss the concerns of the GPRTU on the BRT, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, Alhaji Issah Tetteh, said “no consensus has been reached on the matter with the AMA because at all our meetings with them, they always impose what they think on us”. Last week, the GPRTU, at a press conference, cautioned against the implementation of the project, saying it was a calculated attempt to stifle the private road transport sector, especially intra-city transport. A meeting sched

Unilever Ghana has launched its latest oral hygiene campaign aimed at encouraging day and night brushing of teeth in Ghana. Known as the “The Close-Up Day and Night Brushing Campaign,” the initiative is to empower parents to turn what could often be described as tortuous moments of getting children to brush, into enjoyable yet educative experience. The campaign revolves around two characters, Max and Oliver, a father and son, who share tips and tricks on making tooth brushing enjoyable, rather than the nightly torture for both parents and children. It would feature a series of television, radio, outdoor and print educative advertisements which would run throughout the year. The campaign, which is a collaboration between Unilever Ghana and the Ghana Dental Association (GDA), will take patrons through the journey of Max who uses humour to educate his son, Oliver, while brushing his teeth, especially at night. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Mr Akofa Ata, the Head of Unilever

Zain Ghana, in furtherance of its commitment to improving the quality of life of the underprivileged, has registered 400 head porters (Kayayei) for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The porters, who are members of the Ghana Kayayei Association (GKA), had been presented with their identification cards at a ceremony in Accra. The project forms part of the sponsorship package offered the association when its founder, Mr Michael Wempare Alongya, a Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officer, was awarded in Zain’s life changing flagship programme-“Touching Lives.” For his effort at educating young girls in the three Northern regions and discouraging them from migrating to Accra and other parts of the country in search of non-existing jobs, the Zain Touching Lives Team rewarded Mr Alongyah with a generator, a projector and screen, a set of public address systems and sewing machines to enable him carry on with his awareness creation programme. Zain is also supporting

MEMBERS of the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church at Mamprobi in Accra yesterday received a rude shock when they turned up for worship only to find the sanctity of their church desecrated with human excreta and offensive posters by unknown persons. The act was said to have been carried out at 3 a.m. in protest against some policies and demands of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, who was expected at the church for a confirmation service. The first church service, which was to begin at 7 a.m., was delayed, as the members had to wait for the mess and the strong stench which filled the air to be cleansed. The service eventually took place without any incident. When the area was tidied up, normal service was held and Archbishop Palmer-Buckle was on hand for the confirmation which was done during the second service. In his sermon, the Archbishop made a brief reference to the incident and promised that the issue would be dealt with by the Paris

The Junior Achievement (JA) Ghana, a non-profit making organisation with youth empowerment as the core of its work, has inaugurated its board of directors with a pledge to promote youth development through entrepreneurship, financial literacy and working skills. Founded in the United States of America in 1919, JA is dedicated to imparting business and economic values to young people and is currently reaching about 9.7 million youth in 123 countries around the world. With the support of more than 300,000 volunteers from business and community organisations, the organisation has served as a catalyst in bringing real world business knowledge and hands-on experience to young people around the world. In Africa, the organisation has reached more than 130,000 students in 18 countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Togo. In Ghana, the relationship between JA , educators and the corporate leaders has ensured that over 10,000 youth in more than 80 schools or institutions acro

THE war of words between members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) over the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system degenerated into an open scuffle at the premises of the AMA yesterday. No injuries were reported but things turned violent when about 200 angry protesters from the GPRTU, intent on forcing their way into the offices of the AMA, engaged armed policemen who had been detailed there to maintain the peace in mass wrestling. The angry drivers, clad in red, carried placards some of which read, "We say No to BRT", "We won't agree for you to take our jobs" and "We no go sit down make you cheat us always, daabi". They contended that the AMA had invited them to its office to deliberate on the concerns the GPRTU had raised against the implementation of the BRT and so did not understand why the same AMA should hire armed policemen to deny drivers access to the venue of the meeti