By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Obuasi.
THE Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr John E.K. Ackon, has commended orthodox churches in the country for their high development spirit.
He acknowledged that since about two centuries ago, the orthodox churches had partnered the government in its development drive to raise the living standards of the people.
The MCE recalled the numerous projects and infrastructure the Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic and the Anglican churches had undertaken, and said this had reduced these burden of government.
“Over 40 per cent of educational institutions belong to those churches which had been a stepping stone for most highly placed citizens. And still they are not relenting,” he said.
Mr Ackon made the commendation at the inauguration of the New Estate Emmanuel Presbyterian Church at Obuasi.
The branch becomes the 33rd assembly in the Obuasi Municipality under Catechist Ibrahim Owusu.
The inaugural ceremony was conducted by the Resident Minister, Rev. Patrick Amoaning Boamah, under the chairmanship of Nana Antwi, an Obuasi-based contractor.
Mr Ackon urged new churches to chart a new course by ensuring that the poor among their congregation experienced some improvement in their lives.
In his inaugural sermon, Rev Boamah advised Christians not to be in haste for material possessions to the neglect of their soul and spirit.
Preaching the theme; “Go and bring the lost.” Rev Boamah said there was happiness in winning souls for God.
He noted that even though Jesus’ mission was limited to Israel, it was time Christians went to every corner of the world to proclaim the Word, saying “Christians must discuss Jesus,”
The Reverend Minister led the congregation in prayers for the President, ministers of state, members of parliament, the Presbyterian Church and the Moderator, Rev. Yaw Frimpong Manson.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
WATER SUPPLY IN ASHANTI IMPROVES (BACK PAGE)
COVERAGE of water supply in the Ashanti Region has now hit 71 per cent, the highest in the country, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, has said.
This notwithstanding, the Regional Minister said much more efforts would be made at improving the coverage.
Addressing an orientation workshop on water and sanitation in Kumasi last Tuesday, Mr Opoku-Manu said 26 pipe systems and 2,500 boreholes were being constructed to further improve on the water supply in the region.
The workshop, which was attended by metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) in the region, was on the theme; “Rural Water Delivery: Overcoming the Challenges.”
Mr Opoku-Manu commended the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for playing an instrumental role in achieving that feat of 71 per cent water coverage in the region.
In spite of the achievements made in water delivery, the Ashanti Regional Minister said there were still some teething challenges which needed to be addressed.
He said some communities were unable to honour payment of five per cent counterpart funding required for water delivery projects while other district assemblies and households lacked commitment and some contractors also had delayed.
Mr Opoku-Manu asked the assemblies that had defaulted in the payment of their counterpart funding for the provision of potable water under the CWSA project to do well to settle it.
He also urged the MMDCEs to take personal interest in the project and ensure that all aspects of the project were given due attention.
He said the CWSA was doing its part of the implementation arrangement, but MMDCEs, who were at the receiving end, should contribute their quota for the success of the programme.
Mr Kusi Appiah, the Regional Co-ordinating Director, who chaired the workshop, urged the participants to take the workshop seriously because, as he said, “water is life”, and the seriousness they attached to the workshop would influence the communities to also play their expected roles.
This notwithstanding, the Regional Minister said much more efforts would be made at improving the coverage.
Addressing an orientation workshop on water and sanitation in Kumasi last Tuesday, Mr Opoku-Manu said 26 pipe systems and 2,500 boreholes were being constructed to further improve on the water supply in the region.
The workshop, which was attended by metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) in the region, was on the theme; “Rural Water Delivery: Overcoming the Challenges.”
Mr Opoku-Manu commended the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for playing an instrumental role in achieving that feat of 71 per cent water coverage in the region.
In spite of the achievements made in water delivery, the Ashanti Regional Minister said there were still some teething challenges which needed to be addressed.
He said some communities were unable to honour payment of five per cent counterpart funding required for water delivery projects while other district assemblies and households lacked commitment and some contractors also had delayed.
Mr Opoku-Manu asked the assemblies that had defaulted in the payment of their counterpart funding for the provision of potable water under the CWSA project to do well to settle it.
He also urged the MMDCEs to take personal interest in the project and ensure that all aspects of the project were given due attention.
He said the CWSA was doing its part of the implementation arrangement, but MMDCEs, who were at the receiving end, should contribute their quota for the success of the programme.
Mr Kusi Appiah, the Regional Co-ordinating Director, who chaired the workshop, urged the participants to take the workshop seriously because, as he said, “water is life”, and the seriousness they attached to the workshop would influence the communities to also play their expected roles.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
33CARGO TRUCK DRIVERS FINED FOR OVERLOADING (PAGE 27, MIRROR, JULY 25, 2009)
From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi
A KUMASI Circuit Court (Ministries), has sentenced 33 cargo truck drivers to various fines ranging between GH¢200 and GH¢900 for overloading their trucks above the approved tonnage.
They have all pleaded guilty to the charges of overloading.They will serve prison sentences ranging from between six to 12 months with hard labour in default, depending on the excess weight being carried by each of the trucks.
The court ordered that the excess load be shed-off before the trucks are handed back to them. Items found on the vehicles included mining chemicals, assorted soft drinks, tubers of yam, bags of maize and iron rods.
A police prosecutor told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Eric Baah that the accused persons were arrested at the Akom Axel Weight bridge on the Offinso road between July 1 and July 3.
According to the prosecutor, loading above the stipulated weight of 10 tons the middle axel (hippo) weight is contrary to Regulation 46 (1) of the Legislative Instrument (LI) 953/74 and section 101 of Act 683/04. However, some vehicles carried excess of between one-and-half to two tons above and over the official weight thereby destroying the roads.
The worse offender was Baba Diara, a Malian driver of a DAF truck with registration number, B-3422-N3. At the weight bridge, it was discovered that his vehicle was excessively overloaded with extra 11.8 tons and consequently fined GH¢900
Diara’s truck was loaded with passengers and goods and was travelling from Kumasi to Wa in the Upper Western Region when it was intercepted at the weight bridge on the Offinso road.
A KUMASI Circuit Court (Ministries), has sentenced 33 cargo truck drivers to various fines ranging between GH¢200 and GH¢900 for overloading their trucks above the approved tonnage.
They have all pleaded guilty to the charges of overloading.They will serve prison sentences ranging from between six to 12 months with hard labour in default, depending on the excess weight being carried by each of the trucks.
The court ordered that the excess load be shed-off before the trucks are handed back to them. Items found on the vehicles included mining chemicals, assorted soft drinks, tubers of yam, bags of maize and iron rods.
A police prosecutor told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Eric Baah that the accused persons were arrested at the Akom Axel Weight bridge on the Offinso road between July 1 and July 3.
According to the prosecutor, loading above the stipulated weight of 10 tons the middle axel (hippo) weight is contrary to Regulation 46 (1) of the Legislative Instrument (LI) 953/74 and section 101 of Act 683/04. However, some vehicles carried excess of between one-and-half to two tons above and over the official weight thereby destroying the roads.
The worse offender was Baba Diara, a Malian driver of a DAF truck with registration number, B-3422-N3. At the weight bridge, it was discovered that his vehicle was excessively overloaded with extra 11.8 tons and consequently fined GH¢900
Diara’s truck was loaded with passengers and goods and was travelling from Kumasi to Wa in the Upper Western Region when it was intercepted at the weight bridge on the Offinso road.
Monday, July 20, 2009
FARMER KILLS 2, COMMITS SUICIDE (PAGE 31, JULY 17)
RESIDENTS of Akromaso, a farming community in the Ashanti Region, woke up to see a horrifying spectacle in which a farmer shot dead his wife and a pregnant sister-in-law before taking his own life.
The farmer, Yaw Boakye, 36, accused his wife, Afia Charity, 31, of infidelity, and that he was unable to keep sight of his wife conversing with two men at a funeral. He decided to end it all when he shot her and her sister, Janet Addai, with a double-barrelled gun before taking his life at a nearby village in the Adansi North District.
Boakye was alleged to have shot Janet in the midsection, spilling out the six-month-old foetus.
A source at the deceased women’s family told the Daily Graphic that the couple, who had a child from their marriage, lived at Akromaso.
About two weeks earlier, Boakye had asked his wife to prepare palm soup for him about 4 p.m.
Charity told him that time was far gone, and that since that type of soup took time to prepare, she could not prepare it.
Her refusal resulted in a heated argument between them, which angered Charity so much that she packed her belongings and left her matrimonial home for her parents’ at Biakwaso, near Fumso in the Adansi North District.
According to the source, Boakye was invited by his in-laws, who reached a “settlement” on the issues discussed.
Three days later, Charity returned to her husband at Akromaso and on July 9, 2009, the couple attended a funeral at a nearby village.
The source alleged that at the funeral ground, Charity chatted with some known men and friends, a development which infuriated Boakye.
On their return to their Akromaso home, Boakye, who was still burning with anger, accused his wife of having boyfriends and threatened to “teach her a lesson”.
So saying, he rushed to his room, pulled out a double-barrelled gun and fired at the woman from behind, killing her instantly.
As if that was not enough, Janet, who started yelling for help, also got her unfair share when the man turned the gun on her and shot her in the midsection, killing her instantly.
After that, Boakye escaped to Anwona with the gun and walked up and down the only street in the village.
The town folk, who were watching his moves, became suspicious and decided to confront him.
However, before the men could get closer, Boakye sat down on the ground, pointed the gun at his throat and pressed the trigger with his leg to end it all.
When contacted, the police at Fumso confirmed the incident and said the remains of the deceased persons had been sent to the morgue at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital pending the outcome of further investigations.
The farmer, Yaw Boakye, 36, accused his wife, Afia Charity, 31, of infidelity, and that he was unable to keep sight of his wife conversing with two men at a funeral. He decided to end it all when he shot her and her sister, Janet Addai, with a double-barrelled gun before taking his life at a nearby village in the Adansi North District.
Boakye was alleged to have shot Janet in the midsection, spilling out the six-month-old foetus.
A source at the deceased women’s family told the Daily Graphic that the couple, who had a child from their marriage, lived at Akromaso.
About two weeks earlier, Boakye had asked his wife to prepare palm soup for him about 4 p.m.
Charity told him that time was far gone, and that since that type of soup took time to prepare, she could not prepare it.
Her refusal resulted in a heated argument between them, which angered Charity so much that she packed her belongings and left her matrimonial home for her parents’ at Biakwaso, near Fumso in the Adansi North District.
According to the source, Boakye was invited by his in-laws, who reached a “settlement” on the issues discussed.
Three days later, Charity returned to her husband at Akromaso and on July 9, 2009, the couple attended a funeral at a nearby village.
The source alleged that at the funeral ground, Charity chatted with some known men and friends, a development which infuriated Boakye.
On their return to their Akromaso home, Boakye, who was still burning with anger, accused his wife of having boyfriends and threatened to “teach her a lesson”.
So saying, he rushed to his room, pulled out a double-barrelled gun and fired at the woman from behind, killing her instantly.
As if that was not enough, Janet, who started yelling for help, also got her unfair share when the man turned the gun on her and shot her in the midsection, killing her instantly.
After that, Boakye escaped to Anwona with the gun and walked up and down the only street in the village.
The town folk, who were watching his moves, became suspicious and decided to confront him.
However, before the men could get closer, Boakye sat down on the ground, pointed the gun at his throat and pressed the trigger with his leg to end it all.
When contacted, the police at Fumso confirmed the incident and said the remains of the deceased persons had been sent to the morgue at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital pending the outcome of further investigations.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
TWO JAILED 63 YEARS FOR ROBBERY (PAGE 34, JULY 13)
THE two suspects linked to the killing of former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, Samuel Enin, have each been sentenced to 63 years in prison with hard labour for their roles in various robberies spanning a period of seven years.
The convicts, Kwame Ayew, 25, and Sheriff Kabore, 24, both drivers, were handed the sentences when they appeared before the Kumasi High Court, presided over by Mr Justice K.A. Pobih, last Wednesday.
Ayew is already serving a 21-year jail term for a previous robbery case, bringing his total sentence to 84 years.
The two were members of a gang who terrorised residents of Kenyase, Buokrom and Pankrono in Kumasi.
The convicts will reappear before the court on July 24, 2000 on other robbery charges.
Already, the Attorney-General’s Department in Kumasi has indicated that it is almost ready to put the two before court for killing the former GJA regional chairman.
Two of their accomplices, Baba, alias Oldman, and Joshua, have been on the run since 2007.
The case of the prosecution was that at about 2 p.m. on December 25, last year, the complainant in the case went home at the Pankrono Estate with goods he had cleared from the Tema Port in two pick-ups.
While unloading the goods, the two robbers stood a distance as if they were conversing but watched what was going on in the house.
The following day, the convicts and one Haruna Issa attacked the house at gunpoint at night and took away the pick-ups, mobile phones, money and many other items. The complainant was assaulted in the process.
Ayew and Kabore were arrested and consequently arraigned on June 13, 2000 and remanded in custody.
On the day that Ayew was arrested, several victims identified him as one of those who robbed them.
The prosecution said on January 31, 2007 the accused persons once again attacked and robbed a couple at Adabraka-Kumasi of a pump-action gun, mobile phones, cash and several other valuable items and used the gun to rob one Shettu who eventually was able to recognise Ayew.
Sensing danger, the two robbers went into hiding but they were eventually arrested from their hideout, a place between Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and Wa in the Upper West Region.
The convicts, Kwame Ayew, 25, and Sheriff Kabore, 24, both drivers, were handed the sentences when they appeared before the Kumasi High Court, presided over by Mr Justice K.A. Pobih, last Wednesday.
Ayew is already serving a 21-year jail term for a previous robbery case, bringing his total sentence to 84 years.
The two were members of a gang who terrorised residents of Kenyase, Buokrom and Pankrono in Kumasi.
The convicts will reappear before the court on July 24, 2000 on other robbery charges.
Already, the Attorney-General’s Department in Kumasi has indicated that it is almost ready to put the two before court for killing the former GJA regional chairman.
Two of their accomplices, Baba, alias Oldman, and Joshua, have been on the run since 2007.
The case of the prosecution was that at about 2 p.m. on December 25, last year, the complainant in the case went home at the Pankrono Estate with goods he had cleared from the Tema Port in two pick-ups.
While unloading the goods, the two robbers stood a distance as if they were conversing but watched what was going on in the house.
The following day, the convicts and one Haruna Issa attacked the house at gunpoint at night and took away the pick-ups, mobile phones, money and many other items. The complainant was assaulted in the process.
Ayew and Kabore were arrested and consequently arraigned on June 13, 2000 and remanded in custody.
On the day that Ayew was arrested, several victims identified him as one of those who robbed them.
The prosecution said on January 31, 2007 the accused persons once again attacked and robbed a couple at Adabraka-Kumasi of a pump-action gun, mobile phones, cash and several other valuable items and used the gun to rob one Shettu who eventually was able to recognise Ayew.
Sensing danger, the two robbers went into hiding but they were eventually arrested from their hideout, a place between Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and Wa in the Upper West Region.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
MANAGE WATER RESOURCES WELL (PAGE 31, JUNE 30)
THE Public Relations Officer of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Mrs Adwoa Munkua Dako, has urged Ghanaians to manage water resources in the best interest of the nation and its socio-economic development for now and the future.
She said there was growing demand and competition for the use of water in the areas of agriculture, hydro-power production, consumption and ecosystem sustainability.
“All these demands apart, God has not created any new rivers but the same quantity, even though populations keep growing, so we need to protect the rivers,” Mrs Dako said at the opening of a water resources management workshop at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
She observed that water was also decreasing due to variability in the rainfall pattern, drought, environmental degradation, the draining of wetlands and pollution, which kills water bodies, and called for its use with maximum efficiency at all times.
Fresh water, she said, was a finite and vulnerable resource essential for sustaining life, development and the environment and called for a participatory approach involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels, including its management at the lowest appropriate level.
Speaking on the role of women in the use of water, Mrs Dako said women played a key role in the collection of water and, therefore, called for measures to make them aware of how to use water with care.
The Water Quality Specialist of the WRC, Mrs Adjoa Paintsil, said every human being should have enough clean water for drinking, appropriate sanitation and enough food at reasonable cost.
She said there was growing demand and competition for the use of water in the areas of agriculture, hydro-power production, consumption and ecosystem sustainability.
“All these demands apart, God has not created any new rivers but the same quantity, even though populations keep growing, so we need to protect the rivers,” Mrs Dako said at the opening of a water resources management workshop at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
She observed that water was also decreasing due to variability in the rainfall pattern, drought, environmental degradation, the draining of wetlands and pollution, which kills water bodies, and called for its use with maximum efficiency at all times.
Fresh water, she said, was a finite and vulnerable resource essential for sustaining life, development and the environment and called for a participatory approach involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels, including its management at the lowest appropriate level.
Speaking on the role of women in the use of water, Mrs Dako said women played a key role in the collection of water and, therefore, called for measures to make them aware of how to use water with care.
The Water Quality Specialist of the WRC, Mrs Adjoa Paintsil, said every human being should have enough clean water for drinking, appropriate sanitation and enough food at reasonable cost.
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