From Tim Dzamboe, Dzodze
The anti-human trafficking desk of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at Aflao has intercepted 39 teenage girls being trafficked within the West African sub-region with one from Chinese origin.
The victims were from Togo, Nigeria and Ghana, while six suspected Chinese traffickers and a Ghanaian were being held.
The Aflao Sector Commander of the GIS, Mr Thomas Antong, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of a two-day human trafficking sensitisation workshop organised by the GIS Migration Management Bureau for immigration officers, police, Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) at the White Dove Hotel in Dzodze last weekend.
It was organised by the Migration Management Bureau (MMB) of the GIS with funding from the United Nation Children’s and Education Fund (UNICEF).
He said Ghana was rated under the three categories of origin, transit and destination of human trafficking and that the country was among 161 affected globally with 127 identified as countries of origin, 98 as transit and 137 as destination points.
According to him, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated that 2.4 million people were victims of trafficking from 1995 to 2005 and that the United States Department of State had stated that one million children were exploited by global commercial sex trade every year.
Mr Antong, therefore, said the GIS at Aflao was bent on enhancing the skills of officers in anti-human trafficking and fostering collaboration with other stakeholders in order to get tough with traffickers, and added that victims were assured of professional care and referral.
“ The public is being informed that the recruiter, transporter as well as users are liable under the Human Trafficking Act”, he stressed.
He said trafficking required the participation, cooperation and support of the public in order to curb it and called on the Department of Social Welfare, non-governmental organisations, traditional authorities, religious organisations, transporters, market women and schools to get on board in order to protect people.
Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, the Assistant Director of the MMB of GIS at Aflao, Miss Judith Dzokoto, said human trafficking had become a menace that denied many people their basic rights.
She said the GIS occupied a key position in the trade, especially with respect to their duties at the entry and exit points of the country, and called for the cooperation of every citzen in the anti-trafficking chain in order to manage the anti-human trafficking desk very well.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
MP SUPPORTS VOLTA REGIONAL GJA (PAGE 13, NOV 25, 2010)
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ho West Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, has donated a set of computer, uninterrupted power system (UPS) and a printer to the secretariat of the Volta Regional branch of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) to enhance its work.
The items, valued at GH¢2,000, was in fulfilment of a promise made by the MP some few months ago when he met media practitioners from the region at a soiree he organised to fraternise with them.
According to Mr Bedzrah, he recognised the immense contribution of the media to the development of the region and, therefore, wish to use the donation as his means of encouraging them to do more.
He said in the current era where information technology controlled most things, the media needed such equipment to facilitate its smooth operations and appealed to the regional executive members of the GJA to put the facilities to good use for the benefit of all members in the region.
He reiterated his promise of supporting any journalist from the region who would win a national GJA award with an amount of GH¢1,000 and challenged the various media men and women to be the first to receive his token by winning a national award next year.
Receiving the package, the Regional Secretary of GJA, Mr Anthony Kafui Kanyi, expressed the gratitude of members to the MP for his gesture and promised to ensure that the facility is put to good use for the benefit and development of members in the region.
According to him, although the MP is in his first term in Parliament, his contribution to media development in the region has helped many.
He urged him to continue to be the pacesetter in all aspects of his work as a parliamentarian.
Mr Kanyi expressed regret that most often politicians only lambasted the media when they went wrong and ignored them when they did what was expected of them.
“Those who even appreciate us only do it by lip service,” he added and therefore commended the MP for fulfilling his promise to the organisation.
He said other politicians only “use and dump the media like their girlfriends” and appealed to other MPs and politicians in general to support the development of the media by their actions but not by paying only lip service.
He said so far, the MP had shown by his actions that he had the development of the media at heart, assuring him that the media would also co-operate with him in his development agenda.
He also assured the MP that the media would do its best to win a national award next year to add to what some practitioners from the region had won in previous years.
Mr Kanyi appealed to other individuals and organisations to assist them to furnish the regional GJA secretariat with other items to enable it operate in its newly acquired office effectively.
In a related development, Mr Bedzrah donated 5,000 exercise books valued at GH¢4,600 to the Ho Municipal Education Office for onward distribution to schools within the municipality, especially the Ho West Constituency.
Mr Bedzrah said the donation was part of measures he had put in place to support education in the area and appealed to the municipal director of education to ensure that the books got to pupils who needed them.
He said in consultation with chiefs and people of the constituency, his outfit had established the Ho West Education Foundation to provide scholarships for needy, brilliant children in the area.
Receiving the books, the Ho Municipal Director of Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Emmanuel Keteku, commended the MP for the gesture and assured him that the books would get to those who needed them.
The items, valued at GH¢2,000, was in fulfilment of a promise made by the MP some few months ago when he met media practitioners from the region at a soiree he organised to fraternise with them.
According to Mr Bedzrah, he recognised the immense contribution of the media to the development of the region and, therefore, wish to use the donation as his means of encouraging them to do more.
He said in the current era where information technology controlled most things, the media needed such equipment to facilitate its smooth operations and appealed to the regional executive members of the GJA to put the facilities to good use for the benefit of all members in the region.
He reiterated his promise of supporting any journalist from the region who would win a national GJA award with an amount of GH¢1,000 and challenged the various media men and women to be the first to receive his token by winning a national award next year.
Receiving the package, the Regional Secretary of GJA, Mr Anthony Kafui Kanyi, expressed the gratitude of members to the MP for his gesture and promised to ensure that the facility is put to good use for the benefit and development of members in the region.
According to him, although the MP is in his first term in Parliament, his contribution to media development in the region has helped many.
He urged him to continue to be the pacesetter in all aspects of his work as a parliamentarian.
Mr Kanyi expressed regret that most often politicians only lambasted the media when they went wrong and ignored them when they did what was expected of them.
“Those who even appreciate us only do it by lip service,” he added and therefore commended the MP for fulfilling his promise to the organisation.
He said other politicians only “use and dump the media like their girlfriends” and appealed to other MPs and politicians in general to support the development of the media by their actions but not by paying only lip service.
He said so far, the MP had shown by his actions that he had the development of the media at heart, assuring him that the media would also co-operate with him in his development agenda.
He also assured the MP that the media would do its best to win a national award next year to add to what some practitioners from the region had won in previous years.
Mr Kanyi appealed to other individuals and organisations to assist them to furnish the regional GJA secretariat with other items to enable it operate in its newly acquired office effectively.
In a related development, Mr Bedzrah donated 5,000 exercise books valued at GH¢4,600 to the Ho Municipal Education Office for onward distribution to schools within the municipality, especially the Ho West Constituency.
Mr Bedzrah said the donation was part of measures he had put in place to support education in the area and appealed to the municipal director of education to ensure that the books got to pupils who needed them.
He said in consultation with chiefs and people of the constituency, his outfit had established the Ho West Education Foundation to provide scholarships for needy, brilliant children in the area.
Receiving the books, the Ho Municipal Director of Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Emmanuel Keteku, commended the MP for the gesture and assured him that the books would get to those who needed them.
3 PETITION MLGRD OVER RE-DEMARCATION (PAGE 13, NOV 25. 2010)
Three traditional areas, out of the four in the Ketu- North District of the Volta Region, have petitioned the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development(MLGRD) to re-examine the mode of redemarcating new electoral areas in order not to endanger the prevailing peace in the district.
The three, Dzodze, Afife and Penyi traditional councils questioned the procedure used for the allocation of 10 electoral areas out of the 13 created in the district to Wheta Area Council alone, with two to Dzodze Urban Council, one to Afife Area Council, but none to the Penyi Area Council.
In a petition jointly signed by the Fiaga of the Afife Traditional Area, Torgbuiga Adrakpanya V, Torgbui Dadzii IV of Penyi and Torgbui Bese III of Dzodze, the chiefs appealed to the minister, as a matter of urgency, to withdraw the bill on these new demarcations from Parliament.
The petition also appealed to Parliament, as a matter of necessity to intervene and put on hold any discussion relating to the issues on the floor of the House until justice had been done.
“ Based on the above reasons, we appeal that the new allocations be terminated until the right procedure is followed. For peace and tranquility to prevail, we propose that the allocations take the following form: Dzodze Urban Council -5; Afife Area Council — 3, Penyi Area Council — 3 , Wheta Area Council — 2”, the petition stated.
The petition threatened that the people might not take part in the forthcoming district assembly and subsequent elections if the issue was not resolved.
The issue could generate misunderstanding or chaos among the four traditional areas as far as the demarcation process was concerned, the petition stated.
“Let us not undermine the local government system that we have embraced for all this while. Let it not appear as if there are some groups of people who want to subvert the will of the people of Ketu North as a district,” it further stated.
The petition challenged the criteria used for allocating electoral areas to various traditional areas and quoted the 2008 projections on population of the townships as Dzodze-22,038; Wheta Afife-4,427; and Penyi-6,281.
It questioned whether there was the need for a forensic expert to tell that an urban council deserved more electoral areas than an area council in times of new demarcations and questioned whether the current birth rate of Wheta was higher than the rest of the three area and urban councils over the years.
The petitioned also questioned whether there had been no population growth at Penyi over the years.
In a similar vein, another petition to the MLGRD, jointly signed by Messrs Cletus Awuvey, Peter Gavor and Justine Tegbega in the same district, condemned the egocentric behaviour of some politicians and warned that the peace that had prevailed in the Ketu North District would be violated if few individuals used state apparatus to bully the majority.
“ It is becoming increasingly clear that the NDC has continuously taken things in the Volta Region for granted”, the statement said, adding “ clearly some of the politicians in the region are biting the finger that feeds them”.
The three, Dzodze, Afife and Penyi traditional councils questioned the procedure used for the allocation of 10 electoral areas out of the 13 created in the district to Wheta Area Council alone, with two to Dzodze Urban Council, one to Afife Area Council, but none to the Penyi Area Council.
In a petition jointly signed by the Fiaga of the Afife Traditional Area, Torgbuiga Adrakpanya V, Torgbui Dadzii IV of Penyi and Torgbui Bese III of Dzodze, the chiefs appealed to the minister, as a matter of urgency, to withdraw the bill on these new demarcations from Parliament.
The petition also appealed to Parliament, as a matter of necessity to intervene and put on hold any discussion relating to the issues on the floor of the House until justice had been done.
“ Based on the above reasons, we appeal that the new allocations be terminated until the right procedure is followed. For peace and tranquility to prevail, we propose that the allocations take the following form: Dzodze Urban Council -5; Afife Area Council — 3, Penyi Area Council — 3 , Wheta Area Council — 2”, the petition stated.
The petition threatened that the people might not take part in the forthcoming district assembly and subsequent elections if the issue was not resolved.
The issue could generate misunderstanding or chaos among the four traditional areas as far as the demarcation process was concerned, the petition stated.
“Let us not undermine the local government system that we have embraced for all this while. Let it not appear as if there are some groups of people who want to subvert the will of the people of Ketu North as a district,” it further stated.
The petition challenged the criteria used for allocating electoral areas to various traditional areas and quoted the 2008 projections on population of the townships as Dzodze-22,038; Wheta Afife-4,427; and Penyi-6,281.
It questioned whether there was the need for a forensic expert to tell that an urban council deserved more electoral areas than an area council in times of new demarcations and questioned whether the current birth rate of Wheta was higher than the rest of the three area and urban councils over the years.
The petitioned also questioned whether there had been no population growth at Penyi over the years.
In a similar vein, another petition to the MLGRD, jointly signed by Messrs Cletus Awuvey, Peter Gavor and Justine Tegbega in the same district, condemned the egocentric behaviour of some politicians and warned that the peace that had prevailed in the Ketu North District would be violated if few individuals used state apparatus to bully the majority.
“ It is becoming increasingly clear that the NDC has continuously taken things in the Volta Region for granted”, the statement said, adding “ clearly some of the politicians in the region are biting the finger that feeds them”.
ENTREPRENEURS ADVISED TO ADD VALUE TO PRODUCTS (PAGE 51, NOV 24, 2010)
THE Volta Region Trade, Investment and Cultural Fair opened in Ho on Monday with a call on entrepreneurs to add value to their products in order to attract new customers.
Dr Bernard Glover, a Member of Council of State, who made the call, said computerised value-added products were the emerging trends in world business and tourism landscape and the nation should not wait for multi-national companies to dictate development trends.
The theme of the fair is: ‘Volta Region: Investors’ Destination”.
Dr Glover said many Ghanaians abroad were looking for opportunities to channel their expertise and capital into investment, adding that investors and their partners only showed interest where their capital could be invested and harvested safely.
In a keynote address, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, promised that the ministry would champion the packaging of the tourism potential in the Volta Region.
She expressed the hope that the fair would help mobilise the potentials for stimulating growth, job and wealth-generation in the region, adding that the fair must be able to stimulate growth at all levels of society and be capable of redistributing income among low and high income earners, as well as between rural and urban population.
The minister said with the desired push and the needed political support, the Volta Region would become the tourism hub of the country, stating that the potential that existed in the region was so high and varied that the ministry could not ignore investment in certain areas.
“The presence of waterfalls, caves, mountains, lakes, lagoons, rivulets, and the sea, as well as the forests and savannah grasslands in the region, makes it a unique and diverse tourism destination,” she said.
Mrs Okaikoi asked chiefs not to underrate the importance of domestic tourism because it was a platform for the redistribution of income from urban to the rural areas, adding that the tourism sector had mapped out the West Africa sub-region as a domestic market and, therefore, determined to lead in the crusade to make Ghana a preferred tourism destination in West Africa.
She appealed to financial institutions to open joints at tourism sites to enable foreign visitors to access at least ATM facilities there.
The chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agriculture Development Bank (ADB), Mr Ibrahim Adam, said the bank had opened five new branches in the Volta Region and said that was in recognition of the enormous agriculture and tourism potential the region was endowed with.
He added that the opening of the branches was a testimony that the bank was ready to be ahead of time on agricultural development in the Volta Region and promised that the ADB would not divorce itself from the region in view of the initiative by the people to take their destiny in their own hands.
Mr Adams announced that the ADB would establish 75 branches throughout the country by the middle of next year and called on chiefs to identify aspects of culture that would be marketable to the outside world for the bank to consider a partnership in investing in those cultural aspects.
He presented a dummy cheque for GH¢10,000 to the Volta Region Co-ordinating Council in support of the Volta Fair.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, said the Volta Region, and Ghana as a whole, could not improve upon its economic fortunes if the people did not rise up to the challenge of marshalling all resources for their development.
“ How can God bless our homeland and make us great and strong if we ourselves do not lend our total commitment to the development agenda of our region?” he questioned.
Solidarity messages came from representatives of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Volta Foundation, National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Dr Bernard Glover, a Member of Council of State, who made the call, said computerised value-added products were the emerging trends in world business and tourism landscape and the nation should not wait for multi-national companies to dictate development trends.
The theme of the fair is: ‘Volta Region: Investors’ Destination”.
Dr Glover said many Ghanaians abroad were looking for opportunities to channel their expertise and capital into investment, adding that investors and their partners only showed interest where their capital could be invested and harvested safely.
In a keynote address, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, promised that the ministry would champion the packaging of the tourism potential in the Volta Region.
She expressed the hope that the fair would help mobilise the potentials for stimulating growth, job and wealth-generation in the region, adding that the fair must be able to stimulate growth at all levels of society and be capable of redistributing income among low and high income earners, as well as between rural and urban population.
The minister said with the desired push and the needed political support, the Volta Region would become the tourism hub of the country, stating that the potential that existed in the region was so high and varied that the ministry could not ignore investment in certain areas.
“The presence of waterfalls, caves, mountains, lakes, lagoons, rivulets, and the sea, as well as the forests and savannah grasslands in the region, makes it a unique and diverse tourism destination,” she said.
Mrs Okaikoi asked chiefs not to underrate the importance of domestic tourism because it was a platform for the redistribution of income from urban to the rural areas, adding that the tourism sector had mapped out the West Africa sub-region as a domestic market and, therefore, determined to lead in the crusade to make Ghana a preferred tourism destination in West Africa.
She appealed to financial institutions to open joints at tourism sites to enable foreign visitors to access at least ATM facilities there.
The chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agriculture Development Bank (ADB), Mr Ibrahim Adam, said the bank had opened five new branches in the Volta Region and said that was in recognition of the enormous agriculture and tourism potential the region was endowed with.
He added that the opening of the branches was a testimony that the bank was ready to be ahead of time on agricultural development in the Volta Region and promised that the ADB would not divorce itself from the region in view of the initiative by the people to take their destiny in their own hands.
Mr Adams announced that the ADB would establish 75 branches throughout the country by the middle of next year and called on chiefs to identify aspects of culture that would be marketable to the outside world for the bank to consider a partnership in investing in those cultural aspects.
He presented a dummy cheque for GH¢10,000 to the Volta Region Co-ordinating Council in support of the Volta Fair.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, said the Volta Region, and Ghana as a whole, could not improve upon its economic fortunes if the people did not rise up to the challenge of marshalling all resources for their development.
“ How can God bless our homeland and make us great and strong if we ourselves do not lend our total commitment to the development agenda of our region?” he questioned.
Solidarity messages came from representatives of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Volta Foundation, National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and the Office of the Chief of Staff.
AGBEDRAFOR GETS NEW CHIEF (PAGE 54, NOV 20, 2010)
A SIXTY-ONE-YEAR old former staff of Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL), Mr Moses Denyo has been installed the chief (Dufia) of Agbedrafor in the Avenor Traditional Area in the Akatsi District in the Volta Region under the stool name Torgbui Dadugblor Dzaklo IV.
He swore the oath of allegiance to the wing chiefs of the Avenor Traditional Area during which he pledged to respond to their calls under any circumstances.
Torgbui Dzaklo pleaded with the chiefs to reciprocate the gesture.
Torgbui Dzaklo also promised to promote the cause of education, health and sanitation and ensure that estate developers procure proper layout for the construction of houses in the town in particular and the traditional area in general.
He swore the oath of allegiance to the wing chiefs of the Avenor Traditional Area during which he pledged to respond to their calls under any circumstances.
Torgbui Dzaklo pleaded with the chiefs to reciprocate the gesture.
Torgbui Dzaklo also promised to promote the cause of education, health and sanitation and ensure that estate developers procure proper layout for the construction of houses in the town in particular and the traditional area in general.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
3 ARMED ROBBERS JAILED 180 YEARS (1C, NOV 13, 2010)
THREE armed robbers have been sentenced to a total of 180 years by the Aflao Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Justice Francis Obiri.
They were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and 60 years each for robbery, both sentences to run concurrently.
The convicts — Kingsley John Okeke, alias Ken, a Nigerian; Harrison Komla Efiatukpey, alias Opana, and Prosper Azaglo, alias Papa — pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
A fourth person, Victor Setorwufia, an auto technician at Denu, was acquitted and discharged for lack of evidence.
The facts of the case were that Okeke, a trader, lived with Efiatukpey at Katanga, a suburb of Lome in Togo, while Azaglo lived at Low Cost in Aflao.
Story: Tim Dzamboe, Aflao
The group hatched and executed a plot to rob a transport owner of GH¢9,800 and CFA4 million on January 14, 2010.
About 1 a.m. on that fateful day, the robbers hired a KIA bus to convey them and five others, now at large, from a designated point to the residence of the transport owner.
Masked and armed with an AK47 rifle, knives and machetes, the robbers scaled the fence wall and held the transport owner hostage, while another group forced the door open with an iron bar to rob the victim of his money.
After the robbery, the robbers beat their victim, inflicted knife injuries on him, tied his hands and fled.
Investigations led to the arrest of Okeke and Efiatukpey in Togo and a cell phone identified by the victim as his was found on Efiatukpey. Further investigation led to the arrest of Azaglo.
In Azaglo’s house, a blood-stained machete, an iron cutter, a pair of hand gloves, a face mask, a vehicle number plate (GR 6435 Y) and a pair of military knickers were found in his room.
An examination of their cell phones revealed that they knew one another and had actually communicated in connection with the crime.
They were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and 60 years each for robbery, both sentences to run concurrently.
The convicts — Kingsley John Okeke, alias Ken, a Nigerian; Harrison Komla Efiatukpey, alias Opana, and Prosper Azaglo, alias Papa — pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
A fourth person, Victor Setorwufia, an auto technician at Denu, was acquitted and discharged for lack of evidence.
The facts of the case were that Okeke, a trader, lived with Efiatukpey at Katanga, a suburb of Lome in Togo, while Azaglo lived at Low Cost in Aflao.
Story: Tim Dzamboe, Aflao
The group hatched and executed a plot to rob a transport owner of GH¢9,800 and CFA4 million on January 14, 2010.
About 1 a.m. on that fateful day, the robbers hired a KIA bus to convey them and five others, now at large, from a designated point to the residence of the transport owner.
Masked and armed with an AK47 rifle, knives and machetes, the robbers scaled the fence wall and held the transport owner hostage, while another group forced the door open with an iron bar to rob the victim of his money.
After the robbery, the robbers beat their victim, inflicted knife injuries on him, tied his hands and fled.
Investigations led to the arrest of Okeke and Efiatukpey in Togo and a cell phone identified by the victim as his was found on Efiatukpey. Further investigation led to the arrest of Azaglo.
In Azaglo’s house, a blood-stained machete, an iron cutter, a pair of hand gloves, a face mask, a vehicle number plate (GR 6435 Y) and a pair of military knickers were found in his room.
An examination of their cell phones revealed that they knew one another and had actually communicated in connection with the crime.
3 ARMED ROBBERS JAILED 180 YEARS (1C, NOV 13, 2010)
THREE armed robbers have been sentenced to a total of 180 years by the Aflao Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Justice Francis Obiri.
They were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and 60 years each for robbery, both sentences to run concurrently.
The convicts — Kingsley John Okeke, alias Ken, a Nigerian; Harrison Komla Efiatukpey, alias Opana, and Prosper Azaglo, alias Papa — pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
A fourth person, Victor Setorwufia, an auto technician at Denu, was acquitted and discharged for lack of evidence.
The facts of the case were that Okeke, a trader, lived with Efiatukpey at Katanga, a suburb of Lome in Togo, while Azaglo lived at Low Cost in Aflao.
Story: Tim Dzamboe, Aflao
The group hatched and executed a plot to rob a transport owner of GH¢9,800 and CFA4 million on January 14, 2010.
About 1 a.m. on that fateful day, the robbers hired a KIA bus to convey them and five others, now at large, from a designated point to the residence of the transport owner.
Masked and armed with an AK47 rifle, knives and machetes, the robbers scaled the fence wall and held the transport owner hostage, while another group forced the door open with an iron bar to rob the victim of his money.
After the robbery, the robbers beat their victim, inflicted knife injuries on him, tied his hands and fled.
Investigations led to the arrest of Okeke and Efiatukpey in Togo and a cell phone identified by the victim as his was found on Efiatukpey. Further investigation led to the arrest of Azaglo.
In Azaglo’s house, a blood-stained machete, an iron cutter, a pair of hand gloves, a face mask, a vehicle number plate (GR 6435 Y) and a pair of military knickers were found in his room.
An examination of their cell phones revealed that they knew one another and had actually communicated in connection with the crime.
They were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and 60 years each for robbery, both sentences to run concurrently.
The convicts — Kingsley John Okeke, alias Ken, a Nigerian; Harrison Komla Efiatukpey, alias Opana, and Prosper Azaglo, alias Papa — pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
A fourth person, Victor Setorwufia, an auto technician at Denu, was acquitted and discharged for lack of evidence.
The facts of the case were that Okeke, a trader, lived with Efiatukpey at Katanga, a suburb of Lome in Togo, while Azaglo lived at Low Cost in Aflao.
Story: Tim Dzamboe, Aflao
The group hatched and executed a plot to rob a transport owner of GH¢9,800 and CFA4 million on January 14, 2010.
About 1 a.m. on that fateful day, the robbers hired a KIA bus to convey them and five others, now at large, from a designated point to the residence of the transport owner.
Masked and armed with an AK47 rifle, knives and machetes, the robbers scaled the fence wall and held the transport owner hostage, while another group forced the door open with an iron bar to rob the victim of his money.
After the robbery, the robbers beat their victim, inflicted knife injuries on him, tied his hands and fled.
Investigations led to the arrest of Okeke and Efiatukpey in Togo and a cell phone identified by the victim as his was found on Efiatukpey. Further investigation led to the arrest of Azaglo.
In Azaglo’s house, a blood-stained machete, an iron cutter, a pair of hand gloves, a face mask, a vehicle number plate (GR 6435 Y) and a pair of military knickers were found in his room.
An examination of their cell phones revealed that they knew one another and had actually communicated in connection with the crime.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
EDUCATION MUST LIBERATE THE MIND — AGBOGBOMEFIA (SPREAD, NO 15, 2010)
The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has stated that a good educational system must liberate the minds of future leaders and equip them with creative and innovative skills, lest they become smart conformists and custodians of the status quo, instead of agents of change that the country needs.
In an address at a durbar to climax the 60th anniversary of Mawuli School in Ho, Togbe Afede said, “It is not about the length of pre-university education; neither is it a question of how it is labelled. So the starting point is an appreciation of the true purpose of education.”
He said the school system must begin to inculcate discipline and honesty, self-confidence, a sense of independence, hard work, absolute commitment to the chosen careers, altruism, tolerance and the ability to think positively and persevere in future leaders.
In an address read on his behalf, the Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, noted that Mawuli School had produced very important personalities who found themselves in all spheres of national life and were serving in various responsible positions in the country and elsewhere.
He, therefore, urged the current school board, the management, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and all stakeholders not to be complacent with achievements but continuously strive for the attainment of the best for the school.
Mr Mahama said human capital formation and development was central to the government’s efforts at building a better Ghana and that the educational system was being accordingly engineered and retooled to meet national hopes and aspirations.
The Vice President advised students to eschew negative practices such as laziness, dishonesty, the use of hard drugs and cyber fraud and rather adopt the virtues of hard work, discipline and honesty in order to propel the development of the nation faster and in the right direction.
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.M.K. Osei-Nyansa, said the school had produced about 15,000 students, who are contributing to the socio-economic development of Ghana and the world.
He said the current student population was 1,351, comprising 491 girls and 860 boys, with a staff strength of 69 teachers and 74 non-teaching staff.
In a solidarity message, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Right Reverend Francis Amenu, said it was imperative to invest in Mawuli School and the EP Church in order for them to cope with the dynamics of the technological era.
“The time for positive action to rebuild the school is, indeed, now to adequately meet and live fruitfully the dream and vision of the founding fathers in terms of human capital development,” he said.
In a welcoming address, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the school, Reverend Frank Anku, charged all past students and other stakeholders to be genuinely committed to the cause of the school.
The Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, later inaugurated a new administration block for the school to commemorate its 60th anniversary.
The edifice, which is valued at GH¢30 million, was funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
In an address at a durbar to climax the 60th anniversary of Mawuli School in Ho, Togbe Afede said, “It is not about the length of pre-university education; neither is it a question of how it is labelled. So the starting point is an appreciation of the true purpose of education.”
He said the school system must begin to inculcate discipline and honesty, self-confidence, a sense of independence, hard work, absolute commitment to the chosen careers, altruism, tolerance and the ability to think positively and persevere in future leaders.
In an address read on his behalf, the Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, noted that Mawuli School had produced very important personalities who found themselves in all spheres of national life and were serving in various responsible positions in the country and elsewhere.
He, therefore, urged the current school board, the management, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and all stakeholders not to be complacent with achievements but continuously strive for the attainment of the best for the school.
Mr Mahama said human capital formation and development was central to the government’s efforts at building a better Ghana and that the educational system was being accordingly engineered and retooled to meet national hopes and aspirations.
The Vice President advised students to eschew negative practices such as laziness, dishonesty, the use of hard drugs and cyber fraud and rather adopt the virtues of hard work, discipline and honesty in order to propel the development of the nation faster and in the right direction.
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.M.K. Osei-Nyansa, said the school had produced about 15,000 students, who are contributing to the socio-economic development of Ghana and the world.
He said the current student population was 1,351, comprising 491 girls and 860 boys, with a staff strength of 69 teachers and 74 non-teaching staff.
In a solidarity message, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Right Reverend Francis Amenu, said it was imperative to invest in Mawuli School and the EP Church in order for them to cope with the dynamics of the technological era.
“The time for positive action to rebuild the school is, indeed, now to adequately meet and live fruitfully the dream and vision of the founding fathers in terms of human capital development,” he said.
In a welcoming address, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the school, Reverend Frank Anku, charged all past students and other stakeholders to be genuinely committed to the cause of the school.
The Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, later inaugurated a new administration block for the school to commemorate its 60th anniversary.
The edifice, which is valued at GH¢30 million, was funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
Saturday, November 13, 2010
CHIEF COMMENDS SUBJECTS (PAGE 21, MIRROR, NOV 13, 2010)
From Tim Dzamboe, Sokode-Bagble
THE Chief of Sokode-Bagble in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region, Togbe Amedziklu II, has lauded his subjects for developing a deep interest in the development of the town.
“There has been a significant improvement in individuals’ recognition and consciousness towards the need for community development,” he stated.
Togbe Amekudzi said this in an address at the “Midezor za” or Progress festival of the people on the theme: “School Resourcing, an important ingredient to Educational Development” at Sokode Bagble last weekend.
He said two years ago, the people met to initiate action on the development of the town and added “I am pleased to report that the targets set for the previous celebrations had been achieved.”
He said past festivals also marked the re-union of citizens and concerned friends to development issues and commended them for that.
During the first festival, the community established an Information Communication and Technology(ICT) centre for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Primary School and has planned to provide furniture for schools in the town from the proceedings of this year’s festival.
Togbe Amedziklu, however, said the inadequate supply of electricity to the town was limiting the full utilisation of ICT facilities and appealed to government to help solve the problem.
He also expressed regret that there were no distribution lines to connect main pipelines of a water project in the town, adding that the situation had made it impossible for the extension of potable water to various homes.
He further appealed for the supply of roofing sheets to replace very old roofs of the junior secondary school because the current structure may not stand the test of time during any incident of high storms.
Togbe Amedziklu noted that some citizens had been knocked down by speeding vehicles that ply the major highway that passed through the town and called for the construction of speed humps to ward off future accidents.
He also appealed for the enlistment of the local primary school for the school feeding programme, adding that those who have the capacity should help in the stocking of libraries of both primary and junior high schools.
In her remarks, the Chairman for the function, Mrs Esinu Darkey-Mensah, commended the people for demonstrating resoluteness to the development of the town and that their positive responses will create a better future for their children.
More than GH¢23,000 was realised during an appeal for funds at the function for the procurement of furniture for schools.
THE Chief of Sokode-Bagble in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region, Togbe Amedziklu II, has lauded his subjects for developing a deep interest in the development of the town.
“There has been a significant improvement in individuals’ recognition and consciousness towards the need for community development,” he stated.
Togbe Amekudzi said this in an address at the “Midezor za” or Progress festival of the people on the theme: “School Resourcing, an important ingredient to Educational Development” at Sokode Bagble last weekend.
He said two years ago, the people met to initiate action on the development of the town and added “I am pleased to report that the targets set for the previous celebrations had been achieved.”
He said past festivals also marked the re-union of citizens and concerned friends to development issues and commended them for that.
During the first festival, the community established an Information Communication and Technology(ICT) centre for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Primary School and has planned to provide furniture for schools in the town from the proceedings of this year’s festival.
Togbe Amedziklu, however, said the inadequate supply of electricity to the town was limiting the full utilisation of ICT facilities and appealed to government to help solve the problem.
He also expressed regret that there were no distribution lines to connect main pipelines of a water project in the town, adding that the situation had made it impossible for the extension of potable water to various homes.
He further appealed for the supply of roofing sheets to replace very old roofs of the junior secondary school because the current structure may not stand the test of time during any incident of high storms.
Togbe Amedziklu noted that some citizens had been knocked down by speeding vehicles that ply the major highway that passed through the town and called for the construction of speed humps to ward off future accidents.
He also appealed for the enlistment of the local primary school for the school feeding programme, adding that those who have the capacity should help in the stocking of libraries of both primary and junior high schools.
In her remarks, the Chairman for the function, Mrs Esinu Darkey-Mensah, commended the people for demonstrating resoluteness to the development of the town and that their positive responses will create a better future for their children.
More than GH¢23,000 was realised during an appeal for funds at the function for the procurement of furniture for schools.
WAGE RUTHLESS WAR AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING — PROSPER AGBLOR (PAGE 21, MIRROR, NOV 13, 2010)
From Tim Dzamboe, Ho
The Acting Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Prosper Agblor, has called for a holistic fight against human trafficking in order to bring perpetrators to book.
He said human trafficking was becoming a highly lucrative and exploitative business and that although the police had arrested and prosecuted offenders, there existed a large pool of potential victims rendered vulnerable by extreme poverty and ignorance.
DCOP Agblor said this at the inauguration of an office for a human trafficking unit at the regional police headquarters at Ho.
He said human trafficking was robbing the nation of its human resources which were very crucial for the development of the nation, adding that “the future of our young ones is being destroyed through this selfish, self centred, obnoxious trade which can best be described as modern day slavery.”
According to him, Ghana had become a major source - transit and destination point - for human trafficking and that children and women had become victims of trafficking and had been trafficked both internally and externally to be engaged in sexual exploitation and forced labour, among others.
DCOP Agblor extended gratitude to UNICEF for the support in establishing three more units in the Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Upper West regions with the pledge that the police as an institution will not relent in bringing this inhumane trade to a complete halt.
In a welcoming address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Police Commander, Reverend/ DCOP David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, said the inequalities and inequities created by globalisation had led to the migration of the poor to the rich regions.
That, he said, had led to the commercialisation of humanity, which is likened to modern day slavery, through which human beings were prized as commodities and exchanged for money like any other article on the market.
DCOP Ampah-Bennin, therefore, said it was time the law enforcement agencies took the bull by the horn and asked the police to be up and doing and enforce the law without sparing the rod.
The Acting Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Prosper Agblor, has called for a holistic fight against human trafficking in order to bring perpetrators to book.
He said human trafficking was becoming a highly lucrative and exploitative business and that although the police had arrested and prosecuted offenders, there existed a large pool of potential victims rendered vulnerable by extreme poverty and ignorance.
DCOP Agblor said this at the inauguration of an office for a human trafficking unit at the regional police headquarters at Ho.
He said human trafficking was robbing the nation of its human resources which were very crucial for the development of the nation, adding that “the future of our young ones is being destroyed through this selfish, self centred, obnoxious trade which can best be described as modern day slavery.”
According to him, Ghana had become a major source - transit and destination point - for human trafficking and that children and women had become victims of trafficking and had been trafficked both internally and externally to be engaged in sexual exploitation and forced labour, among others.
DCOP Agblor extended gratitude to UNICEF for the support in establishing three more units in the Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Upper West regions with the pledge that the police as an institution will not relent in bringing this inhumane trade to a complete halt.
In a welcoming address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Police Commander, Reverend/ DCOP David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, said the inequalities and inequities created by globalisation had led to the migration of the poor to the rich regions.
That, he said, had led to the commercialisation of humanity, which is likened to modern day slavery, through which human beings were prized as commodities and exchanged for money like any other article on the market.
DCOP Ampah-Bennin, therefore, said it was time the law enforcement agencies took the bull by the horn and asked the police to be up and doing and enforce the law without sparing the rod.
CWSA STAFF IN VR ATTEND TRAINING COURSE (PAGE 22, NOV 12, 2010)
THE President of the College of Project Professionals, Dr Richard Amposah, has described project management as the application of knowledge through skills, tools and techniques to meet project requirements.
He, therefore, stressed the need for staff of project oriented organisations to be constantly updated with tools and techniques in order to manage their projects well.
Dr Amposah said this at the end of a five-day Microsoft Project training programme for senior staff of the Volta Region Community Water and Sanitation Agency (VRCWSA) at Ho.
The purpose of the training was to develop relevant competencies of the participants to successfully create and manage projects using Microsoft software.
He stressed that since CWSA was a project oriented organisation, it was incumbent on the staff to be constantly updated with tools and techniques of Microsoft products.
That, he said, would enable them to manage their projects well and get use to the software.
The Information Technology (IT) specialist and head of Management Information System (MIS) Unit of VRCWSA, Mr Dodji Atiogbe, commended the participants for their commitment and contribution throughout the training and said the relevance depended on the ability to apply the skills acquired.
He also thanked experts from the College of Project Professionals for the efficient and effective manner in which they delivered the training programme.
He, therefore, stressed the need for staff of project oriented organisations to be constantly updated with tools and techniques in order to manage their projects well.
Dr Amposah said this at the end of a five-day Microsoft Project training programme for senior staff of the Volta Region Community Water and Sanitation Agency (VRCWSA) at Ho.
The purpose of the training was to develop relevant competencies of the participants to successfully create and manage projects using Microsoft software.
He stressed that since CWSA was a project oriented organisation, it was incumbent on the staff to be constantly updated with tools and techniques of Microsoft products.
That, he said, would enable them to manage their projects well and get use to the software.
The Information Technology (IT) specialist and head of Management Information System (MIS) Unit of VRCWSA, Mr Dodji Atiogbe, commended the participants for their commitment and contribution throughout the training and said the relevance depended on the ability to apply the skills acquired.
He also thanked experts from the College of Project Professionals for the efficient and effective manner in which they delivered the training programme.
TAPA GETS NEW ADONTENHENE (PAGE 36, NOV 10, 2010)
A 50-YEAR-OLD self-employed man, Mr Kwame Ahenkan, has been installed Adontenhene of the Tapa Traditional Area in the Biakoye District in the Volta Region under the stool name Nana Baffour Kwame Oduro II.
He swore the oath of allegiance to the Paramount Chief of the Tapa Traditional Area, Okoforobuor Baffour Kwame Asante II.
Two other chiefs, Nana Osei Aseidu II, known in private life as Mr Ebenezer Osei, and the Krontiheneba of Tapa, Nana Obirim Apreku I, known in private life as Mrs Martha Osei-Bonsu, a member of staff of the New Times Corporation, were also introduced at the durbar.
Speaking at the function, Nana Oduro pledged to offer exemplary leadership which would lead to the redemption of the people from factors that militated against education, agriculture, good health and transportation.
He promised to obey the rules and commands of the paramountcy.
Okoforobuor Asante acknowledged the promise and said it was in line with building a formidable kingdom for future generations.
He swore the oath of allegiance to the Paramount Chief of the Tapa Traditional Area, Okoforobuor Baffour Kwame Asante II.
Two other chiefs, Nana Osei Aseidu II, known in private life as Mr Ebenezer Osei, and the Krontiheneba of Tapa, Nana Obirim Apreku I, known in private life as Mrs Martha Osei-Bonsu, a member of staff of the New Times Corporation, were also introduced at the durbar.
Speaking at the function, Nana Oduro pledged to offer exemplary leadership which would lead to the redemption of the people from factors that militated against education, agriculture, good health and transportation.
He promised to obey the rules and commands of the paramountcy.
Okoforobuor Asante acknowledged the promise and said it was in line with building a formidable kingdom for future generations.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
END OF GOAT EATER (1B, NOV 4, 2010)
A 12-foot python which had been preying on domestic animals and birds at Sokode-Gbogame near Ho in the Volta Region has been killed by the youth in the community.
According to the leader of the vigilante youth, Mr Manfred Kwame Golo, the disappearance of fowls and goats had become rampant in the village, as a result of which the youth mounted a surveillance to track down the perpetrators only to find the huge python as the culprit.
At the time the python was caught, it had swallowed a goat which was used by the youth as a bait.
A lot of people thronged the scene to catch a glimpse of the long snake whose stomach was protruding with the remains of the goat.
• A member of the vigilante youth who killed the snake displaying it with the protruding stomach.
According to the leader of the vigilante youth, Mr Manfred Kwame Golo, the disappearance of fowls and goats had become rampant in the village, as a result of which the youth mounted a surveillance to track down the perpetrators only to find the huge python as the culprit.
At the time the python was caught, it had swallowed a goat which was used by the youth as a bait.
A lot of people thronged the scene to catch a glimpse of the long snake whose stomach was protruding with the remains of the goat.
• A member of the vigilante youth who killed the snake displaying it with the protruding stomach.
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