Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Akropong
A 39-year-old self-employed man has been arrested at Amanfro, a village in the Akuapem North District of the Eastern Region, for possessing eight sackloads of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The suspect, James Otoo alias Nii Aboo, a resident of Kanda in Accra, who said he was a supplier of stationery, computers and accessories, was arrested together with the substance in his VW Passat estate car.
This was after he and his driver, Samuel Hyde, who is on the run, had spotted the police at a checkpoint at Amanfro and made a swift turn to flee with the stuff.
Briefing newsmen at Akropong on Tuesday, the Akropong Divisional Police Commander, ACP Kofi Adai Acheampong, said on Sunday December 9, this year, the police received information from Chief Inspector Shehu Boakye of the Amanfro Police Station that some people suspected to be thieves were in the surrounding villages stealing sheep and goats.
ACP Acheampong said he immediately asked the police there to mount roadblocks at the nearby villages to prevent the thieves from fleeing the area.
He said the following day, the police were again informed that a vehicle which was coming from Sanfrano, a nearby village, to Amanfro had made a quick turn and was heading towards Otareso, another village in the area, when the driver saw the police barrier.
According to him, Chief Inspector Boakye, in the accompany of a friend, pursued the fleeing vehicle on his motorbike to Otareso and with the support from the people in the area, they were able to locate the vehicle with Otoo standing by it, while his driver, Hyde, ran into a nearby bush.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
CABLE THIEF ELETROCUTED...Page 40
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Luck ran out for a 20-year-old electrician’s apprentice who took advantage of a power outage to steal electrical cables on the premises of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Resource Centre near the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council offices in Koforidua when he was electrocuted.
Emmanuel Yeboah, the apprentice, was said to have gone to the area about 1.00 a.m. where he stood on a chair to pull down the cable with a stick to enable him to cut it with a knife.
Unfortunately, at that point the power was restored and he was heard screaming for help. He was later thrown heavily on the floor, hitting his head on a concrete gutter, according to an eyewitness account.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Koforidua on Wednesday, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, DSP John Naami, said Yeboah, who was often seen on the main premises of the Electricity Company of Ghana in Koforidua, had been identified by his mother, a 43-year-old trader.
According to DSP Naami, the police received a report that the body of a young man, aged about 20, suspected to have been electrocuted, had been found on the premises of the GES Resource Centre, after which a team of policemen was sent to convey the body to the morgue.
He said when the police got to the scene, they found Yeboah lying dead with a torch and a knife which he had probably used in the operation lying beside him, while his right hand was still in a glove.
He said an autopsy at the Kyebi Government Hospital showed that Yeboah died of shock resulting from electrocution.
The body has since been released to the family.
Luck ran out for a 20-year-old electrician’s apprentice who took advantage of a power outage to steal electrical cables on the premises of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Resource Centre near the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council offices in Koforidua when he was electrocuted.
Emmanuel Yeboah, the apprentice, was said to have gone to the area about 1.00 a.m. where he stood on a chair to pull down the cable with a stick to enable him to cut it with a knife.
Unfortunately, at that point the power was restored and he was heard screaming for help. He was later thrown heavily on the floor, hitting his head on a concrete gutter, according to an eyewitness account.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Koforidua on Wednesday, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, DSP John Naami, said Yeboah, who was often seen on the main premises of the Electricity Company of Ghana in Koforidua, had been identified by his mother, a 43-year-old trader.
According to DSP Naami, the police received a report that the body of a young man, aged about 20, suspected to have been electrocuted, had been found on the premises of the GES Resource Centre, after which a team of policemen was sent to convey the body to the morgue.
He said when the police got to the scene, they found Yeboah lying dead with a torch and a knife which he had probably used in the operation lying beside him, while his right hand was still in a glove.
He said an autopsy at the Kyebi Government Hospital showed that Yeboah died of shock resulting from electrocution.
The body has since been released to the family.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
STRUCTURES DEMOLISHED IN KOFORIDUA (Page 20)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua
A TASK force comprising officials from the New Juaben Municipal Assembly and armed policemen last Thursday demolished a number of unapproved structures in Koforidua.
The exercise, which was carried out without notice around midday, affected wooden kiosks and container shops, some of which were believed to serve as operational grounds for wee smokers and other criminal elements.
The affected areas included Pentoawala, near the offices of the Graphic Communications Group, and areas around the Ghana Secondary School and the Koforidua Secondary School.
While the exercise was underway, owners of the various structures, who said they had not been informed ahead of it, pleaded with the task force to give them some time to enable them to collect their personal belongings.
In an interview, Nana Ama, a 22-year-old hairdresser, whose container shop was destroyed, stated that although she had been served with a notice a year ago, the assembly should have given her prior notice before executing the exercise.
Frank Adu, a scrap dealer, who expressed no worry over the manner in which the exercise was carried out, blamed himself and others for being adamant since the notice given by the assembly to vacate the Pentoawala area.
When the Daily Graphic reached the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben, Nana Adjei Boateng, for his comment, he said the areas where the structures had been demolished had, over the years, become “dens for criminals who engage in various illegal activities, such as drug peddling, smoking and petty stealing”.
He stated that as a result of the illegal settlements close to the girls’ dormitory of the Ghana Secondary School, the security of the students had severely been compromised, adding that “the girls are peeped at by these illegal occupants while they are taking their bath”.
He said the assembly had served prior notices to the owners of the illegal structures a year ago but they had gone unheeded.
A TASK force comprising officials from the New Juaben Municipal Assembly and armed policemen last Thursday demolished a number of unapproved structures in Koforidua.
The exercise, which was carried out without notice around midday, affected wooden kiosks and container shops, some of which were believed to serve as operational grounds for wee smokers and other criminal elements.
The affected areas included Pentoawala, near the offices of the Graphic Communications Group, and areas around the Ghana Secondary School and the Koforidua Secondary School.
While the exercise was underway, owners of the various structures, who said they had not been informed ahead of it, pleaded with the task force to give them some time to enable them to collect their personal belongings.
In an interview, Nana Ama, a 22-year-old hairdresser, whose container shop was destroyed, stated that although she had been served with a notice a year ago, the assembly should have given her prior notice before executing the exercise.
Frank Adu, a scrap dealer, who expressed no worry over the manner in which the exercise was carried out, blamed himself and others for being adamant since the notice given by the assembly to vacate the Pentoawala area.
When the Daily Graphic reached the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben, Nana Adjei Boateng, for his comment, he said the areas where the structures had been demolished had, over the years, become “dens for criminals who engage in various illegal activities, such as drug peddling, smoking and petty stealing”.
He stated that as a result of the illegal settlements close to the girls’ dormitory of the Ghana Secondary School, the security of the students had severely been compromised, adding that “the girls are peeped at by these illegal occupants while they are taking their bath”.
He said the assembly had served prior notices to the owners of the illegal structures a year ago but they had gone unheeded.
WORKSHOP ON HIV/AIDS ENDS IN KOFORIDUA (Page 20)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua
A TWO-day HIV/AIDS capacity building workshop for members of the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS Committee has ended at Koforidua with a call on the people to show more care and support for people living with the disease to curb its spread.
The workshop, which formed part of activities of integrating care and support for people infected with the pandemic, was aimed at equipping the 70 participants from all the 17 districts in the region with the requisite knowledge to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the various HIV/AIDS interventions put in place.
It was organised by the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS Committee and funded by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana through the World Bank.
In an address read on his behalf, the Country Representative of the World Health Organisation, Dr Joaquim Saweka, noted that HIV/AIDS was increasingly becoming a major threat to the country’s future socio-economic development, making it a serious public health problem.
He pointed out that if left unchecked, the disease would reverse some of the important gains in sectors such as health, education and human resource development.
“For an epidemic which affects the most productive and reproductive segments of the population, its ultimate impact on the development status of any country, particularly the economy, is immense”, Dr Saweka said.
To curb its spread, he asked Ghanaians to adopt a positive attitude towards those living with the disease through care and support.
To this end, the Country Representative of the WHO asked the participants to serve as agents of change and role models and develop innovative means to bring about positive change in the attitude of the people in their respective communities.
He also stressed the need for greater partnership between the government and the World Bank as well as other development partners to come up with result-oriented strategies to help halt the spread of the disease.
“This partnership will be our contribution in achieving the Millennium Development Goal number six”, Dr Saweka said.
For his part, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, reiterated the need for the participants to develop result-oriented strategies in the fight against the disease.
“No matter how effective government policies may be, if result-oriented strategies are not put in place in our response to HIV/AIDS, human resource development of this country will be greatly affected”, Mr Asamoah stated.
“Each one of us should therefore consider how we can help to curb the spread of the disease and also provide support and care to those infected and affected”, he said, adding that such positive attitude would help reduce stigma and discrimination against them.
“We know that stigma has a negative effect on prevention, treatment and care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The effect of stigmatisation and discrimination is so enormous that we need to work collectively to reduce it by volunteering to care for the sick and supporting advocacy programmes”, he further urged the participants.
The Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Control Programme for HIV/AIDS, Dr Sampson Ofori Badu, expressed worry about the increasing rate of infection in the region, noting that new cases of infection rose from 2,667 in 2004 to 5,919 infections in 2006, adding that as of September this year there were 4,322 infections made up of blood donors, patients, voluntary testers, all below 35 years of age.
A TWO-day HIV/AIDS capacity building workshop for members of the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS Committee has ended at Koforidua with a call on the people to show more care and support for people living with the disease to curb its spread.
The workshop, which formed part of activities of integrating care and support for people infected with the pandemic, was aimed at equipping the 70 participants from all the 17 districts in the region with the requisite knowledge to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the various HIV/AIDS interventions put in place.
It was organised by the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS Committee and funded by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana through the World Bank.
In an address read on his behalf, the Country Representative of the World Health Organisation, Dr Joaquim Saweka, noted that HIV/AIDS was increasingly becoming a major threat to the country’s future socio-economic development, making it a serious public health problem.
He pointed out that if left unchecked, the disease would reverse some of the important gains in sectors such as health, education and human resource development.
“For an epidemic which affects the most productive and reproductive segments of the population, its ultimate impact on the development status of any country, particularly the economy, is immense”, Dr Saweka said.
To curb its spread, he asked Ghanaians to adopt a positive attitude towards those living with the disease through care and support.
To this end, the Country Representative of the WHO asked the participants to serve as agents of change and role models and develop innovative means to bring about positive change in the attitude of the people in their respective communities.
He also stressed the need for greater partnership between the government and the World Bank as well as other development partners to come up with result-oriented strategies to help halt the spread of the disease.
“This partnership will be our contribution in achieving the Millennium Development Goal number six”, Dr Saweka said.
For his part, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, reiterated the need for the participants to develop result-oriented strategies in the fight against the disease.
“No matter how effective government policies may be, if result-oriented strategies are not put in place in our response to HIV/AIDS, human resource development of this country will be greatly affected”, Mr Asamoah stated.
“Each one of us should therefore consider how we can help to curb the spread of the disease and also provide support and care to those infected and affected”, he said, adding that such positive attitude would help reduce stigma and discrimination against them.
“We know that stigma has a negative effect on prevention, treatment and care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The effect of stigmatisation and discrimination is so enormous that we need to work collectively to reduce it by volunteering to care for the sick and supporting advocacy programmes”, he further urged the participants.
The Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Control Programme for HIV/AIDS, Dr Sampson Ofori Badu, expressed worry about the increasing rate of infection in the region, noting that new cases of infection rose from 2,667 in 2004 to 5,919 infections in 2006, adding that as of September this year there were 4,322 infections made up of blood donors, patients, voluntary testers, all below 35 years of age.
Monday, December 10, 2007
TRADITIONAL LEADERS URGED TO HELP FIGHT HIV/AIDS (Page 21)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman
THE EASTERN Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, has advocated the active involvement of traditional authorities in the fight against stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
The regional minister, who made the suggestion in a speech read on his behalf at an HIV/AIDS workshop for chiefs and queens in the Kwahu Traditional Area on Saturday, stated “because we see our chiefs, elders and queens as pillars and people of great influence, we need to solicit their assistance to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease”.
The workshop, on the theme “Reducing Stigmatisation and Discrimination—The Role of Traditional Authorities”, formed part of the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS Committee’s scale up care and support for persons infected by the disease.
The event, which coincided with the World AIDS Day was sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana through the World Bank.
The regional minister said since scientists identified HIV/AIDS, social responses of fear, denial, stigma and discrimination had characterised the epidemic, a situation which he said had fuelled anxiety and prejudice against the groups most affected and those living with the disease, adding that such attitude had resulted in its widespread in society.
He noted that although throughout the world the disease had been able to draw care and compassion for those infected, the painful aspect of it was how the stigma and discrimination associated with it had resulted in rejection of those living with it by their families, loved ones and their communities.
Such a negative attitude, he said, had remained a barrier to the effective response to the pandemic, as fear of discrimination prevented people living with the disease from admitting or disclosing their HIV status and seeking treatment at health facilities.
“In some cases, people with or suspected of having HIV may be turned away from health care services, employment, foreign countries or evicted from home by their families and rejected by their friends and colleagues”.
He, therefore, expressed the hope that traditional authorities who wielded a lot of influence in society, would help address such issues.
“I want to encourage traditional leaders to individually and collectively put your resources together to seriously address this canker which has become a major development issue that can undermine our development efforts”, Mr Affram Asiedu added.
In a presentation to outline the various roles traditional authorities could play in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Eastern Regional Focal Person for HIV/AIDS, Ms Golda Asante, asked chiefs and queens to spearhead a crusade for awareness and prevention of the disease as well as encourage the people to go for voluntary counselling, testing, treatment and care.
She particularly called on queens to collaborate with the Ghana Health Service to educate the people in the various communities on the pandemic, especially young girls on teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality, adding that they should also help to review social and traditional practices with the view to identifying those that could be harmful or potentially expose girls to HIV infection.
For his part, the Obohene, Nana Yeboah Afari Boateng, who chaired the function, on behalf of his colleagues, gave the assurance that they would help do away with stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease.
THE EASTERN Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, has advocated the active involvement of traditional authorities in the fight against stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
The regional minister, who made the suggestion in a speech read on his behalf at an HIV/AIDS workshop for chiefs and queens in the Kwahu Traditional Area on Saturday, stated “because we see our chiefs, elders and queens as pillars and people of great influence, we need to solicit their assistance to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease”.
The workshop, on the theme “Reducing Stigmatisation and Discrimination—The Role of Traditional Authorities”, formed part of the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS Committee’s scale up care and support for persons infected by the disease.
The event, which coincided with the World AIDS Day was sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana through the World Bank.
The regional minister said since scientists identified HIV/AIDS, social responses of fear, denial, stigma and discrimination had characterised the epidemic, a situation which he said had fuelled anxiety and prejudice against the groups most affected and those living with the disease, adding that such attitude had resulted in its widespread in society.
He noted that although throughout the world the disease had been able to draw care and compassion for those infected, the painful aspect of it was how the stigma and discrimination associated with it had resulted in rejection of those living with it by their families, loved ones and their communities.
Such a negative attitude, he said, had remained a barrier to the effective response to the pandemic, as fear of discrimination prevented people living with the disease from admitting or disclosing their HIV status and seeking treatment at health facilities.
“In some cases, people with or suspected of having HIV may be turned away from health care services, employment, foreign countries or evicted from home by their families and rejected by their friends and colleagues”.
He, therefore, expressed the hope that traditional authorities who wielded a lot of influence in society, would help address such issues.
“I want to encourage traditional leaders to individually and collectively put your resources together to seriously address this canker which has become a major development issue that can undermine our development efforts”, Mr Affram Asiedu added.
In a presentation to outline the various roles traditional authorities could play in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Eastern Regional Focal Person for HIV/AIDS, Ms Golda Asante, asked chiefs and queens to spearhead a crusade for awareness and prevention of the disease as well as encourage the people to go for voluntary counselling, testing, treatment and care.
She particularly called on queens to collaborate with the Ghana Health Service to educate the people in the various communities on the pandemic, especially young girls on teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality, adding that they should also help to review social and traditional practices with the view to identifying those that could be harmful or potentially expose girls to HIV infection.
For his part, the Obohene, Nana Yeboah Afari Boateng, who chaired the function, on behalf of his colleagues, gave the assurance that they would help do away with stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease.
AKROPONG SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND GETS ASSISTANCE (Page 11)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Akropong
PROGRESS Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has presented assorted educational materials worth $8,000 to the Akropong School for the Blind.
The items, which comprised 10 specially-made typewriters, perking brailles, two computers and accessories, as well as braille writing papers, were meant to enhance teaching and learning.
Presenting the items, the Chairman of the foundation, Mr Dan Botwe, also made a personal donation of ¢11 million for the purchase of two water tanks to address water shortages facing the school.
Mr Botwe, an aspiring presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said the donation followed a visit he and a Netherlands-based friend, Dr Kwasi Boahen, paid to the school early this year to interact with the pupils during which he said they were motivated to be of help to them.
He said with support from Mr Theo Van Boo, a Dutch philanthropist, the foundation decided to donate the items to enable the beneficiaries to develop their God-given talents to become useful to themselves and the nation in the future.
Mr Botwe, who promised to solicit support for the school, expressed the hope that the materials would help improve the academic performance of the pupils and called on others to go to the aid of the school.
For his part, the District Chief Executive for Akuapem North, Mr Edward Adu Aboagye, stated that the school scored 100 per cent passes in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and called on other stakeholders to help sustain such academic achievement.
He asked the school management to develop a business plan to receive the necessary support from the Assembly to help market the school.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr John Stanley Annor, expressed appreciation to the foundation and was optimistic that the presentation would enhance teaching and learning.
He mentioned the lack of a library, braille materials, writing materials, rain harvesting facilities and a school nurse to cater for the sick as some of the problems facing the school.
He, therefore, called on public-spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the school to address such problems.
PROGRESS Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has presented assorted educational materials worth $8,000 to the Akropong School for the Blind.
The items, which comprised 10 specially-made typewriters, perking brailles, two computers and accessories, as well as braille writing papers, were meant to enhance teaching and learning.
Presenting the items, the Chairman of the foundation, Mr Dan Botwe, also made a personal donation of ¢11 million for the purchase of two water tanks to address water shortages facing the school.
Mr Botwe, an aspiring presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said the donation followed a visit he and a Netherlands-based friend, Dr Kwasi Boahen, paid to the school early this year to interact with the pupils during which he said they were motivated to be of help to them.
He said with support from Mr Theo Van Boo, a Dutch philanthropist, the foundation decided to donate the items to enable the beneficiaries to develop their God-given talents to become useful to themselves and the nation in the future.
Mr Botwe, who promised to solicit support for the school, expressed the hope that the materials would help improve the academic performance of the pupils and called on others to go to the aid of the school.
For his part, the District Chief Executive for Akuapem North, Mr Edward Adu Aboagye, stated that the school scored 100 per cent passes in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and called on other stakeholders to help sustain such academic achievement.
He asked the school management to develop a business plan to receive the necessary support from the Assembly to help market the school.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr John Stanley Annor, expressed appreciation to the foundation and was optimistic that the presentation would enhance teaching and learning.
He mentioned the lack of a library, braille materials, writing materials, rain harvesting facilities and a school nurse to cater for the sick as some of the problems facing the school.
He, therefore, called on public-spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the school to address such problems.
Friday, December 7, 2007
'TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS NOT FOR ACADEMICALLY WEAK STUDENTS' (Page 11)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Abetifi
THE DIRECTOR for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Mr Asamoah Duodu, has asked Ghanaians to disabuse their minds of the misconception that technical education is only meant for academically weak students.
He said since technical education was universally recognised as the foundation for industrialisation, there was the need for it to be given serious attention in order to produce skilled middle manpower for the country’s industries.
“Every country that has progressed economically made it through the development of its technical and vocational systems. Therefore the challenges and opportunities for such education can only be met if all of us will be committed and give serious attention to its education,” he stated.
Mr Duodu made the call at the 30th anniversary and first speech and prize-giving day of the Abetifi Technical Institute in the Kwahu South District in the Eastern Region.
The event, which was on the theme, “The New Educational Reform: Implications and Challenges for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institution”, was graced by several dignitaries including the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Nana Onwona Asante; the District Chief Executive for Kwahu South and Mrs Akosua Takyiwaa-Adu, Eastern Regional Director of Education.
The school, established in 1977 with 48 students, currently has 300 students including 47 females.
According to the Director of TVET, under the educational reform programmes, students of technical and vocational institutions, in addition to their regular elective trades, would now have the opportunity to study fully the five core senior high school subjects comprising English Language, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“This will allow trainees of such institutions to enhance their understanding of current technological development of their trades, as well as address academic progress to tertiary institutions, which has been a problem in technical education in the past,” he added.
THE DIRECTOR for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Mr Asamoah Duodu, has asked Ghanaians to disabuse their minds of the misconception that technical education is only meant for academically weak students.
He said since technical education was universally recognised as the foundation for industrialisation, there was the need for it to be given serious attention in order to produce skilled middle manpower for the country’s industries.
“Every country that has progressed economically made it through the development of its technical and vocational systems. Therefore the challenges and opportunities for such education can only be met if all of us will be committed and give serious attention to its education,” he stated.
Mr Duodu made the call at the 30th anniversary and first speech and prize-giving day of the Abetifi Technical Institute in the Kwahu South District in the Eastern Region.
The event, which was on the theme, “The New Educational Reform: Implications and Challenges for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institution”, was graced by several dignitaries including the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Nana Onwona Asante; the District Chief Executive for Kwahu South and Mrs Akosua Takyiwaa-Adu, Eastern Regional Director of Education.
The school, established in 1977 with 48 students, currently has 300 students including 47 females.
According to the Director of TVET, under the educational reform programmes, students of technical and vocational institutions, in addition to their regular elective trades, would now have the opportunity to study fully the five core senior high school subjects comprising English Language, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“This will allow trainees of such institutions to enhance their understanding of current technological development of their trades, as well as address academic progress to tertiary institutions, which has been a problem in technical education in the past,” he added.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
WOMAN, 30, FLEES AFTER SLASHING RIVAL, 4 OTHERS (Page 34)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Adesewase.
ADASAWASE, a farming community near Anyinam in the Eastern Region, has witnessed a gory scene on Wednesday when a 30-year-old woman, in a fit of jealousy, inflicted machete wounds on her rival and her daughter, who is six months pregnant.
Abena Opokua, the suspect, who was said to be paying frequent visits to Akosua Effah, a 40-year-old food vendor, the victim, and inviting out her 45-year-old boyfriend, Stephen Glover, a farmer, at odd hours, used a machete to slash Akosua’s head, other parts of her body as well as those of her daughter, Dorcas, 20.
Opokua also inflicted deep cuts on three other persons, namely Nana Kwame, 25, Kwabena Appeagyei, 18, and Glover who went to the rescue of the victims and went into hiding in a cocoa plantation in the area.
So far, all the victims, who were sent to the Enyiesi Government Hospital and the Anyinam Health Centre, have been treated and discharged.
The acting Anyinam District Police Commander, DSP Theophilus T. Nartey, said the police heard about the incident on a private local radio station around 7p.m., and a team of policemen were sent to the scene. They met Akosua and Dorcas, oranges seller, bleeding profusely and took them to the Anyinam Health Centre, where they were treated and discharged.
Mr Nartey said the frequent visits by Opokua to Akosua’s house around 10 p.m and inviting Glover out made Akosua suspicious of the motive behind the suspect’s visits.
Akosua, therefore, reported Opokua to her mother, Mama Yaa Baby, to advise her to put a stop to the visits to the house.
This, DSP Nartey said, did not go down well with Opokua, who went to explain to Akosua that she only went to her house to retrieve a ¢3.5 million debt Glover owed her.
The police commander said Opokua did not meet Akosua in her house, but picked a quarrel with Dorcas after which she assaulted her and threw the oranges she was selling onto the ground.
Opokua, not satisfied with her action, went for a machete and returned to Akosua’s house and slashed Akosua and Dorcas’ heads and other parts of the body. She also slashed three men who tried to rescue Akosua and Dorcas and eventually fled the scene.
The Anyinam police commander stated that with support from the Sanahene of the area, the youth were immediately mobilised to comb the area for the suspect, but could not find her.
He said the police were still searching for her to face the law.
ADASAWASE, a farming community near Anyinam in the Eastern Region, has witnessed a gory scene on Wednesday when a 30-year-old woman, in a fit of jealousy, inflicted machete wounds on her rival and her daughter, who is six months pregnant.
Abena Opokua, the suspect, who was said to be paying frequent visits to Akosua Effah, a 40-year-old food vendor, the victim, and inviting out her 45-year-old boyfriend, Stephen Glover, a farmer, at odd hours, used a machete to slash Akosua’s head, other parts of her body as well as those of her daughter, Dorcas, 20.
Opokua also inflicted deep cuts on three other persons, namely Nana Kwame, 25, Kwabena Appeagyei, 18, and Glover who went to the rescue of the victims and went into hiding in a cocoa plantation in the area.
So far, all the victims, who were sent to the Enyiesi Government Hospital and the Anyinam Health Centre, have been treated and discharged.
The acting Anyinam District Police Commander, DSP Theophilus T. Nartey, said the police heard about the incident on a private local radio station around 7p.m., and a team of policemen were sent to the scene. They met Akosua and Dorcas, oranges seller, bleeding profusely and took them to the Anyinam Health Centre, where they were treated and discharged.
Mr Nartey said the frequent visits by Opokua to Akosua’s house around 10 p.m and inviting Glover out made Akosua suspicious of the motive behind the suspect’s visits.
Akosua, therefore, reported Opokua to her mother, Mama Yaa Baby, to advise her to put a stop to the visits to the house.
This, DSP Nartey said, did not go down well with Opokua, who went to explain to Akosua that she only went to her house to retrieve a ¢3.5 million debt Glover owed her.
The police commander said Opokua did not meet Akosua in her house, but picked a quarrel with Dorcas after which she assaulted her and threw the oranges she was selling onto the ground.
Opokua, not satisfied with her action, went for a machete and returned to Akosua’s house and slashed Akosua and Dorcas’ heads and other parts of the body. She also slashed three men who tried to rescue Akosua and Dorcas and eventually fled the scene.
The Anyinam police commander stated that with support from the Sanahene of the area, the youth were immediately mobilised to comb the area for the suspect, but could not find her.
He said the police were still searching for her to face the law.
SUPPORT SCHOOL AUTHORITIES TO INSTIL DISCIPLINE ...President Kufuor advises parents (Page 11)
Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Kade
PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor has advised parents and guardians to support school authorities to instil discipline in students.
This, he said, would enable them, particularly girls, to be morally upright at all levels in society to grow up and develop their potential to be useful to the nation.
“As parents and guardians we must boldly correct and counsel our children instead of making excuses for them and seeking out scapegoats either in the school or in society at large,” the President stated.
The President made this remark in an address read on his behalf by Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, Special Advisor to the President, at the first speech and prize-giving day of the Kade Senior High/Technical School on Saturday .
The event, which was on the theme: “The New Educational Reform — A Catalyst to National Development”, and which was used to award both old and current students who had distinguished themselves in the various subjects, was attended by a number of dignitaries including the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram-Asiedu, Messrs Kwabena Sintim Aboagye and Boakye Yiadom, the District Chief Executives for West Akyem and Kwaebibirem respectively, as well as the Kadehene, Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II.
The school, established in 1982 with only eight male students, currently has a student population of 983 comprising 547 males and 436 females.
Ranked 152nd position in 2003 on the national ranking of senior high schools, it has achieved a lot of academic laurels moving from 102nd in 2004 to the 16th position in 2005.
The President noted that the practice whereby most parents and guardians left the upbringing and training of their children solely in the hands of school authorities did not augur well for the realisation of their full potential.
“On several occasions there have been shocking incidents of indiscipline among students such as bullying and indecent dressing especially among girls, who could be vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and susceptible to “sugar daddies,” the President said.
“We as parents, therefore, must accept that we are the ultimate disciplinary authority for our children and share some responsibility for their actions,” he said.
On the educational reform, the President said the programme was intended to equip students with the relevant skills and knowledge required for the job market.
“The aim of the educational reform is to pursue a deep and holistic education system which will promote productive employment with increased productivity to enable Ghana to attain a middle-income status by 2015,” President Kufuor noted.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders, including teachers and parents, to support the reform to ensure that students would pass out with skills which would improve their potential to secure jobs.
The President also urged the students to take full advantage of every opportunity offered them by concentrating on their books to enable them to realise their future ambitions.
Mr Affram-Asiedu reiterated some of the government’s interventions in the education sector such as the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant and the model school concept, which he said had ensured increased enrolment at the basic level across the country.
The regional minister, who said the government had voted ¢3 billion for the construction of an ongoing dormitory block to accommodate the increasing female student population, also mentioned the provision of a 33-seater bus by the government to ease the movement of students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the school.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Rexford Boadi Danquah, who commended the government, the Kadehene and old students for their support to the school, however mentioned the lack of dormitories, particularly for girls, and classrooms as some of the problems facing the school.
He, therefore, called for further assistance from stakeholders to enable the school to admit more students especially those from rural areas.
For his part, Osabarima Agyare Tenadu also thanked the people especially the old students for contributing immensely towards the uplift of the school to its present state and called on the people to support the school authorities to sustain such achievements.
PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor has advised parents and guardians to support school authorities to instil discipline in students.
This, he said, would enable them, particularly girls, to be morally upright at all levels in society to grow up and develop their potential to be useful to the nation.
“As parents and guardians we must boldly correct and counsel our children instead of making excuses for them and seeking out scapegoats either in the school or in society at large,” the President stated.
The President made this remark in an address read on his behalf by Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, Special Advisor to the President, at the first speech and prize-giving day of the Kade Senior High/Technical School on Saturday .
The event, which was on the theme: “The New Educational Reform — A Catalyst to National Development”, and which was used to award both old and current students who had distinguished themselves in the various subjects, was attended by a number of dignitaries including the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram-Asiedu, Messrs Kwabena Sintim Aboagye and Boakye Yiadom, the District Chief Executives for West Akyem and Kwaebibirem respectively, as well as the Kadehene, Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II.
The school, established in 1982 with only eight male students, currently has a student population of 983 comprising 547 males and 436 females.
Ranked 152nd position in 2003 on the national ranking of senior high schools, it has achieved a lot of academic laurels moving from 102nd in 2004 to the 16th position in 2005.
The President noted that the practice whereby most parents and guardians left the upbringing and training of their children solely in the hands of school authorities did not augur well for the realisation of their full potential.
“On several occasions there have been shocking incidents of indiscipline among students such as bullying and indecent dressing especially among girls, who could be vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and susceptible to “sugar daddies,” the President said.
“We as parents, therefore, must accept that we are the ultimate disciplinary authority for our children and share some responsibility for their actions,” he said.
On the educational reform, the President said the programme was intended to equip students with the relevant skills and knowledge required for the job market.
“The aim of the educational reform is to pursue a deep and holistic education system which will promote productive employment with increased productivity to enable Ghana to attain a middle-income status by 2015,” President Kufuor noted.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders, including teachers and parents, to support the reform to ensure that students would pass out with skills which would improve their potential to secure jobs.
The President also urged the students to take full advantage of every opportunity offered them by concentrating on their books to enable them to realise their future ambitions.
Mr Affram-Asiedu reiterated some of the government’s interventions in the education sector such as the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation Grant and the model school concept, which he said had ensured increased enrolment at the basic level across the country.
The regional minister, who said the government had voted ¢3 billion for the construction of an ongoing dormitory block to accommodate the increasing female student population, also mentioned the provision of a 33-seater bus by the government to ease the movement of students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the school.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Rexford Boadi Danquah, who commended the government, the Kadehene and old students for their support to the school, however mentioned the lack of dormitories, particularly for girls, and classrooms as some of the problems facing the school.
He, therefore, called for further assistance from stakeholders to enable the school to admit more students especially those from rural areas.
For his part, Osabarima Agyare Tenadu also thanked the people especially the old students for contributing immensely towards the uplift of the school to its present state and called on the people to support the school authorities to sustain such achievements.
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