THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has taken a swipe at the Manya Krobo District Assembly for failing to implement development projects that will raise the living standards of the people.
That failure, he said, had also contributed to the refusal of qualified persons to accept posting to the district, partly accounting for the area’s slow pace of development over the years.
Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of the area on Wednesday, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said, “As the highest political entity in the district, you have failed to put up modern infrastructure for your district to keep pace with development.”
The durbar, which was also attended by the various heads of departments in the district, also afforded the minister to learn at first-hand the problems facing the development of the district.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said in spite of the huge common fund that had been made available to the assembly over the years, the district’s development status had almost remained the same.
That, he pointed out, had become a major disincentive to attract qualified persons to the area to contribute their quota to its socio-economic progress.
“I feel extremely saddened that ever since I became the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister in 1999, during which I also assumed the role of a DCE here, the infrastructure situation has been the same,” he stated.
He, therefore, urged the assembly to ensure that the huge resources made available to it were prudently utilised to put up infrastructure that would raise the standard of living of the people and also help the district to develop.
“Besides our collective resolve to quicken the pace of development of our district, we must also ensure that transparency prevails in all our operations to win the goodwill of the people,” he advised the assembly.
On behalf of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ofosu-Ampofo thanked the people for the massive support they gave to the party during the last elections and reiterated the party’s commitment to help raise the people’s standard of living.
The regional minister also commended the traditional authorities for their commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the area, noting that their efforts had contributed to the reduction of the pandemic in the area and the region in general.
He, however, called on them to help do away with discrimination and stigmatisation associated with the disease to encourage the people to go for voluntary counselling and testing as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease in the area.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
RESPECT DECISION OF PRESIDENT TO APPOINT DCE — AMPOFO (PAGE 56)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has appealed to traditional authorities and Ghanaians in general to respect the decision of the President to appoint competent persons as District Chief Executives (DCEs).
He said although the government would consult stakeholders in the nomination and appointment of DCEs, the President reserved the final authority to confirm the appointment of such office holders.
This, he explained, would help facilitate the rapid socio-economic progress of the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
Mr Ampofo made the remark when he paid a courtesy call on the acting President of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, Nene Sasraku IV, and his elders at his palace at Krobo-Odumase in the Eastern Region on Tuesday.
The call also afforded him the opportunity to meet and interact with the various heads of departments in the district.
Mr Ampofo’s comment was in reaction to the manner in which traditional authorities and people of the Manya Krobo District had often rejected the nomination and appointment of MDCEs by the government in the past, thus slowing down the development of the area.
According to Mr Ampofo, since he assumed office as the new regional minister, his office had been inundated with countless petitions and recommendations from both traditional leaders and the people of the area seeking the appointment of a number of persons as the DCE for the area.
Such practice, he said, immensely contributed to the delays that were associated with the nomination and appointment of a DCE for area.
Sharing his experience with the people, he recounted how, as a Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, he had to assume the role of a DCE for the area for nearly one-and-a half years due to the rejection by the people of the government’s appointed DCE.
“If we indeed want to see meaningful development of our district, we must collectively resolve to respect the decision of the President in the nomination and appointment of a DCE for this district this time,” he told the traditional leaders and the people of Many Krobo District.
On development of the area, Mr Ampofo expressed worry over the slow pace of development of the district, noting that the district assembly had failed to put up the necessary infrastructure that could attract qualified persons to the area.
“I feel much saddened that after several years of our existence, one travels and comes back only to find the same old structures and environment, a condition we must all help to reverse,” he pointed out.
He, therefore, challenged the district assembly to keep pace with development by coming up with development projects that would befit the status of the area as well as enhance the living conditions of the people.
Mr Ampofo also urged the assembly to ensure transparency in all its dealings with the people, particularly with the disbursement of its common fund.
For his part, Nene Sasraku commended Mr Ampofo for the significant role he played for the betterment of the Krobos in the Fanteakwa District when he was the member of parliament for the area.
He said although the government would consult stakeholders in the nomination and appointment of DCEs, the President reserved the final authority to confirm the appointment of such office holders.
This, he explained, would help facilitate the rapid socio-economic progress of the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
Mr Ampofo made the remark when he paid a courtesy call on the acting President of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, Nene Sasraku IV, and his elders at his palace at Krobo-Odumase in the Eastern Region on Tuesday.
The call also afforded him the opportunity to meet and interact with the various heads of departments in the district.
Mr Ampofo’s comment was in reaction to the manner in which traditional authorities and people of the Manya Krobo District had often rejected the nomination and appointment of MDCEs by the government in the past, thus slowing down the development of the area.
According to Mr Ampofo, since he assumed office as the new regional minister, his office had been inundated with countless petitions and recommendations from both traditional leaders and the people of the area seeking the appointment of a number of persons as the DCE for the area.
Such practice, he said, immensely contributed to the delays that were associated with the nomination and appointment of a DCE for area.
Sharing his experience with the people, he recounted how, as a Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, he had to assume the role of a DCE for the area for nearly one-and-a half years due to the rejection by the people of the government’s appointed DCE.
“If we indeed want to see meaningful development of our district, we must collectively resolve to respect the decision of the President in the nomination and appointment of a DCE for this district this time,” he told the traditional leaders and the people of Many Krobo District.
On development of the area, Mr Ampofo expressed worry over the slow pace of development of the district, noting that the district assembly had failed to put up the necessary infrastructure that could attract qualified persons to the area.
“I feel much saddened that after several years of our existence, one travels and comes back only to find the same old structures and environment, a condition we must all help to reverse,” he pointed out.
He, therefore, challenged the district assembly to keep pace with development by coming up with development projects that would befit the status of the area as well as enhance the living conditions of the people.
Mr Ampofo also urged the assembly to ensure transparency in all its dealings with the people, particularly with the disbursement of its common fund.
For his part, Nene Sasraku commended Mr Ampofo for the significant role he played for the betterment of the Krobos in the Fanteakwa District when he was the member of parliament for the area.
EXPEDITE ACTION OF ADR BILL (PAGE 14)
THE Executive Director of the West Africa Dispute Resolution Centre, Mrs Georgette Francois, has appealed to the government to expedite action on the passage of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Bill into law.
This, she said, would ensure uniformity in the implementation of the ADR practice in the country for prompt settlement of most civil disputes out of court.
The ADR is a mechanism that serves as an alternative to traditional methods for the resolution of disputes and generally involves the assistance of a neutral and impartial third party.
Speaking at a forum to mark the ADR week celebration at Koforidua on Monday, Mrs Francois said “it is time the government gave legal backing for the effective implementation of the practice in the country to reduce countless disputes that have overwhelmed our courts”.
The event which was held on the theme: “Enhancing Alternative Dispute Resolution—The Role of the Youth”, was attended by students and their teachers from all the second cycle schools in the New Juaben Municipality.
The forum was used to educate the youth on the role they could play in the settlement of disputes within their environment as mediators, and encouraged them to consider careers in the ADR practice.
Explaining the importance of the ADR practice to the judiciary process, Mrs Francois said, the practice could provide an enormous opportunity for reducing the number of disputes that had burdened most of the courts in the country.
“To ensure the effective practice of the ADR to facilitate the prompt settlement of disputes out of court on a win-win basis for the mutual benefit of both parties, the government needs to give a legal backing to the process, with the enactment of the bill, which has only existed in draft form for several years, ” she stated.
On the role the youth could play in the implementation of the ADR practice, Mrs Francois stressed the need to develop an effective strategy that would empower them to deal constructively with conflicts that occurred in their homes and schools, since the youth were instruments of peace.
This was to encourage the youth to understand and appreciate the fact that violence was not the only means of settling conflicts and misunderstanding among themselves, parents and teachers.
“It is time we helped our youth to acquire the needed skills in mediation efforts, to stay alert against people who will want to secretly recruit, brainwash, train and arm them to commit atrocities during conflicts, ” Mrs Francois added.
Besides the conflict-prevention benefits of the ADR practice to the youth, the problem-solving skills of students could result in a remarkable change in their attitudes.
This is because they could collectively work with their peers and teachers to create a calm and peaceful atmosphere that could enhance teaching and learning in schools.
The National Co-ordinator of the ADR, Mr Sanyo M. Adjabeng, said as part of efforts to entrench the practice in the country, a series of mediation recruitment programmes were held in Cape Coast, Takoradi, Ho and Koforidua in 2008 to identify, screen and select eligible individuals for training in court-connected mediation.
He also pointed out that since the inception of the programme on a pilot basis in 2005, 161 mediators had so far been trained and assigned to 45 district courts across the country, while 11 mediators had also been enlisted to handle cases in circuit and high courts in Accra.
Mr Adjabeng, indicated that 1,500 cases had been successfully settled in Accra since the inception of the programme, and expressed the hope that the ADR initiative would be extended to all district, circuit and high courts in the country by 2013.
The Eastern Regional Supervising High Court Judge, Mr Gbie S Suurbaareh, appealed to the people to embrace the concept to ensure the prompt settlement of cases out of court.
This, she said, would ensure uniformity in the implementation of the ADR practice in the country for prompt settlement of most civil disputes out of court.
The ADR is a mechanism that serves as an alternative to traditional methods for the resolution of disputes and generally involves the assistance of a neutral and impartial third party.
Speaking at a forum to mark the ADR week celebration at Koforidua on Monday, Mrs Francois said “it is time the government gave legal backing for the effective implementation of the practice in the country to reduce countless disputes that have overwhelmed our courts”.
The event which was held on the theme: “Enhancing Alternative Dispute Resolution—The Role of the Youth”, was attended by students and their teachers from all the second cycle schools in the New Juaben Municipality.
The forum was used to educate the youth on the role they could play in the settlement of disputes within their environment as mediators, and encouraged them to consider careers in the ADR practice.
Explaining the importance of the ADR practice to the judiciary process, Mrs Francois said, the practice could provide an enormous opportunity for reducing the number of disputes that had burdened most of the courts in the country.
“To ensure the effective practice of the ADR to facilitate the prompt settlement of disputes out of court on a win-win basis for the mutual benefit of both parties, the government needs to give a legal backing to the process, with the enactment of the bill, which has only existed in draft form for several years, ” she stated.
On the role the youth could play in the implementation of the ADR practice, Mrs Francois stressed the need to develop an effective strategy that would empower them to deal constructively with conflicts that occurred in their homes and schools, since the youth were instruments of peace.
This was to encourage the youth to understand and appreciate the fact that violence was not the only means of settling conflicts and misunderstanding among themselves, parents and teachers.
“It is time we helped our youth to acquire the needed skills in mediation efforts, to stay alert against people who will want to secretly recruit, brainwash, train and arm them to commit atrocities during conflicts, ” Mrs Francois added.
Besides the conflict-prevention benefits of the ADR practice to the youth, the problem-solving skills of students could result in a remarkable change in their attitudes.
This is because they could collectively work with their peers and teachers to create a calm and peaceful atmosphere that could enhance teaching and learning in schools.
The National Co-ordinator of the ADR, Mr Sanyo M. Adjabeng, said as part of efforts to entrench the practice in the country, a series of mediation recruitment programmes were held in Cape Coast, Takoradi, Ho and Koforidua in 2008 to identify, screen and select eligible individuals for training in court-connected mediation.
He also pointed out that since the inception of the programme on a pilot basis in 2005, 161 mediators had so far been trained and assigned to 45 district courts across the country, while 11 mediators had also been enlisted to handle cases in circuit and high courts in Accra.
Mr Adjabeng, indicated that 1,500 cases had been successfully settled in Accra since the inception of the programme, and expressed the hope that the ADR initiative would be extended to all district, circuit and high courts in the country by 2013.
The Eastern Regional Supervising High Court Judge, Mr Gbie S Suurbaareh, appealed to the people to embrace the concept to ensure the prompt settlement of cases out of court.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
GRANT TAX RELIEF TO PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES (PAGE 17)
THE Conference of Heads of Private Universities, Ghana (CHPUG) has called on the government to grant tax relief to private universities.
This, according to the association, would enable its members to deliver quality tertiary education to complement government’s efforts of making tertiary education accessible to all.
The Chairman of CHPUG, Dr Samuel H. Donkor, made the call at the association’s 3rd anniversary/academic conference in Koforidua at the weekend.
The three-day event on the theme “Private university education- complementing government’s effort in education”, is being attended by heads of all private universities in the country.
It is expected to provide a platform for the participants to discuss issues confronting private universities and also share ideas on academic issues.
Dr Donkor, however, indicated that in spite of the important role being played by universities, access to tertiary education had remained a big challenge to many young people in developing countries, including Ghana.
It was in view of this, that private universities had been established, he noted.
Highlighting some of the important roles private universities played in the economy, Dr Donkor pointed out that such educational institutions had, in accordance with the expectations of the International Finance Corporation, accelerated the pace of national development.
“Currently more than 30,000 students are studying in private universities in Ghana, which have also created jobs for 1,500 faculty, administrative and support staff,” Dr Donkor stated.
As part of efforts by the private universities to produce answers to national problems such as poverty, unemployment, disease and ignorance, Dr Donkor challenged private universities to introduce relevant programmes that would address these challenges.
“Private universities need to give their communities the wherewithal to tackle problems with better results and that required the introduction of relevant programmes to accelerate national development,” he emphasised.
In a fraternal message, the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Mr Kwame Dattey, expressed concern that private universities admitted applicants who did not have the requisite qualifications.
Such practice, he pointed out, had succeeded in creating the impression that most private universities had allowed monetary gains to influence the role expected of them in the delivery of quality tertiary education.
“Even if we must admit applicants who do not possess the requisite qualifications, we must organise remedial classes for them to enable them to better their results,” he appealed.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said private universities had significantly complemented government’s efforts at making tertiary education more accessible to the increasing number of qualified applicants.
He, therefore, emphasised that the government was committed to collaborating with the traditional authorities to address some of the nagging issues confronting tertiary educational institutions such as land acquisition to enable them to operate effectively.
This, according to the association, would enable its members to deliver quality tertiary education to complement government’s efforts of making tertiary education accessible to all.
The Chairman of CHPUG, Dr Samuel H. Donkor, made the call at the association’s 3rd anniversary/academic conference in Koforidua at the weekend.
The three-day event on the theme “Private university education- complementing government’s effort in education”, is being attended by heads of all private universities in the country.
It is expected to provide a platform for the participants to discuss issues confronting private universities and also share ideas on academic issues.
Dr Donkor, however, indicated that in spite of the important role being played by universities, access to tertiary education had remained a big challenge to many young people in developing countries, including Ghana.
It was in view of this, that private universities had been established, he noted.
Highlighting some of the important roles private universities played in the economy, Dr Donkor pointed out that such educational institutions had, in accordance with the expectations of the International Finance Corporation, accelerated the pace of national development.
“Currently more than 30,000 students are studying in private universities in Ghana, which have also created jobs for 1,500 faculty, administrative and support staff,” Dr Donkor stated.
As part of efforts by the private universities to produce answers to national problems such as poverty, unemployment, disease and ignorance, Dr Donkor challenged private universities to introduce relevant programmes that would address these challenges.
“Private universities need to give their communities the wherewithal to tackle problems with better results and that required the introduction of relevant programmes to accelerate national development,” he emphasised.
In a fraternal message, the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Mr Kwame Dattey, expressed concern that private universities admitted applicants who did not have the requisite qualifications.
Such practice, he pointed out, had succeeded in creating the impression that most private universities had allowed monetary gains to influence the role expected of them in the delivery of quality tertiary education.
“Even if we must admit applicants who do not possess the requisite qualifications, we must organise remedial classes for them to enable them to better their results,” he appealed.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said private universities had significantly complemented government’s efforts at making tertiary education more accessible to the increasing number of qualified applicants.
He, therefore, emphasised that the government was committed to collaborating with the traditional authorities to address some of the nagging issues confronting tertiary educational institutions such as land acquisition to enable them to operate effectively.
POLICE TAKE MEASURES TO REDUCE ROAD ACCIDENTS ....In Eastern Region (PAGE 36)
THE Eastern Regional Police Command and some stakeholders in road transport have embarked on a programme aimed at curbing the high rate of motor accidents in the region.
Under the programme dubbed: “Curbing road accidents—The role of stakeholders”, policemen would be deployed at vantage points at all times to enforce traffic regulations.
Defaulting drivers are to be arrested promptly and sent to court.
The exercise will bring on board the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the Progressive Transport Association (PROTOA), the Co-operative Transport Union and the various insurance companies in the region.
As part of the implementation of the programme, a forum attended by the stated stakeholders has been held at Koforidua to provide a platform for the participants to brainstorm on how to reduce accidents in the region.
In an address, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bill, stated that although the driving profession had played a major role in the country’s socio-economic progress over the years, increasing road accidents had made travelling on the roads unfriendly.
He described the recent road accidents in the region in particular and the country as a whole as unprecedented due to the numerous people who had lost their lives, especially young people in their productive years.
DCOP Anko-Bill, who is also the Chairman of the Eastern Regional National Road Safety Commission, attributed the increasing rate of accidents to gross indiscipline and the failure of most drivers who were ignorant of the rules and regulations of the driving profession to observe simple road signs.
“Most of these problems have arisen since many of the commercial drivers plying the roads do not belong to any of the transport unions, hence the blatant disregard for traffic regulations”, he stated.
The regional commander appealed to drivers who had not yet registered with any of the transport unions to do so immediately.
He also called on the various transport unions to co-operate with the police and other stakeholders to check indiscipline on the roads.
“What we can all do to preserve the credibility of the driving profession is to set good examples by not hesitating to expose recalcitrant members who always flout traffic regulations”, he urged the executives of transport unions.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Commander of the MTTU, Superintendent James Peprah stated that in 2007, the region recorded 1,307 motor accidents involving 1,570 vehicles that claimed 215 lives with 1,568 people sustaining various degrees of injury.
He added that in 2008, the death toll rose to 245 from 1,162 accidents during which 1,465 people were injured.
The Eastern Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission, Mr Stephen Anokye, attributed the causes of most accidents to drunkenness, fatigue, wrongful overtaking, overloading, lack of maintenance of vehicles, among others, on the part of drivers.
He, therefore, urged motorists to abide by the rules and regulations of the profession to avert this situation.
The Eastern Regional DVLA boss, Mr V. Fiati, educated the participants on road codes.
During an open forum, the participants appealed to the personnel of the MTTU to intensify their road patrols to ensure sanity on the roads, urging them exhibit their preparedness to allow the rule of the law to prevail.
They also appealed to the government to provide rest stops at vantage points along the Accra-Kumasi trunk road to enable long distance drivers to take compulsory rest after every four-hour drive.
That, they hoped, would help reduce accidents on the roads.
Under the programme dubbed: “Curbing road accidents—The role of stakeholders”, policemen would be deployed at vantage points at all times to enforce traffic regulations.
Defaulting drivers are to be arrested promptly and sent to court.
The exercise will bring on board the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the Progressive Transport Association (PROTOA), the Co-operative Transport Union and the various insurance companies in the region.
As part of the implementation of the programme, a forum attended by the stated stakeholders has been held at Koforidua to provide a platform for the participants to brainstorm on how to reduce accidents in the region.
In an address, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bill, stated that although the driving profession had played a major role in the country’s socio-economic progress over the years, increasing road accidents had made travelling on the roads unfriendly.
He described the recent road accidents in the region in particular and the country as a whole as unprecedented due to the numerous people who had lost their lives, especially young people in their productive years.
DCOP Anko-Bill, who is also the Chairman of the Eastern Regional National Road Safety Commission, attributed the increasing rate of accidents to gross indiscipline and the failure of most drivers who were ignorant of the rules and regulations of the driving profession to observe simple road signs.
“Most of these problems have arisen since many of the commercial drivers plying the roads do not belong to any of the transport unions, hence the blatant disregard for traffic regulations”, he stated.
The regional commander appealed to drivers who had not yet registered with any of the transport unions to do so immediately.
He also called on the various transport unions to co-operate with the police and other stakeholders to check indiscipline on the roads.
“What we can all do to preserve the credibility of the driving profession is to set good examples by not hesitating to expose recalcitrant members who always flout traffic regulations”, he urged the executives of transport unions.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Commander of the MTTU, Superintendent James Peprah stated that in 2007, the region recorded 1,307 motor accidents involving 1,570 vehicles that claimed 215 lives with 1,568 people sustaining various degrees of injury.
He added that in 2008, the death toll rose to 245 from 1,162 accidents during which 1,465 people were injured.
The Eastern Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission, Mr Stephen Anokye, attributed the causes of most accidents to drunkenness, fatigue, wrongful overtaking, overloading, lack of maintenance of vehicles, among others, on the part of drivers.
He, therefore, urged motorists to abide by the rules and regulations of the profession to avert this situation.
The Eastern Regional DVLA boss, Mr V. Fiati, educated the participants on road codes.
During an open forum, the participants appealed to the personnel of the MTTU to intensify their road patrols to ensure sanity on the roads, urging them exhibit their preparedness to allow the rule of the law to prevail.
They also appealed to the government to provide rest stops at vantage points along the Accra-Kumasi trunk road to enable long distance drivers to take compulsory rest after every four-hour drive.
That, they hoped, would help reduce accidents on the roads.
HORRIFIC ...21 Perish in two accidents (LEAD STORY)
Twenty-one people were killed on Wednesday night and in the early hours of yesterday in two separate accidents at Bewadze, near Winneba in the Central Region and Akyem-Nkronso, near Apedwa on the Accra-Kumasi road in the Eastern Region.
Sixteen people died in the Bewadze accident, while five died in the Akyem-Nkronso incident.
In the first accident, a gas tanker collided with a saloon car, exploded and burst into flames, resulting in people getting burnt, some of them beyond recognition. Those killed included two children and a pregnant woman. About 27 others who sustained various degrees of injury were sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.
One of the 11 people referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was pronounced dead on arrival, while three others, two females and a male, died yesterday morning, bringing the total number of people who died in the first accident to 17.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, among the seven surviving victims of the Bewadze accident were five males and two females.
He mentioned those on admission as Anthony Sam, 33; Kezia Krampa, 18; Sadatu Muntari, whose age is unknown; Yussif Mohammed, 30; Kwaku Edwin, 42; Joshua Odartey Lamptey, 14, and Bright Nyarko Nkoom, 19.
The deceased include 10-year-old Kofi, Adisa Kobura, 50; Christine Buah, 50, and an unidentified adult.
The driver of the tanker and one of his mates who managed to survive the accident are in the grips of the police.
The accident, which occurred about 7.30 p.m., involved the tanker, with registration number GE 2115 Z, and a saloon car, with registration number GR 8962 U.
At the time the Daily Graphic team got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, smoke was still coming out of a 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus which was about 100 metres away from where the tanker collided with the saloon car.
A few metres from the Benz was the charred body of a woman who had fallen into a trench along the road.
Opposite the spot of the accident was a burnt area stretching about 200 metres.
Two other vehicles that were affected by the raging fire and got burnt in the process were a 33-seater Benz, with registration number GR 8944 B, and an Urvan bus, with registration number CR 461 Z.
Also at the scene of the accident was the tank containing liquefied petroleum gas which had disengaged from the vehicle stuck in between a culvert.
The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ASP Nana Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the police were yet to establish the cause of the accident.
He said the driver of the tanker and his mate were giving conflicting statements as to how the accident occurred, adding that the police had since begun investigations into the matter.
However, eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was travelling from Accra towards Apam, burst its left tyre and in the process ran into the lane of the saloon car which was coming from the Apam end towards Winneba.
Following that, they said, there was a loud explosion from the tanker, which caught fire which, in turn, engulfed other vehicles behind it.
The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, DOI B. K. Nketiah, told the Daily Graphic that it took firemen two hours to put out the fire.
At the Winneba Government Hospital, the officer in charge of the Accidents Unit, Ms Victoria Eduafo, said 34 victims had been brought to the hospital.
Out of the number, seven passed away. Three others died on the spot, while the rest died at the hospital.
In the second accident, a 20-footer container on a DAF truck fell onto the lane of an oncoming 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus, crushing it and killing four persons on the spot.
The accident occurred about 3.45 a.m. yesterday when the trailer of the DAF truck, which was carrying the container which contained several gallons of acid, detached from the main body of the truck, with registration number GE 2882 Z.
It rolled on the road for several metres in the lane of the oncoming Benz bus, crushed it and spilled its contents on those on board the bus.
The DAF truck was said to be travelling from the Tema Port to Niamey, the capital of Niger, while the Benz bus, with registration number ER 611 N, was heading towards Accra from Kwahu Tafo.
Among those who died on the spot were the driver of the Benz bus, who was identified as Richard Kwame Yeboah, and his mate, who was not immediately identified.
Another dead person, who had been rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where eight others who had sustained injuries had been taken to, have also not been identified yet.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when the driver of the DAF truck, driven by one Abdul Razak, by-passed a stationary Mercedes truck, with registration number GR 605 B, parked in a curve on the shoulders of the road.
They said the driver of the truck, who was said to have spotted the oncoming bus while in the process of by-passing the stationery truck, attempted to slow down and moved back into his lane and, in the process, the trailer detached itself from the main body and fell on the path of the oncoming bus.
The witnesses said while the head of the truck was in the bush, the 20-footer container rolled several yards in the lane of the Benz bus before crashing into the oncoming bus and mangling it in the process.
They said before the accident occurred, the driver of the bus had directed it off its lane in order to avoid the container but rather ran into it. The black plume emanating from the leaking acid also engulfed the area, hampering rescue operations.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from Suhum who went to the scene, however, managed to rescue others and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
The Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Kontomah, confirmed the story and cautioned drivers to be disciplined on the road.
Mr Timothy Gobah also reports that President J.E.A. Mills yesterday visited victims of the Bewadze accident at the 37 Military Hospital Emergency Trauma and Surgical Department to empathise with them.
The President, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, and some ministers of state, was at the hospital to also have firsthand information on the accident.
President Mills was taken round the emergency ward by the Commanding Officer of the hospital, Brigadier-General Wade Whani, where he wished the victims speedy recovery.
Dr Yankey, who addressed the media after the visit, said the government would put emergency measures in place to save the lives of those who survived.
He said recent accidents on the Accra-Winneba road had revealed the inadequacies in the health sector and
mentioned the lack of ambulances to deal with emergency cases on the roads and medical equipment in the hospitals as some of the inadequacies that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Dr Yankey said his ministry had plans to meet transport owners, as well as players in the industry, to fashion out an inter-sectoral measure to deal with the situation.
He used the occasion to appeal to drivers to be careful on the roads, while urging the public to call on the Fire Service particularly in accidents involving inflammable materials, such as gas and petroleum products.
He commended the medical staff on duty at the Winneba, Suhum, Korle-Bu and 37 Military hospitals for their swift responses to the situation and singled out Dr Armah of Korle-Bu and Major Dr Appiah of the 37 Military Hospital for mention.
Sixteen people died in the Bewadze accident, while five died in the Akyem-Nkronso incident.
In the first accident, a gas tanker collided with a saloon car, exploded and burst into flames, resulting in people getting burnt, some of them beyond recognition. Those killed included two children and a pregnant woman. About 27 others who sustained various degrees of injury were sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.
One of the 11 people referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was pronounced dead on arrival, while three others, two females and a male, died yesterday morning, bringing the total number of people who died in the first accident to 17.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, among the seven surviving victims of the Bewadze accident were five males and two females.
He mentioned those on admission as Anthony Sam, 33; Kezia Krampa, 18; Sadatu Muntari, whose age is unknown; Yussif Mohammed, 30; Kwaku Edwin, 42; Joshua Odartey Lamptey, 14, and Bright Nyarko Nkoom, 19.
The deceased include 10-year-old Kofi, Adisa Kobura, 50; Christine Buah, 50, and an unidentified adult.
The driver of the tanker and one of his mates who managed to survive the accident are in the grips of the police.
The accident, which occurred about 7.30 p.m., involved the tanker, with registration number GE 2115 Z, and a saloon car, with registration number GR 8962 U.
At the time the Daily Graphic team got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, smoke was still coming out of a 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus which was about 100 metres away from where the tanker collided with the saloon car.
A few metres from the Benz was the charred body of a woman who had fallen into a trench along the road.
Opposite the spot of the accident was a burnt area stretching about 200 metres.
Two other vehicles that were affected by the raging fire and got burnt in the process were a 33-seater Benz, with registration number GR 8944 B, and an Urvan bus, with registration number CR 461 Z.
Also at the scene of the accident was the tank containing liquefied petroleum gas which had disengaged from the vehicle stuck in between a culvert.
The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ASP Nana Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the police were yet to establish the cause of the accident.
He said the driver of the tanker and his mate were giving conflicting statements as to how the accident occurred, adding that the police had since begun investigations into the matter.
However, eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was travelling from Accra towards Apam, burst its left tyre and in the process ran into the lane of the saloon car which was coming from the Apam end towards Winneba.
Following that, they said, there was a loud explosion from the tanker, which caught fire which, in turn, engulfed other vehicles behind it.
The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, DOI B. K. Nketiah, told the Daily Graphic that it took firemen two hours to put out the fire.
At the Winneba Government Hospital, the officer in charge of the Accidents Unit, Ms Victoria Eduafo, said 34 victims had been brought to the hospital.
Out of the number, seven passed away. Three others died on the spot, while the rest died at the hospital.
In the second accident, a 20-footer container on a DAF truck fell onto the lane of an oncoming 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus, crushing it and killing four persons on the spot.
The accident occurred about 3.45 a.m. yesterday when the trailer of the DAF truck, which was carrying the container which contained several gallons of acid, detached from the main body of the truck, with registration number GE 2882 Z.
It rolled on the road for several metres in the lane of the oncoming Benz bus, crushed it and spilled its contents on those on board the bus.
The DAF truck was said to be travelling from the Tema Port to Niamey, the capital of Niger, while the Benz bus, with registration number ER 611 N, was heading towards Accra from Kwahu Tafo.
Among those who died on the spot were the driver of the Benz bus, who was identified as Richard Kwame Yeboah, and his mate, who was not immediately identified.
Another dead person, who had been rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where eight others who had sustained injuries had been taken to, have also not been identified yet.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when the driver of the DAF truck, driven by one Abdul Razak, by-passed a stationary Mercedes truck, with registration number GR 605 B, parked in a curve on the shoulders of the road.
They said the driver of the truck, who was said to have spotted the oncoming bus while in the process of by-passing the stationery truck, attempted to slow down and moved back into his lane and, in the process, the trailer detached itself from the main body and fell on the path of the oncoming bus.
The witnesses said while the head of the truck was in the bush, the 20-footer container rolled several yards in the lane of the Benz bus before crashing into the oncoming bus and mangling it in the process.
They said before the accident occurred, the driver of the bus had directed it off its lane in order to avoid the container but rather ran into it. The black plume emanating from the leaking acid also engulfed the area, hampering rescue operations.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from Suhum who went to the scene, however, managed to rescue others and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
The Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Kontomah, confirmed the story and cautioned drivers to be disciplined on the road.
Mr Timothy Gobah also reports that President J.E.A. Mills yesterday visited victims of the Bewadze accident at the 37 Military Hospital Emergency Trauma and Surgical Department to empathise with them.
The President, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, and some ministers of state, was at the hospital to also have firsthand information on the accident.
President Mills was taken round the emergency ward by the Commanding Officer of the hospital, Brigadier-General Wade Whani, where he wished the victims speedy recovery.
Dr Yankey, who addressed the media after the visit, said the government would put emergency measures in place to save the lives of those who survived.
He said recent accidents on the Accra-Winneba road had revealed the inadequacies in the health sector and
mentioned the lack of ambulances to deal with emergency cases on the roads and medical equipment in the hospitals as some of the inadequacies that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Dr Yankey said his ministry had plans to meet transport owners, as well as players in the industry, to fashion out an inter-sectoral measure to deal with the situation.
He used the occasion to appeal to drivers to be careful on the roads, while urging the public to call on the Fire Service particularly in accidents involving inflammable materials, such as gas and petroleum products.
He commended the medical staff on duty at the Winneba, Suhum, Korle-Bu and 37 Military hospitals for their swift responses to the situation and singled out Dr Armah of Korle-Bu and Major Dr Appiah of the 37 Military Hospital for mention.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
HELP CHANGE NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF ZONGOS (PAGE 16)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has expressed concern over the negative perception that people in the zongo communities are violent.
He said the situation had caused some influential persons in society, particularly politicians, to use the youth from the zongo communities for violent acts.
“It is time we collectively and individually stood up against this practice by creating awareness that Islamic religion stands for peace and development and not violence,” he told the Council of Muslim Chiefs when they paid a courtesy call on him at his office at Koforidua yesterday.
The Eastern Regional Traditional Muslim Council was there to congratulate Mr Ampofo on his appointment as the new Eastern Regional minister.
Mr Ampofo called on them to encourage Muslim parents and guardians to enroll their children in secular educational institution, in addition to Islamic religious schools since it would enable them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to occupy responsible positions in society in the future.
“There are many positive things we can as elders of our communities do by enrolling our children in schools to give a new image about zongo communities,” Mr Ampofo said.
The regional minister said since education remained the only tool to change the status quo of Muslim communities across the country, Muslim traditional leaders must help with efforts to give the education of the youth a priority.
This, he contended, could be achieved if parents and guardians were encouraged to consider the education of their children and wards a worthwhile investment.
“We as opinion leaders have lived our lives and it is time we took a critical look into the future of our children as part of efforts to eradicate ignorance and poverty from our communities,” Mr Ampofo stressed.
As part of moves to change such negative perception associated with zongo communities, Mr Ampofo suggested to the council to organise durbars to educate the public on the good aspect of the Islamic religion.
This, he pointed out, would enable the public to understand and appreciate the good virtues of the Islamic religion.
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Yussif Amdani Sulleyman, prayed for the minister and urged him to be guided by principles and remain objective in the execution of his duties to enable him enjoy a successful tenure of office.
He said the situation had caused some influential persons in society, particularly politicians, to use the youth from the zongo communities for violent acts.
“It is time we collectively and individually stood up against this practice by creating awareness that Islamic religion stands for peace and development and not violence,” he told the Council of Muslim Chiefs when they paid a courtesy call on him at his office at Koforidua yesterday.
The Eastern Regional Traditional Muslim Council was there to congratulate Mr Ampofo on his appointment as the new Eastern Regional minister.
Mr Ampofo called on them to encourage Muslim parents and guardians to enroll their children in secular educational institution, in addition to Islamic religious schools since it would enable them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to occupy responsible positions in society in the future.
“There are many positive things we can as elders of our communities do by enrolling our children in schools to give a new image about zongo communities,” Mr Ampofo said.
The regional minister said since education remained the only tool to change the status quo of Muslim communities across the country, Muslim traditional leaders must help with efforts to give the education of the youth a priority.
This, he contended, could be achieved if parents and guardians were encouraged to consider the education of their children and wards a worthwhile investment.
“We as opinion leaders have lived our lives and it is time we took a critical look into the future of our children as part of efforts to eradicate ignorance and poverty from our communities,” Mr Ampofo stressed.
As part of moves to change such negative perception associated with zongo communities, Mr Ampofo suggested to the council to organise durbars to educate the public on the good aspect of the Islamic religion.
This, he pointed out, would enable the public to understand and appreciate the good virtues of the Islamic religion.
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Yussif Amdani Sulleyman, prayed for the minister and urged him to be guided by principles and remain objective in the execution of his duties to enable him enjoy a successful tenure of office.
HELP CHANGE NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF ZONGOS (PAGE 16)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has expressed concern over the negative perception that people in the zongo communities are violent.
He said the situation had caused some influential persons in society, particularly politicians, to use the youth from the zongo communities for violent acts.
“It is time we collectively and individually stood up against this practice by creating awareness that Islamic religion stands for peace and development and not violence,” he told the Council of Muslim Chiefs when they paid a courtesy call on him at his office at Koforidua yesterday.
The Eastern Regional Traditional Muslim Council was there to congratulate Mr Ampofo on his appointment as the new Eastern Regional minister.
Mr Ampofo called on them to encourage Muslim parents and guardians to enroll their children in secular educational institution, in addition to Islamic religious schools since it would enable them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to occupy responsible positions in society in the future.
“There are many positive things we can as elders of our communities do by enrolling our children in schools to give a new image about zongo communities,” Mr Ampofo said.
The regional minister said since education remained the only tool to change the status quo of Muslim communities across the country, Muslim traditional leaders must help with efforts to give the education of the youth a priority.
This, he contended, could be achieved if parents and guardians were encouraged to consider the education of their children and wards a worthwhile investment.
“We as opinion leaders have lived our lives and it is time we took a critical look into the future of our children as part of efforts to eradicate ignorance and poverty from our communities,” Mr Ampofo stressed.
As part of moves to change such negative perception associated with zongo communities, Mr Ampofo suggested to the council to organise durbars to educate the public on the good aspect of the Islamic religion.
This, he pointed out, would enable the public to understand and appreciate the good virtues of the Islamic religion.
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Yussif Amdani Sulleyman, prayed for the minister and urged him to be guided by principles and remain objective in the execution of his duties to enable him enjoy a successful tenure of office.
He said the situation had caused some influential persons in society, particularly politicians, to use the youth from the zongo communities for violent acts.
“It is time we collectively and individually stood up against this practice by creating awareness that Islamic religion stands for peace and development and not violence,” he told the Council of Muslim Chiefs when they paid a courtesy call on him at his office at Koforidua yesterday.
The Eastern Regional Traditional Muslim Council was there to congratulate Mr Ampofo on his appointment as the new Eastern Regional minister.
Mr Ampofo called on them to encourage Muslim parents and guardians to enroll their children in secular educational institution, in addition to Islamic religious schools since it would enable them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to occupy responsible positions in society in the future.
“There are many positive things we can as elders of our communities do by enrolling our children in schools to give a new image about zongo communities,” Mr Ampofo said.
The regional minister said since education remained the only tool to change the status quo of Muslim communities across the country, Muslim traditional leaders must help with efforts to give the education of the youth a priority.
This, he contended, could be achieved if parents and guardians were encouraged to consider the education of their children and wards a worthwhile investment.
“We as opinion leaders have lived our lives and it is time we took a critical look into the future of our children as part of efforts to eradicate ignorance and poverty from our communities,” Mr Ampofo stressed.
As part of moves to change such negative perception associated with zongo communities, Mr Ampofo suggested to the council to organise durbars to educate the public on the good aspect of the Islamic religion.
This, he pointed out, would enable the public to understand and appreciate the good virtues of the Islamic religion.
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Yussif Amdani Sulleyman, prayed for the minister and urged him to be guided by principles and remain objective in the execution of his duties to enable him enjoy a successful tenure of office.
STUDENTS URGED TO USE THEIT TIME WELL (PAGE 11)
THE President of the All Nations University College (ANUC) at Koforidua, Dr Samuel Donkor, has appealed to university students to make the best use of their time to acquire skills and knowledge that would make them useful to the nation.
He reminded them that the pursuit of higher education was one of adventure, choices and opportunities, and depending on which way one utilised his or her time,it could be a journey to success or failure.
Speaking at the third matriculation of the university at Koforidua, Dr Donkor said “University education is your finest moment to acquire the skills that will set you apart from your family, town, tribe, region and country”.
In all, 150 students who would be pursuing various disciplines were matriculated.
The President said the university, as an institution, had the responsibility to teach, guide and provide leadership and exemplary moulding of character of its students.
This, he said, would help to foster a brighter future and hope not only for them and their families but also for the country and the world at large.
Dr Donkor said it was in line with such a sense of responsibility that ANUC had provided a unique paradigm of study dubbed Total Personality Development (TPD) to assist both students and staff to achieve a balanced perspective of life.
“The TPD combines technical knowledge with spiritual, social, ethical and character building to equip each individual with the tools, skills and resources needed to make a wholesome contribution to society, both as a professional and as a person”, he explained.
The president, who urged the students to take full advantage of programme, however added “it is your responsibility to work with us to allow us to impart the knowledge you have come to seek and to allow us guide you into making choices that will be of benefit to yourselves and society”.
“It is also your responsibility to choose the right friends and companions, the right places to go, the right activities to participate in”, he added.
On academic programmes of the university, Dr Donkor said the institution was making efforts to maintain its leadership in higher education by introducing courses that were driven by national needs.
To this end, he indicated that the ANUC was working with the National Accreditation Board to establish a new programme in Oil and Gas Engineering.
“This programme is aimed at promoting capacity-building at the local level, to minimise dependence on the importation of human resources into our exploding oil and gas arena”, he explained.
For his part, the Chancellor of the University, Daasebre (Prof) Oti Boateng, noted that since knowledge in the pursuit of higher education was not sufficient, students must strive to buttress it with the acquisition of tolerance, perseverance, charity to enable them to make a difference in society.
“The acquisition of virtues such as charity, wisdom, neighbourly love should be your guiding principle to enable you to cut above the mainstream in the pursuit of academic excellence”, he emphasised.
He also admonished the students to eschew social vices that could tarnish the reputation of the university by abiding by the rules and regulations of the institution
He reminded them that the pursuit of higher education was one of adventure, choices and opportunities, and depending on which way one utilised his or her time,it could be a journey to success or failure.
Speaking at the third matriculation of the university at Koforidua, Dr Donkor said “University education is your finest moment to acquire the skills that will set you apart from your family, town, tribe, region and country”.
In all, 150 students who would be pursuing various disciplines were matriculated.
The President said the university, as an institution, had the responsibility to teach, guide and provide leadership and exemplary moulding of character of its students.
This, he said, would help to foster a brighter future and hope not only for them and their families but also for the country and the world at large.
Dr Donkor said it was in line with such a sense of responsibility that ANUC had provided a unique paradigm of study dubbed Total Personality Development (TPD) to assist both students and staff to achieve a balanced perspective of life.
“The TPD combines technical knowledge with spiritual, social, ethical and character building to equip each individual with the tools, skills and resources needed to make a wholesome contribution to society, both as a professional and as a person”, he explained.
The president, who urged the students to take full advantage of programme, however added “it is your responsibility to work with us to allow us to impart the knowledge you have come to seek and to allow us guide you into making choices that will be of benefit to yourselves and society”.
“It is also your responsibility to choose the right friends and companions, the right places to go, the right activities to participate in”, he added.
On academic programmes of the university, Dr Donkor said the institution was making efforts to maintain its leadership in higher education by introducing courses that were driven by national needs.
To this end, he indicated that the ANUC was working with the National Accreditation Board to establish a new programme in Oil and Gas Engineering.
“This programme is aimed at promoting capacity-building at the local level, to minimise dependence on the importation of human resources into our exploding oil and gas arena”, he explained.
For his part, the Chancellor of the University, Daasebre (Prof) Oti Boateng, noted that since knowledge in the pursuit of higher education was not sufficient, students must strive to buttress it with the acquisition of tolerance, perseverance, charity to enable them to make a difference in society.
“The acquisition of virtues such as charity, wisdom, neighbourly love should be your guiding principle to enable you to cut above the mainstream in the pursuit of academic excellence”, he emphasised.
He also admonished the students to eschew social vices that could tarnish the reputation of the university by abiding by the rules and regulations of the institution
HORRIFIC ...21 Perish in two accidents (LEAD STORY)
Story: Emmanuel Bonney & Nana Agyeman Konadu, Akyem-Nkoronso
Twenty-one people were killed on Wednesday night and in the early hours of yesterday in two separate accidents at Bewadze, near Winneba in the Central Region and Akyem-Nkronso, near Apedwa on the Accra-Kumasi road in the Eastern Region.
Sixteen people died in the Bewadze accident, while five died in the Akyem-Nkronso incident.
In the first accident, a gas tanker collided with a saloon car, exploded and burst into flames, resulting in people getting burnt, some of them beyond recognition. Those killed included two children and a pregnant woman. About 27 others who sustained various degrees of injury were sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.
One of the 11 people referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was pronounced dead on arrival, while three others, two females and a male, died yesterday morning, bringing the total number of people who died in the first accident to 17.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, among the seven surviving victims of the Bewadze accident were five males and two females.
He mentioned those on admission as Anthony Sam, 33; Kezia Krampa, 18; Sadatu Muntari, whose age is unknown; Yussif Mohammed, 30; Kwaku Edwin, 42; Joshua Odartey Lamptey, 14, and Bright Nyarko Nkoom, 19.
The deceased include 10-year-old Kofi, Adisa Kobura, 50; Christine Buah, 50, and an unidentified adult.
The driver of the tanker and one of his mates who managed to survive the accident are in the grips of the police.
The accident, which occurred about 7.30 p.m., involved the tanker, with registration number GE 2115 Z, and a saloon car, with registration number GR 8962 U.
At the time the Daily Graphic team got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, smoke was still coming out of a 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus which was about 100 metres away from where the tanker collided with the saloon car.
A few metres from the Benz was the charred body of a woman who had fallen into a trench along the road.
Opposite the spot of the accident was a burnt area stretching about 200 metres.
Two other vehicles that were affected by the raging fire and got burnt in the process were a 33-seater Benz, with registration number GR 8944 B, and an Urvan bus, with registration number CR 461 Z.
Also at the scene of the accident was the tank containing liquefied petroleum gas which had disengaged from the vehicle stuck in between a culvert.
The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ASP Nana Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the police were yet to establish the cause of the accident.
He said the driver of the tanker and his mate were giving conflicting statements as to how the accident occurred, adding that the police had since begun investigations into the matter.
However, eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was travelling from Accra towards Apam, burst its left tyre and in the process ran into the lane of the saloon car which was coming from the Apam end towards Winneba.
Following that, they said, there was a loud explosion from the tanker, which caught fire which, in turn, engulfed other vehicles behind it.
The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, DOI B. K. Nketiah, told the Daily Graphic that it took firemen two hours to put out the fire.
At the Winneba Government Hospital, the officer in charge of the Accidents Unit, Ms Victoria Eduafo, said 34 victims had been brought to the hospital.
Out of the number, seven passed away. Three others died on the spot, while the rest died at the hospital.
In the second accident, a 20-footer container on a DAF truck fell onto the lane of an oncoming 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus, crushing it and killing four persons on the spot.
The accident occurred about 3.45 a.m. yesterday when the trailer of the DAF truck, which was carrying the container which contained several gallons of acid, detached from the main body of the truck, with registration number GE 2882 Z.
It rolled on the road for several metres in the lane of the oncoming Benz bus, crushed it and spilled its contents on those on board the bus.
The DAF truck was said to be travelling from the Tema Port to Niamey, the capital of Niger, while the Benz bus, with registration number ER 611 N, was heading towards Accra from Kwahu Tafo.
Among those who died on the spot were the driver of the Benz bus, who was identified as Richard Kwame Yeboah, and his mate, who was not immediately identified.
Another dead person, who had been rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where eight others who had sustained injuries had been taken to, have also not been identified yet.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when the driver of the DAF truck, driven by one Abdul Razak, by-passed a stationary Mercedes truck, with registration number GR 605 B, parked in a curve on the shoulders of the road.
They said the driver of the truck, who was said to have spotted the oncoming bus while in the process of by-passing the stationery truck, attempted to slow down and moved back into his lane and, in the process, the trailer detached itself from the main body and fell on the path of the oncoming bus.
The witnesses said while the head of the truck was in the bush, the 20-footer container rolled several yards in the lane of the Benz bus before crashing into the oncoming bus and mangling it in the process.
They said before the accident occurred, the driver of the bus had directed it off its lane in order to avoid the container but rather ran into it. The black plume emanating from the leaking acid also engulfed the area, hampering rescue operations.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from Suhum who went to the scene, however, managed to rescue others and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
The Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Kontomah, confirmed the story and cautioned drivers to be disciplined on the road.
Mr Timothy Gobah also reports that President J.E.A. Mills yesterday visited victims of the Bewadze accident at the 37 Military Hospital Emergency Trauma and Surgical Department to empathise with them.
The President, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, and some ministers of state, was at the hospital to also have firsthand information on the accident.
President Mills was taken round the emergency ward by the Commanding Officer of the hospital, Brigadier-General Wade Whani, where he wished the victims speedy recovery.
Dr Yankey, who addressed the media after the visit, said the government would put emergency measures in place to save the lives of those who survived.
He said recent accidents on the Accra-Winneba road had revealed the inadequacies in the health sector and
mentioned the lack of ambulances to deal with emergency cases on the roads and medical equipment in the hospitals as some of the inadequacies that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Dr Yankey said his ministry had plans to meet transport owners, as well as players in the industry, to fashion out an inter-sectoral measure to deal with the situation.
He used the occasion to appeal to drivers to be careful on the roads, while urging the public to call on the Fire Service particularly in accidents involving inflammable materials, such as gas and petroleum products.
He commended the medical staff on duty at the Winneba, Suhum, Korle-Bu and 37 Military hospitals for their swift responses to the situation and singled out Dr Armah of Korle-Bu and Major Dr Appiah of the 37 Military Hospital for mention.
Twenty-one people were killed on Wednesday night and in the early hours of yesterday in two separate accidents at Bewadze, near Winneba in the Central Region and Akyem-Nkronso, near Apedwa on the Accra-Kumasi road in the Eastern Region.
Sixteen people died in the Bewadze accident, while five died in the Akyem-Nkronso incident.
In the first accident, a gas tanker collided with a saloon car, exploded and burst into flames, resulting in people getting burnt, some of them beyond recognition. Those killed included two children and a pregnant woman. About 27 others who sustained various degrees of injury were sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.
One of the 11 people referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was pronounced dead on arrival, while three others, two females and a male, died yesterday morning, bringing the total number of people who died in the first accident to 17.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, among the seven surviving victims of the Bewadze accident were five males and two females.
He mentioned those on admission as Anthony Sam, 33; Kezia Krampa, 18; Sadatu Muntari, whose age is unknown; Yussif Mohammed, 30; Kwaku Edwin, 42; Joshua Odartey Lamptey, 14, and Bright Nyarko Nkoom, 19.
The deceased include 10-year-old Kofi, Adisa Kobura, 50; Christine Buah, 50, and an unidentified adult.
The driver of the tanker and one of his mates who managed to survive the accident are in the grips of the police.
The accident, which occurred about 7.30 p.m., involved the tanker, with registration number GE 2115 Z, and a saloon car, with registration number GR 8962 U.
At the time the Daily Graphic team got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, smoke was still coming out of a 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus which was about 100 metres away from where the tanker collided with the saloon car.
A few metres from the Benz was the charred body of a woman who had fallen into a trench along the road.
Opposite the spot of the accident was a burnt area stretching about 200 metres.
Two other vehicles that were affected by the raging fire and got burnt in the process were a 33-seater Benz, with registration number GR 8944 B, and an Urvan bus, with registration number CR 461 Z.
Also at the scene of the accident was the tank containing liquefied petroleum gas which had disengaged from the vehicle stuck in between a culvert.
The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ASP Nana Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the police were yet to establish the cause of the accident.
He said the driver of the tanker and his mate were giving conflicting statements as to how the accident occurred, adding that the police had since begun investigations into the matter.
However, eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was travelling from Accra towards Apam, burst its left tyre and in the process ran into the lane of the saloon car which was coming from the Apam end towards Winneba.
Following that, they said, there was a loud explosion from the tanker, which caught fire which, in turn, engulfed other vehicles behind it.
The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, DOI B. K. Nketiah, told the Daily Graphic that it took firemen two hours to put out the fire.
At the Winneba Government Hospital, the officer in charge of the Accidents Unit, Ms Victoria Eduafo, said 34 victims had been brought to the hospital.
Out of the number, seven passed away. Three others died on the spot, while the rest died at the hospital.
In the second accident, a 20-footer container on a DAF truck fell onto the lane of an oncoming 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus, crushing it and killing four persons on the spot.
The accident occurred about 3.45 a.m. yesterday when the trailer of the DAF truck, which was carrying the container which contained several gallons of acid, detached from the main body of the truck, with registration number GE 2882 Z.
It rolled on the road for several metres in the lane of the oncoming Benz bus, crushed it and spilled its contents on those on board the bus.
The DAF truck was said to be travelling from the Tema Port to Niamey, the capital of Niger, while the Benz bus, with registration number ER 611 N, was heading towards Accra from Kwahu Tafo.
Among those who died on the spot were the driver of the Benz bus, who was identified as Richard Kwame Yeboah, and his mate, who was not immediately identified.
Another dead person, who had been rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where eight others who had sustained injuries had been taken to, have also not been identified yet.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when the driver of the DAF truck, driven by one Abdul Razak, by-passed a stationary Mercedes truck, with registration number GR 605 B, parked in a curve on the shoulders of the road.
They said the driver of the truck, who was said to have spotted the oncoming bus while in the process of by-passing the stationery truck, attempted to slow down and moved back into his lane and, in the process, the trailer detached itself from the main body and fell on the path of the oncoming bus.
The witnesses said while the head of the truck was in the bush, the 20-footer container rolled several yards in the lane of the Benz bus before crashing into the oncoming bus and mangling it in the process.
They said before the accident occurred, the driver of the bus had directed it off its lane in order to avoid the container but rather ran into it. The black plume emanating from the leaking acid also engulfed the area, hampering rescue operations.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from Suhum who went to the scene, however, managed to rescue others and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
The Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Kontomah, confirmed the story and cautioned drivers to be disciplined on the road.
Mr Timothy Gobah also reports that President J.E.A. Mills yesterday visited victims of the Bewadze accident at the 37 Military Hospital Emergency Trauma and Surgical Department to empathise with them.
The President, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, and some ministers of state, was at the hospital to also have firsthand information on the accident.
President Mills was taken round the emergency ward by the Commanding Officer of the hospital, Brigadier-General Wade Whani, where he wished the victims speedy recovery.
Dr Yankey, who addressed the media after the visit, said the government would put emergency measures in place to save the lives of those who survived.
He said recent accidents on the Accra-Winneba road had revealed the inadequacies in the health sector and
mentioned the lack of ambulances to deal with emergency cases on the roads and medical equipment in the hospitals as some of the inadequacies that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Dr Yankey said his ministry had plans to meet transport owners, as well as players in the industry, to fashion out an inter-sectoral measure to deal with the situation.
He used the occasion to appeal to drivers to be careful on the roads, while urging the public to call on the Fire Service particularly in accidents involving inflammable materials, such as gas and petroleum products.
He commended the medical staff on duty at the Winneba, Suhum, Korle-Bu and 37 Military hospitals for their swift responses to the situation and singled out Dr Armah of Korle-Bu and Major Dr Appiah of the 37 Military Hospital for mention.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
ESTABLISH DRIVING SCHOOL ...Minister urges GPRTU (PAGE 28)
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has called on the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to establish a driving training school to transfer driving skills to its members.
That, he noted, would equip drivers with the needed knowledge of the rules and regulations of the profession to curb the rampant road accidents in the country.
“Since driving is a noble profession, our utmost priority as a recognised institution should concentrate on investing in the establishment of a driving school to raise the standard of our profession and safety on the road,” he stated.
Mr Ampofo, who made the remark when the executive of the Eastern Regional GPRTU paid a courtesy call on him at his office at Koforidua last Monday, stated that “we must learn every road sign and regulation in order to describe ourselves as masters of the profession”.
The call was to congratulate Mr Ampofo on his appointment as Eastern Regional Minister and also seek his assistance in resolving some nagging issues confronting the operations of the association in the area.
The regional minister noted that although the driving profession was a noble one that had played a significant role in all facets of the economy, the recent spate of road accidents had seriously tarnished its image.
He attributed the fatalities on the roads partly to the inability of some drivers to read and understand simple road signs and failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the profession.
“Besides, the gross indiscipline exhibited by some drivers through acts such as speeding, wrong overtaking, overloading and drunk driving have also led to accidents on our roads,” he added.
The regional minister also expressed worry about the refusal of drivers to observe road signs and to rest during long journeys, noting that fatigue had been identified as one of the major causes of accidents.
“How on earth can a driver travelling from Accra to Kumasi, take no rest for such a hectic four-hour journey?” he quizzed the executive of the GPRTU, adding that “you are human and can never cheat nature”.
As part of the government’s pledge to build the capacity of the private transport sector, the minister reiterated the government’s commitment to provide various transport unions with new buses, in collaboration with some financial institutions.
He, therefore, appealed to drivers who had not yet joined any of the transport unions to do so to enable them to benefit from the package.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, Mr J. K. Cudjoe, expressed concern about the spate of lawlessness on the part of some drivers, especially those who were not members of the GPRTU.
“Such lawlessness has arisen since most of these drivers do not belong to any union for them to be checked and regulated,” he added.
He also appealed to the regional minister to help allocate a parking space for Metro Mass Transit buses which had taken over spaces meant for members of the union.
That, he noted, would equip drivers with the needed knowledge of the rules and regulations of the profession to curb the rampant road accidents in the country.
“Since driving is a noble profession, our utmost priority as a recognised institution should concentrate on investing in the establishment of a driving school to raise the standard of our profession and safety on the road,” he stated.
Mr Ampofo, who made the remark when the executive of the Eastern Regional GPRTU paid a courtesy call on him at his office at Koforidua last Monday, stated that “we must learn every road sign and regulation in order to describe ourselves as masters of the profession”.
The call was to congratulate Mr Ampofo on his appointment as Eastern Regional Minister and also seek his assistance in resolving some nagging issues confronting the operations of the association in the area.
The regional minister noted that although the driving profession was a noble one that had played a significant role in all facets of the economy, the recent spate of road accidents had seriously tarnished its image.
He attributed the fatalities on the roads partly to the inability of some drivers to read and understand simple road signs and failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the profession.
“Besides, the gross indiscipline exhibited by some drivers through acts such as speeding, wrong overtaking, overloading and drunk driving have also led to accidents on our roads,” he added.
The regional minister also expressed worry about the refusal of drivers to observe road signs and to rest during long journeys, noting that fatigue had been identified as one of the major causes of accidents.
“How on earth can a driver travelling from Accra to Kumasi, take no rest for such a hectic four-hour journey?” he quizzed the executive of the GPRTU, adding that “you are human and can never cheat nature”.
As part of the government’s pledge to build the capacity of the private transport sector, the minister reiterated the government’s commitment to provide various transport unions with new buses, in collaboration with some financial institutions.
He, therefore, appealed to drivers who had not yet joined any of the transport unions to do so to enable them to benefit from the package.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, Mr J. K. Cudjoe, expressed concern about the spate of lawlessness on the part of some drivers, especially those who were not members of the GPRTU.
“Such lawlessness has arisen since most of these drivers do not belong to any union for them to be checked and regulated,” he added.
He also appealed to the regional minister to help allocate a parking space for Metro Mass Transit buses which had taken over spaces meant for members of the union.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
TWO GOAT THIEVES ATTEMPT SUICIDE (PAGE 3)
From Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua.
Two goat thieves who preferred death to their prosecution decided to end it all while in custody at the New Juaben Municipal Police station.
Edem Kwame and Gideon Tetteh, both 21, were however, unsuccessful in their suicide bid as they were caught unconscious while hanging from the cell’s ceiling last Wednesday.
They were rushed to the Eastern Regional Hospital where they regained consciousness, after which they were dragged to the Koforidua Circuit Court to face the charges of stealing and attempting to commit suicide.
They were each slapped with a 12-month jail term and fined GH¢300 each or in default six months imprisonment.
Briefing The Mirror in Koforidua last Wednesday, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John A. Naami, said on March 2, 2009 the two, together with another accomplice, now at large, went to Nkurakan, a nearby town at about 11 a.m. and stole a sheep and a number of goats and loaded them into the boot of a waiting taxi cab with registration number GR 2495 U.
He said they were however spotted by some of the residents in the area, who confronted them to ascertain where they got the animals.
Unable to give a satisfactory answer Edem and Tetteh fled into a nearby bush and left behind their booty.
Superintendent Naami said when the police went to the scene, a number of goats and a sheep were found in the boot of the taxi, which was conveyed to the Nkurakan Police Station.
Later in the day, he said, the owner of the taxi and the driver (Edem) arrested Tetteh and sent him to the Nkurakan police station, where Edem informed the police that the vehicle was hired by Tetteh to convey the animals.
During police interrogations, Tetteh admitted conniving with Edem to steal the animals.
Two goat thieves who preferred death to their prosecution decided to end it all while in custody at the New Juaben Municipal Police station.
Edem Kwame and Gideon Tetteh, both 21, were however, unsuccessful in their suicide bid as they were caught unconscious while hanging from the cell’s ceiling last Wednesday.
They were rushed to the Eastern Regional Hospital where they regained consciousness, after which they were dragged to the Koforidua Circuit Court to face the charges of stealing and attempting to commit suicide.
They were each slapped with a 12-month jail term and fined GH¢300 each or in default six months imprisonment.
Briefing The Mirror in Koforidua last Wednesday, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John A. Naami, said on March 2, 2009 the two, together with another accomplice, now at large, went to Nkurakan, a nearby town at about 11 a.m. and stole a sheep and a number of goats and loaded them into the boot of a waiting taxi cab with registration number GR 2495 U.
He said they were however spotted by some of the residents in the area, who confronted them to ascertain where they got the animals.
Unable to give a satisfactory answer Edem and Tetteh fled into a nearby bush and left behind their booty.
Superintendent Naami said when the police went to the scene, a number of goats and a sheep were found in the boot of the taxi, which was conveyed to the Nkurakan Police Station.
Later in the day, he said, the owner of the taxi and the driver (Edem) arrested Tetteh and sent him to the Nkurakan police station, where Edem informed the police that the vehicle was hired by Tetteh to convey the animals.
During police interrogations, Tetteh admitted conniving with Edem to steal the animals.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
OSINO ACCIDENT CLAIMS ONE LIFE (PAGE 34)
One person died last Friday when the driver of a passenger bus lost control and rammed into a private Toyota Corolla at Osino in the Eastern Region.
The deceased was identified as the mate of the bus.
He was said to have had his right leg cut off at the accident scene and died shortly on arrival at the St Joseph Hospital at Koforidua, where he and other passengers who got injured in the crash were rushed to.
The bus, belonging to O.A. Travel and Tours with registration AS 5753 W, was travelling from Accra to Kumasi at top speed. On reaching Osino the driver was said to have lost control of the bus before crashing into the rear side of the saloon car, which was travelling in the same direction.
According to eyewitness account, the driver of the bus, yet to be identified, was reported to have continuously blown the horn to alert the private vehicle to get out of its way when he lost control of the bus.
However, the bus rammed into the rear side of the saloon vehicle before grazing its right side against an oncoming charcoal truck.
Eyewitnesses indicated that but for the timely swerving of the truck into the other side of the road, the bus would have collided head-on with it.
When the Daily Graphic visited the scene on Saturday, the bus was spotted a long distance away from the scene of the accident, which, according to eyewitnesses, was due to the inability of the driver to apply the brakes.
When contacted, the Station Officer of the Osino Police Station, Chief Inspector Samuel W. Arkoh, confirmed the incident and gave the assurance that the police were still investigating to determine the cause of the accident.
He advised drivers to drive at moderate speed on the Accra-Kumasi highway to prevent accidents.
The deceased was identified as the mate of the bus.
He was said to have had his right leg cut off at the accident scene and died shortly on arrival at the St Joseph Hospital at Koforidua, where he and other passengers who got injured in the crash were rushed to.
The bus, belonging to O.A. Travel and Tours with registration AS 5753 W, was travelling from Accra to Kumasi at top speed. On reaching Osino the driver was said to have lost control of the bus before crashing into the rear side of the saloon car, which was travelling in the same direction.
According to eyewitness account, the driver of the bus, yet to be identified, was reported to have continuously blown the horn to alert the private vehicle to get out of its way when he lost control of the bus.
However, the bus rammed into the rear side of the saloon vehicle before grazing its right side against an oncoming charcoal truck.
Eyewitnesses indicated that but for the timely swerving of the truck into the other side of the road, the bus would have collided head-on with it.
When the Daily Graphic visited the scene on Saturday, the bus was spotted a long distance away from the scene of the accident, which, according to eyewitnesses, was due to the inability of the driver to apply the brakes.
When contacted, the Station Officer of the Osino Police Station, Chief Inspector Samuel W. Arkoh, confirmed the incident and gave the assurance that the police were still investigating to determine the cause of the accident.
He advised drivers to drive at moderate speed on the Accra-Kumasi highway to prevent accidents.
Monday, March 2, 2009
MILITARY HIGH COMMAND RENDERS APOLOGY (SPREAD)
THE Military High Command has rendered unreserved apology to those who were affected in last Thursday’s clash between 30 military men and some drivers at the Akyem Oda main lorry park.
It also assured the people that the command would hand down appropriate punishment to any military man who would be found guilty of breaching the law after the police investigations.
The Commandant of the Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS), Major General Amadu K. Abdulai, who rendered the apology, stated that “the command will not shield any of our men who will be found guilty of taking the laws of the land and of the military into their own hands”.
Major General Abdulai was speaking when the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, led a delegation to meet with the executive of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the military command at Akyem Oda.
The delegation included the Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP George Anko-Bill, the Akyem Oda Divisional Police Commander, ACP Ben Atadana, and the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Owusu-Boateng.
The commandant said the establishment of the military force was to protect the territorial integrity of and maintain peace in the country to enable the citizens to go about their normal activities.
He added that the country’s military force had played significant roles in the maintenance of peace in other countries on the African continent and had gained an international recognition as one of the best in the world.
“For this reason, it is absolutely wrong for any personnel of the military force to engage any civilian in a fight, since it is our responsibility to protect them and the nation,” he stated.
To this end, Major General Abdulai pleaded with the public not to take the law into their own hands to engage any military person in a fight, saying “You should rather report the misconduct of any soldier to the military command or the police for the necessary action to be taken against him.”
“If a soldier slaps you and you retaliate you have equally committed the same offence,” he said.
He appealed to the Eastern Regional Police Command to fully investigate what triggered the clash and identify the culprits for the necessary punishment to be meted out to them.
“We must also help to come out with long-term solutions to ensure peaceful co-existence and co-operation between the military and civilians in and around Achiase,” he stated.
The commandant expressed his displeasure at the manner in which the conflict was politicised, noting that “we must refrain from this unhealthy politicisation in the interest of the nation”.
Citing the massacre in Rwanda, the commandant stated that “if we succeed in destroying the military system by playing politics with it, [it is] the country that will suffer”.
“It is therefore in our own interest to help maintain peace and stability by co-operating with the military and other security agencies,” Major General Abdulai emphasised.
On his part, Mr Ampofo rendered an apology on behalf of the government to those who were affected in the incident.
He said “we must all forgive each other and let go of the past".
Mr Ampofo stated that driving was a noble profession and it behoved the executives of the transport unions to instil discipline in their members to prevent a recurrence of such a situation.
“We must therefore make every effort to live at peace with each other by being tolerant and co-operative for our own interest,” he added.
The Chairman of the Oda-Accra-Tema GPRTU, Mr Joseph Kwaku Owusu, expressed his satisfaction at the preparedness of the government, military and the police to carry out full investigations into the matter to ensure unity and peace in the area.
It also assured the people that the command would hand down appropriate punishment to any military man who would be found guilty of breaching the law after the police investigations.
The Commandant of the Military Academy and Training Schools (MATS), Major General Amadu K. Abdulai, who rendered the apology, stated that “the command will not shield any of our men who will be found guilty of taking the laws of the land and of the military into their own hands”.
Major General Abdulai was speaking when the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, led a delegation to meet with the executive of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the military command at Akyem Oda.
The delegation included the Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP George Anko-Bill, the Akyem Oda Divisional Police Commander, ACP Ben Atadana, and the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Owusu-Boateng.
The commandant said the establishment of the military force was to protect the territorial integrity of and maintain peace in the country to enable the citizens to go about their normal activities.
He added that the country’s military force had played significant roles in the maintenance of peace in other countries on the African continent and had gained an international recognition as one of the best in the world.
“For this reason, it is absolutely wrong for any personnel of the military force to engage any civilian in a fight, since it is our responsibility to protect them and the nation,” he stated.
To this end, Major General Abdulai pleaded with the public not to take the law into their own hands to engage any military person in a fight, saying “You should rather report the misconduct of any soldier to the military command or the police for the necessary action to be taken against him.”
“If a soldier slaps you and you retaliate you have equally committed the same offence,” he said.
He appealed to the Eastern Regional Police Command to fully investigate what triggered the clash and identify the culprits for the necessary punishment to be meted out to them.
“We must also help to come out with long-term solutions to ensure peaceful co-existence and co-operation between the military and civilians in and around Achiase,” he stated.
The commandant expressed his displeasure at the manner in which the conflict was politicised, noting that “we must refrain from this unhealthy politicisation in the interest of the nation”.
Citing the massacre in Rwanda, the commandant stated that “if we succeed in destroying the military system by playing politics with it, [it is] the country that will suffer”.
“It is therefore in our own interest to help maintain peace and stability by co-operating with the military and other security agencies,” Major General Abdulai emphasised.
On his part, Mr Ampofo rendered an apology on behalf of the government to those who were affected in the incident.
He said “we must all forgive each other and let go of the past".
Mr Ampofo stated that driving was a noble profession and it behoved the executives of the transport unions to instil discipline in their members to prevent a recurrence of such a situation.
“We must therefore make every effort to live at peace with each other by being tolerant and co-operative for our own interest,” he added.
The Chairman of the Oda-Accra-Tema GPRTU, Mr Joseph Kwaku Owusu, expressed his satisfaction at the preparedness of the government, military and the police to carry out full investigations into the matter to ensure unity and peace in the area.
KANGA ADVOCATES STATE SUPPORT FOR PARTIES (PAGE 17)
THE Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Finance and Administration, Mr David Kanga, has expressed the hope that the new government would consider providing political parties with state funds to enable them to play their proper roles in the country’s multi-party system.
Such state support, he said, would strengthen political parties to function effectively both at the regional and national levels.
This, according to Mr Kanga, would enable the parties to contribute meaningfully to the electoral process in the future.
“If we are to ensure effective operation of our political parties as bedrock of our democratic practice, then we must resource them to enhance confidence in the integrity of the electoral process in the future,” Mr Kanga stated.
Speaking at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting at Koforidua, Mr Kanga said “the integrity of every electoral process and its outcome is strongly linked to the active watchdog role of all political parties, not just a few”
The meeting, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and KAB Governance Consult, was attended by representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
It was to review the recently held general election and discuss the way forward.
Mr Kanga noted that the outset of last year’s electoral process, from registration of voters, replacement of ID cards and the conduct of the polls itself, were fraught with several irregularities, a process that nearly undermined the confidence of the people in the outcome of the elections.
He attributed various electoral malpractices such as multiple registration, the registration of minors and the snatching of ballot papers and materials as well as the busing of potential voters, to the inability of all political parties to have a level playing field.
“These electoral malpractices, in my view, created a heightened suspicion and mistrust by both the electorate and politicians, fomenting violence in some polling stations,” he said.
Mr Kanga contended that the irregularities that characterised the last elections could be effectively addressed if all political parties were to be properly resourced to function more effectively to monitor every stage of the electoral process.
“It is time every government in power dispelled the notion that resourcing political parties is a means of arming opponents to overthrow it from power,” he said.
“It is my hope that the NDC Government will not forget its struggle in the wilderness before assuming power,” he added.
Another topical issue that was discussed at length at the meeting was whether security personnel posted to various polling stations should be allowed to carry weapons to instil discipline in the electorate during the polls.
However, Mr Kanga dispelled such notion, saying security officers should not be armed in order to ensure sanity in the electoral process.
“If the community and the political parties should own the electoral process through effective collaboration among all stakeholders, even the use of batons by security personnel will be of no use, much less weapons,” he explained.
With regard to the background of election officers, he appealed to political parties and the electorate to furnish the EC with vital information about such personnel to the EC.
Such information, he pointed out, would enable the EC to contract people who would exhibit professional conduct and refrain from showing any political affiliation to ensure the credibility of the elections outcome.
On his part, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Julius Debrah, bemoaned the inconsistencies that both party agents, electoral officers and security personnel exhibited during the last elections, a move which he said nearly disrupted the conduct of the polls in some constituencies across the country.
He, therefore, appealed to the EC to organise regular seminars for all stakeholders to ensure adherence to rules and regulations governing the conduct of elections, adding “this will curb any future electoral irregularities”.
The Eastern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Alecs Agobo, on his part, stressed the need for political parties to cooperate with each other to facilitate the conduct of future elections in the country.
Such state support, he said, would strengthen political parties to function effectively both at the regional and national levels.
This, according to Mr Kanga, would enable the parties to contribute meaningfully to the electoral process in the future.
“If we are to ensure effective operation of our political parties as bedrock of our democratic practice, then we must resource them to enhance confidence in the integrity of the electoral process in the future,” Mr Kanga stated.
Speaking at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting at Koforidua, Mr Kanga said “the integrity of every electoral process and its outcome is strongly linked to the active watchdog role of all political parties, not just a few”
The meeting, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and KAB Governance Consult, was attended by representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
It was to review the recently held general election and discuss the way forward.
Mr Kanga noted that the outset of last year’s electoral process, from registration of voters, replacement of ID cards and the conduct of the polls itself, were fraught with several irregularities, a process that nearly undermined the confidence of the people in the outcome of the elections.
He attributed various electoral malpractices such as multiple registration, the registration of minors and the snatching of ballot papers and materials as well as the busing of potential voters, to the inability of all political parties to have a level playing field.
“These electoral malpractices, in my view, created a heightened suspicion and mistrust by both the electorate and politicians, fomenting violence in some polling stations,” he said.
Mr Kanga contended that the irregularities that characterised the last elections could be effectively addressed if all political parties were to be properly resourced to function more effectively to monitor every stage of the electoral process.
“It is time every government in power dispelled the notion that resourcing political parties is a means of arming opponents to overthrow it from power,” he said.
“It is my hope that the NDC Government will not forget its struggle in the wilderness before assuming power,” he added.
Another topical issue that was discussed at length at the meeting was whether security personnel posted to various polling stations should be allowed to carry weapons to instil discipline in the electorate during the polls.
However, Mr Kanga dispelled such notion, saying security officers should not be armed in order to ensure sanity in the electoral process.
“If the community and the political parties should own the electoral process through effective collaboration among all stakeholders, even the use of batons by security personnel will be of no use, much less weapons,” he explained.
With regard to the background of election officers, he appealed to political parties and the electorate to furnish the EC with vital information about such personnel to the EC.
Such information, he pointed out, would enable the EC to contract people who would exhibit professional conduct and refrain from showing any political affiliation to ensure the credibility of the elections outcome.
On his part, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Julius Debrah, bemoaned the inconsistencies that both party agents, electoral officers and security personnel exhibited during the last elections, a move which he said nearly disrupted the conduct of the polls in some constituencies across the country.
He, therefore, appealed to the EC to organise regular seminars for all stakeholders to ensure adherence to rules and regulations governing the conduct of elections, adding “this will curb any future electoral irregularities”.
The Eastern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Alecs Agobo, on his part, stressed the need for political parties to cooperate with each other to facilitate the conduct of future elections in the country.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
SHORTAGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HAMPERS HEALTH CARE ...In Eastern Region (PAGE 23)
SHORTAGE of professional health workers at the various hospitals and health centres in the Eastern Region is militating against quality health care in the region, the Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Erasmus Agongo, has stated.
The challenge, he said, had over the years undermined efforts being made to reduce infant and maternal mortality under the Millennium Development Goals as well as the various communicable and non-communicable diseases in the area.
“The number of medical assistants decreased in the region from 53 in 2007 to 46 in 2008, while that of nurse anaesthetists decreased from 22 in 2007 to 19 in 2008”, Dr Agongo stated.
He said this at this year’s Eastern Regional annual performance review conference at Koforidua.
“All the 12 doctors who were posted to the region in 2008 failed to turn up, a drawback that has made it difficult to provide full range of services in some hospitals and health centres”, he noted.
The four-day event dubbed“Strengthening Maternal and Child Health Through Partnership and Quality Care”, is being attended by more than 200 health managers from 21 districts and hospitals in the region. Also, in attendance were development partners, non-governmental organisations and members of the Eastern Regional Health Committee.
The regional health director stated that the health sector in the region was facing numerous challenges that had militated against the achievement of some of the set goals, mostly reduction of infant and maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and other communicable and non communicable diseases.
Dr Agongo stated that the region recorded 118 and 146 maternal deaths in 2006 and 2007, respectively while such cases reduced to 98 in 2008, an achievement he described as “significant but unacceptable”.
Quoting reports of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, he said the region also recorded 93 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births in 1993, while such cases increased to 98 per 1,000 births in 1998.
Dr Agongo also mentioned inadequate budgetary allocation to the health sector as another major problem facing effective and efficient health care in the region, adding “the unpredictable release of government funds is also seriously compromising the execution of many health programmes”.
On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), he stated that delays associated with the reimbursements to the hospitals and health centres by the district health insurance schemes (DHIS) were crippling most of the health facilities.
According to him, as of December, last year, the various DHIS in the region were indebted to health institutions to the tune of GH¢7 million.
“Unless something is done urgently about this challenge, some of the health facilities will not be able to continue providing services to subscribers of the scheme”, Dr Agongo added.
The regional health director further identified inadequate means of transport as another major hurdle facing most district health management teams and hospitals, as they did not have the means of transportation to carry out supervision and outreach services to remote areas.
With regard to infrastructure, he noted that most of the health centres must expand their facilities to be able to cope with the increasing number of patients, due to the NHIS.
Dr Agongo also identified acute accommodation problems facing nurses as one of the major challenges facing the health sector in the region.
The regional health director, therefore, appealed to the government and other stakeholders to help address these problems to facilitate the provision of better health care for the people.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, pledged his commitment to work closely with health personnel in the region to address the various challenges towards the smooth implementation of healthcare delivery in the region.
He also appealed to district assemblies to provide the necessary support for the health institutions in their respective areas to enable the country achieve the set targets under the MDG by 2015.
The challenge, he said, had over the years undermined efforts being made to reduce infant and maternal mortality under the Millennium Development Goals as well as the various communicable and non-communicable diseases in the area.
“The number of medical assistants decreased in the region from 53 in 2007 to 46 in 2008, while that of nurse anaesthetists decreased from 22 in 2007 to 19 in 2008”, Dr Agongo stated.
He said this at this year’s Eastern Regional annual performance review conference at Koforidua.
“All the 12 doctors who were posted to the region in 2008 failed to turn up, a drawback that has made it difficult to provide full range of services in some hospitals and health centres”, he noted.
The four-day event dubbed“Strengthening Maternal and Child Health Through Partnership and Quality Care”, is being attended by more than 200 health managers from 21 districts and hospitals in the region. Also, in attendance were development partners, non-governmental organisations and members of the Eastern Regional Health Committee.
The regional health director stated that the health sector in the region was facing numerous challenges that had militated against the achievement of some of the set goals, mostly reduction of infant and maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and other communicable and non communicable diseases.
Dr Agongo stated that the region recorded 118 and 146 maternal deaths in 2006 and 2007, respectively while such cases reduced to 98 in 2008, an achievement he described as “significant but unacceptable”.
Quoting reports of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, he said the region also recorded 93 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births in 1993, while such cases increased to 98 per 1,000 births in 1998.
Dr Agongo also mentioned inadequate budgetary allocation to the health sector as another major problem facing effective and efficient health care in the region, adding “the unpredictable release of government funds is also seriously compromising the execution of many health programmes”.
On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), he stated that delays associated with the reimbursements to the hospitals and health centres by the district health insurance schemes (DHIS) were crippling most of the health facilities.
According to him, as of December, last year, the various DHIS in the region were indebted to health institutions to the tune of GH¢7 million.
“Unless something is done urgently about this challenge, some of the health facilities will not be able to continue providing services to subscribers of the scheme”, Dr Agongo added.
The regional health director further identified inadequate means of transport as another major hurdle facing most district health management teams and hospitals, as they did not have the means of transportation to carry out supervision and outreach services to remote areas.
With regard to infrastructure, he noted that most of the health centres must expand their facilities to be able to cope with the increasing number of patients, due to the NHIS.
Dr Agongo also identified acute accommodation problems facing nurses as one of the major challenges facing the health sector in the region.
The regional health director, therefore, appealed to the government and other stakeholders to help address these problems to facilitate the provision of better health care for the people.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, pledged his commitment to work closely with health personnel in the region to address the various challenges towards the smooth implementation of healthcare delivery in the region.
He also appealed to district assemblies to provide the necessary support for the health institutions in their respective areas to enable the country achieve the set targets under the MDG by 2015.
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