EFFIDUASI, a suburb of Koforidua, was on Thursday thrown into a state of sadness when a nine-year-old girl who accompanied her elder brother to fetch water from a well got drowned in it.
The deceased, a primary two pupil of the Methodist Primary School at Effiduasi, was said to have gone to the well with her 12-year-old brother to fetch water from the well at 8.15 a.m.
While the brother was fetching water from another well, the deceased, who was also fetching water from an adjacent well, was said to have been drawn into it due to the weight of the water in her bucket.
The elder brother, who heard a loud noise from the well where his deceased sister was fetching water rushed to the house and reported to family members that his sister had fallen into the well.
Attempts by neighbours to rescue the deceased from the deep well with several ladders and collecting some of the water from the well proved futile until 30 minutes later when a young teenager bravely dived into the well and retrieved the deceased, who was then alive.
The deceased, who was rushed to hospital in a taxicab, however, died shortly at the hospital, where her body had been deposited.
Confirming the sad incident to the Daily Graphic, a 72-year-old grandfather of the deceased, Kofi Bekoe, said her grand-daughter could have survived if the family had immediate access to an ambulance, since the taxicab that conveyed her to the hospital encountered several difficulties in traffic.
“At a point our cab slammed into another vehicle ahead of it in a bid to avoid the thick traffic,” the grandfather stated.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
310 RECEIVE MASLOC FACILITIES (PAGE 20)
THE Koforidua office of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has paid GH¢85,300 to 310 beneficiaries of the scheme resident in Koforidua and its environs.
Each of the beneficiaries, including 14 physically challenged persons, had between GH¢200 and GH¢500.
The amount, which was disbursed through the Koforidua branches of the Mumuadu and the South Akim Rural banks, formed part of the GH¢800,000 package earmarked for 3,625 individual artisans and traders as well as operators of small-scale businesses in the area.
Making the presentation, the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of MASLOC, Mr Dominic Baah-Ayim, told the beneficiaries that the government introduced the scheme to make available credit facilities to the various associations and individuals to undertake income-generating ventures to raise their standard of living.
He, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to invest the money in productive ventures to enable them to repay the loans on schedule and enable others to benefit from the scheme.
Some of the beneficiaries including Ms Ama Anna, a cloth seller, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, expressed their appreciation to the government for the support.
According to Ama, the facility would enable her to expand her business.
It would be recalled that in May, this year, 600 people in the Koforidua area benefited from a similar package amounting to GH¢1,400.
The disbursement of the loans followed the presentation of withdrawal slips to 210 beneficiary groups in the region by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MASLOC, Mr Lawrence Prempeh; the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, as well as district and municipal chief executives in the region, at Koforidua about two months ago.
Each of the beneficiaries, including 14 physically challenged persons, had between GH¢200 and GH¢500.
The amount, which was disbursed through the Koforidua branches of the Mumuadu and the South Akim Rural banks, formed part of the GH¢800,000 package earmarked for 3,625 individual artisans and traders as well as operators of small-scale businesses in the area.
Making the presentation, the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of MASLOC, Mr Dominic Baah-Ayim, told the beneficiaries that the government introduced the scheme to make available credit facilities to the various associations and individuals to undertake income-generating ventures to raise their standard of living.
He, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to invest the money in productive ventures to enable them to repay the loans on schedule and enable others to benefit from the scheme.
Some of the beneficiaries including Ms Ama Anna, a cloth seller, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, expressed their appreciation to the government for the support.
According to Ama, the facility would enable her to expand her business.
It would be recalled that in May, this year, 600 people in the Koforidua area benefited from a similar package amounting to GH¢1,400.
The disbursement of the loans followed the presentation of withdrawal slips to 210 beneficiary groups in the region by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MASLOC, Mr Lawrence Prempeh; the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, as well as district and municipal chief executives in the region, at Koforidua about two months ago.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
METRO MASS TRANSIT EXTENDS SERVICES TO AFRAM PLAINS (PAGE 20)
THE Metro Mass Transit Limited (Mt) has extended its services to the Kwahu North District (Afram Plains) as part of efforts to ease the transportation problem of the people.
Under the initiative, a fleet of seven buses would ply the Nkawkaw-Adawso-Ekye-Amafrom-Donkokrom road and other routes within the district.
With the introduction of the buses to the area, difficulties encountered by the travelling public, notably traders in the area, would be minimised.
In line with the new initiative, the Mt has conducted a test drive with passengers and newsmen, as well as the District Chief Executives for Kwahu North and Kwahu South, Nana Onwona Asante and Mr Boansi Darko respectively.
The bus, which was driven by the Managing Director of the company, Mr Henk Visschers, was also used to announce the commencement of the service to the communities along the route.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Mr Martin Afram, told the Daily Graphic that the initiative formed part of the company’s efforts to provide affordable, efficient and reliable transport system for the rural dwellers.
He gave the assurance that based on the high patronage of the buses, the Mt would soon add other buses to the fleet to facilitate the movement of people and the carting of goods to and from the area.
Mr Afram said to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative, his outfit had recruited and trained experienced local drivers and conductors to handle the passengers in a professional manner.
For their parts, Nana Asante and Mr Darko stated that the introduction of the buses to the area was a manifestation of the government’s commitment to promoting public mass transportation in all parts of the country.
The DCE for Kwahu North, Mr Solomon Yaw Fordjour, however, bemoaned the inadequate number of commercial vehicles plying between the area and other towns, a situation that did not reflect the level of development that had taken place in the area.
Mr Fordjour, therefore, expressed his delight at the introduction of the Mt services to the area and pleaded with the management of the company to reduce the fair to ensure high patronage.
Under the initiative, a fleet of seven buses would ply the Nkawkaw-Adawso-Ekye-Amafrom-Donkokrom road and other routes within the district.
With the introduction of the buses to the area, difficulties encountered by the travelling public, notably traders in the area, would be minimised.
In line with the new initiative, the Mt has conducted a test drive with passengers and newsmen, as well as the District Chief Executives for Kwahu North and Kwahu South, Nana Onwona Asante and Mr Boansi Darko respectively.
The bus, which was driven by the Managing Director of the company, Mr Henk Visschers, was also used to announce the commencement of the service to the communities along the route.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Mr Martin Afram, told the Daily Graphic that the initiative formed part of the company’s efforts to provide affordable, efficient and reliable transport system for the rural dwellers.
He gave the assurance that based on the high patronage of the buses, the Mt would soon add other buses to the fleet to facilitate the movement of people and the carting of goods to and from the area.
Mr Afram said to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative, his outfit had recruited and trained experienced local drivers and conductors to handle the passengers in a professional manner.
For their parts, Nana Asante and Mr Darko stated that the introduction of the buses to the area was a manifestation of the government’s commitment to promoting public mass transportation in all parts of the country.
The DCE for Kwahu North, Mr Solomon Yaw Fordjour, however, bemoaned the inadequate number of commercial vehicles plying between the area and other towns, a situation that did not reflect the level of development that had taken place in the area.
Mr Fordjour, therefore, expressed his delight at the introduction of the Mt services to the area and pleaded with the management of the company to reduce the fair to ensure high patronage.
Monday, August 25, 2008
PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS END TRAINING (SPREAD)
THIRTY-TWO United States (US) Peace Corps volunteers who have successfully undergone a 10-week training in the education sector were last Tuesday dispatched to various communities across the country.
The volunteers, who studied aspects of the country’s culture, would be teaching various subjects such as Mathematics, Science, and English language in some selected basic and senior high schools for two years.
The programme, which has been a partnership between Ghana and the US since 1961, when the first 50 volunteers arrived in the country, is aimed at fostering greater friendship and helping to raise educational standards in the country.
The US Chargé d’Affaires, Mrs Sue K. Brown, urged them to do everything to impact positively on the lives of the pupils and students they would teach as well as the entire communities.
Such commitment, she noted, would help to maintain the legacy that over 4,000 predecessors had left in the country since 1961. According to her, Ghanaians across the country had been grateful for the positive influence a number of Peace Corps volunteers had made in their lives, adding, “I am sure you too will have that kind of lasting impact on your students and communities.”
Always remember that your work is important, even if you cannot see the change immediately. Your success will flow from the deep commitment and abiding respect you have for your students, counterparts and your communities,” she assured.
The Chargé d’Affaires, who expressed appreciation to the various families that hosted the volunteers during their 10-week training, also thanked the government for opening its doors to the Peace Corps, a partnership that has strengthened the bond of friendship between the two countries for the past 47 years.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, who said he had personally benefited from the programme, commended the volunteers for their preparedness to make a positive impact on the educational standard of deprived communities.
He, however, urged the volunteers to live above reproach to enable them to be looked to as role models by the beneficiary communities and the students.
The volunteers, who studied aspects of the country’s culture, would be teaching various subjects such as Mathematics, Science, and English language in some selected basic and senior high schools for two years.
The programme, which has been a partnership between Ghana and the US since 1961, when the first 50 volunteers arrived in the country, is aimed at fostering greater friendship and helping to raise educational standards in the country.
The US Chargé d’Affaires, Mrs Sue K. Brown, urged them to do everything to impact positively on the lives of the pupils and students they would teach as well as the entire communities.
Such commitment, she noted, would help to maintain the legacy that over 4,000 predecessors had left in the country since 1961. According to her, Ghanaians across the country had been grateful for the positive influence a number of Peace Corps volunteers had made in their lives, adding, “I am sure you too will have that kind of lasting impact on your students and communities.”
Always remember that your work is important, even if you cannot see the change immediately. Your success will flow from the deep commitment and abiding respect you have for your students, counterparts and your communities,” she assured.
The Chargé d’Affaires, who expressed appreciation to the various families that hosted the volunteers during their 10-week training, also thanked the government for opening its doors to the Peace Corps, a partnership that has strengthened the bond of friendship between the two countries for the past 47 years.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, who said he had personally benefited from the programme, commended the volunteers for their preparedness to make a positive impact on the educational standard of deprived communities.
He, however, urged the volunteers to live above reproach to enable them to be looked to as role models by the beneficiary communities and the students.
Friday, August 22, 2008
BANKER BOLTS WITH GG¢9,800 (PAGE 26)
THE New Tafo Police in the Eastern Region have mounted an intensive search for an employee of the Adonteng Rural Bank, Moses Kofi Danso, for bolting with GH¢9,800 belonging to the bank.
Danso, a native of Yeji in the Brong Ahafo Region, was said to have stolen the money from the bank’s coffers on April 17, this year, while working as a project manager of the bank.
According to Chief Inspector Christopher Tawiah, the Public Affairs Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, the theft was detected when the bank’s management conducted internal checks on its operations, during which they discovered certain malpractices on the part of the suspect.
The situation, he said, prompted the management of the bank to invite external auditors to audit the accounts, which found out that a total of GH¢19,800 had been stolen by the suspect.
Chief Inspector Tawiah stated that when the bank’s management confronted Danso on the theft, he refunded GH¢10,000 with the assurance that the rest of the money would be paid within two days and that was the end.
He said since June 13, 2008, Danso had not been reporting for work and his whereabouts are also unknown.
Chief Inspector Tawiah stated that the New Tafo District Magistrate’s Court had issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Danso. He appealed to members of the public to volunteer vital information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect.
Danso, a native of Yeji in the Brong Ahafo Region, was said to have stolen the money from the bank’s coffers on April 17, this year, while working as a project manager of the bank.
According to Chief Inspector Christopher Tawiah, the Public Affairs Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, the theft was detected when the bank’s management conducted internal checks on its operations, during which they discovered certain malpractices on the part of the suspect.
The situation, he said, prompted the management of the bank to invite external auditors to audit the accounts, which found out that a total of GH¢19,800 had been stolen by the suspect.
Chief Inspector Tawiah stated that when the bank’s management confronted Danso on the theft, he refunded GH¢10,000 with the assurance that the rest of the money would be paid within two days and that was the end.
He said since June 13, 2008, Danso had not been reporting for work and his whereabouts are also unknown.
Chief Inspector Tawiah stated that the New Tafo District Magistrate’s Court had issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Danso. He appealed to members of the public to volunteer vital information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect.
Monday, August 18, 2008
DRIVER, MATE BEAT PASSENGER TO DEATH ...Over 80Gp fare (PAGE 49)
A 25-year-old man, Mawuli Ahianoy, who refused to pay 80Gp demanded by a driver and his mate as the fare from Nsawam to Okanta, a farming community eight kilometres from Nsawam, died last Saturday when he was allegedly assaulted by the driver and his mate.
The deceased, believed to be a farmer and in the company of an unidentified lady, was said to have joined a Hyundai Grace commercial mini-bus, with registration number GR 8308 Y, from the Nsawam Shell Filling Station to Okanta at about 1.30 p.m.
The deceased, who felt being cheated by the driver, Kwame Tuga, 25, and his 18-year-old mate, Raphael Ayeh, 18, was said to have insisted on paying only 40Gp as the fare.
Enraged by the deceased’s attitude, the mate was also said to have insisted on the 80Gp when the deceased got to his destination and was about to alight, leading to a confrontation between them.
In the process the driver, who could not tolerate the behaviour of the deceased, threatened to drive him from Okanta to Suhum but was prevented by the deceased, who held the steer of the vehicle and diverted it into a nearby bush.
The driver then alighted, allegedly attacked the deceased, and assaulting him with the assistance of his mate.
As a result, the deceased was said to have become unconscious, while the lady who was in his company began shouting for help but the passengers on board the vehicle, incensed by the deceased’s conduct, declined to go to his aid.
However, a good Samaritan, who heard the cry of the lady, emerged from a nearby farm and rushed to the scene, where he impressed upon the driver and the mate to rush the deceased to the Nsawam Government Hospital.
On the way to the hospital, the good Samaritan was said to have prevailed on the driver and the mate to first make a report to the Nsawam Police Station before proceeding to the hospital but the deceased was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
The Nsawam Police Commander, Superintendent Daniel Asare Nyampong, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, said the police were yet to conduct investigations into the incident.
He said the body of the deceased had been sent to the Police Hospital for an autopsy.
The deceased, believed to be a farmer and in the company of an unidentified lady, was said to have joined a Hyundai Grace commercial mini-bus, with registration number GR 8308 Y, from the Nsawam Shell Filling Station to Okanta at about 1.30 p.m.
The deceased, who felt being cheated by the driver, Kwame Tuga, 25, and his 18-year-old mate, Raphael Ayeh, 18, was said to have insisted on paying only 40Gp as the fare.
Enraged by the deceased’s attitude, the mate was also said to have insisted on the 80Gp when the deceased got to his destination and was about to alight, leading to a confrontation between them.
In the process the driver, who could not tolerate the behaviour of the deceased, threatened to drive him from Okanta to Suhum but was prevented by the deceased, who held the steer of the vehicle and diverted it into a nearby bush.
The driver then alighted, allegedly attacked the deceased, and assaulting him with the assistance of his mate.
As a result, the deceased was said to have become unconscious, while the lady who was in his company began shouting for help but the passengers on board the vehicle, incensed by the deceased’s conduct, declined to go to his aid.
However, a good Samaritan, who heard the cry of the lady, emerged from a nearby farm and rushed to the scene, where he impressed upon the driver and the mate to rush the deceased to the Nsawam Government Hospital.
On the way to the hospital, the good Samaritan was said to have prevailed on the driver and the mate to first make a report to the Nsawam Police Station before proceeding to the hospital but the deceased was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
The Nsawam Police Commander, Superintendent Daniel Asare Nyampong, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, said the police were yet to conduct investigations into the incident.
He said the body of the deceased had been sent to the Police Hospital for an autopsy.
NEW BIRTH CERTIFICATES SOON ...To check fraud (PAGE 50)
THE Births and Deaths Registry will soon introduce new birth certificates, embedded with security features as part of efforts to fight fraud in the acquisition of the certificates.
The new certificates, which will have features such as water mark, invisible fibres and hologram seal, is expected to discourage multiple registration and acquisition of certain legal documents.
The Registrar of Births and Deaths, Mr Stephen Amoah, who disclosed this at a training workshop for staff of the registry at Bunso on Saturday, said the new certificates formed part of the computerisation system initiated by the registry to ensure prompt and efficient delivery of service to the public.
The one-week workshop brought together the 339 staff of the registry across the country to learn the new computerisation system, standard operating procedures and how to gather, store, process and access captured data to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services.
The event, which was also used to equip the staff on how to detect document fraud to prevent duplication, was organised by the registry, with sponsorship from the Government of Ghana and the European Union.
Mr Amoah said in spite of the measures being put in place by the registry to curb faking of birth certificates over the years, some fraudsters used various means to acquire forged birth certificates.
This practice, he noted, had enabled some non-Ghanaians and other unscrupulous individuals to obtain travelling documents and other legal Ghanaian documents to assume false identities.
“Being a global issue, faking of birth certificates has given some fraudsters and individuals the opportunity to perpetrate criminal acts such as armed robbery, terrorism and money laundering,” he said.
Such a situation, he noted, had increasingly been aggravated by a lack of technology, which had made it difficult to track down the fraudsters.
To curb such practice, he said the registry had been liaising with the various foreign embassies within and outside the country to detect the submission of fake birth certificates by fraudsters for travelling documents.
For his part, the Senior Assistant Registrar, Mr Kingsley Asare Addo, said the Births and Deaths Registry was making every effort to provide reliable, timely and accurate population data, which could be used to enhance policy formulation and development in the country.
This, he said, would help to provide quality services to the citizenry and ensure proper planning and development across the country.
The new certificates, which will have features such as water mark, invisible fibres and hologram seal, is expected to discourage multiple registration and acquisition of certain legal documents.
The Registrar of Births and Deaths, Mr Stephen Amoah, who disclosed this at a training workshop for staff of the registry at Bunso on Saturday, said the new certificates formed part of the computerisation system initiated by the registry to ensure prompt and efficient delivery of service to the public.
The one-week workshop brought together the 339 staff of the registry across the country to learn the new computerisation system, standard operating procedures and how to gather, store, process and access captured data to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services.
The event, which was also used to equip the staff on how to detect document fraud to prevent duplication, was organised by the registry, with sponsorship from the Government of Ghana and the European Union.
Mr Amoah said in spite of the measures being put in place by the registry to curb faking of birth certificates over the years, some fraudsters used various means to acquire forged birth certificates.
This practice, he noted, had enabled some non-Ghanaians and other unscrupulous individuals to obtain travelling documents and other legal Ghanaian documents to assume false identities.
“Being a global issue, faking of birth certificates has given some fraudsters and individuals the opportunity to perpetrate criminal acts such as armed robbery, terrorism and money laundering,” he said.
Such a situation, he noted, had increasingly been aggravated by a lack of technology, which had made it difficult to track down the fraudsters.
To curb such practice, he said the registry had been liaising with the various foreign embassies within and outside the country to detect the submission of fake birth certificates by fraudsters for travelling documents.
For his part, the Senior Assistant Registrar, Mr Kingsley Asare Addo, said the Births and Deaths Registry was making every effort to provide reliable, timely and accurate population data, which could be used to enhance policy formulation and development in the country.
This, he said, would help to provide quality services to the citizenry and ensure proper planning and development across the country.
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