The country experienced 478 incidences of fire disasters nationwide in 2013,  affecting 11, 766 persons, National Disaster Management Organization  (NADMO) said on Thursday. The cost of damage of the fires which included some markets in the cities was estimated at over 15 million Ghana cedis. This came to light at the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Risk Management meeting organized by NADMO for stakeholders to take stock of their activities  and what they have been doing so far to facilitate disaster management in the country. According to the report of the National Technical Committee on Fires and Lighting, there were also 15 fatalities during the period and attributed the causes of the fire outbreaks to non-observance of basic fire safety regulations. The year under review also saw severe flooding/Rainstorms/Windstorms nationwide affecting over 23,000 persons. Some parts of the Bunkprugu Yunyoo  and the East Mamprusi  districts in the Northern Region  also had their fair share of severe flooding which displaced  over 6,000 people in 44 communities. The year also saw the invasion of caterpillar in the Keta and South Tongu districts of the Volta Region, an assessment exercise was carried out in five communities.  Mr Kofi Portuphy, the National Coordinator of NADMO, said in all the cases his outfit assessed the situations and supported the affected persons and the communities with logistics and strengthened their efforts to mitigate the effect of the disasters. “NADMO coordinated the response to various disasters across the country with fires, flooding and road accidents as the main incidents. It also responded to various disasters/emergencies including Domestic, Commercial, Industrial and Bushfire nationwide,” he said. He noted that despite financial constraints the organization had been able to achieve its objectives and successfully implemented most of its programmes. “It has also provided response to distressed situations and managed other disasters despite its challenges,” he added.  On mitigation, Mr Portuphy said, flood mitigation equipment was used to dredge 14km out of a 28 km Wassaku stream which takes its source from the Volta River and connects to the Songor Lagoon. “Two dams were also constructed at Bedeku and Fantevikope in Dangme East. This prevented flooding and enabled communities around the stream and its environs have access to potable water and also use it for agricultural purposes. “They were further used in the expansion and widening of channels and drainage in other flood prone areas such as Weija, LEKMA, among others in the Greater Accra Region and the drainage that join the Kakum River in the Central Region,” he added. The National Coordinator noted that NADMO had graded and re-shaped the roads, and dredged the drains  in the Nkwanta North District in the Volta Region. He said the Organization worked with the Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, the Technical Advisory Committees, the Disaster Management Committees and other collaborating agencies in carrying out its functions at all levels. Mr Portuphy announced that Spaced-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response UN-SPIDER had trained 70 of NADMO staff managing space-based information. The courses, he said,  were organized in collaboration with Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre, UK,  the North Dakota National Guard, U.S.A,  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),  Ghana Armed Forces and Staff College (GAFSC), and  Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, USA. He, therefore, pledged their commitment to continue to educate the public on the need to put in measures to prevent disasters instead of allowing them to occur before searching for relief and reconstruction.   

  Organised Labour have called on the board of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Bank of Ghana to suspend the acquisition of Merchant Bank to allow for further investigation into the matter. “In the interim, we believe Merchant Bank has a potential to recover from its current distressed position. SSNIT should, therefore, make the necessary arrangements to recapitalize and restructure the bank’s management in particular to ensure its viability,” Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Trades Union Congress (Ghana) said.Mr Asamoah, who was addressing the media after an emergency meeting of Organised Labour in Accra on Friday, said they also demand a full disclosure on the ownership of Fortiz Equity Fund and its sources of funding for that particular transaction. He explained that their position was without prejudice to the legal suit currently before the courts and urged the Merchant Bank to make efforts to recover all its outstanding loans. He said Organised Labour believed that if those measures were taken, workers’ uproar and the public agitation over the transaction would be minimized and calm restored. Representatives TUC, Ghana, Ghana National Association of Teachers, National Association of Graduate Teachers, Judicial Services Staff Association of Ghana, Ghana Hospitals Pharmacists Association, and Ghana Medical Association were present at the meeting and appended their signatures to the resolution. “We will like to assure the workers of merchant Bank that Organized Labour will ensure that their interest is protected and their rights fully respected. “We would also like to assure the contributors of SSNIT, the majority of whom are our members, that we the leadership of Organized Labour will protect their interest at all times. Any attempt to jeopardize the viability and the sustainability of SSNIT and pension funds in general will be vehemently resisted,” he added. Several pressure groups were against the decision and called on President John Dramani Mahama to intervene. Fortiz had acquired 90 per cent of Merchant Bank, which hitherto had SSNIT as its majority shareholder. SSNIT has since defended the acquisition of Merchant Bank by Fortiz Equity Capital despite concerns raised by the Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy, Andrew Awuni. Mr. Awuni who is currently challenging the sale in Court, described the transaction as unfair to the ordinary Ghanaian.  

  The Accra-Tema Motorway is fast deteriorating; it is becoming a death trap, with high traffic growth and encroachment on both sides. The 19km motorway is the oldest paved road in Ghana and was opened to traffic in November 1965 to link the harbour city of Tema to Accra. Certain portions of the road (the concrete) have virtually been removed with iron rods exposed to the detriment of drivers who either have to swerve or fall in. The median of the road has overgrown with weeds, breeding reptiles in the process. This most often reduces visibility. Currently, many diversions have been created by some people to enter both sides of the roads. This usually causes several accidents as drivers from Community 18 enter the highway without looking. A careful observation of the road reveals serious cracks on most of the bridges. There are several expansion works on the entire stretch of the highway, making driving very difficult. Some drivers usually use the shoulders of the road to avoid staying in heavy traffic. This has contributed to the destruction of the road and is the cause of most accidents. Speeding has contributed to major accidents on the motorway, leading to death and many injuries. Unnecessary overtaking has also been one of the causes of accidents on the road. Most drivers who ply that stretch of the road overtake recklessly, creating several dangers on the road despite road signs educating drivers on speed limit. A fortnight ago, the Daily Graphic reported a fatal accident which claimed the lives of two people who were travelling from the Volta Region.  Aside speeding, it has come to light that the rails supporting the bridge were not strong enough to protect trucks from entering the ditch.  Street lights A major problem that exists on the motorway is poor illumination. The streetlights have become white elephants as they have been beautifully arranged but do not function. After all these neglect, efforts have been made by successive governments to illuminate the entire stretch of the road but have proved futile as some drivers, in a bid to save their lives, have used them as shields, destroying them in the process whereas others have stolen the bulbs. One can count over 50 streetlights that have been destroyed by drivers and have been left unattended. Also the live electrical wires from damaged streetlights have been exposed to the rain and other dangerous substances which could create problems for road users. I suggest that it could be ideal if solar panels were rather used as streetlights on that stretch of the road considering the amount of sunlight available during the day. Another surprising thing I observed was that the streetlights are usually on during the day but off at night. What at all is wrong?  These activities have stalled the exercise of providing the entire stretch of  road with streetlights by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA). Armed robbers on the other hand have taken advantage of the situation to rob people of their cars and other valuables. Despite the patrols by the Ghana Police Service, these robbers are able to conduct their nefarious acts without being caught. I drove on the motorway on Thursday morning and these were some of the things I saw. Some portions of the motorway have been opened to drivers to make U-turn to either continue their journey to Tema or Accra. These acts have led to most of the accidents on  that road as most drivers enter without watching carefully. Surprisingly, a police checkpoint has been mounted close to the Trasacco Valley where residents living in those areas enter the motorway . Although the National Road Safety Commission has intensified education on such acts, these practices have continued unabated. Heavy rocks have been placed on such locations to prevent drivers from using them but have not been successful as some drivers are able to meander their way through other means to their destination. Rails On Bridges Most of the rails protecting drivers from entering into gutters on the motorway have been removed as a result of careless driving and lack of maintenance. most of them have either rusted or become weak. Due to this, a fatal accident occurred on the motorway last Tuesday, killing the driver and his mate instantly as the rails could not prevent them from falling into the ditch.  A police dispatch rider on his normal patrol arrested a stubborn driver who decided to use the shoulders of the road when there was traffic. All he (the driver) said to the police officer was that his “boss” wants to speak to him. These are some of the challenges polica officers go through while on duty.  The shoulders of the road are gradually becoming a market place as people have taken advantage to sell their wares to passengers on the road. This is dangerous as they could be knocked down when the breaks of drivers fail them. 
The Accra -Tema motorway was designed to prohibite pedestrian movement, parking areas or U-turns. Moreover, until recently, no road joined the motorway at any other section except the entry and exit points.  

  The 2012 Presidential candidate of the United Front Party, Kwasi Addai,  is to pay 12 rams and seven hundred Ghana cedis cash for invoking curses on the chief of Asokwa and the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi.   The Asantehemaa's court imposed the fine at the preliminary hearing of the case at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. Mr. Addai , also known as Odike invoked the spirit of Antoa Nyamaa river god on Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu, and Asokwahene, Nana Fe Baamoah the second, over a disputed land. His party has since slapped an indefinite suspension on him for his conduct officials describe as ''appalling and an embarrassment  to the image of the party".

IMANI Ghana is calling for answers over allegations that the Bank of Ghana may have made the Temporary Pension Fund Account available to Fortiz in their quest to purchase Merchant Bank. Read full statement. IMANI ALERT TO PRESIDENT MAHAMA: HOW GhS1.2bn ($500M) TIER 2 PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS MAY BE INVOLVED IN THE CONTROVERSIAL FORTIZ-MERCHANT BANK SALE SAGA The Merchant Bank Allegations There are serious allegations that the Bank of Ghana has made some of the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA), Tier 2 PENSION funds being held at BoG) available to Fortiz to purchase Merchant Bank.  The TPFA would have accrued Ghs1.3bn in the past three years that it had not been remitted to contributors’ Corporate Trustees. There are common denominators in the Fortiz-Merchant Bank saga and the TPFA. Mr. Mawuli Hedo is a Director of Both Fortiz and First Bank, the Scheme Administrators of the Temporary Pension Fund Account being held at the Bank of Ghana. Obviously, another interesting common denominator in all this is the Bank of Ghana itself. They are once Custodial Bank holding the TPFA. Is it true that they have made the TPFA available to Fortiz in their quest to purchase Merchant Bank? Doesn’t the Ghanaian pension contributor have the right to know? Alas, the state’s Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is another common denominator. SSNIT has been the collection vehicle of the Tier 2 since January 2010 when the implementation of the three-tiered pension system started. This they did till October 2012 – for some companies. All companies that have yet to select a licensed trustee to run their Tier 2 contributions still pay to SSNIT. Again, SSNIT is the majority shareholder of Merchant Bank. The more one knows, the clearer it looks what exactly is happening. Though NPRA indicated that it was going to invest TPFA in Treasury Bills pending the registration of Pension Schemes, provisional statements released by NPRA in October 2012 indicated a return on investment of 2.75% per annum.  This is disappointing given that the average Treasury Bill returns between January 2010 and October 2012 is around 15% per annum. Additionally the same provisional statement covered a period of 18 months instead of the 34 months period (January 2010 to October 2012) over which contributions had been made into the TPFA. The NPRA did indicate, in their Public Notice on their website in October 2012 that accrued benefits and contributions paid into the TPFA would be remitted to Trustees chosen by employers, starting January 2013. This has not happened up till now. One of the serious implications of this situation is that people who were 54 years and younger when implementation started in January 2010 WILL NOT get the full value of their lump-sum benefits, upon retirement at 60.  Thus all Ghanaian workers - both private sector or public sector workers -  who were 54 years old or younger as at January 2010 will not get  their full lump-sum benefits from Tier 2 Pension Schemes as NPRA is still holding on to 34 months of workers contributions and accrued benefits. There is no word from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority as to when these funds will be paid to the contributors or even how it will be paid. Background In September 2009, the Board of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) was set up to oversee the implementation of the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766). The Act seeks to create a unified pension system under a three tiered pension structure, with SSNIT as the manager of the First Tier, and Approved Trustees (Corporate & Individual Trustees) as operators of the mandatory Tier 2 and Voluntary Tier 3 schemes. In January 2010, the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA) was set up to provisionally administer Tier 2 contributions pending the licensing of Trustees and the registering of Pension Schemes. Employers, from January 2010, remitted 5% (Tier 2 contributions) of their employees’ salaries to the TPFA. This continued for most employers till October 2012. First Bank was appointed by to be the Administrators of the TPFA, with Bank of Ghana serving as the Custodial Bank. NPRA itself, acting ultra-vires of the Pensions Law, acted as the Fund Managers of the TPFA. In October 2011, the NPRA issued the needed administrative guidelines to make way for the full implementation of the Act. Private companies - Corporate Trustees, Fund Managers and Pension Fund Custodians - purposely established to fully administer the Tiers 2 and 3 schemes were licensed by the NPRA onMarch 16, 2012. The NPRA finally, after almost 3 year wait without much information to workers and service providers, registered Pensions Schemes at the end of October 2012. Full implementation under of the reforms - Act 766 - thus started in November 2012. What the Law Says Section 218(4) says that the Board of NPRA shall within 90 days of licensing Pension Fund Managers, Pension Fund Custodians and Trustees, compute and transfer the accrued contributions and returns in the TPFA to Occupational Pension Funds opened by Trustees of employers’ choice and registered by NPRA. Pension Fund Managers, Pension Fund Custodians and Trustees have been licensed since March 16th 2012, over 18 months now, and yet it took the NPRA till end if October 2012 to register Schemes. The NPRA has not complied with Section 218(4). Conclusion and Recommendation With everything going on, we recommend that: 1.      All activities of the TPFA should be audited by an external auditor. 2.      Accrued contributions in the TPFA should be transferred into registered Tier 2 Pension Schemes selected by the various employers. 3.      Bank of Ghana should submit a report on its stewardship of the TPFA.  

  A Tarkwa circuit court has remanded Philip Osei Tutu, a pastor of Miracle House Ministry Abuakwa branch in Kumasi for defiling a 19-year-old deaf and dump girl at Asankra-Saa in the Western Region. He pleaded not guilty and will re-appear before the court on December 16. Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Albert Adiita told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Obeng Diawuo that on November 27, the accused visited one Joshua Tetteh a branch pastor at Asankrangwa. He said on December 1, the accused went to Asankra-Saa for preaching and deliverance. According to the Prosecutor, on December 3, at about 1330 hours, the victim and her colleague Adofo Rita were passing by when the accused invited them to his house and told them that they possessed some demons and opted to pray for their deliverance. DSP Adiita said in the course of the prayers, Osei Tutu asked Rita to leave and lured the victim into his room and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her. The Prosecutor said the victim narrated her ordeal to her colleague and the accused was subsequently arrested. He said Osei Tutu admitted the offense in his cautioned statement and was accordingly charged with the offense of defilement.  

Residents in six coastal communities in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region have expressed concern over the siting of the country’s gas processing plant at Atuabo, saying it poses a  danger to the communities. The communities are Annochie, Baku, Ngalekyie, Ekwei, Atuabo and Krisan.  They said the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal under construction by Quantum Terminals Limited fell outside the industrial zone of the district assembly.  The assembly has also threatened to take legal action against the company for not following the ground rules. According to the chiefs and people of the communities, they had now been sandwiched between the Ghana Gas Company facility and that of Quantum Terminals Limited, adding that this posed a danger to their safety.  It was observed when the Daily Graphic visited the area that the closest residential facility to Quantum was less than a minute walk (less than 25 seconds drive at 40km/hr) from the Annochie township. The project is also located close to the main road which connects the six communities.  Members of the communities told the Daily Graphic that they were not against the project in the area, except that the areas marked for the siting of the project was not in the best interest of the communities.  The Chief of Annochie, Nana Avo Blay V, said the town was growing and that he did not understand why it should be taken over by facilities that needed to be separated from human settlement.  “What we want now is that the Quantum Gas Terminals should relocate to the other side of the pipeline. Where they are siting it now is not good for my people,” he said.  Nana Blay said the people were aware of the dangers associated with gas explosions, and wondered why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should allow the project to go on. He said the EPA should have known that siting the project next to the community and using the only road to haul the product would be dangerous.  “As it is now, realising danger, we don’t want the Quantum project near us. They should go beyond the pipeline, and after that construct their own road to link the main road to ensure the safety of the people,” he said. “Aside the Quantum, Ghana Gas has also informed us of siting a  loading gantry also very close to the community, but we will resist it. They should go beyond the gas pipeline,” he said.  Nana Blay said it was wrong for them to allow the companies, including the Ghana Gas, to flood the communities with dangerous gas infrastructure without considering the dangers associated with LPG.  “As we speak, if they finish the gas terminals, they would lay a pipe from Ghana Gas to the facility, which will pass through the community, and they want to tell us we are safe?” the Tuffuhene of the community, Mr Robert Awoni-Mensah asked. The Assembly Member for the area, Mr Daniel K. Boma, said there were several concerns about the location of the facility, describing such concerns as genuine. He said consultation among the communities was poor. When contacted, the District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Daniel K. Eshun, acknowledged the concerns of the people, saying that the industrial enclave for the area was between Atuabo and Annochie. He said he was surprised the company had moved to an area that formed part of residential facilities to construct the terminals without contacting the assembly. “We have to go there and call them to order. They met the chiefs and failed to come to the assembly, hauling sand and constructing equipment to the site without permit, and I have not even seen their environmental impact assessment document,” he said. Meanwhile, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Gas Company, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, Quantum Terminals was a private initiative which was not part of the Ghana Gas Project. He said it was not surprising that people were expressing their displeasure at the location because of its closeness to the community and other issues such as the taking over of people’s lands. “But the question to ask is who sold the land to the company, and why must it be sited next to the community,” he asked.  Dr Sipa-Yankey said the focus of the Ghana Gas Project was different from that of Quantum Terminals, adding that the chiefs and people of the communities who owned the land were at liberty to express concern over the project. He said the location of Ghana Gas was thoroughly researched, discussed and the due processes followed; therefore, the operations of Quantum should not be linked to that of Ghana Gas. He denied allegations that Ghana Gas was working together with Quantum.  He noted that the safety of the host communities was of great interest and that Ghana Gas was within the acceptable limit from the next community – Annochie. Efforts to reach the Quantum Terminals Limited for their reaction did not yield any result. 

  The Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) has declared its support for the introduction of genetically modified (GM) food in the country. “GNAFF is committed to promoting and embracing any proven technology that is beneficial to agriculture, especially smallholder farmers and fishers in Ghana, and this includes biotechnology (Bt),” the National Secretary of GNAFF, Mr John Dziwornu, declared at a press briefing in Accra yesterday. The press briefing was to state the position of GNAFF as food experts and civil society organisations (CSOs) lock horns over the introduction of GM food in the country. Position of GNAFF Mr Dziwornu, however, pointed out that even though the association supported the modernisation of agriculture, “GNAFF will ensure that the processes for adopting such technologies are safe and sustainable for the country.  Thus, we are in support of the passing of the Biosafety Act  5831 of 2011 and the Breeders Bill”. He said the association was at a loss regarding the position taken by “some other organisations to prevent the passing of this bill”. Mr Dziwornu cautioned that if the Breeders Bill was not passed, it would pose serious danger to the country, as there would be no set protocols to regulate the introduction and use of biotechnology in the country. Benefits of Breeders Bill Mr Dziwornu said the legislation, among others, was to regulate the introduction and use of biotechnology in the agricultural sector and, thus, provided for all the safety requirements that would guide the process to be of international standards. He cautioned that in the event of Ghana delaying in adopting GM food and the Breeders Bill,  “we may be overwhelmed with cowpea from Burkina Faso and Nigeria after completion of their confined field trials and onward commercial releases”. Influx of GM products “Our markets are already flooded to the disadvantage of our farmers with agricultural products from other countries,” he said, adding that most of those countries had already adopted biotechnology and thus had already introduced Bt foods into Ghana.  

  An Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday sentenced eight people to a total jail term of 370 years for robbing four tenants and their families at gunpoint at Dworwulu in Accra. That was after the court, presided over by Mr Justice Senyo Dzamefe, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibilities as a High Court judge, had found them guilty on charges of conspiracy to rob and four counts of robbery. The convicts are Kudzo Dorglo, aka Agba; Bright Adjei, aka Cudjo; Francis Bediako, Ishmael Quarnor, aka T.T.; Kwame Boadi, aka Rasta; Kwamena Yeboah and Opoku Tuahene. Danlad Ibrahim, who had pleaded guilty earlier, was convicted on his plea and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. The convicts had in their possession seven locally manufactured pistols and 48 rounds of live ammunition when they were arrested by the police. Obed Mensa, who had been held for dishonestly receiving, was, however, acquitted and discharged by the court after a submission of no case had been filed by his lawyers. The case of the prosecution was that the complainants, Mary Martha Well, Mohammed Alfan, Anita Odei Osafo and Mrs Ogunshola Rachael, all lived in different apartments at Dworwulu in Accra. According to the prosecution, the convicts, who lived in separate houses, had constituted themselves into a robbery gang in Accra. About 2 a.m. on October 24, 2009, the convicts armed themselves with locally manufactured pistols and machetes and stormed the residence of the complainants. When they got there, it said, the convicts tied up the legs and arms of the watchman at post and made away with many mobile phones, laptops, cameras, jewellery and various sums of money. It said on November 1, 2009 the Accra Regional Police Command, upon a tip-off, arrested the convicts who had been terrorising residents of Dworwulu, Achimota, Abelemkpe and the Airport Residential Area by robbing them of their money. When they were searched, seven locally manufactured pistols and 48 rounds of live ammunition were found in their rooms. According to the prosecution, five of the pistols and 21 rounds of live ammunition were found in Dorglo’s room, while two pistols and 27 rounds of ammunition were found with Adjei. Dorglo and Adjei claimed the pistols belonged to the group but the two were asked to take care of them. On November 2, 2009, the Greater Regional Police Command held an identification parade and the complainants identified the convicts as those who had robbed them at gunpoint.  —GNA  

  The one-month annual Akwantukese Festival of the chiefs and people of the New Juaben Traditional Area will reach its climax with a grand durbar of the chiefs and people at the Koforidua Jackson’s Park on Saturday, December 14, 2013. It will be preceded by a procession of the chiefs and people through the principal streets of Koforidua. The Akwantukese Festival commemorates the great migration of the Juabens and their allies from their ancestral homes in Asante to establish the New Juaben settlement in the Eastern Region. This year’s festival marks the 135th anniversary of the great migration, as well as the 100th anniversary of the enstoolment of Nana Kwaku Boateng I as the Omanhene of New Juaben. It also marks the 21st anniversary of the enstoolment of Daasebre Prof (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, the current Omanhene of the traditional area. The Akwantukese Festival, as celebrated over the years, promotes socio-economic progress through education of the youth on their origins, traditions and customs and serves as a tourist attraction for people from all over the world. The festival reflects a profound linkage to its great past, more especially the ethos and the culture of New Juaben. As part of the activities to mark the event, the New Juaben Traditional Council will present distinctive awards to recognise the contributions of companies, individuals and organisations towards the festival.  

    The Judicial Service is exploring the possibility of using written witness statements to expedite the trial of cases in the law courts. Already, the Rules of Court Committee of the Judicial Council has drafted written statement rules for further discussion and analysis before the Judicial Service would submit them to Parliament through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. At the annual Chief Justice’s forum to validate the draft in Accra yesterday, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, called on all justices to make effective inputs into the draft before it was submitted to Parliament. The forum was organised on the theme: “Expeditious Justice Delivery: The Role of Written Witness Statements.” In April, last year, members of the bench, bar and other stakeholders in the judiciary met to deliberate on the feasibility of incorporating written witness statements and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the trial process. The aim is to make room for more transparency, the abolition of “ambushed trials” and make way for more fairness in civil litigations for parties to “place their cards face up on the table.” Benefits of written witness statements The use of written witness statements will enjoin parties in a dispute to exchange the statements for each to be fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their cases before the trial. Justice Wood held the view that for speedy and effective justice, it was of utmost importance that the parties knew fully their adversary’s case before the case proceeded to trial. “It is possible that once a party is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the case, which they have seen, the greater the likelihood that the ADR will begin to enjoy a much healthier respect and pride in our jurisprudence. “The sooner a party is aware of the strength or weakness of his adversary’s case, the more likely it is that the outcome of the dispute will be a just one, whether it is settled or tried,”  Justice Wood said.    

  Rana Motors and Metal Works Engineering Company Ltd, has donated a Kia Sportage vehicle in support of the Okyenhene’s campaign towards a clean and healthier environment. The vehicle would be the prize for the ultimate winner of the “Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin’s Cleaner Ghana Campaign (OCHC)” in a raffle to be drawn in 2014. Fundraising campaign  Resource mobilisation for the Okyenhene’s sanitation project dubbed, “Let’s Team Up to Clean Up” was officially launched on December 8, 2013. The funds raised would be used to implement the Okyenhene’s sanitation improvement programmes and interventions. The campaign utilises the SMS fundraising service of all mobile telecommunication networks in the country. Members of the public are expected to donate a minimum of GH¢1 by texting shortcode 1583 to all mobile networks. The highest texter would be the winner of the car in a draw in February, 2014. At a ceremony in Accra last Wednesday, where Rana Motors presented the Kia Sportage to the Okyenhene, he impressed on the public not to shift their civic responsibilities with respect to sanitation to the government. He, accordingly, called on the public to participate in the national effort to manage the problem of environmental sanitation. Media briefing Briefing the media, Osagyefuo Ofori Panin noted that the capacity of the government and district assemblies to deal adequately with the problem of increasing waste generation and the accompanying environmental degradation in the country far outstripped the resources required to manage the problem. He mentioned typhoid, malaria, diarrhoea, cholera and intestinal worm infestations as some of the health problems associated with poor sanitation. Osagyefuo Ofori Panin advised the public to ensure that the nation was clean. Touching on the problem of illegal mining in the country, the Okyenhene posited that illegal mining was reckless and criminal. He said it was shameful for any Ghanaian to engage in illegal mining which poses a threat to the lives of other Ghanaians.  Reason for donation The Head of Marketing of Rana Motors and Metal Works Engineering Company Ltd, Mr Kojo Demanya, said the donation demonstrated the company’s sense of social responsibility.  He added that it was also to encourage the general public to actively participate in the SMS fundraising campaign.  

  The First Lady,  Mrs Lordina Mahama, last Wednesday joined the children of the Princess  Marie Louise Hospital in Accra to celebrate the 2013 Children's Christmas Party. Children from the Osu Children's Home, SOS Village, Street Girls Aid, Sacred Heart and some selected SDA schools in the metropolis also participated in the party, which was supported by Access Bank and Energy Bank.  Mrs Mahama, together with the  children, sang Christmas songs and danced. The children were also provided with food and drink while some had their faces painted. In a brief address, Mrs Mahama said that Christmas was a season of goodwill, and that " It is a season where we must renew our commitment to the welfare of our children and teach them to live responsible lives". She advised the young ones that the best present that they could give to their parents was the gift of obedience, adding that children needed to honour their parents by living good lives and showing them appreciation for their unflinching  support. Mrs Mahama said as a society, it was incumbent on all and sundry to ensure the survival, protection and development of children, as well as enable them to enjoy prosperity. That she said, required all to invest more in basic social services and provide a healthy, safe and protective environment for children. That she said, would enable them to experience inclusive development and protection from negative social phenomenan such as sexual abuse, violence, child labour and  human trafficking. The First Lady commended the authorities of the hospital for their commitment to managing childhood illnesses.   The Board Chairman of the hospital, Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell, in his welcoming address, charged parents to devote quality time to their children and also invest their hard-earned resources into their upbringing.   

  The government says recommendations in the 2012 Auditor-General's (AG’s) Report have vindicated the policies and actions taken by President John Dramani Mahama to fight corruption. A Presidential Staffer, Dr Clement Apaak, told the Daily Graphic last Wednesday that the A-G’s recommendations for ministers to punish chief directors who failed to submit financial statements for auditing on time and the filling of the position of heads of accounts units were part of the directives that President Mahama had already given to prevent the perpetration of conflict, identify and prosecute offenders. "The recommendations of the A-G with regard to the 2012 A-G’s Report quite clearly vindicates the holistic approach adopted by the President in the fight against corruption," he said. Dr Apaak was reacting to the A-G’s recommendations in relation to the enormous irregularities amounting to GH¢2,019,188,488.76 (US$50,748,780) which had been unearthed from the accounting books of public boards, corporations and other statutory institutions by the A-G. The irregularities, which include the lack of documentation on loan agreements stipulating the terms and conditions, misapplication of funds, overestimation of funds needed and the failure to notify bankers to stop payments of unearned salaries, are listed in the A-G’s 2012 report on 77 public boards, corporations and other statutory institutions released in September, this year. Among the several recommendations made, the report tasked sector ministers as a matter of urgency, to take remedial measures to ensure that public boards, corporations and statutory institutions filled the position of heads of accounts units with personnel with the requisite skills and experience and instal computerised accounting software to accelerate the production of financial statements for audit. It also charged the ministers to sanction any chief executive who failed to prepare and submit for audit the organisation’s financial statements by the March 31 deadline and any official whose inaction resulted in irregularities to serve as a deterrent to others.   Legislations With regard to legislations, Dr Apaak said the President had proposed the public officers code of conduct, which Cabinet had approved and would be presented to Parliament for promulgation into law. He said when passed into law, the Public Officers Code of Conduct "will give the legal basis to hold public officials accountable and prosecute them for their actions." "This includes the President's appointees - ministers, district chief executives and others," he said. The Presidential Staffer said President Mahama wanted the Right to Information Bill to be aggressively pursued and passed. Besides, he said, the President had also asked the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to look at amending the Witness Protection Act to give legal basis to protect witnesses when they provided information about suspected corrupt dealings. "People will feel much emboldened to come and provide the information for the state to act”, he said. Again, he said, the government was supporting efforts to pass the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan.   Actions Dr Apaak said for the first time in the history of Ghana, the President had asked the Attorney General to set up a desk to specifically prosecute public officials implicated in the A-G’s Report. Besides, the President had instructed that every single ministry should set up an audit implementation committee to take care of issues of infractions within the ministries. He said the committees would bring to book or seek clarification on acts of malfeasance and take it up to the Attorney General for further action. The committees would also account for the use of public resources. "He has told his appointees that his decision to maintain them or otherwise is going to be predicated on the ability of his appointees to aggressively prosecute his anti-corruption agenda," he said. The Presidential Staffer said  the President had told the ministers that everybody, including ministers and chief directors, would be held liable for any act of financial malfeasance by their subordinates. "So now, these appointees are obligated to take an interest in the activities of their subordinates. So from now on, the usual tendency of public appointees shifting their focus from the activities of the bureaucrats would be dealt with,’’ he said. Dr Apaak said the President had proposed the setting up of public complaint centres to allow ordinary citizens to be able to provide information. "The status of people who engage in corruption is high and, therefore, ordinary citizens feel intimidated even when they have information. This is one of the avenues that the President is using to empower the citizens to support the collective fight against corruption," he said. Dr Apaak said the government had also provided logistics and funding to anti-corruption agencies for them to be able to identify, investigate and prosecute acts of corruption.  

  A 25-year-old welder has been arrested in connection with the murder of Rosemond Nyampong, a worker of Stanbic Bank, in her house at Baatsona in Accra. The suspect, Abraham Baah Kwame Oyortey, was arrested from his hideout at Krobo Odumase in the Eastern Region upon a tip-off, with Ms Nyampong’s vehicle in his possession. Some other items belonging to the deceased, including a television set, a DVD player, a sound system and three speakers, were retrieved from the suspect’s residence, which was a few blocks from the deceased’s house. Two accomplices named  Investigators told the Daily Graphic at the crime scene that the suspect, on interrogation, had mentioned the names of two accomplices. The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police Mr Prosper K. Agblor, said the suspect mentioned the names of his accomplices only as Kofi and Emmanuel, both residents of Achimota in Accra. According to Mr Agblor, the suspect told the police that it was the two accomplices who had robbed and murdered Ms Nyampong and later handed her vehicle and the other items to him. Provisional murder charge  The suspect has, meanwhile, been remanded in prison custody by the Tema  Magistrate Court on a provisional charge of murder. His plea was, however, not taken and he is expected to reappear before the court on December 21, 2013. Ms Nyampong’s family members had found her dead in a pool of blood in her kitchen on November 21, 2013 after they had reported to the police that she had gone missing for a while. Before her death, Ms Nyampong, who was a disbursement officer at the head office of the Stanbic Bank, was reported to have gone to work on November 20, 2013 and closed at 5:30 p.m. However, Ms Nyampong, who was always punctual, did not report at her workplace the next day and at 1 p.m. her co-workers contacted her brother, Richmond Nyampong, to inquire about her whereabouts. Later in the evening, the family members lodged a complaint at the Community 18 Police Station. When the police visited her residence and broke into it, they found her lying dead in a prostrate position in her work attire, with blood oozing from her nostrils.  There were, however, no injury marks on her body. Autopsy  An autopsy report made available to the police after the body had been conveyed to the Police Hospital in Accra indicated that she had been strangulated. The CID Director General said the police had intensified investigations to get the two named accomplices arrested and urged the public to assist the police with any form of information that might help in their work.     

The Export Development and Agricultural Investment fund (EDAIF) has presented a tractor with its accessories valued at GH¢142,500 to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to be presented to the 2013 second best national farmer. The tractor is expected to help boost the morale of Mr Edward Maxwell Aninkorah, who was adjudged the second best farmer at this year's National Farmers Day celebration at  Sogakope in the Volta Region. It is to be presented to him by the MoFA at a later date. The Agricultural Manager of EDAIF, Mr Abdul-Baaki Kadri, observed during the presentation of the tractor and its accessories to the ministry that farmers played a key role in the socio-economic development of the country hence the need to recognise their hard work. He said EDAIF, as a corporate institution and a key partner in the agriculture sector, would continue to support farmers in the country to help ensure that they learnt new and modern ways of farming. Mr Kadri encouraged players in the agricultural and agro-processing sector to access the EDAIF credit facility through the various designated financial institutions across the country. This is the fourth time that EDAIF had supported the farming community in the country to strengthen their capacity to meet the global standards of farming.  The fund, which was set up in 2000, has since supported farmers with loans to expand their operations. It has since disbursed some GH¢135.8 million over the years to support the growth of the sector.

  Six ‘okada’ (motorbike) riders have been remanded in police custody by the Madina District Court in Accra for engaging in illegal commercial motorcycle business. A seventh person, Kobla Adatsu, who pleaded guilty to all three charges preferred against them, has been released after paying a fine of GH¢360. The six, whose names were given by Inspector Bukari Seidu of the Kwabenya Motor, Traffic and Transport Union (MTTU) as Henry Darko, Joel Kuobadia, Samuel Antwi, Godwin Okletey, Kobina Robert and Gabriel Kuakril, are currently in police custody at the Kwabenya Police Station. The Kwabenya District Police Commander, Superintendent Victoria Yamoah, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said the seven okada riders were charged with three offences upon arrest.The charges are  riding motorbikes without licences, riding motorbikes without road worthy certificates and doing illegal commercial motorbike business. According to Supt Yamoah, with the exception of Antwi who pleaded not guilty to all counts and was, therefore, to reappear before the court on December 13, 2013, Darko, Kuobadia, Robert, Okletey and Kuakril pleaded guilty to one of the three charges each and were, therefore, fined GH¢120 each and ordered to reappear on December 16, 2013. Supt Yamoah said although all the five who pleaded guilty to one of the three charges could be bailed, they were not getting sureties and were, therefore, still in police custody. Giving the facts of the case, she said on Monday, December 9, 2013 at around 9 a.m, the police at Kwabenya swooped  on them upon a tip-off that commercial motor riders, popularly known as okada, have opened a station and were operating at  the Ashongman Estates near Kwabenya. She said when the MTTU got to the station, most of the riders around managed to escape but the seven were arrested and immediately arraigned before the Madina District Court on three charges. Supt Yamoah said the police reacted to the call because recently they had recorded a lot of robbery activities within Haatso, Kwabenya, Ashongman and their environs which mainly involved the snatching of bags by motor riders. She said the police in the area, therefore, did not want to encourage commercial motor riders in the area so that people would move around freely and enjoy their Yuletide in peace. According to her, they were doing everything possible to ensure the free flow of traffic, especially on the Kwabenya to Atomic Roundabout road, as well as on the Atomic Roundabout to Haatso stretch of the road. When this is done, she said, it would stop people from patronising the okada as their means of transport. She advised people to desist from using the services of okada. Writer's email: [email protected]  

  About 137 health and educational institutions in deprived communities in northern Ghana have taken delivery of 16,000 bags of cement from the Ghacem Cement Foundation (GCF) to aid their infrastructural development. The beneficiary schools and hospitals were drawn from the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions. The donation is the last of two  carried out by the foundation this year. The Western, Central, Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions form the southern sector of the country and they received the first donation of free cement under the Ghacem Cement Foundation as an annual benevolence from GHACEM. Present at the ceremony were top council members of the Ghacem Cement Foundation (GCF), including the Chairman, Nana Prah Agyensaim VI; Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, Secretary to the foundation, who is also the Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of Ghacem, and Professor Audrey Gadzekpo (Member). Delivering his welcome address, Dr Dawson-Ahmoah commended the beneficiaries for their faith in the company, which made them apply for the free cement, stressing that such commitment had the impetus of bringing development to their area. The Managing Director of Ghacem, Mr Morten Gade, in a keynote address, said it was the objective of the Ghacem Cement Foundation to support self-help initiatives to speed up the development of the country.  According to him, the board and directors of the company had outlined two areas where its corporate social responsibility programmes were targeted and that the GCF was one of them, aimed at assisting health and educational institutions in deprived areas of the country. “The second area is developing the community  in which we operate and perform our mining activities, and I am happy to announce that the company this year  opened a clinic and two educational facilities worth GH¢646,000 in the Lower Manya and the Yilo Krobo districts in the Eastern Region, where the company mines limestone for its cement production,” he said. Nana Prah Agyensaim said that the GCF had, since its inception 12 years ago, distributed about 400,000 bags of cement, valued at GH¢6.5 million freely to deprived communities. He said such a gesture was a true demonstration of the company’s commitment to develop Ghana.  

    Golden Baobab, organisers of the annual pan-African awards for African illustrators’ has announced two new awards totalling $7,500.  They are the Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators and The Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Illustrators. At the launch  in Accra, the co-founder and Executive Director of Golden Baobab, Ms Deborah Ahenkorah, said the new illustration prizes were the biggest so far. She said Golden Baobab started out as a very small organisation which sought to encourage African writers to create stories for African children and had been running  literature prizes for five years which had received over a thousand stories.  She said at a point, the organisation realised the need to encourage African illustrators, as well as writers because illustrations were just as important as the text in a children’s storybook.  “It is for this reason that Golden Baobab is launching these new illustration prizes. We want to discover, motivate and celebrate African illustrators who are dedicated to creating beautiful illustrations for children,” she said. The President of the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA), Mr Asare Yamoah, congratulated Golden Baobab for its work to date and for its new initiative.  He spoke about the importance of developing the love for reading at a young age and that it could be made simpler if children had lots of interesting books with colourful illustrations.   “When we go to international book fairs, everyone clamours for our adult African literature but when it comes to children’s books, we have realised that we cannot compete with publishers from Europe, India or America. I am happy to support the launch of these new Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations, which will undoubtedly help to change the face of Ghanaian and African children’s literature,” Mr Yamoah said.  The 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations poster, which was designed by Ghanaian illustrator, Hanson Akatti, was also presented at the event. Speaking about her expectations of the new prizes, Nanama B. Acheampong, coordinator of the Golden Baobab Prizes, expressed her excitement at the endless possibilities.  “With these new illustration prizes, we hope to discover African illustrators who, hand-in-hand with African writers, will create beautiful books for African children,” she said. The 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations were sponsored by  donations of individuals around the world during the Golden Baobab’s Global Giving Campaign.    

  Fifty-three-year-old Enoch Mingle emerged the overall best farmer in the maiden Ga Central Municipal Assembly National Farmers’ Day  celebration held at the Abeka Motorway Junior High School last Friday. The winner, whose  farm  is located at Agape, a suburb of Accra, boasts 148-rabbits, 100 fowls, 12 turkeys and 10 cattle. For his reward, he received various  farm implements, electronic home appliances  and clothes.  Mrs Gladys Mamata Afram of Sena Farms reigned supreme in the women’s category. The best poultry farmer prize went to Richard Tetteh, while Samuel Tetteh picked the best sheep farmer. St Paul’s Catholic Church, Sowutuom, was adjudged the best  piggery farmer.  The best rabbit farmer prize went to  Michael Tetteh, while Samuel Akunnor  won the best mushroom  farmer award. The best vegetable farmer prize went to Emmanuel Obeng with Geofrey Addison picking the best goat farmer.   Decent Farms  received the best grasscutter prize with Odorgonno Senior High picking the best second cycle institution. The Municipal Chief Executive  of Ga Central, Aristo Aryee, said  that government had the principal objective of achieving national food security and nutrition, and had  put in place critical interventions to modernise agriculture for accelerated growth. “Agric is the only way we can ensure that we create a lot of jobs for young people all over the country,” he added.