Former president John Agyekum Kufuor has called on government to make a consented effort to help deal with global concerns on climate change. According to him, efforts being made in Ghana and across the world have been “haphazard and static.” Ex-president Kufuor made these observations on Accra-based Joy FM following his appointment as a United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, made the appointment which also saw the honour conferred on former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. The two special envoys are expected to mobilize political will and action ahead of the 2014 Climate Summit. Their engagement with world leaders will assist with discussions at the 2014 Climate Summit Ban Ki-moon plans to convene in New York in September during the annual General Assembly Accepting the honour, former president Kufuor said although the task is a big challenge, he sees it as a worthy course and a duty to humanity. “Climate change is the biggest issue of our time now and for the Secretary General to call me to support him in coming to some consensus on how to tackle this challenge I saw it as something that I should accept,” he said. He said as part of his duty, he would be meeting world leaders to impress upon them the necessity for them to subscribe to the resolution that would be made in September 2014 in the fight against climate change. “What we want to do now is to take a bird’s eye view of things so governments will shape policies that will bring all the nations together to target on fighting climate change together,” he noted.  

  The period just before Christmas has once again lived to its billing as the time of year when most Ghanaians do a lot of shopping and most traders crown the year with bumper sales. Although a few days ago most traders complained of low patronage of their wares, the run-up to the yuletide painted a totally different picture. The much sought after Christmas fever finally arrived, but not without some hiccups. In Accra, as early as 5 a.m. on Monday, two days before Christmas, hordes of people were seen heading for the central business district (CBD) from all directions of the city, to do some last-minute shopping, a development that resulted in slow-moving traffic on all the roads leading to the city centre. Some people were seen walking towards the CBD because it was difficult to catch the usual mini buses (trotros) and other vehicles that ply the city centre from the various cit Although traffic moving to the CBD was thick, it could have been worse but for the heavy police presence at intersections and vantage points along major routes.  Jostling, shoving and pushing were the order of the day, as the last-minute shoppers weaved through the milling crowds to haggle over the prices of items. Vida Essel reports that as of 8:25 a.m. yesterday, vehicles plying the Kaneshie-Accra Central route were hard to come by and passengers had to struggle to get on board the few that were available, while taxi drivers took advantage of the situation and charged GHC2 per passenger, instead of the normal fare of GHC1.20. Shoppers who travelled from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the CBD by taxi, parted with GHC3, instead of the approved fare of GHC1. Those who were lucky to go by trotro, had to pay a fare of GHC1, instead of 60Gp. Those who did not want to be cheated had to walk. By 9 a.m. all roads leading to the Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle were choked with vehicular traffic but there were a number of policemen at hand to salvage the situation.  CBD/ Atta Mills High Street Although vehicular traffic was equally heavy at the CBD when the Daily Graphic visited, it was moving at a steady pace. The reason was that the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, and some officials of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service were on hand to ensure that drivers complied with new directives introduced under the ‘Operation let the traffic Flow’. The situation was not different on the Atta Mills High Street, where the traffic was heavy from the street in front of the Cocoa Affairs Court to the Korle-Bu traffic lights.  Christmas Shopping Charles Andoh and Nancy Ofori Gyewu report that there was brisk business at the Makola Market in the CBD.  There was heavy human traffic as well.  Ironically, some traders who spoke with the Daily Graphic complained that patronage this year had been very low and slow, compared to the previous years. Monica Asare, who deals in under garments, attributed that the situation to the low salaries of workers, contending that there was no money in the system.  A bag seller, Gladys Otoo, expressed similar sentiments. A wholesaler at the Kantamanto Market, who pleaded anonymity, told the Daily Graphic that on normal occasions patronage of her goods was very high, but during this Yuletide it had been poor.  Meanwhile, a visit by Lydia Ezit and Franklin Badu Jnr to the Makola Market on Sunday revealed that most of the shops were closed, with few people seen buying and selling among heaps of filth piled along the road. Items on display included pastries, cooking utensils, shoes, electrical appliances, mattresses, food items, among others. Prices of children’s clothing ranged from GHC15 to GHC25, while those of bags ranged from GHC10 to GHC50 depending on the quality and the designer, with  Kumasi-made slippers going for between GHC6 and GHC7. Although the few traders and buyers did not have heavy vehicular traffic to contend with, some traders complained of bad business, while the buyers also said things were expensive and as such they could not purchase much. Kwame Nkrumah Circle Surprisingly, business on the Nkrumah Circle Pedestrian Bridge and at the Hawkers Market boomed, with many people patronising used clothing, Christmas decorations, pastries, cosmetics, shoes, phones and accessories, bags and others. Clothes and other items were hung on the bridge, with sellers ringing bells to attract customers.  “This year, marketing has been good, compared with previous years. Sometimes I have to leave very late because people keep coming in to buy,” Abena, a pastry seller, said.  Livestock sellers Despite complaints of low patronage from some traders, livestock sellers had good news to tell.  David Apadugo, who sells fowls at the Kantamanto Market, indicated that even though the festive season was yet to start, patronage was very high. Adoko Ayoney also said he was able to sell 100 fowls a day when the market was favourable.  He stated that broilers were sold at between GH¢25 and GH¢35, depending on their weight. But Salomey Appiah, who was at the very patronised Accra Mall, said business activities at the mall on yesterday morning were slow, as there were few shoppers around to purchase merchandise. When the Daily Graphic visited the mall around 8:30 a.m., most of the shops were closed, with a small number of shoppers waiting for the shops to be opened. “I came early to buy my stuff because I don’t want to be caught in traffic in the evening or late afternoon,” a shopper, Maame Ama, said. In an interview, the Marketing Officer of the Accra Mall, Mr Michael Oduro Konadu, said so far activities at the mall had been smooth.  Traffic at the mall and outside, he said, had been under control, as it was managed by the mall security. According to him, the mall usually saw a very large number of people on December 26 and January 1. Therefore, he said, the management was working to get extra security from outside to help the mall security manage the human and vehicular traffic that would be expected. Transportation A visit by the Daily Graphic to the Neoplan Station, a famed bus terminal in Accra, revealed that patronage had reduced in recent times. According to the Welfare Chairman of the station, Mr John Awuah, for the past few weeks there had been low patronage.  Operation let traffic flow ‘Operation let traffic flow’, jointly launched last Wednesday by the AMA, the Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Police Service, the MTTU, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Department of Urban Roads, had been necessitated by public outcry against the long hours spent in traffic. The initiative was to help reduce traffic congestion confronting the city, especially during the festive season. Under the operation, some streets were to be opened to drivers to provide alternative routes to ensure accessibility and traffic free drive during the Christmas season. Other roads were also to be converted to one-way lanes to serve a similar purpose.  Traders were also to be evicted from the principal streets of Accra to make for free movement.  

  Rehabilitation works to restore the functionality of street lights along ceremonial streets in Accra has started. Street lights along the Independence Avenue, the Tetteh Quarshie interchange stretch, the Cantonments roads linking the Osu Oxford Street and the Airport bypass are being rehabilitated by a local electrical engineering firm, Prefos Limited. Other areas include the Kanda highway, the Kaneshie-Mallam stretch, the Graphic Road, Castle Drive and the Ring Road. The contractor has been mandated to replace malfunctioning bulbs and damaged poles and also rewire existing  lines that have had their cables stolen. The project is being carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).  Security A Senior  Technical Engineer at the ministry, Mr Samuel Dovlo, told the Daily Graphic during a tour of the areas on Sunday that the project had become necessary to provide security at night for road users. The manager in charge of street lighting at the ECG, Mr Tony Esiape, said although the maintenance of the street lights was the responsibility of the metropolitan and municipal assemblies, financial constraints had made many of them neglect that responsibility. He said it was because of this that the ministry had approved funding for the rehabilitation and monitoring of the street lights to avert incidents of thefts and damaged poles. Concern Mr Esiape expressed worry that telecom companies that laid cables to improve their service often did so without recourse to the ECG and thus caused extensive damage to street light installations. "Recently, when the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL) undertook a rebranding project which necessitated the need for officials to carry out rehabilitation works at their vending stations, some of the rebranded signposts were erected directly on the street light cables," Mr Esiape complained. He said the ECG, as a technical advisor on the project, was collaborating with the police and other security agencies to ensure that vehicles that caused damage to electric poles were surcharged with the cost of the poles. "We have also submitted proposals for the installation of close circuit television cameras (CCTV) along major ceremonial routes where cable theft are rampant in order to avert the incidents of thefts," Mr Esiape added. He was optimistic that the new measures would go a long way to preserve the lifespan of the street lights. Writer's email: [email protected]  

The harmattan, massive display of items ranging from clothes, shoes, drinks and Christmas decoration in the central business district of Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital, is enough evidence of the festive season, some residents have told the Daily Graphic. Consequently, they said they had feverishly been preparing towards the celebration of the occasion by shopping at the central business district. During a visit to the Sunyani Central Market last Saturday there were brisk business activities taking place. Adwoa Amankwaa, a single mother, in an interaction said she had come to the market to get some new clothes and shoes for her daughter and son to have a joyous Christmas celebration. She noted that prices of items had shot up but she had no option than to get her children those items for the celebration.  Mr Akwasi Okyere, who was also seen buying a mini bag of rice, cooking oil and drinks, among other items,  said he was getting those items for use by his family during the Christmas.  He added that it was a normal shopping routine which he did every month but Christmas came with an extra cost as he had to purchase extra items to enable him and his family and other friends and relatives who would visit them to enjoy the Christmas. Mr Okyere also expressed concern about the increase in the prices of items but noted that traders must also make some profit to provide for their families to celebrate the Christmas. Mr Joseph Barnie, who was also seen in a boutique around the central market, said he was there to buy some clothes for his two sons, aged 17 and 14, respectively. He said it formed part of the preparations towards the celebration of Christmas, as it had become an annual ritual for every parent to at least buy new clothes and shoes for their children during the period. However, there was mixed reaction from some traders and shop owners. While some said sales had been slow,  others observed that it was normal with them as people were buying and they had planned to even open their shops on Sunday for business. They noted that although the prices of items had shot up, people were buying because they must celebrate the Christmas. In the municipality, some radio stations and event organisers have also designed entertainment programmes to spice up the festive occasion while some churches are holding conventions to celebrate and mark Christmas. • At Cape Coast,  Shirley Asiedu-Addo reports that the streets in Cape Coast are becoming busier as people begin to shop for the Christmas. Items that have flooded the market include children's clothes, toys and provisions. Mr Esah Otoo said he had already bought his chicken. One chicken cost GH¢25. A bookshop keeper, Mr Anthony Ewusaya, said he was yet to do any shopping. "I have not bought anything yet. I will watch films and play football during the period and attend church," he added. Event organisers are also planning programmes to make the festivities memorable. To motivate and encourage the youth in Cape Coast and it's surrounding areas, Candymania Entertainment, in collaboration with Sompa FM, is organising a music awards, dubbed, “Obama City Music Awards”. Mrs Herty Reynolds, a hairdresser, said her salon was becoming busier and busier as Christmas approached. She said she expected to stay in for longer hours to work on beautiful hairstyles for patrons.  

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has been appointed a United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who made the appointment which also saw the honour conferred on former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, said Climate Change is an issue “that is of the highest importance to the future of our planet”. The two special envoys are expected to mobilize political will and action ahead of the 2014 Climate Summit. Their engagement with world leaders will assist with discussions at the 2014 Climate Summit Ban Ki-moon plans to convene in New York in September during the annual General Assembly meeting, a post on the website of the UN Information Centre in Accra quoting a statement by the Secretary General announced. As part of their work, the Special Envoys will assist Mr. Ban in his consultations with world leaders to raise the level of ambition to address climate change and to accelerate action, and provide strategic advice.  

  The Christmas season in Tamale seems to have caught up with most inhabitants of the city as the streets are buzzing  with activities all in preparation towards the yuletide. For the past week, the streets have seen unusual increase in crowds mostly around commercial areas and markets as people from nearby towns and villages travel to Tamale to shop for the occasion. The streets around the Melcom Stores near the main traffic lights and those around the Forsmuel and Quality First Supermarkets opposite the main taxi rank continue to register a large number of patrons even on Sundays. Despite the increase in the number of buyers during this season, prices of goods have not seen any significant increase. According to Seidu Inusah, a smock dealer along the Tamale-Bolgatanga road, the prices for his smocks remained the same despite the increase in demand. He said the Gonja-made smock continued to sell for GH¢150 while the Dagomba-made smock was sold for GH¢85. A seemingly frustrated shoe dealer, Mr Muniru Adams, told the Daily Graphic: “My brother, I believe some people are still holding back their monies because sales are quite poor; for me I recorded better sales last year than this year”.  He said a significant number of his customers complained of inadequate money and  the fact that they were preparing to pay their children’s school fees in January, next year.  As people troop to Tamale either to purchase goods for the Christmas or stay to celebrate the event, so do others  travel to other cities, villages and towns for the event. Many shop owners do not usually open their shops on Sundays but some  of them now open, apparently to cater for customers who might want to buy some of their goods for the Christmas. Madam Cecelia, a seamstress whose shop is located around the Tamale Metropolitan Office of the Forestry Commission, said she had to go to work even on Sunday after church in order to finish sewing the clothes of her clients before Christmas day. Commuters The premises of the various lorry stations were very crowded on Friday and Saturday with people scrambling everywhere to get tickets to enable them to travel to their destinations. An attendant at the Kumasi Station of the Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU) who gave his name as Kwarus said they had some challenges last Friday and Saturday because many educational institutions started their vacation, and that meant more passengers. “But we were prepared for the situation and were, therefore, able to provide buses to convey all our travellers,” he said. Some commercial drivers have also taken advantage of the situation to allegedly charge exorbitant fares as it is increasingly becoming difficult for commuters to get vehicles to their various destinations. Just as there are commuters who want to travel by road, there are also a significant number of residents who are patronising the domestic flights.  A visit to various institutions including drinking spots showed that those places were adorned with Christmas trees and other paraphernalia associated with the season. Some businessmen in the metropolis have also inaugurated new entertainment centres to cash in on the festivities. Preparation Some residents stated that they were rather keeping their monies to celebrate the New Year and so they were being careful about their spending.  Others said they were apprehensive about buying anything now for fear that prices might be arbitrarily increased because of the season.  A hairdresser, popularly called Daavi, whose shop is located at Jisonayili, a suburb of Tamale, for instance, stated that she had saved some money to go for shopping for herself and her two children but she was skeptical about the prices of shoes and clothing saying “prices are likely to go up this season and I am thinking whether to wait a bit or go for the shopping”. Church activities Various church activities have also been lined up for the season as Christmas conventions are being held throughout the metropolis. Activities outlined by the churches include Christmas Convention, vigil, carols services and children’s programmes. Some residents have also taken the opportunity to travel outside the metropolis to places suah as Kumasi, Accra and their respective hometowns to celebrate Christmas. The metropolis is increasingly becoming busier owing to the influx of holiday-makers into the sprawling city. Christmas messages Meanwhile, some Christian leaders in Tamale have cautioned Christians not to forget the significance of the occasion as they meet with friends and family members to celebrate Christmas. Rev. Fr Camillo Bonsuuri and Rev. Fr Gerald Zienaa of the Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church have asked Christians to let Christ reflect in all their celebrations during this season. They observed that Christmas had been overly secularised and commercialised with little emphasis on the religious aspect of the event. They, therefore, urged Christians to take back the celebration of Christmas to let it reflect the reason for the season. Their views were corroborated by Pastor Aaron Lambon Fant of the Sanctuary of Wind and Fire Assemblies of God Church in Tamale. He said Christmas was all about the birth, mission and life of Christ and all celebrations must be geared towards emulating his life. Pastor Fant said Christmas celebrations must be done towards enhancing the lives of Christians and bringing non-Christians to the saving knowledge of Christ. He expressed regret that recent celebrations of the event had been characterised by immorality and hanky-panky lifestyles and urged Christians to avoid such behaviours during this season.  

  The Madina and  Adenta municipalities in Accra have been identified as major recipients of trafficked children from the three regions in the north who are lured to the city to engage in worst forms of child labour (WFCL). According to the Chief of Party of the International Development Associates (IDA), Mr Barnett Quaicoo, the children were generally engaged in weeding, planting, harvesting, pruning, cutting and digging, using dangerous and primitive equipment such as the hoe, cutlass, spade, knife and ‘Go to hell’, otherwise known in Ghanaian parlance as ‘langalanga’. “Most of them work without protective gadgets or equipment, thereby exposing themselves to cuts and snake and insect bites.  “The health of these children is negatively affected with all kinds of infections, tetanus, malaria, and even death,” he stated.  Mr Quaicoo disclosed this when he addressed the Women, Children & Youth Sub-Committees of the Madina and  Adenta municipalities at a workshop on the worst form of child labour (WFCL) in the country. The workshop, organised by the Centre of Development Initiative (CDI), was to educate the sub-committee members on their role to prevent children from exploitation. He said an estimated 1,239,680 working children in the country were in the agricultural sector and indicated that 308,841 of those children were between five and nine years, while 601,902 of them were aged 10-14 years with the remaining 328,937, aged 15-17 years. Worst forms of child labour Mr Quaicoo identified other WFCL to include the engagement or recruitment of children in all forms of slavery practices, forced labour and bonded labour, including child trafficking.  Others are the engagement or recruitment of children in pornography and pornographic performances, as well as prostitution. He identified children engaged in hazardous labour that affected their health, safety and morals as WFCL.  Educating the participants on their roles in protecting children WFCL, a law lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law School, Mr Tuinese Edward Amusu, said under Section 16 of the Children’s Act, Act 560, the district assemblies have a role to protect children.  “A District Assembly shall protect the welfare and promote the rights of children within its area of authority and shall ensure that within the district, governmental agencies liaise with each other in matters concerning children,” he quoted the Act as saying.  Social interventions The Executive Director of CDI, Mr Alexis Danikuu Dery, who welcomed the participants, underlined the importance of some social interventions to protect the vulnerable in society. He said the National Social Protection (NSP) outlined clear strategies to address the growing gap of inequalities, extremely poor individuals, households and communities, including those in need of special care but lacking access to basic social care.  He said since most of the children involved in the WFCL were from the three regions in the north, the effective implementation of such interventions as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the Livelihood Protection, the Promotion of Equal Opportunities and the Social Empowerment, would stop the north-south migration.  

  An Articulated truck ran into a house at Korlebu Junction at Senya Beraku Monday, killing one and injuring four other people. The truck, with registration number GT 7288-B, was loaded with cement to be supplied to retailers in the town when the accident occurred. The deceased, who is the driver of the truck, has been identified as Sam Atongo. His body has since been deposited at the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital for autopsy. A nine-year-old boy, who was in the house when the accident occurred, had a fracture on the left leg and was referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital due to the severity of his inujuries. Two other injured persons were rushed to the Village of Hope Hospital at Gomoa Fetteh while a two-year-old girl who was also trapped, is currently receiving treatment at the Senya Beraku Health Centre. According to eyewitness reports, the truck driver frantically signalled to pedestrians to move away when he detected that the truck had developed a fault.  The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Supt.John Paul Akonde, told the Daily Graphic the driver might have lost control, veered off the road and ran into the apartment. According to him, the driver of the truck died instantly while his mate, who got injured, is receiving treatment at the Village of Hope Hospital. The Tufuhene(a sub-chief) of the town, Neenyi Kwa Bentum, appealed to the district assembly and the government to construct a by-pass for heavy duty vehicles.

  Since time immemorial, Christmas has been the season of spreading good cheer, of spending time with family and of sharing, caring and giving and this year is no different at least in the Upper East Region. For some people in Bolgatanga, the regional capital, the severe harmattan weather condition cannot affect the way they celebrate this festive season. A visit to various sections of the Bolgatanga main market on Monday, which happens to be a market day ahead of Christmas day, saw a large number of people who had converged to trade and shop in items ranging from clothing, footwear, xmas decorations, foodstuff, livestock, poultry products, assorted alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, among others. Patronage of items such as guinea fowls, either fresh or processed, were in high demand and the traditional hand-made fugu (smock) were all enjoying good sales forcing prices to double and in some cases triple. A tour of the market revealed that a live guinea fowl, a local delicacy, is sold for between GH ¢15 and GH¢ 25 while a sheep and a goat are sold between GH¢70 and GH¢150 respectively depending on the size. A bowl (olonka) of locally produced rice sells between GH¢5 and GH¢7, depending on the grade of rice. A smock manufacturer, who gave his name only as Salifu, indicated that depending on the size and quality of material used, a smock might cost between GH¢60 or GH¢150 adding that sales had not been bad at all.   Transportation The Christmas season comes with a lot of travelling and this year is no exception. Most public sector workers resident in the region were spotted travelling to their hometowns for the Christmas holidays. At the O.A.Travel and Tours bus station, officials at the terminal told the Daily Graphic that since Wednesday December 19, all services to places such as Accra in the Greater Accra Region and Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have been recording full bookings, adding that the situation had persisted throughout the weekend leading to Christmas day. The situation is no different at the main GPRTU terminal as many passengers were spotted trying to board buses to their hometowns. Officials at the Metro Mass Transit station said they would be running services throughout the holiday period in order to make it possible for people to join their families for the holiday season. At the Intercity STC bus terminal, a notice pasted with regards to the Christmas and New Year operational programme indicated that there would be normal service on all routes on Tuesday, December 24, 2013 for Domestic Bus Service. The company will, however not work on Christmas day but will resume transport service on Boxing Day. The notice, however urged regional and station managers to confer among themselves on changes that might suit the period and make amendments where necessary.   Religious leaders The reason for the season is Jesus Christ. The Christian community and the Regional Coordinating Council held a festival of nine lessons and carols at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church where choirs of various churches in the regional capital ushered their flock into the Christmas mood. Religious leaders in the region also seized the opportunity to advise people of the region and Ghanaians in general to be optimistic of the future because Ghana had a bright future and that the involvement of every Ghanaian and friends of Ghana was needed to move the nation forward. In separate interactions with various religious leaders in the region, they were hopeful that 2014 would be brighter than 2013. The Chairperson of Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Esmond W. Nagba, said Christmas should be a time of sober reflections adding that Christians must use the period to renew and rededicate their lives to God via the preaching of the gospel’s message of peace and reconciliation. He said the Christmas period must also be a time for people to share love with their neighbours and  resolve to be more devoted to God. Rev. Nagba said there was work to be done by all Ghanaians especially Christians who found themselves in leadership stressing that Ghana is looking for a leadership of truth, one that does not compromise and is ready to expose wrongdoing in society. He bemoaned the level of political polarisation permeating the Ghanaian society and prayed that the season will lead to unity. “Let’s eschew all forms of tendencies that will polarise this nation for development to thrive,” Rev. Nagba said. The Bolgatanga District Overseer of the Evangelical Church of Ghana, (ECG), Rev. Samuel Apeligeba advised Christians to come out of their spiritual captivity and slavery during this Christmas season. In  an earlier sermon, Rev Apeligeba expressed regret that some Christians had allowed themselves to be driven by worldly things for far too long and said Christmas was the right season for such Christians to seek the face of God for his divine deliverance. Speaking on the theme; “The hope of Christ is coming soon, Rev.  Apeligeba also stressed the need for Christians to be mindful of the second coming of Jesus Christ as highlighted in the book of Luke 21:25-33. The Senior Pastor of Fountain Gate Chapel in Bolgatanga, Pastor Eastwood Anaba in his Christmas greetings released on YouTube to friends and partners of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries said although many people were discouraged about many things that might have happened, the grace of God had sustained everyone to this point as we approach the end of the year. He encouraged Christians and the general public to “finish the race, fight the good fight, because in 2014, I believe that the clock will reset and you will make another dash towards your victory”   Security The Upper East Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, in a message to the people, wished every citizen the best of the season. He said although the season is characterised with a lot of happiness and reunion, the festivities are normally bedeviled with a lot of security threats in terms of people trying to commit crimes and deprive others of the joy. He gave the assurance that all the necessary security arrangements had been put in place to ensure that people of the region go through the festivities without fear or favour, especially those who will be travelling at night to attend one programme or the other. While assuring all of their security, the regional minister also advised revelers to exercise moderation and be cautious in their celebrations. “We must all be alive to enjoy 2014” he admonished. He appealed to all to cooperate with the police and other security agencies who are out there to ensure the safety of life and property. In the area of development, he conceded that 2013 came with some challenges but was optimistic that with all the groundwork, 2014 will be a prosperous one as a number of developmental projects had been earmarked for implementation in the coming year. Writer’s email: [email protected]  

Members of the Association of Filipinos in Ghana (PILSAG) have presented a cheque for $16,000 to support children affected by Super-Typhoon Haiyan in the Philipines. Super-Typhoon Haiyan is estimated to have affected five million children in the Eastern Visayas islands in the Philippines. A statement issued by PILSAG said a significant proportion of the funds were unsolicited donations from Ghanaians unknown to PILSAG.   “They spontaneously made their donations in response to media reports.  Schoolchildren also donated, demonstrating child-to-child solidarity,” it said.   It said the President of PILSAG, Ms Rose Tsevi, and the PILSAG Haiyan Fund-raising Co-ordinator, Ms Marian Tadefa-Kubabom, handed over a symbolic cheque covering the amount to the UNICEF Representative in Ghana, Ms Susan Namondo Ngongi, at the UNICEF office in Accra. Among those who witnesse the handover were two children, Omara San Miguel Parkes and Quinceo San Miguel Parkes and the Honorary Consul of the Philippines to Ghana, Prof. Alex Quarmyne.  The statement said among those who responded were Ghanaian musicians who donated their time and talent at a fund-raising concert at the Alliance Francaise in Accra; they were led by Gyedu Blay-Ambolley.

  All is set for this year’s Christmas celebrations in the Wa municipality. However, unlike last year where the municipality  was choked with human and vehicular traffic around this time, coupled with much uncertainty over the results of the 2012 general election, traders and drivers alike are lamenting  the sudden decrease in sales and the number of passengers compared to the same period last year. Trading A typical example was last Sunday which was the last Wa market day before the celebration of the Yuletide.  Many traders who shared their views on the "christmas market  day" in Wa  were of the view that " there is no money in the system." Mr Kwadwo Frimpong, who deals in electrical appliances and general goods, told the Daily Graphic that this year’s sales had been bad.  He expressed suprise, particularly at the very low patronage of the last market day and said, "I could not sell anything; just look at how the market is dry." Another trader,  Mr Ameen Sulemana, said although this year’s sales did not meet his projections, it was better than not selling anything at all. Madam Ajara Mahama, a footwear seller, was also not enthused about her sales during the period and said last year’s sales were good. Transportation On transportation, many passengers were spotted idling about when this reporter went around the various lorry stations on Monday.  While other passengers stood by their luggages at the various lorry parks in the Wa municipality anxiously and disappointingly waiting for vehicles to be made available, there were those who looked tired; and had put their heads on their luggages or slept on benches made available at the lorry stations. It was obvious many of the vehicles that travelled out . As a result, the hitherto hustling and bubbling Wa main lorry park popularly known as " Kejetia" where vehicles and passengers regularly competed for space was virtually empty as of the time the Daily Graphic visited last Monday morning. The Senior Industrial Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union ( GPRTU) at the main Wa lorry park, Alhaji Nuhu Mahama, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said: " My brother, last year was better compared to this year. Last year by this time we had so many passengers but this year the numbers have gone down." He advised both drivers and passengers to comport themselves while travelling during the Christmas period and said his outfit was ensuring that no driver took undue advantage of passengers waiting at the lorry park. "This is because we want drivers to rest after every trip and see to the maintenance of their vehicles. As a result, we have also organised vehicles for passengers who are waiting," Alhaji Mahama indicated and advised passengers to report any undisciplined driver to the nearest GPRTU office when travelling during the Christmas period. Security Situation The security situation was, however, very impressive considering the number of police personnel who were patrolling the municipality, especially at the lorry park.  The seeming inactivity at the Wa main lorry park also affected truck pushers, many of whom were seen lying on their tricycles and eagerly monitoring the few vehicles which arrived at the lorry park; it affected head potters as well Christmas messages In a Christmas message, the Wa Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Antwi, charged Christians to allow the lessons from the birth of Jesus Christ to reflect in all their deliberations. Apostle Antwi  quoted Mathew 2:1-12 from the Bible and said the birth of Christ had a historical and spiritual significance which had to do with the motive of King Harold and the wise men who migrated from the east and wanted to worship and acknowledge Jesus Christ upon hearing about his birth and gave willingly. He said while the wise men had a clear motive during their visit to the birthplace of Jesus Christ, King Harold had  a mischievous motive.  Apostle Antwi called on Ghanaians to be true worshippers  in serving their God and country. In that regard, he said people who had ill motives such as king Harold could not succeed in whatever they did. A past  Lay Chairperson of the Rev Paul Adu Memorial Methodist Church in Wa, Mr Mark Abugnaba, advised Ghanaians to continue to pray and work towards peace in the country. He said God had been so good to Ghana, especially after taking the country through the last general election without any disturbances and called on the people to be more united during and after the Yuletide to sustain the peace. "Christmas celebrations have come and gone but this time around Christians must not just celebrate Christmas but rather reflect and ensure that the celebrations impact on their lives positively," he noted.  

  The Agona Swedru District under the Central Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has honoured Ms Gladys Kwatema Yamoah, the Chief Executive Officer of Action Against Rural Poverty (AARP), a non-governmental organisation, for her contributions towards the development of the church and deprived communities. Ms Yamoah, a Senior Akan News Presenter at Golden Star FM, an Agona Swedru-based radio station, was in 2012 adjudged the best female role model in local governance in the Central Region by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) for her efforts towards deepening local governance and support for the rural poor. A citation in recognition of the contributions of Ms Yamoah to the activities of the Presbyterian Church and the society which was signed by Mr Sydney Biney, District Lay Representative, Mr Anthony Annorh Asantey, District Session Clerk, and Rev. Nana Osei Owusu Fosu, was presented to her during the district’s 2013 church extension programme, popularly known as ‘Asempatrew’, held at Gomoa Obuasi in the Gomoa East District. The four-day event was on the theme: ‘The fruit of the Holy Spirit and the Believer’. The citation read that “You have served the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in diverse ways, particularly as a social commentator working with the Golden Star FM at Agona Swedru, as well as rendering immense services to the Central Presbytery towards the running of a religious programme dubbed: “Tete Atempon’’ at the station some years ago.” According to the church, Ms Yamoah had served as a presbyter from 1996-2004 at the Swedru Bethel Congregation and held the position of welfare chairperson of the Bethel Church in 2011 till date and secretary to the ecumenical and social relations committee of the Central Presbytery. It indicated that: “Your dedication to duty, good sense of judgement, time-consciousness and indefatigable spirit played a great role in the successes chalked up by you to be awarded as the best female model in local governance in 2012 by ILGS”. It continued that her award had projected her image as a role model to ladies in the Presbyterian Church and the society in general and that the leadership, as well as the congregation, had presented the citation as a symbol of appreciation for her good works and wished her God’s protection and blessings in all her endeavours. Her NGO had help to provide boreholes for eight communities that had no potable water.  

  Preparations towards this year’s Christmas and the New Year seem to have overshadowed all other activities in the region especially in Koforidua, the regional capital. For the past three days, hundreds of people from all walks of life, especially from the villages, have been thronging into town in preparation for the festival. While the villagers have been selling their farm produce and livestock such as fowls, goats and sheep to buy items such as textiles, others - mostly salaried earners - just window-shopped, hoping to purchase goods needed after collecting their monthly salaries. Prices On the whole, prices - apart from that of livestock - were almost the same as last year with plantain being the cheapest commodity; a bunch going for ȻGH¢3 and ȻGH¢6 instead of GH¢5 and ȻGH¢10 last year.  A full piece of locally manufactured wax print now costs between Ȼ60 and Ȼ80 just like the previous year. Prices of livestock is as follows: fowls, between ȻGH¢12  and GH¢25; goats, ȻGH¢100 and ȻGH¢350 while a sizeable sheep, the preferred choice of the rich, is being offered for sale at GH¢600 - all of them being far higher than last year. Influx Last Thursday (a market day) witnessed one of the largest numbers of people in the town (which currently has a population of over 100,000). Every part of the town was busy, and at the lorry parks, long queues were formed, with passengers - many of them students on vacation - trying to board vehicles to their various destinations. Also on the streets, particularly the main artery, the Asafo Adjei Street, motor vehicles and pedestrians had to struggle for space. Such situations, which under the normal circumstances should have led to a number of motor accidents, have so far been controlled by officers and men of the MTTU detailed at vantage points by the Regional Commander, Superintendent Samuel Tetteh. Road safety At the same time, the Regional Manager of the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA), Mr Joseph Obosu, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Akuriba Yaagy, and the regional officer in charge of the National Road Safety Commission have been touring the various lorry parks to ensure that the right thing is done to make the festivities accident-free. For instance at the Koforidua and Suhum lorry parks, drivers whose vehicles were faulty were cautioned against a possible court action should they be arrested again; many of them were wearing bathroom sleepers (Charlie wote) while driving. “We have to ensure that all the vehicles are roadworthy and that no driver wears bathroom sleepers to drive to prevent motor accident,” Mr Obosu, the regional DVLA boss, told the Daily Graphic after he had taken some of the drivers through some road safety tips. Food joints To make the occasion an enjoyable one especially for bachelors, visitors and families who might opt for a change of environment, food joints such as Criss Café have planned to offer 24-hour service throughout the yuletide and the New Year. “You know a lot of the young men and even some as old as 50 are not married and we have to make the day enjoyable for them with delicious meals during the entire period of the festivities,” one of the managers of the food joints told the Daily Graphic. Religious touch Churches have also not been left out, with a number of them organising their pre-Christmas conventions and prayer meetings last weekend; their focus was on road safety. At the Centre for National Culture, Koforidua, where the Apostolic Church of Ghana held its area convention, the Area Apostle, Pastor A. Ansah, asked for God’s guidance for mankind in this era of calamities, especially against motor accidents. Similar preparations for the Christmas period have been going on in every corner of the region, especially in the big towns such as Akim Oda, Nkawkaw, Somanya, Asamankese and Anyinam which have seen their population increase because people from the surrounding villages have been coming there.  

    The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) yesterday held its annual end-of-year thanksgiving service in Accra to thank God for His mercies and for seeing the company through the year 2013. With song ministration led by the Destiny Project Choir, staff of the company sang praises to God for protecting them from the beginning of the year and giving them the hope  of entering another year. The theme for the event was: “If the Lord does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless, if the Lord does not protect the city, it is useless for the sentries to stand guard.” (Psalm 127:1) Preaching the sermon, Bishop George Adjeman of the Winners Chapel, Ghana, commended the workers for taking a break from their routine work to express gratitude to God. Thanksgiving Bishop Adjeman said “God created us in his own image and it is a privilege for us to look back and say thank you,” adding,  “When you say thank you to God, He will reach out to you and it will also endear you to Him.” He said the Bible charged all mankind to recognise the existence and omnipotence of God and acknowledge Him as the source of their lives, for which reason there was the need for them to express gratitude to Him. The Bishop urged that in spite of the unfair nature of the world, it was important for people to have faith in God, who would guide them to overcome the challenges of life. He said just as Daniel overcame the hungry lions in a den because of his faith in God, those who believed in Him would be able to overcome the lions of the present world. Purpose of gathering The Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, said the company deemed it fit to offer thanks and praises to the Almighty God for His mercies and protection through very challenging and difficult times. He said the Bible enjoined all believers to express gratitude to God and that was the reason why the service was organised for Corporate Graphic to thank God for what he had done in 2013 and what he would do for the company in the year 2014. For  her part, the Chairman of the board of GCGL, Dr Doris Dartey, urged the workers to take a pause and reflect on their lives and situation. She urged them to remember to pray for the company for it to chalk up more successes in the coming year.    

  Although Christmas is just around the corner, there seems to be no special frenzy in shopping and transportation activities in the Volta Region. Several shops are overflowing with goods but there is no rush for them because of perceived low purchasing power of potential buyers with a high rate of window shopping. Shopping At the Ho central market, traders told the Daily Graphic they were disappointed about the low sales they were making. A woman who sells children’s clothing and other fancy dresses, Madam Evelyn Dzamefe, said sales during the year were bad because prices were high and patronage very low. “This year, it is worse and quality goods are non-existent on the market,”  she said.  She attributed some of the challenges to the source of supply of her goods that claimed the dollar rate had gone high and that the election petition in court had also contributed to unstable supply of goods and contributed to the high prices. Another woman who sells textiles exclaimed, “no buying at all, no increase in prices too!” She said although the CFA exchange rate had gone high and had affected prices, she had not translated the cost to consumers. According to her, many potential buyers had restrained themselves from spending in view of the high school fees they would be paying when schools reopens. “There is no sign like Christmas is coming. No, there are no special Christmas sales,” she said. The price of a fowl ranged from GH¢ 25 at the farm gate to GH¢30 at the market, while an average goat was selling between GH¢100 and GH¢200 with average tubers of yam selling between GH¢10 and GH¢15. However, movement of people to the shopping malls that had emerged in the Ho township had diverted shopping for provisions to those malls which provided one-stop shopping and close late at night, making it convenient for shoppers. Transportation There is lower inflow of passengers from other areas into Ho than the outflow to Accra and other cities. According to operators of transport unions, vehicles bound for Ho got locked up in Accra because of lack of passengers and were sceptical whether the trend would change as Christmas got nearer. Lorry fares, however, remain  unchanged. Air-conditioned vehicles from Ho to Accra charge GH¢12 with ordinary ones charging GH¢10. According to the Ho branch chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Michael Sonkro, there was no increase in the numbers of passengers travelling in and out and that the lorry park had rather been crowded with empty vehicles than passengers. He noted that the departure of a large number of students for holidays registered an abnormal increase in the number of passengers in recent times but was temporary, and that there was no hope as to whether the passenger rate could increase as Christmas got nearer with the speculation that many people were cash-strapped these days. The situation at the Hohoe and Aflao stations to the northern and southern sectors respectively remained unchanged as there had been no increase in fares,  as well as the numbers of passengers. “If there should be a change in the traffic situation because of the Christmas season it should have started by now,” a union chairman remarked. Security  Police visibility in the Ho municipality has increased as policemen were seen are stationed at all vantage points in the town, especially at residential areas to provide security to the people. Religion Religious conventions have already started. A crusade dubbed, “Christmas Convention 2013”at the forecourt of the Ho stadium has begun by the Ho-Area Dome District of the Church of Pentecost and the New Covenant Apostolic Church  has  also organised a six-day power packed feast of tabernacle convention for the season  to be held at Rural Training Centre (RTC) park. In a Christmas message, the Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana,  and the president of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt Rev. Francis Amenu said with Christ’s advent into the world, there was the possibility for humankind to escape from the darkness of ignorance and disease, superstition, poverty, moral decadence, indiscipline, corruption, greed, immorality and materialism. He said  the people of God must purposefully shun all forms of corrupt practices at every level of the social structure and strive to facilitate good governance and accountability, and that the Christmas season should provide the needed rejuvenation, stir the conscience of citizens to do the right thing in every aspect of national life as one people with a common destiny. The Anglican Bishop of Ho, Rt Rev. Matthias Medadues-Badohu, said Christmas was for all, irrespective of religious affiliation because of the holiday component associated with it. He, however, said the coming of the Messiah did not guarantee a trouble-free world but provided the strength to cope with every situation in life because Christ himself endured several adversities during his life to serve as an example to mankind. “If you are sick,  he will give you the strength to cope with sickness, whichever situation we found ourselves and it could be all kinds of adversity”, Bishop Medadeus-Badohu stated.  

  The Akosombo Branch Manager of the Zenith Bank,  Mr Kwesi Sakyi Prah, was shot and killed in the early hours of Sunday when two unidentified gunmen stormed his residence in Tema. This comes after the murder of a Stanbic Bank worker in Accra about a month ago. Prah, 34, had returned from Akosombo to spend the weekend with his wife and their two children at his two-storey residence at Community 25. The police, however, suspect foul play, since the attackers did not take anything of significance from the house. His body has since been deposited at the Tema General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Confirming the incident, the Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer,  Assistant Superintendent of Police Ms Olivia Turkson, said Prah had his white Kia Cerato vehicle, with registration number ER 2254 – 11, parked in the yard when the family went to sleep on Saturday. She said about 2 a.m. on Sunday, two unidentified men scaled the wall of the house, broke the main entrance and entered. She said the robbers, one of them armed with a pistol, broke into the room of the caretaker, Daniel Appiah, whose room was opposite Prah’s. According to Ms Turkson, the robbers took the caretaker hostage and demanded that he showed them the room “of the owner of the white car with registration number ER 2254-11. She said the robbers then broke into Prah’s room, where he was sleeping with his wife, and shot him on sight, after which they picked a small bag which contained baby diapers. She said Prah, who did not die instantly, chased the robbers as they descended the stairs of the storey building, but he fell off, gasping for breath. She said a police patrol team had hint of the incident and rushed to the scene, but the robbers had escaped before they arrived. Ms Turkson said the police rushed Prah to the Tema General Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. Meanwhile, the police have mounted a major hunt for the assailants.  

  The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced new tariffs for water and electricity effective January 1, 2014. The new adjustment, according to the PURC, had been precipitated by the full implementation of the automatic adjustment formula (AAF). Subsequently, consumers would be required to pay an increase of 9.7 per cent on electricity and 6.80 per cent on water. The AAF is a pricing mechanism that tracks and incorporates movements in key determinant uncontrollable factors to reflect the actual cost of electricity generation, transmission and distribution. It allows for a quarterly review to reflect changes in factors whose effect on operations are considered to be beyond the utility companies — the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo). According to the Director of Public Affairs and External Relations of the PURC, Nana Yaa Jantuah, the price of crude oil on the international market, the cedi-dollar exchange rate and the rate of inflation were the key variables that influenced the adjustment. The new increment, she said, was intended to preserve the real value of tariffs approved for the utilities in October 2013. "It should be noted that the current increase is largely driven by movements in the exchange rates, inflation and the demand variation," she explained. The PURC, she indicated, had directed the ECG and NEDCo not to bill consumers retrospectively (back billing) with the new tariffs. "Such an action will attract the necessary sanctions," Ms Jantuah said. On Wednesday, September 25, this year, the PURC announced upward adjustments of 78.9 per cent in electricity and 52 per cent for water after considering proposals by service providers. The increment fell short of the 166 per cent and 112 per cent requested by the electricity and water providers, respectively. Organised labour, as well as individuals, expressed varied opinions on the impact of such hikes on their incomes and their lives generally.  In reaction to the increment, The General Secretary of Trade Union Congress, Mr Kofi Asamoah, said the increment indicated hard times ahead since it would add up to the high cost of living in the country. Although, all stakeholders agreed to the implementation of the Automatic Adjustment Formula, he said, TUC was yet to carry out its own analysis on the indicators used to increase the tariffs before making any further comments. Writer's email: [email protected].  

President John Mahama has taken a short annual leave commencing today, December 23, 2013, a statement by the presidency has announced.  It said the President and his family left Accra Monday morning to the United Arab Emirates for the Christmas holiday.  In his absence, Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur will act as President.   

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) would like to extend warm greetings to all Ghanaians, especially Christians on the occasion of the celebration of the Christmas festivities.   This period in the life of Christians serves as a moment of celebration and sober reflection, particularly as it is observed at the end of the year and ushers in a new year. 2013 has been a year of mixed fortunes.  Apart from God’s blessings and guidance which has protected the country’s peace, the inhumane economic and social policies of the Mahama led government have placed an unbearable burden on Ghanaians.  We thank God for surviving some very difficult times with particular reference to the unprecedented reported cases of corruption and the uncertain future Ghanaians are faced with. Gratitude should go to all Ghanaians for maintaining the peace and unity we continue to enjoy, not forgetting our service men and women who spent, and are still spending time maintaining peace across the world. We join all Ghanaians to pray for peace, prosperity, success, better economic direction and more importantly, unity for 2014 and beyond. God bless our homeland Ghana. Merry Christmas.  Signed  Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey National Chairman

  The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced new tariff figures which take effect from the January 1, 2014. Electricity has been increased by 9.7 percent across board and water, by 6.80 percent. The latest figures, according to a statement signed by the Chairman of the PURC, Dr E. K. Amenu, is as a result of the full implementation of the Automatic Adjustment Formula (AAF). The statement said the current increase has been largely driven by movements in the exchange rates, inflation, and demand variation. The PURC further directed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and Northern Electricity Distribution Company of Ghana (NEDCO) not to bill consumers retrospectively (back billing) with the new Tariffs. The Commission further directed the ECG, NEDCO and GWCL to improve customer responsiveness during this yuletide season to avoid the incidences of unattended faults in the electricity and water distribution systems and also ensure the sustainability of the quality of supply.