A National Security Officer Wahab Nakpah has been nabbed over the murder of Dome Kwabenya Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Patrick Opoku Baah after robbing him at his residence in Taifa in 2009. Alhaji Martey Tei Korley, aka Mohammed aka Commando, the main architect, who was in court with Nakpah have been accused of robbing the deceased of jewellery, single barrel gun, and cash of GH 3,500 cedis  and a mobile phone. They also robbed the deceased’s visitor Claus Timman, a German of his mobile phone, GH 1,000 cedis and 3,500 Euros after shooting him (Timman). Earlier Korley was arraigned on charges of murder and possession of narcotic drugs. However, when the case was called on Monday, prosecuting Chief Superintendent of Police Duuti Tuaruka withdrew the charge sheet involving Korley and substituted it with another. In the new charge sheet, Korley and Nakpah were jointly held for conspiracy to commit crime, two counts of Robbery and Murder. Korley was facing an additional charge of possessing narcotic drugs without authority. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri has remanded them into custody to reappear on January 27. The court has denied a bail application put in by counsels, Mr Kofi Bonney and Mr Jah Josiah who represented them. Meanwhile a duplicate docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for advice. The case of prosecution was that the complainant was the deceased’s son who lived with the father (the deceased) in the same house at Taifa in Accra. The accused persons reside at Nima in Accra. On June 16, 2009, the deceased received a friend, one Claus Timman, a German in his house. On June 18, 2009 at about 1:00am three armed men attacked Patrick Opoku Baah, now deceased and his wife in their bedroom and robbed them of their jewellery mobile phone and cash in the sum of GH 1,000 cedis and 3,500 Euros. Prosecution said as the robbers were about to leave the room, the deceased tried to pick his pump action gun and the robbers shot at him three times and he fell on his bed. According to prosecution, the robbers took along the gun and went into the next room and attacked and shot Claus Timman and bolted with his cash of GH 1,000 cedis and 3,500 Euros and a Nokia Mobile phone. Mr Baah and Timman were rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital but Mr Baah was pronounced dead. Timman who was however treated and discharged, left for Germany three days later. Chief Supt. Tuaruka said the Police intensified their investigations and Korley was heard telling people on November 16, last year that he was one of the people behind the killing of Mr Baah on June 18, 2009. Prosecution said Korley described himself as a contract killer. Unknown to Korley his conversation was recorded and forwarded to the Police by a witness. In the said conversation Nakpah and others were mentioned as accomplices. Korley was therefore arrested on November 17, last year and when he was searched a wrapper of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis was found in his pocket. Prosecution said efforts were being made to apprehend the rest of the accomplices  

  Government has terminated all service contracts between the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA) and its service providers. The contracts that have been cancelled include Rlg Communication's training module, Asongtaba Cottage Industry & Exchange Programme (ACI&EP) and the Better Ghana Management Services Limited, a subsidiary of Jospong Group, the parent company of Zoomlion.  The decision to cancel the contracts was reached following a series of meetings between government and the parties, a letter signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu, and addressed to the service providers said. The letter dated January 9, 2014 read in part, "I am directed to convey to you, Government's decision to discontinue or terminate the contract with immediate effect.” "You are hereby requested to continue to have engagements with the Attorney General's Department and Ministry of Justice on your liabilities to GYEEDA and ensure the refund of same to Government,” it added. Following allegations of questionable partnerships between GYEEDA and some service providers, the government set up a committee to investigate its operations. The committee, in its report, which was presented to President Mahama, recommended the cancellation of some contracts it said should never have been awarded in the first place and the refund of some monies to the state. An action paper on the report further proposed the drafting of a GYEEDA Bill for consideration by cabinet, and accordingly, the Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, was instructed to coordinate work on the exercise. The action paper also asked the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Attorney General’s (AG) Department and the Police Criminal and Investigative Department to assume full responsibility for investigation of all persons and organisations cited in the Ministerial Committee Report in respect of financial and administrative improprieties, as well as retrieval of monies to the state.  

Professor Marian Ewurama Addy, the first woman professor of Science at the University of Ghana is reported dead. A family source told Accra based radio station, Citi FM that the professor of Biochemistry died Tuesday morning after a short illness. As a resource person for science education programmes in Ghana, Prof Addy became very popular as the host of the Science and Maths quiz  television programme - Brilliant Science and Maths Quiz. She contributed immensely to science education by making the subject interesting to Ghanaians of all ages with her role as the Quiz Mistress of the national weekly science and maths quiz programme, . It is believed that her quiz mistress role inspired many female students to study science. She was 72 years old. Biography  Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy was a Professor of Biochemistry. In January 2008 she was appointed President of the Anglican University College of Technology, a newly launched private initiative for higher technical education in Ghana. She is currently Chair of the Policy Committee on Developing Countries (PCDC), a Committee of the International Council for Science, (ICSU), Chair of Ghana’s National Board for Professional and Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX), member of WHO Regional Expert Committee on Traditional Medicine, advisor to the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden and Founder and First Executive Secretary of Western Africa Network of Natural Products Research Scientists (WANNPRES), established February 2002. In the seventies, she took leave from the University of Ghana to become the Director of Programmes for the Science Education Programme for Africa (SEPA), a pan African programme for pre-tertiary science education, which was based in Accra Ghana.  Her experiences in academia were mainly in teaching biochemistry, both basic and applied, to undergraduate, post-graduate, dental and medical students at the University of Ghana, Legon and at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC. Her main area of research was the science of herbal preparations used by Traditional Medical Practitioners, especially their safety, efficacy and how they work.  She was a member of the Kwami Committee, a Technical Committee on Polytechnic Education set up by the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), to study and make recommendations that was to guide the NCTE to formulate policy and advise government on polytechnic education. She was also a member of a four-man UNDP Consultancy Team in Ghana set up in 1994 to formulate a National Action Program for Science and Technology Development.  Professor Addy was educated at the University of Ghana, where she studied towards a degree in Botany, and at the Pennsylvania State University, where she obtained Masters and Doctorate degrees in biochemistry. As head of unit or department in various institutions, Professor Addy was responsible for initiating projects, running workshops and sourcing for funds for these activities as well as for younger scientists in training.  Professor Addy’s interest and extension activities were in bridging the gap between scientific and indigenous knowledge and in the popularisation of science. She was often called upon to be a Resource Person and/or Role Model for programmes in female science education. She was the first Quiz Mistress of the popular weekly televised National Science and Mathematics Quiz programme, primarily aimed at improving the learning of science and mathematics for secondary school students. She hosted the programme for seven years and was responsible for its popularity.   Professor Addy received many awards including: The Millennium Excellence Award for Educational Development at the turn of the millennium; UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the popularization of science in 1999; The Africa-America Institute’s Distinguished Alumna for Excellence in 1998 and Marketing Woman of the Year, in 1995, for marketing Science.  She was made a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts & Sciences in 1999.

  About five students of the Nyaneba Health Assistant Training School in Tema are currently on admission at the Tema General Hospital after a gas explosion at the school. The five according to reports were badly burnt in the explosion which happened last night. An eyewitness who helped in taking some of the injured students to the hospital told Citi News, that the timely intervention by the Ghana Fire Service helped the situation. Narrating the incident, he noted that “I was in my house, which is adjacent to the Nursing training school when I heard a voice over there screaming help me, help me so I quickly went for a fire extinguisher and rushed to the building.” Meanwhile, the Ghana National Fire Service has launched investigations into the fire. According to the Chief Metro Fire Officer at the Tema Metropolis, William Abeka, three people were immediately rushed to the hospital while the other injured person who was later discovered after a roll call was also rushed to the hospital later.  

  A national security operative was yesterday put before the circuit court in Accra for an alleged robbery and murder of the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vice-Chairman of the Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Mr Patrick Opoku Baah. Wahab Naakpah, who appeared together with Alhaji Martey Tei Korley, alias Mohammed, displayed open grief when the court declined to grant him bail. They were said to have committed the crime at Taifa in Accra, on June 18, 2009 and robbed the deceased of his jewellery, a single-barrelled pump action gun and GH¢3,500 cash. Both face four counts of conspiracy, robbery and murder. Korley, who is also known as ‘Commando’, faces an additional charge of possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.  They both pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Refusing them bail on the grounds that the offences were not bailable, the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, remanded the two in custody to reappear on January 27, 2014. Meanwhile, the docket on the case has been forwarded to the Attorney-General's office for advice. Facts of the case The facts of the case as presented by the prosecution were  that the son of the deceased, who is also the complainant in the case, lived together with his parents at Taifa. Around 1 a.m. on June 18, 2009,  three armed men attacked  Mr Baah, his wife and son and robbed them of their belongings and GH¢3,500. Mr Opoku Baah was shot three times in the chest when he attempted to pick up his pump action gun after the robbery. They then took his gun and went to a room which housed the deceased's visitor from Germany, shot him also and robbed him of GH¢1000, 3,500 euros and a Nokia cellular phone. The robbers bolted immediately after the robbery, while Opoku Baah and his German friend, Mr Claus Timmann, were rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, Mr Baah was pronounced dead on arrival. Mr Timmann was treated and  he left for Germany three days after the incident. Arrests On November 16, 2009, Korley was overheard by a witness telling people he was contracted to kill the deceased. A witness in the case recorded Korley's confession and forwarded it to the police. Naakpah was cited with another in the recordings as being one of the accomplices in the robbery. Korley was subsequently arrested on November 17, 2013 and a search on him revealed one wrapper of Indian hemp in his pocket. Naakpah was picked up on January 9, 2014. The police are making efforts to arrest a third accomplice. Writer’s email: [email protected].  

  The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) failed to meet its revenue target of GH¢15.61 billion for 2013, the Commissioner-General of GRA, Mr George Blankson, has said. He said the authority fell below its target by 17 per cent, which, therefore, puts the revenue collected last year at GH¢12.96 billion. Mr Blankson added that analysis conducted by the organisation revealed that revenue collected in 2013 was, however, 14 per cent above that of the GH¢11.7 billion figure realised in 2012, contending that “the failure to meet the 2013 target isn’t for want of effort”. Mr Blankson was speaking at a ceremony in Accra to honour staff of GRA who brought their services to an end in 2013. In all, 120 retirees from the 10 regions were honoured for the dedicated services and sacrifices they made to the company. The retirees were presented with plaques and undisclosed amount of money. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Commissioner-General said the authority would provide detailed information on the 2013 target at the appropriate time. He also declined to give reasons for GRA’s inability to meet the 2013 target.  Achievements in 2013 Speaking on the successes chalked up by the GRA in 2013, Mr Blankson said beyond revenue generation, the authority was in the process of transforming its procedures and processes, among others, to enhance effectiveness. He stated that the GRA was able to set up the medium and small taxpayer offices and also integrated the operational wings of the former VAT Service and the Internal Revenue Service, creating one-stop-shop offices in many parts of the country. “In Africa, not many countries have been able to achieve this feat; even many of those countries who have engaged in this integration reforms for many years have not been able to roll out this project. This is an achievement we are proud to celebrate,” he added. The GRA, he said, was also able to establish the populace transaction concept, which was successfully implemented in Takoradi and at the Kotoka International Airport ((KIA); an achievement he attributed to the hard work of the retirees. On the Automation of Domestic Tax Revenue, Mr Blankson said GRA was able to develop the automation process to an advance stage and was on the verge of completing it. Advice to Staff Mr Blankson advised staff of GRA to put measures in place to ensure their comfort after retirement. According to him, retirement came with age and as such, no one could stop it, explaining that in less than two years the entire management of the GRA including himself would go on retirement. Mr Blankson also advised staff to accord the needed respect to one another and their clients adding, “this office you are occupying is temporary”. On behalf of the organisation, he thanked the retired staff for their services and pledged management’s commitment to put in place effective measures to ensure that their welfare was secured.  

  Asafosa, an ancient tradition of which the chiefs and people of Mamfe-Akuapem drank palm wine from a single pot, was perfectly enacted over the weekend when all the divisional chiefs of Akuapem joined in the drinking. Under the process, which forms part of the activities to celebrate the Ohum Festival, each of the chiefs and clan heads, as well as the queens of the town brings a pot containing fresh palm wine which is poured into a giant pot after which libation is poured. The chief of Mamfe first drank the palm wine before it was distributed to everybody present amid traditional drumming and dancing. No ill feeling The ritual is a sign that none of the chiefs or the people has any ill feeling towards one another and that all of them have united for a common purpose. This year’s gathering - the biggest in recent times - brought together all the divisional chiefs of Akuapem or their representatives and some sub-chiefs from other paramountcies such as Akyem Abuakwa and Kwahu. The Omanhene of Akwamu, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto II, was also present with large retinue mostly warriors and executioners displaying their prowess in war and other traditional practices to the delight of the gathering. Also present were the Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs Helen Adjoa Ntoso, her deputy, Miss Mavis Ama Frempong, the immediate past Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, a former Minister of Health, Mr Nuamah Donkor, and a former Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi. Ansa Sasraku speaks Sitting in state to receive the visiting chiefs and government officials, the Mamfehene, who was also the Kyidomhene of Akuapem, Osabarima Ansa Sasraku, said the large gathering of the chiefs and people had demonstrated unity and togetherness and that the re-unification of Akuapem was an added impetus to accelerate the traditional area’s development. ICT training With regard to the development of Mamfe, the Mamfehene, who was instrumental in the setting up of an ICT and Skill Training Centre in the town, was hopeful that the youth in the town, as well as Akuapem would take the advantage to acquire ICT skills to improve their lot. The town is currently enjoying good drinking water but its roads are not the best and as such the Mamfehene called for government assistance in reshaping them. Osabarima Ansa Sasraku expressed his appreciation to all who helped to make the gathering a grand one. Helen Adjoa Ntoso In response, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs Helen Adjoa Ntoso, enumerated a number of government initiatives - particularly in education - of which over 4,000 laptops had been distributed to pupils and students in the region. A number of roads in the region, she also indicated, had been awarded on contract while unemployment was also being tackled through the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Programme. She praised the Mamfehene for his able leadership that had led to the improvement of the living standard of his people.  

  The National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Kofi Portuphy, has said the organisation is currently adequately equipped to take charge of disasters in the country. “Our readiness is even more enticing because we have built and are ready to operate a national world emergency operations centre where we will put all equipment needed for early warning systems,” he said. He added that the centre, when in full operation, would also pass on information to all disaster management collaborators as quickly as possible “so that our response will be better”. “We have been trained already by the Americans so we can pick the information and wherever in the city, wherever in the country, we can easily locate areas which would make our response better,” he added.  Mr Portuphy made these statements at the opening ceremony of a one-week  international disaster management course for security agencies in Accra yesterday. The training, which brought together 50 security personnel from the various agencies, was intended to improve their efforts to manage natural and man-made disasters and was organised by NADMO with funding from the British High Commission. Participants would be trained by professors from the Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre, a university based in the United Kingdom that specialises in disaster management. Some of the topics to be treated include; principles and objectives of sound disaster management; introduction to risk analysis and dealing with mass casualties, among others. Mr Kofi Portuphy also said the programme, which was the fourth in the planned series, was essential for disaster prevention and that so far, over 300 Ghanaians from the various security agencies, the private sector, and  non-governmental organisations had received training in disaster management. Mr Portuphy urged the participants to utilise the knowledge they had acquired from the training for the benefit of the country. In his address, the Director of Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre, Mr Richard Gordon, said the course aimed at sharing the best practices in disaster management. “This course also aims at encouraging integrated expertise across different agencies to respond effectively to disaster management,” he said.  

  An acute water shortage has hit  Sekondi/Takoradi since mid December 2013 as a result of heavy silt deposit at the intake point at Daboase which is  preventing regular flow of water for treatment. In a few areas where the taps are flowing, the pressure is very low and it takes hours for households to get enough water.  Most residents now draw water from untreated sources , while others use sachet water  for domestic use.  Affected areas Affected areas include the Sekondi township, Komfoase, Ekuase, Esikado, Bakayire, and Bakoano, South Kweikuma, Adiembra, Adiembra-Ridge, Kojokro and other areas which derive their water supply from the Daboase intake. Both the young and old in those areas queue for long periods to draw water from abandoned wells near the Mutual Health Office in Sekondi and the Sekondi Shell Fuel Station and another well at Nana Aboa in Sekondi. Mr Abraham Cudjoe,  a resident of Bakano, said the water shortage had affected his daily routine for over a month now. “I have to walk for over 30 minutes to get to where I can fetch water. Most of the time, I have to join a queue for more than an hour before it gets to my turn,” he said. Solving the problem The Regional Manager of the Ghana Water Company, Mr Daniel Moumaala, acknowledged the problem and said the company was in the process of  engaging an excavator to clear the debris from the Daboase intake point to enable water to flow through the system for treatment. Unfortunately, he said the company did not have an excavator in Sekondi/Takoradi,  so “we have to turn to  the mining companies at Tarkwa or contact Zoomlion in Accra to send one to the region to undertake the task.” He expressed the hope that soon the intake would be cleared to ensure free flow of water.  

  The families of the four persons who died during the coronation of the chief of Ekumfi Esarkyir last Saturday have called on the police to expedite investigations into the case and release the bodies to them for burial. According to them, some of the deceased persons were Muslims, whose bodies needed to be interred some few moments after their death. They made the call yesterday when the Central Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Sarpong, and some members of the Regional Security Council visited the community to express their condolences to the families for the loss. They further appealed to the regional minister to get support for the family of one of the deceased who left behind six children and a pregnant wife. The call comes in the wake of the shooting in which an ex-police officer, Anthony Forson, 60, accidentally shot and killed the four at the coronation of the new chief, Nana Essel VII. The deceased include Bestman Arthur, 17, a first-year student of TI Ahmadiyya Senior High School; Kojo Anthony, a junior high school leaver; Samuel Edumadze, 13, a primary five pupil of the Esarkyir District Assembly Methodist School, and 40-year-old Kofi Nyaago from Ekumfi Ekroful. The cheerful procession became chaotic when Forson tried to fire a musket, which failed to respond. After the gun failed, Forson was said to have re-loaded it and adjusted it, but before he could press the trigger again the gun went off killing the four and injuring two others. One of the injured, who is in critical condition, has been referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.     Mr Sarpong used the occasion to ask the security agencies to enforce the use of gunpowder rather than live bullets for musketry. He noted that the use of bullets in guns at festivals and other traditional gatherings had become rampant and in recent times caused enough harm.  The District Chief Executive for Ekumfi, Mr Ibrahim Dawson, said the assembly would support the bereaved families to bury the dead. The Saltpond Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr David Ashong, later told newsmen that checks had showed that Mr Forson's gun had been licensed and he had a permit to use it. He, however, said the docket on the case would be sent to the Attorney General's Department for advice.   

  Baron Water House Limited, manufacturers of Ice Pack sachet water,  has dedicated its new dispensers  bottle unit  at a ceremony in Accra. The new unit, which has three plants is used  in the production of ice pack sachet water in the country. The event was also used to express the company's appreciation to God for  His guidance throughout 2013. Speaking at  a thanksgiving service to mark the occasion, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Ellis Clottey, urged the workers to remain focused,  disciplined and  to work hard to sustain the future of the company. He said 2013 came with a lot of challenges, which nearly saw the closure of the company. According to him, the inconsistent flow of water affected the company,  since part of its  water supply depends on the Ghana Water Company. He said packaging materials was another challenge faced by the company due to  the influx of other smaller pure water’ manufacturing companies. He appealed to the government to make water cheaper to the average person to buy.   

Barely a week after the arrest of a Nigerian by sniffer dogs at the Kotoka International Airport (kia), another Nigerian is in the grip of officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) for ingesting pellets of heroin. Chika Macillinus Umeugokwe, a 31-year-old trader, was arrested last Saturday, January 11, 2014, shortly after boarding a taxi at the KIA on his arrival from Pakistan. His two accomplices, however, managed to escape. When he was taken to the NACOB headquarters, he allegedly expelled 69 pellets of heroin weighing one kilogramme with a street value of $80,000. Arrest of suspect Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Executive Secretary of NACOB, Nii Lantey Blankson, said the suspect claimed he had swallowed 77 pellets of heroin but vomited some in Pakistan before setting off. He said the arrest of Umeugokwe brought to six, the number of Nigerians who had so far been arrested at the airport for drug trafficking within a month. According to him, Umeugokwe left Nigeria somewhere in November, last year, for Ghana by road and left the following day on board Kenya Airways to Nairobi and continued with Ethihad Airlines to Pakistan. In Pakistan The Deputy Executive Secretary indicated that Umeugokwe stayed at the Metro Park Hotel in Islamabad in Pakistan for six weeks. While there, Mr Blankson said the suspect claimed another Nigerian, whose name he gave only as Cosmos, assisted him to purchase the drugs. According to him, the suspect claimed he paid $3,500 for 50 pellets of the heroin but Cosmos added 27 to what he had swallowed to be given to his brother on suspect’s arrival in Nigeria, but the suspect vomited some in Pakistan. Arrival at KIA He said on arrival, the suspect was allowed to go through the formalities but unknown to him, he was being monitored by the NACOB officials who followed him outside where he met two men, a Nigerian and a Ghanaian. The three later stopped a taxi but as the driver was parking, the other two suspects fled. The suspect will be arraigned after investigations.  

  The Chairman of the  Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy,Dr Kwabena Donkor, has accused Newmont Ghana Limited of operating the biggest galamsey at its Akyem concession. According to him, the company’s operations in the Akyem area had no legal leg to stand on. But in an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, while conceding that the company’s  mining agreement was yet to be ratified by Parliament as required by law, stated that the company had a licence from the Minerals Commission.   Newmont Ghana has been accused of operating its Akyem concession illegally but the minister explained that in line with the 1992 Constitution, any investment for the exploitation of natural resources had to go through Parliament and the Minerals Commission. Processes  The first, he said, was the signing of a mining contract by the President in whom mineral resources were vested and then the agreement was sent to Parliament for ratification. “There are two phases. Newmont has only met the first phase,” said Alhaji Fuseini in reaction to the claims by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Mining that Newmont Ghana was operating in Ghana illegally.  The minister explained that even though the constitution required that the two processes were met, “unfortunately the constitution does not give a time line. We agree the people of Ghana have to know the nature of the mining agreements the President signs, that is why it has to be ratified.” He said the constitution did not also state that the contracting party should hold on until the agreement was ratified by Parliament before commencing its mining activities. More contracts not ratified On the issue of companies operating without their contracts being ratified by Parliament, the minister stated that there were a number of companies whose contracts were yet to be approved by Parliament. “It is not only Newmont that is operating without its contract being ratified by Parliament. There are a number of other mining companies in the same situation,” said the minister. The minister could not tell the total number of companies in that situation. To ensure that the various contracts were ratified, Alhaji Innusah said he had directed the Minerals Commission to sort out the mining companies in accordance with the nature of operation to be submitted to Parliament for approval. Though the directive was issued three months ago, the Minerals Commission is yet to furnish the ministry with a full list of the mining companies operating without a ratified agreement categorised according to their nature of mining. “This does not mean the ministry is oblivious of its responsibility. There has been an attempt even before I was made minister and before Dr Kwabena Donkor went to Parliament, to get the contracts ratified but Parliament said the form in which the document was presented made it bulky and asked that it was sorted out.” Dr Kwabena Donkor Speaking on Joy News earlier, Dr Donkor of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy accused Newmont of  breaching the country’s mining laws. “As I speak, Newmont is still in breach of our laws. The company is still operating illegally. It is still involved in large-scale galamsey.  “No mining lease has come to Parliament for ratification, to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, whatever mining is taking place there is illegal,” he said. He blamed the present regulatory failure on the Minerals Commission saying “we will challenge the Minerals Commission to live up to its mandate.”   That aside, he said, it was the responsibility of the company to respect the law. He added that the issue would be raised in Parliament again. He, however, urged civil society organisations to stand up to what he described as an illegal and abuse of the country’s laws.  “We will raise the issue again on the floor of Parliament. I expect civil society groups to take the matter up, even if it means going to court. To enforce our laws, we all have a responsibility to enforce our laws. It is not just a matter of leaving the enforcement in the hands of agencies of state.  “As citizens, those agencies represent us. We are the alludia owners of the lands of Ghana and, therefore, I expect civil society groups such as Third World Network and other environmental NGOs to go to court, and I’ll be prepared to be a star witness in court,” he stated.  Mr Mohammed Amin Adam Responding to the call on CSOs, the Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, observed that the situation smacked of collusion between state institutions and the mining company. He expressed concern about the inability of the government and Parliament to hold the company accountable for its actions.   

  Parts of Accra have been hit by fuel shortage, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has confirmed. The NPA explained that the situation was the result of the five storage depots in Tema not working full-time during the Christmas holidays and the late arrival of vessels carrying refined fuel. Bad weather Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the NPA, Mr Yaro Kasambata, said the vessels did not arrive at the stipulated time because they were hindered by bad weather. Notwithstanding the situation, the PRO indicated, the issue was not as serious as was being portrayed in certain quarters. “We are only experiencing low shortage in petrol; there is diesel at all the stations,” he said, adding that the problem would be resolved soon and fuel could be purchased at any of the retail outlets. He said in spite of the situation there were stocks of fuel in the system and added that transporters were ready to transport the fuel to the various retail outlets in the city. Situation in Accra In Accra some of the stations ran out of supplies 10 days ago. Some fuel filling stations had posted ‘no fuel’ notices at their entrances. When the Daily Graphic visited some filling stations at Kaneshie and Abossey Okai, the attendants complained that they had completely run out of petrol but had diesel in stock. Outstanding orders According to the station managers, they had outstanding orders for petrol but did not know when it would be delivered. At the Total Service Station at Abossey Okai, the Station Manager, Mr Joseph Asante, said his station had run out of petrol since January 2, 2014 and added that he was waiting for the delivery of an order he placed that same day. “Under normal circumstance, I would have gotten the fuel that same day I placed the order but it appears things are getting worse,” he stated. Operating at a loss   According to Mr Asante, the shortage had resulted in his station operating at a loss due to the “high utility bills.” “Whether there is fuel to sell or not, you make use of electricity to operate every gadget at the station,” he explained.  Similar concerns were expressed by a supervisor at the Weija North Service Shell Station. “We have an outstanding one week order for petrol and we are yet to take the delivery,” the supervisor, who wanted his name withheld, told  this paper. “We should be selling super petrol by now but we have nothing,” he said, adding that the station had diesel extra for sale. No vehicular queues During the visits, the long vehicular queues associated with filling stations during fuel shortages were  absent and the station managers said motorists were aware of the shortage, for which reason they did not want to waste their time by queuing.  

  The Textile Garment and Leather Employees Union (TEGLEU) of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has accused the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) of misinforming the Presidency about the work of the task force established to curb textile piracy in the country. “The complicity of government is very clear in this issue. The Ministry of Trade is condoning the illegal activities of people pirating local textiles at the expense of the local industry,” Mr Abraham Koomson, the Secretary-General of Ghana Federation of Labour, said at a news conference in Accra yesterday. At his maiden media encounter on January 7,  2014, President John Dramani Mahama justified the decision of MoTI to suspend the activities of the Anti-Piracy Task Force which had been monitoring the movement of textiles smuggled into Ghana. President Mahama’s recommendations The President had, among other things, suggested the use of tax stickers on textile prints to easily detect the smuggled ones, the need to educate textile traders on the harmful effects of their activities on the economy and the need for the task force to focus on checks at the entry points and prevent the pirated products from getting into the country/markets. The President also observed that the operations of the task force in the markets were misplaced as poor/innocent traders struggling to make their living through petty trading were unreasonably harassed. The task force was inaugurated in August 2010 and mandated to monitor the movement of smuggled fabrics, target relevant warehouses and seize pirated and smuggled textiles for destruction, to deter the dealers and others who may be tempted to deal in such goods.  However, on December 24 last year, its operations were suspended; a decision the Trade and Industry Ministry attributed to harassment of traders in the various markets, whose textiles were sometimes confiscated by the task force. Mr Koomson reacts But Mr Koomson insisted that the points raised by the President were issues that had been discussed since 2003 and some had been implemented but were  unsuccessful. he said the issues had been deliberated exhaustively by MoTI and other stakeholders, culminating in the adoption of the report of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB) dated August 25, 2003. Among other things, the report  recommended an immediate temporary restriction on the importation of all finished printed textile goods into the country, streamlining and mounting surveillance on the activities of the destination inspecting companies, seizure of goods without the necessary import duties and ensuring that imports were restricted to approved entry points. Textile industry  From over 40 textile firms that employed more than 25,000 people in the last two decades, the country now has only four textile factories employing less than 4,000 people.  The country, according to available information, is losing about GH¢30 million in revenue annually through the smuggling of textile materials.  Mr Koomson cautioned that “An eventual layoff of workers could happen if government did not intervene.”   “ If traders do not patronise these pirated and smuggled fabrics, the markets would be rid of these products and therefore, the task force would be redundant,” he added. Writer’s email: [email protected]  

  The Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Yaw Adusei, has appealed for support from the general public and the media for the various security agencies in the execution of their duties. “We need to see the security agencies and their personnel as partners in development rather than allow  criminal elements in society to have their way”. Speaking as the special guest at the end-of-year get-together of the Kumasi Prison Service in Kumasi, Mr Samuel Adusei said ensuring peace and security was the responsibility of all. The event was attended by staff and management of the service, personnel from other security agencies, as well as the media and other stakeholders. On hand was the Army Band from the Northern Command, which provided music to make the occasion grand as the personnel exhibited their skills in all forms of dancing after which they were feted with variety of drinks. The Deputy Regional Minister said the government, recognising the important role the Prison Service played in the national discourse, could not be oblivious of the challenges that confronted it and was determined to work towards meeting its logistical needs. The government has shown commitment in the provision of the needed logistics and motivation such as the supply of vehicles, recruitment of additional staff,  as well as improved remuneration through the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), among others, which are all geared towards achieving excellence in security operations for national development. He used the occasion to  commend the security services in the country for their effort at ensuring that peace continued to prevail in the country  Mr Adusei said in spite of the good performance by the security agencies, there still existed security issues such as the conflict that plagued the society, illegal small-scale mining with its attendant negative impact on the environment, armed robberies, cybercrimes, among others, which the nation had to contend with. He mentioned that if proactive measures were not put in place to tackle the nefarious activities, they would erode the gains made so far in the country. The Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons, Mr Emmanuel Yao Adjator, in his welcome address, also commended the personnel of the service for their dedication and commitment towards  the achievement of the set goals of the service.   The Regional Commander appealed to the government to come to the aid of the service, as it was bedeviled with some challenges such as infrastructure, overcrowding of inmates, and inadequate resources, among others. In his closing remarks, the Deputy Regional Commander of Police, Mr Simon Afeku,  who chaired the function,  said there was the need for all stakeholders to contribute their quota towards the reformation of inmates of prisons so that they would not return to prison after they had served their sentences. He challenged the Prison Service to take a second look at the reformation methods to ensure that inmates attained a holistic reformation.  

  Two siblings suffocated to death in a parked car belonging to their father on a church premises. The parents of the deceased were said to be in a family meeting in the house, which also accommodates the church building. The two children aged two and four years were believed to have sneaked out of the room where they and other children were watching television. However, some of the family members came out of the meeting only to find the two siblings suffocating in the car. Uncle’s report An uncle of the deceased, Right Reverend Fred Oppong, told Joy News that the family meeting was an annual event to deliberate on activities of the year and to resolve any differences. He said four of them were pastors hence the decision to have a church building on the compound of the family house, where the meeting was held . “We were having our annual family meeting and all my siblings had come. One of them who came with his children (the deceased) and all the other children were kept in the hall. Around three o’clock their mother went to give them food but did not find them in the hall,” he said.  Rt. Rev. Oppong said he later found the children suffocating in the parked car and they were rushed to the hospital where they were confirmed dead. He also said they immediately reported the incident to the Mile 7 Police Station. Police remarks The Mile Seven police confirmed the story. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Peter Yembila, said the bodies had been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue and that a coroner’s inquest had been launched into the incident.  Credit: Joy News