Mamfe is a very strategic town in the Akuapem State. Mamfe is arguably the central town of the state as it connects all the 17 towns of Akuapem as well as having a very good road passing through it to Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital. The Mamfehene, Osabarima Ansah Sasraku II, doubles as the Kyidomhene of Akuapem. Mamfe has featured regularly in the government’s budget statements when reference is  made to the Tetteh Quarshie-Madina- Pantang-Mamfe road project. That portion of the road from Akuapem to Accra was in a deplorable state until the 2000s when the then government secured funding to fix the Pantang –Mamfe portion. The Tetteh Quarshie to Pantang portion is in an advanced state of rehabilitation now. Mamfe is thus a very popular town in Ghana in terms of geographical location and its role in traditional governance. In terms of festivals, Akuapems are noted for their Odwira and Ohum festivals. Although the Odwira festivals of the people of Akropong, Aburi and Larteh appears to be more popular, the Ohum festival also has its own attraction. The chiefs and people of Mamfe, Mampong and Tutu, among other towns on the Akuapem Ridge, celebrate Ohum. But the Ohum of Mamfe is of a unique character. The Mamfe Ohum is also the occasion for what has become known as ‘Asafosa’. In other words it is the occasion for symbolic  drinking, which also offers the opportunity for bonding, unity and peaceful co-existence..  This year’s festival will be climaxed with a durbar at Mamfe on Sunday, January 12, 2014, at 12 noon. ‘Asafosa 2014’ will be unique because for the first time in many years all the towns on the Ridge that make up the Akuapem State will participate in the event. And their chiefs will participate with pomp and circumstance. The Akwamuhene, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto,  and chiefs from  other parts of the country will grace the occasion. Every year, the people of Mamfe celebrate the Ohum festival in December or January depending on the calculation of the traditional calendar (Akwasidae). The Ohum festival is heralded by the performance of the “Asafo nsa” or “Asafosa” ceremony on Sunday, which is one week after the ninth Akwasidae in the year. Two Mondays preceding the ninth Akwasidae, that is three weeks before the start of the Ohum or the ‘Asafosa’ day, there is a ban placed on the town on drumming, dancing, noise-making and funerals. However, because at times this ban on noise-making coincides with the Christmas season, and so as not to impede church activities, the current chief, Osabarima Ansah Sasraku, and elders of the town have developed a system; anytime the Christmas festivities fall within the ban period, special rituals are performed to lift the ban till after the Christmas and New Year celebrations are over. The ban is then placed again so that churches in the town can worship without any hindrance. During this temporary lift of the ban, however, funerals are still not allowed to be performed. During the period of the three weeks of the ban, whether temporarily lifted or not, the chiefs, heads of clans and families are expected to settle any disputes or iron out any differences that might have arisen among the members of the domain during the year.  In pursuit of the belief in the adage that in unity lies strength, the leaders of the Asafo companies or ‘asafohenefo,’ led by the ‘osafohene supi,’ at the dawn of the Sunday after the Akwasidae, beat a drum called the ‘asabi kyene’ to signify the end of the ban on noise-making.  During the period of the ban, the whole town will be cleaned up in preparation for the Ohum festival.  It is during this time that the sons and daughters of the town who live outside of the town will come home to join their kinsmen for the Ohum celebration. In the afternoon, the ban on noise making is lifted. The ‘asafohenefo’ or leaders of the Asafo companies are then made to call a meeting of the chiefs, clan and family heads, with some members of the community serving as witnesses. Because it is expected that by this time, they would have settled all disputes within their families, and also among themselves, it is expected that there is peace and harmony within clans and families and among themselves. Each chief, clan and family head is made to bring a pot of palm wine. After calling them one after another to bring their pots of palm wine, the ‘asafohenefo’ pours these individual drinks into one big pot. After mixing them, the individual small pots are filled again with the drink and given back to their owners. Members of the community who wish to drink some of the palm wine can go and get some, a kind of community drinking, hence the name ‘asafosa.’ The significance of the mixing and drinking of the palm wine is that once you participate in the ceremony, it means you have no issue with anyone in the community or even if you do, you have abandoned any such issue — whether by yourself or by a representative of your clan or family head. If any of the clan or family heads or chiefs bears a grudge against anyone, then they cannot add their drink to be mixed with that person’s drink. The significance then is to unite the community so that it can pursue its agenda with a unity of purpose.  

  Organised labour is considering legal action to ensure transparency and accountability in the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz Private Equity Fund. Following its call for the suspension of the sale of Merchant Bank, organised labour wrote to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for engagement on the issue. But a statement signed by the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress, Mr Kofi Asamoah, said organised labour found the “responses from both Bank of Ghana and SSNIT that they cannot engage with us because the matter is in court unsatisfactory and unacceptable”. It said the decision to go to court followed a meeting last Tuesday to discuss the sale of the bank where the meeting discussed extensively all options including legal action. Speaking to an Accra-based radio station, Joy FM, Mr Asamoah said although organised labour was part of the SSNIT board that approved  the sale of Merchant Bank, the fresh disclosures that organised labour has uncovered made it difficult for the TUC to stand by the sale. Although he would not disclose the details of the fresh evidence uncovered, Mr Asamoah stated that the information could reverse the sale of Merchant Bank. “We are not going to disclose the content of our information now but we have made plans to file a suit at the Accra Fast Track Court to reverse the sale because we think something went wrong,” he said.  According to him, the decision to head to court was also reinforced by the fact that both the Bank of Ghana and SSNIT were not ready to meet organised labour to discuss concerns raised against the sale.  

  A police investigator Wednesday told the Accra Fast Track High Court that five institutions failed to conduct due diligence before sanctioning the payment of GH¢51.2 million to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome in 2010. Mr Odame Okyere, the investigator, pointed accusing fingers at the Attorney-General's office, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP), the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of CAN 2008 and Building Industry Consultants (BIC) for recommending payment to Woyome without verifying the authenticity of the documents submitted by him. Lead counsel for Woyome, Mr Sarfo Buabeng, had suggested that the cited bodies acted properly, but the investigator disagreed and said, "they didn't do their work well." That, according to Mr Okyere, was because the entities agreed that Woyome was entitled to the claim, based on documents he submitted. According to the witness, the said entities did not do due diligence on documents submitted by Woyome, because when the investigation team sent Woyome's documents to Bank Austria, they found that no money had been committed to support any project in Ghana. At that point, counsel suggested to Mr Okyere that the five entities did not do their work well, to which he answered in the affirmative. Woyome was paid the amount for conducting financial engineering for the award of 1.1 billion Euros from Bank Austria but Mr Okyere said investigations into the matter revealed that that money was never made available to the government. Letter from Bank Austria Counsel directed Mr Okyere to read out portions of a letter from Bank Austria which said a 1.1 billion Euros facility for the construction of hospitals, stadia and other projects would not be made available to the LOC if the offer was not accepted before September 30, 2005. Asked if the LOC accepted the offer before the said September 30, 2005, Mr Okyere said he did not have any document to that effect. He, however, told the court that he had indeed verified the authenticity of the signatory of the letter giving the deadline from the Bank of Austria and the signature was found to be genuine. Cross-examination Mr Buabeng: Do you know the term financial engineering? Mr Okyere: I know. It is simulating for funds for a project. Mr Buabeng: This petition never mentioned anywhere that funds had been transferred from Bank Austria to the accounts of the Republic of Ghana?  Mr Okyere: He said monies were available in Bank Austria. Counsel then questioned the witness on the outcome of investigations on Austro-Invest to which Mr Okyere said the company was not registered in Ghana per records from the Registrar-General's office. He added that he then attempted to contact the owner of Austro-Invest, Mr Ray Smith,  who had an office at Dzorwulu but was told he was then out of the country. Mr Okyere, who is the ninth and last prosecution witness in the case, said the lawyer for Austro Invest, Mr Tony Lithur, wrote to the police stating that Mr Smith was indisposed and that he would accordingly notify the police when he got back to the country. Asked if he followed the issue up after he had returned to the Dzorwulu office, the witness replied in the negative. Waterville Holdings (BVI) Limited engaged Austro-Invest to source money for the stadia construction project. Evidence-in-chief Led earlier by a Chief State Attorney, Mr Matthew Amponsah, to give his evidence-in-chief, Mr Okyere stated that Woyome submitted a claim to justify his raising 1.1 billion Euros for the construction of nine different stadia in nine different regions and other projects, but "nothing of the sort was built." "That money never came to Ghana," Mr Okyere emphasised. Witness told the court, presided over by Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam that Woyome "had no title to claim because he did not have any contract with government for which he made that claim." Nonetheless, he said Vamed Engineering had a contract with Woyome. Woyome scrutinises documents The prosecution sought to tender in evidence various statements taken from Woyome,  but he stood up and scrutinised each statement with his lawyer. The judge at a point asked him: "is that not your handwriting?"  In his response, Woyome conceded that it was his handwriting, but added, "I am looking carefully to see if there are no additions." All the statements were tendered without any objection from Woyome's counsel. Prosecution witnesses The prosecution, which has since closed its case, called Mrs Mangowa Ghanney of the MOFEP; a former Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo; a former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu; Ms Yvonne Quansah of MOFEP, and a former Deputy Governor of BoG, Mr Lionel Van Lare Dosoo, as its other witnesses. Ms Lesley Dodoo of the Public Procurement Authority, Mr Andrea Orlandi, then Managing Director of Waterville Holdings, and Mr Ahmed Sulemana, the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Justice, have also testified for the state. Writer's email: [email protected]  

  Squatters in the various markets throughout the country face ejection as part of measures to curb the perennial fire outbreaks in the markets. The move, to be championed by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), with the support of local government authorities, is also to put an end to the domestic activities of the squatters, particularly cooking, which put the market at high risk of fire outbreaks. According to the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Mr Billy Anaglate, most of the fire incidents that occurred at the markets last year were due to fires that were left unquenched after cooking.   Last year  Last year, there was widespread fire outbreaks at markets in Accra and Kumasi. Notable among them were the Kantamanto, Kumasi Central, Dome, Makola Number Two, Makola Shopping Mall and Abuja markets.   Investigations by the GNFS concluded that most of the fires were caused by  illegal electrical connections, cooking and, congestion in the markets and overaged wiring.  Other measures Mr Anaglate said local authorities were being encouraged to provide containers to facilitate the establishment of temporary fire posts at the various markets to monitor activities in the markets daily.   He said the GNFS would also engage the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to make sure that overaged wires and  illegal connections at the markets were removed. Structures in the alleys of the markets would be cleared, he said, and added that the congested alleys made it difficult for fire men to go into the markets during fire outbreaks. Furthermore, Mr Anaglate said, the GNFS would see to it that the markets had early fire detectors and fire-fighting facilities with provision of water hydrants by the Ghana Water Company. He said the GNFS would also conduct fire safety audits on all government premises and industries.  

  A 21-year-old woman (name withheld) who had severe anaemia has died at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital following her refusal to have blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs. The deceased, a member of the Jehovah’s Witness Sect, was brought to the Hospital by her parents and twin sister after falling unconscious and died on January 3. Speaking to the GNA in Takoradi Dr. Henry Ata-Wurah, Acting Medical Director of the Hospital, said it was unethical to dispense haemoglobin to an adult against his/her religious belief or wish. He said the Hospital authorities would only explain the consequences of refusing blood transfusion to the patient for him/her to make a choice and that a doctor could dispense haemoglobin to a patient without his/her consent only when that person is a child. Dr Ata-Wura said a patient could suffer cardiac failure when the haemoglobin level was low as the heart would not be able to circulate sufficient oxygen to the various parts of the body. A member of the Jehovah’s Witness Sect told the GNA that the Bible prohibited ingesting blood and that Christians should therefore not accept blood transfusion. Mr. Frank Amevor said life was a gift from God therefore those who loved life should not sustain it by blood transfusion, adding “It is a non-negotiable religious stand. Blood is life and sacred to God.”  

  A woman believed to be the girlfriend of a notorious armed robber is reported to have absconded after dumping the body of her dead lover at the Police Hospital morgue. The woman, identified only as Agatha, had gone to the police morgue to deposit the body of the wanted robber, Ebenezer Obese, but fled before the police could take her details. Obese, 35, was an ex-convict on the police wanted list for his involvement in a series of robberies in Accra, including car snatching.  Admission at Ashongman Clinic  On Monday, Obese was admitted to the Ashongman Community Clinic at about 5:30 pm after he had taken ill. The clinic later referred him to the Ridge Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival. The Accra Regional Crime Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, (Mr) Frank Adufati, told the Daily Graphic that one Agatha took the body of Obese to the Police Hospital morgue, but disappeared before particulars could be taken. He said the police identified the body as that of the wanted robber but the cause of his death had not yet been established. Robberies Mr Adufati said Obese, who was a computer technician, was arrested for his involvement in a number of robberies, including the robbery at the New Gbawe residence of musician, Mzbel, in September, 2006 and a number of filling stations. He said Obese was remanded in prison custody at the Nsawam Medium Prison.  On September 5, 2013, Obese was released after the Accra High Court discharged him following a nolle prosequi filed by the Attorney General’s Department. According to Mr Adufati, Obese then linked up with some armed robbers who were into car snatching. “It came to the notice of the police that the armed robbery gang would snatch the cars and then Obese sold them, so we started looking for him.” Mr Adufati said Obese, who had been on the wanted list of the police, had been in hiding until the police heard of his death.   

  The Health Insurance Service Providers Association of Ghana (HISPAG) has appealed to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to, as a matter of urgency, revise the current capitation rate from GH¢2.27 to GH¢12. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HISPAG, Mr Frank Richard Torblu, who made the call, said the request was necessary because of the current economic situation in the country. Mr Torblu made the call at a meeting of the HISPAG in Kumasi which brought together over 180 members from various facilities in the region. Mr Torblu said the call for the upward adjustment of the capitation rate was due to the fact that the current rate had led to a reduction in their internally generated funds and quality of care and some health facilities were unable to meet their budget. The CEO urged its members in the Ashanti Region to remain calm and suspend all actions that would affect their facilities,  while they took the necessary steps to resolve issues associated with capitation. At the meeting, members of the association wanted to know the outcome of the capitation pilot in the Ashanti Region, the way forward for the capitation in the region, as well as when it would be rolled out in other regions in the country. For his part, the Communication and Operations Manager of the HISPAG, Mr Anthony Ameka, urged the NHIA to repackage the capitation concept, and emphasised the need to educate all stakeholders such as subscribers and providers. The Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the HISPAG, in a welcome address, said there was the need for the authority to improve its communication with  stakeholders to ensure their maximum cooperation. He appealed to the NHIA to solve the problem of delay in the payment of claims to enhance efficiency.  

The Attorney-General (A-G) has resorted to substituted service in a bid to legally prevail on Spanish firm, Isofoton S.A., to refund the cedi equivalent of $325, 472 it received from the government in March 2011. On June 21, 2013, the Supreme Court directed the company to refund all moneys it had so far received from the government on the grounds that the agreements resulting in the payments were unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void. Following from the court’s judgement, the Attorney-General, on August 22, 2013, filed a writ of summons and statement of claim in a bid to retrieve all moneys wrongly paid to the company. However, three months after the A-G had filed the suit, court bailiffs have been unsuccessful in serving court documents on Isofoton, thereby prompting the Attorney-General to serve the firm through substituted service. Granting the A-G’s request, the Fast Track High Court, presided over by Mr Justice K. A. Ofori-Atta, ordered that the writ of summons and statement of claim filed on August 22, 2013 together with the court’s order should be served on Isofoton per its lawyer. Background  The court had in its unanimous decision on June 21, 2013 directed that the refunds be made with interest until the date of final judgement. Its decision followed an application by a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Amidu, who said the company had no basis to make the claims against the government because it had no contract with the government of Ghana the breach of which should result in the payment of any judgement debt. Isofoton – which is involved in designing, manufacturing and supplying Solar Energy products – was expected to engage on a project for agricultural irrigation and rural electrification based on solar technologies in 2006 but the then government abrogated the contract and re-awarded it to another Spanish firm. The company was demanding judgement debt of $1.3 million for which the government had started paying in instalment but the Supreme Court on February 8, 2013 put a hold on further payment of money to Isofoton S. A., until the final determination of the suit brought against it by Mr Amidu. In its judgement, the Supreme Court held that the lower court hearing an action instituted against the government by Isofoton S.A. on the abrogation of the contract had no locus to continue hearing the case because the court was of the view it (lower court) did not have jurisdiction. The Supreme Court’s June 21, 2013 decision on Isofoton rendered Isofoton’s action against the government at the lower court mute.

  The National Media Commission (NMC) has categorically denied ever demanding that the Media Development Fund (MDF) be handed over to it or its members to manage. According to the NMC, at no time had it met the Minister of Information or any official of the ministry, neither had it been part of any meeting at which the purchase of laptops or any disbursement from the fund was discussed. Setting the records straight in a statement signed by the Chairman of the NMC, Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, the NMC said despite its 'indisputable' mandate for the development of the media in Ghana, it had bent over backwards to propose a consensual and co-operative administration of the fund “this is a passionate view of the commission". It said the NMC had never discussed the modalities for supporting media houses from the fund because the commission felt that doing so would be to "put the cart before the horse". "The proper thing to do would be to establish the fund legally and administratively before disbursing monies from it," it said. It said the NMC considered the current debate a very valuable contribution to the government and growth of the media and freedom of expression in the country. "However, such debates would become more productive if they were carried out dispassionately and on the basis of established facts," it added. For the NMC, it had made public all documents in its possession relating to the MDF and called on the Ministry of Information and all institutions that had an interest to also publish or make available all relevant documents in their custody.   Collaboration The statement said the NMC was ready to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to establish and operate the fund correctly in accordance with the law and proper administrative procedures. "The NMC solemnly declares that it will not depart from the oaths its members have taken or from the path prescribed by the Constitution," it said. According to the commission, it had followed the debate on the fund with keen interest and the commission felt it was in the interest of the nation for national issues such as the MDF to be debated "even hotly" and for all sides and perspectives to be canvassed and respected. It added that it was in order to allow all views to be ventilated without prejudice which explained why the commission had not reacted until now, and was doing so now in order to set the records straight. The statement recalled the announcement for the establishment of the MDF to Parliament on November 16, 2011, in which the NMC welcomed the creation of the fund in a letter to late President Mills on January 12, 2012. In the letter, the NMC explained to President Mills that it had already made contacts with some stakeholders on the possibility of starting such a fund, and assured the President of the commission's readiness to "make recommendations on fundamental issues such as the composition of the management board or trustees of the fund; activities and programmes of the fund; procedures and modalities for the granting of support, as well as criteria for support from the fund".   No official response According to the statement, despite other informal contacts, notably with the then Minster of Information, Mr Fritz Baffour and his deputy, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, there was no official response from the government. "Out of the blue and without any prior briefing, the NMC was invited to attend a meeting of stakeholders at the Accra International Conference Centre on March 8, 2012, where the commission was represented by the Chairman Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere and Chairman of the Legal sub-committee, Mr Akoto Ampaw." The statement explained that Mr Baffour told the meeting that there was no prior intention of "imposing the ministry's views" on anyone, but it soon became obvious that the Ministry of Information had planned to do exactly that. It said the commission's representatives stated their opposition to the scheme being run from the Ministry of Information as that was contrary to the spirit and letter of the 1992 Constitution. It further explained that the NMC followed with a letter dated March 23, 2012 to the Information Minister in which it outlined its ideas on the fund. In the letter, the NMC reminded the minister of the constitutional mandates of the NMC and proposed a Board of Trustees to run the fund. The board, it added, was to include representatives from the NMC, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Information, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Community Radio Network, PRINPAG, journalism training institutions, the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Department and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA). It indicated that the letter went to considerable detail to explain how such a fund might work and drew on the constitution and current historical imperatives for its views and conclusions. "The letter closed by stating its confidence that the Minister of Information, as a recent member of the NMC, will appreciate our concerns and collaborate with the NMC to arrive at a consensus consistent with injunctions of the Constitution," it added.  

The recently approved fees and charges for hospitals do not affect subscribers to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has stated. It said said NHIS subscribers were, therefore, not affected by new healthcare fees and charges “NHIS card holders who visit Korle Bu and other NHIS-accredited health service providers should expect quality care for conditions covered under the scheme at no extra cost,” a statement issued by the NHIA stated. It, therefore, advised subscribers who might face any difficulty at any NHIS-accredited healthcare facility to call the NHIS Call Centre on 0544 44 6447.

  President John Mahama has pledged to resolve the challenges associated with the implementation of the Media Development Fund (MDF). He said he would seek audience with Information and Media Relations Minister, Mr Mahama Ayariga, the National Media Commission (NMC) and other stakeholders to address any challenges confronting the disbursement of the fund. President Mahama made the pledge in a response to a question on the status of the MDF; whether the fund had an administrator, how much had so far been disbursed, as well as the beneficiaries. MDF The government in year 2011 announced the establishment of a GH¢1 million Media Development Fund to help the   media in Ghana’s development but the disbursement of the fund is a challenge as stakeholders, led by the NMC and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), have been advocating a neutral body to disburse the fund. Controversy It was not until late last year that Mr Ayariga, while answering questions in Parliament, stated that the money for 2011 was used to purchase laptops for journalists. The minister told Parliament that the laptops were purchased by the ministry after it had consulted key media stakeholder groups - the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA). In a sharp rebuttal, GIBA denied receiving any money or laptop from the Ministry of Information, while the GJA  said it received only 140 laptops. Since then, the MFWA has been leading a campaign to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of the fund;  a move that many journalists and media organisations support. President Mahama President Mahama explained that he was not privy to the current status of the fund and promised to consult the stakeholders to find out what had gone wrong with its disbursement. He also said he would ensure that the right systems were put in place for the smooth disbursement of the fund. MFWA The Deputy Executive Director of the MFWA, Mr Sule Braimah, welcomed the President’s response and said it was the duty of the media to monitor that promise keenly to ensure that the issues surrounding the disbursement of the fund were addressed.  

  The Paramount Chief of Kenyasi No.1 in the Brong Ahafo Region, Nana Osei Kofi Abiri,  has called on chiefs within the traditional area to help protect the vegetation from bushfires, particularly during the dry season. According to him, the traditional area has recorded few cases of bushfires in the current dry season due to the anti-bushfire campaign launched in 2013 and this must be sustained as the dry season continues. He was speaking at the celebration of ‘Akwasidae Tuntum’ (a festival), which is the first Akwasidae on the traditional calendar of the chiefs and people of Kenyasi No.1, to remember the death of their forefathers who toiled to establish the area. The chiefs and people were clad in black to symbolise a state of mourning their ancestors.  The well-attended ceremony involved paying homage to the paramount chief while sitting in state. Nana Abiri called for continuous unity and peace among the people of the traditional area, and also spoke against the organisation of expensive funerals at the expense of children’s education. He called on the people to invest in their children’s education and desist from buying expensive funeral cloths which were of less importance to progress. Nana Abiri expressed worry about the behaviour of some members of the community who hid behind human rights to disobey the orders of the traditional council, saying some members of the community fearlessly refused to respond to  the traditional council’s summons because of the so-called human rights laws. He said it had not been helpful for people to hide behind human rights to disobey the laws of the traditional council, forgetting that every right went with responsibility. Nana Abiri entreated the people of Kenyasi to rekindle their communal spirit to ensure rapid development in unity. He advised the people to review the year 2013; do away with the bad things and focus on the good ones to attain success in 2014.  

  The Accra Central branch of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall has installed Bro. Augustine Ofori as Grand Knight of Council 74 and Sis. Eunice Bahun-Wilson as Noble Lady of Court 67. The two will each serve a one-year term and oversee all affairs relating to the Noble Order. Sir Knight  Bro. David Dumfeh, the Past Supreme Knight of the Knights of Marshall, speaking at the function, advised Marshallan leaders to respect and uphold the name of the Noble Order and the Catholic Church. Bro.  Rev. Fr Emmanuel Arthur (CAPT) and Bro.  Rev.  Fr Francis Oteng Bawuah, who swore them in, advised that members of the Marshallan  live exemplary lives to lift the image of the Holy Catholic  Church and the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall. Sis. Bahun-Wilson said her administration would  focus on advancing charity works, with emphasis on the under-privileged in society . She said their Charity Fund Mobilisation Committee had the sole aim of soliciting funds to enhance charity works, adding that “the funds that will be generated will assist us to achieve our well-thought-out programmes and activities to benefit the less privileged”. In their acceptance speech, they both promised to ensure unity among members, promote the image of the Noble Order and the Holy Catholic Church. They promised to focus on advancing charity works and also seek the welfare of all Brothers and Sisters in the Noble Order.  

  The Obaapa Development Foundation, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), has initiated a programme to send 1,000 teenage mothers back to school from next academic year to give them a second chance to pursue education. The project, named 'A 1,000 Teenage Mothers Back to School Project’ (TMBTSP), is to be undertaken over a five-year period, starting on a pilot basis in five districts in the Ashanti Region before being implemented nationwide in collaboration with the ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and Education, the district assemblies and other development partners.  It will sponsor 20 teenage mothers from each district and five districts in each region. The selected districts for the pilot project are Afigya-Kwabre, Ejisu-Juabeng, Asante-Akyem Central, Atwima-Nwabiagya and the initiating district, Atwima-Kwanwoma. Conceived some three years ago, the project, which is the brainchild of the Girl Child Education Unit of the Atwima-Kwanwoma District Assembly in the Ashanti Region, is to specifically address and reduce the menace of teenage pregnancies while encouraging girl-child education in the district.  The concept was adopted and given a national touch by Nanahemaa Adwoa Awindor, a native of the Atwima-Kwanwoma District. Addressing a stakeholders’ meeting at Foase, Nanahemaa Awindor, who is also the Nkosuohemaa of the Afigya Kwabre District, said the first batch of students would be enrolled next academic year and appealed to all stakeholders, particularly the mothers of the teenage mothers, to help their daughters to go back to school by helping to cater for the kids to enable the girls to have enough time to concentrate on their studies. The meeting was held to enable people in the neighbourhood to discuss the need for their ownership of the project. She sought the support of the stakeholders, particularly the district education office, the district assembly and traditional leaders, to ensure a successful implementation of the project when it takes off next academic year. She said the foundation initiated the project upon the realisation that a number of the teenage mothers, after giving birth, were unable to continue their education and became a burden not only on their families but the society as a whole as  their inability to look after their children also contributed to the menace of street children and its associated problems. She, therefore, appealed to the chiefs and queen mothers, as well as assembly members, to help in monitoring the girls to ensure that they made good use of the opportunity given them. According to Nanahemaa Awindor, all the beneficiaries would be supported to finish at least secondary education and added that though the emphasis was for the girls to get educated, the project would encourage some of them to venture into some of the male-dominated technical areas such as masonry, carpentry, auto mechanic, welding and other vocations. She said the foundation was in contact with some of the technical institutions to enrol those who would show interest in those fields. Nanahemaa said the foundation estimated to spend a minimum of GHc1,500.00 on each girl every academic year and this would include their school fees, feeding and crèche fees for their babies. The District Director of Education for Atwima-Kwanwoma, Mrs Felicia Opokuaa Mallet, could not hide her excitement when members of the foundation paid a courtesy call at her office before the forum and congratulated the team on the bold effort and offered some words of encouragement and support.  Ms Angelina Sarfo-Adu, the officer in charge of Girl Child Education Division, who conceptualised the project, said she hoped through such project, many of the girls would be able to go back to school and be able to finish at least their basic education.  She admonished mothers to have time for their daughters, adding that the situation where parents left home as early as 4 a.m. to their farms, market or businesses and only returned in the evening around 6 p.m. or later, was not in the best interest of the children. She also said some of the parents who were single mothers shared their rooms with daughters and boyfriends, which exposed these girls to sexual activities.  The Chief Executive of the district, Nana Kwabena Nkrumah, pledged the assembly’s support to ensure the successful implementation of the project and said as a beneficiary of a similar project that enabled him to go back to school, he would support it to give the girls a second chance in life.  

  Hundreds of stranded truck drivers at the Commodity Village at Apowa, yesterday staged a demonstration to register their displeasure at the inability of the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) to mobilise carriers to offload the cocoa beans in their trucks. Currently, there are more than 1,500 trucks  at the terminal, each loaded with 600 bags of cocoa. The drivers and their mates blocked the main entrance to the general parking area for trucks by burning tyres and the demonstration resulted in slow-moving traffic along that stretch of the road as the demonstrators, from time to time, moved to the middle of the main Agona Nkwanta-Takoradi highway. A team of police officers from the Kwesimintsim District Command were around to ensure that they did not go beyond limits or cause any havoc. One of the drivers, Mr John Nti, said he arrived at Apowa more than a month ago but had not been attended to. “Aside that, the facilities at Apowa are overstretched, we cannot even get water to drink, no sleeping place; we have also run out funds and are hungry. Meanwhile, we have children to feed and families to take care of,” he said.  Mr Nti told the Daily Graphic  that the carriers had refused to offload the cocoa because of bad wages and conditions of service.  “The sad aspect is that when our trucks are not offloaded, we are not paid. I need to work with the truck before I can get paid, ” he said. Another driver, Mr Fuseini Amadu, told the paper that conditions at the loading terminal were very terrible and dehumanising.  When asked if there were attempts to contact the owners of the facility, he said: “We made several attempts to get the authorities to offload the cocoa, but nothing has happened.”  At the terminal When the Daily Graphic toured the facility, the main terminal, with the capacity to accommodate 1,500 trucks at a time, was full. New trucks which arrived last Sunday and yesterday were parked by the side of the road due to the lack of space and those who arrived later were prevented from entering the already choked terminal.  There was no official of CMC to tell their side of the story.  They (CMC carriers) are not happy with their service conditions. The carriers and their families working with Unicontrol, a private company, are registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, enjoy workman’s compensation, personal loan facilities, food and transport, protective gear and receive monthly salary. These aside, the agreement between Unicontrol and the workers also makes room for retirement packages, which the other carriers working for CMC do not receive. The CMC’s carriers are, therefore, not happy with their conditions and demanding better conditions.  

  The Minority in Parliament has described as “dangerous” and “unfortunate” the ruling by the Speaker of Parliament on the motion filed by Mr Dominic Nitiwul, NPP Bimbila, which requested Parliament to investigate the offer and acquisition of Merchant Bank by Fortiz Equity Fund Ltd and other related matters. It has, however, vowed to continue the “struggle” against the controversial sale of the bank in spite of the setback. “It is not finished. This is just the beginning,” said Mr Nitiwul at a press conference after proceedings in the House had been brought to an end on Monday. He said the ruling was a dangerous precedent which sought to prevent Parliament from investigating future deals which were before the courts. “What the Speaker has sought to do is that if Parliament, in future, seeks to investigate a case, all one has to do is to send the case to court and that will disable Parliament,” he said. In his opinion, the Majority had taken a position on the issue and was not ready to allow investigations, but was quick to add that the development would not deter the Minority from continuing its agenda to ensure that the deal remained aboveboard. “This case has nothing to do with politics. All we seek to do is to protect the interest of Ghanaians,” he said. Mr Nitiwul said articles 100 and 41 (f) of the 1992 Constitution mandated Members of Parliament (MPs) to act the way the Minority had sought to do in respect of the deal. He called for investigations into the backgrounds of Mr Mawuli Hedo whom, he claimed, owned 51 per cent shares in Fortiz and also owned First Bank Financial Services and Angelina Hedo, wife of Mawuli, who, according to him, owned 29 per cent shares in Fortiz, as well as Doris Buame. Angelina Hedo, he claimed, worked at the chambers of Tony Lithur, counsel for Merchant Bank, as a partner ,and suggested that it was Lithur who, knowing the dire straits into which the bank had fallen, advised Hedo to buy the bank. The entire deal, he said, smacked of “insider trading.” The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, said it was a surprise that the Speaker, Mr Doe Adjaho, now knew that when a case was pending before the court, it needed to be dealt with conclusively before Parliament could comment on it. He disclosed that when Mr Adjaho was Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, an issue came up concerning the then member for Kumbungu, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, and the New Patriotic Party in Parliament drew his attention to that fact that the said issue was in court and, therefore, the member’s consideration for appointment needed to be put on hold until the case was determined but Mr Adjaho ignored them. When Mr Adjaho was Deputy Speaker, he added, the controversy about the creation of new constituencies arose and the matter was sent to the courts for determination. However, when Mr Adjaho presided over one of the sittings of the House and he was advised to suspend discussions on the issue until the court had determined the matter, he ignored it. “It is interesting to know that he now knows that when a case is before court, it should not be discussed,” he said. Majority in support of Adjaho As expected, the majority was of the view that the deal was aboveboard. Addressing a press conference earlier, the Leader of the Majority, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, said the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) did not flout any regulation in the Fortiz deal, and added that there was full transparency in the transaction. The interest of Ghana was better served, “other than throwing more workers’ contribution to a leaking bank.” The decision to go for Fortiz, according to him, was on the basis of value for money and value for time, considering the rapid rate of decline and the potential loss of a major investment.  

  Two persons were Monday sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for illegally importing  414 kilogrammes of cocaine with a street value of $60 million into the country. The convicts, Miller Ronald O’Neil, the Guyanese captain of the vessel that carted the narcotic drugs, was slapped with a 20-year jail term, while Seth Grant, a Ghanaian based in Brazil, got a 15-year sentence. They both pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in criminal conspiracy, importation of narcotics without lawful authority and possession of narcotic drugs and were convicted on each count but the sentences are to run concurrently. “I accept full responsibility” Pleading with the court for leniency, O’Neil told the court that he had run into financial difficulties and was on the verge of losing his house and for that reason, agreed to cart the drugs for a fee. “As captain, I take full responsibility. I took the job to offset financial debt but have now lost everything I cherish. I now place myself at the mercy of the court and plead for leniency,” O’Neil implored, when the court asked if he had anything to say before he was sentenced. According to him, at age 55, there was no way he could start life all over again and conceded that he had no choice but to accept full responsibility for his actions.  Giving the background to his criminal history, O’Neil said he was tricked by an agent 18 years ago to transport cocaine which landed him in a Netherlands prison for a year. The convict said he had turned over a new leaf but he was faced with the trauma of losing his house, which in turn drove him into accepting to cart the narcotic drugs for a fee. Grant’s admission Admitting that he had difficulty speaking English, Grant, nonetheless, pleaded with the court in English and informed it that he agreed to cart the drug in a boat for $7,000. He, however, pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he had no criminal record. The convict, who is 43 years old and married with two children all based in Brazil, looked bewildered after the court passed sentence. In passing the sentence, the court, presided over by Mr Justice Clemence J. Honyenuga, took into consideration the prevalence of the drug trade, the gravity of the offence and the reputation of Ghana. Plea of not guilty The court had earlier on December 23, 2013, reversed a guilty plea entered by three other accused persons.  They are: Percival Junior Court, a Guyanese engineer; Samuel Monty, a Guyanese seaman and Singh Primchand, an Indian seaman. According to the court, considering the explanations given by the three, it was incumbent on the court to enter a not-guilty plea on their behalf. The court will begin taking evidence in the case on January 10, 2014.  Substance is cocaine Prior to the conviction, the Head of Drugs and Forensic Laboratory of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Mr Martin Adarkwah Yiadom, had conducted a random test on three slabs and two tested positive outright for cocaine. The result of the third slab, according to him, needed further analysis because it tested partially positive for cocaine. US Forensic Experts The court permitted officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency of the Department of Justice in Virginia, USA, to pick 30 different samples, each weighing one gram, for further testing in the USA. It gave the permission after a Forensic Chemist, Ms Laura Michelle Jones, was made to swear an oath before testifying on why her outfit needed the samples. Ms Jones told the court that the samples would be taken to a laboratory in Virginia to determine the purity of the cocaine and its origin. Corroborating her evidence, Mr Justice Honyenuga said the court had received letters from the US Embassy in Ghana and the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) all praying the court to allow the forensic experts to take samples of the drugs for further testing. Taking into consideration Ms Jones’s evidence, the letters and the need for the brains behind the drug trade to be picked up, Mr Justice Honyenuga granted the request. The samples have since been taken. A Chief State Attorney, Mr Asiamah Sampong, prosecuted the case. Pungent smell A pungent smell filled the courtroom when the court directed that the slabs of cocaine which were packed in sacks should be counted.  Officials from the NACOB, court clerks and the trial judge had to cover their noses with nose masks to protect themselves from inhaling the narcotic substance. Some journalists and members of the public left the courtroom for some minutes and returned after the counting had been completed. Some people coughed occasionally and covered their noses with handkerchiefs as the proceedings went on. Cocaine destroyed Meanwhile, the court has ordered the destruction of 413 slabs and directed that the remaining slab should be kept in the registrar’s custody until the final determination of the case. The destruction of the cocaine, through burning, was witnessed by the media, the trial judge, officials from NACOB, the court, the Environmental Protection Agency and the GSA. Facts of the case In November, 2013, NACOB received information on the suspicious movement of a vessel by name Atiyah Ex-Alisam, with registration number 000471, which was heading towards Ghana and had been loaded with illicit drugs. According to the said information, the vessel was from British Guyana-George Town. As a result, security agencies including the Ghana Navy, the Police and National Security were alerted. The vessel was eventually intercepted on November 19, 2013 by the Western Naval Command in Takoradi. A search on the vessel revealed 21 fertiliser sacks smeared with engine oil containing 414 slabs of compressed substances. A field test indicated that the substances were cocaine. The prosecutors said O’Neil, the captain, had told them the drugs were to be delivered to someone in Ghana but they could not mention the name of the recipient, adding that he had the contact of the recipient. According to O’Neil, the drugs were to be delivered on the high seas for a fee of $50,000, while the rest of the crew was to take various sums of monies.  Writer’s email: [email protected].  

Hundreds of Muslims have held a special prayer to seek Allah's intervention for continuous peace and development in Ghana. The Muslims, drawn from all parts of the country, also prayed to Allah to continue to protect President John Dramani Mahama and guide him in his efforts to propel the country's socio-economic development. The special prayer, held at Winneba in the Central Region, was led by the National Imam of the Ahlussunna Wal Jama'a, Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Imam. A large number of Christian opinion leaders in Winneba also attended the prayer service. In his remarks at the prayer service, a special aide to President Mahama, Alhaji Babalami Abu Sadat, said considering the eight months presidential election petition at the Supreme Court, the energy and water crises, and the numerous strikes on the labour front last year, "it was only the intervention of Allah that has made it possible for the government to reach this far. "Allah has intervened so all these challenges are gradually coming down," he said. Alhaji Abu Sadat, who represented President Mahama at the prayer service, said the President was doing everything possible to move the country forward. Recognising the importance of prayers, he said, "President Mahama can do whatever he could but if there is no hand of Allah, I do not think we will reach far." He called for unity among leaders, especially political leaders, to turn the nation's development efforts into the projects the people needed. Mr Abu Sadat asked Imams and other Islamic leaders to continue to pray to Allah to bless President Mahama with divine wisdom to be able to provide the leadership that would please God and the people of Ghana.

The Banda District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region, one of the districts  created in 2012, with its capital being Banda Ahenkro,  is to embark on a number of development projects by way of prosecuting the development agenda of the district to enhance the living conditions of the people. The district,  which was carved out of the Tain District,  is described as one of the most  deprived districts in the country.   The Assembly is making giant strides towards the development of the district in the areas of education, potable water, electricity and roads among others. In terms of educational infrastructure, the assembly has completed a three-unit classroom block at Dorbor, Bofie, Dompofie and owns teacher quarters at Banda Ahenkro which it inherited from its mother district, the Tain District.  The assembly has also benefitted from a six-unit classroom block from the Ghana Education Trust Fund ( GETFund) for the Banda Boase Local Authority (L/A) Primary School, while the Bandaman Senior High School ( SHS) is to be given a major facelift with the construction of a two-storey 18-classroom block also funded by GETFund. Work is also going on on  a four-unit classroom pavilion, a headmaster’s bungalow and a two-unit semi-detached teacher’s bungalow, all at the Bandaman SHS and  funded from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). Six communities are benefitting from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme (LEAP), while 15 schools are also benefitting from the school feeding programme. Through the instrumentality of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the assembly  has benefitted from an International Development Agency’s funded Small Town Water project at Sabiye and four boreholes from the same funding source under the Rural Water and Sanitation Programme. The district,  over the last one year,  has mechanised five boreholes, while eight boreholes have been drilled. To attract the needed human resource to the young and dominantly rural district, the assembly is working at providing both office and residential accommodation for critical staff members of the assembly and decentralised departments. The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Alexander Bonsu, has appealed to the central government and development partners to  support in the construction of a district hospital,  dormitory block for the Bandaman SHS,  extension of electricity, road  and the development of the untapped tourism potential at the Bui National Park, which contains the highest number of hippopotamus in the West African sub-region and the historical mountain caves.

  A 26 year old suspected car snatcher is in the grips of the police in Kumasi, three days after bolting with the vehicle. Akwasi Asante allegedly snatched the Nissan Almera taxi cab from the driver at gun point in the Greater Accra region. The suspect altered the digit on the car’s registered number plate. However, a suspicious mechanic, who was fixing a faulty part of the vehicle, led the police to arrest Akwasi Asante. Zongo District Police Commander, DSP George Bawah says preliminary investigations revealed the suspect pulled a fake pistol to snatch the car. After making his way with the vehicle to Kumasi, Akwasi Asante lost the car’s key when he attempted refuel at Tech-Junction. It was in the attempt to break free the door at a mechanical shop that the fake pistol was found in the car, leading to Akwasi’s arrest. DSP George Bawah is cautioning the public of the new tricks of car thieves. GNA