WELCOME TO KUMASI, THE GARDEN CITY OF AFRICA

Trials and Tribulations of a Kumasi man denizen in Accra

2011-10-14T11:51:00.004Z

Article: Enoch Darfah Frimpong

I was just about to move the car out of the drive way of the house on a Sunday at about 5:30 p.m. when the telephone rang.

The caller’s ID indicated that the call was from the newsroom in Accra. My immediate reaction was why the News Editor would be calling me at this time of the day. Had he forgotten I was on holiday?

I hope he was not calling to give me an assignment because I was on my way out for an evening with my wife, and wouldn’t want my plans to be disrupted.

As a journalist working in Kumasi with the leading daily newspaper in the country, my private life has always been disrupted in similar manner and fashion, all in the name of the job of getting the news for the public, which sometimes cannot be fun,
but that is the acceptable nature of the job.

When I answered the call, the voice on the other side was that of the General Manager of Newspapers, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh.

“Darfah, how are? Management has decided to transfer you to Accra. We want to improve upon our website and we have decided that you should be transferred there as part of the team. Tell your family and prepare to move to Accra.” This was how the
General Manager gave me the news of my transfer to Accra from Kumasi.

My immediate reaction was, “Oh God, I am dead.” My wife simply could not understand my attitude as I informed her that “my employers have just handed me my punishment.”

What even worsened my plight was when I eventually received an official letter a few days later dated February 21, 2011. Management had asked that I report to my new station on March 21, 2011, meaning I had just a month to prepare to face the trials and tribulations of Accra.

But why is a transfer to Accra viewed as a punishment?

Some people may jump to such an opportunity to work in the capital city, but for someone like me who was born, ‘bread’ and ‘buttered’ in Kumasi, I would certainly not pop champagne over such news.

I had spent some time in Accra for academic purposes, as a student journalist at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) where I spent two years for my journalism training and apart from that I have occasionally visited the capital city, either to visit friends and family, for official business or passing through to the airport for international travel but none of those visits had exceeded a one-month stay.

Even though I had thought of being transferred to work in Accra in the future, never had I imagined that the situation would be this immediate. This could somehow be translated as the “Kumasi Thing being too much in me,” with all regards to Deputy Minister Mr Kobby Acheampong.

From my past experiences, coupled with that of colleagues, friends and family and comparing Kumasi to Accra in terms of cost of living, human and vehicular congestion and accommodation problems, I would certainly choose to work in Kumasi over Accra.

A professor friend of mine interpreted the spelling of Accra as, “A-All, C-crazy, C-citizens, R-rehabilitation, A-Area” based on his experiences with the problems of the city.

Most Ghanaians are familiar with the problems of Accra, which is peculiar with that of other cities in developing countries - human and vehicular congestion, accommodation problems and a high cost of living.

Accra is the capital city of Ghana, with a population of about five million. It is also the home base for the government and where most businesses have their head offices. Almost every household in Ghana has some member of the family living in the bustling city.

Before independence, the majority of the population in Ghana were farmers and petty traders but when Ghana became independent in 1957, the government rightly made education its priority and the same has been maintained over the years.

There were only a few secondary schools and just one university before independence but now there are over 500 higher institutions made up of secondary schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities for a population of about 24 million.

Economic reasons and the centralised nature of the government in the capital have compounded the problems of Accra. Uncontrolled migration is the order of the day.

The result is that most people do not want to live in their towns and villages anymore because there are no jobs in these places for the vocations they have trained for and the fact that the lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity or pipe-borne water supplies encourage many a youth to migrate to the centre.

Because everyone wants to live in Accra, the place is overpopulated and expanding fast by the day. The centre, however, cannot hold, because of the population explosion.

This is the reason why I do not want to contribute to worsening the congestion in Accra but to stay in the ‘kooko ase’ and enjoy the peace of living in Kumasi.

The cost of food is reasonable in Accra as compared to major cities in other countries but compared to Kumasi where GH¢4 to GH¢6 could get you a bowl of fufu with bush meat from a local restaurant, you would get a similar dish at GH¢10 or GH¢15 in Accra.

To find a place to rent is a headache. This is made worse by the fact that in almost all places, the rent usually is paid two years in advance just like Kumasi, but Kumasi rates are cheaper. The average rent per month is sometimes more than 30 per cent of one’s income.

I spent the first six months of my stay in Accra perching in a friend’s apartment with his wife and children trying to raise funds to rent my own accommodation. I was able to find a place of my own at Kasoa, courtesy of my father-in-law’s assistance.

While searching for accommodation, I came across single-room apartments on offer at between GH¢70 and GH¢100 as monthly rent, two-bedroom apartments at ranges of GH¢150 to GH¢200 and three-bedrooms at GH¢300 and above in various locations some of which
were in waterlogged areas. In some of the areas, one needs to find a safe haven either in someone’s house, fuel station or a school to park one’s car for the night and walk home.

The two-bedroom apartment I succeeded in securing at Kasoa in the Central Region was offered at a monthly rent of GH¢200 and I had to make a two-year advance payment of GH¢4,800. And this is Kasoa ooo!, not Adabraka, Labone, Dansoman, East Legon or Spintex road.

In Kumasi, I stayed in a four-bedroom apartment in a plush area of the city, Parakuo Estates, near Santasi, at a monthly rent of GH¢180.

Many people have had to live outside Accra and commute on a daily basis because of accommodation problems. This is where the traffic congestion situation comes in.

Back in Kumasi, the taxi drivers refer to it as “go slow.” On the average, I spend five hours each working day in traffic commuting between Kasoa and the Graphic road, but Mondays are extreme. On some days, it takes three to four hours one way, either in the morning or evening.

This traffic problem is not peculiar to only the Mallam junction area but widespread in the entire city from the Spintex road, Nungua road, Achimota-Ofankor, 37 Hospital to Airport, just to mention a few.

On a daily basis, commuters are seen dozing in vehicles because their day starts as early 4.00 a.m. and ends late. Schoolchildren are not spared this menace.

Surprisingly, no one is calculating the man hours lost in traffic which could have been put to productive use.

I remember one Friday evening, I left the office at Graphic road at 6.00 p.m. en route to Kasoa, a distance of about 28km. My wife who had just boarded a bus from Kumasi around 5.00 p.m. was able to get to Kasoa at 10.00 p.m. via Nsawam and Bawjiase, a distance of about 270km, before I got to Kasoa, simply because I was stuck in traffic at Mallam junction.

Another example, again from Kumasi. I was able to wake up at 5:30 a.m. or 6.00 a.m. and within two hours l was able to drive from Parakuo Estates to the gym at Yegoala Hotel at Nhyiaeso for morning exercises, get back to the house for a shower, eat breakfast and get to the office at either 8.00 a.m., or latest by 8:15 a.m. I was able to get back home early, take dinner before 6.00 p.m., either go back to town for an evening out with friends or continue with work if I have an evening assignment.
That is not to say there is no traffic in Kumasi, but the city has been planned such that commuters who have nothing doing in the centre of the city are able to use the ring road which goes round the city in the outskirts to avoid traffic congestion in the city centre during rush hour. Besides, there is not much congestion in the Kumasi as compared to Accra.

In Accra, if one wants to engage in exercises, as doctors have been prescribing for many people in recent times, and if the person’s work schedule is the same as mine, the person can only exercise on weekends.

And considering that I was transferred to Accra without my conditions of service changing, technically I have become worse off than I was in Kumasi as living expenses in Accra are rather astronomical.

Travelling to Kumasi to visit my family on weekends has also become worse considering that road construction works at the Suhum section of the Accra-Kumasi road have delayed. The journey, which previously took four hours, has now increased to an average of six hours because of the bad nature of the road on the Nsawam to Suhum stretch of the highway, and the usual traffic congestion at Nsawam and Nkawkaw.

These reasons are what accounted for my exclamation “I am dead” when news of my transfer from Kumasi to Accra was given. I envisaged that the cool, relaxed and routine mornings with physical exercises were going to elude me in Accra and indeed that has surely been the case as my weight has jumped from an average of 82 kilos to 90 kilos within seven months of no exercises.

That is not to say that it is not fun working in Accra, which is proud of its cosmopolitan nature. Working in the headquarters is far different from being in the regions where no one gets to see you and responds to your needs instantly aside the myriad of opportunities available for growth on the job and exposure to experience from senior colleagues.

There are a lot of other African immigrants living in the city, who are from as far as Zimbabwe in the south, Libya in the north and from our nearest neighbours: Togo, Ivory Coast and our Nigerian brothers and sisters, most of whom feel at home.

There are some beautiful places in Accra, nice entertainment centres and restaurants, some of which are in the city and others in the outskirts. But of course, there are some 'not so nice' sites as well.

New buildings seem to be springing up everywhere but the average salary earners are priced out of these accommodation facilities. They are just too expensive and the builders claim that one of the reasons for the high cost is because most of the building materials have to be imported.

And there is often no mortgage system by which the purchase of a house can be spread over so many years. So before one moves into his/her new home, one must have paid the total price or almost 50 per cent of it.

Now there are new schemes to enable middle class families to own their own homes. The scheme is rudimentary but it is hoped that in the near future, people with regular traceable employment may also be able to qualify for mortgages.

One of the downsides in the city is that there are not many jobs and it is worrying to see young men and women hanging around the streets; usually selling whatever they can lay their hands on in order to have their daily bread.

Most of these young people usually sell on the main roads in areas where they know traffic lights can stop the flow of traffic for a few minutes and then they will rush to the drivers or passengers in the vehicles hoping to make a sale. This hawking is risky business and hardly a week passes without somebody sustaining serious injuries or even being killed. This situation is also common in Kumasi.

Accra was congested around year 2000 when I was in the city for my journalism training and between that period and now, a number of road projects, expansion of roads and the construction of interchanges have been done to help reduce the traffic congestion but the problem still persists.

It is likely that irrespective of how we try to solve the problem, we may not be able to succeed because of the lack of land space.

This is the reason why we need to start making concrete plans of looking at a new capital city away from Accra. Some people have suggested Kintampo, which is located in the centre of Ghana, others have suggested Sunyani and Tamale.

In all these, the fact remains that Accra would not be able to cope with the pressure in future. The time to act and get a concrete plan going is now.

Police avert clash between Muslim sects

2011-02-21T09:58:00.001Z

The Police were on Friday called in to curb a bloody clash between the Al Sunna and Tijanniya Muslim sects at Aboabo in Kumasi.
The two Muslim sects are generally not good bedfellows and there have been records of bloody clashes between them in the past over differences in their religious belief.
Last Friday’s incident was said to have been ignited by a demeaning comment which some members of the Al Sunna were said to have made about a deceased Imam of the Tijanniya sect.
Members of the Tijanniya claimed they overheard members of the Al Sunna passed the demeaning comment whilst on their way to the cemetery to bury the deceased Imam last Tuesday.
Tempers flared up and they were said to have armed and organised themselves to attack each other during Friday’s congregational prayers but the police were called in to curb a breach of the peace in the area.
DSP Nana Kumi, Police Commander of the Asawasi Division told the Daily Graphic their response was timely and that there were no injuries to any of the parties.
When the Daily Graphic visited the scene police personnel deployed to the area were patrolling whilst the Al Sunna were in the mosque worshipping.
The police had to remain at post whilst both sides congregated for Friday prayers.
Tempers were high at the densely populated Islamic community at Aboabo where the two sects have their mosques.
DSP Nana Kumi assured that the police were in control of the situation.

There had been a long standing rift between the two Muslim sects and according to Islamic scholars, the Al Sunna refers to the strict adherence to the teachings and practices of the Holy Prophet Mohammed whereas the Tijjaniyas have besides, the five cannons of Islam certain optional practices those dubbed Al Sunnas condemn such additions as not conforming to the strict practice of the religion.
The Tijjaniyas also recognise certain Islamic personalities whom they regard as saints. The disagreement has often resulted in bloody clashes both in Ghana and Nigeria.

Sachet water producers in Ashanti increase prices

2011-02-18T11:33:00.002Z

A bag of purified sachet water, popularly known as 'pure water' is now to be sold in the Ashanti region at ten Ghana pesewas.
The hike from 5pesewas to 10pesewas represents a 100percent increment.
The Sachet Water Producers Association in Ashanti which made the announcement said the increment was to take effect from Monday February 21, 2011.
They blamed the hike on an increased cost of production which they said was draining them. Almost all producers in the region run transport services which distributes the product.
“Our cost of distribution has gone up drastically due to increases in fuel prices and vehicle spare parts”, Mr Eric Forson a member of the producers association told the Daily Graphic.
He argued that prices or sachet water have not been increased since 2007 even though prices of other commodities kept going up.
In 2007 it was increased from 2pesewas to 5pesewas.
“For the moment we are dying as cost of spares have gone up”, Mr Kofi Antwi-Adjei Secretary of the producers association said.
He said if prices were not increased many producers may be forced to lay off some of their workers in the coming months.
The producers currently offload the commodity to retailers at 70pesewas per a sack of 30pieces. The retailers in turn sell at 5pesewas and make a commission of 70pesewas.
They now intends to offload a sack of 30pieces at GH¢1.50p to retailers for them to sell at 10pesewas per sachet.
For the ordinary consumer on the street some think that the new price would be too expensive to afford.
Mr Akwasi Agyemang, a former player of Kumasi Cornerstones told the Daily Graphic it would be unbearable on his pocket.
He said the conventional method of selling iced water in cups which had to make way for the sachet ones for reasons bothering on hygiene may have to come back if prices were to be increased this way.
“What is happening is not good for us. How can common water be this expensive”, he questioned.
He argued that government may have to step in and said this explains why free markets were sometimes not good for consumers.
Yaw Afrifa, a Kumasi resident on his part also thinks that even though the new price would be expensive, he felt the producers have no alternative as a result of the increased production cost.
“When there was no sachet water, we were drinking our natural water, and non of us died and if pure water producers say they are not ready to reduce the price of pure water, we are ready to go back to our normal water. It is not compulsory for us to drink pure water and we will not die” Maame Akosua Pokua from Santasi said.
“Our natural water is what our fore-fathers gave to us, we never died and I believe that there will not be any health problem as the case may be. It is even this pure water that has caused lots of health hazards in us”, she added.
Before the advent of pure water in Ghana, there was a great patronage for ‘ice water’ by people who could not afford bottled water. It was sold in cups and when concerns of hygiene were raised, the sellers started putting them in plastic bags (wraps).
When further hygiene concerns were raised, the sealed sachet method was introduced and the former was referred to as “panyin de panyin”.
Those who patronised ice water in cups and in plastic wraps were not concerned about standard even as glaring as it was that drinking bad water had its consequences until the sachet method completely took over the market.

Abrantie, others win Kumasi for Valentine

2011-02-17T15:46:00.007Z

The weather men predicted correctly that it was going to rain in Kumasi on Saint Valentine’s Day but that did not deter lovers of highlife music from defying the downpour to enjoy the night.
It was the successive umpteenth time since 2004, where rains had miraculously disrupted outdoor events to commemorate the chocolate day in Kumasi.
But with Abrantie Amakye Dede and his Apollo Hikings Band performing live at the Miklin Hotel, there was no way patrons would have allowed the rains to disrupt the super fantastic showmanship exhibited by one of the leading practitioners of highlife music in Ghana. They danced amidst light rain.
Earlier on Saturday, in what was termed as a Pre-Valentine Highlife Concert, five music heavy weights in the persons of George Darko, A. B. Crentsil, Pat Thomas, Gyedu Blay Ambulley and Dr Paa Bobo were on stage in a similar splendid performance at the True Vine Hotel.
The organisers of the pre-Valentine show had wanted to be smart in avoiding the recent usual downpour on February 14, but they were not spared. The rains equally disrupted the show but patrons equally defied it to enjoy the night. Both the elderly and young folks danced their hearts out in light rain.
Kumasi had not witnessed such fine highlife concerts in a long time and as public enthusiasm had been raised prior to the shows, not even the rains could deter people from trooping to the various concerts.
On Monday the rains began in certain areas in the metropolis at 4pm. At 8pm the Miklin Hotel area was experiencing a downpour and some patrons who had already arrived at the venue had to run for cover under canopies and in parked vehicles.
Dramatically, the intermittent rains did not scare the enthusiastic patrons who had to rush in and out of their cover.
Everyone waited patiently till 11pm when Kofi Nti, K. K. Fosu and Kwesi Pee took turns to warm the stage for Abrantie.
Amakaye Dede in a red suit was “seriously” good after midnight when he mounted the stage and started to hit his audience with one song after another and for much of the time that he was on his feet many among those who had come to enjoy the show were on their feet with him as it continued to drizzle.
For over two hours Abrantie who has a very long time not performed to such an audience in Oseikrom showed his class as a musician who deserves a tag more than the praise he has received over the span of his illustrious career.
He lovingly interspersed each song with his famous phrase, “Yie-e-e-e-e!!! se-e-e-r-r-i-i-o-o-u-u-s-s!!!” and his trademark dance of squat-jump.
For the entire period he unleashed familiar songs like Dabi Dabi, Sokoo Na Mmaa Pe, Kose Kose, Bebrebe Yi', M’ani Agyina, Mma Wo Were Mfi, Me Monfa Nto Me So, Handkerchief, Seniwa, To Be A Man Na War, Mensuro, Broken Promises, Nsuo Amuna, Mefre Wo, Okyena Sesei, Odo Nfonii, Iron Boy, Odo Kasa, Nka Akyi just to mention a few.
Amakye Dede’s concert was organised by Red and White Consult in collaboration with Bebeto Industries Limited.
The pre-valentine highlife concert organised by Nhyira FM in collaboration with True Vine Hotel was equally well attended.
Pat Thomas, Dr Paa Bobo, A.B. Crentsil, Gyedu Blay Ambulley and George Darko thrilled patrons with songs from yesteryears which inspired both old and new generations.
Pat Thomas was first on stage and after about 45minutes, he handed the baton to Gyedu Blay.
As usual Gyedu Blay was at his usual best doing his break dancing, back and side paddling. It was a delight watching him do his own thing.
As if that was not enough, A.B. Crentsil as usual had his dondo under his armpit. Songs like Atia, Moses, Juliana, Angelina and the likes flowed freely and vibrated the audience.
In a white apparel with red jacket on top, Dr Paa Bobo unleashed “osrobrokyee” and the likes.
George Darko, the master brain behind the show was last on stage. With his guitar, he rocked the stage and sent patrons to shake the dance floor.
Both concerts ended around 3am and indeed everyone looked delighted and wished to have more of such concerts in Kumasi.

Sun City Project takes off at Kumasi Race Course

2010-10-25T11:35:00.002Z

An impressive ceremony has been performed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to mark the commencement of the Sunshine City project, which is designed to transform the Race Course area at Bantama into a viable commercial centre in the Kumasi metropolis.
The project, dubbed Sunshine City-Kumasi, with facilities which include the construction of a 25,000 metre square capacity shopping mall, banking halls, insurance and travelling tours, as well as restaurants, is being undertaken by a South African-based Ghanaian business tycoon, Mr Robert Kwaku Appiah Asante.
Other facilities that would be developed at the Race Course Area are a clinic with a helipad, ambulance station and a five-star hotel.
The project is expected to transform Kumasi to regain its former glory as the ‘Garden City of West Africa’ and create job avenues for the unemployed youth.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu donated the Race Course area free of charge to the developers as his contribution to the development of the Kumasi metropolis.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Archbishop of the Kumasi Catholic Diocese, Rt Rev. Thomas Kwaku Mensah, the Anglican Bishop, Rt Rev. Daniel Yinka Sarfo and the Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, Rt Rev. Professor Osei Sarfo Kantanka, were among the dignitaries who witnessed the sod cutting ceremony.
In his address, Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended Mr Asante in particular and Kenbert Group company for initiating the project and gave assurance of his support and that of the entire chiefs of the Kumasi Traditional Council.
He pointed out that the project would not only enhance the development of the Kumasi metropolis and its environs, but would also offer employment opportunities to the youth.
He explained that donating the land for such a viable project was in line with his effort to support the development of the metropolis.
He mentioned the Otumfuo Educational Fund, which has helped a section of the youth to build their capacity in various fields in medicine and law, and said his contributions to health-related issues was also enhancing the primary healthcare delivery.
He said the project was one of the programmes of ensuring that the city’s development agenda for a better standard of living for the metropolis was achieved and called on traders who used to operate at the Race Course area to co-operate with the developers by vacating the area to enhance the smooth take off of constructional projects.
In his address, Mr Asante, who is also the Chairman of Kenbert Group, said the Sunshine City is a replica of a similar facility in Johannesburg which has become a major tourist attraction .
He gave assurance of the early completion of the project as part of his contribution to boost the tourist potentials in the country, and called for support from the residents in the successful execution of the project.
He also appealed to chiefs in the Kumasi traditional area to offer him the needed support and protection as a way of motivating him to complete the project on schedule.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, assured those who operate their business at the Race Course Area that efforts were being made to provide them with an alternative area.

SUN CITY project in Kumasi

2010-10-15T09:57:00.004Z

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is to cut the sod for the commencement of construction works on a SUN CITY Project at the Race Course in Kumasi.
The approximately 100 acre project is a modern complex with shopping malls, amusement centre comprising swimming pools, restaurants, night clubs, hospital, banks, insurance building, parking lots and 240 Apartment Buildings mostly for managers of the project.
This is indeed great news for residents of Kumasi.
Kembert Group and International Partners from South Africa are the investors for this project.
The interesting aspect of the whole project is that, it would be located next door the Kumasi Zoological Gardens in the heart of the Kumasi metropolis, thus making access easy.
The Asantehene is expected to officially cut the sod on Friday October 15, 2010 to signify the commencement of work.
The only hiccup to the project is where to relocate traders and hawkers who are currently occupying the place but authorities of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) have assured that it was planning a relocation place for them before work on the project commence in earnest.
"They are therefore to keep their cool and not be anxious", the KMA said

New lorry park at North Patasi

2010-10-06T09:34:00.001Z

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has planned to construct a new lorry park at North Patasi near the Parks and Gardens offices in Kumasi.
The move, according to the KMA forms part of a general effort at creating satellite lorry terminals and markets with the intention of decongesting the Kejetia lorry terminal in the central business district (CBD) of the metropolis.
Mr Samuel Sarpong, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive who made this known said the assembly had initiated negotiations with stakeholders and maintained that the talks were far advanced for the project to take off.
Addressing members of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce in Kumasi on the effects of the decongestion exercise on commercial activities in the metropolis, Mr Sarpong said the traffic congestion problem at Kejetia was very unbearable, hence the need to create alternative lorry parks.
The Mayor said there was no proper demarcation as “in” and “out” at Kejetia hence the confusion among motorists.
“I have given the urban roads department an ultimatum to urgently demarcate an “in” and “out” at the entrance to help mitigate the problem”.
Mr Sarpong cautioned owners of container shops dotted along principal streets in the metropolis and asked them to remove them as the demolishing team would soon extend their operations to the principal streets.
He made particular reference to the Ahodwo roundabout area near the BNI offices where he said container shops were gradually filling up the entire place.
He expressed gratitude to the Chamber of Commerce for offering him the opportunity to explain the essence of the decongestive exercise in the central business district and added that measures were being instituted to ensure that commercial activities in the central business area were successful.
Mr Sarpong said prior to the decongestion exercise traders had taken over all the walkway and pavements in the CBD doing brisk business activities in the area with some even selling food on the road meant for vehicular transport.
He said the menace were militating against commercial activities hence the need to introduce the decongestive exercise.
“Many were those who thought the entire exercise was a fluke when we started the operation. We are aware that it has created inconveniences for people but we plead with them to bear with us since the whole exercise is a necessary evil”.
He called for suggestions from the public on ways to ensure that the entire exercise became successful.
The Mayor said congestion in the CBD created compounded traffic situation coupled with anti-social vices like pick pocketing, excessive generation of refuse which made the city unattractive but said frantic efforts made over the years for a similar decongestion exercise proved futile.
He said since the inception of the exercise, conditions have improved tremendously in the CBD for free vehicular and pedestrian movement and reduction of anti-social vices.
Mr Sarpong said the assembly has instituted structures to ensure smooth running of the exercise and that a supervisory team has been tasked to oversee it.
He said even though the exercise was faced with a myriad of challenges which threaten the effectiveness and sustainability, the KMA was still committed to ensuring its sustainability.
He said many people have hailed the exercise and some companies have even pledged to provide logistical support for the team.
He called for support from the Chamber of Commerce to ensure the success of the exercise since it is to their advantage in the long run.

Barcamp Kumasi

2010-08-25T10:40:00.001Z

A Barcamp is basically an event where people meet and share ideas and learn from each other in an open environment. BarCamp Kumasi will bring together residents and lovers of Kumasi for a day of dialogue, demos and discussion about development in Kumasi. It is a free event as we want to attract as many people who are invested in the well-being and development of Kumasi. The event will be held on the KNUST campus on Saturday, September 18, 2010.
BarCamp Kumasi 2010, ad-hoc gathering where attendees meet for discussions, demos and networking, will take place on September 18, 2010 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Engineering Department at the KNUST campus in Kumasi, Ghana. The theme is be “Collaboration: The key for opportunity and development”. Following the successes of BarCamp Ghana '08 and BarCamp Ghana '09, regional BarCamp events will be organized in selected regions in Ghana to enable as many people as possible partake in BarCamps before the main national event in December.
On December 22, 2008, over a hundred young Ghanaians met in Accra for BarCamp Ghana '08 to exchange ideas on entrepreneurship, innovation and development for a rising Ghana. BarCamp Ghana '09 followed on December 21, 2009, in Accra, under the theme "Leadership for our times - cultivating change makers". BarCamp Kumasi 2010 will bring together stakeholders in Kumasi to for a day of dialogue, demos and discussions about how collaboration amongst different institutions can spearhead socio-economic development in Kumasi and beyond.
BarCamps all over the world have brought together individuals and organizations to collaborate on various projects and businesses. BarCamp Kumasi ’10 is a FREE event for anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Ghana and Africa as a whole. This year, the focus is on discussing how important collaboration between different industries, business, academia and public institutions is key for opportunity and development.

Register/RSVP today at the BarCamp Kumasi eventbrite website. You may also contact the BarCamp Kumasi team through this website for sponsorship opportunities. If you are interested in organizing a breakout session, let us know, especially if you have special needs.

BarCamp Kumasi 2010 is sponsored by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), National Society of Black Engineers (KNUST chapter), GhanaThink Foundation, etc.

You can register today at http://barcampkumasi10.eventbrite.com/

See you there!
www.kumasi.barcampghana.org

--
BarCamp Kumasi 2010
Date: 18th September 2010
Theme: Collaboration: the key for opportunity and development
Venue: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

http://facebook.com/barcampkumasi

Soldiers on rampage. Brutalise police, injure three

2010-06-07T09:50:00.002Z

SOLDIERS from the Fourth Garrison in Kumasi have gone on rampage, brutalising more than a dozen policemen at various duty posts in the Kumasi metropolis and leaving three of them unconscious.
In their two-day assault, the soldiers also vandalised property at some police stations and caused some policemen to flee their duty posts.
According to Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko in charge of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, the series of attacks began at the Cedar Crescent traffic lights, near the Kotoko training ground, about 4 p.m. last Friday.
He said the traffic lights were off at the time and so two policemen, Constables Abbass Aidoo and David Wahyee, had been detailed to direct traffic at that busy joint.
While the two were on duty, a man riding an unregistered motorcycle without a crash helmet came along and the two policemen stopped the motorcycle and questioned the rider, who later identified himself as a military man.
According to the police, in the course of the interrogation, the rider got infuriated and sped off, after he had threatened to bring his colleagues to assault the policemen.
Chief Inspector Tanko said about 5 p.m. on the same day, three other policemen — Inspector Jacob Gyekye, Lance Corporal Opoku Agyemang Prempeh and Constable Hannah Serwah — who were directing traffic at the Bekwai Roundabout saw a number of military men in a military vehicle which had its headlights on.
Thinking that the soldiers were on their way to perform an official duty, the policemen said they paved the way for them to pass by stopping other vehicles.
However, the soldiers first went to the Cedar Crescent traffic lights where they brutally assaulted Constables Aidoo and Wahyee, tearing their uniforms into pieces in the process.
According to the Police PRO, from there, the soldiers attacked any policeman on sight, including the three at the Bekwai Roundabout who had earlier stopped traffic for the soldiers to pass.
The three policemen reported the incident to the Regional Police Headquarters, where they were issued with medical forms to attend hospital about 5:45 p.m.
Chief Inspector Tanko said about 7 p.m., another policeman, Lance Corporal C. K. Mensah, stationed at Nkawie, was assaulted by some military men at the Sofoline area while he was driving to his station.
That same night, a group of military men in three military vehicles attacked policemen at the Suame Police Station and vandalised their radio equipment and other property, while Corporal G. K. Amedzo, Constable E. Ofosuhene and Constable F. O. Boateng who were on duty at the station were severely assaulted.
After the police station attacks, the military men were said to have proceeded to the front of the Suame Ghana Water Company offices where policemen on night duty had mounted a barrier and attempted to attack them but the policemen managed to escape.
About 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, the military men continued the assault with an attack on some Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) officials on duty at the Sofoline area.
According to Chief Inspector Tanko, three policemen — Sergeant Peter Oppong, Sergeant E. Obuoman and Lance Corporal Zab Tetteh Mensah — were attacked with hammers and left unconscious.
They were later sent to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for treatment.
It would be recalled that on May 20, 2010, two military men got infuriated by a decision of MTTU officials at Suame to question their driver who was driving without a log book and a driver’s licence.
The two went to the barracks and mobilised their colleagues to assault the police at Suame and fired some gunshots.
Then on May 22, 2010, another soldier who drove carelessly at Asokwa attacked an MTTU officer who tried to point out to him that what he was doing was not good.
Chief Inspector Tanko said the matter had since been reported to the Military High Command, adding that it would be reported to National Security as well.
“This will not deter us from continuing with our duties,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Joseph Henry Smith (retd), has confirmed that the matter has been brought to his notice, reports Michael Donkor.
In an interview, Lt Gen Smith said as soon as the news on the alleged assault got to him, he quickly contacted the Interior Minister to discuss how to resolve the matter.
He said they thoroughly checked on what the situation was and were told that senior commanders had already moved in to restore calm and order.
He further explained that he had been informed that a policeman was alleged to have first assaulted a military man on a motorbike after the soldier had shown the policeman his identity card that he was from the military.
He said the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Command, Brigadier-General Chris Ocran, had personally visited one of the policemen who were admitted at the hospital.
He said the police and the military had also held a social activity to cement the peace.
Lt Gen Smith said the two security agencies were sister institutions working together to maintain peace and appealed to them to endeavour to resort to the appropriate channels should one wrong the other.
Lance Corporal Mensah is still in critical condition at KATH and is receiving medical attention.
He was said to have been hit in the head with a hammer by the soldiers who had attacked him and two of his colleagues while they were on duty at the Sofoline area around 5 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Fire destroy City Style Hotel in Kumasi

2010-05-31T13:13:00.000Z

A DEVASTATING fire said to have started during repeated fire outages in Kumasi last Saturday razed down the City Style Hotel at Amakom near the Baba Yara Stadium.
The hotel, opened about two years ago and located close to Ashh FM on the Afful Nkwanta-Stadium road is one of the most modern in the metropolis.
Apart from a fridge and other few documents, everything in the 14-room facility was destroyed in the blaze.
Guests and workers were evacuated before the fire swept through the rooms in the two-storey building.
A combined team of fire fighters from Manhyia and Amakom that was called in to battle the blaze fought fruitlessly as the inferno devastated the building.
A visibly shocked owner of the hotel, Mr I.N. Amissah, said the fire started in the evening when the area was experiencing a series of power outages.
He said a staff of the hotel detected smoke from the top at a corner of the building and the fire service was immediately informed.
When fire personnel arrived, the fire had already engulfed the building causing massive destruction to property.
Fire personnel said they were yet to determine the cause of the fire, as investigations had not been concluded.
Mr Amissah however indicated that the hotel was insured and that he would be informing the insurance company in due course.

KMA demolishes 'Abinkyi' slum in Kumasi

2010-05-27T10:02:00.002Z

A SPRAWLING slum in Kumasi popularly called "Abinkyi slum" has been razed to the ground in a major demolishing exercise undertaken by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) at dawn last Tuesday.
The slum also known as "Sodom and Gomorrah" is located close to the offices of the Cocoa Waste Buying Company and the Volta River Authority (VRA) Offices.
The exercise sent the several slum dwellers said to be about 2000 bag packing and looking for alternative places to lay their heads.
Several wooden and mud houses in which the residents, mostly of northern extraction lived, came crumbling down by a caterpillar as officers of the KMA together with armed policemen supervised the demolition exercise.
The exercise formed part of a firm commitment by the Kumasi Mayor, Mr Samuel Sarpong, to ensure that law and order was maintained in the metropolis by demolishing all unauthorised structures.
In 2006 the Metropolitan Security Committee after studying complaints of emergence of slums and the attendant problems of harbouring criminals decided that all the unauthorised structures should be cleared or demolished.
The authorities attributed their decision to the belief that unplanned settlements were fast growing into slums with the attendant problem of becoming dens of criminals.
Consequently in 2007, the KMA commenced demolishing of the Sodom and Gomorrah slum but following protests from the dwellers for the authorities to allow them some time to look for alternative accommodation, the city authorities gave them a respite.
It was however later detected that instead of moving out of the place, new structures were rather springing up.
The KMA this year commenced discussions with the dwellers and made them to understand that they could not continue to be at the place.
"Indeed the leadership of the dwellers accepted that they were illegally occupying the place," Mr Clement Kegeri, a Public Relations Officer at the KMA told the Daily Graphic.
Consequently, he said, the authorities gave them a two week ultimatum which elapsed on Saturday May 22, 2010.
According to Mr Kegeri, while some people packed bag and baggage and left, others stayed on anticipating that the warning was a fluke.
It however came as a surprise to them on Tuesday as the caterpillar arrived to demolish the structures. There was virtually no resistance from them.
A number of the residents had gone out when the exercise took place and those who were around had to struggle to pull away their personal belongings.
Some wailed uncontrollably as they picked their belongings and pleaded with the authorities to offer them an alternative place of abode.
The Abinkyi slum is allegedly associated with vices including prostitution and gambling, but the leaders of the community have continuously denied that allegation. Mr Kegeri told the Daily Graphic that the decision to demolish the slum was long overdue as the area was simply not zoned for human habitation and the general conditions there were nothing to write home about. The sewer system from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) ran to the area and it was an eyesore to see human beings living with all sorts of unhealthy materials at the place. Again, the VRA and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had their sub stations very close to the area, which was dangerous for the residents.
Mr Kegeri said the decision to demolish the place was taken long ago when the KMA informed the residents but the leaders of the community petitioned the KMA to extend the deadline for the exercise and the Assembly agreed.
Asked whether the KMA would look for an alternative place for the residents to live, the PRO said the KMA was not duty-bound to look for a place for them.
He said the KMA was planning to put up market stores there to serve as an alternative place for traders who would be moved out of the central market for the reconstruction of the market into a modern one.
Indeed construction works had began in portions of the area to pave way for the national exercise to reconstruct the Kumasi Central Market.

Chiropractic and Wellness Centre opens in Kumasi

2010-05-26T08:14:00.000Z

The Ministry of Health has planned to mainstream complementary health practices including Chiropractic and Traditional Medicine as part of efforts to ensure a good quality health for all.
Consequently, the Ministry was on the verge of drafting a Bill in that respect for approval by Cabinet and consideration by Parliament.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo who made this known said it formed part of a wider reform of all health sector legislations.
He said regenerative health and nutrition programme was also being mainstreamed into health education on lifestyle diseases, most of which were non-communicable.
Chiropractic is a health care discipline and profession that emphasises diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, under the suggestion that these disorders affect general health via the nervous system.
It was founded in 1890 in the United States of America (USA) and was well established in the USA, Canada and Australia. It is generally categorised as complementary and alternative medicine, and has more of the attributes of a medical specialty like dentistry.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo who was speaking at the official opening of a modern Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in Kumasi said the demands of modern business necessitate long working hours, short deadlines with fewer resources and this has resulted in an increase in obesity, unmanaged stress and stress-related illnesses within the work place.
This, he said had resulted in many people in Ghana increasingly facing the challenge of maintaining a healthy balance between the degree of wellness and disease status, while maintaining a good quality life at home and the workplace.
He said Ghana was experiencing an increase in lifestyle related health conditions and that most people may know people with complications resulting from unmanaged stress, sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition.
These conditions, Mr Mettle-Nunoo said led to cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
“Together they are responsible for more than 60percent of all deaths globally. The problem is growing faster in low and middle income countries and almost half of those who die from chronic diseases are in their productive years”, he noted.
The Deputy Minister of Health said the Chiropractic and Wellness Centres were now spearheading the wellness programme in the country and was targeting the home and workplace.
He said the benefits of chiropractic and wellness assessments included improved health, reduced medical claims, improved morale, reduced staff turnover, reduced absenteeism, improved stress management and effectiveness and efficiency at work.
Explaining, he said for Ghana as a whole, the implications would be greater if one member of the family usually the bread winner were to be part of a workplace wellness programme, the benefits would not only reach the person alone but their families too.
“Wellness of our management class and employees, will translate to better health for the entire family as they also have access to information on nutrition, exercises and preventable health care”, he said.
The Deputy Minister said the resultant ripple effect would be a generation of healthier Ghanaians who would pass on their knowledge and healthy lifestyle habits to the next generation.
“You can see the bigger picture begin to unfold. This culture of wellness will be deeply entrenched in our society translating to generations of healthier Ghanaians.”
Mr Mettle-Nunoo said it was a good idea that the Chiropractic and Wellness Centres were rebranding wellness programmes to use workplace as a platform to lead Ghana to greater wellness and longevity through establishment of a “wellness culture” and to partner with the working population, majority of who are also the most influential members of their households to ensure entrenchment of a wellness culture.
He congratulated Dr Marcus Manns, Founder and Chief Executive of the Chiropractic and Wellness Centres for his foresight and vision to bring about a “Wellness Revolution” in Ghana based on prevention and a distinct drugless care that is non invasive.
Oheneba Adusei Poku, Akyempimhene on behalf of the Asantehene officially opened Chiropractic and Wellness Centre (CWC) in Kumasi, which was part of an effort to bring high standards in chiropractic and wellness care in Ghana.
The Akyempimhene said the average Ghanaian life expectancy which was around 58years was not acceptable.
He said all the education, job opportunities and even wealth were useless if they were to be buried in the grave.
“The life and longevity of our people must be our absolute highest priority for without life nothing else matters”, he said.
The centre has advanced equipment such as adjustment and massage tables and a high-tech nervous system scanner.
According to Dr Marcus Manns, the Founder and CEO of CWC, the motive for establishing the centre was to help extend and save lives of people in Ghana.
He explained that the Kumasi centre was the fifth centre to be opened in Ghana, where there were two in Accra and one each in Takoradi, Cape Coast and Kumasi.
“Chiropractic must be irreplaceable cornerstone to any healthy lifestyle plan you create”, he said.
He said human beings were born with an innate ability for the body to heal, repair and constructively develop itself and that the body uses the nervous system to control all the activities and functions of the body.
He said any interference to the nervous system would compromise the body’s ability to heal and that the interference was the underlying cause of many conditions, sicknesses, diseases and unfortunately early deaths.
Dr Manns said any correction of interference, allows the body’s magnificent self-healing capabilities to be optimised.
“Chiropractics unique and distinct speciality is to detect and correct these life robbing interferences on as many families as possible”, he said.

Ennin's killers haven't been tried - 3years after his gruesome murder

2010-04-01T09:31:00.003Z

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, on February 9, 2007, the sun quite suddenly set at noon. In the brutal darkness, we lost Samuel Ennin, a distinguished Kumasi-based journalist. He was shot and killed in cold blood by some assailants just a few days after I, along with two other professional journalists, had met with him and we had spoken at length about a wide range of issues including his decision to launch his own private newspaper and plans of strengthening the journalists association in Kumasi. Even though the police claim they have arrested two suspects whom they have linked to the murder, the two are yet to be tried in court three years on. The case seems to have been stuck at the moment with the docket moving up and down in the hands of the police and the Attorney-General’s Department. As it stands now, we are yet to establish a motive for the dastardly act even though the police would want us to believe that it was purely a robbery incident. If indeed the crime was committed by criminals in the course of their daily activities, what then is preventing the police, known very well for unravelling the mysteries surrounding killings of this nature, from proceeding with the trial especially when they have two suspects in their custody? Former Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Frank Adu Poku who is currently the Director of Police CID at the time of the incident gave a number of assurances that they would definitely get to the bottom of the matter and so when he publicly, announced that he had arrested some suspects, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) even gladly redeemed their pledged of a GH¢1000 as a handsome reward for the informants. In April 2007, the two suspected criminals were paraded before a crowded press conference in Kumasi, at which the then Ashanti Regional Commander of Police, DCOP Frank Adu Poku explained the arrests. He gave the names of the suspects as Sheriff Kabore, 27, and Kwame Ayew alias "Red”, also 27, whom he said were arrested on suspicion of killing the late Ennin.
He said Sheriff Kabore was arrested on a Kumasi-Tamale bound bus whilst Kwame Ayew was arrested at Gbilensa near Sandema. The Police Commander categorically said the late Ennin was a victim of armed robbery since investigations were emphatically established that there was no other motive for the killing other than robbery. DCOP Adu Poku said Sheriff Kabore and Kwame Ayew and two accomplices had seized a vehicle with registration number AS 9577W around the Kumasi Polytechnic at about 7:50pm on February 9. From there the group drove to Aburaso, a suburb of Kumasi, where they seized another vehicle, a VW Jetta with registration number AS 5598W. It was with this vehicle that he said the suspects drove to the Libra Spot at Pankrono, where they shot and killed the late Samuel Ennin. Afterwards, they allegedly abandoned the vehicle at Ash Town. Items retrieved from Sheriff Kabore and Kwame Ayew after their arrest, the Commander said included two pump action shotguns, 24 live cartridges, one military cap, scissors, hoods and a talisman. DCOP Adu Poku made it known at the time that Kwame Ayew was already behind bars having been convicted and jailed for 24 years for his role in previous robberies. Sherrif Kabore was also later jailed for his role in previous robberies. Journalists at the press conference asked a number of questions on how the police could link the suspects to the murder of Ennin and the answers the police gave were not convincing enough. Their expectation was to allow the trial to commence so as to witness the unfolding events in court as to how the two suspects would have been linked to the murder. Even though the two suspects are currently behind bars on different criminal offences, their role in the said robbery and murder of Ennin is yet to be proven in court.
The question is, did the police hurriedly pick the two suspects and just paraded them as the culprits in Ennin’s case just to calm nerves simply because journalists and people from all over were putting pressure on them to unravel the incident? Over the years, the police have repeatedly announced the imminent start of the trial of the suspected killers of Ennin, only to postpone it to a later date that never comes. We are told anytime we make enquiries that the Attorney General still have the docket and when we check from the AG too, we are told its gone back to the police. Who is telling the truth and what are we waiting for. If the police think they have not been able to link the two suspects to the murder and that they are looking for other people, they should come out publicly to tell us. For me it would not be a surprise if the police come out to tell us that the two suspects have nothing to do with the case and that they are still investigating and looking for the real culprits. I challenge them to contradict me by finally starting the process of trial.
It was in 2001 in Kumasi, that some colleagues introduced me, a fresh graduate from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) to a Kumasi based journalist, distinguished by his baritone and hoax voice, a man named Samuel Ennin. Ennin was a dedicated journalist. He loved journalism and was very vocal. He lived for journalism. His passion for professional excellence and integrity defined the news section of Ashh FM, of which he was the News Editor and General Manager. As a result, young journalists at the radio station and their twi news bulletins were distinct from other radio stations in the metropolis, debarred of proverbs and innuendos as has characterized the airwaves in recent times. Ennin was indeed a bold person and had political ambitions but he never allowed that to interfere with his professional work as a journalist. On that February Saturday dawn, I was asleep in Kumasi when a colleague, Gabe phoned me at about 4:30 a.m. to say he had been informed Ennin had been shot and that his information was scanty so he wanted to know more from my end. Just before I told him it was news to me, the phone call dropped so I called back and Gabe could not immediately tell whether Ennin had died or was in hospital receiving treatment, neither was he able to tell me where the incident had happened. I called a couple of friends who equally did not have details of the incident. I tried to go back to bed till it was about 6am but I simply couldn’t sleep.
I tuned in to Ashh FM, where he worked only to hear of funeral dirges being played on air, it was then that it pricked me that Ennin might have died. I called a couple of friends afterwards and it was confirmed to me that Ennin, the enterprising and dynamic journalist’s life had been snuffed out of him in a cruel, heartless and barbaric way by unknown assassins through gunshot.
Eyewitnesses said the slain journalist was attacked by his assailants at a drinking spot at Old Tafo, near the Pankrono Estate, and shot in the abdomen. The gunmen quickly fled the scene, having snatched a number of mobile phones from some people.
At the time of the attack, he was said to be carrying a bag which contained a substantial amount of money but the killers were said to have neither taken the bag nor the money which he had in his pocket.
Ennin bled profusely from the gunshot wounds and later died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), where he was rushed for medical attention. At the time of the incident he was said to be in the company of three people — Kojo Fosu, a driver of the radio station, Seth Afranie, a former worker of Ashh FM, and Yaa Janet, a lady friend of Kojo Fosu’s — when the incident occurred.
Narrating his ordeal to the police Fosu said after they had taken some drinks and were about to disperse, the two “killers”, who were dressed in ordinary attire and wearing caps, arrived.
According to him, the “killers” first seized Janet’s mobile phone and fired a warning shot.
He said when he enquired from them as to why they had seized the lady’s phone, a confrontation ensued and in the process the gunmen bundled him onto the floor, rendering him unconscious.
He said he did not see anything again until he was resuscitated at the hospital.
On his part, Afranie explained that he had just stepped out of their sitting place to buy food from a nearby food vendor when he heard two gunshots from where they were sitting.
He said he rushed to the place, only to see Mr Enin bleeding from the midsection, after which he helped to carry the victim to a vehicle for the hospital.
Other eyewitnesses said they saw the killers arrive at the place in a white vehicle but they could not determine the type of vehicle.
They said they also saw the gunmen entering the drinking spot after going round the place for a while and that they saw some exchanges between the killers and another person where Mr Enin was sitting before one of them fired at Mr Enin.
According to the eyewitnesses, just after the act, the two men quickly rushed to the waiting car and fled.
Twice voted the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA, the late Enin was very instrumental in the uplift of the image of the association in the region.
A native of Jacobu in the Ashanti Region, he was a 1991 graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).
He had stints with the Free Press newspaper where he was the Ashanti Regional correspondent, and Shaft FM in Obuasi, where he was the News Editor.
His voice was one of the most popular on radio in Kumasi during the mornings, being a panelist for the morning newspaper review on Ashh FM. He left behind a wife and two children
Following the passion his death generated in the country, people from all walks of life, including President John Agyekum Kufuor, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and representatives of some political parties as well as media practitioners and social commentators across the country, attended the funeral ceremony held in Kumasi.
Anguish and grief characterized the sorrowful occasion and became manifest in the faces of family members, colleague journalists, friends, sympathisers and well wishers who thronged the funeral ground as early as 6 a.m. on that Saturday to express their condolences and pay their last respect to the sorely missed soul.
Tears flowed down the cheeks of many that filed past the mortal remains of the late Ennin, which was clad in black suit and a perfect tie to match. Various tributes were read in his honour after which he was laid to rest at his home-town, Biribiwomanmu near Jacobu in the Amansie Central District of Ashanti, on March 31. We are soldiering on, in our own way and still awaiting justice. Ennin will forever live in our minds.

Pollution increases cost of water treatment

2010-03-28T14:14:00.000Z

The cost of treatment of portable water by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has witnessed an increment over the years as a result of indiscriminate and incessant pollution of water bodies.
In the Ashanti region for instance a total of GH¢1,059,441 was spent on the procurement of chemicals for the treatment of raw water in year 2009 as against GH¢952,886 in year 2008.
According to officials of the GWCL in the region, a far less amount was spent on the treatment of the same quantity of raw water in year 2007 and previous years and that the amount has been increasing every year.
According to them, the colour value of the raw water at the Owabi and Barekese dams for instance have gone up over the years thus requiring the usage of more aluminum sulphate for treatment.
They said the spate of pollution of water bodies if not checked could lead to disastrous consequences in water treatment in future.

Speaking at a forum at the Kumasi Children’s Home as part of activities to mark this year’s World Water Day, Mr Charles Tulashie, Ashanti Regional Quality Assurance Manager of GWCL said the pollution levels of the raw water at the Owabi and Barekese dams have gone up drastically over the years.
He said just by mere observation of water samples collected over the years, one could easily detect the differences.
He expressed concern about the spate of the pollution, which he said was very prevalent in the Kumasi metropolis.
Mr Tulashie mentioned the Suame Magazine industrial hub, which he said was located in the Owabi basin and where the levels of pollution with engine oil, grease and acid (battery water) were on the increase as these waste were disposed off indiscriminately and finally end up at the dam.
He also expressed concern about the springing up of illegal buildings in the catchment of the Owabi and Barekese dams respectively where he said some landlords have connected their sewage systems directly into the water bodies feeding the dam.
He said unless these nefarious activities were checked, the cost of treatment of raw water would continuously rise.
The Quality Assurance Manager said the chemicals used in the treatment, aluminum sulphate, chlorine gas, calcium hypo chloride and hydrated lime were all imported commodities, hence the increase in cost of treatment if more of it had to be used for treatment.
He therefore called on the public to ensure low pollution as to reduce usage of more chemicals to treat water.
Dr Bukari Ali, a lecturer in water resources management at the Department of Geological Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) called for an attitudinal change in the way the public handled water bodies.
He called for the need to institute proper waste disposal management systems in the country so as to ensure that water bodies were not continuously polluted with refuse.
“There should be a conscious effort to change the attitude of dumping of refuse into water bodies”, he said.
The Regional branch of the GWCL as part of the celebrations on World Water Day donated GH¢300 to support the upkeep of inmates at the Kumasi Children’s Home.
The theme for the celebration was, “Clean water for a healthy world”.

Low power affects Kumasi water supply

2010-03-03T09:30:00.002Z

LOW voltage to the Barekese Water Headworks has affected water supply to the Kumasi metropolis and its surrounding areas.
Constructional works on the Kumasi Water Rehabilitation and Expansion project were completed some three months ago but the metropolis is yet to witness an improvement in the supply of water.
Officials of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) have explained that the pumps are ready but they are unable to pump the required water supply to the metropolis due to low voltage.
Residents of Kumasi had earlier been assured of an end in the perennial water shortages by November 2009 upon the completion of works on the project which lasted for two years.
But they are yet to enjoy some respite despite the completion of the project some three months ago.
The project has allowed for a 33percent increase in the essential utility to patrons and also in support of industrial growth of Ghana's second largest city.
Constructional works on the Kumasi Water Rehabilitation and Expansion project was sponsored by the Dutch government at a cost of €37million Euros.
Ideally water supply to Kumasi and its surrounding areas should have improved with the provision of 27 million gallons a day according to the GWCL. Out of the 27million gallons, 24 is to be produced at Barekese and the remaining three million from the Owabi Headworks.
Hitherto, the Barekese Dam had the capacity to produce 18million gallons of water a day but even with that, it was unable to do produce at full capacity due to obsolete machinery.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu on Tuesday visited the Barekese Headworks to acquaint himself at first hand with the problems.
According to the Regional Minister, residents of the metropolis have been apprehensive with the erratic water supply in recent times.
The Regional Minister said students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for instance last week attempted to go on a demonstration following a cut in water supply to the university.
He said the students only rescinded their decision after an intervention by himself and the Vice Chancellor.
Mr Opoku Manu said water was an essential commodity and wanted to know the problems the GWCL was facing in other to be able to assist to solve them.
Explaining, Mr Timothy Nettey, Project Manager at the GWCL said work on the systems have been completed and that the only problem was that they didn’t have the full complement of electrical supply to be able to pump the needed water.
Asked about when the problem of low voltage started, Mr Nettey said it started just this January 2010.
He said they were in touch with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to try to get the problem solved. He later conducted the Regional Minister round the completed project.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Manager of the ECG, Mr Erasmus Baidoo on telephone about the low voltage, he said the ECG was aware of the problem.
He said the entire Kumasi in recent times have been facing an erratic electric supply due to interruptions of the supply from the Volta River Authority (VRA) and assured that efforts were underway to solve the problem.
The current daily supply water to Kumasi is estimated at between 18 to 21 million gallons per day, far below the demands of the sprawling urban centre.
The expansion had as its objective to improving water supply to the metropolis to alter positively the health conditions of the people for improved productivity and longevity and it was executed by Ballast Nedama, a Dutch firm.
The project involved rehabilitating the Barekese and Owabi Water Treatment facilities and augmenting distribution systems with the laying of 80 kilometres of new distribution lines to underserved communities such as Afrancho, Oduom, Kenyase, Hemang and Sutreso.
A novelty about the completed project, is the construction of a sludge facility to treat waste water for use as fertilizer for agricultural purposes.
Apart from the Suame reservoir which will hold 5,000 cubic metric of water and a new reservoir which would hold 2, 500 cubic metric has also been constructed at Achiase together with a Booster station.

KMA demolish unlawful buildings on OKESS lands

2010-02-26T14:49:00.002Z

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) on Friday commenced an exercise to demolish unauthorised buildings sited on the land of Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) in Kumasi.
The move formed part of an attempt to salvage parts of the school land said to have been unlawfully taken over by encroachers.
About 40 residential buildings worth thousands of Ghana cedis many of which were in their final stages of construction were razed to the grounds.
The demolished structures also included four buildings belonging to four separate one-man churches in the area.
In all about 250 buildings many of which were yet to be completed were said to have been unlawfully constructed on the school lands.
The KMA officials could not readily tell the exact number of buildings they intended to demolish in the area but they said the plan was to try and salvage parts of the land for the school.
There has been a long standing dispute over the encroached land between the authorities of the school and the property owners.
Whilst the school authorities claimed two thirds of the 143 acre land belonging to the school had been taken over by the encroachers, the property owners also insisted they legally acquired the lands from the chief of Busumuru, whom they said have oversight responsibility over the lands in the area.
The school authorities claimed the property owners have ignored several warnings over the years for them to discontinue with the construction and that the only option left was to demolish the buildings.
Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive personally supervised the demolishing exercise which commenced early Friday morning.
Mr Sarpong last week visited the school and after inspecting the encroached areas warned to demolish all the unauthorised structures.
The Kumasi Mayor insisted he was not going to allow school lands in the Kumasi metropolis to be taken over by private developers.

It was such a pathetic sight as the buldozers shoveled through the buildings. Many of the property owners, especially the women, wept uncontrollably as the bulldozer shoveled their buildings, which they claimed had been constructed with money earned from many years of toil.
Some of them who had already occupied the buildings pleaded with the authorities to grant them a grace period to look for alternative accommodation. Some of them had to hurriedly pack their personal belongings out of the buildings to make way for the demolishing exercise.
Policemen were present to prevent any possible clash between the authorities and the residents who might have sought to stop the demolition exercise.
The exercise was carried out peacefully, even though some of the property owners attempted to organise their colleagues to violently oppose the demolishing exercise.
They were held at bay by the security operatives and only resorted to casting of insinuations and aspersions.
Some of people that gathered at the place to witness the demolishing exercise also cast aspersions, insinuations and curses on the KMA officials for embarking on the demolishing exercise.
Some also chastised the chiefs of the area for selling the lands to them.
Whilst some property owners pleaded for leniency, others offered to donate their property to the school free of charge and others called for a negotiation for them to sell the property to the school to be used as staff quarters.
Their reason was that, they could not bear the sight of their toil being razed to the grounds.
Some of the buildings have been sited anyhow with some of them very close to a new dormitory block which was under construction as well as a new administration block which was also under construction.
Many schools in the Kumasi metropolis including Osei Kyeretwie and Kumasi Girls have had its share of an increasing rate of encroachment of its school lands by private developers.
The Headmaster of the OKESS, Mr Samuel Agyapong said the authorities sometime in the past constructed a fence wall in the area to forestall future encroachments but said the encroachers pulled down the fence wall and decided to construct behind the wall.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Development Control Officer, Mr Amoako Asiamah, told the Daily Graphic that the KMA would protect school lands and expressed the hope that the exercise would serve as a deterrent to other people who would want to flout the assembly's bye-laws.

Kumasi records rapid growth in hospitality industry

2009-09-03T09:04:00.002Z

There is a rapid growth in the hospitality industry with the emergence of very large hotel facilities in the Kumasi metropolis within the last few years.
Out of a total number of 1345 hotel facilities in year 2005, the number has increased to 1595 at end of year 2008 with the inclusion of new facilities such as Yegoala, Golden Tulip Kumasi City, Sports Hotel, Joyflux, Noda, Splendour, Champion and Sunset Hotel just to mention a few.
This, according to stakeholders in the industry was a good sign of development, indicative of the fact that the sector was enhancing its capacity for a tourism boom.
According to data compiled by the Ghana Tourist Board, tourism is now the third-largest foreign exchange earner for the country, taking in more than US$1.2 billion in 2007 from about 600,000 visitors.
With President Barrack Obama’s recent visit to Ghana coupled with the notable period of political stability and the reinforcement of democratic principles and institutions within the country, tourism attraction was expected to be on the increase and it was therefore necessary for the hospitality sector to enhance its capacity to receive the numerous number of tourists who may troop into the country.
Kumasi on its part is Ghana’s second largest city and capital of the Ashanti region. It is an important commercial centre. Its central location, climate and safety, combined with Ghana’s increasing access to foreign markets, make Kumasi attractive to tourists and investors in a number of areas.
Overall, Kumasi and the Ashanti region noted as the home of Ghanaian culture holds the key to tourism development in the country.
Alongside the political advancement has come significant economic growth with a shift away from traditional agriculture towards the industrial and services sectors.
Hitherto, the vast majority of the investment in the hotel sector had been concentrated in the Greater Accra region with its benefits of proximity to the main sea ports and key government offices.
Nonetheless, there is increasing recognition in both political and business circles that investment needs to be encouraged outside of the Greater Accra region.
As such Kumasi, through its location, infrastructure and local resources, is strongly positioning itself to benefit from this new emphasis due to its central location which formed an important transport and commercial hub for both domestic and international traffic.
Current statistics from the Ashanti Regional Office of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) indicates that the number of hotels in the region increased from 1345 in 2005 to 1427 in 2006, 1432 in 2007 and 1595 in 2008, representing a growth of 6.1percent, 0.4percent and 11.4percent respectively.
Out of this, the number of hotel rooms increased from 18,752 in 2005 to 22,835 in 2006 but reduced to 20.788 in 2007 and increased to 24,410 in 2008. The drop in the number of rooms in 2007 was attributed to renovation works which was undertaken by many of the hotels ahead of the hosting of the 2008 Cup of African Nations (CAN 2008).
The number of hotel beds also increased from 23,924 in 2005 to 27,839 in 2006 and reduced to 26,063 in 2007 but increased to 29,645 in 2008 which represented a growth of 16.4percent in 2006, a decrease of 6.4percent in 2007 and an increase of 13.7percent in 2008.
The statistics showed that the sector offered employment both direct and indirect to a total of 172,823 in 2005, 183,192 in 2006, 206,091 in 2007 and 234,679 in 2009 which represented a percentage growth of 6.0, 12.5 and 13.9 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Receipts in the sector amounted to US$836.1million in 2005, US$986.8million in 2006, US$1172million in 2007 and US$1403.1million in 2008 showing a percentage growth of 18.0 in 2006, 18.8 in 2007 and 19.7 in 2008.
According to the statistics the arrivals were 428,533 in 2005, 497,129 in 2006, 586,612 in 2007 and 698,069 in 2008 also showing a percentage growth of 16.0 in 2006, 18.0 in 2007 and 19.0 in 2008.
At the recent 3rd National Executive Council of the Ghana Hotels Association in Kumasi, Mr Ben Anane Nsiah, Regional Manager of the GTB said hotels played very important part in visitor perceptions of the country.
He said it was therefore important for operators in the sector to operate according to set standards.
“In view of this our recent operation of closing down unregistered and those with expired licenses should not be seen as victimization”.
“We would not allow substandard hotels to operate to dent the image of the industry”.
Mr Nsiah said should any of the facilities which were recently closed flout the law, they would be prosecuted.

Improve environmental practices. Minister urges Anglogold Ashanti

2009-08-21T09:22:00.002Z

There are concerns about “not too good” environmental practices by Anglogold Ashanti Limited (AGA) at its Obuasi Mine.
A particular reference has been made about the Tailings Dam at Sanso, where there were a lot of seepages from the dam.
Although the company had initiated measures to recapture water from the seepage and pump it back into the dam that has been described as not good enough.
“We are accordingly asking AGA to develop a decommissioning programme for the current tailings dams and construct modern ones in line with international standards which was likely to reduce the seepages to zero percent”.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ms Sherry Ayitey made the observations after a fact finding visit to the Obuasi Mines last Wednesday.
She noted that there was the need for the company to improve upon its environmental practices so as to ensure that the water bodies in the area were not polluted.
Tailings dams worldwide contain billions of tonnes of mineral processing industrial wastes which contains cyanide and mercury.
A violation of the safety requirements was likely to lead to the dam’s failure which would result in catastrophic consequences.
Ms Sherry Ayitey noted that the practice presently at Obuasi would not pass United Nation’s standards as well as requirements in the Water Act of 2007.
The Minister said environmental watchers were concerned about high standards and said there was the need for AGA to organise its activities to comply with modern standards, hence the need to decommission the present tailings dam at Sanso, which was about 15years old and other equally old ones and construct modern ones.
“We are not really satisfied with what we see here in Obuasi and would want to see good practices. Obuasi is surrounded by a number of rivers and if the safety practices are not good, these rivers are likely to be polluted,” the Minister said.
She stressed that her outfit had agreed on a decommissioning programme with AGA for the tailings dams and that what was left was for them to decide on the time frame for the decommissioning.
On efforts to help curb illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the area, Ms Ayitey called on AGA to institute a measure that would see them registering some of the galamsey operators, provide them with areas to work and control their activities.
She said such a move could go some way to help curb the activities and also called for the institution of more alternative sustainable livelihood programmes.
At a meeting with the chiefs of Sanso, a community in the Obuasi area where about 80percent of the activities of AGA take place, Nana Bawuah Fiamoa Kotokuo the chief of the town expressed worries about the environmental dangers in the area as a result of the mining activities.
He complained about the decision of AGA to surround the town with mining waste and expressed fears that, a landslide in the area as a result of a heavy downpour was likely to result in a catastrophe in the area.
He called on AGA to result to dialogue in dealing with galamsey activities instead of adopting a “militant” posture which would not help solve the problem.
He called on the company to suspend a proposed decision to cover one of its pits where galamsey activities were taking place and allow him the chance to talk to the people.
The chief said there was the need to institute very good sustainable livelihood programmes so as to attract the people from the galamsey activities.

KMA terminates contract with Freko

2009-07-21T09:16:00.001Z

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has decided to discharge Freko FD Enterprise from the management of the Kejetia Bus Terminal in Kumasi.
This follows what the KMA terms as the expiration of terminal management agreement between it and Freko FD Enterprise.
Freko FD has been managing the bus terminal, deemed the biggest in the entire country since 2002.
A letter dated July 15, 2009 and signed by Mr Edward Afari Gyem, the Metropolitan Coordinating Director asked Freko to prepare and hand over the facility to the KMA latest by Wednesday July 22, 2009.
“Our records indicate that the Bus Terminal Management Agreement signed between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Freko FD Enterprise for the management of the Kejetia Bus Terminal was effected on 11th April 2002 for a duration of three (3) years and a renewal period of two (2) years”, the letter stated.
“We therefore wish to inform you that the agreement has expired and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly will be very grateful if you would as a matter of urgency, arrange to hand over the management of the Bus Terminal to the Assembly latest by the 22nd of July 2009. We wish to take the opportunity to thank you for your services rendered to the Assembly”, it said.
A new company is to take over the management of the lorry terminal but it is not clear, which company is to take over.
Freko won the bid to manage the terminal in 2002 after the World Bank, which financed the project had handed it over to the KMA during the tenure of Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah as the Metropolitan Chief Executive.
The company has since maintained a harmonious relationship with the GPRTU whose vehicles dominate the terminal.
However in a response to the KMA’s letter, Freko FD stated that there were a lot of legal implications and transitional matters that out to be ironed out before a hand over.
They called on the KMA to reconsider the period of the notice in the light of the forgoing agreement arguing that, it required a reasonable notice to terminate the contract as per the general law of Ghana.
In a response letter through their solicitors, Dadson and Associates the company explained that the “continuing” term in the agreement was defined as the period immediately following the expiration of the agreement when the agreement has not been expressly renewed or terminated.
It explained that the agreement shall therefore be deemed to continue in force under the existing terms and conditions and even if the KMA decides in its sole discretion to terminate the agreement, it ought to have given Freko a six (6) calendar months notice.
They explained that in the circumstance of the KMA’s notice, it was instructive to note that even where they were to breach the agreement (which was not the case) the self-same agreement stipulates a notice period of at least three (3) months to terminate the agreement.
It also stated that it ought to be noted that the agreement expressly frowns upon unilateral amendment of the terms and therefore expressed the hope that the intention of the KMA was not to unilaterally vary or modify the agreement.
“Accordingly, you are respectfully called upon to reconsider the period of the notice in the light of the forgoing and revert”, it said.
It said in accordance of the Labour Act of Ghana, it was equally duty-bound in law to statutorily notify its employees of the termination of their employment and that was one of the several complications that attend the duration of the notice.
On the history of the agreement, Freko stated that the KMA has set up an oversight committee which was to review the contract and evaluate its performance with the baseline data to assist the Assembly in deciding the way forward of the management of the terminal.
It said a performance appraisal was commissioned and the report was ready for submission to the Assembly for deliberation.
It said from the forgoing, it appeared that an attempt was being made to shelve the report from the Assembly that commissioned it.
“In doing so, the Assembly is thereby denied the opportunity to evaluate the report. Such a unilateral decision by a public officer offends not only the constitutional requirement that the use of discretion by a public officer be not arbitrary, capricious or biased either by resentment, prejudice or personal dislike and shall be in accordance with due process of law”.
“In the light of the foregoing and many more concerns as to the other infractions of the law occasioned or threatened by your letter, we hope that your letter will be reviewed and a meeting arranged between us with a view to ironing out these legal and transitional matters and concerns to the best interest of the metropolis and the parties involved.
It would be recalled that in giving out the management of the lorry terminal to a private company, Mr. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, the then Metropolitan Chief Executive explained that the management of the lorry terminal was going to be on contract basis and gave a long list of what was to be expected at Kejetia.
This included the registering of special potters at the place and clothing them for easy identification, a thorough cleaning and monitoring of the infrastructure at the place as well as routine maintenance of the infrastructure.
Aside the deteriorating nature of the place currently is the present crop of vehicular congestion at the place.
The government decided to rehabilitate the lorry terminal in the late 90s with the intention to find a lasting solution to the problem of the heavy pedestrian population, which competed with vehicular traffic resulting in the confusion in the area as a result of the heavy “go-slow” that engulfed the area then and sprang to the centre of Kumasi.
The idea was to find a solution to the problem once and for all whilst at the same time maintain the natural beauty of the area, thereby separate the market, and the cars from the pedestrian.
It looks as if the problem that existed at the place earlier has been allowed to repeat itself with the construction of more market stores at the place thus limiting parking and loading points for vehicles.
There is congestion all over the place at Kejetia presently as vehicles struggle to get access to the terminal, which temporarily block traffic to Adum, Ashanti New Town and Manhyia creating confusion at the place.
The managers were to ensure that hawking was not entertained at the place but the direct opposite of what was outlined is being experienced at the place currently.

80 houses to go down in Kumasi. As KMA commence demolition of houses on waterways

2009-07-20T09:34:00.002Z

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) last Friday commenced an exercise to demolish 80 unauthorised buildings sited on watercourses, in order to stop what authorities described as human-induced flooding in the city.
On the first day of the operation, bulldozers pulled down 26 unauthorised buildings said to be on the course of the Owabi River at Kronum Kyekyire. Forty-four other houses have been earmarked for demolition in the same area but the authorities are still vetting permits provided by the property owners.
Kumasi has had its share of the heavy rains which resulted in flooding in many parts of the country.
Three members of a family of four died at Kronum Kyekyire when their house collapsed on them following flooding after a downpour.
In addition to that property worth thousands of Ghana cedis was destroyed in the area as a result of flooding.
Although some of the residents whose buildings were demolished said they agreed that the buildings were sited on the watercourse, they chastised the chiefs of the area for selling the land to them.
Many of them, especially the women, wept uncontrollably as the bulldozer shovelled their buildings, which they claimed had been constructed with money earned from many years of toil.
Some of them pleaded with the authorities to grant them a grace period to look for alternative accommodation.
Policemen were present to prevent any possible clash between the authorities and the residents who might have sought to stop the demolition exercise.
However, the exercise was carried out peacefully, as there was no resistance from any quarters.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Samuel Sarpong, who personally supervised the exercise, said all unauthorised structures would be demolished to help avert any more disasters in future.
He announced that the exercise would move into the heart of Kumasi, after Kronum, to areas such as Oforikrom, Susanso, Anloga and Airport Roundabout (Agye Boat) where some buildings are sitting on watercourses.
He said the assembly was taking the exercise step by step and that it was currently taking an inventory of all structures on watercourses in those areas as part of due diligence to check where there were no permits and such structures were obstructing the free flow of water.
Mr Sarpong said the assembly wanted to find a lasting solution to the recurrent trend and prevent situations such as happened in Accra.
The Kumasi MCE expressed the hope that the exercise would serve as a deterrent to other people who would want to flout the assembly's bye-laws.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Development Control Officer, Mr Amoako Asiamah, told the Daily Graphic that the KMA would protect lands near water sources after the demolition.
He said those affected at Kronum Kyekyire would not get any compensation since their buildings had no permits.
He said some owners of the remaining 44 buildings had provided permits given them by the Kwabre District Assembly and that the KMA was going to sit down with officers from Kwabre to assess the situation to find the way forward.
Floods from heavy rains have in various degrees hit areas such as Breman-Abusuakruwa, Aboabo, Atonsu S-Line, Ahinsan and parts of Buokrom Estates.
The flood situation, in the country this year has been very serious, rendering many people homeless. ,
President John Evans Atta Mills recently directed that all structures built on watercourses should be demolished to minimise the devastating effects of floods.

Suspected notorious robber gunned down in Kumasi

2009-07-20T09:32:00.000Z

ONE of the most wanted armed robbers on the list of the police in Kumasi, Awudu Karim, was gunned down by a military/police patrol team last Saturday night after more than five years of fruitless attempts to track him down. The death of the gangling Awudu came barely a week after police killed eight armed robbers on the Anwiankwanta-Bekwai road in the Ashanti Region and police said it was another success story in the fight against armed robbery. The deceased who had been linked to a series of robberies in Kumasi and Obuasi was also alleged to have raped a number of women including prostitutes through their anus. He was killed after resisting arrest and injuring a soldier in the process. Police said Awudu also violently freed himself and pointed a locally manufactured pistol at the soldier, forcing the police to gun him down. Popularly referred to as “Awudu Maayanka” the police claimed one of his accomplices named as Francis Gyimah, 16, had just been arrested on Saturday afternoon and had mentioned his name as his boss and mentor. A number of his victims have come forward to identify him as ever robbing and raping them. The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, who briefed the press said one police officer spotted Awudu at the Aboabo Station at Alabar between 10 and 11pm and called for reinforcement to help apprehend him. The commander said upon the arrival of the patrol team a soldier engaged Awudu and arrested him but he managed to free himself injuring the military man in the process. He said they pursued him and just as he pulled a locally manufactured pistol and pointed it at the military man, the police were forced to gun him down. DCOP Timbillah said two live cartridges aside what had been loaded in the locally manufactured gun were retrieved from him. In addition to that two mobile phones, one of which was later identified as a phone he snatched from someone in the afternoon was retrieved from him. DCOP Timbillah said Awudu had been organising young boys for robbery expeditions as well as raping his victims. He claimed some lady victims who had come forward to identify him claimed Awudu preferred raping them via the anus. The Police Commander said on Friday he outwitted the police at the Asokwa residential area after a robbery expedition where he made away with four video decks, GH¢150 cash, four mobile phones and a television set. He stated that on Saturday the police got another information that someone was terrorizing and robbing people at Atonsu Kuwait and the police followed up and later managed to arrest Francis Gyimah, 16, who mentioned Awudu as their mentor and ring leader. The suspect claimed Awudu was around the robbery scene but fled before the police got there. Upon a tip off the police proceeded to the house of another accomplice, named as Paa Tuo where the police retrieved robbery implements including two axes, a scissors and a knife. He said Paa Tuo was on the run and the police were looking for him. DCOP Timbillah said Awudu was an ex-convict who was also being sought for by the Obuasi police for a number of crimes. He said at the Asokwa Police for instance there were about three fresh robbery cases against him which included an attack on some young boys on June 1, 2009, an attack on a beer bar where he was said to have vandalized, ransacked the place and took away money. Since he was gunned down a lot of people have been coming forward to identify him. Moments after his body was dumped at the police headquarters word went round the metropolis and many people besieged the police station during the night and in the morning to identify him. A team of prostitutes “call girls” who came to identify him at about 12 midnight jubilated over his death and alleged that he had been terrorizing them at their various hangouts and had been raping them. “Awudu would never have sex with you in the normal way oo!!, he would force you to bend over at gun point and do it through the anus in the bush”, one of them told the Daily Graphic. The remains have since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue.

Bloody Night. 8 Armed robbers killed in shoot-out with police

2009-07-20T09:31:00.000Z

IN what police say is the single biggest operation against armed robbery in the country, eight armed robbers all believed to be of Fulani extraction, were gunned down by the police in a hail of bullets on the Anwiankwanta-Bekwai road in the Ashanti Region Monday night.
The armed men had barricaded the road at about 7pm robbing travellers when the police, acting upon a tip off, descended on them.
Police identified one of them as Ahmed Boakye, a Fulani man, who was involved in a robbery case at a filling station on April 22, 2007. He was granted bail by a High Court in Kumasi where he was on trial.
Four others believed to have sustained gunshot wounds, managed to escape into the bush and police have called on the public especially medical centres to be on the look out for any one with a suspected gunshot wound who may seek medical attention.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbillah, was excited at the operation and said, “We are on the right path and there is no turning back”
“I promised that we were taking the fight to them and that is what we are just doing,” Timbillah told journalists in Kumasi today.
One policeman was injured on the hand from pellets fired from a locally made pistol the robbers used.
A police vehicle used in the operation was also dented as the robbers fired back in an attempt to flee arrest.
Police retrieved from the robbers, four locally made pistols, 11 unspent cartridges, three spent cartridges six mobile phones, five flashlights and a number of talismans.
Hundreds of people poured into the precincts of the Regional Police Headquarters where the bullet-ridden bodies of the robbers lay. Some cursed them even in death.
DCOP Timbillah said that at about 6.20pm on Monday police had information that some Fulani men had blocked the road, robbing people of their personal belongings.
A detachment of personnel from the Buffalo Unit was detailed to the spot.
The regional commander stated that while the police were getting nearer the scene, they saw a number of vehicles doing the u-turn to escape attack from the armed men.
The policemen continued to the area but before they would reach the spot, the robbers started firing at them resulting in the injury to the policemen.
On realising that the police were closing in on them with other vehicles, the robbers started running away but the police opened fire on them killing eight in the process.
Their bodies had been deposited at the morgue pending further investigations.
Before this incident the biggest single attack on armed robbers was in 2002, when police killed five armed men who attacked a warehouse in Kumasi. A policeman lost his life in the process as the robbers hit back.

Construction works on railways pedestrian bridge in Kumasi resume

2009-06-24T08:58:00.002Z

Construction works on the pedestrian footbridge at the railways area in Kumasi, which formed part of the Asafo Market-UTC interchange project has resumed.
The footbridge is to link the Roman Hill area to Adum in the central business district of Kumasi across the railway station.
A new contractor, High Brains Limited has won the bid to take over the construction of the pedestrian footbridge which was suspended by Sarroch Gelfi JV, the contractors that executed works on the Asafo interchange.
High Brains has consequently commenced works on the bridge pending a formal award so as to help avert further delay of the completion of the project.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu has since inspected the works done so far by High Brains and has expressed appreciation about the works.
As part of the road sector development programme, the government obtained a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) towards the cost of construction of the Asafo Market-UTC interchange in Kumasi.
The project involved the construction of two railway overpass bridges and an interchange with four ramps, improvement of some local roads and the provision of a pedestrian footbridge and traffic management facilities.
On January 2004 a contract was signed between the Government of Ghana and Messrs Sarroch Gelfi JV (the contractor) for the execution of the works.
On November 9, 2007 the project was less the pedestrian bridge commissioned by former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
The contractor had programmed to complete the construction of the footbridge by end of March 2008 however on November 15, 2007 the contractor informed the Engineer that he was suspending works due to delay in payment of some of the outstanding payment certificates.
Information gathered indicated that the contractor was advised against suspension of works and was informed that efforts were being made to get the World Bank to have the outstanding certificates settled but the contractor did not rescind his decision to suspend works and went further to terminate the contract on November 30, 2007.
The percentage of work completed on the footbridge at the time of termination, according to information by the Kumasi Metropolitan Urban Roads Department was about 50percent.
The components for the bridge were in the country and were on site and to help avoid pilfering of the components and damaging, the government then decided to have the bridge completed as a matter of urgency.
Therefore the project was advertised for invitation of eligible contractors interested in the undertaking the outstanding works and High Brains Limited won the bid.
Nana Yaw Kissi, Chief Executive Officer of High Brains said works were expected to be completed by the end of 2009.
He said market women who paraded their trading activities at the railways area had taken over the site when works started and had created a lot of filth in the area.
He said a total of about 700 meter cube of filth were evacuated from the site.
At the time of the Minister’s visit, it was observed that the steel bolts and nuts which were used on galvanise had started rusting.
Nana Kissi explained that he was going to replace the steel bolts and nuts with galvanised ones.
High Brains Limited was the contractors that excellently and perfectly recently rehabilitated the Adomi Bridge.

9 looters arrested in K'si Central Market

2009-06-01T09:45:00.000Z

NINE persons who attempted to take advantage of Thursday’s fire outbreak at the Kumasi Central Market to loot from the blazing fire have been arrested by the police.
According to the police, the nine were part of dozens of looters who had a field day as the fire raged.
Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, the Police Public Affairs Officer in charge of the region, said the suspects had since been arraigned for stealing.
He said three members of the Community Protection Unit under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) were also arrested by the police and placed in custody for stealing.
They were said to have taken monies from one of the suspects the police arrested for attempting to loot.
The police said they removed GH¢92 and an unspecified amount of CFA from the pockets of the suspects, whilst escorting them to the Central Police Station.
The names of the three were given as Richard Ofori, Kennedy Tweneboah, both attached to the Central MTTU, and Kofi Asare, who is attached to the Ridge Police Station.
The market has also been closed to the public following the disaster. And to effect the closure, armed security personnel, comprising the military and police, have been detailed to provide a 24-hour guard.
The main road in front of the market has also been closed to traffic.
The closure is to enable city officials to take stock of the cost of damage caused by the fire and plan the way forward.
Additionally, the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has begun investigations into the incident.
The Ashanti Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, confirmed that the REGSEC took a serious view of the fire outbreak and would move to prevent a future recurrence.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who visited the scene yesterday, asked the KMA to find a lasting solution to the perennial fire outbreaks at the market.
Although the Fire Service is yet to confirm the cause of the inferno, some traders blamed it on an electric fault while others accused a trader who was said to be using a candle in her shop.
Firefighters responded promptly to the call when it started but they were unable to battle the fire effectively as a result of the congestion, causing the fire to spread to several stalls. They, therefore, blamed the massive destruction on the lack of access to the market.
It took them the whole afternoon and night to bring the fire under control. Some of the stalls have been constructed on fire hydrants and on access lanes in the market.
The area, popularly referred to as “Eighteen Mu” in the market was badly affected.
The firefighters had a difficult time gaining access to the scene and tracing water hydrants, which had been covered with concrete for stalls to be constructed on them.
This is not the first time fire has gutted Kumasi’s busiest market and city authorities faulted for failing to take measures to prevent the outbreak and ensuring that access roads were created in the market.
On all the occasions that fire had gutted the market, the fire service personnel were unable to battle the blaze effectively as a result of lack of access, normally resulting in massive destruction.
That notwithstanding, the extent of destruction in Thursday’s blaze was generally considered as unprecedented in the history of fire outbreaks associated with the central market.
It is not clear why the KMA has been unable to enforce its bye-laws and to ensure that sanity prevails in the market in spite of the numerous outbreaks of fire.

Blazing fire in Kumasi Central Market

2009-05-29T08:19:00.004Z

Fire yesterday blazed through the Kumasi Central Market, leaving in its wake massive destruction of stalls and wares, including foodstuffs, footwear, cooking utensils, drums of edible oil and clothing.
The inferno brought the business hub of the metropolis to a standstill as personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) had a difficult time gaining access to the scene and tracing water hydrants due to congestion at the market and the haphazard manner tables, shops and stalls had been arranged or constructed both in front of the market and in the market itself.
The firefighters however managed to gain access to the blazing fire and battled it all afternoon, heavy smoke still oozing out by press time.
As the firemen battled the blazing fire, the outskirts were a scene of sorrow, anguish and pain as scores of traders, mostly women, who had lost valuable items and goods screamed, sobbed or wept uncontrollably.
Some of the traders lay sprawled on the road in front of the market as they mourned their losses, drawing a large crowd to the scene.
An elderly woman who could not contain her loss of an unspecified amount of money and goods screamed, “God, I am finished!”, as she was led away and consoled by friends and relations.
The cause of the fire could not immediately be established but it started at about 2:00pm when business activity was at its peak and razed from behind the main storey building to the western end of the market close to the railway line and in the area popularly referred to as "Eighteen mu".
By 5:30pm, about a quarter of the market, said to be the biggest in West Africa had been completely burnt down.
Some traders in haste to salvage their goods unpacked them from their stores and rushed them out of the market.
Personnel of the Ambulance Service were on standby to provide medical assistance to casualties whilst the police were also around to maintain law and order, as well as protect life and property. It had not been established whether there were any casualties at the time of filing this report.
Business activities came to a standstill as traders, commuters and customers ran helter-skelter to avoid the inferno.
Some traders claimed they spotted the fire in the area of the bag dealers and within minutes it had torched many stores and shops.
Successive Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executives have announced plans to pull down old structures of the market which is susceptible to fire outbreaks to make way for new and modern one but nothing concrete has been down over the years.
MORE PICTURES

Asantehene 10th anniversary golf

2009-05-22T11:47:00.004Z

Picture shows His Royal Highness, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II playing his favourite sport - golf. Check the King out as he tees off.

Picture shows His Royal Highness, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II playing his favourite sport - golf. Check the King out as he tees off.

The Asantehene’s 10th anniversary Gold Cup Open Golf Championship was held at the weekend at the Royal Golf Course in Kumasi.
The four-day 72-Hole event, which was opened to both amateur and professional golfers from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and some other African countries was sponsored by MTN and Diageo with support from other co-sponsors and the Manhyia Palace.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, himself a keen golfer, took the ceremonial tee-off on Thursday in a 4-Hole event with Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah, Manso Nkwantahene, Mr Baffour Awuah, Captain of Kumasi Golf Club and Mr Eben Albertyn, Chief Technical Officer at MTN.
The competition, which ended on Sunday May 24, 2009, was played in accordance with the rules of the world’s golf governing body and the local rules of the Royal Golf Club.
It formed part of activities marking the 10th anniversary celebration of the enthronement of the Asantehene on the Golden Stool.
Mr George Andah, Marketing Officer of MTN said a total of GH¢50,000 was pumped into the competition by the sponsors and added that GH¢10,000 of the sponsorship package was to be used for a water project at the Royal Golf Course.
The winner in the professional event took home GH¢5000 and a 3.5G wireless modem from MTN.

Prof. Kantanka elected new Bishop of Kumasi Methodist

2009-05-18T11:03:00.003Z

The Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana has elected Very Rev Professor Osei Sarfo Kantanka, Director of the Lay Ministries at the Freeman Centre as the new Diocesan Bishop.
He polled 147 votes in an election which was conducted at the weekend at the 48th Synod of the Diocese in Kumasi as against 48 and 34 votes polled by his other contestants, Very Rev Dr Paul Boafo and Very Rev O. Samuel Kwaku Boakye respectively.
Professor Kantanka who is also a lecturer at the College of Agriculture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) takes over from Right Rev Professor Emmanuel K. Asante in October 2009 as Diocesan Bishop.
Professor Asante on his part has been elevated to the high office of Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, and he would be taking over in October 2009 from Most Rev Dr Robert Aboagye Mensah, the current Presiding Bishop.
Very Rev Prof Osei Sarfo Kantanka said his election was a call to duty as a chief servant of the Methodist Church in Kumasi and its surrounding areas.
He said the position of a Bishop was an office which required dedication and hard work and that he would need the support of the entire membership of the church to be able to deliver.
He mentioned that his vision was to ensure that the church embarked on agricultural projects so as to ensure that there was food to feed people in the country.
Rt Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante on his part said Prof Kantanka’s elevation was not a victory for an individual but a victory for the Lord who chooses whom he wants to lead his church.
He prayed that God would grant him grace to be his chief servant and leader adding that there was no way he could do the work alone without support from the entire membership of the church.
He asked the Bishop elected to be humble and not be a dictator in his dealings, rather work in consonance with the vision of the synod to be each others keeper.
Meanwhile in another development The Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church has congratulated the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for a successful 10-year reign which has brought about peace, development and unity among Ghanaians.
“We take advantage of your reign to extend to you the heartfelt congratulations of all the people called Methodists”.
This was contained in a citation presented to the Asantehene at the 48th annual synod of the Kumasi Diocese of the church held at the Wesley Cathedral in Kumasi at the weekend.
The citation read by Right Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese, was presented by the Most reverend Robert Aboagye Mensah, outgoing Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, to mark the 10th anniversary celebration of Otumfuo.
It said the Methodist church Ghana is grateful to all Kings of Asanteman who displayed hospitality to emissaries of “our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Wesleyans and Methodist”.
“This spirit of hospitality was outstandingly demonstrated in the reign of nana Kwaku Dua I in the granting of lands on which the Kumasi Methodist circuit offices and the diocesan offices are now sited.”
The citation said “as shown by the promotion of Wesley College and Mmofraturo School, education has been the hallmark of Asante kings, but you have excelled in your concern for education, by the creation of the Otumfuo Education Fund that extends its facilities beyond Asante to other parts of Ghana.”
“Again your counselling and leadership have led to the reconciliation, peace, unity primarily among Asante chiefs, such leadership that has also been utilised to affect other needy areas of Ghana.”
“Your vision has extended to health-care especially HIV/AIDS and sponsored development projects that responded to the needs of ordinary people at the community level”
It said “we are thrilled to remark that divine guidance marked your ancestral line back to Nana Osei Tutu I, when he was coupled by the outstanding priest Okomfo Anokye to initiate unity”.
“This time round, by your faith, your highness Otumfuo Osei tutu II, should surely be coupled by the eternal high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ whose present representatives, the Bishops are always near you.”
The citation together with a Bible, Methodist hymn book, weekly Bible lesson and a sheep were received by Nana professor Agyewodin Adu-Gyamfi, Acheraensua Omanhene, on behalf of Otumfuo Osei Tutu.
He thanked the Methodist church for its contribution to education, health and social services in Ghana.

Kumasi to get bigger shopping mall

2009-05-13T09:41:00.001Z

Kumasi is set to get one of the largest and most modern shopping malls in West Africa, bigger than what was currently in Accra.
The Methodist Church Ghana has released its large tract of land located near the Suame roundabout to managers of the Accra Mall, for them to set up the facility in Kumasi.
Right Rev Professor Emmanuel K. Asante, Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church who made this known said the church was currently in negotiations with managers of the Accra Mall to fine-tune the project, expected to cost about US$42million.
The Bishop, who was speaking at a media briefing ahead of the 48th annual synod of the Kumasi Diocese of the church, which comes on from May 13-17, 2009 said the designs for the retail venture were still in their final stages and that if all should go well, construction works would commence in September 2009.
“We have a few in-house things to do like meeting with the Asantehene to clarify on certain aspects before construction work commence”, he said.
The project is expected to use about 18months to complete when construction starts, the Bishop said.
He explained that the mall was expected to be a great success in making a major impact on the lives of residents of Kumasi.
The about 20 000m2 mall, to be named Garden City Mall, will be the second modern shopping centre in Ghana and will be comparable to other similar sized shopping centres anywhere in the world.
The Methodist Church’s land in Kumasi near the Suame roundabout, which had been lying idle for many years is highly accessible and borders the Suame roundabout. It is surrounded by roads on all its boundaries which make it highly accessible. An extensive interchange is planned for the future on the roundabout.
The site is currently vacant, except for a number of minor structures. It is dished along its east and west axis and has a number of natural storm water channels which lead to a single outlet on the east boundary.
Rt. Rev Professor Asante said it had taken the church a long time in deliberating on what to do with the land until they finally settled on the shopping mall.
He said the design of the mall is contemporary in all aspects with an underground car park, entertainment centre, a mini promotions court in the basement among a host of other facilities.
Over the past years, consumer demand for convenience and quality has grown considerably and modern retail has been expanding at a very fast pace in the emerging markets.
Although some critics have questioned the impact of modern retail growth on emerging economies, it is generally considered beneficial as it produces a myriad of positive benefits that far outweigh any perceived disadvantages.
A growth in the retail industry has been said to be a catalyst for job creation, the reduction of protectionism, infrastructural improvements, improved standards of living, competitive advantages and economic growth.
Also a growing economy and a commercial boom have been said to have resulted in unprecedented retail growth. Ghana with a total population of 20 million people, 35percent of which is now urbanized has about 1.6 million of that population living in Kumasi, Ghana’s second capital city.
Kumasi is a city with very few buildings over two storey high and up until now, goods have been provided via a multitude of street sellers and strip shopping environments. A growing middle class with disposable income has created a substantial demand for consumer goods.
People all over the world have been described as surprisingly similar in their shopping patterns and habits and as such the Garden City Mall is expected to raise living standards by providing food and products as well as leisure facilities in a safe and congenial shopping environment.
Kumasi residents will be able to enjoy the goods and services widely available elsewhere in the world.

Suame Magazine Institute gets support

2009-05-07T13:59:00.001Z

The quest by the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO) to ensure the application of modern automatics engineering in vehicular diagnostics and repairs in the industrial operations of Suame Magazine has received a significant boost. This followed the engagement of Mr.Lubomir Spacek, from the United Kingdom, an international expert and a service engineer from WABCO, one of the leading European and Global auto brands for a two day seminar on Electronic Braking Systems(EBS) and Anti Lock Braking systems(ABS) at Suame Magazine. The seminar was organised for 50 artisanal students and instructors of the Suame Magazine Automatics Technical Institute (SMATI). The seminar which was facilitated by the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO) and the European Truck & Trailer Parts LTD (ETTP) was the first in the series of such seminars intended to expose the artisanal engineering students at SMATI to modern auto engineering best practices in the global automobile industry. The European Truck & Trailer Parts LTD (ETTP) is the authorised sales representatives of leading European auto brands such as Bosch, Mahle Filter, SACHS, WABCO, Garrett, Holset, Ferodo and FD Diesel in West Africa with its headquarters in Accra. The artisans were taken through a wide range of lessons in vehicular stability and road safety through modern Electronic Braking Systems, Anti Lock Braking systems and the basics of auto diagnostics engineering. The lectures were delivered by Mr. Lubomir Spacek ,through interpreters who are part of the SMIDO local team of experts in auto diagnostics studies currently assisting the students at the Suame Magazine Automatics Technical Institute (SMATI). A cross section of students interviewed were highly impressed with the exposure and said they wish they had been introduced to this system very early in their career to minimise the dangers of try and error in vehicular repairs. Some of them saw the exposure as a reminder of the level of denial and lack of interest in their trade by policy stakeholders who could have initiated this earlier on in the life of Suame Magazine. They were issued with certificates after the two day seminar. In an interview with the Resident Director of ETTP, Mr Ingo Weiler, he said the successful organisation of the seminar was to test the ground to assess the capacity of the artisans for them to appreciate modern automatics engineering practices. He indicated that upon the establishment of the institute prospects have improved for SMATI-ETTP partnership for equipment support, curricula development, common project adoption and implementation as well as the engagement of renowned global industry experts through their international partners for seminars at Suame Magazine. On his part, the consultant to SMIDO, Mr.Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, indicated that they were working vigorously to formalise the partnership with ETTP by June this year to strengthen their collaboration in all spheres of automatics engineering. He said he greatest desire was to ensure that both conventional and indigenous technologies were well harmonised for incorporation into the industrial operations of Suame magazine via SMATI. He indicated that apart from the transfer of technology component of the prospective partnership, they intend to push for the kind of collaboration which will enable SMATI and ETTP to initiate projects with the Ministry of Transport to offer state-of-the art solutions to national development challenges in the automobile industry in the country.

UEW produces particle boards from crop residue

2009-05-07T13:58:00.000Z

THE University of Education Winneba (UEW) has made a technological breakthrough, with the production of particleboards using various crop residues and elephant grass for use in the furniture manufacturing industry.
The Faculty of Technical Education of the University located in Kumasi, in collaboration with the BMK Particle Board in Takoradi, produced the particleboards using residues including corn stalk, sugar cane bagasse and empty fruit bunch of the oil palm.
Over the years in Ghana, agricultural residues such as corn stalk and sugar cane bagasse were usually burnt on farms with their inherent pollution of the environment and the reduction of soil nutrients because of the belief that they have no economic use..
However, the University led by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Reynolds Okai, with collaboration from BMK Particle Board in Takoradi, researched and uncovered that such agricultural residues could be utilised for the production of particleboards by industry.
The university has subsequently successfully manufactured different particleboard products such as beds, tables, bookshelf, TV stands, lockers and chipboards from the agricultural residue.
This was made known as well as exhibited at the university’s 5th Media Encounter in Kumasi on Wednesday, which was aimed at enhancing the relationship between the university and the media.
The encounter was on the theme, “UEW and National Education Reforms: Inspiring innovation and gender mainstreaming in UEW”.
Making a presentation on the industrial utilisation of the agricultural residue, Prof. Okai said the research was motivated by the increased demand for tropical timber which had resulted in depletion of large areas of forest cover.
He noted that Ghana’s forest cover of over eight million hectares during independence has reduced drastically to 1.4milion hectares and that illegal logging and chainsaw operations, farming activities and over dependence on traditional species including odum and mahogany were accounting for depletion of the forest.
Prof Okai said the ban on chainsaw operations and the promotion of lesser-known species were some of the measures instituted by the government to halt the depletion of the forest as well as the setting up of an annual allowable cut of one million cubic metres of round logs.
He said inspite of these measures, the annual timber requirement was estimated at 4.5million cubic metres of round logs and that there was the need to look for alternative species or materials as substitute for timber production.
He said as part of the research the corn stalk, elephant grass, sugar cane bagasse and empty fruit bunch of the oil palm were extracted from Daboase, a semi-deciduous forest zone in the Western region.
The Dean of Faculty of Education said they were then converted into chips, broken down into small particles, dried and screened and then glued together to form mats.
Prof Okai said the research indicated that the particleboards made from the agric residue were of fine quality than those made from wood and were also sweetable to use as chipboards.
He also added that the boards made from agric residue were also better in terms of water and moisture absorption than that of wood.
Also on gravity, he said the agric residue board have more weight than that of wood.
Prof Okai therefore called on government to help revamp the BMK Particle Board at Takoradi as well as help set up a particleboard production plain in the Brong Ahafo region where corn was grown in abundance.
Again, he called for establishment of a particleboard plant in the Eastern region preferably Nkawkaw and said there was the need for government to assist the private sector to set up particleboard plants.
The Vice Chancellor of the UEW, Prof Akwasi Ameyaw Asabre said the university was also researching into waste plastic and that it was currently doing some work on used water sachet and that findings of the research would be made public when it was completed.
He called for assistance from the government to enable the university to do more than it is now doing.
He announced that beginning next academic year, the university would open an additional campus at Ajumako in the Central region to bring the campuses of the university to four, Winneba, Kumasi, Mampong and Ajumako.
It would be recalled that the UEW had already discovered that the oil palm trunk could be utilised for lumber and furniture production.
Unfortunately, industry was yet to take up the findings for mass production.

Otumfuo durbar - A lifetime feast

2009-05-07T13:57:00.000Z

A grand durbar, which climaxed the 10th anniversary celebrations of the enstoolment of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool, turned out to be a great cultural feast for thousands from all parts of the world.
A significant aspect of the durbar was the exhibition of the wealth of the Asantehene and his state as shown in the regalia paraded in his procession to the durbar grounds.
The rich culture and heritage of traditional rulers of Asanteman and other parts of the country were in full glare as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II led his paramount, divisional and sub chiefs to celebrate the anniversary at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The durbar ground witnessed varieties of Kente cloths, an assortment of colourful state umbrellas of different shapes and sizes and other traditional costumes, which brought memories of yesteryears, when traditional costumes were the order of the day.
The main focus of the festival, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was the centre of pomp and pageantry. The King sat in his palanquin from Asafo and danced his way unto the durbar grounds accompanied by long retinue of palace attendants depicting the various roles they play at the palace.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu was adorned in rich kente cloth with ornaments of gold on his hands and feet. The weight of the gold ornaments made it difficult for him to lift his hands to greet the dignitaries who had gathered at the stadium in his honour.
The Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem who is about 105years old arrived at the durbar grounds briefly, paid homage to her son and departed. She received great cheers for having given Asanteman a great King,
But many were those who were disappointed, as they could not see the real sacred Golden Stool, which represent the soul of Asanteman.
A replica Golden Stool was carried to the stadium and displayed on a special chair (Hwedom) made for it.
Again many foreigners who anticipated to see more drumming and dancing were disappointed as they could only do with speeches after the Asantehene had taken his seat.
Parents had to carry their children on their shoulders for them to have a clear view of the Asantehene and his wealth as he rode in a palanquin from Asafo to the stadium in the once-in-a-life-time experience event.
The Asantehene was led by the “samanka”, which consist of a brass pan borne by one of the Asantehene’s healers and diviners “Nsumankwafo” and in it were talismans and herbs said to posses the power to drive away evil spirits so as to pave the way for the King to approach.
The “nsumankwafo” carried “bodua” which is a flywhisk made of animal tail and treated with medicine to drive off evil spirits.
Following closely after the “samanka” was the “sika mpaboa”, sandals with gold studded straps. It depicted the power of the King as it symbolises the fact that the King’s feet must never touch the bare ground.
Then came the “nsafoa” bunches of steel, silver and gold keys, symbolising that all doors were shut and locked up in the palace whilst the Asantehene was out.
This was followed by “mentia” (elephant tusk short horns) made of “kokwangya” horns, which in literal sense are known as “never left behind”, because they are always on hand whenever the King turns out in state.
“Nkofe”, present when the King turns out in public and “ntahera” which together with the two preceding horns heralds and announce the arrival of the Asantehene. The last one, “nkontwema” reminds all of the need to keep to time or the importance of being punctual.
Following the horns were chairs, “krokowa”, footstool for the Asantehene when he sits in public, “banwoma” an elephant skin that serves as a carpet for the chair, “Hwedom” which the Golden Stool rests, “Hwedomtea”, a chair on which the Asantehene sits and which is placed on a leopard skin. It is decorated with silver and gold studs, the back of this chair is embossed with a circular design in silver, called “dwenie”.
“Asipim nnamu”, “mmaadwa”, “hwedom”, “kodeedwa” were all part of the chairs that were displayed last Sunday.
Then came the drums, “sika akua”, “sika sankuo”, “nkukuadwa”, “mpedi”, “nkrawire”, “etwie”, “prempe” and “kwantempomuta” all together comprising the Asantehene’s musical ensemble.
Next in the procession were the swords, “asomfena” – courier swords, “mfena” and “mfenatenefuo” – sword bearers.
Following the swords were the umbrellas, “boaman”, “oyokomaa”, “nyankonton” – rainbow, “akokobaatan”, “nankanini”, “mfoanfoa”, amd “prekese”.
“Dwete-kokuo”, a silver casket in which were placed odd requirements of the Asantehene as he goes out from the palace, such as gold dust he would need to make purchases or to give away as presents was also around.
“Nseniefo” court criers and carriers who follow the symbolic regalia wearing gold decorated caps and are responsible for the maintenance of quiet and order when the Asantehene sits in public and also used as couriers of messages were also there.
“Ekyemfoo” bearers of shields made of wicker and decorated with skins of colobus monkey and “taa-hyefuo” bearers of gold and silver decorated tobacco pipes were also in the procession.
Their presence in the procession signified that it was the wish of the people that their leader should live to an old age since pipes are smoked mostly by the aged.
Other regalia of the procession were “ekyem” (war shields), “adumfuo” and “abrafuo” (guards and executioners”, “kokosesefuo” (young men of the royal family with fans), “ahopraduo” (bearers of the King’s elephant tail whisks, “nkotokuwa” and “sanaa and fotuo” (bags made of elephant hide containing god weights –sanaa- and gold dust – fotuo”)/
Indeed, the durbar was a great cultural feast that also signified the unifying factor of the Asantehene bearing in mind the calibre of dignitaries from all over the world as well as Ghanaians from different ethnic groupings and political parties that were there.

MTN rocks Kumasi with Otumfuo concert.

2009-05-07T13:43:00.001Z

Okyeame Kwame proved that he was a real force to reckon with when in a unique style, he performed to pay tribute to His Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his modernisation of the chieftaincy institution.
At a concert, which was held in the Asantehene’s honour as part of his 10th anniversary celebrations last Friday, Okyeame Kwame arrived on stage in a palanquin, clad in a kente cloth with a sword “afena” in hand to signify the celebration of chieftaincy.
He gave the audience some acapella, poetry recitals all in praise of the Asantehene before flying onto “cloud nine” to bring out some old and new songs from his collection.
The Jubilee Park, the venue for the show was choked with people, comprising both elderly and young who trooped in from almost every corner of Oseikrom to be part of the anniversary.
The amazing performances exhibited by various artistes on the night was preceded with a “show your stomach” dance by the Master of Ceremony, Kwame Adinkra a.k.a. Apotiti of Angel FM who danced to the tune of “Alhaji Alhaji, Alhajo…” before introducing himself and the artistes.
Kwaku Gyasi as usual kick started the night, singing to live band music in praises to God almighty for the Asantehene’s life as well as ask God to give him long life.
Obrafour followed Gyasi to show his love to the people of Oseikrom through the power of music.
Lord Kenya appeared wearing a white top over a blue checked skirt and was determined to give off his best in his home soil but poor sound quality thwarted his efforts and before he could burst into his usual “jittery” moves, Charter House, organisers of the show had to call for an abrupt end in the performance.
The disappointed Kenya coolly walked off the stage for the anomaly to be rectified.
It was at this point that a big anniversary cake for the Asantehene was brought onto the stage for cutting. Unfortunately the audience in the popular stand could not get a bite as only the VIP guests did get to enjoy it.
A colourful firework display was also exhibited in honour of the Asantehene.
It was after that moment that the MC for the show, Kwame Adinkra explained that an earlier rainfall caused water to enter the sound systems thereby resulting in the hitches.
Lady Prempeh, followed by Echo, Ritchie and Asem took their turns to perform.
The audience welcomed the announcement of Okyeame Kwame with cheers and applause to show that they were there for no other thing but good music from the “Rap Doctor”
Batman Samini attested to the fact that he was not just a good rapper but could sing to live band music and do it well as he unleashed scintillating tunes to entertain the fans.
With heavy security presence made up of both police and military personnel, not many bad incidents occurred at the function apart from a few miscreants who thought they could take the law into their hands but the vigilant security personnel managed to track them.
While others were dancing and sweating, some of the fans were also pushing closer to the stage to catch a closer glimpse of the artistes
It was a well-organised show with a modern magnificent stage and lightening but the sound quality system could have been better.

It was a cultural feast

2009-04-28T11:55:00.004Z

A GRAND durbar at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi to climax the 10th anniversary celebration of the enstoolment of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool, turned out to be a great cultural feast for thousands of local and foreign tourists, as well as leaders from all parts of the globe.

From Spain to South Africa and neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire as well as Togo and Nigeria and across Ghana, they came in their numbers to witness the rich culture of Asanteman which also signified the unifying factor of the Asantehene.

The rich culture and costume of traditional rulers of Asanteman and other parts of the country were in full glare as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II led his paramount, divisional and sub chiefs to celebrate the anniversary at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.

The durbar grounds witnessed varieties of kente cloths and other traditional costumes, which brought memories of yesteryear, when traditional costume was the other of the day.

The main architect of the durbar, Otumfuo Osei Tutu was not left out of the pomp and pageantry as he danced his way in his palanquin onto the durbar grounds around 11am with his “soul” (Golden Stool) sitting in front of him.

At the rear was a long retinue of palace attendants depicting the various roles they play at the King’s Palace.

What enthralled many people were the presence of four former African Heads of States and a former Prime Minister of Spain who were honoured by the Asantehene for their various contributions to the growth and deepening of democracy on the African continent.

They included His Excellencies Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, a former President of Ghana, H.E. Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana, H.E. Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, former President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and H.E. Jose Maria Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain.

They were each decorated with rich kente cloths and a citation accompanying the awards expressed the hope that the awards would inspire incumbent African leaders to follow the shinning examples and footsteps of the former Presidents who constitutionally transferred power to their elected successors peacefully and smoothly.

Also in attendance was Prof John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana who was himself adorned in a rich kente cloth over a gold coloured jumper.

On the Asantehene’s entry into the inner perimeter of the stadium, almost everybody present waved their white handkerchief in spontaneous applause for the King.

The thousands of people who had filled the stadium in their numbers, mostly clad in kente and white cloths, some specifically designed for the occasion understood why he was sitting on the Golden Stool.

From head to toe, Otumfuo was dressed in rich kente cloth with ornaments of pure gold adorning his hands and feet. The weight of the gold ornaments made it difficult for him to lift his hands to greet dignitaries who had gathered at the stadium to join him to celebrate the anniversary.

Following the Asantehene was the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem who also received great cheers for having given Asanteman a great King.

However just before the Asantehene delivered his anniversary speech, the Asantehemaa left the stadium and went back to the Manhyia Palace.

As early as 7am paramount, divisional and sub chiefs had already taken their seats at the durbar ground and residents who were eager to be part of the ceremony were also seated.

Ministers of State, government functionaries and other dignitaries including the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina T. Wood who were also richly dressed in kente cloths and native sandals also added colour to the gathering as they waited patiently for the Head of State, President Mills and the Asantehene.

The dignitaries included Oni of Ife, Oba of Okanade Sijiuwade, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Adebayo, the Osama of Benin, Chief Sir Dr Gabriel Igbenidion all of Nigeria and King Leruo Moltlegi of Bafokeng, South Africa, Madam Winnie Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela and Madam Xernona Claytor, a philanthropist and founder of the Prestigious Trumpet Awards.

There were also leaders of the various political parties including Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Presidential Candidates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) respectively in the 2008 elections.

Walking gorgeously in his kente cloth over a gold jumper, President Mills shook hands with the Asantehene on his arrival.

After the President and his entourage had returned to their seats after exchanging greetings with the celebrant King Osei Tutu, other dignitaries including former President Jerry Rawlings adorned in a white top over white trousers went over to greet the Asantehene amidst thunderous applause from the crowd.

Typical of the former President, he responded to the cheers of the crowd by waving and taking a pause to bow. Accompanying the former President was his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.

Gun wielding military personnel maintained a tight security in the stadium. Accredited media personnel had hectic times taking photographs as well as filming the event as the security men denied them access to where the Asantehene sat.

The crowd at certain times was uncontrollable with the security personnel having a hectic time controlling them. The Bantamahene, Baffour Amankwatia was himself a victim of embarrassment at the hands of the military personnel and his retinue for instance had a hectic time before he was given access to the inner perimeter to take his seat.

Water was a very essential commodity and any time some water was brought into the arena, the speed with which people rushed for some to quench their thirst was better experienced than imagined.

Pickpockets had a field day. The Red Cross was handy to provide first aid to those who developed problems standing in the scorching sun just to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

About 50 people collapsed from hunger and thirst but many were those who were disappointed, as they could not have a clear view of the sacred Golden Stool, which was carried into the arena of the stadium sitting in front of the Asantehene in the palanquin.

It was however on display on a special dais made for it beside where the Asantehene sat.

How prepared in Kumasi for the rains

2009-04-24T15:55:00.001Z

There have been times in the not-so-distant past when many areas in Kumasi did not seem like a flood-prone area but these days, a lot more neighborhoods in the city have been underwater from the slightest of rains or thunderstorms.
Last week residents were at the receiving end of yet another torrential rainfall, which caused serious damages to properties amounting to thousands of cedis, as a result of poor planning and the bad drainage system of the city.
Many people have been praying for rains to come but in a twist of fate, it looks like Kumasi was not prepared for the floods.
Last week’s rains stretched the virtually collapsed drainage system in Kumasi to its limit. It all started on Easter Monday and throughout the week, the clouds continued to gather and once again the torrential rainstorms hit the city and several other towns in the Ashanti region.
Vehicles in some affected areas such as Atonsu, Ahinsan, Airport roundabout, North Patasi were submerged in the water.
A bridge on the Adiembra-Atasemanso road was not spared as floods washed portions of it away.
In some areas, traders had their possessions swept away as a result of heavy flooding, the cause of which was attributed to choked gutters and the lack of a proper drainage system.
Some had to navigate through the flood, carrying some of their goods on their heads, in order to ferry them to safety.

At the Asafo, Bantama and Ashanti New Town communities, which boasts of a relatively good site plan and well-constructed roads and gutters, store owners displayed their goods in front of their shops convinced that they were protected from running waters from floods. They however, had a shock of their lives, when they realised that the water had filled the gutters and ran onto the main streets, carrying along valuable items.

Vehicular movement also became extremely difficult, particularly for saloon cars, which had no choice, but to park in safe places and allow the "artificially created rivers" to dry up before continuing with their journey.
Reports gathered by the Daily Graphic indicated that many drivers were forced to use alternative routes, as many roads were flooded.
Residents who live in areas highly prone to flooding were also reported to have suffered serious damages to properties, as a result of the torrential rain.
The accompanying strong winds also destroyed some properties, including billboards, while some residents had the roofs of their stores ripped off.
Along the South Suntreso - North Patasi road there was flooding on the road as well as at the Friend’s Garden junction.
With further rains forecast for the entire country the situation is not bound to get better. It therefore behoves on all to prepare for the floods.
Residents have meanwhile blamed city authorities for allocating lands on waterways to private developers, thereby preventing rivers from flowing freely anytime there is a heavy downpour.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), have in the past warned residents in the metropolis about the devastating effects of rains and cautioned against building on waterways.
As the rainy season draws near, there was the need to take practical steps to protect lives and property.

However it is not clear residents are adequately prepared for any eventualities as many people continue to throw litter into gutters to block free flow of water as well as continue to build on waterways.
As we look back on past years, we are being urged to think ahead in case the situation is repeated but it looks as if many people living in flood prone areas aren’t aware of the risk, and are not taking any action to prepare for such disruption and damage.
There is therefore the need to encourage people to be aware of the risks they may be facing and also to persuade people to prepare for flooding.

Flooding is a real risk. It is one we know about and one that people can do something practical about. Previous years’ floods have been described as ‘wake-up’ calls, but there are signs that the alarm bells aren’t ringing loudly enough to trigger action by many people.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Photo Exhibition marking 10th anniversary

2009-04-16T11:18:00.006Z

Pictures show Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene viewing photos of himself at the 10th anniversary Photo Exhibition of his reign. The exhibition opened at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi on Wednesday April 15 and would end on Tuesday May 8, 2009. Also in the picture is Professor Irene Odotei, Former Director of the Institute of African Studies and Nana Otuo Serebour II, Juabenhene.An audio-visual and photo exhibition of the achievements of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, for the past ten years has been opened in Kumasi. The three-week exhibition which forms part of activities marking his tenth anniversary as the Asantehene will offer the public the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the achievements of the King.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu himself was presented at the exhibition.

Dignitaries at the function included the Ashanti Regional Minister, Kofi Opoku Manu.

The former Director of the Institute of African Studies, Professor Irene Odotei, noted that the exhibition which showcases the wood works of the Asantehene as well as interaction with world leaders, will serve as inspiration to the public. She therefore advised all to patronize the exhibition so as to learn at first hand, Otumfuo’s numerous works.

Kumasi Girls School wall destroyed - As boundry dispute worsens

2009-04-15T09:14:00.002Z

Daily Graphic Wednesday April 15, 2009 Page 11

Story and Picture: Enoch Darfah Frimpong, Kumasi

The tension between the authorities of the Kumasi Girls High School (KUGHIS) and the chiefs and people of Abrepo over a boundary dispute took a new turn as unknown assailants demolished the school’s wall/
The assailants who were alleged to have been hired by the chiefs of Abrepo destroyed about 100 metres of the wall whose construction had been funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) last week.
The matter has since been reported to the Suame Police for investigations and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has been informed about the latest development.
There has been a protracted boundary dispute between the authorities of KUGHIS and the chiefs and people of Abrepo comprising the Apeede and Dufie Royal House which had travelled to many quarters for amicable solution over the years.
Whilst the authorities of the school claim that about 50 private individuals have encroached on its land at Bohyen Abrepo, a suburb of Kumasi and put up residential accommodation making the expansion of the school difficult, the developers claim the land was sold to them by Nana Kwabena Poku, Asantehene’s Apeedehene and Nana Osei Mensah Bonsu representing the Dufie Royal House.
The chiefs on their part claim that the authorities of the school did not pay for the land when it was acquired in 1974; hence they have the right to take parts of the land from the school.
The developers have built without any proper building documents from the appropriate quarters.
An attempt by the authorities of the school to complete a fence wall project, which was started in 2007, was initially interrupted with a suit at the Kumasi High Court filed by Nana Badu Antwi against the Lands Commission, GES and the Board of Governors of the school to put an injunction on the project, but the plaintiff decided to discontinue the case at the third sitting and a fine of GH¢1500 imposed on him.
In July 2008, the chiefs again sent an appeal to the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) for the Regional Minister to intervene since the construction of the wall was going to deny the developers access to their homes.
The then Regional Minister, Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu Ansah in arriving at an amicable resolution after personally inspecting the entire stretch of the school’s boundary which had been encroached upon asked the school’s authorities to let go off the lands, which had already been encroached upon in the interest of peace.
He ordered that the school authorities should construct the fence wall to protect the remaining lands and leave a space of not less than 40feet behind the wall so as to give the encroaching developers, access to their various homes.
The Regional Minister was able to come up with the resolution when he met with the authorities of Kumasi Girls, the Chiefs of Abrepo and some of the private individual developers in July 2008.
However, in March this year, the Apeede and Dufie Royal House sent a new petition to the Ministry of Lands and Forestry whilst some of the private developers who have encroached on the schools land, describing themselves as Abrepo Concerned Citizens Association also sent a petition to the Minister of Education for intervention.
The petitioners claimed that in 1996 the Ghana Education Service (GES) recommended that 20-acres out of the 100-acre land which was acquired by the school should be given to the royal family in other to prevent further trouble or encroachment and bring about peace.
They contended that ever since the mediation by the GES, the Board of Directors of the school has refused to honour the agreed terms of settlement by the GES.
In a response to the petition, the school authorities explained that the GES in 1996 never agreed to cede 20-acres of the land to the chiefs, rather the GES only recommended that the lands be given to the chiefs in the interest of peace.
Again, the school authorities said the GES in its reply in 1996 made it clear that “no one had legitimate right to cede any peace of government land to anyone”.
They said in any case, evidence on the site shows that more than 20-acres of the school land have already been sold to individual developers by the chiefs and there are volumes of letters from the Lands Commission and GES but none has been adhered to by the chiefs and elders.
The school authorities explained that the contract to build the fence wall along the legally surveyed boundary was awarded by the government through the GETFund to help stop further encroachment and also to protect the students.
The Board Chairman and the Headmistress of the School, Mr E. Asamoah-Yaw and Ms Mary Kraah told the Daily Graphic that they would wish for peace to prevail on campus to ensure effective teaching and learning.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, bearing in mind the importance he attaches to education is said to have expressed displeasure at the destruction of the school’s fence wall when the matter was reported to him.

Heavy rains wash away bridge

2009-04-15T09:06:00.001Z

Picture by ENOCH DARFAH FRIMPONG

A damaged bridge at Adiembra Nsuom on the Adiembra – Atasemanso road in Kumasi.
A deluge of rainfall on Easter Monday apart from preventing revelers from having fun washed out a bridge on the Adiembra – Atasemanso road in Kumasi.
According to eyewitnesses the waters began receding around lunch time without getting into any homes in the area and that the bridge collapsed at about 5:30pm as the floods washed parts of the bridge away.
Fortunately no injuries or accidents were recorded at the site. It took the intervention of residents to use tables and tree branches as warning signs to prevent a mishap.
The road was closed to traffic on Monday.

Book on Otumfuo launched

2009-04-03T14:34:00.003Z

Picture shows Sir Dr Chief Gabriel O. Igbenidion, the Essam of the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria, launching the book. On the left is Mr Kojo Yankah, the author of the book

A WHOPPING amount of approximately GH¢300,000 was last Wednesday realised at the launch of a 96-page book that details the achievements of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in his 10year reign on the Golden Stool.
The book titled, “Otumfuo Osei Tutu II: The King on the Golden Stool” covers the most important aspects of the Asante Kingdom and life – the historical, political, economic, cultural, social and religious – culminating in the achievements of the Asantehene.
It was officially launched at the Manhyia Palace by Sir Dr Chief Gabriel O. Igbenidion, the Essam of Benin Kingdom in Nigeria as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary celebrations of the coronation of the Asantehene as occupant of the Golden Stool.
Sir Igbenidion, whose title Essam, means the richest man set the tone for the great patronage at the launch, when he purchased the first copy of the book at US$50,000.
He later purchased 5000 other copies of the book for supply to students of Igbenidion University in Nigeria.
A paper-back of the book sells at GH¢15 whilst the case binding goes for GH¢40.
Sir Igbenidion again the fourth copy for the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem at US$20,000.
The Essam of Benin Kingdom did not end there. He also purchased copies for Archbishop Emeritus Kwasi Sarpong and the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu at US$5000 each and 50 other copies at US$100 each for chiefs in Asanteman. Picture shows Chief Igbenidion in a handshake with the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

Global Haulage Limited purchased the second copy at GH¢50,000 while Avalon Petroleum in Ghana purchased the third copy at US$20,000.
Corporate bodies, chiefs, educationists and technocrats also bought copies of the book at various sums of money.
Sir Igbenidion commended Asantehene for giving meaning to traditional rule through innovative programmes for the benefit of his subjects.
Mr Kojo Yankah authored the book, which comprises of 12 chapters whilst Unimax Macmillan published it.
Mr Yankah said he was motivated by the sterling leadership of Asantehene, since his enstoolment a decade ago and that informed his writing of the book.
He said he had already written six other books but said writing about the Asantehene had always been his dream and it was dream come true for him especially as the King was celebrating his 10th anniversary.
Mr Yankah said there have been so many traditions and values which has been lost over the years because they were not written down.
“Ashanti pride and culture is a commodity Ghana as a whole should be proud of”, he said.
Mr Yankah explained that what was contained in the book was only a slice about the Asantehene and Asante culture and that a detailed book would be published on the 20th anniversary of the Asantehene.
He said it was important for traditional rulers not to participate in politics because of the sacred role they play in other not to prejudice their actions on political lines.
Mr Eddie Addo, the Managing Director of Unimax Macmillan said his outfit offered to publish the book because of the numerous strides and achievements of the Asantehene.
“We were left with no choice but to publish this book about the Asantehene when we were contacted”, he said.
He said in most areas, traditions and trade secrets had been lost because they were not written down for posterity.
Archbishop Emeritus Peter Kwasi Sarpong, the immediate past Kumasi Metropolitan Archishop of the Catholic Church commended Mr Yankah for the good work done and hoped the public would patronise the book.

Kumasi launches 'keep the city clean campaign'

2009-03-30T09:42:00.000Z

A citywide clean up campaign dubbed “Keep the city clean” has been launched in Kumasi as part of measures to rid the metropolis of filth, improve and sustain environmental cleanliness.
The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) in collaboration with the Presidential Task Force on Waste Management and Sanitation and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) launched the campaign in Kumasi on Wednesday.
According to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, the campaign is a fulfillment of President J. E. A. Mills’ promise to take appropriate bold and sustained measures to help keep the country clean within the first 100 days in office.
Aside that, he also said the campaign was to help prepare Kumasi for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, during which many tourists and visitors are expected in the city.
Maintaining clean environmental sanitation status in the Kumasi Metropolis has been a major challenge over the years with a number of factors militating against the efforts of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
Inadequate funds to sustain regular waste collection and street sweeping services, indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and open spaces, intense trading activities on the streets and pavements within the Central Business District (CBD), which result in the generation of large quantities of refuse creating persistent unsightly scenes and inadequate resources to support comprehensive sensitisation and education programmes are a few of the challenges.
In recent times the KMA has instituted a number of measures to combat the challenges significant among them is the City-Wide Solid Waste Collection Levy Scheme aimed at generating revenue from service beneficiaries to finance sustained service delivery.
To help foster what has already been done, the Ashanti Regional Minister said consultations have been held with various stakeholders including the 10 Members of Parliament in Kumasi to develop an action plan which is intended to achieve the desired clean city environment and the substance thereof for the year 2009 and beyond.
The Regional Minister said the main objectives of the “Keep the city clean” campaign would be on stopping littering and the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and open spaces and ensure compliance with the Assembly’s Bye-laws on environmental sanitation.
He added that the campaign would also seek to enhance service delivery in solid waste collection by achieving 50percent cost recovery under the city-wide levy scheme by December 31, 2009.
He mentioned that a number of activities have been lined up to help achieve the set objectives which include installation of 100 public litter bins at the central business district, facilitation of the provision of public litter bins at all basic and second cycle institutions.
Others he said were the introduction of special sweeping on Sundays and other statutory holidays of selected areas particularly the CBD and scaling up of the “Pay as you dump” concept across the Kumasi metropolis.
Mr Opoku-Manu said 80 additional communal containers for placement at the communal dump sites to prevent dumping of refuse on the ground are to be procured in addition to quarterly massive clean up campaigns which would start from April 18, 2009 to coincide with the activities to mark the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Asantehene.
He mentioned that a 10-member Environmental Sanitation Task Force to ensure compliance with KMA Bye-laws has also been instituted and added that outstanding bills for solid waste collection, landfill operation and street sweeping are also to be paid.
“There is no doubt that maintaining a clean city is a shared responsibility. The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly should therefore not be left alone to shoulder this huge responsibility”, the Regional Minister said.
He therefore called on residents of Kumasi to play their role in helping to achieve the aim of keeping the city clean.
Dr Christiana Amoako Nuamah, Chairperson on the Presidential Task Force on Waste Management and Sanitation said her outfit has identified inadequate dumping sites, indiscriminate disposal of waste and problems with plastic waste as the major problems hampering sanitation in the country.
She said her outfit is to draw up short, medium and long term measures of handling the menace and that it would require joint collaboration from all stakeholders.
She said education on sanitation issues was paramount and that was exactly what was going to be initiated and that after a thorough education exercise the various assemblies would start enforcing bye-laws and would arrest any person who violates the law.
As a departure from previous clean up exercises which were launched at the offices of the KMA, this particular campaign was launched at the central business district (CBD).
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic after the launch expressed the hope that this campaign would be different from the other ones by being sustained.

Report on Baba Yara Stadium disaster submitted

2009-03-30T09:40:00.002Z

Picture shows James Belieb Marshall (right) presenting the report to Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak, Minister of Youth and Sports

The five-member administrative committee of inquiry that investigated the February 8, 2009 incident at the Baba Yara Stadium has submitted its report to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak.
Four persons lost their lives and a total of 417 individual injuries were recorded during a Glo Premier league match between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearths of Oak on that day.
Presenting the report, Mr James Belieb Marshall, a Kumasi based legal practitioner who served as Chairman of the Committee attributed the overcrowding at the stadium to the usage of unapproved entry points by fans.
He said the committee also established that a number of unorthodox methods led to the excessive overcrowding at the stadium and added that the emergency response was inadequate and it was not timely as well.
He put the total number of casualties at four deaths and 417 individual injuries.
The government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports set up the committee of enquiry after the Glo Premier League match between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Stadium on February 8, 2009, during which the incident occurred.
The committee was to ascertain the total number of casualties, both deaths and injuries, determine whether there were any form of negligence on the part of officials; to find out whether the National Sports Council adhered to laid down regulations in organising matches and to make appropriate recommendations to the Ministry on how to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
The other members of the committee were Mr Welbeck Abra-Appiah, chairman of the Premier League Board, Dr Kofi Asafo-Agyei, a medical practitioner at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Mr Mohammed Alhassan, a radio presenter, and Assistant Commissioner of Police George Mensah of the Ashanti Regional Police. Mr Alexander Osei Tutu, a Kumasi based legal practitioner served as a solicitor for the committee.
Mr Marshall said the committee members spoke to a total of 50 individuals and also saw about 110 photographs provided them by Graphic Sports and video footages as well.
Receiving the report in Kumasi on Friday, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak said details of the report would be made known to the public after the President J. E. A. Mills had gone through it.
He said the Ministry would make the entire report available to the public and would even put a copy on the internet at the Ministry’s website.
He said the government was much concerned about incident and was determined to get answers to the problems that occurred during the match and find ways to prevent its occurrence in the future.
The Minister assured that the recommendations in the report would be adhered and that the government would not hesitate in acting on the recommendations.
“We are going to be very fast in reading it and immediately begin the implementation of the recommendations.

Water project completed in Kumasi and Obuasi

2009-03-18T09:41:00.001Z

The upgrade and extension of water transmission mains in the Kumasi Metropolis and the Obuasi Municipality under the first year investment programme of the Urban Water Project has been completed.
The 61.8kilometre length of water transmission mains was constructed at a cost of GH¢400,600 with funding from the World Bank and the Ghana Government. It comprised of 45.9km in Kumasi and 15.9km in Obuasi.
The upgrade and extension of the transmission mains is to serve as a reinforcement of the distribution network and that it is expected to serve as a reception to the expansion work to increase the capacity of the Barekese and Owabi Dams which supplies pipe borne water to Kumasi and its surrounding areas.
Works on the expansion project at Barekese Dam is progressing steadily and was anticipated to be completed by end of 2009 during which the irregular supply of water for residents of Kumasi and its surrounding areas was expected to be a thing of the past.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Mr Kwaku Botchway who organised a media tour to inspect the facility in Kumasi and Obuasi at the weekend explained that the main extension pipelines were in 400, 300 and 200 diameters respectively.
He said on many occasions, there was water available but because of the weak infrastructure, the water was unable to flow to the homes of residents since the lines were regularly faulty and resulted in wastage of treated water.
“So this is to cure the problem”, the Managing Director said.
Mr Botchway said the planning horizon of the project took into account future extensions and road networks so that upgrade of roads in future does not affect the facility so as to protect the infrastructure and investment.
In Kumasi, areas that have been connected to the upgrade and extension project includes Airport roundabout to Kenyase, Santase to Atasemanso, Kwadaso to Edwenase, Edwenase to Police Depot and Buokrom through Asabi to Aboabo junction.
Others are Tafo through Pankrono to Mampong road, Santase to Brofoyedu, Fankyenebra through Apere to Edwenase and Santase roundabout through Sofoline to Abrepo junction.
Mr Botchway said whilst Kumasi residents who have been connected to the new transmission lines would start experiencing improvements in water supply after the completion of the Barekese expansion works, those in Obuasi have already started seeing improvements in water supply.
Areas in Obuasi currently benefitting from the project include Brahabebome, Akapoliso, Bediem, Dunkwa Nkwanta, Nkamprom, Gausu, Bompe and Bogobiri.
Mr Daniel Bampoh, Director of the Project Management Unit of the GWCL said his outfit was committed to ensuring improvement and conditions of systems and services rendered to customers.
He said aside Kumasi and Obuasi, the Urban Water Project covered Accra and Mampong and that 26 water systems have been selected countrywide for rehabilitation and extension.
At Mampong he said a booster station was being constructed so that areas which did not get water could get water.
Mr Bampoh said about US$70million has been earmarked for the next phase of the Urban Water Project and that in Ashanti, Agona and New Edubiase are to benefit from the project.
The project was undertaken by Top International Ghana Limited with Tahal Consulting Engineering Ltd and Alpha Consult, as the consultants for the Kumasi and Obuasi projects.
PICTURE SHOWS
Mr Kwaku Botchway (hand pointing to pipeline) and some media personnel inspecting a pipeline at the Santase roundabout area.

William Des Bordes "Lovin Cee" in another trouble with the law

2009-03-12T09:36:00.002Z

Kumasi Radio presenter, William Des Bordes a.k.a. “Lovin Cee” is in trouble again with the law.
He was arrested and charged with assault by the Police last Thursday and was indeed detained in police custody for some hours before being granted a police enquiry bail at the sum of GH¢2000 and to report periodically to the police.
He was said to have assaulted Mr Richard Karikari, a.k.a. K.K. a radio presenter at Otec FM also in Kumasi.
Des Bordes had reported at the Central Police Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) where the police were investigating a motor accident case which involved him.
However, during deliberations at the police station, Des Bordes was said to have become aggressive and assaulted Mr Karikari by slapping him in the face in the presence of the police officers.
Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Unit who confirmed the incident to the Graphic Showbiz said the complainant in the accident case, one Owusu happened to be the nephew of Mr Karikari so the victim had accompanied the complainant to the police station.
But during the deliberations as part of the investigations, Des Bordes became aggressive and slapped Karikari in the face.
Inspector Tanko said the Central MTTU Station Officer, Chief Inspector Larbi in whose presence the incident occurred was then compelled to cause the arrest of Des Bordes and handed him over to the Central police for assault proceedings to be initiated against him.
He said a formal complaint was then lodged by Mr Karikari and he was issued with a medical form to attend hospital where he was treated and discharged same day.
However, Inspector Tanko said Des Bordes was detained until later in the day where he was granted the Police enquiry bail with the sum of GH¢2000 and to report periodically to the police.
Meanwhile Mr Karikari had indicated his willingness not to drag the matter of assault further but want an out of court amicable settlement. He made this known when the Graphic Showbiz contacted him on telephone.
However, on the substantive case of accident, it was learnt that the police have asked Mr Des Bordes to report with his vehicle, a 4X4 Lexus at the police station as part of the investigations.
The accident was said to have happened about two weeks ago at about 10:30pm on the Asafo-UTC Interchange but just as the other party (Owusu) was insisting that the matter should be reported to the police, Des Bordes was said to have sped off with his vehicle.
The complainant (Owusu) alleged that Des Bordes’ vehicle had no registration number neither did it carry a “DV” licensed plate at the time of the accident.
Lovin Cee in July 2008 had a brush with the law as he was remanded into prison custody by the Ashanti New Town Magistrate Court where he appeared to answer a substantive case of defrauding by false pretences.
He was accused of defrauding the managers of Cedar Crescent Hotel by false pretence and the case has been pending since. The case has however been withdrawn from the Magistrate Court and transferred to Kumasi Circuit Court One Presided over by Mr Amo Yartey.
This followed a petition to the Attorney General’s Department which culminated in the police conducting further investigations into the matter to facilitate the prosecution.
When the case was called on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at the Circuit Court, an additional count of assault was added to the initial charge of defrauding by false pretence and the accused pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Giving brief facts in court, the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector A. K. Fandoh said the accused had lodged at the Cedar Crescent Hotel and had accumulated a bill of GH¢6940 but refused to pay on the day he was checking out of the hotel.
He said the accused assaulted the Manager of the hotel, Ruth Naa Bekoe on the day he was checking out.
The prosecutor said whilst the case was being tried at the Ashanti New Town Magistrate Court the Attorney General was petitioned which culminated in further investigations into the case.
He said even though the accused claimed his employers, Deutsche Welle (DW) Radio were to pay his bills investigations and checks with DW have indicated that they have no commitments with the accused in that regard.
Chief Inspector Fandoh said the case was therefore withdrawn from the Magistrate Court and the accused was served with criminal summons to appear at the Circuit Court.
Counsel for the accused argued that the facts presented by the prosecution were not correct.
He said the accused have an agreement with DW and he is to work for them as correspondent in Ghana and in some other African countries.
Counsel said DW was to foot the hotel bills of the accused but due to some bureaucracies payments delayed.
Again, he said the hotel management prepared a bill far in excess of what the accused was to pay on the day he was checking out which culminated in the accused refusing to pay the bills until the right bill was prepared for him.
The Judge adjoined the case to April 3, 2009 and granted the accused bail in the sum of GH¢10,000.
Before joining Angel FM last year as a presenter of the Drive Time programme, Des Bordes worked with Deutsche Welle and had been excelling on the radio scenes on the global level as far as his five year stint with DW was concerned. His contract with DW expired at the end of 2007.
At DW he was the host of the 30-minute daily current affairs programme Newslink Africa. Sports coverage in Africa was also part of his duty depending on the importance of the event and he worked with greats like Tony Durnham, Rick Demarest, Brian Pickering, Diet Simon, Meggin Leigh Doody and Ian Johnson among others in Deutsche Welle which really enriched his presentation.
During his radio days in Kumasi before moving to DW, William was the anchor man at Kapital Radio

GMA nominees party in Kumasi

2009-03-12T09:33:00.000Z

It was a great evening of music performances which surpassed what Kumasi has witnessed in recent times as nominees of the various categories in the tenth edition of the Ghana Music Awards mounted the stage in a huge free concert at the Jubilee Park last Saturday.
Kumasi music fans were indeed entertained in the event that kick started the voting process of this year’s Ghana Music Awards (GMA). And as anticipated, the crowd was indeed thick.
As a first activity of this year’s awards ceremony, there was good sound quality, quality lighting, and great performances as the nominees sang songs they have released in the course of the year which are in contention for awards.
The performers included, Kwaku Gyasi, Christiana Love, Echo, Black Rasta, K.K. Fosu, Lord Kenya, Ofori Amponsah, Okyeame Kwame, Praye and Old Soldier.
Dubbed the nominees jam, the songs the artistes sang were to refresh the memories of music lovers so that when it comes to the voting stage, they would vote for them. The crowd proved very appreciative of the star-studded concert which went on without a hitch.
The show was transmitted live on GTV and it saw the MCs for the night KOD and Bola Ray interspersing the performances with interviews with the nominees.
It was Kwaku Gyasi who opened the night with his “Ayeyi, ahye ma koma ma” and soon enough there were hilarious chorus singing by the crowd with the raising of hands which momentarily made the gathering look like a church crusade.
Gyasi slowly warmed the crowd before Christiana Love joined for them to sing one of the hottest gospel tunes in the country as of now, “Mesu afre me nyame”.
Blending lovely, the duo sang the rendition to the admiration of the crowd and after Gyasi had left for backstage, Christiana Love introduced her own “Me Mma Me Wurenfi”.
Black Rasta sang a catchy medley of his “Barack Obama” song which was enjoyed by the crowd.
Some of the audience began to crowd surf when K. K. Fosu took to the stage. Fosu was in a world of his own as he descended on the crowd with “wo ne me number 1” amongst others.
And then Lord Kenya, true to form, entered the stage and showed he still has a good following. The man who calls himself the “Heavyweight Champion” performed snippets of his old songs such as “sikabaa”, sika mpo mfa ne ho” and ended with his current, “God Dey”.
But for Ofori Amponsah who did not glitter much all other artistes were sensational. It just got kind of boring at the initial stages of his performance but a rendition from his latest “Sampson” was different as the crowd did enjoy it.
The best choreography was seen during the performances of Okyeame Kwame and Praye.
The ever entertaining Okyeame Kwame was at his utmost best and it was fun seeing him do his own thing with his signature dance moves amidst screams and deafening cheers. He sang woso, mepe mma and some of his oldies from the Akyeame days.
When Praye took their turn, the crowd had no choice than to respond to the thrilling gigs of the sensational trio. Their breathtaking stagecraft was simply irresistible and worth all the night sweats. They performed Angelina from the Roll Koll Album which has actually catapulted them to the highest pedestal.
Other songs they performed included “Wodin” (Your name) and shoddy. The trio were indeed very exciting and delight watching.
Old Soldier did the last performance to bring the curtains down for the night as the DJ for the night Billy Ocean did his own thing whilst the crowd moved away after 1am.

KFM launched in Kumasi

2009-03-03T09:37:00.006Z

SOLID FM in Kumasi has been rebranded as KFM103.7 with a new schedule to focus solely on education and entertainment.
This according to the new managers is to enable the station start challenging the norms of conventional stations and shaking up the radio landscape with a fresh sound and unique new programming formats.
The rebrand, which came after three years of broadcasting as Solid FM without making any meaningful impact as well make profits or breakeven is to enable the station deliver a new voice with first class entertainment value to the market.
Kesewaa Radio in Kumasi also recently rebranded as Radio Xtacy to move away from the mass market and focus on entertainment.
There are currently 23 radio stations in Kumasi with two of them labelled as campus radio and many of these stations are mass market focused stations. Apart from Kumasi there are about five other stations in various parts of the Ashanti region.
The rebrand of another radio station by moving away from the mass market to a cosmopolitan one to broadcast mainly in English add weight to the notion that the mass market for radio in Kumasi was choked.
The Chief Executive Officer and owner of KFM, Mr James Kwasi Oppong, a.k.a. Jakwapo introduced the changes on Monday and launched the new station.
“As life is dynamic so is our quest to respond to the changing needs of society. It has become necessary to position the station in a way that will represent a wider spectrum of society than it used to be, hence the change in format”, he said at the ceremony.
He said the change of name to KFM was to complement the format of change.
Solid FM had not been doing well financially which culminated in the owner having to take money from his other businesses to pay the salaries of staff at times.
The entire management and staff have been changed and as expected the radio scene is already witnessing the poaching of “highly rated” presenters from already existing radio stations to beef up the human resource base of the new one.
A number of high-profiled presenters such as James Kwasi Oberko a.k.a. The Jamester formerly of Luv and Naa Klordey Odonkor formerly of Kapital Radio have been recruited to work at the rebranded station. Jamester is to double as the Programmes Manager as well as host the Highway Drive 4-7pm every weekday whilst Naa is to handle Mid Morning Mix 10-12pm and Mid Day Tunes 12-2pm each weekday.
Others are Pastor Kwame Kwarteng also from Luv FM to handle The Altar, 4-6am, Nathaniel Osei Kufuor from Skyy FM in Sunyani to handle Morning Mix 6-10am and Jojo Turkson also to handle Listener’s Choice 2-3pm each weekday.
The new General Manager, Mr Sidney Tehoda, formerly of Adom FM as a marketing person said market researches has shown that the station needed a change of presenter line-up.
"We know what Kumasi wants, which is a more sophisticated take on daily events, and we hope a revamp will return us to profitability in 2009."
He said radio was becoming dynamic with a lot of expectations from the public.
“We want to do education and entertainment and encourage mass participation in whatever is happening”, he said.
He said the youth was very dear to the station and management would want to introduce programmes that would instil discipline and courtesy in the youth.
He expressed the hope that other radio stations would take similar stands by being positive in their reportage so that people who look at radio stations for their role models would pick something good from them.
“We've been working hard to develop the station's on-air and online content to make it even more enjoyable for our listeners," James Kwasi Oberko the Programmes Manager told Graphic Showbiz.
"The change of name from Solid FM to KFM will also allow us to grow the station into a truly multi-platform brand as it pertains in the advanced world."

Jamester quits Luv FM

2009-03-03T09:37:00.005Z

One of the most ideal radio presenters in Kumasi, James Kwasi Oberko a.k.a. The Jamester has quit his job at Luv FM to take up a more challenging position as a Programmes Manager at the new KFM in Kumasi.
K-FM, was hitherto known as Solid FM but the station has just been rebranded and revamped. The owners of the station officially announced the changes on Monday.
The multi-talented and innovative Jamester hosted the most listened to Private Party programme on Luv FM on Saturdays which saw a lot of “wind-ups” on radio. Other programmes he hosted were Oseikrom Top Ten (Chart show) and Gift of Songs (Request show).
He occasionally hosted the Drive Time programme and it was after hosting last Thursday’s Drive Time that he presented his resignation letter to his employers.
The Jamester has been trumpeted as the saviour of Luv FM’s weekends as such his departure had left a big vacuum at the station sending the manager’s on a hunt for a replacement.
Confirming his departure, he told Graphic Showbiz that he left to take up a more challenging duty at the new radio station.
“I feel I have paid my dues to Luv FM and it is time for me to move on. It is absolutely not about money. I would be finishing my masters’ programme in the next three months and I cannot continue to corner myself only as a radio presenter”, he said.
He explained that he may not want to be doing the same thing for God knows when.
“Five years four months of working experience at Luv FM is enough for me and I believe I should move ahead of that”.
He said he had been confronted with a lot of offers as he tried to search for what to do to move forward until he settled on KFM, where he felt he had the opportunity to create a role and to say that the radio station was doing something different from what everybody else was doing.
He said the owner of KFM Mr James Kwasi Oppong a.k.a. Jakwapo had been on him for several years offering him the position of General Manager but he turned down the offer because he felt that position came with too much responsibility where he lacked experience.
“I decided to come on board now after the owner agreed for me to work with a team player whom I believe has enough experience as a manager. So as he handles the managerial aspect, I would also handle the programmes aspect”, he told Showbiz.
He said he was pleased to be spending time with the new KFM in his new position.
He would also present the programme, Highway Drive from 4-7pm each weekday.
James Kwasi Oberko was able carve a niche for himself in radio circles especially with his private party programme on Saturday’s from 6pm to 10pm.
The programme, an all in one entertainment show with segments such as the “Wind-up”, where he calls unsuspecting individuals and wind them up based on information received really caught on well with listeners. The segment also helped to create education and fun. In that same programme listeners join the show to “holla” their colleagues.
Another segment of the show which also really caught on well with listeners was the introduction of the two kids, Mumee and Kwaku Boga, two youngsters of ages five who occasionally joined the host to wind up listeners and to display their knowledge of issues as youngsters on air.
The show was quite invigorating and showed Jamester’s dexterity and innovation as a presenter. He played according to pace and era, and injected some satirical humour which went down well with both the young and middle aged audience it attracted.
Other programmes he hosted were Gift of Songs which offered listeners the opportunity to reach out to friends and loved ones by requesting a choice of song for them via phone on air. The programme aired on Saturdays between 2-4pm with a midweek edition which also run on Wednesdays between 4-5pm.
He also hosted the Slam Jam which was a one and a half hour of slam jamming where he displayed his mixing dexterity on Saturdays.
The Oseikrom Top Ten Show which he also hosted was a Chart Show which counts down the best 10 Ghanaian songs in the Ashanti Region on Sunday from 12-3pm. He played the unreleased and brand new songs as well as conduct interviews.
James Kwasi Oberko was born on January 7, 1979 in Accra. He attended St. Mary’s Seminary Secondary School in Lolobi, Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana.
In 2000, he enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he read Bsc. Agriculture. Having specialised in Animal Science he was awarded with a Second Class (Upper Division) in 2004.
Thankful to education and believing that, it is the root of his success, he went back to KNUST to read MSc Development Policy and Planning (DEPP) and would be finishing school in three months time.
Jamester’s radio career began at the now defunct Continental 96.1fm at the Unity Hall of the KNUST in October 2000. He began by reading news and later rose to be the presenter of Conti-City Show, Multi-Track Show and the News Analysis Show. His diligence and performance were enough reasons for the Hall authorities to recognise him in several ways.
In 2001, he was appointed as one of the youngest Programme Managers of the station. This brought about a total revolution of programming on the station. Having worked diligently as a presenter and a Programmes Manager he became the obvious choice for the position of the Studio Manager in late 2002.
Being a person who embraces challenges, he opted to run for the position of KNUST SRC’s Public Relations Officer with just with the aim to establish the now FOCUS 94.3FM, which he was able to establish after winning the elections.
Following his zeal to become a presenter of his kind, he applied and was appointed as a presenter at Luv FM in October, 2003. As a multi-talented and innovative presenter he hosted top of the market programmes like The Private Party (entertainment), Oseikrom Top Ten (Chart show) and Gift of Songs(Request show).

Asafo bus terminal turns into market

2009-02-25T10:02:00.002Z

Apart from the issue of decongesting the central business district of Kumasi to rid the streets of hawkers, the Asafo Market bus terminal should also engage the attention of whoever is appointed Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive in President J.E.A. Mills’ administration.
Ideally the station has been reserved for long journey vehicles but members of the various transport associations have been turning their transport sheds and offices into trading stores.
Already, the station seems not to be big enough to accommodate the myriad of long journey vehicles that parade their trade in the area.
A further turning of the area into trading stores is likely to further compound the congestion problem at the area.
The various transport associations have been turning their wooden office structures into stores under the guise of constructing concrete sheds for their vehicles but some have ended up creating stores.
Unlike the Neoplan Station members and the Takoradi-Elubo branch members who have neatly constructed sheds under which buses are able to park and load with office accommodation at the top floors of their structures, others are turning theirs into mere trading stores.
The areas demarcated for Konongo, Agogo, Mankessim and Koforidua vehicles as stations have already been converted into trading stores.
Last October, Ms Patricia Appiagyei, former Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive visited the area with the intention of stopping the projects since the developers do not have building permits.
The Chief Executive ordered for the projects to be discontinued but that did not yield any positive results.
One of such projects have just been completed and traders as well as some banks have commenced business activities in the buildings.
The irony of the situation is that the customers of those traders and the banks as well as the other transport associations who hitherto would have parked at the lorry terminal are now parking on the roads to load thereby creating congestion in the area.
As the situation pertains now, there are no development plans for the projects going on in the area thus contributing to the congestion in the area.
Many of the vehicles have been forced to abandon the station and to park on the roads in the surrounding areas thereby turning dual carriage lanes in the area into single ones and contributing to congestion in the area.
The newly constructed road behind the Asafo Market that links the Asafo Interchange has also been turned into a parking lot thereby further creating congestion in the area.
Big buses which are unable to find parking spaces at the terminal have turned the entire Asafo vicinity into parking lanes.
Apart from parking on the roads over night and during the day, the drivers have also turned the roads into car washing bays, thereby threatening the lifespan of the roads.
It would therefore be prudent for a new Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive to focus attention at the area so as to ensure that sanity prevails there.

Police arrest two suspects. For tampering with CCTV recording at Baba Yara

2009-02-16T10:13:00.000Z

TWO persons suspected to have colluded and tampered with video information captured by CCTV security cameras at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi during last Sunday’s match between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak have been arrested by the police.
A Presidential Inquiry have been initiated into the deaths at the Baba Yara Stadium last Sunday and the National Sports Council had indicated that it was going to rely on information captured by the CCTV cameras as part of the efforts to find out how the stadium was allowed to be filled over capacity as well as verify counter allegations between Kotoko officials and the police on the collection of illegal gate fees.
The CCTV cameras, which had been installed at all corners of the stadium to provide security back-up would have been very vital in finding out persons responsible for the acts, that resulted in the stadium being filled over capacity.
But before security operatives could make a move, the information on all 57 cameras located at the stadium have been deleted.
Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko who confirmed this to the Daily Graphic gave the names of those arrested as Michael Mensah Tabiri and Mohammed Oteng.
He said whiles Michael was a worker at the CCTV room at Essipong Stadium at Takoradi, Oteng was an engineer at the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi who held the keys to the CCTV room.
Inspector Tanko said the two have since been handed over to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for investigations but initial information gathered indicated that some persons saw Tabiri leaving the CCTV room at the stadium.
He said Tabiri had alleged that he had been sent by some officials to come and check on what the cameras captured last Sunday.
The Police Officer said the investigations would try to establish how the suspect was able to gain access to the CCTV room.
He said the police received information that the information on the CCTV cameras had been deleted and when they went to the stadium to verify, it was confirmed.
He said workers at the stadium had informed the police that as of Thursday it was only the information on camera seven which was available but by Friday morning that had also been deleted.
As part of the interesting developments emerging with regards to last Sunday’s incident at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi Asante Kotoko’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Sylvester Asare Owusu, on Thursday said he received a total cash of GH¢820 from some fans who scaled the walls into the Stadium to watch the match between Kotoko and Hearts of Oak.
He, however, explained that some supporters of the club, on his advice, did the actual collection of money and that the money was eventually handed over to him.
The police had accused the management of Asante Kotoko of contributing to the overcrowding at the stadium, which left four people dead and others hospitalised.
Police said, for instance, that the management blatantly refused their advice to close the gates when it was realised that the stadium was full.
Again, the police said they saw Mr. Asare-Owusu holding a Zoomlion dustbin collecting money from a large number of fans as they scaled the wall into the stadium at the area behind the scoreboard.
Inspector Tanko said the police also arrested one B. K. Asamoah, a supporter of the club, who was collecting money from fans jumping the wall into the stadium.
He said when the police questioned Asamoah, he said he was working on the instructions of Mr. Asare-Owusu.
He said Asamoah consequently led the police to Mr Asare-Owusu, who was also seen with a similar litter bin collecting monies at unauthorised points.
But, reacting to the police allegation, Mr. Asare-Owusu told Kumasi-based Angel FM on Thursday that, whilst in the stadium last Sunday, someone informed him that a number of fans were scaling the walls into the stadium behind the scoreboard.
He said he quickly rushed to the area with four soldiers and realised that the information was true and that what was even more disturbing was that the police personnel at the area looked on unconcerned.
He said he also had information that some of the policemen were engaged in illegal collection of gate proceeds from fans who were using unauthorised points to enter the stadium.
The Kotoko CEO pointed out that under the circumstances the best option was for some dedicated supporters to use the litterbins to collect the monies for the club because the fans would have entered the stadium free of charge.
In his reaction however, Inspector Tanko said Mr. Asare-Owusu himself was a player in the whole drama of overcrowding.

Samuel Adu Boakye quits Kessben FM

2009-02-12T10:34:00.000Z

One of the most listened to gospel presenters in the Kumasi metropolis, Samuel Adu Boakye has resigned from Kessben FM following some disagreements over what he described as administrative lapses.
Boakye, the presenter of Church Bells and Streams of Life on Kessben FM who enjoys a lot of listenership in Kumasi has been off air for the past one month but no official reasons have been given.
This had culminated in rumours some of which said he had been poached to another station whilst others said he was on a long leave.
Before he joined Kessben FM four years ago, Adu Boakye worked with Kapital Radio.
He became famous at Kessben where he hosted Church Bells, a religious exhortation programme on Sundays from 7am to 10am and Streams of Life, also another gospel devotional programme intended to prepare listeners for the start of day which aired between 4am and 6am every day.
His programmes also enjoined a lot listenership on the internet from Ghanaians abroad who also phoned in to his programmes many of the times.
It was gathered that Adu Boakye resigned over some disagreements with his employers over administrative lapses.
A staff at the radio station, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “it is true that Sammy has resigned”.
The source said Sammy had been complaining for some time now about some administrative lapses at the radio station which to him management was doing nothing to resolve.
The source said Sammy had been complaining about the unavailability of a producer to handle his programme at the station and that he lost his temper recently and decided to quit when he walked out of the studio to find out that a front desk executive who was to divert phone calls to the studio during his programme had abandoned post and went out of the office.
“Sammy had opened the phone lines and was expecting calls to come in but when he waited for a while and realised that there were no calls coming in, he decided to walk to the front desk only to discover that the front desk assistant had abandoned post and the phone was continuously ringing. So he decided to call it quits” ”, the source said.
When approached for comment on his resignation, Adu Boakye only confirmed his action and refused to give further details.
When asked whether he had received a juicy offer from other radio stations which culminated in his action, he said no.
Mr Andrew Danso Aninkora, General Manager of Kessben FM told Showbiz on telephone that he was not aware of the resignation and that he knew Sammy was in discussions with Mr Kwabena Kesse, Chief Executive of Kessben Group of Companies for a re-alignment into another section of the company.
Kessben FM is well noted for listenership when it comes to sports programmes in Kumasi but after sports Samuel Adu Boakye’s gospel programmes were the most listened to.
He is noted to have interviewed many of the big gangs in the Christian fraternity on his programme, Streams of Life.
Most Reverend Peter Akwasi Sarpong, the Catholic Archbishop of Kumasi who recently went on retirement offered to give his farewell message on the Streams of Life programme.
Sammy’s unique style of presentation on Sunday morning for the past four years made him the most preferred radio personality in the gospel seen. His music selection was well appreciated.
He is a graduate of University of Education Winneba, Kumasi campus, Kumasi Polytechnic and Adisadel College in Cape Coast.

Suame Magazine makes breakthrough

2009-02-04T12:39:00.003Z

A major landmark achievement and a significant climax to the successful self-determined efforts of artisans at Suame Magazine for their self advancement was chalked last week when a formal technical training centre project for the artisanal engineering sector of the country was launched.
The institute project as has been explained is to help build the technical capacity of auto artisans especially at Suame and other areas of the country so as to enable them meet modern challenges in the automobile industry.
This is because the artisans have been finding it difficult to cope with new auto model vehicles with brain box, chips and diagnostics for repairs due to lack of capacity in modern technology.
The successful launch of the institute which is the first of its kind in the informal artisanal sector has therefore come as a big relief for the artisanal population in the country.
The project is said to be the product of a dream to enhance the professional career of artisans in ways and on such terms as obtains in the formal sector.
It must be stated that the integration of the fitting industry into the formal professional engineering career would mark a significant threshold in the long-awaited industrial revolution in Ghana.
This is because the Suame Magazine in Kumasi seems to be the only untapped option in the attempts at national industrialisation.
Suame magazine is the largest informal sector village in the country accommodating several hundreds of small scale engineering industries, repair works, scrap yards, workshops all with a working population of about 200,000.
The area is a major centre for vehicle repair attracting vehicles from not only Ghana but from neighbouring countries in the West African sub region.
However, the sector faces an eminent collapse if efforts are not made to build capacity of auto artisans to meet modern challenges in the automobile industry.
The area is the economic heart of Kumasi and together with the wood and timber industry completely dominated the economic life of the metropolis in the 1970s and 1980s.
With the virtual collapse of the timber and wood industry and the visible consequences of mass unemployment unleashed on the economy in Kumasi, Suame magazine became the lone surviving industrial estate in Kumasi.
According to experts in the case of the timber and wood industry, even though the signals were clear right from the onset, there was no bold alternative planning intervention initiated to save thousands of families whose livelihood were under threat.
Again the dwindling prospects of the wood industry affected all the sectors of the economy to which the industry shared economic linkages.
The economic soul was virtually lost leaving the economic heart of Suame Magazine to sustain Kumasi’s industrial economy.
According to the experts Suame Magazine is also on the same path dwindling prospects due to the technological advances in the current global automobile industry of which the industrial estate is an integral part.
They claim the very survival of Suame Magazine, the fitting industry in Ghana and even in West African sub region was under serious threat given the pivotal role of Suame Magazine.
This, they claim was due to the inability of the artisans to cope with the sophisticated modern technology that requires the use of ICT Auto diagnostic tools in vehicular repairs for new models of vehicles which are fast replacing the old models.
Given its current status as the only surviving industrial estate and propelling sector of Kumasi, the imminent collapse of the industrial estate as has been projected sends signals of mass unemployment in the metropolis.
Indeed Kumasi could be reduced to a ghost economy without Suame Magazine.
Statistics from the office of the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO) indicates that the area currently has about 12,000 enterprises with over 200,000 working population.
It is thus said to be supporting the livelihood of over 600,000 on the lower variant of three per dependency ratio.
The area could be said to be more of a national and West African sub regional economic constituency whose opportunities are accessed beyond the boundaries of Ghana and also boast of the largest cluster of small and medium enterprises in the sub region.
As the largest informal sector village in Ghana, the area has surprisingly always escaped the policy spectacles of governments since independence in many of the youth employment programmes.
It is for these reasons that the idea of the Suame Magazine Automatics Institute (SMATI) project was moved by the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO), as an attempt to establish a formal training centre for the artisanal engineering sector of the country.
SMIDO, the development unit and umbrella organisation of various artisans at the Suame Magazine has been spearheading the development of the country’s artisanal engineering sector, especially at the Suame Magazine under the auspices of the DANIDA-USAID-DFID sponsored Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund in the last three years.
Vice President John Dramani Mahama launched the technical institure project last week.
A five-member committee, constituted and chaired by institutional representatives of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and other relevant individual stakeholders have been tasked with the responsibility of implementing the project.
This is to give the metropolitan and the regional authorities an important stake in the project as policy making bodies in the Ashanti region.
Last year, SMIDO launched a similar project to develop a modern industrial village for Suame Magazine under the leadership of Dr Kwabena Duffuor, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana and Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng former Chief Executive of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
According to Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, a consultant to SMIDO the institute project of the organisation’s policy to have an institutional training centre unique to the artisanal engineering setting was to enable artisans cope with the changing technology in the global autuomatics engineering industry.
He said a framework has been designed with three different phases: the basic, secondary and tertiary artisanal engineering levels and a consultancy component to support the endangered sector in Ghana and West Africa.
Mr Azongo said they have with the support of international institutional partners and experts in Ghana designed a curriculum for the Basic artisanal engineering level which has been successfully operationalised over the past six months.
Adding, he said the second and third stages have been well-advanced to facilitate the project to bring all stakeholders on board to properly nurse this dream into reality.
The President of SMIDO, Mr George Asamoah Amankwa threw a challenge to the government to give the artisans the opportunity for them to turn the whole nation around.
Vice President John Mahama in his address at the launching commended SMIDO’s policy to have an institutional training centre unique to the artisanal engineering setting to enable artisans cope with the changing technology in the global automatics engineering industry.
He said seeking to focus attention on harnessing resources to establish an institute to save Suame Magazine from total collapse, precipitated by modern technological innovation and sophistication in the automobile industry, was quite appropriate.
Mr Mahama also mentioned that the vehicular repair cluster at Suame for instance was the most influential cluster around which all other clusters revolved and so if care were not taken and that sector was lost, it would affect all other clusters that depended on it.
“We recognise that if no major interventions are taken now to address the situation, the eminent collapse of this important industrial estate would lead to mass unemployment, poverty and increased crime in Ghana”, he said.
The Vice President said the establishment of the institute was consistent with government’s objectives of creating a better Ghana in so far as it sought to pursue policies for accelerating Ghana’s economic growth.
He also said the establishment of the institute was a typical case of cooperation between industry and academia saying all over the world industries had developed through such collaborations.
He urged SMATI to cooperate with other tertiary institutions, the auto industry and relevant agencies as well as development partners to foster closer collaborations.
He said because there had not been any requisite training for artisans to prepare them to keep pace with the ever-changing global auto technology, they seemed to lack some modern ways of doing things.
There was therefore the urgent need for retraining and retooling of this pool of talents to make them productive so as to make them productive enough to meet national goals.
He said it was only through such a move that the country could move forward in the right direction.
He said efforts were underway to improve the capacity of small and medium scale enterprises to be able to keep simple books of accounts and be able to do business plans.

Work on KATH-Abuakwa road at slow pace

2009-01-27T09:11:00.003Z

Steel workers of China Geo Engineering Corporation working on the Agric junction underpass

Work on the 10.3 Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital- Abuakwa asphaltic concrete surface dual carriageway in Kumasi was progressing at a slow pace.
Former President J. A. Kufuor cut the sod on April 21, 2007 for work to commence on the US$80 million project, which is one of the principal trunk roads in Kumasi.
The project, involves widening of the existing two-lane single carriageway into a dual carriageway with walkways and Bus Rapid Transit facilities, construction of two interchanges, five underpass bridges and landscaping.
However, almost 21 months down the line, the Chinese Contractors, Messrs China Geo Engineering Corporation was yet to achieve any meaningful visible feat on the project.
The contractors are currently working on the first underpass at the Agric Junction out of the entire five underpasses they are to construct in addition to the two interchanges, one at Sofoline and the other at the present Komfo Anokye roundabout.
Landscaping for the sofoline interchange had been done but that of Komfo Anokye was yet to be touched.
In addition landscaping from Bekwai roundabout through Sofoline, Asuoyeboah and Tanoso had also been done.
The project, which is being financed wholly by the Government of Ghana is scheduled for completion within three years.
Many residents of Kumasi expressed delight when work commenced on the project and expressed the hope that the traffic congestion in one of the busiest roundabouts in the metropolis – Sofoline – would soon be a thing of the past.
As a result they are eager to see the completion of the project on schedule without any hindrances.
At the sofoline interchange, traffic from the Abrepo junction and Patasi roads are to be directed to the Sunyani road through an underpass bridge. This is anticipated to ensure the free flow of traffic at the location, which is currently one of the traffic bottlenecks in the city.
A second two level interchange to control vehicular movement will also be constructed at the KATH roundabout, while five underpass bridges would be developed at the University of Education Winneba (UEW) Kumasi campus, Institute of Planning and Technology (IPT), Agric, Apatrapa and South Suntreso junctions to facilitate the smooth flow of vehicular traffic at that

PBC provides borehole for people of Gyankobaah

2009-01-27T09:05:00.003Z

Nana Asiamah Poku, Toasehene tasting water from the borehole in a calabash. With him is Mr Anthony Osei Boakye, Managing Director of the Produce Buying Company (PBC).

The Produce Buying Company Limited has provided the people of Gyankobaah, a town in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ashanti with a borehole valued at GH¢8,030.
This is to enable the town folk have access to clean drinking water since they relied on a stream as their source of water following the breakdown of the borehole in the town.
The Managing Director of PBC, Mr Anthony Osei Boakye explained at the commissioning ceremony that his outfit decided to assist with the borehole as part of its corporate social responsibility.
He said the PBC have decided to provide three (3) boreholes every year at various cocoa producing areas in the country.
He said the PBC instituted a cocoa farmers award day about seven years ago, where hardworking farmers were awarded by the company every year.
Mr Boakye said the company have decided to change focus and rather provide boreholes, which it felt would go to the benefit of many people in the communities instead of the awards which went to individuals.
He said another borehole had been constructed for the people of Boudi in the Western region and would soon be commissioned.
Mr Thomas Ofori Donkoh, District Chief Executive for Atwima Nwabiagya and the chief of Toase, Nana Asiamah Poku expressed appreciation to PBC for the kind gesture.
There was delight on the faces of the community members of Gyankobaah, especially the women folk who sang and danced and expressed appreciation to PBC for the kind gesture.
The DCE Mr Thomas Ofori Donkoh said the provision of clean drinking water with the construction of boreholes was prime on the agenda of the District Assembly.
He said a total of 73 boreholes were provided for various communities in 2008 and that the assembly have planned to install 200 this year in collaboration with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).
He called for the expansion of the cocoa spraying gangs in the area so as to enable a lot more farmers benefit from the spraying exercise.
Mr Kwaku Gaisie, Ashanti Regional Manager of PBC called on the community members to take very good care of the borehole so as to ensure a longer lifespan.

Radio Xtacy focuses on urban entertainment

2009-01-22T09:01:00.001Z

A new radio station, intended to focus mainly on urban entertainment is set to be launched in Kumasi.
Radio Xtacy, is how the owners have christened the new station which was currently playing test transmission on the 94.5mhz, which used to be known as Kesewaa Radio.
Kesewaa Radio has undergone a revamp with the name changed to Radio Xtacy as the whole station has been dissolved with the entire management team changed.
Ownership however is still in the name of Mr Ofosu Agyarko of Iron Birds.
This comes to three, the number of times that the 94.5mhz radio station has changed names. It started as Kess Radio before becoming Kesesewaa and now Xtacy.
As expected the radio scene is already witnessing the poaching of “highly rated” presenters from already existing radio stations to beef up the human resource base of Radio Xtacy.
Sources within the new station would not confirm this but names like, Billy Ocean of Peace FM, who is regarded as a “highly-respected” disc jockey and a radio presenter with many years experience as well as Magic Sam of Fox FM, also a renowned night club DJ at The Fox Trap Night Club are the names doing the rounds as possible names on the pay roll of the new Radio Xtacy.
Others are Lexis Bill of Kapital Radio, one of the finest urban DJs in Kumasi as well as Andy Kirn, a renowned DJ and radio consultant who have had stints with Kapital Radio and Luv FM during their early days.
The name of DJ Andy Dosty of Angel FM who will try to overturn things in favour of the new station has also cropped up.
Information gathered by the Graphic Showbiz indicated that negotiations were still underway to get these top DJs to work for the new station.
If the deal with Billy Ocean also known as Afrafrahene goes through, then the mix master of either visual audio or audio would be back to the Garden City, where he started it all to do his Afrafra thing.
Billy is really a Don, when it comes to selection, mixes, playing of music and knows what to play at a particular time.
Lexis Bill and Magic Sam are equally good disc jockeys whose inclusion at Radio Xtacy would bring on board more listeners since they are fine DJs who know when to play what and their dexterity is second to none in the Garden city.
With the test transmission of the new station currently running, Kumasi was set to enjoy the best of urban radio and entertainment as the competition to survive intensifies.
Andy Kirn, who was playing a very instrumental role in the setting up of the new station, told the Graphic Showbiz that the new station would be officially launched on January 30, 2009.
This, he said would be culminated with a float through the principal streets of Kumasi and a pool party.
He said the test transmission which started on January 1 was expected to end on January 31 for full programming to start February 1, 2009.
“Our station is going to be all about entertainment. We would be organising a number of events so as to give listeners an opportunity to have fun, apart from the normal night clubbing and funerals”.
“We would be having the normal thing like the morning shows and the others but would ensure that entertainment would dominate. If even it had to do with politics, we would be looking at the entertainment angle”, he said.
Andy Kirn explained that the radio station had to be revamped because, Kesewaa was not doing well on expectations and that it even got to a point where the owners wanted to dispose it off completely.
“Now some of us have come on board and we are changing the style for a mass urban entertainment radio for discerning listeners”, he said.
“When it comes to entertainment radio, we don’t see any competitors in Kumasi as of now and we want to fill that vacuum”, he said.
Whatever the case is, listeners are waiting to see if there would be any significant change in the airwaves with respect to programming since some stations made serious impacts during their various test transmissions but less is being heard of them of late.

Programme for new Kumasi Mayor

2009-01-21T09:45:00.001Z

Picture shows a busy scene in front of the Kumasi Central Martket

Apart from the issue of decongesting the central business district of Kumasi to rid the streets of hawkers, whoever is appointed the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive would also have to make redevelopment of the Central Market, into a modern status a priority.
The new city boss to take over from Miss Patricia Appiagyei would also have to make waste management a priority issue to deal with.
Kumasi is the capital city of the Ashanti region, a very important and historical centre for Ghana. Tradition is held very high in Kumasi and blends very well with modernity.
There is a wide range of attractions in Kumasi and topmost among them is the Kumasi Central Market, which is a major attraction that attracts a countless of traders from various areas of the country into the city on daily basis to do business.
The market is said to be the biggest in the West African sub region.
The access roads in the market is full of trading activities and people who enter the market have had terrible times meandering through the human traffic.
One may argue that has always been the trend at the market but if that situation was improved upon, many more people would be attracted to go to the market.
As the situation prevails now, it makes it unattractive for many residents to enter the market to buy foodstuff and other commodities because of the human traffic and congestion in there.
Customers to the market are welcomed by filth. Ironically many traders and hawkers sit and transact business in the midst of the filth as if good health doesn’t mean anything to them.
The main entrance road to the market has been converted into a trading area as a result of congestion. Traders openly sell foodstuffs and their wares in the middle of the road and on the pedestrian walkways in the market amidst filth which they themselves generate.
Some display their goods including tomatoes, yams, garden eggs, apples, lettuce and cabbage on the ground over a mat while others put theirs on the bare ground just next to drains filled with stagnant and stinky water.
Again, getting access to the market in times of fire outbreaks has been a major topic of concern and the KMA had been persistently urged to take up the matter.
The old main storey building block has outlived its usefulness as it can no longer accommodate the increasing number of traders in the market. The main storey building could be redeveloped to accommodate more traders in tandem with the expansion of trading activities at the market.
Redeveloping the Central market to befit the status of Kumasi would go a long way to enhance the status of the city as well as improve upon revenue generation for the KMA.
The redevelopment of the market into modern one has been on the drawing board for too long and action must be taken by the current government to make things much better.
It will demand a pragmatic leader to get the assembly to act on this, and whoever will be appointed for that hot position should act swiftly.
Kumasi is indeed going through terrible times and unless the problem is tackled, the image of the city would continue to dwindle.
At least if the market was modernised and expanded, some of the traders who have taken over the streets and pavements could be relocated in the central market to help in the move to decongest the city.
It is currently not clear who was going to be the next Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive but various names have come up for consideration for the position since the NDC was declared winner of the December 2008 elections.
Amongst the names are Mr Joseph Yammin, Mr. Tei Larbi, Mr Dominic Adoma, Mr. Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh and Mr. Amidu Gariba.
It would therefore be very prudent for the person who becomes the next Metro Chief Executive to also prioritise the issue of sanitation.

Work on Oforikrom-Asokwa carriageway progress at slow pace

2009-01-20T15:06:00.000Z

Constructional work on the €37million dual carriageway from Oforikrom to Asokwa in Kumasi was progressing little by little.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor cut the sod for work to commence on the project on Saturday June 21, 2008 but almost seven months down the line, the contractor M/S Shinsung Engineering and Construction Limited from South Korea, was yet to achieve any meaningful feat, with regards to earthworks.
Some residents of Kumasi, who are anxious to see the completion of the project, have expressed concerns about the slow pace of the project, which was expected to be undertaken within two years. Completion date has been slated for June 2010.
Last Friday, when the Daily Graphic visited the project site, the contractor was working on the first culvert for the creation of an access road.
It was observed that earthworks done on the access road was yet to reach one kilometre.
Some officers of the contractor, M/S Shinsung Engineering and Construction Limited from South Korea told the Daily Graphic that they were currently working on diversions and relocations and that they were still in the process of installing their plants.
The officers said they have finished demolishing all the structures in the right of way of the project and that the access road under construction was to help fill some of the swamps in the area as well as construct a bridge over the Aboabo river.
They mentioned that actual construction works which comprised of about 90percent concrete works and 10percent earthworks was yet to start.
The €37million dual carriageway from Oforikrom to Asokwa is being jointly funded by the Government of Ghana and France as part of government's move to handle the traffic situation in the city of Kumasi for easy vehicular movement.
The entire project includes the construction of an interchange at the Timber Gardens at Asokwa and improvement of the Lake road.
The construction of the Oforikrom-Asokwa Bypass followed the completion of the Sokoban Wood Village project, which is a key component of the project where wood workers at Anloga (who were carrying out their activities in the right of way for the road works) are to be relocated to give way for the construction of the road.
There would be a construction of another interchange at the Anloga traffic lights.
There are plans to develop the Kumasi arterial road network and that roads earmarked for expansion in Kumasi are the Sunyani road from the Komfo Anokye roundabout to Abuakwa, which works had already started and scheduled for completion in 2010.
The Mampong road from the Suame roundabout to Ahwia and the Western Bypass from Sofoline to Santasi roundabout. The rest are the southern Bypass from Santasi roundabout through Ahodwo roundabout to Timber Gardens and the Eastern bypass from Timber Gardens to Oforikrom junction.
The outer ring road is a 70 kilometre road around the city which would divert non Kumasi bound traffic away from the city.

Turkey market develops at Santasi roundabout

2009-01-08T09:43:00.000Z

A new trend of vending livestock, especially turkey, guinea fowl and chicken on the streets at prime areas of the Kumasi metropolis was emerging.
Hitherto, it was newspaper vendors who were noted for standing in those areas in the middle of the road to sell newspapers.
However, the medians are gradually being taken over by livestock vendors.
This, if not checked, could develop into a menace in the likes of other street trading activities, which had become a problem for city authorities to control.
It has been observed that some traders were gradually turning one of the medians at the Santasi roundabout, a prime area in Kumasi, into an area for vending turkey.
The animals are brought unto the median in the middle of the road just in front of the Lavikus Hotel every morning and tied unto stones, ostensibly to invite probable buyers.
Apart from the fact that the animals defecate and soil up the entire area during the course of the day as pedestrians, motorists and tourists move about their daily activities, the lives of the traders, are at risk in case of an accident.
Apart from that, other traders have also mounted chicken cages on the pedestrian walkway a few metres away from the roundabout, also doing brisk business in that area.
It would be appropriate for city authorities to act now than to wait for the practice to degenerate into a situation, which would make it difficult to control.
This is because many of the street vending activities, which had become a nuisance and contributed immensely to the creation of congestion especially in the central business district (CBD) of the Kumasi metropolis, started on a gradual process as what was currently being witnessed at the Santasi roundabout.
Currently, almost every available space in prime areas of the Kumasi metropolis was gradually being turned into a spot for trading activities.
Unfortunately, city authorities have failed to act firmly to control the menace on a sustainable base.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) embarked on an exercise in 2007 and 2008 to get rid of trading activities on pavements and streets but that exercise was disbanded after the traders threatened to refuse to give the New Patriotic Party (NPP) their mandate in the general elections.
The issue of the enforcement of the by-laws of the KMA with regards to street trading have always turned into political debates and for fears of losing electoral votes, successive governments have failed to act firmly on the issue.
For how long would city authorities and politicians continue to play politics with issues of illegality with regards to trading activities on streets, on pavements and on pedestrian walkways instead of looking at the issue holistically?
Come to think of it, if nothing was done to stop the traders who have displayed the turkeys on the median in the Santasi roundabout, others would join in and the entire area would be turned into a turkey market.

Ghanaians usher in New Year

2009-01-02T10:18:00.001Z

Members of the Aldersgate Singing Group at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral, Adum in Kumasi ushering in the New Year with songs.

In Kumasi, there were various celebrations to mark the end of 2008 and usher in the New Year.
Christians in particular congregated in various church services to usher in the New Year with prayers whilst revellers greeted 2009 with parties at various drinking bars and night clubs.
At the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Adum, Right Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante led the congregation in a special prayer to usher in the New Year at midnight.
He called on the congregation to examine their commitment to God, be confident and determined and avoid indiscipline in the New Year.
He said there was the need for Christians to live wise lives and take God seriously instead of living their lives as “mockers” who do not take God’s word serious, blaspheme and joke around.
“Do not live like fools since the fool live a Godless life and is corrupt. Do not also live a life without planning for the future, make a change and move forward”, he said.
On his part Rev Brew Riverson said it was time Ghanaians recognise the need for leadership to triumph in the country and realise the Godly factor in the country as well as know that power belongs to God.
“We should all be prepared to work together with whichever President God chooses for us a country”, he said.
Evangelist Mrs Victoria Brew Riverson in a handshake with Dr Kwakye Marfo (seated)
Rt. Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante. He led the congregation at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Adum Kumasi to greet the New Year.

NPP supporters protest in Kumasi. NDC Chairman attacked

2009-01-01T13:10:00.000Z

Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi today (Wednesday) held a peaceful demonstration, calling on the Electoral Commission to suspend the Tain constituency elections, until it had examined the evidence from the NPP with regards to alleged irregularities in the Volta region in Sunday’s presidential runoff elections.
Wearing red bands and holding placards, the demonstrators besieged the premises of the Regional Administration in Kumasi and demanded to have audience with the Regional Minister, Mr E. A. Owusu Ansah.
They insisted that the Electoral Commission should not go ahead to conduct the Tain elections without examining the grievances of the NPP with regards to alleged irregularities in the Volta region.
Tain, a constituency in the Brong Ahafo region with about 53,000 registered voters is now the battleground where the close presidential race between Professor J. E. Atta Mills and Nana Akufo-Addo will finally be decided on Friday since voting in the runoff in that constituency could not be held as a result of a pending protest.
Announcing the new development in the presidential race in Accra on Tuesday, the EC Chairman, Dr Afari-Djan indicated that the commission was going to conduct investigations into allegations of electoral irregularities in Kumasi in particular and some parts of the Ashanti region as well as the Volta region.
Dr Afari-Djan said that both the NPP and NDC had made allegations against each other and that the NDC for its part had produced evidence on the alleged irregularities but the EC was yet to receive any evidence from the NPP.
The EC Chairman said because of the closeness of the elections, it was necessary to conduct the election in Tain, since results from there could make a difference and gave Friday January 2 as when that election would be held.
However, the NPP demonstrators in Kumasi claimed that once the Electoral Commission listened to the complaints of the NDC with regards to the allegations of irregularities in the Ashanti region, it should give the NPP the opportunity to provide its evidence before the Tain elections was allowed to come off.
The demonstrators held placards some of which read, “Kufuor you are too calm, wake up”, “Volta: Ketu, Hohoe, Avenor, the results are not accepted by NPP”, “Why do you listen to NDC without listening to us”.
Personnel from the Police Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) were called in to control the demonstrators at the premises of the Regional Administration.
A spokesman, Mr P. M. P. Drake Opoku explained that they did not understand why Dr Afari-Djan even went ahead to add disputed results from the Volta region and announced them to the nation before taking evidence from the NPP.
The leadership of the demonstrators later met with the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr E. A. Owusu Ansah who assured them that their concerns would be carried to the leaders of the NPP in Accra.
IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, the police and military are providing twenty-four hour security for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Daniel Ohene-Agyekum, after hordes of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi allegedly attacked his Ridge residence n Kumasi this afternoon.
Two people at the residence were injured and were rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for medical attention.
As at 4pm today security personnel had barricaded the roads leading to the residence of the NDC regional chairman to prevent further attacks.
The reasons for the attack were not immediately known but it was believed to be linked to the declaration of the presidential run-off by the Electoral Commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Djan on Tuesday.
The Daily Graphic reporters could cot get access to the residence of the regional chairman and all attempts to speak to him on phone proved futile.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Kwasi Mensah Duku, told the Daily Graphic that the regional police headquarters got information in the afternoon of today that some NPP supporters had attacked the residence of Mr Ohene-Agyekum.
He said earlier on, the regional police commander, DCOP Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, had been informed about a demonstration by NPP supporters at the regional coordinating council (RCC) offices in Kumasi over the decision by the EC to declare the results of the elections when the NPP had raised doubts over the alleged irregularities in the run-off in the Volta Region.
ACP Duku said the regional commander had to rush to the RCC offices to inform the demonstrators that it was illegal to organise the demonstration without informing the police.
It was after dispersing the demonstrators that they marched to Mr Ohene-Agyekum’s residence.
According to deputy regional commander, when the police got information about the attack, they quickly organised and together with the military rushed in to save the situation.
He stated that leaders of the demonstrators were invited to the police headquarters for questioning.
ACP Duku did not give their names but said the suspects were cautioned and later released on bail.
He gave the assurance that the police would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands to misbehave in the aftermath of the elections.
Mr Duku said the security agencies were up to the task and would ensure that law and order prevailed.
He touched on another incident at Asawase on Tuesday night when enthusiastic supporters of the NDC barricaded the road after the electoral commissioner had announced the results, which gave Prof Mills a lead.
He urged the political parties to exercise maximum restraint in their reactions to issues about the elections.

Kumasi business district deserted, ahead of the official declaration of the election results

2008-12-30T17:16:00.005Z

Brisk business at the central business district of Adum in the Kumasi metropolis on Tuesday came to an abrupt end in the afternoon ahead of the official declaration of results of the presidential run off by the Electoral Commission.
Traders and shoppers started deserting the business district at midday and by 4pm; almost all shops in the area had been closed.
This followed tensions which had characterised the declaration of the election results following projections on some radio stations that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had won the elections, which was later disputed by the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Some traders told the Daily Graphic that they had information that shop owners in Accra had closed their shops so they decided to do likewise.
Others said they feared for their lives since they were not sure of the outcome of the results and its subsequent reactions by supporters of the political parties, hence they decided to close their shops and go home.By 4pm when the Daily Graphic toured the business district, there were only snippets of traders hanging around.
Many people were spotted rushing to the various lorry stations to board vehicles to their homes.
Workers of the central business district traffic management project responsible for the issuance of tickets for the paid parking system had all closed from work and were going home.
Some of them who spoke to the Daily Graphic said that since everybody was deserting the business district, they also decided to close work and go home, fearing for their lives.
Hitherto, business in the area boosted even on Christmas Day, December 25, Boxing Day December 26 as well as on Election Day on December 28.

Ashanti Results

2008-12-30T11:24:00.002Z

SUBIN
NPP 51,216
NDC 17,731
valid 68,947
rejected 227
total 69,174

KWABRE EAST
NPP 50,502
NDC 11,796
valid 62,298
rejected 435
total 62,733

KWABRE WEST
NPP 31,171
NDC 5,996
valid 37,167
rejected 183
total 37,350

AHAFO ANO SOUTH
NPP 25,214
NDC 15,391
valid 40,605
rejected 457
total 41,062

AFIGYA SEKYERE WEST
NPP 15,794
NDC 5,019
valid 20,813
rejected 215
total 21,028

AFIGYA SEKYERE EAST
NPP 40,788
NDC 9,641
valid 50,429
rejected 423
total 50,852

MAMPONG
NPP 32,618
NDC 8,854
valid 41,472
rejected 218
total 41,690

ODOTOBRI
NPP 26,896
NDC 3,613
valid 30,509
rejected 330
total 30,839

AMANSIE WEST
NPP 46,757
NDC 7,783
valid 54,540
rejected 539
total 55,079

ASANTE AKIM NORTH
NPP 44,586
NDC 14,824
valid 59,410
rejected 385
total 59,795

BOSOME FREHO
NPP 17,810
NDC 4,044
valid 21,854
rejected 178
total 22,032

BEKWAI
NPP 43,539
NDC 5,862
valid 49,401
rejected 233
total 49,634

NSUTA KWAMANG
NPP 21,424
NDC 7,551
valid 28,975
rejected 410
total 29,385

OBUASI
NPP 52,019
NDC 26,243
valid 78,262
rejected 359
total 78,621

AHAFO ANO NORTH
NPP 17,460
NDC 14,836
valid 32,296
rejected 259
total 32,555

AKROFROM -ADANSI SOUTH
NPP 9,635
NDC 5,354
valid 14,987
rejected 156
total 15,145

EJURA SEKYEDUMASI
NPP 18,224
NDC 21,692
valid 39,916
rejected 344
total 40,260

BOSOMTWE
NPP 31,105
NDC 7,181
valid 38,286
rejected 245
total 38,531

ATWIMA KWANWOMA
NPP 39,147
NDC 6,564
valid 45,711
rejected 261
total 45,972

NEW EDUBIASE
NPP 10,644
NDC 16,775
valid 27,419
rejected 355
total 27,774

ASANTE AKIM SOUTH
NPP 28,455
NDC 13,911
valid 42,366
rejected 346
total 42,712

ATWIMA NWABIAGYA
NPP 63,272
NDC 16,514
valid 79,786
rejected 411
total 80,197

ASOKWA
NPP 47,662
NDC 13,971
valid 61,633
rejected 264
total 61,897

OFORIKROM
NPP 45,866
NDC 25,212
valid 71,078
rejected 348
total 71,426

ASAWASI
NPP 28,441
NDC 38,357
valid 66,798
rejected 334
total 67,132

KWADASO
NPP 62,110
NDC 8,876
valid 70,986
rejected 344
total 71,330

OFFINSO SOUTH
NPP 29,538
NDC 12,266
valid 41,804
rejected 385
total 42,189

OFFINSO NORTH
NPP 17,431
NDC 11,805
valid
rejected 548
total 29784

EJISU JUABEN
NPP 65187
NDC 13535
valid 78722
rejected 417
total 79139

KUMAWU
NPP 23,400
NDC 7540
valid 30,904
rejected 278
total 31,192

EFFIDUASE ASOKORE
NPP 20,377
NDC 5115
valid 25,492
rejected 206
total 25,698

NHYIAESO
NPP 54,545
NDC 11,861
valid 66,406
rejected 161
total 66,567

BANTAMA
NPP 56,227
NDC 8,532
valid 64,759
rejected 169
total 64,928

ADANSI ASOKWA
NPP 14,670
NDC 10,634
valid 25,304
rejected 356
total 25,660

FOMENA
NPP 13,583
NDC 3,996
valid 17,579
rejected 185
total 17,764

ATWIMA MPONUA
NPP 30,960
NDC 17,086
valid 48,046
rejected 468
total 48,514

MANHYIA
NPP 95,281
NDC 20,210
valid 115,491
rejected 319
total 115,882

OLD TAFO
NPP 47,476
NDC 13,416
valid 60,892
rejected 198
total 61,090

SUAME
NPP 67,790
NDC 10,368
valid 78,158
rejected 238
total 78,396

The Presidential Run off

2008-12-28T08:31:00.004Z

Voting in the Ashanti region got off to a peaceful start on Sunday with long winding queues seen at many polling stations for the second round of presidential elections when the polls opened in the morning.
However by midday, the police had arrested a total of 15 people for various electoral offences including malpractice, impersonation, violence, creation of confusion and preventing some eligible voters from casting their ballot.
A 72-year old man whose name was only given as Asare was arrested for allegedly placing a material on a stamp pad at one of the polling stations at Atimatim in the Kwabre West constituency.
The act was detected by one voter who saw that a material had been placed on the stamp pad which caused thumb prints on the ballot paper to appear faint.
As soon as the act was detected, many voters came to complain that they realised that their thumbprints were faint on the ballot papers even though they pressed hard on the ink pad.
The 72-year old man, who was hanging around the polling station, was later identified as the person who caused the act and was arrested by the crowd who attempted to lynch him but for the timely intervention of the security personnel.
There was a resultant confusion at the polling station which caused voting to be halted for a while until calm prevailed at the place following a security re-enforcement.
When the 72-year-old man was arrested, it was detected that he had an observer’s card, which he told the police that it was given to him by regional officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Electoral officials however detected that the observer’s card he was holding was a fake one.
Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the man had been taken into custody for further investigations but declined to give his name.
In another incident, an electoral official at the Kodie Methodist Primary Polling Station also in the Kwabre West constituency was arrested for malpractice.
The official was said to have stamped a ballot paper on the position of the NDC candidate before giving it to a voter to cast the ballot.
When the voter saw the anomaly, he alerted other officials and the security personnel and the said official was arrested.
In other instances, persons who were said to be creating confusion and preventing some eligible voters to cast their vote were also arrested at various areas.
Among those arrested for creating confusion at polling stations included political party agents.
Inspector Tanko told the Daily Graphic that after such agents were arrested, they told the police that they were being vigilant in their supervisory roles and by doing so, some people caused the police to arrest them, alleging that they were creating confusion.
The Public Relations Officer said the police were investigating all those cases to find out how authentic the complaints were.
There had been reports of some arrests at Kofiase in the Mampong area, where persons who were said to have attempted to snatch ballot boxes were also arrested by the police by the time of filing this report.
Again there was a report of the arrest of another EC official at Kumawu for stamping ballot papers before giving it out to voters to cast their vote but the Police Public Relations officer was unable to confirm it as of the time of filing this report.
At Ashanti New Town, near the Abbey’s park a youngman was beaten up by the crowd. It was alleged that he was hanging around the area with intentions of wanting to snatch a ballot box. He was also handed over to the police.
Inspector Tanko said the Police were closely monitoring the situation.
Earlier in the morning queues started forming at various polling stations at dawn long before election officials arrived with the electoral materials.
In areas such as Santasi, Fankyenebra , Atasemanso, Adiembra, Patasi, South Suntreso and Kwadaso all in the Nhyiaeso constituency where the Daily Graphic visited around 4am the scene was no different as there were long queues at the polling stations.
The voters explained that they anticipated a higher turnout and that they wanted to be among the first people to cast their ballot so as to be able to go out and do other businesses for the day.
Jones Bosomtwe, a resident of Anyinam said he had to travel outside Kumasi hence he decided to wake up early to cast his ballot.
Like Jones many voters also said they were up early in other to avoid waiting in queue for longer hours before casting their ballot during the day.
In all the areas visited voters joined queues in calm atmosphere and waited for their turn when the polls opened at 7am.
Officials of the Electoral Commission arrived at the polling stations on time and all electoral materials were readily available for a smooth process.
Madam Georgina Nyantakyiwaa of Fankyenebra prayed for a free and fair exercise so as to enable the candidates accept the outcome of the verdict.
Mrs Ama Amofa of Santasi said that “God chooses a leader” and therefore called on the two candidates to accept the outcome of the verdict.
“We should be able to accept the outcome of the verdict provided it is free and fair”, she said.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Serwaa Kobi Ampem cast their ballot at the Manhyia Palace polling station at 11:45am.
Kumasi was generally calm as the voting got underway.
At the K.O. Osei Assibey Polling station, a total of 600 out of 691 persons on the electoral roll had cast their ballot by 1pm.
At Asokore Mampong, Asawase and Aboabo all in the Asawase constituency voters patiently waited in queue to cast their ballot peacefully as well as Ashanti New Town in the Manhyia constituency.
By 9am, the queue at the KTI polling station had diminished. 150 voters out of a total registered voter population of 722 had cast their ballot by then.

Ohene Djan: radio man in wig

2008-10-16T11:31:00.000Z

Among the fresh lawyers who were recently called to the bar, after graduating from the Ghana Law School was Ohene Djan, host of the “Democracy” programme on Kessben FM in Kumasi.
Djan’s foray into the heady world of radio started as far back as 1999 at Radio Universe in Legon where he hosted the talk show, “View Point”.
He has since been very instrumental in talk shows and current affairs programmes. He is currently a staunch panel member on Kessben FM’s morning show, “Maakye” and a host of Saturday evening’s programme, “Democracy”.
To add more laurels to his radio achievements, he decided to pursue a course in law and gracefully graduated this year from the law school amongst the likes of ACP Nathan Kofi Boakye, who was adjudged the best all round student.
Ohene Djan in a chat with Graphic Showbiz indicated that it had been his long standing vision to become a lawyer and though he ended up becoming a radio presenter after his first degree at the University of Ghana, Legon, he never relented on his oars and pursued his vision of becoming a lawyer.
So is Djan going to abandon radio for the courtroom? “No I hope to combine my radio work with my law practice”, he said.
He explained that he intends to introduce a programme on Kessben FM where matters relating to legal education and other national interest would be discussed to provide listeners with an insight in the law profession.
“I hope to do this in a manner that would not conflict with my legal practice”, he said.
Djan said he was hoping to start his pupillage for at least six months with a reputable law firm in Kumasi before going into independent practice.
Ohene Djan started as a radio talk show host at Radio Universe in Accra whilst pursuing a first degree in Political Science at the University of Ghana. He started as a producer of the programme, “View Point” before becoming the host in his final year in 2000.
From there he moved to Fox FM in Kumasi where he hosted the political talk shows “Hard Ball” and “Hit Back”. He was also a panel member on the morning show.
The Hard Ball programme won an award in 2002 as the Best Interactive talk show programme at the Radio and Television Awards (RTV).
He moved to Kessben FM in 2004 when the station was set up and had been working there since.
Djan hails from Brekum in the Brong Ahafo region where he attended the Brekum Secondary School for his ‘O’ level certificate in 1989. He continued at Technology Secondary in Kumasi for his ‘A’ level and the University of Ghana, Legon for a degree in Political Science.
After that he did his national service at St Louis Secondary in Kumasi before enrolling at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for a second degree, Bachelor of Law (LLB). From there he enrolled at the Ghana Law School.
Djan, the first radio presenter in Ashanti to have moved into the law profession said he wants to serve as a motivation for his work colleagues to pursue further education and expressed appreciation to his mother, Madam Adwoa Serwaa of Brekum.
Asked when he was going to get married, he said “God’s time is the best”.Ohene Djan (right) receiving his certificate from the Chief Justice Mrs Georgina T. Wood

ICT revolution at Suame Magazine

2008-09-25T10:53:00.003Z

Picture shows Ms Natalie Schell, an intern from Columbia University in New York assisting the artisans in their training.

There is a sudden upsurge of interest among the otherwise low literate artisans of Suame Magazine for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education.
What inspired this new spirit of ICT enterprise among the artisans appears a complete mystery to those familiar with the Suame Magazine environment where computer is largely considered the preserve of the formal sector.
The interesting point about these massive developments in the ICT at Suame Magazine is the exclusive private initiative of the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO).
The Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation (SMIDO), the development unit and umbrella organisation of Suame Magazine has unleashed a revolution unprecedented in the informal sector industry of the country in Suame Magazine.
According to SMIDO, this new development is emerging as a response to findings from a survey in 2007 that indicated that less than one percent of the over 200,000 artisans at the suame magazine have email addresses and uses the Internet.
This was said to be at odds with the global orientation of their industrial operations requiring transactions with stakeholders across the world.
It was an exciting sight when the Daily Graphic visited the training centre last week to witness at first hand, how the artisans were acquiring computer knowledge.
The artisans in their usual fitting costumes were spotted busily going through lessons in ICT in a typical school-styled fashion.
I was confronted with a reality I never thought would happen at Suame Magazine’s largely independent artisanal population.
Artisans who have never sat behind the computer in their lifetime are now manipulating the computer for various designs that would leave the average visitor to the resource center pondering over whether he or she was really at Suame Magazine.
The center has four instructors with two expatriates from the Columbia University in New York.
Records at the resource center indicated that high profiled personalities like Dr Kwabena Duffour, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the KMA Chief Executive, Ms Patricia Appiagyei, Ms Dorothy Gordon of the Ghana Indian Centre of Excellence in ICT, Professor Vasco of the Institute of Advanced ICT Studies and a host of other dignitaries have visited the resource center to acquaint themselves with this new revelation at Suame Magazine being spearheaded by SMIDO.
The President of SMIDO described this as not necessarily an ICT revolution but a mindset to embrace the modern world of technology, which is threatening the survival of Suame Magazine and the artisanal engineering industry in Ghana.
In an interview, Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, consultant to SMIDO revealed that plans were underway to establish an Internet café to introduce the artisans to the use of the Internet given the advances they have made at the basic stages of computing
According to Mr Azongo, the Ghana-Indian Kofi Annan ICT Center is rolling out a programme with SMIDO to introduce an artisanal engineering model of International Computer Driving License (ICDL) to offer international certification to artisans upon graduation at the resource centre.
He contended that the ICT breakthrough is an important milestone towards graduating the artisans of Suame Magazine towards the modern industrial village to be established by SMIDO on a 1000acre land at Asenemaso in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ashanti.
According to him, the full potential of ICT to economic development is seen as the creative sectors of the economy and said that these are the sectors that have been left behind in the nation’s planning process.
He said the formal sector was not a force to reckon with in the creative industry where ICT could introduce the magic wand for economic development.
In his elaboration, the main determinant of the creative economy is the proportion of the employment and entrepreneurial seeking ratios of the labour population.
He contended that the formal sector has a preponderance of employment seeking attitudes as against the entrepreneurial seeking behaviours of the average workforce in the artisanal or the informal Sector.
In this direction the entrepreneurial creative industrial sectors incorporation of ICT is a key instrument towards wealth creation and sustainable development.
For his part, the President of SMIDO, Mr George Asamoah Amankwa expressed the hope that the government would extend a vehicular support to SMIDO project, which was a major undertaking worthy of national commitment and support.
In another development, a team of experts from IBM, the global computer giants would be arriving in Ghana by the end of September 2008 for a one month assignment with SMIDO to support the review and curricula development of the Suame Tech Automatics Engineering Institute for ICT in vehicular diagnosis and repairs.
This is to set the basis for a formal training center for artisans in Suame Magazine and the rest of the country.
Picture shows Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, consultant to SMIDO admiring the learning skills of the artisans

50-year Jail term for 'Kumasi Ataa Ayi'

2008-09-24T09:53:00.000Z

Eric Alfred Zieme, described by the police as Kumasi’s most notorious armed robber, was yesterday sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the High Court in Kumasi.

“You are the devil incarnate,” Justice Kwame Ansu-Gyeabour, the presiding judge, told Zieme before handing him the sentence.

Zieme, 26, also known as Kumasi Ataa Ayi, was found guilty of raiding the B5 Plus Company at Buoho, a Kumasi suburb, at gunpoint on October 11, 2007 and robbing Gocrest Limited of GH¢40,504 which it had collected from the B5 Plus to be deposited at the bank.

The convict, who has nine other armed robbery and murder cases yet to be tried, had no lawyer and so he represented himself in court throughout the trial.

He was always in clutches when he appeared in court because of gunshot wounds he sustained when the police fired at his legs when he attempted to escape arrest.

The court held that the convict stood out as a person who was prepared to reap where he had not sown and build his life through foul means.

The judge said the court took into consideration the prevalence of armed robbery in the country, the evidence adduced against the convict by the prosecution, the character and antecedents of the convict, among other things, before imposing the sentence.

He said although the convict told the court that he was in Wa to attend an uncle’s funeral on the day the incident happened, he was, however, unable to prove his claim when offered the opportunity to do so.

Besides, Justice Ansu-Gyeabour said the convict’s mother, Bridget Zumbele, who was in court and had promised to furnish the court with witnesses for the convict, failed to do so and even declined to testify herself as the sister of the convict’s uncle whose funeral he claimed to have attended at Wa.

He stated that the convict admitted the offence in his caution statement to the police but denied on oath that he had given that statement to the police and also failed to prove an alibi.

He said it was abundantly clear that the evidence on oath had been a deliberate ploy and an after- thought.

The judge said the convict was unable to prove how he earned the money used to acquire his property, including the restaurant building project he had embarked on at the race course area in Kumasi.

Justice Ansu-Gyeabour also held that three witnesses, namely, Benedict Kofi Adombre, a driver whom the convict shot in the thigh, Alice Akpo and Victoria Asare, both cashiers of Gocrest Limited, from whom the convict stole the money, all came out to identify the convict during an identification parade.

The court ordered that the two cars seized from the convict on his arrest — an unregistered Toyota Corolla saloon car and an old Tico taxi — be handed over to the Ghana Police Service to assist the service in its patrol duties.

It further ordered that the remaining items seized from the convict, including a Honda motorbike, five travelling bags containing clothing, a Samsung DVD player, a Sony TV set, home theatre with speakers, two deep freezers, two satellite dishes, 35 bags of cement, 17 pieces of plywood, five packets of floor tiles and two ceiling fans, be auctioned and the proceeds paid to offset the amount stolen from B5 Plus, with the remaining paid to government chest.

The court also ordered that the restaurant project started by the convict, should be handed over to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for it to remodel and construct for public use.

The prosecution was led by Mr Emmanuel Otoo-Boison, a State Attorney.

Zieme has a month to appeal against the sentence.

The facts of the case were that on October 11, 2007, Benedict Kofi Adombre, a driver, Alice Akpo and Victoria Asare, both cashiers of Gocrest Limited at Adum, went round to collect money from the company’s customers.

After the three had collected money from the B5 Plus Company around 1.30 p.m., the convict, with an AK 47 assault rifle, attacked them in front of the company’s premises and shot the right thigh of the driver and robbed them of cash totalling GH¢40,504.

A report was made to the police and a medical form was issued to the driver to attend hospital.

On November 2, 2007, the police, upon a tip-off, arrested the convict from his hideout at the race course and the witnesses involved identified him as the one who had committed the offence.

The police later retrieved three guns, comprising two AK 47 assault rifles and a pump action gun, which he had hidden at various areas in the bush on the Barekese road, the Buoho area and at Brofoyedru.

The police also seized various items from him and charged him with the offence.

Ministry concludes tilapia pond feeding trials

2008-09-24T09:26:00.001Z

The Ministry of Fisheries has successfully concluded a 10month pond feeding trials with all male tilapia at the Aquaculture Adaptive Trials Centre at Nkawie in the Ashanti region, and has subsequently identified pelletized feed as most suitable for commercial aquaculture production.
The objective of the trial was to demonstrate tilapia growth and economic performance from fingerling to market stages.
The all male tilapia exhibited excellent growth from five grammes to an average of 500 grammes over the 10month period when they were fed on Raanan pelletized fish feed imported from Israel by Dizengoff Ghana Limited.
The feed maintained good water quality, and no pond water flushing was required. Additionally the fish growth with the feed yielded a high economic return in the trial.
A total of 4400 fingerlings were stocked in the pond which was equipped with stand-by aeration at the latter stages of the trials.
At a field demonstration on the production of the all male tilapia using the pelletized feed at Nkawie last week, Mr Emmanuel Nii Aryee, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ministry of Fisheries said the move was a major success in the Ministry’s quest in promoting aquaculture.
This is because, hitherto, most fish farmers were not feeding their stock very well with the right feed thus the produce did not gain the weight they were supposed to before harvest.
Additionally, many of them mixed the males and females together which was also not good for commercial fish production, he said.
The male tilapia is noted for growing faster than the female and that it could attain the weight of about 750 grammes within seven months, for harvesting when fed well. Hence it is profitable to use male fingerlings instead of female fingerlings in fish farming.
The Ministry of Fisheries thus entered into an agreement with Luye Fisheries in China for assistance in the production of male tilapia fingerlings for distribution to fish farmers in Ghana.
The move was to help make high yielding fingerlings always available to fish farmers so as to serve as a boost to aquaculture in the country.
Consequently, the Ministry allocated the Aquaculture Adaptive Trials Centre at Nkawie in the Atwima District of Ashanti to be used as a pilot station for the development of what they termed, the Super Male Tilapia in the country.
Speaking at the field demonstration, the Regional Director of Fisheries said the Ministry sees pond fishing as being very good economically and thus has been promoting aquaculture on a more serious note in the last three years.
He said after the Ministry adopted the all male production method, there was also the need to identify a suitable feed so as to be able to achieve the needed results.
Mr Aryee said the Ministry decided to go for the Raanan feed because that one could float on the surface of the water making it easy to monitor how the stock was consuming the feed.
He said he was aware that GAFCO as well as Agricare have also started producing pelletized feeds and that GAFCO for instance was still in the process of trying to come out with brands that could float on the surface of water.
He said the brands of the other pelletized feeds that does not stay at the surface but sinks to the under of the water was equally good but said the floating ones were more preferable since it allows the farmer to monitor the feeding rate of the stock.
He said his outfit has assigned the Tano Odumase fish pond to produce high yielding all male fingerlings for supply to fish farmers in the Ashanti region so as to serve as a boost to aquaculture.
He said Ashanti was the leading region in pond fish farming.
Adding, he said as part of efforts to boost aquaculture, the ministry has introduced an input credit scheme where fingerlings are supplied to selected farmers as well as assisted in the construction of ponds.
Touching on the results of the trials, Mr Aryee said the exercise had thought the Ministry a lot of lessons which it could impart to fish farmers.
For instance, he said the ministry stocked a total of 4400 fingerlings in the pond which was too small for the stock and also did not mount the stand-by aeration on time.
Again he said the fingerlings were stocked in November and so when the harmattan started in January, the fishes did not eat much during that period so that also affected their growth.
Mr Aryee said lessons learnt from the trials would go a long way to assist fish farmer adding that the average weight could go beyond 500grammes if conditions are favourable.

Filth engulfs Kumasi Central Market

2008-09-19T15:35:00.001Z

Customers at the Kumasi Central Market, which is said to be the biggest in the West African sub region, are welcome by filth.
Ironically many traders and hawkers sit and transact business in the midst of the filth as if good health doesn’t mean anything to them.
The openly sell foodstuffs and their wares in the middle of the road and on the pavements amidst filth which they themselves generate.
Some display their goods including tomatoes, yams, garden eggs, apples, lettuce and cabbage on the ground over a mat while others put theirs on the bare ground just next to drains filled with stagnant and stinky water.
Others especially those who trade on the streets simply carry their commodities on their hands, heads and shoulders and move around.
This is not the first time an issue of this sort had been raised. It has been raised on a couple of platforms but the situation keeps worsening with no solution to it.
What even makes the situation a bother for me is how foodstuffs especially vegetables and fruits, some of whom are eaten in their raw state is sold on the bare ground in the midst of filth.
One always wonders why there is so much indiscipline at the city centre of the Kumasi metropolis, especially at the precincts of the central market and wondered whose responsibility it was to ensure sanity at the place as the city authorities, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) look on unconcerned.
One is not likely to see the degree of filth during daytime as the place is crowded but at night after the day’s activities.
Last Monday, as I walked on the road in front of the Central Market I was fascinated with the mounting heap of garbage and people including pedestrians and traders who throw garbage anywhere and everywhere.
I wondered how city dwellers had lost their sense of sanitation and civility questioned how people, who initially lived a clean life, create and live in such filth. Such gross disregard to health defies Ghanaian culture.
This appalling sanitation problem makes the government’s much-hyped tourism programme look like a child’s play.
The least talk about the resultant congestion on the road in front of the central market as it is neither not comforting driving through that area nor footing.
Trading activities along the streets and pavements was now as brisk as before the introduction of the exercise, which has come to nothing after spending several millions of Ghana cedis on it.
The last time the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Miss Patricia Appiagyei reacted to concerns on the aborted decongestive exercise, which it claimed it was embarking on a sustainable base to evict traders who have taken over walkways in the Central Business District of Kumasi, she accused the media of not supporting the Assembly resulting in the failure of the exercise. The KMA gave every assurance that it would sustain the decongestive exercise and evict traders who had taken over the walkways in the central business district of Kumasi.
The City Mayor alleged that some sections of the media criticised the KMA and that explained why the exercise had been stalled.
“Some media men criticised us as well as politicised it that is why we have relented on the exercise. We thought we were in partnership with you but we were wrong. You find people back on the pavements because the media did not support us”, Miss Appiagyei said.
Last year, the KMA embarked on the exercise to decongest the CBD of traders who had indiscriminately taken over the streets and the pavements and millions of cedis were spent on the exercise, yet the hawkers are still on the streets doing brisk business with its attendant socio-economic problems.
Assurances were given by the KMA that the exercise was not going to be a nine days’ wonder but would be sustained to enable residents to appreciate the need to comply with the directives of the KMA.
It is not clear what might have compelled the KMA, which in 2006 “blew” some GH¢100,000 on a similar abortive ejection exercise, to go back on its word in 2007, but the lack of political will, as the case has always been, cannot be ruled out.
The activities of the hawkers, who have taken over pavements in the city centre, have compelled pedestrians to walk on the roads, putting them at great risk.
A huge number of petty traders have virtually hijacked the business district of the city which is seriously impeding the free flow of vehicles and pedestrians.
These lawless individuals have completely taken over all the pavements in the city centre and are busily going about their ‘normal’ duties as if there were no laws to bring them to order.
For how long can residents continue to grapple with this problem?
Personally I feel there ought to be a conscious attempt to improve sanitation in that part of the city to give the city the beauty and the Garden City status it deserves.

Asantehene supports Suame Industrial Dev Organisation

2008-09-17T08:00:00.000Z

The Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organisation, the umbrella organisation and development unit of Suame Magazine has received its greatest boost in its march towards the development of Suame Magazine into a modern industrial estate from the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The Asantehene has pledged his support for SMIDO assigning the Akyempimhene, Oheneba Adusei Poku to be liaising with the organisation to occasion his support for the development of Suame Magazine, which he said holds significant prospects for Asanteman and Ghana’s industrial development as a whole.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II gave his support when members of the Suame Magazine Industrial Village Committee led by its Chairman, Dr Kwabena Duffuor paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace last week.
The visit was to formally introduce members of the committee and their mission to establish a modern industrial village for Suame Magazine to the Asantehene.
The occasion was a historic moment for Asanteman as Otumfuo personally addressed questions to them as well as allowing ample time for committee members to address his council of elders.
The atmosphere was that of appreciation and a welcome endorsement of SMIDO by Otumfuo.
The Asantehene advised the leadership of SMIDO to be transparent and truthful in their responsibilities as well as shed off any other interest apart from the genuine interest to salvage the prospects of the industrial estate, which appeared to have been at the receiving end of national policy neglect.
He applauded SMIDO for their foresight and urged them not to relent in their efforts to develop Suame Magazine.
He advised them to have confidence in themselves and to ensure that state- of –the- art technology was infused into the operations of the industrial estate to enable them keep pace with modern technology.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr Kwabena Duffuor said his conscience has never been deeply exercised and challenged in his numerous official calls to take up responsibilities than the one from SMIDO and Suame Magazine.
He said, with the virtual collapse of the Timber and Wood industry in Kumasi, the shoe industrial enterprise, the worst will be for them to approach Suame Magazine with apathy.
Suame Magazine is the very economic heart of Kumasi, Asanteman and Ghana as a whole, he said and added that the best service they can render to Asanteman and Ghana, as a whole will be to support SMIDO in its bid to Develop Suame Magazine into a modern industrial Village.
The President of SMIDO, Mr George Asamoah Amankwa used the occasion to present a special copy of the SMIDO blueprint to the Asantehene and the Asanteman Council.
The Asantehene, who was visibly enthused by the exceptional strides of SMIDO in its brief moment in Suame Magazine by pulling together a high-profiled committee under the Chair of Dr Kwabena Duffour and Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, whose advocacy for science and technology driven development, could not hide his joy but to commend the leadership of SMIDO for such a sterling accomplishment.
Mr George Asamoah Amankwa, briefed Otumfuo about the formation of SMIDO out of BUSAC fund’s support to Suame Magazine and the progress made so far particularly the establishment of an ICT resource center to train artisans in the basics of computer towards the adoption of ICT vehicular diagnosis and repairs.
The rest of the committee members Professor Frimpong Boateng, Miss Dorothy Gordon of the Ghana Indian Kofi Annan ICT center and ,Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, the consultant to SMIDO each took turns to brief Otumfuo about the project and their individual and collective roles towards the development of the SMIDO initiative.
Professor Frimpong Boateng in his remarks noted that given the uneconomic parcels of lands available for Agriculture, mechanised farming was a viable investment enterprise in the region.
Against this background, he noted that the only option left to the region was to adopt technology for which it has an exceptional comparative advantage in the country with the existence of Suame Magazine and the KNUST.
He said, the Suame Magazine Industrial Village Project for which he has been appointed to facilitate with Dr Kwabena Duffuor was not a task beyond their capacity and that given the required support and encouragement the region would soon witness a globally competitive technologically advanced industrial village in Kumasi.
Later in an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Consultant to SMIDO, Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo said the Asantehene has always been represented in their numerous national events.
He said, they have been greatly inspired and alive to the testimony of Otumfuo’s unparallel passion for meaningful development programmes in the region.
According to Azongo, he hopes the political leaders of the region would take a cue from the exceptional demonstration of leadership by Otumfuo to come on board in a non-partisan manner to equally lend their weight behind the project as a national undertaking.
He said political leaders in the region have a duty towards supporting Suame Magazine’s development which could not be sacrificed or shirked under any excuses.

Expansion work progresses at Barekese

2008-09-03T07:51:00.000Z

The Board of Directors at the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has expressed appreciation at the progress of rehabilitation and expansion works at the Barekese and Owabi Headworks which supply pipe-borne water to the Kumasi metropolis and its environs.
The GWCL was currently embarking on rehabilitation and expansion works at the Barekese and Owabi headworks so as to be able to increase the supply of pipe-borne water to the Kumasi metropolis.
The Board Chairman, Mr A. R. Musah, who led a team of board members to inspect progress of work at the two headworks at the weekend, expressed appreciation with the quality of work.
The visit was to enable them acquaint themselves with work so far done on the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion project.
The project which was more than 30 percent complete is being funded by the government at a cost of Euros 37,999,870.
The Kumasi metropolis would be supplied with 27million gallons of water per day upon the completion of the project in October 2009.
The Barekese Headworks currently has capacity to produce 18million gallons of water per day whiles that of Owabi has capacity to produce three million.
However the two headworks are unable to produce at their full capacity because of obsolete machinery.
The expansion works was expected to increase the capacity of Barekese by an additional six million gallons thereby producing 24million gallons per day.
The Board chairman of GWCL expressed satisfaction with the work done so far and expressed the hope that it would be completed on schedule.
Members of the board that accompanied the chairman were Mr E. Adjei Boye, Ms Susana Mensah, Mr R. Obiri Yeboah, Mr Kwaku Amoa Gyarteng, Mr P. M. A. Pecku. Others were the Deputy Managing Director of the GWCL Mr Kwaku Botwe, Mr Fred Lokko, Ashanti Regional Chief Manager and the project consultant, Mr Anthony Amankwah.
The project is being executed by Taysec Construction Company.

Stray cow causes accident in Kumasi

2008-09-03T07:39:00.002Z

The reason why stray animals should not be allowed on the street was given meaning on Tuesday morning as a stray cow crashed into a taxi cab on the Asokwa-Baba Yara Sports Stadium road in Kumasi.
The accident resulted in injury to the driver of the taxi cab and four passengers of the vehicle.
The taxi cab, a Kia Pride with registration number AW 1397 Y was also badly damaged as the front and rear windscreens were smashed together with the bonnet and roof of the vehicle.
The fat cow also died on the spot.
Eyewitness said the cow was being followed by a shepherd boy on the shoulders of the road at about 6am when all of a sudden it jumped on to the road and crashed into the oncoming car.
The car hit the animal head on and lifted it over the roof.
The shepherd boy was said to have taken to his heels immediately after the accident as the driver who was only indentified as Alex also tried to pursue him but was unsuccessful in arresting him.
The matter was later reported to the Asokwa Police.

Another fuel tanker in accident

2008-09-03T07:39:00.001Z

A fuel tanker was on Monday night involved in an accident which resulted in the tanker catching fire at Asokwa near the Mckweon Restaurant on the Asokwa-Baba Yara Sports Stadium road.
Four vehicles, which had been parked by the road side were burnt together with the tanker.
There were no casualties as the tanker driver escaped unhurt from the vehicle before it burst into flames.
This brought to three the number of tanker trucks which had been involved in an accident and catching fire in the Ashanti region in the last two weeks.
The first was at Adum in Kumasi which claimed three lives and the second was at Atwedie in the Asante Akyim South District which resulted in injury to four persons including a policeman and a fireman.
The cause of this latest incident was not clear but it was believed a break failure might have caused the accident.
The vehicle with registration number AS 7401 F veered off the road and landed in a gutter just in front of the Mckweon Restaurant at Asokwa.
The incident happened about 200 metres away from the Engas Filling Station, which exploded about a year ago claiming some lives including the owner of the station.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle burst into flames shortly after the driver had escaped from it after the accident.
They said thick black smoke drifted into the evening skies, as frightened residents rushed out of their homes to escape to safe areas. Fire fighters had a difficult task controlling the blaze, and had to spend about two hours before bringing the situation under control. The accident was said to have happened a few minutes after 8pm and the fire started afterwards as the fuel drifted into the drains with the fire running through the drains from where the tanker fell.
The fire caused destruction to telephone and electricity cables.

EIA report on energy project ready

2008-09-03T07:38:00.001Z

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping report had been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so as to help pave the way for the construction of the plant to generate between 30 and 52 megawatts of electricity from garbage in Kumasi.
The almost US$136 million project is expected to generate energy from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly’s (KMA’s) landfill site at Oti to serve the Kumasi metropolis, depending on the volume of waste supplied to the landfill site per day.
The gas from the waste materials will be used to generate energy.
Cinergex Solutions is the sole financier of the project, excluding Value Added Tax (VAT), and is expected to use 14 months to construct the plant, when actual construction work begins.
The project is to be on a build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) basis and as a result Cinergex has consequently signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The electricity produced by the waste-to-energy plant will supplement the ECG’s power supply from the Volta River Authority (VRA) for the Kumasi metropolis.
Mr Anthony Mensah, Director of Waste Management at the KMA who was responding to a question on the progress of work on the project in an interview with the Daily Graphic said the financiers of the project have gathered and analysed all relevant information on the proposed undertaking to determine the likely consequences if the undertaking was implemented and has forwarded it to the EPA.
He said the EPA which was currently reviewing the report was expected to issue a provisional permit to pave way for constructional works on the project.
Asked why the EPA permit had delayed as of now, Mr Mensah said the financiers initially assumed that the EPA permit covering the landfill site would have covered the plant only for them to realise later that they needed a whole new permit for the plant.
He said consultants have been commissioned to prepare the two phases of environmental impact assessment reports, that of the scoping and final reports.
He said the scoping report was ready and had been submitted to the EPA for review leading to the issuance of a provisional permit after which the final report would be sent for the final permit.
Mr Mensah said his understanding was that once the provisional permit was issued, the financiers of the project would release funds for the purchase of the components of the plant for onward shipment to Ghana from the United States of America (USA) and Canada respectively.
He said the plant itself entails a lot of pre-fabricated components which would be mounted on a concrete sub structure.
The Waste Management Director said the financiers have since engaged a surveyor to assess where the plant would be mounted at the land fill site.
President John Agyekum Kufuor performed the sod-cutting ceremony at the project site in May 2007. Prior to that, the government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, and the KMA signed a contract with the contractors, Cinergex Solutions Limited from Canada in November 2006 for the construction of the plant.
The energy to be generated by the plant would depend greatly on the volume of waste supply to the landfill site and, according to experts, 500 tonnes of waste per day will generate 12 megawatts of electricity, 1,000 tonnes will produce between 30 and 52 megawatts of power, while 1,600 tonnes of waste per day will produce a maximum of 60 megawatts, which happens to be the maximum capacity of the plant.
The Kumasi metropolis currently generates about 1,200 tonnes of waste per day.
It is the desire of the KMA to liaise with other assemblies nearby to supplement and complement its waste requirements so that the plant could operate at full capacity.
The issue of waste collection and sanitation in general had been a major challenge for local authorities and that it was good news that energy could now be generated from waste in Ghana.

Reflectors installed at accident prone spot in Kumasi

2008-08-27T08:57:00.002Z

The Urban Roads Department in Kumasi has erected Reflective Channelizer Cones on the concrete triangle located in front of the Akyempimhene’s Palace on the road heading towards Adum from the Asafo-UTC interchange in Kumasi.
The erection of the traffic signals followed last Friday’s fuel tanker accident at same spot, which led to the loss of three lives.
There had been complaints from the public on the location of the concrete triangle which had been causing numerous accidents at the spot with the most fatal being last Friday’s incident.
The triangle initially had some small reflectors slapped on the concrete but it got defaced a few months after its construction.
As a result most motorists run over it at night and sometimes even at day time resulting in accidents.
In last Friday’s incident, the driver of the fuel tanker with registration number GT 7560 X was heading towards Adum when the driver suddenly lost control in front of the Justmoh Construction building after climbing the concrete triangle.
The fuel tanker overturned afterwards and burst into flames. A huge explosion was heard, which shook several houses, near the accident spot, shattered wooden doors, ceilings and glass doors and windows of some of the buildings.
The fire spread through parts of Adum and the crowded cold store area opposite the Asafo Neoplan Station causing massive destruction to property as the fuel spilled through drains. A number of people were wounded and the three deceased who were attending to nature’s call at that early morning in the drainage were burnt beyond recognition.
The erection of the Reflective Channelizer Cones on the road and on the triangle, which is to impart information to road users that a concrete triangle exists at the spot, has therefore been welcomed by some residents.
Officers of the Urban Roads mounted the reflectors at the weekend to help avert further fatalities at the spot which had been noted for accidents ever since it was constructed about a year ago.

Police arrest fake currency dealers

2008-08-26T08:43:00.003Z

FOUR people have been arrested by the Police in Kumasi for allegedly dealing in fake currency to the tune of GH¢ 150,000. George Agyemang, 45, and Twum Adjei, 41 both car dealers and residents at Teshie Nungua in Accra were arrested on Monday, August 18, 2008 in Kumasi while their accomplices Mallam Mohammed Awal, 35 and Nuhu Musah, 42, a.k.a. Manoah were also arrested the following day at Mamobi in Accra. The Police have since retrieved GH¢ 90,005 of the fake currencies. Two of the suspects, George and Twum had succeeded in putting GH¢59,995 in circulation before they were arrested. A fifth suspect whose name was only given as Adam was on the run. He was said to be using a black convertible Mercedez Benz CLK 55 Amg with an unidentified Togolese registration number and the police have mounted a search for him. Police investigations have revealed that George and Twum sold the car with which Adam had absconded with to Mallam Awal and Nuhu in receipt of the fake currencies as payment. Briefing the press in Kumasi today (Monday), DCOP K. A. Opare-Addo, the Ashanti Regional Commander of Police, said George and Twum agreed to sell the car to the other suspects at a cost of GH¢ 150,000 and agreed to receive payment in the fake currencies. The commander said on Monday August 18, 2008, police received information that a group of people from Accra had in their possession a large amount of forged Ghanaian currency notes and were lodging in a hotel in Kumasi. He said the information indicated that the suspects were making efforts to change the forged currency into genuine ones by defrauding unsuspecting individuals. He said the police trailed George and Twum to a room at the Silicon Hotel at Kentinkrono in Kumasi. When they were searched, fake GH¢50 denominations all with same serial number VB 0352416 totalling GH¢71,000 and GH¢20 denominations all with same serial number VB 0352461 totalling GH¢17,100 were found on them. Again GH¢10 denominations with same serial number of LB 2392169 totalling GH¢950 and GH¢5 denominations with same serial number totalling GH¢955 were also found on them. The Police Commander said all the fake currencies in possession of the suspects amounted to GH¢90,005 and that during interrogation, they mentioned Mallam Awal, and Nuhuall based in Mamobi in Accra as their sources of supply. George and Twum therefore led police to Mamobi in Accra where they identified the two other suspects Awal, and Musah for arrest. George and Twum told the police that they agreed to sell the black convertible Mercedez Benz CLK 55 Amg with the unidentified Togolese registration number to Awal, and Musah who then transferred it to Adam. DCOP Opare-Addo said George and Twum agreed to receive payment for the car in fake currencies amounting to GH¢ 150,000. He said since only GH¢ 90,005 were found on them during their arrest, the police suspected that some innocent persons might have been victims to the difference of GH¢ 55,995 which the suspects could not account for. Mr Opare-Addo said the suspects who bought the car in forged currency could not have used all their money and that they suspected they still have more of such currencies hidden somewhere. He therefore appealed to members of the public to be on the lookout when indulging in any form of transaction that involves money so as not to fall prey to such circulating currencies.
Picture shows the fake

Fuel tanker catches fire in Kumasi. One person dead

2008-08-22T11:18:00.004Z

ONE person was killed and a number of others wounded when a fuel tanker overturned and burst into flames at the Nsuase area of Adum in Kumasi this morning (Friday). The deceased was burnt beyond recognition and his remains had been deposited at the morgue while the injured were receiving medical attention. The fire spread through parts of Adum and the crowded cold store area opposite the Asafo Neoplan Station causing massive destruction to property as the fuel spilled through drains. Thick black smoke drifted into the early morning skies, as frightened residents rose from their beds to escape to safe areas. Fire fighters had a difficult task controlling the blaze, and had to spend about two hours before bringing the situation under control. The accident was said to have happened at about 5:10am and the fire started afterwards whilst people siphoned the fuel. An eyewitness told the Daily Graphic that the tanker with registration number GT 7560 X was heading towards Adum when the driver suddenly lost control in front of the Justmoh Construction building.
A huge explosion was the heard, which shook several houses, near the accident spot, shattered wooden doors, ceilings and glass doors and windows of some of the buildings.
This caused people to rush out of their homes onto the streets. They rescued the driver and his mate and rushed them to the hospital. The eyewitness said some people hurriedly went for buckets to siphon the fuel and it was during that process that they saw fire running through the drains from the cold store area towards where the tanker fell. The fire caught the tanker and it exploded. When the Daily Graphic got to the scene fire fighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were battling the blaze. They sprayed water and foam on the burning tanker to cool it and prevent whatever gasoline residue was in the tank from exploding. The road from the interchange area leading to Adum through the Justmoh Construction area was closed to traffic in the morning. National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) officers were yet to ascertain the number of casualties at the time of filing this report. Residents in the cold store area and some portions of the Nsuase area evacuated from their homes in the heat of the fire.

Fraudster arrested in Kumasi

2008-08-22T11:10:00.002Z

A forty-four-year-old man, who is alleged to have defrauded a number of people of various sums of money running into millions of Ghana cedis, has been arrested by the police. Victor Osei Sarfo who was arrested last Thursday after an 18-hour trail by the police in Kumasi, allegedly operated in various parts of the country. He was said to have posed as the son of Ambassador D. K. Osei, the President’s Secretary, and in some instances impersonated ACP Bright Oduro, Second in Command of the Greater Accra Regional Police. He also variously posed as a police detective, a BNI operative, an aide at the Castle, as Ambassador D. K. Ose himself on telephone and also impersonated a number of other personalities including Members of Parliament to defraud his victims. He again posed as a friend of high ranked police officers as well as politicians. Some of the names he used in his operations were Osei Kwadwo and Nana Osei but when he was arrested by the police he gave his name as Victor Osei Sarfo. Osei is said to have preyed on individuals and police officers, convincing them he could help them secure promotion in their various places of work as well as secure visas for them to travel outside the country especially to the United States of America (USA). Four mobile phones, two of which he used in his activities as belonging to Ambassador Osei and ACP Oduro were retrieved from him when he was arrested. A number of his victims had been showing up at the Asokwa Police to lodge complaints against him since he was arrested last Thursday. Police in Accra had demanded for his transfer to Accra to assist in investigations in similar cases involving him. The Crime Officer in charge of the Asokwa District of Police in Kumasi, ASP David K. Gyabaa, told the Daily Graphic that preliminary investigations had revealed that the suspect was an ex-convict who was jailed for 10 years. He was also said to have jumped bail while facing trial in a court of law and was being sought for adding that investigations had revealed that the suspect had a serious criminal record. ASP Gyabaa said the suspect was arrested after he attempted to defraud a police officer at the Asokwa Division of Police. He said police officers at Asokwa had known Osei who was also known as “Boga” as a self styled informant who had given information to the police on numerous occasions leading to the arrest of criminals. He said it was through such activities that the suspect came into contact with one of the officers at the Asokwa Police station whom he assured that he was a friend of ACP Oduro and that he could speak to him on his behalf for him to facilitate promotion for him. He said the suspect later pretended to be ACP Oduro and called the victim with one of his four mobile phones, telling him the victim that Osei had discussed his case with him, and that he was discussing the issue with Police Commissioner Adu Gyimah. He later asked the victim to give GH¢150 to Osei for onward transmission to him to facilitate the promotion. ASP Gyabaa said at another time, the suspect called the victim again under the name of ACP Oduro and informed him that Osei had given him the money to work on the promotion. He said the suspect after that incident called the victim and told him he had already given the money to ACP Oduro on his behalf so he should hurriedly arrange to get him the money. The police officer said the victim suspected Osei to be a fraudster and thus discussed it with his senior officers who agreed for them to call ACP Oduro directly on the purported telephone number he had used to call him. When they did the police officers detected that, the voice on the other side was not that of ACP Oduro. Hence they arranged with the victim to raise the GH¢150, recorded all the serial numbers on the notes and gave it to the victim for onward transmission at the Ultimate Drinking Spot near the Asokwa police station where the suspect had agreed to meet with the victim to collect the money on Thursday August 14, 2008. The Police officers laid ambush and picked him at about 7pm on that day when he showed up to collect the money. ASP Gyabaa said a number of complainants started showing up after his arrest to lodge complaints of fraud against him. He said the Police called Ambassador Osei to find out his relationship with the suspect and Ambassador Osei denied categorically ever knowing the suspect. He said Ambassador Osei informed them that he had received information that someone had been going round posing as his son to defraud a number of people. The police officer said complaints received on the suspect as of now includes a GH¢450 he had allegedly collected from a woman to ensure that her daughter was enlisted in the Ghana Armed Forces for which he had given the woman a prospectus indicating that the girl was about to be enlisted. Again, there has been a complaint from a youngman whom the suspect collected GH¢200 to assist him enlist in the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS). Another one was from two nurses at the Atasemanso Hospital, whom he had allegedly collected GH¢1500 and GH¢2900 respectively to assist them secure visas to travel to the USA. There were also three nurses whom he allegedly collected GH¢4400 and a doctor also at the Atasemanso Hospital, whom he duped GH¢3000 to help secure USA visas for some members in his household to enable them travel to the USA. Yet another one was a man from whom he collected GH¢400 to help secure a USA visa for him. ASP Gyabaa said the victims cut across and described him as a confident trickster, fraudster, slippery, intelligent and a radical who had the phone numbers of many supposedly big men in society on his phones and could imitate their voice on telephone. He said the suspect had in some instances introduced himself to his victims as a “commando” in the PNDC regime who was trained in Cuba. The suspect had since been put before court on charges of impersonation, defrauding by false pretences and extortion and remanded into prison custody while police were conducting further investigations on him.

Barman testifies against Loving Cee. In fraud case

2008-08-21T15:50:00.003Z

A prosecution witness in the case involving William Des Bordes a.k.a. Loving Cee, a Kumasi based radio presenter who is facing trial for defrauding by false pretences has told the Ashanti New Town Circuit Court that, the accused physically attacked the hotel manager by pushing her off when she demanded that the accused settled all his bills before leaving the hotel premises on the day he was checking out.
Gyasi Muller, a bar man at the Cedar Crescent Hotel who was testifying when the case came up for hearing on Monday August 18, 2008 said that the accused was checking out of the hotel on June 19, 2008 when the incident happened.
He said the accused arrived at the hotel premises in the company of a friend who was driving a pick-up vehicle in which they packed the accused’s personal belongings.
He said the manager of the hotel; Ruth Naa Bekoe demanded payment after the accused had appended his signature to his bills.
He said he was at the bar when he heard exchanges between the manager and the accused over the unpaid bills since the bar was close to the reception.
He said he went to the reception and heard the accused saying that the hotel manager would hear from him later since his mother’s house was nearby and close to the hotel and that there was no way that he would abscond.
He said the accused retorted that the hotel would hear accordingly from him but said the manager also replied that she did not know the accused in person and since he checked in as an individual at the hotel, he needed to settle all his bills before he moved out of the hotel.
The witness said the accused then moved towards the car park and the hotel manager followed suit but said the accused pushed the hotel manager away and threatened to beat her up.
He said the accused then zoomed out of the hotel premises in his car and after that, the hotel staff tried to prevent the friend of the accused from also driving off with the pick-up, in which the accused’s personal belongings had been packed into.
The witness said the friend of the accused forcibly screeched the car out of the hotel premises causing a stone to roll from the tyres of the car to hit an eight-month-old daughter of the hotel manager, resulting in a cut on the cheek of the little girl.
During cross examination, counsel for the accused wanted to know how long the witness had worked at the hotel to which the witness answered he has worked there for two years.
Counsel put it to the witness that he only worked at the bar and was not the one who determined the bills of customers at the hotel.
The counsel also said that the accused had been civil in all his dealings at the hotel and that he never said the hotel manager would hear from him later on the day he was checking out of the hotel.
Counsel said the accused was rather challenging the manager that a quantum of the payments he had made at the hotel had not been deducted from his bills.
He said the accused never pushed the hotel manager and also never said that his mother’s house was nearby and that he would not abscond and that they would hear from him later.
The case was adjourned to September 5, 2008.
William Des Bordes a.k.a. Loving Cee is in court answering a charge of defrauding by false pretences after he lodged at the Cedar Crescent Hotel in Danyame, Kumasi between December and June 2008 with his wife and two children. He is said to have piled up a substantial bill for the six months stay at the hotel, deceived the hotel management and paid part of his bills leaving him with part. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
On his first appearance in court, he was remanded into one week prison custody by the Ashanti New Town Circuit Court.
He however spent only one night in prison following an appeal filed by his lawyers at the High Court to secure bail for him the following day.

Cocaine: Man, 34, Under Guard At Hospital

2008-08-21T15:50:00.001Z

A 24-hour police guard has been placed on a 34-year-old man at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, where 73 thumb-size pellets of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine were removed from his stomach.

Mohammed Joojo Gyimah, a native of Achiase in the Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region and a labourer in Barcelona, Spain, reported at KATH with stomach pains after swallowing the pellets.

Doctors on duty quickly alerted the police before performing surgery on him to remove the pellets when he was rushed there.

All the pellets have since been removed and he is still on admission. It was detected that two of the substances burst in his stomach, which caused the discomfort.

The suspect reportedly told the police that he attempted to smuggle the substance to Barcelona in Spain but had to abort his plans upon arriving at the Kotoka International Airport, since he experienced severe stomach upset and felt dizzy.

He said he came to Ghana from Spain about five months ago and that a lady friend of his in Spain asked him to send the substance along on his return.

He said he met one Asare, a native of the Brong Ahafo Region, at a place near the Prempeh College in Kumasi where the said Asare supplied him with the substance to be taken to Barcelona for a fee of 2000 euros, while his airfare was taken care of.

He said Asare accompanied him to Accra and on their way to the airport, they stopped somewhere for him to swallow the substances but when he arrived at the precincts of the airport, he experienced severe stomach upset and felt dizzy so he aborted the journey and quickly returned to Kumasi in an attempt to get the pellets removed.

He said he was not successful in getting someone to help him until he collapsed and was rushed to KATH by members of his household.

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, who confirmed the story, said the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the police received the information about the incident on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 and quickly rushed to the hospital.

He said when they arrived, the suspect was in critical condition under observation at the Intensive Care Unit.

He said a 24-hour guard was placed on the premises of the hospital until all the pellets were removed the following day.