Anita in Luv

One of the current most popular female voices on Kumasi’s airwaves is that of Anita Akua Kyerewaa Kuma, the only lady presenter at Luv FM.
Luv FM is a male dominated area in terms of presenters and Anita says she is very comfortable and does not even feel it since she is rubbing shoulders with the guys on equal grounds.
She handles the Metropolitan Mix, aired between 10am and 12pm and Lunch Time Rhythms from 12:30pm to 2pm each working day (Monday–Friday).
The programmes are all about playing music and talking about interesting subjects. She sometimes generates discussions on interesting issues and allows phone-ins for listeners to contribute in what she terms, “Metro Talk”.
The young lady is very much happy about her job and has carved a niche for herself with her selection of songs especially on lunch time rhythms for the relaxation of listeners, especially those under stress at work.
Though her colleagues, in the persons of Nanabanyin Anumel, Delali Atiase, Sampson Lardi, David Akuetteh and Kofi Adu Domfeh on numerous occasions tries to make fun of her on air accusing her of being narrow-minded on political issues, she seems not bothered about it and feels comfortable working with the guys.
She claims she sees her programme as both fun and challenging since her greatest difficulty is making the programme constantly interesting so as to be able to hold on to listenership.
This is because Kumasi is noted as a football loving city and most sports programmes are aired at the same time that Anita is on air.
“This means I have to try as much as possible as I can to make the programme interesting so as to hold on to my listeners”, Anita told the Graphic Showbiz.
The young lady entered the radio industry in 2003 whiles pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Building Technology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Presenting programmes on radio was then a hobby for her on Focus FM, a campus based radio station which served the university community. But she saw herself hooking on to Luv FM after school during her national service.
It all began with Luv FM getting in touch with her in a search for a lady presenter. “I was told they were looking for a lady presenter and they contacted me”.
“I started playing in the evenings at Luv FM and before I was aware I was playing in the afternoon. I continued working there in my final year at KNUST and even did my national service there and was taken on full time after the service”.
Anita is a product of the University Primary School in Kumasi from where she proceeded to Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast then to the KNUST.
She said her greatest ambition was to become a Public Relations Director in a big company. “I love public relations and I’m thinking about going into it”.
Anita is single, without a boyfriend and says she is neither searching for one. At least for now.
“My favourite dish is red red and beans (fried plantain and baked beans). I hate pineapple”.
Anita is a native of Kete Krachi in the Volta region where her late father hailed from and is the ninth born of a family of 13. She does not prefer to go public with her age and says she adore her mum, Victoria Boatemaa, a native of Gyinase near Kumasi very much.
She shares same birthday with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (May 6).
According her, Ghanaian musicians should aim high, targeting the international market instead of focusing only on the local market. She is in love with the music of Becca and Samini.
She describes herself as an interesting personality and does not like Ghanaian films. “I am not encouraged to watch them because the story lines are very predictable. There is still more room for improvement in that industry”.
“I like people who are ambitious and hope to achieve my aim of becoming a PR person in a big company someday”.

Suame artisans grateful to UNIDO

The Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organization (SMIDO), an umbrella organisation and development wing of Suame Magazine has expressed appreciation and embraced the offer by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to provide US$24million to support business at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi.
The Director-General of UNIDO, Dr Kandeh Yumkella, made the offer known when he paid a courtesy call on President J.A Kufour at the castle last week.
Already a feasibility study on the business investment and facility support for the project has been completed.
The Suame Magazine, which was established in the 1930s, is composed of a cluster of artisans engaged in vehicle repairs and metal works. It has over 12000 enterprises and more than 100,000 mostly young artisans.
The promotion of business investment and facility support at the Suame Magazine is part of the Millenium Citites Initiative (MCI) being implemented by UNIDO.
When the Daily Graphic asked Mr. Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, the consultant to SMIDO about the expectations of the organisation in the wake of the UNIDO facility, he said among the immediate priorities would be building the institutional and entrepreneurship capacity of artisans and setting up of common facility centres.
He added that a particularly attention would be paid to the establishment of the Suame Tech Automatics Engineering Institute (STAEI Project), as well as the Industrial Village Project through which SMIDO has successfully negotiated for a 1000acre land at Asonomaso.
Mr Azongo said SMIDO has greatly been inspired by UNIDO’s gesture, but said they are cautious not to prejudge its outcome since its mode of management and dispensation was yet to be unveiled before the primary beneficiaries, the artisans.
He said development was a complex exercise, financial flows and investments were important and added that the success of every intervention was decisively dependent on the mode, contextual efficacy and comprehensiveness involved in the planning, management and utilisation.
He said the over reliance on conventional centralised command structures for implementation of projects has not been groundbreaking enough to challenge sustainable poverty eradication.
He therefore expressed the hope that there would be sufficient scope in the current facility to accommodate an appropriate blend of institutional development and the physical component development.
“SMIDO hopes the facility will mirror and not bypass SMIDO’s mission, institutional system and operational philosophy of Assisted Self-Reliance Strategy”, Azongo said.
According to him Suame Magazine being the leading cluster in Africa and the first to benefit from such a facility coupled with its development should be seen as a forerunner to pilot the best operational concept and financial investment model for the rest of the clusters in Africa.
“I believe if these primary development issues are well-rehearsed on board the UNIDO intervention, the project would emerge as the best showpiece of sustainable development and poverty eradication through wealth creation in Ghana.”
Mr. George Asamoah Amankwa, the President of SMIDO on his part said SMIDO was very grateful to UNIDO, the Government of Ghana, the Millennium Cities Initiative and all the stakeholders who have played diverse roles in ensuring the provision of the facility.
This facility would be utilised in ways and on such terms that will ensure the realisation of the ultimate goal of turning Suame Magazine into a technologically advanced industrial estate.
SMIDO has had good relationship with UNIDO and the Millennium Cities Initiative project. SMIDO has been captured in the MCI’s and UNIDO’s Kumasi Investment Guide, which was launched recently in Kumasi.
Mr Amankwa called on all the artisanal groups in the country to identify with SMIDO in order to benefit from the development expertise and policies of SMIDO to champion a common cause for artisans in the country.

Police nab man for car snatching

The police have busted one member of a gang of vehicle snatchers operating in the Kumasi metropolis and its adjoining areas.
The suspect, Kwame Asukum, 28, a native of Chuchuriga in the Upper East region and a lotto seller at Race Course was arrested by a police patrol team in the midst of a robbery spree around the Bantama market area last Thursday.
He is said to have been involved in a number of robberies in the area within the past three months and the police have appealed to the public to come forward and identify him.
Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Unit said a police patrol team chanced on the robber while he and his gang attempted to snatch a taxi car.
He said between 10pm and 11pm on Thursday April 24, Daniel Ampomah, 37, was driving a KIA Pride taxi with registration number GT 4691 G near the Bantama market, when he was stopped by Asukum, who asked that he should be taken to Bohyen.
Asukum after sitting in the car was said to he pulled a knife at the throat of the driver and shouted to signal his gang (four persons), who had then laid ambush to join him.
The taxi driver was said to have struggled with them and shouted for help and a police patrol team arrived at the scene.
All five suspects were said to have taken to their heels but the police managed to arrest Asukum.
Inspector Tanko said Asukum volunteered information and said he was recruited into the robbery gang about three months ago and that since he joined, they have succeeded in robbing three cars at the same spot.
He told the police that they in turn use the cars to pick unsuspecting passengers and rob them of their mobile phones and other valuables and later abandon the car.
He said so far he has benefitted from four mobile phones, which he sold and kept the monies for himself.

Thai Princess visits Manhyia Palace

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, on Monday organised a durbar at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi in honour of the the Crown Princess of Thailand, Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Princess Sirindhorn, who is in Ghana to participate in the 12th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), went to Kumasi on Monday to pay homage to the Asantehene.
She was greeted with churns of tunes from the fontomfrom drum at the palace where the Asantehene sat in state and received homage.
Speaking on behalf of the Princess, the Thailand Ambassador to Ghana Mr Witthaya Bhoosuwan noted that the Princess was in country to share with UNCTAD participants the experiences of Thailand in using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a tool in enhancing education.
Thailand is noted for excelling in the usage of ICTs as a tool in enhancing education.
The Princess said it was the hope of Thailand that its experiences in ICTs could be adopted and used in Africa to enhance education adding that there was the need for countries to meet and discuss how development could be extended to other countries.
She said it was her first time of visiting Ghana and was appreciative of the warm welcome and hospitality extended to her and her entourage and prayed for an improved relation between Ghana and Thailand.
Princess Sirindhorn said she decided to visit the Asantehene upon her arrival in Ghana since she had heard about the King.
The Princess said she was happy to learn about the efforts the Asantehene was making towards education with the setting up of the Otumfuo Education Fund and presented an envelope, containing an undisclosed amount in support of the education fund.
She also said she was happy to learn that Asante’s were very proud of their culture.
Speaking on behalf of the Asantehene, Nana Gyamfi Ababio, Asanteman Adontehene said the reputation of the Crown Princess had reached very far areas and that the Asantehene was aware of the efforts of the Princess in promoting education in Thailand.
He said Asanteman constituted a cradle of culture in Ghana and that there was the need to reckon that culture was an indispensible part of development.
The Asantehene said it was his wish that culture would be brought into meaning with modernity and called for the need for the relationship between Thailand and Ghana to be strengthened to bring about economic and cultural development.
Otumfuo presented the visiting President with an expensive non-washable kente cloth (Akyempim Sika Foturo), whereas the Crown Princess also presented a gift to the Asantehene.

Malian President at Manhyia Palace

A colourful durbar of chiefs in Asanteman was yesterday held at the Manhyia Palace in honour of the visiting Malian President, Mr Amadou Toumani Toure who is in the country on a three day state visit.
Otumfuo presented the visiting President with an expensive non-washable kente cloth (Akyempim Sika Foturo), to signify the bond of friendship existing between Ghanaians and their Malian counterparts.
Traditionally, the Asantehene sat in state and received greetings from his paramount chiefs before later extending a special invitation to the Malian President through the Mponponsuo sword bearer for him to shake hands with him.
President Toure, who led by President J. A. Kufuor was driven through the principal streets of Kumasi amidst cheers from school children and residents before arriving at the durbar grounds at Manhyia.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster a sister city relationship between Kumasi and the city of Mopti in Mali, where the Malian President hails from was signed to help foster cooperation, exchange of ideas and cultural exchange between the two cities.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Emmanuel Owusu Ansah and the Malian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Mahamadou Bellebart appended their signatures to the MoU on behalf of the Mayors of the two cities.
President Toure, who spoke French through an English interpreter, explained that he was highly elated about the reception accorded him in Kumasi and Ghana in general.
The Malian President said he was highly honoured to be in Kumasi to pay homage to the Asantehene, whom he had heard lots about saying his late father once lived in Kumasi.
“I am particularly impressed that I am able to pay respects to the Royal Family of Asanteman and to convey fraternal greetings of the people of Mali to you”, he said.
He said Mali and Ghana have trade links dating back so many years in history as well as in modern history through the Ghana-Guinea-Mali union.
He said there were lots of Ghanaians in Mali who live at Mopti, Gao and Bamako doing business over there just as there were some Malians also in Ghana doing business.
He prayed that the fraternal relationship existing between the two countries would continue to exist.
As custom demands, the Malian President presented drinks (whisky, schnapp and brandy) to the Asantehene.
Responding, the Akyimpimhene Oheneba Adusei Poku who spoke on behalf of the Asantehene called for the need for the Malian President to make arrangements so as to enable Mali benefit from Ghana’s Inland Port, which was under construction at Boankra in the Ashanti region.
He said for instance that Malians could acquire lands at Boankra and build warehouses, where they could keep their imports before onward transportation to Mali.
He said Ghanaians and Malians had a lot in common and called for continued cooperation between the two countries saying the visit of the President was going a long way to foster the bond of friendship existing between the two countries.

The changing face of SOFOLINE

Work begins on Sofoline Interchange

Construction work has begun in earnest on the Sofoline interchange in Kumasi. This has given hope to residents of Kumasi that the traffic congestion in one of the busiest roundabouts in the metropolis – Sofoline – would soon be a thing of the past. The contractor has started with the landscaping at the Sofoline roundabout towards the Bekwai roundabout. Traffic from the Abrepo junction and Patasi roads are to be directed to the Sunyani road through an underpass bridge. The construction of the interchange forms part of the 10.3 kilometre Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital-Abuakwa dual carriageway corridor of the main Kumasi- Sunyani road rehabilitation project. The road has now been redesigned to be reconstructed into an asphaltic concrete surface dual carriageway.

The project involves five main components, mainly- the widening of the road from the KATH to Abuakwa, the construction of an interchange at KATH and the Sofoline, as well as the construction of five underpass bridges along the road and the landscaping of the entire road network. It will also cater for the landscaping of all road medians and selected open spaces abutting the road and within the interchange loops. While the contractors are doing the landscaping, at the Sofoline roundabout, work on the KATH stretch was yet to start. However, landscaping of the road has also started from the Sofoline towards the Bekwai roundabout. President J. A. Kufuor cut the sod last year for work to commence on the estimated ¢732 billion ($80 million) project.
The Chinese construction firm, Messrs China Geo Engineering Corporation, is executing the project and it is being supervised by ABP Consulting Engineers from Ghana. Among the facilities that would be provided to curb the spate of accidents along the road, most of which claim lives and property, are bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways. The 10.3 kilometre KATH-Abuakwa road links Kumasi to the Brong Ahafo and Western regions. The section from the KATH to Sofoline roundabout which is about two kilometres is to be a three lane dual carriageway, with the remaining 8.3 kilometre stretch being widened into a two lane dual carriageway. One of the interchanges will be at the Sofoline roundabout 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 College, Apatrapa and South Suntreso junctions to facilitate the smooth flow of vehicular traffic at that section of the Kumasi metropolis. The project has been designed such that traffic will be separated at those five major junctions with dense and heavy traffic. The absence of an adequate infrastructural development, including road network in Kumasi, has undermined economic development in the metropolis. The government has, however, given a promise to initiate the necessary programmes that would reduce traffic congestion in Kumasi to facilitate the free movement of goods, services and persons. Apart from the KATH-Abuakwa road, the government has hinted that it would develop the main arterial roads at Antoa, Offinso, Barekese, Sunyani, New and Old Bekwai as well as the Lake Road which converge at Kumasi. These roads are connected by the ring road which serves as the wheel, but lacks fluidity and connectivity in the flow of traffic due to the bottlenecks at some intersections, including those of Oforikrom, the Asafo Market, Asokwa, the Santasi, Sofoline and Suame roundabouts. There are also some missing links on the road network, especially along the Oforikrom-Asokwa-Ahodwo and Sofoline link road. The delay in developing the link roads had undermined the smooth flow of vehicular traffic in the metropolis. By providing the requisite infrastructure in Kumasi, the metropolis would be able to play its role as a modern city, which is not only strategically located to enhance business transactions, but also a centre of vibrant economic, cultural, tourist and political activities in the country.

Human Rights Torch Relay (HRTR) arrives in Kumasi

The Human Rights Torch Relay (HRTR), an international campaign that seeks to put human rights on the Beijing Olympic agenda has arrived in Ghana and has gone on a rally in Kumasi.

The arrival of the torch in Ghana, a first stop on the African continent is part of a 12-month global relay calling for an end to all reported human rights violations supported by the Chinese government.

Inspired by the Olympic torch, the Human Rights Torch Relay is expected to visit over 150 cities in 37 countries before it would be welcomed by the Chinese people leading up to the Olympics in August 2008.

The torch, which was handed over to Ghana from India has already toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand as well as Indonesia.

It is touring the world with the premise: “The Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot coexist in China”.

It highlights the persecution of Falun Gong, the most severely persecuted group in China, the plight of Tibetans, Christians, democracy advocates, outspoken lawyers and reporters as well as the fueling of oppression and slaughter in Darfur, Burma, Zimbabwe and North Korea.

Among the organisers of the campaign are Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), Asia-Pacific Human Rights Watch Charitable Trust, Amnesty International Ghana, All-China Alliance for Protecting Human Rights and Opposing Violence and Friends of Falun Gong in the USA.

Falun Gong is a religious organisation in China.

The various groups are spearheading the campaign created to draw attention to what it terms as the Chinese Communist Party’s worsening human rights violations both inside and outside China’s borders, and to press for change.

The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), which was established in 2006 and said to consist of over 300 legislators, religious leaders, lawyers, medical doctors and human rights advocates from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania is aiming to go into China to independently investigate the persecution of members of Falun Gong, especially the reported crimes of organ harvesting.

According to Zoe Ackah, the campaign coordinator in Ghana and a volunteer with CIPFG, there cannot be any Olympic games in China if the human rights record in that country was not the best to write home about.

“The Olympics cannot coexist with human rights abuses”, she said.

Participants at the rally in Kumasi included concerned individuals, churches, civic and professional groups as well as non-governmental organisations committed to universal human rights.

The torch ambassadors included players and officials of King Faisal Football Club, Kessben Football Club, Hiplife artist Okyeame Kwame and Mr Michael Brigandi, President of Amnesty International, Ghana.

Leaflets and posters throwing light on the campaign were distributed to members of the public as the torch moved though principal streets in Kumasi. And as the protestors moved through the streets, many people offered their support for the campaign.

Already many have offered their signatures in support of the campaign. There is a booth at the Baba Yara Stadium where leaflets are being distributed to members of the public on the sidelines of the 26th African Cup of Nations (ACN).

CAN 2008 game villages at cultural centre and KNUST

The Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Kumasi and the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been marked down as games villages for the Kumasi Venue of CAN 2008.

The villages are to serve as entertainment grounds for football fans and tourists during the tournament.

Well packaged variety entertainment programmes have been lined up for football fans before and after the matches.

An exhibition to showcase the arts and cultural heritage of each of the four nations (Zambia, Sudan, Egypt and Cameroon) based in Kumasi is to be mounted at the games villages along side that of Ghana.

There are also plans to have national days for each of the four countries to enable them celebrate and demonstrate their cultural practices in their respective countries.

The activities at the cultural centre for instance are expected to begin Thursday January 17 and end on February 17, 2008. It would be characterised with live band music shows featuring some of the best local artistes in Kumasi.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) is to mount giant television screens at the Dwabirem in the games village to telecast live the matches from the other venues.

Beginning January 17, the centre is expected to be a venue of activities where both Ghanaians and foreigners would enjoy some of the rich cultural activities including exhibition of arts and culture.

The activities are expected to be extended for those who would stay after the tournament.

Kumasi hotels ready for CAN 2008

Hotels earmarked for the Kumasi Venue of the African Cup of Nations is adequately prepared to receive the participating teams, international visitors and tourists.

All the hotels have upgraded their facilities to meet international standards and also amaze the foreigners who would patronise their services.

The four teams to be based in Kumasi are Zambia, Sudan, Egypt and Cameroun. Zambia and Sudan are been hosted at the Golden Tulip Kumasi City while Egypt and Cameroun are been hosted at the Miklin and Georgia hotels respectively.

The Crystal Rose Hotel, Royal Basin and Flossid are hosting CAF officials, journalists and supporters.

The Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) has already organised series of training programmes for the hotels to enable them improve upon their services. The GTB was also offering technical assistance to the hotels so as to help make it possible for them to accommodate visitors during the tournament.
All hotel managers and frontline staff have been trained to enable them improve upon their service delivery.

There are 160 rooms available at the Golden Tulip Kumasi City, which was commissioned just last Saturday by President J. A. Kufuor. Other facilities at the hotel are an a la carte restaurant, lobby bar, pool side bar, health club facilities, a swimming pool, conference and meeting rooms among others.

The Hotel Georgia has 56 rooms. The hotel has seen major renovation works where everything in the hotel from A-Z has been changed in preparation for the tournament. Floor tiles and bathroom accessories have all be been changed.

New equipment including CCTV cameras for security has been installed at the hotel premises to ensure security for guests.

Miklin Hotel on its part has also improved upon its facilities and provided CCTV cameras as well as train staff to enable them handle guests in the Ghanaian hospitality manner.

There are 59 rooms available at the hotel which have security coded safes where guests could keep their valuables.

The Operations Manager, Mrs Bernice Ofei said the staffs were upbeat to offer guests the best of services during the period of the tournament to make them feel comfortable.

The Kumasi Venue Organising Committee (KVOC) has made arrangements for supporters who are unable to find hotel accommodation in the metropolis during the period of the tournament to be accommodated at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in student accommodation facilities.

CAN 2008 fever grips Kumasi

CAN 2008 fever grips Kumasi with traders cashing in on the sale of paraphernalia

Baba Yara stadium 50th anniversary

This was during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Baba Yara stadium. The stadium was built 50 years ago. Picture shows the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II performing the ceremonial kick off.

City Hotel inaugurated

PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor at the weekend inaugurated the refurbished City Hotel now christened Golden Tulip Kumasi City with the firm assurance that the government was determined to restore life to state hotels that had been left to go waste over a long period of time.

He stated that some of the hotels were sold “under questionable conditions and sale terms”, and said government was looking for funds to buy them back to pave the way for their restoration.

President Kufuor said the former City Hotel constituted one of the important national hotels rated in the same class as the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi and the Meridian Hotel in Tema, but mismanagement plunged them into ruins.

The $21.2 million four-star Golden Tulip Kumasi City, constructed by the China State Hualong Construction Ghana Limited, is owned by the Ghana Libyan-Arab Holding Company (GLAHCO), a joint investment venture between the Ghana Government (40 percent) and the Libyan Government (60 percent).

It was financed by the Libyan Arab African Investment Company ($4.5 million), the Government of Ghana ($3.7 million) and the Ghana Commercial Bank, which granted a loan of $13 million.

The 160-room hotel had other facilities including an a la carte restaurant, lobby bar, pool side bar, health club facilities, a swimming pool, conference and meeting rooms among others.

GLAHCO had entered into an agreement with Golden Tulip Hospitality Group of the Netherlands to manage the hotel, which was expected to offer employment to about 140 people at full capacity.

President Kufuor said the rebirth of the hotel was very timely, coming at a time Kumasi was hard-pressed for hotel facilities to accommodate the four nations and thousands of officials and fans for the 26th African Cup of Nations. “With this hotel and other amenities, Kumasi is ready to co-host the event’, the President said.

Emphasizing the tourism potentials of Kumasi in particular and the Ashanti Region in general, Mr Kufuor said, “often visitors to Ghana want to experience the indegenous culture, so they will continue to travel up country, that is why facilities must be available to house them when they come”,

He noted the infrastructure government continued to put in place to open up the country and said, this was a clear testimony of the government’s resolve to change the development face of the country for the better.

He commended the private and public sectors of the economy for playing laudable roles in refursbishing existing hotels and constructing new ones to host guests for the African Cup of Nations.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, traced the history of the divesture of the former City Hotel, which dated back to August 1996 when a company by name Ace Hotels and Resorts Limited acquired the hotel but problems arose in the implementation stage leading to a legal dispute between Ace Hotels and GLAHCO, which delayed the rehabilitation for a long period but added that, at the instance of the Government of Ghana, the legal battle was settled out of court in 2004.

Mr Baah-Wiredu praised President Kufuor for the massive support he gave in having the dispute settled out of court.

He disclosed plans by GLAHCO to undertake various projects including the rehabilitation of Golden Tulip Accra to bring it to modern standards, and said the rehabilitation, which starts in May, this year, would take six months to complete and would be undertaken in a way that would keep the hotel in operation while work were ongoing.

Other projects GLAHCO would undertake were the development of the company’s parcel of land at Tema to provide warehousing facilities, the development of the company’s land at Osu currently occupied by MTN to an office complex and internationally-rated two star hotel, and the development of their land near Sogakope to grow vegetables in commercial quantities for export to Europe.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr E.A. Owusu-Ansah, expressed the hope that the completion of the project would mark the beginning of more projects from Libya to the region.

He called on the management of the hotel to create avenues for the promotion of domestic tourism, conference tourism and also project the rich Ashanti culture.

The Managing Director of GLAHCO, Mr Abdul amid Karmus, was confident that the hotel would be successful, taking into consideration the political, economic and social importance of the city of Kumasi.

Mr Stephen Asamoa-Boateng, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, said weighed against the upcoming African Cup of Nations; the rebirth of the hotel was an exciting moment for the ministry.

Baba Yara Stadium is now ready for CAN 2008.

The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi is now set to host CAN 2008.

I have not had the opportunity to visit the stadium ever since President J. A. Kufuor officially commissioned it a few weeks ago. But fortunately for me, I visited there on Friday afternoon and decided to open my lens wide to bring to you the new looks of the stadium.

I can now vouch that facilities at the stadium is up to the task of hosting CAN 2008.

BRIEF

The refurbished stadium has seen all standards raised to that of new FIFA regulations which the old stadium lacked. Seating capacity of the VVIP, VIP and the whole stadium have increased – 40,500.

The running tracks have been built to Olympic standards, playing field have been constructed in such a manner that it could be well drained and properly irrigated. The lighting is of high standard to allow for live media coverage in the evenings.

New technical installations including public address system, video score board, communication system and general lighting have been provided.

New shops have been constructed to a higher standard and the exit gates have been widened as well as the number increased.

The façade of the stadium have received an aluminum cladding (gold in colour) giving it an outstanding look.

Indeed the stadium has been raised to a state of the art stadium, where all standards are according to FIFA regulations

OLD STADIUM

The Baba Yara Sports Stadium, formerly Kumasi Sports Stadium was built in 1956 and opened in 1959. The stadium saw major rehabilitation works in 1977 and a facelift in 1999 – where Ghana co-hosted CAN 2000 with Nigeria.

The old stadium had facilities which included the VIP stand, administrative offices, presidential suite, VIP lounge and other facilities to make it usable.

Few chairs were fixed for sitting, forcing majority of the spectators to stand or sit on the hard concrete surfaces.

The technical installations at the stadium including the flood lights, score board, public address system, lighting and the playing field in general were in a very deplorable state which did not allow for events to take place during the night as regularly as would have been desired.

The external portion of the stadium was made up of shops of all kinds including: electrical and shoe repair shops, drinking spots, chop bars among others. This gave the occupants the chance to construct the shops as they deemed fit, which was aesthetically unsightly. The exit gates were so small that in case of an evacuation, there could have been a stampede, which would have cost lives and property.

The stadium and its facilities gradually fell below the required FIFA standards and the need to upgrade it was inevitable for the country to host the CAN 2008 games.

Moves to ensure food safety during CAN 2008

With CAN 2008 fever about to grip the nation, food joints and restaurants around the country look set for an outing and with football fans and tourists hanging away from home on unfamiliar ground, the chances for food poisoning could occur.

The general trend is that it is easy for cookers to forget about good food hygiene practices when cooking for large numbers of people.

As a result the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has rolled out a programme to ensure food safety during CAN 2008 in a bid to back a campaign to help reduce food poisoning.

It has accordingly tasked the FDB in collaboration with the Ghana Tourist Board to organise series of training programmes for those in the hospitality industry to help raise and maintain hygienic and clean environment.

At one of such training programmes in Kumasi Mr Joseph Bennie, Zonal Officer of the FDB in charge of Ashanti and Brong Ahafo noted that food poisoning was one goal no one would want to score against their friends and family.

“If food is not stored, prepared or cooked properly then food bugs like cockroaches can cause severe illness. But it can be easily avoided if you follow basic food hygiene standards”.

He emphasised that some simple hygiene measures will go a long way towards cutting the risks and putting on a successful, tasty and incident free food during the period of the tournament.

The FDB is currently meeting and auditing facilities at various hospitality industries aimed at ensuring that people in the hospitality industry meet the standard of the visitors and supporters who would be hosted during the tournament.

It is also organising custom design training for each facility based on observations made at each hospitality outfit.

In Kumasi for instance, six hotels Golden Tulip (former City Hotel), Royal Basin, Crystal Rose, Georgia Hotel, Flossid Hotel and Miklin Hotel have been selected by the Kumasi Venue Organising Committee (KVOC) as outfits that would host footballers, officials and journalists.

Aside the six selected facilities the FDB is to extend the programme to other hotels and managers of restaurants, drinking and chop bar operators, water sachet and drink producers, food vendors as well as bar attendants and bakers in areas around the stadium, at Asafo, Asokwa and Amakom.

They are to be taken through topics such as personal hygiene, food safety, housekeeping, food handling procedures, food care, and maintenance and cleaning, kitchen, and lavatories among others giving various advices on good food hygiene and reducing the risks of food poisoning.

Over the CAN 2008 period the FDB would also be organising random inspection of various hospitality industries.

Mr Bennie noted that some people who sold food to the consuming public did not care about the environment in which the food was prepared.yap

He therefore called on all to ensure that the right thing was done and also called for management commitment to ensure that the right thing was done in the kitchens of the hospitality industry noting that on various inspection tour by the FDB it was realised that there was no management commitment in some kitchens.

He said the international media was likely to blow out of proportion the slightest incident of food poisoning in any outfit hence there was the need to ensure that nothing of that sort occurred.

Mr Ben Anane Nsiah, Regional Director of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) said when it come to facilities at the stadium, he could be sure of that but he cannot vouch for the hospitality industry.

“For us, it is time to let the world know that we are ready. It is an opportunity to showcase Ghana”.

Ksi bank robbers stole over ¢1.2 billion cedis

It has now been established that the robbers who broke into the Kumasi Central branch of the SG-SSB Bank on December 22, 2007 made away with GH 124,600 cedis( 1,246,OOO,OOO cedis).

Confirming this in an interview, a police source said apart from the Deputy Manager, Mr David Asiedu Berchie, who was still in custody and some private security guards who were on police bail, no arrests had been made in connection with the case.

Mr Berchie, who was arrested a few hours after the incident, was still in police custody as of Friday, pending further investigations into the case.

The source stated that a case had been established against the suspect and he would soon be arraigned, explaining that the courts were on recess, hence Mr Berchie's continuous detention in police custody.

The source further noted that charges of illegal entry and stealing were likely to be preferred against the suspect when he finally appears before court.

Last Saturday, some robbers had a field day when they broke into the Kumasi Central Branch of the bank.

After destroying a window at the back of the bank building and entering it, the robbers opened the strong room with a key before removing the protective iron bars to gain access to the stockpile of cash.

The situation undermined business operations of the bank last Saturday as customers who converged there to withdraw cash for their Christmas festivities or business transactions had to return empty-handed, while those who were to deposit cash with the bank could also not do so.

A few hours after the incident, Mr Berchie was arrested by the police to assist in their investigations.

Also arrested were some private security guards keeping watch over the bank, but after their statements had been taken, they were released on police enquiry bail pending further investigations into the case.

Robbery at K'si Central SG-SSB bank

The Deputy Manager of the Kumasi Central Branch of the SG-SSB Bank has been arrested as one of the key suspects after robbers broke into the strong room of the bank last Saturday and made away with an unspecified amount of cash.

The suspect, Mr David Asiedu Berchie, was arrested a few hours after the robbery to assist the police in their investigations.

Moments after the incident, the police arrested the 50-year-old deputy manager as one of the key suspects to assist in their investigations.
Some of the security men were also arrested but they were later released on police inquiry bail.

The robbers were said to have entered the bank by breaking through a back window.

They then opened the strong room with a key before making away with the cash.

Police sources said security men from a private security firm who kept guard at the bank, were probably outwitted by the robbers as they were reported not to have heard anything about the break-in throughout the period it lasted.

The police have mounted a search for the suspects and appealed to the public to offer information that might lead to their arrest.

After opening the strong room, the robbers succeeded in removing some iron bars that protected the room and carried away the unspecified amount of money without any notice by the security men around.

As the robbers escaped with their booty, they were alleged to have scattered a number of the currency notes along their escape route from the strong room to their entry point.

The activities of the unknown robbers affected business operations of the bank last Saturday as customers who converged on the premises of the bank to withdraw money for their businesses and the Christmas festivities were disappointed because the bank did not open for any business.

Those who went there to deposit money also had to return to their offices and homes disappointed, for the same reason.

The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Inspector Mohammed Tanko, who confirmed the incident in an interview, said the police could not completely rule out the involvement of some staff of the bank but added that "for now, it is too early to suspect anything like that. However; we strongly believe that the deputy manager can assist the police in our investigations, hence his arrest".

He said investigations into the case would go very deep in a bid to unravel the mystery surrounding the robbery, especially how the robbers succeeded in opening the strong room with a key before removing the protective iron bars to get access to the cash.

Inspector Tanko said there was no evidence of the use of weapons by the unknown persons who broke into the strong room.

He said the police would also stretch investigations to cover why the internal security rnen guarding the bank did not hear anything regarding the entry of the robbers into the bank.

He explained that the strong room had two main doors, including an emergency one, and investigations showed that the robbers opened the emergency room with a key, before taking out some iron bars that protected it to get access to the money.

New Ahodwo roundabout

The pictures below show the new look of the Ahodwo roundabout in Kumasi which was recently refurbished.

Two poisoned by gas at Nnatony Gas in Kumasi

IN what police suspected to be gas poisoning, two workers of the Nnatony Gas Filling Station at Ohwimase in Kumasi, were killed inside a huge cylindrical gas tank in an attempt to clean it.

Benjamin Mbah, a 35-year-old engineer of the company, and Twumasi Agyapong, 32, an apprenticed engineer, were found dead in the tank without any protective cover when a rescue team from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) entered the tank.
Their remains had been deposited at the morgue at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for autopsy.(above is the gas cylinder which the two deceased persons entered)
Acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Oteng, said the autopsy would enable them to tak further action on the case.
He, however, stated that, the properitor of the station, Mr Tony Nimako, was invited to the station on Monday for questioning and released on bail.
ACP Oteng did not disclose details of the proprietor’s statement but said, the man stated that he was not at the station when the incident occured.

The acting regional commander said, it was a routine duty for workers to go inside the tank to clean it and added that for at least ten occasions, the deceased persons had undertaken such exercise without any problem.
ACP Oteng said, on Monday, the two were detailed to clean the tank, which was supposed to be empty. It was Benjamin who first entered the tank at about 7.40am and within minutes his colleague joined him in in the facility in a bid to clean it.
The acting commander indicated that, after about thirty minutes when there was no sign that they were coming out, the Fire Service was called in.
On entering the tank, however, the two were found dead with foam gushing out of their mouths and nostrils.

Calm prevails at Kwabre West NPP constituency

A Kumasi High Court has ruled that the elected executives of the Kwabre West Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are still the legitimate and constitutionally elected executive members.
The members are Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, chairman, Alex Boakye Dankwah, secretary, Owusu Afriyie Elijah, assistant secretary, Joseph Boakye Dankwa, treasurer, Patrick Frimpong, youth organiser and Hannah Appiah, women’s organiser.



(PIX: Odeneno Kwaku Appiah, constituency chairman)
This followed an action initiated by the executives praying the court to declare null and void a purported vote of no confidece masterminded by Mr Kofi Anane, Nana Appiah Kubi, Omono Asamoah all of Kwabre West and the Ashanti Regional Executive of the NPP per its chairperson.
The plaintiffs sought the declaration that the action which was organised on November 11, 2006 was unconstitutional and inconsistent with or in contravention of article 10 of the NPP constitution.
Plaintiffs, in their statemant of claim, said they were constitutionally elected into office as Kwabre West constituency executives of the NPP on September 16, 2005.
They said Article 10 of the NPP constitution stated that a removal of an elected executive member within any constituency of the party was the exclusive constitutional prerogative of the constituency executives subject to some strict constitutional requirements. Plaintiffs argued that whenever 40 percent of the delegates that elected those executives within the constituency gave written notice to the constituency of their intentions to remove the executives or any member from office, the chairperson of the constituency “shall within one week of receipt of the notice circulate such notice to all delegates and shall thereafter, within one month, summon an emergency delegates conference to deliberate and decide on the matter”.
The High Court presided over by Mr Justice Frank Amoah said the defendants had no constitutional mandate or jurisdiction to convey the said emergency delegates conference which declared the vote of no confidence in the executives.
Justice Amoah declared that it was only the constituency chairperson who had the constitutional mandate or jurisdiction pursuant the constitution of the NPP to convey particularly, constituency delegates conference and that, that constitutional power could never be exercised by the Ashanti Regional Executive members.
The court said the purported assumption of the office by Mr Anane, Nana Appiah Kubi, Omono Asamoah as the Chairperson, 1st and 2nd Vice Chairpersons respectively of the Kwabre West NPP constituency was unconstitutional and ultra vires of the constitution of the NPP.
The court, therefore, issued an order restraining the defendants from performing the constitutional functions of the plaintiff as well as purporting to hold themselves out as the substantive constituency executives.
It further issued an order temporarily restraining the defendants from purporting to nominate, appoint, elect or present any persons as delegates from the Kwabre West constituency to participate in the December 22 NPP National Delegates Conference to be held in Accra.
It also issued a consequential order that restrained Mr Anane from sending, presenting and or purporting to nominate and send any list of names of any delegates to take part in the December 22 national delegates conference except the plaintiffs who have such constitutional rights to do so.
Cost of GH¢ 1000 was assessed against the defendants.
Following the declaration by the court, the constituency members met last Saturday at Adwumakaasekese and elected their delegates for the December 22 national delegates conference in Accra.

The elected members were Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu Ansah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwabre West and Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Obiri Yeboah, Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Mr Kofi Karikari, Presiding Member of the Kwabre District Assembly, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, constituency chairman, Alex Boakye Dankwah, Secretary, Omono Asamoah, Vice Chairman, Hannah Appiah, Women’s Organiser, Opoku Aggyemang, Polling station chairman, Adwumakaasekese, Amoah Fordjour, Polling station chairman Ejuratia and Dua Mensah, Polling station chairman, Atimatim.

Woman dies after excessive alcohol intake

A 20 year old woman, who boasted before some young men in Kumasi that she could quaff a full bottle of the alcoholic beverage, “Pusher Gin Betters” ended up losing her life after consuming the stuff.

The deceased, Akua Ataa, was pronounced dead by doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) some five hours after she consumed the drink at the Canadian Drinking Spot at the military barracks in Kumasi.

An eyewitness said at about 4pm on Thursday, December 6, 2007, the deceased went to the Canadian Spot and met a group of young men at the spot drinking various brands of alcoholic beverages.

According to the eyewitness, the deceased boasted before the men that she could quaff a bottle of pusher gin within five minutes without any problem and challenged them to buy her one bottle because that particular drink was not only her favourite but had been taking a full bottle regularly .

While some of the men disputed her claim, insisting that a full bottle of the drink would put her to sleep for hours, the woman dared them to it.

In the ensuing argument, one of the young men paid for the cost of a bottle of the pusher gin bitters and gave it to Ataa who finished the drink within minutes to cheers from the onlookers.

After she had finished drinking the bitters, the woman demanded a bottle of Coca Cola to “top” what she had just drank. They bought it for her and she took it.

Minutes later she collapsed onto her seat but thinking that she was drunk, the men quickly brought mashed kenkey with milk and offered it to her as a way of energising her, but she did not respond to the calls to stand up.

Ataa was left there for sometime, hoping that she would regain her strength, but when they realised that she was still not responding to attempts to wake her up, they rushed her to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for treatment.

A source close to the Public Relations Directorate of KATH said the woman was brought to the hospital around 9;15 pm on Thursday, at a time that “her heart had completely stopped beating and the eye not responding to any light”.

The source said “medical examination proved that she was dead before she was brought to the hospital”, stressing that if she had been brought earlier, the medical officers would have been able to revive her.

The body of the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary awaiting autopsy.