Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
In terms of population density, the Race Course area of Bantama is one of the highest in the Kumasi Metropolis.
In the Kumasi Metropolis, the Race Course competes favourably with suburbs like Tafo, Moshie Zongo, Atonsu-Agogo and Anloga, where population is quite dense.
The Race Course was not meant to be a residential area because it was principally developed to promote horse racing in Kumasi and enhance sports development among the youth.
However, the demise of the sport in the area over the years created a vacuum, and people with no permanent residence in the metropolis took advantage of the situation and started putting up wooden structures for use as accommodation.
At the moment, many people who have been attracted to the Kumasi Metropolis for various reasons, especially those who want to break new grounds as part of their adventure, seem to have special interest at the Race Course, and so venture there in their numbers each passing day to swell up the population, making the place congested.
Sanitation is not the best at the Race Course area because unlike other suburbs in the metropolis where the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has provided public toilets and refuse dumps at vantage points to improve sanitation and prevent residents from dumping solid and liquid waste indiscriminately, the KMA is yet to provide any of such facilities there.
The haphazard construction of wooden structures at the Race Course and indiscriminate disposal of solid and liquid waste seem to have affected the drainage there, and this has made it difficult for streams to flow unimpeded.
It is, therefore, not surprising to find stagnant water, which serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, as well as choked gutters and mountains of refuse spread across the Race Course area and creating health problems for residents of the area, Bantama and its environs.
In case of any epidemic in the Kumasi Metropolis in the near future, the Race Course area of Bantama, as well as its immediate environs such as Mbrom, Suame, South and North Suntreso, Abrepo Junction and Adum, could be severely affected.
The Bantama Race Course has also assumed a notoriety for being a centre for the peddling of illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and heroin.
The area now competes favourably with suburbs such as Dichemso, Krofrom, Allah Bar and Asawase in terms of drug trafficking and this is giving the Police Narcotics Unit sleepless nights.
Occasionally, the police conduct swoops at dawn to apprehend and prosecute some of the peddlers and dealers in hard drugs, including females, but this has not affected the trade in anyway.
With regard to such criminal activities as mobile phone snatching, rape, defilement and pick-pocketing, as well as armed robbery, the Race Course could aptly be described as the emerging force in the Kumasi Metropolis.
Previously, Dichemso, Krofrom, Sepe Buokrom, Asawase, Aboabo, Allah Bar and Akorem, all in the Kumasi Metropolis, were considered as “no go areas” , especially late in the night. Anyone who ventured into those areas at odd hours was likely to be attacked and robbed with guns and knives.
Women who found themselves in the midst of such social deviants at odd hours were likely to be raped and their valuable items and cash taken away from them.
A large number of criminals, including car snatchers and highway robbers, arrested by the police over the years were traced to some of these suburbs.
Of late, the Race Course is also getting its fair share of armed robberies and other violent criminal activities in Kumasi since police investigations of armed robberies sometimes implicate some of the residents there.
One particular case which readily comes to mind is that of Alfred Zieme, the armed robber who allegedly robbed his victims in broad daylight, using two AK 47 assault rifles.
His penchant for attacking victims in broad daylight created panic among the business community and the general public in the metropolis last year, and it was the collaboration between the public and the police which finally led to his arrest.
Since the Race Course area is becoming notorious for all aspects of criminal activities, it would be worthwhile for the police to acquire Zieme’s supermarket and turn it into a police station where they would station some of their men to provide a 24-hour security in the area.
Establishing a police post at the Race Course would be a giant step in the battle against criminal activities in the metropolis.
Friday, February 29, 2008
POLICE FOIL ANOTHER ARMS DEAL IN KUMASI (PAGE 3)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
FOR the second time in three weeks, the police in Kumasi have arrested another group of suspects belonging to both the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups for attempting to buy AK 47 and G-3 assault rifles, as well as a number of action pump guns, ostensibly for onward transportation to the conflict area in Bawku.
A total of GH¢8,900, being the amount they intended using for the purchase of the weapons, has been retrieved from them.
All the eight suspects are in police custody assisting with investigations.
One of the suspects, who attempted to escape from the police after he had been arrested, was shot in the left leg and rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he is responding to treatment.
The police did not disclose the names of the suspects for security reasons but gave the assurance that they were intensifying investigations to find out who their sponsors were.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, who briefed the media on the latest incident, said the suspect who was shot ignored police warning shots and took to his heels.
Inspector Tanko said earlier on February 5, 2008, three suspects had offered GH¢1,500 for an AK 47 assault rifle and a pump action gun for onward transportation to Bawku.
He said barely a week later, a 30-year-old man was also arrested after he had been supplied with five AK 47 assault rifles and he had paid GH¢3,400 to policemen who feigned interest in supplying the weapons.
Inspector Tanko said on Sunday, February 24, 2008, the police arrested four other suspects who offered GH¢4,000 for the purchase of three G-3 assault rifles.
He said two of the suspects resided at Aboabo and Asawasi, both suburbs of Kumasi, while the other two resided at Bawku, adding that they would be arraigned after investigations.
He appealed to the public to collaborate with the police to arrest and prosecute anyone who attempted to purchase weapons from Kumasi to intensify the Bawku conflict.
FOR the second time in three weeks, the police in Kumasi have arrested another group of suspects belonging to both the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups for attempting to buy AK 47 and G-3 assault rifles, as well as a number of action pump guns, ostensibly for onward transportation to the conflict area in Bawku.
A total of GH¢8,900, being the amount they intended using for the purchase of the weapons, has been retrieved from them.
All the eight suspects are in police custody assisting with investigations.
One of the suspects, who attempted to escape from the police after he had been arrested, was shot in the left leg and rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he is responding to treatment.
The police did not disclose the names of the suspects for security reasons but gave the assurance that they were intensifying investigations to find out who their sponsors were.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, who briefed the media on the latest incident, said the suspect who was shot ignored police warning shots and took to his heels.
Inspector Tanko said earlier on February 5, 2008, three suspects had offered GH¢1,500 for an AK 47 assault rifle and a pump action gun for onward transportation to Bawku.
He said barely a week later, a 30-year-old man was also arrested after he had been supplied with five AK 47 assault rifles and he had paid GH¢3,400 to policemen who feigned interest in supplying the weapons.
Inspector Tanko said on Sunday, February 24, 2008, the police arrested four other suspects who offered GH¢4,000 for the purchase of three G-3 assault rifles.
He said two of the suspects resided at Aboabo and Asawasi, both suburbs of Kumasi, while the other two resided at Bawku, adding that they would be arraigned after investigations.
He appealed to the public to collaborate with the police to arrest and prosecute anyone who attempted to purchase weapons from Kumasi to intensify the Bawku conflict.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
KUAMSI CENTRAL MARKET NEEDS MANAGEMENT C'TTEE (PAGE 29)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
A section of fashion designers — Din-pa-ye Tailors Association — based at the Kumasi Central Market (KCM), have proposed to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to collaborate with it to establish a management committee that would manage the daily activities of the Kumasi Central Market. This is to help address the problem of perennial fire outbreaks, massive congestion and unsanitary conditions among other problems there.
According to the association, the establishment of “a management committee at the market to take over the daily management of sanitation, safety and security of the market infrastructure would bring enormous economic, social and health benefits to traders, shoppers, the KMA and the central government”.
At a press conference in Kumasi to outline their proposal, which had already been made available to the KMA, members of the association expressed concern about the massive congestion at the KCM and the unsanitary conditions there.
They said the dangers posed to traders and shoppers as a result of the careless wiring of structures at the market over the years also needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Among those who attended the press conference were the Chairman of the association, Mr Daniel Osei; the Public Relations Officer, Mr J. K. Bonsu; the Financial Secretary, Mr Isaac Boateng; and the business Service Provider, Mr Barnabas Sefa-Boakye.
A statement read on behalf of the association by the chairman said “because of the careless wiring by unauthorised electricians, electric power connected to the stalls and storerooms are fire-prone, with bare and weak cables hanging loosely at certain points, thereby threatening the lives of the business community there”.
He further said explosives and inflammable items were also not properly stored in the market, adding that in view of the absence of toilet facilities, the sanitation situation was deplorable.
He said because of the massive congestion in the market, the business community was at the mercy of pickpockets “and the bad odour caused by indiscriminate disposal of solid and liquid waste on the open floor affects our health and undermines productivity”.
He said it was to address the numerous problems at the market that they proposed to the KMA to “endorse the establishment of stall-holders management committee at the market”.
He explained that under the management, the KCM would be divided into zones with each zone comprising 15 members who would identify problems that undermined business transactions in the market and initiate moves to address them.
He said the committee would also comprise a central committee, which would consist of two members each from each zone, as well as four ex-officio members from the Planning, Waste Management, City Engineers and Environmental Health Department of the KMA to effectively manage all activities at the KCM.
A section of fashion designers — Din-pa-ye Tailors Association — based at the Kumasi Central Market (KCM), have proposed to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to collaborate with it to establish a management committee that would manage the daily activities of the Kumasi Central Market. This is to help address the problem of perennial fire outbreaks, massive congestion and unsanitary conditions among other problems there.
According to the association, the establishment of “a management committee at the market to take over the daily management of sanitation, safety and security of the market infrastructure would bring enormous economic, social and health benefits to traders, shoppers, the KMA and the central government”.
At a press conference in Kumasi to outline their proposal, which had already been made available to the KMA, members of the association expressed concern about the massive congestion at the KCM and the unsanitary conditions there.
They said the dangers posed to traders and shoppers as a result of the careless wiring of structures at the market over the years also needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Among those who attended the press conference were the Chairman of the association, Mr Daniel Osei; the Public Relations Officer, Mr J. K. Bonsu; the Financial Secretary, Mr Isaac Boateng; and the business Service Provider, Mr Barnabas Sefa-Boakye.
A statement read on behalf of the association by the chairman said “because of the careless wiring by unauthorised electricians, electric power connected to the stalls and storerooms are fire-prone, with bare and weak cables hanging loosely at certain points, thereby threatening the lives of the business community there”.
He further said explosives and inflammable items were also not properly stored in the market, adding that in view of the absence of toilet facilities, the sanitation situation was deplorable.
He said because of the massive congestion in the market, the business community was at the mercy of pickpockets “and the bad odour caused by indiscriminate disposal of solid and liquid waste on the open floor affects our health and undermines productivity”.
He said it was to address the numerous problems at the market that they proposed to the KMA to “endorse the establishment of stall-holders management committee at the market”.
He explained that under the management, the KCM would be divided into zones with each zone comprising 15 members who would identify problems that undermined business transactions in the market and initiate moves to address them.
He said the committee would also comprise a central committee, which would consist of two members each from each zone, as well as four ex-officio members from the Planning, Waste Management, City Engineers and Environmental Health Department of the KMA to effectively manage all activities at the KCM.
Monday, February 25, 2008
ASSIST TEACHERS TO MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE (SPREAD)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Konongo
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology, Professor Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, has urged parents and civil society to actively complement the efforts of teachers at strengthening discipline in schools.
This, he said, would enable students to work very hard and diligently “to achieve our national development goals”.
Addressing the 35th Speech and Prize-giving day of Konongo Odumasi Senior High School (SHS) at Konongo last Saturday, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah noted that lack of discipline in society could be attributed to “lack of basic moral education at home and also by civil society, which continues to impede their mental and physical training at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels of education”.
Explaining further, Professor Mireku-Gyimah pointed out that the symptoms of indiscipline among students appeared in the form of truancy, use of hard drugs, immorality, examination malpractices, falsification of certificates, practice of occultism, unnecessary demands and complaints, as well as disrespect for authority, wanton destruction of public property and poor academic performance.
He stated that while indiscipline was an impediment to quality education and undermined sustainable national development, studies had shown that the best students were those who had had good moral education from their infancy and said such students stood the chance of initiating programmes that could impact positively on sustainable national development.
Speaking on the theme: ”Discipline, the bedrock for quality education and national development”, the vice chancellor, who is also an old student of the school, noted that Ghana could not realise her vision of becoming a middle-income country by 2015 if people who took decisions and implemented policies were not disciplined.
“A fundamental tool by which we can achieve our national development goals is good governance, and the bedrock of this tool is indeed discipline,” he stressed, adding that “our ability and willingness to make intelligent decisions have respect for the rule of law, and the capability to work diligently can only be achieved through a well-disciplined society”.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah pointed out that one major problem confronting the nation about which everybody was expressing concern “is the falling standard of education”.
This, he said, was also affecting productivity because “our graduates are unable to perform at the workplace as expected, and employers have to spend huge sums of money to retrain them”.
He said it was equally important for teachers to be disciplined to enable them to become role models to their students.
“Studies have shown that the best schools are those whose teachers and students are disciplined because discipline is the bedrock of quality education,” Prof. Mireku-Gyimah stated.
In his address, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, gave the assurance that the government would sustain its policy of providing infrastructure at all levels of educational institutions in the country to facilitate the delivery of quality education.
He said the policy of the government in turning 31 less-endowed schools in the various districts in Ghana into model schools was yielding positive results because students from the beneficiary schools were enjoying good facilities, making it possible for them to rob shoulders with their counterparts in the well-endowed schools.
“Many projects have sprung up since we took that decision four years ago, and this has made it possible for students to study in conducive atmosphere to improve their standard of education,” he stressed, adding that “the government wants to take infrastructural development in basic, secondary and tertiary educational institutions to a higher level to enhance teaching and learning”.
He commended old students of Konongo Odumase Senior High School for their tremendous contribution to infrastructural development in the school and urged them to sustain it.
In his report, the headmaster of the school, Mr A.A. Amoantwi, commended the government “for its development-oriented policies that had so immensely impacted positively on the school”, but appealed for further assistance to enhance academic performance.
He said for the past 15 years, the school had not been able to use the Science Laboratory because of its deplorable state and, therefore, appealed to the government to assist in renovating it.
Mr Amoantwi said the school also needed a new boys’ dormitory and a 12-unit three bedroom flats to accommodate the boys and teachers respectively to enhance teaching and learning.
He said inadequate number of classrooms was also undermining effective academic work and appealed to the government to construct an 18-unit classroom block to cater for the students in the school.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology, Professor Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, has urged parents and civil society to actively complement the efforts of teachers at strengthening discipline in schools.
This, he said, would enable students to work very hard and diligently “to achieve our national development goals”.
Addressing the 35th Speech and Prize-giving day of Konongo Odumasi Senior High School (SHS) at Konongo last Saturday, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah noted that lack of discipline in society could be attributed to “lack of basic moral education at home and also by civil society, which continues to impede their mental and physical training at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels of education”.
Explaining further, Professor Mireku-Gyimah pointed out that the symptoms of indiscipline among students appeared in the form of truancy, use of hard drugs, immorality, examination malpractices, falsification of certificates, practice of occultism, unnecessary demands and complaints, as well as disrespect for authority, wanton destruction of public property and poor academic performance.
He stated that while indiscipline was an impediment to quality education and undermined sustainable national development, studies had shown that the best students were those who had had good moral education from their infancy and said such students stood the chance of initiating programmes that could impact positively on sustainable national development.
Speaking on the theme: ”Discipline, the bedrock for quality education and national development”, the vice chancellor, who is also an old student of the school, noted that Ghana could not realise her vision of becoming a middle-income country by 2015 if people who took decisions and implemented policies were not disciplined.
“A fundamental tool by which we can achieve our national development goals is good governance, and the bedrock of this tool is indeed discipline,” he stressed, adding that “our ability and willingness to make intelligent decisions have respect for the rule of law, and the capability to work diligently can only be achieved through a well-disciplined society”.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah pointed out that one major problem confronting the nation about which everybody was expressing concern “is the falling standard of education”.
This, he said, was also affecting productivity because “our graduates are unable to perform at the workplace as expected, and employers have to spend huge sums of money to retrain them”.
He said it was equally important for teachers to be disciplined to enable them to become role models to their students.
“Studies have shown that the best schools are those whose teachers and students are disciplined because discipline is the bedrock of quality education,” Prof. Mireku-Gyimah stated.
In his address, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, gave the assurance that the government would sustain its policy of providing infrastructure at all levels of educational institutions in the country to facilitate the delivery of quality education.
He said the policy of the government in turning 31 less-endowed schools in the various districts in Ghana into model schools was yielding positive results because students from the beneficiary schools were enjoying good facilities, making it possible for them to rob shoulders with their counterparts in the well-endowed schools.
“Many projects have sprung up since we took that decision four years ago, and this has made it possible for students to study in conducive atmosphere to improve their standard of education,” he stressed, adding that “the government wants to take infrastructural development in basic, secondary and tertiary educational institutions to a higher level to enhance teaching and learning”.
He commended old students of Konongo Odumase Senior High School for their tremendous contribution to infrastructural development in the school and urged them to sustain it.
In his report, the headmaster of the school, Mr A.A. Amoantwi, commended the government “for its development-oriented policies that had so immensely impacted positively on the school”, but appealed for further assistance to enhance academic performance.
He said for the past 15 years, the school had not been able to use the Science Laboratory because of its deplorable state and, therefore, appealed to the government to assist in renovating it.
Mr Amoantwi said the school also needed a new boys’ dormitory and a 12-unit three bedroom flats to accommodate the boys and teachers respectively to enhance teaching and learning.
He said inadequate number of classrooms was also undermining effective academic work and appealed to the government to construct an 18-unit classroom block to cater for the students in the school.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
ASHANTI GJA GETS PRESS CENTRE (PAGE 29)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
THE Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) is to assist the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to establish a regional press centre in Kumasi as part of the council's efforts at facilitating the work of journalists to enable them to honour their obligations under the current democratic dispensation.
At the weekend, during an end-of-year press soiree organised by the RCC, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah, said the RCC was considering allocating an office for a press centre in Kumasi to the GJA. Mr Owusu-Ansah pointed out that allocation of a press centre to the association in this election year would not only enable it address the challenges affecting its practice, but would also facilitate things for its members to be able to educate the public in a more effective and efficient way, adding that it would also help them to appreciate the need to tolerate each other’s views.
This, he said, would go a long way to sustain the peace being enjoyed in the country, and further entrench our democratic dispensation.
The press soiree created a platform for Mr Owusu Ansah, his deputy, Mr Osei-Asibey Antwi, and many others to interact with the journalists in the region. It also offered the opportunity for the two sides to assess their strengths and weaknesses over the years, and the challenges that 2008 elections would pose.
The minister said like their counterparts in the Western Region who were provided with a press centre, journalists in the Ashanti Region deserved a better befitting press centre where they could constantly meet in a conducive atmosphere to take stock of their activities and chart a cause that would enhance their reportage.
He commended them for their tremendous contribution to marketing the investment potential of the region. This, he said, was having a positive impact as it was accelerating development and, therefore, urged them to sustain it.
According to the minister, journalism as a profession was very challenging, and in journalists' quest to educate, inform and entertain the public, they sometimes committed mistakes just as it happened to every human institution.
He said in assessing the work of the media towards a sustainable socio-economic development, the mistakes they committed were relatively trivial, and should not be used as a yardstick to condemn them.
He, therefore, urged journalists to focus on their core business of educating the public. He said this would help them appreciate the need to be tolerant, especially in this election year, so as to make the elections violence-free.
Mr Owush Ansah pointed out that elections were all about marketing candidates who wanted to hold public office, but said there was bound to be winners and losers, so campaigns and polling stations should not be used as launch pads for causing mayhem.
He explained that such negative practices could also undermine the gains chalked up over the years.
The minister said the absence of anything that would create confusion before, during and after the elections would make Ghanaians accept the results as credible and also cause the international community to appreciate the fact that Ghana had come of age so far as democracy was concerned.
"The challenges of 2007 should guide us to set a pace in 2008 as a way of deepening the democracy that would carry us through the years ahead," he stressed.
Mr Owusu-Ansah said his administration would also collaborate with the media in the region to initiate a monthly meet-the-press series as well as an open-day programme where the investment potential of the region would be showcased.
He also stressed that the initiative would make it possible for district chief executives in the region and the regional co-ordinating council (RCC) to interact frequently with the media and outline their programmes and policies as well as their achievements.
The acting Chairman of the Ashanti Regional branch of the GJA, Nana Yaw Osei, commended the RCC for recognising the contributions of the media towards the socio-economic development of the region.
He said over the years, the desire of the media to contribute more meaningful towards sustainable development was hampered by inadequate facilities, especially a press centre.
The acting regional chairman stated that while those in the Greater Accra and Western regions had well-equipped press centres, those in the Ashanti Region had no permanent place to meet regularly to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses to enable them to devise means of strengthening their capacity to meet the aspirations of the public.
He, therefore, appealed to the RCC to support the association to acquire a press centre to enhance their reportage.
THE Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) is to assist the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to establish a regional press centre in Kumasi as part of the council's efforts at facilitating the work of journalists to enable them to honour their obligations under the current democratic dispensation.
At the weekend, during an end-of-year press soiree organised by the RCC, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah, said the RCC was considering allocating an office for a press centre in Kumasi to the GJA. Mr Owusu-Ansah pointed out that allocation of a press centre to the association in this election year would not only enable it address the challenges affecting its practice, but would also facilitate things for its members to be able to educate the public in a more effective and efficient way, adding that it would also help them to appreciate the need to tolerate each other’s views.
This, he said, would go a long way to sustain the peace being enjoyed in the country, and further entrench our democratic dispensation.
The press soiree created a platform for Mr Owusu Ansah, his deputy, Mr Osei-Asibey Antwi, and many others to interact with the journalists in the region. It also offered the opportunity for the two sides to assess their strengths and weaknesses over the years, and the challenges that 2008 elections would pose.
The minister said like their counterparts in the Western Region who were provided with a press centre, journalists in the Ashanti Region deserved a better befitting press centre where they could constantly meet in a conducive atmosphere to take stock of their activities and chart a cause that would enhance their reportage.
He commended them for their tremendous contribution to marketing the investment potential of the region. This, he said, was having a positive impact as it was accelerating development and, therefore, urged them to sustain it.
According to the minister, journalism as a profession was very challenging, and in journalists' quest to educate, inform and entertain the public, they sometimes committed mistakes just as it happened to every human institution.
He said in assessing the work of the media towards a sustainable socio-economic development, the mistakes they committed were relatively trivial, and should not be used as a yardstick to condemn them.
He, therefore, urged journalists to focus on their core business of educating the public. He said this would help them appreciate the need to be tolerant, especially in this election year, so as to make the elections violence-free.
Mr Owush Ansah pointed out that elections were all about marketing candidates who wanted to hold public office, but said there was bound to be winners and losers, so campaigns and polling stations should not be used as launch pads for causing mayhem.
He explained that such negative practices could also undermine the gains chalked up over the years.
The minister said the absence of anything that would create confusion before, during and after the elections would make Ghanaians accept the results as credible and also cause the international community to appreciate the fact that Ghana had come of age so far as democracy was concerned.
"The challenges of 2007 should guide us to set a pace in 2008 as a way of deepening the democracy that would carry us through the years ahead," he stressed.
Mr Owusu-Ansah said his administration would also collaborate with the media in the region to initiate a monthly meet-the-press series as well as an open-day programme where the investment potential of the region would be showcased.
He also stressed that the initiative would make it possible for district chief executives in the region and the regional co-ordinating council (RCC) to interact frequently with the media and outline their programmes and policies as well as their achievements.
The acting Chairman of the Ashanti Regional branch of the GJA, Nana Yaw Osei, commended the RCC for recognising the contributions of the media towards the socio-economic development of the region.
He said over the years, the desire of the media to contribute more meaningful towards sustainable development was hampered by inadequate facilities, especially a press centre.
The acting regional chairman stated that while those in the Greater Accra and Western regions had well-equipped press centres, those in the Ashanti Region had no permanent place to meet regularly to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses to enable them to devise means of strengthening their capacity to meet the aspirations of the public.
He, therefore, appealed to the RCC to support the association to acquire a press centre to enhance their reportage.
KUMASI POLICE ARREST FOUR FOR ILLEGAL ARMS DEAL (BACK PAGE)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
FOUR persons have been arrested by the police in Kumasi for allegedly attempting to buy assault rifles for onward supply at Bawku.
The Officer in charge of the Police Public Affairs Unit, Inspector Mohammed Tanko, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said upon a tip-off that the suspects wanted to buy assault rifles, the police feigned interest and supplied the weapons to them.
He said the suspects paid GH¢5,500 for six pieces of AK47 assault rifles and a pump action gun they intended to purchase.
Three of the suspects were arrested on February 5, 2008, when they offered GH¢1,500 for an AK 47 assault rifle and a pump action gun they intended to buy for onward transportation to Bawku.
He said the fourth suspect, a 30-year-old man, was arrested on February 13, 2008, after he had been supplied with five pieces of AK 47 assault rifles and he had paid GH¢4000 to plain-clothes policemen who had shown interest in supplying the weapons to him.
The police did not disclose the names of the suspects, who are currently in police custody, for security reasons, but gave the assurance that they would be arraigned soon.
FOUR persons have been arrested by the police in Kumasi for allegedly attempting to buy assault rifles for onward supply at Bawku.
The Officer in charge of the Police Public Affairs Unit, Inspector Mohammed Tanko, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said upon a tip-off that the suspects wanted to buy assault rifles, the police feigned interest and supplied the weapons to them.
He said the suspects paid GH¢5,500 for six pieces of AK47 assault rifles and a pump action gun they intended to purchase.
Three of the suspects were arrested on February 5, 2008, when they offered GH¢1,500 for an AK 47 assault rifle and a pump action gun they intended to buy for onward transportation to Bawku.
He said the fourth suspect, a 30-year-old man, was arrested on February 13, 2008, after he had been supplied with five pieces of AK 47 assault rifles and he had paid GH¢4000 to plain-clothes policemen who had shown interest in supplying the weapons to him.
The police did not disclose the names of the suspects, who are currently in police custody, for security reasons, but gave the assurance that they would be arraigned soon.
Monday, February 18, 2008
WOMEN SEEK EARLY MEDICAL CARE (PAGE 17)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
The President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, has advised women to be conscious of their health by reporting any form of abnormality in any part of their body, especially their breast to medical officers for prompt diagnosis to be made.
This, she said, would reduce any risk of cancerous diseases in their breast to promote healthy lives.
She said it was equally important for women, especially those above the age of 40 not only to undertake mammogram but also examine their breast monthly to enable them to detect any form of abnormality at the early stages for prompt medication to be made.
Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai gave the advice at Bomfa-Achiase in the Ashanti Region as part of her breast cancer awareness campaign.
The exercise — which was organised by BCI, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with a Kumasi-based philanthropist, Mr Kofi Nti, and Peace and Love Hospital also in Kumasi — was meant to provide them with the requisite skills of detecting any form of abnormality in their breast at the early stages and report to the hospital, thereby saving them the risk of losing their lives or the cost of treating the disease when it had reached an advanced stage.
It was also meant to sensitise women in the Ashanti Region in particular and other parts of the country in general to the dangers associated with breast cancer and the need for them to appreciate the importance of examining their breast monthly.
About 800 women, including those in their middle ages and those in their teens, benefited from the exercise.
Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai, who educated them on the causes and effect of breast cancer, expressed concern about the myth surrounding the disease and pointed out that some people connected it to curses and other forms of superstition.
She stressed that “the discovery of a suspicious lump in the breast is a traumatic experience among women, most of whom equate it to a death warrant” and pointed out that nine out of every 10 of such cases were not cancerous, but in any case, many cancers, including breast cancer, were treatable, especially when it was diagnosed early.
She said for women to notice any form of abnormality in their breast at the early stages “it is mandatory for every woman to examine her breast on monthly basis”.
She also took them through the dangers associated with Hepatitis B and the need for them to get tested and vaccinated, especially those who tested negative.
Explaining, she said Hepatitis B was more infectious than the dreaded HIV/AIDS, so in order to prevent its spread, there was the need for Ghanaians, irrespective of age, status and gender, to undertake voluntary testing and either be vaccinated against the disease when tested negative or seek immediate medical treatment when tested positive.
Explaining further, Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai said “infection with the Hepatitis B virus lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer”.
She said about 80 per cent of liver cancer was caused by chronic Hepatitis B virus infection and indicated that the most important means to reduce its spread was voluntary testing and vaccination.
She said unlike HIV/AIDS infection, the Hepatitis B virus could be treated, especially if the disease was reported and said it could be prevented when those who tested negative were vaccinated against the disease.
The President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, has advised women to be conscious of their health by reporting any form of abnormality in any part of their body, especially their breast to medical officers for prompt diagnosis to be made.
This, she said, would reduce any risk of cancerous diseases in their breast to promote healthy lives.
She said it was equally important for women, especially those above the age of 40 not only to undertake mammogram but also examine their breast monthly to enable them to detect any form of abnormality at the early stages for prompt medication to be made.
Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai gave the advice at Bomfa-Achiase in the Ashanti Region as part of her breast cancer awareness campaign.
The exercise — which was organised by BCI, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with a Kumasi-based philanthropist, Mr Kofi Nti, and Peace and Love Hospital also in Kumasi — was meant to provide them with the requisite skills of detecting any form of abnormality in their breast at the early stages and report to the hospital, thereby saving them the risk of losing their lives or the cost of treating the disease when it had reached an advanced stage.
It was also meant to sensitise women in the Ashanti Region in particular and other parts of the country in general to the dangers associated with breast cancer and the need for them to appreciate the importance of examining their breast monthly.
About 800 women, including those in their middle ages and those in their teens, benefited from the exercise.
Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai, who educated them on the causes and effect of breast cancer, expressed concern about the myth surrounding the disease and pointed out that some people connected it to curses and other forms of superstition.
She stressed that “the discovery of a suspicious lump in the breast is a traumatic experience among women, most of whom equate it to a death warrant” and pointed out that nine out of every 10 of such cases were not cancerous, but in any case, many cancers, including breast cancer, were treatable, especially when it was diagnosed early.
She said for women to notice any form of abnormality in their breast at the early stages “it is mandatory for every woman to examine her breast on monthly basis”.
She also took them through the dangers associated with Hepatitis B and the need for them to get tested and vaccinated, especially those who tested negative.
Explaining, she said Hepatitis B was more infectious than the dreaded HIV/AIDS, so in order to prevent its spread, there was the need for Ghanaians, irrespective of age, status and gender, to undertake voluntary testing and either be vaccinated against the disease when tested negative or seek immediate medical treatment when tested positive.
Explaining further, Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai said “infection with the Hepatitis B virus lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer”.
She said about 80 per cent of liver cancer was caused by chronic Hepatitis B virus infection and indicated that the most important means to reduce its spread was voluntary testing and vaccination.
She said unlike HIV/AIDS infection, the Hepatitis B virus could be treated, especially if the disease was reported and said it could be prevented when those who tested negative were vaccinated against the disease.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)