Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Keta, in the Volta Region, Godwin Edudzi Effah has allocated an old building for the start of immediate renovation works to fit the facility as a new fire station to serve the municipality.
Mr. Effah on Friday led a team of officers from the Ghana National Fire Service headquarters to the defunct PWD premises (part of which currently houses the Ghana Highway Authority) for assessment of the facility following several consultations with stakeholders.
This has become necessary as the existing fire station (located at Anloga) which served the municipality has now been carved out into the newly inaugurated Anloga District, thus, leaving the Keta Municipality with no fire station.
The MCE acknowledged the stakeholders for helping the process which arrived at the suitable choice and strategic location for rapid response by the Fire Service during emergencies and noted that all other necessary facilitations have been made awaiting the renovation of the facility in order for Keta to have a new station by June.
“We had a fire station which is now located within the newly created Anloga District Assembly. Owing to this, there is the need that Keta Municipal Assembly gets its own fire station. I can assure you that the renovation works on the building would be completed by the end of June for handing over to the Ghana National Fire Service.”
Deputy Chief Fire Officer in charge of Logistics, Mr. Samuel Brenya after the inspection by the team, accepted the facility saying, “well, the facility is suitable and quite strategic for the work.”
“But as to when we shall resume work here, it’s left to the Assembly to finish with the renovation works quickly, which the MCE has promised to ensure,” Mr. Brenya noted.
Park Manager, Kalakpa Resource Reserve, Samuel Darko-Akonor has called on chiefs and people of Abutia and Adaklu communities where the Reserve is located to lend their support to surmount hurdles in protecting and conserving the Park.
Mr. Darko-Akonor said officers and rangers faced difficult situations in addition to trekking long distances “on rugged terrain and in harsh weather conditions to combat illegalities.”
“In the discharge of our field duties, we face open confrontations from poachers, loggers of timber, cattle herders, illegal farmers and attacks by local communities, which in some cases result in casualties.”
According to him, one major challenge in managing the Park was dealing with the over 25 settlement of about 3,000 people living in the Reserve with low staff strength who are without the proper tools to deal with the “emerging dynamics in forest protection and conservation.”
The Park Manager therefore called for concerted efforts stop Kalakpa Resource Reserve from being a hotbed of illegalities.
“I will appeal to our traditional and community leaders and the good citizens of Abutia and Adaklu to join Management with one voice in educating those communities living in and around the Reserve on the effects of environmental degradation being caused by them from practices such as logging, charcoal production, poaching, farming, cattle grazing, and above all the unwarranted and frequent attacks on staff who enforce regulations.”
Mr. Darko-Akonor said these in a welcome address on the occasion of the inauguration of a new office building at the Park Headquarters of the Kalakpa Resource Reserve at Abutia on Thursday.
The building was dedicated to those who suffered casualties while protecting the Park including Victor Sesi in whose memory a monument was unveiled on the day.
Togbe Gidi (4th from left) in a pose with others after unveiling plaque of Victor Sesi
Paramount Chief of Abutia Traditional Area, Togbe Abutia Kodzo Gidi V in a speech, gave government and management of Kalakpa Resource Reserve, 7-month ultimatum to evict and/or resettle the 25 settlements in the reserve or risk a take-over of the Park by the community.
Togbe Gidi said “it’s surprising, landowners have moved out but settlers remain there to do all the illegalities” yet successive governments had since 1975, failed to “relocate all settlers from Kalakpa Reserve for staff to work.”
“By end of this year, if the settlers don’t move out, our ancestors waged war that land and we will be forced to take it back,” he warned.
District Chief Executive for Ho West, Ernest Victor Apau pledged government’s commitment in addressing the issues of illegalities taking place in the Reserve and called for the support of citizens to arrest the situation and to relocate settlers living there in order to conserve the Park.
Executive Director, Wildlife Division, Nana Kofi Adu-Nsiah who noted the concerns raised by earlier speakers promised that his outfit would do its best and with the help of the traditional area, see Kalakpa to the level it ought to be.
Nana Adu-Nsiah said the Division was working things out to relocate settlers in the Reserve and other reserves across the country adding that, a 2-million USD discussion was ongoing and “as soon as we get the funds, we’ll raise the awareness to get them out.”
He also disclosed that 4 drones had been procured with a set of people going for drones training for effecting monitoring of illegal activities in the reserves.
Kalakpa Resource Reserve covers about 32,020 hectares of land stretching from Abutia (Ho West) to Adaklu (Adaklu District) in the Volta Region. It serves as home to rare animals including buffalos, bird species, and a variety of plants of economic importance.
Eweviwo Foundation, a Ho-based benevolent organisation has donated items worth GHc5,000.00 to the Kpando Prisons in the Volta Region.
The donation included bags of rice, detergents, toiletries, biscuits, soft drinks, wormplex 400 tablet, shaving sticks and tooth brushes.
The General Secretary to the organisation, Courage Atta Dotsey said the donation was to show the organisation’s concern and love for the needy.
Mr. Dotsey who presented the items on behalf of the Foundation, said caring for the needy was a way of demonstrating the love of God to mankind which made Him to send Christ to die on earth.
He said it was the practice of the Foundation to donate items every year to the less privileged in society.
He advised the inmates to be of a good behaviour because prison would not be the end of their lives.
DSP Patrick Agbonigla who received the items on behalf of the Prison Management expressed his gratitude to the organisation for the kind gesture.
DSP Agbonugla said because prisoners were perceived to be criminals, nobody wanted to deal with them even after finishing their prison terms and reformation.
He therefore, called on the citizenry to accept them us one of their own and not abandon them.
Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa is in Geneva, Switzerland attending the United Nations Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) on behalf of President Akufo-Addo.
The biennial forum which started from May 13 to 17, 2019 provides the avenue for information exchange, discussion of latest developments, knowledge and partnership-building across sectors, with the goal of improving implementation of disaster risk reduction agreements.
This year’s gathering is on the theme, “Resilience Dividend: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Societies.”
The Ghanaian delegation being led by Dr. Letsa, comprises officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation, the Ghana Armed Forces, Ministry of Interior, and members of Parliament from both sides.
Earlier, the Minister delivered an address on behalf of President Akufo-Addo on “Risk Informed Investments and Economics of Disaster Risk Reduction”.
The delegation has also been engaging in bilateral discussions with the UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction, where they have been making a strong case for more international support for the DRR project in Ghana regarding the linkages between DRR, Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr. Letsa described his experience so far at the conference as a learning one and stated that, “I must confess I have learnt a lot during the last couple of days.”
“I still have more to learn even as I play my leadership role. I have a wonderful team I’m working with here. It’s been a great feeling thinking outside the box and learning a great deal of new stuff,” he continued.
The minister also indicated that, the UN team during the bilateral talks was quite impressed with the multi sectoral character of the Ghanaian delegation, which they noted was a good model for other countries to emulate.
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was first held in 2007 and its core function is to enable governments, NGOs, scientists, practitioners, and UN organizations to share experience and formulate strategic guidance for the implementation of global disaster risk reduction agreements.
Chiefs and people of Mafi Aloryi in the Central Tongu of the Volta Region have with joy received a group of Indian investors, Vali Brothers Ltd to start a mango plantation, rice and vegetable farms.
The durbar on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 was characterised by drumming and dancing to welcome the investors into their community.
Leader of the group, Dr Ahmed Elkerdany, an agricultural consultant said the company sought to develop the land, train local farmers in advanced ways of farming and also to create employment for the youth in the area.
Dr Elkerdany promised on behalf of the group to live in harmony with the locals in the district and asked the chiefs and elders of Mafi Aloryi to accept them as part of their society.
District Chief Executive of the area, Thomas Moore Zonyrah urged the chiefs and people of Mafi Aloryi to take advantage of their (the group) presence and learn a lot from them.
Mr. Zonyrah advised his people to desist from causing confusion between themselves and the investors and that they should channel every problem to his outfit for redress.
He called on the investors to perform their corporate social responsibilities as directed by the government of Ghana and the local government after start of their operations in the area.
About four different investors have started work in the Central Tongu District creating over 1,800 jobs under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs policy.
Chiefs and people of Buem-Jasikan Traditional Area and citizens of Oti Region have expressed their appreciation to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Danwa Akufo-Addo for listening to them during his campaign tour in 2016 and mustering the courage and tenacity to deliver on his promise by making their long-cherished dream of Oti Region a reality.
Paramount Chief of the area, Nana Abram Akpanja VI speaking on behalf of the people of Oti Region was grateful to the President and the ruling government for “being the political midwives that oversaw the safe and successful delivery of the Oti Region.”
“We can never find the appropriate words to convey our joy, appreciation and gratitude to you (President Akufo-Addo) for making this half-a-century old dream of our people, including our ancestors, come true in our time.”
“Buem, Biakoye, Sall, Jasikan, will forever be grateful to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government for demonstrating boldness and commitment to principle, notwithstanding the strong, needless opposition against the Oti project by people who had always wished that we, in this part of Ghana, remained relatively less developed for reasons best known to them,” Nana Akpanja added.
The Paramount Chief made this known on Tuesday at a durbar of chiefs and people of the traditional area when President Akufo-Addo visited Jasikan as part of his two-day working visit to the Oti Region.
The Paramount Chief disassociated himself and his people from the Western Togoland movement operating under the name Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF).
He called on the government to consider and decentralise governance processes to bring economic and social development to the people of Oti.
Minister of Regional Re-organisation and Development, Dan Botwe assured that government was committed to bringing development to the doorsteps of the people and therefore called on them to support government policies.
President Akufo-Addo promised to keep his eyes on the region for the needed development that the people were asking for.
Volta and Oti regions are expected to experience an interruption in power supply on Thursday, May 16, 2019 from 9:00am to 2:00pm.
The interruption according to Power Distribution Services (PDS) is to allow electricity transmitters, Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) carry out maintenance works and appealed to customers who will be affected to bear with the power distributor.
A communiqué issued by Public Relations Officer, Volta Region PDS, Benjamin Obeng Antwi on Tuesday read:
“The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has requested the Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Ltd. to curtail power supply on Thursday, 16th May, 2019, from 9:00am to 2:00pm.
This request is to enable GRIDCo carry out major maintenance works at Akosombo.
In this regard, the areas to be affected are:
Volta and Oti regions.
The inconvenience that will arise out of this request by GRIDCo is deeply regretted.”
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said work on the 54-kilometre Jasikan to Dodo Pepesu stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road will commence from the July this year.
According to President Akufo-Addo, an amount of $45 million has been earmarked, under the phase 1 projects of the $2 billion Government of Ghana-Sinohydro Master Project Agreement, for the construction of the Jasikan to Dodo Pepesu road.
Speaking at a durbar held in his honour at Jasikan, on Tuesday, he recounted how in 2016, he said he was yet to see the “unprecedented infrastructural projects” touted by his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama.
“I stated, at the time, that, wherever I have been to, I never saw these so-called unprecedented infrastructural projects he (Mahama) claimed he had done. He (Mahama) responded by telling me that I was asleep, the reason why I hadn’t seen these projects.
“However, there has not been a single durbar across the country where I have been where the issue of the poor road network has been raised by the Chiefs and people,” the President said.
He continued, “we, as political leaders, must always be truthful to Ghanaians. Lies, inaccuracies and misrepresentations should not be the hallmark of political leaders. I will not say I have done the Hohoe-Jasikan-Dodo Pepeso Road when, indeed, it has not been constructed. I will never say such a thing.”
President Akufo-Addo assured residents of Jasikan that they will not lack in terms of development in the aftermath of the creation of the Oti Region.
“We are going to make sure that there is an even spread of infrastructural facilities in the region. Every part of Oti will have their fair share of infrastructural development.”
The President, en route to Nkwanta, stopped by Ntruboman Senior High School where he presented a school bus and pickup vehicle to the school in fulfillment of a pledge he had made to them.
He also cut the sod for the construction of the 12km Kpassa to Mama Akura Road; and also cut the sod for the construction of a classroom and dormitory block at the Nkwanta Senior High School.
An elder and opinion leader of Dorkploame in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region, James Agbalenyo is asking the district assembly and the government to as a matter of urgency help the community with a borehole and dam for domestic use and irrigation purposes respectively.
Mr. Agbalenyo observed that the youth of the town were migrating to other areas for greener pastures and providing these could help address this migration.
According to the 76-year old, he had never seen good drinking water in the community ever since he was born and wanted that to be addressed in his lifetime.
The opinion leader said 7 months ago, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) came around to dig grounds for a borehole project but left it half way with the excuse that engineers abroad would have to come over for testing first before the real project could continue but nothing was heard of them again since.
Mr. Agbalenyo also noted that the health centre in the area needed staff bungalows and treated water and efforts to get the assembly to help proved futile.
“We’re now helpless since nurses are leaving the village. The district assembly keeps promising for many years now but we’re seriously tired of their promises.”
The opinion leader said Dorkploame strategically shares boundary with Central Tongu, a district that could boast of four potable water projects and so saw no reason why they could not be connected directly from them.
“The Member of Parliament and the District Chief Executive keeps telling us stories upon stories and I fear I will not live to witness their promises come to pass as there is no positive signs yet.”
He therefore called on civil society organisations and NGOs to come to their aid.
DCE for the area, Emmanuel Louis Agama in reaction told Voltaonlinegh that the assembly was waiting on the Ghana-Togo water project to commence for all the communities to be connected.
Mr. Kwadekpo (L) receiving the key to the pick-up vehicle from Mr. Woanyah, Regional chairman
By: KALD | Voltaonlinegh.com|
The Ho Central Constituency branch of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has received a new double cabin Mazda pick-up from the party’s Regional secretariat.
Mr. Makafui Woanyah, the Volta regional NPP chairman together with his Secretary, Mr. Joseph Homenya and other regional executives presented the vehicle to the Ho Central Executives at constituency office on Monday.
The presentation, according to the chairman forms part of a grand agenda to adequately resource the party’s structures at the grassroot for effective mobilization towards election 2020.
He iterated the resolve of the Regional officers to provide the needed logistics and support to the party branches across all 18 constituencies in region to drive an efficient re-election campaign of President Akufo-Addo and the NPP come December 2020.
The double cabin Mazda Pick-up vehicle
Speaking at brief presentation ceremony, which was witnessed by electoral area coordinators of the NPP in the constituency, Mr. Woanyah stated, “It’s our duty as regional officers to support and resource the constituencies and polling stations officers for you to mobilize the votes the party at the grassroot and that’s exactly what we’re committed to doing.
Today, we’re giving a vehicle to the constituency, so it is possible that we will give motorbikes to atleast our electoral coordinators.”
Major, as the chairman is popularly referred to, also entreated party supporters and communicators to continue propagating the good works of the Nana Addo led NPP administration and not be perturbed by negative propaganda of political detractors of the government.
The Regional Secretary, Mr. Homenya on his part said the government of the NPP has chalked a lot of successes across various sectors of the economy in last two and half years, which party members should proudly propagate to the electorates.
Mr. Richard Kwadekpo also known as Zola, chairman for Ho central who received the pick-up vehicle on behalf of the constituency, assured that the vehicle will go a long way to facilitate the work of the party to deliver another victory for President Akufo-Addo in the 2020 elections.
Present at the ceremony were, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Nelson Akorli and other constituency regional officers of the NPP.
