Work on 54km Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu Eastern Corridor Rd to Start from July – Prez Akufo-Addo

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May 15, 2019

By: Voltaonlinegh |

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.

Source: www.presidency.gov.gh

I Want to Drink Clean Water before I Die – 76yr old

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Volta Online

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May 14, 2019

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By: Christopher Pappoe | Voltaonlinegh |

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.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Volta NPP Executives Present Pick-up Vehicle To Ho Central Constituency

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Volta Online

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May 14, 2019

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Volta NPP (3) — 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.

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.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

[Article] When will the Last Man Die?

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Volta Online

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May 13, 2019

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By: Godfred Nelson |

Nature is declining steadily. The cause is man’s intemperate use of the natural resources: water, land, fauna and flora, forests and more.

The decline of course, is hampering the natural support systems of human life, talk of water stress issues and its corollary impacts of water shortages among others.

Nature is meant to support human existence by providing variables of “gifts” referred to as Nature’s Contribution to People (NCP) and we owe it our lives to a large extent. Therefore, our actions and inactions must be concerted to support biodiversity intentionally if we want to benefit from them perpetually and sustainably.

Abuse obviously is not the way to go. The Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has released the first Global Assessment of the State of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in almost 15 years and the revelations are stunning if not threatening.

Our forest cover (NCP 13) which is not called “over” for no reason, covers both man and animals from the impact of green house gases and also by providing “materials and assistance” for various man-made uses.

It also ensures that carbon stored in the soil, which is 3 times more than in the atmosphere is sequestered sustainably. It is therefore alarming to learn each day of the rate at which our trees are removed. Destruction to our forests is destruction to our soil.

Had there been any concerted effort to replace the felled species, there would not have been any problem. But it is painful to realise that such is not the case in our part of the world.

Tree parts such as leaves, roots, barks, seeds and pods and so on and non-timber forest products are included in the materials used by the about 4 billion people who depend on natural sources for medicinal purposes as revealed by the IPBES.

Amazingly, about 70 per cent of cancer drugs are natural or are synthetic products of nature and so, it is practically life threatening to think of the ripple effect of degradation of the ecosystem’s “goods and services”.

I read of how military personnel in China are made to plant trees on land equaling the size of Ireland, a very commendable effort which can be replicated in various parts of the world and most especially where it is most required; sub-Sahara Africa.

Land degradation through human activities is negatively impacting the livelihoods of a large group of people, with majority coming from the sub-Sahara Africa region, an indigenous populace which is already predicted to produce 9 out of 10 poorest humans below the international poverty line of 1.9 dollars per day by 2030. (World Bank)

This suggests that there is a sharp correlation between how we treat our natural environment and the impact it has on our individual and national economic well-being.

Inappropriate waste collection and disposal activities also affect our land, fresh water and marine life. Recently, I read that a whale was found dead with about 25kg of plastic waste in its gut.

Also, around 3.2 million hectares of primary forests in the world’s tropical regions including Ghana has been lost in 2018. (Forest Watch 2019)

This is about the size of Belgium. Now check your map to understand the extent of damage. This was exceeded only in 2016 which recorded 3.6 million hectares of tropical primary forest lost due to major wild fires that occurred all-year round.

The fact remains that we are reaping more from our ecological footprint than it is sustainable for the future generations. We cannot continue like this and it is imperative that government agencies in charge of our forest resources take charge of the situation.

Urban planning agencies must also step up their game so much so that the inevitable environmental impacts of urbanisation will be put in check.

It is true that when the last tree dies the last man dies. But more so, it is very predictable that before the last man dies, nature must have “died” already if we continue in this trend of degrading forest covers and nature’s gifts.

The Chinese say that the best time to plant a tree is 25 years ago, and the next best time is now. Rightly so, governmental policies must be undergirded by a strong commitment to their nationally determined contributions (NDC) to the SDG 13 and the Paris Agreement of 2016 which all go a long way to protect our primary forests.

In the end, when the last man dies, it will be our choices that would have killed him and he will not find any living man to blame.

NB: Writer is an Environmentalist and an advocate of Climate solutions.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Fiave GEC fulfills Promise, Holds Mothers’ Day Dinner

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Volta Online

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May 13, 2019

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By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh |

Global Evangelical Church, Ho-Fiave Victory Chapel in the Volta Region has delivered on its promise when it held a dinner for mothers and all women of the church to celebrate this year’s Mothers’ Day.

The maiden Mother’s Day Dinner on Sunday at the church’s premises which saw a heavy attendance was in fulfillment of a commitment made by the Parish Pastor, Rev. I.C. Agbenuvor on May 13, 2018 (Mothers’ Day) on behalf of the church.

The feast though was organised for mothers and all women of the church, was open to every member of the church, thus, attracted men and children who were treated to sumptuous meals including “akple” and “fetridetsi”, a staple food of the people, drinks and good music.

The dinner served as a family’s day out as the women came along with their spouses and children and as well, an occasion for members of the church to fraternise and make merry on such an important day.

Rev. Agbenuvor in an interview with Voltaonlinegh was grateful to God for a successful organisation of the event and hinted of plans to make the event an annual one.

According to him, there was the need to celebrate women of the church and holding a dinner in their honour was an appropriate way to appreciate them and called on other churches to find a suitable way to celebrate women.

Patrons at the event expressed gratitude to the pastors and leadership of the church for recognising the role of women in the church and other spheres of the nation’s development and arriving at the decision to celebrate them in such a grand style.

One of them, Mrs. Irene Anumah said she was marveled at the level of success of the maiden event and the excitement from church members who were totally relaxed and reluctant to leave for their various homes even after the event.

Mrs. Anumah said she wished the dinner would be held every year (with contributions in kind and in cash from members) to help bring members together for the ultimate growth of the church.

Earlier during church service, Mrs. Sedinam Agbenuvor in a sermon titled “Committed Christian as an Instrument of Change”, intimated that “God has deposited all that it takes for a woman to effect the needed change wherever she finds herself.”

Mrs. Agbenuvor therefore challenged women especially the Christians to strive for the ability to multiply in anything they do, release God’s glory through prayer, hold the fort, serve as the canopy for the discouraged and the dejected, and be able to thrive on unfavourable grounds believing that the world would be a better place if only women would take these seriously.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

UHAS Choir Holds Inaugural Concert [VIDEO]

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Volta Online

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May 13, 2019

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By: KALD|Voltaonlinegh.com|

The University Health and Allied Sciences has formally outdoored the University Choir with a colourful inaugural concert Sunday night.

The choir which is made up of staff and students begun last year June with a mission to harness the potential of members of the university to promote choral music and project UHAS identity.

Patrons at concert held at the UHAS Trafalgar campus auditorium, were treated to various renditions of choral songs which kept many on their dancing feet.

Among the patrons were an array of personalities including the Vice Chancellor and his wife, Profs. John and Magaret Gyapong, deans, directors and other staff members and students of the Uhas community as well as members of the public.

Mr. Kenneth Wonder Tsinyo, the Choir director told West FM news that the over 70-member choir was poised to project the university in its immediate communities through music.

He noted that, the Choir, within the few months of its existence has performed at various functions of the university and also at the maiden Carols Service of Volta Serene Hotel, where they rock shoulders with the popular Harmonious Chorale in December.

The Presiding bishop of the Methodist Church in Ho, Very Rev. Phillip Tsatsu Nyorgbordzi commissioned the choir and its leaders with a call on them to be worthy ambassadors of Christ and UHAS.

Prof. John Gyapong, UHAS VC in a brief remark pledged the support of the university management to the activities of choir but charged them to find innovative means of being a self-sustaining entity that will complement the core function of the university.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Former Minister calls for Commission of Inquiry into Volta Secessionists’ Concerns

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Volta Online

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May 13, 2019

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By: KALD | Voltaonlinegh.com |

A former Volta Regional Minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso has proposed the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry by government to probe the concerns of the secessionist movement, the Homeland Study Group Foundation.

The commission, according to Hon. Ntoso, would help ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the group’s demand for the secession of the Volta region and parts of the northern Ghana into an independent Western Togoland state, which they claimed existed prior to the independence of the then Gold Coast now Ghana.

The Krachi West Member of Parliament who spoke on Ho-based West FM’s morning show, West Breakfast Drive on Friday, believed the commission’s work will put the matter to rest once and for all.

Some 81 members of the separatist movement were rounded up last Wednesday by a joint police-military in Ho, just few days after their octogenarian leader, Mr. Charles Kormi Kudzordzi and 7 others were picked up by state security operatives and airlifted to Accra for allegedly planning to declare independence for the supposed Western Togoland state on Thursday May 9, 2019.

This, the former Minister however believed was an appropriate action on the part of the security agencies since the intended action of the group had serious security implications for the region and the country at large.

She said unlike her tenure where the activities of the Homeland Study Group Foundation posed no security threat, their present conduct as claimed by the security agencies, required a serious attention from appropriate state actors in order to curtail an escalation.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

I’m the 1st DCE to have Exceeded Revenue Target – Central Tongu DCE

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Volta Online

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May 12, 2019

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By: Christopher Pappoe | Voltaonlinegh |

District Chief Executive (DCE) for Central Tongu, Thomas Moore Zonyrah has touted his achievements as DCE saying, he was the first to have exceeded the Assembly’s revenue target since the creation of the district.

Mr. Zonyrah disclosed this on Tuesday when Dela Radio, based in the district capital, Adidome, organised a town hall meeting for him to account for his two years in office.

He said the assembly set a target of 140 per cent for this year but had already exceeded this target and that market stalls and lockable shops were under construction at the Mafi Kumase Market in the district to help boost revenue.

The DCE mentioned over 40 projects which the assembly executed within 2 years and with some at different stages of completion in the district.

In the health sector, he mentioned Dove, Anfoe and Kpogadzi CHPS zones as successes chalked while in education, Mafi Akyemfo, Srekpe, Avedo, Avakpedome and Mafi Kumase kindergarten were at various stages of completion.

He also disclosed that more than 20 communities had been connected to the national Grid with potable water extended to some rural areas while others benefited from boreholes.

In the area of transportation, he said “different town roads have also been worked on in the district.”

Mr. Zonyrah touched on sanitation saying, open defecation has been a worry to the district over the years and assured that about 15 institutional WC facilities were being constructed to arrest the situation.

On government’s flagship programme, 1 District-1 Factory, he intimated that more than 3 different organisations were in the district with about 8,000 jobs being created.

The town hall meeting which attracted lots of citizens was also attended by heads of departments and other key stakeholders in the district.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Bawumia Charges Muslims to Pray for Ghana’s Development

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Volta Online

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May 12, 2019

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By: Benjamin Owusu | Voltaonlinegh |

Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia has asked Muslim communities in the Oti Region to use the Ramadan fasting month to pray for him and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to succeed in bringing total development into the country.

Dr. Bawumia said Ghana needed divine intervention to achieve the needed development and the only way was for its citizens to go to God through prayers.

He was speaking when he joined hundreds of Muslims in the Oti Regional capital, Dambai on Friday for prayers as part of his nationwide Ramadan tour.

The Vice President also joined and prayed with Muslim faithful at Kwamekrom in Biakoye and Kadjebi in Akan District asking for the blessings of God throughout the Ramadan season.

Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development, Ahmed Mustafa assured that government was putting measures in place to see the development of zongo communities in the country.

Assemblyman for Kwamekrom, Amidu Ibrahim appealed to the Vice President and the Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development to consider renovating the Kwamekrom Central Mosque and introducing English and Arabic to attract more students.

Some residents who spoke to Voltaonlinegh appreciated the visit of Dr. Bawumia and prayed that their requests should be granted.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Criminal Prosecution of Secessionists, Storm in Teacup-Dafeamekpor

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Volta Online

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May 11, 2019

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By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh |

Member of Parliament for South Dayi in the Volta Region, Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor has registered his displeasure at the security’s handling of members of secessionist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) describing it as a storm in a teacup.

A joint police-military operation on Wednesday led to the arrest of 81 people including two women suspected to be members of HSGF in and around Ho, the Volta Regional capital for unlawful social/public gathering but were later granted bail.

The arrest of the 81 individuals followed an earlier arrest on Sunday of the leader of the group, an over 80-year old Charles Kormi Kudzordzi, popularly known as Papavi Hogbedetor and 7 other front liners for their alleged attempt to secede some regions from Ghana and declare them on Thursday, May 9, 2019 as an independent country called Western Togoland.

The eight were airlifted to Accra and without access to a lawyer, arraigned before a high court on charges of conspiracy to commit treason felony, abetment of unlawful training, unlawful assembly and offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace with the leader being the only person who was granted bail.

But Hon. Dafeamekpor said the criminal prosecution of the secessionists was uncalled for and described the processing of the eight for court without access to a lawyer considering the charges leveled against them as a departure from laid down procedure anchored in law.

He admitted that it was “possible” for the group to do what it was alleged but it was not “probable” to do so because per the history, the “territory previously known as Western Togoland, presently is made up of 5 regions: the Upper East Region, the North East Region, Northern Region, the Oti Region and the Volta Region.”

“So how can any serious security agency come to the conclusion that the mere intention of a group based in Ho, not based in Oti, not based in Northern Region, not based in North East, not based in Upper East Region will successfully declare a self-determined territory their own,” he wondered.

The Lawmaker made this known on Friday when he granted an interview on Ho-based West FM’s morning show, West Breakfast Drive regarding the arrests in the region in relation to activities of the group.

He rather proposed that government had a dialogue with the agitators saying, “persecution has never succeeded in quelling the agitations of a people determined to attain self rule.”

The private legal practitioner also hinted of plans by the Volta caucus in Parliament to meet over these agitations and see the way forward because tact was needed in dealing with such agitations so as not to offend the sensibility of the people.

Earlier, Mr. Dafeamekpor in a press release titled, “Rambo-Style Arrest of Octogenarians Worrying; The State must Act to Restore their Rights as Citizen” following the first arrest in the week, condemned the manner in which the men were picked up saying, it was “a raw exercise of executive power” which “ought not be abused in the manner it was applied.”

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com