Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Mr. Samuel Koranteng has described as a success subscription to the company’s Initial Public Offer (IPO) which commenced on March 29 and closed on July 31 this year making the company the first in the country to have listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).
The IPO was to allow the telecommunication company fulfill a regulatory obligation regarding the purchase of one of the 4G spectrum licenses in 2015 and to give Ghanaians and the general public the opportunity to own 35 per cent of its shares.
Mr. Koranteng in an interview on Thursday at an editors’ forum in the Volta regional capital, Ho, said MTN exceeded the expectation rate of IPOs and added that though the company is an international one, it is right to say it is owned by Ghanaians.
“Now, MTN is not just owned by a multinational. It’s owned in excess of 128,000 Ghanaians and in terms of our outlook, we’re now listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange so we have become an international company with firm roots.”
The MTN editors’ forum is an annual meeting of the telecommunication giants with editors in the ten regions of the country to talk about their yearly plans, successes, and challenges and to solicit feedback from them in a bid to bettering their services to customers.
Presentation of souvenirs to some participants
The Corporate Services Executive on the company’s social responsibility activities, mentioned that MTN is focused on education, health and economic empowerment with several of such projects being carried out across nationwide.
He said the company has recently introduced MTN Bright scholarship Award Project to give 300 brilliant but needy students the opportunity to go through tertiary education for 3 years with the first set of 100 beneficiaries already awarded.
The worth of the scholarship covers their tuition fees, accommodation, and a stipend of Gh₵500 per semester which caters for books and other learning materials.
The Zonal Manager for MTN Mobile Money (Momo), Mr. Eric Yeboah Asiamah in reacting to questions of upsurge in frauds against Momo subscribers, said customers must be alert of such fraudulent activities so as not to fall victims to the fraudsters.
He cautioned against believing social engineering tactics the fraudsters employ to rob people of their monies adding, if they are in doubt or suspect such activities, they should call MTN office for complaints and the necessary action. He disclosed the company had followed on such complaints and had been successful in prosecuting and punishing some of these culprits.
The North Dayi District Assembly in the Volta Region has handed over an ultra modern apartment to the Police Command in the District for use.
The construction of the building formed part of government’s initiative to rebrand and make the Ghana Police Service more effective.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Kudjoh Attah, at a brief ceremony on Wednesday to hand over the building to the District Police Commander, commended the contractor, engineers of the assembly and the project consultants from AESL for their technical support and cooperation.
DCE, Kudjo Attah in an interaction at the event
The DCE who already started supplying furniture to the newly constructed police station assured the Command of providing adequate furniture and other logistics needed for effective policing.
Mr. Kudjoh Attah asked the Police to do their best to maintain the property adding that it will motivate the assembly to willingly support the Police with their logistics at all times.
The inside of the new building
He further advised the police command to maintain the facility such that it disabuses the minds of Ghanaians of the generally held perception that the police do not take proper care of properties belonging to the state.
The DCE admitted that there is the need for the Police to be given logistical support to be able deliver on its mandate in the wake of contemporary crimes.
The District Commander, DSP Hilarious Avornyo who received the keys to the edifice, promised that the Command will use the new station as expected and that his outfit will do its best to maintain the structure.
A lecturer at the Department of Food Science and Technology, Ho Technical University (HTU), Dr. Emmanuel Letsyo has advised beekeepers to restrict the growth of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) containing plants around their beehives to avoid the potential risk of contaminating honey samples.
The PAs produced by plants as a defense mechanism against insect herbivores are natural toxins that can be damaging to the liver when consumed.
Dr. Letsyo whose area of research includes the determination of plant contaminant in foodstuffs and herbal products identified the four common PA plants in Ghana and called on beekeepers around the rain forest and middle belt zones of the country where they are mostly found to clear them away to avoid contamination.
“The PA plants are chromolaena odorata which is commonly known as ‘acheampong’, ageratum conyzoides, heliotropium indicum and crotalaria retusa. These are the most common plants in Ghana here and they contaminate honey sample so they should restrict these plants from growing around the beehives because when they have these plants around, they will have the bees collecting the pollen and nectar from these plants and using them in their honey production.”
Heliotropium indicum
He encouraged rather, the growth of medicinal plants around the beehives so that when the bees collect nectar from them, they transfer the medicinal properties into the honey to benefit the health of consumers.
Chromalaena odorata
Dr. Letsyo disclosed this on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 in an interview after his presentation on Plant Toxins in Honey: A Potential Health Risk at the ongoing 4th National Food Hygiene, Safety and Sanitation Conference at HTU.
Ageratum conyzoides
The 2-day conference themed: “Food Borne Illness and Sanitation in the Era of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); The Implication for a Healthy Workforce” had various speakers giving keynote speeches on the first day of the conference.
Crotalaria retusa
There were officials from the Volta Regional Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Gorden Akurugu and Elorm Yao Dordor who jointly spoke on Food Safety, Food Hygiene and Food Borne Illness. They decried dangers of food borne diseases in the country and elsewhere and reinforced the need for government, the food industry, the academia, and individuals to do more to ensure safety of food as a preventive measure.
Dr. Frederick Vuvor of University of Ghana, School of Biological Sciences in his presentation on Environmental Sanitation and Disease Control, entreated organisations and individuals to keep food and their environment clean to prevent food contamination and minimise the spread of diseases in the wake of outbreaks.
Mr. Sulemana from the Regional office of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) also had his turn to educate participants on the role of the Company in managing drinking water in ensuring public health.
Volunteers from Xornam foundation with some of the Beneficiaries after the donation
By KALD|Voltaonlinegh.com|
A Ho-based Non-governmental Organization, Xornam Foundation has donated learning materials to some deprived pupils in three selected basic schools in the Volta region.
The items comprising exercise books, mathematical sets and pens were presented to the beneficiary pupils at the Dzelukope E.P Basic School in the Keta municipality, Hodzo L/A and Ziavi-Lume Junior High Schools, both in the Ho municipality.
In all, about 210 pupils benefited from the gesture in the three schools with each of them receiving five exercise books, two pens and a mathematical set to aid their learning activities for the 2018/19 academic year.
According to the NGO, the gesture formed part of its Education Drive project, aimed to empowering underprivileged children to stay in school regardless of their social circumstances.
Miss Praise Anani, proprietor of Xornam foundation who led a team of volunteers and members of the foundation on the charity mission to the schools on Monday, noted that “This initiative was to help these deprived rural children understand the need for education and as well support them with some necessary learning materials.”
“A lot of these rural children drop out of school because of lack of learning materials, so through this project, we were able to give each student 5 exercise books, two pens and one mathematical set,” she added.
Miss Anani who expressed the commitment of the foundation to ensure every child gets quality education, was also hopeful that the gesture would inspire and generate the interest of education in the children, “who are the future of our dear country.”
The team during a mentoring session encouraged the pupils to look beyond their present circumstances and aspire for greatness as well as focus on their studies and eschew any form of deviant behaviour which could jeopardise their future aspirations.
Owners of Roots Yard Lodge and Vegetarian Restaurant, Peki Avetile in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region, Mr. Kojo Ababio and Mrs. Jacqueline Ababio have financed the construction of a 5-cubicle toilet facility for teachers and pupils of GOVCO Demonstration School, Peki.
The facility which is accompanied with a hand washing basin is fitted with low flash water-closets to minimize water usage. It also has a self-composting septic tank to cater for the entire population of over 500 of the school.
In an interview, Mr. Ababio said they did a 201-kilometre bicycle ride across UK within a period of two years to raise an amount of Gh₵39,950.00 for the project which took nine months to complete.
Keys to the facility being handed over
He revealed that his family had to visit the UK every summer for the past two years to undertake such an initiative which has produced a fruitful result for the benefit of all.
According to him, there was the need for the facility because the old one in the school was an eyesore which could also promote the spread of many viral diseases.
Mr. Ababio who said he conceived the idea together with his wife, was grateful it had come to fruition and will serve a good cause.
On her part, Mrs. Ababio was of the view that her family would also benefit from the project as their two children, Marcus and Solomon Ababio (who are pupils in the school) will also find a safe place of convenience while at school.
She admitted it was no mean achievement but very pleased to see it manifest.
School children looking on during the handing over of the facility
The official opening of the toilet facility coincided with ‘My First Day at School’ celebration of the new academic year, welcoming new students to GOVCO.
The District Director of Education, Madam Justine Ziema called on teachers to show love and care in order to realise the potentials in their pupils. She also urged them to welcome newcomers to the school with love so as to keep them in school.
Also present at the handing over ceremony were Rev. Sylvanus Tettey, Principal, Peki College of Education, Togbe Amenu XIII, Representative, Peki Avetile Traditional Council and the Headmaster of GOVCO Demonstration School, Rev. Abraham Bediako.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa and officials from the regional education directorate among others have embarked on a day’s tour to some selected schools in some districts in the region to welcome newcomers to the schools.
The day, ‘My First Day at school’ was used to usher into class one, pupils from kindergarten and to welcome new entrants into the kindergarten.
Schools visited included Ziavi Adukofe Basic School, Ho Municipality, Dzolo Gborgame E.P Basic School, Ho West District, Takuve Basic School, Agortime Ziope District, and Adaklu Wayanu Basic School in the Adaklu District.
The visit which took place on Monday, September 17 also saw the Volta Regional Minister, the Volta Regional Education Director, the Ho Municipal Education Director, Ho Central Municipal Chief Executive and their entourage distribute 25 free school uniforms to kindergarten pupils of Ziavi Adukofe Basic School in the Ho Municipality.
IZWE Savings and Loans as a way of supporting the event, distributed 135 exercise books, 9 mathematical sets, and 9 pens to some selected pupils of the Ziavi Adukofe Basic School.
Packs of ‘Kalypo’ drinks were also distributed to all new entrants of the various schools.
Some new entrants
The distribution was intended to whip up the interest of pupils (the new ones) in education and to motivate other children of school going age in the area to be in school.
Addressing pupils of the schools visited, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is committed to seeing every child of school going age in school noting that it was the reason government had implemented the free education policy to ensure children from poor homes do not stay at home because of money.
He called on parents to support the efforts of government by providing the needs of their children and encouraging them to aspire to achieve their dreams.
The Volta Regional Director of Education, Enyonam Afi Amafugah commended the teachers for their good work and encouraged them to continue to prepare the pupils for a better future.
Head teachers of some of the schools visited lamented the lack of ICT lab, school library, and bungalow for teachers which they said were affecting teaching and learning in the schools and appealed to the authorities for support.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey |Voltaonlinegh.com |
The female team of Vilcabamba Table Tennis Club (VTTC) picked their first 3 points at the ongoing National Table Tennis League at the Sports Hall of the Accra Sports Stadium.
Week 2 of the league which was played on Saturday, September 15, saw the ladies take the games to their opponents Otumfuo Stars and grabbed the 3 vital points.
Matilda Fodu started off by beating Gifty Boakye in the singles with 11-5, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10 results. Millicent Ankude continued, winning 3 straight sets 11-5, 11-4, 12-10 against Mensah Wendy to make it 2-0. In the doubles, Eyram Attipoe and Millicent Ankude battled Gifty Boakye and Matilda Boateng to produce a 14-12, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8 winning results to seal a comfortable victory for the female team of Volta.
In a rather unfortunate situation, the male side of VTTC lost all two matches on the day after their 2 victories in week one. Asoba Foundations enjoyed a 3-1 win over VTTC after which GRA also had a 3-0 triumph.
Asoba’s Smart beat Sellasie Setorwofia 11-3, 13-11, 11-7 in the first single before VTTC’s David Senyo drew level with 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11 against Augustine. In the doubles, Samuel and Augustine saw off Sellassie Setorwofia and Bright Dzotsiafe with a 13-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5 results. Smart returned to beat Bright Dzotsiafe in a 3 straight sets 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 to make it 3-1.
Joseph Okine and Eric Addo both had 3 straight sets win (10-12, 14-16, 14-16), and (9-11, 6-11, 6-11) against Sellassie Setorwofia and David Senyo in the singles before Eric and Kwame finished it off 3-1 against Senyo and Bright (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 9-11) for GRA.
Head Coach of VTTC, David Senyo Ahiaba who expressed optimism said,“we are grateful to God for yet another week of injury free competition. I knew the matches for the male team was going to be tough but I was hoping we will beat at least one of the teams. All is not lost yet so we will try and win more matches as the league progresses. Our ladies however, did very well by beating Otumfuo Stars and getting their 3 points. I hope this win will serve as a pilot hole for us to get to the top 3 at the end of the league.”
He also appealed to philanthropists and sports enthusiasts to support the only team from the region in cash or kind in order for the team to give off its best.
Volta has the target of first three ranking and can achieve that with motivation from all quarters. The best of 5 singles and double league action continues with week 3 at the Accra Sports Stadium next Saturday with mouthwatering fixtures.
Gbidukorza, an annual festival of the chiefs and people of Gbi state in the Volta Region was launched on Saturday September 15, 2018 at the forecourt of Hohoe Municipal Assembly.
Gbidukorza 2018 which will be celebrated at Hohoe from the 7th- 10th of December, is themed: “Consolidating Two Decades of Gbidukor Unity for Accelerated Development”
The day had Togbe Keh XII, Chief of Gbi-Wegbe who represented Togbega Gabusu VI, Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area, as the Chairman of the occasion with Mama Dzawoe II, Queen Mother of Gboxomo Traditional Area as the Co-Chair Person.
Togbe Keh in his address, spoke on the strong bond and unity the celebration of Gbidukorza over the years have bestowed on the people of Peki and Hohoe. He also outlined some achievements garnered out of the festival which include the Gbi Rural Bank and construction of a craft village as part of the long term projects.
Mama Dzawoe II together with Mama Gedzesi I, Queen Mother of Trevi Traditional Area unveiled the official outfit for Gbidukorza 2018.
Mama Gedzesi I, General Secretary of Hohoe Municipal Council of Queens spoke on the role of Queen Mothers in the celebration of the festival and decried how the youth especially, abhor traditional values.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kingsley Amu, Co-Chairman of the Gbidukorza planning committee was optimistic of a successful celebration and called on indigenes of Gbi State across the world to participate in this year’s festival.
This year’s festival is the 23rd since the people of Hohoe and Peki Traditional Areas reunited to form Gbidukor (Gbi State) after more than 300 years of being separated through migration and colonial factors.
Boxing is said to be a combat sport, only for the dedicated and success hungry. Not many people are thought to have the appetite for it in the Volta Region.
The notion is that people from the region would rather go into carpentry; sing loudly to the rhythmic sound of the hammer, masonry or go fishing.
Wrong notion of course, because that view is held of Ewes; There are other ethnic groups in the region, who could go into boxing if others there want to handle the saws and the pickaxes only; So a boxer and a good one too, surely must be from some other region. If you are from the region, Volta, then of course must not be domiciled there.
All that notion has changed as the story of boxing in the Volta Region is about to be re-written.
We have world beaters coming from the region and many more are being groomed in the region, even with all the technical problems.
Anama Dotse aka ‘Polopala’ (in red pant) in an undercut with Ugandan Sani Yidana Kublie
Dotse Anama, (17-16, 12 KOs) alias Polopala, is a budding great boxer set to change the notion.
“I, (Polopala), will prove to them that I’m a great boxer from the streets of Asogli”.
Those are the words of a young spirited fighter who loiter the streets of Ho, capital of the Volta region, yearning to be a world champion.
Aflao, apart from sharing Ghana’s Eastern boarder with Togo, is the nest of budding boxers in the region. Indeed the only boxing coach in the region lives there.
So boxing as a game is vibrant there.
Lightweight boxer, Nathaniel Nukpe is a school dropout and a boxer from Aflao. He told me how he struggled to make ends meet.
“I come from the street, the street has made me who I am today”
“I dropped out of school, I had no friends“
“I became a boxer because I am a street boy,
“Many deserted me but today those who left me out are coming back because I’m a successful boxer”
Nathaniel Nukpe (17-4. KOs 12), who describes himself as the king of technical knockouts, no longer feel abandoned and is motivated by the success, the hardship of the streets has blessed him with.
There is this notion that boxers hail from the street and the only way to survive is being tuff among peers on the streets and transforming into a pugilist as a game, boxer.
Perhaps that notion is true.
Unlike Nathaniel Nukpe, Azumah Nelson Jr, son of boxing legend, Azumah Nelson who lacks nothing and very comfortable, away from the streets, with all the tutelage from his father cannot be a world champion one day.
Azumah Nelson said his son has been overly pampered, which has made him unenthusiastic about becoming a good fighter.
“He is very comfortable, he has everything he wants, when he was young, I pampered him, he has a car that takes him to school and wait for him, bring him home, he lacks nothing”
“I would support junior if he wants to fight, if he does not want to fight too I would back him.” The piece from Azumah, Ghana’s boxing legend as quoted in the Daily Graphic Issue of 2nd September 2018.
So how can the region support the very spirited young one wanting to be great boxers?
Enam Dagadu the Volta Regional Boxing Federation’s chair has hopes, in the midst of the many challenges confronting the region.
He said the emergence of amateur boxers in the region would propel the sport to grow, but regretted there were not many boxing promoters and match makers from the region.
“Volta has a bright future in the discipline”
“We only have one promoter, this is not enough”
“It’s time for Volta to turn attention on boxing here in the region”
Recently, the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), the mother body for boxing in Ghana, donated some boxing equipment to the regional federation to aid the region’s growth in the sport.
‘King Kong’ Agbeko retained his WBO Africa Bantamweight Title (Image:Skef fotos)
Two time former world champion, Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko (39-5, 25KOs) who held the IBF title twice between 2007 and 2011 hails from Aflao in the Volta region.
Agbeko has not been very active for close to 8 years.
In a bid to revive his boxing career, Volta region’s sole promoter, Mitch Woolams of the Aborigine Promotions staged an international bout in Aflao, in March 2018 where Joseph Agbeko secured the WBO Africa Bantamweight title against the undefeated Ugandan champion, Frank Kiwalabye (17-2, 12 KOs).
The “King Kong” went ahead to defend his title in Ho against Ghanaian boxer Ekow Wilson (13-9, 2TKO).
With this the former commonwealth bantamweight title holder is set for another crack at the world title again.
The beauty of all these is that folks who hail from the region can take pride in these boxing greats.
Meanwhile, great boxers have emerged from the Volta region, the likes of Ray Bansah and Prince Amartey who represented the region at their peak internationally.
Prince Amartey was a famous boxer and former Army officer, who won a bronze in the middle weight Division, at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
Boxing enthusiasts in the region, are nostalgic about the late 90’s in Ghana, when many stayed awake late into the early hours of the mornings to watch the Legendry Azumah Nelson, the Ike Quateys’ and Joshua Clottey fights.
Edwin Tukpeyi, an entrepreneur and a boxing enthusiast is one of them.
“I recall myself and my dad Edwin Tukpeyi Snr, kept wake to watch fight on the screen in Ho.
“But today all those exciting times are over now”
“It used to be great fun and an entertaining time”
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) offices and hostel in Ho was a popular boxing hub.
The YMCA centre, located at Ho Civic centre, was a lively arena for boxers in the region.
As Volta prepares to re-launch boxing, the mantra of “NEHO,” used by another son from the soil, the Ghanaian-British professional boxer, Isaac Dogboe, the Royal Storm, should be the battle cry.
Issac Dogboe
Dogboe the current World Boxing Organization, Super bantamweight champion.
“Neho” is an inspirational word for the boxer which literally means, “let it erupt”.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the Volta Region has taken custody of new sets of printers to facilitate the operations of the health insurance scheme in the region.
The equipment, 33 in number would be deployed to all the 16 district scheme offices in the region to enhance the production of the biometric NHIS cards to new subscribers.
Mr. Joseph Homenya, the Volta Regional Director of NHIA who took delivery of the equipment, told voltaonlinegh.com in an interview that the delivery of the new printers was timely as the current set of printers being use in the various district offices were over-aged, thus, suffered frequent breakdowns, which ultimately hindered efficient delivery of service to clients.
Mr. Homenya (R) inspecting the Printers with Mr. Avinu, Regional NHIA Operations Manager
“One major headache of our operations was the frequent breakdown of printers because most of them have been in the system for over 10 years. It has been challenging in the past months for our district schemes to issue new NHIS cards to subscribers but thankfully, through the instrumentality of our management in Accra and the government, these new printers together with other consumables have been procured to boost our operations.”
According to him, each of the 16 scheme offices in the region will receive two printers with the remainder placed on standby at the regional office.
One of the robust printers
Mr. Homenya added that, the regional Management Information Systems (MIS) officer was currently under training in Accra on the use of the new robust equipment and similar training would be held for all district MIS officers in the region in the coming weeks.
He also used the opportunity to encourage the citizenry to remain active on the National Health Insurance Scheme in order to enjoy continuous access to quality and affordable healthcare.
