Rainstorm destroys transmission masts in Ho

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March 1, 2016

Collapsed mast

A strong wind which accompanied a downpour in the Volta regional capital of Ho, on Monday afternoon has colapsed some transmission masts belonging to some radio stations and a telecom company in the area.

The rainstorm which started at about 4:00pm and lasted barely 40 minutes brought down the masts of Ho based KuulFM and ToshFM as well that of telecom operator Glo Ghana, which were all situated on top of the Galenkui mountain near Ho.

The situation has compelled the stations to go off air for the mean time, while they assess the extent of damage. An electricity transmission pole located within the same vicinity was also affected, leading to cut in power supply to some parts of the municipality.

Checks in other parts of the municipality revealed that, the rainstorm also ripped of portions of the roofings of the Vodafone Ghana regional office, while some bill boards have also been pulled down. No casualty was however reported in the disaster.

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

Congestion at Mawuko Girls SHS, as Getfund projects stall

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Kwadwo Duodu

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February 29, 2016

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Authorities of the E.P Church Mawuko Girls Senior High School in Ho in the Volta region are having tough time in providing quality education to students due myriad of challenges confronting the school.

The school with students population of about 1,780 is battling with inadequate classrooms and dormitories, among others.

A recent visit by this reporter to the school revealed that some Getfund projects began in the school, are at a standstill, with classes being conducted in some of the uncompleted structures and part of the dinning hall.

There is congestion in the dormitories as students pack their trunks and chop boxes on the corridors.

Assistant headmistress of the school in charge of welfare, Rose Nyawuto said, the situation has become a ‘headache’ to management.

An abandoned Dormitory project

She said in anticipation of the completion of some of the projects, first year students that were posted to the school for the 2015/16 academic, far exceed the vacancies declared during the computerized selection process.

“We were assured that, the projects especially the dormitory will completed by September/October [of 2015], that is why we absorb all the girls that were given to us. But as of now the contractor has not come back to site. If these projects were completed, it will alleviate our challenges.”

She also lamented about the difficulty in maintaining discipline among students, especially those in the boarding house as only two teachers are staying in the school premises due to lack of staff accommodation.

“We need bungalows for our staff, currently the headmistress doesn’t stay on campus. Only two female teachers are here taking care of the over 1000 girls. The rest of the teachers have to come from town every evening to supervise preps and ensure discipline on campus,’ Madam Nyawuto said.

Meanwhile, the school’s estate officer has revealed to start news that two of the contractors have return to site after several follow ups and they to complete work on some of the stalled projects, which consist of a science laboratory, Home economics department.

Mr. Samuel Kwame, however noted that the dormitory project which was abandoned since 2012, will be repackage and re-awarded to a new contractor.

He is therefore optimistic that, two of the projects will be completed by the end of the year.

Source: voltaonlinegh/LA

Redeveloped Ho central market to be ready in June

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Kwadwo Duodu

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February 25, 2016

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Shops under construction

Redevelopment works at the Ho central market is set for completion in June, 2016. The project which is under the Ghana urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) started in the first quarter of 2014 with the aim of modernizing the central market, which hasn’t seen any major renovation for decades.

Facilities under construction at market include, 231 shops, ware houses, places of convenience, Police and fire service post as well as a crèche.

Mr. Kofi Hayford, resident engineer in charge of the project told the Volta regional minister, Helen Ntoso during an inspection tour that, the project is over 60 percent complete with the most difficult aspect being the structural framing done. He said the remaining is the partitioning of structures into the various shops.

He also noted that, two other projects under the GUMPP such the construction of an abattoir and an engineered land fill site with the Ho municipality are on course and will also be ready by the June deadline.

Helen Ntoso inspecting the project

The Ho Municipal chief Executive, Fafa Adinyira who accompanied the regional minister on the tour, also told journalists, the assembly has set a committee that will allocate the shops to the various traders upon completion based on a data base, which was developed during the demolition of initial structures to pave way for the construction.

On her part, the regional minister, Helen Ntoso expressed satisfaction about the progress of work and urged the contractors to finish the work on schedule in order for the traders to have conducive environment to do business.

The GUMPP, is a 40.5 million euros project funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD) and it’s being executed in three other metropolitan areas including Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi-Takoradi.

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

Uhas spearheads campaign on healthy living among Ghanaians

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Kwadwo Duodu

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February 14, 2016

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Uhas students on a health walk

The Head of Nutrition and Dietetics Department of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Eunice Berko-Nartey has advised Ghanaians to adopt routine physical exercise in order to minimize the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

According to her, diseases such as stroke and hypertension is on the rise especially among young adults due to bad eating habits and lack of regular physical exercise.

She therefore asked everyone to pay critical attention to their wellbeing by adopting healthy lifestyle.

Mrs. Berko-Nartey was Speaking to Starr news during community campaign organized by UHAS dubbed ‘Healthy Eating Advocacy Drive’ in Ho.

The campaign started with a massive walk by students, residents and personnel of the security agencies through the principal streets of the regional capital and was climaxed at the forecourt of the regional hospital with health screening for participants.

British High Commissioner on a day’s visit Volta region

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Kwadwo Duodu

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February 9, 2016

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Regional minister in a handshake with Jon Benjamin

The British High commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Jon Benjamin has on Monday embarked a one day working visit to the volta region.

Mr. Benjamin upon arrival , paid a courtesy call of the volta regional minister, Helen Ntoso and her deputy Francis Ganyaglo at the Volta regional coordinating council in Ho.

According to him, the visit is to afford him the opportunity to familiarize with other parts the country beyond the national capital Accra.

‘As a High commissioner, I see it necessary to travel out of the Accra to other parts of the country, just to see things for myself. There is a historic British involvement in the volta region and my visit here is to strength that relationship,’ Mr. Benjamin, who is also the British ambassador to Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso, noted.

Mr. Benjamin in a pose with Hon. Ntoso & Ganayaglo

He said currently, the UK government through the Department of International Development (DFID) is funding a nationwide project dubbed ‘ENGINE’ a multi-year competitive venture project, aimed at equipping Micro and Small scale business with the need skills and resources to enhance their operations and urged businesses in the region to take advantage of the project.

Touching on the November, 7 general elections, the British diplomat expressed UK government’s readiness to provide technical and logistical support to the Electoral Commission of Ghana and other allied agencies to ensure transparent and peaceful election.

‘Our only interest is for the election to be peaceful and credible, so we will work with the electoral commission with other donor partners, and that is to do with logistics and administration of the election. So we are waiting for what request the EC will make from us.’

Mr. Benjamin who earlier paid a courtesy call on the paramount chief of the Asogli traditional area, Togbe Afede XIV, was scheduled to hold separate meetings with leadership of the various political parties as well as the security chiefs in the region.

The Volta Regional Minister, Helen Ntoso on here part thanked the high Commission for their continuous support to the development of the country and the region at large. She however appealed to High commission to assist the region in harnessing some of its natural resources such as the volta Lake to create jobs for the teeming youth through into irrigation and fish farming.

Roads in Ho and two other towns to be asphalted

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Kwadwo Duodu

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January 11, 2016

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Ho Poly – SSNIT flat road

Road networks within three towns in the Volta region are to be given an asphaltic facelift, President Mahama has revealed.

The re-surfacing which will take place before the end of 2016 forms part of an urban roads improvement project being undertaken by government to improve the standard of roads in Ho, Hohoe and Keta.

President Mahama who disclosed this, during a courtesy called on the paramount chief of Asogli traditional area, Togbe Afede XIV, in Ho over the weekend, said 25 kilometers of roads have been earmarked for the asphaltic surfacing in Ho as part of the phase of the project.

“The project is being awarded and very soon the contract will be on site to raise the standards of the roads with asphalt and this will also be done in Keta and Hohoe,” he stated.

The president’s assurance comes on the back sentiments expressed by residents, which Togbe Afede re-echoed at the meeting, about the quality of some roads which were recently resurfaced with bituminous chipping within the Volta regional capital.

Togbe Afede in handshake with President Mahama

“One project that is very dear to the heart of our people and over which we the Chiefs have suffers insults are the Ho roads. The concern of our people is the quality of work that is being than as compared to what they see elsewhere. Elsewhere we see roads that are in asphalt, but here what we’re seeing is different,” Togbe Afede told the president and his entourage, which include Vice President Amissah Arthur, Chief of staff Julius Debrah, National Democratic Congress General Secretary, Mr Asiedu Nketia and other government ministers.

The president and his appointees were at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho for a two day retreat to review the government’s performance in the last three years and also strategize for the final year of their 4years mandate.

Source: voltaonlinegh/LA

Three killed in gory Ho accident

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Kwadwo Duodu

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January 9, 2016

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At least, three persons are reported dead in an accident involving a Benz bus and two taxi cabs in Ho Saturday, afternoon.
The bus with registration number GT 8320 C, according eyewitnesses was descending the Galenkui hill, when it ran into the taxis, one of which was engaging in a u-turn in front of the Goil filling station opposite the OLA SHS 2nd gate, with the other overtaking it.
Eyewitnesses believe the 33 seater bus might have had brake failure resulting in the accident.
Several persons on the bus are said to have sustained various degrees of injury, as it capside on a pavement.

Personnel from the Fire Service and Police service were at the scene to evacuate the victims to the regional hospital in Ho for treatment, as investigation commenced.

Passengers onboard the Benz bus have been identified as members of the Apostles Revelations Society (ARS) church, who were returning from a funeral.

Source: VoltaOnlinegh/LA

Photos: Vice President keep fit with appointees in Ho

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Kwadwo Duodu

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January 9, 2016

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Vice President Kwesi Amissah Arthur and a host of of government ministers and appointees took time off their busy schedules to burn some calories in a health walk in Ho, the Volta regional capital, Saturday morning.

The appointees including the chief of staff, Julius Debrah clad in polo shirts with inscription #Changinglives, #transformingGhana walked through the principal streets of Ho, starting from the Volta Serene hotel on Kabakaba Hills.

They walked briskly through the Afede high street to the residency road, joining the Civic center road and back to the hotel, where they engaged in some aerobics.

The walk climaxed the a retreat for the ministers and appointees as well presidential staffers chaired by president Mahama to strategies for the government’s final year in office.

Source: VoltaOnlinegh/LA

President Mahama reopens refurbished Adomi Bridge

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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December 19, 2015

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The refurbished Adomi bridge (c) Facebook

President John Mahama has reopened the rehabilitated Adomi bridge at Atimpoku in the eastern region to commuters, Saturday afternoon.

The 335 metre suspension steel bridge across the Volta river was refurnished at a cost of 12.9 million euros by Bilfinger MCE GmbH of Austria within the period of 20months.

The rehabilitation saw the reinforcement of steel beams beneath the bridge deck, replacement of the hanger cables holding the suspended deck to the steel arch, replacement of concrete on steel deck with asphalt and the provision pedestrian concrete walkway.

Speaking at the recommissioning ceremony, President Mahama noted that, the rehabilitation became necessary following deep cracks that have developed on parts of the steel beams as a result of excess weight from overloaded trucks.

He therefore cautioned drivers to adhere to axle load requirement and urged officials of the Ghana highways authority to enforce the laws by not allowing overloaded trucks to access to the bridge, in order to elongate its life span.

The Adomi bridge which connects the Volta region to other parts of the country through the eastern region, was close to traffic in March 2014, for its first major rehabilitation after it was constructed over five decades ago.

President Mahama taking the ride on the bridge (c) Facebook

Whiles acknowledging the inconvenience caused to commuters, President Mahama said the closure was a necessary evil to avert any disaster and commended motorists for their patience during the period.

Togbe Tepre Hodo, paramount chief of Anfoega traditional area who represented the Volta region house of Chiefs commended government for the project and called for a routine maintenance plan for the bridge.

Present at the ceremony were the regional ministers for the Volta and Eastern regions, Helen Ntoso and Antwi Bossiako Sekyere respectively as well as other government officials and traditional leaders.

Meanwhile, the two ferris at Senchi are expected to be decommissioned early January to be sent to Dambai and Yeji to augment the ones on the Volta lake.

Gov’t rebuilds Gbi Paramount Chief’s residence

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Kwadwo Duodu

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December 17, 2015

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Government has reconstructed the vandalized residence of the paramount chief of Gbi traditional area, Togbega Gabusu VI in Hohoe.

The residence, which was vandalized by some irate zongo youth in June, 2012 during a communal clash with some indigenes of area, was rebuild as part of peace efforts by government through the Volta regional coordinating council.

The GHc 254, 000 two bedroom self contain and three semi-detached chamber and halls were constructed by CW constructions Ltd within a period of 18 months.

At a brief ceremony to handover keys to the walled and gated facility on Tuesday, Director of CW Constructions Limited, Mr William Chidiak told journalists the facility is ready for occupation by the chief.

He however said the company will be on standby to rectify any defect which will detected during the initial period of occupation.

The deputy Volta regional minister, Mr Francis Ganyaglo, who received the keys to the house, said the completion of the residence will ‘cement the existing peace and tranquility’ currently prevailing in the area.

He commanded the contractor for contributing towards the peace process and urged the zongo community and the indigenes to coexist peacefully.

Mr. Ganyaglo also charged the police in the area to provide 24 hour surveillance at the residence until the chief relocates to the place.

Togbega Gabusu who is currently out of town, will be handed over the residence at an official ceremony upon his return.