Adomi Bridge

Motorists who use the Adomi bridge to connect to Accra and other parts of the country will soon heave a sigh of relief, when President Mahama reopens the rehabilitated bridge situated at Atimpoku in the eastern region to vehicular traffic  this weekend.

This follows the completion of an 18 months extensive  rehabilitation works by the  Austrian construction and Engineering  firm, Bilfinger MCE GmbH on the  335metre bridge,  spanning across the Volta river.

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

The  closure  created a lot of inconvenience to   motorists and  travelers moving from the central and northern parts of the Volta region to the national capital, Accra, as they spent long hours waiting   to cross the river with the two ferries provided by the Ghana  Highway Authority at Senchi.

Senchi Ferry Site

Ahead of the grand opening of the 12.9 million euros refurbished  edifice  by President Mahama,  some transport operators at the Ho Lorry station are already  heaving a sigh of relief.

According them, the reopening of the bridge will ease their traveling difficulties as the long hours spent during a single trip will reduce drastically.

“The is a welcoming news to us, because it will release our burden of crossing the river with the pontoon and sometimes when it is night, we have to sleep over. Now when  the bridge is opened, there will be no sleeping at the pontoon site and the crossing will be at every time, any moment,” a driver with the Cooperative Transport told Volta Online.

They are also optimistic the tolls that will be charge at the bridge will be far cheaper than exorbitant rates  they pay at the ferry site.

“With the opening of the bridge, I hope there will be a big difference in the tolls, because in the past we pay  GHc 1 at the bridge but with the pontoon we pay GHc 8, which is too much for us,” Nii stated.

    File photo 

Police in the area have since begun investigations into the tragedy.

As part of efforts to enhance security as well as  maintain law and order within the Ho municipality of the Volta region a new police station has been commissioned in the area.

The facility located at Sokode-Bagble along the Ho-Accra highway, was solely financed by a Ho based businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Joe Ayivor popularly known as ‘Afelotto’.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Mr. Ayivor said the increasing incidents of robbery and burglary including recent attacks on fuel service stations  within the area necessitated his intervention. 

According to him, the absence of a police installation  in the area  hinders the early response of the police to crime alerts, and  recounted how  he had to drive several kilometers at night  to Ho to get a police patrol team to respond to a robbery attack on his fuel service station a year ago.

“From Sokode-lokoe to Anyinawase, there is no police post, so all communities within that stretch are in danger in terms of any criminal attacks. That’s why I decided to support the communities here.”

The new police station which is the third in the municipality, comprises of a charge office, office for the station officer, male and female cells with modern washrooms. The offices are fully furnished with, computer set, furniture, air-condition, television, refrigerator set, potable water with a reservoir among others.    

He reiterated  that security is  a shared responsibility and the era of waiting on only government to provide infrastructure for security agencies are far gone. He therefore welcomed all forms of support from the public to make policing in Ho and the entire region smoother.

Four incumbent members of parliament tumbled in the just ended parliamentary primaries of National Democratic Congress in the Volta region. 

They include. Hon. Joe Gidisu, MP for Central Tongu and former minister for roads and highways, who was beaten by Mr. Gabby Hotordze with almost 5000 votes in a three man contest. Hon. Gidisu polled 3,123 votes as against Mr. Hotordze’s  8,088 votes.

In the  North Dayi constituency, Hon. George Loh set the record as a one term MP, as he was toppled by a female aspirant, Joycelyn Tetteh, a student of the University of Cape Coast. She polled 3,037 votes as against Mr. Loh’s 2,207 votes.

Hon. Edem Asimah also suffered defeat in the South Dayi constituency, where he Lawyer  Rockson Defeamekpor, who polled 2,422 votes, as against Mr. Asimah’s 1,585 votes.

The 4th causality was the Incumbent MP for Biakoye, Hon. Emmanuel Bandua also lost to Nyanpon Aboagye.

In all, Seven new faces have made their way onto the NDC’s ticket for the 2016 general elections. They are include Charles Agbeve for Agortime/Ziope, and Angela Alorwu-Tay (DCE) for Afadjato South.

Below is the list of winners in the NDC primaries in Volta region.

1. Mr. Charles Agbeve – Agortime/Ziope (New)

2. Hon. Peter Nortsu – Akatsi North 

3. Hon. Kwame Agbodzah – Adaklu

4. Hon. (DCE)  Angela Alorwu-Tay – Afadjato South (New)

5. Hon. Bernice Adiku Heloo – Hohoe

6. Hon. Dela Sowah – Kpando

7. Hon. James Klutse Avedzi – Ketu North

8. Hon. Bernard Ahiafor – Akatsi South 

9. Hon. John Majisi – Krachi Nchumuru 

10. Rockson N. Defeamekpor – South Dayi (new)

11. Ms. Jocelyn Tetteh – North Dayi (new)

12. Hon. Kofi Humado – Anlo

13. Hon. Richard Quarshigah – Keta

14. Hon. Emmanuel Bedzrah – Ho West

15. Hon. Kobby Woyome – South Tongu

16. Mr. Gabby Hotordze – Central Tongu (new)

17. Hon. Helen Ntoso – Krachi West (unopposed)

18. Hon. Benjamin Kpodo – Ho Central (unopposed)

19. Hon. John Oti Bless – Nkwanta North (unopposed)

20. Hon. Wisdom Gidisu – Krachi  East 

21. Mr. Nyapon  Aboagye – Biakoye (new)

22. Mr. Abdul Aziz Muniru – Akan (New)

23. Hon. Daniel Ashiamah – Buem 

The NDC has however put on hold primaries  in the Ketu South, North Tongu and Nkwanta South constituencies.

The party in a statement Wednesday said the decision has become necessary following the “unacceptable” behavior of Yao Morti and his supporters after his disqualification from the upcoming primaries.

Morti is in court seeking to place an injunction on the Saturday primary in the constituency.

According to the writ, he said he met all laid down requirements stated in the NDC’s guidelines for the election, hence could not understand his disqualification.

“Even though no communication has been channeled to the plaintiff directly, the plaintiff got to know that the reason for the delay and actions of some of the executives of the 1st Defendant [Fifi Kwetey] to stall his candidature is to assist the 5th defendant who has lost touch with the constituency,” the writ stated.

The NDC goes to the polls on Saturday to elect its Presidential and parliamentary candidates for the 2016 elections.

Credit: StarrFMonline 

President Mahama will climax his ‘changing lives, transforming Ghana’ tour with a 2days visit to the Volta region, the ‘world bank’ of the governing National Democratic Congress. 

As part of the visit which begins today, the president will commission one of the community day Senior High Schools in the Nkwanta South district  and later inspect work on the Hohoe-Pepesu section of the eastern corridor road project at Jasikan.

He will then have a meeting with regional party executives and MMDCEs at the residency in Ho later Wednesday  evening.

President Mahama is also expected to commission the permanent campus of the university of health and allied sciences at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho on Thursday morning, before meeting with members of the Volta regional house of Chiefs.

The visit will be climax with a mammoth rally at the Ho jubilee, where president will address thousands of party supporters in the region ahead of Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary primaries of the party.

Monsignor Fianu who is an SVD priest was elected by Pope Francis in July 2015 as the successor to the first Ghanaian Bishop of the then Keta-Ho diocese, and now Ho diocese, Most Rev. Francis Kofi Anane  Lodonu.

Bishop Emeritus, Lodonu was in charge of the Roman Catholic Church in the Volta region for the past four decades and over.

Thousands of Catholic faithfully across the Volta region and the country have thronged the Jubilee park in Ho  to witness this  special event.

Other dignitaries including members of the GHANA Catholic Bishops conference are also in attendance. Traditional leaders including president of the Volta regional house of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV and top government officials led by the the Speaker of Ghana’s parliament Rt. Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho are also in attendance. 

There are  missionary priests, bishops and other religious from parts of Africa, including Togo, Bennin, Nigeria among others in attendance. The Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) at Vatican is also presence to support of his members, who until his appointment, was the Secretary General of the SVD.

The principal consecrator at this ceremony is His Eminnce, Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, Archbishop merit us of Cape coast in Ghana and the current President of the Pontifical council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican.

He will be assisted by the Apostolic Nuncio to GHANA, Most Rev. Jean-Marie Speich and Bishop emeritus of Ho Most Rev. Francis Lodonu.

Scroll down for more updates.

15:15GMT: the new bishop of Ho diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Fianu addressing the congregants. He expresses gratitude to all and sundry for their well wishes and prayers. Calls for everyone’s support in his ministry as the new leader of the Catholic Church in Ho.

Bishop Fianu extols the good works of his immediate predecessor, Bishop emeritus, Francis Lodonu and expressed profound gratitude to him for successfully leading the church in last 40 years and more.

He promise to organize a grand event in the near future to honour the bishop emeritus.

14:25: Mass celebration over, delivering of goodwill messages to the new bishop  underway.. First message from Ho diocesan priests association, followed by the Apostolic Nuncio, traditional leaders and a host of many other recognized groups.

13:30GMT: Bishop Fianu now takes over the continuation of the Holy mass with the celebration of the Eucharist 

13:05GMT: Priests in the Ho diocese paying homage to the newly ordained bishop…

12:55GMT:  Most. Rev. Emmanuel Fianu now consecrated as the new bishop of Ho Catholic diocese.. Peter Cardinal Turkson wears the mighter and hands over the crozia to him.

12:45GMT: Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, the Apostolic Nucio and Bishop emeritus Lodonu as well as other bishops laying hands on the Bishop elect Fianu to consecrate him.

12:30GMT: consecration rites underway, bishop elect lies postrate  in front of the alter , as the litany of saints is being recitated.. 

11:42GMT: ArchBishop of Accra, Most Rev. Palmer Buckle delivering the homily of the day. His message is about the good shepherd. He expresses confidence in Bishop elect, Fianu to lead the Lord’s flock in the Ho diocese. 

10:00GMT:  Procession of priest and bishops to the event grounds.. Hundreds of priests are leading the Bishops and Cardinals .