Volta Police Allay Fears of Asogli Chiefs over ‘insecurity’

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January 16, 2015

DCOP Yentumi-Gyinae

The Volta Regional Police command has allayed the fears of Chiefs of the Asogli State in Ho and residents that the security situation in the Volta Regional capital is under maximum control.

According to the Regional Commander, DCOP Peterkin Yentumi Gyinae “we are in total control and that Chiefs and people of Ho should be rest assured.” He noted that a few incidents should not be exaggerated to mean the worst was happening in Ho.

DCOP Gyinae gave the assurance in a brief rejoinder to allay the fears of Ho residents.
The rejoinder was in reaction to a publication by the Ghana News Agency headlined “Asogli Warriors to Take over Security in Ho, in which some Chiefs the Asogli State reportedly registered their displeasure about the security situation during a press briefing in Ho and urged the Police to sit up else, their duties will be taken over by the Asogli warriors.

Most media houses however have confirmed they neither heard of nor were present at the said press briefing.

But reacting to the observations of the Chiefs and content of the publication, the Regional Police Command was grateful to the Chiefs for their observations saying “The Police will not begrudge the Chiefs for making an observation about issues pertaining in Ho.”

According to him there haven’t been as many cases as being referred to in the said report. On the contrary, “the Police were swift and averted actual occurrence of the crimes,” he explained.

They therefore urged the Chiefs to draw the attention of the Police in subsequent cases in other to get adequate information about the security situation in Ho and on that basis support the Police in fighting crime.

The regional Police chief found it intriguing that “the reporter chose to put out such a story without deeming it necessary to hear anything from the Police.”

He also used the opportunity to call on the Chiefs, reporters and all resident to frequently contact the Police before condemning the Police.

He noted that, there haven’t been as many cases as being referred to in the said report. On the contrary, “the Police were swift and averted actual occurrence of the crimes,” he explained.

DCOP Yentumi-Gyinae urged the Chiefs and residents to set up neighbourhood watch committees to collaborate with the Police, by volunteering information about the activities of criminal elements in their communities for them to be apprehended.

Robbers Attack Private Clinic in Ho

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 15, 2015

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Foresight Clinic

Four armed robbers last Wednesday night stormed the Foresight Clinic in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital taking away money and properties. According to an eyewitness and a victim, Wilson Ablormeti the incident which happened between 8:45pm and 9:00pm led to the loss of about GH₵1000.00, working tools and personal belonging of staff, including mobile phones and two laptops.

Wilson Ablormeti said he and the security man and one other person were assaulted by the masked robbers while his mobile phone and money was also collected.

Robbery Details

He explained that at about 8:45 a man entered the clinic to visit his wife and daughter which the security man and other nurses clarified that there was no such admission.

The man was asked to call the wife and verify her location. The man replied that he had done that and the wife was still insisting that she was at foresight Clinic.

Just when the man was being persuaded to leave, four masked men charged into the clinic and joined the man. The gun wielding men requested for the mobile phones and monies on the about seven staff members at the facility.

The Assistant Nurse in charge, Kodzo Anna added that the robbers ransacked the records room where they took over GH₵800.00. They then took two laptops and began to remove the wall television at the OPD without success. They then rushed out.

The Police was called in, but missed the robbers by a whisker.

Police Investigations

The Ho Municipal Police Command has begun fervent investigations into the case and have assured that the culprits will soon be apprehended. The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Peterkin Yentumi Gyinae have also assured that the Police in on top of issues and all resources available will be put to weeding out criminals in the municipality.

He advised residents to practice good personal security and pleaded for prompt information to assist Police in their duties.

This latest incident comes just days after some chiefs of Ho lamented about the state of security in the regional capital and threatened to deploy their traditional warriors to protect residents.

Asogli chiefs threaten to deploy Warriors to provide security of Ho

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 14, 2015

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The chiefs of the Asogli State in Ho, on Monday threatened to send Asogli Warriors to the street to take over the security of the Volta Regional capital.

This follows the current daily incidents and reports of robbery in the Municipality, which increased during the yuletide, and is continuing. Aside the break-ins are muggings on streets and alleys.

Before the Christmas, there were robbery cases at Mawuli Estate, SSNIT Flats, Voradep Village and ‘B’ Quarters.

Two medical doctors and a few others were also robbed last week at Goshen City, Adzroe Street and in communities opposite offices of the Regional Police Command.

The robbers tied some of their victims with robes and allegedly raped the women.

Togbe Howusu the Twelfth, Warlord of the Asogli State, at a press briefing, chastised the Police in Ho for concentrating on check points outside Ho at night, and said indications were that residents had confidence in them.

He said it appeared the interest of the Police was not in the protection of the people, and appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to intervene and help address the situation.

“We are appealing to the IGP to intervene, but if the situation persists, we will replace the Police with Asogli Warriors. The Warriors are ready,” Togbe Howusu stated.

Togbe Kasa the Second, Chief of Ho-Ahoe said the traditional authorities were not pleased with policing in Ho, and complained about the absence of police visibility in the town.

“We have been hearing about the exploits of police in Kumasi, and not happy with policing here,” he said.

Commenting on robbery cases during the Christmas festivity, the Ho Municipal Police Commander, Mr Nicholas Ofosu-Hene, told the GNA that only one robbery case was reported during and after the yuletide.

He said in view of the size and population of the Regional capital, there was the need for more police stations, to enhance policing.

Source: GNA

Volta Police hands over ‘Wee’ Cops to Headquarters

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 14, 2015

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L/C Frazer, Sergeant Ametepe and Uchenna

The Volta regional Police command has transferred the case involving two of its officers and a Nigerian, who were busted for transporting substances suspected to be India hemp (Wee) in a Police van.

LanceCorporal Frazer Defeamekpor and Sergeant Prosper Ametepe and Uchenna Ubanezim were arrested last Saturday dawn by a Highway Patrol team at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho with 18 fibre bags, containing 1051 slaps of the suspected substance; which they were transporting in a Nissan Navara pick-up with registration number, GP 3741 belonging to the Ho Regional Police Training School (RPTS).

In an interview with VoltaOnline, the Public Affairs Officer of the regional Police Command, DSP Nicholas Asiamah-Yeboah disclosed that the Police Headquarters has directed that the case be transferred to Accra for further investigations and prosecution.

“We should have taken them to court today [Tuesday], but the case will be taken over by headquarters and they’ll be arraigned before court in Accra… So we’re waiting for the arrival of a team from the headquarters to come and pick them to Accra for further investigation.”

The Police P.R.O also noted Lance Corporal Defeamekpor, a driver stationed at the Police Training School and Sergeant Ametepe who is with the Keta Police MTTU admitted during interrogation that, they were contracted by Uchenna and to cart the ‘goods’ from Kpeve-Tornu in the South-Dayi District to Dzodze-Penyi in the Ketu-North district for a fee.

According to him, the officers will also face a Service Inquiry as part of the Public confidence reaffirmation campaign by the being championed by the current Police Administration led by the Inspector General Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan.

The seized Substances

Meanwhile, a Police Source also confirmed to VoltaOnline that a slab like the ones retrieved from the suspects’ costs between GH₵100.00 and GH₵200.00 in Ghana costs between GH₵300.00 and GH₵400.00 in Nigeria. This means that if a slab is valued at about GH₵150.000.00 then the owners of the consignment will be making a total of GH₵157,650.00.

The source also noted that the bust involving the three has been recorded as Region’s second largest in recent times. The largest substance involving 2096 slabs was intercepted a few months ago, concealed in a septic truck being driven by two brothers.

Fire ravaged houses in Akatsi-North

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Kwadwo Duodu

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January 14, 2015

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File Photo

Three houses were destroyed, and 25 people, including 17 children, left with nothing, except the clothes they were wearing, following a fire outbreak, said to have been started by two kids roasting groundnuts.

The incident took place at Atanve Number Two in the Akatsi North District.

A source told the Ghana News Agency that at about 2:00pm on Saturday, Joseph Sadziko and Michael Asitor, aged five and three years respectively, decided to roast groundnut in the absence of their parents.

But as Asitor tried to lift the bowl of groundnuts from the fire with a piece of cloth, it caught fire and in a panic he threw it away torching the thatch roofing as the two ran out of the kitchen without raising alarm.

The harmattan winds carried the fire onto the main building of the house, and spread to other buildings within the vicinity.

The District Assembly and Member of Parliament (MP), on Sunday gave three maxi bags of maize, three 25 kilogrammes bags of rice, wax prints, a bale of used cloths, Ghana at 50 cloths and T-shirts to the victims.

Mr. James Gunu, District Chief Executive (DCE), called for extra care to protect life and property at this time, and cautioned smokers, palm wine tappers and cattle herds, to be mindful of the way they handled fire in this harmattan season.

Source: GNA

Nkonya, Alavanyo Not Litigating Over Land – Chiefs

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 12, 2015

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Vice President With the Chiefs in a handshake

The leaders of Nkonya and Alavanyo have refuted claims that the two factions were engaged in a land dispute. According to them, the land dispute is between individuals and families from both sides and not the entire traditional areas.

This came to light when leaders of the two factions met Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Friday to find a lasting solution to the over 90-year-old conflict.

This will be the third attempt by government to broker peace between the two parties after talks stalled in 2013. In December last year, there were renewed clashes that left one person dead.

The violence in the two communities has persisted for years despite several mediation attempts.

The paramount chief of Alavanyo Traditional Area, Togbe Tsedze Atakora VII stressed, “I also want to put it on record that it might surprise everybody here that Alavanyo and Nkonya have never gone to court over land. If anyone has that record, let him show it.”

He further clarified, “I am saying that some people from Nkonya Tayi and six individuals from Alavanyo went to court over land.”

As far as the outspoken Alavanyo chief was concerned, limiting the problem to those individuals from Nkonya and Alavanyo – who went to court over land – would have made the problem very small. Unfortunately, the “small issue” has escalated over the years to deprive other areas of their peace and livelihood.

His position was corroborated by Nana Ampem Darko, the Ankobeahene of Nkonya Ahenkuro, who rep-resented the Paramount Chief, Nana Okotor Kofi.

According to him, the said land had been abandoned while other areas were experiencing violence along the boundaries (from Tayi to Asakyiri) between the feuding parties.

He then emphasized, “I want the whole world to know that any other thing that is happening is not on land dispute,” and that observers are only givin the atrocities a name. Nana Ampem Darko therefore pleaded with the authorities to “consider the land problem as one chapter and look at the criminality and atrocities happening as another chapter” and handle the issues decisively.

He also revealed that some people were takingadvantage of the situation to encroach onto other people’s land and farms, adding that that was what was creating problems.

Togbe Dagadu VIII, paramount chief of Akpini (Kpando) Traditional area who hosted the mediation meeting, urged both sides to fully corporate to ensure that lasting peace was realized within the shortest time possible.

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur commended the parties for honouring the call and warned them against the cycle of retaliations which was having a negative toll on life and the economy of the area and the country as a whole.

He was hopeful that they would cooperate in the peace process.

Other people present at the meeting included Mrs. Helen Adwoa Ntoso, Volta Regional Minister; Yaw Donkor, National Security Co-ordinator; Mohammed Alhassan, Inspector General of Police and Brigadier General Adeti, General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Eastern Corridor Road Is Death Trap – Greenstreet

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Kwadwo Duodu

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January 12, 2015

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Ivor Green Street of CPP

Convention People’s Party (CPP) General Secretary Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, has charged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to stop the propaganda and fix the eastern corridor road it had repeatedly promised to.

He said the major road which connects the south-eastern part of the country to the north, is “a death trap” and sympathized with the people living along that stretch of the road.

He told DAILY GUIDE that on his way to the north to assess the ongoing CPP constituency executive elections, he used the road to see for himself what had actually been done. He said he was surprised at the way some government communicators presented a different picture about the same carriage way.

“Asikuma to Kadjebi is like a death trap. The road is in a terrible condition. Nothing has been done over there,” he lamented.

A Portion of the Said Road

He noted, “From Kadjebi to Nkwanta has been done but it is not tarred or anything like that. It has just been designed like our local asphalt.

They have a long way to go but I suppose it is a political project and maybe they might find some money and try and do something for 2016.”

Mr. Greenstreet, who is becoming a thorn in the flesh of the ruling NDC with his pronouncements said, “The work has temporarily come to a stop from what I saw over there. Something went on but it has reached a point where everything has stopped. They got to Nkwanta and the workceased. From Nkwanta to Damongo is very bad. It is also like a death trap.”

He added, “The contractors appear to be on the road but somehow, their equipment has been abandoned.”

On his official trip, he said he went to see how far the CPP had gone with the constituency elections saying, “They have done 19 out of the 31 constituencies.”

Mr. Ivor Greenstreet maintained that he visited Kpandai, Wulensi, Bimbilla, Salaga North and South and slept in Salaga; and that on Friday, went to places like Tamale North, South, Central and Sanarigu. “The following day, I went to Gushiegu Karaga, Nanton and Savelugu,” the outspoken CPP chief scribe disclosed.

He said he met journalists “who asked me about this statement I made at the NDC congress in Kumasi and I told them I was on my way to Wa but will also go to Damango and Sawla after which I will go to Bole because one of my executives there has arranged for a pastor of the Assemblies of God Church to pray for me to determine whether or not I have selective myopia or whether my accusers are those who have become blind to the conditions of majority of Ghanaians.”

Source: Daily Guide

Two Cops and a Nigerian busted with ‘Wee’ in Police Van

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 12, 2015

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Two Police men and a Nigerian are currently in the grips of the Volta regional Police command for possessing and attempting to transport substances suspected to be India hemp (Wee).

According to VoltaOnlinesources, the two Police men Corporal Frazier Defeamekpor and Sergeant Prosper Ametepe of the Keta MTTD with Nigerian accomplice Uchena Ubanizim were busted at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho in the early hours of Saturday dawn.

The dried leaves which were compressed in 1051 slaps and stuffed in 18 fibre bags were being transported in a Police Nissan Navara Pickup with registration GP 3741.

A Police Source disclosed that, the vehicle which was been driven by Corporal Defeamekpor belongs to the Ho Regional Police Training School.

Explaining how they got hint of the crime, the source noted that, the Peki Highways Patrol team first spotted vehicle at Kpeve in the South Dayi district at about 11:00pm on Friday, with the sacks in its bucket but the driver failed to stop at various check points.

This got the Peki team suspicious and they alerted their counterparts in Ho, who then arrested suspects at the Sokode-lokoe snap checkpoint.

The two police men, according the VoltaOnline source, earlier claimed they arrested the Nigerian with the stuffs but upon further interrogation, they disclosed that they were contracted by the Nigerian and one other person to transport the substances from Kpeve-Tongu to Dzodze-Penyi.

The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Peterkin Yentumi-Gyinae confirmed the arrest and said investigations is still ongoing to identify the fourth accomplice.

He is also expected to brief the media later today.

Alavanyo/Nkonya Conflict; third mediation attempts begin

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 10, 2015

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Efforts to broker lasting peace between the people of Alavanyo and Nkonya traditional areas has been reactivated by the Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Friday at a meeting held at Kpando with leaders of both communities and witnessed by the Paramount Chief of Akpini (Kpando) traditional area Togbe Dagadu VIII.

The meeting is the third attempt by government to broker peace between the two disputing communities in the decades old conflict over a disputed land.

In December last year, there were renewed clashes following gunshots that left one person dead. The violence in the two communities has persisted for years despite several mediation attempts.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur, who expressed unhappiness over the protracted conflict, warned the feuding factions that government will no longer tolerate the continuous violence being perpetrated in the area.

He said the cycle of retaliation must end, as it was affecting the local economy of the area since, whiles the cost of the conflict is also getting higher since government has to spend lots of money in maintaining the police and the military there for peacekeeping.

“Our generation must decide that these things must come to an end. Our generation must secure the future.”

On her part, Volta Regional Minister, Helen Ntonso, regretted that the people had made empty the apology she earlier rendered on their behalf to President John Dramani Mahama.

She therefore urged them to go beyond the assurances and in the mediation process volunteer information that would bring permanent solution to the problem.

The Paramount Chief of Alavanyo traditional area, Togbe Tsedze Atakora VII disclosed that there was no land litigation between the Alavanyo and Nkonya traditional areas.

According to him, the land litigation was rather between some individuals from Nkonya-Tayi and Alavanyo-Kpeme.

An issue, he said has escalated over the years, causing other peaceful areas which were not involved in the litigation to be drawn into it. He however expressed his side’s readiness to cooperate with the latest mediation process.

The Ankobeahene of Nkonya Ahenkro Traditional Area, Nanai Ampem Darko III, asked the authorities to separate the land dispute from the criminalities that have been perpetrated and investigate in other matters emerging from the conflict.

Togbe Dagadu VIII, Paramount Chief of Akpini (Kpando) Traditional area who is leading the latest mediation efforts said various interest groups in both traditional areas will be engaged in frank discussions so that lasting peace could be achieved in the shortest possible time.

Other people who accompanied the Vice President to the meeting include Mr Yaw Donkor, the National Security Co-ordinator, Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Inspector General of Police and Brigadier General Adeti, General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The delegation later visited the two traditional areas which are currently under a 14 hour curfew and interacted with the security personnel who are on peace keeping duty there.

Vice President also hinted of government’s intention to establish a permanent military base on the border of the two traditional areas.

Work begins on GRA Customs academy hostels at Kpetoe

By

Kwadwo Duodu

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January 9, 2015

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Graphical Impression of the Hostel

Work has begun for the construction of male and female hostels at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Academy at Kpetoe in the Agotime-Ziope district.

The academy, which is the only customs training school in the country, has not seen any major facelift since its establishment many decades ago.

This situation has inconvenient trainees of the academy, who have been sleeping a material warehouse for the past forty years.

But, cutting the sod for the 10 million Ghana cedis project, the Acting Commissioner of the Customs Division, Mr Wallace Kofi Akondor expressed optimism that, the 82 and 102 beds female and male hostel facility, when completed would boost the training of more personnel and also reduce the cost of personnel training for the Division.

Mr. Akondor, recounted countless efforts in the past to get donor or private funding for the project, which is now being wholly funded by Government of Ghana.

He also expressed gratitude to the traditional authorities of Agotime for releasing land for the project and pledged the readiness of GRA to provide funding for its speedy completion.

The Paramount Chief of Agotime Traditional Area, Nene Nuer Keteku III expressed excitement over the commencement of the project and said it will open up the area for rapid development. He also stated that all compensations for the project site were dully paid by government and warned natives against any litigation over the land.

Ms. Theresa Kyei-Mensah, Representative of Maripoma Enterprise, the contractor executing the project, assured that the project will be properly done completed within the 15 months and the estimated budget.