Customs Recruit Collapsed and Died at Training

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August 19, 2013

Alex Aidoo

Mr Isaac Kofi Toffah, Commandant at Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division Training Academy at Kpetoe, has confirmed to US FM on Monday, that Alex Aidoo, a Customs recruit died after he collapsed during a routine welcome training exercise on Saturday.

The 35 years old Aidoo reported together with 32 other driver-recruits at the Academy for a two-week training course.

According to Mr Toffah, the recruits were asked to carry their luggages and trek from a distance to the Academy after a roll call was conducted. He said exercises such jumping running, and press-ups, are routine for all recruits during the walk.

The commandant further disclosed that prior to the exercise, the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) asked if anyone had a medical condition to which one of the recruits with multiple fractures responded affirmatively and was excused after examination.

Mr Toffah said after sometime, the PTI and his assistants observed that Aidoo was having difficulties with the exercise and asked him to take a rest at the entrance of the Academy. He said after sometime, Aidoo was found shivering and a nurse was called in and he was conveyed by ambulance to regional hospital in Ho, Where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Mr Toffah has however dispelled reports suggesting that the recruit died out of molestations during the exercise and said checks indicate that the deceased had some health problems.

Eye-witnesses Account

Eye-witnesses described the last Saturday’s exercise as ‘life-threating’ claiming that recruits whose luggages were deemed by the officers, as not heavy enough, were given cement blocks to carry in their luggages and run with it, including the deceased recruit.

“The recruits were instructed to remove their shirts and roll on the hot asphalted road, those of them who resisted, were flogged with logs to comply” an eye-witness narrated with a teary eyes.

The exercise got the recruits visibly weak and tired but they were not allowed to take rest or drink some water, even those who attempted resting, were ‘flogged and forced to continue the exercise’ a lady witness narrated.

The deceased eye-witnesses said, collapsed with his luggage in front of the training school, after about three hours of enduring the alleged ‘brutalities’ from the instructors.

The medical team which followed the recruits with an ambulance during the exercise rushed to resuscitate the young man and later conveyed him to the Volta regional hospital in Ho, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Another eye-witness described the exercise as a sheer wickedness rather than training, “how can you take a fellow human being through this torture in the name of training. Even military training is not like this’ he said angrily.

South-Dayi Chiefs rejects re-nominated D.C.E

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 19, 2013

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Paramount Chiefs from three out of four traditional areas in the South-Dayi District of the Volta Region have expressed their outmost displeasure over the re-nomination of Hon. Semanu Kafui Bekoe as the chief executive of the area.

A press statement jointly signed by, Torgbui Asuo Kwesi V, Torgbui Adza Wiah Kwesi II and Torgbui Aku Dompeh XI, paramount chiefs of Tongor, Kpalime and Kpeve traditional areas respectively, and issued at a press conference held in Peki, last Friday, the chiefs said the re-nomination Of the DCE, came as surprise to them especially when they (chiefs) have petitioned the government through the Volta regional minister Hon. Nii Laryea Afottey-Agbo and the NDC party hierarchy both in the region and at the national level, against the chief executive’s re-nomination.

According to the statement read by the Regent of Tongor-Tsanaakpe, Torgbui Dompreh Aboagye, the chiefs said, they can no longer work with the DCE, who they said has an “insulting behavior” towards them, citing an instance in 2011 at a festival at Todome-Kpalime, where the DCE described the chiefs as ‘insatiable lots’.

“We can no longer work with the out-going DCE because of his insulting behavior towards us, chiefs”

The statement also accused the DCE of not consulting them (chiefs) and other opinion leaders from the three traditional areas on key developmental issues; this the chiefs said is contributing to ‘the existing suspicion and disunity within the district’.

The chiefs are however, accusing the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Edem Asimah for manipulating the system to get the incumbent DCE, Hon. Kafui Bekoe re-nominated though, according to the statement, the DCE openly stated that ‘he is no longer interested in the position on health grounds’.

“No single person within the district/constituency has the mandate to determine who the DCE should be. His actions are very dangerous, without honour and could impact on peaceful co-existence” the statement noted.

The chiefs further stated that political positions must be equitably distributed among the four traditional areas of Tongor, Kpeve, Kpalime and Peki.

“Both Peki and Kpalime traditional areas have held the position of District Chief Executive before. For equity to prevail, it should now be the turn of Tongor and Kpeve traditional areas to contest for the position of District Chief Executive.”

The chiefs through the statement are strongly appealing to the President Mahama to reconsider the re-nomination of Hon. Kafui Bekoe as DCE; else they will be compelled to advise themselves.

“We hope we shall not be boxed into a corner that brings no comfort, peace and cooperation but distress and conflict” the statement ended.

Meanwhile, the three paramount chiefs in the statement also call on the president to as a matter of urgency to investigate the implementation of a water project in the area, alleging impropriety on the part of the DCE, Kafui Bekoe and MP, Edem Asimah, which led to a shoddy execution of the project. According to the statement, water has never flow through the pipes since the project was commissioned.

“Evidence abounds that inferior materials were used to carry out the project at a huge cost. Sadly, water failed to flow through the pipes up till today”.

Police assures Krachie Teachers of their safety

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 16, 2013

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The Volta Regional Police Commander, ACP Fred Agyepong Asare has said investigations so far into the death of one Manasseh Mensah, a headteacher at Hurnokope in the krachie-Nchumuru district of the Volta region, have shown no foul play as been suggested by the regional executives of GNAT.

Briefing the media in Ho, ACP Agyepong Asare said, a postmortem carried out by a pathologist at the police hospital in Accra, revealed that the head teacher died as a result of drowning.

Based on the pathologist’s report, ACP Asare said the three persons, who were initially arrested on suspicion of murder, were granted bail by the court since they cannot be linked with the drowning.

The commander, however said investigations is still on-going and called on persons with contrary information about the death of the headteacher to come forward and assists the police in its investigations.

He assured the teachers in the three Krachie districts of their security and call on them to not embark on their threat to abandon the schools in the area when the 2013/2014 academic year resumes.

“I want to reassure the teachers that their protection is paramount to us, we have them in sight and we’ll monitor their safety” ACP Asare emphasized.

Last month, Marshal Manasseh Mensah, was reported missing, a situation which forced his colleague teachers in the Krachi Nchumuru to wear red arm bands and declare an indefinite strike.
But after several days of searching, his lifeless, decomposed body was discovered floating on river Oti close to the town.

At a press conference last week, the Regional Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Mr. Mawusi Alexander, told journalists that they suspect foul play because the deceased once fled the town after his life was threatened – but he later returned to the area.
He also said the teachers have threatened to leave the district over unexplained murders involving their members, stating that two teachers died in similar manner in 1996 and 2002 but no perpetrators were found and prosecuted.

GUMPP project to commence 2014- Baba Jamal

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 16, 2013

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The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and Agence Francaise De Development (AFD) in collaboration with Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) steering committee held its second meeting in Ho to deliberate on state of the project to be implemented in Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale Metropolitan Areas and Ho Municipality on pilot basis for five years.

Hon Baba Jamal who chaired the meeting said, project procurement is completed and physical work will commence early 2014.

He said the public should be rest assured for the crucial projects and proper utilization of the fund. “The program is now in its implementation phase with most of the bidding documents to be finalized” he stated.

GUMPP which was launched in June last, is aimed increasing investment into urban infrastructure, improve planning and ensuring financial autonomy. The initiative, which would be executed with 40 million Euro loan Euro grant for capacity building from AFD, has various programmes for urban infrastructure development and support measures tailored for each of the participating areas.

The physical projects identified to be executed include market development, bus and lorry parks, solid waste management and treatment, roads development, community upgrading and construction of storm drains. Others are improving institutions and financial management, planning and programming of infrastructure development, which would involve street naming and addressing system, spatial planning and enhancement of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies’ management system.

Meanwhile, the proposed dual carriage road between the OLA traffic light and Deme, which was announced as part of the GUMPP project by the then Vice President John Mahama when he launched the project in Ho last year, is no more part of the official project design because of funding challenges said Mr. Francis Sogbe, finance officer of the Ho Municipal Assembly.

But he said road project would be constructed by the urban roads department of the assembly.

The steering Committee meeting was attended by Regional Minister Northen Region, Hon Bede Zedeng, Deputy Regional Minister Volta Region, Hon Francis Ganyaglo, Department of Agncies and the French Development Agency (FDA), represented by MS. Mareva Bernard-Herve others include representatives from the ministries and the three municipalities.

Story: Enyonam Mortey, US Fm, Ho

Join Night Patrols; ACP Asare tells District commanders

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 16, 2013

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As part of efforts by the Volta regional police command to stem the spate of highway robbery in the region, the Regional Commander, ACP Fred Agyepong Asare has directed all district commanders in the region to partake in the night patrols within their jurisdiction.

“We have sent directives to all district commanders; you the district commander must take part in the patrol” ACP Asare, said in at a media briefing, in Ho.

The directive followed the increasing spate of highways robberies, with the most recent occurring between Tsito and Kponvi barrier on the Ho-Accra highways two weeks ago, involving Mrs. Juliana Azumah Mensah, Member of Parliament for Ho East and a former Minister for Women and Children Affairs.

The regional commander noted that because of the deplorable nature of some portions of the roads in the region, arm robbers have resorted to plying their illegal operations within those bad and bushy stretches of the roads.

He however, said the police have intensified their patrols on the roads especially, within the deplorable portions to ensure maximum security for motorists. “We have increased our presence on the roads in the night, along where we suspect robbers can easily congregate and operate, especially where the road is very bad”.

ACP Asare also sent a caution to district commanders who may defy this directive saying “am not going to take No for an answer; if anything should happen, am going to knock you first before, before I go to the boys, because if me as the regional commander goes on night patrol with the men, I don’t expect you a district officer to be sleeping in the house”.

Meanwhile The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fred Asare also disclosed at the media briefing that, the Volta regional police command will be embarking on an operation very soon to arrest and prosecute motorists who fall foul of the road traffic regulations so as to ensure sanity on the roads.

He asked taxi drivers to display the taxi signage on top of their vehicles to ensure proper identification of their vehicles especially at nights. “We’re going to undertake an operation very soon to arrest all of them (traffic offenders) to bring sanity on the roads”.

He also cautioned commercial motorbike (Okada) operators to desist from their activities, since the road traffic a regulation abhors the use of motorbikes for commercial transport, stressing that “when I take you, we’re going to court. You’ll go straight to face the magistrate or the judge; there must be discipline in the system”.

“Don’t Give All Doctors Same Pay” -Health Director

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 9, 2013

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Dr Joseph Teye Nuertey, Volta Regional Director of Health has stated that it is unfair to pay all medical doctors the same salaries whether they work in the urban or rural areas,

According to him, the salaries of medical doctors should be graduated in favour of those working in the rural areas.

Dr Nuertey said medical doctors in the rural areas are under constant pressure to serve several thousands of patients daily, without any respite.

He noted that the doctors also face a number of disadvantages and challenges because of where they engage their services.

Dr. Nuertey made the remark at the just ended National Forum on the sustainability of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) in Ho on Tuesday.

He further noted that the practice of paying allowances to trainees in health training institutions including medical students should be stopped.

According him, students should rather be encouraged to take loans to meet their financial commitments.

“We are paying people in training allowances, why don’t we let those in training go to the private sector for loans. And after the training we pay them salaries?” Dr. Nuertey quizzed.

But the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) Dr. Frank Serebour, disagreed with Dr. Nuertey’s proposal and said as part of the single spine pay policy, there was an incentive aspect for rural doctors which have not been implemented. “If that aspect has been implemented, that issue of all doctors taken the same salary wouldn’t have come on board” he stated.

He further noted that medical training is not just classroom training but rather on the job training which requires students to go to the wards and attend to patients day and night just like other medical officers; therefore it will be unfair for students to take loans to facilitate their training. “They are supposed to be sponsored and even given more because they do work as residents; they are at the hospital around the clock” Dr. Siribour emphasized.

Meanwhile, the Forum on the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) implementation review ended on Wednesday with a communique, jointly signed the minister of employment and labour relations, Nii Armah Ashietey, Kofi Asamoah of Ghana TUC and Mr. Alex Frimpong for Ghana Employers Association.

Among the recommendations is the removal of Public Universities and other government subvented agencies from the Single Spine Pay Policy as part of measures to deal with mounting government wage bill.

ECG Staff and Ho NASPA, donates to Madamfo Ghana Children’s home

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 9, 2013

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ECG Staff with some of the rescued children and Care givers

The Senior Staff Association of the Electricity Company of Ghana,(ECG) Volta region and the Ho Municipal Chapter of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) have, in separate activities, donated educational materials and assorted food items, respectively to the Madamfo Ghana orphanage home in Ho yesterday.

The ECG senior staff, led by the Acting Regional General Manager, Mr. Bernard Tetteh, presented educational materials including, school bags, books, foot wears, among others worth over GHC 1,500.

The donation according to Mr. Tetteh was in fulfillment of a promise made to the orphanage during an earlier donation to the home when ECG senior Staff had their quadrennial national conference earlier this year.

The acting manager said the association was touched by the plights of the children at the orphanage and promise the association’s continues support for the upkeep of the children.

Led by their vice president, Ms. Comfort Agyare, the executives of the Ho municipal NASPA presented items including bags of rice and toiletries, valued at GhC 1,000.

Mr. Lawrence Ayivi, NASPA organizer, said the association deemed fit as part of their national service week celebrations, to reach out to the less privileged by donating their widow’s mite to help put smiles on the faces of children who have been rescued from child slavery.

Ms.Dzamesi receiving the items from Ho NASPA Executives

Ms. Happy Dzamesi, the home director, who received the items on behalf of Madanfo Ghana expressed her profound gratitude to both associations for their kind gestures and appealed to other benevolent organizations to support the orphanage to carter for the over 100 children rescued from slavery by Madamfo Ghana in collaboration with the department of Social Welfare.

Currently there are 26 rescued children between ages 8 and 16years at the orphanage receiving care and formal education and the remaining also schooling under the care of the social welfare department in Kpando.

The orphanage which started in 2012 was built by Madamfo Ghana, an NGO with support from Rotary International to provide accommodation and a place to take care of children, who were rescued from slavery in communities along the Volta Lake.

Story by: Lambert Atsivor

GRIDCO Supports Varsity for Health and Allied Sciences in Ho

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 7, 2013

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The Ghana Grid Company has presented two sets of distribution transformers to the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho on Wednesday. The two transformers valued at GHC 80,000 have capacities of 500kvA and 250kvA.

Rev. Samuel Kwofie, Director of Engineering at GRIDCo, who made the presentation on behalf of the company, said the company as part of its 5th anniversary celebrations, chose to support the budding tertiary institution in its development as it seeks to train the nation’s human resources in the area of health.

“This donation is in support of a major national cause in education, within the context of our corporate social responsibility” he said.

He also assured the University of GRIDCo’s readiness to provide any support within its area of operation.

Professor Fred Binka, Vice-Chancellor of the UHAS, receiving the transformers, thanked GRIDCo for their kind gesture and described the presentation of the transformers as timely. Stating that it will enhance the supply of adequate electricity to the university’s permanent site, as the Chinese contractor commences the construction of the first phase of permanent structures

Prof. Binka also said UHAS as a new university needs a lot of infrastructure investment and appealed to other corporate bodies to support the university in its development.

Meanwhile, Prof. Fred Binka has disclosed that the University 0f Health and Allied Sciences, is putting in place structures to increase enrollment by over 200 percent in the 2013/2014 academic year. He also hinted of the introduction of a two year top up programmes for diploma holders in public health, nursing and midwifery.

Story by: Lambert Atsivor

Sustaining SSPP, freeze annual pay increases; FWSC boss

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 7, 2013

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Mr. George Smith-Graham, Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, has suggested a possible freeze in annual pay rise for public sector workers and as a means of curtailing the galloping wage bill.

He said the pay increments that are negotiated annually by workers, despite the rise in the salaries of almost all workers migrated onto the single spine, culminated in the increasing wage bill.

“We have implemented Single spine and apart from the fact when they (worker) are migrated, they get increases, we also have the annual increases that we do and we think that these are reasons why the wage bill is going very high”.

Mr. Graham, who made a presentation on the Single Spine implementation challenges and the way forward, at the on-going SSPP National Review forum in Ho on Monday, said organized labour and other stakeholders at the forum should come to a consensus on a possible freeze in annual pay increments

“I think that it should be possible for us all to sit down and as social partners to discuss, even if is possible freezing or slashing of salaries of article 71. So that we will be able, all together manage the wage bill” he suggested.

The FWSC boss also attributed the huge wage bill to the inequities which hitherto existed among the various salary structures but are being corrected on the single spine. He also called for streamlining of public sector recruitment and a thorough audit of the public sector payroll to remove ‘ghost names’ and block leakages to sustain the policy.

Difficulties

Mr. Smith-Graham said the commission was unable to forestall the numerous labour agitations that plagued the implementation of the SSPP because of resource constraints. He noted that the agitations which were mostly out of the high public expectation could not be effectively managed because of lack of resources to carry out enough public education.

He also said lack of proper offices for the commission coupled with limited staff hinders the proper functioning of the commission.

“We are very lean on the ground, this is commission that do not have offices, even critical middle level employees that we need, we don’t have”.

Mr. Graham further disclosed that, the commission is yet to receive any support from government of Ghana, noting “since the establishment, government of Ghana have not given us any single vehicle to work with. Most of the supports we have are from donor partners. This needs to be looked at”.

He also bemoaned the over politicization of the SSPP and stated the ‘pulling of strings’ behind the scene by politicians when there are labour agitations is major difficulty facing the commission.

“While there is an agitation we are trying to resolve, you see the politicians behind given assurances to some of the labour unions, some the decision given at labour commission are sometimes influenced by ministers. These I think we should all be careful with”. Mr. Graham stated.

‘Stop blaming SSPP for Economy woes’ TUC tells Gov’t

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 7, 2013

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Mr. Kofi Asamoah TUC Secretary General

Mr. Kofi Asamoah, secretary general of the Ghana trade Union Congress (GTUC) has asked government not to blame the current woes of the country’s economy on the single spine pay policy implementation.

He said, that notion being created with the SSPP is erroneous, and called on government to disaggregate the figures bare for all to see “who takes what”. “After all, the salaries are not free, they being paid for service rendered to the state” Mr. Asamoah said.

Mr. Asamoah who was speaking at Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) implementation review forum in Ho yesterday, noted that, issues of labour and wages are very sensitive, and called on stakeholders especially government and its communicators to stop the unnecessary vilification of the SSPP on the airwaves. “Labour relations in practice or theory are not done on radio, it is unfair labour practice”.

He also called on government to take steps to block the wastage in the public sector payroll and also close the difference between the wages of article 71 office holders and those under article 190.

Mr. asamoah, however said in spite of the migration challenges, the SSPP has offer government opportunity also harmonized the numerous pay structures that were in operation and to take charge of the public sector wage bill and scrapping it will be very chaotic.

“There is no viable alternative to the single spine pay policy, reversing it will be a chaotic alternative” he emphasized.

Opening the two day forum on the theme “Building National Consensus for sustainability of the Single Spine Salary Policy” President John Mahama said the difficulties being experienced with the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) was the absence of a well thought out plan to implement the scheme within budgetary constraints.
“In my estimation, the one major missing factor that was not carefully thought out and considered was the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) within budgetary constraints to make the scheme sustainable.”

He also said the misconception that the SSPP is meant for a general increase in the wages of all workers is also a contributing factor to the challenges being experienced but He however assured workers that the SSPP will not be scraped.

“We have come far and opting out of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) or cancelling the programme, is not an option for government.” He said.

The president therefore charged the stakeholders at the forum, “to engage in a frank, non-partisan discussion to generate options and feasible strategies and build consensus on critical issues within the broader context of our national quest for accelerated economic development.”

In a presentation on wages and fiscal slippage, the finance minister, Mr, Seth Terkper said the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) is not sustainable going forward because the country’s wage bill could exceed the total revenue if steps are not taken to address the situation.

The minister said Governmentspent GH¢ 4.3 billion on wages and salaries alone for the first half of this year, representing 70.1% of total national revenue. A figure he said is higher than the one recorded during the same period last year.

“The key point here is that to just use the non-earmarked funds [the country is] using everything to pay wages, we still have some arrears which are pending…this is the reality”, said Mr Terkper.

The two day forum is under the auspices of the ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and outcomes of the forum will be implemented by a committee constituted by the ministry.