ERRATIC GAS SUPPLY THROTTLES BUSINESSES IN HO (Updated)

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September 4, 2012

With no end in sight about the current shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in parts of the country, consumers especially businesses in Ho have been forced to look for alternative sources to sustain their operations.

Checks at some food joints in town revealed that, some of the operators who still use LPG during this period, have acquired spare cylinders that they have filled down at an extra cost while others who cannot afford have reverted to the use of ‘fuel wood’ and charcoal in preparing their meals with the hope that, the situation would normalize sooner than later.

The severe shortage has also led to a virtual halt in taxi services within the municipality for the past two weeks leaving the few taxi drivers operating in the municipality to charge exorbitant fares from passengers, in the evenings especially.

A visit to ‘King’ filling station the only station in Ho that have some supplies, Tuesday morning showed an unending queues of taxis as well as domestic gas users waiting anxiously for the supply of the commodity, which was expected to be discharged later that afternoon.

Some drivers in the queue said they had to pass the night at gas station because ‘they do not know when the consignment may arrive’ while others said they got up as early as 2am to join the queue.

An attendant at the gas station said though they have had consignment over the weekend, it got finished due to the high demand and they were expecting to replenish supplies that afternoon.

Gilbert, a taxi driver said the search for the commodity is ‘exhausting and frustrating’, hence he is considering reverting to the use of petrol, though he conceded that gas is cheaper.

He said the gas shortage has also taken away the excitement in the job as it has affected his daily sales and suggested angrily that the authorities should place a total ban on the use of LPG by vehicles, ‘if they cannot sustain regular supplies’.

A visit to some other gas stations within the municipality had the ‘No Gas’ inscription displayed on the premises.

Meanwhilethe current Gas shortage is expected to be over within the next 6 days; according to deputy Energy minister Alhaji Inusah Fuseini.

Speaking on Tuesday about the situation in an interview on JOYFM in Accra, the minister said that a mechanical malfunction at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), which has obstructed operations there for weeks, was just remedied. He is therefore optimistic that the backlog of work should be cleared in 6 days, at which point the plant will resume putting out oil.

Alhaji Fuseini also noted that the Ministry of Energy had received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use the Takoradi Harbor as a loading point for trucks to collect fuel, which they will deliver around the Western, Central, and Ashanti regions to address the present shortages there.

LOW TURNOUTS ON DAY 1& 2 OF VOTERS REGISTER EXHIBITION IN HO

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 3, 2012

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Day One and Two of the nationwide exhibition of the biometric voters’ register in Ho has recorded fewer number of prospective voters turning up at the exhibition centers to verify data collated from them by the Electoral Commission during the recent biometric voter registration exercise.

The low turnout according to some of the exhibition officers, who were idling at their centres, is due to low publicity about the exercise and also the Ghanaian lukewarm attitude towards events of this nature.

A visit to some of the centers on Sunday afternoon revealed that less than hundred persons and in some cases a little over hundred persons have verified their information in the register within the first two days of the 10 days exercise which started on Saturday September 1.

At the Ho polytechnic exhibition centre, 25 persons came out for the exercise as of 4:25pm on Sunday as against 16 persons on Saturday out of a total number of 1022 registered voters.

The situation wasn’t different at Ho Kpodzi JHS ‘B’ exhibition center, out of a total of 669 registered voters, only 25 persons have turned up for the verification exercise as of 5:15pm on Sunday as against 10 persons on Saturday.

Mr. Raymond Kporvu and Ms. Victoria Keleve, the exhibition officers at Ho poly and Ho Kpodzi JHS ‘B’ respectively, attributed the low turnout at their centers to the vacation of Polytechnic and SHS students as they constituted majority of registered voters at those centers.

Also at the SSNIT flats exhibition center, 43 persons turned up for the exercise as of 4:35pm on Day two with 66 persons turning up on Day one from a total of 996 registered voters. Ms Sabina Essandoh, exhibition officer at the center, said she sometimes have to call passerby’s whose names are on the register or send children to call their parents to come and verify their particulars.

The turn up at Ho Bankoe Kponyigba E.P JHS, according to the exhibition officer, Mr. Simon Kokofi was ‘remarkable, though people were not willing to come out and check their name’. Day one of the exercise saw 127 persons out of 1177 registered voters coming for the verification as against 120 persons who turned up on Day two of the exercise.

The turn up, Mr. Kokofi attributed to the benevolence of some youth in the area who went round to inform residents about the exercise.

Mr Kokofi is therefore calling on the Electoral commission and other relevant institutions to intensify publicity on the exercise into the communities and churches in order to get more people to undertake the verification exercise before it ends on September 10.

So far, those who have verified their details have not encountered any major errors in their data in the register except the increase in the ages of some of them by a year.

Meanwhile,the Electoral commission have introduced an SMS technology to facilitate the checking of biometric details during the Voter Exhibition period.

This SMS system is to help registered voters access the Provisional Voters Register through their mobile handsets at the lowest possible network rates.

Registered voters can therefore verify their biometric registration details by texting their Voter Identification Number (I.D) numbersto short code 1413 across all networks in Ghana.

In a related development, Madam Lawrencia Kpatakpa, the Volta regional Director of the Electoral Commission has said, persons who have misplaced their new voter I.D cards can still go and verify their details at the centers that they have registered. She however cannot confirm whether there would be a replacement of lost I.D cards before the elections.

2012 ASOGLI YAM FESTIVAL LAUNCHED

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 31, 2012

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The 2012 Asogli Yam Festival has been officially launched with a mini-dubar at Takla Gborgame in the Ho Municipality on Thursday.

Launching the festival, Togbe Anikpi lll, Chief of Ho-Heve and Chairman of the Festival Planning Committee, said the purpose of organizing the official launch of the festival outside Ho, is to foster unity and peaceful co-existence among the various divisions under the Asogli state.

The launch formally kicks start activities for the month long festival on the theme “Political Tolerance, a Prerequisite for Peace and Development”.

Togbe Anikpi therefore called on Asogli citizens and Ghanaians to be of good conduct during the coming elections.

There was a demonstration of yam planting, tendering and harvesting at the durbar, which according to Togbe Anikpi is to afford young persons the opportunity to learn the rudiments of yam farming.

Togbe Koku Ayim lll, Paramount Chief of the Takla Traditional Area, lauded the development focus of the festival and called on all Asogli citizens to actively participate in the festival, which would be climaxed with a grand durbar on September 22.

Major highlights of the festival is the pilgrimage of the Asoglis to their ancestral home of Notsie in the Republic of Togo, hiking at Adaklu Mountain, a beauty contest and the Yam hailing procession among other funfair activities.

The festival, beyond being a symbolic start of harvest time, is now a huge homecoming event, as it affords citizens abroad the opportunity to reunite with their families.

To ensure effective celebration, the Asogli state council has announced a ban on burial and funeral activities within the jurisdiction till the end of the festival.

‘PRAYER IS NOT A PANACEA FOR PEACE’-TOGBE AFEDE

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 22, 2012

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Click & listen to Togbe Afede

Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of the Asogli state and President of the Volta regional house of chiefs has called on Ghanaians not to focus only on praying for peace during elections but also work towards ensuring the peace and unity of the country, stressing that ‘prayer alone cannot lead to peace’.

Togbe Afede underscored the importance of peace and stability in the socio-economic development of the country and stated the maintenance of peace and unity in the country requires the collective efforts of every Ghanaian. This he said can only be possible when ‘we uphold the principles of freedom and justice’ as enshrined in the nation’s motto.

The Agbogbomefia was speaking at a well attended durbar of chiefs and people of the Volta region in honour of President John Mahama who was on a ‘thank you’ tour to the region in Ho on Tuesday.

Togbe Afede used the opportunity to congratulate President Mahama on his elevation to the high office of the land and commended him for the befitting burial accorded his predecessor President John Mills who died in office.

He also commended the president for his role in the recent Hohoe conflict and reminded him to expedite action on processes that would restore total peace in the area.

Togbe Afede again called on the president to ensure that projects started by his predecessor in the region are completed emphasizing the eastern corridor road, which has begun and the University of Health and Allied sciences, which is expected to commence in September.

He however thanked the government for its effort to protect the coastal areas of the region by initiating the sea defense project and called on the people to support the project to protect the area from sea erosion.

The agbogbomefia asked for God’s guidance for the President Mahama and urged him to be courageous and decisive in order to get the best people, who would help him bring development to Ghanaians.

Addressing the enthusiastic gathering, President John Mahama thanked the people of the region for their immense support during the funeral of the late President Mills and pledged to continue his “legacy of peace”.

He said Ghana has gained high reputation within the international community thru its show of unity during the death of president Mills and said there is the need for Ghanaians to live up to that image

President Mahama pledged to complete all development projects started by the late president, particularly, the two projects dear to the hearts of the people of Volta Region- the Eastern Corridor Road project as well as the University of Allied and Public Health.

In this regard, the president has announced that government has secured 10million dollars to expand facilities at the University of Health and Allied Sciences.

He also said the Brazilian government has approved 240 million dollars loan for the construction of the Eastern Corridor roads which cut across the Volta and Northern regions.

President Mahama disclosed that the exploration of oil in the Keta basin is ongoing with high prospects and appealed to the people to continue to support the government in its effort to bring development to the country.

The president reiterated his commitment to ensuring peaceful, free and fair elections. Stating that, the 2012 elections would be ‘the most peaceful and most successful that Ghana will ever have.”

The president earlier, visited victims of the tidal waves attack in Keta and presented them with some items to alleviate their plight. He also made brief stops at Sogakofe, Dabalah, srogbe and anloga, where he addressed mini durbars.

A High-powered government delegation including Hon. Edward Doe Adzaho, first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister for Roads and Highway, Akua Sena Dansua, Minister for Tourism, Dzifa Attivor, Deputy Minister for Transport, and Dr Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), accompanied the president on the tour.

Present at the durbar also were MDCEs, MPs, assembly members, executives of various political parties, the clergy, traditional rulers and people from all walks of life across the region.

Click here to see photographs of the president visit

NO PRESIDING MEMBER FOR HO AFTER THREE ROUNDS OF VOTING

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 19, 2012

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The Ho Municipal Assembly hall was virtually thrown into a state of confusion last Friday after three rounds of voting by members failed to produce a new Presiding Member (PM).

The contest became a ‘show down’ between elected assembly members and government appointees, after three elected contenders, withdrew from the race, leaving Mr. Stephen Adom, Assemblyman for Loboli Electoral area to battle the PM’s slot with a Government Appointee and Queen of Taviefe ,Mama Serwa Fenu I.

With the ‘battle line’ clearly drawn, none of the two contenders was however able to poll 29 votes representing two-third majority of the 44 member assembly in the first round to win the PM’s slot, as Mr. Stephen Adom polled 23 votes as against 18 votes for Mama Serwa Fenu I.

Mr. Adom maintained his momentum during the second and third rounds of voting, polling 28 votes, one vote short of the required 29 votes to win the contest, leaving Mama Serwa Fenu with 15 and 13 votes respectively.

After the third round, Mr. Adom managed to convince Mama Fenu, who withdrew from the race with a caution to Mr. Adom to be “careful”. .

Mama Fenu’s decision however was at the displeasure of her supporters, some of whom made loud noises and called for the election to be rescheduled, arguing that it was illegal to vote on the same subject for more than three times.

Supporters of Mr Adom also protested the adjournment but had to soften their stance after officials of the Electoral Commission conducting the election pleaded with them, that they were tired.

This frustrated some of the assembly members, who walked out of the hall, when the motion for the adjournment was being moved, boycotting the closing procedures and lunch.

Mr. Stephen Adom is now faced with the task of wooing two-third majority of the assembly members on the next adjourned date to give him the nod to complete the unexpired term of the former Presiding Member.

The position became vacant following the creation of the Ho-West District Assembly, where the former Presiding Member, Mr Mathew Atsrim comes from.

President Mahama to visit Ho on Tuesday

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 19, 2012

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President John Dramani Mahama would on Tuesday August 21, be in the Volta region as part of his ‘thank you’ tour of country to thank the people of the Region for their support during the death and final funeral rites of his predecessor late President John Atta Mills.

Briefing the press on Friday, Henry Ford Kamel, the Volta Regional minister said President Mahama would as part of the tour, make a stopover at various places in the region including Akplortorkor sea defense project and Dabalah to inspect progress of work and commission completed Getfund projects respectively.

The President and his entourage would then move to Ho, where he would inspect the progress of work on the University of Health and Allied Sciences and later address a grand durbar at the Jubilee Park in the afternoon.

President Mahama is also expected to hold a closed-door meeting with the regional executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This would be the first time, the former Vice President and now President John Mahama would be visiting the region since his ascension to the high office of the land after the untimely demise of his predecessor President John Mills on July 24.

UHAS RECEIVES 637 APPLICATIONS FOR FIRST ADMISSION

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 19, 2012

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Professor Fred Binka, Vice- Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has disclosed on Friday that, the university has received a total of 637applications from prospective students who want to be part of the pioneering students of the university.

Prof Binka said a total of 200 out of the number would be admitted to pursue different programmes in five schools of the University, which include the School of Medicine, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied and Health Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Nursing and Midwifery.

He also noted that aside the School of Public Health which would be based in Hohoe, the rest four schools would be in Ho.

Prof Binka disclosed this at a meeting between the university council and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education led by Mr Puozaa Mathias in Ho for the progress report on the establishment of the University.

Prof. Binka said the National Accreditation Board (NAB) had given the University initial accreditation and that it was ready to begin operation next academic year with its “key administrative and academic staff.”

He said the University also has enough lecture halls and hostel accommodation for its 200 students.

Prof. Binka said the University would have three semesters – two for academics and one for attachment in communities – to prepare students for community service.

He said two main pillars- research and community service – would make UHAS, a “University of a difference”.

Professor Kofi Anyidoho, Chairman of the University Council, said despite some minor challenges, classes would begin in the third week of October.

“We are putting finishing touches to a few things but hopefully, they will be done in two weeks and by the third week of October, we will start classes,” he said.

Prof. Anyidoho stressed that UHAS would be a University of a difference and called for the support of all.

Members of the Committee, who were visibly impressed by the report, commended the Council for its effort but some members called on the Council not to bite more than it could chew.

DOZENS KEPT VIGIL IN HONOUR OF LATE PRESIDENT MILLS

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Kwadwo Duodu

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August 12, 2012

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Dozens of Mourners Thursday night attended a vigil church service at the Ho Polytechnic auditorium, organized by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council as part of the final funeral rites for the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

The service was interspersed with solemn choral music from selected choirs from both charismatic and orthodox churches and the Ghana Police band. The over 1200 capacity auditorium was also filled up with large numbers of mourners monitoring the service on screens outside the auditorium.

Earlier, the mourners clad in black & red attires, thronged the streets of Ho in a candle-light procession amidst singing of traditional dirges with brass band music in honour of the late President.

Among the mourners were the clergy, traditional rulers, public and civil servants as well as government officials and leaders of the various political parties.

In a sermon, the Catholic Bishop of Ho, Most Reverend Francis K.A. Lodonu extolled the humility and peaceful nautre of the late President Mills and said he “stands tall in the politics of reconciliation, justice and peace.”

Bishop Lodonu noted that, President Mills’ death has opened a new chapter in the Ghanaian political landscape as his death has united the entire nation. He therefore asked Ghanaians to take delight in this newness and cultivate the “great virtues” of the late President Mills and not to go back to the ‘politics of vengeance and vindictiveness’.

cross-section of mourners

The Volta regional minister, Mr Henry Ford Kamel said the late President Mills will always be remembered for his good virtues and legacies of development projects across the country and declared “President Mills never dies”.

Mr Kamel challenged politicians to endeavour to love one another irrespective of status and political affiliations.

In a tribute, the Volta Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kenwood Nuworsu said the death of the late President Mills has exposed the beautiful sides of politics in the country.

“The demise of our beloved President Mills has united all of us beautifully and showed that our politics can survive without insults and abuses,” he said.

The Volta regional secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Simon Viglo-Amegashie, said the death of President Mills came as a shock to party in the region and described him as a man who ‘left his mark in the sand of history in the politics of tolerance and peaceful co-existence’.

There were tributes, from the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, and other organized groups and individuals.

TWO HO-BASED NGO’s DONATE TO E.P VARSITY

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Kwadwo Duodu

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July 18, 2012

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The Ho Development Association (HODA) and the Ho Club 50, both Non Governmental Organisations based in Ho, last Friday presented assorted library books to the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC) in Ho to enhance academic work in university.

Mr. Obed Agbevordey, an executive member of the HODA who presented the books on behalf of the association said the donation was the group’s contribution towards the growth of the university which is the first in the Volta region.

He said the Volta region is noted for its academic excellence, but it’s fasting loosing the accolade and called on all well-meaning Voltarians to join forces in making frantic efforts to bring back the region’s past glory. Mr. Agbevordey expressed appreciation to the founders of the University for their Sacrifices and said ‘the establishment of the university has brought smiles to the faces of the many citizens of the region’.

The books which are in the Business, Economics, Marketing and General Studies areas, were supplied by the Tema Rotary Club of which Mr. Agbevordey is a member and sponsored by Brothers-Brothers Foundation of U.S.A.

Mr. Agbevordey underscored the importance of a library and said ‘one of the strong pillars of any university is how well stock its library is’ and assured the university of regular supplies whenever the Tema rotary club receive consignments from their USA partners.

Mr. Samuel Walter K. Buame, the Registrar of EPUC who received the books, expressed the university’s gratitude to the Ho development association and the Ho club 50 for their thoughtful gesture and called on other philanthropists to support the university in its quest to train qualified human resource to meet the developmental needs of the nation.

Mr Buame said the university was commended by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for its library stock and was optimistic that the donations would help keep that standard.

Present at the donation were Mr. David Bansah and Mr. Dickson Pi-Bansah, both president and secretary of Ho Club 50 respectively.

VOLTA FIRE LADIES ASSOCIATION INAUGURATED IN HO

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Kwadwo Duodu

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July 3, 2012

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Listen to Henry Ametepe

Henry Ametepe

The Fire Service Ladies Association (FISLA) has been urged to educate women on fire safety in general and domestic fire safety in particular.

Mr Henry Ametefe, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, gave the advice at the inauguration of the Region Branch of the Association in Ho.

It was on the theme: “Enhancing Fire Safety Activities -The Role of FISLA.”

Mr Ametefe urged the Association to visit the markets and link up with other associations of women to educate them on the rudiments of fire prevention and control at home, market, workplaces and public places.

Mr Ametefe called on FISLA to spearhead a programme to encourage institutions, including the business community, to install firefighting equipment and get their staff and workers to master the use of the gadgets.

He observed that the public is largely ignorant about how to operate fire extinguishers on public and private premises and, therefore, become helpless in tackling small fires which then assume dangerous dimensions.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Regional Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Kru Agyarko-Attobrah, commended the Firewomen for their resilience, dedication and perseverance.