A driver of the Ho West district Assembly who is at the centre of the alledged killing a resident of Dzolo-Gbogame on Wednesday is in police custody, Volta Online has gathered.
He was said to have tendered himself to the police at Dzolokpuita, the district capital, moments after he reportedly run over the 28-year old drinking bar operator during a revenue mobilization exercise by a task force of the assembly, which turned chaotic.
The Public Relations Officer of the Volta Regional Police Command, Corporal Prince Dogbatse told to Volta Online on Thursday that, the suspect was currently in the custody of the Anyirawase district Police command, assisting with investigations.
The investigations, he noted would also cover the violent protest by the irate youth which saw the vadanlisation of the assembly offices and burning a vehicle.
Meanwhile the assembly has called off the planned inauguration of the newly elected Assembly Members, which was scheduled for today; as they count their losses from the unfortunate incident.
Chaos broke out at Dzolo-Gbogame in the Ho West district on Wednesday following the alleged killing of a young man by a driver of the district Assembly.
The driver was said to have run over the deceased, who is a Drinking Spot Operator following a misunderstanding during a revenue mobilization exercise by a task force.
The incident led to a violent protest by irate youth who blocked the highway through the community, attack the offices of the district Assembly, set a vehicle ablaze and chased out the DCE and staff.
The rampaging youth did not spare journalists who came to cover the incident, as they chased them out of the area and in the process, smashed a tablet of the a Ghanaian Times reporter and the driver side window of a Ghana News Agency pick up vehicle.
A team of police personnel who arrived in the area had tough time bringing the tensed situation under control as the angry residents outnumbered them.
They however managed to convey the deceased body from the scene and also clear the blockade from the road to allow free flow of the heavy vehicular traffic which built in the community.
As of the time of this report, Volta Online gathered staff of the assembly had sort refuge at the Dzolokpuita Police station, while the journalists who were chased out had to use an alternative route back to their destination.
Telos blockchain network, a leading player in blockchain technology is gradually transforming the local economy offering business solutions to enterprises and developers in Africa.
The network, built to power the next generation of global economies makes it easy for different businesses in different sectors to create a trusted and universal medium to store and share data.
Mr Blaise B. Bayuo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-founder, Sesacash, a local partner of Telos network, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the network was suited for building decentralised financial application in the areas of digital loans, financial asset transfer and cross-border transactions towards financial inclusion.
He said the network provided unique opportunity for securing and tracing movement of goods in the value chain industry, allowing third parties “to trust and use this information”.
Mr Bayuo said the network had an immutable public voting system that could enable national and local elections to be deployed and monitored using the Telos network.
He said Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) could also use Telos network to share their reports and pay field workers openly with opportunity for donor partners to verify and monitor project status and implementation.
Mr Bayuo said operating on Telos blockchain was free with reduced overhead cost for companies and invited banks, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies to explore the opportunity for rapid growth.
He said Telos had an active developer and resource ecosystem to meet clients’ needs and allowing them to test servers to build prototypes before launching live applications.
Mr Bayuo said up and coming developers could also take advantage of grants from Telos Foundation to develop application on Telos network.
He said Sesacash.com app, a multi-currency platform where individuals and companies could send and receive payments across Africa, for instance, was running on Telos network.
Mr Bayuo said another app being implemented on Telos is “Seeds” or “Joinseeds.com”, which allowed NGOs and individuals to earn money by engaging in environmental regenerative activities such as planting trees.
He said it was a reward based financial tool to encourage people to engage in valuable activities for ecological and social regeneration.
Mr Bayuo said another app is Havuta, built to help NGOs in their operations and bringing smartphone and blockchain-based solutions to the data collection challenges facing the development sector.
“It creates a blockcahin-based feedback loop benefiting NGOs, engaging their beneficiaries, and promoting transparency,” he said.
An alumnus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, Mr. Divine Kporha has charged products of the institution to be of service to their communities with the knowledge and skills acquired during training.
He said the quality of training provided at the university, which is hinged on community service should engender them to make meaningful impact in society, stating that, “UHAS graduates can change the world because, the quality of training gives us a different orientation on service to humanity.”
Mr. Kporha, a former SRC President and the Guest speaker at university’s second session congregation for the 2018/19 academic year over the weekend, told the graduating class that, “UHAS presents us with a variety of opportunities to explore. More especially, opportunities that are dedicated to community service.”
“It should be difficult for us to forget the calabash that once gave us water; always endeavor to identify the myriad of challenges faced by our communities,” he stated and challenged the graduands to be solution oriented, adding that, “society needs the impacts of our degrees than we need them.”
Watch Mr. Kporha’s full Speech Below
Highlights
– The ceremony which was the second session of the 4th Congregation, was held at the UHAS main campus at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho.
– It involved a total of 438 students, comprising 36 graduates and 402 (Sandwich) undergraduates.
– Irene Dzirasa, a graduand in Bachelor of Public Health (Nutrition option) was adjudged the Best Graduating Student.
Officials
Prof. John Gyapong, UHAS VC
Professor John Gyapong, Vice Chancellor of UHAS commended the graduands for defying the odds to successfully complete their studies and entreated them to be worthy ambassadors of the university.
He indicated that, the university was readying itself to absorb the first beneficiaries of the Free Senior High School programme this year by increasing admissions by some 40 percent, and as such appealed for speedy completion of some infrastructure projects at both the Ho and Hohoe campuses by government.
They include, hostels facility, lecture theatres and a multipurpose laboratory, said to be the biggest in the subregion.
The minister of state in charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah who earlier inspected ongoing projects at the university, assured of the early completion of critical facilities to make room for the admission of the huge number of Free SHS students in the 2020/21 academic year.
Prof. Kwesi Yankah
He lauded the the university for investing its Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) into infrastructure, and also announced the release of GHc6 million by government as counterpart funding for the China aided 60 million dollar UHAS phase 2 infrastructural projects, which comprises a central administration block and the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
The Paramount Chief of the Gbi traditional area in the Hohoe municipality, Togbega Gabusu VI has died, the Traditional council has announced.
The revered chief who was onetime the President of the Volta region House of Chiefs passed on a little over a year ago after a period of illness at age 68.
”Togbega Gabusu VI took ill a few months ago. He had quality medical treatment and attention both home and abroad but to no avail, the time has come now for the Gbis to officially inform all and sundry that His Royal Highness Togbega Gabusu VI has gone to the village to join his ancestors,” Togbe Keh XII, Chief of Gbi Wegbe announced at press conference held at the forecourt of the Gbi traditional Council at Hohoe on Saturday.
A section of traditional leaders of Gbi at the event
Highlights
– Togbega Gabusu VI was enstooled on May 25, 1989 and reigned for 29 years before his demise.
– He served as Vice President and later President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs between 2000 – 2008.
– Togbega was also a onetime Member of the National House of Chiefs.
– He was born on June 20 1950 as Eli Billy Bright Kormla Kumadie and was a professional teacher.
– Togbega had seven children, four male and three females.
Consequently, the Council has declared a week of mourning from now to Saturday, January 25 2020, he said and directed all citizens of the area to show their bereavement by wearing red or black attires throughout the period.
All flags in the town are also to fly at half-mast, while everyone is entreated to go about their daily activities with sobriety, in honour of the late traditional ruler.
The funeral arrangements, according to him would be announced later but a book of condolence has been opened for the public at the traditional Council premises.
Meanwhile, the Traditional council has announced Togbe Wode VI, Divisional Chief of Gbi-Kpeme as the acting President of the Gbi traditional Council until a new Paramount Chief is enstooled.
National Security Operatives on Wednesday picked up Mr. Bestway Zottor, the Executive Director of Radio Tongu, a community radio station at Sogakope in the South Tongu District.
The media owner was arrested in his home at Sogakope and brought to the Volta Regional Police command in Ho over his alleged involvement in the secessionist activities of the Homeland Study Group Foundation, a group championing an independent Western Togoland State agenda in the Volta region.
He was said to have use his radio station to propagate the secessionist agenda on several occasions, including last Tuesday when reportedly launched a scathing attack on the government, the Volta Regional minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa and sections of the media for their antagonistic posture against group.
The man who sounded incensed over the minister’s recent tagging of his station as a ‘threat to national security,’ also dared the state security apparatus to arrest him and close down the radio station.
Meanwhile, some members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation who were arrested on the back of their November 16, 2019 declaration of a supposed independence from Ghana are currently facing various charges including treason felony in court, while their 85-year old founder and leader, Charles Komi Kudzodzi alias Papavi Hogbedetor is still at large.
Viscare Foundation, a non-governmental organization is leading an intervention to provide potable water to under-served communities in the Volta Region.
With funding from a Belgium based NGO, Humanitaire Pour Le Monde, Viscare provided sustainable clean water to five (5) communities in three (3) districts in Volta Region through construction of boreholes and wells.
The beneficiary communities are Togorme and Kasajan in Ho West, Adzorvime in Agortime-Ziope District, Seva and Wudzrolo in the Central Tongu District.
Majority of the people in Ghana, numbering more than five million (about 18 percent) rely on surface water to meet their daily water needs. The situation has left most of them vulnerable to water-related illness and disease.
The President of the foundation, Frank Ahiaxornu said a total of about five thousand (5000) people are expected to benefit from the intervention.
Per the Sustainable Development Goal 6, all Ghanaians must have access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. Frank Ahiaxornu believes, the intervention by the foundation with supports from Humanitaire Pour Le Monde would contribute to meeting the goal.
A total cost of the project is 10000 euros and it includes feeding children in the communities with hot meal and drinks during the period of execution.
Owners of a 2-storey facility, which houses a radio station – Kanor 90.5 FM at Dambai, the capital of the Oti region have been slapped with GH¢38,000 fine for power theft.
According to information gathered by Volta Online, a team from the Revenue Protection Unit of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), last Wednesday detected the illegal extension of power from an ECG pole to the building, which they consequently disconnected.
Mr Benjamin Antwi, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ECG-Volta told the Ghana News Agency, checks from the their database indicated that no application had been tendered for power, yet the building had lights, with seven air conditioners and the radio transmitters functioning.
Though no arrest has been made yet, the power distributor has surcharged owners of the facility an amount of GH¢38,000.00, as they continue with investigations to unravel the culprits, the PRO stated.
Meanwhile, Volta Onlinechecks in the area revealed that the said building together with the radio station partly or wholly belong to the NPP Member of Parliament for Krachi East and Deputy Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr. Michael Gyato.
According to sources, the facility which is in close proximity with the Dambai Office of ECG, was constructed in the later part of 2019, while the station begun transmission in December.
A 33-year-old electrician, Joseph Ademi has met his untimely death Sunday when fixing streetlights at Kpando.
‘Togoo’, as he is popularly known in the town, was electrocuted when he climbed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) transmission pole opposite Top Man Wood shop in the Kpando township to to replace a malfunctioning streetlight.
ECG officials removing the deceased from the Pole.
Benjamin Obeng-Antwi, the Public Relations Officer of ECG-Volta, in a release copied Volta Onlinestated that, the deceased who worked for a private contractor, was found hanging on the pole at about 6:30am by some residents, who quickly reported to the Kpando ECG office.
“Further investigation by the Kpando District Office has revealed that the deceased climbed the pole to replace streetlights without any authorization from the ECG district office, isolation request and proper safety apparels,” the statement noted.
The incident attracted alot of onlookers
It further revealed that, the deceased has previously had his climbing shoes and belt seized by ECG officials at Kpando when he unlawfully entered the power distribution network in the later part of 2019.
His body has since been deposited at the Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital morgue in Kpando, as Police in the area commence invetigations into the incident.
The statement however concluded with an appeal to the general public to desist from unlawful entry into ECG networks.
But for the vigilance of an informant and the swift response of the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Rev. Johnson Avuletey, food items and some educational materials meant for students of the Peki Senior High School in the South Dayi district would have ended up in the home of an auditor who has been going through the books of the school in the last few days.
Information available to the Volta Online revealed that, management of the school on Friday allegedly dispatched a pick-up load of food items and stationery to the house of the yet-to-be identified auditor in Ho, when it was intercepted by the Deputy Regional minister and a team of police upon a tip off.
The items,comprising two gallons of 25 litre cooking oil, bags of corn, beans and rice; cartons of tomato paste, mackerel, milk, tom brown, cocoa powder as well as branded exercise and note books were being conveyed in the school’s official Ford pick-up vehicle when it was impounded by the deputy minister and his team at Sokode-Lokoe.
The case has since been handed over to the Regional Police Command for investigation.
Rev. Avuletey later told the media at the Police headquarters that, the interception was as a result of a surveillance network he deployed across the region to monitor activities in the various Senior High Schools, following complaints he had about the alleged diversion of food items and other logistics meant for the free SHS programme by some unscrupulous managers.
He therefore warned that no school authority would be spared if they attempt to sabotage government by hoarding and diverting items meant for the smooth implementation of the free SHS programme in the region.
