Akufo-Addo’s Gov’t will be Remembered for Keta Port, Eastern Corridor Rd-Awadada

By

-

August 18, 2019

By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh |

Awadada of Anlo State, Torgbui Agbesi Awusu II has said the current government would remain in the hearts of the people of Anlo, Volta Region and Ghana should it succeed in developing a port at Keta and constructing the Eastern Corridor Road to connect the Volta Region to the north of the country.

Torgbui Agbesi Awusu II who recalled the past glories of Keta claiming it had a sort of a port even before the construction of Tema Harbour, making the area the preferred destination for national and international trade, said it would be appreciated if the current government could fulfill its promise to construct a port at Keta.

He observed that developing the port and constructing the Eastern Corridor Road would open up the region to national and international businesses, thus, offering whole lots of opportunities for the region and its people and should that happen, “nobody will forget this government.”

The Awadada made this known when the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa and the Municipal Chief Executive for Keta, Godwin Edudzi Effah led a powerful delegation from Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) including the Director-General, Michael Luguje to pay a courtesy call on the Awoamefia, Torgbui Sri III at Anloga.

The separate visits to Dufia of Kedzi (where the port is to be sited), Torgbui Joachim Accolatse V and the Awoamefia on Thursday were to officially introduce the Director of Keta Port to them.

The Awoamefia, Torgbui Sri III was grateful to the government for wanting to lift the standard of living of the people through such development projects.

Torgbui Sri said the plan for a port at Keta had been on the drawing board for long saying, “little did we know that the dream of building a harbor at Keta will materialise and lo and behold, it has come to be true.”

He expected that “the government will in no time, build the harbour for us” to provide jobs not just for the people of Anlo but the people of Ghana as a whole.

Board Chairman, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Peter Mac Manu who assured that processes were ongoing to soon get the port developed said “the “President himself has signed the executive instrument that demarcates the area” for the port.

Mr. Mac Manu justified the appointment of a director for the yet-to-exist port saying, adverts were placed for tender for feasibility studies for the port and 19 enthusiastic people, companies were shortlisted with the process ongoing emphasising, “you cannot be doing all these without designating focal person to be in charge and control of the process.”

He said following the headquartering of African Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA) in Ghana, the Keta Port would benefit the people and the country facilitating trade within Africa and the world saying, “we know Keta, historically has been a major trading town and it’s the dream and vision of the President to reignite its former glory.”

Director, Keta Port, Dr. Alexander Yao Adusei urged everyone to see the port as Volta Region development project and not a New Patriotic Party (NPP) one encouraging all to join hands to develop it.

Dr. Adusei said just as the President, the GPHA was in a hurry to get the Keta Port project completed and called for prayers of the people to accelerate it development.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Akatsi North NDC: Rawlings ‘Boy’ Attacks Supporters of Opponent

By

Volta Online

-

August 16, 2019

0

By: Abdul-Iddrisu Faisel | Voltaonlinegh |

A Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the Akatsi North Constituency of the Volta Region, Daniel Sakpaku Gadufia, has been physically assaulted on Tuesday, by staff Sergeant Yayra Azametsi of the Ghana Armed Forces, a security attaché of Dr. Donald Senanu Agumenu, an aspirant in the NDC Parliamentary primaries.

A press release issued by the party leadership in the constituency on Wednesday stated that the actions of Dr. Donald Agumenu (Rawling’s aide) and the military officer were threatening and could distort the peace and smooth running of the Parliamentary primaries.

“We are very displeased to announce to you that the actions of a special aide to Former President Jerry John Rawlings and some military officers he brought to the Akatsi North Constituency to distort the peace of the district/constituency”.

The press statement also gave accounts of how Dr. Agumenu traced and attacked the campaign team of his opponent, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Peter Nortsu-Kotoe while they were campaigning at one of the branches in the constituency.

“On Monday, 12th August, while the Member of Parliament for Akatsi North Constituency, Hon. Peter Nortsu-Kotoe was on a campaign tour in Etekorpe, a community in the Metrikasa Electoral Area, Dr. Agumenu drove to the community with the military officers to disrupt the campaign activities of the MP, an aspirant in the upcoming Parliamentary Primaries slated for August 24th 2019.”

The MP’s campaign team was said to have responded swiftly to foil the attack on Monday.

Following Monday’s incident, Mr. Gadufia, a member of the Legetsi branch and a member of the MP’s campaign team was attacked by the military officer; who slapped the victim leaving his clothes in tatters.

The victim was later sent to the St. Anthony Catholic Hospital, Dzodze where he was treated and discharged.

In reaction, Dr. Donald Agumenu and his team denied the allegations describing the developments as very disturbing coming from a clique within the constituency executive who had decided to take sides in the constituency’s parliamentary contest.

According to Dr. Agumenu, “it is not my nature to apply violence in my bid to serve my people in Parliament. I do not have the power or right to use soldiers as alleged by the false statement issued by Dr. Richard Awudza. I will however not be distracted by these actions. Let us forge ahead in our quest to seek refreshing change for our constituency.”

The Akatsi North NDC Parliamentary primaries is being contested by three people, the MP, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Dr. Donald Senanu Agumenu and Dr. Stephen Torkpo.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

World Vision Empowers Adolescent Girls for Responsible Living

By

Volta Online

-

August 16, 2019

0

By: Cindy D.M Asamoah | Voltaonlinegh |

World Vision Ghana, Nkwanta Cluster in the Oti Region has organised a 6-day Annual Girls’ Vacation Camp aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy in the area.

The camp at Nkwanta which drew about 215 girls aged between 10-18 selected from 15 communities in the Kadjeibi Area Programme and 24 communities in the Nkwanta Area Programme from the region, took the girls through handicrafts including bead making, weaving and basketry.

They also learnt how to make liquid soap, shower gel, banana ice-cream and different kinds of pastries.

Nkwanta Cluster Manager of World Vision, Salomey Yeboah said the camp under the theme, “Empowering the Girl Child for Responsible Living”, was in order to discourage teenage pregnancy, peer influence, early marriage or child marriage as well as empower girls with employable skills among others in the municipality.

Mrs. Salomey disclosed that the World Vision intended to be organising the vacation camps for the girls to achieve desired results.

According to her, their vision was to ensure that every child had life in all its fullness, children were educated on how to abstain from sex, take care of themselves as they go through physical, emotional and psychological changes during adolescence.

By the end of the training, according to the Project Officer for Education and Life Skills, World Vision Nkwanta, Kennedy Amponsah-Cheremeh, the girls would be able to take positive decisions in future and would be empowered for a responsible living.

Speaking with some of the girls at the camp, they thanked World Vision for giving them the opportunity to learn new things asking that more of such training should be organised for other adolescent girls in the municipality to protect them from pre-marital sexual activities.

They also pleaded with World Vision to extend the vacation camp to cover all girls in the country.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Gov’t Told to Invest More in Early Childhood Education

By

Volta Online

-

August 16, 2019

0

By: Benjamin Owusu | Voltaonlinegh |

The Paramount Chief of Challa Traditional Area in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, Nana Kennewu Chedere Addo II has charged government to invest more in basic education especially the Kindergarten to ensure that the educational system of Ghana had a very strong foundation.

Nana Chedere Addo noted that early childhood and primary education were the foundation of the educational system so government must ensure that proper attention and logistics were provided to promote quality education in the country.

He made this call during the opening ceremony of a week-long training workshop for 771 teachers in the municipality on the new curriculum for basic schools.

He appealed to stakeholders especially parents and government to provide an incentive package for teachers to encourage them to put in their best for the development of pupils.

Nkwanta South Municipal Coordinating Director, Alhaji Yussif Ibrahim entreated teachers to take the training very serious in order to improve on the falling standard of education in the area.

Municipal Director of Education, Stephen Kwame Tsuartofe expressed optimism the new curriculum would create an easy environment for children to study.

Chairman, Nkwanta South branch of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Maxwell Djoko appealed to government to resource teachers with logostics to improve teaching and learning in schools.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Aflao; Two Shops Razed By Fire

By

Volta Online

-

August 15, 2019

0

By: Sylvia Awuye | Voltaonlinegh.com |

Owners of two shops in Timber Market at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality are counting their losses after fire engulfed the wares in the shops.

The incident which occurred in the early hours of today [Thursday] razed the two shops to ground.

Residents who witness the destruction were thrown into shock and empathy as they could not tell the cause of the fire.

A timely response from Personnel from the Ghana Fire Service to douse the fire saved the third shop from being completely razed in the inferno.

According to an Eyewitness ” Everything got burnt in the shop where all tailoring materials, such as zip, lining, jewelry, clothes and polyester and some cotton clothing and other things that tailors use for designing, and everything got burnt in it.

He added ‘there were three (3) shops in a row, the third shop is for a mobile money vendor and they sell hair there as well… Just few of the hairs got burnt before the fire service came”

Attempts by Voltaonline to speak with one of the affected owners, Mad Evelyn Avorkah were not successful as she struggled to come to terms with the incidence.

The Municipal Fire Commander, Mr Stanley Nusetor said his outfit has begun investigation into the cause of the fire.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

GJA Commemorates its 70th Birthday

By

Volta Online

-

August 14, 2019

0

By: Voltaonlinegh |

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) will commemorate its 70th Birthday on Thursday, August 15, 2019, at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

The GJA was birthed on August 15, 1949 to promote high journalistic standards, media freedoms and welfare of journalists. It was also meant to defend journalists against abuse by state and non-state actors.

A release by the Association’s General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah on Wednesday said the commemoration of the 70th anniversary would involve the cutting of anniversary cake and reflections on the history and relevance of the GJA by some distinguished personalities, with Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh, the Chairman of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), as the Guest Speaker.

Other key speakers would be Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, former GJA President; Most Rev. Prof Emmanuel Asante, the Chairman of the National Peace Council and Dr. G.T. Anim, the first Ghanaian General Manager of the Ghana News Agency.

The release also said representatives of key partners including the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana), UNESCO Ghana, and the US Embassy in Accra would also deliver goodwill messages.

The event expected to be chaired by Ambassador David Anagletey, former Ghana Ambassador to Togo and Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation would be telecast live on GTV, Atinka TV, GHOne, TV3 and other broadcast networks.

The release said the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in a solidarity message, congratulated GJA on its 70th anniversary.

“The GJA is a shining example – a journalists’ association with an unwavering commitment to standing up and speaking out in defense of journalists and journalism.

“From your successful struggle against the Criminal Libel and Sedition Law to the adoption this year of the Right to Information Law the GJA has been at the forefront of protecting n ot only the country’s journalists, promoting the best in independent, ethical journalism but also in defending citizens’ rights to information.

“Today, on your anniversary, that spirit and courage in defense of media freedom is needed more than ever. Around the world journalism is under attack – and even in Ghana which enjoys greater media freedom than all other countries in Africa – your solidarity, your voice, your advocacy is increasingly vital to defend your achievements.

“We are proud to honor you today, to thank you for 70 years of struggle and to pledge to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the future. Happy Birthday GJA,” the IFJ’s statement concluded.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

P4H Project: Adaklu Health Directorate Appeals to Drivers, Riders to Prevent Deaths

By

Volta Online

-

August 14, 2019

0

By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh |

The Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Zone Coordinator, Adaklu District Health Service, Irene Elorm Afenuvor has appealed to drivers and motor-riders in the district to support the efforts of the directorate to avoid preventable deaths in the area.

Madam Afenuvor who bemoaned the absence of a major health facility and an ambulance to serve the district made up of 91 communities with over 55,000 people mostly engaged in subsistence farming, with a few enclaves of herdsmen said, the only way to improve on the health status of the people was to get people to support a Community Emergency Transport System (CETS).

She explained CETS as “a way of involving the community in transporting our referral cases to referral points because in our district, we don’t have hospitals but CHPS compounds and health centres” for providing first aids and minor health care services but not major treatments.

“So when emergency cases arise and need to be referred to Ho Municipal Hospital or the Regional Hospital (now Ho Teaching Hospital), transporting the people there sometimes becomes difficult,” she added.

Though Madam Afenuvor disclosed that the directorate liaised with community members, opinion leaders and chiefs to get the taxis being used for now and had the intention to liaise with the assembly to provide tricycle to be improvised into an ambulance, she said drivers and riders were key to get the CETS function properly to serve its purpose, to prevent deaths.

“We realised that the system was not really functioning in that when the drivers or riders are called to take cases that are being referred to hospitals, the nurses complain that some of them charge very high. Some say they will take GH¢200.00 from Waya to Ho, which is very huge and an amount the clients will not be able to pay.”

The CHPS Zone Coordinator spoke to Voltaonlinegh on Thursday, August 8 on the last day of a sensitisation campaign for five communities in the Adaklu District on CETS and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) at Tsrefe.

Community members at the programme at one of the communities visited

The outreach programme educated members of Wumenu, Tsrefe, Kodzobi, Torda and Adaklu Waya communities on the need to construct household toilets, address issues and challenges associated with WASH as well as the relevance of CETS to health care delivery and how to make the system more functional in these five communities.

The sensitisation programme formed part of a project dubbed People for Health (P4H) funded by USAID and being implemented by a consortium of three, SEND GHANA, Penplusbytes, and the Ghana News Agency in 25 districts selected from five regions across the country.

District Environmental Health Officer, Godwin Dogbey urged the people to construct household toilets and desist from open defecation, a causative factor for illnesses such as cholera and typhoid.

Mr. Dogbey dissuaded the people from defecating around and in bushes saying, one other danger people could be exposed to was bites from snakes which could have serious implications for their lives.

Executive Director, GOSANET Foundation, focal NGO in Adaklu District for P4H Project, Samuel Yao Atidzah explained that the project sought to strengthen organisational and institutional capacities of both government and civil society for mutual accountability in health, HIV, Malaria, WASH and nutrition policy formulation and implementation.

Mr. Atidzah who underscored the importance of the project expected that there would be at least one sensitisation on WASH every quarter to downstream the education for acceptance by the people.

Meanwhile, chiefs and people of the communities visited promised to give the needed assistance to CETS committees to make them more functional and also expressed readiness to construct household toilets to deal with open defecation.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Volta NDC Inaugurates Regional Council of Elders, Working Committees

By

Volta Online

-

August 14, 2019

0

By: Rita Kafui Nedjoh | Voltaonlinegh |

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has officially inaugurated a regional council of elders committee and nine other working committees to foster smooth running of the party in the region.

The Committees inaugurated over the weekend in the regional capital, Ho included the Political Committee, Communication Committee, Research and Strategy Committee, Constitution and Legal Committee and Finance Committee.

The rest were Special Complaint Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Social Welfare Committee and Security Committee.

Members of the various committees were expected to work together and engage the grassroots in order to increase electoral fortunes for the party in the region for victory 2020 and also help in administering the party’s activities in pursuance to the its Constitution and applicable laws and regulations.

General Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia who swore in members of the committees, cautioned member to see the new role as a call for work and productivity and urged them to actively work to increase votes for the party.

Mr. Nketia advised the leadership of the party to protect and secure the strongholds and not take them for granted asking, “let us work to improve what we have.”

He r bemoaned the culture of treating new members well and forgetting faithful and committed members noting that, that act affected the party negatively hence the call for equal treatment for all members in the party.

Mr. Nketia argued, “it’s more important to protect and secure the core voters rather than fighting for floating voters, thus, when core voters feel the sense of belonging there will be no need to fight for floating voters.”

He described the call for electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) as a step in the right direction believing that it would take “the winner takes it all” politics away and rather bring balance at the district level for accelerated development.

Volta Regional Chairman, NDC speaking on behalf of members of the committee assured the General Secretary and party members that, the committees were poised and ready to deliver in order to increase votes for the party to win the 2020 general elections and to bring development to the doorstep of the people of the Volta Region.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Send Your Girl Child to School, not Marriage-Akatsi North MP to Zongo Community

By

Volta Online

-

August 13, 2019

0

By: Abdul-Iddrisu Faisel | Voltaonlinegh |

Member of Parliament (MP) for Akatsi North Constituency and Ranking Member on Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe has called on the Muslim community to desist from giving out their teen daughters into early marriage but rather prioritise their education.

Hon. Nortsu-Kotoe said Zongo communities across the country were deprived, and the best way to changing the narrative was to have children from Zongo communities attaining higher standards in the area of education, calling for much focus on the girl child.

The MP who made the call when he joined Muslim faithful from the constituency at Ave-Afiadenyigba Zongo on Sunday for Eid Prayers disclosed that the people’s request for additional classroom block for the Islamic school had been heard and that work would start by September this year.

He however noted that “the facility if completed, would have to be occupied by your children and it is important you send all these young ones to school, that’s the only way we can put the facility to use.”

He urged them to dump the culture of giving out their young daughters into marriage and secure their future by sending them to school.

“It is also important you desist from giving out your daughters into early marriage, it jeopardizes their future. I am by this extending the call for you to make the education of your daughters a paramount issue. They can also become lawyers, doctors, teachers and big time personalities in the future.”

“If they’re educated, nobody can swindle or deceive them and that’s also the best way of alleviating the poverty level of our Zongo communities,” he added.

Ghanaian Muslims on Sunday, August 11, joined Muslims across the globe to offer Eid prayers in commemoration of the 2019 sacrificial Eid-Adhar.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com

Medical Science Cannot Ensure Malaria-Free Ghana but Our Attitude-Okyenhene

By

Volta Online

-

August 13, 2019

0

By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh |

The Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has called for a change in attitude of the citizenry to rid the country of malaria epidemic and its attendant deaths.

Osagyefo Ofori Panin bemoaned illegal mining and other environmental degrading activities that offered breeding places for malaria-causing mosquitoes, thus, increasing malaria cases, resulting in loss of lives especially children below 5 years nationwide.

According to him, there was the need for concerted efforts with the media assuming a crucial position in championing the crusade for attitudinal change hammering, “medical science cannot ensure malaria-free Ghana but our attitude.”

The Okyenhene who was the Guest Speaker at the second edition of the Eastern Region Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards held on August 9 in Koforidua under the theme “Securing a Malaria Free Ghana, Role of the Media”, found the theme for the Awards appropriate and timely and tasked the media to do its best to arrest malaria cases in the country to secure the future of the younger generation.

He observed that a lot of things were not going on well in the country saying, “here we are 62 years later, we are talking about eradicating malaria” while the masses were plagued with the disease of poverty just as in other countries on the continent, Africa blessed with rich natural resources “yet we’re the headquarters of poverty, a poverty without option.”

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin said only the media, an important tool for change could help the situation and in every circumstance, alert people in authority to the gloomy state of affairs appealing, “help us, speak to power.”

Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye-Dafour admitted that the work of a journalist was not easy as they faced challenges while carrying out their duties and commended the Eastern Region GJA for instituting an awards scheme to reward deserving journalists.

Mr. Kwakye-Dafour promised not to deliberately obstruct the work of journalists but partner with them “so together, we can move the region forward.”

Chairman, Eastern Region GJA, Maxwell Kudekor urged members to up their game and focus on developmental stories to benefit the region and the country.

Mr. Kudekor disclosed that there were no winners for 4 out 11 categories explaining, 3 nominations; Best Water and Sanitation, Agriculture, Business and SME did not meet the criteria set by the Awards Committee while that of Best Malaria received no entry.

Giving staggering statistics on the dangers of malaria, he expressed disappointment that there was no single entry for competition on malaria even when the theme for the Awards was on malaria eradication.

GJA Prez, Affail Monney (3rd from right), Maxwell Kudekor (4th), an awardee, Bertha Badu and some regional GJA chairmen in a pose after the Awards

Friday’s Awards which had the National GJA President, Affail Monney, tall list of chiefs and elders from the region and distinguished personalities in attendance, saw competitive and honourary awards given to journalists, and an individual and organisations respectively for their contribution towards the growth of the journalism profession in the region.

For the competitive category, Bertha Badu, Chief Reporter of Ghana News Agency picked the Best Health Reporting, Ama Takyiwa Ampadu Agyeman, Ghanaian Times, Best Road safety Reporting and Daniel Bampoe, Daily Guide, Best Crime and Court reporting.

The other award winners included Sylvanus Gatorwu, a freelancer, the Best Rural Reporting, Gilbert Kwasi Frimpong, Daily Statesman, Best Environment Reporting, Felix Yaw Adjei, Okwahu FM, Best Development programme, and Kwaku Aboagye Appenteng of Kingdom Fm, Indigenous News Caster Award.

The Honourary awards went to the Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye-Dafour, GBC-Sunrise, Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Royal Mac-Dic Hotel.

The Eastern Region GJA are the second to institute a regional awards scheme in 2018 after the pacesetters, Volta Region (2017) to reward and motivate journalists producing and publishing compelling development-oriented stories in the region.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com