Techiman Universal Stars have called on the Diciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Association to declare them winners in their abortive Zone 1A DOL match against Guan United at Tamale.
They accused supporters of the home team of attacking them before the match, resulting in injuries to five of their players.
Alhaji Iddrissu Amadu, CEO of Universal Stars, who made the appeal through the Graphic Sports in Kumasi alleged that supporters of the home team attacked them with bicycle chains, before the start of the game and in the process five of their players were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Alhaji Iddrissu said Universal Stars arrived at the venue for the match at about 2pm, only to meet supporters of the home team who started threatened them.
He said the dressing room was locked by the supporters and when they demanded the keys to the facility, the angry supporters pounced on them, adding that the team had to seek refuge at the Police Station.
According to the CEO, when the Police escorted the team back to the venue of the match at 2.45pm, they made a complaint to the Match Commissioner because the situation was still tensed.
He said under that difficult situation there was no way any visiting team could play a match.
He said it is against this background that Universal Stars are urging the Disciplinary Committee to take a critical look at the events and give a fair judgement which he believes should be in favour of his team.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
PATHOLOGIST ALARMED OVER RAT OF DEATH OF YOUTH (PAGE 3, APRIL 21, 2010)
A SENIOR pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr S.E. Quayson, has raised alarm at the rate at which young people, who constitute the productive age group of the country, are dying.
“A lot of young people are dying; most of them at home, which is unacceptable,” he told the Daily Graphic and warned that there could be something wrong, especially with the health system and how people toyed with their lives.
He said at the Pathology Department of KATH, 45 per cent of the cases that they worked on between January and March this year were people aged between 15 and 49.
Dr Quayson said the trend could have dire consequences on national development if it continued and, therefore, called on the youth to lead healthy lifestyles to avoid preventable deaths.
He further disclosed that cancer was killing many people in the country and stressed the need for people to seek early treatment.
Dr Quayson pointed out the need for pathology to take the centre stage of medical care in the country and said physicians and other doctors could undertake their work without any blemish if pathological services were readily available.
Against that background, he expressed delight that post-mortem reports from the hospital could now be obtained within one week.
That, he said, had placed KATH as the only facility in West Africa where the reports could be given in such a short period and explained that such quick service delivery had become possible as a result of the establishment of the ultramodern pathology department at the hospital and the determination of personnel at the department to give their best.
The Pathology Department now has seven permanent specialists and consultant pathologists, as well as six resident medical officers.
Dr Quayson further noted that cases handled at the department were audited to ensure qualitative service delivery.
“The auditing is very essential because of quality assurance,” he stressed.
Dr Quayson commended various international institutions, including the Pathologists Overseas Programme and the University of Western Norway, for supporting the department.
The senior pathologist disclosed that the department would start full-scale immunohistochemistry services by the end of this year.
Immunohistochemistry is a special method of detecting the presence of specific proteins in cells or tissues.
Dr Quayson called for some financial autonomy in the operations of the hospital and explained that if the Pathology Department, for instance, were given autonomy, it would be able to raise adequate funds to finance its operations.
Currently, the KATH Pathology Department serves the northern part of the country and, sometimes, specimens have to be taken from faraway places such as Bolgatanga to Kumasi for examination.
“A lot of young people are dying; most of them at home, which is unacceptable,” he told the Daily Graphic and warned that there could be something wrong, especially with the health system and how people toyed with their lives.
He said at the Pathology Department of KATH, 45 per cent of the cases that they worked on between January and March this year were people aged between 15 and 49.
Dr Quayson said the trend could have dire consequences on national development if it continued and, therefore, called on the youth to lead healthy lifestyles to avoid preventable deaths.
He further disclosed that cancer was killing many people in the country and stressed the need for people to seek early treatment.
Dr Quayson pointed out the need for pathology to take the centre stage of medical care in the country and said physicians and other doctors could undertake their work without any blemish if pathological services were readily available.
Against that background, he expressed delight that post-mortem reports from the hospital could now be obtained within one week.
That, he said, had placed KATH as the only facility in West Africa where the reports could be given in such a short period and explained that such quick service delivery had become possible as a result of the establishment of the ultramodern pathology department at the hospital and the determination of personnel at the department to give their best.
The Pathology Department now has seven permanent specialists and consultant pathologists, as well as six resident medical officers.
Dr Quayson further noted that cases handled at the department were audited to ensure qualitative service delivery.
“The auditing is very essential because of quality assurance,” he stressed.
Dr Quayson commended various international institutions, including the Pathologists Overseas Programme and the University of Western Norway, for supporting the department.
The senior pathologist disclosed that the department would start full-scale immunohistochemistry services by the end of this year.
Immunohistochemistry is a special method of detecting the presence of specific proteins in cells or tissues.
Dr Quayson called for some financial autonomy in the operations of the hospital and explained that if the Pathology Department, for instance, were given autonomy, it would be able to raise adequate funds to finance its operations.
Currently, the KATH Pathology Department serves the northern part of the country and, sometimes, specimens have to be taken from faraway places such as Bolgatanga to Kumasi for examination.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
THOUSANDS PAY LAST RESPECT TO YEBOAH (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 11, APRIL 20, 2010)
HUNDREDS of football enthusiasts from all over the country poured into the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium last Thursday to pay their last respects to Kessben FC’s defender Bartholomew Yeboah, who collapsed and died in a league game in Accra on March 7, this year.
As the late Yeboah’s teammates and club officials including Kessben FC’s president, Mr Kwabena Kesse, filed past his mortal remains, which were dressed in club jersey, they broke down in tears.
The body was later buried at his hometown, Akrokerri in the Ashanti Region.
Before the burial a memorial service was held at the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium where the body was laid in state.
Ghanaian football was thrown into a state of mourning when Yeboah, a budding 20-year-old defender of Kessben FC collapsed on the pitch in a league match against Liberty Professionals in Accra on March 7 and died the next morning in hospital.
The incident took place when the defender broke down with seven minutes left at Kessben’s 4-0 defeat to Liberty Professionals but could not survive after being rushed to hospital.
His death came as a huge tragedy not only to Kessben FC but also to the game in Ghana and indeed Africa.
At his funeral service tributes poured in from his club, family, the Professional League Board and the Ghana FA among others.
They are expressed shock at the death of the young man who was a great hope to his family.
Players of Liberty Professionals came down from Accra to express their sympathies with the bereaved family.
As the late Yeboah’s teammates and club officials including Kessben FC’s president, Mr Kwabena Kesse, filed past his mortal remains, which were dressed in club jersey, they broke down in tears.
The body was later buried at his hometown, Akrokerri in the Ashanti Region.
Before the burial a memorial service was held at the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium where the body was laid in state.
Ghanaian football was thrown into a state of mourning when Yeboah, a budding 20-year-old defender of Kessben FC collapsed on the pitch in a league match against Liberty Professionals in Accra on March 7 and died the next morning in hospital.
The incident took place when the defender broke down with seven minutes left at Kessben’s 4-0 defeat to Liberty Professionals but could not survive after being rushed to hospital.
His death came as a huge tragedy not only to Kessben FC but also to the game in Ghana and indeed Africa.
At his funeral service tributes poured in from his club, family, the Professional League Board and the Ghana FA among others.
They are expressed shock at the death of the young man who was a great hope to his family.
Players of Liberty Professionals came down from Accra to express their sympathies with the bereaved family.
Monday, April 19, 2010
ALAN CALLS FOR UNITY IN NPP (PAGE 14, APRIL 19, 2010)
A NEW Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer aspirant, Mr Alan Kyerematen, has intensified his campiagn in the Ashanti Region with the call on the party to prosecute the 2012 elections with unity rather than a divided house.
He said the ruling NDC party would fiercely contest the 2012 elections and that demanded an NPP presidential candidate who could unite the party and also attract many floating voters to carry the day.
Mr Kyerematen, who was speaking at a meeting with party polling station chairmen in the Ejisu Juaben Constituency at Ejisu last Saturday, as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region to seek for support for his flag bearer bid, said the party needed to caution its followers against any belief that the NDC would easily be dislodged out of power in the 2012 elections.
He, therefore, urged the party’s delegates for the August presidential primary to massively vote for him as he had the credentials to lead the party to victory.
My Kyerematen had so far visited the Asante Akim South, Asante Akim North, Manhyia, Asokwa and Subin constituencies.
He also paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace and worshipped with Muslims at the Central Mosque in Kumasi.
In all the constituencies that he visited, large numbers of people poured out to welcome him and his entourage, which included Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former presidential spokesperson, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, former Volta Regional Minister and Ms Hilda Josephine Addo, former MP for Kwadaso.
He noted that the 2008 campaign strategy of the party was flawed in many ways paving the way for the NDC to clinch an undeserved victory.
Mr Kyerematen gave the assurance that he planned to work out a strategy that would overcome the NDC tactics for the 2012 elections when he was elected.
On that score, he said, the party’s foot soldiers who were not recognised in the 2008 campaign strategy would be given a big role to play in the electioneering strategy.
“It is clear that if the party’s foot soldiers had been given a role to play, the NDC would not have won the elections,” he said.
He said elections were won with people who knew the grounds “and in this case, the people are the foot soldiers”.
Mr Kyerematen urged the party’s foot soldiers not to be discouraged about the events in 2008 but rekindle their spirit and start working towards victory in the next elections.
He repeated his assertion that worldwide, young people were winning elections in their countries because the people had hope in the youth.
He said with age on his side, backed by his industry, charisma and trustworthiness, he was sure to lead the party to victory if elected flag bearer.
He said the ruling NDC party would fiercely contest the 2012 elections and that demanded an NPP presidential candidate who could unite the party and also attract many floating voters to carry the day.
Mr Kyerematen, who was speaking at a meeting with party polling station chairmen in the Ejisu Juaben Constituency at Ejisu last Saturday, as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region to seek for support for his flag bearer bid, said the party needed to caution its followers against any belief that the NDC would easily be dislodged out of power in the 2012 elections.
He, therefore, urged the party’s delegates for the August presidential primary to massively vote for him as he had the credentials to lead the party to victory.
My Kyerematen had so far visited the Asante Akim South, Asante Akim North, Manhyia, Asokwa and Subin constituencies.
He also paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace and worshipped with Muslims at the Central Mosque in Kumasi.
In all the constituencies that he visited, large numbers of people poured out to welcome him and his entourage, which included Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former presidential spokesperson, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, former Volta Regional Minister and Ms Hilda Josephine Addo, former MP for Kwadaso.
He noted that the 2008 campaign strategy of the party was flawed in many ways paving the way for the NDC to clinch an undeserved victory.
Mr Kyerematen gave the assurance that he planned to work out a strategy that would overcome the NDC tactics for the 2012 elections when he was elected.
On that score, he said, the party’s foot soldiers who were not recognised in the 2008 campaign strategy would be given a big role to play in the electioneering strategy.
“It is clear that if the party’s foot soldiers had been given a role to play, the NDC would not have won the elections,” he said.
He said elections were won with people who knew the grounds “and in this case, the people are the foot soldiers”.
Mr Kyerematen urged the party’s foot soldiers not to be discouraged about the events in 2008 but rekindle their spirit and start working towards victory in the next elections.
He repeated his assertion that worldwide, young people were winning elections in their countries because the people had hope in the youth.
He said with age on his side, backed by his industry, charisma and trustworthiness, he was sure to lead the party to victory if elected flag bearer.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
KESSBEN PLAYER BURIED (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, SPREAD, APRIL 19, 2010)
By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi
HUNDREDS of football enthusiasts from all over the country converged on the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium recently to pay their last respect to Kessben FC’s defender Bartholomew Yeboah, who collapsed and died in a league game in Accra on March 7, this year.
As the late Yeboah’s colleagues and club officials including Kessben FC’s President, Mr Kwabena Kesse, filed past his mortal remains, which was dressed in club attire, they broke down in tears.
The body was later buried at his hometown, Akrokerri in the Ashanti Region.
Before the burial, a memorial service was held at the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium where the body was laid in state.
Ghanaian football was thrown into a state of mourning when Yeboah, a budding 20-year-old defender of Kessben FC, collapsed on the pitch in a league match against Liberty Professionals in Accra on March 7 and died the next morning at hospital.
The defender collapsed with seven minutes of play remaining during Kessben’s 4-0 defeat of Liberty Professionals, but could not survive after being rushed to hospital.
His death came as a huge tragedy not only to Kessben FC but also to the game in Ghana and indeed Africa. During the funeral service, tributes poured in from his club, family, the Professional League Board (PLB), the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) among others.
They all expressed shock at the death of the young man who was a great hope to his family.
Players of Liberty Professionals came down from Accra to mourn with the bereaved family.
HUNDREDS of football enthusiasts from all over the country converged on the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium recently to pay their last respect to Kessben FC’s defender Bartholomew Yeboah, who collapsed and died in a league game in Accra on March 7, this year.
As the late Yeboah’s colleagues and club officials including Kessben FC’s President, Mr Kwabena Kesse, filed past his mortal remains, which was dressed in club attire, they broke down in tears.
The body was later buried at his hometown, Akrokerri in the Ashanti Region.
Before the burial, a memorial service was held at the Heroes’ Park at the Baba Yara Stadium where the body was laid in state.
Ghanaian football was thrown into a state of mourning when Yeboah, a budding 20-year-old defender of Kessben FC, collapsed on the pitch in a league match against Liberty Professionals in Accra on March 7 and died the next morning at hospital.
The defender collapsed with seven minutes of play remaining during Kessben’s 4-0 defeat of Liberty Professionals, but could not survive after being rushed to hospital.
His death came as a huge tragedy not only to Kessben FC but also to the game in Ghana and indeed Africa. During the funeral service, tributes poured in from his club, family, the Professional League Board (PLB), the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) among others.
They all expressed shock at the death of the young man who was a great hope to his family.
Players of Liberty Professionals came down from Accra to mourn with the bereaved family.
KMA BANS FUNERAL ON MAJOR STREETS (PAGE 18, APRIL 17, 2010)
THE Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has placed a ban on funerals held on major streets in the metropolis.
The ban came as residents and non-residents alike complained about the continuous use of the roads for funerals and their attendant inconveniences to them.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Assembly, Mr Clement Kigeri, told the Daily Graphic that all the sub-metropolitan councils had been informed of the directive for compliance.
He said the KMA Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, was very serious about the directive and was ready to ensure that officials of sub-metros who failed to implement the decision will face the necessary sanctions.
“Mr Sarpong wants the best for Kumasi and he will ensure that sanity is brought into the management of the metropolis,” he said.
Mr Kigeri said the assembly took the decision, taking into consideration the numerous complaints from residents about the use of the roads for funerals.
Kumasi is notorious for blockage of roads for funerals. On a typical day, a suburb could have almost all its major roads used for funerals.
The practice takes place all days but it is most prevalent on Saturdays and Sundays.
This creates serious problems for vehicular movement as drivers sometimes have to make long detours to get to their destinations.
“We are disturbed about situations where a street like the Bantama High Street is blocked for funerals.
“In such a situation, so much inconvenience is caused to motorists and passengers and this cannot be allowed to continue,” the PRO said.
Mr Kigeri said much as the assembly appreciated how the people valued funerals, it would not allow the situation where funerals prevented the free movement of vehicles.
He expressed the hope that bereaved families would bear with the assembly and find alternative places for their funerals.
He, however, explained that the directive did not affect streets in purely residential areas.
“These residential streets are not busy and the organisation of funerals on them can be contained,” he added.
The ban came as residents and non-residents alike complained about the continuous use of the roads for funerals and their attendant inconveniences to them.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Assembly, Mr Clement Kigeri, told the Daily Graphic that all the sub-metropolitan councils had been informed of the directive for compliance.
He said the KMA Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, was very serious about the directive and was ready to ensure that officials of sub-metros who failed to implement the decision will face the necessary sanctions.
“Mr Sarpong wants the best for Kumasi and he will ensure that sanity is brought into the management of the metropolis,” he said.
Mr Kigeri said the assembly took the decision, taking into consideration the numerous complaints from residents about the use of the roads for funerals.
Kumasi is notorious for blockage of roads for funerals. On a typical day, a suburb could have almost all its major roads used for funerals.
The practice takes place all days but it is most prevalent on Saturdays and Sundays.
This creates serious problems for vehicular movement as drivers sometimes have to make long detours to get to their destinations.
“We are disturbed about situations where a street like the Bantama High Street is blocked for funerals.
“In such a situation, so much inconvenience is caused to motorists and passengers and this cannot be allowed to continue,” the PRO said.
Mr Kigeri said much as the assembly appreciated how the people valued funerals, it would not allow the situation where funerals prevented the free movement of vehicles.
He expressed the hope that bereaved families would bear with the assembly and find alternative places for their funerals.
He, however, explained that the directive did not affect streets in purely residential areas.
“These residential streets are not busy and the organisation of funerals on them can be contained,” he added.
MALES ADVISED TO GET INVOLVED IN FAMILY PLANNING (PAGE 23, APRIL 17, 2010)
THE Deputy Ashanti Regional Population Officer, Mr Kwadwo Peprah, has called on males to get involved in family planning programmes.
He said there was the erroneous impression, within certain circles, that matters relating to family planning were female-centred.
Speaking at the regional population advisory committee meeting in Kumasi, Mr Peprah stated that the active participation of males in the programme would advance its success for the good of the nation.
Among issues discussed at the meeting were agrochemicals and their health implications on the population, population and noise making, briefing on the 2010 population and housing census, sexual assaults in schools, sanitation in public schools, and male involvement in family planning.
Mr Peprah said the regional office of the National Population Council (NPC) was undertaking a number of population related activities aimed at bringing sanity into the system.
He stated that last year, his outfit undertook various activities including workshops and seminars on integration of population variables into development planning, and the repositioning of family planning.
Mr Peprah called for effective collaboration between the various departments and the NPC to ensure that the regional population advisory committee functions effectively.
He said his outfit would continue to undertake programmes that would bring hope to the people.
The Deputy Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr Emmanuel N. Num, stressed on the importance of the committee to the development of the region, and called on the various departments in the committee to discharge their duties with seriousness.
“We all have to bear in mind that what we do as officers of the various departments would have a bearing on population activities,” he said.
Mr Num also asked the departments to collaborate effectively with the political authorities for financial and other resource support to implement their programmes, instead of constantly citing financial difficulties as preventing them from carrying out their activities.
Mr Num warned against the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, saying they could be a threat to human lives.
He said there was the erroneous impression, within certain circles, that matters relating to family planning were female-centred.
Speaking at the regional population advisory committee meeting in Kumasi, Mr Peprah stated that the active participation of males in the programme would advance its success for the good of the nation.
Among issues discussed at the meeting were agrochemicals and their health implications on the population, population and noise making, briefing on the 2010 population and housing census, sexual assaults in schools, sanitation in public schools, and male involvement in family planning.
Mr Peprah said the regional office of the National Population Council (NPC) was undertaking a number of population related activities aimed at bringing sanity into the system.
He stated that last year, his outfit undertook various activities including workshops and seminars on integration of population variables into development planning, and the repositioning of family planning.
Mr Peprah called for effective collaboration between the various departments and the NPC to ensure that the regional population advisory committee functions effectively.
He said his outfit would continue to undertake programmes that would bring hope to the people.
The Deputy Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr Emmanuel N. Num, stressed on the importance of the committee to the development of the region, and called on the various departments in the committee to discharge their duties with seriousness.
“We all have to bear in mind that what we do as officers of the various departments would have a bearing on population activities,” he said.
Mr Num also asked the departments to collaborate effectively with the political authorities for financial and other resource support to implement their programmes, instead of constantly citing financial difficulties as preventing them from carrying out their activities.
Mr Num warned against the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, saying they could be a threat to human lives.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
FOUR HELD OVER ARMS (PAGE 43, APRIL 15, 2010)
FOUR persons, including two students, have been arrested by the police in connection with an attempted transportation of a quantity of ammunition and other dangerous weapons to Tamale.
The items, including 25 pieces of cartridges and 14 pieces of Tiger knife, described by the police as a very dangerous weapon, were intercepted at Nkenkensu in the Ashanti Region aboard a Tamale-bound Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus last Monday.
Those arrested are Numpak Duuti, 18, a senior high school student from Bunkpurugu; Kwabena Duah, 43, a trader at Tamale; Myles Prah, 30, a student in Kumasi; and Takara Shiku, 29, a farmer at Bunkpurugu.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspects had denied any knowledge of the items.
The regional commander indicated that following the insecurity in the northern parts of the country, the police administration had directed regional, divisional and district commands at the exit points to northern Ghana to be extra vigilant about the transportation of dangerous weapons to that part of the country.
As a result of the directive, he said, the regional police had activated its barriers at vantage points and stepped up patrols.
He said at about 6.30 p.m. last Monday, the Akomadan District Command positioned men at the barrier, while the Regional Buffalo Unit in Kumasi also stepped up their patrols in the area.
In the evening, the MMT bus pulled up at the barrier and the police conducted a search on it leading to the discovery of the items and the subsequent arrest of the four people.
Mr Timbillah stated that his outfit would continue to be extra vigilant to ensure that no weapons found their way to the northern part of the country.
The items, including 25 pieces of cartridges and 14 pieces of Tiger knife, described by the police as a very dangerous weapon, were intercepted at Nkenkensu in the Ashanti Region aboard a Tamale-bound Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus last Monday.
Those arrested are Numpak Duuti, 18, a senior high school student from Bunkpurugu; Kwabena Duah, 43, a trader at Tamale; Myles Prah, 30, a student in Kumasi; and Takara Shiku, 29, a farmer at Bunkpurugu.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspects had denied any knowledge of the items.
The regional commander indicated that following the insecurity in the northern parts of the country, the police administration had directed regional, divisional and district commands at the exit points to northern Ghana to be extra vigilant about the transportation of dangerous weapons to that part of the country.
As a result of the directive, he said, the regional police had activated its barriers at vantage points and stepped up patrols.
He said at about 6.30 p.m. last Monday, the Akomadan District Command positioned men at the barrier, while the Regional Buffalo Unit in Kumasi also stepped up their patrols in the area.
In the evening, the MMT bus pulled up at the barrier and the police conducted a search on it leading to the discovery of the items and the subsequent arrest of the four people.
Mr Timbillah stated that his outfit would continue to be extra vigilant to ensure that no weapons found their way to the northern part of the country.
FOUR HELD OVER ARMS (PAGE 14, APRIL 14, 2010)
FOUR persons, including two students, have been arrested by the police in connection with an attempted transportation of a quantity of ammunition and other dangerous weapons to Tamale.
The items, including 25 pieces of cartridges and 14 pieces of Tiger knife, described by the police as a very dangerous weapon, were intercepted at Nkenkensu in the Ashanti Region aboard a Tamale-bound Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus last Monday.
Those arrested are Numpak Duuti, 18, a senior high school student from Bunkpurugu; Kwabena Duah, 43, a trader at Tamale; Myles Prah, 30, a student in Kumasi; and Takara Shiku, 29, a farmer at Bunkpurugu.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspects had denied any knowledge of the items.
The regional commander indicated that following the insecurity in the northern parts of the country, the police administration had directed regional, divisional and district commands at the exit points to northern Ghana to be extra vigilant about the transportation of dangerous weapons to that part of the country.
As a result of the directive, he said, the regional police had activated its barriers at vantage points and stepped up patrols.
He said at about 6.30 p.m. last Monday, the Akomadan District Command positioned men at the barrier, while the Regional Buffalo Unit in Kumasi also stepped up their patrols in the area.
In the evening, the MMT bus pulled up at the barrier and the police conducted a search on it leading to the discovery of the items and the subsequent arrest of the four people.
Mr Timbillah stated that his outfit would continue to be extra vigilant to ensure that no weapons found their way to the northern part of the country.
The items, including 25 pieces of cartridges and 14 pieces of Tiger knife, described by the police as a very dangerous weapon, were intercepted at Nkenkensu in the Ashanti Region aboard a Tamale-bound Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus last Monday.
Those arrested are Numpak Duuti, 18, a senior high school student from Bunkpurugu; Kwabena Duah, 43, a trader at Tamale; Myles Prah, 30, a student in Kumasi; and Takara Shiku, 29, a farmer at Bunkpurugu.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspects had denied any knowledge of the items.
The regional commander indicated that following the insecurity in the northern parts of the country, the police administration had directed regional, divisional and district commands at the exit points to northern Ghana to be extra vigilant about the transportation of dangerous weapons to that part of the country.
As a result of the directive, he said, the regional police had activated its barriers at vantage points and stepped up patrols.
He said at about 6.30 p.m. last Monday, the Akomadan District Command positioned men at the barrier, while the Regional Buffalo Unit in Kumasi also stepped up their patrols in the area.
In the evening, the MMT bus pulled up at the barrier and the police conducted a search on it leading to the discovery of the items and the subsequent arrest of the four people.
Mr Timbillah stated that his outfit would continue to be extra vigilant to ensure that no weapons found their way to the northern part of the country.
Monday, April 12, 2010
ALAN BOYS TO BE SACKED? (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, LEAD STORY, APRIL 12, 2010)
By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi
CRACKS in the Ashanti Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party is threatening the very foundations of the party in its stronghold as the NPP prepares to elect its presidential candidate for the 2012 elections.
In the centre of the storm is the regional organiser of the party, Mr Kennedy Kankam, a known supporter of flag bearer hopeful, Mr Alan Kyerematen, who had gone public to castigate the Regional Chairman, Mr F.F. Anto, and Regional Secretary, Mr Sam Payne, for leading a crusade to get Nana Akufo-Addo maintain a stronghold in the region ahead of the presidential primary.
According to Mr Kankam, he had audio recordings of a meeting the two held with others from the Nana Akufo-Addo camp at a filling station in Kumasi belonging to Mr Anto.
He alleged that the meeting was to strategise for Nana Akufo-Addo, which the organiser described as a negative move.
He further said some former NPP gurus were behind the prosecution of Dr Richard Anane and others for causing financial loss to the state in an attempt to weaken the Alan camp since the suspects were all supporters of Alan.
Both Mr Anto and Mr Payne have dismissed the allegations, accusing Mr Kankam of creating trouble in the party.
The matter was therefore referred to the disciplinary committee, which had since started investigations into the issue.
As the disciplinary committee of the party in the region meets to take a decision on Mr Kankam and others including former Kwadaso MP, Ms Josephine Hilda Addo, there are strong indications that stiff sanctions would be meted out to them.
A party source told the Graphic that it would not be surprising if some of them were sacked from the party.
However, the big question is whether the NPP should take such drastic measures at a time it is fighting to build a united party for the 2012 battle.
The Ashanti Region has become the notorious trouble spot for the NPP and if recent developments are anything to go by, then the party has a huge task ahead of it in the next elections.
Meanwhile, the National Organiser of the NPP, Alhaji Moctar Musa Bamba, has called for calm among the rank and file of the party, assuring them that the national executives were working at settling all internal wrangling, report David Owusu-Antwi and Leticia Afua Ayeh from Berekum
According to him, the NPP needed unity now more than ever so they could adequately focus their energies into strategising to wrestle power from the National Democratic Congress in 2012.
“Let us bury our differences and seek our common interest of coming back to power to make life better for Ghanaians”, he said.
Alhaji Bamba said these when he inaugurated a Peace and Unity Club of the party in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He urged members to soften their stance on whatever issues and positions they were harbouring, saying, “at the end of the day what we all want is for the NPP to recapture power.”
“What we must be busy about now is getting our message to the grassroots; getting the people to love us again and become more interested in voting for us in the next election”, he said.
In his opinion, everything that could divide their front must be eschewed.
Alhaji Bamba was very grateful to the organisers of the club for the good work they did in drawing many members into the club.
He expressed the hope that the club would be replicated throughout the country to further help in efforts being made to brighten the party’s chances in the 2012 general elections.
The NPP Constituency Chairman for Berekum, Mr K.O. Agyei, added his voice for peace in the party.
CRACKS in the Ashanti Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party is threatening the very foundations of the party in its stronghold as the NPP prepares to elect its presidential candidate for the 2012 elections.
In the centre of the storm is the regional organiser of the party, Mr Kennedy Kankam, a known supporter of flag bearer hopeful, Mr Alan Kyerematen, who had gone public to castigate the Regional Chairman, Mr F.F. Anto, and Regional Secretary, Mr Sam Payne, for leading a crusade to get Nana Akufo-Addo maintain a stronghold in the region ahead of the presidential primary.
According to Mr Kankam, he had audio recordings of a meeting the two held with others from the Nana Akufo-Addo camp at a filling station in Kumasi belonging to Mr Anto.
He alleged that the meeting was to strategise for Nana Akufo-Addo, which the organiser described as a negative move.
He further said some former NPP gurus were behind the prosecution of Dr Richard Anane and others for causing financial loss to the state in an attempt to weaken the Alan camp since the suspects were all supporters of Alan.
Both Mr Anto and Mr Payne have dismissed the allegations, accusing Mr Kankam of creating trouble in the party.
The matter was therefore referred to the disciplinary committee, which had since started investigations into the issue.
As the disciplinary committee of the party in the region meets to take a decision on Mr Kankam and others including former Kwadaso MP, Ms Josephine Hilda Addo, there are strong indications that stiff sanctions would be meted out to them.
A party source told the Graphic that it would not be surprising if some of them were sacked from the party.
However, the big question is whether the NPP should take such drastic measures at a time it is fighting to build a united party for the 2012 battle.
The Ashanti Region has become the notorious trouble spot for the NPP and if recent developments are anything to go by, then the party has a huge task ahead of it in the next elections.
Meanwhile, the National Organiser of the NPP, Alhaji Moctar Musa Bamba, has called for calm among the rank and file of the party, assuring them that the national executives were working at settling all internal wrangling, report David Owusu-Antwi and Leticia Afua Ayeh from Berekum
According to him, the NPP needed unity now more than ever so they could adequately focus their energies into strategising to wrestle power from the National Democratic Congress in 2012.
“Let us bury our differences and seek our common interest of coming back to power to make life better for Ghanaians”, he said.
Alhaji Bamba said these when he inaugurated a Peace and Unity Club of the party in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He urged members to soften their stance on whatever issues and positions they were harbouring, saying, “at the end of the day what we all want is for the NPP to recapture power.”
“What we must be busy about now is getting our message to the grassroots; getting the people to love us again and become more interested in voting for us in the next election”, he said.
In his opinion, everything that could divide their front must be eschewed.
Alhaji Bamba was very grateful to the organisers of the club for the good work they did in drawing many members into the club.
He expressed the hope that the club would be replicated throughout the country to further help in efforts being made to brighten the party’s chances in the 2012 general elections.
The NPP Constituency Chairman for Berekum, Mr K.O. Agyei, added his voice for peace in the party.
BIG HOMECOMING AT AFIGYA KWABRE (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, SPREAD, APRIL 12, 2010)
By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kodie
EASTER Monday would forever be remembered in the annals of the Afigya Kwabre District in the Ashanti Region.
On that day, the district assembly organised a successful homecoming for citizens that drew some of the notable citizens of the district to Kodie, the district capital, where the event took place.
Among them was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, General Manager (Newspapers) of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, MP for Afigya Sekyere West, Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, MP for Afigya Kwabre, and Mr Akenten Appiah-Menkah, an industrialist.
Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, also a citizen of the district was not present but was represented and together with his husband, former President Jerry Rawlings, presented cash of GH¢1,000 towards the construction of the new assembly building. The other personalities also made donations.
At the ceremony, 15 citizens including all those mentioned above were honoured for portraying the image of the district in good light.
They were presented with certificates of recognition.
The homecoming, organised by the district assembly in conjunction with the chiefs on the theme, “Mobilising human resources for socio-economic development,” was meant to showcase the development potentials of the district and plan for the establishment of a rural bank for the district.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, said at the ceremony that, it was remarkable that a district which is just two-years-old could organise such a successful homecoming.
He noted that the level of development in every locality was related to its human resource and therefore, stressed the need for the people to help develop the potentials of the youth in the area.
He stated that as the government invested in the people, so should the local authorities also invest in their people.
This was because human resource was crucial to the development of every community.
Mr Afriyie-Ankrah noted the difficulties confronting the district assembly were as a result of the inability of the previous government to put certain infrastructure in place before the creation of the district.
He disclosed that under the government’s district resourcing project, 30 districts created by the previous government would be assisted with various projects to reduce the burden on them.
The deputy minister commended the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, for his hard work, which had seen the district achieve some measure of development within the relatively short period that he had been in office.
He stated that the government was also taking agriculture seriously and that 1000 tractors had been imported from India to support the development of agriculture in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Iddrisu described the event as very important, taking into consideration the challenges facing the district since its establishment about two years ago.
She said the district had people of vision in all spheres of national life and it was important they came together to chart a common path towards the development of the district.
The minister said if they were able to unite for development, the district would be a force to reckon with.
She appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to go to the aid of the district in addressing some of the challenges in the road sector.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Kaakyire Oppong-Kyekyeku, said the creation of the district came with many difficulties and even the first Common Fund allocation was sent to another district before it was returned to the district.
He said the decision to establish a rural bank for the district was very important because it would help accelerate the development of the district.
The DCE expressed regret that the district assembly operated from a filling station because of lack of offices and disclosed that the assembly had initiated the construction of a new district headquarters building, with funds from the common fund.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh urged the people to shed their political considerations in matters bordering on the development of the district.
He said the current generation of citizens had a duty to help in building a better district for posterity “and we cannot fail”.
Other speakers included Mr Owusu-Ansah, MP for Afigya Kwabre, Mr Kusi Appiah, the Regional Co-ordinating Director and Mr Appiah-Minkah.
EASTER Monday would forever be remembered in the annals of the Afigya Kwabre District in the Ashanti Region.
On that day, the district assembly organised a successful homecoming for citizens that drew some of the notable citizens of the district to Kodie, the district capital, where the event took place.
Among them was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, General Manager (Newspapers) of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, MP for Afigya Sekyere West, Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, MP for Afigya Kwabre, and Mr Akenten Appiah-Menkah, an industrialist.
Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, also a citizen of the district was not present but was represented and together with his husband, former President Jerry Rawlings, presented cash of GH¢1,000 towards the construction of the new assembly building. The other personalities also made donations.
At the ceremony, 15 citizens including all those mentioned above were honoured for portraying the image of the district in good light.
They were presented with certificates of recognition.
The homecoming, organised by the district assembly in conjunction with the chiefs on the theme, “Mobilising human resources for socio-economic development,” was meant to showcase the development potentials of the district and plan for the establishment of a rural bank for the district.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, said at the ceremony that, it was remarkable that a district which is just two-years-old could organise such a successful homecoming.
He noted that the level of development in every locality was related to its human resource and therefore, stressed the need for the people to help develop the potentials of the youth in the area.
He stated that as the government invested in the people, so should the local authorities also invest in their people.
This was because human resource was crucial to the development of every community.
Mr Afriyie-Ankrah noted the difficulties confronting the district assembly were as a result of the inability of the previous government to put certain infrastructure in place before the creation of the district.
He disclosed that under the government’s district resourcing project, 30 districts created by the previous government would be assisted with various projects to reduce the burden on them.
The deputy minister commended the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, for his hard work, which had seen the district achieve some measure of development within the relatively short period that he had been in office.
He stated that the government was also taking agriculture seriously and that 1000 tractors had been imported from India to support the development of agriculture in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Iddrisu described the event as very important, taking into consideration the challenges facing the district since its establishment about two years ago.
She said the district had people of vision in all spheres of national life and it was important they came together to chart a common path towards the development of the district.
The minister said if they were able to unite for development, the district would be a force to reckon with.
She appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to go to the aid of the district in addressing some of the challenges in the road sector.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Kaakyire Oppong-Kyekyeku, said the creation of the district came with many difficulties and even the first Common Fund allocation was sent to another district before it was returned to the district.
He said the decision to establish a rural bank for the district was very important because it would help accelerate the development of the district.
The DCE expressed regret that the district assembly operated from a filling station because of lack of offices and disclosed that the assembly had initiated the construction of a new district headquarters building, with funds from the common fund.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh urged the people to shed their political considerations in matters bordering on the development of the district.
He said the current generation of citizens had a duty to help in building a better district for posterity “and we cannot fail”.
Other speakers included Mr Owusu-Ansah, MP for Afigya Kwabre, Mr Kusi Appiah, the Regional Co-ordinating Director and Mr Appiah-Minkah.
TANOSOHENE FILES PETITION AGAINST TECHIMANHENE (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 3, APRIL 12, 2010)
By Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani.
THE Tano-Subin chieftaincy dispute has taken another turn with the Omanhene of Tanoso in the Techiman Municipality, Nana Kwaku Yiadom Boakye, filing a petition at the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, seeking a declaration that the Tanoso Stool owes allegiance to the Golden Stool of Asanteman and not the Techiman Stool.
According to the petitioner, the respondents in the petition, including the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV the Afutuhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Kwaku Kwarteng V, and the Techiman Traditional Council, have been holding unto the false and misleading notion that Tanoso is under the Techiman Paramountcy.
The petition, filed on behalf of the Tanoso Omanhene by Sunyani-based lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, on March 24, 2010, also prayed the committee to declare that the Afutuhene of Techiman Traditional Area should stop portraying himself as the chief of Tanoso.
According to the petition, the Tanoso Omanhene was elevated to paramount chief status on December 12, 1996. Before then, he was the chief of the town.
It said the Tanoso Stool had owed allegiance to the Golden Stool over the years, adding that when the Tano-Subin Traditional Council of which Tanoso was part was created in 1944, Tanoso was not placed under the Techiman Stool.
“Since 1944, all modern governments in Ghana had accepted the existence of Tano-Subin Traditional Council. It means all governments since 1944 have recognised and accepted the fact that none of the Tano-Subin stools has ever served under the Techiman Stool,” the petition said.
The petition continued that during the privileges committee sitting of the colonial government from June 18, 1935-January 3, 1936, Tanoso Stool renewed its allegiance to the Golden Stool.
It added that “Because Tanoso does not serve under the Techiman stool, when the chieftaincy membership of the Regional Houses of Chiefs Amendment Instrument 1988 was gazetted on August 5, 1988, Tanoso was placed under the Tano-Subin Traditional Council”.
It stated that in 1980/81, the Techiman Stool laid claim to the Tanoso Stool contending that the Tanoso Stool was subservient to the Techiman Stool.
However, in its ruling on May 11, 1982, the Court of Appeal said, “So far as Tanoso is concerned, it has remained under Kumasi since 1935”.
“In the light of the Court of Appeal ruling neither of the respondents can resurrect the matter with regards to Tanoso stool allegiance to the Golden Stool,” the petition said.
The petition indicated that on January 25, 1996, the then occupant of the Techiman Stool in the company of some paramount chiefs from the Brong Ahafo Region went to Kumasi to beg Otumfuo Opoku Ware II to permit him (Techimanhene) to look after the Tano-Subin stools for him, which was flatly refused.
“By virtue of the late Omanhene of Techiman’s conduct by going to beg the Asantehene, it is unacceptable and ridiculous for the respondents to turn round now to claim that Tanoso stool is subservient to the Techiman Stool,” it said.
The Judicial Committee is yet to fix a date for hearing on the matter.
THE Tano-Subin chieftaincy dispute has taken another turn with the Omanhene of Tanoso in the Techiman Municipality, Nana Kwaku Yiadom Boakye, filing a petition at the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, seeking a declaration that the Tanoso Stool owes allegiance to the Golden Stool of Asanteman and not the Techiman Stool.
According to the petitioner, the respondents in the petition, including the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV the Afutuhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Kwaku Kwarteng V, and the Techiman Traditional Council, have been holding unto the false and misleading notion that Tanoso is under the Techiman Paramountcy.
The petition, filed on behalf of the Tanoso Omanhene by Sunyani-based lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, on March 24, 2010, also prayed the committee to declare that the Afutuhene of Techiman Traditional Area should stop portraying himself as the chief of Tanoso.
According to the petition, the Tanoso Omanhene was elevated to paramount chief status on December 12, 1996. Before then, he was the chief of the town.
It said the Tanoso Stool had owed allegiance to the Golden Stool over the years, adding that when the Tano-Subin Traditional Council of which Tanoso was part was created in 1944, Tanoso was not placed under the Techiman Stool.
“Since 1944, all modern governments in Ghana had accepted the existence of Tano-Subin Traditional Council. It means all governments since 1944 have recognised and accepted the fact that none of the Tano-Subin stools has ever served under the Techiman Stool,” the petition said.
The petition continued that during the privileges committee sitting of the colonial government from June 18, 1935-January 3, 1936, Tanoso Stool renewed its allegiance to the Golden Stool.
It added that “Because Tanoso does not serve under the Techiman stool, when the chieftaincy membership of the Regional Houses of Chiefs Amendment Instrument 1988 was gazetted on August 5, 1988, Tanoso was placed under the Tano-Subin Traditional Council”.
It stated that in 1980/81, the Techiman Stool laid claim to the Tanoso Stool contending that the Tanoso Stool was subservient to the Techiman Stool.
However, in its ruling on May 11, 1982, the Court of Appeal said, “So far as Tanoso is concerned, it has remained under Kumasi since 1935”.
“In the light of the Court of Appeal ruling neither of the respondents can resurrect the matter with regards to Tanoso stool allegiance to the Golden Stool,” the petition said.
The petition indicated that on January 25, 1996, the then occupant of the Techiman Stool in the company of some paramount chiefs from the Brong Ahafo Region went to Kumasi to beg Otumfuo Opoku Ware II to permit him (Techimanhene) to look after the Tano-Subin stools for him, which was flatly refused.
“By virtue of the late Omanhene of Techiman’s conduct by going to beg the Asantehene, it is unacceptable and ridiculous for the respondents to turn round now to claim that Tanoso stool is subservient to the Techiman Stool,” it said.
The Judicial Committee is yet to fix a date for hearing on the matter.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
MAN, 55, IN TROUBLE FOR IMPREGNATING 10-YEAR-OLDD DAUGTHER (PAGE 38, APRIL 12, 2010)
AN attempt by the family of a 55-year-old man at Ntiribuoho in the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region to cover up a case in which he is alleged to have impregnated his 10-year-old daughter has backfired.
This was after officials of the Department of Women and Children of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs in Kumasi got wind of the matter and made a report to the Ashanti Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.
Consequently, DOVVSU has launched investigations into the case, after the Primary Four girl had given a statement to the police.
The man, whose name was given only as Gyebi, a mason in the town, is yet to be arrested, as he is said to have escaped to an unknown destination after the story about the pregnancy broke out in the area.
The Ashanti Regional DOVVSU Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) George Appiah-Sakyi, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that officials of the Department of Women and Children in Kumasi brought the girl to his outfit to lodge the compliant against the man.
Reliable sources in the town told the Daily Graphic that the girl was three months’ pregnant.
However, DSP Appiah-Sakyi said the unit was awaiting a medical report to confirm or deny the pregnancy.
The girl alleged that his father persistently had sex with her in his room when they were alone in the house.
According to her, anytime he made attempts to shout in opposition to his father’s escapades, he covered her mouth and tied her hands before forcibly penetrating her.
The girl, whose mother has divorced the man, had been living with his father and her stepmother at Ntiribuoho.
According to her, since September last year the man had had sex with her on countless occasions when they were alone in the house.
The Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC) of the Ntiribuoho Primary School, Mr Adu Poku, also told the Daily Graphic that he was prompted by the girl's class teacher about the girl’s unusual behaviour in class.
He said when the girl revealed her ordeal to him, he sent her to the police station at Kodie to lodge a compliant, after which the Kodie Police directed him to send the case to the DOVVSU in Kumasi.
The Kodie Police confirmed that a case had been lodged by Mr Adu Poku and that after taking extracts from him, they gave him a form to report to the DOVVSU in Kumasi for further action.
The Afigya Kwabre District Chief Executive, Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, who said the case had been brought to his notice by the Department of Women and Children, quoted officials of the department as saying that they had information on the girl from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where Mr Adu Poku had sent her for further medical examination.
This was after officials of the Department of Women and Children of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs in Kumasi got wind of the matter and made a report to the Ashanti Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service.
Consequently, DOVVSU has launched investigations into the case, after the Primary Four girl had given a statement to the police.
The man, whose name was given only as Gyebi, a mason in the town, is yet to be arrested, as he is said to have escaped to an unknown destination after the story about the pregnancy broke out in the area.
The Ashanti Regional DOVVSU Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) George Appiah-Sakyi, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that officials of the Department of Women and Children in Kumasi brought the girl to his outfit to lodge the compliant against the man.
Reliable sources in the town told the Daily Graphic that the girl was three months’ pregnant.
However, DSP Appiah-Sakyi said the unit was awaiting a medical report to confirm or deny the pregnancy.
The girl alleged that his father persistently had sex with her in his room when they were alone in the house.
According to her, anytime he made attempts to shout in opposition to his father’s escapades, he covered her mouth and tied her hands before forcibly penetrating her.
The girl, whose mother has divorced the man, had been living with his father and her stepmother at Ntiribuoho.
According to her, since September last year the man had had sex with her on countless occasions when they were alone in the house.
The Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC) of the Ntiribuoho Primary School, Mr Adu Poku, also told the Daily Graphic that he was prompted by the girl's class teacher about the girl’s unusual behaviour in class.
He said when the girl revealed her ordeal to him, he sent her to the police station at Kodie to lodge a compliant, after which the Kodie Police directed him to send the case to the DOVVSU in Kumasi.
The Kodie Police confirmed that a case had been lodged by Mr Adu Poku and that after taking extracts from him, they gave him a form to report to the DOVVSU in Kumasi for further action.
The Afigya Kwabre District Chief Executive, Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, who said the case had been brought to his notice by the Department of Women and Children, quoted officials of the department as saying that they had information on the girl from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where Mr Adu Poku had sent her for further medical examination.
DR WIAFE-ADDAI HELPS BREAST ANCER PATIENTS (PAGE 23, APRIL 10, 2010)
KWAHU-BORN Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai is a medical officer who has brought hope to many women and continues to do so through her non-governmental organisation (NGO), Breast Care International (BCI).
Located at Oduom, a suburb of Kumasi, BCI has undertaken various support services for women with breast cancer. But for the NGO, some of these women would have visited their graves long ago.
Indeed, right from her elementary school days, Dr Wiafe-Addai had the vision of becoming a medical doctor but did not know which area she was going to specialise in until she entered medical school.
But when she specialised in breast care management and general breast pathology between 2000 and 2001 both at the Moscow Medical Academy, Russia, the gates opened for her to realise her vision to play a more meaningful role in the nation’s breast care management.
Today, through the ingenuity of Dr Wiafe-Addai and her team of professionals, BCI stands out as perhaps the single most influential NGO on breast care management in the country.
Breast cancer refers to cancers originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk.
The breast is an external symbol of beauty and womanhood, but regrettably breast cancer has been the cause of deaths of millions of women worldwide.
Worldwide, breast cancer comprises 10.4 per cent of all cancers among women, making it the second most common type of non-skin cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.
In 2004, breast cancer caused 519,000 deaths worldwide (seven per cent of cancer deaths; almost one per cent of all deaths). Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than in men, but survival rates are equal in both sexes.
Breast cancer affects a relatively young population in Ghana; girls as young as 16 have been diagnosed with the disease. The survival rate of breast cancer patients in Ghana has not been long compared to the developed countries.
It was against this backdrop that Dr Wiafe-Addai conceived the BCI idea and eventually spearheaded its formation in October, 2002.
The preamble of the BCI says it is an NGO dedicated to the establishment of breast cancer awareness centres throughout the country; to create breast cancer awareness among Ghanaian women, especially the rural women, since they form the majority; educate women on the existence of breast cancer; undertake screening exercises, diagnosis, counselling, treatment, rehabilitation, as well as research into the various breast pathologies, especially breast cancer in Ghana.
Over the period, the BCI has established six centres all of which are playing various roles in the smooth operations of the organisation.
One of them is the Sensitisation Centre, which is responsible for education and lectures about breast cancer and other breast pathologies. It also puts emphasis on the importance and the right way to do self-examination of the breast.
There is also the Clinical Examination Centre, which takes charge of the clinical examination of the breasts of women and all women who detect any breast pathology are scheduled to meet the specialist for diagnosis and treatment. Data gathered from the screening centre are stored at a data bank for further analysis and serious scientific research.
The Mammography Centre takes X-ray pictures of the breast as requested by the team members; women without symptoms but are eligible are encouraged to undertake mammogram. Those diagnosed with any pathologies or suspected of having breast cancer are advised to undertake mammography for diagnosis purposes.
Besides the above, there is also the Treatment Centre, which deals with all cases detected at the clinical examination centre. Here the accurate preoperative diagnosis and treatment plan with patient participation and on individual basis are established.
Last but not the least is the Counselling Centre, which provides advice to dispel any myth about breast cancer. Diagnosis of breast cancer is immediately followed by series of counselling to encourage affected women to brave the storm and undergo the necessary treatment on individual basis and in confidence. Sometimes survivors are invited to help in the counselling of newly diagnosed patients.
In a bid to achieve its aims, BCI has undertaken mobile screening trips to workplaces and markets, towns and villages, which have benefited hundreds of women.
The management and staff of BCI have also undertaken clinical diagnosis and used mammography and fine needle aspiration biopsy of breast masses as diagnostic tools to establish the correct morphological diagnosis especially in the preoperative period.
All these have been made possible through a well-organised management body under the able leadership of Dr Wiafe-Addai, a general surgeon and specialist in Breast Pathology with professional experience of over 19 years.
She has a rich educational and professional background among them is Ph.D. (General Surgery), 1998–2001, Moscow Medical Academy, Russia; Specialisation in General Surgery, from 1999 to 2001, 23rd Surgical Teaching Hospital, Moscow; Specialisation in Breast Cancer Management, from 2000 to 2001, Moscow Medical Academy, Russia; Specialisation in General Breast Pathology in 2001 at the Moscow Medical Academy, Russia.
Others are Mammology Centre – Taganskaya, Moscow; Specialisation in Ultrasonography and Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy at the 61st Medical Institute in Moscow, Russia in 2000, and Specialisation in Oncology at the Oncology Research Centre in Kashirskaya, Moscow, Russia from 2000 to 2001.
Dr Wiafe-Addai was a resident surgeon at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital between 1994 and 1999; Medical Officer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from 1992 to 1994.
She had her secondary school education at the Mpraeso Secondary School from 1972 to 1977 where she obtained the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level and GCE ‘A’ Level Certificate from 1977 to 1979 at the Ofori Panin Secondary School before proceeding to the State Medical Institute, Ukraine in the USSR for her MD, Medicine between 1982 and 1989.
Her membership of professional bodies include Ghana Medical Association, Surgical Society of Moscow and Russia, Soviet Trained Graduates Association, International Federation of University Women (IFUW), National Consultative Committee on Cancer Control in Ghana – subcommittee on Breast Cancer (July, 2008).
Among Dr Wiafe-Addai’s monographs and research papers are Principles of Surgery, Moscow in 2000; Breast Conservation Surgery in Early Stage Breast Cancer in 2001; Preoperative Morphological Diagnosis of Nodular Goitre in Moscow, 2001; Breast Cancer Among Ghanaian Women - Perception and Experience, Accra in 2005, and Ethics and Deontology in Medical/Surgical Practice, Kumasi, Ghana in 2002.
Other members of the management team of BCI include chemical pathologists, well-trained nurses in breast examination and vexed in other breast pathologies, and other supporting staff.
Located at Oduom, a suburb of Kumasi, BCI has undertaken various support services for women with breast cancer. But for the NGO, some of these women would have visited their graves long ago.
Indeed, right from her elementary school days, Dr Wiafe-Addai had the vision of becoming a medical doctor but did not know which area she was going to specialise in until she entered medical school.
But when she specialised in breast care management and general breast pathology between 2000 and 2001 both at the Moscow Medical Academy, Russia, the gates opened for her to realise her vision to play a more meaningful role in the nation’s breast care management.
Today, through the ingenuity of Dr Wiafe-Addai and her team of professionals, BCI stands out as perhaps the single most influential NGO on breast care management in the country.
Breast cancer refers to cancers originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk.
The breast is an external symbol of beauty and womanhood, but regrettably breast cancer has been the cause of deaths of millions of women worldwide.
Worldwide, breast cancer comprises 10.4 per cent of all cancers among women, making it the second most common type of non-skin cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.
In 2004, breast cancer caused 519,000 deaths worldwide (seven per cent of cancer deaths; almost one per cent of all deaths). Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than in men, but survival rates are equal in both sexes.
Breast cancer affects a relatively young population in Ghana; girls as young as 16 have been diagnosed with the disease. The survival rate of breast cancer patients in Ghana has not been long compared to the developed countries.
It was against this backdrop that Dr Wiafe-Addai conceived the BCI idea and eventually spearheaded its formation in October, 2002.
The preamble of the BCI says it is an NGO dedicated to the establishment of breast cancer awareness centres throughout the country; to create breast cancer awareness among Ghanaian women, especially the rural women, since they form the majority; educate women on the existence of breast cancer; undertake screening exercises, diagnosis, counselling, treatment, rehabilitation, as well as research into the various breast pathologies, especially breast cancer in Ghana.
Over the period, the BCI has established six centres all of which are playing various roles in the smooth operations of the organisation.
One of them is the Sensitisation Centre, which is responsible for education and lectures about breast cancer and other breast pathologies. It also puts emphasis on the importance and the right way to do self-examination of the breast.
There is also the Clinical Examination Centre, which takes charge of the clinical examination of the breasts of women and all women who detect any breast pathology are scheduled to meet the specialist for diagnosis and treatment. Data gathered from the screening centre are stored at a data bank for further analysis and serious scientific research.
The Mammography Centre takes X-ray pictures of the breast as requested by the team members; women without symptoms but are eligible are encouraged to undertake mammogram. Those diagnosed with any pathologies or suspected of having breast cancer are advised to undertake mammography for diagnosis purposes.
Besides the above, there is also the Treatment Centre, which deals with all cases detected at the clinical examination centre. Here the accurate preoperative diagnosis and treatment plan with patient participation and on individual basis are established.
Last but not the least is the Counselling Centre, which provides advice to dispel any myth about breast cancer. Diagnosis of breast cancer is immediately followed by series of counselling to encourage affected women to brave the storm and undergo the necessary treatment on individual basis and in confidence. Sometimes survivors are invited to help in the counselling of newly diagnosed patients.
In a bid to achieve its aims, BCI has undertaken mobile screening trips to workplaces and markets, towns and villages, which have benefited hundreds of women.
The management and staff of BCI have also undertaken clinical diagnosis and used mammography and fine needle aspiration biopsy of breast masses as diagnostic tools to establish the correct morphological diagnosis especially in the preoperative period.
All these have been made possible through a well-organised management body under the able leadership of Dr Wiafe-Addai, a general surgeon and specialist in Breast Pathology with professional experience of over 19 years.
She has a rich educational and professional background among them is Ph.D. (General Surgery), 1998–2001, Moscow Medical Academy, Russia; Specialisation in General Surgery, from 1999 to 2001, 23rd Surgical Teaching Hospital, Moscow; Specialisation in Breast Cancer Management, from 2000 to 2001, Moscow Medical Academy, Russia; Specialisation in General Breast Pathology in 2001 at the Moscow Medical Academy, Russia.
Others are Mammology Centre – Taganskaya, Moscow; Specialisation in Ultrasonography and Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy at the 61st Medical Institute in Moscow, Russia in 2000, and Specialisation in Oncology at the Oncology Research Centre in Kashirskaya, Moscow, Russia from 2000 to 2001.
Dr Wiafe-Addai was a resident surgeon at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital between 1994 and 1999; Medical Officer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from 1992 to 1994.
She had her secondary school education at the Mpraeso Secondary School from 1972 to 1977 where she obtained the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level and GCE ‘A’ Level Certificate from 1977 to 1979 at the Ofori Panin Secondary School before proceeding to the State Medical Institute, Ukraine in the USSR for her MD, Medicine between 1982 and 1989.
Her membership of professional bodies include Ghana Medical Association, Surgical Society of Moscow and Russia, Soviet Trained Graduates Association, International Federation of University Women (IFUW), National Consultative Committee on Cancer Control in Ghana – subcommittee on Breast Cancer (July, 2008).
Among Dr Wiafe-Addai’s monographs and research papers are Principles of Surgery, Moscow in 2000; Breast Conservation Surgery in Early Stage Breast Cancer in 2001; Preoperative Morphological Diagnosis of Nodular Goitre in Moscow, 2001; Breast Cancer Among Ghanaian Women - Perception and Experience, Accra in 2005, and Ethics and Deontology in Medical/Surgical Practice, Kumasi, Ghana in 2002.
Other members of the management team of BCI include chemical pathologists, well-trained nurses in breast examination and vexed in other breast pathologies, and other supporting staff.
Friday, April 9, 2010
ZOOMLION INAUGURATES SANITATION CLUBS IN ASHANTI (PAGE 20, APRIL 9, 2010)
ZOOMLION Ghana Limited, a sanitation management company, has inaugurated sanitation clubs called Zoomkids Clubs in 10 schools in the Ashanti Region.
The schools include Great Quality International at Abuakwa in Kumasi, Bantama Presbyterian Primary, Offinso State ‘A’ Primary, Tweneboa Kodua International at Abuakwa and Nkantamasi Roman Catholic (R/C) Primary.
The rest are Vicande International in Kumasi, K.O. Methodist Primary in Kumasi, New Oxford International, KNUST Basic School and Akomadan R/C Primary.
The company’s objective is to support the clubs to undertake sanitation activities in their schools and immediate surroundings.
Besides, the company would hold educational programmes on sanitation for the schoolchildren to inculcate in them the need to promote environmental sanitation at all times.
Ashanti is the fourth region in the country to have such clubs.
Each of the clubs would receive 10 wheelbarrows, 15 pairs of wellington boots, 10 pairs of hands gloves and 40 nose protectors, to enhance effective sanitation management in their various schools.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Beatrice Amponsah, National Co-ordinator (Environmental and Sanitation) of Zoomlion, said the aim of the project was to impart the positive ideas of sanitation to pupils.
She said children must be well educated and sensitised to the need for good management of sanitation to promote sound environment.
Ms Amponsah said apart from the promotion of good environment, it would also enhance the beautification of their schools and engender competition on sanitation.
She emphasised the commitment of the company’s preparedness to spread the ideas to the other schools.
The Ashanti Regional School Health Co-ordinator of the Ghana Education Service, Madam Kate Opoku, said education was not limited to academic performance, but also included the teaching of healthy lives, cleanliness and promotion of environment.
She commended Zoomlion for coming out with the clubs and expressed the hope that it would be extended to more schools.
The schools include Great Quality International at Abuakwa in Kumasi, Bantama Presbyterian Primary, Offinso State ‘A’ Primary, Tweneboa Kodua International at Abuakwa and Nkantamasi Roman Catholic (R/C) Primary.
The rest are Vicande International in Kumasi, K.O. Methodist Primary in Kumasi, New Oxford International, KNUST Basic School and Akomadan R/C Primary.
The company’s objective is to support the clubs to undertake sanitation activities in their schools and immediate surroundings.
Besides, the company would hold educational programmes on sanitation for the schoolchildren to inculcate in them the need to promote environmental sanitation at all times.
Ashanti is the fourth region in the country to have such clubs.
Each of the clubs would receive 10 wheelbarrows, 15 pairs of wellington boots, 10 pairs of hands gloves and 40 nose protectors, to enhance effective sanitation management in their various schools.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Beatrice Amponsah, National Co-ordinator (Environmental and Sanitation) of Zoomlion, said the aim of the project was to impart the positive ideas of sanitation to pupils.
She said children must be well educated and sensitised to the need for good management of sanitation to promote sound environment.
Ms Amponsah said apart from the promotion of good environment, it would also enhance the beautification of their schools and engender competition on sanitation.
She emphasised the commitment of the company’s preparedness to spread the ideas to the other schools.
The Ashanti Regional School Health Co-ordinator of the Ghana Education Service, Madam Kate Opoku, said education was not limited to academic performance, but also included the teaching of healthy lives, cleanliness and promotion of environment.
She commended Zoomlion for coming out with the clubs and expressed the hope that it would be extended to more schools.
REMOVE BOTTLENECKS BEDEVILING NHIS (PAGE 20, APRIL 9, 2010)
THE Provost of the College of Art and Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Dr Dr Daniel Buor, has called for aggressive measures to remove the bottlenecks bedevilling the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He said even though health insurance was a mechanism to address health problems and improve upon utilisation of health services, corruption and other vices must be eliminated to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
According to him, the mismanagement of the health fund, inadequate resourcing and corruption, especially in the administration of drugs, were areas that needed serious attention if the NHIS was to get a sound footing.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor made the call at a professorial inaugural lecture in Kumasi on the topic: “Analysing the socio-spatial inequities in the access of health services in sub-Saharan Africa: Interrogating geographical imbalances in the uptake of health care.”
The lecture focused on the professor’s research findings and others that were compatible with the topic, with Ghana as the main focus.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stressed the need for regular auditing of the administration of drugs under the NHIS if sanity was to be restored to the scheme.
The professor described the proportion of the national budget (1.7 per cent) allocated to the health sector as woefully inadequate.
“Whereas health care is a right, a social responsibility of the state, inadequate resources makes it pretty difficult for governments to ensure access of their citizens to health care,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stated that the poorly co-ordinated health systems in some sub-Saharan Africa countries imposed a burden on efficient health service delivery.
“There is concentration of logistics and authority at the national capitals. Financial autonomy is denied the sub-structures that have to draw their financial needs directly from the national capital,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stated that for the country to develop, its population must be healthy, and to be healthy calls for efficient and effective use of health facilities.
He also touched on the rural-urban imbalance in the use of health services and said that should engage the attention of the government.
The provost recommended the introduction of integrated health studies as an optional course for non-social science programmes in the universities.
“The efficacy of geography, and, specifically, medical geography, in contributing to the realisation of national development agenda of nations cannot be overemphasised,” he stressed.
He said even though health insurance was a mechanism to address health problems and improve upon utilisation of health services, corruption and other vices must be eliminated to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
According to him, the mismanagement of the health fund, inadequate resourcing and corruption, especially in the administration of drugs, were areas that needed serious attention if the NHIS was to get a sound footing.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor made the call at a professorial inaugural lecture in Kumasi on the topic: “Analysing the socio-spatial inequities in the access of health services in sub-Saharan Africa: Interrogating geographical imbalances in the uptake of health care.”
The lecture focused on the professor’s research findings and others that were compatible with the topic, with Ghana as the main focus.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stressed the need for regular auditing of the administration of drugs under the NHIS if sanity was to be restored to the scheme.
The professor described the proportion of the national budget (1.7 per cent) allocated to the health sector as woefully inadequate.
“Whereas health care is a right, a social responsibility of the state, inadequate resources makes it pretty difficult for governments to ensure access of their citizens to health care,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stated that the poorly co-ordinated health systems in some sub-Saharan Africa countries imposed a burden on efficient health service delivery.
“There is concentration of logistics and authority at the national capitals. Financial autonomy is denied the sub-structures that have to draw their financial needs directly from the national capital,” he said.
Prof. Dr Dr Buor stated that for the country to develop, its population must be healthy, and to be healthy calls for efficient and effective use of health facilities.
He also touched on the rural-urban imbalance in the use of health services and said that should engage the attention of the government.
The provost recommended the introduction of integrated health studies as an optional course for non-social science programmes in the universities.
“The efficacy of geography, and, specifically, medical geography, in contributing to the realisation of national development agenda of nations cannot be overemphasised,” he stressed.
15 AFIGYA KWABRE CITIZENS HONOURED (PAGE 20, APRIL 9, 2010)
FIFTEEN outstanding citizens of the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region have been honoured at the district’s first homecoming ceremony held at Kodie, the district capital, on Easter Monday.
Among them were the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, the former first Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, General Manager (Newspapers) of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Sekyere West, Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, MP for Afigya Kwabre, and Mr Akenten Appiah-Menkah, an industrialist.
They were presented with certificates of recognition for portraying a positive image of the district to the outside world.
The homecoming organised by the district assembly in conjunction with the chiefs on the theme:, “Mobilising human resources for socio-economic development,” was meant to showcase the development potential of the district and plan the establishment of a rural bank for the area.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Iddrisu described the event as very important, taking into consideration the challenges facing the district since its establishment about two years ago.
She said the district had people of vision in all spheres of national life and it was important they came together to chart a common path towards its development.
The minister said if they were able to unite for development, the district would be a force to reckon with.
She appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to go to the aid of the district in addressing some of the challenges in the road sector.
The deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, said it was an achievement for a new district to organise a well-attended homecoming event and expressed the hope that immense benefits would come out of the event.
He stated that the level of development in every locality was related to its human resource and therefore, stressed the need for the people to help develop the potential of the youth in the area.
“As a government, we are also investing in the people so that the nation can reap maximum results from its people,” Mr Afriyie-Ankrah added.
He observed the difficulties confronting the district assembly as a result of the inability of the previous government to put certain infrastructure in place before the creation of the district.
Mr Afriyie-Ankrah disclosed that under the government’s district resourcing project, 30 districts created by the previous government would be assisted with various projects to reduce their burden.
The deputy minister stated that the government was also taking agriculture seriously and that 1,000 additional tractors had been imported from India to support the development of agricultural in the country.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, who received praises from virtually all other speakers for his unifying and development initiatives, said the creation of the district was accompanied with many difficulties.
He noted with concern that even the district’s first allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund was sent to another district before it was returned to the district.
Mr Oppong Kyekyeku said the decision to establish a rural bank for the district was very important because it would help accelerate the development of the area.
The DCE expressed regret that the district assembly operated from a filling station because of lack of offices, and stated that the assembly had initiated the construction of a new district headquarters building with funds from the common fund.
For his part, Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh challenged the people to work without politics, stressing “If we are able to do this, the sky will be the limit for us as a district”.
He said posterity would not forgive the present generation if “we don’t chart a path of progress”.
Other speakers included Mr Owusu-Ansah, the MP for Afigya Kwabre, Mr Kusi Appiah, the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Director and Mr Appiah-Minkah.
Among them were the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, the former first Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, General Manager (Newspapers) of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Sekyere West, Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, MP for Afigya Kwabre, and Mr Akenten Appiah-Menkah, an industrialist.
They were presented with certificates of recognition for portraying a positive image of the district to the outside world.
The homecoming organised by the district assembly in conjunction with the chiefs on the theme:, “Mobilising human resources for socio-economic development,” was meant to showcase the development potential of the district and plan the establishment of a rural bank for the area.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Iddrisu described the event as very important, taking into consideration the challenges facing the district since its establishment about two years ago.
She said the district had people of vision in all spheres of national life and it was important they came together to chart a common path towards its development.
The minister said if they were able to unite for development, the district would be a force to reckon with.
She appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to go to the aid of the district in addressing some of the challenges in the road sector.
The deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, said it was an achievement for a new district to organise a well-attended homecoming event and expressed the hope that immense benefits would come out of the event.
He stated that the level of development in every locality was related to its human resource and therefore, stressed the need for the people to help develop the potential of the youth in the area.
“As a government, we are also investing in the people so that the nation can reap maximum results from its people,” Mr Afriyie-Ankrah added.
He observed the difficulties confronting the district assembly as a result of the inability of the previous government to put certain infrastructure in place before the creation of the district.
Mr Afriyie-Ankrah disclosed that under the government’s district resourcing project, 30 districts created by the previous government would be assisted with various projects to reduce their burden.
The deputy minister stated that the government was also taking agriculture seriously and that 1,000 additional tractors had been imported from India to support the development of agricultural in the country.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Kaakyire Oppong Kyekyeku, who received praises from virtually all other speakers for his unifying and development initiatives, said the creation of the district was accompanied with many difficulties.
He noted with concern that even the district’s first allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund was sent to another district before it was returned to the district.
Mr Oppong Kyekyeku said the decision to establish a rural bank for the district was very important because it would help accelerate the development of the area.
The DCE expressed regret that the district assembly operated from a filling station because of lack of offices, and stated that the assembly had initiated the construction of a new district headquarters building with funds from the common fund.
For his part, Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh challenged the people to work without politics, stressing “If we are able to do this, the sky will be the limit for us as a district”.
He said posterity would not forgive the present generation if “we don’t chart a path of progress”.
Other speakers included Mr Owusu-Ansah, the MP for Afigya Kwabre, Mr Kusi Appiah, the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Director and Mr Appiah-Minkah.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
NGO LAUNCHES SEXUAL ASSAULT EDUCATION PROGRAMME (PAGE 30 APRIL 7, 2010)
LIGHT for Children, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Kumasi, has launched a programme dubbed: “Sexual assault education” in basic schools in the Ashanti Region.
The programme to be undertaken in conjunction with the educational authorities, is in line with the NGO’s efforts to reinforce personal safety skills of adolescents as a means of preventing sexual assault against them.
The programme involves among other activities, presentations in schools, formation of child sexual assault clubs, and the strengthening of relationship between the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the police and other stakeholders.
The programme hopes to let adolescents know and have a comprehensive list of community support services and agencies to refer cases of assault.
Launching the programme in Kumasi, the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Yaw Otchere Baffour, said every effort must be made to protect children so that they would grow up to become responsible citizens of the nation.
He stated that child sexual assault was becoming a social menace “and it is our responsibility to do something about it”.
Mr Baffour said most sexual assaults against children remained hidden, with the most serious aspect being parents who accepted compensation from perpetrators.
He, therefore, stressed the need for parents to report all sexual assault cases against their children to the police for the necessary action to be taken.
Mr Baffour disclosed that the NGO was providing care and support for 50 HIV infected children in the Ashanti Region to enable them to lead meaningful lives.
The Ashanti Regional Commander of the DOVVSU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Appiah Sakyi, said since its establishment, the unit had recorded 2,190 cases of sexual assault.
He said the modus operandi of the perpetrators of defilement involved luring victims with gifts.
ASP Sakyi said the police had not been able to investigate some of the cases because the victims were not ready to assist them in their investigations.
He warned against the settlement of cases of sexual assault under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
“We wish to state that sexual abuse cases are not considered under the ADR,” he said, adding that such cases were handled at the courts.
The Project Co-ordinator of the NGO, Mr Mike Owusu Gyimah, said the project had been nominated for the 2009 Bill Clinton Foundation Award to be held in Florida, USA, this month.
The programme to be undertaken in conjunction with the educational authorities, is in line with the NGO’s efforts to reinforce personal safety skills of adolescents as a means of preventing sexual assault against them.
The programme involves among other activities, presentations in schools, formation of child sexual assault clubs, and the strengthening of relationship between the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the police and other stakeholders.
The programme hopes to let adolescents know and have a comprehensive list of community support services and agencies to refer cases of assault.
Launching the programme in Kumasi, the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Yaw Otchere Baffour, said every effort must be made to protect children so that they would grow up to become responsible citizens of the nation.
He stated that child sexual assault was becoming a social menace “and it is our responsibility to do something about it”.
Mr Baffour said most sexual assaults against children remained hidden, with the most serious aspect being parents who accepted compensation from perpetrators.
He, therefore, stressed the need for parents to report all sexual assault cases against their children to the police for the necessary action to be taken.
Mr Baffour disclosed that the NGO was providing care and support for 50 HIV infected children in the Ashanti Region to enable them to lead meaningful lives.
The Ashanti Regional Commander of the DOVVSU, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Appiah Sakyi, said since its establishment, the unit had recorded 2,190 cases of sexual assault.
He said the modus operandi of the perpetrators of defilement involved luring victims with gifts.
ASP Sakyi said the police had not been able to investigate some of the cases because the victims were not ready to assist them in their investigations.
He warned against the settlement of cases of sexual assault under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
“We wish to state that sexual abuse cases are not considered under the ADR,” he said, adding that such cases were handled at the courts.
The Project Co-ordinator of the NGO, Mr Mike Owusu Gyimah, said the project had been nominated for the 2009 Bill Clinton Foundation Award to be held in Florida, USA, this month.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
COACH NO. 4...For Kotoko (GRAPHIC SPORTS, LEAD STORY, APRIL 6, 2010)
THE management of Kumasi Asante Kotoko appears to have demonstrated tremendous faith in coach Johnson Smith just days after taking over from his boss, Paa Kwesi Fabin who, in the typical Ghanaian political parlance, was asked to proceed on leave last Wednesday.
A management member, Alhaji Ali Maradona, typified management’s admiration of the technical capabilities of Smith, saying there is a vast difference between his coaching style and that of Paa Kwesi Fabin.
This was after Smith had led Asante Kotoko to a significant victory over Real Tamale United in Tamale last Sunday in a match in which the Porcupine Warriors accused the home fans of rowdy behaviour.
And for now it appears Paa Kwesi’s days with Kotoko have ended after he led the team to a near-collapsed form.
Giving plaudits to the coach for guiding the team to that victory, Alhaji Maradona told the Graphic Sports in Kumasi yesterday that “Johnson Smith knows what to do to psyche the players, both on and off the field, and this showed clearly on Sunday when he led his charges to the 1-0 victory over RTU”.
“Unlike Paa Kwesi, Johnson Smith does not shout at his players. He rather encourages them to go in for the kill, and this gave them the confidence to overpower RTU,” he added.
He dismissed a suggestion of sabotage on the part of the players against Paa Kwesi.
Although Kotoko made some big signings this season, the results had been negative and management believed the coach was a factor.
Asante Kotoko, historically the most successful Ghanaian club, had had a nosedive in its delivery this season and are currently lying 8th on the premier league table.
It would have been disastrous if the team had lost on Sunday. Indeed reports had it that Otumfuo Asantehene would have sacked the management.
The Kotoko management last Wednesday asked coach Paa Kwesi to proceed on leave after the team played a 1-1 draw game with Heart of Lions in a Glo Premier match at the Baba Yara Stadium.
For a coach whose arrival at Kotoko at the beginning of the season was touted as one of the best things to happen to the club, a litany of poor team performance was too much for the supporters to bear.
Paa Kwesi was lambasted for playing without the killer punch Kotoko was noted for.
The final days of his tenure attracted the disdain of the supporters who launched verbal assaults on the embattled coach.
Right after the managements decision asking him to proceed on leave was communicated to him, Paa Kwesi made it clear that he was not sure of returning to the club again.
He insisted that the club owed him some money and expressed the hope that they would pay him so that he would leave in peace.
Commenting on the match against RTU, Alhaji Maradona said the Kotoko team was held hostage on the field for about 20 minutes after the game.
“It was unbelievable the way the home supporters misbehaved and we believe the GFA and PLB will take action against RTU,” he said.
A photojournalist with the Kotoko Express, a club newspaper, David Kyei, also stated that some RTU supporters took his camera from him and the lens were destroyed before security men retrieved it.
A management member, Alhaji Ali Maradona, typified management’s admiration of the technical capabilities of Smith, saying there is a vast difference between his coaching style and that of Paa Kwesi Fabin.
This was after Smith had led Asante Kotoko to a significant victory over Real Tamale United in Tamale last Sunday in a match in which the Porcupine Warriors accused the home fans of rowdy behaviour.
And for now it appears Paa Kwesi’s days with Kotoko have ended after he led the team to a near-collapsed form.
Giving plaudits to the coach for guiding the team to that victory, Alhaji Maradona told the Graphic Sports in Kumasi yesterday that “Johnson Smith knows what to do to psyche the players, both on and off the field, and this showed clearly on Sunday when he led his charges to the 1-0 victory over RTU”.
“Unlike Paa Kwesi, Johnson Smith does not shout at his players. He rather encourages them to go in for the kill, and this gave them the confidence to overpower RTU,” he added.
He dismissed a suggestion of sabotage on the part of the players against Paa Kwesi.
Although Kotoko made some big signings this season, the results had been negative and management believed the coach was a factor.
Asante Kotoko, historically the most successful Ghanaian club, had had a nosedive in its delivery this season and are currently lying 8th on the premier league table.
It would have been disastrous if the team had lost on Sunday. Indeed reports had it that Otumfuo Asantehene would have sacked the management.
The Kotoko management last Wednesday asked coach Paa Kwesi to proceed on leave after the team played a 1-1 draw game with Heart of Lions in a Glo Premier match at the Baba Yara Stadium.
For a coach whose arrival at Kotoko at the beginning of the season was touted as one of the best things to happen to the club, a litany of poor team performance was too much for the supporters to bear.
Paa Kwesi was lambasted for playing without the killer punch Kotoko was noted for.
The final days of his tenure attracted the disdain of the supporters who launched verbal assaults on the embattled coach.
Right after the managements decision asking him to proceed on leave was communicated to him, Paa Kwesi made it clear that he was not sure of returning to the club again.
He insisted that the club owed him some money and expressed the hope that they would pay him so that he would leave in peace.
Commenting on the match against RTU, Alhaji Maradona said the Kotoko team was held hostage on the field for about 20 minutes after the game.
“It was unbelievable the way the home supporters misbehaved and we believe the GFA and PLB will take action against RTU,” he said.
A photojournalist with the Kotoko Express, a club newspaper, David Kyei, also stated that some RTU supporters took his camera from him and the lens were destroyed before security men retrieved it.
Monday, April 5, 2010
LET'S REVISIT NKRUMAH'S POLICIES (PAGE 13, APRIL 5, 2010)
A LEGAL practitioner, Mr Akoto Ampaw, has challenged Ghana’s political leaders to revisit some of the policies and programmes of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, if the nation is to advance in its development process.
He said no one should conclude that Nkrumah’s policies and programmes were irrelevant in modern times.
Speaking at the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Campus lectures at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) last Thursday, Mr Akoto Ampaw said, “it is regrettable that experience of Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) has been lost on us as a nation.”
He spoke on the topic: “Kwame Nkrumah, the anti-colonialist, strategist and revolutionary intellectual — Lessons for today.”
Mr Akoto Ampaw observed that the 1966 coup was the bane of Ghana’s under development.
The legal practitioner said but for the coup, Ghana would have been an industrialised country today.
He stressed that the slow dismantling of projects undertaken by the CPP government and other negative acts perpetrated by the coup makers, caused the nation dearly.
Mr Akoto Ampaw, who is an Nkrumaist, said Dr Nkrumah lived far ahead of the time that was why the rest of Africa looked up to him for hope.
He said even though the 1966 coup was useless, it was not unexpected because of the developments of the time.
Mr Akoto Ampaw explained that there were several attempts by the neo-colonialists and the imperialists’ forces to take Ghana out of the sphere of world politics due to Nkrumah’s growing influence on African politics.
A lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Adam Gamel Nasser, who also delivered a paper at the ceremony, said it was a national disgrace that most of Nkrumah’s projects were left to waste.
Speaking on the topic: “Education, technology and national development: Going to Nkrumah’s vision for the future,” Dr Nasser said the first President believed in technology as a cornerstone for national development that was why he set up the KNUST.
“Nkrumah’s establishment of KNUST was to do away with the African mentality and fear about science and technology, and today his vision has come true,” he said.
Dr Nasser stressed the need for the nation to abandon the concept of development partners because “our so-called development partners would not want us to reach the level they are now.”
He said the nation could do better in its development process if it concentrated on indigenous technology.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, in a brief statement, said Dr Nkrumah’s vision for education in Ghana immediately after independence was part of the overall comprehensive plan to bring about justice, economic self-reliance and national cohesion.
He said it was important that Ghanaians continued to allow the ideas that impregnated the life of the fist President to reflect in all national activities.
The Chairman of the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee, Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr, was glad that the African Union had agreed to honour Dr Nkrumah by joining the Government of Ghana to organise the final segment of the centenary celebrations.
The Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. K.K. Adarkwa, chaired the lecture.
He said no one should conclude that Nkrumah’s policies and programmes were irrelevant in modern times.
Speaking at the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Campus lectures at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) last Thursday, Mr Akoto Ampaw said, “it is regrettable that experience of Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) has been lost on us as a nation.”
He spoke on the topic: “Kwame Nkrumah, the anti-colonialist, strategist and revolutionary intellectual — Lessons for today.”
Mr Akoto Ampaw observed that the 1966 coup was the bane of Ghana’s under development.
The legal practitioner said but for the coup, Ghana would have been an industrialised country today.
He stressed that the slow dismantling of projects undertaken by the CPP government and other negative acts perpetrated by the coup makers, caused the nation dearly.
Mr Akoto Ampaw, who is an Nkrumaist, said Dr Nkrumah lived far ahead of the time that was why the rest of Africa looked up to him for hope.
He said even though the 1966 coup was useless, it was not unexpected because of the developments of the time.
Mr Akoto Ampaw explained that there were several attempts by the neo-colonialists and the imperialists’ forces to take Ghana out of the sphere of world politics due to Nkrumah’s growing influence on African politics.
A lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Adam Gamel Nasser, who also delivered a paper at the ceremony, said it was a national disgrace that most of Nkrumah’s projects were left to waste.
Speaking on the topic: “Education, technology and national development: Going to Nkrumah’s vision for the future,” Dr Nasser said the first President believed in technology as a cornerstone for national development that was why he set up the KNUST.
“Nkrumah’s establishment of KNUST was to do away with the African mentality and fear about science and technology, and today his vision has come true,” he said.
Dr Nasser stressed the need for the nation to abandon the concept of development partners because “our so-called development partners would not want us to reach the level they are now.”
He said the nation could do better in its development process if it concentrated on indigenous technology.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, in a brief statement, said Dr Nkrumah’s vision for education in Ghana immediately after independence was part of the overall comprehensive plan to bring about justice, economic self-reliance and national cohesion.
He said it was important that Ghanaians continued to allow the ideas that impregnated the life of the fist President to reflect in all national activities.
The Chairman of the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee, Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr, was glad that the African Union had agreed to honour Dr Nkrumah by joining the Government of Ghana to organise the final segment of the centenary celebrations.
The Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. K.K. Adarkwa, chaired the lecture.
KWADASO MP'S EDUCATION FUND YIELDS GH¢200,000 (PAGE 15, APRIL 1, 2010)
AN education fund instituted by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, about a year ago has realised about GH¢200,000.
The fund, which solicits support from individuals, public and private institutions is aimed at supporting the development of educational infrastructure.
Dr Akoto made this known at the inauguration of two school blocks financed by the fund at a cost of GH¢60,000 at Ohwimase and Nyankyerenease last Monday.
The projects include a three-classroom block for the Anglican Primary School at Ohwimase, and a two-unit classroom block for the Nyankyerenease Methodist Kindergarten.
All the classrooms in the Ohwimase project were furnished.
Dr Akoto underscored the importance of education in the development of the nation and gave the assurance that he would do everything possible to sustain the fund so that more projects would be undertaken in the constituency.
The MP stated that the shift system operating in the Ohwimase school as a result of inadequate classrooms, was expected to end with the completion of the project.
He said while on the campaign trail for the 2008 election, he made a promise to undertake various educational projects when he was elected, and gave the assurance that he would never renege on his promise.
Dr Akoto stated that six projects would be completed for various schools in the constituency this year and promised to establish a computer centre for schools in the constituency next year.
The MP assured all the 14 communities in the constituency that each of them would benefit from his education fund.
He urged parents to take keen interest in the education of their children because children were the future leaders of the nation.
Dr Akoto emphasised that politics without development was of no use and that was why he was determined to use his energy and resources to help in shaping the development of the constituency.
Dr Akoto commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund, LLL and BLLC Timber Companies for the various supporting roles they played in executing the projects.
The chief of Ohwim, Nana Appiah Kubi, commended the MP for his initiatives and stated, “This is what every MP should be doing”.
He advised the schoolchildren to take their studies seriously so that they could further their education.
The fund, which solicits support from individuals, public and private institutions is aimed at supporting the development of educational infrastructure.
Dr Akoto made this known at the inauguration of two school blocks financed by the fund at a cost of GH¢60,000 at Ohwimase and Nyankyerenease last Monday.
The projects include a three-classroom block for the Anglican Primary School at Ohwimase, and a two-unit classroom block for the Nyankyerenease Methodist Kindergarten.
All the classrooms in the Ohwimase project were furnished.
Dr Akoto underscored the importance of education in the development of the nation and gave the assurance that he would do everything possible to sustain the fund so that more projects would be undertaken in the constituency.
The MP stated that the shift system operating in the Ohwimase school as a result of inadequate classrooms, was expected to end with the completion of the project.
He said while on the campaign trail for the 2008 election, he made a promise to undertake various educational projects when he was elected, and gave the assurance that he would never renege on his promise.
Dr Akoto stated that six projects would be completed for various schools in the constituency this year and promised to establish a computer centre for schools in the constituency next year.
The MP assured all the 14 communities in the constituency that each of them would benefit from his education fund.
He urged parents to take keen interest in the education of their children because children were the future leaders of the nation.
Dr Akoto emphasised that politics without development was of no use and that was why he was determined to use his energy and resources to help in shaping the development of the constituency.
Dr Akoto commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund, LLL and BLLC Timber Companies for the various supporting roles they played in executing the projects.
The chief of Ohwim, Nana Appiah Kubi, commended the MP for his initiatives and stated, “This is what every MP should be doing”.
He advised the schoolchildren to take their studies seriously so that they could further their education.
COP GRABBED OVER GUN THEFT (PAGE 3, APRIL 1, 2010)
A POLICE constable at the Zongo Police Station in Kumasi has been arrested for allegedly stealing a pump action gun from a forex bureau where he was on duty.
Constable Paul Twumasi Ankrah, 25, was said to have taken advantage of a power outage at the duty point to steal the gun.
Officials at the Ashanti Regional Police Command said the constable admitted the offence after initially claiming that the gun had been given to him by a friend at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He has, consequently, been interdicted and is being prepared for court to face a charge of stealing.
The police have, however, managed to retrieve the gun from Ejura where it was allegedly sold for GH¢400.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, in a briefing, said on March 22, 2010, the manager of Johnson’s Forex Bureau at Amakom in Kumasi lodged a complaint about the missing gun with the police.
He said the duty officer suspected Constable Twumasi of stealing the gun, since he was the one on duty at the time.
Acting on further information, police investigators invited Constable Twumasi for questioning, during which he mentioned one Ebenezer Sarfo Adu of KNUST as the one who sent a pump action gun to him to sell.
The suspect further told the police that he had given the weapon to one Mohammed, who sent it to Ejura.
Chief Inspector Tanko stated that on March 23, 2010, Ebenezer was arrested but he denied any knowledge of the Constable Twumasi’s story and even challenged the policeman to tell the police whether he (suspect) knew him (Ebenezer).
Upon further interrogation, Constable Twumasi admitted stealing the gun and he was subsequently arrested.
Constable Paul Twumasi Ankrah, 25, was said to have taken advantage of a power outage at the duty point to steal the gun.
Officials at the Ashanti Regional Police Command said the constable admitted the offence after initially claiming that the gun had been given to him by a friend at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He has, consequently, been interdicted and is being prepared for court to face a charge of stealing.
The police have, however, managed to retrieve the gun from Ejura where it was allegedly sold for GH¢400.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, in a briefing, said on March 22, 2010, the manager of Johnson’s Forex Bureau at Amakom in Kumasi lodged a complaint about the missing gun with the police.
He said the duty officer suspected Constable Twumasi of stealing the gun, since he was the one on duty at the time.
Acting on further information, police investigators invited Constable Twumasi for questioning, during which he mentioned one Ebenezer Sarfo Adu of KNUST as the one who sent a pump action gun to him to sell.
The suspect further told the police that he had given the weapon to one Mohammed, who sent it to Ejura.
Chief Inspector Tanko stated that on March 23, 2010, Ebenezer was arrested but he denied any knowledge of the Constable Twumasi’s story and even challenged the policeman to tell the police whether he (suspect) knew him (Ebenezer).
Upon further interrogation, Constable Twumasi admitted stealing the gun and he was subsequently arrested.
KOTOKO, LIONS SPLIT POINTS (BACK PAGE, APRIL 1, 2010)
KUMASI Asante Kotoko continued their unimpressive form in the Glo Premier League with a 1-1 draw against Kpando Heart of Lions at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
Visionless and without drive and energy, Kotoko wandered in the game and were lucky to escape defeat in the dying embers when Lions came close on three occasions, the ball hitting the post once.
The sparse midweek crowd, mostly Kotoko supporters, walked out of the stadium dejected, wondering what must have been happening to the once-fearsome Kotoko.
Lions started with their backs to the wall, but when they turned the heat on, keeper Isaac Amoako had to come out of his area to sweep the ball off the foot ofOsei Banahene on the eighth minute.
It was a dangerous signal for the Porcupine Warriors and they reacted quickly with Baffour Gyan coming close on the nineth minute. A lot of action remained in the middle with the traffic occasionally moving to the flanks where Lions were superior.
But once Kotoko put their act together they remained slightly on top and it came as little surprise when they opened the scoring on the 28th minute. A brilliant workout on the left saw Michael Ofosu Appiah placing well in the area for advancing Francis Coffie to finish off.
Lions took up the challenge and drew level two minutes later through Daniel Acquaye who opened the Kotoko wall with a curling ball from a freekick, with Isaac Amoako making a fruitless attempt to salvage it.
Stephen Ahorlu in post for Lions pulled some brilliant saves, including a penalty kick by Michael Ofosu Appiah on the 47th minute, to deny Kotoko.
The introduction of Gilbert Fiamenyo in place of Tanko Mohammed ignited the Lions game but the bulky striker wasted two great opportunities on the 90th minute and in added time, much to the relief of Kotoko.
Visionless and without drive and energy, Kotoko wandered in the game and were lucky to escape defeat in the dying embers when Lions came close on three occasions, the ball hitting the post once.
The sparse midweek crowd, mostly Kotoko supporters, walked out of the stadium dejected, wondering what must have been happening to the once-fearsome Kotoko.
Lions started with their backs to the wall, but when they turned the heat on, keeper Isaac Amoako had to come out of his area to sweep the ball off the foot ofOsei Banahene on the eighth minute.
It was a dangerous signal for the Porcupine Warriors and they reacted quickly with Baffour Gyan coming close on the nineth minute. A lot of action remained in the middle with the traffic occasionally moving to the flanks where Lions were superior.
But once Kotoko put their act together they remained slightly on top and it came as little surprise when they opened the scoring on the 28th minute. A brilliant workout on the left saw Michael Ofosu Appiah placing well in the area for advancing Francis Coffie to finish off.
Lions took up the challenge and drew level two minutes later through Daniel Acquaye who opened the Kotoko wall with a curling ball from a freekick, with Isaac Amoako making a fruitless attempt to salvage it.
Stephen Ahorlu in post for Lions pulled some brilliant saves, including a penalty kick by Michael Ofosu Appiah on the 47th minute, to deny Kotoko.
The introduction of Gilbert Fiamenyo in place of Tanko Mohammed ignited the Lions game but the bulky striker wasted two great opportunities on the 90th minute and in added time, much to the relief of Kotoko.
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