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Coup trial: Adawudu Exchanges Heated Words With Judges

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Mr Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, counsel for four of the accused persons

Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Counsel for four of the alleged coup plotters currently standing trial in Accra, exchanged heated words with the three-member panel of judges, for going ahead with the case, after he (Adawudu) had fallen sick.

He did not understand why the court will adjourn sitting when a member of the panel is indisposed, but failed to extend the same gesture to him.
He expressed this displeasure when he was refused the chance to re-examine Kafui Doyan, aka Ezor, the second accused person by the panel, presided over by Justice Afia Asare-Botwe.

Mr Adawudu lost his cool and argued extensively with the court that he was indisposed on Monday, hence was not available to lead his client in evidence.
He contended that instead of the court adjourning to enable him attend to his health problem, it proceeded to ask his client, Kafui Donya, to give his evidence-in-chief.

One of the panel members, Stephen Oppong, however, indicated to Counsel that the court was at liberty to continue with proceedings, even in the absence of lawyers in the case.
Adawudu did not, however, take kindly to the position espoused by the judge, resulting in heated arguments.

Justice Stephen Oppong who was not happy with the stance taken by the Counsel, cautioned him that he should not be talking back to the bench and that it should be the last time of doing that.
But Adawudu furiously responded that the “bar will reciprocate respect from the bench.”
The panel also replied him, urging him to keep his respect and that after all, he was not the one who appointed them.

The heated exchanges ignited the atmosphere in the court.
Mr Adawudu attempted to re-examine his client after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa concluded her cross-examination.
Mrs Obuobisa refuted the claim by the second accused in the trial that he visited Accra to manufacture weapons at the instance of the third prosecution witness (PW3), Sergeant Awarf Sulley.

Proving this point with a number of videos played at court, she said Sulley Awarf was introduced to the accused for the first time in the late Dr Frederick MacPalm’s (first accused) house.

She said it was in the first accused’s (A1) house that PW3 took A2’s contact, therefore, he couldn’t have been the one who called to engage him.
Mrs Obuobisa stated that A2 was invited by Dr MacPalm to produce locally manufactured guns and IEDs, which were going to be used to violently overthrow a constitutional government.

The following is continuation of cross-examination;

Q. PW3, Sulley Awarf, did not even have your number before you came to Accra, so he could not have been the one who called you and invited you to Accra to work for him?
A. PW3 was the person who called me to come to Accra. Because of that, I met him at 37 and he took me to A1’s house.

Q. In Exhibit AN, which is your caution statement that you gave to the police on 22/9/19, on page 2 of that statement, you stated that a friend told you that a Doctor wanted you to come to Accra?

A. That is not true.
Q. You also stated that this friend gave your number to the Doctor and he also called you?
A. That is not so.
Q. You also stated that when everything was fresh in your memory, this doctor also sent you GH¢100.000 which you used as transport?

A. PW3 sent me GH¢100.00 to use to come to Accra and later on Dr. also sent me some money.
Q. You also stated that at Dr MacPalm’s residence, he told you he wanted you to manufacture 10 pistols and explosives for him?

A. What I said was that he asked me to repair guns, not to manufacture them.
Q. You also stated in the same page 2 that you agreed to do this work and charged GH¢2,300 for each pistol and GH¢4,000 for the explosives.
A. That is not so. I did not say I will make explosives, but funeral musketry.

Q. What you stated in Exhibit AN is what has been captured in audio recording, which is part of Exhibit E, when you went to Dr MacPalm’s residence on 28/2/19?

A. I want the audio to be played.
(MacPalm speaking: Ezor is not a stranger to me)
Prosecution: Now from pages 2 and 3 of Exhibit G14, when you got to Accra, Dr MacPalm introduced you to Sulley and others?

A. Sulley was the person who took me to Dr MacPalm’s place and when Doctor realised I was speaking Ewe and we were from the same place, he took it upon himself to do the introduction?

Q. This cannot be true because Dr MacPalm told Sulley you have come to do some work for him?
A. That is not so

Q. Mr Ezor, in this same audio recording on page 24 of Exhibit G 14, you gave Sulley your number for the first time so he could not have been the one who called you?
(Audio playing: Dr MacPalm speaking -It is you and Ezor. I have his number. Sulley Awarf: …2323. The name is Mr Ezor. Spelling E. Z. O. R)

A. Sulley was the person who called me and I met him at 37 before he took me to Dr MacPalm’s residence.
Q. Mr Sulley couldn’t have called you till you gave it to him?
A. I have two numbers.
Q. On which number did Sulley call you on?

A. On 0247058533
Q. Mr Ezor, this cannot be true, because you did not give any of these numbers to the group when you came to Accra and they wanted your number?

A. My lady, the number I spoke to Sulley was …but when we got to Dr MacPalm’s residence, I gave him another number which we were communicating on.
Q. Again, in your own caution statement, on page 3, on the first line, you stated that you came to Doctor’s residence upon direction given to you by Doctor?

A. That is not so.
Q. Mr Ezor, you came to Dr MacPalm purposely to manufacture IEDs and locally manufactured pistols?
A. That is not so

Q. And you also knew that these locally manufactured guns and IEDs were going to be used violently to overthrow the constitutional government?
A. I didn’t know
Q. On page 3 of Exhibit AN, you stated that Doctor told you that what you were coming to produce was going to be taken to the Flagstaff house for a coup?

A. That is not so
A. You also stated that Dr MacPalm told you to hurry up so that the equipment could be used for the coup?
A. That is not so
Q. In fact, one Stephen, who was with you when he heard what Dr MacPalm said, advised you that Dr MacPalm was a bad man so you should leave?

A. That’s true
Q. Now you also stated that you will produce six pistols and 22 explosives for Doctor?
A. I repaired six pistols.
Q. You also stated that you repaired 22 explosives.

A. I stated I manufactured 22 funeral musketries.
Q. You said that Dr MacPalm gave you some chemicals and six syringes to put in the explosives?

A. That is not so
Q. You stated that the purpose of the explosive was to make people sleep?
A. That is not so.
Q. It is true that you put the chemical in the explosives because this is verified by the analyst report, Exhibit A?

A.That is not true.
Q. In your conversation with Dr MacPalm, A3 and Sulley Awarf, contained in Exhibit, some chemicals and components were mentioned to be put in the explosives?
A. That is not so

Q. On page six of 28, of exhibit G14, in the last paragraph, it is the transcription of the meeting of 28/7/19. Dr MacPalm stated that you could put in pepper and gas and other chemicals used for operation in the explosives?

A. That’s not so
Q. In exhibit J, which is a forensic report of the IEDs and pistols; powdered pepper, syringes and … spinal injection were found in the IEDs?

A. That is not so
Q. From page 12 of Exhibit J, which is still the audio recording of your conversations of …you talked about the number of pistols you were going to produce?
A. He talks about the guns I will repair because Sulley brought in the guns I was to repair.

Q. What kind of guns did Sulley bring to you?
A. They were different pistols
Q. Can you tell the court the kind of pistols?

A. I don’t know their exact names but I remember one was a revolver pistol.
Q. Were they locally manufactured pistols or foreign?
A. Some were locally manufactured pistols and others foreign.

Q. You said Sulley brought you pistols from the military high command. He could not have brought you locally manufactured pistols?
A. As I mentioned before, they were locally manufactured pistols and foreign ones. I don’t know where he got the locally manufactured ones from.

Q. The locally manufactured ones were manufactured by you?
A. That is not so.
Q. This is the video dated 17/12/19- 00020
(Video playing) Do you recognise this place?

A. Yes
Q. Which place is that?
A. Doctor’s residence.
Q. In this video can you identify the person?

A. I’m the one
Q. Now you see some pipes at your left. Can you tell the court what those pipes are?
A. Those are some of the funeral musketries.
Q. Can you tell the court what you were pounding?

A. I was pounding gunpowder and sand.
Q. What is the nature of gunpowder?
A. It is black

Q. Is it in a form of powder?
A. It grounded but not too fine

Q. I put it to you that what you were pounding include pepper, gunpowder and other chemicals that you were pounding to get fine powder?
A. I pounded only gunpowder and sound

Q. The reason you were pounding all these material was because upon explosion it would have a lethal effect?
A. When you put gunpowder in pipe you would have to pound it. So I did not add anything.
Q. These pipes are not the kind of pipes used for funeral musketry?

A. These are the types of pipes used for funeral musketry
Q. You knew that what you were manufacturing were going to be used to violently overthrow the government.

A. That is not so.
Q. These pipes were the same pipes that were brought to be tendered as exhibit N?
A. That is not so

Q. Mr Ezor, I put it to you that these are the pipes, were the same pipes you worked on as stated in this video?
A. That is not so
Q. Mr Ezor, this is Pic 0005 19/8/19. Can you identify this place?

A. Yes.
Q. Which place is this?
A. That is Doctor’s residence.

Q. Which implements are these?
A. The device in the red container is used for making holes.
Q. These were implements you used. Is that correct?

A. Yes. They were tools I used.
Q. Where did you purchase them from?
A. I bought some from Accra and Hohoe.

Q. Now can you identify the implement, what he is pointing to?
A. Those are some of the guns Sully brought to me to repair.

Q. Are they foreign or local?
A. the one to the left of the scene are locally manufactured guns and the others to the right of the screen are foreign.

Q. There is also one here. That is also locally manufactured pistols
A. It is a locally manufactured gun.

Q. All the guns are locally manufactured guns?
A. That is not true.

Q. You saw the implements. What was that?
A. Those were the old implement I was repairing
Q. This is Stephen, isn’t it?
A. Yes
Q. Stephen was the one who advised you that Dr MacPalm was a bad person?
A. Yes. He was the one who advised me.

Q. Mr Ezor, I put it to you that you were the one who manufactured all the 22 IEDs.
A. No.
Q. You were the one who manufactured the locally manufactured gun?

A. That is not so.
Q. I also put it to you that you manufactured them, knowing the purpose for which it was going to be used.

A. That is not so, I don’t know anything about.
Q. You acted together with Dr MacPalm, A3, with A4, A6 and A5 to violently overthrow the government.

A. That is not true. I don’t know the people whose names have been mentioned. And also it was after we were arrested and arraigned before court before that I got to know some of the accused persons. And I also did not know about any plot to overthrow the government.
Re-examination

Q. You were shown Exhibit AN, that is the caution statement to the police. In that statement it says that you stated what has happened.

 

785 buildings to go down at Tse-Addo

By
JENNIFER AMBOLLEY
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Mr Asenso Boakye addressing the media

The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye says about 785 houses that have been built in waterways in some parts of Accra,including the Tseaddo Drain enclave, in the Teshie Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly will be demolished.

Addressing a news conference in Accra yesterday, Minister Asenso Boakye said his recent visit to some of the flood prone areas revealed that structures have been built close to the drain, resulting in flood inundation and severe erosion along the banks of the drain.

Mr. Asenso Boakye highlighted the level of indiscipline on the part of the public in developing wetlands left as a buffer for streams, rivers and lagoons, as well as those who block watercourses which compound the problem and undermine government’s efforts.

Some of the drains being desilted

According to him, he also visited Teshie Bush Road Drain in the same Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly where structures had been put up haphazardly on reservation for the river channels.

Mr. Boakye emphasised on the need for citizens to support government’s efforts by respecting rules and regulations governing settlement planning and avoid development in water ways and drainage buffers.

These activities include “filling lagoons and wetlands with construction materials for development purposes; Building on drainage channels, hence blocking the free flow of storm water; Dumping of solid waste in drains thereby reducing their capacity to hold storm water; and Gaps in the enforcement of planning laws and building regulations by the MMDAs.” he indicated.

The ministry officials who attended the press conference

To address these challenges, Mr. Asenso Boakye disclosed that his Ministry has engaged with the Ministry of National Security to seek support for the Assemblies to enforce planning laws and building regulations to stop development on the Kpeshie wetlands and other water bodies across the country.

Additionally, the Ministry is engaging the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development to enhance support for the Assemblies in dealing with the challenge of buildings in waterways and drainage buffers.

He continued that his ministry had deployed all resources “available to us to construct new drains and improve existing ones with a focus on vulnerable communities ahead of the raining season.”

Minister Asenso Boakye answering a question at the press conference

The minister revealed that Government was collaborating with the World Bank to invest USD 200 million to mitigate flood risk and solid waste management challenges in the Odaw Drainage Basin.

According to him, the government’s comprehensive programme to tackle flooding in vulnerable communities is investment in the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.

“The procurement process for the performance-based dredging of the Odaw River is completed and works expected to commence soon after the implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan to compensate individuals that will be impacted by the project,”he added.

Other interventions the Minister mentioned include drainage improvement works at Achimota, Nima and Kaneshie.

Also, he stated that the procurement process for Drainage Improvement Works at Achimota is far advanced.

The GARID project, he revealed, is also undertaking participatory community upgrade in Alogboshie,Akweteyman and Nima.

“Other important interventions include the construction of retention ponds in the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission area to hold large volumes of water, which would have otherwise flowed directly towards the city centre to cause flooding”, the minister reinstated.

He also acknowledged that the team is also undertaking non-structural measures such as the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) for the Greater Accra Region as well as Social and Behavioural Change Campaign.

With the Early Warning System, he disclosed that people in vulnerable communities will have the benefit of advanced notice of flooding, so they can take steps to protect their lives and valuables.

Subsequently, the minister indicated that “from 2018 to date, the Government has committed approximately GHS 450 million to the programme and that is the single most significant investment from Government of Ghana funding sources to tackle flooding.”

Under the National Flood Control Programme, he said that 384 desilting projects and 202 drainage channel construction projects were initiated.

“The effect has been the mitigation of flood hazards in beneficiary communities such as;Kuntunse Satellite, Achimota Mile 7, Katamanso, Mamprobi, Abeka-Ayigbe Town, Labadi Olympia, Tse-Addo, Teshie Yoomo Specs, Nungua (United Church Area), Haatso, Madina Firestone, Madina Mayehot, Madina Redco, Madina Oblogo, Dome Crossing, Santa Maria (Plus FM and Washing) Weija GEICEL, Kasoa Iron City, Kasoa Obom and Ashaiman, among other communities across the country.” he added.

To ensure the positive impact is experienced in other targeted communities, the Ministry and the Ghana Hydrological Authority will follow-up to ensure completion of all ongoing projects under 2020 National Flood Control Programme, Mr. Asenso noted.

Additionally, the Minister said his outfit had initiated a process of undertaking economic, environmental and social impact assessment of the completed drainage projects under the National Flood Control Programmes.

Ahead of this raining season, the ministered confirmed that desilting works have been undertaken in selected flood hot spots such as Kasoa Millennium City, Adenta Sakora, Nsakyi, Ablekuma, Dawhyenya and Dome Railway Crossing, New Legon, Santor, Adenta, Sango and Naapladjor Drains.

He concluded by saying his outfit is determined to ensure that Accra is adequately prepared for the impending rains.

 

$122m vaccines factory for Accra

By
MAXWELL OFORI
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President Akufo-Addo performing officials function for work to start on the project

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has broken ground for the construction of a vaccine manufacturing factory in the country.

The construction of the US$122.6 million vaccine plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024, and production will commence in 2025.

The private sector-led project, owned by DEK Vaccines Limited, a consortium of Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies, is expected to produce 600 million doses of vaccines annually.

The vaccines to be manufactured include COVID-19, malaria, HPV, pneumonia, rotavirus, and cholera with the full value chain.

The President arriving at the venue for the programme

The project has a plan to construct a total of four fill and finish lines that can fill any type of vaccine and provide full-time employment for over 250 people.

SELF-SUFFICIENT

In his address preceding the groundbreaking, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the factory would propel the nation to be self-sufficient in the production and manufacturing of vaccines.

“It all started on February 28, 2021, with Update 24 of what has come to be known as the Fellow Ghanaians series of addresses to the nation at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when I declared to the Ghanaian people my determination to see to the manufacturing of vaccines here in Ghana,” he recalled.

Chiefs and Queenmothers seated for the programme

He stated that the COVID-19 vaccine nationalism exhibited by the developed countries called for urgent action to safeguard Ghana for the unforeseen future.

JOURNEY

President Akufo-Addo recalled that, as had “been the norm,” this idea, like the Free Senior High School (Free SHS), was downplayed by a section of the public, who thought it was a lofty idea that could not be implemented.

Regardless of that, he set up a Presidential Vaccine Manufacturing Committee, whose work was to formulate a concrete plan of action towards domestic vaccine development and manufacturing.

The plan of action, the President noted, culminated in the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute in July 2021, with a US$25 million seed investment from the European Investment Bank.

President Akufo-Addo and dignitaries pose for the camera

On February 14, 2023, the National Vaccine Institute Bill was enacted by Parliament, which has received presidential assent, and its Board of Directors will be out in the open later.

RETURN TO NORMALCY

President Akufo-Addo recalled the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the loss of lives and businesses, but expressed delight in vaccines savaging the disaster.

According to him, far from viewing the pandemic as a disaster to which the world was powerless, Ghana fully embraced the lessons it taught the nation, including the importance of strengthening its unity and solidarity with countries on the continent.

While acknowledging the vaccines that Africa received from abroad, he noted that Ghana, Rwanda, and Senegal are together venturing into development and manufacturing and are determined to become vaccine manufacturing hubs in sub-Saharan Africa.

“In the short term of two years, DEK Vaccines Limited will fill, finish, and package COVID-19 and the other vaccines I have enumerated,” he stated.

In the medium term, five years, President Akufo-Addo said the target is to continue to establish more domestic vaccine manufacturing plants in the country, to produce vaccines to meet WHO standards, and then see to a long-term plan of production in ten years using innovative technology.

The Presidential Dais

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of DEK Vaccines Limited, Pharm., Dr. Kofi Nsiah-Poku, said COVID-19 was “an eye opener” and that the ceremony was taking place as a result of the vision of President Akufo-Addo.

Acknowledging the call by the WHO for the world to prepare for the next pandemic, Dr. Nsiah-Poku assured the gathering that the DEK factory is designed to have a reserved capacity for any emergency or pandemic.”

The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Nsiah Asare, speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the Vaccine Manufacturing Committee, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, said the DEK Consortium has developed a bankable business plan to provide enough resources to be able to put up the factory.

Speaking as the representative for the European Union, which is a bilateral partner, Ambassador M. Irchad Razaaly said the EU has stuck to its promise to support Ghana in its journey and transformation into a pan-African vaccine manufacturing hub.

The EU has given a five-million-euro grant to the DEK Consortium to commence the construction and manufacturing of vaccines in Ghana.

Tradition on full display

The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, commended the government and the company for the step they took, adding that the project would open the door for more partnerships.

The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu was represented by Tina Mensah, Deputy Health Minister who said the President’s vision for a Ghana Beyond Aid was the driving force for the ministry.

Prez to commission 312 housing units for Police 

By
admin
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President Akufo-Addo

The first phase of A 504-Accommodation facility made up of one- and two-bedroom housing units for the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Meteorological Agency, Civil Aviation, and DVLA is set for commissioning on Wednesday 19th April, 2023

The first phase of the project, which includes 312 housing units, also has a fully furnished clinic, school block for JHS and Primary, police mobile maintenance unit, police station, fuel depot, and garage will go a long way in reducing the accommodation challenges facing the police

The Second phase will see the construction of 192 housing units, taking the total number to 504 housing units.

President Akufo-Addo is expected to commission yet another major project undertaken by his government as part of measures aimed at addressing the accommodation needs of the Ghana Police Service

The project, developed by Unique Development Company, is a land swap agreement between the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, Lands Commission, Ministry of Interior, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the private developer.

During one of the inspections, a Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio said the agreement was reached when government realised that the Police Service was in urgent need of accommodation, which also fell in line with the government’s plan to build Morden Barracks for the security services as their numbers kept increasing by the day.

He indicated that the construction began in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress was interrupted and almost halted

The Deputy Minister explained that the project also includes a 10 Unit, 2 bedroom accommodation for the engineering and mechanic department of the Service with offices, canteens, and a police post to ensure their safety.

The Deputy Minister clarified that the project has also relocated the residents of the Ghana Airport Company and the Meteorological Service at Jubilee Enclave to pave the way for the construction of the Jubilee City Project.

KMA rolls out sustainable revenue mobilisation … With AfD, ASToN support

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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The Mayor of Kumasi handing a POS to a Bantama revenue collector

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has rolled all three basic requirements for the implementation of electronic taxation (e-taxation) to ensure a sustainable revenue mobilisation.

The e-taxation concept is the use of smart and digital technologies in the management and operations in the city.

Following the selection of Kumasi for the project, the KMA has established a comprehensive database of all property values, with commercial and residential demarcation for proper tax management purposes.

Mayor Sam Pyne flanked by the PM and Metro Coordinating Director while addressing the revenue field officers

It has also established a centre to process data, and further gone to the extent of procuring 70 Point of Sale (POS) devises to ensure effective digital revenue collection, mainly from business operative permits and licences.

The POS has a 24-hour internet connectivity, provided by MTN.

The project is being implemented with the support of the Africa Smart Towns Network (ASToN), and funded by Agence Française de Développement (AfD) at €100,000.

The Mayor of Kumasi, Mr. Samuel Pyne, while distributing the POS devices on Monday, urged the revenue collectors of the assembly at the various Sub Metro Councils to work diligently and achieve results to ensure proper accountability and development in the Metropolis.

Mr. Pyne assured them that the KMA would ensure that the requisite equipment and tools, including desk top computers and adequate POS devices, are procured, as well as ensure a well functioning internet service to make the Data Centre functional.

Mr. David Abbam Adjei, Metro Finance Officer, disclosed that the Data Centre captures about 85% of businesses in the Metropolis for the purposes of taxation, and hoped the Assembly’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) would be sustained.

Meanwhile, the Revenue Sub-Committee of the Assembly has directed that all Sub-Metro Councils must distribute demand notices to business concerns in good time to ensure effective revenue collection to raise funds for its development agenda.

Dissolve Management Committee of Ho Market -Mamaga Akua Dei II

By
SAMUEL AGBEWODE
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The Ho Central Market women at the VRCC, where they presented the petition for the Regional Minister

The Paramount Queenmother of the Asogli Traditional Area, Mamaga Akua Dei II, has directed the Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Divine R.K. Bosson, to dissolve the committee appointed by the Assembly to manage activities in the Ho Central Market with immediate effect.

Mamaga Akua Dei said it was clear to the chiefs and queenmothers of Asogli that the MCE had no respect for tradition and culture, since Mr. Bosson and the Assembly had shown that they would not respect and work with the Market Queen appointed by the Queenmother of Asogli, Madam Joyce Norvixoxo.

The Paramount Queenmother gave the directive at a press conference in Ho on Monday, five days after market women demonstrated against the Ho Municipal Chief Executive and the Assembly for refusing to recognise the Market Queen appointed by the Paramount Queenmother and refused to work with her.

Mama Akua Dei explained that the Market Queen, Madam Dagbey Mansah, was duly installed some years back, but as she advanced in age, her health deteriorated and she became indisposed, therefore, as tradition demanded, when a Queenmother became inactive as a result of sickness, someone is appointed to act on her behalf, per the tradition of Asogli.

She continued that since Madam Dagbey Mansah was ill, the queenmothers met and appointed Madam Joyce Norvixoxo as the acting Market Queen of the Ho Central Market, and since then had been working with the Municipal Assembly and the then MCE, Mr. Pii Bansah.

Mamaga Akua Dei further explained that she was taken ill about two years ago and travelled abroad for medication, on her return she was informed that a new MCE called Mr. Divine R.K Bosson had decided not to work with the Market Queen appointed by the Asogli Queenmother, and decided to form a Management Committee to administer activities in the market.

She said she called the MCE to find out as to whether the information given her that he (MCE) also claimed that the Ho Central Market was the property of the Assembly, but he denied it, saying he never said the market belonged to the Assembly, but agreed that he and the Assembly decided not to work with the Market Queen.

According to Mamaga Akua Dei, Asogli, and for that matter, Ho, had been a peaceful area over the years and that the queenmothers would not allow any government appointee like the Ho MCE to be disrespectful to them, therefore, it was important for the MCE to dissolve the Market Management Committee and any other persons working in the name of the Assembly in the market to ensure peace.

She said market queens were found in the major markets in the Volta Region, and the country in general, who worked in collaboration with metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), adding that she did not understand why that of the Ho Central Market would be different.

Mamaga Akua Dei stressed that even though the Ho Municipal Assembly paid a monthly rate on the land on which the market was situated, the place was for the chiefs and people of Asogli, and the Queenmother, once appointed by Madam Norvixoxo as acting Queen of the Ho Market, would continue to act in that capacity and administer its activities as tradition demanded.

Goaso East Assemblyman supports youth to acquire employable skills

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Dauda Tahiru presenting a start-up tools to a beneficiary

Mr. Dauda Tahiru, Assembly Member for Gauso East Electoral Area in the Obuasi Municipality, has supported some constituents to acquire employable skills.

It is part of plans to boost businesses and owners of small and medium scale enterprises, especially hairdressers and seamstresses, by supporting them with start-up kits, hence, the intervention.

As a result, the Assembly Member has donated sewing machines and hair dryers to selected seamstresses and hairdressers in the community to boost their businesses and to train other youth to reduce unemployment among the youth in the area.

He also presented clothes and sandals to children and organised free health screening for members of the community.

According him, the initiative was geared towards his quest to build the capacity of the youth in his electoral area in skills acquisition.

Mr. Dauda Tahiru, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Ya-Latif Engineering Center, disclosed that he had enrolled most of the youth in his training center free of charge.

He said the gesture was inspired by his desire to empower the youth towards addressing youth unemployment.

Under his education and skills training programme, the Assembly Member donated 100 pieces of sandals to pupils of the Saqquafiya School in 2021.

The Assembly Member implored the youth to focus on acquiring employable skills to engage them in more productive ventures.

Adramani Gauso, Odikro of Goaso, called on the youth in the community to prioritise education, and advised parents to commit resources and time towards educating their wards.

He stated that the chiefs were prepared to help any child who had the desire to pursue education to the highest level.

The Goaso caretaker Chief reiterated the pledge by leaders of the community to wean the community off criminal elements.

He gave the assurance that the leaders would not shield anybody who was bent on dragging the name of the community into the mud.

The beneficiaries expressed their profound gratitude to the Assembly Member for his resolve to help the youth to be productive in acquiring employable skills, and promised to use the equipments and tools to boost their businesses to enable them support other youth in the community.

Editorial: Introduction of pension scheme for cocoa farmers is long overdue

By
THE CHRONICLE
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Editorial

In a story we carried in the Tuesday edition of The Chronicle, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has begun a sensitisation exercise to register Ghanaian cocoa farmers on to a pension scheme.

The exercise is a three tier scheme and would be under the supervision of the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA).

Whilst the farmers would contribute a minimum of five percent anytime they visit cocoa sheds to sell their produce, COCOBOD, on the other hand, would contribute one percent in support of the scheme.

At a sensitisation exercise at Tarkwa, Wassa Manso, the Head of Public Affairs of COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo, explained that the importance of the scheme was to ensure that farmers benefit from their contribution to the economy.

He went on to say that since most cocoa farmers were beyond the ages of 50 years, the arrangement was such that those beyond that age would contribute for a period of five years, after which they would be entitled to reap their contributions.

The Chronicle is excited about the news of the pension scheme arrangement that COCOBOD has put in place for the welfare of the Ghanaian cocoa farmer.

Giving the readiness of the farmers to have the scheme rolled out, The Chronicle has no doubts about the sustainability of the scheme in question.

We believe the introduction of the pension scheme is long overdue, considering the contribution cocoa farmers have made in the economy, particularly in the area of foreign exchange.

If the government, through COCOBOD, has decided to set up a pension scheme to cushion cocoa farmers during their retirement age, then it is welcoming news.

However, in as much as we are excited about the arrangement, we will like to advise COCOBOD to tread cautiously and make sure every bottleneck that could hamper the smooth operation of the scheme is removed.

Most particularly is the five percent contribution that cocoa farmers would be paying into the scheme anytime they visit cocoa sheds to sell their produce.

What this means to The Chronicle is that COCOBOD would deduct five percent of the farmer’s sale at the shed, as their contribution to the scheme.

In an industry where most cocoa farmers are believed to be uneducated, we are advising COCOBOD to put in a mechanism where it would have on its database the total number of cocoa farmers who sell their produce at a particular cocoa shed in a particular community.

This will help in the auditing of the contributions from one shed to another, giving the total number.

So, in the event one or two contributions are not forthcoming, COCOBOD could easily trace to find out why. We are raising this concern because we cannot trust individuals who would be put in charge at the various cocoa sheds to do the deduction on behalf of the cocoa farmers for COCOBOD.

Again, we believe COCOBOD could do better by adjusting its one percent contribution in support of the scheme. In formal employment, the employers bear the greater contribution, because they make profit. It is not in doubt that COCOBOD is making huge profits from the sweat of the Ghanaian cocoa farmers.

COCOBOD’s desire to introduce a pension scheme for cocoa farmers is long overdue, and the time to act is now!

Dunkwa chief worried over deteriorating road network 

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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0
Okofrobour Obeng Nuakoh III - Dunkwahene

The chief of Dunkwa, Okofrobour Obeng Nuakoh III, has expressed worry over the deterioration of the Obuasi-Dunkwa road.

He noted that the stretch of the road, which was awarded on contract about four years ago, has recorded fatal accidents of late, because of its current deplorable condition.

The chief said these road accidents are claiming lives on weekly basis and called on the government to prevail on the contractor to put the road in a better condition to avoid the preventable accidents.

Speaking to the media at Dunkwa, in the Denkyira East Municipality, Okofrobour Obeng Nuakoh described work on the road as shoddy because major parts of the road had developed potholes, saying the situation is unbelievable.

Referring to the bridge spanning the Offing River, the Dunkwahene said the bridge is technically weak looking at the heavy vehicular traffic and that it needs urgent rehabilitation to avoid untoward incidents and fatal accident.

The Dunkwa chief appealed to the authorities to ensure that the Astro Turf project at Dunkwa, under the Zongo Development Authority, which sod was cut by Vice President Dr. Bawumia, is completed without any further delays.

He said the site has been taken over by reptiles and suggested the contractor is made to complete the project to promote sports.

Meanwhile, drivers plying the road have called on the Road Minister, Akwasi Amoako Atta, to come to the aid of travelers to stop the rampant road crashes on the stretch.

Lagos bishop accused of raping pastors arraigned

By
admin
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0
Lagos bishop arraigned

The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Monday, granted a bishop, Oluwafeyiropo Daniel, who was accused of raping two of his church pastors (names withheld) bail.

Justice Ramon Oshodi however remanded Oluwafeyiropo who is the founder of I Reign Christian Ministry in Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending when he can perfect his bail conditions.

The defendant was granted N20m bail with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Oshodi said one of the sureties must be the owner of a property in Lagos State and the property must be enough to cover the bail sum.

“The original document of the landed property must be submitted to the Chief Registrar of Lagos State.

“The sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must show evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State,” he said.

The judge also ordered the defendant to deposit his passport with the chief registrar of the court and ordered an acceleration hearing of the case.

Credit: punchng.com

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