Emergency workers have been digging through the rubble to try to find survivors
Four people have died after a three-storey building collapsed in an upmarket part of Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos.
Five people have been rescued and emergency workers have been digging through rubble to find survivors.
The site being built in Lagos Island is thought to have caved in during heavy rainfall.
An official said the building had been sealed off earlier because work violated safety regulations.
Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, head of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said that despite the site being sealed off the developer continued to carry out work at nights and on weekends.
The developer has not yet commented.
Building collapses are common in Nigeria and construction experts blame this on a widespread disregard of regulations.
Last November more than 40 people died when a partially-built block of luxury apartments crumbled in Lagos.
Gunmen have beheaded Okechukwu Okoye, the lawmaker representing Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
The lawmaker and his aide, Cyril Chiegboka, were kidnapped on Sunday, along Aguluzigbo road, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state. He represented Aguata 2 Constituency in Anambra State.
Eyewitnesses told Channels Television that Okoye’s head was dumped at Chisco park in Amichi, Nnewi South Local Government Area on Saturday, six days after he was abducted.
Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident on Saturday night.
Reacting to the murder, Governor Charles Soludo condemned the gruesome killing of the lawmaker and commiserated with his family on the loss.
Soludo in a statement by his media aide, Christian Aburime, described the lawmaker’s killing as heartless and barbaric, saying he received the news with rude shock and deep sadness.
According to him, it is probably the same criminal gang that attacked him and killed three policemen at Isuofia two years ago that is once again on the prowl.
The governor also reassured the people of Anambra State of his administration’s resolve and renewed determination with the security agencies to go all out against the criminals and ensure they are brought to justice.
This is even as he placed a N10m reward for anyone or group that will avail valuable information that will lead to the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
The Techiman South Municipal Assembly has recorded about GH¢899,657.89, representing 95.89 per cent of its GH¢938,211.11 internally-generated fund (IGF) target for the first quarter of the 2022 fiscal year.
Comparatively that was better regarding the quantum of money generated for the first quarter of 2021 which was GH¢80,829.09 instead of the projected GH¢690,568.89 target.
Mr. Benjamin Yaw Gyarko, Techiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), disclosed in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Techiman in the Bono East Region, saying the Assembly had generally made some progress, particularly in the area of internal revenue generation.
Mr. Gyarko said the Assembly made that achievement through revenue generation interventions such as effective market management, including engaging stakeholders like revenue collectors to be honest enough and more devoted to duty.
He cited among those interventions were zoning of the market to enable the Assembly to monitor and supervise collectors on daily basis to improve revenue collection, stressing the Assembly was committed to achieve its revenue target before the stipulated time to accelerate development of the Municipality.
Mr. Gyarko added the Assembly had been engaging stakeholders including traders and the transport unions to foster cooperation and deepen relationship to enhance business in the central business district and its environs.
Mr. Michael Donkor, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie Central, has appealed to all stakeholders, including chiefs, Assembly and Unit Committee members, with firsthand information in the district to complement government’s efforts at flushing out illegal mining activities in the area.
According to him, there were indications that illegal mining was still going on, on the blind side of the authorities, hence, the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure that our water bodies and forests are safe for the unborn children.
Speaking to The Chronicle with regard to complaints by the residents of Adoowa on the unabated invasion of illegal miners in the community, the DCE said the fight against the canker must be the responsibility of all.
He called for the assistance of the residents by providing the requisite information leading to the exposure of unscrupulous elements who indulge in the illegal act.
Mr. Donkor said he had directed the security agents to impound the equipment of illegal miners who had invaded the community in the past five months, destroying farmlands, water bodies and the forest in the area.
The DCE cautioned those claiming ownership of concessions in the area to stop operating within the district or blame themselves when the security agencies deal with them ruthlessly.
The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) is facing several court cases, which could result in the payment of about GH¢106,810,500.00 to litigants.
According to GRIDCo, these claims could result in project delays across the country, thereby affecting their ability to meet statutory objectives. GRIDCo revealed this in the Multi-Year Major Tariff Review 2022-2027 proposals submitted to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for consideration.
The company said it continued to face enormous legal challenges concerning claims for the payment of compensation to Project Affected Persons (PAPs). GRIDCo added: “Cash flow issues related to the availability of funds to cover all aspects of project execution remains a major hurdle for project execution.”
In this regard, the company said: “When payment to PAPs is unavailable or inadequate, PAPs impacted by substation and transmission line projects across the country make substantial financial claims in courts and before statutory bodies such as the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for the resolution of matters related to compensation payments.”
Still, in the 2022-2027 tariff proposal submitted to the PURC, GRIDCo says it had lost more than GH¢6.7 million in revenue since 2019 due to embedded power generation. In electrical terms, embedded generation is the production of electricity from power stations that are directly connected to a distribution network.
Justifying why PURC should approve its request for a 48 per cent increment in Transmission Service Charge, GRIDCo said since the last tariff review in 2019, some bulk customers connected to the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS) procured generation at their sites, while others had indicated their intention to follow the same path.
It pointed out that as more customers embrace Embedded Generation (EG) the demand for service from the grid reduces significantly, leading to the under-utilisation of transmission capacity.
The company mentioned BXC 20MW solar power in Gomoa Onyeadze, near Winneba in the Central Region, and Genser Energy’s 48MWe in Tarkwa in the Western Region as examples.
Explaining how embedded generation would affect the company, GRIDCo said: “A high penetration of EG will result in stranded assets for GRIDCo, and lead to low returns on investments on such assets.”
It said further that in instances where EG becomes unavailable due to technical reasons, the immediate upsurge in demand may create instability in the NITS. It, thus, recommended that embedded generation be adequately regulated to prevent such adverse impact on the NITS.
The Berekum Holy Family Hospital in the Berekum East Municipality in the Bono Region has held stakeholders consultation to find ways to curb the rampant road accidents killing majority of youth in the Berekum municipality.
The stakeholders included the Berekum Traditional Council, the Berekum Municipal Assembly, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate(MTTD)of the Ghana Police Service, the media, the transport unions, the Christian and, Muslim communities, the Berekum Citizens Association, the Berekum Youth for Accountability and teacher unions.
According to Dr. Frank Gyamfi, a surgical specialist of the Holy Family Hospital, “the meeting was very important for stakeholders to find out the possible solution to minimising the increasing number of youth dying out of motor accidents in the town”.
Dr Gyamfi said the hospital has put together data covering four years from 2018 to 2021, which indicates the number of accidents recorded over the period.
“The hospital has put together data over a year period which shows the motor accident trend from 2018 to 2021 and the number of people involved in the accidents”, he said and added that 60 percent of the accident victims were aged between 20 and 49 years.
The data shows the number of males and females who were admitted and those who later died at the hospital.
ACCIDENT VICTIMS
The report shared by the hospital at the meeting indicated that the hospital recorded a total of 292 persons, made up of 199 males and 93 females who were involved in motor accidents in 2018.
In 2019 the data showed that a total of 366 people, made up of 244 males and 122 females were involved in motor accidents and received at the hospital.
The data further indicated that in 2020, 409 people including 267 males and 142 females were involved in accidents and last year, the hospitals’ Outpatient Department (OPD) recorded accident cases involving 365 persons made up of 239 males and 126 females.
ADMISSIONS AND DEATHS
In 2018 a total of 222 persons, including148 males and 74 females were admitted at the hospital through motor traffic accidents. There were no deaths, the data indicated.
In 2019 the hospital recorded a total of 234 admissions made up of 159 males, 75 females and 4 deaths.
In 2020, the hospital admitted 210 motor traffic accidents victims including 149 males and 61 females. There were14 deaths. In 2021, 216 accident victims including 159 males and 57 females were admitted at the hospital. The facility recorded nine deaths.
INJURIES
The data also showed the types of injuries the accident victims suffered during the period.
Dr. Gyamfi explained that, out of the number of injuries recorded by the hospital over the period, abrasions, dislocations, fractures, and head injuries topped the list.
“Abrasions, MSP, lacerations, fractures, head injuries were mostly recorded by the hospital’s OPD over the period”, he said.
Dr Gyamfi said the management of the hospital, together with the stakeholders committee, is working on the draft report of the meeting which will be forwarded to the Berekum Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Kofi Adjei, who together with his technocrats are expected to initiate possible bye-laws to help and implementation tools to protect the lives of the youth who are mostly involved in the accidents.
MP for Nkoranza South, Mr. Emmanuel Agyeku set to lead demonstartion next week
Following the killing of 28-year old Albert Donkor and one other at Nkoranza in the Bono East region, there have been calls by some Ghanaians that a Commission of Inquiry be set to investigate the circumstances that led to the actions of the police, but a private legal practitioner thinks otherwise.
Lawyer Nana Sekyere Boateng believes the family of the victims would only get justice when they resort to the court.
A statement from the Ghana Police Service says Albert Donkor was an armed robber who died in an exchange of fire with them.
However, the family has refuted the claims, saying he was picked up from home to police custody, where he died. His death has led to some level of disturbances in the community.
On Tuesday, May 17, the youth went on a rampage and attacked the Nkoranza Municipal Police headquarters in a bid to demand justice for Albert Donkor, who was allegedly killed while in police custody.
In the said rampage by the youth, one other person was killed by the police while nine persons, including three in critical condition, are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Hospital.
Commenting on the development in an interview, the legal practitioner said, commissions of inquiry set up to investigate previous similar violent incidents have failed to yield any positive result.
“What have been the results of the reports issued by the previous commissions of inquiries? Have we seen the culprits indicted in the report punished? They are walking freely”, he said.
The lawyer cited the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence and Ejura disturbances as examples of incidents where commissions of enquiries were set up, but no offender has faced the law after their report.
“When the family goes to court, they would have the opportunity to question every action of the Police and prove to them that their relative was not an armed robber”, he added.
“The Police on the other hand, can prove to the family why they claim the deceased, Albert Donkor, was a robber and every other hidden issue surrounding his death that is unknown to the family”, he suggested.
Meanwhile, there is relative calm at Nkoranza, following a visit by a high powered delegation from the Police Headquarters in Accra, led by COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, the Director of Police Administration.
The Police Administration, together with the Bono East Regional Minister, Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan, the Nkoranza Municipal Chief Executive Mr. Daniel Yaw Owiredu and NPP Executives met and sympathised with the families of the late Albert Donkor.
MP’s Demonstration
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza South, Mr. Emmanuel Agyekum has disclosed that a letter will be sent to the Police to inform them of plans to demonstrate next week.
The MP and his constituents are unhappy, following reports of the killing of Albert Donkor who was suspected to be part of a robbery gang.
Amid confusion over how his death occurred, the youth of Nkoranza last week marched to the Police station and confronted the officers on duty which resulted in the death of another person, with several others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
Mr. Agyekum lamented how the Police are not valuing the lives of the young people who have been killed in his constituency.
He said he is meeting with leaders in his constituency to finalise plans to stage a demonstration to demand justice next week, Thursday.
“We as a community are still not happy. We have been asking for Justice and the Justice is not coming so we are advising ourselves and we are going to write to the police and next week we are planning to have another demonstration.
“We want to know how Donkor was killed and we want the whole world to know,” Hon. Emmanuel Agyekum indicated.
Meanwhile, four people arrested for taking part in the protest against the Police last week have been remanded into Police custody for two weeks. They were arraigned on Friday.
In another development, the family of the late Albert Donkor has reportedly rejected his corpse, calling for justice first.
According to them, they cannot take the body of their 27-year-old son until they get justice. The family has stated that they are ready to seek justice at the International Court if they do not get justice in Ghana.
An uncle of the deceased, Mr. Augustine Donyina, said that the late Donkor was never a criminal.
According to him, his nephew was killed because the police officers were scared that he (Albert Donkor) would expose the p officers who were a involved in robberies at Nkoranza,
According to the Uncle, Albert Donkor told them that one of the police officers who was involved in the robbery lived with his family there but fled when the incident happened.
“We want to see the police officers that picked Albert Donkor punished since he died in their custody. We do not want to see the body of Albert Donkor until we get justice,” he said.
Innocent Adamadu, the facilitator, at the community engagement at Amasaman, West Ga Municipality
Innocent Adamadu at the community engagement at Teshie, Ledzokuku Municipality
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa office and an implementing partner of the United States Agency International Development (USAID) Justice Sector Support Activity, in collaboration with the African Institute for ADR Studies and Social Development (AFIASSD), has engaged three municipalities in the Greater Accra region to educate the citizenry on the Ghana Case Tracking System (CTS).
CTS is an integrated software that tracks criminal cases in the justice delivery system from inception until their disposition. The team, led by Innocent Adamadu, the facilitator and head of AFIASSD, visited three municipalities namely; Ashaiman, Amasaman in West Ga and Teshie in Ledzokuku.
In 2018, the Government of Ghana launched the first electronic Integrated Criminal Justice Case Tracking System (CTS) project to support key stakeholders in the justice delivery system to collect and harmonise statistical data for effective justice delivery.
The Ghana CTS project, which is being supported by USAID is, therefore, to enable the key actors, namely Police Service, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, Legal Aid Commission and Prisons Service to electronically access and back the various stages of criminal cases from the point of arrest, investigation, prosecution, conviction, rehabilitation and release.
The success of the Ghana CTS would largely depend on increasing public awareness to support and understand the system and thus, demanding the utilisation of the system by the justice sector institutions to improve justice delivery.
The system has an online, offline and an Android version and Mr Adamadu explained to the gatherings at the three different venues that they needed to support the Ghana CTS to solve the problems of delays in serving justice due to several challenges.
He mentioned these challenges as missing case dockets, slow processing of documentation among the justice institutions, overlooking of court dates for remand prisoners, lack of access to instant statistical data on crime and poor communication between the justice institutions, leading to overpopulation in the prisons by remand prisoners with expired warrants.
“With the Ghana CTS, all of us will have a common platform for easy tracking of cases and communication between the justice institutions, it will allow us to have easy and quick sharing of information on cases among the justice institutions and it will generate instant reports on crime to guide and inform decision making by our leaders,” he explained further.
He said almost all the personnel at the various institutions linked to the Ghana CTS had received the necessary training on the system “and this engagement is to encourage you to support the CTS and demand that it is used at the police stations. Become a champion of the system by speaking to your leaders on social media and traditional media.”
Lauding the system, the communities shared the view that the Ghana CTS could be effective should the corporate sector, including the telecommunication companies, provide logistical support such as free or subsidised and reliable internet services to the justice institutions using the CTS.
Other views they shared included the inclusion of CTS in the training curriculum for justice institutions, institutional heads designating officers to capture data into the system and lastly, institutional heads must hold staff accountable for the use of the Ghana CTS.
To decongest the courts and police stations of civil cases that could be resolved amicably using similar alternative means, Innocent Adamadu encouraged the gatherings to patronise the legitimate services of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centres in their communities.
He referenced that in Ghana, ADR is regulated by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 798), adding “This Act was passed in 2010 to facilitate and encourage out-of-court settlement of disputes. The aim is to help ease congestion in the courts, a situation that affects access to justice in the country.”
He mentioned negotiation, mediation, arbitration and conciliation as some of the methods the ADR practitioners employ to resolve cases before them.
He added: “There is also the court-connected ADR, where for example, a case before a court can be referred to the ADR for resolution and this may happen when the judge rules that part or all of the case before the court can be resolved through ADR, and the Judicial Service has ADR practitioners attached to various courts for this purpose.
“The resolution of such cases by the ADR is sent back to the court, which is clothed with the authority to pronounce a sentence.”
The advantages parties have at the ADR over the courts include the promotion of friendliness and the preservation of the privacy of parties, and parties in the conflict choose the time, venue and pace of the resolution.
Again, the ADR is cheaper and faster than the court, it is less formal and parties involved mostly choose who presides over their disputes.
Musician Nana Asare Koranteng, popularly known as Praye Tintin, has revealed that he spent about ¢20,000 on fake pastors some time back.
According to him, his mother had been ill, and he was desperate to get pastors to pray for her health.
Speaking in an interview on SVTV, the singer stated that he did not think these pastors were fake when he kept hiring them until his mother prompted him on her death bed.
Praye Tintin said that despite her numerous warnings cautioning him against paying pastors to pray for her, he wanted her heath and thus did not heed her advice.
However, his mother passed away shortly after despite the huge sums of money he spent on pastors for her.
After her death, Praye Tintin said he sat down to recollect his mother’s words and reflect on the pastors he had hired to help heal her.
This, he said, influenced his decision to step away from Christianity. But, the decision to step away from Christianity does not mean he is not religious.
The accolades keep pouring in for rapper Black Sherif after releasing the video for his hit song Kwaku The Traveller. The latest celebrity to praise the Konongo rapper for his prowess is multiple Grammy Award winner, Timbaland.
Taking to Instagram, Timbaland shared a snippet of the video on his page, tagged Black Sherif, and added four fire emojis. “This that vibe, (sic)” he wrote.
Black Sherif released the visuals for Kwaku The Traveller on the afternoon of Thursday, May 19. It was directed by renowned videographer David Nicole-Sey.
The video also captures Black Sherif’s message in the song about a youth’s struggle.
The video, since its release, has received many positive reviews from fans, music enthusiasts and social media users.
‘Kwaku The Traveller’ was officially released on April 15. Since its release, the song produced by Joker Nharnah has been on the apex of major music playlists across the various digital streaming platforms in the world.
It debuted at number 1 on Apple Music Top 100 Nigeria and Ghana, respectively.
The song was the number 1 most Shazam song in the world, #1 on Triller, #1 on Deezer, #1 on Boomplay Hot Trending 100, and also entered Spotify Viral 50 charts with #1 in Sweden, #5 in the UK, #10 on Spotify Global, #2 in Norway, #3 in Denmark, #6 in both Netherlands and Belgium, #9 in France among others.
