May 05.05.2012 -Latest GhanaWeb-News

Fire guts Dodi Princess
RadioXYZonline.com can confirm that the MV Dodi Princess has been completely burnt beyond recognition. The incident occurred on Friday night. The cruise, which is most popular among Ghanaians and foreign visitors alike, serves as a recreational facility for many.

According to eyewitnesses, the Dodi Princess, which has three decks, had been anchored at the key side to transport some passengers on Saturday when it caught fire. Before the Fire Service could get to the scene, the cruise boat had been reduced to ashes by the furnace.

A preliminary report from the Fire Service indicates that the fire might have started from the kitchen of the cruise boat and quickly spread to other parts ravaging a greater part of it. The cooks are believed to have abandoned the boat without putting out the fire completely.

A full scale investigation into the fire will be conducted to unravel the cause of the accident.

The MV Dodi Princess is usually available for hire for parties, sightseeing cruises, weddings, birthdays and any type of celebrations on all days of the week except on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

Dodi Princess - Link

….Over Installation of ECG Pre-Paid Meters

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) risks losing both the Presidential and Parliamentary votes in the Ledzokuku Constituency in December, over what has been described as an “irrational decision” by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to install pre-paid meters in densely populated compound houses in the Teshie community.

The residents, who are predominantly fishermen, are particularly disgusted at ECG’s decision to give compound houses with over 20 tenants, for example a single pre-paid meter. They insist that the new meters apart from becoming drains on their scarce resources, have also become sources of conflicts in many homes as there are regarding equitable distribution of tariffs for power consumed by each tenant.

They are at a lost why ECG halted installation of the meters in Kpong-Katamaso, Chorkor, La, Ningo- Prampram, over similar concerns but refuse to do same for Teshie.

What is appalling them most is government’s apathetic attitude towards their concern, despite persistent agitation by a community seen as one of the poorest in the Greater Accra Region.

Should the government allow the problem to persist, they will vote massively against President John Mills and NDC Parliamentary Candidate, Mrs Benita Sena Okity-Dua, ex-Miss Ghana, since they are convinced that the party has betrayed their trust, by refusing to do something about their plight. President Mills ironically lives in that Constituency.

Some of the residents, who spoke to The Herald last weekend, said that over the years they had been loyal to the NDC with the belief that as a social democratic party, it understood the plight of the poor and needy, but they have been proven wrong.

They contend that the pre-paid meters which the ECG started installing last year, had worsen their financial status.

They are therefore, calling on President Mills through the Minister of Energy to do something about their situation before the worse happens to him, come the December 7, 2012 presidential election.

They told The Herald that during NPP’s eight years rule, the Kufuor government never made any attempt to have ECG install the new metering devices, despite the fact that the pre-paid implementation started in that era. For this reason, although they have never liked the NPP, they have come to realize that they will be better off under NPP than the NDC.

One angry resident, Emmanuel Adjei, told this paper that he wished that the elections were held this month so he could punish the government for disappointing him.

He said in a compound house where he lives with five other tenants, he has had to pay about three times what he used to pay before the pre-paid meter was fixed in the house. He was of the opinion that that the pre-paid meter was not ideal for compound houses and that the government must do something about the situation.

“My dear, I can’t continue like this and so my mind is made up. What is it that we have done to politicians to warrant this? We have everything in this country be it cocoa, timber, gold, and now oil but our leaders can’t do anything to ease our burdens, why? he asked rhetorically.

“It will pain me if the NDC loses the Teshie votes and subsequently the national one, because I love the party, but given the way things are going now, I think they have some time to correct the wrongs if really they want to stay in power”, one trader, John said.

In the case of Chorkor, it is reported that attempts by the ECG to install the pre-paid meters resulted in the destruction of their equipment. At Nungua which is next-door to Teshie, The Herald learnt that the pre-paid meters were given out freely and fixed upon a request.

According to a 46 year-old fisherman, who gave his name only as Martey, his decision to buy his own pre-paid meter has proved futile even after bribing an official of ECG to hasten the acquisition.

For months, he has been waiting for the meter while paying substantial amount of money to buy units for the pre-paid meter in the compound house. “This is a drain on the little sales I make from my fishing business”, he said. More to come!.

Govt, Guma Group of SA to roll out 500 housing units for police personnel
The Government of Ghana and the Guma Group of South Africa, on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to roll out housing units for the security agencies.

The project which takes off in October would begin with the construction of 500 housing units for police personnel.

The arrival of the Guma Group among other bidders provides a bridge-gap for the botched STX housing project. Guma would finance the project and later transfer it to the Ghana Government.

The documentation for the project was concluded and appended by Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, and Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, Acting Chief Director of the Ministry for the Ghanaian side, whiles Marie Pillay, Executive Director of the Guma Group, Mr Mandla Gama, Director of Guma Water and Mr Lyndon Khan of Guma Properties signed for the company.

The signing ceremony was performed in the presence of Vice President John Dramani Mahama, in Accra.

The signing of this Agreement stemmed out discussions during President John Atta Mills’ visit last year to South Africa, during which the two nations affirmed the commitment to enhance co-operation with each other with investment in housing and water resources among others.

President Mills visit was followed by the Vice Presidents’ of both countries for further work on the areas of co-operation.

Vice President Mahama reiterated that Government’s desire to provide affordable housing, observing that about 54 percent of Ghanaians lived in rented premises, hence the invitation for investment in housing to ease pressure.

He said about 35 per cent of Ghanaians do not have access to good drinking water and expressed the conviction that the water project in the memoranda would commence soon to reduce the emergence of water borne diseases in the society.

Flood victims to drag GHA to court

Some flood victims at Mallam Junction, a suburb of Accra are taking the Ghana Highways Authority to court over a wrongful construction of a drainage that has aggravated their already worsened predicament.

This decision was taken after several persuasions to get G.H.A.to change the direction of the said drainage failed.

The structural design of the drainage has been identified as a main cause for the perennial floods in the area.

Unfortunately, the construction of N1 Highway which was initially considered to provide lasting solution to the problem has rather worsen the situation as all the gutters linking homes to the main drainage have been blocked.

The residents for the past twenty years have been battling with severe floods which have caused damage to properties and loss of lives.

The residents have been homeless after severe rains in the early hours of Friday. Some of the affected areas are Awoshie, Santa Maria, South Odorkor, Mallam and South McCarthy Hill.

Madam Matilda Denkyi, owner of a super market at Mallam junction had her wares running into thousands of Cedis submerged by water.

She therefore appealed to Government to do something about the situation.

According to Mr. Kwabena Denkyi, Chairman of the Mallam and South McCarthy Hill Residents Association, the area was not experiencing any kind of flood until Total Ghana built a filling station along the Mallam Kasoa road which compelled the Ghana Highway Authority to change the direction of the water way which carried voluminous water from various sources to the sea.

Although no casualties were recorded this time round, records indicate that four lives have been lost in the past few years.

Mr. Denkyi told myjoyonline.com that the Association has exhausted all available means to get officials of both past and present administrations.

Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minister of Health, on Friday reiterated governments’ commitment to implementing initiatives to reduce maternal mortality in the country.

Mr. Bagbin said the Ministry had formulated various reproductive health policies including the adolescent reproductive health policy, safe motherhood protocols, reproductive health strategy plan and child health policy and strategy to improve maternal and child health.

He said this at a round table discussion on ‘Atlas Birth’ document in Accra organised by the Ghana Registered Midwives Association in collaboration with the International Association of Midwives, the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR).

Mr. Bagbin said the Atlas Birth is a comprehensive and clear guide to the national picture of maternal health presented with maps, graphics and stories from across the country; it provides and describes key facts on maternity health profile and indicators in the simplest form to both policy makers and the public.

He said key socio-economic indicators include: contraceptive use, maternity care and access to services which will enable Ghanaians understand the maternity health situation in each region or district in the country.

The Minister said statistics from the United Nations indicated that each year, more than 350,000 women in the developing world aged 15-49 die of pregnancy and child-birth related complications, adding that about 2.6 million children are stillborn and 8.1 million die before their fifth birthday.

He noted that about 80 per cent of maternal deaths occur as a result of complications including severe bleeding, infections, hypertensive disorders and unsafe abortion.

Mr. Bagbin said these complications can be prevented through well functioning health system, infrastructure, investment in family planning and human and financial resources that meet specific health challenges of underserved areas.

He said Doctor to population ratio in the country is estimated at 1:11,649 in 2009, adding that 43 per cent of doctors are in Greater Accra Region compared to 4 per cent for all the three northern regions which contributed to disparities in maternal health outcomes in rural areas compared to urban areas.

Mrs Vicky Okine, Executive Director of ARHR, said the Atlas Birth was launched on May 2, 2012 to mark the celebration of International Day of the Midwifery.

Mrs Okine said, it is their hope that the Atlas Birth document would help identify gaps and strengthen advocacy for more allocation of resources to underserved communities neglected of the fight against maternal mortality.

She said the document would be a guiding tool for research, and a reference point of action for policy makers in improving maternal health, and advocated the need for all to invest in women and children’s health in the country.

Mrs Okine appealed to politicians and policy makers to turn their promises made during the electioneering period into reality, adding that, strong national commitment is a prerequisite in achieving the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.

Mr. Fiifi Amoako Johnson, Lecturer at University of Southampton, noted that 50 women die needlessly every week in the country in pregnancy and childbirth, while more than 400 babies also die weekly.

Mr. Johnson said, Ghana still struggles to meet the Africa-wide ‘Abuja target of 15 per cent of public sector expenditure on health care adding that, the specific allocation of budget for maternal health is essential if deaths of mothers and babies are to be avoided.

He noted that Ghana has signed up to the Commission for Information and Accountability for Women and Children’s Health established by Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, which promises better tracking of resources including reporting of total health expenditure by financing source, per capita and total reproductive health..

A former Executive Chairman of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in the Kufuor administration, Dr. Kwame Amoako-Tuffour has bemoaned the neglect of the programme which was initiated by the previous administration.

According to Dr. Amoako-Tuffuor, the manner by which the programme is currently being managed by the National Democratic Congress' administration will ultimately render it unsustainable leading to eventual collapse.

In an interview with Myjoyonline.com, Dr. Amoako-Tuffuor revealed that caterers engaged by the GSFP are now pre-financing the school feeding programme whereas the government is owing them arrears which dates to last term.

He noted that, for instance instead of government paying for the 65 days of cooking that caterers were engaged for last term, the government has only paid 30 days whereas no monies have been paid this term. He added that, this practice has led to the caterers borrowing food items to prepare meals for the school children.

“That should tell you that for a programme that has to be pre-financed by government that is being handled this way, it shows that all is not well” he added.

Dr. Amoako-Tuffuor added that the benefit of the school feeding programme is so enormous that all hands must be on board to salvage it. He said the effect of the programme trickles fown to even farmers in the remotest parts of Ghana.

He also added that government must take steps to ensure these caterers are paid through bank accounts specifically created which will also make them credit worthy when they apply for loans from banks.

The former Executive Chairman of the GSFP who was relieved of his position in the erstwhile administration maintained that he has been vindicated as audits report conducted during his tenure did not reveal any financial malfeasance as alleged by some organisations. He cited his appointment as the President of Africa Network for School Feeding as testament to his credentials.

NDC MP for Adentan constituency, Kojo Adu-Asare has taken a swipe at the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, for what he said is his failure to condemn Kennedy Agyapong for his ethnocentric comments against Ewes and Gas.

According to Mr Adu-Asare, merely saying that one will not condone any divisive comments does not amount to condemning such irresponsible comments.

Addressing chiefs and people of the Volta region as part of his tour of the area on Friday, Nana Addo emphatically stated that he will not tolerate any act that seeks to divide Ghanaians.

He said, “I want to state here with all the emphasis of my command that I do not have any ethnic agenda and I would not condone any such agenda.”

But speaking on Radio XYZ 93.1 FM’s current affairs programme, What’s New on Friday, Hon Adu Asare said Nana Addo’s speech was an attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians. “They are trying to play smart and play on people’s minds. It sounds as if they have done it but in itself, they have not.”

He said the argument that the NPP as a party condemned Mr. Agyapong’s comment is unfounded because “there was nowhere in that statement that condemned the acts of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong. They only said in part that they don’t condone ethnic and tribal issues that will raise [tensions].”

He said the NPP only distanced the party from the comment but failed to condemn it outright. He debunked the argument that Nana Addo failed to condemn the comments because it would amount to interfering in the merits of the case. He said “civil society has come out to condemn; churches, pastors, trade unionists, academia and all manner of people. Are they not also Ghanaians whose utterances or condemnation can also affect anything?”

He said contrary to such assertions, the judges will weigh the merits of the case and not sentiments of others and that if Nana Addo did not want his “all-die be die” mantra to escalate, it would have been prudent for him to condemn Mr. Agyapong’s comments.

Much Ado About Nothing

But a deputy Director of Communication of the NPP, Perry Curtis Okudzeto, insists that the party’s official statement condemned the ethnocentric comment by Kennedy Agyapong.

According to him, the NDC’s position on the matter is much ado about nothing, stating: “whatever Kennedy Agyapong said amounts to intemperate language. Whether it was a declaration of war or the ethnic statement that he made, [they] amount to intemperate language.”

“If Kennedy Agyapong had not made the statement, the party wouldn’t have issued a statement so why would you say that the party did not condemn. Then what did the party condemn? What is the party dissociating itself from? The party is dissociating itself from the comments of Kennedy Agyapong,” he stressed.

Mr. Okudzeto said the meeting with the chiefs in the Volta region was not specifically scheduled to address Kennedy Agyapong’s comments because it was set up long before the latter made the comments.

“It is prudent for a leader and a statesman like Nana Akufo-Addo to touch on such an issue that borders on people of the Volta region if he got the opportunity and he did that…”

He said the meeting was intended to clear the air on the hullabaloo and that Nana Addo’s response should rest the matter.

“We should realize that there is a lot of tension in our political space and we should make sure that we all do things in a manner that limits the tension,” he averred.

Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, E.T Mensah has advised private estate developers not to sacrifice quality and integrity, in their bid to maximize their gains.

“Some estate developers are known to have charged their clients over housing units they never offered, whilst others have fallen out with clients because of unsatisfactory work,” he said.

Mr E.T. Mensah said this on Friday, when he launched Meridian Gardens, an 85-acre site at Klagon, Accra, owned by RSS Developers Ltd, for the development of a fully-serviced, gated community, comprising a mix of two bedroom and three bedroom apartments.

The Minister noted that Ghana faced a “huge” housing shortfall of one million, five-hundred housing units. He said the national housing policy, sought to provide quality housing with the private sector as the driving force and government, the facilitator.

“The cost of building in Ghana is of great concern to government. The government thus continues to encourage the formation of public/private sector partnerships, to setting up of local industries for the manufacture of building materials, and to influence the imposition of taxes and duties on materials and other resources, intended for use in building.”

He said “the Government and my Ministry, have been active proponents in the Ghana Land Administrative Project (LAP), for which we are receiving funding from the World Bank”.

Mr E.T. Mensah said the LAP sought to harmonise and simplify the various processes involved in the acquisition of land and expressed the hope that “on completion of LAP, the current nightmare of perfecting land title will be a thing of the past”.

Mr Emmanuel Botchwey, Executive Chairman of Regimanuel Gray Ltd, a partner in the venture, assured the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), their other partner, that they would do their best to ensure the success of the venture.

“I wish to assure our partners SSNIT, and all those for whom Meridian Gardens will become a home that, Regimanuel Gray will deliver a product which will reflect honour on our efforts,” he said.

Dr Frank Odoom, Director General of SSNIT, said RSS needed the support of stake-holders such as financial institutions, land owners among others, for a secure and successful venture.

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