Past presidents and Governing Council Members of GhIS

THE GHANA Institute of Surveyors (GhIS) has launched a fund raising project to seek the development and advancement of the institution and the profession.

President of GhIS, SURV President Edwin Addo Tawiah, in a statement at the short but colorful launching ceremony held on Tuesday in Accra, said “the fundraising will afford us the platform needed to address some underlying issues affecting the surveying profession whilst promoting public education through land forums and media appearances”

According to him, “the governing council spends over 90% of the subscriptions on administrative and statutory expenses which makes it imperative to raise money to cater for ad hoc projects.”

He, however, noted some of the activities that were in dire need of funding were the passage of the Survey Council and real estate brokerage bills, completion of the secretariat block and its environs including a wall, purchase of a pick-up truck, research in tertiary institutions and industries among others.

SURV Emmanuel Kofi Cobbold, member of the fund raising committee and a governing council member said their target for the fund raising project was GH¢1000,000, noting that the fund raising ends in February 2018 to create enough time for donations.

The chair person for the occasion Yvonne Odoi Sowah, set the ball rolling by pledging GH¢2,500, Valuation and Investment Associates also pledged GH¢5,000 as well as other institutions and individuals.

Past president SURV James Ebenezer Kobina Dadson declared the launch of the fund raising project and urged all and sundry to give generously in kind or cash stating that, no amount is too small.

He said, “To the members of the GhIS, we need money as an institution to be able to stand and impact positively on society. Our needs have been listed earlier and money is the lubricant we need to achieve our target”

By Malgu Seebaway & Memunatu Abubakar

The post Surveyors Seek Funds appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Elijah Ansah

Elijah Ansah, a graphic designer, who posed as a travel agent and allegedly defrauded a victim to the tune of GH¢30,000 under the pretext of securing him a visa to travel to Germany, has been arrested.

The suspect, according to police, went into hiding after collecting the money from the suspect.

Police have provisionally charged him with fraud.

ASP Efia Tenge, the Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), said the victim initially made a down payment of GH¢4,000 to suspect, but  few weeks  afterwards, Elijah showed the victim a photograph of the visa on his mobile phone, thus compelling the victim to pay the rest of the money.

According to the victim, in December 2016, he discussed his plans to travel to Germany with the suspect, who also lives in the same area.

The suspect promised the victim he could secure him a visa to travel at a cost of GH¢30,000.

A report was lodged with the police which led to the arrest of suspect on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

In his caution statement, Elijah Ansah admitted the offence and made a refund of GH¢7,100 to the police.

He is still in custody assisting the police in their investigations.

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey

The post  Germany Visa Fraudster Busted At Alajo appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

The suspects

The Volta Regional Police Command has apprehended 13 suspects believed to be engaged in various criminal acts in Aflao and its environs in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region.

The suspects who are made up of eleven males and two females and aged between 18 and 50 years were picked up at different points Tuesday dawn in a raid conducted by the regional police command.

The swoop was part of a grand operation of the regional police command to clamp down on criminal activities in the border town.

Some of the suspects were arrested in ‘ghettoes’, slums and other secluded areas where they mostly use as their hideouts and resting places.

Most of the arrested suspected were in possession of substances suspected to Indian hemp (wee) while others were picked up at the Aflao ‘Low Cost area’ with a whitish substance believed to be cocaine.

The Volta Regional Police Commander, ACP Nana Asomah Hinneh briefing the media after the arrest indicated that the suspects were arrested following intelligence gathered by the police about criminals robbing and attacking travellers at Aflao, Ghana’s main eastern border with neighbouring Togo and its environs.

He said, “some of the suspects often posed as immigration officers and other security personnel and harass unsuspecting travellers from other parts of the country, especially people coming from Kumasi who want to cross into Togo for business activities.

“By so doing they just take their cash and other valuables from them (travellers) and run away. So, when we went there today around 4am, we saw some of them in the act and they have all been picked up”, he said.

ACP Asomah added that the 13 suspects will be screened and any of them found culpable will be put before court.

He said the regional police command will not rest on its oars as it will intensify the fight against crimes and other illegalities in Aflao and the region at large to provide the needed security for citizens to go about their activities without fear.

Gibril Abdul Razak, Ho. (gbabdulrazak@gmail.com)

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Francis-Xavier Sosu

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an application filed by lawyers of suspended Human rights lawyer, Francis-Xavier Sosu seeking to overturn his three-year suspension by the General Legal Council (GLC).

According to the court, it was not clothed with the jurisdiction to entertain the application.

According to the judge, Justice Henry Anthony Kwofie, the jurisdiction of the court had been improperly invoked by the applicant.

He said the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case had been provided by statute.

Justice Kwofie explained that the application for appeal ought to have been filed at the registry of the GLC as prescribed by law.

The Appeal Court of Judge noted that although he sympathizes with Sosu, the applicant had no right to be heard by the court, adding that “justice to be dispensed is one within the law but not out of sympathy.”

As a result, Justice Kwofie said that the court was unable to grant the two applications filed by the applicant.

Sosu hauled GLC before the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn a three-year suspension imposed on him.

The lawyer, in a notice of appeal filed at the court date June 7, 2017, stated that GLC erred in convicting him because there is no law specifically making overestimation of legal fees a “grave misconduct in a professional respect.”

The Human Rights Lawyer argued that the sentences imposed on him were harsh and excessive.

The lawyer was found guilty of an alleged professional misconduct by GLC.

A statement issued by the GLC said, “The disciplinary committee of the General legal Council formally charged Lawyer Sosu under Rule 2(4) of the legal profession (professional conduct and etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 and that he, while acting as Council for Torgbui Afede XIV, in a matter between Torgbui Afede and the Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Interior, Attorney General and another took to Facebook with pictures of the parties and comments on the case to the public with his firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement and touting.”

It further stated: “He was further charged under Rule 2 (4) of the legal profession (Professional conduct and etiquette) Rule, 1996 L.I 613 that he, while acting  as Counsel for Reynolds Yeboah, in the matter between Patrick Reynolds Yeboah and M.DEX Company Limited in Accra, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, Accra, took to Facebook posting the writ of summons in the said case and made comments to the public with the firm’s name, address and telephone numbers attached, with the primary motive of personal advertisement.

In another case, Mr Sosu was said to have charged one Francis Agyare GH¢20,000 extra in legal fees.

The statement noted that “Lawyer Sosu was convicted on his own plea of guilty on both counts and was sentenced to a period of three years’ suspension commencing June 2, 2017 and ending 1st day of June, 2020.

jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

The post NDC Lawyer Thrown Out appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

UCC Council members taking their oaths of office and secrecy

The Governing Councils of three public universities were yesterday inaugurated at the National Council for Tertiary Education in Accra.

The institutions include the University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Development Studies (UDS) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Members of the new UCC Council include Prof. Joseph Ampiah Ghartey, the Vice Chancellor, Nancy Thompson, a Government nominee who doubles as chairperson of the Council, Dr. Tamimu Osman, Dr. Thomas Agyarko-Poku, Dr. Ernestina Freduah-Antoh, all government nominees; Prof. P.E Bondzie-Simpson, Dr. Edem Amenumey, Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng, UTAG President, Tony Henry Arthur from UCC’s Students Representative Council (SRC), Benjamin Sundeme, Stephen Williams, Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, Cecilia Kwakye Coffie and Gorkel Obro-Adibo.

Members of KNUST Council include Prof. Emeritus Kwame Sarpong, a Government nominee and Chairman of the Council, Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Vice Chancellor of the university, Dr. Charles Kwabena Boadu, Dr. Osei Kwadwo Kankam, Abena N. Antwi, all government nominees, Prof. Isaac Kwame Dontwi, Dr. Isaac Dadzie, Prof. Eric Kwabena Forkuo of UTAG, David Dannah, SRC, Abraham Poku-Adu, Charles Arthur, Dr. Edward Baffoe Bonnie, Pak Abdul-Aziz D. Kokpi and Eunice Akosua O. Amoako.

For UDS, Nutifafa Kuenyehia, a Governor nominee is to chair the council, while Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye serves as Vice Chancellor of the institution.

Dr. Francis Boateng Agyenim, Prof. Ismail Bin Yahya, Joyce Agyeman Attafuah, Prof. Amin Alhassan, Dr. Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile, Dr. Kareem Mumuni, Dr. Bayor Jude Simons, Ing. Dr. Felix K. Abagale, Nicholas Amoah, Kampini Boateng Agyenim, Sulemana A. Raman and Suaib Wilberforce Adams are all members.

The governing councils of other public tertiary institutions, including the University of Education Winneba (UEW), have already been constituted following pressure from the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) on the government to ensure that all state-owned universities councils were in place.

By Melvin Tarlue

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Majority of Ghanaian voters want MP aspirants to have at least tertiary education qualification, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

83.7 per cent of the respondents were of the view that the difficulty with which some MPs have expressed themselves on the floor of Parliament since the beginning of the Fourth Republic gives a strong indication that a tertiary education qualification must be the least educational qualification requirement for all aspiring legislators.

The requirements for aspiring parliamentarians as prescribed by the 1992 Constitution is silent on educational qualification as an eligibility criterion.
The survey conducted between November and December 2015 across the country in all the 10 regions, was a follow-up to a similar one conducted by the IEA in 2011 on issues relating to the Parliament and the performance of parliamentarians.

Respondents of the survey spread across different age groups and gender, expressed the need for a national dialogue on the need to review or amend the Constitution to make tertiary education qualification one of the eligibility criteria for entry into Parliament.

The survey also covered the views of voters on what they consider before voting for a parliamentary or presidential candidate during national elections.

On what they consider as a key factor before voting for a candidate, 60 per cent of the respondents said they consider the calibre of the candidate including his integrity and experience more than the political party they represent.

Nationally, 30.3 per cent of the respondents indicated they consider candidates’ political party affiliation over other considerations.

However, in the Western Region 52.2 per cent said they consider party affiliation over candidates’ personality, experience and other considerations. The survey also revealed that majority of the youth (63.1 per cent) consider candidates’ personality and experience rather than their party affiliation.

-Starrfmonline

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Haruna Iddrisu

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has suggested that the MP for Adansi Asokwa, K.T. Hammond may have to resort to the law courts to address the reservations he has with the AMERI deal, for which he recently filed a motion for government to reverse.

Mr. Iddrisu found Mr. Hammond’s u-turn on the AMERI deal bizarre and argued that the former ranking member on Energy could not eat his cake and have it.

“We are also at a loss as to whether a Member of Parliament can just wake up, as disgruntled the member may be, to seek to rescind a decision of a previous Parliament. As far as we are concerned, it [the AMERI deal] was to deal with an urgent energy crisis which justified us increasing the generational capacity of the country and we entered into a contractual agreement…”

He reminded that Mr. Hammond even seconded the motion “so, in law, he cannot approbate and reprobate.”

“I should think the appropriate forum for him would be to go to court to attack the fundamentals of the terms of the contract, which is in force, but not to sleep and just wake up saying he wants a recession order by Parliament.”

AMERI deal was useful

Mr. Iddrisu held that “the AMERI intervention has been useful for the State of Ghana” and that any recession of the ongoing contract “will have consequences.”

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye has approved an urgent motion filed by the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond for the government to reverse its decision on the AMERI power agreement.

The motion has since been tabled for debate by Members of Parliament.

K.T Hammond, who was the ranking member of the Energy Committee of Parliament in 2015 when the deal was approved said that the move to have it withdrawn is because of his conviction that the deal was suspicious, based on some fresh information available to him.

The John Mahama administration in 2015 agreed to rent the 300MW of emergency power from AMERI at the peak of the country’s power crisis.

As part of the deal, AMERI was to build the power plants and operate them for 5 years before transferring it to the government.

The cost of the deal was $510m and received parliamentary approval on March 20, 2015. The approval of the deal was met with some oppositions but eventually received endorsement by the legislative body.

It later emerged that the government had been shortchanged by AMERI as they presented an overpriced budget. The reports said the government had paid an excess of $150m but state officials of the Mahama government disagreed.

-Citifmonline

The post AMERI Issues May Be Settled In Court – Haruna Iddrisu appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Sheikh IC Quaye

The Ghana Hajj Board has commenced the distribution of the uniformed bags for prospective pilgrims at the Hajj Village.

As part of the Hajj package, prospective pilgrims in good standing are entitled to four bags of various sizes – two pieces of which would be given to them in Ghana and the rest when they land in Saudi Arabia.

Accredited agents are collecting the bags for their passengers while those who paid directly into the Hajj accounts at Unibank can upon the presentation of their receipts also pick theirs at the Hajj Village.

Pilgrims have been advised to be calm as the bags were imported based on the country’s quota and so there is no need to rush in apprehension of a shortage.

“Everything is being done to ensure a hitch-free Hajj this year” a source at the Hajj Board said yesterday.

The integrated Hajj package encompasses the cost of the uniformed bags as opposed to the previous system of prospective pilgrims paying for these separately through their accredited agents.

The Documentation Section now featured a flurry of activities as preparation of passports for visa acquisition at the Saudi Arabia Embassy is on steam. One of the officials engaged in this exercise told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that “we are leaving no stone unturned towards the performance of the task bestowed upon us.”

The IT Departmental head, Dr. Mohammed Sani-Abdulai is on the verge of completing his mission of creating and launching a functioning website which would feature, as he put it, all vital information about the Hajj.

This year’s Hajj management would be IT intensive so the usual challenges confronting the annual religious exercise are reduced to the barest minimum, DAILY GUIDE has learnt.

Dr. Mohammed Sani-Abdulai has assured that very soon the yet-to-be launched site would contain the full list of paid-up pilgrims.

The completed and ongoing infrastructural developments at the Hajj Village have given the location a fillip.

In a related development, the Tamale Stadium – the host of the Hajj Village in the Northern Region, has been prepared for the first phase of the airlift; the maiden flight being 10^th August 2017.

By A.R. Gomda

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Gladys Tsotso Mandede and the assembly members on the tour of the area

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA), Gladys Tsotso Mandede and some security personnel have assessed the extent of encroachment on the Kpeshie Lagoon by some developers.

The officials embarked on the visit after they heard that some people were building in the lagoon.

The lagoon has been filled to the brim with sand, and the structures are springing up on it.

The MCE revealed that the lagoon would burst its banks and flood the whole area.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the MCE, who was saddened by the development, stated that the owners have no building permits from LADMA.

The people have, however, been given notices to stop building in the lagoon for five years now, but they wouldn’t stop building on the land.

She stated that LADMA presented a report to the Minister for Local Government last week and was awaiting response from the Ministry to know the next line of action.

The MCE said, “We are sounding warning to all that have bought land here to go back for their monies, because this place is not for sale and this water body is for the state and you can’t sell water bodies because it belongs to the state.”

Chief Superintendent Amenning, the LA District Police Commander, who was also at the site, told the media that people that had bought the land had violated the law.

In a related development, a tipper truck driver, who about to dump debris at the site, was arrested and the truck seized.

By Memunatu Abubakari

The post La MCE Moves To Reclaim Kpeshie Lagoon appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Kofi Mintah(left) and Aziz Sulemana

Two drug dealers, Aziz Sulemana, 35, from Sunyani and Kofi Mintah, 29, alias Nana Adu from Chiraa in the Brong Ahafo Region, have been sentenced to a total of 24 years’ imprisonment in hard labour by a Sunyani Circuit Court for dealing in narcotics.

The prosecutor, Michael Baafi, a State Attorney from the Attorney General’s Department, told the Sunyani Circuit Court (A), presided over by Her Ladyship Joan Ayi King, that the second convict, Kofi Mintah, who resides at Chiraa in the Sunyani West District, was seen by someone buying 24 wrappers of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine from a known cocaine dealer at Sunyani Zongo.

The informant gave the police information after he (Kofi) boarded car to Chiraa on 30^th June, 2015.

The police, acting on the information, arrested Kofi when he arrived at Chiraa.

A search conducted on him revealed 24 wrappers of the whitish substance.

During interrogation, he said he bought the substance from Aziz Sulemana at Sunyani Zongo at the cost of GH¢120.

Kofi led the police to Aziz’s place and he was subsequently arrested.

A search conducted in his room revealed similar substances concealed in a white sack and cash of GH¢295 believed to be proceeds from sale of the drugs.

Aziz told the police during interrogation that he usually gets the consignment from one Abudu in Accra, but did not know where the said Abudu stays in Accra.

He said Abudu always brings him the goods in Sunyani when they are in short supply.

They were both detained and slapped with charges of possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, supply of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and use of narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

The case was transferred to the regional Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for investigation that could lead to the arrest of the supplier- Abudu.

The two convicts appeared before court on 2^nd July, 2015 on the above charges.

They pleaded not guilty, but their pleas were not taken so were remanded into prison custody to reappear on 17^th July, 2015.

Giving judgment, Joan Ayi King, said she sentenced them to serve as deterrent to others.

Kofi was slapped with a 10-year jail term with hard labour, while Aziz was also sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour on one count and another 14 years on another count for engaging in narcotic business. The sentences are to run concurrently.

She said she took into consideration the high rate of armed robbery in the country, adding that this would serve as deterrent to others.

danielyaodayee@yahoo.com

From Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani

The post 2 Jailed 24 Years For Cocaine appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

The minister and his team inspecting the collapsed bridge at tinkong

Kwasi Amoako-Atta, the Minister of Roads and Highways, has expressed anger at some engineers and contractors, who shoddily construct roads and later demand monies from government, adding that his outfit would no longer tolerate such behaviour.

The sector minister announced this when he inspected a portion of the road, which caved in between Nyamebekyere and Tinkong before a Police Barrier on the Mamfe-Koforidua Road in the Eastern Region after torrential rains which lasted for about an hour.

The floods destroyed most of the low-lying roads, bridges and produce in the area.

According to him, “There must be value for money as you can see there are some places where they do lazy work. They use graders to clear parts of the roads and pour the bitumen, and then spread the chippings. And you think you are engineers. Is that how we construct roads and people are being paid for this. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated under President Akufo-Addo government.”

The Minister stated that “Road contraction is not a joke, go to other countries and see the kind of roads people are driving on. You come to our country and we joke with even road construction. This would not be tolerated anymore.”

Mr Amoako-Atta, who was angry with the poor construction of the road from Mamfe to Koforidua by the contractor, hinted that “I will not tolerate any shoddy work from any contractor, and I am not happy with this kind of road, if the contractor is not working, let’s know and take steps to lay off that contractor.”

The Minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Atiwa West, instructed the Regional Maintenance Manager, Emmanuel Odei, to submit a report on the contractor since his work does not meet the specification.

“And if he is not doing a good job, we will blacklist him, because there is no way I will allow Ghanaian pesewa to be wasted, and our government wouldn’t give GHC1 to any contractor who is not working well. No matter who you are, whether you are in Eastern, Western, Greater Accra, Ashanti Region, you won’t take Ghanaian money just like that.  I am not happy with the work on this stretch,” he stressed.

He explained further that “I am giving you up to Monday to give me a written report on this road. I want to know the name of the contractor. I am holding you responsible, so shall you hold your regional director responsible to give me a report and make recommendations. If it means the termination of the contract, we will do that in accordance with the law, and rewarded it to a competent person and if it’s on basis of poor performance that contractor will be blacklisted. That’s the way we are going to work in this country these days.”

The Minister said that any engineer, who supervises unprofessional job, would face the music, advising all engineers in the regions to improve their performance to meet the standards.

The Minister said: “I am telling all of you to have the courage to walk off any contractor. There are a lot of good contractors who have registered and have good machines with the expertise and competence in this country, who don’t get the jobs to do, and others who don’t know anything about civil works and construction get jobs. So who gives them the contracts?” he quizzed.

Nobody working at the Ministry should dare give a job to any person who calls himself or herself a contractor, especially if such person has no competence, expertise and knowledge to undertake such jobs.

The Minister, however, instructed the Regional Highway team to block the road on Friday from 6 am to 12 pm to ensure the construction of bridge as matter of urgency.

He further appealed to motorists from Koforidua to use the Adukrom-Nkurakan Road, and from Nsawam through Suhum Highway to enable the contractors repair the collapsed bridge.

Drivers who use that stretch of road in the night time find it difficult driving due to the absence of streetlights, reflective indicators and road signs.

Several other roads in the Eastern Region have similar defects, which require the immediate attention of government and other relevant institutions in the country.

From Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua

The post Roads Minister Angry At Contractors appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Daniel Deku

Detective from the Accra Regional Police Command has apprehended a 30-year-old ex-convict who is being wanted for his role in various car break-ins in the Accra metropolis.

Daniel Deku was arrested from his hideout at Bortianor in the Ga South municipality on July, 26, 2017.

Stolen items retrieved in Deku’s room included 30 ladies’ bags, 21 pairs of ladies’ shoes, a number of wrist watches, an ATM card bearing the name Justice Acheampong, 8 bunches of Toyota, Nissan, Audi and Infiniti car keys, 27pairs of spectacles, 13 pieces of power bank, 66 pen drives, assorted jewries, diaries, among other things.

All the items were concealed in a bag, according to ASP Efia Tenge, the Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer. She told the media that the suspect was arrested on July 26, 2017 upon a tip-off.

The PRO intimated that sometime in 2009, Daniel Deku was sentenced by an Accra circuit court to four years’ imprisonment after breaking into people’s vehicles.

Upon his release, police investigations indicated that the suspect was still breaking into people’s vehicles.

Several complaints were levelled against him by his victims.

ASP Tenge said Deku perpetrated his nefarious activities in areas like Achimota Estate, Taifa, Alajo, Tema Station, Airport, among other places.

The modus operandi of Deku, according to the police officer, is attacking people at drinking spots, parking lots and bank premises.

He uses sophisticated tools to break into vehicles and takes any valuable item(s) he finds, sends it/them into his waiting car and bolts.

Several victims have had their vehicles broken into by the suspect. Some even have their windscreens and doors broken by him.

He is currently in custody assisting the police in investigations.

Meanwhile, victims can also report at the Accra Regional Police Command to identify the items seized.

(lindatenyah@gmail.com)

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey

The post Ex Convict Busted appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Part of the underground mine

Commercial gold production in one of Ghana’s oldest underground mines, the Prestea Underground Mine in the Western Region, will resume very soon after some years of undergoing redevelopment, care and maintenance.

This follows the successful raising of some funds from Royal Gold by Golden Star Resources Limited (GSR), a gold mining company based in the Western Region to revitalize the underground mine which was acquired by GSR in 2002.

Alimak-stoping is selected as the mining method for the Prestea Mine due to its safety and efficiency benefits.

Golden Star Resources has been able to refurbish, reshape and replaced obsolete equipment at the century-old mine to enable it resume production very soon.

The company’s Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, Madam Katharine Sutton, told reporters in Takoradi in the Western Region.

According to her, the Plant would be modified to efficiently process 650 tons per day of ore adding “even the low volumes of ore mined from Prestea Underground deliver robust production due to very high grades”.

She pointed out that the old winder house of the underground mine had been converted into electrical switch gear room and made weatherproofed.

She also revealed that access around the surface infrastructure had been improved while new hoist or compressor transformers had been installed.

Madam Sutton added that an underground mining trainer specialized in mechanized shrinkage, had also been appointed from Manroc Developments, Incorporated.

She disclosed that installation of new electrical and water supply services had been completed and that all five Alimaks Rock winder and cage winder upgrade were completed and commissioned.

“We remain on track to bring Prestea Underground Mine into production and this will be a significant milestone for Golden Star”, she said.

Mr Robert Gyamfi, the Community Relations and Social Responsibility Manager of Golden Star described the current transformation at the Mine as unprecedented.

“No one has done this since the inception of the mine and the transformation is very significant to the country’s economy”, he added.

According to him, Golden Star Resources inherited the Prestea Underground Mine and successfully went through the phase of care and maintenance for a reasonable length of time.

“There were some feasibility studies and we finally got investment from Royal Gold and we have been able to transform the mine from care and maintenance to production”, he added.

The collapse of the mine in the early part of the year 2000, shattered many economic activities in the Prestea area, resulting in thousands of residents and migrants losing their jobs.

The people of Prestea were therefore excited about the coming back of the mine.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi

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A total of 400 police cum military personnel would be deployed to mining areas next week to counter the activities of illegal miners known as galamsey.

This is part of government’s unrelenting fight against the galamsey canker that had dire consequences on the country over the years: water bodies had been destroyed, arable land depleted and the environment degraded among other fatal effects.

The heavily equipped security personnel will start patrolling the mining areas from Monday July 31, 2017; Col. Eric Aggrey-Quarshie, Director, Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed to Martin Asiedu-Dartey on TV3 Midday Live on Wednesday. This is not the first time a joint security taskforce has been deployed to curtail activities of illegal miners. Though previous ones did not achieve the needed results, Col. Aggrey Quarshie is hopeful it would be successful this time round, noting that the “initial deployment is supposed to be for one year”.

The attention of the taskforce would be on three regions – Ashanti, Western and Eastern – he said. “If there is the need to expand it to other areas, it will be done,” he assured.

The post 400 Cops, Soldiers, Deployed To Galamsey Areas appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has led a high powered government delegation to visit affected areas and victims of a recent flood that has hit Tamale in the Northern Region.

The delegation was sent by the president to assess the situation and report to him for remedial actions to be taken.

Four people were reported dead and many rendered homeless with properties worth millions of cedis destroyed.

Three of the dead were identified as Hajia Fati Bapuni, a 54 year old teacher whose body was found in her car, 13 year old Sulemana Hamran, a pupil of Bethel Methodist Primary School, Tishigu, and Haliya Alhassan, 8 years, a pupil of the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School.

The fourth person is yet to be identified.

The Vice President and the delegation visited the families of the dead and displaced persons in the region.

Some dignitaries who accompanied the Vice President include Minister for Information Mustapha Hamid, Defence Minister Dorminic Nitiwul, National Nadmo Coordinator, Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, Interior Minister Ambrose Dery , Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed, Deputy Northern Regional Minister Solomon Boar, Northern Regional Police Commander ACP Patrick Sarpong and other security officers.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the heavy downpour in Tamale as a sad day for Ghana.

According to him, the deceased Hajia Fati Bapuni was his classmate at Sakasaka Primary School and was sad she was no more.

He consoled the family and assured them of government’s support to cater for the children the deceased left behind.

The Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed also assured affected families of government’s support.

The brother of Hajia Fati Bapuni, Abdul Karim expressed his gratitude to the government and the Northern Regional Minister for their love and sympathy.

He said, “We are thankful to the Vice President and his entourage for coming to mourn with us. We say God bless and keep them and give them all the needed wisdom to keep the nation moving.”

Alhaji Abdulai Hindu, the NADMO Northern Regional Director indicated that, the flood could be attributed to haphazard settlement saying most houses were built on waterways.

He blamed the chiefs and the survey department for negligence.

“There is no education to prospective land and house owners of the consequences of building on waterways. Most drainage systems in the region are poorly constructed,” he stressed.

FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale

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An 18-year old junior high school (JHS) graduate from Berekum in the Brong-Ahafo Region has been arrested and currently under police investigation after a video recording which captured her complete nakedness and sex organs went viral on social media sites.

Chief Inspector Stephen Paul Dapaah of the Berekum Police has confirmed that the 18-year old, Rashia Muhammed, largely know as Rashida Black Beauty, was arrested by his outfit Monday night but has been granted bail.

He explained that Rashida was arrested to help in investigations on which person shot the video, the motive, how it reached the public and the criminal implications.

The police chief inspector spoke to Kwesi Aboagye on Thursday’s edition of Peace FM’s Entertainment Review, and said Rashida had not been charged yet.

“There is no specific charge on her yet but we are still investigating the issue. There is something called ‘gross indecency’ and ‘publication of obscene material’. Those are the issues we are investigating her over in relation to her naked video in public circulation.

“We arrested her at a place she was hanging out with her friends. We had intelligence was at that spot and we did some monitoring before we went in to arrest her…..When she got to the station, she was sober.  She told us she was 18 years and anytime she reports to the station, she is sober. We would very soon process her for court.  But she has denied being the one who put the video in the public domain,” Chief Inspector Dapaah disclosed.

According to the police, Rashida’s father followed up to the station after the arrest and has since being cooperating with the investigations.

Rashida’s naked video sparked a heated controversy when it went viral in media circles, with most of the comments being straight out condemnation.

Some have called for her arrest, while others have suggested she needs some urgent psychological attention.

The video showed a naked Rashida alone in a makeshift bathroom displaying her nakedness.

Her first response posted on her Facebook wall after the video went viral read, “Hello Ghana, I am sorry and I regret my actions, there is a lot of explanation to this video but I guess the harm has already been done so no one will be willing to hear what I have to say or tell them. All I want to say is, I regret my actions and I hope Ghanaians do forgive me … Thank You!”

Then on July 22 at 7:59am, Rashida, again, posted another apology on Facebook:

“Good morning people of Ghana. Well, I took time to read all the comments that came in on my apology post yesterday as well as comments circulating on social media about the video and I realised that majority of the comments were all insults and just filthy talks about me which I won’t say I don’t deserve, yes I know that for my actions I do deserve all those things said about me.

“But let me make this clear: If you are a lady here and you have sent a nude of yourself to your guy before and if you are a guy and you have also received a nude from your girlfriend before, I will say you are no better person than I am. I admit I have made a very big mistake with some even thinking that I made that video on purpose just for fame and exposure, which I know is false, I wasn’t the one who released the video as well. Thanks to friends and sympathisers who called to console me, I really do appreciate it.

“And as I said in my previous post, trying to explain will make things worse so I will just repeat what I said yesterday one more time – Yes I know the harm has already been done but I have learnt my lessons and I do promise to never repeat this, may the Good Lord and Ghanaians forgive me.”

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Matthew Opoku Prempeh with Abraham Attah

Education Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has disclosed that award-winning young actor Abraham Attah volunteered to become ambassador for government’s free senior high school programme at no cost to the state.

Dr Prempeh came under a series of criticism on social media after announcing Attah, who is schooling in the United States, as the face of the major government policy.

Groups like the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) also expressed reservations and argued that Abraham Attah is known for his work in showbiz rather than in education, and suggested that an ambassador could have been selected from the winners of this year’s National Science and Maths Quiz.

In explaining the rationale for Abraham Attah’s selection at a Meet The Press series on Thursday, July 27, 2017, Dr Prempeh said the young actor walked into his office to volunteer for the role.

“Abraham Attah is a young street kid in Ghana who has benefited by fortune or good luck. He just went to America two years ago and his fortunes have blossomed to become a star. I haven’t seen any good will ambassador of any cause in this world who is not famous.

“People came to my office with their children who had seen Abraham Attah and were keen to go to school. He doesn’t live in my generation so I didn’t even know him, I hadn’t even met him. Abraham Attah wasn’t paid a (penny) to come and campaign for free SHS. He thought that if God has put him where he is, he should come and support a noble cause. He walked into my office and declared to be a free SHS ambassador for free. Besides that, he donated nearly a 1,000 pairs of sandals for fellow kids who are vulnerable just like when he was vulnerable in Ghana and we are saying I should throw him out?” Dr Prempeh asked.

The young Abraham Attah has been enjoying a constant growth in the limelight since he featured in the movie, ‘Beast Of No Nations’, alongside Idris Elba. Abraham Attah went on to win the Marcello Mastroianni’s Best Young Actor Award at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.

– starrfmonline.com

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The Aflao Circuit Court has sentenced five persons, who robbed two mobile money operators at Dzelukope-Alata in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, to a total of 75 years’ imprisonment in hard labour.

The five accused persons pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.

The court, presided over by His Honour, Ali Baba Abature, also fined the five convicts 500 penalty points each, amounting to about GH¢6,000 or in default serve additional five years’ imprisonment in hard labour.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

The five convicts were arrested on July 5, 2017 and remanded into police custody by the Aflao Circuit Court on July 7, 2017.

They are 32-year-old fisherman, Agbey Ali, 22-year-old student, Dorkenu Wisdom, 18-year-old tailor’s apprentice, Seth Gidiglo, 17-year-old unemployed, Eli Dorkenu and 22-year-old student, Bismark Ashiagbor.

A sixth suspect, whose name was given as John, is still at large.

The Police said one Mercy Sekle, a 36-year-old business woman, who reported the case to the Police, said the robbery incident happened on July 4, 2017 at about 9pm when the two mobile money operators had closed from work.

The two victims, Kumordzi David Setsofia, 24, and Benjamin Kumordzi, 28, were robbed of a green bag containing an XTG mobile phone valued at GH¢120.00, MTN Mobile Money Merchant Transaction Book, Invoice Book and cash of GH¢17,000.

Mercy told the Police that on that fateful day, the victims, after close of their usual mobile money operations, were heading towards their house at Alata when the incident occurred.

Benjamin Kumordzi was holding a bag containing an amount of GH¢17,000 and his transaction books while Kumordzi David Setsofia was holding a green bag containing cash of GH¢1,800, XTG phone valued at GH¢120 with unspecified amount of electronic money on it, MTN Mobil Money Transaction book and an invoice book.

On their way, the convicts emerged from a corner of a building along the road and asked them to hand over their bags to them, but the victims refused.

They pulled out offensive weapons such as knives and scissors to attack the victims.

The victims shouted out for help but the armed robbers collected their bags containing various sums of money and other items and inflicted several wounds on them.

The noise attracted some community members who arrested two of the convicts Agbey Ali and Dorkenoo Wisdom and handed them over to the Police.

Upon interrogation, the two admitted the offence and mentioned Seth Gidiglo and Bismark Ashiagbor as their accomplices.

They also revealed that two other guys, whose names they did not know, were involved.

On July 5, 2017, the police, acting upon a tip-off, arrested Eli Dorkenoo and Seth Gidiglo at Havedzi Beach.

They also admitted the offence in their caution statements.

On that same day, some residents found a green bag containing MTN invoice and MTN merchant transaction book and gave them to the Police.

Apart from the bag which belonged to David Kumordzi, they also found a Samsung Grand mobile phone belonging to Wisdom Dorkenoo.

From Fred Duodu and Gibril Abdul Razak, Keta ( freduoo@gmail.com)

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Mathew Opoku, the deceased

A Junior High School (JHS) boy has allegedly been stabbed to death by his friend following a misunderstanding between them.

Mathew Opoku, the deceased, collapsed and died shortly after Elijah Namong stabbed him in the stomach on Wednesday afternoon.

The two teenagers, both aged 14, are classmates at WESCO Demonstration JHS in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital.

The duo, who are in Form Two, were said to be on their way home from school when an intense debate started between them.

In the course of the verbal exchanges, Namong reportedly got extremely angry and stabbed Opoku with a short knife.

Some people at the scene reported the disturbing news to the police, who conveyed the body to the morgue, pending autopsy.

The Assemblyman for Krofrom East, Patrick Kwame Frimpong, confirmed the unfortunate incident to DAILY GUIDE on Thursday.

He said Namong, after committing the heinous crime, quickly rushed home perhaps to escape arrest.

Mr Frimpong noted that Namong’s mother later learnt about her son’s action and personally escorted him to the police station.

According to the assemblyman, who was very disturbed, the deceased and the suspect lived at Krofrom.

He said so far three young people had been stabbed to death in 2017.

Mr Frimpong noted that four days ago, two suspected young armed robbers in the area escaped in handcuffs.

He stated that the rate at which young people have been committing violent crimes in the area was alarming.

The Assemblyman appealed to the relevant authorities to quickly intervene to help stop the violence.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

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 John Jinapor

The former deputy Power Minister, John Jinapor’s house was raided by some personnel from the Police service and National Security on Friday morning in connection with the 2015 AMERI deal.

Two of the police men effecting the raid were reported to have been armed with AK 47 assault rifles. They were in search of documents related to the controversial AMERI contract.

Mr. Jinapor, the MP for Yapei Kusawgu, was on his way to Parliament when he was restrained and held for about two hours.

This raid follows the former Minister for Power, Kwabena Donkor, having his home subjected to a thorough search by personnel from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Monday morning.

In Dr. Donkor’s case, the CID was searching for evidence implicating the former minister in financial loss to the State, as a result of his involvement in the AMERI deal.

The cost of the AMERI deal was $510m and received Parliamentary approval on March 20, 2015. However, the current government contends that the country had been shortchanged by AMERI, noting that, the contractor, PPR, actually built and financed the plant at a cost of $360 million, yet AMERI, which secured the deal, forwarded a bill of $510 million in the agreement.

Reports said the Mahama administration had paid in excess of $150m, but state officials for that administration disagreed.

The Minority in Parliament condemned the raid on the residence of Dr. Donkor and alleged that the move was carefully engineered by the Akufo-Addo administration to silence opposition critics.

The Minority expressed reservations with the fact the warrant for the raid on Dr. Donkor’s residence was based on the order of a lower court, whilst contending that the integrity of citizen’s private communication was protected per law.

It was also upset with the fact Dr. Donkor was apparently unaware he was the subject of any investigation until he was shown the court order that he is a suspect in any investigation.

-Citifmonline

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