Digital February 26, 2020

DIGITAL NO. 100833 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
• Flashback: A cross section
of the accused persons in the
Kidnapping case
•Mrs Sylvia Ahenakwa on the
hospital bed prior to her death
•Dr. Matthew
Opoku Prempeh,
Education
Minister
•The police supervising the
ejection exercise
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02
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CONTENT
ANNIVERSARIES
Independence Day — Fri, 6 Mar 2020
Good Friday — Fri, 10 Apr 2020
Easter Monday — Mon, 13 Apr 2020
Labour Day — Fri, 1 May 2020
DAILY HERITAGE DIGITAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Published by: EIB
Network / Heritage
Communications Ltd.
Managing Editor:
William Asiedu:
0208156974
Acting Editor:
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0244744973
ISSN: 0855-52307
VOL 7
Location: Meridian
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Family cries for justice
NEWS DESK REPORT
• Over 50-yr-old woman’s death
ATRACKLOAD of Police
Officers who claim to have
come from the Accra Regional
Police Command accompanied
by heavily build
land guards are alleged to have forcibly
broke into the houses of tenants at Community
18, Lashibi, leading to the hospitalisation
of a 50-year-old woman, Sylvia
Ahenakwa, and her subsequent death.
Mr Davis Ekey, one of the affected
tenants, told the media that Mr Francis
Afotey Okley and Jonas Alfred Carbo, accompanied
by the police and land guards,
adding that the land at the centre of the
litigation belonged to their late father and
that they had secured a document from
the court to eject all tenants from the land.
The incident was said to have occurred
on February 18, 2020 around 6a.m.
He said
when he perused
the court
documents, it
did not bear
their names but
rather those of
Devtraco Estate
and Lands
Commission.
As a result,
Mr Ekey said he
told the land
guards and the
police they did
not have the
right to paste
the court document
on their
property but
they rebuffed
their request and
broke into their
house and threw
their belongings
outside and
locked their
rooms with padlocks
and left.
He said they
then went to an
adjoining house
where Mr and
Mrs Ahenakwa residesd and in their bid to
forcibly enter their rooms, a disagreement
and misunderstanding ensued, leading to
the pushing of Madam Ahenakwa.
He said Madam Ahenakwa fell and hit
her head against the cement floor, got injured
in her head, and bled profusely,
adding that her son, Clifford Ahenakwa,
pleaded with the police to take his mother
in their vehicle to the hospital but the police
refused.
Mr Ekey said Clifford then haired a taxi
to convey her mother to the Neapty Clinic
at Community 18, Lashibi and he reported
later that her mother died at the hospital.
The son of the deceased said some
community 18 police officers later came
for the body and deposited it at the Police
Hospital in Accra.
Clifford appealed to the Inspector
• The police supervising the ejection exercise
General of Police to intervene in the matter
to help them get justice by arresting all
people who played a part in the death of
her mother.
The son of the
deceased said
some community
18 police officers
later came for the
body and
deposited it at the
Police Hospital in
Accra.
• Mrs Sylvia Ahenakwa on the hospital
bed prior to her death
When contacted, Mr Kenneth Tetteh,
Secretary to the Kwedonu family, said to
they are the owners of the land, and
backed his claims with land documents,
stressing that a 2017 court ruling affirmed
their title to the land.
He has therefore appealed to persons
who are living at HFC and Devtraco Estate,
Cambodia, Collins Dauda, Kotobabi
One and Two and Light Industry Area and
including all lands belonging to the Kweidonu
family, to come to the family and
regularize their stay on the land with the
family by end of March 2020.
Mr Tetteh empathized with tenants
who were affected by the barbaric acts
perpetrated by the police and the land
guard, saying they had informed their
lawyers to take up the matter in order for
affected individuals to get justice.
He appealed to the IGP to use his
good offices to help provide security to
the affected tenants because of the incessant
harassment by the land guards.
Police reaction
In a telephone interview, the Divisional
Commander of Baatsona police, Chief Inspector
Julius Gbegesi,
while
confirming the incident,
said the matter
was currently
before the Accra
Regional Public Relations
Officer
(PRO) of the Ghana
Police Service and
therefore could not
comment further.
Meanwhile, efforts
to reach ASP Afia
Tenge, the Regional
Police PRO, were unsuccessful
as calls to
cellphone went unanswered.
Text message
sent to her phone
number was not responded
to either as of
the time of going to
press.

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE DIGITAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
03
Canadians kidnapping saga:
Witness under
death threat
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
THE ATTORNEY General’s
Department has expressed
worrying concern
about the rate at which
Yusif Yakubu, the third accused
person in the case in which four
persons have been charged with kidnapping
two Canadian nationals, is
threatening to kill a witness who has
been penciled to testify against him in
court.
In court yesterday when the case
was called and all the four persons
charged with an unlawful imprisonment
of two Canadian nationals
pleaded not guilty to four charges related
to kidnapping, the state singled
out Yakubu, the only Ghanaian
amongst the four, as being a threat to
the witness.
Hilda Criag, Senior State Attorney,
told the court that the accused persons
had been using a telephone while in
the prisons cells to threaten one of the
state witnesses.
My Lord, the fourth accused person
has been threatening one of our witnesses
in this matter with telephone
calls that if he comes to court to testify,
he will follow him and kill him. We
want the court to advise him else we
will take charges against him, if he
continues to threaten the witness.
Responding to the concerns from
the State Attorney, Yaw Danquah, representing
Yakubu, said they said the
allegation could not be true, because
the accused persons were under strict
rules regarding how to use mobile
phone.
It was his case that prison officers
were always present anytime the accused
persons would have to make a
call and wondered how such threats
could be made in the presence of a
prisons officer.
• From accused person
in prison custody
The court presided over by Justice Lydia
Marfo urged the accused persons to desist
from such acts if the allegation was true.
The court said if he was also using some
family members to threaten the witness,
then he should make sure they did not
cause him further problem.
‘We’re not guilty’
The four persons who have been
charged with an unlawful imprisonment of
two Canadian nationals have pleaded not
guilty to four charges related to kidnapping.
The accused persons, Sampson Agharlor,
aka Romeo, the ring leader; Elvis Ojiyorwe,
Jeff Omarsar and Yakubu, have all
denied the charges of conspiracy to kidnap,
kidnapping and unlawful improvement.
They have been accused of playing various
roles in the kidnapping of Miss Lauren
Patricia Catherine Tiley and Miss Bailey
Jordan Chilley, who were in Kumasi to participate
in a youth programme on June 4,
2019.
The brief facts
accompanying the
charges were read
to the court by
Senior State Attorney
Craig after
their plea was retaken.
Bail
Lawyer Yaw
Danquah, while
moving application
for bail for Agharlor
and Yakubu,
said the facts presented
to the court
were full of
hearsay and did not
contain a single
shred of iota of
facts.
According to him, everything the state
has said made a movie script and that the
charges his clients are facing are so serious
that if convicted, they stand to spend a
long time in prison custody, so the court
must be mindful of what the state has presented.
Counsel argued that in their statement
of facts, the State was never able to pinpoint
anything to link how their so-called
planning was done to kidnap the victims
for which the accused persons are standing
trial.
State opposed to bail
Ms Craig, while opposing the application
for bail, said it was trite learning that
the fact did not constitute evidence and it
was not a ground for which bail should be
granted.
She said they were in court to present
their evidence to the court and why the accused
persons were arraigned.
"At the right time we will prove our case
to court. Three of the accused persons are
foreigners and the likelihood they will not
stand trial is huge, if granted bail,” she argued.
She added that the three Nigerians have
no strong family ties in the country and
they don't have any place of abode either,
adding that "They are also not gainfully
employed in this country and the likelihood
of escaping the jurisdiction of the court is
high."
On Yusif, the only Ghanaian, the state
attorney said the charges against him and
the evidence so far presented by way of
disclosure, if granted bail, he would abscond.
Arrange your document
Meanwhile, the court directed that the
prosecution should ensure that their documents
are properly paginated when necessary
and arrange them according to how
the witnesses are going to tender them or
rely on.
This was after the prosecution led by Ms
Craig, had informed the court that they
were expecting their last batch of documents
from the police within a week's time.
According to her, the State has so far
made available all documents to court, including
those that prosecution will not rely
on pursuant to the orders of disclosures,
except those with the police.
The Criminal Division of the Accra
High Court presided over by Justice Lydia
Marfo subsequently dismissed the bail application.
No documents
Lawyer Danquah had informed the
court that he had not received the full complement
of the said documents.
He prayed for the court to direct the
prosecution to
ensure he was
served but the
court asked
that he, together
with
the court
clerk, go to
the registrar of
the court for
his copies.
The case
has been adjourned
to
March 12,
2020 for the
start of Case
Management
Conference.
• Flashback: A cross section of the accused persons in the Kidnapping case

Digital February 26, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 2/25/20 6:13 PM Page 2
DAILY HERITAGE DIGITAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge 1:
Alkoh Shea Butter grabs $100,000 ultimate prize
ALHASSAN HAMZA
Koligu, a graduate of the
University for Development
Studies [UDS], has
emerged the winner of
season 1 of the McDan
Entrepreneurship Challenge held on Friday,
February 21 at the National Theatre.
He beat nine other very strong contestants
to clinch the ultimate prize
of $100,000 plus GHc 25,000 business
support prize.
Koligu, the promoter of Alkoh Shea
Butter, was able to impress the judges
with his business models and investment
prospects.
Located in Gambaga in the Northern
Region, Alkoh Shea Butter is into the
production and sale of shea butter.
The firm adopts modern tools and
technology to produce quality shea butter
in a hygienic environment to meet international
standards. Alkoh Shea Butter
also supplies shea kernel and other products
such as shea butter cosmetic and
natural products.
“I was disappointed after roaming in
the cities in search of a job for so many
years. I took notice of my mother’s shea
butter business and how the process is
done. My mum told me she will employ
me since I have no job to do. She tasked
me to be the promoter of the Shea Butter
business. In an attempt to promote
the business, I came out with the concept
of Alkoh Shea Butter.
“When I applied to be part of the
McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge, I
didn’t have the confidence and any business
plan but I was able to gather the
courage after Chairman McDan told me
that it is not about the business but
about me. He told me he will transform
me from liability to an asset,” the 39-
year-old graduate said.
The nine other contestants, Better
Pm Services, SeePig Farms, Greenfuel
Innovation Africa, Premor Tea,
MydaFoods, AgriFund, Kente Master,
Tigerhouse Limited and Agrizone were
also rewarded with GHc25,000 business
support prizes and GHc30,000 support
from the Ministry of Business Development.
Dr Daniel McKorley, Chairman of
the McDan Group, commended all the
10 participants.
“Today holds a special place in my
heart. For me, entrepreneurship isn’t simply
a venture but a desire and passion. I
started from the street of Labadi as a
young man, selling kerosene and buff
loaf. I was once a driver’s mate. I was
once a pupil teacher, I was once a construction
labourer but today God has
given me something special and this is
•Alhassan Hamza Koligu, promoter of Alkoh Shea Butter
what I’m sharing with the next generation.
If I don’t do it posterity will judge
me.
“I believe, I dreamt of the impossible
but I also believe with determination, resilience
and hard work, I could keep
going. Such is the dream of our finalists.
“I have seen all sizes of entrepreneurship
firsthand and this is what I
know for sure that failure is a must, mistakes
are your best guides, the struggle is
inevitable and success is achievable,”
Chairman of the McDan Group said
The first edition of McDan Entrepreneurship
Challenge engaged the services
of Dr McKorley, Yoofi Grant –
CEO of GIPC, Simon R Turner, Percy
Amoo-Yankey, Dzigbordi Dosu and
Leonora Appiah as judges.
The grand finale was graced by a representative
of the Ministry of Business
Development, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, Secretary
to the Vice President, Augustine
Blay, Numoo Kwao, Damana of Dagbon
Traditional Area, Robert Coleman -
CEO of Wembley Construction Limited
and Stephen Appiah amongst others.
The theme for this year’s McDan Entrepreneurship
Challenge [MEC] is “Employment
through Entrepreneurship”.
The MEC seeks to identify the
brightest young entrepreneurs or start-up
business managers or students with an
extraordinary business model to reward
them with the prize money to establish
the next largest conglomerate in Africa
and beyond.
The number of entries received was
more than 7,000 and 600 shortlisted but
further shortlisting brought the figure to
60 contestants.
The contestants were offered mentoring
and coaching services before
being sieved down further to 10 finalists
who featured in a 13-week television series.
The McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge
was powered by TEN Ghana, an
organisation that promotes the “create
your own job” spirit among young people
in the country.
Partner institutions include the
Ghana Institute of Management and
Public Administration (GIMPA), National
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Plan (NEIP), Ministry of Business Development,
and Active Media.
The McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge
is funded by McDan Foundation.
&Env.
Customers laud ASA Savings & Loans
over free health screening at Mallam
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
CUSTOMERS OF
the Mallam Business
Centre of the ASA
Savings and Loans
Limited have lauded
the operational policies
of the financial institution following
a free medical outreachorganised
to provide them with free medical
screening.
Since its operations in the country,
and as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) activities, the financial
institution has initiated various
schemes to reward its loyal customers
in the form of scholarship, health
screening and donation of mosquito
nets among other initiatives.
However, the annual exercise saw
over 150 customers of the ASA Savings
and Loans received free medical
screening at the Mallambranch, an exercise
some of the customers described
as timeous and needful.
“We are very excited about what
ASA Savings have done for us. In fact,
•Some of the customers waiting pariently be screened. (INSET) others being screened
for so many years, I have not got the
time to visit hospital but they have
provided that platform for me to examine
my health status. God bless
them so much and weassurethem that
we will continue to do business with
them,” one of the customers stated.
“As for me, what I want to say to
ASA is that they should continue to
do what they do best and we promise
them our loyalty. Not every company
will think of its customers, so for
them to give us this screening, we say
thank you to them. I have been given
medication free of charge,” another
customer added.
Welfare of customers
Mrs Celestine Esinam Ayivor
Afful, the Area Manager under the
Accra West Region of which Mallam
Business Centre is one of its
branches,in an interview with the
DAILY HERITAGE, said the international
company provides financial
service to assist people in the informal
sector and the poor in society.
MrsAfful said the interest of ASA
Savings and Loans is not only profit
maximization, but also to seek the welfare
of its customers and the public at
large.
For her part, Mrs Beatrice Baiden,
the Branch Manager,said the screening
exercise formed part of the company’s
CSR, which means giving back to society,
adding that the company had been
organising a number of social programmes,
including health outreach.
Mrs Baiden added that her outfit
believes without good health work
could not go on for their clients so
there was the need for them to give
them free medical screening, as well as
to provide them other health delivery
services.
Regular exercise
The medical officers, who supervised
the heath screening, advised the
public not to fall sick before they go
to the hospital for checkups but do
well to visit hospital at least every six
months and urged the public to embark
on regular exercise.
Those who attended the screening
were examined for various conditions,
including blood pressure, malaria; hepatitis
B and sugar level.

Digital February 26, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 2/25/20 6:14 PM Page 3
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
NEWS
GETFund saga:
TENSION IS mounting at Dekpor-
Horme in the Ketu North Municipality
of the Volta Region over alleged
imposition of a man to occupy the
Adela Dartey stool and if care is not
taken lives and properties would be
destroyed .
To avert any possible clash, the
Adela Dartey Royal Family divisions in
Dekpor, Ehi and Kporkuve that constitute
the three gates have appealed to
the government to intervene in the
nomination, confinement and installation
of Godbless Cudjoevi Tetteh as a
Senior Divisional Chief of Dekpor
Division of the Weta Traditional
Council.
Since the demise of Togbe Adela
Dartey III of Dekpor-Horme in October
2018, who was buried last year
(October 2019), the family has not
known peace and could not install a
chief as a result of the wrong moves
made by Torgbi Akpo Ahiakpor VI,
paramount chief of Weta Traditional
Area, Togbe Adzei II, chief of Atiteti,
and Togbe Tetekpa, also of Weta, who
were chairmen of the search and vetting
committee, to impose a chief on
the family.
The Aela Dartey family, therefore,
stated emphatically that they would
not accept any candidate who would
occupy the stool except the family's
own choice, whose nomination and
qualification satisfy all the tradition
and customs of Weta and Anlo people
as well as provisions of the Chieftaincy
Act.
Copies of a petition to Torgbi
Akpo Ashiakpor, paramount chief and
president of the Weta Traditional
Council, dated 16th January, 2020, and
signed by the stool father of Adela
Dartey stool, Fiator Cletus Kuzagbe
and 15 other kingmakers have been
sent to the chairman of the search and
vetting committee, the Minister of
Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the
Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu
North Constituency, the Awoamefia of
Anlo state, Togbui Sri III, Awadada
Agbesi Awusu II of Anlo, IGP, Registrar,
Anlo Traditional Council the
Volta Regional Minister, Regional Police
Commander, Divisional Police
Commander, Keta Municipal Police
Commander, Dzodze, BNI and the
media.
The petition states among other
things that the Adela Dartey stool is
not a dynasty that allows the son of
the late chief to succeed him; rather in
their case, the stool rotates among the
three gates.
It further states that the stool was
not for Ave chiefs in the Akatsi North
District and that they have no lineage
to the stool to propose and insist on
installing their preferred candidate
(Cudjoevi Tetteh) chief for their
parochial interest.
"These Ave chiefs, namely Togbe
DunyoV of Ave-Atanve and Togbe
Tamakloe of Ave-Afiadenyigba have
no mandate to do so just because they
were intimate friends to the late chief
and therefore want to perpetrate illegality,"
the petition said.
The petitioners advised Badasu
Awuku Gborglah (a.k.a Bada), who
hails from Fiaxor in the Anlo District
of Volta Region and was fronting for
Cudjoevi Tetteh and pressing hard for
his enstoolment and the so-called Ave
chiefs whose acts can be fomenting
troubles within Dekpor communities
to seize henceforth their nefarious and
treacherous activities, warning them
that in Dekpor tradition and in Ewe
land the people do not inherit the matrilineal
way or impose a candidate, let
alone propose a candidate, stressing
that they want to see Dekpor in peace
and not in pieces.
DAILY HERITAGE DIGITAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Deputy Agric Minister gives Auditor-
General 24hrs ultimatum to apologise
THE MEMBER of
Parliament (MP) for
Akim Swedru and
Deputy Minister of
Agriculture,
Kennedy Nyarko
Osei, has given the Auditor-General,
Daniel Yaw Domelevo, a 24-
hour ultimatum to retract and
apologise to him for including his
name in the list of GETFund
scholarship beneficiaries.
In a letter addressed to the Auditor-General
by lawyers of the
legislator on Tuesday (yesterday),
the legislator said Mr Domelevo
should have known there was a
problem with his inclusion because
no money was attached to it.
The letter accused the Auditor-
Tension at Dekpor-Horme
FROM PATRICE SYLVESTER
SELORMEY, HO
pselormey2015@gmail.com
General of being unprofessional
and malicious in his work.
It has emerged that some MPs
and government officials were
given scholarships from the GETfund
scholarship secretariat to embark
on courses abroad.
The mandate of the GETFund
is to grant scholarships to brilliant
Ghanaians.
The list was contained in the
audited report of the Auditor
General on the GetFund scholarship
secretariat.
The Dome MP and procurement
minister, Adwoa Sarfo, applied
and obtained $12,800 in
allowances with $17,004 in tuition
fees to study at the Harvard
Kennedy School.
"The Adela Dartey Royal Family
stool cannot be sold to the highest
bidder or used to show appreciation or
reward anybody
as a result
of
friendship,"
the petitioners
warned.
The petitioners
sounded caution
that they
would not accept
a "declaration
and
confine immediately"
policy
without the
approval of
the 15-member
committee
which was
constituted by
Togbi Ashiakpor
himself to
represent the
family, so they
must tread
cautiously.
The petition
furthermore
stressed
that for the
avoidance of
chaos and another
‘Dagbon’
to be seen in
the Weta area,
and to ensure
peace in Dekpor-Horme,
Weta Traditional
Area,
Anlo state and
the region at
large, the royal
family humbly
•Kennedy Nyarko Osei, MP for Akim Swedru
Ghana Revenue Authority
Integrity. Fairness. Service.
DOMESTIC TAX REVENUE DIVISION
advised that the so-called kingmakers
from Ave traditional area, Togo,
Badasu Awuku Gborglah and Akey,
whose intention was to impose Cudjoevi
Tetteh, the son of the late chief, on
the stool, to perpetrate to stop their
activities immediately.
FILING OF VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT)/
NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE LEVY (NHIL) &
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE TAX (CST)
RETURNS FOR JANUARY, 2020
Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) reminds all VAT/NHIL/GETFund Levy
registered businesses that VAT/NHIL/GETFund Levy and Communications
Service Tax (CST) returns for January 2020 should be submitted on the VAT/
NHIL/GETFund Levy and CST returns forms not later than Friday, 28th
February, 2020 which is the last working day of the month.
File your VAT/NHIL/GETFund Levy & CST returns early and avoid payment of
penalties. For VAT/NHIL/GETFund Levy, the penalty is Five Hundred Ghana
Cedis (GH¢500.00) and a further penalty of Ten Ghana Cedis (GH¢10.00)
per each day the return is not submitted.
Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢2,000) and a further penalty of Five Hundred
Ghana Cedis (GH¢500.00) for each day the return is not submitted.
Remember to submit the January, 2020 returns forms not later than Friday,
28th February, 2020 which is the last working day of the month and avoid
paying penalties.
For further information, please contact the nearest Domestic Tax Revenue
#OurTaxesOurFuture
•Over Chieftancy Issue
The Executive Secretary of
the National Council for Curriculum
and Assessment
(NaCCA), Prince Hamidu
Armah, also received £38,400
for living expenses in addition
to £33,000 for tuition fees, while
Education Minister Mathew
Opoku Prempeh, who listed at
number 38, received $12,800 for
living expenses and $11,200 as
tuition fees for a security course
at Harvard University.
The Education Minister and
the Executive Secretary of the
National Council for Curriculum
and Assessment have explained
they secured the
scholarship before coming into
public office.
COMMISSIONER-GENERAL
www.gra.gov.gh

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
06
DAILY HERITAGE DIGITAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Editorial
MTTD, modify road safety
YESTERDAY WE carried a story
in which the Road Safety
Advocates of Ghana (RoSAG), a
civil society organisation, has
accused the Motor Traffic and
Transport Department (MTTD) of
the Ghana Police Service of failure
of ensuring road safety in the
country.
RoSAG says there has been an
upsurge in road traffic crashes and
casualties right from the beginning
of the year, a situation they say
questions the ability of MTTD in
the fight against road accident.
A release signed by RoSAG
President, Nana Annor Amihere II,
said in January alone, over 250 lives
were lost through road accidents.
It is instructive to note that
RoSAG acknowledged that road
safety is multi-disciplinary and
requires the collective efforts of
stakeholders in the chain and then
spoke about the behaviour on the
road, stressing that “our roads
show the growing level of impunity
towards traffic offences by
motorists. Citizens have become
emboldened to indulge in risky
behaviours due to the collective
failure of the police to arrest,
prosecute and publish the outcome
of prosecutions to deter others.”
RoSAG has said it all. Even
though we all are stakeholders in
road safety, the police have the
biggest responsibility.
Sometimes, one wonders why
the police should be on the road
after all. It is on record, on social
media, that a prominent chief is
saying the police do not take bribe
but rather donations because they
wear mourning clothes.
However, infuriating or
humorous that statement may
sound, coming from such
prominent source, it attests to the
fact that the police collect some
money from motorists. What do
the police collect from the licences
they demand from motorists and
immediately allow them to move
on?
This is the biggest misbehaviour
on the road that is undermining
road safety because to a large a
extent, the police are there for their
selfish interest.
The DAILY HERITAGE
would not be wrong to state that
the MTTD personnel are trained
and so are abreast of all causes of
road accidents, particularly
speeding, overloading and the state
of the vehicle.
Whatever the causes are border
on behaviour – speeding,
overloading and refusal to to do
maintenance, for instance.
Therefore, the DAILY
HERITAGE expects that
henceforth, the police can
randomly pick a passenger or two
and ask them whether or not the
driver was driving carefully before
they got to the police checkpoint
and also ask how comfortable the
seats are and so on and so forth.
That way, drivers would stop
being ‘monarchs of all they survey’
and shout down passengers who
try to rein them in.
After all, passengers are the most
important stakeholders in road
safety because they suffer most in
accidents.
All we are driving at is that the
MTTD of the Ghana Police
Service should give a new face to
road safety.
Drop pre-tertiary education bill
BY KWAME ACHEAMPONG
THE EASTERN Region Pre-
Tertiary Teacher Unions have
called on the government to
drop the Pre-Tertiary Education
Bill currently at the reading
stage in Parliament until all outstanding
concerns of teachers are resolved.
The group, which is an amalgamation of
Ghana National Association of Teachers
(GNAT), National Association of Graduate
Teachers (NAGRAT), Teachers and
Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and
Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana
(CCT-Gh), say they will resist any attempt
by the government to decentralise education
under Local Government Ministry
rather than the Ministry of Education.
They contend that the bill, when passed
in its current form, “will break/dismember
the unified service; break the unified conditions
of service under which teachers
work; and destroy the organic teaching profession
our founding fathers fought and attained
even under colonial rule,” which will
have negative effect on the entire education
system.
The Unions stated that the concerns
• Teacher groups to govt
and disapproval of Sections 18,20,23,30,
31, 32 and 36 of the bill had been tabled
before Parliamentary Select Committee on
Education since they have the tendency of
destabilizing the teaching profession but
they were not getting any hope that their
concerns had been considered.
Per the bill, the proposed structure of
the management of education would be
such that senior high schools would be run
by the Regional Coordinating Councils
while basic schools would be run by the
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies
whereas technical and vocational
schools would be under a Director-General,
independent of the Ghana Education
Service (GES).
The Unions say this policy will corrupt
the education system with unnecessarily
partisan politics and polarization.
“The District Education Director is
going to work directly under the Municipal
Chief Executive. Education at the District
or municipal level is going to be just a unit
of the Assembly, and we know in Ghana
how politics is played. How can the district
director get the freedom to take decisions
The Unions
expressed worry
that in spite of
teachers being the
fulcrum around
which education
policies evolve, they
were left out in
drafting of the bill.
that will improve education? When you
look at section 36,the assemblies are going
to take decisions on issues of discipline,
employment and all those things. And you
know Ghana here most of the districts are
not resourced, and so this is going to bring
about disparities,” the unions said.
The joint press conference addressed by
Mr.John Selby, Eastern Regional GNAT
Chairman, explained further that the leadership
of the Teacher Unions “shall not derail
the constitution, but be guided by the
best cardinal interest of seeing to having
every Ghanaian child getting the best of
education for his own betterment and development
of the country. We stand for the
Ghanaian public and therefore not be labelled
sectarian.”
“We the unions are as committed to
pursuing important reforms towards improving
outcomes… As the Ministry, since
we shall continue to offer useful suggestions
but raise our voices and concerns
whenever need be for the right things to be
done.”
The Unions expressed worry that in
spite of teachers being the fulcrum around
which education policies evolve, they were
left out in drafting of the bill.
It has served notice of taking further
actions should Parliament go ahead to pass
the bill without taking into consideration
the concerns of the teacher unions.

Digital February 26, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 2/25/20 6:14 PM Page 5
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
Politics
DAILY HERITAGE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Minority abstains from
SoNA debate in Parliament
THE MINORITY in
parliament has
stayed away from debating
the contents
of President Nana
Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo’s State of the Nation
address delivered last week.
The NDC Members in Parliament
(MPs) walked out on the
President just before his presentation,
citing abuse of power, attack
on democracy, a compilation of a
new voters’ register, and targeting
of businesses perceived to be affiliated
to the party among other reasons.
Prior to the debate yesterday,
Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-
Bonsu had said the minority could
join in debating the President’s address
in spite of their walkout.
The Majority leader’s invitation
came on the back of an oral application
by deputy majority whip
and Dambai MP, Matthew Nyimdam,
for the NDC MPs to be
barred from joining the debate.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong
Nkrumah kick-started the
debate after moving the motion.
A call from the Speaker for a
seconder from the minority was
met with silence, prompting Prof.
Oquaye to demand a word from
the minority leadership.
Minority chief whip Muntaka
Mubarak disclosed his side would
not be part of the debate.
•Section of Minority MPs in Parliament
Mugeez on ‘Dripping’ with
DJ Mic Smith, Kwesi Arthur
•Mugeez Afrobeat Musician
AFROBEATS
LEGEND
Mugeez has released
a new
single dubbed
‘Dripping’, on
which he featured DJ Mic
Smith and Kwesi Arthur under
his new record label Extrial
Music.
One of African’s renowned
artistes, Mugeez, who is the
Chief Executive Officer of the
Extrial Music label and part of
the highly influential music
group, R2BEES, teamed up
with DJ Mic Smith and Kwesi
Arthur to make the new
Afrobeats banger ‘Dribbling’.
Afrobeats legend Mugeez released
his new single “Dripping”
with DJ Mic Smith and
Kwesi Arthur under his new
label Extrial Music. The
smooth and hypnotic sound of
the single is supported by a
first-class video shot by Lex
McCarthy.
Mugeez keeps busy with his
solo projects. Last year he released
the singles ‘Regular’ with
Sarkodie and ‘Your Number’
with Juls and King Promise.
He also started his own label
Extrial Music, not only to promote
his solo projects but to
help up-and-coming artistes
that are ready to make a
change. The first artisteMugeez
has signed under his label is
Tecknikal, a young aspiring
artist from Ghana.
According to Mugeez, he recruited
Arthur, who is currently
considered one of the most
promising young artists in
Ghana and Africa, after being
nominated for the Best International
Act at the BET
Awards’ on songs like ‘Dripping’
just as he did DJ Mic
Smith, an award-winning club,
radio and artist DJ who was
featured on the national TV
and had worked with several
high-profile artists and is the
official DJ for the popular
Ghanaian rapper EL, for their
special skills.

DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
If you can’t
play for Kotoko
again, tell me
• Kwame Kyei to players
THE EXECUTIVE
Board chairman of
Asante Kotoko has
asked players who are
not prepared to play
for the club to voice it out.
Dr Kwame Kyei threw the challenge
at an emergency meeting
which became necessary following
the team’s clash with Asokwa Deportivo
in the MTN FA Cup
Round of 64 on Sunday in which
Kotoko disappointingly lost 2-1.
At the said meeting yesterday,
Dr Kyei fumed with anger as he
asked players to tell him if they
could not play for the Porcupine
Warriors.
”If you know you can’t play for
Kotoko again, tell me,” Dr. Kyei
asked, according to a report received
from Kumasi.
Additional information has revealed
that the club’s board chairman
has told players that they will
be sacked if they fail to perform.
• Executive Chairman of
Asante Kotoko, Kwame Kyei
Cobbina explains why he
disappears in games
KF TIRANA player Winful Cobbina
has explained why he sometimes
disappear in games. He
gave the explanation after popping
up with a remarkable assist
in a 2-1 win against Kukesi last
Friday.
Cobbina started the match
against Kukesi brightly but faded
midway through the encounter
before coming up with a fantastic
assist.
The former Hearts of Oak
ace conjured a magic in the 84th
minute to provide a Ronaldinholike
assist for Idriz Batha to tap
into an empty net during the top
of table clash against Kukesi.
“It's the second season here
and I'm adjusted to the environment,
the people and the system.
So I'm in better shape. We are
convincingly back as a team and
• Winful Cobbina
not without merit leading the
championship.
“Sometimes it's a game plan, a
tactic. I have to rest and then
"boom". My disappearance is for
energy recovery. Would you leave
me alone for 70 minutes? You
have to train with us to understand.
It's not that I'm tired, but
we have to adapt to the game and
hit the opponent at the right
time.”
"Favourites in attack? Both are
good players. Mucci is young and
talented, Michael has experience.
It is important that the players'
abilities go to the benefit of the
team. Both did their part. I can't
choose who to play with, we're all
a team,” Cobbina said.
Cobbina has made 20 league
appearances, contributing four
goals and three assists.
Kurt spoke in a context
• Asante Twum replies George
Afriyie over ‘enemies letter’
SPOKESPERSON FOR the
Ghana Football Association, Henry
Asante Twum, has reacted to a
statement issued by defeated GFA
presidential aspirant George Afriyie
over some comments made by
GFA President Kurt Okraku on
Joy FM.
Reacting to claims that he was
running a ‘family and friends’ organization,
Okraku remarked that
“no one wins an election and work
with his enemies”.
The comment did not
go down well with some
figures in the football circles
and as such have subjected
him to a series of
verbal attacks.
The latest of such attacks
is from Afriyie, who
in a statement issued on
Tuesday, accused the
GFA boss of being intolerant
of opposing views.
But in his first interview
since being handed
the position of Director
of Communications for
the GFA, Henry Asante
Twum said he was
shocked by the reaction
to the rather harmless
comments by his boss.
Asante Twum said the
issue was being overstretched
and being taken
•Henry Asante Twum
out of context.
He said considering the appointments
he has done so far,
Okraku has demonstrated tolerance
and willingness to work with people
from opposing sides.
“The response by the FA president
was not in direct reference to
any individual. I think the issue is
being over-stretched. Let’s look at
the appointments that have come
up in the last few months and juxtapose
it [sic] to what the FA president
said. You may think the word
enemy is not the best but I’m not
sure that’s exactly what he wanted
to say.
“I think this administration has
been very good in putting certain
people on some of the committees.
For instance, Liberty Professionals,
before the elections, were 100% behind
George Afriyie but today the
MD of Liberty is serving on two
committees. Kotoko declared their
100% support for George Afriyie
but today George Amoako is the
chairman of the Black Stars Management
Committee…”.
Asante Twum also justified the
appointments of coach Karim Zito
and CK Akonnor, who are
said to have close ties with
Okraku.
“Karim Zito, before Kurt
Okraku’s appointment, was
Black Starlets coach so his
current position is an elevation.
As far back as 19999 he
was coaching Kwaebibrem.
He has coached both Hearts
and Kotoko and has one of
the richest CV’s in Ghana
[football].
“Before Kurt came, CK
Akonnor was an assistant
coach and I’m not sure it’s
Kurt who gave him that position.
There is a caveat on the
appointment of a foreign
coach. For continuity, consistency
and progression sake
we have to go for CK,” he
said.