16.06.2017 Views

Daily Heritage June 16

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

02<br />

CONTENT<br />

DAILY HERITAGE<br />

FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

DAILY QUOTE<br />

Trust because you are willing to accept the risk,<br />

not because it's safe or certain<br />

- Anonymous<br />

ANNIVERSARIES<br />

18 Jun, Father’s Day<br />

25 Jun, Eid al-Fitr<br />

3 Jul, Republic Day Holiday<br />

1 Sep, Eid al-Adha<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

Email: info@dailyheritage.com.gh<br />

Facebook: facebook.com/dailyheritagegh<br />

z<br />

WORLD<br />

London fire: Prime<br />

minister orders full<br />

public inquiry<br />

James Town, Elmina<br />

to get fishing harbours<br />

BUSINESS<br />

POLITICS<br />

SPORTS<br />

CITY Updates<br />

P.04<br />

P.10<br />

About <strong>16</strong>0, 624 units of blood collected<br />

nationwide in 20<strong>16</strong><br />

Seek God before<br />

marriage<br />

• Philanthropist to<br />

Ghanaians<br />

P.15<br />

THE CHIEF Executive Officer of the National Blood Service, Ghana, Dr Justina<br />

Kordai Ansah, said in 20<strong>16</strong>, a total of <strong>16</strong>0, 624 units of blood was collected nationwide.<br />

Abraham Attah, Hero Film crew<br />

donate to Tamale schoolchildren<br />

Vodafone’s Instant<br />

Schools to provide<br />

free education<br />

P.11<br />

I have not<br />

retired from<br />

football yet<br />

— John Mensah<br />

MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING teen actor Abraham Attah and the Hero Film<br />

crew have donated a number of Toms shoes to underprivileged schoolchildren in the<br />

Northern Region.<br />

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH<br />

muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh<br />

THE MINISTRY of Fisheries<br />

and Aquaculture Development<br />

has revealed plans to construct<br />

two fishing harbours and 15<br />

landing beaches across the<br />

country.<br />

The sector Minister, Mrs Elizabeth Afoley<br />

Quaye, made this known when she paid a<br />

working visit to the Central Region to assess<br />

the level of damages caused to the fishermen<br />

who were affected by Sunday’s tidal waves.<br />

"If you listened to our budget, it was<br />

mentioned in it. We are going to construct 15<br />

landing beaches but four will be constructed<br />

this year. James Town is going to be a fishing<br />

harbour, Elmina is going to be a fishing harbour,<br />

but the others are going to be landing<br />

beaches within the fishing landing sites.<br />

There is going to be sea defence and breakwaters<br />

to control the speed of the tide to<br />

prevent some of these destructions,” she<br />

said.<br />

Govt’s support<br />

While commiserating with the fishermen<br />

Published by: EIB Network<br />

/ <strong>Heritage</strong> Communications<br />

Ltd.<br />

Managing Editor:<br />

William Asiedu:<br />

0208156974<br />

Editor:<br />

Kofi Enchill:<br />

0265653335<br />

ISSN: 0855-5230<br />

7 VOL 7<br />

Location: Kasapa FM<br />

building, Adabraka.<br />

Box AD 676, Adabraka,<br />

Accra, Ghana<br />

Telephone: +233-0302-<br />

236051, 020-8156974<br />

026-5653335<br />

Adverts/Mktg: Paul<br />

Ampong-Mensah<br />

024-4360782<br />

Fax: +233-0302-237156<br />

Email:<br />

<strong>Daily</strong>heritagegh@<br />

gmail.com<br />

www.dailyheritage.com.gh<br />

FRIDAY<br />

RealFeel® 34°<br />

Precipitation 40%<br />

SATURDAY<br />

RealFeel® 34°<br />

Precipitation 41%<br />

SUNDAY<br />

RealFeel® 32°<br />

Precipitation 46%<br />

who had lost their boats and other property<br />

as a result of the sea surge, the minister said<br />

the fishermen would be supported.<br />

“We have assessed the situation and we<br />

realised that they had lost so much. They<br />

have lost their fishing vessels, they have lost<br />

their fishing gear and nets, they have lost<br />

their outboard motors and worse of it all, is<br />

what has happened in Cape Coast, where a<br />

life was lost.<br />

“The Fisheries Ministry and the Fisheries<br />

Commission have assessed the situation and<br />

we are going back to take a decision on how<br />

to support the fishermen with some fishing<br />

boats.<br />

“We are getting into the fishing season<br />

and these fishermen will need their fishing<br />

boats, their fishing gear and nets to go fishing<br />

so we have to find a way to support those<br />

who have lost their vessels," the minister said.<br />

One dead, property destroyed<br />

It emerged during the visit to the Central<br />

Region's fishing communities that in Cape<br />

Coast one fisherman died as a result of the<br />

waves; over 20 boats and related equipment<br />

at Ankaful, Kwamantse, Abandzie, Anomabo<br />

• CONTINUE ON PAGE 3<br />

RealFeel® 26°<br />

Precipitation 57%<br />

RealFeel® 25°<br />

Precipitation 65%<br />

RealFeel® 25°<br />

Precipitation 50%<br />

ACCRA<br />

www.accuweather.com


WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

A successful man is one who can<br />

lay a firm foundation with the<br />

bricks others have thrown at him<br />

James Town, Elmina to get fishing harbours<br />

- David Brinkley<br />

• READ FROM PAGE 2<br />

and Cape Coast were all destroyed.<br />

While some of the boats could<br />

be repaired, many of the equipment<br />

were destroyed beyond repairs.<br />

Unapproved nets<br />

The minister observed that<br />

many fishermen in the region were<br />

using mono-filament nets (rubber<br />

nets) which are inappropriate for<br />

fishing.<br />

She bemoaned the practice, especially<br />

in Cape Coast, and called<br />

on the fishermen to, as a matter of<br />

urgency, desist from using these unapproved<br />

nets.<br />

The fishermen later assured the<br />

minister that they would adhere to<br />

her advice and also appealed to the<br />

government to respond quickly to<br />

their plight.<br />

They commended the minister<br />

for taking time off her busy schedule<br />

to call on them and to assure<br />

them of the government’s support.<br />

Insurance scheme<br />

The Paramount Queen of<br />

Anomabo Traditional Area, Nana<br />

Broba Darbo I, called on the government<br />

to educate and sensitise<br />

the fishermen to the need to insure<br />

their vessels.<br />

She also appealed to the government<br />

to support the fishermen by<br />

helping them remove the old vessels<br />

at the various beaches, which are<br />

creating congestions at the beaches.<br />

The queen also called for the<br />

Fisheries College to be revived to<br />

provide education to the fisherfolks,<br />

as well as revive an old cold store in<br />

the area for them.<br />

The minister, in her response to<br />

the insurance package, said, "last<br />

year, the fishermen were put on an<br />

insurance scheme, but we are going<br />

to look into the insurance scheme<br />

to see what it is. What we know is<br />

that it was state money used in paying<br />

the premium, but we think that<br />

any insurance scheme should be<br />

made sustainable so we think that<br />

we have to sit and strategise so that<br />

these fishermen will take their destiny<br />

into their own hands and pay<br />

the premium themselves.”<br />

The victims also appealed to the<br />

minister to ensure that they make<br />

available to them wood that could<br />

be used to repair their boats.<br />

Who was there?<br />

The Minister was accompanied<br />

on her visit by the Municipal Chief<br />

Executive of Mfantseman, Kelly<br />

Kenneth Essuman, the Member of<br />

Parliament for Mfantseman, Ekow<br />

Quansah Hayford, Deputy Minister<br />

of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mr<br />

Francis Ato Cudjoe, Lawyer Ata<br />

Dadzie, Director of Fisheries, officials<br />

of National Disaster Management<br />

Organisation and many<br />

others.<br />

id<br />

Ghana Gas in<br />

deep trouble<br />

BY ROSEMOND<br />

BOATENG ADDAI<br />

rosemond.adjetey@yahoo.com<br />

THE PUBLIC Interest<br />

and Accountability<br />

Committee (PIAC) has<br />

disclosed that the indebtedness<br />

of the Volta<br />

River Authority (VRA)<br />

to Ghana National Gas Company<br />

(GNGC) has grown to approximately<br />

91% under the period of its review.<br />

PIAC, at the launch of its annual<br />

report on management of petroleum<br />

revenues in Accra yesterday, explained<br />

that the debt rose from US$<br />

227.78 million in 2015 to US$ 434.70<br />

million in 20<strong>16</strong>.<br />

The report revealed that not only<br />

is the failure of VRA to pay for lean<br />

gas supplied threatening the financial<br />

viability of GNGC, but it also prevents<br />

GNGC from paying for the raw<br />

gas supplies exported by Ghana National<br />

Petroleum Company(GNPC),<br />

thereby denying the Petroleum Holding<br />

Fund of the much-needed revenues<br />

for spending and saving.<br />

The report also showed that there<br />

was a 13.7% year-on-year decline in<br />

crude oil production in Ghana during<br />

the period under review with annual<br />

production dropping from<br />

37.41mmbbls (102,498bbls) in 2015<br />

to 32.30mmbbls (73,955bopd).<br />

PIAC explained that the decline in<br />

production occurred in spite of the<br />

fact that Ghana’s second major production<br />

field, the TEN field, came on<br />

stream in August, 20<strong>16</strong> and actually<br />

contributed <strong>16</strong>% (5.32mmbbls) to annual<br />

production.<br />

The report also stated that the decline<br />

in petroleum production in 20<strong>16</strong><br />

•As VRA fails to pay US$434m debt<br />

• Financial viability of<br />

Ghana Gas threatened<br />

•Dr Ben K. D. Asante, Chief<br />

Executive Officer,<br />

Ghana Gas<br />

was caused by a 34-day shutdown of<br />

the Jubilee Field for maintenance<br />

from March 31, 20<strong>16</strong><br />

Mr Kwame Jantuah, Vice Chairman<br />

of PIAC, explained that PIAC,<br />

after reviews, has recommended that<br />

given that the GNGC may well have<br />

been caught up in the vicious cycle of<br />

the indebtedness of the energy sector<br />

utilities, which stood at US$ 2.4 billion<br />

at the end of 20<strong>16</strong> “urgent and<br />

drastic measures would have to be<br />

devised by all key stakeholders to ensure<br />

immediate payment of the outstanding<br />

receivable owed the Ghana<br />

Petroleum Fund in respect of gas<br />

sales,” he said.<br />

He added that one potential<br />

source of funds that could have been<br />

used to defray VRA’s indebtedness to<br />

GNGC is the Power Generation<br />

and Infrastructure Support Sub-Account<br />

(PGISSA) established under<br />

the Energy Sector Levy Act, 2015<br />

(Act 899).<br />

PIAC recommended that the proceeds<br />

going into the PGISSA have<br />

been earmarked for the repayment of<br />

the debt owned by VRA to 11 domestic<br />

banks as part of the strategy<br />

introduced by the government to deal<br />

with legacy debt problem facing the<br />

state-owned energy sector utilities.<br />

“Since termination of supply to<br />

VRA is not an option as yet, due to<br />

lack of alternative market for lean<br />

gas, PIAC is calling for an immediate<br />

meeting between the government,<br />

Ghana National Petroleum Corporation<br />

and GNGC to agree on a clear<br />

roadmap for the clearing of VRA’s<br />

indebtedness to GNGC,” PIAC said.<br />

PIAC also recommended that<br />

GNPC should desist from spending<br />

part of its dwindling allocations on<br />

non-core business such as financing<br />

of the Western corridor roads.<br />

PIAC’s report aims at keeping<br />

Ghanaians and other interested stakeholders<br />

constantly informed on how<br />

the country’s petroleum revenues are<br />

being managed as well as providing<br />

platforms for citizens’ feedback to be<br />

collated and shared with policymakers.<br />

uniBank supports<br />

Muslim community<br />

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH<br />

muntalla.inusah<br />

@dailyheritage.com.gh<br />

UNIBANK (GHANA) Limited,<br />

the country’s most enterprising<br />

financial institution, has, as part<br />

of its Corporate Social Responsibility,<br />

donated mouth-watering<br />

items estimated at a cost of<br />

GH¢ 275,000.00 to the Muslim<br />

community at the Hajj Village in<br />

Accra.<br />

The gesture was the bank’s<br />

contribution towards providing<br />

pivotal social interventions<br />

through its agile Corporate Social<br />

Responsibility commitments.<br />

The substantial support includes<br />

a health post, a marketplace,<br />

a cow, 50 bags of rice, 25<br />

bags of sugar, cartons of drinks<br />

and bottled water and many<br />

other items.<br />

Presenting the items on behalf<br />

of the newly appointed<br />

Chief Executive Officer of uni-<br />

Bank, Dr Kwabena Duffuor II,<br />

Mr Clifford Duke Mettle, Director,<br />

Marketing and Alternate<br />

Channels, thanked the Muslim<br />

community for the opportunity<br />

to partner the bank.<br />

According to him, it offers its<br />

products and services on a much<br />

larger scale.<br />

He said the bank’s product<br />

offering of Bridge Financing, a<br />

Trade Finance Loan amount of<br />

GH¢24,000,000.00, is “to facilitate<br />

the transfer of funds to the<br />

Saudi Arabian Authorities to ensure<br />

that prospective Ghanaian<br />

pilgrims will be secured in<br />

Mecca.”<br />

The Director of Marketing<br />

and Alternate Channels touched<br />

on a variety of support packages<br />

for the Muslim community, including<br />

the bank’s preparedness<br />

to sponsor the organisation of<br />

this year’s Ghana Hajj Agents<br />

Association Seminars.<br />

He added that they will provide<br />

support towards the celebration<br />

of the Eid-ul-Fitr and<br />

media announcements/adverts<br />

to ensure full participation of<br />

the Muslim Community in the<br />

2017 Pilgrimage to Mecca.<br />

He stated that the gesture is<br />

uniBank’s way of showing its<br />

gratitude and celebrating the<br />

spirit of togetherness.<br />

The National Chief Imam,<br />

Sheikh Dr Osmanu Nuhu<br />

Sharubutu, through his<br />

spokesperson, Alhaji Marzuq,<br />

thanked Management of uni-<br />

Bank for the support and prayed<br />

for the success of the bank.<br />

Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Chairman<br />

of the National Hajj Board, also<br />

expressed gratitude to management<br />

of the bank for their conspicuous<br />

care for the Muslim<br />

community.<br />

He said the Hajj Board had<br />

instituted measures to ensure<br />

that pilgrims are taken good care<br />

of both at home and abroad.<br />

The short ceremony in Accra<br />

was graced by Samira Bawumia,<br />

the Second Lady of the Republic<br />

of Ghana.<br />

She applauded uniBank’s efforts<br />

and urged pilgrims to accept<br />

and cooperate with the new<br />

Hajj Board to ensure their safety.<br />

Continue on page 6 for more<br />

pictures.


Quake Edition FEB 92.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/17 9:38 PM Page 3<br />

• Community centres were inundated with donations<br />

from across London and the UK<br />

US conducts 'precision airstrikes' in Somalia under expanded authority<br />

THE PENTAGON said it conducted<br />

an air strike against the Al-<br />

Shabaab group in Somalia early<br />

Sunday morning.<br />

"The US conducted this operation<br />

in coordination with its regional<br />

partners as a direct response<br />

to Al-Shabaab actions, including<br />

recent attacks on Somali forces,"<br />

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana<br />

White said in a statement. "This<br />

strike was conducted with the authorities<br />

approved by (President<br />

Donald Trump) in March 2017,<br />

which allows the US Department<br />

of Defense to conduct legal action<br />

against Al-Shabaab within a geographically<br />

defined area of active<br />

hostilities in support of partner<br />

force in Somalia."<br />

The new authority approved<br />

Trump, gave more power to the<br />

United States Africa Command<br />

(AFRICOM) to carry out "precision<br />

airstrikes" in support of<br />

African Union and Somali troops<br />

fighting Al-Shabaab in Somalia. It<br />

is legally based in the 2001 authorization<br />

for use of military force<br />

against al Qaeda. Al-Shabaab is<br />

considered to be an affiliate of al<br />

Qaeda.<br />

Somali President Mohamed<br />

Abdullahi Farmajo hailed the mission<br />

as a success. CNN<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

World news in 4 stories<br />

•• An Ismail emotional Abedi was Adele detained was seen in Chorlton, hugging some Southof those<br />

Manchester; his father, caught Ramadan, up in the was fireheld in Tripoli<br />

London fire: Prime minister<br />

orders full public inquiry<br />

PRIME MINISTER<br />

Theresa May has ordered<br />

a full public inquiry<br />

into the fire that<br />

engulfed a west London<br />

block of flats,<br />

killing at least 17 people.<br />

That figure is expected to rise,<br />

as fire chiefs have said they do<br />

not expect to find any more survivors<br />

in the burnt-out Grenfell<br />

Tower, in north Kensington.<br />

More than 30 people remain<br />

in hospital - 17 of whom are in a<br />

critical condition.<br />

Prime Minister Theresa May<br />

made a brief private visit to the<br />

scene on Thursday, as questions<br />

were being asked about the speed<br />

at which the fire spread.<br />

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn,<br />

also visited the site, telling community<br />

leaders "the truth has to<br />

come out".<br />

Firefighters were called to the<br />

24-storey residential tower in the<br />

early hours of Wednesday, at a<br />

time when hundreds of people<br />

were inside, most of them sleeping.<br />

Many were woken by neighbours,<br />

or shouts from below, and<br />

fled the building.<br />

Fire crews rescued 65 adults<br />

and children, but some stayed in<br />

their homes, trapped by smoke<br />

and flames.<br />

On Thursday morning, London<br />

Fire Commissioner Dany<br />

Cotton said her crews had identified<br />

a "number of people, but we<br />

know there will be more".<br />

Asked how many were still<br />

missing, Met Police Commander<br />

Stuart Cundy said it would be<br />

"wrong and incredibly distressing"<br />

to give a number.<br />

"I know one person was reported<br />

46 times to the casualty<br />

bureau," he said.<br />

A brief search of all floors in<br />

the tower had been carried out,<br />

but the severity of the fire and<br />

amount of debris meant a thorough<br />

search would be "difficult<br />

and painstaking", Commander<br />

Cotton said. BBC<br />

Protests in northern<br />

Morocco swell with calls<br />

for royal intervention<br />

UNDER THE banner of the<br />

People's Movement, Moroccans<br />

have just staged the country's<br />

biggest political protest since the<br />

"Arab Spring" and some now say<br />

that only intervention by their<br />

king can defuse a deepening crisis.<br />

For months, demonstrators<br />

have taken to the streets in Rif region<br />

around the northern city of<br />

Al-Hoceima to vent their frustrations<br />

over the economic, social<br />

and political problems of a kingdom<br />

that presents itself as a beacon<br />

of stability in a turbulent<br />

region.<br />

Authorities have responded by<br />

arresting as many as 100 leaders<br />

and members of the movement,<br />

called Hirak al Chaabi in Arabic,<br />

since the end of May.<br />

Undaunted, tens of thousands<br />

marched through Rabat on Sunday,<br />

the greatest number to join a<br />

demonstration since a wave of<br />

rallies in 2011 forced King Mohamed<br />

VI to allow some democratic<br />

reforms.<br />

In a country where political<br />

protests are rare and the royal<br />

palace remains the ultimate<br />

power, the demonstrators have directed<br />

their anger at the government<br />

and the king's entourage<br />

rather than the monarch himself.<br />

Some, however, believe he must<br />

act rapidly.<br />

"With one phone call, all of<br />

this can be resolved," Zefzafi told<br />

Reuters at his family home, just<br />

days after a police raid broke<br />

down their front door. Reuters<br />

• Morocco's King Mohammed VI (R) welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron (L)<br />

and his wife Brigitte Macron before attending an Iftar meal, the evening meal when<br />

Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset<br />

Trump-Russia inquiry: President 'probed for obstruction of justice’<br />

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump is<br />

being investigated by special counsel<br />

Robert Mueller for possible obstruction<br />

of justice, US media reports say.<br />

They say senior intelligence officials<br />

will be interviewed on whether<br />

Mr Trump tried to end an inquiry<br />

into his sacked national security adviser,<br />

and about the firing of FBI<br />

chief James Comey.<br />

Mr Trump tweeted that the move<br />

was the latest action in a "phony<br />

story".<br />

Mr Mueller is leading an FBI inquiry<br />

into Russian meddling in the<br />

election.<br />

• Robert Mueller is overseeing the investigation into Russia's alleged<br />

meddling and any Trump links<br />

President Trump has repeatedly<br />

denied any collusion with Russia, describing<br />

the ongoing inquiry as a<br />

"witch hunt".<br />

The latest development was first<br />

carried in the Washington Post. Later<br />

the New York Times and Wall St<br />

Journal reported the story, citing their<br />

own sources.<br />

The Washington Post says the decision<br />

by Mr Mueller to investigate<br />

President Trump's own conduct is a<br />

major turning point in the investigation,<br />

which until recently focused on<br />

the Russian angle.Russian President<br />

Vladimir Putin has joked about Mr<br />

Comey's testimony, saying the fact<br />

that he had admitted leaking details of<br />

his conversations with President<br />

Trump to the media put him in the<br />

same category as US whistleblower<br />

Edward Snowden, who was granted<br />

asylum in Russia.<br />

"What's the difference between<br />

the FBI head and Mr Snowden then?"<br />

Mr Putin asked during a live phone-in<br />

with the Russian public in Moscow,<br />

adding, "By the way, if he is persecuted<br />

in this respect, we will be ready<br />

to give him political asylum in Russia<br />

too." BBC


WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

All witch camps should be demolished<br />

THE BRUTAL murder of a 78-<br />

year-old woman at the Pelungu<br />

Market in the Upper East Region<br />

on Monday, May 29, 2017 by some<br />

residents who accused her of<br />

being a witch has reignited the call<br />

on the government to shut down<br />

all witch camps in the country.<br />

The 78-year-old woman was<br />

lynched dastardly because she was<br />

believed to be responsible for the<br />

economic woes of the residents.<br />

The police have so far apprehended<br />

63 suspects alleged to have<br />

taken part in the lynching of the<br />

woman.<br />

The recent attack on the woman<br />

is one of many such senseless attacks<br />

on innocent women who<br />

have been tagged witches without<br />

any shred of evidence.<br />

The supposed witches, in some<br />

cases, are ex-communicated in<br />

their communities, camped and vilified<br />

until they are eventually killed.<br />

Due to lack of common sense,<br />

some residents in communities<br />

where such witch camps abound<br />

regard old women as witches and<br />

blame them for their laziness and<br />

meaningless future.<br />

This uneducated mentality has<br />

led to the deaths of many innocent<br />

helpless grannies who should be<br />

reaping the fruits of their labour in<br />

old age. This should not be allowed<br />

to continue. The government<br />

has to intervene and sanitise<br />

the system.<br />

Closure of all witch camps, in<br />

the view of the DAILY HER-<br />

ITAGE, will go a long way to<br />

erase that baseless tag on innocent<br />

women.<br />

We think the government<br />

should draft a resettlement plan<br />

and create a peaceful home for our<br />

revered grannies.<br />

All who have been arrested in<br />

connection with the lynching of<br />

people suspected to be witches<br />

should be made to face the full<br />

rigours of the law to deter others<br />

from repeating the same uninformed<br />

act.<br />

Bouygues Construction<br />

marks World Safety Day<br />

NEWS DESK REPORT<br />

BOUYGUES<br />

CONSTRUC-<br />

TION Ghana<br />

Limited, as part of<br />

its World Safety<br />

Day celebrations,<br />

has held a safety day demonstration<br />

workshop at the company’s<br />

main office in Labone,<br />

Accra.<br />

Speaking to Bouygues staff,<br />

sub-contractors, suppliers, partners<br />

and clients present at the<br />

opening of the workshop, the<br />

Managing Director of<br />

Bouygues Ghana, Jerome<br />

Mulot, stated that as a world<br />

leading construction company,<br />

Bouygues is determined to remain a<br />

leader in safety at construction sites and<br />

reach the target of “zero” accidents.<br />

He indicated that Bouygues had over<br />

55,000 employees, based in more than<br />

80 countries across five continents but<br />

for the significance of marking the day<br />

of safety at construction sites and especially<br />

what it means to Bouygues, all the<br />

workers stopped construction activities<br />

to focus on safety as the day connotes.<br />

“What a strong signal, it is just phenomenal:<br />

55,000 people who are dropping<br />

their tools to focus on what must<br />

be our priority, safety,” Mr Mulot stated.<br />

•Workers of Bouygues<br />

Construction Ghana<br />

Limited<br />

He indicated further that the only way<br />

they measure the success of a project<br />

done by Bouygues is to ensure the client<br />

was satisfied, that it met the deadline for<br />

handover and achieved expected profit,<br />

but above all Bouygues is particular and<br />

concerned about safety “and it’s key because<br />

there’s no pride to<br />

be found in delivering a<br />

project ahead of schedule<br />

if there has been accidents<br />

when, in fact, it’s<br />

better to be late than<br />

sorry.”<br />

Again, Mr Jerome admonished<br />

that it was the<br />

duty and obligation of<br />

all to put safety as number<br />

one priority…“the<br />

first consideration of<br />

any decision we take<br />

must be the safety and<br />

well-being of our people<br />

and our partners such<br />

that everybody is able to<br />

go home safely everyday<br />

to their families and<br />

loved ones.<br />

“Safety must not be considered as a<br />

burden. It should rather be considered<br />

as a way to protect life in a collective<br />

meaningful way so that in the end your<br />

life and your colleague’s life is protected,”<br />

he added.


Quake Edition FEB 92.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/17 9:38 PM Page 5<br />

06<br />

DAILY<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

News<br />

HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

uniBank supports muslim community<br />

Mrs Samira Bawumia, the<br />

Second Lady<br />

• Clifford Duke Mettle, Director, Marketing and Altenate Channels<br />

• A group photograph after the donation<br />

• Some of the items donated<br />

• Clifford Duke Mettle, Director, Marketing and Altenate Channels<br />

'James Barnor Homecoming<br />

Exhibition' slated for <strong>June</strong> 23<br />

THE HERITAGE<br />

and Cultural Society<br />

of Africa (HACSA)<br />

will host a reception<br />

and African heritage-themed<br />

dinner<br />

on Friday <strong>June</strong> 23 to highlight the<br />

imminent closing down of ‘the<br />

James Barnor Homecoming Exhibition'<br />

on <strong>June</strong> 30, 2017.<br />

This pioneering exhibition was<br />

launched as part of HACSA's celebrations<br />

of the 60th Anniversary<br />

of Ghana's Independence. It depicts<br />

the remarkable life of<br />

Ghana's first President, Dr<br />

Kwame Nkrumah and social life<br />

in 1950s and 60s Ghana and London<br />

amongst the African Diaspora.<br />

The photographic exhibition<br />

has been running since March 6,<br />

2017 at the Mövenpick<br />

Emporium where it was jointly<br />

opened by HACSA's Founder and<br />

President, Ambassador<br />

Johanna Odonkor Svanikier<br />

and Lord Paul Boateng of Akyem<br />

and Wembley of the United Kingdom<br />

(UK) House of Lords who is<br />

• L-R: Photographer Mr James Barnor, Ambassador Johanna Odonkor Svanikier<br />

founder and President of HACSA and Lord Paul Boateng of Akyem and Wembley at<br />

the Launch of the 'James Barnor Homecoming Exhibition’<br />

a member of the Ghanaian Diaspora<br />

in the UK, Mr James Barnor.<br />

Nkrumah's official photographer,<br />

who celebrated his 88th<br />

birthday this month, flew down<br />

from the UK where he lives, to attend<br />

the launch of the Exhibition<br />

and the African Diaspora Homecoming<br />

Conference organised by<br />

HACSA, to mark Ghana's 60th<br />

Anniversary.<br />

Also in attendance was the<br />

actor Hugh Quarshie of 'Star<br />

Wars' fame and Mrs Lisa Mensah<br />

former Under Secretary of State<br />

for Rural Development for President<br />

Barack Obama.<br />

HACSA is developing an initiative<br />

entitled - 'Closing the Circle'<br />

aimed at connecting Africans in<br />

the Diaspora with Africa.<br />

Apart from using photography<br />

to retell transition stories of<br />

Ghanaians and Africans in the diaspora,<br />

Ambassador Svanikier has<br />

indicated that the exhibition's further<br />

purpose is to bring attention<br />

to the critical need for funding the<br />

preservation and archiving of national<br />

heritage and cultural materials.<br />

HACSA seeks to raise funds<br />

from both the public and private<br />

sector and individuals to assist in<br />

digitising, archiving and exhibiting<br />

the work of photographers and<br />

filmmakers in Ghana and the diaspora.<br />

The African heritage-themed<br />

fund-raising event at the Mövenpick<br />

Emporium made possible<br />

with sponsorship from Fidelity<br />

Bank Ghana Limited, will feature<br />

a talk by the award-winning writer<br />

lvor Agyeman-Duah on the prepublication<br />

of 'Death of an Empire<br />

- Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana<br />

and Africa' a 250-page book published<br />

by the Africa World Press in<br />

the United States and locally by<br />

Digibooks in Ghana.<br />

The book, edited with an introduction<br />

by Agyeman-Duah and<br />

written by his uncle, the last of<br />

Nkrumah's cabinet ministers, KSP<br />

Jantuah is slated to be launched on<br />

Nkrumah's birthday on September<br />

21 by HACSA and other partner<br />

organisations.<br />

Musical entertainment for this<br />

special evening of African <strong>Heritage</strong><br />

and Culture will be provided<br />

by M.anifest, the internationally<br />

acclaimed, award-winning musician.<br />

Earlier in the day there will be<br />

an interactive exhibition and sale<br />

of heritage and cultural products<br />

at the same venue open to the<br />

public to help fund the exhibition.<br />

Tickets for the African heritage-themed,<br />

charity fundraising<br />

event are GH¢ 100.00<br />

or $25 and can be purchased<br />

from Unit 1, HACSA Exhibition<br />

Office, Mövenpick Emporium.<br />

The HACSA 'James Barnor<br />

Homecoming Exhibition' runs<br />

every day until the 30th of<br />

<strong>June</strong> at the Mövenpick Emporium<br />

from 9am to 6pm. It is free<br />

to the public.


Quake Edition FEB 92.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/17 9:38 PM Page 6<br />

Facts<br />

about the<br />

effect of<br />

drugs<br />

Undermines democratic governance<br />

The power and influence of drug<br />

cartels severely weakens states. The culture<br />

of fear and corruption can make it<br />

almost impossible for citizens to exercise<br />

democratic influence, access their rights,<br />

and hold officials to account for essential<br />

public services such as health and education.<br />

Diverts attention and resources<br />

from essential services<br />

Many governments in poor countries<br />

are engaged in constant civil war with the<br />

drug cartels. It is a war they are illequipped<br />

to win, with the cartels often<br />

having access to far greater financial resources.<br />

The costs of waging this war,<br />

both financial and in terms of dominating<br />

the political agenda, again leave little<br />

for public services such as health care.<br />

Wastes global finance<br />

The worldwide cost of waging the<br />

War on Drugs is estimated at $100 billion<br />

a year. This is approaching the same<br />

amount as the global aid budget (currently<br />

$130 billion).<br />

Blocks access to essential medicines<br />

Five billion people live in countries<br />

with limited or no access to opioid pain<br />

medications like morphine, and in most<br />

of those countries, overly stringent regulations<br />

on legal medications, spurred by<br />

fears that they could find their way to the<br />

illicit market, play a major role in depriving<br />

people of the pain relief they need.<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

&Env.<br />

About <strong>16</strong>0, 624 units of blood<br />

collected nationwide in 20<strong>16</strong><br />

BY ELSIE APPIAH-OSEI &<br />

JONAS DANQUAH<br />

THE CHIEF Executive<br />

Officer of the<br />

National Blood<br />

Service, Ghana, Dr<br />

Justina Kordai<br />

Ansah, has said that in 20<strong>16</strong>, a<br />

total of <strong>16</strong>0, 624 units of blood<br />

was collected nationwide.<br />

However, out of the number,<br />

only 36.2% (3.6 out of 10) of the<br />

donations were from Voluntary<br />

Unpaid Blood Donor source<br />

(VUBDs).<br />

“Of these VUBDs, only a third<br />

were regular donors, whereas regular<br />

voluntary blood donation is the<br />

only foundation for a sustainable<br />

supply of adequate and safe blood<br />

and blood products.<br />

“The rest of the 63.8% (6.4 out<br />

of 10) was from family replacement<br />

donors which is well known<br />

to be often a hidden-paid system<br />

that compromises the adequacy<br />

and safety of the national blood<br />

supplies of any country that depends<br />

mainly on the system,” Mrs<br />

Ansah said on Wednesday when<br />

Ghana joined the rest of the<br />

World to mark this year’s World<br />

Blood Donor Day in Accra.<br />

Bemoaning the the fact that<br />

only 6% out of 1,000 people in<br />

any community donated blood in<br />

20<strong>16</strong>, Mrs Ansah said it was woefully<br />

inadequate for a middle income<br />

country like Ghana.<br />

“This situation severely compromises<br />

safety and adequacy of<br />

blood and blood components for<br />

both medical and surgical care in<br />

our health facilities which will definitely<br />

be worsened during disasters<br />

requiring transfusions,” she<br />

said<br />

She noted that for adequate<br />

supply of blood during emergencies<br />

to be effective in the country,<br />

there was the need for a well-organised<br />

blood service, and a blood<br />

donor population, committed to<br />

voluntary unpaid blood donation<br />

in the country.<br />

“We can move away from this<br />

rather worrying situation, if one<br />

per cent of Ghana’s population<br />

commits to donating blood regularly,”<br />

Mrs Ansah said.<br />

Speaking on the theme ‘Blood<br />

Donation in Emergencies,’ Madam<br />

Tina Mensah, the Deputy Minister<br />

of Health, pledged the ministry’s<br />

commitment to support the National<br />

Blood Service Ghana<br />

(NBSG) by passing necessary legislation<br />

to back the agency’s status.<br />

This, she said, would enable the<br />

• Ghana needs more volunteers to donate blood to save lives<br />

institution to perform its mandate<br />

efficiently and effectively.<br />

“We are aware of the fact that<br />

the legislation gives hands on feet<br />

to policy for full implementation”<br />

she said.<br />

The Deputy Minister said her<br />

outfit would support the NBSG<br />

with the needed technical assistance<br />

required for the development<br />

of a comprehensive disaster<br />

management plan that would enable<br />

it to prepare adequately for all<br />

emergencies.<br />

She called on the media, civil<br />

society groups, non-governmental<br />

“The rest of the 63.8% (6.4 out of 10) was<br />

from family replacement donors which is well<br />

known to be often a hidden-paid system that<br />

compromises the adequacy and safety of the<br />

national blood supplies of any country that depends<br />

mainly on the system,” Mrs Ansah said<br />

on Wednesday when Ghana joined the rest of<br />

the World to mark this year’s World Blood<br />

Donor Day in Accra.<br />

organizations and other partners<br />

to be actively involved in the campaign<br />

for the voluntary blood donation<br />

exercises.<br />

She urged all persons to donate<br />

a unit of blood at least twice in a<br />

year in order to save many lives.<br />

Dr Owen Kaluwa, WHO<br />

Country representative, said the<br />

objective of this year’s World<br />

Donor Day was to encourage people<br />

to strengthen the emergency<br />

preparedness of health services by<br />

donating blood.<br />

He said this year’s programme<br />

also aimed at promoting the inclusion<br />

of blood transfusion services<br />

in national emergency preparedness<br />

and response activeness.<br />

He noted that this year’s programme<br />

was to build public awareness<br />

of the need for committed,<br />

year-round blood donation in<br />

order to maintain adequate supplies.<br />

Dr Kaluwa said the theme for<br />

this year’s World Donor Day was<br />

very significant to Africa as the region<br />

is most affected by crises and<br />

outbreaks.<br />

He said emergencies such as<br />

the Ebola virus outbreak and other<br />

disasters increase the demand for<br />

blood transfusion and make its delivery<br />

challenging.<br />

“The serious humanitarian<br />

crises facing Africa in recent<br />

decades have revealed inadequacies<br />

of national health systems in most<br />

countries to manage health emergencies,<br />

including the timely availability,<br />

security and the accessibility<br />

of blood,” he said.<br />

However, he said significant<br />

progress had been chalked up in<br />

improving the availability and<br />

safety of blood in Africa according<br />

to last year’s status report.<br />

Dr Kaluwa said last year’s status<br />

report showed an increase in<br />

blood donations in Africa from 3.9<br />

million units in 2013 to 4.5 units in<br />

20<strong>16</strong>.<br />

Despite this progress, Dr<br />

Kaluwa noted that there were still<br />

major gaps in some sub-regions<br />

that included policy implementation<br />

rate, coordination of blood<br />

services and legislation.<br />

He said the region was falling<br />

short of meeting its blood needs<br />

and advised that there were a lot to<br />

be done to meet these demands.<br />

He expressed his support to<br />

blood donor associations and<br />

other non-governmental organisations<br />

who were working to make<br />

safe blood available in healthcare<br />

facilities.<br />

As part of activities marking<br />

this year’s World Blood Donor<br />

Day, two new voluntary blood donation<br />

ambassadors were unveiled<br />

with citations given to schools,<br />

churches and other institutions for<br />

their immense contributions in the<br />

sector over the years.<br />

There was a blood donation exercise<br />

to mark the day.<br />

World Blood Donor Day is<br />

held every <strong>June</strong> 14 to acknowledge<br />

and thank anonymous voluntary<br />

unpaid heroes who donate their<br />

blood so that people who are in<br />

danger can survive.<br />

This year’s celebration has the<br />

theme: ‘What can you Do? Give<br />

Blood Now. Give Often.’


Quake Edition FEB 92.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/17 9:38 PM Page 7<br />

15TH<br />

JUNE 2017<br />

THURSDAY<br />

CURRENCY PARIS CODE BUYING SELLING<br />

US Dollar USDGHS 4.3373 4.3417<br />

RATES Pound Sterling GBPGHS<br />

5.5322<br />

5.5391<br />

Euro<br />

GBPGHS<br />

4.8384<br />

4.8432<br />

10<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017 WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

GH¢50m fraud: Publish YEA report<br />

• Minority to YEA management<br />

THE MINORITY in<br />

Parliament has challenged<br />

management<br />

of the Youth Employment<br />

Agency<br />

(YEA) to publish the<br />

report alleging fraud in the scheme.<br />

The YEA had earlier confirmed<br />

that it had deleted <strong>16</strong>,839 names<br />

from its payroll.<br />

The Agency said it took the decision<br />

after its internal audit<br />

showed that thousands of beneficiaries<br />

of YEA were being fraudulently<br />

paid.<br />

The agency stated that the rot<br />

amounted to over GH¢50 million.<br />

According to the Acting Chief<br />

Executive of the YEA, Justine<br />

Kodua Frimpong, it initiated investigations<br />

into the payroll of YEA<br />

after it noticed some discrepancies<br />

in the report handed to it by the<br />

managers under the previous administration.<br />

But in a press briefing addressed<br />

on Thursday by the minority<br />

spokesperson on Youth, Sports<br />

and Culture, Kobla Woyome, the<br />

minority accused the government<br />

of witch hunting, vilification and<br />

intimidation.<br />

According to them, the computerized<br />

system put in place by<br />

the previous management cannot<br />

be manipulated for fraudulent activities,<br />

hence the allegation by the<br />

new management that the fraud<br />

occurred under the erstwhile government<br />

is questionable.<br />

The minority added that for the<br />

avoidance of doubt each of the<br />

beneficiaries of YEA is biometrically<br />

registered, which makes it<br />

easy to identify them.<br />

“We are challenging the leadership<br />

to produce the names, E-<br />

zwich numbers, modules, youth<br />

employment numbers, regions and<br />

districts for the said ghost names<br />

for the public to check if beneficiaries<br />

cannot be traced to the four<br />

cycles of the YEA.<br />

The minority are further challenging<br />

management to publish the<br />

said audit report of the internal<br />

audit agency it keeps referring to,<br />

together with the written responses<br />

of staff members who were cited<br />

or implicated in the report.<br />

“We are challenging<br />

the leadership to<br />

produce the names,<br />

E-zwich numbers,<br />

modules, youth employment<br />

numbers,<br />

regions and districts<br />

for the said ghost<br />

names for the public<br />

to check if beneficiaries<br />

cannot be<br />

traced to the four<br />

cycles of the YEA.”<br />

Vodafone’s Instant Schools to provide free education<br />

VODAFONE HAS announced<br />

that estimated five million children<br />

are expected to benefit from<br />

Vodafone’s ‘Instant Schools’ project,<br />

an online educational platform<br />

which addresses the perennial<br />

problem of inadequate teaching<br />

materials, textbooks and other assessment<br />

information in many<br />

schools in Africa.<br />

Vodafone, through its Group<br />

Foundation, announced yesterday<br />

that the project, launched earlier<br />

this year, is currently active in five<br />

countries in the sub-region, including<br />

Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique<br />

and DR Congo, and is<br />

already making an impact.<br />

Andrew Dunnett, Vodafone<br />

Foundation Director, said: “From<br />

refugee camps to remote parts of<br />

Africa with few schools, connectivity<br />

gives children the opportunity<br />

for a better future. Instant<br />

Schools for Africa has the potential<br />

to transform the lives of millions<br />

of children excluded from<br />

education, giving them free access<br />

to the same materials used by children<br />

in developed markets to help<br />

them achieve their ambitions.”<br />

He added that developed in<br />

conjunction with Learning Equality,<br />

a not-for-profit provider of<br />

open-source education, Instant<br />

Schools offers global and local educational<br />

resources, including subjects<br />

such as Maths and Science,<br />

providing millions of children and<br />

young people with access to education<br />

materials, from primary<br />

through to advance high school<br />

level at no charge to Vodafone<br />

users.<br />

Mr Dunnett explained that sub-<br />

Saharan Africa has the lowest rate<br />

of primary school enrolment globally,<br />

with 34 million of the 57 million<br />

out-of-school primary age<br />

children living in the region.<br />

•Vodafone staff supervising some pupils on the online educational platform<br />

“Cultural norms and remote<br />

communities have resulted in outof-school<br />

rates for primary and<br />

secondary school being significantly<br />

higher for girls in sub-Saharan<br />

Africa. According to UN-<br />

ESCO UIS, 15 million girls of<br />

primary school age will never get<br />

the chance to learn to read or<br />

write in primary school compared<br />

with 10 million boys.<br />

Nine million of these girls live<br />

in sub-Saharan Africa. In this<br />

region, the under-five mortality<br />

rate is nearly twice as high<br />

for mothers with no education<br />

as for those who have<br />

completed secondary school,”<br />

he pointed out.<br />

The announcement comes<br />

as the Vodafone Foundation<br />

has published its Connected<br />

Education report, which<br />

found that the online educational<br />

resources made available<br />

through the Instant<br />

Schools For Africa programme<br />

could benefit more<br />

than 50 million children<br />

across Africa, India and Egypt by<br />

2025, as the Vodafone Foundation<br />

increases its focus on these activities.


Quake Edition FEB 92.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/17 9:38 PM Page 8<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017 11<br />

NEWS<br />

Do the difficult things while they are easy<br />

and do the great things while they are small.<br />

A journey of a thousand miles must begin<br />

with a single step — Lao Tzu<br />

Seek God before marriage<br />

• Philanthropist to Ghanaians<br />

BY MAVIS PAINTSIL<br />

MRS PATIENCE<br />

Tenkorang, a<br />

philanthropist in<br />

Takoradi in the<br />

Western Region,<br />

has urged<br />

Ghanaians to ask God for His direction<br />

for their lives before they<br />

enter into marriage.<br />

Speaking in an interview with<br />

the DAILY HERITAGE from<br />

her base in Takoradi through the<br />

telephone, Mrs Tenkorang said if<br />

the Lord leads them into marriage<br />

there is no way there would be divorce<br />

or cracks in the marriage.<br />

According to her, separation in<br />

marriage has led to children turning<br />

out to be vagabonds who become<br />

burden to society.<br />

She said it is society that suffers<br />

most when these children turn out<br />

to be criminals.<br />

Mrs Tenkorang made this statement<br />

when she paid a visit to a<br />

homeless 17-year-old pregnant girl<br />

who also has a one-year-old toddler<br />

and sleeps on the street of<br />

•The one-year-old todler sleeps on the street<br />

Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange<br />

in Accra.<br />

Mrs Tenkorang, who has taken<br />

it upon herself to support the<br />

needy in the country as part of<br />

her contribution to the development<br />

of the nation, gives widows<br />

GH¢ 400.00 to GH¢ 500.00 as<br />

start-up capital to start any business<br />

of their choice.<br />

“I feel very sad when I see potential<br />

and prominent children<br />

who have resorted to becoming<br />

street children begging for alms<br />

before they get something to eat,”<br />

she said.<br />

“When women are moved<br />

from extreme poverty to incomegenerating<br />

activities; it will help<br />

decrease population growth,” she<br />

stated.<br />

She advised individuals not to<br />

discriminate against poor people<br />

in society but extend a helping<br />

hand to them.<br />

In an interview with the<br />

DAILY HERITAGE, she said,<br />

she had assisted 300 needy people<br />

comprising widows and orphans<br />

across the country.<br />

She said she had also paid for<br />

the school fees of 20 orphans<br />

with some of them currently in<br />

apprenticeship.<br />

She said it was the responsibility<br />

of Christians to assist people in<br />

distress. According to her, she<br />

started helping vulnerable people<br />

years ago and is yet to open a centre<br />

and start operation in Accra.<br />

“When people are empowered<br />

they are better prepared to take<br />

advantage of opportunities and<br />

become agents of change,” she<br />

said.<br />

In an interview with the<br />

DAILY HERITAGE, Mrs<br />

Tenkorang said when Ghanaians<br />

start to take care of the poor they<br />

would be blessed.<br />

Appeal<br />

Mrs Tenkorang appealed to<br />

public spirited-individuals and organisations<br />

to assist her with<br />

school bags, textbooks, school<br />

uniforms, mattresses, footwear,<br />

pencils, erasers, old chairs and educational<br />

materials, as well as<br />

money to meet their educational<br />

needs.<br />

Savelegu: Gunshots as youth clash with police; three injured<br />

BY KOBINA WELSING<br />

THREE PEOPLE were severely<br />

injured after the youth of Savelegu<br />

in the Northern Region violently<br />

locked up the Assembly Office in<br />

the area.<br />

Starr News’ Northern regional<br />

correspondent, Eliasu Tanko said<br />

several gunshots were fired by the<br />

Police to disperse the irate youth<br />

who were bent on preventing the<br />

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE),<br />

Hajia Aishetu Seidu from starting<br />

work.<br />

A police officer, who refused to<br />

come out from the building, was<br />

locked up inside the Assembly Office<br />

until police and a military reinforcement<br />

arrived.<br />

The angry youth, however, say<br />

they are ready to do everything<br />

possible including dying to ensure<br />

that the MCE is changed by President<br />

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-<br />

Addo.<br />

The action of the angry youth<br />

comes after soldiers on Wednesday<br />

•The scene after the Assembly office was locked<br />

escorted and inducted the MCE<br />

into office.<br />

It was her first time in office<br />

two months after her overwhelming<br />

endorsement. She was blocked<br />

by the youth from gaining access<br />

after they intensified protest for a<br />

replacement.<br />

Hajia Seidu officially took over<br />

from the municipal coordinating<br />

director on Wednesday, <strong>June</strong> 14 at<br />

a short ceremony under heightened<br />

security.<br />

The Regional Security Council<br />

on Wednesday, in a show of force<br />

sanctioned the deployment of<br />

dozens of anti-gear wearing soldiers<br />

to force the MCE into her<br />

office to fully assume duty as head<br />

of the municipal assembly.<br />

The action of the council followed<br />

a third demonstration staged<br />

by the youth against the MCE after<br />

two initial protests failed to intimidate<br />

assembly members to reject<br />

her.<br />

However, the move enraged the<br />

protesters who resolved to besiege<br />

and lock up the office despite the<br />

presence of the combative military<br />

force.<br />

Speaking to Starr News, leader<br />

of the youth, Zakaria Karim said<br />

after the late night meeting they<br />

agreed to drive out all workers<br />

from the facility at 8 am yesterday<br />

morning and close it down until<br />

the President heeds to their request.<br />

The action by the youth has<br />

raised security concerns in the region.<br />

Political tensions have escalated<br />

in the municipality since the appointment<br />

of Hajia Seidu.<br />

The youth have roundly rejected<br />

her and held series of rampaging<br />

protests despite an<br />

unprecedented approval by the assembly<br />

members.


Quake Edition FEB 92.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/17 9:38 PM Page 9<br />

12<br />

DAILY<br />

News<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

Help me retrieve looted state<br />

cash – Auditor-General<br />

BY MOHAMMED AWAL<br />

THE AUDITOR-<br />

GENERAL (AG),<br />

Daniel Domelevo<br />

has called for the<br />

backing of Ghanaians<br />

as he prepares<br />

to recover every penny siphoned<br />

from state coffers.<br />

His appeal came barely 24<br />

hours after a seven-member panel<br />

of the Supreme Court ruled on<br />

Wednesday ordering him to immediately<br />

initiate process of surcharging<br />

any person found to have<br />

misappropriated state funds.<br />

Also, the panel headed by<br />

Ghana’s Chief Justice, Justice<br />

Sophia Akuffo directed that where<br />

applicable, criminal action should<br />

be instituted against the accused<br />

persons by the country’s Attorney<br />

General.<br />

Declaring his readiness to recoup<br />

the monies looted from the<br />

state yesterday on Morning Starr,<br />

which pressure group, Occupy<br />

• Daniel Domelevo, the Auditor-General<br />

Ghana said is well over GH¢ 40<br />

billion, Mr Domelevo appealed to<br />

all and sundry to come on board.<br />

According to him, the task<br />

ahead is an arduous one and that<br />

he is oblivious of the amount of<br />

evidence that will be required “before<br />

we can do the surcharge.”<br />

“So let me say that I am happy<br />

you say Occupy Ghana has a figure<br />

which I know of. It is not just Auditor<br />

General, it a collective responsibility.<br />

I’ll appeal to Occupy<br />

Ghana and all Ghanaians to let us<br />

do this together,” he pleaded.<br />

He continued “if you have any<br />

evidence to support it, because<br />

what is written in the audit report<br />

you may have to go back to the<br />

first document and establish that…<br />

this is the evidence because people<br />

will challenge our disallowance and<br />

surcharge and that will go to court.<br />

“If we go to court we must<br />

provide the evidence. So I’ll appeal<br />

to Occupy Ghana and Ghanaians<br />

that it is a collective responsibility<br />

to protect the public funds which is<br />

in the interest of all of us.”<br />

We’re coming<br />

for our cash<br />

He said with the backing of the<br />

Ghanaian populace nothing will<br />

discourage him from executing the<br />

Supreme Court’s order to the letter<br />

and that “wherever there is outright<br />

embezzlement of state funds,<br />

we will go for it.”<br />

This, he explained extends to<br />

private entities and individuals<br />

found to have siphoned the state’s<br />

coffers.<br />

The ruling, he said is resounding<br />

giving great clarity to the provisions<br />

of the constitution.<br />

Hitherto, there were two<br />

schools of thought; one school<br />

was of the view that as longs the<br />

Auditor General produces the annual<br />

report to Parliament and mentioned<br />

in there infractions and<br />

irregularities in financial management<br />

that was enough…which is<br />

the old school.”<br />

“However, there is another<br />

school of thought which I belong<br />

to which is of the view that the<br />

constitution is very clear that in the<br />

course of the audit, if you come<br />

across any expenditure which is<br />

contrary to law it must be disallowed<br />

and whoever is responsible<br />

to be held accountable.”<br />

The Supreme Court ruling was<br />

necessitated by an action instituted<br />

against the Attorney General and<br />

Auditor General by pressure group<br />

Occupy Ghana for refusing to surcharge<br />

persons who are said to<br />

have misappropriated monies belonging<br />

to the state to the tune of<br />

over GH¢ 40 billion.<br />

3 months Jail term for false fire Alarmists<br />

BY EDWARD ADETI<br />

JUST ONE wrong move of deliberately<br />

calling the attention of firemen<br />

to a false fire outbreak anywhere in<br />

Ghana will earn you a minimum of<br />

one-month jail term or a maximum of<br />

three-months if caught, government<br />

has announced.<br />

The notice, contained in the latest<br />

Local Governance Act 936, 20<strong>16</strong>, was<br />

made public this week when the<br />

Upper East Regional Coordinating<br />

Council called stakeholders together<br />

at Bolgatanga, the regional capital, to<br />

sensitise them on some new developments<br />

inside the local governance law<br />

book.<br />

“A person who knowingly or without<br />

lawful authority gives or causes to<br />

be given a false alarm of fire commits<br />

an offence and is liable on summary<br />

conviction to a fine of not less than<br />

one hundred and twenty-five penalty<br />

units and not more than one hundred<br />

fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment<br />

of not less than one<br />

month and not more than three<br />

months or to both the fine and term<br />

of imprisonment,” the Act states.<br />

Among the participants were municipal<br />

and district coordinating directors,<br />

presiding members, senior staff<br />

at the coordinating council and representatives<br />

of civil society organisations<br />

in the region.<br />

False fire callers too many in<br />

Upper East<br />

Checks done the Upper East Regional<br />

Headquarters of the Ghana<br />

National Fire Service (GNFS) immediately<br />

after the sensitisation programme<br />

revealed that the<br />

headquarters receives at least three<br />

anonymous false alarm calls every<br />

two-months.<br />

“We have a lot of contact lines to<br />

those false alarm callers. We’ve gone<br />

to the offices of the network service<br />

providers to track them but they<br />

asked us to pass through the police.<br />

The police also say they are also experiencing<br />

those things. They (the false<br />

alarm callers) call them that there is<br />

an armed robbery incident here or<br />

there; you go and there is nothing.<br />

Most of them call at midnight,” the<br />

Deputy Regional Commander, DOI<br />

Ebenezer Mensah, told Starr News.<br />

He stated further: “It has been so<br />

for a long time. It has serious effects<br />

on us. Even fuel alone. We fill the<br />

tank to our fire engine with fuel- and<br />

the tank in the ambulance, because always<br />

we go with ambulance in case of<br />

casualties. The most recent one was<br />

when we received a call that there was<br />

fire around the Timber Market (near<br />

Zuarungu). We combed everywhere<br />

that night for hours and it turned out<br />

that it was a false alarm.”<br />

Meanwhile, development watchers<br />

have remarked that the penalty cited<br />

in the new Act 936 is “not punitive<br />

enough” to discourage such deceitful<br />

calls.<br />

Participants held deliberations on<br />

the new Act<br />

• A cross section of the stakeholders at the programme<br />

New law exempts Private<br />

Cemeteries from Property Rate<br />

The omission of private cemeteries<br />

in the new Act with regard to the<br />

collection of property rate attracted a<br />

sharp attack from the Assistant Dean<br />

of Studies and Research at the Institute<br />

of Local Government Studies,<br />

Abdul-Moomen Salia, who facilitated<br />

the programme alongside the Upper<br />

East Regional Coordinating Director,<br />

Alhaji Abdulai Abubakar.<br />

“The law says schools, hospitals,<br />

cemeteries are exempted. For me, it<br />

raises an issue. Cemeteries in other<br />

areas are big businesses. We now have<br />

people operating private cemeteries.<br />

And the number of years the grave<br />

stays there depends on how much<br />

you are willing to pay.<br />

“These are private people, who<br />

are operating the cemetery business,<br />

making income. I think that we<br />

should look at that law. If we are talking<br />

about public cemetery, it’s agreed.<br />

If somebody is operating a private<br />

cemetery, you shouldn’t exempt that<br />

person whilst he or she is making<br />

profits,” Mr Salia strongly stated.<br />

Upper East Regional Coordinating<br />

Director, Alhaji Abdulai Abubakar,<br />

asked municipal and district coordinating<br />

directors to adopt the new Act<br />

as their ‘Holy Scriptures.’<br />

His position on the property tax<br />

was backed by former Upper East Regional<br />

Economic Planning Officer,<br />

Issaka Sagito, who said “private<br />

schools are now businesses and they<br />

make big money. “And I don’t think<br />

they even pay any income tax. If you<br />

start a private school in a room, in the<br />

next three years you would see a<br />

storey building financed by the Parent<br />

Teacher Association. All the buildings<br />

are all from parents but in the end<br />

they are the property of the owner of<br />

the school.”<br />

Whilst making a presentation on<br />

“Financial Matters of District Assemblies”,<br />

the Chief Internal Auditor at<br />

the coordinating council, Daniel<br />

Atompoya, observed that despite a<br />

significant rise in the number of private<br />

buildings put up in recent times<br />

across the region, the assemblies still<br />

looked bankrupt as they had failed to<br />

stand firm on their demand for the


13<br />

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

I’m ‘King’ of the<br />

East – Ennwai<br />

HIPLIFE<br />

ARTISTE and<br />

member of defunct<br />

group ‘Dobble’,<br />

Ennwai, has announced<br />

he has<br />

taken over the Eastern<br />

Region as the<br />

‘King’ of music.<br />

According to the<br />

versatile musician,<br />

who hails from Jejeti<br />

in the Eastern<br />

Region, declaring<br />

himself as the<br />

‘King’ means he is<br />

not going to disappoint<br />

the region.<br />

For him, it is<br />

also a huge challenge<br />

to live up to<br />

expectations.<br />

Ennwai told<br />

Starrfmonline.com<br />

•Ennwai<br />

that “I’m going to<br />

make sure I work<br />

hard to maintain<br />

this title as the<br />

‘King’ of music as<br />

far as the Eastern<br />

Region is concerned<br />

and I<br />

strongly believe<br />

that success is<br />

awaiting me and<br />

very soon Ghanaians<br />

will testify to<br />

that.”<br />

Ennwai’s recently<br />

released<br />

songs, which include<br />

‘Halle Halle’,<br />

‘Give Thanks’, and<br />

‘Jah Over Everything’<br />

are receiving<br />

massive airplay<br />

after his breakaway<br />

from ‘Dobble’.<br />

MULTIPLE<br />

AWARD-<br />

WIN-<br />

NING<br />

teen actor<br />

Abraham<br />

Attah and the Hero Film<br />

crew have donated a number<br />

of Toms shoes to underprivileged<br />

schoolchildren in the<br />

Northern Region.<br />

The donation was done<br />

on <strong>June</strong> 14, 2017.<br />

As part of the youngster's<br />

regional tour of the north,<br />

his foundation (Abraham<br />

Attah Foundation) partnered<br />

with the Hero Film Project<br />

to make such donations<br />

worth thousands of Ghana<br />

Cedis to needy schoolchildren<br />

in Tamale International<br />

School and SOS Children<br />

Village among other schools.<br />

According to Mr Attah,<br />

he received a courtesy call<br />

from a young actress in<br />

Tamale, Vanessa Dokurugu,<br />

who appealed to him<br />

through the Hero Film management<br />

about the conditions<br />

of some<br />

underprivileged schoolchildren<br />

in the north.<br />

Attah quickly responded<br />

to the call of young Vanessa,<br />

who happens to be the lead<br />

character of the much-anticipated<br />

social responsibility<br />

movie ‘The Hero’, to embark<br />

on a tour in the Northern<br />

Region.<br />

The schoolchildren from<br />

the various schools were<br />

very excited and overwhelmed<br />

to see actor Attah<br />

Abraham Attah,<br />

Hero Film crew<br />

donate to Tamale<br />

schoolchildren<br />

and their own Vanessa.<br />

The children and their<br />

patrons expressed their appreciation<br />

to Attah and the<br />

Hero Film crew kind gesture.<br />

Later in the evening,<br />

there was a special dinner<br />

organized by the Hero Film<br />

crew for Attah and Vanessa<br />

at the Modern City Hotel in<br />

Tamale.<br />

Attah took the opportunity<br />

to motivate the young<br />

actress to continue in the direction<br />

she had taken so she<br />

•Abraham Attah<br />

(M) donating the<br />

items to the<br />

schoolchildren<br />

could serve as a motivation<br />

to other young ones.<br />

He added that he would<br />

send more Toms shoes to<br />

other schools in the region<br />

through Vanessa.<br />

‘Feeling’ music video was shot<br />

on $20,000 budget - Bisa Kdei<br />

AWARD-WINNING<br />

high life artiste Bisa<br />

Kdei has finally disclosed<br />

the amount involved<br />

in shooting the<br />

video for his collaboration<br />

with Nigeria's<br />

Reekado Banks in a<br />

statement copied to the<br />

DAILY HER-<br />

ITAGE.<br />

Bisa Kdei said the<br />

total cost for shooting<br />

of the highly rated<br />

music video was $20,000<br />

As to what really<br />

went in for the 100,000<br />

Ghana-cedi budgeted<br />

video, Bisa Kdei says it's<br />

up to the director to disclose<br />

that.<br />

The song, which is titled<br />

‘Feeling’, is expected<br />

to be on Bisa<br />

Kdeis upcoming album;<br />

‘Konnect’.<br />

The video was directed<br />

by Yaw Skyface.<br />

The statement stated<br />

that “After watching the<br />

video and seeing<br />

the expensive cars,<br />

beautiful models<br />

and other casts featured<br />

in, we believe<br />

the video is indeed<br />

an expensive one.<br />

“Also, flying and<br />

hosting a top<br />

Nigerian artiste like<br />

Reekado Banks in<br />

Ghana for the<br />

shoot is another<br />

budget we must<br />

look at.”<br />

•Bisa Kdei<br />

•Reekado Banks,<br />

Nigerian musician


WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

Secular music isn’t<br />

evil but … – Rev. Dr<br />

Stephen Wengam<br />

THERE HAVE<br />

been so many<br />

controversies<br />

surrounding<br />

secular music<br />

because a section<br />

of the public tag contents<br />

of such songs and the<br />

artistes who composed them<br />

as ‘evil’.<br />

In view of the contention,<br />

the head pastor of Cedar<br />

Mountain Chapel, Rev. Dr<br />

Stephen Wengam, in an interview<br />

with Bola Ray on ‘Starr<br />

Chat’ on Wednesday, said<br />

non-religious songs are not<br />

evil but it depends on the<br />

lyrics and the spirit behind<br />

the person who composed<br />

the song.<br />

According to him, in differentiating<br />

what ‘worldly<br />

songs’ are, one should look<br />

out for the purpose of music,<br />

the style and the lyrics.<br />

The former Chairman of<br />

the Prison Council said, however,<br />

that there are many secular<br />

songs with no mention of<br />

God that still uphold godly<br />

values such as honesty, purity,<br />

and integrity but said he was<br />

more interested in the character<br />

behind the song.<br />

“I don’t listen to secular<br />

music but if I’m listening to<br />

radio and they’re playing it,<br />

it’s fine. Howevr, I won’t use<br />

my money to buy secular<br />

music. I listen to gospel<br />

more…<br />

When asked about songs<br />

by Sarkodie, Amakye Dede<br />

and others, the radio pastor<br />

said, “Some of those songs<br />

make sense but I think that<br />

the word of God can advise<br />

me better. It’s not any gospel<br />

song that there’s Jesus in it<br />

but I’m more interested in the<br />

character or the person who<br />

is doing the song.”<br />

When asked to choose between<br />

Dr Mensa Otabil and<br />

Arhcbishop Nicholas Duncan<br />

Williams the one who is a<br />

greater preacher, Rev Dr<br />

Stephen Wengam answered,<br />

“It’s like comparing apples to<br />

oranges. Clearly, Dr Otabil<br />

has his ministry, he’s a teacher<br />

and Archbishop Duncan<br />

•Rev. Dr Stephen Wengam<br />

Williams is a prayer Apostle<br />

so it will be difficult to compare<br />

the two but in the kingdom<br />

of God, God doesn’t<br />

judge greatness by ability to<br />

preach but by being a servant<br />

leader… that is the criteria<br />

and faithfulness to your calling.”<br />

Rev Dr Wengam further<br />

explained that when it comes<br />

to preaching and teaching Dr<br />

Otabil is an inspirer and<br />

Archbishop Duncan Williams<br />

is gifted with prayer.<br />

He praised Rev Mary<br />

Ghansah, describing her as<br />

his favourite gospel musician.<br />

He added that Ohemaa<br />

Mercy also treats her music<br />

career as a full time ministry.<br />

Meiway<br />

headlines 2017<br />

EMY award<br />

MUSIC LEGEND Freddy Meiway will<br />

headline the second edition of Exclusive<br />

Men of the Year Award (EMY<br />

Awards), which will come off on Saturday,<br />

<strong>June</strong> 24, at the Kempinski Hotel,<br />

Gold Coast City Ball Room.<br />

Known for songs such as ‘Zoblazo’,<br />

‘Miss Lolo’, and ‘Appolo 95’, Meiway<br />

has never disappointed on stage and<br />

once again Ghanaians will have a feel<br />

of him when he mounts the stage at<br />

the upcoming event.<br />

Other musicians performing include<br />

original Osibisa Band, Efya and Irene<br />

Logan, with support from the Patch<br />

Bay Band and Tema Youth Choir.<br />

The EMY Awards celebrate and tell<br />

the untold stories of great men to inspire<br />

and encourage others to aspire to<br />

be great.<br />

This year’s edition comprises six<br />

competitive and 12 honorary categories.<br />

The 2017 edition has artistes Joe<br />

Mettle, Stonebwoy, Lil Win, Shatta<br />

Wale, DJ Black and Kofi Asamoah in<br />

contention for the Man of the Year<br />

award in the entertainment category.<br />

Last year, Sarkodie beat off stiff<br />

competition from Shatta Wale, EL, Adjetey<br />

Annan (Pusher) and Kalybos to<br />

win the EMY’s Entertainer of the Year<br />

award.<br />

Nominees for Discovery of the<br />

Year are Medikal, Isaac Chwuku Udeh,<br />

Gilbert Ramy Carrey, Sangu Delle, Alex<br />

Adjei Bram and David Osei.<br />

Other categories include Man of the<br />

Year (Communications), Man of the<br />

Year (Sport), Fashion Designer of The<br />

Year and Man of the Year Style.<br />

Land Rover and uniBank are sponsors<br />

of EMY Africa Awards.<br />

‘America’s got talent’ contestant<br />

dies before his performance<br />

DR BRANDON Rogers, a<br />

contestant on the Television<br />

reality show ‘America’s Got<br />

Talent’ (AGT), died on Sunday,<br />

TMZ reports. He was 29.<br />

Sources close to the reality<br />

show told the outlet that<br />

Brandon died in a car accident<br />

over the weekend in<br />

Maryland, just weeks before<br />

his performance was set to<br />

air during a future episode.<br />

Brandon’s brother, Danni<br />

Rogers, a dancer and choreographer,<br />

confirmed the<br />

news with a heartbreaking<br />

video posted on Instagram.<br />

Upon hearing the news of<br />

Brandon’s untimely death,<br />

Boyz II Men shared a video<br />

on Instagram from their performance<br />

with him and expressed<br />

their condolences<br />

with a touching caption.<br />

“Today our hearts are<br />

deeply saddened to learn<br />

about the sudden death of<br />

Dr Brandon Rogers,” they<br />

wrote, adding, “Gone too<br />

young and gone too soon. It<br />

hurts to know that the world<br />

will never have a chance to<br />

witness what his impact on<br />

the world could have been as<br />

a doctor and even on the<br />

music world.” HuffPost<br />

•Freddy Meiway


DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH<br />

Sports<br />

DAILY HERITAGE<br />

FRIDAY, JUNE <strong>16</strong>, 2017<br />

2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup qualifier<br />

Black Princesses<br />

to play Algeria<br />

Only unity can<br />

qualify Black<br />

Stars to the World<br />

Cup - Amoah<br />

FORMER GHANA forward Matthew<br />

Amoah has called for unity in the Black<br />

Stars in their bid to qualify to the 2018<br />

FIFA World Cup in Russia.<br />

The Black Stars are in danger of missing<br />

out on the global football festival in Russia<br />

next year after collecting just one point<br />

from a possible six in Group E, where the<br />

Pharaohs of Egypt are in cruise control<br />

with six maximum points from two games.<br />

And the former Borussia Dortmund<br />

poacher believes it's not too late for the<br />

four- time Africa champions to overhaul<br />

the North Africans at the top of the standings<br />

and make it to their fourth consecutive<br />

World Cups but only unity among the players<br />

can help achieve that goal.<br />

“Football is all about team work and if<br />

the Black Stars come together as a family as<br />

we did years before, I think they can do<br />

better,” Amoah said.<br />

He added that, “they have to be committed,<br />

fight for each other and be there for<br />

one another.” GSN<br />

THE BLACK<br />

Princesses of<br />

Ghana will<br />

begin their<br />

quest for making<br />

an appearance<br />

at next year's 2018<br />

FIFA U20 Women's World<br />

Cup in July.<br />

The Princesses will take<br />

on Algeria in a two-leg tie in<br />

the preliminary stage of the<br />

qualifiers.<br />

Ghana will be away to<br />

Algeria first on the weekend<br />

of 15-17 September<br />

before the return encounter<br />

in Accra on the weekend of<br />

29-30 September.<br />

The young ladies will be<br />

hoping to make another<br />

World Cup qualification<br />

after playing at the last edition<br />

of the tournament<br />

which was hosted in Papua<br />

New Guinea.<br />

The team failed to<br />

progress from their group<br />

stage in last year’s tournament<br />

as they finished bottom<br />

of the Group and got<br />

ejected alongside New<br />

Zealand.<br />

I have not retired from<br />

football yet — John Mensah<br />

FORMER GHANA captain<br />

John Mensah insists<br />

he is not done with active<br />

football yet.<br />

According to the defender,<br />

he has recovered<br />

from the niggling setbacks<br />

that kept him out of the<br />

game, pointing out that he<br />

still has some football in<br />

him.<br />

“I’ve not quit football,<br />

not now,” John Mensah<br />

stated on the ‘Face To<br />

Face’ segment of Agoo<br />

TV’s ‘Dwidwamu Sports’<br />

yesterday.<br />

“After my time with<br />

Lyon, I went to Sweden<br />

but injuries did not allow<br />

me to play a match for<br />

them. I had to leave after<br />

the contract ended in November<br />

20<strong>16</strong> so I came<br />

back home.<br />

“I have been undergoing<br />

some special training.<br />

I’m okay now but because<br />

I’ve been inactive,<br />

I’m not eager to return<br />

to the national team now.<br />

“I cannot expect to be<br />

called while in this current<br />

state. I’m hoping to<br />

get back to club football<br />

abroad then we see what<br />

happens,” the former<br />

Sunderland centre-back<br />

added.<br />

Asked about relaunching<br />

his career with boyhood<br />

club AshantiGold<br />

or any suitable local side,<br />

Mensah said such a<br />

thought had never<br />

crossed his mind.<br />

“At AshGold, I only<br />

played in the Academy<br />

before travelling out. I<br />

never had the feel of the<br />

Ghana Premier League<br />

so the connection is not<br />

really there. To be honest,<br />

I’ve not really set my<br />

mind on playing in the<br />

local league,” he revealed<br />

in the interview with<br />

Adam Adjei.<br />

Dwidwamu Sports is a<br />

90-minute package of<br />

news and discussion<br />

from the sporting world,<br />

which airs immediately<br />

after the 2-hour breakfast<br />

show, ‘Yensempa’ on the<br />

EIB Network-owned<br />

Agoo TV every weekday.<br />

It is anchored by Adam<br />

Adjei and Michael<br />

Tuffour.<br />

• John Mensah

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!