This may explain why Miss Bridget Otoo presents the prime television show, “You and the police”, on TV3 with so much sprightly passion. 

“I am passionate about the show because it offers the public useful information about crime trends and tips that help the citizens to protect themselves from criminals. I also learn a lot from it,” Bridget told The Mirror in a chat.

She noted that criminals “live with us and we can only save ourselves and our property from them when we are conscious about our security”. 

“Even though I present You and The Police, I recently fell prey to a criminal who stole my money, so, indeed, the issue of personal security should not be taken for granted at all,” Bridget stressed.

In her bid to help the police protect the citizenry through enhanced police-public relations, Bridget has literally opened herself up to some very dangerous situations in which some criminals who were exposed on her show have called to threaten her. 

“I have been stalked; some wanted persons whose photographs appeared on the show have brazenly confronted me and claimed they were innocent but I have always told them to report to the police if they were guiltless,” she recounted.

In all these, it is the great feedback the team receives from the public and the open commendation that is poured on her that drives her to do better on the show, she says.

Many people who knew Bridget from infancy saw a medical doctor in the making as she always played that role. Even in nursery school plays, she was always the doctor, but she said she fell in love with the media when she developed a good habit of reading the Daily Graphic whenever she was in the washroom.

Later, I saw broadcaster Gifty Dansoa Anti, formerly of GTV, on the station’s Breakfast Show and my interest in television also started. Again, when I watched Oprah Winfrey on international television networks I said, “Yes, this is it, I will be a successful broadcaster too!”

Besides presenting “You and The Police”, Bridget is also, undoubtedly, one of the outstanding female news anchors on TV 3, where she presents the prime time news on Saturdays and Sundays between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

She has accumulated a vast media experience in the past decade which has put her in good stead to become the media mogul that she aspires to be in the near future. 

In 2003, Bridget worked as a voice over artist and recorded commercials for TiGO, Barclays, Unilever, Ecobank and others. 

While a national service person at the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority in Takoradi where she performed public relations duties, she was also engaged by Film Africa Production as an actress.

After her national service in 2008, she combined radio and TV broadcasting and worked with Good News FM and Sky Television as a broadcast journalist. During this period, Bridget did voice overs for Good News FM, hosted Miss T Poly and co-hosted ‘Wings of Love’, which was a Valentine’s Day programme. With Sky TV, she undertook the multitasks of assignment editing, news announcing and programme co-ordination.

In all these, Bridget has kept her eyes on the educational road, making sure she acquires the needed academic backbone to propel her career in the media.

Born on New Year’s eve (December 31), ‘1980-something’, Bridget started school at Grace Nursery, Baka Ekyir, Sekondi, and continued to the Aggrey Memorial Basic School, Sekondi where she obtained a certificate in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and proceeded to the Bompeh Secondary Technical School for her senior secondary education.

She later enrolled at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) to study for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication Studies. She is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree programme at the University of Ghana plus a course in Screen-Writing at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).

The pretty broadcaster also has professional training in camera/ video editing, reporting human right issues, leadership and corporate governance.

Bridget describes herself as an organiser who wants to get things done and she encourages all young women to dream big and not allow “their minds to be their limitation”.

She expressed her gratitude to her father, Mr Francis Otoo, a banker, and mother, Ms Agnes Arthur, trader, as well as her six siblings, for their love and support.

“To broadcaster Mr Osei Boakye and media giant Mr Yoofi Brew, saying thank you will be an understatement. They have been a combined source of great encouragement,” she said.

Bridget is a lover of great music and Efya, Becca, Sarkodie and Kwabena Kwabena are her favourites.

Anytime during the day, put a plate of rice plus any source in front of Bridget and you will see how much she loves the popular cereal. When she is less busy, she swims, watches football and relaxes at home over a glass of vintage wine.

Bridget is single but for now she is just enjoying work and playing football and netball with the men. 

“At the appropriate time, I will settle down with a man and give him my all,” she stated with a loud laughter.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the conflicting statements credited to top government officials over the conditions given by Boko Haram for releasing the girls were totally unwarranted and could send the wrong signal to the insurgents and hinder the efforts to ensure the safe return of the girls.

It said the government must designate a spokesman, be it the Minister of Information or whoever the government deems fit, to be responsible for daily relaying to the public any relevant information concerning the search for the missing girls, instead of allowing a cacophony of voices on the issue.

”Information management is key if the government itself is not to jeopardize ongoing international efforts to find and rescue the girls, and the government must move fast to keep the nation informed through an established channel, in line with global best practices under such circumstances,” APC said.

The party said while Interior Minister Abba Moro and Senate President David Mark have said the government would not negotiate the release of the girls, Information Minister Labaran Maku, Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mike Omeri and Special Duties Minister Taminu Turaki have hinted that the FG will do whatever it takes to free the girls, meaning that all options are on the table.

To compound matters, President Goodluck Jonathan was widely quoted in the local newspapers Thursday as saying the government would not release the incarcerated Boko Haram members in exchange for the girls.

”This kind of utter confusion is a window deep into the inner workings of the federal government as far as this critical issue of finding and freeing the girls is concerned, and it is unfortunate.

”This is the kind of befuddlement that has characterized the FG’s response to the Boko Haram crisis and led to a sorry pass where a nation widely acclaimed for its global peacekeeping role is now at the receiving end of a global efforts to save it from itself,” APC said.


Credit: Vanguard Nigeria  

From prehistoric times to the present, clay has not only been used to create household items  such as bowls, stoves, ovens, storage jars, plates, platters and dishes but also rich art works as water and flower pots,  fountains and filter  for rain water among others.

In Ghana, ceramic pot making is an essential part of craft tradition  which  has generated a lot of international appeal.

Ghanaian ceramic pot makers are famous for their intricate  workmanship which has evolved over the years.  Modern pottery pieces which come in various shapes and sizes  are colourful and appealing to the eyes. 

This is particularly true in the case of Vume in the Volta Region. The area, with its  natural beauty and inexhaustible flora and fauna, serene lake gardens  and abundant clay deposit has inspired the women to go into pottery.

Mrs Juana Dugbaza, the Managing Director of “Danjuan Ceramics” said pottery is the hobby for  the  people of Vume. She said most of the women in the town were engaged in traditional pot making which they inherited from their parents.

According to her,  the traditional pottery craft has been modernised with the use of ceramic materials for glazing.  She said their products were  selling very well in Accra, Tema, Koforidua and Aburi.

She appealed to the government and other benevolent organisations to provide them with modern facilities as blowers, pot mills, porters wheel  and rolling machines for slap work among others.

A lot of reactions have trailed the announcement, particularly on the omission of some players Nigerians had considered worthy of making the list.

Players like Vilareal striker Ikechukwu Uche, arguably Eagles’ most prolific forward in Europe with 13 goals, Brown Ideye who was part of the AFCON 2013 winning squad who has been loyal to Keshi, recuperating Leon Balogun, among others.

But coach Stephen Keshi has revealed that throughout his career, he has never been put under such immense pressure like he experienced before arriving at the 30 he eventually picked as provisional squad.

While the dropped players, although disappointed, have all thrown their weights behind the coach with some solidarity comments, Keshi is still reflecting on the decision he made.

“I wanted the best for the initial camping list, but sadly we cannot take everybody along, we have to drop some of our best and committed players,” he said

“I am happy that the players understand that fact.”

He also said he is thrilled by the responses of some of the players who were not picked for the World Cup.

Out of the present 30, Keshi will still have to pick 23 that will eventually make the final squad for the Mundial in Brazil.

The Eagles handler, while declaring his unalloyed loyalty to the NFF, called on the media to support him and the NFF in the task of making Nigeria great through football at the 2014 World Cup.

“They create imaginary disputes between me and my employers, but I dare say there is no disagreement between us. All I want is for all including the players who did not make the initial 30-man list to support us, so that we can excel at the World Cup,” he declared.


Credit: Vanguard Nigeria 

It means that all smartphones sold in the state from July 2015 must be fitted with anti-theft software.

Such software allows owners to remotely disable and wipe their stolen handsets.

Police departments across the US have lobbied for such legislation. According to the US telecoms regulator, an estimated one in three robberies involve smartphones.

In the bill Minnesota legislators lay out the requirements: "Any new smart phone manufactured on or after July 1, 2015, sold or purchased in Minnesota must be equipped with preloaded antitheft functionality or be capable of downloading that functionality."

California is close to introducing a similar bill, while Congress is mulling national legislation.

Global initiative

London Mayor Boris Johnson has lent his backing for a push for international agreement on the need for a kill switch.

Along with New York state attorney general Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco district attorney George Gascon, he joined the Secure Our Smartphones initiative last summer.

The campaign is designed to put pressure on the phone industry to help solve the issue of smartphone and tablet theft.

Sensitive data

Many handset manufacturers already have kill switches installed on their phones. Samsung has such a function and Apple offers a facility to track its devices via a service called Find My iPhone.

As well as GPS tracking, it also allows users to remotely wipe their phones.

Microsoft and Google have similar functions for their handsets and there are a variety of apps to locate, lock and wipe stolen smartphones.

"A large majority of smartphone users already have these capabilities and don't know it," said mobile analyst Chris Green.

He thinks that such a feature is more important for the business world than the consumer market.

"Companies are keen to clamp down on data theft as more and more people are using their phones and tablets to store sensitive data," he said.
And while the mobile industry largely embraced the idea of making phones installed with kill switches, there needed to be a move to create "one single standard" for such software, he added.

In the US Apple, Samsung, Verizon, T-Mobile and others have agreed that from July 2015 all handsets in the US will be fitted with anti-theft software, although it will not be switched on by default.

Some have questioned how effective such technology is though.

"A kill switch signal could do more harm than good. It is open to abuse from hackers sending kill switch signals to phones," said Grant Roughley, a senior forensic analyst at Essential Forensics.

And thieves too might find ways to get around the problem.

"Some phones are worth more in parts, so a stripped-down phone could be sold on for the same value," he said.

Banku convincingly beat Powers winning by a unanimous decision, 117-109, 119-100, 120-108 after months of massive promotion and bragging by both boxers.

Prior to the bout, Banku weighed 205 pounds, exceeding the upper limit of 200 for the cruiserweight division, while Powers, weighed exactly 200 pounds.

Even though the fight was initially a cruiserweight bout, it was changed to catch-weight after the weight difference by Bukom Banku.

Therefore at Wednesday’s weigh-in it was decided that Bukom Banku was to suffer a five per cent deduction of his purse as penalty after reaching an agreement with his opponent (Ayittey Powers), fight promoter Box Office Sports Promotions and the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA).

However, Speaking to Citi FM Friday morning after losing the bout, Powers said the weight difference was the swing factor and that if Bukom Banku had been able to make the desired weight, he (Powers) would have stopped him.

Powers has consequently requested for a re-match.

“They have to give me re-match, you understand me. He has to make sure he is going to make his weight. I told you people if this guy can manage to make his weight, I will stop him, and he know that he can’t do the weight, look the weight difference, it is too much.” 

“The weight difference was too much and that was the problem for me. I could have decided not to fight after he came in 8kilos overweight but I felt I needed to respect the fans who had bought tickets so I fought,” Powers said.

Powers told Citi FM that if the fight had been in Europe, it would not have been allowed to happen. ”I have told his camp already that I want a rematch,” he said.

He cautioned people not to link his defeat to directions he received  from his Godfather, Prophet T.B  Joshua not to fight.

”He is my prophet; why are people saying that. You should leave him [T.B Joshua] out,” he said.

Listen to Ayittey Powers

{mp3}powersmatchagain{/mp3}

As of now it is unclear whether Banku will accept the challenge of a re-match after signing a deal to face a Russian opponent on May 30.

The Ghana Boxing Authority has however said it would sanction a re-match between the two boxers if a promoter shows interest.

Puiblic Relations Officer of the GBA, Naa Darkowaa Duodu said it was not mandatory for the two boxers to have a re-match and that they have heard Ayittey Powers calling for the re-match and it was the same way he started when he challenged Braimah Kamoko.

“As GBA we are here to sanction a fight. If any promoter is interested in a re-match and he consults them and they agree, then GBA will sanction it.”

Listen to  Naa Darkowaa Duodu

{mp3}GBAbox{/mp3}

Watch pictures from the bout

{gallery}powersbanku{/gallery}

Thanking supporters in his own constituency in his home state of Gujarat, Mr Modi said they had written a new chapter in the country's history.

Votes counted so far suggest the BJP is on course for the most resounding victory by any party for 30 years, trouncing the outgoing Congress Party.

The controversial leader campaigned on promises to revive the economy.

However, many Indians still have profound concerns over Mr Modi because of claims he did little to stop communal riots in Gujarat in 2002.

At least 1,000 people died, most of them Muslims.

Mr Modi has always denied the allegations over he was never charged.

'Real government'

The prime minister-elect said the victory was no ordinary one.

"In the 60-year history of Indian independence, I have never seen this in the Indian media, what you have done in our country," Mr Modi said, as supporters shouted "Modi, Modi, Modi".


Credit: The BBC 

It is not clear what caused the blasts but Kenya has been hit by a spate of attacks in recent years.

They have mostly been blamed on the al-Shabab militant Islamist group from neighbouring Somalia.

Hundreds of British tourists have been evacuated from the coastal resort area of Mombasa amid warnings of an attack.

British tour companies have suspended flights to Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city.

High threat

The Kenyan National Disaster Operation Centre said the first explosion occurred in a minibus, the second in the large open-air Gikomba market.

Police officials told the Reuters news agency they suspected the blast had been caused by an improvised explosive device.

Pictures from the scene showed clothing blown onto telephone wires above. Fire engines and the Red Cross were at the scene tending the injured.

Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi said at least 70 people had been wounded.

"Many of the injured are bleeding profusely. We need a lot of blood," a spokesman said.

President Kenyatta vowed to fight "evil" terrorism following the attacks.

"All of us around the world must be united to ensure that we are able to fight this particular terror," he said at a news conference.

Earlier this week, authorities tightened security at bus stations, requiring all passengers to be screened before boarding. They also ordered all vehicles to have clear glass windows.

Friday's bombings took place two days after the UK, France and the US warned there was a high threat of attacks in Kenya.

Kenya had rebuked the countries for issuing their warnings, saying the tourism industry would be affected.

Correspondents say many Kenyans are expressing their frustration at the worsening insecurity.

The government recently round up all refugees of Somali origin in an attempt to rid the city of terror suspects they believe to be hiding among refugees.

The al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab has launched a series of attacks against Kenyan targets in recent years, claiming to be retaliating for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia since 2011.

Last September, at least 67 people were killed when al-Shabab fighters seized the upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi for four days.

Earlier this year, there were riots in Mombasa after a radical Muslim cleric who was accused of recruiting youngsters for al-Shabab was shot dead.


Credit: The BBC 

Members of the teachers union have abandoned the classroom in demand for the restoration of the Book and Research Allowance abolished by the government in favour of a newly established National Research Fund.

The government, under the aegis of the Finance and Economic Planning Ministry, on February 2 this year, released GH¢3.75 million out of an expected total of GH¢15 million for the establishment of a research and innovation facility to encourage more research work in tertiary institutions as announced in the 2014 Budget Statement.

POTAG and the University Teachers Association of Ghana however have kicked against the decision, arguing, among other reasons that the withdrawal of the allowance would have negative implications for tertiary education.

The parties have since disagreed on the way forward, with the National Labour Commission ordering that they deliberate on the issues for a common ground.

But according to Ablakwa, who spoke with Asempa FM, government’s surprise at the latest action by POTAG stemmed from the fact that they were still engaged in discussions over the matter, and contrary to labour provisions for workers to notify employers before embarking on strikes, there has been no such notification.

While he called the POTAG action a unilateral one, he said it was totally out of sync with what is going on. Once discussions are going on and all stakeholders brought to the table, he said there was no need for the strike action. Listen to the Deputy Minister in the attached audio.

{mp3}ablakwa_potag_book_allowance_strike_surprising{/mp3}

The boat – Kitua Biaa Nsua – with a crew of 10, was busted about 6.2 nautical miles off the coast in the Western Region early yesterday.

The crew had carried out the transshipment with Rongcheng Marine Fishing Company, the owner of the foreign vessel.

 At the time of the arrest, the industrial vessel and the buyer had finished the transaction offshore and the buyer was transporting the consignment to the shore when the police intercepted the boat. 

Fish

The police said during inspection, they found that the boat had 2,080 huge slabs of iced fish concealed in its compartments but had no fishing net or  equipment to show that it was returning from a fishing expedition.

The Director of Marine at the Ports and Railways in Takoradi, Chief Superintendent Samuel Owusu-Berko, told the Daily Graphic that the crew confessed purchasing the fish from the foreign vessel, a transaction which is against the country’s laws. 

Transshipment is said to be one of the worst challenges facing the country’s maritime domain.

Chief Superintendent Owusu-Berko said it was important to note that because the industrial vessels knew the implication of  transshipment offshore, they always contacted their accomplices onshore and sold the illegal catches to them.

Ownership

C/Supt. Owusu-Berko said after the boat had been busted, a woman who gave her name as Diana Mireku came forward and claimed ownership of the consignment.

The woman and the 10-member crew have been arrested to help the police in their investigations.

C/Supt. Owusu-Berko said the arrest should serve as notice to people, especially the fishing community, that the Marine Police were on the alert and collaborating with sister agencies within the country’s maritime domain to make the coast unattractive for illegal fishing and trading.

 The police, he said, had invited the Fisheries Commission for valuation of the entire consignment and take the woman who claimed ownership through the legal process.

Surgery at the centre costs between $5,000 and $12,000 and the Ghana Heart Foundation (GHF) takes care of 50 per cent of the cost.

The Director of the  NCC, Dr Lawrence A. Sereboe, who made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic on Thursday, expressed worry that some of the children with hole-in-heart and other chest conditions died occasionally while waiting for their parents to raise the amount for the surgery.

“Unfortunately, a few of them pass away while waiting for help to come. It is something we do not like at all. A few children die before they can be helped,” he said.

Support schemes

Dr Sereboe said normally corporate bodies and individuals raised the money to support surgery for children with hole-in-heart and rheumatic heart disease (a disease of the valves of the heart).

He said the NCC also used the money to buy items needed for the surgery.

“Whatever is used on any patient has to be recouped, so that we have the items for the next operation. So the operation has to be paid for,” he said.

Dr Sereboe said because the cost of equipment was quoted in dollars, the recent depreciation of the cedi against the dollar had made it more difficult for parents to get the cedi equivalent.

However, he said the cost of heart surgery in Ghana was cheap, compared with the about $15,000 charged in South Africa and more than $30,000 charged in Belgium.

Appeal

Dr Sereboe called on corporate bodies and individuals to go to the aid of children with hole-in-heart and other chest conditions to save their lives.

He said it was through that support that the children could undergo surgery to correct their conditions, since their parents alone could not raise the amount needed for the surgery.

He indicated that children who were operated upon lived normal lives, while those who could not go through the surgery risked losing their lives.

Chest infections

Statistically, one child out of 100 births has a heart or chest condition.

Smoking, excessive drinking, long exposure to X-rays and poor eating habits by pregnant women are some of the causes of heart and chest conditions in children.

The taking of drugs without prescription and the failure of some expectant mothers to attend antenatal care are the other causes.

Dr Sereboe, therefore, urged pregnant women to avoid smoking, excessive drinking, the taking of unprescribed drugs and getting exposed to X-rays.

The farmers, numbering over 500, marched through some principal streets of the metropolis and finally ended at the Regional Co-ordinating Council, where they presented a petition to the Regional Minister.

They carried placards some of which read, “away with GMOs”; “do not damage famers’ livelihoods”; and “GMO is a killer.”

Support

The exercise brought together farmers from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. They were supported by Actionaid, and  the Centre for Indigenous knowledge and Organizational Development, both non- governmental organisations.

The president of the PFAG, Nashiru Adam, explained that the introduction of GMO seeds would worsen the plight of farmers by enslaving them to large corporations that were into seed breeding.

According to him, “farmers do not need genetically modified seeds but rather  good roads, infrastructure, efficient irrigation and marketing systems.”

Appeal to parliament

He, therefore, appealed to Parliament to throw out the Plant Breeders Bill and support local research institutions to come up with indigenous knowledge to protect the nation from what he termed as “neo-colonialist agenda.’

The Northern Regional Co-ordinating Director,  Mr Alhassan Issahaku, who received the petition on behalf of the regional minister, promised to forward their concerns to the appropriate authorities.

He commended the farmers for the peaceful manner in which they expressed their grievances.

Dr Asenso made the revelation during the launch of a 48-page book he has written on natural steps for the cure of malaria in Kumasi.

In it the author discusses how the disease, feared around the globe, particularly in the African region, could be cured naturally without the use of modern medicines.

Dr Asenso, 54, lived in the United States of America for 26 years as a medical practitioner, 14 years of which he was engaged in research to find out if really the anopheles mosquito was the causative agent of malaria in humans.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said his research revealed that an unclean liver was the major cause of malaria and not the anopheles mosquito. He said an impure liver could, however, be cleansed using natural foods and that if the liver was cleaned, the mosquito could bite all it wants and there would be no malaria.

The CEO of Health Talk Limited said naturopathy, the holistic healing and a means through which the malaria parasite in the body could be eliminated from the body by using a combination of coconut oil and lemon juice, for example, without any side effects, was very effective and safe.

“Time and again in this modern time, the public has been falsely made to believe by the scientific community and healthcare industry that the anopheles mosquito was the cause of malaria but that is not the case.

“If you clean your liver by removing unwanted toxic materials, there will be no filth left in the liver for the plasmodia virus to feed on and so there will be no malaria,” he said.

The Chairman for the occasion, Pastor Dr Dwumaa Nuako of Prince Emmanuel Sanitorium, who also launched the book, bought the first copy for GH¢500.

The second copy of the book was also bought at GH¢500, while the third and fourth were bought for GH¢200 and GH¢100 respectively.

French President Francois Hollande, who is hosting the summit, said the group threatened the whole region and had "proven links" with al-Qaeda.

Thousands of people have been killed by Boko Haram in recent years. Last month it abducted 223 schoolgirls in north-eastern Nigeria, where it is based.

As Saturday's summit began, news of fresh violence emerged.

In the far north of Cameroon, near the Nigerian border, attackers targeted a camp run by a Chinese engineering company. Ten Chinese workers are missing and one person was injured.

There are reports that one person was killed.

In Nigeria itself, 11 people were reported killed in a separate attack in village a few hours' drive from the Cameroonian border.

A relative of one of the victims said a woman and a child were among the dead.

As the Paris meeting opened, Mr Hollande called Boko Haram a "major threat to West and Central Africa", and said it had links with al-Qaeda's North-African arm and "other terrorist organisations".

The summit is also being attended by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his counterparts from neighbouring Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Representatives from the UK, US and EU are also taking part.

Credit: BBC

"Accusing and blaming our mothers and grandmothers for our woes and adversities in life and banishing them to  a life of neglect is unacceptable," she said.

She said individuals needed to take responsibility for their failures and actions instead of blaming and casting away their mothers and grandmothers.

Presentation

The First Lady made the remark when she visited the Gambaga Witches Camp in the Northern Region to interact  with and also present some items to the women there. 

The items included  wax print, plastic bowls,  rice, beverages,  drinks, used clothes and oil.

The First Lady, as part of her trip to the Northern Region,  also visited Tamale and the Anfaani Children's homes and donated assorted items to them.

The items included bags of rice, tin tomatoes, diapers,mosquito nets, gallons of oil, drinks, cartons of milo beverage drink and nido powdered milk. 

Mrs Mahama described the plight of the women at the camp as a national tragedy and, therefore, stressed the need to help the women in the camp to be re-integrated into society.

 "The neglect of a segment of the society will only retard the development of our nation," she stated.

Project

The First Lady embarked on a project last year to provide  accommodation and educational facilities for the women and the Gambaga community respectively. 

When completed, the project would provide facilities for the residents of the community and its surrounding areas to acquire various vocational skills so that they could learn skills to make them self-sufficient.

 Mrs Mahama said when completed, her project  would be of immense help to the women at the camp and the Gambaga community. 

Girl-child

According to Mrs Mahama, the project is also in fulfilment of her commitment to promote girl-child education aimed at ensuring that girls are equipped meaningfully to contribute to their development.

Mrs Mahama, who was accompanied by the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Mohammed Muniru Limuna, visited the site to see the progress of work. 

The elders of the camp expressed their gratitude to the First Lady for the consistant support and care she had shown  towards the women in the camp over the years.

The two-year contract, which is being executed by the China Jiangxi International Corporation and China Railways Wuju Constructions, was awarded on May 2, 2013 and is expected to be completed by May 1, 2015.

Progress

Progress of work on the project, which is divided into lots One and Two for the two Chinese contractors, is currently 26.10 per cent and 37 per cent completed respectively.

Lot One of the project is estimated at GH¢13.6 million, while the Lot Two costs GH¢29 million.

The minister reminded the contractors that the project was a World Bank-sponsored one and needed to be completed on schedule.

Minister’s entourage

Alhaji Sulemana, who was accompanied by directors and other officials of the ministry and sector agencies, was on a two-day road project inspection tour of the northern part of the Central Region.

The minister and his entourage also inspected ongoing road projects in the region, during which he advised the contractors to ensure that they carried out their work to bring relief to the people.

Relocation of services & obstacles

The contractors complained about the relocation of services and infrastructural facilities such as markets and schools and the absence of a full complement of staff as some of the causes of the delay of work.

The Lot One contractor, Mr Zhou Ren, said the company was still awaiting the arrival of some of its equipment to enable it to carry out the work.

He said he also lacked the required personnel, such as site engineers and supervisors whom he intended to employ locally.

The Lot Two contractor, Mr Chen Yao Ye, said he had to relocate markets and schools and assured the minister that the company had been able to clear all the obstacles and had started work in earnest.

Directives

Alhaji Sulemana, who was not happy with the work done so far, charged the consultants on the contracts, Messrs Joel A. Tomado and V.K. Srivastava, to ensure that the contractors executed the work fast to meet the deadline. 

He wondered how the contractors could win the contract without the requisite logistics, saying that the problems with service providers should not come in, especially when the road was not a new one but an existing one, and advised them to liaise with the relevant officials to iron out any challenges they might be facing.

Alhaji Sulemana told the contractors that officials from the World Bank who had called on him in his office were not happy with the progress of work.

Donor-sponsored

The minister reminded them that such donor-sponsored projects often had strings and time limits attached  to them and so any delay in the execution of the projects could cost the nation.

Alhaji Sulemana said the Ayanfuri-Asawinso road was a critical one that linked the Central Region to the Western Region, making it important for the conveyance of raw materials such as bauxite.  

He charged them to reorganise themselves better than what they were doing currently, stressing that funding was readily available, for which reason he could not understand why such a project should delay.

Re-award

Asked whether it was not possible to re-award the contract to another contractor, the minister explained that it was not an easy process, especially when the contractors had won the contracts through bidding, adding that such actions had resulted in the numerous judgement debts the country was confronted with.

The contractors, however, said work was in progress and explained that even though it looked as if the project was behind schedule, they would complete it within schedule.

He was said to have died this morning from a medical condition.

Information gathered by Graphic Online indicated that he had what was suspected to be an asthmatic attack and was rushed to a hospital.

The reports indicated that he was driving towards his home at the Spintex area in Accra, when he had the attack.

Mr Obeng, who was recently nominated by President John Dramani Mahama as a Senior Presidential Adviser at the Presidency was a chief participant at the National Economic Forum which ended just last Thursday at Senchi in the Eastern region.

President Mahama in his closing address at the forum last Thursday acknowledged his (Obeng) contribution.

Popularly known as P. V. Obeng, he was a Mechanical Engineer, politician and chairman of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology council.

He was appointed by the late President John Evans Atta Mills administration, as chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

Mr Obeng was the chief consultant and Chairman of OB Associates, a public and private sector consulting firm and chairman of Ghana Agro and Food company (GAFCO).

Education

He was a product of Opoku Ware School and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

Political life

Mr P. V. Obeng served as the chairman of the Committee of Secretaries under the Provisional National Defence Council regime (PNDC) from 1982 to 1992.

He served as Presidential Adviser on Governmental Affairs under the National Democratic Congress (NDC ) from 1992 to 1997 and also served as Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (G.I.P.C.) from 1992 to 1997.

In Addition, Mr Obeng was serving as a director on the Board of Guinness Ghana Limited.

The Chairman of the presbytery, Rev Felix Mensah Agbo, who made the call, asked Ghanaians to be duty-conscious and aim at high productivity, adding that “laziness and mediocrity should be out of our thinking and attitude”.

He said every act of indiscipline, including making the environment unkempt, would lead to destroying it, urging all to “support the government to make Ghana a better place for us all”.

The two-day conference, held at the Global Theological Seminary at Adenta in Accra, was on the theme: “Knowing God the Holy Spirit.” 

Reflecting on the theme, Rev Agbo said the Holy Spirit “works to produce Christ-like character in the believer when he (Holy Spirit) is allowed. Every Christian has to allow the Holy Spirit to direct and influence their lives.”  

He congratulated President John Dramani Mahama on his appointment as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), imploring him to work towards the economic integration of the region. 

Mr Evans Fiho, Senior Aide to Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah,  the Minister of Youth and Sports, who represented the minister as guest of honour, said the Church had become “the ultimate attraction today” where everyone sought refuge.

To be more relevant to society, he said the church should shape the citizenry “the way God wants it to be,” urging congregants to take full advantage of their position as the salt of the earth to bring more souls to Christ.

Mr Fiho urged the Global Evangelical Church to partner the state and support government’s policy to bring about the desired and sustainable development to every facet of the economy.  

The Accra Presbytery, at the end of the conference, resolved to, among other things, step up efforts at evangelism and re-demarcate the Accra presbytery, which is the largest in the church. 

Arsenal beat Hull City 3-2. 

Hull stunned the Gunners by going 2-0 up inside the first eight minutes as defenders James Chester and Curtis Davies scored following set-pieces.

But Santi Cazorla's free-kick got Arsenal back in the game and Laurent Koscielny equalised in the second half.

Arsenal dominated extra time and Ramsey sealed the glory with a precise finish.

A statement signed by Information Minister Mahama Ayariga said Mr Obeng died suddenly on Saturday afternoon.

Below is the statement

DEATH OF ING. SIR P. V. OBENG

It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that government announces the sudden death of Ing. Sir Paul Victor Obeng, the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission and Senior Presidential Advisor.

Mr Obeng passed away this afternoon after being taken ill suddenly.

Government extends its heart-felt condolences to his wife, children and family.

(Signed)
MAHAMA AYARIGA (MP)
Minister for Information and Media Relations

(17th May 2014)