Biometric registration is not cancerous – Aspiring MP

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Biometric registration is not cancerous – Aspiring MP Accra, Jan. 24, GNA – Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Aspirant for Dome/ Kwabenya Constituency on Tuesday urged the Muslim community to take active part in the upcoming national biometric registration exercise slated tentatively for March.

“The only way you can exercise your inalienable franchise as enshrined in universal adult suffrage of our constitution is to register. This will give you the mandate to determine whom you would like the destiny of the nation to be entrusted to for the next four years.

“The registration exercise is so paramount and crucial to every Ghanaian who has attained the voting age and therefore, eligible to vote,” Ms Safo stated during an interaction with the Muslim Communities at Dome.

Ms Safo who used the occasion to formally introduce herself to the Muslim community, decried how people were waging propaganda by spreading misleading information to the effect that the biometric exercise was cancerous and that people should not take part in it.   

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Biometric registration is not cancerous as is being peddled by some propaganda pundits who have the strongest belief that any free and fair elections will not go in their favour and therefore have taken to these kind of tactics to discourage the people from taking part in this national exercise.

“The biometric registration and the verification have for some time now engaged media discussion as consensus has indicated it is the only viable means by which one could be very certain that free and fair elections could be conducted,” she noted.

The Dome/ Kwabenya NPP Parliamentary aspirant asked Ghanaians to be wise like the proverbial snake so they could see through the gentlemanly gait of the ruling Government.

She said Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, the NPP flag-bearer for Election 2012 had carefully developed a programme of action that would move Ghana from a raw material production country to an industrialised country and this she believed would affect every Ghanaian positively.

Ms Safo noted “Nana Akufo Addo’s resolve to make second-cycle education free will not be a mirage”.

The Chief Imam of the Muslim Community, Sheikh Mohamed Suleiman congratulated Ms Safo on her victory i the primaries to represent the NPP in the constituency for Election 2012.

GNA

DSP Tehoda files application for bail pending trial

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DSP Tehoda files application for bail pending trial Accra, Jan. 25, GNA – Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mrs Gifty Mawuenyegah Tehoda, the Senior Police Officer at the centre of the alleged swapping of cocaine exhibit has filed a fresh application for bail pending trial at the Human Rights Court.

The application was to be heard on Wednesday, but it witnessed a technical error and therefore, could not be heard.

Mr Oliver Dzebel, her counsel, is expected to correct the error.

DSP Tehoda, who is the Deputy Head of Commercial Crimes Unit, Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), was put before an Accra Circuit Court for “abetting to stealing of cocaine.”

However, she was remanded into custody after pleading not guilty before the Court presided over by Mrs Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, and adjourned the case to February 6.

The facts necessitating her arrest indicated that following a directive by Vice President John Dramani Mahama on December 14, 2011, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) begun investigations into the loss of 1,020 grammes of cocaine which was tendered in evidence in court on September 27, 2011.

On September 28, 2011, the defence counsel in the matter stated that the substance found was not cocaine and subsequently prayed the Court to order for a re-testing which the judge upheld the submission.

During the investigations, it was revealed that DSP Tehoda who knew about the swapping of the cocaine knew Nana Ama Martins, the alleged trafficker.

The accused was alleged to have assisted in selling a house belonging to Nana Ama Martins to facilitate swapping of the cocaine and investigations into the matter were still ongoing.

The Human Rights Court presided over by Mr Justice Kofi Essel-Mensah, had granted DSP Tehoda bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 with two sureties after it upheld an ex-parte motion filed by her counsel that her continued detention constituted an infringement on her human rights as guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution.

She was released on bail but re-arrested.

A Circuit Court trying the accused, Nana Ama Martins, for possession of 1.029 kilogrames of cocaine realised that the substance had turned into baking soda when it was retested at the Ghana Standards Authority.

President John Evans Atta Mills asked the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to investigate the case while the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, also set up a fact-finding committee on the matter.

The Mrs Justice Agnes Dordzie Committee found that the cocaine was swapped before it was tendered in evidence.

The report of the BNI said investigation established strong circumstantial evidence that the cocaine was swapped with the active assistance and facilitation of DSP Tehoda.

The BNI recommended that DSP Kofi Adzei-Tuadzra, in-charge of Police Narcotics Unit, who had responsibility for the security of the cocaine and DSP Tehoda be held responsible for their roles in the disappearance of the exhibit which was kept for three years at the Police Headquarters.

GNA

Sakumono Police arrest self-styled soldier

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Sakumono Police arrest self-styled soldier Sakumono, Jan 25, GNA – The Sakumono District Police have arrested a 39-year-old self-styled soldier, Alphonse Adzato Mensah, for intimidating and harassing people around Sakumono.

Briefing the Press at his office at Sakumono on Tuesday Assistant Superintendent of Police Michael Addae, the District Crime Officer, said on January 20 he received a call from a taxi driver that someone in military uniform was harassing him for money and his driving license.

He said a patrol team arrested the suspect and a search in his house revealed a military uniform that he claimed belonged to his brother.

ASP Addae said while Mensah was in custody, a lady came to the station and identified him as having introduced himself to her in December 2011 as a soldier preparing for peace-keeping duties in Congo.

He said the suspect convinced the lady, took her to a hotel near Kantamanto in Nungua, and had an affair with her.

ASP Addae said the lady woke up the following morning to detect that Mensah had removed money from her purse and had bolted.

He said investigations into the conduct of the suspect were on-going to find out whether the uniform was stolen, acquired or belonged his brother as he claimed.

GNA

Ghanaian fans savour victory without jubilation

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Ghanaian fans savour victory without jubilation Accra, Jan. 25, GNA – Most Ghanaian football fans on Wednesday evening silently relished the Black Stars lone goal victory over debutants Botswana with the absence of the usual euphoria over the exploits of the national team in international feats.

Hitherto, anytime the Stars chalked a win either in qualifiers to the Africa Nations Cup or the FIFA Word Cup, there have been spontaneous jubilation deep into the night with various forms of celebrations across the breadth and width of the country.

In their mood of jubilation, fans and supporters often engage in all manner of enjoyment to savour the occasion by singing and dancing, especially at drinking spots, partying deep into the night amidst tooting of car and lorry horns but this time round there were none of such scenes throughout the major streets and in the various communities.

There have, however, been various heated forms of debate about the performance of the players and the outcome of the match with some putting the under-par performance of the match on the shoulders of the referee and coach.

Mr Divine Koblah, Senior Editor with the Ghana News Agency, said the performance of the players made him feel sick with a suspected high blood pressure after the match. He was surprised about the way the boys approached the game as if they were not ready to win the match.

He was amazed that even though the Stars had no serious marksman besides Asamaoh Gyan, the coach still left out some of the experienced players when the team really needed somebody who could hold onto the ball from the midfield up to the lone striker.

A student at Madina Zongo, Gariba Sadat Weidaga, told GNA Sports that the Stars could have won the match in the first half if they had put their acts together instead of always sending diagonal passes and making back passes which were detrimental to their game plan.

He said the Stars and Ghanaians should however not be disappointed with the red card handed the captain of the side, John Mensah since he sacrificed to save the team from conceding a goal which could have cost the Stars in the on-going Africa Cup of Nations.

Kalifa Musah, a trader at Makola market in Accra central, blamed Coach Goran Stevanovic for letting down the high spirits of the Ghanaian fans and wondered why he left some experienced players like Derek Boateng who is a combative midfielder on the bench as well as Kwadwo Asamoah and Jonathan Mensah.

He said now that “we have been given the baptism of fire, there is the need for us to re-strategise and meet the rest of the matches by adopting an all-attacking game instead of defending and being on the back foot”.

Ollabode Williams, East Ayawaso Constituency Secretary of the NDC told the GNA Sports that even though the Stars did not put up a vintage performance, there is the hope that they can improve with the acts as the competition progresses since the country has always been later starters with their games. 

He urged the players to put in extra effort and dedication as well as the zeal to succeed in an effort to annex the Cup since the whole country is behind them with dedicated prayers and good will.

It would be recalled that at the week-end the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, on a visit to the camp of the Stars in Franceville, Gabon, advised the players not be complacent in their approach to the games and to meet each challenge with dedication and the zeal to achieve success for the country.

GNA

Dr Sakara joins CPP flagbearership race

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Dr Sakara joins CPP flagbearership race Accra, Jan 25, GNA – Dr. Foster Abu Sakara, the running mate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) in the 2008 elections on Wednesday picked up a nomination form at the Party’s headquarters to contest the flagbearership slot of the CPP.

A statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra by him said the decision was to contest for the privilege to lead the CPP into the 2012 general election campaign as its candidate to become the President of the Republic of Ghana.

Dr Abu Sakara, an Independent Consultant, is a specialist in Agriculture and Rural Development with a stellar career in international agricultural development.

It explained that Dr. Abu Sakara’s political affiliation with the Party dated from his late father Mr. S. S. Sakara, who served as a CPP Regional Party Secretary.

It also noted that his father served in Ghana’s first republic as a District Commissioner and Member of Parliament for Damongo-Daboya, West Gonja.

“Dr. Abu Sakara following the tradition of his father has also served the CPP as its Vice Presidential Candidate in the 2008 General elections, first National Vice Chairman and chairman of Organizational Committee from 2007 to 2011,” it added.

The statement said Dr Abu Sakara was passionate about the renewal of the CPP to its restoration to government to transform the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.

It said the vision of Dr. Abu Sakara for Ghana was for it to be “the jewel in Africa’s crown of achievement” giving inspiration to all Africans everywhere to reach their full potential.

This, he claimed could be achieved in the lifetime of his generation if Ghanaians commit themselves to pragmatic choices for good governance, economic growth and social development based on sound time tested principles of freedom, justice for all, equal opportunity and right to work.

According to the contender of the CPP flagbearership the country needed fundamental changes to some systems of governance to empower ordinary people to effectively hold politicians accountable at every level of government in real time and not after the fact.

The 54 years old, said the mistakes of economic policies that lead to unacceptable gaps between rich and poor with all of the attendant social vices must be avoided now.

Dr. Abu Sakara, is married to Mary-Lily Kafela Tigenoah, an Economist and Business Administrator with four children.

GNA

NRSC urges soccer fans to be moderate in their celebrations

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NRSC urges soccer fans to be moderate in their celebrations Accra , Jan 25, GNA -The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has urged soccer fans throughout the country to be moderate in their support and celebrations for the Black Stars during the ongoing football tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

It said supporters should shy away from acts, such as drink driving, speeding and spontaneous jubilation of goals, especially on busy roads, which would endanger their lives and that of other road users.

Mr Noble John Appiah, Executive Director of the NRSC in a press statement issued in Accra on Wednesday stated that excessive speed had been the cause of sixty percent of all road crashes in the country.

 “Alcohol slows down your reaction time, increases risk and gives a false sense of confidence” he added.

He expressed the commission’s best wishes to the Stars in the ongoing tournament and hoped they win the trophy for the nation this year.

“It takes dedication and team work to deliver trophies and safer roads. These virtues, known to the Black Stars, who have since 2011 become a global and national ambassadors for road safety will be worthy a motivation to deliver to our expectation of a trophy this year. I wish them a good run matches” he said.   

GNA

Court fines Galamsey operator for stealing

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Court fines Galamsey operator for stealing Tarkwa (W/R), Jan. 25, GNA – A 20 year-old Small Scale Miner (Galamsey) , Richard Osei has been fined GH¢420 by a Tarkwa Circuit Court for stealing GH¢6900 and 0.

Osei who was convicted on his own plea would serve three months imprisonment in hard labour.

Prosecuting Police Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Obeng Diawuo that the complainant Victor Gadri, a businessman on December 11 visited his family in Prestea and lodged in a hotel.

He said the convict broke into the vehicle of the convict and made away with the money and an instrument panel.

He said around 0820 hours on December 12 the next day, the complainant detected that his money had been stolen and reported the matter to the police.

Inspector Amponsah said at the course of investigation, the accused was apprehended.

The Prosecutor said when Osei was questioned he admitted the offence and a sum of GH¢6,100 and the 0 was retrieved from him.

GNA

Brong Ahafo Second Division League commences

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Brong Ahafo Second Division League commences Seikwa (B/A) Jan. 25, GNA – Seikwa Nkoraman Football Club (F/C) at the weekend thrashed Fetentaa All Stars 4-2 in the first round of Brong-Ahafo Second Division Zone 2B League at Seikwa in the Tain District.Nkoraman led 2-1 at first half with Eric Arhin netting both goals.After a hectic 30-minute stiff opposition by the Fetentaa boys right from the beginning of the match, it as apparent that the energy of the visitors had waned and this gave the Seikwa boys more room to operate.However the seemingly fading Fetentaa boys who sprung a surprise just a minute to end the first half when Alieu Beneto managed to pull a goal back for his team.On resumption of the second half, Arhin and his colleagues, backed by a pep talk by Nana Kobire, Nkosoohene of Seikwa who is Director of the Club, played with all purposefulness and it came as no surprise when Arhin scored his third goal in the 63rd minute while Michael Owusu added another in the 69th minute to seal the doom of the Fetentaa boys.In the “Zone 1A” encounter, Atuahene F/C playing at home defeated Abesim Stars 2-1. Mike Owusu and Emmanuel Boakye scored for the homesters in the first half with Eric Ansu pulling a goal back for Abesim in the 85th minute.Tano F/C of Tanoso who on January 15 traveled to Chiraa to split points with local Gyako Stars stayed at home to spank Sunyani Soccer Stars 3-0 in their “Zone 1B” match.In the same zone Sunyani Aston Villa, who played a goalless drawn game with Soccer Stars in the maiden fixture of the league, once again shared the points with Sunyani Liberty Youth when their match ended goalless, while Suncity of Sunyani thrashed Gyako Stars 3-0 in Sunyani.In the “Zone 1C” pairings, Chiraaman of Chiraa who played a goalless drawn game with Sunyani Hamburg last week, beat Nom F/C of Sunyani 3-1, while the match between D.C. United and Hamburg, played in Sunyani ended with no goal to either side.Results of other matches played at the weekend were in “Zone 2A”, Senase Adwinpa F/C won 2-0 over Seikwa Soccer Professionals at Senase, while Biadan Barcelona F/C traveled to Berekum to split the points with Jah Warriors in a goalless game.In “Zone 3” Japekrom Mpuasuman, one of the strongest contestants in the zone white washed Adamsu Manchester United 2-0 at Japekrom. A week ago Mpuasuaman traveled to Konsia to play 2-2 with the local Aston Villa.In “Zone 4”, Kenyasi Hoffenham F/C thrashed Ntotrosoman of Ntotroso 3-1 at Kenyasi, while Goaso Nananom F/C, despite their home support, could only score a narrow 1-0 win against Kenyasi Angel F/C.Kintampo Top Talent narrowly beat local rivals, Destroyers 1-0 in their “Zone 5A” derby, while Buipe Rover Pool also whipped Kintampo Marcus 2-0 in the latter’s own background, with Krabonso New Castle playing a one-one drawn game with  Krotakyi Obooba F/C at Krabonso in “Zone 5B”.In the “Zone 6A”, Dormaa Future Stars who started the league with a goalless result with local rivals Golden Academy at Dormaa-Ahenkro, last Sunday remained at home for their second-week pairing with Royals and once again split points after playing nil-nil.In “Zone 6B” Wamfie Super Lions and Wamanafo Mighty Royals ended their encounter at Wamfie with no goal to either side, Kyeremasu Saviour Stars also had a nil-nil drawn game with Asuotiano F/C at Kyeremasu, while Asuowam F/C managed a 1-1 drawn match with Dormaa-Ahenkro Unity Sporting Club at Dormaa-Ahenkro.Bechem Youngsters thrashed Tepa Evergreen 2-0 at Bechem in the “Zone 7” pairings, as Bomaa A.C. Millan, playing at home, narrowly defeated Duayaw-Nkwanta Tano Ajax 3-2, with Banda Mountains playing 1-1 with Unity Sporting Club of Nwoase in their “Zone 8” match at Banda.In the same zone Wenchi United whacked Banda Youngsters 3-1 and Amponsakrom Black Stones drew 1-1 with Debibi Aku Stars at Amponsakrom.In “Zone 9”, Offuman Asukyiridi and Techiman Olympics ended in a 3-3 drawn encounter at Offuman, Tromeso Young Sparrows bowed 1-2 to Tuobodom Santos at Tromeso while in the “Zone 10” matches, Nyafumaman and Yeji Lazio F/C shared honours with a 0-0 result in their encounter at Nyafuma while Akuma Smiling Cosmos defeated Nkoranza Everton 1-0 at Akuma.GNA

Tullow Oil Launches Scholarship Scheme

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Tullow Oil Launches Scholarship Scheme Accra, Jan. 25, GNA -Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) on Wednesday launched the Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme (TGSS) in partnership with the British Council to help develop local skills and expertise in the oil industry.

The scheme, which forms a key part of Tullow’s overall approach to education and capacity building, will support postgraduate degrees, technical training and vocational studies.

The scholarships aim to support local people to participate in the oil and gas industry, and in other sectors that promote economic diversification.

The scheme will address both existing industry skill gaps and national capacity development requirements and is aligned with Tullow’s aim of supporting long-term socio-economic growth in countries where it operates.

A pilot phase had already begun in September 2011 with 24 Ghanaians from the public sector pursuing Masters Level studies with leading universities in the United Kingdom.

Launching the scheme, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, Minister of Energy, said the scholarship scheme would give practical meaning to the country’s quest for indigenization of the work force in the oil and gas industry.

“The initiative is a welcomed bold step very much appreciated by government. There is no better way to develop Ghanaians to take over the commanding heights of the oil and gas sector than this approach which in the not too distant future will see our own people giving true meaning to local content in the industry,” he said.

The full Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme will have up to 110 scholarship awards this year allocated across the following countries Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, French Guiana and Bangladesh.

This year, fifty scholarship awards from the Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme are available to Ghanaians, who meet the set criteria through a competitive process.

Ten of the available scholarships would be set aside for scholars from the six coastal districts of the Western Region bordering the Jubilee Field.

 “This is a huge investment in capacity building by any estimation,” Dr Oteng-Adjei said and urged beneficiaries of the scheme to return home after their training so as to create the opportunity for others to also benefit.

The scheme will be run through a partnership between Tullow and the British Council – an internationally recognised service provider in the area of scholarship management and partnership brokerage in higher education around the world.

Mr Aidan Heavey, CEO of Tullow Oil Plc, said: “This whole scheme is about developing potential – the potential that Tullow sees around it in Africa every day.  Developing local talent for the oil industry makes good business sense for us, and it makes sense for oil producing countries to develop talent beyond oil. 

This is a great opportunity for anyone who has thought about this and wants to make a real contribution to the future of their country.”

GNA

Legon TESCON calls on the Police be professional

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Legon TESCON calls on the Police be professional Accra, Jan. 24, GNA – The Tertiary Education Students’ Confederation of the New Patriotic Party NPP, University of Ghana (TESCON-Legon), has called on the Ghana Police Service to show professionalism during the intended demonstration by the Alliance For Accountable Governance.

The demonstration of the pressure group will take place on Wednesday, January 25 in Accra.

A statement, signed by Mr McLaw Gyamfi Philip, Press Secretary, TESCON-Legon, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday in Accra, noted that TESCON strongly believed that the demonstrators would receive the maximum cooperation from the Police and would not be intimidated.  

It said the demonstration is seen as a mass protest against a “gargantuan” crime committed against suffering taxpayers of the country by putting a whooping amount of money not less than GH¢ 58 million into a single person’s wallet for no work done.

 According to the statement the protest ahead of elections 2012 is one of the opportunities that citizens of the country could take to register displeasure against incompetency, hypocrisy “and most importantly, corruption”.

“It shall serve as a tool to tell the government how the people are poised to retrieve our money as Mr Martin Amidu was determined to do until he met his dismissal as Attorney General of the country”, it added.

The statement also appealed to President John Atta Mills to personally receive AFAG’s petition instead of delegating somebody to do so on his behalf.

It also called on all students who believed in their future to come out to support the demonstration.

GNA

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