A five-year-old girl was found lifeless at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality on Monday, May 12.
Per reports, the deceased went missing moments after her mother stepped out of the house, leaving the little girl asleep with her younger sister inside.
Upon her mum’s return, the deceased could not be found, leading to a frantic search.
The girl’s clothing, traced to the compound of one Fan Milk vendor, Ahiable Yao David, was found in a horrifying state, stained with blood.
A buried pot containing human parts believed to be that of the missing child was discovered under Ahiable Yao David’s bed after the police launched a full-scale investigation.
Meanwhile, the suspect, Ahiable Yao David, has fled the community; he is currently being sought by the police.
The incident has left residents in the area in fear, prompting calls for heightened security in the area.
Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has promised to improve the livelihoods of market women in the Volta Region by upgrading the Ho-Dzodze-Aflao road and constructing a modern market in Aflao.
Speaking to traders at the Ho central market during his campaign tour, Mahama assured them of a more seamless trading experience, with enhanced infrastructure to ease the flow of goods and services between Aflao and Ho.
Mr. Mahama underscored the NDC’s dedication to development, stating that his next administration would prioritize building essential infrastructure to bolster local commerce.
“Our party is known for its developmental and infrastructure works, and my government will prioritize the construction of the Ho-Dzodze-Aflao road and a new market in Aflao to provide comfort for trading activities,” he stated.
Alongside these commitments, Mr. Mahama announced plans to open a branch of the National Women’s Bank in the Ho Central Market.
This initiative seeks to offer financial support to women entrepreneurs, enabling them to expand their businesses and make a stronger impact on the local economy.
“The National Women’s Bank will be here in Ho Central to support your businesses, ensuring that you have the financial resources needed to thrive,” Mr Mahama assured the market women.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant, Alan Kyerematen has urged Volta region residents to unite behind him as the party’s flagbearer and presidential candidate in the 2024 elections.
He vows to continue the positive work of late President Jerry John Rawlings in the region.
Addressing delegates in Aflao, Ketu South, Dzodze, and Sogakope, Kyerematen, also known as Alan Cash, expresses his resemblance to Rawlings and appeals for the same love and support from Voltarians.
Despite the perception of the region as an NPP ‘no go area,’ Kyerematen believes the political landscape will change once he leads the party, relying on the people’s affection for him.
He urges delegates to vote for a tried and tested leader with national appeal, emphasizing the importance of defeating the NDC and “breaking the eight.” Kyerematen assures delegates of improved fortunes and proposes a monthly salary scheme for party executives.
Supporting him on the tour are John Peter Amewu, Minister for Railways and MP for Hohoe, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar, former Minister for Zongo Development, Mr. Yaw Boabeng Asamoah, and several NPP Regional executives.
A 33KV feeder from Aflao to Keta has been built by theElectricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to improve power delivery in the Volta Region’s southwest.
The power distribution company stringed new lines, erected poles, upgraded sections of the old lines, and installed transformers.
The acting Volta Regional General Manager, Ing. Michael Babin, said his outfit aims at promoting the growth of the local economy by ensuring stable power supply to Keta, Kedzi, Adafienu, Adina, Agavedzi, Blekusu, Vodja and surrounding communities.
“The aim to provide quality, reliable and safe electricity services to support the socio- economic growth and development of Ghana informed management’s decision to complete this project to provide convenience for our customers”, he said in an interview with myjoyoline.com.
Over the weekend, the communities of Duta and Agbawoeme were severely affected by floods caused by heavy rainfall.
This unfortunate event resulted in significant property damage and the displacement of numerous individuals.
The two adjoining communities are close to Diamond Cement at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region.
Property lost to the floods run into tens of thousands of Ghana cedis forcing residents to relocate to family members in nearby communities.
Sylvia Awuye Akpavor, a media practitioner, who lives close to the affected communities, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the situation was alarming as it has affected the residents’ daily activities.
Akpavor said, “I have personally visited Duta and Agbawoeme. When you go there now, the situation is very bad. Buildings have collapsed and the people have lost their belongings: clothing, cooking utensils, furniture. Even school children have had their uniforms, school bags and books swept away by the floods.” Possible cause
The assembly member for Duta electoral area, Gabriel Ayitey, attributed the flooding to the spillage of a dam constructed by Diamond Cement. It overflowed and spilled over into the communities.
He said, “This is not the first time we have experienced this flooding. It occurs every rainy season, but this year’s is just too much. We haven’t witnessed anything like this before. It’s a spillover from the Diamond Cement dam which opens into the communities.”
The assembly member called on the management of the factory to take immediate action to redirect the drainage channel to forestall further destruction to property and livelihoods.
Victims of the disaster, Dabla Moise, Dziwornu Komla Song and Dabla Enoa, took turns to pour out their frustrations to the GNA. They called on the Ketu South directorate of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to come to their aid.
The municipal co-ordinator of NADMO, Torgbi Alossode Eve Agadzi II, told the GNA that his outfit has been informed about the incident. The outfit is assessing the situation to find out what interim support can be offered the victims.
The co-ordinator said, “NADMO has been informed about this development. My team and the municipal chief executive, Maxwell Kofi Lugudor, visited the affected communities to assess the situation and to see how best the municipality can offer some interim assistance to the victims whiles we work to find a permanent solution to the problem.”
Meanwhile, Tati Rama Rao, the general manager of Diamond Cement Company, refuted claims by the residents that the flooding was due to the spillage of the company’s drainage system.
He told the GNA that management of thecompanywas informed about the unfortunate incident but attributing the floods to the spillage of the drainage system is far from the truth.
Rao said the communities are located in a naturally swampy and low-lying enclave. This contributes largely to flooding after a heavy downpour.
He added that the river that passes through the said dam to the communities has its source from Togo and has nothing to do with the activities of the factory.
He stated that the factory is ready to cooperate with other stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the problem.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has said Aflao, as the most vibrant border town in Ghana, deserves more than it currently has and, thus, in line with the party’s promises in the 2020 People’s Manifesto, the next NDC government will give the people of Aflao a modern international standard market, a new hospital, in addition to other socio-economic infrastructure.
Mr Mahama made the promise when he joined Togbui Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao, on the occasion of his 25th anniversary over the weekend.
Tobgui’s anniversary coincided with the Godigbe Festival of the chiefs and people of Aflao.
Mr Mahama expressed joy that Togbui visited and personally invited him to grace the occasion.
Aflao being a border town, people from I thank the people of Aflao Togo and Benin thronged the durbar ground to witness the ceremony.
Aflao is a town in Ketu South District in the Volta Region on Ghana’s border with Togo.
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South has disagreed with the ‘women are their own enemies’ claim.
She said in most cases, the men counterparts were the architects of the rivalry and the unhealthy competitions among women, and asked the men to stop causing hindrance to the progress of women.
Madam Gomashie said this in her closing remarks at a Gender Advocacy to Parliament (GAP) town hall meeting at Aflao, Ketu South.
The event was organised by Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), a civil society parliamentary monitoring organisation working across the continent with funding support from the French Embassy.
The meeting, the first under the GAP project for women and women group organisations was to discuss the gender angles to the parliamentary meeting and to ensure that women MPs received feedback from these groups to inform their work on the floor of Parliament.
Participants identified challenges to women’s involvement in politics and other fields, and suggested ways to addressing them.
“Women are not their own enemies. It is the culture that determines how to think. The patriarchal system, the socialisation process – assigning gender roles to boys and girls pulled women back early in life.” Madam Gomashie said.
The first-ever female MP in the entire southern Volta: Akatsi North and South, North, Central and South Tongu, Ketu North and South, and Keta and Anlo Constituencies since the Fourth Republic encouraged women to conquer the fears, discrimination, perceptions and all other obstacles to attain their aspirations.
She used herself as an example saying, she defied all odds, closed her ears to discouraging comments and soldiered on, and noted she would not have made history as the first female MP from the area if she had given up.
Mr Gilbert Borketey Boyefio, Programmes Manager, PNAFRICA said Ghana must be seen to be making efforts to attain the Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, and empowerment of women and girls, and the best way to do that was to retain the current number of female MPs and vote more women to the next Parliament to advocate for women issues.
Participants at the meeting identified cultural limitation, lack of resources, stigmatisation and right education among others as setbacks to women’s involvement in politics and progress in other fields.
They proposed creation of a fund by women caucus in Parliament to empower other women to join politics, female-child empowerment and finding ways to deal with teenage pregnancy to remove some of the barriers to girls/women’s progress.
The Ministry of Education has said it is committed to ensuring the promotion and development of education in the country.
It gave an assurance that it would ensure that access to quality education was enhanced.
A press statement issued by the Public Relations office of the ministry in a reaction to concerns that the government had abandoned the E-Block situated at Agblekpui, Aflao in the Ketu-South District of the Volta Region, said the project was 96 per cent complete.
Response
The statement, therefore, explained that the government had not abandoned any of the projects started by the previous government.
The statement was responding to concerns that the E-Block had been abandoned by the government.
It said the outstanding works included final painting and clearing of site, adding that it was working to resolve an issue between the consultant and the contractor over the payment of a recent submission dated August 31, 2021.
“To this end, the ministry pledges to complete the outstanding works and operationalise this E-Block community day senior high school, as well as others across the country,†the statement concluded.
Nineteen suspected Nigerians on board a VW crafter bus with registration number GR 5314-21 were arrested on Wednesday, April 21 by a joint military team known as the Motherland Team at Akuse.
The suspects confirmed in an interview that they were Nigerians and that they were travelling from Aflao to Madina in the Greater Accra Region.
All but one gave Nigerian names.
The one person claimed to be a Ghanaian.
They have been handed over to officials of the Ghana Immigration Service officials for further action.
The Aflao Police Command said robbery cases in Aflao, in the Volta Region, has declined.
According to Superintendent of Police Bempah Sarpong, the Aflao Police Commander, at the beginning of the New Year, the police had recorded petty crimes such as assault, threat of causing harm and serious robbery in the border town.
He said data available at the Aflao Police Command showed 26 cases of robbery in 2016, 12 in 2017, 19 each in 2018 and 2019 and seven in 2020.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Supt Sarpong said the decline in robbery case was due to dedication of personnel to fight crime, which led to the arrest and incarceration of criminals who engaged in armed robberies in Aflao area.
He noted, for instance, court rulings on December 17 and 24, 2020, at Keta Circuit Court, which imprisoned six persons for robbery.
The Aflao Traditional Council has condemned what they describe as unwanted attacks on their people by some security personnel deployed to intensify border security in the Ketu South Municipality.
In a press statement issued last Monday, June 29, 2020, the council said: “We the Chiefs of Aflao Traditional Council in collaboration with Aflao indigenes home and abroad wish to appeal to H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana to call to order the military personnel brutalizing the civilian population.â€
They also appealed to the President to as a matter of urgency withdraw the obstacles placed in the daily activities of the Aflao people, most of whose economic life is dependent on business on both sides of the borderline.
Togbe Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V in the statement which was read on his behalf explained that Aflao is the second most populous town in terms of population after Ho in the whole of the Volta Region and one of the top three port revenue generators in Ghana.
That notwithstanding, the over 70,000 population continues to be denied developmental projects that create jobs. The fortunate ones that land jobs in Lome (Togo), including headporters (Kayayes) and truck pushers, are stuck home due to border closure precipitated by Covid-19.
It is for this reason that some try to cross the border. It is purely a survival issue, hence the increased security presence and alleged intimidations is only adding more injuries to their woes.
The Chiefs who surrounded their Overlord clad in black and red attire said tents and checkpoints have been mounted all over the rural settlements, including markets specifically from Akito to Wudoaba against civil norms, thereby inhibiting people from performing their daily activities and their right to life and movements.
He said, the presence of the troops who arrived in the area last Thursday, June 18, 2020 is “causing fear and panic amongst the inhabitants as the officers embark on house to house searches within the towns. Additionally, the constant harassment of citizens occupying the borderlands are having a detrimental effect on agricultural and other produce being brought to the markets.â€
They also wondered why the government seems to be projecting its power across the Volta Region without doing same at the Western frontier with Ivory Coast or the Northern frontier with Burkina Faso.
To this end, the armed and uniformed personnel consisting of the Army, Police, Immigration and National Security are doing more harm than good. More so, continues unprovoked intimidation and oppression ends up empowering the oppressed to react, Togbe Fiti warned.
“We as Chiefs cannot look on unconcerned when security personnel brutalize our citizens no matter how difficult the situation they find themselves in,†Togbe Fiti noted.
Adding that “because we are peace-loving does not make us cowards; when the fire is lit, there will be no turning back and the said fire will consume everything in its path.â€
Commercial activities at the Aflao Border have seen a sharp decline as Ghana’s eastern neighbour, Togo, goes to the polls today to elect the country’s next president.
As a result, not only was the usual bustle from business and transport operators along the main border absent but human and vehicular traffic was also non-existent as travellers and residents avoided crossing the border.
Some people the Ghana News Agency (GNA) spoke with during a visit to the border revealed that this was the first time in a long time that the Togo side of the border had remained opened while presidential election was ongoing.
Madam Kayisan Aguto, a cloth seller, said: “Any time Togolese are voting, nobody can enter Togo from Ghana or come to Ghana from there. It’s a surprise that the border is opened today while they’re voting.”
“Since that has become the norm, people assumed that the Togo
Border will be closed and so traders from Kumasi and other parts of Ghana couldn’t come today.”
Madam Aguto said earlier in the morning, some traders were at the border but went back for the fear of the unknown.
The various transport stations at Aflao, including the State Transport Company and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union were virtually empty.
Mr Francis Halolo, who books vehicles for Accra, said business had been slow throughout the day due to the election adding; “The system has really been dry today.”
Mr Kwasi Amedzro, a forex bureau operator, said: “leaving the Togo border open during elections means a wind of change is about to blow over the country.”
He noted that he did not open his shop because of uncertainties and hoped the change would translate into free and fair elections that would be accepted by all.
A total of seven candidates including President Faure Gnassingbe under the banner of Union for the Republic (UNIR) and his two strong opponents, Mr Jean-Piere Fabre and Dr Agbeyome Kodjo, are in the race for the presidency.
The rest are Professor Tchaboure Gogue, Dr Georges William Kuessan, Mr Mohamed Tchassona Traore and Prof Komi Wolou.
