Secretary of the Kumasi Central Market Traders Union, Emilia Kwofie, has announced their intention to protest against the government due to delays in the second phase of the Kejetia Central Market redevelopment project. Some traders have been displaced since the market’s demolition.
In an interview with Citi News, Emilia Kwofie mentioned that the union is in discussions with the police to schedule a demonstration so that affected traders can return to work.
She noted that despite promises from the Mayor of Kumasi that construction would commence after receiving a loan from the International Monetary Fund, the project remains stalled even after the initial funds were disbursed.
âWe have been to the mayorâs office a couple of times to inquire because you just canât demonstrate when you donât have any concrete information. We were assured that if the IMF money comes, work will commence. Unfortunately, we have realized that even though the IMF money is in, no work is done. There are quite a number of us who were evacuated from the place,” Secretary of the combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union said.
She added that, “So our people keep pushing that if we want to go diplomatically and the government is not listening to us, then we will have to take it to the streets. So that somebody sees us and nobody hears us. As we talk to you now, we are still talking with the police to give us a date when we can demonstrate. All we want is for work to resume so that we can start our businesses; we canât stay in the house forever.â
However, the newspaper noted that Kumasi’s mayor, Samuel Pyne, had not specified a precise time for the start of work.
He claimed that talks over the project are still going on with the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Finance.
In a chilling case that has shocked the community of Sokoban-Apaaso near Kumasi, details have emerged about a househelp who allegedly murdered his employer.
According to court documents, the accused, John Allister, was hired just a day after applying for the position through an employment agency based in Accra. Shockingly, the murder occurred only six days after he began working at the victim’s residence.
John Allister submitted his job application on September 4, 2023, and commenced work the very next day. His duties included assisting the woman he would later be accused of murdering in Kumasi.
On September 11, 2023, around 11 a.m., a gruesome incident unfolded. Moments after the deceased had prepared a meal of fufu, which she shared with the accused, she was brutally attacked.
She suffered a stab wound to the stomach and was repeatedly struck on the head and face with a club. The absence of the victim’s 11-year-old daughter, who was at school at the time, provided the accused with an opportunity.
After committing this heinous act, John Allister allegedly contacted two other individuals, James Anokye and a person named Collins, and they visited the deceased’s home. Together, they absconded with a KIA Sportage vehicle bearing registration GS 307-21, a Samsung mobile phone, rice, cooking oil, and various other valuable items.
The perpetrators managed to escape to Accra, where they made arrangements to sell the stolen vehicle to a fourth accomplice named Biggy, who is currently at large. Biggy, in turn, planned to sell the vehicle to Christian Obu, a fifth accomplice who is also evading authorities.
John Allister, after successfully selling his late employer’s KIA Sportage car, used some of the proceeds to purchase a Toyota Vitz car registered as GS 3107-23.
John Allister(Right) & James Anokye made first appearance in court
As law enforcement agencies pursued the third, fourth, and fifth accomplices, James Anokye, the second accused person, abandoned the KIA Sportage vehicle at Oyibi Police Station and fled.
The discovery of the late Stella Osei’s body, also known as Princess Afua Ahenkan, was made by the Crime Scene Management team in the garage of her Apaaso residence following a report to the police. A blood-stained club, believed to have been the murder weapon, was also recovered at the crime scene on September 12, 2023.
In an intelligence-led operation, the police arrested the first and second accused persons in their hideouts in Accra on September 14, 2023. They were subsequently transported to Kumasi to face trial.
During their initial court appearance, Allister John, aged 22, and his accomplice, James Anokye, aged 27, stood before the Asokore Mampong District Court. Allister John, the primary suspect, surprised the court by acknowledging responsibility for the murder of 35-year-old Stella Osei, also known as Princess Afua Ahenkan.
Although the court did not immediately address the accused persons’ pleas, the main suspect, John Allister, expressed his remorse by raising his hand and requesting leniency from the court. He even went as far as asking for the release of the second accused person, James Anokye, whom he claimed had no involvement in the crime.
However, ASP Stephen Ofori, leading the prosecution, emphasized that due process would be followed during the trial, signaling that justice would be sought for the victim, Stella Osei.
âThis is a case of murder and the due process must be followed. Even though he has told the court that he admits whatever happened, the due process must be followed,â he told journalists.
A father-in-law to the deceased, Kofi Yeboah, who witnessed proceedings in court says he was saddened to hear five persons were involved in the murder.
According to him, the husband of the deceased who is based in the United Kingdom, has been crying all day over the callous murder of his wife.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT) has issued a warning that this year’s September to November rainfall distribution could result in increased localized flooding in low-lying regions of Accra and Kumasi.
The agency also expressed concerns about the likelihood of heavy flooding in the northern region due to the expected high rainfall and the possibility of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso spilling over.
These warnings were detailed in this year’s September-October-November (SON) forecast, which was provided to the Daily Graphic.
Francisca Martey, Deputy Director and Head of Research and Applied Meteorology at GMeT, noted that the current rainfall pattern outlined in the forecast was not unusual.
According to the agency, this year’s SON rainfall is projected to be above normal for most regions in Ghana, except for specific areas in the southwestern parts, such as Asankragwa in the Western Region, and transitional zones like Kintampo and the surrounding rainforest regions to the north, where rainfall is expected to be normal.
The majority of the rainfall is anticipated to be in the form of light to moderate rain spread over several hours, with occasional heavy downpours.
The northern part of the country is also expected to experience above-normal rainfall during SON. At the peak of the season, there is a high probability of heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning, potentially leading to localized floods, especially in low-lying areas of Accra and Kumasi in October.
To prepare for the rainy season, the agency has advised authorities in the disaster management sector to establish and activate integrated monitoring and early warning systems for flood risk.
Collaboration between agencies responsible for flood monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian aid should also be enhanced. Additionally, residents in flood-prone areas are urged to consider relocating.
In areas with heavy rainfall, the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera, malaria, dengue fever, bilharzia, and diarrhea increases.
To mitigate this, the agency recommends intensifying public education on disaster risk reduction through national media and information vans. Collaboration between meteorological, hydrological, and disaster management organizations should also be strengthened.
For agriculture, especially in eastern coastal areas, the agency advises farmers to focus on short maturation crops due to the shorter rainy season. Farmers are encouraged to invest in improved seed varieties and yield enhancement techniques for both food and cash crops.
Diversifying income-generating activities and adopting farming practices like no-tillage, mulching, market gardening, and agroforestry are also recommended to offset potential production deficits caused by dry spells at the end of the season.
Farmers should also plan to protect their harvest from rain-related post-harvest losses.
Regarding climate change, Prof. Kwadwo Owusu, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies at the University of Ghana, stated that while climate change does impact rainfall patterns, the current situation is considered normal.
He emphasized that experiencing more rains from August to October is within the normal range, and there is no cause for alarm.
In a broader context, experts warn that changes in rainfall patterns due to global warming can have significant implications for agriculture, potentially leading to food insecurity, especially in developing countries reliant on seasonal rainfall.
These changes could also worsen issues like floods, droughts, and famines, further underscoring the importance of addressing climate change.
The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has beefed up its efforts to control indiscriminate waste disposal by introducing sanitation guards across the country to monitor and manage the haphazard disposal of plastic waste and garbage.
For now, the sanitation guards without uniforms have been stationed in various prominent cities and urban areas such as Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, and Tamale.
Individuals caught littering or discarding plastic waste and polythene bags will be required to either collect their litter, pay an immediate fine, or potentially undergo legal proceedings, according to Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Minister in charge of the sector.
The Minister was interacting with the media after she inspected work on the evacuation of 10 refuse dumps in some communities in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.
The Ministry, in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a private waste management and sanitation company, is evacuating the refuse dumps, which had been in the communities over the years.
Already, it had evacuated some refuse dumps at Terchire, Nsesreso, Jerusalem and Bourkrurkiwa near Duayaw-Nkwanta, the municipal capital, and constructed some toilet facilities in some of the deprived communities to serve the people.
Dr Prempeh, also the Member of Parliament for Tano North, said the Ministry was engaging relevant institutions and key stakeholders to draft a bill that would support and sustain the nationwide exercise, which sought to promote environmental cleanliness and control the outbreaks of communicable diseases.
She expressed disgust about the bad attitude of some Ghanaians towards environmental protection and hoped the exercise would not only keep the environment clean but change the poor attitude of some people towards sanitation practices.
The Ministry was working hard towards the segregation and recycling of waste for other purposes, she said, and thus called on households to desist from keeping plastic and other waste materials together.
She urged the public to cooperate with the Ministry and support the exercise to achieve desirable outcomes in order to channel the huge sums of money the government spent on waste management into other development ventures.
Mr Sampson Akwettey, the Acting Director, Environmental Health and Sanitation at the Ministry, said bad sanitation practices remained a huge problem in the country, which ought to be tackled decisively and proactively.
He said the outbreak of communicable diseases such as cholera and typhoid was due to poor sanitary environment and cautioned the people against indiscriminate waste disposal.
Mr Edward Ziddah, the Ahafo Regional Coordinator of Zoomlion, told the Ghana News Agency the firm was evacuating 33 refuse dumps in the entire region.
At Nsesreso, Mrs Clara Adu Sarpong, a resident and an opinion leader, expressed appreciation to the Ministry for evacuating the refuse dumps.
Hitherto, she said the refuse dump served as breeding grounds for rodents and snakes while malaria was common because of the mosquitoes.âŻ
Employees of the Health Services Workers Union at Kumasi South Hospital have expressed strong opposition to the appointment of Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso, a former Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), to their institution.
A communication from the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, revealed the decision to assign Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso to a two-year contract as a Consultant specializing in Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery at Kumasi South Hospital.
Although the official notice has not yet reached the hospital’s management, certain staff members have raised concerns regarding the appointment of the former KATH CEO.
Joshua Lawrence Nii Adu Arday, the Vice Chairman of the Health Services Workers Union at Kumasi South Hospital, stated their intention to resist the appointment, citing reservations about Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso’s suitability for the role.
“We’ve heard reports, even on social media, about Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso’s potential transfer to Kumasi South Hospital. If these reports are accurate, then we are not in favor of his appointment. He is a plastic surgeon, and we question his relevance here. We have capable individuals who can manage the affairs of this hospital. Furthermore, he is 65 years old. What exactly is his purpose in coming here?”
Mr Arday clarified that their opposition is not against the government’s aim of increasing staff numbers at the hospital.
A strong security presence has been established at the premises of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to prevent a potential incursion by tricycle operators who are opposing a directive aimed at restricting their movement within certain parts of the metropolis.
On a recent Monday, irate tricycle operators gathered at the KMA premises demanding the release of their impounded tricycles.
The situation escalated and armed police officers were summoned to maintain order, resulting in a confrontational clash.
In order to prevent a recurrence of such events, both police and military personnel have been stationed at the KMA premises.
The Public Relations Officer of the KMA, Henrietta Afia Konadu, asserted that the Assembly will not retract its decision to enforce the directive.
She explained that among the individuals apprehended on August 7, roughly five or six were not actual tricycle operators but were enticed to participate in causing disruptions. These individuals claimed they were responding to a call to cause disturbances at the KMA premises.
“At present, they are in police custody. We have informed the police that we wish for the case to go to court, allowing the legal system to determine the outcome of the situation. We currently hold 43 tricycles in our custody, as there were initially 46, but three were forcefully removed,” she clarified.
The KMA’s directive has sparked a contentious debate about the role of tricycles in the city.
Some individuals perceive tricycles as a source of inconvenience and contributors to traffic congestion, while others argue that tricycles are a crucial mode of transportation, particularly for the economically disadvantaged.
The KMA has reiterated its commitment to upholding and enforcing the directive.
Agogo Hospital which is serving as the Ashanti regional hospital in Kumasi, is experiencing a rise in tension due to the reappointment of Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso.
In 2017, President Akufo Addo appointed Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso as the acting CEO of the Teaching Hospital.
He was subsequently confirmed as the CEO for the facility with a four-year mandate to oversee the day-to-day operations of Ghana’s second premier health center.
Upon the completion of his initial four-year term, Dr. Owusu-Danso’s service was extended by an additional two years, culminating in 2022.
Following his retirement, the government appointed Prof. Dr. Dr. Ochere Addai Mensah, the former Dean of Students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to succeed him.
The reappointment of Dr. Owusu-Danso has triggered tensions within Agogo South Hospital.
The Police in Mankessim have arrested couples suspected to be in their late 50s.
They have been accused of robbing passengers of their belongings at Harom Junction along the Mankessim stretch of the Cape Coast highway.
The alleged modus operandi involves posing as a couple and hiring a taxi to appear as if they are heading to Cape Coast.
Once inside the taxi, they stop at bus stops, and one of them swiftly snatches the passengers’ bags before speeding away in the waiting taxi.
Their streak of successful robberies came to an end when they attempted to snatch a passenger’s bag in Saltpond.
Another vehicle noticed the incident and gave chase, leading to the apprehension of the suspects.
Currently, the suspects remain under the custody of the Mankessim Police Command while further investigations take place.
An eyewitness recounted the incident to the media stated that, “I was traveling from Saltpond to Mankessim around 12 p.m. When I reached Harom Junction, I saw a car coming from Saltpond. It tried to cross in front of me, but I almost hit it. One of the passengers in the car alerted me that they were thieves. I was originally heading to Mankessim, but I turned around and followed them.”
“I informed an oncoming sprinter driver to follow them as well. The sprinter driver overtook them, and I positioned my vehicle right behind them, blocking their escape route. They were two men and two women, possibly in their 50s. The police were called, and they were apprehended. They had a sack containing several purses they had stolen. Some of the robbed passengers were traveling from Cape Coast and Kumasi.”
The eyewitness further revealed that the criminals had been causing distress to passengers in the area for some time. “A few weeks ago, a passenger I picked complained bitterly about being robbed of GHÂą10,000,” he stated.
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, left for Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, July 30, 2023, to participate in their Emancipation Day Celebration.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has been designated as the distinguished guest of honor for the Emancipation Day celebration, an annual event held on August 1 to mark the complete eradication of Chattel Slavery in the British colonies on August 1, 1834.
Opemsuo Radio, based in Kumasi, shared a video displaying the welcoming ceremony of the Ashanti Kingdom’s monarch in Port of Spain, the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday.
The video captured the arrival of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s plane at Piarco International Airport in Port of Spain.
Arrival of His Majesty Otumfuo at the Piarco International Airport, Trinidad and Tobago
Upon disembarking from the plane, the Asantehene was greeted by representatives from the government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Subsequently, he conducted an inspection of a guard of honor before proceeding to attend a welcome ceremony.
Trinidad and Tobago’s President, Christine Kangaloo, extended an official invitation to Otumfuo, designating him as the special guest for their 2023 Emancipation Day celebration. The invitation was conveyed through the Prime Minister of the country, Keith Christopher Rowley, and their Honorary Counsel.
The first country to celebrate the day is Trinidad and Tobago.
The public recognition bestowed upon Cpl Edward Opoku is not merely a consequence of a job promotion, but rather a result of the exceptional acts that have earned him such praise.
While serving as a lance corporal in the Ghana Prisons Service, this courageous individual went above and beyond to facilitate the apprehension of an escaped fugitive from the Ahinsan Camp Prison in Kumasi, located in the Ashanti Region.
As stated in a report by graphic.com.gh, Cpl Edward Opoku, with service number 11557, and also serving as a sound engineer with the Prison’s Master Piece Band, demonstrated exceptional professionalism and courage in his actions, leading to his well-deserved recognition.
The report dated December 3, 2022, said the officer, stationed in Accra, mentioned that he was en route to visit a friend in Asiwa, Kumasi. However, the journey came to an unexpected halt at Bomfa Akyiase, as the driver of the commercial vehicle he was traveling with decided to end the trip there.
Before he could proceed with his journey, he overheard some residents in the area discussing the arrest of a fugitive.
Further reports indicate that the officer was informed that the man had managed to escape from prison and was apprehended while attempting to steal a mobile phone in the community.
Despite the enraged residents’ near-lynching stance towards the fugitive, Cpl Opoku courageously took the risk and intervened, rescuing the escapee, but not without sustaining injuries himself in the process.
âI sustained injuries while trying to protect the fugitive. I feared for the life of the fugitive but the angry mob would not listen to me. had to show them my identification card at some point,â he said, the report added.
After successfully apprehending the fugitive, Cpl Edward Opoku proceeded to take him to the nearest police station located in Pemenase, a community situated after Bomfa Akyiase. However, the policemen at the station declined to receive the prisoner due to concerns that he might not withstand custody, given his weakened state from the beatings he endured. Cpl Edward Opoku then took it upon himself to bring the escapee to a medical facility, where both of them received the necessary medical attention.
Subsequently, Cpl Edward Opoku facilitated the transfer of the fugitive to the Kumasi Central Prison and later arranged for his relocation to the Prison’s headquarters in Accra, as mentioned in the report.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has initiated measures to limit tricycle operations within the central business district (CBD) of Kumasi.
This action is aimed at tackling congestion issues in the city.
Despite strong opposition from tricycle riders, Randy Wilson, head of the KMA’s transport department, remains steadfast in enforcing the directive.
The KMA’s plan to reorganize transport services within the city has been a priority in recent months.
Engagements with tricycle operators were conducted, highlighting that using tricycles for commercial purposes is considered illegal based on traffic regulations 2180.
The KMA emphasizes the need to curb certain activities to combat increasing congestion.
Originally scheduled for June 15, 2023, the implementation of the directive has been postponed to an unspecified later date due to ongoing sensitization efforts.
The KMA’s Public Relations Officer, Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye, clarifies that the directive is a restriction, not a complete ban, on tricycle movement within the CBD.
To enforce the directive, the KMA’s transport department and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) will be present at various checkpoints.
Tricycles found violating the restriction will face impoundment and fines at the Central Police Station or the assembly’s towing site.
In an accident that happened close to Sekyere Kankan on the Kumasi to Volta Region, three people have perished and several more are injured.
According to blogger Kobby Kyei, who was on the site of the event, a Zhong Tong Bus with the license plate GW 5546-23 drove into a nearby shrub when the driver attempted to make room for an approaching car.
âIn the early hours of today, a tragic accident occurred near Sekyere Kankan involving a Zhong Tong Bus with registration number GW 5546-23, carrying passengers from Kumasi to the Volta region.
According to reports gathered from the police at the scene and local residents, the accident was caused when the driver attempted to give way to an overtaking vehicle but unfortunately lost control, veering off the road and into the bushes.
âRegrettably, three individuals lost their lives in the incident, and numerous others sustained critical injuries. I would like to commend the Ghana Police and the ambulance service for their swift response in transporting the injured passengers to the hospital. Their efforts deserve appreciation recognition,â he wrote.
BLOG REPORT: Road Safety – Fatal Accident Involving Zhong Tong Bus GW 5546-23 from Kumasi to Volta Region!!!
In the early hours of today, a tragic accident occurred near Sekyere Kankan involving a Zhong Tong Bus with registration number GW 5546-23, carrying passengers from⊠pic.twitter.com/OpNHWGrNKh
Kobby Kyei revealed that one of the fatalities in the accident is a bride who got married two weeks ago in a later post in which he expressed displeasure over the frequent accidents on the stretch and the need to solve the problem.
Improvement of VALCO-Kpone road in Tema advancing steadily, according to the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah.
Tanker drivers’ nationwide strike prompted urgent action to improve road conditions, resulting in the strike suspension.
Mr. Amoako-Attah mentioned that the road is receiving a strong base due to the heavy vehicles using it. Works on the road and others leading to tanker depots will continue until completion.
âIt is being developed into an asphalt concrete road, and work will not cease until this road reaches its final completion stage. It will not be limited to the Kpone road; we are also looking at other depots across the country, especially in Takoradi, Bupe, Kumasi, and others.â
Amoako-Attah highlights government-tanker association relationship for peace and national development.
Resident Engineer Edward Annang states that motorists will soon have access to road shoulders after culvert completion.
âWe have been able to fill in all the depressed areas that were containing pools of water with the necessary materials. So far, we have also removed all the bad areas on the shoulders and replaced them with good ones. The aim is to transfer the traffic to the shoulders so that we can start with the main works,â he added.
In a tragic incident, two bulldogs attacked and killed an eight-year-old boy while he was attempting to feed them at his family’s residence in the Abrepo-Broni suburb of Kumasi.
According to an anonymous eyewitness who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the mutilated body of the boy was released for burial with the consent of the Police, who are continuing their investigation into the incident.
The witness explained that the family had brought the two bulldogs as a security measure due to past robbery incidents.
They had lived with the dogs for five years without any previous aggression. The deceased had developed a close bond with the animals as he was responsible for feeding them.
On the day of the incident, the boy’s parents were away, and he was with his siblings and grandmother at home. The grandmother heard the boy’s cry for help shortly after he went to feed the dogs.
She rushed to his rescue but was also attacked, suffering multiple bites on her arm, under her breast, ribs, and thigh. She was also stripped naked by the dogs.
The boy’s elder brother attempted to rescue him but was also bitten on the arm. In pain, he went outside and called for assistance, but neighbors were unable to approach the scene due to the aggressive nature of the dogs. The Police were subsequently called in.
The Police had to shoot and kill one of the dogs while standing on the fence wall of the house.
They later found and shot the second dog. The Police quickly transported the deceased, his injured brother, and grandmother to a hospital, but the boy was pronounced dead on arrival.
The deceased’s body was initially deposited at the hospital’s mortuary and has since been released for burial.
The grandmother and elder brother were treated and discharged from the hospital.
A male student blackmailer has recently leaked a sex tape involving two first-year students from Kwadaso SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region. The video, which was recorded off-campus, came into the possession of the blackmailer after the female student handed her phone over to a colleague for repairs.
The blackmailer, having copied the video from the phone, proceeded to demand Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC50,000) from the female colleague and threatened to release the video if she failed to meet his demand.
Due to the lady’s financial constraints, she was unable to fulfill the blackmailer’s request, which led to the strategic release of the tape during the evening church service on Wednesday, June 23, 2023, precisely at 6:30 PM.
According to reports from some students, the unfortunate incident caused a disruption during the church service, as the entire auditorium burst into laughter due to the perceived lack of respect exhibited by the female student.
Confirming the incident, a female student shared the details with the media…
âWhat I can say is that yes, the two persons in the video are our colleague students. They are all first-year students. The video was recorded off campus thatâs all. The case at the moment is before management of the schoolââ She said.
She added âThe two students even though they are adult I think they need psychological support; the issue is very embarrassingââ.
However, she declined to confirm whether the two students featured in the sex tape are currently present on the campus or not.
Numerous attempts to contact the school management for their response regarding the matter have been unsuccessful.
A prominent figure named K. Gyamera, who participated in a panel discussion on Sompa FM, a radio station based inKumasi, has expressed his frustrations over Ghana’s lack of development despite the nation’s abundant resources.
Since achieving independence, Ghana has faced difficulties in effectively managing its affairs without external intervention.
In a widely shared video, the man, appearing to be in his 40s, suggests that Ghana’s leaders have not fully exploited these resources and proposes that it may be more beneficial to allow foreigners, particularly individuals of Caucasian descent, to take charge, as Ghanaians themselves are not fully utilising their own resources.
During a media interview on Friday, June 30, Gyamera passionately remarked that other countries rarely experience economic hardships due to their ability to maximise the potential of their limited resources through effective strategies and utilisation.
“Given that we are failing to harness the potential of our lands, we should allow the Whites to use our bodies as fertiliser by excavating us,” he said passionately.
“The Whites have a knack for making the most of what they have. Just look at the quality of their waterâdoes it appear discoloured? We, on the other hand, are plagued by mismanagement, which is why our water is discoloured,” he added.
Gyamera emphasised the need for Ghanaians to unite and work collaboratively to bring about positive change within the country and on a global scale.
Efforts have been made by successive governments to transform Ghana’s fortunes; however, challenges persist.
A Nigerian fraudster, whose name has been withheld, has confessed to killing two virgins and eating their hearts as part of a money ritual.
The shocking revelation came to light during an interaction with a pastor, where the fraudster disclosed the details of his involvement.
According to him, a friend introduced him to a herbalist in Kumasi who promised to help them attain wealth. However, the herbalist instructed him to bring two virgins to be sacrificed on an altar.
âA friend took me to a herbalist in Kumasi. He gave me a ring and asked me to bring two virgins. When I brought them, he asked me to kill them and I did so with my bare hands. After I killed them, he asked me to take out their hearts and eat them, which I did because I wanted quick money. I ate the hearts alongside some alcohol,â he confessed.
He further revealed that he was also asked to consume uncooked goat meat as part of the ritual, which marked the beginning of his wealth. He claimed to have made billions after making these sacrifices, gaining access to many Ghanaian celebrities and achieving fame. However, his prosperity was short-lived as he eventually started experiencing mental instability.
âI was going mad about a year ago. I even walked from Lagos to Warri (a distance of about 428.7 km), barefooted,â he said.
His confession confirms the practice of occult internet fraud or ritual killings, popularly known as Sakawa or Yahoo plus, which is reportedly one of the many illegal activities that some young people engage in to get quick money.
These activities have been on the rise in Ghana and Nigeria in recent years.
Unemployment has been cited as the major challenge which most Ghanaian youth face, which in turn creates economic hardships for young people who then decide to explore quick schemes to escape poverty.
Reports from Nigeria also indicate that the increase in the activity is âonly a reflection of desperation for wealth and security amid creeping collapse of law and order.â
However, the act has been described as a threat to national security and the laws of both countries frown upon it.
A 68-year-old Ghanaian, Zulfawu Ishaku, has lost her life while on pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
It is unclear what caused the death of the pilgrim but 3news.comâs sources are attributing it to hardship.
The deceased was believed to have hailed fromKumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The deceased was said to be on visiting visa, which is not allowed by Saudi authorities for pilgrimage.
Such persons are said to infiltrate the Ghanaian camp annually to observe the Hajj at the expense of government-registered pilgrims.
This year, the Ghana Hajj Board warned would-be pilgrims not to attempt to travel to Saudi Arabia with such visas as they would be arrested and handed over to the authorities.
Over the weekend, three of such persons were arrested. Zulfawu Ishaku was said to have travelled toMeccaduring Umrah season with the intention to stay over and perform Hajj with those officially permitted to.
Unfortunately, on her part, she went through difficult times during her stay which led to a worsening medical situation, resulting in her demise.
Officials of the Ghana Consulate has been informed about the situation and processes are underway to have her buried.
Drivers and traders in the Dr. Mensah area of theKumasi Central Market are urgentlyappealing to city authorities to address a growing pit that poses a significant threat.
Commuters are expressing concern about the danger it poses and the potential risks to the lives of drivers and traders who frequently pass through the area.
Initially starting as a small hole, the section now resembles an abandoned mining pit and has expanded along a major road in the Dr. Mensah area of the Kumasi Central Market.
The part of the market where the pit is developing is a very busy trading area where drivers, traders, and commuters compete for space daily.
Yaa Agyeiwaa, who sells at that part of the central market, recounted how a commuter who was not aware of the pit fell into it.
She said, âIt was one afternoon on a Wednesday when we noticed that a portion of the area was caving in. I told my colleague here about what I saw, and he also called the driver whose vehicle was parked there.
Just as he moved the vehicle, it caved in. Passersby have been complaining about how scary the pit is. One commuter fell into the pit the other day, and I had to call people around to help bring him out.â
The area where the pit has developed is also where taxi drivers ply their trade and transport passengers to parts of the Kumasi metropolis.
The drivers have accused city authorities of turning a blind eye to the problem.
One of the drivers, Baah Wiredu, told Citi News, âThe authorities will wait until there is a disaster before they come around.
This is not what we are looking for. We as drivers have made efforts to draw the attention of authorities.
Someone called the KMA Boss, but he told us it was the duty of Urban Roads to fix this. But he could have used his office to get the right people to do it.
The authorities are only interested in getting our votes during elections, and when they are voted for, they forget. We want them to come and fix this for us.â
Passengers who pick up vehicles at this station are equally worried about the development.
The news team caught a first-time user of that part of the market, Afia Agyemang, who was shocked by what she saw.
âI was very shocked to see the pit. I was so scared too. Imagine it rains and the place is filled with water. People who are not aware will easily drown. The authorities must be swift in fixing it,â she appealed.
Officials at the Urban Roads Department confirmed to Citi News that the development has been brought to their attention, and steps are being taken to fix the pit.
However, traders and drivers want this to be done immediately to avert a possible disaster.
The Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Awutu Senya EastMunicipal Assembly (ASEMA) has seized some meat products suspected of anthrax contamination at the Kasoa market.
The product included legs, ribs, tail, head and other parts of the cow.
Following the outbreak of the disease in the Upper East Region, the Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) ordered the ban on sales and transportation of livestock, including cattle, sheep and goat.
This measure is to control and avert the spread of the disease and its devastating impact on the lives of animals and human beings.
Subsequently, through the vigilance of some Environmental officers at the Adam Nana/Kpometey Zonal Council Area, some suspected unwholesome smoked beef displayed on the market on Monday, June 12, were confiscated amid protests from owners.
Mr. John Gavi, Environmental Health Officer in charge of the zone, said upon interrogation they realised that the meat was transported fromBawku and the police had to be called in to confiscate the product.
According to the officer, documents covering the products was dated Wednesday, June 7, the very day the directive was issued with a total quantity of seven small sacks and was expected to be transported to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
He said a veterinary officer conducted a test on the meat but because it was smoked the toxicity of the product could not be established.
However, he stated in view of the outbreak and subsequent ban on transportation of such meat, the environmental office was mandated to confiscate the product, which would be destroyed by burning.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has engaged market women in Kumasi in an open forum on the need to practice proper food safety.
The forum forms parts of a series of activities to mark the World Food Safety Day which is celebrated on June 7 every year.
Earlier on, the market women and staff from the FDA joined the food safety awareness creation float through some selected streets of Kumasi.
The forum tends to raise awareness and encourage actions to prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks amongst market women.
This yearâs theme is: â Food Standards Saves Lives.â
The focus of the celebration was to remind participants of the critical role that food safety plays in our daily lives.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Roderick Daddey-Adjei, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for FDA stressed the need to resonate deeply on a collective mission to ensure the well-being and health of every individual.
He noted that various aspects such as food security, human health, agriculture, and sustainable development enhanced the global organisationâs endeavours in ensuring the safety of the food and therefore should be adhered to.
Mr Daddey-Adjei said, food standards encompassed a wide range of aspects from hygiene to the rigorous testing of ingredients and therefore encouraged promoting food safety as a priority in public discussions, and thus reducing the global burden of foodborne diseases.
He said foodborne illnesses are typically caused by infectious or toxic agents that are often invisible to the naked eye.
He added that the illnesses resulted from the entry of bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances into the body through contaminated food or water thereby causing harm to individuals.
He explained that, maintaining food safety was crucial throughout the entire food chain, which ranged from production and harvesting to processing, storage, distribution, and ultimately, preparation and consumption and therefore called on the citizenry to give it much attention.
He noted that, as custodians of the public health it was incumbent on them to ensure that every morsel that reached the plate was safe.
He advised the participants to join efforts of the government regulatory agencies in order to achieve real and lasting solutions to food safety issues.
Nana Afia Kyeiwaa, the Queen mother for the Racecourse Market Women Association lamented the poor state of the market and called on government authorities to act swiftly to ensure the standards of food safety was followed.
She said, the nature of the market did not encourage the women to be hygienic while selling, and this should send signals to authority to pay attention to. Nana Kyeiwaa indicated that most market women at Racecourse go about their business in a muddy environment and called on the government to give it a facelift.
A Police Corporal in Kumasi reportedly attempted suicide by jumping a three storey-building.
He is currently recovering from multiple fractures after the incident which occurred in the city’s Central Business District.
Corporal Emmanuel Sarpong with the Kumasi Ridge Police Station, according to a police situational report, sighted by MyNewsGh.com, drove to the Kumasi Central Barracks climbed the story building situated within the barracks and jumped off, injuring himself in the process
He was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, where he has been admitted at the emergency ward for treatment. At the time of filing this report, he was visited at the hospital and was found responding to treatment.
The Medical Officer on duty at the emergency ward revealed that the policeman had suffered fractures on both legs and that they are yet to assess the extent of the fractures.
Body of a yet-to-be-identified man has been retrieved from the Densu River in Nsawam in the Eastern region after crashing into the river while driving.
The deceased is believed to have crashed and submerged into the river at night while driving on the Accra to Kumasi highway without being noticed by residents.
The incident was noticed days later prompting joint operation by Police, Ghana National Fire Service and NADMO with support from residents to retrieve the body and the car from the river.
The decomposing body has been deposited at the morgue pending autopsy and identification.
In May 16,2023 a family of three similarly drowned in a river after a vehicle they were aboard Hyundai Sonata with registration number GS7776-19 to attend late motherâs funeral crashed into a river in attempt to avoid head-on collision at Enyiresi stretch of the Accra to Kumasi highway in Eastern region.
The driver lost control of the steering wheel, somersaulted and plunged into a nearby river while attempting to give way to an on coming Sprinter bus, which was overtaking another vehicle.
The newly constructed roads in Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region, may soon deteriorate, according to Emmanuel Cherry, chief executive officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction and Industry.
Government few weeks to the Kumawu by-election started constructing asphalt roads in that constituency, a move that some residents believed was intended to get them to vote for the ruling partyâs Parliamentary candidate.
But the Minister of Roads, Kwasi Amoako-Atta insisted the construction of the roads formed part of the governmentâs plan.
Speaking tothe media, Emmanuel Cherry said the haste in which contractors were mobilized could possibly affect the quality of work done.
âIf you talk of a contractor, as we say there are bad nuts everywhere but the good nuts among us are more than the bad nuts. So I canât hold brief for everybody. But to me with where we stand, we see a lot of good contractors working. But the issue before as for instanceâŠas we saw with the by-election in Kumawu, overnight, contractors are on site working, what are the dynamics⊠it is not planned. So definitely after that construction within a few months, you go back to that work you see that it has started cracks and what have you because it is not properly planned.
âSo if you come to me as a contractor, you say I should do this for you, I advise you professionally, you say youâre not going to follow accordingly and you still insist, I will give you what you put on paper for me. The contractors, their simple job is to interpret what is on the paper which is supervised by a consultant. So if you donât give us proper drawings weâll give you whatsoever we have in there. So donât blame us for it.â
On Thursday, 25 May 2023, Ghanaian doctors at Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Accra successfully performed an awake brain surgery on a 39-year-old police sergeant, Sylvester Aboagye.
This is the first such operation in West Africa. An awake brain surgery is a kind of procedure in which patients are kept conscious to join the procedure in order to avoid damage.
The patient answers and identifies objects shown to them by the clinical psychologist and neurosurgeon who monitor their reactions.
This allows medical professionals to safely remove brain and skull-base tumours through smaller, more accurate holes with less collateral damage, that is, damage to blood vessels or nerves that was not the original target.
Speaking to the media, consultant neurosurgeon at the hospital, Prof Samuel Kaba, revealed that the patient has been battling with a brain tumour for a long time, moving from one hospital to another but to no avail.
âThey realised he started having challenges with hallucinating, always having bad dreams, he started seeing things in a different way. Instead of seeing you as a human being he might be seeing you as an object. He was taken to a hospital in Kumasi.
âThey examined him and referred him for further treatment. People thought it was a psychiatric issue so he was sent to the psychiatric hospital where prescriptions were given for psychiatric medication,â he added.
According to him, a check-up on the patient done by the hospital disclosed that he was suffering from a brain tumour, therefore, they recommended he immediately underwent a surgery.
âBut when we saw him, we discovered that he had a brain tumour. The tumour was located in the area that helps us to be able to visualise things and position ourselves and be able to have good thinking, regulate the hallucinations and also help us in our emotions.
âWe realised that operating on him we then had to work on him awake. Because if we attempted operating on him asleep completely we might be removing the tumour but he would come out with a deficit,â he added.
Mr Kaba revealed that the surgery was successful as a result of the swift intervention of the government by providing the hospital with the needed machines to perform the surgery.
Recently, the Akufo-Addo-led government donated some equipment to the hospital to perform a surgery on conjoined twins. âWe are very happy because these are surgeries done in the developed world and we are doing them right here in Ghana. This is possible because of the equipment we had to do the conjoined twins surgeries; now we have used it to serve a lot of people, including this policeman who will go back to service,â Dr Kaba added.
The Asokore Mampong District Court in the Ashanti Region witnessed heightened tensions on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, as police personnel took the necessary step of locking the courtroom to prevent the entry of late Maadwoa’s family members.
The deceased is suspected to have been shot and killed by her police boyfriend, Inspector Twumasi.
According to GhanaWeb’s Ashanti Regional Correspondence, the police prevented all family members, including Maadwoa’s biological parents, from entering the courtroom immediately after suspect, Inspector Twumasi, arrived.
The decision to lock the courtroom and keep the family members outside according to him was made without any reason given.
It was revealed that the agitated family members had attempted to physically assault the suspect forcing the police officers to take the said action by locking the courtroom.
Their intense emotions compelled security operatives to lock the court as a precautionary measure.
It was also suspected that some family members of the deceased might be armed, prompting the officers to conduct a thorough search at the court premises.
26-year-old Victoria Dapaahalso known as Maadwoa was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Inspector Ahmed Twumasi on 20th April 2023 at Adum, a few meters away from her house.
During the first court hearing, the suspect confessed to committing the act but insisted that it was not his intention to kill âhis lover.â
Meanwhile, the Asokore Mampong District Court, presided over by His Worship Samuel Buabeng Quansah has remanded Inspector Twumasi into prison custody.
The suspect who is currently being transferred from police to prison custody will be in remand and is expected to reappear before the court on 20th June 2023.
His Worship gave the judgement after ACP Kofi Blagodzi, Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Ashanti regional police command had read that the Attorney General’s advice which approved the prosecution of the suspect for murder.
According to the prosecutor, the attorney general’s advice has given the green light for the prosecution of the police officer as a suspected murderer, and others.
He subsequently pleaded with the court that despite the greenlight, prosecution may need a few days to ready its full dockets so that the case can be transferred to the high court.
His Worship Samuel Buabeng Quansah, however, ordered for the suspect to be remanded into prison custody.
Parents of the about 500 suspended students of the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) in the Ashanti region have called on the school administration to allow their wards back to school.
The parents held an emergency meeting with the management ofKTI to apologise for the misconduct of their wards.
The students were suspended by the schoolâs disciplinary committee for staging a protest on campus and destroying school property.
The students went on rampage when the authorities failed to grant them access to watch a football match outside campus. They vandalised several school property, including school vehicles, water tanks and classroom desks.
According to the school authorities, some students who managed to run out of school to watch the football match also attacked the schoolâs security guard at post for refusing to allow them entry into the school compound.
Another group of students also managed to leave campus without permission to attend the inter-school athletics competition, absenting themselves from class for nearly three weeks.
On May 26, 2023, the school authorities investigated the matter and concluded on suspending these students.
The students were asked to leave the school premises and not return until management recalls them.
But parents of the affected students, disturbed by the verdict of the school management, held an emergency meeting with school authorities to plead on behalf of their wards.
The management of KTI is yet o revoke their decision.
Over 500 students have been expelled from the Kumasi Technical Institute in theAshanti Regionfor flouting school rules.
The students, who were all in the boarding house, reportedly caused damage to school properties during a rampage on May 17.
School authorities failed to give further information on the matter but only said they took action to instill discipline in the school.
The authorities say they have submitted an official report of the conduct of the students to the Technical and Vocational Education Training Directorate for the appropriate action.
Citi News has learned that the affected students failed to attend a general assembly parade on Friday during which the authorities conducted a roll call.
The authorities subsequently asked the students to pack their luggage out of the dormitories and will be made to face the schoolâs disciplinary committee when they are recalled.
The authorities are expected to meet the parents of the affected students to brief them on the development.
Most of the affected students on Friday left the school while others were still packing out when Citi News visited the premises.
Police from the Manhyia Divisional Commandlater went to the school and the Police Commander addressed the remaining students in the school and urged them to be law-abiding.
The late Member of Parliament for Kumawu, Philip Basoah, pledged to revamp roads in his communities before his demise, according to the Mayor of Kumasi in the Ashanti region, Samuel Pyne.
This comes on the back of the district capital of the Sekyere Kumawu district in Ashanti region township roads being asphalted days to the Sekyere Kumawu Constituencyâs by-election on 23rd May 2023.
Work is also progressing steadily at Woraso, Bodomase, Besoro, and Kumawu-Effiduase highway as contractors work day and night to meet the deadline given to the project.
Commenting on the development on Morning Starr with Francis Abban Monday, May 22, 2023 Mr. Pyne indicated that development is a continuing thing hence the on-going construction in the area.
âIt is not because of the by-election thatâs why Kumawu roads are being fixed. The Ejisu to Kumawu road was in two phases, the first phase was from Ejisu to Juaben and the second phase from Juaben to Kumawu. Your reporters who were there saw that work had commenced not from Kumawu but from the Juaben end which passes through parts of Juaben constituency then Effiduase constituency before the Kumawu constituency.
âSo would anyone want to tell me that because of Kumawu we are doing the three constituencies? If you check from the records even the Paramount Chief of Kumawu put it straight when this matter came up that the last time that they had adurbarand the MP (late Basoah) came to address them. He stated categorical that works on the Kumawu were going to be commenced by April this year (2023),â Mr. Pyne stated. Â Â Â Â
He continued: âBut it was unfortunate that he is gone but that is the situation. When the road minister addressed the media he reiterated that point. So if people want to associate that to the by-election and other comments that are not palatable and even wishing that their MP die. Itâs an unfortunate thing.â Â
Some Kumasi residents are frustrated over the state of the Suame Interchange project after government cut sod for work to start in October last year.Â
During the sod-cutting ceremony, President Akufo-Addo assured residents of his commitment to complete the 4-tier interchange project.
But residents claim the project site has now turned into a hideout for hooligans.
The interchange project has suffered months of setbacks after appearing in the national budget thrice.
President Akufo-Addo on October 18, 2022, cut sod for construction works to begin on the project.
KMA Boss, Samuel Pyan, in an interview with JoyNews, said the government had already secured funding for the project.
He claims the contractors are on site.
âWe have the contractor on site as we speak. They are working on some other roads that will be linked to the interchange but not the roundabout itself. Thereâs money for the project so we shouldnât worry at allâ he said.
But in an interview with a Kumasi-based radio station, Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said the government was yet to secure a loan for the project after IMF negotiations.Â
âWe are done with everything. The problem now is that this project isnât sponsored by the government of Ghana, we are seeking a loan for it from abroad but the IMF is keeping the project on hold. We are sure we will get the money by Augustâ he indicated.
Residents who had high hopes for the project were astonished. Â
There are concerns the project site has turned into a hideout for hooligans.
They want the government to fulfil its promise of completing the project before the 2024 General Election.
The 2023 Green Ghana Day has been officially launched in Kumasiby the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The event, scheduled for June 9, 2023, aims to encourage all Ghanaians and residents to actively participate in the national tree planting initiative.
He said the Green Ghana Day presents an opportunity to show patriotism, exhibit our commitment to the protection of our forest resources, and to demonstrate our resolve to leave our children with a richer and greener Ghana.
The Asantehene lauded the government for initiating the Green Ghana Project. He underscored the importance of trees to environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and the survival of the planet.
He said it was because these benefits that he committed to plant some 2.5 million trees towards the protection of Lake Bosomtwe, in the Ashanti Region.
The Green Ghana Day was first launched by Government in 2021, under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda, to restore the lost forest cover of the country.
The maiden edition targeted to plant five million (5,000,000) trees, but over seven million (7,000,000) trees were planted. Last year, over twenty-six million (26,000,000) trees were planted, exceeding the target of twenty million (20,000,000).
The Asantehene bemoaned the wanton destruction of forests due to illegal mining and illegal logging. He said chief and members of the local communities cannot feign ignorance about those involved in this destruction. He promised to drive around the Ashanti Region and call all chiefs whose lands have been degraded to come and answer.
âGovernment cannot do it alone. We must all get involved and support Government to come to grips with these matters,â Otumfuo said.
On his part, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, said over years, there has not been any concerted effort to restore our lost forest cover.
He said between 2010 and 2015 alone, the country lost one hundred and sixty thousand, two hundred and ten hectares (160,210 ha) of forest. But between 1963 and 2016, only one hundred and fifty-seven thousand, three hundred hectares (157,300 ha) of forest was cultivated.
The Minister said even though government has, since 2017, been taking several measures to restore our lost forest cover, the Green Ghana Project was necessary to create enhanced national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards restoration of degraded landscapes in the country, inculcate values of planting and nurturing of trees in our citizens, particularly among the younger generation, mitigate climate change and beautify communities and the environment.
He thanked all those who have supported the Programme for the past two years and reiterated the call for all residents in the country to come out in their numbers to support the tree planting exercise on June 9, 2023.
Speaking at the launch of the third edition of the Green Ghana Day, the chief executive officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey said, for the past two years, Ashanti Region has been planting the most trees on Green Ghana Days.
He said over eighty-one percent of the trees planted in 2021 have survived while seventy-two percent (72%) of the those planted last year have survived.
The event was also attended by the Chairman of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Council as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University.
Ghanaian rapper Amerado, is the the firstKumasi rapper to win the Best Rapper awardat 2023 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).
The award ceremony held last night in Ghana, is one of the most prestigious events in the country’s music industry.
Amerado, born Derrick Sarfo Kantanka, is a Ghanaian rapper known for his unique style of storytelling and rap delivery. He started his music career in 2015 and has since released several hit songs, including “Yeete Nsem”, which has become a popular series in Ghana.
Amerado’s style of rap, which combines witty wordplay with storytelling, has earned him a loyal fanbase in Ghana and beyond.
At the 2023 VGMA, Amerado beat out several well-known rappers, including Teephlow, Medikal, Strongman, and Lyrical Joe, to take home the Best Rapper award. His win was a significant achievement for Kumasi rap and a testament to the talent and hard work of the rapper.
The award was well-deserved, as Amerado has been consistent in his music delivery, with each release showcasing his growth as an artist. His “Yeete Nsem” series, which started as a weekly rap news review on social media, has become a cultural phenomenon in Ghana. The series covers a range of topics, from politics to social issues, and has amassed a large following.
Amerado’s win at the VGMA is not only a personal achievement but also a victory for Kumasi rap. Kumasi, a city located in the Ashanti region of Ghana, has been home to several talented rappers, including Flowking Stone, King Paluta, Strongman and Phrimpong. However, Kumasi rap has often been overshadowed by the dominance of Accra-based artists in the Ghanaian music industry.
With Amerado’s win,Kumasirap has been given the recognition it deserves, and other Kumasi-based rappers can now aspire to achieve similar success. The win also shows that talent can come from anywhere, and artists should not be limited by their location.
A woman suspected of being mentally deranged inKumasihas lost her life after a heavy truck loaded with tubers of yam knocked her down.
The truck, a Kia Rhino with registration GE 1869-17, from Zabzugu in the Northern Region was loaded with tubers of yam to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
A DailyGuide report on Thursday, May 11, 2023, stated that the incident happened near the Maakro near Suame around 7:40am on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
According to the police, the driver of the truck is identified as Jalaldeen Amadu.
âOn 07/05/2023 about 0740 hours, suspect driver Jalaldeen Amadu, aged 33, was in charge of a Kia Rhino truck No. GE 1869-17, loaded with yam, with two occupants, driving from Zabzugu to Kumasi.
“Upon reaching a section of the road near Bank of Africa, Maakro, the vehicle knocked down and killed an adult female pedestrian, aged about 40, who was crossing the road and suspected to be mentally deranged.
“Body was conveyed to KATH morgue and deposited for preservation, identification, and autopsy,” the Suame police disclosed in a statement.
The police disclosed that the accident vehicle has since been impounded for testing, adding that the “suspect driver is in police custody assisting in investigations. The almost dismembered body of the woman, believed to be in her forties, has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) morgue in Kumasi,â the report added.
A flagbearer candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has said that majority of farmers want him to become Ghana’s next president.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said majority of NPP delegates who are farmers benefited from the policies and programmes he initiated during his tenure as the Food and Agric Minister.
Speaking to journalists in Accra, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto says his track record makes him the clear favourite.
âMost of these farmers I met in Upper East, Upper West, Savannah regions are also delegates and party constituencies executives. The one million farmers are the ones who will bear witness to me. Just go to any farmer and ask about the impact I have had on their lives when I was Minister for Food and Agriculture. And they will confess to you, they will tell you. They will vote for me to win,â Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said.
Dr. Akoto officially resigned to focus on his Presidential ambition as he wants to lead the New Patriotic Party into the 2024 general elections.
He served as a Member of Parliament for the Kwadaso Constituency in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region for two terms.
In Parliament, he held the position of Deputy Ranking Member and subsequently the substantive Ranking Member for the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs until 2017 when he was appointed the Minister for Food and Agriculture.
The former Food and Agriculture Minister is in fierce competition with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Francis Addai Nimo who have declared their intention to contest in the partyâs flagbearership race.
The others include former MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyapong, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, and former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko.
The NPP has set November 4, 2023, for its presidential primaries to select a flagbearer for the general elections in 2024.
However, if more than five candidates file to run in the primaries, the party will call a Special Congress on August 26.
The nomination period for the presidential primaries will begin on May 26 and end on June 24, 2023.
The chief of Agric Nzemaa inKumasi, Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo, has expressed disbelief at which some individuals do not recognise and appreciate the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
According to him, individuals who “do not cherish such beauty and recognition only exhibits an attitude of a person who is possessed by witchcraft”.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has recently been accorded by foreign dignitaries since his arrival at the Buckingham Palace.
According to Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo, foreign dignitaries are inspired with awe by the beauty and value of Ghanaian culture and tradition.
“They are even surprised that as a country we have such rich culture and tradition but we do not celebrate it enough” He noted, stressing that the time has come forGhanaians to eschew bitterness and rally behind things that bring progress and development.
Nana Nkansah Boadu further urged Ghanaians to rather focus on more things that unite us and bring development to the country.
“The Asantehene is always thinking about the interest of the development of the country; he has always used opportunities accorded him not only for his subjects but also for the entire country, why should such a person be hated instead of being celebrated ” He questioned.
Ghanaian musician, Ameradohas given credit to his close confidant, Deloris Frimpong Manso, better known as Delay, for supporting his art and pushing his 2022 single, ‘Obiaa Boa’.
“You know one thing, one woman who supported ‘Obiaa Boa’ so much is Deloris Frimpong Manso, God bless you. Thank you all so much,” he shouted.
The rapper revealed this when he gave a speech at 24th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) after he emerged winner for the ‘Best Rap Performance’ category.
Amerado won the title on his third nomination after losing it out to his colleagues in the previous years. When he took to the stage to deliver his acceptance speech, he named some legendary Ghanaian rappers for paving the way for him.
“Third time lucky, I have truly suffered for this title. This is for every rapper out there, your dreams are valid.
“Shout out to Okyeame Kwame for paving the way. Shout out to Sarkodie, Reggie Rockstone, Obrafour, Strongman, this is for you, Frimpong, King Palutta, every Kumasi rapper out there, I love you so much,” he said.
A trader at the Dr. Mensah market in Kumasi met her untimely death after a truck ran into the market on Thursday morning.
The 51-year-old cabbage vendor, known as Akua Serwaa, was crushed to death when a truck ran into pedestrians at the market.
The long vehicle was loaded with second-hand clothing.
An eyewitness reported that the driver of the truck, with the registration GT 7452-11, had lost control of the wheels, possibly due to brake failure.
The truck ran over the woman, who traded along the roadside, after crashing into a parked taxi cab.
The mutilated body of the deceased, a resident of Antoa in the Kwabre East District, has been deposited at the morgue of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku-Mantey has officially commissioned the first amphitheatre in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
This is to fulfil the NPPâs manifesto promise of building theatres in some selected regions.
This year, the government promised to build 5 Amphitheatres; two (2) in Accra, one (1) in Kumasi, one (1) inTakoradi and one (1) in Tamale.
The purpose of these amphitheatres is to serve as venues for performances and other forms of entertainment, to aid industry players to plan for their events and to create jobs to boost the Industryâs economy.
Performing the sod-cutting on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 in the presence of the Executive Secretary NFA, Juliet Asante, Nana Sarfo Kantanka (Project Coordinator) MoTAC, Kumasi Mayor, Mr Samuel Pyne and Kwadwo Antwi CEO (GTDC), MarK Okraku-Mantey said:
âThis is the day the most high has made, finally, we are on the soil, we are on the grounds to start the project, so we are here to do the first digging, so it can be put on record that the project has startedâ.
The Deputy Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister tasked the contractors to ensure that there is value for money, as well as ensure strict adherence to completion timelines.
Caterers of School Feeding Program have announced a nationwide strike following government’s refusal to pay them their arrears as well as increase their salaries.
The aggrieved caterers drawn from various regions across the country who converged in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi stressed that laying down their tools is the only option available to them now.
Speaking at a news conference, the caterers lamented that they are going through harsh economic times as a result of the situation.
The leadership of the caterers has thus urged all members across the country to join the strike to impress on the government to address their concerns as early as possible.
One of the leaders of the caterers, Gifty Asamoah addressing the media said they have exhausted all their funds and are yet to get any feedback from the government on when their arrears will be paid them.
She claimed that despite providing essential services in schools, school-feeding caterers are not given the same level of respect given to other professions.
âSchool feeding caterers are public servants like teachers, Police, Doctors, nurses and other employees that provide state services but we are being discriminated against. Can government refuse to pay teachers for even one month, why are they doing the opposite when it comes to caterers? A contract is a contract and our human rights must be abused.â
The caterers have also threatened to embark on a nationwide demonstration if their arrears are not paid as early as possible.
The Police Officer at the centre of a murder case at Adum, in the Kumasi Metropolis, Inspector Ahmed Twumasi, has been remanded by the Asokore Mampong District Court.
This comes after the accused who is attached to the Ashanti regional SWAT unit of the Ghana Police Service allegedly shot his girlfriend five times, resulting in her demise.
His plea was not taken, and has provisionally been charged with murder.
He will reappear before the court on May 30, 2023.
Inspector Twumasi shot 26-year-old Victoria Dapaah popularly called Maadwoa at close range several times killing her instantly.
The incident occurred on Thursday, 20 April 2023 around 9:30 pm.
The victim was said to have been shot six times in her head, neck, chest, and stomach by Inspector Twumasi for allegedly cheating on him.
The suspect took to his heels in a Pragya tricycle after the crime was committed.
The elder brother of the deceased, Emmanuel Oppong who said he had earlier tried to prevent her sister from going out told Class Newsâ Elisha Adarkwah that he heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to see his sister in a pool of blood.
Oppong said they rushed her to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
One of the uncles of the deceased lady who was gunned down by her lover has stormed social media with a new set of claims.
According to him, a CCTV in the neighbourhood captured what happened on the day his niece was shot.
The late Maadwoaâs uncle disclosed that the victim’s boyfriend gave her a final kiss before shooting her to death.
Adding that Maadwoa and her boyfriend had a conversation, and kissed, prior to the shooting.
âFrom the CCTV cameras, he kissed her before shooting her. One of her friends was also present at the scene and it looked like she was trying to settle the scores between them,â one of the deceasedâs uncles narrated in an interview with GHPage monitored by GhanaWeb.
Giving an account, another family member, stated that Maadwoa was shot five times in total; once on her forehead, twice in her chest, and twice in her belly.
He added that she pleaded with her boyfriend not to kill her after he pulled out the gun from his pocket.
âWhiles having the conversation, the man pulled out the gun and she screamed out and said, Ah Tycoon donât kill me! I donât have anything doing with the man. He fired the first shot at her forehead, then two on her chest, and then two on her belly. After the bullets got finished, he cocked the gun to load more bullets and realized that he was been watched so he entered a tricycle aimed at the driver and moved,â he stated.
He also disclosed that the man in question is a married man with kids.
âYou are married with kids. A whole police inspector. Even when you are married to someone, it is unjustifiable to kill your partner because she has cheated. This is even a mere relationship so what right do you have?â he quizzed.
Meanwhile, the police are on a manhunt for the suspect as, friends, family and sympathizers are demanding justice for the 26-year-old deceased.
A report by Kessben TV revealed that the sad incident took place on the evening of Thursday, April 20, 2023, at the forecourt of Dufie Towers in Adum.
Reports coming in from Adum, Kumasi, state that the life of a young lady, identified as Maadwoa, has been cut short by her boyfriend, who shot her five times.
Maadwoa was pronounced dead at the scene.
The police are on a manhunt for the male suspect who murdered his partner after a misunderstanding.
Friends and sympathizers have taken to social media to mourn the death of Maadwoa and are demanding justice for her bereaved family.
A report by Kessben TV revealed that the sad incident took place on the evening of Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the forecourt of Dufie Towers in Adum.
Check out some of the reactions below:
This lady was my mate in SHS Ei, relationship??? Oh Mimi đ. Because of relationship? Some people dier Kai pic.twitter.com/aCT2S4epQt
TheKumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has purchased 70 Point of Sales (POS) machines for its revenue collectors as part of attempts to increase income and close some industry loopholes.
The POS, which is to eliminate some of the human factors in revenue collection and mobilisation and also cut down on the under-declaration of revenue, forms part of the digitalisation processes of the assembly.
Speaking at a short ceremony to present the devices to the revenue collectors, the Chief Executive of the KMA, Sam Pyne, said the main objective of procuring the devices for the revenue collectors was to eliminate some of the human flaws in revenue collection, including undercutting, underwriting and thefts.
He said in the assemblyâs attempt to tackle the challenges in revenue generation, âWe sought support from some of our development partners and we have been able to do a database of almost all businesses and properties in Kumasi and so we needed to procure devices for our revenue officers that would also eliminate human shortcomings so that we can collect, print and issue receipts and also record same at our data room.”
The sub-metros that benefited from the devices are Subin, Nhyiaeso, Bantama, Manhyia North and South.
He cautioned the revenue collectors not to try to manipulate the devices, but to work according to the laid down procedure, as anyone caught to have engaged in anything that would short-change the assembly would be dismissed.
“KMA is committed to collecting all revenue due it and so, as officers, your work is to go and collect the revenue and issue receipts to people, keeping in mind that anything you do contrary to this would be met with ruthless sanctions including dismissal,” he cautioned.
The Presiding Member of KMA, Patrick Kwame Frimpong, urged the revenue officers to work with dedication and help the assembly to increase its revenue to undertake developmental projects in the metropolis.
He charged them to refrain from criminal practices that would cause them to be arrested and prosecuted. Data room
Taking the media on a tour of the specially designed data room at the KMA, the Metropolitan Director of Finance, Abbam Adjei, said the system had been fixed to record payments.
He said that immediately after payment is made, the system issues a command for the printing of receipts as well as the recording of the same on the database.
Health Minister,Kwaku Agyeman Manuhas revealed that some public health facilities in the nation are giving patients fraudulent pharmaceuticals, a phenomenon he called a threat to both the provision of medical care and human life.
The Health minister made this unfortunate disclosure in Kumasi when he addressed stakeholders in the health sector during the First Senior Managers Meeting of the Ghana Health Service.
The event brought together health partners, traditional leaders, and private investors in the health sector, representatives from theWorld Health Organization (WHO)among other stakeholders.
The four day conference which started on the 18th April 2023 will be used to review the major issues affecting quality health care delivery and prescribed implementable solutions policy for the sector.
Speaking on the theme âEnhancing Primary Healthcare Approaches Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverageâ, Health Minister Agyeman Manu tasked stakeholders in the sector to ensure excellence in healthcare delivery across the country.
He appealed to health workers to help fight the problem of administering fake drugs to avoid sending patients to their early grave.
He questioned the justification behind the use of unapproved medicine otherwise known as âfake medicineâ in treating patients in health facilities.
âI have a note on my desk from the FDA over fake medication falsified drugs usage in public health facilities and the very common one is oxytocin and I believe all of you here will know that Oxytocin dose. We are talking about maternal mortalities, and that is one drug I understand will help stop what happens after delivery. The FDA has put together the list and is seeking my approval to name and shame. So some of us are going to see ourselves in the public domain for using fake drugs. This is not the first time, about three years ago they did the same thing and reported. So what is the motivation to take in fake drugs in our own facilities not all but the FDA woman want to name and shame some of us and should that happen invariably it goes to actually distort what we are fighting for better educators with maternal health and mortalities so how are we going to solve this problem ?ââ he asked.
MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE AND WRONG MEDICAL PRESCRIPTION
The minister also disclosed that the Health Ministry is overwhelmed with legal cases over its staff negligence and wrong medication prescription on duty.
He admitted before he took over six years ago the situation wasnât that bad like today and questioned whether the health practitioners have forgotten what they were taught in health training institutions to warrant these unfortunate developments.
âWhat Iâm seeing of late in the ministry are issues of litigation for the past four weeks or so. Almost every week we get at least one letter from the attorney generalâs office that somebody has sued our staff with a problem of health care service delivery and they want us to come with information for them to go to court with. Then we refer to the Director General Dr. Kumah Aboagye but I have been with you for the past six years. Earlier when I came in those things were not happening that much but now it has become something very common. So what is it, deliberate efforts to try and go to court, get somebody to take us to court or you have forgotten why you were trained to do in more efficient manner negligence or what is happening but since you are the senior managers of what we do in health I throw this challenge on you and your strategic meetings to discuss how this problem can be resolvedâ he stressed.
The minister of health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, has made suggestions that the government intends to prevent Zipline Ghanafrom opening more centers due to the high cost of service fees.
According to the Dormaa West Member of Parliament, health facilities in the country which depend on the facility to fly essential medical drugs on time to their facility for critical management of cases are abusing the service which he said is milking government funds.
The Health Minister made the disclosure in Kumasi when he addressed stakeholders in the health sector during the First Senior Managers Meeting of the Ghana Health Service.
Expressing his frustration, the Minister saidâ every single request you make to fly to you comes with some huge cost so we said we are going to do essential service, very needed medications in a short time just in time.
You donât use the drone to drop medicine for you to stock. When they finished Omenako and I went there to commission the facility, I saw dewormers in their stock why will you want to fly dewormer, to be close to you?ââ he questioned.
He added âIâm engaging my big men to even stop them from setting up some new extra facilities, because we just cannot pay the cost that is coming in with fly me this amount fly me this amount fly me this. Ideally, we were setting up to fly things that if we donât get in the next 10 minutes somebody will die and that is bloodââ he explained.
He further explainedâ we have our own supply chain of vaccines, now thanks to Covid-19 we have stock everywhere with cold rooms that can take every temperature across the country almost every region has got that type of facilities and we have our land Cruisers that can take in Vaccines from the airport to wherever, you are within a short possible time without any challenge so why should we fly vaccinesââ he said.
He indicated that âYou see those running the drone service. I mean the drone scientists they came to install their infrastructures to make money from us we are not under any obligation to procure and make them have so much money when we donât have anything. The agreement we have with them gives us a certain bench mark when we hit there in a month that is it. But the claims that are coming and we are seeing is a challengeââ he stressed.
The minister therefore, charged managers of the various public health facilities to use the health review conference to discuss to control the situation.âI will leave this to you to discuss how we can control this. I spoke to Albert about four days ago on how we can design guidelines and I want to expect that Dr. Kumah Aboagye will have a strategy. Regional directors should ensure that everything that you are flying gets authorization from somewhere above the facility level so that we control cost and expenditures. Other than that we will go nowhere. We need money to do several things. When you get into the health system you will never have adequate resources. What I mean is that things that we need to work with are so numerous. So if we put all our resources into just one small area it means we are neglecting the rest and we cannot work efficiently so let us take a good look at that area and how best we can change themââ he pleaded.
Unregistered herbal and orthodox medical products worth GHS700,000, have been seized by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Kumasi.Â
In a market surveillance exercise in the Ashanti Region, the Authority grabbed illegal pharmaceuticals, including body enhancement products from a retail market.
The products were seized from a single retail shop at the Alabar Market, an identified hotbed for the sale of unwholesome herbal products and drugs.
The items included a variety of aphrodisiacs, unregistered herbal products, orthodox pain relievers, and cosmetics.
Some of the seized products had engraved on them unknown languages, while others were conspicuously sourced from the US.
Ashanti Regional Head of the Food and Drugs Authority John Laryea Oddai Tettey indicated the products were a mixture of indigenous and exotic consumables.
âThese products will never be approved by the FDA. How these products get into our market remains unknown. But we want to assure that when these smugglers beat entry points we will always fish them out when they come on the market,â he said.
According to the FDA, the seized products will be destroyed through incineration.
The Authority observed with worry the perpetual penetration of illicit medicinal products on the market.
However, the Authority says it is mapping the entire region to smoke out perpetrators and bring them to book.
âWe do a lot of scouting and surveillance and we are mapping the entire region so that wherever we have these products sold, we will move to those areas and get rid of them. But we have some spots that perpetually display these products and we are starting with them and we will get to them. Those in these illegal trades must rethink their activities because we are coming after them,â he said.
A growing trend on social media is the sale of these unwholesome products.
The FDA is collaborating with the appropriate quarters to rid the internet of the advertisement and sale of such unwholesome products.
John Laryea Tettey cautions the public against patronage of unregistered products.Â
âVisit the hospital and get the prescription. We are not supposed to buy medicines like we buy toffees. Get to a licensed chemical shop or pharmacy to have your prescribed medication. Communication Directorate of the authority is collaborating with the relevant agencies to ensure that the appropriate thing is done to rid these marketers,â he said.
Already, three persons arrested for similar offences have been arraigned.
A six-year-old girl has met her untimely death after she reportedly fell into a gutter at South Suntreso in the Kumasi metropolis of the Ashanti Region.
The deceased, Angel Adana, according to residents died on the evening of Thursday, April 6, 2023.
Some residents in an interview with OTEC News’ Jacob Agyenim Boateng said they could not point to what exactly caused the girl to fall into the gutter.
They added that they however suspect the deceased was playing around the gutter and subsequently fell into it.
The Assembly Member of the area, Kwame Asafo Agyei, who confirmed the incident during a visit to the deceasedâs family, said police in the area was notified immediately about the incident.
“I received a distress call about the unfortunate incident from a resident in the area and upon getting to the scene, I saw the lifeless body of the girl,” he said.
“Police after receiving an official complaint from the residents reported to the scene and conveyed the body to morgue for investigation,” Mr Agyei stated.
According to some caterers of the School feeding Programme inKumasi in the Ashanti Region they are likely yo lose their jobs should the New Patriotic Party (NPP) be ousted from power.
Dorothy Ofori-Sarpong, who provides meals for school children in basic schools in the region in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday claimed that all caterers in the region are bonafide members of the NPP.
According to her, there is no way they will be retained if theNational Democratic Congress (NDC) wins the 2024 elections.
She added that it is a known fact all current caterers must be members of the NPP.
Making a point for arrears owed them to be paid, Dorothy Ofori-Sarpong said caterers in the region have sacrificed for long, and it is time the government pays attention to their plight.
âWe know that when the NDC wins power, we will all lose our jobs.,â Ofori-Sarpong told host Bernard Avle adding âAll of us are members of the NPPâ.
Dorothy also slammed the Ashanti Regional Minister for disrespecting them when they besieged his office to demand payments for their arrears.
She revealed that they have not been paid for three school terms and caterers have virtually run out of funds.
The caterers who are calling on the government to pay them their arrears and also increase the amount expressed their disappointment with the Regional Minister over how he received them.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has justified his reason for reacting angrily to caterers under the governmentâs school feeding programme in the Ashanti Region when they presented a petition to him on Monday, April 3.
Speaking to the media however, Mr Simon Osei Mensah insists that the caterers did not follow due process and were protesting at the Regional Coordinating Council which compelled him to react the way he did.
âI was in a meeting yesterday when I heard some noise outside the office, and so I sent my special assistant to find out, and he came and told me it was caterers protesting outside. They did not even seek security clearance before demonstrating, so you can imagine what would have happened if the security personnel at the Regional Coordinating Council had reacted to themâ.
âWe must be truthful to ourselves in this country and stop pampering people because impunity is too much. Though I sympathise with the caterers, we should not allow people to break the law in their attempt to have their problems solved. We should solve our problems through legal means. You canât just take the law into your hands and do what you want because I will not tolerate that.â
Professor Divine Ahadzie, the director of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s (KNUST) Centre for Settlement Studies, has predicted that if the government does not take specific action, the twin flood and fire disaster that occurred in 2015 near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, which claimed more than 125 lives in Accra, could happen again.
In the prediction of the Professor of Construction and Human Settlement, studies have revealed that within the next few years, if nothing concrete is done to stop the flooding in the vicinity of the accident, Ghana could experience a similar incident, if not worse.
He has thus proposed the design and construction of a Retention Basin for the Odaw-Korle catchment as the most pragmatic means of reducing the risk of the annual flooding in the area by 30 per cent to save five point-two million Dollars in financial cost.
Prof. Ahadzie made the recommendation in his Professorial inaugural address inKumasi.
June 3 disaster likely to recur if measures are not put in place – Professor
Touching on building flood resilience communities in the country, Prof. Ahadzie disclosed that since 2021, about 13 out of the 16 administrative regions in the country have experienced flooding due to different factors.
He suggested the design and construction of a large retention basin in the Odaw-Korle catchment towards averting a possible recurrence of the 2015 flood-fire disaster at the Nkrumah interchange area.
âWhat is clear is that, our preparedness is not getting any better. And now Madam Chair, the June 3rd 2015 incident is equivalent to what we call a 10-year return period storm. Tje 10 years is approaching. What it means is that, the incident can happen anytime, it could be this year, it could be next year, it could be the following year. The question is, as a nation, have we done enough to mitigate the worse of the worse if the 3rd June incident is to happen again?â, the globally acclaimed Professor of Human settlement warned.
Prof. Ahadzie described Ghanaâs housing system as elitisms favouring the well-to-do in the society requiring a national re-definition of the affordability. According to him, a recent survey has proven that individual tenants spend between 10 and 48 percent of their income on rent.
The 58-year old Professor of Construction and Human Settlement, aside from being the current Head of the Centre for Settlement Studies at the KNUST, has developed a Master of Philosophy, MPhil and a PhD programme in Disaster Prevention and Management being considered for introduction by the University very soon.
He became an Associate Professor in 2015 and attained a full professor status six years later.
His research, publications and innovations in the areas of human settlement, flooding, housing risk management have earned him national and global recognition and awards.
Some of the building inventions including a new and improved burglar proof with an escape route in times of fire outbreak in the home were showcased at the precinct of the venue of the inaugural lecture.
The Professorial inaugural lecture was graced by people from chieftaincy both from the Volta region and National House of Chiefs, the academia, local Assemblies, family and friends.
The lecture touched on issues such as housing, human settlement, flooding, resilient communities and impactful research.
Professor Ahadzie called for a review of the 1992 Constitution to re-define housing as a basic human right so as to compel governments to give attention to the sector. Also, Assembly members, chiefs and MPs must all get actively involved in the promotion and building flood resilient communities to protect life and property noting that, for now, no one is safe from ramifications of flooding since residents of both low and highlands are affected in diverse ways from the phenomenon.
Prof. Ahadzie called on academia to always focus on research that is is not just relevant but impactful on society such that, such works help solve the myriad of socio-economic challenges of humanity.
The Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Prof. Rita Dickson, eulogized Professor Ahadzie for his immense contribution to both the university and larger society through his research, publications and innovations.
June 3 disaster likely to recur if measures are not put in place – Professor
In line with the passage of three significant revenue legislation byParliamenton Friday, March 31, traders who deal in alcoholic beverages and related products in Kumasi are forecasting declining sales and the failure of enterprises in the upcoming months.
The Excise duty amendment bill which is part of these tax bills will impose 20 percent on sweetened beverages and other products.
Wholesalers and retailers who are already lamenting hikes in the prices of these products say the passage of the tax billswill push many out of business.
A wholesaler who deals in beverage drinks and mineral water, Janet Akomeah told Citi News the only option to try and save their businesses is to pass the cost onto the customers.
âA lot of the customers complain about the price increases and some will come in and be saying that we are increasing the prices anyhow, but it is not our fault because the prices have also changed from our suppliers, and so we also need to adjust our prices to make some profit. We need more funds to be able to restock our shops and the only thing we can do now is to manage.
âThere are wholesalers who may be having old stock and be selling at a relatively lesser price but if you go and take new stock and increase the price accordingly, the customers will complain that you have increased your price while others are selling at a lesser price, but it is not our fault and if things donât change, a time will soon come that we will have to stop the business.â
The Ashanti Business Owners Association also shared in the plight of the traders and insisted the tax laws will affect livelihoods.
The Executive Secretary of the Ashanti Business Owners Association, Charles Appiah Kubi said it is disappointing that Parliament went ahead and passed the bills at the expense of the suffering Ghanaian business.
