Husband Jailed For LOOTING His Own Wedding Venue… And His Heavily Pregnant Bride Is Standing By Him

Newly-weds: The couple are pictured cutting their wedding cake at the venue

A heavily pregnant bride vowed to stand by her new husband today – even though he was jailed for trashing and looting their wedding venue.

Bridie Sparks, 24, had just wed Christopher Richards, 25, when he and three friends went back to the club where they held the reception to plunder it of thousands of pounds worth of alcohol and computers.

The group also caused more than £20,000 of damage to property in the building by smashing doors and ripping cabinets off walls.

The raid occurred after kind-hearted accountant Catherine Murphy, who runs the Bacup Hub club in Bacup, Lancashire, laid on a half price champagne buffet for the couple and their 90 guests because they complained of being broke and she felt sorry for them.

Richards an unemployed former labourer later handed himself into police after CCTV captured him inside the building and the pictures were published in a local newspaper.

Miss Murphy, 34, who had bought the venue for £175,000 and who at the time was also pregnant was said to so ‘emotionally tortured’ by Richard’s betrayal she tried to kill herself.

At Burnley Crown Court, Richards of Bacup, admitted burglary and was jailed for six months after what a judge described as ‘a dreadful offence.’

But today Miss Sparks, who already has two children with Richards and will now give birth to their third whilst he is in jail, said she would stick with her husband.

She said : ‘I’m standing by my man because I love him and nobody is perfect. I know my husband isn’t an angel and it hurts that he went back to the same place we got married.

‘But Christopher has admitted he’s done something wrong and is serving his time, he’s truly sorry. He has been crying on the phone from jail.

‘I’m now 35 weeks pregnant and I won’t even have my husband by my side for the pregnancy. It’s affected me badly, with lots of people staring at me in the street, thinking I had something to do with it.

‘It has been very distressing for me, even though I had nothing at all to do with it.’

She added: ‘My wedding memories are tarnished now because of what he did. I can’t even look at our wedding photos now. I was going to watch our wedding DVD the other night, but I stopped myself as it just reminds me of the bad situation we’re in now.

‘When I saw the CCTV stills of my husband I just felt sick, he looked like a criminal. I was disgusted as any wife would be. On the night of the incident he came back drunk and I knew instantly he had done something wrong.

‘I told him he was going to ruin the future for us and he crumbled because he knew I was right – all because of one drunken night. It was an act of stupidity; I wish he had thought of me and the kids.’

The court heard how Richards and his bride had held their reception at the venue in July last year – just six months before last January’s raid.

Miss Murphy only charged the couple £1,060 for the whole day – including venue, champagne, chocolate fountain and bouncy castle – paying the rest of the £2,400 total herself.

But Richards, his usher George Taylor, 24, and two other intruders returned to the club repeatedly throughout the night of January 2 and 3 between about 10pm and about 7am smashing doors and ripping cabinets off walls.

Richards and his usher helped snatch 62 bottles of spirits worth £1,130 from the bar and grabbed 159 bottles of spirits and cans of soft drinks worth £2,672 from the storeroom during their callous dead of night raid.

More than 80 bottles of wine valued at £1,714 and 2,602 bottles or cans of beer and alcopops worth £2,089 were also lifted from the main bar fridge.

Items including computers and laptops and DVDs and valued at £14,970 went missing and it cost £24,214 to replace damaged property such as CCTVs, mirrors, tiles, cupboards and glasses. The total cost of the raid in theft and damage was £46,790.

Dailymail

Young Mom And Five-Month-Old Baby Killed At 7-Eleven As They Desperately Searched For Shelter In Horror Tornado

Megan Futrell, pictured, and her five-month-old baby were among those killed at a 7-Eleven store in Moore, Oklahoma, which was destroyed in Monday’s tornado

Relatives of a young mother killed along with her five-month-old child in the 7-Eleven razed by the Oklahoma tornado have told of her desperate final moments.

MailOnline has learned that mother-of-two Megan Futrell was desperately trying to reach her older child when the storm overtook her and she was forced to seek shelter in a futile bid to save herself and her baby.

She hid with her baby in the freezer at the convenience store. And it was there, huddled together, that their bodies were found.

According to tributes online the young mother-of-two had spoken to her husband on the phone moments before the tornado hit.

A cousin said she was a ’beautiful woman, teacher, mother, wife’.

Speaking to MailOnline, Pastor DA Bennett, of St Andrews who has been contacted by the family and asked to make funeral arrangements said: ‘This woman had two children, a six-year-old and a five month child.

‘She was a school teacher and had to be home with her baby. She went to get her baby and found that she couldn’t outrun the storm.’

He added: ‘I hope that when people think of her they don’t think that she was reckless or some kind of thrill seeker.

‘She was a mother who loved her baby and wanted to do what she could to protect that child.’

The victim was born in Oklahoma City, confirmed in St Andrews Church and married there too.

Her husband Cody is a shop foreman at UEM, Oklahoma City.

As a member of his parish, Pastor Bennette said, ‘I will do what I can now for her and her child and her family.’

The tragedy is the latest to emerge in the wake of the storm that tore through this swathe of the mid-West and claimed the life of 24, nine of them children.

A further 237 were injured and hope of finding victims alive was beginning to wane.

Officials started to search flattened homes and piles of rubble with cadaver dogs.

No survivors were found on Tuesday and officials said they hope to complete three searches of every site of devastation before nightfall.

The weather service confirmed that the powerful storm was for times an EF5 – the maximum on the scale.

Seven children were found drowned at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which was a direct hit during the 45 minutes of terror.

Nine-year-old Janae Hornsby, whose father said ‘always has a smile on her face’, is one of the victims while family members have shared pictures of other missing children, including Sydney Angle, feared dead.

Frightened third graders were being pulled from the wreckage alive on Monday afternoon as rescue workers passed the children down a human chain before taking them to a triage center set up in the school’s parking lot.

Staff said there had been at least 75 people in the school of around 500 students when the tornado hit. The 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students were taken from the school to a church before the twister barreled through.

Students who were inside the building described clinging to the walls of the hallway where many of them huddled during the storm as the twister battered the school. Others cowered in closets or bathrooms to protect themselves

Briarwood was the other elementary school flattened in the tornado but all the students miraculously escaped alive.

Tales of heroic teachers throwing themselves over children to save them were reported in both.

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, an official confirmed that the two schools did not have safe rooms, as they had not applied for them.

He added that the jurisdiction decides where to allocate funds for safe rooms based on past events.

President Barack Obama declared a major disaster area in Oklahoma, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local efforts in Moore. Speaking from the White House on Tuesday morning, he said that FEMA staff were on the ground to provide support to residents.

He offered his condolences to the community following ‘one of the most destructive storms in history’ and promised whatever resources they may require in the coming days and weeks.

House Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday that at the request of Rep. Tom Cole, from Moore, he has ordered flags on Capitol Hill to be lowered to half-staff.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin expressed her grief on behalf of her state for the parents of the missing children.

‘Our hearts are broken for the parents that are wondering about the state of their children that had been in the schools that have been hit today,’ Fallin said. ‘I know that there are families wondering where their loved ones are.’

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, officials said they are aiming to complete three searches of all homes by dark.

Rescue teams, including 80 members of the National Guard and search dogs, had reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble of the flattened school but the screams reportedly stopped at around 6:30 p.m. local time.

One teacher told Good Morning America that her students had to stay with her for hours until their parents could reach them. Because of the damage to the roads, ‘parents walked for miles just to get to their children,’ she said. ‘They were out of breath and crying but just so happy to see them.’

Many parents have been forced to endure an agonizing wait at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, where they wait for news of their loved ones.

Frantic parents rushed to Plaza Towers Elementary moments after it was pummeled but were kept back so search teams could hear any survivors calling for help through the rubble.

The seven children confirmed dead are believed to have been trapped underneath rubble when they were overcome by water from burst pipes.

The families were later taken to a nearby church where they continued the harrowing wait for news.

On Tuesday morning the death toll was revised down to 24 – from the prior figure of 51, which may have included some double-reported casualties.

Crews used jackhammers and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug.

National Guard choppers were being used across Moore overnight to detect body heat of survivors trapped under collapsed buildings and other rubble so they could direct rescuers.

Dailymail

I’ll compensate bereaved families,TB Joshua pledges

TB Joshua

The General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T. B. Joshua, has taken up the medical expenses and the welfare of victims of the stampede that occurred at the Accra branch of the church last Sunday.

He has also offered to compensate the bereaved families and ask for God’s blessings for them.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic on behalf of the church Tuesday, the acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the church, Evangelist Samuel Excellence, said Prophet Joshua had also offered his condolences to the bereaved families and wished those who were injured speedy recovery.

According to Evangelist Exellence, “what happened outside the premises of the church” was an unfortunate incident and prayed to God that never again should such an incident happen.

He explained that the large crowd gathered outside of the church auditorium in great anticipation for the ‘anointing water’ which they had seen being introduced on Emmanuel TV the previous Sunday.

On Sunday, May 19, four people died in a stampede at the Ghana branch of SCOAN when thousands of people seeking divine intervention besieged the church premises to benefit from the distribution of anointing water.

The anointing water was said to be a gift from the head pastor of the church, Prophet T. B. Joshua, who had announced during a church service in Lagos on Sunday, May 12, 2013 that the repackaged anointed water would be sent to the other branches of the church across the globe.

Evangelist Excellence said although Prophet Joshua never mentioned specifically on Emmanuel TV or any other news media that people could receive the new anointing water at the Ghana branch of the SCOAN, it appeared many people anticipated that the only place to get the new anointing water was the Ghana branch, and it was upon this anticipation that people came from far and near, resulting in the stampede.

He said the lives that were lost resulted from the stampede outside the main church auditorium, and debunked the claims that people died as a result of their attempt to collect the anointing water from Prophet Joshua.

Evangelist Exellence said the leadership of the church had sought the assistance of the police who were in the environs of the church to maintain order but the people who were in their numbers defied all instructions from the police.

He said they broke down the crash barriers mounted outside the church, and rushed towards the main gate leading to the church building. “This was what brought about the stampede,” he explained.

Evangelist Excellence explained that the church auditorium could only accommodate 1,500 people at a service and not 15,000 as had been peddled, adding that the church’s security measures were always in line with the country’s rules and regulations.

He explained that one of the reasons for the creation of the church’s branch in Ghana by Prophet Joshua was to help the poor who had to sell their property to be able to travel to Lagos, where the headquarters of the SCOAN was located for deliverance and healing.

According to Evangelist Excellence, it was in consideration of that stress coupled with calls from many Ghanaians, both in the country and the diaspora, that culminated in the establishment of the branch in Ghana, after Prophet Joshua had said fervent prayers to God for direction.

He pointed out that since the establishment of the church in Ghana, there had not been any such incident, and that the church had never flouted the laws of the country.

Some of the responsibilities taken up by the church so far have been the award of scholarships to some brilliant needy students in the universities and other higher institutions of learning in Ghana.

Evangelist Excellence said as a law abiding entity, the SCOAN would seek the permission of the police and other relevant authorities before holding a revival programme in the country.

Daily Graphic

TV presenter sucks milk from topless mum’s breasts on shocking show

A Dutch TV host stunned viewers by sucking milk from a mother’s breasts on his primetime Saturday night show.

Comedian Paul De Leeuw pounced on the topless mum during the latest episode of his chat show Langs De Leeuw, which was dedicated to breastfeeding.

Du Leeuw’s guests were a group of women who donate spare milk to mums who struggle to produce it.

One volunteer called Wendy invited the star to taste the contents of a bottle she had expressed during the show.

When the openly gay presenter joked he’d prefer to drink it from the source – she unhooked her boobs from a breast-pump and told him: “Well, if you don’t bite you may try it.”

The studio audience then watched dumbfounded as Du Leeuw took her up on the offer and sucked milk from both her breasts.

After swallowing down his sample, he joked: “I find the second one better tasting, but I can taste that you’ve eaten asparagus yesterday.”

The stunt has provoked outrage in the Netherlands from critics who branded it disgusting.

Viewers have also taken to Twitter to attack De Leeuw and the group for allowing the stunt to be aired.

But Wendy has defended her actions on the social media site, insisting they were “for a good cause”.

Thesun

That’s Pin-Credible! Cancer-Survivor Can Turn Her Leg 180 Degrees

CANCER survivor Jen O’Shea has been left with a special talent after undergoing treatment to beat the disease – she can now twist her leg an incredible 180 degrees.

The brave youngster had the right side of her pelvis removed in 2011 after she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and deadly form of cancer.

Two years on Jen is now free from the disease and can walk again after months of painstaking physiotherapy.

And her missing joint has left her with a very special party trick.
Rather than hide away her quirky talent – Jen decided to share it with her friends, family and even schoolmates in a hilarious YouTube video.

Aimed at winning a talent contest held by talk show host Ellen Degeneres, Jen filmed herself showing off her trick to friends, family members and even schoolmates.

While her doctor barely flinches as she grabbed her leg and points it skywards – a room full of pals fall about in shock and disbelief at her physics-defying stunt.

Thesun

Philip Addison and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

Lead Counsel for the petitioners in the election petition case, Philip Addison will this morning re-examine their key witness, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Spokesperson for the petitioner’s legal team, Madam Gloria Akuffo noted that they were relived Mr. Tsikata had ended his cross examination. ‘’We are happy to re-examine, as you might have realized, it’s been a long 13 day cross examination. So we will come back fresh to do the re-examination’’.

The petitioners who are challenging the 2012 election results declared by the Electoral Commission will officially close their case with Dr. Bawumia’s re-examination.

Lead Counsel for third respondent, Tsatsu Tsikata on Tuesday completed his cross- examination of Dr. Bawumia pending the outcome of pink sheets auditing by accounting and auditing firm, KPMG.

Citifmonline

AN IVORIAN who stole two cars belonging to Property Express Ghana Limited (PEGL) and went into hiding for six years has been made to suffer the consequence of his action by an Accra Circuit Court.

Dion Pierre has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment with hard labour by the court presided over by Audrey Korcu-Vie Tay after he pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing.

The Ivorian in his caution statement to the police stated that he sold one of the vehicles to his accomplice, one Daniel Hadiku, a trader, as scrap.

The said accomplice however denied the charge of dishonestly receiving anything from him. He has been granted a GH¢50,000 bail with two sureties to re-appear on June 3, for trial.

The prosecutor ASP Raymond Assor informed the court that the complainant Robert Wege was the manager of PEGL.

ASP Assor narrated that in the year 2007, Dion Pierre who was driving one of the company’s vehicles, Opel Kadett, returned from town and informed the complainant that the vehicle had broken down.

The complainant reportedly gave Dion the ignition key to another vehicle Opel Vectra with registration number GT 5103 U, parked in the company’s premises to have it washed in a washing bay and to transport complainant’s wife to a meeting.

However when Dion moved the vehicle out of the premises, he never returned.

After a fruitless search and announcement, a report was made to the police at Kaneshie but Dion according to the prosecutor managed to disappear for six years until he was spotted by a supervisor of the company, one William Addison in Madina on April 20, 2013 and caused his arrest.

Dion reportedly in his caution statement to Kaneshie Police Station  admitted the offence and stated that he sold the Opel Kadett as scrap at a cost of GH¢450 to Daniel and sold the Opel Vectra to a man he could not lead police to arrest at the cost of GH¢500.

The prosecutor stated that Dion later led the police to arrest Daniel at Kokompe Darkuman.

According to ASP Assor, Daniel also admitted in his statement that he bought the Opel Kadett from Dion as scrap.

After the investigations, they were charged with the offence.

By Mary Anane

Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang – Minister of Education

Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that teachers in the country are planning a sit-down strike come Monday, May 27, 2013, to express their grievances over their unpaid allowances.

According to Norbert Gborgborji, spokesperson for Coalition of Concerned Teachers Association (CCTA) who said he was speaking on behalf of all the teacher associations in Ghana, they backed off their earlier strike because the government promised to pay their allowances. They also indicated that they had a change in their decision because of the pleas from parents who were worried about their wards in the final year.

“After we resumed, the government promised to settle us but they haven’t done anything about it,” he added.

Mr Gborgborji mentioned that a meeting was scheduled between the various teacher associations, Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) and Finance Ministry, but the Finance Ministry refused to turn up for the meeting.

He therefore called on parents whose children are in kindergarten to senior high school to take care of their children from Monday because teachers would not be at their various schools to take care of them.

The spokesperson said the teachers would rescind their decision when the government and Fair Wages and Salary Commission settle all their unpaid allowances due them.

From Vivianna Mensah, Sunyani

Chief Justice Georgina Wood

The Judicial Service would soon introduce a sentencing policy to ensure greater consistency in sentencing and uniformity of practice among judges.

The introduction of the policy, expected to guide not only sentencing but also various areas of practice of the bench, is also to ensure the public is satisfied with the ruling given by judges.

Justice of the Supreme Court, Joseph Bawa Akamba, said, “It is to ensure that the public is satisfied and we are also satisfied that at least our people are performing uniformly guided by the literature that we will be producing.”

Justice Akamba said this during a two-day training workshop for journalists on court proceedings and how the justice system works, in Accra.

The workshop, organized by the communication department of the judicial service with funding from the Department for International Development (DIFD) had participants taken through the court room procedures and judicial hierarchy of Ghana.

It was also to make the judicial service more accessible to the public and also to guarantee effective reportage of issues relating to the Judicial Service.

He said the literature would look at the various cases that commonly came before the court, various offenses provided under the various statutes and the penalties they provide.

“We are going to work within the status that created those various offenses and the penalty for those offenses.”

So the policy is just going to ensure that within the discretion that you have from zero to your maximum, how will you exercise it? In what instance will you employ the lowest possible on the ladder that you have been given?”, he asked.

Justice Akamba said the concerns would be egged out to guide every judge so their sentencing would have very minimal differences.

He also noted that provision for non-custodian sentencing would be addressed in the new policy.

“Within the sentencing spectrum, there is provision for non-custodian; the guide will streamline the instances when one will have to resort to non-custodian or custodian and how high can a judge go on a sentencing ladder for a particular offense,” he noted.

He said consultations have been made and various debriefing held among judges “and I think we are getting to the end. We are working at it and it will come out soon.”

Justice of the Court of Appeal and Director of the Judicial Training Institute, Samuel Marful-Sau, said the workshop was to bridge the gaps created in court reportage as a result of inadequate court room knowledge.

“We are not going to teach you how to report but to make you appreciate what is being done at the court so you can report better.”

He therefore urged the participants to take advantage of the programme to enhance their knowledge on reporting court stories.

 By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

Mr. Fiador (middle) explaining a point to some officials

Tema South District of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has described electrical connections at the Tema Central Market as appalling.

According to the ECG management, most of the wires do not have insulation thereby exposing the main copper.

Ebenezer Fiador, Tema South District Engineer made the remarks when some members of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and ECG embarked on an inspection tour of the Tema Central Market in Community One.

The exercise was aimed at checking electrical installations at the market following numerous fire outbreaks which have gutted several property worth millions of cedis.

The ECG South District Engineer called on authorities of TMA to, as a matter of urgency, take steps to rewire stores and shops belonging to the assembly.

He said, “TMA is supposed to take care of internal wiring at stores and shops at the market, whilst it is ECG’s duty to ensure the provision of cable from main supply to the metre which is the external cables.”

Mr Fiador expressed grave concern about the illegal electric connections, overloading of electrical sockets with electrical appliances and machines by traders at the market which often causes fire.

He explained that ECG would want to improve electricity connection in the market, stressing that they do not have adequate access to the market.

Mr Fiador admonished traders to come for separate electric metres because of the congestion on cables.

Kwesi Poku, member of TMA Works Sub-committee during the inspection tour, noted that the Assembly would not hesitate to adhere to the recommendation by ECG to avert any fire outbreak.

According to him, TMA would ensure that owners of shops and stores at the market obtain separate metres to reduce illegal connections at the market.

 From Vincent Kubi, Tema

AN ACCRA High Court (Land Division) has upheld an application for an order to strike out a statement of defence filed by Mort City Real Estate and five others in the case in which they and F.K.A Company Limited are litigating over parcels of land in Accra.

The court presided over by Justice Amos L. Buertey upheld F.K.A Company Limited’s application because the defendants according to the court “did not disclose any reasonable defence in law.”

The court however did not grant F.K.A’s relief for demolition of all structures, buildings, walls, houses and other properties on the land in dispute.

Apart from Mort City Real Estates, other defendants in the dispute are Nii Noi Morten, Nii Agyiri Asafoatse, Nii Evans Armah, Nii Adams Addy and the Lands Commission.

The court also awarded GH¢1,000 each against Nii Noi Morten, Morten City Real Estates, Nii Agyiri Asafoatse, Nii Evans Armah in favour of the plaintiff.

In his ‘amended statement of claim pursuant to leave dated February 14, 2013’, the plaintiff represented by Frederick Kofi Asare wanted “a declaration of title to all that piece and parcel of land specifically described in the statement of claim.”

The plaintiff wanted recovery of possession from the defendants and their assigns or agents as well as damages for trespass.

He also wanted an order for perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from “alienating, conveying, transferring, selling, gifting etc or in any way or manner from disposing off or transferring any interest in the land.”

The plaintiff again sought for an order for demolition of all structures, buildings at the defendant’s costs but the court did not grant that order.

In his statement of claim, F.K.A Company Limited averred that the plaintiff was an undisputed owner in possession of the said land and claimed that he acquired five parcels of land at Danchira in the Greater Accra Region from the Djan-Bi Amu Family.

According to the plaintiff, the defendants have encroached on his lands and all attempts at stopping them from taking the land had failed.

Justice Buertey in his ruling stated that “I have granted this application solely on the ground that the Court of Appeal decision reversing the earlier decision in Suit No. L128/2008 operated as res judicata between the parties to this suit and no other persons except it can be shown that the person or persons are privies to any of the parties in that suit.”

The court also ordered the Lands Commission “to cancel, delete, expunge, remove, reverse all registration, plotting, processing of all or any portions of the land the subject matter of this suit that has been so registered, plotted or being processed in the name of the 1^st to 5^th defendants to this suit.”

By William Yaw Owusu

Dr Kofi Wampah

Bank of Ghana (BoG) is expected to maintain the Prime Rate, the rate at which it lends to commercial banks today.

Analysts have predicted that the Central Bank would not change the policy rate, as inflation, one of the major determinants of interest rate, has been stable for some time now.

The announcement would climax the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, which commenced on May 20, to review economic developments in the economy.

“We further expect the Central Bank to maintain current interest rates at best while it observes significant indicators to determine policy decisions in the short and medium term,” market analysts, Frontline Capital Advisors stated in its weekly report on the economy recently.

Interest rates on treasury securities funds, especially the 91-Day Treasury bill, hovers around 12 percent, but average lending rates of banks is about 28 percent though banks have begun reducing their base lending rates.

The cedi has fairly been stable against the major foreign currencies after assuming a fast depreciation rate at the beginning of the year basically due to unrelenting demand for the dollar, increased imports and lack of foreign capital inflows.

Despite its mixed performance, some players in the financial sector and analysts have predicted that the local currency will end the year at GH¢1.55 against the US Dollar.

The MPC will therefore find ways of preserving the local currency in order not to affect the profit margins of firms and prices of goods and services.

Some economic indicators such as the country’s fiscal and trade deficits, foreign reserves, among other important indicators, are expected to be reviewed by the committee.

The MPC will make the necessary projections for the next quarter of this year. In addition, it will also assess the business risk factors.

The suggestions are expected to help the country to ensure a stable and vibrant economic environment.

 By Emelia Ennin Abbey

Alex Mould – CEO of National Petroleum Authority

Alex Kofi Mould, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Petroleum Authority (NPA), says until Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is privatized or sold to private investors, it cannot perform to expectation, let alone compete internationally.

According to him, government currently does not have the money to invest into TOR and therefore it would be appropriate if the current managers of the economy allow investors to take over the state refinery.

Speaking recently at a presentation on opportunities for bulk distribution companies in Accra, Mr. Mould stated: “TOR is a huge organisation that needs a lot of money to maintain and also keep a standard to be able to compete with the international market. Government, as a shareholder, should ensure that TOR is fit for growth.  And how Government looks for the money depends on Ghanaians.”

But analysts in Ghana’s petroleum sector have expressed different views, saying TOR would be bought by government officials as they have since the beginning of their tenure of office ‘given a dog a bad name to hang it.’

An analyst, who refused to be named, noted that “if government is saying that it cannot support TOR at this time, how can it ensure it is handled well when it is sold to investors?”

“It should invest into refinery if it can do it better and more efficiently than the private sector and ensure that there are cheaper products that are supplied consistently at the right time.  “If government cannot do that then we should encourage the private sector to come into that industry.

“We can do this by not protecting the government sectors and as such stifling the private sector from competition. Government should not allow its agencies to pay a different price on petroleum products while the private sector pays a different price. They should pay the same price, compete on a level field and ensure that any organization it invests in is fit for growth and can compete with the private sector.

Do we want the taxpayer to pay it or Government to go and borrow it or do, we want TOR as an organisation to stand alone and borrow and do it. As a shareholder, government needs to step up to that responsibility and spell out exactly how it wants to do it. That has nothing to do with NPA. The NPA’s job is to give licences out to anybody who wants to compete in this space – the supply and distribution chain of petroleum products- to ensure that the consumer receives quality products at the right price and also services that are given to the consumer, they should have choice.

Asked how margins are set on petroleum products in relation to what pertains in the developed world, Kofi Mould noted that the petroleum sector is a heavily private sector one.

“Although NPA is the government regulator, we did not compete with participants. We ensure that the framework is open to all and that those who can meet the standards have a fair playing field.

“We have to encourage people to invest and to do this, they have to be reasonable return. You cannot have 17 bulk distribution companies (BDCs) if the return is not good. Some are bound to wither away. Likewise we cannot have over 60 oil marketing companies if the return is not good. You can’t have over 2000 trucks moving products around the country with over 150 transporters in this sector if the margin is not good.

 By Samuel Boadi

Some concerned workers of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Limited at the Western Regional Office in Sekondi are up in arms against the regional boss of the state transport company (name withheld) for allegedly duping the company to the tune of over GH¢20,000.

According to the workers, the manager, in connivance with four other senior staff of the company, managed to fraudulently carry out some covert deals which saw them pocket over GH¢20,000 to the detriment of the company.

The concerned workers therefore vowed to resist any attempt to reinstate the manager who was allegedly interdicted after an audit team from the company’s head office in Accra found him guilty.

Narrating how the alleged malpractice was uncovered, the spokesperson for the concerned workers, who pleaded anonymity, told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE that for some time, the company was running at a loss even though most of the buses were being hired by the public for events.

He maintained that the workers could not fathom why the regional office of the MMT should incur losses.

“The situation then prompted some of us to do our own secret investigations to find the reasons for the company’s declined revenue despite the fact that the buses were always on the road,” the spokesperson of the concerned workers indicated.

He added that somewhere in February 2013, a bus inspector at the regional office of the company intercepted one of the hired buses filled with passengers, near the Sekondi Gyandu Park.

He noted that when the driver was asked to produce the document to affirm that the people in the bus had really hired it; the bus driver could not produce the authentic document.

“The bus driver rather brought out some fake documents which did not have the company’s stamp and logo embassed on them. When he was quizzed as to how he came about the fake documents; the driver revealed that it was the manager who had prepared the alleged fake documents,” the spokesperson alleged.

He indicated that a report was made to the company’s head office in Accra and an audit team from the head office was sent to Sekondi to investigate the case.

According to the spokesperson, the concerned MMT workers also lodged an official complaint with the Ministry of Transport in Accra.

He noted that the manager and his four accomplices were barred from the company.

The concerned workers indicated efforts were being made to reinstate the expelled regional boss.

They therefore appealed to people masterminding the reinstatement of the former regional MMT boss to rescind their decision.

“We don’t need our former boss and we will go all out to resist his return, including laying down our tools. Why should the manager be brought back for duping the company like this when a worker who steals even one cedi, is sacked,” he quizzed.

When contacted, a member of the audit team that was sent from Accra to Sekondi to investigate the matter told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE that the issue was still under investigation.

The audit member, whose name was only given as Quaye, declined to comment further and asked this reporter to travel to the head office of the MMT in Accra in person before he could make further remarks.

 From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi

James Adongo Akologo

A former employee of Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited is crying for justice after the multinational failed to pay his redundancy package after forcing him to resign about three years ago.

James Adongo Akologo, a father of eight, was a former Depot Clerk at the Sunyani Depot.

He told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE that he worked with the company for over 14 years before management decided to close down the Sunyani Depot in January 2010.

According to him, management asked him to resign as part of plans to close down the depot instead of being declared redundant.

“I complied thinking that that would not affect any benefits as a result of the company’s decision to close down the Sunyani Depot,” he pointed out.

Mr. Akologo told the paper that after his resignation, the company gave him 800 crates of coca cola as part of his benefits, but to his surprise the company recently wrote a letter to him.

“They demanded that I pay an amount of GH¢13,520 being the cost of the product as they claimed it was given to me on credit.”

He explained that he had written officially to the company on the matter, but officials insisted he paid back the money or be prosecuted.

The obviously distressed Mr. Adongo, who has developed a high blood pressure as a result of the development, appealed to the government and human rights organizations to come to his aid to claim all his redundancy benefits from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Limited.

 FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has tasked local manufacturers to produce quality goods in order to attract the attention of consumers and boost businesses.

He observed that constant demand by people in authority for Ghanaians to patronize locally manufactured goods would be in vain if manufacturers always produce inferior goods.

Otumfuo stressed the need for local manufacturers to work assiduously to come out with attractive and quality products.

This was contained in a statement delivered on behalf of Asantehene by Nana Kwaku Amankwah Sarkodie II, Sawiahene during the opening of the Association of Ghana Industries’ (AGI) International Trade Fair and Indutech 2013 in Kumasi.

The Asantehene charged local manufacturers to adopt modern market strategies such as branding of wares so as to gain the interest of local consumers and improve sales in the process.

The King said producing the wares alone doesn’t guarantee enhanced sales, urging the manufacturers to be innovative to woo more people to patronize their products.

Otumfuo bemoaned Ghana’s overreliance on imported rice, warning that Ghana would face challenges if the countries fail to deliver.

He therefore suggested that government should ban the importation of rice and assist farmers and schools in the country to cultivate rice on large-scale, noting that Ghana has vast lands to produce its own rice.

The fair is under the theme, ‘Improving Market Share of Made in Ghana Goods, the Challenges of Access to Market.’

Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Trade and Industry, in a speech read on his behalf, said his ministry is currently implementing a new Industrial Policy and an Industrial Sector Support Programme (ISSP.)

This new initiative, he noted, is aimed at revitalizing and promoting Ghana’s manufacturing industries in order to make them locally and internationally competitive.

Samuel Apenteng, Vice President, AGI, in his remarks, observed that Ghana’s economy had become vulnerable due to the influx of cheap products.

He suggested that Ghana should create conducive business environment to reduce cost of operations and make Ghanaian products more competitive.

Mr. Apenteng said that the current energy crisis in the country was making Ghanaian industries less competitive, saying “the AGI continues to dialogue with the VRA, ECG, and GRIDCo and we are informed of measures being undertaken to bring the situation under control.

Chairman of the Trade Fair Committee, William Awuku, said 100 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors were expected to take part in the fair, adding that the fair would offer help manufacturers to display their products at a particular place and make profit.

Robert Nketia, Regional Chairman, AGI, Ashanti/BA, stressed that consumers should patronize made in Ghana goods.

 FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Philip Addison and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

Lead Counsel for the petitioners in the election petition case, Philip Addison will this morning re-examine their key witness, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Spokesperson for the petitioner’s legal team, Madam Gloria Akuffo noted that they were relived Mr. Tsikata had ended his cross examination. ‘’We are happy to re-examine, as you might have realized, it’s been a long 13 day cross examination. So we will come back fresh to do the re-examination’’.

The petitioners who are challenging the 2012 election results declared by the Electoral Commission will officially close their case with Dr. Bawumia’s re-examination.

Lead Counsel for third respondent, Tsatsu Tsikata on Tuesday completed his cross- examination of Dr. Bawumia pending the outcome of pink sheets auditing by accounting and auditing firm, KPMG.

Citifmonline

Miachael Ampong (second left) with other executives at the dais

The Greater Accra Regional Communication Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Michael Ampong has alleged that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has started preparing feverishly for a run-off.

“The NDC, knowing very well that it will lose the petition going on at the Supreme Court, has started underground campaign for a run-off so we in the NPP should be well awake to ensure that we match them boot for boot even though it was clear that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won the 2012 general elections,” he added.

Mr Ampong stated this at the handing over ceremony of the University of Education Winneba branch of the Tertiary Education Conference of the NPP (TESCON) at Winneba over the weekend.

He urged the students to work assiduously to increase membership, indicating that TESCON has been the pillar of the NPP and ought to attract more people for party.

The Communication Director noted that Ghanaians have seen the vast difference between the NPP and the NDC in terms of good governance and would not hesitate to vote massively for them if the Supreme Court calls for a run-off.

“The NDC is only good at propaganda, corruption, mismanagement and looting of state coffers but not good governance ”

The newly-elected TESCON President, Alex Opoku Afriyie, promised to work extra hard to sustain the image of the party at Winneba and its environs.

 From Sarah Afful, Winneba

P.V Obeng

Paul Victor Obeng has called on the business community and civil society to do more to establish their proper roles in national discourse and progress and ensure that they offer credible middle paths for compromise since any conflict or unnecessary tension in the nation would especially affect the business community.

PV Obeng made the comments at the first Annual BJ da Rocha Memorial Lectures instituted and organized by the Mountcrest University College on Thursday where he showered encomiums on the departed politician.

The event, which was instituted to celebrate the life of the late BJ da Rocha and commemorate the 84^th birthday of the erudite politician and statesman, was chaired by Yaw Osafo Maafo, former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

Mr. Obeng described the late da Rocha as a man of strong conviction who was however willing to shift position in the interest of national development and progress.

He recalled his meetings with the late statesman in the aftermath of the 1992 presidential elections, and at a time when the NPP, which Mr. da Rocha chaired had decided to boycott the parliamentary polls.

Mr. Obeng noted that the meetings he had with Mr. da Rocha were for a compromise to be found so the NPP could participate fully in the political process and to ensure that Ghana’s democracy which was then new born started on a good note to foster many more years of constitutionalism.

The senior presidential advisor said that it was as a result of such meetings that the NPP, which though boycotted the parliamentary elections, participated fully in the national discourse which eventually ensured that Ghana’s democracy was strengthened.

PV Obeng, who has held several high ranking positions in public service under almost all the administrations since the early 80s, described Mr. da Rocha as a statesman par excellence who should be celebrated and praised the University for rightfully instituting the lectures in memory of such a distinguished man.

According to him, it was the hard work of people like da Rocha that Ghana’s electoral system was reformed to incorporate the use of transparent ballot boxes after the 1992 elections.

He described the late NPP strongman as a pioneer of integrity and compromise who never declined to offer his efforts to national development and progress even in his old age, citing the immense contribution of the late da Rocha to the now famous IEA forum as an example of how even at an advanced age, he gave his all to the nation.

Mr. Obeng stated that da Rocha was one of the men he respected and continued to admire most for his sense of patriotism, his integrity and his willingness to set aside partisan positions in the interest of the nation.

He stated that Ghana was at a critical stage in its development which needed more of the likes of da Rocha to ensure that bridges are built between the various factions in Ghanaian politics.

On his part, Yaw Osafo Maafo said suspicion had now taken a better part of Ghana’s discourse and noted that it was a major problem inhibiting the need to compromise and work in the national interest.

He noted for example, the tendency for people in the opposition to be described as moles anytime such persons try to build bridges with the ruling government and also the tendency for governments to be accused of trying to cover their bad deeds when they try to reach out to members of the opposition.

He told the audience that Havard University invited him and four other former finance ministers from Africa to lecture over 20 current finance ministers in the past few weeks but described as regrettable the fact that in the last five years he had never spoken to any of Ghana’s finance ministers.

Nana Akuffo Addo

The European Union (EU) has commended 2012 New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo and the two other petitioners in the ongoing presidential election petition for rightly choosing to seek redress at the Supreme Court of Ghana concerning the conduct and outcome of the December presidential elections.

This commendation was contained in a letter signed by Pedro Serrano, a member of Cabinet of the European Council and the Principal Advisor on External Relations to the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

The letter from the Union was in response to a petition submitted to the President of the European Council by the Association of Concerned Ghanaians in Europe.

“The EU has consistently called upon parties with grievances in to the electoral process to seek redress through the appropriate legal channels. Accordingly, the EU considers that the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Akufo-Addo, his running mate and the chairman of the NPP were right to seek their grievances addressed through the petition submitted to the Supreme Court. It is now for the Supreme Court to make a ruling on the alleged irregularities based on the evidence submitted,” the letter dated 13^th May 2013 said.

The EU indicated in the letter that they were closely following the petition hearings through its delegation in Accra and noted the publicly declared commitments of both Nana Akufo-Addo and John Mahama to respect the verdict of the Supreme Court on the matter.

The Union pledged to continuously follow the process in court and support the rule of law in the country and to do its part to ensure that all parties respect the eventual verdict of the Supreme Court.

The presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo, his vice presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey on 28^th December, 2012 filed a petition at the Supreme Court to challenge the declaration of John Dramani Mahama as winner of the presidential election as a result of numerous constitutional, statutory violations, irregularities and malpractices which affected the conduct and outcome of the polls.

The petition is requesting the Supreme Court to annul results from over 11,000 polling stations where various irregularities have been identified to have occurred following an analysis of the Statement of Poll and Declaration of Results forms (Pink Sheets), the primary and official record of the elections in those polling stations.

Should the Supreme Court uphold the case of the petitioners, Nana Akufo-Addo would have to be declared as the rightful winner of the December elections.

Indeed if any one of the four main categories of irregularities (over voting, voting without biometric verification, absence of presiding officer signature and the use of same serial numbers on polling station pink sheets) as outlined by the petitioners is upheld by the Court, it would mean that the declaration of the EC made in December would be set aside.

Gloria Akuffo

Gloria Akuffo, a member of the legal team of the petitioners contesting the 2012 presidential result at the Supreme Court, says she is not afraid of anything.

In the wake of the theft of items in her office by unknown robbers on Wednesday dawn, she stated that she would not call for police protection, insisting that “man is supposed to die once.”

Gloria Akuffo said she was informed about the theft of the items after court proceedings on Wednesday.

She said hard drive, PC memory and server, among other gadgets were stolen by the robbers, who are currently at large.

Speaking to Akuoko of Kessben FM, Gloria Akuffo said the incident would not affect the case of the petitioners at the Supreme Court.

She could not fathom why robbers had targeted her lately.

She said lawyers for the petitioners don’t store their documents at her office, noting that “what was stolen will not affect the petitioners in court.”

If those behind the robbery think that making me a target of robbery would put fear in me then they have failed, Gloria Akuffo said.

She said, “I am not afraid of anything and I will not apply for police protection,” adding that “man was born to die once.”

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi

Derek Boateng

Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng is on cloud nine following his switch from the Ukrainian league to premiership side Fulham.

Consequently, the 30-year-old former Getafe midfielder has resolved to work harder to get first team shirt in his two-year contract.

Having played in top flight leagues like the German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, and in Greece among others, Boateng has described the Craven Cottage move as a dream come true.

And to the former Dnipro performer, his new move places him under no pressure to deliver; rather, it will stir him to go the extra mile to justify the purchase.

Already, the dreadlocked midfielder is finding his rhythm, having started training with the Cottagers.

He paid glowing tribute to national team mate John Paintsil, a former right back for Fulham.

To him, Paintsil’s good footprints during his stay at the Craven Cottage has already endeared him to his employers and the fans as well.

“Paintsil has really done well, his good works during his days here has really made things easier for me. They speak well of him and that has endeared me to the fans.

“I am not under pressure to prove a point, what I have purposed to do is to work harder to break into the first team,” Boateng said on Happy FM.

And responding to whether he has the Italian Serie A in mind as his next destination, he remarked “I will die here o.”

Boateng officially joined the English side last Monday.

 By Kofi Owusu Aduonum

Massimo Carrera

Juventus first-team coach Massimo Carrera has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison on two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The 49-year-old, who stood in for Antonio Conte during his ban for failing to report match-fixing, was found guilty of knocking down and killing two 23-year-old girls on New Year’s Eve 2011.

The court decided that Carrera had more than enough time to see the girls and avoid hitting them while driving along the A4 highway between Dalmine and Bergamo.

And the former Italy international will spend the next 30 months behind bars for the crime.

Carrera started the season in charge of the Old Lady but when Angelo Alessio’s ban ended, he took the reins until the completion of Conte’s suspension.

Carrera represented the likes of Bari, Juve, Atalanta and Napoli during his playing career and joined the Turin giants’ backroom staff in 2011.

Michael Essien and Jose Mourinho

Incoming Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has told the English Premier club not to listen to offers for Michael Essien after the Ghanaian emerged as a target for some clubs.

The midfielder has been a subject of interest from clubs in the Premier League and Italy, after it was speculated that he has no future at Stamford Bridge next season.

Essien, who is currently on loan at Real Madrid, will revert to Chelsea at the end of his loan spell with the Spanish giants.

Previous Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo declared him surplus to requirements which resulted in Mourinho taking Essien on loan with Real Madrid which left the Ghanaian’s long-term future with the Blues in doubt.

This resulted in West Ham manager Sam Allardyce seeking the signature of the Ghanaian while Inter Milan were said to be interested in him.

But with the Portuguese manager returning to the English side at the start of next season after mutually ending his contract with Real Madrid, Mourinho has told Chelsea management not to listen to offers for the Ghanaian.

The 30-year-old was once a key player in Chelsea’s starting lineup, earning a reputation for his strong play from midfield, as well as an ability to score the occasional long-range wonder-goal.

Injuries have disrupted his career in recent years, and he has found himself down the pecking order at the club under their various different managers over the last two seasons.

However, Essien seems to be returning to his best form after his stint at Real Madrid especially by acting as a utility player at the Bernebeu.

Essien’s current contract expires in 2015, and he could move for around £5million, significantly less than the £24.4million the Blues paid to sign him from Lyon in 2005, which at the time made him the most expensive African player in the history of the game.

Djan Wilteh &Associates’ Emmanuel Ola Williams(2ndL) in a handshake with NIIT officials. With them is MC-Caulley of GES

IT Company NIIT Computers has pledged its unflinching support for sports in the country.

Already, it has supported the Nunu Sports Festival, offering scholarship to 20 outstanding pupils and officials who excelled in the just ended sports festival.

“We believe this support will go a long way to encourage prospective young talents to strive for excellence in forthcoming sports competitions.

“We also want to commend Djan Wilteh & Associates, organizers of the Nunu Sports Festival, for supporting juvenile sports and we are calling on other companies to rally their support for sports in Ghana.

“We will continue to support sports in the country, we see it not just as a social responsibility, but investing in the youth of the country,” Vivek K. Verma, Business Head of NIIT said in an interview.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum

Kwesi Nyantakyi

Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi has been nominated to chair the Fair-Play and Social Responsibility Committee of the continent’s sport governing body, the Confederation of African Football.

The appointment to the Standing Committee was confirmed by CAF’s Executive Committee at its meeting in Cairo on May 15 and 16th 2013, following a new system of selection.

Kwesi Nyantakyi, who is a CAF Executive Committee member, will chair the eight-member Committee for the period between 2013-2015.

The GFA President was also approved as the Vice-President of the Media Committee while retaining his seat as a member of the Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nyantakyi will also represent West Zone B on the Consultative Committee of CAF/National Associations.

FA

Newly-weds: The couple are pictured cutting their wedding cake at the venue

A heavily pregnant bride vowed to stand by her new husband today – even though he was jailed for trashing and looting their wedding venue.

Bridie Sparks, 24, had just wed Christopher Richards, 25, when he and three friends went back to the club where they held the reception to plunder it of thousands of pounds worth of alcohol and computers.

The group also caused more than £20,000 of damage to property in the building by smashing doors and ripping cabinets off walls.

The raid occurred after kind-hearted accountant Catherine Murphy, who runs the Bacup Hub club in Bacup, Lancashire, laid on a half price champagne buffet for the couple and their 90 guests because they complained of being broke and she felt sorry for them.

Richards an unemployed former labourer later handed himself into police after CCTV captured him inside the building and the pictures were published in a local newspaper.

Miss Murphy, 34, who had bought the venue for £175,000 and who at the time was also pregnant was said to so ‘emotionally tortured’ by Richard’s betrayal she tried to kill herself.

At Burnley Crown Court, Richards of Bacup, admitted burglary and was jailed for six months after what a judge described as ‘a dreadful offence.’

But today Miss Sparks, who already has two children with Richards and will now give birth to their third whilst he is in jail, said she would stick with her husband.

She said : ‘I’m standing by my man because I love him and nobody is perfect. I know my husband isn’t an angel and it hurts that he went back to the same place we got married.

‘But Christopher has admitted he’s done something wrong and is serving his time, he’s truly sorry. He has been crying on the phone from jail.

‘I’m now 35 weeks pregnant and I won’t even have my husband by my side for the pregnancy. It’s affected me badly, with lots of people staring at me in the street, thinking I had something to do with it.

‘It has been very distressing for me, even though I had nothing at all to do with it.’

She added: ‘My wedding memories are tarnished now because of what he did. I can’t even look at our wedding photos now. I was going to watch our wedding DVD the other night, but I stopped myself as it just reminds me of the bad situation we’re in now.

‘When I saw the CCTV stills of my husband I just felt sick, he looked like a criminal. I was disgusted as any wife would be. On the night of the incident he came back drunk and I knew instantly he had done something wrong.

‘I told him he was going to ruin the future for us and he crumbled because he knew I was right – all because of one drunken night. It was an act of stupidity; I wish he had thought of me and the kids.’

The court heard how Richards and his bride had held their reception at the venue in July last year – just six months before last January’s raid.

Miss Murphy only charged the couple £1,060 for the whole day – including venue, champagne, chocolate fountain and bouncy castle – paying the rest of the £2,400 total herself.

But Richards, his usher George Taylor, 24, and two other intruders returned to the club repeatedly throughout the night of January 2 and 3 between about 10pm and about 7am smashing doors and ripping cabinets off walls.

Richards and his usher helped snatch 62 bottles of spirits worth £1,130 from the bar and grabbed 159 bottles of spirits and cans of soft drinks worth £2,672 from the storeroom during their callous dead of night raid.

More than 80 bottles of wine valued at £1,714 and 2,602 bottles or cans of beer and alcopops worth £2,089 were also lifted from the main bar fridge.

Items including computers and laptops and DVDs and valued at £14,970 went missing and it cost £24,214 to replace damaged property such as CCTVs, mirrors, tiles, cupboards and glasses. The total cost of the raid in theft and damage was £46,790.

Dailymail

Megan Futrell, pictured, and her five-month-old baby were among those killed at a 7-Eleven store in Moore, Oklahoma, which was destroyed in Monday’s tornado

Relatives of a young mother killed along with her five-month-old child in the 7-Eleven razed by the Oklahoma tornado have told of her desperate final moments.

MailOnline has learned that mother-of-two Megan Futrell was desperately trying to reach her older child when the storm overtook her and she was forced to seek shelter in a futile bid to save herself and her baby.

She hid with her baby in the freezer at the convenience store. And it was there, huddled together, that their bodies were found.

According to tributes online the young mother-of-two had spoken to her husband on the phone moments before the tornado hit.

A cousin said she was a ’beautiful woman, teacher, mother, wife’.

Speaking to MailOnline, Pastor DA Bennett, of St Andrews who has been contacted by the family and asked to make funeral arrangements said: ‘This woman had two children, a six-year-old and a five month child.

‘She was a school teacher and had to be home with her baby. She went to get her baby and found that she couldn’t outrun the storm.’

He added: ‘I hope that when people think of her they don’t think that she was reckless or some kind of thrill seeker.

‘She was a mother who loved her baby and wanted to do what she could to protect that child.’

The victim was born in Oklahoma City, confirmed in St Andrews Church and married there too.

Her husband Cody is a shop foreman at UEM, Oklahoma City.

As a member of his parish, Pastor Bennette said, ‘I will do what I can now for her and her child and her family.’

The tragedy is the latest to emerge in the wake of the storm that tore through this swathe of the mid-West and claimed the life of 24, nine of them children.

A further 237 were injured and hope of finding victims alive was beginning to wane.

Officials started to search flattened homes and piles of rubble with cadaver dogs.

No survivors were found on Tuesday and officials said they hope to complete three searches of every site of devastation before nightfall.

The weather service confirmed that the powerful storm was for times an EF5 – the maximum on the scale.

Seven children were found drowned at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which was a direct hit during the 45 minutes of terror.

Nine-year-old Janae Hornsby, whose father said ‘always has a smile on her face’, is one of the victims while family members have shared pictures of other missing children, including Sydney Angle, feared dead.

Frightened third graders were being pulled from the wreckage alive on Monday afternoon as rescue workers passed the children down a human chain before taking them to a triage center set up in the school’s parking lot.

Staff said there had been at least 75 people in the school of around 500 students when the tornado hit. The 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students were taken from the school to a church before the twister barreled through.

Students who were inside the building described clinging to the walls of the hallway where many of them huddled during the storm as the twister battered the school. Others cowered in closets or bathrooms to protect themselves

Briarwood was the other elementary school flattened in the tornado but all the students miraculously escaped alive.

Tales of heroic teachers throwing themselves over children to save them were reported in both.

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, an official confirmed that the two schools did not have safe rooms, as they had not applied for them.

He added that the jurisdiction decides where to allocate funds for safe rooms based on past events.

President Barack Obama declared a major disaster area in Oklahoma, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local efforts in Moore. Speaking from the White House on Tuesday morning, he said that FEMA staff were on the ground to provide support to residents.

He offered his condolences to the community following ‘one of the most destructive storms in history’ and promised whatever resources they may require in the coming days and weeks.

House Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday that at the request of Rep. Tom Cole, from Moore, he has ordered flags on Capitol Hill to be lowered to half-staff.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin expressed her grief on behalf of her state for the parents of the missing children.

‘Our hearts are broken for the parents that are wondering about the state of their children that had been in the schools that have been hit today,’ Fallin said. ‘I know that there are families wondering where their loved ones are.’

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, officials said they are aiming to complete three searches of all homes by dark.

Rescue teams, including 80 members of the National Guard and search dogs, had reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble of the flattened school but the screams reportedly stopped at around 6:30 p.m. local time.

One teacher told Good Morning America that her students had to stay with her for hours until their parents could reach them. Because of the damage to the roads, ‘parents walked for miles just to get to their children,’ she said. ‘They were out of breath and crying but just so happy to see them.’

Many parents have been forced to endure an agonizing wait at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, where they wait for news of their loved ones.

Frantic parents rushed to Plaza Towers Elementary moments after it was pummeled but were kept back so search teams could hear any survivors calling for help through the rubble.

The seven children confirmed dead are believed to have been trapped underneath rubble when they were overcome by water from burst pipes.

The families were later taken to a nearby church where they continued the harrowing wait for news.

On Tuesday morning the death toll was revised down to 24 – from the prior figure of 51, which may have included some double-reported casualties.

Crews used jackhammers and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug.

National Guard choppers were being used across Moore overnight to detect body heat of survivors trapped under collapsed buildings and other rubble so they could direct rescuers.

Dailymail

A Dutch TV host stunned viewers by sucking milk from a mother’s breasts on his primetime Saturday night show.

Comedian Paul De Leeuw pounced on the topless mum during the latest episode of his chat show Langs De Leeuw, which was dedicated to breastfeeding.

Du Leeuw’s guests were a group of women who donate spare milk to mums who struggle to produce it.

One volunteer called Wendy invited the star to taste the contents of a bottle she had expressed during the show.

When the openly gay presenter joked he’d prefer to drink it from the source – she unhooked her boobs from a breast-pump and told him: “Well, if you don’t bite you may try it.”

The studio audience then watched dumbfounded as Du Leeuw took her up on the offer and sucked milk from both her breasts.

After swallowing down his sample, he joked: “I find the second one better tasting, but I can taste that you’ve eaten asparagus yesterday.”

The stunt has provoked outrage in the Netherlands from critics who branded it disgusting.

Viewers have also taken to Twitter to attack De Leeuw and the group for allowing the stunt to be aired.

But Wendy has defended her actions on the social media site, insisting they were “for a good cause”.

Thesun

CANCER survivor Jen O’Shea has been left with a special talent after undergoing treatment to beat the disease – she can now twist her leg an incredible 180 degrees.

The brave youngster had the right side of her pelvis removed in 2011 after she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and deadly form of cancer.

Two years on Jen is now free from the disease and can walk again after months of painstaking physiotherapy.

And her missing joint has left her with a very special party trick.
Rather than hide away her quirky talent – Jen decided to share it with her friends, family and even schoolmates in a hilarious YouTube video.

Aimed at winning a talent contest held by talk show host Ellen Degeneres, Jen filmed herself showing off her trick to friends, family members and even schoolmates.

While her doctor barely flinches as she grabbed her leg and points it skywards – a room full of pals fall about in shock and disbelief at her physics-defying stunt.

Thesun

Teachers carry children away from Briarwood Elementary school after a tornado destroyed the school in south Oklahoma City

A desperate search is underway after a monstrous tornado wiped out a school in Oklahoma City, leaving seven students dead in a pool of water and two dozen missing.

Plaza Towers Elementary school was in the direct path of the giant twister which roared through the suburbs obliterating entire neighborhoods and pulverizing a 30-square-mile stretch with winds up to 200 mph.

At least 91 people have been killed and today under flood lights, emergency crews dug through debris and used jackhammers to tear away concrete, hoping to recover the bodies of up to 24 students they believe are buried under the rubble.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin expressed her grief on behalf of her state for the parents of the missing children, aged between five and eight, as the death toll across the heavily-populated Oklahoma City suburb of Moore escalated to 91 people, with some 233 injured.

‘Our hearts are broken for the parents that are wondering about the state of their children that had been in the schools that have been hit today,’ Fallin said. ‘I know that there are families wondering where their loved ones are.’

She added that rescuers were ‘looking under every single piece of debris’ for the missing.

This aerial photo shows the remains of homes hit by the pulverizing tornado in Moore on Monday

On Monday evening, the bodies of seven children who drowned in a pool of water were found under the flattened Plaza Towers Elementary School building after the two mile-wide tornado barreled through the Moore area at around 3pm on Monday leaving devastation in its wake.
Rescue teams, including 80 members of the National Guard and search dogs, had reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble of the flattened school but the screams reportedly stopped at around 6:30 p.m. local time.

Block after block lay in ruins. Homes were crushed into piles of broken wood. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside.

Frantic parents rushed to Plaza Towers Elementary moments after it was pummeled by the storm that has been given a preliminary rating of at least EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale but they were kept back so search teams could hear any survivors calling for help through the rubble.

The families were later taken to a nearby church where they continued the harrowing wait for news of their children. Some, praying their little ones had made it out alive, posted photographs of their children on Facebook and Twitter, desperately hoping they’d be reunited.

According to reports, a number of the 24 missing students were located in churches and triage centers lat on Monday, though it’s unclear how many.

At least 91 people in the area of Moore, Oklahoma, have now been confirmed dead, with more than 20 of those children. The 20 youngsters include the seven Plaza Towers students as well as a three-month-old baby and a four-year-old child. Another three adults were killed at a 7-Eleven.

Also among those killed, is a family of four with a baby near 4th St. and Telephone Rd. in Moore. Officials said the family tried to take shelter in a freezer.

According to KFOR, more than 233 injured residents had flooded into emergency rooms, including more than 70 children – though these numbers continue to rise.

After the monster tornado struck, around 80 National Guard members were deployed and first responders with dogs were drafted in to help search the debris at Plaza Towers elementary, hoping for a miracle.

Crews used jackhammers and sledgehammers to tear away concrete, and chunks were being thrown to the side as the workers dug. National Guard choppers were being used across Moore overnight to detect body heat of survivors trapped under collapsed buildings and other rubble so they could direct rescuers.

Devastating aerial images taken immediately after the tornado show Plaza Towers – as well as hundreds of homes and businesses – completely leveled with cars thrown into the school grounds by powerful storm. Students who were inside the building described clinging to the walls of the hallway where many of them huddled during the storm as the twister battered the school. Others cowered in closets or bathrooms to protect themselves.

One sixth grade boy named Brady told ABC affiliate KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City that he and other students took cover in the boys’ bathroom.

‘Cinderblocks and everything collapsed on them but they were underneath so that kind of saved them a little bit, but I mean they were trapped in there,’ he said.

Frightened third graders were being pulled from the wreckage alive this afternoon as rescue workers passed the children down a human chain before taking them to a triage center set up in the school’s parking lot.

Staff said there had been at least 75 people in the school of around 500 students when the tornado hit. The 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students were taken from the school to a church before the twister barreled through. One teacher said she had laid on six children to protect them. It is believed another teacher put her life at risk to cover three students and suffered serious injuries. It is unclear whether she survived.

President Barack Obama declared that a disaster existed in the State of Oklahoma and called Governor Fallin to offer any kind of assistance the devastated areas required. The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.

Fallin earlier told Oklahomans to ‘stay away and let the our search and rescue teams and families get in there,’ referring to the pulverized school

Many land lines to stricken areas were down and cellphone traffic was congested. Poor cell phone reception was making it difficult for frantic families to connect with each other but a website Safeandwell.com has been set up to assist people who fear for their loved ones.

Dailymail

VIP

Award winning music group VIP has released its much anticipated video for its ‘Follow Me’ hit song from the group’s ‘7/11’ album.

The video was released three days ago ahead of Vodafone Ghana Music Award (VGMA), the major event on the music calendar.

The ‘Follow Me’ song was produced by EL while the video was shot and edited by Phamous People. Its first day release on Wednesday on youtube had over 1000 views and keeps rising by the day.

The group was nominated for Artiste of the Year, Hip Life Song of the Year, Best Group of the Year, Hip life /Hip Hop Artiste of the Year and Best Music Video of the Year categories.

Over the past 10 years, VIP has sold over five million records, making the group one of the best selling recording artistes in Africa.

The group is made up of Zeal (Abdul Hamid Ibrahim), Promzy (Emmanuel Promzy Ababio) and Prodigal (Joseph Nana Ofori). They are described as charismatic trio who have revolutionized the African music industry by creating award-winning compositions that blend High Life, Hip Hop and traditional African music.

VIP’s dedication to artistic innovation has resulted in record-breaking recognition with a list of esteemed accolades including countless international awards, multiple city tours and performances.

By Francis Addo

Kwaisey Pee and friends

All is set for high-life singer Kwaisey Pee and his musician friends to rock the capital with melodious authentic high-life tunes in an event dubbed:

“Celebrating AU Day with Kwaisey Pee and Friends”, come May 25, 2013 to celebrate the African Unity day which also happens to be a holiday across the continent.

Musicians billed to perform on the night alongside Kwaisey Pee include Burger high-life legend George Darko, ever green Pat Thomas, sexy don dada Samini, smooth singer Irene Logon, Kofi Bee, Nana Kontihene and Kesse and all the artistes will perform with a live band.

There will also be a side attraction in form of a fashion show by B’venag Clothing to entertainment crowd and give the event a runway touch.

The night of great African tunes made in Ghana is scheduled for Saturday May 25, 2013 at the plush Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra.
Tickets for the event which are already out is selling at GH¢50 for regular and GH¢80 for VIP. Tickets are available presently at Koala, Osu, Silverbird Cinema, Baatsona Total and Airport Shell.

Dress code is a touch of African. Come let’s dance to Ghanaian authentic high-life music, whiles we join hands to celebrate Africa through quality entertainment.

The event is sponsored by Vitamilk, Media pharmacy, Mr Delivery Man, B’venag Clothing and Accessories and Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra and powered by Planet One Multimedia.

Bobie Ansah

One of Ghana’s most listened to radio presenters, Kwabena Bobie Ansah, who is the host of Sinipi, a talk show programme on Agoo 103.5 Fm, yesterday declared that as a radio presenter, his duty was to use the radio to educate Ghanaians about issues affecting society.

He told BEATWAVES in a chat: “It is my duty to educate the people on issues affecting their day to day activities. As a radio presenter I will use the opportunity I have on radio to educate everybody including listeners”.

Disclosing how he was going to do that, Bobie said as radio has become very powerful, he was going to use his talk show programme, Sinipi, aired from Monday to Friday between 2:00pm and 6:00pm, to push up the sinking image of the Ghanaian culture, effectively link up various categories of people seeking one thing or the other and also use the medium to fight against diseases and social issues like the degradation of the environment.

He also envisaged that his programme would enable him to have time to come up with far-reaching ideas and also afford him time to pursue the huge role he has been assigned to.

Bobie’s activities on radio have probably inspired many people to consider a career in radio and he is gradually making his way to the top as his admirers keep increasing every day.

Since his entry into radio, Bobie has won the hearts of a myriad of radio listeners and has become a household name.

He made a lot of impact when he hosted Asempa FM’s talk show, Ekosii Sen, paving the way for him to be counted among the best when it comes to talk shows on radio.

He told BEATWAVES that he would not rest until he reaches the top, adding “the sky is my limit. I will work hard to maintain the good image I have attained so far as I’m a presenter and always think of satisfying my listeners and admirers in whatever I do”.

By George Clifford Owusu

Guru

“The Empire Champagne Party,” unarguably, the biggest and most exclusive rave on the Accra nightlife calendar returns and this year’s edition would take place on Saturday May 25, 2013, at the plush Villa Monticello.

The Empire Champagne Party is a formal event that brings together thousands of attendees with the objective of allowing rave folk  to socialize and enjoy the very best of entertainment from excellent music, party lounges, exciting performances and an exquisite mix of assorted champagne and finger foods against a backdrop of the most alluring ambiance.

Last year’s edition, held at the Event Haven (inside the Trade Fair Centre-La), saw an eclectic mix of corporate gurus, A-list celebrities and the city’s “movers and shakers” in attendance.

All were undoubtedly swept away by the stunning and unique setting that transformed the venue into several party lounges; the black and white lounge, the white lounge and the VVIP lounge with each offering a surprisingly diverse mix of different raving experiences for all attendees.

Keeping up to its pre-event billing, guests were treated to glasses and bottles of the world’s most premium champagne brands, Moet & Chandon as well as Veuve Cliquot; all of which were provided by Moet & Chandon.

This year , organizers -  Empire Entertainment,  have promised to deliver an even bigger and more enchanting  event that would up the ante on the standards set with last year’s event  and once again redefine the art of raving in the city as has become synonymous with all Empire Entertainment events over the years.

This year’s edition is set to feature three exclusive party lounges which would each offer a different party experience for attendees. There would be the Moet and Chandon Lounge (standard), the Veuve Cliquot Lounge (VIP) and the Dom Perignon Lounge (VVIP) all set inside Villa Monticello on the night. The rates for the event are Standard – GH¢30, VIP –GH¢50, and VVIP –GH¢80.

The Empire Champagne party is supported by Moet & Chandon and Big Ideaz.

Bola Ray and Juliet Ibrahim

One of the country’s finest radio presenters, Nathaniel Kwabena Adisi aka Bola Ray, who is also the chief executive of Empire Entertainment, last Friday organized a drink-up party at the forecourt of Joy Fm to celebrate his ten years on Joy Fm.

Bola, who has for the past years worked diligently as a radio broadcaster and was the first African and Ghanaian to host ‘Top of the Pops’ on BBC Radio, has proved to music fans and radio listeners that he was one of the showbiz personalities who was working tirelessly to promote Ghanaian music on the international music scene.

The drink-up party attracted a large number of personalities from the showbiz industry as well as friends from the media.

There was plenty to drink as a lot of friends, including showbiz gurus, media personalities congratulated Bola Ray for his contribution to the showbiz industry in Ghana.

Bola Ray proved that apart from being a radio presenter and ‘Drive Time’ host on Joy FM, he was also a good dancer. His moves were so infectious that he got others to also show off theirs at the party.

As one man determined to change the entertainment industry in Ghana, Bola Ray joined Top Radio after Radio Universe, where he hosted ‘Top City Jam’, which was popular then. This was while he was a student at the University of Ghana.

In 2003, Bola, who many described as a brilliant and talented radio presenter, left Top Radio for Joy Fm, where he was still making a lot of impact.

Based on his outstanding achievements in the showbiz industry in Ghana, Bola Ray has received a number of awards which included Ghana’s Showbiz Personality of the year award at the City People Awards for excellence held in Nigeria.

As part of his social responsibilities, Bola has embarked on a number of charity projects and also made some donations to a number of needy institutions in the country.

With a lot of achievements under his belt, one is tempted to think everything has been smooth sailing for him, but that has never been the case.

TB Joshua

Religion was rightly described by Karl Marx as the opium of the people; an observation which continues to find credence in various historical developments in the local context.

Many so-called men of God in the various faiths have exploited the foregone to their economic advantage; they don the most expensive fabric and jewelry even as their congregations live in abject penury promising to have the key to paradise and ascribing all earthly challenges to demons whose antidote they possess.

The sense of fear and seeming invincibility that they exude prepares the grounds for further exploitation of their flock.

The self-exalted, often flamboyant and loud personalities who straddle their congregation as super humans, are held in extraordinary awe.

With no form of regulation of their spiritual occupations by the state, they have a free range to operate in the face of a willing mass of gullible people requiring immediate deliverance from their multitude of earthly predicaments.

That is the true picture of the spiritual state of the country today, one waiting for the least spark to combust.

Nigeria has recorded many of such situations as in the Maitatsine Sect which fought a bloody war with Nigerian soldiers before finally being dislodged and the enslaved people eventually exorcised. Enter the Boko Haram and the Nigerian national security is shaken to its marrow.

Ghana had its share of the fallouts of a mismanaged faith when thousands of her citizens wholly obsessed by news about a certain bottled spiritual elixir intended for gratis distribution thronged a space relatively smaller than their numbers.

The stampede and resultant repercussions which followed are now household knowledge in the country and beyond.

The country has become a receptacle for various messiahs, local and foreign, whose extremist views and dispositions have the potency to breach national security.

The state and security agencies have mostly closed their eyes on the operations of these faith professionals; a phenomenon appearing in all the faiths-Christianity, Islam and even traditional religion.

A close monitoring of the practices of such messiahs who are soon elevated to the levels of supernatural beings and therefore infallible, should not be ignored by the various agencies of national security and the citizens too.

We have observed over the years how unfortunately an aspect of the political leadership has fallen in love with some of these faith practitioners, thereby opening the floodgates for citizens to follow suit.

Poverty provides fertile grounds for the festering of commercial theology. Little wonder thousands trekked to the synagogue of all-nations to be delivered through the anointing water which never came anyway.

We are not by this commentary questioning the importance of spiritualism and the hereafter. Ours is bringing to the fore the unbridled exploitation of gullible Ghanaians and the dangerous repercussions these hold for the nation’s security.

Need we not change our perceptions of these latter day messiahs and their elixirs regardless their faiths?

Chinese galamsey

The ‘galamsey’ menace has moved another notch as government unfurls a fresh initiative to arrest it.

Prospecting for gold is not a new phenomenon in a country literally riddled with the precious mineral. From Elmina, the Portuguese expression for the pot of gold, a reference to the abundance of the mineral in our part of the world when they landed on the coast, to Nangodi in the Northern part of Ghana, there is no shortage of it.

We were not christened Gold Coast for nothing. On school compounds, behind houses and other unexpected places people have found gold.

It is impossible to ask such lucky fellows who find this great mineral behind their houses not to mine it and make some bucks from their efforts. It is a human instinct we cannot stop no matter how many taskforces government raises in that direction.

For an industry which offers a lucrative occupation to over 700,000 citizens directly and indirectly in a country suffering the debilitating effects of a defiant unemployment challenge, a more holistic approach would be a better option than being presented by government.

It is worth observing how many have joined the fray of this unregulated mining.

From young men and ladies with no source of livelihood who find one in ‘galamsey’ to chiefs and police officers who have discovered the wealth that comes with the occupation, there appears to be no stopping the new craze.

In spite of the economic gains which come with the unregulated or illegal mining, the other side of the coin is unpleasant.

The environmental challenges and the loss of farmlands through chemical and physical degradation of the soil are some of the issues to contend with, as the illegal mining yet lucrative occupation continues.

Chinese nationals have entered the business with sophisticated machinery edging out locals in some of the mining areas leading to security challenges and even fatalities at times.

What should we do under the circumstances? Deprive the youth of their source of livelihood and risk social challenges like armed robbery and others by clamping down on it?

Successive governments and mining companies have laid out an assortment of prescriptions over time but none has addressed the challenges.
The latest response to the ‘galamsey’ menace, which is the empanelling of a taskforce to address it, cannot be one of the result-yielding options; it is as best a joke.

A holistic approach is better than what doubtlessly is an ad hoc or kneejerk response, one that can set the ‘galamsey’ operatives and law enforcement agents on a bloody and protracted collision path, whose end is undeterminable.

The Kantamanto market land is still an issue and would be so for many months to come. With the Ghana Railway Development Authority laying bare its plan to develop the place into a modern terminal, the plans announced by the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) sound like a kind of joke full of weirdness given the assortment of claims over the land in question.

If there is anything like confusion among government agencies over a piece of public land, this is a typical example and it is a sad reflection of how governance has been reduced in the country today.

The traditional owners of the land have also jumped into the fray demanding a renewal of the deal, which led to the ceding of the land to government.

The whole episode gives the subject a non-serious posture. In the face of the confusion and somewhat bad faith, the victims of the controversial fire stand helpless not knowing what to believe.

A certain meeting is said to have been planned for next week by the fire victims and government agents but we wonder whether there is any iota of sincerity in such engagements when there is confusion about the legal status of the land in question.

Did the AMA chief not understand what was at stake when he made his controversial announcement about a so-called modern market? He surely did not know that with the rule of law prevailing in the country today such undertakings call for adequate research before the campaign trail-rating announcement he spewed soon after the inferno.

From all indications, the AMA has no authority talking about developing the controversial land into a modern market, the place being the property of another government agency.

According to the Transport Minister, Gifty Attivor, the acquisition of the property dates back to 1901.

Hearing her yesterday even as she applied diplomacy, lest she sounded bellicose, it was not difficult to deduce that the Kantamanto land will remain in the doldrums for a long time to come.

The primary responsibility of every government is to provide for the needs of its people. The victims of Kantamanto could easily say they have been let down by their own government given their helplessness in the wake of what befell them.

Having suffered the rubbing of salt into the injury inflicted upon them after the blaze which reduced their fortunes to ashes recently, they are being subjected to confused remarks by various state agencies.

In this traumatic state of theirs, the last thing the victims of the Kantamanto fire should countenance is outright mendacity from government officials, who without doubt, are confused about what to do.

Telling the victims the truth at this stage would be more beneficial to them than keeping them in perpetual limbo.

A Pregnant Woman

Some pregnant women in the Brong Ahafo Region have expressed worry over the high demand of items that are taken from them before delivery at the various hospitals and clinics in the region.

According to them, since the government stopped taking money for delivery the midwives in the hospitals have taken advantage to demand things that are not needed for delivery.

“We are sometimes forced to buy things like tom brown, Lucozade, one pack of toilet roll and other things that are not used at the hospitals. This has forced many of us to deliver at home,” one woman mentioned.

She alleged that if a pregnant woman is not able to buy all the things demanded by the midwife before delivery the pregnant woman is sometimes maltreated at the hospital.

This was revealed on Ark FM in Sunyani, where pregnant women called in on the morning show to share their experience on how they were maltreated when they were unable to provide the things demanded by the midwives.

They therefore called on the hospital authorities in the Brong Ahafo Region, especially those at the regional hospital, to check the demanding habit being exhibited by the midwives.

Meanwhile, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) activist in Sunyani, Raphael Cubagee, has confirmed the worry of the pregnant women after he said his wife went through the same ordeal when she went to the hospital about two years ago to deliver.

“I had to pack a full suitcase of items that were demanded by the midwife, but she was also forced to buy tom brown at the hospital which she never used,” he alleged.

The Senior Nursing Officer at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital, Rita Adwoa Ansong, has refuted some of the allegations by the pregnant women and called on the pregnant women to report any nurse who forced them into buying items like Lucozade and tom brown at the hospital.

She also mentioned that some of the things demanded by the various midwives are highly needed for the safety of the pregnant women, her baby and the nurse that would deliver the baby.

 From Vivianna Mensah, Sunyani

James Ohemeng Kyei, Sherry Ayittey, Dr. Tia Sugri, deputy minister of health and Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) in furtherance of its efforts to ensure healthy living and expansion of the pharmaceutical industry has inaugurated two committees to oversee the establishment of a bioequivalence centre and investigate into the eating habits of Ghanaians.

The 10-member committee of experts for the establishment of bioequivalence centre has been tasked, among other things, to develop protocol to attract funding for the project and determine the necessary organization and management systems that would ensure compliance with the general regulatory requirement in the World Health Organization (WHO) bioequivalence guidelines.

The committee is also expected to design a financial model for the project and possible sources of funding, propose a location, modalities for land acquisition as well as the structure of the project and determine the comprehensive needs of the centre.

The task of the six-member diet and healthy living committee is to research into the health risks of salt and sugar intake, recommend appropriate edible fats in Ghana and the levels and types of salts and sugars for consumption and provide guidelines for implementation of the recommendation within the context of historical, cultural and traditional practice.

Inaugurating the two groups in Accra, Minister of Health Sherry Ayittey, said the inauguration ushered in a new era for the pharmaceutical industry, not only in Ghana, but for the sub-region.

She said the centre would ensure that medicinal products supplied for procurement by international agencies met WHO’s norms and standard with respect to quality, safety and efficacy.

“Medicines for the treatment of priority diseases produced locally can now compete internationally and this will create more confidence in the population for medicines produced locally and eventually reduce the cost of locally produced medicines.”

She said the lack of standard bioequivalence centre in Ghana has deprived local manufacturers the opportunity to be included in accessing global funds because they are not WHO prequalified.

“The millions of dollars released under the Global Fund to procure anti-malarial, anti-retroviral and anti-tuberculosis medicines are used to procure such medicines from other countries, notably the Far East and Europe and this go to support their economies whereas we continue to wallow in poverty.

“There is therefore the urgent need to support local pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the sub-region and their products to be internationally accredited and prequalified by strengthening the quality systems through the set-up of a bioequivalence testing centre,” she said.

Mr. James Ohemeng Kyei, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and chairman of the committee on experts for the establishment of bioequivalence, expressed the appreciation of the committee for being chosen to serve on the committee.

Pharmacist Kyei said only 20 percent of the market share of essential medicines consumed in the health sector is manufactured locally and only three percent of qualified pharmacists are in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

He therefore called on the ministry to give the needed support to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.

Professor Akosa, chairman of the committee on diet and healthy living, also promised the minister to deliver on its task and ensure that every Ghanaian eats well and increases their life expectancy.

The committee of experts for the establishment of bioequivalence centre membership includes Mr. James Ohemeng Kyei, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Mrs. Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, chief pharmacist and director of Pharmaceutical Services, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, John Kwakye, of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Mrs. Edith Andrews-Anna representing the World Health Organization (WHO).

Other members are Mr. Ben Botwe, pharmaceutical consultant, Dr. Stephen Opuni from the Food and Drugs Authority, Mrs. Emma Ofori Agyemang, deputy director, Ministry of Health,  Mr. Kwasi Poku Boateng an industrial pharmacist and Mrs. Grace Issahque from the Attorney General’s Department.

The committee on diet and healthy living include Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Professor Reginald Ocansey, Dr. Kaku Kyiamah, Mr. Kofi Adusei, Mrs. Wilhemina Okwabi and Ms. Juliet Asare-Adjei.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

A nurse (far left) explaining a point to the visitors. Seated on the bed (right) is the patient

The Brong Ahafo Regional Women’s Organizer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justina Owusu-Banahene and some party women at the national headquarters have paid a visit to the Deputy Eastern Regional Women’s Organizer of the party who is currently on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Margaret Darko, popularly called Margie, was involved in a grisly accident recently which nearly claimed her life during the party’s activity.

She has since been on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital receiving treatment.

The visit, which was at the instance of Madam Owusu-Banahene, was to show solidarity with their colleague.

Margaret, who was elated to see her colleagues, thanked them for demonstrating love in trying times.

NPP members who embark on the visit included Vida Owusu and Maa Serwaa, representatives from the national headquarters of the party, as well as Eastern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Prince Aboagye.

FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani

Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa (left), prof. Edmund Delle (middle) and Mr. Patrick Dasoberi at the launch

Ghana’s first electronic health delivery service to enable doctors to reach their patients online and bring healthcare to the door steps of the citizenry has been launched in Accra.

The E-health initiative, a remote doctor/patient interface, allows patients to see their doctors without leaving their home or office.

With this service, doctors are able to offer 24-hour online patient examination and advice without the patients leaving their homes or offices.

However, it does not seek to prevent patients from visiting hospitals but to augment existing healthcare delivery services.

Speaking at the launch on the theme, “Convenience in HealthCare Delivery”, Mr. Patrick Dasoberi, originator of the E-health initiative, said it would serve as a platform for doctors to share ideas and experiences relating to patients as well as a network for pharmacists, laboratory technicians, volunteers, service couriers, who are the core of the scheme.

He said good record keeping would be a key to the success of the initiative, stating that, “We do not handle emergency cases”.

Mr. Dasoberi said management was planning to place an Electronic Kiosk fitted with e-health internet in some rural areas and operated by a volunteer and an interpreter.

Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, a former Director General of Ghana Health Service, who launched the product, said the country’s healthcare is patterned on the colonial model, and healthcare could only be assessed at the capital, regional and district levels, thereby creating a missing link in the peripherals.

He expressed the optimism that the electronic health service would improve medical care, adding that, “If the initiative is rolled out properly many people would benefit from healthcare services irrespective of the distance, especially in a technologically advanced era”.

Prof Edmund Delle, Founder of Rabito Clinic, lauded the initiative but cautioned that sustainability was very crucial to the success of the scheme.

“What is the use of a specialist whose activities are confined to his office while the rural areas are underserved?” he asked rhetorically.

Prof Delle said “an initiative which enables a doctor or specialist to reach out to more people without travelling too much for outreach programmes is very much welcomed”.

To assess the E-health service one has to go online to book an appointment with a doctor on www.ehealthghana.com after which an appointment coordinator would assign a doctor to a patient depending on the ailment.

By Cephas Larbi

scene from the screening exercise

As part of their social responsibility to Ghanaians, staff of the newly established St. John’s General Hospital and Spa, Tantra Hill, Accra, undertook various tests on workers of Western Publications Limited, publishers of the DAILY GUIDE last Friday.

Over 50 staffers of the publishing company benefited from the free testing and counselling by the hospital’s team of a doctor, sonographer and laboratory technicians.

Prostate testing, blood sugar level, blood pressure, kidney function for male and pelvic testing for female staff were some of the services provided by the St. John’s General Hospital.

For some staff, just like many Ghanaians, it was their first time of going through a voluntary medical examination of this magnitude.

Sonologist Raphael Obu emphasized the need for constant checking of the prostate by men above 40 in a chat with a staff of the company. This way when this segment of the body is under any threat it can be detected early and the necessary medical intervention employed, he said.

The decision to come to DAILY GUIDE, he explained, was borne out of the need to take such tests to the doorsteps of workers who would otherwise be unable to access them given their busy work schedules, among other factors.

A foundation: “What Every Man Must Know About Prostate Health”, he announced, would be launched on July 1, 2013, on the premises of the hospital at Tantra Hill, Accra. It would be an opportunity for many people to understand the importance of prostate health including the early warning signals.

He noted that in Ghana today the awareness about this challenge and the risk factors are lacking and that genetics plays as much a part in the challenge as ageing. The interplay between the estrogen and testosterone hormones has a role in the contraction of the condition, he continued.

For most of the staff of the company the opportunity of meeting the Director of the hospital, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, for the interpretation of the laboratory results was a rare one they cherished so much.

Those whose results showed they required further tests and attention were told so. The exercise which continued into the night was extended to management staff of the company.

Staffers who did not have the chance of going through the tests regretted it and wished they had showed up much earlier.

The St. John’s Hospital, from all indications, appears set to introduce novelties in private medical delivery in an industry which is also competitive however it is considered. Such novelties define how successful the business would be. With a Spa and ample flexibility in their operations and in consonance with the rules of medical practice there is no reason to doubt the bright light at the end of the tunnel for St. John’s Hospital which, in seven months of existence, is already making waves in town.

By A.R. Gomda

Set aside, for the moment, the ongoing Supreme Court case, and focus instead on a very serious issue which could affect the nation in the foreseeable future.  In fact, put aside, for the moment, the insecurity at Kumasi and travel along with me as I deal with this topic.  We all seem to have closed our eyes at the menace while Rome continues to burn.  It did not start today and may not end tomorrow.  What is disturbing is that the whole issue is growing day by day.  You may not observe the menace if you are living in opulent areas where children get the best of education and have easy access to their laptops. If you happen to visit my holy village you will see what I am going to write about and indeed, you will move in sympathy with parents who are overwhelmed by what is happening.  I am talking of teenage pregnancy which is in the ascendancy.

Today in Ghana, it is no more a surprise when you see a 13-year-old girl carrying pregnancy or having a little baby strapped on her narrow back.  Our little girls have all too soon acquired very strong sexual desire and are out there “opening up” for whosoever cares to “enter the Black hole of Calcutta”.  Today in God’s own country, there is in the empire, lust and nudity which have threatened to become a fashion.  We have come face to face with the danger of veritable alienation among the young girls who are supposed to be in schools rather than carrying babies on their narrow backs.  For now you may think the situation, as far as teenage pregnancy is concerned, is not a problem.  Pray to God so that you may live for 20 years and you will realize the danger.

In 20 years’ time these innocent children who are born today by teenagers will be old enough to handle guns.  Majority of them would not be able to acquire education and as such they will surely become a burden and a liability to society.  These are the children who will eventually take over from where Ataa Ayi left off.  When this comes to pass, you who used all your resources to educate your child will be in danger. And of course, your children too will be in danger.  That is why we need to boldly tackle the issue holistically.  We need to find the causes and nip the menace in the bud rather than waiting to treat the symptoms as we are doing.

One major reason why teenage pregnancy is in the increase is poverty.  That is why you hardly see pregnant little girls in places where the rich dwell. Many parents these days find it difficult to make ends meet or provide three square meals a day for their wards not to talk of paying school fees.  Such children are left to fend for themselves.  Sometimes these unfortunate children offer sex for food and other goodies.  In some cases they roam the streets in search of men who will sleep with them and give them money to buy clothes since their parents cannot afford to buy them such clothes.  In their attempt to entice men who seek canal communion  and end up impregnating them, these little girls fail to seek sartorial propriety, decency, protocol and decorum in their dressing.  In fact, their dress comportment has nothing good to write home about.  They dress to attract men instead of pleasing God.  Parents watch helplessly when their children put on these unacceptable dresses which expose their nudity simply because they were not the ones who bought the dresses for them.  The sad aspect of this issue is that some parents dress like the girls do and so they don’t have the moral right to sanction these children.

Another reason is the hard drug craze which has threatened to attract God’s fury on society as a whole.  Spare some time and visit one of these ghettoes and “basis” where these drugs are sold and see for yourself.  These girls and boys who should have been in schools spend the whole day smoking marijuana and sniffing cocaine.  Because the devil finds work for the idle hand, these children enter town with the sole aim of stealing in order to make money to buy drugs.  When they fail in their bid to get something to steal, they turn to sell their clothes in order to get money to buy marijuana, cocaine, heroin and akpatashie to top it up.  When they mix up these drugs, they become daring and start going on robbery spree.  We used to see only grown up men and women who are addicted to one hard drug or the other, but these days, things have changed.  You see a teenager addicted to a drug so much so that she or he cannot eat without taking cocaine, marijuana etc.  When a girl becomes “high” she exposes herself to the danger of being raped and also flouts the rules of continence.

Peer influence is yet another reason why our little girls go out there ‘opening up’ and end up carrying unwanted pregnancies.  That is why parents should watch and study female friends of their daughters.  Some parents do not have time for their daughters simply because they are too busy in their quest for money.  Such girls who lack parental guidance easily go wayward.  If your daughter befriends girls of that nature, they teach her bad things.  If such wayward a girl gets a boyfriend, she introduces the friend of the boyfriend to your innocent girl.

We shy away from sex education and use custom and tradition as a barrier.  In fact, we see sex education as a taboo even in this 21^st century. Instead of mothers discussing sex issues with their daughters, they pretend the child will automatically come to know everything about sex when she grows.  That, to me, is a very big mistake.  Parents and teachers should be at the forefront as far as sex education is concerned.  When the girl comes to realize the gravity and implication in sex, she will not venture into that arena.  Pornography, for example, is another way of introducing girls to sex.  Parents must educate their children about the danger in watching pornographic films.  In this age of internet connectivity, there is the need for parents to educate their girls to avoid browsing pornographic materials on the internet.  And of cause, internet café attendants can also do the nation a favour if they don’t allow girls to browse pornographic materials at their cafes.

It is an undeniable fact that many a time broken homes breed wayward girls.  Because the man and the woman no longer stay together, the responsibility of taking care of the girl child becomes a problem.  The situation becomes worse when the girl child finds herself in the custody of the mother.   Women are naturally very busy.  You either see them at the saloon or the market.  When they are not in these places, expect to see them gossiping or at the party.  In such circumstances, the girl child seizes the opportunity to do the unthinkable.

Free SHS And Teenage Pregnancy

My personal research indicated that majority of these teenagers who get impregnated could not go beyond the Junior High School.  Because they pass out of the JHS at a tender age, they are unemployable.  The best job that they could do is to sell ice water and doughnuts.  Such girls are always prone to the danger of being lured into having sex with adults or their fellow male JHS counterparts.  That is why the idea of a free SHS was laudable.  It is very sad to mention here that those who voted against the free SHS are most affected because majority of them are poor and cannot afford to take their children to SHS, thereby exposing them to early pregnancy since the devil finds job for the idle hands.  Come to my holy village and see pregnant teenagers sleeping in a single room with their parents.  As to how the man will get a chance to go near the wife at night, your guess is as good as mine.  In some instances men who impregnate these girls fail to take responsibility.  Parents are then forced to add extra responsibility by caring for the pregnant daughter and her siblings.  If it happens that the wife is also pregnant, then “wahala don come be that”. The situation is very worrisome, heartbreaking, heartrending and heart-raking.  Let us spare some time to pray on this canker!!!

By Eric Bawah

Baaba Eshun-Wilson

Aside the illegality associated with galamsey, it is also extremely dangerous as many young men unfortunately lose their lives in the course of these mining activities.

The main scare regarding this illegal practice is the extreme harm it causes to the environment since no proper measures are taken to ensure that the environment is protected. For instance, the alluvial gold is washed with mercury in rivers that the local folk use for their livelihood/domestic purposes, thereby poisoning these water bodies, the aquatic organisms dwelling in them and lastly the people…

The question that continues to linger in the minds of many Ghanaians is; with the knowledge of all these dangers associated with galamsey, why is it still such the most sought-after “profession” in the Northern and middle belts of Ghana? Why do the youth, especially, still continue to venture into a business that is not safe and could possibly claim their lives? Where lies the sense in that?

Well, for starters, the rate of unemployment among the youth is a very big deal. The unemployed youth in Ghana have come to a point where they do not mind how they make a living and hence, most often choose the easiest way. Majority of those who engage in ‘galamsey’ are young uneducated men simply sourcing for ways to make a living. Coupled with the fact that ‘galamseyers pay neither tax to the Government nor royalties to chiefs of the lands on which they mine on makes it one of the easiest “occupations” to engage in.

Some Galamsey operating busy at work

The bottom line is that galamsey will not and cannot be halted anytime soon. Regardless of the number of deaths encountered or the bills/amendments passed in Parliament, there’s no means to stopping this age-old practice here. Currently, there are well over 600,000 illegal miners in Ghana (minus the foreigners who also take part in this) with the majority being able-bodied young men. Over the years, governments have failed to find an immediate, efficient and effective solution to the unemployment crisis resulting in the youth looking for ways and means to make a living through all sorts of dubious means.

The point is, rather than continue to embark on fruitless actions to halt ‘galamsey,’ which is highly impossible, a solution should be sought to ensure that the environment stays safe and protected.

Many people would disagree with this suggestion since Ghana preaches anti-corruption, fairness and justice. But then again, in a country that has failed to provide her young men and women with legitimate employment opportunities, what’s there to do? Sit around and wait for another election period and listen to promises by presidential candidates that are never fulfilled? Certainly not! Drastic times call for drastic measures; and as dangerous and damaging galamsey is to the country’s environment, not to mention her reputation as well, the youth in this country have to eat. It is rather unfortunate that they have to resort to taking on such a dangerous “profession”, for mining itself is dangerous and deadly. Legally recognized mining companies that take all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their workers still encounter numerous and unfortunate deaths; how much more galamsey operators?

Galamsey will not end today, tomorrow or even in 20 years’ time and there is a large portion of the population that continues to add to those willing to engage in this practice.

Focus needs shift from the fact that more and more people are engaging in this practice, to what can be done to ensure that the environment is not harmed. For instance, what can be done to prevent the vegetative cover of most farm lands from being degraded? The main reason for the rapid deterioration of the land occurs mainly as a result of inappropriate working practices, can this be further examined so that methods can be changed and replaced with less harmful methods that would not leave the lands in such deplorable states for decades? Can the dug-out pits be covered properly to prevent unknowing humans and livestock from falling in and losing their lives?

-      baaba.lou@gmail.com

 Baaba Eshun-Wilson

Bishop Dag Heward-Mills

It is clear that our nation needs leaders who can know some of the things they must avoid by becoming students of history.

Europe Decided Not To Follow The Example Of Spain

Spain, at the time, came to be seen as an example of the type of economic policy a nation should avoid at all costs.

Spain protected her agricultural production, like oil and wine, against foreign competition. But by the end of the sixteenth century, Spain was severely deindustrialized.

It became clear that the riches from the colonies had, in fact, impoverished rather than enriched Spain’s own capacity to produce goods and services.

In contrast, England’s Henry VII who came to power in 1485, actively protected and encouraged England’s industry.

European Countries Protected Their Creativity From

Free Trade With The Outside World

For several hundred years, Europe’s trade policy was based on the principle of maximising the creative industrial sectors of their own country and protecting these creative activities from external competition.

For example, England’s economic policy was based on a simple rule: import of raw materials and export of industrial products.

In Europe, they also discovered that countries that were already wealthy could afford a very different policy from countries that were still poor. In fact, once a country had been solidly industrialized the very same factors that required initial protection now required bigger and more international markets in order to develop and prosper.

European creative industries discovered that once they were successful, the protection that was initially required became counterproductive.

They believed that tariffs were as useful for introducing manufacturing in a country as they are damaging once these are established. This is why free trade (exposing your fledgling creative activities to external competition) must be timed properly.

Mongolia Reduced Its Nation To Primitivization By Wiping Out

‘Creative Increasing Returns Activities’

Primitivization is the return to backwardness, poverty and the dark ages by wiping out creative industries and creative manufacturing activities. Under a policy of primitivization, the majority of the people are forced back into noncreative diminishing returns activities. As manufacturing industries die out, many of the poverty-causing non-creative activities take over and dominate the nation.

Before 1991, Mongolia had slowly but successfully built a diversified industrial sector. The share of agriculture in the national product had declined steadily from 60 per cent in 1940 to about 16 per cent in the mid-1980s. However, their policies proved exceedingly successful in de-industrializing Mongolia.

Half a century of creative industry-building in Mongolia was virtually

annihilated over a period of only four years, from 1991 to 1995. In most

industrial sectors, production was down by more than 90 per cent because the country had opened up to the rest of the world in 1991.

By March 2000, the country’s previously considerable industrial sector had been virtually eradicated.

Statistics showed that, one by one, all of the country’s various industries had disappeared, beginning with the most advanced. Statistics showed that the production of bread was down by 71 per cent and the production of books and newspapers by 79 per cent. Mongolians, in other words, probably ate and read less than before.

In only a few years, real wages had been almost halved and unemployment was rampant.

The only sectors that, according to the national industrial statistics,

were expanding, were the production of alcohol which showed minimal growth and the collection and preparation of ‘combed down’ from birds (to the extent this can be defined as an industry).

Closing down the country’s steel mills and newspapers and sending its

population out to collect bird down cannot be considered anything but aprimitivisation of the economy.

The combination of deindustrialization and deconstruction of the state had created large-scale unemployment in Mongolia. Many people had been forced to return to their ancestral way of living: nomadic pastoralism and herding.

In 1990, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mongolians shared their lands with21 million herding animals – sheep, cows, goats and camels.

As a consequence of this, the number of grazing animals had risen from 21million to 33 million in 10 years.

Mongolia opened its economy entirely almost overnight and faithfully followed the advice given by the Washington institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to let the market take control. Mongolia was supposed to find its place in the global economy by specializing where its comparative advantage lay.

The result was that the Mongolian economy was driven back from the age of industry to that of pastoralism. The nomadic economy, however, was unable to sustain the population and the industrial system, and the result was an economic catastrophe.

New Zealand Became Rich By Refusing Anything That Would Prevent Their

Country From Developing In Creativity And Industrialization

A book called “A New Zealand Colonist” reveals the mindset of settlers in New Zealand in 1897:

1. The New Zealand settler refuses to accept cheap imports, because

accepting them would prevent his country from becoming industrialized.

2. The New Zealand settler discards all theories of free trade with the

outer world and levies high import duties on every product, which his

colony is capable of supplying. The New Zealanders believe that only in

this way can their new land be made a prosperous field.

3. The New Zealander believes that prosperity would not be attainable

while subject to unrestricted competition from outsiders. They refused

to have the surplus stocks which others dumped on their markets.

4. The New Zealander colonist desires that children growing up around him

should have opportunities of acquiring mechanical skill, and so be saved

from becoming mere hewers of wood and drawers of water for richer

nations. He regards mechanical skill and the great products of that skill

as the buttress of a people’s strength and safety.

5. The New Zealand colonist does not regard immediate results. His eye is

on the future and on the children growing up around him.

Is it not ironical that today we find rich countries dumping their surplus

products in the poor countries, which see this as a bonus? In the hierarchy of nations a country that did not protect its industry would have all its creativity doomed to the biblical curse of being branded as ‘hewers of wood and drawers of water’ (Joshua 9:23). The Bible thus recognizes a hierarchy of skills where hewers of wood and drawers of water are located at the bottom. Finally, it is clear that our nation will be blessed with leaders who can know

what they must avoid by studying history.

By Dag Heward-Mills

In Ghana today much of our political discourse has been reduced to a shouting match and who can make the most ridiculous pronouncements to an ever ready media overly absorbed by sensationalism. Amidst all the noise, however, certain truths or better still facts cannot be ignored.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) tables, as part of its contention, the notion that Ghana’s Electoral Commission has bloated the voter register to give itself the room to throw in illegal votes in favor of its preferred candidates.

It remains to be seen how the Supreme Court will rule on the petition. But a quick look at some of our neighbors who recently concluded elections offer some insights that can hardly be ignored.

First Stop – Kenya

After suffering a grueling civil conflict in the aftermath of her 2007 presidential election, the East African nation regrouped to pay attention to the basics in electioneering. Some would say their recent court petition challenging the 2013 election suggests that they may not have left some loopholes unclosed. But one thing they may have gotten right was the voters’ register – or did they?

For a country of 41.6 million people, the number of registered voters heading into the 2013 election was 14.4 million, representing 34.1%.

Ghana with just over half of the Kenyan population (25 million) has almost the same number of registered voters at 14.1 million, representing 56.2%. With such a wide disparity, the obvious thing to do was to determine if ours is too high or the Kenyans’ number is too low. So we looked elsewhere.

Senegal with a population of 12.8 million registered 5.3 million voters or 41.5%. Nigeria came next with 162.5 million in population, 67.8 million registered voters or 41.7%.

Finally Tanzania with 46.2 million registered 19.7 million voters, representing 42.5%. So if four of our neighbors are averaging 39.95 as the percentage of their population that is registered to vote, what explains the more than 16 point differential between Kenya and Ghana?

There are four possible explanations. One, Ghana’s Electoral Commission is more efficient than its peers and is thus better at the registration exercise. Two, Ghanaians are more politically astute and are more interested in exercising their civic responsibilities so they register to vote more than their peers in the four other countries. Three, Ghana’s population is older so the voting age population is larger. And four, the voter register was indeed overly bloated. Much as our research team tried, it could not come up with evidence to support the first three possible explanations. That leaves explanation number four.

It is not clear if the NPP was aware of this voter register disparity between Ghana and other African countries prior to filing its petition and calling for the annulment of about 4 million illegal votes. But we hypothetically subtracted the 4 million votes from the current 14.1 million registered voters and arrived at 10,031,763. This number represents 40.2% of the population at large – squarely on the average of the four countries mentioned.

Will this study put an end to the shouting and the hurling of insults? May be not.

But it is our fervent hope that at least some would look at these numbers, verify them and may be arrive at a renewed impression about the current Supreme Court petition.

After all, are we all not looking for the truth? Based on the findings of our research team, NPP-USA is of the opinion that Ghana’s voter’s register appears bloated, this enables the electoral commission to rig elections in favor of its preferred candidate, if it so desires.

The article is by NPP-USA, Public Relations Committee

Arthur Kobina Kennedy

What will happen when the Supreme Court rules in the election dispute? Will there be peace or violence?

That we were a divided country before December 7^th is clear to all—after all, this is the second election in a row that the winner has failed to win 51% of the votes. Unfortunately, the court case following the election has only worsened the divisions and tension. Of course, it can be argued that if the petitioners had chosen the streets instead of the courts, our plight would be worse.

This case, regardless of the outcome, has already undermined quite a few reputations and national assumptions:

— It has shown that our Electioneering process needs improvement and that our Electoral Commission’s reputation for excellence may be a bit overblown.

— It has shown that the NPP has lost quite a bit of the grassroots activism and vigilance that gave us victory in 2000. Of course, judging by the performance of its agents, the NDC is no better.

— It has shown that our election dispute process is archaic, too slow and too disorganized. This point has been made repeatedly by earlier election disputes.

— It has shown that our legislative process, as displayed in the CI-74 process and exposed by the Mornah case, leaves much to be desired.

All these defects can be fixed, provided that we have peace and can work together.

I write today, not in pursuit of partisan advantage but to trigger a search for a path for our nation to move forward.

Now, if the Supreme Court rules that President Mahama lost the elections and should hand over, will NDC activists accept the ruling?

If the court rules that Nana Addo and the NPP in fact lost the election, will NPP activists accept it?

If the court decides that there should be a revote, will President Mahama continue in office until the revote occurs?

What if one side chooses to ask for a review as granted by the Mornah ruling? Can President Mahama stay as President during the appeal?

If the NPP prevails, what happens to the Ministers appointed by President Mahama in the light of the “no-prejudice” clause that governs our election disputes?

I make all these statements with the awareness that both the President and Hon. Nana Akufo-Addo have pledged to abide by the courts decision. While we trust their words, we must verify that they can bind their followers to these pledges.  By the way, do the pledges to abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling apply to the first ruling or the final ruling?

Obviously, as a layperson, I concede that I may be misinformed. In that case, I ask for the forgiveness of Ghanaians.

Given these concerns, how can we proceed in the national interest?

First, we need President Mahama and Hon. Nana Akufo-Addo to begin direct communication on how they can lead us peacefully forward. If they cannot or will not do this on their own, the Peace Council and or the former Presidents must step in to facilitate this. During their discussions they should discuss a series of mutually agreed steps that will calm tempers and encourage their supporters to be peaceful, regardless of the verdict. The first thing they should do is to mutually renounce their right of appeal as granted per the Mornah case. For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a suggestion for anyone to circumvent the legal process. It is a suggestion to help us survive the legal process. I am confident that since both of these gentlemen are patriots who wish the best for Ghana, they would do what is best for our country.

Second, we must commit to a reform in our court system, via constitutional or legislative means that will ensure that if such a dispute were to arise in the future, it would be settled before inauguration day, whatever it takes.

Third, we should commit to the streamlining of our legislative process so that our lawmakers will do their work and spare us the embarrassment of constitutional instruments, like CI-74, prepared by our best and brightest being found to be unconstitutional in whole or in part.

Fourth, our party leaders must work with the Electoral Commission to ensure that the accountability systems in our election work on Election Day so that we can avoid expensive court cases in the future.

Next, we must lower the level of noise and increase the level of sense in our public discourse. Kwesi Pratt is right that the “Northern-Northern, Southern-Southern, Eastern-Eastern talk must be condemned in no uncertain terms.”

Unfortunately, too often, most of the media has been recklessly pouring petrol on the flames of our divisions. We are misusing our hard-won freedom of expression to undermine our national cohesion. Freedom of expression should not mean the right to insult our opponents recklessly.

Finally, we must accept that those of different political persuasions can be patriots—just like us.

May Allah keep us together.

By Arthur Kobina Kennedy

Improved: Scotland-based Touch Bionics says the latest i-limb boasts unparalleled dexterity and superior control and ease of use

A teenage boy who lost an arm and a leg as a baby has become the first person in the UK to be fitted with a prosthetic hand that is so advanced it can be controlled via a smartphone app.

Patrick Kane, 16, is now sporting the i-limb ultra revolution, which can be remotely-controlled and comes complete with an iOS app allowing the wearer to control its grip.

Patrick can also take advantage of five individually powered digits – including a rotating thumb – on the prosthetic, which is Scottish firm Touch Bionics’ most advanced yet.
The teenager, from London, lost all of the fingers on his left hand after contracting meningococcal septicaemia – the virulent form of meningitis – when he was just nine-months-old.
Doctors were also forced to amputate Patrick’s right leg below the knee, and part of each finger from his right hand.

The student – who was fitted with his first prosthetic through the NHS shortly after his first birthday – previously wore an i-limb ultra, but has now become the first person in the UK to be fitted with the new, more advanced version from the brains at Touch Bionics.

Featuring a rotating wrist and an aluminium chassis, the firm claims their creation is the most dextrous prosthetic limb ever made.

It’s unique app capability means the wearer can choose from a range of 24 different grips at the touch of a button. The app can also offers training on how to best use the device and can diagnose problems with it.

Previously Patrick could use only four pre-set grips on the go, and would have to return to his computer to alter the settings.

The i-limb is so sensitive it can be used to grip a single sheet of paper, play Connect Four or tie shoelaces – but it is also powerful enough to withstand the strain of 90kg weights in the gym.

The covering can be made to match the wearer’s natural skin tone, but Patrick chose a jet black version of the i-limb, which costs from £25,000 to upwards of £80,000, depending on how far up the arm it needs to extend.

‘I have only had it for 24 hours and it’s not so much that it allows me to do new things but it will allow me to do things more smoothly and naturally,’ Patrick said.

‘The movement runs much more smoothly. I have been practising playing Connect 4 with it.

‘There are custom grips I can choose so if I have a certain tennis racquet or cricket bat I could choose a grip for it to fit it perfectly and it will remember that.

‘I also use it in the gym, on the rowing machine and using weights and pulleys,’ he said.

The advanced prosthetic uses muscle signals to shift into a series of pre-set patterns.

It achieves this by using electrodes in the wrist to pick up electrical impulses created by contracting muscles, which are interpreted by a computer in the back of the hand.

Each of the fingers bends at the joints and can be adapted to fit around any shape of object the owner wants to hold.

These pictures show Patrick using his new bionic hand to grasp a range of items from a smartphone and a water glass to a rubber ball and a single coin.

The bionic hand can also be used for various tasks from typing to tying shoe laces.

It comes in black or neutral, can automatically return to a natural position after a period of inactivity and is powered by a battery.

The device is so technical that users have to undergo rigorous training in order to get the most out of it.

 Dailymail

A phone too far? The Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone was the first ‘phablet’ but now an even bigger version has been launched

It is the biggest smartphone on sale, with a giant 6.3inch screen.

Samsung’s new Mega Galaxy handset look more like a tablet than a phone – and has already been slammed as ‘just too big’.

Samsung hopes the big design will appeal to commuters and others who regularly watch films on their gadgets.

Tecno N7

TECNO GHANA, a leading dual SIM mobile phone brand, has launched its new 3.75G Android smartphone – TECNO N7– onto the Ghanaian market at a short but colourful ceremony in Accra.

Designed for users with high demand for smartphones, the TECNO N7 will be available at all TECNO outlets in Ghana, the company noted.

Building on the success of the popular TECNO N3, the TECNO N7, a dual SIM smartphone, features the combination of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a 1GHz dual core CPU and runs on a 5-inch touch screen.

“With the TECNO N7, we want to offer young Ghanaians a more superior smartphone with high-end performance and a better user experience,” Mounir Boukali, PRO of TECNO Mobile, commented.

With a 1GHz dual core processor, the device offers users a fast data processing speed and the ability to use multiple applications at the same time, along with a smooth web browsing experience.

TECNO N7 users can download over 800,000 innovative and interesting apps.

The TECNO N7 presents users with an amazingly smooth operation experience while viewing messages, multimedia, web content or games, among others.

The device comes with a variety of applications that allow the consumer to connect to their social networks with ease.

And one such application worthy of note is Flash Share, a unique transfer software that allows one to share files of any format and size at an amazingly fast speed and does not require internet connectivity, WIFI or SIM card.

Other notable features of this Android-driven smartphone include a 5 mega pixel rear camera with flash, a 0.3 mega pixel front camera and a powerful 2,300mAh battery, which allows the users to enjoy five hours of talktime. Also, the device combines a 4GB ROM and 512GB RAM with expandable memory of up to 32GB.

TECNO also offers an 8GB memory card.

“We always endeavour to provide suitable products to the consumer based on market demand. There is no doubt that people’s demand from smartphones is met in the N7. We will have more smartphones coming onto the market soon, which will meet the needs of diverse groups of people,” Boukali confirmed.

By Samuel Boadi