This follows a direction from the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, due to persistent public complaints to check the menace and arrest offenders who violate the laws and create a nuisance to the public.

Dr Simpson Anim Boateng, Director of Public Health of the AMA, who made this known to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Wednesday said, the incidence of noise nuisance in the metropolis is alarming, saying that, “people disregard the bye-laws on noise”.

He said there was the need to enforce the laws on noise making to ensure sanity in the metropolis.

Dr Boateng said noise prone areas that the taskforce visited and identified as worse offenders were La, Spintex Road, Abeka Lapaz, Dansoman, Darkuman, Zongo and Larterbiokorshie all in Accra.

He said permissible noise level for residential areas is 55 decibels during the day and 48 at night, adding that, the taskforce would ensure that operators of such facilities comply with the AMA directives to abate noise nuisance in Accra.

He warned that the exercise was going to continue to minimize noise making in the metropolis.

Source: GNA

A representative from the Belgian city would visit Wa in April this year to finalize arrangements and consultations towards the establishment of the plant.

Mr. Henry Bagah, Wa Municipal Environmental Health Officer, said this on Wednesday in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Wa.

He expressed optimism that in future after the establishment of the plant, all plastic waste within and beyond the Municipality would be properly managed.

Mr. Bagah, however, deplored the illegal burning of wayside litter in Upper West Regional capital and pointed out that such acts thwarted the efforts by his outfit to keep the Municipality clean.

He stated that the recent increase in wayside litter bins was enough to keep the Municipality clean and blamed the general public for lack of attitudinal change in respect of proper sanitation practices.

The Environmental Health Officer pointed out that his outfit in collaboration with the Regional Food and Drugs Board would not hesitate to sanction any “Sachet water” producer who did not pass through the right channels before production.

Mr. Bagah’s concern was in respect of the recent numerous “pure water” producers that were emerging from the Municipality.

He stressed that a meeting would be arranged between them and the Pure Water Producers Association where they would suggest to them to acquire litter bins for their clients to help reduce the indiscriminate disposal of empty sachet water bags.

Mr. Bagah mentioned the lack of adequate resources for monitoring as their biggest challenge and lamented that his officers were being given a non-regular half gallon of fuel to do monitoring.

He described the situation as unfortunate and added that something needed to be done to enhance their efficiency to protect the health of people.

Source: GNA

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Mr. Ebenezer Ashie, member of the Renewable Energy unit of the Ministry of Energy, said the public especially people in the urban areas were encouraged to patronize the solar panels, but added that the problem with its large-scale adoption had to do with affordability.

Mr Ashie said the adoption of the technology by the Ministry of Energy in 1999 was to demonstrate to other organizations the importance that could be derived from using the service.

He said due to the high cost of installation of the panels, no other government institution was currently using the facility.

However, some private organizations had patronized the service depending on their needs, he added.

He said solar energy would be of immense domestic benefit as it could be used for home appliances like the television, radio, chargeable lamps, mobile phones, fans, and lights.

He added that solar panels, however, could not be used for electric heaters, irons, air conditioners, and refrigerators because the voltages of those appliances were too high.

Mr Ashie recommended to the general public and corporate institutions to purchase the solar panels to cut down the cost of electricity.

A solar panel is a technology that transforms sunlight into electrical energy which serves as a back up for the production of electricity directly from sunlight.

Components that help the solar panel to operate are the battery which stores and discharges electricity, the charge controller which regulates charging and discharging of batteries to prolong their life-span.

There is also the inverter which converts 12V DC electricity to 220-240V AC electricity, and an energy efficient lamp.

Source: GNA

Deputy Energy Minister, Inusah Fuseini, who gave the assurance, said Ghana would continue to support efforts by West African Power Pool (WAPP) programme as a vehicle to promote a common approach to specific national and regional power projects.

He gave the assurance at a meeting of Energy Ministers of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali on the electricity interconnection project.

The meeting is to enable the ministers discuss the outcome of the pre-investment studies on the Han-Bobo Dioulasso-Sikasso-Bamako interconnection project and adopt an institutional framework for its accelerated realisation.

The ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments approved the establishment of WAPP in January 2006 to ensure acceleration of the implementation of priority projects identified to improve access of Member States to electric energy through the inter-connections of their grids.

The project also aims at increasing transmission capacity between countries in the sub-region for trading of electricity which would improve reliability of supply, reduce production costs and, during drought periods, meet shortfall in output of hydropower stations.

Mr. Fuseini said while the Ministers’ work to support interconnectivity between the national systems, the utility companies must develop common technical standards to ensure that systems put in place were operated on these common standards.

Mr. Amadou Diallo, WAPP Secretary General, said the respective environmental protection agencies in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali had approved the implementation of the 742 kilometre project.

Based on the recommended option, the global cost for the project is 133.1 million Euros to allow the initial transfer of 130 Mega watts from Ghana beyond 2015.

“The economic analyses demonstrate that the project delivers a Net Present Value of 252 million Euros at an economic internal rate of return of 27 per cent”, Mr. Diallo said.

He said any delay in the implementation of the project by a year would diminish the Net Present Value of the project by about 18.5 million Euros and a gain by a similar margin if advanced by another year.

“It is quite incumbent that we move the project forward at full speed to ensure that these benefits accrue to our peoples in the shortest possible time”, Mr. Diallo added.

Source: GNA

She said it was the very children who were neglected that became armed robbers, terrorists and pursue other social vices that tend to hurt the society.

Rev. Amanor therefore urged leaders especially, those in politics to use the platform to advocate for children especially those from poor families.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the fifth anniversary of Compassion International, she said: “children are innocent and the society needs to protect them against abuse and neglect and provide safe and nurturing environment for them to flourish.”

Compassion International is five years old in Ghana and there are series of activities lined up to celebrate the anniversary of the NGO.

Rev. Amanor said the organization was currently nurturing 24,000 needy children in the Greater Accra and Central Regions and said it would soon expand its activities to the Eastern Region.

She said the organization works with churches that identify the needy children. The Churches use their premises as Child Development Centres where the selected children meet every Saturday to learn.

“Compassion International, Ghana’s target is to register and nurture 43,600 children in 186 child development centres by the end of year 2012.”

Rev. Amanor said: “The children go through a programme called: “Child Development through Sponsorship Programme”, and are trained with Christian principles with the hope that one of them will rise to become the President of Ghana in future”.

“If you are not already an advocate for children, this is the time to join hands with us, as we celebrate five years of holistic child development in Ghana”, she said.

Source: GNA

“We are pleased to hear that Ghana would not sign the EPA,” Ms. Adwoa Kwateng-Kluvitse, Country Director, AAG, said in Accra on Wednesday.

Launching the 20th anniversary celebration of AAG, Ms. Kwateng-Kluvitse explained that after careful analysis of the agreement, AAG did not see any benefit accruing to Ghanaians and other small scale farmers.

“Rather the benefit of opening our markets would accrue to Europe. We would therefore commend government and encourage it to scrutinise the agreement and not be coerced or inveigled to sign it,” she added.

Ms. Kwateng-Kluvitse said the issue on production of bio-fuel in the country was of immense concern to the organisation; because there were huge implications for food security, land usage, environmental and human rights as a result of the unregulated upsurge of bio-fuel companies into the country.

She said Ghana needed to have a holistic energy policy including bio-fuel companies which protected its citizenry from unscrupulous bio-fuel companies.

“We need to ensure that there is accessible and fertile land for the next generation of farmers. We need to ensure that the economic trees that many women depend on are not destroyed and also the bio-diversity of the environment is not compromised by this mono cropping of huge acres of Jatropha,” she added.

Ms. Kwateng-Kluvitse noted that over the last 20 years, AAG had made a greater impact on the lives of children, women and traditional rulers in about 300 communities within the Northern, Greater Accra, Volta, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West Regions focusing on building the capacity and power within people particularly, girls to be more assertive.

AAG also organises training programmes for community leaders as change agents in the fight for the eradication of all negative cultural practices including female genital mutilation, child and forced marriage, domestic violence, widowhood rites, non-education of girls, non involvement of women in decision making in their communities.

Other achievements of AAG include the building of 91 schools, four childhood development centres, 16 nurses’ and teachers’ quarters, a clinic, 17 dams and tube wells, 13 grinding mills, 23 farmers’ centres, numerous seed and grain banks.

On the way forward, Ms. Kwateng-Kluvitse called for an end to violence against women and girls.

“Some girls even face violence in schools supposed to be a safe haven to study, develop, blossom and eventually contribute to nations’ development”, she said.

“Instead schools have become an avenue where girls are harassed, sexually abused, forced to sell their bodies for grades. This is an indictment on all those in positions of authority. There is no justification for any teacher to be in any kind of relationship with a pupil or student. Any such teacher should be sent to the courts and duly punished. Ghana should have a zero tolerance for this”, she stressed.

Activities earmarked for the year-long celebration include series of discussions and programmes in the media, fun games between staff of AAG and media personnel, organising girls’ camp for all alumni of the camp, which began 10 years ago.

Source: GNA

Mr Kofi Appiah-Ntori, Chief Inspector of Police in charge of Hohoe- Bla Police Station, told the GNA on Wednesday that Mr Johnson Achemdey, an Agriculturist, noticed that someone had been stealing from his farm and decided to track the thief.

He said when Mr Achemdey visited his farm on March 6; he saw fresh cocoa beans being dried on a makeshift mat and decided to keep surveillance, to see the one responsible.

Mr Appiah-Ntori said at about 1600 hours on that day, Dormo was spotted coming out of the farm with a head load of cocoa and was apprehended and handed over to the police.

He said the suspect in his caution statement claimed that the load was abandoned by some unidentifiable people on seeing him (Dormo) and that he was taking the load to the complainant’s house when he was arrested.

Mr Appiah-Ntori said investigations into the case had been stepped up and Dormo could face prosecution.

Source: GNA

Aboagye Dacosta pleaded guilty for stealing GH¢124 of his employer, Justice Osafo.

Prosecuting, Inspector D. A. Atigsika, told the court presided over by Mr Abdul Majid Iliasu, that the complainant, a businessman, residing at Boadua opened a mobile phone cards shop for the accused.

He said on December 21, last year, the complainant took stock of the products and realized that the accused had sold cards worth GH¢124 but failed to give the amount to him.

When the complainant enquired from Dacosta what had happened to the money, he said he used it to pay his debts.

The prosecutor said the complainant, therefore, arrested and handed Dacosta over to the Police.

In his caution statement, he admitted stealing the money and was granted Police enquiry bail to be reporting at given days and time but he failed to do so and went into hiding.

On March 9, he was apprehended at the Kade market and handed over to the Apinamang Police.

Source: GNA

The soldiers who appeared before the Fast Track High Court (FTHC) are Private Eric Modzaka and Corporal Yaw Appiah.

Their accomplice, Private Seth Goka whose whereabouts is unknown to the court would be tried in absentia.

Explaining the circumstance under which their accomplice Goka was to be tried, the trial judge Mr. Justice Senyo Dzamesi said because their colleague was aware of the charge preferred against him and had not sought permission from the court; he would be tried in his absence.

Meanwhile a seven member jury had also been empanelled.
The accused persons did not object to the empanelling of the jurors.

Prosecution addressing the panel gave an insight to the ingredients that went into the two charges preferred against the accused.
Mr. Thaddeus Sory, defence counsel, reminded the jury that their task was simple but a difficult one.

According to him, they were to apply evidence adduced before the court as well as the law.

He reminded them that the accused persons did not go to arrest the deceased adding, they only received the deceased in Military custody while they were on duty.

According to him the orders emanated from the Northern Regional Security.

Meanwhile, the first prosecution witness, Abubakar Abdul Latif Sahana, a farmer residing in Tamale has mounted the witness box.
On December 17, last year, the FTHC dismissed a directive to the Registrar to provide details and particulars of jurors to be empanelled for the trial of the alleged killers of the deceased.

The FTHC in its ruling noted that if the motion was granted, jurors who were to be empanelled faced the risk of threat, insecurity and intimidation.

Through their counsel, they proceeded to the Court of Appeal (CA) to stay proceedings in the matter before the High Court. This was however thrown away by the CA.

The accused persons further proceeded to the Supreme Court to appeal against the decision of the CA.

Stating the grounds of appeal before the SC, the soldiers contended that the Court of Appeal (CA) erred when it held that the appellants (Soldiers) failed to demonstrate any exceptional circumstance to justify the grant of application.

The CA also erred when it held that they failed to prove that the application was neither sanctioned by law or practice.

Prosecution said the deceased until his death was a transport owner, Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Tamale and the Northern Regional Chairman of CPP.

On December 9, 2004, Alhaji Mobilla was arrested by the police for allegedly supplying the youth in Tamale with guns to foment trouble.

While in custody, the police allegedly received information that his sympathisers and followers were mobilising to free him.

The deceased was therefore transferred from Police cells to Kamina Military Barracks and handed over to the three accused persons who searched and undressed him and put him in the guard room.

At about 9:30 pm, the same day, the Police received information that Alhaji Mobilla aka Issah Mohammed had collapsed and died in cells.

Dr. Kofi Boateng of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital conducted a post mortem after the deceased had been identified by a relation.

A pathologist’s report revealed among other things that Mobilla was sent to the hospital dead, and that he died from multiple abrasions.

Source: GNA

This, he said, would ensure that they do not incur the displeasure of environmental authorities, the communities in which they operate and government.

Mr. Buah gave the call when he met with management of Adamus Resources Ltd. at Salema as part of his tour of the constituency.

He reminded the mining company that all their activities directly or indirectly affect the environment and that the only way they could make their operations safe and accommodating was to observe the rules governing the industry.

Mr. Buah urged the company to discharge its duties with due diligence, taking into account local policies and to engage the teeming youth for the development of the area.

“Many of our people are not trained, they are unskilled, they are equally jobless but it is up to you to consider them with at least a soft spot in your operations to reduce the level of unemployment in the area”.

The MP said government alone could not shoulder the burden of unemployed youth and called on private companies to share the burden to make the better Ghana agenda a reality.

Source: GNA