The drivers who ply the Mankessim-Saltpond and Mankessim-Esuehyia lanes of the Accra-Cape Coast stretch of the highway parked their vehicles in the middle of the road, making the movement of cars impossible.

The situation left passengers from both the Cape-Coast and Accra ends of the stretch stranded throughout the entire period.

Attempts by the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Kenneth Kelly Essuman, the Municipal Police officers and other officials to persuade the drivers to clear their vehicles on the lanes failed.

The Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, has for some time now enforced a regulation aimed at decongesting the Mankessim business enclave, especially around the ‘New Market’.

The drivers have recently been accusing the police at Mankessim of harassing them through what they describe as “senseless arrests”.

The drivers vowed they would not clear the road until one of their colleagues reportedly arrested by the police was released.

One driver who spoke to Citi News said, “What we want the NPP government and Municipal officials here to do is that they should allow us (drivers) to do our work.”

In the course of the confusion, the military men appeared and began lifting some of the taxis from the road while they also overturned some of the cars.

In the ensuing operation by the soldiers, they broke the screens of some of the taxi cabs.

Again, individuals who attempted to take shots of the activities of the military men had their mobile devices seized and destroyed.

Meanwhile, calm is returning to the town as most cars are now moving in and out.

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By: Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Earlier reports had suggested that there was a gas explosion at a nearby filling station, but checks by Citi News’ Joseph Ackon-Mensah at the fire service revealed that, the fire outbreak was due to the negligence of a resident in a household near the said filling station.

Speaking to Citi News, the firefighter at the site said, “The distress call we received said the First Allied filling station was in flames, so we rushed here. But when we got here, that wasn’t the case. Instead, someone in that nearby house forgot to turn off the gas after using it. That caused the fire.”

Corroborating the fire fighter’s account on the fire outbreak, the resident, who reportedly forgot to turn off the oven, said she “wanted to quickly pick up her phone and return, but ended up staying longer. On her return, the flames were burning “uncontrollably.”

The fire service personnel were however quick in responding to distress calls. Thus, they were able to put out the fire in time.

No casualties were recorded.

There are mounting fears over the siting of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) filling stations in the country, following Saturday’s explosion at the Atomic Junction which claimed seven lives and injured about 132 others.

Concerns have been raised from some sections of the public about the construction of gas and petrol stations in residential areas, with pressure group Occupy Ghana, calling for a temporary ban on on-site dispensing of gas.

The LPG Marketers’ Association has dismissed these worries, stating that their outlets had put in the requisite safety measures in place to ensure that incidents like Saturday’s don’t recur.

“We have, on our own as part of the safety standards created what we call the electric discharge pumps. So at most of our outlets, the Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV) trucks do not discharge gas using their own engines,” he said.

“There are electric discharge pumps where when the BRV comes, the pumps are fitted onto them and the discharge is done. It’s quite unfortunate that our outlet at the explosion site wasn’t using that particular discharge pump at the time of the explosion. On issues of safety, in respect of the discharge of the BRV, we have directed our members to use the electric pump system. If you visit any of our outlets, that’s the system that they are using, most of them are using it,” the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Kwame Owiredu told Citi News.

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By: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fire guts house near gas station at Mankessim appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The operation, which started on Monday and saw the closure of Shell filling station in the area, is to be replicated in all communities in the Municipality.

Speaking to Citi News, the Municipal Engineer, William A. Kpoti, said the safety exercise is meant to keep standards in the Municipality following the gas explosion in Accra over the weekend.

He added that a committee has been formed which is spearheading the programme.

“Some of the fillings stations have had their fire service permits expired for up to two or three years. Others have their permits with the EPA, expired so we have to close them down. Some have not been paying their property rates as well as their business operating permits. Yesterday  [Monday], we closed down the GOIL filling station which is a state company; they had to rush down from Cape Coast to furnish us with all their documents before they were allowed them to continue their operations.”

“We close down Shell; the committee went through their documents before they were allowed to continue operations,” he added.

There have been several of such instances in the past where supervisory agencies close down fuel stations over some infractions, yet few days after, the affected stations are allowed to operate again.

Mr. Kpoti promised that, their move “is not a nine-day wonder,” saying “we are going to maintain it in order to have sanity in our municipality.”

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He is therefore urging governments in West Africa to establish trust with their citizens so that individuals with information on terrorist hideouts and activities will come forward.

“If we win battle of hearts and minds, there will be victory in the fight against terrorism.”

ECOWAS heads of state have agreed to unite and fight terrorism which is rapidly gaining roots in the sub-region.

Nigeria and Mail have been victims of terrorist acts for some years now which are causing fear and panic among their citizens.

Citizens in other West African countries have expressed fears about the possible infiltration of terrorist groups into their countries.

But ECOWAS has indicated it will immediately implement the anti-terrorism strategy to salvage the situation.

Speaking to Citi News on the side-lines of the emergency ECOWAS meeting which took place in Accra on Friday, Mr. Afoko alleged that there are individuals within Nigeria and the sub-region who know the whereabouts of the over 200 abducted girls and members of Boko Haram.

Mr. Afoko is however of the opinion that battling the terrorist groups with force and arms alone “won’t do the trick.”

The NPP chairman cautioned ECOWAS citizens to note that “all of us are in the same boat because terrorists will always pick the softest targets to be able to create fear and panic in the society.”

Mr. Afoko further charged West African leaders to as a matter of urgency, implement the anti-terrorism strategy but also urged them to understand that “it is not just the force of arms that is going to win this battle.”

According to him, Boko Haram is taking its activities across the borders of Nigeria, therefore; ECOWAS should be tactful in fighting them.

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan

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According to him, although government is concentrating on the security agencies, it is imperative to invest in civilian support to augment the expertise of the security services.

This follows an order given by the President to Ghana’s Military High Command to put in place a strategy for training and preparation in readiness to fight terrorists who might target the country.

African countries like Nigeria and Kenya have been under attack from terrorist groups; Boko Haram and Al Shabab respectively for years now.

These two groups over the past few months have intensified their operations.

The situation has resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of properties and creating a sense of uncertainty and apprehension among countries on the continent.

In Mr. Addo’s opinion, it will be prudent on the part of government and the nation as a whole, if security analysts and experts are included in the outlining of strategies against terrorist attacks.

In an interview on Eyewitness News, the security analyst warned that the terrorist groups have “elements all across the region, they are all over the region, they are not only in Nigeria and some are just like people who walk within the community.”

He expressed fears that the level of armed robbery cases and rampant killings being recorded in the country “could indicate the potential of it being used for such activities [Terrorist acts].”

Mr. Addo stressed the need to “keep the home intact and familiar kind of relations are kept to the extent that our youth will not be compromised in anyway so civilian support is very crucial.”

He remarked that every country in the sub-region ought to come on board in the strategizing against terrorist activities because “we can go on our knees and pray to God to preserve our lives, but we should also prepare as a nation to do something about it, to prevent it from happening rather than allowing it to happen and react.”

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan

The post Gov’t must train security experts – Security Analyst appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Tour operators Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights to Mombasa until October and said some 400 holidaymakers would be flown back as a precaution.

The FCO advised against non-essential travel to areas within 37 miles of the Kenya-Somali border and Nairobi.

The main threat has been linked to the militant Islamist al-Shabab group.

TUI Travel, which operates Thomson and First Choice, said those already in the country would be flown home by Monday.

A spokesman confirmed a flight carrying some of the tourists landed at Gatwick on Friday morning, and that some holidaymakers were due to touch down at the airport at around 21:40 BST.

The FCO’s warning against non-essential travel covered the Mombasa Island area, Kiwayu and coastal areas north of Pate Island, the Garissa district, the Eastleigh area of Nairobi and the slum areas of the Kenyan capital.

But it said its advice did not include the Diani beach resort or the nearby Moi International Airport.

It said the main threat was from terrorism, which included kidnapping, and that westerners could be targeted.

While Thomson and First Choice have cancelled flights until October, long-haul travel company Kuoni said it was not offering holidays to the Kenyan coast for the time-being.

It said in a statement: “Although the advice does not include Moi International Airport, Diani beach or Malindi, the main road to access these resorts goes through the restricted area defined by the FCO advice. This means that we are no longer able to offer holidays to the Kenyan coast at present.”

Meanwhile, holidaymaker Alex Dolphin from Surrey arrived back at Gatwick having spent three days at a resort on Diani Beach.

He told the BBC: “I didn’t feel uneasy until we were in a convoy of three coaches parked on the roadside waiting to leave for the airport.

“I was keeping an eye open as we drove through Mombasa.”

The United States, France and Australia issued similar alerts, prompting the Kenyan government to criticise the advice as “obviously unfriendly”.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the authorities may have been given a tip-off from an informant that al-Shabab was planning an attack.

“What sources are saying is that it is specifically westerners they are after – either by kidnap or blowing them up,” he said.

Our correspondent added that the Kenyan government was “upset” by the FCO warning, but he said this was a threat that the UK could not ignore.

Fearing the impact on the country’s tourism industry, Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka said: “The threats are perpetual, we are at war. But we have not received any specific threat on the hotels.”

Holidaymakers had been told they were being evacuated “under armed guard”, British tourist John Bonar said on Twitter from Kenya on Thursday.

Vigilance

Al-Shabab have carried out a spate of attacks in the region in response to the Kenyan military’s intervention in Somalia.

In April, a radical Muslim cleric, Abubakar Shariff Ahmed – alleged to have been recruiting young Muslim men for al-Shabab – was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Mombasa.

His death, the third such killing since 2012, led to riots in the city, which has a large Muslim population.

“There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping,” the Foreign Office said in its travel advice.

“There has been a spate of small-scale grenade, bomb and armed attacks in Nairobi (especially the area of Eastleigh), Mombasa, and North Eastern Province.

“You should take care in public places where people gather, and exercise a heightened level of vigilance. ”

Shopping centre attack

Three people were killed and more than 80 wounded in explosions on two buses in the capital Nairobi earlier this month.

The Kenyan government said al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, was behind the attacks.

The most high profile of the group’s recent attacks saw 67 people killed when its fighters stormed the Westgate shopping centre in September.

In a statement, the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said “around 500 British tourists” travelling with tour operators at the time the FCO issued its warning had been “safely repatriated”.

It urged anyone still travelling to contact their tour operator.

Thomson advised customers due to fly to Mombasa before November to contact its call centre or their travel agent.

It said it understood customers would be disappointed about the flight cancellations, but “in these types of situations we have to follow the FCO advice”.

Customers travelling on a Thomson Airways flight-only booking were advised to contact the airline’s resort office on +254 (0) 716979338 or its 24-hour holiday line +44 2476 282228.

Source: BBC

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