This was after the meter compartment in their area caught fire.

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), is yet to fix the problem despite several calls from customers.

According to residents, even though some technicians from the Nungua branch of the ECG have inspected the problem, nothing has been done to restore the power.

One of the residents, Ben Awuah, who spoke to Citi News about the situation, said “It was 3:00am and we woke up and all the meters were on fire and actually, it was a neighbour who drew our attention and we called ECG and it took them three days to come… they came to checked and they said they would come and fix it. As at today [Thursday] being one week, we called them on Wednesday, and they said we should stop calling them. When they are ready to solve the problem for us, they will come and solve it.”

Meanwhile, a technician at the Nungua branch of the ECG, Wisdom Morki, in an interview with Citi News said his outfit was waiting for new meters from the head office to replace the burnt ones.

“As I am talking to you now, we don’t have materials so we go round and see the situation and then rectify the faults we are supposed to… They have ordered some. It is left for them to hand them over to us. They promised that they will give it to us but we don’t know when; so we are waiting for them.

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By: Naa Shika Caesar/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Burnt meters leave Nungua Cold Store residents in darkness appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They complain of erratic water supply following the decision by the Ghana Water Company to shut down the Accra Desalination Plant.

[contextly_sidebar id=”rkG1Dnc1f4X9Sqnc88a1fLpqx11aFzyt”]The shutdown of the Accra Desalination plant which was commissioned three years ago to help with the water supply in areas of Accra like Teshie, Nungua, Spintex, Lashibi, Sakumono and surrounding communities since 1st of January 2018, has left residents of very frustrated.

The plant was shut down for renegotiation of the contractual agreement between the company and the managers of the plant, Messrs Befessa.

Two weeks after the shutdown, Citi News’ Anass Seidu visited two affected communities, Teshie and Nungua to find out how the irregular supply of water has affected the residents, and how they are coping with the situation.

According to the residents, the water they are getting from boreholes is of poor quality.

“For almost two weeks now, I have not been getting water, it’s really tough. Yesterday I had to send my boy to go far away to search for borehole water,” a resident lamented

“The water quality is not that good, when you put the water down for like 30minutes, you will see some yellowish particles settle down at the bottom of the bucket,” another frustrated resident said.

The residents also said the reason given to them by the government to shut down the plant is unjustifiable.

Speaking on behalf of residents of the affected communities, Gideon Tettey said they [residents] will not suffer because of the ineffectiveness on the side of Ghana Water Company

“Ghana Water Company failed to fulfil its promises. According to the document that we have realized, if it was not because of Ghana Water Company, that plant would not have been constructed and Ghana water company gave approval and assurance to Ghana government that they are going to install prepaid meters and fix the distribution issue among other things to raise revenue to pay the development of the plant, so if at this point in time Ghana Water Company has not done their homework and so for that matter we residents of Teshie Nungua, Labadi and its environs will suffer because of the incompetence of Ghana Water company, I beg to differ, ”he said.

The residents have thus threatened to embark on seven days continuous demonstration if Ghana Water Company fails to address their issues.

“Assemblymen, market women and all the youth in various churches from Teshie Nungua Labadi in its environs are just waiting for a notification to embark on a seven-day sustained demonstration asking that our everyday water is restored,” he said.

About the desalination plant

In 2011, the Government of Ghana awarded a contract to Befesa Desalination Development Ghana for the establishment of the sea water treatment plant to produce clean water, which will be channelled into the pipelines of GWCL.

Messrs Befesa Limited, an engineering firm, was contracted by the government to build the desalination plant, operate to defray its cost, and hand over to the GWCL after 25 years.

The project was executed by Abengoa, a Spanish company, and Sojitz Corporation, Japan’s largest importer of rare earth metals.

The two hold a 94% equity in the project. The plant was designed, constructed and is being operated by Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana, a joint venture of Abengoa Water Investments Ghana, Daye Water Investment (Ghana), and their local partner Hydrocol.

A consolidation of all the costs of the plants culminates in GWCL buying the water from the plant at about GHc 6.5 per cubic meter and selling at the regulated Public Utilities Regulatory Commission rate of about GHc 1.5 per cubic meter.

This arrangement meant that the GWCL is said to be losing about GHc5:00 for every cubic meter of water sold from the Teshie Desalination Plant.

Citi News‘ checks indicate that the GWCL makes payments of GHc 8 million a month to the financiers of the project, although it makes only GHc 2 million by supplying treated water from the plant.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Teshie residents threaten 7-day demo over poor water supply appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Corporal Amegashie, who is with the Tema Police Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT), was apprehended alongside three other suspects after allegedly attacking and stealing GHc 54,000 from the Asante supermarket.

[contextly_sidebar id=”tw1jiEz5axcj51tpAPKdgPNzbk70ZOgs”]According to the Accra Regional Police Commander, the police corporal was arrested while on his way to the Volta Region after escaping initial arrest.

Two AK47s in his possession have been retrieved by the arresting officers.

The police have promised to soon put the suspects before court after investigations into the crime are completed.

Police complicit in crime

An interdicted Police Constable, Samuel Asamoah of the Kasoa Police Station, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a GH¢7, 800 robbery at Swedru in September.

Also in September, a Corporal, Effah Kyere Williams Boadu, an officer with the Upper East Regional Arms and Ammunitions Unit of the Ghana Police Service, was arrested for illegally selling firearms to unauthorized persons.

The weapons this Corporal sold were used in another GHc 8,000 robbery which resulted in a victim sustaining gunshot wounds.

More recently, in November, a Police officer and a supervisor at the Tema Motorway toll booth, were arrested in connection with a robbery incident were robbers on motorbikes broke into the toll booth and made away with about GHC 45,000.

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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Policeman in Nungua supermarket robbery arrested appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The post Newspaper headlines: Thursday, November 23, 2017 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Assembly Man, Richmond Sorgbordjor, said the thugs stormed some schools forcing pupils to go home, following a ban by the Nungua Traditional Council for the burial rites for the High Priest of the Ga-Dangme state, Wor-lomor Borketey Larweh-Tsuru I.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BbuD1v9jLOUH63Akjy457MydYhFSVjxQ”]Commercial activities are at a halt in Nungua, Spintex Road, and nearby communities, following the ban, as the streets have been deserted for the traditional rights since Thursday evening.

The traditional authorities further directed all commercial activities to remain closed on Friday, contrary to a directive from the Police.

Mr. Sorgbordjor, however, insists his area is not under the jurisdiction of the Nungua Traditional Council.

“The chiefs and elders of Sakumono are not aware that there is a ban and they are burying the late chief and they say Sakumono belongs to Wor-lomor. Since we were born, we have never seen that before, but today the came around closing all the schools and asking the school children to go home.

“Could you believe they were collecting money from the children too? They closed the schools, closed stores and seized some of their foodstuffs and sent all to Nungua,” he complained.

The Member of Parliament for the Tema West, Carlos Ahenkora, and the police have intervened, but Mr. Sorgbordjor said both were unaware if the ban extended to his area.

The police even said they did not have a means of transport to attend to the situation.

“We spoke to the police and even called the Tema West MP saying this is what is going on, but he said he is not aware. I called the Sakumono police commander and he said he too was not aware, but he was complaining that police did not have a car to come to the field.”

“We respect all the chiefs, but appropriate action should be taken. The government should intervene.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Confusion at Sakumono over Wor-lomor’s burial rites appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According them, the linking road from Leisure hotel to the main road, has not been the best since the road has developed some potholes two months after its construction.

They claimed that the visible pot holes were brought to bare after a recent heavy rain.

A Teacher at Nungua, who gave his name as Ewa, said “this road has been a rough road; but before the election 2016, the road was hurriedly constructed.

According to him, “the construction is such that,coal tar on it cannot last because it’s not thick. It has started developing pot holes and it’s not good enough.”

Other residents shared similar disappointment about the road to Citi News.

“They are about five or six of them on this side, they were all started at the same time and the compacting wasn’t properly done; you could see it. It’s almost two months that they came and did the road; but now if you reach the junction, it’s very bad”

Citi News earlier reported of residents expressing their displeasure at the commencement of the construction of the road; barely seven days to the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.

This is a common occurrence in Ghana, where some roads are hurriedly done in a very poor manner.

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By: Anass Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Nungua: Road develops pot holes 2-months after construction appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.