According to reports, the deceased, Emmanuel Asante, a second-year building and construction student at the Takoradi Technical Institute, had a quarrel with his teenage girlfriend on Saturday night, November 18, at Fijai, a suburb of Sekondi-Takoradi around 8:30pm.

The girlfriend reportedly pulled a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the heat of the argument.

It is however unclear what sparked the disagreement between the teenage lovers.

The deceased was pronounced dead shortly on arrival at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.

The father of the deceased, Osei Kojo, told Citi News’ Western Regional Correspondent, Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, that he had been against the romantic relationship because he believed the two were too young, and needed to focus on their education.

According to the father, when news got to him that his first son had been stabbed, he could not believe it, because to the best of his knowledge, he had called off the relationship between the two.

He however admitted that, some community members had informed him that the two were secretly continuing the affair.

According to  Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, Monica Derry, the suspect, is currently in the grips of the Takoradi central police command.

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By: Farida Yusif/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Personnel from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Takoradi, were undertaking repair works on the power distributor’s 33kV underground cable that supplies power to the harbour enclave in Takoradi, when the deceased’s body was found in a trench.

He was said to have attempted tampering with the cables, as initial search on him revealed a blade and cutlass which he may have used to cut the cables.

The cable was cut open and the copper screen, known to be targeted by most cable thieves, had been pulled out.

The deceased’s body has since been deposited at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital mortuary by the police.

ECG, telecommunications companies, and others have long complained about the incidences of cable theft, which, at a point was said to cost the ECG in particular billions yearly.

In 2016, Vodafone solicited help from the public to curb the incidence of cable theft across the country, with an offer to reward for information that could lead to the arrest of cable thieves nationwide.

Thieves have also stolen the backup batteries of telcos in the past.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This is according to a deputy Railways Development Minister, Kwaku Agyenim Boateng.

He said the government will resort to what it calls “multiple financing approaches” to achieve its goal of revamping the rail sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XD0bc66JJRxLGJtD5abjigxLlGcqPWvO”]In June this year, the government announced that it will need $7 billion dollars to revamp the sector but different groups including the minority in Parliament said the government was being over-ambitious.

“You are dealing with investors who want to invest. It could be Public Private Partnership, Government of Ghana, or Build Operate and Transfer. Rail investments are huge, so you have to be very innovative in funding such projects. We have received over 202 Letters of Interests. They want to engage the ministry in discussing funding arrangements for the various projects,” he said.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its election 2016 manifesto said improving the rail industry was one of its key infrastructural plans.

It said it would construct an Eastern and Central rail line to improve transportation of goods between the north and the south.

The Eastern Railway line will “cover a distance of 330km and starts from Accra to Kumasi with a branch line from Achimota to Tema.”

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta while presenting the 2017 budget statement said “when the line becomes operational, it will decongest the port and facilitate the movement of cargo and passengers to Kumasi and its environs. In 2017, the feasibility studies will be finalized and invite proposals from the private sector.”

On the Central Rail line, he said, he said it will “cover a distance of 200km and spans from Kotoku on the Eastern Line to Huni Valley on the Western Line. It will have a branch line from Achiase to Kade and we plan to undertake feasibility study on the line and extend it to Kibi.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Takoradi Branch Manager of Unibank, Clement Ansah who was speaking at a day’s seminar on empowering the youth for the Job market,  employers have moved beyond degrees and certificates to a selection criteria that is purely performance and skill driven.

“…and so when you come to the banking field for example, you see a lot of people with various degrees from different disciplines working there. You need not to be a BCOM holder or degree in management before you work in a bank. The degrees is just basic, but come and prove to us that these are special skills you have that when you bring to your company you can add to whatever level that we find ourselves. Your ability to communicate well, ability to carry the brand etc. for me, is key than any certificate that you hold”.

Ghana’s curricula have been criticized by some scholars and academicians as producing students who lacks industrial skills and professionalism.

Many students are trained to seek employment after school instead of creating jobs by starting their own.

“It is for this reason that the executives of the Western Region branch of the Distance Education Students Association of Ghana decided to organize this seminar for our students. We have realized that going to the job market is a different ball game altogether. The certificate we get does not offer us job. There are people with two or three master degrees. They applied to be part of CoDE system. You call the person for interview. After the interview you get to see that apart from the certificates in the hands of the fellow, he has nothing to offer, hence the need for this seminar. National PRO David Fianu told Citi News.

The seminar was put together by the executives of the Western Region branch of the Distance Education Students Association.

The students were taken through entrepreneurship, leadership training, capacity building, investment, women empowerment among others by speakers such as the Head of Academic Unit, CoDE at the University of Cape Coast Prof. Paul D. Ahiatrogah, Registrar for the Takoradi Technical University Mrs. Silvia Oppong Mensah, and Manager for the Takoradi Branch of UniBank, Clement Ansah and others.

Some students who spoke to Citi News after the program were elated of the benefits they had derived from listening to the speakers. Others were optimistic the seminar had been a turning point in their career.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Tuesday’s gas explosion in Takoradi left some victims critically injured beyond the strength of facilities at the regional hospital, as they had to be transported by road for over 3 hours from Takoradi to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

Apart from the many oil related companies cited within the region’s most populous city, the increased appetite for the establishment of fuel stations in and around the Twin City calls for proper health systems in the region.

However, the main referral center for the entire region with a population of over 2.3 million people has no Burns Unit to deal with fire related cases.

Speaking to journalists after a visit to the victims of the gas explosion by the Western Regional Mnister, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie and his entourage, acting Medical Director of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Dr. Richard Anthony, bemoaned the absence of a burns Unit in view of a possible reoccurrence of similar explosions in the region.

He said “apart from this explosion that has occurred, there are a lot of factors within western region and we should expect that these explosions may occur from time to time.”

“We should get ready, we shouldn’t wait till we have mass casualties before we start asking why shouldn’t there be this, why wasn’t there this, why wasn’t there that? We are trying to do our best within the constraints to handle most of the casualties that come. But the truth is, we need a well-equipped Burns Center within the Western Region even with or without this explosion that happened on Tuesday.”
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The explosion, according to eyewitnesses, was caused by the leakage of the gas which was being supplied to GHUMCO.

A first stationary gas tank exploded, injuring firefighters who were at the time trying to bring the situation under control.

A second explosion; which was from the very vehicle discharging the gas, was huge such that, the tanker divided into two with huge inferno and heat travelling through the atmosphere for over 100 meters before landing in a nearby lagoon.

Two nearby warehouses full of different food items were also razed by the inferno.

After visiting the victims and the accident scene, Dr. Amin Adam noted that, the company must be appropriately sanctioned.

He said “I want the NPA to consider withdrawing the license of the OMC because many a time when they continue to hold their license, they find ways to do the same business elsewhere and therefore the punishment and the sanctions does not become punitive enough because they would find a way to operate with the same license.”

He added that, government will no more entertain any form of negligence on the part of fuel distribution and pump stations that result in injuries and deaths.

“This is a new regime, a new ways of doing things and I believe that Ghanaians, especially managers of such important facilities will sit up and begin to know that government will not take lightly any form of negligence and non-compliance with regulations that would lead to the death of people or injuries.”

Companies complicit in disasters will foot victims’ medical bills – Minister 

Meanwhile, Dr. Amin has also announced government’s decision not to foot the medical bills of the injured in mass accidents such as the explosion.

He said the companies involved would be forced to bear such cost henceforth
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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GHUMCo manufactures metallic cooking utensils and household items, and gas is an essential material in their line of work.

[contextly_sidebar id=”8QuC6UYIzftNay1abXJoOeCcmZxfvc3D”]However, no prescribed PPEs are given to the workers. As a result, the workers have had to work without PPEs.

Speaking to Citi News, some workers of the company complained that they are suspended each time they speak about their safety.

“Our safety is substandard. Management has no regard for our welfare. I protested once, but was suspended for one month without pay”, one worker told Citi News.

Another said “we wear our own clothes when we are working. No safety boots, no trousers, no gloves, nothing. Sometimes our clothes are tattered but they have no concern.”

Narrating how the explosion happened within the compound, one of the workers expressed surprise that the gas was discharged when they were working on the premises, saying it was highly irregular.

He said “when gas finishes, we are made to go home for the refueling to be done. We return after refueling. I was surprised that this time round the gas was discharged when we were on site and the oven was on. I was working on the oven when we smelled the gas leakage. We therefore turned the oven off and ran away.”

Meanwhile, Production Manager of GHUMCO, John Andrews Ammisah, has denied the worker’s account. He said on Skyy Power FM that the workers are simply making up allegations.

He said, “it’s not true. When things happen like this people say so many things which are not true”

When asked about the exact Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) that are given to the workers, he was unable to name them.

“What I know is that, they are given a safety talk every morning. Sometimes when you give them the PPEs they don’t even wear them, you have to force them to wear it.”

Companies complicit in disasters will foot victims’ medical bills – Minister

Meanwhile, the Akufo-Addo administration has said that it is putting an end to the culture of government footing the medical bills of victims of mass accidents. It will instead lay the onus of catering for victims on the organisations implicated in whatever hazard may occur.

This new direction was announced by a Deputy Minister for Energy, Dr. Amin Adam, who revealed that the managers of Ghana Households Utensils Company (GHUMCO), has been asked by the government to ensure that the pay for the bills of all the affected persons in the Takoradi Gas explosion which left over 100 people with injuries.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The injured include fire men who were fighting the blaze.

Citi News’ Western Regional Correspondent Oberempong Yaw Ampofo, reported that firemen were having a hectic time, putting out the blaze.

According to eyewitnesses and officials from the Ghana National Fire Service who spoke to Obrempong, the explosion occurred “at about 7: 10 this morning, when a gas tanker was discharging gas close to the Total filling station on the main Takoradi Highway.”

“In the process, an anomaly was discovered so fire service officials were called to rescue the situation. While they were working to address the situation, the very tanker that was receiving the gas exploded, injuring all the five servicemen who were there, so people were alarmed and they were running away. While they were running away, the other tanker that was also discharging the gas exploded and that was the cause of the whole trouble,” he added.

Obrempong reported that, the explosion “got into the atmosphere, injuring many who were using the road.”

He said not only were officials from the Ghana Fire Service injured, but students at a nearby school and employees of a metro mass depot were also affected

“The number of victims as a result of the Gas explosion has risen from the 25 reported earlier to over 100. We went to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital where we were told by the hospital authorities that as the time we visited, they were working on over 60 people. We followed up again to the GHAPOHA hospital, and over there too we could count over 30 people who had sustained various degrees of injury.”

Aside this incident, a number of explosions have occurred in other regions. The recent ones occurred at Trade Fair and Labadi in the Greater Accra Region.

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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Some residents said they heard a loud explosive sound from a company near the OLAM warehouse on the Sekondi-Takoradi highway, around a Total filling station at about 7.20am today [Tuesday].

Citi News’ Obrempong Yaw Ampofoh reports that, 8 fire tenders were at the scene with dozens of fire fighters working to douse the fire.

He said the personnel have deployed all their equipment to battle the inferno which is spreading to nearby facilities including some warehouses.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 25 persons injured in Takoradi gas explosion [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.