He said the facility, which has a laboratory, reproductive health department, Out Patients Department, maternal and child health departments and 15 bungalows for staff was in a deplorable state due to the lack of rehabilitation since its establishment.

Nana Alloh made the appeal at a durbar held by the people of Likpe Traditional Area in the Hohoe Municipality to mark this year’s Lekoryi Festival.

He said the health centre was one of the few in the Region with a resident Doctor, midwives with 25 other staff and hence, needed to be given a facelift befitting a health facility.

Nana Alloh said through individual donations and funding from the Likpe Social Endowment Fund (LSEF), some renovation work was done two years ago but a considerable amount of work still needed to be done to enable it to serve the communities well.

He also said the Likpe Water Project, which served other towns in the area formed part of the Rural Water and Sanitation Project but had not been properly funded and maintained.

Nana Alloh said LSEF had provided the necessary funding for the rehabilitation of the project but called on government to help expand the project to other parts, which would cost an estimated amount of GH¢ 2.5 million.

He said the Likpe Senior High School also needed renovation because the school had not seen any major infrastructural change since it was built 50 years ago.

Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, assured that their appeals would be considered.

He said he was glad the people had made project initiation one of their main goals during the celebration of the festival.

Dr Letsa urged all farmers in the community to take advantage of government’s agricultural programmes such as the provision of improved seeds and supply of fertilizer at half price to increase their yields.

He made a pledge of GH¢ 5,000.00 towards the celebration and the water expansion project.

Madam Bernice Adiku Heloo, Member of Parliament, Hohoe also pledged GH¢ 1000 toward the water expansion project.

Lerkoyi is a festival celebrated every two years on Holy Easter Saturday by the Traditional Area as a homecoming event for the indigenes.

It offers them the opportunity to “protect the history and traditions of the land” and plan development projects.

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Source: GNA

The post Bakua Health Centre needs facelift – Volta Chief appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Detective Corporal Vincent Adorvlo and a Community Police were investigating a reported threat on the lives of a local pastor and his congregants when the town folks rounded them up at the Chief’s Palace.

[contextly_sidebar id=”yIWDJggVXjYsDgzBwbpnPvi06d5lFFEX”]The town-folks, who according to eyewitnesses thought the police were arresting their chief, besieged the Palace with weapons and other sharp objects to ostensibly attack the officers.

Narrating the incident to Citi News, the eyewitness said the angry youth who manhandled the officers were chanting war songs and issuing death threats.

Gripped by fear, the Chief whisked the officers into his room while the community elders calmed the mob.

It took about three hours to restore calm and escort the investigators to their base.

Reports suggested that the town-folks have been up in arms against a church whose pastor they accused of certain misconducts.

The North Dayi District Commander of the Ghana Police Service, ASP Tawiah, who confirmed the incident to Citi News,  said the Detectives were at the Chief’s Palace to invite through the chief, the leader of the gang that was threatening the lives of the pastor and his church.

He said his outfit had commenced investigations into the matter to bring culprits to book.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Two Police officers escape lynching in Volta Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Afelete Amewuga, who was a member of Korku, a group believed to have spiritually fortified its members from knife injuries, died after his magical act failed him.

He slashed himself with the sharp knives hoping it would not have any effect on him, but his mysterious act and incantations failed him as his first slash cut deep into his stomach.

Surprised at why his magic failed the first time, Amewuga tried it again with the other knife in his other hand.

This time it was worse as the knife cut deep into his stomach, bringing out his intestines to the surprise of the spectators.

Unperturbed by the development, the spectators just looked on, thinking it was part of the act until Amewuga requested to be taken to the hospital.

Death

Disclosing the story to The Mirror, Amewuga’s wife, Happy Amewuga, said Amewuga lost consciousness but the medical doctor managed to fix the intestines back into the stomach and he regained consciousness later.

However few days later, he was referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra where he passed away.

On his death bed, he said: “When I return to earth, I will go to church; I won’t practise this anymore.”

As part of activities to mark his funeral rites, members of the Korku group displayed all kinds of magic in the full glare of the public to honour their fallen comrade.

They did what their fallen comrade failed to do as long knives entered stomachs, eyeballs were gouged out into palms and fixed back, among other magical displays.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

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In a statement signed by the NDC Regional Youth Organizer, Egypt Komla Kudeto, the youth expressed misgivings about government’s fixation on the splitting of the Volta Region rather than creating more districts that bring governance to the doorsteps of the people.

He said as other regions, especially the strongholds of the ruling party enjoy additional districts, the Volta Region could not boast of any new demarcation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”yJxPk9WpNYRAjZalQQW6Wbe9dAYhLTP4″]“It is a sad day for the people in the Volta Region, especially the youth of the region, who had great expectations when the NPP administration gave the signal of the intention to create new Assemblies. At the time all other regions are in jubilant mood following the birth of the new assemblies, the story in the Volta Region is one of wailing, crying and gnashing of teeth. The deliberate decision by government not to give even a single new assembly to the Volta Region is an unfortunate development,” he lamented.

He said such actions question the commitments of the NPP government to the growth of the region as promised in their electoral campaign.

“As far as the young people of the Volta Region are concerned, this administration has again demonstrated their unpreparedness to bring development to the region. The Youth Wing is of the view that the NPP is not genuinely committed to the decentralization process,” he added.

The statement also cast doubts about the government’s good intents to stimulate development in the area by creating a new region out of the existing Volta Region.

“The very administration that claims that one of the single most important reasons for the decision to divide the Volta Region is to fast track the development of the yet to be created Oti Region, is not ready to give the Volta Region new districts as has been done in the other regions. We the young people of the Volta Region are of the view that the NPP has missed the opportunity to show how genuine they are in the decision to split the region. This posture by the NPP, is a clear manifestation of the government’s double standard.”

Government has created 38 new Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), to bring the total number to 254 from the previous 216.

The processes also saw the realignments and upgrade of the status of some MMDAs.

Volta region had two of its districts; Krachie East and Ketu North upgraded to a Municipal status.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Caravan will travel eight hours to the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

In Kumasi, the Heritage Caravan will visit two historical museums, the Military Museum and the Manhyia Palace Museum.

In the Volta Region, patrons of the the caravan visited, Wodome, a community split between Ghana and Togo.

The next stop was at the Kente Durbar at Agotime-Kpetoe.

The chiefs and people of Agortime-Kpetoe hosted a Kente durbar in honour of the patrons.

Another fascinating thing about the tour of the Volta Region was where the Caravan passed the night, Sky Plus.

From the hotel, patrons had a nice view of the whole Ho township.

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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post #HeritageCaravan heads to Kumasi appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Wodome, which literally means “in the middle” is a community near Kpetoe, the district capital.

The people who were part of one community and shared common culture and beliefs were during the colonial period split and shared between the two neighboring countries.

Members of the Heritage Caravan team after their almost three-hour trip from Accra, made their first stop in this community; an experience most of them described as an eye opener, seeing that on one side of the street is Ghana,  and the other Togo.

There were homes that had their building in Togo and their corridor in Ghana.

The Chief of the area, Togbe Letsu VII, whose jurisdiction in Ghana extends to Togo said they see themselves beyond the imaginary boundaries as one people.

The tourists were then taken to the Kpetoe township where their arrival was heralded by a street procession by a Borborbor Cultural Troupe which led them to the Durbar ground.

The Durbar ground also showed another level of the cultural dexterity of the people of Agortime.

With the Chiefs and elders seated and waiting to welcome the team, various rites were performed to show their hospitality.

Women were sent to the river side to fetch water in bottles which they carried on their heads amidst dancing steps without the bottles falling off.

The fetched water from the River Todze was significant in welcoming visitors to the land.

The water was used to cleanse the feet of all team members as a sign of love and blessings from the people.

The Warlord Nene Akoto VII, who welcomed the team was excited about the the initiative by Citi FM and Citi TV.

He encouraged Ghanaians to promote Ghana’s culture  and heritage especially the Kente Fabric.

Indeed, the team wouldn’t have yearned for any other exciting moment when they joined the Borborbor Troupe to learn a step or two.

…In Accra: The kenkey party, the Ga song and Abokobi

Prior to moving to the Volta Region, patrons of the 3^rd edition of the Heritage Caravan were treated to a kenkey party amidst some melodious Ga live band tunes ahead of the adventurous seven day road trip.

The Caravan’s first stop was the James Forte in Jamestown where they spent a considerable amount of time at the Frederiksgave museum, Sesemi Village at Abokobi  in the Ga East Municipality in Accra.

The Frederiksgave Plantation on the Akwapin Hills is a historical exhibition and cultural centre covering a part of the history of Ghana and Denmark’s cultural heritage.

In the 1830s, the Danish government, which still had financial interest in Ghana after the abolishment of slavery in the country, started tilling the plantation with 32 enslaved workers it bought.

The Frederiksgave served as a typical colonial plantation, which experimented with various crops like coffee, sugar, tobacco and wine, but  as the gains were not forthcoming, the plantation became a health resort for ill Danish public servants from Christiansborg Castle.

In 1850, when the British bought the Danish Gold Coast, the buildings were abandoned.

It was reported that the slaves were kept in dungeons in the main building at the plantation. The place was subsequently deserted, leading  to the decaying and collapse of the place.

The tropic climate and the fact that stones from the building were removed for building houses in the village of Sesemi nearby, all contributed to the abandoning of the site.

After several deliberations between Ghana and Danish, in 2005, specialists from both countries together with local villagers began excavating the overgrown site. Deep in the soil they found the foundation of the main building as well as remnants like letters, pottery, glass and clay pipes from the Danes’ time at Frederiksgave. These items are now exhibited in the main building.

On the basis of these few remnants, Frederiksgave was rebuilt and is now a museum as well as a bracing green spot with beautiful views of the stretched land into Accra.

The third edition of Heritage Caravan is sponsored by Total Card, GCB, Hunters and powered by Citi TV

Check below for more photos:

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By: King Norbert Akpablie & Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Photos by: Nii Darku

The post #HeritageCaravan Day1 at Frederiksgave Plantation and a taste of borborbor appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The donation included toiletries, detergents and other assorted items which the students said were their widow’s mite to support the welfare of the children on admission.

The gesture according to the Head Master of the School, Frank Ahiaxornu, was an initiative by the students as part of the school’s SRC Week Celebrations.

In an interview with Citifmonline, the Headteacher said the donation was an indication of the virtues the school imbibes in the students which include charity activities.

“Power College, our anthem or our song has a part that says that we are trained to give and not to give up and its always our desire to give to the society”

He said society owes it a duty to show care and love to children particularly the vulnerable ones, adding that the school has engaged in similar activities over the years including clean up exercises in the regional capital.

“We believe that they are supposed to be in school now, but because of their ill-health they are in the hospital so they need somebody to come to them so that they know they care for them” he added.

Caregivers in the ward on behalf of the Hospital expressed gratitude to the students for sharing the little they had with the kids.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Power College students support kids at Ho Municipal Hospital appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to Mr Kwame Sowu, who is also the Chairman of Energy Synergy, lots of business opportunities, particularly in Agribusiness, abound the Volta Region.

But the underutilization of these potential openings has, over the years, resulted in the loss of huge revenues which could have changed the fortunes of the region.

Speaking at a Breakfast Meeting held in Ho with the Regional Minister and members of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in attendance, Mr Sowu who was part of a delegation from the Association of Ghana Industries spearheading the deliberation, said the topography of the land spanning major coastal areas, forest zones, and savanna, strategically positions the region to tap into the abundant opportunities in Agribusiness.

“The Volta region has substantial agricultural resources and large expanses of land estimated around 1.2 million acres that are suitable for the cultivation of crops or rearing of animals, but for some reason, only 29% of the total land has been cultivated, ” he said.

Citing the region’s cassava-producing potential of the region, he stated that they could generate enough revenue from cassava, which he argued could compete with cocoa, and create more jobs for the people.

“…for instance let’s use the 72% of our land that has not been cultivated in cassava production, we will be generating at a farm-based price of 1.2 billion cedis. We could easily be generating another 1.2 trillion cedis from our farmers and that will spread across the Economy of the Volta region,” he explained.

Corroborating his analysis, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Letsa, said the Region, under his leadership, is taking pragmatic steps towards taking advantage of government’s industrialization policies to build a robust local economy in the region.

The Minister, who stressed the vital roles the media plays in shaping the minds and attitudes of the society challenged the GJA in the region to lead the campaign towards attaining the industrial revolution agenda of the region.

He pledged his commitment to providing journalists with farmlands to cultivate in a project that would be christened “One Journalist- One Farm”.

The meeting is part of the close collaboration between the GJA and the Eastern/Volta Branch of the AGI to revamp industries in the two regions.

The Chairman of the Eastern/Volta AGI, Dela Gadzanku hinted that a business incubation centre would be established in Ho, to be named after Madam Esther Ocloo who birthed the AGI in 1958, as well as a Volta Trade and Investment Summit to attract investments into the regions.

The GJA Volta Chairman, Attorney Bells Kafui Kayi pledged the Association’s support to the revamping and growth of industries in the region.

He said his outfit has already taken steps to tour some of these dormant industries and have been engaging stakeholders on how to rejuvenate their operations.

He added that the Association has appointed an economic planning Advisor to help in conducting visibility studies and informing key stakeholders on plans to chart for the future.

The region which shares the western belt with the Republic of Togo has a total land area of 20,570 km² with an average population of 2.5 million people.

Aside from the Atlantic Ocean at the foot of the region, the River Volta traverses the middle belt to the north, meandering through the mountains and flooding the forests. This provides a perfect Agricultural setting for income generation.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post V/R losing over GH¢1bn from untapped arable lands – Analyst appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Personnel drawn from the two security agencies in the region are to be deployed to volatile zones in the region as well as areas susceptible to unlawful activities.

Patrol teams are also to keep surveillance on major roads while a satellite surveillance room connected to CCTV cameras has been stationed at the Regional Police Command to monitor human activities across the region.

Over 200 personnel, who were present at the re-launch, were taught how to use the various technological devices available to the Joint Operation Centre and also taken through an aerobics session as a well a route march to acquaint them with the task ahead.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Volta Regional Commander ACP Asomah Hinneh said the operation would, among other things, “ensure that crimes such as robbery, drug-related offences are brought to their barest minimum” and ensure the safety of law-abiding citizens.

He said the taskforce has been equipped with the needed logistics including vehicles to ensure easy movement and improved response times to crime scenes.

The Regional Commander of the 66 artillery, Major Edward Sarpong Appiah at the event has also commended the government for its support in reactivating exercise.

He said the military would support their police counterparts to curb criminal activities in the region.

He, therefore, called on the people of Volta region to support the exercise by volunteering information that would lead to a crackdown on miscreants in their locality.

President Nana Addo in December last year launched the “Operation Calm Life” to strengthen the security agencies’ efforts in fighting crimes and ensuring peace and security across the country.

The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Maxwell Blagodzi hs pledged government’s support in ensuring the exercise is carried out smoothly and with the necessary logistics.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Operation Calm Life’ task force commissioned in Volta Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a statement issued and copied to citifmonline.com, signed by the Chairperson, Felicity Ahiafianyo, she said the although the Head Master of the school cautioned them against the collection of such fees, they were compelled by the school’s challenges to offer their support for the benefit of their wards.

“The Head Master Emmanuel Amu did remind the P.T.A of the implications of charging the levies due to implementation of government’s new policy. However, we have agreed to pay the levies considering the overwhelming nature of the problems in the school which as parents we could no longer afford to wait for government interventions. Nonetheless, we are in the process of securing approval from GES for the collection of such levies. The headmaster and the school administration therefore have no underhand dealings, and is not part of the decision taken to charge these fees.”

The statement was in response to concerns by some parents over the levying of their wards contrary to conditions under the Free SHS where students are to enjoy quality education free of charge.

The statement however insisted that, decisions taken at the Association’s AGM binds all parents, as they only seek to enhance academic performance.

“We again wish to state that, decisions taken at PTA AGM binds all parents whether they attended that particular meeting or not. Just like AGM of any other bodies, levy issues raised at PTA AGMs are discussed extensively until consensus is finally reached.

“We are each other’s keeper. PTAs are a major stakeholder in the educational system, and it is an appendage to Ghana Education service that has been assisting governments over the years. It is a contract between us and the teachers to help our wards to be engaged in extra classes so they pass their examinations”.

The P.T.A disclosed to Citi News that most of the projects in the school including accommodation for students and those abandoned by past governments are being taken up by them with funds from such levies.

Citi News‘ tour of the school saw one of the projects being undertaken by the P.T.A to expand the school’s Dinning Hall to accommodate the increased enrollment.

The news team was also shown some dormitories constructed by the P.T.A, and an abandoned GET Fund project which the Association took up to complete.

Felicity Ahiafianyo therefore entreated all parents having challenges regarding the welfare of their wards to channel them to the Headmaster or the executives of the school’s P.T.A

“We therefore wish to encourage all parents to heartily support these initiatives and not hesitate to approach the P.T.A Executives, the Ghana Education Service, AWUSCO School’s management for redress of any challenge before resorting to the media”.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We levied ourselves to support Awudome SHS – PTA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.