Nzema chiefs reject Dr. Ben Asante as Ghana Gas CEO

Just when people were about drawing down the curtain on the excitement of NPP’s victory in the 2016 election,  and appointments were being dished out, that some Nzema Chiefs declared their displeasure over the selection of Dr. Ben Asante as CEO of Ghana Gas.

Some Ghanaians, including a few prominent Nzemas expressed their displeasure with the chief’s rejection of Dr. Ben Asante; whose technical competence is enormous in the field.

The rejection which was largely based on ethnic considerations fell flat, as the President’s appointee was eventually confirmed and accepted.

Appointment of Charles Bissue as presidential staffer

Stan Xoxe Dogbe, a presidential staffer under President Mahama had then got many Ghanaians talking about how he handled members of the Presidential Press Corps and other related matters. He successfully marketed the position “presidential staffer” and got many persons talking about it.

So when a letter of appointment came for Charles Onuawonto Cromwell Bissue, Western Regional Secretary of the ruling NPP as presidential Staffer, several inhabitants of the region mostly NPP supporters were excited.

Charles Bissue was viewed as one of the hardworking NPP executives in the region.

Five Chinese and five Ghanaians arrested on Ankobra River

Illegal mining was still ravaging havoc to the environment, particularly on the three major rivers in the region; River Pra, Ankobra and Tano.

The Chinese nationals had developed a ship-like vessel in the middle of the Ankobra River which served as the source of raw water for Ghana Water Company Limited for residents in Nzema East Municipal and the Ellembelle Districts.

They were mining in the middle of the River. These 5 Chinese and their five Ghanaian counterparts were arrested and arraigned at a Sekondi High Court. Currently, all of them are on bail as the trial continues.

GHUMCO Gas explosion

On May 9th, the Western Regional capital of Sekondi-Takoradi was rocked with a gas explosion that occurred at about 7:30am that Tuesday.

Over 180 people were injured, but no life was lost. Of the injured, 15 were staff of GHUMCO, 7 were firefighters from the regional fire department, 6 students and many other persons.

The emergency preparedness of the Western Regional Hospital, Effia Nkwanta and other health facilities were tested.

The company is yet to pay any compensation to the victims as had been promised.  The company as at December 2017, still owes the Takoradi Government Hospital over Gh10,000.

Wassa Akropong riots

Whist persons affected by the gas explosion were about getting off their sick bed in the region, Wassa Akropong, a town that was yet to come to terms with how illegal mining was taking away its vibrancy, as a Chinese Casino operator in the town Jian Gen Hai, reportedly shot and killed a 30-year old Ghanaian, Nana Boah, during a misunderstanding over payment for a job that had been done for the Chinese national.

The case was transferred to the Takoradi District Court where it was adjourned to 13^th December 2017. The case was later adjourned to January 2018, after a plea for bail was not granted.

Splitting Western Region

Another story that got the people of Western Region talking was when the processes to begin a possible split of the Region were commenced by the NPP government.

Consultations by the 9-member commission of enquiry first met petitioners for the split in Accra. It was followed by consultations with the media, the regional house of chiefs and later 6 other engagements in Sekondi Takoradi, Enchi, Wassa Akropong, Adabokrom, Sefwi Wiawso and Bibiani.

Findings from the consultations are yet to be released by the commission, which will approve the  split or otherwise.

Shooting of GSTS Student Lawrence Baidoo

Just as the year was ending, a 17-year old final year student of the Ghana Secondary Technical School, who had just finished his Elective Maths paper before the Christmas vacation, Lawrence Baidoo, was shot and killed on Friday evening when Detective Corporal Adjei Shaibu, allegedly mistook him and his four other unarmed friends for armed robbers.

The shot also injured Kobina Dorkpoh, one of the five friends who is hospitalized at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital. The five were attending a musical concert at Shama Junction.

The case is now before the Takoradi District Court which has been adjourned to January 12, 2018.

Meanwhile, counsel for the accused, Edmond Acquaah Arhin, has strangely denied that his client was not around the scene at the time the incident happened.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 7 stories that got Western Region talking in 2017 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The nine-member Commission of Enquiry led by retired Justice of the Supreme Court Justice Stephen Brobbey, are on a consultative exercise in the Western Region to solicit views from stakeholders, after paramount chiefs in the region sent proposals to the president to have the Western Region split.

The Commission of Enquiry has so far held public consultations with residents in Sekondi-Takoradi, Aowin, and Suaman, as well as the three Wassa Amenfi Districts.

Friday’s trip was to Adabokrom, the district capital of the Bia East district.

The Chief of Adabokrom, Nana Adowah IV, expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for honouring his campaign promise to create a Western North Region out of the Western Region.

“We thank Nana Addo for honoring his 2016 campaign promise based on which we voted for him. We are so happy he is doing what he promised us. In fact, he is like a prophet who has been sent to relieve us of our plight. Anyone who opposes the split, I doubt is a living being,” he said.

All the 200 persons present at the event backed calls for the creation of the Western North Region.

Some believed that the split “will bring governance close to us and also to fast-track development in the northern part of the region. I think it will be an end to the long journeys we make to Takoradi to work on things”.

“Throughout the four years stay of a government in power, the Western Regional Minister could only be seen here twice. He is far away in Sekondi, so it makes it very difficult for chiefs to see him regularly to discuss issues of mutual importance. But if the Western North Region is created, this can stop,” one of the local chiefs told the Commission of Enquiry.

The engagement ended with the chiefs reiterating the need for the split due to the poor road networks in the area.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bia East and West districts back split of Western Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They cite, among other reasons, the administrative inconveniences created by the wide gap between the north and the south and the lack of a corresponding development to match the contributions of the northern part of the region to the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”or4bZRnGnKDyZkSKzJYQtxexyvJTPr1k”]During the second public engagement which had representations from the clergy, educationists, representatives from the trade unions, traditional rulers and other political actors, not a single opposing view was made to the Commission from the hundreds who were gathered there.

Speaking to Citi News, the Acting Principal for the Enchi College of Education, Philip Ntaah bemoaned the administrative inefficiencies they have had to deal with for years, due to the travelling time and preparations for mandatory visits to Sekondi/Takoradi.

“I am a Head of an institution. But I feel strongly demoralized because it takes a longer period for us to commute from our offices to the regional office. Let’s take the case of Bia East, if the regional director of education should visit the regional office for a meeting that will last for 30 minutes at least once every fortnight, it is likely he will spend more than five days. This affects efficiency in the office,” he said.

A former Member of Parliament for the Aowin Suaman Constituency, John Kweku Ackah noted that the proposed split was long overdue stating that “people from the northern part of the Region have yearned for the creation for long.”

“At the Consultative Assembly gatherings for the adoption of the 1992 Constitution, we thought that people will one day yearn for new regions of which Justice Brobbey, the chairman of this Commission of Enquiry was a member. Ahead of the referendum at that time in March 1992, people from the north of the region presented a petition [for a split]. We thought [the split] could be added to the constitution but we were told parliament will later regulate it. So for a very long time the western people from the north have yearned for the creation of a new region. It is not surprising that people have gathered today to ask for what should have been done long ago,” he added.

The Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Sefwi Wiawso Rev. Monsignor Simon Asamoah, believes the delivery of sermons in amalgamated languages affects the level of comprehension of some of the sermons which the creation of the Western North Region could address.

He opines that “this is not a problem with the Catholics alone, it is same with Methodist and other churches that, their leaders are brought from Sekondi Takoradi where Fanti is the dominant language. When we come to this area, it becomes difficult for the Sefwi Speaking congregants to really understand the language. So I think when the region is divided, it will help us to really develop our own language and have sermons in the form that will be best understood by our people”

The District Chief Executive for the Aowin District, Samuel Adu Gyamfi reiterated the concerns of the citizens, lamenting the low levels of development with respect to roads despite the contribution of the area to the state.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Proposed Western North Region backed by Aowin, Suaman districts appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.