Mahama touts achievements on his ‘Accounting to the People’ tour

President John Dramani Mahama has on Tuesday  justified his 'Accounting to the people tour’, which  is aimed at showcasing projects done by his government across the country and to interact with Ghanaians.

The tour which has already  taken the President to the Western and Eastern regions in the past weeks, has been fiercely criticized by some critics including the opposition New Patriotic Party, describing it as an ‘abuse of incumbency’ which the President is taking advantage of to campaign ahead of the November 7, elections.

However, speaking on the third leg of the tour to inaugurate the Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta section of the Eastern Corridor road in the Volta region, President Mahama explained that, he is only rendering account to Ghanaians who gave him the mandate during the last election.

According to him, just as chiefs organized regular durbars to update their subjects about development in their areas, it is just prudent for him as the president to update Ghanaians about projects and programmes his government has undertaken in the last three years.

“When you are put in a position of leadership, it is necessary for you to account to your people and tell them  how  you have discharged that responsibility and also interact with them to ask them, what more they expect from you,” he noted.

He noted that, his government in the last three years has undertaken massive infrastructure projects in various sectors across the country, which has to be accounted for.

Touting his achievements at Hohoe on day one of his 3 days tour, the President stated that “in all the regions I have inspected and commissioned projects, be have interacted with the traditional leaders and the people to discuss other projects that they want government to undertake. If you look at the track record we have been able to achieve, it is phenomenal, from electrification, to water, healthcare, education, definitely the track record of this government is an enviable one.”

Mahama takes ‘Accounting to the People’ tour to Volta region

President John Mahama is making a stopover with his  ‘Accounting to the People’ train in the Volta region, starting today Tuesday, April 19 to Thursday, April 21, 2016.

The nationwide  tour which has already  been to the Western and Eastern regions, was to  showcase development projects undertaken by government in the last three years, as he inaugurate some completed  ones and inspect work on others. 

While in the Volta region for the next three days, President Mahama will  inaugurate some completed road projects including, a 46km stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road between  Dodo Pepesu and  Nkwanta funded by the European Union, the 70km Worawora to Dambai road, and a 17km Ho-Fume road.

He will also inspect work on some other roads such as,  the Dapa- Pampawie- Ahamasu Junction Cocoa Road project,  Dambai- Kete Krachi road as well as  cut sod for the construction of  the roads between Juapong- Abutia and well as the  Juapong-Volo-Adidome.

In the education sector,  President Mahama will officially open the region’s second Community Day SHS at Chinderi in the Krachi Nchumuru district and also commission a new Engineering Laboratory at the Ho Polytechnic.

During  the tour, the President will pay courtesy call on  the traditional leaders at Kadjebi, Hohoe and Kete-Krachi. He will also interact with cross section of residents in the region including traders at the Ho central market, to explain his programmes and policies as he seeks  a second term in office .

Source:.@Lambert_Coffie/Voltaonlinegh 

NDC Primaries: Four MPs tumble, Seven new faces join ticket inVoltaregion.

Four incumbent members of parliament tumbled in the just ended parliamentary primaries of National Democratic Congress in the Volta region. 

They include. Hon. Joe Gidisu, MP for Central Tongu and former minister for roads and highways, who was beaten by Mr. Gabby Hotordze with almost 5000 votes in a three man contest. Hon. Gidisu polled 3,123 votes as against Mr. Hotordze’s  8,088 votes.

In the  North Dayi constituency, Hon. George Loh set the record as a one term MP, as he was toppled by a female aspirant, Joycelyn Tetteh, a student of the University of Cape Coast. She polled 3,037 votes as against Mr. Loh’s 2,207 votes.

Hon. Edem Asimah also suffered defeat in the South Dayi constituency, where he Lawyer  Rockson Defeamekpor, who polled 2,422 votes, as against Mr. Asimah's 1,585 votes.

The 4th causality was the Incumbent MP for Biakoye, Hon. Emmanuel Bandua also lost to Nyanpon Aboagye.

In all, Seven new faces have made their way onto the NDC's ticket for the 2016 general elections. They are include Charles Agbeve for Agortime/Ziope, and Angela Alorwu-Tay (DCE) for Afadjato South.

Below is the list of winners in the NDC primaries in Volta region.

Photos: Late Biakoye DCE laid to rest

The mortal remains of the late Chief Executive of the Biakoye district in the Volta region, Nana Louis Akatah has been laid to rest on Saturday.

Nana Akatah, who died on May 24 this year at the Margaret Marquart hospital after a short illness, was buried in his hometown Akposso-Kabo.

Dozens of mourners, including NDC party functionaries and MMDCEs in region attended a requiem mass held on a local basic school park to pay their last respect to the 62 years old educationist cum grass-root politician.

The Volta regional minister, Helen Ntoso in a tribute described the late Nana Akatah as a 'gentleman' who was diligent in his duties.

She also noted Nana Akatah, who was the first substantive DCE for Biakoye, with its capital at Nkonya-Ahenkro, didn't enjoy his position due to the protracted land dispute between the people of Nkonya and Alavanyo, which has led to sporadic attacks.

Mr. Michael Adjaho, DCE for Agortime-Ziope, who also double as Dean of Volta MMDCEs said the death of their colleague was a big blow to them, stating that ' in less than a year, we've lost two of our hard working colleagues. Early this year we buried our former colleague DCE for Nkwanta South, Peter Kenyenso who was gruesomely murdered in November last year and here we are, today burying another colleague."

‘Wakye is our favourite’-Ho Prison Inmates declare

Wakye in a pack Photo (C) facebook.com/Ndamoah

Inmates of the Ho Central prisons may have their freedom curtailed, but not their insatiable love for Wakye, Yes! wakye; that indigenous delicacy rich in protein.

The inmates who unambiguously declared their unflinching love for the local food, prepared by boiling beans and rice together with other ingredients, shouted “We want Wakye”, when asked by the chief Prison warden about the food they will like to eat as their next meal, at recent durbar held in the prison yard.

Just when the chief Warden, Deputy Director of Prisons, Victor Agbelengor assured them of their wish, the entire prison resounded with a thunderous applause and chants to signify their excitement and gratitude.

One of the inmates, sum up their insatiable love and crave for Waakye, to our reporter at the durbar saying “Wakye is our food and we don’t care eating it every day.. It’s very delicious.”

So whenever you consider donating food items to the Ho prisons, make wakye ingredients number one item on your list or better still serve them wakye with its accompaniments and you will leave a lasting memory in their minds.

#Ho_Radio_Review: The Bustling Airwaves Of Ho – Part 2

By:  Jonathan AtsuTachie

Brunch time or mid morning programming has always been exciting even in the days of the Volta Star Radio and VP FM duopoly in Ho, which lasted for more than a decade after the advent of private radio in Ghana. The current 10am to 12pm style for mid morning shows, which basically revolves around good music for listeners as they go about their daily work routines, Live Presenter Mentions (to enrich the wallet of the stations), tit bits on various topics such as love, fashion, entertainment, food and more which has gained grounds on Ghana’s radio landscape was pioneered by VP FM in the radio market of Ho.

As such, they were holding down listeners with this style until the duopoly ended when Hope FM entered the radio market in Ho from their hill-top studios, followed later by US FM, Kekeli FM, Tosh FM, and lately, Kuul FM. This write up takes a look at the mid-morning shows on the various stations operating in Ho and how they are faring in the opinion of the writer.

Afrikiko Mix on Kekeli 102.9 FM

The show which airs immediately after the Super Morning Show (what a name to give to a show which runs mostly in Ewe?) on Kekeli FM is gradually becoming the goose that lays the golden eggs for the station. The host Dr. J (or something like that) has played a major role in making the show the favourite of most listeners in Ho and its environs. Anyone who doubts the popularity of this show in Ho, should just take a walk from the Ho Police Depot, through the Central Market area to Ho Polytechnic junction, and he/she will be surprised by the number of shop owners (informal sector workers) who listen to the show.

The host is simply a gem when it comes to blending English with Ewe (and other local languages) on a show that demands of you a good sense of humour and a gift for selecting good music. His background as a comedian, (oh yes, a comedian) also helps in keeping his faithful listeners glued to the show and with popular punch lines like ‘dze wontoe gbe’, the popularity of the show is set to soar to unimaginable heights. Judged by the number of adverts and Live Presenter Mentions which run on the show currently, the Afrikiko Mix fever also seems to be catching on well with businesses and media buyers. This ultimately translates into a fatter bank account for the Post Office square-based broadcasters and a bigger pay cheque for the bubbly host, l hope.

The only problem l have with the show is its duration. A show which is supposed to run for two hours has been running effectively for only an hour because a Pastor, yes a man of God (Rev. Kakra Baiden) has to deliver a sermon mid way through the programme. This, l consider to be an ‘unnecessary’ disruption to an otherwise perfect show. Perhaps, the top brass at the station should consider extending the duration of the show to cover the slot after the mid day news from Joy FM which is currently reserved for playing cool or sentimental music.

In any case, cool or sentimental songs do not always have to be foreign love and country songs. We have our own Kojo Antwis, Beccas, Afias, etc who also have songs suitable for lunch time radio. Who is going to play their songs if we do not play them? Great show with a great host!!!!!

#Ho_Radio_Review: The Bustling Airwaves Of Ho – Part 1

By Jonathan Atsu Tachie

For a very long period of time the people of the Volta Region in general, and Ho in particular did not have the luxury of choice as far as radio was concerned. In fact, for more than a decade after the advent of private radio in Ghana, the people of Ho were left with no choice but to move their FM radio dials between GBC’S Volta Star Radio and Volta Premier FM (popularly known as VP FM ) owned by the SRC of Ho Polytechnic. For the records, VP FM is a few months older than Volta Star Radio and has always given Volta Star Radio a good run for their money, especially in Ho and its environs.

It is worth mentioning here that the youthfulness of the presenters of VP FM at the time naturally made the station the darling dial of most young minds in Ho. Indeed, radio in those days was fun with budding talents like Emmanuel Reagan Tetteh, Joseph Kwame Amevor (Aseco, arguably, the best borborbor DJ ever known in this region), Princella Eyram Adu, Hitman Freezer, Patrick Selassie Kudiabor, D.D. Atobli, Divine Norvieto (the Hon. Minister for Love and Romantic Affairs), etc made radio worth listening to and made VP FM a very popular FM dial in Ho and its environs.

For Volta Star Radio, its strengths in those days and l dare say even now, lie in their ability to attract ‘the oldies’ in Ho with rich cultural content on their network. Suffice, to say though, they also had a few youthful hands on the turntables who won them some listeners among the budding youth in the region, mostly outside the catchment area of VP FM. Names like Derrick Johnson Kamassah, Kafui Kumagah, GQ, etc easily come to mind when talking about the folks who held the fort for Volta Star Radio in the youth segment of the radio market in the region.

In recent years, however, the radio industry in the Volta Region has changed tremendously with the establishment of many radio stations across the region. Ho, the regional capital, is now home to five additional radio stations namely Hope FM, US FM, Kekeli FM, Tosh FM, Kuul FM and if the information available to me is anything to go by, more stations are on their way to the H.O. City, as Ho has been branded of late. The end of the VP FM-Volta Star Radio duopoly in Ho due to the arrival of these new stations has brought in its way many talented presenters who gladden the hearts of many radio lovers, including yours truly, with their unique presentation skills.

To make this series meaningful I intend to express my honest opinions (not binding on anybody, though) on various segments of radio broadcasting vis-a-vis the Ho market. In that case, the morning shows, the mid- morning shows, the late afternoon shows (or what most uninitiated radio fanatics refer to as drive time shows), the sports shows and entertainment review shows will be looked at in parts. If I live long enough after finishing this series l may look at the late night shows and probably, do a piece on the very ‘noisy’ dawn broadcasts from the so-called prophets and men of God.

‘We won’t be intimidated’-Volta NPP Chairman

The Volta regional chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. John Peter Amewu has sent a word of caution to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region that; members of the NPP will not be intimidated by their (NDC) machinations against them.

According to him, the NPP will march the NDC ‘boot-for-boot’ should the later attempt to disrupt NPP activities in the region.

“This country do not belong to them, I’m sounding a caution to them, that the new crop of executives we have here headed by myself John Peter Amewu, we cannot be intimidated, if they dare we’ll march them boot-for-boot”

Mr. Amewu was speaking to the media after a planned lecture to be delivered by the party’s vice presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to tertiary students at the Ho Polytechnic auditorium Friday evening was called off.

Despite, the massive turnout of students from various tertiary institutions within Ho municipality, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana failed to turn up at the venue, to the disappointment of many.

AUDIO: Dr. Bawumia speaks to Voltarians: hints of restoration of Scrapped teacher & Nursing trainees' allowances

Dr. Bawumia in the studios of Volta Premier FM

The running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)for the 2016 general elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday, April 17, 2015 granted an interview to Ho Polytechnic campus based radio station, Volta Premier FM  as part of  his familiarization visit to the Volta region.

The interview conducted by Rustum Gameli Senorgbe touched on a wide scope of issues including the NPP electoral fortunes in the region, which is the 'world bank' of their opponent, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Dr. Bawumia Also revealed during the interview that, the NPP will restore allowances for teacher and nursing trainees, when it wins the 2016 elections.
The NDC government in 2013 scrapped off and nursing trainees' allowances in order to increase enrolment into the colleges. The allowances is subsequently replaced with the student loan scheme, to the displeasure of many of the trainees. 

According to the NPP vice presidential candidate, the reasons given by the current NDC government for scrapping the allowances is untenable, since the education and health sectors are crucial for the nation’s development.

South Tongu GES falls on capitation grant to pay utility bills

Heads of some public basic schools in the South Tongu district of the Volta region are up in arms against the district education directorate for cutting down on their allocation of the capitation grant, being disbursed for running of the schools.

Information gathered by Voltaonline, revealed that, the education office levied each basic school pupil, 50pesewas and subsequently deducted it from their share of the capitation grant of GHc4.50 per child.

The amount which is lodged in a special account known as ‘District Support Levy’ is meant to help the office defray its debts to utility providers including the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

But some of the head teachers who are unhappy about the deduction noted that, it will adversely affect the smooth running of the schools, as they depend on the grant to supply teaching aids and other items needed to teach the pupils effectively.

Dozens displace by weekend Rainstorm

Hundreds of families in South Tongu, Ketu-North and Ho municipalities of the Volta Region were rendered homeless, a rainstorm swept through some communities in the three districts, over the weekend.

Roofs of some basic schools were also ripped off, disrupting educational activities in the affected communities.

According to information from the National Disaster Management Organisation, (NADMO) the rain storm swept through Hodzo in the Ho municipality days earlier and destroyed the roof of a 6-unit classroom block in addition to few individual houses.

Similar destructions were experienced at and Devego in the Ketu-North district, the storm hit there and South Tongu district on the Saturday.

Three communities, Agbagorme, Agbakorpe and Lakpo were worst affected, with 92 homes and three schools destroyed.

Ho Poly Ready For Technical University

Ho Polytechnic is ready to join the first batch of Polytechnics in Ghana to be converted into Technical Universities in 2016.

According to the Rector, Prof. Emmanuel Kojo Sakyi, Ho Polytechnic is more than 50% ready for conversion into Technical University having started implementing the recommendations of the Dr. George Afeti Committee.

The Rector made the announcement recently at a press conference in Ho in commemoration of his 100 Days in Office which originally fell on the 5^th of January, 2015.

As part of the recommendations of the Technical Committee, for a polytechnic to be granted technical university status, it should be offering a minimum of four (4) Bachelor of Technology degree programmes in science and technology based disciplines.

Robbers Attack Private Clinic in Ho

Foresight Clinic

Four armed robbers last Wednesday night stormed the Foresight Clinic in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital taking away money and properties. According to an eyewitness and a victim, Wilson Ablormeti the incident which happened between 8:45pm and 9:00pm led to the loss of about GH₵1000.00, working tools and personal belonging of staff, including mobile phones and two laptops.

Wilson Ablormeti said he and the security man and one other person were assaulted by the masked robbers while his mobile phone and money was also collected.

Robbery Details

He explained that at about 8:45 a man entered the clinic to visit his wife and daughter which the security man and other nurses clarified that there was no such admission.

The man was asked to call the wife and verify her location. The man replied that he had done that and the wife was still insisting that she was at foresight Clinic.

Just when the man was being persuaded to leave, four masked men charged into the clinic and joined the man. The gun wielding men requested for the mobile phones and monies on the about seven staff members at the facility.

Nkonya, Alavanyo Not Litigating Over Land - Chiefs

Vice President With the Chiefs in a handshake

The leaders of Nkonya and Alavanyo have refuted claims that the two factions were engaged in a land dispute. According to them, the land dispute is between individuals and families from both sides and not the entire traditional areas.

This came to light when leaders of the two factions met Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Friday to find a lasting solution to the over 90-year-old conflict.

This will be the third attempt by government to broker peace between the two parties after talks stalled in 2013. In December last year, there were renewed clashes that left one person dead.

The violence in the two communities has persisted for years despite several mediation attempts.

The paramount chief of Alavanyo Traditional Area, Togbe Tsedze Atakora VII stressed, “I also want to put it on record that it might surprise everybody here that Alavanyo and Nkonya have never gone to court over land. If anyone has that record, let him show it.”

He further clarified, “I am saying that some people from Nkonya Tayi and six individuals from Alavanyo went to court over land.”

Nkonya Youth Call For Investigation of REGSEC

Cosmos Sarpong, Spokes Person

Residents of Nkonya led by the youth of the area has carried out their promise to hold a news conference as an alternative move to a demonstration which was stopped a fortnight ago by Police and Military in the area.

The Nkonya people represent a faction in dispute with Alavanyo over a piece of land for the past 90 years. Their press conference which could be likened to mini-demonstration was attended by over 600 residents who converged at Nkonya Nchumuru for the petition to be read.

The residents represented under a group called; Coalition of Orphans, Widows and Victims of Nkonya-Alavanyo Conflict, in their petition appealed to the President to institute an investigation into the activities of the Volta Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in relation to protracted communal conflict and the peace process.

Reading the petition, the spokesperson, Cosmos Sarpong claimed that the REGSEC since September 2013 was thwarting efforts by an NGO; Youth for Peace and Security Africa, YPS-AFRICA which started a peace building process among the people of both Nkonya and Alavanyo.

Deputy Min. calls for revamping of Arts and Culture in Schools

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Dzifa Abla Gomashie has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to collaborate with Ghana Education Service and the Centre for National Culture to revamp Arts and Cultural activities in the various basic and second cycle schools in the country, as a means of preserving and promoting the rich Ghanaian culture.

According to her, Arts and Culture is what distinguishes a person or a group of people from others hence the need to ensure it never goes extinct, noting that without art and culture a person or group of people has no identity and heritage.

This, she said is necessary in protecting the country’s culture heritage against western adulteration and imbibing true Ghanaian values and patriotism among the youth and generations unborn.

ICU cautions Private FM stations Owners in Volta

Mr. Ananga, Regional ICU Officer (M)

The Volta regional branch of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has sent a word of caution to owners of private FM stations and other employers in the region to desist from the blatant flouting of the labour laws by paying their employees below the national minimum wage.

According to Mr. Samuel Ananga, the Union’s regional Officer, most of the private entities including the FM stations and schools denied their workers adequate remuneration and other service benefits, despite engaging their services beyond the statutory 8 working hours per day; in violation of the international labour Organisation’s convention on ‘equal pay for equal work.’

At a press briefing to mark the maiden edition of ‘World Precarious Day’ in Ho on Tuesday, Mr. Ananga disclosed that his outfit has in recent times received numerous complaints from such workers, who in some cases are not paid their meagre salaries for months.

‘Adaklu NPP falls flat for Nana Addo’

 

With less than two weeks to the October 18 delegate congress of the Opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP),  the party’s delegates in the Adaklu Constituency of the Volta region have acclaim   the party’s two time flagbearer and third time contender, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, as the 2016 Presidential candidate.

Addressing a press conference on Monday at Adaklu-Abuadi, Raybon Evans Anyadi constituency Chairman, ‘Adaklu Constituency is the smallest in terms of numbers, so we will not allow any other candidate, be it Alan Kyeremanten or Addai Nimo to come to Adaklu and muddy the waters for us, for that matter we are declaring our total support for Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo.’

Present at a press conference were 18 out of 36 polling station executives with host of party supporters.

According to Mr. Anyadi, the overwhelming endorsement Nana Addo had during the NPP’s Special delegate congress only shows that the party’s rank and files are solidly united behind him, hence the need for him go unopposed.

Brothers busted with ‘Wee’ stocked in Sceptic truck

Luck eluded two brothers in an attempt to outwit security personnel by using a septic truck to transport large sums of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp popularly known as “wee”. 

The Ho Police on Tuesday dawn busted the brothers, Kwabena Owusu, 30 and Yaw Baffo, 20 when the septic truck otherwise used for transporting human excreta was intercepted at mile 48 near Agbokofe off the Ho-Aflao Highway.     

This is the latest among several other ploys adopted by drug dealers and smugglers in the region to outwit the Police and other security agencies. In the past, the stuff were concealed in very expensive suit and brief cases which were rarely searched by the by security officials at various check points.  Other ploys include the concealment of the dried leaves under buses, engines and behind the inner body of vehicles. While some also stashed in animal feeds and other commodities.

Motorists upset with Deplorable Eastern Corridor road

truck grounded on the road

Motorists and passengers plying the Hohoe-Jasikan to Kadjebi road in the Volta region are calling on the Ghana Highway Authority to as a matter of urgency carry out emergency repair works on deplorable portions of the highway to ease their travelling woes.

According to them, travelling on the road has become a nightmare in recent times as vehicles plying the route often get stuck at various portions of the stretch which has become very muddy with lots of ditches due to heavy downpours.

Last Wednesday, stranded passengers have to endure the inconvenience of pushing vehicles to manoeuvre through the muddy ditches around Bueman Senior High School in the Jasikan district.

Some traders who frequent the road say the situation is adversely affecting their businesses as most food stuffs being cart from the northern part of the region get destroyed before reaching Accra and other market centres in south.

They also complain of the exorbitant fares being charged by some drivers because of the bad state of the road; as the drivers also express frustration over the damage being caused to their vehicles when plying that route.