Exclusive Audio: President Mahama's 2016 Easter Message

President Mahama exchanging pleasantries with chiefs at the durbar

President John Mahama has urged Ghanaians not to only dwell on the failures of the country Ghana but also celebrate her successes.

According to him, Ghana has chalked a lot of successes ahead of her peers in the West African sub region since independence, which we most often take for granted.

Delivering his 2016 Easter message at Sokpoe in the South Tongu district of the Volta on Saturday, President Mahama said  just as the lessons of Easter remind us of adversity and opportunity, so is the story of Ghana.

“Easter teaches us life is not one long smooth journey of opportunity alone. As a nation, 59 years of independence, we have gone through adversity but we have also had our moment of opportunity. And so what makes the difference between success and failure is that we don't lament on our moments of adversity but we recognize our moment of opportunity and take advantage of it,” President Mahama stated at the 32nd annual Tortsogbe (River crossing) festival celebrations by the Chiefs and people of Sokpoe, a community along the western bank of the Volta river.

He further noted that “we all want to go to heaven, but we cannot walk straight into heaven like this. You have to die first before you resurrect in heaven. So you must necessarily go through adversity in order to that you can have opportunity.”

He therefore believe, it is only when citizens appreciate and boast of the country’s successes that, others will be motivated to work hard to make Ghana a better place. Play attach audio and listen to full message.

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

President Mahama toured eastern corridor road project

President Mahama receiving briefing on the progress of work 

President John Mahama on Thursday , inspected  progress of  work on the  eastern corridor road project in the volta region.

The road which starts from the Asikuma junction, through  Peki, Have, Hohoe to Nkwanta in the region, was started under the President Mills  in 2012, with work moving at a snail pace due to lack of funds.

However, work is currently progressing steadily  on the Asikuma junction towards Kpeve, following the release of funds by government.  The  contractor, Green House developers International has already asphalted 20km of the stretch between Asikuma junction to Peki-Agbate.

Addressing separate durbars  at Todome and Ve-aGolokwati in the South Dayi  and  Afadjato south districts respectively,  President Mahama reiterated his government's commitment towards the completion of the project, which he said holds a lot of economic prospects for citizens along the corridor.

Section of the road under construction

Fidelity bank held 5th draw of 'Save for gold' Promo in Ho

Fidelity MD presenting a gold coin to Togbe Howusu

Seventeen customers of Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited have won gold coins in the latest draw of the bank’s ongoing ‘Save for gold’ promotion held at the Volta Serene hotel in Ho.

The draw which is the fifth in the series, saw  the first fifteen winners taking a gold coin each, with the 16th and 17th winners taking home two and three gold coins respectively. A gold coin is valued at about GHc 2000. 

Two customers with the Ho post branch, Togbe Howusu, chief of Ho Dome and one Divine Jacobs also won a gold coin each in a special draw held for patrons at the event on Wednesday night. Madam Magaret Nutsugah, was also honored with a gold coin as the most loyal customer of the  Ho branch.

Dozens displaced by Rainstorm in Krachi-East

One of the ripped of buildings

A rainstorm which hit  Dormabin,  a community in the Krachi East district has ripped off at least 20 houses, on Tuesday night. The storm is said to have also  broke an electricity transmission pole in the area.  

The disaster, according to the Assemblyman for the area, Cornelius Kofi Ampeh has rendered over one hundred person  homeless, with  properties worth thousands of cedis destroyed.

He said “ most of the people have their buildings and other belongings destroyed. As we speak now, even food for them to eat is a problem, not to talk of where they will lay their heads.”

The victims, the assemblyman noted are putting up with other relatives, as they await relief items from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).

William Seddoh confirmed new DCE for Biakoye district

Mr, Seddoh (R) taking his oath

The  Biakoye district Assembly has finally gotten a new Chief Executive, 10 months after the demised of the former DCE Nana Louis Akattah.

Assembly members at an emergency meeting on Tuesday confirmed Mr. William Seddoh, a 47 year old staff of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) as the new District Chief Executive for the area. 

President Mahama earlier this month in accordance with article 243(1) of the 1992 constitution and section 20(1) of the Local Government Act, Act 46, Mr. Seddoh for the position after an earlier nominee, Casmir Rockson Addo-Mensah failed to get the nod of assembly members three months ago.

The new DCE however  secured 36 out of 43 votes to get the nod from the assembly members to replace late Nana Louis Akattah who died in May 2015 after a short illness.

Rolider hands over Ho-Fume road

Dzolokpuita section of Ho-Fume road

Contractors of the Ho-Fume road, Rolider Ltd has handed over the 17.4km highway to government after almost 5 years of construction.

The road which starts from the foot of the Galenkui mountain near Ho, traverses through the Weto hills and  the Avatime mountain to Fume. This connects the regional capital, Ho to Hohoe and Kpando through, Taviefe, Dzolokpuita, Avatime-Vane and Fume.

Briefing the deputy Volta regional minister, Francis Ganyaglo and officials of the Ghana Highways Authority at a short  handing over ceremony on Thursday, Mr Anthony Lansana, Project Manager of Rolider Limited attributed the 3 years delay in the completion of the road to changes in the original design resulting from the mountainous nature of the area as well as delays in mobilization.

He explained the estimated GHc 45million  project was divided into two lots,  with lot one being the 10.4km Ho-Teviefe section and 7 km Vane- Fume section  for effective and easy execution.

Mr. Lansana also noted that, the road has opened up the Ho West district and the Avatime area in particular, for commercial and Eco-tourism activities. 

Mr Charles Baah, resident  Engineer at the Ghana Highways Authority said enough road safety furniture,  such as New Jersey Barriers, Road Signs and Markings as well as  speed calming measures have put in place to enhance the safety of motorists on the road.

Teenager in court for killing 19yr old Apprentice

The deceased

A Junior High school student has been arraigned before a Ho magistrate court in the Volta region for allegedly stabbing to death one Wisdom Amu, a 19 years old tailor-apprentice on Sunday, March 6, 2016.

The suspect (name withheld) who is in his teen ages was among three other friends who engaged the deceased in a fight around the Ho sports stadium, when he (the deceased) was returning home from the 59th Independence Day celebrations at Jubilee park in Ho.

During the scuffle however, the suspect reportedly pulled a knife and stabbed Amu on his left breast and was later pronounced dead at the regional hospital. 

Confirming the incident to Voltaonline, the Ho municipal Police crime officer, ASP Adobo Apeatu said  the suspect who was arrested on Monday March 7, confessed to stabbing the deceased with a nail cutter during interrogation. He  was subsequently  remanded into police custody by the court  last Thursday and to reappear today, Thursday March 17.

ASP Apeatu however noted that, the three other suspects who were initially arrested by witnesses at the scene of the incident have been released after investigations revealed they had no hand in the crime. 

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

Teacher trainees beat ‘war drum’ over unpaid feeding grants

Elikem Derrick Melesusu

Trainee teachers across  the country are very upset over government’s inability to promptly release funds towards their feeding and utility in school.

According to them, following the cancellation of allowances to trainees in 2014 and a new policy to cater for their feeding grants and utilities, government has defaulted in releasing such funds for the past three semesters.

A situation, President  of the Volta  sector of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), Elikem Derrick Melesusu,  said is hampering the effective running of all 38 colleges of education nationwide. 

Speaking at a press conference in Ho on Wednesday, Mr. Melesusu noted that government’s failure to promptly honour its obligation to the institutions  has compelled some college principals to adopt unauthorized means to raise funds from students for their  feeding and utility payment.

According to him, some the colleges  have billed each  student  GHc 560 as feeding fee as well as   between GHc 50 and GHc165  for utility.

First Sky to commence asphalting of Ho town roads

Test run of asphalt on 150metres stretch of road

Work is  set to the start on the asphalting of some roads within the Volta regional,Ho.

This follows the successful installation and test run of the asphalting plant and equipment by the contractor, First Sky constructions Ltd.
A 150 metre stretch of the road linking SSNIT flats and Goshen city was also asphalted as part of the test run over weekend.

The project, which forms part of the government's urban roads improvement project, is aimed at giving facelift to roads networks in all regional capitals and selected major towns in the country.

The minister of roads and highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini who witnessed the test run of the plant and equipment, said 25 kilometers of roads in Ho will be asphalted with Keta and Hohoe roads also receiving similar facelift of ten and five kilometres respectively. 

He however appealed to both motorists and residents to cooperate with the contractor since  the project will create some inconveniences on the roads.

Project engineer (L) briefing the roads minister

“These are existing roads that we are working on, so we should expect some inconveniences. Sections of the roads will have to be blocked at various points in time for the asphalts to be laid. So I urge residents to cooperate with the contractor.”

Volta Regional Hospital gets dialysis centre

inside the dialysis unit

After almost 15 years of its existence, the Volta Regional hospital in Ho has finally gotten a dialysis unit to cater for patients with kidney problems.

Kidney patients in need of dialysis services hitherto have to travel to Accra every week for the service due to the absence of that unit at the regional hospital, which is the major referral health facility in the entire region.

Dialysis machine

A dialysis machine is thought of as an artificial kidney which  filter a patient's blood to remove excess water and waste products when the kidneys are damaged, dysfunctional, or missing.

A campaign launched by the Asogli queen mothers Association to get such a machine at the hospital, had a favorable response from D.Med Healthcare AG Limited, a leading  provider of  medical equipment and consumables, which donated four dialysis machines to the hospital at a cost of GHc 200,000.

Also, indigenous oil marketing company, GOIL Energy Ghana procured a GHc 28,000 water treatment plant for the unit to enable the machines function.

Speaking at a ceremony to commission the unit,  the coordinator of Asogli queen mothers Association, 

Mama Atratoh II, the challenges kidney patients in region go through weekly to access the treatment elsewhere with its associated cost and risk prompted her outfit to embark on this initiative.

Nigerian truck impounded with smuggled goods

Some of the items impounded

Custom officers at the Aflao Sector command have impounded a Nigerian registered truck transporting  smuggled goods towards Accra.

The officers who were  on  their routine patrol Tuesday evening, intercepted the articulated truck with Lagos registration number MUS-139-XQ between Akatsi and Dabala junction on the Aflao-Accra highway.

Mr. Confidence Nyadzi, Aflao sector commander of  Customs revealed that, though the bucket of the truck was empty, a critical examination revealed that, metallic compartments were created beneath the vehicle in which the smuggled goods were hidden.

The impounded truck 

Items found on the vehicle, according to him are mostly bales fabrics  and assorted drinks. These include 320yards of poly cotton materials, 335 pieces wax prints, 78 cartons of Hollandia yogurt, 100 crates of Maltina drink and five crates of assorted soft drinks. Seven cartons of cooking oil and 15 pieces of mosquito net were also part of the consignment.

Mr. Nyadzi also noted that, the driver, Razak Osman  and his conductor, Salam Nuhu have been detained with truck and are assisting with investigations. 

Source: Voltaonlinegh/LA

Let's work to retain President Mahama- John Dumelo to NDC youth

John Dumelo with some NDC supporters 

Popular Ghanaian actor, John Dumelo has hit the grounds running for President Mahama re-election campaign, charging the youth wing of the NDC to work hard to secure a second term for the president in the November 7, general elections.

Addressing enthusiastic supporters in the Volta region during a health walk dubbed 'Walk for JM' on Monday at Hohoe, Mr. Dumelo said, " I'm glad that you have all joined in the walk, that's the same way we will walk to maintain this present government."

NDC chairman blames officials for misleading President on Hohoe roads

One of the abandoned town roads

The Volta regional chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kwadwo Gyapon Kudjoe has blamed officials of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and Urban roads Department for misleading the president on state of road works in the Hohoe municipality.

President Mahama in his recent state of the nation address in parliament, listed several road projects, he said are progressing steadily  in the Volta region, including the Ve-Golokwati to Hohoe and the Hohoe township roads.

An assertion, which angered some  residents, ostensibly because  the contractors have abandoned the projects many months ago with very little work done. 

The roads and highways minister, Inusah Fuseini who also defended the president's assertion, quoting 68 percent of work done, had  to virtually eat humble pie, when he visited area last Wednesday and realized the reality on the grounds is far different from what is on paper.

Teenager stabbed to death in Ho

Deceased Wisdom Amu

A nineteen year old boy  has met his untimely death Sunday afternoon, after he was stabbed by some youngmen  in Ho, the Volta regional capital.

The incident  is said to have occurred around the Ho sports stadium at about 5:00pm,  when the victim, Wisdom Amu, was returning from the 59th Independence Day celebration at the  Jubilee park.

According to an uncle of the deceased, Dr. Winfred Naccortsey, his nephew, who is a tailor-apprentice was stabbed on  the left  breast by one of the four young men who were said to have accosted him, which resulted in a scuffle. 

He said bystanders who went to scene to separate the  fight, found Amu unconscious with the knife stab and rushed him to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead and  the incident has since  been reported at the Ho central police station.

Meanwhile, the four suspects have been arrested and are assisting in police investigations.

According to a  source, three of the suspects were arrested immediately at the incident scene by some bystanders  and handed over to the police  while  the fourth person who absconded was  later arrested by the police on Monday.

The body of the deceased is currently at the morgue for autopsy.

Source: voltaonlinegh/LA

'Stray’ ship washed ashore at Aflao

Photos from Facebook 

A strong tidal storm which hit the coast of Aflao in the Ketu South municipality has washed ashore a ‘stray’ ship, on Tuesday.

The ship with the inscription  'Barca Lome', is believed to have been abandoned on the high seas with no crew on board.

Some residents who trooped to the scene to catch a glimpse of the ship, expressed varied opinions about how the ship made its way to he area, with some putting a political twist to it.

“This ship here, is probably telling our government that, we need a mini habour in Aflao,” one resident retorted.

Meanwhile, a combine Togolese and Ghanaian naval team have successfully towed the ship  back onto the high seas.

A security source at the Aflao border who disclosed this, said the ship which was anchored on the sea between the Togolese capital Lomé and Aflao, had its anchors broken by strong tidal winds, which drifted it onto the shores of Aflao.

'A Combine team of Ghanaian and Togolese naval officers however manage to tow the stray ship back using another vessel later in the day,' the source stated.

Rainstorm destroys transmission masts in Ho

Collapsed mast

A strong wind which accompanied a downpour in the Volta  regional capital of Ho, on Monday afternoon has colapsed some transmission masts belonging to some radio stations and a telecom company  in the area.

The rainstorm which started at about 4:00pm and lasted barely 40 minutes brought down the masts of Ho based KuulFM and ToshFM as well that of  telecom operator  Glo Ghana, which were  all situated on top of the Galenkui mountain near Ho.

The situation has compelled the stations to go off air for the mean time, while they assess the extent of damage. An electricity transmission pole located within the same vicinity was also affected,  leading  to cut in power supply to some parts of the municipality. 

Checks in  other parts of the municipality revealed  that, the rainstorm also ripped of portions of the roofings of the Vodafone Ghana regional office,  while some bill boards have also been pulled down. No casualty was however reported in the disaster.

Congestion at Mawuko Girls SHS, as Getfund projects stall

Authorities of the E.P Church Mawuko Girls Senior High School in Ho in the Volta region are having tough time  in  providing quality education to  students due myriad of challenges confronting the school. 

The school with students population of about 1,780 is battling with inadequate classrooms and dormitories, among others. 

A recent  visit by this reporter to the school revealed that some   Getfund projects  began in the school,  are at a standstill, with   classes being conducted  in some of the uncompleted  structures and part of the dinning hall.

There is congestion in the dormitories as students pack their trunks and chop boxes on the corridors. 

Assistant headmistress of the school in charge of welfare, Rose Nyawuto said, the situation has become a ‘headache’ to management.

Redeveloped Ho central market to be ready in June

Shops under construction

Redevelopment works at  the Ho central market  is set for completion in June, 2016.  The project which is under the Ghana urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) started in the first quarter of 2014 with the aim of modernizing the central market, which hasn't seen any major renovation for decades.

Facilities under construction at market include, 231 shops, ware houses, places of convenience, Police and fire service post as well as a crèche.

Mr. Kofi Hayford, resident engineer in charge of the project told the Volta regional minister, Helen Ntoso during an inspection tour that, the project is over 60 percent complete with the most difficult aspect being the structural framing done. He said the remaining is the partitioning of structures into the various shops.

He also noted that, two other projects under the GUMPP such the construction of an abattoir and an engineered land fill site with the Ho municipality are on course and will also be ready by the June deadline.

Uhas spearheads campaign on healthy living among Ghanaians

Uhas students on a health walk

The Head of Nutrition and Dietetics  Department of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Eunice Berko-Nartey has advised Ghanaians to  adopt routine physical exercise in order to minimize the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

According to her, diseases such as stroke and hypertension is on the rise especially among  young adults due to bad eating habits and lack of regular physical exercise.

She therefore asked everyone to pay critical attention to their wellbeing by adopting healthy lifestyle.

Mrs. Berko-Nartey was Speaking to Starr news  during community campaign organized by UHAS dubbed   'Healthy Eating Advocacy Drive' in Ho.

The campaign started with a massive walk by students, residents and personnel of the security agencies through the principal streets of the regional capital and was climaxed at the forecourt of the regional hospital with health screening for participants.

British High Commissioner on a day's visit Volta region

Regional minister in a handshake with Jon Benjamin

The British High commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Jon Benjamin has on Monday embarked  a one day working visit to the volta region.

Mr. Benjamin upon arrival , paid a courtesy call of the volta regional minister, Helen Ntoso and her deputy Francis Ganyaglo at the Volta regional coordinating council in Ho.

According to him, the visit is to afford him the opportunity to familiarize with other parts the country beyond the national capital Accra.

‘As a High commissioner,  I   see it necessary to travel out of the Accra to other parts of the country, just to see things for myself. There is a historic British involvement in the volta region and my visit here is to strength that relationship,’ Mr. Benjamin, who is also the British ambassador to Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso,  noted.