Father boils step-son's hand over food

A 35 year old farmer, Kwame Poku, a resident of Insu-siding, a community in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region is in the grips of Prestea Huni-Valley District Police for allegedly molesting his 10 year old step son.

Kwame Poku who was picked by the Police last Saturday morning is being interrogated for allegedly dipping his step son’s hand into hot water while it on fire. The incident which happened on last Friday has resulted in burns and swollen of the right hand of the 10 year old boy.

The District Police Command confirmed in an interview with newsroom-gh that the accused, Kwame Poku, has indeed been apprehended, and would would be made to face the law. The boy told newsroom-gh that, he was hungry so he used spoon to take out a sliced yam which was on fire to reduce his hunger. He said, after taking the sliced yam step father came around and saw him with eating the yam.

Kwame Poku called him a thief and asked him to use the same way he used, to take another sliced of yam. The 10 year old boy said his stepfather dipped his hand forcibly into the cooking food while on fire when he (boy) refused to succumb to his request.

The Police told NEWSROOM-GH that, investigations have started already and hope to complete very soon for the law to take its cause.

Business activities decline as Supreme Court announce verdict

The usual briskness associated with selling and buying activities, amidst the regular vehicular and human traffic in the central business district of the Kumasi Metropolis, was missing on Thursday as the Supreme Court prepared to deliver its verdict on the 2012 election petition.

Most of the traders, for various reasons failed to turn up at the few markets stands setup in and around the popular Kejetia bus terminal compelling the few who had showed up to conduct their usual business to cash in on the handful of people who were around to trade.  

While many of the traders were lamenting on the absence of their colleagues, for fear of the outcome of the election petition, others were happy because they had monopoly to sell more to the number of people who were in the market to trade. However, they were hopeful that the pronouncement of the Supreme Court while strengthening the country’s democratic credentials, would also inform investors of the peaceful atmosphere that exist in the country for the growth of business.

Although the trading public seemed to have been the worst affected with the general decline of trading activities, commercial vehicle operators were also badly affected as very few people were in town to engage their services.

27 fire outbreaks recorded in Prestea Huni-Valley District in the first half 2013.

The Prestea Huni-Valley District branch of the Ghana National Fire Service is embarking on a door to door education on fire outbreak prevention in a bid to put a stop to the unending fire outbreaks in the country.

The public education, the Service believes is a prerequisite for prevention of domestic fire outbreaks and other things that may catch fire.

The information was revealed by the Prestea Huni-Valley District Fire Divisional Officer Grade 2, Joseph Koranteng in an interview with NEWSROOM-GH today.

D.O. Koranteng said his outfit cannot sit down to experience the number of outbreaks befalling the district for the 1^st and 2^nd quarters of the year.

Mr. Joseph Koranteng said this at the back of 27 fire cases the Prestea Huni-Valley District has recorded in the 1^st and 2^nd quarters of this year. The 1^st quarter recorded 16 cases while the 2^nd also 8 cases. Vehicles, Shops, houses among others were the most affected and "this is a problem for us", he said.

He said his outfit is putting in place all the measures to curtail the 'ever-increasing' fire incidents troubling the country lately, adding that they would tackle fire face to face.

'Prestea Huni- Valley District for some years now has not recorded the number of fire cases it has experienced in the first half of this year and therefore wants them reduced if not stopped.' 
As a result of this situation many people are said to have lost their properties and still live with family members.

The Fire Officer said the education will continue unabated to ensure the people in the District understand the motive behind the door to door education. He said that the doors are opened to any institution that wish to call on his outfit for more education on fire outbreak prevention.

He wished all the firefighters  who were involved in an accident while on their way to Samoraiboi when Samatex Company caught fire not long ago a speedy recovery.

A day old baby dumped in a bush at Kojokrom

The day old baby.

A day old baby was yesterday night found to have been dumped in a bush at Kojokrom, a town in the Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolis.

The baby who had some life in her was rushed to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital for medical attention.

The baby who laid in the bush uncovered under the cold weather was discovered by a passerby passing with her cries that resulted in her rescue.

The news of the dumped baby has sent shocks through the residents of Kojokrom but have no idea as to who may have executed such inhuman act.

Speaking to the good Samaritan, Micheal Ntsiful this morning, he told NEWSROOM-GH that, he had closed from work heading home along the Kojokrom rail line where the baby was dumped when he heard a cry of a baby.

He said upon hearing, he tip toed to the area and he found the baby girl abandoned in the bush uncovered by an unknown mother.

Mr. Ntsiful therefore called on some people nearby to give a helping hand where the baby was covered with a cloth and sent to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital for medical care.

He told NEWSROOM-GH that, Doctors at the Hospital say the baby is fit.

The case has since been reported to the Police. 

Political tension to blame for low turnout - exhibitors

Exhibitors at this year’s annual arts and craft exhibition/bazaar in Kumasi have attributed the low patronage of their wares to the political tension in the country which many of them believe is the reason for which their foreign patrons have decided to stayed away from this year’s event.

Majority of the about 55 exhibitors who have mounted various stands to display unique kinds of artifacts ranging from hand curved drums, rattan and bamboo furniture, Ghanaian traditional wares among others at the Kumasi Cultural Centre say sales recorded since the start of the exhibition has not been encouraging.

Ironically, the few locals who occasionally troop to the exhibition grounds in the absence of the major patrons hardly make any effort to purchase any of the artifacts or wares on sale thus compounding the plight of the exhibitors.

A female exhibitor in an interview, disclosed that after paying GH₵ 150.00 to the event organizers to get a shelter, and some extra cost incurred to set up her stand, what she has sold so far, being the in the third week, is not even close to all the expenses made.

She lamented that ‘the white people are not coming because they fear,’ and also pointed to low publicity of the event to the local people as also a major factor for the kind of sales they were making.

The annual arts and craft exhibition/bazaar is organized under the auspices of the Centre for National Culture and is said to have been taken place in the country for the past fifteen years. It is said to be among other things aimed at providing a common platform for those in the craft and arts making industry to market their wares to the thousands of foreigners and indigenous Ghanaians who visit the Kumasi Cultural Centre for various reasons annually.

‘It is held usually around June to August,’ known to be a summer holidays for their foreign patrons, Europeans, who trip to the country to engage in all forms of voluntary work. This year’s event was organized under the theme ‘Promoting our culture through arts and craft for a better livelihood.’

Since the inception of the event about a decade and a half ago, it has always enjoyed high patronage, according to an official of the Centre for National Culture  Mr. Kofi Asare Asianowa, who also happens to be the Exhibition Coordinator.

‘Last year we had a lot of visitors coming into the country, largely as a result of the death of the late former president,  even though things did not go as expected, sales realised was encouraging as compared to how things are this year.’

He however attributed the cause of the low patronage of the event to the lack appreciation for things which symbolizes the rich Ghanaian culture.’ He bemoaned ‘the lack understanding, and desire over time for things that holds us together as Ghanaians and that an African.’

Despite this, he also conceded that the political uncertainty in the country at the moment could be one of the core reasons for the absence of the foreigners who yearly visit the country around this period to be part of the event. 

RCBs advised to reconsider staff remuneration

Rural banks in the country have been advised to take a second look at the remuneration of staff which has described to be very low to avoid the growing tendency where commercial banks take advantage to poach experienced personnel from the rural banks.

It was noted that considering the current competitiveness of banking currently among other things the boards and management of rural banks should make effort to introduce incentive packages to motivate their staff to remain more committed particularly after exhausting reasonable share operating expenses to train them.

RCB’s were again reminded of the need to continuously strengthen the competence of their staff to enable them to position themselves to be able to confront the challenges of the modern day banking while also cautioning them to improve upon customer service practices. This was asked to be considered as a strategic measure to make the sector more attractive to potential customers and to maintaining the corporate image as well.

Customers are ‘key’ to the operations of rural banks without whom no bank can survive or continue to stay in business. ‘It is therefore appropriate for banks to endeavor to build a good corporate image to ensure the loyalty of customers and patronage of the products and services from rural banks.’

The advice comes in the wake of increasing reports of poor customer services within the rural banking sector which is said could adversely affect the corporate image of rural banks in the country if no measures are put in place to curtail this unfortunate occurrence.

Some staff of rural banks are observed to consider their position as ‘a right, and not a privilege’ and for this reason turn to operate with some level of highhandedness which does not conform to banking rules and regulations. This behavior is noted to affect customer relations and to a large extent the reputation of such banks.

Mr. Yaw Sarpong, speaking on behalf of Mr. Kwadwo Aye Kusi, Managing Director of the ARB Apex Bank Limited, at the 28^th Annual General Meeting of shareholders at Juaben, noted to boards and management of RCB’s to institute effective risk management policies to address the risk associated with the current trend of banking.

He highlighted on a number of products and services on offer at the Apex Bank notably the current interest rate which is said to have been reduced from 20% to 15% to equal the BoG policy rate and plans of further reduction.

Shareholders were also encouraged to buy more shares to add up to their shareholdings to provide rural banks with a solid foundation, and put in their maximum to payback their loans on time to strengthen the financial capabilities of their banks.

Scrap dealers want ban on exportation reviewed

Scrap dealers in the Ashanti Region are calling on government to review the ban on the exportation of ferrous scrap metals – as the recent introduction of the law prohibiting the exportation of metals is said to be adversely affecting the scrap business in the Region.

It would be recalled that the Parliament of Ghana on 25^th of March this year, passed a law to ban the exportation of scrap metals aimed to protect the local steel manufacturing industries and prevent its collapse. The passage of the law thus joins Ghana to other nations in the sub-region that have taken steps to come out with legislations to make it an offence to export ferrous metals.

However, Abdalah Alhassan, Chairman of the Inside Scrap dealers at Akwetia Line in Kumasi maintains that, since the coming into force of this law, scores of people in the scrap trade have been forced out of business. He attributed the situation to the inability to recover the huge sums of monies spent on buying the metals and on transport, largely as a result of the unfavorable business conditions of the local steel manufacturing industries.

He lamented that the local buyers take advantage to select the types of metals they need and reject the rest unlike their foreign patrons regardless of the price at which they buy the metals.  This situation, he said, is said crippling the scrap dealers financially and thus depriving them of their only source of livelihood as they are now being compelled to retire from the business.

In addition to this, the chairman also indicated that the recent fuel hikes have also worsen their plight as they are now compelled to pay exorbitant transport fares to cart the metals to the country’s industrial hub where the local market is based.

‘’We are making unreasonable losses day in and out, and unfortunately very little has been heard from government on the situation. Although, we don’t to say the government is insensitive to our plight, we still appeal to them to reconsider this decision,’’ he added.

A visit to some areas where the scrap dealers operate at Akwetia Line close to the Ashanti Regional office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) revealed several numbers of young men who are said to engage in this trade loitering around with less work to do. 

Some of the scrape dealers expressed fears that, some of their colleagues who livelihoods are now at stake might resort to other vices to able to feed themselves.

Golden Star Donates to Muslim Communities.

Acting GM of GSBPL Shadrack Adjetey Sowah(far left)

The Muslim communities in Prestea and Bogoso have taken delivery of items worth, about 3,000 Ghana Cedis for the celebration of their Ramadan festival.

The Donation which was made by the Golden Star Resources Bogoso Prestea Mines, is in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility to communities within its catchment areas.

In the season of Ramadan Muslims across the world put themselves in the spirit of God by fasting for one month and praying for themselves and the nation in which they find themselves.

As this is done worldwide, Ghana as a country is not left out as Muslims across the length and breadth of the nation go before Allah to seek peace and prosperity for Ghana.

It is in view of this, that the G.S.B.P.L found it proper to donate food items that would aid them climax the event.

The food items include, Cartons of milk, cooking oil, perfumed bags of rice and more.

Receiving the items, both the Prestea and Bogoso Imams thanked the company and asked for more as the years go by. The Imams prayed for Gold price to pick up its price again as price of Gold has taken a nose dive for some time now, so that G.S.B.P.L would have more income to cater of its host communities

The Imams pleaded with G.S.B.P.L to take the donation of items to another level where the company would sponsor 2 persons to Mecca next year. 

The items and some staff of GSBP

The acting Managing Director of Golden Star Resources Bogoso Prestea Shadrack Adjetey Sowah stated that, as it is annually done to strengthen the friendship of the company and the Muslim communities, G.S.B.P.L would continue to support them anytime the need be.

He reiterated that, the fall of Gold price on the world market would not hinder the development G.S.B.P.L wants to embark in the catchment areas. Adding that, the sponsorship to Mecca would be considered.