Kubease (Ash), July 15, GNA – A robbery gang at dawn on Thursday, attacked a passenger bus on the Kumasi-Accra Highway and made away with cash totalling more than GH¢14,000.00, cell phones and other valuables.
Four of the passengers sustained injuries and received treatment at the Ejisu Government Hospital.
The robbers numbering about seven and armed with locally manufactured pistols and machetes struck at about 0200 hours at a spot on the Kubease-Duapompo section of the highway.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Awuah, the Ejisu District Police Commander, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) and said there had not been any arrest.
They are, however, doing everything to arrest and bring the robbers to justice.
He said the whole operation was believed to have lasted for about 30 minutes.
They cleverly blocked the road with two trucks, depicting a false image of an accident scene.
As the bus neared the blockade, one of the robbers, wearing a black uniform with a reflective jacket, resembling that of the police, signalled the driver to stop, which he did.
ASP Awuah said all of a sudden, his colleagues emerged from the nearby bush carrying guns and other offensive weapons and began firing shots into the air.
They then ordered the passengers to come down, conducted body checks on them and took away their money, phones and other valuables.
They escaped in the two trucks after the operation.
The robbery occurred at the same area where the infamous Amina Yutong bus incident was reported to have taken place.
ASP Awuah expressed concern about the notoriety and attraction of that section of the highway for robbers and appealed for public support to enable the police to effectively deal with the criminals.
GNA
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Nigeria's Ogoniland needs biggest ever oil clean-up - UN
ABUJA Aug 4 (Reuters) - Nigeria's Ogoniland in the oil-rich Niger Delta has suffered 50 years of pollution and could need the world's largest ever oil clean-up, the United Nations said in a report on Thursday.
"The environmental restoration of Ogoniland could prove to be the world's most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken," a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report said.
UNEP said the total restoration could take up to 30 years and would need a $1 billion fund to kick-start the work.
"The environmental restoration of Ogoniland could prove to be the world's most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken," a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report said.
UNEP said the total restoration could take up to 30 years and would need a $1 billion fund to kick-start the work.
Police: HO NDC demonstrators did not meet Public Order Act requirements
Accra, Aug. 4, GNA – The Ghana Police Service has justified its action of stopping a demonstration by the “Volta Region National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth for Action” in Ho on Wednesday describing the march as an “illegality”.
The demonstration was against the Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode and the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kodobissah, for alleged non-performance,
A statement signed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Cephas Arthur, Acting Director of Public Affairs, said the group notified the Police about their intended demonstration.
However, the group could not meet the full requirements of the Public Order Act (Act 491) of 1994 and they embarked on the demonstration illegally.
The statement said during a discussion with the Regional Police, it came to light that a delegation of the group had been dispatched to Accra to meet some top members of the Party.
“Eventually it was agreed between the leadership of the group and the Police that the demonstration be put on hold pending the outcome of the meeting.”
The statement said the leadership of the group told the Police that they were going to inform their members about the development and get back to the police either on August 2 or August 3.
However, while the Police were waiting for the leadership of the group to come back with their response, they had information that they had grouped and were making for the Regional Administration.
“Police, who were on stand-by, quickly mobilised and stopped them. They arrested 12 members of the group, including its membership. Those arrested are made up of 11 males and one female.”
The statement said the Police were not against any group of people, who wanted to demonstrate, but they must adhere to the Public Order Act.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the Ho Central Constituency branch of the NDC has suspended Mr Daniel Idikoko, Chairman and Alhaji Bello, a member of the Sava branch in Ho, who led the demonstration.
Ruptured pipeline spills large volumes of treated water for over a year
A ruptured 21-inch metal pipe, which supplies water from the Kpong treatment plant to the Accra-Tema Metropolitan area, has spilled large volumes of treated water into some areas in the Kpong community for more than one year, resulting in the flooding of farms and homes.
This situation has also created a huge hollow over a mass of land at Apisco, a suburb of the town.
This pipeline is different from the 42-inch pipeline which got perforated recently causing the supply of water to Accra to cease.
However, while residents of the affected areas have firmly declared that the problem had existed for more than two years, authorities of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) insist that it has not been that long.
Derrick Adoka and Ebenezer Tekper, both residents of Apisco, told the Daily Graphic that the problem had existed for more than two years.
They disclosed that in the two years, the GWCL had fixed the problem once but just after a few weeks, the problem recurred and had persisted till now.
Comfort Naana Nortey, a teacher, revealed that her son nearly got drowned about a year ago in the area when he went there with a group of mends to take a look at the problem.
The Station Manager of the Kpong Headworks, Mr Ebo Akwandoh, told the Daily Graphic that he was not aware that the pipe had burst.
He pointed out that he took up his post in February, this year, and a month after, his attention was drawn to the problem but he had it fixed.
This situation has also created a huge hollow over a mass of land at Apisco, a suburb of the town.
This pipeline is different from the 42-inch pipeline which got perforated recently causing the supply of water to Accra to cease.
However, while residents of the affected areas have firmly declared that the problem had existed for more than two years, authorities of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) insist that it has not been that long.
Derrick Adoka and Ebenezer Tekper, both residents of Apisco, told the Daily Graphic that the problem had existed for more than two years.
They disclosed that in the two years, the GWCL had fixed the problem once but just after a few weeks, the problem recurred and had persisted till now.
Comfort Naana Nortey, a teacher, revealed that her son nearly got drowned about a year ago in the area when he went there with a group of mends to take a look at the problem.
The Station Manager of the Kpong Headworks, Mr Ebo Akwandoh, told the Daily Graphic that he was not aware that the pipe had burst.
He pointed out that he took up his post in February, this year, and a month after, his attention was drawn to the problem but he had it fixed.
Ghana, Niger clash over stolen vehicle
The Ghana branch of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and its Nigerien counterparts are set on a collision course over an Audi Q7 vehicle which was stolen in Accra in 2010, but presently said to be in Niger.
This is as a result of the alleged refusal of Interpol Niger to hand over the vehicle, stolen from Ghana and belonging to one Fati Baba to Ghanaian security agencies even in the light of concrete evidence that the vehicle is indeed in Niger.
The case of the suspected stolen car presents a story of armed robbery laced with allegations of political interference and stampeding from security and political power in Niger.
Not even the dispatch of an Interpol officer from Ghana, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Vincent Adotey, to Niger, could secure the return of the car, as Mr Adotey was given a 24-hour ultimatum by police authorities in Niger to leave the country or face detention.
Sources at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service told the Daily Graphic that even as Mr Adotey left Niger, the commercial bus he was travelling on was stopped at the border. Subsequently, his passport was seized and he was only released as he made calls to the Interpol Secretariat in France and also to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Quaye.
Prior to that, another Ghanaian, Alhassan Omar Farouk, a brother of Fati Baba, who had been given a letter by Interpol Ghana to Niger to assist in impounding the vehicle, was arrested by the Nigeriens, detained for five days and arraigned on charges he said were not clear to him.
“They accused me of not having an authority note from my sister, then they asked me to disclose who led me to Niger and when I said I was alone, they said I was not telling the truth,” Farouk told the Daily Graphic.
Farouk narrated to the Daily Graphic his Niamey ordeal, during which he spent five days in a prison reserved for hardened criminals, and was subsequently asked by security operatives in Niger whether he wanted the car or his life.
“I had no other option than to plead for my life,” Farouk said and confirmed that the car was indeed in Niger and he had seen it at an auto mechanic garage in Niamey.
He said initially the Interpol officers in Niger had welcomed him warmly and facilitated his initial stay. However, he said, after he had spotted the car at the garage following a tip-off, events took a dramatic turn as it emerged that there were some people with political influence in Niger involved in the purchase of the stolen vehicle.
Farouk recounted events leading to the stealing of the car and said he had been attacked by three armed robbers after he had driven into his sister’s house in the evening.
Subsequently, upon a tip-off, one Alhaji Talatu, who is said to be a Nigerien, was arrested after it emerged that he was the one who had allegedly been funding the operations of the armed robbers who stole the car.
Farouk said there was a recorded conversation in which Alhaji Talatu was implicated and in the tape there was talk of an elaborate car stealing syndicate that cited operatives possibly linked with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and some officials at the country’s borders.
He said the tape had been played to security officials in the country, including the Inspector General of Police.
Farouk said Alhaji Talatu was arrested at one of the country’s borders as he tried to leave the country by one uncompromising border official, who resisted attempts to be bribed, and he was subsequently charged with armed robbery.
He was, however, released by the police on bail but had since jumped bail and is presently on the run.
Fati Baba corroborated the story of her brother and indicated that efforts to seek the involvement of the Minister of Interior had proved unsuccessful, but recounted the assistance of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, when her brother was arrested in Niger.
She said there had also been efforts to seek the assistance of an influential Nigerien businessman who is based in Accra and said to be connected politically in both Ghana and Niger, who said the case was a difficult one to crack.
“He also asked me whether I wanted my brother or the car,” she said, adding that under the circumstance she had no other option than to plead for her brother’s life.
Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Nigeria deports 45 Ghanaians
Emmanuel Padi, AfricaNews reporter in Accra, Ghana
Nigerian authorities have deported Ghanaians from that country. Following the arrest and deportation of 24 Ghanaians last week, 21 more Ghanaians have been deported from Nigeria, bringing the number so far deported on the orders of Nigerian two state governors to 45.
The deportation were at the order of the state governors of Ondo State and Kwara State in Nigeria which run a federal system thus making foreign affairs, defence and internal affairs the preserve of the federal government in Abuja.
The deportees were taken to Nigeria/Benin border by road and handed over to authorities in that country and later transported to the Togo/Ghana border at Aflao and handed over to Ghanaian authorities and the National disaster management organization in Ketu North District of the Volta Region without any belonging.
It has emerged that no reason was proffered for their arrest and subsequent deportation to Ghana and ironically, more and more Nigerians, most of them without valid travel documents, continue to troop to Ghana for the purpose of mostly sojourning.
In an interview with news men, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Alhaji Musiliu Obanikoro, condemned the action of the governors, describing it as the work of overzealous public officials. He has however promised looking into it with the view to reviewing the trend to remedy the situation.
Monday, August 1, 2011
US Congressional leaders reach agreement to raise the debt ceiling
Republican and Democratic leaders have agreed on a plan to raise the debt ceiling, President Obama announced Sunday night.
The announcement arrives after months of intense closed-door negotiations, and just two days before the deadline set by the Treasury Department.
According to the details available, the agreement would slow the growth of government spending over the next decade by $2-$3 trillion and allow enough borrowing to put off another vote to raise the ceiling to 2013. About $1 trillion will be cut immediately, and the details of the remaining spending reductions will be handled by a bipartisan committee of 12 lawmakers from both chambers, who will recommend cuts for Congress to vote on. To appease the GOP's conservative wing, the deal would also require a vote in both chambers on an amendment to the Constitution requiring the federal government to balance its budget each year.
"I want to announce that the leaders of both parties, in both chambers, have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default--a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy," Obama said. "Now, is this the deal I would have preferred? No. . . . But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year."
House Speaker John Boehner held a conference call Sunday evening with House Republicans in which he urged them to support the package, declaring that the deal in place "meets our principles of smaller government."
"There is a framework in place that would cut spending by a larger amount than we raise the debt limit, and cap future spending to limit the growth of government," he said, according to a transcript provided by Boehner's office. "Now listen, this isn't the greatest deal in the world. But it shows how much we've changed the terms of the debate in this town."
With the approval of leaders of the House and Senate, and Tuesday's deadline looming, Congress must act quickly to convince enough members to seal the deal with a vote on Monday. The deal will require bipartisan support due to the opposition within factions of both parties.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid will both present the deal to their caucus Monday at 11 a.m. with a vote expected afterward.
The announcement arrives after months of intense closed-door negotiations, and just two days before the deadline set by the Treasury Department.
According to the details available, the agreement would slow the growth of government spending over the next decade by $2-$3 trillion and allow enough borrowing to put off another vote to raise the ceiling to 2013. About $1 trillion will be cut immediately, and the details of the remaining spending reductions will be handled by a bipartisan committee of 12 lawmakers from both chambers, who will recommend cuts for Congress to vote on. To appease the GOP's conservative wing, the deal would also require a vote in both chambers on an amendment to the Constitution requiring the federal government to balance its budget each year.
"I want to announce that the leaders of both parties, in both chambers, have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default--a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy," Obama said. "Now, is this the deal I would have preferred? No. . . . But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year."
House Speaker John Boehner held a conference call Sunday evening with House Republicans in which he urged them to support the package, declaring that the deal in place "meets our principles of smaller government."
"There is a framework in place that would cut spending by a larger amount than we raise the debt limit, and cap future spending to limit the growth of government," he said, according to a transcript provided by Boehner's office. "Now listen, this isn't the greatest deal in the world. But it shows how much we've changed the terms of the debate in this town."
With the approval of leaders of the House and Senate, and Tuesday's deadline looming, Congress must act quickly to convince enough members to seal the deal with a vote on Monday. The deal will require bipartisan support due to the opposition within factions of both parties.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid will both present the deal to their caucus Monday at 11 a.m. with a vote expected afterward.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Apple has more cash than the federal government
As the BBC has reported, the software company Apple has more cash on hand than the United States federal government, according to the company's financial records.
Apple's quarterly financial report shows that the company responsible for the iPad, iPod and the iPhone now has $76.4 billion in reserve cash, while the Treasury Department is sitting on just $73.7 billion.
The feds could probably learn a thing or two from Apple's success. Congress remains embroiled in a debate over spending and whether the federal government, which currently owes trillions in debt, should be allowed to borrow even more. International credit rating agencies have threatened to downgrade the national debt for the first time in the nation's history if Washington doesn't come up with a solution to lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while implementing a concrete plan to get the nation's financial house in order.
Meanwhile, Apple's financial report shows that the company's profits, even through the last recession, are booming.
Apple's quarterly financial report shows that the company responsible for the iPad, iPod and the iPhone now has $76.4 billion in reserve cash, while the Treasury Department is sitting on just $73.7 billion.
The feds could probably learn a thing or two from Apple's success. Congress remains embroiled in a debate over spending and whether the federal government, which currently owes trillions in debt, should be allowed to borrow even more. International credit rating agencies have threatened to downgrade the national debt for the first time in the nation's history if Washington doesn't come up with a solution to lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while implementing a concrete plan to get the nation's financial house in order.
Meanwhile, Apple's financial report shows that the company's profits, even through the last recession, are booming.
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