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Police officer interdicted
Falling
log crushes two students
Accra (Greater
Accra) 13 March 2002 - The police administration has moved swiftly to unravel
the circumstances leading to last weekend’s attempted arrest of Mr Tsatsu
Tsikata, former chief executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
(GNPC). As part of the investigation, Mr Sam Awotwi, Deputy Commissioner of
Police in charge of the Legal Department has been interdicted with immediate
effect for his role in the botched operation.
A security
source told “The Evening News” on Tuesday morning that they were also
investigating whether the interdicted senior police officer’s long association
with the former GNPC boss might have influenced his role in the authorised
arrest of Mr Tsikata. The two were said to have been friends and mates at
Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast from Form One to Upper Six and also at the Law
School.
The source
said last Sunday’s incident has security system who are bent on doing things to
embarrass the government. It said what baffled senior security men was that Mr
Awotwi who is also head of the Police Prosecution Unit went underground
immediately after the incident.
“He
switched off all his communication gadgets and therefore all attempts by his
superiors to get in touch with him proved futile. “We find his conduct in the whole
operation very suspicious which would not be countenanced by the police
administration,” the source told the Evening News.
It said
when some members of the Dunwell Church were interviewed, they said the two
policemen told them that even though they (the police) were not happy with the
operation, they had been instructed to carry it out. The police also told them
that if they (the church members) wanted the arrest to be aborted, they should
get in touch with a radio station to make noise on the air.
“As a
matter of fact within minutes the incident was on air. Certainly, this is a
clear case of a well-rehearsed plan to embarrass the NPP government. But we
want to assure all Ghanaians that the government is in full control and those
found to be owing allegiance to personalities and interest groups other than
the President and the state would be smoked out,” the source clearly
emphasized. – The Evening News
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Two CID men not told to arrest Tsikata
Accra
(Greater Accra) 13 March 2002 - Investigations conducted by the Graphic into
the furore surrounding the attempted arrest of Mr Tsatsu Tsikata last Sunday
have revealed that the two detectives were never instructed to arrest Tsikata
in the Church.
The two
were, however, instructed to invite Tsikata to appear before a panel at the
Police Headquarters. The investigations revealed that although at a meeting of
top police officers and prosecutors at which one of the two detectives was
present last Saturday, it was decided not to arrest Tsikata in church, the
operatives, who had been investigating Tsatsu, felt the only place they could
get him was on the church precinct.
It further
revealed that after last Saturday’s meeting, the detectives called Prof E.V.O.
Dankwa, leading counsel for Mr Tsikata, to invite him to the police
headquarters that same day, but both the counsel and Tsikata failed to show up.
Prof Dankwa confirmed in an interview that the detectives called him on Friday
and later followed up to his house to request that Tsatsu report to the police.
He said the
detectives called him about twice or thrice on Saturday and he assured them
that he would ensure that Tsatsu reports to the police on Monday. He said he
was, therefore, surprised to hear that the detectives had actually gone to the
church grounds to arrest him. Prof Dankwa also denied ever receiving a call
from Mr Awortwi and stressed that, “I have always dealt with the investigators
and not Mr Awortwi.”
The
investigations also indicated that when it was realized that Mr Tsikata was not
forthcoming, the detectives called Prof Dankwa again to find out what was
happening but were told that he (Prof Dankwa) had also not heard from Mr
Tsikata nor seen him. The investigations again revealed that following this
disclosure and the desire of the A-G’s Department to have Mr Tsikata arraigned
before court on Monday, the detectives decided to check on him at the church to
invite him to the police headquarters.
It was
established that the two detectives have been investigating Mr Tsikata over the
past year and had always found it difficult getting him (Tsikata) except on the
church premises or was brought to the headquarters by his counsel. The
investigations revealed that on the day of the incident, the two detectives did
not go to the church premises to invite him to report to the police after
church.
The
investigations indicate that after Mr Tsikata was informed of the mission of
the detectives, he flared up and asked why the police were worrying him and did
not even want him to worship his God. It revealed that somebody who was in the
yard and heard the exchanges then rushed to inform the head pastor of the
church, who came out to intervene on Mr Tsikata’s behalf and promised to lead
him to the Police Headquarters on Monday, which he did.
Meanwhile,
information reaching the Graphic also indicates that following objections
raised by counsel for Tsikata on the constitutionality of the charges, a
meeting was immediately held by the prosecution at which it was decided that
new charges be preferred at last Friday’s hearing.
According
to the information, the Director of Public Prosecutions was to have withdrawn
the old charges at Friday’s hearing and replace them with the new charge sheet
but this was not done. Thus, when he was called by the presiding judge to argue
his case, he based his arguments on the old charges, resulting in Tsikata being
discharged.
The information
indicates further that the prosecuting decided to change the charges because it
was detected that Mr Tsikata was right about the constitutionality of the old
charges.
In a
related development, Mr Sam Awortwi, Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal
and Prosecutions, is still at post, despite news reports that he had been
interdicted following the bizarre incident involving the operatives and Mr
Tsikata. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, confirmed
in an interview that Mr Awortwi was still at post.
Highly-placed
sources have also denied knowledge of Mr Awortwi’s interdiction and wondered
the source of the story. At the time of filing this report, the two detectives
were being detained at the Police Headquarters after they had written
statements to the police. No reasons have been given for their detention. –
Daily Graphic.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 March 2002 - The NPP National Chairman, Harona Esseku, has described as unfortunate the fact that the judicial saga over Tsatsu Tsikata and the Fast Track division of the High Court has degenerated into a political battle and intimidation of the judiciary.
“We consider the call by the NDC on the Chief Justice to resign or decline to consider the review as a clear demonstration of interference in, and compromising the independence of the judiciary.
“We believe that the government, represented by the Attorney-General, has a constitutional right to seek a review of the Supreme Court’s ruling, especially in view of the ruling’s implications on our attempt to apply modern records and case management systems to facilitate the delivery of justice,” he noted.
On February 28 the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 majority held that the Fast Track Court was unconstitutional. The NPP chairman sees the ruling as having the potential to cause severe and extraordinary consequences on the administration of justice. It is, therefore, only proper that all legal processes are duly exhausted, through for instance, the request to the Supreme Court to reconsider its view.
The Supreme Court, he said, has on several occasions been called upon to review its ruling whenever a party in a suit feels aggrieved and it is the “mark of our democratic maturity that we seek to resolve this constitutional issue by using all due processes available. “The Chief Justice in his wisdom decided to empanel all available justices in the Tsikata suit for which reason we believed there were only limited options for the review process,” said the party chairman.
Harona Esseku expressed concern about the undue politicisation of the ruling that has the likely effect of imputing purely political motives for genuine attempts to entrench the democracy, rule of law and independence of the judiciary.
“It is hoped these processes will not be misconstrued as “packing the court,” whatever that means, or governmental interference, since the present government has not derided the previous NDC government for appointing the present ten Justices of the Supreme Court, who in all fairness have demonstrated remarkable independence and maturity in their conduct as expected of them and any other Justices who may be appointed to the Supreme Court when the need arises,” the NPP chairman added. - The Statesman
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 13 March 2002 - Farmers in Ghana, the world’s third largest
producer of cocoa, are the only ones who will not benefit from the current rise
in cocoa price. Cocoa price has risen nearly 70 per cent since September, last
year reaching 1,210 pound sterling a tonne on Tuesday.
According
to Mr Graham Phillips, a cocoa broker with Sucden in London, the price that a
farmer will receive in Ghana for their crop this season- October to March- has already
been arranged by the government. This forward selling means farmers in Ghana
will not benefit from the current rise in cocoa prices forcing some farmers to
smuggle the commodity over the border to Ivory Coast where prices are linked to
the market price.
Ghana is
the only substantial cocoa producer that still agrees prices at the beginning
of the season. If cocoa prices continue to rise, we may see this reflected in
the price of a bar of chocolate, according to Mr Phillips. “If cocoa kept
moving higher and we moved back to the record highs seen in the late 70s and
early 80s when we were exceeding 2,000 pounds a tonne then ultimately the price
would be affected in the street,” he said. – The Ghanaian Times
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Wa (Upper
West Region) 13 March 2002 - Fourteen students of Wa Secondary School in the
Upper West Region have been placed in police custody following a violent
demonstration by a section of the students against the school authorities for
allegedly preventing them from saying their Muslim prayers.
The
bungalows of one tutor, Mr Callisus Haruna, was burnt down while those of three
other tutors, were pelted with stones which shattered their louvre blades. Two
motorbikes belonging to two other tutors were set ablaze and the windscreen of
the school truck was smashed. The school’s administration block, from where the
demonstration started, was vandalized by the students who numbered about 50.
Those
arrested are Ishaque Bajo Nuhu, Seidu Yahaya, Sumaila Issa, Nuhu Iddrisu,
Mumuni Rashid, Abdul Ramah, Nuhu Siita, Puokyere Donald, Ibrahim Aziz, Halitu
Suburo and Isaac Sumbe. Those on the run are Ibrahim Seidu, House One prefect,
Amin Salifu and Umar Hakim.
Giving the
background to how it all started, Mr Moses Donneyong, Headmaster of the school,
said last Saturday, Mr Haruna in the company of the school’s Sports tutor went
to one of the houses (House One) to turn out students for morning trotting. He
said on reaching the house, three students pretended to be saying Muslim
prayers and for about five minutes, they did not raise up their heads from the
ground.
Mr Haruna later
realised that the students were playing tricks on him so after more than five
minutes, he used a cane to drive everybody out of the dormitory. This, the
headmaster said, did not go down well with the students who marched to a Muslim
leader in the school, whose name was given only as Alhaji Nurideen, chanting an
Arabic slogan, Allahu Akbar, meaning God is Great.
The
headmaster said Alhaji Nurideen advised them to exercise restraint about the
issue and not to react in any violent manner. Mr Donneyong said he returned
from a funeral that night to learn of what had happened, adding that the matter
was reported to the police and when the police followed up to the school to
question the three students in the office of the headmaster, about 50 students
chanting slogans, charged on the police in an attempt to rescue the three.
In the
course of the struggle, they escaped into the bush. The headmaster said most of
the other students who did not take part in the demonstration wanted at that
stage, to charge on the demonstrators but they were persuaded not to, to avoid
a violent clash. Mr J.T.O. Terkpertey, the regional crime officer, said the
police and the military, who are in the region on special duties, have
intensified their search for the three students. – Daily Graphic.
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Bimbilla (Northern Region) 13 March 2002 - The NPP parliamentary hopeful in the Bimbilla bye-election to be held on Thursday, George Dominic Nitiwul says that his top priority as Member of Parliament would be to initiate, facilitate and speed up moves to bring Nanumbas and Konkombas together.
“No sacrifice would be too big and no effort and energy would be spared to ensure that the days of mutual suspicion and hatred between Nanumbas and Konkombas are replaced with love and a shared vision of movement to progress and development,” said Nitiwul. The young candidate aged 25 who is confident of winning Thursday’s election, says his campaign team is a reflection of his broad-based support.
“I am NPP, my campaign manager is the Bimbilla chairman of the CPP, the 1996 MP for Bimbilla is in my campaign team, the 2000 PNC parliamentary candidate is in my campaign team and the former NDC vice-chairman in Bimbilla is part of my campaign team too”, he counted his fingers as he referred to his multi-partisan team.
Sounding upbeat and already in control and with a charge, the graduate of the University College of Winneba said that due to the deep-seated nature of suspicions and hatred between the older generations of the two ethnic groups, he plans to start the reconciliation process mainly with the youth. Billed to be the youngest member in the 200 seat parliament Nitiwul, who was tracked by The Statesman to Lepusi (a town in the Bimbilla constituency) in the searing 42-degree heat was, so clear about his vision.
“As a youth and teacher myself, I shall encourage young Nanumba Teachers to go and teach in Konkomba areas and vice-versa. I shall also encourage youth football teams from the two groups to play friendly matches in return series as part of the plan to foster friendship and brotherhood among them,” he explained.
Vehemently denying the charge of playing games with the NPP and PNC in the recent controversy over his true party affiliation, Nitiwul was unequivocal. “I have been and I am an NPP man both in deed and at heart.” Explaining, the controversy as the “result of a temporary confusion within the Bimbilla constituency of the NPP,” he said that when it became clear that the Bimbilla seat was to be vacated by Dr Ibn Chambas, the Konkomba community summoned him and told him to contest the seat as their representative.
After hectic discussions during which he managed to convince the Konkombas that there was no way he could stand on the ticket of the NDC, “to which most of my people belonged,” they agreed to follow his leadership instincts into whichever party he contested for.
“My main argument was to use the NDC’s campaign message before this time to win my people over to the NPP. One main campaign talk of the NDC in the North has been that it was useless to vote for a candidate who belonged to the opposition since he could not confer with the President to assist the area with development projects. Now the NPP is in power and the same logic is being applied to get the Konkombas to cross over to the NPP,” he said with a smug.
Nitiwul said that after gaining the block support of the Konkombas, he travelled to Bimbilla to present his case and offer himself as the NPP candidate. He received a very cold shoulder then. This he found very disheartening. After pulling himself together and convincing himself that he still could get the constituency executives to change their minds the young man of resolve made another trip to Bimbilla to restate his case.
“This time, they nearly lynched me, however, after putting the incidents within the context of the Konkomba-Nanumba conflict, I decided to go to Accra to present my position.” At the NPP Headquarters in Accra where he presented his case to General Secretary, Dan Botwe, “I was rebuffed with the explanation that it is the constituency that elects candidates and not the regional or national level that imposes candidates.”
After failing to convince Dan Botwe in a “marathon meeting with one of my friends present,” he left the party headquarters a dejected soul, he said. According to Nitiwul, after two days in Accra, he was contacted by a friend who said that PNC leader Dr Edward Mahama was “looking for me urgently.”
It was when he met Mahama, he said, that the request for him to stand as PNC came up. After much convincing, Dr Mahama asked me to take passport pictures and give them to him. This I did and gave him my photo, after which he asked me to see the Northern Region PNC chairman for discussion.”
The NPP hopeful said that even though he initiated discussions with the PNC to be their candidate, he never fully committed himself. “In fact, I broke off relations with them two weeks after it began and I duly informed Dr Mahama about the fact that I was back with my party, the NPP.” - The Statesman
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 March 2002 - Tension is brewing at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) following a demonstration held in Kumasi by a section of residents against the 30 members who signed a resolution calling for a vote of no confidence in the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Maxwell Kofi Dwumah. The demonstration has drawn the ire of the 30 members of the KMA who feel slighted by the action.
The Statesman has learnt that following interventions by the Minister of Local Government and Rural development, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the Ashanti Regional Minister, S.K. Boafo and other stakeholders, the 30 aggrieved members decided to rescind their decision. However, barley 48 hours after they dropped their threat, a previously unknown group staged a demonstration expressing total confidence in Kofi Dwumah and threatened the 30 Assembly members who signed the petition.
The group presented a protest note about the action of the 30 KMA members to the Ashanti Regional Minister who told them that the matter had been resolved at the highest level and promised that their grievances would be addressed. The action of the demonstrators has angered the signatories of the petition, which called for a vote of no confidence in Kofi Dwumah and have threatened to revisit the issue.
A source told The Statesman that although the demonstrators claimed that they acted independently, it is clear even to the un-initiated who organised the demonstration. “We could have pursued the matter to its logical conclusion but for respect for authority and the interest of the metropolis, we decided to bury the hatchet only for somebody to turn round to whip public sentiments against us. We feel cheated,” the source told this reporter.
He indicated that such brute show of force would not distract them from making sure that the right thing is done at the KMA. According to the source, demonstrations in Kumasi have always been marred with violence and said it was only by providence that the demonstration passed off peacefully.
He recalled a demonstration held in August 1996 in which the former Metropolitan Chief Executive, Nana Akwasi Agyeman was nearly lynched by the demonstrators and another one in 2000 where armed security personnel had to use tear gas to disperse violent demonstrators. – The Statesman
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Muoso
(Eastern Region) 13 March 2002 - Kwasi Nyarko, the 35-year old mason who
allegedly caused the death of his wife by hitting her with a hammer on the head
and, thereafter, went into hiding, is now in police custody. Nyarko was
arrested at Muoso, near Anyinam in the Eastern Region on March 7, a day after
his picture had appeared in the Daily Graphic as a wanted man for allegedly
committing the heinous crime.
The victim,
Afua Gyamfua, never regained consciousness after the February 26 incident and
died on Wednesday, March 6 at the 37 Military Hospital. His sister-in-law, Afua
Adjei, who was also hit by Nyarko, is still on admission responding to
treatment at the hospital. Afua has already undergone two successful surgical
operations on the head and Gyamfua is yet to be buried.
Nyarko told
investigators in the presence of Graphic that he fled immediately after the
incident to Muoso, near Anyinam, to avoid being apprehended. He said unknown to
him, the Graphic had published the story alongside his picture. He said he was
going to purchase some coconut fruit when he was accosted by some three persons
who, unknown to him, had seen the publication and recognised him immediately.
Nyarko said he resisted the arrest but was overpowered and handed over to the
assembly member for the area, who, in turn, handed him over to the Anyinam
police.
Asked why
he committed the act, he said he did not understand why after giving money to
his wife to trade, she would refuse to give him money when he was in need. He
said at the time, he had been indisposed for sometime and so his late wife was
always providing him ¢2,000 a day as pocket money.
Nyarko said
he asked his wife to increase the amount to ¢4,000 because the ¢2,000 was
inadequate but his wife insisted on giving him the ¢2,000. According to him, he
asked his wife to give him back the money he had given her to trade (¢350,000)
but his wife would not budge.
When asked
why he attacked his sister-in-law, Nyarko denied ever hitting her on the head
because he does not remember doing so. He said Afua even intervened in the
quarrel between him and his wife and told him (Nyarko) in confidence that she
(Afua) would always add ¢2,000 to whatever money the sister would give him. He
said he was, therefore, surprised to hear that he had hit the sister-in-law as
well.
Nyarko was
transferred from the Anyinam Police to Accra on Monday. Chief Inspector Patrick
Kuzorli, Station Officer of the Kwabenya Police Station, said the suspect will
be arraigned before court to be remanded to enable thorough investigations to
be conducted into the case. The police mounted a big-hunt for Nyarko
immediately after he was alleged to have attempted to kill his wife. – Daily
Graphic.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 13 March 2002 - It may have been just another working day for
Mr R. Allotey, a branch Manager and close associate of the Managing Director of
one of the top banks with a bulging portfolio, and a strategic foreign partner
whose status has become a source of concern lately.
He fetched
his car keys from his desk and asked his aide, a prince from Akuapem, Mr Opare
Djan, to accompany him on a mission with his clients. On the way, one of the
clients implored the bank officials to make a diversion to his residence for a
personal emergency. He happened to be the vendor of gold, a precious substance
a Scottish customer of the bank wanted to purchase.
Young James
Anderson, a Scot resident in London had deposited $750,000 with the Ringway
branch of the SSB Bank Ltd., but insisted that the only way he was going to
part with money for the ‘stones’ was after Precious Minerals Marketing Company
(PMMC) had done their assaying and certified the goods. Allotey personally
forked out $50,000 for the vendor to assure him of the sanctity of the
transaction so that they could proceed to PMMC to conclude the transaction.
On the way
to PMMC’s offices, they suffered a strange and suspicious interruption when
cops suddenly ordered them to a halt. That was unusual as the police appeared
to have arrested Anim Addo as well.
After the commotion
with the cops, the vendor, the bank chiefs, and the young investor ended and
all appeared to have been settled, they were waved on. By the time they finally
pulled over at PMMC, the alleged gold had disappeared! It was a classic trick
employed by the denizens of the gold syndicate that has preyed the nation and
cost millions of dollars in losses to foreigners and a shattering impact on the
image of Ghana as a land of conmen.
The vendor happened
to be no other than Ghana’s ultimate leader of gold syndicate, Royal Ankobra,
that has ruined many greedy and naïve investors. The man is Nana Anim Addo.
Nana Anim Addo’s name strikes terror in the minds of many because he is reputed
to have a reputation with law enforcement agencies and even the Judiciary.
Because of this, he somehow manages to elude prosecution.
The
Ghanaian Chronicle in the past run a series on his escapades in the newspapers
and when Allotey was reached last week, he said he did not believe the
Chronicle stories at the time. This time he believes them. He had obtained
funds from friends to shore up the deal, and had already been interdicted by
the management of the Bank along with the other official, Opare Djan.
But far
more ominously, Nana Anim Addo unleashed a top lawyer from the leading firm,
Akufo-Addo Prempeh and Co, called Mr Richard Addison on to the tail of the bank
and immediately secured a freeze on the assets of the Scotsman. Richard Addison
has over the years been a faithful lawyer to this most notorious conman.
The Serious
Fraud Office (SFO) and Ghana Police have on several occasions had to arrest
Nana Anim Addo but somehow they have not been able to put him away. A quick
summons to a circuit court in Accra via a writ citing Anderson, son of a
Scottish millionaire and four others ended with a court order freezing the
assets of Anderson, who according to Chronicle findings, has already left the
jurisdiction. The matter is said to have now begun to develop a life of its own
in the court. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 13 March 2002 - A series of muggings against predominantly
British visitors to Accra, which are rumoured to have been carried out by the
same gang, reached a new level of violence last Sunday night with a car chase
and knife attack. The attack happened on the Teshie-La road around the La Palm
Royal Beach Hotel at about 11.55 that night.
Two female
volunteers, aged 18 and 22, were traveling home after spending the evening with
friends watching films at Champs Spons Bar at Paloma, when a car, reportedly a
black hatchback, drove them off the road and forced the taxi to stop by cutting
in front of it.
At this
point, the taxi driver exited the vehicle leaving the girls, neither of whom
wish to be named, to the mercy of the two or three men surrounding the car.
Both back doors to the car were opened and the girls were threatened with
knives as the muggers demanded the girls’ bags.
It was at
this point that the older girl was stabbed. The mugger who was threatening her
became impatient as she struggled to free her bag, which had become caught up
in the foot well of the taxi, and stabbed her once in the right arm and twice
in the right hip. The younger girl escaped with a slight cut to her chin and a
hit to the head with the butt of a knife.
Once the
men had made their escape, the taxi driver returned to the vehicle and drove
them to La Palm Hotel, where they received assistance and were then driven to
Trust Hospital to receive treatment.” This mugging is the most violent in a
series of attacks that appear to be targeting a particular group of British
volunteers working in Accra. The majority of attacks have taken place in Osu
and have been aimed at pedestrians walking at the side of the road.
However,
the factor that links all the attacks, which have been going on since the beginning
of January this year is the similarity of the car described by the majority of
the victims. In most cases, a black hatchback, which has been described as a VW
or a Cavalier, has been the vehicle used either to drag the victim along the
road, or an escape vehicle for the muggers who have got out of the car to carry
out the theft.
This car
has also been noticed driving by places where the group of volunteers are known
to relax in the evening and it is distinctly possible that the two volunteers
involved in the knife attack were followed from Paloma by the gang. Although
these events in themselves are bad enough, they raise some issues that urgently
need to be addressed in a wider context, not only for the sake of the victims
and potential victims, but for the benefit of Ghana as well.
Firstly,
the misconception that all whites are rich, and carry large amounts of cash or
expensive items with them needs to be considered. The young targets of these
attacks are volunteers. They are working in Ghana without getting paid because
they want to contribute in a positive way to Ghanaian society. Many worked hard
prior to coming to Ghana in order to save enough money to be able to sustain
themselves for the duration of their stay.
Secondly, the
potential effects of an escalating crime wave needs to be addressed in relation
to Ghana’s tourism industry. Ghana has an international reputation as an
exceptionally friendly, and more importantly, a safe country. This, in a world
which is increasingly paranoid concerning international security, is a
priceless asset which should be closely protected and actively developed.
The
long-term result of these attacks could be to undermine Ghana’s international
reputation, and to make tourists, volunteers and even businessmen think twice
before entering the country. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 13 March 2002 - More than 10 billion cedis was generated
through gate proceeds at the just ended eighth Ghana International Trade Fair
in Accra. The 12-day Fair had a total of over 400,000 visitors including
students and adults from all walks of life.
Miss Esther
Dzifa Ofori, Chief Executive of the Trade Fair Company who announced these at
the closing ceremony said that the turnout was very impressive. She explained
that the fair was successful compared to previous ones adding that it was able
to meet the aspirations of the exhibitors.
Some of the
aspirations of the exhibitors, she said was to showcase products, explore new
trade opportunities and enhance relationship with clients. That, she believed
had been achieved one way or the other which would go a long way to promote
trade and enhance the nation’s socio-economic growth.
Recognising
that there were few shortfalls, she apologised on behalf of management and
assured that management would do well in finding effective solution in
subsequent fairs. She assured that the company would continue to provide the
platform for business to promote their products as a way of attracting more
markets.
Closing the
fair, Mr Maxwell Osei Adjei, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry commended
the company for the effort towards the development of trade in the country. He
emphasised the importance of using trade fairs to promote trade especially
since it provided the chance for participants in the private sector to showcase
the products.
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Dakuadwom-Ahodwo
(Ashanti Region) 13 March 2002 - Two female students of the State Experimental
Junior Secondary School at Nhyiaeso in Kumasi were killed instantly on Tuesday
afternoon, when a long on a moving timber truck fell on them at a spot on the
Dakuadwom-Ahodwo Round-About road.
They were
named as Natasua Afram, 14, and Rejoice Appiah, 13, both JSS Two students.
Their bodies were deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH)
mortuary for autopsy. The driver of the Man Diesel truck, AS 709 D, is helping
the Asokwa Police in their investigations.
According
to the police, the truck developed a mechanical fault while heading towards,
the Ahodwo Round-About who were walking towards the Ahodwo Round-About during
the afternoon break. They were smashed to death. – The Ghanaian Times
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