Wednesday, March 17, 2010

ZOIL LITE GUARDS RESCUE DRIVER, TWO MATES (PAGE 21, MARCH 17, 2010)

A DETACHMENT of ZOIL Life Guards has rescued a cargo truck driver and his two mates who had an accident in the Oti River at Dambai in the Volta Region with their vehicle.
The truck driver, Joe Nasandi with his two mates on board the vehicle, which was disembarking from the ferry boat Ndewura Jakpa, fell into the river due to misjudgement.
The truck, a Bedford with registration number AS 2799C, was fully loaded with over 1,000 tubers of yams and sacks of gari, maize and groundnuts.
The 10 rescuers, who were the leaders of a team of 130 life guards, had just arrived and reported to Mr Raphael Ogyemoko, the District Chief Executive for Krachi East when the disaster alarm sounded.
Mr Ogyemoko, therefore, dispatched them to the scene and to the admiration of the crowd who had gathered at the place, they rescued the three persons, the truck and the foodstuffs.
The Krachi East District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Gado Musah, commended the lifeguards, adding that their presence had been timely.
For his part, Nana Kwaku Beyennor II, chief of Dambai, expressed his satisfaction at the intervention of the guards and said they were ready to make their stay a happy one since they had come to help save lives.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

BUSH FIRE DESTROYS 12 HOUSES IN JASIKAN DISTRICT (PAGE 23, MARCH 13, 2010)

A SEVERE bush fire, which raged for three days, has destroyed 12 houses and farms at Tsrikasa and its environs, near Okagyakrom in the Jasikan District of the Volta Region.
No casualty was recorded, but the property of 123 people, including foodstuffs and livestock worth thousands of Ghana cedis were destroyed.
The disaster prompted the Association of Jasikan District Civil Society Organisations (AJADSCO) to hold an emergency meeting, calling on the various district assemblies, as a matter of urgency, to come out with measures to enforce laws on bush fires and chainsaw operations.
Participants at the meeting were representatives of the Jasikan District Assembly, the Ghana Police Service, the National Commission for Civic Education, the Judicial Service of Ghana, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, National Disaster Management Organisation, Ghana National Fire Service and the Forestry Department.
According to the Chairman of AJADSCO, Alhaji Issaka Braimah, the strict enforcement of the bye-laws would reduce bush fires and the destruction of the forest.
He said bush fires had been so rampant in the area to the extent that the region had been tagged as leaders in bush fire nationwide.
Mr Braimah said the warning on the harmful effects of bush fires had not been heeded to, resulting in the disaster happening on a yearly basis.
An official of the Forestry Commission, Mr Anthony Ako, drew the participants’ attention to the Timber Resources Management Regulations, 1998, which enumerated a number of restrictions on the use of chainsaw machines.
Mr Ako reminded the participants that “no person shall use a chainsaw machine for felling trees or converting them into timber, unless the machine had been registered with the district manager of the Forestry Commission”.
He further stated that the regulation also prohibited the use of a chainsaw whether registered or unregistered to convert timber into lumber or other forest products for sale, exchange or for any commercial purpose.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

MOB SMOKES THIEF FROM 'HIDE-OUT' (PAGE 34, MIRROR, FEB 13, 2010)

From Emmanuel Modey, Nkanta

In an attempt to arrest a thief who had raided the offices of the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED) at Nkwanta in the Volta Region and stolen a computer and accessories, an irate mob set fire to a bush in which he was thought to be hiding.
After the fire burnt out, however, the only thing they saw was a burnt computer and accessories.The thief who they were trying to smoke out of the “hide-out” had eluded them.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Douglas Kumah, the Nkwanta District Police Commander, told the media that the thief was seen coming out of the NFED offices around 7.00p.m last Tuesday, February 2, 2010, carrying the said items.
He said an alarm was raised but the thief quickly ran into the nearby bush.
The mob, he said, which had assembled due to the alarm, surrounded the bush and after waiting patiently for some time, the thief did not come out.
So they set fire to the bush to smoke out the thief but after the bush burnt out only the burnt items were found, he said.
ASP Kumah said noting the commotion, the police got to the scene only to be told by the mob that they set the fire to smoke out a thief.
He expressed surprise that people could be using fire in such a manner, especially at this time of the year when such actions could easily result in a serious wildfire.
He said he was happy that the fire did not cause any damage to life and property.