Woman Chews Rival’s Ear

Georgina Boahemaa

THERE WAS commotion at Yawhima, a village near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region on Friday night when a married woman, Georgina Boahemaa’s left ear was bitten off by her husband’s mistress.

The incident happened when Georgina went to call her husband to come home and eat.

According to an eyewitness, a brother-in-law of the victim, around 10:30pm Friday night, he heard a woman screaming for help from a nearby house, and when he got there, he met his sister-in-law bleeding from the left ear, with the ear bitten off.

He said the brother, Dickson Brew, Georgina’s husband, was at the scene but refused to talk. He added that he asked Dickson to help him take Georgina to the hospital but Dickson slapped him.

At the hospital, the doctor ordered them to go and bring the torn ear of Georgina but they couldn’t find it since it was late in the night.

Early Saturday morning, they went to the concubine’s house to look for the ears but she had hid the ear and upon pressure from Georgina’s family, she brought it from under a dustbin in her house and gave it to them.

The eyewitness, who gave his name as Joojo, said the sister-in-law went to the house of the concubine to call her husband, as her husband directed her to do after she finished cooking some grass-cutter he gave her to cook for him.

Joojo alleged that the senior brother conspired with the concubine, whose name was not immediately made known, to attack his wife.

It was alleged that during the fight, Georgina also bit the breast of the husband’s mistress.

As at the time of filling this report, the Sunyani Municipal police had taken both women into custody and said they would process them for the court on Monday.

WHO IS RUNNING OUR COUNTRY, GHANA? - MY RESPONSE

Dr. Nduom

Yesterday, I gave some examples of situations we face in Ghana to back up the need to ask the question, "Who is running our country, Ghana?"  

Yes, we have an elected President, John Atta-Mills in office.  Yes, we have a Parliament with members duly elected to enact laws.  Yes, we have a Judiciary appointed to serve according to the law of the land.

Yet we face some very basic, fundamental challenges in Ghana after 54 years of independence.  

We the people are not managing our own affairs which is why on independence day this year I called for actions to bring about Economic Independence.  

When as a country we repeatedly go not to our domestic bankers - Bank of Ghana and the rest - but to the IMF, the World Bank and others who impose conditions that are not new and take away powers of the Executive to decide which policies to implement to support the needs of the people, then we are NOT in charge.

A key solution we often miss is making public sector institutions strong, independent, well-motivated and efficient.  Because our institutions are weak, people do what they want and politicians can run wild and cannot be held accountable.  

The people in charge of investigations (police) and  prosecution (Attorney-General) are often controlled by politicians which make them weak and incapable of instilling discipline in our system.  

The legislature is weakened by excessive powers given to the executive. 

 Many examples abound in the Health Service, Parks & Gardens etc.  If we had strong and efficient institutions to collect property taxes, income taxes, etc. we will have the funds to clear the mountains of garbage and keep our communities clean and free from preventable diseases.

What is needed is to embark on consistent reforms with the best technical professionals we can find with leadership from an Activist President who believes in need to strengthen state institutions even when they take away powers from his office. 

This so far in the Fourth Republic has been missing.  President Mills can save the situation if in the time left of his tenure, he dedicates himself to this task.  

I have been in government before so I know that this is difficult to do as members of the executive tend to want to keep all powers to themselves.  

It will take a strong-willed President who is a crusader of reforms to go against the usual wishes of the members of his party and administration to shift power to state institutions who can bring discipline and effectiveness to our affairs of state.  

Self-determination takes competence, knowledge and inclusiveness to achieve.  Inclusiveness in society does not mean appointments to ministerial positions.  

It means making opportunities available to all Ghanaians who are qualified.  It means buying made in Ghana using the state's purchasing power to make our industries strong and our people prosperous.  

This should be our battle call - the Movement for Economic Independence, an inclusive, knowledge-based mission that we must embrace to free ourselves from the domination of other nations.

Can Ghana do it?  Can we become economically independent?  Can we make state institutions strong and effective so they can hold all of us to account and facilitate the development of a healthier, prosperous people?  Yes We Can!

But it will take the youth, the young men and women 35 years and below to become positive activists who will work selflessly to bring about the change we need.

What do you think?

By: Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom

Man Kills Cousin

Emmanuel Awotwi aka Kojo Bob

THE CENTRAL Regional Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old charcoal burner and a father of 8 children, Emmanuel Awotwi aka Kojo Bob, for butchering his cousin, John Arthur aka Kwesikor, to death over an allegation that his cousin has used his penis for juju.

The body of Kwesikor has since been deposited at the Central Regional hospital mortuary for autopsy while the suspect is languishing in the hands of the police.

Briefing DAILY GUIDE, the Public Relations Officer for the Central Regional Police Command, Corporal Raymond Asaaba, said some residents of Wiamoa near the Cape Coast Polytechnic dragged Kojo Bob to the station on Thursday around 1:35pm to report that he had callously killed his brother.

Corporal Asaaba said a team of police officers was dispatched to the scene where they found the lifeless body of Kwesikor in his provision store which has an inscription ‘No Hurry In Life’ at Wiamoa.

He disclosed that during interrogation, suspect Kojo Bob admitted to killing his cousin, claiming the deceased had been worrying him spiritually.

According to Corporal Asaaba, the suspect said he had a dream and saw that his cousin had gone to a juju man to use his penis for rituals, and when he woke up, he decided to kill him.

He noted that suspect Kojo Bob seemed not to have regretted killing the cousin because he claimed he was a staunch Christian and worshipped at the Church of Christ.

The suspect also revealed that he neither took alcohol nor smoked wee and therefore nobody should accuse him of killing the cousin under the influence of any substance.

Sources close to the area hinted that Kojo Bob had not been on good terms with the cousin since he claimed he had taken his glory and that no one respected him in the community.

Kwesikor left behind 3 children and a wife.

From: Desmond K. Dapaah, Cape Coast

NDC Jubilates

Madam Aba Edusah

Hundreds of people including National Democratic Congress (NDC) executives from the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District of the Central Region on Friday trooped to the Abura Dunkwaw  Township amidst heavy jubilation over the dismissal of their arrogant District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, Madam Aba Edusah.

The 3-hour jubilation was led by the AAK NDC executives and some party sympathizers who were spotted dressed in their party attire jubilating on the principal streets of Abura Dunkwaw.

Madam Aba Edusah, who has received lots of negative publications since she was appointed DCE of the area, was sacked from office on Thursday according to a release issued from the office of the President and signed by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Joseph Yieleh Chireh.

Although no reason was given for her dismissal, the Central regional minister, Comfort Ama Benyiwa Doe, has been asked to take on the additional responsibility until a new DCE is appointed.

The jubilation, which started at 7am, ended abruptly when one of the people blocked the road to prevent vehicles from entering the town.

In an interview, some of the party executives said the jubilation was in appreciation of the President’s decision to sack the DCE since her actions in the district had caused the party to lose more assembly seats to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the just ended district assembly elections.

They described the recent assembly election as a big blow for the NDC, adding that if their executives did not come together to find effective strategies to curb their problems, the party would be doomed forever.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that initially, Madam Aba Edusah said she had not received any letter from the Presidency and would continue to work as the DCE for the area.

The jubilant executives have however appealed to the President to appoint a DCE who could develop the area as well as ensure unity and stability in the party.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that Madam Edusah, who was advised by Ama Benyiwa Doe about two month ago to resign to avoid any embarrassment of being fired, snubbed the minister.

Investigations further revealed that Madam Benyiwa Doe would have worked out another position for Madam Edusah if the DCE had earlier on taken her advice.

It would be recalled that DAILY GUIDE has for some time now made several publications concerning the tension between Madam Aba Edusah and the people and chiefs in her area, which eventually led to a demonstration against her.

During the demonstration, stones and sachet water were allegedly hurled at the embattled DCE. During the melee, journalists and passersby were not spared as they received some of the baptism of water and stones.

From Sarah Afful and Desmond K.Dapaah, Abura Dunkwaw

Pupil Killed By School Bus

The FZB truck

RESIDENTS OF Dominase in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region last Thursday received the shocks of their lives when a five-year-old boy, Isaac Cudjoe, a pupil of Oxford Preparatory School in Kissi, met his untimely death when he fell from a school bus and died instantly.

According to eyewitness, the bus, which was conveying the pupils from school to their various homes, after they had closed from school, was in a very bad condition.

The body of little Cudjoe has since been deposited at the Central Regional Hospital morgue for autopsy while the 32-year-old driver, Joseph Arthur, has been arrested by the Elmina Police Command.

Arthur will soon be arraigned before the Elmina magistrate court to be charged with the offence.

An eyewitness, who briefed DAILY GUIDE, said the incident happened around 3.30 pm when Cudjoe and his friends were being transported from school to their various homes in the bus with registration number GR 4305 K. He said the bus was moving at top speed to Enyinase, a suburb of Komenda.

The source further hinted that Cudjoe got trapped in the bus because the floor of the bus was rotten. The school authorities had covered the floor with plywood.

The source added that Cudjoe accidently stepped on the wood, which got broken instantly. This led to his fall from the bus.

Sources further revealed that the bus ran over Cudjoe’s head, with his teeth and eyes scattered on the road.

Information gathered revealed that the seats in the bus were also rusted.

Investigations conducted by DAILY GUIDE indicated that Cudjoe was the only child of the parents.

In a related development, a Daewoo mini-pickup with registration number GE 1263 Z, loaded with pawpaw from Agona Swedru in the Central Region and heading towards the Western Region on Saturday, nearly collided with an articulated truck with registration number FZB 132 Z, belonging to Free Zones Board (FZB) at Sehwi-Komenda in KEEA.

The names of the drivers and pawpaw owner were not given to the press by the Elmina Municipal Police Command due to security reasons.

According to eyewitnesses, the Daewoo driver lost control of steering, which compelled the tyres of the car to bust, resulting in the vehicle somersaulting in the middle of the road, with the pawpaw scattered all over.

The source told DAILY GUIDE that both the Daewoo driver and the woman believed to be the owner of the pawpaw sustained minor injuries. They were quickly rushed to the Central Regional Hospital for treatment.

Eyewitnesses who briefed the paper said the articulated truck, which was heading towards Cape Coast, upon seeing the Daewoo in the middle of the road, tried to swerve but unfortunately landed in a nearby bush.

DAILY GUIDE can confirm that no death was recorded as previously announced by some radio and television stations.

From Sarah Afful & Desmond K. Dapaah, Elmina

Massive Demo Hits Elmina

Nana Ackonu-Elmina Chief Fisherman

FISHERMEN IN Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region yesterday organised a massive demonstration against the recent ban on the use of light in fishing by government.

The demonstration, which lasted for almost the whole day, was led by the chief fishermen in the various towns within the municipality who wore red bands to symbolise their disappointment in government.

The demonstrators marched through the principal streets of Elmina wielding placards that read “Atta and NDC bone ben?, “no manoma” and “we are hungry” among others.

They later stormed the KEEA Assembly to make a formal complaint of their displeasure to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Rev. Mrs. Veronica Nelson, who was not at post.

According to sources close to the Assembly, the MCE ran for her life upon hearing that the demonstrators were heading to her office.

The demonstrators amidst jama songs

Some of the demonstrators told DAILY GUIDE that the use of light in fishing had no dangerous or harmful effects hence the need for government to allow them to use it.

The aggrieved fishermen stated that it was the light method that helped them to harvest a bumper catch. They claimed that the activities of pair trawlers and Saiko boats washed away all the fish stock including the fingerlings.

The fishermen intimated that instead of government banning the activities of the Saiko and pair trawlers, it had rather banned the use of light which is harmless.

“If you want to ban the use of light then ban all canoes and boats that use unlawful equipment to fish, but if you discriminate in the ban then we shall all use the unlawful methods to fish,” they said.

They therefore vowed to reject the NDC and the Member of Parliament (MP) for KEEA who doubles as the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Joseph S. Annan, in next year’s general elections.

The chief fisherman of Elmina, Nana Akonu, disclosed that about 12 years ago, government sent a research team to the various coastal areas to conduct to determine if the use of light was harmful but, disclosed after the study that it was not harmful to both the fish and the sea.

The Elmina-Takoradi Highway blocked by the demonstrators

He indicated that they were dying from hunger since the ban was imposed and called on government to reconsider its decision.

The demonstrators later took their fury to the Cape Coast-Takoradi Highway and blocked the road with blocks and tree branches, creating heavy vehicular traffic and heavy congestion on the road.

Police reinforcement was later called from the regional headquarters to assist the KEEA police who fired tear gas canisters to disperse the angry demonstrators.

From Sarah Afful & Desmond K. Dapaah, Elmina

‘Nana Is Peaceful Man’

Nana Addo

THE NATIONAL Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Anthony Karbo, has taken a swipe at the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) about the way they described the flagbearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as violent over his “all die be die” comment.

According to him, Ivory Coast and Liberia had peace in their respective countries during Nana Addo’s tenure of office as Foreign Minister under the Kufuor administration.

He explained that Nana Addo’s comment meant the NPP would be vigilant and resist any attempt by the NDC to rig the elections in 2012 contrary to the claim that he was inciting supporters of his party to engage in violent acts during the elections.

Mr. Karbo made this known at Abura Dunkwa in the Abura-Aseibu-Kwamankese (AAK) District of the Central Region during the inauguration of AAK’s youth wing of the party.

“NPP will resist all oppressors’ rule by the NDC to recapture power come 2012. This is stated in the national anthem and we will use when need be” he added.

According to Karbo, the NDC had turned the country into a lawless one where its members, especially the executives trampled on the laws governing the nation.

“No one is above the law, irrespective of the party you belong to, the laws of the land are supreme. We in NPP respect the laws and will never disrespect it as the NDC is doing,” he stated.

Mr. Karbo cited instances where NPP polling station members were seriously beaten in the Volta Region by NDC youths who took ballot boxes away while Anita Desoso, NDC Women’s Organiser ran over a group of NPP supporters at Atiwa with her vehicle.

He said the youth of the party would on Monday hold a press conference in Accra to clear the air on the comment made by Nana Addo.

On his part, the Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency, Kennedy Agyapong, expressed worry over how President John Evans Atta Mills could not govern the nation as he promised Ghanaians in his 2008 campaign.

He claimed President Mills had lost focus and did not know how to strategise for the development of the country.

He added that due to the gross disrespect for the laws of the land, security agencies who were supposed to ensure peace and stability in the country had all turned a blind eye to what the president and his administration were doing to Ghanaians.

Mr. Agyapong assured and promised Ghanaians that if the NPP came to power again, it would prosecute Anita Desoso and other members of the NDC who had taken the laws into their own hands.

“Anita will surely pay for all that she has done to the NPP and other Ghanaians on this earth before she dies. When we come to power, we will prosecute her and I will lead the crusade. NDC think they are in power and can do what they like. We shall see,” he said.

The NPP Chairman for Gomoa West Constituency, Joe Donkoh, urged all aspirants to put away all their differences and work towards the victory of the party in 2012.

From Sarah Afful & Desmond K. Dapaah, Abura Dunkwa

NDC Foot Soldiers Strike

Ama Benyiwa Doe- C/R Minister

A CROSS-SECTION of foot-soldiers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Cape Coast in the Central Region on Friday stormed the regional office of DAILY GUIDE to express disappointment with the leaders of the party for neglecting them after they came to power. 

The foot-soldiers, who called themselves ‘Movement for Change’, stated that their leadership, together with the group, mobilized more than a 1000 youth across the country, called ‘Brotherhood for Change’, to solicit for votes that helped the party to win the presidential election in 2008.

According to them, they were sent to various polling stations to act as observers for the party, but were beaten by the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters and as a result some of them lost their personal belongings.

In an interview with Daddymus Arthur-Moses, the organizer of ‘Brotherhood for Change’, he noted that the  leadership of the group, led by the national coordinators, Nana Ohene Agyekum, Alfred Mahama, Nii Ashie Moore and Ebenezer Mahama, encouraged them to match the NPP boot for boot, which they did.

According to him, two years down the line after their selfless dedication to the party, they had not been rewarded, hence their resolve to go to the press for the whole country to hear their grievances.

Mr. Arthur-Moses emphatically stated that Vice President John Dramani Mahama was aware of the group’s existence and how they helped the party, adding that the group had gone to the Central Regional Minister, Comfort Ama Benyiwa Doe; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast, Ebow Barton-Odro and regional executives of the party, to ask for jobs, but to no avail.

He therefore urged the leaders of the party in the region to, as a matter of urgency, come to their aid and offer them jobs, stressing that if the leaders failed to help them, they would stage a massive demonstration across the country.

Mr. Arthur-Moses added that the demonstration would lead to destruction of properties, among others, if the President and the entire national and regional executives of the party did not come to their aid.

He reminded the leaders that 2012 was just around the corner, warning that they would vote against the NDC if they failed to fulfill the promises made to them.

“We are planning to stage a massive demonstration across the nation to remind our leaders to provide us with jobs to do. If they fail, we shall show them where the power lies in 2012. We fought for the party to win power, now we have been neglected.

They are using the monies for their own business while we remained jobless. Ok,” he said.

Earlier, a group calling itself ‘Friends of Atta Mills’, in the Central Region, had called on President Mills to sack Ama Benyiwa Doe for neglecting the party and developmental projects for the region.

From Desmond K. Dapaah, Cape Coast

Cops, Firemen Throw Blows

The articulated trucks

DRAMA UNFOLDED at Elmina on the Elmina-Takoradi highway in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region on Saturday when police officers and Fire Service personnel put aside the ethics of their profession and exchanged blows after two articulated trucks crashed at Elmina junction.

The fight ensued when the officers were arguing over who was responsible for directing traffic, after the accident occurred.

This was because when the accident occurred, the KEEA Municipal Police did not respond to the urgent call to direct the heavy traffic so the firemen had to quench the fire while some residents helped in the traffic direction.

When DAILY GUIDE got to the accident scene at about 7.50 pm, one policeman by name Simon, dressed in a smock (fugu) with police reflectors, said he was ready to face the Fire personnel since he alleged one of the firemen had beaten up a superintendent.

An angry Simon, who could not control his temper, started raining insults on the firemen for almost an hour, compelling observers around to ask whether the police officer had really gone through the ethics of the profession.

Residents of the area who were not expecting the awful behaviour from the policemen started pleading with them to stop but they did not.

One of the firemen from the Regional Fire Service Command in a Tundra with registration number FS 306 was head-butted on the mouth by one of the police officers, compelling him to bleed profusely on the mouth.

DAILY GUIDE observed that the Fire Service personnel who could not stand the heavy blows from the police had no option but to leave peacefully for the police and other civilians to direct the traffic.

The civilians however hooted at the policemen for their incompetence and unprofessional conduct shown in the discharge of their duties.

The Elmina Police Command has been accused by residents of not responding early to calls on accidents and other cases.

The accident, according to an eyewitness, happened at about 7. 30 pm when two articulated trucks with registration numbers GN 2768-09 and 1579CV01 from Ivory Coast, heading towards Accra and Takoradi respectively, crashed.

The eyewitness hinted that the truck with registration number GN 2768-09, travelling from Takoradi, tried to swerve a taxi that was coming from Elmina town and heading towards Cape Coast, but unfortunately, it ran into another container truck heading to Takoradi.

It took the intervention of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Regional Fire Service personnel, who assisted the Elmina branch of the Fire Service, to quench the fire.

DAILY GUIDE gathered at the scene that when the fire begun, the KEEA fire tender had no water to quench the fire.

No death was recorded but both drivers sustained various degrees of injury and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

From Desmond K. Dapaah, Elmina

Sack Allotey Jacobs

The Educated Fisherman- Allotey Jacobs

A NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) branch Chairman at Ebubonku, a suburb of Cape Coast, Seth Berikorang, has sent a strong warning to President Atta Mills to sack the Central Regional Director of Communication of the party, Bernard Allotey Jacobs.

According to the Chairman, Allotey was the biggest enemy of President Mills and so the President should not work with such a person who was tarnishing the image of the party.

He alleged that it was people like Allotey who made the founder of the party, Jerry John Rawlings, call some party members in the Mills administration “greedy bastards.”

“Allotey has been able to put up a multibillion cedi mansion, a hotel, and wedded his wife within two years of the Mills administration,” they claimed.

He described the seat of government as a “Holy Seat” and should not be surrounded by unrighteous people like Allotey Jacobs, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Cape Coast, Anthony Egyir Aikins, as well as the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast, Ebow Barton Odro, who did not have the party’s interest at heart.

Speaking at a press conference in Cape Coast yesterday, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Concerned NDC Youth, Baba Yusif, alleged that Allotey Jacobs, in 2007, used letter heads of then candidate Mills to solicit funds from contractors to support the 2008 elections but allegedly failed to render accounts.

Yusif further alleged that Allotey had been flirting with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and was divulging secrets of the party.

Yusif alleged that Allotey was serving on three boards and was being paid dollars to defend government on radio but was still picking quarrels with the Central Regional Minister, Comfort Ama Benyiwa Doe, for not giving him a particular contract.

“Benyiwa Doe is our Regional Minister so if Allotey has any problem with her, he shouldn’t have gone on air to insult her but rather sit down to thrash out issues,” he said.

The PRO however expressed concern about the way some gurus in the party including Barton Odro, Mr. Aikins, and one Col. Otoo, co-ordinator in charge of the MP’s office, had been maltreating members of the party whenever they went to seek assistance from them.

Yusif expressed disappointment about the way President Mills chose the MCE, adding that since his assumption of office, he had done nothing to uplift the image of the metropolis.

“Aikins sometimes gathers courage to tell party members who go to his office for assistance that he was not appointed to serve NDC foot-soldiers who have toiled for the success of the party.”

The PRO described the utterances of the MCE as distasteful, disgraceful and, therefore, he was unqualified to lead the party.

“All the executives are busily seeking contracts and appointment while the foot-soldiers are hungry,” they stated.

“This menace exhibited by the MP and MCE, if not checked, will undermine the performance of the party which will totally contribute to our defeat in the next general election,” they said.

The angry PRO noted that due to the poor performance of the MCE, the NDC had only 20 seats in the recent district assembly elections while NPP had 24 seats, a situation they claimed posed a threat to the party in the next election.

He said some members of the party had defected to other parties because of the attitude of the leaders.

He alleged that the defectors had been going round telling people that even if the party gave them billions of cedis and other material things, they would never vote for the party.
 

From Sarah Afful & Desmond K. Dapaah, Cape Coast

Cholera kills 16 in Central Region

Dr. Joseph Nuertey demonstrating how to wash  the hands properly

THE CAPE Coast Metropolitan Health Director (MHD), Dr. Joseph Nuertey has disclosed that his outfit has recorded 16 deaths in relation to the recent Cholera outbreak in the country.

He said 495 cases have already been detected and currently the people are receiving treatment at the various hospitals throughout the region.

He stated that five districts in the region including Gomoa East, Agona East and West, Awutu Senya and Effutu districts have so far been indentified to have been affected by the epidemic.

He therefore added that his outfit together with other health agencies in the region has put in place measures to prevent the disease from spreading to other districts and municipalities in the region that has resulted in organizing educational programmes to raise awareness in the various communities.

Dr. Nuertey made this known on Tuesday when Better Ghana Management Services Limited (BGMSL), a non profiting company in the country organized a one day sensitization programme to educate local food operators in the Cape Coast Metropolis (CCM) of the Central Region on how to control and curb the increasing Cholera outbreak in the region.

He however advised people to ensure personal hygiene through the washing of hands with soap under clean and safe running water before taking meals, adding that, that was the only way to prevent more people from being infected.

He also recommended the old method of boiling water before drinking since the disease spreads quickly through tainted water.

The occasion attracted hundreds of women who prepare local dishes for sale through the use of various ingredients and measures.

Participants were taken through the importance of hand washing practices which is said to be the most effective way to curb various diseases in the communities and nation as a whole.

The programme which was in collaboration with the Ministry of Health was to help individuals increase control over their health system.

Addressing the participants, the Central Regional Programmes Coordinator of BGMSL, Ms. Ivy Naa Deedei Thompson disclosed that BGMSL aims at supporting disease prevention and control through the organization of national health promotion and education programmes in the various communities.

According to her, the initiative forms part of government’s public-private sector support to attract communities to involve themselves in the implementation of health promotion interventions which include the process of enabling people to increase control over their health.

She added that BGMSL has taken the initiative to make available ‘Veronica Buckets’ at public lavatories, market places, bus terminals and for food vendors to encourage hand washing with soap under clean running water.

In order to curb the situation, she said the Central Regional office of BGMSL has trained about one hundred health promotion officers at the various district and sub district levels who are actively involved in health promotion activities at churches, market places, schools and social gatherings to educate the masses on preventive health.

She therefore assured participants that BGMSL will continue to participate in such collaborative ventures to ensure Ghanaians become healthier as a result of the drastic reduction in the incidences of preventable diseases.

Ms.Thompson later presented 50 hand washing containers (Veronica Buckets) on behalf of BGMSL to the Central Regional Branch of the Association of Local Food Operator’s (ALFO) to help them educate their customers, workers and families on how to curb cholera by washing their hands with soap before taking any meal.

From Sarah Afful & Desmond K. Dapaah, Cape Coast