Ashanti Today

Members of the Kumasi Traditional Council have raised issues with some matters they say are undermining their authority as well as socio-economic development of the Kumasi metropolis.  Among their concerns are the central government’s release of minerals explorations and mining concessions to companies and individuals without consulting them as custodians of the land.  They have also accused the Lands Commission of allegedly selling stool lands on the blind side of the chiefs.  These concerns were raised at the meeting of the Traditional Council in Kumasi.  The Meeting, Chaired by the Bantamahene, Baffuo Asare Owusu Amankwatia who deputized for the Asantehene, discussed many other issues of concern to the chiefs and people of the Ashanti region.  In his remarks, the Bantamahene noted with serious reservations the operations of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly including an alleged lack of transparency in their revenue generation and also the show of gross disrespect

President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to touch down at the Kumasi Airport at about 5 pm today, Fri. March 31, at the start of his three-day official working visit to the Ashanti region. The President will later hold meetings with the Regional Executives of the party behind closed doors. On his itenary, President Akufo-Addo is expected to pay a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The President will also hold meetings engage in other activities during the visit.   Meanwhile , the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, says the region is ready to receive President Akufo-Addo as he begins a three-day visit to the region.  The President is expected to be in the region from today to Sunday, the 2 nd of April.  Mr. Osei Mensah said as part of the president’s itenary, he will pay a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu at the Manhyia Palace tomorrow and later inspect the abandoned Komfo Anokye Teaching Ho

Ashanti region is this year presenting a total of 67 thousand, 513 candidates for the West African Senior Schools Certificate examinations, WASSCE, representing an eight point-seven per cent increase over last year’s figure.  The figure also constitutes 23 point-three per cent of the overall national figure of 289 thousand, 2017. The candidates are from 178 public and private schools.  The number is made up of 34 thousand, 198 boys and 33 thousand, 315 girls who are sitting for the exam at 122 WAEC-designated centres spread across 29 out of the 30 administrative districts of the region.  The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, accompanied Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Mary Owusu-Achiaw, has visited some of the Centres to observe the conduct of the exercise and also to learn at first hand the conditions under which the exam is being written.  At the Prempeh College where a total of 822 candidates from three schools were expected to sit for the Integrate

The Kumasi Zonal branch of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, says all is fully prepared ahead of the formal commencement of this year’s West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination tomorrow, Thu. March 30, 2017.  In the Ashanti region, a total of 67 thousand, 513 candidates have registered to write the exam.  They are from 178 private and public senior high schools in the region.  The Kumasi Zonal Controller of WAEC, Alex Boapem Bosompem, made this known to Ashanti Today in Kumasi.  According to him, even though some of the candidates have been   writing the practicals and some of the Elective Papers since the 22 nd of this month, all the registered candidates will be sitting for Integrated Science, the first Core Paper tomorrow/this morning at all the designated centers.  He said as part of the new measures adopted to ensure security of the examination materials, the Question Papers and Answer Booklets in particular have already been distributed

The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, says it has received information suggesting that Heads of some of the second cycle schools taking part in this year’s West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination, WASSCE, are taking monies from their students with the assurance of aiding them to write the examination.  The Kumasi Controller of WAEC, Alex Boapem Bosompem, disclosed this to Ashanti Today in Kumasi.  Mr. Bosompem noted that the school heads concerned are 'charging between one hundred and two hundred Ghana Cedis each' from the WASSCE candidates so as to facilitate the candidates’ access to external help.  The WAEC Zonal Controller warned that any candidate, parent or headmaster who indulges in such act will be undertaking an unlawful adventure which has serious legal ramifications for them.  Mr. Bosompem stressed that WAEC takes a serious exception to any form of examination compromises and that the sanctions could be dire for the perpetrators.

The wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Samira Bawumia has emphasized the need for the creation of a safe and supportive environment for adolescents and ensuring access to appropriate information on their sexual and reproductive health, nutrition and mental health.  She says adolescents should also be encouraged to participate actively in programmes affecting them and put effective measures in place for their protection from all forms of violence and harmful practices.  Mrs. Bawumia was launching this year’s National Adolescent Health Advocacy Week in Kumasi today.  It is on the theme, “Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy – A Shared Responsibility” Mrs. Bawumia said a survey conducted by the Ghana Health Service, show the continued rise in adolescent pregnancy in the country, with the current rate being 11-point-eight per cent.  In the Ashanti Region, 359 teenagers got pregnant last year, with 323 of them being minors. Moreover, teenage mother are more likely to drop out of

The embattled Ashanti regional Security Liaison Officer, George Adjei is yet to return to duty since an attack on him by members of the Delta Force last Friday.  The Security Liaison Officer was allegedly attacked and forcibly evicted from his office about 10am last Friday, by members of the vigilante group, exactly three days upon his assumption of duty.  A visit to the offices of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council by Ashanti Today showed that the Office of the Regional Security Liaison at the Regional Coordinating Council had remained closed with the glass door broken during the confrontation, yet to be fixed.  He was whisked away for safety in a Police pick-up vehicle. There was however absolute calm at the premises as the civil servants went about their official duties.  All the additional deployed police personnel to beef up security at RCC as a result of the alleged attack, had been withdrawn, leaving a handful of security personnel made up of police o

  Calm has been restored to the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council offices hours after a group of muscular men popularly known as machomen today, March 24  forcibly evicted the new Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei, from his office.  Mr. Adjei assumed duty last Tuesday as the new Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator. A staff of the RCC who briefed Ashanti Today on grounds of anonymity, said the incident happened on the blind side of the Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah who had been on an official assignment in Accra.  The source said the machomen, numbering about 60, arrived at the Regional Administration at about 10 am in three Sprinter buses with others on motor bikes chanting war songs thereby disrupting official work in the offices.  It said upon entering the Regional Administration premises, the men, who appeared to know the office of the Regional Security Coordinator, went straight to evict him drawing the attention of a Policeman who was on duty t

Ghanaians have been urged to bear with government as it works around the clock to find a lasting solution to the current rate of electricity tariffs.  The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, who made the appeal in Kumasi, noted that the present energy mix dominated by thermal, coupled with the irregular gas supply from the West Africa Gas Company and Ghana Gas for various reasons, makes the cost of power production in the country very expensive.  Mr. Osei Mensah said, unlike in the past when hydro, which is the cheapest of all the energy mix, was the main driver of electricity production Ghana, the dynamics have changed in recent times such that the country has had to rely on crude oil to power its thermal plants.  The Regional Minister noted however, that Ghana has enough generation capacity but a myriad of challenges including debt and inadequate funds to purchase the required amount of crude to power the plants as well as the AMERI Plants, appear to be the maj

Ghana today joins the world to observe World Water Day.  The global theme for this year’s celebration is, “Why waste water?”  It is in support of the Sustainable Development Goal on improving water quality and reducing, treating and reusing waste water.  Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused, thereby polluting drinking, bathing and irrigation water.  In the Ashanti Region, the Ghana Water Company is organizing a tour to the Barekese Water Treatment Dam, and its catchment area. The Barekese Water Treatment Dam, with a production capacity of  about 30 thousand million gallons of potable water a day to Kumasi and its adjoining districts, has come under attack in recent times. This is as a result of the perpetuation of certain human activities within the catchment areas considered detrimental to the sustenance of the tributaries of the Dam. About five rivers

  The Ashanti Regional Minster, Simon Osei Mensah, has called for a review of the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of citizens in member states to address certain challenges inherent in the compact.  According to the Regional Minister, one major problem being faced by some member countries such as Ghana is the blatant abuse of some of the provisions of the Protocol resulting in an influx of foreigners in the retail business which is the preserve of Ghanaian citizens.  Mr. Osei Mensah made the call in Kumasi during his first interaction with the Ashanti regional executives of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industries.  The Minister noted that but for the agreement, successive governments would have dealt with the problem.  Mr. Osei Mensah said even though ECOWAS-member countries rely on each other for trade, the abuse has disadvantaged those with smaller population such as Ghana.  He however partly blamed the problem on some of the local people who front for such

About two-point-three billion Dollars worth of gold extracted through illegal means was exported from Ghana last year, with the proceeds remaining in foreign economies at the expense of this country.  The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu, who disclosed this at Obuasi said also that Indians and Chinese are the major expatriate financiers of the illegal mining activities with prominent Ghanaians, including politicians and traditional leaders, fronting for them.  Mr. Amewu was responding to questions by Journalists after touring the Obuasi Mine of Anglogold Ashanti.  The Minister expressed serious concern about the flourishing illegal gold mining activities popularly known as ‘galamsey’, saying that about 12 thousand of such operators have invaded the concession of Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine.  Mr. Amewu stressed the extensive destruction these operators are causing the environment especially water bodies and arable lands.  The Minister note

The Komfo Anokye and Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals in Ghana are among selected study sites in five African countries being used for a study into the extent of genetic factors in the cases of renal problems.  The five-year research is being done concurrently in South Africa, Ethiopia and two other countries on the continent.  Dr. Perditer Okyere of the Renal Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital made this known to Ashanti Today in a telephone interview from Ho on the occasion of the World Kidney Day.  Dr. Okyere disclosed that the a steady rise in the reported cases of kidney problems at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital adding that five cases of renal ailment are reported at the Hospital on almost daily basis.  According to her, at the D4 and D6 Lying In Wards, about five of every 10 kidney patients have their conditions at the advanced stage making the prevailing situation very serious.  Dr. Okyere mentioned chronic infection, overweight and diabetes as

Eight babies were delivered at the Kumasi South Hospital in the Ashanti region on 6 th March the day Ghana commemorated her 60 th anniversary as a politically independent nation.  The officer in charge of Ante natal at the Hospital, Hajia Kubratu Alhassan, who made this known to Ashanti Today , disclosed that the 6 th March babies are made up of three males and five females who were all delivered through the normal process except one, a girl, who was born through a caesarian section.  Hajia Alhassan said the first baby was delivered at 12.17 am on Monday with the last one born at 8.45 pm.  According to her, no stillbirth was recorded on the day adding that all the mothers and babies are doing very well.  The woman whose baby was delivered through caesarian section, Yaa Brehene from Esereso in the Bosomtwe district said she and her baby are feeling well.  She was still on admission at the Hospital at time of Garden City Radio’s visit.   Meanwhile, the officer

The police in the Ashanti region have arrested nine persons in connection a recent disturbances that resulted in injuries to police personnel alike.  The nine, who are currently in Police custody, include Barimah Tweneboah Kodua The Fifth, the 59-year old rival claimant to the Kumawu paramount stool in the Ashanti region.  The others are Michael Akuoko also known as Candy, Emmanuel Banfoh Datus, Yaw Barimah and Kofi Nyarko.  The rest are Timothy Asumadu Kessey, Kyei Mensah, Kwame Bannor and Collins Asamoah.  A statement signed by the Head of the Public Affairs Department of the Ashanti regional Police Command, ASP Yaw Nketiah-Yeboah, and issued to the media in Kumasi, explained that the suspects, who have been charged with the offence of rioting with offensive weapons, Abetment, causing harm, causing damage and attempted murder, are being processed for court.  They are being held for their alleged involvement in the Kumawu rioting and attack on police and military