Ashanti Today

The only Boys’ Dormitory of the Collins Senior High School at Agogo in the Asante Akyem North district of Ashanti has been destroyed by fire rendering many of the students without places of abode.  The incident occurred at about 1 pm last Saturday when most of the students had already left for home on short break.  An eye witness told Ashanti Today that even though the actual cause of the incident is yet to be established, it is suspected to have been occasioned by unstable electricity supply to the dormitory at the time.  According to the eyewitness, the fire was first detected at Room Four of Dora House. It said before personnel from the Ghana Fire Service Fire would arrive from their station at Konongo about an hour after a distress call had been made, all the nine rooms on the first floor had been completely destroyed by the fire.  Consequently, the students could not salvage any of their personal effects such as mattresses, and learning materi...

President Akufo-Addo and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, are scheduled to jointly officially open the newly constructed Kejetia Market project on 2 nd May.  This event will be preceded by a relocation of the original occupants of the previous Kejetia terminal who had to be settled elsewhere, to pave the way for the project in 2015.  The new facility has lockable shops for a total of eight thousand, 460 traders some of who will be relocating from part of the Kumasi Central Market earmarked for phase two of the project.  Ahead of the official opening of the Market, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has outdoored an eight-member Management Board for the Kumasi City Markets Limited. The Board, Chaired by the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Osei Assibey Antwi, with the Amoamanhene, Nana Agyenim Boateng representing the Manhyia Palace serving as the Vice Chairman. The other members are the Kumasi Metropolit...

A Deputy Minister for Education, Osei Yaw Adutwum has visited the Collins Senior High School at Agogo in the Asante Akyem North district of Ashanti to learn at first hand the harm caused by wild fires that engulfed the only Boys’ Dormitory of the school.  Accompanying the Deputy Minister was the MP for the area, Andy Appiah Kubi and the DCE, Oti Boateng. In a remark, Mr. Adutwum assured that he would work closely with the Ghana Education Trust Fund, GETFund to provide the school with a new Dormitory for the boys to replace the burnt one.  Last Saturday at about 1 pm, fire destroyed all nine rooms on the first floor of the one storey Boys’ dormitory of the school. Even though the Agogo Fire Service Station is investigating the actual cause of the inferno, eyewitnesses say, the fire started from Room Four of Dora House and blame it on power fluctuation leading the destruction of personal effects and cash of the students.

The Police in Ashanti have hinted that leads being followed by the Police would very soon culminate in an arrest of prime suspects in the shooting incident that took place at the premises of the NDC’s regional office at Amakom in Kumasi last Monday.  The Head of the Command’s Public Affairs Unit, ASP Godwin Ahianyo, who gave the indication, commended the leadership of the NDC in the region as well as the cooperation of two prominent functionaries of the party arrested in connection with the incident for the level of support being offered the Police in the pursuit of justice. He appealed for calm among the people. "So far, the names that we have are 12. We initially, we gave out names of four suspects. We have eight more. I will not give any timelines but, I can assure you that very soon, you'll hear good news", the Ashanti Police PRO emphasized. The Regional Secretary of the NDC, Kwame Zu assured that no pressure would be exerted on the regional Police Comma...

The Ashanti regional secretariat of the National Democratic Congress says the party’s Presidential election will take place tomorrow, Sat. February 23, as scheduled, despite recent challenges the party has had with security.  The party Executives say they have engaged with all relevant state institutions for a peaceful conduct of the polls across the region and are therefore urging all qualified party members to come out in their numbers to help select a Flagbearer to lead the party into next year’s Presidential polls.  The Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu, gave the assurance in an interview with Ashanti Today in Kumasi. He mentioned NDC members who are qualified to vote as only those whose details appear on the Constituency Voters’ Register while security for the exercise has been left exclusively to the Police.  These are Branch, Constituency, Regional and National Executive Committee members, members of the Council of State, all former Ministers and Deputy M...

 The  Manhyia Palace has announced that, in accordance with Asante custom and tradition, Asanteman will observe a ban on funerals from the 8 th to 29 th of April.  A statement signed by the Chief of Staff, Kofi Badu explained that the ban is to mark the celebration of the 20 th anniversary of the enstoolment of Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu.

A special Taskforce of the Ghana Revenue Authority has undertaken an unannounced swoop on selected retail outlets and warehouses in Kumasi as part of the Authority’s plans to enforce compliance with Act 873 of 2013 to affix Tax Stamp on selected products meant for public consumption.  The focus of the swoop was on carbonated and alcoholic drinks, cigarette as well as bottled water whether produced locally or imported which must be affixed with the Tax Stamp before distribution for retail or sale to consumers. The Taskfor seized a quantity of such goods without the Tax Stamp but were on sale. The Taskforce in charge of the Ashanti region, led by Mr. Spio Abaidoo, first visited the Game within the Kumasi Mall where after inspection of the available products to find out the level of compliance with the excisable law. Here, the Taskforce found a handful of imported carbonated canned and alcoholic drinks without the Tax Stamp.  At the Shoprite also within the Mall, th...