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EKMA dredges storm drains
The dredger at work
The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) in the Western Region is spending about GH¢ 62,000.00 to dredge major drains in the municipality to prevent the frequent flooding in very low lands like Kwesimintsim.
The municipality lies in the lowest lands within the region and has often experienced flooding in the rainy seasons every year.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of EKMA, Mr. Kojo Acquah told journalists that EKMA was a flood prone area and since becoming the administrative head, floods in the municipality had been his major concern.
He said many drains were constructed to stop the perennial flooding in the prone areas like Kwesimintsim, Adu and Effiakuma but the flooding persisted during the heavy rains destroying life and property.
Mr. Acquah said after feasibility studies by NADMO and the assembly engineers it was agreed that desilting the drains would allow free flow of water through the drains into the sea.
He said the assembly decided to hire a big dredger to dredge the drains because awarding a contract would take a longer time and the rains had set in already adding “if we wait for the award of contract it may be too late and we don’t want any disaster in the municipality this year.”
The Municipal NADMO Coordinator said the main objective of the dredging was to prevent any further flooding in the municipality since the water would easily flow downstream into the sea.
The Deputy Environmental Health Officer of the Municipality, Mr. George Salami also said a taskforce had been formed to go round to educate people on the best ways to dispose of solid waste.
The Assembly Member of Kwesimintsim Electoral Area, Madam Perpetua Appiah expressed her delight when the assembly came to dredge the drains.
She said the electoral area had formed watch committee to watch the drains and arrest anybody throwing waste into them for persecution.
From Peter Gbambila, Kwesimintsim, Takoradi
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
