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New Times Corporation, partners move to ensure road safety
The Commanding Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD), DCOP Mr. Martin Ayiih, has advised drivers to avoid practices that increase the risk of road accidents in the country.
addresing the gathering
Photo: Lizzy Okai
He said instead of attributing road crashes to the “work of the devil,” drivers must drive cautiously and observe road safety regulations as Christmas approaches.
Highlighting some safety measures, the police officer urged drivers to keep safe distances between vehicles and avoid the practice known in local parlance as ‘bumper-to-bumper’ driving.
DCOP Ayiih made the remarks at the launch of New Times Corporation (NTC) Road Safety Campaign dubbed “Road Safety in Ghana: Preserving Lives, Sustaining Our Nation,” on Wednesday in Accra.
Speaking on behalf of the Regional MTTD Director, he said drivers must “give sufficient information to other road users when vehicles encounter faults on the road.”
He said drivers must avoid drunk-driving and the use of mobile phones, adding that police surveillance cameras remained active in the city, therefore, drivers should drive responsibly so as not to be “caught in the web.”
“We must be conversant with the Highway Code which is the bible for the road. When you think that the policeman is not there the surveillance camera is the policeman.
Editor Ghanaian
Times making a
presentation to DCOP
Martin Ayiih
Ing. Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah and other management members of NTC
“There are other things that do not directly contribute to accident on the road but they may disable other people you might come into contact with on the road. Do not wait until road certificates expire before you go and renew them,” he said.
Acknowledging the collective responsibility towards road safety, he said the police would offer the needed support to achieve the aims of the NTC road safety campaign.
Mr. Martin Adu Owusu, Managing Director of NTC, noted that road indiscipline had to be addressed from diverse perspectives hence the corporation’s partnership with stakeholders to tackle “acts of recklessness” on the road.
“If we begin to look back at the number of talents we have lost and the number of families that are traumatised in diverse ways due to irresponsible driving, we would begin to appreciate the urgent need to scale up our effort in fighting this canker.”
He said the road safety campaign was, therefore, one of the many initiatives intended to reduce the number of “unwarranted deaths on our roads.”
Engineer (Mrs) May Obiri-Yeboah, Director General, National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) noted that road crushes had adverse economic implications so the public should “exercise greater caution in the days leading to Christmas.”
Praising the Corporation for the initiative, she said that the launch was in line with the “Stay Alive Campaign” which sought to “induce positive behavioural change among road users.”
“Building a fatal free road system is not just an idea but it is an achievable vision and all of us including the media must be part of the campaign to realise this vision,” she said.
Mr. Alfred Koomson, Marketing Manager, NTC, also said the Corporation as state owned entity, had an obligation in the fight against road indiscipline hence the move to partner stakeholders to promote road safety from an “economic and emotional point of view.”
By Ernest Nutsugah & Priscilla Efriyie Ankapong,
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
