YEJI BOAT OPERATORS CRY FOR LIFE JACKETS

By Michael Sarpong Mfum, Yeji

Boat operators and fishermen at Yeji and its environs in the Pru District of the Brong Ahafo Region are calling on government to provide them with life Jackets to save lives and properties on the Volta Lake.

Chairman of the Yeji Boat Operators and Fishermen Society, Noah Kwame Sarfo revealed that thirty members of the association did not receive life jackets from government through Zoil a subsidiary of Zoomlion, though communities such; Kpando,Tepa Abotoase, and Kete Krachi received life jackets after last year’s disaster on the Volta lake where close to 20 people traveling on the lake got drowned.

                                 Passengers travelling without life Jackets at Yeji

Mr. Sarfo said people who travel to and fro from Yeji to communities scattered along the lake including; Agokope, Wodomea’bra, Ghanakope and Sikakura risk their lives travelling long hours on the Lake without life jackets. Mr. Sarfo has therefore called on government as a matter of urgency supply life jackets to boat operators and fisher folks at Yeji and her environs.

He commended the Ghana Navy who are present in Yeji to check overloading of boats. He however said the Navy’s need logistics such as boats to patrol the lake and also go to the rescue of passengers who face any difficulty on the lake.

Mr. Sarfo also noted that the irregular supply of premix fuel is also affecting the work of boat operators and fisher folks in the area and calls for regular supply of premix fuel to enhance their work.

The Chairman also said tree stumps in the lake are possible cause of accidents on the lake; he therefore called the Canadian company Clarke Sustainable Resource Development in charge of removing tree stumps from the lake to speed up its work to avoid accidents on the lake.

SUNYANI ABATTOIR A HEALTH THREAT TO RESIDENTS

By Michael Sarpong Mfum, Sunyani

The Sunyani Abattoir, which is currently operating under unhygienic and sub-standard conditions due to the lack of many amenities needed for good sanitary service is posing health threat to residents who buy meat from the facility.

The abattoir has not seen any major rehabilitation leaving the nets at the facility torn giving a free day to houseflies and vultures. The stench that emanates from the facility is unbearable to the residents especially those who stay close to abattoir.

The situation is so deplorable that many residents have expressed the fear that the municipality might soon be engulfed in an epidemic.

The abattoir also lacks separate standard confinement required for roosting cows, goats and sheep before finally prepared for sale to the public. The roosting is therefore carried out in the open and on pieces of wood. The situation is so appalling, with flies and scavengers hovering around for pieces of meat.

Moro Salia a butcher who works at the Abattoir concedes the facility is in a bad shape and the sanitation situation is bad. Mr. Salia however says complaints have been lodged with the Municipal Assembly for intervention but help is yet to come. Moro said if the Assembly provides resources to renovate the Abattoir the situation will improve drastically.

The Municipal Environmental Officer, Simon Opoku revealed that the assembly is aware of the situation but assures that there will be massive improvement in the coming weeks.

Mr. Opoku says calls for relocation to a new structure being put up to serve as a new Abattoir is appropriate but says expansion works are expected to take place on the facility before butchers are moved there.

RADIO STATION MANAGERS CAUTIONED

By Michael Sarpong Mfum,Sunyani

President of the Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Asamoah Mensah has admonished radio station managers not to allow greedy and selfish politicians to use their airwaves to score political points as the December Polls approaches; he was addressing a durbar in Sunyani as part of the association’s week-long celebration.

The week-long celebration was under the theme: Ensuring Peace and Unity before, during and after Ghana’s Election 2012; The Role of the Electronic Media. It brought together mangers of 29 radio stations in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Mr. Asamoah Mensah urged radio stations not to inflame passions as the December elections draw nearer.

He said radio stations in the region have critical role to place in ensuring free and fair elections in December.

Mr. Mensah however cautioned that host of political programmes must be careful in their utterance in other not to inflame passions to thrown the country into a state of chaos which could derail the success the country had chalked over the years.

He said GIBA is ready to support any radio station that is intimidated in the discharge of their duties.

“I am not saying because GIBA is ready to support you when you are intimidated does not mean you can talk anyhow on your network,” Mr. Mensah advised.