Family taught a lesson in human value
Open more branches in districts - GSB told
Environment preventing food security in Upper East?
200 people rendered homeless by Rainstorm
Family taught a lesson in human value
Ho (Volta Region) 4 Feb. 2000
A coffin-bearing delegation of mourners and drummers, which called at a clinic to collect the corpse of a family member, allegedly abandoned there, was rather offered the supposed deceased alive.
The delegation from Adaklu Sikaman in the Ho district was at "Akpenamawu" Clinic in Ho, on 1 February to collect the corpse of Mr Kudjoe Goka, who was supposed to have died from strangulated hernia.
Miss Georgina Atieku, a nurse at the clinic who briefed the Ghana News Agency, on Thursday, said Mr Goka 32 was brought to the clinic on 15 January and required emergency surgery.
Two family members, who brought Mr Goka could only pay 5,000 cedis and promised that they were going home to find more money.
She said on the third day an amount of 80,000 cedis out of the 450,000 cedis charged for surgery, drugs and after care was paid by the family.
After waiting for several days without any family member visiting, Mr Goka (patient) advised the Management of the clinic to send a message home that he was dead, as he was sure that would prompt a quick response.
Miss Atieku said on Saturday 29 January a delegation from the family came to pay 300,000 cedis being medical bills in preparation to receiving the corpse.
On Tuesday 1 February, another family delegation accompanied by mourners, drummers, a coffin and an amount of 230,000 cedis being mortuary fee and the remaining medical bills called at the clinic amid drumming and weeping to collect the corpse of Mr Goka, who was offered to them alive.
Surprised at the turn of events the mourners embraced Mr Goka, who the Clinic had dressed in white apparel and smeared with talcum (powder).
Miss Atieku said when asked how they were able to get money to pay the bills, a family member said they had to levy themselves and borrow for the funeral and burial.
Meanwhile Dr A. K. Takyi, proprietor of the clinic who said this is the second of such incident at the clinic, called on relatives of the sick and needy not to abandon such people to their fate only to mobilise resources later to celebrate their death.
GRi../
Open more branches in districts - GSB told
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 3 Feb. 2000
Mr Yaw Wiredu-Peprah, a Sunyani lawyer, has appealed to the government to open more district and regional offices of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) to enable it to effectively check the widespread sale of expired goods.
He said the absence of GSB offices in certain regions has emboldened unscrupulous traders to peddle unwholesome products to consumers, especially those in the rural areas.
Mr Wiredu-Peprah told Ghana News Agency at Sunyani on Thursday that the presence of unwholesome products on the Ghanaian market and their consequent patronage by the largely illiterate population could lead to serious health problems.
"Because of the high illiteracy rate, many Ghanaians, especially those in the rural areas, are unable to read or write and, therefore, find it very difficult to determine whether a product they are buying has expired or not".
It is for this reason that it is imperative for the government to seriously consider opening more offices for the GSB so that it could effectively protect the interest of consumers by ensuring that all unwholesome products are cleared from the local markets.
Mr Wiredu-Peprah recounted several instances where many people had bought products ranging from pharmaceuticals to provisions only to discover later that they had expired.
"Until more offices are opened for GSB to enable its presence to be felt everywhere in the country, consumers will continue to be at the mercy of unscrupulous traders with serious health consequences for the nation".
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Environment preventing food security in Upper East?
Bolgatanga (Upper East), 4th February 2000
Mr. Edmund Otupiri, Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, has said although farmers in the region are hard working, the goal of food security would elude them if they do not make conscious efforts to improve upon the environment.
The adoption rate of improved technology by farmers in the area is appreciably high but the attainment of sustainable agricultural production is being hampered by persistent environmental degradation.
"Trees are being felled faster than new ones are planted. Bush burning is on the increase despite the call on all to protect the environment", Mr. Otupiri told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Bolgatanga on Thursday.
He urged the people to support the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Forestry Department, whose duties include providing the relevant technical advice to regenerate the vegetation.
He said the region's food deficit syndrome could be halted by the provision of dams to promote irrigated farming, adding, "it is with this realisation that the government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is placing emphasis on the construction and rehabilitation of dams throughout the region.
Mr. Otupiri appealed to local communities to ensure that the dams are adequately protected and cautioned farmers to refrain from cultivating within the catchment areas of the dams.
"Our northern neighbours like Burkina Faso and Mali are making tremendous strides in protecting their ecosystem, which is yielding fruitful results for them. That is what we should be doing here also by enforcing all the laws on bush burning and environmental protection."
He reiterated MOFA's commitment to the attainment of food security in the region, saying "Agricultural Extension Officers in all the districts are working relentlessly towards the realisation of this objective".
Mr. Otupiri said the armyworm invasion and the floods in the region last year were induced by bad environmental practices.
He, therefore, called on the people to prevent similar disasters in the coming years by desisting from practices that adversely affect the environment.
GRi
200 people rendered homeless by Rainstorm.
Tanfiano Number One (Brong Ahafo) 4 Feb. 2000
The roofs of 12 houses at Tanfiano Number One, a farming community in the Nkoranza district were ripped-off during a rainstorm last week.
The assemblyman for the area, Mr Samuel Adjei and unit committee chairman, Mr Kwaku Num, who conducted the Ghana News Agency round the affected buildings said about 100 people have been displaced.
The cost of damage to property was estimated as about 10 million cedis.
At the zongo area of the town, about 20 houses were affected including the Mosque which collapsed.
Mt Tia Mahama, unit committee member, said about 100 people who have been displaced are putting-up with friends and relatives.
Meanwhile community leaders of the areas have appealed to National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Nkoranza district Assembly and NGOs for assistance.
GRi../