Story: Michael Donkor
AN inter-agency security committee has been set up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to check illegal chainsaw and mining operations in the country.
The 10-member committee is chaired by the Deputy Director-General in charge of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. D.K. Mitsio.
Other members of the committee include the Director-General in charge of Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr John Kudalor; Lt. Col. Kodjo Awity of the GAF; Lt. Col. J. Hagan, Army Headquarters; Mr C.N.A. Akrong, Bureau of National Investigations; Mr D.K. Glover, National Security Council; Mr Benjamin Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of the Lands Commission; Mr Alex A. Boadu, Forestry Commission, and Mr G. Omane-Brimpong, National Security Council.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said the move had become necessary in order to address the alarming rate at which the country’s forests were being depleted by illegal chainsaw operators.
He said since the Forestry Task Force was suspended in December, last year, the country’s forests had been depleted and illegal mining operations had assumed a sophisticated level.
He appealed to saw millers to put 20 per cent of their products on the domestic market, as required by law.
Col. Mitsio, on behalf of the committee, gave the assurance that they would work to achieve the set objectives as well as justify the confidence reposed in them.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Fuel Shortage Hits Accra(July 9, 2009)
Story: Michael Donkor
THERE has been a shortage of fuel in the Accra Metropolitan Area since last Monday.
This has resulted in some commercial drivers parking their vehicles, since they cannot get petrol or diesel to operate.
A visit to a number of filling stations in Accra yesterday by this reporter saw fuel attendants hanging around and only informing motorists who called at their stations that there was a shortage of fuel.
Among the stations visited were the Goil filling station near the Ghana Commercial Bank at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, So Fresh Station near the Glenns Nite Club at Adabraka, Goil station near the Trust Bank at Adabraka, the Total station near Avenue Club at the Farrar Avenue, the Mobil station near the Cedi House at Accra, and the Goil station near the Nima Roundabout.
Speaking to the Graphic in an interview at the various filling stations, the fuel attendants said they did not receive any supplies since last Saturday.
They said the little that they received had been exhausted since last Monday and they were waiting for more supply of the products.
They, however, could not give any concrete reason why there was that much shortage on the market.
At the Goil filling station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, a fuel attendant, Olivia Azuma, said they had been idling since last Saturday.
At So Fresh filling station, Ernest Gyamfi said they also had run out of fuel since Monday and were thus waiting patiently for the next supply to sell to the public.
Asked whether the station was among those that took supplies from oil marketing companies that were indebted to the Tema Oil Refinery, he responded in the affirmative.
The situation was not different at the other stations which had the inscription “No Petrol” boldly written on their small boards placed on the pumping machines.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, earlier told the Daily Graphic that TOR had cut off fuel supplies to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for their indebtedness to the organisation since 2008.
She said the OMCs bought fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulting in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
She said the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies, if they did not settle their debts.
THERE has been a shortage of fuel in the Accra Metropolitan Area since last Monday.
This has resulted in some commercial drivers parking their vehicles, since they cannot get petrol or diesel to operate.
A visit to a number of filling stations in Accra yesterday by this reporter saw fuel attendants hanging around and only informing motorists who called at their stations that there was a shortage of fuel.
Among the stations visited were the Goil filling station near the Ghana Commercial Bank at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, So Fresh Station near the Glenns Nite Club at Adabraka, Goil station near the Trust Bank at Adabraka, the Total station near Avenue Club at the Farrar Avenue, the Mobil station near the Cedi House at Accra, and the Goil station near the Nima Roundabout.
Speaking to the Graphic in an interview at the various filling stations, the fuel attendants said they did not receive any supplies since last Saturday.
They said the little that they received had been exhausted since last Monday and they were waiting for more supply of the products.
They, however, could not give any concrete reason why there was that much shortage on the market.
At the Goil filling station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, a fuel attendant, Olivia Azuma, said they had been idling since last Saturday.
At So Fresh filling station, Ernest Gyamfi said they also had run out of fuel since Monday and were thus waiting patiently for the next supply to sell to the public.
Asked whether the station was among those that took supplies from oil marketing companies that were indebted to the Tema Oil Refinery, he responded in the affirmative.
The situation was not different at the other stations which had the inscription “No Petrol” boldly written on their small boards placed on the pumping machines.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, earlier told the Daily Graphic that TOR had cut off fuel supplies to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for their indebtedness to the organisation since 2008.
She said the OMCs bought fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulting in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
She said the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies, if they did not settle their debts.
Businesses within Airport City to be closed down(Front Page) July 8, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
ALL businesses and offices located within the Airport City in Accra will be closed to the public from Friday evening, when US President Barack Obama arrives in the country, till Saturday, when he departs.
Additionally, flights to the Kotoka International Airport would be temporarily suspended on Friday evening and just before President Obama’s departure on Saturday.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the National Security Co-ordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), said the moves formed part of security measures that had been put in place for the visit of President Obama.
He, however, assured the general public that adequate measures were in place to ensure their convenience during the US President’s stay in Ghana.
Part of the Vision 2020 plan of the government, the Airport City forms part of the gateway programme, with a number of hotels built there to accommodate businessmen and investors who visit the country.
The Airport City project is also one of the many projects that the government wants to embark on to enhance the development of the Accra-Tema area.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as the landowners are supposed to execute the 'Airport City' Complex and develop hospitality facilities including hotels, shopping malls, offices, parking areas and recreational areas on the 40-acre space.
Lt. Col. Gbevlo-Lartey explained that the closeness of the Airport City to the aviation wing of the KIA made it a security zone and that it was important to temporarily halt commercial activities there till President Obama comes and leaves the country.
ALL businesses and offices located within the Airport City in Accra will be closed to the public from Friday evening, when US President Barack Obama arrives in the country, till Saturday, when he departs.
Additionally, flights to the Kotoka International Airport would be temporarily suspended on Friday evening and just before President Obama’s departure on Saturday.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the National Security Co-ordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), said the moves formed part of security measures that had been put in place for the visit of President Obama.
He, however, assured the general public that adequate measures were in place to ensure their convenience during the US President’s stay in Ghana.
Part of the Vision 2020 plan of the government, the Airport City forms part of the gateway programme, with a number of hotels built there to accommodate businessmen and investors who visit the country.
The Airport City project is also one of the many projects that the government wants to embark on to enhance the development of the Accra-Tema area.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as the landowners are supposed to execute the 'Airport City' Complex and develop hospitality facilities including hotels, shopping malls, offices, parking areas and recreational areas on the 40-acre space.
Lt. Col. Gbevlo-Lartey explained that the closeness of the Airport City to the aviation wing of the KIA made it a security zone and that it was important to temporarily halt commercial activities there till President Obama comes and leaves the country.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)