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Tension brews at Egyambra in Ahanta West
There is simmering tension at Egyambra, a farming community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region as 21 families are up in arms with the Chief of the area, Nana KofiAmo lll, who has ordered the bereaved families to pay money and drinks (Nkae Nsa) before they bury their dead relations.
As a result, the families have petitioned the Police Administration to intervene immediately as the matter could degenerate into anarchy, and called for the transfer of the Municipal Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Valentine Akposu for failing to ensure peaceful settlement of the issue at stake.
The letter dated May 5, 2022, and written by their counsel, Mr Yaw Anokye Frimpong from John Konny Chambers to the Director, Police Professional and Standard Bureau (PIPS), Accra, was copied to the Western Regional Minister, Regional Police Commander, Regional Crime Officer, as The Spectator source disclosed.
The stalemate over the matter stems from the directive by Nana Kofi Amo III that, the families should pay ‘Nkae nsa’, that is money and drinks, else they would not be permitted to bury their dead ones.
“It is our fervent hope that you would treat the matter with the urgency it deserves so that the people of Egyambra can put fear behind them, especially where they allege that, some time ago, one of their people was killed through acid dousing by some unknown persons.” counsel pleaded.
The petition recalled that on April 4, 2022, the families through their counsel, wrote a petition to the Western Regional Police Commander to take immediate steps to avert what could be a volatile situation at Egyambra.
It submitted that, Nana Amo III with the backing of Ahanta Omanhene, Nana Baidoe Bonsoe XV, informed them that anyone who failed to pay him the ‘Nkae Nsa’ upon the death of their relative would not be permitted to bury the corpse at the public cemetery and any attempt to disobey the order would be met with the pouring of acid or any deadly substance on them.
The letter further said that, the Regional Police Commander acted swiftly on the matter and that the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) organised a meeting on April 26, 2022, but, surprisingly, the Municipal Police Commander directed the aggrieved people to settle the matter with Nana Amo III, otherwise the chief would be right in using his machomen and other agents to pester them.
Further, the Police Commander, they complained, failed to take note of a more recent High Court judgement which tried the merit of the same ‘nkae nsa’ payment that the chief lost.
The lawyers stressed “Our clients say after the comments made by the aforesaid officer, the chief sent some youth to Egyambra with substances believed to be acid, blatantly displaying same at the public cemetery to scare mourners from burying their dead.
“We have instructions from our clients to report the conduct of the police officer to you for further investigations and possible transfer from the area because he has demonstrated that he cannot do anything to bring peace to the place he is serving,” the petitioners said.
Meanwhile, in the letter to the Western Regional Police Commander, dated April 4, the Egyambra families wrote that, since their ancestors migrated from various locations to settle at Egyambra stool land 40 years ago, the custom had been to pay the said notification drink to the Amantwe family which owned that cemetery lands, whether “it is an Amantwe candidate who occupies the Egyambra stool.”
Responding, Nana Amo acknowledged the court ruling on whether he holds the capacity to exact the nkae nsa but, explained that the Abusuapanyin could receive same.
“The families have buried some of the dead elsewhere and we know that there will be a burial on Friday, June 17 at Egyambra.” he told The Spectator.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Takoradi
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
