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Bushfires destroy 158 wooden high tension poles in UWR
● Burnt high tension poles
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Upper West Region is worried about the continuous burning of high-tension wooden electricity poles in the region due to accidental bushfires.
In the 2021/2022 Dry (Harmattan) season, the GNFS in the region recorded 158 fire incidents involving high-tension poles but personnel were able to salvage 96 of them from getting burnt.
The harmattan season under review normally begins from mid-November to mid-February.
The Regional Staff Officer of the Service, DOIII Alexis Kodi Suonyiri who made this known in a speech at the first session of the 12th parliament of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament described the situation as worrying and called for attitudinal change in that regard.
He said that the poles were burnt when people indiscriminately set fire to the bushes around them, particularly those along highways.
He could not understand why people continued to set fire to the bush when they were fully aware of the consequences it posed to society and said that the GNFS recorded 32 of such incidents in the year under review.
He stated that the command was putting measures in place to ensure that bush fire would be a thing of the past and stated that aside stepping up education on the need to avoid bush fires, the GNFS had again established bush fire volunteers in many communities across the region to augment the effort of the service in helping to reduce the indiscriminate setting of bush fires to the barest minimum.
DOIII Suonyiri said aside the devastating effect of bush fire to climate change, it also denied the soil of its fertility and affected the livelihood of persons who lost their farms to bushfires which were not even started by them.
He lamented the poor enforcement of the bushfire laws in the region as well as the failure of the Municipal and District Assemblies across the region to constitute bush fire control sub-committees to support the work of the GNFS in checking the menace.
The Staff Officer recommended the clearing of bushes around high-tension poles in the dry season through communal labour to ensure that even if there was bush fire, the poles did not catch fire.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
