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GWCL begins spillage of excess water from Weija dam
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has begun spilling excess water from the Weija dam as the water levels continue to rise beyond its normal capacity.
Public Relations Officer of the Company, Mr Stanley Martey told the Ghanaian Times in an interview that from the dam’s safe operating level of 47ft, water level had risen to 48.3ft as at yesterday, necessitating the spillage to prevent a possible collapse.
“Within the last three days, the water level has risen more than 10ft. As at Sunday, it had reached 47.9ft from 37ft but this morning it has reached 48.3ft which exceeds its maximum level and if we do not spill, we may be putting the dam in harm’s way.
“We started the spillage at 12:00pm yesterday and we are doing it gradually. We have started with two gates out of the five we have and we have opened it at 12 inches wide. As the levels rise, due to the rainfall pattern, we may have to add more gates and open more to spill the excess water.”
According to Mr Martey, as usual of the routine exercise, all stakeholders as well as residents living and owning properties along the dam site have been cautioned to move to safer grounds to protect their lives and properties.
“We have informed all the stakeholders that matter in the exercise. We should have spilled earlier on but we had to hold on to make sure we have informed everyone before doing so. Unfortunately, for the past 15 to 20 years nothing has changed with regards to people building along the buffer zone.
“We have done everything to stop people from building but it persists. People think they are responsible for their decisions and it is the District Assemblies who will have to be more serious in stopping these new developments.”
Mr Martey insisted that the GWCL could not be blamed for any eventualities resulting from the spillage adding that, “we will continue to spill until it is safe for us to stop. If we get more rains, we will open more gates for spillage.”
Touching on repair works on reported cracks of the dam and damaged filters for water production, the PRO indicated that plans are being undertaken to replace the damaged filters and refurbish the dam.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly (WGMA), Mr Patrick K.B. Kumor in an interview pointed out that the Assembly was preparing to “open the estuary to allow the excess water to flow into the sea to prevent flooding.”
“We had prepared earlier enough for this and sent information to all people living around that area to move to safer places. So far, pressure from the water spilled isn’t too high to flow into the estuary so it is under control though we are still monitoring.”
Communities often affected by the water spillage exercise by the GWCL include; Tetegu, Oblogo, Pambros Salt, Lower McCarthy Hill, Lower Weija, Bojo Beach, Ada Kope, Tsokome and surrounding communities.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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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
