11 Death Toll On Yeji Disaster So Far

Eleven bodies have been retrieved

Eleven bodies in total have so far been retrieved from the Volta River following Sunday’s boat disaster which initially killed six children.

The bodies of the six children (all under three years old) were retrieved from the river on Sunday by a rescue team.Subsequently five bodies were retrieved on Monday May 30.

Apart from being overloaded with passengers, the boat that sunk also had cows on board, Pru District Chief Executive Emmanuel Kwame Poku revealed in an interview with Prince Minkah on Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday May 30.

The boat capsized after hitting a tree stump, a correspondent with Alive FM in the Brong Ahafo Region, Daniel Takyi, reported.

According to the DCE, the cows kept getting the boat off balance in their attempt to get up during the trip, per accounts related to him after the accident. “…I know they were overloaded and somebody even told me there were some cows in the boat, so anytime the cows want to stand up in the [boat], you know what will happen. So, it’s true overloading and the tree stumps are the causes of the numerous accidents we have been getting,” he said.

Mr Poku said the naval officers patrolling both ends of the river have been mandated to check overloading, and, so, wondered why the problem persisted.

 

In an earlier interview with Prince Minkah on the same programme, DSP Abraham Bansah, Yeji District Police Commander, also confirmed that overloading played a major role in the accident.

He has, therefore, suggested that there be naval officers positioned to patrol both ends of the Volta River to ensure that vessel owners do not overload.

The passengers were being ferried from Nantwekope to Yeji in the region when the accident occurred.

A survivor told journalists that he had to struggle to save his wife and mother in the course of the rescue efforts.

The rescue team is still searching for other passengers who could not be accounted for. There have been numerous boat accidents on the Volta River in the past years. Three people died about a week ago on the same river in a similar accident.

As part of measures to curb such accidents, the DCE revealed that a law has been passed banning boat movements on the river after 6pm. He said currently the pontoon used in ferrying loadand passengers across the river, “is out of use, so, we depend on the boats”. He also said despite the availability of life jackets, passengers shun using them due to the heat it attracts.

Source:ghanaweb

Over 90 percent of ECG meters not calibrated

The raging controversy around ECG's faulty billing of some consumers, arising out of a combination of factors, including a supposedly software defect and un-standardised metering, can be blamed on institutional failure on the part of the Ghana Standards Authority and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC); Public Agenda's investigations have revealed.
The Paper's probe into the billing controversy has revealed that over 90 percent of the electricity meters imported into the country by all manner of persons (including people who have no idea about metering equipment), for public distribution are not calibrated to meet international and local standards, as required by law, and in accordance with the requirements of the Ghana Standards Authority.
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is the national standards body established by the Standards Decree of 1967 (NLCD 199) which has been superseded by the Standards Decree of 1973 (NRCD 173). The Authority is also the custodian of the Weights and Measures Decree (NRCD 326, 1975). These legislations together mandate the Authority to undertake the following functions:

• National Standards development and dissemination

• Testing Services

• Inspection Activities

• Product certification scheme

• Calibration, Verification and Inspection of Weights, Measures and Weighing and Measuring Instruments

• Pattern approval of new weighing and measuring instruments

• Destination Inspection of imported High-Risk goods

• Promoting Quality Management Systems in Industry

• Advice the Ministry of Trade and Industry, on standards and related issues

Public Agenda's checks have however established that, in addition to the reported abuse of the meter procurement activities at ECG, the company has also failed to submit meters in its custody for calibration by the Standards Authority. Only a few of the meters have recently been sent to the Standards Authority for calibration.
Calibration is the activity of checking, by comparison with a standard, the accuracy of a measuring instrument of any type. It may also include adjustment of the instrument to bring it into alignment with the standard. It is like buying a watch and setting it to the local time to ensure that its reading aligns with the national reckoning of time.
“If we all refuse to set the time on the clocks we buy, then certainly we shall all have different time readings on our clocks, and one will be unable to tell which clock is giving the correct time” explained an industry expert, who spoke to the Public Agenda on condition of anonymity.
Calibration is very important in all manner of transactions that are based on measured volumes of tradeable, including oil, gas, water, and electricity. This is because even the most precise measuring instrument can be used to cheat if one cannot be sure that it is reading accurately.
This fact explains the practice in the downstream petroleum sector, where the Standards Authority calibrates the fuel vending machines of oil marketing companies every year. The industry regulator, the National Petroleum Authority, then follow-up with routine but unannounced inspections to ensure compliance.
Experts say, in the case of mechanical and electromagnetic meters, wear and tear, arising from continuous use can lead to wrong readings, and so they have to be re-calibrated after a reasonable period of use. The period is established on the basis of the stability of the instrument itself and a review of the calibration records that already exist to determine whether an adjustment is needed.
The internationally renowned, UK-based Optical Test and Calibration (OTC) organisation recommends a starting periodicity of 12 months for most instruments with an increase in calibration frequency (to 6 or 9 months) if adjustment is required, and a reduction in periodicity to 2 years after a sequence of annual calibrations has shown that adjustment has not been needed.
The situation in Ghana departs from the established best practice. Most meters are not calibrated, and even when they are, they are never re-calibrated throughout their lifetime.
The ECG claims it has its own laboratory to calibrate its meters, but that claim could not be verified by Public Agenda as at the time of filing this story. But even if that were the case, it raises the questions of integrity and public confidence which can best be addressed through third party verification – the very reason the Ghana Standards Authority was established by law.
It is indeed a grave failure on the part of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to have allowed the ECG to install meters that have not been independently calibrated. By failing to ensure the independent calibration of the installed meters, the PURC has clearly failed to protect consumers from the risk of being shortchanged through inaccurate meter reading.
Indeed, the inaccurate reading could also mean the ECG being shortchanged if the reading records lower than actual units of electricity consumption. Efforts to get the PURC to respond to these findings proved futile.

Source:ghanaweb

Will The Ultimate Superyacht Be An Aircraft Carrier?

Billionaires and royalty are quite used to landing helicopters on the decks of their superyachts. So you could say that many of the world’s largest private yachts are already “aircraft carriers.” But the latest design concept from a UK-based firm that specializes in conceiving radically luxurious private planes, yachts, and residences for some of world’s most exclusive clients may take the symbiotic relationship between private aviation and superyachts to a whole new level.

The new design unveiled by Winch Design this week is a 328-foot long yacht that’s designed specifically to be able to accommodate an AgustaWestland 609 TiltRotor aircraft that combines the vertical takeoff capability of a helicopter with the superior speed and load carrying ability of a airplane.



As you can see in the renderings, the AW 609 TiltRotor will not only be able to take off and land on deck. It will also be protected in a fully enclosed hangar when it’s not shuttling owners and their guests to parties, or uber exclusive vacation spots, or the airport to meet their private jets, at top speeds over 300 miles per hour.

But just because this new concept makes its possible for owners and their guests to take off and land from the deck, and fly at twice the speed the fastest conventional helicopter, the yacht is designed to be way, way more than a mobile launch pad. In fact, it’s reported to be capable of achieving estimated speeds approaching 30 knots on the water, and providing ultra luxurious accommodations on multiple decks.


Source:forbes.com

Terrorists are closer to Ghana – Doe Adjaho

 

Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho has observed that terrorists are not far from Ghana.

The speaker’s comments come on the back of the Saturday attack on Burkina Faso which led to the death of 28 and left several others injured in its wake.

There are fears the attacks may be extended to Ghana as it shares border with the French-speaking country. Reports say residents who live on Ghana’s border to Burkina Faso have started fleeing the area out of fear.

Speaking in Ho in the Volta region, the former Keta South MP said terrorism is closer to Ghana but could be averted by prayers.

“The terrorists are not very far from us; 27 people died at a Hotel in Burkina Faso. It has happened in Mali, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. Where is the next point? We need to pray for this country. We have to draw closer to our God. This is the time. I have tried and tested my God and He has always worked for me,” he stated.

Meanwhile, there is public outcry in the country following the decision by the Mahama-led administration to provide shelter for two former inmates of Guantanamo Bay who were arrested on suspicion of their association with terrorist groups .


source: ghanaweb

2017 Porsche 911 Turbo Breaks Three Second Barrier

Faster than ever, the latest Porsche 911 Turbo models made their world debut at the Detroit auto show.

With 580 hp, the 911 Turbo S model scorches from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, the first time this model has beaten the three second mark.

As well as the Turbo S, there is also a 540 hp 91 turbo model available in the US market from this April.

The secret to the latest 911 models’s increased power output is newly designed turbochargers, said Porsche chairmain Oliver Blume.

2015 was a good year for Porsche, noted Blume, with sales up 19 %, to 225,121 units. In the US market, which accounts for one in every three 911s, the company sold 51,756 vehicles.

19 MPs including Hanna Tetteh and Fiifi Kwetey sued

 

Foreign Affairs Minister and MP for the Awutu Senya West constituency, Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Agriculture, Fiifi Kwetey and 19 other MPs have been sued for consistently absenting themselves from Parliament.

Odekro, an advocacy platform seeking to promote transparency and accountability which sued the MPs had earlier petitioned the Speaker of Parliament complaining about the conduct of some 125 legislators.

In a letter dated December 2 2015, Odekro listed the names of 125 out of the 275 MPs, who it said are in breach of Article 97(1) (c) of the Constitution which states that an MP shall vacate his or her seat if:

“He is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”

The group argues that they resorted to the court because “the Speaker of Parliament failed to acknowledge receipt of our letter and he also failed to honour our request to declare the seats of the defaulting MPs vacant. 

Consequently, we have instructed our lawyers to file a suit at the High Court asking the court to declare the seats of the 21 worst-offending MPs vacant.”

Below is the full list of the MPs sued by Odekro

1. Evans Paul Aidoo (Sefwi-Wiawso) – 188 Sittings

2. Hannah Serwaah Tetteh ( Awutu-Senya West) – 176 Sittings

3. Eric Opoku ( Asunafo South) – 165 Sittings

4. Akwasi Opong-Fosu ( Amenfi East) – 155 Sittings

5. (Dr) Dominic Akuritinga Ayine ( Bolgatanga East) – 150 Sittings

6. (Mrs) Queenstar Pokua Sawyerr,( Agona East ) – 135 Sittings

7. Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo (Kpone-Katamanso) – 132 Sittings

8. Mark Woyongo ( Navrongo Central ) – 126 Sittings

9. Clement Kofi Humado ( Anlo) – 124 Sittings

10. Maj. (Rtd) Mustapha Ahmed ( Ayawaso North) – 118 Sittings

11. Fiifi Fiavi Franklin Kwetey (Ketu South) – 110 Sittings

12. Alhaji Bashir Fuseini Alhassan (Sagnarigu) – 102 Sittings

13. James Agalga ( Builsa North) – 97 Sittings

14. Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo (Wa Central)- 94 Sittings

15. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah (Mfantseman West) – 92 Sittings

16. Ken Ohene Agyapong ( Assin Central) – 89 Sittings

17. Collins Dauda ( Asutifi South) – 89 Sittings

18. Ahmed Arthur (Okaikwei South) – 84 Sittings

19. Grace Addo ( Manso Nkwanta) – 83 Sittings

20. Joseph Boakye Adu Danquah (Abuakwa North) – 76 Sittings

21. Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye – 75 Sittings

The group further added that “by this action, Odekro intends to establish a legal precedent with which to sue the remaining defaulting MPs to vacate their seats.” Source:ghanaweb