THE THOUGHTS ROOM

Executive Director at the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Akrasi Sarpong says he is not shying away from his responsibility in ensuring that hard drugs are neither smuggled into or out of Ghana. He has also stated that he is not going to lay the blame at the doorstep of any individual or institution. Mr Akrasi Sarpong who made his sentiments known in an off-air interview with sister radio station, Happy FM, however, indicated that some loop holes in the discharge of duties at the Aviance Cargo Village at the Kotoka International Airport could be responsible for the smuggling of hard drugs from Ghana and is, therefore, calling for a critical look into the security arrangements at the Aviance Cargo Village. He made this observation in the wake of seizure of some consignment containing about 1.5 tonnes of cannabis from Ghana at Heathrow Airport. He, however, gave his consent for his statements to be published. In the past week, two consignmen...

Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam, Mr  Osei Bonsu Amoah has welcomed the move by government to partner any private investment company to see to the development of the Aburi Botanical Gardens. He has also, however, thrown a word of caution to government to be circumspect in its handling of the matter. He says, any plans to privatize the Aburi Botanical Gardens should be done in a transparent, fair and open manner. The Insight newspaper in its Friday, September 28 edition carried a headline story which read that the Aburi Gardens had been put up for sale. Mr OB Amoah said on e.tv Ghana’s Breakfast TV that he had not received any official information concerning the sale of the place which falls under his jurisdiction. He said, “at least I am aware unofficially that for the past years there have been discussions as to how best to run the place; whether Private Public Partnership (PPP) or wholly privatized or government should maintain it.” “Officially I ...

NACOB Boss, Mr Akrasi Sarpong has confirmed the seizure of around 1.5 tonnes of cannabis by border officers at Heathrow Airport in London. In a telephone interview off-air with sister radio station, Happy FM, Mr Akrasi Sarpong declined to comment on the issue on-air because, according to him, investigations are ongoing in the matter. It was reported yesterday that, border officers at Heathrow Airport made their biggest cannabis seizure in three years after containers arriving on a plane from Ghana were found with drugs worth £4.3million. The drugs were found in three separate freight containers filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Confirming the incident, Mr Akrasi Sarpong told Happy FM that his guys were not at post on that particular day that the consignment was flown to the UK. He, however, added that, they have been rounded up to assist in investigations. According to him, his refusal to speak on the matter is that people have started going undergr...

General Secretary of the People’s National Convention, Bernard Monarh has discredited running mates who have been touted as economist in the two major political parties in Ghana; blaming them for the decline in the cedi and gradual collapse of the Ghanaian economy. According to him, “those who are economists simply are doing something that is uneconomic and therefore harming this nation and denying us of resources that we could have put at the disposal of the poor in the society.” Mr Monarh expressed these sentiments when he made an appearance on e.tv Ghana’s Breakfast TV. His comments come in the wake of the selection of a running mate for the party’s flagbearer, Mahama Ayariga. Although it is already known in the media that the PNC flagbearer was likely to settle on a female running mate, Mr Mornah disclosed that at the moment there were two contenders; “one is a woman and the other a man and at the end of the day we will see whether it is the woman from Greater Acc...

Many Ghanaians are unknowingly killing themselves slowly through their diet. Many are unaware that re-using cooking oil to fry another food is deadly. The Food and Drugs Board says this practice can cause oxidation, serving as a prelude to several diseases. According to the Head of the Food Inspectorate Department at the Food and Drugs Board, Mr Ebenezer Kofi Essel, re-using cooking oil can be detrimental to one’s health. Mr Essel who made this known in an interview with e.tv Ghana news explained that “the repeated use of oil can result in both physical and chemical changes in the composition of the oil. You may have increased viscosity of the oil, the oil becomes thicker and you also have darkening of the oil.” He said, “It may even affect the quality of the food and these things have very detrimental effects on one’s health.” “It can lead to the formation of materials which can block the blood vessels. It can eventually lead to cardio-vascular illness and some of the ...

The International Telecommunications Union, the global body that regulates telecommunications activities is planning to introduce new regulations that will require anyone whose information has been published on the internet to pay for the many internet users who access the information online. The new move is expected to take effect come December 2012. The proposed amendments to the International Telecommunication Regulations seek to impose charges to those whose works are accessed online. If the publisher cannot pay, then the information cannot be released to those who want to access it. Experts believe this will stifle information flow and jeopardize the objective of the International Telecommunication Regulations, developed at the 1988 World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference 20 years ago. Its purpose is to facilitate “global interconnection and interoperability” of telecommunications traffic between borders. This has largely encouraged free-flow of informa...

Deputy Central Regional Minister, Aquinas Tawiah Quansah says the contractual agreement under which some 57. 2 million Ghana cedis loan was secured by brother of President Mahama was done in 2007 at the time when the NPP was in power. This revelation comes in the wake of an accusation by the NPP that the President played a vital role in securing the loan for his brother, Ibrahim Mahama in his company’s name, Engineers and Planners Limited. The loan which represents 19.1 per cent of the total debt of Merchant Bank, according to the NPP, has led to the collapse and gradual sale of the Merchant Bank to First Rand of South Africa. The issue became topical during e.tv Ghana’s Breakfast TV when NPP Member of Parliament for Asante-Mampong, Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh and the Deputy Central Regional Minister took their seats in the studio. When Mr Addai-Nimoh was asked his take on the matter, he accused the NDC government of corruption and questioned the credibility of the gov...