19/12/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
THE Australian government has provided GH¢56,000 to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) to support a project to protect the rights of arrested persons in Ghana.
The money will be used to produce information booklets on the rights of arrested persons and conduct information and advocacy sessions in five regions of the country.
The project will be implemented in consultation with the Ghana Police Service, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Presenting the money at a short ceremony in Accra, the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr William Williams, said in 1948 Australia was one of the 47 original signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which gave a global expression to the basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings were entitled.
He said for the past 60 years, Australia had been a leading proponent of the consistent and comprehensive implementation of the declaration.
“In this spirit, we are pleased to be able to support activities to promote human rights in Ghana,” he said, adding that Australia had previously funded a number of projects in the human rights sector which included supporting the rehabilitation of ex-trokosis in the Volta Region.
Mr Williams said the project would be funded under the Australian Human Rights Small Grants Scheme and said 1.5 million Australian dollars would be provided for projects in 19 African countries, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East to promote good governance, gender equality, disability rights and children’s rights and combat human trafficking.
For her part, Nana Oye Lithur, who is in charge of the CHRI Africa Office, said her office started implementing a project on police accountability in 2005, with the ultimate objective to initiate advocacy for reforms in the Ghana Police Service in order to bring the service in line with modern principles of democratic and human rights conscious policing.
She said research previously conducted by the CDD revealed that one of the major issues militating against effective accountability in the Police Service was the fact that many people in Ghana did not know their rights and the avenues for redress when their rights were breached.
Nana Lithur said that lack of awareness culminated in many people’s rights being abused during arrests, saying that called for the need to raise awareness among the citizenry of the general scope of rights of arrested persons.
She expressed her appreciation to the Australian government for providing the funding, which she said would go a long way to create awareness in society.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
POLICE READY FOR RUN OFF (Centre Spread)
19/12/2008
Story: Mary Mensah & Francis Kyei
The Police Administration says it has put in place all it takes to achieve a peaceful presidential run-off on December 28, 2008 and a smooth transfer of power on January 7, 2009.
It said it would continue to ensure that Ghana went through an incident-free transition as far as internal security and the services of the police were concerned.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, gave the assurances yesterday at the passing out parade of the fourth batch of 116 recruits who have successfully completed their basic training at the National Police Training School in Accra.
He attributed the success of the elections on December 7, 2008 to the co-operation and co-ordination of the Police Service and its sister security agencies and noted that the professional display by the police and allied security agencies was duly acknowledged and lauded not only in Ghana but also internationally and hoped that the same mechanism of professionalism would be adopted to ensure peace during the run-off and the period of transition.
DCOP Adu-Poku cautioned the recruits against the indiscriminate and unjustifiable use of firearms, brutalisation of innocent people and suspects, bribery and corruption, indiscipline, among others.
The director-general urged the recruits to bear in mind that they were under an 18-month probation and that any breach of discipline on the part of any of them would attract appropriate disciplinary action that could end his or her career prematurely, adding, “Your confirmation after the probation period will depend on your loyalty, good conduct and commitment to duty.”
He said the three core pillars of policing were the exhibition of professionalism, discipline and correct usage of discretion, noting that as members of the profession they were expected to follow the regulations in the service instructions and be conversant with the provisions of the Police Service Act and other statutes governing the service.
DCOP Adu-Poku stated that enforcing the law in society today was not an easy task, adding, however, that as professionals who were well trained, their knowledge and skills in handling issues of human rights and modern law enforcement techniques must reflect in their performance as police officers.
The training of the 116 recruits, who are all males, took six months, during which they were schooled in both police and liberal subjects, which included Practical Police Duties, Criminal Law, Criminal Investigations, Law of Evidence, Acts and Decrees, Fundamental Human Rights and Social Psychology.
The Overall Best Recruit award went to General Recruit Joshua Kwofie.
Story: Mary Mensah & Francis Kyei
The Police Administration says it has put in place all it takes to achieve a peaceful presidential run-off on December 28, 2008 and a smooth transfer of power on January 7, 2009.
It said it would continue to ensure that Ghana went through an incident-free transition as far as internal security and the services of the police were concerned.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, gave the assurances yesterday at the passing out parade of the fourth batch of 116 recruits who have successfully completed their basic training at the National Police Training School in Accra.
He attributed the success of the elections on December 7, 2008 to the co-operation and co-ordination of the Police Service and its sister security agencies and noted that the professional display by the police and allied security agencies was duly acknowledged and lauded not only in Ghana but also internationally and hoped that the same mechanism of professionalism would be adopted to ensure peace during the run-off and the period of transition.
DCOP Adu-Poku cautioned the recruits against the indiscriminate and unjustifiable use of firearms, brutalisation of innocent people and suspects, bribery and corruption, indiscipline, among others.
The director-general urged the recruits to bear in mind that they were under an 18-month probation and that any breach of discipline on the part of any of them would attract appropriate disciplinary action that could end his or her career prematurely, adding, “Your confirmation after the probation period will depend on your loyalty, good conduct and commitment to duty.”
He said the three core pillars of policing were the exhibition of professionalism, discipline and correct usage of discretion, noting that as members of the profession they were expected to follow the regulations in the service instructions and be conversant with the provisions of the Police Service Act and other statutes governing the service.
DCOP Adu-Poku stated that enforcing the law in society today was not an easy task, adding, however, that as professionals who were well trained, their knowledge and skills in handling issues of human rights and modern law enforcement techniques must reflect in their performance as police officers.
The training of the 116 recruits, who are all males, took six months, during which they were schooled in both police and liberal subjects, which included Practical Police Duties, Criminal Law, Criminal Investigations, Law of Evidence, Acts and Decrees, Fundamental Human Rights and Social Psychology.
The Overall Best Recruit award went to General Recruit Joshua Kwofie.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
PRIVATE SECURITY EMPLOYEES SIGN BARGAINING AGREEMENT (Page 30)
11/12/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
A collective agreement to improve upon the salaries and working conditions of private security employees has been signed by the Association of Private Security Organisations Ghana (APSOG) and the Union of Private Security Employees (UPSEG).
Under the agreement the employees will earn specific wages, benefits, and after working for six years or more they will be paid end of service benefits and other remunerations.
The Chairman of APSOG, Nana Adu Agyemang IV, signed for the employers while Nana Kofi Adu II, Chairman of UPSEG, signed for the employees.
In an address. Nana Agyemang IV said initially the APSOG refused to have its employees unionised because they felt that they operated under the police act, since the police were not unionised, but after careful study of laws governing employment they decided to change their stance.
He said currently there were many security companies operating in the country, and that it was very important that they re-organised and restructured their operations in order to meet the expectations of their clients and employees.
He urged the employees to abide by the rules and regulations of their companies and work very hard in order to merit increased salaries.
The Chairman of UPSEG said initially workers received as low as Gh¢40 as their salaries but with the new agreement employees will earn GH¢80 or more.
He said currently there were 115 private security companies which had been licensed to operate by the Interior Ministry but there were over 300 companies operating without valid licence throughout the country.
He said the agreement covered only 60 companies which were members of the union, and added that there are over 8,000 active members.
According to him members of Private Security companies were being educated and trained to be on standby as they would be called to support the security agencies if the need arose during the elections.
For his part, the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, said the ceremony would go down in the history of the country, and urged both parties to be faithful, loyal and law abiding in their operations.
He said some people were not comfortable with the operations of the private security companies, so the ministry had set up a three member committee to look into their operations.
He advised them to work hand in hand with the police by reporting the activities of criminals and other miscreants in society to them.
Mr Mohammed Affum, the Public Affairs Officer of the National Labour Commission (NLC), commended the two groups for concluding the agreement, which is a legally binding contract that embodies the terms and conditions of employment of the workers.
He said the document which also spelt out the respective rights and duties of the workers and management was a bold step taken to prevent and manage conflict in the labour market.
The Public Affairs Officer said the process of workers negotiating their terms and conditions of service with their employers represented an important element of industrial relations which meant giving voice to workers.
He expressed the hope that in the implementation and application of the provisions of the agreement both parties would seek guidance from the same understanding that characterised the negotiations.
Mr Affum gave the assurance that the NLC was ever ready to assist both parties in ensuring harmony for increased productivity, profit and growth.
Story: Mary Mensah
A collective agreement to improve upon the salaries and working conditions of private security employees has been signed by the Association of Private Security Organisations Ghana (APSOG) and the Union of Private Security Employees (UPSEG).
Under the agreement the employees will earn specific wages, benefits, and after working for six years or more they will be paid end of service benefits and other remunerations.
The Chairman of APSOG, Nana Adu Agyemang IV, signed for the employers while Nana Kofi Adu II, Chairman of UPSEG, signed for the employees.
In an address. Nana Agyemang IV said initially the APSOG refused to have its employees unionised because they felt that they operated under the police act, since the police were not unionised, but after careful study of laws governing employment they decided to change their stance.
He said currently there were many security companies operating in the country, and that it was very important that they re-organised and restructured their operations in order to meet the expectations of their clients and employees.
He urged the employees to abide by the rules and regulations of their companies and work very hard in order to merit increased salaries.
The Chairman of UPSEG said initially workers received as low as Gh¢40 as their salaries but with the new agreement employees will earn GH¢80 or more.
He said currently there were 115 private security companies which had been licensed to operate by the Interior Ministry but there were over 300 companies operating without valid licence throughout the country.
He said the agreement covered only 60 companies which were members of the union, and added that there are over 8,000 active members.
According to him members of Private Security companies were being educated and trained to be on standby as they would be called to support the security agencies if the need arose during the elections.
For his part, the Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, said the ceremony would go down in the history of the country, and urged both parties to be faithful, loyal and law abiding in their operations.
He said some people were not comfortable with the operations of the private security companies, so the ministry had set up a three member committee to look into their operations.
He advised them to work hand in hand with the police by reporting the activities of criminals and other miscreants in society to them.
Mr Mohammed Affum, the Public Affairs Officer of the National Labour Commission (NLC), commended the two groups for concluding the agreement, which is a legally binding contract that embodies the terms and conditions of employment of the workers.
He said the document which also spelt out the respective rights and duties of the workers and management was a bold step taken to prevent and manage conflict in the labour market.
The Public Affairs Officer said the process of workers negotiating their terms and conditions of service with their employers represented an important element of industrial relations which meant giving voice to workers.
He expressed the hope that in the implementation and application of the provisions of the agreement both parties would seek guidance from the same understanding that characterised the negotiations.
Mr Affum gave the assurance that the NLC was ever ready to assist both parties in ensuring harmony for increased productivity, profit and growth.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
POLLS, BIG TEST FOR US ALL (Frong Page 1B)
04/12/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
The Presidential Candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Mr Ward Brew has called on all Ghanaians to be very careful about their temperament and reactions during the elections.
He said the Sunday’s election is a very historic event in the life of this great nation and provocation’s can come from all angles despite preparations made to ensure peace.
Mr Ward Brew said everybody is vulnerable but it behoves all to be on guard to avoid any misunderstanding.
He said politics is like a game of sport which must always produce a winner and a loser and if one becomes victorious that does not mean that his opponent is not important or not needed.
‘We need both winners and losers to make the cycle complete and in a democracy the most difficult challenge is how to co-exist with the person you have defeated in an election”, he said.
On his chances, Mr Ward Brew said he has already won the elections because if you go underground you will see that people are clamouring for a party like the DPP without any baggage.
He said people want a fresh start, a new development and a party that will reconcile the whole nation not to divide it.
“When elected as president of this great nation I will put in place a national government which will reconcile the whole nation, all political groups and heal all wounds”, he said.
According to him the CPP government left the country divided and the NDC also followed up by dividing the country and there has been criticisms about sale of government institutions between them and the NPP.
He said the criticisms that characterised the national award in July this year which forced some sections to boycott it shows that all is not well and we need to unite as a country because divided we fall.
He craved the indulgence of the other political parties to stop attacking each other with their adverts in the media and added that all campaign promises cannot materialised in an atmosphere of rancour.
He said society is made up of the living, the dead and the deities and they all have a a role to play in who should lead the country.
Mr Ward Brew indicated that DPP is like King David in the bible, where when God sent Samuel to his fathers house to find a successor to Saul he was not brought forward because he was a non entity but it turn out that he was the chosen one and “though we appear like a non entity, the seat belongs to us because we are the chosen ones”.
Story: Mary Mensah
The Presidential Candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Mr Ward Brew has called on all Ghanaians to be very careful about their temperament and reactions during the elections.
He said the Sunday’s election is a very historic event in the life of this great nation and provocation’s can come from all angles despite preparations made to ensure peace.
Mr Ward Brew said everybody is vulnerable but it behoves all to be on guard to avoid any misunderstanding.
He said politics is like a game of sport which must always produce a winner and a loser and if one becomes victorious that does not mean that his opponent is not important or not needed.
‘We need both winners and losers to make the cycle complete and in a democracy the most difficult challenge is how to co-exist with the person you have defeated in an election”, he said.
On his chances, Mr Ward Brew said he has already won the elections because if you go underground you will see that people are clamouring for a party like the DPP without any baggage.
He said people want a fresh start, a new development and a party that will reconcile the whole nation not to divide it.
“When elected as president of this great nation I will put in place a national government which will reconcile the whole nation, all political groups and heal all wounds”, he said.
According to him the CPP government left the country divided and the NDC also followed up by dividing the country and there has been criticisms about sale of government institutions between them and the NPP.
He said the criticisms that characterised the national award in July this year which forced some sections to boycott it shows that all is not well and we need to unite as a country because divided we fall.
He craved the indulgence of the other political parties to stop attacking each other with their adverts in the media and added that all campaign promises cannot materialised in an atmosphere of rancour.
He said society is made up of the living, the dead and the deities and they all have a a role to play in who should lead the country.
Mr Ward Brew indicated that DPP is like King David in the bible, where when God sent Samuel to his fathers house to find a successor to Saul he was not brought forward because he was a non entity but it turn out that he was the chosen one and “though we appear like a non entity, the seat belongs to us because we are the chosen ones”.
SPECIAL POOLS ORDERLY, Pockets of distractions recorded (Front Page)
03/12/2008
Story: Abdul Aziz & Mary Mensah
A Special voting exercise took place across the country today for security, electoral commission and media personnel who will perform duties on the elections day.
Voting started at the designated centres at 7 am in the morning and its expected to end at 5 pm after which the boxes will be kept under police guard till Sunday before it will be counted.
In the Greater Accra Region voting went on smoothly at most of the centres visited but there were some pockets of confusion at some centres.
At the Osu police barracks voting was halted by the NDC and CPP parliamentary candidates for Korley Klotttey constituency who claimed that the electoral officers were taking down names and polling station numbers and allowing people to vote instead of going according to the list of special voters they have.
Some people also complained that instead of stamping the back of the ballot papers it was signed by the electoral officers.
They challenged the electoral officers that if they continued with the exercise they will reject the voting from that centre and this generated into a heated argument and the police quickly sent a number of patrolmen to the area to avert any clash.
But according to the electoral officer at the police barracks, Mr Clement Adonae 3, 400 eligible voters who will perform special duties were supposed to vote at the centre.
He said the District electoral officer had a meeting with the representatives of the various parties and it was agreed that in order to allow more people to vote before 5 pm instead of going through the long list names should be written so that at the end of the day it will be reconciled.
He said voting started smoothly at 7am but it was stopped by the party representatives saying that because of the process people who are not special voters were being allowed to vote but the problem was resolved and voting continued only to be halted again by the parliamentary candidates.
At the Cantonments Police Station, Burma Hall, Teshie Military Academy, Teshie Police station, Kpeshie Divisional Police Command voting went on smoothly with the same process of writing down names.
At Amasaman apart from an incident where a campaign vehicle of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) pulled at the Electoral Commission near the area where the special voting exercise was taking place which attracted protests from the National Democratic Congress party accredited agent, the voting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere.
The NDC agent protested to the returning officer of the electoral commission who ordered the vehicle to leave the vicinity.
The occupant of the vehicle who was in a flowing Mohammadan gown popularly known in local parlance as ‘jalabia’ complied and jumped into the vehicle sped off.
Mr Richard Wormenor, the returning officer at the polling station said as at 10 am 229 voters had cast their votes from an expected number of 500 voters.
The Kotobabi Police station as at mid day the queues were still long as benches were made available for voters awaiting their turns to vote to sit down while others who could endure stood in the long queues.
Mr Edward Ofei Quansah, the returning officer at the Kotobabi Police Station Polling centre told the Graphic that as at 12.30 in the afternoon 260 people had voted out of a total of 500 expected to vote.
Story: Abdul Aziz & Mary Mensah
A Special voting exercise took place across the country today for security, electoral commission and media personnel who will perform duties on the elections day.
Voting started at the designated centres at 7 am in the morning and its expected to end at 5 pm after which the boxes will be kept under police guard till Sunday before it will be counted.
In the Greater Accra Region voting went on smoothly at most of the centres visited but there were some pockets of confusion at some centres.
At the Osu police barracks voting was halted by the NDC and CPP parliamentary candidates for Korley Klotttey constituency who claimed that the electoral officers were taking down names and polling station numbers and allowing people to vote instead of going according to the list of special voters they have.
Some people also complained that instead of stamping the back of the ballot papers it was signed by the electoral officers.
They challenged the electoral officers that if they continued with the exercise they will reject the voting from that centre and this generated into a heated argument and the police quickly sent a number of patrolmen to the area to avert any clash.
But according to the electoral officer at the police barracks, Mr Clement Adonae 3, 400 eligible voters who will perform special duties were supposed to vote at the centre.
He said the District electoral officer had a meeting with the representatives of the various parties and it was agreed that in order to allow more people to vote before 5 pm instead of going through the long list names should be written so that at the end of the day it will be reconciled.
He said voting started smoothly at 7am but it was stopped by the party representatives saying that because of the process people who are not special voters were being allowed to vote but the problem was resolved and voting continued only to be halted again by the parliamentary candidates.
At the Cantonments Police Station, Burma Hall, Teshie Military Academy, Teshie Police station, Kpeshie Divisional Police Command voting went on smoothly with the same process of writing down names.
At Amasaman apart from an incident where a campaign vehicle of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) pulled at the Electoral Commission near the area where the special voting exercise was taking place which attracted protests from the National Democratic Congress party accredited agent, the voting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere.
The NDC agent protested to the returning officer of the electoral commission who ordered the vehicle to leave the vicinity.
The occupant of the vehicle who was in a flowing Mohammadan gown popularly known in local parlance as ‘jalabia’ complied and jumped into the vehicle sped off.
Mr Richard Wormenor, the returning officer at the polling station said as at 10 am 229 voters had cast their votes from an expected number of 500 voters.
The Kotobabi Police station as at mid day the queues were still long as benches were made available for voters awaiting their turns to vote to sit down while others who could endure stood in the long queues.
Mr Edward Ofei Quansah, the returning officer at the Kotobabi Police Station Polling centre told the Graphic that as at 12.30 in the afternoon 260 people had voted out of a total of 500 expected to vote.
BUSH FIRES COST NATION $210 MILLION ANNUALLY (Page 28)
13/12/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
The Minister of State for the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has stated that bush fires cost the nation a whopping US$210 million every year.
This, he said, was an equivalent to about three per cent of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Launching the 2008/2009 National Bush Fire Prevention Campaign, which was under the theme; ‘Prevent bush fires and save the environment”, at the Fire Academy and Training School in Accra , the minister said an estimated amount of approximately 65,000 hectares representing about three per cent of land was lost annually through human activities including mining and bush fires.
He said this year alone, a total of 88 bush fires were officially recorded and this cost the nation a lot of money.
The minister announced that this year the government has sourced for loans of $15 million and over $49 million from India and the USA respectively to procure fire tenders and they are expected to arrive in the country by next year.
Nana Boahen said since the early 1980s bush fires have become an annual ritual in the country particularly during the harmattan period, consuming large tracts of forest and farmlands bringing in its wake devastating destruction of crops and animals.
He said, the depletion of the forest cover aggravated through bush fires,was drying up water bodies and the drop in the water level of the Akosombo dam which led to the power rationing exercise in the country, was a direct result of this phenomenon.
He said the fire volunteer concept has proven to be the most effective way of dealing with fire disasters and noted that the Ghana National Fire Service has trained 2775 volunteers over the past year, bringing the number of volunteers to 22,000.
The Chief Fire officer, Mr Felix K. Ferkah, noted that to succeed in the fight against bush fires, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies have a huge role to play.
Mr Ferkah called for the amendment of PNDC law 229 on prevention and control of bush fires which has been in existence for over two decades and said the fine of Gh¢2.00 and GH¢10 which the law prescribes cannot be enough deterrent to offenders.
Story: Mary Mensah
The Minister of State for the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has stated that bush fires cost the nation a whopping US$210 million every year.
This, he said, was an equivalent to about three per cent of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Launching the 2008/2009 National Bush Fire Prevention Campaign, which was under the theme; ‘Prevent bush fires and save the environment”, at the Fire Academy and Training School in Accra , the minister said an estimated amount of approximately 65,000 hectares representing about three per cent of land was lost annually through human activities including mining and bush fires.
He said this year alone, a total of 88 bush fires were officially recorded and this cost the nation a lot of money.
The minister announced that this year the government has sourced for loans of $15 million and over $49 million from India and the USA respectively to procure fire tenders and they are expected to arrive in the country by next year.
Nana Boahen said since the early 1980s bush fires have become an annual ritual in the country particularly during the harmattan period, consuming large tracts of forest and farmlands bringing in its wake devastating destruction of crops and animals.
He said, the depletion of the forest cover aggravated through bush fires,was drying up water bodies and the drop in the water level of the Akosombo dam which led to the power rationing exercise in the country, was a direct result of this phenomenon.
He said the fire volunteer concept has proven to be the most effective way of dealing with fire disasters and noted that the Ghana National Fire Service has trained 2775 volunteers over the past year, bringing the number of volunteers to 22,000.
The Chief Fire officer, Mr Felix K. Ferkah, noted that to succeed in the fight against bush fires, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies have a huge role to play.
Mr Ferkah called for the amendment of PNDC law 229 on prevention and control of bush fires which has been in existence for over two decades and said the fine of Gh¢2.00 and GH¢10 which the law prescribes cannot be enough deterrent to offenders.
TWO PUPILS DROWNED AT DANSOMAN BEACH (Page 25)
02/12/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
Two pupils of the Oral Roberts International School at Dansoman got drowned at the Dansoman beach last Friday when they went swimming after being asked by the school authorities to go home and bring their school fees.
The two boys — Joaken Larnyoh, aged 10, and Mohammed Tekpor, nine years — both class three pupils, together with three others, went to the Dansoman beach to swim and the two were swept away by the strong waves.
Narrating the unfortunate incident to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the grandfather of one of the victims, Mr Joshua Yabaku Oblokuteye, who could not hold back his tears, said on Friday while in the house the three other boys wearing only their briefs with sand all over their bodies arrived in a taxi at the house looking frightened and confused.
They informed them that they were sacked from school to go home and bring their school fees but on their way home one of them suggested that they should rather go to the beach to swim and they went.
He said according to the three boys while swimming the two deceased boys, who were the oldest among them, decided to venture into the deep waters and were swept away by the waves without any trace.
They became frightened so they ran away holding their uniforms and that of the two when they met a taxi driver who took them home after narrating the incident to him.
Mr Oblokuteye said a report was quickly made to the Dansoman Police, who accompanied some family members to the beach to inform the fishermen there to be on the lookout for the bodies of the boys.
He said on Sunday, they were informed by the fishermen that the bodies had been washed ashore at the Korle Gonno beach so they went there but the bodies had already been taken away by the Korle-Bu Police.
They proceeded to the police station and they were informed that one of the bodies was washed ashore on Saturday morning and the other on Sunday but both bodies had been deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary awaiting autopsy while investigations were still underway.
He said the school authorities were notified about the incident and the headmaster, Mr Daniel Johnson, together with the proprietor of the school, Mr Albert Osei Kessi, came to plead with the families to forgive them because they did not know that the boys would go elsewhere aside their homes.
Story: Mary Mensah
Two pupils of the Oral Roberts International School at Dansoman got drowned at the Dansoman beach last Friday when they went swimming after being asked by the school authorities to go home and bring their school fees.
The two boys — Joaken Larnyoh, aged 10, and Mohammed Tekpor, nine years — both class three pupils, together with three others, went to the Dansoman beach to swim and the two were swept away by the strong waves.
Narrating the unfortunate incident to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the grandfather of one of the victims, Mr Joshua Yabaku Oblokuteye, who could not hold back his tears, said on Friday while in the house the three other boys wearing only their briefs with sand all over their bodies arrived in a taxi at the house looking frightened and confused.
They informed them that they were sacked from school to go home and bring their school fees but on their way home one of them suggested that they should rather go to the beach to swim and they went.
He said according to the three boys while swimming the two deceased boys, who were the oldest among them, decided to venture into the deep waters and were swept away by the waves without any trace.
They became frightened so they ran away holding their uniforms and that of the two when they met a taxi driver who took them home after narrating the incident to him.
Mr Oblokuteye said a report was quickly made to the Dansoman Police, who accompanied some family members to the beach to inform the fishermen there to be on the lookout for the bodies of the boys.
He said on Sunday, they were informed by the fishermen that the bodies had been washed ashore at the Korle Gonno beach so they went there but the bodies had already been taken away by the Korle-Bu Police.
They proceeded to the police station and they were informed that one of the bodies was washed ashore on Saturday morning and the other on Sunday but both bodies had been deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary awaiting autopsy while investigations were still underway.
He said the school authorities were notified about the incident and the headmaster, Mr Daniel Johnson, together with the proprietor of the school, Mr Albert Osei Kessi, came to plead with the families to forgive them because they did not know that the boys would go elsewhere aside their homes.
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