Eddie's Dailies

Ibrahaim Oppong Kwarteng, Executive Director, CCF THE Crime Check Foundation (CCF), an advocacy group centred on projecting the welfare of prisoners, has called for the establishment of the office of the Chief Inspector of Prisons as an independent body to steer the affairs of the Ghana Prison Service (GPS). At a press conference in Accra last Tuesday, the Executive Director of the CCF, Mr Ibrahaim Oppong Kwarteng observed that the current structures, which he said required the Director General of the GPS to work under the Minister of Interior, hindered an effective supervision of the institution. According to him, the Minister of Interior was burdened with other supervisory duties, hence the need for an independent office whose mandate would be to focus on the operations of the GPS and ensure its efficiency. “The office which will be insulated from political control will ensure that the Chief Inspector of Prisons conduct periodic visits to the Prisons report on ...

THE blockage of drains on the Kaneshie-Odokor-Malam stretch, largely due to the irresponsible disposal of waste into them has resulted in a heavy spillage of waste water onto the outer lanes of the road. The underground drains stretching between the Darkuman junction and the Odorkor traffic light had been clogged with silt, hence, forcing the running water to gush out from the various silt-traps chambers onto the dual carriage. To compound to problem, an unpleasant stench emanated from the spilled water, a situation which exposed motorists and pedestrians to lung-related ailments and other discomforts. The problem has been identified as a root cause to the perennial flooding of the area. The problem The dual carriage has an in-built single cell pipe culvert of 1.2 meters. It consists of chambers constructed at every 30-50 meters to serve as entry points for smaller drains usually connected from homes, offices, and other sources. As part of mechanisms ...

Some Ghanaians have expressed displeasure at the intended increment in the price of sachet water from 20Gp to 30Gp, representing a 50 per cent increment. For most consumers, sachet water is the only source of drinking water and a rise in its price will affect their daily expenditure. Reactions In an interview with the Eddies Dailies, Ms Esther Okai, a food vendor and mother of four, said: “If we should be sincere with ourselves, the initial price of 20Gp is expensive. If we have to pay more for drinking water, then I will also consider reviewing the price of my food.” For his part, Mr Kwame Adu, a cobbler who plies his trade at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra, claimed that he drank not less than 12 sachets a day and, therefore, he could not afford to spend about GH¢4 daily on water. “This means I will have to reduce my consumption, which will be a difficult thing to do because water is life,” he added. Some pupils of the Mantse Tackie Liberty School at Adabr...

A medicine peddler plying his trade along the Accra rail way lines PEDDLERS of medicine are doing brisk business in some markets and lorry parks in Accra, selling medicines that even chemical sellers by law are not permitted to dispense. Eddies Dailies has observed that the activity is prevalent in the Kaneshie, Agbobloshie, Makola, Kantamanto and Okaishie markets and some lorry parks and streets in the capital, including the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange area and the Tema Station. The peddlers sell medicines such as Tramadol, Cytotec, Dexacorten, painkillers, steroids, multivitamins, aphrodisiacs, butt enlargement pills, among others, that are packaged in transparent plastic bags and carried around in baskets. Some of the drugs, such as Tramadol, Dexacorten and Cytotec, fall under the Food and Drugs Authority’s (FDA’s) category of medicines that are to be sold on prescription. Aside from that, the peddling of medicine contravenes Section 110 of the Health Profes...

The deteriorated toilet facility Obosomase, a town located in the Akuapim North District has only three public toilet facilities serving residents in the town. All of the three facilities were constructed decades ago at a time when the town’s population was not large. The town now has an estimated population of about 5,000 people. Interestingly, in spite of Obosomase’s steady growing population, there has not been any corresponding increase in public toilet facilities. Furthermore, majority of households do not have toilet facilities thereby making the existing facilities the only places of convenience for hundreds of residents.  The situation has become a source of discomfort for users, some of whom have to queue for long hours on a daily basis to have access to the toilets. In moments of acute need, usually in the mornings, some residents who are unable to withstand the pressure, particularly women and children, are left with no option but to enter th...