Check your Gas prices!

If you ever had any doubt as to what to pay for filling your gas, the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC) may not have a dedicated website to finding out, but I must personally say their efficiency is assured!

You can find out more about them here: http://www.energymin.gov.gh/?page_id=136


Keep safe -- handling your gas!

It's Friday! Time to Step out!

It's become a bit of a cliché to claim Ghanaians go out in style, but thing is the women probably are more stylish than we men! Check out the variety of styles and colours in these designs the women are wearing. Taken on a Sunday, which is the traditional Church day, I was sure to capture all sorts of colours and designs that probably make up the beautiful kaleidoscope of Ghana's culture.

Make your weekend safe! And, might I add, great to be back!

Ghana Votes, #GhanaDecides!

It is election day, and while there have been reports elsewhere of difficulties in voting, overall, voting has been pretty smooth, with orderly lines.

Someone is just saying behind me that this is the "shortest line" he has seen. Well...

When Micro-Narratives are Written by Coverage of a Collapsed Building in Accra

This morning, I was still in my pyjamas when I caught the electrifying speech of newly-re-elected President of the United States Barack Obama. Little did one know that a few hours later--right here in Accra--a narrative would be written,opening up a whole new debate about the country and its attention to regulation--or lack thereof. Coming a few weeks before our general election on 7 December, one can only hope it pricks the consciences of the policy-makers and those who run the Accra metropolis day-by-day. Pictures taken by a facebooker Kobby Blay are posted below to give a sense of the impact.

I cannot help but end with what Journalist at Graphic Communications Samuel K Obour stated on his Facebook status earlier today:

Samuel K. Obour

about an hour ago

I began the day with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, but news of the Melcom building collapse has left me devastated and confused. It's indeed been a terrible day.
I join other well-meaning Ghanaians in praying for souls of those who died in this disaster. 

I especially pray for strength for bereaved families.

Going forward, we must ensure, as progressive Ghanaians, that all necessary measures are taken to rigorously and fully investigate this disaster, and that decisive punitive action is taken against those found to have contributed directly or indirectly to it.
Never again must we experience such a catastrophe in this country.
God bless our homeland Ghana.

If God can bless the USA, God will certainly bless Ghana, too. 

As you look for #Melcolmcollapse on social media, please keep checking http://www.citifmonline.com  for dedicating special news sections on-air and online to the tragedy.

28 Aug 2006 (first major Load-Management in Accra); 28 Aug, 2012...West Africa Gas Pipeline Shuts down?

I am no conspiracy theorist, but if I were a numbers man, I would find this terribly coincidental.

First: 28 August, 2006, I post this on this blog:

"Ghana is, in effect, a hydro-dependent state, predicating its energy survival on rainfall into the dam that is generated into electricity. Currently, we supply electricity to some of our West African neighbours of Togo and Benin, whilst buying some of it from Cote d'Ivoire (according to engineer who spoke on the Accra-based English-speaking private radio station CITI 97.3FM) this morning.
However, as from 28 August--yesterday--the country has been compelled to undergo what Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Volta Regional Authority (VRA) [that supervises/manages the distribution of electricity in the country's Eastern Region] call "National Shedding" Programme.
Although it is expected that rains will fall in the country, the rainfall expected this cool season (July-October) has been very little as compared to the earlier months, where there were thunderstorms almost twice a week in the country (April-June)
The equation is: no rain = no electricity. Therefore, by putting domestic consumers on this "load management" programme, where the capital--divided into six zones--will experience electricity black-outs from 6am-6pm, and 6pm-6am respectively every other third day, energy will be saved for the next fifteen days.-- from: http://accradailyphoto.blogspot.com/2006/08/this-gargantuan-dam-provides-ghana.html

Four years later, the West Africa Gas Pipeline (which sends gas to Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo) posts this on its website:

Ghana, Accra, (August 28, 2012) - The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) operator of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) system has shut down the pipeline system after experiencing a loss of pressure around the Lome segment of the pipeline this morning.

WAPCo has subsequently stopped all gas deliveries to its onshore stations and is working closely with the government agencies and other relevant organisations to investigate the cause of loss of pressure and to ensure safety while rectifying the situation.
For further information please contact:
Mrs. Harriet Wereko-Brobby
General Manager, Corporate Affairs
Telephone: +233 244  334 510
Email: hwerekobrobby@wagpco.comWebsite: www.wagpco.com 

While I leave the mind to boggle in peace, allow me to remind those in Ghana currently experiencing the load-shedding to avail themselves to the number in the picture I captured of our daily this morning.

Whatever we may think about the National Load Shedding, at least we have an idea WHEN it will be off--even if "being off" can go off on its own tangent, if you see what I mean!

Keep safe!

Fire!...by the Accra-Tema Motorway...where is the EPA?

Yesterday evening, I saw this scene of a young kid--around 10yrs--"managing" fire of this magnitude near the Accra-Tema motorway.

Now at the best of times, the motorway is not the most abiding of places for even an adult -- let alone a kid. Never mind the fact that there was serious danger, what with the second-hand tyres piled up nearby, and the fire just by the motorway!

Imagine if that fire had gone out of control? Apart from the habitual shaking-of-the-head (a typical refrain in this country!), I could only wonder where on Earth the Environmental Protection Agency policy on this is?

Sure, it does have a website, but how is its public education? How many people even know that you are NOT supposed to burn material near a motorway. Sure, it might be common-sense, but let us face it: it sure may be common...but not EVERYONE has it. In this respect, a little critical public outreach and education should go some way in people unlearning bad, bad practises...like these!

WAKE UP, EPA!

Here's some information about contacting them. Taken from their website:

Accra East Region

The Regional Officer

Community 22 Tema Greater Accra P. O. Box AS 11 , Ashiaman Ghana accraeast.region@epa.gov.gh 0303 310009 / 0303 312012 http://www.epa.gov.gh Working Hours Monday to Friday 0800 to 1700 Hours

Flagstaff House: Present in Google Maps when the White House is not!

This revelation from the first-ever Africa Media FORUM on Geoinformation Systems was too juicy to leave to oneself.

So now you know how very seriously the US security services take their security--and that of their most important man...!