General News of Wednesday, 12 February 2020

Source: GNA

KTC calls for investigations into alleged serial murders

Baffour Owusu Amankwatia IV, Bantamahene Baffour Owusu Amankwatia IV, Bantamahene

The Kumasi Traditional Council has made a passionate appeal to the government to expedite action on alleged serial murders of women in the metropolis over the last one year.

The alleged development, according to the Council, had thrown Ghana's second largest city into a state of insecurity, explaining that the inexplicable deaths ought to be interrogated as soon as possible.

“To us, the Ghana Police Service seems to be sleeping on their job", Baffour Owusu Amankwatia IV, Bantamahene said.

Making the appeal at a Government Town Hall Meeting and Results Fair in Kumasi, he explained that the security of every nation was paramount to her sustainable development.

He pointed out that what has aggravated the issue was the lack of street lights in most vicinities in the metropolis especially in the night, creating fear amongst women and this does not speak well of a nation recognized as a beacon of peace in the West African sub-Region.

The latest murder to have been reported in the metropolis involved a community nurse, whose lifeless body was found at Sewua, a community in the Bosomtwi District of Ashanti Region.

Meanwhile Reliable security sources in the Ghana Police Service has told the Ghana News Agency that the service was not aware of any murders of women that has a semblance of serial murders per their records in the Ashanti region.

The source however said that the service would be ascertaining its records accordingly.

The source said on the community health nurse allegedly murdered in Sewua, one suspect has just been arrested who is helping Police with investigations and called on the public to continue to volunteer information to help in the fight against crime.

“Demonstrating Fulfilling of our Promises” was the theme for the town hall meeting.

It was designed to afford government a platform to account to stakeholders on the execution of its programmes.

It allowed high ranking government officials to give an empirical account of work executed in various sectors and to take feedback from stakeholders.

The programme held under Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation aimed at promoting inclusive and participatory democracy, creating partnership and decision making at all levels of society.

The forum also served as a conduit for securing first-hand information and feedback from beneficiaries as to whether the flagship programmes were generating the expected results.

Baffour said other development concerns the Council wants them addressed promptly ranged from poor unsanitary conditions and waste management to the lack of septic tanks in most buildings in the metropolis.

He lauded the government for the bold development initiatives it has taken over the last three years, citing the Free Senior High School, One District One Factory, One District One Warehouse, Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export Programmes.

The Bantamahene was hopeful that development programmes and projects being implemented by the government would go a long way to improving the lives of the people and entreated Ghanaians to strive to support those initiatives in the interest of the nation.

Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, said the town hall meeting had been strategized to account for government’s stewardship, while promoting transparent and accountable governance.

On hand to give the keynote address was the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia, who touched on key aspects of the economy that the government had worked seriously to improve, including education, infrastructural and health development, stabilization of the Cedi, gross domestic product and taxation.