Eastern Region in 2021: Year of calamities, royal deaths, development
In the year under review, the Eastern Region witnessed calamities, royal deaths, the invention of a new form of charcoal from coconut husks and the beginning of the development of the GH¢10 million Jackson Park project to serve as a multi-purpose centre in Koforidua, the regional capital.
In February, 16 persons perished in a gory motor accident at Akyem Asafo, which lies within the region's stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway.
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The accident involved two vehicles, VIP branded KIA Grandbird buses. Thirteen males and three females died on the spot.
The dead included the two drivers of both vehicles with registration numbers GT5629-18 and GE5510-15.
The accident, which occurred on a Friday at about 1:30 a.m., left many passengers also critically injured, with some admitted to the emergency wards of the Akyem Asafo Health Centre and the Suhum Government Hospital.
Invention
In March, coconut husks, which used to be thrown away after extracting the nuts, became useful when a local producer of charcoal briskets started producing charcoal from the husks.
The producer, after converting the coconut husks into charcoal, was given the permit to export the product to Canada, Mexico and the United States of America (USA).
The coconut husks used to produce the charcoal
The opportunity will enable the producer, Zaacoal Company Limited, a local producer of clean energy fuel, to expand its production and contribute to saving the environment as well as employ more people, especially the youth.
The company has already put the coconut husks charcoal on the local market.
Court demolition
The month of April began with the demolition of the rickety building housing the Koforidua Circuit Court 'A' situated in the centre of the town.
The demolition exercise was ordered by the Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah, to be replaced with a modern court complex building.
According to the Chief Justice, the old building did not befit the circuit court and as such needed to be replaced with a modern building.
The new building had already taken shape when the Chief Justice advised the New Juaben South Assembly to properly supervise the construction work for its early completion.
Justice Anin Yeboah also ordered the assembly to relocate squatters on the premises of the court.
Daasebre's death
The February road crash was followed by another painful and sorrowful event in August, which was the sad demise of the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Professor Emeritus Oti Boateng.
That was followed by the death of the Paramount Queen-mother of New Juaben, Nana Yaa Daani II. Both are yet to be buried.
Early on, the Oyokohene, Nana Kodua Kesse, also passed away and has since been buried and the final funeral rites performed.
Akim Oda market inferno
Fire gutted the Akim Oda Market, one of the biggest and busiest trading centres in the region. Goods worth thousands of cedis were destroyed in many of the shops.
That tragedy led to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ordering the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) to assist the traders when he visited the market. MASLOC later supported the affected traders with GH¢1 million.
The President took time off his schedule while on a visit to the region to visit the scene of the fire.
Menstrual cups
The year came to a close with smiles from adolescent school girls within the New Juaben North Municipality.
This is because such girls were supplied with specially designed menstrual cups by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) known as Could You?, based in the United States of America.
The specially designed menstrual cups
The menstrual cups can contain menstrual blood for some time before being emptied and can be reused for a period of 10 years before being discarded.
Some of the beneficiary schools are the Presbyterian JHS, SDA JHS, Methodist JHS, Roman Catholic JHS and Anglican JHS.
The menstrual cup, which will be piloted over a period, will ensure that the school girls menstruate with ease and comfort without anybody noticing it during classes.
The cups will also enable the girls to attend school regularly during their menstrual periods. Already, some African countries are using the menstrual cups.
Krobo - ECG tension
Tension heightened between residents in the Krobo area and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over the payment of electricity bills, which the residents complained of being outrageous.
The tension resulted in an attack by some of the residents on officials of the ECG, which compelled the company to cut power to the area.
To diffuse the tension, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, visited the area and assured residents and officials of the ECG of police protection.
The ECG after a number of consultations restored power to the area.