Category: General

OMUTHIYA: The Namibian Police Force's Regional Commander for Oshikoto, Theopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku is encouraging police officers in the respective portfolios to come up with crime prevention initiatives to ensure that the force is relevant in the modern policing world. Kalompo-Nashikaku said during the promotion of officers and conferment of ranks at the NamPol Oshikoto regional headquarters in Omuthiya on Friday, that they should devise new operational strategies and tactics to ensure that the police in Oshikoto remain relevant. She said police officers should cooperate with other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to effectively tackle new crime strategies. 'As police officers, we need to deliver the best service to the nation,' said Kalompo-Nashikaku. She also called on the police officers to work hard so they can be promoted to other ranks. 'Members of the force are promoted in recognition of their commitment and dedication to national duties. A promotion is not a mere reward,' she added. A total of 37 police officers were promoted to various police force ranks such as warrant officers, inspectors, and chief inspectors on Friday effective on 01 February 2024. Nineteen are male and 18 female. Kalompo-Nashikaku said the newly promoted staff should continue working hard, maintaining a high level of discipline, and improving service delivery. She also stressed that promotion comes with huge responsibilities that include a high level of accountability, commitment and honesty in upholding the rule of law. 'You should not relax and feel that you have now become bosses, remember that you are police officers and you have to serve and protect people,' said Kalompo-Nashikaku. Source: Namibia Press Agency

The Ashanti Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has outlined strategies to promote responsible road behaviour for the year 2024. The target is to bring down fatalities on the roads this year by working closely with relevant stakeholders, especially road users. Mr Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Regional Head of the Authority in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said his outfit would focus on the critical road user risk groups such as passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and tricycle riders in the region. 'We are looking at the safety of vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and motorcycle riders as our main focus this quarter,' he reiterated. To address vehicle occupant safety, the Regional Head said, they would do a lot of enforcement of road safety standards at lorry terminals, as well as major highways. The Authority would also enforce operational standards which involved audits, during which vehicle and driver standards would be examined to ensure they were worthy for the road . Mr Boateng said passenger engagements at lorry terminals would also be intensified by enlightening them on their responsibilities including how to handle passenger-driver conflicts and over speeding issues. The passengers, he said, would also be sensitised on basic road safety regulations, to empower them to always insist on road safety practices. 'If you want to travel at night and the vehicle you are about to board has no reflective tapes, I don't think you should go ahead and put your life at risk,' he advised. He said pedestrian safety especially at school zones would also be prioritised as part of efforts to address knockdowns at such crossings. 'There will be a lot of sensitisations for school children and teachers on the need to be safe along the highways to make them responsible road users,' he added. He said the education would also be extended to community members along highways, especially in rural areas where over speeding was very common, compelling residents to construct unauthorised spe ed humps. 'What we have noticed is that these unauthorised speed humps are reactions to over speeding, so we will take them through the right channels to engage road agencies on how to construct proper speed humps,' Mr Boateng said On reducing motorcycle and tricycle accidents, he said the NRSA would embark on road safety education in mosques and identifiable tricycle rider groups where he believed most of the riders could be reached. He said their objective was to encourage the usage of helmets to reduce fatalities when motorcycles were involved in accidents. Source: Ghana News Agency

Infrastructure, healthcare and employment for youth top the priorities advanced by candidates in Oued Maaden in Nefza (governorate of Béja). Hedi El Moussi (35.32% of votes in the first round) told TAP he was pushed by the desire to find a solution to the issue of youth employment when he stood for local elections. Infrastructure and the creation of a local basic healthcare centre were his main pledges along with enouraging agriculture and providing social assistance to low-income households . Lotfi Abdelli (44.95% of first round votes) undertook to build bridges and rehabilitate roads and rural tracks to break the isolation of the region. Drinking water supply and creating mountain lakes for irrigation are additional pledges. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

WINDHOEK: The Lufthansa Group, through its subsidiary Discover Airlines, has rewarded Paragon Aviation Services with numerous distinctions in appreciation for Paragon Aviation Services' (PAS) service at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA). The accolade is in lieu of Discover Airlines' exemplary services. The airline was represented by Thomas Stein, the Regional Manager of Ground Operations for Africa and Paul Havenga, Windhoek Station Manager at the award ceremony which was held on Sunday in Windhoek, Namibia. Paragon Aviation Services is the licensed provider of ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport. These services include passenger services, ramp and baggage handling, cargo services, meet and greet and private aircraft charter services. Desmond Amunyela, Executive Director of Paragon Aviation Services, in a press release on Wednesday expressed the company's dedication to delivering exceptional service in a safe, secure and on-time performance environment to all its custome r airlines calling on HKIA. ''This award serves as a vote of confidence from one of our largest clients and it further cements PAS' capacity and credibility as a competitive aviation ground handler in the region and beyond. A special thanks should go to our dedicated colleagues in various departments. The commitment of our all-Namibian workforce, highlights the company's ability to push boundaries and offer new end-to-end logistics solutions to its clients and customers,' Amunyela added. He said Paragon Aviation Services began providing ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport on 19 August 2023. Paragon was further praised for its steadfast efforts in bringing about a stable ground handling environment at Hosea Kutako International Airport immediately after its much-publicised precarious takeover at the airport last year, he added. Paragon Aviation Services handles approximately 87 scheduled flights turnaround weekly as well as various private aircraft with more than 1 400 passengers per day, Amunyela said. The Lufthansa Group also awarded the Paragon Premium Business Lounge at HKIA with an award for providing exceptional services to its business class and loyalty club members. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Mrs Cecilia Ankomah, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Ashaiman Polyclinic's Wellness Clinic, has reiterated the call on women to regularly take cervical cancer tests for early diagnosis. Mrs Ankomah, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said early diagnosis makes a lot of difference in treatment, as the initiation of treatment could start before the cancer advances and becomes complicated. She said that depending on the stage of cervical cancer, treatment could include the removal of the uterus, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. She noted that regular Pap smears and HPV tests could help detect cervical cancer early, explaining that Cervical cancer, she noted, was a malignant tumour of the cervix, which was the lowermost part of the uterus. She said cervical cancer did not usually show symptoms at the very early stages, adding that the first signs of cervical cancer might take years to develop. The principal nursing officer added that cervical cancer was caused by the human papillo ma virus (HPV), which was transmitted sexually. She said women at risk of contracting cervical cancer were those who started sexual activities at a younger age, especially before the age of 18. Another risk factor, she said, was having multiple sexual partners and those infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, as they had a suppressed immune system. Mrs Ankomah further said that having a family history of cancer and engaging in smoking could also serve as risk factors for getting cervical cancer. She said when the cancer is advanced, patients could experience painful sexual intercourse, vaginal bleeding after intercourse or after menopause, foul-smelling watery or bloody vaginal discharge, and heavier menstrual periods that might last longer than usual. She stated that to avoid going through the pain and financial burden of having cervical cancer, all sexually active women must have a pap smear every two to three years for early detection. She said the Ashaiman Polyclinic, as part of measures to pr omote testing, provided free testing for all women at its family planning unit during the one-month-long cervical cancer awareness month. Source: Ghana News Agency