Lesotho Wire

Fisherfolks along the coastal belt of Anloga, Keta, and the surrounding fishing communities in the Volta Region have experienced some level of bumper harvest in crabs and shrimps.

The abundance of catches, according to them, was a result of the periodic opening and closing of the flood control gate at Azizadzi in 2023.

Mr Setreakor Dzila, a fisherman at Tetekope, a suburb of Keta, in an interaction with the Ghana News Agency, stated that they have never experienced such an increase in catches for decades.

‘The fact is that our catches have increased daily for the past one month which really boosted our economic gains and as we never experienced before.’

Mr Dzila further disclosed that the unexpected increase in their harvest has impacted the economic challenges many fishermen faced in recent times.

He said traders at Keta, Anloga, Akatsi, Denu, Agbozume, and other communities have also witnessed an increase in crabs and shrimp supply which led to easy accessibility for a lower price of products.

‘For so
me years now, we have never experienced such an increase in harvest and my fear is that the bumper catch we have now would not affect our fishing business soon.’

Some other Fisherfolks and traders at Anloga, who spoke to the GNA also expressed happiness over the catches and thanked Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, the Keta Municipal Chief Executive, the engineers, and other authorities for opening and closing the floodgate.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, engineers opened the Azizadzi floodgate and the sand bar which allowed the Lagoon to flow easily into the sea that had reduced the flooding situations in the communities along the coastal belt due to the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.

The floodgate was later closed by engineers who did thorough consultation and studies after the water level in the flooded communities receded.

The communities are, however, appealing to the authorities responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the control gate to do so.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kenya and world sport, are mourning the death of marathon world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum, who died at age 24 in a car accident on Sunday night in his home country.

Kiptum died together with his coach Gervais Hakizimana, who was in the car with him, in the accident along Eldoret-Kaptagat Road in Kenya, the ruling body World Athletics said in an obituary.

Kiptum dethroned countryman Eliud Kipchoge as world record holder by 34 seconds, with a time of 2 hours 35 seconds last October in Chicago.

He was tipped to become the first man to go below 2 hours in a regular race, after Kipchoge had achieved the feat under lab conditions, which don’t allow ratification as a record.

Kipchoge said on social media he was ‘deeply saddened by the tragic passing’ of Kiptum, ‘an athlete who had a whole life ahead of him to achieve incredible greatness.’

Multiple world and Olympic distance running champion, Mo Farah of Britain said on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Kelvin was an amazingly talented athlete, and had already achieved
so much.

‘He truly had a special talent, and I have no doubt he would have gone on to have had an incredible career.’

World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, said in a federation obituary: ‘We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.’

‘On behalf of all World Athletics, we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation.

‘An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.’

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, Thomas Bach, also reacted shocked.

‘It is with extreme sadness that I learnt of the tragic passing of world marathon record-holder Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya in a car accident,’ Bach said on the IOC account on X.

‘We had been looking forward to welcoming him into the Olympic community at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and seeing what the fastest marathon runner in the world could achieve.’

In Kenya, the nation’s president, William Ruto, said on X
that ‘Kiptum was our future.

‘Kelvin Kiptum was a star. Arguably one of the world’s finest sportsmen who broke barriers to secure a marathon record. An extraordinary sportsman has left an extraordinary mark in the globe. Our thoughts are with the family and the sporting fraternity. Rest In Peace,’ Ruto said.

Sports minister Ababu Namwamba said that ‘the cruel hand of death has robbed Kenya and the world a truly precious sporting gem.

‘Kelvin was only getting started, and was destined to rule the world of elite marathon running for long. My deepest condolences to the family of Kelvin and the entire athletics and sporting fraternity. Rest well champion,’ he said on X.

Kiptum only started running seriously from age 13, and unlike other marathon greats, never really spent any time on stadium tracks.

He arrived on the scene in December 2022 in Valencia, with the fastest ever debut over the 42.195 kilometres, 2:01:52 hours. In April he won the London Marathon in 2:01:25 before getting the record in Chicago.

K
iptum was set to run his next marathon in April in Rotterdam, which also has the reputation of a very fast course.

That ended on Sunday night at around 11pm, when according to news reports, citing local police, Kiptum as the driver, lost control of the car, swerved off the road, and hit a tree before coming to a standstill in a ditch. No other vehicles were reportedly involved.

Kiptum and Hakizimana died on the scene, while a female passenger was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Akatsi Police in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region, has arrested three suspects for allegedly killing a 31-year-old man at Wlitey-Agamakope

The deceased, Christopher Alavi, who lived at Ziope, until the revelation, went missing after he left home to attend a family meeting at Lume Ahugakope on September 7, 2023.

Mr Agbenyega Klaye, the regent of Wlitey-Gamakope, a suburb of Akatsi, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Simon Dorve, the prime suspect, aged 41, is a fetish priest and resident in the area.

He expressed surprise about the alleged act, in which the suspect himself had since confessed to having murdered the deceased, with his head and both legs removed for some ritual purposes.

A Police source has confirmed the arrest of Mr Dorve and his other two accomplices to the GNA.

The source revealed that a complaint was made to the Akatsi Police about the missing of the deceased.

The source revealed that upon further investigations, two suspects, namely Godfred, a stude
nt, and Ahomey Gbeti, also a fetish priest, were arrested for having in their possession, some belongings of the deceased.

‘After interrogation, Ahomey Gbeti confessed to having committed the crime with the main suspect, whose custody the deceased’s motorbike and body was found, with some body parts buried,’ the source said.

Mr Dorve was subsequently arrested on Saturday dawn, February 10, at Wlitey-Gamakope to assist in investigations.

It was disclosed to the GNA that the Police would proceed to the community on Monday, February 12, where the crime was committed to exhume the remaining body for further action.

The suspects, who were arraigned at the Akatsi Magistrate Court on Monday, have been remanded into Police custody and will reappear on March 13.

The crime, added to two, within a space of a week in the Municipality, after a similar one was committed by another fetish priest at Dzuefe, where he was alleged to have killed his son.

Source: Ghana News Agency