GRi Newsreel Ghana 10 –04 - 2000
President Rawlings grants amnesty to 70
Bagbin urges to resolve running mate issue
Running mate is not an issue for Ho congress - Progressive Alliance
Mamponghene has no right to destool me – Jamasihemaa
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 April 2000
President Jerry John Rawlings has,
on the recommendations of the Prisons Service and in consultation with the
Council of State, granted amnesty to a number of prisoners.
The amnesty, which is categorised,
covers 70 first offenders serving sentences of between 10 and 20 years who have
served one third of their sentences without remission.
They are to have their sentences
reduced by half, except those convicted for offences of rape, robbery and
narcotics.
This was contained in a release
issued by the Minister of the Interior, Nii Okaija Adamafio, in Accra on
Saturday.
The release said 23 first
offenders serving sentences of over 20 years and have served at least seven
years are to also have their sentences reduced to 10 years.
Also covered under the pardon
includes a number of first offenders serving sentences of less than 10 years
who have served one third of their sentences, it said adding that over 1,000
prisoners in this category are to be released except those convicted for
offences of rape, robbery and narcotics.
The release said two other persons
are to be released from Prisons custody. They are Captain Edward Adjei Ampofo
(Rtd) and Sergeant Oduro Frimpong who were convicted in 1983 and 1985
respectively and sentenced to death for subversion.
The two benefited from a previous
amnesty in 1997 when the death sentence passed on them was commuted to life
imprisonment. They have each served over 16 years in prison. The president has
directed a further review of cases of senior military and non-commissioned
officers some of whom have remained in exile over several years, the release
added.
It said the President has convened
a special medical board to examine 156 prisoners identified as being seriously
ill or aged to make recommendations for consideration.
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Bagbin urges to resolve
running mate issue
Sankana (Upper West) 10 April 2000
Mr Alban Bagbin, Member of
Parliament for Nadowli North, on Saturday called on all National Democratic
Congress (NDC) members and sympathisers to devote time to negotiate the issue
of a running mate for Vice President John Evans Atta Mills.
That should be done rather than
"washing our dirty clothes in public", he said adding that although
every member of the NDC has the democratic rights to seek for good governance,
the utterances of some members were going beyond the confines of party
discipline.
The party should choose someone
with proven qualities and good reputation that could advance the activities of
the party and the nation in general, and "not to be supporting people on
tribal and parochial considerations".
The MP, who was interacting with
newsmen at Sankana in the Nadowli District, said the NDC would increase its
winning percentage from about 60 per cent in 1996 to about 85 per cent this
year.
"Although I am facing two
strong people in the primaries I know I will clear them and go ahead to win the
parliamentary seat with about 90 per cent in my constituency", he added.
"If any of the 199 MPs
decides to contest with me in my constituency, I know I will still win
it", he said adding that since 1992 he has discharged his duties
creditably, which has made him a marketable candidate in both his constituency
and in Parliament.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 April
2000
The National Consultative
Committee of the Progressive Alliance says, "the main item on the agenda
for the Ho congress is the selection of the flag-bearer for year 2000 election.
"It will, therefore, not
countenance any diversionary action by any persons or group of persons that
would seek to distract the attention of the Congress from its main
objective"
A press statement signed by Alhaji
Huudu Yahaya, NDC General Secretary, after a National Consultative Committee
meeting of the Alliance on Friday cautioned all groups or individuals
purporting to speak in favour of certain personalities or ethnic groupings on
the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) presidential running mate for this
year's elections to desist from doing so.
It said some of the statements
that come from groups claiming affiliation with the NDC or other parties in the
Alliance comprising EGLE Party, Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP) and NDC have
tended to undermine unity and solidarity and "have the effect of playing
into the hands of the party's detractors".
The statement reminded members and
supporters of the parties in the Alliance that the position of a running mate
is not an elective one.
"By convention the selection
of a running mate is considered only after a National Delegates' Congress has
taken a decision on who the party's presidential candidate will be".
"In this regard the selection
of the running mate for the year 2000 election will only be considered after
the forthcoming extraordinary delegates' congress of the NDC at Ho".
The statement said "all party
members and supporters of the parties in the Alliance should recognise and
respect this convention and cease forthwith the publication of statements that
have the potential of causing unnecessary friction and acrimony among party
members"
The selection of a running mate
entails among other things, broad consultation within the Alliance and its
affiliate bodies.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10 April 2000
Nana Akua Boatemaa Amankwaa-Owi, Queenmother of Jamasi, has declared that her purported destoolment by the Mamponghene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu II, is invalid and contrary to Asante custom.
She contended that Mamponghene has no power to either enstool or destool her as Queenmother of Jamasi.
In a statement issued in Kumasi on Saturday in re-action to the reported decision by the Asante-Mampong Traditional Council presided over by Daasebre Osei Bonsu at its sitting on 4 April for her to relinquish her position as Jamasihemaa, Nana Amankwaa-Owi maintained that the proceeding of the council against her and the decisions taken were null and void and of no consequence except to foment troubles, which could lead to the breach of peace at Jamasi.
She pointed out that under Asante customary law, only the lawfully enstooled chief of a given town can enstool a Queenmother for that town.
She said the purported directive to the kingmakers of Jamasi by Mamponghene to enstool a new Queenmother for the town is contemptuous of time honoured and Well-settled Asante customary law.
"Indeed, if Asante custom permits kingmakers to enstool a Queenmother, then since charity begins at home, the kingmakers of Mampong would have enstooled a Queenmother for the town when the Mamponghemaa died at a time when the Amaniampong stool of Mampong was also vacant", she added.
Nana Amankwaa-Owi debunked the claim by the Mampong Traditional Council that she was acting Queenmother and cited a ruling by the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs Judicial Committee that held that she was the Queenmother of Jamasi having been lawfully enstooled in 1980. She made clear her intention to challenge Daasebre Osei Bonsu at the appropriate forum.
It may be recalled that the Mampong Traditional Council last Tuesday declared the Jamasihemaa destooled and directed the kingmakers of Jamasi to enstool a new Queenmother for the town. The new Jamasihemaa to be enstooled is expected to swear oath of allegiance to the Mamponghene on Monday, 10 April.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 April 2000
The Federation of Environmental
Journalists (FEJ) has called for the reduction of the price of Liquefied
Petroleum Gas (LP Gas) to make it affordable and to protect the environment.
It said recent increases in the
price of LP Gas have made it expensive and "out of the reach of the
ordinary person in the lower income bracket".
A statement in Accra signed by Mr
Emmanuel Kojo Kwarteng, Programmes Co-ordinator and Mr Severious Kale Dery,
Head of Communications of FEJ, said the high price of LP Gas is scaring away
potential users and negating the environmental concerns for its popularisation.
"The increases have succeeded
in driving away some users who have reverted to the use of charcoal and
firewood because the prices of charcoal and firewood are cheaper compared to LP
Gas".
The Federation explained that high
demand for charcoal and fire wood calls for the cutting of more trees, which
leads to deforestation.
It said the high price of LP GAS
would promote the activities of illegal chain saw operators and negate efforts
to stop them.
The Federation said between June
1999 and March this year, the price of LP Gas has gone up more than five times,
which experts say is at about 60 per cent more than petrol and other petroleum
products.
The statement noted that the
nation-wide promotion of the use of LP Gas did not have revenue generation as a
target but was purely a move to save the environment for future generation and
described arguments for the increases as unacceptable.
The Federation reminded the
security agencies on the legislation banning the use of LP Gas in vehicles and
urged them to strictly enforce it.
GRi./