Danyo urges farmers
to be wary of politicians
NPP sure of victory through active involvement of youth
Load-shedding exercise is over -ECG
Census mopping-up exercise takes off
Tamale Police arrests seven suspected
criminals in a swoop
We won't allow investors to enslave us-CWU
Twifo Praso(Central Region) 11
April 2000
Mr. Emmanuel Tetteh Danyo,
national organiser of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen
(GHNAFF) has asked members of the association to be careful of
"pledge-making politicians who will promise them everything but fulfil
nothing."
Addressing farmers at Twifo-Praso
in the Central region, Mr. Danyo urged members to ensure that honest and
dedicated people who are committed to the goals and aspirations of farmers and
fishermen are voted to power.
He charged farmers and fishermen
to be abreast with the government’s policies on the socio-economic development
of their communities and the country, and advised them to take the forthcoming
voters registration review exercise seriously. The exercise is scheduled to
start on 15 April.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 April 2000
A 10-day seminar aimed at
harmonising relations between the military and the civilian population began on
Monday at the Armed Forces Staff College, at Teshie.
Forty participants drawn from the
media, Parliament, academia, the Ghana Bar Association and the military are
attending the seminar, which is the fifth in the series that started in 1996.
Four US military officers attached
to the US-based Defence Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) who
have lectured in six African countries on the subject will be leading the
discussions.
The seminar, which costs 60,000
dollars is being organised by the United States government in collaboration
with the Ministry of Defence.
Mrs. Catherine Dee Robinson, US
ambassador, said the seminar would help civilians and military personnel
understand each other, especially, at a time when Ghana is nurturing her young
democracy, adding that if the two sides fail to co-exist peaceful, society
disintegrates and mistrust rules.
GRi../
Mr. Kofi Attor, the deputy general
secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said no member of
parliament (MP) will be prevented from contesting this year's elections on the
party's ticket on account of perceived non-performance unless they decide to
step down.
At a get-together organised by MPs
for Ho Central, East and West, at Ho for media practitioners, he said the party
would only drop an incumbent MP from contesting on its ticket only on proven
allegations of serious misconduct.
The occasion was to brief the
media practitioners on preparations towards the party's fifth delegates
congress scheduled for Ho this month, the objectives of the congress and the
future of the road sector in the region.
Mr. Attor who is the MP for Ho
Central said the party would therefore not bend to political manoeuvring by
elements within it whose aim is to put their political ambitions above that of
the party.
He said the party has laid down
procedures for selecting its parliamentary candidates and "all those who
want to be MPs will have to apply to a committee set up for that purpose."
Mr Attor said the party has up to
September to deal with matters concerning its parliamentary candidates and the
issue of a presidential running mate, adding that the national delegates
congress in Ho will focus mainly on adopting the party's manifesto and
endorsement of its presidential candidate as well as passing a resolution
empowering the national executive council to carry out other important
businesses on behalf of the party.
The Regional Minister Lt Col.
Agbenaza said Ho will be hosting about 100,000 delegates and other party
functionaries during the two day congress.
Elaborate preparations, especially
improvement of infrastructure is being carried out to host the delegates, he
said.
Col. Agbenaza said the legacy,
which would be bequeathed to Ho as a result of the congress, will last for 10
years, saying the main beneficiaries will be Mawuli, Mawuko and Ola Secodnary
Schools whose broken down infrastructure are being rehabilitated including the
Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, whose chapel is being put in shape to
host the congress.
He also said hotels and other
service providers in the township will reap lucrative financial benefits.
GRi../
Cape Coast (Central Region) 11 April 2000
The Central Region was able to cover more than 90 percent of its enumeration areas of the Population and Housing Census, which officially ended on Sunday.
Mr. David Kombat, the Regional Statistician, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday in Cape Coast.
He said of the 12 districts in the region, only Ewutu-Efutu and the Gomoa districts have not yet been covered due to the initial boundary problems enumerators encountered.
Mr. Kombat said everything would be done to finish enumeration in the two districts by 12 April adding that enumerators from other districts are being mobilised to assist in the two areas.
He said although fieldwork has officially ended, residents in areas which have not yet been enumerated should still expect visits up to Wednesday12 April.
Mr Kombat was hopeful that all enumerators who have completed their work would by the weekend hand over all documents in their possession for vetting.
GRi../
Accra(Greater Accra) 11 April 2000
The national Organiser of the Democratic People's Party (DPP), Mr. Ibn Aziz Abbas on Monday denied that he has been suspended from the party describing the information as "irresponsible."
In a statement issued in Accra, he called on the leadership of the Progressive Alliance to solve the deteriorating situation in the DPP.
He mentioned in particular Dr Obed Asamoah, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary of the NDC and Mr Thomas Ward-Brew, a founding member of the DPP who is disputing the legality of the current executives of the DPP, as those who should solve the DPP crisis.
GRi../
He said the present impasse between the national leaders of the party was seriously affecting the party’s operations at the grassroots level.
Mr. Arku-Sam therefore appealed to the national executive to strive to place the general well being of the party above their personal interests and for the good of the numerous supporters of the party.
He however assured followers of the party that the proposed national congress would come off as, scheduled.
Mr. Arku-Sam said this is the right time for all followers of the CP to think about mobilizing available manpower and other resources for the good of the party than to indulge in disputes which will derail the party's forward march.
GRi../
Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, Northern regional vice-chairman of the New Patriotic Party said at the weekend that the active involvement of a vibrant youth wing of the party would ensure its success at the general election.
He said the party is no longer the preserve of intellectuals and armchair politicians but active members who are determined to get to the grassroots with the party's message and win the support of the ordinary people.
Alhaji Sadiq was speaking at a meeting with new supporters of the party at Nakpanzoo, a suburb of Tamale.
He said “if other parties choose to send toddlers as polling agents that is their headache but the NPP, from its past experience, is training agents who will be vigilant, efficient and capable of ensuring free and fair elections”.
The NPP, he said is determined to counteract the activities of "machomen" hired to harass polling agents and voters on Election Day.
Mr. Owusu Ampadu, regional treasurer of the party welcomed the new members and assured them of equal rights as other members in the affairs of the party.
He said the NPP as a democratic party encourages its members to express their views without any hindrance in order to arrive at common decision.
The chairman of Gukpegu-Saborijida constituency, Mr. Abu Alhassan, called on the new members to forget about their past affiliation and to be bold in contributing their ideas towards running the party effectively.
GRi../
Load-shedding exercise is over -ECG
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 April 2000
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Monday said it has rectified the problem that led to frequent power interruptions in the Accra metropolis last week.
It said panels at the Achimota transmission station blew up and this affected electricity supply to the city.
The load shedding was, therefore, necessary to enable the company to repair the fault.
Mr. Kwamena Longdon, Director of Public Relations of ECG, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the problem was rectified at mid-night of Sunday and the load shedding is over.
He said the Volta River Authority (VRA) is constructing a new box supply point at the Achimota Sub-station to augment power supply to Accra. The first phase of the project would be completed by the end of this year while the entire project would take two-and-a-half years to complete.
Mr. Longdon said when this is completed it would guarantee electricity supply to Accra. "It would also enable ECG to contain the growth in demand for electricity."
Mr. Longdon expressed ECG's appreciation to the public for their co-operation and understanding. Last week, residents in the Accra metropolis experienced unannounced power outages, which disrupted business and caused inconvenience to thousands of customers.
GRi…/
Census mopping-up exercise takes off
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 April 2000
The mopping-up exercise by the Census Secretariat to enumerate persons who were not covered during the scheduled two-week period began on Monday and may take a week to complete.
Dr Kweku Twum-Baah, Acting Government Statistician, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra that the essence of the exercise is to ensure total coverage despite the shortcomings that were initially associated with the exercise.
He said houses, which were not listed, resulting in people not being counted, will be listed and counted during the mopping-up exercise.
"Houses and structures, which were listed but the people were not counted will be counted during this period."
He said it is possible that some enumerators would end the exercise by Tuesday or Wednesday
Dr Twum-Baah expressed regret at the situation where enumerators failed to count the people even though they listed their houses.
On what will be done to such people, Dr Twum-Baah said: "we will want to finish with the exercise itself before thinking about what to do with them.
"We will deal with them later on. But now we are facing the census exercise and the evaluation aspect."
Dr Twum-Baah explained that the pace of work slowed down by factors such as the loss of days spent on settling disputes, fast growth of new settlements in metropolitan areas, late start of work in some districts and the heavy rains coming earlier than anticipated.
"Reports from the regions, however, indicate satisfactory levels of coverage as at April nine", he said.
Dr Twum-Baah appealed to the public to continue to support the exercise to a successful end.
GRi…/
Tamale Police arrests seven suspected
criminals in a swoop
Tamale (Northern Region) 11 April 2000
The Police in Tamale on Sunday arrested seven suspected criminals in a dawn swoop to stem the spate of armed robbery in the municipality.
This was in response to an armed robbery incidence, which occurred at the Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) on Saturday, where about 20 armed men broke into a safe and made away with seven million cedis.
They had tied the three security men on duty. Within the past three months the municipality has been rocked by a series of armed robbery in which GOIL, Nulux Plantations Limited, Department of Feeder Roads and Ghanem Company Limited were affected. The Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Holy Aklamanu led the operation.
Mr. Joseph Kwame Fosu, Regional Crime Officer, who briefed the GNA on Monday, said Iddrisu Abubakari, 19, a mechanic, Abubakari Abdulai 20, farmer, Abdulai Alhassan, 25, farmer and Abukari Bugri 35, a lotto agent are to face a provisional charge of possessing narcotic drugs.
The rest, Peter Helkins, 40, an Agriculture Extension Officer, Alhassan Fuseini, 19, a carpenter and Rashid Adam 28, a blacksmith have been provisionally charged for assembling for idle purpose.
They are in Police custody pending their appearance before court. Mr. Fosu said the operation would be sustained to rid the region of such criminal activities. He asked the general public to co-operate with the Police by reporting any person they suspect.
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We won't allow investors to enslave us-CWU
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 April 2000
The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) of the Trades Union Congress, on Monday said the government's investment drive should be supported but this should not be at the expense of the Ghanaian.
This was contained in a statement it issued in a reaction to an incident in which Mr. A.L. Tokimin, Marketing Officer of Ghana Telecom, is reported to have spat in the face of his driver, Mr David Akator, and called him an animal.
The statement, signed by the Union's General Secretary, Mr Odum-Ewuakye, expressed shock and dismay at the behaviour and utterances of the Chief Marketing Officer and warned that " we would not sit unconcerned for supposed investors to attempt to enslave us in our own country." The union however said it would be willing to accept an arbitration.
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