Over Fifty dead in boat disaster on Volta Lake
Ultimatum to manufacturers of locally made arms
NDC
press war continues as infighting heats up
Police
urged to improve professional conduct
Basic
Education Cert begins throughout the country
Blindness,
poverty, pregnancy, her story
Ala
Adjetey bemoans lack of permanent parliament
Public
exposure to food toxin is chronic - GSB
Sub-district
political institutions to be energised - Kufuor
TUC
calls on tripartite committee to come out with new wage
Enforcing
supremacy of the constitution
Beckley's
case adjourned to May 6
Eighteen
students of Prempeh College dismissed
Local
Government celebrates week after 158 years of establishment
Central
Region Water Company disinfects wells to avert epidemic
Over Fifty dead in boat disaster on Volta Lake
Tapa-Abotoase
(Volta Region) 23 April 2002 - Fifty bodies, including school children were
recovered from the Volta Lake after a boat accident, which occurred near
Amevlovikope Island, last Thursday night.
Divers
rescued thirty-four others, while a search for more bodies was underway. Among
the bodies so far recovered were that of 36 pupils and students from the
Jasikan District.
Mr Kaizayo
Yao Awoye, Secretary of Tepa-Abotose Boat Owners Association, on Sunday
attributed the cause of the accident to overloading. Mr Robert Mensah, the boat
owner and the operator escaped unhurt and are helping the Police in their
investigation.
Mr Awoye
said the boat on the day of the accident carried more than 90 bags of salt,
quantities of maize, cement and sugar in addition to passengers. The passengers were mostly pupils and
students from Jasikan District, who had started their holidays and were
travelling from Tapa-Abotoase to Dudzoeme, in the Afram Plains to spend their
holidays with their parents.
Mr Awoye
said the boat carried about 90 passengers instead of the approved 76
passengers. He said a similar accident occurred in June 1999 when 76 people
drowned in the lake.
He,
therefore, called on the authorities to help remedy the rampant accidents on
the lake. The Police at Tapa-Abotoase confirmed the accident. They said
Policemen, who went to the accident scene, were nearly lynched by a mob for
protecting the boat owner.
Mr Sam
Velele, Jasikan District Chief Executive, who visited the accident scene,
appealed to the Volta River Authority to procure a Pontoon to transport people
in the area as has been done in Kpando and Keta-Krachi.
He advised
the boat owners association to refrain from overloading their boats, adding a
separate boat must be used for cargo services. Meanwhile, only two bodies have
been identified while the remaining 48 have been buried in a mass grave at
Amevlovikope.
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Ultimatum to manufacturers of locally made arms
Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The Acting Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame
Addo Kufuor on Monday gave a 14-day ultimatum to manufacturers of locally made
arms to report to the Inspector General Police.
Briefing
the press after a day's conference of Regional Police Commanders and top
military guards, the Minister said the police and the military have resolved to
intensify and redouble their efforts to combat armed robbery and other crimes
in the country.
"The
public is going to see a more determined and purposeful attack on indiscipline
and armed robbery in the country," he said. He said indiscipline in the society and on the roads would be
another critical area to look at, adding; "Mob actions, instant justice
and the activities of Fulani herdsmen who don't respect the laws of the land
would be severely dealt with".
Dr Addo
Kufuor, who is also the Defence Minister, appealed to Ghanaians to be patriotic
by providing information on crimes and other related cases to the police saying,
"a free and democratic society is not where anarchy reigns".
The
Minister declined to disclose any new strategy or approach to effectively
unravel crimes, saying, "as for how to do that, leave them to the
Police." No one has been granted a licence to manufacture guns in the
country but licence has been granted to those who repair.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, former Attorney-General,
on Monday said the calculated smear campaign against him in the race for the
chairmanship of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had overshadowed the
need for the party to strategise to take advantage of the abysmal performance
of the government so as to regain power.
"Some
people in usual NDC fashion of overconfidence are glibly proclaiming that we
shall be back to power in 2004. The failures of the NPP, notwithstanding, this
will be possible only with superior organisational tactics," he told a
press conference in Accra.
Dr Asamoah
was reacting to recent attacks on his personality by some members of the NDC,
who he said were against his candidature for the chairmanship of the party.
He said in
spite of the smear campaign against him he had no trouble with anyone in the
party, stating that what the NDC required was a chairman with the capacity to
be decisive and innovative both in terms of policies and organisational
methodology and to take a clear cut stand in order to demonstrate his
leadership capabilities.
On his
stand on certain constitutional issues of the party, Dr Asamoah said the
seeking of an amendment on the status of former President Jerry Rawlings as
Leader and Founder of the party was in order especially when by the
Constitution of the country he could not be a flag-bearer.
"It
gives rise to leadership role that is neither appropriate for a former head of
state nor desirable. For example in the 2000 elections, President Rawlings
overshadowed the flag-bearer Professor Atta Mills to the detriment of the
latter."
He said it
was unfortunate that even now he wanted to call the shots on who should have
what position in the party. "Some of us think it is about time his role
was seen in terms of creating goodwill for the party instead of playing the
controlling role. To call for a redefinition of the role of President Rawlings
in NDC is not to question his relevance or value."
Dr Asamoah said
the Former President Rawlings had charisma and international standing which
were assets to the party. "Charisma, however, is no substitute for
organisation. Besides charisma is time specific and relates to circumstance and
we must appreciate its limitations. President John Agyekum Kufuor lacks
charisma but he is winning and that should be a useful lesson for us."
On the
issue of co-chairmanship for the party, Dr Asamoah said it contained the
potential for conflicts and "leadership paralysis" especially now
that each would represent a faction.
He said
such conflicts were avoided when the party was in government because one
co-chairman was made an ambassador to avoid conflict. He added that at that
time also the government provided leadership for the party. "The concept
is alien to all political parties in Ghana and most of the world. We cannot
claim to be wiser than the overwhelming majority of mankind. We should follow
the general practice of having one chairman whom we can hold responsible for failures,
if any."
The former
Attorney - General said he was in favour of the elective principle of
parliamentary candidates since the imposition of candidates did not foster
intra-party democracy. He noted that even the Constitution of Ghana endorsed
democratic principles of electing officers which all must adhere to.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The Acting Interior Minister, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor
on Monday said vast resources channelled into the police service would be
wasted if the personnel did not shun habits that compromised their professional
ethics.
"No amount
of resources poured into the service could make any positive impact if
professionals get drunk on duty and it is no surprise that the public do not
support and co-operate readily," he said. Dr Addo Kufuor, who is also the
Defence Minister, said during a day's closed-door conference of Regional Police
Commanders and top Military Officers in Accra.
The
Minister mentioned the lack of time consciousness, unprofessional conducts such
as tampering with exhibits, taking liberties with the public and shabby
dressing as some of the negatives attitudes.
The time
has come for the Police to carve a new image for themselves more especially in
the midst of prevailing challenges, he said, adding: "The easiest thing
for anybody to do is to complain but the real mark of leadership is to get on
with the job in spite of the problems. This is the challenge for you as senior
officers," Dr Addo Kufuor told them.
He called
for a new drive to instil total professionalism, pride and confidence in the
profession, saying; "there must be alertness on the part of everybody and
your intelligence gathering must be more proactive to put criminals under
pressure and not the other way round.
"This
type of resolute leadership will necessarily mean that the axe must fall if
need be, to rid the service of unwanted elements," he warned. Mr Ernest
Owusu-Poku, IGP said he hoped the various decisions that were taken under the
former Minister to meet the logistics requirement of the service would be met
under Dr Addo Kufuor.
He called
for the implementation of the recommendations of the report of Justice Archer's
Presidential Commission on the Police Service, which states among other things
that the district and municipal assemblies as well as regional administrations
should get involved in the location, construction and maintenance of police
structures in the regions.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - This year's Basic Education Certificate
Examination (BECE) started smoothly in Accra. In all, 264,956 candidates made
up of 144,997 boys and 119,659 girls from 6,795 schools are taking the five-day
examination throughout the country.
The
examination was being held at 958 centres with 833 supervisors and 9,300
invigilators. Officials from the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and
Circuit Supervisors from the Ghana Education Service were going round to ensure
that there were no interruptions.
At the
Kinbu Secondary Technical School centre A, Mr Ishmael Ayim, a supervisor,
commended the WAEC for bringing the examination papers and other logistics
quiet ahead of time to avert any delay in the start of the examination. This he
said helped in sorting out the papers for the different schools writing at the
same centre.
Mr Bendy
Ben Atta, Supervisor at the O'Reilley Secondary school said last year's
examination was disrupted by rain and other minor problems like late arrival of
question papers but nothing of the sort happened this year. He said the
candidates have comported themselves and that there was nothing to complain
about.
At the
Accra High School Centre A, Mr George Frimpong said enough invigilators,
supervisors and security were provided and commended the organisers for the
improvement compared to the situation last year. He said there were only six
absentees, who had either travelled outside the country or stopped schooling.
At the Osu
Presbyterian School, the supervisor, Mrs Mary Adu-Gyamfi complained that the
objective answer sheets were not included in the materials brought to the
centre. "This actually delayed the procedure and, therefore, the centre
started the second paper five minutes late. In the Tamale Municipality, there
were no incidents of shortage of examination materials, and no impersonation or
fraud.
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Techiman
(Brong Ahafo) 23 April 2002 - Joyce Serwaah, a BECE candidate of the Islamic
JSS in Techiman in Brong Ahafo Region could not take the examination on Monday
because she got blind after registering for the examinations last year.
Mr Joe
Baah, Supervisor at centre "B" said Joyce was one of three girls and
seven boys out of 314 registered candidates who failed to turn up for the
examination. He gave other reasons including pregnancy and lack of school fees
for the absence of the other candidates.
In all, 20
out of 1,368 candidates who registered for the examination in the Techiman
District failed to turn up for the first papers in English, religious and moral
education.
Nine out of
the 20 were girls who either dropped out for lack of school fees or became
pregnant after the registration. At the Techiman Secondary School, where all
the five examination centres are sited, no irregularities had been recorded.
At centre "A"
Mr T.T. Bugri and Mr. Victor Dakura, supervisors said there were only two
absentees and both were girls, out of 316 registered candidates. The two
supervisors said there had been wrongful spelling of names of candidates on the
examination papers but advised candidates not to alter any of such names.
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Sunyani
(Brong Ahafo) 23 April 2002 - Detective Sergeant Eric Koduah Agyapong, ninth
prosecution witness in the murder trial of Professor Agyewodin Adu-Gyamfi
Ampem, Omanhene of Acherensua said on Monday that investigations revealed that
a group of youth reviled, insulted and threatened the chief with death at his
palace.
The
Omanhene, who is charged with murder is being tried at the Sunyani High Court
Two for shooting to death one Nii Atoquaye, during an alleged attack on him by
the youth on 17 April, last year.
Sgt.
Agyapong, an investigator, told the court that it was realised during
investigations that at 6.30 p.m. on the day of the incident, the youth were
beating gong-gong amidst singing of Asafo songs, whilst they advanced towards
the palace.
The
investigator read a portion of a statement given to the police after the
incident by a complainant, one Peter Kwasi Boakye, which confirmed that the
youth advanced towards the palace amidst singing, insults and threats of death.
The
investigator recalled Boakye saying that the youth were singing: Achirensuahene
ani potwe potwe, yempe wo kuro mu ha, ene yebekuwo, yede nipa mogya beye
aduro" in twi, literally meaning "Achirensuahene with big eye balls,
we don't want you in this town, today we will kill you, we will use human blood
for ritual purposes."
Cross-examinationed,
the investigator admitted that before the youth encountered the accused in
front of the palace, they congregated at a place called "Brepami",
where the local gin, akpeteshie, is sold. Sgt Agyapong said on 18 April 2001, a
day after the incident, he went to Achirensua and saw that the accused's palace
had been vandalised and his private car also set ablaze.
He said on
inspection, it was found that the personal belongings of the accused, including
documents, a television set, standing fan, two wall clocks and other personal
effects were completely damaged in front of the house.
The
investigator added that whilst the palace was vandalised in the evening of 17
April, after the shooting incident, the vehicle was brought out of the garage
in the morning of 18 April and set ablaze.
He said a
police task force sent to the palace area to maintain law and order handed over
one each of AAA catridge and BB catridge shells, together with three plastic
wads to him and identified the places they had collected them. The AAA empty
shell was collected in front of the palace door, which measured 28.7 inches
from a location where two plastic wads were lying, he added.
Sgt
Agyapong told the court that the distance between the location of the AAA shell
and a shady tree under which the BB catridge shell was found with wad was 41
feet. He added that a marked spot where the deceased body was found measured
152.2 inches from the house of the accused.
The
investigator had earlier read certain portions of statements that the accused
had given to the police, which said that prior to the incident, he had reported
attempts by his opponent and leader of a rebellious group, one Kwasi Sarpong, a
driver and ex-Benkumhene of Achirensua, to destool or kill him to some
personalities for their intervention and advice.
The
personalities included Mr Ernest Akubuor Debrah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister,
Superintendent Amadu Salifu, Brong Ahafo Regional Crime Officer and the
Chairman of Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regional branches of GPRTU.
The
investigator said the accused's statement indicated that the youth were on the
day of the incident armed to the teeth with cudgels, clubs, cutlasses and other
dangerous weapons and were advancing towards his palace.
The
investigator in a cross-examination by Mr K.F. Otu-Essel, Defence Council said
two slabs on a gutter where the accused's car passes to the palace had been
removed by the youth before the incident. Mr Otu-Essel said the removal of the
slabs by the youth was ostensibly to prevent the accused from fleeing and get
him killed.
Sgt
Agyapong admitted that before the shooting incident, Sarpong had warned
residents of Achirensua Zongo to stay away from the accused because the
security they (Zongo residents) had been providing for the accused was
thwarting their (opponents) efforts to attack him (accused).
The
investigator read a statement that he took from a 70-year-old farmer and elder
of the Zongo community, Imam Seidu and which confirmed the warning given by Sarpong.
Sgt Agyapong said he was told during his investigations that one Yaw Sarfo, a
leader of the group of youth was armed but the police could not arrest him.
The eighth
prosecution witness, Dr Ernest Amoah Boateng, a Senior Medical Officer at the
Manhyia Polyclinic in Kumasi who performed the autopsy on Nii Atoquaye at the
Tepa District Hospital also testified.
He said the
deceased died as a result of internal bleeding due to gunshot wounds. In a
cross-examination by the Defence Counsel, Dr Boateng said, "I am not a
specialist pathologist but I do perform autopsy." The court, presided by
Mr Justice Paul Baffoe Bonie adjourned the case to Tuesday 23 April.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, the Speaker of
Parliament, on Monday bemoaned the non-existence of a permanent building for the
country's legislature after 45 years of independence.
He said the
present building, which was not originally meant for parliamentary business
lacked adequate facilities, citing that there weren’t enough rooms and offices
to facilitate the work of the various committees of parliament.
The Speaker
of Parliament was speaking at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra on his
return from India, where he paid a twelve-day official visit to the country's
Parliament. He noted that there was no proper planning for the building of a
permanent parliament house due to frequent changes of governments.
Mr. Ala
Adjetey said it was a shame that the country had no permanent building for
parliamentary work since according to him the legislature was a permanent and
sustainable feature of democracy.
He called
for the strengthening of the institutions that made democracy viable, adding
that the current political dispensation could be sustained only if parliament
was made strong enough to check government when necessary.
"I
intend very soon to set up a committee of parliament to work towards the
planning and building of a permanent building for parliament with all the
necessary facilities." In India, Mr. Ala Adjetey visited the Lower and
Upper Houses of Parliament to acquaint himself with their roles and operations.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - Intensive investigations conducted by the Ghana
Standards Board (GSB) into the country had revealed that there was a chronic
public exposure to toxins produced by fungus in foods.
Mr Nimo
Ahinkorah, Deputy Director of GSB, said at the opening of a two-week workshop
on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of mycotoxins in food, said
evidence was fast accumulating that people in much of sub-Saharan Africa were
experiencing heavy dietary exposure to numerous food borne mycotoxins.
These
toxins, he noted, occurred mainly in cereals, nuts, beans and many agricultural
crops, which formed the staple foods and export base of most African countries.
"The high exposure levels appear to be having a profound effect on
sociological and economic development on the continent," he said.
"Mycotoxins
have also been recognised as an important public health hazard." He said aflatoxin is an example of
mycotoxin, which has been established to be a potential liver carcinogen in
humans that synergizes into other liver carcinogens such as Hepatitis B.
Mr
Ahinkorah noted that the food borne mycotoxins problem was not limited to
Ghana, saying that earlier research conducted on maize in all agro-ecological
zones of Nigeria and Benin revealed a similar trend.
The
workshop, jointly organised by the GSB and the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for seven participants from The Gambia and
Ghana, is to train participants on how to effectively determine the levels of
mycotoxins in food and minimise its effect on human health.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday said it
was time to energize the sub-district political institutions to make them
active. When they became active, there would be greater sense of belonging and
ownership of the government among the citizenry, he said.
President
Kufuor said this when launching the first Local Government Week in the country
to raise public awareness of the on-going decentralisation process in Accra. Activities
drawn for the weeklong celebration under the theme: "Moving the
Decentralisation Process Further", include symposia, district forums,
regional meetings of District Chief Executives (DCEs) and cleanup exercises.
The
celebration being organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
(MLGRD) also marks 158 years of the establishment of the Local Government
system in Ghana with the signing of the Bond of 1844 on 6 March, under which
chiefs in the coastal areas of Ghana accepted sovereignty of the British.
President
Kufuor said the strengthening of the sub-district political institutions would
also make accountability more practical and a measurable activity of the daily
lives of the people when they could play a role in decisions that affect their
households and communities.
"We as
citizens will undoubtedly come to see the wisdom in the NPP manifesto pledge
that ultimately, the entire membership of the Assembly and the position of the
DCE should become elective ones", he said.
President
Kufuor said for the people in the districts to feel proper ownership of the
assembly, it was crucial that the assembly demanded and obtained accountability
from the DCE for his official actions.
President
Kufuor said the assemblies were not aware that the technocrats and officials
attached to the assemblies were accountable to them for their actions.
He said
there was the need to strengthen the assemblies in many ways than the physical
structures especially the calibre of assembly members need to be people, who
could critically scrutinize the technocrats in the performance of their duties.
President Kufuor said the assemblies should not be seen as second grade or
unimportant dumping grounds for both the assembly members and local government
officials.
"They
should serve as the training ground for enriching the nation's politics at the
national and local level and for grooming professional public servants, who
through the experience of serving in the assemblies would get to know the
country intimately.
"It is
time to attract the young and talented to be committed to the assemblies. I
look forward to a not too distant future when local government in Ghana will be
confident, largely self-financed and a vibrant training ground for future high
flying civil servants and national politicians. It will also become the
undoubted bedrock of democracy for the nation," he said. Certificates of
merit were presented to seven out of the 30 past political heads of the MLGRD,
who were present at the ceremony.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The Accra District Council of Labour of the
Trades Union Congress has called on the Tripartite Committee to come out as a
matter of urgency with a new minimum wage to ease the problems workers face. A
press release in Accra on Monday said the Council made the demand in a
resolution adopted at a meeting in Accra.
The statement
said members expressed concern over the long delay in determining the new
national minimum wage and the restoration of the End-of-Service Benefits to
workers. The resolution appealed to the TUC to do anything within its means for
the Tripartite Committee to take a decision on the two issues before 1 May.
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Accra (Greater
Accra) 23 April 2002 - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on
Monday described the National Constitution Week cerebration as a process to
contribute to the development of the spirit of constitutionalism in the
country.
"Our
eventual aim is to enforce the supremacy of the Constitution and make it not
only a living document but also part and parcel of the daily life of all
citizens," Mr Larry Bimi, NCCE Chairman, told journalists in Accra.
Mr Bimi,
who was briefing reporters in Accra on the activities for the Second
Constitution Week cerebration, urged journalists to sensitise the public on the
essence of the week.
The Week,
under the theme: "The Constitution, Cultural Values, and Good
Governance," would be held from 28 April to 4 May. It would focus on
traditional authority in the contemporary democratic dispensation.
Activities
earmarked for the celebration would include discussions, debates and theatre
performances to ensure that "the Constitution becomes a living document
embossed on the minds and hearts of the people for the attainment of democracy
and good governance in Ghana".
Mr Bimi
said over 80 per cent of the population was indirectly governed by traditional
rulers but the Constitution failed to recognise it explaining that in the rural
areas traditional authority superseded state authority and this had been the
remote cause of some of the conflicts in the country.
Citing
recent conflict between traditional rulers and religious bodies on adherence to
customary laws, the NCCE Chairman said this could have been avoided if the
Constitution were clear on traditional authority.
"Ghanaians
need to develop the culture of democracy, the courage to resist violation of
their human rights and the tenacity to resist dictatorship of all forms and,
more particularly and fundamentally any overthrow or attempted overthrow."
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - Baroness Amos, the British Minister for Africa
at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, would visit Ghana from 24-26 April, a
statement from the British High Commission in Accra said on Monday.
The
statement said Baroness Amos, who would be paying her second visit to Ghana
since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government came to power, would focus on
the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), bilateral relations and
build on discussions held during the visit of British Prime Minister Tony Blair
last February.
Baroness
Amos, who is the British Prime Minister's personal representative on Africa for
the G8, met President John Agyekum Kufuor when she attended his inauguration in
January last year.
"Baroness
Amos is very much looking forward to meeting President Kufuor again, in
addition to members of the government, parliamentarians, members of civil
society organisations and representatives of Ghanaian and British business
communities," the statement said.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The Minority in Parliament on Monday described
as regrettable a recent reference by President John Agyekum Kufuor to opponents
and critics of his government as "evil forces". A release issued in
Accra on Monday from the Minority Secretariat and signed by Mr John D. Mahama,
Member of Parliament for Bole, said.
The release
said the Minority Leader, Alban Bagbin had issued a statement on some
pronouncements of President Kufuor, when he opened a four-day Ministerial
workshop on the delivery of the government's promises to the people at the
Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Accra, at last week.
The
statement said; "President Kufuor berated them (his ministers) for lacking
a sense of urgency and commitment in implementing the New Patriotic Party's
(NPP) agenda and fulfilling the numerous promises (made) to the people".
The
Minority said in a direct reference to the general lacklustre performance of
the Information Ministry in its public relations role and particularly in its
clumsy handling of the controversy about importation of Peugeot cars for the
police, the President declared that if that Ministry was not up and doing,
"evil forces in the system will
knock us about, subvert us and bring grief to the people of Ghana".
The
statement said this was an apparent reference to the Minority and sections of
the media, which have in recent times strongly raised voices against the
non-transparent manner in which the
government handled the police Peugeot deal.
"The
Minority reminds the President and people of like minds that it has sworn an
oath to uphold the Constitution and perform its duty to the people as its
elected representatives and no amount of name calling will detract it from
carrying out its legitimate role as watchdogs of society." The statement
said the Minority had also decried the low level of tolerance of the NPP
government for criticism.
The
statement said the Minority still maintained the view that the acquisition of
the Peugeot cars was an attempt to circumvent Parliament's authority and
subvert its power of the purse.
While the
Minority supports the exercise to equip the Ghana Police Service to carry out
its duties efficiently, it would insist that due procedure was followed and the
principles of transparency and accountability were upheld in all transactions.
"The
President has indeed confused the situation further by his assertion that the
vehicles are being purchased through the establishment of direct Letters of
Credit (LCs).
"This
is directly contrary to (the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs) Mr
Jake Obetsebi Lamptey's assertion that the funds were drawn from the
provisional estimates and that no down payment is required and payment for the
vehicles is spread over three years at 2.5 per cent interest for the second set
of 50 cars."
The Minority
said it was important to reiterate that the President was subject to the
Constitution and his wishes did not override the provisions of the
Constitution. The Minority insisted that by the terms of the agreement
governing the purchase of the vehicles as outlined earlier in a government
statement, the deal amounted to an international transaction and was subject to
prior approval by Parliament in accordance with Article 181 of the 1992
Constitution.
"Furthermore,
the sole sourcing for the Peugeot 306 cars is contrary to the principles of
transparency, accountability and good procurement practices. It also makes
nonsense of the President's declaration of zero tolerance for corruption.
"The
Minority, therefore, called on government as a matter of urgency to present the
public with an honest admission of the circumstances surrounding the
acquisition of the Peugeot vehicles."
The
Minority said they were aware of the arrangement between Nigerian President
Olusegun Obasanjo and President Kufuor in respect of the Peugeot cars over six
months before the arrival of the vehicles. "There was, therefore, nothing
urgent about it as the President would like Ghanaians and indeed the whole
world to believe.
"The
President's desperate attempt to justify the circumvention of Parliament by
asserting that the vehicles were urgently needed to chase cocoa smugglers is
unconvincing, since checking smuggling is the primary responsibility of the
Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and not the Police Service."
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - Hundreds of people on Monday thronged the Adjabeng
Community Tribunal to catch a glimpse of Dr Ram Beckley, a private medical
practitioner and an occultist, charged with assaulting and kidnapping a class
three pupil.
The crowd
gave the Police hectic time before they could send the accused into the courtroom.
The crowd jeered and hooted at the accused, as they blocked the entrance of the
courtroom, while others shouted, "We need your flesh!"
The
Prosecution prayed the tribunal to send the accused into prison custody to
enable it to thoroughly complete its investigation without the accused
interfering in the matter.
The
tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Ankomah obliged. The accused would reappear
on Monday, 6 May. Beckley was first arraigned on 15 April and he was remanded
to reappear on Monday after he had entered a plea of not guilty. The
Prosecution had earlier told the tribunal that on 12 April, Beckley, who was
driving along the Gbawe-Mallam Road in Accra, saw a young girl selling
vegetables.
The accused
pulled his car near the girl and asked her to join him in the car to his house
so that he could purchase some of the vegetables. At Beckley's house, he tied
the girl to a tree overnight without water and food, until his stepfather was
informed and he raised the alarm.
Dr Beckley
was arrested on the night of Saturday, 13 April after police received a
complaint from a parent that her daughter was allegedly abducted by the accused
on Friday evening. An angry mob set ablaze his residence and property running
into millions of cedis at New Gbawe in Accra.
GRi../
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Mampong
(Ashanti Region) 23 April 2002 - The Board of Governors of Prempeh College in
Kumasi and the academic staff have dismissed 18 students from the school for
indiscipline. The students, whose names were not immediately available,
included 12 final year students and six second-year students.
The Reverend
Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, Chairman of the Asante Presbytery of the Presbyterian
Church of Ghana and a member of the Board of Governors of the School, announced
this when he addressed the six-day annual delegates' conference of the Asante
Presbytery of the church under the theme: "Advancing the cause of Christ
in Ghana" at Asante-Mampong.
Rev Dr
Frimpong-Manso said the board's decision was in line with the Ghana Education
Service (GES) code of discipline. He said the affected students unlawfully
entered the compound of Saint Monica's Secondary School at Mampong on Sunday,
17 March. They drove carelessly on the school compound in four vehicles they
hired at 400,000 cedis each.
The
students later publicly opened and drank champagne after which they distributed
5,000 cedis notes some of which they tore into pieces in a show of affluence. Rev
Dr Frimpong-Manso said the incident coincided with Saint Monica's visiting day
and the few parents, who witnessed the scene, were stunned by the
aggressiveness of the boys.
He has,
therefore, called for national intercession prayers for the current social,
political and economic problems plaguing the nation. The Rev Frimpong-Manso
cautioned education institutions not to produce intelligent criminals, who
would turn the law in their favour and run away with their booty. The theme for
the conference was "Advancing the cause of Christ in Ghana".
The
Headmistress of Saint Monica's School, Mrs Dorothy Ama Mansa Ofei, told the GNA
that the teaching staff had unanimously taken a similar stand on students
identified as accomplices of the hooligans and was awaiting approval from the
school's board of governors. Mr Thomas Edward Atakorah, Sekyere West District
Chief Executive, condemned the upsurge of hooliganism among students and called
for a halt to it.
GRi../.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development on Monday launched its first
local government week celebration to raise awareness of the local government
reform programmes and its role in fostering good governance.
The week,
launched by President John Agyekum Kufuor is being celebrated after 158 years
since the establishment of the first local government system with the signing
of the Bond of 1844, under which the coastal chiefs accepted the sovereignty of
the British.
Under the
theme: " Moving the Decentralisation Process Further" the celebration
aims at achieving a dynamic institutional restructuring, which would provide a
solid base to support accelerated national development.
Twenty
Second April 1859 marked a historic context in the annals of local government
as the people of James Town actually went to the pools to elect the first mayor
and town councillors for their town.
The
launching was also used to recognise and honour past political heads of the
Ministry and other local government practitioners, who had made valuable
contributions to the local government system in Ghana. Activities for the week
include a symposium on the roles of sub structures and traditional authorities
in the decentralisation process and special forums in all the districts.
Mr Kwadwo
Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the two
cardinal points for the celebration were to deepen the decentralisation of
public administration and to establish local level democracy through the
encouragement of mass participation in decision-making.
He said as
the sub-district structures were essential to enhance the decentralisation
process, steps were being taken to ensure that they were firmly in place and
fully operational.
To this
end, the Minister said the government had instructed that five per cent of the
District Assemblies' Common Fund received by the assemblies should be allocated
to sub-district structures for their capital items needs.
He said a
Presidential Committee on Decentralisation would soon be set up to "ensure
that functions, powers, responsibilities and resources are transferred from
central government to local government units in a co-ordinated manner."
Mr
Baah-Wiredu said the review of the Local Government Act, Act 462 was now at the
Cabinet level and discussions on the Local Government Service Bill at Cabinet
level show the importance the NPP government attaches to the development of a
vibrant and well-resourced decentralised system for the people of Ghana. He said preparation for the district
assemblies were doing short, medium and long-term development plans for urban
and area councils for approval and that the role of traditional authorities was
to be considered.
Mr
Baah-Wiredu said challenges facing the decentralisation process included the
poor interpersonal relationships among key players like Regional Ministers,
District Chief Executives, Presiding Members and District Co-ordinating
Directors.
"However,
the consensus building efforts through the establishment of conflict resolution
committees are helping to place the system back on track." He noted that
the Electoral Commission (EC) was feverishly preparing towards the coming
District Assembly elections to be held on 23 July and urged the public,
especially women, to participate.
GRi../
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The Korley-Klottey Constituency of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) said on Monday that it supports proposals to maintain
the co-chairmanship positions.
It said in
a statement issued in Accra that at its constituency meeting held on 19 April,
they were of the opinion that the position of the co-chairmanship would resolve
most, if not all, problems emanating from the hierarchy of the party.
"This
will also curtail any factional breakaway in the event of abolishing the
co-chairmanship positions in favour of a sole chairman status." The issue
of the co-chairmanship was one of several issues that the NDC would address at
its Congress at the weekend. Another faction supports the position of a sole
chairman to avoid two chairmen pulling the party in different directions.
The NDC is
also expected to consider the role separating the functions of the founder and
leader, which are currently held by former President Jerry John Rawlings.
GRi../
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 23 April 2002 - The
Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) and the polytechnics are to
form a joint committee to look at the harmonisation of subjects offered at the
Ghana Accounting Technician Examinations and those in the country's
Polytechnics.
Ms Aurore
Lokko, President of the ICAG, told a press conference on Monday at the launch
of this year Accountant's Week Celebration that the committee's exercise would
enable the polytechnics students to know which exemptions would be available to
them after they had completed their courses.
In this
connection, she said, members of the Examination Committee of the Institute had
already visited most polytechnics in the country to acquaint themselves with
the problems students faced in taking the institute's professional courses.
The
Institute currently boasts of 1,000 qualified Chartered Accountants, including
41 newly qualified ones, who would be inducted on Tuesday. Ms Lokko, however, said the number of
graduating students were far less than the public expectation and attributed
the lower number of students, who were able to pass the qualifying examination
to the lack of formal educational establishment with full government support,
as was the case with other professions.
Ms Lokko
said the Institute was, therefore, working hard to establish an Accountancy School
to enhance training and boost the number of chartered accountants in the
country. "We have already acquired a lease land from the University of
Ghana for the Accountancy School and will soon launch a project fund to assist
us build the school," she said.
Ms Lokko
said to enable students to be abreast with the current global developments in
accountancy education, the Council of the Institute had also initiated a review
of the existing syllabus.
However,
they would be allowed two years grace period before being examined on the new
syllabus. "Transitional measures will be put in place for students at the
various levels of the old syllabus to make sure they do not suffer any
hardships," Ms Lokko explained.
She
explained that next year the Institute would be able to endow an Accountancy
Chair at the University of Ghana to encourage research into the subject of
Accountancy.
The
Institute also pledged its support for Financial Journalism in the country and
would introduce an annual prize to reward journalists, who excelled in
financial reporting. Activities earmarked for the weeklong celebration include
the launch of Ghana Auditing Standards, Accountants Conference and Workshop and
Induction of New Members.
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Cape Coast
(Central Region) 23 April 2002 - The Water Quality Assurance Unit of the Ghana
Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Central Region would from Monday inspect
and disinfect wells and other water sources in the Cape Coast Municipality and
its surrounding areas.
This has
become necessary following an acute water shortage that has hit the
municipality due to the low level of water in the Brimsu River, the main source
of water. Mr Samuel Mensah, Regional Engineer of the company, told the Ghana
News Agency in an interview on Monday that ''GWCL cannot tell when the
situation will normalise since it is not raining in the catchment areas of the
dam''.
He said the
maximum operational level of the dam was 6.8 metres but the current level was
three metres making it impossible for the machines to pump water for treatment.
"We have no problem with our machines. It is just that there is no raw
water in the dam to pump and treat".
Mr Mensah
said the company has mobilised about six water tankers from Accra to augment
the three it already had. He appealed to the government to find a lasting
solution to the problem that had now become an annual one since the region had
a number of schools, hospitals and had also become the heart beat of tourism.
GRi../
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