Ivorian rebels arrive in Accra
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 April 2003- Government on Tuesday
named a new 19-member Cabinet following last Thursday's major Cabinet
reshuffle. They are, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, Dr Kwaku
Afriyie, Minister of Health, Mrs Gladys Asmah Minister of Women and Children's
Affairs, and Major Courage Quarshigah Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
Others are Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Papa Owusu Ankomah Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Kwadwo
Baah Wiredu Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey,
Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City.
The rest are, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom Minister of Energy,
Professor Kasim Kasanga, Minister of Science and Environment, Felix Owusu
Adjapong Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Yaw Osafo Maafo Minister of Finance
and Economic Planning, Professor Dominic Fobih Minister of Lands and Forestry,
Hackman Owusu- Agyemang, Minister of Interior.
The rest are, Mrs Cecilia Bannerman Minister of Mines,
Kwadwo Adjei Darko Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji
Mustapha Idris Ali, Minister of Works and Housing, Alan Kyerematen, Minister of
Trade, Industry and Special Presidential Initiatives (SPI) and Joseph Henry
Mensah, Senior Minister who had been given responsibility for Public Sector
Reform and National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP).
The non-Cabinet Ministers are, Dr Richard Winfred Anane,
Minister of Roads, Highways and Transport, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi,
Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of
Regional Co- Operation and NEPAD.
The others are, Yaw Barimah, Minister of Manpower,
Development and Employment, Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communications and
Technology, Kwamena Bartels, Minister of
Private Sector Development and Nana Akomea, Minister of Information.
Kwabena Agyepong, Press Secretary to the President and
Presidential Spokesman who disclosed this to the Castle Press Corps in Accra
said President J A Kufuor had acknowledged the divergent views expressed on the
reshuffle.
He said the reshuffle was the prerogative of President
Kufuor to revamp government machinery, re-invigorate his team to fulfil his
mandate as the President of Ghana. Hon. Agyepong said the decision to reshuffle
the Cabinet, was taken after a long, thorough, purposeful and comprehensive
assessment of all the members of his team.
"As the Chief Executive of the country, he had a
bird's eye view and was in a good position to assess the performance and inputs
of the various members of the team and re-position them to bring more
efficiency and increase the pace of his government", He added.
Agyepong said the new Cabinet was constituted to represent
the national character of the government and as a constitutional provision to
advice the President. President Kufuor had since assumption of power invited
most of the Ministers to Ministerial meetings.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 02 April 2003- The chiefs of Tema
Traditional Council have expressed concern about the delay in the restoration
of the Chemu Lagoon and said the water body that used to contain fish and crabs
is now virtually dry.
They have, therefore, appealed to companies that discharge
effluent into the lagoon to help restore it. Edward Ashietey Armaah, an elder
of the Council, said this at a two-day workshop organised by the Corporate
Social Responsibility Movement (CSRM), an environmental Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO) in Tema, for assembly members, traditional rulers and
opinion leaders.
Environmentalists have described the lagoon as
"dead" and the participants are deliberating on the causes and find a
solution to the problem. Armaah said it was wrong to assume that the lagoon
could not be revived in view of the huge cost involved.
"In the past the livelihood of the indigenes of Tema
depended on the lagoon as they caught fish and crabs for sale. It also served
as a recreational centre as well as a tourist attraction.''
''The early revival of the lagoon would create jobs for the
unemployed'', he said. Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief
Executive, said the Tema Municipal Assembly is to rehabilitate waterways in the
community to curb flooding.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 April 2003- The Tepkerbiawe Clan
of Ada on Tuesday appealed to the government to freeze all activities of the
Ministry of Mines relating to the Ada Songor Lagoon
The freeze should be in place until PNDC Law 287 on the
lagoon is revoked and possession restored to the rightful owners, the
Tepkerbiawe Clan. "Anything to the contrary is likely to create serious
conflict of interest in the Ada Songor Lagoon area," Nene Tetteh Chayi II,
Chief of the Tepkerbiawe Clan, who led some of his elders to state their
position at a press conference held in Accra, warned.
He said the lagoon was the exclusive property of the
Tepkerbiawe, adding this was determined in more than one court suit dating as
for back as 1904 to 1946 and the 1989 Government White Paper on the J.H.
Amissah Committee of Enquiry.
"The government is, therefore, accountable to the
Tepkerbiawe Division, the absolute traditional owners of the Lagoon. The Chief
explained that the Lagoon, which was discovered by their ancestor Chayi of the
Tepkerbiawe in the 17th Century, faced a lot of confrontation among the various
clans of Ada and even governments because of its usefulness.
He said former governments in their bid to compensate the
people of Ada for the damage done to their land by the construction of the
Akosombo and the Kpong Dams rather dispossessed them of their Lagoon.
The Nene Chayi said the continued occupation and
"holding in bondage" of the Lagoon and abutting land was totally
illegal and morally wrong "because we did nothing criminal to warrant the
confiscation of our Songor Lagoon".
He said the Tepkerbiawe Clan was not invited to the recent
forum at Ada organised by the Ministry of Mines that came out as if a peace
deal were reached for a smooth take off of the salt project.
He said they had not received a response to a letter of
appeal dated July 30, 2002 sent to the government to revoke PNDC Law 287 and
restore the ownership of the Lagoon to them.
Nene Chayi, therefore, appealed to President John Agyekum
Kufuor to keep to the statement he made at a recent meeting with the Ga chiefs
to the effect that he would restore the ownership of the Lagoon to its
traditional owners and return the Lagoon to Tepkerbiawe. "The Lagoon is a
priceless asset of spiritual significance to us. Therefore, we are not offering
her for sale or mortgage to any investor," he said.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo)
He said research by the unit and the number of reported
cases indicated that non-maintenance of spouses and children were on the
increase in the region. ASP Tawiah told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that out of
1,263 cases recorded between June and December last year, 699 of them were on
non-maintenance.
Cases recorded included: spousal assault 63, defilement 58,
threatening 43, non-acceptance of pregnancy 39, breach to promise of marriage
26 and offensive conduct conducive to cause breach of the peace, 37.
He said failure to supply children with the basic needs had
serious implications and deprived them of their rights. The WAJU Head warned
parents who had neglected their children to be up and doing "since it is a
criminal offence" that could attract a fine of five million cedis, a
year's imprisonment or both.
ASP Tawiah expressed regret that the situation had retarded
the development of most children in the region as they had no education or
acquired any skills to enable them to meet the challenges of the future.
''Children who find themselves in such situations are
exposed to social vices such as armed robbery, drug peddling and eventually,
become liabilities to society and the nation as a whole'', he said
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 April 2003- The West African
Examinations Council (WAEC) on Tuesday said this year's Basic Education
Certificate Examination (BECE) would begin from 7 to 11 April with 268,284
candidates, including 121,322 girls, writing eight to nine subjects.
Candidates from 7,105 schools would write the examination
at 998 centres under 998 Supervisors. The Upper East and West Regions have
7,577 and 5,064 candidates, respectively, whiles the Northern Region has 13,
403 candidates.
In an interview with the GNA in Accra the Reverend John A.
Adotey, Acting Head of National Office, WAEC said Greater Accra has 53,183
candidates; Eastern Region has 33,055; Central Region has 27,582 and Western
Region, 26,063.
The rest are Ashanti, 54,537; Brong Ahafo registered 23,727
and Volta, 24,093 candidates. Last year 267,956 candidates took the
examination. Rev Adotey warned candidates and the public to be wary of
individuals, who might claim to have examination question papers in their
possession.
He urged the public to report such persons to the Council
immediately. "We have however put in place a lot of security measures to
ensure that the unfortunate incident with the 2002 BECE does not recur,"
he said.
The WAEC was in the process of establishing its own
printing press. Rev Adotey, therefore, called for the co-operation of the
candidates, supervisors and the general public to ensure a successful
examination, adding: "Examinations can only be successful with the co-operation
of the public."
He asked candidates to study hard and to avoid relying or
looking for "leaked" papers. Rev Adotey hinted that candidates, who
would be found cheating would be penalized stressing that they would either
have their entire results cancelled or their subjects results cancelled and be
barred for three years from writing the Council's examinations."
Rev Adotey urged supervisors to be vigilant to curb
irregularities that occurred during examinations. He further cautioned heads of
institutions to instil discipline in their candidates and ensure that
candidates were well prepared for the examinations.
"Some heads of institutions encourage their students
to cheat and this is not right. "Invigilators, who are found condoning
with candidates would be referred to the Ghana Education Service for
disciplinary action to be taken against them," he said.
Rev. Adotey appealed to parents and guardians to desist
from encouraging their children and wards to cheat, saying: "Some parents
do not supervise their children to study and at the eleventh hour want to do
everything to ensure that they get the best grades."
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They said although it was agreed that President Gbagbo
should delegate some of his powers to the Prime Minister this had not been
done. Sidik Konate, Spokesman for the Patriotic Movement of Cote d'Ivoire
(MPCI) told Journalists on arrival in Accra to consult with the ECOWAS
Chairman, President John Agyekum Kufuor on the progress made in resolving the
crisis in that country and also to brief him on the current situation in the
country.
He was accompanied by Guillaume Soro, General Secretary of
the MPCI, Toa Fuzzy, Chief Adjutant and Issa Diakite, the man the rebels have
proposed to be Minister for Territorial Administration.
The MPCI also accused President Gbagbo of appointing a
Defence Minister in violation of the accord, which stipulated that a special
security council should be formed out of which a Defence Minister would be
appointed.
The group also expressed concern about their personal
security if they had to take part in Cabinet meetings in Abidjan and called on
ECOWAS and the UN to provide them with the needed security to integrate into
the Ivorian government.
Konate said there was still fighting along the western
borders of La Cote d'Ivoire and accused President Gbagbo of recruiting Liberian
refugees to engage in atrocities in that area. The MPCI lauded the effort of
President Kufuor to ensure peace in the country saying that they were in Accra
to enhance the efforts of the ECOWAS Chairman. "We're here in a spirit to
ensure that lasting peace returns to Cote d'Ivoire." Also expected in the
country is the Ivorian Prime Minister Seydou Diarra.
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