GRi Newsreel 13 - 08 -
2003
TDC tenants protest rent increase
Soldier told me "Your Jesus is in my pocket" -
witness
African Election Authorities meet in Ghana
Privatisation is not answer to water delivery - MP
Government restructuring students loan scheme
Minister launches National Farmers Day
Govt commended for sea defence project
Govt, stakeholders meeting over new fees
Govt to commit more resources for youth development
Ghana commends Germany
Govt to assist 9,000 failed students in core subjects
Ghanair moves to transport stranded passengers
EC urges political parties to comply with accounts law
EC to maintain 7 December as polling day
University gets ¢6.5bn assistance from GETFund
Ashanti Region records 1,722 accidents in six months
Govt will subsidize only Public Insurance scheme
TDC tenants protest rent increase
Tema (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Tenants of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) houses at sites One and Two, Community One, Tema, on Tuesday protested against the proposed increase in rent from ¢2,000 to ¢30,000.
They expressed their desire to buy the houses in accordance with an agreement reached between them and the TDC in 1986 that allowed sitting tenants a five-year moratorium to own the houses. Addressing a press conference at Tema, Douglas Spencer, General Secretary of the Tema Tenants Association (TTA), said in May the TDC came out with rent increases that members could not afford to pay because they were high.
He said the struggle for the ownership of rental units, which the TDC continuously refuses to maintain, started in 1981 when the tenants sought redress from the court.
However, upon an agreement signed between the TDC and the tenants that the houses would be sold to them the case was withdrawn from court.
Based upon that, Spencer said, they were made to fill occupancy forms costing ¢10,000 each but the TDC had since not honoured its obligation until now ''only to hear of the proposed increment in rent which we object to.''
Spencer said the association is prepared to negotiate with the TDC for
"a fair rent on the rental units and the subsequent outright sale of the
houses including the institutional ones."
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Soldier told me "Your Jesus is in my pocket" - witness
Sekondi (Eastern Region) 13 August 2003 - A 71 year-old-woman, Madam Rebecca Eshun on Tuesday narrated before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) at Sekondi, how in 1982, soldier at Jaway Wharf rounded up her with other traders, locked them up in a room and seized all the money they had on them.
Madam Eshun said it was the second incident she had encountered in the hands of soldiers within two months and while she was wailing and praying for Jesus to deliver them, one of the soldiers came to tell her that her Jesus was in his pocket.
She was taken from the others and sent into a toilet where she was locked up for about one hour before being sent to join them again.
She said when they were rounded up, the soldiers ordered them to put all the monies they had into a big basket that they placed at the centre of the room and when it was full they covered the basket before carrying it away.
Madam Eshun said she had gone to borrow 500,000 cedis to start trading after soldiers had seized 500 bags of cement two months earlier from her store at Takoradi. "I became so worried that I began to call the name of Jesus." In the first incident, according to her, three armed soldiers one morning went to her store at old John Sarbah Road in Takoradi and ordered that all her consignment of cement that she had taken delivery from Ghacem, be loaded into a truck and sent to the Airforce Station.
Madam Eshun said the cement was sold to the public and when her grandson, one Lutherodt, went to ask for the proceeds, he was mercilessly assaulted, resulting in his death a few months later. She said at the Airforce Station, she and other traders, including some men were detained in one cell for three days without food before they were released and told to report at the station every morning.
She said she had become a pauper living on charity and therefore, prayed that the Commission would recommend compensation for her because she had no one to care for her.
Another witness Jacob Kofi Twintoh, who was represented by James Awotwe Dadson, his son, told the Commission that his nephew, Kwadwo Damoah was shot and killed by a policeman in February 1992 for allegedly being a galamsey operator at Eguafo in the Central Region.
He said Damoah was known to be a tomato farmer and not a galamsey operator as alleged. Witness said Damoah was shot twice with a pistol by Assistant Superintendent of Police, T.T. McCarthy at the back and it was the second shot that sent him sprawling and that he died on the way to hospital.
Dadson said even though the police administration promised to give some form of assistance to the family during the burial of Damoah, they failed to honour the promise, and no compensation was paid either. He said, ASP McCarthy was said to have been interdicted, but it was later found out that he was transferred to Koforidua to continue working.
He said petitions were sent to the Attorney General's Department and the Inspector General of Police, "but these efforts yielded nothing."
Damoah said the deceased was the breadwinner of the family and his untimely death had brought a lot of hardships to the family. He therefore, asked for compensation from the government. Madam Winifred Hagan, a former employee of the Ghana Commercial Bank, told the Commission of how her 14-year-old son Andrew William Hagan was shot dead by an officer of the Ghana Navy in January, 1983.
She said one Amissah, a neighbour, had gone to report to the Navy about the insolent behaviour of his own son, Papa Eygarkwa and asked that he should be disciplined. The next morning the Navy Officer, armed with a pistol, arrived in the house and when Egyarkwa saw him, he tried to escape and when the Navy Officer fired, the bullets hit Hagan who was sweeping the compound.
He died on the way to hospital. Madam Hagan said initially, she was told that the case was being sent to a Sekondi circuit court but when she realised that it was being delayed, she went to the Attorney General's Department where she was told that the office had no papers with which to process the case for prosecution.
She said she supplied that office of a ream of typing papers but still the case was not sent to court. Madam Hagan also prayed the Commission to pay compensation to her as her husband also died out of sorrow two months after the incident.
Madam Ama Otuwa, a trader at Sekondi, told the Commission of how her father Ekow Pete and an uncle, Egya Kwesi Benson were picked at Asebu by soldiers stationed at the Central regional office at Cape Coast in 1966. She said her father was not seen again alive.
She said her father was a well-to-do farmer and the only charge that was later reported to the family against him was that he had all lands in the area. Madam Otuwa said two weeks after the soldiers came to pick them, they sent a message to the family that Pete was dead and they should come for his body for burial.
The body was released to the family with the instructions that they should
not make any "noise" else the soldiers would go to the town and fire
them "one by one." The family could not raise funds to pursue the
case, she said, and added that no compensation had been paid to the family.
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African Election Authorities meet in Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Ghana is to host the Association of African Election Authorities' (AAEA) Advisory Board meeting from Thursday, August 14 to Saturday August 16, to deliberate on modalities and structures for its contributions to the work of the African Union (AU).
Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of Ghana's Electoral Commission told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra that the three-day meeting would afford the participants the opportunity to discuss AAEA's proposal for Consultative Status within the AU.
He said it would also discuss modalities for attracting support from the AU for AAEA finances, professional training projects for election officers and recommendation to member governments.
Dr Afari-Gyan, who is the AAEA Executive Secretary, said the association was conceived to promote and institutionalise the professional nature of African election authorities through regional exchanges and networking. He said it was important for African Electoral Authorities to network as member countries have common problems.
In voter registration, for instance, almost all countries have the problem of determining people's ages, nationality and finding the most very spacious cost-effective way of going about registration. Members in the Africa Sub-Region have also shared some electoral materials like ballot boxes.
On whether the AAEA could influence elections in member countries, the EC Chairman answered in the negative since each member country was an independent entity and ultimately has the responsibility to determine its electoral system. However, the AAEA promotes the practices of "Good Electoral Practices".
Explaining causes of election-related conflicts on the continent, the EC
Chairman said, even though, elections might not give rise to violence, yet it
was important to have mechanisms in place for peaceful and fair resolution of
electoral conflicts.
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Privatisation is not answer to water delivery - MP
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Government must adopt a more
pragmatic approach to improving access to water instead of relying on
privatisation as if that was the only option opened to it, Harry Van Boome,
Netherlands Member of Parliament said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, Van Boome said water distribution to most households in Ghana could be enhanced once corruption was curbed and good management systems were put in place to ensure efficient performance of the Ghana Water Company.
Van Boome, who is the Leader of a team of Dutch Socialist Parliamentarians, who on a fact-finding mission on water privatisation, said the problems of the water company, did not arise because production cost was more than what accrued in revenue but because there was too much waste in the system due to poor management methods.
He said the situation where government would go in for loans from the IMF or the World Bank with the conditionality to mortgage their water supply system to foreign companies was not tenable.
As an alternative, Van Boome suggested a partnership experiment of water
supply system, where communities would be involved in the reading of metres and
collection of revenue on behalf of the water company. Van Boome cited the
success story of the Savulugu community in the Northern Region, where such a
system currently operates on experimental basis.
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Government restructuring students loan scheme
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Government on Tuesday said it has initiated a process to restructure the student's loan scheme to eliminate its weaknesses. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has referred a report submitted by a Committee tasked to come out with modalities for the restructuring to a body comprising students, financial and insurance bodies and administrators of tertiary institutions for critical re-appraisal.
Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Educaton, Youth and Sports announced the measures when he took his turn at the meet the press series in Accra.
He said, "as we continue with efforts to replace the present students loan scheme with a more effective and sustainable one, it is important that the SSNIT adopts a businesslike approach in getting the loans repaid".
He recounted the Education Loan Scheme of Norway, saying their loan works perfectly because beneficiaries appreciated the need to pay back loans contracted. Baah-Wiredu indicated that students could have access to multiple loan schemes if only they changed their attitude towards the repayment of loans that made them what they were.
"I must say that this negative behaviour is fast becoming a disincentive to private sector participation in the scheme," he said. On the impact of the devastating HIV/AIDS pandemic on the youth, Baah-Wiredu said the Ministry had established an HIV/AIDS Secretariat to help minimise the incidence and impact of HIV/AIDS among learners and education employees.
He said the Ministry was in discussions with some sector ministries,
companies and organisations on the possibility of "engaging school leavers
in construction works, tree planting, organised mining activities, health care
delivery and landscaping. "We are also encouraging such organisations to
offer work-study, internship and excursion opportunities for the youth."
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Minister launches National Farmers Day
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Close to $500m of the Ghana's hard-earned foreign exchange is spent on food imports. Virtually all the improved agricultural inputs, such as hybrid seeds, fertilisers, agro-chemicals, agro machinery and equipment, and packaging materials are also imported.
Speaking at the launching in Accra of this year's National Farmers' Day, Alan Kyerematen Minister of Trade, Industry and Presidents Special Initiative, who gave the figure, said the way agricultural had been organised in Ghana only served to develop the market of agro-business in other countries.
"One clear consequence of this pattern of development is the high incidence of youth unemployment, streetism, and crimes that have bedevilled our economy since independence.
"Another is the perennial inability of the State to provide adequate social and economic infrastructure and finance for private sector growth, without depending on external assistance," Kyerematen said.
He emphasized the pursuit of policies that closely effectively link agriculture and industry, adding that Ghana had the basic resources to ensure that her industries depended on agricultural raw materials in which she had comparative advantage.
Kyerematen said appropriate processing and packaging plants were part of the vital products required for the nation's industries to create the necessary links with the agricultural sector.
He said the President had mooted an idea of a tripod of Ministries comprising the Ministries of Food and Agriculture, Trade and Industries and Finance, to work in concert to transform the economy from import based to a vibrant industrialized one. Kyerematen said the supply of credit to the agricultural sector was limited because Ghanaian agriculture was rain-fed and weather dependent; there was high cost of administering agricultural credit and the low recovery of loan recovery.
He said the pursuance of an integrated strategy for enhancing access to the financial support would be crucial to agro-business development, adding that the element for such a strategy should include attractive tax relief for financial institutions serving the agricultural sector.
The strategy should also include deposit mobilisation assistance to financial institutions to develop innovative ways of mobilising deposits from small operators, which included fostering associations between the formal sector institutions and informal savings and loans associations and input suppliers.
Food and Agriculture Minister, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd) said the Ministry had launched the Livestock Development Project to increase the production of various types of meat to satisfy the protein needs of the Ghanaian citizenry. The Ministry had also established a Dairy Training Centre at Amrahia, near Dodowa, and training people in cow milking, and it had embarked on a vigorous campaign to sensitise caterers to use local rice, gari in various forms, cassava and sweet potato flour for pastries and dairy products for desert.
Finance Minster Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who chaired the ceremony, said the country could develop if it could process massively its products, adding that it was necessary to build and introduce appropriate technology at both the production and the manufacturing stage, and diversify the use of agricultural products.
He appealed to the financial sector to look at the agro-business- the business of all activities relating to agriculture and also those that impacted on it- with some favour.
The National Farmers' Day, the 19th since its inception, comes off at Cape Coast on 5 December 2003, on the theme: "Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Food Security through Improved Agri-Business." The Day is set aside to honour gallant farmers and fisherman for their hard-work in producing food to feed the nation, and also producing agricultural raw materials for feeding agro-based industries, and export.
Clement Eledi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture In-Charge of Crops, who is also the Chairman of the Planning Committee, said some of the selection criteria to win the Best Farmer Award were the extent of diversification, knowledge and practice of animal husbandry, record keeping and general impression of the selection committee.
Members of the Committee are drawn from the Universities, the research institution and officials of the Agriculture Ministry. On 30 November, the prospective laureates would converge in Accra and visit some places of interest in the Accra-Tema metropolis and pay a courtesy call on the President before moving to Cape Coast for their prizes.
The Ministry appealed for support in the form of donations from individuals
and organisations for the Day.
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Govt commended for sea defence project
Keta (Volta Region) 13 August 2003 - Francis Kpodo, Chairman of Vodza Unit
Committee, has commended the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for the work
done so far on the Keta Sea Defence Project.
"We are pleased every moment we wake up to see the vast land reclaimed, the road network, and the gentle waves of the once boisterous ocean", he stated. Kpodo, who said this in an interview with the GNA, appealed to the government to stick to the initial plan of completing work on all the 518 houses in which they would be resettled before asking them to leave their present residence.
He described as an "unfortunate" an incident that happened a month ago where a three-day ultimatum was given to the residents by government to quit their present settlement and to settle in temporary structures until work was completed on the new ones.
He said it was heartening that the government accepted their suggestion that work should be completed on the buildings before they are asked to go and occupy them.
Kpodo, who is also the current Volta Regional Chief Fisherman, said government's position to release only 30 per cent of the reclaimed land to the communities should be revised to 50 per cent while government used the rest for industries and other social infrastructure.
He thanked the District Chief Executive, Emmanuel Vorke, for his role in the
execution of the Keta Sea Defence Project.
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Govt, stakeholders meeting over new fees
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Government and stakeholders in tertiary education are discussing the new user fees for fresh entrants. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports said this when he took his turn at the meet the press series in Accra.
He said government's attention has been drawn to the increases and would look into the matter to arrive at an agreeable solution. Government, he said, recognized the limitations facing the Universities in areas such as accommodation, lecture halls and utilities and would do all it can to improve on the state of universities in the country.
Fresh students entering the University of Ghana, Legon are now required to pay a total of six and eight million cedis for the Humanities and Bachelor of Science Programmes respectively.
The Minister noted that the tertiary education has seen some improvement in academic and physical facilities through support provided by the Ghana Education Trust Fund.
He said there has been a significant increase in intake in the past three years with enrolment in the universities increasing from 40,673 in 2000-2001 academic year to 53,895 in the 2002-2003 academic year. "The corresponding figures from the polytechnics are 18,459 and 23,717 representing an increase of 28.5 per cent."
Baah-Wiredu said government's policy of encouraging private participation in the provision of tertiary education was yielding good results with 25 private institutions, including nine university colleges being given accreditation by the national accreditation board.
The Minister pledged government's continued support for distance education
programmes as a compliment of the mode of tertiary education delivery. He said
the average male/female enrolment for the past five years, "from 1996 to
2001 was a ratio of 73:27 for the universities and 79:21 for the polytechnics,
which is against the national norm."
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Govt to commit more resources for youth development
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 13 August 2003 - The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has assured the youth that the NPP government was determined to make a difference in youth empowerment by continuing to commit more time and resources on youth training and employment.
He mentioned initiatives such as the registration of the unemployed and underemployed leading to job creation and placement under the Skill Training and Employment Programme (STEP) through which 3,600 people have acquired various skills from the first phase which began in February, this year.
Alhaji Mahama was addressing a national youth rally organised by the National Youth Council (NYC) at Koforidua on Tuesday to mark this year's International Youth Day with the theme: "Maximising youth potential for national development: prospects and challenges."
He announced that the government had made available for disbursement ¢10bn out of the 50-billion National Youth Fund for pilot projects in 30 districts to be identified jointly by the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment and stakeholders to ensure that the Fund made the desired impact before being extended to other districts.
Alhaji Mahama, who made it clear that the Fund was not for free but as a self-sustaining revolving fund for the benefit of many needy youth, therefore, asked the Fund managers to be circumspect in its disbursement and monitoring to ensure the maximum benefit.
He said the government was pursuing national-based programmes such as the provision of basic infrastructure meant to redress the imbalances and improve the quality of life in all communities to check the rural-urban youth and make "streetism" unattractive.
Alhaji Mahama further mentioned the President's Special Initiatives on garments, textiles, agribusiness, forestry plantation and other initiatives aimed at promoting increased levels of employment for the rural and urban poor.
On efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS through information dissemination and education of the people, especially the youth, he said the government had contracted a ¢25m loan from the International Development Agency(IDA) of the World Bank for the Ghana AIDS Response Project.
He, therefore, stressed the need for youth leaders and peer groups to play active roles in the efforts to limit the spread of the epidemic. On his crusade for greater discipline, he called on all sections of the society to join hands in the crusade by condemning wrongdoing and ensure that the right thing was done.
The Minister of State for Education, Youth and Sports, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, announced that the government was to increase the number of Youth Leadership Institutes from seven to ten to cover all the regions. He said sites had been acquired for such institutes at Wassa Amenfi and Ajumako-Afranse in the Western and Central regions, respectively, whiles work on the rehabilitation of some abandoned structures at Nalerigu in the Northern Region was going on to make it the 8th Institute by February, next year.
The Minister said computer training centres have been opened at the Afienya and Sandema Institutes as part of the expansion of the subjects to meet modern trends, adding that courses in leadership training and entrepreneurial development skills had been introduced in all the institutes.
The Minister hoped with the celebration of the Day, all would bear in mind that the empowerment of the youth was a collective responsibility which required that all would support government's effort to respond to youth needs and aspirations.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, in a welcoming address, noted that the youth were facing some serious problems, which threatened their ability to live socially and economically productive lives in self-fulfilment. He mentioned them as the scourge of HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, early marriage and parentage and drugs, which should be tackled with seriousness if the youth are to make positive strides towards national development.
The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebere Dr Oti Boateng,
who chaired the function, stressed the need for the integration of quality
education and good health delivery in the effort to meet the needs and
aspirations of the youth to contribute to national development.
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Ghana commends Germany
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence,
on Tuesday commended Germany for her immense contribution towards the
construction of the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAPTC) in Accra.
He said the government was grateful to the German government for resources it has provided to the country in education, road construction and health. He lauded the cordial relationship between the two nations, adding that the Ghanaian government would continue to explore the existing bonds to the mutual benefit of the two countries.
Dr Addo-Kufuor said this when Peter Lynder, the new German Ambassador designate to Ghana paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Burma Camp. The Minister appealed to the German government to send qualified medical personnel such as radiographers, surgeons and other paramedical staff to impart their knowledge to their Ghanaian counterparts, especially those at the '37' Military Hospital.
The Minister said Germany's support for government has seen some level of improvement than was the case in the last twenty years. Lynder, who before assuming duty in Ghana was his country's ambassador to Nigeria, said he was happy to be in Ghana to strengthen the already cordial relationship between the two nations.
He said the visit was to deepen the understanding that already existed in
between the two countries in military cooperation. Lynder said the Deputy German
Defence Minister would be in Ghana to participate in the official inauguration
of the KAPTC, which would be completed by the end of October. Present at the
meeting was Lieutenant Colonel Seth Obeng, Chief of Defence Staff.
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Govt to assist 9,000 failed students in core subjects
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - Government on Tuesday said it was
looking at ways to assist over 9,000 students who could not further their
education because they failed in subjects such as Mathematics, English and
Science.
Dr Mrs Angela Ofori-Atta, Deputy Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, who announced this said the figure constituted part of the one million people registered under the unemployment census programme undertaken two years ago.
She said apart from government's efforts to provide the people with skills there was the need to also find ways to assist those who would like to continue their education but were unable to do so because they failed in the core subjects.
Dr Mrs Ofori-Atta said this when she launched a new non-governmental organisation (NGO) called "Mathematics for National Education and Development (MathNED) that seeks to promote a conceptual understanding of mathematics and its practical application in real life.
The setting up of centres to be known as Meagasa Education Centre for Excellence in Mathematics Education (MECEME), where teachers and students would be trained to appreciate and understand the conceptual methods and principles of the subject were also launched.
The Deputy Minister asked the Centre to consider ways of integrating those, who would be willing to further their education into their programme and also called on other groups and organizations to assist. On Mathematics, she said it was an important subject, which required that teachers teach according to its concepts, rather than rely on formulae for students to understand.
Dr Mrs Ofori-Atta said Mathematics was needed in all aspects of life adding,
"we need it even in the nation's planning processes especially in drawing
up the budget and, therefore, study of Mathematics should not be halted in our
career lives".
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Ghanair moves to transport stranded passengers
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - The Management of Ghana Airways is making every effort to lease an aircraft to transport stranded passengers on its European routes, Sam Bannerman Bruce, Public Affairs Manager, has said.
He told the GNA that the problem of the stranded passengers arose basically because the Airline has few aircraft, hence when one developed a fault none was readily available to replace it.
Passengers who were scheduled to have travelled on Ghana Airways from Accra to various destinations in Europe have been at the Kotoka Airport since Friday. Others who were to come in have also been stranded at London, Dusseldorf and Humburg due to airline unavailability to transport them.
The only DC 10 aircraft developed a fault hence the problem; however, it has
now been fixed and started operating on Monday.
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EC urges political parties to comply with accounts law
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - The Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday reminded registered political parties in country that they have a statutory obligation to submit their audited accounts to the Commission.
Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, EC Chairman, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra that all the 10 parties did not meet the June 30, 2003 deadline to submit their audited accounts as required by the Electoral Law. "Even though, the Commission is empowered by law to withdraw the certificate of any party that fails to comply with the law, the EC is resorting to dialogue, sensitising and educating the parties to ensure compliance," he said.
Dr Afari-Gyan said a strict enforcement of the law could have jeopardised the
country's evolving democracy, explaining that the Commission would dialogue with
the parties through the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to elicit
compliance.
"Imagine the implication of withdrawing the certificates of all the
political parties in the country. It would create a constitutional crisis."
GNA investigations revealed that only the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) submitted its accounts seven days after the deadline. The Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the Convention People's Party (CPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Peoples National Convention have filed up to 2001.
The EGLE, Ghana Democratic Republican Party (GDRP), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the National Reform Party (NRP) have never submitted an audited account to the Commission, whilst the United Ghana Movement (UGM) submitted for 1999 only.
The law says: "A political party shall, within six months from December 31st of each year, file with the Commission a return indicating the state of its accounts; the source of its funds and membership dues paid or risk cancellation of its registration. "Without prejudice to any other penalty prescribed by the Act or any other enactment, where a political party refuses or neglects to comply with the provision or submits a declaration that is false in any material, the Commission may cancel its registration."
The law also requires political parties to inform EC about other sources of funding including contributions or donations in cash or kind and property, adding that these are constitutional and statutory provisions that the parties are required to meet and make available to the Commission for verification.
The Act says this shall be supported by a statutory declaration made by the National Treasurer and the National or General Secretary of the party'. It allows only a citizen to contribute in cash or kind to a party. Foreigners are not allowed to contribute financially to any political party.
It said any person or company that contravenes the constitutional provision
on the funding of political parties would forfeit such amount to the State. A
non-citizen found guilty of contravention of the provision shall be deemed to be
a prohibited immigrant and liable to deportation under the Aliens Act.
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EC to maintain 7 December as polling day
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2003 - The Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced that the next Presidential and Parliamentary elections would be held on Tuesday 7 December 2004. Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Commission, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that barring any constitutional amendment to Article 63, clause (2) of the 1992 Constitution on the conduct of Presidential Elections, the date is fixed.
The EC Chairman said though the time frame spans four months, the elections cannot be held a day later than one month before the expiry of the term of the incumbent President, making December 7 suitable.
The Article states inter alia: (a) where a President is in office, not earlier than four months nor later than one month before his term of office expires; and (b) in any other case, within three months after the office of the President becomes vacant; and shall be held at such place and shall begin on such date as the Electoral Commission shall, by Constitutional Instrument, specify.
On the Parliamentary Elections, Article 112 clause (4) states inter alia; "subject to clause two of 113 of this Constitution a general election of Members of Parliament shall be held within 30 days before the expiration of the period specified in clause (1) of that article and a session of Parliament shall be appointed to commence within 14 days after the expiration of that period".
Article 113 (1) further states: "Subject to clause (2) of this article Parliament shall continue for four years from the date of its sitting and shall then stand dissolved."
During the 2000 Elections, One Aurelius Awuku, a Resident of Teshie in Accra and Dr Tony Aidoo, then Deputy Defence Minister, challenged the constitutionality of December 8, which the EC had appointed for the elections and called for a change. Alhaji Issakah Inusah, a former Leading Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), also appealed to the EC to change the date, saying it was a Friday in the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan and Muslims would be inconvenienced.
Dr Afari-Gyan told GNA that the controversy arose because of the different
interpretations given to the clauses on the expiration of the term of the
President and the dissolution of Parliament with regard to the fixing of
election dates.
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University gets ¢6.5bn assistance from GETFund
Mampong (Ashanti Region) 13 August 2003 - The government has released about ¢6.5bn from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to the Asante-Mampong campus of the University of Education Winneba (UEW) to support projects under construction.
They include a modern lecture hall with a seating capacity for 300, offices and apartments, a two-storey science laboratory, a library, a two-storey administration block and a sports complex.
Prof Stephen Osei, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, UEW who made this know to the Ghana News Agency at the projects site, said each of the projects costs more than ¢1.2bn.
He said the projects, most of which were started in February and were expected to be completed by December, had come to add meaning to the University's dream of transforming into a leading Agriculture University.
Prof Osei said the Faculty is committed to produce a new breed of
agricultural science graduates that would teach the subject in a sustained
manner.
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Ashanti Region records 1,722 accidents in six months
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 August 2003 - Some 1,722 road accidents were recorded between January and June in the Ashanti Region resulting in the death of 203 people and injuries to 1,259 people.
Peter Egya Ansah, Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of Trades Union Congress (TUC), said this at the Ashanti Regional Delegates' Congress of the Union on Tuesday. He attributed the high incidence of accidents on the roads to indiscipline among drivers and warned that the Union would sanction any indiscipline driver in a bid to minimise road accidents.
The congress also saw the election of a new regional executive to run the union for the next four years. The incumbent Regional Chairman, Nana Yaw Owusu, retained his position, when he beat his only rival, Alhaji Yaw Manu.
Aaron Osei Boakye was elected as Vice-Chairman while Francis Owusu and Alex
Yaw Anane, were made First and Second Trustee, respectively. Nana Owusu pledged
to work with all stakeholders in the industry to promote efficiency.
GRi…/
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Govt will subsidize only Public Insurance scheme
Takoradi (Western Region) 13 August 2003 - Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health, on Tuesday said the government would subsidize health insurance schemes managed by the district assemblies and not private and commercial schemes run by non-governmental organisations.
He was speaking at a public forum on the National Health Insurance Bill organised by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Finance in Takoradi.
Dr Afriyie said non-governmental organizations could, however, negotiate with the district assemblies to operate under the district health insurance scheme. He said the district health insurance schemes would be managed on day-to-day basis by a five-member management team who are to be paid by the schemes that are to be known as district health mutual organisations.
Dr Afriyie said the guidelines for the appointment of the members of the management team are yet to be released. The Boards, whose members would not be paid, and would work in voluntary capacity, would supervise the management teams. Dr Afriyie said the district assemblies would approve decisions of the Boards.
Akwasi Akomea Kyeremanteng, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Finance, called for acceptance of the scheme because it could improve health delivery and make health services readily available to all. He said workers should not have fears that the scheme would collapse from poor financing as it would be supported with funds from reliable sources.
Kyeremanteng, Member of Parliament for Agona West, said all residents in areas of the scheme would be expected to register and pay premiums. He said a National Health Insurance Fund would be established into which two and half per cent workers' contributions to the Social Security National Insurance Trust would be paid.
Kyeremanteng said the country's development partners; churches and non-governmental organisations that want to support health delivery could make contributions to the fund. He said a National Health Insurance levy to impose a levy of two and a half per cent on economic activities has been proposed.
Agyeman Manu, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said the government would continue to pay its contribution to the Social Security Scheme when the Health Insurance Bill comes into effect.
He said workers would not be required to make any other payments to the health insurance in addition to their two and a half per cent social security contributions.
Manu said workers could still enjoy enhanced pension scheme with their remaining social security contribution. He said funds given out by the Ghana AIDS Commission to some non-governmental organizations for HIV/AIDS campaign could not be traced.
Manu said District Chief Executives and Members of Parliament in the areas
where the NGOs operate have been tasked to help to find the money. Joseph Aidoo,
Western Regional Minister, told workers that their retiring benefits would not
be adversely affected by the scheme as there is going to be an in-built
mechanism to adequately address that concern.
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