GRi Newsreel 28 - 08 -
2003
Dismissal by radio must stop - Agyei
2004 Elections must more than free and fair - US Ambassador
Boadu-Ayeboafoh disqualified
Shun child trafficking - fishing communities urged
Driver fined for ignoring presidential siren
WASSCE to replace SSSCE next academic year
GES warns secondary school teachers
Collect approved fees - GES urges Headmasters
Nine JSS score zero per cent in exam
Tourism should not be synonymous with sex - Minister
Govt will solve protracted land dispute - Kufuor
NDC asks other parties to join its planned "demo"
A long day for a Parliamentary bill
NRC receives 3,836 petitions as at 14 July 2003
Dismissal by radio must stop - Agyei
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 August 2003 - Christian Appiah Agyei, a Member of the National
Reconciliation Commission, on Wednesday decried the dismissal of workers by
radio announcement and press publications.
He described such dismissals as inhuman and bad and said they must stop.
He said it was rather sad that the practice had been a characteristic of labour
since the country won independence, and called on the public to collectively
correct the situation. "Dismissal on radio must stop. It is inhuman and a bad practice,"
Agyei said at the Commission's sitting in Accra.
He was speaking after Ebenezer Nii Chaiku Armah, former Accountant in charge
of Budgeting and Finance, Public Works Department (PWD), told the story of his
dismissal by a radio announcement on 23 August 1985.
Agyei, who is also former Secretary General of the Ghana Trade Union Congress
(TUC), said many people had lost their lives because of such announcements. He spoke of a chief executive who got home only to meet relations waiting on him
to sympathise with him on the loss of his job, while he did not know of his
dismissal.
He said the man had a shock and had never been himself since then.
Chaiku Armah, who is also former Chairman of the Adabraka Odorna Unit
Committee of the erstwhile Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR),
said he was traumatised by his dismissal.
Armah, who said he worked for 30 years, told the commission that he was
informed of the dismissal at a time he was going to visit his sick mother. He said he was not queried for claims of not paying for goods, which were never
supplied, but was dismissed.
Armah said he had not been paid any benefit since his dismissal. "I lost my gratuity, pension, and everything," he said, adding that
the upkeep of his family, and his children's education suffered badly. Armah said he petitioned the head of department of his former employers, and
the then Ombudsman, but to no avail.
His employers also failed to honour a recommendation from the Ministry of Works
and Housing, to retire him with benefits. He said he sent another petition to the late Col. J. Y. Assasie, Co-ordinator of
the CDRs, who wrote to the Ministry of Works and Housing, but its reply was that
"the dismissal was by a radio announcement."
Armah said the pursuit of his benefits was stalled after the death of Col.
Assasie. He said his colleagues, through some influential people, had their benefits.
Aside his benefits, Armah prayed the Commission to invite Dr Abubakar
Alhassan, then Minister for Works and Housing, to explain the basis of his
dismissal and why he ( Armah) was not offered any avenue to defend himself.
Another witness, Ex-Lance Corporal Paul Adigah Akorah, formerly of the Border
Guards Unit, told the Commission that he was dismissed from the Service in 1980
on a false allegation of extorting ¢120 from alleged textile smugglers at Aflao.
He said he was recalled into the Army after the 31 December 1981 coup and later
assigned to be the Dispatch Rider of the then Army Commander General Arnold
Quainoo.
Ex-Lance Corporal Akorah said he never performed that special assignment because
he was not given a motorbike, although he was paid. He said the Military Intelligence machinery subjected him to interrogations
after the failed coup attempts on in 23 November 1982 and that of Giwa on 19 June 1983. He said the Military Intelligence suspected that he had a hand in them
since he had the same name as one Akorah, who had been implicated in the plots.
Ex-Lance Corporal Akorah said he spent more than eight years in prison, for what
appeared to be suspicion of complicity in the June 1983 failed coup. The payment of salary stopped after his arrest and was discharged without any
benefits since 1991.
Lance Corporal Akorah said he found both his Toyota Corona car and his gold
plated bed stolen after his release. He prayed the Commission to be re-instated with the rank of Warrant Officer
Class One, or payment of his pension.
GRi.../
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2004 Elections must more than free and fair - US Ambassador
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 August 2003 - The US Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Mary C. Yates on Wednesday said elections need to be more than just free and fair, "even though free and fair elections are a major element of a democratic society if they are not also competitive and inclusive, citizens may feel disaffected and democracy may suffer."
Lack of campaign resources, or uneven distribution of those resources, can
frustrate an election campaign and contribute to a disaffected public, Ms Yates
said at the final of a Nationwide Consultative Forum on Financing Political
Parties and the Electoral Process.
The forum seeks to build consensus on the way forward for the financing of
political parties and the electoral process, how to resources the parties to
make them more effective in the performance of their duties and examination of
the challenges of financing elections in the country.
About one hundred participants, comprising representatives of Political Parties,
Trades Unions, Security Organisations, Professional Organisations and Chiefs
attended the forum, which was organised, by the EC and KAB Consult, an NGO, with
funding from USAID.
Sharing the United States experience in State Funding political parties with the
participants, Ms Yates said there had been proposal for financing of
Congressional (Parliamentary) elections, the US only finance Presidential
elections.
Ms Yates said debates for campaign financing under the Federal Elections
Commission (FEC) focuses on; disclosure- candidates for federal office must
fully disclose their campaign contribution, public funding- presidential
conventions, primaries, and general elections can be funded through the creation
of a voluntary 'matching fund" programme.
Ms Yates said Presidential candidates can choose to accept public funds and if
they do, they must comply with spending limits and other restrictions imposed by
the FEC.
Other FEC focuses are contribution limits-contributions to all federal office
electoral campaigns are limited by amount and source. Corporations, unions and
federal government contractors cannot contribute.
Campaign spending limits- this provision of the legislation was struck down by a
1976 US Supreme Court case as unlawfully restricting the candidates, citizens
and associations constitutional right to free speech. Ms Yates said the court however, did sustain voluntary limitations as a
condition for receiving government campaign subsidies.
The US Ambassador said public financing of US Presidential elections is not a
complete subsidy and comes with strings attached. Only candidates of the two
main political parties are automatically eligible to receive public funds.
During each of the two main party's primary elections, candidates must receive a
certain amount of funding in at least 20 states before FEC will begin matching
funds. She said after the elections each candidate is eligible for grants covering all
of the general election campaign costs, and are prohibited from spending more
than the grant.
The third parties candidates could be eligible for some public funds, but only
if the party received at least five per cent of the vote in the last election.
Ms Yates said campaign reform has not halted the influence of money in politics.
Candidates, incumbents and challengers alike, are compelled to raise funds
constantly to keep pace with opponents, real, imagined or prospective.
Campaign finance reform she said has accomplished full disclosure, so that
voters know the sources of any one candidate's campaign funds, and in
Presidential campaigns, public funding assists the major parties greatly.
Participants at the forum said delays in establishing mechanisms for public
financing of political parties would work to the advantage of bigger parties by
virtue of their ability to raise funds to support their activities and win
elections not necessarily because they possessed the ideas to solve the
country's problems.
They urged civil society to pursue the issue to a logical conclusion since
financial constraints seemed to have placed limitations on vibrant party
politicking. They said political parties required public funding but they should let the
public know their financial positions, and how they were able to achieve such
financial status.
The Participants also identify as a big block ways of resource the parties and
how to raise the resource, administration and supervision of the public resource
mechanism and mode of disbursement.
GRi.../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 August 2003 - The Ad-hoc Elections Dispute Committee set up by the
Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to investigate the electoral dispute between
Yaw Owusu-Addo, a presidential contestant and Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo,
President-elect on Wednesday disqualified the later on grounds of eligibility.
The Committee, therefore declared Owusu-Addo the president-elect. The Committee had
K. Arhin of the Electoral Commission and Mrs Bernadette Chinery-Hesse, a Legal Practitioner, Journalists and Administrative Manager of
Ghana News Agency, as members with Yonny Kulendi, also a Legal Practitioner,
as Chairman.
The term of reference of the Committee was to investigate all issues at the
centre of the electoral dispute between Owusu-Addo, Director of Radio, Ghana
Broadcasting Corporation, who lost the contest for the Presidency to
Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Editor of the Daily Graphic.
It was to determine the legibility or otherwise of Boadu-Ayeboafoh to stand
for the elections, which is the centre of the controversy. Owusu-Addo lodged a complaint to the GJA Electoral Officer,
Mawusi Afele
alleging that Boadu-Ayeboafoh was not a paid up member of the Association at
the time he filed his nomination papers and should not have, therefore, held
himself for election.
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Shun child trafficking - fishing communities urged
Senya-Beraku (Central Region) 28 August 2003 - The First Lady Mrs Theresah
Kufuour, has
advised fishing communities alongside the Central and Western coastal belt, not
to allow poverty lead them into selling their children to shylock fishermen
operating in the Yeji area.
He warned parents that collude with child traffickers of severe consequences if
they did not stop the illicit trade.
The advice was contained in the message read on behalf of the First Lady to the
chiefs and people of Senya-Beraku Traditional Area, by Captain Steve Kwamena
Armah (Rtd) District Chief Executive of Awutu-Effutu-Senya, to run off their
annual "Akomasi" festival.
Mrs Kufuor described children as special divine assets bequeathed to parents and
that they must be properly and carefully handled in order not to incur the wrath
of the Creator.
She called on parents, particularly fishermen and farmers living in coastal
towns and villages to give their children, at least, the basic education to
enable them to play their part in national development.
Capt. Armah charged members of the Senya Town Council to intensify their
sanitation education programme to ensure sound environmental sanitation
practices among the people in other to attract tourist to the town.
He announced plans by the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly to establish a
scholarship scheme to cater for the needy but brilliant children who qualified
to enter senior secondary schools. In another message delivered on her behalf, Mrs Gladys
Asmah, Minister of Women
and Children's Affairs, announced that the bill on domestic violent would come
out next month to safeguard the interest of women and children in the society.
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Driver fined for ignoring presidential siren
Nsawam (Eastern Region) 28 August 2003 - The circuit court at Nsawam on Wednesday fined a
commercial driver, Otchere Donkor, ¢600,000 for ignoring police siren
and failing to stop for a presidential convoy.
Otchere, who pleaded guilty, would go to prison for six months if he fails to
pay the fine.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector James Karbo Domah, told the court that on 20 August
at 2.30 pm, the accused was driving a '207' Benz bus from Suhum to Accra.
He said on reaching Kutunse, near Nsawam, he met a presidential convoy with the
sound of siren but failed to stop. Chief Inspector Domah said the accused nearly caused an accident and was later
arrested by the police and charged with the offence.
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WASSCE to replace SSSCE next academic year
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 28 August 2003 - The West African Senior Secondary School Certificate
Examination (WASSCE) is to replace the Senior Secondary School Certificate
Examination (SSSCE) from next academic year.
The examination will be conducted in May/June instead of July/August, the
Reverend Ama Afo Blay, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES),
said on Tuesday.
It means Ghana can now join the other West African countries that have agreed to
internationalise their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations.
Speaking at the opening of the Regional Selection Committee for Senior Secondary
Schools (SSS) meeting in Kumasi, Rev Afo Blay said the computerised system of
admitting students into SSS in the country will be operational in September
2005.
She said the major groundwork has been done and that the initial piloting,
involving a specific number of regions is in progress. The second piloting of the system, the Director-General said, would be carried
out with the raw scores of all 2004 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)
candidates in all the 10 regions.
"It is expected that all teething problems would have been addressed by the
end of that exercise to enable the computerised system become operational in
September, 2005".
"Thus when the computerised system becomes operational, candidates will no
longer be limited to selecting schools within the same region, neither will it
matter if they select a particular school as their second or third choice
provided their performance is high enough".
She reminded headmasters and headmistresses that the approved aggregate for
admission still remained six to 30 and that they should conduct the selection
exercise with fairness and integrity. James A. Boamah, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of Conference of Heads of
Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), appealed to his colleagues to observe the
guidelines governing the selection and replacement of students for SSS
programmes.
He appealed to them to study all cards before placing them when necessary.
Boamah, who is also the Headmaster of Technology Secondary School in Kumasi,
told them that candidates could only be rejected if they do not qualify in terms
of aggregate or the selected programmes are not offered in their schools.
He said candidates can be rejected if vacancies in their schools of choice are
exhausted.
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GES warns secondary school teachers
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 28 August 2003 - The Ghana Education Service (GES) on Tuesday issued a
strong warning to Senior Secondary School (SSS) teachers who force students to
buy pamphlets they have prepared in their subject areas.
The Director-General of the GES, Reverend Ama Afo Blay, who gave the warning
during the Ashanti Regional Selection and Placement of Senior Secondary Students
Meeting in Kumasi, said the practice is illegal. She said because of the pamphlets some of the teachers do not prepare notes to
assist them to effectively deliver in the classroom.
The Director-General expressed concern about the rate at which students go home
to demand monies for such pamphlets. Rev Afo Blay also expressed the GES's displeasure at the establishment of
afternoon classes conducted by teachers, some outside the school compounds.
She said: "establishment of these "schools" is not a healthy
practice since some of the students have to leave the schools to attend the
classes".
The Director-General appealed to headmasters to assist in stemming the
practices. She said the GES would not countenance any acts that would bring the service
into disrepute and that those who are interested in founding their
"schools" should leave the Service.
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Collect approved fees - GES urges Headmasters
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 28 August 2003 - Rev Ama Afo-Blay, Director General of
Ghana Education Service (GES), has asked heads of Senior Secondary Schools (SSS)
to continue to collect approved fees until they are revised.
In an address read for her at the opening of a two-day selection and placement
exercise in Sunyani for headmasters of SSS and District Directors of Education,
she said the revision of the fees has become necessary in view of current
economic trends.
The Director General asked the headmasters to display the list of admitted
candidates into their schools on their notice boards, and write to them without
delay to enable the students to report on time.
She said the computerized system for the selection of candidates will become
operational by September 2005 and will address other problems associated with
the selection and placement of candidates. Rev Afo-Blay said the re-opening
dates for senior secondary schools for this year are slated between 20 and 23
September and urged headmasters to arrange their dates to conform with the
directive.
She appealed to teachers with legal background to seek appointment with the
legal unit of the GES. Dr Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, Principal of Sunyani Polytechnic,
appealed to headmasters to enroll more students for technical, science and
agriculture-based courses "since the regional economy is based on
agriculture."
He said such courses would offer greater employment opportunities, as well as
improve the supply, storage and processing of agricultural produce in the
region. The Principal expressed regret that education was not being given the
needed attention it deserved and suggested to the Government to increase the 35
per cent budget for education to 50 percent.
Dr. Nsiah-Gyabaah suggested to the headmasters to enrol girls with minimum
aggregates and encourage them to learn technical, science and agricultural based
programmes.
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Nine JSS score zero per cent in exam
Goaso (Brong Ahafo) 28 August 2003 - Nine Junior Secondary Schools in Asunafo
District of Brong Ahafo scored zero per cent in this year's 2003 Basic Education
Certificate Examinations (BECE).
The poor-performing Local Authority schools are located at Manhyia No. 4,
Anyimaye, Ayesuako, Manukrom, Fianko, Mpamase, Dodowa, Gyasikrom and Motopereso.
This came to light at an appraisal meeting at Goaso, to assess the general
performance of schools in the district.
The Asunafo District Education Oversight Committee expressed concern about the
persistent poor performance of the district at the BECE and discussed measures
to help halt the trend. The committee called on the Inspectorate Division of the
District Education Directorate to adopt strict supervision of the work of the
teachers to promote maximum performance.
It also suggested the District Directorate to identify and sanction
non-performing teachers in the district. Baryeh Amaniampong, District Director
of Education, called on the committee to open a public debate on the abysmal
BECE results of the district, especially between 2000 and 2003.
George Yaw Boakye, District Chief Executive (DCE), said the Assembly could no
longer tolerate the persistent poor results of schools in the area. The Assembly
and the District Education Office are in this direction collaborating to
organize stakeholders' consultative forum for a solution to the problem.
Boakye called on Circuit Supervisors, School Management Committees (SMC's) and
Parent/Teacher Associations (PTA's) to assist and improve the image of education
in the area. He asked teachers to use classroom period judiciously to benefit
the children.
GRi.../
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Tourism should not be synonymous with sex - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 August 2003 - Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of
Tourism and the Modernisation of the Capital City on Wednesday warned that since
tourism has the capacity to create both positive and negative impacts, the
industry should not be synonymous with the sex trade nor used to exploit the
vulnerable in society.
He said it was unfortunate that some tourist destinations in the world have been
associated with sex tourism despite its immense contributions to the
socio-economic development of such communities.
He said studies conducted in parts of Ghana have revealed that, the incidence of
social vices, including sexual exploitation was being traded in communities
where "we are using or intend to use tourism to improve the livelihood of
the people."
Obetsebi-Lamptey said this in a speech read for him by Joel Sonne, Acting
Director in-charge of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry during
the opening of a three-day stakeholders workshop on sexual exploitation of
children in Accra.
The workshop, being attended by tourism experts, hoteliers and others in the
hospitality industry is being organised by the Ministries of Employment and
Manpower Development and the Women and Children's Affairs in collaboration with
the International Labour Organisation (ILO/IPEC).
Participants will develop a policy framework on commercial sexual exploitation
of children in Ghana, which is currently on increase as revealed by an ILO/IPEC
studies conducted last year in the Greater Accra Region.
Obetsebi-Lamptey was particularly concerned about the abuse of child labour by
owners of tourism facilities like hotels, restaurants, chop bars and drinking
places where children are engaged to provide services to customers, and are
thereby exposed to social vices.
He stressed the Ministry's commitment to the eradication of any form of child
exploitation and warned that it would not be "lenient on any tourism
facility or investors found in dealings that demonstrate the abuse and violation
of children's rights and dignity".
He said the Ministry is also involved in the campaign against sexual abuse of
children as well as being part of the WTO tourism Taskforce and focal point,
stressing, "the government is committed to improving the standards of
living within acceptable norms and practices".
The Minister announced that a two-man government delegation would represent the
tourism sector in the WTO regional consultation meeting on the protection of
children against sexual exploitation in tourism to be held in Senegal in
September, this year, where the Ministry's views on the issue would be
articulated.
Obetsebi-Lamptey expressed the hope that the workshop would come out with a
policy and strategy that would create awareness and consciousness among all
identified stakeholders on the need not to exploit and involve children in the
development of tourism
He urged the participants to also provide guidelines to eliminate child
prostitution and advocate regulations and legislation to protect children
against all forms of abuses in tourism related activities.
Sylvia Hinson-Ekong, National Programme Director of ILO/IPEC was expressed
regret that commercial sexual exploitation has become a multi-billion dollar
business around the world today, which is closely linked to trafficking in
humans, especially women and children.
She said studies commissioned by IPEC into child trafficking in nine (9) West
and Central African countries in 2000 revealed an alarming rate of child
trafficking in the sub-region where commercial sexual exploitation is on the
increase, becoming a real problem in those countries.
She described sexual exploitation among children as the most "brutal forms
of violence against children which subjects them to extreme physical,
psycho-social and mental emotional abuse.
"They are at risk of early pregnancies, maternal mortality, long term
psychological damage, corruption of moral and spiritual values, the risk of
HIV/AIDS, drug use and drug dependence with their attendant problems".
Mrs Hinson-Ekong therefore, called for a concerted action to prevent children
from becoming victims of prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.
"Structures need to be put in place to remove children trapped in
prostitution, both through outreach programmes and through investigation and law
enforcement, protection and rehabilitation programmes".
She pledged ILO's readiness to support Ghana wit both technical and financial
assistance to combat commercial sexual exploitation in the country.
Glanville Williams, Development Director of the Renaissance Consultancy Firm,
which conducted research into sexual exploitation in Ghana last year disclosed
that evidence in the sector showed that prostitution was on the increase,
particularly around major tourist destinations.
He said victims were normally from very poor families, street children, refugees
and internally displaced children, hawkers of petty wares, beggars, school
drop-outs and children migrants who depended on prostitution as the only means
of survival.
He said factors that caused commercial prostitution among children in Ghana
included, poverty, family disintegration, ethnic conflict, economic
inequalities, gender vulnerability, abusive traditional and cultural practices,
lack of adequate social support structures and poor and ineffective legal and
enforcement framework.
GRi.../
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Govt will solve protracted land dispute - Kufuor
Kwamang (Ashanti Region) 28 August 2003 - President John Kufuor on Tuesday, said
government will endeavour to solve the protracted land dispute between the
chiefs and people of Kwamang and Kumawu. He said although the government is not
allowed by the constitution from indulging in chieftaincy issues, efforts would
be made through the appropriate quarters to solve the problem for the people in
the two traditional areas to live in peace.
President Kufuor said this in response to a suggestion by Barima Abayie Ntori
Nimpa II, Kwamanghene, that the government must institute a commission of
inquiry to solve the matter for peace to prevail in the area. The President was
addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Kwamang Traditional Area on the
last day of his official tour of the Ashanti Region.
He also addressed durbars at Ejura, Mampong, Nsuta, Beposo, Kumawu, Asokore and
Effiduase, in the Ejura-Sekyedumase, Sekyere West and East districts.
President Kufuor assured the people that his government will ensure good
governance, freedom of speech and rule of law and appealed to them to offer
constructive criticisms for it to achieve sustainable democracy in the country.
He said the government is capable of turning the fortunes of the socio-economic
life of the people since it has undertaken measures that will propel the nation
to economic prosperity. The President urged the chiefs and people of Kumawu to
exercise restraint as the government is discussing a request they have made to
the government for creation of a separate district.
Barima Asumadu Sakyi, Kumawuhene, appealed to the government to construct roads
to link up parts of the Afraim Plains to the the district to open up the area
and attract investors. He pledged the support of the chiefs and people in the
area to the government and commended it for initiating a number of development
projects in the area.
GRi.../
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NDC asks other parties to join its planned
"demo"
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 28 August 2003 - The National Democratic Congress (NDC)
on Wednesday called on other political parties and civil society organisations
to join its planned street protest in Kumasi on Tuesday, 2 September.
A statement issued in Kumasi and signed by Emmanuel Nti-Fordjour, the Ashanti
Regional Chairman, said the march dubbed "Kafodidi", is meant to send
a message to the government that Ghanaians are "dying from its suffocating
economic policies."
It made it clear that the NDC is not at war with the government. The statement
appealed to the security agencies to act firmly to deal with any individual or
group who may want to create confusion during the demonstration.
It said the party is aware that some unscrupulous people have planned to wear
NDC printed "T" shirts to join the demonstrators and cause disorder.
The statement gave the assurance that there will be adequate measures to take
care of such mischief-makers, adding, "we want this demonstration to be
peaceful and incident-free".
GRi.../
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A long day for a Parliamentary bill
By: Samuel Osei Frempong
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 August 2003 - In the main chamber of Parliament, ninety
chairs sat empty as a medical doctor struggled to tidy up the entrails of a bill
likely to be his first taste of a major surgery in the House.
The National Health Insurance Bill was the sick man, the chamber, his
theatre, standing orders and time; instruments. He had no handkerchief to wipe
his face when sweat run down his head to chin in an over-chilled chamber where a
scaring gaping emptiness of the "other side" seemed to overshadow the
unflinching support of his party men.
His long travels to his beloved Sefwi could not whip up such anxiety as the
passage of a bill firmly rooted in his party's electoral campaign. The
geographical terrain, the seemingly endless "ropes" of road that
literally run into the skies are too familiar for the native son's eyes.
But to be seated in a soft chair and yet feel as if he was sitting on an uneven
concrete surface is just too strange for a Minister of Health. For several long
months, the opposition had taunted members of government for sleeping
comfortably, while the people languished as a result of the cash and carry.
But to use State of Emergency in Dagbon as an excuse to pass a bill that would
put to rest an accusation that seemed to betray the trust of the people was
unusual.
Cuba's Fidel Castro had harvested sugar cane on Christmas day and celebrated
Christmas after the molasses had come out of the mill. Felix Owusu Agyepong,
Majority Leader, said to sit during holidays to consider important bill was
worth it.
Members in their usual mood of solidarity thronged the Hall to give him the
needed support to pass a bill that sapped the very libido of the Majority
Leadership. J.H.Mensah, Senior Minister, had ran through an open chamber and
argued for hours only to remember that, "malaria which is no respecter of
old age had not left his system."
C.O Nyanor, Member for Upper Denkyira, walked discreetly with one eye trapped in
huge plaster. Only votes were needed and it just did not matter how they came to
the chamber. As a long week and two days ended with the passage of the bill,
sweat, fatigue and anxiety gave way to vitality and it was like a difficult
successful surgery for a Medical Doctor who until recently choose to heal sick
people in his beloved Sefwi.
It was a normal afternoon and the sun looked down cheerfully on the mortal men
who had sold their very lives and souls into the business of spearheading the
development of their people.
GRi.../
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NRC receives 3,836 petitions as at 14 July 2003
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 August 2003 - The National Reconciliation Commission
(NRC) as at 14 July 2003 received a total of 3,836 petitions from across the
country, a statement issued on Wednesday said.
The statement signed by Dr. Ken Attafuah, Executive Secretary, said the
breakdown is, Accra 1,203, Zonal offices in Bolgatanga, 177, Ho 324, Kumasi 971,
Takoradi 671 and Tamale 490.
The statement said it was impressed with the level of public attendance at its
hearings that was aimed among other things at ensuring direct public
participation in the national reconciliation process.
It said the Commission's zonal offices would be closed down from 29 August 2003,
adding that it will continue to receive complaints from members of the public
only at its headquarters located at the Old Parliament House in Accra.
The statement said in view of the expenses involved in staging hearings outside
Accra, it made an operational decision to conduct hearings in only selected
zonal capitals.
It said the Commission had sat in Accra for 22 weeks and heard 357 cases from
Greater Accra, Volta and a few from other regions, adding that it would continue
with its hearings in Accra next week. The Commission was in Kumasi for two weeks
and heard 87 cases mainly from Ashanti and a few from Brong Ahafo and Eastern
Regions.
During its two weeks hearing in Tamale, the Commission heard 96 cases mainly
from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. When the Commission sat in
Takoradi for two weeks in July to mid August, it heard 71 cases, mainly from the
Western Region and a few from the Central Regions.
The statement said the Commission would be sitting in Kumasi from 8 to 19
September 2003 to hear cases from Brong Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West, Northern
and Ashanti regions. It will resume its hearings in Accra from all regions from
30 September 2003 to January 2004.
GRi.../
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