Rawlings decries malpractice in NDC regional elections
Repeal of criminal/seditious law supports democracy - Short
Africans must challenge UN-Charter on Human Rights - AWRRTC
Security agencies hunt for assemblyman
United States gives Ghana 294,000 dollars to fight crime
President cautions against importation of obsolete machines
Make judicious use of common fund - Owusu-Ansah
Electoral Commission holds district assemblies by-elections on Tuesday
Kofi Annan: Action against terrorism has human rights dimension
New policy to replace development and building permits
Bawku (Upper East) 11 December 2001 - Sixty people have been confirmed dead and 2,500 displaced in the ethnic conflict between the Mamprusis and Kusasis last week.
A GNA report from Bawku on Monday reports the Bawku East District Chairman of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Mr Peter Aduala, as saying that 190 houses in and around Bawku were burnt down. A family has also reported that six of its members were missing.
Mr Aduala said about 30 funerals for those who died in the conflict were performed at Bawku on Monday. He said the immediate needs of the displaced persons were shelter and food and appealed to relief agencies to assist.
Meanwhile, first and second cycle schools which were closed down in the wake of the conflict had still not reopened despite the directive of the Upper East Regional Security Committee that all workers should return to work.
Some students of the Bawku Secondary and Bawku Secondary- Technical schools who went to school on Monday morning had to return home because their tutors failed to turn up.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Sunday decried electoral malpractices associated with the regional elections of executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) prior to its National Delegates' Congress on December 28th and 29th.
"It is extremely important for party activists and those vying for executive positions to realise that any attempt to buy our way into executive positions will not only undermine our party, but damage the integrity and the very spiritual soul and of the Party and the Progressive Alliance," he said.
A statement issued in Accra on Monday said ex-President Rawlings made the comments at the Kotoka International Airport just before he enplaned for Burkina Faso at the invitation of President Blaise Compoare to speak on an HIV/AIDS conference in Ouagadougou.
He was particularly referring to the reported use of money to influence and buy delegates' vote at the Greater Accra Regional Conference of the NDC on Saturday.
At the elections, Mr Joshua Alabi, former Greater Accra Regional Minister was elected as the Chairman, Nii Oko Djangmah Vanderpuye, Secretary, Mr Nikoi Addison, Organiser, while the post of Propaganda Secretary went to the Reverend Fred Adjetey Larbi and the Hajia Cash Anatu Kasian had the post of Treasurer.
Ex-President Rawlings said: "our supporters sounded us a message in the December 2000 elections about some individuals who have lost popularity, but some of us are proving to be deaf and insensitive and are, therefore, repeating the same mistake of trying to take front-line positions.
"Let us listen to the people. They own the party, we in leadership only hold it in trust for them," he emphasised.
He urged party faithful to remain true to the ideals upon which the party was founded, saying: "The NDC and the Progressive Alliance, very unlike other parties in Ghana, sprung out of and survived on a high degree of integrity.
"The party was born not by money but by the strong conscience of the masses that had revolted in 1979 against some of the bad practices of the past."
He urged other delegates in regions who are yet to hold their elections to ensure that executives elected reflected as much as possible the ethnic and other demographic characteristics, so that minority groups were not disenfranchised.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - Mr Emile Short, Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice on Monday expressed satisfaction with the repeal of the criminal/seditious law saying it supported democracy, freedom of expression and the rule of law.
He said the repeal of the law had removed the threat of criminal sanctions against journalists who attempted to expose corrupt and other illegal acts of public officers.
Mr Justice Short said at the celebration of Human Rights Day in Accra under the theme, "Consolidating democracy through the advancement of women and children's Right."
He, however, reminded the media to observe the highest journalistic standards and support their publications with credible evidence, avoid speculative journalism and carry out their duties professionally.
Mr Short expressed the commission's support for the proposed Protected Interest Disclosure Bill as a potential weapon in arresting endemic corruption. The Bill seeks to protect people who come forward and report corruption and other illegal activities from any form of victimisation, especially those in the public sector.
"We also await with anxiety the enactment of the Freedom of Information Bill which would remove the veil of secrecy surrounding information which should be in the public domain, which when passed would move us closer to a more open and liberal democracy."
Mr Short commended the government's efforts to develop a Code of Conduct for executive employees and the establishment of an Office of Accountability within the Office of the President to among other things, ensure compliance with the Code.
He, however, reminded the government that the successful eradication or reduction of corruption required collaboration between government, the public and non-governmental bodies and adoption of concrete anti-corruption measures that tackled the root causes of corruption in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
Mr Short said the Commission held the view that the Police shouldered an onerous responsibility and need to exercise circumspection in their interactions with the public.
He condemned all forms of civilian aggression against the police, especially the spate of mob attacks on police stations. "The Commission considers any activity that deprives communities of their livelihood, their right to food and health, such as large-scale mining, destruction of farms and the pollution of water bodies, a violation of their fundamental human rights," he added.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - The African World Reparations and Repatriation Truth Commission (AWRRTC) on Monday called on African countries to challenge the United Nations Charter on Human Rights.
A statement by AWRRTC on the 53th anniversary of the Universal Declarations of Human Rights on Monday, noted that the same nations which signed the document violated and contravened the very law that they had designed and signed to protect one's Human Rights.
It said Africans were the only human beings to date who had been denied this inalienable right for over 400 years resulting from European and American enslavement and colonisation of the continent.
The AWRRTC recalled that the UN-World Conference Against Racism held in South Africa last September issued an official declaration classifying the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as a crime against humanity.
The statement, however, condemned the insertion of a clause in the final document indemnifying the Europeans who enslaved and colonised Black Africans from paying any monetary or economic compensations on the continent and those in the Diaspora.
The AWRRTC stressed that indemnity clause should be a wake-up call to all African leaders about the intentions of those who murdered and continued to inflict sufferings on its people.
The statement expressed regret that on the day that Mr Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Africans had still not been paid reparations and compensations for crimes against its people.
The AWRRTC advised all Black African nations as well as Africans in the Diaspora who were affected by the enslavement and colonisation to demand and pursue at all cost through negotiations and legal means reparation and compensation payments.
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Bawku (Upper East) 11 December 2001 - The security agencies at Bawku have launched a manhunt for the assemblyman for Bansie Electoral Area in the Bawku East District for his alleged involvement in the murder of four Burkinabe citizens.
The assemblyman, identified only as Akortey, was said to have mobilised the youth of his area to ambush three vehicles in which the Burkinabe were fleeing last week's ethnic conflict.
A GNA report from Bawku quotes the District Coordinating Director, Mr Ibrahim Alhassan as saying that the Burkinabe, numbering 10, on hearing about the conflict, decided to make a detour through Bansie.
They were stopped and attacked by the rampaging youth. Six of them escaped but the four were killed and their bodies burnt and thrown into a nearby river. Their vehicles were also burnt.
This has created insecurity among Ghanaian travellers to Burkina Faso who fear revenge attacks. Mr Alhassan said the Burkinabe transport union had written to their counterpart at Bawku seeking an explanation to the incident.
He said he would advise the Upper East regional minister Mr Mahami Salifu to organise a meeting with his Burkinabe counterpart to discuss the matter.
Mr Alhassan said a Ghanaian delegation would have to take the initiative by going to Burkina Faso in order to forestall any conflict among inhabitants of the border villages. He said arrangements were being made to convey the vehicles to the premises of the district assembly.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - The governments of the United States and Ghana on Monday signed an agreement to assist the law enforcement agents in Ghana with 294,000 dollars in their efforts to combat crime.
The grant is from the US State Department's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Programme, which supports law enforcement agencies around the world each year.
Ms Nancy Powell, US ambassador signed for her country while Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior signed for Ghana.
Ms Powell explained that 101,000 dollars would be for the establishment of a community-policing programme by the police service to involve the citizenry in policing.
She said 160,000 dollars would be for the improvement of counter narcotics operations capability and general security at the Kotoka International Airport.
"Airport security has become very important in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the US," she said, adding that Accra airport was growing as a transit hub on the continent.
Ms Powell said 33,500 dollars of the grant was for the Women and Juvenile Unit of the Police to enhance the unit's investigative effectiveness in cases of domestic violence.
The Ambassador expressed the hope that parliament would urgently approve the grant to enable the law enforcement agencies to institute programmes to combat narcotics trafficking, violence against women and children and trafficking in persons and domestic violence.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday called on industrial establishments to regulate the importation of industrial machinery and equipment to ensure that they met the required safety standards.
He advised the factories against going in for machinery that had been phased-out in their countries of origin.
President Kufuor said obsolete machines were sources of hazards such as high noise and harmful emissions while dangerously exposed parts contributed to occupational accidents and diseases.
In an address read on his behalf by Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, Minister of Manpower Development and Employment at the launching of the "Occupational Safety and Health Week at Tema, he disclosed that 2,096 industrial accidents were reported to the Chief Inspector of Factories between 1995 and 2000 out of which 48 lost their lives in the course of their employment.
The week under the theme: "Occupational safety and health in the new millennium-A proactive approach" was intended to sensitise workers, management and the public on safety/health issues and the impact of occupational accidents and diseases on national economic development and the life of the people. It was under the sponsorship of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
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Wenchi (Brong Ahafo) 11 December 2001 - Mr Rex Owusu-Ansah, former Clerk of Parliament who is Krontihene of Wenchi Traditional Area has called for judicious use of the district assemblies' common fund.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Wenchi at the weekend he expressed dissatisfaction with the poor living conditions of the people in the district, noting that the area had for many years been neglected in spite of its vast natural and human resources, citing the re-location of many offices, banks and amenities to neighbouring districts.
Mr Owusu-Ansah called for the co-operation of all in the effort to achieve better standards of living and commended the government in its efforts to put the country on a sound economic footing.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - The Electoral Commission (EC) on Monday said local government by-elections to fill vacant positions in 196 electoral areas throughout the country takes place on Tuesday, December 11.
It said all public elections rules and regulations relating to the conduct of candidates and the electorate, counting of ballot papers and declaration of results would be applied.
A total of 493 candidates have filed nominations to contest in 94 districts at the close of nominations on November 9.
Mr Kobina Arkaifie, EC Director of Research and Monitoring, said in an interview in Accra that Ashanti Region had the highest number of candidates, 99 for 33 electoral areas while Upper West Region had the lowest, 12 candidates for eight electoral areas.
He said 29 candidates were unopposed while two electoral areas in the Western and Greater Accra regions had no contestants. The areas were Asuentaa in the Juabeso-Bia District of the Western Region and Dzorwulu in the Ayawaso Sub-metro in the Ga District of the Greater Accra Region.
Western Region has 40 candidates for 16 electoral areas, Central has 64 candidates for 28 electoral areas, Greater Accra has 18 candidates for eight electoral areas, Volta, 49 candidates for 21 electoral areas, Eastern, 74 candidates for 30 electoral areas, Brong Ahafo, 70 candidates for 23 electoral areas, Northern, 36 candidates for 15 electoral areas and Upper East, 31 candidates for 12 electoral areas.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said on Tuesday that action against terrorism had universal human rights dimensions since violations were warning of future conflict.
Widespread violations of human rights in any state were a danger signal adding, "they warn us that conflict is on the horizon", Mr Annan said in a message to mark this year's Human Rights Day.
He said: "It is only if we heed this early warning and take early action to uphold human rights, can we save the people of that state, and often its neighbours too from the scourge of wars".
Mr Annan said peace and human rights belonged together as the founders of the United Nations proclaimed. He said the UN was determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.
"In today's interconnected world, where conflict in one country can have repercussions for another far away, we must keep this lesson in mind more than ever.
"As we unite to take action against terrorism, let us remember that the human rights we are defending are universal. Let us work harder than ever to defeat racism and discrimination."
"Let us resolve to treat all men and women on this planet - whatever their race, creed or nationality as fellow members of the human family whose destiny we share."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 December 2001 - A new building policy would soon be introduced to replace the existing development and building permits, Miss Doris Tetteh, a Principal Planning Officer of the Town and Country Planning, said on Monday. This is to cushion the present cumbersome process of acquiring building permits that leads to delays in issuing out the permits.
This would also enhance the effective and efficient monitoring of structures, especially in the cities, Miss Tetteh said in an interview, adding that an average of 1,000 development and building permits were given out annually.
This number did not tally with the developments that take place in the country and due to the inefficient monitoring system, most people built or undertook developments without having the required permits.
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