NDC calls for measures to end economic hardship
Ghana to lose forests in 40 years
Odumase-Krobo (Eastern Region) 15 December 2001- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed grave concern about attempts by "certain individuals to destabilise the Manya Krobo District to make it look ungovernable."
A statement signed by the Eastern Regional Secretary of the party, Mr. Seth .M. Ahyiah in response to a story which appeared in an Accra Daily under the heading "DCE Cries Wolf," the party also expressed worry about what it termed "the one-sided report filed by some reporters without investigating thoroughly the facts before publishing."
It disagreed with the reports that Mr. Andrew Tei, the Manya Krobo District Chief Executive, was imposed on the people by the President, explaining that not only did the President comply with the constitutional requirements in nominating him, but that the Assembly duly approved his appointment by a vote of 64 in his favour and one against.
In reference to the heavy police presence on the day of Mr. Tei's confirmation, the release said, "the action taken was necessary to avert the repetition of disruption by a section of the NPP youth opposed to Mr. Tei's nomination when the District Assembly met earlier on May 25, this year to consider his confirmation."
The release emphasised that even with the heavy police presence, there was "no coercion, no intimidation nor was any force applied on any member in any direction" adding that the single vote against Mr. Tei, was an indication that all the assembly members could have rejected him if that had been their wish.
It also complained about reports that "certain chiefs are hiding behind the youth to make the district ungovernable for Mr. Tei" and reminded such chiefs to respect the constitutional provision that debarred them from active politics.
The release without naming any particular chief said "just as we respect the chieftaincy institution, we would want to request the said chiefs in Manya Krobo land to respect Article 276 of the Constitution."
The release also appealed to the people in the area to be peaceful and to devote their energies towards eliminating poverty in the district. The Ghanaian Chronicle of Monday December 10, carried a story in its middle page under the heading 'DCE cries wolf.'
The story among others claimed that certain purported actions taken by the DCE undermined the authority of the Konor and other chiefs in the area.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 December 2001 - Mr. Dan Lartey, Leader and Founder of the Great Consolidated Popular Party on Saturday stated that the government's joining of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiate is the greatest setback to the nation's image.
"Ghana has enough domestic resource for capital mobilisation to support micro and macro industries of the country for economic recovery without looking outside for an ad hoc measure such as joining the straitjacket policy of "Supper Powers", he said.
"The HIPC Initiative is the greatest setback and the hardest ever blow dealt to the nation's economy and image by any government," Mr. Lartey stated at the Party's Greater Accra Regional Delegates Conference in Accra, attended by five delegates each from the 22 constituencies of the region.
The Conference objectives was to elect the party's regional executives, launch the African Youth League website and deliberate on and adopt strategies for election 2004.
Mr. Lartey said: "Domestication is the only path to chart to cancel the economic hardship in which we find ourselves and grant good governance and bring prosperity that has eluded us for a long time to our doors."
He said to achieve the ultimate, all Ghanaians must increase domestic production, raise local capital for development, while fashioning governance to ensure discipline, law, order and justice.
The concept of domestication is now the only means by which Ghana could achieve excellence in doing things for herself and in the supreme interest of the people.
Addressing the youthful and enthusiastic delegates and supporters, Mr. Lartey condemned the government's intention to ban private lotto operation, which generates capital outside the main banking system to support the economy.
The GCPP leader questioned the rational for banning domestic ventures in the interest of foreign lotto operations of Malaysian Lotto 6/40 jackpot and 5/39 fan game.
The jackpot and the fan game drain the Ghana's domestic capitalisation to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia without restrictions under the banner of attracting foreign investment, he said.
Mr. Lartey said the party formed the African Youth League website to take care of the needs of the youth, which have been neglected for far too long. The league would identify the natural and human resources of the country and plan strategies towards harnessing the resources to develop and improve the lives of the people.
The seven-member regional executives is headed by Pastor Henry Mentle, Chairman, Mr. Freddie Malm, secretary, Mr. Alfred Onibi Lartey organiser, Mr. Robert Ago Mensah, Education Secretary, Ms. Linda Brown, women organiser, Mr. Samuel Anoboah Treasurer and Mr. Jones Coleman, Co-ordinator.
The Greater Accra District Electoral Office of the Electoral Commission supervised the elections, which was by acclamation.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 15 December 2001 - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the government to put measures to arrest the current economic hardship facing the country.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the regional delegates conference of the NDC in Tamale on Friday.
The communiqué mentioned high cost of living exorbitant school and hospital fees and urged the government to address them. The NDC said the party was facing political trial and that the government should put a stop to it.
The communiqué also called on the government to ensure that the National Reconciliation Commission Bill's reference starts from 1957 to date. The Bill should genuinely reconcile the nation and the Commission's membership should be non-partisan it said.
Earlier, in a resolution, the NDC said it cherished democratic values and wished to see internal democracy deepened. It called for unity and cohesion within the party to enhance democracy.
To achieve democracy, let us remember the issues of disagreement alongside the exercise of democracy, the resolution said.
Mr. John Mahama, Member of Parliament for Bole who addressed the conference, said the NDC would use the NPP campaign promises and slogans to defeat it next time because the NPP have not been able to deliver what it promised the people.
Who, today, could say, his or her life is better than the era of the NDC,? he asked. He said the NDC parliamentarians would continue to work hard to put the government on its toes to deliver.
On the impending national delegates congress of the NDC, he said, the party would elect people that would lead the party to victory.
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President Kufuor travels on Presidential
Jet.
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 15 December 2001 --President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday made his maiden flight on the refurbished Fokker 28 Presidential Jet from Accra to Kumasi.
President Kufuor, on a two-day official visit to Kumasi accompanied on the flight by Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Edward Osei Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports, Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism and Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Presidency. He was piloted by Group Captain Julius Okyere.
President Kufuor was in Kumasi to attend a Special congregation by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to confer an honorary Doctorate Degree of Literature on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11.
Later during the day, President Kufuor would attend the Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Prempeh College, his Alma Matar. On Sunday, President Kufuor would join Moslems to worship at the Central Mosque at Asawasi to celebrate the Eid-Ul-Fitr.
On arrival at the Kumasi aerodrome, President Kufuor was met on the gangway by Mr. Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, before he inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by officers and men of the Fourth Battalion, Kumasi.
The Fokker 28, was purchased during the reign of the National Redemption Council (NRC) under the late General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, and was this year sent to Holland for refurbishment.
It was returned to the country last month but the actual amount of the refurbishment has not been made known.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 December 2001 - Mr Kwasi Abeasi, Chief Executive of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, on Friday called on the government to revert the Ministry of Environment and Science to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.
He said science and technology had always been linked everywhere and there was no way that technology and science would be under separate ministries in Ghana.
The government during its last reshuffle relocated the Technology sector of the Ministry of Environment and Science to the Ministry of Communications.
Mr Abeasi said this when he was presenting a 29-page report, compiled by a 22-member working group, tasked to develop an action plan on the management of science and technology in Ghana, which he chaired.
The report was presented to Professor Dominic Kweku Fobih, Minister of Environment and Science who in February tasked the committee to produce the report.
The task of the committee was to study the existing mechanism for the management of science and technology, as well as propose a framework, which would allow science and technology to become an integral part of the national development process.
They were also to propose a framework for the efficient and effective use of the nation's resources for promoting science and technology. Members were to identify other issues, which would allow the national acceptance of science and technology as the tool for development.
The 22 members were made up of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, research and related institutions, professional bodies, the private sector, Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Science and Technology, ministries and other public institutions.
Mr Abeasi said there should be two ministries to take care of science and technology and information technology. These should be Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
"Science is without argument the base for technological innovations and development and without this scientific base technological advancement will be hindered," he said.
Mr Abeasi, former chief executive for the Private Enterprise Foundation, queried why all the research institutions that dealt with technology were still under the ministry of science, and asked, "What happens to the technological aspect?"
He expressed the hope that the government would exhibit "great magnanimity and revert technology to the ministry to which it most fits, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology".
Prof. Fobih assured the committee members that the Ministry would study the report and make recommendations for Cabinet's approval. He also promised to pass on the concern expressed to government for the necessary remedies.
He said the ministry was preparing for a total action plan covering all policy measures in the National Science and Technology Policy. "We will not hesitate to call on some of you to constitute task forces to draw up sub-plans for the exercise," he said.
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Denu (Volta Region) 15 December 2001- Ghana risks losing its forests within the next 40 years through improper environmental practices, Mr Desmond Doameti, an official of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.
He told a seminar on Wednesday that the threat could be averted through population control, land reforms, regulation of natural resource exploitation, sustainable agriculture and reforestation.
Mr Doameti said Ghana's forest cover had reduced from eight million hectares at the beginning of the last century to 1.2 million hectares by 1998 through human activities such as bush fires, mining and physical development.
Mr Emmanuel Nyonyo, a resource person at the seminar, who spoke on Wetlands, said these were important natural features necessary for protecting flooding, cleaning water bodies of dirt and breeding grounds for aquatic and other creatures.
He warned that the abuse of wetlands through irresponsible garbage disposal, filling for constructional purposes among others, would erase the good environmental benefits from such water bodies.
The Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana organised the two-day seminar for teachers, chiefs, assembly members and NGOs under the theme: "Sustainable development, the role of the District Assembly".
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