Unserviceable fishing vessels to be removed by February 2002
Nti-Fordjour elected chairman of Ashanti NDC
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 18 December 2001- The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Brong Ahafo Region at the weekend kicked against what it called “vesting too much power in the hands of one person”.
A communiqué issued at the end of its Regional Delegate's congress at Sunyani said: "The issue whereby the role of the leader and founder has been vested in one and the same person has not been helpful.
"We, therefore, propose that the role of founder and chairman be separated from the leader, who should be the flag bearer of the party at any point in time."
The communiqué said, "it is also our recommended view that the situation where one person holds more than one office/position in the party is done away with since it has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt that this has not worked in any dynamic and progressive entity and has also been a bane in the party.
"We, therefore, wish to propose that the party adheres to 'one man one machete' as stated by Chinua Achebe for effective and dedicated work," the communiqué said. It also called for the abrogation of the position of co-chairmanship in the party.
"In its stead, we propose that the party goes in for the positions of chairman, first vice chairman, second vice chairman and probably third vice chairmanship, as pertains in all progressive parties the world over", the Secretariat said.
The communiqué said it had noted with concern the "looming media war" among the party's leaders at the national level and advised that the national headquarters should handle all internal issues with tact and despatch.
Factionalism within the party should be eschewed to prevent the leakage of confidential issues to the press. "We believe this is not doing the party any good and the earlier this unfortunate trend ceases the better", it said.
The delegates urged the national headquarters of the party to resolve all issues before the national delegates' congress came on or else it should be postponed.
In an election, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, former Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, was elected unopposed as the party's Regional Chairman. Mr D. K. Anto, a businessman, defeated Alhaji Musah Mohammed to become the first Vice Chairman.
Other executive members elected were Nana Asare Kufuor, Second Vice Chairman, Mr Mohammed Doku, Secretary, Mr K. Oppong Ababio, Assistant Secretary, Mr Charles Baafour Diawuo, Organiser and Nana Nimpong, Treasurer.
The rest were Mr Amparbeng Kyeremeh, Propaganda Secretary, Alhaji Dauda Bawa, Deputy Propaganda Secretary and Mr Baba Gasu, Deputy Regional Organiser. The Electoral Commission supervised the elections.
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Tarkwa (Western Region) 18 December 2001 - Armed robbers on Sunday, entered the offices and a store at Total filing station at Tarkwa and took away millions of cedis.
Three workers, who were beaten by the robbers are on admission at Tarkwa government hospital. The robbers, however could not break into the safe but they damaged it and broke the glass door of the store and after ransacking the offices, they indiscriminately fired gun shots to scare away the public.
A sales girl said while the workers at the filling station were sleeping, at about 2 am she heard a knock at the door. She said she saw a man wearing a mask and pointing a gun at one of the security men at the station.
Gripped with fear, she woke her other colleagues up and run into the station manager's office. The two robbers broke into the store and demanded the keys to the safe and drawers where the sales are kept.
Mr. Phillip Sackey, the station manager said the amount and items stolen could be accounted for after stocks had been taken.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 18 December 2001 - The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would remove all unserviceable fishing vessels occupying berths of the Tema Fishing Harbour by February next year to make the area available for economic activities.
Mr Anthony Jim-Fugar, Tema Fishing Harbour Manager told newsmen at Tema that a lot of progress had been made in this direction leaving four vessels namely MV Tsaflovi, MV Capt. Standel, MV Tono and MV Ayensu, all laid-up at the port since 1995.
He was speaking when the Vessel MV Subin, belonging to TTV Limited, formerly Mankoadze Fisheries, was dumped beyond the 100-fathom-line where the depth of the sea was more than 185 metres below sea level.
Mr Jim-Fugah said the procedure followed in dumping the vessel was in line with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations to ensure that dumped vessels pose no danger to navigation and marine life.
He said another vessel, MV Faithful Lord whose owner was repairing it but has halted work on it would be added to the list if the repair works were not completed by February next year.
The GPHA has so far dumped or beached nine out of 15 unserviceable vessels that were blocking berth space of the fishing port as at the middle of this year. Owners of two out of the remaining six vessels were working on them to so that they would not be dumped.
Mr Jim-Fugah said, two out the four berths of the fishing harbour which were permanently occupied by laid up vessels making it impossible for them to be used for economic activities like water supply to vessels, crane service and bunkering services had been cleared.
Berth occupation by the laid-up vessels resulted in the loss of about 10 billion cedis in income to the GPHA between 1995 and 2000 while vessel owners owed over six billion cedis in rent as at June this year.
He said these vessels also posed a risk of sinking in the port like the MV Bani belonging to Atos Fisheries, which sunk in the fishing harbour on February 11, 2001 after its owners ignored warnings by the GPHA to get it removed.
The GPHA would start preparations next week to remove the MV Bani, which is expected to cost about 54,000 dollars. Atos Fisheries would bear the cost and had paid a deposit of 100 million cedis.
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Nti-Fordjour
elected chairman of Ashanti NDC
Obuasi (Ashnati Region) 18 December 2001 - Mr. Emmanuel Nti-Fordjour, has been elected the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
At the party's Regional Congress held at Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Club house, Obuasi, he polled 135 votes to beat his main challenger, Mr. Dominic Anoma, a private lotto operator, who had 53 votes.
Until his election to his new office, Mr. Nti-Fordjour was the Regional First Vice-Chairman of the party, a position he held for over six years. Other Regional Executive members elected included Mr. Osafo Adu Amankwah, first Vice-Regional Chairman, Mr. Osman Boakye, Second Vice-Regional Chairman, Mr Sly Akakpovie, Regional Secretary, Mr. Kwame Boateng, Regional Treasurer and Mr. Akwasi Abayie, Regional Organiser.
The rest were Mr. Paul Kwame Adu, Deputy Regional Secretary, Mr. Iddrisu Ahmed, Deputy Regional Organiser, Alhaji Sofo, Propaganda Secretary, with Alex Yaw Opoku as his deputy and Nana Adwoa Pinamang, Deputy Regional Treasurer.
Addressing the delegates after the election, which, was supervised by the Electoral Commission, Mr. Nti-Fordjour advised them to close their ranks and ensure a more united front.
He told them that without unity, peace and total harmony, it would be difficult for the NDC to wrest political power from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr. Nti-Fordjour therefore, asked them to make sure that the general good of the party hold sway over individual political ambitions, adding, "Let us avoid utterances and actions that are likely to excite passions and create division amongst us".
He spoke of the determination of his team to work tirelessly to win more support for the NDC in Ashanti that has traditionally remained the stronghold of the NPP. "Through hard work, total commitment and dedication, there is no way we would not be able to mount a stiff opposition to the NPP in this region and capture more seats and votes in 2004", he added.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 18 December 2001 - The Northern Ghana sector of the Consortium of NGOs has appealed to the government not to relent in efforts to ensure lasting peace in Bawku and the country as a whole.
In a statement issued in Tamale, the consortium said it recognised the role that the government had played to ensure peace and security in Bawku, adding: ''without peace and security, there cannot be any meaningful development''.
The consortium, which is committed to working for peace and development in Bawku, comprises the Christian Council of Ghana, UNICEF, World Vision Ghana, Catholic Relief Services, Action Aid, Oxfam, Northern Ghana Peace Project and Assemblies of God Relief and Development services.
The statement appealed to citizens of Bawku to reciprocate the government's efforts at peace-building by laying down their arms as a sure measure of stopping the loss of innocent lives, including women and children.
They should also join the consortium to renew the peace process so that together a lasting solution to the conflict could be identified. The consortium noted that Bawku was lagging behind in development largely because of the frequent conflicts over the years.
"This has affected not only the effective delivery of social services but also restrained many NGOs from committing resources to complement the efforts of other development partners'', it said.
The statement urged chiefs, opinion leaders, politicians and all other actors to desist from making provocative utterances that would only fuel the conflict.
It advised other NGOS and donor agencies wishing to assist the victims with relief either in cash or in kind, to channel such relief through the Bawku peace initiative to ensure effective co-ordination and equitable distribution as part of the reconciliation process.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 December 2001 - The government is to set up a committee to address the problems associated with land that has been reclaimed as part of the Keta Sea Defence Project.
This has become necessary in view of agitations by some families and individuals over the ownership of the reclaimed land.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), who made this known, said, "There is a looming problem if government does not take immediate action on the reclaimed land at the Keta Sea Defence Project site."
He was inaugurating an 11-member committee of the Vodza Development Union at a ceremony in Accra at the weekend.
The occasion was also used to raise funds towards the ¢500-million Vodza Roman Catholic Basic Schools rehabilitation programme.
Major Quashigah called on the people not to take any hardline stance over the ownership of the reclaimed land since there is the need for a comprehensive solution that must be beneficial to everyone.
He said since the land that will be reclaimed will not be enough for everyone, there is the need to consider how to utilise what has been reclaimed and urged the people to resolve their differences and work for the development of the area.
On education, Major Quashigah said it is important for parents not only to be responsible for their wards' school fees but also to" keep an eagle eye on their output," adding that "it is our duty to make sure we make children what we want them to be in future."
He called on them to send their children, particularly the girl-child, to school since posterity will not "forgive us if we fail to ensure discipline and morality among our children”. – Daily Graohic
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 December 2001 - The six affiliate bodies of the Public Services International (PSI) has called for a concerted global struggle by Trade Unions and other civil society organisations to eliminate the destructive nature of globalisation.
The bodies are the Health services Workers Union, Public Services Workers Union, Teachers and Educational Workers Union, Local Government Workers Union, Public Utility Workers Union and the Construction and Building Materials Workers Union.
The call was contained in a resolution adopted on the negative impact on the public sector by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The resolution supports a sustainable, socially just and democratically accountable trade system in the world.
It strongly resolved that certain basic services such as health, education, water, energy distribution and other utilities should not be subject to international free trade rules.
Ghana PSI affiliates further decried the WTO’s involvement in the GATS’ policy which is a blatant suppression of the rights of national governments to maintain essential services in public administration.
They condemned the destructive nature of globalisation fired by corporate greed of the multinationals, which is an affront to fundamental principles and rights of work.
Ghana PSI affiliates also protested vehemently against WTO’s globalisation policy, which destroys workers’ rights and job security, undermines peoples’ rights to affordable and quality education, health and other essential services.
They also condemned globalisation that undermines the legitimate regulatory role of the state as well as that which rather helps the rich and severely hurts the poor and increases women’s poverty.
The resolution urged the WTO to fully integrate the core labour standards into all international trade agreements to ensure that foreign investments do not undermine workers’ rights. – Daily Graphic
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 December 2001 - Ghana last Saturday became the first beneficiary of the newly developed pentavalent vaccine that protects children against five debilitating diseases.
In all, nearly 3,000 infants were immunised in a well-patronised programme at the Accra Sports Stadium. Unlike many vaccination exercises undertaken in the country, last Saturday's programme had a unique blend of immunisation and sports festival as some leading sports figures and international organisations joined hands in promoting health through sports.
The five-in-one vaccine, developed after 10 years of research, provides immunity against five diseases, including the dangerous hepatitis B.
Accra thus became the first stop of a global alliance to save vulnerable children from dying from these diseases. At the Accra sports stadium were sports ambassadors such as Marion Jones, world sprints queen, African football legends Abedi Pele and
Roger Milla, Olympic skating champion Johann Koss and American figure skater Dorothy Hamil. They all helped in administering the 'five-in-one' vaccine.
The much publicised event saw many top government officials including the First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor; Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Moses Dani Baah; Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Mr Joe Aggrey; HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, and the
President of Vaccine Fund, Mr Jacques-Francois Martin.
Mrs Kufuor, a nurse by profession, administered the first vaccine at the VIP car park of the stadium while the sports stars engaged selected school children in some fun games.
Vaccine Fund, financed by the Bill and Milenda Gates Foundation and supported by the Olympic movement, World Health Organisation and UNICEF, provided free vaccines and cash worth over $11 million for the exercise.
According to Mr Martin, Ghana was selected as the first country in the world for the exercise as a result of the high priority and governmental support given to vaccination. He said 74 other deprived countries are in line to benefit from such sports and immunisation festival. He charged governments and organisations to foster a global alliance to prevent an estimated 8,000 children in impoverished countries from dying due to the lack of vaccinations against hepatitis B, Diphtheria Pertussis, Haemophilus Influnzae b (Hib), tetanus, yellow fever and measles, among other diseases.
"We can develop a partnership for life that would allow the children to practise the same kind of life as they would have if they had lived in the developed world," Mr Martin said.
Even as nursing mothers patiently waited for hours in long queues to immunise their children, a large number of curious spectators, mainly childrens, also turned out to catch a glimpse of the sports icons, who engaged the children in some fun games.
The sports ambassadors shook hands with each of the selected children and joined them in a memorable lap around the stadium.
Jones spent about three sweltering hours with the children in the tracks as she held various demonstrations in athletics, gave them words of encouragement and even competed with them whilst Pele and Milla put the rest through some football drills on the turf.
As a pilot programme, last Saturday's exercise would be promoted extensively at next February's Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in Utah, United States. – Daily Graphic
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