Ghana to re-open Embassy in Rabat--Kufuor
Kufuor urges Belgium to assist in peacekeeping in Burundi
The
remains of late General Akuffo buried at Akropong
Politicians
urged to be tolerant with journalists
Mob
burns accident car as one dies
Man
butchers wife to death and commits suicide
Ghanaians
in Amsterdam donate to stadium victims
NPP
will fulfil employment promises - Commey
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 December 2001 - Ghana's population is now 18.8 million, according to figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service in Accra on Friday.
The figure, which emerged out of the 2000 population and housing census, represents a 15 per cent increase over the 1984 headcount of 12,296,081. It also represents a growth rate of 2.6 per cent.
Announcing this in Accra, Dr Kweku Twum-Baah, acting Government Statistician, said while the rate was high in comparison to the 1.5 per cent for the world and it was the average for less developed countries which stands at 2.0 per cent.
It is the same for Sub-Sahara Africa, 2.6 per cent and lower than the 2.9 for West Africa. Dr Twum-Baah said there was evidence that the growth rate in the post census period of 1984-1990 of about 2.9 per cent was the result of the mass return of Ghanaians and the inflow of refugees in response to improvements in the economy.
He said fertility rate had declined to 4.5 that translated into a growth rate of 2.4 per cent in that period, the lowest in Africa. The figure is lower than the average of 5.8 children for Sub-Sahara Africa and 5.3 per cent for Africa.
Dr Twum-Baah said if the growth rate continued to decline, Ghana's population was likely to record less than 24 million for the next census in 2010. The acting Government Statistician said the population figure yielded a density of 78.9 persons per square kilometre.
"While this may indicate no great pressure of population on land, the same cannot be said of pressure on resources that the land can generate."
Dr Twum-Baah named Ashanti Region as the most populous region with 19.1 per cent of the population, followed by Greater Accra with 15.4 per cent and Eastern Region with 11.2 per cent.
Ghanaians by birth or parenthood make up 92.1 per cent of the population while non-Ghanaians constitute 3.9 per cent.
Dr Twum-Baah said Akan emerged the most predominant ethnic group with 49.1 per cent, followed by Mole Dagbani with 16.5 per cent, Ewe, 12.7 per cent and Ga-Dangme eight per cent.
He said the pattern changes depending on the base region of these ethnic groups. The stock of houses was also put at 2,238,545 with two-third of these in the rural areas.
"The stock represents an increase of 82.5 per cent over the recorded stock in 1984. While the rural stock increased by about 60 per cent from 1984, the urban stock increased by 160 per cent within the same period."
He said this meant that the average number of persons per house reduced from 10.0 per cent in 1984 to 8.4 per cent in 2000. Dr Twum-Baah expressed gratitude to the government and the donor community for helping the GSS come out with results in goodtime.
Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Finance, said the timing for the release of the figures would help the government to plan a more specific budget for the country next year.
"This is because it allows enough time for the Electoral Commission to fulfil a constitutional mandate to use the census results 12 months from now to review constituency boundaries for effective democratic principle of equitable distribution of national resources."
He said parliament would soon come out with a legislative instrument to make it mandatory for the government to set aside funds for a census every 10 years.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 December 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said Ghana would soon re-open its embassy, which was closed down in Rabat, Morocco.
He said air-links between the two countries would also be established. President Kufuor said this when he received the credentials of Mr Abdelhamid Tourougui, Ambassador-designate to the re-opened Moroccan Embassy in Accra at the Castle, Osu.
He said it was important that both countries had agreed to re-open their embassies, which were closed down in the late 1970's and renew the cordial relationships that existed between them in the early 1960's.
President Kufuor said the renewal would be critical for the emancipation of Africa in the new era of African Union since both countries belonged to the Casablanca Group that pursued a progressive stance on the question of African Unity in the early 1960's.
He said Ghana would also benefit from the micro-financing experience of Morocco and its garment industry. Mr Tourougui said a new chapter had been opened in the relationship of the two countries and pledged to live to expectation.
He commended President Kufuor for his initiative to put Ghana on the African Continent with his vision and economic policies and programmes worthy of emulation by other African countries.
Re-opening of the embassies between the two countries was part of the decision taken in a communiqué issued on May 16, this year during a two-day State visit to Morocco by President Kufuor at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.
Relations between Ghana and Morocco entered a period of lull from the late 1970's onwards after diplomatic relations were severed over the question of the independence of the Western Sahara.
Subsequently, Morocco quit the OAU in November 1984 in anger when the 20th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the continental body recognised the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as an independent state and admitted it as a member.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 December 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday urged the Belgian government to provide assistance to a Ghanaian contingent in readiness to undertake peacekeeping in Burundi.
He said preparations were completed following an appeal the former South African President Nelson Mandela, a member of the Mediation Committee on Burundi made to the government of Belgium to provide the financial assistance.
President Kufuor said this when Mr Franck Recker, Ambassador-designate of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ghana resident in Abidan, Cote D'Ivoire presented his credentials at the Castle, Osu.
He said trade between the two countries had been very minimal but was of the hope that with the new Ambassador new trade avenues would be developed and investments promoted to accelerate the relationship.
President Kufuor said Ghana was determined to improve on the relations between the two countries and with Belgium situated at the heart of the European Union (EU) such relationship would be utilised for their mutual benefit.
Mr Recker pledged to improve on the relations between the two countries and commended Ghana for her achievement in peacekeeping worldwide.
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Akropong-Akuapem
(Eastern Region) 28 December 2001- The mortal remains of the late General F. W.
K. Akuffo was buried in the courtyard of his house at Akuapem-Akropong on
Thursday.
The casket,
containing the remains of the former Head of State was draped in national
colours and was carried to the grave side by pall bearers from the army and was
given the last post after prayers by the Reverend E. S. Mate-Kojo, former Synod
Clerk of the Presbyterian Church.
In a
sermon, Rev. Mate-Kojo observed that nations often held ceremonies to remember
their fallen heroes in war, but the real pain was often in the hearts of
relations of the fallen heroes. He said the tyranny of dictators had often made
men of goodwill to rise up against wars and evil deeds.
Rev.
Mate-Kojo said, "it is the wicked ones who often lock up their minds to
what was good and noble, but that only lived for a while as the human ability
to remember make criminals often break down to tell their evil deeds".
After the casket
had been lowered into the grave, a group of former army officers present at the
funeral went to the grave side to pay their last respect to the late Akuffo.
Notable
among the retired army officers were Rear Admiral Ohene Kwapong, Colonel Ofosu
Apea and Brigadier F. A. Agyemfra.
Earlier,
the remains of the late Head of State, accompanied by family members and led by
a police motorcade and a group of soldiers, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Albert
Yaw Assene was met from Accra at the Larteh Junction by some family members,
chiefs and the Akuapem North District Chief Executive, Dr,(Mrs) Eugenia Quist.
Nana Addo
Panyin, Adumhene of Akuapem Traditional Area, who was responsible for the
burial of members in the royal family formerly received the casket of the late
General Akuffo and poured libation for the safe arrival of the remains and
performed the necessary rites to enable the remains to be carried to Akropong
township.
As the
arrival ceremony was going on, Mrs Emily Akuffo arrived at the scene and shed
tears as she opened her arms to embrace the hearse carrying the remains of her
late husband shouting "miwura, miwura" but family members consoled
her and accompanied her back into her car.
The remains
of General Akuffo and the convoy moved to Adukrom where the convoy briefly
stopped at the family house where prayers were said before the casket was
removed and carried to the Adukromhene's Palace.
At the
palace, Nana Asare Brempong, Acting head of the Okere chiefs in Akuapem poured
libation and the chiefs in the area filed past the casket.
The convoy
then drove back to the Akuffo family house at Akropong where libation was
poured before the remains was finally conveyed to his final resting place.
Among the
large number of dignitaries present at the funeral were Mr. Agyare Koi-Larbi,
Member of Parliament (MP) for Akropong, Mr. Mike Gizo, MP for Shai-Osudoku, Mr.
Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Adi Ankama,
Eastern Regional Chairman of NPP, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa, Akuapemhene and
President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.
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Accra (Greater
Accra) 28 December 2001- Distraught, broken but satisfied-looking relatives,
friends and loved ones of two of the eight ex senior military officers who were
executed 22 years ago, on Thursday eulogised them, describing their re-burial
as a significant step towards healing wounded and bitter hearts.
They
thanked the government for its determination to see the event through in
comments after the solemn reburial of the remains of Lieutenant-General Robert
Ebenezer Abossey Kotei and Air-Vice-Marshal George Yaw Boakye both members of
the erstwhile Supreme Military Council Two that ruled from 1978 to
1979.
Lieutenant-General
Emmanuel Erskine, former UNIFIL Commander said Ghanaians must be happy that
"after 22 long years, family and friends can point to a spot that they can
identify their past with."
He said:
"though we would have expected something more military, we are happy that
we have been given something. It is also within the spirit of reconciliation
and we are grateful."
Mr Twumasi
Boakye, brother of Air-Vice Boakye described the re-burial as "a
worthwhile event, significant in that it puts to rest our worries as to where
our loved ones were buried.
''It
removes the anguish and bitterness that we harboured all these years for our
brothers killed under mysterious circumstances.
"If
there was any bitterness or revenge, its all over. We do not bear any grudge or
hatred against anyone. It is a bitter experience but we can put it behind us
and move on."
He said as
family they were most grateful to government for its understanding and approval of their request for re-burial.
Mr Boakye
said the timing was also significant since it came at a period preceding the
constitution of a National Reconciliation Commission.
"To
the country it offers us several lessons that cannot be wished away. It tells
us that their blood was not shed in vain, that it will help us unite as a
people."
Squadron
Leader Clend Sowu (RTD) said: "It is significant as it helps us put things
behind us and move on as single, united people with a common destiny."
He prayed
that never again should such pain befall the country and expressed the hope
that Ghanaians would all work to make real democracy thrive.
Mr Kwame
Pianim, an economist, said the event was significant because it would
discourage military adventurism.
"It is
a celebration that we can bury a sordid part of our history. A celebration of a
new Ghana where all of us insist on due process even to our worst
enemies."
He said it
offered the opportunity to help build a stable, united country based on rule of
law, ending all military adventures.
He urged
Ghanaians to be patient and give democracy the chance to succeed. Captain
Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (RTD), Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development said it was a first step in healing the nation's wounds.
"This
re-burial is significant and very historic to all Ghanaians. It is a step in the
right direction to heal wounds and make it possible to forge ahead and to curb
bitterness in people for a new beginning."
He
commended the President for his foresight and wisdom in approving the
re-burials.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 28 December 2001 - A national debate on the need for good
governance and a realistic wage policy would be highlights of the 53rd annual
New Year School that opens on Saturday at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The theme
for the week-long event, being organised by the Institute of Adult Education of
the University, "Good governance and sustainable national
development" is in line with a request by President John Agyekum Kufuor
eight months ago for such a debate.
Mrs Kate
Adoo-Adeku, Director of the School, who made this known to the Ghana News
Agency on Friday, said Ghana was now consolidating her democracy after several
years of a search for a stable system of government. There was therefore the
need for Ghanaians to discuss dispassionately the concept of good governance
vital for "our democratic process."
She said
the over 300 participants would discuss eight seminar topics that include civil
society and the promotion of good governance, ethnic, political, religious
tolerance in a democratic society, enhancing the viability of the District
Assemblies and ensuring zero tolerance for corruption.
There would
also be two specialist workshops on trainer of trainer's workshop on HIV/AIDS
and project proposal writing.
President
Kufuor is expected to do the official opening ceremony under the chairmanship
of Oyeeman Wereko Ampem 11, Chancellor of the University of Ghana. The
sidelines would include an exhibition of the Institute's activities.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 28 December 2001 - Mrs. Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, President of the
Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has appealed to politicians to be tolerant
of journalists and allow them to play their watchdog role effectively.
"All
Ghanaians, especially government officials, MPs and those in top positions must
be tolerant of the media as they try to play their watchdog role to promote
probity, accountability and transparency towards achieving functional
democracy," she said.
She was
speaking at the sixth annual Unionist-Journalist encounter in Accra on
Thursday, organised by the Trades Union Congress to review activities of the
year and to project their optimism and expectations into the coming year.
The
occasion also provides the platform for the Secretary-General of the TUC to
deliver his New Year message to workers.
Mrs.
Afenyi-Dadzie noted with concern the rage of some politicians against
journalists within the first year of the new political administration and
stressed the need for politicians and government officials to be more tolerant
in the interest of democracy.
"Equally
I call on Journalists to discharge their huge task with a deep sense of responsibility,"
she said.
Mrs.
Afenyi-Dadzie said this year's encounter was significant, being the last to be
held at the old International Press Centre (IPC), saying that next year it
would be held at the new IPC.
She
expressed satisfaction with the level of co-operation between the GJA and the
TUC on crucial matters affecting the development of Ghana, saying that when the
new IPC took shape it would provide a better equipped and more ideal rendezvous
for such interactions between the media and the public.
Mrs.
Afenyi-Dadzie recalled the success of a coalition on civic education
established by the TUC during the last elections and expressed the GJA's
willingness to be part of similar coalitions to create public awareness on
civic rights and responsibilities.
"Similar
campaigns to educate workers on the need to be more productive, will go a long
way to help increase productivity and thereby create conditions for demand of
better remuneration," she said.
Mr. Kwesi
Adu-Amankwah, Secretary-General of the TUC, said several alternatives existed
for Ghana's economy to be freed from the subordination and dictates of donors
and multilateral organisations.
"There
are several civil society organisations working to discourage multilateral
organisations and donors to loosen their control of the economies of poor
countries," he said.
He said the
TUC was of the opinion that the government would be better off with the
assistance of the such civil society organisations, that were willing to
finance local policy initiatives rather than subjecting the economy to
foreigners.
"The
issue of foreign policy dominance on our economy goes as far as touching the
independence of the country and its people", he said, adding that just
about 1.2 million Ghanaians actually benefited from the implementation of
foreign policies.
"It is
high time we looked inward and found out what we could do on our own before
reaching out for assistance and dictates to determine how we run our
economy," he said.
The leaderships
of the TUC and the GJA members of the GJA, editors and managers of media houses
and journalists attended the ceremony.
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Wa (Upper
West) 28 December 2001- An irate mob at Wa on Wednesday set a taxicab ablaze
when the driver knocked down four people, one of whom died instantly, before it
plunged into a gutter.
Police,
assisted by some soldiers, had a tough time in preventing the mob from lynching
the driver, a prison officer, suspected to be drunk.
The injured
are on admission at the Wa Regional Hospital. Hospital authorities gave the
name of the dead as Akokora Ahmed and the injured as Amidu Mamudu 30 from Goli
in the Wa District, Iddrisu Ahmed, 45 and Sulemana Malik 11, all bicycle
mechanics from Dondoli a suburb of Wa.
The police
declined to comment on the issue to the GNA, saying they were yet to establish
the cause of the accident.
An
eyewitness, however, said the driver, allegedly ignoring the red light on
getting to the traffic lights, skidded off the road into a group of wayside
bicycle mechanics. He said they burnt the car because they suspected the man to
be drunk.
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Tepa (Ashanti
Region) 28 December 2001- Emmanuel Ndego, a 56-year-old farmer on Wednesday
butchered his wife, Fati Kusasi, 45, to death after a quarrel and later
committed suicide by drinking a poisonous chemical at Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano
North District. The bodies of the two had been deposited at the Komfo Anokye
Teaching Hospital (KATH) for autopsy.
Mr Joseph
Opoku, Superintendent of Police in charge of Tepa District, told newsmen that
at about 02:45 hours on Wednesday, Ndego accompanied by some inmates of House
number TWS 104, Tepa reported himself to the Police that he had killed the
wife.
He was
subsequently arrested and placed in Police custody not long after he started
vomiting blood. Police Superintendent Opoku said upon questioning, Ndego
confessed having drunk a poisonous chemical after committing the murder.
He said
before the Police could take him to the hospital he collapsed and died. The
Police later retrieved the body of Fati Kusaasi that was lying in a pool of
blood in the room where the couple stayed. The head was almost severed.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 28 December 2001- A six- member delegation of Ghanaians
resident in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on Christmas Eve donated 15,000 Dutch
Guilders (about 44 million cedis) to the government for the upkeep of the
families of victims of the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium Disaster.
Mr Oduro
Yeboah, leader of the delegation said the money was raised through
contributions and donations from religious organizations and ethnic groups and
Ghanaians resident in Amsterdam.
A statement
issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs said
Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the Minister, received the money and assured the
delegation that it would be added to the Disaster Relief Fund.
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Ashaiman
(Greater Accra) 28 December 2001- Mr Lord Commey, National Organiser of New
Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the NPP would deliver on its campaign promise to
create enough jobs for the unemployed youth.
It was for
this reason that the government undertook to register all the under-employed
and unemployed in November to enable proper assessment to be made to see how some
of them could be placed, as employment opportunities were created as the party
entered its second year in office.
Mr Commey,
who was speaking at NPP victory rally at Ashaiman at which its agents were
presented with certificates of appreciation, said the NPP was aware that their
failure to provide employment for the youth would undermine the confidence they
had in the party.
He said:
"We know that if we are unable to provide employment you will use your
thumb against us in the future. We know very well that the youth constituted a
good majority of those who voted for the party."
Mr Commey
said for the 20 whole years that the Provisional National Defence Council
(PNDC) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) were in power their functionaries
harassed the People.
He cited Mr
Kwamena Ahwoi, former Minister of Regional Co-operation, who, he said was now
pointing accusing fingers at the present government, as having harassed
innocent citizens when he was the head of the Citizens Vetting Committee and
rendered some people poorer when they took their wealth from them.
"It is
because of their 20-mismanaged years that has created the unemployment
situation, which the NPP government is seriously tackling and with proper
planning as has been started, many people will be employed."
Mr Eric
Kwatia, Assistant Secretary of the African Liberal Youth, commended the NPP
youth, who sacrificed their time and energy to campaign and also supervised the
elections to check all acts of malpractice and expressed the hoped that they
would continue to be loyal to the party as it entered its second year in
office.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 28 December 2001- The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on
Thursday said it had remained resilient to win power again despite systematic
and
deliberate
moves to cause its demise by its opponents.
"Its
members have suffered harassment and persecutions since it lost the 2000
elections, whilst its period of rule has virtually been criminalized,"
Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary, stated in a press statement to extend
the party's Christmas seasonal greetings and goodwill to Ghanaians.
"There
were systematic and deliberate moves to cause the demise of the party, but due
to its resilience, the party has been able to survive all these
difficulties".
He called on
members and supporters to re-dedicate themselves to the ideals of the party and
show more commitment to it by working harder in order to ensure electoral
victory in the 2004 general election.
Alhaji
Yahaya assured its teeming supporters of the commitment of the National
Executive Committee to providing good leadership until the National Delegates
Congress that would be held early next year to elect new executives.
The party
wished all Ghanaians, its members and supporters, the best in their endeavours in
the years ahead, "even in the face of economic hardships inflicted by the
government".
"The
NDC hopes that Christians and indeed all Ghanaians will use the occasion of the
celebration of the birth of Christ, to reflect on the events of the past one
year just as was done by our Muslim brethren during the celebration of
Eid-UL-Fitr."
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