London (UK) 02 December 2002 - The Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang has said, “Ghana values its relations with the UK and will continue to work towards improving existing bonds of friendship between the two countries”
Hon. Owusu-Agyemang made the comment during a courtesy call on the Jack Straw, British Foreign Secretary and the Commonwealth during a four-day official visit to the UK.
He said the people of Ghana appreciate the level of co-operation and assistance the Government of Great Britain had given Ghana over the past decade and expressed the hope that the ensuing years will see a substantial increase in the level of such assistance.
In his comment, Straw welcomed Ghana’s decision to join the NEPAD Implementation Committee and to volunteer for the African Peer Review Mechanism. He expressed the hope that Ghana would build on this involvement and play a greater role in African issues particularly on NEPAD, Zimbabwe and Cote d’Ivoire.
The two Foreign Ministers discussed bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern including assistance for the training of Ghana Foreign Service Officers and immigration matters. The role of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism in promoting democracy and good governance in Africa and developments in Cote d’Ivoire were also discussed.
They also deliberated on the need for globally concerted action to combat international terrorism.
Jack Straw welcomed the progress “Ghana is
making to combat global terrorism but urged swift processing of compliance with
the UN Counter-terrorism Committee’s requirement for member states to implement
anti-terrorism measures.” - Ghana High Commission
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Tema (Greater Accra)
02 December 2002 - In view of the alarming rate at which the HIV/AIDS is
claiming the lives of Ghanaians, the Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church at
Tema has drawn up a comprehensive outreach programme to educate its
congregation and the entire community.
To execute the task
successfully, an 18-member HIV/AIDS committee has been inaugurated to embark on
the education drive of the public, especially on their moral values to help
curb the spread of the disease.
The committee, with
Madam Betty Akumatey, a Sociologist Lecturer of the University of Ghana, Legon,
as the chairperson comprises teachers, health officers, lawyers, bankers,
traders and the youth.
Inaugurating the
committee, Reverend Daniel Amoako Nyarko said the responsibility rests on the
Church to disseminate information on the pandemic, hence the institution of the
committee and urged the members not to relax in their dutiful challenge.
He called on
Christians not to shun the company of AIDS patients but rather to show love and
compassion so that they do not die in anguish but live with hope.
Madam Akumatey
regretted that despite the education in the form of drama, cartoons and
lectures in the media about the disease, there is little behavioural change in
the society.
Instead, many people,
including adults take advantage of the condom to engage in indiscriminate sex.
She said the committee would tackle the socio-cultural values that is making it
difficult for many people to talk about sex related issues in the society with
the hope that it would make an impact on their lives.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
02 December 2002 - ECOWAS Executive Secretary, Mohamed Ibn Chambas has
expressed concern about the emergence of a new rebel movement on the troubled
Ivorian scene and called for integrated efforts to prevent further complication
of the crisis.
"This new group
must be identified and steps taken to bring them on board the peace
process," Chambas said at the weekend in Accra on arrival from the
Burkinabe capital, Oagadougou, where he attended a meeting of African Ministers
preparing toward an upcoming EU-African summit slated for Lisbon, Portugal,
next year.
Dr Ibn Chambas, whose
organization is brokering peace between insurgents and representatives of the
government, appealed to all parties in the Cote d'Ivoire conflict to stop
bloodletting and embrace peace for stability, saying the country, once a model
of peace and stability on the continent, should not be allowed to disintegrate.
His appeal came in the
wake of reports on Saturday that troops loyal to the government were heading
toward the cocoa-rich western belt, with orders to oust a new rebel group that
had emerged in the western part of the country and were holding two major towns
- Man and Danane, and were in the process of taking a third town Toulepleu,
near the border with Liberia.
The western rebel
group, calling itself the Ivorian Popular Movement for the Greater West, is
little known but President Laurent Gbagbo's government says they are related to
northern insurgents who launched the uprising on 19 September.
Dr Chambas said recent
developments would not jeopardize peace moves by ECOWAS. "The Lome peace negotiations
are on course, I believe we still have the commitment of both the Cote d'Ivoire
government and the main rebel group towards peace."
He however, expressed
concern about reported attacks and extra judicial killings, arsons and
destructions in parts of the country, and called on the perpetrators of such
heinous acts to stop them.
The Executive
Secretary appealed to "non-Ivorians" to stay out of the crisis,
adding that both the government and the northern rebel Patriotic Movement of
Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI) have signed an accord with ECOWAS, pledging to uphold the
United Nations and Africa Union conventions on the non-use of mercenaries in
African conflict.
Meanwhile French
troops have evacuated foreigners on Saturday from a rebel-held city in the west.
Eighty-three of 160 foreigners seeking to leave the city of Man were flown
south to Abidjan, the commercial capital.
Other evacuees were
expected to follow on a second plane during the night. The soldiers had to gun
battle with the rebels in Man, while trying to secure the airport for the
evacuation. One French soldier was wounded and, at least, five rebels were
killed.
It was the first time
the French soldiers had been drawn into combat since being sent to protect
French citizens and other foreigners in the former colony.
In September, French
and American soldiers rescued hundreds of French, American and other Westerners
from northern towns seized by rebels without any combat.
Cote d'Ivoire, the
world's leading cocoa producer, once considered an haven of stability in West
Africa, is now divided into two with the government holding only the southern
portion, including the strategic port of Abidjan.
The conflict has
displaced some 47,000 people in rebel-held areas and a further 25,000 elsewhere
in the country, according to the United Nations.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
02 December 2002 – The presiding Bishop of The Word Miracle Church
International, Reverend Dr Charles Agyin Asare has appealed to the media to be
sensitive to national aspirations.
He said, "the
media holds the key to a nation's peace and tranquillity for accelerated
development or to drag the people along the lane of confusion, anarchy and
unnecessary rivalry leading to destruction."
Dr Agyin Asare
deplored the recent report in the "This Day" newspaper in
neighbouring Nigeria on the Miss World beauty pageant and the Prophet Mohammed
leading to civil unrest and the killing of hundreds of people.
He also cited the
Burundi genocide, which according to reports was heightened by the media and
cautioned the local media to learn from these mishaps and be circumspect to
avoid inflaming passions.
Dr Agyin-Asare made
the remarks at a special Service where the church donated 50m cedis to three
educational institutions and another church.
The Methodist
University College, the Presbyterian University College and the All Nations
University at Koforidua received 10m cedis each while The Christian Action
Faith Ministry International had 20m cedis towards its building project.
The Presiding Bishop
expressed concern about some reportage in the print media as well as
commentaries on the airwaves by social commentators, which he said were
potential recipe for disaster.
Dr Agyin-Asare noted
that even though a news story might be factual and objective, journalists
should exercise the greatest sensibility, civility and decorum in its
presentation.
He also appealed to
the government and the state security apparatus to monitor the Cote d'Iviore
situation very carefully to avoid a spill over into the country.
Preaching on the
theme, "Peace on Earth" The Presiding Bishop urged Ghanaians to
"acknowledge God as the Lord of the land, while we seek for peace and
tolerate opposing views."
The Presiding Bishop
led the congregation to pray for the nation, the President, Cabinet, Parliament
and policy makers for the Lord's direction and wisdom in running the affairs of
the country.
GRi…/
Send your comment s to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kyebi (Eastern Region)
02 December 2002 - The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, on Sunday, led
a large number of members of keep-fit clubs from Accra, school children and
individuals from Okyenman to ran a 12 kilometre race from Asiakwa to Kyebi to
mark the second Okyenman's HIV/AIDS DAY celebrations.
Those who could not
ran the 12 kilometre race were lifted to Asikam to embark on a five kilometre
walk to Kyebi as part of the programme. The walk was organised under the theme
" Compassion is Protection" and was sponsored by Cowbell.
Other dignitaries who
took part in the run included Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, Director General
of Ghana Health Services, Dr. Jones Ofori Atta, Chairman, Board of Directors of
the VRA and some chiefs.
Speaking at the end of
the run, Professor Akosa observed that, the fight against the spread of the
HIV/AIDS disease could be more successful if the society showed compassion on
those affected.
He explained that,
when victims were aware that society would accept them and would not
discriminate against them, they would come forward to tell their story and that
would enable those who have not contracted the disease to protect themselves.
Professor Akosa said
the majority of HIV/AIDS patients contracted the disease by accident and could
not explain how they came by it. The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Ofori Panin, urged
the people to discard the notion that the disease was caused by witchcraft and
advised those who have not contracted it to protect themselves.
He explained that the
walk was organised to create awareness in the rural communities because despite
the noise being made about the disease, there were still many people in the
rural communities who were not aware of its existence and how to protect
themselves against it.
Mawuli Mekekpor won
the 12-kilometre marathon race and was presented with a trophy, certificate,
200,000 cedis and products of Cowbell. Freeman Afedo who won the second place
was presented with a certificate, 100,000 cedis and Cowbell products while
Emmanuel Amening, who was third was also presented with a certificate, 100,000 cedis
and some products of Cowbell.
The first female to
complete the race was Juliana Aryee and was presented with a certificate, a
trophy, 200,000 and products of Cowbell, Deborah Attram, the second female was
presented with a certificate, 100,000 cedis and products of Cowbell.
The third female to
complete the race, Mother Agbozo was presented with a certificate, 100,000
cedis and products of Cowbell. Prizes were awarded to the first 20 participants
of both the men and women participants.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kumasi (Ashanti
Region) 02 December 2002 - The chiefs and people of the Bawku Traditional Area
have commended President John Kufuor whose recent visit to Bawku served as a
basis for unification of the various factions in the communal conflict there.
Naba Asigri Abugrago
Azoka II, Paramount chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, who made the
commendation, noted that as a result of the President's visit, and the tactful
manner in which he approached the Bawku crisis, "Peace has completely been
restored thereby paving the way for smooth administration and development of
the area."
Naba Azoka made the
commendation when he addressed a durbar held in his honour by the Kusasi
community in the Ashanti Region in Kumasi on Saturday. Naba Azoka who is also
the President of the Upper-East Regional House of Chiefs, stressed, "In
appreciation of the good works of the President, we the chiefs and people of
Bawku pledge not to do anything again that will undermine the trust and
confidence he President Kufuor has reposed in us."
"I call on all
people of Bawku East and West to regard each other as one people with a common
destiny, and avoid any further bloodshed, as conflicts have robbed us of
developments," he stated.
Naba Azoka used the
occasion to announce that the "Samapiid festival", an annual
gathering of Kusasis to take stock of their past activities and map out plans for
development of the area, would be held on 18 December this year.
The Bawku Naba
indicated that a major activity of the festival would be the launching of the
"Kusaug Education Endowment Fund." Chief Azumah Ndagu, Head of the
Kusasi community in the Ashanti Region, suggested that the Bawku Naba should
include heads of settler groups in the Bawku area to form a council that could
advise him from time to time on pertinent issues.
Such an approach, he
noted, could help sustain the co-existence, peace and development of the area.
On his part, Nicholas Agbango, Secretary of the Kusasi Youth Association in the
Ashanti Region, appealed to the power brokers and sectionalists among them to
disarm and "let us reconcile for the sake of present and future generations"
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
02 December 2002 - President John Kufuor has commended the
Presbyterian Church of
Ghana (PCG) for playing a constructive and crucial role in the country's
development.
He said the Church had
also played an honourable role in the social history of the country through the
provision of schools, hospitals, training colleges and well known for its
reputation in discipline.
President Kufuor made
the commendation when accompanied by his wife Theresah and some Ministers of
State, attended a Thanksgiving Service at the Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
to climax the year-long centenary celebration of their Chapel in Accra.
The Foundation stone
of the chapel was laid on Saturday 1 March 1902 and dedicated on Sunday 19
October 1902 by the Reverend Michael Seeger, a Senior Basel Missionary of the
Gold Coast.
President Kufuor said
it was heartening that the Church had moved a step higher to establish a
University and pledged government's support to bring the idea into fruition.
"The Presbyterian
Church has always been pioneering and respectable. It had also been a landmark
in Osu", he added. Right
Reverend Dr. Sam Prempeh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church in
sermon said the Church was prepared to forge ahead in partnership with all
sectors of the citizenry for stability and social equilibrium.
He said the Church had
always been in partnership with the chiefs and the people for development. The Moderator said the establishment
of the University by the church was to complement government's efforts in the
improvement in tertiary education in the country.
He said the challenge
facing the congregation was to have a sober but critical reflection on their
performance over the years and determine whether they had remained faithful in
their faith with God.
Right Reverend Prempeh
said the congregation should now resolve to redouble their efforts to
contribute effectively to s0olve the socio-economic problems facing the
country.
"We should
endeavour to guard against tendencies that were parochial and inward-looking
and eschew complacency in our activities", he added.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com