Recognise Agriculture as engine of economic growth-MP
Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- The National Hilal Committee in consultation with the
National Chief Imam and the Ameer in-charge of Ahamadiya Muslim Mission on
Wednesday declared that Thursday 5 December the 30th day of Ramadan, ended the
fasting.
In effect, Eid-ul
Fitr would automatically be celebrated in the country on Friday 6 December. A
statement issued in Accra on Thursday and signed by Sheikh M. M. Gedel, acting
Chairman of the committee, said though the New Moon of Shawal had not been
sighted as at 21.30 hours on Wednesday, Thursday marked the end of the fasting.
The statement said:
"We pray for perfect peace, unity, progress and development for the people
of this country."
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Wednesday delivered a powerful
sermon on God's demand on man to obey His laws and that of the nation and urged
the Clergy to often link the message on righteousness to the Campaign for
achieving greater discipline.
He called on
Ghanaians to let their lights shine on the roads, at workplaces and wherever
they might find themselves. Alhaji Mahama called for repentance from
disobedience of the law and appealed to Christians to rescue the nation from
perishing as a result of indiscipline.
The Vice President
said these on the second day of the Methodist Crusade, organised jointly by the
Church and the United Kingdom-based Evangelist Dr Lawrence Tetteh, at the
Independence Square, Accra.
The message, backed
with several quotations from the Bible, was received with spontaneous applauds
and crowned with a standing ovation. Dr Samuel Asante-Antwi, Presiding Bishop
of the Methodist Church, asked permission from Moslem Leaders and conferred the
title of Evangelist on the Vice President for his knowledge about the Bible.
Vice President Mahama
said: "Throughout the history of God's people as is recorded in the Bible,
the Lord God always made rules for His people as a means of creating and
keeping the uniqueness, cohesiveness and orderliness of the society."
He referred to the 10
commandments as one of those set of rules, adding that because God abhors
indiscipline he deported Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden when they flouted
His law.
Alhaji Mahama,
therefore, exhorted Christians to obey the law not only in Church but
everywhere they found themselves, saying that they should be mindful of God's
omnipresent nature, which no one could hide from.
The Vice President
said it was untenable for Christians to do the wrong thing with the excuse that
it was difficult to be upright under harsh socio-economic conditions.
He said: "I
wonder if Jesus would accept that excuse. Indeed, God knows about the pain in
uprightness. He says in Hebrews 12:11 that, for the moment of discipline seems
painful rather than pleasant; later it yields peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained for it'."
Vice President Mahama
stressed that there was reward in being disciplined and said God subscribed
success, blessings and prosperity of any individual or nation to the ability to
do His bidding.
"Indeed, it is
written in Deuteronomy Chapter 28 that, 'if you obey the voice of the Lord your
God, being careful to do all his commandments, which I command you this day,
the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth,'"
he said.
Ahhaji Mahama
commended Christians for their tolerance, which according to him enabled
different denominations to worship on the same premises, and urged other
religious groups to emulate the example for peace.
He also applauded organisations
that were championing the Greater Discipline Campaign and 12 individuals who
wrote to his office to offer suggestions to make it successful. He asked for
what he termed 'a spiritual warfare' to enable the nation to reap the benefits
endowed her by God.
Dr Tetteh in a
message interspersed with songs, asked Ghanaians not to rely on humans for
solutions to their problems, but on God, who had the ability to perform what
was humanly impossible.
He urged politicians
to also turn to God for direction and called on aggrieved Ghanaians to release
their pains as a sacrifice to ensure national reconciliation. The joyous mood
at the Crusade, attended by a large congregation, including Methodists priests
and leaders of other churches, was kept alive with Methodist hymns and popular
gospel music from the John Teye Memorial School Band and other groups.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- The National Hilal Committee of Ghana said the New Moon of
Shawal has been sighted at Sege, in the Volta Region at 0400 hours on Thursday.
In an interview with
the GNA on Thursday in Accra, Sheikh M. M. Gedel, acting Chairman of the
committee, requested all Muslims in the country to stop fasting immediately and
to prepare for the Eid-ul Fitr that would be celebrated on Friday.
He appealed to
Muslims to mark the celebration with peace, love and unity. Earlier, a
statement issued in Accra and signed by the acting Chairman of the committee,
said though the New Moon of Shawal had not been sighted as at 21.30 hours on
Wednesday, Thursday marked the end of the fasting. The statement said Muslims
prayed for perfect peace, unity, progress and development for the people of
this country.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002-The concerned youth of Ada have appealed to the government to
investigate the whereabouts of the several billions of cedis being royalties
meant for the Ada State since the PNDC government took over the Songor Lagoon
in 1988.
They said the periods
should cover 1988-2000 and January 2001 to date. In a petition presented to the
Minister of Mines by Mr Jacob N. Nyabu, spokesman for the Youth said,
government should also conduct a referendum to ascertain the majority of people
who are in favour of government's solution to the Songhor problem.
It said government
should give salt winning right to the Ada Traditional Council, rightfull
land-owning clans and opinion leaders along the Songhor basin.
They said the Ada
Songhor Basin Owners Committee (ASLBOC) is subordinate to the Traditional
Council, which includes all the ten clans in the Songhor Lagoon
Sege-Terkperbiawe and must be treated as such.
The ASLBOC, they
said, have no mandate to negotiate with government on behalf of the people of
Ada except the payment of overdue royalties. The youth said government should
go ahead with plans that would alleviate the poverty of people in the area.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Ada Traditional Council (ATC) on Wednesday repeated its call
on the government to repeal the PNDC Law 287, which vested the Ada Songhor
Lagoon in the state.
It is also asking the
government to establish a board to take care of the salt winning industry in
Ghana. At a press conference in Accra, led by Nene Korley III, Divisional Chief
of Terkperbiawe, the Council said there should be a strong representation of
people from Ada on the board when established.
The Council compared
the board to that of the Ghana Cocoa Board and the Volta River Authority and
said the absence of a similar board would bring chaos along with marketing
problems in the salt industry.
Nene Korley III
however, maintained the Council's position on seeking government assistance to
exploit the salt in the area, saying, "no individual or group of
individual can have the ability and capacity to exploit it without Government's
assistance."
The Council said the
full implementation of the Ada Songhor Project would require a port for ships
to dock at Ada. Provision of industrial power and an efficient water supply
system were also needed for the salt companies.
The project would
also require infrastructure facilities like roads, telephones, and sanitary
facilities, and also aquaculture systems for the supply of fish, the Council
said. Nene Korley said to date, there was no official representation from the
Council to the Ga Dangme Society, and accused eminent scholars in the Society
of teaming up with some citizens from Ada to be creating confusion over the
salt mines at Ada.
The Council
dissociated itself from the Society and said it was well constituted and could
manage its own affairs without any assistance from the quarters. Nene Korley
pointed out that the Council was like Parliament and "it would be wrong
for the Government of Ghana to consult any other body in Ada when policies on
land in Ada are being discussed."
"All grievances
and thoughts must be through the Ada Traditional Council, the Terkperbiawe
Divisional Chief said. He stated that the Council did not own any land and
therefore, could not allocate land, but added however that the six land owning
clans were members of the council and "each land owning clan can effect a
lease to any prospective investors without any interference from the ATC."
Nene Korley accused
local investors of instigating the youth of Ada to stand up against the
traditional council and said they must stop. Nene Sorgbodjor Oboade I,
Development Chief of the Council, said the council described the one million
cedi payment for each acre of the 5,000 acre salt concession from local
investors as "outrageous" and said the council would take equity from
any investment in the area.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Inauguration of "Golden State University" was on
Wednesday thrown into confusion as workers of the Ghana Water Company Limited
(GWCL) at Weija Headwork held the police and invited guests "hostage"
for 45 minutes.
The workers locked
the gate to the company's yard, and exchanged words with the police till the
police went back, brought reinforcement and broke the lock to the gate and
entered the yard.
They protested
against the GWCL Training School located inside the company's yard being sold
to a private investor for the establishment of the proposed university. The
workers said it was their management who asked them not to allow anybody to
enter the yard.
In the process two of
the workers one of whom threatened to burn the School were beaten and arrested
by the police after about 20 personnel of the Police Striking Force Unit from
the Accra Central Police were called in.
The police under the
command of Deputy Superintendent Helena Cobbinah of the Odorkor Police told the
Ghana News Agency (GNA) that President John Agyekum Kufuor was to attend the
inaugural ceremony of the university hence the police presence at the place.
Some of the workers
told the GNA that they were not aware of the commissioning of any University
within the yard. "Besides, the only school where most of us have been
trained over the years in water treatment processes."
"The truth of the
matter is that government wanted to sell it to one Dr. Ross Opoku Agyemang, a
private man, which we are opposed to." "If government want to build a
university she should go to Kasoa or McCarthy Hill there are so many lands
there, why the training school, which is so close to the Headwork and the
Lake," the workers said.
Appiah Mensah,
Station Manger at the place denied knowledge of the commissioning of the
University and said he was not the Principal of the Training School, hence he
cannot comment on it.
He, however, said he
never asked the workers to stop vehicles from entering the yard. Owusu Prempeh,
Principal of the Training School on his part said, he was also not aware of any
commissioning but alleged that he knew of some attempts to sell the premises.
When the GNA
accompanied the police to the training school at about 1200 noon there was no
indication of a function except the presence of Mr Prempeh who said he was just
informed about the incidence.
He also said
officials at the head office of the Ghana Water Company have also not been
informed. Pupils in the area who lined up as early as 0800 hours expecting to
catch a glimpse of the President, were disappointed when they were told to go
back to their schools.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Dr Albert Owusu-Barnafo, star witness in the Ghana Rubber
Estates Limited (GREL) divestiture case on Wednesday said he paid some monies
to the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) to meet the Movement's conditions
to his company.
Giving evidence under
cross-examination, Dr Owusu-Barnafo, told an Accra Fast Track Court hearing the
case that he made those payments on his company's behalf, to the 31st DWM
through its treasurer, Hanny Sherry Ayittey, one of the four accused persons in
the trial.
Ayittey, together
with Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation
Committee (DIC), Ralph Casely-Hayford, businessman, and Sati Dorcas Ocran,
housewife are being tried for their alleged involvement in bribery and
corruption in the privatisation of GREL.
They have all pleaded
not guilty and Mr Justice J C Amonoo-Monney, Appeal Court Judge sitting on the
case as an additional High Court Judge, has admitted each of them to a
self-recognisance bail.
Dr Owusu-Barnafo told
the court under cross-examination by David Lamptey, counsel for Ayittey, that
those payments were made by his company, Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea
(SIPH) in fulfilment of the 31st DWM's conditions to enable it to influence the
decisions of the DIC board to divest GREL in favour of SIPH.
Witness said between
1996 and 1998, he paid various sums of money to the movement through Ayittey in
her capacity as its treasurer. For example, he said, in May 1998, he gave
120,000 dollars to Ayittey as part of the fulfilment of conditions agreed by
his principals and the 31st DWM.
Witness told the court
that he also paid an amount of 180,000 dollars to the accused person, and under
her instructions additional 120,000 pounds was transferred into her designated
account in Austria.
Witness disagreed
with a suggestion by counsel that those payments to his client were personal
gifts. Witness told the court that the monies were paid to Ayittey for transfer
to the 31st DWM to finance its rural projects.
Dr Owusu-Barnafo
denied ever buying air tickets for Madam Georgina Okaitey, member of the 31st
DWM and her two children to travel with him to London. Witness said he
remembered buying tickets for Okaitey and other members of the 31st DWM to
enable them to travel to London and Paris.
Witness disagreed
with a suggestion by counsel that at a certain point in time he gave Madam
Okaitey a cheque for 17,500 pounds. Dr Owusu-Barnafo told the court that he
could not remember the exact amount, but said Madam Okaitey requested the money
to finance her projects. The case has been adjourned to Tuesday, December 10, for
witness to continue with his evidence under cross-examination by counsel for
Agbodo.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Government was on Wednesday officially informed of the death
of Mr Imoru Salifu, a teacher and Upper East Regional Chairman of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) at the Castle, Osu.
Mahami Salifu, Upper
East Regional Minister who led the delegation of the family and the Party said
Salifu, 72, died on 17 October this year, after a short illness and had since
been buried.
He said final funeral
rites for the late Salifu who contributed immensely to the Danquah-Busia tradition
in the region would be held on Tuesday, 12 December. President John Agyekum
Kufuor described the late Salifu as a selfless and courageous person who always
stood by the truth.
"I do not think
we will stop remembering and mourning, the late Salifu who was courageous and
bold and would always speak his mind on issues and had a sense of humour".
C.K. Tedam, a Member
of the Council of State said the late Salifu worked tirelessly for the party,
the nation and died as a hero and a statesman. Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior
Minister said the late Salifu was forthright and was instrumental in the
establishment of the Cattle market at Kushia in the Upper East Region that made
a positive impact in the cattle trade in the region.
He said the deceased
was one of the architects of the democratic dispensation prevailing in the
country and was hopeful the mission embarked upon by the late Salifu would be
continued and the country allowed to find its destiny but not to be derailed
anymore.
The late Salifu
entered politics in the early 1950's and was the Propaganda Secretary of the
Northern People's Party (NPP) as well as the United Party (UP) and the Upper
Regional Chief Executive during the Second Republic. He left behind four wives
and 17 children. Present was the Vice President Aliu Mahama.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- A new partnership between the Ghana Water Company Limited
(GWCL) and Ghana Post (GP) was launched on Wednesday to enable the post offices
to collect water bills.
This would help solve
some of the problems associated with the payment of water bills by customers.
Jonathan Nii Ahele Nunoo, Managing Director, GWCL, said the company was faced
with numerous challenges in its effort to collect revenue to sustain it and
also help it to provide quality service to its customers.
"Some of the
problems include our mode of revenue collection, inaccessibility of collection
points to customers and misappropriation and embezzlement of funds by some
officials of the company," he added.
He said presently
customers nationwide owe over 160 billon cedis to the company and the amount
was increasing daily. "The company needs about 500 million cedis daily to
be able to provide potable drinking water to its customers, and I will urge all
who owe to settle their bills before the end of the year to avoid any
embarrassment," he said.
He thanked the
management and staff of the GP for accepting the challenge to partner with the
GWCL and appealed for proper supervision to ensure a "good work
done." Isaac Adu-Boahene, Managing Director, GP, said the alliance would
not only bring satisfaction to customers, but also prove how public
institutions in the country could cooperate to dispel the negative perceptions
about them.
He said the GP,
recognising the changing demands of its customers, decided to adopt a smooth
strategy that would diversify its mode of operation, by incorporating other
activities, including the collection of utility bills at all its service point
in the country.
"This would
enhance our dwindling revenue due to current market competition and also help
maintain and provide better remuneration to our cherished workers," Mr
Adu-Boahene said.
He said payment of
water bills could now commence at all GP offices throughout the country from
today. Adu-Boahene thanked the management of the GWCL for the confidence in the
GP and assured customers of efficient and reliable service.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Baroness Valerie Amos, British Minister for Africa at the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and the Prime Minister's Personal
Representative on Africa for the G8, would visit Ghana from 6-9 December the
British High Commission announced on Wednesday.
This would be
Baroness Amos' third visit to Ghana having previously visited in January 2001
to attend the inauguration of President Kufuor, and in April 2002. The
statement said Baroness Amos would attend a meeting of the G8 Personal
Representatives for Africa with the NEPAD Steering Committee representatives in
Accra from 8-7 December The Minister would remain for a day of bilateral
engagements on 9 December.
"Baroness Amos
is very much looking forward to her programme of engagements which will include
meetings with the Government and previous recipients of British Chevening
Scholarships," the statement said. The Minister would also visit the Blue
Skies pineapple farm at Nsawam.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Government will soon adopt the Draft National Water Policy as
the main strategy document to guide development in the water sector, Mr Yaw
Barimah Minister of Works and Housing has announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at a
preparatory workshop for the second phase of DANIDA's water sector support
programme, Mr Barimah said in view of the importance of sustainable management
of water resources at both the national and international level, there was the
need for a comprehensive policy from which strategic investment plans could be
drawn.
"In this
direction, I wish to assure you all that the Ministry will accelerate the
process of Cabinet Approval of the Draft Policy Document," he said. Water
management experts and key stakeholders are attending the two-day workshop to
discuss and consolidate the Draft Component descriptions and concept papers for
the phase two programme.
DANIDA had agreed to
sponsor the second phase, which commences in 2004 the first Phase which ends in
December 2003. Mr Barimah said a major area of concern to government was
financial accountability but said he was happy that DANIDA's support to the
sector had also focused on developing and procurement systems at the national
and district levels.
The Minister asked
DANIDA to continue to build on the capacities of public officials and
institutions in other management disciplines that would help deepen the levels
of decentralization and allow for effective and transparent management and
reporting.
He praised DANIDA for
the bold decision to continue its support to the water sector to enhance its
contribution to sustainable development and reduction in poverty levels in the
country. Mr Barimah expressed the hope that the workshop would come out with an
appropriate framework and strategies for the development of the water sector in
the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- The Royal Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Arie van der Wiel
on Wednesday said it was time for Ghana to be in "the driver’s seat"
in its development programmes with the Netherlands.
He said past
developments were donor driven and that Ghana should seek stronger trade,
development and economic ties with other countries. Wiel said these when he
called on the Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor at his office at Burma
Camp in Accra to familiarize himself with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and to
discuss ways of cooperation.
The Ambassador
described the relation between both countries as cordial and said this year
marks 300 years of bilateral ties between Ghana and the Netherlands.
Netherlands has been providing Ghana with budgetary support in poverty
alleviation programmes. Ghana is also a recipient of debt co-operation from the
Dutch.
Wiel said Ghana had a
great potential for trade, adding that, both countries should exploit this
avenue for their mutual benefit. Dr. Kufuor expressed Ghana's gratitude to
Netherlands for its support and expressed the hope that relations between the
two countries would always remain cordial.
He said military
personnel from both countries had a lot to learn from each other and stressed
on training for pilots and aircraft engineers of the Ghana Airforce in
Netherlands. The Minister and the Ambassador later held a closed-door meeting
to discuss military issues and areas of co-operation.
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Dadiese (Ashanti
Region) 05 December 2002- Isaiah Opoku-Boateng, Sekyere East
District Chief
Executive, has called on the rural population to stop living under the
erroneous belief that the HIV-AIDS is exclusively a problem for urban areas.
He said rural
population were equally at risk just as people in the big towns and cities and
must, therefore, stay clear of indiscipline sexual behaviour to avoid getting
infected. Opoku-Boateng was addressing the World AIDS Day celebration held at
Dadiese, a sprawling farming community in the district.
He outlined a number
of interventions put in place by the district assembly to help curb the spread
of the disease and said these include screening of video films on the disease
in the various communities, public talks and lectures as well as quiz
competitions among second cycle schools in the area.
The District Chief
Executive warned that posterity would not forgive the present generation if
"we do not act proactively to mitigate the catastrophe".
Opoku-Boateng advised the people to show love, care and sympathy for HIV-AIDS
patients to enable them live normal lives.
He noted that
stigmatisation by relatives and society could make the pandemic become
intractable as those living with the disease would be reluctant to declare
their status and infect several other innocent people with it.
Dr George Mensah, the
District Director of Health Services, said there was the need to redouble
efforts at reaching out to all people with the right messages on the disease to
remove any misconception they might have about the HIV-AIDS.
He announced that
between January and September this year, a total of 85 cases of HIV/AIDS were
reported in the district as against a total of 136 for last year.
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Ejura (Ashanti
Region) 05 December 2002- World Vision (WV) Ghana, a Non-Governmental Christian
relief agency, has unveiled a new initiative to support the fight against the
spread of the HIV-AIDS infection and care for the victims.
Dubbed "HOPE
INITIATIVE", it involves providing help to AIDS patients, care for
children whose mothers died of the disease and intensive public education
campaign on prevention.
Miss Gladys Zormelo,
Ejura District Manager of WV-Ghana, announced this at the celebration of the
World AIDS Day at Ejura. It was jointly organised by the WV, the
Ejura-Sekyedumase District Assembly and the District Directorate of Health
Services and attended by chiefs, workers, teachers, students, traders, farmers
and school children.
Miss Zormelo said it
was time more efforts were made to transform the high awareness of the disease
into responsible and disciplined sexual lifestyle. She told the people not to
have any illusions about the looming danger posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and
asked that all should join the crusade to check its spread.
Madam Roseline Nancy
Nane, acting District Director of Health Services, called for a high political
commitment to sustain the campaign against the disease in the country. She
expressed concern about what she said was the "false claim of cure by some
people", and said this ought to be stopped.
Madam Nane said the
area recorded twelve cases of HIV/AIDS in 1999, 24 cases in 2000 and 28 cases
in 2001. So far there have been 46 cases this year. Madam Elizabeth Owusu,
District Chief Executive, in an address read for her, cautioned NGOs in the
area not to divert resources they receive for the HIV-AIDS campaign.
She stated that the
district assembly would closely follow their activities to ensure that funds
they get from the Ghana AIDS Commission were applied strictly for the purpose
for which they were sought.
Major Rose Dugan
(Retired), the District Director of Safe Motherhood Organisation, an NGO said
the focus of AIDS Education should be on total abstinence from casual sex and
promiscuity.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- The Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on
Tuesday condemned media publications and a cartoon describing the Former Vice
President Professor John Evans Attah Mills as a Poodle.
"We find the
publication most irresponsible and unfortunate. Ordinarily we would have
associated ourselves with the condemnations from the National Media Commission
and the ethics committee of the Ghana Journalists Association," Mr Iddrisu
Haruna Youth Organizer stated at a news conference in Accra.
Haruna said, "We
cannot sit down for some irresponsible elements in the media to use the power
of the pen to run down our leaders" and called on all patriotic and
democratic minded people to condemn the publication.
The NDC Youth
Organiser also condemned a recent publications by Statesman titled "Dan
Abodakpi must resign," just for reasons of his trial at the Fast Track
Court for allegedly causing lost to the state.
He said, "the
publication is not only prejudicial but also uninformed, as under our system of
Justice a person is presumed innocent until proved, therefore, the publication
lacked basis and foundation in law."
The Ethics Committee
of the Ghana Journalists Association on Tuesday said it has noted with utter
disgust the description of the former Vice President, Professor John Evans Atta
Mills as "a poodle" by "The Statesman," and condemned the
use of such unacceptable language.
A statement signed by
Mrs Frances Ademola, Chairperson of the Committee, said it considered the
description "unethical, insulting and therefore, in very bad taste".
The Committee said the publications violated Article 5 of the GJA Code of
Ethics, which required, among other things, that journalists should have
respect for human dignity and should guard against violating the sensibilities
of other people.
The statement said
the Committee considered the form of reportage a misuse of freedom of
expression and asked the Statesman's editorial team to offer unqualified
apology to Professor Mills in their next edition of the paper, giving it the
prominence and publicity it deserves.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- A Pro-Mills group on Wednesday condemned the
"Statesman" story for its article and picture calling former Vice
President John Evans Atta Mills a poodle and lauded the ethics committee of the
Ghana Journalists Association and the National Media Commission (NMC) for their
"forthright" intervention in the matter.
A statement signed by
Mr Eddie Palmer, Patron of JEAMNET, said the headline "Why Mills is a
Poodle" and the picture of Prof. Mills' head on a poodle is "shameful
and disgusting".
It said it is
shameful "to think that a journalist should stoop so low and show such
lack of decorum and intelligence to describe a professor of law and highly
distinguished member of our society a poodle."
The statement said a
poodle is a dog that cannot be equated with a human being and one cannot import
any form of culture that is incompatible with what is in Ghana. "The
writer should know that in our culture, it is not correct to compare a human
being with any form of animal..." and said the writer depicts "gutter
journalism".
The Ethics Committee
of the Ghana Journalists Association on Tuesday said it has noted with utter
disgust the description of the former Vice President as "a poodle" by
"The Statesman," and condemned the use of such unacceptable language.
A statement signed by
Mrs Frances Ademola, Chairperson of the Committee, said it considered the
description "unethical, insulting and therefore, in very bad taste".
The newspaper's story is on the front-page of the paper on Tuesday.
According to the
statement, apart from violating Article five of the GJA Code of Ethics, which
requires, among other things, that journalists should have respect for human
dignity and should guard against violating the sensibilities of other people,
the description is also unacceptable in Ghanaian culture.
"The paper had
every right to question the moral justification of the former Vice President to
question the wisdom of the government in pursuing the IFC loan against the
advice of the minority in Parliament, and then to withdraw later.
"But the
Statesman's editorial team could have made their point forcefully without
resorting to vulgar ridicule and such uncalled for disrespect." The
statement said the Committee considered the form of reportage a misuse of
freedom of expression and asked the Statesman's editorial team to offer
unqualified apology to Professor Mills in their next edition of the paper,
giving it the prominence and publicity it deserves.
"The Committee
wishes to take this opportunity to caution journalists earnestly, particularly
editors, to be mindful of their language in expressing their opinions and to
ensure that they do not in their desire to express their views, tarnish the
image of other people, and stir up unnecessary strife as we have witnessed
recently in another country," it added.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- Brigadier Richardson E. Baiden, of the Ghana Armed Forces has
been appointed the new Commissioner of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service
(CEPS) by President John Agyekum Kufuor.
A statement issued in
Accra on Wednesday and signed by Finance Minster Yaw Osafo- Maafo said
Brigadier Baiden replaced Mr Kofi Opoku Ntiamoah, who has retired. It said it
was the expectation of the Ministry of Finance, that Brigadier Baiden would
bring his wealth of experience and diligence to the office of Commissioner,
particularly at the time when there was the urgent need for re-engineering of
the focal point of the service.
The statement added
that the new Commissioner would streamline certain aspects of the functions of
the service to enhance revenue collection and re-invigorate the personnel to
give added impetus to the confidence level of the service.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
05 December 2002- A Member of Parliament on Wednesday said policy makers should
recognise that agriculture is the real engine for Ghana's economic growth.
He said it is
therefore, imperative for government to adopt and vigorously pursue
agricultural policies and programmes aimed at enhancing rural development where
most agro-related activities take place.
Alex Kwaku Korankye,
NPP- Asante Akyem South and Chairman, Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa
Affairs, had made a statement on "National Farmers Day" scheduled for
Friday, 6 December.
He called for the
modernisation of agriculture for the sector to play its proper role in the
national economy. The member said the cost of farming implements like cutlass,
power tillers, tractors and Wellington boots were too high.
"If we really
want our farmers to increase productivity, then there is the need to make sure
that these implements are within affordable prices for farmers." On land,
he called for the streamlining of the various land tenure systems to facilitate
modification of the rules to suit the changing requirements agriculture and
other modes of land use.
Korankye said what
could motivate farmers most is an insurance scheme that would cover land and
crops so that the risk of crop failure due to weather and other natural hazards
would not count much.
"..It must be
pointed out that obsolete farming structures, unbalanced national development
projects and unfair international trading system have left farmers in the trap
of financial poverty, disease, ignorance or illiteracy and civic inertia."
Later in the day, Mr
Kwabena Adusa Okerchire, NPP-Nkawkaw, made a statement on HIV/AIDS saying
52,961 cases of the pandemic have been reported n the country since the
condition was first identified in 1986. He called on Managers of state and
private companies to respect the rights of the people living with HIV/AIDS and
treat them with dignity.
GRi…/
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