Federation of Women threaten to sue DJs
National Population Council members sworn into office
Aliu arrives in Marrakech for Governance Forum
Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and
Presidential Affairs, on Wednesday launched the State of the World's Children
report for 2003 in Accra with a call on government to ensure that children take
part in the decision making of issues affecting their well-being to make
implementation effective.
"We cannot hope
to affect our children positively without giving them a voice. Children must be
heard and seen," he noted.
He said children have
proved that they could make a great difference in the world around them for
better development if they are consulted on issues affecting them.
Hon. Obetsebi-Lamptey
noted that children have ideas, experience and insights that enrich adult understanding
and make positive contribution to adult's actions adding that the situation of
children in the developing world has been bad and attributed it to the poor
economic conditions, misgovernment, civil strife and the break up of
traditional families.
The children's report
under the theme: "Child Participation" focuses on the responsibility
of adults to seek out the perspectives and opinions of children and take their
viewpoints seriously.
It also helps
children and adolescents to develop their competencies for authentic and
meaningful participation. The Minister said children should be encouraged to
make their view points known, have the freedom to express themselves and
consider their views when it comes to decisions that affect them.
"Our future lies
in an educated, healthy and entrepreneurial youth and our children are the
seeds for a prosperous tomorrow", he added.
Dr Rima Salah, West
and Central Africa Regional Director of UNICEF, said children through
participation learn things like co-operation, conflict negotiation, respecting
diversity and tolerance and this ensures peace among them.
She said millions of
young people around the world feel disconnected from democratic institutions
and lack of trust in their governments adding that "It is therefore very
crucial that children must be given more of a voice and more ways to
participate in decision affecting their lives".
Curious Minds,
children's advocacy group, on behalf of all children, appealed to the Ministry
of Women and Children's Affairs to create a youth parliament to tap the
knowledge of children and also change the tradition that makes children to be
seen and not be heard.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- Justice George Kingsley Acquah, a Supreme Court Judge, on
Wednesday urged soldiers to seek relief for grievances through constitutional
means and should therefore, not take the law into their own hands.
He said the highest
court of the land, which was the Supreme Court, had powers to seek redress on
behalf of anybody even if the defaulting person happened to be the President of
the land.
Justice Acquah said
this therefore, made any unlawful means to seek such redress such as
insurrections completely inexcusable. He observed that this commitment on the
part of the Armed Forces had to be supported by a reasonably efficient and
accountable administration with a healthy respect for human rights and catered
for the legitimate needs of the people.
Justice Acquah said
this during a day's forum organised by the National Commission on Civic
Education (NCCE) for officers, men, women and civilian employees of the Ghana
Air Force at the Airforce base in Accra. It was under the topic, "The
armed forces and the future of Ghana's democracy."
He said the Ghana
Armed Forces owed it a duty to posterity to ensure a peaceful prevalence of
democratic practices in Ghana, which should be ruled not by the barrel of the
gun but by the collective will of the people.
He observed that
factors such as corporate group interests, the idiosyncrasies of individual
officers, fragmentation of party politics, ethnic conflicts and other factors
had resulted in several military interventions in a number of African countries
from the second half of the 19th century.
He said the collapse
of communism in the Soviet Union set in chain the democratisation process in
several African countries and noted that the recent uprising in Cote d'Ivoire
was an indication not only of the level of political division in that country
but also the threat of armed insurrection to democracy in Africa.
Justice Acquah said
this was most unfortunate since experience had proved that military interventions
did not succeed in solving the problems of corruption and indiscipline, which
they used as pretext for their interventions.
"Corruption and
indiscipline become more pervasive in the society and the economy ruined,"
he said.
He said a look at the
present level of socio-economic development in Malaysia, a country that had its
independence in the same year as Ghana and a comparison between that and
Ghana's level of socio-economic development gave a true picture of the effects
of the various military interventions in the political life of Ghana.
Justice Acquah noted
that such interventions resulted in the internalisation of political conflicts
within the army, which led to the breakdown of internal discipline within the
ranks of the military.
Justice Acquah
observed that although corruption among public officials was a prominent reason
for military interventions, policy-making process by military rulers was
unchecked and thus fostered corrupt practices within their regimes.
Justice Acquah said
to effectively rout out coup makers, there was the need for the military to
close its ranks, adding that it also needed to inculcate into its members a
high sense of discipline and also make them understand the after effects of
coups on the reputation of the army and the nation as a whole.
He reminded the
military that by having the means of defence and weapons meant that they were
entrusted with a lot of responsibility since they served as the physical
guarantee to protect the constitution.
The Forces Sergeant
Major, Ben Cole, said the Ghana Armed Forces were resolved now more than ever
to defend the country's constitution. Sgt. Major Cole said this was the result
of a new awakening within the forces as well as changes in the global
community, which made military interventions very unattractive.
He said unlike in the
past when soldiers and other members of the armed forces were only trained to
defend the nation, modern day military personnel were well informed on issues
pertaining to both the national and the international scene.
Sgt Major Cole said
military personnel of today were aware of the constitution and its implications
and had a healthy level of respect for it, adding that they were well educated
on new global trends and the fact that the present international community was
not conducive to military dictatorships.
Air Commodore Kwame
Mamphey, Base Commander of the Air force in Accra, described the unstable
political process that have characterised several African countries as part of
the continent's learning political process.
He observed that with
time and maturity, there would be a deeper appreciation for constitutional rule
by the armed forces of respective African countries, which would increase
commitment to defend the constitution and further lead to the gradual
eradication of the tendency for the military to overthrow the constitution.
The forum formed part
of the NCCE's regular interactions with the armed forces to further enlighten
them on issues bordering on democracy and constitutional rule.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education on
Thursday said the challenge of improving the educational system and raising
education to a higher pedestal was one that should be embraced by all.
He therefore, called
on traditional and religious authorities, development partners, corporate
bodies and parents to assist in ensuring quality education for all. Professor
Ameyaw Akumfi said these when he launched the Unimax/ Macmillan scholarship
scheme set up to assist needy but brilliant students pursuing secondary courses
at a ceremony in Accra.
Unimax/Macmillan is
one of the leading publishers in educational supplements in the country. The
Minister said the benefits of an improved educational system with increased
opportunities for all, including the poor, deprived and the disadvantaged was
one that impacts positively on the society at large.
He mentioned that
most Ghanaians are desirous to go to school but could not do so because of
their social circumstances. "It is in recognition of this that government
has taken steps to ensure that no Ghanaian, irrespective of his or her sex,
origin, religion, social status is denied the benefit of having the right to
education, especially at the basic level," he said.
He said the massive
infrastructural expansion at all levels of the education system is all designed
to improve access and participation of all Ghanaians in the educational system
as well as improve quality education.
Professor Ameyaw
Ekumfi commended the Unix Macmillan for its role and called on other benevolent
organisations to also assist. He stated that the Ghana Education Service would
implement the Unix Macmillan scholarship scheme with most beneficiaries from
the rural areas.
Mr. Edward Addo,
Managing director, Unimax Macmillan, explained that the scholarship scheme was
an initiative aimed at assisting the Ministry of Education in making education
available to many students in the country.
Mr. Addo said under
the scheme, 10 Macmillan bursaries would be offered a year to 10 students, with
each receiving three million cedis per annum. "The scholarships will be
on-going and the value reviewed every year to account for inflation and any
increases in the levels of fees or cost of material whiles 10 fresh awards will
be offered every three years for the next nine years." He called on needy
but brilliant student to take advantage of the opportunity and was hopeful that
scheme would be extended to other levels of education in the future.
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Kumasi (Ashanti
Region) 12 December 2002- Mr Cyril Acolatse, a member of the National Media
Commission, has stressed the need for a Right to Information Law that would
provide easy access to information concerning issues that directly affect the
people.
He was delivering a
paper on the Right to Information and the need for a Right to Information Law
at a day's seminar to educate stakeholders on the need for such a law. The
seminar, held on Tuesday in Kumasi was organised by the Commonwealth Human
Right Initiative (CHRI) African Office in partnership with the British Council.
Mr. Acolatse said the
law was not to give exclusive backing to the media's quest for information but
a right for all the citizenry. ''It will drastically stem the overly
speculative and sensational journalism in the country. Indeed, civic and
responsible journalism warrants such a law.''
He suggested that the
law must include provisions to enable people to obtain information which is
important to them. ''It should lay down clearly that the government and public
bodies are under obligation to give information to anyone who asks for it and
provides exemptions. The law must also lay down simple avenues for redress in
case of refusal of information.''
Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo,
Executive Secretary of the NMC, said for individuals to play their roles
effectively in society they must be adequately informed to make rational
decisions. ''Freedom of the media therefore in its widest sense then reflects
the enlargement of each citizen's freedom of expression which is a fundamental
human right.''
Ayeboafo said the
journalist and the media are therefore, in the forefront in the struggle to entrench
democracy, to uphold the constitution and hold the government accountable to
the people who are to be informed and knowledgeable.
Justice Georgina Kusi
Appau, Supervising High Court Judge, submitted that such a law must have an
objective, should be constructive and not aimed at war and acrimony and that
those who volunteer information should be circumspect not to cause any
inflammatory situation.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ghana
said on Wednesday that it would pursue a case in the High Court against a
number of Disc Jockeys and FM radio stations for "persistently and
consistently playing music, the lyrics of which are profane and debase women
and their bodies."
A statement signed by
Ms. Gloria Ofori Boadu, Executive Director of FIDA Ghana said such music also
constituted violence against women on the airwaves. "Music, which imputes
or directly expresses profanity does not augur well for the efforts to raise
the awareness in society and eliminate the incidence of violence against
women," FIDA stressed.
Such music also
misinforms the youth and constitutes an abuse of their reproductive Health and
Rights and provided destructive role modeling for children and affects their
development as the future workforce in our society.
While recognising the
freedom and independence of the media as enshrined in the Constitution, FIDA
said it believed such freedoms were required to be exercised in the interest of
public order, public morality and protection of the reputations, rights and
freedoms of other persons.
"FIDA also
intends to ask for an order to compel the Ministry of Information and the
National Media Commission to play an effective monitoring role over the local
FM stations," the statement said.
FIDA said it was of
the view that a law "in the form of judicial decision or precedence, which
makes an all embracing declaration against the public airing of such songs on
our airwaves is of utmost importance and significance in curbing the problem of
violence against women on the airwaves within the shortest possible time".
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Kofi
Annan International Peacekeeping project starts
Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre
(KAIPTC) is to be developed into a regional centre of learning where
professional standards in training and research in peacekeeping and other peace
support operations would be conducted.
Defence Minister Dr.
Kwame Addo Kufuor said training at the Centre would be conducted by the
military and civilian specialists who can bring their experience in conflict
prevention and resolution in providing for the maintenance of law and order.
Dr Kufuor said this
when he cut the sod for the commencement of work on the KAIPTC project, which
is sited at the precinct of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College at
Teshie near Accra.
Work on the project,
funded by a German government grant of 1.8 million Euros, commenced in
September this year and is to be completed by the same time in 2003. An Italian
firm, Babissoti Construction Company is undertaking the construction of the
project, which would include an administration block, lecture rooms and an
auditorium.
Dr Kufuor recalled
Ghana's first participation in peacekeeping dating back to the 1960's in the UN
mission in Congo, adding that the country had been called upon on several
occasions to offer her services in keeping peace and maintaining law and order
in many countries.
He said in all the
peacekeeping operations the GAF had partaken, its soldiers have shown exemplary
courage, professionalism, dedication to duty and respect and goodwill toward
the local population.
"This is truly a
proud pedigree; very few national armed forces in the world can boast of such
achievement", he noted. He said construction of the Centre marked a major
milestone in the history of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), and was a tribute to
its peacekeeping achievements in the sub-region and around the world.
The Minister said the
project also provided the nation with the opportunity to salute Mr Kofi Annan
for bringing honour to Ghana and Africa. He said the KAIPTC provided Ghana with
the opportunity to share its peacekeeping expertise with the sub-region and the
rest of the world.
Dr Kufuor said the
curriculum of the centre was designed to provide instructions at the
operational level, adding that KAIPTC apart from being an institution of great
merit would also enhance the stature of the Staff College, with which it would
be sharing the same campus.
He said the Centre is
designed to complement the basic training provided at the Zambrako Staff
College in Cote D'Ivoire and the strategic level training given by the Nigerian
Defence College in Abuja.
The Centre, he said,
would provide mission oriented training at the operational level of peace
support operations for selected participants prior to induction into areas of
operations and would also be designated for the training of permanent ECOMOG
standby units.
He said the KAIPTC
had a relevance to the G8 Africa Action Plan and the NEPAD in that it would be
available to train specialists for the promotion of peace and security, one of
the initiative which the Plan seeks to engage.
The G8 Africa Action
Plan also seeks to provide technical and financial assistance so that by 2010,
African countries, sub-regional and regional organization would be engaged for
effective prevention and resolution of
conflict.
He noted that the
current situation across the western border was an ample testimony for the need
for the institution and appealed to development partners for more support for
the project.
Dr Harald Loeschner,
the German Ambassador to Ghana said the country was showing herself as a model
nation in conflict prevention and management and in sub-regional integration.
He said the establishment of the Centre merited continuous support from the
German government and other institutions.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- Government's quest for the IFC loan was an attempt to deliver
Ghana from the shackles of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), a government official said on Tuesday.
Mr. Andrew Awuni, of
the Vice President's Office, who said this at the launch of a newspaper in
Accra added, "Yes the IFC loan has failed probably because of lack of
diligence, but in truth, it was more of government's effort to deliver itself
from the strings of the IMF and WB."
"About 50 per
cent of government's annual budget alone is being funded by these institutions,
which had always left government in an uncomfortable situation because most of
the unfavourable conditionality attached to the assistance," he explained.
"Government
deserves to be commended because this is what we called a paradigm shift."
The 12-page private
newspaper, "Employment and Business Monitor" would cover issues
relating to job securing and businesses with the maiden copy carrying on the
front page, a story headlined economy is on track while the centre spread is
entirely devoted to advertisement of the new currency notes yet to be
circulated.
Mr Awuni said current
aspirations of the people required the media to adopt changes in its coverage,
adding that "the media cannot stick to the old politics, which simply
targets the executive, parliamentarians and judiciary."
"Today our
biggest problem is employment and economic independence, this is what the media
must be seen to be charting," Mr. Awuni added. He commended producers of
the paper, saying, "By coming out at this material moment in the industry
when the competition looks so keen with everybody targeting politics, you have
paved the way for the change and we hope many would see this."
Ebenezer K. Boateng,
Managing Editor said the paper’s mission objective would be to address lapses
in the redistribution of employment in the formal and informal sectors of the
economy. This would be done by providing people the needed impetus for seeking
and generating employment avenues.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- Mr. Edward Boateng, Co-ordinator of the CNN African
Journalist of the year award scheme, has called on news editors and managers of
the various media houses in Ghana to encourage their reporters to focus on
special areas and become experts in their field of reporting.
He said, "even
if the editors and managers do not see the benefit in helping the reporters to
specialize, reporters must insist that they are assisted to focus and become
specialized for their own benefit and for the benefit of the respective media
houses."
Mr. Boateng made the
call at the launch of the 8th edition of the CNN African Journalist of the Year
Award scheme, organized by the CNN to reward and encourage excelling African
Journalists to reach high heights in their carrier.
He cited the example
of Loretta Vanderpuye of GTV who won the CNN African Environmental Journalist
of the year award, but was later detailed to be doing political stories instead
of focusing on environment.
He said the scheme,
established in 1995, was specifically meant to help African Journalists and
other Journalists elsewhere who tell the African story in their reportage to
specialize and also to improve and to get better job opportunities.
"We are not only
aiming at awarding the Journalists but also helping them to grow," he
said. "We have pushed some of the past award winners to further their
education and some of them have been assisted to obtain job opportunities in
CNN, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and other places."
Mr. Boateng said this
year's awards have been increased from the usual 13 categories to 14, with
Journalist of the Year for Tourism reporting brought on board, adding that the
Journalist of the Year for the print media would from this year be in the
honour of the late Chief M. K. O. Abiola of Nigeria, whose publication, Premier
Publications has made great impact in telling the African story.
He said the focus of
the award would be on entries which tell the African story, adding that the
quality of the entry may not necessarily count, as long as an entry tells the
story, positive, negative or neutral, it can be a winning entry.
Mr. Boateng urged
Ghanaian Journalists to file their entries, saying that no story should be considered
on the face value as a bad story because no one can tell what a good story is
until it is given a chance.
He noted that good
stories in Africa now seem to hide between self-styled pseudo-Journalists and
politicians more than among professional Journalists themselves, adding that
this trend must change.
He said the launch
train started from South Africa, the venue for the award ceremony, now in Ghana
and would continue to Nigeria and Tanzania. "The venue for the award
ceremony would remain in South Africa for sometime to allow the scheme to grow
and become one of the biggest in the world as we intend it to be, then we would
begin to move it from African country to the other," he said.
Mr. Boateng debunked
allegations that the award scheme was instituted as a marketing ploy for CNN
and SABC, saying, "It was my initiative as a person, supported by CNN and
SABC simply to reward African Journalists."
When the award scheme
started in 1995, it was first held in Ghana and GBC Radio's Joana Mantey was
the first to win the CNN African Journalist of the year. Other Ghanaians who
have won the award include Tom Dorkenu of the Weekly Spectator, David
Brandon-Mensah of GBC Radio and Loretta Vanderpuye of GTV.
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Bawku (Upper East) 12
December 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday urged Ghanaians to let
the spirit of harmony; tolerance and respect for one another dominate the
country's body politic.
"Even as we
disagree with each other we should allow good reason and justice to prevail so
that together we make a country in which the law rules," he said.
President Kufuor was speaking at the 40th day funeral rites of Mr Imoro Salifu,
the late Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at
Bawku.
Acknowledging the
presence of delegates from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other
political parties at the ceremony, the President remarked that the late Mr
Salifu in his death had brought together people of divergent backgrounds and
opinions.
He described the
situation as remarkable, saying that during his lifetime the late Mr Salifu had
fought for freedom and respect for the other person's rights. President Kufuor
urged all who had gathered at the funeral to extend the peace and harmony that
prevailed at the grounds to their homes and communities to help build a unified
Ghana.
In a tribute read on
behalf of the Government, Mr J.H. Mensah, Senior Minister, referred to the late
Mr Salifu as a great pillar of the Danquah/Busia Tradition and a courageous man
who never feared to speak his mind.
He said the departure
of the Mr Salifu posed a challenge to the people of the area because the party
he had fought for into power needed the support and co-operation to build Ghana
into a nation worthy of its people.
Mr Mensah cited the
cattle markets at Pusiga and Mognori near Bawku and the benefits the people
derived from those markets as some of the legacies for which Mr Salifu would be
remembered.
Miss Azara Salifu,
daughter of the deceased, also read a tribute on behalf of the bereaved family.
Earlier at the graveside of the late Mr Salifu, President Kufuor laid a wreath
on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, while Mr Harona Esseku,
National Chairman of the NPP, laid one on behalf of the Party.
Mr C.K. Tedam, member
of the Council of State, laid one on behalf of the Council, with Alhaji
Sulemana Yirimea, family spokesman, laid one on behalf of the bereaved family.
Among dignitaries present at the ceremony were Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, Minister of
Finance, Dr Geseka Agambilla, Deputy Finance Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama,
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, and Mr Mahami
Salifu, Upper East Regional Minister.
Others were Mr George
Minyilla, Ghana's Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mohammed R. Alhassan, Ghana's
Ambassador to Germany, Mr Ben Bukari Salifu of the National Development
Planning Commission and District Chief Executives from the three Northern
regions.
The NDC was
represented by Mr E.T. Mensah, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Donald
Adabre, former Brong Ahafo Region Minister, Alhaji Abubakari Hudu Patience,
Regional Chairman of NDC and Mr Baba Kamara, Deputy Treasurer of the Party.
The NDC delegation
made a donation of 2 million cedis to the bereaved family, while the NPP
donated 5 million cedis. The Council of State gave one million cedis and two
crates of soft drinks as its donation.
Born in Bawku in
1930, the late Imoro Salifu began life as a teacher before going into politics
in the 1950s. He died on 17 October this year, after a short illness. He left
behind four wives and 17 children.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday called on the
National Population Council (NPC) to increase awareness on Family Planning to
bring the needed impact on Ghana's population.
He said the country's
population growth rate of about three per cent was still high and the Council
had a duty to make life better for the individuals and the nation to correct
the, not so impressive image about the population.
President Kufuor made
the call when he administered the oaths of office and secrecy to five new
members of the 27-member Council at the Castle, Osu.
They were Daasebre,
Dr. Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Professor Yaw Adu
Gyamfi, a medical practitioner, Nana Abankwa Ababio II, representative of the
National Association of Farmers and Fishermen, Mr Kofi Adu, representative of
the NGO's and Mrs. Theodora Daaku, representative of the Ghana Chapter of the
Federation of African Women Entrepreneurs (FAWE),
President Kufuor said
although the Ministry for Women and Children's Affairs had been established,
women continued to suffer from many unwanted deaths, therefore, there was the
need to educate the women to control their lives and not to have children when
they were not ready.
"Women should
plan as mothers. We want to help but the Council should assume full
responsibility to make all Ghanaians aware of the necessity to plan their lives
and family". He added.
Daasebre Oti Boateng
said the Council was aware of the enormity of the problems associated with the
population and the challenges that come with it. He said development began with
people and ended with people and therefore, population issues were at the
centre of development.
Daasebre Oti Boateng
pledged that the Council would work diligently and assiduously as a group to
put their expertise at the disposal of the country on the enormous population
issues, adding, "The Council would make informed decisions in a
significant way to make the necessary impact on the people".
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Vote according to your conscience- Rawlings
Koforidua (Eastern
Region) 12 December 2002- The founding father of the National
Democratic Congress
(NDC), Former President John Jerry Rawlings, has advised delegates to the 21
December congress of the party to vote according to their conscience and the
dictates and not to allow financial rewards to decide their votes.
He said as a party,
there was the need for it to protect its assets and that the country had
reached a stage where it needs fearless and courageous people to lead the
country.
Mr Rawlings was
speaking at a meeting with delegates from 26 constituencies in the Eastern
Region at Koforidua on Wednesday.
He observed that the
New Patriotic Party (NPP) could not cause any damage to the NDC, adding that
rather, it was the internal contradictions of the party that could cause major
damage to it.
Mr Rawlings
maintained he would not observe things going wrong in the party and sit down
and watch only to be blamed later for inaction and warned that if they do not
listen, then they should not blame him in future when things go wrong.
According to him,
"NPP told the people of Ghana lies to win the elections, used their press
manipulations to impose people on us and now want to use same lies again to
decide for us who our Presidential Candidate should be. We cannot sit down for
a third lie".
Alhaji Huudu Yahaya,
National Vice-Chairman of the party said the December Congress of the party is
very crucial and would decide if the party could take its rightful place in the
country's politics and give hope and freedom to the ordinary people.
He said the decision
of the congress would decide whether the ruling NPP would stay in power for
another term. Ms Frances Asiam, National Women Organiser of the party said
contrary to an earlier agreement that members of the national executive would
not openly campaign for any of the presidential aspirants, it has become clear
that funds that should have come to the party was being channelled into the
campaign of only one aspirant.
She said this had
made some of them to also openly come out to campaign in their individual
capacity for the candidate of their choice. Dr Ben Kumbour, Member of
Parliament for Lawra/Nandom, said delegates would be under no obligation to
declare their status in the party and the candidate they support to officials
of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI).
He said the party
intercepted intelligence reports indicating that personnel of the BNI were
going round some regions to force some members of the party to declare if they
were delegates to the congress or not.
Dr Kumbour said the
NDC is a legitimate party in the country and all its activities conform to the
laws of the country and therefore does not need the assistance of the BNI to
conduct its activities.
Earlier in a
welcoming address, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Fred
Ohene-Kena said the youth and the rank and file of the party were all routing
for Professor Atta Mills to be the presidential candidate of the party and
therefore, urged the delegates from the region to vote for him to fulfil the
aspirations of the party.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- The Ivorian Prime Minister, Mr Pascal Affi N'guessan on
Wednesday delivered a special message from Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to
President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.
Contents of the
message believed to center on the current situation in La Cote D'Ivoire were
not disclosed. Mr N'guessan said "this is a special message on the
situation in La Cote D'Ivoire from your friend President Laurent Gbagbo to
you". President Kufuor said, "I am happy to receive the
message".
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday, called on members
of the Ghana Refugee Council to uphold the security and safety of the society
when dealing with refugees who enter the country.
He said they should
ensure that people with questionable characters were not allowed into the
country to create problems. President Kufuor made the call when he administered
the oaths of office and secrecy to two new members of the Council at the
Castle, Osu.
They were Mrs
Veronica Ankomah-Tutu, an administrator and Mr Ebenezer Appreku, acting
Director of the Legal and Consular Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the refugee camp at Budumburam in the Central Region with an initial
population of 4,000 had now increased to 30,000 and the problems being
encountered with their presence should be the focus of the council and come out
with measures to deal with them.
Mr Appreku said they
would assist the Council to carry out its responsibilities in line with Ghana's
International response on treatment and status of refugees. This he said would
be in line with government's policy of good neighbourliness.
Other members of the
Council, who were sworn into office on 27 November are Mr K.O. Ansu-Gyeabourh,
Deputy Director (Operations) of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Brigadier
Joseph Osei (RTD) of NADMO and Mr P.K. Forkuoh of the Bureau of National
Investigations (BNI).
The rest are Mr M.A.
Bawumia of the Ministry of the Interior, Mrs Ama Bamful, a Chief State Attorney
and Miss Cecilia Erzuah of the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment.
Mr Ninii Akiwumi, a lawyer and a retired Senior Officer of the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is the Chairman of the Council.
GRi.../
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Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) would
present Ghana's next vision of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to the President
next week.
The vision document,
which sought to achieve a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita income of
1000 US dollars by 2010, has laid down the foundational strategies for
accelerated growth.
The 1992 constitution
requires every new government to present a coordinated programme of economic
and social development policies within the first two years in office to
parliament.
This means that the
current government has only 26 days for this exercise. Dr. Paa Kwesi Ndoum,
Chairman of the NDPC made this known on Wednesday at a day's workshop for
registered political parties in the country as part of the national consensus
building process to fashion out the vision.
Representatives of
all political parties with the exception of the United Ghana Movement (UGM) and
the National Reform Party (NRP) attended the workshop, which began with a video
clip on the regional consultations for their inputs into the vision.
Dr Ndoum gave an
overview of the drafted document and said the thrust was to see it as a task
for all and not just for the government in power. He said analysis of previous
development plans have indicated that Ghana missed all the important targets
because of lack of linkage between the plan and the budget put in place for
their implementation.
Besides, he said,
there was lack of funding to implement the plans vis-ŕ-vis the huge consistent
debt burden of the country which constraints the good intention of the visions.
Dr Ndoum explained that what government has done was a critical study of all
the development plans from 1951 to the present Vision 2020 from which it has
taken the good parts.
"We cannot come
out with a different vision because almost all have a common objective of
bringing prosperity to the nations, hence a revised version of past plans is
what we have produced with specific targets," he added.
Dr. Ndoum who is also
the Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration said Ghana needed a
vision that would be enduring to afford the opportunity for implementation.
Dr. Baffuor
Agyeman-Duah, Executive Secretary of the Centre for Democratic Development
(CDD) who chaired the workshop commended the representatives of the political
parties for the demonstration of a national consensus in the process.
He said building a
national consensus was very crucial for our development objective efforts
saying "what is needed is to put all party affiliations aside and
contribute dispassionately to the vision being pursued for the good of
all."
"The new vision
is not substantially different from that of the previous government, besides
let us know that in the sub region Ghana seems to be agreeing much more on the
essentials of democratic principles." He noted.
GRi.../
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From Beatrice Akua
Asamani, GNA Correspondent, Marrakech
Accra (Greater Accra)
12 December 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama has arrived in the Moroccan City
of Marrakech on Tuesday night to participate in the Fourth Global Forum on
Re-inventing Governance.
More than 100
delegates, including high level politicians, private sector operators and
representatives from civil society are attending the forum, which seeks to
achieve partnerships and dialogue that can identify common values and concrete
initiatives to facilitate governance, democracy and development.
The Vice President,
who would represent Africa at the closing ceremony on Friday, was accompanied
by Deputy Foreign Minister Mustapha Ali Idriss and other government officials.
Participants, who are
from both the developed and the developing worlds, would consequently share
their experiences to inspire strategies that would strengthen public policies
towards partnerships.
The strategies would
emphasise transparency, information sharing and inclusion of citizens, civil
society and private sector in the design and implementation of policies.
Participants would
also seek to redefine the role of the State and its regulatory framework, with
the objective of fostering healthy competition and sustainable growth through
the improvement of regulatory mechanisms and support of decentralisation.
They would also
evolve strategies for reconciling local cultures and universal values in
furtherance of the quest for a process of globalization that is
development-oriented, just, equitable, inclusive and non-discriminatory.
The promotion of
local and regional partnerships for economic development would also be
addressed.
"Citizens,
Businesses and Governments: Dialogue and Partnerships for Promotion of
Democracy and Development," is the theme for the three-day event,
organised by King Mohammed VI of Morocco with support from the United Nations
and the World Bank.
Through workshops
under various sub-themes, the participants the participants would examine
challenges to good governance and democracy that confront both the developed
and developing countries.
Problems identified
include economic and social consequences of uneven worldwide demographic
trends; unequal development and the spread of poverty and exclusion; the
widening technological and economic gaps between nations; the political
instability and the protraction of armed conflicts.
Other problems are
environmental; massive legal and illegal immigration waves and the rising tide
of urban criminality and violence. At the end of the Forum, it is expected that
partnerships that would be developed and the recommendations made would
encourage nations and international institutions to adapt better to rapid
global changes for good governance, stable democracies and development.
The First Global
Forum on Governance was initiated by the United States Government in 1999 and
was held in Washington. Brazil hosted the second one in 2000, while the
Government of Italy hosted the 2001 event.
GRi.../
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