No automatic Permit renewals from next year -Immigration
Six police officers appear in court
Reconciliation Commission starts hearing in January
No automatic Permit renewals from next year -Immigration
Ms.
Elizabeth Adjei, Director of the GIS, said the service has embarked on an
exercise to register lawful immigrants who can show that they are in productive
business.
Speaking in
an interview to assess the performance of the service 100 days after her
appointment as the first woman and immigration recruit to assume the top most
job in the service she said "We are determined to be fair, firm and tough
to safeguard the economic and security well being of citizens. "
Ms Adjei
said the GIS would initiate measures to maximize the retention of foreign
investment and expertise to support the Golden Age of Business declared by the
President John Agyekum Kufuor.
"For
instance our interaction with foreign businesses reveals the shortage of
accounting personnel in this country, which is worrying. This information would
guide us in the determination of quotas for the recruitment of certified
accounting personnel for specific period," she noted.
The
immigration boss admitted that even the advanced economies, which are quick to
repatriate illegal immigrants, are always ready to welcome skilled and trained
professionals such as doctors and nurses to meet the skills requirement of the
respective countries.
Ms Adjei
said that a business facilitation desk is to be established by the service to
satisfy the business concerns of the business community with regards to
immigration. She said her administration was determined to eject a maximum
degree of professionalism into the immigration services to face the challenges
of globalization.
"
Ms Adjei
noted that the service has a role to play in ensuring the inflow of an
investment capital, skills and technology and at the same time deterrent of
unlawful entry by illegal immigrants and criminals.
The GIS,
she said, would deal decisively with foreigners who reside in the country
without proper legal status. "We do recognize the pact as regard to ECOWAS
citizens, but since
She said in
the aftermath of the terrorist attack in the United States immigration
enforcement has changed worldwide, adding that her outfit is in constant touch
with security agencies as to warnings and suspicions and this would be enhanced
with electronic equipment next year.
Ms Adjei
noted that in spite of the ambitions and set goals of the service, lack of
finance for its operations has contributed to it inability to achieve its
targets. "We need funds to equip officers to draw balance control and
service. They must be abreast with current information and equipments for
dealing with and processing sensitive information"
She has,
therefore, requested from the ministry of finance to withhold some of the funds
generated internally by the service, whose target for next year is about 50
billion cedis.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Six police officers appear in court
Their
appearance was after bills of indictment were served on them. They are Chief
Superintendent of Police Mr Korenteng Mintah, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Frank Awuah, ASP Faakyi Kumi, ASP B.B. Bakomora, ASP John
Naami and ASP Frank Aryee.
Prosecuting
Police Inspector Peter Benneh did not present the
facts of the case while Defence counsel represented
all the officers.
Counsel for
the officers prayed the court to grant them time to study summary of evidence,
statements and the Commission of Inquiry's report since their client were not
served with their bill of indictment early.
The
magistrate Mrs. Elizabeth Adusei obliged and
adjourned the case to
However,
they were recalled by the Administration a couple of weeks ago saying their continued
interdiction was no longer necessary since investigations had been completed.
The fans
died in a stampede when police fired tear gas into the stands to control people
from throwing plastic chairs and other objects onto the field of play. President
J A Kufuor set up the Commission to investigate the deaths, which are the worst
in
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Reconciliation Commission starts hearing in January
The date
was announced at a press briefing at the
The NRC has
concluded investigations into 69 of 2,737 complaints on human rights abuses
filed with it. The Commission on
It had
hoped to start the hearing before the end of the year, but was unable to do so
because the renovation of the Old Parliament House, where the Commission is to
sit permanently, is yet to be completed.
Asked
whether funding was a problem for the completion of the renovation work, Mr Amua-Sekyi responded that issues on the renovation were
"a direct matter for the Castle" rather than the Commission.
He said as
at
Mr Amua-Sekyi said the 2,737 petitions were "quite
reasonable", and the cases that were ready to be heard were more than the
69 into which investigations had been completed saying some of them were
corroborated by enough evidence and did not require any investigations.
He said 15
cases each would be heard in the first two weeks and the number might be
increased in the third week. He said the Commission was mandated not to try
perpetrators, but would document human rights violations in its report for
government to take the necessary actions.
In a
statement read by Dr Ken Agyeman Attafuah, the
Commission's Executive Secretary, the Commission expressed appreciation to
identifiable bodies that had co-operated with them in their work.
The
statement urged Ghanaians to focus on reconciliation and reconcile with one
another to enhance the peace. The NRC assured Ghanaians of their determination
to work hard to make the reconciliation process a reality.
Dr Sylvia Awo Mansa Boye,
Uborr Dalafu Labal II, Professors Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu
and Abena Dolphyne, Mr
Christian Appiagyei, Rt. Rev. Palmer Buckle, all
commissioners, and Ms Annie Anipa, Director of the NRC
Public Affairs Secretariat, were present at the briefing.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater
Accra) 20 December 2002- The Ministry of the Interior on Friday announced that
Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day), Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day) and
Wednesday 01 January (New Year's Day) are statutory public holidays and should
be observed as such throughout the country.
This was
contained in a statement signed by Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor,
Acting Minister of the Interior and Minister of Defence.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
A
statement from the Office of the Vice President said the topic for the essay is
"Indiscipline in the youth - The role of students in addressing it."
It said
the first phase of the competition would involve regions in the southern sector
- Central,
The
competition is open to all students in secondary schools and other second cycle
institutions from
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com