GRi Newsreel 27 – 12 - 2002

Government urged to come out with code for dressing

Twenty-eight births in Kumasi on Christmas Day

Golden Tulip grants paternal leave to its employees

NDC should provide credible leadership

Daughter of Tafohene dies

Ghana Railway to demolish unauthorised buildings

Assembly to be bring down noise level

175,540 children immunized in Shama-Ahanta East

Farmers urged to treat cassava products wholesome

Government to assist women - Minister

 

 

Government urged to come out with code for dressing

 

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 27 December 2002 - An appeal has been made to the government to come out with a code for dressing to salvage the country from indecent dresses.

 

Opoku-Agyemang Prempeh, Executive President of the Centre for Moral Education (CEMED), observed that the absence of such a code in the country had contributed immensely to the youth wearing "provocative and indecent dresses".

 

Prempeh was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi on Thursday on the dangers indecent dressing pose to the Ghanaian culture and steps the government and individuals could take to check the negative trend.

 

He made it clear that adherence to the wearing of miniskirts, transparent tight dresses, as well as mini pairs of trousers especially among teenage girls, "is immoral, unacceptable and a serious threat to our cultural values and practices".

 

He attributed part of the blame for the proliferation of such foreign lifestyles to the media, most of whom he accused of taking delight only in promoting programmes, music as well as films, which are, profane on the airwaves.

 

Prempeh acknowledged that even though media houses required revenue for their survival, this should not be used as a basis to accept to air and screen all manner of films and music on the airwaves.

 

He advised that notwithstanding the amount or their lust for funds, media houses should strive to screen adverts, programmes, films and musical works with the view to eliminating those that might result in the corruption of morals of the people and using only decent ones on the screens and airwaves.

 

Prempeh told artists to be guided by the country's values, culture and norms when composing their songs and making films to enable such works import more positively on the physical and moral development of the youth.

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Twenty-eight births in Kumasi on Christmas Day

 

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 27 December 2002 - Twenty-eight babies were delivered in three government hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis on Christmas day. Twenty were delivered at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), six at Suntreso hospital and two at Manhyia polyclinic.

 

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at KATH, Evelyn Boateng, Matron at the Labour Ward and Diana Karikari, Midwifery Superintendent, said 16 deliveries were recorded at the labour ward.

 

The matron said they were made up of eight boys and eight girls adding that one of the mothers had twins who were both females. She said the first baby who was a boy was delivered at 12.55 am by Janet Agyeman from Asuofua in the Atwima District and the baby’s weight was 3.5 kilos.

 

Two teenagers of ages 17 and 19 delivered successfully. Mrs Boateng pointed out that all the mothers and their babies were doing well, adding that some of them had been discharged with others still at the labour ward.

 

Miss Karikari said three males and a female were delivered at the official ward of KATH. At the Suntreso Hospital, Margaret Bawuah, a Midwifery Superintendent said both the mothers and their babies were safe and sound. At the Manhyia polyclinic, Theresa Sarfo, Nursing Sister, said the two babies born there were males and both mothers and their babies were doing well.

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Golden Tulip grants paternal leave to its employees

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 27 December 2002 - Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra has become the pacesetters in formalising the granting of paternal leave for its male employees. The hotel has also introduced a comprehensive scholarship for wards of employees.

 

The scholarship facility enables beneficiaries to benefit fully at the Junior Secondary, Senior Secondary (JSS) and the university levels. According to the 'Tulip News', the house journal of the hotel, Kodjo Hazel, Personnel and Training Manager of the Golden Tulip said these two novelties in the Collective Agreement establishes the basis for a social partnership between management and the workforce and goes beyond the traditional concerns of the unions.

 

Hazel stated in the Tupil News that the paternal leave was first introduced into the company's Collective Agreement in 1998 with the granting of two days to male employees to enable them to support their wives soon after they had given birth. This he said has been increased to five days.

 

Hazel explained that the leave was introduced for employees to appreciate their wives because the perception of the hotel's management is that a "real Golden Tulip man" should not just be interested in money into his pocket and giving chop moneys but must, equally be interested in spending time with the wife.

 

On the scholarship scheme the personnel manager explained that a committee of both management and Union would vet applications for the facility. He said the committee would not be "very hard on applicants because the basic idea is to encourage wards of employees to go to school".

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NDC should provide credible leadership

 

Ashaiman (Greater Accra) 27 December 2002 - The Ashaiman Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Wednesday cautioned the flagbearer of the party, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, to avoid giving promises that could create problems when NDC wins power in 2004.

 

"This is because Ghanaians have grown past the period when big talks by politicians at rallies did the trick for them to win votes to come to political power, only to disappoint them later because they could not deliver on their promises."

 

Alhaji Issifu Akakade, Ashaiman Constituency Chairman of the NDC, who was speaking at a get together to congratulate the delegates who attended the NDC congress for helping to choose the flagbearer and to plan the way forward said, NPP gestures on promises during the 2000 elections campaign should be a guide to NDC about vain promises, adding that they do not help in the present day political dispensation.

 

He congratulated Dr Kwesi Botchwey for showing maturity when he accepted defeat, and said this is the time his promise to team up with the flagbearer for the NDC to win a resounding victory in 2004 elections would be put to test.

 

Alhaji Akakade called on the members of the executive to go all out to continue the mobilisation of members for the party so that it can take back the constituency, which he said, was loaned to NPP by default.

 

"The present government misrule has brought a lot of hardships to the people, because apart from their failure to fulfil their numerous campaign promises and their indulgence of selective justice, Ghanaians have realised that the forward match for the country is bleak, therefore, there should be a change after 2004,instead of continuity which was once NDC slogan," he said.

 

Alhaji Akakade stressed that Ghanaians are yearning for NDC to come back to provide credible leadership, and since the constituency delegates joined others to select an acceptable one that enjoys the confidence of the party, adding "we need to assist him by working hard for him to win the next elections, to transform Ghana." He said the party would start its campaign by launching the new NDC membership card and appealed to the members to make the exercise a success.

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Daughter of Tafohene dies

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 27 December 2002- The death is announced at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, of Mrs Hannah Poku (nee Akosua Yeboah). She was 90. A statement in Accra on Thursday said she was until her death one of the longest-surviving daughters of the late Nana Yaw Dabankah, Tafohene and Benkumhene of the Kumasi Traditional Area.

 

She was the mother of Mr Sam Poku, Chief Executive of the West Africa Business Association and former Executive Director of the Ghana Chamber of Mines. The statement said funeral arrangements would be announced later.

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Ghana Railway to demolish unauthorised buildings

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 27 December 2002- The Ghana Railway Company Ltd. (GRC) on Thursday said all licences for their lands have been revoked with immediate effect and it will embark on an exercise soon to demolish all unauthorised buildings and structures on these lands.

 

A statement signed in Accra by Mr D.K. Ablerdu, Area Manager of GRC, said all those who have been should start removing their kiosks and containers on all GRC land to avoid any embarrassment.  

 

It said despite numerous warnings and notices in the media, squatters and trespassers are adamant and are putting up kiosks and buildings indiscriminately and "making the whole place unsightly and environmentally unfriendly".

 

"All squatters and trespassers, whether they are sitting on licence or otherwise are to note that licences have been revoked with immediate effect and are no longer applicable. A special exercise will be carried out soonest to demolish all unauthorised buildings and structures," it warned.

 

The GRC asked for assistance from the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in the exercise, adding that the armed forces and police task force would also be asked to assist in due course. "Management considers this exercise very serious and will go all out to see to its successful implementation," the statement said.

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Assembly to be bring down noise level

 

Sekondi (Western Region) 27December 2002- Mr Seth Ekremen, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, on Thursday said the metropolitan assembly is going to take steps to control excessive noise making in the area.

 

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sekondi on Thursday, he said the level of noisemaking in some parts of the metropolis was above the standards approved by the assembly's byelaw.

 

Mr Ekrement said the assembly has already started an educational programme to create awareness about the problem and its implications on the health of the people. According to him this has gone down well with a section of the people but others seem to be adamant.

 

Mr Ekrement said if the programme fails to make the intended impact, the assembly's byelaw on noise making would be strictly applied and those who flout the byelaw would be prosecuted.

 

He said permits must be sought from the assembly for social functions that would generate noise and would go on beyond 10 p.m.

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175,540 children immunized in Shama-Ahanta East

 

Sekondi (Western Region) 27 December 2002-Some 175,540 children were immunized in the just ended measles immunization exercise in the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolis.

 

Dr Linda Van-Otoo, the Metropolitan Director of Health Services, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sekondi on Tuesday.

 

She said the figure is six percent higher than the target of 165,132 children set for the exercise, which took place from 9 to 15 December this year.

 

Dr Van-Otoo said the success of the immunization exercise was due to the fact that schools were in session during the period, hardwork of volunteers and health personnel as well as proper planning.

 

She appealed to communities to keep the environment clean to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases. Dr Van-Otoo said clean environment would also help in the fight against malaria.

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Farmers urged to treat cassava products wholesome

 

Saamang (Eastern Region) 27 December 2002- Farmers have been called upon to treat cassava products in a hygienic manner to prevent them from contamination. The Eastern Region Women in Agriculture Development Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Mrs Emelia Nortey, made the call at a day's workshop on the processing and storage of roots and tubers crops for 40 women farmers at Saamang in the Fanteakwa District.

 

The workshop was organised by MOFA to sensitise the farmers on the need to process and preserve cassava products so as to add value to them for marketing. Mrs Nortey deplored the manner "Kokonte" and other cassava products have been dried on bare floor and along the roads thereby exposing them to dust and animal droppings.

 

She said such practice made the products unhygienic and harmful to human consumption. She also asked farmers to wash cassava products well before drying them for preservation.

 

The Fanteakwa District Director of MOFA, Mr Godwin Ocloo, was optimistic the workshop would assist farmers to boost cassava production and improve on storage facilities in the district. Mr Ocloo asked the participants to put the skills acquired at the workshop to proper use to encourage more farmers in the district to go into cassava production in a more hygienic manner

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Government to assist women - Minister

 

Takoradi (Western Region) 27 December 2002- The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, has stressed the need for women to develop their socio-economic potentials to enable them to play a significant role in the development of the country.

 

She made the call at a graduation ceremony of Western Region Ghacoe Women Ministry held at Takoradi on Friday.

 

Madam Horner-Sam said skills training for women should be encouraged and given special attention to enable more women to participate in economic life.

 

The Deputy Minister stated that if women were able to learn a vocation, it would greatly reduce poverty among them. She said government is aware of the numerous problems women face in the area of employment.

 

Madam Horner-Sam said the NPP government is committed to improving the lot of women.  "Already government has initiated programmes including the establishment of women's development fund to assist women in income generating activities."

 

She said throughout the country, women have benefited from this facility adding that this would create more economic opportunities to help alleviate poverty among women and children.

 

Madam Horner-Sam commended the Ghacoe women ministry for taking up the challenge to compliment government efforts. Mrs Christiana Addy, Ghacoe Programmes Co-ordinator said the organisation is committed to renewing and changing the lives of women and their environment.

 

Mrs Addy said the organisation's training would help to instil moral and spiritual virtues in trainers to become reliable people with good moral standing for better nation building. She advised the 29 graduates not to wait until they get huge sum of money before they start business.

 

Mrs Addy appealed to the district assemblies to enhance and strengthen the private sectors role in Ghana's vision 2020. Mrs Theresa Mortey-Mensah, Deputy Western Regional Co-ordinator for NADMO advised the graduates to be creative and produce new products to enable them earn more income.

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