Ministry
to plan for future estate development
Former
'Times' editor gets top job in Ministry of Communications
Government
asked to regulate land sales
Zongo
communities would not be sent away when NPP wins-Kufuor
Relatives
of victims demand compensation
Queenmother
asked to nominate new chief
Ministry to plan for future estate development
Accra (Greater Accra), 29 February 2000
Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah, Minister of Works and
Housing, on Monday said utility services would be provided in areas earmarked
for future estate development.
This is to
ensure that no group of people or area in the country is under-served or
deprived of the provision of water and sanitation services.
Mr
Adjei-Mensah was addressing concerns expressed at the first meeting of members
of the Water Utilities Partnership (WUP) Project Five Working Group in Accra,
on the inability of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to extend its
services to newly developed estates and peri-urban areas in the city.
The meeting
was a follow-up to the launch of WUP, Ghana, a Union of Africa Water Suppliers
initiative supported by the International Training Network Centres and the
World Bank, and is aimed at increasing coverage of water supply and sanitation
service.
It is also
aimed at improving the quality of service through increased investment and
reform of utilities and recognises the need to form linkages between the
private sector and the government where the latter is unable to meet demands of
the people.
WUP, Ghana
Working Group, under its terms of reference undertook four case studies of some
peri-urban communities in Accra and identified, among other things, the need
for the government to extend water and sanitation services that would take care
of their future development.
Mr
Adjei-Mensah said the government's inability to extend services to some areas
is due to the expansion of the city's boundaries to include areas such as
Kasoa, which is under the jurisdiction of the Central Region.
He said
that in their attempt to solve the problem, members of the working group should
be careful in demarcating areas, which fall under low-income peri-urban
communities.
This is
because an area like Kasoa has residents, who can afford to pay for their
services unlike an area such as Nima, which is in the centre of Accra but
accommodates low-income dwellers.
Members of
the working group are made up of tanker owners, water vendors, community water
and sanitation NGOs, resident associations and the Training
Research
Network for Development (TREND) Group, a Kumasi-based NGO.
Mr Adjei-Mensah
lauded the aims of WUP and said the government is seeking investors to join the
GWCL in efforts to expand its service and increase distribution to the cities
and peri-urban areas.
He said the
government is aware of the gap between supply and demand in the
urban water
delivery system due to population growth in major cities such as Tema, Kumasi,
Takoradi, Tamale and Koforidua.
The
Minister said the expansion programme of the Accra-Tema urban water system is
far advanced.
"Sooner
or later work will begin with a partner for a similar programme to ameliorate
the present water shortage in areas like Madina, Adenta Down, Ashongman and
Taifa."
Dr Kodjo
Mensah Abrampa, a consultant with TREND, the company which undertook the case
study, said specific activities for the Working Group, includes identifying
stakeholders connected with water supply, their needs, roles, and the
under-served urban areas.
They would
also identify existing water and sanitation facilities, including the KVIP
system, determine the minimum standard service for water and come out with a
document for study by the Sector Ministry, Parliament and Cabinet.
He said
future strategies would be looked at on the basis of enhancing institutional
management, increasing community participation and improving access to services
vis-à-vis finance and recovery.
The WUP
programme would be replicated in other cities if it proves successful.
GRi
Former 'Times' edito gets top job in Ministry of Communications
Accra (Greater Accra), 28 February 2000
The government has appointed Mr Christian
Aggrey, Editorial Consultant of the New Times Corporation and former Editor of
Ghanaian Times, as a Technical Adviser on the Media in the Ministry of
Communications with immediate effect.
A statement signed by Mrs Rebecca Adotey,
Deputy Minister of Communications, in Accra on Monday said the position is
equivalent to that of a Director in the Ministry.
"His main function will be to closely
monitor the performance of the media from the point of view of the Ministry and
advise on measures for improving same."
It said the position which is temporary,
two years in the first instance, is designed as part of the institutional
capacity building of the Ministry.
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Government asked to regulate land sales
Kumasi (Ashanti), 28 February 2000
A concerned citizen has expressed serious
disappointment about the fast rate at which chiefs were selling large tracts of
land mainly for the construction of residential houses to the neglect of
farming and other agricultural ventures.
Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, Chairman of the
Concerned Citizens Association of Kumasi, explained that what was more
disturbing is the fact that the developers resort to the construction of
bungalows with large walled compounds, thereby wasting the land.
He made the observation when he addressed
members of the Atonsu Liberty Club at a forum at Atonsu, in Kumasi on Sunday.
If land-use policies were not immediately
enforced by the government agriculture would suffer and the dream of the nation
attaining food security in the future would become an illusion.
Odeneho Appiah said the situation might
even compel the country to rely heavily on the importation of food because land
that would be needed for cultivation and establishment of farms would then have
been occupied by concrete and block structures only.
The youth in the country should not look
on unconcerned while all lands are sold out for putting up concrete dwelling
houses only since it is they, that would suffer most in the future.
Odeneho Appiah urged them not to leave
the problem only to the government to resolve but also use the unit committees
to dialogue with the chiefs and people, who acquire plots of lands to use the
land judiciously.
Chiefs should reserve some parcels of
land for companies and citizens willing to invest in agricultural ventures.
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Zongo communities would not be sent away when NPP wins-Kufuor
Cape Coast (Central Region), 28
February 2000
Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, Presidential
candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reiterated that people living in
Zongo communities would not be driven away when "the NPP wins this year's
elections".
He said NPP
has friends and relatives among the Zongo communities who are very helpful to
the party and that it would be very difficult for them to win any elections
without the support of the Zongo people.
Mr Kufuor was inaugurating a 17 member executive of
the 'NASARA'' club at Cape Coast on Sunday.
"NASARA"
club is a campaign wing of the NPP within Zongo communities in the country
tasked with educating the Zongo communities on the plans, programmes and
policies of the NPP.
Mr Kufour
assured them that if the party wins the elections we will show you that the NPP
is the best government ever known to Zongo communities, adding that it would
care for their needs and problems.
He asked
them to get people in the villages to join the party, stressing that "the
party is making plans to win massively in the Volta region which is regarded as
the 'World Bank' of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)".
Mr Kufuor
said in the past 19 years, the NDC government has not done anything significant
for the Zongo communities, adding that the economy of the country is still
suffering due to bad leadership, and poor management of resources.
He stressed
that if NPP wins the elections it is going to develop the country faster
particularly in the Zongo communities than what the NDC government has done in
19 years.
Mr Kufour
said the party would always stand for the truth, noting that the NDC government
does not stand for the truth "that is why the country is still burdened
with debt, poverty and poor economic conditions."
Mr J.H. Mensah, Minority Chief Whip in
Parliament, asked them to vote Mr Kufuor into power for new ideas and
development since Mills is not known in the politics of Ghana and is likely to follow the bad policies and
programmes of President Rawlings.
On the
presidential jet, he said it was a misplaced priority and the money used for
the jet could have been used in taking care of teachers some of whom are now on
strike.
He donated
one million cedis to support Ms Christine Churcher, Member of Parliament for
Cape Coast to undertake her development projects since the Cape Coast Municipal Assembly is not releasing her share of the MPs funds.
Mr Malik
Yacobu, Member of Parliament for Yendi, said the NDC government had failed
Ghanaians particularly the Zongo communities "which have not seen any
significant development since the 19 years rule of Rawlings."
Most of the
country's hospitals, schools, water and agriculture are in a bad state and the NDC
government is not making any efforts to address the situation.
He asked
them to vote for a government that would make their lives manageable, adding
that ''NASARA'' has come to change the perception of the Zongo people.
Ms Churcher said she would continue to fight
for her rights even though the Mnicipal Chief Executive and other NDC members
"are trying to frustrate her effort in the development of the area".
She called
for their support and asked that they do everything possible to enable her to
maintain the Cape Coast seat.
The club
has Mahmondu Yahaya Kamata as chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Mama Namiel, Alhaji
Mohammed Braimah and Mma Asibi as first, second and third vice chairpersons
respectively.
Mr Semaila
Kabore, Madam Hawa Bawa and Shahaban Mohammed were also sworn in as secretary,
treasurer and organising secretary respectively.
Eight NPP
parliamentarians were present.
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Sunyani
(Brong Ahafo) 29 Feb 2000
Mr Dan
Botwe, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said the NPP is committed to conducting a fair and decent campaign in the run-up to
the December elections despite its over-riding determination to win power.
"Much
as we are determined to leave no stone unturned in our bid to wrestle power
this year, our campaigns will be devoid of foul play, insults and violence and
we hope other parties will do the same to help consolidate our fledgling democracy."
Mr Botwe
was speaking to newsmen at Sunyani on Sunday at the end of a two-day training
of trainers seminar for 52 polling agents of the party drawn from the Ashanti
and Brong Ahafo Regions.
He
condemned the blatant use of state resources by the present government for
party activities and hoped that the code of conduct being drawn up by the
Inter-Party Advisory Committee and the Electoral Commission would check this
canker.
Mr Botwe
expressed concern about the Electoral Commission's ambivalence over whether
people who have their names on the Voter's Register but have lost their photo
identity cards would be allowed to vote.
Mr Botwe
said the NPP would insist that a person's right to vote is upheld on condition
that he has both his identity card and his name on the Voter's Register
"since this is the only way to prevent multiple voting."
Major
Quarshigah, the National Organiser, said the essence of the training programme
"is to sharpen the monitoring skills of its polling agents to enable them
to prevent any electoral fraud that might be carried out by any party.
"Our
aim is to make sure that this year's general elections are not rigged by making
sure that the over 100,000 agents that we are going to recruit and train have
the means and knowledge to halt any electoral cheating."
Major
Quarshigah urged the media and the electorate not rpt not to allow politicians
who make fantastic promises get away with their lies but should question such
politicians on how they intend to deliver on their promises.
Mr Paul Okoh and Mr Yaw Asiedu-Mensah, Parliamentary candidates for Asutifi North
and Dormaa West, who participated in the training, attested to its usefulness,
saying that "it has given us the skills to prevent any rigging
attempts."
GRi../
Tema
(Greater Accra) 29 Feb. 2000
Relatives
of two persons, who were shot dead by the Police and Military on the eve of
last Christmas at Tema, on Monday appealed to the Minister of the Interior to
pay full compensation to their families.
The two
families are demanding the compensation on the bases that the victims, Mr Henry
Kwame Aboagye Asiedu, 64, and Mr John Benjamin Annobil Jnr, 34, were
responsible self-employed family men, who were not armed robbers as labelled by
the Police.
Nana Komeh
II, Guantuahene of Mankesim, who is the father of the late Annobil and Nii Ako
Adjei Sowah, a nephew of the late Asiedu made the appeal in the company of
about 20 other relatives at a press conference.
The two
victims were shot when the driver of the taxi, in which they were travelling
from Community One to Nine refused to stop when signalled by Police and
Military personnel on night patrol duties.
The
relations also demanded that the perpetrators of the crime should be brought to
book since the way and manner in which their relatives were killed could happen
to anybody.
Nana Komeh
called on the Minister to consider the fact that at the time of the incident
the Police and the Military were not using a Military or Police vehicle but a
Nissan Urvan bus belonging to the Tema Municipal Assembly.
He said the
taxi driver's assumption that the Police and Military were rather armed
robbers, who might have seized the TMA bus and, therefore, failed to stop was a
reasonable decision.
Nana Komeh
said his son was a technician, who used to install intercom phones and was
living with his wife and four children at Community Eight. On the day of the incident, the late
Annobil attended a meeting of the Mankesim Youth Association and was returning
home, when he was shot in the taxi.
The late Mr
Asiedu, also a technician, lives at Community Nine whiles his wife and six
children live at Winneba.
Nii Sowah
said Mr Asiedu was returning home from Community One when the incident
occurred.
On a
hack-saw and cutlass found in the taxi, which the Police tried to portray as
some of the implements for robbery, Nii Sowah said no passenger would ask a
driver to inspect his car boot before boarding it and this cannot be used as
any evidence against the victims.
A bunch of
keys found in the car were tested by the police and found to be the keys to the
room of the late Mr Asiedu.
The Police
on the day of the incident said it mounted a snap check near the Bank for
Housing and Construction when it received information that armed robbers in a
taxi painted red and yellow were harassing residents at Community One.
When the
taxi, which was also red and yellow approached the check-point, the driver
refused to stop compelling the Police and the Military to shoot at the tyres.
In the
process occupants of the car were killed by stray bullets. The Police described
the incident as unfortunate.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 29 Feb. 2000
Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has directed Nana Afua Sarpong, Queenmother of
Akwaboa, to nominate a new person to be enstooled as chief of Akwaboa.
This follows the rejection of an apology,
which Nana Osei Bonsu, Paramount Chief of Akwaboa, passed through Barima
Asumadu Sakyi II, Kumawuhene to the Asantehene and Asanteman to pardon him for
offending the Golden Stool.
Nana Bonsu, who was facing destoolment
charges by three of his kingmakers for being enstooled uncustomarily, has also
been accused of condoning with a self-styled chief at Mim in Brong-Ahafo to
collect monies belonging to the stool at Sunyani.
Ruling on his behaviour, the Asantehene
said the apology, which the three kingmakers have refused to accept still
stands and that the Queenmother should nominate among the royals a new person
to be presented to him to swear the oath of allegiance.
The Asantehene observed that Nana Bonsu
was not properly enstooled and to this end, the property of the stool has not
been customarily handed over to him.
He said "if the base is not well
prepared, the top cannot hold", stressing that if the late Otumfuo Opoku
Ware II had been told the truth, he would not have allowed him to swear the
oath of allegiance.
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Kumasi (Ashanti) 29 Feb. 2000
Mrs
Ernestina Naadu-Mills, wife of Vice President Professor John Evans Atta Mills,
on Monday said women empowerment is not a programme to make women superior to
men but aimed at bringing them abreast with men to strike a balance in the
roles they play in society.
She was
speaking at the third annual celebration of the Women's Commission of the
Kumasi Polytechnic, under the theme "The academic empowerment of the
polytechnic woman towards Ghana's Vision 2020" in Kumasi.
Mrs Naadu-Mills said Ghana's Vision 2020
seeks to move the country to a middle income status and to achieve this there
must be a growth rate of at least eight per cent per annum compared to the
present rate of four to five per cent.
There must also be a reduction of the
present population growth rate from three to two per cent per annum that would
allow the per capita income to rise more than four times the 1993 level.
It is crucial to empower women, who form
more than half of the population, most of whom live in the rural areas, to be
better educated and more productive.
Mrs Naadu-Mills said, to ensure the
overall development of women, therefore, the government has evolved a
comprehensive programme called the Affirmative Action.
As a follow up to the ratification of the
United Nation's Convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination
against women, the Government participated fully in the fourth World Convention
in Beijing, China.
The Government also appointed an officer
to be responsible for women's affairs by liaising with the National Commission
on Women and Development (NCWD) to see to the implementation of the Affirmative
Action.
In addition, she said, the government has
set itself a target of 40 per cent
representation
of women on all government and public boards, commissions,
councils
and committees including the Cabinet and the Council of State.
Mrs Naadu-Mills, an educator, noted that the
Affirmative Action also means the removal of obstacles and unfair practices
against girls stemming from cultural and societal norms in a male-dominated
milieu.
This means that
women will have a fair chance than they have hitherto had to develop and prove
themselves.
She said the net effect of these measures
would not only be placing women in strategic places in all areas of endeavour
but also ensuring the mainstreaming of women's issues, thus avoiding the
hitherto sidelining of matters concerning women.
Mrs Naadu-Mills said this has been
beneficial in that, the awareness of women's issues, which the Beijing
Conference achieved, led to the high profiling of women organisations like
Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).
In turn, this led to the better
dissemination of quality information to women in all spheres of life leading to
more women asserting their rights.
"Women, and even children, are now
better informed about abuses like rape and defilement and this awareness led
undoubtedly to the creation of the Women and Juvenile Unit of the Police
Service", she added.
She observed that the current women's
awareness has led to protests and actions against inhuman practices like
archaic and dehumanising widowhood rites and physical abuse of house-helps.
Others are trokosi practice and wife
abuse.
Mrs Naadu-Mills, therefore, called on
students especially those in the tertiary institutions, to take advantage of
the opportunities offered and rise up to expectation.
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