Customary rites for marriages should precede weddings
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 February 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday asked the donor community to develop a new paradigm of technical co-operation to meet current realities in recipient countries.
In a speech read on his behalf at the opening session of the Third Roundtable Conference on Technical Co-operation, the President said there was the urgent need to tailor technical co-operation to the demands of recipient countries, which were markedly different from the current regime of co-operation dating back several years.
President Kufuor said because technical co-operation programmes lacked national ownership and were donor-driven, it sometimes makes accountability on the part of recipients difficult.
About 60 participants are attending the two-day conference organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to examine the political steps necessary to ensure that international technical co-operation makes a lasting impact on indigenous capacities and helps to transform peoples' lives.
It is on the theme: "Reforming Technical co-operation for capacity Development." President Kufuor criticised the practice of attaching technical personnel to technical co-operation-supported projects in developing countries, saying this was making it difficult to retain nationally trained personnel.
"Due to poor conditions of service, even where governance situation has improved, the level of brain drain in our countries is on the increase." Besides, the President said, much more cost was incurred caring for one expatriate technical assistant personnel than it would otherwise have cost in engaging the services of many local experts.
"Even of greater concern is the fact that often times, for reasons ranging from lack of counterpart personnel and funds to poor institutional arrangement, very little capacity gets built and the cycle is repeated under another or the same donor funding," he said.
President Kufuor also questioned the setting up of special units for the delivery of donor assisted programmes with their own staff, arguing out that such moves invariably did not guarantee the sustainability of the programmes.
Mr Alfred Sallia Fawundu, Resident Representative of UNDP said capacity building held the key to development strengthening of national capacity needed to be at the forefront of national development efforts.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 February 2002 - Mr Dan Lartey, leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), on Monday condemned the "rampant" invitations by security personnel of perceived political opponents and enemies of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
"The modus operandi of the national security is similar to the GESTAPO tactics of Nazi Germany and cannot be accepted under the current democratic dispensation," he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.
Mr Lartey referred to the recent invitation to Mrs Naadu Mills, wife of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, former Vice President by operatives of the national security agency and called on civil society to condemn such actions irrespective of party affiliation.
The National Security Advisor, General Joshua Hamidu has apologised to Mrs Mills for the operation and said all personnel that took part in it had been suspended from duty pending thorough investigations.
General Hamidu also reminded all serving security personnel that their allegiance was to the state and warned that the government would not hesitate to punish those, who committed acts that were calculated to undermine its credibility.
Mr Lartey claimed that the security network of President John Agyekum Kufuor's Administration operated as though Ghana were a "Police State", which he said was not acceptable in any modern state and democracy.
He urged all political parties and civil society to prevail upon the government to dismantle the 'Political wing of the Police Force'. He said the intention of the operatives of the "Political Police Force" was to harass into submission and silence known critics and perceived enemies of the government.
The GCPP leader said the explanation of the security
agencies that they seized the four cars from the residence of Prof. Mills for
using security operational registration numbers limited to their operatives was
"a cover-up" after public outcry. The cars, a Toyota Land Cruiser,
two Toyota Corollas and one Ford Condor, have since been released to Prof.
Mills' family.
Mr Lartey said "a serious minded security network" should have known that the cars were part of the end-of-service benefit of the former Vice President and it should not have taken it more than one year to notice that those vehicles were using the wrong numbers.
"Those who keep quiet when their opponents are terrorised and harassed would not get anybody to cry for them when the scale turns on them." He recounted his recent invitation by the National Security Agents for questioning on Christmas Eve for hours after he called for early elections, saying the rationale and actual intention for the invitation had still not been made clear.
The GCPP leader contended that the nature of the invitation was a calculated attempt to intimidate him but said he would not succumb. "I am hard enough to stand against any political pressure within government or outside and will continue to air my opinion on national issues with more vigour."
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 February 2002 - Dr Sam Adjei, Acting Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, on Monday said a substantial amount of research confirming the important role of private sector participation in health care delivery had been shelved without any developed policies to carry out the findings.
He said involvement of the private sector in health care delivery would relieve the government from constraints and focus more on deprived areas in delivering quality health care.
Public health delivery had not received much attention from the government because most of the activities of the health sector were donor driven, which had made the role of private sector limited, he said.
Speaking in an interview, Dr Adjei said: "It is very sad to hear people say that private sector involvement would make cost of health care expensive. "It will rather ease government's burden to enable it to focus more on deprived areas and also reduce the burden of brain drain which has affected the health sector so much."
He said the Ministry of Health had identified partnership with other providers such as the private health practitioners, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including local government, as a major strategy towards achievement of health goals.
Dr Adjei, however, noted that policy makers were still unclear about the role of the private sector in health care development and how collaboration should be done. "Support from government for running and maintaining public services are still inadequate for their expansion and this is putting a lot of constraints on the public sector."
He mentioned lack of collaboration and co-ordination, poor communication and dissemination of findings among researchers, policy makers and other key stakeholders at all stages of the research processes as some of the problems hindering efficient health delivery.
Dr Adjei called on the government to give serious consideration to results of research on the health sector reform issues when policies were being formulated.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 February 2002 - The Ministry of Health has ordered an investigation into claims by a patient that the negligence of nurses during her attendance at ante-natal clinic at Osu Maternity Home made her lost her baby.
Madam Agnes Mensah, a resident of La in Accra, in a petition to President John Agyekum Kufuor with copy to the Ministry of Health, said she also nearly lost her life because of the negligence.
"The Ministry of Health has asked the Regional Health Administration and the Sub-Metro Health Administration to investigate the report," Mr Ken Anku, Public Relations Officer of the MOH, is reported by the Ghana News Agency as saying on Monday. He said the Committee was expected to submit its report on Friday.
In a letter to President Kufuor, Madam Mensah wrote, "it is my deepest regret to inform you about the unprofessional attitude and negligence of nurses of the Osu Maternity Home, which caused the death of my baby and the near loss of my life.
"Sir, after all the ups and downs of pregnancy, the irresponsibility, negligence and unprofessional nurses ... have made all my effort futile. I have lost my baby and I am also suffering from wounds of the operation. I can no longer work the way I used to....."
Giving the background, Madam Mensah said she reported to the clinic in her ninth month for a check-up and was told to return anytime she felt labour pains.
She said on December 29, 2001, she experienced some discharge and after examination at the clinic, some drugs were prescribe for her and told to report back anytime she felt pains.
"I did not feel pains but I was still discharging and the baby too was not kicking. I reported the following day. I met two nurses and then complained to one of them. She did not mind me and asked me to go home," Madam Mensah said.
She added that after a further follow-up at the clinic with various complaints including dizziness and swollen feet. She said a Good Samaritan finally rushed her to the Ridge Hospital.
"On reaching the Ridge Hospital, my blood pressure was high and the doctors realised my critical situation and had to operate on me immediately... Unfortunately, I was told later that I had lost my baby."
Madam Mensah is also seeking redress from the Attorney -General's Department and the Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice.
GNA went to the Osu Maternity Home to talk to the officials but both the medical assistant in charge of the clinic and the matron did not want to comment saying they were waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Health.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 February 2002 - Miss Hydeia Broadbent, a 17-year old African-American girl living with HIV/AIDS has arrived in Accra, to share her experience and sensitise Ghanaians on the disease.
Hydeia, an HIV/AIDS advocate has educated people living with the disease all over the world on how to lead normal life. The HIV/AIDS victim, who acquired disease at the age of five said she would organise workshops on the awareness and prevention of the disease. She advised the youth to abstain from sex and redirect their energy towards productive ventures to make them useful to the country.
Ms Christine Churcher, Minister for Basic and Girl-child Education, who was at the Airport to welcome her said the youth in Ghana have been monitoring her outreach programmes on Television talk shows and called on all and sundry to co-operate with Hydeia in her mission,
Also at the airport to welcome her were Mr. Budu Smith Acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Miss Universe, Miss Precious Asare. While in the country, Hydeia would call on President John Agyekum Kufuor and the U S Ambassador, visit parliament and attend a National Students durbar at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 February 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday handed over the keys to 50 Peugeot 306 saloon cars valued at about 692,500 dollars to the Ghana Police Service for patrol duties in the cities and on the highways at a brief ceremony at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
They are the first batch of about 500 different vehicles being provided by the government for the Police Service to improve on their operations.
President Kufuor, who after handing over the keys drove one of the cars, which were imported from Nigeria, said 350 more saloon cars of the same model and equipped with modern communication gadgets were expected in the country within the next few months.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Bolgatanga (Upper East) 12 February 2002 - The Food and Drug Board (FDB) at the weekend expressed concern at the high rate at which non-certified drugs were being advertised in the media.
Some of the drugs both orthodox and traditional herbal preparations are sub standard and in some cases fake and unsafe for human consumption, Kwamena Van Ess, Senior Officer of FDB told journalists in Bolgatanga.
The Board was set up to ensure consumer safety and enhance the health of the people; hence it had laid down certain requirements that should guide the production and distribution of safe food and drugs.
"No person or company shall advertise any product in Ghana, unless they obtain clearance and approval from the FDB and also register the product, "he stated. Other requirements of the Board are; " advertisement for all drugs shall preset information that is reasonably balanced between side effects and contraindications and effectiveness and safety.
"No advertisement for any drugs shall contain any false or misleading information, vague unsubstantiated statements or suggestions of superiority over competing drugs or that the advertised product is a panacea or even more effective or super than is immediately justified.
"No Media house shall carry any advertisement in the print or electronic Media unless prior approval has been granted by the Board. Mr Van Ess and Mr. P. K, Agyeman Duah, of the Kumasi Zonal Office of FOD, are visiting the Upper East Region to interact with bakers, chemical sellers and the public to sensitise them on the safety of their products.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 12 February 2002 - An appeal has been made to ministers of religion to always insist that couples intending to bless their marriages at the altar should first perform the customary marriage rites.
Reverend Joseph K. Gyimah, Founder and Leader of the True Light of Christ Church, said performing customary marriage rites or paying dowries formed the foundation of all manner of marriages and cannot, therefore, be ignored.
Rev Gyimah made the appeal at a forum for fellowships and youth groups of the True Light of Christ Church at Abrepo in Kumasi at the weekend. He said without first performing the customary rites, "it becomes virtually impossible for recognition to be accorded to such a union and also difficult to establish the legitimacy of such marriages".
Rev Gyimah said payment of dowries or performance of customary rites in connection with any marriage is not anti-Christian. "It is, therefore, wrong for a church to ex-communicate a couple on the basis that their marriage was contracted only under custom and have failed to have such marriage blessed at the altar."
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com