MP calls for public execution of armed robbers
Cocoa farming can empower Ghanaian women - study
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said the government was considering the introduction of Citizens Identification Cards for Ghanaians.
People should, therefore, not allow the statistics released by the 2000 Population and Housing Census to become sources of unnecessary contention, President Kufuor told a delegation from the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, who called on him at the Castle, Osu.
He said the government was determined to pursue a very innovative rural policy to support modern agriculture to make it attractive for the youth to stay at home to reduce the rural-urban drift. President Kufuor said this year's budget would come out with small irrigation schemes to assist in the rain-fed agriculture and thereby increase food production.
He appealed to opinion leaders and other influential people in the region to work towards the restoration of peace in the Wa area, adding: "The Wa chieftaincy dispute should be resolved and restored quietly and lawfully for peace to prevail. "It is our prayer that we should not allow extremism to take over us".
Kuoro Doctawie Ninia IV, Paramount Chief of Zini Traditional Area and Acting President of the House, who led the delegation, appealed to the government for assistance to improve infrastructure in the region.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2002 - Dr Kweku Afriyie, Minister of Health, on Friday said the abolishment of "cash and carry" system would be effective within the next five years after legislation has been passed by Parliament.
The implementation, which would not be effective as early as envisaged, demanded that it passes through certain processes, create necessary bodies and intensify public education on the subject, Dr Afriyie told a forum organised by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on the theme "Viable national health insurance scheme".
The Ministry had at the moment finalised the document policy and draft legislation, which would be presented to Cabinet for approval before Parliament debate and passes it into law.
Dr Afriyie said all was set for the take-off in terms of finance but "the only problem they might face was the collection of the premium from the informal sector where identification would be very difficult.
"If the national identification system is put in place then we will fall on it or else we have to develop a system of identifying people in the informal sector for the collection of their premium".
The "cash and carry" system has received a lot of criticisms for not being friendly to the poor, unemployed, aged and children. People, who fall within this category, have complained that they were not able to purchase drugs and receive proper treatment because they had to pay up front before service was rendered to them.
Dr Afriyie said the government, last year, paid 12 billion cedis for exemptions for the aged, children under five and pregnant women and budgeted for 60 billion cedis this year.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2002 - Mr Etienne Marie Arthur-Popler, former Managing Director (MD) of the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) on Friday told an Accra Fast Track Court that Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea (SIPH), was to donate one million dollars to the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) in order to win the bid for the privatisation of GREL.
The money, he said, formed part of three conditions, which the Paris-based company had to fulfil in its desire to win GREL's divestiture bid. Mr Arthur-Popler made this revelation when he continued his evidence-in-chief at the on-going trial of Hanny Sherry-Ayittey, former treasurer of the 31st DWM and three others for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices during the divestiture of GREL.
The three others are Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former boss of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), Ralph Casely-Hayford, businessman and Satirieh Dorcas Ocran, housewife.
They have all pleaded not guilty to their various charges of corruption, and the court presided over by Mr Justice J. C. Amonoo-Monney, had granted each of them a self-recognisance bail. Mr Johnny Quarshie-Idun, Mr J. E. Senoo, Mr Heward Mills and Mr Agyemang Bempah are representing Ayittey, Agbodo, Casely-Hayford and Ocran, in that order.
Mr Arthur-Popler said the other conditions were that SIPH was to pay for the correct price of GREL and continue to develop GREL to enable it compete with other rubber companies in the country. He said SIPH agreed to the conditions and following negotiations, a memorandum of understanding was signed between SIPH and DWM on February 20, 1996.
The second prosecution witness said the negotiations continued, thereafter, and on June 26, the same year, SIPH received an official letter from DIC selling 75 per cent of GREL's shares to SIPH for 20 million French Francs.
Earlier, Mr Arthur-Popler had told the court that in May 1995, Mr Oliver de Saint Sienne, Financial Manager of SIPH, came to Ghana to 'see' the 31st DWM, which according to Dr Albert Owusu-Barnafo, could be very influential in the divestiture of GREL.
Witness said at a meeting with Ayittey at her office with Mr Sienne, himself, Mrs Georgina Okaitey, another witness in the case and Dr Owusu-Barnafo, the two sides briefed each other on the activities of their respective organisations.
At her office, Mr Arthur-Popler said, Sienne gave out a 'closed envelope' containing a cheque for 20,000 dollars to Ayittey. Asked what the purpose of the money was, Mr Arthur-Popler said it was meant to persuade the movement to influence the decisions of DIC in the divestiture of GREL, saying, "it was help for help".
Witness told the court that Ayittey, thereafter, took them to the office of the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, where she Ayittey made a brief introduction.
During cross-examination by Mr Quarshie-Idun, Counsel for Ayittey, witness disagreed with him that the Financial Manager of SIPH, Mr Sienne sacked him for siphoning the company's money. Witness said, however, that Mr Sienne asked him to resign, which he did. The case was adjourned to Wednesday, February 20.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday held a closed door meeting with a four-man delegation from the Judiciary led by Mr Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, the Chief Justice.
Briefing newsmen later, Justice Wiredu said, "we had a pleasant discussion which was received by the Executive with a deep sense of appreciation. I hope good results would emerge". This was the first time the Judiciary have had the opportunity to hold formal meeting the Executive since President Kufuor assumed office.
Mr Justice Wiredu said their discussions centred on assistance for more infrastructure for the Service, automation of the Courts and problems facing their performance.
At the meeting was Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwadwo Mpaini, Chief of Staff while the delegation from the Judiciary included Mrs Justice Bamford Addo, Mr Justice George Acquah and Miss Justice Akuffo all judges of the Supreme Court.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2002 - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) said on Friday that it would hold its Fifth Ordinary National Delegates' Congress in Accra in April.
A statement signed by Bedjee Ziedeng, for the General Secretary, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, said that the Congress, which was postponed from December 28 last year, would take place from Friday 26th April to Sunday 28th April.
It said the decision to hold the congress was taken at a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) on February 14, adding that the congresses of the Women and Youth wings would take place before the end of March.
"High on the agenda will be the report of party activities since the last congress, constitutional amendments and the election of national executives, who will be responsible for the steering of affairs of the party for the next two years." The statement said the NEC had also mandated the congress planning committee to work out the detailed programmes.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2002 - Nii Ayi Bonte, NPP MP for the Odododiodioo constituency on Friday called for public execution of armed robbers to deter those who trade in the hideous crime.
"Armed Robbers are scared of death. We are witnesses to what happened under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era." The Ghana News Agency reports him as saying in an interview that he would vote against any bill that sought to abolish the death penalty "just for the sake of the victims of armed robbery"
"I will vote against it even if it is my party's policy. I think matters of security transcend politics. It is a national issue." He said: "There seem to be a decrease in armed robbery in Accra but the truth of the matter is that they have relocated in the rural areas harassing and killing traders on highways."
The Member said he believed a lot of light arms and foreign fugitives are seeking sanctuary in the country and contributing to the menace. "I am an NPP man but I can not forget how hardened armed robbers like Chokor spanner and Spain, who terrorised people at will were executed in the PNDC days bringing about peace and security in Accra."
He said criminal should not be allowed to use democracy as a weapon to harass innocent people, "democracy is for those who behave like real human beings and would not kill and rob."
The Member's comments come at a time when Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Attorney General and a well-known campaigner against capital punishment, has reportedly opened debate on the issue.
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Ho (Volta Region) 16 February 2002 - Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, Deputy Majority Chief Whip on Saturday urged Parliament to brace up for its onerous duty of ensuring that "people have value for every cedi spent by government".
He said previous Parliaments in the country had not been stringent enough because members lacked the capacity to scrutinise financial appropriation bills put before it.
Mr Bonsu was speaking at a pre-budget seminar for chairpersons and ranking members as well as some parliamentary staff at Ho. The one-day seminar, which was organised by Parliament and Friedrich Ebert Stiffung (FES) was attended by 65 participants.
Mr Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tafo-Suame, therefore, urged participants to make use of the opportunity - in this era of zero tolerance of corruption and an exercise to rid the public pay roll of ghost names - to enhance their capacity to enable parliament attain its goal of keeping the executive on its toes.
Mr Bonsu said a diligent Parliament could check malfeasance while another, through negligence would encourage it. Mr Cletus Avoka, MP for Bawku-West said the seminar was a serious one to facilitate and enhance the process of approval of budgets and not a "holiday or fun trip".
Mr Freddi Blay, MP for Elembelle and first Deputy Speaker observed that the "nitty-gritty" of Parliament's work was at the committee level and not on the floor where members often played to the gallery.
He said Parliament would be working in the interest of the people if it used its powers over the "purse" adequately by overseeing the proper use of funds. Mr Joerg Bergstermann, FES resident director said his organisation's support for the legislative body of the fourth republic since its inception in 1992 had become the cornerstone of the foundation's activities in the country.
Mr Bergstermann pledged that FES would continue to play a part in the efforts to strengthen the role and capacity of the Parliament of Ghana. "If and when we are so requested, we shall do whatever is within our limited means to support you in the key areas", he said.
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Ho (Volta Region) 16 February 2002 - Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister and Chairman of the Government's Economic Management Team, on Saturday said agreement was about to be reached to give Ghana the lease from paying a substantial part of its debts under the HIPC Initiative.
He indicated that there could be delays as a result of the postponement of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) board meeting in Washington and the task of clearing penalties for misreporting to the IMF, which was concluded on February four, this year.
Mr. Mensah was speaking to journalists on what to expect in the coming budget when he attended a pre-budget seminar for committee chairpersons and ranking members of Parliament at Ho.
Mr Mensah said, whatever happens, the country would "soon start enjoying the benefits of debt cancellations under HIPC". After the IMF Board meets on the issue, Ghana would go into negotiations with creditors, "and there would be some bilateral talks too."
The Senior Minister said relieves of 70 per cent and in some cases up to 100 per cent were expected from those negotiations, which would come on between April and May.
Mr Mensah, who parried questions on the budget and light heartedly referred journalists to the Finance Minister or wait for the Budget day, however, hinted that "there would be a lot of movement in the area of agriculture" where the thrust would be to develop new types of commercial farmers.
He also promised "a lot of action to reverse the spate of losses in the poultry sector in recent years, when the high cost of inputs made birds bred locally expensive and "knocked out hatcheries". Mr Mensah, however, declined to say if some subsidy would be introduced in the budget or not.
He also declined to comment on new revenue generation strategies and whether personal emoluments would be raised, saying only that the government needed a lot of money to undertake development projects and that if one wanted a higher income he should put in additional effort.
Mr Mensah said poverty alleviation grants to various groups were in place and yielding results though people had described the amounts being given out as ridiculous.
He said loan recovery so far had been satisfactory. Pressed to say if the budget would put a smile or a frown on the faces of Ghanaians, Mr. Mensah said, "it would make everybody happy". He hinted that the budget day slated for Friday February 22, this year could be shifted if the day fell on the impending Moslem holiday.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 February 2000 - A new journalism award that seeks to recognise the best articles on education published in the African press has been instituted by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), based in Paris.
In a statement to the Ghana Journalists Association in Accra on Friday, ADEA said the award known as Africa Education Journalism Award was launched during its 2001 bienniel meeting held from October 7 to October 11 in Arusha, Tanzania. It is aimed at fostering the development of a network of African journalists specialised in covering education topics.
It said it is being organised within the framework of communication for education and development programme, an initiative being implemented by ADEA, World Bank and the West Africa Newsmedia and Development Centre to promote the use of communication in support of education in Africa.
It is also to highlight the paramount importance of relevant and reliable public information and communication for the development in Africa. The statement said selection for the award would be made once every year and an award ceremony organised every two years at each future ADEA Biennial Meetings where eight winners over the previous years, as well as the authors of the best articles, one in English and one in French, would be honoured.
It said first place winners in each language category would receive a cash prize of 2,000 euros while second placed winners would be given 1,000 euros. It also noted that winners and their editors-in-chiefs will be invited to Paris and London for a ten day study that would include visits to major media houses and participation in training seminars that would focus on major issues in education.
The statement said the award would later be extended to include education reporting on radio, television and the new media, including the Internet.
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Abidjan (Cote d’Voire) 16 February 2002 - Cocoa farming in Ghana can empower women, reduce poverty and benefit the environment, according to a study published recently by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
"Growing cocoa enhances the status of women in West Africa and it provides them with an important source of income," according to Agnes Quisumbing, co-author of the report, entitled 'Land, Trees and Women.' Quisumbing led a survey of farmers in villages in Western Ghana to find out how cocoa benefits women, families, communities and the environment.
One of the ways women benefit, the report concludes is through land acquisition, traditionally denied to women in many parts of West Africa. Through a process known as "gifting," husbands give their wives land rights to cocoa fields in exchange for labour during the early stages of cocoa farming.
"Traditionally, women in West Africa have not been able to inherit land from their husbands. However, with cocoa production, women are obtaining strong rights to land, which in turn enhances their status and long-term security," an IFPRI news release quoted co-author Keirjiro Otsuka as saying on Thursday.
The research also indicates that when poor women farmers grow cocoa, the whole family benefits. "When women grow cocoa," Quisumbing said, "their increased income is more likely to be used to meet the family's basic needs, including nutrition, health care and education."
Cocoa is an important cash crop for small-scale farmers, who produce almost all of the cocoa grown in Ghana, the news release said. While cocoa plants are young, they can be planted alongside food crops in a practice known as "intercropping". This allows farmers to grow both cocoa and food for their own consumption on the same land and also increase their income.
Cocoa farming is also of benefit to the environment. Intercropping helps to maintain some of the biological diversity the land supported before it was cleared for farming. It can also be grown on hillsides, which helps to prevent soil erosion, IFPRI reported. Ghana is the world's second largest producer of cocoa after its neighbour, Cote d'Ivoire.
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