Accra (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 – Mr Alexander Heldring, The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana has expressed remorse at the actions of Dutch traders during the colonial era. "We are not proud of the role played by our ancestors in the slave trade and the Dutch government expresses its deep remorse".
Launching the Tercentenary celebration of Ghana-Netherlands diplomatic and consular relations in Accra, he lauded Ghana's developmental efforts, entrenchment of democracy, rule of law and good governance, which, he said, the international financial institutions had endorsed.
Ghana was given 115 million euro from a bilateral development co-operation programme last year, Mr Heldring said, adding that the country was one of the 15 developing countries to benefit from the support.
Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on his part stated that, notwithstanding, the pain, humiliation and bitterness that characterised the slave trade, there were many things that unite Ghana and The Netherlands, which calls for celebration.
"Three hundred years of uninterrupted relations have greatly enriched our cultural and human heritage," Mr Owusu-Agyemang. Mr Owusu-Agyman emphasised that the forts and castles were the elements of Dutch ancestry in Ghana and the presence of a large Ghanaian community in The Netherlands bore eloquent testimony to the bonds of friendship and even kinship, which underpin the relations.
He noted that bilateral relations between Ghana and the Netherlands had now reached a stage where the past should not be allowed to cast a pall over the symbolism of this momentous event.
"I believe that our two governments have chosen to commemorate the tercentenary to heal the wounds of the past and to sensitise our people, and also to advertise our collective determination to forge ahead into a future that will be characterised by more robust cultural and economic ties."
The principal objective for the tercentenary celebration in the country was to bring Ghanaian and Dutch cultures together and to look at development issues through the arts, Mr Owusu-Agyemang explained.
He said the celebration was also to promote a better understanding and appreciation of the cultures and societies of the two nations. The Netherlands had launched a project: "The lasting impact", involving second cycle schools, to contribute to private sector development and education.
As part of the celebration, the National Dance Company performed an African Dance Theatre Spectacle, "The ASIPIM". It is a story about the quest for power and greed, gallantry and heroism revealed through a passionate narrative of human condition. It details the downfall and triumph of man in the midst of conflict and unbridled desires.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - The Foundation for Security Development in Africa (FOSDA) on Saturday called on the Parliamentary Committee on Defence to institute immediate investigation into the dangers faced by civilians living near military armouries and barracks.
"We need to know the degree of danger, precautionary measures to combat the encroachment," Ms Afi Yakubu, Associate Executive Director of FOSDA said in Accra.
Ms Yakubu stated that the military high command needs to brief the people's representatives on national emergency security evacuation modalities for civilians living near military armouries and barracks in the country.
She urged parliament to invite the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Interior to outline measures to adopt to ensure safety of civilians and prevent further encroachment on the lands. She said, "civilian population need immediate educational programmes and emergency measures to reduce the risk of death in case of any mishap at these sites."
The FOSDA Associate Executive Director noted that its, information network in Nigeria indicates that the over 1,000 deaths recorded after the explosions at the armoury in Lagos was attributed to lack of information on safety measures to be taken by the civilian population in case of an emergency.
Ms Yakubu, who recently returned from Nigeria, said most of the people were confused and ran rather towards the explosion site, while others attempted to seek refuge in a lagoon that led to their death.
She, however, suggested to the military to institute public education campaign to persuade civilians, especially those who have encroached on military lands, to know the dangers associated with staying at such places.
The FOSDA Director noted that effective public education programme that was well packaged could be enough disincentives against encroachment of the military lands and armouries.
Ms Yakubu also urged the military to collaborate with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to resettle the civilians, saying; "the cost would be less than the human life that might be lost in the case of any mishap in the future."
She said: "We need to consider, either relocating the civilians or the military depending on the cost, convenience and other relating logistics." She said the Nigerian situation should serve as wake-up call for Ghana to separate civilians from the military.
Ms Yakubu also appealed to the Lands Commission, Ministries of Defence, Local Government and Rural Development and the Interior to, as matter of urgency, regulate and demarcate military lands and zones.
Top military officers recently decried the massive encroachment on lands near military armouries and barracks, admitting that large number of the civilian population risked death in case of any mishap at these sites.
The military officers said in separate interviews that the armouries, which were usually sited out of town because of the dangers they posed, were now virtually at the doorsteps of unsuspecting civilians.
The warning comes against the background of an explosion at an armoury in Lagos, Nigeria. But the cause of this development may be laid on the doorsteps of the civilians as well as successive governments.
One officer noted that the problem was more of civilian infiltration and encroachment on military territory due to attractive infrastructure development at the barracks.
However, another cause was the non-payment of compensations for land acquired. He explained that adequate compensation was not paid for the original lands acquired for the military establishment, hence the encroachment.
Some of the officers also indicated their utmost displeasure about the huge number of civilians living in the barracks. "The environment of military installations and establishments are not conducive for civilian habitation," one military officer said, in reaction to the armoury explosion in Lagos.
He said: "Our children and dependants over 18 years, by military regulations, are not expected to stay in the barracks, but now these laws have been flouted thereby opening the barracks to a large civilian populations."
He explained that military establishments and installations were to be sited far from civilian populations because of occupational hazards involved in military operations, even in the time of peace.
GRi../
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Tema (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - Pharmacia, the ninth largest pharmaceutical company in the world, has withdrawn its anti-malaria drug called Metakelfin in white sachets and replaced it with a new one in a silver foil pack.
The withdrawal of the single-dose malaria drug in the white sachets follows the detection of fake ones on the market in Ghana and Nigeria and East Africa.
Mr John Allotey, Pharmacia's Medical Representative for West and Southern Africa Regions, said the company was now producing the drug in only the silver foil and urged the public to insist on buying only that.
He was speaking during the presentation of 5,000 tablets of Metakelfin for the treatment of 2,500 malaria patients, which is valued at 18 million cedis to the Ghana Ports and Harbours (GPHA) Clinic at Tema on Friday.
Mr Allotey said the fake drugs, whose sources were unknown, have been found to contain paracetamol, powder and starch, adding, people cashed in to produce the fake ones because it had been found to be a good drug.
He said Metakelfin, like Chloroquine, clears 50 per cent of the malaria parasites on the first day, 98 per cent of on the second day and 100 per cent on the third day stayed in the system for 216 hours or nine days to fight any immediate introduction of parasites by mosquitoes.
It can also be used as a prophylaxis to prevent malaria and as a first and second line drug for the treatment of the disease but not recommended for people, who are highly sensitive to sulphur. Mr Allotey said Pharmacia was much committed to the eradication of malaria, which kills 3,000 people each day with 90 per cent of the deaths occurring in Africa.
It is estimated that 25 per cent of children's death in Africa is due to malaria while pregnant mothers were four times likely to suffer malaria and two times more like to die from the disease than non-pregnant women. Economic loss due to malaria was estimated at 12 billion US dollars in the year 2000.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - Professor Nana Araba Apt of the Centre For Social Policy Studies of the University of Ghana on Friday presented a National Draft Policy on Ageing to Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, Minister of Manpower Development and Employment.
Prof Apt in presenting the policy called on the government and civil society to be responsible, sharing and participate in providing for the well being of the older persons, saying "the issue of ageing is a cross-sectoral one, which required a durable strategic partnership involving all relevant stakeholders."
She said the policy aimed at providing protection, care and opportunity for older persons to participate in the development of the nation and ensure that they were recognised as a resource and not as burden to the family and society.
The United Nations International Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of older persons, required governments to ensure their independence, active participation in society, so that they would benefit from community support and care.
It also required self-fulfilment in pursuit of education and other opportunities, dignity, security and freedom from exploitation. Prof Apt expressed concern about the decline in respect accorded the aged in the traditional society and blamed urbanisation, industrialisation and migration, which have affected patterns of social interactions and relationships.
She also noted that, the traditional expectation that the younger generation would take care of the old, no longer held due to modern economic constraint, unemployment, under employment, low wages and high cost of living leading to total neglect of the aged.
Mrs Bannerman said, the policy would be presented to Cabinet for further studies and commended the Centre for Social Policy Studies that co-ordinated the drafting.
The 10-point policy covers, the development of national infrastructure through the establishment of a National Council on Ageing, the role of education and the media in sensitising the public on the ageing process and to promote and recognise older person as valuable part of society.
Others are health and nutrition to ensure a holistic approach in providing health care to older persons, social welfare designed to meet the social needs of older persons and encouraging their independence rather than dependence. The policy also aimed to ensure that older persons were reasonably and sufficiently remunerated and to recognise families as a link between the generations.
The Ageing policy, a legal framework, will also ensure the enactment of laws to guard the rights of older persons, through the revision of existing Pension Legislations and its amendment, the enactment of law to cover maintenance of parents. The Policy also addresses preparation for retirement to reduce the spate of stress, anxieties, loneliness and sense of rejection, which accompany retirement.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - The National Hilal Committee of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana on Monday announced that the festival of the sacrifice, Eid-ul-Adha would be celebrated on Friday, February 22.
This was contained in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu. The statement congratulated all Muslims on the occasion of the festival.
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