NDC marks anniversary of 31st December
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 January 2001 - Mr. Osie Kyie Mensah-Bonsu, Deputy Majority Chief Whip on Monday announced a compromise position by the New Patriotic Party to back the demand of the National Democratic Congress to extend the National Reconciliation Bill to the first republic.
He said he has proposed an amendment to the Bill after the minority group in parliament lost the vote on the issue and boycotted proceedings in the house.
Mr. Mensah-Bonsu was speaking at a symposium on, "Majority and Minority relations in parliament: "Prescription for a good governance", at the 53 annual new year school under way at the University of Ghana, Legon organised by the Institute of Adult Education on the theme: "Good governance and sustainable national development."
He said, "if the minority group have exercised patience for the result on the vote on his proposed amendment, there would have been no need for the walkout during the final debate on the bill."
He said the NPP had always stressed the need for consensus building on all matters affecting the interest of the nation so that the focus of parliament was not diverted.
He, however, explained that the NPP limited the debate on the Reconciliation Bill to only the military regimes because they were covered by transitional provisions that made it impossibly for aggrieved persons to seek redress for the extra judicial actions they suffered.
Mr. Mensah-Bonsu said "any form of infringement against the fundamental human rights of any Ghanaian by present or past government should be condemned by Parliament in the interest of the country's evolving democracy.
He said the constitutional provisions making it mandatory for the executive to nominate 51 percent of ministers from parliament adversely affect the decision of the majority in the house.
The Majority, therefore, look forward to increase co-operation with the minority to forge a unity of purpose in the development process.
Mr. Doe Ajaho, Minority Chief Whip said some development in parliament shows that the majority do not want to help the minority in keeping the executives on its toes and accountable to the people.
He cited an amendment motion he moved, asking for a supplementary estimate on why the government was spending over and above 122.5 billion cedis of what was legally authorised to be spent in the appropriation act, but was dismissed.
"The majority voted against the motion clearly they do not want to embarrass their government, as I stand here I do not know what the 122.5 billion cedis is being spent on. Indeed the greater part of the amount was already spent before the presentation of the mid-year budget review."
Mr. Ajaho said this attitude not only subverted good governance but it also breed mistrust and suspicion between the majority and minority. "Indeed it makes nonsense of the zero tolerance for corruption slogan of the NPP government, especially when one comes to realise that development moneys were misapplied."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 January 2002 - Mr. Doe Ajaho, Minority Chief Whip and MP for Avenor, said on New Year Day that the requirement for a quorum in Parliament before any serious work could be done was a draw back to Parliamentary work.
He said the work of a Parliamentarian was not confined only to Parliament, hence the need to adopt the practices in other parts of the world where MPs engaged in other important national assignment were only needed in the House, if they had to vote on an issue.
The Minority Chief Whip was contributing to a symposium on Majority and Minority relations in Parliament, prescription for good governance at the 53rd annual New Year School, organised by the Institute of Adult Education at the University of Ghana, Legon.
"When I sit in my house and receive visitors from my constituency, do I have to throw them away because it is 10:00 am and go to Parliament, then go back to them during elections to seek their mandate, it is not possible," he said.
Mr. Ajaho also called on MPs in the majority to avoid the temptation of regarding themselves as part of the executive, saying it makes it impossible for them to perform their roles as major players in good governance.
"Unfortunately these are some of the dangerous signs that we are seeing in our parliament," he said.
The people have demanded that parliamentarians change the manner in which they conduct politics and "If we do not heed this warning, the public, at large will lose confidence in parliament and politicians and indeed, the whole democratic process."
Mr. Ajaho said the effective instrument that could oblige the government to control itself is the minority. Co-operation, consultation, compromise and consensus building should guide the relationship between the majority and minority, he said.
The worse scenario or the greatest threat to any democratic process in a country is for the minority to give in to over bearing executive power.
The Minority Chief Whip said the minority had supported efforts by civil society to introduce the freedom of information Bill in Parliament.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 January 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday urged all Ghanaians to rededicate themselves to the regeneration of the family and the values that were held dear in the upbringing of children in the coming year.
President Kufuor, who made the call in his New Year message to the nation, said "Let us all resolve to make this year the year of the family. Let us spend the holiday period looking up members of the family and spending time together.
"Let us visit our elderly parents and uncles and aunties and let us resolve to restore the elders in our society to the revered positions they used to occupy, " he added.
President Kufuor asked Ghanaians to resolve to do away with the "un-Ghanaian " and disgraceful phenomenon of the street child from the society since each deserved to grow under the protection and guidance of a family.
"Childhood is a precious time and we should ensure that joy, happiness and an abundance of love is part of our children's daily life.
"Let us embrace our children, nurture them and prepare them to be the dynamic leaders that will carry this nation forward in this new century. Let us be each other's keeper and enjoy the goodwill of the season," he added.
President Kufuor said the year 2001, has been an extraordinary one for Ghana as it began with a unique achievement in its history; one constitutionally elected government served out its full term and was replaced.
He said security of the country has been the government's priority and tensions have reduced considerably and everyone was enjoying freedom and exercising its rights without fear.
President Kufuor said politics has continued in the traditionally robust manner and Parliament has been the scene of many excited debates.
"We have all adopted a matured attitude to politics and our democratic institutions are being entrenched".
On the economy, he said there have been positive achievements, inflation and interest rates have reduced and the general business climate had improved.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 January 2002 - Dr Ken Agyemang Attafuah, a Director at the Commission on Human right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on Monday said the basic cause of corruption in Ghana was lack of comprehensive national programme by past governments to check the practice.
Attempts to combat corruption had been superficial, giving rise to public perception that nothing could be done to check the situation, he noted, adding that this had promoted mediocrity and inefficiency especially in public sector.
Dr Agyemang-Attafuah was speaking at symposium on the topic "zero tolerant for corruption, myth or reality" at the 53rd annual New Year School underway at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The school is been organised by the Institute of Adult Education on the theme "good governance and sustainable national development.
Increasing lawlessness and the pendant of Ghanaians to support lawlessness promote corruption, he said.
Dr Agyemang-Attafuah said such lawlessness especially on the road had resulted in many fatal motor accidents ranking Ghana as one of the countries with the highest record of accidents.
He said nepotism, favouritism, abuse of public office and fictitious per-diem claims were some of the prevailing corrupt practices in the country.
Corruption he said, violated civil and political right and retard economic and social development. He called for stiffer punishment against offenders and prosecution of public officials who are corrupt.
Corruption, he said, could be controlled through better policing and timely exposure of offenders.
Dr Agyemang-Attafuah said people should be paid living wages and provided with enough logistic support for front-line agencies such as the police and the judiciary.
Mr Yaw Boateng-Asamoah, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition said Ghanaians must support measures being taken by the government to ensure zero tolerance.
Professor Kwesi Yankah, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ghana, gave an overview of attempts by successive government to tackle corruption since independence.
He said the main cause of corruption had been sighted as political instability saying there had been no government in Ghana, which had not been accused of the practice. Prof. Yankah called for realistic measures to check the practice.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 02 January 2002 - Fifty-seven babies were born in the three main health institutions in the Cape Coast municipality from 24th December to January 1 2002, a visit to those institutions revealed.
Among the births recorded are 30 boys and 27 girls. They are all said to be doing well. The institutions are The Central Regional, the Cape Coast University and the Cape Coast District hospitals.
At the regional hospital, Ms. Gladys Oppong, the staff nurse midwife in-charge said, out of the 19 deliveries recorded, seven were through caesarean sessions, but pointed out that, " they are all well and kicking".
Mrs. Georgina Brew-Ward, Principal Nursing Officer in-charge of the maternity ward at the University hospital said no birth was recorded on Christmas day.
She said, two out of the seven babies delivered are girls, and that there was only one caesarean operation, which was done on the Dec. 29. Also at the District hospital, 17 boys and 14 girls were delivered during the period with one caesarean operation.
Ms Josephine Davies, senior nurse mid-wife in-charge, said only one baby was delivered on Christmas day, the rest were after 25th. She said all the babies and their mothers are doing well.
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Ho (Volta Region) 02 January 2002 - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is optimistic of transforming the Volta Region as one of its stronghold, Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, said on Sunday.
Much would, however, depend on the unity and commitment of party members to take advantage of the growing attraction of the party in the region, Mr Owusu-Yeboa said at an end-of-year get-together for party executives and members at Ho.
He expressed the hope that members would work hard for the government's positive change to manifest in the region, saying the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had its glorious days but a new era has emerged in which the NPP would work hard to bring qualitative changes in the lives of the people.
Mr Owusu-Yeboa gave the assurance that the government would in accordance with the 1992 Constitution promote and develop multi-party democracy. It was in this direction that the efforts of the NDC to transform itself into a viable opposition should be commended, he said.
Mr Owusu-Yeboa, however, reminded the NDC that it should adopt strong internal democratic practices and structures to make itself, relevant to the democratic yearnings of the people.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 02 January 2002 - The Brong Ahafo regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has assured the party's supporters and well-wishers that the NDC was solidly on the ground and working hard to recapture political power in the next general election.
In a press release to mark the 20th anniversary of the 31st December Revolution, the party expressed gratitude to those who stood firm to make the present democratic dispensation a reality.
The release, signed by Mr Mohammed Doku, Secretary, called on the government to rescind its decision to dismiss the staff of the National Mobilisation Programme and the National Disaster Management Organisation "only to replace them with NPP functionaries".
The party said the proposed Bui Dam and the Nsoatre International Airport were among projects dear to the hearts of the people of the region and therefore advised the government not to scrap these projects as being suggested by some top NPP functionaries.
The release said the government's decision to cancel a housing project for staff of the new regional hospital and withdraw certain benefits to medical personnel did not augur well for efficient health care delivery.
The regional NDC also said it would join the TUC and other organisations to resist the attempt to privatise water supply because it would have negative effect on the lives of the people.
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Ho (Volta Region) 02 January 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor begins his maiden official visit to the Volta Region on Thursday, January 3.
The highlights of the three-day visit include the commissioning of a new telephone exchange at Hohoe where he would also address a durbar of the chiefs and people.
According to a programme released by the Regional Co-ordinating Council on Monday, President Kufuor would also inspect work on the Keta sea defence project and address durbars at Kete-Krachi, Nkwanta, Jasikan, Peki, Kpando, Ho, Denu,
Adidome and Sogakope.
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