Warring factions hail reconciliation law
Housing Minister calls for an end to politics of deceit
Nigeria First Lady visits Elmina Castle
President urges co-operation between blind association and ministries
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 January 2002 - The Gonjas, Kokonmbas and the Nanumbas in the East Gonja District have hailed the National Reconciliation Law describing it as an opportunity for them to reconcile with one another.
The three ethnic groups have been living in fear of one another following the Kokonkomba-Nanumba ethnic conflict in 1993 and 1994, which spilled over to Salaga and its surrounding areas.
Mr Abu-bakr Saddique Boniface, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and an Independent Member of Parliament for Salaga said in Accra after interacting with his constituent that the people saw the law as unique since it would enable them to air their grievances for redress.
According to Mr Boniface, the people said they were willing to appear before the yet to be formed National Reconciliation Commission to state human rights abuses they suffered.
During the conflict many people died and property including livestock, houses and farms were destroyed and those hurt have been nursing grudges against the perpetrators.
He said the people expressed their satisfaction with the fact that the Commission would encourage people to come out and confess and ask for forgiveness and for those wronged to be compensated in a way by the state.
Mr Boniface said it was necessary for those who have some reservations about the law to understand that the legislation could not receive a hundred per cent support but that it should also be understood that the logistics involved in the work of the Commission was colossal.
"It is, therefore, necessary that the cut off time frame should be limited and those, who also felt wronged in the constitutional regimes could use the "window" the reconciliation law made room for to seek redress."
Mr Boniface said it would be imperative for the members of the Commission to have the decency and the courtesy to entertain those aggrieved ones who would come through the "window". The Deputy Minister appealed to all to come to terms with the position of Parliament on the reconciliation law.
Mr Alhassan Yahaya, a spokesman of the Minister's campaign team, commended the government for the ongoing rehabilitation work on the roads in the Salaga Township.
He said it takes more than five hours to travel from Mankago to Tamale, a distance of 154 kilometres instead of two hours adding that the area produces large quantities of yams and livestock.
Mr Yahaya said "the two senior secondary schools in the area are under resourced, the district police station is in a rented premises and the last time the area saw a tarred road was about 30 years ago".
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Jirapa (Upper West) 16 January 2002 - Mr Yaw Barimah, Minister of Works and Housing, has called on politicians to offer constructive criticisms that would promote the development of the country.
"This politics of lies and deceit do not send us anywhere but rather soil the hard won reputation of Ghanaians," he said at a regional rally at Jirapa to climax a series of Peoples' Assemblies held in the Upper West Region.
Mr Barimah recalled that before the general election there was a deceitful campaign that the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would repatriate all aliens but after one year it was rather building strong ties with neighbouring countries.
He appealed to the people to be patient for the NPP to fulfil its campaign promises gradually. Mr Barimah, who is the Member of Parliament for Koforidua said the government would organise credit facilities for farmers and businessmen and women to boost their enterprises.
"Former governments were giving you fish, but we shall teach you how to fish to sell and reserve some for your families" he added.
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Heman (Western Region) 16 January 2002 - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has said the government would not tolerate lawlessness and wanton destruction of property warning that, it was committed to the rule of law and anybody who fell foul of the law would be dealt with.
He was speaking when he met the people of Heman, near Prestea as part of his visit to the Wassa West District. The Minister went to Awudua, near Tarkwa where the chief's vehicle, was burnt and the palace vandalised by the youth.
He expressed regret about the mob action of December 27, 2001, which resulted in the death of two people and the official vehicle of the District Chief Executive set ablaze. The Minister appealed to the people of Heman, especially the youth, to use appropriate channels to address their grievances.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 16 January 2002 - The efficiency of the country's emergency telephone lines was put to test on Tuesday when the Central Medical Stores (CMS) at Tema, the main depot for drugs and medical equipment for the Ministry of Health caught fire.
Mr James K. Sabblah, Head of the CMS said the workers acted fast by using carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishers as the first line of attack against fire but attempts to reach the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on its direct emergency telephone line "192" failed.
This was because the "192" line had been disconnected while there was no response from 999, which goes to Ghana Telecom before the required emergency service is informed.
When GNA dialled '192', the computerised response was "the telephone number you have called has been temporarily put out of service". A lady, however, answered the '999' and said no such call came through.
Mr Francis Gyenyin, Tema Municipal Fire Officer, told journalists that Ghana Telecom (GT) said it disconnected the '192' line because children had been playing with the number.
He said the GNFS had sent a number of letters to GT to restore the line but to no avail.
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Elmina (Central Region) 16 January 2002 - The First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs Stella Obasanjo on Tuesday visited the Elmina Castle and the Kakum National Park as part of her seven-day visit to the country.
Her visit is at the invitation of the Ghanaian First Lady Mrs Theresa Kufuor. The Minister of Tourism, Madam Hawa Yakubu accompanied Mrs Obasanjo and the Central Regional Minister Mr Isaac Edumadze met them on arrival.
School children and New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters lined up the streets of Elmina to welcome her. A mini durbar was held in her honour where she interacted with the chiefs and people of Elmina.
At the castle, Mr Stephen Korsah, Senior Museum Educator, took her to the female and male dungeons and the 'room of no return' and gave a brief history of the Castle. He said about 20 per cent out of the slaves, who went through the Elmina Castle survived whilst the rest either died in the Castle or on their way to the Americas.
Mrs Obasanjo thanked the chiefs and people of Elmina for the honour done her and described the visit as very impressive, historic and exciting.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 January 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday appealed to the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB) to collaborate with the appropriate institutions and ministries to find solution to their problems.
He said the government expected the appropriate institutions and ministries to perform diligently and take care of their needs.
President Kufuor was reacting to a statement by Dr Bashiru I. Koray, President of the GAB, that the Special Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that catered for the education of the disabled had not been sensitive to their plight.
Dr Koray said a Braille Press Board had been established to print textbooks in Braille for the blind and the association's efforts to hold meetings with personnel of the Unit had not been successful and added, "that has been the headache of the Association".
This was during a courtesy call on President Kufuor by Mr John Heilbrunn, a lawyer and Head of International Department of Danish Association of the Blind and a two-man delegation from the GAB at the Castle, Osu.
President Kufuor said the government's involvement in the activities of the blind in the country had not been the best and therefore urges the association to assist it to realise its potentials.
He said the visit had given him insight into the activities of the association and would enable the government to provide the needed support. Mr Heilbrunn said with the assistance of the Danish government a new five-year project estimated at about 10 billion cedis had been initiated to assist the blind improve on their manpower development and capacity building in the country.
He said this would be done on sustainable basis to remove the stigma associated with blindness in the country. Mr Heilbrunn said within the project period branches of the association, operating in 40 districts, would be opened in 65 more districts. There would be rehabilitation works on the infrastructure for the blind, inputs to print more textbooks in Braille for the schools.
He said access to Braille paper was very important and its production in Ghana would be beneficial to the national economy in terms of exports to other African countries because South Africa was the only country that produced Braille paper on the continent.
Mr Heilbrunn said with next year being declared by the UN as the Literacy decade it was their desire that Ghana became the best in terms of the education of the visually impaired.
Dr Koray said the Danish government agreed to finance the production of Braille paper in the country for their textbooks and contacts was made with Super Paper Products Company (SPPC) but the company turned down their request.
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