Christians pray for
the nation
Petroleum prices
must go up-Osafo-Maafo
Sekondi (Western Region)
The Party endorsed his
candidature by a popular acclamation at its Special National Delegates Congress
held in Sekondi, to declare President Kufuor's re-election.
This was after the Western
Regional Electoral Officer, Mr Reginald Amihere, had
declared him as the sole candidate for the position. Before the acclamation, Mr
Daniel Botwe, General Secretary of the Party read
Article 12, Clause 7, which stipulated that at the Party's National Congress
any sole candidate for the position of flag bearer should be endorsed by
acclamation.
President Kufuor was the sole
candidate who filed his nomination to be the flag bearer of the Party on
September 3, last year at the close of nominations, which opened on 31 May.
He thus becomes the only
politician in
He first contested for the
presidential slot of the NPP, an off-shot of the Danquah-Busia
Tradition in 1992 but lost to Professor Albert Adu Boahen. However, he won the slot in 1996 and lost the
presidential election in the same year to the incumbent former President Jerry
John Rawlings.
For 2000, President Kufuor as
flag bearer of the NPP won the presidential election against former Vice
President Professor John Evans Atta Mills. President Kufuor thanked the
delegates for the confidence reposed in his leadership and said "I gladly
accept the flagbearership of the party for
2004".
He said the endorsement was a
mark of satisfaction and truthfulness in his administration adding, "I
have not lost any of the enthusiasm and commitment I brought to the office in
2001".
President Kufuor said the good
performance of his governance influenced the endorsement of his candidature. He
said his government had achieved "a certain degree of national development"
but added that, much more had to be done.
President Kufuor stressed the
need for good governance and stressed that the NPP would cause the collapse of
the economy through its socio-economic policies as a matter of political
expediency or plunge the country into the economic mess before 2001.
He said the government took the
right decision on the HIPC initiative at the right time despite criticism and
opposition through the media. President Kufuor said the country had began enjoying benefits from the initiative and in future
the benefits would be used to provide water, electricity and other social
amenities throughout the country.
President Kufuor said the
government had been able to establish law and order by equipping the police
with more than 500 vehicles to enhance their performance. He said the services
of the security agencies should be utilised for constructive purposes and not
as instruments of terror.
President Kufuor said the
government was determined to develop the Western Region, "the basket of
the country's economy and as a sign of the government's commitment".
Feeder and major roads were
being rehabilitated. He announced that additional bonus would be paid to cocoa
farmers this month to demonstrate the government's concern about the plight of
farmers who form the cornerstone of the country's economy to boost their
morale.
President Kufuor said the pace
of development in the country would be quickened adding that, "NPP has
great responsibility to retain power and put
President Kufuor said the
ordinary Ghanaian was now awake about his or her rights and would not surrender
them for money. He appealed to the supporters of the party to continue to rally
behind the government, which was committed to use all resources available at
its disposal to develop the country.
"It is our moral duty to
work to remove the catastrophy left to the country by
the NDC", he said.
President Kufuor warned that
government would not allow anyone to use any means other than the ballot box to
circumvent or short circuit the change of power or government in the country
because the party had always believed in democracy and constitutional rule.
He was given a standing ovation
after the address. Haruna Esseku, National Chairman
traced the history of the Danquah-Busia Tradition
from the United Gold Coast Convention in 1947 and said it was courage,
hard-work, sacrifice and dedication by the members, supporters and sympathise
of the party that won the 2000 elections.
He said President Kufuor, as the
leader of the party should ensure his monumental impact through good governance
to propel the party to rule the country for a long time.
The National Chairman appealed
to those interested to be the party's flag bearer in 2008 to begin to emulate
the leadership qualities of President Kufuor. Two minutes silence was observed
for departed members, supporters and sympathises of the party.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 06
January 2003- The Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) has
congratulated President John Agyekum Kufuor on his re-election to lead the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2004 elections and said it signified the
confidence the party had in him.
The union expressed the hope
that the President would continue to work within the framework of the
constitution and democratic principles of freedom and justice to enrich the
lives of the people.
This was contained in a
congratulatory message to the President issued in
GNUPS, however, cautioned the
NPP that having been kept in the political wilderness for about 30 years, they
must not allow complacency to take the better part of them and fail to deliver
on their campaign promises.
The statement called on
President Kufuor to extend his special initiative in other sectors to the
technical and polytechnic institutions. It pointed out that
current global trends, especially in this era of information technology,
indicated that local entrepreneurs should be the backbone of any nation's
economy.
According to them problems
bedevilling technical and polytechnic education would have to be critically
looked at if the numerous unemployed youth were to be made productive.
The union appealed to the
President to lead the crusade in raising public awareness on the importance of
technical and polytechnic education, pointing out that, this would contribute
to erase the erroneous notion among Ghanaians that technical and polytechnic
education were for "dull students".
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Takoradi (Western Region)
He was addressing a national
rally of the party at Takoradi to climax the three-day national conference and
delegates' in the
President Kufuor said since the
party assumed power it had not been discriminatory in providing development
projects. He called on the members, sympathisers and supporters of the party,
to continue to rally behind the government in its determination to make
He said the campaign for the
2004 elections had already begun adding that, if even former President J. J.
Rawlings were the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he
would be defeated.
President Kufuor said the Inchaban-Sekondi road had been awarded on contract to Sonitra construction for work to begin soon. He said the Asankrangwa, Enchi and Juabeso roads would also be rehabilitated this year.
President Kufuor said the
Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice
President, called on the party members to remain united. He said Ghana has stood
tall among the community of Nations since the NPP government came into power
two years ago, because democracy had been deepened and transparency and rule of
law had been the order of the day.
Vice President Mahama thanked
Ghanaians for their co-operation and support for the government. The rally was
also addressed by Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, minister of foreign affairs, Dr.
Kwame Addo-Kufuor, minister of defence, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, minister of health
and Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, minister of education
and the various regional Chairmen of the party.
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Frafraha (Greater Accra) 06 January
2003- Christian leaders, non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and individuals
have been asked to play the leading role in alleviating the plight of less
privileged children including those on the streets.
Mrs. Joy Otabil,
wife of General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, Revered
Dr. Mensa Anamua Otabil made the call at the weekend at Frafraha
in the Greater Accra Region.
She was speaking after the
presentation of items worth about 20 million cedis to Christ Foster Home, an
orphanage at Frafraha near Dodowa
by the Precious Vessels of Virtue, the Women's wing of the church.
The items included rice, sugar,
maize, Latex foam mattresses, footballs, towels, soft drinks, yam, and bathroom
slippers. Mrs. Otabil said street children could
become asserts for development, if they were given the adequate care and
support.
She said it was pathetic to see
children loiter on the streets and others in orphanages with little or no
support from the public and NGOs. Mrs Otabil called
on Churches to treat destitute children with dignity to enable them grow into
responsible citizen.
Mrs. Otabil
said, "It is now a challenge and a test for Christians to show their love
towards unfortunate children for a reward from God." She advised officials
of children's homes to handle inmates carefully and dignifiedly and to train
them to become responsible adults.
Ms Rose Hart, a member of the
women's wing said the joy of the year would had been incomplete without sharing
gifts with the less privileged hence the wings gesture. Madam Henrietta Asare-Agyeman, the Senior Mother of the Home, who received
the items expressed her profound gratitude to the church and appealed to other
religious organisations to emulate the gesture.
She said the Home that was established
in 1972 with only 10 children now had 52 inmates and called on government to
provide the institution with potable and telephone. The Church arranged for a
medical team from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to offer free treatment to the
inmates.
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Bunso (Eastern Region) 06 January
2002- The General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council (GPC), the
Reverend Ekow Badu Wood,
has stressed the need for member churches of the Council to adopt collective
leadership structures instead of the "one-man-show" tendency in some
of them.
He pointed out that, "leadership in a Church of the New Testament era is a
collective, which has no room for egocentric tendencies but must emulate the
teamwork principle instituted by Jesus for his disciples".
Rev. Badu
Wood was addressing the opening session of the 12th General Council Meeting of
the Great Commission Church International (GCCI) at the
The four-day meeting on the
theme, "I can make a difference," is attended for 125 participants
including Pastors, Leading Elders and representatives of Women, Men and Youth
groups from Ghana, Togo and Benin.
Rev. Badu
Wood announced that the Council, with a membership of over 200 member Churches,
had embarked on a transformation programme which,
included the setting up of a Social Action Committee to lead the Council to
respond to socio-economic issues such the HIV/AIDS, poverty alleviation and
youth empowerment.
It had also obtained land at
Rev. Badu
Wood described GCCI as a "pace-setter" in the Council in terms of its
"unique constitution and high performance rate" and expressed the
hope that others churches would emulate to promote peace and unity among their
members.
He also commended it for making
an initial donation of two million cedis towards the headquarters project. The
out-going Chairman of the Church, the Reverend Joseph F. K. Mensah, expressed
dismay that in spite of the fact that the population was said to be about 70
per cent Christian, the nation was faced with corruption, lust for wealth and
power and crime among other social vices.
He noted that the situation
meant that the Church had much work to do to let the Gospel take deep root in the
hearts and life of those who profess to be Christians to bring about a
"sense of righteousness and fear of God".
Rev. Mensah referred to poverty,
illiteracy, brain drain and the AIDS pandemic and called for more efforts to
help improve the situation by emulating the white missionaries who denied
themselves the comfort of home and brought Christianity to the continent.
An 8-member executive was
elected to administer the Church for a five-year term with Rev. J. K. Antwi, as Chairman, Rev. Dr S. Asuming
Brempong and Rev. S. V. Ansah,
first and second vice chairmen in-charge of Missions and Finance and
Administration respectively.
Directors are Rev. K. E. Hagan,
Personnel, Rev. R. K. Adamu, Finance, Rev. J. K. C.
K. Tengey, Evangelism, Rev. Derek Sarpong,
Ministries and Rev. G. D. K. Opeku for Church
Organisations.
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Elmina (Central Region)
The Dutch ambassador, Mr. Arie C. A. Van Der Wiel said this at a durbar of the Chiefs and people of the
Edina Traditional Area to mark their annual "Bronya"
festival.
Edina Bronya
is marked every January 4 in remembrance of a settlement of hostilities and
reconciliation between the Dutch and the people of
Wiel announced a 100,000 US dollar
support from the Dutch government towards the rehabilitation of historical
sites including the four Asafo posts in the area. He
expressed the hope that the bonds of friendship between the Dutch and Elmina would be strengthened to enhance development and
progress.
The District Chief Executive,
Nana Ato Arthur, urged the people to remain peaceful
and to forge ahead in unity to ensure progress. Nana Arthur deplored the
unsanitary conditions in the town and urged the people to ensure a healthy
environment to attract tourists.
He cautioned the people against
the HIV/AIDS menace, which he said was threatening the lives of many people.
The Omanhene of the Edina Traditional Area, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, also called for
peace and reconciliation among the people to enhance development.
Three wreaths were laid at the
Dutch cemetery, one by Mr Wiel on behalf of the Dutch
government, another by Nana Ato Arthur on behalf of
the Government of Ghana and the other by the Omanhen
on behalf of the chiefs and people of the traditional area.
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Manso-Nkwanta (Ashanti Region)
He noted that it would help in
the HIV/AIDS education campaign immensely if those who test positive to the
disease will come out openly and help in the campaign to reduce the spread of
the pandemic.
Nana Bi-Kusi
gave the advice when he inaugurated the Manso-Nkwanta
Local Council of Churches Community-Based Organisation (CBO) on HIV/AIDS. The Omanhene said the most dangerous aspect of combating the
disease was stigmatisation and the shame attached to it and pointed out that
this was why those living with it failed to come out publicly for assistance.
Nana Bi-Kusi
therefore appealed to the people not to shun those who had contracted the
disease but help them to feel wanted so that they could share their experience
with those who had not caught the disease to guard against it.
He also appealed to parents to
invest in the education of their children, particularly the girls to prevent them
from indulging in early sex. Mr Paul Mensah, District Information Officer for
Ahafo-Ano North, asked CBOs
to use the money given them for the campaign to help reduce the spread of the
disease in the district.
The Reverend Joseph Apeah, chairman of the Local Council of Churches CBO, said
already, the organisation had organised a training workshop for 60 church
members and 30 people from Manso-Nkwanta, Kwahu, Essubinya and Manso-Dominase and 60 artisans from the four communities.
He said they would soon undertake house-to-house campaigns in the area.
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Presbyter Danku
said elders and session of the church however asked the hierarchy of the
"Break Away"
These were made known after a
victory march through the principal street of Teshie in
Justice Kwame Afreh, a Supreme Court Judge sitting as an additional High
Court Judge also restrained the "Break Away"
Justice Afreh,
however, did not award any cost after the 11-year legal battle between the E.P.
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Winneba (Central Region)
Hammah said, unless this is done the
people would find if very difficult to come together and mobilise resources
within their reach for the effective development of the area.
He was speaking at this year's
annual Masquerade competition organised at Winneba to run-off the Yuletide
festivities. Hammah appealed to the Ministry of Youth
and Sports to consider the request of the people to build a stadium for Winneba
because it has attained urban status, which warrants it to secure such
facility.
Captain Steve Kwamena Armah (rtd), DCE for the area, announced the district assembly's
intention to help develop the event to attract more foreigners in the coming
year due to its international nature.
He reminded people of the
tireless efforts being made by the assembly and the government to better the
lots of Ghanaians, adding that this moves could not materialise if the people
failed to play their part well through the provision of communal labour and
payment of taxes.
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Christians
pray for the nation
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 January
2003- Christian services are taking place on Saturday as part of the
celebration of a decade of the Fourth Republic and two years of positive
change.
Although no special service was
held at Christ the King Parish to commemorate the occasion, the congregation,
led by Father Stephen Adu-Kwaning of the Parish,
offered special prayers for the leaders of the nation and peace and prosperity
for Ghanaians as part of the celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany being
marked by Catholic churches.
Father Adu-Kwaning,
in a brief message, said the epiphany shows the manifestation of Christ as the
light of the world and this should be a source of strength for christians as they journeyed
through life.
He said the challenges of doubt
in the choices made in various areas of life, including those of a vocation, a
profession or a marriage partner could be faced with the light provided by
Christ to illuminate one's paths.
At the Holy Trinity Cathedral,
The Reverend Father Vincent Attoh, Priest to the
Cathedral asked for God's guidance and direction for the leaders of the
country. He urged Ghanaians to pray fervently for themselves and the country.
They should also show a high
level of tolerance and reconciliation to enable God to provide what had been
ordained for the country. This, he said, could be achieved through prayer and
humble submission by individuals to the will of God in all
their endeavour to enable them discover their potentials.
Making an analogy between Christ
the Saviour and Herod, the destroyer, Rev. Fr Attoh
asked Ghanaians to remain focus and steadfast in all that they do and not to
look up to detractors since they would always be there to pull them down.
It is when we are well focused
and look up to God to guide us that we would move forward as individuals and as
a nation, realizing our set objectives and goals, he added.
At the Presbyterian Church of
Resurrection, The Rev.Gabriel Odonkor
said Ghanaians; ten years ago signed a covenant with God by opting to be
governed in a democratic manner, saying that nothing should be done to derail
the current dispensation.
Rev. Odonkor
made the call on Sunday at a service of the Church under the theme:
"Christ the Wisdom of God". He said from the beginning of creation,
God signed many covenants with man including that of Abraham, Jacob and David
to follow his law.
He said after many of these
covenants, God saw that men still persisted in their sinful ways, so he decided
to have a covenant with the nation of
He also noted, in that in the
same way Christ offered himself to come and die to save mankind. Rev.Odonkor also asked members to be steadfast in their
work and pray for God's guidance for the President and his government and
Parliamentarians.
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Participants at the five-day school
organised by the Institute of Adult Education of the University of Ghana
expressed concern at the stalemate between the feuding parties and called for
dialogue to prevent the crisis from degenerating into the major conflict being
experienced by neighbouring Cote d' Ivoire.
Dr. Mohammed Ibn
Chambas, Executive Secretary of the Economic
Community of West Africa and Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister for Economic Planning and
Co-operation were among the personalities who drew the attention to the threat
the crisis posed to national stability at the School, which was on the theme:
"peace, stability and national development".
Dr. Chambas,
who could not address the school in person due to official assignment at
Dr Nduom urged the citizenry to
make
"The conflict has hurt us
all," he said. Hussein Sulemana, Upper East Regional Director of the
National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), a participant at the school
called for a comprehensive programme to educate civil society on the dangers of
conflicts.
Of most concern, he said, was
the strengthening of the capacity of the youth to appreciate the need for
national stability since they were usually at the forefront of conflicts.
Issah Abdulai
Nasagri, Northern Regional Director of the NCCE said
dialogue was the only way to end the Yendi crisis.
"This has been the time-tested method of resolving conflicts all over the
world. We may delay dialogue in Yendi but we shall
eventually come to it."
Isaac Osei, Programme
Co-ordinator of Peace and Reconciliation of Action aid Ghana, a
non-governmental organisation (NGO) said the Inter-NGO Consortium in the
Northern Region, in collaboration with the West Africa Network for Peace
Building was putting up measures to build the mechanisms for peace in Dagbon.
He said since government had
issued a White Paper on the Yendi crisis, it was left
with stakeholders of the peace process to meet and strategise. Osei said Action
Aid last year spent 140 million cedis to train a number heads and teachers of
second cycle schools in the region on peer mediation on peace building.
He said the programme
beneficiaries were expected to train students to come out with messages to
consolidate peace in Dagbon. Osei announced plans to introduce the training
package to the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
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He stated: "The historic
transfers of democratic power from one elected government to another last two
years demonstrates Ghana's commitment to the tenants of constitutional rule and
adherence to good governance in the country."
Obestebi-Lamptey was speaking at the tenth
anniversary celebration of the
The month-long programme for the
celebration was under the theme: "Consolidating Ghana's Democracy through
Peace, Unity and Development." Obestebi-Lamptey
urged Ghanaians to be dedicated to constitutionality, stressing,'' the country is to escape from its unconstitutional past of,
political instability and chequered economic development."
He said, "We have to
cultivate the culture of making our constitutional democracy work through
constant reminders such as this annual celebration to guide us that democracy,
well nurtured and sustained is the path to peace and prosperity."
The minister noted that
He said Ghanaians had no choice
than to ensure the preservation and sustenance of the 1992 Constitution, as a
national imperative. Obestebi-Lamptey said
Sidiku Buari,
President of the Musicians Union of Ghana, pledged musicians and artists'
commitment to peaceful development of the nation. Other programmes for the
celebration included; Church services, Prayer Night for
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Petroleum
prices must go up-Osafo-Maafo
Sekondi (Western Region)
Presenting the state of the
economy at the on-going NPP National Delegates Conference at Sekondi on Saturday, the Minister made it clear that the
government could no longer continue to carry the huge petroleum debts on the
national budget.
The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), he
said has an accumulated debt of more than three point five trillion cedis and
this amount continues to increase at an average monthly rate of 50 billion
cedis a month.
Osafo-Maafo said, in addition,
the accumulated debts of TOR are crippling the operations of the Ghana
Commercial Bank (GCB) and the adverse implications of this for the banking
sector could be underestimated.
"Those who have been
subsidised must share the burden of liquidating this debt and pay the
appropriate price ", the Finance Minister said. He said a lot had been
achieved within the first two years of the NPP administration and the next two
years would be spent to consolidate the gains made so far.
On the macroeconomic front, Mr.
Osafo-Maafo said there are two main issues, which need to be addressed, and one
of them is petroleum pricing. The other is how to generate enough private
capital to implement the government's development agenda, the Minister said,
adding that 75 per cent domestic revenue is spent on wages and debt servicing.
He assured the people that the
government in the next budget would look for innovative ways to generate more
resources to spend on priority areas. Major Courage Quashigah
(RTD), Minister of Food and Agriculture, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, Attorney
General and Minister of Justice and Haruna Esseku,
National Chairman of the NPP were among those who addressed the conference.
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A statement signed by Mr
Jonathan A. Attoh, Acting Greater Accra Regional
Secretary of the party, said many years of political experimentations have not
seen an end to abject poverty, ignorance and disease.
Dr Adolf
Lutterodt, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the
party, said these in a New Year message to party members. "We need not
talk only of positive change but more importantly positive action," the
statement added.
It said it was high time that
Ghanaians realised that the CPP's track record of
fighting for
The statement said the party was
commitment to uniting the country and transforming the economy to enable the
people lived decent lives. It asked Ghanaians not to rush into making political
choices, which could be wrong decisions.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 06
January 2003 - Brigadier George Aryiku, General
Officer Commanding the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, has given
the assurance that the military is well placed to defend the territorial
integrity of the country.
He said security had been tightened
on the Ghana-Cote d' Ivoire borders to prevent any
spill-over of the rebel activities in that country and infiltration of
insurgents into
Brigadier Aryiku, gave the assurance
when he interacted with newsmen after the annual end of year Wassa get-together organised for the officers and men of
the headquarters of the Northern command and their families in
He announced that Ghanaian
contingents to the peacekeeping operations in
Brigadier Aryiku
commended Ghanaian soldiers for their exemplary performance in peacekeeping
operations and urged them to maintain it at all times.
He also commended the media for
ensuring good relationship with the military throughout the year and urged
journalists to support the government in its developmental policies to create
wealth for Ghanaians and the country as a whole.
Brigadier Aryiku
said time has come for Ghanaians to shift from the poverty alleviation concept
to wealth creation to ensure economic prosperity of the nation.
Major Francis Ogbey, Commanding Officer in-charge of Headquarters Command
Camp said the Wassa served as a stock taking,
performance appraisal and re-union and unity of the soldiers and their
families.
He said through high sense of
discipline, the Unit had achieved enviable successes in its operations both at
home and abroad.
Major Ogbey
said the Unit was also engaged in farming activities, adding that the Unit had
embarked on a four-acre citrus cultivation at Afari,
near Nkawie in
He expressed concern about the
deplorable nature of the road leading to the headquarters from the main Sunyani
road and called for its rehabilitation.
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