GRi Newsreel 13 – 01 - 2003

Misuse of President's name-Council calls for investigations

Restore telephone lines in Bole

Married couples urged to remain faithful

True religion should appreciate plight of orphans

Religious leaders asked to preach the message of reconciliation

 

 

Misuse of President's name-Council calls for investigations

 

Sakomono (Greater Accra) 13 January 2003 - The Tema Traditional Council (TTC) at the week-end called on the police and other security agencies to investigate the misuse of President J.A Kufuor's name by a group who harass people who have genuinely acquired lands in the Tema acquisition area.

 

Nii Adjetey Kokroko, Akwasontse of TTC who made the call when speaking to the GNA at Sakomono said a youth group which calls itself, "watchdog taskforce from the TTC", goes round to harass land developers with the message that, "President Kufuor has released the acquisition of lands back to the TTC during his recent visit to Tema."

 

The group members numbering eight, who are alleged to be moving in a Ford bus, (registration number withheld) are said to be holding offensive implements, threatening developers to stop work on their plots and order them to come to re-negotiate with the chief of Tema, adding before they leave they plant a sign board with the inscription, "keep off by Tema watch dog taskforce".

 

Nii Kokroko said in some cases, the group extorts monies from the developers whom they met at site, so that their workers were not molested.

 

He said TTC was informed by some of the developers, who had properly acquired their lands 11 years ago to undertake school and hotel projects and refused to see any documents that have been given to them (developers) by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and approved by the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA).

 

The TTC, during their investigations, has apologised to the developers about the harassment meted out to them and said they would pursue the matter till those involved in the misuse of President Kufuor's name and the TTC are brought to book.

 

"Since the alleged "terrorist group" linked their activities to the TTC, using the name of Tema Mantse, we rushed to investigate the complaints and saw the sign posts planted on a number of plots that were being developed at Sakomono."

 

Nii Kokroko said the security man of Fountain Head Christian School, who was accosted by the group told him and his team that, he could identify about four members.

 

He said TTC has lodged a complaint with the Tema Regional Police Command, to help investigate the activities of this terrorist group, and arrest the members, adding "we have supplied some details of the vehicle being used and people to contact, to the police to arrest them to assist them in their investigations."

 

The government, in 1951 acquired about 63 square miles of land from the Kpone, Tema and Nungua Traditional Councils when the Tema harbour was being constructed, which is being managed by the TDC and TMA.

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Restore telephone lines in Bole

 

Tamale (Northern Region) 13 January 2003- Brigadier George Aryiku, General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, has appealed to Ghana Telecom to restore telephone lines for the use of security personnel stationed at Bole to monitor the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.

 

He said for security reasons, Telecom should consider the use of the facility by the security personnel on the ground, while government takes measures to pay-off the debt it owns the company.

 

Brigadier Aryiku made the appeal at a news briefing in Tamale on the general security situation in the Northern Region on Saturday.

 

He urged journalists to help in their reportage on Dagbon to unite the people for development, saying, "Let fairness and ethics of your profession guide you when filing stories on Dagbon".

 

The GOC reminded people of Dagbon that real peace would come from them and not the government, noting that government's duty was to facilitate the peace process to complement their efforts.

 

He therefore, advised them to be mindful of their actions, utterances at public places and the way and manner they organise press conferences in order not to jeopardise the prevailing fragile peace in the area.

 

Brigadier Aryiku assured the people in Dagbon that the government would do all that it could to protect them and called for co-operation from the stakeholders in the area to sustain the prevailing peace in the communities.

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Married couples urged to remain faithful

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 January 2003- Married couples have been reminded that the contract binding them enjoins them to remain faithful and loyal to each other at all times.

 

Samuel Yaw Owusu, President of Friends of the Aspiring and Married Couples (FOTAMAC), a non-governmental organisation, committed to fostering good relationships amongst married partners who gave the reminder blamed the frequent break in most marriages on mistrust.

 

Owusu was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on the role of NGOS in the socio-economic development of the country. He urged the government to give priority to unemployed married couples in offering employment.

 

The FOTAMAC President reminded NGOs that as partners in development with the state, they should intensify their educational campaigns among the youth to curb social vices. Owusu advised the youth to take the HIV/AIDS campaign seriously to avoid the deadly disease.

 

He said marriage was a life-long contract and advised the youth not to rush into it and to refrain from indiscriminate sex. They should also ensure complete abstinence until they were ready to marry.

 

He said FOTAMAC was established in September last year and had organised seminars and talks in churches and for the public to create awareness married among couples and the youth on their social responsibilities. Owusu said the organisation would take the HIV/AIDS message to at least 60 districts in the country by the end of the year.

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True religion should appreciate plight of orphans

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 January 2003- The Reverend Juliet Richardson, Founder of the Royal Miracle Church in Accra, on Sunday said a true religion should appreciate the plight of orphans and widows.

 

He said, "The church must take care of the fatherless and widows by demonstrating true love and compassion which God showed through his only begotten son, Jesus Christ."

 

Rev. Richardson, who was once a Ghanaian Film Actress, was speaking at a thanksgiving service for orphans of the Orphanage International Ministry (OIM), a Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO).

 

It seeks to assist orphans academically, spiritually and morally to enable them to be confident and self-supporting. The OIM, which was recently judged the best NGO in the country by the government, has been in existence for the 12 years now and currently.

 

Rev. Richardson criticised mothers who abandon or cause abortion and said it was against Christian values adding that children be helped to exploit their talents. The OIM President, Rev. Samuel Ludwig Aferi, presented a certificate of commitment on the plight of orphans to Rev. Richardson conferring on her the Africa Director of Women and Children Affairs of the OIM. Orphans from the Osu Children's Home, Teshie Orphanage, Frafraha, Dodowa, and Village of Hope, Fetteh, sang and danced.

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Religious leaders asked to preach the message of reconciliation

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 January 2003- Religious leaders have been asked to persistently preach the message of reconciliation to ensure that Ghanaians assist in making the national reconciliation exercise a success.

 

The Reverend Kojo Amo, General Secretary of the Ghana Baptist Convention, made the request at the Grace Baptist Church at Sakomono during the formal dedication of the Church on Sunday.

 

He said: "Religious bodies should promote reconciliation by preaching, praying and explaining to their followers and the public the role of the National Reconciliation Commission to enable the government to reconcile the offender and the offended."

 

Rev Amo asked Ghanaians to unite and move the country forward and appealed to persons who would appear before the Commission to be faithful. He appealed to members of the Commission to be tolerant and to give equal opportunity to people who would testify before it.

 

Rev Amo advised politicians to avoid provocative statements, which could to inflict more pain on aggrieved people. He said reconciliation could bring peace, unity and development to the country and called on Ghanaians to support the process.

 

Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Executive Secretary of National Media Commission, who was the guest of honour, asked religious leaders to understand the reconciliation exercise before educating the public on it.

 

Rev Amo and Rev. Steve Asante jointly cut the tape to formally dedicate the church.

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