Suspended church member commits suicide
Christians
urged to 'bear fruit"
It also urged witnesses to speak the truth and appealed to officials of
the NRC to uphold fairness and justice so that the process would help heal the
nation's wounds and eventually reconcile the people.
A statement signed by Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie,
President of GJA, said journalist should abide by "The Spirit of Akosombo" in order to apply the needed professionalism
and circumspection in their reportage.
"It was in recognition of the crucial role of the media in the
success of the process that the GJA formulated and adopted 'The Spirit of Akosombo' as a collegial pact among media practitioners of
renewed fidelity to the people of Ghana, serving the national process of
understanding, reconciliation and healing through the considered and consistent
practice of the ethics of their profession."
The GJA said it hoped that the document would remain a source of
reference for all journalists, since as guiding principles for coverage of the
delicate process, it prescribed the necessary antidote to the challenges that
the media were likely to face in the whole process. "There can be no doubt
that this stage of the process, which demands great media participation, is the
most sensitive. This requires journalists in their reportage to adhere to the
highest ethical standards, professional competence and to good behaviour in
carrying out their duties."
The GJA said it found coverage of the NRC process so far satisfactory,
adding that it was confident that journalists would abide by "The Spirit
of Akosombo" and live up to expectation, but not
compromising in any way to reporting nothing but the truth and bearing in mind
their duty to serve the public, who had the right to unbiased, accurate,
balanced and comprehensive information.
"As the GJA reminds media practitioners of their need to show greater
commitment to professionalism and circumspection at this delicate stage of the
process so as not to inflame passions, it equally pleads with Ghanaians in
general, especially those who would be called as witnesses, to speak only the
truth and for politicians in particular, to refrain from making provocative
statements."
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo)
He however, stressed that such policemen are
expected to use their remunerations responsibly and profitably on their return
home. The IGP was answering a question by a journalist after he had addressed
officers and men of the Police Service in Sunyani at the start of a day's
visit.
The visit was to enable the IGP to acquaint himself
with the problems facing the service in the region and interact with personnel.
The IGP said previously constables were not allowed to go on Peacekeeping
duties because "probably they showed indiscipline towards their seniors due
to the wealth they had acquired."
Constables were using their monies to buy flashy
cars like Mercedes Benz and BMW cars instead of bringing the monies home to do
something better such as building houses to secure their retirement.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah said on
assumption of office he felt that every police personnel should be given the
opportunity to go on peacekeeping mission and constables were therefore,
included in the selection.
The IGP assured the public that the Police
administration had been in contact with the Attorney General and Minister and
the Chief Justice to address the issue of granting of bail to criminals,
especially armed robbers.
He said enlistment into the police service to
increase their numerical strength for 2003 and 2004 would be devoid of ethnic
considerations and favouritism but would be based on merit.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah said the
story of "Blackmail and Extortion in Kosovo" against him and Dr Addo-Kufuor was unfounded and warned that those police
officers in the service who were behind it should be prepared for their
dismissal after investigations.
He announced that the police administration had
resolved to establish well-equipped schools in all the regional capitals to facilitate
smooth and continuous education of the children of personnel in the service.
The IGP said he had received assurances of
assistance from the Minister of Education and a Deputy Commissioner of Police
had been appointed as Director of Schools. Assistant Commissioner of Police
(ACP) Mr George Oppong-Asante, the Regional Police
Commander, said the region last year recorded 28 robberies as against 34 in
2001. He said 28 persons involved in those cases were on prison remand awaiting
the Attorney General's fiat for their prosecution.
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He
said the situation there now was relatively calm and that the disarmament and
demobilisation processes have been completed. Berewa
was speaking in an interview with newsmen after making a brief stopover in
He
stated the
Berewa said the government was also kick-starting a number of projects and
services that broke down during the war. He said it was a healthy sign to see
Sierra leoneans, who left the country during the
civil war returning home to help in national reconstruction.
On
the political and security situation in the sub-region, Mr Berewa
said it was unfortunate that
Berewa said the crisis was a matter of great concern to the government since
anything that happened in the sub-region could negatively affect neighbouring
countries and the entire West African sub-region.
He
said
The
Vice President, Alhaji Alui Mahama, who welcomed his
Sierra Leonean counterpart at the
He
assured Mr Berewa of
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The
Ghana Substance Abuse Recovery Programme (G-SARP), in conjunction with the
Musicians and Artistes Programme of South Africa (MAPSA), were sponsoring Kiki Gyan's treatment.
Hugh
Masakela, the world-renowned musician and trumpeter
from
Speaking
to newsmen at the
The
victim would go through various experiences including group sessions with
others and would be trained in the psychology of drug recovery. Masakela expressed the hope that Gyan
would return home after his treatment as a resource person for G-SARP to assist
others suffering from similar predicament to recovery.
Masakela paid glowing tribute to the directors and members of G-SARP for making
his trip possible especially Dr. J.J. Lamptey,
Director of the programme who took care of Kiki at
the Valley View Clinic for a year.
The
G-SARP is a non-governmental organisation established in 2002 to assist people
with substance abuse problem to recover. The NGO, which also aims at building a
centre for the treatment and rehabilitation of substance abusers, has the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amotia Ofori Panin
as its Chief Patron.
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Wa (Upper West)
Alban Bagbin,
Minority Leader in Parliament who disclosed this at a meeting with AYPC at Wa, said the bid was to sensitize stakeholders
in the three regions on the need to maintain peace and unity among themselves.
He said pockets
of conflicts in the area had impacted negatively on development.
"Whenever
I put up a strong case for massive resources to be devoted for developing
Northern Ghana; wherever I try to project the North and court investment I am
given sad reminders that the burning embers of war will consume whatever
resources that are poured into the area," he added.
Mumuni Sulemana, Regional Co-ordinator of AYPC called on
the government to set up a Presidential Commission to resolve all conflicts in
northern
He said since
1970 African countries had suffered more than 40 wars, adding that in 1996
alone 14 African countries were engaged in conflicts and urged youth groups to
sign the African Youth Peace petition, which would be presented to the African
Union next year.
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Suspended church member commits
suicide
Akim Oda (Eastern Region)
Isaac Antwi, 22, committed suicide by hanging himself in his room
barely 24 hours after the church suspended him for impregnating his 18-year-old
girl friend.
The leader of
the church, Rev. Azariah Forson
told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the church suspended the deceased because
they do not tolerate fornication among members. The Akim
Oda police confirmed the story and said they did not
suspect any foul play.
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Christians urged to 'bear fruit"
Tarkwa (Western Region)
Individual
talents are meant to bear fruit for the benefit of mankind, said Rev John Annan
Obodai, Western Presbytery Chairman in a sermon to
climax activities of the convention at Trinity Presbyterian Church at Tarkwa.
The convention
brought together BSPG from all the districts within the Presbytery including
He regretted
that the beauty of God inherent in mankind is misused to indulge in
unacceptable vices instead of using it to worship God. Rev Obodai
told Christians to lead exemplary lives to avoid contracting many diseases
including HIV/AIDS.
In a farewell
message, Brother Enock Ohene
Omari, a lay representative of Western Presbytery at
General Assembly of the Church, appealed to the members of BSPG to intensify
the teaching of the Bible in their various churches.
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Accra (Greater
Accra) 14 January 2003- Chief Inspector Hope Nyadi,
the investigator in the case in which Tsatsu Tsikata,
former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), is
being tried for allegedly causing financial loss to the state, on Monday said
he interviewed and interrogated witnesses and took statements from them.
Chief Inspector
Nyadi who was testifying as the sixth prosecution
witness in the case at an Accra Fast Track Court said he also visited the
various offices of GNPC at its Tema Headquarters and conferred with the then
Acting Chief Executive, the Finance Officer and the corporation's board
secretary on issues relating to the case.
Tsikata is
alleged to have caused the loss of more than 2.3 billion cedis to the State in
a transaction in which he allegedly committed GNPC to guarantee a loan facility
from Caisse Francaise de Developpement (CFD), a French development aid agency, for
Valley Farms, a private limited liability company.
The accused
person who is charged with four counts of wilfully causing financial loss to
the State, and intentionally misapplying public property, has pleaded not
guilty to all charges, and has been admitted to a self-recognisance bail in the
sum of 700 million cedis.
Chief Inspector
Nyadi who was being led in evidence by Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), told the
court that while at the corporation's headquarters, he had access to Valley
Farms' Correspondence File as well as other relevant documents in connection
with the case.
Witness said
one of the documents which he laid hands on was the Financial Statement of GNPC
for 1996. He told the court that he had a copy of the statement and explained
that the officials who gave it to him said they could not trace the original
document at the time.
Chief Inspector
Nyadi said in the financial statement, the
corporation's total investment holdings in Valley Farms stood at 1.6 billion
cedis. Witness told the court that he also retrieved three different maps
depicting the lands acquired by Valley Farms for its projects.
Furthermore, he
collected the Minutes of minutes of the GNPC board spanning the period 1987 to
1992. When witness was about to tender in evidence the minutes of the 1987
board meeting, Professor Emmanuel Victor Oware Dankwa, counsel for Tsikata raised an objection.
Counsel was of
the view that the document was not signed and could therefore not be tendered
in evidence. Mrs Justice Henrietta Abban, an Appeal
Court Judge with an additional responsibility on the case as a High Court
Judge, over-ruled the objection, saying that defence counsel did not complain
that the document was fraudulent. Mrs Justice Abban
has adjourned the case to Wednesday, January 15 for the investigator to
continue with his evidence.
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Michael Oppong, Chief Executive Officer of Media Adtech, a non-governmental organisation said the campaign
against the disease should lay more emphasis on the total abstinence and the
behavioural change of Ghanaians.
He was briefing
the GNA after the launch of an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign cum-combating the
disease in
Dubbed,
"Taking Tomorrow's Steps Today To Combat
HIV/AIDS", the campaign will seek to harness the potentials of the youth
and alert them on the dangers of the disease through various entertainment
programmes.
A four-hour
float through the principal streets of Kumasi amidst brass band Music heralded
the launching of the campaign with students from the Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Kumasi Campus of the University of
Education Winneba and the Kumasi Polytechnic carrying placards some of which
read, "AIDS is Killer", "Run Away From AIDS", "You Are
at Risk, Beware".
The programme
for the campaign would include cultural displays, drama, panel discussions,
video shows, musical shows, and games and sports.
Oppong said the country needed a pro-active and
comprehensive campaign against the disease and therefore, entreated all
educational institutions to integrate the HIV/AIDS campaign programmes into
their academic curricula.
Lord Moffat Agyekum Boampong, Marketing
Manager of Media Adtech, appealed to stakeholders,
the public and philanthropists to contribute generously towards the campaign,
which he said, was the first of its kind in
He advocated
the extension of the campaign to social gatherings and functions where the
youth are heavily represented such as the various stadia during league matches
and athletic meetings.
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Ho (Volta
Region)
Addressing a
Press conference at Ho, Mr Kenwuud Nuworsu, Acting Regional Chairman of the Party said the
Party's reaction to the demonstration was necessary because of its
"misinformation and potential threat to the unity, cohesion and image of
our dear great party".
He described
the demonstrators as "a disgruntled few and infiltrators" who
embarked on an "act of cowardice and mischief "
at a time when " attention was focused on the national congress of the
party at Sekondi and every serious party functionary
had left the region".
Nuworsu said the grievances raised by the demonstrators
and their demands smacked of ignorance of laid down procedures in addressing
such issues as election of party Executives, appointments into the public
service, award of contracts and accountability from party leaders.
He said the
Party accommodates minority views in accordance with its democratic tenets but
questioned the status of the leaders of the demonstrators within the party.
In a 10-point
resolution, the demonstrators raised a number of grievances including the award
of contracts in the region, lack of accountability and comportment of the
Regional Executives of the party.
Present at the
press conference were Mr Tommy Amematekpor, Special
Aide to the President, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Deputy
Regional Minister, Mr Kwame Atta Regional Secretary of the Party and some
District Chief Executives.
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