Ya
Barimah on efforts to reverse housing deficit
Companies
in Tema refusing to pay new rates
Keys to Ghana’s eventual financial success
Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-The government would announce its intervention in
utility prices to mitigate the impact on the most vulnerable consumers on
Thursday.
A statement
by Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs,
on Tuesday, said the President would address the issue at the commissioning of
the Second Electricity Bulk Supply Point at Mallam, in Accra. It expressed
regret that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced
increases in utility prices without exhausting the consultation process with
government.
The
statement said an agreed meeting between the PURC and the Ministers of Finance,
Energy and Works and Housing was not honoured by PURC. "The government
concedes that PURC has the legal authority under Act 538 of 1997 to determine
and set tariffs and was not subject to the direction or control of any person
or authority in the performance of its task, it stated.
"However,
as a major stakeholder and the ultimate owner on behalf of the people of Ghana,
the government has the right to expect that there would be full consultations,
it noted. The PURC on
Monday approved 60 and 40 per cent increases in electricity and water tariffs,
respectively. Under the new tariff for electricity, which was to take effect in
August 2002, lifeline consumers, who consume up to 50 units a month were to pay
a block charge of 14,000 cedis up from the previous 7,800 cedis.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002- Mr. Smart Chigabatia, Executive Secretary, Civil
Servants Association (CSA), on Tuesday described the new increment in
electricity and water tariffs as "unrealistic and unduly high for the
civil servant."
"The
minimum wage of civil servants is a mere compensation for the shortfall of
inflation during the year and could not cover his other expenses, let alone the
new increases." Mr. Smart Chigabatia, who was speaking in an interview on the current
increase in electricity and water rates with the GNA said in view of the
increase, the issue of the worker to earn "a living wage" has been
brought to the fore.
He said
there was the need for government to ensure equity in the system regarding the
salary structure and should introduce better incentives for civil servants to
increase productivity and generate more income
Mr.
Chigabatia said the CSA would draw government's attention to that effect and
possibly negotiate for adjustments. "Civil servants are guided by labour
laws that make it possible for salary negotiations and we expect that
government would make it possible for civil servants to pay their
tariffs," he observed.
He noted
that should government refuse to sit at the negotiating table with the CSA, the
issue would have to be forwarded to Parliament. Mr Chigabatia was of the view that
since Ghana was a democratic state; government should compromise with the CSA
to adjust salary levels to reflect the realities of the times. He said government should have held series
of public education concerning the new increment in tariffs for the
enlightenment of the public.
The Public
Utility Regulatory Commission on Monday slapped a 60 and 40 per cent increase
in electricity and water respectively with effect from August this year. In a related development The Trades
Union Congress (TUC) was meeting late on Tuesday to consider the effect of the
increases on workers, industry and how other economic indicators would respond
to the new tariffs.
The Ghana
News Agency learnt that the TUC was to ascertain its position on the tariffs
increases since its representative on the PURC was yet to brief the TUC
leadership for it to have aggregate views of workers.
The meeting
would however, afford the executive committee of the Union the opportunity to
define its position and take a collective decision as well. Efforts to obtain
the reaction of the Ghana National Association of Teachers proved futile, since
the leadership of the teachers was said to be on duty tour.
Meanwhile,
there was mixed reaction from the public on the tariff increases. While some felt
that the increases would be justified, there was the need for a proportionate
improvement in the quality of service delivery to satisfy consumers. There were others who felt that if
the inefficiencies in the delivery of services were corrected, and then the
increases would be justified.
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Accra (Greater
Accra) 24 July 2002- Mr Harona Esseku, National Chairman of the New Patriotic
Party (NPP), on Tuesday said government was mindful of the difficulties and
needs of Ghanaians and would not relent in its efforts to find ways to satisfy
all within available resources.
"It is
not possible to satisfy all at the same time but I assure you that the Party as
an institution, we shall not relent our efforts to find ways of satisfying all
within available resources", he said. Mr Esseku was speaking at a press
briefing to outline activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the Party in
Accra.
The NPP,
formed on 22 July, 1992 is committed to the principles of free enterprise,
fundamental human rights and a vigorous pursuit of private initiative, which
was first articulated by Dr Joseph Boakye Danquah, described as Doyen of
Ghanaian politics.
Mr Esseku
said though the party had a great responsibility to bring peace, stability and
prosperity to the nation, there were difficulties in achieving them. "Our
government has inherited a bankrupt nation and a multitude of problems at all
levels of our national life but the task ahead is to repair what has been
damaged, rebuild and restore what can not be repaired and build afresh",
he said.
He,
therefore, urged all members and supporters of the party to unite and see the
success of the party as individual successes so that the party would be the
most cohesive and well focussed one in the country, adding, "we should not
allow temporary disappointments to put us in the frame of pessimism".
Outlining
the achievements of the Party for the 18 months in power, Mr Esseku said the
biggest achievement chalked by the NPP was the repealing of the criminal libel
law, which had led to an expansion of the scope of press freedom and individual
freedom as a whole.
He said
inflation had dropped from 40.9 per cent in January 2001 to 19.9 per cent in
January 2002. There had also been a decline of money market rates with interest
for 91-day treasury bills declining from 41.9 per cent in January last year to
23.3 per cent in February this year. Mr Esseku noted that, 900 Junior Secondary Schools were being
refurbished while a school in each district was being upgraded.
He said 42
districts were being assisted by the government to establish a "Mutual Health Organisations", Health Care Insurance to
replace the Cash and
Carry
system, which would later be extended to the rest of the districts.
He said one
of the major challenges the Party faced was the declaration of the Supreme
Court that the Fast Track Court was unconstitutional, "but thank God the
same Court rescinded its decision to make way for faster hearing of
cases".
As part of
the anniversary activities, the NPP would hold a national rally at Koforidua, a
symposium, a press soiree and a banquet to honour its founding fathers and
those who had been steadfast in the fight for freedom and justice. Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of
NPP, said the party welcomes constructive criticisms to move the nation forward
and added "as pacesetters in democracy we are not perturbed by criticisms
by sections of the public.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-The victory of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in
the 2000 elections would not be complete without the transformation of the
economy, President John Agyekum Kufuor, said on Tuesday night. This would only be possible when the
private sector was fully recognised as the engine of economic growth.
President
Kufuor was speaking at a Dinner-Dance as part of activities marking the tenth
anniversary of the NPP, in Accra. He noted that the ideology of the NPP, which
makes the well- being, and progress of the individual its priority, now
transcends all parties.
The
President said the ideology prevented the party from collapsing while in
opposition for almost 40 years. He urged Ghanaians to adopt the ideology, which
had turned the world into a global village to ensure development. In spite of
some difficulties, the government was doing its best to ensure that Ghanaians
benefited from its tenure of office.
The
President urged Ghanaians to support the NPP, saying: "this, would help
Ghana get out of its economic doldrums and steer it into the main stream of the
advanced world". The climax of the month-long anniversary would be on 24
August.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-Panellists at a symposium on the legality of the Fast
Track Courts (FTC) in Accra on Tuesday called for a constitutional amendment to
determine the number of Judges to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
The
five-member panel comprising legal practitioners said such an amendment would
gag the Executive from packing the court arbitrarily and assert the
independence of the Judiciary.
The
symposium was on: "The Fast Track Court Ruling: Lessons Learned And
Implications For The Administration Of Justice In Ghana," was organised by
the
Ghana
Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in collaboration with the
Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
The
panellists disagreed with the Supreme Court's 10 million-cedi award of cost
against the plaintiff, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, who disputed the constitutionality of
the FTC and won by a 5-4, majority decision of the court last February.
They argued
that there was no need to award such a cost against Mr Tsikata since the case
was reviewed at the request of the Attorney General and "it was neither
bogus nor frivolous."
The
panellist comprised Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, National Democratic Congress, the
Minority Spokesman for Constitutional and Legal Matters, Dr Kwasi
Prempeh,
Director of Legal Policy and Governance of CDD-Ghana and Mr Nene Amegatcher of
Okudzeto Chambers. The rest were Nana Asante Bediatuo, a Lawyer and Investment
Banker and Mr Yonny Kulendi of Akuffo Addo, Prempeh and Company.
They
reviewed nine sub-themes that included the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court,
empanelling of the Supreme Court by the Chief Justice, representation of the
Chief Justice by the Attorney General and the accountability of the Judiciary. There was consensus over the need
for members of the bench to be accountable and transparent in the discharge of
their duties.
There was,
however, a divergence of opinion on the legitimacy of the FTC and the authority
of the Chief Justice to establish such courts and the empanelling of Judges to
decide on constitutional matters. Alhaji Mumuni said the 6-5 decision by the Supreme Court that
re-instated the constitutionality of the FTC was a conspiracy between the
Executive and the Judiciary to undermine the rule of law and the independence
of the Judiciary.
He said
government's appointment of Justice Dixon Kwame Afreh, who presided over a FTC
on the panel for the review, was a clear case of Executive influence over the
Judiciary. Alhaji Mumuni
argued that the framers of the Constitution were convinced that the law courts
should be insulated from the Executive to protect the fundamental rights of the
people.
He said
although the Supreme Court had a review jurisdiction it was wrong to succumb to
the case brought before it by the Attorney General since the
February
ruling over the FTCs should have ended the litigation. Alhaji Mumuni described as absurd
the empanelling of a full bench of 11 to sit on the review when the
constitutional provisions made it seven.
Mr Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Attorney -General and Minister of Justice, who was among the
members of the audience, in a contribution said that the review was
constitutional.
He cited Mr
Kwame Pianim, a Political Activists and Economists, who invoked the review
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for the first time to reverse an earlier
decision barring him from contesting an election as a presidential candidate.
He said a review of a constitutional matter was necessary since it offered the
court the opportunity to correct a mistake it might have made in an earlier
ruling.
The Mr
Akufo-Addo said there was no way the appointment of people to the bench by the
Executive could undermine the independence of the judiciary since the history
of decisions by the courts have established that as a fact.
He said the
Kufuor Administration had no interest in establishing FTCs since it was the
prerogative of the Chief Justice. The Minister of Justice said government would remain on track as the
only political administration with the exemplary record of upholding the rule
of law.
He said the
law courts had lacked libraries, quality staff and other logistics to ensure
the quick dispensation of justice. What was important, therefore, was to resource the cash-strapped
Judicial Service to motivate the staff to give of their best.
Dr Prempeh
said the Supreme Court's ruling on the FTC did not make the Executive powerful
in any way neither did it add nor take anything from the
Constitution. He said the independence of the
Judiciary and the constitutional rights of the citizenry were not jeopardised
by the mere enforcement of the review jurisdiction of the court.
Nana
Bediatuo spoke against the partisan nature the debate on the FTC had taken
saying the decision by the Supreme Court was not against any ideological
inclination of any political party.
Mr Kulendi advocated
the need to separate the office of the Attorney General from the Ministry of
Justice to avoid any conflict of interest by the Attoney-General in defending
public officials such as the Chief Justice.
He said the
passionate debate over the FTC showed "how as a nation we cannot arrive at
a consensus on issues that affects our interest as a people." Mr Amegatcher called on the Ghana
Bar Association (GBA) the media and civil society to keep a watchful eye on the
Judiciary to ensure its independence.
Professor
Emmanuel Gyimah Boadi, Executive Director of CDD, called for a scholarly and
well informed debate over the FTC to enhance the country's democratic process. Mr Sam Okudzeto, past Chairman of
the GBA, who chaired the function, asked journalists to specialise in court
reporting to avoid the mistakes they made in reporting court proceedings.
During an
open forum Justice George Aikins, former Attorney General and a retired Supreme
Court Judge, called on the Chief Justice to insulate himself from any undue
political influence. He said the Attorney -General should also draw a line between his
professional role as legal advisor of the government and his political role as
Minister of Justice in deciding on constitutional matters.
Mr Emile
Short, Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Mr Akoto
Ampaw, a legal practitioner called on the Chief Justice to establish clear
procedures in exercising his discretion in empanelling judges.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-Officials from Ghana and Togo met on Tuesday to work
out modalities for opening their common border for 24 hours to ensure free
movement of people, goods and services. They also discussed the possibility of
stationing customs, police and immigration officers on either side of the
border.
Dr Paa
Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation, said the
agreement was reached last year between the Presidents of the two countries
during bilateral talks in Accra. He said countries of the West Africa sub-region could make it only
through economic integration and stressed the need for the two countries to
find solutions to factors hindering their relations.
People had
questioned the benefits of ECOWAS and it was time Ghana and Togo regularised
their relations to foster unity, he said. Mr Kokou Joseph Koffigoh, Togolese
Minister for Regional Integration in-charge of Parliamentary Relations, said
the two countries and other African
States
should share their resources for the benefit of the people.
He said
just as Togo was benefiting from Ghana's Hydro-Electric Power form Akosombo,
Nigeria was also sharing her gas with Ghana, Togo and Cote, D'Ivoire. Mrs Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance said Ghana and Togo should
show the way for other African countries to follow.
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Accra (Greater
Accra) 24 July 2002- Mr. Justice Kwame Afreh, a Supreme Court Judge sitting
with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, on the Quality
Grain case,
on Tuesday reminded reporters covering court cases, especially " the Quality Grain " to be
circumspect in their reportage.
He said
when journalists become bias in the discharge of their duties it creates
embarrassment not only to the judge, but also the accused person or persons and
the court at large.
Mr. Justice
Afreh was reacting to a complaint made by Mr. Kwaku Baah, one of the counsels
in the case, in which two former Ministers of State and three former top public
officials are standing trial, that media reports on proceedings at the Fast
Track Court (FTC), were not factual and accurate.
Mr. Baah
also prayed the court to invite Mr. Kwaku Baako, Editor of the Crusading Guide,
to appear before it to explain a statement that he made on a
T/V
programme. Mr. Justice
Afreh referred the matter to the Attorney -General's Office for the necessary
action. The Judge stressed that, "I think comments on this case, should be
made at the end of the judgement."
When the
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr. Osafo Sampong, was asked for his
comment, he stated that the court had power to order Mr. Baako to appear before
the court.
The DPP
stated further that the matter, when referred to the A-G's Office and it is
satisfied, it could issue summons of contempt on Mr. Baako. Mr. Sampong, however, advised that
caution must be taken about how to handle the matter, " because of the
numerous comments being made on this particular case."
During
today's sitting, Mr. Kwaku Baah earlier told the court that, on Saturday, 6
July, this year Mr. Baako who featured on a breakfast show on '" T/V 3 " allegedly said that he
had seen the evidence made by some of the accused persons in connection with
the Quality Grain case and that "one or two of them will go in."
According
to counsel we should try not to prejudge the issue, because it appeared the
public has formed opinion about the situation, before the court knowing all the
facts. Counsel said on
Wednesday, 3 July, the Daily Guide also came out with a picture of Victor
Selormey, onetime Deputy Minister of Finance, now in jail for causing financial
loss to the state, and directly opposite that picture, was that of Kwame
Peprah, facing similar charges.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002- The Cuban Health Brigade in Ghana is to be
increased from 148 doctors to 200. Eleven Cuban Professors are also to be attached to the University of Development
Studies to strengthen the Medical Faculty, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Foreign
Minister told newsmen after attending the 11th Ghana-Cuba Permanent Joint
Commission for Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation, in Havana.
The Foreign
Minister said he met President Fidel Castro for discussions on Ghana's
development and areas for Cuban assistance. Mr Owusu-Agyeman said the
government in Havana offered to assist Ghana to eradicate guinea worm,
elephantiasis and Cerebro Spinal meningitis.
According
to him the meeting agreed on a private joint venture for the production of
vaccines against hepatitis B, sugar production and salt mining. The Minister announced an increase
in Cuban scholarship for Ghanaians to pursue science and related courses while
Cuba was to import timber, fish and bauxite from Ghana in the spirit of
South-South cooperation. Ghana's delegation included Mr Moses Dani Baah, Deputy Minister of
Health and Mr Kwasi Abeasi, Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion
Centre.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002- Defence Minister Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor on Tuesday
laid the foundation stone for the construction of two storey Burma Hall
building and a commercial complex to cost about 11.2 billion cedis at Burma
camp in Accra.
The Burma
Hall building, which would have a seating capacity of 2000 people, is to cost
eight billion cedis and the Burma Camp Commercial Complex is estimated at 3.2
billion cedis. Dr Addo Kufuor, before laying the foundation for the beginning of work
on the projects said the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) had achieved a lot of
distinction worldwide and had brought a lot of honour to the country, and as
such, deserved "something commensurate to its image."
He said
because of the prestige accorded the GAF by various visiting Head of States,
and their zeal to interact with service personnel, GAF's infrastructure should
befit its status as a major international and sub-regional player.
Dr Addo
Kufuor, also acting as the Interior Minister, said the Burma Hall, which is
being re-constructed by the China State Hualong Construction Limited, a Chinese
firm, with technical assistance from the GAF's 49 Engineers Regiment.
The Burma
Hall, built in 1945 from wood and bricks started deteriorating in the early
nineties and was pulled down in 1998. It had a seating capacity of about 800 to
1000 people and used to be a nerve centre for GAF's official and social
activities.
Dr. Kufuor
said the newly designed Burma Hall, with a main auditorium with features such
as enhanced lighting and acoustic systems would be comparable to any modern
auditorium anywhere. He said the Hall would also have other features such as a VVIP
reception, modern offices for receiving important guests.
The hall,
when completed, would be used as a venue for the GAF's all ranks durbars,
receiving of foreign dignitaries, theatre performances and musical concerts,
venue for promotion and entry examinations into the GAF and other authorised
social functions.
The Burma
Camp Commercial Complex, he said, would accommodate the Burma
Camp Branch
of the Ghana Commercial Bank and the State Insurance Company, a modern library
and computer laboratory, and an Internet Café.
He said it
was the policy of government to improve the human resource development of the
people and it was its intention to assist military personnel, civilian employees
of the Ministry of Defence and their families to acquire knowledge, skills and
capacities with the facilities at the complex.
He said
about five million cedis worth of books have been acquired for the library and
about 50 computers would be used for the computer library when completed. The Minister however, told the media
that funding for both projects were outside budgetary allocations of the GAF.
The Burma
Hall project, he said, was being funded by money from bilateral sources;
particularly from the Chinese government and that the Commercial complex was
being funded by money from the GAF's peacekeeping accounts and donations from
well-meaning people.
The Army
Commander, who is also acting as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major
General Clayton Yaache, on behalf of the GAF expressed his gratitude to the
Minister for his foresight and pragmatism for initiating the projects, adding
that it would improve the welfare of the armed forces.
He
expressed the hope that the minister would continue with the same zeal for the
project to be completed and asked that the conditions of service of military
personnel should be considered for improvement.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-Mr Yaw Barimah, Minister of Works and Housing on
Tuesday called for efforts to reverse an annual housing deficit of about
400,000 units to meet the growing demands of the increasing urban population.
Opening a
three-day international conference on housing and urban development in Accra,
the Minister said although housing delivery was key in ensuring economic growth
and development, about 70 per cent of Ghanaians could hardly afford houses put
up by private commercial developers. In the face of declining economy growth, rising unemployment and rapid
urbanisation, only a few affluent minority were able to buy such houses, he
said.
The
Institute of Local Government Studies, the Institute of Housing and urban
Development Studies and UN Habitat and other partner institutions are
collaborating to host the event on the theme: "Housing and Urban
Development For
Low Income
Groups In Sub-Saharan Africa."
Participants
from Britain, South Africa, Ghana and the United States among others would
discuss the challenges of urbanisation and how to deliver affordable housing
units to people in low and medium income bracket. They would also share
experiences on their country's specific situations.
Mr. Barimah
said developing affordable housing units for the low income group was important
to serve as a catalyst to reduce slums and to also ensure effective land
management practices and improve the environment.
He said the
need to stem the large exodus of people from the rural to the urban centres in
many sub-Saharan cities, saying the deplorable housing condition under which such
immigrants live was socially unacceptable and hindered economic growth of the
countries.
"Indeed,
urbanisation in itself is not a negative phenomenon because it integrates
society, its dangers lie in the inability to manage it well and avoid socially
unacceptable practices," the Minister said.
The
government, he said, was working tirelessly to better the conditions of the
vulnerable in society and called for effective public-private partnership to
bridge the gap in housing delivery to reduce the plight of the low and medium
income persons.
"There
must be a strong bond of partnership between government, the private sector and
even residents if our efforts were to yield fruit," he added. Mr. Alioune Badiane, Chief, UN
Habitat Regional Office for Africa said the threat posed by urbanisation
required that African countries provided more than four million housing units
each year to meet the growing demands in the cities.
This,
however, would not be feasible if governments on the continent do not change their
policies and ensure effective land management, he said, adding that often land
management in most countries was too hazy and self-seeking individuals manned
the title registries.
"If
this trend continued, more slums without the basic services would spring up in
the cities, posing a threat to our environment," he said. According to him, with the decline
in the world economy and coupled with low levels of employment, the
affordability gap for housing units were widening and called on government to
facilitate the acquisition of housing units.
Mr Amos
Dotse, Vice President of Manet Limited said lack of effective and consistent
land policies and the difficulty in registering land and litigation were
impacting negatively on the private sector's ability to deliver affordable
housing units to the low income group.
"This
gives room to fraudsters and gangsters to visit all sort of scams and devious
scheme on unsuspecting landowners and prospective developers," he said.
He said the
high cost of building materials coupled with long period of ruling on cases
make the cost of building unaffordable for low income people.
Mr William
Ohrt, Managing Director, Regimanuel Gray, said, in a purely commercial sense,
the private sector could not provide true low cost houses. Mr. Cas Coovadia, Chairman of
African Union for Housing Finance said the goals of the African Union and those
of the continent's economic blue print, the
New
Partnership for African Development should guide continental strategies to
ensure affordable housing.
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30 billion cedis textbook scheme launched
Bolgatanga
(Upper West) 24 July 2002- Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, has
launched 30 billion cedis repackaged textbooks scheme for second cycle schools
at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. The books included those on
Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Christian Religious Studies
and English language.
In an
address to launch the books, the Minister expressed regret that teachers from
the three northern regions were taking postings to Southern Ghana at the expense
of schools in the region. This had led to acute shortage of teachers to teach
relevant subjects especially, at the basic level.
He said
such teachers were not being fair to the communities that had in diverse ways
contributed to their successful acquisition of skills as teachers. Prof
Ameyaw-Akumfi said the revision and provision of the books stemmed from the
government's determination to give quality education to all. He said the
government policy to upgrade a school in each district would start in August.
The
Minister said the provision of the books would be meaningless if students and
teachers were not committed to ensuring that education succeeded in the country
and urged the students to develop the culture of care for the books.
The Upper
East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu said passes in English language and
mathematics had always been a barrier for students to gain admission to
tertiary institutions and expressed the hope that the books would check such
failures. He said the
Ghana Education Service had taken delivery of 9,000 copies of the assorted
books to be distributed to all second cycle schools in the region.
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 24 July 2002- A proposal has been made to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,
Asantehene to consider setting up a fund similar to the education fund for the
development and improvement of facilities at Kumasi Centre for National Culture
(CNC).
The
Reverend Joseph K. Gyimah, leader of the 'True Light of Christ Church',
explained that the intervention of the Asantehene had become crucial since the
CNC, which used to be the pride of Asanteman, had now "become an eye sore
with most of its facilities fast deteriorating".
Rev Gyimah
made the appeal when he briefed the GNA in Kumasi on Monday on the deplorable
state of the CNC and the contributions traditional rulers, religious bodies and
the government could make to salvage it from collapse.
"The
CNC which once used to promote the culture, values and norms of Ghana and
Asanteman and also served as a tourists attraction, has now turned to repel
rather than attract or entice people to it", he said.
Rev Gyimah
said since the CNC was a centre for the promotion of Ghanaian cultural values,
practices and norms, "it will be unfair if our traditional authorities who
are custodians of our culture and values look on while such facilities
degenerate." He said since no religious faith abhorred good cultural
values, it was imperative for all religious institutions to also hold
fund-raisings activities in aid of the CNC.
Rev Gyimah
expressed regret that even though the CNC was now a public institution, very
little attention had been paid to it by various governments to its improvement
and development. He entreated the government to demonstrate a more pragmatic concern for
preservation and promotion of Ghanaian culture by providing adequate resources
for the expansion works at the CNC.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-Ghana and India are to sign a new cultural
exchange agreement, the Indian High Commissioner, Mr Kaikhusrou K Framji said
Tuesday. He said
President J A Kufuor would sign the agreement when he visits India early next
month.
The Indian
High Commissioner was speaking when he presented a computer and a motorbike to
the National Commission on Culture (NCC), in Accra. He said that even though
Ghana and India had similar cultural heritage and traditions there had not been
"much activity in the cultural field between the two countries". Mr Framji expressed the hope that
the agreement would facilitate the exchange of cultural ambassadors for the
benefit of their peoples.
Professor
George Hagan, Chairman of the Commission said the two countries should find new
areas of collaboration especially in areas such as jewellery and film
production, information technology and craftsmanship to create employment for
the youth.
He said the
Commission had submitted a draft cultural policy to Cabinet, which would
emphasis the importance Ghana attached to culture and expressed the hope that
India would support the country's efforts.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002 - The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan
Assembly (AMA) has dismissed suggestions that the Kwabenya Landfill Project has
been abandoned and said preparations are underway to start the second phase.
Mr Solomon
Ofei Darko told the GNA in an interview in Accra that the second phase, which
involved the lining of the pit with clay to prevent leachate, seepage of liquid
discharge from the waste into the underlying soil, would begin soon. He said the AMA had not abandoned
the project as being alleged in certain circles.
"We
only had to wait a while because there is a gap between the first phase and the
second phase of the project," he said. "The government also had to
source for funding for the second phase within that time frame," he added. Mr Darko said the contractors had to
demobilise and pack their machinery out of the site because the second phase
could be awarded to another contractor who might win the bid.
He said
Taysec had made proposal to the AMA to allow it to continue with the second
phase of the project. Taysec has, therefore, gone ahead to make the necessary
arrangements for a financier from Britain to finance the second phase.
The
financiers are yet to sign the agreement with the Government through the
Ministry of Finance, Mr Darko said, adding, "Everything is ready for the
financiers to finalise the agreement with the government."
The AMA
boss said structures within the project site and those around the buffer zone
would qualify for compensation. "Only those with proper documents would be
compensated." He said people were still building so as to get compensation
adding that this was not possible.
Mr Darko
said the modalities involving the land acquisition, payment of compensation and
the provision of social amenities for the Kwabenya township were receiving due
attention. In order to get
the maximum co-operation from the residents around the landfill project, a
community sensitisation programme was currently going on in the township
through a consultant -CEDEP - hired for the job, Mr Darko said.
"We've
told the Town and Country Planning Department to put a freeze on the land, but
it has been difficult to police the land day and night." Experts have described the Kwabenya
Landfill Project as the first modern sanitary landfill ever to be constructed
in Ghana.
The first
phase, which started in July 2001 and ended in January 2002, involved the
construction of access roads, a culvert and storm drains. Construction works at the site came to a halt
following the evacuation of the site by the first contractor, Taysec. The residents attributed that to
their petition to the British High Commission to get Taysec off the site.
The
contractor packed away all its tools and equipment after completing the first
phase involving the construction of a storm culvert and a catch water drain
giving the impression that work on the site had come to a halt.
When the
GNA visited the site, it found that with the onset of the rains the culvert had
been filled with a substantial amount of sand due to erosion and deposits from
the nearby Odartey stream. The Odartey stream, which was dry due to weather
conditions during the first phase of construction, had overflowed its banks
filling the culvert.
The
residents of Agyemankata, the immediate community of the landfill site, who are
still putting up structures, have, however, vowed to continue to oppose the
siting of a landfill in the area saying they would fight it to death. "We
are resolved not to allow the dumping of waste here," Mr Isaac Amo
Smith, who
spoke on behalf of the residents, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
"We
will rather die than to allow the project to take over our lands," he
said. Meanwhile,
sources close to CEDEP, the consultants for the Education programme, say they
were chased out of Agyemankata community with threats on their life.
Mr Elvis
Adade, a member of the education team, who spoke to the GNA said they have,
however, completed the education and sensitisation programme at the
Kwabenya
Township. The education was done through churches, community groups, chiefs and
elders.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday said
Ghana was poised to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and would collaborate with all institutions
and organisations determined to reduce its spread.
He stressed
the need to intensify education in the various communities on the factors,
which promote the pandemic for people to refrain from all vices that spread the
virus. President
Kufuor said this when Mr Richard Alton, Secretary-General of the Institute of
Cultural Affairs International (ICAI) led a delegation to call on him at the
Castle, Osu.
Mr. Alton
is in the country in connection with the launching of the HIV/AIDS Initiative
in Africa held at Ve-Golukuati in the Volta Region this month. President Kufuor pledged his support
to the Institute whose activities were concentrated in the communities because
it could make a positive impact and assist affected people in Ghana.
Mr. Alton
said the Institute had embarked on a five-year project in 10 countries in
Africa to strengthen activities in the communities to fight the scourge of
HIV/AIDS. He said Ghana
was chosen for the launching of the project because of the peace, stability,
good governance, the hospitality of the people and the desire to endear
themselves to education on the spread of the pandemic.
Mr Lambart
Okrah Executive Director of ICA, Ghana said the Institute operates in 34
countries worldwide and was established in Ghana about four and-a -half years
ago to promote harmony between the past and the future. Mr. Okrah presented some books on
the activities of the Institute to President Kufuor.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-An American Political Scientist on Tuesday called
on African leaders, to improve food security, shelter, health and education to
forestall political upheavals.
"You
can not have an efficient national defence system when your citizens are
ignorant, hungry and thirsty," Professor Raymond Hopkins of Swarthmore
College in
the United States said.
Prof.
Hopkins was speaking on "Globalisation: Implications for Africa" at a
seminar organised by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research
(ISSER) of the University of Ghana, in Accra.
He asked
developing nations to pursue "human security programmes" to ward off
the negative pressures of globalisation and urged African countries to table
their concerns on trade through the regulatory framework of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO), for redress.
Prof.
Hopkins suggested that Africa should set up an economic intelligence system to
predict the behaviour of the global market and how to gain access to it. He
asked African governments to institute measures to reverse the brain drain.
Prof.
Hopkins said multinational companies would have prominent roles in the
"emerging global power play" and called on developing nations to use
them to influence the policies of powerful countries.
He
described the current global power structure as an "unorganised unipolar
system" that needed a popular global coalition to deal with, noting that
"Even though, the cold war had its own problems, the then super powers saw
to a global order, which was quite acceptable".
The
Professor called for a check on the parochial interest of the United States on
global issues. "The United States needs restraint. It is too big to be let
loose. If there is no check on it, the effects of its interest on poor nations
would be unbearable," he pointed out.
According to
him Globalisation offers real dangers to Africa but also offers the
opportunities to tap resources for development. Professor Ernest Aryeetey of the
University, called on African countries to think beyond their borders.
"The waves of globalisation would have no mercy on the unprepared but the
prepared would ride it," he added.
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Denu (Volta
Region) 24 July 2002- There is a mad rush for labour cards in the Ketu District
by hundreds of job seekers at the new Diamond Cement Factory at Aflao that
starts production soon.
The
Management of the plant, overwhelmed by the number of job seekers that invade
the factory gate daily, had put up a notice requesting them to obtain labour
cards and route their applications through the Labour Office at Denu.
When the
GNA visited the Labour Office on Monday more than 40 men aged between 18 and 55
years were at the compound waiting for their cards to be processed. "My greatest happiness would be
when I am employed to be on a regular income,'' Mr Kwesi Anani Ntaseseh, a
19-year-old Junior Secondary School leaver told the GNA.
Emmanuel
Agonku, 42, said he was looking for the position of a security man. "I
have a family and it is difficult if you don't have a regular income." Mr Albert Ankumah, Ketu District
Labour Officer, said hitherto only an average of two applications were
processed for labour certificates in a month but the number had jumped to 20
per day.
He said the
category of people seeking the certificate included, graduates, Higher National
Diplomas (HND) holders, Senior Secondary and Junior Secondary leavers, National
Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) and City and Guilds certificate holders
and unskilled people.
Mr Ankumah
said the labour office had held discussions with management of the Cement
Factory on the Labour Decree, of 1967, that obliged employers to only recruit
people with labour certificates and through the labour office. He said so far only one woman had
come for a labour card within the last three months out of the about 380 cards
issued.
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Tema
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002-Companies in Tema are refusing to pay new rates
and taxes being demanded by the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) alleging
irregularities and illegalities.
In May
2002, Mr Samuel Aryee, Tema Municipal Finance Officer, without any due regard
to the local government structures, on his own accord wrote to various
industries and companies within the assembly area to increase their rates,
setting aside what had been gazetted.
"Business
operating payment demand notice" sent to the companies said "by the
provisions of sections 34, 77, 78, 94 and 98 of Act 462 of 1993, the power to
levy businesses operating in the municipality is vested in TMA.
"The
business operating permit payable depends on the rate levied, capacity and the
number of outlets in respect of the rate levied by a resolution of the
assembly, a total rate of ........, has been levied on your property, you are
to pay this by June 15, 2002".
Some of the
companies in the municipality complained about the new taxes some of which were
raised from seven million cedis to 20 million cedis, from three million cedis
to 10 million cedis, from five million cedis to 15 million cedis.
Mr Aryee
told the GNA in an interview that he despatched the letters to the companies
without the knowledge of the Finance and Administration (F and A) Sub-committee
of the assembly.
He
explained that the Sub-Committee later refused to approve the increases because they found no basis for the
increases, and more especially there could not be supplementary rate increases
in less than six months after the rates had been gazetted.
Mr Aryee,
however, refuted the allegations that he had privatised the collection of the
new rates, saying no company had paid the revenue since the letters were sent
out in May.
The
Assembly in January 2002 approved a fee fixing resolution that authorised it to
impose taxes on companies, market traders, garage owners and residents with
property, among other things, and this resolution was gazetted in February.
The
gazetted fees by the TMA were those to be paid by all rateable companies and
individuals within the assembly's jurisdiction, and anyone who failed to pay
the rates could be dragged to the courts.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 24 July 2002- An economic and management consultant has
stressed the need for wealth creation at the personal and national levels to
change the poverty image of Ghana and other African countries.
Professor
Stephen Adei, Director General of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public
Administration attributed the high poverty levels on the continent to bad
leadership, lack of knowledge and inability to create wealth and urged
Ghanaians to abandon the poverty mentality and take personal responsibility for
wealth creation.
He said:
"Ghana will forever be poor unless we start creating wealth at a very fast
pace as a nation and as individuals. Yet, because of our colonial dependency,
our past governance atmosphere, our vampire extended system, our corruption,
and traditional values, which encourage for example, the burying of
15 per cent
of our national income in funerals, we have not yet begun to act."
Professor
Adei's focus on wealth creation and sound personal financial management was
expressed in his latest book, "12 Keys to Financial Success" which
was launched in Accra by The Rev. Dr. Mensa Otabil, Founder and Leader of the
International Central Gospel Church on Tuesday.
Among the
thought provoking issues discussed in the 12 chapter paperback book, which has
five indexes are "Developing a Winning Attitude", "Set Time
Bounds for
Concrete Goals, Create an Emergency Fund" and "Get Rich Slowly''.
Professor
Adei suggests a positive change in attitude towards wealth creation,
acquisition of basic knowledge on investment opportunities and how money grows
and commitment to one's financial future backed by time, consistency and
discipline to make one financially independent.
Launching
the book, Rev. Dr Otabil noted that Ghana's poverty was rather an unconscious
choice, through several acts of commission and omission rather than an
accident. He asked Ghanaians not to be perplexed by poverty and accept
programmes meant to change the poverty situation. Rev Dr Otabil asked Ghanaians to
judiciously manage their resources both at home and industry.
Dr George
Apenteng, Acting Director and Associate Professor of GIMPA, who chaired the
ceremony, reminded working Ghanaians to prepare early and adequately for their
retirement by taking advantage of investment packages to avoid the heartaches
of unplanned retirement. The first 10 copies of the book were auctioned for
11.7 million cedis.
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