Minority reacts to Veep's statement at Koforidua rally
District Assembly concept aims at integration and development
Committee to probe Fulani herdsmen menace
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002 - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament has described as "a smokescreen," a statement by the Vice President Aliu Mahama that the NPP members of government would not indulge in corrupt practices because they were persons of substance.
The Vice President was reported to have told the rally that the NPP members in government were gainfully employed and that they came into office with BMWs, Pajeros and Mercedes Benz cars.
A statement signed by John Tia, Deputy Minority Whip, in Accra on Tuesday, urged the media and Ghanaians to continue to be vigilant and strictly hold the government to its policy of "zero tolerance for corruption."
The statement described as fallacy, the logic that people who were wealthy did not have an appetite to acquire any more wealth. "The experience is the reverse, as rich people have a greater propensity and desire to acquire even more wealth than people of humble and poor origins."
It pointed out that persons of immense wealth and resources had perpetrated some of the most massive frauds in history, adding that the actions of members of the NPP government did not support the assertion of the Vice
President, because "despite the members' supposed ownership of BMWs, Pajeros and Benz cars, they were revelling in the use of state owned four wheel drive vehicles and basking in state largesse." "The NPP men of substance have not hesitated in taking advantage of the 20,000-dollar Parliamentary loans to buy cars", it said.
The statement reminded the Vice President that, "it was the same NPP men of substance who presided over the Sahara scandal, the 15 billion cedis Castle renovation project, the renovation of the President's private residence, the Police Peugeot scandal, the 1.8 billion cedis Free Zones contract, the 110 billion cedis currency printing contract, the 1.2 billion cedis TMA waste dump fumigation contract and the dubious IFC loan agreement, amongst many others."
It expressed regret over the Vice President's call on Ghanaians to ignore so-called lies he claimed were peddled by the print and electronic media saying that it was the same media on whose back his party rode to power. The minority would not be distracted from subjecting members of the NPP government to intense scrutiny as required by the constitution, the statement added.
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Birem citizens threaten to boycott elections
Mampong (Eastern Region) 31 July 2002-The people of Birem Electoral Area in the Sekyere West section of the Afram Plains have threatened to boycott the impending district assembly elections to press home their demand for the creation of different units for the area.
They have also warned that any attempt by the Electoral Commission (EC) to send polling agents and electoral materials to Birem in defiance of their warning would lead to "something disastrous."
Mr Ali Cosmon, District Electoral Officer told the Ghana News Agency at Asante-Mampong. The Birem Electoral Area consists of Kyease, Kyekyebon and other surrounding villages with a total population of over 13,000 people and separated from each other by an average of seven kilometres.
Mr Cosmon said at an emergency meeting with opinion leaders of the area, they appeared to have arrived at a compromise and therefore expressed surprise about their new stance. Mr Cosmon said he had written to the Ashanti Regional Electoral Officer, calling for the postponement of the elections in the area as a peace gesture until the "tides" are calmed.
Mr Thomas Edward Atakorah, the District Chief Executive last Tuesday held a meeting with the opinion leaders at Birem in an effort to strike a compromise but they spurned his peace overtures.
The DCE subsequently called a District Security Council (DISEC) meeting on Friday during which it was concluded that the military should be deployed to the area to ensure smooth conduct of the elections slated for 6 August.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002 - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Tuesday reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to the ideals of African Union and Pan-Africanism. "We should take inspiration from the founding fathers of Pan-Africanism to continue the struggle for total emancipation of the Black Race", he said.
Vice President Mahama was addressing a cross-section of Pan-Africanists at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra where wreaths were laid in memory of Ghana's Founder. Wreaths were also laid at on the tombs of George Padmore and Dr William E.B. Dubois to mark the beginning of the celebration of the Emancipation week.
"The difficulties that Africans encountered during the struggle for independence and now should not deter us from striving for the total emancipation of the African." He said never has any race suffered so much from the atrocities of others like the Black Race.
Alhaji Mahama said chattel slavery led to the destruction of millions of African life and left a psychological damage, economic and social disintegration on the continent.
"A trade that continue to be the source of racism, discrimination and indignity." he said. Vice President Mahama paid tribute to the fathers of modern Pan-Africanism such as Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Dr Dubois and George Padmore. He said: "We must keep alive the spiritual and emotional linkages amongst African and people of African descent to keep the vision of the fathers alive."
Elhaji Falilou Mamadou Ba, Guinean Ambassador, called for the adoption of the Emancipation celebration idea at the Sub-Regional and Continental levels. "This would consolidate the relationships, unity and union between African and their brethren in the Diaspora," he said. Dr Leonard Jefferies, Professor of African Studies, City University of New York, described the emancipation celebration as "true African resurrection".
He praised Ghanaians for institutionalising Emancipation celebration that had brought about the concept of pilgrimage to the mother/fatherland. Emancipation day, which falls on First August, has been celebrated annually since 1998 to mark the end of chattel slavery in the British Empire in 1834.
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Agona Asafo (Central Region) 31 July 2002- The District Assembly concept was initiated to foster the integration of all human and material resources of the nation for community development and not to promote partisanship among the citizenry.
Prospective assembly members must, therefore, study Article 248 of the Constitution to guide them in their campaign for votes for the district level elections scheduled for Tuesday.
Mr Ferdinand J. K. Anku, Central Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), said this when he addressed a durbar of chiefs and people of Agona-Asafo in the Agona District of the Central Region to educate them on the up-coming election.
He told aspiring assembly members in the region that critical study of the law establishing the district assemblies would help avoid the use of political party symbols in their campaign. Mr Anku said such acts could divide their front and deny the whole community the unity of purpose required for development.
Mr. H. E. Dani Eshun, a Director from the NCCE Headquarters in Accra, advised contestants to comport themselves in their quest for votes. He said the NCCE would continue to intensify its education on the election and other constitutional rights and responsibilities to enable Ghanaians to play their part in the national reconstruction effort.
Nana Ponsi II, a Sub-Chief of Agona-Asafo, appealed to the electorate in the area to elect candidates, who would be committed to speeding up the socio-economic growth of the people.
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Electoral Commission outlines modalities
for local government elections
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002-The Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday outlined modalities for voting at the local government elections scheduled for 6 August. The Commission said a voter is expected to vote for one candidate for the electoral area and ten candidates at the unit committee level.
Mr Kwame Damoah-Agyeman, EC Chief Director of Elections, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra that all laws governing elections in the country would be applied.
He said the voting procedures remained the same. "The voting pattern is transparent and at each point of the voting process there is an identifiable glaring system, which would make it impossible for any one to cheat." He explained that the result of polling stations within the electoral area would be collated at a designated centre, where the Deputy Returning Officer for the area would declare the winner.
Mr Damoah-Agyeman said for the Unit level, the Returning Officers would use a specially designed Tallying Form to collate the results and declare the first ten with the highest votes cast in their favour as winners. The collation would be done in the presence of the candidate's Agents. He said; "the result of any polling station where the number of votes cast would exceed the number of registered voters would be cancelled."
Mr Damoah-Agyeman urged Ghanaians to avoid making allegations about imagined electoral fraud and suspicions and condemned those who falsely believe the elections would be rigged, saying, people make pronouncements that tended to erode the confidence in an elaborate electoral system.
"Most of the time we talk about rights without talking about our duties and responsibilities and then fail to understand and appreciate how the electoral system operates," the Chief Director said. Mr Damoah-Agyeman appealed to the media to abide by the Ghana Journalists Association guidelines on elections to ensure that the press would not be accused of fomenting trouble.
He said it was only certified results that should be announced by the press and urged practitioners to crosscheck any information, allegations and complaints or pieces of information that they would stumble upon to make them credible.
A total of 14,141 candidates had filed nominations to contest for the 4,830 electoral seats, while 15,386 are contesting for unit committee membership. There are 981 female candidates for the assemblies.
In another development, the Electoral Commission told the Ghana News Agency in Accra, that a total of 323 candidates stand unopposed in their respective electoral areas, and gave the regional distribution as follows: Western 18, Central 12, Greater Accra 10, Volta 76, Eastern 33, Ashanti 21, Brong Ahafo 38, Northern and Upper West 44 each and Upper East 27.
Statistics on candidates indicated that out of 1,471, who filed to contest for the 452 electoral areas in the Western region only 77 were female, Central had only 117 female out 1,440 candidates for 498 electoral areas and the Greater Accra had 64 females out 842 candidates for the 236 electoral areas.
Others are: Volta, 130 female contestants out of 1,337 candidates for the 512 electoral areas, Eastern had 145 females out of the 2,067 candidates for the 692 electoral areas, Ashanti recorded 214 females out of 2,737 candidates for the 819 electoral areas and the Brong Ahafo had 100 females out of 1,649 candidates for the 582 electoral areas.
The rest are Northern 57 females out of 1,319 candidates for the 546 electoral areas, Upper East 42 females out of 725 candidates for the 270 electoral areas while the Upper West recorded 35 female candidates out 437 contestants for the 198 electoral areas.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002- Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, on Tuesday called for discipline, moderation and the adoption of healthy lifestyles to cut down on health expenditure, diseases and prevent deaths from largely preventable causes.
"If we maintain discipline in our lifestyles, we can significantly reduce disease and death from hypertension, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. In this regard, we must all resolve to stop the use of tobacco in all its forms and reduce alcohol intake or stop it altogether," he said in a speech read for him at the launch of a comprehensive health package by SSNIT in Accra.
The health package, dubbed "4 For Men and Well Woman Plus", is an initiative of the Trust Hospital. It is designed to offer men and women aged 35 and above a comprehensive medical examination for various condition such as cancer, infertility, impotence, coronary heart diseases and other health conditions peculiar to the group.
The package involves two visits to the hospital and is estimated to cost 1,660,000 cedis to cover screening, referrals and specialist services, where needed. The Vice President urged Ghanaians to develop the habit of undergoing regular routine medical examinations for early detection of diseases.
"We must also routinely engage in adequate physical exercise and acquire good eating habits, with reduced intake of fats, oils and sugars and liberal intake of fruits and vegetables." Professor Clifford Tagoe, the Dean of the University of Ghana Medical School, said the health package dealt with some serious health problems facing the nation.
He said a report from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for the year 2000 listed hypertension and diabetes as two leading causes of admissions and deaths. Dr Fiifi Ellis, Medical Director of the Trust Hospital, said the hospital was interested in preventive medicine and the package was an opportunity for the public to come in at any time for a thorough medical examination and treatment.
He said the hospital and other organisations had introduced a hi-tech spinal surgery project in the country to address certain health problems, which would have cost the nation huge amounts of money.
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Nkoranza (Brong Ahafo) 31 July 2002 - Mr Yaw Kudom, a 54 year-old farmer of Akropong, near Nkoranza, was burnt to death on his farm on Thursday as he prepared the land for maize cultivation.
Mr David Owusu-Agyeman, a relative of the deceased, told the Ghana News Agency at Nkoranza that the late Kudom, popularly called "Wofa K." went to the farm around 1300 hours but had not returned by the evening.
Some relatives who trace him to the farm found his charred body, he said. Police at Nkoranza-Akume were informed and the body was removed for burial. A Police source said investigations into the case were underway.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 31 July 2002-The posting of National Service Personnel annually to various ministries and departments, saves the government about 37 billion cedis yearly in terms of the payment of salaries and wages to workers.
In the private sector also 500 million cedis is saved every month with the use of service personnel. Mr Alhassan Imoro, Northern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Service Scheme (NSS) said this when he launched this years celebration of the National Service Week in the Northern Region at Tamale on Tuesday.
The theme for the celebration is, "Prevention of HIV/AIDS And Indiscipline In Schools - The Role Of The National Service Personnel". Mr Imoro said national service personnel could provide a platform in mobilising educational institutions and communities in the fight against AIDS, taking into account the successful role they played during the school mapping out exercise and the guineaworm eradication programme.
Speaking on HIV/AIDS, Hajia Yeni Adeniji of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic of the Tamale Regional Hospital and Mr Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, Northern Regional Population Officer both warned the youth against indiscriminate sex.
Four point four (4.4) billion women, they said undergo abortion world-wide yearly. Mr Amadu said 129 orphans have been recorded in the country since 1999 as a result of their parents dying from HIV/AIDS.
Mr I.P.S. Zakaria-Saa of the National Council on Women and Development, speaking on the topic: "Indiscipline In Schools", cautioned parents about the way they train their children.
He said a permissive society encourages indiscipline and waywardness among the youth. Mr Alidu Rashid, Northern Regional Vice Chairman of NASPA expressed concern over the spread of HIV/AIDS and appealed to religious and traditional rulers to help combat it.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 31 July 2002 - A private medical Practitioner based in Bolgatanga, Dr. Kwesi Odoi Agyarko, has been awarded the United Nations Population Award for the year 2002 in the individual category.
He was formally presented with the award in the United States of America (USA) in June. The Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga Traditional Area, Naba Martin Abilba III, attended the ceremony at the invitation of the United Nations Fund For Population Agency (UNFPA).
Dr. Agyarko later presented the award to the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, at a brief ceremony at the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Bolgatanga on Tuesday. The award included a gold medal, a citation plaque and an undisclosed amount of money. He announced that he was donating one million cedis from the cash award to the Girls' educational fund initiated by Naba Martin Abilba.
Briefing the Minister on his activities that earned him the award, Dr Agyarko who operated a local NGO, Rural Health Integrated Centre, said in 1992, he realised that there was the need to reach communities with health delivery in order to provide a complete and holistic medical care.
Dr. Agyarko said his outfit provides reproductive health and HIV/AIDS education to communities through an effective collaborative system with the Ministry Of Health (MOH). He said he had enjoyed the support of chiefs and political heads in the region since 1992, and through that succeeded in drastically reducing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practice in the region.
He said the centre was currently researching into risk behaviours of the youth in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. Mr. Salifu, on his part congratulated Dr. Agyarko for his immense contribution towards health delivery in the region, adding that he had done so much to raise the standard of living of the people.
The Minister said government had the political will in terms of encouraging private sector participation and development and gave the assurance that his outfit would assist any individual organisation in that area.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002- Government on Tuesday announced its intention to develop the 37 Military Hospital to be part of the Post Graduate Medical College of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
This would make the military hospital become a staging post for returning Ghanaian specialists and consultants to offer clinical services, give lectures and conduct research, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence has said.
He made the announcement when he laid the foundation for the official commencement of work on the second phase of modern facilities at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra. The 20 million euro project is being undertaken and financed jointly by the government of Ghana, the German government and Hospital Engineering Gmbh.
Beginning in February this year, the 18-month hospital complex project involves the construction of a polyclinic, Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and Dermatology departments.
It would also have a data centre, physiotherapy department, male surgical ward, public health division, a computer centre and a shopping mall. The contractor for the project is Hospital Engineering Gmbh, and Barbisotti and Company of Italy are handling the civil part.
Dr Addo-Kufuor said efforts were advanced to recruit experienced Ghanaian specialists and consultants to augment the manpower requirements of the hospital. He said five of such consultants had been interviewed and given their letters of appointment and added that he had held discussions with the Provost of the Medical School on accreditation, which would be done on unit basis.
He commended the previous government for starting the first phase of the 37 Military Hospital Development scheme, and said, that had made it possible for the present government to continue from where they left off.
Dr Addo-Kufuor reiterated the need for the military and the civilian population to forge a united front to move the country forward. He said even though the hospital was tagged military, statistics showed that almost 70 per cent of its patients were non-civilians and stressed that any investment in the hospital was therefore, not for the military alone but for the entire nation and even the West African sub-region as military personnel on peace operations had been brought there for treatment.
He said since the establishment of the hospital in 1941, wear and tear have had a toll on the hospital building and equipment and that necessitated its general refurbishment. Dr Addo-Kufuor said the first phase of the rehabilitation project, which had been completed were the operating theatre, the mortuary, the Yaa Asantewa Ward for female officers, among other wards.
He announced plans for a third phase, which would include the provision of a 120-bed capacity Children's ward, a 150-bed capacity maternity block and a modern accident and emergency unit, saying, "this project promises to be among the finest in the sub-region."
Brigadier Dan Twum, Director of Medical Services, expressed appreciation to the India and Lebanese governments for their financial support to previous rehabilitation works on the hospital and expressed the hope that present government would complete other phases of the project before its first term of office.
Right Rev Dr Justice O. Akrofi, Anglican Bishop of Accra, along with other religious ministers, including Major Sheikh Seidu Adam, Chief Imam of the Ghana Armed Forces prayed for the successful completion of the project. The Rev. Dr Akrofi later assisted Dr Addo- Kufuor to unveil a plaque to mark the occasion.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002- The Ministry of Justice has approved the appointment of 27 new attorneys as parts of efforts to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry to deliver efficient services to the state.
A statement signed by Mr. Kwasi Krafona, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry issued in Accra on Tuesday said the Legal Service Board, chaired by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Attorney General, approved the appointment.
It said, the new appointees would beef up the capacity of the various divisions of the Attorney General's office, including, Prosecution, Civil, Legislative drafting and international law divisions, while some of them would be posted to the regional offices, particularly, the three northern regions and Brong Ahafo, which are "desperately in need of more attorneys."
The statement said the minimum number of attorneys needed by the Office of the Attorney General nation-wide was 200 and the new appointees would alleviate to some extent, the shortage of personnel faced by the Ministry. "Even with this exercise, the total number will still fall short of this minimum. Approval is therefore, being sought from the Ministry of Finance for the recruitment of 30 more attorneys this year".
It added that, the recruitment exercise, coupled with the new power recently granted the Attorney General by Parliament to appoint private prosecutors from the Bar, would help to improve the effectiveness and output of the Ministry of Justice.
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Dormaa-Ahenkro (Brong Ahafo) 31 July 2002- Primate S.K. Adofo, head of the Brotherhood Church International has urged Ghanaians, irrespective of political affiliation, to contribute their quota for the rapid development of the country.
The government alone could not develop the country and meaningful individual contributions are needed to support the government's efforts, he said.
Primate Adofo was preaching at the annual national delegates conference of Dorcas Union, a Women's Fellowship within the Church, in Dormaa-Ahenkro. The conference, under the theme, "Emancipation of Women" was attended by 200, delegates.
He said the positive change slogan of the government demanded from Ghanaians to sacrifice and rededicate themselves to the development of the country. Primate Adofo appealed to the church members to avoid laziness, rumour-mongering, back-biting, bribery and corruption and other negative tendencies that would impede the growth of the country.
He commended the immense contributions of the women's fellowship in evangelisation, campaign against AIDS and HIV, the re-afforestation programme and expressed the hope that its activities would sensitise people to shun unproductive activities.
Madam Margaret Seiwaa, national president, said the union had been actively involved in educating women groups in the church on many topical issues including HIV and AIDS, and marriage counselling.
She advised women to engage in income-generating ventures to become self-sufficient enough to support their families. Mr Yaw Asiedu-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Dormaa West, who was the guest of honour, emphasised that the church and the state are partners in development. He, therefore, commended the contribution of churches in education, health, evangelisation and agriculture for the socio-economic advancement of Ghana.
The Reverend G.C. Sechie-Boateng, Pastor in-charge of the Dormaa District branch of the Church, emphasised the vital role of education as a tool for nation building. He urged women to assist in educating their children to enable them to become responsible citizens in future.
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Sunyani (Eastern Region) 31 July 2002- Christian Seseh, a Nigerian, is in the hands of the Brong-Ahafo Police for defrauding some youth in Tuobodom, near Techiman of 96 million cedis.
Inspector Christopher Tawiah, Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that somewhere last year the suspect went to Tuobodom and was able to convince the youth that, he could send them to Gabon for jobs.
The PRO said Seseh came back to the town in June this year and demanded two million cedis each from 24 youth, who had expressed interest in the trip. After collecting the money he hired a vehicle and took them to Nigeria instead of Gabon and was not seen again, leaving them to their fate.
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President Kufuor confers with US Secretary
of State in Kuala Lumpur.
Patrick A. Firempong, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) 31 July 202- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday held talks with the US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell behind closed doors in the Malaysian capital of Kualur Lumpur.
Mr Powell is on an eight-nation Asian tour focused on fighting terrorism following reflecting changes in US policy since the 11 September attacks. The tour which began last week-end in India and Pakistan would take Mr Powell to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines until 3 August.
President Kufuor is also on a three-day state visit to Malaysia and in addition will participate in the Sixth Langkawi International Dialogue which begins on 1-3 August on the Langkawi Islands near Malaysia.
Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs briefing newsmen on the discussions, said the talks held in a cordial atmosphere centred on regional security, terrorism and Ghana's progress in development and problems associated with the developments.
He said the two personalities also discussed the way forward for Africa under the New Partnership for Development in Africa (NEPAD) and Mr Powell commended Ghana for signing all protocols in the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) on terrorism.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs said the issue on the derogatory remarks made against the government of Ghana on investments by Mr William Larsh was also discussed and Mr Powell assured President Kufuor that his objection to the remarks to the US State Department had been received and action would be taken on it.
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Oboadaka (Eastern Region) 31 July 2002-The leader of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Mahama has called for more emphasis to be placed on the cultivation of a variety of cassava that could be eaten as "ampesi" or for "fufu" in the President's cassava starch project.
He explained that this would enable the farmers to have alternative uses for the cassava should the export market develop problems or in the case of the starch factory not being able to buy the quantum of cassava grown by the farmers for processing.
Dr Mahama made the suggestion when he inspected 1.62 hectares cassava farm cultivated by members of the Christian Friends of Democracy (CFD), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), under its Food Security Project at Oboadaka, near Aburi, at the weekend.
The inspection was part of a programme to assess the impact of the project on the members of the NGO and the community, eight months after the launching of the project. Dr Mahama called for the institution of guaranteed prices for agricultural produce so that they could be bought during the harvest season and then released to the market during the lean season.
This would check high prices of foodstuffs as well as assure he farmers of good income from their produce. Addressing a forum later, Dr Mahama called for a new Ghanaian, who would place God and the nation first, his neighbours second and himself last, "if Ghana were to get out of the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPIC) status that it found itself."
The Reverend Samuel Adjei, President of the CFD, said the Food Security Project (FSP) was launched to help improve upon the nutritional needs of the rural communities and help them improve upon their productivity, as well as the marketing of their produce.
He said the project was also meant to change the altitude of the members of the association towards better upkeep of their families. Mr Patrick Kaba of the Akwapim South District Secretariat of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced that the Ayensu Starch Company was opening a marketing centre at Nsawam to purchase cassava from the farmers. He, therefore, advised the people to work hard to expand their farms.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 31 July 2002- The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has instituted a three-member committee to investigate an alleged use of Police vehicles to facilitate illegal timber operations by some Police Officers and their collaborators.
The committee, chaired by a private legal practitioner, Dr A. K. B. Anane, is also tasked to come out with the list of people involved in the deal and recommend appropriate measures to the REGSEC to forestall recurrence.
It has one month to complete its work. The setting up of the committee followed the arrest and subsequent interdiction of four Police personnel for allegedly using the official vehicle to escort illegal chain-sawn lumber for sale at the Anloga timber market in Kumasi.
Inaugurating the committee in Kumasi on Monday, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, said the timber taskforce was set up in the region to check the activities of illegal chainsaw operations in order to protect the forest in the region from rapid depletion.
It was, therefore, disheartening to find out that some security personnel charged to protect the forest were rather using their official position and resources to aid crime, which they were employed to prevent, he said.
The Committee has the mandate to summon witnesses to appear before it and impound vehicles suspected to have been used in the operations. He urged members of the committee to discharge their duties without fear or favour in order to find a lasting solution to the problem.
Brigadier George Ayiku, General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, warned that the REGSEC would not tolerate any serviceman, who used his position for his personal gains instead of state security.
Other members of the committee are Major A. Y. Nsiah, Deputy Commanding Officer of the Fourth Battalion of Infantry and Superintendent Victoria Asamoah of the Manhyia Police Station.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2002- Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, the Acting Minister of the Interior has established a Committee to investigate the problems posed by Fulani herdsmen in the country.
The Committee, which is to provide the Government with the policy framework within which the issue of the Fulani herdsmen is to be handled, has Mr Kwadwo Afram Asiedu, the Deputy Minister of the Interior as its Chairman.
An official statement issued in Accra and signed by Ebenezer Sam, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, named other members of the Committee as the Inspector-General of Police, Director, Ghana Immigration Service and Director, Criminal Investigation Division of the Ghana Police Service.
It also named the Chief Director of the Ministry as the Committee's Secretary. The statement recalled frequent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and local communities, especially in the South Kwahu District, notably at Lobo Kope near Kotoso and Sempoa on the border between Ashanti and Eastern Regions in spite of efforts by past governments to solve it.
"Despite various initiatives that had been taken by previous governments, the problems posed by the Fulani herdsmen still persists," it said. The formation of the committee followed the Deputy Minister's four-day fact-finding tour of Kwahu Tafo, Nteso, Ankoma, Kotoso, Asempaneye, Sadan and Sempoa, the statement said.
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