Anti-smoking bill for Parliament soon
Daily transport services for Andani and Abudu gates
Repeal of law on Songhor Lagoon has many implications
Citizens abroad contribute to community
Let's not politicise district level elections - NDC Chairman
NPP Patrons surprise at NDC's criticism
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2002 - A 23-member group (11
boys and 10 girls) of the Rev. John Teye Memorial School Band have flown to
London, England on a six-week European tour. The group which will perform in
Berlin, Germany, Copenhagen, Denmark, Amsterdam, Holland and Zurich, Switzerland
will open their performance at Westminster Hall in London on Sunday, June 2 and
follow it up with a performance at the Ghana High Commission on June 3, 2002.
Want to help this site win one of the "Oscars of the
Internet"? While, in Denmark, the group will perform at the largest church
in Copenhagen for the church a school children at the Maranantha Ministries. The
tour will next take the group to Holland where they will perform at the
Resurrection Church, a Ghanaian Church based in Amsterdam.
The group will further perform at the Harvest Church, an all
white congregation in Zurich, Switzerland. The tour is by courtesy of Dr.
Lawrence Tetteh, the London based Ghanaian Evangelist of World Miracle Outreach
of the United Kingdom.
The Rev. John Teye Memorial School Band currently handled by
Mr. George Donkor as leader is made up of a talented group of children (7-13
years) who have been causing a stir whenever and wherever they perform with
their soul-searching music.
With a Mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music,
they sing and play their instruments with such passion, clarity and dexterity
that leaves no doubt in one's mind that they are indeed messengers of the
Gospel.
The group is credited with three albums, He lives in 1991,
Use Me In Thy Vineyard and a collection of Ghanaian style praise songs which is
almost out. The Band was formally dedicated unto the Lord on December 31, 1999
with a vow to be committed to one thing only - bringing people TO CHRIST THRU
MUSIC (TCTM).
They have not only made regular appearances on national television but have performed at practically all major music and arts festivals. On the international front, the group have astonished audiences in neighbouring Togo and Cote d'Ivoire and have also participated in the Harrogate International Youth Music Festival (1993) and the Shrewsbury International Music Festival (1996) both in the United Kingdom. - Accra Mail
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Govt approves 37.3b cedis to improve facilities at Korle-Bu Hospital
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 20021 - An amount of 37.3 billion cedis has been approved by the government for the improvement of facilities and services at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital this year.
This is made up of 4.8 billion cedis for the provision of essential theatre equipment and a second theatre for the maternity block, 10 billion cedis for work to begin on the rehabilitation of the medical block estimated at about 50 billion cedis and 22.5 billion cedis for the completion of work on the SSNIT flats to motivate doctors and other medical staff of the hospital.
President John Agyekum Kufuor announced this when he addressed a staff durbar after a two-hour familiarisation tour of the hospital on Friday. President Kufuor said the government was negotiating with the Japanese government for assistance to rehabilitate the children's block and for the renovation of the mother's hostel.
To ease congestion at the hospital, the government had directed that all polyclinics within the Accra metropolis should be converted into sub-metropolitan hospitals to provide a 24-hour health care service to the people. The President noted that though the hospital had been a very monumental national asset and had served the country for the past 79 years with effective and efficient medical care, prevailing conditions and the congestions at the hospital is eroding the past glory.
President Kufuor said the problems at the hospital were not only with the brain drain of doctors, pharmacies and nurses but the poor maintenance culture, which has affected equipment and facilities, putting the hospital under unacceptable conditions".
He said it was not enough to have competent doctors and other professionals in the health sector, but what was equally important was to ensure the assets were maintained to appreciable standards comparative to any hospital in the world. President Kufuor said government was determined and resolved to play its part to improve the conditions of the hospital and asked the management to help in that direction.
He said the positive change envisaged by the government needed the partnership and commitment of all Ghanaians in their various fields of endeavour. President Kufuor called on the management of the hospital to be innovative and creative to establish partnership with the private sector in the provision of some of the facilities to complement government subvention in running the hospital.
"Korle-Bu Hospital is a huge national asset, let us enhance and cherish it with the pride with which the founding fathers established it 79 years ago, " he added. Dr Annan said the President's visit marked a significant landmark in the history of the hospital adding that the hospital has a daily outpatient attendance of
1,500 with an average daily admission of 150, in addition to the provision of outreach services to Mamprobi, La, Maamobi polyclinics and hospitals at
Akosombo, Tema and the Central Region.
The Acting Chief Executive said some of the factors leading to the brain drain could be attributed, not only to poor remuneration but also lack of residential accommodation, medical equipment and the use of obsolete and outmoded equipment. He said the new SSNIT flats, on completion, could accommodate about 200 families.
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Ho (Volta Region) 01 June 2002- Anti-smoking bill, which seeks among other things to regulate smoking in public places in Ghana is expected to be ready for submission to parliament soon, Dr James Tepre, secretary to the National Tobacco Steering Committee has announced.
Speaking on the topic, "the need for national legislation on tobacco use in Ghana", at an anti-tobacco awareness campaign organised by the Consumer Concerns Initiative (CCI) for students of Mawuli Secondary School at Ho on Saturday, he said the bill proposed, among others, a ban on all forms of cigarette advertisements, significant increase in tax on cigarettes to make the product very expensive and deterring adults from engaging children under 18 years to buy or sell cigarettes.
Dr Tepre said tobacco multi-nationals have targeted sub-Sahara Africa as a new and lucrative market frontier because of the stringent legislation's and increasing awareness being marshalled against them in developed countries.
He said the youth are particularly at risk because they are being targeted through activities such as sponsorships, scholarships and advertisements, which are exploiting their youthful exuberance and ignorance about the ill effects of smoking.
Dr Tepre, who is also the manager of non-communicable diseases at the Ministry of Health (MOH) warned the students that the brain of the smoker becomes nicotine dependent and unhelpful for sound academic work. Dr Tepre warned that the feeling of exhalation and fulfilment by cigarette smokers are fantasies, because unlike other consumable items, cigarettes give no benefits to the body but rather destroy it.
He said while cigarette smoking related diseases and HIV/AIDS are the major killers in the world, cigarette smoking is more dangerous because a non-smoker who inhale cigarette smoke regularly face equal heath risks as smokers, which is not the case with those who stay with those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Dr Tepre therefore, advised the students to make personal commitments to quit or avoid smoking and smokers. "We want you to be future leaders, not future liabilities", he said. Speaking on the topic: "the global tobacco menace - what the youth must know," Miss Sophia Twum-Barima of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Ghana, said tobacco, which is poisonous has no safe level in cigarettes.
She said there are thousands of dangerous substances in tobacco, which cause cancer in those who smoke cigarette. Miss Twum-Barima said a survey conducted by the WHO in Ghana in 2000 showed that 14 per cent of the youth were smoking cigarettes while 4.5 per cent more have taken on the habit by this year.
She said cigarette producers know that cigarette smoking poses several health risks to both smokers and those who stay close to them, but adopt marketing strategies, which seeks to make it seem as if it is safe and glamorous to smoke.
Miss Twum-Barima said the WHO is therefore, spearheading the campaign to draw the attention of the world population, especially the youth to the dangers of smoking. Miss Twum-Barima said it is unproductive to give judgement on those who are addicted to smoking, instead they need to be encouraged to be assertive. She appealed to the students to avoid smoking cigarettes and for those smoking to take a resolute decision and quit the practice.
They should also educate and encourage their friends to avoid smoking. She said, since the youth form the potential future market for the cigarette multinationals, "your abstinence will deny them the lucrative market they require to be in business". Mr Winfred Bonsi, headmaster of the school, who presided, urged the students not to jeopardise their academic work and future by smoking.
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Zabzugu (Northern Region) 01 June 2002- The government will put a bus at the disposal of the Andani and Abudu factions in the Yendi chieftaincy crisis on daily basis to attend the sittings of the commission of enquiry in Sunyani. In addition, accommodation and feeding arrangements have been made for chiefs attending the commission.
Mr Issa Ketekewu, Deputy Northern Regional Minister, announced this at the regional monthly meeting of District and Municipal Chief Executives in the region at Zabzugu on Friday. The meeting is to enable the chief executives to share ideas and experiences to enhance their work.
The Deputy Minister announced that a secretariat would be established at the regional co-ordinating council in Tamale and the five districts in the Dagbon Traditional Area - Savelugu-Nanton, Tolon Kumbumgu, Gushegu-Karaga, Yendi and Zabzugu-Tatale -- to register people who would wish to submit memoranda or give evidence at the commission.
Mr Ketekewu called on the people to unite to develop the area, stressing that government could not bring peace to the area if the people would not cooperate. He said conflicts among the people of the northern parts of the country were a source of worry to government. He said whiles other people continued to make strides in their development efforts those in the north were embroiled in strife.
Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development urged district assemblies to take data on NGOs operating in their areas and collaborate with them to develop the communities,
In a speech read for him, he called for identification and promotion of inter-district economic co-operation to enhance growth. Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, Zabzugu-Tatale, DCE appealed to investors to invest in the iron ore, marble and clay deposits at Sheini to create employment for the youth in the area.
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Human error cannot be ruled out of chopper
crash
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2002- A Board of Inquiry into the March 16 helicopter crash with the loss of all seven crew and passengers has concluded that human error cannot be ruled out.
A statement signed by the Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor in Accra said the Board found from evidence adduced from the Air Traffic Control Centre at the Kotoka International Airport and analysis of the crash site and wreckage showed that the crew encountered bad weather to and from Nkawkaw where they were on a medical mission.
"In the course of the in-bound journey, it is apparent that the crew flew at an unsafe altitude in the mountainous terrain of Atiwa. "The aircraft therefore struck the upper branches of some trees in the forest range leading to its eventual crash and the loss of all persons on board.
"The Board therefore concluded that 'a probably loss of situational awareness by the crew may have resulted in a controlled flight into the terrain'". The Board was composed of senior officers of the Ghana Air Force assisted by a two-member team from the UK Air Accident Investigations Branch.
The Board said the aircraft had two pilots, two technicians who were both suitably qualified and the aircraft was airworthy at the time of the accident. It had gone to evacuate two accident victims who were accompanied by a nurse. The statement said to forestall any such unfortunate accident, a number of measures have already been taken, including the grounding of all Ghana Air Force aircraft to check on their serviceability state.
"The safety checks have since been completed and the airworthiness of the aircraft confirmed. The temporary ban has therefore been lifted." The statement said the Minister of Defence has held meetings with manufacturers' representatives to discuss matters pertaining to the servicing of all aircraft on the inventory of the Ghana Air Force.
"As a further step, a review of all the avionics of the Ghana Air Force helicopters has been ordered to include Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System
(EGPWS) to ensure safe, all-weather operations." The statement said appropriate administrative steps are being taken to compensate the families of all the victims since the duty was an authorised one.
The Ministry thanked the public and international community for their support and sympathy, adding that the event would in no way affect the professional standing of the Ghana Air Force and the entire Ghana Armed Forces.
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Akawkrom (Ashanti Region) 01 June 2002- Cabinet has approved an amendment to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 1994 to bring forestry sector investment into the list of exemptions requiring prior approval for acquisition of plant and machinery into the country.
Mr Thomas Broni, Deputy Minister of Lands and Forestry, who announced this said this would help the Ministry to regulate new investments in the sector and ensure that only the required plant and equipment are installed for the wood processing industry.
He was addressing the 10th annual general meeting of the Ghana Institute of Professional Foresters (GIPF) at the Wood Industries Training Centre (WITC) at Akyawkrom in the Ejisu-Juaben District. The two-day meeting is under the theme, ''Investment opportunities in foreign and wildlife resources in the ECOWAS sub-region, Ghana's contribution."
Mr Broni said a number of legislative reviews and amendments had also been made and these include the Timber Resources Management Amendment Act, 2002, Timber Resources Management Regulation Amendment Act, 2002 and Forest Plantation Development Amendment Act, 2002.
The Deputy Minister said the law enforcement agencies were currently being educated and sensitised on forest laws. Mr Broni told the meeting that the government had initiated a forest plantation feasibility study to develop a strategy for investment in commercial trees plantations.
A Forest Plantation Development Centre had already been established to co-ordinate the activities of investors in plantation development and provide technical assistance to tree growers. Dr. Edward Dwumfour, a Natural Resource Expert, said to ensure sustainable management and protection of the forest resources, it was important to tackle rural poverty.
Dr K. Armstrong Mensah, President of the GIPF, said it was important for professional foresters in the country to link up with their counterparts in the sub-region and share experiences on how to efficiently manage forest resources.
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Nyaho-Tamakloe challenges Jake
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2002- Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday declared his intentions to contest for the Greater Regional Chairmanship of the party.
He said Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the current Regional Chairman and Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs was depriving the party of its regional focus, strength and vitality through his active involvement in governmental affairs to the neglect of the party machinery in the region.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe in a statement said the demands of the high office of a senior Cabinet Minister were such that Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey could not effectively run the party machinery at the regional level.
The NPP is scheduled to hold its Greater Accra Regional Congress in August to elect regional executives. He noted that the region was vital to the party as it prepared towards retaining power in the 2004 general election and calls on the rank and file to support him in his chairmanship bid to transform and redeem the sinking image of the party.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe noted that modern political organisation demanded full time concentration, consistent development of party structures and systematic mobilisation of the masses.
"This can not be combined with Cabinet responsibilities, hence the need for a Positive Change in the regional structure to safeguard the fortunes of the party in order to awaken the electorate to re-elect President John Agyekum Kufuor in the 2004 general election," he said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama, Friday, pushed his campaign against indiscipline forward with a media launch that sought the partnership of journalists to eliminate unruliness from all spheres of society.
At a reception at his residence, hosted for media practitioners, Vice President Mahama urged both the electronic and the print media to devote air time and space respectively to discuss the issue and promote decent behaviour.
Some Ministers of State who also attended the reception took turns to address the issue. Vice President Mahama recalled his Independence Anniversary Clarion Call on Ghanaians to fight indiscipline and described media practitioners as "frontline soldiers" whose commitment was crucial for the success of the crusade.
"We need your support to wage a total war on indiscipline at workplaces, on the roads, in schools and, indeed, in all spheres of life," he said. The government, he said, would soon outdoor its strategic plan to fight indiscipline, adding that it was necessary for the media to precede this with awareness creation programmes.
Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, said it would be difficult for Ghana to achieve socio-economic progress if Ghanaians did not adopt positive attitudes and behaviour.
"An undisciplined society would not make it. Our nation would wallow in poverty if we continue with our unruliness," he said. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey commended media and advertising agencies, which had agreed to offer free service for the crusade, saying the response to the crusade was encouraging.
Mr Baah Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the district assemblies, town councils and unit committees would be made to appreciate the campaign and join it. He said the crusade should be a long-term process to make a significant impact. Mr Baah Wiredu said the judiciary would also be resourced to deal swiftly with offenders.
Mr Salifu Mahami, Upper East Regional Minister, said the government was aware of the constraints faced by media practitioners, especially those in the regions and districts, in their work and would, therefore, help to resolve them.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, stressed the need to dialogue with the youth to find out the reasons for their disruptive behaviour in schools so that their concerns would be resolved.
Some media practitioners pledged their support to the cause, but appealed to the government to implement its strategy and ensure the enforcement of law. Mr Haruna Atta, Editor of the "Accra Mail", appealed to government officials to be punctual at public functions to promote the efficient use of time.
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Accra Greater Accra) 01 June 2002- The Minister of Mines, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko on Friday said a repeal of the PNDCL 287 of the Ada Songhor Lagoon (site for salt industry) has many implications which needed thorough discussion between the government, the Ada Traditional Council and the companies involved in mining the salt.
He said there must be automatic restoration of the lease interests of Vacuum Salt Products Limited (VSPL) and Star Chemical Industry Limited (SCIL) since no compensation has been paid them by government whereas the law states that there must be compensation paid to them, but this has not been done.
Mr. Adjei-Darko said this in an answer to a question asked by Mr. Amos Buertey, NDC- Ada, as to how soon the ministry would initiate steps to fulfil the promise to have the Vesting law 1992, PNDCL 287 repealed by Parliament and return the project to its original owners.
He said there are about five options to solve the issue and these include payment of compensation of about 4.5 million dollars to the companies by government and giving out the land unencumbered to the original owners of the land.
Mr Adjei-Darko said other options are allowing VSPL and SCIL to continue their leasehold interests and run their companies, prolong the period of the interim management committee to enable it to work and pay the compensation due the two companies under the supervision of the Oversight Committee before the law is repealed.
He said other options are bringing in a strategic investor, who would pay up front the amount or joint ventureship, in which the companies and the Ada people may participate. The Minister said government has therefore, communicated these options to the Ada Traditional Council and emphasised that government would do what was within the law to benefit Ghana and the people of Ada.
Mr Adjei-Darko explained that since 1966 the Songhor Lagoon, which covers a total area of about 29,850 acres went through various processes of development and the government's interventions, however, peace and security of the area came under threat as the operations of the two companies sparked off litigation's, posing danger to the investment.
As a way of resolving the dispute the government of the National Redemption Council in 1974, compulsorily acquired the entire Songhor lagoon and the surrounding lands by Executive Instrument 30/74 and consequently executed two leases for separate areas in the lagoon to the two companies to carry on the salt mining industry.
Mr Adjei-Darko said in 1986 the Minerals Commission was created and in 1992 Ghana National Procurement Corporation was tasked by government to promote the development of 1,000 metric tonnes of salt per annum at the Ada Songhor lagoon area.
He said since the government does not want to deprive the people, the surface rights of the salt mines would be eventually handed over to the owners of the land, but expressed concern that up to date there has not been a clear evidence of who are the real land owners in the Ada area.
This answer brought a lot of heated debate between Mr. Buertey and Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, NDC- Ningo/Prampram on one hand and the Minister, asking him to clarify the position of government when the land would be returned to the original owners and whether there was a project task force in place.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2002- A five member parliamentary delegation from Uganda arrived in Accra on Friday to understudy and share ideas with their Ghanaian counterparts on the work of parliament.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, met the delegation, which was led by Mr Ben Wacha, Chairman of the Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Uganda, on arrival.
Mr Wacha told newsmen that they were in the country to learn at first hand Ghana's parliamentary, electoral and local government procedures and operations and tap knowledge from her experience. He said such experiences and sharing of ideas could enhance each other's parliamentary procedures and administration.
Mr. Wacha praised Ghana's economic policy, describing it as vibrant. Papa Owusu-Ankomah expressed the hope that the visit would be of great help to both parliaments as well as enhance their knowledge on how the parliamentary electoral and local government operations of each country worked.
While in the country, the delegation would call on the Ministers of Central Region and Local government as well as hold discussion with the majority and minority leaders in parliament.
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Bodom (Brong Ahafo) 01 June 2002- Some non-resident citizens of Bodom in the Nkoranza District, who are currently based in Canada have donated 11.2 million cedis to the community to support the area's electrification programme.
Mr. Samuel Adjei, the assemblyman for the area disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency at Bodom on Friday. He praised Mr. J.K. Attah a retired educationist and a citizen of the town who made the donation on behalf of the donors for his role in getting them to make the donation.
Mr. Adjei said the people had been able to erect 65 low tension poles for the project, adding that, they needed additional poles to complete the project. He appealed to the Nkoranza District Assembly to provide them with fifteen additional poles to ensure the successful completion of the project
The unit committee chairman Mr. I.P. Twumasi urged other non-resident citizens of the town area based in Ghana or outside the country to emulate the good examples of the donors to promote the development of the area.
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Accra Greater Accra) 01 June 2002 - The United States Department of State on Friday said it had revised the schedule of fees for consular services with effective from 1 June 2002, excerpt passport services.
A statement issued by the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Accra said the non-immigrant visa application fee would increase from 45 dollars to 65 dollars, while the immigrant visa application fees rise from 325 dollars to 335 dollars.
It said, however, that passport related fees would be revised effective 19 August 2002, which would bring their fees in line with the actual cost of consular services. "This increased fee will recover the actual cost of the service including the Machine Readable Visa and processing through our sophisticated name-check technology.
It said adjusted to fees of services for American citizens overseas include the Consular Report of Birth Abroad documentation fee, which would be raised from 40 to 65 dollars whiles the fee for performance of notarial services would be lowered to a two-tiered schedule costing 20 to 30 dollars, depending on service rendered from 55 dollars.
The statement noted that the State Department was required by federal regulations and law to recover the costs of most consular services through user fees and must adjust the fee schedule periodically to comply with that requirement
It said the last major revision of the schedule fee was done in 1998. It said the new fee were essential to maintaining and improving high quality customer service while taking advantage of advances in information technology and enhancing the security features of those services that were related to homeland security.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 01 June - The Central Regional Minister, Mr. Isaac Edumadze on Saturday said, for democracy to strive in Africa and the developing world, tolerance, patience and respect for individual dignity should be the watchword for those in authority.
He said most African countries are still battling with conflicts and wars due to the lack of tolerance and respect for the individual and that it was time Africans learnt to accept the views of other in decision making. Mr. Edumadze said this when a five-member Uganda Parliamentary delegation paid a courtesy call on him at Cape Coast as part of their one-week learning visit to the country.
The delegation, which is led by Mr. Ben Wacha, chairman of the standing committee on rules, privileges and discipline sessional committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is in the country to learn about Ghana's decentralization policy and the role of Parliament in the nation's development.
The Minister further said the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) could only achieve its goals if African leaders could change certain clauses of OAU charter to allow members to intervene in conflicts and find solutions to them then there will be no need to spend huge sums of money on controlling conflicts and wars.
He called on African leaders to always humbly accept defeat and congratulate their opponents when they lose elections, instead of resorting to arms, adding, "accept the role of democracy and the dignity of the blackman and champion the needs of Africans and not their individual interest".
Mr. Mannuel Pinto, Director, Office of Parliamentary Professional Development, said Ghana and Uganda has a lot of things in common and praised the country for successfully moving from military rule to a constitutional rule and that many African countries could not achieve this.
He also commended the government for its sound economic policies, which, he said, has gone a long way to improve the economic growth of the nation and called on African countries to study the Ghanaian example.
Other members of the delegation are Margaret Zziwa, vice chairperson of the standing committee on Presidential and Foreign Affairs, John Kazoora Bashaija, member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Felix Okot Ogong, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs. They were accompanied by Hon. Issifu Azumah, MP for Walewale, and Alhaji Abubakari Sumani, MP for Chogu /Tishigu. They also visited the Cape Coast Castle.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2002 - The Japanese Government on Friday said the recent food aid to Ghana was not meant to discourage local efforts to boost rice production in the country. Rather the 18 billion-cedi worth of rice donated to Ghana was to meet increasing domestic demand and to stabilise, complement the country's efforts to achieve food security and contribute to improving Ghana's balance of payment position.
Proceeds from the sale of the rice would be accumulated as counter-value fund by the government of Ghana for the implementation of social development projects including those related to increasing food production.
Mr Motoyoshi Noro, the Charge d'Affaires at the Japanese Embassy, said his government was pleased with efforts of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to increase rice production to reduce imports by 30 per cent by 2004. He said Japan was assisting rice farmers in the country through the Small-Scale Irrigated Agriculture Promotion Project (SSIAPP) to increase production in the medium to long-term.
Under the SSIAPP, Japanese experts in collaboration with their Ghanaian counterparts have been supporting small-scale farmers to modernise farming systems and to reactivate farmers associations at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region and Okyereko in the Central Region.
Mr Noro also reiterated the Japanese government's continuous support for development programmes despite Ghana's decision to take advantage of the Highly
Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, saying that it was that commitment which underpinned its decision to convert the loan for the construction of the Accra-Yamoransa road into a grant.
He said Japanese experts were in the country to carry out feasibility studies for the project to take off. Japan also shared concerns of the other development partners in adopting new modalities such as the sector-wide approaches in providing fund and direct budgetary support to programmes.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 01 June 2002 - Research carried out over a six-year period has revealed that about 54 per cent of land in Ghana are covered by plinthite, a substance under the soil that degrades the environment. The substance, found in all the agricultural ecological zones of the country, degrades the environment permanently and therefore, kills food and cash crops.
Dr. R.D. Asiamah, Director of the Soil Research Institute (SRI), who did the research, said this at a day's workshop organised for researchers, and farmers under the SRI and SADACO foundation short-term project in Kumasi on Thursday.
The workshop had as its theme, ''organic residues and food production in Ghana: successes, constraints and the way forward". Dr. Asiamah said the substance kills crops in areas where it is found and mentioned Asante Mampong and Kumawu, where it is found and is responsible for the destruction of cocoa in these areas.
He said Afram Plains and the Savanna zones were the most prone areas and warned that the Afram Plains might be degraded in the next 20 years by plinthite if care was not taken in the use of the land.Dr Asiamah said plinthite is not found only in Ghana buy in tropical regions and attributed its presence to the exposure of the soil to constant degradation, including bush fires
''The best thing to do to avoid the hardening of the substance is to keep the soil covered all the time.'' Dr Joseph Opoku Fening, a research scientist at SRI, said SADACC was a sub- regional organization, made up of Ghana, Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire and is tasked to improve food policy formulation and implementation through motivating capacity building and research.
He said soil degradation was getting very serious in Ghana and therefore, appealed for change in agronomic practices. Dr. Fening was happy that this year the incidence of bush fires was on the low side due to measures put in place to deal with offenders and hope the trend would continue.
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Begoro (Eastern Region) 01 June 2002) - The chairman of the Fanteakwa constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Christopher Narh has appealed to the government to ensure that the forth-coming local government election is devoid of partisan politics.
Mr Narh, who made the appeal at Begoro on Thursday, expressed concern about delay by the government to equip the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to mount public education on the impending elections. He alleged that NPP activists were touring the rural communities urging their supporters to file nominations for the district assembly and unit committee elections.
He said for democracy to thrive, there was the need for ample public education on policies and programmes to sensitise the electorate. Mr Narh said unit committees were the bedrock of grassroots democracy and therefore, it was important to make the rural people understand the concept for its effective implementation. He cautioned that if steps were not taken to curb the "politicisation" of district level elections, the purpose would be defeated.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 01 June 2002- The Ashanti region branch of the Association of Founding Members and Patrons of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it is amazed atthe criticism of the government by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the use of facilities at the Quality Grains Mills at Aveyime to mill rice for the nation.
It described the criticism as unfortunate and wondered whether the NDC criticised the government out of jealousy because the government had done in one year what they could not do in 20 years.
A statement issued in Kumasi on Wednesday land signed by Mr. M.Y. Asare-Bediako, chairman and Mr. John Osei-Kusi, Secretary, told the NDC that the government had no problem with the project but certainly had a problem with those who caused financial loss to it.
''So it now rests upon the present NPP government to mitigate the loss by using the facilities at the mills for the benefit of the nation and not to the political advantage of the NPP as the NDC would want the nation to believe.''
The statement said the nation is crying for food security and reduction in the food import bill, therefore it is the responsibility of the government to maximise available facilities in pursuit of this objective.
It said the Minister of Food and Agriculture explained when he launched the four new brands of rice that it would have been criminal to allow all sophisticated equipment to go waste and therefore, wondered what the NDC was about. The statement asked the NDC to appreciate what the government had done in rice production and criticise objectively, adding, "let the NDC reserve their efforts for what really counts".
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