Addo-Kufuor visits Selormey & Mallam Issa
Police Commander says Ya-Na rejected Police protection
Ya-Na Andani accused govt of taking sides with Abudu Gate - Ex-Minister
Twenty Wa Secondary students under indefinite suspension
Germany to support Ghana's industrialisation programme
Poverty constitutes threat to security -
Robinson
Kufuor counts on German help at G8 summit
Filipino to be Ghana Consul General of Toronto
Ghana's coverage on births and deaths is low -UNICEF
Prisons Director calls for improved security
ECOWAS urged to co-ordinate efforts against child trafficking
Alajo and Kotababi flooded after an hour of rain
Germany says Ghana is a strategic development partner
Kufuor attends award ceremony in Germany
Wa hospital mortuary breaks down
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June
2002 - There was frenzied jubilation at the Nsawam Prison yesterday, when a
familiarisation visit by the Acting Minister of Interior, Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor
nearly turned into a rally. Loud cheers of "asieho, asieho" emanated
from the cells, while prisoners ignoring the rains crowded at the forecourt of
the prison yard chanting, "we want amnesty, amnesty, amnesty..."
The inmates would not budge
despite attempts by Dr. Addo-Kufuor to stop them. Dr. Addo-Kufuor met with
Victor Selormey, former NDC Deputy Minister for Finance and Mallam Isa, former
NPP Sports Minister behind closed doors. Both former ministers looked frail and
were using walking sticks.
The Minister visited the female
block where he donated five bales of used clothes to the inmates and later
visited the carpentry workshop, the male cells, where he presented seven bales
of used clothes and one of the condemned cells.
At a gathering with inmates, Dr.
Addo-Kufuor said government is planning to build a modern prisons in the
country to ease overcrowding in the system. He promised that Prison Officers'
barracks would be rehabilitated alongside those of the Army and the Police.
An inmate at the condemned cell,
Mohammed Abdulai, 47, who has served 11 years, appealed to the government to
grant them unconditional amnesty since most of them have reformed.
The top hierarchy of the Prisons
Service including the Director General, Mr. Richard Kuuire, Officer of Medium
Security Prisons, Mr. Ben Quaye and officials of the Interior Ministry
accompanied the minister.
Abdulai went down on his knees
and said: "We apologise through you to the President and the victims and
families of our heinous crimes that they should forgive us. We have deeply
regretted for what we have done. Please grant us unconditional amnesty."
He also appealed to the
government to increase the feeding fee of inmates to enhance their daily meals,
adding that health conditions in the prisons are deplorable, so the government
should channel more funds into that sector.
He said due to financial
constraints most of them who have served 15 to 18 years could not hire lawyers
to appeal on their behalf and called on the government to address that issue.
Mr. Richard Kuuire appealed to
the government to provide the Prisons Service with two security vans to convey
prisoners, particularly the hardened ones to court and hospital. He said the
Service faces a problem of overcrowding; authorised inmate capacity of 7,152
has shot up to 11,554 indicating overcrowding of 61.5%. He suggested that
government should grant amnesty to prisoners who have committed minor offences
because their release will not pose any danger to society.
Mr. Ben Quaye complained about
the deplorable situation of the Nsawam Prison and called on the government to
rehabilitate it. He said almost all the blocks in the male yard are leaking
badly. He called for an extension of the prisons so that prisoners on remand
could be separated from convicts.
Mr. Quaye said the major source of income generation to the institution is a 30-hectare palm plantation and it is their hope to extend it to 60 hectares soon. He said plans are far advanced to introduce citrus farming, which would be done inconjuction with some NGOs. He called for the rehabilitation of the access road to the prison. – Accra Mail.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 07 June 2002 - Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Thomas Kwaku Fokuo told the Wuaku Commission sitting in Sunyani on Thursday that the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, Paramount Chief of Dagbon Traditional Area, in January this year rejected protection offered him by the Yendi District Police Command.
DSP Fokuo, now Officer in-charge of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), giving evidence before the Commission probing the Yendi tragedy, explained that on 22 February 2002 when he deployed some of his men to the Ya-Na's palace to provide security services, Ya-Na Andani drove them away saying he did not need them and that whenever he needed their services he would call them.
The Police Officer, who was then Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Commanding the Yendi District, led in evidence by Mr George Owoo, Counsel for the Commission, testified as the Commission's ninth witness. When asked by Counsel whether any incident occurred in Yendi before the celebration of the Muslim Eid-Ul-Adha in February, witness answered in the negative.
DSP Fokuo, however, added that rumours were rife that the two Gates –Abudu and Andani were preparing to attack each other, explaining further that he got the information from informants. The Yendi District Security Committee (DISEC), therefore, met representatives of the two Gates at different times to talk to them, the DSP said.
He said on 22 February he called for extra men from the outstations to augment the strength of the Police in Yendi. "With the additional men from the other security services, I deployed men to guard vantage points in the Yendi township to prevent the agitators from carrying out their intended plans", he said. Mr Fokuo said as part of the security measures, he also deployed men to guard the Ya-Na's palace.
He continued that at one time as he drove in his private vehicle with registration number AS 1059 S he heard shouts of "Stop! Stop!" Witness said when he stopped, he saw some "wild and angry" people, including the three wives of the Ya-Na Andani, coming from the Gbewaa Palace towards him.
When counsel at this point asked him to name the three wives, Mr Fokuo could not but insisted that they were the Ya-Na's wives because he used to go to the palace and knew them very well.
DSP Fokuo said the irate youth asked him of his mission there and when he told them that he had deployed some men to guard the Palace so he wanted to find out if they were there, "they impudently told me that the Ya-Na said he did not need any security protection".
He said: "They heckled me and sensing that my life was in danger I hurriedly entered my vehicle and drove away to the District Chief Executive's (DCE's) residence". "The DCE was then not in but I had the presiding member in his house and told him of the ordeal I had gone through. "Around 2130 hours that day, I called my Superior Officer in Tamale to give him the situational report".
Mr Fokuo said the following day, 23 February he briefed the Yendi Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Mohammed M. A. Adams, adding that, all efforts they made to get the Ya-Na to ascertain why he had rejected the security protection for him proved futile.
He said Mr Prince Imoru Andani, the ex- Northern Regional Minister, led a team of District Security Council (DISEC) members the following day to the palace in an attempt to resolve the matter.
DSP Fokuo said he later received an instruction from the Police headquarters in Accra on 28 February to proceed on transfer to Sunyani. So on 1 March with the permission of his Divisional Commander he left for Sunyani.
When Mr Justice Isaac Newton Wuaku, Chairman of the Commission, asked if he considered his transfer as punishment. The ex-Yendi District Police Commander replied in the negative, saying, "because, that is part of the job and also I had been there for three years".
DSP Fokuo explained that the bone of contention between the two Gates allegedly centred on when, where and how to perform the funeral rites of the Ya-Na Mohammed Abdulai of the Abudu Royal Gate, who died some years ago.
"In their desire to perform the funeral, the Abudus made contacts, consulting personalities, including myself, for the ideal grounds to be prepared for the ceremony", he said.
DSP Fokuo told the Commission that while the Abudus wanted to perform the funeral at the palace, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani and his elders vowed that they would never vacate the palace for that purpose.
GRi…/
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 07 June 2002 - Mr Prince Imoru Alhassan Andani, former Northern Regional Minister, on Wednesday said Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, Over Lord of Dagbon Traditional Area, accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of taking sides with his opponents.
Mr Andani was testifying as the sixth witness at the Wuaku Commission, which is probing the Yendi tragedy, in Sunyani. Mr George Owoo, a retired Chief State Attorney and Counsel for the Commission, who led him in evidence had asked the Ex-Minister what he knew about the disturbances at Yendi and what he did officially to prevent it.
Mr Andani explained that he heard about the disturbances on Sunday, 24 March when he returned from Accra from Mr Issah Ketekewu, Deputy Regional Minister, who briefed him about the situation.
He said Mr Ketekewu indicated his intention to leave for Accra after the briefing for a medical examination. The Ex-Minister said on the same day he received a message that Ya-Na Andani needed to see him urgently so he drove to Yendi but went first to the residence of Mr Mohammed Habibu Tijani, Yendi District Chief Executive, where he saw a District Security Committee (DISEC) meeting in progress.
He said the Committee told him about the looming crisis and the possibility of a clash between members of the Andani and Abudu Gates to Ya-Na Skin in connection with the celebration of the impending Bugum (Fire) festival.
Mr Andani, who identified himself as a director of Management Aid (MAID), a Tamale based non-governmental organisation (NGO), said the DCE informed him that he DCE had also been invited by the Ya-Na and advised that it was not safe for him to go.
He said he told the DCE that in order not for the government to be misconstrued as favouring one side he decided to go and listen to the Ya-Na. Mr Andani said the Ya-Na told him that he had heard that a curfew was to be imposed to coincide with the Bugum festival. "It seems that your government is one sided", the Ex-Minister quoted the Ya-Na as having said.
The Ex-Minister said the Ya-Na alleged that whenever government officials came to Yendi they visited the Bolin Lana, Leader of the Abudu Gate, to greet him as well. The Bolin Lana is the eldest son of former Ya-Na Mohammed Abdulai. He said Ya-Na interpreted the calls on the Bolin Lana by the government officials as recognition of two Over Lords of Dagbon.
Mr Andani said he told "the Ya-Na that that claim or suspicion was a misconception, because as a party in government, we recognise all opinion leaders in every community nation-wide".
The former Minister said at that point the Ya-Na retorted that; "In February I allowed the Abudu Gate to also celebrate the Eid Ul Adha when he (Ya Na) had already protested to me. He explained that the Ya-Na had indeed protested against the celebration of the Eid Ul Adha but he managed to broker a compromise at meeting he held with him.
He said at meeting with the Ya-Na he "asked the Ya-Na to point out what aspects of the Eid Ul Adha celebration by any other group would contradict and undermine the authority or usurp the power of his kingship".
He said the Ya-Na Andani replied that it was the carrying of the gods. Mr Andani said to ensure peace in the area he directed the DCE to talk to the Abudu Gate to celebrate only the religious aspect of the festival without carrying the gods, adding that they obliged and the Eid Ul Adha festival was celebrated peacefully.
The former Minister said Ya-Na Andani asked him to convince him (Ya-Na) that the government was a balanced one and that he should assure him that whatever was done would be fair to both parties.
He said be asked the Ya-Na to give an assurance as a guarantee that the celebration of the fire festival would be peaceful, to which he obliged. Mr Andani said the DCE accompanied him to meet the Bolin Lana and his elders to inform them of what transpired between them and the Ya-Na.
He said the Abudu Gate was not happy with the stance of Ya-Na to continue with the celebration of the fire festival. The Ex-Minister said the Abudus accused the Ya-Na of not being fair to them and that he had cheated them for far too long. Mr Andani said he and the DCE went to confer with the Ya-Na again and the king reiterated his assurance that the celebration would be peaceful.
The former Minister told the Commission that on Monday, 25 March they had a report from the DISEC that the situation in Yendi had become so tense that for security reasons it was not appropriate to allow the festival to be celebrated.
Mr Andani said following the report a Regional Security Council (REGSEC) meeting was convened and the curfew that had been lifted earlier on Sunday was re-imposed and this was communicated to the DISEC at Yendi and an announcement to that effect was carried on Radio Savannah, a Ghana Broadcasting Corporation FM station in Tamale.
He said due to the assurance that had been given to him by the Regional and Yendi District Security Commanders that the order would be enforced to avert any clash, he proceeded to Accra on Tuesday to notify government authorities about the need to commence reconciliation talks to resolve the differences between the two Gates.
"I was at the IGP's (Inspector General of Police) office on Wednesday trying together to identify some leaders of the two Gates to be invited for the reconciliation talks when I heard of the Ya-Na's death", Mr Andani said.
Mr Justice Isaac Newton Wuaku, Chairman of the Commission, then asked the Ex-Minister about the reception of the elders and other members of the family at the palace when the Ya-Na summoned him there. "They were unfriendly and said all sorts of things that I was a royal and was showing disrespect to the king", the Ex-Minister replied.
He, however, added that despite that reaction, "I was focused because I was there for business". When Professor Kwesi Yankah, a member of the Commission, asked where he was when the REGSEC sought permission from the Minister of the Interior to impose the curfew, Mr Andani replied that, he was then in Accra on official duties.
Mr Andani explained that he ordered the lifting of the curfew that was earlier on imposed based on the command given by the Ya-Na that he the king would bear responsibility for any clash.
The Ya-Na needed to celebrate the festival to pacify the gods, he said, explaining that, as the king and custodian of the gods, it was his sole preserve to perform the pacification rites.
Mr Andani emphasised that the lifting of the earlier curfew was not intended to fuel the mounting tension because he was conscious of his position as a minister and could not have done anything to discredit the government. "I studied the situation to see if the lifting of the curfew would be in the interest of the government before I carried it out. By using my discretional powers," he said.
When asked why he went to Accra on 26 March against the background of brewing tension instead of using the telephone to relay the information to Accra, the Ex-Minister replied that the trip was to begin a process of reconciliation.
"I felt the issues were sensitive, so it was unsafe to discuss them on phone, hence I deemed it necessary to go to Accra to confer with the appropriate government officials."
Mr Issah Ketekewu, Deputy Northern Regional Minister and seventh witness, told the Commission that on Friday 22 March, he returned to Tamale after the commissioning of an European Union sponsored project at Walewale to learn that a letter from the Yendi DISEC signed by the DCE on 21 March and addressed to the Regional Minister indicated that the fire festival had been postponed.
He said in view of the region's background as a conflict prone area, the REGSEC granted the request of the DISEC but because the final decision to grant such a request rested with the President or Minister of the Interior, they informed Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, the Ex-Minister for the Interior.
Mr Ketekewu said Alhaji Yakubu requested for a formal letter, which was despatched immediately for his consideration. That same day, at about 9pm hours Alhaji Yakubu faxed a reply, signed by him that the curfew order should take effect; the Deputy Minister said.
He said the REGSEC on Saturday 23 March met on Alhaji Yakubu's letter and delivered a copy to the DISEC at Yendi to carry on with the curfew order. A faxed copy of the letter was tendered in evidence. The Deputy Regional Minister said he left for Accra on Sunday 24 March after he had briefed the Regional Minister about the situation.
He said on his return to Tamale at 4pm on Wednesday, 27 March he saw a REGSEC meeting being chaired by the Tamale Municipal Chief Executive and it was at that meeting that he heard that there had been a factional clash at Yendi and the Ya-Na had even died.
Mr Ketekewu told the Commission that the Gulkpe Na's Regent, the traditional ruler of Tamale, appeared at the meeting with the request that the curfew order should be lifted in the Tamale Municipality because the conflict was only in Yendi. The Deputy Minister said he did not grant the request on the grounds that the imposition was an order from the government so they had to abide by it.
Earlier on, the fourth and fifth Commission witnesses, Lance Corporal Lennox Agor, a driver of the Mowag in Yendi and Lance Corporal Afetenu, a gunner, both of the Yendi Military Detachment testified before the Commission.
GRi../
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Wa (Upper West) 07 June 2002 - Dr. Francis Banka, Upper West Region Director of Health Services, has attributed the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in the region to the refusal of mothers to attend antenatal clinic.
Speaking at the inauguration of the regional branch of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association at Wa, he said expectant mothers rather preferred traditional medicine. He said 42 maternal deaths were recorded in health institutions in the region last year, adding that the figure could be more since many of such deaths occurred out of hospital.
Dr Banka urged midwives and traditional birth attendants to move from house to house in the communities to create awareness and encourage mothers to practise safe motherhood. He cautioned the public against the emergence of quack doctors in the region who have been dispensing illegal drugs to unsuspecting patients.
The Regional Minister, Mr Satanun Mogtari called on nurses to redouble their effort to reduce the high maternal death rate. He said the Ministry of Health should also step up the training of traditional birth attendants to assist in areas where there are no Registered midwives. Miss Kathelyn Ababio, National President of the association, called on the government to improve the working conditions of midwives.
GRi../
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Wa (Upper West) 07 June 2002 - Twenty students of Wa Secondary School have been given indefinite suspension for spearheading a violent demonstration which led to the closure of the school last March. A total of 78 others have been surcharged with the cost of repair of damaged school property amounting to 994,000 cedis to be paid before being readmitted.
A source at the school told the Ghana News Agency on Thursday that parents and guardians of students being re-admitted were invited by the school authorities to accompany their children to school on 3 June.
They were made to sign bonds on behalf of their children to be of good behaviour. The headmaster, Mr. Moses Donneyong, told the GNA that the measures were part of the recommendations of a committee set up by the board of governors to investigate the riots.
He said the 20 students have been served with letters to stay out of the school pending a directive from the Ghana Education Service (GES). "Their dismissal is beyond my authority. I have to get directive from Accra before I can do that," he said to clarify an earlier statement that the ringleaders would not be accepted back.
Last month, the Upper West Regional directorate of the GES gave all the 1,144 students up to 15 May to re-apply for admission. The school was closed down on mach 19 after a violent demonstration against a tutor of the school by a section of the students who vandalized his residence and destroyed the school's Bedford truck and a motorbike.
GRi../
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From Patrick Firepong, Berlin
Berlin (Germany) 07 June 2002 - Ghana is seeking for Germany's support in its industrialisation programme to add value to the major export commodities cocoa, gold and timber.
President John Agyekum Kufuor, who announced this, said whilst prices of manufactured products imported from Germany continued to rise, earnings on exports of raw materials from Ghana had remained static and in some cases gone down.
President Kufuor was addressing the Ghanaian community in Berlin on Wednesday on the first day of his three-day official visit to Germany at the invitation of Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.
About 23,179 Ghanaians live in Germany, out of which 5,712 live in Hamburg and 1,971 in Berlin. Giving statistics, President Kufuor said for the past three years earnings from export of cocoa, gold and timber from Ghana to Germany amounted to 80 million dollars whilst within the same period imports from Germany was over 400 million dollars.
He said diplomatic relationship established between Ghana and Germany since 1961 had been of mutual benefit. President Kufuor said over the period Germany had supported Ghana with grant of soft loans totalling over two Billion Deutsch Marks (DM) and since 1989, Germany had written off about 500 million DM of the debts owed by Ghana.
Additionally he said Germany had provided technical support in health, education and recently in sanitation and environmental pursuits. President Kufuor said Germany had contributed to Ghana's economic development through the multilateral organisations such as the IMF and the World Bank. "Trading has been on-going between both countries but a lot needs to be done to balance the trade which weighs heavily against Ghana", he said.
On the economy, President Kufuor said government was determined to reduce the current inflation rate of 14.9 per cent to a single digit by the end of the year. The "Government has resolved to lay down the foundation to achieve these results, by the end of its tenure of office, Ghanaians would realise the country has moved forward effectively and efficiently", he said.
Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance, in an answer to a question said the privatisation of water was to ensure that potable water was made available, accessible an affordable. He explained that the infrastructure would still belong to the government and the exercise was only to improve on the efficiency of their operations.
Mr Osafo-Maafo said temporary registration plates for vehicles imported into Ghana would be introduced soon. He explained that it would have an insurance cover and be operational for 30 days. The Minister of Finance said by the end of the year government would begin a massive housing project on rental basis to ease the accommodation problem facing, especially workers.
He said the European Union (EU) and the World Bank had initiated a programme to recycle garbage in Accra and Kumasi into manure, adding, "by the end of the government's tenure of office, the sanitation problem would belong to history".
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the Ghana Mission in Germany would move its offices from Bonn to Berlin within the next two months. Professor Charles A. Yankah, a Ghanaian Medical practitioner in Berlin, welcoming the delegation said the Ghanaian Community recognised the government's concern to promote economic growth in Ghana.
"It is our collective responsibility, therefore, to support you and your administration in good faith to face the challenges in the country", he said. He called on Ghanaian students to take advantage of the Kofi Annan International Fellowship Programme initiated at the Free University of Berlin to apply for admission next year.
Professor Yankah said the programme was to support international students throughout the world studying Democracy, Human Rights, Women's Rights, Informational Law and HIV/AIDS. He suggested the replication of the BISMARCK SOCIAL HEALTH INSURANCE of Germany in Ghana to improve on health care delivery services.
He called for intensive education on the policy of privatisation in Ghana, because the policy is good for economic growth and its objective could be achieved when the society was properly educated about its aims and objectives.
GRi../
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Poverty constitutes threat to security -
Robinson
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June 2002 - Underdevelopment, poverty, prevalence of diseases, discrimination and unfair trading systems constituted major threats to security in the world, Ms Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner For Human Rights, has said.
She said lessons learnt from the 11 September terrorist attack on America has necessitated the building on the wider recognition that there were many causes of human insecurity. "The real security fears of New Yorkers and the developed world in general are matched by the equally immediate insecurity of people in the developing world."
A release issued by the Communications and Public Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat said Ms Robinson, former President of Ireland, said this while giving the fifth Commonwealth Lecture in London.
She said human security is not only about threats arising from terrorism and violent conflict, but the insecurities also stemmed from underdevelopment and poverty, rampant disease and discrimination and unequal trade.
The Commonwealth Secretary General, Don Mckinnon, observed that MS Robinson through out her career had stood for values and principles of peace, democracy and human rights.
GRi../
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Berlin (Germany) 07 June 2002 - Ghana's President John Kufuor said on Thursday that he expected German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to be a good advocate for Africa at the G8 summit in Canada, where the continent will be high on the agenda, reports AFP.
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin after talks with Schroeder, Kufuor warned against seeing Africa as a continent of civil war and disaster and said that many countries' economies and human rights records there were improving.
Schroeder said development in Ghana was exemplary. He called for greater investement in the west African country. Leaders from the Group of Eight nations, which include Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States are to meet on June 26 and 27 in the isolated Canadian Rocky Mountain resort town of Kananaskis.
The leaders are due to discuss the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), which offers good governance in return for aid. NEPAD, involving a group of the G8 and 15 African nations, hopes to serve as a framework to rescue Africa from poverty through debt relief and investment.
Kufuor was also scheduled to meet President Johannes Rau and Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Heidemarie Wiezcorek-Zeul and will travel to Hamburg on Friday. On May 8, Germany and Ghana struck a new debt repayment deal designed to support economic reform in the west African country.
Under the agreement, Germany is to wipe off 3.8 million euros (3.5 million dollars) of debt or 67 per cent of Ghana's outstanding liabilities.AFP
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The Ghana Honorary Consul General in Toronto currently headed by Dr. Martin La Kumi is to be upgraded to a full Consulate General but with an ironic twist: A Filipino-Canadian has been appointed to head the new Ghana Mission in Toronto. A source close to the Office of the President and confirmed by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra indicated that the official announcement for this appointment will be made by June, 2002.
The source told The Ghanaian News that the new Consul General’s appointment was made on the recommendation of the Toronto Chapter of the New Patriotic Party (NPP Toronto-Canada). The source further indicated that the new upgraded position was initially offered to former Asantefuohene of Toronto, Mr. Opoku Boahene but he declined.
A number of Ghanaian Community members in Toronto that The
Ghanaian News spoke to are outraged that such an appointment will be made over
the heads of the thousands of well-qualified people in Ontario. Many are of the
view that this appointment goes against the calls by the President and
government in Ghana for Ghanaians in the diaspora to contribute their quota in
assisting in the development of the country.
The new Consul General is already in Ghana expected to undergo a three-month
orientation before taking up his appointment in Toronto in the late summer. - Ghanaian
News Canada
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The Montreal Network for Patriotism & Progress, (NPP Montreal-Canada) has petitioned the President, John Agyekum Kufour to rescind the decision of the Foreign Minister, Hackman Owusu Agyeman to appoint a White French-Canadian as the Honorary Consul General of Ghana in Montreal.
In the petition addressed to the President, the Chapter Chairman, Hans Peter Duah regretted that the Foreign Minister never consulted with the Montreal Ghanaian Community before deciding on the appointment of Mrs. Heller Normand whose husband was the previous Honorary Consul General for Ghana in Montreal.
Mr. Duah explained that "in line with the President's call on expatriate Ghanaians to assist in the development of our homeland, we sought out very qualified Ghanaians in Montreal who could effectively discharge the duties of the Honorary Consul General. An application letter backed by hundreds of signatories from Ghanaian Community was submitted to the Foreign Minister and the then Ghana High Commissioner in Canada, Oliver Lawluvi".
Duah regrets that neither the then High Commissioner, Oliver Lawluvi nor the Ghana Foreign Minister Owusu Agyeman accorded the Ghanaian Community in Montreal the courtesy of a response. The NPP North American Executive Committee raised this issue with the President and the Foreign Minister during his visit to Canada in November 2001. The Foreign Minister's reasons for appointing the French-Canadian was that her husband, who was the previous Consul General is now an advisor to the Canadian Government and appointing his wife guarantees the Ghana government an ear with the Canadian government.
Duah maintains that this is a very feeble and untenable reason for ignoring the concerns and opinions of the Ghanaian Community in Montreal and goes against the calls from the Ghana government on overseas Ghanaians to assist in the development of Ghana.
"What is at stake here is that the government at home is disregarding the skills of its own citizens abroad. It is even more shocking that by appointing the wife of the former Honorary Consul General to the same position, a French Canadian dynasty, the Joachim Normand dynasty is being created out of the Ghana Consulate in Montreal. Who will be next after her? Her son?"
The local NPP Chairman therefore calls on the President and the Foreign Minister to revoke the appointment of Mrs. Heller Normand with immediate effect and consult with the local Ghanaian Community in Montreal who are better placed to recommend someone with the necessary skills and connections to handle the job of Honorary Consul General for this city.
The implication of this move in appointing a foreigner over the objections of the local Ghanaian community creates a lot of ill-feelings for the government at home and as local supporters of our governing Party in Ghana, we believe it is our duty to draw the attention of the President to this anomaly, Hans Peter Duah emphasized.
The local Ghanaian Community regards this move by the government as a vote of no-confidence in the capabilities of its own citizens abroad, the same constituency that the government is appealing to for cooperation and assistance in the national development effort. - Ghanaian News Canada
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June 2002 - The coverage of births and deaths registration in Ghana is very low, a United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF report said on Thursday.
The report said in the year 2000, the estimated coverage was 54 per cent whiles 56 per cent of expected births were covered last year. It noted that the low registration percentages made it difficult to make any meaningful demographic analysis or policy planning in the interest of children.
"Children's access to basic services are also threatened because they do not enjoy their rights to an identity, name and nationality," it added. The report attributed the low coverage to low awareness about the importance of registration on the side of population and lack of efficient data collection system by the government.
Other problems included location of registration offices situated in districts centres, which were sometimes far away from remote villages, lack of funds and fees collected for late registration. (After 21 days one needs to pay 10,000 cedis as sanction).
The report recommended that fees for late registration should be lifted so that all children under one year could be registered free. The Births and Deaths Registry should be provided with adequate funds in order to fulfil its duties as well as intensify public education on the importance of registration of children.
The UNICEF report titled: "Birth Registration-Right from the Start," estimated that 50 million babies worldwide were not registered in the year 2000, denying them of an official identity, a recognised name and nationality. The report called for free birth registration for all children.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June 2002 - Mr Richard Kuuire, Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, on Thursday appealed to government to provide funds from the Security Vote for the installation of concertina wire to strengthen security at all prisons.
He said the presence of hardened criminals in the Service's custody required that security was stepped up in all its facilities in the wake of increased violent crimes in the country to avoid jail breaks. Concertinas wires are strips of spiked metal wires used to fence the perimeters of prisons to make impossible, the escape of convicts.
Mr Kuuire made the appeal when Doctor Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence and Acting Interior Minister, visited the Service's headquarters in Accra to acquaint himself with the situation there and to interact with the senior staff of the Service.
The Director-General told the Minister that the major problem facing the Service was overcrowding, attributing this to the large number of prisoners on remand. He said the authorised inmate capacity of the service was 7,152 but the present lock-up stood at 11,554, an indication of 61 per cent increase.
Mr Kuuire said the grant of amnesty to prisoners who have committed minor offences and whose release would pose no danger to society would help reduce the problem of overcrowding.
For instance, the male section of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison has a capacity to hold 717 persons but its current lock-up stands at 2,292 and the James Fort Prison also keeps 778 persons as against the required 200.
The Kumasi Central Prison holds 1,168 prisoners instead of 416. He said healthcare of inmates was very difficult as they were not exempted from the "Cash and Carry" system and called on government to make available basic drugs to improve the health status of prisoners. Mr Kuuire decried the structural conditions of the James Fort and Winneba Prisons, which he said had weak walls that posed a security risk since they could give way at anytime and called for their relocation.
Other problems facing the service, he said, were the issues of transportation and accommodation, adding that the provision of these facilities would raise the morale of the personnel for a higher output.
He also appealed to the Minister to ask the Military to provide the Service with more weapons and to offer training for officers and to support a draft proposal for the improvement of the conditions of service for its personnel.
He pledged the Services commitment and loyalty to support all the government programmes to provide security for Ghana's democratic process. Dr Addo Kufuor reiterated the government's commitment to improve the conditions of the Service and that of the country's prisons but said this was subject to budgetary constraints.
He said it was the government's policy to ensure that Ghana got a number of modern prisons and its accompanying facilities, to reduce overcrowding and the general well being of inmates in the country's prisons.
Dr Addo Kufuor said existing structures of the Service would also be expanded and upgraded to lessen the stress on them and that efforts would be made to address the most pressing problems of the Service as soon as practicable.
The Minister later visited the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, where he inspected the facilities and interacted with service personnel and inmates. The Minister donated a quantity of used clothing to both the male and female sections of the prison.
Most inmates complained to the Minister that they had been on remand for several years without trial and called on him to impress on the President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor to grant them amnesty.
GRi../
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Shama (Western Region) 07 June 2002 - Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have been urged to co-ordinate their efforts in the fight against child trafficking and to ensure their possible repatriation.
Pupils at a Mock Assembly organised by the Ghana National Commission on Children (GNCC) at Shama, noted that most of the children were engaged in exploitative labour, prostitution and had no place of abode.
The pupils, two of whom would be selected to represent Western Region in a National Assembly in Accra, on 14 and 15 June, said poverty, ignorance and greed compelled several families to release their children to relatives and even unknown persons, who pledged to provide their needs and sometimes remitted the parents.
They said that since many of them did not have a choice, they were forced into menial tasks, "irrespective of our little strength," adding that, hunger, deprivation and neglect was the bane of such children.
The Assembly called on marriage counsellors to intensify their efforts to reduce the increasing cases of single parenthood, divorce and their effects on children and recommended that family planning methods should be encouraged among couples to reduce the incidence of parents "giving away" their children to other persons who made "sweet promises to deprived families".
The Assembly called on churches to include child trafficking, abuse and the protection of their rights in their programmes. Libraries should also be stocked with magazines, children's newspapers and other literature.
The Senior Western and Central Regional Co-ordinator of GNCC, Mr John Hackman said the assemblies were aimed at fashioning out strategies for the survival, protection and development of children.
He said children being an asset and a human resource base, should be listened to and assisted to develop their potential for the future. Mr Hackman called on parents to support the efforts to eradicate child trafficking, which had attracted the attention of many agencies.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June 2002 - Low-lying areas and waterways where buildings have been put up at Alajo and Kotobabi in Accra were once again flooded after barely an hour of rain on Thursday.
The most affected places were houses along the main Kotobabi-Alajo road. The Alajo-Plant Pool Junction was the worst flooded. A GNA team, which monitored the impact of the rain, found the road flooded, forcing vehicles either to move very slowly or divert their route.
Some residents stood and admired the skills of the drivers in manoeuvring to avoid falling into the gutters at the sides of the road others waded through the water collecting their valuables to safe places.
Those that the GNA spoke to expressed concern about the negative impact of the rains and prayed that the rains might not continue. Other areas flooded were the Graphic Road and the Accra West Industrial Area, where the office of Soji Chemicals Ghana Limited and others were virtually covered with water.
Mr Ayilari Juati, Officer in Charge of the Airport Meteorological Service, said the intermittent rainfall would be accompanied by poor visibility for the next 24 hours and advised drivers, workers at sea and workers on the Volta Lake to take precautionary measures.
Mr Kwa Wurudu, Acting Deputy Director in Charge of Synoptic Meteorology and Forecasts Division of the Meteorological Services Department said the Legon based headquarters was yet to receive the records from the eight stations in Accra.
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From: Patrick A. Firempong, Berlin
Berlin (Germany) 07 June 2002 - Ghana is a strategic development partner for Germany on the African continent, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany noted in Berlin on Thursday.
He said bilateral relations between the two countries have been excellent and recent socio-economic development in Ghana indicated that it was a country that could serve as a model for other African countries. Chancellor Schroeder was addressing a press conference at the Federal Chancellery after bilateral talks with President John Agyekum Kufuor in Berlin.
He said Ghana could serve as a model on the continent because of the good governance, stability and peace existing in the country in addition to the tremendous efforts being made by the government that had brought much success and economic development.
Chancellor Schroeder mentioned that the joint efforts made by the two countries could enable Ghana to win more investors. He said: "Germany would promote such a venture with other development partners to design to achieve this purpose in the right direction."
Chancellor Schroeder said President Kufuor's visit was at an opportune time as the G-8 countries would meet to deliberate on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), in Canada next month.
President Kufuor noted that Germany and Ghana had been a key strategic development partners, both economically and technically since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries 30 years ago.
He appealed to the German government to be an chocolate for Africa during the G-8 meeting because humanity is now assuming the central role in international relations. President Kufuor said Ghana like other African countries had taken the lead in development and democratic rule on the continent on a position keel.
He said Africa could now rely on counties such as Germany for support and inspiration to develop the continent into the mainstream of globalisation. President Kufuor later visited Bundestag, the German Parliament to observe deliberations.
He also led his delegation to tour the Reichstag building built like a dome depicting modern architectural designs. Ms Katja Reisener, of the visitor's office, took them round the parliament and the building. President Kufuor also held a closed door meeting with the German President Johannes Ran at the presidential lodge.
President Kufuor on a three-day official visit to Germany was met on arrival by his host, Chancellor Schroeder. The national anthems of both countries were played by the Federal Armed Forces band of Germany before the two Heads of State inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Federal Armed Forces.
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Berlin (Germany) 07 June 2002 - Ugandan lawyer and UN-Under Secretary General, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts, Mr Olara A. Otunnu has been awarded the 2002 Africa prize of the German Africa Foundation.
He was presented with the award made in the fashion of the globe, being carried by three people carved in bronze and a citation, which read, "You are being awarded for your specific efforts to protect the rights of African Children."
Mr Otunnu was presented with the award at the ninth award ceremony of the foundation in Berlin on Thursday. Among the dignitaries present at the ceremony was President J.A. Kufuor on the second day of his three-day official visit to Germany.
German President Johannes Rau, who made the presentation, said Mr Otunnu was being honoured for bringing a ray of hope to people living in the dark. President Rau said it was through the ingenuity of Mr Otunnu that UNICEF raised the minimum age at which children could join the army to 18 years and ensured that the objective was achieved.
He said Mr Otunnu was practically committed to caring for six orphaned children in Uganda. President Rau said Ghana's successful elections in 2000 marked the re-birth of democracy in Africa, adding that the though the country had experienced some political upheavals it was now a stable and democratic country, which was having a stabilising effect in West Africa.
He gave the assurance that the G-8 meeting next month would adopt an action plan on Africa so that the NEPAD initiative could be effectively and operated. President Rau appealed to developing countries, especially those in Europe to open up their markets for products from Africa.
Mr Otunnu commended Germany for its pioneering role and efforts in advocating support for children affected by conflicts in Africa. He said the award was being dedicated to the protection, well being and the rights of children affected by war in the world, especially in Africa.
Mr Otunnu said African children counted on world leaders for unity instead of division and said democracy should prevail on the continent Africa. He called for more investment in the African youth to enable them to contribute to the development of their respective countries.
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Wa (Upper West) 07 June 2002 - The Wa mortuary fridges have broken down, compelling relatives of the dead to either send the corpses to other district hospitals or bury them hurriedly.
Most burials now take place any day of the week instead of the usual weekends. Dr. Edward Gyader, Medical Director of the Wa hospital, told the Ghana News Agency that persistent power fluctuation caused the breakdown. He said the hospital was making efforts to rectify the problem.
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