GRi in Parliament 07 - 06 - 2002
Parliament calls for film censorship
Call for more cell sites for mobile phone
coverage
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June 2002 - Parliament on Thursday called on the Film Censorship Board to wake up to the realities of the times and pre-screen and censor films that adversely affected the nation's socio-cultural sensibilities.
About 12 legislators, who associated themselves with a maiden statement, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, who became an MP for Bimbilla in a recent bye-election made in Parliament, deplored the proliferation of "unwholesome" films in the country and called for pragmatic approach of parents, teachers, churches and mosques to curb the menace.
The MPs asked for sufficient funding or the establishment of an endowment fund to enable the censorship board, which is under the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs and is financially starved to function effectively.
Mr Nitiwul, who based his statement on the dangers of negative films, said; "we have a duty to protect our extremely vulnerable sons and daughters in their formative years from becoming prey to the onslaught of violent and negative films. "The objective of true entertainment down the ages has always been to inform, to educate and relax the mind with comic relief".
Mr Nitiwul said it was wrong to say that it did not matter when negative stories about an armed robber acquiring riches were screened because that would influence the behaviour of the youth. He said the best interest of the nation would not be served if people pretended that it did not matter because it was just films being screened for entertainment.
The negative effect of screening such films had led to the embarrassing situation of Ghanaian girls shamelessly advertising themselves on the Internet. Tracing the development of music, dancing and culture of Ghanaians, Mr Nitiwul noted that with the advent of video culture, "all these junk appeared, cheaply produced in thousands and available at affordable prices worldwide.
"In the name of liberation and freedom and giving expression to wild thought in creativity, often bordering on lunatic fringes, strange impossibilities were presented as rational stories, challenging man's very perception of reality."
Mr Nitiwul said; "in our sub-region, taboos and strange unbelievable and unthinkable dreams are brought to life; spousal murder, rape, pregnant virgins, ghosts running wild, snakes in homes, unchecked defilement, highway robbery, murder - we see them daily on our screens".
GRi../
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Call for more cell sites for mobile phone
coverage
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 June 2002 - Mr Felix K. Owusu-Agyapong, Minister for Communications and Technology on Thursday called for the establishment of more cellsites to allow for continuous signals and coverage of the Onetouch cellular phone service across the country.
He said cellsites covered a certain radius and that accounted for breaks in reception whenever one went outside active signal areas. The Minister said this in reaction to a question asked by Mr Kwakye Addo, NDC-Afram Plains South as to when Ghana Telecom's Onetouch cellular phone service would be extended to the Afram Plains.
Mr Owusu-Agyapong said a survey for ONEtouch coverage for the Afram Plains had been completed and a cellsite was earmarked for location at Donkorkrom, the District capital.
He said programme for coverage of regional capitals and major urban areas under the first phase for service deployment was ongoing while the second phase of the programme which would cover district capitals and remaining urban areas would begin after the completion of the first phase.
Mr Owusu-Agyapong said Ghana Telecom was trying to access external funding to resume the projects, which had to be suspended because of financial constraints. Mr Norbert Garko Awulley, NDC-Builsa South asked what was the present fate of the Onetouch cellular phones programme and the Minister said work was virtually coming to a standstill.
Mrs Edith Hazel, NDC-Evalue-Gwira, asked whether it was due to mismanagement and financial constraint that was affecting the quality of service of Ghana Telecom, the Minister answered in the affirmative adding that it was because of poor service that the contract was abrogated.
Mr Isaac George Amoo, NPP-Ayawaso West Wuogon, asked whether it was not prudent for Ghana Telecom to allow customers, who default in payment of telephone to receive calls as happens in other countries instead of total disconnection of service.
Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, NDC-Gomoa West, asked whether it was because of inefficiency that the contract was abrogated, the Minister said it was the work of regulators to offer quality service and since the company could not perform satisfactorily and did not respect the laws of the country action had to be taken.
In a related development, the Minister said fixed wireless system based on the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology were to be installed in various communities in the Dormaa East constituency. Mr Owusu-Agyapong said it was a new version of radio technology, which was much more efficient than the existing wireless system and had broadband qualities.
The Minister stated this in an answer to a question asked by Mr Stephen Adoma-Yeboah, NPP-Dormaa East, as to what plans the Ministry had to extend telephone facilities to Wamfie, Wamanafo, Kyeremasu, Asuotiano and Dormaa Akwamu all in the Dormaa East Constituency.
Mr Owusu-Agyapong said the Ministry was concerned that all the communities in the constituency had no telephone facilities at present except at Dormaa-Ahenkro and that all such towns would benefit from the same expansion programme.
He said the switching capacity of the facilities at Dormaa-Ahenkro was increased from 244 lines to 500 lines last year and it was proposed to further increase the switching capacity to 1,000 lines and eventually to 2,000 lines by the year 2004.
When Mr Adoma-Yeboah asked when the programme would commence, the Minister said it was part of the Ministry's plan to seek for funding to commence work, however, the new business and roll-up plan would definitely begin this year.
Dr Kwame Ampofo, NDC-South Dayi, asked the Minister to provide each constituency detailed documents on the proposed expansion programme of activities of Ghana Telecom so that they could assure their constituents of plans for their communities.
The Minister gave the assurance that after concluding the assessment of the project and after securing a binding contract on a definite programme members would be apprised of the situation.
GRi../
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