SSNIT has granted over 253 billion cedis as loans to students
British lawyer before tribunal for fraud
Govt pledges support for Catholic Relief Services
Judge proposes establishment of Criminal Justice Council
Don't use youth as drug pushers - Adults told
Burkina Faso president to visit Ghana
EC unhappy with political parties
Education key to sustainable democracy in Africa - Adjepong
Africans need common vision for their unity - Ala-Adjetey
Stop nepotism for equitable distribution of national cake - Mahama
Make Ghana Prisons a better place-Amoo
Ministry of Works and Housing reacts to
Audit Report
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- The Ministry of Works and Housing on Friday dismissed as mischievous alleged acts of malfeasance against it by the interim report of the Audit Service.
Mr Yaw Barimah, the sector Minister, who addressed a press conference in Accra in reaction to the report, accused the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament of using the report for smear campaign against the government. "As is the practice, the interim report was presented to this ministry to enable it to respond to the queries raised by the audit team before the final report.
"The letter to this effect was dated 8 May 2002... On 10 June 2002 a letter signed by the Acting Chief Director provided written explanations and comments on the draft report."
The Minister said specifically on the question of the 150 million cedis released to the Office of the Chief of Staff, it explained that 100 million cedis had been paid as advance for refurbishment works at the President's Office. A copy of the memorandum to this effect from the Cashier's Office of the President to the Chief of Staff was attached.
Of the remaining 50 million cedis, the letter explained that it had similarly been paid out as advance to another contractor working on the castle and a copy of an explanation was attached.
Mr Barimah agreed in a response to a question that although the procedure for the disbursement of the money was not correct there was no loss to the state. He said his Predecessor, Mr Kwamena Bartels was unjustifiably accused in the report for renovating four bungalows listed for sale.
The Works and Housing Minister said the list of bungalows to be rehabilitated was made by the Public Works Department (PWD) and sent to the then Minister, who set up a committee tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the project.
The Chief Technical Advisor of the Ministry, who was chairman of the committee, admitted to the Audit team that in his rush to execute the projects he failed to identify the four buildings, which were the subject matter. "He did explain that before the contracts were fully executed, he realised the mistake and ordered that the work be brought to a halt. Materials, which had been procured for completion of works were recovered and sent to the PWD.
Mr Barimah said the renovation improved on the value of the bungalows, one of which was sold last May for 1.7 billion cedis as against the original bid of 1.5 billion cedis. "In addition, one of the bungalows has not been bought and is now being occupied by public officials. It still remains government property. The value of works on this building is 51 million cedis."
He said the total cost for refurbishment and renovation carried out by the Ministry on nine other state projects was over 15 billion cedis. "Let us compare this amount to the approximately three million dollars (21 billion cedis) spent on a single project - the renovation and refurbishment of the " Australia House", a State Guest House, in 2000 by the NDC government.
"Before then, in 1999, the refurbishment of only the Credentials Hall of the Castle had been done at the cost of 567 million cedis. Unfortunately, there was no auditing of that project to ascertain how much really went into actual work on the hall."
Mr Barimah said, "Ghanaians must rest assured that the ministry and indeed Kufuor's administration do not intend to deviate from its policy of zero tolerance' which Mr Alban Bagbin, the NDC Minority Leader, implied in a press statement over the interim audit report.
" The Minority leader...claim that in acting the way they did, they were motivated by a desire to protect property or funds. We suggest that they give a better meaning to that claim by tackling with the same zeal, some of the many acts of malfeasance contained in the Auditor General's Reports since 1992, all of which they disregarded with contempt."
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Saltpond (Central Region) 28 June 2002 - The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has granted over 253 billion cedis to 462,000 students in tertiary institutions since the inception of the students loan scheme programme in 1988/89 academic year. Mr Eugene Amponsah-Boakye, Central Region Public Relations Officer of the Trust, announced this at a durbar of Mfantseman District Health Workers at Saltpond.
He spoke about the poor recovery rate of the loans and urged guarantors to advise their clients to repay them in time to avoid embarrassment. The PRO said the Trust would withhold a guarantor's entitlements until his or her client settled the loan in full.
Mr Amponsah-Boakye, therefore, advised guarantors, who were about to retire to make sure that their clients settled the loans before they retired. He said a beneficiary of the loan could use his social security contributions to defray the loan.
Reacting to a question about delay in paying contributors' benefits, the PRO put the blame on employers, who did not send registration cards and those who did not pay employees' contributions to the SSNIT. He appealed to contributors to update their records from time to time to facilitate prompt payment of their benefits.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 28 June 2002- Daasebre Dr Oti Boateng, Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, has called for the establishment of integrated institutions for the physically challenged to cater for their education, skill training and income-generation activities in the regions.
He has, therefore, offered land at Koforidua for such an institution to serve as a pilot project for others in the regions. Daasebre Oti Boateng made the call at a day's forum organised for the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) of Britain and the Koforidua-based National Bureau for Students with Disabilities at Koforidua.
He expressed concern about the tendency to dominate and marginalize the physically challenged, saying government policies were not all-embracing enough to meet the particular needs of certain segments of the society, especially those with physical disabilities.
Daasebre Boateng called for "a golden age of education" that would cater for all segments of the people to ensure the full realisation of the "golden age of business" policy of the government.
The Omanhene, who is the life patron of the NBSD, urged the VSO to lend assistance to the Bureau to develop the capacity of the members to be self-reliant and productive to contribute to national development.
Mrs Dora Amoah-Bentil, a Programme Officer of VSO Ghana, said the organisation was not a funding agency but one that recruited professionals from five countries to serve over 70 countries in the area of human resource and community development.
She announced that the VSO would set up a National Volunteer Programme to recruit teachers to teach in the three northern regions from September. This would be in addition to its on-going Sustainable Living Programme in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Mr Ben Hoefnagels, also a VSO Programme Officer, said it would offer NBSD technical assistance to draw up a long-term strategic action plan to cater for capacity building and to implement its programmes.
The Executive Director of the NBSD, Mr Koranteng Dankyi, said the group was mobilising and collecting data on the physically challenged for training in income-generating skills to rid the streets of beggars.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002 - A 77 year-old British lawyer, was on Thursday arraigned at a circuit tribunal in Accra for allegedly defrauding his Ghanaian friend of 3,000 US dollars under the pretext of helping him to retrieve 79 million dollars he had deposited with a security company in Ghana. Peter John Bray, who pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretences, was granted 20 million cedis bail with a surety, to re-appear before the tribunal on July 18.
Police Inspector Bennett Sarfo told the tribunal, chaired by Mr. Imoru Ziblim that in August, last year, the accused approached the complainant, Mr. Johnson Wisdom Eli Agbeli and convinced him that he had a huge sum of money, which he had deposited in a vault at the Ghana office of World Wide Organisation, a security company in Ghana.
According to the prosecutor, Bray then produced a certificate endorsed with his picture indicating that he owned two parcels containing farm produce from his farm in Zimbabwe, which he brought into Ghana and deposited them at a security company.
The prosecutor said the accused succeeded and collected 3,000 dollars from Mr Agbeli under the pretext of using it to pay for the clearance and collection of the consignments. Bray promised to refund the money in three months but failed to do so. Inspector Sarfo said when all efforts made by the complainant to retrieve his money proved futile, he reported the matter to the police.
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Govt pledges support for Catholic Relief
Services
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday pledged government's support to the School Feeding Programme jointly being undertaken by the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
He said such a laudable programme that had provided food for over 250,000 school children in the Northern parts of the country should be supported to provide at least a meal a day for all school children throughout the country.
President Kufuor made the pledge when Mr. David Orth-Moore, Country
Representative of the CRS called on him at the Castle, Osu. He commended the CRS for their activities in Ghana for the past 45 years and the assistance offered to the various Catholic missions which complement government's efforts in the provision of basic amenities for the people, especially in the rural areas. "With your tremendous complementary efforts to government, you should count on our co-operation," he added.
Mr. Orth-Moore appealed to government for assistance to negotiate with USAID to continue its assistance for the programme that it intends to terminate by October next year. He said the programme was under its Food and Nutrition programme for malnourished children, which was also aimed at motivating girl-child education in the Northern parts of the country.
The CRS Country Representative said they were involved in other activities such as production of soyabean, micro-financing, HIV/AIDS programme, assistance to Liberian refugees in the country and improvement in the quality of education.
Mr. Chris Hennemeyer Deputy Director of CRS responsible for West Africa and Mrs Hannah Evans-Lutterodt, who had worked with the organisation for the past 30 years and would retire this year accompanied Mr. Orth-Moore to the Castle.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- Mr George Kingsley Acquah, a Supreme Court Judge, on Thursday called for the establishment of an independent criminal justice council, to ensure an efficient and effective criminal justice system.
He suggested that such a body should consist of senior officials of the main institutions involved in the administration of criminal justice and distinguished members of the society.
Mr Justice Acquah was speaking at the second and final part of this year's lecture to mark Martyrs Day, under the theme "The Challenges of Crime and Our Criminal Justice System-Which Way Forward?" in Accra. He said a retired Judge or a distinguished expert in criminal law and administration should be made to chair the Council.
The Supreme Court Judge suggested that the Council among other things should be mandated to co-ordinate the functions and operations of all institutions involved in the dispensation of criminal justice. He noted that the current criminal justice system could not ensure effective and efficient justice delivery and the fight against crime.
Mr. Justice Acquah said: " the piecemeal reforms in the past resulted in mistakes, changing in one area without anticipating the impact elsewhere in the system. There should be a holistic approach in tackling problems affecting the system."
He requested government to train officials of the Judiciary and other institutions responsible for justice delivery and to employ more personnel to facilitate their work.
Mr Justice Acquah said there was the need for reduction in road traffic offences, domestic burglary, armed robbery, violence and sexual offences that were pervasive in the country.
The Supreme Court Judge however, noted that institutions in-charge of crime prevention could achieve their roles only if the public co-operated with them. Mr. Justice Acquah said the criminal justice system was not able to curb crime and noted that the Police often reacted after crimes and offences had been committed.
He said criminal justice was expensive, adding that while the cost was about five cent of the gross national product in some developed countries, it was as high as 15 per cent in the developing countries.
" A glance at the 2002 budget of Ghana shows that the Ministry of
Interior, which is responsible for both the Police and Prison Services got virtually the same allocation as the Ministry of Defence, and it is indeed about the ninth highest recipient of the national budget," Mr Justice Acquah said.
He called for the proper organisation of neighbourhood watchdog committees, with a well-designed plan of action, to ensure assessment of, and feedback on their work to enable them argument the efforts of the police in maintaining law and order.
Mr Justice Acquah note that criminals operated with complex and sophisticated weapons and suggested that the Police and other law enforcement agencies should be provided with modern equipment and transport including helicopter gun-ships to facilitate their work.
The lecture was in remembrance of the abduction and murder of the three high court judges, Sarkodie, Koranteng Addow and Agyepong and Major Acquah (rtd) in 1982.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 2002- Ms Elizabeth Yaa Mensah, an educationist, has warned adults who take advantage of the youth by making them drug traffickers with the false promises of sending them abroad to stop the practice.
She said the youth could end up becoming hardened criminals. She said there was the need for Ghanaians to respect the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child by protecting children.
Ms Mensah who is the Assistant Director of Tema Directorate of the Ghana Education Service was speaking at a forum organised by the UNESCO Club in conjunction with the Narcotic Control Board for selected students in Tema to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking, which is being observed under the theme: "Substance, Abuse and HIV/AIDS".
The United Nations General Assembly has designated 26 June of every year as the "World Drug Day" to raise public awareness on the war against illicit drugs. Ms Mensah appealed to drug pushers to take a solemn look around and imagine how the future of the country and the youth would look like if they continued to use the youth in drug trafficking.
She urged heads of educational institutions to deal with issues pertaining to drug abuse in their institutions when such students were caught. They should strictly apply the punishment spelt out in the code of discipline without fear or favour to deter other students from the practice.
Mr Stephen Addo, Narcotic Control Officer, said the Narcotic Control Board (NCB) was seeking funds to treat, rehabilitate and re-integrate drug addicts into society and called on society not to spite them but accept them to make them feel wanted.
Asked by a student why the government could not pass a law to stop people from cultivating drugs, Mr Addo said the Brong Ahafo Region led in the cultivation of cannabis. He said most people in the region were abandoning the cultivation of foodstuff like plantain, cocoyam and cassava and were growing Indian hemp.
Mrs Charity Amamoo, Deputy Secretary-General of Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, said UNESCO was liasing with parliamentary bodies, non-governmental organisations and the civil society to tackle the issue of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
She said no matter the research into drug abuse and trafficking, the onus laid on society to help stop the illegal drug deals and urged the students to lead in the campaign by educating their relatives, friends and the communities.
The Reverend Issac Quansah, Headmaster of Tema Methodist Day Secondary School, said drug abuse could bring untold consequences on the economy and appealed to world leaders to adopt stringent measures to stop it.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- The Ghana AIDS Commission is to provide an amount of 576 million cedis to the Ministry of Tourism in support of its five-year HIV/AIDS sensitisation programme. This followed an agreement concluded between the two bodies to facilitate the start of the programme with effect from this year to 2006.
Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development and responsible for Tourism said this in a speech read for him at a day's sensitisation seminar on Thursday in Accra on HIV/AIDS prevention and control in the Tourism industry.
The seminar, organised by the Ministry of Tourism with support from the Ghana AIDS Commission is to place HIV/AIDS education into the mainstream of Tourism whereby the staff and clients would be sensitised for behavioural change. Participants were drawn from the Ghana Tourist Board, the Associations of Trade, Hoteliers and Caterers, Ghana Tour Operators, and the Ministry of Tourism. Subsequent seminars would be organised for all the 10 regions to promote Ghana as a competitive and quality destination for tourists.
Mr Bartels said the current impact of HIV/AIDS on all sectors of society had made it imperative for leaders world wide to play a major role in its prevention rather than to leave the burden only on public health professionals. He said at the end of year 2001, more than 40 million people globally were living with the HIV/AIDS and out of which 25 million were from Africa. Poverty, inequality and inadequate infrastructure are the contributory factors to the spread of the disease on the continent.
Mr Bartels said in Ghana, a cumulative total of 48,771 cases had been reported with 90 per cent falling between the ages of 15 to 45 years, most of, whom did not even know that they were with the virus. "This is not good news to business in general and tourism in particular as the labour for the sector is being threatened by the HIV/AIDS problem".
He said sustainable tourism thrived on people who were healthy, strong and active to guarantee the tourist a safe and secured destination. Mr Bartels said the Ministry of Tourism would not relent in its efforts but would rather continue to play a leading role in the crusade to make Ghana a safer destination for tourists.
Mrs. Bridget Katsriku, Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism said despite the high level of awareness among the people, behavioural change and individual perception of the risk of HIV infection were dismally low. She said many studies have shown half of the adult population in Ghana thought they were not at risk even though their sexual habits clearly made them vulnerable to the disease.
Mrs Katsriku said the problem would get worse if victims were stigmatised and discriminated against, since those were sure ways to fuel fear and anger of the patients to deliberately spread the disease. She said it was for those reasons that government adopted the policy of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into all sectors of the economy and called for the participation of all stakeholders to make the programme a success.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso would pay a three-day state visit to Ghana from 30 June-2 July at the invitation of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra on Wednesday said the visit is essentially in pursuance of the promotion of good neighbourliness existing between the two countries.
During the visit, President Compaore would hold bilateral talks on political, economic and cultural issues between Ghana and Burkina Faso. He would also hold discussions with his Ghanaian counterpart on issues relating to regional integration and security in the West African Sub-Region. The Burkinabe President would attend the Republic day durbar with the chiefs and people of Somanya (Krobo) in the Eastern Region on Monday 1 July.
A state banquet would be hosted by President Kufuor in his honour in the evening of the same day at the State House during which state honours would be conferred on him. At his own request, President Compaore would visit the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on 2 July and return to Accra on the same day to address Parliament in the afternoon and thereafter lay a wreath at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum.
Ghana's relations with Burkina Faso, which dates back over a century have over the years been on an even keel and had been characterised mainly by the exchange of visit by high-ranking state officials. Both President Kufuor and Vice President Aliu had each paid two-day official visits to the country.
The Ghana-Burkina-Faso Commission for Co-operation has served and continues to serve as the focal point for discussing co-operation between the two countries. Fruitful negotiations between the two countries have resulted in the realisation of the objectives of the joint commission. The statement said the visit would further cement the already cordial relations and economic ties between Ghana and Burkina Faso.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- President Blaise Compaore was born on 3 February 1951 in Ouagadougou. After his primary and secondary education, which ended with an " A" level Certificate in 1972, he entered Inter-Armes Military Academy in 1973 in Cameroon and graduated in 1975.
In 1978 he trained in parachuting in Morocco. Four years later in 1982, he underwent an advanced training course for Para Officers in France. His political career started from 1983 when he served as Minister of state in charge of Justice. In 1987 he became Head of State of Burkina Faso and Chairman of the Popular Front, which was the new governing body.
From then he opened up a political spectrum and allowed people of all political persuasions free expression. In December 1991, President Compaore won the first presidential elections of the Fourth Republic of Burkina Faso and was re-elected for a seven-year term.
Between 1988 and 1997 he chaired important conferences of Heads of States of the West African Monetary Union, Conference of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and conference of Heads of States of the Inter-State Committee for Drought and Desertification Control in the Sahel, to mention a few.
His immense contribution to the advancement of peace, economic co-operation in Africa and his good qualities have resulted in the award of several honorary
Doctorates from the prestigious Paris School of Advanced International Studies, an Honorary Doctorate from the Japanese University of Soka in 1995 and the Olympic Order in Gold from the International Committee.
In December 1997 he was awarded the Stela of Hiroshima for his commitment to the cause of International Peace. President Compaore is married to Chantel Terrasson and is a father of one daughter.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 28 June 2002- The Electoral Commission (EC) has condemned political parties for allegedly providing financial and material support to their members who are contesting the forthcoming district level elections.
The Commission said those activities undermined democratic principles and violated the District Level Elections Law. The Ashanti Regional Director of EC, Mr Samuel Yorke-Aidoo, gave the condemnation at a day's workshop for aspiring assembly members in the Kumasi Metropolis.
The workshop which was organised by the United Support Network, an NGO based in Kumasi, aimed at making the candidates more conversant with the district assembly concept as well as giving them insight into the role and functions of an assembly member.
Mr Yorke-Aidoo said the Commission was inundated with reports of alleged financial and material support to certain candidates, who had lineages with certain political parties. He reminded the political parties of the existence of the District Assemblies Elections Law 1994, Act 473 and urged those involved to desist from the practice to ensure free and fair elections at the district level.
Mr Yorke-Aidoo also reminded the candidates of the laws banning persons above 70 years and students, who were not paying taxes and levies, from contesting the elections.
He also spoke about the new dimension being introduced into the campaign activities such as seminars for aspiring candidates especially women, publication of biography of candidates to speak at public functions and said there was the need for proper definition and dialogue on such activities to see whether to incorporate them into the electoral laws of the country.
The President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), Mr Akwasi Asare Ankoma urged the participants to be abreast with the electoral laws in order not to violate them.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- Professor S. K Adjepong, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast on Thursday said the key to sustainable democracy and good governance in Africa was quality education.
He said unless public literacy was expanded in Africa, majority of the people would continue to remain politically gullible, thereby making it impossible to have a truly empowered civil society to ensure good governance.
Professor Adjepong said this at the opening ceremony of a three-day international conference on the state of Africa, which is being attended by African academics, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, politicians and representatives of civil society. It is under the theme; "Re- Invention, Re-Thinking, Re- Construction and Re-Constitution on the state in Africa", and it is aimed at fostering unity among Africans and friends of the continent.
The former Vice-Chancellor noted that the survival of democratic governance in Africa and the other world was inextricably linked with the level of public literacy. He said Africa had had more than its fair share of civil wars, political, religious and cultural conflicts coupled with dictatorial governance, human rights violations and poverty.
"The overdose of these ills has brought all manner of suffering to Africans, individually and collectively. In essence, it is a call for self-examination, internal cleansing and transformation of mind attitude and practice.
"In this important exercise, it is crucial that we examine some of the major challenges to good governance in Africa, within a global context using experience and traditions as guidelines", he added.
Professor Adjepong observed that nurturing of democracy was a major challenge facing Africa's socio-economic growth, adding that a strong and capable state predicated on democratic principles was essential to the continent's sustainable development.
He tasked the conference to produce ideas that would be germane to the process of transformation in Africa. Professor Pita Agbese, Project Director and a Political Science Lecturer, University of Northern Iowa, USA, noted that Africa needed enough attention in order to examine mistakes that were drawing back the continent. "It is time to sit back and examine where Africa went wrong and try to find lasting solution to her numerous problems."
Ms Afi Yakubu, Executive Director of Foundation for Security and Development of Africa (FOSDA) asked participants to bring out ideas and policies that would help eliminate poverty from the continent. She expressed the hope that various humanitarian laws would be effectively addressed to enhance democratic progress on the continent.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of Parliament on Thursday said the attainment of a continental unity could not be achieved unless Africans were guided by a common vision through the re-invention and re-constitution of the continent.
He said the quest for continental unity has been pursued with some measure of success over the past four decades, particularly the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Mr. Ala Adjetey was speaking at the opening ceremony of a three-day conference on the state in Africa, organised by the Foundation for Security and Development of Africa (FOSDA). The conference is under the theme, 'Re-Invention, Re-Thinking, Re-Construction and Re-Constitution on the states in Africa' and also aims at bringing Africans together to deliberate on issues that are pertinent to the development of the continent.
He noted that unfair international trade terms, lack of investment capital and market access, have contributed to Africa's predicament. The Speaker advised African leaders to tackle problems on their own by re-thinking and re-inventing the tools for continental reconstruction rather than depending on others to resolve it for them.
"None of us should, for one moment, believe that our development partners would use their financial resources and technological know-how to resolve our problems only to see us out-compete them in the international economy," he added.
Mr. Ala Adjetey however, emphasised that although some founding fathers of the OAU had a dream of achieving African unity and economic development through complete political integration instead of loose association of state, it was not realised. However, he said, what was inaugurated back was nothing but a compromise between radical push for continental government on the one hand and the association of sovereign African state bound by treaty obligations and responsibilities on the other hand.
He congratulated the OAU for the liberation of the continent, the promotion of peace and more importantly, its principled commitment to the eradication of apartheid despite its limitations and imperfections.
Mr. Ala Adjetey noted that most African leader's within the harsh international economic constraints on the continent, have adopted various developmental policies and strategies. This, he said, has often not benefited their countries but rather dislocated the existing political and institutional structures on the ground.
He said the adoption of structural adjustment policies based on the recommendations and conditional ties of the IMF, and the World Bank have been implemented with the assistance of Western partners and other members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
"The benefits of these programmes to African states and their societies have become issues not only for intellectuals and academic debate, but for the practical concern of the daily life for the ordinary African. "Mr Ala Adjetey said the adoption of the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) was an important milestone that would help in the Constitutive Act for of the African Union.
He said NEPAD envisaged a more realistic economic integration and transformation of the African continent, which was meant to replace the existing OAU that has completed its task of de-colonisation.
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Stop nepotism for equitable distribution of
national cake - Mahama
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- Dr. Edward Mahama, leader of the People's National Convention (PNC) on Thursday advised the government to stop the practice of nepotism in the country to ensure the equitable distribution of the national cake.
He said the introduction of nepotism by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would not only deny some members of the public certain basic amenities but would not foster good governance in the country.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Dr Mahama said since the assumption of office of the NPP administration, "it has shown clearly that it works only to satisfy some few individuals within the NPP, forgetting that it owed it a duty to distribute the national cake equitably the very day it was sworn in".
Dr. Mahama said the appointment of Ministers and their deputies and other high-ranking officials to the Cabinet had clearly shown that the NPP was tainted with nepotism and called on the government to do something about it, if it really wanted to run an-all-inclusive government.
He said the recent appointment of Parliamentarians to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, without a PNC member was an indication that the NPP did not recognise the PNC in Parliament.
Dr. Mahama said, the "entire PNC wants to remind government that this country belongs to all of us and the way to maintain national unity is to divide the 'HIPC' national cake equitably". He said the PNC was the third largest party in Parliament and it was expected that one of its members would be selected as a delegate to the ECOWAS Parliament.
NPP has so far shown ingratitude to PNC for supporting it during Presidential runoff by marginalizing it, he said, adding, "PNC has always maintained that our purpose was to unseat the NDC and that aim has been achieved by supporting NPP and that would not stop me from fighting for the distribution of the national cake". He deplored the situation where two delegates to the ECOWAS Parliament came from the same district.
Dr. Mahama criticised President Kufuor for not visiting Bawku and Yendi after the crises there, saying the usual Ghanaian tradition was that when people were bereaved or in crisis, it was for the father of the nation to go there immediately and know what could be done to alleviate their plight.
When the GNA contacted the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs on the issues raised, by the PNC leader, the Special Assistant, Mr. Ferdinand Ayim said in a statement that, " it is amazing that Dr. Mahama, of all people should be accusing the NPP government of nepotism.”
The statement said, " if there is any administration that would go on record as having demonstrated a genuine commitment to all-inclusiveness in governance of this country, it is that led by President J.A Kufuor. Indeed the NPP government team included a Minister and two Deputy Ministers from the PNC, as well as other political parties." It said Dr. Mahama "is a very respected politician, credited with a lot of savvy and his remarks are unfortunate and disappointing, to say the least."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2002- Mr George Issac Amoo, NPP-Ayawaso Wuogon, on Thursday said politicians must fight for improvement in the conditions of Ghana prisons because they are more likely to end up there. "None of us know what circumstance would take you there. Something may happen and you would find yourself there."
The member was supporting a statement read by Mr Peter Kwaku Amoabeng, NPP-Lower West Akim, on the poor conditions in the prisons. Mr Amoo said the sanitary conditions and food are so poor that human beings should be made to endure it. He said most inmates are subjected to homosexual rapes, forced drug trade and abuse.
The member said:"Most Ghanaians go to prison healthy but come out with a lot of sicknesses." Mr Amoo mentioned Mallam Issah, the jailed former Minister of Youth and Sports, who was seen walking with the aid of a stick on Ghana Television.
Captain Nkrabea Effa Dartey (retired), Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, called for a detailed discussion of the subject. He said Ghana prisons are for animals and not for human habitation. The Deputy Minister said the worst period in his life was when he spent some time in prison.
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London (United Kingdom) 28 June 2002 - Major Courage Quarshigah, Minister of Food and Agriculture will lead Ghana’s delegation to the Royal Agricultural Show at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry from July 1 to 4, 2002.
He will be accompanied by Daasebre Akwamoah Boateng II, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ghana Cocoa Board and some senior officials of his Ministry. H.E. Mr Isaac Osei, Ghana’s High Commissioner in the UK, Mr Eric Amenuvor, Minister-Counsellor/Trade and senior officials of the Mission will join the Honourable Minister at the opening ceremony and tour of some pavillions.
Ghana’s stand at the fair will provide a platform for a display of variety of agricultural produce including mango, pineapple, pawpaw, yam and cocoyam. A special attraction includes Ghana’s Golden Tree chocolate produced from natural sun-dried premium cocoa, largely grown by small-scale farmers. Also on show will be a range of Ghana’s high quality processed foods such as canned tuna, fruit juices, cashew nuts, spices and handicraft products for the visitors.
Visitors to Ghana’s pavillion will have the opportunity to interact with Mr Stephen Baba Kumase Nana Mathew Kwasi Bonsu and national best farmers for the years 2000 and 2001 respectively, Nana Yaw Kusi and Mr Nelson Aborgah, best cocoa farmers for 2000 and 2001, officials from the Ghana Cocoa Board, the Ghana Export Promotion Council, producers, trade associations and private sector companies.
Also in attendance will be the past regional and national best farmers from 1987 to 1999. While in Stoneleigh, Major Quashigah is expected to hold discussions with high profile personalities in the agricultural sector and visit a number of agricultural institutions. - Ghana High Commission, London
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London (United Kingdom) 28 June 2002 - In three musical concerts held last week in London, the twinkle twinkle little stars of Ghana’s John Teye School Band held the London metropolis spellbound.
Those who thought the shows were destined to connote the usual display by some assembled girls and boys were hypnotised by the performance which they described as “beyond expectation coming from the boys and girls of the group”.
The band made up of nine girls and eleven boys – all pupils of the junior secondary school, sent the crowds into ecstasy and punctuated the air with calls for more encore ! encore !
Yes, they did listen to the overriding need for more and repeatedly churned out more gospel and traditional songs backed by exotic vibrations from the lead guitarist, the trumpeter, saxophonic, drummer and others, Apart from the general endorsement of the group, one question repeatedly asked was whether members of the group were really products of the junior secondary school level.
Added to the great feeling of satisfaction was the communication skills of the group, the cohesion and discipline which vividly permeated the performance and the apparent Christian knowledge and values exhibited by the group during their presentation.
Says Mr O.T. John Teye, Director of the School who managed the band’s European tour under the sponsorship of the Lawrence Tetteh World Miracle Outreach
Ministry: “Music is part of the curriculum of the entire school. Members of the band take music as a hobby. It is simply not a professional musical group”.
The band owes its thanks and appreciation to Mr George Aboagye, Director of Music, under whose tutelage a number of students who passed through the school have made it big on Ghana’s musical scene.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Isaac Osei, who was the Guest of Honour at the show was emphatic in his praise for the demonstrable performance of the group. He praised the band for its remarkable performance which he said, demonstrated the resolve of the boys and girls to make in-roads for themselves in life within the context of Christian values.
He declared: “This is what we want to see in the new Ghana under the distinguished leadership of the President H.E. Mr J.A. Kufuor. The performance of the group should serve as an inspiration to future generations”.
Two issues emerged after the musical concerts. First is the call for the management of the band to consider bringing the group for another visit. The second issue was centred on requests from blacks in the Diaspora for details about the school to enable them send their wards for what they described as “good, moral, and disciplined training in Ghana”.
To these requests, Mr John Teye said consideration would be
given to the requests and thanked the teeming crowd for the interest which had
been generated in the school following the memorable musical concerts. - Ghana
High Commission, London
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 July 2002- Government on Thursday extended the mandate of the Justice Wuaku Commission investigating the Yendi conflict in submitting its report.
A statement signed by Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affirs said, "in response to a request by the Chairman and members of the Wuaku Commission, the President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has extended the mandate of the Commission and the submission of its report".
It said the Commission has now been tasked to complete its work and present its report by the end of August 2002. The statement said the Commission, under the chairmanship of Justice I.N.K. Wuaku, a retired Supreme Court Judge, was sworn in on 6 May 2002 by the President and was tasked to investigate the circumstances, which led to the conflict in Yendi within the Northern Region during March this year.
The Commission started public sittings on 4 June after a fact- finding mission to Yendi on 30 May 2002.
GRi…/
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 28 June 2002 - The Wuaku Commission of inquiry on Thursday had a hectic time as a result of a near clash between the Abudus and Andanis before and after its sitting.
But for the timely intervention of security personnel, members of the two gates would have gone beyond the verbal exchanges and staged "re-enactment of what happened in Yendi in March this year.
Before the commencement of the sitting, one of the Abudus greeted an Andani lady, who was only identified as Mariama, and this was what sparked-off the quarrel. Mariama refused to be greeted and blurted out "if you have killed my father why are you coming to greet me?"
That drew the entire members of the two gates at the auditorium into a war of verbal exchanges and the security personnel had a hectic time before sanity prevailed for the commencement of the sitting. Mr Justice Isaac Newton Wuaku, chairman of the Commission advised members of the two gates to "learn to live together peacefully as one people in Sunyani so as to be able to live as such back home".
He asked counsels for the two gates to advise their clients to behave well towards each other to make the work of the Commission easier. After the sitting, members of the Andani gate expressed indignation as to why the Abudus were escorted outside the auditorium before them. They began murmuring and the youth among them started forcing their way out but the security personnel prevented them from doing so.
Some of the Andani youth were heard questioning, "are they superior to us? whilst an elder among them retorted "this is neo-colonialism". One of the security personnel later explained that they only escorted the Abudus out first to prevent the re-occurrence of what happened at the beginning of the sitting. "We could have even escorted the Andanis first and this should not be misunderstood as giving preferential treatment to the Abudus".
The Commission members, who had then retired to their chamber, had to rush back to the auditorium to address the two gates again. Mr. Justice Wuaku warned that the Commission had the powers of a high court and had every right to charge anybody for contempt. He said the consequences of a contempt charge would be unpleasant, since anybody charged with that "would be made to change his place of abode".
Mr. Justice Wuaku charged members of the two gates to behave well and tolerate each other, saying, "if anybody misbehaves, the commission will limit the number of people who attend sittings to only those who are summoned as witnesses by the Commission at a given time. "You are all from Yendi and you must begin to learn to live together" he exhorted.
Three witnesses appeared before the Commission to give evidence. They are Alfred Alolga, the 46th witness and a transmission technician at the Ghana Telecom (GT), Tamale. The other two were Mariama Alhassan, (A.K.A., Control), 47th witness a food seller in Yendi and the 48th witness Iddrissu Ziblim Sagyildo, a farmer and barber in Yendi.
Four other witnesses who had earlier given evidence and had accused certain people of complicity during the conflict also appeared to be confronted by those they had accused. When Mariama was asked what she knew about the Yendi conflict she replied bluntly: "we were killed by the Abudus".
She said she saw Iddrissu Gyamfo (another witness) holding a gun and setting the Gbewaa place ablaze. Mariama, who said she lived in the palace and is the wife of a brother of the late chief, added that she confronted Gyamfo when she saw him in the act. At this point the commission asked Gyamfo if he had any questions for her. Gyamfo (cw 41): can you swear by the dead body of your mother that you saw me burning the palace?
Mariama: I swear. Gyamfo repeated his denial yesterday that as an Andani he could never have done such a thing to his own people.
But before Mariama could be released drama ensued between her and Gyamfo when the latter accused her of telling lies about him. Mariama wept bitterly and accused Gyamfo of betraying his own people. Both witnesses were seen exchanging words in Dagbani as they left the witness box on release.
During the turn of Iddrissu Ziblim Sakyildo, who was earlier on accused by Alhassan Nantogmah Andani, he said that he did not know his accuser. When Nantogmah was brought for Sakyildo to identify him. He said: "This is the first time that I am seeing him." He said he lived about two miles away from Yendi and only sought refuge in the Bolen-Lana's palace during the incident.
Witness added that he spent four days in the Bolen-Lana's house, because he was very sick. Asked why he did not go to the hospital, he replied that he could not do so because "our enemies had occupied the road, which leads to the hospital". The whole of Yendi was at the Bolen-Lana's palace, witness said and mentioned one Idana as among those he saw at the place.
During cross-examination, leading counsel for the Andani's, Mr Charles Hayibor, pointed out to witness that Alhassan Nantogmah Andani had told the Commission that he saw him on 27 March at the place where the Ya-Na was killed, holding whiskers and dancing to music.
Sakyildo replied that he could not have been at the spot where the chief was killed since he was not well. "If I were not sick I would have joined my people to fight". Sakyildo told the Commission that he did not see any object like a human head whilst in the Bolen Lana's house, neither did he hear of the Ya-Na's death, since he was concentrating on his ill health.
Commission: "How did you get to know about the death of the Ya-Na?"
Sakyildo: "I only heard about it on radio on Thursday, 28 March."
Commission: "How did you react to the news?"
Sakyildo: "I was not happy."
The Commission gave two witnesses, an accuser and an accused, the opportunity to confront each other. Constable Samuel Nyarkortey Adjatey, the 10th witness, who in his evidence on Thursday 6 June, alleged that he dispossessed Mohammed Achana Abdal-Salam (Aka Red) of a G-3 assault rifle on Wednesday, 27 March as he (Abdul-Salam) ran to the Yendi Police station to seek refuge. Abdul-Salam, the 23rd witness, however, in his evidence on Thursday, 13 June denied that he was holding a weapon of the sort.
When Constable Adjatey took the witness seat and was reminded of the oath he had sworn to speak the truth, the Commission asked him to go and identify Abdul-Salam among the Andanis in the auditorium. Witness took a good look among the Andanis and readily pointed his finger at him (Abdul-Salam) but the Commission told him (Adjatey) to rather go and touch him (Abdul-Salam). This drew spontaneous laughter from the audience. Abdul-Salam at this point was called by the Commission to take a seat beside the witness seat.
An investigator exhibited the G-3 rifle and upon examination Adjatey identified it as the one he collected from Abdul-Salam at the Police station. When the Commission asked Abdul-Salam to either admit or deny the allegation made by Adjatey, he denied ever seeing Adjatey. "This Policeman in particular, I have never seen him in my life and I don't know him," he said.
This made him to reiterate what he had earlier told the Commission that he ran from the Gbewaa Palace to the Police station on that Wednesday, but, the Policemen on duty initially repelled him. "That time my assailants were pursuing to kill me and it was Inspector Ben, my brother, who came out of the office, after hearing a gunshot by my pursuers, to intervene for my acceptance at the Police station".
Abdul-Salam continued that it could not have been possible for him to carry "such a big weapon" since he had raised his hand in surrender and asked: "How could I have carried it?" At this juncture, the audience burst into a spontaneous laughter when Justice Wuaku, Chairman of the Commission retorted: "G-3 rifle is not heavy as you want the Commission to believe, because I can carry it ".
In an answer to a question by the Commission if as one of the Ya-Na's warriors, whenever there was a festival he was invited to defend him (Ya-Na), and that as he indicated in his statement to the Police, he went to Yendi purposely to defend the Ya-Na during the conflict, Abdul-Salam denied but visibly fumbled in his reply.
When asked if any G-3 bullet was found on him at the Police station, he answered in the affirmative. Witness, however, explained that he took it to the Police to show the kind of weapons the Abudus were using in their assault on them (Andanis).
Nana Obiri-Boahene, counsel for the Abudus, in a cross-examination wanted to know if Abudul-Salam had ever been to Pakistan to which witness answered that he went there for educational purpose but returned pre-maturely because he could not cope with the Islamic education.
To a question by Counsel if he learnt how to shoot whilst in Pakistan, Abdul-Salam replied: "That was not the aim of my going there, but there is nothing wrong with learning how to shoot." As a patriotic Ghanaian, I should not expect only the army to defend the country when there is a war, he added.
When Nana Obiri-Boahen pointed out to him that he went to Yendi ostensibly to fight on behalf of Ya-Na, "Red" replied: "I am the fourth chief warrior of the Kumbungu-Na and have been enskinned as such." "The Kumbungu-Na, as the Ya-Na's chief warriors owes allegiance to the Ya-Na, so, I see no reason why I should not defend him when he is in trouble."
Witness in answer to another question denied that all the passengers in a Benz Bus he boarded to Yendi on the morning of Tuesday, March 26, were recruited to go and fight for the Ya-Na. Abdul-Salam, however, admitted that one Mohammed Zaachi, who died during the conflict, was also on the bus.
When asked by Counsel whether he knew a Tamale-based lawyer, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, witness replied: "Lawyer Mahama is our brother and father and every day we go to see if he is well." "That Tuesday I even went to him for money for transport to Yendi," he said.
At this juncture Justice Wuaku, Chairman of the Commission wondered why those who fought for the Ya-Na came to the Commission to deny that they did that, adding: "At least it is a noble thing to defend your chief." Abdul-Salam replied to another question that they were defending the Ya-Na from the palace because nobody could step out due to the intensity of the firing by the Abudus on the morning of Wednesday 27 March.
As to when he managed to reach the Police station, witness told the Commission that though he did not know the time precisely, it was mid-morning, "because I did not even have a watch on me and was also terribly wounded". Commission: "Is it not correct that it was when you realised that the odds were against you that you ran away to the Police station?
Abdul-Salam: "Yes, that is correct."
Commission: "When you were leaving where was the Ya-Na?"
Abdul-Salam: "I did not know what happened to him when I left the palace with my hands up."
Abdul-Salam at this point could not say anything when Commission told him that on the Tuesday, March 26, the Benz bus was arrested for carrying ammunition to Yendi. When Abdul-Salam was discharged, a counsel for the Abudus, Mr E. O. Appiah sought permission from the Commission to compel him (witness) to demonstrate to the Commission how he ran to the Police station with his hands raised up. It was all laughter at the auditorium when Abdul-Salam readily did that.
Mr Alfred Alolga, the 46th witness, a transmission technician with the
Ghana Telecom in Tamale corroborated the evidence by his colleagues that the breakdown in trunk calls in Yendi between 25 March and 27 March was not deliberate. He said when a team of technicians was dispatched from Tamale to Yendi on Tuesday, 26 March, although they did their best, they could not restore the links and had to pass the night there (Yendi).
Alolga said that it was about 2200 hours on Wednesday 27 March that they were able to salvage the situation (after several attempts had failed). At this juncture, after answering a number of questions, the Commission told witness that Alhassan Zakari, a watchman at Sam, a GT repeater station, near Yendi, said he saw him (witness) and three others there on Monday, 25 March.
The Commission said Zakari alleged that it was when he (Alolga) and his team had left that the links broke down. Alolga said it was not possible to disrupt links in Yendi from Sam "because it is a repeater station". He, however, said that the problem in Yendi was a normal one but since they could not identify it early enough it became a big one.
Commission: "How long have you worked with the Ghana Telecom?"
Alolga: "Since 1990."
Commission: "Is it not ideal to take along all anticipated materials to be used during a routine maintenance check?"
Alolga: "That is right but we did not anticipate such a situation."
The Commission at this point conditionally released the witness and told him that he would be re-called when Zakari appears before it to answer some allegations.
Sitting continues on Friday.
GRi…/
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