A fake police ASP jailed for 18 months
Tower block of Tamale Hospital closed down
Refuse collectors not on strike
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 03 June 2003 - A former regional manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi has advised Ghanaian journalists to ensure high level of responsibility and observe professional ethics in the discharge of their duties.
Francis Kwateng said it was through this that they could assist to reduce political and social tensions in the country. He gave the advice when he feted the staff of the Kumasi office of the Agency on Monday.
Kwateng spoke of the need for the media to be fair, objective and balanced in their reportage so as to win public confidence, co-operation and support. He told the staff of the agency to sustain the credibility and good public image the organization had built over the years through accuracy of its stories.
"You should always see to it that you have all your facts correct and cross-checked", he said, adding that, they should avoid "writing stories based on speculation."
Elizabeth Kankam-Boadu, the acting Ashanti Regional Manager, said the staff was grateful to Kwateng for the strong links he had maintained particularly with the Kumasi office. She hoped he would continue to put his 39 years working experience at the service of reporters.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 03 June 2003 - Anowuo Ohemeng Nsiah-Ababio, a Senior Nutritionist Officer at the Kumasi Metropolitan Health Directorate, has said it was important that young women knew whether they are HIV positive in order to reduce mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
She said if women were found to be HIV positive, they might wish to use family planning methods to avoid pregnancies. Nsiah-Ababio, who was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Asawase/Sabon Zongo HIV/AIDS Prevention Committee in Kumasi, said one serious consequence of deaths from AIDS was an increase in the number of orphans.
"There will be a tremendous strain on the social system to cope with a large number of orphans'', she said. Nsiah-Ababio said more than 100,000 Ghanaians had died from AIDS since the disease was reported in the country in 1980s.
Dr Ernest Kunfa, lecturer at the Planning and Community Health Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), called on members of the committee to work hard to disabuse the minds of the public that ''HIV/AIDS is a curse invoked by the gods''.
He suggested the publication and propagation of more information on the disease in the local languages. Thomas Sheriff, chairman of the committee, said the committee had trained eight peer educators, eight condom distributors and five focal persons for the programme.
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Ho (Volta Region) 03 June 2003 - The Ministry of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives and the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) are designing a programme to equip Higher National Diploma (HND) holders with additional entrepreneurial and managerial skills to enhance their market value.
Emmanuel Akoto, Acting Executive Secretary of the Association of Small- Scale Industries (ASSI), said this at the opening of the joint week celebration of the Schools of Arts and Design, Engineering and Applied Science and Technology of Ho Polytechnic on Monday.
He said the compulsory Entrepreneurial Development Programme (EDP) for HND students only created awareness about entrepreneurship without teaching them self-employment and management.
Akoto said the "HND programme presently (sic) lacks vital components like market survey or feasibility studies, industrial visit, campus business incubator centres and most critical access to start-up capital schemes and facilities."
He said the Ministry and the NBSSI initiative was derived from the positive results from the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA) programme which produced entrepreneurs from different technical trade areas with the support to expand their businesses.
Stephen Bokor, Dean of School of Engineering of the Polytechnic, said PNDC Law 321 establishing the Polytechnics and their scope of training and ACT 426 seemed to be in conflict and needed to be addressed.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 03 June 2003 - The Upper East Regional Police Command said on Monday that it was adopting tough measures to combat the growing incidence of crime in the Region.
This followed a spate of break-ins and burgling of houses in the residential areas as well as some salons in Bolgatanga in recent times. A statement by the Command signed by the Public Relations Officer, Inspector Thomas Agbanyo cited the stepping up of day and night patrols as well as the deployment of more Policemen to beef up the existing Police Task Force in the Region as some of the measures being adopted.
The statement said there would be more Police presence on the roads and in the villages and appealed to the public to co-operate with the Police and give them information.
It cautioned the public against the habit of family members or elders approaching the Police to beg for the release of persons arrested for criminal offences.
''Anyone found begging or soliciting for the release of suspects would be dealt with according to the law,'' the statement said.
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Kibi (Eastern Region) 03 June 2003 - Thieves on Monday afternoon broke into the house of the Abuakwa Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Martin Kwadwo Asare, at Kibi Newtown and made away with clothing and electrical gadgets.
The items the thieves stole included video and VCD decks, a Samsong mobile phone, a suitcase and an unspecified amount of money.
Asare said he left the house at 0800 hours on Monday for work and returned at 1600 hours to discover that his house had been ransacked.
''The thieves searched the house, removed all clothing in my wardrobe and overturned my bed and chairs in the sitting room.''
The Police are investigating.
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Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, Okyenhen, will pay a two-week official to the UK from the 27 June. During the visit,
Osagyefuo will pay a courtesy call on the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness Prince Charles.
Osagyefuo will also engage in talks with Hillary Benn, MP, Minister of State at the Department of International Development, and his officials, on development projects for his State. Other personalities he will see include Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Rt Hon. Paul Boateng, MP, and David Green, Director General of the British Council.
In addition, the Okyenhen will honour a speaking engagement at the West Africa Business Association and attend the Royal Agricultural Show in Stonely Park, Coventry.
The 35th occupant of the Ofori Panin Stool of the Akyem Abuakwa State in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Osagyefuo's primary objective, during his talks in the UK, will be to attract investments to Akyem Abuakwa. However, he will also seek to interest NGOs and other British organisations in participating in self-help projects being undertaken by the people of Akyem Abuakwa.
On ascending the throne on 4 October 1999, Osagyefuo Amoatia identified as priorities for the development of his State, improvement of health facilities, equipping of educational institutions, conservation of the inherited environment and the development of the child. In a solemn pledge, Osagyefuo said: "The success of my reign is totally dependent on my ability, as your leader, to ensure that our future - through our children - is really secure".
On 28th June, Osagyefuo will meet Akyem people resident in the UK at a durbar to be organised in his honour by the Abuakwa Susu Biribi Association, in co-operation with the various Akyem Abuakwa township unions. This will be followed by a fund-raising dinner and dance on 5 July.
Osagyefuo returns to Ghana on 11 July.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - Prof Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director, Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), on Monday noted that the Kufuor Administration, after two years in office, was yet to establish its promised office of accountability within the executive branch of Government.
He said even if the process was being pursued within governmental circles, it was necessary the Government shared information on it with the public for them to make inputs on the appointment of people into that office.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi made the remark in a discussion in Accra after delivering a paper at the beginning of a one-week seminar on "Capacity Building training on Anti-Corruption and Good Governance" organized by Les Aspen Centre for Government, a US-based leadership-training institute.
Participants were middle to senior level personnel working with human rights and women's development organisations, the media, anti corruption and administration of justice as well as legal and business practice from Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.
He said the Government was also yet to fulfil the indirect promise it made, to pass a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and reform the existing Public Officers Declaration Law, which he described as inadequate.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi questioned why the confirmation of the current Auditor-General was delayed and argued that frequent changes in the head of the Serious Fraud Office, which now has its third boss, was a failure to strengthen the independence of that agency.
The CDD Executive Director, who is also a Professor at the Political Science Department, University of Ghana, said the Government had also failed to articulate open, transparent and meritocratic procedures for executive appointments to key public institutions, with the administration failing to depart from the existing non-transparent practice of making appointments by directives.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi recalled the declaration of "zero tolerance for corruption" of the Government as a follow-up to its campaign promise to end official corruption and abuse of office.
He also recalled the "impressive openness" to the media and conviction of the former minister of Youth and Sports, Mallam Issah, "for stealing", as well as the confirmation of the appointment of the Auditor-General as positive developments.
He, however, noted that the "zero tolerance for corruption" phrase was gradually disappearing from public statements, and added that there was apparent preference to dealing with corrupt officials rather than prevention of corruption.
"All (these) represent a decline in the political will to fight corruption," Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said. Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said political leaders in Africa might recognize the negative effects of corruption, and in the short run desire to combat it.
However, they were faced with short-term pressures, temptations and imperatives of political expediency to maintain the status quo and follow the line of least resistance.
"Political leaders may have to muster the courage to take on the challenge of confronting corruption," the CDD Executive Director said.
He called for political leadership that was willing to prosecute corruption on the part of insiders. He added that it was vital that prosecutions were not just reserved for opponents of the incumbent administration, but rather pursued wherever corruption was identifiable.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said it was necessary that reforms were initiated to address the serious problem of payment of non-living wages. The reforms must also reduce executive dominance, significantly empower and resource official anti-corruption and countervailing agencies.
He said as a result of its ties with the ruling party the Office of the Attorney General in Ghana was not likely to advise the Government without partisan considerations.
Prof Gyimah-Boadi advocated, among other things, media exposure of corruption, selection of achievable benchmarking, such as the delivery of executive commitments in the form of an in-house office of accountability and enforcement of code of conduct for public office holders.
The participants to the seminar, which is an orientation to a general one to be held in Washington DC next month would provide a baseline knowledge of specific country issues.
The participants and programme presenters are examining the nature of corruption and governance, and explore practical ways of managing corruption in the democratic and cultural environments in participating countries.
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Lolobi-Kumasi (Volta Region) 03 June 2003 - John Peter Amewu, an aspiring parliamentary candidate of the New
Patriotic Party for the Hohoe-North constituency has advised the electorate to be mindful of their utterances against their political opponents in order to raise the image of the party.
He called on party members to intensify their political campaign in order to win the seat in the 2004 elections. Addressing party supporters at Likpe, Wli, Fodome and Lolobi last weekend, Amewu, tasked polling agents and the party's foot soldiers to carry their campaign from market places to houses to enable them to win the floating votes.
"Learn to be conversant with the policies of government to enable you educate the people on the need to exercise the franchise on voting day", he said. ''It is time for the people of the region to fight for their share of the national cake and I believe our government would not fail us," Amewu said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - The labour movements of Ghana and Nigeria have resolved to work for the consolidation of democracy in the two countries.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have also agreed to collaborate with other centres towards the democratic development of the continent.
In a resolution released in Accra on Monday following their second bilateral conference from 6-9 May, the two labour movements said they would place greater premium on internal democracy, greater equity, transparency and accountability, and trade union ethics in general to enhance their capacity.
"In view of the importance of a vibrant civil society to the promotion of good governance and deepening of democracy, the two centres will continue to use their strategic position and experience in wider democratic struggles to energise and empower civil society."
They said they would take advantage of their national spread and social influence to unite the people and counter the negative impact of ethnicity, religion and other primordial sentiments on peace and stability in Africa. The TUC and NLC said they would join forces to ensure that African leaders paid serious attention to partnership between the governments and people in a direction that focused around the needs of the people, especially poverty alleviation, employment, internal resource mobilisation and strengthening the productive capacity.
On trade, the two labour movements observed that the unfair rules, practices and institutions governing international trade had a negative impact on Africa's economies. This was, especially visible through dumping of cheap imports, which undermined domestic production and created unemployment.
"On the other hand, the system restricts Africa's access to the markets of the developed nations, which increasingly reduce the continent's share of net income from world trade."
They resolved that they would call on their governments and African leaders to demonstrate the required focus, capacity and recognition of national interests in trade-related negotiations with the developed countries and multilateral institutions.
"The TUC and NLC will pursue the inclusion of their centres in country delegations to critical trade negotiations as a means of focusing attention on poverty eradication, employment creation and core labour standards."
The resolution noted that the Breton Woods institutions had realised the negative impact of their Structural Adjustment Programmes on African economies, which has informed the Poverty reduction Strategy Agenda and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP).
"However, the PRSPs still drive the same orthodox neo-liberal policies, which undermine the logic of country ownership," they said. The resolution said they would continue to play a major role in the national efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and work actively with their governments and civil society towards intensifying the campaign towards prevention and control.
The TUC and NLC said they would collaborate towards the urgent rebuilding of the Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) in concert with other affiliates and the OTUWA Secretariat.
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Accra, (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - The Minister of State in-charge of Education, Youth and Sports on Monday unveiled a policy vision that would encourage a Youth Exchange Programme between the three northern regions and their southern counterparts to facilitate the sharing of values.
Alhaji Rashid Bawa, who was speaking in Accra on the "Role Of The Youth In Promoting Volunteerism," said security and other social problems in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions called for frequent interaction amongst the youth in the spirit of volunteerism to foster understanding of the issues at stake to promote national integration.
"Volunteerism is the ultimate expression of the willingness and ability of citizens to get engaged and to freely help others and improve society in a spirit of reciprocity," he said, at a two-day workshop organised by the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Programme in collaboration with the Global Youths Action Network, Ghana.
It is on the theme: "The Role Of Youth In Promoting Volunteerism And National Capacity Building." The workshop attracted over 50 youth volunteers who would discuss issues like "Advocacy For Youth Volunteerism", "Facilitation Of Youth Voluntary Efforts" and "Increasing Recognition Of The Significance Of Youth Voluntary Service."
Quoting studies conducted by John Hopkins University in 22 countries where the "Voluntary Sector" significantly contributed to Gross Domestic Product, Ahaji Bawa said volunteerism was one means of achieving the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty by 2015.
"Evidence indicates that volunteerism contributes between eight and 14 per cent of GDP in countries where it has been measured. "For instance in the USA, it generates nine million full time jobs and up to $225bn while in Canada, it generates 578,000 jobs and $11bn."
Korkor Ocansey, a journalist, who spoke on: "The Role Of The Young Journalist In Promoting Volunteerism And National Capacity Building", expressed dissatisfaction about the emphasis of political issues by the mass media to the detriment of volunteer activities like cleaning exercises.
"I am not saying that politics is not good especially under the current dispensation," she explained, and called for concerted efforts to rectify the anomaly.
Ocansey called on young journalists to make volunteer organisations their beat and give them the wider coverage they deserve. Agnes Ouedraogo, Deputy Co-ordinator of the United Nations Development Programme in Ghana, said volunteerism "brings to life the aspirations of humankind - the pursuit of peace, freedom, opportunity, safety and justice for all people."
She said volunteerism had become an essential element of life in the new millennium that turns into practical and effective action the declaration of the UN that "we, the people have the power to change the world."
Joe Oji, UNV Programme Officer, called on the participants to showcase their talents, energy and resourcefulness by being proactive in all discussions. This attitude, he said, would contribute to a process of change.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - Government is to establish over 300 commercially viable enterprises in all the 110 districts of the country, as part of the President's Special Initiatives (PSI), to boost employment and reduce poverty.
Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives who said this on Monday said the enterprises, to be built in the next three years under the Rural Enterprise Development Programme, would receive financial assistance from various sources to support their activities.
He said funds from community ownership, strategic investors, district assemblies and institutional investors would be used to provide the necessary backing for such enterprises.
Kyeremanten was speaking at a meeting with Ms. Pamela Bridgewaters, deputy assistant secretary at the Department of State of Washington, who paid a courtesy call on him in Accra.
He said sensitisation activities on the programme were already underway in the Central and Western regions and this would soon be extended to other parts of the country.
Kyeremanten said the main focus of the programme and others under the PSI were designed to move the country out of poverty onto the path of sustained economy growth.
In this direction, the trade minister said, the ministry was pursuing an export led industrialisation drive with focus on the involvement of the rural community since about 60 per cent of the population live in the rural areas.
The ministry would also implement an import substitution programme to promote the local production of some products, which were currently being imported.
"To reduce poverty on a sustainable base, one must grow at a faster rate", he added. He stressed the need to mainstream the rural population into the development programmes to ensure its success.
Kyeremanten said a technology improvement programme had been designed to provide technical assistance to the local industries for the success of the PSI and the ministry's new reforms.
He said a special purpose recovery trust for distressed but potentially viable locally industries would be initiated. Under it, some companies would have their debts absorbed while distressed companies would be re-capitalised by converting the debts into equity to be off loaded when the companies regain their strength.
The Trade Minister, appealed to all to join the government in the fight to reduce poverty and make the country worth living in. Bridgewaters commended Ghana for undertaking the initiatives and urged government to take advantage of the quality of expertise.
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Jasikan (Volta Region) 03 June 2003 - Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, has called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to organise workshops that would address existing communal and ethnic conflicts in some parts of the region. He made the call at the opening of a two-day strategic workshop at the weekend.
The Regional Minister expressed concern about the three main conflict areas in the region, which were characterised by "wanton destruction of property and the loss of human lives".
He named the conflict areas as Peki-Tsito, Alavanyo-Nkonya land boundary dispute and the ethnic conflict of Kitare in the Nkwanta District. Owusu-Yeboa said the large sums of money being used for peacekeeping could have been expended on development projects to improve the quality of life of the people.
He commended the organisers of the workshop, the Co-operative League of the United States of America, for helping to create awareness within the communities on their civic responsibilities under the Government's Accountability Improved Trust (GAIT) project.
Omar Amadu-Dabou, Jasikan District Coordinating Director, appealed to NGOs and civil societies to help the government to identify conflict areas and help to manage them.
Martin Akotey, Programme and Workshop Facilitator, called on the people to initiate self-help projects to supplement the government's development efforts.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - The withdrawal of services by State Attorneys entered its fifth day on Monday crippling the courts as more criminal cases at the Courts and the Regional Tribunals had to be adjourned indefinitely.
They are on a sit down strike to back the demand for payment their allowances. All the High Courts and Regional Tribunals were virtually empty on Monday.
The Fast Track High Court trying Victor Selormey, former Deputy Minister for Finance and Daniel Abodakpi, Ex-Minister of Trade and Industry for alleged misappropriation of State funds adjourned the case to June 23.
A case involving Victor Emmanuel Smith, former President's Special Aide was also adjourned to June 19 by a Circuit Court. State Attorneys on 28 May reaffirmed their resolve to continue to withdraw their services to press demands for the payment of all arrears of allowances due them from January to date.
A statement signed by Augustine Obour, Acting Secretary of the Association of State Attorneys, said the decision was taken at a general meeting held in Accra last Wednesday.
The Attorneys said a statement by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General that all their demands had been met since Friday had created an erroneous impression in the minds of the public.
The statement said as at last Friday, there had not been any break in communication. "In fact at all material times relevant to this withdrawal of services, the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice had duly been informed through written and verbal communication.
"It is worthy to note that to date, we have not been paid any moneys as demanded through our letter of 19 May 2003, which forms the basis of the withdrawal of services.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday urged the international community to financially and materially support peacekeeping operations in conflicts regions in Africa.
He said this was because African communities could not sustain the cost of peacekeeping operations due to their weak economies.
Nana Akufo-Addo made the call when he opened a workshop on International Peace Support Operations in Accra. Nana Akufo-Addo said the reluctance of the international community to assist in conflict resolution had resulted in its escalation.
He noted that in spite of lack of resources, African leaders were committed to resolving conflicts in the region. The workshop is under the auspices of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre with support from the British Military Advisory and Training Team.
It is aimed at enhancing regional peacekeeping capacity by promoting understanding of the principles and procedures involved in the planning, co-ordination and conduct of complex, multi-faceted, multi-national and inter-agency Peace Support Operations (PSO).
The course, which would be for four weeks, had drawn participants from 23 African countries. Nana Akufo-Addo said while countries were prepared to commit troops for peacekeeping, there was the need for the leaders in war-torn countries to demonstrate willingness and compromise.
The Foreign Minister said conflicts on the continent had had incalculable costs. "Apart from the loss of precious lives, some of these costs include the destruction of physical infrastructures, intuitional capacity and social capital, flight of finance and vast refugee population in the region".
Major General Carl Coleman, the Commandant of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, noted that the increasing rate of conflicts on the continent had heightened the need for greater attention to peace and security.
He said the conduct of peacekeeping operations had become more complex and there was the need to adopt a professional approach to it.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - The State Housing Company has acquired 234 acres of land at Buduburam for the construction of 1,200 housing units with community facilities to make it one of the largest housing projects in the country.
The project is one of several others being undertaken by the company including the rehabilitation of old structures nation-wide. The Deputy Managing Director, Ben Mensah who said this did however not disclose the cost of the projects. He said the SHC's immediate objective was to attract funding for its projects from both foreign and local sources in the form of grants.
This came to light when Alhaji Mustapha Iddris, Minister for Works and Housing paid a working visit to the Company on Monday to acquaint himself with the programmes and projects of the organization.
The visit, the first to the company since the Minister assumed office was also to afford him the opportunity to learn at first hand the problems facing the organization and how to find solutions to them. During his interaction with the staff, Alhaji Iddris tasked the management to provide affordable low cost housing to both the urban and rural poor.
He said government already had a large deficit in the housing sector and therefore it would be wrong to leave some aspects of the housing sector in private hands. He said houses provided by private estate developers in the country were very expensive and many people could not afford.
The minister suggested that SHC should either be divested fully or taken from the Divestiture Implementation Committee so as to attract private capital for the company to expand its operations. He said the partial divestiture was affecting the company's image to attract the needed capital to enlarge its estate housing projects across the country.
Alhaji Iddris urged the management to put in place routine maintenance programme at their various estates and housing projects.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs on Monday said it was the duty of the ECOWAS led by Ghana to assist in the process to bring peace to Liberia. "ECOWAS had been waiting for this opportunity, let us cease this process and see whether something concrete would come out of the Accra Conference", he said.
Speaking to Journalists in Accra, Nana Akufo-Addo said about 100 delegates including government officials, politicians, rebel groups, civil society and religious groups from Liberia were expected to participate in the two-week peace conference on Liberia which opens in Accra on Wednesday.
The Conference under the auspices of international organisations and some countries would take place at Akosombo and Akuse. The Foreign Minister assured participants that adequate provision had been put in place for their safety.
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Goaso (Brong Ahafo) 03 June 2003 - Cocoa farmers in the Nkawie Electoral Area near Sankore in the Asunafo District of Brong Ahafo have appealed to the Department of Feeder Roads and the Asunafo District Assembly to repair two bridges in the area to facilitate the transportation of the people and farm produce to the marketing centres.
The bridges, over Rivers Abonyere and Dei, collapsed during last year's raining season, rendering the area inaccessible. Kingsley Owura Asabre, Assembly Member, told Ghana News Agency at Sankore that the deplorable nature of the bridges had given room to middlemen to exploit the farmers.
He expressed the hope that the bridges, which were constructed by the people through communal labour with the support of the Assembly, would be rehabilitated soon. Asabre pledged the people's readiness to offer communal labour towards the work.
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Cape Coast (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - Eighty-two thousand tourists visited the Kakum National Park in the Central Region last year, Cletus Nateg, Senior Wildlife Officer in-charge, said on Monday.
Nateg who did not disclose the amount accrued, was briefing the Minister for Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, at Cape Coast as part of his three-day familiarization tour of the region.
He said the Park serves as an entertainment and educational centre and also helps in creating awareness on the need to save the environment, especially the forest. Nateg said most communities around the Park have had their transportation problems solved with the construction of good roads.
Earlier, the Regional Coordinating Director, Roger Angsomwine, had briefed the Minister and his entourage about tourism attractions in the Cape Coast and Elmina areas and their problems.
Obetsebi-Lamptey later called on the Omanhene of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta 11, at Cape Coast and Nana Kwadwo Conduah V1, Omanhene of the Edina Traditional Area, at Elmina.
The Minister appealed to the chiefs and elders to support the Government to achieve its aim to develop tourism in the two areas. Osabarimba Kwesi Atta appealed to the Government to ensure that a percentage of revenue generated from the castles at Elmina and Cape Coast were given to the people for development.
The Minister visited the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles and the Gramophone Museum Centre at Cape Coast.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 03 June 2003 - The Department of Urban Roads is to commence rehabilitation work on roads in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Twumasi A. Boakye, Director of the Department has announced.
Boakye was speaking at the weekend during a working visit to Bolgatanga as part of preparations by the Department to start rehabilitation work on roads in the area, following the upgrading of the District Assembly to Municipal status.
He was accompanied by his deputy in-charge of maintenance, J. K. Mensah and the Tamale Municipal Roads Engineer, Akwasi Nuamah.
At a meeting with the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Rockson Bukari, core staff of the Assembly and regional directors of the Lands Commission, Town and Country Planning and the Survey Department, Boakye appealed to the MCE to help provide a yard and offices for the staff and engineers of the Department to move in to start work.
He also appealed to the MCE to support the Department by getting some personnel from the Assembly to assist in the execution of the work. The project he said would include the provision of street and traffic lights and the construction of more drains to ease the flow of water to prevent flooding.
Bukari pledged the Assembly's support to improve the road network in the Municipality saying, "The people are yearning to have the roads re-shaped to befit its status as a regional capital and a transit point for vehicular traffic from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Togo."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - A twenty-three old unemployed, Solomon Adjekum who impersonated as a CID Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) based at the Police Headquarters in Accra was jailed 18 months for impersonation and defrauding by false pretence.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Elizabeth Arthur told the court, presided over by Mrs, Ivy Heward-Mills that on 21 May 2003, Solomon Adjekum called on Mrs Naomi Micah, a computer designer/pharmacist and informed her that, he Solomon was an ASP with the CID Police Headquarters and that on 21 May, he and his men were patrolling the streets of Bawaleshie a suburb of Accra, when his men arrested two young men who were breaking into her pharmacy shop.
Solomon added that the culprits were to be put before court on 22 May and therefore, needed an amount of ø250,000 as an "aid" to speed up investigations
Solomon even went further to tell Mrs Micah that in the course of their patrolling, he and his men were chasing a car loaded with boards and because of her, they have to abandon that chase and rather arrest the two young men.
Micah therefore, told Solomon to leave his telephone number and the name of his station which he did and requested Solomon to come for the money the following day.
At the appointed time Solomon went to Mrs. Micah at Bawaleshie and she told him that she could only afford an amount of ø100,000. Without hesitation, Solomon collected the amount and while leaving he was spotted by a young man who told Mrs Micah that he (Solomon) leaves with them in Bawaleshie.
A search party was then organised and the fake ASP was apprehended around the American House near Bawaleshie and was handed over to the Legon police for prosecution.
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Tower block of Tamale Hospital closed down
Tamale (Northern Region) 03 June 2003 - The tower block of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, which houses the medical and surgical units on the second, third and fourth floors, has been closed down due to nature of the building. Dr Daniel Tapang, Chief Executive of the Hospital, speaking at news conference in Tamale on Monday, said the 150 patients accommodated 150 patients in the block had been reduced to 50 because of the deplorable state of the building.
He said the physical structure of the hospital had deteriorated over the years, adding that, some parts have virtually become death traps, endangering the lives of the staff and patients. Dr Tapang said a large sum of money was required to re-equip and maintain facilities and equipment some of which had become obsolete.
He said staff would continue to provide services provided at the block in the other wards. Although the government had provided $200,000 for the repair of some sections of the hospital the amount is "woefully inadequate" since the hospital needed over $27m to refurbish and equip the hospital, he said.
Dr Tapang said the hospital generates, ø1.1bn a year, while patients who could not afford the cost of treatment absconded with ø27m. He said arrangements were being made to move inpatients to "safer parts" of the hospital and appealed to the public for cooperation.
GRi…/
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Highly educated women get husbands -
Churcher
Saltpond (Central Region) 03 June 2003 - The Minister of State in-charge of Basic, Secondary and Girl-Child Education, Miss Christine Churcher, at the weekend said it is not true that highly educated women find it difficult to get husbands.
She said the notion was a ploy to distract the attention of girls from attaining high academic laurels and urged girls and their parents to disregard it.
Speaking at the 22nd Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Methodist High School at Saltpond, Miss Churcher said quality education should be more relevant to the poor since it could get them out of the poverty circle. She urged the poor to cut down their expenses on habits that did not benefit them and social activities such as funerals and to invest in their children's education.
The Minister advised children from rural areas to strive to lift themselves up, saying, "Where one hails form does not matter but what one can make out of the place where he or she hails".
The Reverend Ama Afo Blay, Director General of the Ghana Education Service, reminded heads and staff of schools that education meant more than merely imparting knowledge and skills to students, saying, it included character-building and instilling in the individual values that promoted development.
She mentioned discipline, achievements in sports, drama and music as some of the factors, which contributed to make a good school. Rev Afo Blay expressed concern about indiscipline in the society and said guidance and counselling services in schools were to be stepped up to help students identify and understand aspects of their lives, which had to be put in perspective to ensure a successful future.
Reverend Solomon Grant Essilfie, headmaster and the School Prefect, Master Peter Dennis, said the problems of the school included inadequate hostel facilities, computers, furniture, science laboratory and a library. The headmaster said out of 95 students presented for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination last year, 22 passed in eight subjects, 21 in seven subject, 16 in five and eight in four subjects; eight in three subjects whilst four and three passed in two and one subject respectively with one student failing in all subjects.
He said one boy had six "A"s and one "B" while another had four "A"s and two "B"s. Rev. Essilfie said the school, through its meagre resources has managed to construct five classrooms within one year and has also renovated some abandoned buildings to accommodate two teachers.
He commended the PTA for putting up a three-classroom block and renovating some garages to serve as Boys Hostel and a canteen. The headmaster expressed gratitude to the former District Chief Executive for Mfantseman, Kofi Wilson, for donating a set of track suits costing about ø16m to the school.
He also commended GHACEM for donating 150 bags of cement to the school for the renovation of an abandoned building to be used for a Girl's Hostel. Jacob Arthur, MP for Mfantseman West, called for a national debate on whether mission schools should be handed over to the Churches.
He donated two chargeable lamps to the school. Prizes were awarded to deserving students and staff.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 June 2003 - Charles Parker-Allotey, Public Relations Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Monday said only five out of the fifteen private companies involved in the collection of refuse in the city went on strike during the weekend.
He said the rest of the companies did not even know of the impending strike action and went about doing their normal business.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Parker-Allotey said the AMA together with the Greater Accra Regional Minister had a meeting with the refuse collectors last week where they came to an agreement to pay them ø50m every month.
He said he was, therefore, surprised that some of the companies went to block the streets over the weekend while their colleagues were busily working. "We don't know their motive now because we had already reached an agreement with them" he said.
He said though the AMA owed the companies but it was not possible to pay off the debt completely at once. Parker-Allotey said the AMA generated an average of ø35bn a month out of which ø33bn was used on garbage collection in the city alone.
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