Avoid delay in
supplying pre-mix fuel Govt urged
Okyehene
appeals to chiefs to solicit foreign assistance
Yefri
to get small-scale irrigation dams
She said the Etwereso
and Ajobue land measures 50.46 kilometres and is
estimated to contain about 43.23 percent of the total proven diamond deposits
of the GCD in the
Mrs Bannerman was answering a
question asked by Dr. Boakye Akoto
NPP-Birim North as to whether her ministry would
consider releasing land around Etwereso and Ajobue to small-scale mining operators in view of the fact
that GCD deems the area uneconomical for large scale mining purposes.
Mrs Bannerman said shedding off the
area for small-scale mining operators would significantly reduce the value of
the GCD concession, which is being divested and that bids to that effect have
been received by the Divestiture Implementation Committee.
Mrs
Bannerman said shedding off the area for small-scale mining operators would
significantly reduce the value of the GCD concession, which is being divested
and the Divestiture Implementation Committee to that effect has received that
bids.
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It urged all witnesses and the
general public to take note of the change in venue from the GNAT Hall in
Tamale.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 June 2003 - Ex-Corporal Mathew Adabuga, considered a key architect of the 31 December 1981 Revolution, has again thrown a challenge to former President Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings to meet him at the National Reconciliation Commission to cross examine him and clear his name from the accusations (Adabuga) has levelled against him.
Testifying before the Commission
on Tuesday, Adabuga said Flt Lt Rawlings then
Chairman of the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) did not
accept that no adverse findings were made against Capt James William Owu and asked him (Adabuga) to
"eliminate" Capt. Owu, a former military
intelligence officer and instructor.
Adabuga said it took the intervention
of Capt Pattington and Capt Courage Quashigah, both functionaries in the PNDC to spare the life
of Capt Owu whom they had arrested on
Adabuga said,
led by one Wallace Gbedema, and on the orders of Capt
Kojo Tsikata, he together
with a group of soldiers arrested Capt Owu because
Capt Tsikata told them Capt Owu
was in league with Commander Ekow Daniels and one Malik to assassinate Chairman Rawlings the next day during
the Independence Day celebrations.
Adabuga then apologised to Capt Owu, who had testified at the Commission just before him,
and embraced him, an action, which was applauded by observers in the public
gallery.
Adabuga, admitted that because of his position in the then government, he
wielded some influence over senior officers and named 10 people whom he said
were the "original 10" architects of the
Another witness, Kpakpo Allotey who was working
with CFAO, said policemen arrested him in 1958 when he and his brother in-law
went to buy drinks at a bar to celebrate his wife's safe delivery of their
baby.
He said no reason was given for
his arrest. He said he spent over eight years in prison shuttling from the
Usher Fort Prison, the Sekondi Prison and Nsawam Prisons until 1966 when he was released.
Witness said he was 26 years old
when he was arrested and was member of the Ga Shifimo Kpee, a political group,
adding that he had resolved not to join any group since then. He mentioned one Kwatelai as the brain behind his arrest because he (Allottey) had advised Kwatelai to
stop insulting one Lawyer Ollenu at his Chambers,
near Makola, saying it was a disgrace to the Gas.
Allottey said Kwatelai
later threatened to teach him a lesson, adding that he was sure his arrest was
how Kwatelai paid him back. "Anyway, I thank God
he is dead and I am still alive," he said. He said no compensation was
paid to him for his imprisonment without trail. He said he did not write a
petition to any quarters for redress because he did not know who to address it.
Witness said on
Allotey who said he was released
together with Madjitey, former Commissioner of
Police, adding "Others who were not fortunate died continuously leaving
only seven of us alive out of the 43 people arrested." He said he
contracted a heart disease due to his arrest and his right eye is blurred due
to the constant light on him in prison.
Witness thanked the Commission
and government for making the whole world know the bad treatment he and other
Ghanaians went through at one time or another in the country's history. He said
he is 71 years old and wondered if the Commission could support him financially
to celebrate his birthday.
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He said the UNDP was aware of
the Commission's problems such as inadequate logistical support, which impeded
its effective functioning.
Asamoah-Mensah was opening a five-day workshop
for 50 civic education officers of the NCCE from the Western,
The workshop, which was
organised by the UNDP, was aimed at assisting participants to acquire relevant
knowledge and skills to enhance the work of the NCCE. Asamoah-Mensah
said, " NCCE should consider UNDP assistance a
means to enhance the work of the commission.''
He asked the officers to live
above reproach, stressing that the NCCE has a significant role to play in
national development and that the country would fail if the commission was not
able to work effectively.
Larry Bimi,
Chairman of the NCCE, advised the staff of the Commission against partisan
politics adding that those who desired to do that should resign from their
positions. Speaking on "The nature and scope of civic education in
contemporary
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Akosombo (Eastern Region)
The 18 political parties, peace
activists, civil society groups and rebel groups should submit memoranda
stating their various positions on how to stop the war by close of work on
Tuesday.
An official at the ECOWAS
Secretariat at Akosombo told the Ghana News Agency
that such a document would help streamline the views on how to end the more
than 12 years of war. He said the memoranda would also help to ensure
dispassionate discussions on
He said General Abubakar's suggestion for memoranda followed a warning to
stakeholders that the meeting was the only chance for Liberians to make peace
and cool down tempers.
The source said the General also
offered three slots at the talks to representatives of six political parties
who flew in from the
"The political wing of the
Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), the second largest rebel group, are
on their way to
In a related incident, Marcus
Jones, President of the Liberia National Bar Association, told the GNA that a
number of political parties and civil society groups had submitted various
resolutions to ECOWAS on how to bring peace to their country.
He said they had three resolutions,
which included a call on all political parties to collectively condemn violence
as a means of effecting political change. "The government of
They also called on LURD to
ensure that its forces respected the civil rights of Liberians at all times.
Jones called for immediate ceasefire and the disarmament and demobilisation of
all combatants.
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A UN statement issued in
"Thousands have moved to
the central and eastern parts of the capital. Before fighting erupted around
"Today virtually none of
He also called on them to
prevent looting of humanitarian assets and property. He reminded them that perpetrators of international humanitarian and human
rights law violations, which have been far too common in
Fighting has escalated since the
rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy stepped up the war in
their bid to oust President Charles Taylor
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"We are calling upon all
members of the Security Council to immediately take a positive decision to send
an intervention peacekeeping force to keep and maintain the peace in
The statement noted that the
protracted Liberian conflict that escalated last week was resulting in the
deaths of many people. About half a million people have also been internally
displaced.
It said the majority of the
victims were women, children, the elderly, disabled and residents of
The rebel groups at the talks,
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for
Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) have stepped up the war despite their unilateral
ceasefire declarations.
"Without an immediate
intervention to quell the situation it would degenerate into genocide. "This is an urgent appeal from the bleeding hearts of
the women in
It called for disarmament,
rehabilitation of the ex-combatants, especially child soldiers and the holding
of free and fair elections. "
"Let us now begin
cultivating and motivating these God given strengths for this one nation and
people."
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A press release issued by the UN
Information Centre in
It said Busumuru
Annan reiterated his firm condemnation of any attempt
to change the government of any country by force or by other unconstitutional
means. He called for an immediate end to the violence and for a peaceful
approach to resolving any difference.
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Akosombo (Eastern Region) 11 June 2003 -
As Liberian rebels closed in on Monrovia and refugees began fleeing, a
humanitarian strategy meeting convened by the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), has warned that conflict in the region was worsening an already
immense humanitarian crisis, with devastating health consequences for women and
girls, in particular.
"Wars and the forced
displacement of millions are fuelling a dramatic deterioration in health
throughout the region, especially in reproductive health," read a
declaration adopted by the conference in Akosombo in
the Eastern Region where peace talks are taking place.
"The number of women dying
in pregnancy and delivery has risen alarmingly, as maternal and infant
mortality revert to levels not seen for decades. "The
disruptions of families and communities, loss of access to education and health
services and sheer poverty have left young people dangerously susceptible to
unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection."
The situation in
Obaid said the UNFPA was committed to
supporting initiatives that would help girls and women regain control of their
lives and build a peaceful future. The escalating fighting between
The statement was issued last
week before a United Nations-brokered peace conference officially opened in
"Health care is virtually
non-existent," said Popoola. "Even in the
few places where public services are functioning, teachers, nurses and other
public sector employees have not been paid for 15 months." He added that
the health crisis was exacerbated by the inability of international
humanitarian agencies to gain access to more than 80 per cent of
The Akosombo
meeting was attended by UNFPA representatives from eight African countries and
regional officials from the International Centre for Migration and Health
(ICMH), World Health Organization (WHO), Office of the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) and the United nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA).
Delegates shared findings on the
impact of conflict on women's health and the transmissions of HIV/AIDS.
They also worked on national and
sub-regional plans to better protect millions of displaced and otherwise
war-affected women, men and children in
The participants in the four-day
meeting also warned of the spill-over effect of the crisis into neighbouring
countries, as hundreds of thousand of refugees are moving back and forth across
borders, mostly among Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire.
According to Tamany
Safir, UNFPA representative in
The extreme vulnerability of
women and girls was confirmed by Ama Kwapong of OCHA's office in
"There is also appalling
evidence of systematic physical and sexual abuse of women in the war settings
and in areas where civilian populations have fled from violence conflict."
Delegates at the Akosombo meeting implored the International community,
humanitarian agencies and other parties to take urgent action to address the
mounting disaster. That includes working with governments in the region to end
the conflict and political instability underlying the humanitarian crisis as
well as to ensure that pregnancy care, HIV prevention, and protection from
exploitation are parts of any emergency response.
The UNFPA is the world's largest
multilateral sources of population assistance. Since it became operational in
1969, it has provided about six billion dollars to developing countries to meet
reproductive health needs and support development efforts.
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According to a release issued by
YAN in
Unfortunately, these patients
had not been diagnosed of any sicknesses but had been chained at these camps
for months and were sometimes denied food and water for weeks, the release
said.
"In connection with this
YAN is calling on the Chairman of CHRAJ, Mr Emile Short to set up a committee
to investigate this serious issue," it said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 June
2003 - The Ministry of Ports, Harbours and Railways has commenced construction
work on some rail lines aimed at ensuring safety of the lines in Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi, a release
said in Accra on Tuesday.
The release issued by the
Ministry said the work, which involves the construction of level crossings at
entry points on rail lines, would prevent pedestrians and vehicles from moving
on the lines when trains were moving. It said construction work on entry points
in
The Ministry had earlier ejected
traders from rail tracks in
The release said the Ministry
would soon inaugurate a technical advisory committee to look at arbitrary
encroachment of railway lands throughout the country and advise the sector on
steps to take to repossess these lands and forestall future occurrences.
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Nadowli (Upper West) 11 June 2003 -
World Vision International, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in
collaboration with the Nadowli District Assembly on
Monday established the first ever district education endowment fund in the
Upper West Region.
The fund when realised would,
among other, bridge the yawning gap between pupils in the South and Northern
sector of the country, improve infrastructure, and motivate teachers to give of
their best for the general improvement of education in the district.
Apart from that, funds would
also be made available to cater for brilliant but needy children to pursue the
education to the highest level.
James Asedem,
Programme Manager of World Vision International (WVI)) at Nadowli
said the establishment of the fund formed part of the activities of the
organisation ''to give hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless''.
He said the organisation has
since 2001 sponsored a total of 135 students ranging from basic to the tertiary
levels from the District and would from now extend sponsorship to mostly
orphans and very needy students.
Sedem said the organisation had also
initiated a ’104 million girl-child project to assist girls to step up their
education and to reduce the perennial female drop-out rate in the schools of
the District.
Mrs. Pauline Ningkpeng,
Nadowli District Chief Executive said apart from
sponsoring students to pursue their education in the District, World Vision had
also constructed eight day care centres, one girls hostel and staff quarters
for Queen of Peace Secondary School, rehabilitated nine primary and junior secondary
schools.
She said the organisation also
provided 250 dual desks for eight primary schools, provided textbooks for the
entire District, supported teacher/students wards and provided three bore-holes
to Wogu, Jang and Bussie
communities.
Mrs. Ninkpeng, said WVI had also
assisted the District schools to improve enrolment by providing meals in 33
basic schools of the District. She said the Nadowli
District Assembly, through the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs last year
disbursed a total of ’75m to 150 women farmers and would increase that amount
this year and extend it to other women.
The appeal for fund for the
seed-fund for the launched fund realised a total of ’30.1 million cash and
pledges.
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Avoid delay
in supplying pre-mix fuel Govt urged
Cape Coast (Central Region) 11 June 2003 - Chief fishermen in the Central Region on Tuesday appealed to the government to ensure that fishermen are supplied with pre-mix fuel before the commencement of the main fishing season in July.
Nana Ekow
Otoo, Chief fisherman of Apam,
said he was not happy with recent delays in the supply of the fuel in the
region. Nana Otoo, who was leading chief fishermen to
attend a regional meeting in
Nana Otoo
said: '' If the situation does not change before the end of the month it will
greatly affect the bumper harvest''. He appealed to the government to stop
fishing trawlers from using light to fish because the practice was hampering
the operation of smaller boats.
Mustapha Mohammed, Regional
Co-coordinator of Pre-mix fuel committee expressed concern about shortage of
the product in the region adding, ''The situation is creating tension in almost
all fishing communities because various committees have paid up their monies to
the oil marketing companies''.
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Okyehene appeals to chiefs to solicit foreign assistance
He noted that government alone
could not develop the country and asked traditional rulers to solicit aid from
international financial institutions such as the World Bank towards the
improvement of the standards of living of their people.
Speaking to the GNA in an interview
in
The Okyenhene
said: '' I am seriously searching for ways of helping my people by scanning the
Internet and my colleagues should do same. Traditional rulers have to be
aggressive in finding ways of developing their areas and should not expect
authorities of the State alone to do that.''
He said apart from preserving
culture and traditional values, chiefs should take positive steps to tackle the
elimination of diseases, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and other problems that
plagued the people, especially those in deprived areas.
Osagyefuo Amoatia
condemned illegal chainsaw operators and timber contractors, who felled trees
indiscriminately in the Akyem Abuakwa
area. He advised them to obtain licences and approval from the Forestry
Commission to enable them to work without any hindrance and said chiefs would
insist that the right procedure was followed in the exploitation of the
country's natural resources.
He said because natural
resources were major sources of government revenue, proceeds from timber and
mineral exploitation should go to the national purse for development and not
into private pockets.
Osagyefo Amotia
called on government to ensure sustainable development that would preserve the country's natural resources for
future generations.
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Yefri to get small-scale irrigation dams
Yefri (Brong
Ahafo)
He said the dams were designed
to provide water all year-round to boost agriculture. Amoako
was speaking to opinion leaders and a cross-section of residents of Yefri in the Nkoranza District of
Brong Ahafo as part of a
one-day working visit to some towns and villages in the constituency.
''There is the need for the
construction of small-scale dams to supplement rain water,'' he said and
appealed to people to discard fears of losing their farmlands to the
government.
''Co-operate with the District
Agricultural Development Officers and their teams for a smooth take off of the
project.'' The dams are being built in communities in the three northern
regions and some parts of
Amoako gave the community three
packets of roofing sheets, purchased from his share of the Common Fund to
re-roof the local Post Office. Amoako visited the
He said the project, estimated
at ’150m, would be financed from his share of the Common Fund and the Ghana
Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and that work would
start in September. The MP later met the chiefs and people and commended them
for purchasing low-tension wooden poles for the extension of electricity to the
town.
Amoako again donated ’4m from his
share of the Common Fund to the District Office of the Ghana National Fire
Service (GNFS) at Nkoranza to build a garage to house
fire tenders.
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