Central
Region NDC pledges support for Professor Mills
CEPS
to facilitate clearance of goods
Experts explore effective policies towards security and
justice
Central
Region NDC pledges support for Professor Mills
Ghanaian musician gives to special school
Accra
(Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
The
Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday called on all registered voters who
currently have thumbprint voter ID cards to exchange them for photo ID cards
before the 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections.
According
to the Commission this will facilitate voter identification and enhance
transparency.
A
statement issued in Accra and signed by the Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo
Afari-Gyan, said every voter affected would be required to surrender his or her
thumbprint card in exchange for the photo ID card.
"If the Commission is able to give a
photo ID card to everybody concerned, then there will absolutely be no
thumbprint card in our election system and the question of whether or not a
person can vote with a thumbprint card will not arise at all."
The EC, however, pointed out that a problem
would still arise because there may still be people who currently have
thumbprint cards but who may not be in the country or who may be otherwise
incapacitated.
"Another problem is what should be done
about voters who lose their cards or whose cards are stolen, or whose cards may
be forcibly taken away from them with the intention of preventing them from
voting as has happened in some countries."
The statement said there are general
principles of election administration in a democracy, in the light of which the
Electoral Commission, being the body in charge of elections, could resolve
these issues by administrative decisions.
It said in the event where consensus
fails to emerge, it will be the sole responsibility of the EC to make the
appropriate administrative decisions.
The statement, however, advised political
parties and the press to desist from giving wrong information to the public on
the use of the voter ID cards since the matter is currently under discussion at
the meetings of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 Mar. 2000
Mr Edward Salia, Minister of Roads and
Transport, on Monday, warned that henceforth utility agencies who cut roads for
the purposes of installing service routes without proper authorisation would be
severely sanctioned.
"The ministry is dissatisfied with
the frequent destruction of the national carriageways as a result of
unauthorised cutting of roads and we are therefore developing a legal framework
to be approved by cabinet to enable us to prosecute offenders."
Mr Salia gave the warning in a speech read
on his behalf at the opening of a two-day workshop on "site management of
our road reservations," organised by the National Engineering
Co-ordinating Team (ECT).
The workshop, under the theme,
"towards better management of our road reservations", is being
attended by 60 participants drawn from the ministries of communications, lands
and forestry, mines and energy, environment science and technology and of roads
and transport.
Other participants include
representatives of implementing agencies of the sector ministries and the
utility providers such as the Volta River Authority, Ghana Telecommunications,
Ghana Water Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The workshop will seek to rationalise
the planning of road construction and utility service provision by involving
stakeholders with the view to eliminating the cutting of roads for the
installation of utility lines and their attendant adverse consequences on the
economy.
Mr Salia
said installation of utilities after road construction destroys the roads and
imposes extra cost on the taxpayer.
"This
is attributable to the lack of effective co-ordination amongst the various
infrastructural delivery agencies, utility providers and the real estate
developers in the country."
He said as
a result of the haphazard nature of utility service, "we continue to pay
huge sums of money for relocation of services, as certain infrastructural works
are sacrificed in the process".
The minister cited the urban two and the
urban transport projects under which the Kanda Highway, Castle, Darkuman and
Kwashieman Roads as well as the Accra and Takoradi roads were constructed,
saying that huge sums of money were spent in the relocation of utilities during
those projects.
Mr Salia said in addition to the frequent
cutting of roads is the fact that "the roads are not reinstated to the
required specifications and safety standard after the installation of
utilities.
"I believe we have reached a stage
where utility agencies that cut across roads without permit should be
sanctioned and be surcharged with the cost of repairing the damages they
cause.
"The
ministry would not allow any unauthorised cutting of newly constructed asphalt
roads in our cities by any agencies. In fact, offending agencies would be
severely sanctioned."
The minister therefore asked the
metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, who are charged with the duty
of authorising road cutting to arrest and prosecute people working across roads
without permit, since it constitutes a wanton destruction of public property.
Mr Salia proposed a regime where the
concerned assemblies demand a composite permit from the ministry before
authorising any utility agency to cut across a road, saying this would help to
reduce the incidence of road cutting.
He suggested that to further reduce and
eventually eliminate the incidence of road cutting, there should be an
integrated planning process that would ensure an agreement on corridors of
utility installation among key players.
The minister said the technique of
providing utility transmission lines using thrust boring and underground
trenches, should also be considered as an alternative way of avoiding the
disturbance of the foundation of road pavements and to safeguard the
carriageways.
Mr Salia said the ECT manual, sets out
clear guidelines for the co-ordination of activities of all member agencies and
also addresses the issue of positioning utilities in road reservations, cost
and information sharing as well as safety and site management during road
works.
He therefore entreated participants at
the workshop to strictly follow the guidelines in the manual to avoid all forms
of encroachment.
Mr Abass Awolu, Utility Co-ordinator of
the ECT assured the minister that the regional branches of the ECT would be
strengthened to monitor and prevent all unauthorised road cutting as well as
accurate execution of programmes to prevent encroachment.
GRi../
Wa (Upper West) 15 March 2000
The Upper
West Regional Co-ordinating Council has completed arrangements for the
commencement of a feeding programme for destitute children in the Wa District.
The programme will initially take the
form of providing lunch for 100 children, whose parents have been identified as
paupers.
Mr David Osei-Wusu, out-going Upper West
Regional Minister, made this known when he addressed the 23rd ordinary session
of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs at Wa on Tuesday.
Preparing
the Brides Ministries, a Christian non-governmental organisation based in the
United States, is sponsoring the programme.
Mr Osei-Wusu said after a successful
take-off, it would be expanded to cover children in other districts of the
Upper West Region.
Meanwhile, the first consignment of the
sponsorship package has arrived in Accra and is awaiting transportation to Wa.
GRi../
Cape Coast (Central Region) 15 March 2000
Members of
the Central Regional caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have sent
a congratulatory message to Vice-President John Atta-Mills "for his bold
and timely decision" to offer himself as flagbearer of the party for this
year's general elections.
In a press
release signed by the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Kofi
Mintah, on
Tuesday, the members said they are very proud of Professor Mills' candidature
and wish to assure him of their unflinching support.
They
expressed their gratitude to President Jerry John Rawlings for declaring his
support for Prof. Mills and said they have noted with satisfaction Prof. Mills'
proven qualities, hard work and high sense of integrity as Vice-President.
The release said the Regional
Secretariat, together with all members of the NDC are, therefore, confident
that Prof. Mills is capable of carrying out the task entrusted to him, having
sincerely, diligently and successfully served under "our indefatigable
President Rawlings for the past three years as his Vice".
"There is no gainsaying the fact the
unprecedented peace, stability and socio-economic development the country is
enjoying under President Rawlings can only be protected and sustained under the
leadership of Professor Mills when President Rawlings ends his term of
office."
The members, therefore, appealed to the
rank and file of the NDC and the Progressive Alliance to close their ranks and
rally behind Prof. Mills and endorse his candidature at the party's forthcoming
congress to facilitate his election as "the millennium President for the
country".
GRi../
Pomaakrom
(Brong Ahafo) 15 March 2000
The New
Patriotic Party (NPP) would introduce a rural development policy that would
stop the drift of the youth from the rural areas to urban centres to look for
non-existing jobs if it wins the forthcoming general elections.
During a
two-day tour of ten selected communities in the Asunafo District of the Brong
Ahafo Region, Mr J.A. Kufuor, flag-bearer of the NPP explained that, the
introduction of the rural development policy, which would be backed by an
agricultural policy would introduce farmers to modern methods of farming.
He added
that, a motivation package would be made available to encourage more production
to better the economy of the country.
Mr Kufour
therefore appealed to eligible voters in the district to vote for him to enable
him implement his proposed policies for development.
A
government under his able leadership would turn the economy around to ensure
better living condition for the people and solve the continuous falling value
of the cedi and the soaring prices of commodities, he stated.
He called
on supporters of the party to show their political maturity by avoiding abusive
language during campaigns.
On the
forthcoming national population and housing census, Mr Kufuor advised the
people to feel free and allow the enumerators to count them.
Mr Kufuor
reminded the people of the existence of the ECOWAS treaty and advised them to
shun anyone who tells them that the NPP government would introduce the aliens
compliance order when voted into power.
He urged
the people to expose anyone who would try to influence them with money and
items to vote for a particular party, adding that such a time is past.
The
communities he toured included Akrodie, Ayeman, Pomaakrom, Anyimaye, Mfante,
Fawohoyeden, Asumura, Maanukrom, Kukuem and Sankore.
The NPP
presidential candidate took the opportunity to introduce the party's Asunafo
North Constituency Parliamentary candidate, Mr Benjamin Osei Kufour to the
people.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
A Ghanaian
musician/promoter, Michael Van Hein-Wallace, based in the United Kingdom on
Tuesday presented one million cedis to New Horizon Special School (NHSS).
The New
Horizon special school provides day schooling for children and adults who are
mentally handicapped.
Persons
with other disabilities like spastic, visually impaired and hearing impaired
are also admitted so long as their primary disability is learning
difficulty.
Making the
presentation, Mr Hein-Wallace said the children need special attention because
they cannot help themselves due to their physical and mental situation.
"It has been my desire to help long
ago when I used to come to the school to play in my childhood days. I am always
moved any time I come into contact with them.
" It is everybody's duty to do
something to these people for them to feel that they are also human
beings", Mr Hein-Wallace said.
Mrs. Tayo Ward-Brew, Educational Director
of the school expressed regret at the way society treats people with
disabilities saying "we look at them with scorn and even write them
off."
At another
ceremony, Ghana International School (GIS) presented a cheque for 3.7 million
cedis to the school.
Students of
GIS who are next door neighbours of NHSS provided three million cedis through a
variety show they organised while the staff contributed 700,00 cedis.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15
March 2000
The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has instituted measures
to facilitate the valuation and clearance of goods at the country’s entry
points beginning April this year.
This means the 100
per cent physical examination of imports and exports, which usually delays the
clearance of such
goods, has been
reduced drastically, Nii Adjei Okine, Commissioner of CEPS, said in an
interview with the Ghana
News Agency (GNA) in
Accra.
"Under the new arrangement,
only 20 per cent of imports and exports will undergo physical examination to
ensure the free-flow of goods at the ports."
The new system is geared towards improving revenue mobilisation at the
ports and borders, he said adding that the free-flow of goods and facilitation
of the movement of clients is expected to lead to increased rate of tax
collection thus raising the annual revenue mobilisation of the CEPS.
Nii Adjei mentioned other
strategies put in place to increase revenue mobilisation as the computerisation
of the tax and warehouse regimes of the CEPS as well as stringent post audit
verification measures.
He noted that hitherto, the
warehouse regime of the CEPS constituted a great loophole which unscrupulous
importers and clearing agents manipulated for tax evasion.
"About 50 per cent of
the massive losses recorded from tax evasion (are) from our warehouse regime,
but with the computerisation of the system we are confident that the losses
will be cut down drastically."
Nii Adjei, however, noted
that a substantial percentage of the tax evaded through the warehouse regime
was detected and recovered later, saying that CEPS is poised to do better
"when we are well equipped and our officers are well motivated."
He observed that the
cumbersome nature of the tax system at the entry points is a contributory
factor to the tax evasion. "People evade tax not because they do not have
the money, but because they do not want to go through the long and complicated
process of fulfilling tax obligations."
Nii Adjei, therefore,
appealed to the government to simplify the tax system at the entry points and
make them uniform to ensure easy understanding and compliance by importers.
He lauded the government's
trade liberalisation policy, saying that since it came into force, trade
between Ghana and other countries has expanded tremendously. This, he added,
has improved revenue mobilisation under CEPS dramatically.
"The implementation of
the trade liberalisation policy went in tandem with the restructuring of the
revenue mobilisation agencies in the country and this affected our operations
positively."
Nii Adjei said the
implementation of the government's fiscal policy measures, under which, for
example, special taxes have been placed on importation of goods that have local
substitutes, are a sure recipe for the improvement of revenue mobilisation.
He said the policy does not
only protect domestic industries, but also makes the importation of goods,
which have local substitutes expensive, hence discouraging importers.
Nii Adjei expressed the hope
that the government's attempt to stabilise the cedi and the export drive would
lead to an increase in foreign exchange.
He expressed confidence that
with the present measures put in place by the government and revenue
mobilisation agencies, "we are on course to achieving our Vision 2020 and
gateway targets as far as revenue mobilisation is concerned."
He, therefore, appealed to
Ghanaians to live up to their civic duties by complying with all tax
regulations, whether domestic or international to ensure that the needed
revenue is generated for the development of the country.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
The African
Human Rights Heritage (AHRH), Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, on
Wednesday said it is waging "enforceable human rights battle" on
lawlessness and corruption.
Mr. Baffour Anning, International Chairman
of AHRH, said eight years ago, members identified corruption as a menace facing
Ghana and went round talking to identifiable groups about the danger it poses
to the country and the need to put in a mechanism to address it.
"At that time some people thought we
were just crying wolf in place of angels. Today, the issue has become a
national one."
"Enforceable human rights battle,
the only answer to the problem, is therefore being waged on official
lawlessness with its resultant corruption."
Mr. Anning stressed the need for all
Ghanaians to take part in the fight against the menace and uproot it from the
society.
He said the "government is suppose
to act if corruption is unfolded but if it refuses to do so, the AHRH would
take it to court to make sure that human rights laws are enforced."
The Chairman announced that the movement
has opened its first legal aid clinic in Accra to help people who need legal
advice but do not have the means to afford the services of a lawyer.
A means to determine those who genuinely
cannot afford the service of a lawyer will therefore be sought so that the
movement could assist them.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
Vice-President
John Atta Mills on Wednesday opened a forum of think-tanks who have come
together to chart the way forward for effective security and justice in Ghana
with a call on them to come out with a real life solutions.
The experts, drawn from international and
local agencies, including the American Federal Bureau of Investigations and the
National Security Council, will deliberate on the national development
implications of security and justice.
Heads of the various security
institutions, senior public and civil servants and diplomats, attended the opening
session, chaired by National Security Chief Kofi Totobi Quakyi.
Vice-President Mills said there is need
for collective effort by stakeholders towards crime prevention and control to
build up the confidence of potential and prospective investors.
He cited the spate of crime reports in the country, particularly, armed
robberies and murders and said very little could be achieved in weeding them
out without the complementary role of all key players.
Prof. Mills said most important in the
fight against crime is the justice system; "from the police to the judge
who sits on the bench to handle criminal cases, to the prisons officer who
supervises convicted prisoners."
"A judicial system which is
perceived as fair, just and free from corruption is a deterrent to criminal
activities and increases the sense of security of the general population."
The other area for redress is to
seriously look at the variables that account for rural-urban migration, the
rate of early school dropouts, over-population and the rate of employment.
The Vice-President said the government is
concerned and it is working actively with the security services to reduce the
incidence of crime to lower and tolerable levels.
He, however, conceded that the capacity
of the country's crime management agencies has been severely put to test in
recent times by the high sophistication and strategising tricks employed by
criminals, who use state-of-the-art equipment.
Prof. Mills tasked the experts to dilate
on needs assessment and recommend specific programmes which, if put into
action, will enhance the efficiency of the various institutions to combat
crime.
Mr Totobi Quakyi said the creation of
District and Regional Security Councils, which resolve related problems at
their levels before they reach the national Council, has enhanced co-ordination
between the various agencies.
Apart from this partnership approach,
creating a wider platform for action to meet public security needs, also
subjects activities of security agencies to the laws of the land.
Mr Totobi Quakyi said one remarkable
achievement about the new Ghanaian system is that it has removed "the ring
of secrecy" surrounding security and brought it to the purview of the law.
He said everybody, irrespective of
political persuasion should be involved in discussion of issues of national
security on a truly non-partisan basis "devoid of suspicion and the
hostility usually reserved for national security institutions and their
personnel."
"National Security concerns the
safety and well-being of our people, it is a fundamental goal of all
governments and defines a critical element of the social contract between the
State and the people or civil society."
Mr Totobi Quakyi also expressed concern
about organised crime and said it has become a significant threat to the
stability and well-being of Ghana and urged all to work towards a reliable
security system to address the menace.
GRi../
Salaga (Northern Region) 15 March 2000
Salaga and
surrounding areas are facing an acute water shortage, which has compelled
people to resort to the use of water from unwholesome sources.
The situation has created widespread fear
of a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases like guinea worm.
Mr. Jerry Draman Jackson, East Gonja
District Chief Executive, told the GNA that the shortage was caused by a
technical fault at the water intake point of the Ghana Water Company Limited at
Salaga.
He expressed the hope that the fault
would be rectified soon to prevent any serious threat to public health.
An on-going major rehabilitation of the
Salaga water system, which is expected to be completed by August, would help
improve the water supply situation.
The European Union is also to provide 156
boreholes in the District under its Fifth Micro-projects Programme for the
Northern Region.
AFD, a French donor agency, and Village
Water Reservoir of the Catholic Church are to construct dams at Dagbambia,
Yayiri and Kabache.
Mr Jackson
said the District Assembly is providing three hand-dug wells at Matlakpor,
Kunkwaa and Kinto-Nkwanta and boreholes at Kojoboni to be fitted with
hand-pumps.
GRi../
Accra
(Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
The
Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday called on all registered voters who
currently have thumbprint voter ID cards to exchange them for photo ID cards
before the 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections.
According
to the Commission this will facilitate voter identification and enhance
transparency.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by
the Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said every voter affected would be
required to surrender his or her thumbprint card in exchange for the photo ID
card.
"If the Commission is able to give a
photo ID card to everybody concerned, then there will absolutely be no
thumbprint card in our election system and the question of whether or not a
person can vote with a thumbprint card will not arise at all."
The EC, however, pointed out that a problem
would still arise because there may still be people who currently have
thumbprint cards but who may not be in the country or who may be otherwise
incapacitated.
"Another problem is what should be done
about voters who lose their cards or whose cards are stolen, or whose cards may
be forcibly taken away from them with the intention of preventing them from voting
as has happened in some countries."
The statement said there are general
principles of election administration in a democracy, in the light of which the
Electoral Commission, being the body in charge of elections, could resolve
these issues by administrative decisions.
It said in the event where consensus
fails to emerge, it will be the sole responsibility of the EC to make the
appropriate administrative decisions.
The statement, however, advised political
parties and the press to desist from giving wrong information to the public on
the use of the voter ID cards since the matter is currently under discussion at
the meetings of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 Mar. 2000
Mr Edward Salia, Minister of Roads and
Transport, on Monday, warned that henceforth utility agencies who cut roads for
the purposes of installing service routes without proper authorisation would be
severely sanctioned.
"The ministry is dissatisfied with
the frequent destruction of the national carriageways as a result of
unauthorised cutting of roads and we are therefore developing a legal framework
to be approved by cabinet to enable us to prosecute offenders."
Mr Salia gave the warning in a speech read
on his behalf at the opening of a two-day workshop on "site management of
our road reservations," organised by the National Engineering
Co-ordinating Team (ECT).
The workshop, under the theme,
"towards better management of our road reservations", is being
attended by 60 participants drawn from the ministries of communications, lands
and forestry, mines and energy, environment science and technology and of roads
and transport.
Other participants include representatives of implementing
agencies of the sector ministries and the utility providers such as the Volta
River Authority, Ghana Telecommunications, Ghana Water Company Limited and the
Electricity Company of Ghana.
The workshop will seek to rationalise
the planning of road construction and utility service provision by involving
stakeholders with the view to eliminating the cutting of roads for the
installation of utility lines and their attendant adverse consequences on the
economy.
Mr Salia
said installation of utilities after road construction destroys the roads and
imposes extra cost on the taxpayer.
"This
is attributable to the lack of effective co-ordination amongst the various
infrastructural delivery agencies, utility providers and the real estate
developers in the country."
He said as
a result of the haphazard nature of utility service, "we continue to pay
huge sums of money for relocation of services, as certain infrastructural works
are sacrificed in the process".
The minister cited the urban two and the
urban transport projects under which the Kanda Highway, Castle, Darkuman and
Kwashieman Roads as well as the Accra and Takoradi roads were constructed,
saying that huge sums of money were spent in the relocation of utilities during
those projects.
Mr Salia said in addition to the frequent
cutting of roads is the fact that "the roads are not reinstated to the
required specifications and safety standard after the installation of
utilities.
"I believe we have reached a stage
where utility agencies that cut across roads without permit should be
sanctioned and be surcharged with the cost of repairing the damages they
cause.
"The
ministry would not allow any unauthorised cutting of newly constructed asphalt
roads in our cities by any agencies. In fact, offending agencies would be
severely sanctioned."
The minister therefore asked the
metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, who are charged with the duty
of authorising road cutting to arrest and prosecute people working across roads
without permit, since it constitutes a wanton destruction of public property.
Mr Salia proposed a regime where the
concerned assemblies demand a composite permit from the ministry before
authorising any utility agency to cut across a road, saying this would help to
reduce the incidence of road cutting.
He suggested that to further reduce and
eventually eliminate the incidence of road cutting, there should be an integrated
planning process that would ensure an agreement on corridors of utility
installation among key players.
The minister said the technique of
providing utility transmission lines using thrust boring and underground
trenches, should also be considered as an alternative way of avoiding the
disturbance of the foundation of road pavements and to safeguard the
carriageways.
Mr Salia said the ECT manual, sets out
clear guidelines for the co-ordination of activities of all member agencies and
also addresses the issue of positioning utilities in road reservations, cost
and information sharing as well as safety and site management during road
works.
He therefore entreated participants at
the workshop to strictly follow the guidelines in the manual to avoid all forms
of encroachment.
Mr Abass Awolu, Utility Co-ordinator of
the ECT assured the minister that the regional branches of the ECT would be
strengthened to monitor and prevent all unauthorised road cutting as well as
accurate execution of programmes to prevent encroachment.
GRi../
Wa (Upper West) 15 March 2000
The Upper
West Regional Co-ordinating Council has completed arrangements for the commencement
of a feeding programme for destitute children in the Wa District.
The programme will initially take the
form of providing lunch for 100 children, whose parents have been identified as
paupers.
Mr David Osei-Wusu, out-going Upper West
Regional Minister, made this known when he addressed the 23rd ordinary session
of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs at Wa on Tuesday.
Preparing
the Brides Ministries, a Christian non-governmental organisation based in the
United States, is sponsoring the programme.
Mr Osei-Wusu said after a successful
take-off, it would be expanded to cover children in other districts of the
Upper West Region.
Meanwhile, the first consignment of the
sponsorship package has arrived in Accra and is awaiting transportation to Wa.
GRi../
Cape Coast (Central Region) 15 March 2000
Members of
the Central Regional caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have sent
a congratulatory message to Vice-President John Atta-Mills "for his bold
and timely decision" to offer himself as flagbearer of the party for this
year's general elections.
In a press
release signed by the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Kofi
Mintah, on
Tuesday, the members said they are very proud of Professor Mills' candidature
and wish to assure him of their unflinching support.
They
expressed their gratitude to President Jerry John Rawlings for declaring his
support for Prof. Mills and said they have noted with satisfaction Prof. Mills'
proven qualities, hard work and high sense of integrity as Vice-President.
The release said the Regional
Secretariat, together with all members of the NDC are, therefore, confident
that Prof. Mills is capable of carrying out the task entrusted to him, having
sincerely, diligently and successfully served under "our indefatigable
President Rawlings for the past three years as his Vice".
"There is no gainsaying the fact the
unprecedented peace, stability and socio-economic development the country is
enjoying under President Rawlings can only be protected and sustained under the
leadership of Professor Mills when President Rawlings ends his term of
office."
The members, therefore, appealed to the
rank and file of the NDC and the Progressive Alliance to close their ranks and
rally behind Prof. Mills and endorse his candidature at the party's forthcoming
congress to facilitate his election as "the millennium President for the
country".
GRi../
Pomaakrom
(Brong Ahafo) 15 March 2000
The New
Patriotic Party (NPP) would introduce a rural development policy that would
stop the drift of the youth from the rural areas to urban centres to look for
non-existing jobs if it wins the forthcoming general elections.
During a
two-day tour of ten selected communities in the Asunafo District of the Brong
Ahafo Region, Mr J.A. Kufuor, flag-bearer of the NPP explained that, the
introduction of the rural development policy, which would be backed by an
agricultural policy would introduce farmers to modern methods of farming.
He added
that, a motivation package would be made available to encourage more production
to better the economy of the country.
Mr Kufour
therefore appealed to eligible voters in the district to vote for him to enable
him implement his proposed policies for development.
A
government under his able leadership would turn the economy around to ensure
better living condition for the people and solve the continuous falling value
of the cedi and the soaring prices of commodities, he stated.
He called
on supporters of the party to show their political maturity by avoiding abusive
language during campaigns.
On the
forthcoming national population and housing census, Mr Kufuor advised the
people to feel free and allow the enumerators to count them.
Mr Kufuor
reminded the people of the existence of the ECOWAS treaty and advised them to
shun anyone who tells them that the NPP government would introduce the aliens
compliance order when voted into power.
He urged
the people to expose anyone who would try to influence them with money and
items to vote for a particular party, adding that such a time is past.
The
communities he toured included Akrodie, Ayeman, Pomaakrom, Anyimaye, Mfante,
Fawohoyeden, Asumura, Maanukrom, Kukuem and Sankore.
The NPP
presidential candidate took the opportunity to introduce the party's Asunafo
North Constituency Parliamentary candidate, Mr Benjamin Osei Kufour to the
people.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
A Ghanaian
musician/promoter, Michael Van Hein-Wallace, based in the United Kingdom on
Tuesday presented one million cedis to New Horizon Special School (NHSS).
The New
Horizon special school provides day schooling for children and adults who are
mentally handicapped.
Persons
with other disabilities like spastic, visually impaired and hearing impaired
are also admitted so long as their primary disability is learning
difficulty.
Making the
presentation, Mr Hein-Wallace said the children need special attention because
they cannot help themselves due to their physical and mental situation.
"It has been my desire to help long
ago when I used to come to the school to play in my childhood days. I am always
moved any time I come into contact with them.
" It is everybody's duty to do
something to these people for them to feel that they are also human
beings", Mr Hein-Wallace said.
Mrs. Tayo Ward-Brew, Educational Director
of the school expressed regret at the way society treats people with
disabilities saying "we look at them with scorn and even write them
off."
At another
ceremony, Ghana International School (GIS) presented a cheque for 3.7 million
cedis to the school.
Students of
GIS who are next door neighbours of NHSS provided three million cedis through a
variety show they organised while the staff contributed 700,00 cedis.
GRi../