Palm wine taper, two sons trapped by falling tree
Parliamentary delegation attends Asantehene's
funeral
Firm calls for inquiry into SSNIT housing
project
Mills pays tribute to late Nyakrom Omanhene
Security Committee averts chieftaincy clash
at Akim Aduasa
Journalists asked to file in entries for
1999 GJA awards
Forum on improved root, tuber crop varieties
opens
We have extra enumerators for Census - Dr.
Twum-Baah
Water reaches 75 per cent of Volta Region
urban dwellers
He was answering a question at the launching of the "Pay 'N' Win Raffle" set up to motivate customers to pay electricity bills promptly as part of ECG's revenue mobilisation efforts.
Mr Adam did not mention the anticipated percentage of the tariff increase but said the proposed increase is behind schedule.
He said the exchange rate of the cedi against the major currencies and other economic trends have made the proposed increase necessary.
The Managing Director announced plans to privatise the company's revenue collection and said competent companies would be contracted on commission basis to boost ECG's efforts.
Mr David Vukania, Director of Customer Services, said apart from improving ECG's revenue collection, the initiative would also boost the image of the company.
He said that air tickets, television sets, video decks, fridges and other electrical appliances would be given as prizes in the Raffle.
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Accra (Greater Accra ) 24 March 2000.
The government has declared Monday, March 27, a public holiday. An official statement issued by Nii Okaija Adamafio, Minister of Interior, in Accra on Friday said this is in connection with the Population and Housing Census.
"This is to allow census enumerators to make maximum use of the first working day after census night in order to have as many people as possible counted."
The statement urged all residents to stay at home on that day and co-operate fully with the enumerators.
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Osino (Eastern Region), 24 March 2000.
A palm wine taper and his two sons were on March 16 trapped to death by a falling tree at Seaman Village, near Osino, in the East Akim District. According to a police statement, Kobina Anochie, the palm wine taper, and his two sons, Nar Anochie, 14, and Nattey Anochie, 11, went to the bush to tap palm wine but did not return home.
A search party led by Mr. Kwaky Agyei later found the victims trapped under a tree about four kilometres away from the village.
A report was, therefore, made to the Osino Police who conveyed the bodies to the Kibi Government Hospital mortuary.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region), 24 March 2000.
A four-member parliamentary delegation led by Mr. F. W. K. Blay, MP for Ellembelle and Second Deputy Speaker, on Thursday, attended the funeral of the late Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware, in Kumasi.
Other members of the delegation were Mr. Annor-Baffour, MP for Ahafo Ano North, Nana Rex Owusu Ansah, Clerk of Parliament and Miss Amy Forson, Principal Assistant Clerk of Parliament.
The delegation presented one million cedis and a carton of schnapps to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene.
Mr Henry Amah, representing the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr Ibrahim Omar, who is the Ambassador of the State of Palestine, also presented one million cedis and a carton of schnapps to Otumfuo Osei Tutu.
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Firm calls for inquiry into SSNIT housing
project
Tamale (Northern Region) 24 March 2000.
The management of Maico Ghana Limited, a construction firm, has called for a probe into the mode of execution of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) workers' housing units in Tamale.
The Managing Director, Mr Mohammed Adams Ibrahim, who made the call through the GNA in Tamale on Thursday, was reacting to a decision by the SSNIT to terminate a contract awarded his company to build one of the 30 housing units for non-performance.
Mr Ibrahim said the action by SSNIT, which affected eight other contractors, was strange because his company completed its contract and handed over the keys in 1996.
"At what point was the contract terminated since I had nothing to do with the project again?" he asked.
Mr Ibrahim said his company recently received 4.3 billion cedis to provide security at its completed unit since thieves were stealing louver blades and other vital installations.
Last Monday, the management of SSNIT said it had terminated the contracts of the firms for holding up the housing project started in 1995.
Ten electrical and plumbing sub-contractors were also affected.
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Mills pays tribute to late Nyakrom Omanhene
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 March 2000.
Vice President Mills on Thursday expressed the presidency's condolences to the Chiefs and people of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional area for the loss of their Omanhene, Okofo Katakyi Nyarko Eku IX, whom, he said, led a memorable life.
"He was a great man who stood for peace and unity all the time," Professor Mills said, when a delegation of Chiefs and bereaved family members from the Agona Nyakrom called at the Castle to formally inform the presidency of the death and funeral rites of the late Omanhene.
Okofo Nyarko Eku, known in private life as Samuel Kwame Egyin Buadu, died in September, last year at the age of 74. He ruled for 54 years.
According to Nana Kobina Botwe, acting President of the traditional area and spokesman for the 18-member delegation, the late Omanhene will be buried on Sunday, May six, after a weeklong funeral rite beginning Monday May one.
Vice President Mills said the late Omanhene was a great asset not only to the Nyakrom people only but to the entire nation.
He left behind "great sandals" that would take a great challenge to be worn, Professor Mills said and called on the people of the traditional area to come together in peace and harmony in order to continue his good works.
There were tributes from the Central Regional Minister Jacob Arthur, Dr Asuako-Ntomo Atakora, deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Colonel Jeff Asmah, also of the Presidency, Mr Samuel Oppong, MP for Agona West and Madam Faustina Nelson, Co-Chairperson of the National Democratic Congress.
They expressed appreciation for the late Omanhene's wisdom and contributions to national development and urged the people to unite for peace during and after the funeral.
The late Omanhene was onetime President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs and a member of the Central Committee of the House where he served for more than 30 years.
He is remembered for instituting a development fund for Nyakrom, a cocoa growing area, through contribution from cocoa farmers to supplement the efforts of the District Assembly and the Central government.
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Security Committee averts chieftaincy clash
at Akim Aduasa
Akim Oda (Eastern Region) 24 March 2000.
A timely intervention by the Birim South District Security Committee (DISEC) on Monday averted a clash between supporters of the Chief of Akim Aduasa, Nana Abrokwa Gyampim IV, and those of Mr Francis Kwadwo Asiedu, a timber contractor and claimant to the Aduasa stool.
Briefing newsmen at Akim Oda on Wednesday on the issue, the District Chief Executive, Mr John Essah Boadi, said on Monday, March 20, Mr Asiedu, who for sometime now has been litigating over the Aduasa stool, brought the transcript of a ruling in his favour from the Appeals Court.
The transcript showed that the court had upheld his claim as the new chief of Akim Aduasa and asked him to swear the oath of allegiance to the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, at Kibi under the stool name of Barima Adu Ampofo.
Mr Effa Boadi said following this development, he summoned a meeting of the DISEC and later decided to assess the situation on the ground.
He said at Akim Aduasa, he saw the angry supporters of Nana Gyempim, who vowed to confront Mr Asiedu and his supporters if they dared enter the town.
Mr Effah Boadi said after a lengthy talk with the supporters of Nana Gyampim, they agreed to rescind their decision to let peace prevail in the town.
Members of the DISEC later held separate meetings with Mr Asiedu and his supporters in Akim Oda and advised them not to do anything to disturb the peace but allow the law to take its normal course.
Meanwhile, investigations have indicated that the Okyenhene did not allow Mr Asiedu to swear the oath to him when he went to Kibi last Monday.
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Journalists asked to file in entries for
1999 GJA awards
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 March. 2000
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Thursday invited entries from its members working in the Ghanaian media, for the 1999 GJA media awards competition.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, President of the GJA, also called on the public to file in nominations for the Journalist of the year and best talk show awards.
It said entries should cover work published between January one and December 31, last year, adding that, the deadline for the submission of entries and nominations, is 1600 hours on April 24, 2000.
The statement mentioned nine categories of awards in the print and electronic media.
They include news reporting (radio, television and print), feature writing (radio,television and print), investigative reporting, columnist, photojournalism (still and motion) and special awards in sports, arts, economic, environmental health and rural reporting.
The rest are best talk show, best Ghanaian language programme and the Journalist of the year award.
The statement said contestants for each category of print are required to submit the original copies of three published works and twelve photocopies each of the same.
"Radio and Television contestants should submit one audio cassette recording, or one VHS recording in addition to ten (10) authenticated copies of the original broadcast script."
It noted that the competition is opened to all GJA members working in the country, except members of the GJA national executive and awards committee.
In a related development, the GJA has extended its congratulations and felicitation to Nana Kofi Coomson, Editor-in-Chief of the Chronicle group of newspapers for his appointment to the presidency of the Private Newspapers Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).
GJA also congratulated the newly elected executive members of PRINPAG and expressed the hope that "during their tenure of office, the bonds of friendship between our two media associations will be strengthened to facilitate closer consultation on matters affecting the development of the print medium."
It urged the new PRINPAG executive to help promote press freedom, media accountability and journalistic ethics, and ensure that fair coverage is given to all national issues, especially in an election year.
This, the statement, said is necessary to reduce any form of political tension in the country before, during and after this year's elections.
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Forum on improved root, tuber crop
varieties opens
Cape Coast (Central) 24 March 2000.
A two-day forum to create awareness on improved varieties of root and tuber crops, dubbed "Root and tuber improvement programme (RTIP)" opened at Cape Coast on Wednesday.
The RTIP, initiated last year by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, is aimed at developing a holistic approach to increasing the yield in cassava, yam, cocoyam and sweet potato production in the country by facilitating access to new and proven locally-adapted techniques.
The IFAD and the government of Ghana are jointly financing the programme, which aims at enhancing food security and increasing the incomes of poor rural farmers.
It will help develop a sustainable system for the multiplication and distribution of planting materials to increase availability to small holders.
It will also strengthen adaptive research systems to increase the flow of technology and the development of an integrated post-management system to reduce the incidence of diseases.
When fully implemented, 750,000 farmers throughout the country will adopt improved crop varieties, particularly of cassava and sweet potato, whose average yields could increase by at least 40 and 30 per cent respectively.
About 100 participants, made up of farmers and users of processed foods and tuber crops such as bakers and restaurant owners from Cape Coast, Assin, Effutu-Ewutu-Senya, Gomoa and Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese Districts, are attending the forum.
Giving an overview of the RTIP, Mr Akwesi Adjei Adjekum, National Programme Co-ordinator, noted that root and tuber crops contribute 40 per cent of the agriculture gross domestic product, with cassava alone contributing 22 per cent.
Mr Adjekum said to facilitate the implementation of the programme, 18 districts were last year selected and provided with planting materials for multiplication, and that this year, 40 additional districts will also benefit from it.
To help ensure effective pest and disease management, three insectaries are being established at Tamale, Fomesua and Pokuase in the Northern, Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions respectively, for biological instead of chemical control to eliminate the harmful effects of pesticides on crops.
In an open address read on his behalf, the Central Regional Minister, Mr Jacob Arthur, observed that although root and tuber crops form the main source of diet for most Ghanaians, they are low yielding due to factors like lack of improved production technology and destruction by pests and diseases.
The RTIP, he said would go a long way to ensure food security for the nation.
He, therefore, appealed to research institutions, NGOs, industrialists and agencies tasked with agricultural development to intensify efforts at post-harvest processing and utilisation techniques.
Mrs Mary Opoku-Asiamah, Regional Director of Agriculture, noted that crops are well adapted to diverse soil and environmental conditions as well as complex traditional farming systems.
She said cassava, in particular, is widely accepted as a famine crop and serves as the main source of carbohydrates for more than 200 million people living in the African cassava belt.
Mr Percy Ashun, Cape Coast Municipal Chief Executive, in his welcoming address, outlined various programmes being undertaken by the assembly to increase agricultural production and provide employment opportunities for the youth.
He said, so far, under the Youth in Agriculture Programme, ten youth groups within the municipality have each been given financial assistance of two million cedis to cultivate food crops and vegetables.
Mr Patrick Larbi, Zonal Co-ordinator for the Village Infrastructure Project in charge of the Central and Western Regions, announced that it has committed 2.1 billion cedis towards the post-harvest component of the programme in the five districts.
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We have extra enumerators for Census - Dr.
Twum-Baah
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 March 2000.
The Census Secretariat says it has extra enumerators to fill in the places of enumerators who cannot work on account of "low" allowances.
This is to ensure that the 2000 Population and Housing Census go on smoothly devoid of problems.
Dr. Kwaku A. Twum-Baah, Acting Government Statistician, said this at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, during the training of additional enumerators for the Ga District and a few sub-metros.
He said it was disturbing that people who had agreed to work under certain terms later turned around to kick against those terms.
"It is on these grounds that we trained extra hands made up of teachers and even Statistical Service staff on whom we can fall to take over when anyone is not able to do the exercise. We do not want anyone to hold the nation to ransom."
Explaining the honorarium procedure, Dr. Twum-Baah said government is providing 76 per cent of the budget while donors are providing the remaining 24 per cent.
He expressed surprise at the attitude of some enumerators in the Greater Accra Region who are demanding more allowances after appending their signatures to documents in acceptance of the amount be paid to them.
Enumerators are to be paid 85,000 cedis per week for three weeks, field supervisors 100,000 cedis and 120,000 cedis for senior field supervisors.
Dr. Twum-Baah said a bonus of up to 10 per cent for enumerators based on quality of work, special conditions of area of work and upon recommendation of zone officers would be paid.
He said government is already spending a large chunk of money for the census from the taxpayers' money and appealed to the enumerators to take the offer as a national exercise and sacrifice to ensure its success.
Giving the breakdown of the budget, Dr. Twum-Baah said more than four fifths or 82.7 per cent of the 26.9 million cedis provided for the 2000 Census had been spent on the training of field personnel and fieldwork.
"This works to 22.3 million cedis: training of 500 supervisors -594.4 million cedis; 3.4 billion cedis for training of 5,030 field supervisors; 9.4 billion cedis for training 29,000 enumerators and 115.2 million cedis being honorarium for 240 senior supervisors.
"The rest is 1.8 billion cedis as honorarium for 4,500 field supervisors and 6.8 billion cedis as honorarium for 27,000 enumerators."
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Water reaches 75 per cent of Volta Region
urban dwellers
Ho (Volta Region) 24 March 2000.
An estimated 75 per cent of the urban population in the Volta Region have access to potable water supply.
Ho, the regional capital, has the most reliable quantity and quality of water supply in comparison with other regional capitals, including Greater Accra, Mr Robert Tawiah Mensah, Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), said at a press conference to mark World Water Day at Ho on Wednesday.
It was under the theme "Water for the 21st century".
He said the completion of the Water Sector Rehabilitation Project and the South-East District Water Supply Scheme in 1999 brought improved water supply to Hohoe, Anyako, Ho, Sovie, Aflao-Denu, Nkonya, Sogakope, Keta and communities along the supply routes.
Mr Mensah, however, said the efficiency of these systems and prospects for further expansion would depend on public co-operation in dealing with the tampering with installations and prompt payment of bills.
He said the attainment of water security for the present and future generations depended on conscious actions towards conserving water and sound environmental practices.
Mr Mensah reminded the public that water has no substitute and its availability should not be taken for granted.
Mr Dan Bampoh, Regional Engineer of the GWCL, reminded the public that water supply services are capital intensive for which reason their co-operation was needed to keep existing systems running efficiently.
He said it cost 13.5 million pounds and 5 billion cedis to execute the southeast water project while the extension of water supply from Ho to Sokode cost about 400 million cedis.
Mr Bampoh said funds were being sought for the Kpando water project, which, when completed, would greatly improve water supply in and around Kpando.
Mr Ken Agbettoh, Regional Commercial Manager, said over 600 million cedis was owed to the company in the Region by consumers.
Mr Edem Asimah, Volta regional programme co-ordinator of the community water supply and sanitation agency, said the project and others being executed by other agencies in the region had improved water supply in the region.
He said the focus has been on guinea worm endemic areas, adding that communities in the southern sector of the Region had been served and attention was now being focused on communities in the northern sector.
Mr Asimah, therefore, appealed to communities to patronise water services from such safe sources of supply instead of resorting to those from unsafe sources.
Captain George Nfodjo, Ho District Chief Executive, who presided, stated the government's commitment to providing safe water to all communities in the Region.
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NDC launches outreach programme
Mpraeso (Eastern Region) 24 March 2000.
The Eastern Regional Secretariat of the NDC has launched an outreach programme to meet branch and ward executives, cadres and other affiliated bodies of the party in the constituencies.
The aim is to revamp its structures to ensure a convincing victory in this year's general elections.
Mr Joshua Agyekum, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the party, said this when he addressed members of the party from 178 branches in the Nkawkaw and Mpraeso constituencies on Tuesday.
He said ward co-ordinators and branch executives would be given the needed logistics and skills to enable them to intensify their campaigns to win more seats in the parliamentary elections.
The programme will help resolve intra-party conflicts to achieve maximum unity and support among party members and supporters for an effective campaign in the constituencies.
Mr Agyekum said the programme would also help explain government policies and programmes and debunk opposition misinformation and campaigns to win the confidence of the people.
He advised members of the party to remain resolute and avoid antagonistic tendencies with opposition members to sustain the country's democratic process.
The Regional Organiser of the party, Baffour Mensah Takyi, advised them to undertake house to house campaigns and explain the recent increases in fuel prices, which are the lowest in the West Africa sub-region.
The Kwahu South District Chief Executive, Mr Opoku Preko, said the government-initiated projects in the district were on course and urged them to intensify their campaigns for the party to win the presidential and parliamentary elections.
They all pledged their unflinching support for Professor John Atta Mills in this year's presidential elections on the ticket of the NDC.
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