Kufuor reshuffles cabinet
Help me educate my siblings
NRC Chairman only needs to apologise
Witness lashes at PNDC regime
Give us accurate account of our history
Anti-War Campaign to embark on peace march
CPP goes to congress in June
Government denies NDC claims
Andanis remember late Ya-Na
Government calls for peace in Dagbon
Government functionaries urged to use local language
Do not create tension by your reportage
US Embassy gives over 85 million cedis to GJA
Kufuor reshuffles cabinet
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March 2003- President John Agyekum Kufuor on
Thursday made a major cabinet reshuffle to his government, retaining six
ministers, nominating four new ones and changing the positions of others.
Dr Addo
Kufuor, The Minister of Defence, Dr Kwaku Afriyie Minister of Health, and Mrs Gladys Asmah Minister of Women and Children's Affairs retained
their current portfolios.
Others left unscathed were Major
Courage Quarshigah Minister of Food and Agriculture,
Kwamena Bartels Minister of Private sector Development and Ms Christine
Churcher, Minister of State in Charge of Girl Child Education.
A government statement signed by
Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff said Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
who until the change was the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, would
assume duty as the Minister of Foreign Affairs while Papa Owusu Ankomah takes
over from him as the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.
Kwadwo Baah
Wiredu becomes the new Minister of Education, Youth and Sports and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey moves from the
Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs to become the Minister of
Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City.
Dr Paa
Kwesi Nduom becomes the Minister of Energy, Professor
Kasim Kasanga, Minister of
Science and Environment while Felix Owusu Adjapong is
now the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
Other changes were Minister of
Finance and Economic Planning, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Lands and Forestry
Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Interior,
Hackman Owusu Agyeman and the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment
Yaw Barimah.
The rest are Minister of Roads
and Highways, Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Communications and Technology
Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Regional Cooperation
and NEPAD Dr Kofi Apraku and Minister of Ports,
Harbours and Railways,
Prof Ameyaw Akumfi.
The statement said Mrs Cecilia
Bannerman becomes the Minister of Mines, K. Adjei Darko assumes duty as the
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Elisabeth Ohene, Minister of State for Tertiary Education and Ishmeal Ashitey, Minister of
State at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Presidential Initiatives.
The statement named four persons
who had been nominated for various Ministerial positions. They are Alhaji
Mustapha Idris Ali for the Minister of Works and
Housing, Nana Akomea, Minister of Information, Alan Kyeremateng Minister of Trade, Industry and Special
Presidential Initiatives and Rashid Bawa, Minister of
State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
The statement said that Senior
Minister, J.H. Mensah had been given responsibility for Public Sector Reform
and National Institutional Renewal Programme while C.O. Nyanor
had been confirmed as the Chairman of the Divestiture Implementation Committee
(DIC).
The Statement added that
Lieutenant General Joshua Hamidu has also been nominated as the High
Commissioner designate to the
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Help me educate my siblings
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March
2003- Mrs Elizabeth Ntiamoah, whose father was
arrested and died nine years after he was released from serving part of a
20-year jail term, on Thursday appealed to the National Reconciliation Commission
(NRC) to assist in the education of her siblings as her father's death had made
things really tough.
She said her father Anthony Sackey, who was arrested in 1984, was charged with keeping
dollar bills adding that the Printing Press which he was then running was
confiscated upon the orders of the tribunal that tried him.
She said in 1984, she came from
school to collect money from her father in
She said her father knew nothing
about that but he was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment.
"A warder at the Usher Fort
took 100,000 cedis from me to make an appeal on my dad's behalf but
failed,"
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NRC Chairman only needs to apologise
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March
2003- Captain Thomas Theophilos (Rtd),
Spokesman of the Peace Keepers International on Thursday said Justice Kweku Amuah Sekyi, Chairman of the
National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) only needed to apologise to the public
for making an off record statement which the microphone picked at one of the
sittings of the NRC.
He was speaking at a press
conference in
Captain Theophilos
said, "let us as people give peace and national reconciliation a chance
instead of using parochial and partisan views as spokes in the wheel of
national reconciliation."
He said indeed if people were to
be punished willy-nilly for every comment they made or action they took it
would be that not only many of those who appeared before the NRC would walk
away to the peace and comfort of their homes.
Captain Theophilos
appealed to Prof Evan Atta Mills, Former Vice President and Presidential
Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop making statements
that were meant to discredit the NRC. Captain Theophilos
said his association welcomed with open arms and much relief the establishment
of the NRC.
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Witness lashes at PNDC regime
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March
2003- Cyriano Kodzo Mensah Olympio, a witness
at the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), on Thursday lashed out
at the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) for detaining him without
cause, but said he has forgiven those who tortured him.
"There is a lot of pain in
me because I did not do anything wrong to necessitate my arrest and the severe
torture I went through," he told the NRC. "I have really forgiven the
perpetrators, but the pain is still in me," he added.
Olympio pleaded with the Commission to
investigate what he called the genocide of the ex-government in the name of
revolution that created a lot of problems for the country.
He said he wanted reparation to
enable him to re-start his business. He said the PDNC seized all his property
including six cars. "Since many years have elapsed after the incident, I
cannot even remember the registration numbers of the cars so let us forget
about them. Rather I want you to give me reparation to do my work."
Olympio, who said he hails from Togo
but has a Ghanaian mother, said he hated his surname because some members of
his family were behind his arrest adding that there were many unscrupulous people
in the family. He said his cousin Morreto Olympio was behind his arrest.
Narrating his arrest and what he
went through, Olympio said on
He said the soldiers severely
beat him up and blood oozed from his nostrils and his body. "The following
day, they took me to the Fifth Battalion where they put me in a small room as
if I was a criminal," Olympio said.
He said they later took him to
the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) where he met one Lawyer Sackitey and Captain Owoo who had
also been brought to the cells. Olympio said a panel,
including Prof. Kofi Awoonor, asked him whether he
was a friend of President Gnassingbe Eyadema of
"I told them I knew nothing
about what they are asking me." Olympio said
every night the soldiers would come for some people who never returned adding,
"The blood of Jesus was on me so they could not kill me."
He said Rodney Kudolo,
another cousin of his and one Anthony and Fiadzigbe
sneaked out of the country and contacted the American Ambassador in
Olympio said he spent five months in
prison until President Eyadema was able to work for
his release. "President Eyadema that people say
is not good released me from prison."
He said soldiers damaged his
bakery during his arrest making him jobless. "I thank the NPP government
and the Members of Parliament for creating this Commission and I hope it will
help me solve my problem."
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Give us accurate account of our history
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March
2003- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Thursday challenged Journalists to take
advantage of their access to politicians, policy makers and other important
sources to write books that would enhance development and preserve the nation's
history for posterity.
Speaking at ceremony at which
the biography of the President was launched, in
Ivor Agyeman-Duah,
a Journalist and founder of the Centre for Intellectual Renewal, wrote
"Between Faith and History - A Biography of J. A. Kufuor,". The 107-paged book also captures
Vice President Mahama noted that
publications by Journalists often served as first drafts of history, saying
that good journalism contributed to national development, while anything
contrary to that could sow the seeds for its destruction.
He said: "History could be
a powerful tool for a nation's development or destruction. We have seen
negative historical accounts leading to destruction in Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra
Leone and currently in Cote d'Ivoire.''
"In the past, it has been
used in this country for positive and negative effects. Many of the ethnic and
chieftaincy disputes, which have claimed the lives of many in this country are often as a result of some historical
interpretation or inaccuracy of it."
Vice President Mahama,
therefore, stressed the need to take history and historians seriously in
building our nation. Consequently he commended Ivor
Agyeman- Duah, whom he described as an
internationally respected Journalist, for his efforts at preserving the culture
and political history of the country through his books and television
documentaries.
The Vice President said:
"Between Faith and History... represents the striking achievement of a
Ghanaian Journalist. The book has been written in order that the great ideas for which President Kufuor stands for, will be read by
the present and future generations."
He said President Kufuor had
dedicated himself to the exciting but risky game of politics to transform the
economic stagnation of the country into vibrant and prosperous one with good
governance.
Vice President Mahama, who
described President Kufuor as 'a real loving brother who had his pure loyalty,
said he was also impressed by his humility, wisdom, vision and understanding of
the common problems and major issues of the nation.
He urged students and
researchers to read the book. Agyeman-Duah, who is
currently a counsellor of Public Affairs Diplomacy at the Ghana Embassy in
The book, he said, was also to
ensure that good or evil portraits of heroes and villains of our political
journey were available for later generations. Agyeman-Duah,
who has authored five other books, said the second edition would be written
after 2004 to examine platform politics, policy success and failures.
Professor Alex Kwapong, Chairman of the Council of State, described the
author as courageous for writing about a sitting President as he risked the
criticism of "doing him too much justice or not enough justice."
He, however, said it was
important for Ghanaians to read the book to appreciate the President's
background, perception and vision.
The Right Reverend Dr Samuel Asante-Antwi, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Conference,
commended the President Kufuor for his determination to lead the nation, and
said the fulfilment of dream was like a mustard seed that was sown and had
blossomed.
Professor Atukwei
Okai, President of the Pan African Writers Association, who launched the book,
auctioned some copies for 100 million cedis. Ebenezer Essoka,
Managing Director of Stanchart and Kwame Bamfo, Chief
Executive of Sikkens, bought the first two copies at
25.5 million cedis and 25 million cedis respectively.
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Anti-War Campaign to embark on peace march
The marches would begin from the
Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the US Embassy, the United Nations Development Project,
the British High Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and finally to
Parliament House.
Akoto Ampaw, a member of the
coalition, who announced these at press conference in
He noted that in the last
decade, growing over-production in every sector of their economies had resulted
in spectacular blue-chip business failures, massive corporate fraud, job losses
and instability in all the major markets.
Ampaw said war had always been
the last resort of the more powerful countries when their major business
interests were confronted with competition and problems. "We believe the
invasion is intended to achieve domination of West Asian oil reserves as the
first strategic step in the process of re-organizing the world in accordance
with their corporate interests and outlook," he said.
Ampaw observed that because of
the stark lack of evidence against
Ampaw said while the driving
force behind the war was competition between the big economic blocks, the
battle ground for such competition was often the Third World where the
resources sought after by the big powers were mostly found.
"How long would it be
before the
Ampaw said the Anti-War Campaign
was opposed to the suppression of democratic forces in
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CPP goes to congress in June
The party would be the third to
elect its flag-bearer after former Vice President Professor John Evans Atta
Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the retention of President
John Agyekum Kufuor by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
A party source told the Ghana
News Agency on Thursday that four potential candidates have started lobbying
for support. They are Ato Sackey
of the defunct National Convention Party, who stepped aside for former Vice
President Kow Nkensen Arkaah, Johnny Hansen, a legal practitioner, Dan Lartey,
leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and George Aggudey, Managing Proprietor of Gocrest
Security, who lost the flag-bearership to Professor
George Hagan in 2000.
The Congress would also elect
National Executives to steer the affairs of the party for the next two years.
The source indicated Prof. Hagan had so far not shown any interest. He said
there were signs that the CPP would be the third force in next year's election
adding that the name CPP would not only remind Ghanaians of the great deeds of
the Nkrumah-led CPP but would also lay bare the deficiencies of the ruling NPP
and the other parties.
He called on party members to
organise to ensure that the strength of the CPP was consolidated and
revitalised. Developments in the party since 1992 have not been quite smooth,
leading to the Nkrumaists presenting four parties for
the 1992 elections.
The elders of the party in 2001
initiated talks aimed at uniting all the Nkrumaist
parties once again. The CPP and National Reform Party (NRP) signed a Unity
Accord but the People's National Convention withdrew.
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Government denies NDC claims
A statement signed by Jake
Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, said the
claim by Rojo Mettle-Nunoo
of the NDC in the Wednesday's edition of the Evening News that Asante's resignation was "one of the grand designs by
the NPP government to poach members of the minority parties to offer them
lucrative jobs" was completely out of place.
He said the government had not sent
any delegation to
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Andanis remember late Ya-Na
Tamale (Northern Region) 28
March 2003- Members of the Andani gate in Tamale, one
of the factions in the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis are wearing red bands to
commemorate the death of the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, who was slain on
27 March last year.
Among those wearing the red
bands were government workers, taxi drivers, market women, butchers and traders
as well as other sympathisers. Traditional rulers loyal to the late overlord
had called on his 40 widows to sympathise with them for the loss of their
husband.
The late Ya-Na
Andani was killed together with 30 others during a
clash between the supporters of the Andani and the Abudu, the two feuding factions over the Dagbon skin.
Following the clashes, government set up a Commission of enquiry into the
affair.
Three prominent chiefs,
comprising the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei-Tutu II, Yagbon-wura Doshie Bawa and the Nayiri Abdulai Naagamni are also working
with other traditional rulers in Dagbon to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
Government imposed a state of
emergency on the
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Government calls for peace in Dagbon
This is contained in a statement
signed by Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential
Affairs, to mark the first anniversary of the violence that led to the death of
Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and many others at the
The government extended its
condolences to all those who lost their relatives and loved ones in the
violence. "(The Government) wishes to take the opportunity to salute the
security agencies and forces whose sacrifice, vigilance and high sense of
professionalism have contributed immensely to the restoration and maintenance
of peace in Dagbon."
It congratulated the chiefs and
people of Dagbon for sustaining the fragile peace in the area and co-operating
with the security agencies to ensure the maintenance of law an order. The
statement said the increasing level of reportage of events in the area was a
contribution by the media, which needed to be commended.
The government also lauded the
positive role of religious and other civil society organisations in the
resolution of the conflict. A state of emergency and a curfew that were imposed
in the area are still in force.
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Government functionaries urged to use local language
Pramso (Ashanti Region) 28 March 2003-
Nana Owusu Bempah, Pramsohene
in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district of Ashanti,
has called on Ministers of State, District Chief Executives and other
government functionaries to use local languages at social gatherings and other
functions to ensure that their audiences understand the issues they raise.
"When English is used at
such gatherings, the majority of the people are alienated because they do not
understand the messages properly even though they clap alongside the few who
understand."
Nana Owusu Bempah
expressed this sentiment through the GNA at the inauguration of the Nutrition
and Rehabilitation Centre at the Pramso Saint
Michael's Hospital. He cited the inauguration of the centre at which English was
dominant, saying most of the people who attended were women from the villages
who either understood very little or did not understand English at all.
He said because English was used
at the function, the message did not make the desired impact on the people,
although there were very short interpretations in Twi.
Most of the time the interpretation is either abridged or falls short of the
actual message and this does not impact positively on the people, he said.
Nana Owusu Bempah
advised parents to send their babies to hospital immediately they were born to
enable health professionals to check and monitor their progress instead of
waiting till their children get ill and their conditions worsen before they
rush them to the clinic.
He praised the staff of the
hospital for their commitment, dedication and excellent human relationship with
the Pramso community and pledged the people's support
to them. Nana Owusu Bempah cautioned the youth of the
town to refrain from dealing in drugs and other social vices, which could lead
them into trouble. He appealed to the government to provide the hospital with a
standby generator to support the facility in times of power outages, which he
said, had been rampant in the area.
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Do not create tension by your reportage
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March
2003- The media were on Thursday reminded to be mindful about their coverage of
the proceedings of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to avoid
inflaming passions and creating unnecessary tensions.
They were also urged to separate
facts from opinions, crosscheck facts, and spellings and pronunciation of names
of witnesses who appear before the Reconciliation Commission.
These were contained in the
Second Media Monitoring report on the coverage of the work of the NRC and the
reconciliation process in general. The period was for February. The monthly
report is being compiled by Media Watch Limited, a media Consultancy firm, as
part of a contractual agreement entered into with the National Media Commission
(NMC) and it would run for one year.
At a stakeholders' meeting to
discuss the reports, it come to light that the second period of monitoring
marked a 300 per cent increase in total airtime devoted to national
reconciliation in relation to the first period with the 30,709 seconds
recorded.
According to the report, the
Ghana News Agency (GNA) in the Wire Service category published the most
stories, 32 in all including those, which were not direct reports from the
hearings of the NRC.
The report said all stories
published by the GNA were neutral in tone and in portrayal of witnesses
appearing before the Commission. Ghana Television gave the most coverage of
91.7 per cent of the total airtime, followed by TV3 and Metro TV, which
accounted for 6.2 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively.
In the case of radio, Uniiq FM and Radio 2 together gave a little over 54.9 per
cent of the entire airtime devoted to the process while in the print media, the state-owned media devoted a larger space to the
reconciliation stories.
The Evening News emerged as the
paper that gave the largest coverage of 17.9 per cent while the Pioneer
continues to be among the category of papers that devoted the least of space to
the proceedings.
However, most of the stories
broadcast on radio were not accompanied by actuality and in the case of
newspapers, the Evening News turned out to be the only medium that enhanced
their stories with the largest number of photographs by carrying an average of
two photographs per story.
According to the report, most of
the stories on the proceedings were generally neutral in tone and in their portrayal
of witnesses. However, in spite of the general trend in the tone and direction
of the coverage, the report said a lot should be done to improve the quality
and quantity of coverage while the radio stations were urged to support their
stories with actualities.
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US Embassy gives over 85 million cedis to GJA
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March 2003-
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Thursday received 85, 250, 000 cedis
from the United States Embassy for the purchase of computers and their
accessories for the new Ghana International Press Centre to be commissioned on
Friday.
A statement signed by Bright Blewu said the amount was made available upon the
recommendation of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy. It said it would
be used to purchase four computer workstations, UPS units, a Laser Jet Network
Printer and other miscellaneous items.
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