GRi Newsreel 04 – 05 - 2002

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Fire on Friday night gutted part of the central pay unit of the Accountant General's Department, destroying valuable documents, records of new entrants into the public service and equipment. The cause of the fire, which started after office hours, was not immediately known.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, an Assistant Commissioner of the Ghana Fire Service, Thomas Hyde said it took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control after he had received a report on his radio. He said his men had to break into the building to quench the fire, which was spreading to other parts of the building.

Mr Hyde said because the service was well equipped they were able to bring the fire under control, adding, however, that the Service needed more equipment. He said the Service would start investigations into the cause of the fire immediately.

Mr John Prempeh, the Controller and Accountant General, who was at the scene told newsmen that he was called from home that there was fire outbreak in the parts of the Payroll Processing Division of the office. He said it was too early to ascertain the cause of the fire and that he was waiting for expert opinion on the cause.

Asked what document were lost in the fire, he said all historical data were safe because they were stored on tapes in computers and that the only data that were lost were the current data that were available for keying into the central computers.

He said that the fire would not affect general salaries but that only new entrants to the civil service may have their salaries affected by the incident since their data had not yet been keyed into the computers. Present at the scene were the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu and Mrs Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance.

At the time the GNA was leaving the scene, the Controller was making frantic efforts to get the Inspector General of Police to get more Policemen to guard the building to stop people from taking out any documents.

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Commissioner decries inadequate number of police personnel

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Although the Police Service is determined to deal with the current crime wave, the total number of policemen available for the job is woefully inadequate, Mrs. Christine Jane Donkor, Commissioner of Police, said on Friday. She said a new five month intensive training programme had therefore been designed to equip the service with trained personnel to boost the numbers of the police to help fight crime.

Addressing a passing out parade for fifty-four general police recruits made up of 34 females and 20 males at the National Police Training School in Accra she noted that their training was timely in view of the upsurge in violent crimes. The recruits passed out after a five-month intensive programme during which they were trained in various disciplines of crime detection and prevention.

Mrs. Donkor urged the recruits to be circumspect and careful in their duties since the rate and methodology of robbers had assumed fatal dimensions. She cautioned them to desist from corrupt practices and also respect the rights of citizens in the discharge of their duties.

The Commissioner advised them to cultivate the habit of studying on their own to enhance their intellectual and professional advancement. Five recruits received awards for excelling during their training.

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Government urged to maintain links with media

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - A Retired Diplomat, Mr K. B. Asante on Friday urged government to develop and maintain a responsible link between it and the media as an institution to help it to promote the tenets of true democracy in the country.

Government, he said, could do this by making available a steady flow of accurate information to journalists on all issues of national interest in order to manage conflict situations effectively. "In all this, however, the press should be allowed to function freely while the government administration machinery gets on top of the information flow," he said.

Mr Asante was speaking at a forum to mark World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated on 3 May every year to promote human interaction and inter-communal understanding. The theme for this year's celebration world-wide is: "Terrorism and Media," but the local theme was: "The Media, Conflict Management and National Stability."

Mr Asante said although experiences of the past years might make it uneasy for journalists to trust government, it was necessary that government recognised and promoted a healthy relationship with the media. However, he warned, that while there was the danger of the media losing its watchdog role when in close contact with government and in the process becoming its mouthpiece, good and responsible journalists could always avoid such pitfalls.

He described as dangerous recent government undertaking to censor reports on the Yendi conflict, saying that such attempts to curb media freedom would inevitably lead to rumour mongering, which the government would find difficult to control.

Mr Asante asked the government to use the tenets of probity and accountability to promote the truth and the public interest. He asked journalists to be alive to the cultural values, understand the psychology of the people and to act responsibly in conflict situations.

Mr Asante said while the press were at liberty to report on conflict situations, they should, however, ensure that the manner in which their reports were presented did not inflame passion that would endanger the peace of the country. "Freedom of the press must be used to protect the national interest and promote stability," he said.

The Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey said he was happy that there was no conflict between the government and the media although he admitted that there was tension. He said the blend of absence of conflict and a bit of tension was good for the country and urged the media not to hype up the tension.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey asked the media that since there would always be conflict situations in the country, it was important for media practitioners to be circumspect in their reportage so as not to excite revenge killings. He tasked journalists to research more into conflict situations so as to speak authoritatively on the issues to ensure national stability and cohesion.

Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the National Media Commission, noted that any confrontation between the government and the media would be to the detriment of the people. It was in this connection, he said, that the media should always seek peaceful and non-adversarial methods in resolving or managing conflicts to promote social harmony and national stability.

He said last year, the Commission received 102 complaints, out of which 56 cases were resolved with only two going in favour of the media. There were also 100 rejoinders. Mr Kuenyehia said, the Commission had by the close of April received 35 complaints and 20 rejoinders, adding that out of the eight cases determined so far, only one media house had been vindicated.

"The statistics given paints a picture of high level of irresponsibility on the part of some media practitioners," he said. "The Commission believes that if they had been a little bit circumspect or investigated the matter properly, the picture could have been different."

Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, President of the Ghana Journalist Association, said the association remained committed to co-operating with all relevant state agencies so as to maintain peace and manage conflict situations that would otherwise have serious national repercussions.

She said the GJA was in the process of revising its code of ethics to provide ample guidelines on reportage during conflict situations. Mrs Affenyi-Dadzie, however, cautioned that although the Association was prepared to co-operate, it would not tolerate wrong doings.

"We shall, therefore, not condone excesses of the security apparatus and our elected representatives, who are entrusted with the management of the country, either during normal times or even periods of state of emergency," she stressed.

She said it was in the interest of the country that such abuses were exposed and dealt with than being swept under the carpet. Mr Joerg Bergsterman, Resident Director Friedrich Ebert Foundation, said there was always the need for journalists to guide and build on their freedom since it could always be infringed upon.

Mr Pascal Ott, the Co-operation Attaché at the French Embassy in Ghana, said the Embassy would continue to support the media to promote human rights and the rule of law. The GJA, the United Nations and the Ghana flags were hoisted to mark the day.

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President Kufuor salutes the media on world press freedom day

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday expressed his best wishes to the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and all media personnel on the occasion of world Press Freedom Day.

"Let me take this opportunity to re-affirm the government's commitment to the enhancement of the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, without which the human spirit is deprived of its vital breath," he said. In a statement signed by Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the President said the repeal by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of the criminal libel law that sought to criminalise speech attested to that commitment.

He said coming in the wake of recent events in Yendi, the theme for the celebration in Ghana: "The Media, Conflict Management and National Stability" could not have been more appropriate. "The theme is a clear testimony of the commitment of media in Ghana to assist in the creation of a peaceful and stable environment, without which the progress and development we need as a country will prove illusive," President Kufuor said.

He congratulated the brave and hard working journalists, broadcasters and other media practitioners, whose tireless efforts at defending the tenets of democracy and free society continued to yield positive results. President Kufuor said every objective observer would acknowledge the gigantic role the Ghanaian media had played and continued to play in the nation's quest to entrench multiparty democracy in Ghana.

He urged all the media to work closely with the government to push forward the national development agenda without compromising the watchdog role of the esteemed Fourth Estate of the Realm.

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Media personnel told to adhere to GJA ethics

Tema (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Media personnel were on Friday urged to purge themselves of all traces of indiscipline by complying strictly with the ethics of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). This way, their moral authority could be strengthened to intensify their surveillance of the social environment and expose all hidden deals in the society irrespective of people's status.

Mr Affail Monney, Chief Editor of Radio News of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and an Executive member of the GJA, made the call at a forum organised by the Tema Branch of the GJA to mark this year's World Press Freedom day.

The day, which was being observed by the Tema Press on the theme; "Press Freedom - an effective tool against indiscipline," was organised in collaboration with the Abibimman Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organised based in Tema and sponsored by the management of Hotel Joecal.

Mr Monney who spoke on indiscipline in the society impressed upon media personnel to offer their fullest support to the security and related agencies to help eliminate the 'socio-moral ill health of the nation.'

While calling on the judiciary to impose severe punishment on offenders no matter their social standing or political connections, parents, teachers and guardians must also not spare the rod against stubborn children.

He entreated parents to place greater emphasis on home training of their wards to mould their character by giving them Christian or Moslem teaching while churches and mosques must buttress this effort to underline and purify their divine roles as "salt on earth and light of the world."

At the national level, the Chief Editor urged politicians to conduct their affairs with unspotted probity, act in accordance with promises made and work tirelessly to eliminate indiscipline from the society as it undermined productivity.

Mr Edward Ameyibor, Supervising Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency and a past President of the GJA who chaired the function observed that journalists had abused the guiding principles of the profession by seeking their personal interest.

He advised journalists against compromising their news items by accepting fantastic gifts from news sources since they did not only bring the name of the profession into disrepute, but also that the same news makers could disown them (journalists) in the event of any problems.

Mr Ameyibor urged journalists to be disciplined enough to uphold the principles and ethics of the profession to hold it in high esteem and should be responsible to expose evils in the society by their write-ups.

In order to feed the public with accurate and unbiased reports, media personnel should refrain from politicising events even if they did not border on politics. The past president reminded media personnel of the tireless efforts put in for the GJA to achieve successes and urged them to work hard to promote the image of the association.

"Operation Walkout 2002" a programme to educate the public on the harm caused by indiscipline was launched by Alhaji Ibrahim Husseni, Tema Municipal Assembly Co-ordinating Director. It is being organised by the Abibimman Foundation.

In a welcoming address, Mr George Boasiako Osei-Antwi, Tema branch Chairman of the GJA said Ghana had reached a stage where her citizens had the right to inform and be informed about facts of development. He observed that presently, information and education were often monopolised by the "power structure."

Mr Osei-Antwi stressed the need to conscientise the citizens to participate fully in decision-making, saying this is a prerequisite for development" and asked the media to play it traditional role of providing the people with the right information.

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Cabinet gives approval to University of Winneba

Winneba (Central Region) 04 May 2002 - Cabinet has approved the autonomy of the University College of Education, Winneba (UCEW) and it will now be called University of Winneba. Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, announced this at this year's annual "Aboakyer" festival of the chiefs and people of the Effutu Traditional Area at Winneba on Saturday.

He was replying to a request made by the Omanhene of the Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII in his welcoming address. He said the government had put in place a programme for the next 30 months to rehabilitate distressed schools and build teachers' living quarters in a bid to improve the quality of education in the country.

Mr Edumadze said he was aware that there were a number of distressed basic schools in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District and commended the Effutu Traditional Council for initiating an education development foundation to assist in their rehabilitation.

He charged chieftaincy factions in the area to use the next three months after the Aboakyer celebration to resolve whatever differences they had. He warned that Regional Co-ordinating Council would not entertain any petition on the Effutu chieftaincy problem anymore next year when the festival period was getting nearer if they failed to resolve the problem now.

Mr Edumadze stressed the need for Effutus to unite and make ample use of resources in the area to improve the living conditions of the people and stop making chieftaincy dispute an annual ritual and disruptive phenomenon. He asked chiefs and people of the area to accept the challenge to embrace and cultivate cassava on the large scale to support President John Agyekum Kufuor's industrial starch factory at Bawjiase.

The Regional Minister charged the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly to source funds from outside for early completion of the new Kasoa market on Kasoa-Bawjiase road to ease traffic congestion on the main Accra- Cape Coast road.

Nana Ghartey appealed to the government to rehabilitate the Pomadze Poultry Enterprise Limited and the vast acreage of land belonging to the Animal Husbandry Division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, near Winneba Junction. Earlier in the day members of Twafo Asafo Number One Asafo Company had made the first and the only catch of the festival to win the competition.

The deer, which was single-handedly caught by a 45year-old Supi Kow Eshun of Twafo Asafo Group, was brought to the durbar grounds at about 08.20 hours for Neenyi Ghartey to step on it to signify that the festival was successful.

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Education Director decries high school fees.

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2002 - Mrs. Gladys Kwapong, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Education, has expressed concern about the exorbitant fees charged by some private schools. She said the situation frustrated the government's efforts at providing education for every Ghanaian child of school going age.

Speaking at the Speech and Prize Giving Day of Joy Standard School at Atonsu in Kumasi, Mrs. Kwapong advised private schools to charge fees according to the grades in which they fall. She said a key strategy undertaken by the Ministry of Education in the education reform programme was the introduction of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).

Mrs. Kwapong said this programme was designed to give the Ghanaian child quality education and will end by 2005. She advised the pupils not to associate themselves with negative practices like indulging in early sex that might lead to contracting HIV/AIDS. Mrs. Kwapong asked parents to try to provide their children with their needs to prevent them from being lured into bad habits and also give them spiritual support throughout their schooling period.

Mr. Stephen Donkor, Proprietor, said the school's management had been able to instill discipline into the pupils and commended the teachers and staff for their teamwork, dedication and discipline. Mr. Emmanuel Owusu, Headteacher, spoke of the achievements of the school and said most of the pupils who passed out had gained admission into some of the best schools in the country.

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15 May is International Day of Families

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - This year's International Day of Families would be observed on 15 May, a statement issued in Accra on Friday by the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment said. The theme for this year is: " Families and Ageing Opportunities and Challenges".

As part of programmes earmarked for the day, the Ministry in collaboration with the Akwapim North District Assembly and the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital would organise an open-air clinic for the aged at Akropong Akwapim in the Eastern Region.

The Statement said the observance, which is the eighth so far, would offer valuable opportunities for families to demonstrate their solidarity in the quest for good standard of life. It would also promote appropriate action and create awareness of issues relating to families as the basic units of society.

"The day can be a powerful mobilising factor on behalf of families in all countries, which avail themselves of this opportunity and demonstrate support of family issues appropriate to each society", the statement said. The Ministry, therefore, urged non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, religious groups and individuals to promote better understanding of functions and problems of the aged.

They should also advance understanding of the strengths and needs of families by organising programmes to observe the day which could provide an opportunity to increase knowledge of the economic, cultural, social and demographic processes affecting families.

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Accra Metro taskforce demolishes structures without permit

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - A combined team of Police, Military and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Taskforce on Friday began a demolishing 18 structures built without permit at Shiashie, near the East Legon.

Mr Joseph Okine, Head of AMA Taskforce and Acting Security Co-ordinator said the exercise followed the flouting of AMA's regulations by the developers. He said the areas had been demarcated for the construction of offices for the Judicial Services, Police Station, Fire Service Station and banks among other social amenities.

Mr Okine said the developers were given a time frame to stop work and to remove the fence walls since 2 February 2002 but some refused to follow the instructions. He said the exercise, which was going to be a continuous one throughout the Metropolis was, therefore, an enforcement of the laws of the AMA to let the people know that it was important for them to obtain a building permit whenever they wanted to develop an area.

Mr Okine said, even though, some of the owners of the structures were around when the exercise began none of them showed any reaction. One of the caretakers, who did not want to talk at first when the GNA approached him, accepted the fact that they did not obtain permit before putting up the walls.

He said the structures belonged to his brother, one Thomas Osei and his friends, who were outside the country. Another caretaker, Seth Kwame Brefo said the land belonged to the government but was later released to the owners, who also sold it to them.

He said before developing the land they decided to obtain permit from the Town and Country Planning but up till now they had not been given the permit with reasons that they were still processing the forms and so they decided to begin building without the permit, however, when the were notified by AMA to stop work they stopped.

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Upper East to train more nurses

Bolgatanga (Upper East) 04 May 2002 - The Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Upper East Region would in September this year start a two-year community health nursing programme to train more nurses for the rural areas.

The programme would also include six months training for community health aides, who would be expected to stay and provide health services in their communities after acquiring skills in health delivery.

Dr. Erasmus Agongo, Regional Director of Health Services said this at Bolgatanga on Friday when he briefed the Regional Security Committee on the health situation in the region. He said the ministry also had plans to introduce the "Navrongo Approach", by encouraging nurses to stay and work in the communities.

The "Navrongo Approach", he explained was a system whereby a compound is built in a community for one or two nurses with a unit attached, where they could attend to patients but would mostly go from house-to-house to see and address the people's health needs.

Dr. Agongo said the Regional Directorate of Health Services have planned to take up these measures to address the problem of inadequate health personnel which presently stands at one nurse to 2,000 people and one doctor to 4,000 people, adding that but for the Cuban doctors, there would have been no specialists in almost all the various units.

He said the region is poor and deprived and has many health problems including, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis and elephantiasis. Dr. Agongo said the programme to train more health workers was drawn with the hope that the district assemblies would help by partly sponsoring the students who would then work in their areas after the training.

Mr. Mahami Salifu, the Regional Minister, in reaction, said the district assemblies and the co-ordinating council were prepared to do their best for the successful running of the programme.

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Traditional Council launches HIV/AIDS research centres

Kyebi (Eastern Region) 04 May 2002 - The Okyeman Council, under the leadership of Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, Okyehene, is working at establishing HIV/AIDS research centres in all major towns of the Akyem Abuakwa state to be used to gather and disseminate information on the disease to check its spread among the people.

Consequently, the Council has made available information kits on the disease to Akwatia, Tafo, Asiakwa, Asamankese, Kukurantumi, Kwabeng and Begoro, seven major towns in the state, and has also begun training counsellors to advise on the disease and become AIDS ambassadors in the state.

Osagyefo Ofori Panin announced the anti-AIDS measures when he launched an instant AIDS test kit and a book on the disease, "HIV/AIDS Knowledge Protect," sub-titled, "New and Specific Approaches to Contain the Spread of HIV in Developing Countries" in Kyebi on Friday, where Osagyefo Ofori Panin led the people to undergo free AIDS test.

The kit, called Instant Screen Rapid HIV-1/2 Assay, developed by the German-American Institute for Applied Biomedical Research (GAIFAR), takes only 30 seconds to perform a test and is capable of recognising all types of HIV, without requiring any additional material and special knowledge.

The test comes in different formats for doctors, offices and hospitals, mass screening in the field and for individual private testing. The 243-page book, which has 23 chapters, was written by Professors Heinrich Repke and Edward Ayensu, Chief Executive Officer of GAIFAR and President of the Pan African Union of Science and Technology respectively.

The book presents a comprehensive action plan for containing the spread of HIV/AIDS in developing countries and discusses essential tools for implementing and financing this strategy. Osagyefo Ofori Panin expressed his appreciation to Professors Repke and Ayensu and the GAIFAR team for bringing the test to the state and implored all Ghanaians to be confident and go for an AIDS test to know their status and review their conditions every six months.

He said this would enable Ghanaians to contribute effectively to AIDS discussions and avoid its scare. Osagyefo Ofori Panin said, going for the test in Okyeman did not mean Okyeman had a high prevalence rate of the disease, but rather would help people change wrong perceptions about the disease for more responsible living.

He attributed the high prevalence of the disease in Africa mostly to poverty and asked people to disabuse their minds of the conception that AIDS is a disease of witchcraft. He called for a massive crusade to save women and children from dying from the disease, saying, "everything we are doing today is for our children and if we sit down and let them die, we will not have any future."

The Okyehene appealed to individuals, philanthropic and non-governmental organisations for a mobile testing unit to enable the ambassadors to move from place to reach the people with educational programmes and other services in the communities. Osagyefo Ofori Panin expressed the hope that the book would be translated into local languages for people to read and adopt a more proactive approach to the eradication of the disease.

Both Professor Repke praised the Okyehene for his leading role in the control of the disease in the Akyem state, and described him as the first major traditional leader in Africa to lead such a crusade. Comparing Ghana to Botswana, Prof Repke recalled that Botswana, a country in East Africa HIV/AIDS prevalence rate 2 per cent soared to 35 per cent within 10 and called for drastic measures to control the disease. He advocated screening and testing as a major control measure and said one's status would be kept confidential.

Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, District Chief Executive for East Akyem, said the one per cent of the District Assembly Common Fund, making only 20 million cedis has been allocated to anti-AIDS activities, was very scanty to meet the needs of the 266 communities within the districts and appealed to public spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the district in the fight against the disease.

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Call for more resources to technical training institutions

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - The Ghana Education Service was on Saturday urged to increase the allocation of funds for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions from one per cent to two per cent of its budget every year.

"The engineer, technician or craftsman cannot be respected if he or she cannot skilfully show proof of his or her proficiency when and wherever required hence much more emphasis should be placed on the practical competency training of all TVET students."

Mr Kweku Ofori-Bruku, President of the Institution of Incorporated Engineers, Ghana, said these at a colloquium organised by the association on: "Competency based Training in Technical Vocational Education Training in Ghana now."

He said courses should be organised for instructors and lecturers to make them computer literate to enable them to access knowledge and information on their subjects in a more sustained and modern manner.

Mr Ofori-Bruku, said "lecturers, teachers and instructors in TVET are to be allowed to practice as consultants to players in their chosen profession to enable them to gain access to practices in the industry in Ghana and to create a rapport for practical industrial training for their students." He suggested that TVET and HND courses should lay emphasis on practical training and last for four years.

Mr John Yaw Amankrah, a Director at the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment, said competency based training was to re-orient technical personnel from supply driven to demand based approach thus increasing their competitiveness on the job market. "Competency based training is to gear the trainee fit for the labour market."

He noted that the recent registration of the unemployed recorded about one million people 68 per cent of who were school dropouts who expressed interest in being trained for the job market. Mr Amankrah said with competency-based training these people could be prepared for the job market with ease and to contribute effectively to the nation's development.

Mr Nikoi Kotey, Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) called for the involvement of the industrial community in the development of the curricula for technical schools in the country.

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Close yawning gap between research and industry

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2002 - Mr Paul Kwame Awuah, Managing Director of Cocoa Products Company, has decried the yawning gap between the country's various research institutions and industry. He said whereas the reverse was the situation in the developed countries, research findings in the country were gathering dust on shelves and in cupboards.

Mr Awuah was delivering a lecture on: "Science as a vital tool for national development: The impact and challenges of the scientist as an entrepreneur", at the Inter-Faculty Lecture of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), organised by the Faculty of Science on Friday in Kumasi.

He advocated a closer collaboration between the country's research institutions and industry to move the nation forward and called for the establishment of a Fund by the Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF) and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to support young scientists.

Mr Awuah said for instance that since the establishment of a fund by his company in 1997 for the Science Faculty in the Universities, about 490 million cedis had been disbursed to them and announced that the fund had been raised from 250 million cedis to 500 million cedis.

He charged scientists to help change the attitude of Ghanaians towards their preference for imported goods to locally produced ones and said Ghanaians must be patriotic and nationalistic. Scientists, Mr Awuah said, could do this by adding value to locally produced goods and pointed out that since taking over as the Chief Executive of the company over the past eight years, the company's performance had been transformed completely from its poor performance to a better one now.

He said last year, the company made about 4.5 million dollars from processing about 21,000 tons of cocoa beans, adding that there were many advantages in adding value to products. Mr Awuah commended the Science Faculty for making entrepreneurial training as one of the courses for students and charged them to be innovative so as to be able to be on their won instead of looking up to government for employment. He said they should have a vision like what the present government had and called for support for the government to be able to translate its vision into reality.

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Customs Service worried about delays in prosecution

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officials on Friday expressed concern over delays in prosecuting tax defaulters and evaders. They said these undue delays, especially at the law courts, have over the years lowered the morale of CEPS officials.

The CEPS officials expressed these concerns at a forum the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) organized for security agencies on the theme, "Promoting Discipline and the rule of law in the Ghanaian society."

The forum forms part of the second National Constitution Week cerebration that seeks to create awareness, public discussion and avenue for studying the constitution. The celebration also seeks to demystify the constitution as the preserve of lawyers.

The officials called for networking among the security agencies to combat crime and control the increasing indiscipline creeping into the nation. Speaking at the forum, Mr. Joe Lartey, a veteran Broadcaster, called on CEPS Officials to be a model of discipline in their operations.

Mr. Lartey said; "The nature of your operations expose you to numerous temptations but society expects you, as a paramilitary organization, to set good example of personal discipline and self-control, while at the same time promoting the rule of law in dealing with smugglers, evaders of customs duties and criminals."

Mr. Lartey called on CEPS officials to debunk the negative public perception of the institution as a gold mine where officials get rich overnight at the expense of the taxpayer. He urged honest officials of the service to uphold their integrity and expose the bad nuts among them to serve as examples to civil society "that in the mist of corruption we are clean and we are ready to fight and protect our image in the service."

Mrs. Doris Ocancy, Deputy Chairman of NCCE, urged CEPS personnel to be transparent, open and ensure predictability in their operations to build public confidence and co-operation. She said the general theme for the week, "The Constitution, Cultural Values and Good Governance," was selected to ensure that good governance becomes the order of the day.

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Do not use immigration service to enrich yourselves - Kofi Bonin

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Immigration officers were on Friday urged to work hard to push the nation forward in its democratic dispensation instead of using the service to derive personal benefits.

Mr Kofi Bonin, a student of the Ghana Law School, who gave the advice, said as Immigration Officers they needed to constantly think about what they could do to push the nation foreword instead of how they would enrich themselves at their duty post.

"You are the first point of call of any visitor to the country and the kind of impression you leave on the minds of these visitors stay with them throughout their stay in Ghana," he said, adding; "if you have all the knowledge without any morality then our society is doomed". Mr Bonin was speaking on: "Promoting Discipline and the Rule of Law in the Ghanaian society" at a forum organised as part of activities marking the second National Constitution Week for the Ghana Immigration Service in Accra.

The week is being celebrated under the theme;" The Constitution, Cultural Values and Good Governance". Mr Bonin said Immigration Officers needed to be circumspect in the use of their discretional powers conferred on them by the Constitution. He urged them to get current and abreast with issues both at home and abroad, by ensuring that they read the newspapers daily and listened to news on both radio and television.

Mr Bonin said disciplined officers were always ahead of others and at the same time abreast with new trends in the service worldwide, adding; "you need to become role models for each other". Mr Napoleon K. Agboada, Director, Public Education, National Commission for Civic Education, said the NCCE would hold a national forum next year to solicit the views of the public for the amendment of the Constitution.

He urged the Ghana Education Service to make the study of the Constitution an examinable subject in all schools. Nana Owusu-Nsiah, Director Ghana Immigration Service, who chaired the forum, said the law, which gave discretional powers to the Immigration Officer, would be the same law that would impose disciplinary measure on the officer if he or she failed in the performance of duty.

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Prison Officers stress importance of justice administration

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Prisons Officers at a forum to mark the second National Constitution Week on Friday stated that if those entrusted with the role of enforcing the laws of the country did not carry them out assiduously, indiscipline would permeate the society. They contended that the rule of law required much more than the Constitution and that it was important that justice was administered in a way that would command the respect of the people.

The Officers said these at this year's National Constitution Week celebration organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) from 28 April to 4 May. The National Constitution Week was instituted to cultivate the spirit of constitutionalism and to make the 1992 Constitution not only a living document but also part and parcel of the daily lifestyles of all Ghanaians.

It is also meant to develop a culture of democracy, the courage to resist violations of human rights and the tenacity to resist dictatorship of all forms. The Week is being celebrated under the theme: " The Constitution, Cultural Values and Good Governance".

Speaking on: "Promoting Discipline and the Rule of Law in the Ghanaian Society", Dr Bashir Koray, President of the Ghana Society for the Blind, said the rule of law required that objective laws were set out for all citizens of Ghana.

He said the Constitution stated that everyone was equal before the law and law courts irrespective of the person's stand in society and that it behoved the authorities to make the Constitution known and understood by all citizens.

"It does not matter how strong or influential one is, the laws of the land must prevail." He told the Officers that all persons under their custody should be treated equally irrespective of the persons status, religion or creed as enshrined in t he Constitution.

Mr Richard Kuuire, Director General of Prisons, told the officers to apply the Constitution to their daily life. He said it was the responsibility of all Ghanaians to maintain the law and ensure that democracy thrived in the country. "We must see Ghana as a nation but not a division of tribes. Political difference can exist but when it comes to issues that affect the country there must be unity."

He said indiscipline was a treat to the country and that all should endeavour to protect the Constitution and to be disciplined. Mr Kuuire appealed to the Officers to apply the rules and regulations of the Service when carrying out their duties.

GRi../

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Lecturer calls for amendment of NPP Constitution

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2002 - Mr. J. K Manu, a lecturer in law at the Faculty of Social Studies of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has called for the amendment of the provision in the NPP constitution, which states that the party's presidential candidate should be elected 24 months before general elections, at a congress.

He suggested that the exercise should take place during an election year as pertains in the United States of America. Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Friday on the issue, Mr. Manu said though it served a purpose in 1998, when the party needed to elect its presidential candidate since it was in opposition, the provision had now outlived its usefulness.

He noted that there could be a conflict of interest between the President and any minister of state or government official who might decide to enter the presidential race. Mr. Manu expressed fear that such a development could neutralise the powers of the incumbent President.

He said the NPP was going through "a political test" and whether or not it would continue to win political power in future would depend on its performance. Mr. Manu said if the government failed to perform, no personality could help the party to win elections even if he was elected three years ahead of the time. He said the NPP won the last general elections because the NDC had failed the nation.

Mr. Manu said the party should build a strong political structure and image rather than relying on personalities and advised presidential aspirants to seek the development of the party, despite their ambitions.

GRi../

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Police call on public to desist from giving bribes

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Police personnel at a public forum in Accra on Friday appealed to the public to desist from giving money to the Police to stamp out corruption in the Police Service. "This is because both the giver and the taker are equally guilty of bribery and corruption as offers are often meant to buy justice and favours", they stressed.

This was the outcome at a forum organised by the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) for Police personnel, as part of the second National Constitution Week. It was on the theme: "The Constitution, Cultural Values and Good Governance."

Speaking on: Promoting discipline and the Rule of Law in the Ghanaian Society, Mr Stevens Ahiawordor, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, said that acts of indiscipline in the Police service upset fairness and justice. "In a society where the Police can make justice a commodity for sale, you can be sure that there cannot be in practice any form of rule of law."

Mr Ahiawordor said poor conditions of service; lack of logistics; defective training, recruitment based on favouritism and cronyism were the drawbacks in the service. The history of the Service as a tool used by the Colonialists to intimidate the people had not helped it.

He said the burden of ensuring discipline and the rule of law in Ghanaian society was a shared one, adding; " This is because the prevalence of indiscipline in the Ghanaian society today cannot be laid at the doorsteps of only one person, institution or organisation.

Mr Ahiawordor said' "it is the duty of the state to create that enabling environment for the Police service to enable it to perform. The state for instance must ensure better service conditions". He said the state must also ensure that courts disposed of cases expeditiously without frustrating arresting officers or prosecuting officials.

The Political Science Lecturer said: " The tendency where judicial officers make derogatory remarks about police personnel in the open court or release suspects brought before them for apparently no justifiable reasons should be discouraged."

Within the Service, he called for firm sanctions against Police personnel, who misconduct themselves in contravention to rules and regulations of the Service while promotions should be done according to laid down procedures.

Mr Ahiawordor urged the public to desist from taking the law into its own hands. "They should be able to apprehend and hand over suspects to the Police without meting out instant justice to them, such as lynching or burning them.

This because sometimes the suspect might be innocent while on the other hand vital incriminating evidence might be destroyed. On the media front, the speaker called for the media to adequately praise the Police when it was due and criticise only constructively.

GRi../

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Abridged constitution in Ghanaian languages launched

Nwodua (Northern Region) 04 May 2002 - The abridged 1992 constitution in 24 Ghanaian languages was on Friday launched at Nwodua, near Tamale, by Mr. Issah Ketekewu, Deputy Northern Regional Minister with a call for more educational programmes to reinforce their impact on the Ghanaian society.

The books were in Kasem, Buli, Sisaala, Sisaala-Paasaal, Tampulma, Kusaal, Konkomba, Vagla, Bimoba, Koma and Farefare. The rest were in Dagbani, Hanga, Gonja, Nafaara, Mampruli, Adele, Birifo, Anufo, Gichode, Chumburung, Ginawuri, Bassan and Deg.

The translations were carried out by the Literacy Project Staff of the 24 languages of the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Lieteracy and Bible Translation (GILLBT) and funding for the 24 translations and an additional six other translations to be launched in the Volta Region, which cost one million dollars, were provided by four donor organisations.

They were the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK, Tear Fund and the Jerusalem Trust. GILLBT has printed 200,000 copies of the 24 translations so far.

Mr Ketekewu said whilst the abridged versions of the constitution led to its simplication to enhance reading and understanding by the vast majority of Ghanaians, repeated educational programmes were needed to sensitise the people on its basics.

He described the translations as "a step in the right direction," saying, "the publishing of the abridged version of the constitution in local languages has come to provide our people with a quick and easy access to the salient provisions of the constitution."

"Knowledge and understanding of the basic things in the constitution by the citizenry is a pre-requisite to participatory democracy and good governance," he observed. The Deputy Minister commended GILLBT, which has been publishing materials in 50 per cent of the 63 indigenous Ghanaian languages for producing a great deal of local literature.

Mr Ketekewu also commended the institute for its "Women In Literacy Development (WILD)" programme, under which women are provided with credit facilities. He said government would continue to provide a conducive environment for non-governmental organisations to operate and flourish to contribute their quota towards development.

He called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), NGOs and religious bodies to intensify their efforts at encouraging women to participate in active politics, adding, "decision-making at the assemblies has become gender bias because they are male-dominated."

Mr Justin Frimpong, Director of GILLBT, in a speech read on his behalf, described the translations "as a historical milestone" and congratulated all the literacy teams, the press and staff who made the translations a reality.

He said whilst the constitution provided for equal rights for all citizenry, irrespective of social status, many Ghanaians could never appreciate and defend their rights unless they had the constitution in a language they could understand.

Mr Frimpong said since the constitution did not only protect citizens from arbitrary rule but also delineated their responsibilities, the translation of the abridged constitution was of enormous importance to socio-economic development.

"We all know a government of the people, by the people and for the people will only work in practice when each citizen takes his social and political responsibilities seriously and works hard at them." Mr Frimpong said an informed public was the best antidote to dictatorship and rule by might.

In addition, as ordinary Ghanaians come to understand the constitution better, they would strive to contribute to the socio-economic and political change necessary for Ghana to move forward in peace and stability, he said.

GRi.../

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Land disputes create tensions and hamper rural development.

Somanya (Eastern Region) 04 May 2002 - The Konor of Yilo Krobo, Kpetekple Dawutey Ologo V1 had cautioned that unless the increasing incidents of land disputes were dealt with decisively, they could pose a threat to national security as well as hamper efforts at industrial development at the local level.

He said in view of the security threat land litigation posed, alternative means such as traditional arbitration mechanisms should be used to expeditiously defuse such tensions before they generated into major conflicts.

Delivering a lecture on the contemporary role of chiefs in national development as part of the Constitution Week celebration organised by the National Council fro Civic Education (NCCE) in the Yilo Krobo District, Nene Ologo urged traditional rulers to clearly define customary succession and land ownership as part of efforts at reducing land disputes.

This, he explained, was because of the fact that land litigation apart from creating unnecessary tensions also scared away potential investors from acquiring lands to establish projects that could trigger development and growth in the rural areas. Nene Ologo stated that development was desperately needed at the local level and, therefore, disputes should not be allowed to negate the aspirations of the people.

He, however, added that for the chiefs to be fully engaged in such issues, the chieftaincy institution must be accorded recognition and be involved at all stages of the development process in their domain.

"It is practically impossible for any government to plan any development programme without the involvement of chiefs and their people," he said. Nene Ologo called for a thorough introspection of the contemporary relevance of the chieftaincy institution with the view to according it proper roles in the ordering of things.

This, he said, informed the current "period of renewal and stocktaking" that the chieftaincy institution was going through with the view to expunging customary practices that had been found to be inimical to the felt-needs and human rights of the people.

The Yilo Krobo District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, Nene Agbosu Korley, asserted that chiefs remained the bedrock of stability in national life and the institution should, therefore, be preserved.

The Yilo Krobo District Chief Executive, Sub-Lieutenant Christian Tettey (rtd.), urged the NCCE to concern itself with educating the people on the need to preserve the current constitutional order so that the public could expose 'anarchists' who were bent on sowing seeds of discontentment among the people.

GRi../

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Make copies of Constitution available and affordable

Ejisu (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2002 - An Educationist has asked the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to make copies of the Fourth Republican Constitution available and affordable to the people.

Mr Festus Boadi-Suadwa, Ejisu-Juabeng District Director of Education, observed that it was because the Constitution was not affordable or readily available that the majority of Ghanaians remained ignorant about their rights and responsibilities.

Mr Boadi-Suadwa made the statement when he spoke on: "Indiscipline in the Ghanaian Society", at a forum organised by the Ejisu-Juabeng District Office of the NCCE for a cross-section of the youth, in connection with the National Constitution Week celebration in the district at Ejisu.

The forum, which was attended by beauticians and dress-makers, was aimed at instilling in the youth an appreciation for principles of the Constitution and to help them to develop a commitment to defend it at all times.

Mr Boadi-Suadwa attributed the current spate of indiscipline that had engulfed the Ghanaian society to ignorance on the part of many Ghanaians about their civic responsibilities and rights and tenets enshrined in the Constitution.

He, therefore, asked the NCCE to devise more pro-active programmes to enlighten people, especially at the grassroots-level not only on their rights and freedoms, but above all their responsibilities to the state and their communities.

Mr Nti Berko, District Director of NCCE, said the defence and protection of the Constitution should not be perceived as the sole responsibility of only those in government but the collective duty of all and sundry.

He explained that since all Ghanaians endorsed the 1992 Constitution in a referendum, it was obligatory for all to resist its subversion by any individual or group of people. Mr Berko urged the youth not only to study the Constitution but also to strive to make use of it to better their life.

GRi…/

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Use political will to fight poverty – Kohler

Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2002 - Mr Horst Kohler, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday, asked African leaders to demonstrate the political will to use regional integration to fight poverty.

He said the case industrial countries to open up their market would become more powerful if developing countries especial in Africa demonstrate their ambition to reduce their own trade barriers.

"This is why the IMF strongly supports the implementation of African regional initiatives such as the ECOWAS as a way to improve competitiveness, increase access to markets inside and outside Africa and promote stronger economic growth", he added.

He was delivering a statement on IMF's Partnership with African member countries on the topic "Building a better future in Africa" at the end of his tour of five African countries in Accra.

Accompanied by his wife Eva and a seven-member delegation, he also visited Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote D'Ivoire and Burkina Faso on his third visit to Africa since assuming office about three years ago.

He said providing better opportunities for African countries to expand and diversify their exports was the best form of self-help, which required greater ambition to open markets and phase out trade distorting subsidies in the industrial countries beginning with agriculture, textiles and labour intensive industries in the manufacturing sector.

Mr Kohler said it should also include the re-thinking of tariff structures in industrial countries that push African countries to concentrate on raw materials by discouraging exports of processed goods. He said to make Africa less vulnerable to fluctuations in world commodity prices and to diversify their economies tariffs on processed products of poor countries in the industrial countries must be reduced.

Mr Kohler said a sustained growth of about seven per cent a year would be required in Africa to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goal for poverty reduction but noted that the continent needed in particular job-creating growth, which required paying attention to the grassroots and supporting the emergence of a middle class.

He said the centrepiece of IMF and World Bank engagement with African countries was their co-operation in the design and monitoring of their poverty reduction strategies. The IMF Managing Director said about 40 countries around the world including about 24 in sub-Saharan Africa were now engaged in the preparation of poverty reduction strategies with the assistance of the IMF and the World Bank to set the stage for stronger growth and faster economic development.

He said African governments were now becoming more transparent, accountable and listening more to the views of their citizens using limited public resources and spending more on health, primary and secondary education.

GRi../

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