Bar Association want court modernisation process to go on
Ghana calls for international priority for African children
Kofi Annan opens UN special Session on children
Ghana calls for emergency action on children in armed conflicts.
Catholic Bishops and Christian Council of Ghana pray for peace
Ministry of Education to rehabilitate 3,000 schools
Team investigating BECE leakages to present their report soon
Commonwealth Sec. Gen. Arrives for visit
Court bar confirmation of Bawku District Chief Executive
Change the wrong perception about integration - Chambas
Registrar-General's urges companies to submit annual returns
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 10 May 2002 - Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has called for the continuation of the government's policy to modernise the court system.
The policy, being pushed by the government through the legal sector reform programme, would enhance the smooth and quick administration of justice for the benefit of everybody in Ghana, Mr Adu-Gyamfi told the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani after leading the GBA National Executives to hold separate meetings with members of the bar and the bench in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The meetings were part of the annual regional tours by the National Executives to find out at first hand problems and challenges facing both lawyers and judges in the administration of justice. Other members of the Executives were Mr Nii Osah Mills, National Vice President, Mr Benson Nusukpui, National Secretary, Mr Peter Zwennes, Assistant National Secretary and Mr Kwesi Cab-Addai, National Public Affairs Officer.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said that the government's declared golden age of business could not succeed "if we have a criminal justice system that nobody has confidence in". He appealed to lawyers to consider taking appointments at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Department. "We must accept appointments to work at the Justice Ministry whilst the GBA is fighting to improve the conditions of service there", he said.
The GBA President explained that the Justice Ministry was an area that no other group of persons or professionals could be employed except lawyers. "Without a strong and effective Ministry of Justice, our criminal justice system breaks down completely, since it is the duty of the ministry to conduct and prosecute criminal cases in the name of the Republic", he said.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said the meeting with the lawyers and the judges identified a catalogue of problems including inadequate library and accommodation facilities, as well as personnel. These are the major constraints affecting the smooth administration of justice, noting; "there is only one state attorney manning the Attorney General's Department in the Region."
Later during a courtesy call on Mr. Yaw Adjei-Duffuor, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, the GBA Executives appealed to the government to encourage district assemblies to devote a percentage of their funds towards the smooth administration of justice.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi explained that the assemblies could provide courtrooms and bungalows for magistrates and circuit court judges. Though it is the duty of the judiciary to provide such facilities, the assistance of the assemblies would help enhance the smooth administration of justice.
Mr Adjei-Duffuor gave the assurance that the Regional Co-ordinating Council would impress on the assemblies to heed to the request of the GBA. The Deputy Regional Minister, however, appealed to the GBA to ensure that lawyers would also accept the challenge to serve on the bench. He challenged lawyers and magistrates to take appointments to serve in the districts to justify the investments the assemblies were expected to make.
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From Kofi Tay
New York (USA) 10 May 2002 - The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has called on the international community to make the African children case the first priority in implementing the Millennium Declaration by world leaders.
The world leaders promised by that Declaration to cut by half the number of people living on less than one dollar a day, ensure that all boys and girls of primary school going age would be in school, halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, prevent war and protect the earths resources by the year 2015.
Alhaji Mahama made the call on Wednesday when addressing the 27th session of the United Nations General Assembly Forum on Children, which is being attended by about 60 Head of States, 350 children and over 1,000 NGOs working on children's issues.
Other members on the Ghanaian delegation include Mrs. Theresa Kufuor, the First Lady and Mrs. Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women and Children Affairs. "We in Africa acknowledge that it is our responsibility to ensure the well being of children on our continent but unfortunately we are unable to meet all this important obligation", he said.
Alhaji Mahama said many African countries like Ghana have adopted polices and programmes in pursuit of the best interest of children but they have not been able to fully realise the desired goals for these children because of lack of resources.
He said the fluctuations in the world prices of Africa's export commodities, coupled with high petroleum prices on the international market, growing external debt and dwindling official development assistance have eroded limited resources available for the care of children.
Alhaji Mahama said the Sub-Saharan African region has the highest number of child mortality rates, lowest immunization coverage and the lowest school enrollment rates. The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS and armed conflicts continues to deepen the persistent poverty faced by Africa's children, the vice-president said.
Ghana, he said, is making every effort to mobilise local resources to improve the situation of her children through the National Partnership for Children. Alhaji Mahama noted that a major achievement over the decade in relation to the convention on the Rights of the Child in Ghana, has been the process of law reform on children, which began in 1995.
He said health access to primary health care services and facilities have improved in the last decade. The vice president said for example, immunization on measles whooping cough and Polio is near 90 percent and Ghana is beginning to win the fight against polio. Infant mortality rate, he said has also reduced from 103 per 1,000 births in 1990 to 56 per 1,000 in 1998. Alhaji Mahama said a free compulsory basic education programme was launched in 1996 and this has remarkably improved the primary school attendance.
Ghana has also established a girls education unit to give special attention to their education and to reduce the drop out rate, he said. Alhaji Mahama told the world leaders that Ghana, in 1992 formulated a 10-year national programme of action dubbed "The Child Cannot Wait" with a mechanism for monitoring the progress on its implementation.
He said Ghana's commitment to these goals is further buttressed by the appointment of a Minister of cabinet rank for Women and children, adding that: "This is to ensure that the issues of gender disparity, which have negative impact on children, are addressed.
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From Kofi Tay
New York (USA) 10 May 2002 - Mr. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General yesterday opened the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Children with a call on world leaders to work for a society fit for children by investing in them.
"Let us not make children pay for our failures anymore, the children in this room (UN) are witnesses to our words and they have every right to expects us to turn our words into action", he said. More than 60 head of states and government leaders, 350 children worldwide and over 1,000 NGOs working on children issues are attending the three-day conference.
Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama with Miss Bernice Akuamoah of Tema Secondary School and Master Samuel Kissi of Acquainas secondary, are leading Ghana's delegation. Master Joel Agorinya of Bolgatanga Primary JSS is representing Ghanaian children. Mr. Annan who described the session as "gathering about the future of humanity" said children have the right to life free of poverty and hunger, a right to quality education, protection from infectious diseases, including AIDS, clean and health planet and to live safe from the threat of war, abuse and exploitation.
He however expressed regret that adults have failed deplorably in upholding these rights resulting in problems like one out of every five children suffering from malnutrition before they turn five or one in four never immunized against any disease. He said one out of five does not go to school while four out the five who actually go to school do not reach the fifth year of the educational ladder. "All children also live under the threat of environmental degradation," he said.
Mr. Annan said all grown-ups must reverse these failures, part of which, he said, which were made in the Millennium Declaration, which contains pledges agreed by all world leaders at the turn of this millennium. The world leaders in that declaration promised that by the year 2015, they would cut by half the number of people living on less than a dollar a day, ensure that all boys and girls of primary school age would be in school, halt the spread of AIDS, prevent war and protect the earths resources.
He told the world leaders that the gathering of the general assembly is a reminders of the promises they made to the next generation and therefore called on them to ensure the goals are attained.
Mr. Annan also reminded them that for every dollar invested in the development of a child, there is a seven-dollar return for society. The special session is expected to come out with a document titled " A World fit for Children" which will contain series of goals on child health, education, protection and a plan of action to attain them in the coming years.
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Ghana calls for emergency action on
children in armed conflicts.
From Kofi Tay
New York (USA) 10 May 2002 - Ghana on Wednesday called on the United Nations to give urgent attention in tackling the situation of children in armed conflicts to end the awful impact of such conflicts them.
Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the Vice-President who made the call, said the international community, needs to be more forceful in bringing to justice all those who commit war crimes against women and children to serve as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of these wicked crimes.
He was addressing the 27th UN General Assembly on Children, which is being attended by three children from Ghana as official delegates. The session is devoted to the review of achievement and failures in implementing policies towards children's issues over the past 12 years.
Alhaji Mahama called on all member states of the UN to stop the recruitment and use of children as soldiers and work towards the rapid and universal ratification and implementation of the Protocol on the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts.
He said it was important for the international community to control the illicit inflow of small arms and light weapons to protect the future generation. The Vice President said equally important is the need to address the issue of trafficking in children for slavery and sexual exploitation, which is almost on the rise in almost every region.
Ghana also called on the session to step up action on the convention concerning the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, adding, that without a commitment, the desire to create a world fit for children would be fruitless. Ms Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF noted that it was not enough for governments to make promises to children but they should rather keep these promises and actively pursue the goals by doing everything in their power to achieve them.
She urged leaders to bring in partners, assign resources and seek creative solutions and must involve children, families and communities, in finding solutions to these problems. Miss Bellamy said "these children who have seized the opportunity at the UN General Assembly have placed before them, only one message to the world that they are not an expense but an investment".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - The Catholic Bishops and the Heads of the Christian Council of Ghana on Wednesday night held a joint ecumenical service aimed at praying for everlasting peace in the country.
Preaching under the theme: "Peace be with you, my peace I leave with you", the Revered Sam Prempeh, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana urged Christians to be instruments of peace. He said it was when Christians lived in peace and harmony with each other that the people would understand its significance and live with it throughout the world.
He said, "it is sad that even though there is the proliferation of churches worldwide, whose preaching always centre on peace and tranquillity between brethren, the world was still characterised by wars, civil and tribal wars resulting in the loss of innocent lives". He cited examples of Israel, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Dagbon in Northern Ghana among other communities where atrocities were meted out to individuals and prayed to God to touch their hearts.
Revered Prempeh expressed regret that the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross did not reflect positively in the hearts of people to refrain from wrongdoings.
Reverend Prempeh urged Christians to comply to the ban on drumming and noisemaking for peace to prevail.
Special prayers were also said for 126 soccer fans that perished in the Accra Sports Stadium Disaster on May 9, 2001 and the Ya- Na Yakubu Andani, Over Lord of Dagbon, who was assassinated and the 30 others who were murdered in the Dagbon tragedy in March.
Earlier, in his welcoming address the Revered Father Anthony N. Asare, Parish Priest of St. Peters' Catholic Church, Osu, recounted problems facing the country and prayed for an amicable solution to them. He urged all Christians to live in unity and abide by the ban on drumming and noisemaking.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Education, on Thursday said the ministry plans to reconstruct 3,000 schools in the Northern Sector of the country this year. Prof Ameyaw Akumfi, who said this when he opened the ninth Consultative Panel meeting of the Ministry and its Development Partners noted that half of the nation's school's structures were in need of repairs.
"Clearly one cannot talk about access and quality when children attend classes under trees and in structures which are an apology of classrooms." Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi said the picture in the North was applicable to a number of localities nationwide that needed to be corrected and appealed to the participants to make efforts to change the landscape. The meeting, which is being attended by all stakeholders in the educational sector, was under the theme: "Reducing Poverty Through Quality Education- A shared Goal".
It is the second to be held within six months and offers the opportunity to reflect over developments that had occurred in the education sector. The 60 participants would be discussing issues including impact of Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy on education, implementation statement of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE), Capacity Development in the Ministry of Education (MOE), Financial Management and the Ghana Education Trust Fund.
The Minister said the eradication of poverty was the collective responsibility of all and that was why this year's programme had been devoted to addressing the role that education could play in reducing poverty in the economy. Mr Lindsey Jones, Representative of the European Union (EU), said their assistance basically in the form of grants, went into micro-projects such as construction of schools and recreational centres at the community level.
He said the EU spends about one million dollars a week on education with the aim of strengthening the educational sector. Mr Jones said the union also organised workshops for teachers and provided of books for various schools in order to build a strong foundation. He urged the government to maintain the level of expenditure in the basic education and primary health care that the EU was supporting.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - Two hundred soldiers, 28 officers and 172 men, of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on Thursday left Accra for a six-month peacekeeping duty with the United Nations Monitoring Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).
The number represents the first batch of soldiers of Ghana Battalion Two (GHANBATT 2) to replace Ghanbatt One, which has completed their duty and are expected back home soon. The second batch of 203 soldiers will leave next week, bringing the number of Ghanbatt 2 to 403. The Mortar Regiment of the GAF at Ho in the Volta Region forms the nucleus of Ghanbatt 2. Addressing the soldiers before they enplaned for Congo, General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the GAF, Brigadier Joseph Boakye Danquah told them to approach their duties in the mission area with professionalism, dedication and a high sense of discipline, which had earned Ghana a global reputation in peacekeeping.
"You must endeavour to demonstrate your good skills, knowledge and experience in peacekeeping, in order to bring honour and glory to yourselves, the Ghana Armed Forces and the nation as a whole." Brig Danquah implored the soldiers to discern between the good and the bad since they would be exposed to different people, conditions and influences and to bring back only those experiences that would be of benefit to them and the nation.
He enjoined the peacekeepers to abide by all MONUC operational, administrative and security regulations and charged Officers, Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers to ensure that discipline was not only maintained, but enforced at all times.
"You will accomplish your mission successfully in the DRC, if only all of you maintained very high standards of discipline within your ranks and also based your activities on a sound teamwork." The Brigadier advised the soldiers not to misuse their earnings in the mission area but to repatriate their money back home to put it to profitable use for their benefit and that of their families.
He also advised them to remain faithful to their partners, avoid "unnecessary" risk and to give value to their lives, referring particularly to the HIV/AIDS menace. MONUC Ghanbatt 2, which underwent a three-week pre-operational at Bundase in the Greater Accra Region, is under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Akofur, the Commanding Officer of the Mortar Regiment.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - The Minister of Education, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi on Thursday said the team investigating the leakage in the recent Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) would present its findings to the Ministry by the end of the week.
The team had completed its investigations and the results would be made known as soon as the report was ready, Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi said after he opened the 9th consultative panel meeting of the Ministry and its development partners under the theme: Reducing Poverty through Quality Education- A shared goal.
It is the second to be held within six months and offers the opportunity to reflect over developments that have occurred in the educational sector. The Minister said the Ministry was prepared to deal with the culprits if the allegations were found to be true.
He assured the public that the team investigating the issue is very competent and would bring out the truth in the matter. Mr. John Budu Smith, Acting Director General of the Ghana Education Service said the extent to which the examination has leaked would determine the sanctions to be placed on those behind the issue.
Mr. Budu Smith however could not tell the extent of the leakage but noted the Ghana Education Service has trust in WAEC as well as the committee set up to investigate the matter and would not doubt the accuracy of the report.
Mr. Awuah Ofori, Director of Educational Affairs said that this was the first time such a thing has happened at the JSS level. He noted that some school children, realising that they would fail in their examination write anonymous letters to WAEC quoting alleged leakage in their centres.
He said though some of these allegations are not true, some turn out to be true, saying that school children are being vigilant these days. Some of the papers in this year's BECE were reported to have leaked which prompted the MOE to set up an investigation into the matter. The papers involved were the pre-technical skills and mathematics.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - The Commonwealth Secretary General Mr Don McKinnon today, said the commonwealth would not spare members who breach the political values of the organisation. He said the commonwealth is one of the few organisations in the world, which suspends her members when they breach the rules as enshrined in the Harare declaration, which abhors coup d'etats and non observance of democratic values.
The Sec. General said this in an interview with newsmen on his arrival at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra for a three-day goodwill visit to the country. He said Ghana was regarded as one of its important members, playing vital roles in its activities and providing technical and human expertise in the running of the organisation.
Mr McKinnon commended Ghana for helping to stabilise the sub- region through peace-keeping and mediation efforts especially in the Sierra- Leonean crisis, which was of great concern to the Commonwealth. The Foreign Minister, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyemang, who met Mr. McKinnon on arrival described the visit as symbolic, especially coming after the Coolum summit in Australia, adding that there were a lot of values uniting members of the Commonwealth, which should be translated for the benefit of the people.
While in Ghana, the Secretary General would call on President John Agyekum Kufuor, visit Parliament and confer with the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhiya Palace. Mr McKinnon would also inspect Commonwealth sponsored projects in the country and visit other places of interest.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 10 May 2002 - A Bolgatanga High Court presided by Mr Justice Gilbert Mensah Quaye, on Friday placed an interim injunction order in favour of four people seeking to debar Mr Abdul Rhaman Gumah, the President's nominee for Bawku East District from being confirmed as District Chief Executive.
The suit seeking the injunction was applied for barely two days left for Mr Gumah to be confirmed as the substantive DCE by a decision taken by the Standing Committee of the assembly. The court upon the consent of both counsels adjourned the case to 17 May for hearing. Those seeking the injunction are Mahamadu Abdulai, Musah Ibrahim, Ali Sako Dubure and Ibrahim Ayamdogo.
The Electoral Commission (EC) had earlier declared Mr Gumah eligible to contest a second round election or be confirmed as DCE after several contentions and litigations about his eligibility. Mr John Ndebugre a private legal practitioner, is counsel for the plaintiffs, while the EC and Mr Gumah are being represented by Lyns Quarshie Idun and Company. However, Mr Emmil Musah, a Tamale-based lawyer appeared for the defendants.
Earlier, Mr Ndebugre contended that it was a matter of a constitutional provision that each district have a DCE, but in a proper and legal manner, he added that his clients' claims were therefore, genuine. He said he did not hold any reservations on a date decided by his opponent for hearing, provided the court granted his clients request to order the defendants not to proceed to organise any election or confirm Mr. Gumah.
On his part, Mr Musah acknowledged that plaintiffs had made remarkable constitutional claims and added that they were not applicable, had no substance and were not connected to the case before the court. He added that his client was served the notice rather late and appealed to the court for a date for both parties to start their motions.
Justice Quaye said the substantive claim in the matter by the Electoral Commission was just about the same as the injunction being sought by the plaintiffs. He urged them to come early on the hearing day to consider the fate of the application and the purpose of the import of the injunction.
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Company ordered to stop mining on school's
premises.
Kade (Eastern Region) 10 May 2002 - The Kwaebibirem District Assembly in the Eastern Region has ordered the Ghana Consolidated Diamond Company (GCDC) at Akwatia to stop mining on Akwatia Technical School compound.
The assembly has also ordered the company to reclaim, with immediate effect, the school's lands it had degraded through mining. The order came after a three-hour meeting among the management of the company, some officials of the school and the assembly.
Mr Yaw Boakye Yiadom, District Chief Executive, told the GNA at Kade on Thursday that the Assembly had also requested the company to assist the school to demarcate its land, to have it fenced to ward off illegal diamond miners and improve the school's security.
He said it was also agreed that the 10 bungalows the company built for the school should be returned to the school to help solve the accommodation problem facing it. Mr Edward Oppong, Principal of the school, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the meeting, saying the decisions would solve many of the school's problems. The GCDC established the school, formerly Akwatia Technical Trade School, to train its workers but the Ghana Education Services later took it over.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday said the economic integration of the Sub-Region was attainable. He, therefore, stressed the need for people to change their wrong perception that economic integration of West Africa was unattainable.
These were contained in an address read for Dr Chambas by Dr M.O. Ojo, Director General of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) at an integration forum in Accra. Dr Chambas said some success had been achieved in bringing the countries together through a number of instrument including the 90-day-free-entry-visa and trade liberalisation schemes that accorded duty free entry to products from approved industries.
He also mentioned plans for the interconnection of telecommunication networks and the promotion of the West African Gas Pipeline as some of the concrete efforts at integration. The West Africa International Magazine organised the 7th Federation of West Africa Integration conference, which was under theme:" Integration Through Investment," to promote goodwill and remove mistrust among businessmen of Ghana and Nigeria.
Dr. Chambas said integration was an important issue, which should not be left in the hands of particular interest groups in the society but all in the Sub-Region should be mobilised to support it as its success would have a positive impact on the society. He emphasised that with the increasing Globalisation, countries in West African could not afford to lag behind, adding; "we must ensure that we catch up with the developed and integrated economies of the world".
Dr Dee Otibu-Asare, Publisher and Editor in Chief of the West Africa International Magazine, said there was the need for both countries to assume leadership role in spearheading unity and economic growth on the continent, now that they were under democratic rule.
He said the forum, a follow up to a similar one on investment opportunities in Ghana, held in Abuja, Nigeria last year would equally provide excellent platform for participants to address the issues of mistrust suspicion and misconceptions.
Dr Otibu-Asare expressed the hope that the forum would expose Nigerian investors to the vast investment opportunities in Ghana and the general fiscal incentives and the statutory guarantees and protection opened to them.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2002 - The Registrar-General's Department on Thursday asked companies that have not submitted their annual returns to do so by 28 June. A statement from the Department signed by Mrs Elizabeth Owreidu-Gyampoh, Registrar-General, said companies that failed to deliver the arrears of their annual returns by August 30 would be prosecuted together with their Directors.
"Further, the Registrar of companies shall in pursuant to powers vested in her under section 261 of Act 179 of the Companies Code strike the names of the companies off the register by close of business and thereafter publish the same in the gazette and the dailies."
The statement said the announcement and subsequent action was in pursuant of section 122 of the Companies Code 1963 (Act 197), which stipulated that every company shall, once at least in every year, deliver to the Registrar for registration, an annual return including particulars relating to the matters prescribed in the third schedule of the code.
It also reminded rural and community banks under the code that they were obliged to deliver an annual return once every year in accordance with the provisions. Proprietors of registered partnership firms and business names were also reminded that it was mandatory for them to annually renew registration of their businesses, the statement said and added; "business names that are not renewed annually automatically lapse".
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