National Security Adviser resigns
Acherensuahene acquitted and discharged
Sixty-five people injured in Zaare clashes
No judges for courts in Northern Region
Rainstorm creates jobs for carpenters at Wa
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 May 20002 - The National Security Advisor, Lt. General Joshua Hamidu (Rtd) has resigned to enable him seek redress through the courts for allegations made against him regarding his alleged involvement in the recent tragic events at Yendi.
A Government statement in Accra on Monday said President John Agyekum Kufuor, has accepted the resignation with regret and without prejudice. "The President wishes to express his profound gratitude to the General for his devoted and loyal service to Ghana and the government," the statement said.
The President expressed the hope that once the legal matters had been resolved satisfactorily, Lt Gen. Hamidu would be willing to put his immense experience at the service of Ghana. The statement said General Hamidu was ready to appear before the Wuaku Commission appointed to go into the Yendi Affair to exonerate himself from the accusations levelled against him.
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Sunyani (Brong Aafo) 14 May 2002 - Professor Agyewodin Adu-Gyamfi Ampem II, Omanhene of Acherensua in Brong Ahafo Region was on Monday acquitted and discharged by the Sunyani High Court Two presided by Mr Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie. The Omanhene has been standing trial since 18 April 2001 for allegedly killing one Nii Attuquaye Quansah of Acherensua through a gunshot on 17 April 2001.
Quansah was among a group of youth of Acherensua, who allegedly attacked the Omanhene at his residence on the day of the incident. A seven-member jury of the court took almost one-and-a-half hours from 11am to 12:30pm to deliberate to return with a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
When Mr Justice Baffoe-Bonnie asked the jury for its verdict, the foreman stood up and announced: "Nana is not guilty of the first charge of murder." Justice Baffoe Bonnie, therefore, pronounced his ruling: "Nana, having been found not guilty, you are hereby acquitted and discharged."
Immediately after the ruling, sympathisers and relatives of the Omanhene, who formed the majority of the people in the courtroom, applauded the decision and some of them surged forward towards the dock to shake hands with him. When Agyewodin Ampem left the dock, the three-man defence team led by Mr Otu Essel Kwadwo Fordjour, a Sunyani-based lawyer, asked him to relax in a sofa in the courtroom.
The Omanhene, who was surrounded by some members of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, who thronged the court to express their sympathy and support for him, shed tears of joy. The Chiefs included Nana Kwadwo Nyarko III, Pranghene and Nana Kwame Korang V, Awua-Domasehene, President and Vice-President of the House, respectively.
A number of Policemen were deployed at the precincts of the court to avert any possible clash between the two factions in the case. In directing the jury before their deliberations on the verdict, the court reminded them that the case was not a political trial but a criminal trial. The Judge therefore stressed the need for them not to be influenced by either media publications or outside comments and pronouncement about the case.
He told the Jury: You are judges of facts, so, you must base your verdict on your own conscience alone with arguments of prosecution and evidence of prosecution witnesses, as well as that of the defence and the defence witnesses in mind.
"You should use your conscience depending on the facts of the case but not on your personal considerations and political inclinations," he stressed, adding, "the case is a man who is alleged to have killed somebody". In summing up, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie reminded the jury that the accused had been charged with murder, contrary to section 46 of the 1960 Criminal Code, Act 29.
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Zaare (Upper East) 14 May 2002 - Red Cross Society reports indicates that at least 65 people sustained various degrees of injuries in the Zaare factional clashes in the Upper East Region that begun on Saturday over rights to farmlands. Three hundred and fifty people are displaced while 15 houses were burnt. The displaced people are putting up with families and friends.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the Society, Mr Joe Abarike, told newsmen that the immediate needs of those displaced was food and shelter, because their food banks were burnt, and the rains have also set in.
Security personnel have intensified patrols throughout Zaare and beyond to Nyariga, where it is anticipated that there could be pockets of the clashes. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mahami Salifu, for the second time in two days have visited the area to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the clashes.
Mr. Salifu told the people gathered at the chiefs palace that the Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) would not compromise the peace of the area, and would compel the people to observe it as such. He announced that long-term negotiations would start soon, but that peace must necessary return to the area first.
Mr. Salifu appealed to the people to discard ideas on which faction was the cause of the conflict, adding that the region was already in poverty and needs the support and co-operation of all and sundry to improve the situation. The Minister urged them to expose perpetrators of trouble in the area to the security agencies for possible apprehension and prosecution.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 14 May 2002 - Eight canoes at the Tema Fishing Harbour caught fire on Monday morning, with six of them burnt beyond repairs. One of the canoes that was being prepared to go fishing in the morning had its fishing nets burnt with the canoe.
Two people sustained serious burns as a result of the fire and were rushed to the Tema General Hospital where they are on admission. Newsmen were refused to entry to see the state of the victims at the hospital, because the Director of the hospital had gone out.
An eyewitness account had it that fuel for outboard motors was ignited by fire that someone was using to prepare fresh fish soup. But for the timely arrival of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Fire Service about 200 canoes could have been burnt. The cost of the canoes that caught fire could not be estimated immediately.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 14 May 2002 - The administration of justice in the Northern Region has virtually grounded to a halt, as there is only one judge at post. "The circuit tribunal at Tamale does not have its full complement of panellists and has not been sitting for six months whilst the community tribunal chairmen, who were transferred or retired have not been replaced."
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) after a meeting between the GBA executive and lawyers, judges and tribunal chairmen in Tamale on Sunday, as part of the GBA's executive tour of the Northern sector.
The GBA executive, led by its National President, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, also held a meeting with the Northern Regional Bar Association. The statement said the region has only one community tribunal chairperson Miss Angela Gyamfi, who handles all the community tribunals in all the 13 districts in the region.
"In a situation where only one community chairperson is compelled to try all cases in all the 13 districts in the region, there is the tendency by the police to bring mostly indictable offences to the tribunals with the likelihood that the police may settle lesser offences at their own level," the statement said.
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Tepa-Abotoase, (Volta Region) 14 May 2002 - The National In-land Canoe Fishermen Council at Tapa-Abotoase has formed a nine-member task force to enforce discipline among boat owners and operators on the Volta Lake.
The taskforce, under the chairmanship of Police Chief Inspector Kwatsikor of Abortoase and a representative of the Jasikan District Assembly, will check over-loading and other illegal activities associated with the operation of boats on the lake.
Mr Kaizaro Yao Awoye, secretary of the Abotoase Boat Owners' Association, made this known to the Ghana News Agency at Abotoase on Sunday. Mr Awoye said the Volta River Authority (VRA) has so far registered 17 boats with 20 more awaiting registration following the Amevlovikope Island boat disaster.
He said Mr. Vincent Kaledzi, National Chairman of National In-land Canoe Fishermen Council, who initiated the formation of the taskforce, promised to provide an office for the taskforce to facilitate its work. Meanwhile Mr Albert Mensah, whose boat "Poverty Breeds Social Unrest" was involved in the accident, was granted a police enquiry bail and is to report to the Worawora Police once a week.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 May 2002 - Major J. R. K. Tandoh (RTD), Acting Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA) said on Monday that the Authority was redefining the framework that guided the development of the communications industry in Ghana to meet challenges in the global market.
"The world is increasingly being interconnected and this brings new challenges to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and in the interest of the public, regulators must foster a communications environment that promotes the engagement of all citizens as informed members of society", he said at a press conference in Accra.
Speaking in connection with the 34th International Communications Day celebration, he said regulators must also provide choice and diversity in communications services for consumers, provide safeguards, reasonable cost and universal services and create an enabling environment for business.
He said it was within this context that NCA was redefining its framework that guided the industry's development to ensure that citizens participated in the social, economic and cultural benefits and serve the public interest at the same time.
The theme for the celebration is: "Convergence of Broadcasting, Telecommunications and the Information Technologies: New Challenges to Regulators". Major Tandoh identified competition and innovation as challenges facing ITU members, which had resulted in dramatic changes in the nature and structure of the communications industry.
"The competition cuts across national boundaries as foreign companies enter local markets, either through ownership of or in alliance with domestic firms". He said in view of the numerous challenges, including the renewed promise of digital technology, the NCA had taken steps to fulfil a number of policy objectives for the global national interest including the promotion of universal access to communication technologies.
Other objectives are recognition and protection of rights of consumers and citizens, assurance of safeguards, redress and support for the distinctive role of public broadcasting. Major Tandoh said NCA would achieve the objectives within the framework of promoting fair and sustainable competition, foster self-regulation where appropriate and develop strong, competitive and socially responsive communications industries.
He mentioned the new trend with television and the Internet saying, "With the merger of television and the internet services, the question surrounding the regulation of digital interactive services needs to be carefully considered."
Major Tandoh said Internet service providers in ITU member states, especially, in developed countries were not regulated while conventional broadcasters faced a multiple of jurisdictional questions. "These are exciting, yet challenging times during which the telecommunications sector is being reformed to accommodate convergence to several regulatory, legislative and policy challenges across all ITU member-states".
Nana Ohene Ntow of the Office of the President who chaired the function, said communications bordered on every sphere of life and needed to be accorded priority in all aspects of development. He said in the United States, the communications industry alone contributed 45 per cent of Gross National Product and accounted for 50 per cent of the work force in the 1990s. He, therefore, urged stakeholders, especially the media, to play their roles to make communications the backbone of the nation's development.
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Wa (Upper West) 14 May 2002 - A heavy rainstorm that hit Wa and its surrounding areas has created jobs for carpenters and masons as they were seen busily working on ripped off roofs and collapsed houses. Landlords, storekeepers, beauticians and other business people were however wearing gloomy faces when the GNA visited some of the affected houses because their businesses are at a standstill.
Mr. Timothy Dombo, Upper West Region Co-ordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation said 400 families were displaced and needed assistance. He said 35 kiosks belonging to hairdressers, seamstresses, lotto sellers and other trades were also damaged while five primary and junior secondary schools were also seriously damaged.
Mr Dombo said over 100 trees in the township had either lost their branches or were completely uprooted. The Regional Co-ordinator said the region would need 600 bundles of roofing sheets, 1,000 bags of cement, 2,000 bags of rice, 2,500 bags of maize and 1,500 blankets to rehabilitate their houses.
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