Plant and equipment rust away as legal
tussle is stalled
Many women die of pregnancy related
complications
Homecoming Secretariat working out
incentives
Government's commitment is key to children's
development
Ghanaian journalist wins CNN award
International information technology centre
for Ghana
University of Ghana seeks support to increase fees
"The devil deceived me to escape" says convict
Locally produced rice improved - IDA
31st December Women’s Movement not dead
Plant and equipment rust away as legal
tussle is stalled
Aveyime (Volta Region) 17 May 2002- Plant and equipment at the Aveyime Quality Grain Production Unit are rusting away as the legal tussle between the state and functionaries of the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is stalled.
This came to light when the Ghana News Agency accompanied American Resource Officials of the Continental Commodity Trading Company Limited (CCTC) to the project site as part of the national seminar on: "Boosting rice production in Ghana - The Experience of America."
The company, which is one of the leading marketers and distributors of rice "Pride", "Yenmo" and the "Ricemaster" brands intends to study the American experience to develop the best practice, methods and policies for rice production and marketing in Ghana.
The team expressed concern about the wastage and deterioration of the heavy equipment due to weather conditions. Most of the equipment had started to rust while the roofing of a warehouse had been ripped off.
An official at the site said the normal capacity of the production plant was about 15 tonnes per hour but now produces below 10 tonnes per hour. The Official expressed concern about the abandonment of the project due to the legal tussle. The NDC functionaries were standing trial at an Accra Fast Track Court until the Supreme Court declared the court alien to the Constitution of the Fourth Republic.
The former ministers of state and other officials were charged with conspiracy and wilfully causing financial loss to the State through the award of the Quality Grain contract. They were charged with playing various roles that resulted in the loss to the State of more than 20 million dollars.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and have each been granted a self-recognisance bail. They are Kwame Peprah, former Minister of Finance and Ibrahim Adam, former Minister of Food and Agriculture.
The others are Ato Dadzie, former Chief of Staff, George Yankey, former Director in charge of Legal Sector, Private and Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance and Samuel Dapaah, former Chief Director at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
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Many women die of pregnancy related
complications
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2002- Nine hundred and fifty-four women died as a result of pregnancy complications in the country's health institutions last year, Ministry of Health said on Thursday. Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Co-ordinator of the Reproductive Health Unit, who was contributing at a symposium on; "Delays in seeking or receiving lifesaving care by pregnant women," said 851 women died of pregnancy complications in 2000.
He said a lot more women died either on their way to the hospital, at home or in shrines and churches that were not recorded. The causes of deaths were ignorance, poor health services, false beliefs and poverty. The symposium was organised by the White Ribbon Alliance, (WRA-Ghana) for Safe Motherhood, an international coalition of organisations formed to promote and increase public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women.
Its objective is to bring to the minimum, deaths resulting from pregnancy related complications out of which one woman dies each minute with nearly 600,000 dying each year worldwide. Dr Aboagye said safe motherhood was the process of achieving conception, going through pregnancy and childbirth safely and giving birth to a healthy baby.
He said though all these deaths could be prevented, there were policies that impinged on ensuring that pregnant women received the care needed for safe delivery that went beyond health policies. "These include educational policies, laws, economic, empowerment of women and policies on roads and highways."
Dr Aboagye said if health education were intensified, proper antenatal care were given with a supervised delivery among other things, the number of deaths could be reduced. Dr Sylvia Deganus, Specialist Obstetrician of the Tema General Hospital, said the top five causes of maternal deaths in Ghana were; severe bleeding with shock - 25 per cent; infections 15 per cent; complications of abortion 13 per cent; hypertension 12 per cent; obstructed labour eight per cent with others accounting for the rest.
She said time was very important in ensuring safe motherhood adding that the deaths were due to delays in recognising life-threatening conditions, delays in making a decision to seek medical care, reaching a health unit and in receiving help. Administrative bottlenecks like poor staff attitudes, poor facilities, cash and carry, poor transportation, bad roads and inappropriate referral accounted for most of these deaths.
Dr Deganus advised pregnant women to seek early care especially when they saw signs of bleeding, fever, swelling in the face and hands, severe headache and abdominal pains and offensive vaginal discharge, as they could be dangerous.
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Homecoming Secretariat working out
incentives
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2002- The Homecoming Secretariat has said it was working with government, other state agencies and the private sector to devise workable incentive packages to attract and retain both human and financial resources of Ghanaians living abroad. As part of these efforts, the secretariat is co-ordinating all activities as well as serving as the centre for all projects, programmes and issues involving Ghanaians living abroad.
A statement that spelt out the secretariat's role, signed by Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Co-ordinator, National Economic Dialogue, mentioned easing of re-entry of non-residents Ghanaians to the country, institutionalising a 'Green Card' or Adeshie Card system as well as building a database of Ghanaians living abroad as some of its functions.
Others included work to create investment, career and consultancy opportunities and sensitise Ghanaian institutions to promote positive relational dynamics and attitude to non-resident Ghanaians. The statement said the secretariat would further assist non-resident Ghanaians to own, rent or lease property, including land acquisition, help clear goods at the various ports on terms that are beneficial to both individual and the state.
It would liase with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre to research on an area of interest for a prospective non-resident Ghanaian investor. The statement, therefore, asked all Ghanaians living abroad, who would want to relocate or invest, to seek guidance and assistance from the country's missions abroad or contact the secretariat before or immediately they arrived in Ghana. It said it was important for all Ghanaians willing to come home to use the above channels to avoid any frustrating experiences and impediments.
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Government's commitment is key to
children's development
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2001- Ghana's representatives to the just-ended United Nation Special Session on Children in New York on Thursday, said children's development in Ghana could be achieved when government stuck to its commitment made at the Session.
"Government went there to renew its commitment, therefore, with the genuine interest shown in the address, it must ensure that the suggestion and recommendation adopted are implemented." The representatives, Master Samuel Kissi,17, Master Joel Agorinya,12, and Bernice Akuamaoh,15, made the observation at a press briefing to share their knowledge and experiences.
They gave the assurance that efforts would be made to establish "Children's Parliament" in Ghana to assemble Ghanaian children to address issues concerning them in their own way and language.
The three said to solve problems affecting children effectively and more especially improve the conditions of deprived children on the streets and in the rural areas, stakeholders including the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society must collaborate with the government.
They described the Session as very interesting, refreshing and thrilling, but observed that because Ghana was represented by only three children, they could not attend some of the committee meetings unlike other countries that were represented by 15 children.
The Children said on their return, they intend to spread the message to every Ghanaian child in the fight for protection and promotion of their rights. They said a programme was being designed to enable them to travel throughout the country to share their knowledge and experience with other children.
The UNICEF Representative in Ghana, Mr Ramesh Shrestha, who accompanied the children to the conference, said the challenge ahead for African countries would be to plan their work in the next 10 to 15 years to implement recommendations that were reached.
He noted that a thorough review of the first UN Special Session on Children held in 1990 showed that there was no single African country that was able to achieve all goals and objectives that were set. The three-day conference, which was attended by about 60 heads of states, 350 children and 1,000 NGOs was expected to come out with new goals for improving the conditions of children over the next decade.
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Ghanaian journalist wins CNN award
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May - Ms Loretta Vanderpuye, a journalist of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has won the Environment Category of this year's CNN African Journalists Award competition, with her story "Dangers of Exhaust Emission."
The top prize of the CNN Journalist of the year, however, went to Susan Puren from "Carte Blanche' of MNET/DSTV, South Africa. A CNN release issued in Accra on Thursday said Puren was chosen from among entrants from 26 countries across the Africa for her story, 'China, war Child."
It Stated that the Chairperson of the judging Panel, Dr Doyinsola Abiola, said the judges were unanimous in awarding Puren the top prize because her entry demonstrated a level of journalistic excellence and integrity, which all the judges felt deserved the highest recognition. "Puren's work, along with that of all the finalists demonstrates the sheer strength and quality of African Journalism. Each and everyone of the finalists should stand proud of their work," Dr Abiola added.
The release said Eason Jordan, Chief News Executive and Newsgathering President of the CNN News Group, mentioned that the winners represented the best journalism in Africa. "CNN has always been dedicated to encouraging freedom of speech and maintaining journalistic integrity. We are delighted to see this competition continue to nurture such a diverse range of talent from an ever increasing number of African nations," he said.
The overall CNN Journalist of the year receives a trip to CNN Centre, Atlanta, with complimentary flights courtesy of South African Airlines and a cash prize, in addition to the prize awarded to all categories of winners, which consisted of a laptop, modem and printer and a cash prize. The CNN holds the annual competition, which is now in its seventh year in partnership with South African Broadcasting Corporation. There were also awards for Sports, Business and Commerce, Art and Culture and Health.
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International information technology centre
for Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2002- An information technology centre of excellence is to be established in Accra by the Ministry of Communications and Technology and the Indian government in line with government's policy of promoting transparency and accountability.
Mr Felix Owusu Adjapong, who announced this in Accra, said the government was "committed to promoting an open government through the sharing and distribution of digitised information to enable the citizenry to make informed choices."
Mr Adjapong was speaking at the opening of a three-day exhibition and conference on the theme: "Developing a knowledge society for West Africa," being attended by IT experts from the West Africa Sub-Region, organised by AITEC Ghana, an international information technology organisation and the Ministry of Communications and Technology.
"For the future, however, our goal is to ensure sound transformation of government to go beyond Internet-based provision of information to fully interactive services," the Minister said. He said the conference "will enable us to explore the challenges of our time, where globalisation, technological development and the liberalisation of markets have also become new driving forces in the creation of an information society."
Mr Adjapong said Ghanaians ushered in a new government with the hope that it would lead the crusade to effect positive changes in the way things were done to ensure operational efficiency, quality and timeliness of service delivery.
Mr Adjapong said the Ministry of Communications and Technology was created to facilitate the development of an efficient integrated nation-wide communications structure including an electronic government structure to support a transparent government system.
He said an electronic government involved using appropriately information technology in government operations with the aim of reducing and eliminating waste to sustain growth at all levels of governance. The Minister said for electronic government to be applied effectively in Ghana and the sub-region, a necessary requirement was the need for an effective networking to facilitate widespread information and communication.
He called for the training of human resources, saying there was the need to develop a new crop of staff with skills in information technology and networking to sustain viable electronic government programmes.
He said government ministries, departments and agencies had, as a first step, established their own "visibility in information technology through the development of their own web portals. "We intend in the long run to ensure that all portals will be linked to the national one so that a visitor to one portal will be automatically hooked to the entire information on Ghana." Mr Sean Moroney, Group Chairman of AITEC said there was the need to make electronic governance work since it was an empowering tool for democracy.
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University of Ghana seeks support to
increase fees
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2002- Professor Edward Ofori Sarpong, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, of the University of Ghana, Legon has appealed to the public to understand and support the University to upwardly review the user fees paid by students to supplement government subvention.
He said the donor community; non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals could also assist the university with facilities to enable it to maintain its enviable position in the country and the world. Professor Sarpong made the appeal when he received two ostrich chicks worth four million cedis and a 330 eggs capacity incubator worth about 12 million cedis on behalf of the University's Agricultural Research Station at Nungua, Accra.
A statement issued in Accra on Thursday and signed by Mrs E. Agyei-Mensah, Assistant Registrar of the University's Relations Office, said the Management of Mafi Farms donated the chicks while Mr K. Adu Bediako, a philanthropist, donated the incubator.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor said the equipment and chicks would not only help in effective research and teaching in the University, but would benefit secondary schools and the public. Professor Anna Barnes, Dean of Agriculture of the University, said inadequate transport, lack of compaction facilities and water shortage as the problems facing the station established in 1953, adding "the only tractor of the station breaks down frequently".
Mr Bediako and Ms Angela Abraham, Managing Director of Mafi Farms, said the donation was their contribution to human resource development in the University and the country. They said in addition, the donation would be beneficial for research and the setting up of private enterprises.
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"The devil deceived me to escape"
says convict
Wa (Upper West) 17 May 2002- A 38-year old convict, Yussif Mohammed, who told the Wa Circuit Court that the devil had deceived him to escape from prison, was sentenced to a further two years' imprisonment on Wednesday notwithstanding his plea for forgiveness. Mohammed, a farmer, was already serving an 18-month jail term for failing to pay a fine of 200,000 cedis imposed by the same court for stealing.
He pleaded guilt to escaping from lawful custody. Police Inspector Stephen Dobara prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr Gibson Adzagli that on 13 April this year, Mohammed took advantage of a morning devotion service at the Wa central prison and jumped over the fence wall of the prison.
He said the accused then hid at the Sports Stadium for a while, before leaving for Nyoli village on the Wa- Kumasi road. At Nyoli, Mohamed decided to contact his elder brother at Bole in the Northern Region to solicit for money to pay the court fine, the prosecutor said.
On 9 May he boarded a Bole-bound vehicle apparently to go and meet his brother, but a prison officer arrested him at the Kulmasa customs barrier.
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Locally produced rice improved - IDA
Aveyime (Volta Region) 17 May 2002 - The Irrigation Development Authority (IDA) on Thursday stated that the introduction of research technology and modern equipment into rice production in the country has enhanced its quality and palatability.
Mr Bampoe Opoku, Project Co-ordinator of IDA at Ashaiman Irrigation Site, said research on palatability of locally produced rice as compared to imported rice indicated that most people preferred the former. He was briefing American resource officials of the Continental Commodity Trading Company Limited (CCTC) and newsmen at the site as part of the national seminar on: "Boosting rice production in Ghana - The Experience of America."
The company, which is one of the leading marketers and distributors of rice; "Pride, Yenmo and the Ricemaster" brands intends to study the American experience to develop the best practice, methods and policies for rice production and marketing in the country.
Mr Opoku explained that with improved technology used in milling the rice, its taste, quality and package had improved considerably. He noted that most Ghanaians patronised locally produced rice unknowingly at higher prices in the market due to negative perception about poor production of rice in the past. He, therefore, called for a change of attitude since rice produced in Ghana "are equally good in quality, standard and perfumery."
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31st December Women’s Movement
not dead
Takoradi (Western Region) 17 May 2002- The 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) had established 160 Day-Care centres, planted 700,000 trees, trained 44 traditional birth attendants and arranged African Development Bank (ADB) loans to 1,250 beneficiaries in the Western Region since its establishment twenty years ago, the Western Regional Organiser of the Movement, Mrs. Christina Cobbina, said on
Wednesday.
Speaking at a forum to mark the twentieth anniversary of the movement in Takoradi, she said DWM also initiated a number of projects to enhance the socio-economic development of women and children in the country. She urged the people to discarded the notion that the movement was "dead" explaining that it was a legally registered Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) for the empowerment of women.
Mrs Cobbina noted that the rate the movement was delivering its programmes had slowed down to make room for reforms and asked the members to take good care of existing projects and to stand firm against acts of intimidation by its detractors. Mr. Sammy E. Abakah, a representative of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), urged women to learn about their constitutional rights and to resist all acts of violence against them.
He expressed regret that some violent acts against women like widowhood rites, female genital mutilation and inhuman treatment of house helps were perpetrated by women and said they should set the pace for the elimination of domestic violence from the country's traditions.
Mr. Abakah called on rape victims to report to the law enforcement agencies to establish evidence for prosecution. Madam Patricia Owona Animwaa who chaired the function advised wives to be help their husbands to enable the family withstand the present economic conditions.
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