Hawa Yakubu resigns from Government
Registrar-General's Department cancels marriages on Saturday
Akufo-Addo advocate laws to aid socio-economic growth
Japanese funding for Accra-Yamoransa road now grant
Traditional Council refutes allegation of insecurity
One week to prepare examination re-sit is inadequate - NDC
Soldiers with more than 25 years service to retire in July
Hawa Yakubu resigns from Government
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002 - The iron lady of Ghana Politics, Madam Hawa Yakubu, finally threw in the towel and resigned her position as Minister of Tourism, following reports that the NPP majority in Parliament was plotting to ease her out of the ECOWAS Parliament on grounds that she could not hold that position and that of a minister.
The problem started last year, but was brought under control at the intervention of the Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration and National Security Chief who cautioned restraint. Both the President and the Vice President were pulled into the feud between leading members of the House and the Iron Lady with President Kufuor reportedly agreeing that Hawa, who had been refused permission to travel on an ECOWAS Parliamentary assignment, could actually travel to carry out her work.
Chronicle gathered from Parliamentary sources that early next week the matter would come back on the table for discussion and voting. Hawa had continuously intimated to her colleagues in Parliament that she was ready to give up the ministerial portfolio any time, if that is an issue.
Following a tip from a parliamentary source, it was gathered that two other ministers who are also Members of the ECOWAS Parliament, including Works and Housing Minister, Hon Yaw Barimah, had been quietly tapped on their shoulders to resign as ECOWAS MPs. That offer was not extended to Hawa, who picked up that intelligence later. The plan was that Hawa would be the only minister who would then remain a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, and the way would then be clear for the NPP leadership to move for her withdrawal as MP.
It was gathered that sensing danger, she informed the President, offered her deep appreciation to him for making her a minister and resigned. On Wednesday when her office was reached late noon, it was gathered that she had been dispatched to Bolgatanga on a national assignment as a member of the Yendi reconciliation team.
She could not be personally contacted, but it was gathered she had made sure that a chief director, a lady reputed to be efficient, had been appointed to help in the smooth administration of the ministry. The deputy minister with whom Hawa has an excellent working relationship, Nana Akomea, is expected to hold the fort.
Sources Chronicle spoke to confirmed that Hawa is now battle ready with that cross off her shoulder and is said to be protected by ECOWAS protocols which make it impossible to sack an MP. Hawa already carries an ECOWAS Diplomatic passport and chairs the important Transportation committee. She has strong backing from other ECOWAS MPs in the region. "She will fight to the last drop of her blood, knowing Hawa. I know the President will be upset about this," said a source close to the Executive. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Wa (Upper West) 24 May 2002- The refusal of most men to allow their wives to participate in political activities in the Upper West Region is stifling the government's policy to encourage women to take up political responsibilities. As a result, the Upper West Region branch of the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) in collaboration with IBIS, a Danish non-governmental organisation, have stepped up educational programmes to encourage women to participate actively in the forthcoming district level elections.
Mrs Kate Bob-Milliar, Regional Co-ordinator of NCWD, said this at Lawra when she addressed a day's workshop on gender sensitisation for 45 women in the Lawra District. She said while some men threatened to divorce their wives if they ventured into politics, others complained they did not want their wives to be in the limelight because of insults and other forms of humiliation.
"Although the government has created an enabling environment for women to improve on their performance in society, petty quarrels, backbiting and gossiping are still restraining a lot of them from active politics." Mrs Bob-Milliar said out of 296 assembly members in the five district assemblies of the region 15 of them were women and only three were elected.
She has, therefore, advised them to eschew inferiority complex in them and aspire to take up higher responsibilities in government "instead of restricting themselves to be secretaries and cleaners in government establishments." Mrs Rosaline Baafulkuo Obeng Ofori, IBIS Co-ordinator on Gender, expressed regret that women could not manage to the top positions in government and other establishments in spite of the fact that they out-numbered men in the recent population census.
She said more workshops would be organised to encourage women to participate actively in local governance, to sensitise selected leaders to be more assertive and to equip participants with advocacy and lobbying skills. Mr Stan Dery, Regional Co-ordinator of Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP), attributed women's failure to make it to the top to lack of confidence adding; "more training courses would be organised to whip up their confidence."
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002- The Registrar-General's Department on Thursday said that all marriages scheduled for Saturday 25 May have been cancelled because the day is a holiday. A statement signed by Mrs G. Issahaque, State Attorney, said all marriages fixed for Saturday are to call on the Principal Registrar of Marriages to reschedule their wedding dates.
"Saturday, 25th May, 200s has been declared a statutory public holiday. Consequently all those whose marriages were scheduled for that day are to call on the Principal Registrar of Marriages to reschedule their weeding dates," the statement said.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Akufo-Addo advocate laws to aid
socio-economic growth
Elmina (Central Region) 24 May 2002- The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Nana Akufo-Addo, on Thursday said it was imperative for the nation to ensure that her political achievements go hand in hand with socio-economic progress. He called for a policy that would ensure the enactment of an appropriate law to facilitate socio-economic growth to make the government's concept of 'golden age of business' a reality.
The Minster, made the call when he opened a three-day workshop on 'Company and Insolvency Legislation' at Elmina. The workshop, which was jointly organised by the ministries of Justice and Private Sector Development, is considering draft proposals for a new companies' and insolvency legislation, as amendments to the companies code of 1963 and the insolvency act of 1962.
He stressed his determination to ensure that the appropriate reforms were made in the legal system to enable it deliver an improved quality of service to the people, adding " the society we want to build needs a legal system which can resolve disputes quickly, fairly and cheaply."
The minister, mentioned the computerisation of the courts as one of such reforms, and expressed the hope that the temporary problem faced by the 'fast-track' courts, would soon be over. Nana Akufo-Addo, noted that although company legislation was a well-recognised concept, the exact scope of company law was vague, and that the word company did not seem to have a strict legal meaning.
He expressed regret that the insolvency act which was among others, intended to overhaul the companies' legislation to promote commercial morality and provide a level playing field for both debtors and creditors was never brought into force. According to him, it was therefore time to look at the practices of companies and introduce the principle of responsibility in the criminal law into company legislation, as a means of infusing discipline into business ethics.
Nana Akufo Addo called on the participants to help take the necessary measures towards promoting a "sane" legal environment that would allow businesses in the country to flourish. DR Ebow Bondzie-Simpson, a lecturer at the Ghana Law School, who spoke on " Comments on the code: Policy considerations and proposals for reforms," called for the establishment of branches of the Registrar General'sDepartment in all parts of the country to ensure the easy monitoring and registration of companies.
He also deplored cases of corruption and collusion on the part of directors of public companies and those engaged to audit such companies, which result in losses to shareholders, and suggested that committees should be set up to work out the enumeration for directors and fees for those engaged for auditing.
DR Bondzie-Simpson, also stressed the need for qualified people such as barristers or solicitors or people with knowledge in company law, to be employed as company secretaries to enhance compliance to the companies' code. Ms Gloria Akuffo, Deputy Attorney General, who presided, also underscored the need to create an enabling environment to help businesses flourish.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002- Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, said on Thursday that the government would not neglect the Ghana Publishing Corporation in view of its strategic role in terms of printing vital state documents such as Laws, Acts of Parliament and policy documents. He noted that because the Corporation had been without a board for the past 20 years, it had affected its effective management leading to a virtual liquidation of some of its vital divisions in 1994.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said this when he inaugurated an eight-member GPC Board. The Minister said the Victoriaborg Press, a division of the GPC, was sold out to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the resources used to refurbish the Assembly Press. However, the Corporation still had a debt of 2.5 billion cedis as against 308.7 million cedis owed it by debtors.
Additionally, he said, the Assembly Press had not paid a 2.5 million dollars loan guaranteed by the government for its refurbishment. The Minister said the Tema Press, also a division of the GPC, which had the biggest press south of the Sahara, had been put on divestiture but no investor had shown interest in it because most of its valuable assets had been sold off to pay workers.
The Minister said the Corporation had the potential to produce on commercial basis to serve not only Ghana but also neighbouring countries. With a little effort, the GPC could print examination papers with appropriate security guarantee since it had in the past printed ballot papers, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said.
He urged members of the Board to team up with the Management to be business-like and move into the open market and compete for "floating jobs". Mr Vincent Ate Ofosu-Amaah, Chairman of the Board, expressed the hope that with the support of the staff and the Ministry, the fortunes of GPC could be turned around.
The other members of are Mr J. K. Boateng, Managing Director of Ananse Systems Limited, Mr David Larbi, a marketing consultant, Mr Emmanuel K. Teye, Member of Parliament for Ashaiman and Mr Miguel Ribeiro, a legal consultant. The others are Nana Oforiwah Koranteng, a development economist, Mr J. K. Fuachie-Sobreh, Acting Managing Director of GPC and Dr Ernest Asiedu Osafo, a retired civil servant.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002- Japanese funding status for the Accra-Yamoransa road project has changed from loan to grant. Mr Motoyoshi Noro, Charge d'Affaires of the Japan Embassy in Ghana, said this in Accra on Thursday when he and Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs signed and exchanged notes on an 18 billion-cedi Japanese food aid grant for the year 2001.
Mr Noro said a Japanese International Co-operation Agency team was now reviewing the content of the project. Mr Noro said Japan was willing to continue to offer support to the people of Ghana in the form of grant in aid including technical co-operation although new yen loans would not be provided as a result of Ghana's decision to apply for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
Under the food aid programme, rice would be imported from Japan to Ghana. This is to meet the increasing demand for rice and complement her self help efforts to sustain food production and also contribute to improving Ghana's balance of payment situation. Mr Owusu-Agyemang, Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the shift in the status of the funds for the road meant that Japanese funding for the project was virtually free.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 24 May 2002- The New Juaben Traditional Council has described as "false alarm" allegations of a state of insecurity in the area as published in an Accra daily. The Council therefore assured the public that "there is no tension whatsoever in the New Juaben Traditional Area and that people are calmly and briskly going about their normal duties."
The rebuttal was contained in a statement read at a news conference by the Krontihene of the area, Nana Adjei Tuffuor II, on Tuesday at Koforidua, to allay fears that the publication in the "Free Press" edition of 13 May sought to create to the public under a banner headline "New Juaben on time bomb."
Nana Tuffuor, Nana Osei-Bobie Dankwa III, Gyasehene, Nana Siaw Gyimah, Akwamuhene and Mr F.A. Martinson, Senior Registrar of the traditional council jointly signed the statement. It referred to allegation in the publication that the Omanhene had threatened to destool Nana Kodua Kese 11, Oyokohene and Adontenhene of the traditional area, saying: "It is as unjust and invidious as it would be uncustomary to do so."
It said: "if the Free Press reporter had been a bit professional in his reportage, he should have known that it is customarily not the duty of an Omanhene to destool his sub-chiefs, such a duty being the preserve of kingmakers of the relevant stools."
The statement explained that Nana Kese was suspended at a meeting of the traditional council on 23 May 1995, "for what was considered to be a betrayal of the New Juaben Traditional Council following his protest note against the council's resolution to which he was a signatory."
It recalled that as custom demands, a sheep was slaughtered but he allegedly "refused to accept the arm of the sheep which was a customary way of commencing an amicable settlement of disputes of this nature". "...By declining to receive the arm, Nana Kodua Kese made it impossible for the differences to be settled internally thus creating an impasse and obstructing the course of justice in accordance with customary law and usage as guaranteed by Article 270 of the 1992 constitution."
The statement said kingmakers at Oyoko apparently found Nana Kodua's conduct distasteful and have preferred destoolment charges against him without any prompting from the Omanhene."
The statement said instead of using existing traditional mechanism for conflict resolution, Nana Kodua decided to resort to political manoeuvring by going through persons thought to have political weight and influence at that time to resolve the case for him, adding: "All these manoeuvrings which sought to flout the customary procedure inevitably backfired and collapsed."
It quoted the Nana Osei-Bobie Dankwa as denying the Oyokohene's claims that Daasebre had settled the matter with him and provided drinks to seal the proceedings, saying: "At that meeting, Daasebre advised Nana Kodua Kese to go to Oyoko to patch up the differences with his people after which he could come to the Traditional Council for the settlement but he has ignored this advice."
The statement said of late, certain well-meaning people headed by Nana Addo Dankwa, Omanhene of Akwapim Traditional Area and President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, offered to mediate but when the mediating team came on 15 April "it came to light that Nana Kodua Kese was not prepared to render apology to the traditional council as it demanded earlier from him as condition for the settlement."
It advised the media to be cautious and circumspect in reporting chieftaincy matters, especially, on such delicate matters, which the reporter refers to as a "time bomb." In the publication, the Free Press quoted sources close to Nana Kese as accusing Daasebre Oti Boateng of being "intransigent" towards several attempts at an amicable settlement of the dispute by some personalities over the past seven years.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002- The National Democratic Party (NDC), expressed concern on Thursday about the cancellation of the Basic education Certificate Examinations (BECE) and said the proposed one week set aside for students to prepare and rewrite the papers is woefully inadequate.
A statement in Accra and signed by Dr Josiah-Aryeh, General Secretary, said apart from the psychological effects on the young adolescents, the rewriting of the papers would be difficult because some of the students had already travelled outside the country and parents would be put to unnecessary expenses and cost preparing them in time for the examination.
The statement also noted that investigations so far done on the leakage was "too sporadic and a piecemeal which requires a specialist Police unit to tackle. "When an examination leakage of this magnitude occurs, the identification of culprits and their punishment must follow instead of dealing with security personnel and printing houses," it said, adding that all perpetrators must be tracked and punished.
The statement said, " if this nation is to make a major leap forward, education is the starting point and that stains on the integrity of the educational system could not be acceptable in a nation determined to construct sound democratic and economic systems". The statement commended the media for its vigilance and promptly breaking the news of the leakage and the Police for the investigations and urged the government to rid the educational system of all weaknesses.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 May 2002- The Ministry of Defence has authorised the Armed Forces to initiate a process for the retirement of soldiers, who have served the military for 25 years and above following the release of money by the government for the payment of their gratuity. A statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel E. W. K. Nibo, Director of Public Relations, said the process, which would be in phases, would begin on 1 July.
"As a result, all servicemen and women, who have served 29 years and above form the first batch of phase one. These service personnel will commence their terminal leave between 1 July and 29 depending on the length of service of each individual," the statement said.
"It is the aim of the Military Command that the second phase, that is 25 to 28 years, will be initiated as soon as funds are made available." It said the procedure involves notification of release, which is issued to the individual by the Directorate of Military Records. This indicates when the individual should commence terminal leave and the duration.
"The Forces Pay Office then works out the 80 per cent gratuity and the individual's terminal leave pay on receipt of the notification. Formal release authorisation follows two weeks after the notification and the service personnel is issued his/her discharge document."
The statement said at the end of the terminal leave, the individual is paid the remaining 20 per cent less deductions, if any. It said this is the normal administrative procedure, which all other ranks go through when they are due for retirement after 25 years service with the colours.
"The Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces High Command wish to express their appreciation, gratitude and commendation to all retiring service personnel for diligently and honourably serving their nation and wish them a happy, fruitful and successful retirement life."
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com