CPP elects new constituency executives
Maamobi Polyclinic declared baby friendly
Medical officer calls for check to
increasing defilement rate
Government committed to fighting societal vices
˘50bn Set Aside For Youth Development
CPP elects new constituency executives
Tamale (Northern Region)
Albert Atugugah, the Regional Working Committee Chairman of the party urged the executives to work hard for the party to win the constituency seat in the 2004 general elections. He advised them to remained loyal and faithful to the party even in the face of challenges. Alhaji Issah Zorro, the Regional Organizer told them to organize themselves well to ensure victory in the next elections.
Dawuni said the executives would work harder to win the Choggu-Tishegu parliamentary seat.
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Briefing the press, George Awudi, Spokesman of the 13-member Coalition, alleged that at present five mining companies were waiting to be granted concession into the reserves. "The decision does not only undermine the significant role forest reserves play in the economic, environmental and social development of the people living in mining communities, but also contradicts government's own policy on natural resource conservation."
Awudi, who is from Friends of the Earth, named the targeted reserves areas to be leased out by government soon as Subri River Reserve, Supuma Shelterbelt, Opon Mansi Forest Reserve, Tano-Suraw and Suraw Extension, and the Cape Three Point Forest Reserve, all in the Western Region.
The others are Ajenjua Bepo Forest Reserve and the Atiwa Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region. The five prospecting mining companies include Chirano Goldmines Limited, Satellite Goldfields Limited, Nevsun/AGC, Birim/AGC and Newmont Ghana Limited.
Awudi said if the reserves were being considered for mining, then Ghanaians were being confronted with serious livelihood and environmental consequences. Awudi said out of the 1.6 million hectares reserved as permanent estates, only 32,000 hectares representing two per cent of the remaining forest reserves is said to be in excellent condition. He said the government's decision to open up the reserves was being "influenced by the demands of the Chamber of Commerce, who represent the interest of the mining industry based on their narrow economic benefits and not on a proper assessment of the environmental and social costs to the nation.
"Proponents for mining in forest reserves are hiding
behind what they call production zones within the forest reserves to back-their
claim." Awudi expressed the Coalition's concern about "the lukewarm
attitude" of successive governments who had allowed so much damage to
The Coalition called on government to demonstrate the political will and commitment for the protection and conservation of the country's estates by strengthening the capacity of the state institutions responsible for the protection and management of the reserves.
The group also called for the enactment of a clear-cut regulatory framework that would prohibit mining in forest reserves.
The Coalition urged the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund not to finance or support the
Prominent members of the coalition include Third World Network-Africa, the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), the League of Environmental Journalists (LEJ), Friends of the Earth-Ghana (FOE-GH) and Green Earth Organisation.
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Maamobi Polyclinic declared baby friendly
"Breast milk contains antibodies that fight diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, as well as all nutrients that the infant needs for optimal growth." Mrs Gertrude Sika Agbo, Head of Monitoring and Supervisory Unit, Ghana Health Service (GHS), who gave the advice, said an infant and young child policy was being developed to promote a more comprehensive approach to breastfeeding.
"The policy will address, in a more holistic manner, issues of timely and appropriate complementary feeding, micro-nutrients, feeding for malnourished children, HIV positive infants, displaced children and other special circumstances." She was speaking at a ceremony at which the Maamobi Polyclinic was declared a baby friendly health facility.
Mrs Agbo said a total of 66 health institutions had so far been declared baby friendly in the country, with 11 of them being in the Greater Accra Region. She said it was expected that a total of 80 health facilities would be designated as baby friendly by the end of the year.
"The activities of all these facilities would now contribute to the promotion of the national breastfeeding rate that currently stands at 36 per cent," she said and stressed the need for the campaign to go beyond the health facilities by developing innovative parameters that would make the whole community baby friendly.
Mrs Agbo said the GHS was taking steps to ensure that an effective monitoring system was put in place for the sustenance of standards of the designated health institutions. She commended the involvement of the mother support group at the hospital that would promote breastfeeding practices at the community level, adding that their "support was crucial to the success of the programme".
Dr Andrew Arde-Acquah, Greater Accra Metropolitan Director of Health Services, called for support and cooperation on the part of the administration and boards of the designated institutions to sustain the programme. He said the MOH and the GHS would continue supplementing plans in providing in-service training for all categories of service providers on lactation management.
Dr Arde-Acquah stressed the need to promote appropriate weaning practices through the gradual introduction of local foods, after six months. Dr Mary Nana Ama Brantuo, representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said inappropriate feeding practices and their consequences were some of the major obstacles to sustainable socio-economic development and poverty reduction and, therefore, asked nursing mothers to feed their babies well.
Dr Brantuo charged authorities of the Hospital to look beyond breastfeeding and make efforts to improve the quality of other areas of service delivery. Dr Mawutorwu K. Brese, Principal Medical Officer of the Hospital, advised mothers to renew their commitment to promote the health and nutrition of infants and urged the staff of the Hospital to maintain the set standards.
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Medical officer calls for check to
increasing defilement rate
Asamankese (Eastern Region)
He asked Non-Governmental Organisations in the district to introduce more dynamic and innovative public education programmes that would be effective and reach the doorsteps of the people and sensitise them on the implications of defilement.
Dr. Otchere made the call at the launch of this year's world Health Day at Asamankese at the weekend. He said as a result of the increase of defilement rate, the increase of HIV/AIDS amongst children of school-going age between 15 and 19 years has also gone high, coupled with teenage pregnancy. Dr. Otchere said children who encounter defilement always go through a lot of physical and psycological trauma, adding that some of these children were forced into leading bad habits, including prostitution.
He warned parents not to succumb to any inducements from the perpetrators and report all cases of defilement and rape to the appropriate quarters for legitimate action be taken. Umaar Amoah the District Chief Executive who had his speech read on his behalf assured the health administration of the Assembly's support to have it provide quality health delivery in the district.
He said the Assembly would come up with a programme that would ensure safety of children, both at school and at home and also improve conducive climate that would enhanced teaching and learning in all the basic schools in the district.
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While in
Ms Heyzer would participate in the on-going meeting of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television, and Digital Divides, interact with women groups and visit Trokosi women on site at Agave in the South Tongue district of the Volta Region.
Ms Heyzer would also hold discussion with UNIFEM donors, and
development partners in the country and meet heads of UN agencies in the
country. Ms. Laketch Dirasse, UNIFEM Chief for
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 May 2003 - The Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) is to fund the construction of a surface water pipe system from Aveyime in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region to deprived communities in the Dangme East and West Districts of the Greater Accra Region at a cost of ˘16bn.
The project is to replace the borehole project DANIDA was
undertaking in the area and was found out to be meeting some technical problems
and that the water from the boreholes was also too salty. The project would
also cover a large area, including some of the villages between Aveyime, Sege
to
DANIDA, which was funding the drilling of the boreholes recommended that the districts should find an alternative source of water supply so that it could assist them with funding. Simon Edem Asimah, Greater Accra Regional Director of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) disclosed this on Tuesday to the GNA at a workshop the CWSA organised in Accra for District Chief Executives, District Co-ordinators, Chiefs, opinion leaders in the North Tongu, Dangme East and West districts DANIDA Technical advisors and people from the private sector.
It was to educate the stakeholders the role they have to play in the execution of the project and how they were to manage it. Asimah said the CWSA would help the people come out with strategies on how to make portable water available to a large number of the people in the area to end the perennial water problem they were facing.
He noted that the inputs from the participants at the workshop could provide a better way of managing the water systems to enable them to derive maximum benefit from the project. Making his presentation, Kolly Dorcoo a consultant to the CWSA said the CWSA was only facilitating the project.
He said "the project is the biggest one source of multi-districts and the wide pipe network in the country in terms of communities." He noted that there were a lot of industries such as salt winning and cattle rearing in the area. Dorcoo said the private sector could team up with some of the management boards in some of the communities to ensure that the system was managed well and efficiently.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 08 May 2003 - A Principal Officer of Ghana Telecom on Wednesday appealed to the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to assist unravel the cause of death in detention 40 years ago of his father, Nana Akwesi Duku, chief of Wioso in the Ashanti Akim North District.
Collins Aninagyie also wants the Commission to help his
family to find where he was buried to enable them to perform a fitting royal
burial. He told the Commission at its public hearing in
Nana Duku's arrest in 1960, he said, followed his refusal to join the then ruling Convention People's Party (CPP). He claimed one Nana Kwabena Darkwa who was Bompatahene and a staunch activist of the CPP facilitated it. Aninagyie said it was revealed to him by the late Safo Kantanka, a former District Commissioner and Opanin Kwesi Berema, who was in detention
with his father at the Nsawam Prisons that the late chief was given an injection every three days by the authorities although he was not sick.
This led to Nana Duku developing a mental problem and an
eventual transfer from Nsawam Prisons to the
He said the officers led by one Onyina, the then Mampong Divisional Commander, told them that the Government had asked them to arrest the chief. When they asked why the Government was looking for the chief, Aniagyei said the police replied that they were acting on instructions.
He said after his arrest, Nana Duku was first sent to Kumasi, then transferred to James Fort prisons and from there to Usher Fort and finally to Nsawam Medium Security Prisons where he was allowed to see visitors once in three months. Aniadjei said the arrest of his father adversely affected the education of his 13 children.
He also claimed that CPP activists poured salt solution into the engine of his commercial vehicle that was sustaining the family and thereby spoiling it. Madam Yaa Mansa, wife of the late chief, corroborated the evidence of Aniadjei, pointing out that at the time of her husband's arrest and detention she was pregnant.
"My last daughter never saw her father," she added. When he took his turn Kweku Oti a native of Kukuom in the Brong
Ahafo region said severe torture in 1982 by a group of soldiers had left him with chronic pain in the head and chest. He said they used the butt of their guns to hit the mouth several times and "used pestles to pound me like they were pounding fufu."
Oti, who is a welder at the Suame Magazine, said he lost 11
teeth in the process. His only crime, he said, was that he was a member of the
"Lord is my
Oti said he lost an area demarcated for him at the Magazine and appealed to the NRC to help him get it back. Another witness Madame Adwoa Nyarko, a cloth seller, who was the mother in-law of the late Odifo Asare, said the first floor of her story building, was burnt by a group of soldiers in February 1982 who also looted all her property.
She said some of the looted items, including a deep freezer
and fridges were traced to the military barracks in
On her part, Madame Effia Birago, a trader and farmer, told the Commission that she returned from a funeral in 1982 only to find that her property had been ransacked by a group of soldiers. She said the soldiers had told her children who were then in the room at the time that they could not understand why a woman could come by such property.
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Tema (Greater Accra)
He said the chicken from
He said that to forestall the reoccurrence of such an incident, the FDB has permanently detailed personnel to the various entry points to verify standards of products imported into the country. Anthony Doh, Assistant Collector of CEPS, who was in-charge of the exercise, said efforts to retrieve the chicken already in the market revealed that a high percentage had been consumed. He, however, said 48 pieces were retrieved from the market.
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They pleaded not guilty and the court presided over by Justice Yaw Appau refused them bail. Led in evidence by the Principal State Attorney, Anthony Gyambiby, the first Prosecution Witness, Iddrisu Mutawakil, a first year student of the Tamale Polytechnic, told the court that he lived at the Gbewaa Palace with the late Ya-Na. Mutawakil said on March 24, 2000, there was news that a curfew was to be imposed in the area, one day before the people of Yendi were to celebrate their annual Bumgum festival.
Prior to the celebration, Ya-Na called the District Chief Executive (DCE) to enquire from him why the curfew was being imposed. He said the DCE did not turn up, but the then Regional Minister (Prince Imoru Andani) came later. When the Regional Minister arrived, Mutawakil said, he told Ya-Na that he was not aware of the imposition of the curfew and advised the Ya-Na and his subordinates to go ahead to celebrate the festival peacefully.
The Witness said the late Ya-Na gave assurance to the Minister that peace was going to be maintained during the festival. He said the Regional Minister later met the Bolin-Na (Leader of the Abudu Family) at his palace from where he heard people hooting. The following day the Regional Minister left for Tamale. On the same day, an Ex-Zalankolana, Mba Dugu, an Elder, and his son came to inform the late Ya-Na that his son was attacked. The Ya-Na then asked them to report the matter to the Police.
At about 1000 hours in the morning of the same day,
Mutawakil said, he heard gunshots and rumours that the Abudu's were going to
attack the
Mutawakil said the shooting resumed later in the night and
continued until the following day. He said under the circumstances the late
Ya-Na asked them to flee the
During cross-examination by Nana Obiri Boahene, who represented the two accused persons, Mutawukil rejected suggestions that he was among those, who armed themselves with sophisticated weapons to attack the Bolin-Na and the Abudus. He disagreed with Counsel that the evidence that he gave was to give the Andanis the trump card in a war between the two factions.
Abukari Amadu, a teacher and Master Alhassan Yakubu, a
student, also testified. Amadu told the court that after the death of the Ya
Na, he went to Tamale on
During cross-examination, Amadu agreed that when he went to
Tamale, he was taken care of by Ibrahim Mahama, a Lawyer, but denied that he
collected money from him to enable him to implicate government officials in his
report to the Police. He said it was not true that when Mahama went to the
Yakubu said he saw two people holding the Ya-Na to the
ground at the
He disagreed with Counsel that he was among those that the late Ya-Na recruited to be given military training behind the Yendi cemetery. Yakubu also denied having knowledge about an armoury in the Ya-Na's Palace. He also denied that he had the keys to it. Earlier, Gyambiby, told the court that prior to the celebration of the Bugum festival, "a Muslim fire festival," the security situation deteriorated at Yendi.
As a result, he said, the Regional Security Council on the
orders of the National Security Council imposed a dusk to down curfew on the
people and the celebration of the Festival was banned. The Prosecution said on
The following day, Abdulai Ziblim, the Mbadugu of the late
Ya Na, sent his son Ziblim Abdulai to call his second in command, Duguwulana to
the
Later, gunshots were heard in the vicinity of the
Some youths, who were with the Ya-Na, however, escaped and hid behind the Palace to observe the events. The Prosecution said while there, they saw the dead body of the Ya-Na being dragged to a spot about 50 metres from the Palace.
The Prosecution said the youth saw Sugri carrying around his neck, the severed arm of the Ya-Na bearing a wristwatch and dancing to drum beat. Sugri dared any Andani, who was brave to go forward to collect it. All along, he was heard by some of the youth saying: "I have conquered the Ya-Na."
The Prosecution said Gyanfo was also seen carrying the severed head of Ya-Na stuck on a spear. Mutawakil stated that they fled and sought refuge at a Prison's Quarters. The Witness said he peeped through a window and saw Yidana, the first accused, dancing with the hand of the late Ya-Na tied with a rope. During cross-examination by Nana Obiri Boahene, who represented the two accused persons, Mutawukil rejected suggestions that he was among those, who armed themselves with sophisticated weapons to attack the Bolin-Na and the Abudus.
He disagreed with Counsel that the evidence that he gave was
to give the Andanis the trump card in a war between the two factions. Abukari
Amadu, a teacher and Master Alhassan Yakubu, a student, also testified. Amadu
told the court that after the death of the Ya Na, he went to Tamale on
He said he informed some people in Tamale to arrest the first accused person, Sugri when they set eyes on him, adding that he managed to cause his arrest later. During cross-examination, Amadu agreed that when he went to Tamale, he was taken care of by Ibrahim Mahama, a Lawyer, but denied that he collected money from him to enable him to implicate government officials in his report to the Police.
He said it was not true that when Mahama went to the
Master Yakubu said he saw smoke from the palace. He disagreed with Counsel that he was among those that the late Ya-Na
recruited to be given military training behind the Yendi cemetery. Yakubu also denied having knowledge about an armoury in the Ya-Na's Palace. He also denied that he had the keys to it. Earlier, Gyambiby, told the court that prior to the celebration of the Bugum festival, "a Muslim fire festival," the security situation deteriorated at Yendi.
As a result, he said, the Regional Security Council on the
orders of the National Security Council imposed a dusk to down curfew on the
people and the celebration of the Festival was banned. The Prosecution said on
The following day, Abdulai Ziblim, the Mbadugu of the late
Ya Na, sent his son Ziblim Abdulai to call his second in command, Duguwulana to
the
Later, gunshots were heard in the vicinity of the
Some youths, who were with the Ya-Na, however, escaped and hid behind the Palace to observe the events. The Prosecution said while there, they saw the dead body of the Ya-Na being dragged to a spot about 50 metres from the Palace.
The Prosecution said the youth saw Sugri carrying around his neck, the severed arm of the Ya-Na bearing a wristwatch and dancing to drum beat. Sugri dared any Andani, who was brave to go forward to collect it. All along, he was heard by some of the youth saying: "I have conquered the Ya-Na." The Prosecution said Gyanfo was also seen carrying the severed head of
Ya-Na stuck on a spear.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 May 2003 - Sheikh Ibrahim Codjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister on Wednesday said the government was ready to fight societal problems by providing an enabling legal environment for addressing social vices.
He said for instance, the government has adopted the Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy while a Juvenile Justice Bill was also being considered to protect the youth who may fall foul of our criminal laws. Sheikh Quaye said this at a durbar at Amasaman organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) with sponsorship from the African Youth Alliance (AYA).
A 30-member Paralegals, including nurses, teachers and traditional rulers were inaugurated to identify and educate adolescents on exiting reproductive polices and laws and offer services to defend them on the abuse of their rights. The participants, who had a three-day intensive orientation would also educate society on the reproductive rights of individuals in the community and refer them to the relevant organisations for redress when their rights were abused.
Sheikh Quaye expressed worry that cases on defilement and rape continued to increase despite efforts by government and other partners to address those issues. He explained that statistics from the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Police Service indicated that from 204 reported cases of defilement in 2001, the number almost tripled to 533 in 2002 while rape cases increased from 53 in 2001 to 134 in 2002.
"The health concerns of the youth in this area is therefore significant in policymaking, planning and implementation of reproductive health programmes in the region", he said. He however, urged FIDA to consider seriously, the gender dimensions of adolescent reproductive health, which have greater impact on both males and females with the latter suffering the brunt more seriously.
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˘50bn Set Aside For Youth Development
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 08 May 2003 - The government has set aside ˘50bn for the National Fund to enable individuals to establish their own businesses and help improve the living standards of the youth. Afena Sam, Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Coordinator, said this at the weekend at the inauguration of the Zongo-Abetifi Youngsters Association in Sunyani.
He said the fund would be disbursed to youth associations as loans to set up business and advised members to organize the association properly for it to access the fund. The Assembly Member for Zongo electoral area, Sulemana Dauda, called on the youth not to allow partisan politics to distract their attention on development, respect those in authority and take their studies seriously.
Sulemana Tanko, Chairman of the association said the members should aim at fostering unity and promote peace and understanding in the Zongo community. Tanko said the association has 45 students out of the 80 members, adding: “Through the assistance of government and our monthly contributions we will be able to provide books, school uniforms and sponsorship for the needy ones”.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 May 2003 - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Wednesday charged contractors working on road projects in Accra to construct high quality roads and to complete them on schedule to improve the living conditions in the Metropolis.
Addressing contractors and project managers at various project sites in some constituencies in the Greater Accra Region, the Vice President said Ghanaians were anxious to see the transformation of poor infrastructure into good ones in their communities, therefore, the contractors should provide value for money.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Dr Richard Anane, Kwamena Bartels, Minister for Private Sector Development, Greater Accra Regional Minister Sheikh I.C. Quaye and top officials from the Ghana Highway Authority and Department of Urban Roads, accompanied the Vice President on a six hour inspection tour.
Vice President Mahama inspected the progress of work on the Tetteh-Quarshie Interchange, being constructed by Messrs Sonitra, at the cost of ˘80bn, the Circle-Achimota - a six-lane project, being built by Taysec at ˘210bn and the Rehabilitation of the Alajo-New Town Link Road. They are to be completed between 18 and 32 months respectively.
He urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Department of Urban Roads and other road agencies to constantly monitor the projects to ensure that they were on course and were being executed in line with the project specifications. He asked the agencies to also provide the requisite technical support and logistics to facilitate the work. Other sites inspected were rehabilitation of the two-kilometre Owusu Kofi road and the Twum Tawiah road in the Ablekuma North Constituency, which would serve as parallel diversionary routes to the Mallam-Winneba road to ease traffic on that major road.
The Vice President also visited the 1.3 km Sakaman-Hansonic Link Road under rehabilitation in the Ablekuma South Constituency and the four-kilometre Kakari-Brobbey-Osofo Dadzie-Mpoase Road in the same constituency.
He commended the contractors for the work done so far and cautioned them against halting the projects intermittently, saying the people could not wait to see significant improvement in their areas. At the various sites, the contractors and project managers assured the Vice President and his entourage that they would complete their jobs within the scheduled time.
At the Sakaman site, James Amoah, contractor of the project, apologized for starting the work awarded to him in December only recently, because of his poor-health, but said he would work around the clock to complete the job in two months. The Vice President expressed discontent that the work was put on hold because of his sickness, explaining that it was risky to operate a business around one person and said that situation had several disadvantages that often affect the lives of many others.
Bartels urged the contractors to employ their workers, particularly artisans, from the communities of the projects to give employment to the local people. Later at a briefing, Sheikh Quaye gave assurance to the residents of flood prone areas in Accra that structural measures had been put in place to reduce flooding during the rainy season.
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