AAU calls for curricula reforms in tertiary institutions
Wa Police search for alleged murderer
Oguaa court warns parents who attack
teachers
Focus on prevention of conflicts - Apraku
Railways to undergo facelift - Minister
GJA asks public to nominate
"Journalist-of-the-year"
Committee investigates VRA allegations
Lets raise our level of relationship-Kufuor
Rotary Club of Tema commended for donating books
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 20 May 2003 - Minority Leader in Parliament, Alban Bagbin has fired a salvo at Kweku Baako Jnr, Editor in Chief of the Crusading Guide newspaper, describing him as a failure in life, who dropped out of Secondary School in form three. But surprisingly, the ''Diabolical man'' has hit back with what he calls a ''psychological profile'' on the Minority Leader.
''Throwing my mind at his outburst to go after the Speaker of Parliament, I’m beginning to suspect a personality trial - one of blind hatred, bordering on inferiority complex,'' said Kweku Baako of the leader of the Parliamentary opposition.
Bagbin had earlier said it was unfortunate that ''a failure in life is being portrayed as a role model for the youth to follow''. The Minority Leader made these remarks on the Morning Show of SKY FM, a local FM in Sunyani in reaction to Kweku Baako’s reply to Bagbin’s statement that the media is in cahoots with the ruling NPP against the NDC.
Alban Bagbin told radio listeners that he did not understand why ''a school drop-out'' should turn to become his lecturer in Law ''telling me that I don’t understand law''. Kweku Baako was reacting to the Minority Leader’s statement that the trial and sentencing of Kwame Peprah and others in the Quality grain trial was influenced by the media.
Kweku Baako, in a remark on GTV’s breakfast show said that ''God should help us if a respectable lawyer such as the Minority Leader could reduce a judge’s judgement to media influence''.
Bagbin’s outburst was also influenced by Kweku Baako’s condemnation of the MPs ''unsolicited'' radio contribution in defence of a story by the Palaver newspaper, which said that the CHRAJ Boss had resigned, although CHRAJ had denied the story.
Kweku Baako told the Statesman newspaper and some local radio stations that, although he is a school drop out, he has undertaken various courses and is proud of his current achievement. ''Bagbin has described me as a form three drop out. That I’m a fake role model and a failure. Well if all three characters which are negative are possessed by one person, which is me, and yet what I say and do would attract the comment of a whole Minority Leader, a big lawyer and leading figure in society, then I couldn’t be that bad after all'', he added.
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The call centre is an experiment Ghana has launched its first ever call centre, with a staff of 20, to sell mobile phones to the US. As part of a new series on the country, BBC NewsOnline pays a visit.
West Africa's only English-speaking call centre has the hushed atmosphere of a scientific experiment rather than the expected hubbub of telephone salesmen at work.
But then this is an experiment. In an upstairs room of an internet incubator firm in Ghana's capital Accra, the pioneering call centre has just completedits first week of operation.
Four sales staff are watched over proudly by one of the firm's founders, Karim Morsli, who explains what is happening in an awed whisper.
The sales agent dials up over the internet, and tries to sell a mobile phone plan for German mobile operator T-Mobile to a random selection of people in the US who have recently arrived home from work.
"As far as we know we're the first people in Ghana to do this," Mr Morsli says. He adds that it has taken more than a year to explain to the Communications Ministry what voice-over-internet technology is all about.
It is the internet that has made the outsourcing of call centres possible, cutting out the cost and vagaries of international phone calls and enablingthe cheap labour of developing countries to be exploited.
While it is legal for US citizens to call Ghana over the internet, it is illegal for people or internet cafes to offer that same service in reverse.
Karim Morsli Ghana, like many other African countries, is afraid of the revenue it will lose if the state telecoms firm gives up its monopoly on international phone calls.
We had to keep repeating that if the government forced us to work through Ghana Telecom then we were going to India instead, Mr Morsli explains.
The threat of losing business to India worked, and Rising Data was eventually granted its licence to use voice-over-internet technology via satellite.
That long battle with bureaucracy and the high cost of connectivity via satellite makes the business somewhat of a risky venture for the pioneers.
Foreign investors couldn't be tempted to put up any money, and the start-up capital came primarily from friends and family.
"I guess I've got a different perception of risk to many other people," says Mr Morsli, who describes himself and his Malian partner as "children of the World Bank".
They met at school in Washington and their parents' careers meant that they have travelled extensively. "In Africa I saw lots of talent and not enough opportunities to make use of it all," he says.
It may be difficult for many Westerners to get excited about the fact that Africa is jumping on the bandwagon of the dreaded telemarketing that disturbs many a peaceful evening.
The centre hopes to expand from 20 to 5,000 in five years. But from an African perspective, call centres could give the continent the chance to use some of its untapped potential and allow it to muscle its way into the global outsourcing business.
"There's no reason why Africa can't catch up with the rest of the world," Mr Morsli says, saying that the big cats won't come to town until the smaller guys take the risks and test the territory.
But more cautious observers are sceptical as to whether Africa will really attract large-scale businesses and fear that the window of opportunity has already been lost.
"There's been a cloud of confusion and uncertainty over call centres," says Gregg Pascal Zachary, a research fellow for Ghana at the International Computer Science Institute.
"The government needs to reassure the private sector that there are clear rules. The last thing a big American firm wants to do is break the law in a developing country," he says.
But, even at this early stage, Mr Morsli is confident that his model works and can be duplicated throughout Africa. He plans to grow his 20-strong employees into a workforce of 5,000 telemarketers within the next five years.
"If we fail it will be because of external factors, and that will give investors a very bad message about Africa," he says.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, has called on heads of department of the university to re-design their curricula and programmes to make them relevant to present-day socio-economic demands. He said at a time that students are being asked to pay school fees, coupled with the changing world economic order, they must be trained to gain the full benefits of their education and help in the development of the society.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere made the call at the opening of a day’s colloquium organized by the Faculty of Arts of the university in Accra yesterday. The colloquium, which was on the theme, “The Arts and National Development”, formed part of activities to reappraise the activities of the faculty and come up with new strategies for effective teaching and learning at the faculty.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere asked the various faculties to design their own strategic plans in consonance with that of the university to ensure effective teaching and learning. He said as part of efforts at solving the protracted human resource problems, the university has adopted a series of innovative measures to address them. These, he said, include the expansion of graduate studies and allowing professors to stay on till they are 70 years old, as well as addressing service conditions for lecturers.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere commended the faculty for the initiative and urged other faculties to emulate the example. The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Kwesi Yankah, said the colloquium is designed to dispassionately discuss broad intellectual issues about the humanities and appraise the activities of the faculty. This, he said, will be done through inter generational dialogue between young and old intellectuals on pressing issues affecting the faculty.
The discussants included Emeritus Professor J. H. Nketia of the International Centre for African Music and Dance; Prof. A. A. Kwapong, Chairman of Council of State; Dr. Paul Agbedor of the Linguistics Department, and Dr. Kwesi Agyeman, Head of the Philosophy Department, with Prof. Kofi Awoonor as a chairman.
Malian envoy delivers message to President
Kufuor
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - Mohamed Mahmoud Ben Labat, Malian Ambassador in Ghana on Monday delivered a special message from the Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure to ECOWAS Chairman President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.
Labat delivering the message, whose contents were not disclosed, expressed appreciation to the efforts by President Kufuor to restore peace and security in the West African Sub-Region. Receiving the message President Kufuor expressed his gratitude to the Malian President and pledged Ghana's support to provide assistance to promote relations between the two countries.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday advised Ghanaians who wish to travel to the Far East, particularly China, to undertake such trips only when they were "absolutely necessary".
This advice was in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) measures at controlling the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) by international travel, a statement signed by S. Owusu-Agyei for the Minster of Health said in Accra.
WHO-recommended measures to prevent the travel-related spread of SARS include a screening process to identify people with possible SARS symptoms leaving or arriving in an affected area.
"WHO also recommends that individual countries, as they make their own travel advice, may wish to take into account national considerations, and that persons travelling to affected countries should consider postponing non-essential travels".
The statement said these recommendations were based on concerns about more general community transmission of the disease in the affected regions of the world.
The MOH pointed out that it was in the interest of every Ghanaian to abide by the WHO guidelines on the SARS in relation to international travel.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - Dr. Benedicta Ababio, Local Resident Adviser of the Policy Project, Ghana, a co-operating agency of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on Monday described the country's coverage of family planning as very low despite years of campaign and called for a behavioural change starting from the scratch.
She said family planning saved lives, reduced unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, HIV/AIDS and maternal deaths, adding that in developing countries like Ghana, such services should not be underrated.
"Family planning education should start from the primary school for people to have a deep knowledge of it and accept it as part and parcel of their lives if really we want to ensure safe motherhood and good health of the mother and child," she said.
Dr Ababio was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra after the opening of a 10-day Africa Regional Training of Trainers Workshop in Advocacy for Family Planning and Reproductive Health.
The workshop seeks to create a supportive environment for family planning and reproductive health programmes through the promotion of participatory process and population policies that respond to clients' needs.
About 25 participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda are attending the workshop. Dr Ababio noted that the use of modern and traditional contraceptives was very low and had a prevalence rate of 22 per cent with modern contraceptives alone having 13 per cent as compared to Kenya which had 35 per cent.
She attributed the low patronage of the services to myths and religious beliefs of people adding, "such beliefs must be cleared". She called for more effective and innovative advocacy programmes in African for the improvement of the health of women and their children.
Moses Mukasa, UNFPA Representative, said family planning was a right and an essential intervention that safeguarded the health of mothers and their children and therefore should not be denied.
He said meeting the demands of family planning services would reduce pregnancies in developing countries by 20 per cent and maternal deaths by a similar percentage or more.
He said the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) of 1994 estimated that 120 million women who were not using a modern family planning method would do so if one were available and affordable to them and called for that demand to be satisfied as early as practicable.
Mukasa called for family planning methods and reproductive health services to be cost efficient and cost effective to ensure their sustainability. They should also provide quality services with a client-centred approach to expand acceptance and continuation and increase in demand.
Dr. Richard Turkson, Executive Director of the National Population Council who presided, called for collaboration and partnerships between African countries, governments and non-governmental organisations for successful implementation of the reproductive health and family planning programmes.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On Monday reported a cyanide spillage at Goldfileds Ghana Limited at Tarkwa in the Western Region. A statement in Accra signed by D. S. Amlalo, Director/Operations, said the spillage occurred on Sunday and "initial emergency measures" had been taken by the company to contain the spill.
It said field officers had meanwhile been sent to the area to investigate the incident, adding that a full report would be issued later. There was a public outcry a few months ago when cyanide spillage in the Western Region polluted the drinking water of a mining community.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - The Association of African Universities (AAU) on Sunday urged African Tertiary Institutions to adopt dynamic processes of curricula reform and innovation to address the rush of the new knowledge that is continuously emerging from all corners of the globe.
"African Universities need to facilitate curricula reform, re-design and innovate ideas to keep pace with the complexity and rate of global knowledge generation and market demand," Professor Akilakpa Sawyerr, AAU Secretary General told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra.
He said reforms and innovations must aim at equipping students with the skills that were relevant in the world of work, prepare them for continuous professional self-development within the framework of lifelong learning, and meet national goals for development.
Towards the achieving curricula reforms, Prof. Sawyerr suggested the establishment of concrete mechanisms for fostering and strengthening regional co-operation among African Universities. On challenges facing African Universities in the 21st century, Prof. Sawyerr mentioned domestic and global environment, rapid expansion and changing nature of the demand for university education and the continuing financial squeeze as among the problems that African universities must address even as they continue to discharge their primary functions of teaching, research and cultural leadership.
He said one of the critical factors for successes in this task would be the calibre and effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels of the system, as well as in individual institutions. Prof. Sawyerr therefore, called for the strengthening of leadership and management capacity in African universities to enable them to respond effectively to the challenges.
He said the association would continue to facilitate the fulfilment of the individual and collective missions of its member institutions through co-operation and partnership to ensure that the challenges posed by domestic and global environment is met.
He said AAU would also enhance the contribution of its members to the welfare of their communities, particularly through the generation, acquisition and application of knowledge and to represent their interests on critical issues to the external bodies.
Prof Sawyerr said the establishment of a three-year project - Database of African Theses And Dissertations (DATAD) Programme, to improve access to African scholarly work, both in and out of Africa was aimed at disseminating theses and dissertations from African universities for research purposes.
He said the lack of adequate structures for information dissemination remained a major problem in Africa. "With the advent of information and communication technology, African scholars and scholarly output face a threat of marginalisation, especially in a globalised world, where review of research literature is increasingly being limited to review of electronic literature."
He said AAU had developed a concerted approach to address the problem of production, management and access and dissemination of research information through the establishment of DATAD. Prof. Sawyerr said the project would, among other objectives, create a central source of information on the continent and improve accessibility to the works of African scholars both within and outside the continent.
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Wa Police search for alleged murderer
Wa (Upper West) 20 May 2003- The Wa Police have intensified their search for a 23 year-old farmer, alleged to have murdered his elder brother for attempting to sell their late father's gun.
The suspect Kwame Tiszaa Lee of Kpare, a farming community in the Wa District on 12 May this year, allegedly shot and killed his 25-year-old elder brother, Kwaku Nabie.
A statement by Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh, Public Relations Officer of the Upper West Police Command, said the suspect, after the death of their father refused to release the gun to his brother because according to Kwame, it was a family property.
This resulted in a quarrel between the deceased and the suspect, which was settled by the elders of the community. About 30 minutes later a gunshot was heard from the outskirts and the deceased who was found in a pool of blood died when he was being sent to the Wa Regional Hospital.
The statement said the suspect might be hiding at Techiman in Brong-Ahafo, Kumasi or Obuasi in Ashanti Region and appealed for public assistance to arrest him. The body of Nabie had been released to the family for burial after autopsy at the Hospital.
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Oguaa court warns parents who attack
teachers
Cape Coast (Central Region) 20 May 2003- A Cape Coast magistrate's court on Monday imposed a 500,000 cedis fine on a woman who insulted her son's teacher and also warned parents who are in a habit of attacking teachers to put a stop to it.
Maame Efua 24, a trader from Ayeldu, a village near Asebu, who pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge of offensive conduct, would go to prison for 12 months in default.
The court, presided over by Peter Asare-Duah rejected her explanation that the teacher was the first person to verbally attack her after he had burnt a pair of bathroom slippers her son wore to school. Efua, who wept bitterly after the sentence, had earlier pleaded with the court to deal leniently with her, but the court said her sentence was to serve as a deterrent.
Inspector Joachim Kodjo Klugah told the court that the Ayeldu Roman Catholic Primary where Efua's son goes to school took delivery of 100 pieces of dual desks from the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District Assembly.
He said since the school was asked by the assembly to find their own means of transporting the desks, the executives of the school's management committee and the PTA agreed that each pupil should be levied 2,000 cedis to hire a vehicle to convey the desks from the assembly to the school.
Inspector Klugah said when Efua was informed, she marched to the school to question the headmaster why the pupils should be levied, but she was not satisfied with the explanation given to her and started shouting on top of her voice.
He said her disturbances brought the assistant headmaster, Ernest Adjei to the scene and he asked the woman to leave the school since she was disrupting classes but this rather infuriated her.
She then rained insults on Adjei that he was a bastard and that he was not a trained teacher. Adjei then reported the matter to the police and Efua was arrested.
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Focus on prevention of conflicts - Apraku
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003- Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD on Monday appealed to the United Nations and the donor community to concentrate on measures that would prevent conflicts in the West African sub-region.
He said they could do that by supporting governance institutions, promote transparency in the electoral process, and establish pro-active early warning mechanism for conflict detection.
Dr Apraku made the appeal at a three-day workshop for Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts in West Africa which opened in Accra, under the theme, "Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: Humanitarian Challenges n West Africa".
It is under the auspices of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, South Africa.
About 60 participants and speakers representing regional ministries of foreign affairs, defence and interior, leading academic institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from countries that have experienced armed conflicts either directly or indirectly are attending the workshop.
It is aimed at taking participants through humanitarian challenges that arise during armed conflicts, provide an opportunity for them to work through a crisis scenario exercise and apply potential protection measures.
Dr Apraku said it was easier and cheaper to focus on measures at strengthening democratic institutions to ensure transparency than to mobilise military might for peace keeping and enforcing law in a war ravaged country.
The Regional Co-operation Minister also appealed to African leaders to ensure transparent governance, and work towards greater peaceful development, which he said was the only way to accelerate national and regional development.
Ms Carolyn McAskie, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA and UN Secretary-General's Humanitarian Envoy for the crisis in Cote D'Iviore said humanitarian issues in the sub-region were interfaced with political considerations.
In a welcoming comment, Vice Admiral E. O. Owusu-Ansah, Associate Director of ASRD said the sub-region was now divided into three conflict zones; those that were in active conflict, pre and post conflict situations, and a few stable ones.
He said in the first two cases, civilians have been the main targets and victims in such armed conflicts. "Civilians have borne the brunt of the cruelty and the atrocities of the armed combatants and non-combatants".
In a speech read on his behalf, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, urged African leaders to respect international Humanitarian Law for the minimum protection and standards applicable to situations where people were most vunerable in armed conflict.
He said the law sought to prevent situations that might exacerbate vulnerabilities, such as displacement and destruction of civilian property.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003- Faisal Helwani, music producer on Monday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court charged with conspiracy, stealing and causing unlawful damage to a crane valued at 350 million cedis belonging to Bestil
Ghana Limited.
Helwani pleaded not guilty. Helawani, who entered the dock with his accomplice, Mohammed Musah were admitted to 300 million cedis bail with two sureties each to reappear on Tuesday, 20 May.
The facts presented by Chief Inspector Benedicta Akolgo were that the complainants were two sons of Mr Kenneth A Kwapong, a blind farmer residing at Kade and former contractor in-charge of the dredging of the Korle Lagoon.
Prosecution said four years ago, Kwapong, director of Bestil Ghana Limited was awarded a contract to dredge the Korle Lagoon. Kwapong brought his equipment including two cranes and parked them in front of Fafia Auto Products Limited belonging to Helwani in Accra, the prosecution said.
Five months ago, the contract was abrogated so the contractor left the crane in front of accused's shop under the care of one Mamound Zakari. A few months later Kwapong received a message from Zakari that, Helwani had asked the contractor to come for the crane.
According to the prosecution, Kwapong, sent one of his sons to go for the crane from the site but he found out that a radiator and alternator (parts of the crane) had been stolen. The complaints left to look for those parts of the crane so that it could be lifted. In the process Zakari also informed the complainant that Helwani had dismantled the crane and it had been sold to Mohammed Musah at seven million cedis.
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Railways to undergo facelift - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003- Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways on Monday said the Ghana Railway Corporation would undergo some major changes to enable it deliver better services.
He said plans were far advanced to revamp the railways and fix the trains with new coaches as well as replacing the level crossing bars, flags and barriers that most of the crossings lacked.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi said this when he visited the Ghana Railway Corporation to familiarize himself with their activities and have a first hand understanding of their problems.
The areas he visited included the Accra Brewery, Circle, Avenor, Alajo, Achimota and Dome crossings, all suburbs of Accra, and most of which had been out of use.
One major problem the Minister observed was the amount of filth around the crossings being used as dumping grounds by chop bars, fitters, drinking bars and squatters, among others. Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi said the Ministry would work in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Ministry of Modernisation of the City to find a solution to the problem.
He said the city had not been properly planned and this had resulted in poor drainage and sewage disposal coupled with the indiscipline by commuters. Edmond Opoku, Acting Manager of Ghana Railway Corporation who took the Minister round said the problem facing the corporation included inadequate safety mechanisms and buildings for the crossing keepers, especially the one at Dome. The Crossing Keeper at Avenor, Peter Ntoni, said the indiscipline by drivers make their work difficult, as they do not respect signs at the barriers.
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GJA asks public to nominate
"Journalist-of-the-year"
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003- The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards Committee on Monday requested the public to make inputs into the selection of the "Journalist-of-the-Year" award by sending nominations to the committee by Wednesday 28 May.
A statement signed and issued by Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the GJA in Accra said the nominations should be sent to the committee at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra.
It said an eleven-member Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Audrey Gadzekpo of the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, after a meeting last Thursday, decided that nominations for the top prize should state reasons for the choice of nominee in not more than 120 words.
It reminded the public that, nominees should be members of the GJA and only their published works covering the period between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2001 were to be considered. It added that, nominations might take into accounts: "truth and impact of stories and style and consistency of the writer or broadcaster".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - The Government has set up a Committee to investigate various allegations made against Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Board.
The Committee is to review matters arising out of workers' agitation, examine the Executive's Pay and Working Hours; the Strategic Reserve Plant (SRP); Operation of the Authority's Provident Fund; Procurement Procedures and the Image of VRA.
The Committee is to submit its report to the Ministry by 2 June, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Energy, said these at a press conference on Monday. Dr Nduom said all parties to the issues at VRA had to be given fair hearing in the review. "Government has not taken any decision to interdict or ask Dr Wereko-Brobby to proceed on leave.
"He would remain in office while the investigations and review goes on." Dr Nduom said last Tuesday he led a team from the Ministry of Energy to meet representatives of the VRA Board, Management, Senior Staff and Local Union to ensure that an orderly approach was used to deal with Collective Bargaining Negotiation (CBN) and a petition of the workers.
The Minister said at the end of the meeting, the matters discussed were put into three categories: Collective bargaining negotiations; Concerns raised about Technical Operations of VRA and Issues raised about the Chief Executive and the Board.
He said at the end of the meeting he asked the parties to the CBN to convene immediately to ensure that an agreement was reached on the remaining items. He said the Management also had a new mandate to continue with the negotiations.
Dr Nduom said that he had appointed Opanin Obeng-Fosu, a retired Chief Labour Officer, to assist the parties with his rich experience and independence to facilitate the early conclusion of the negotiations. He noted that the parties to the negotiations also agreed that they had not reached a deadlock.
"I have acted in this manner to ensure that the CBN process is not used by any party as a point of disagreement. It is important to note that the negotiations are ongoing. We are not in a deadlock situation."
Dr Nduom said the government had taken serious note of the matters raised about the technical operations of the VRA, the Chief Executive and the Board. "I wish to stress to all the concerned parties the need to inject a heavy dose of civility into all their activities."
Dr Nduom reiterated that VRA was a strategic asset of the entire nation saying: "Management and Staff have the duty to the people of Ghana to manage this strategic asset with care and competence." He urged the Management to ensure that no worker was victimised or treated unfairly. He also urged workers to go about their duties in a manner that conformed strictly to the rules and regulations of VRA.
The workers had demanded the removal of Dr Wereko-Brobby by 16 May. Ken Sakeyfio, Immediate Past Chairman of the Senior Staff Association and Adviser to the National Executive, said their decision was based on "mismanagement and lies" that were hallmarks of Dr Wereko-Brobby's administration. But the Management sprung to his defence saying decisions were collectively made.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday said the government was committed to maintaining good relations with all countries and would work within the framework of the United Nations for international peace.
He was speaking when five envoys from the United Kingdom, Canada, Czech Republic, Mali and the Holy See called on him at his office. Nana Akufo Addo said Ghana was grateful to Britain for its continuous assistance to its peacekeeping contingents, especially in Cote d'Ivoire.
He said he was also grateful that President John Kufuor's contribution in ensuring peace and stability in the ECOWAS Sub-Region had been noticed, adding that Ghana could not develop in the midst of the numerous problems in the Sub-Region.
The Minister stated that Ghana had so much to sell to the outside world in terms of peace, creativity and development and would want to serve as a role model to other developing countries. He, therefore, urged investors to tap into the favourable and peaceful atmosphere in the country to help improve the economy.
Dr Roderick A. Pullen, British High Commissioner, said his government was committed to keeping its promise to support Ghana and African countries in general to ensure a better life for its people.
"The British government has noted with tremendous interest the efforts of the President as the Chairman of ECOWAS in ensuring the maintenance of peace and stability in the Sub-Region and would support this effort to make things better for the people," he said.
Jean-Pierre Bolduc, Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana, promised to do his best to market Ghana to his country. He said Canada was ready to work with Ghana on bilateral issues. Archbishop George Kocherry, Embassy of the Holy See, said the Catholic Church was committed to providing the educational, medical and spiritual needs of Ghanaians and said the University of Fiapre in the Brong Ahafo Region would be officially launched in November.
He explained that though the first batch of students had already been admitted, building projects on the site were still under construction and expressed the hope that they would be completed before its commissioning.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - President John Kufuor on Monday said it was time for Ghana and the Russian Federation to raise the level of the relationship between them. "We need to review the relationship between us to a more vigorous level ", he said. President Kufuor made the observation when Valery Orlov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ghana, paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu.
Orlov said he had been able to know much about the country to form his opinion and could discuss issues with the government. Their discussion, held behind closed doors centred on bilateral co-operation, economy and scholarships for Ghanaian students to study in Russia.
He said a high level Russian Parliamentary delegation and Businessmen were expected in the country next month to hold discussions with their Ghanaian counterparts. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the government was determined to establish strong relationship with Russia.
"We are determined to re-launch strong economic ties with Russia. During the First Republic a lot of work was done and we would see what could be done", he said.
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Three who allegedly murdered CEPS official,
charged
Kpando (Volta Region) 20 May 2003 - Three persons who were arrested by the Hohoe Police in connection with the alleged murder of Mr Allan Alexander Bimas, a 32-year-old Officer of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at
Leklebi-Dafor, were last Friday granted 10m cedis' bail with a surety each at the Kpando Magistrate's Court.
The plea of the accused persons, Kodjo Agbewu, a teacher at the Leklebi-Dafor Junior Secondary School (JSS), his son Kwasi Agbewu and nephew Gershon Asanfro, charged with murder, was not taken and will re-appear on
29 May.
Detective Inspector Francis Ayiglo told the Court that on 17 April the victim, who was on duty at Leklebi-Kame border post, was allegedly found in the room of the teacher. He said the teacher sought the assistance of his son and nephew to arrest
Bimas who allegedly escaped.
Inspector Ayiglo said the body of Bimas was found the next day by a search party in a thicket near a cemetery at Leklebi-Dafor with injuries on his head and face.
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Takoradi (Western Region) 20 May 2003 - Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, the Minister of Mines, has said that only 13 percent of the country's area of 240,000 square kilometres had been allocated for mining purposes. This was contained in an address read for her by Dr Majeed Haroun, Deputy Minister of Mines, at the close of a two-day forum for Agricultural Officers at the weekend.
Mrs Bannerman said eight percent of the country's land is now under forest cover and that mining ventures into forest areas will touch only 0.1 per cent of all forestlands in the country. ''This is not to underplay the influence on the environment of mining operations. This means that mining can cause certain problems such as soil erosion, loss of important and rare fauna and flora and land sterilization.''
She said the understanding of the problem of land use and mining had led governments to develop legislations and institutional framework to ensure that mining was carried out in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Mrs Bannerman cited some of the legislation and institutional framework as The Mining Regulations, The Mineral and Mining Law, Ghana's Mining and Environmental Guidelines and The Environmental Assessment Regulation.
Mrs Bannerman said Environmental Assessment Regulations allow the supervisory institutions to ensure that miners left the land in conformity with a checklist that includes the re-stock of plantation areas with fast growing soil nutrient replacement plant species, inflow of fresh water, cultivation of cash crops and creation of favourable conditions for fauna.
She said at Bogoso Gold Limited (BGL) that the checklists had been met in respect of disused lands with the reclamation of six waste pump and six pits and a total of 215.4 hectares of land. Mrs Bannerman said the company had also replanted 230,000 trees of various species including 800 economic trees and established farmer-assisted projects in alternative livelihoods such as oil palm plantations and food crop production.
She called on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), miners, government and communities to work together to avoid practices that could destroy forests permanently.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 20 May 2003 - The World Methodist Council has initiated measures for Methodist Churches throughout the world to celebrate the 300th birthday of John Wesley, founder of Methodism, in June.
The celebration would offer members of the Church the opportunity to renew their faith, reflect on the vision and mission of the Methodist Church and its contribution towards education, health and socio-economic development.
These were announced by Most Reverend Dr Samuel Asante-Antwi, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, at the three-day second biennial delegates' conference of the Kumasi Diocese of the Ghana Methodist Students Union at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
He said in the over 180 years of existence in Ghana, the Methodist Church had established schools and hospitals and provided social services. Right-Rev Nuh Ben Abubekr, Methodist Bishop of Kumasi, said the government has awarded the church to print textbooks.
He said the Kumasi Diocese would form Virgins for Christ Clubs to assist in the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Rt Rev Abubekr said such a Club would also be set up in schools to educate students on the need to protect their virginity.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - Ten District Assemblies including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), were among the beneficiaries of books donated by the Rotary Club of Tema at the weekend. Capt Nkrabea Effa-Dartey, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development who received the books on behalf of the beneficiaries, said some district assemblies had built libraries but had problem with stocking them with books.
''I hope the beneficiary assemblies will keep the books in their libraries instead of leaving them in the stores to collect dust'', he said. Capt Effah-Darteh said thousands of "paper Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)" had registered with the Registrar General's Department but their functions do not benefit the rural people whom they claim they serve.
''This is the reason why I pay glowing tribute to the Rotary Club of Tema for choosing to procure books from outside the country and distribute them to the rural people to enhance education, and I'm hopeful that you will keep it up till all assemblies have enough learning materials", he said.
W. B. Agboada, President of the Club, said Rotary had received large consignments of books from Brothers Brother of United States (US) and that the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) is paying for the freight charges.
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Government will be fair to all Ghanaians-
Dr Anane
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 20 May 2003 - Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Roads and Highways, has given the assurance that the government would ensure that no part of the country was left out under its roads development programme. "Everyone will be made to feel part of the country as all corners will be linked with good roads to boost economic production", he said.
Dr Anane, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama, was addressing a forum of the Bantama constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at Kwadaso.
He briefed the people on efforts the government is making to improve their lot and also listen to the concerns of the people. The Minister said the Abuakwa-Tanoso-Bekwai Roundabout road that runs through the area was to be turned into a dual carriageway, adding "successful completion of the project would bring relief to the people particularly workers occupying the SSNIT flats at Asuoyeboah".
Dr Anane refuted claims that the Kwadaso streets improvement project had been abandoned and said work on it would re-start next week. The Minister told them that the government's programme to equip the unemployed with skills was on course and that three training centres had been opened in the constituency.
The centres are located at Edwinase, North Suntreso and Bohyen. Dr Anane said the trainees would be given start-up capital to establish their businesses after their training. George Kofi Agyei, the constituency chairman of the party, said the government had made giant strides towards the economic growth of the country.
He told members of the party not to be complacent but work harder to broaden its support base to make the 2004 general elections a "walk over for the NPP".
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Mampong (Ashanti Region) 20 May 2003 - Mrs Emma Helen Bangah, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), has called for sanctions against people who discriminate against HIV/AIDS patients.
She, therefore, urged the government, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Judiciary to put in place, a legislation to discourage those who look down on people living with the disease. Emma Bangah said this in an address read for her at Mampong in Ashanti to climax activities marking the International Nurses Day Celebrations held under the theme: "Nurses fighting Aids stigma - Caring for all".
She said most nurses reluctantly attended to HIV/AIDS patients whilst their relatives also failed to purchase prescribed drugs in anticipation that the patients would soon die. Mrs Bangah said sanctioning people who violated the human rights of those living with HIV/AIDS would be a deterrent to would be offenders.
''Many people suffering from HIV/AIDS do not die from the disease but rather, the stigma they go through'', she said. The GRNA President identified lack of accommodation, transportation, training facilities and inadequate remunerations as some of the problems affecting the nursing profession and called for immediate solutions to them.
Dr George Acquaye, Medical Superintendent in-charge of Mampong Government Hospital, said it was necessary for the people to show sympathy for HIV/AIDS patients and encourage them to share their experiences with the public.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 May 2003 - Ghana has reaffirmed her support for and commitment to the ideals of the African Union saying she would continue to cooperate with other members to realise them.
A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Accra on Tuesday ahead of Africa Day, which falls on Sunday, May 25 noted that the achievements of the organisation over the past 40 years had been overshadowed by several developments on the continent.
These include authoritarian and tyrannical rule, internecine conflicts, poverty, hunger and deprivation, which have so long afflicted Africa. "Africa is determined to move forward by creating the conditions necessary for the elimination of these drawbacks to our development and thereby improve the quality of democratic governance and respect for human rights and the rule of law on the continent."
The African Union, which is a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), is designed to build upon its achievements and also learn from the failures of the last 40 years. "The African Union seeks to bring the peoples of Africa closer together. History has taught us that whenever Africans have stood and acted together, our voices have been heard and our views taken into account."
The statement said institutions of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) were bold initiatives, which would bring tangible benefits to and improvements in the lives of the people. It said through the African Peer Review Mechanism, Africa's leaders were determined to hold each other accountable for the good economic, political and corporate governance of the continent.
The statement said a Peace and Security Council had been established as a collective security and early warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflict and crisis situations in Africa. "It is our hope that with sustained political will on the part of Africa's Leaders, civil society, business community, labour organisations and the public at large, we can enhance the living conditions and welfare of our people in the years to come."
On Africa Day, the continent remembers the founding fathers of the OAU, their struggle and sacrifices, which brought freedom to many countries and proclaimed the dignity of the African. The Day marks the beginning of the quest for the unity and solidarity of the continent and for the economic emancipation of the people.
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