Senior Minister's office grants loans to
farmers
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi visits Shippers
Council
Government approved National Youth Fund
Travellers to Togo asked to possess valid documents
Party activists asked not to interfere with work of Assemblies
NPP to revise party's constitution- Commey
Krobos asked to vote for the NPP in 2004
Another story of abduction and killing told at NRC
Foreign minister flies to South Africa
Offer free airtime, space for SARS education – Media urged
VRA completes Prestea-Obuasi
Transmission Line
World Biodiversity day to be celebrated on Thursday
Institute celebrates 75th anniversary of Dr Noguchi's death
Water Company urged to deal with waterweeds
Czech company to take-over Shoe Factory
Disbursement of GETFUND is discriminatory- GUPS
Police arrest alleged armed robber, wanted since 2000
SNNIT says salary increase does not affect its pension
University student expelled
American Embassy to help fight crime in Ghana
Senior Minister's office grants loans to farmers
Hohoe (Volta Region)
Each member is to collect ¢300,000 from the Asubonteng Rural Bank and would be required to repay the loan in six months with a 20 percent interest. Speaking at a meeting with the beneficiaries, James Dogbe, Hohoe District Chief Executive (DCE), said the government was doing its best to assist farmers to produce more to feed the nation.
"We shall soon establish a District market for buyers. Soon marketing of
farm produce would be a problem of the past to farmers", he said. He
called on farmers in the district to form co-operatives to enable them to benefit
from government incentives.
David Dzebu, Hohoe District
Director of MOFA, said his office was trying to assist farmers to market their
produce.
He announced that the office had established agriculture information center, which is connected to the internet and all regional
capitals to enable it to obtain up-to-date market information to assist
farmers.
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Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi
visits Shippers Council
The duration of clearing goods and sending goods outside was of concern to everybody and needs the collaboration of all stakeholders to tackle. Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi said these when he paid a working visit to the Ghana Shippers Council (GSC).
He said: "Every freight forwarder wants his goods to be out in time and
steps must be put in place to meet that target." The Minister advised the
GSC to come out with a mechanism to check the background of the over 14,000
shippers currently operating in the country to expose the fake ones.
"When we harbour bad individuals, it brings the image
of the Council and that of the country into disrepute in the international
community," he said. He charged the Board to find ways to bring on board
the Maritime Authority and the Ghana Shippers Council and promote a good
working relationship to move the industry forward.
Kofi Mbiah,
Chief Executive of GSC, said the mission of the Council was to effectively
manage the demand side of shipping with a view to protecting and promoting the
interest of Ghanaian shippers. "We want to ensure the quick, safe and
reliable delivery of import and export cargoes by all modes of transport at
optimum cost."
He said that since its inception in 1974, the Council had on
its database over 23,000 registered Ghanaian shippers. The Chief Executive
mentioned loss/damage to cargo, cargo insurance claims, late arrival of
shipping documents and illegal charges levied on shippers as some of the
problems that the Council was able to solve.
Mbiah announced that the Council
was working with the private sector for the establishment of the
The Council was also leading the private sector in the construction of a
Maritime House in
J.B.K. Amanfu, the Board Chairman
GSC, said he was grateful that government had created a substantive Ministry
for the sector and pledged the GSC's co-operation with
the Ministry.
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Government approved National Youth Fund
Akim Awisa
(Eastern Region) 22 May 2003 - The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning,
Yaw Osafo Marfo, has
announced that the government has approved of the establishment of a National
Youth Fund (NYF) with a seed capital of ¢50bn to provide credit for
infrastructure and logistics to support youth economic initiatives.
The objective of the fund, he explained, is to provide
enterprise support services in the form of business advisory services, business
management and apprenticeship training to individual youth and youth groups.
Osafo Marfo
announced this in a speech read on his behalf at the graduation of the first
batch of "Step" participants of the Presbyterian Youth Self-Help
Programme (PYSHP) at Akim Awisa
in the Birim South District. Eighteen youths
graduated after a three-month intensive training in textile printing, soap and
pomade making.
Osafo Marfo said the Fund would be managed by the National, Regional and District Management committees, adding that at the national level, the Fund would be managed by a nine-member management committee who, among other functions, would give final approval for disbursement of the Fund.
He said all regional and district management committees will be formed in all
the ten regions and 110 Districts to, among other things, receive and process
application forms to the national committee for final approval, adding that
successful applicants would receive their funds through designated banks.
The Minister said any skilled individual who had established his own business and had not less than four youth apprentices or any group of skilled youth who operate a partnership or co-operative and need credit for expansion would be illegible to benefit from the Fund.
In her keynote address, the Deputy Minister, Manpower Development and
Employment, Dr Angela Ofori Atta,
urged the graduands to avoid the temptation of
"cutting corners and cheating unsuspecting customers". She warned
them that if they were found to be cheating, they would loose all their
customers, adding, "when the going becomes very
tough, you may return to the street with its attendant problems."
In his welcoming address, the National Co-ordinator, Presbyterian Youth
Self-help Programme, Rev. Benson I. Adu-Okore, said
the Church set up the programme in 1997 to help equip the idle hands for
sustainable employment. He said the PYSHP had so far equipped 480 young persons
from
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Travellers to
A statement issued in
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Party activists asked not to interfere with work
of Assemblies
Mamponteng (Ashanti Region)
This was contained in an address Alhaji
Yeboah read at the first ordinary meeting of Kwabe District Assembly at Mamponteng
on Tuesday.
The DCE said the assembly ''accepts constructive criticisms
from people who are not members of the house but the tendency of rushing to
take certain actions without verifying the truth in most cases derails the
development agenda of the district.''
He told the members that as legitimate representatives of the people their concern was to bring development to them and that at the end of their stewardship, they would be assessed by the changes they have brought to the lives of the ordinary citizen of Kwabre.
''Considerable time for development of the district has been lost on
arbitrations and land matters arising from double sale and the right to title
of parcels of land.'' The DCE appealed to the assembly members to assist him to
advise chiefs to desist from such practices.
"The assembly holds the traditional authorities in high esteem as the
custodians of our rich cultural heritage and indeed partners in development and
will not want to have this good relationship lost on land matters." Alhaji Yeboah said 10 communities
have been selected to participate in the Social Investment Fund (SIF) package
and suggested to the beneficiary
communities to provide the needed counterpart fund.
He told the members that the assembly collected ¢257.6m at
the end of the first quarter of 2003 out of the targeted sum of ¢1.1bn cedis from its traditional sources of income. Nana Asante Frimpong, Member of
Parliament (MP) for Kwabre, called on the members to
work hard to ensure good governance and quality service to the people.
He said the government was working hard on roads,
telecommunications, agricultural modernisation, education, health, good
governance and private sector development. The MP appealed to businessmen and
women to honour their tax obligations to enable the government to provide
developments.
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NPP to revise party's constitution- Commey
Akwamufie (Eastern Region)
He said having been in opposition for about 30 years and now
in governance, the constitution of the party had to factor in the roles of
functionaries in government to ensure that the administration worked to
implement the party's manifesto.
Commey was addressing party
executives of the 108 polling stations in the Asuogyaman
constituency in the Eastern Region as part of a seven-day tour of the region.
He told them that since the party had no Member of
Parliament from the constituency it was incumbent on them to work hard to
secure the seat next year, and assured them of the fullest support from the
leadership of the party.
Commey told party members to consider themselves as shareholders who have a collective stake in the growth and fortunes of the party. He asked them to eschew infighting and selfish tendencies and cautioned that: "the only party which can defeat the NPP is the NPP members."
The National Organiser reminded them that the 2004 elections would be crucial
for the party in its effort to remain in government, so all should sink their
personal interests and prove to the electorate that the party was capable of
delivering the goods.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Dan Botwe,
reminded the executives that their units formed the power base of the party.
Their activities and utterances, therefore, would reflect on the fortunes of
the party and government. He warned that the leadership would not countenance
any person whose personal pursuits would negatively affect the party's
principles and
progress.
"The Kufuor administration has proved to be
capable of the task before the nation and nobody will be allowed to divert its
focus." Botwe said the party had a solid
tradition which all members should defend and promote and cautioned them
against "the abuse of incumbency by the NDC which we condemned".
The District Chief Executive for Asuogyaman,
Dr Godfred Kofi Siaw, briefed the meeting on development projects already
undertaken and on-going ones such sectors as education, water, roads and
electrification. The Eastern Regional Chairman of the party, Nana Adi Ankama, stressed the need for
discipline among party members saying: "our tradition shuns indiscipline
that is why we were able to stay in opposition for so long and came to
power".
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Krobos asked to vote for the NPP
in 2004
Odumase-Krobo (Eastern Region)
against the government and vote massively for the party in the 2004 elections.
He said since the party came into power the "false propaganda
by the NDC that under an NPP government, the Krobos
would lose their lands in the Akim Traditional Areas
has been proved to be untrue."
Botwe was speaking at a meeting he
and the National Organiser of the NPP, Lord Commey,
held with Polling Stations executives at Lower Manya
and Yilo constituencies at Odumase-Krobo
and Somanya respectively. He said the NPP was
determined to win the three parliamentary seats in the Krobo
area because of the goodwill it had with the people.
Botwe noted with concern petty
bickering and character assassination going on among some members of the party
and asked them to adopt peaceful means to solve differences. He said the Kufuor government would not discriminate against any area
of the country for political reasons and asked all levels of leadership in the
party to make efforts to win more members into their fold.
Commey stressed the need for the leaders to allow the
democratic process to prevail in the solution of differences in the party. The
Eastern Regional First Vice-Chairman of the NPP, Christian Kofi
Tettey who also the Yilo
District Chief Executive, asked them to close their ranks and live in unity.
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Another story of abduction and killing told
at NRC
Accra (Greater Accra)
Ankrah's family found him dead in ashes, with his beads
and torn shirt beside him in the bush after an exhaustive search and enquires
in Police and military barracks. So traumatised by the bizarre death of Ankrah, that
the family never wanted to talk about it, but one of his sons, Solomon Tettey Ankrah, after 21 years
broke the silence and asked the NRC to unravel the mystery surrounding his
father's death and for what reason.
Tettey Ankrah, who shed tears most of the time, said the Police had not yet come up with any suspect and the death of his father had still remained a mystery. The family, he said, had suffered psychologically and economically. In response to his appeal the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, a member of the Commission, exclaimed: Definitely, someone somewhere knows; someone knows who those who committed this crime were. Come out to exonerate the past to get a healing.
"In the name of God, in the name of Allah, in the name of everything we
believe in, come out with information to help us. I appeal to them that
they should avail themselves to help us. We don't heal by hiding these things
under the carpet."
Ankrah had earlier told the
Commission that his late father, a businessman, who dealt in tyres and general merchandise had stores at Aflao, Kadjebi, Ho and
Along with others, they were brought to the State Transport
Corporation Yard at Ho and made to lie down facing the sun.
Mr Tettey Ankrah said they
were later brought to the Ho Mortar Barracks, then to the Ho Service Centre and
flogged before the public.
They were soon shaved. His father was later brought to his store at Ho and
packed the mattress and stuffing chairs from the store. He said his father
later went into detention for three months at the Ho Mortar Barracks.
Warrant Officer (WO) Stephen Buah Blay, formerly of the Forces Pay Office corroborated an
earlier story of Lateef Abdul Gaffer of the arrest of the late Samuel
Kofi Lateef, which Gaffer
said was masterminded by Major S. Hayford (rtd), who was then General Manager of Lateef's
Fishing Company.
WO Blay was emphatic and said the late WO Tetteh, Bodyguard of the then Chairman Jerry John Rawlings of the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council, had said Major Hayford reported him to the Castle, and had he (WO Tetteh) known that he was to arrest Lateef, he would not have come.
He spoke of some shady deals of Maj Hayford, which caused his dismissal from Lateef's employment after which he (Hayford)
sought the permission of the authorities to arrest Lateef,
but commissions of enquiry headed by Colonel Osei-Wusu
(rtd) and Colonel A. K. Twumasi
exonerated Lateef. WO Blay
said General Arnold Qauinoo, then Army Commander
warned Fugah, the counsel engaged to seek the release
of Lateef to stay off the case.
He said the General got a durbar of the men and officers at the Burma Camp
organised, at which he accused Lateef of duping the
Ghana Armed Forces of various sums of money. WO Blay
corroborated the story of Gaffer that 22 cattle belonging to his father were
seized.
In another narration, Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Korku
Amevor, a retired Army Officer, also narrated how he
was sentenced to 105 years imprisonment for prejudice and expressed gratitude
to God for avenging on those who tortured him during the 1979 Uprising. Lt Col Amevor, who testified before the National Reconciliation
Commission (NRC), said most of his torturers had paid the price for the pain
they put him through during his arrest.
He said some of them had had their legs amputated as a result of lorry
accidents while others had fled the country for fear of being arrested. Lt.
Col. Amevor said the way the Junior Officers went
about the coup left many of the Senior Officers disillusioned adding that they
lost their personal stature and respect through the many false accusations made
against them.
He said his arrest had traumatised himself, his wife and
children adding that all the plans he had to serve his country that invested so
much in him were all shattered.
Lt. Col Amevor said he enlisted
into the Ghana Armed Forces in 1961 and was appointed the Volta Regional
Commissioner in 1975 and posted to Ho. He said on
He said the next day soldiers from
He said Captain Ocansey demanded
that he should be killed to fulfil the objectives of the revolution. Lt. Col. Amevor said Captain Ocansey
accused him of conniving with some people in the Volta Region to kill him
(Captain Ocansey), adding; "after the
interrogation, the soldiers beat me up and sent me to the battalion
guardroom".
He said at
He said the panel, whose members were behind a screen asked his name and sentenced him to 105 years' imprisonment for prejudice. Lt. Col. Amevor said his assets, including his house; farm; fishpond; 25 cattle and a Mercedes Benz car were confiscated to the State.
He said he served six years partially in the Nsawam
Prison, Usher Fort and Winneba Prison until he was
released in 1985. Lt. Col. Amevor said he petitioned
Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings, who later released the house and the farm to
him. The Mercedes Benz was given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be used
as an official car.
"However, I still receive my pension", he said.
Lt. Col. Albert Narh Tetteh,
also a retired Army Officer, told the NRC that he was arrested during the 1979
coup and sentenced to 35 years' imprisonment after the investigating panel
charged him for using his position to amass wealth.
He said he and other Senior Officers were detained for three
weeks at the Armed Forces Guardroom, where the soldiers shaved them adding that
the pain from that shave was unbearable.
Lt. Col. Tetteh, who currently operates a chemical shop at Abelemkpe, in Accra, said it would take the country a long time to rectify the anomaly caused by the 1979 coup adding "if we do not learn anything from that experience then we should have ourselves to blame".
He said Junior Officers tortured their Senior Officers with impunity where
respect and discipline were totally lost adding that the country should never
allow such a thing to happen again. Lt. Col. Tetteh,
said after the ordeal at the Armed Forces Guardroom, the soldiers later sent
him to the Nsawam Prisons where they asked him to
fill an asset declaration form.
"After three days, they took me to the Peduase Lodge where as usual the panel was behind a screen. They charged me for using my position to amass wealth and sentenced me to 35 years' imprisonment." He said he spent a total of five and a half years in prison adding that his house, vehicles and a cocoa farm were confiscated while his accounts were frozen. Some of his assets were later given back to him.
Lt. Col. Tetteh said his wife had
suffered a stroke for about 12 years now due to the depression she went through
after his arrest. She had still not recovered.
John Nii Nmashie
Adjetey, former Director-General of the Ministry of
Agriculture, on Wednesday told the National
Reconciliation Commission that he was a victim of mistaken identity and
suffered detention after the 4 June Uprising. He said his property was
confiscated and bank accounts frozen.
Adjetey told the Commission at its public hearing in
While in detention, he was shaved and he saw a number of military officers who
were also shaved. Adjetey said he was taken to a
Military Tribunal at the Peduase Lodge, where accused
persons did not see their prosecutors but only heard voices. He said soldiers
slapped him if they thought his answers were not satisfactory. Adjetey said when he asked why he had been detained and
asked for his release, the soldiers told him he could not be released
"until the one who supplied my name to the radio" had asked for his
release.
He said after his release he was made Director-General of the then Ministry of
Agriculture but he resigned voluntarily from the Service in 1981, three years
before his retirement was due. Adjetey said when he
wrote to the Attorney-General for the release of his assets and bank accounts, the reply was that he was not the said Adjetey mentioned in the radio announcement.
The Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, a member of the Commission, said it was unfortunate a lot of Ghanaians were feeling disaffection for their country and expressed the hope that the work of the Commission would help to restore a sense of loyalty.
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Foreign minister flies to South Africa
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 May 2003 - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo
Addo has flown to Sun City, South Africa, to
participate in the Third Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the
African Union, which
would be held from 21-26 May.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
the Session would prepare for the Summit of African Union Heads of State and
Government to be held in
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Offer free airtime, space for SARS
education – Media urged
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
A statement signed by Dr G. K. Amofa, Director,
Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, requested airtime for
discussion programmes in English and the local languages on SARS. The statement
said; "SARS" stood for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which is
caused by the "
It said SARS was characterised by: Fever, with body
temperature of 38 degrees Celsius and above; General Bodily Weakness; Headache;
Dry Cough and Difficulty In Breathing. It said these
signs could be seen two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, adding that
SARS was spread from person to person when droplets of moisture discharged from
an infected person's mouth or nose through coughing or sneezing is inhaled by
another.
SARS could also be spread through the air or by touching
objects already contaminated. The statement said persons, who were close to
SARS patients, such as family members and health workers attending to them were
more likely to be
infected if they did not follow infection control measures.
It advised that suspected SARS patients should not talk too
closely to others; cough or sneeze on them. The hands should be washed with
soap and water after shaking hands with someone and after attending to someone
with symptoms suggestive of SARS. The nose and mouth should be covered before
attending to or getting near someone suspected of having SARS.
The statement said strong disinfectants should be used on
body fluids and clothing from people suspected of having SARS before cleaning
or washing.
The disease started in
postponed.
It advised travellers, who feel feverish or start coughing, before, during or
after a journey, to seek medical attention and treatment immediately. It said
while on board an aeroplane, ship or vehicle one should move away and cover the
mouth and nose should someone nearby start coughing or sneezing.
If anyone shook hands with someone suspected of suffering
from SARS, the one should wash the hands with soap and water before touching
the face, mouth, nose or eyes.
The statement advised travellers who return from SARS
infected countries to report immediately at the nearest health institution, if
they developed fever or cough two to 14 days after their return.
They should notify medical officers of their travel history
and symptoms for appropriate medical treatment. Those who got into contact with
someone with signs suggestive of SARS during their travel should inform Port
Health Officials upon arrival and limit contact with their family and friends
for 14 days to avoid infecting them.
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VRA completes Prestea-Obuasi
Transmission Line
This would come from the Takoradi Thermal Power
Station and imports from
The statement said the Prestea - Obuasi
Line Project, which cost about $8m and about ¢10bn, was the first major project
in Ghana's power sector to be funded, constructed and supervised entirely by
the VRA without recourse to external donor funding.
The statement said the Project, which was initially conceived as part of the Takoradi Thermal Power Project was faced with considerable
delays, which resulted in a situation where though the power supply capacity of
the Western part of the country was approximately 800 MW, only a maximum 450 MW
could be made available.
The statement said the decision to construct the Prestea - Obuasi line was taken
by the current Board of Directors and the Chief Executive. The decision was
taken because of the severe reduction of power generation from Akosombo and Kpong Hydro-Power
stations due to the low level of the Volta Lake over the past two years and the
need to increase the availability of thermal power and imports to make up for
the shortfall in generation from the Lake.
"It is important to note that with the level of the
The statement said with the Prestea - Obuasi line now in operation, VRA could now take more power
from the Western Corridor and, therefore, be able to reduce generation from the
Akosombo Plant and thus protect the integrity of the
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World Biodiversity day to be celebrated on
Thursday
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 May 2003 - Dr Matthew Kwabena
Antwi, Deputy Minister of Environment and Science, on
Wednesday announced that government had instituted incentives and reward
packages for the greening of degraded
lands.
He did not disclose the content of the award package, but said it was
government's aim to continue to protect humans, animals and plants against
harmful impacts and destructive practices to preserve biological diversity.
Dr Antwi was launching this year's
International Day for Biological Diversity, which falls on Thursday. The day
would be celebrated under a global theme: "Biodiversity and poverty
alleviation - Challenges for sustainable development." The national theme
is Biodiversity Conservation, our survival."
Dr Antwi said government's policy
on biological diversity was conservation adding, "it
is for that reason that the celebration of the International Day for Biological
Diversity provides the opportunity for government to call on the people to
contribute their quota to the conservation of their biological resources".
He said conservation meant ensuring that the biological
resources available were used in such a way to provide lasting social, economic
and environmental benefits to the populace through their efficient and
equitable use. Dr Antwi said it was for such reasons
that the Environmental Protection Agency was being guided by the preventive
approach.
Biodiversity, he explained, was the different forms of
living things. "These include all the plants we have which provide for
example, timber for export, food for our existence as well as those that
provide medicine for our ailments. Biodiversity also includes all animals,
which serve as sources of protein as well as those, which provide us with
entertainment."
The occasion was also used to launch three world celebrations to take place next month - World Environment Day, which falls, on 5 June; World Day to Combat Drought And Desertification, June 16 and Day Of Scientific Renaissance Of Africa, 30 June.
World Environment Day celebration would be marked with a national durbar to be
held at the
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Institute celebrates 75th anniversary of Dr
Noguchi's death
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 May 2003 - The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical
Research, on Wednesday, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the death of Dr Hideyo Noguchi with a call on health professionals to
develop effective vaccines for life- threatening diseases.
The late Dr Noguchi, born in 1876 in Inawashiro,
Japan, died of yellow fever in Ghana in 1927, six months after he had arrived
to research into the virus of yellow fever.
"As we celebrate the day of this great scientist, we
should focus on other viral diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) and viral hemorrhagic fever (Ebola)", Professor Fred T. Sai, Presidential Advisor on Population and HIV/AIDS said
in
He said the hardworking scientist, despite his poor background, was able
achieve the targets he set in life and his research had brought life and health
to many lives throughout the world. Prof. Sai said
Noguchi was fearless in the quest for the causes of various diseases and his
sad story should make all scientists accept that "confidence in oneself is
very essential but collegial work is the path to true progress".
Moses Dani- Baah,
Deputy Minister of Health, said the death of Noguchi had brought
He commended the Institute for the immense research
contributions into public health programmes such as Expanded Programme on
Immunisations (EPI), HIV/AIDS, malaria, yellow fever and other parasitic
diseases.
Dani Baah
said the legacy of Noguchi had taken
He called on health professionals to appreciate the life and
work of Noguchi so that "you would also extend it to other upcoming health
professionals".
Mrs Kazuko Asai, the Japanese
Ambassador, said the life of Dr Noguchi had been a role model to many Japanese
and the Central Bank of
Prof Seth Ayittey, Provost of the
College of Health Sciences, who presided, said the Institute, established 24
years, had developed into an international research centre collaborating
medical research in diseases of particular interest in Africa.
"The hard working efforts of this great scientist
should be a shinning example and motivate us to work even harder than what he
did."
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Water Company urged to deal with waterweeds
reservoirs of weeds and their effects of contamination, siltation
and diseases.
The Scientist, Kwaku deGraft-Johnson
said the GWCL should establish a surveillance system and build mechanisms that
would harvest weeds in the Tanoso, Barekese Owabi Reservoirs, which
served as sources of potable water for various communities in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region and
He was speaking at a day's seminar on the management of waterweeds organised by
the WRI to identify problems caused by the weeds and other problems associated
with groundwater. deGraft-Johnson said waterweeds and plants caused problems
including diseases such as bilharzias and malaria and also produced odour,
colour and contamination causing huge sums of money to be used for the
treatment of water for drinking.
He said weeds usually obstructed the free flow of water, creating problems of siltation in addition to destroying the ecosystem and natural habitat of some living organisms. deGraft-Johnson said the reservoir at Tanoso, although very small was serving the biggest market in the country at Techiman.
He said in 1995, 25 per cent of the Tanoso Reservoir
was covered with weeds but this had gone up to 75 per cent bringing a lot of
problems in water treatment. He said about ¢340m was recently used to rid the
reservoirs of weeds and plant life, adding that the weeds were dangerous
because vegetation weight could cause pressure leading to the collapse of the
dam.
He said herbicidal application in recent years to rid the
reservoirs of waterweeds was not good because of their effect on humans. Benony Kortatsi, a Senior
Scientist of the Groundwater Division of WRI, said seawater intrusion was
mainly responsible for the salinity of groundwater in the Accra Plains.
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Czech company to take-over Shoe Factory
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 22 May
2003 - Telfin, the Czech Company which purchased the Kumasi Shoe factory is to commence production on 24
May. Edward Osei-Kwaku, Member of Parliament (MP) for
Asokwa-West, said the appointments of the workers
currently at the factory would be terminated.
Osei-Kwaku said the termination of
appointments was to make way for the take-over of the factory by the new
company.
''The workers severance entitlements have already been worked out and submitted
to the appropriate authorities'', he said
The MP was on a tour of some establishments, including the shoe and jute factories and the Daniel Sawmills Company in the constituency. He also inspected work on dredging works on the Susan stream, which stretches from Aboabo through Anloga, Ahensan to Atonsu.
At the Jute factory the MP was unhappy about how the factory and its machines
were lying idle, saying the government was working hard to get the factory
function again.
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Disbursement of GETFUND is discriminatory- GUPS
''The Union cannot understand why the Universities and
Polytechnics, as at 2002, had received ¢73.8bn and ¢45.2bn respectively, while
professional institutions in the country were allocated only ¢4.5bn.''
Isaac Villars, Interim President
of the Union who said this at the Union's National Mini-Congress in Kumasi, complained that only two professional institutions
- the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) and the Ghana Institute of
Languages (GIL) had benefited from the fund since its inception.
The other 11 Professional Institutes in the country,
including the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), among others have been left
out, he said. The Union said they were being marginalized in allocation of the
FUND and that it was contrary to the GETFUND Act 581, subsection seven, which
called for fair distribution of the fund to Tertiary Institutions in the
country.
The Union, therefore, appealed to the government to check the flaws that were
impeding the fair distribution of the fund so as to enhance professional
education in the country.
GRi…/
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Police arrest alleged armed robber, wanted since
2000
Kasoa (Greater Accra)
He said Roger, a product of Mamprobi
Borstal Institute, was apprehended in his mother's room. Supt. Danso appealed to members of the public to provide the
police with information that would lead to the arrest of criminals.
GRi…/
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SNNIT says salary increase does not affect its
pension
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 May 2003 - Social Security and
National Insurance Trust (SNNIT) Pensioners are not affected by the 50 percent
increase in pensioners' pay as published in a local daily, Miss Evangeline Amegashie, Deputy Head of Public Affairs Department of the
Trust, has said.
''Every January, we index it and our pension has been raised
from ¢50,000 to ¢90,000 being the current minimum pension," she said in an
interview with the GNA. Miss Amegashie said the SNNIT
is ''undertaking age 54 project under which the bio-financial data of all
contributors aged 54 and above are being processed to facilitate payment of
pension.''
She said prompt payment of pension was dependent on how institutions would expedite transmission of data to the SNNIT. The publication said pensioners would receive 50 percent increase in their pension, following adjustments in salaries by government.
GRi…/
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University student expelled
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 May 2003 - The University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday announced the dismissal of Kenneth Ashaley Morgan, an M Phil (Part1) student of the Department
of Nutrition and Food Science for extorting various sums of money from three
other students of the University.
A statement issued in Accra by the University said Morgan
extorted the money from the three, under the pretext of securing accommodation
for them in Jubilee Hall of the University. According to the statement, three
others, Eric Asare Akuoku,
a national service person at the Office of International Programmes of the
University, Ms Jeanette Ewurama Hagan and Ms Sylvia Otema Darko, a Level 400 and a
Level 200 Humanities student respectively, had also been sanctioned for their
complicity in the matter.
It said a committee of enquiry set up to investigate the matter found out that
Morgan previously did his national service at the International Programmes
Office of the University. He was subsequently appointed Assistant Co-ordinator
of the University's
Study Abroad Consortium (USAC) based at the University. It said Morgan extorted
sums of money from the two female students. It did not specify the amount.
He also demanded three million cedis
from another female student, out of which an initial one million cedis was paid to him
He has therefore, been directed to pay the money to the victims. He statement said the committee found Akuoku
to have aided and abetted Morgan to carry out the extortion. Akuoku has accordingly been withdrawn from his national
service posting and banned from postgraduate study at the University.
Ms. Hagan and Ms Darko on the
other hand were found by the Committee to have yielded to the demands of the
extortionist. Their residency in the Jubilee Hall has therefore been revoked.
They would also be denied residency in any other University hall or hostel for
the remainder of their stay in the University.
GRi…/
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American Embassy to help fight crime in
Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 May 2003 - The Ambassador of the United States of
America to Ghana, Mrs Mary Yates on Wednesday said her country was prepared to
collaborate with Ghana to find news ways of combating crime.
Mrs Yates, who was speaking at meeting in Accra with the
Interior Minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman,
said criminals actually needed to be put behind bars and sharpening the skills
of the security personnel could do that.
She expressed appreciation to Ghanaians and the professionalism of the police personnel towards terrorism and security issues. Mrs Yates met the Minister with some security officials from the US, who were in the country to assist in training security personnel.
Owusu-Agyeman said the discussion between the
Ministry and Embassy for logistics and imparting sophisticated methods to make
the personnel more efficient had been satisfactory.
He said there had also been collaboration among the
Ministry, National Disaster Management Organisation; Military; Police and
Narcotics Control Board for the safety of Ghanaians in the event of a terrorist
attack.
Owusu-Agyeman said the Embassy and
Ministry were beginning to lay the foundation for new cooperation to ensure
security and they needed to exchange ideas in this direction. He warned that
the security agencies were going to launch an assault on
drug dealers and addicts.
GRi…/
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