GRi Newsreel
07 - 11 – 2002
NCCE holds forum on Constitution
Let's make life comfortable for victims of HIV/AIDS -
Aliu
Livestock development project to be initiated -
Minister
Include private schools in education improvement
programmes
Common Fund Administrator sworn into office
Anglophone Women Trades unionist attend workshop
Wuaku Commission presents report to Kufuor
Ghana-France sign agreement on rice
production
Dr Botchwey receives rousing welcome in
Upper East
Mills, Botchwey commended for peaceful
campaign
National Media Commission settles 56
complaints
CPP backs Pratt in alleged $125,000 bribe
Afari-Gyan assesses progress of local
government elections
Religious bodies concerned about HIV/AIDS
Processing of Dual Citizenship scheme begins in UK
NCCE holds forum on Constitution
Inchaban (Western Region) 07 November 2002- Elias Kofi Gyampson, Civic Education Officer of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) on Tuesday called on Ghanaians not to do anything that would disrupt the country's democratic process.
He made the call at a forum on the constitution at the Sekondi Secondary School at Inchaban, near Sekondi. Gyampson said the smooth transition that Ghana had that successfully changed the government through the ballot box was a credit to the country.
He therefore, urged Ghanaians to exercise patience, if they have anything against the present government until the next elections. Gyampson said the use of the barrel of the gun to change governments did not augur well for the country since it disrupted development programmes.
He said the country had had four constitutions of which three were abrogated through military takeovers. This, he said, was not good for the country, which has barely 50 years old. Gyampson said what would make the 1992 Constitution survive are good governance and tolerance.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Let's make life comfortable for victims of
HIV/AIDS - Aliu
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama has asked Ghanaians to replace the disgrace and stigmatisation associated with HIV/AIDS with care and compassion to improve the physical and social well-being of the half a million people living with the disease.
Vice President Mahama said this at a ceremony where he launched the national campaign against stigmatisation and discrimination of victims of HIV/AIDS under the theme: "National Reach Out; Show Compassion."
"I must emphasise that the only way by which we as a people can make progress in our fight to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS is to replace the cloak of shame we have placed on the disease and the people living with it with solidarity and also replace the fear that has gripped them with hope. That is what our sense and commitment to compassion, care and support can help us achieve," he said.
The Campaign jointly organised by the Ghana Social Marketing Foundation, USAID, Johns Hopkins University/Centre for Communications Programme and the Forum of Religious Bodies uses churches, mosques and the mass media as the platform for changing the negative attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS.
Vice President Mahama lauded the organisers of the Campaign, particularly, the leadership of the Christian and Moslem organisations, saying, it was important they had overcome the key barriers such as the reluctance to talk openly about sexual behaviour, the controversy about the views on condom promotion and the perception that disease is a curse or punishment, to champion the campaign.
He appealed to Christians and Moslems to always cooperate and form partnerships that would ensure socio-economic progress. "Sustain the sharing of information, educational materials and successful materials and successful practices among your various groups and empower the youth of your congregations and mosques to rise above all destructive and risky behaviour, which is the greatest cause of AIDS."
Victims of HIV/AIDS reportedly suffer human rights abuses such as dismissal from their employment, ejection from their homes, neglect by family and friends, subjection to ridicule and gossip.
Experts on HIV/AIDS say the major challenge facing Ghana today in her combat against the disease is the stigma, blame, discrimination and collective denial, described by the UNAIDS as the third epidemic, associated with the disease.
This epidemic, they say, has made it difficult to overcome the first two epidemics, which are HIV infection that enters a community silently and unnoticed and the AIDS, which appears when HIV triggers life-threatening infections, respectively.
The Compassion Campaign, described as the second phase of the National Campaign Against HIV/AIDS was, therefore, put together to avert the spread of the third epidemic. Vice President Mahama mentioned a number of programmes and activities developed by the government, religious bodies and non-governmental organisations and many partners to fight the spread of the disease, saying that though these were inadequate, it was important that Ghana did not rest on its oars.
He advised beneficiary organisations of the $25m World Bank facility secured by the government to support inter-sectoral efforts to make judicious use of the funds. He cautioned: "Anyone who will misapply this fund would be doing a great disservice to our people and, therefore, liable to sanctions.
More than 150 organisations, including district assemblies, NGOs, religious organisations, educational institutions and vocational institutions have received various sums of money from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) to fund their programmes.
Professor Sakyi A. Amoa, Director-General of GAC, said studies conducted in Ghana among 101 infected people in 2000, revealed that only nine per cent of them had disclosed their status to several people because of the fear of stigmatisation and discrimination.
The study, Prof. Amoa said, showed negative judgmental attitudes towards people with AIDS, indicating that 41 per cent of respondents believed that people with HIV/AIDS were immoral and sinners.
However, he said, another study contradicted the perception, having showed that 90 per cent of infected people were faithfully married or in monogamous relationships. "We need to confront these judgmental attitudes of the general public and advice churches not to link theology of sin with HIV infection," he said.
Prof. Amoa said 43 per cent of respondents in the community agreed that people with HIV should be isolated, since they represented a danger to others. Recognising similar problems in many countries, UNAIDS, he said, had decided to make the theme for the World AIDS Day on 1 December, "Reducing Stigmatisation and Discrimination Against People with HIV/AIDS" to address the issue.
Prof. Fred Torgbor Sai, Presidential Advisor on Health and Population Issues, said it was unfortunate that people infected with the disease were abandoned as immoral people instead of sympathising with them and caring for them.
He said it was ironic that unmarried teenagers who get pregnant are forgiven and accepted, while those who contract HIV/AIDS through sex were shunned although in both cases they had sex.
Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minster of Information and Presidential Affairs, said during his recent visit to Odumase Krobo, one of the communities with prevalence rates above the national 3.6 per cent, he was informed that victims of the disease did not face discrimination.
"If the people of Manya Krobo can do it, then we all can do it. Let us use our strength to build bridges to the weak, who need our support most," he said. Representatives of the Christian and Moslem leaders took turns to pledge their commitment to make the Campaign successful.
Campaign messages drawn for radio, television and the print media, which showed religious leaders stressing the need to show compassion to HIV/AIDS victims and with verses from the Bible and the Koran were screened to participants.
The Campaign also includes testimonies of people living with the disease. Two of them were introduced at the ceremony, while a minute of silence was observed for one lady, Habiba, who died three weeks ago, after the shooting of the programme.
A group of musicians, including the Alabaster Box, Stella Dougan, Emmy Newman and Pastor Joe Beecham, performed the Campaign song, which is their contribution to the programme.
The ceremony, attended by the Chairman of the Council of State, Ministers of State, Parliamentarians, representatives of religious organisations, traditional rulers and a cross-section of the public, ended with the holding of hands as Vice President Mahama read I Peter 3:8 and Surat 21:83 from the Koran, which task their followers to show compassion.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Livestock development project to be
initiated - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2002- A Livestock Development Project is to be initiated by the government to reduce poverty in the rural areas. Major Courage Quashiga (RTD), Minister of Food and Agriculture, said this at the opening of the 14th Congress of the Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) and its 28th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday in Accra.
The four-day congress was under the theme, “Increasing Livestock and Poultry Production in Ghana - The role of the Veterinarian.” He said a National Cattle Branding Scheme would be started soon to identify and trace diseases that destroy the respective stocks of livestock for eradication.
The Minister said research by the Ministry had shown that inadequate health-care was the main cause of disease and death among livestock in rural areas. He said since the rural areas produced a larger percentage of the country's poultry and livestock needs; the Ministry was working on a new programme to develop a locally manufactured vaccine to control the disease.
Major Quashiga urged Veterinarians to find ways of manufacturing drugs locally to reduce the cost of procuring them, especially by poor rural farmers. He also announced that the Ministry would embark upon an anti-rabies campaign this year to quell the high incidence of the disease in some parts of the country.
Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, said it was unfortunate that some Veterinarians had also joined in the exodus of professionals from the country in search of greener pastures.
He said veterinary practice in the country had gone a long way to improve and sustain the livestock industry in the country and said the government was working hard to improve upon their plight as well as that of other professionals in the country.
He said Ghana was working on making the livestock production a viable product of the economy and urged Veterinarians to stay and help improve upon animal husbandry in the country.
Dr Andy Quarcoopome, President of the GVMA, urged Veterinarians to devote more time and attention to livestock production, adding that it was one of the main sources of protein in the country.
He said there was a lot of room for improvement and announced that the GVMA was investigating allegations of unfair distribution of poultry vaccines in some parts of the country. Nii Tetteh Kpobi Tsuru, La Mantse chaired the function.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Include private schools in education
improvement programmes
Kormantse (Central Region) 07 November 2002- The Ghana Education Service and District Assemblies have been urged to include private schools in programmes to improve education in the country.
Joseph Emmanuel Tetteh, Headmaster of Oxford Preparatory School at Kormantse in the Central Region, made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Kormanste.
He said, "Sidelining private schools in the supply of textbooks, furniture and incentive packages for teachers to improve teaching and learning is an unfortunate situation, which should not be allowed to continue".
Tetteh said it was unfortunate that people saw private schools as moneymaking ventures for the proprietors and therefore did not need support from government or donor agencies.
"Even products of private schools in authority have turned round to discriminate against us. Since private schools play an important role in the educational set up, it is incumbent on the government to include us in incentive packages such as the Best Teacher Award to boost our morale". Tetteh added.
The Headmaster said the first batch of the school's students scored 100 per cent obtaining between aggregate six and 13 in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). He said the school was first in the Mock BECE organised in the District last year and stressed the determination of the authorities to improve upon the performance this year.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Common Fund Administrator sworn into office
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor has sworn Joshua Magnus Nicol a 54 year old Chartered Accountant into office as the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund.
President Kufuor administered the official and oath of secrecy to Nicol at a short ceremony at the Castle, Osu. He said the Fund had become a major component in local government administration in the country but in the past most district assemblies did not obtain enough of the resources from the fund for their development programmes.
President Kufuor, therefore, urged Nicol to work out a formula for the sharing of the resources to ensure equity and in addition ensure the funds disbursed were used effectively and judiciously.
He said as a central figure in the decentralisation process, the Administrator must ensure that there was no backlog in the disbursement of the fund as pertained in the past "You must ensure that no backlog occurred during your tenure of office", the President told the Administrator.
Nicol gave the assurance that he would not let the nation down but that he would work with due diligence to serve the nation. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development told newsmen that the backlog in the release of fund since 2000 had been cleared and there were no arrears.
He said the monies which had accrued from the five per cent taxes into the fund, this year, would be released to the assemblies for development projects after the new administrator had come out with a formula for the disbursement after it had been approved by Parliament.
Parliament on Tuesday, 29 October unanimously approved the nomination of Nicol, as Administrator of the Fund. Nicol, who is also a Chartered Management Accountant, and a Marketing Professional will be in office for four years.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Anglophone Women Trades unionist attend
workshop
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2002-A four-day West Africa Anglophone Women's Planning workshop aimed at sensitising the women within the Sub-Region to enable them to build bridges with their counterparts for effective networking is underway in Accra.
A statement issued by the Trade Union Congress (Ghana) said the workshop, organised by the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) was also aimed at collecting baseline information and experience in organising women transport workers in the sub-region.
The workshop, being attended by 25 participants drawn from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone would plan national and sub-regional activities, production of sub-regional newsletter as well as to start developing strategies to organise women transport workers.
Beneficiaries were drawn from, Railway workers Union, Railway Enginemen's Union, Maritime and Dockworkers union, national Union of Seamen, GPRTU and the Local Union Government Union, which are affiliated to the ITF, the statement added.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Wuaku Commission presents report to Kufuor
He said the Wuaku Commission's report should provide the opportunity for them to reconcile and put the tragic events and years of bitterness behind them. "Their leaders, especially, owe it to the young and future generations that they do not bequeath to them a legacy of hatred and distrust among brothers," he added.
President Kufuor made the appeal when he received a 15-page Executive Summary of the 222-page report, four volumes of the record of proceedings and a copy of the Special Investigative Report by the Police Investigative Team from the Wuaku Commission at the Castle, Osu.
Between 25-27 March this year, there were clashes between
the two main gates in the Dagbon Traditional Area- the Andanis and the Abudus-
during their annual Fire Festival. About 40 people, including the Ya Na Abdulai
Yakubu Andani II, lost their lives and property worth several million cedis as
well as the
The Commission set up by the government to probe the Yendi crisis brought its sittings to an end on Wednesday, September 4 after hearing evidence from 108 witnesses.
Justice Isaac Newton Kwaku Wuaku, retired Supreme Court
Judge and Chairman of the Commission, presented the report to the President.
Other members of the Committee were, Professor Kwesi Yankah, Dean of the
Faculty of Arts,
President Kufuor reiterated his assurance to the people of Dagbon and the nation that the process would be as transparent as possible and there would be no cover-up or attempt to shield anybody found to be culpable. "The full rigours of the law will take their course once the facts have been established."
President Kufuor said Dagbon could not develop until there was peace, adding, "the rest of the world is progressing rapidly and we dare not continue to spend so much time, money and energy on matters that retard our progress".
He said government was ready to provide all the necessary assistance and support to the people of Dagbon in the healing process and was hopeful to work towards the achievement of this goal.
Justice Wuaku said for the Commission to come to a firm conclusion of its assignment, it tried to find out if there were any remote causes, which might have sparked off the events of March 25. He said the Commission discovered from available documents, including judgements of the Courts that certain historical factors had, to a large extent, contributed to the events that sparked off the conflicts.
Justice Wuaku said based on evidence before the Commission, it had been able to identify some people as those responsible for the events in Yendi. He said the Commission was hopeful that its findings and recommendations would go a long way to help in the solution of the problem, not only in the Dagbon Traditional Area, but national issues.
The Commission, inaugurated by President Kufuor on May 6, at
the Castle, Osu, began its sitting on Tuesday 4 June at the GNAT Hall in
Sunyani and took three months to complete its task. It, however, lost its first
Counsel, George Kwate Owoo, 67, a retired Chief State Attorney, who died in
Yaw Wiredu-Peprah, a former State Attorney and currently a Sunyani-based lawyer took over on Thursday, August 1 for the Commission to complete its sittings. Charles Hayibor, an Accra-based lawyer led the three-man legal team of the Andanis while Nana Obiri Boahene, a Sunyani-based lawyer led the two-man Abudu legal team.
Another measure taken by the government to solve the Yendi crisis was to seek the advice of three prominent chiefs in the country. They were Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, the Yagbonwura, Bawa Doshie of the Gonja Traditional Area and the Nayiri, Mohamadu Abdulai Gamni, Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Ghana-France sign agreement on rice
production
The MOFA would under the agreement provide support for food security policy formulation and the implementation of such policies on pilot basis in the Northern Region with special emphasis on rice production.
Dr Gheysika Agambila, a Deputy Minister of Finance, who
signed for
This component embraces staff training and foreign visits where appropriate. It also involves writing of reports on studies on crop supply-chain management for presentation at workshops involving stakeholders of the crop-sector to facilitate consensus building and the formulation of a strong food security policy.
The second component aims to contribute to the strengthening of the rice producers' organisations through the study of traditional and informal farmer-based organisations (FBOs) in the Northern Region.
Programmes being implemented by other donor organisations would be studied to facilitate the training of the leaders of such farmer organisations in management and negotiations. The last of the three components would entail follow-ups and evaluation, dissemination of information on the project in local languages and audio-visual displays.
Dr Agambila said
Jean-Michel Berrit, French Ambassador in
He said two French technical advisers would be posted to
Berrit expressed the hope that the rice project would serve
as the beginning of co-operation in the agriculture sector. He said his
government is currently studying the possibility of setting up a new project in
agronomic research in
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Dr Botchwey receives rousing welcome in
Upper East
Bolgatanga (Upper East Region)
He said in most of the areas he had visited so far, the party's infrastructure had deteriorated due to the absence of funds and expressed his determination to reverse the trend. Dr Botchwey was speaking to newsmen in Bolgatanga during a visit to the Upper East Region.
The one-time Finance Minister in the NDC government claimed that he has a viable alternative for HIPC. "It is not a matter of going round from country to country borrowing but the solution lies in strengthening the country's export earning capacity through manufacturing." He added that there was also the need to increase foreign export earnings by developing labour intensive products.
Dr Botchwey appealed to the people of Bawku to co-exist peacefully to enable them to go about their work without fear. He also called on aggrieved party functionaries to forget the past and urged those on the fence to join the party to make it strong.
Dr Botchwey described his trip to the Upper East as impressive and encouraging and thanked the people of the area for the rousing welcome accorded him.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Mills, Botchwey commended for peaceful
campaign
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 07 November 2002 - Prof John Atta-Mills and Dr Kwesi Botchwey have been commended for the matured and peaceful manner they have so far conducted their campaign programmes for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership.
Alex Sowah Attivor, the Asokwa-West Constituency Chairman of the NDC, noted that their campaign messages were laudable since they were devoid of any personality attacks and rancour, and therefore, impressed on supporters of the two to emulate them.
Attivor made the commendation on Tuesday in a briefing with
the GNA on the impact the campaign strategies of the two contestants for the
NDC Presidential candidates had on members of the party in
He however, stressed the need for whoever will lose the elections in at the delegates congress to accept defeat in good faith "and with good grace", adding that the loser must rally round the winner to help wrestle power from the NPP in the 2004 elections.
Attivor said it would be morally wrong for any of the aspirants to use defeat as a basis to either break away to form his own party or withdraw from the activities of the party.
He appealed to NDC members, especially P.V. Obeng, former Presidential Adviser and Ohene Kena, a former Minister of Energy, to muster courage and also contest the flagbearership of the party to help enhance its democratic position.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
National Media Commission settles 56
complaints
The complaints, which were against about 21 media houses, had The Ghanaian Chronicle topping the list with 21 direct cases and 16 rejoinders. The Daily Graphic followed with 12 rejoinders and seven direct complaints.
The GAR/Uniiq FM station had one rejoinder and one direct
case and Top Radio and Peace FM had two direct complaints each, the least on
the complaint chart. These were contained in the Commission's 2001 Annual
report submitted to Parliament in
Sixteen media houses were specifically mentioned in a graph of respondents and with others grouped together taking collectively 18 direct complaints with 13 rejoinders.
According to the report, some of the complaints included that of NPP News accusing Professor John Evans Atta Mills of having been involved in a dishonest and a scandalous ¢1.5b transfer of the late Shamo Quaye from Accra Hearts of Oak FC to UMEA of Sweden.
"When the Commission brought the complaint to the attention of the NPP News, the newspaper, in its 4-9 June 2001, admitted that the story was unfounded, untrue and had, accordingly, withdrawn it and apologised to Professor Atta Mills," it said.
Another one was a story by The Ghanaian Chronicle that Kwame Pianim, an Economic Consultant, was accused, among others, of being a traitor, a double tongued person and having attended the National Reform Party's Congress at Legon and was an advisor to Professor Atta Mills.
The report said during the hearing, Nana Kofi Koomson, the Publisher, denied the allegations, stating that the publications were intelligent deductions from a statement made by Professor Atta Mills to the effect that he would involve Kwame Pianim and others in his administration, should he win the 2000 elections and were not intended to malign Pianim.
The Commission found out that the deductions made by the paper were not borne out by the available evidence and that the silence of Pianim could not, by any stretch of imagination, be construed to mean that he had thereby become an adviser to Professor Atta Mills.
The NMC, therefore, directed the that The Ghanaian Chronicle should retract the allegations against the complainant and apologise to him and also publish the NMC's release on the settlement in two continuous editions.
E.T Mensah, Member of Parliament for Prampram, also complained against the then Group Sports Editor of the Daily Graphic, Joe Aggrey, currently Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, about some comments he published in The Mirror, which the MP considered embarrassing and being an attack on his person.
According to the report, during deliberations with the parties, Aggrey conceded that the figures quoted in his article were inaccurate. "E.T Mensah expressed his satisfaction with the acknowledgement of inaccurate figures by Aggrey and was prepared to let the matter be put to rest," the report added.
During the year in review, the NMC organised workshops and seminars for media practitioners all over the country to broaden their scope of their profession.
In a preface to the report, Nutifafa Kuenyahia, Chairman of the Commission, gave the assurance that despite financial and logistic constraints, the commitment and enthusiasm of the Commission to facilitate media pluralism and its independence, as well as promote professionalism and responsible behaviour of media practitioners remained unqualified and unwavering.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
CPP backs Pratt in alleged $125,000 bribe
In a statement signed in
It said the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), by its delay in coming out with the report of its Ethics Committee, unconsciously fuelled the fire of speculation. "The report that the Editor of the Accra Daily Mail refused to abide by the directives of the Committee to disclose the source of the paper's story on the matter is rather unfortunate and could undermine the credibility of the GJA."
The CPP said its Central Committee finds the linkage between the alleged "bribe-taking" and the purported stance of Mr Pratt on an alliance with the ruling New Patriotic Party as "diversionary tactics".
The statement said the CPP's position on relation with other political parties was resolved at the First National Delegates' Congress held in 1999. The congress "unambiguously" mandated the Central Committee to merge with parties of the Nkrumaists tradition only, the statement said.
The CPP said it believes that journalists must uphold the ethics that govern their practice to give credence to the media as the Fourth Estate. "As a political party determined to pursue truth in all matters, the CPP calls on the GJA to expeditiously come out with its final position on the matter so that whosoever may be found to have engaged in any malpractice is made to face appropriate sanctions."
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Afari-Gyan assesses progress of local
government elections
Ho (Volta Region)
He made this point at a
Dr Afari-Gyan said the election figures showed that response from urban and metropolitan areas where publicity and public education were higher, the turnout was lower than in the rural areas.
He explained that the encouraging turnout in the rural areas was because the people felt the direct impact of the activities of local government unlike those in the urban and metropolitan areas where all developmental activities were attributed to the central government.
He, therefore, advised District and Metropolitan Assemblies to popularise their activities to get the public to appreciate their efforts. Dr Afari-Gyan observed that the low response to local government elections "may well be a worldwide phenomenon since elections are very costly, and a low turnout always entails a lot of waste, because calculations are always based on the assumption that every registered voter will come and vote".
He called for a thorough analysis of the phenomenon in
Dr Afari-Gyan said the "laws prohibiting partisan interference in the elections must be enforced with co-operation from all citizens rather than citing such partisan meddling as reason for making the elections partisan". He said major issues to tackle should include the demarcation and the number of electoral areas and units.
The mounting of platforms, printing of ballot papers, dispassionate assessment of the non-partisanship of the elections and adequate funding for institutions involved in local governance should also be examined, he added.
Obeng Busia, Special Assistant to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the laws governing local government arrangements should be simplified so as to remove ambiguities in the minds of those affected by such laws.
Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister implored Parliamentarians not to ignore the decisions of the District assemblies even though they were not binding on them. He said it was important that periodic assessments were carried out on institutions to determine whether they were performing their functions as expected.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Religious bodies concerned about HIV/AIDS
In a communiqué presented to Vice President Alui Mahama, in
The joint communiqué, issued by the Christian Council of
They called for the inclusion of religious leaders on the censorship board or regulatory bodies in charge of regulating films screened to the public to uphold the moral values of the youth.
They said the media had the tendency to erode the morals of the youth and the inclusion of religious organisations on such censorship board would help sustain the fight against HIV prevention.
The communiqué called for the setting up of an HIV week, which should precede the World AIDS Day in December to educate school children. It urged the government to commit resources to fight the disease and provide treatment and drugs to PLWHA "the proposed national health insurance scheme notwithstanding."
It also called for the local manufacture of anti-retroviral drugs for the management of the disease, which has so far infected over 500,000 Ghanaians. The religious organisations openly condemned the stigmatisation of PLWHA and the deliberate spread of the virus by infected people.
They said they would continue to promote abstinence and faithfulness in the fight and develop information and education materials to educate their followers. Earlier, Maulvi Wahab Adam, Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, who was part of the team, which presented the communiqué, said all religious organisations in the country had committed themselves to breaking the silence around sex as part of a national effort, which they are now leading against the scourge.
Other members of the team were the National Chief Imam, Alhaji Usman Nuhu Sharbutu and the Rev. Joseph Anim, Vice president of the Ghana Pentecostal Council
The campaign being led by the religious bodies, is under the
theme, "Reach Out: Show Compassion," and it being done in
collaboration with the
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Processing
of Dual Citizenship scheme begins in UK
London
Applicants
eligible for Dual citizenship are those who hold citizenship of any country in
addition to the citizenship of
In all
instances, all applicants are required by law to provide evidence of their
Ghanaian nationality or their country of birth. They would be required to
provide one of the following particulars to be accompanied by six passport size
photographs.
- Birth Certificate or Passports
- Parents’ Nationality (Passports)
- Voters ID Card, Birth Certifications of Parents
- British or other non Ghanaian
passports
All
applicants are required to complete a Dual Citizenship application form, which
costs £50.00 and pay an additional sum of £10.00 for the issuance of the
certificate.
On
acquiring the dual citizenship status, applicants would be entitled to apply
for a Ghanaian passport besides the passport of the other country whose
citizenship they have already acquired.
Under the
Dual citizenship law, it is an offence for a dual citizenship holder to use two
passports interchangeably to deceive an immigration officer.
Those who
violate the law would be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding
250 penalty units or a term of imprisonment not exceeding a year or both.
In this
connection, all dual citizens are required to travel only with their
certificates of Dual Citizenship and only one passport of their choice.
It is
anticipated that successful applicants would be able to receive their
certificates within three months. -
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com