PNC urges ECOWAS to
restrain President Laurent Gbagbo
Blay calls for
tolerance in CPP
ECOWAS has not
abandoned La Cote d'Ivoire - Hackman
CPP is opposed to IMF
and the World Bank
President Kufuor
arrives in Wa for three-day visit
University boss calls
for action to develop education
Ghana must chart own
course in biotech - Researcher
Public warned against
sale of substandard drugs
Don't use mosques to
preach violence- Minister
Forestry Commission
to establish pilot service centres
Polytechnic students
call for implementation of committee's report
Chief Justice's comments were unfortunate- Amnesty International
760 teenage pregnancies in Suhum in one month
Bill Clinton helps
Ghana's poor gain property titles
President Kufuor tours the Upper East and West Regions
PNC
urges ECOWAS to restrain President Laurent Gbagbo
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002 - The People's National Convention (PNC) on Monday called on
Governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the
International community to pressurise President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire
to dialogue with rebels fighting his government.
"The Ivorian
leader needs to be forced to adopt diplomacy as jaw, jaw is always better than
war war... for his second mistake would be catastrophic for his nation and the
sub-region," Dr Edward Mahama, PNC leader told the Ghana News Agency in an
interview in Accra.
Dr Mahama noted that
the last minute refusal of the Ivorian President in signing the ceasefire
agreement last Saturday in spite of the assurance and initial commitment to
dialogue is unfortunate and a sign of disrespect to fellow ECOWAS leaders.
He urged the Ivorian
government to learn from its first mistake of poor planning and lack of
security understanding and sensitivity, which led to the incursion and move
back to the negotiation table. "The defiant posture adopted by the
government would not be the interest of majority of Ivorians."
Dr Mahama said the
Ivorian crisis was a test case, "our leaders’ ability to find a quick and
appropriate solution to the problem would determine how successful their
resolve to maintain the culture of democracy, peace and respect for the rule of
law on the continent within the context of the African Union".
The Foreign Minister
of Mali, Mr Lassana Traore on Saturday announced the failure of the parties to
sign the peace agreement, expressing his disappointment and regret.
Mr Traore, who is
also spokesperson for a contact group from the ECOWAS told newsmen in Cote
d'Ivoire that the mutineers have been very co-operative and were ready to sign
the agreement, but the other party failed to turn up.
"The Ivorian
Foreign Affairs Minister and his colleague of the Defence Ministry had assured
us about the conclusion of the agreement, but we are sorry to note that nothing
has followed,"
"We would
certainly be back here (Yamoussoukro venue for the signing), as ECOWAS will not
give up on finding a solution to the on-going crisis," he said.
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Blay
calls for tolerance in CPP
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker of
Parliament, on Monday
called for tolerance in discussing issues that would transform the Convention
People's Party (CPP) as a viable party into a viable party.
Speaking to the Ghana
News Agency in reaction to verbal attacks on him by some party members, Mr Blay
who is a CPP Member of Parliament for Elembelle said: "The beauty of
democracy is tolerance".
The reaction followed
a statement the Greater Accra Regional Youth Wing of the CPP issued accusing Mr
Blay and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional
Integration and a leading member of the party, of having sold the birthright of
the CPP to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Blay said: "I
have made my position on the party clear.
I did it in the open so that we could as a party debate the issues and
come out with a plan. Those accusing me are not organising anything. At least,
I represent a constituency in Parliament and when I speak I speak for those who
voted for me. I am not a Trojan
Horse."
He said: "There
are some, who are talking about neo-colonialism and imperialism and I would
agree with them that perhaps they have read more than I have done and once
democracy is also a learning process I would allow them to say all that they
are saying. I don't hold it against them. It is politics." Mr Blay said it
would have been better if the party did not wash its dirty linen in the public.
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ECOWAS
has not abandoned La Cote d'Ivoire - Hackman
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Ghana's Foreign Minister, on Monday
said the West African Ministerial Group brokering a peace deal between government
and rebels in La Cote d'Ivoire had not given up their mission but were
"taking fresh instructions from our leaders.
"We are likely
to go back to that country by mid-week if all goes well. We cannot afford to
abandon this mission. It would be just too expensive." Mr Owusu Agyeman,
who is a member of the Foreign Ministers Mediation Mission of six countries of
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) told journalists in Accra
that the Ivorian government was hesitating to talk to the rebels because,
"of its interpretation of the Accra Accord."
President Laurent
Gbagbo of Cote D'Ivoire was insisting that according to the Accra Accord, the
rebels were to lay down their arms but the reality on the ground demanded that
both sides agreed to a ceasefire before peace could be achieved.
"We have not
given any formal recognition to the rebels, we have not legitimised any group.
We have not given de-jury recognition to them. We just wanted them to talk and
stop the bloodshed," he said.
He said President
Gbagbo was bowing to pressure from the local population not to talk to the
rebels. On the question of an armed force intervention, he said; "I cannot
rule that out entirely but I cannot tell what form it would take. I could be an
AU Force, UN or ECOWAS."
Mr Owusu-Agyemang
said there was deep-seated anti-ECOMOG feeling among the population of La Cote
D'Ivoire while the rebels have mistrust for the French. "According to the
rebels, when they agreed on a ceasefire for the French to evacuate foreign nationals,
they were attacked by government troops."
He said the rebels
demanded for amnesty, "this is what I will say for now but their demands
were not extraordinary". The Foreign Minister said the humanitarian cost
of a full-scale war in that country was unimaginable.
"If a country of
16 million people, which has a 40 per cent foreigner population is at war with
itself what would happen?" He described the Ivorian situation as
"fire in the wind; it could spread anywhere at anytime. We cannot afford
to be passive".
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CPP
is opposed to IMF and the World Bank
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- The Greater Accra Regional Youth Wing of the Convention
Peoples Party (CPP), on Monday said the CPP youth was opposed to those who
would join forces with agents of IMF and World Bank.
It said the CPP youth
considered both the ruling NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as
neo-colonialists, representing foreign business interests. "The CPP as a
revolutionary and vanguard freedom fighting party must be built as a credible
alternative to both NPP and NDC".
Mr. George Lamptey,
Regional Youth Organizer of the CPP, in a statement issued in Accra called on
the leadership of the party to remove characters that would sabotage the CPP
from the party to enable it to move forward in the interest of ordinary
Ghanaians
It said the youth
wing would object to the actions of those who were assisting others in
deepening foreign capitalist domination of the country through Structural
Adjustment, HIPC, privatisation and unemployment.
It said all the
leadership bodies of the party, including the National Executive Committee
(NEC), Central Committee and the Council of Elders have stated their faith in
the independent future of the party and urged the rank and file to rally behind
the leadership towards victory in 2004.
"Some political
analysts have however, criticised the party youth for not questioning the
appointments of Mr. Freddie Blay and Dr Kwesi Ndoum to their present posts in
the ruling government from the onset".
Mr Blay is the first
Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Dr Nduom is the Minister of Economic Planning
and Integration in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and are as well
leading members of the CPP.
The statement said
the youth of the party have noted with concern, the recent claim by Mr Blay and
Dr Ndoum, that the CPP would support the NPP in the 2004 elections. It said the
youth wing wished to state that Mr. Blay and Dr Ndoum spoke for only themselves
and not the party,"
"Utterances by
Mr. Blay and Dr Ndoum flouted decisions of successive democratic meetings and
suggested that the cancer of elitism is growing in the party."
"Mr. Blay, Dr.
Ndoum and other members of the Parliamentary Action Group (PAG) are free to
leave the CPP and join the NPP but they will not be allowed to subvert
democratically made decisions of the party," the statement said.
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President
Kufuor arrives in Wa for three-day visit
Wa (Upper West) 08
October 2002- President John Agyekum Kufour arrived at Wa on Monday morning to
begin a three-day tour of the Upper West region. This is his first visit to the
region since he was elected as head of state.
He was met on arrival
at the Wa air-strip by a large crowd of people including government officials
and NPP supporters who converged there as early as six oclock in the morning
and entertained themselves to drumming and dancing until the President's
aircraft touched down at 10.20 am.
Those who could not
make the two-kilometre journey to the air strip, including school children,
lined the street thumbing the "asee ho'' slogan as the presidential convoy
passed by them.
During the tour,
President Kufour would address durbars of chiefs and people at all the five
district capitals in the region. He would also commission electricity projects
at Gwollu in the Sissala district, Lawra and Jirapa.
He is accompanied by
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and
Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Presidential Affairs.
The others are, Dr
Abdul-Mageed Haroun, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Moses Dani
Baah Deputy Minister of Health and Mr Clement Eledi, Deputy Minister of Mines.
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University
boss calls for action to develop education
Ho (Volta Region) 08
October 2002-Reverend Professor Addo Obeng, Vice Chancellor of the University
of Cape Coast on Monday called for a shift from rhetoric to real action towards
achieving relevant and sustainable quality education for national development.
Prof. Obeng said
research has established that there is a positive correlation between relevant
education and the level of economic development.
He was delivering the
keynote address at the opening of a week-long ninth annual Conference of
District Directors of Education (CODDE) at Ho on the theme, "Relevant
Education for Sustainable National Development".
Prof Obeng said it
was, therefore, necessary to re-invent and re-focus the country's school system
with a cultural content that reflects the national aspirations, which he said
required adequate funding.
He said it was
imperative that the relevant education being sought by the country should have
practical, functional and vocational contents. Prof. Obeng observed that since
quality and relevant education could not be above the teacher, definite steps
must be taken to improve the teacher in terms of motivation and competence.
He called for a
well-coordinated programme of continual pre-service and in-service professional
education and training in innovative pedagogies in content of syllabuses. In
addition, "government needed to improve conditions of teachers, no two
ways about this. Our best is not good enough", he said.
Prof. Obeng suggested
that the Best Teacher Awards Scheme should be replicated at the school level
while opportunities are created for such teachers to impart their skills to
their colleagues especially the young ones.
The Vice Chancellor
called for a sustainable national policy on information, communication and
technology (ICT) in education in place of the current haphazard craze in ICT
training.
He cautioned against
the overloading of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND), warning that this
could kill the ability of the fund to deliver. Mr Rashid Bawa, Deputy Minster
of Education stated the government's acknowledgement of the quality output of
some District Directors under trying conditions but warned that those
performing below standards would not be spared.
He charged the
Directors to team up with Heads of Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) in dealing
with indiscipline among teachers and students. Mr Bawa said the Ministry of
Education looked forward to relevant recommendations from the Conference
towards addressing problems confronting the sector.
Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa,
Volta Regional Minister observed that though vocational and technical training
ought to be the dominant role of the country's educational system, creativity,
inventiveness and moral discipline through the study of the arts and humanities
are equally important ingredients of relevant education.
He said the country's
educational reforms should, therefore, not be influenced by market values and
considerations alone but sound moral values. Mrs Justina Torjagbo, National
President of CODDE decried the late and non-release of funds for administrative
and other commitments to the districts, thereby exposing directors to unfair
criticism from teachers, "who thought their allowances were misused by the
Directors".
She renewed the call
on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to guard against overcrowding of its
activities and issuing ultimatums and deadlines without taking into
consideration the peculiar difficult conditions of some districts.
She was hopeful that
funds from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative would
complement funding from the GETFUND to the benefit of the education.
Togbe Adzie Lakle
Howusu XII, Awafiaga of Asogli Traditional Area, who presided, appealed to the
GES to absorb the Asogli Technical Institute into the public education system
in line with government policy of developing a technical school in each
district.
He announced that a
citizen of Ho has made available 11,000 dollars for infrastructure development
on a 100-acre land earmarked for the school. Fraternal messages from Education
related associations drew attention to issues such as unattractive
responsibility allowances, the disparities in the salary scales of graduate and
non-graduate superintendents of GES and called for a remedy.
They also appealed to
the education authorities to rescind their decision to deny students who could
either not pass or take part in the recent SSS Basic Certificate Examination to
re-sit the examination.
Topics to be
discussed included, Quality Education for all: Panacea for poverty alleviation,
Discipline in pre-tertiary institutions: a tool for quality education and the
need to focus on technical/vocational education.
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Ghana
must chart own course in biotech - Researcher
Accra (Greater Accra0
08 October 2002- A researcher has called for a policy to develop the national
capacity for the exploitation of biotechnology in line with national interest.
Mr George Owusu
Essegbey of the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI),
which is under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.),
said the policy should deal with the protection of the environment, safety and
risk assessment of biotechnology and in particular, genetic engineering
applications.
Mr Essegbey was
speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Monday, over on-going
debates involving genetic engineering and the way forward for the country.
STEPRI recently
hosted a Stakeholders' Consultation Workshop on Biotechnology under the
auspices of the African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) network based in
Nairobi, as part of process to come out with a biotech policy.
Major advances in
biotechnology have opened up a wide range of opportunities for application in
the developing countries, especially, in the health and agriculture sectors.
However, some of
theses advances, such as Genetically Modified (GM) foods and human cloning have
raised hot debates worldwide. Some Southern African countries, just recently,
boycotted GM grains in the midst of hunger because of safety concerns.
"Biotechnology
applications could be good or bad, safe or unsafe, depending on how it is used.
Ghana therefore, has to formulate its own agenda for biotechnology
application," Mr Essegbey noted.
He said it was
possible, for example, to produce drought-resistant maize by finding a
drought-resistant gene in another plant, which could then be inserted into a
maize crop, to enable it withstand environmental stresses.
Mr Essegbey said
genetic engineering was a critical tool being harnessed for development
worldwide and that it was important that developing countries, such as Ghana
built capacities for biotechnology development.
"More importantly,
advanced countries are applying biotechnology to suit their circumstances. Such
applications may not be suitable for the developing countries and there is the
need for developing countries to make their own applications on the basis of
local needs."
He said this could be
done by developing the human resource base and investing in research
institutions so that the useful techniques of biotechnology could be harnessed
by specialists and specialised institutions to enhance the country's development.
Mr. Essegbey said a
National Biosafety Committee had been established by the Ministry of
Environment, Science and Technology, to come out with guidelines to ensure a
biosafety policy for the country.
In Ghana some
biotechnology applications are already available in the agriculture and health
sectors. These include tissue culture in crop development involving the cloning
or the production of an exact genetic copy of plants such as cassava and
pineapple and yam within the shortest time.
It is one of the core
activities of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute
(BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. In the health sector, the In
Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technology, which involves the fertilisation of the
female eggs and male sperms fertilization outside the human body, is also
available in Ghana.
The twenty-first
century has been described as the biotech age, in which scientists say genetic
engineering has the potential to produce healthy agriculture crops within the
shortest time, conquer cancer, grow new blood vessels and create new organs.
Though there are
grounds to be optimistic, there are reasons to be pragmatic as well since
biotechnology advances have raised a number of critical issues. The
announcement, for instance, in February, 1997, of the birth of a sheep named
Dolly, an exact genetic replica of its mother, sparked a worldwide debate over
the moral and medical implications of biotechnology feats by scientists.
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Public
warned against sale of substandard drugs
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Monday warned that there is
illegal sale of substandard drugs without labels packed in transparent
polythene at some parts in Accra.
The drugs were
identified as Chloramphenicol capsules, Oxeytetracycline capsules and
Penicillin capsules which were said to be sold by hangers-on, popularly known
as "I get am boys".
The warning was
contained in a statement signed by Mr E. K. Agyarko, Chief Executive of the
Food and Drugs Board. He said analysis at the Board's Quality Control
Laboratory indicates that the products were substandard containing less than 20
percent of the declared content.
The Board therefore,
requested all Pharmacies and Chemical Shops who per chance have procured any of
the said drugs to immediately return them to the Board for destruction.
All persons who have
in their possession any pharmaceutical production machinery (tabelting and
capsulting machines) but have not as yet registered as pharmaceutical
manufacturers to declare them to the Board within one week.
The Board said such
actions were a very serious breach of the law and ethical standards in pharmaceutical
industry and therefore, called on the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
in Ghana and the Pharmacy Business Executive's Association (PBEA) to report any
such infraction to the Board.
It assured the public
that the Board would do whatever was in its power and in collaboration with
other agencies of state, to investigate the matter thoroughly to bring any
perpetrators to book.
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Don't
use mosques to preach violence- Minister
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo)
08 October 2002- Mr Ernest Akubuor Debrah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister has
advised Moslems against the adoption of violence as a way of resolving petty
conflicts with other sects.
He gave the advice in
a speech read for him at the commissioning of a regional central mosque, a primary
school and a mechanical well in Sunyani. The project was funded by the Islamic
Council for Development and Humanitarian Services (ICDHS) at a cost of 275
million cedis.
The Regional Minister
warned that "any person who incites violence in the area will be dealt
with accordingly by law since it is the prime duty of the government to
maintain law and order in the country".
"The fight
against indiscipline will not be fought on selected fronts, as it will cover
all aspects of our national life, including religious and community
strife", he added. Mr Debrah commended religious organizations for their
numerous contributions to the promotion of good health and education.
He, however,
expressed regret that in spite of the laudable contributions, some negative
tendencies were rearing their ugly heads in religious associations, thereby
undermining their status.
Mr Debrah bemoaned
the high dropout rate of girls in the Muslim community and called on parents to
place a high premium on educating their children to become great assets to the
nation.
He mentioned early
betrothal to marriage, teenage pregnancy, lack of parental responsibility, lack
of girl-friendly atmosphere in some schools and "role-stereo typing"
as some factors that militates against the enrolment, and retention of girls in
Muslim communities.
Mr Joseph Henry
Mensah, Senior Minister and Member of Parliament for Sunyani East, who was the
guest of honour, commended ICDHS and some individuals for their contributions
to the completion of the projects.
He urged them to make
good use of the facilities, especially the school, to benefit the entire
community. Sheik Nuhu Shaributu, National Chief Imam, entreated Moslems to be
imbued with the spirit of patriotism and to co-operate with each other to maintain
peace in the country.
The Islamic religion
stands for peace and mutual co-existence among all people in the society; he
added Mr Abdulkadir Umar, Regional Chief Imam, reiterated the support of
Moslems in the fight against indiscipline "because Moslems preach virtues
of hard work, accountability and honesty, which are all necessary ingredients
for good moral upbringing in the society".
Moslems are committed
to the social and economic development of the country, since a religion cannot
move forward without social and economic stability".
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Forestry
Commission to establish pilot service centres
Tamale (Northern
Region) 08 October 2002- The Forestry Commission is to set up pilot service
centres in all the regions to provide consultancy and technical services for
stakeholders in the forestry industry.
Mr Henry Atta Paidoo,
Director of Human Resources of the Commission who announced this at a regional
launch of the new forestry Commission Charter in Tamale on Monday, said the
pilot service centres for Northern Ghana, would be sited at Tamale, in the
Northern Region, Navrongo, in the Upper East Region and Lawra, in the Upper
West Region.
Mr Paidoo who was
briefing the Commission's stakeholders, including traditional rulers,
landowners, farmers, representatives of the local communities, NGOs and
district assemblies, said the 16-page document had set forth among other
things, the future plans of the Commission and what it would do to improve and
develop the country's declining forest and wildlife resources.
He said the
Commission by the Charter, had opened a new chapter in its relations with major
players, who would now be at the centre of its activities. "This is a
complete departure from the past where our stakeholders were at the periphery
of our activities."
Mr Paidoo said the
Forestry Commission was expected to be financially autonomous by 2005. He
announced that the Commission would from June, next year, submit an annual
report on its operations, for public scrutiny. "This is part of efforts by
the Commission to show transparency and accountability to win public confidence
and support in our operations," he said.
In an address read
for him, Professor Kasim Kasanga, Minister of Lands and Forestry expressed the
hope that the new Charter would provide the opportunity for a strong
partnership and dialogue between the Commission and its key stakeholders in the
area of conservation and sustainable management of forest and wildlife
resources.
Prof Kasanga said the
Charter had a long-term aim to ensure that the Commission was the corporate
body of excellence in the sustainable development, management and utilisation
of the country's forest and wildlife resources so as to meet both national and
global standards.
He announced that the
Ministry was introducing a "Ghana Forest forum" to serve as a
platform for the civil society to dialogue on policy issues with the Ministry
and independently monitor programmes of the sector.
"We as a
government are very keen to improve dialogue with civil society, particularly
NGOs, traditional authorities and foreign communities, and we will provide the
necessary support for this former to take off," he said.
The Minister said at
the field level, the Forestry Commission would set up customer service centres
to help the public monitor their performance against the service harter. In his
closing remarks Mr Iddrisu Adam, Tamale Municipal Chief Executive, who chaired the
launching, urged the directors of the Forestry Commission to ensure the
provision and timely despatch of logistics to the service centres. He drew the
attention of the directors to threat to the few forest reserves in the
municipality by real estate developers.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor has reconstituted the Refugee
Board with Mr A.O. Akiwumi, a legal practitioner as Chairman, based on
Institutional Representation provided for under Section 4 (1) of the Refugee
Law.
An official statement
signed by Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff, named the other members of the Board
as Mrs Jane Donkor, Commissioner of Police; Mr K.O. Ansu-Gyeabour, Deputy
Director, Ghana Immigration Service; Mr Thomas Albrecht, Country Representative
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Mr P. K. Forkuoh of
the Bureau of National Investigations.
Brigadier Joseph Odei
(RTD) of NADMO; Mr M.A. Bawumia, Ministry of the Interior, Mrs Ama Bamful,
Chief State Attorney, Ministry of Justice; Mrs Cecilia Erzuah, Ministry of
Manpower Development and Employment; Mr J.O Afrani, Ministry of Education; Mr
Ebenezer Apreku, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mrs Veronica Ankomah-Tutuh of
the New World dental Clinic are also members.
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Walewale (Northern
Region) 08 October 2002- The final funeral rites of the late Alhaji Mumuni
Bawumia a former Chairman of the Council of State were on Sunday performed at
Walewale in the West Mamprusi District.
Alhaji Bawunia who died
last month after a short illness, left behind two wives, 19 children and
several grandchildren. He served in various positions in different governments
and in the PNDC regime he was made Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and later made
the Chairman of the Council of State.
The Vice-President,
Alhaji Aliu Mahama led a high level government delegation to the funeral, while
the former President, Jerry John Rawlings and the former Vice-President
Professor John Evans Atta Mills, led the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
delegation.
Other members of the
government delegation were Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Nana
Akufo-Addo, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Majority Leader in Parliament, Dr Majeed
Haroun, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture and the Greater Accra Regional
Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye.
The NDC delegation
included Alhaji Mahama Iddrissu Presidential Adviser on Governmental Affairs
under the NDC government, Mr Alban Bagbin Minority Leader in Parliament and Mr
Enoch Teye Mensah, former Minister of Youth and Sports.
Dr Edward Mahama,
Leader of the PNC and Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama of the CPP, were also present.
Glowing tribute were read by the Council of State, the NDC, PNC, CPP,
traditional rulers and the family.
The government
donated 45 million cedis and a bull for the performance of the funeral. Alhaji
Abu Mahama in his tribute said by his death, the late Alhaji Bawumia had
created a big vacuum not only for the Mamprugu Traditional Area but the whole
country.
He said he dedicated
his life for the development of the entire country and the Northern Region in
particular. Alhaji Mahama said in recognition of his services to the nation,
the late Alhaji Bawumia who was also paramount chief of the Kperiga Division
Area of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, was honoured with the title of Member of
the Star of Ghana, Civil Division, in 1999.
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Polytechnic
students call for implementation of committee's report
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- The Ghana National Union of Polytechnics Students (GNUPS) on
Monday called for the implementation of the recommendations of the committee
set up to investigate the grading system of the country's polytechnics, to
avert tension on various campuses.
It said the committee
that was charged with the issue of new performance grading system submitted its
report to the Ministry of Education (MOE) in June this year, "but nothing
has been heard from the ministry."
Speaking at a press
conference in Accra, Mr Issah Mohammed Ikilil President of GNUPS said they have
accepted the first committee's report but they cannot continue to be kept in
suspense for the documents to gather dust saying, "in the era of positive
change such practices cannot be tolerated."
The GNUPS in its bid
to call off its strike action earlier this year signed a memorandum of
understanding with MOE and the three committees charged with looking at new
performance grading system, job placement and academic progression and staff
and infrastructure and development.
Mr Ikili noted that,
"though the various committees were given one month in March this year, to
submit their report, GNUPS has been left in silence but we want the MOE to
break that silence"
"We wish to
reiterate that we are not interested in strike action but dialogue. However if
all fails and the usual foot dragging continues we may be compelled, to adhere
to the dictates on the ground," he said.
He reminded
stakeholders and partners who helped them during their struggle that they owe
it a duty to implement the report adding the longer they delay, the more they
give room for tension to rise t our various campuses.
He also called for a
second look at the interim report of the job replacement grading system, which
still places polytechnic students below degree holding students on the job
market adding that the report would only compound the problems of students.
Mr Ikilil appealed to
MOE to intervene with the implementation of what they described as
"another examination fee" charged by National Board for Professional
Technical Examination.
He noted that
students are charged with examination fees by the various institutions
"but this time we seem to pay for another fee adding polytechnic students
see this act as a duplication of our examination fee and reject it in no
uncertain terms." He commended the government for increasing the students'
loan from 1.5 million cedis to two million cedis but called for further
increment.
GRi…/
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Chief
Justice's comments were unfortunate- Amnesty International
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 October 2002- Mr. Nenorlea Gidiglo, Secretary-general of Amnesty
International (AI) Ghana, has described the comments by the Chief Justice E. K.
Wiredu on the death penalty as "unfortunate".
The Chief Justice was
quoted as saying: "I am a Christian and I believe that anyone who kills
should also be killed". Mr. Gidiglo told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an
interview that "it was unfortunate for the Chief Justice to have used
religion and Christianity for that matter as the basis for his belief in death
penalty as a punitive measure."
"I want to
believe he said that in his personal capacity because he is not a law maker and
he cannot determine which law remained or was repealed from the statute
books," he said. He said much as the issue about the cancellation of the
death penalty was controversial, it should be noted that the death penalty only
increased the socio-economic burden of the state.
Mr. Gidiglo explained
that when one person was murdered, his children became the burden of society
and when the murderer was killed as a way of punishment, his children added up
to the burden and chances were that most of the children would become enemies
of society in the future.
He said there was no
justification in killing by the state when the law forbade citizens from
killing, adding, "it was a paradox." Mr. Gidiglo said experience in
other jurisdictions such as Nigeria, has proved that death penalty did make
criminals more callous rather than being a deterrent, adding that criminals
usually killed to destroy evidence, so if they knew they could be killed when
caught, they were more likely to kill anyone who could provide evidence for
their arrest.
He said the
government owes the populace a duty to make do its campaign promise to abolish
the death penalty, adding that the government has done well to repeal the
criminal libel law and the death penalty must also go.
In a related
development Mr. Prince Ernest Oduro-Mensah, MP for Techimantia, said in an
interview that the death penalty must remain in the statute books to serve as a
deterrent to murderers, even if it would not be applied.
He commented on the
repeal of the criminal libel law, saying that when that law was in the statute
books, there were very few infractions by Journalists but since it was
repealed, Journalists have got away with so many infractions within less than
two years.
"This shows how
important it is to have certain deterrent laws in the statute books even if
they are not implemented. I believe in freedom of expression but I believe in
our situation, it should come by gradual process rather than being
radical", he added.
GRi…/
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760 teenage pregnancies in Suhum in one month
Accra
(Greater Accra) 08 October 2002 - The Suhum Government Hospital recorded 760
pregnancies of girls within the ages of 11 and 19 in March 2000, Mr Yaw Takyi
Mensah, officer-in-charge of HIV/AIDS programmes in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar
District has said.
He was
addressing a seminar on HIV/AIDS awareness organised by the Truth and Life
Evangelical Ministry at Dokrochiwa in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District at the
weekend.
Mr
Mensah said the situation is alarming since all the teenagers had unprotected
sex and had therefore been exposed to the dangers of sexually transmitted
diseases and HIV/AIDS. Mr Mensah said between 1997 and 2001, 488 cases of
HIV/AIDS had been registered at the Suhum Government hospital.
The
breakdown is as follows: 77 in 1997, 101 in 1998, 110 in 1999, 79 in 2000 and
101 in 2001. As at the end of July this year, 77 cases had also been registered
at the hospital.
GRi…/
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Bill Clinton helps Ghana's poor gain property titles
New York
(U.S.A.) 08 October 2002 - Former US president Bill Clinton joined Ghana's
president John Agyekum Kufuor at the recent launch in Accra of a foundation to
help poor people register land and other property to gain access to loans to
improve livelihoods and promote development.
The
Ministry of Justice established the Foundation for Building the Capital of the
Poor and is promoting reform of the country's property laws.
The
initiative is supported by UNDP and inspired by the ideas of Professor Hernando
de Soto of Peru, author of The Mystery of Capital: Why capitalism thrives in
the West and fails everywhere else and head of the Institute for Liberty and
Justice there, who also joined in the launch.
The
foundation plans to set up a regional training centre in Accra to help other
countries learn about its property reform programme. A premise of Professor de
Soto is that the poor often have considerable property but lack title to it and
thus cannot use their resources to get ahead.
President
Kufuor said that the foundation aims to bring all lands and business assets
into the formal economic sector through proper registration. "This should
make land bankable property and give access to credit to title-holders,"
he said.
"This
could prove to be the vital part of the missing link that might help generate
the prosperity we all yearn for." Professor de Soto's ideas are consistent
with Ghana's 1992 Constitution, which guarantees and respects the ownership of
private property, the President noted.
Mr.
Clinton, the foundation's patron, said that "the simple power of Mr. de
Soto's ideas" is that when people have a clear title to the assets of a
business and the place where they live, it enables them to borrow money and to
create their own banking system.
"You
create your own lending system based on the identifiable responsibility of
people to repay the loan and their capacity to repay the loan because these are
their business assets and this is where they live," he said.
The role
of Ghana's political leaders and the Government is important for the success of
the initiative, Professor de Soto emphasized, and the Government needs to
clearly communicate the scope of reform.
Nana
Akufo-Addo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, pointed out that the
country's economy has slipped since independence 40 years ago, with 40 per cent
of the population below the poverty line. "We believe it is possible to
create progress and prosperity in our part of the world so that in our
generation, we can see the back of mass poverty in Ghana," he said.
UNDP
Resident Representative Alfred Sallia Fawundu said that property rights are a
governance issue. Having these rights can "transform the ordinary folk
into a potentially active economic agent, indeed a wealth creator," he
said. "We are talking about the direct link between governance and wealth
creation and poverty eradication." - United Nations Development Programme
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President
Kufuor tours the Upper East and West Regions
Wa (Upper West) 08 October
2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday began a six-day official visit to
the Upper East and West regions. Mr Kwabena Agyepong, Government Spokesman,
told newsmen at the Kotoka International Airport before departure that
President Kufuor's first stop will be at Gwollo, the home town of the late
President Dr Hilla Limann to pay homage to him and inspect some development
projects in the town.
He will address a
durbar of chiefs and people at Tumu later in the day. President Kufuor would go
to Jirapa on Tuesday to inspect development projects, address a durbar of
chiefs and people and proceed to Wa.
He ends his tour of
the Upper West Region with a durbar of chiefs and people at Lawra on Wednesday
before he continues to Paga in the Upper East Region.
He would call on the
Paga Pio, visit Sandema later, address a durbar of chiefs and people and call
on the Sandema Naaba. On Thursday, President Kufuor will call on the Bolga
Naaba, interact with the people and proceed to Bawku to address a durbar of chiefs
and people.
He will also visit
the Bawku technical institute. The president will again visit the Tono
Irrigation Project and address a durbar of the chiefs and people of the area.
On Friday, President Kufuor will visit the meat factory, tomato factory at
Pawlugu and the Upper quarry before addressing a durbar of chiefs and people at
Bolgatanga.
President Kufuor
returns to Accra on Saturday.
GRi…/
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