U.K. CPP condemns vilification of Kwesi Pratt
Deputy Minister of Finance,
two others indicted in US court
Committee on Volta Lake accident submits report
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 October 2002 – The government has given approval for the recruitment of 2,000 police personnel for the year 2003.
The move will improve the current police population ratio of one police officer to 1,125 people as against the United Nations recommendation of one police officer to about 500 people.
It also forms part of the government’s long-term effort at augmenting the strength of the police to prevent crimes and protect lives and property. The Inspector-General of Police made this known in a speech read on his behalf at the launching of a national art and essay competition on police-civilian relationship in Accra yesterday.
The competition, which is on the theme, “Promoting cordial police-civilian relationship: the way forward,” is being organised by the Fraternal Order of Police, Ghana (FOP), a non-governmental organisation and it aims at creating awareness and gathering information from the general public on their views about the police service. The IGP said the target is to get 20,000 personnel by the year 2005 to bring the ratio to one policeman to 900 people.
He acknowledged the fact that crime is rising steadily with increase in population while the service is understaffed with a ratio of one policeman to 1,125 people, adding that “policing the entire nation is therefore a big problem.”
A Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, who launched the competition, said over the years, the government has endeavoured to provide the police service with some of the critical resources needed for the service to be able to perform its duties efficiently and effectively, adding that “by the end of the year, the service should have over 400 new and rehabilitated vehicles to add to its fleet of vehicles.”
The Director of FOP, Ghana, Mr Henry Thompson, said the organisation aims at stimulating action and support through logistical support and training for the police service to tackle crime efficiently.
The Executive Director of Children's Right International, Nana Kofi Ofosu Bekoe, has suggested that police personnel interact more with children to remove the negative perception about the police and the work they do, which is more of maintaining a peaceful and orderly society. Nana Bekoe, who is also the Nkosuohene of Tepa Abotoase, appealed to the Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr Kojo Afram Asiedu, and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of operations, Mr K. K. Marfo, to consider allocating one of the new vehicles to the Tepa Abotoase Police Station to enable the police at Tepa Abotoase to effectively operate to check crime in the Tepa Traditional area.
Justifying the request, Nana Kofi Ofosu Bekoe said that the police station at Tepa Abotoase services more than five communities which are far from each other. This he said makes it difficult for the police to effectively combat crime in the traditional area.
He indicated that the area is a market centre and probably one of the largest markets in the Volta region.
GRi…/
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By Kofi Ellison
Washington DC (USA) - 23 October 2002 News reports that the former Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Nana Akwasi Agyeman "stormed [into] a meeting of the KMA at the Prempeh Assembly Hall",
It is becoming evident that the former Chairman is interfering in the affairs of the KMA, now under a new administration headed by Mr. Maxwell Jumah.
By attempting to inject himself into the daily running of KMA, Nana Akwasi Agyeman is doing a lot of harm to the citizens and taxpayers of Kumasi who deserve a more responsible, and accountable administration than the one he headed for nearly 20 years.
After initially staying behind the scenes, while trying to manipulate some members of the KMA into frustrating the agenda of the new Chief Executive, Nana Akwasi Agyeman now feels emboldened to take the front lines himself.
Since leaving office, and luckily escaping a possible mob lynching, Nana Akwasi has carefully orchestrated his return to the Kumasi limelight. He did so by dropping hints that he was now more predisposed to serving under his "brother", president Kuffour, rather than keeping his lot with his "friend" ex-president Jerry Rawlings in the moribund National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Two weeks ago, Nana Akwasi made it official by jumping the ‘sinking ship' of the NDC, into his newly-beloved National Patriotic Party (NPP). At the same time, Nana Akwasi sought to preempt charges of being branded a sell-out, by challenging his would-be accusers to ‘go hang'! With his deep pockets (amassed after years as mayor of Kumasi), which once earned him the sobriquet "World Bank", Nana Akwasi is perfectly placed to cause havoc for not only his successor at KMA, but also members of the NPP hierarchy in Kumasi, as well; most of whom were tormented by Nana Akwasi when he ruled the NDC roost in Oseikrom.
Will it be too hard for the president to suggest to his "brother" Nana Akwasi Agyeman, that the NPP does things differently from the political culture he embraced for the past twenty years. Shouldn't the president strongly advise his "brother" that the NPP has a tradition of openness and respect for dissenting views, which the newly-carded NPP member may find difficult to accept, given the political tradition he recently vacated.
Mr. Maxwell Jumah is doing quite well as Chief Executive of KMA, by introducing innovative policies and programs to help in the development of Kumasi, after years of official corruption and mismanagement, with reports that some funds collected and intended for the development of Kumasi, were diverted to NDC national coffers. As expected, the reforms being introduced by Maxwell Jumah has brought complains and criticisms because they strike at the very heart of those whose main interest is the continuation of corruption and mismanagement at KMA.
The opposition to Maxwell Jumah has crystalized into calls to president Kufour to sack him. The president of Ghana must do well to treat such calls with the utter contempt that they deserve. It is not difficult to understand why Maxwell Jumah is seen as a threat to the corrupt status quo, that he has taken on.
The president of Ghana has called on Ghanaians living abroad to come home and assist in the development of Ghana. Those answering the call, (one of whom is Maxwell Jumah) are imbued with more than a sense of patriotism.
These Ghanaian "returnees"want to make a difference. Some of them want to vacate the age-old Ghanaian mentality of ‘business as usual'; to a new condition of ‘business as must, and should be done', to uplift our country Ghana.
Most of these ‘returnees' spent years in the West, and are imbued with new and workable ideas that they learnt and observed abroad, and which they wish to introduce onto the Ghana management culture (not unlike the foreign experts whom African governments employ at enormous financial expense, for similar purposes!). These ideas do not run counter to the public policy goals of the government, nor the customs of Ghana. In fact, the NPP government's avowed aim of "Positive Change", requires a change not only in the way we do things, but in the way we think about doing things!
There is bound to be clashes, because the establishment would much rather continue with what makes them comfortable at the expense of the general development of Ghana. I am certainly proud of the efforts made by our ‘stay at home" compatriots; and applaud the huge sacrifices they made in that effort. I approach any discussion of the subject with utmost humility, lest I would be branded as insulting or plain arrogant. But even they agree that the Ghanaian way of doing things is rather antiquated and ineffective. Sadly, such progressive thinking, conflict with the laid-back, unworkable Ghanaian public policy mentality enshrined in the words "that is how we do our things".
It is this negative mentality that is assailing the reformist ideas that administrators like Maxwell Jumah wish to put in place in Kumasi. Hence, the opposition to the mayor from people who for selfish reasons must oppose him at every turn. Perhaps some people in Kumasi feel affronted by the mayor's style of leadership. There are claims that Mr. Jumah cannot get along with people. That is usually euphemism used by people afraid to accept change. However, if such claims are the case, the mayor can be advised to tone down on some of his more controversial public statements; and leadership style that seems to affront a more traditional and sedate Kumasi.
But to rise up in opposition, and appeal to the president to fire Maxwell Jumah amounts to proverbially throwing away the baby with the bath water.
Should the malcontents in Kumasi understand that the ultimate goal is for the development of Oseikrom, and indeed Ghana; they will come to the realization that Maxwell Jumah is indeed a trailblazer who is attempting to put in place the modalities for the development of Kumasi into the modern metropolis that her founders dreamed of.
Furthermore, in appealing to Ghanaians in the diaspora to return, as he did in the state of Utah, USA recently, president Kufour would need to support the reformist and workable agenda of these individuals; ideas which are ultimately in line with his own government's programs. Except that the returnees have the courage, conviction, and less baggage to propose progressive reforms. The president should not allow a few misguided malcontents to jettison the development agenda of progressive officials who have taken the call for "Positive Change", to heart.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 October 2002 - The adoption and debate on the report of the five persons nominated by the President to the Supreme Court will begin tomorrow.
The nominees, who were screened by the Appointment Committee of Parliament last two weeks, were Mrs Georgina Wood, Mr Allen Brobbey, Mr Glenn Baddoe, Professor Date-Bah and Dr Seth Twum.
The report on the nominee for the appointment of the District Assemblies' Common Fund Administrator will also be laid tomorrow. Mr Abraham Ossei-Aidoo, Deputy Majority Leader, announced these when he presented the Business Statement for the second week ending 25 October 2002.
He said the Shipping Bill and others, which were presented to the House during its last meeting before the recess would be taken through the various stages of legislation. During the week, the ministers of the following ministries, Work and Housing, Energy, Foreign Affairs, Lands and Forestry, Finance, Communications and Technology and Women and Children's Affairs will appear before the House to answer questions.
Mr John Akologo Tia, Deputy Minority Chief Whip, entreated the Business Committee to stick to the programme schedule as any change could disturb members as well as ministers. He also called on the leadership to contact the executive to release its programmes early enough to avoid the last hour pressure it normally exerts on the House to rush through business.
GRi…/
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London (UK) 23 October 2002 - The United Kingdom and Eire branch of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has condemned the sinister attempts by sections of the media to link Comrade Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the party, to a so-called $125,000 bribery scandal.
It noted that the move is an empty attempt by reactionary forces in the country who have been outmatched and outclassed by the constructive arguments being advanced by Mr Kwesi Pratt on the media landscape, to frustrate him.
“It cannot be a coincidence that anonymous letters and telephone callers have emerged from the woodwork to coincide with a speculative and largely hollow article published by Accra Daily Mail hinting at a bribe of $125,000 to a ‘senior Journalist”, it said.
A statement issued and signed by Nii Armah Akomfrah, UK Regional Secretary, said the branch “smells a smear campaign and would simply add our comments in full support of Mr Kwesi Pratt’s honesty and integrity.
“This orchestrated attempt to malign Mr Pratt Jnr and other genuine journalists is also an attempt to take minds away from the socio-economic hardship which has engulfed our dear nation and one which the NPP Government seems to be impotent to resolve the statement added.
According to the statement the issues have been sufficiently discussed in both the print and electronic media as well as in all sectors of the Ghanaian society and it is clear that the public is dismayed by the whole episode and that a backlash has begun.
It noted with regret that given the current democratic dispensation and the claim by the government that they are avowed demonstrators of the rule of law, “politicians close to the ruling government should employ dastardly methods to stifle genuine opposing views”.
It called on all well-meaning, objective and democratic forces in Ghana and elsewhere who believe in freedom of speech expressly enshrined in the Constitution to rise, challenge and condemn in no uncertain terms such undemocratic tendency within the body politic.
“If part of the intention behind the machination against Mr Pratt Jnr is to silence the CPP or to prevent us from speaking out against the harsh realities of an NPP Government, then we wish it to be known that the CPP is separate and distinct from the NPP and will remain so.
“We will go to the congress when plans are finalised, we will debate and finalise our policies, elect a presidential candidate to oppose the NPP incumbent with a view to unseating him”, it stressed.
GRi…/
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Washington (USA) 23 October 2002 - A Takoma Park couple has been indicted for allegedly bringing a Ghanaian woman into the United States illegally and enslaving her, using her as an unpaid domestic servant for about 17 months, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Maryland U.S. Attorney Thomas M. DiBiagio and Ralph F. Boyd Jr., assistant attorney general for civil rights, announced that a federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted Kenneth Blackwell and his wife, Barbara Coleman-Blackwell, on immigration and conspiracy charges.
The grand jury also indicted Barbara Coleman-Blackwell's mother, Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance in the ruling New Patriotic Party government.
The three are charged in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt with fraudulently bringing Margaret Owusuwaah into the United States and using her as an unpaid domestic servant in the home of Kenneth and Barbara Blackwell.
The three defendants are charged with conspiring to induce an illegal immigrant to come to the United States, harboring an illegal immigrant for financial gain, and with recruiting an immigrant to come to and remain in the United States illegally.
Barbara Coleman-Blackwell and her mother are charged with forced labour, confiscating Owusuwaah's passport and visa in connection with forced labour, making a false statement to U.S. officials and visa fraud.
According to the indictment, in February 2000, Coleman, working with Coleman-Blackwell, fraudulently obtained a U.S. visa for Owusuwaah by knowingly submitting a visa application with false information. The two also allegedly lied to an official at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana.
According to the indictment, when Owusuwaah arrived in the United States in February 2000, Grace Coleman took her passport, and Barbara Coleman-Blackwell hid Owusuwaah's passport and visa to prevent her from leaving her Takoma Park home.
The two women allegedly intimidated Owusuwaah into providing domestic labour and childcare for little or no pay by threatening her with deportation.
The maximum penalties Grace Coleman and Barbara Coleman-Blackwell could face if convicted of all charges are 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine each. Kenneth Blackwell faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of all counts.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
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Chieftaincy
disputes affect development in the Central Region.
Accra (Greater Accra)
23 October 2002- Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister on Tuesday
expressed concern about numerous chieftaincy and land disputes in the region
that had affected its development.
He said a permanent
legal advisor would soon be appointed to the Central Regional House of Chiefs
to assist in the resolution of these conflicts. Mr Edumadze was speaking at the
third in "meet-the Press" series being organised by the Ministry of
Information and Presidential Affairs in Accra.
He said the Regional
Co-ordinating Council (RCC) would help the House to curb the numerous
chieftaincy problems. Currently, there are about 50 cases, 28 of them against
paramount chiefs and 22 in the various traditional councils,
Mr Edumadze referred
to the dispute between the people of Ofankor in the Greater Accra Region and
the people of Kasoa in the Central Region to a stretch of land called 'Iron
City' near Kasoa.
He said the use of dialogue
in resolving land conflicts had been working satisfactorily, but where it
failed, the Stool Lands Boundary Settlement Commissioner would be invited to
assist.
The Central Regional
Minister said the erection of a signboard before Kasoa and the activities of
land guards were other contentious issues in the area but he was co-operating
with the Greater Accra Regional Minister to resolve the issue.
Mr Edumadze described
the Central Region as one of the poorest in the country and said many
initiatives were being taken to create the right environment for the region's
accelerated development.
GRi…/
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Techiman (Brong Ahafo)
23 October 2002- Forty-one out of 259 AIDS patients diagnosed at the Techiman
Holy Family Hospital between January and September are dead.
Mr Takyi Acheampong
Techiman District HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator of the hospital who announced this,
said of the number 169 were clinical cases both for men and women whilst 90
were as a result of blood donation.
He was addressing a
forum on HIV/AIDS for operators of the Techiman branch of the Ghana National
Association of Garages (GNAG) at the weekend. The forum, organised by the
Association, was under the theme, "Behaviour changes on HIV/AIDS",
and was aimed at sensitising the workers on the dangers of the disease.
Mr Acheampong said
clinical cases within the period under review were 103 for females and 66 for
males, whilst 80 cases were recorded for males as against 10 for females in
blood donation.
He said Tuobodom, near
Techiman recorded the highest number of AIDS cases reported at the hospital. Mr
Acheampong said even though education on the virus has been stepped up over the
years cases keep on increasing ''and unless something is done about the
situation the worst would happen by 2005.''
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
23 October 2002 - Dr. Albert Owusu-Barnafo, the third prosecution witness in the
alleged deal in the divestiture of Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) on
Tuesday told an Accra Fast Track Court that the company paid 20,000 dollars to
the 31st December Women's Movement.
He said during a visit
to Ghana in May 1995, management of Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea
(SIPH), the French Company in whose favour GREL was divested, paid a courtesy
call on Hanny Sherry Ayittey, one of four accused persons, at Movement's
offices where the money was paid to her.
The witness, who was
being led in evidence by Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions
(DPP), told the court that the payment was in fulfilment of one of the three
conditions that DWM gave SIPH to fulfil to enable the movement to influence the
decisions of the board of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC).
Hanny Sherry Ayittey,
treasurer of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo,
former Executive Secretary of DIC, Ralph Casely-Hayford, a businessman and Sati
Dorcas Ocran, a housewife, have all pleaded not guilty to various charges of
bribery and corruption.
Mr Justice J. C.
Amonoo-Monney, an Appeal Court Judge with additional responsibility on the case
as a High Court Judge, has admitted each of them to a self-recognisance bail.
Dr Owusu-Barnafo told the court that he accepted the position of a consultant
of GREL after August 1993 when an advertisement on its privatisation was
published in the newspapers.
Witness said when
SIPH's expressed interest in GREL, a series of meetings were held both in Ghana
and in Paris, France, between management of SIPH and some top officials of DWM
whose influential role won GREL's bid to take over SIPH.
Dr Owusu-Barnafo told
the court that one of the three conditions Ayittey gave to SIPH was that the
company should be prepared to pay a correct and fair price for GREL. Witness
further told the court that SIPH was also asked to commit itself to expand the
activities of GREL and contribute financial assistance to support the
activities of DWM.
Narrating how he encountered
DWM, witness said Ms. Irene el-Mahmoud, a close associate of the movement,
introduced him to Mrs Georgina Okaitey, another prosecution witness yet to
testify in the case, and later to Ocran.
Asked why he was
introduced to Mrs Okaitey, witness said it because she was interested to work
on GREL's project, which had to do with its privatisation. In the case of
Ocran, witness told the court that in his view, his introduction to her was
because as a member of the DWM, Ocran "would also be in a position to add
her voice to SIPH's request to the Movement as far as GREL's divestiture is
concerned".
A funny incident at
Tuesday's proceedings was that witness could easily identify Ocran, but when
asked by the DPP to identify Ayittey, he could not, saying that the accused
person was not in court, although she was present.
Dr. Owusu-Barnafo told
the court that when SIPH and DIC concluded negotiations on the divestiture, the
former was made to acquire a total of 75 per cent shares in GREL at the value
of 21 million French Francs.
Witness said SIPH's
offer was one million French Francs more than the value of a memorandum of
understanding signed on 20 February that same year which stood at 20 million
French Francs.
He said in July 1996,
10 per cent was paid as contract fee, while another 70 per cent of the 21
million French Francs was paid in the first week of August of the same year.
Witness said the remaining 20 per cent was paid two years later, in 1998. Dr
Owusu-Barnafo continues with his evidence on Thursday, 24 October.
GRi…/
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Cape Coast (Central Region)
23 October 2002-More than 1,600 first year students who expected to be
accommodated under the University of Cape Coast (UCC) new residential policy,
have become stranded.
The students, who have
paid between 1,246,000 cedis and 1,148.000 cedis for accommodation for the
first academic year, are yet to be given rooms by the UCC authorities.
This has resulted in
their putting up with friends on campus or in the surrounding communities. Mr
Michael Ampong, President of the Students' Representative Council (SRC), told
the GNA that the policy "is not the best solution to the acute
accommodation facing the university", and that all efforts by the SRC to
bring this to the notice of the authorities have been futile.
Under the new
residential policy, which is among others, geared towards reducing the
exploitation of fresh students by landlords on campus, they are to be allocated
50 per cent of vacant beds in the various halls of residence.
It is expected that by
2005, all fresh students would be accommodated on campus. According to Mr.
Ampong, less than 400 out of about 4,000 students admitted this academic year,
had secured accommodation on campus. The number represents below 20 per cent of
the 2,000 fresh students expected to lodge on campus.
He was also of the
view that the policy would "affect the quality of student
leadership", as only first and final year students would be resident on
campus at a given time, and urged university authorities to source more funds
for additional halls of residence for the students.
"The four years
that the university authorities wish to accommodate 100 percent of fresh
students on campus is long enough for them to source funds from all angles to
provide for the accommodation needs of the institution, if they really have the
welfare of students at heart, instead of seeking measures that are
inoperative", he said.
On the 25 per cent
increment in the students' loan scheme announced by the government, Mr. Ampong
said the students appreciated the gesture, adding it would go a long way to
mitigate their financial problems.
However, students of
the university were yet to receive their money and he appealed to government
and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to expedite action
on the disbursement.
He also appealed to
the government to increase the 13,000 cedis subsidy it was paying on
utility-user-fees to non-residential students, to about 200,000 cedis to ease
the burden on them.
On resorting to
demonstrations to back their demands, he said the students' leadership "is
now of age" and would no longer resort to this, but appealed to government
and school authorities not to "push them to the wall," when dealing
with their grievances.
When contacted, Mr. Isaac
Ohene, assistant registrar in-charge of academics, expressed regret that the
students had "misinterpreted" the new residential policy, and
explained that the 50 per cent vacant beds earmarked under the policy, was not
meant to accommodate 50 percent of first-year students.
He said at present,
320 of the students have been accommodated at the halls, and this represents 50
per cent of the vacant beds as required, and that his office was not aware that
some students were stranded.
He said the situation
could be due to the fact that they had misunderstood the policy and had assumed
that they would be admitted into the halls and went ahead to pay their monies
to the banks without verifying.
In this regard, he
asked all such students to report to their various faculties for their monies
to be refunded to them. Mr. Ohene said the university was still encouraging
more estate developers to put up more halls of residence to ease congestion.
"The university
does not gain anything in instituting punitive policies for its students,"
he re-stated, adding that as a new policy, there was bound to be difficulties,
which would be corrected with time.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
23 October 2002- A Community Tribunal in Accra on Monday convicted two
Nigerians to two years imprisonment with hard labour for manufacturing
firearms.
Moses Neto, a
blacksmith and Ifeanyi Chukwu, a trader, pleaded guilty to manufacturing and
assembling firearms without authority. Inspector Peter Benneh, the prosecutor,
told the tribunal chaired by Mr Kwadwo Owusu that Neto and Chukwu reside at
Abor, in the Volta Region.
He said on 11 October
this year, the police were informed that some people were manufacturing
firearms which were being sold to people at Abor in the Akasti District.
The police at Abor
therefore, proceeded to the house of the convicts. When their rooms were
searched one local manufactured pistol, a toy pistol, a firearms catalogue and
tools box containing implements used in manufacturing arms were found.
GRi…/
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Hohoe (Volta Region)
23 October 2002- The European Union (EU) will spend 57 billion cedis on 600 projects
throughout the country under the second phase of the Fifth Micro Project
Programme (MPP).
Dr Kwaku Sarfo,
National Project Manager of the MPP Unit announced this at a day's information
workshop for District Chief Executives (DCEs), Presiding Members, Planning and
Finance Officers of Hohoe, Kadjebi, Jasikan, Nkwanta, Kete-Krachi and Kpando
districts at Hohoe on Tuesday.
He said a total of 113
projects estimated at 10 billion cedis would be under taken in the Volta
region. Dr Sarfo was not happy about the lukewarm attitude exhibited by some
districts in the region towards the EU projects.
He said three out of
the 12 districts in the region had not yet completed work on the first phase,
which ended in June, this year. Dr Sarfo, therefore, warned that the management
unit of the MPP would not hesitate to issue sanctions on any district, which
does not complete its work on schedule.
He advised the various
District Implementation Committees to learn to be transparent, saying, "do
not try to cheat, use the project vehicle wisely". Mrs. Adjoa
Asotia-Boakye, Staff Engineer of the Micro Management Unit advised District
Assemblies to employ qualified artisans to work on the projects, adding that,
"durable materials should be used on such projects".
Mr James Dogbe, Hohoe
District Chief Executive, (DCE) in a welcome address read on his behalf said
the workshop was timely since it would enable the new assembly members to
understand the projects hoping that "they would come abreast with the
operations of the EU projects".
Mr Albert Mawutor
Agrah, Presiding Member for the Hohoe District Assembly who chaired the
function urged his colleagues to get involved in the implementation of the
projects in their respective areas.
He appealed to the
DCEs to do all they could to see to the early completion of the projects to
qualify them for the third phase to begin in June 2004.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
23 October 2002- The Central Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze on Tuesday
outlined measures adopted by the regional administration and the Ghana Water
Company Limited (GWCL) to curb the periodic water crisis in the region.
The measures include,
the creation of a well field near Cape Coast possibly at Jukwa or Abakrampa for
the construction of five mechanized boreholes and a reservoir. Others are the dredging
of the Brim Dam to increase its storage capacity of water and raise the height
of the dam to increase the storage of water.
Mr Edumadze was
addressing the third in the series of media encounter with Ministers of State
dubbed "Meet the Press" in Accra. The Minister said the region would
also develop an alternative source of raw water on river Pra in the Western
region, to be used either to pump water to the Brimsu dam for treatment or
treated at the site and pumped directly to Cape Coast.
In case of any
shortage, the regional administration and GWCL will ensure adequate budgetary
provision for tanker services to reduce the burden on residents. Mr Edumadze
said plans are advanced for a new water treatment plant at Baifikrom to serve
Mankessim, Saltpong and its environs, while an estimated 1.5 billion cedis had
been voted for the extension of water supply to the Cassava Starch Processing
Factory site at Awutu Bawjiase under the President's Special Initiative (PSI).
On the social impact
of the Community Water and Sanitation in the region, Mr Edumadze said
investment in the sector in 2000 resulted in the provision of 1,311 bore holes
in 800 communities serving over 400,000 people.
He said efforts are
being made to link five rural communities to quality water systems, to reduce
Guinea Worm infection. The Minister also said the European Union Investment
Fund is supporting 45 small towns in the Central and Western regions with
15,000,000 Euro for the provision of large-scale water supply schemes.
Mr Edumadze also
highlighted on the tourism potential of the region and said, the region had
mapped out Eco-Tourism sites for development as well as the transformation of
the Elmina Cultural Heritage Project into a major Tourist centre.
GRi…/
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Nadowli (Upper West) 23
October 2002- A campaign geared towards eradicating indiscipline and other acts
of vandalism among students of Senior Secondary Schools is going on in the
Upper West Region.
The campaign, which
takes the form of symposia, lectures and open forums is organised by the Upper
West Regional Secretariat of the National Commission for Civic Education
(NCCE).
Four Senior Secondary
Schools in the region have already been covered since the programme began in
the middle of the year. They include the Wa Secondary School that has recorded
the worst student disturbances in the region in recent times, Wa Islamic Senior
Secondary School, Saint Francis Girls Secondary School at Jirapa and the Queen
of Peace Senior Secondary School at Nadowli.
At the Queen of Peace
Senior Secondary School at the weekend, Reverend Father Phanphito Tegan, a
tutor of Saint Francis Xavier Minor Seminary told the students to acquire good
education first before undertaking activities connected with adulthood.
Reverend Father Tegan
said chieftaincy enskinment and destoolment "contractors" were
causing confusion, have polarised families and communities and advised students
to stay away from such conflicts.
Mr Alfred Kogo,
Headmaster of Wa Secondary/Technical School noted that too much parental control,
restrictions and peer group influence could spoil a good child.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
23 October 2002- The Fraternal Order of Police-Ghana (FOP), a
Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, on Tuesday,
launched an Art and Essay competition on the public's perception of the police
service.
The competition, which
is opened to the public under the theme: "Promoting cordial police,
civilian relationship - The way forward" aims at creating awareness and
gathering information from the general public on the performance of the police.
Mr Kwadwo Afram
Asiedu, Deputy Minister, Interior, urged competitors to be very objective in
their assessment, adding that their contributions would help the service in its
policy formulation and improve the quality of service to the nation among other
things.
He called for mutual
respect between the police and the public, adding that there was no way that
law and order could be maintained in the country without the police and the
public working together.
"Government is
very much aware of the numerous needs of the service that had contributed to
its sub-standard performance over the past years and steps are being taken to
address these needs", he said.
He stated that efforts
were being made to recruit more police personnel as a way of improving the
police population ratio of one police officer to about one thousand two hundred
people.
Mr Asiedu said the
implementation of the recommendation of the Justice Archer presidential Report,
which called for the creation of two Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police, was a
step to enhance the performance of the police service.
He stated that due to
financial constraints, government had established the police endowment fund
through which funds were being solicited from the public to support activities
of the Service.
"All these
initiatives and more, are being taken as a way of ensuring that the Service has
the desired capacity to be able to live up to its responsibility of maintaining
law and order in the country", he added.
Mrs Elizabeth
Mills-Robertson, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, said an approval had
been granted the service, to recruit about 2,000 persons into the service for
the year 2003.
She said it was the target
of the Police Administration to at least have about 20,000 personnel by 2005 so
that the ratio would be reduced to about one policeman to nine hundred people.
She appealed to the
public to assist the police to fight crime by providing information, and also
contributing to solve basic problems of the service like accommodation and
logistics.
Mr Kofi Kesse Manfo,
Commissioner of Police, in charge of Operations said vehicles donated by
government had helped the service improve upon its operations to combat crime
in the country.
He reiterated an
appeal to the public to work in harmony with the police to ensure a peaceful
atmosphere in the country for development. Mr Henry Thompson, Director,
FOP-Ghana, explained that the criteria for presenting the works must include
original work, full name, and address and telephone numbers of the participant.
"Essays must be
typed and not be more than 400 words, while art works should be on drawing
cards or paper measuring about 29.7 by 42 centimetres". He said prizes
would be awarded to the first three winners for both essay and art works.
GRi…/
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Walewale (Northern
Region) 23 October 2002- The Ghanaian Association for Women's Welfare (GAWW) is
trying to stop perpetrators of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the
neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso and Togo from using Ghana as a safe
haven.
Mrs Florence Ali, a
member of GAWW, said even though the practice had reduced during the last three
years, much has to be done ''as the stubborn ones not only hide to do it but
also welcome relations from neighbouring countries because those countries have
also taken measures to punish people who commit the crime.''
She said GAWW is
organising a series of durbars in the Mamprusi West District to educate the
people on the harmful effects of FGM and has also formed watchdog committees in
various communities in the area to help in the campaign by educating the people
and reporting perpetrators to the police.
Speaking at one of
such durbars at Walewale, Mrs Ali said effects of FGM included excessive
bleeding that could lead to death, difficulty in passing urine and menstrual
flow, tetanus and HIV/AIDS.
"If we women are
suffering from some of these effects, we should not subject our children to the
same sort of pain," she added. Mr Amadu Abdul-Karim, Mamprusi West
District Chief Executive, said the few stubborn ones must be routed and dealt
with according to the law.
He appealed to chiefs,
Imams and the general public to help in the campaign against the practice and
also report any such cases to the police. FGM is criminal under the laws of
Ghana and offenders could be sentenced to at least three years imprisonment.
The indigenous people
of the Mamprusi West District, the Mamprusis, do practice FGM but Moshies from
Burkina Faso some ethnic groups from the Upper East Region who reside in the district
practice it.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
23 October 2002- The committee which investigated the 18 April accident on the
Volta Lake presented its report to the Minister of Roads and Transport, Dr
Richard Winfred Anane in Accra on Tuesday.
About 50 people made
up of 36 children, two men and 12 women died in the accident. Mr Justice Paul
Gyaesayor, Chairman of the committee who presented the report said they
interviewed 39 witnesses and said overloading and indiscipline were the remote
cause of the accident.
The Chairman said the
boat, designed to carry 53 passengers, had 88 passengers on board in addition
to goods. Mr Justice Gyaesayor said the large stretch of the Volta Lake
required an efficient and effective lake transport facility.
He, therefore,
appealed to the government to implement the recommendations in the report to
avoid future disasters on the lake. Dr Anane assured the Committee that
government would study the report and implement its commendations to curtail
such fatal accidents.
He said the lives lost
were "a disaster for the immediate families and the nation and hoped the
recommendations would bring a lasting solution to such disasters.
On 18 April this year,
a boat carrying mostly school children and market women from Abotuase to
Matsele capsized near Amevrovikope in the Volta Region.
GRi…/
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