Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Monday held closed-door
discussions on Ghana's contribution to the resolution of the Ivorian crisis
with Ambassadors of six Western European countries and the United States in
Ghana.
Before the start of
the meeting, attended by Defence Minister Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor and Deputy
Foreign Minister Mustapha Ali Idriss, the Vice President Mahama told
journalists that Ghana was concerned about events in Cote d'Ivoire and wanted
her friends to know about that.
The Ambassadors of
France, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United
States were at the meeting. It is believed that the countries would pledge some
assistance to aid Ghana's intervention in the crisis, which started on 19
September when mutineers attempted to overthrow the government of President
Laurent Gbagbo.
Dr Addo-Kufuor told
journalists in Abidjan on Wednesday that Ghana would contribute 260 soldiers to
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) peacekeepers to be deployed in
Cote d'Ivoire within the next two weeks.
President John Kufuor
is a member of a six-nation Contact Group appointed to facilitate negotiations
between the Ivorian government and the rebels. They were appointed at the Extra
Ordinary ECOWAS Heads of State Summit, held in Accra on 29 September.
The Defence and
Foreign Ministers are also members of the peace and security mediation teams.
Ghana has also assisted some foreign nationals in Cote d'Ivoire to evacuate
their citizens through her borders.
In a related
development, Vice President Aliu Mahama on Monday urged Sierra Leone to use her
experiences from the civil war to advise the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) on the best way to resolve the political crisis confronting La
Cote d'Ivoire.
Vice President Mahama
said this when he received Mr Desmond Luke, a Special Envoy of President Ahmad
Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone, at the Castle, Osu.
Mr Luke is in the
country to express the gratitude of his country for the assistance she received
from Ghana during their 10-year civil war, which ended this year with
multi-party elections.
Vice President Mahama
said Ghana would fully support ECOWAS and other countries that would work to
restore peace and stability to Cote d'Ivoire.
He expressed contentment
about the restoration of democratic governance in Sierra Leone, saying,
"Our worry now is Cote d'Ivoire and we believe that with what you have
gone through on the battlefield, you have a wealth of experience to guide
ECOWAS."
Mr Luke said Sierra Leone
appreciated Ghana's contribution to the resolution of the civil war in that
country and expressed the hope that relations between the two countries would
grow stronger.
He said the recent
Ghana-Sierra Leone Trade week in his country was laudable and called for more
of such exchanges. Meanwhile, ECOWAS has agreed to deploy more than 2,000
peacekeeping troops in Cote d'Ivoire within two weeks, to replace French troops
who have been keeping government soldiers and rebels apart since a ceasefire
was brokered on 18 October.
Direct talks between
the government and rebels, who attempted to overthrow it on 19 September, would
be held outside the troubled country early next week in order to resolve their
differences and end the rebellion
The five-week-long uprising,
which plunged Cote d'Ivoire into its worst crisis since its independence from
France in 1960, has claimed hundreds of lives and left tens of thousands of
people homeless.
Meanwhile, direct
talks between the government and rebels, would be held outside the troubled
country early next week in order to resolve their differences and end the
rebellion
The five-week-long
uprising, which plunged Cote d'Ivoire into its worst crisis since independence
from France in 1960, has claimed hundreds of lives and left tens of thousands
of people homeless.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October 2002- Participants at a sub-regional roundtable conference on
conflict resolution has called on the government to assess the country's
vulnerability to conflict.
They argued in a
document released on Monday that because of more interaction among West African
states since the formation of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), there has been a high probability for conflict in one state to
quickly influence events in neighbouring states, as with the wars in Liberia
and Sierra Leone and now with Cote d'Ivoire.
They said the combined
effects of poverty, unequal access to development opportunities, environmental
degradation and the depletion of forest and water resources could create a deep
sense of insecurity and political instability in countries within the
sub-region.
They called on the
government and the security authorities to assess the situation in order to map
out strategies to prevent or manage it. The participants attended the
Conference on Strengthening Regional Capacity for Conflict Resolution and Human
Security in West Africa: A Response to NEPAD, which ended at the weekend.
They stated that
political, economic and cultural interactions among member states have
fertilized the ground for inter-dependency and enhanced the prospects for
integration.
The experts noted that
the high inter-activity among the states has created a condition of
contagiousness in their relationships that an occurrence in one state may
affect or influence conditions in another state.
"This condition
makes it imperative that common grounds and assessment of situation in
neighbouring countries for appropriate diplomatic or military responses are
found towards security problems in the sub-region," they said.
The Conference was
organised by the African Security Dialogue and Research (ASRD), a
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Accra, in collaboration with the
Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues in Vancouver, Canada, and the
Canadian High Commission in Accra and the University of Ghana.
It was to foster
dialogue and consensus building within the sub-region on issues that border on
conflict and security as well as map strategies for conflict prevention and
resolutions.
Participants were made
of security experts from the military and police intelligence,
Parliamentarians, Academics, media practitioners, civil society organisations,
the donor community and a cross section of the public.
Speaking on "A
New ECOWAS: Democracy and Security Sector Governance in West Africa," Dr
Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, a Senior Research Fellow of ASDR, expressed concern about
several uncertainties in the Protocol establishing the ECOWAS Parliament.
He said the ECOWAS
Parliament has no mandate to deal with security and conflict prevention,
stressing, "for a sub-region that has the envious reputation of being the
epicentre of violent conflicts such omission is a stab in the back."
"What this means
in essence is that without powers to legislate, or influence procurement,
appoint or influence the policy making and implementation process, the
Parliament is a toothless bulldog,” they noted.
Professor Kwame
Boafo-Arthur of the Department of Political Science University of Ghana, Legon,
who spoke on NEPAD and Human Security, noted that Human Security puts a premium
on human life and its power is most clearly manifested when it is contrasted
with the traditional concept of national security.
He said the welfare of
human beings around the world is the object of concern rather than military and
strategic interests of state.
Prof Boafo-Arthur said
the national security approach, which revolves around the prowess of the
military, police and other security apparatus and the sort of military hardware
should give way to human security approaches that depend on the development of
the community and the elements of civil society and non-governmental
organisations engaged in providing humanitarian aid.
"Not until the
mechanisms that recognise the centrality of human security in contemporary
development are fashioned we might as well forget about helping the poor",
he added.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October 2002- Ghana has for the first time been elected as a member of the
Governing Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a
statement from the Ministry of Communication and Technology said in Accra on
Monday.
The statement signed
by Mr K. Ofosu-Adarkwa, Director, Finance and Administration, said Ghana's
election during the 16th Plenipotentiary Conference held in Marrakesh, Morocco,
was considered as recognition of Ghana's emerging leadership role in
international telecommunication.
It comes at a time
when President John Agyekum Kufuor has identified Information Communication
Technology (ICT) as a key driver and a critical success factor for initiatives
aimed at the country's rapid socio-economic development.
The ITU is a
specialised agency of the United Nations where governments and the private
sector coordinate the establishment and operation of telecommunication networks
and services and advance the development of communications technology.
It is responsible for
the regulation, standardisation, coordination and development of international
telecommunications as well as harmonization of national policies.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October, 2002-An Accra Fast Track Court (FTC) would on Monday, 4 November
rule on a preliminary objection in the case in which two former
Ministers are being
tried for conspiracy and causing financial loss to the state.
The accused persons
are Dan Abodakpi, former Minister of Trade and Industry and Victor Selormey,
former Deputy Minster of finance. The two accused persons have pleaded not
guilty to the charges and have each been granted a three-billion-cedi bail in
their own recognisance.
Mr Kobla Dogbe Senanu,
counsel for Abodakpi, who raised the objection at Monday's proceedings, argued
that under summary trial, which is the mode of his client's trial, there is the
likelihood that he would not be given a fair hearing. Mr. Senanu said he would
have preferred his client to be tried by indictment.
Counsel argued that
unlike trial by indictment where the trial judge is assisted by a jury, under
the current trial of his client, which is a summary one, the prosecution
already knows the number of witnesses it is going to call and who they are.
Counsel argued that as
a result, there is the likelihood that the prosecution witnesses would give
evidence that would not favour his client. Counsel further submitted that since
his client is a sitting Member of Parliament (MP), his trial would interfere
with his legislative functions, and therefore, prayed the court to consider his
objection.
Mr Johnny
Quarshie-Idun, counsel for Selormey, associated himself with submissions raised
by his colleague and asked the court to rule in their favour.
Abodakpi and Selormey
are being tried on seven counts of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by
false pretences and wilfully causing financial loss of 2.7 billion cedis to the
State.
They allegedly
conspired with Dr Frederick Owusu-Boadu of Leebda Corporation in the United
States and transferred 4,000 dollars into his local bank account between May
and December, 2000.
It was allegedly used
for feasibility studies towards the establishment of the Science and Technology
Country Project. Selormey, who is currently serving an eight-year jail term for
causing financial loss to the State in connection with the Court
Computerisation Project, allegedly authorised the transfer of the money.
Replying, Mr Anthony
Gyambiby, Principal State Attorney, said since the provision under which the
accused persons are being tried has not been repealed, they are properly
arraigned before the court.
Mr Gyambiby further
submitted that since the accused persons were notified of their charges and
given time to appear before the court, they would be given a fair hearing. He
said the application by counsel is frivolous and unmeritorious, and prayed the
court to dismiss it.
After listening to
submissions from both sides, Mr Justice S. T. Farkye, an Appeal Court Judge,
with additional responsibility for the case as a High Court Judge, fixed 4
November for ruling on the objection.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October 2002- South Africa on Monday donated a 74-cm television set and a
video deck estimated at five million cedis to the National Reconciliation
Commission (NRC) in Accra.
Dr Mgang M. Phologane,
South Africa High Commissioner, said the donation is in appreciation of good
relations between Cape Town and Accra. He noted that South Africa had gone
through the process of reconciliation and expressed the hope that Ghana would
succeed in her efforts.
Mr Justice Kweku Etru
Amua-Sekyi, Chairman of NRC, said South Africa is a shining example for all in
ensuring total reconciliation for the entire nation. "Though South African
has different people with diverging views, different religions and
philosophies, it has reconciled. We need to avoid a situation that would lead
to strife."
Mr Amua-Sekyi
commended South Africa for its gesture and said Ghana would continue to seek
some guidelines on the reconciliation process from that country.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Monday welcomed the Global
Health Programme's initiative to consider Ghana in its Accelerated Reproductive
and Child Health (ARCH) programme, saying it would strengthen local efforts at
reducing maternal deaths and infant mortality.
Vice President Mahama
said this when he received Dr. Gordon W. Perkin, Director of Reproductive and
Child Health, Global Health Programme, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.
Dr. Perkin, who
arrived in Ghana on Monday, would assess the country's needs and preparedness
toward reproductive health for possible inclusion in the ARCH programme. Vice
President Mahama said the government had made investments toward reducing
maternal and infant deaths as well HIV/AIDS infections and needed more
resources to be successful.
He said President John
Agyekum Kufuor's launch of the National Safe Motherhood Week at Winneba on 15
October was testimony to the high level of political will in resolving the
problems.
The celebration was
under the theme: "Death during Pregnancy and Childbirth is preventable;
Act Now." It is estimated that about 214, out of 100,000 women die from
pregnancy or childbirth related problems in Ghana.
The major causes of
maternal deaths are: Haemorrhage, obstructed labour, infections, pregnancy
induced hypertension and complications of un-safe abortion. Dr. Perkin, who
would be in the country for two weeks, expressed the hope that the findings of
his organisations would match with Ghana's objectives so that the country would
benefit from the programme.
Under the programme,
he said, simple but practicable technologies and health delivery materials
would be made accessible to improve reproductive health, particularly in the
rural areas.
He said Ghana was one
of the few countries to be selected by his organisation to benefit from the
malaria and HIV vaccines pilot scheme. Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health,
said the health delivery system was not comprehensive and responsive to the
needs of all people, hence the high mortality rates.
He, therefore, called
for assistance to provide systems, such as communications equipment and
ambulances to facilitate health delivery outside in and outside health
institutions.
Dr. Afriyie said the
maternal mortality rate, which were about 800 per 100,000 births in certain
parts of the Northern sector was unacceptable and needed urgent redress.
Professor Fred T. Sai,
Special Advisor on Reproductive Health Issues and HIV/AIDS to the Presidency
said Ghana would cooperate to make the research findings accurate. He commended
the organisation for its support to the African Youth Alliance to fight AIDS
and to other organisations to promote safe reproductive health.
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Duasidan (Brong Ahafo)
29 October 2002- The Ministry of Tourism and the Forestry Commission has
pledged to assist the people of Duasidan, near Dormaa Ahenkro in Brong Ahafo to
develop a monkey sanctuary in the area as a tourist centre.
Nana Oppong Kyekyeku
Ababio, Chief of the town, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that a team from
the Ministry and the Commission had already undertaken feasibility studies on
the project.
He said the two
institutions would assist the people to plant different tree species in the
area to conserve the ecology. The Chief appealed to the Dormaa District
Assembly to provide recreational facilities at the centre to boost the industry
to improve its revenue base.
Nana Kyekyeku urged
the people to lend their support for the project and avoid indiscriminate bushfires
and other practices that would disturb the peace of the animals.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
29 October 2002- Major Courage Quarshigah (rtd), Minister of Food and
Agriculture, on Monday urged African scientists to research into African
culture and beliefs to make them more beneficial to its citizens.
He was addressing the
10th African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation (AABNF) Conference in
Accra under the theme "Enhancing BNF Research and Application for Food
security and Poverty Alleviation in Smallholder African Farming Communities.
Maj. Quarshigah said
there are a lot of African mysteries and cultures that when properly researched
into would help the continent to solve its numerous problems including poverty
and food security.
He said although the
world was created to make everybody comfortable, "it is only those countries
that embark on research to discover new facts or information about their
effects on human life in particular, that are said to have developed".
Those countries, he
said, created nothing new. "Rather through research they have changed the
form of things already in the existence and improved upon their old ways of
doing things."
Maj. Quarshigah said
it is unfortunate that very little of such developments could be credited to
Africans because instead of researching into "our own culture and improve
on it, Africans pride themselves with using the products of development of
other cultures."
He cited the huge
loans and grants African countries received to fight HIV/AIDS and said he
wondered how much of those monies would be set aside to research into claims by
numerous African herbalists that they have found cure for the dreaded disease.
He commended the
organisers for bringing seasoned scientists together to brainstorm and share
with the public recent scientific achievements, future development and the role
of BNF research in improving food production in a sustainable manner.
Prof. Dominic Fobih,
Minister of Environment and Science, said it has been the ministry's concern to
assist local scientists to acquire the know-how for the production of
"Rhizobium Inoculant" for food legumes grown in Ghana. This is to
fight Rhizobium, bacteria that infects soils and affect leguminous plants.
He, therefore,
appealed to the AABNF to give them assistance in that direction to enhance the
production of local legumes. He also tasked the scientists to research whether
farmers would not obtain additional benefits by inoculating legumes such as
cowpea, groundnut and Bambara beans.
In a speech read for
her, Prof. Nancy Karanja, AABNF Chairperson, said the association has achieved
its targets since its inception 16 years ago. She urged corporate bodies and
international NGOs to fund their activities to enable them to alleviate poverty
among smallholder farming communities.
The association was
established to mobilise scientific awareness and research findings in the area
of biological nitrogen fixation in Africa's smallholder farming system through
conferences.
About 100 participants
from all over the continent are attending the five-day conference organised by
the Ecological Laboratory of the University of Ghana, Legon. The Danish
International Development Agency (DANIDA) is sponsoring it.
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Shanghai (China) 29 October 2002 - Shanghai Mayor Chen Liangyu met here on Sunday with John Agyekum Kufuor, president of the Republicof Ghana. Chen briefed the guest on Shanghai's achievements in attracting foreign investment and in urban construction over the past 10 years.
Kufuor said that his government would welcome any decision by Shanghai enterprises to invest in Ghana and said that he hopes to enhance cooperation between the two nations.
The African leader arrived here Sunday. He is making an eight-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin. - http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/27/content_609835.htm
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