Government urged to amend regulations on loans
Government would not interfere with work of Wuaku Commission
Five Parties contest Kumawu Constituency
bye-election
VRA supports Adidome Water Project with over 81m cedis
Bole-Bamboi road receives attention
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 05 September
2002 - The Wuaku Commission set up to probe into the Yendi crisis brought its
sittings to an end on Wednesday after hearing evidence from 108 witnesses.
The Commission began its sitting on
Tuesday, 4 June at Sunyani and took exactly three months to complete its task.
It, however, lost its first Counsel, Mr. G.K. Owoo, who died in Accra on 12
July and was replaced by Mr Yaw Wiredu-Peprah, a Sunyani lawyer to complete its
sittings.
Addressing the audience after the
final sitting, Mr. Justice Isaac Newton Wuaku, Chairman, stated that the
Commission held all its sittings in public except one, which was held in camera
and thanked all witnesses for appearing to facilitate the Commission's work.
He also thanked the Brong Ahafo Regional
Minister, Ernest Akubuor Debrah, and the Regional Co-ordinating Council for
their hospitality and immeasurable assistance to members of the commission.
Mr Justice Wuaku also expressed
gratitude to the security agencies, the media, counsel for the two families and
their clients, as well as the interpreter for their respective roles and
co-operation, which he said ensured smooth proceedings.
Justice Wuaku thanked authorities of
the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and College of Renewable
Natural Resources (CRNR) for providing accommodation for the Commission's
sittings.
He, however, urged the Andanis and
Abudus "to return to Yendi and live as brothers and sisters from the same
ancestry" adding, "you must forget about war and live in peace."
''Today brings to an end our sittings in Sunyani, we are going to Accra to
write our report and, therefore, proceedings of the Commission is adjourned
sine dine,'' Mr Wuaku said.
Mr Wiredu-Peprah, Counsel for the
Commission, said he would submit his written address to the Commission,
explaining that this would be possible after carefully studying the work done
by his predecessor, Mr Owoo.
Earlier, three witnesses Mohammed
Hamidu Amandi alias Hope, Sherif Mohammed Amandi and Alhaji Mustapha Baba, all
from Bawku, testified before the Commission while Osman Mohammed from the
Andani Gate failed to appear.
Sharif Mohammed Amandi, a 28
year-old lotto agent at Bawku, who gave evidence as the 107th witness, told the
Commission that Osman Mohammed told him on 15 April to fabricate a story to
implicate Major Abukari Sulemana, Lieutenant General Joshua Hamidu and others
in the Yendi crisis.
He stated that Osman convinced him
to accompany him to Tamale to tell Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama, Alhaji Alabila, a
proprietor of a computer school in Tamale and other Andani elders that he was
present when Major Sulemana and others conspired in the house of Alhaji
Mustapha Baba against Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II.
Sherif added that Osman also asked
him to lie that during the said meeting on 12 March Major Sulemana and others,
planned to create a parallel Dagbon state for the Bolin Lana in addition to
contributing a total of 13 million cedis to purchase arms and ammunition.
"In addition, I was to lie to
the Andanis that the Abudus planned to recruit people and train them to fight
at Yendi," he said. Sherif said he was promised a reward of 10 million
cedis if he was able to perform his assignment "to the letter" after
being given 150,000 cedis for his domestic problems.
He said sensing some sinister
intentions of Osman's plot he and his elder brother, Hamidu Mohammed Amandi,
reported the matter to their father. Sherif said that their father asked them
to inform Alhaji Mustapha Baba, after which the matter was reported to the BNI at
Bawku. He said the BNI official advised
him to feign interest in the deal so that he (Sherif) and Osman could be
arrested on their way to Tamale the following day (16 April) for interrogation.
Sherif added that the following
morning when they went to the Bolgatanga station at Bawku to board a vehicle,
one BNI official trailed them while another one informed the Police at the
barrier to cause their arrest.
He said after their statements had
been taken, he was released while Osman was kept in custody after the officials
had accused him of his unwillingness to tell the truth. Mohammed Hamidu Amandi,
a Bawku based-businessman, who testified as the 106th witness stated that he
was the one to be contacted first by Osman on 14 April to hatch the plot
against Major Sulemana, Lt-Gen Hamidu and others.
He said that according to Osman he
was sent to see one Afa Mainkana and since he was not available it would be
prudent to use him (Amandi) for the work that was supposed to be done by
Mainkana.
Amandi stated that it was after he
had refused to accompany Osman to Tamale to tell lies about the outcome of the
purported meeting at Bawku that his little brother, Sherif agreed to go with
him (Osman). Amandi corroborated his younger brother's (Sherif) statement that
all that Osman told them were documented and later photocopies were made of all
the three.
Alhaji Mustapha Baba, the 108th
witness and the last to give evidence before the Commission, denied the
allegation that a meeting was held in his house on 12 March to plan the
"war" at Yendi. He told the Commission that although he knew Major
Sulemana, the last time he saw him was during the Limann regime and did not
even know Lt. Gen. Hamidu.
Alhaji Mustapha, an Arabic teacher
at Bawku, said that Alhaji Aminu is his brother, but only saw him when he
(Alhaji Aminu) was a young boy and that it was only during one of the sittings
of the Commission that somebody pointed him out to him (Mustapha).
He stated that all the allegations
made against him and others "are fabrications and no meeting took place in
my house to plan for the institution of a parallel Dagbon state for the Bolin-
Lana. Alhaji Mustapha said when Sherif and Amandi informed him of the plot, he
advised them to cause the arrest of Osman as evidence of his sinister motive.
Osman Mohammed, who was allegedly
sent by Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama and others to fabricate the Bawku story, however,
failed to appear before the Commission as the fourth witness of the day to
confront Sherif, Amandi and Alhaji Mustapha.
Nana Obiri Boahen, Counsel for the
Abudus, in his final address to the Commission called for the prosecution of
Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama since he played a major role in the Yendi crisis. He
noted that more than six witnesses mentioned him in one way or the other for
his contribution in bringing about the hostilities between the Abudus and the
Andanis.
Nana Boahen said what happened at
Yendi between 25 and 27 March was a war that was initiated by the Andanis and
that the Abudus only fought in self-defence. He said no Abudu should be
prosecuted since they were compelled to act in self-defence against the Andanis
who were bent on exterminating them.
Nana Boahen said although the
Guka-Na is the next in command to the Ya-Na, evidence before the Commission
indicated that Mr Mahamadu Michael, Registrar of the Dagbon Traditional
Council, did not regard him as such.
"Mahamadu connived with other
Andani elders to fabricate stories against Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu and 38
other prominent members of the Abudu Gate to implicate them in the
crisis," he said.
Nana Boahen added that the evidence
before the Commission indicated that the allegation was false and that they did
not have any hand in the Ya-Na's assassination. Nana Obiri Boahen noted that
the Yendi crisis was unnecessarily politicised and that it had become clear
that the government had no hand in the war.
He advised against the
politicisation of such events should they occur in future in any part of the
country. Nana Boahen also thanked all those who had contributed to the smooth
sittings of the Commission.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Tamale (Northern Region) 5 September
2002- The Tamale Community Tribunal presided over by Mrs Angelina Gyamfi on
Wednesday discharged Iddrisu Jehanfo who was to be tried for allegedly
murdering the Ya-Na.
The prosecutor, Mr Agbeko Kraal, who
was to prosecute, told the tribunal that he was withdrawing the case against
the accused person. The tribunal on 28 August dismissed an application by Mr
Kraal to discharge Jehanfo because he had received instruction from the Wuaku
Commission to discontinue the case.
The tribunal turned down the
application because the prosecutor failed to produce convincing evidence. On 2
September, the Wuaku Commission vacated its order for the arrest and
prosecution of Jehanfo, which it gave on 8 August because it acted ultra vires
to order prosecution.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 05 September
2002- The Concerned Citizens of Adansi has said that it would take all
legitimate and constitutional means to ensure that the chiefs of Adansi and the
Adansi West District Assembly account for all monies received from the Minerals
Commission and the office of the Administrator of Stool Lands.
''We hope our legitimate concern
will not be misconstrued as gross insubordination.'' This was contained in a
statement signed by Mr. Kwaku Gyasi, Chairman of the Concerned Citizens of
Adansi in reaction to what they termed ''the war of Adansi chiefs with the
Minister of Finance over their royalties.''
The statement said it is regrettable
that the chiefs of Adansi should be at war with the Minister of Finance, adding
it is rather the youth and people of Adansi who legitimately should be at war
with the chiefs for the misapplication of royalties over the years. It said the
chiefs sought to tarnish the enviable reputation of internationally respected
Finance Minister and this should be condemned in no uncertain terms.
The statement said the crux of the
matter is that over the years, especially during the PNDC and NDC regimes,
mineral royalties were paid to the chiefs and the Adansi West District Assembly
without any monitoring mechanism to ensure that the money was used for the
intended purpose.
The Adansi concerned citizens said mineral
royalties are paid out of the mineral development fund and is intended
specifically for development projects that enhance the well being of citizens
living in mining areas. The statement said it is quite disturbing to observe
that notwithstanding the immense revenue put at the disposal of the chiefs and
the Adansi West District Assembly, the traditional area remains
under-developed.
It said records from the Minerals
Commission in Accra indicate that from January 1993 to October 1996, a whooping
four billion cedis was paid out of the mineral development fund to the Adansi
chiefs and the Adansi West District Assembly for development projects.
It called on the Adansi chiefs, who
are calling for the blood of the Minister of Finance to be bold enough to tell
the Ghanaian public what they have done so far for their various communities
with the mineral royalties received over the years.
The statement asked Nana Asiama
Guahyia Ababio, who is championing the cause of the chiefs and who does not
even have a palace at New Edubiase to make known to the Ghanaian public the
number of development projects so far executed for the people of New Edubiase
with his share of 269.3 million cedis received in 1997.
It said despite the massive inflow
of stool land revenue to the area, the positive impact of Asantehene's war on
education, health and development is not felt in the Adansi traditional area.
"The Bonsra Afriyie palace
which is the seat of the Adansi paramountcy and the venue for the infamous
press conference is so dilapidated that the Adansihene prefers to live in the
comfort of his private residence instead of rehabilitating it", the
statement said.
It said the government of the NPP
being conscious of the naked manipulation of royalties in the past, has put in
place various mechanisms to curb the wanton dissipation of such funds.
The Adansi chiefs were alleged to
have been requested to furnish the Minister of Finance with details of projects
they have planned for the traditional area and for which they are demanding the
royalties. "This request seems not to have gone down well with the chiefs,
hence the threat to resort to the court to compel the minister to pay the
money," it stressed.
The Adansi Traditional Council, at a
press conference last month condemned the Minister of Finance, Mr. Yaw
Osafo-Maafo for his refusal to heed to the President's directive to him to
release mineral royalties due to the chiefs.
GR…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Takoradi (Western Region) 05
September 2002- Seven persons including a woman on Tuesday lodged complaints at
the Western and Central Regional Zonal office of the National Reconciliation
Commission (NRC) at its first sitting at Takoradi.
Mr. James B. Acquah-Harrison, zonal
officer of the NRC, told the GNA in an interview at Takoradi that the woman was
the first to report at the Commission's secretariat at the old GNTC building at
7:15am.
Mr. Acquah-Harrison said lack of
publicity on the venue for the NRC in the regions might have resulted in the
low turnout on Tuesday. He said chiefs, interest groups, Churches, the district
assemblies and voluntary organisations are the main focus of the Western and
Central zonal offices.
''These groups would be relied upon
to convince their members, who were abused or deprived of their rights during
military and other regimes to come to the secretariat to lodge complaints.''
Mr. Acquah-Harrison said the
commission is not a court but a forum for "injured, aggrieved and persons
with hurts" and assured people of the Western and Central Regions that
information or complainants submitted to the NRC would be confidential.
He was quick to add that these
notwithstanding, the NRC could summon anyone, to appear before it to give
evidence, to make the work of the Commission easy and efficient. "We are
here to identify hurts, find means of avoiding and alleviating them for a
peaceful co-existence" he added.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 August
2002- The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd) has
said plans were far advanced to upgrade agricultural Colleges to diploma
awarding institutions and the curriculum accordingly reviewed.
The Ministry has also set in motion
the affiliation of the colleges to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) for the
award of diploma certificates. The Agriculture Colleges are located at Kwadaso,
Ejura, Ohawu, Damongo and the Pong-Tamale Veterinary College.
Major Quashigah said this in a
speech read on his behalf at the 17th Annual General Conference and
Workshop of the Agricultural Science Teachers Association of Ghana, which
opened in Accra on Tuesday.
The three-day conference, which is
being attended by representatives from all the ten regions include agricultural
science teachers from the basic, second cycle and tertiary educational
institutions. The theme for the conference is "Agricultural Education at
the Cross-roads; A decade of reforms, achievements, prospects and the way
forward".
The five agricultural colleges serve
as source of middle level manpower for the agricultural sector and successful
graduates obtain certificate in General Agriculture issued by the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture.
Major Quashigah said the Ministry
also provided vocational training at its three farm Institutes located at
Wenchi, Asuansi and Adidome for practising and prospective farmers to enable
them to increase productivity.
Currently an innovative Bachelor of
Science (BSc) (Agric Extension) programme is in progress at the University of
Cape Coast. The programme, which started in 1993, is tailored to meet the
demands of the Ministry in its drive to produce professional and competent
extension staff for its work with farmers.
Major Quashigah said the Ministry
has a human resource development policy and its policy statement was to accord
its employees opportunities for training both formal and informal to ensure
career development consistent with their own aspirations and the plans and
objectives of the ministry.
He said the staff, who have
satisfactorily worked three years and above with the Ministry were given study
leave with pay to upgrade their academic qualifications at local universities
and occasionally at overseas universities.
Major Quashigah said the Ministry was so much concerned about the poor state of agricultural education system in the country and has, therefore, made provision in the Agricultural Services Sector Investor Project (ASSIP) for the formulation of agricultural education and training policy in Ghana.
The Ministry in conjunction with the
Ministry of Education are preparing the terms of reference which would enable
them strengthen agricultural education and training.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Cape Coast (Central Region) 05
September 2002- Mr Fred Oware, Managing Director of Manna Heights Hotel at
Mankessim, on Tuesday urged the government to amend the regulation on bank
loans to ensure that small and medium scale enterprises receive flexible
financial terms.
He said the government's policy of
the ''Golden Age of Business'' could only be achieved if small and medium
enterprises are financially empowered to meet the challenges of the global
world.
Mr Oware, a member of the
President's Advisory Council, made the call at the end of a two-day investors'
forum' as part of the Central Regional Trade and Investment Fair at Cape Coast.
Topic discussed include
"repackaging and promoting tourism in Central Region,' 'financial climate
in Ghana and Central Region' and 'financing small and medium scale enterprises-
lessons from an industrialist.''
It provided a platform for
discussion and promotion of trade and investment opportunities in the region
and to facilitate the establishment of direct linkages between local
entrepreneurs and financial institutions.
He appealed to the government to
help distressed companies and revamp dormant industries by making funds
available through the regional coordinating councils and district assemblies. ''The
government can only talk of wealth creation when these enterprises, which are
the major job creators, are given the necessary infrastructural and financial
support to ensure their survival.''
Mr Oware, however, called on small
and medium scale enterprises to form associations to make it easier for them to
acquire bank loans. Mr Edem Amenumey, a lecturer at the Department of Geography
and Tourism at the University of Cape Coast, said the region has huge
potentials in the tourism industry which, when properly developed, would reduce
poverty in the region.
He said apart from the beaches,
castles, forts and the Kakum National Park, the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) in
collaboration with travel and tour operators could develop the region's
festivals, as well as organise food and drink bazaars to attract more tourists.
Mr Amenumey, however, expressed
regret at the sub-standard facilities in some of the hotels and restaurants in
the region and said, "they cannot survive in a competitive world without
the requisite infrastructure."
Some of the participants expressed
disappointment at the poor attendance and absence of foreign and local
investors whom they had looked forward to interacting with. Mr Kwame Aidoo,
manager of the ''Saltpond honey centre,'' described the forum as
"disappointing" because operators of small and medium scale
enterprises were told that they would be linked up with financial institutions
but did not materialise.
He said, budget proposals for the
expansion of about 50 of these enterprises amounting to more than 12 billion
cedis presented to the Central Region Development Commission could not be
discussed.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Government
would not interfere with work of Wuaku Commission
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 September 2002- The government on Wednesday said it
had no intention of interfering with the work of the Wuaku Commission, probing
the Yendi crisis in which Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II was assassinated.
It said "it would be improper and inappropriate for
any person or institution, including the government to interfere with, disrupt
or act in any manner, which would appear to subvert or obstruct the Commission
in its work, adding that it would await the final report of the Commission and
thereafter take appropriate action.
A statement signed by Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Acting Minister
of Information and Presidential Affairs, therefore, advised the Andanis to rescind
the decision to boycott the Commission and to continue to co-operate with it as
they had done all through its proceedings.
It noted that the Commission had so far provided all
factions ample opportunity to provide any information relevant to its work,
adding that any of the faction in the crisis that intended to present any
complaint on the work of the Commission should await the final report before
doing so.
The Andani faction on Monday decided not to co-operate with
the Commission without stating any specific reasons after it had received
evidence from 104 witnesses and was at the very final stages of retiring to
prepare its report for submission to government.
The statement said the Wuaku Commission was established by
a Legislative Instrument, which vested the Commission with the full authority
of a Superior Court of Justice with the sole purpose of establishing the facts,
which led to the unfortunate events in Dagbon Traditional area.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Five Parties contest Kumawu Constituency bye-election
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 September 2002- Five political parties have each put
up a candidate, including a woman to contest the bye-election in the Kumawu
Constituency in the Ashanti Region, scheduled for Tuesday, 1 October.
A statement issued by the Electoral Commission in Accra on Wednesday and signed by Mr. Henry W. Okyne, Director of Public Affairs said the candidates, made up of a lawyer, a teacher and three farmers, filed their candidature by the close of nominations on Tuesday, 3 September.
The three farmers are, Mr James Yaw Owusu, 51, standing on
the ticket of the Peoples' National Convention (PNC), Miss Rose Aboagye, 48,
contesting for the Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP) and Mr Yaw Opoku Mensah, 40,
running for the Great Consolidated Peoples' Party (GCPP).
Mr. Yaw Baah, 43, is contesting on the ticket of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP), while Mr. Martin Richard Osei, 55, a teacher, stands for
the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The seat became vacant following the
death of Mr. Reo Addai Basoah the NPP Member of Parliament for the constituency
in July after a protracted illness.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
VRA supports Adidome Water Project with over 81m cedis
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 September 2002- The Volta River Authority (VRA) has
given 81.5 million cedis toward the Adidome Water Project that would provide
potable water to 15,000 people in the South and North Tongu Districts. An
official statement in Accra on Wednesday named communities to benefit from the
project as Akyemfo, Adidome Township, Tsetsekope, Avakpedome, Kgogede and
Anekpo.
The statement, signed by Mrs. Gertrude Koomson, VRA's
acting director of Public Affairs, said the assistance forms part of the
organisation's commitment to assist development of the communities within the
Lower Volta Basin area. The project was identified, as a major need, following
the completion of a four-year study.
It said VRA's contribution was to enable the beneficiaries
to secure counterpart funding for the project, being funded substantially by
GTZ, a German non-governmental agency. The Community Water and Sanitation
Agency would implement the project.
"Over the years, VRA has also been undertaking
dredging activities at the Volta Estuary and Keta Channel to improve the
salinity of water in the Volta River in order to reduce the prevalence of
Schistosomiasis infection in the Basin and other public health interventions
for the people," it said.
Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease, caused by
schistosomes, a parasite, and characterised in humans by disorder of the liver,
urinary bladder, lungs or central nervous system.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Bole-Bamboi road receives attention
Bamboi (Northern Region) 05 September 2002- A total of
20.3 out of the 29.3-kilometre Bole-Bamboi road in the Northern Region awarded
on contract for re-gravelling in April has been completed. The entire road,
which should have been completed by the end of August had to be rescheduled to
mid-October this year as a result of heavy rains and other logistical problems.
Mr Emmanuel Pireko, Northern Regional Director of the
Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), said this on Wednesday at a meeting of
officials from Accra, Tamale and Wa and Mr Sahanun Mogtari, Upper West Regional
Minister with the Bole District Chief Executive at Bamboi.
He said the spot improvement works on the road was not
part of the tarring exercise, but was to facilitate movement, which had been
impeded as a result of the rains, adding that, further re-gravelling would be
carried out to make it motorable.
"Currently vehicles spend between four and six hours
travelling on a 105 kilometre road, which is unacceptable." He said 2.2
billion cedis would be spent on the re-gravelling pending the final award of
contract for tarring and called on the contractor to expedite work.
Mr Sahanun Mogtari said the contract would be awarded soon
for work to commence before the end of the year, "President J.A. Kufuor
has promised that part of the road would be awarded on contract this year and I
am sure that we shall meet our deadline," he added.
Alhaji Ben Yunusah, Director of Projects of Engineers and
Planners Limited, contractor executing the work said 12 accidents had been
recorded since the improvement of the 20.3 kilometres stretch and called on
drivers to exercise caution.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com