Adam's death shocks people of Techiman
Okyenhene to elevate some stools next year
Political parties advised to cease trading in provocative words
Bridge gap between agric theory and practice - Mahama
Sefwi-Debiso
(Western Region) 09 September 2002 - Nana Aforo Kwaw II, Chief of Sefwi-Debiso,
in the Western Region, has declared war on cocoa smuggling and "vowed to
forcibly seize farms on the Debiso stool lands" whose owners are caught in
the illegal act. He said proceeds from the seized farms would be put into a
special fund to support the education of brilliant but needy pupils and
students from the area.
Nana Kwaw
was addressing a farmers forum held by the Adwumapa Buyers Limited, a licensed
cocoa buying company at Debiso in the Juabeso-Bia District. The hard-line
position taken by the chief comes in the wake of growing public concern about
the upsurge of cocoa smuggling across the frontiers of the country. Ghana is
believed to have lost 60,000 tonnes of cocoa through smuggling between January
and June this year.
Nana Kwaw
said he has already informed the police about the decision, adding that, the
"bad name given to the area as a major smuggling corridor could no longer
be accepted." He said there were credible reports that even cocoa
purchased and stored in depots in the area were being smuggled to Cote d'Ivoire
by some unscrupulous purchasing clerks and indicated that he would mobilise the
unit committees and other volunteers to crush the smugglers.
Mr Kofi
Asare, Finance and Administrative Manager of Adwumapa, said it was an irony
that people who are crying for improved social facilities like schools, roads,
water and hospitals should by their acts deny the nation of the needed income. He
said there should be greater co-operation between the public and the security
agencies to fight against cocoa smuggling.
Mr Asare
told the farmers to reciprocate government's efforts at helping to improve their
lot through the mass spraying of cocoa farms, bonus payment and periodic upward
review of cocoa prices to expand and maintain their farms and market their
produce internally.
The
District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Benjamin Armah, reminded them that it was
only Ghanaians themselves who could turn the fortunes of the country and for
that matter, must be hardworking and loyal to the nation.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 09 September 2002 - A 20-member Parliamentary Delegation on
Monday left Accra for the Dagbon Traditional Area on a three-day fact finding
mission.
Mr Joseph
Darko Mensah, MP, Okaikoi North and Chairman of the Select Committee on Defence
and Interior, is leading the delegation.
A press statement
from the Office of Parliament said the delegation would ascertain among other
things, the true situation on the ground with regard to restoration of normalcy
to Dagbon.
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Ho (Volta
Region) 09 September 2002 - Professor John Evans Atta Mills, former
Vice-President, said that he would make a pronouncement on the state of Affairs
within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) within the next 24 hours.
At a
meeting with the Chiefs and Elders of the Asogli Traditional Area on Monday at
Ho, where he had gone to mourn with them following the death and burial of
their Paramount Chief Togbe Afede Asor in August.
Professor
Mills, who did not say which areas his pronouncement would touch upon, was the
flag bearer of the NDC in the 2000 Elections. He was out of the country during
the burial rites of the late chief in Ho.
Professor
Mills presented four bottles of schnapps, two cartons each of beer and
minerals, a keg of palm wine and ''solom'', a local brew and one million cedis
to the family. He appealed to the kingmakers to go about the nomination and
installation of a successor in a peaceful manner and with love.
Togbe
Adzie Lakle Howusu XII, War Chief of the Traditional Area, received the gifts
on behalf of the five divisions of Asogli and thanked Professor Mills for his
concern. Professor Mills's entourage was made up of Mr Martin Amidu, his
running mate in the 2000 Elections and a former Deputy Attorney - General and
Deputy Minister of Justice.
Others
included Mr Steve Obimpeh, a former Minister of State and a Party functionary,
Mr Modestus Ahiable, MP for Ketu-North and Chairman of the Volta Regional
Branch of NDC, Mr Kofi Attor, MP for Ho-Central, Mr Steve Akorlie, MP for
Ho-East, Miss Akua Sena Dansua, MP for North-Dayi and Mr Kosi Kedem, MP for
Hohoe-South.
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 09 September 2002 - Alhaji Gado Sulemana, Asokwa East Chairman
of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on political parties
contesting in the Kumawu Constituency in the Sekyere East District by-election
to campaign in a mature manner.
"The
campaign for the parliamentary election must be conducted in a peaceful,
brotherly and friendly manner so that at the end of it all, a candidate is
elected to represent the people", he said.
The Ghana
News Agency reports him as saying in Kumasi at the weekend that his party would
have to work very fast if it wanted to capture the seat which has been
dominated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He stressed that the success of the
NDC would greatly depend on how the party organised itself at the constituency
and ward levels.
Other
parties contesting the seat are the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), The Great
Consolidated People's Party (GDPP), The Democratic People's Party (DPP) and the
People's National Convention (PNC).
The Kumawu
seat became vacant following the death of Mr Reo Addai Basoah, NPP Member of
Parliament (MP) for the constituency in July this year. The bye-election will
take place on 01 October.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 09 September 2002 - Eight Medical Experts from the United
States Air Force on Monday began a six-day workshop on trauma systems
management for 40 senior doctors and nurses in the country at the 37 Military
Hospital to enable them respond efficiently to disaster situations.
The
participants, drawn from the 37 Military Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital,
Ridge Hospital, Police Hospital and Tema General Hospital would be taken
through theoretical and practical training in disaster preparedness, its
response and recovery.
Code-named
"Leadership Course in Regional Disaster Response and Trauma System
Management," the workshop formed part of the "West African Training
Cruise (WATC) 2002 Programme" aimed at providing humanitarian assistance
to the Sub-Region in the area of disaster management.
Lieutenant
Colonel Eugene Bonventre, a Surgeon and Head of the delegation, said the course
has been designed primarily to help increase the capacity of Ghanaian medical
practitioners to respond to natural disasters.
He said
Ghana would be required to train other medical practitioners in the West Africa
Sub-Region, adding; "Ghana is benefiting because it has one of the best
medical system in the region." Major Bernadette Anderson, a Ghanaian,
Women Health and Family Nurse Practitioner of the US Air Force, said the
programme focuses on global humanitarian assistance with special emphasis on
the Developing World.
Colonel
Joseph Ayitey, Commanding Officer of the 37 Military Hospital, said the
exercise, which had been on-going for sometime now had benefited Ghana in its
enforcement of disaster management programmes. He urged the participants to
endeavour to share the knowledge they would acquire with their colleagues to
help to widen the scope of managing disasters in the country.
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 09 September 2002 - Parents have been advised to desist from
accepting financial rewards from persons, who either defile or impregnate their
teenage daughters in order to settle such cases at home.
Mr Odeneho
Kwaku Appiah, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Concerned Citizens Association
(CCA), said until parents of victims of teenage pregnancies and defilement
stopped settling such criminal cases at home efforts of the government at
reducing or possibly eliminating teenage pregnancies might come to nought.
Mr Appiah
gave the advice at a day's seminar on teenage pregnancies and its negative
effects organised by the Lovers Mothers Club of Suame in Kumasi on Sunday. Mr
Appiah said parents should insist on the arrest and prosecution of those, who
committed such crimes to serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders.
He
explained that mutual settlement of cases involving teenage pregnancies at home
only went to encourage the offenders to continue with the unacceptable act,
while putting the life of the victims at risk.
Mr Appiah
disagreed with the notion in certain circles that giving sex education to
children at the tender age "will only go to spoil children". He said
such an approach would help them to appreciate their sexuality and put them in
a better position to ward off any immoral acts until marriage.
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Bamiri
Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 09 September 2002-The people of Techiman have received
with shock the death of Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman
of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Deputy Minister of the
region.
Alhaji
Adam, immediate former Member of Parliament for Techiman South, reportedly died
in a motor accident at Suhum in the Eastern Region on Saturday while returning
from Accra to Sunyani after attending the inauguration of the party's Council
of Elders on Friday.
When the
Ghana News Agency visited Bamiri, his hometown in Techiman on Sunday, NDC party
functionaries, sympathisers and mourners had thronged there to express their
condolences to the bereaved family.
In
Techiman, people were seen standing in groups discussing the unexpected death
of the former MP. Nana Obiri Yeboah Kokroko, Bamirihene and Tufuhene of
Techiman Traditional Area described Alhaji Adam's death as a "great
loss" not only to citizens of his hometown but to all in Techiman, Brong
Ahafo region and indeed the entire country.
The
Bamirihene said Alhaji Adam was a man who stood for what he believed in and never
abandoned the NDC when it lost power in the last general election. Alhaji Yusif
Tahiru, Chairman of Techiman South NDC said the death of Alhaji Adam "is a
big blow" to the party, adding, "the vacuum created by the death
would be very difficult to fill."
Meanwhile
sources close to the bereaved family told the GNA that his body would be
conveyed to Bamiri next Monday, for burial on Tuesday in accordance with
Islamic custom. In Sunyani, where the former MP lived, the news of the tragedy
was on the lips of taxi drivers, market women, vendors, and other persons.
Party
members, supporters, and sympathisers clad in mourning clothes gathered at the
NDC regional offices at Sunyani, to mourn the late Regional Chairman. Mr
Mohammed Kwaku Doku, Regional Secretary of the party, described the death of
Alhaji Adam as a "shocker" and an irreparable loss to the NDC,
members of his family and the entire Brong-Ahafo Region.
Mr Doku
said the late Regional Chairman "was not only a politician but also a very
good administrator and a statesman." Nana Amakona Nimpong, Regional
Treasurer of the party said the late Alhaji Adam was a hardworking and highly
principled person. Nana Nimpong noted that the former Regional Chairman's death
"would pose a great problem for the party in the region."
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Kyebi
(Eastern Region) 09 September 2002- Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, Okyenhene,
said he would elevate some stools in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area to
paramount status by the last Akwasidae celebration next year.
He said
the exercise was long overdue, adding that discussions on the matter begun
during the reign of his predecessors, Nana Ofori Atta III and Osagyefo
KuntunkununkuII.
A
statement from the office of the Okyenhene said Osagyefo Amoatia made this
known at the just ended third session of the Okyeman Council. The Okyenhene
said he had established a constitutional commission to draft a new legal
document for Okyeman that would take into account the expected elevations.
He
introduced Nana Asante Bediatuo Apagyahene of Akem Abuakwa as well as a
constitutional expert and Dr Kwame Gyan, a Lecturer at the Law Faculty, University
of Ghana, Legon, as members of the commission, who were expected to present
initial drafts to the commission for review.
The
statement said a final draft, which should be ready by April 2003, would be
forwarded to the Okyeman Council for review. Osagyefo Amoatia stated that he
would elevate some stools to divisional status before the end of this year.
He said
the step would be a prelude to the elevation of stools to paramount status,
adding that some of occupants of the stools have distinguished themselves in
service to the Ofori Panin Stool and deserved recognition.
According
to him, land reform initiatives such as a coherent land administration system,
sustainable land use and increased revenue to the traditional rulers would be
undertaken before the next session. Osagyefo Amoatia said the Okyeman had a
history of innovation and leadership in land administration, adding that the
present land tenure and administrative systems had to be reformed, strengthened
and expanded.
He
appealed to all regulatory bodies to refer all applications for registration of
Akyem Abuakwa lands to the Okyeman Lands Commission at Ofori Panin Fie and
cautioned that no instrument of Conveyance which, did not bear the signature of
the Okyenhene, should be accepted.
The
Okyenhene said the Akyem Abuakwa lands should be used in a manner that would
alleviate poverty and ensure food security as well as boost private sector
investment and rural development.
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Action Plan for Tema
Tema (Greater Accra) 09 September 2002- Hajia Alima Mahama, Deputy Minister of
Local Government and Rural Development at the weekend stressed the need for
district assemblies to work harder in urban development to justify their
elevation to city or capital town.
Launching
the Tema Civic Action Plan and the Tema Civic Committee that will manage the
plan at Tema, she said there are a lot of activities to be carried out to
enhance development of the cities to improve the lives of the people.
The
plan is a United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme using Tema as the pilot
project involving the civil society including, tax payers, traders, traditional
authorities, stakeholders, opinion leaders and staff of the Tema Municipal
Assembly (TMA).
The
City Consultation is a programme geared towards improving the
quality of life of the urban population through an approach that allows the
civil society to express their opinion in defining the municipal priorities and
effectively, address their own problems.
Hajia
Mahama called for quick implementation of the plan and entreated the committee
to capture environmental degradation and pollution as some of the indiscipline
in environmental activities.
The
Deputy Minister asked the TMA to critically examine the document with a view to
adopting it and incorporate it in its medium term plan of action to strengthen
the process of development. She asked other district assemblies to learn the
process and come out with similar action to help improve the lot of the people.
Mr
Wagui Siby, Regional Coordinator of the Urban Management Programme (UMP) of
Africa noted that while urbanisation seems to be irreversible, local
governments in most developing countries show little response to challenges of
urbanisation.
This practice has resulted in many inhabitants not having access to basic social services like potable water, good sanitation, adequate housing, good health care and education.
Siby
noted that the inability of the local government system to respond to these
facilities are confusing governance structure that makes no clear distinction
between the local and central governments in terms of sharing of
responsibilities.
Other
impediments are the transfer of responsibilities to local governments without
commensurate transfer of resources for implementation by central authorities
and the limitation of participation development actors in the development
efforts of municipal authorities.
Mr
Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive noted that the
development problem in the municipalities is compounded with the issue of
poverty among tax payers and lack of sufficient revenue to provide the required
services and development activities. He commended the UNV for the project to
support the establishment of a civic process to improve the municipal revenue
generation system.
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Political parties advised to cease trading in provocative
words
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 09 September 2002- A Resident of Obuasi, in the Adansi
West District of Ashanti Region, Mr Albert Kofi Quagraine has appealed to the
government and the opposition political parties to cease the practice of
trading in provocative words and making derogatory remarks about each other.
He
said such unhealthy practice should not be allowed to take roots since it had
the potential of undermining the multi-party democratic dispensation. The
appeal was contained in a statement signed by Mr Quagraine and issued to the
press in Kumasi on Saturday.
"Followers
of the various political divide should, therefore, resolve to be more tolerant
of each others' views since democracy is not just about seeking faults and
apportioning blames but disagreeing and to eventually agree on issues for
enhancement of the nation", he said.
Mr
Quagraine said to demonstrate full commitment to efforts at reconciling the
nation, President John Agyekum Kufuor should apart from establishing the
National Reconciliation Commission, "genuinely forgive and forget the past
misdeeds of his political opponents".
The
statement noted that success in the President's mission at uniting Ghanaians
and the National Reconciliation Commission's goal at reconciling Ghanaians
would demand divine intervention at all levels.
Mr
Quagraine said in view of this, "I entreat the Catholic Secretariat,
Christian Council of Ghana and the entire Clergy to fast and pray relentlessly
for divine guidance for President Kufuor and the Reconciliation Commission in
their drive at bringing about unity among the people of Ghana".
The
statement stressed the need for the Commission to be more practical and
objective in its mission. Mr Quagraine said the Commission could justify its
establishment when it was able to practically patch up differences between
victims of atrocities and perpetrators and "not when old wounds are even
deepened".
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Bridge gap between agric theory and practice - Mahama
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 September 2002 - For the nation to make a breakthrough
in increasing agricultural production to off-set rural poverty, there is the
need to bridge the gap between theory and practice, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama,
former Presidential Adviser, has said.
"There
is a world of difference between theory and practice in our agricultural
production as those in theory do not want to do anything with their
hands. It is still unfortunate that those who are veterinary and
agricultural scientists and technical officers shy away from venturing into
actual production," he noted.
Alhaji
Mahama was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in reaction to a
call by Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional
Integration, to Ghanaians to give suggestions on how to enrich the
implementation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS).
Alhaji
Mahama said if the agricultural experts complained that they did not have the
capital to do so, "then it is an issue of the chicken and the egg.
The cycle must be broken somewhere". He said about 70 per cent of Ghanaian
farmers are in the rural areas, the majority of whom are old, uneducated and
weak and could not therefore increase production to feed the young and the ever
increasing population of the nation.
Alhaji
Mahama said under the Poverty Alleviation Fund it would be wrong to dish out
money to those same old and weak farmers instead of the government establishing
or creating the necessary infrastructure and incentives that would be
attractive enough to entice the youth and the educated into agriculture.
"It
should be possible for dams to be created in the three northern regions of the
country because those there use only about two-and-a-half months throughout the
year to farm but they could produce more if they could water their crops
throughout the year," he said.
He
said money given to individuals could not create such dams, adding: "Our
cultural practices have shown that a farmer who wants to rear animals would
prefer to have the money given to him or her rather than the animals being
given to him or her."
"You
should not be surprised that the animals would never be bought for rearing and
no account could ever be rendered to you as how the money was spent.
Eventually everything collapses," he explained. He said these practices
affect the nation's agricultural production and that was why Ghanaians should
be more objective in analysing economic and security situations.
Alhaji
Mahama said, "Security and economic matters of the nation should not be
sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics no matter which party was in
government. If a party wins power and forms a government that government is for
all Ghanaians and that bitterness and acrimony should be removed from the body
politic of the nation."
He
noted that if there was peace and the economy became buoyant every Ghanaian
would enjoy in that prosperity irrespective of which party was in power. Alhaji
Mahama said it was in this light that it was necessary to caution radio
stations on some of their programmes, especially the phone-in segments, which
could engender bitterness and acrimony.
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