Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- Ghana on Wednesday joined the United States
of America (USA) in remembrance of the almost 3000 people who perished in the
airplane terrorists attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on 11
September 2001.
Alhaji Aliu
Mahama, Vice President, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Members of Parliament
and the Council of State and the Deputy Chief of US Mission were among many
others who witnessed the solemn ceremony observed in the memory of the victims
at the residence of the US Ambassador to Ghana.
Two
Ghanaians whose name were listed as Sophia B. Addo and Emmanuel Afuakwa died in
the attack in which citizens of more than 90 nations lost their lives when the
planes used as weapons targeted and hit the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon
in Pennsylvania.
Jake
Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Presidential Affairs on behalf of the government
and people of Ghana asked the world to work hard towards justice, access to
education, poverty reduction and securing health for all.
He said the
September 11 tragedy did not affect only Americans or Ghanaians but all
countries and all humanity. Obetsebi-Lamptey said: "It is the pain of all
the peoples of all the countries of the world." He said even as the world
mourned and remembered those who died in the tragedy, it was important to
continue to draw the correct lessons that evil must be met with unyielding
resolve so as not to allow evil to prevail.
He quoted
President Lyndon Baines Johnson as saying "Nothing lasting, nothing
enduring, has ever been born from hatred and prejudice - except more hatred and
more prejudice."
"As we
move to eradicate injustice, hatred and prejudice so shall the breeding grounds
of evil wither" and added they last spoken word of those dying in that
terrifying last moments ought to be a memorial of love. Ambassador Elizabeth
Raspoli of the US said the help assistance and moral support from the
international community have heartened her government.
She said
though much has been accomplished in the campaign against terrorism during the
last year, the struggle would require vigilance, perseverance and sacrifice for
many years, adding that US President Bush had made this clear from the
beginning.
"Only a united and civilised world can
defeat terrorism. On this day, as we remember those individuals lost and
families shattered on 11 September let us renew our commitment to defeat
terrorism and build a better future for the next generation." the
Ambassador added.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- Dr. Obed Asamoah, Chairman of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC), on Wednesday asked Journalists to ensure that
civility prevailed in their reportage to avoid smear campaign in the party's
political campaigns.
He said
Professor Evans Atta Mills and Dr Kwesi Botchway, the party's candidates in the
primaries, have pleaded for civility in their campaigns and prayed that their
plea would be respected. "I hope the press will respect the wishes of
these noble gentlemen and above all, resist the temptation to lower
journalistic standards for one reason or another", Dr. Asamoah said in a
statement.
He said it
appeared that a section of the media had embarked upon a programme of causing
disaffection in the NDC against him, especially the type that preceded he (Dr
Asamoah's) election as the chairman of the party.
Dr Asamoah
said two reports in the Ghanaian Chronicle carried extensively by FM and
Television stations claiming that, "the Obed-Botchway camp was shedding
crocodile tears over the death of Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, the Brong Ahafo
Regional Chairman of the NDC, in a road accident."
He said
this was a cruel thing to say of persons not known to rejoice over other
people's misfortunes, adding that there was no such camp as Obed-Botchwey camp.
Dr Asamoah said it was most unlikely that Dr Kwesi Botchwey was aware of the
accident or that Alhaji Maama Adam would be opposed to his bid for the
presidential to contest the 2004 elections on the ticket of NDC.
He said
Alhaji Maama Adam was a dynamic asset to the NDC and he would be sorely missed.
Dr Asamoah said the report on the death of the chairman on 9 September 2002 was
followed by another one on 10 September 2002 claiming that he was engaged in a
scheme to dump up to 99 per cent of the Volta Region NDC MP's at the next
elections.
"There
is no basis for the report, in fact or in logic and no one has been mentioned
as the source of the information" he added. He said the NDC has developed
rules by which parliamentary candidates could emerge by a transparent and
democratic process adding that he had paid dearly for this and would not engage
in schemes that would undermine this process.
Meanwhile,
the Ethics Committee of the Ghana Journalists Association on Wednesday deplored
the banner headline in the 11 September 2002 edition of the "Daily Guide':
"Atta Mills Finds Balls" saying, it was inappropriate, indecent and
offensive.
"The
Committee considers the headline unethical. It is sensational and uncalled for
and together with the accompanying cartoon, disrespectful to the former Vice
President", an official statement said in Accra. It said the Committee was
of the view that there were many English words, which could have conveyed the
former Vice President's stand in seeking the Presidential nomination of his
party.
The
Committee, therefore, reminded Journalists that they were required under
Article 2 of the GJA Code of Ethics to be socially responsible and mindful of
both the import and impact of their words and language at all times. Editors
and publishers of newspapers and magazines were also advised to regard the ethics
of journalism, particularly in the writing of headlines.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- Bill Clinton, Former President of the United
States of America, is to lead a crusade for the building of capital for poor
people in the context of traditional norms and capacity when he visits Ghana
later this month.
He is
expected to offer himself as one of the credible personalities that would
guarantee the flow of investment into Africa and deprived parts of the world.
Alfred Salia Fawunde, United Nations Resident Co-ordinator, was briefing
Journalists on the impending two-day visit to Ghana of the ex-American
President in Accra.
Clinton was
expected to arrive in Ghana by 23 September at the instance of the Ghanaian
government. He would call on the Asantehene and the Okyenhene and seek audience
with other public officials. His visit would coincide with that of Hernando de
Soto, President, Institute for Liberty and Democracy, based in Peru.
Mr de Soto
propounded the "de Soto principle ", a new and popular economic
theory that emphasised the mainstreaming of assets of people considered as
poor. He would deliver a lecture based on his recent best seller, "The
Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere
Else." Mr Fawunde said the United Nations shares Ghana's zeal to generate
wealth and reduce poverty. "de Soto could contribute to the government's
philosophy of property owning, democracy and golden age of business idea."
He said the UN would continue to facilitate such exchanges to help Ghana enjoy
and share in such intellectual programmes that were geared towards development.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra
Leone (UNAMSIL) Ghanbatt Six made up of 260 soldiers - 47 officers and 213
other ranks - left Accra on Wednesday for Freetown to replace UNAMSIL Ghanabatt
Five in peacekeeping duties.
The
contingent, which is under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Bosco Guyiri,
Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion of Infantry, would operate for a
minimum period of six months.
The
soldiers had earlier undergone a month-long intensive pre-operational training
at Bundase Military Training Camp in peacekeeping skills. Addressing the troops
at the Kotoka International Airport before their departure, Brigadier J. B.
Danquah, General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the Ghana Army,
charged the contingent to approach its duty with professionalism and dedication
that had earned Ghana acclamation in peacekeeping duties.
He enjoined
them to live morally upright life and guard against contracting diseases in the
mission area. Brigadier Danquah told them that life in Sierra Leone was
gradually returning to normalcy and that their role was to consolidate the
peace that had been achieved after several years of civil war.
Lt. Col.
Guyiri pledged that the troops would do all it could to sustain the peace and
stability that Sierra Leoneans were currently enjoying. UNAMSIL Ghanbatt Five
that started returning home on Wednesday would be fully replaced within the
next two weeks.
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Salaga
(Northern Region) 12 September 2002- Headmaster of Salaga Secondary School,
E.T. Adams, on Wednesday appealed to the government to commit more resources to
girls education so that they could acquire adequate skills needed for the
economic development of the country.
He said
unless the authorities provided the needed inputs, discussions on girls
education would not yield any positive results. Mr Adams was speaking at a one
week Science Technology and Mathematics Clinic (STMC) organised for 100 girls
selected from Junior and Secondary Schools at Salaga in East Gonja district.
The clinic
was organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to upgrade the knowledge of
girls in Science and Mathematics. He said the high illiteracy rate of female in
the country was due to poverty, teenage pregnancy and apathy towards girl's
education.
"Females
are simply marginalized because people think that money should not be educated
because they only end up as housewives after the completion of their
education," he observed. Mr Adams said until all girls of school going age
are enrolled and resources committed to their education, their fundamental
human rights would be infringed upon due to ignorance.
Alhaji
Haruna K.Bassibi 1, chief of Kpembe urged the girls to take the study of
Science and Mathematics seriously and appealed to their parents to pay their
schools fees regularly and to provide them with their needs. He advised girls
to abstain from pre-marital since according to him that could destroy their
education.
GRi…/
Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- A German-based Ghanaian Human Rights
Activist, Anthony Rau alias Kwabena Abebrese on Wednesday urged the government to
tackle problems facing Ghanaians in Germany. He said most of them who have
lived in Germany for so many years were made to go through inhuman treatment
because of their ignorance of the German law.
Mr Rau, a
member of the World Service Organisation, a body of Human Rights Activists said
this at a press conference in Accra to highlight the abuses of inhuman
treatment meted to Ghanaians living in Germany.
"Things
are horrible in Germany while the embassy there, is almost doing nothing to
assist, especially illegal immigrants to legalise their stay." Mr Rau said
it was unfortunate that the foreign ministry as well as the Ghana Embassy were
ignorant about the German law and allowed Ghanaian citizens to be abused.
He alleged
that there was a connivance involving some self-styled Ghanaians who posed as
lawyers and extort as much as 1,500 Euros from each immigrant with the promise
to assist to them but they turned round to give wrong information for their
arrest and deportation.
Mr Rau said
it was time to stop the inhuman treatment of Ghanaians in Germany as well as
the criminal activities, which have robbed many residents of their properties.
He said many illegal Ghanaian immigrants in that country were dying, adding
that some of them could not get assistance from the Ghana Embassy in Bonn.
Mr Rau said
the Ghana Ambassador to Germany and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs
could not revoke the German law to solve problems of Ghanaians living in
Germany. Mr Rau mentioned that some Ghanaians have been illegally deported from
Germany, saying he has so far assisted about 2,500 who were suffered from
inhuman treatment though they could have been assisted by the Ghana Embassy to
normalise their travelling documents.
He
therefore called on the governments of Ghana and Germany to be proactive in
finding solutions to the human rights abuses against Ghanaians in Germany. The
government should also as a matter of urgency expedite action on the dual
citizenship issue to save Ghanaian residents abroad from the inhuman treatment.
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Cape Coast
(Central Region) 12 September 2002- The Chairman of the Gomoa District
Association of Small Scale Entrepreneurs, Justice Nortey Yeboah, has called on
the government to define the duties of the Ghana Standard Board (GSB) and the
Food and Drugs Board (FDB) to avoid duplication of functions.
Mr Yeboah
said the present arrangement under which both establishments certify products
is a "waste of resources." He was speaking to Ghana News Agency (GNA)
at the just ended Central Region Trade and Investment Fair at Cape Coast. Mr
Yeboah suggested that the GSB could be responsible for certification of
products while the Food and Drugs Board could do the registration, as is the
case in some countries.
He called
for extension of the expiry date of certificates for products from the present
two years to five years since the procedures for certification and registration
of products are cumbersome. Mr Yeboah also called for reduction of the fee for
certification as a sign of support for the government's declaration of
"Golden Age of Business".
Mr. Yeboah
expressed concern about the attitude of the financial institution towards
private entrepreneurs saying while the banks deny private entrepreneurs
financial assistance they readily offer them to traders.
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Tema
(Greater Accra) 11 September 2002- The World Bank has released 120,000 dollars
to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the setting up of a Cleaner
Production Plant Centre (CPPC) in Tema to process waste materials.
The
proposed plant would be sited at community 22 to enhance waste avoidance,
recycle, reduce, and trade waste, Mr Lambert Faabeluon, Senior Programme
Officer (SPO) of the EPA stated on Wednesday. He was presenting a paper on the
"Status Quo of the Chemu Lagoon" at a seminar on "Industry and
Sustainable Environmental Practices", organised by the Corporate Social
Responsibility Movement (CSRM) a non-governmental organisation and the Fredrich
Ebert Stiftung.
He said the
project had become necessary in view of the alarming rate at which water bodies
were being polluted and environment degraded with impunity.
Mr
Faabeluon expressed regret that human activities have rendered the Chemu Lagoon
almost dead and called for its immediate revival to enable it to serve the
rightful purpose.
The lagoon
has been the main source of livelihood for the indigenes of Tema, now settled
at Tema Manhean. It also served as a recreational centre. Mr Faabeluon said
sediments in the lagoon, which has a catchment area of 2,600 hectares with a
very limited upstream supply of freshwater, were contaminated with high
concentrations of organic matter with a widespread indication of oil.
According
to the Environmental Expert, the adjacent land areas are extensively filled
with waste and garbage, posing a major threat to immediate residents of the
area. Mr Faabeluon said the lagoon was contaminated with 60 percent of domestic
waste, which under normal circumstance should have entered the sewer system
while the Industries also discharge 40 percent of their effluent into it.
He said
some of the industries had responded favourably to the call to treat their
effluent before discharging into the lagoon but the domestic waste still posed
a threat and needed immediate solution.
He called
for immediate rehabilitation of all broken down sewer systems to prevent
further loading of the lagoon, while the courts must institute stiffer punishments
to polluters. Mr Faabeluon called for concerted efforts by civic society and
environmental NGOs to compel corporate bodies to respect and conform to the
national regulations on the environment.
Mr Maxwell
Opoku Agyemang, Legal Advisor of the Water Resource Commission (WRC), who spoke
on "The importance of water bodies for fresh water, the Chemu Lagoon
perspective," called for judicious use of water in order to have a reserve
for future generations. He said in less than 10 years, the demand for water
would be more than the supply since only three percent of the world's water is
accessible to people.
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 12 September 2002-Female enrolment at the School of
Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
has increased from four in the early 1980s to 200 this year. Mrs Araba
Intsiful, a lecturer at the Department of Engineering, KNUST, who disclosed
this, attributed the significant increase to the Science, Technology and
Mathematics Education (STME) clinic for girls initiated about 15 years ago.
She said
this at the opening of a six-day STME clinic for girls in the Kumasi
metropolitan area at the Saint Louis Training College in Kumasi. Mrs Intsiful
said, for instance the Mechanical Engineering Department, hitherto the preserve
of men, has 12 women and hoped the figure would increase in the coming years.
Mr Maxwell
Kofi Jumah, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, appealed to girl students
to pursue higher education and acquire employable skills to help break
"the dependency syndrome" associated with Ghanaian women.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- The People's National Convention (PNC) on
Wednesday condemned the government's modalities for the disbursement of
benefits accruing from the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative.
"The
funds, intended to help develop infrastructure of rural communities, has now
become a political tool by the ruling New Patriotic Party government to lay the
ground for electoral canvassing of votes, hence the focus on the heavily
populated and seeming strongholds of the party," Dr Edward Mahama told the
Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.
Dr. Mahama
questioned the basis for concentrating the bulk of the HIPC funds in the
developed and well-resourced districts contrary to the reality of poverty
situation in the country as pertained in the Ghana Living Standard Survey
Report.
The
government last month announced the of release 117 billion cedis from the HIPC
fund to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. Accra Metropolitan
Assembly would receive 3.5 billion cedis, Kumasi 2.5 billion cedis and Sekondi
Takoradi two billion cedis.
Tema, New
Juaben (Koforidua), Tamale and Cape Coast Municipal Assemblies would receive
1.5 billion cedis each while the remaining 103
District
Assemblies receives a billion cedis each. Government expects to receive a total
of 253 million dollars (1.973 trillion cedis) in debt relief this year, out of
which 96 million dollars (749 billion cedis) would be lodged in the HIPC
account.
Dr Mahama
questioned the rationale for giving over two billion cedis each to seven
metropolitans and municipal assemblies, while 103 Districts had only one
billion each. ''The seven are more endowed and developed than the 103
districts.''
The PNC
Leader urged the government to redirect the bulk of benefits to the less
developed districts, which he said would help reduced the rural-urban drift and
help accelerate national development.
He said the
current disbursement modalities would only widen the gap between the highly
developed urban cities to detriment of the rural communities and that is
"the rich getting more richer, while the poor is reduced to drawers of
water and hewers of firewood."
On the
security front, Dr Mahama commended the government for its attempt to resource
the security operatives but noted that, "for the ordinary man security is
felt and not seen," and urged the security apparatus to be more proactive
in combating crime and other social vices.
He said the
ordinary man continues to live in a state of insecurity, which according to him
is dangerous for investment promotion and national development. Dr Mahama also
cautioned Ministers of State, Government and Ministerial Spokespersons against
actions that negate the cause of national unity and development. ''Reactions to
opposing views have been robust, temperamental and portrayal and defence of
party interest first to the detriment of national interest.''
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Techiman
(Brong Ahafo) 12 September 2002- The late Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, Brong Agafo
Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was buried at his
hometown, Bamire, near Techiman, on Tuesday.
Alhaji
Adam, 45, a former Brong Ahafo Deputy Regional Minister, died in a motor
accident on September 7 at Suhum on his way back to Sunyani from Accra.
The burial
was attended by thousands of NDC members including former President Jerry John
Rawlings. A New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegation led by the Brong Ahafo Deputy
Regional Minister, Yaw Adjei-Duffour also attended the burial.
In his
tribute ex-President Rawlings said Alhaji Adam symbolised the unity of the
party in Brong Ahafo Region. He said it was Alhaji Adam who designed the symbol
of the NDC. ''The demise of the party stalwart is a great loss to the party''.
Mr Isaac K.
Adjei-Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Techiman North and Deputy Minority
leader, described the late Alhaji Adam as a hard working servant who commanded
a great deal of respect in the NDC. ''The late Alhaji Adam has paid his dues
well to the people of Techiman and Brong Ahafo and I implore the regional
branch of the party to work fearlessly to get a person of his calibre to
replace him.'' Awura Amma, a 15-year-old daughter of the deceased in a tribute
on behalf of the children said the pain of the death of their father could not
be measured.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 September 2002- Professor Kasim Kasanga, Minister of Lands
and Forestry, has directed that henceforth, no government plot should be
offered free of charge or on highly subsidised terms to anybody, institution,
firm, corporation, except explicitly directed by the President.
"Instead,
all public and vested lands must be offered on the open market to obtain
current open market capital and rental values." These were contained in a
circular signed by the Minister and released on 10 September to spell out a new
land policy directive of government.
According
to the Minister Lands and property should be offered based on closed or open
tender, auction or private treaty as appropriate. "All available
government lands must be advertised in the national dailies to obtain the best
economic and financial returns for government."
The
circular said the Lands Commission could only make an offer to sell or rent but
they could not conclude the final disposal or rental without seeking the
consent of the Minister. "If consent is sought and within two weeks
response does not come from the Minister, the sale or rental can proceed."
On ground rents, the circular said reviews and lease renewals should be
proactively done according to the terms of the lease.
"There
are outstanding lease renewals and rent reviews from embassies, Unilever Ghana,
Limited. These should be done as a matter of urgency." It noted that a lot
of residential properties have been turned into commercial, industrial or other
uses.
"There
is the need to take action to re-negotiate the leases to reflect their current
uses so that government does not lose invaluable income." The circular
asked the Land Commission to take an inventory of all state and vested
properties immediately.
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