Dan Lartey's comment about NRC is unwarranted- Annie Anipa
Make Tertiary Institutions' programmes demand driven-NUGS
Give our habitat a greenish, beautiful look - Aliu urges
Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002 - A meeting of ECOWAS Chiefs of Police has been scheduled to
on 23 September this year in Abidjan to consider Ghana's proposal for the
establishment of a Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIIB), which
would foster intra-community co-operation in checking cross border crime.
A statement announcing
this on Tuesday said the Bureau would enable the sub-region to cope with the
increasing sophistication of organised crime in the member states, particularly
those related to illicit drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorism and
counterfeiting.
It said the proposal
envisaged to centralize and sharing of information among the security services
of the sub-region in the prevention, as well as investigation, and punishment
of criminals.
The statement said,
"the information will enable the State to monitor the movement of
criminals, determine those to be placed under surveillance and facilitate the
interception of suspected criminals, vehicles and dangerous or banned
objects."
It said other aspects
of the proposal to be examined would include collaborative investigation,
co-operation in scientific, technical and police investigative methods.
According to the
statement, Ministers in-charge of internal security would also meet on 26
September to examine a draft proposal for the creation of the bureau.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday asked the public
who wish to travel to Cote D'Ivoire will now have to carry their International
Vaccination Cards with them.
A statement signed by
Mr Francis Abakah, Acting Director for Information, Culture and Linguistics
Bureau in Accra, said Ivorian authorities have started strict enforcement of
the requirement on carrying Yellow Fever Vaccination.
It therefore, advised
would-be travelers to ensure that their Yellow Fever vaccination was
up-to-date.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002 - The Ghana Police Service has begun an exercise to flush out
land-guards from sites and thereby remove the threat they pose to developers.
Consequently, the
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nana Owusu Nsiah has ordered Police officers
to arrest and prosecute all land-guards and their employers.
Speaking during a
courtesy call on the chiefs and Queen mothers of the Ga Traditional Area in
Accra on Tuesday, the IGP expressed grave concern over the spate of land
disputes and indicated that the Police would deal ruthlessly with land-guards
and the people who employed them.
He criticised land
custodians for the multiple sale of lands, which accounted for the several
disputes and conflicts and asked them to seek Police assistance to restrain
trespassers.
The IGP advised land
owners seek redress from the courts rather than employing the services of
land-guards.
Nana Owusu Nsiah,
himself a traditional ruler reminded the chiefs that the Chieftaincy institution
was a sacred one and expressed displeasure at the use of the youth by some
chiefs to create troubles for their opponents, warning that the same youth
would turn against the chiefs and elders who employed them to create trouble
for other chiefs.
"A royal is a
royal, and the seat cannot be taken by people who do not belong to the royal
family. Let's realise that destoolment is the responsibility of people who
qualified.
"Let us talk to
our subjects to refrain from unnecessary demonstrations and attacks on the
Police Service", Nana Nsiah said.
He appealed to the
traditional rulers to join hands with the Police Service to effectively carry
out its social contract with the improved level of logistics it had received
from government.
Nana Owusu Nsiah asked
the chiefs to join in the war against indiscipline saying development could
only take place in a peaceful atmosphere to raise the standard of living of the
people.
He said chiefs and
community leaders should report and expose suspicious characters in their
communities to the Police, and gave the assurance that any information given
would be treated confidential.
Nii Adotey Obuor II,
Sempe Mantse and Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, expressed
concern over the long period of handling land and chieftaincy cases in the
courts, saying a number of dockets on cases in which lives had been lost had
since 1992 were still with the Attorney General's Department.
Nii Kojo Ababio,
Ngleshie Alata Mantse called on the Lands Commission to abide by the Lands Act
and only documents processed by recognised paramount stools as a way of
reducing the trouble over land ownership. The IGP presented six bottles of
schnapps and one million cedis to the Council.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18
September 2002 - Ms Annie Anipa, Director of the Public Affairs Secretariat of
the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) on Tuesday said a statement
attributed to Mr Dan Lartey, founder of the Great Consolidated Popular Party
(GCPP) on the Commission was unwarranted and unnecessary in the wake of current
political happenings.
Speaking in an
interview in Accra, Ms Annipa said the invitation of former President Jerry
Rawlings by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) to clarify a statement,
which was considered as bordering on national security and attributed to him,
was in no way a human rights abuse.
Established by an Act
of Parliament, Act 611, the NRC is currently taking statements and petitions
from victims and witnesses of human rights violations in unconstitutional
regimes of the country.
The unconstitutional
periods named are from 24 February 1966 to 21 August 1969; 13 January 1972 to
23 September 1979; and 31 December 1981 and 6 January 1993. The
Commission, which has one
year and three months to submit its report and recommendations to government,
may on application by any person pursue the object of reconciliation in respect
of human rights violation in any other period between 6 March 1957 and 6
January 1993.
According to Ms.
Anipa, the NRC was set up to address specified times of human rights abuses and
these violations were done on the quiet and the "Victims and people affected by the violations never had the
chance to be heard. The invitation of the former President was public
knowledge, and all Ghanaians now have a chance to express themselves," Ms
Anipa said.
She said the work of
the Commission was mandated by Parliament, and unless the Act was revoked by
Parliament, the Commission would have to continue with its work.
The NRC Public Affairs
Director said a number of the complainants felt relieved when they first
appeared before the Commission to file their complaints.
She expressed the hope
that they would be more relieved when victims met perpetrators at the public
hearings and possibly apologised to.
She stressed that the
Commission would not be retributive and would not facilitate victims to get
their pounds of flesh of their perpetrators.
According to her, the
Commission would ensure that adequate security at the public hearing to deal
with any open confrontation between victims and perpetrators during the public
hearings.
She said the
Commission had as at Monday received 740 statements and complaints nationwide.
The figures are as follows: 229 from the Kumasi zone office, Takoradi 81 Ho
42 Tamale 9 and 379 from Accra.
Figures from Bolgatanga were yet to arrive. GRi
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Catholic
Church University to open in October
Abokobi (Greater
Accra) 18 September 2002 - The Catholic Church's University at Fiapre in the
Brong Ahafo Region would begin academic activities this year if its
Accreditation issues
were concluded with the government.
Dr. Michael J.
Schultheis, President of the Catholic University of Ghana said the Church and
the Ministry of Education were still holding consultations to enable the school
gain accreditation.
He said if all went well,
the University would begin its academic activities in October and would offer
courses in Information and Communication, Science and Technology and Economic
Business Management, among other courses.
Dr. Schultheis, who
was speaking to the press after he opened a 12-day delegates conference of the
International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) said they have already
received enquiries from students who wish to enroll at the school. The
conference was under the theme: "Becoming Signs of Hope among Students:
Vision and Action for an Integral Education".
It brought together 20
students from North and Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe and
Africa.
He advised the
students to take the conference seriously and come up with recommendations that
would help bring the leadership qualities out of students for national
development.
Mr. Felix Acquah,
President of IMCS, Ghana, said the movement made up of students from tertiary
institutions had helped equip the youth, especially those from poor families
with skills that would make them self-employed.
He said the local
branch of the Movement would organise training programmes from October to
December this year for students to enable them to meet the challenges of the
future. GRi
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Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002 - The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), on Tuesday
called on the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment to conduct a
thorough research to assess the manpower needs of the labour market to enable
higher education to focus on the type of professionals needed to fit in the
various sectors of the economy.
According to the
union, "the linkage between tertiary institutions and industry is fast
deteriorating leaving a yawning gap between programmes offered in these
institutions and knowledge and skills that are relevant to the needs of the
industry."
Mr Edward Bawa, the
outgoing NUGS President, who made the call at a press conference in Accra to
give the overview of a communiqué issued at their recent seminar held in
Kumasi, said a research conducted lately indicated that, "lots of
graduates produced from our tertiary institutions are do not fit into the labour
market."
This, he said, was due
to the inability of the authorities to periodically review the course content
at the various levels of the educational institutions to meet the current
demands of the labour market.
Mr Bawa said the
country's manpower needs, as per its development goals had not been properly
spelt out leading to a situation where admissions into Tertiary Institutions do
not conform with manpower requirements.
"The high
unemployment rate in the country could be traced to the inadequate entrepreneurial
courses offered in the Ghanaian tertiary institutions and the virtual
non-existence of a link between industry and the courses offered," he
added.
He therefore, stressed
the need for a common and constant platform between the academia and industry
to establish and sustain a link and closer collaboration between tertiary
institutions, industries and other relevant sectors of the economy.
GRi…
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Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Tuesday tasked the Ministers
of Environment and Science, Lands and Forestry, and Local Government and Rural
Development to coordinate with other relevant institutions to bolster floral
beautification of cities, towns and villages.
The Vice President,
who was launching a seven-year National Amenity and Tree Planting programme,
underscored the importance of greening the environment, saying it had enormous
health, development and aesthetic benefits to mankind.
He said the
destruction of the forest cover and uncontrolled use of land had resulted in
the spread of diseases and low productivity levels of farmers.
Comparing Accra to
other beautiful cities in Africa, such as Johannesburg, where settlements are
lined with well-planned beautiful gardens and parks, Vice President Mahama said
Ghana needed a rapid and concerted effort to catch up with them.
"It is
regrettable that over the years we have neglected the culture of floral
beautification of our villages, towns and cities, which in the good old days
won for Kumasi, the accolade, the ‘Garden City’ of West Africa. We have failed
to build anymore Garden cities and Kumasi is gradually losing that enviable
glory," he noted.
Vice President Mahama
consequently directed various institutions, including district assemblies to
provide the requisite logistics to planners, Parks and Gardens officials and
environmental officers to green their areas.
He urged all segments
of society to be involved in the tree -planting programme and asked the
Ministry of Education to send directives to all schools and institutions to
plant trees on their compounds.
The various
Ministries, Departments, and Agencies were asked to re-landscape their
compounds by planting trees. The Vice President asked the Ghana Tourist Board
(GTB) to ensure that hotels re-landscape their premises and plant avenue trees
on roads leading to the facilities.
He called on district
assemblies to enact appropriate byelaws to compel developers to plant trees and
shrubs on their compounds. Vice President Mahama appealed to environmental
clubs, companies and social clubs to undertake or support the greening
programmes in their localities.
Hajia Alima Mahama,
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, urged traditional
rulers, the Horticultural Association of Ghana and the Orchid Society to
support the efforts of district assemblies in the programme.
Mr George
Owusu-Afriyie, Director of Parks and Gardens, which is championing the Tree
Planting Programme, appealed to property owners to grass and plant trees in
front of their buildings and properties. The Programme forms part of activities
to mark the National Horticultural Celebrations.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002- Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Presidential
Aspirant of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) left Accra last night for Ottawa, Canada, to
deliver a keynote address on "The Issue and Challenges Facing
Africa."
A statement signed by
Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chairman of the Communication and Media Committee of the
NDC said the lecture would be addressed to Canadian' Deputy Ministers and top
civil servants.
The lecture is at the
invitation of the Canadian Centre for Management Development (CCMD), and the
Canadian Government's public service learning centre, similar to Ghana
Institute of Management, Productivity, and Administration (GIMPA).
The statement said,
"the meeting is an opportunity for the deputy ministers to hear an African
Leader's expert commentary on the progress Africa is making towards the
fulfilling the vision of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
It said Prof Mills
former Vice President was also expected to interact with the United Kingdom and
North American members of NDC during the trip, which would last for 10 days.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
18 September 2002- The German Embassy in conjunction with Goethe-Institute
Inter Nationes, Accra would on Sunday, 22 September broadcast live updates of
the German National Election from Duetsche Welle (DW TV).
A statement from the
German Embassy issued in Accra on Tuesday said the event would be co-hosted by
Herald Loeschner, the German Ambassador and Petra Raymond, Director of
Goethe-Institute Inter Nationes.
It said the programme,
which would begin in the afternoon, would include first provisional results,
voter turnout, an in-depth analysis of the results, as well as comments from
party leaders.
The up coming
elections would determine the fate of Gerhard Schroeder, the incumbent Federal
Chancellor although he is not directly elected.
It said prior to the
elections the parties nominated their candidates for the Chancellorship, who
was then elected by the 598 newly elected members of the Bundestag (German
Federal Parliament)
The five parties
contesting the elections are the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Christian Democratic
Union / Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), Alliance 90/The Greens, Free
Democratic Party (FDP) and Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS).
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Akatsi (Volta Region)
18 September 2002- Mr Doe Adjaho, Member of Parliament (MP) for Avenor, has
said President John A. Kufuor's inaugural address to the assemblies which
bothered on partisanship or otherwise of the district assemblies was
misdirected.
Speaking to the Ghana
News Agency (GNA), Mr Adjaho said it was wrong for the issue to be directed to
the district assemblies, adding that it was not the appropriate forum.
Mr Adjaho, Minority
Chief Whip in Parliament, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its manifesto
made the District Assembly elections partisan.
''The appropriate
forum is Parliament through a bill or its inclusion in the President's
Sessional Address,'' he said adding "we are not practising a federal
system where powers will be delegated to the lower structures."
Mr Adjaho said the
bill should come to parliament and when it is given the two-thirds majority,
the President could give his accent for it to become law.
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Dedesowireko (Eastern
Region) 18 September 2002- The National Organiser of the Nation Democratic
Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has said the NDC was not opposed to
private participation in the water sector rather it is against commercialising
water delivery in the country.
He said when the NDC
comes back to power in 2004 it would establish a water fund to finance the
supply of potable water.
Mr Ampofo, MP for
Fanteakwa was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of executive members of
seven branches and executives of the Dedesowireko Zone of the NDC at
Dedesowireko in the Fanteakwa District.
Mr Ampofo, a Ranking
Member on Local Government, said the distribution of the Poverty Alleviation
Fund by the District Assemblies under the NPP government had neglected poor
members of their own party and the policy is threatening the unity of their
party in some districts.
He said such
developments do not promote national cohesion and urged NDC functionaries to
show respect to leaders of their party and to those in opposing political
parties. Mr Ampofo called on all constituency branches of the NDC to reorganize
and start working towards the 2004 elections.
He appealed to members
of the NDC to work towards the building of a strong force that could
effectively market the party and anybody who would emerge as the Presidential
candidate of the Party for the 2004 elections.
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