President Kufour worried over
events in Cote d' Ivoire
Three ECOWAS countries condemn
aggression in Cote D'Ivoire
Osafo-Maafo to lead a delegation
to Finance Ministers' Meeting
Commonwealth Secretary General
reminds states` on International Day of Peace
Action Forum calls for unity in
NDC
Another batch of Cuban Medical
Team arrives
Government pays outstanding Timber
and Mineral royalties
Abandon ambitions and join your
roots- Ashanti CPP
African politicians urged not to
encourage military interventions
AIDS Commission to approve funds
to fight the disease
Ghanaians traveling to Cape Verde
Islands and Senegal warned.
President Kufour worried
over events in Cote d' Ivoire
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 -
President John Agyekum Kufuor said the event in Cote d' Ivoire over the last 48
hours as disturbing especially when he had just urged the UN General Assembly
to shed of the notion of Africa's cycle of instability and violence.
President Kufuor, who was briefing the press on
his return from the US where he attended the 53rd UN General Assembly, said
Ghana was studying the situation and would make the appropriate comment.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Foreign Minister who
accompanied the President said Ghana would do whatever it takes to support the
legitimate government in Cote d' Ivoire adding, "the situation there is
worrisome since the country shares common border with Ghana."
Giving highlights of the visit, the Foreign
Minister said the President's maiden speech at the assembly which was well
received centred on African development and the way forward and as well as what
the world must do to empower the UN.
He said President Kufuor pressed on the need
for global coalition against terrorism and assured the international community
of Ghana's readiness to join the fight against the phenomenon.
The President also briefed the assembly on what
Africa was doing to put it house in order as well as the way forward for NEPAD
and asked the International al Community to support the continent.
President Kufuor outlined the vision of Ghana and
efforts being made by the government to put the economy on the right path and
appealed to the donor nations to assist Ghana so that the private sector could
become the engine of growth.
He also held bilateral discussion with
President George Bush on Ghana-US relationship, the Yugoslavia, Tostunica as
well as President of Madagascar who President Kufuor encouraged to continue to
keep peace in the country.
President Kufuor held discussion with his
counterpart from Equatorial Guinea on the strengthening of political and
economic ties of both countries. The President met with Baroness Amos of UK to
discuss issues on the G8 action group for NEPAD as well how to rope in other
industrialised countries to assist Africa in her developmental efforts.
The Foreign Minister said Ghana was made a
member of the implementation Committee of NEPAD, adding that a meeting was held
by the Security Council of the UN on ECOWAS efforts at bringing peace to the
Manor River Region-Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
President Kufuor was at the Salt Lake City, in
Utah where he visited a salt industry and encouraged authorities come to Ghana
to explore investment opportunities in Ghana. The Vice President Alhaji Alui
Mahama, Ministers of State, IGP and the Chief of Defence Staff met the
President and his entourage on arrival.
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Three ECOWAS countries
condemn aggression in Cote D'Ivoire.
From: Patrick A. Firempong, GNA Special
Correspondent, Abidjan.
Abidjan (Cote D'Ivoire) 21 September 2002 -
Three ECOWAS member states, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo on Sunday condemned the
aggression perpetrated against the government of Cote d'Ivoire.
They also reaffirmed their absolute rejection
of all actions that led to unconstitutional change of government in any country
within the sub-region.
The condemnation was made in a three-point
communiqué issued at the end of a two-hour meeting held between delegations of
governments from the three countries and the Ivorien government over the
clashes between government troops and some dissidents over an attempted coup
d'etat in Abidjan, on 18 September.
About 270 people were reported dead including
former President General Robert Guei and the Ivorian Interior Minister Emile
Boga Doudou, while over 300 people were injured during the clashes.
The situation in Abidjan around the
Presidential Palace where the meeting took place was calm but tension still
existed in Bouake and the northern city of Korhogo. The communiqué said
"the governments and peoples of the three countries also reaffirmed their
total support and solidarity for the brotherly people of Cote d'Ivoire."
It also called on all political forces in Cote
d'Ivoire to remain firmly committed to the process of national reconciliation
to restore peace and stability to the country. The three countries also
conveyed their support, solidarity, and compassion to the government and people
of Cote d'Ivoire as well as the victims of the violence and their families.
Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo who led his
government delegation to the meeting briefed the delegations on the prevailing
situation in the country.
Ghana's five-member delegation, led Mr Hackman
Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who also read the English version
of the communiqué included the Defence Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor and Air
Force Commander, Air-Vice Marshall E.A. Mante.
Mr Dubem Onyia, Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, led Nigeria's four-man delegation. Togo's four-man delegation led by
Mr Koffi Sama, the Prime Minister included the Foreign Minister, Mr Koukou
Koffigoh, who read the French version of the communiqué.
Mr Owusu-Agyemang told journalists that Ghana
stood firmly committed to support Cote d'Ivoire to restore peace and
tranquillity in the country. He said "We declare zero tolerance for
unconstitutional rule of power in Africa as enshrined in the NEPAD protocol
which prevails on the continent."
Dr Addo-Kufuor said the meeting by the
delegations was historic in that neighbouring countries were resisting an
attempted coup d'etat in a country in the sub-region. He said it had also
established a precedent that governments from other countries could show
support to a neighbouring country in crisis.
Mr Koffigo, the Togolese Foreign Minister said
the meeting had reaffirmed the commitment of countries in the sub-region for
the rejection of unconstitutional way of ruling among member-states.
He said the meeting had also demonstrated that
change in governance should be done through the rule of law, adding, " we
want peace and stability in Cote d'Ivoire which is an important component of
ECOWAS."
"Anything which affects Cote d'Ivoire,
affects other countries in the sub-region and we should render our support to
ensure that peace prevails."
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Osafo-Maafo to lead a delegation
to Finance Ministers' Meeting
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 - Mr
Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance, would lead a six-member Ghana Government
Delegation to attend the meeting of Commonwealth Finance Minister (CFMM) and
Senior Finance Officials in London from 24 to29 September.
Other members of the delegation are: Mr Kwamina
Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development, Mr Kwasi Abeasi, Chief
Executive of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Dr Akoto Osei, Special Advisor
to Minister of Finance, Mr Oku Afari, Principal Economist and Mrs Yvonne
Quansah, Head, Aid and Debt Management Unit, Ministry of Finance.
An official statement issued in Accra on Friday
said, this year's meeting which is on the theme: "Delivering the Monterrey
Consensus" would highlight the need for strengthening consultation and
collaboration between the official and non-governmental Commonwealth and to
adopt civil society in the Commonwealth Finance Ministers process.
It said the Minister would take the opportunity
in London to launch the Ghana Investment Conference scheduled for Ghana from 27
to 29 November and also chair a plenary session on "Business and
Sustainable Development" at the Commonwealth Business Forum.
The statement said after CFMM, the delegation
would proceed to Washington DC to attend the Joint World Bank/IMF Annual
meetings from 28 to 29, September and would stay on to complete negotiations
and wrap-up discussions on the Fifth Review of the Poverty Reduction and Growth
Facility and the Article IV Consultations with the IMF officials from 30
September to 3 October.
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Commonwealth Secretary
General reminds states` on International Day of Peace
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 - Mr
Don Mckinnon, Commonwealth Secretary General has called on member countries on
the occasion of International Day of Peace to remind themselves that they were
all equal citizens of the world, born wit the right to peaceful existence.
The day, which falls on 21 September, helps to
focus on the goal of peace. A statement
issued on Friday noted that conflicts, wherever they occur could affect
everyone on the planet so we all have a stake in peace and a common
contribution to make the world peaceful.
"Our great diversity is our strength, our
member countries cover the full range of economic development, our peoples follow
many faiths and hold many beliefs, but respecting our differences and working
for peace together can unite us all.
"We in the Commonwealth believe that real
peace can only be achieved through the equitable distribution of resources and
genuinely free trade," he said.
Other important considerations for peace Mr
McKinnon touched on, included sustainable development, good governance,
universal education, respect for democracy and human rights, freedom of
expression and the rule of law. "We owe it to the most vulnerable in the
world to make international Day of peace a spur to action."
Mr McKinnon stressed that the commonwealth
would continue to strengthen and protect democracy through the observance of
elections in countries as well as their work to reinforce democratic processes
and institutions of member states.
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Action Forum calls for
unity in NDC
Kumasi (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 - The
Action Forum, a pressure group in the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called
for close consultations among members of the Council of Elders and the National
Executive Committee in order to present a common voice on party and national
issues.
In a statement signed by the Interim National
Leader, Nana Agyare Baffour and four other interim national executive members
and issued in Kumasi on Thursday, the Forum also called on the founder of the
party, ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and the national chairman, Dr Obed
Asamoah, to bury their differences and work towards greater unity in the party.
"The two leaders must know that they owe
it a duty to the rank and file to stick together and work with mutual
respect", it stressed.
The other four executive members, who signed
the statement were, Mr E.Y. Adjei, Interim National Co-ordinator, Mr Joseph
Asamoah, Eastern Regional Representative, Mr Ben Asomaning, Atwima-Kwanwoma
Constituency Representative and Mr Edward Addai, Ahafo Ano South Constituency
Representative.
The statement called on former President
Rawlings to stop blaming some of his key former Ministers for the
inefficiencies committed while in office, adding that such actions and
utterances could jeopardise the chances of such personalities, who might desire
to contest the NDC presidential candidate slot.
It also cautioned the General-Secretary, Dr
Josiah Aryeh to be careful of the kind of publicity he was receiving in the
media and warned that his actions could lead the party to swallow any
diversionary bait being thrown at it
Dr Aryeh should also "begin to take off
his suit and tie and put on grassroots clothes and descend into the
constituencies nation-wide to liven the party at the grassroots," the
statement said.
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Another batch of Cuban
Medical Team arrives
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 - A
team of about 140 Cuban Medical staff has arrived in the country to start their
two-year voluntary service in the various regional and district hospitals.
Sixty more doctors including 11 professionals
would join them by the end of November to assist their Ghanaian counterparts at
the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
Interacting with them, Dr Kweku Afriyie,
Minister of Health, said the team's arrival would bring a great relief to the
health sector and commended the Cuban Government for its efforts to assist the
Ghana Government to improve the country's health sector.
He said: "the team's presence will fill
the vacuum created by our local doctors who deserted the country for a greener
pastures."
Dr Afriyie was full of praise for the Cuban
doctors for sacrificing their comfort and families for their "brothers and
sisters'" health in Ghana and assured them of their local counterparts'
willingness to assist them to make their stay in the country a success.
He said the ministry was taking measures to
address the mass exodus of trained doctors, adding that, "while we're
trying to solve that issue, I want to appeal to our young Cuban doctors to
accept our scanty facilities at our hospitals and make themselves comfortable."
Ms Clara Pulido, Charge d'Affairs at the Cuban
Embassy, said the doctors would continue the good work their predecessors had
began to sustain the good relationship between the two countries. Dr Enrique
Colas, Leader of the team, said they would work hard in their various fields to
improve the health situation of the people.
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Government pays outstanding
Timber and Mineral royalties
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 -
Government has paid out 35.4 billion cedis to settle outstanding mineral and
timber royalties, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance said on Friday.
"It is my hope and prayer that these huge
releases to various traditional areas will be used to enhance development in
the relevant areas," he said. A release signed by the Finance Minister and
faxed to the GNA said the payment was in response to requests and complaints
made over the years for the payment of outstanding royalties.
It said an amount of 5.7 billion cedis has been
released to the Administrator of Stool Lands to settle all outstanding mineral
royalties for 2000.
"Out of the outstanding mineral royalties
of 12.7 billion cedis for the year 2001, an amount of 6.4 billion cedis (50 per
cent of the balance) has been released to the Administrator of Stool Lands as
part-payment to the beneficiaries," he explained.
Mr Osafo-Maafo said; "regarding the
outstanding timber royalties of 15.3 billion cedis covering the period
1991-2000, the sum of 7.654 billion, half of the balance, has been paid.
"The total timber royalties of 7.2 billion cedis for the year 2001 has
been paid to the various beneficiaries by the Forestry Services Division"
the statement said.
Mr Osafo Maafo said, "For the year 2002, a
total amount of 8.422 billion in respect of Timber royalties has been paid to
the various beneficiaries for the period January-June by the Forestry Services
Division."
It said the amounts were transferred from the
Consolidated fund into the account of the Administrator of Stool Lands for
disbursement to the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, District
Assemblies, Traditional Councils, and Stools.
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Abandon ambitions and join
your roots- Ashanti CPP
Kumasi (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 - The
Ashanti Region branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has called on all
off shoots of the party to abandon their
ambitions and join their root, the CPP, to lead the party to victory.
In a message issued in Kumasi on Saturday to
mark the 93rd birthday of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, founder and leader of the
party and President of the First Republic, the party noted that there were so
many organisations calling themselves Nkrumaists.
The message said unfortunately, these splinter
organisations did not believe in Nkrumaism, the principles for which Osagyefo
lived and died. The message signed by Mr Kwabena Anim, the Ashanti Region
Secretary of the party said, "All true Nkrumaists must identify with the
CPP as a matter of course. Over ambition kills absolutely".
It pointed out that the family of Osagyefo
define parameters of Nkrumaism as "individuals and groups who either
covertly or overtly vow to go alone or plant diversionary and illegal structures
in the rejuvenated CPP as not followers and doers of the good programmes that
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah stood for".
They therefore, have no moral, legal and
constitutional rights to call themselves Nkrumaists, adding that such deviant
Nkrumaists did not believe in the name and ideology of Nkrumaism.
The message also appealed to the central
committee of the party to speed up arrangements to hold the national congress
to elect new and effective national leaders to lead the party to contest the
2004 elections as a party without any alliance.
It prayed that the celebration of Osagyefo's
93rd birthday would rekindle all members as well as well wishers to assist the
party materially.
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African politicians urged
not to encourage military interventions
Cape Coast (Central Region) 21 September 2002 -
Dr Sam Amoo, UNDP Senior Regional Advisor on Peace Building Initiatives in
Africa, on Friday stressed that for fragile new democracies in Africa, such as
in Ghana to survive and be consolidated, there was the need for the political
elite to accept moderation and circumspection in the struggle for political
dominance.
He said intemperate and inflammatory language
that might incite the military to unconstitutional action should be avoided,
pointing out, that it did not pay to give the impression that civilians were
incapable of governing.
Dr. Amoo, gave the advice when he delivered a
paper on "Democratic practice, conflict and national stability: politics
in a fragile environment," at a workshop for members of the Parliamentary
Committee on Defence and Interior, at Cape Coast.
The just-ended two-day workshop, which was on
the theme; "Coalition building; Enhancing oversight responsibility of
parliamentarians," was geared towards equipping members of the committee
with the requisite skills to enable them discharge their responsibilities in
handling issues of defence and internal security, effectively, to facilitate
the consolidation of the nation's democratic process.
It was organised by the Foundation for Security
and Development in Africa (FOSDA), a non-governmental organisation based in
Accra and sponsored by the Senegal based Open Society Initiative of West Africa
(OSIWA).
Dr, Amoo, who made it clear that he was
delivering the paper in his personal capacity, was also saddened by the fact that
even parties in Africa's traditional structures, were now resorting to
intimidating one another with "threats of chaos and Armageddon".
He noted that the position and role of the
military in the consolidation of fragile democracies was crucial, as it was
excluded from the governing process that it used to "dominate", and
cautioned that experiences in the sub-region and elsewhere, made it imperative
to ensure that the capacity and proclivity of the military to undermine,
obstruct or roll back efforts to consolidate democracy, were not undermined.
Dr Amoo said to curtail any such situation,
there was the need for a systematic strategy to inculcate in the military, a
sense and culture to uphold the constitution, and must include the restoration and
the upgrading of professionalism in the military.
This, he said was essential since according to
him, " a lousy military is an expensive danger and an instrument of public
abuse."
On reconciliatory efforts, Dr. Amoo advocated
the infusion of African traditional values and norms of conflict management
into modern politics and that principles to be emphasized should include
reconciliation to sustain the harmony and integrity of the state.
He said justice, which was fundamental to
reconciliation, should be seen as a compensation for loss, and not as a
retribution for offence or atrocities, and that the "two-sided
recognition" in the issue of atonement, which was the acceptance of
reconciliation by the victims of atrocities, and the acceptance of wrong doing
and show of remorse by the perpetrators, must be paramount.
" Arrogant defiance will not cut it. In
this sense, the quest for accountability with the view to heal societal and
individual trauma without any notion of punishment cannot be witch-hunting,"
he declared.
According to him, "there might not be
punishment for perpetrators of atrocities, but the 'catharsis' of baring the
truth with remorse for justice and reconciliation, would go a long way to purge
the culture of impunity for atrocious abuses by the powerful."
The executive-director of FOSDA, Mrs Afi
Yakubu, who dwelt on key issues underlying conflict potential, cited the
experiences of countries like the Gambia, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,
where she said situations such as high poverty levels, low human development,
human rights abuses by the military, political instability and governance, and
corruption, had sparked off major conflicts.
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AIDS Commission to approve
funds to fight the disease
Peki-Avetile (Volta Region) 21 September 2002 -
The Ghana AIDS Commission on Friday said it would approve funding for more
community HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives if proposals met the Commission's
blueprint on tackling the pandemic.
Mr Bernard Mwijuka, Technical Advisor to the
Commission announced this when he addressed an HIV/AIDS campaign organised by
the Peki Union at Peki-Avetile. He, therefore, called on small communities,
Church groups and professional associations, to come forward with strategies
for curbing the disease in their areas for vetting.
Mr. Mwijuka said funding was available under a
20-million dollar loan contracted by the government from the World Bank and
another facility from the British government. He said 27 Government
Departments, 201 Non-Governmental Organisations, and 223 Community-Based
Organisations, were being funded by the Commission to undertake preventive
campaigns.
Mr. Mwijuka said proposals should, among
others, raise awareness on the disease, facilitate change of behaviour, to
speed up change of socio-cultural practices that promote infection. He said with
Ghana surrounded by countries whose prevalent rate ranges from five per cent to
11 per cent, its current 4.6 per cent rate might worsen if complacency sets in.
Mr Mwijuka, who is Ugandan, said Zimbabwe and
Botswana lead Africa in the HIV/AIDS prevalent statistics with 40 and 35 per
cent respectively.
He praised a drama piece performed by
Peki-Avatile Junior Secondary School (JSS) on the disease and pledged two
million cedis to be provided by the Commission to prepare the group to spread
the message in the area through drama.
Dr Andrews Ayim, Medical Superintendent of the
Peki Government Hospital said tests at the hospital indicated 4.39 per cent
prevalent rate of HIV/AIDS in 2000, 6.05 per cent in 2001 and 13.1 per cent
between January and August this year.
He said while the statistics was based on tests
conducted at the hospital alone and may not reflect the real situation in the
area; it nevertheless sends a message of danger to all. Mamaga Amega Kofi Bra
II, Queenmother of the Peki Traditional Area exhorted polygamists to endeavour
to meet their conjugal obligations to their wives to prevent them from going
wayward.
Mr Michael Kofi Ameko, a citizen of Peki, who
chaired the function, said the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign was only one of the
four priorities of the Peki Union. He said the rest are, ameliorating effects
of thunderstorms, and rainstorms in the area, fighting high school dropout
rates, especially of girls and land litigation.
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Ghanaians traveling to Cape
Verde Islands and Senegal warned.
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 September 2002 - The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday warned Ghanaians travelling to Cape Verde
Islands and Senegal to desist from acts such as drug trafficking, prostitution
and counterfeiting to save themselves from any culpability and the nation of
embarrassment.
A statement signed by Mr Francis Abakah, Acting
Director for International Culture and Linguistics Bureau of the Ministry in
Accra said it had been informed about concerns of Cape Verde and Senegalese
authorities about drug trafficking, prostitution and counterfeiting by some
Ghanaians living in or in transit through Cape Verde Islands.
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