GRi Newsreel 01 - 09 -
2003
Nana Konadu speaks out
Police arrest more suspects in Gold Bullion Robbery
Victims mobilisation committee set up to assist NRC
Publish Committee's findings - Kufuor urged
Persons before NRC advised to present only true accounts
GPRTU elects new national chairman
Student union issues communiqué on Ayensu Starch Factory
Govt allocates money for Nkoranza Health Insurance Scheme
Anomabu-Pomase (Central Region) 1 September 2003 - The former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, on Friday declared that she has no ambition to become the running mate to NDC flagbearer Prof. John Evans Atta Mills. Nana Konadu, who is also president of the 31st December women's movement, said this during a chat with newsmen at her installation as 'Mpontuhemaa' (development chief) of Anomabu-Pomase in the Central region.
"I have no interest in the position, neither have I been approached for it as is being rumoured in certain quarters," she said. The former first lady, who was installed under the stool name of Nana Apabah VI, had earlier been paraded through the village in a palanquin and had sworn the oath of allegiance to the chief, Nana Okwan VI.
She intimated that it is the prerogative of Prof. Mills to select his running mate and urged Ghanaians to "stop putting ideas in his head".
Commenting on the displeasure expressed in some quarters about the utterances of her husband, ex-President J. J. Rawlings, Nana Konadu said that people should rather strive to be like him, and not to destroy him, and urged his opponents to make objective criticisms.
On the current political climate in the country, she described it "as a creeping dictatorship", saying that suggestions made by political parties in opposition, in their bid to contribute to the development of the country, are brushed aside as if they have nothing good to offer. She said the socio-economic situation in the country has worsened, citing the price of fuel, and asked newsmen to be their own judges.
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings also noted that the 31st December women's movement, of which she is president, has not collapsed and was still active in many regions.
She expressed regret that the movement was no longer being given publicity by the media for its activities and programmes, and that the situation, has created the impression that it had collapsed. "It is still vibrant," she declared.
Nana Konadu said she was surprised, that newsmen in the central region, have "even not ventured" to go near her, as she is always shunned by the media in other areas when she went to inspect projects of the movement.
She said the movement will continue to promote the welfare of women and children, as well as environmental programmes and others that would be of benefit to the communities in which it operates.
She stressed the importance of day-care centres, to the early development of children, and expressed concern about the government's failure to assist such centres established by the movement. "This is not good enough for the empowerment of women who are direct beneficiaries of the centres", she said.
She thanked the people of Pomase for her installation and pledged to help in the development of the community, and called for peace and unity among the people, stressing that no community can achieve any meaningful development without peace.
Nana Okwan VI said the community decided to confer the chieftaincy title on Nana Konadu for her immense contribution towards its development.
He enumerated a number of programmes the community benefited through the
former first lady's assistance. They included borehole, woodlot plantation and a
day care centre. The chief appealed for the provision of more boreholes and a
primary school.
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Police arrest more suspects in Gold Bullion Robbery
Accra (Greater Accra) 1 September 2003 - Police at the weekend arrested
Corporal William Ofori Tetteh, 46 of the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana
Armed Forces, a fugitive suspect in the 1999 Highway Gold Robbery at Abutia
junction near Apam in the Central Region.
Jack Beblie, an ex-serviceman and five others implicated in the robbery are serving a 15-year jail sentence each for masterminding and executing the robbery in February 1999.
Chief Superintendent Patrick Timbila, Head of Criminal Investigations, Operations told the Ghana News Agency that William was apprehended at Old Ningo after Police have trailed him from Awaham near Asamankese in the Eastern Region,
He said the suspect, who was visiting his wife's family before his arrest had a fierce struggle with officers from the CID headquarters and Panthers Unit before he was overpowered.
Timbila said William attempted to travel to Belgium through Lome after the robbery but failed to secure the necessary documents for that purpose.
Meanwhile, another suspect, a soldier, who also escaped in that same robbery operation has been arrested and has been remanded into prison custody.
Timbila gave his name as Lance Corporal Bright Kpodo, who was apprehended at Keta in Volta Region after a tip off. He said Kpodo, who also belong to 48 Engineers Regiment fled after the robbery to Lagos, Nigeria, but later returned to Lome with the intention of travelling to Saudi Arabia, but was subsequently arrested when he decided to visit a friend at Keta.
According to Timbila, three other suspects involved in the gold bullion robbery are still at large. They included Kennedy Beblie, a soldier and son of the Jack Beblie, leader of the group, Corporal Kamaza also of the 48 Engineers Regiment and Constable George Nyarko an official police escort, who compromised his position as police officer during the robbery and fled when his name was mentioned by the other accomplices.
He said Police would not relent in its efforts to track and arrest all robbery suspects on their wanted list.
In February 1999, a Gold Bullion Van from Amansie Resolute Resource Mining Company was intercepted and attacked at Abutia junction near Apam, while on its way to Accra and gold bullion valued at 2.4 billion cedis were seized.
Police investigations later revealed that Jack Beblie, an ex-police officer
with security personnel from the Army and Police Service, masterminded the
robbery. Jack and five others were later jailed 15 years each with hard labour.
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Victims mobilisation committee set up to assist NRC
Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 1 September 2003 - A six-member victims mobilization committee that will assist the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) in the national healing process in Techiman District of Brong Ahafo has been set up.
The committee is tasked to mobilize victims of human rights abuses /violation between 1957 and 1993 in the district. Members are from the Traditional Council, Muslim community, Christian community, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
It was set up at a day's forum jointly organized by Centre for Development Development (CDD), Civil Society Coalition and Techiman District Assembly to enable the people to appreciate the work of the NRC and its importance to national development.
Inaugurating the committee, Richard Apronti, member of the CDD/Civic Coalition on national reconciliation urged Ghanaians to appreciate the establishment of the NRC, which has been established to help unite the country for its rapid socio-economic development.
Apronti noted that Ghanaians had not had the benefit of any workable mechanism to unite them for peace and development and lauded the role of civil society and other organizations for initiating the process of healing wounds in the country.
He charged members of the committee to work assiduously to galvanise and mobilize victims in the district for the smooth work of the NRC. Ms Annie Anipa, Public Affairs Director of NRC in a presentation said the Commission "is a fact finding body that is committed to the principle of national justice and procedural fairness".
She said the Commission had heard about 500 cases on unlawful detention, torture, ill treatment, disappearance, abductions, killings and unlawful dismissals, among others, since it began work.
More than 3,831 statements have been received across the country, the Public Affairs Director added and urged people to patronize the work of the Commission. Dr Araba Sefa-Dedeh, Director of Counselling and Support Service of the NRC said the unit, through counseling had unearthed major gender, political and institutional issues that needed to be addressed for true healing to take place.
In order for the nation to achieve healing, it must recognize and accept that when citizens' rights are grossly abused it affects everyone, she said and stressed the need for the nation to make amends for its past to ensure that people's rights are not wantonly abused again.
Emmanuel Twi-Yeboah, Presiding Member of the Assembly commended the
organizers of the forum and expressed the hope that "Ghanaians have come to
understand the exercise of reconciliation".
Nana Antwi-Boasiako 11, Akyeamehene of Techiman Traditional Area, who
presided, advised Ghanaians to take a cue from the country's sordid past and
learn to live in peace and unity.
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Publish Committee's findings - Kufuor urged
Ewusiejo (Western Region) 1 September 2003 - About 500 ex-workers of the former National Oil Palm Limited (NOPL) near Agona-Nkwanta in the Western Region who were allegedly dismissed unlawfully in 1991, have appealed to President J. A. Kufuor to make public the findings of a special committee he caused to be set up to go into their grievances.
Making the appeal through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Ewusiejo near Takoradi today, the ex-workers led by James Oppong, S. B. K. Arthur and Samuel Assahene, said following a complaint they made to President Kufuor in 2001, he ordered the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ahanta West, Kwesi Biney to set up a special committee to go into their grievances and communicate the committee's findings to him without delay.
Consequently, the ex-workers said the DCE set up the committee in March 2002 and the committee completed its work in June 2002 and submitted its findings to the DCE for onward transmission to the President.
They claimed that the DCE on his part channelled the findings through the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, which forwarded the committee's findings to the office of the President since 23 December 2002 but up to today, they have not heard anything from the President.
The ex-workers said in view of the hardships they have gone through for the past 12 years, which have resulted in the destruction of their marriages and their children's education, "We shall be most grateful if the President would let us know the outcome of the committee's work to enable us to advise ourselves accordingly".
The NOPL, which was put on divestiture by the former Government, has now been
taken over by NORPALM Limited.
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Persons before NRC advised to present only true accounts
Kumasi (Ahanti Region) 1 September 2003 - Persons appearing before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to testify have been advised not to allow monetary or material gains to influence them into misinforming the Commission about atrocities they suffered but rather they should strive to always present a true account of such atrocities to the Commission.
Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, immediate past president of Youth in Action, a network of youth groups, who gave the advice, said true and factual presentation of cases by victims of atrocities, was the surest guarantee for the success of the work of the NRC and it should therefore, never be compromised.
He was speaking on the topic, "The true way to reconcile the country," at a forum organised by the Kwadaso Christian Youth Fellowship in Kumasi on Saturday.
He also counselled against the use of indecent language during testimonies by some persons appearing before the Commission since that habit will only undermine the goal of the Commission in reconciling people.
Odeneho Appiah explained that the Commission depends not only on true and factual presentation of accounts but also decency in the language used during testimonies to enable it to make rightful recommendations for genuine reconciliation.
He entreated people who might have suffered any form of atrocities or pain to perceive the NRC as the rightful body to bring relieve to them and therefore, be bold to appear and testify before it instead of resorting to the use of the media.
"It is the NRC which is mandated to look into and come out with recommendations for amicable reconciliation between victims of atrocities and perpetrators and not the media", he stressed. Odeneho Appiah observed that most, often airing such issues on the radio ends up inflaming passions and hatred rather than helping in the reconciliation process.
He also called on Christian youth to be at the forefront of the crusade to reconcile Ghanaians by mounting educational programmes that would be used to enlighten people about the importance of the current national reconciliation exercise.
Patrick Mensah, chief patron of the fellowship, entreated churches to cease
perceiving themselves as different from one another because of the doctrinal
differences, saying, "irrespective of the doctrines, all churches are
founded by Christ and remain one".
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GPRTU elects new national chairman
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 1 September 2003 - Nana Yaw Manu, Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman was on Sunday elected as the new National Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) at the union's sixth quadrennial delegates conference in Kumasi.
The election, which was conducted by the Ashanti Regional Labour Office, saw Nana Manu polling 772 votes as against 546 votes by his only opponent, Yaw Oppong.
Alhaji Yaw Manu won the position of national vice-chairman after he polled
734 votes, beating the other contestant, G.N. Ayeh who had 578 votes.
The General Secretary position went to Stephen Okudzeto, who got 869 votes as against the 421 votes of Kwaku Atiemo. Abdul Bashiru Yakubu polled 700 votes to become the new deputy General Secretary in-charge of operations, while Agya Ansah, who also contested the position got 629 votes.
Olando Saddik was elected unopposed to the position of deputy general secretary in-charge of administration. The first trustee position went to Kwame Kumah when he polled 731 votes to beat J.K. Odae, who had 597 votes.
Akwasi Ansah was also elected unopposed to the position of second trustee. A
total of 12 candidates contested the seven national executive positions of the
union.
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Student union issues communiqué on Ayensu Starch Factory
Winneba (Central Region) 1 September 2003 - The Ghana United Nations Students and Youth Association (GUNSA), has lauded the Presidential Special Initiative, particularly on the Ayensu Industrial Starch factory at Awutu Bawjiase, and called fore the creation of more of such factories in the rural communities to provide jobs for the youth.
GUNSA expressed the optimism that the move is sustained and expeditiously extended other parts of the country will halt the migration of thousands of jobless youth into the already congested urban towns and cities.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 39th Annual congress of the association at Winneba at the weekend.
The Association also commended government for the strong political will with, which it is addressing the high incidence of the HIV/AIDS among the youth in the country, and advised all well-organised youth associations throughout the country to actively involve themselves in anti-AIDS educational campaign to minimise the rate of the spread of the disease.
GUNSA further called for the creation of separate ministry for the youth to deal effectively with issues affecting the younger generation who are the window of hope of the country.
On indiscipline, GUNSA suggested a sustained and more aggressive educational programme to sensitise the youth continuously on the dangers posed by all forms of acts of indiscipline in order to prepare them adequately for the task of nation building that awaits them.
It condemned all sorts of violence against women and children and called for stiffer punishment for offenders. On Judiciary, the Association called for the enforcement of the rule of law as well as free and fair and independent judiciary to ensure stable, peaceful and progressive society.
On gender matters, GUNSA called for the integration of gender issues in schools curriculum and asked for the initiation of programmes to sensitise the youth on gender issues.
The communiqué called on African leaders to be more assertive and strive to
free themselves from foreign influences.
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Govt allocates money for Nkoranza Health Insurance Scheme
Nkoranza (Brong Ahafo) 1 September 2003 - The Government has allocated ¢100m to support the Nkoranza Community Health Insurance Scheme and to encourage the people to patronize it.
The gesture is also to promote the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which is aimed at making health delivery services affordable and available to all.
Kwame Amporfo-Twumasi, Nkoranza District Chief Executive, disclosed this at the launch of Divine HIV/AIDS Volunteers, a community based organisation at Nkoranza.
He noted that enough had been said about the pandemic, "what is left now is for every one to be careful of his or her life as the pandemic has no respect for anybody."
The DCE appealed to parents not to neglect their daughters as that, could lead the girls to feel needy and indulge in sexual promiscuity. Solomon Obeng-Danquah, District Monitoring and Evaluation focal person of the pandemic stressed the need for the people to adhere to the education against the pandemic so that the huge expenses made by the government do not go to waste.
He deplored the practice by some people to shun the company of persons living with the pandemic, saying the practice was demoralizing and made the victims sad and dejected in life.
Family members, friends and the entire people should show love and compassion to such persons and encourage them so they can live longer, he added.
Obeng-Danquah announced that the government has plans to provide food supplement as aid to HIV/Aid victims to support them and therefore, called on affected victims to register their names with the local CBOs in their areas for the assistance.
In a welcoming address, Kwadwo Mensah, secretary of the CBO, appealed to the Nkoranza District Assembly to enact by-laws to check schoolchildren from attending video shows, concerts, dances or watching pornographic films.
Mensah announced that members of the organisation would visit churches to advocate for the formation of virgin clubs to encourage girls to lead morally upright lives to remain healthy.
Meanwhile, a drama troupe of the CBO is undertaking a sensitisation drama
exercise on the causes, effects and preventive measures against the disease
throughout the district.
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