GRi Newsreel Review Rent Control Laws

Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Minister of Works and Housing on Thursday said discipline has to be instilled into rental accommodation and that the Rent Control Law would be reviewed.

"Laws governing accommodation and rents in the country are outmoded and needed to be reviewed to instil some discipline among housing agents, tenants and landlords.

"Litigations, double sale of lands and double house rentals, dubious landlords and tenants as well as crook housing agents coupled with outmoded rent control laws have given the housing sector a bad image that needs to be redeemed."

Alhaji Idris, whose speech was read on his behalf at the inauguration of the Ghana Real Estate Marketing Association (GREMA) urged the association to collaborate with the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) to instil discipline among its members.

GREDA aims to bring order and sanity into the Real Estate Development and Marketing industry through institutionalisation of regulatory measures to control its members to ensure equity and fair play.

Madam Theresa Tagoe, Deputy Minister of Lands and Forestry, who inaugurated the Association reminded the members that investors wanted to have secure access to land and property to enable them to go about their businesses without any hindrance.

She said the Ministry, under the auspices of the Land Administration Programme has adopted policy directives to streamline the operations of the Land Sector Agencies to improve efficiency.

The ultimate aim is to create a one-stop shop where applicants will present their documents at the front desk and will be given the date of collection of the processed document - Indenture or certificate.

A number of Traditional Authorities will also be supported to set up secretariats for the effective management of their lands. It is believed that this will reduce the problems of double sale of lands and the general indiscipline in the land market.

Mr Brandford D. K. Adu, President of GREDA, who chaired the inauguration called for a strong lobbyist group in the Real Estate industry to pressurize government and other institutions to check unauthorized estate developments in the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - A delegation of paramount chiefs from the Western Region, accompanied by the Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Boahene Aidoo, on Thursday informed the government about the death of Nana Awua Duku II, Omanhene of Sekondi Traditional Area.

Vice President Aliu Mahama received the delegation, which also included representatives from the Sekondi and Essikado Traditional Councils, at the Castle, Osu.

Nana Tse-Tse Appou II, Chief of Kansaworado and acting President of the Sekondi Traditional Council, spokesperson for the delegation said the week-long funeral rites for the late chief would begin on Monday October six and end on Saturday 11 October.

Nana Awua-Duku, who was enstooled in 1972, died on 17 May this year. He was 80.
Expressing condolence on behalf of the government, Vice President Mahama described the late chief as a true patriot, who served his country and his people very well.

He said the Nana Awua-Duku, who served as a nurse in the Military, was a down to earth person, and an Adventist, who embraced people with different religious backgrounds.

"He also loved sports with a passion and Sekondi Hassacas was his baby," the Vice President said. He said his death was a great loss to the nation and the government would deservedly honour him.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who is also MP for Sekondi, Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani and Mr Kwesi Nkrumah, Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekeondi/ Takoradi were at the meeting.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - Media Watch Limited on Thursday advised Media Houses against sensationalising their reports of proceedings of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), adding that this could mar the overall objective of healing and reconciliation.

Mr Leonard Dey, General Manager of Media Watch Limited who presented the report of Media Coverage of NRC proceedings for the month of August said sensational news headlines, especially by some of the private newspapers does not augur well for the work of the Commission.

The monthly report compiled by Media Watch was part of an agreement entered into by Media Watch Ltd and the National Media Commission (NMC) to monitor media coverage of the proceedings.

It was funded by the UNDP through the National Governance Programme and supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Mr. Dey said during the period under review, the Ghana News Agency published a total of twenty-stories that were all neutral in tone and in their portrayal of witnesses. He said the Daily Graphic assigned the largest amount of space to the NRC proceedings as compared to all other newspapers coded.

He said the Evening News and Accra Daily Mail were close contention compared to Chronicle, Crusading Guide, Daily Dispatch, Ghanaian Times, Ghana Palaver, Independent, Kumasi Mail, National Concord, Network Herald and Pioneer that were coded.

Mr. Dey said for the Electronic Media, GTV assigned the largest amount of television airtime to national reconciliation as compared to other TV stations, adding that for radio, Sky Power devoted the most airtime.

He said all stories were neutral in tone and recommended that media houses must enhance their stories, maintain their generally neutral tone and provide greater prominence to stories on reconciliation.

Mr. Wilson Kusi-Atansah, Member of the NMC, who chaired the meeting said the report was silent on the recent NRC sittings in the regions and called on Media Watch Limited to also focus its attention on the regional coverage to create a balance.

He said the NMC would look at ways of supporting Journalists who cover the NRC programmes to sustain their interest and to give of their best.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - Defence Minister, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor on Thursday said the Ministry of Defence would refer the tussle between the proposed site of the Central University College (CUC) at Teshie to the Legal Department of the military for advice and necessary action.

He said as much as the State had not paid for the land acquired for the Military, care should be taken in putting up structures on government acquired lands, arguing that a number of government establishments are on lands that government was yet to pay for.

Dr Addo-Kufuor was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on his reaction to the recent disagreement over the ownership of a land situated near the Kpeshie Lagoon.

The tussle is between the Military on one hand and the Central University College and the Teshie Lenshie Quarters on the other hand. The land is the new site for the university near the Kpeshie Lagoon, at Teshie in Accra and the Military are saying that the land belonged to them.

Dr Addo-Kufuor said a number of government establishments could not have been developed or their use could not be possible if government had ceded the right to possess the land.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - A 35-year-old Pastor of "Promised Land Ministries," who allegedly defrauded his former church member of 34.5m cedis under the pretext sending him to America appeared before a circuit court in Accra on Thursday.

William Adeka charged with defrauding by false pretences pleaded not guilty. The court, presided over by Mr Willywise Kyeremeh has admitted him on a 50 million cedis bail to reappear on October 20.

Police Chief Inspector Kofi Adu told the court that the complainant Mr Dickson Bekoe Addo, was a former member of the accused person's church.

Last year, Mr Addo's wife, who was also a member of the church was informed by the accused that he had had a vision that God had opened a way for Mr Addo to travel to America.

Consequently, the prosecution said complainant's wife informed him (Mr Addo) about the vision. The prosecutor said Mr Addo religiously got stuck to the vision and the accused person demanded 34.5 million cedis from him under the pretext of assisting him.

Adeka, sent the complainant to South Africa and left him stranded. Mr Addo however, met a Ghanaian resident in South Africa who assisted him to return to Ghana.

Prosecution said when the complainant returned to Ghana and his wife rang the accused asking him about her husband's welfare, the accused informed her that her husband was working in the US.

Mr Addo's wife then rang the accused and told him she had another person who also wanted to travel abroad. Prosecution said accused rushed to the complainant's house and he was arrested.

Nkoranza (Brong Ahafo) 26 September 2003 - A Reverend Minister has appealed to the government to release former Minister of Finance, Mr Kwame Peprah, from prison due to ill health.

The ex-Minister was imprisoned early this year for causing financial loss to the state during his tenure of office in the NDC regime. The Reverend Kwaku Oduro, 56, a teacher at Akumsa-Domase, near Nkoranza, called on President J.A. Kufour and Vice President Aliu Mahama to grant amnesty to the ailing former Minister.

Making the appeal through Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkoranza, he asked the government to consider the plight of Mr Peprah "as he is indisposed and forgive him of his mistakes by releasing him from prisons".

Rev Oduro said what led to Mr Peprah's imprisonment was unfortunate. "For the sake of mankind, Jesus Christ who never did anything wrong offered himself for crucifixion on the Cross and as all that we look for on this earth is vanity, Ghanaians should forgive and forget of the mistakes of Mr Kwame Peprah and free him".

Rev Oduro contested for the Brong Ahafo slot of membership of the Council of State in 1996 and 2000 but lost.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport, on Thursday commended Denmark for their continual assistance to Ghana over the years, especially in the road sector and the training of women in the construction industry.

"Denmark is one of Ghana's major partner who supports her in her road network and in capacity building, especially in the training women in that sector", Dr Anane told the Danish Ambassador, Mr Fleming Bjork Pedersen, who paid a courtesy call on him in Accra.

Dr Anane told the Ambassador that roads in Ghana were fervently being worked upon but there was still the need for their proper maintenance, saying, "we need to maintain our roads to last longer and cut down cost".

He said government was also constructing drainages with her own resources and assistance from her development partners. Mr Pedersen was at the Minister's Office to be briefed on the Ministry's development programmes and see where Denmark could effectively assist.

He said Denmark would continue to support Ghana to build and maintain her road network, saying, the Embassy would seek approval from the Danish Parliament in November for funds to start the second phase of construction work on some feeder roads in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

Mr Pedersen explained that when the fund was finally approved it would be given to Ghana as a grant for work to start in January 2004.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - A 53-year-old Dutch, who is said to have infected a hairdresser with the AIDS virus on Thursday said he would undergo a voluntary AIDS test to prove or disprove claims by his girlfriend.

At an Accra Regional Tribunal on Wednesday, Rudy Veindehoven, a driver told the tribunal that he would undertake the test at his own expense. "The court would like you to go for HIV/AIDS test," the judge stated. "Yes my Lord I will like that, I am prepared to pay for the cost," Veindehoven replied.

When the court asked where the test should be conducted, Police Inspector Emmanuel T. Boison, who is in charge of the case suggested the Police Hospital.

The tribunal presided over by Mr Justice P.K. Aggrey ordered that the test should be conducted at the Police Hospital and the results of the test should be presented to the court on Monday 29 September.

Veindehoven is standing trial for intentionally causing unlawful harm to his girlfriend by infecting her with HIV/AIDS virus. The court did not take his plea and it remanded him for the second time into Police custody.

At the last sitting, Prosecution prayed the court to allow Veindehoven to undergo an HIV/AIDS test to affirm his status as the Police was finding it difficult to compel him to do so.

"We need some time to investigate further," the Prosecution said. The tribunal, therefore, remanded Veindehoven until Wednesday (today) but stated that it would take a second look on the legality of compelling him to undertake the test today.

The facts as presented by the Prosecution were that the complainant resided at Sogakope in the Volta Region. Three years ago, Veindehoven met the complainant in Togo, proposed love to her and promised to marry her.

Prosecution said Viendehoven told the complainant to acquire a passport that would enable him to take her to Holland and she obliged. Occasionally, accused visited complainant in Ghana and lodged in a hotel with her. According to the Prosecution, accused had earlier on befriended the complainant's friend, who died in 1993 of AIDS.

Veindehoven claimed he tested HIV positive after the death of her girlfriend but was healed in 1995, with the hand of the Almighty God and tested negative in September last year.

The Prosecution said on September 8, this year, while accused was in a hotel room with the complainant he asked her whether she knew that he has the HIV virus. The complainant was astonished with the revelation and went for an HIV/AIDS test at the Police Hospital, where she tested positive.

The complainant reported the matter to the Police and when accused was arrested, he had admitted having the virus but said he was cured through the work of God.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2003 - The Narcotics Control Board and other security agencies on Thursday seized cocaine found concealed in sacks of rice imported from Guyana in South America to Ghana in two 20-foot containers at the Tema Harbour.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Ms. Adiza Ofori-Adu, Public Relations officer of the Ministry of Interior. The statement said three persons have been arrested in connection with the seizure after several months of intelligence work between the Narcotics Control Board, Ghana and H.M Customs - UK.

The three suspects, who are helping with the investigations are, Joseph Nwabueze, a business man based in Amsterdam and Accra, David K Anim of Animco, a shipping agent based in Amsterdam and Accra and Macdonald Chimanda Vasnani, a Ghanaian Managing Director (MD) of consolidated shipping company based in Tema Port and Bermac Supplies limited in Accra.

The statement said the vessel which brought the consignment of rice, was monitored on the high seas until it docked at Tema Harbour on 15 September, this year.

The statement said when the ship carrying the containers arrived at Felixstowe in the United Kingdom, forty-two kilos of cocaine were found concealed amongst the nine hundred and twenty-four sacks of rice.

It said the Narcotics Control Board conducted a delivery and seized the drug.
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