Ghana produces less cotton than Burkina Faso
Rawlings urges South Africa to commit more to peacekeeping
Berekum district assembly receives three billion cedis
MP criticises demolition exercise
Former Parliamentary candidate quits politics
Accra (Greater Accra), 5th November 99
Residents in a number of villages near Teshie in Accra, on Friday appealed to the government for assistance, saying they have no work and are finding it difficult to get food and emergency medical services.
The villages, Obediban, Agblezaa and Martey Tsulu Mann all in the Kpeshie district are also facing problems of inaccessibility because of the remote nature of the area.
The residents made the appeal through the GNA at Obediban when the Kpeshie community health team presented them with clothing donated by some nurses from Kansas city in the US, who visited the villages last year.
Dr Felicia Bart-Plange, sub district Director of Health Services said the nurses got to know about the villages in 1996 during a routine immunisation tour of the district.
When the team got to Obediban, most of the children were at home with very little clothing on. The nearest school is quite a distance away.
Dr Bart-Plange said the nurses were touched by the plight of the residents and planned to establish a community clinic there as soon as the residents provide a room.
Meanwhile a weekly immunisation service has already been started.
Madam Mary Laryea, a resident, said they cannot work because the area is very remote and inaccessible, "we have no water and have to depend on a near-by stream."
" We have to depend on the grace of God when we fall sick since the nearest town is very far off and there are no vehicles plying the area", another resident said.
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Ghana produces less cotton than Burkina Faso
Wa (Upper West), 5th November 99
Ghana produces only 37,000 tonnes of cotton annually as compared to 300,000 tonnes by Burkina Faso, even though both countries have almost the similar land characteristics and rainfall pattern.
Statistics show that while Burkina Faso yields 1500 tonnes of quality cotton from every hectare, Ghana yields only 900 kilograms from the same stretch of land.
Mr. Yaw Owusu Adomah, Production Manager of the Ghana Cotton Company said this at Wa on Friday when he addressed 60 cotton farmers in the Upper West region.
The one-day workshop which was organised by Ghana Cotton Company and sponsored by the French government was aimed at upgrading the skill of the farmers to enable them to improve upon their performance.
Mr. Adomah said the Company has sent some technical officers to Burkina Faso to learn their techniques of production help improve upon the yield in Ghana.
He said the company will also send out a number of farmers to Burkina Faso to learn from their counterparts to enable them to vary their styles of production and improve on their yields from the current 900 kilograms per hectare to about 1000 tonnes per hectare by the year 2003.
The production manager said they will also collaborate with non-governmental organisations to step up their literacy programmes to enable the rural farmers learn new methods of cotton production.
Mr. Francois Traore, Chairman of Burkina Faso National Union of Cotton Producers urged the farmers and producers to form viable groups and to bring out their problems for redress.
Mr. Traore called on the cotton companies to float their shares so that farmers can owe about 30 per cent of it to enable them concentrate on cotton production.
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Rawlings urges South Africa to commit more to peacekeeping
Accra (Greater Accra), 5th November 99
President Jerry John Rawlings on Friday welcomed South Africa's announcement to play a more active role in conflict resolution in Africa and said Pretoria, under apartheid, was responsible for most of the wars in southern Africa.
"South Africa has made impressive economic forays into Africa since the end of apartheid. Therefore, coming out to say it would play an active role in conflict resolution to complement the efforts of countries that have been involved in peacekeeping for long is welcome."
President Rawlings said this at a meeting with Mr. Salim Ahmed Salim, OAU Secretary-General, at the Castle, Osu.
Mr. Salim is attending the 10th anniversary of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), the continental union of writers, which has its headquarters in Accra.
South Africa under apartheid played active roles in wars in Mozambique, Namibia, Angola and made military incursions into almost all countries in the region in pursuit of South African freedom fighters.
"Some of the problems in that region were either started or complemented by the apartheid regime. It is morally right for the South African government now to contribute more to stop the destabilisation it started."
President Rawlings said some of the conflicts have been raging for so long that diplomacy might not resolve them. Therefore, South Africa should be in a position to move more forcefully into those conflict areas.
The Angolan civil war has been raging for long and has defied diplomatic solution. There was a lull when a peace agreement was signed in Lusaka about two years ago and an election was held which the ruling MPLA won.
UNITA rejected the result and went back to war that has been going on since then.
President Rawlings said the government would continue to support PAWA because it values education.
Mr. Salim said Africa is facing enormous economic challenges brought about by an unfavourable international economic climate. "We can only face these challenges when we are united."
Mr. Atukwei Okai, Secretary General of PAWA, said Ghana has been of immense support to the association and appealed to other countries to follow her example.
He appealed to the continent's writers to assist "our political leaders to solve Africa's problems".
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Berekum district assembly receives three billion cedis
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 5th November 99
The Berekum district assembly has received a total of over three billion cedis as its share of the common fund since the inception of the concept five years ago.
In addition, about 816.9 million cedis has been received from the European Union (EU) under its micro-projects programme since 1992.
The district chief executive, Mrs. Mary Boakye, announced this at the "Berekum District Day" at the on-going " Dwa Kesee 99" as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the creation of the Brong Ahafo region at Sunyani.
The "Dwa Kesee 99" is being organised as a trade and exhibition fair to showcase tourist and industrial potentials to attract tourist and investors into the region.
Mrs. Boakye said a number of projects have been undertaken with the amount received from the district assemblies common fund and the European Union.
She mentioned some of the projects as rehabilitation of roads, construction of 17 classroom blocks and the assembly's office complex and hall, clinics and waste management systems.
Mrs. Boakye said under the public investment projects (PIP), the government also spent 2.5 billion cedis on a number of development projects which have put the district in a good stand to receive investors.
She revealed that the district could boast of mineral and clay deposits, fertile soil and timber and invited investors to take advantage of these potentials.
The Asutifi district chief executive, Mr. Hyeanan Asante Amoako said with the availability of electricity, investors could set up agro-based industries to process foodstuffs in the area.
He said the district has gold, diamond, granite and clay deposits in addition to fertile land for the cultivation of cash crops such as cocoa and coffee.
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MP criticises demolition exercise
Kwesimintsim (Western Region) 5th November 99
The Member of Parliament for Effia-Kwesimintsim, Mr. J. E. K. Abakah, has expressed his shock and dismay over the demolition of the Kwesimintsim market by a Taskforce of the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly ( SAEMA ) last Wednesday.
He described the action of the assembly as "inhuman, unreasonable, and abuse of the economic rights of the citizens ".
Mr. Abakah who was addressing a news conference at Kwesimintsim on Thursday, said he thought it would have been more prudent and appropriate for the Assembly to find stores and places at Apremdo market for the traders before embarking on the demolition exercise.
He said about 23 shop owners whose shops were demolished have not yet been given any place at the Apremdo market and challenged the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Lieutenant-Colonel Kaku Korsah, who claimed that all the affected traders have been given stores at the Apremdo market to come out with the list of the said traders.
Mr. Abakah who is a member of the Assembly said the Assembly has not taken any decision to demolish the Kwesimintsim market by last Wednesday.
He said at the Assembly's last sitting, it decided to put up more structures to accommodate the traders at the Kwesimintsim market before their market is demolished.
" It is therefore surprising that the market has been demolished in contravention of the decision of the Assembly ".
The MP said the SAEMA has for far too long trampled on the rights of people in the Metropolis and said " it is high time that this wanton destruction of people's properties is checked ".
He asked SAEMA to re-settle the affected traders immediately or pay them adequate compensation.
Mr. Abakah appealed to the affected traders to exercise patience and assured them that the case would be pursued until justice is done to them.
SAEMA last Wednesday demolished the Kwesimintsim market. An official of the SAEMA, Mr. Mike Ocloo said the demolition was to enable a road construction project to be undertaken.
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Young women acquire skills
Ho (Volta Region), 5th November 99
Captain George Nfodjo (Rtd.), Ho District Chief Executive, has observed that feminine vulnerability and hardships are being compounded by ignorance, poverty and disease.
He, therefore, called for support and co-operation from individuals, groups and institutions to complement the government's efforts at eradicating these negative trends from the society.
Capt. Nfodjo was speaking at the graduation ceremony of 17 teenage mothers and unemployed female youths at the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Church's Activity Centre at Ho on Thursday.
The course, which is conducted in six phases over one year, is aimed at training young women, mostly school dropouts, to acquire vocational skills.
Capt. Nfodjo entreated other organisations committed to the development of the deprived in society to assist in the training and rehabilitation of such people to enhance the dignity of women in accordance with the democratic tenets.
The Right Reverend Japhet Y. Ledo, Moderator of the Church said the church would continue its tradition in the field of education, health, and agriculture alongside the fulfilment of the spiritual needs of mankind.
He urged the trainees to form co-operatives to quality them for soft loans from the District Assemblies and banking institutions.
Miss Alice Ayebi, Programme Co-ordinator of the Centre, said the course was meant to expose the young women to family life, laws protecting women and children, acceptable social habits and proper interpersonal relationship.
She appealed to communities to show love and respect towards the trainees to enable them to regain their lost esteem.
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Former Parliamentary candidate quits politics
Asamankese (Greater Accra), 5th November 99
Mr. H. K. Oworae, NPP parliamentary candidate in the 1996 parliamentary elections announced Thursday, that he is quitting active politics to concentrate on his business as dealer in general goods and cement distribution.
Mr. Oworae told the press at Asamankese that he wants to serve the West Akyem district and the nation in other roles, particularly by offering social services.
He has been a member of the West Akyem District Assembly since 1994 and was for two terms between 1994 and 1998 its presiding member.
Mr. Oworae also announced that he would not seek re-election to the district assembly as a member for the Asamanketewa electoral area, when the present term of the assembly expires in 2002.
He thanked all those who have supported his political career, especially, during the 1996 parliamentary election and said it is not only through party politics that one can serve his community or nation.
"I will continue to offer my services in other ways to help in the district's development," he added.
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