GRi Newsreel 08-04-99

Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 8 April 

Heads of departments in the Adansi West district have been urged to communicate with their staff in English to help enhance civil service reforms in the district, Mr Micheal K. Essandoh, the District Co-ordinating Director, has directed at heads of department meeting at Obuasi.

Mr Essandoh said the frequent use of vernacular at the offices is not facilitating effective management and, therefore slammed a ban on the use of the vernacular at all offices in the district.

The meeting was called to introduce the heads to the district Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and to solicit their support for the effective implementation of the plan.

The District Co-ordinating Director reminded the heads of the Civil Service Performance Improvement Programme (CSPIP) and the district PIP that "this is the time your support will be most needed in all areas". He warned that since the district is expected to achieve certain targets or goals, all uncooperative tendencies would not be tolerated.

Mr Essandoh was not happy about what he described as "historic or narrative quarterly reports" departmental heads have been submitting and advised that the reports should indicate the mission of the department, the objectives and what the department hoped to achieve within the quarter.

The departmental heads called for regular meetings to enable them to interact effectively for the development of the district.

Agona (Western Region) 8 April  

Agona Ahanta, the capital of Ahanta West District and its surrounding communities, have been hit by water shortage for the past one month. This is due to poor rainfall which has caused wells, streams, rivers and other water bodies to dry up.

The district capital with a population of more than 6,000 people has had no source of potable water for the period. Some residents are depending on a few wells constructed by individual households and by the Agona Nkwanta Health Centre.while others walk several kilometres to search for water. The Ahanta West District Assembly occasionally uses tankers to supply water to residents of Apowa, near Takoradi.

Residents who spoke to the Ghana News Agency described the assembly's intervention as "inadequate" and called on the Western Regional Office of the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation to ensure "regular supply of water to save the district from epidemics.

A source at the District Assembly said the assembly has intensified efforts to provide the area with pipe borne water. It said a levy of 10,000 cedis is being collected from the residents for work to begin on a water project.

Accra (Greater Accra) 8 April 

An envoy from President Denise Sasou-Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville on Thursday delivered a special message to President Jerry John Rawlings and held talks with the President.

Foreign Ministry sources said the message and the talks centred on bilateral and multilateral issues.

Among those present were Mr Victor Gbeho, Foreign Minister and some officials of the ministry.

Bolgatanga (Upper East) 8 April 

Star of Hope International (SHI), a Swedish non-governmental organisation, is to assist the Bolgatanga District Assembly with a grant of one billion cedis annually under a five-year agreement to improve upon education and agriculture in the district.

Dr Albert Tengah, Bolgatanga District Chief Executive, who made this known at the first ordinary sitting of the assembly this year, said part of the grant would be used to provide furniture for 10 basic schools.

Dr Tenga said SHI is supporting 30 day-care centres in Bolgatanga area with teaching aids. It is also rehabilitating one small-scale dam at Gaarei, and will complete two new dams at Sekoti and Buusi and finance the construction of a new dam at Sheriou.

The DCE noted that the assembly would for the next five years pay priority attention to the development of education and the promotion of economic activities.

"The assembly would therefore spend a major part of its share of the common fund as well as local revenue on the cladding of school pavilions, rehabilitation of old school structures and building new ones, providing schools with furniture, as well as teaching and learning materials," he indicated.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemani, Upper East Regional Minister, said it has become clear that some district assemblies are involved in improper tendering procedures for the award of contracts. He pointed out that such practices are not only illegal but also unacceptable and that the government would deal decisively with culprits.

The Regional Minister indicated that the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) would closely monitor the activities of district assemblies in the region to ensure that they abide by the rules. "From now onwards, all contracts should be awarded in compliance with laid-down procedures," he emphasised.

He urged assembly members to co-operate with the area councils and unit committees to initiate self-help community projects that would encourage government and NGO's to come to their aid.

Mr Simon Atebiya, presiding member of the assembly, said the assembly was constructing six unit committee offices at Sumprungu, Zuarungu, Zolira, Winkogo, Sheaga-Tindongo, and Sekoti at a total cost of 276 million cedis.

Winneba (Central Region) 8 April 

About 18 canoes and three fishing nets, worth more than 100 million cedis, were on Wednesday destroyed by a windstorm at the Winneba landing beach. This is the second time this year that fishermen in Winneba have suffered such a misfortune. On January seven, a strong wind caused considerable damage to a number of canoes and other fishing gear at the beach.

The chief fisherman of Winneba, Nenyi Kwaku Mbir and Mr Ato Bondzi, secretary to the Winneba Canoe Fisherman Co-operative Society have appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for assistance. They also appealed to the government to expedite action on the construction of a break water at the beach to prevent future occurrences.

Mr Ato Bondzi called on the Meteorological Department to detail staff to advise fishermen about the weather on daily basis.

Accra (Greater Accra) 8 April  

Vice-President Professor John Atta Mills, on Wednesday called on African lawyers to make the law simpler, easier and more accessible to the under-privileged. It was the toil of this class of people, which created the wealth that was used to pay for your education and training, he reminded the lawyers.."African lawyers owe hardworking farmers, fishermen, miners and other ordinary people a duty to give something back, not in the patronising manner of an elite, but as partners in a shared vision of a more just, equitable and dignified Africa".

At the opening of a four-day Africa Regional Conference of the International Bar Association (IBA) at the Accra International Conference Centre, Professor Mills, a lawyer by profession, regretted that some lawyers "wrap the law practice in a mysterious veil of jargon and technicalities, either because they believe that mystery engenders respect, or even to enable them to confuse and mislead the ignorant.

"They forget that the purpose of the law is to regulate human activities and interactions in the interest of social harmony, security and justice, and not merely to provide lawyers with a comfortable living", he added..

The theme for the conference is "Practising Law in the 21st Century - Meeting the Challenges". Topics to be discussed include professional ethics in a changing world, access to justice, the delivery of the Rule of Law by the provision of legal services, and principles of international arbitration.

More than 200 lawyers from some African countries and other international law societies are attending the conference. The Vice-President said African lawyers, whether in private practice, as corporate counsel, on the bench or as draftsmen or teachers, have a moral obligation to contribute in practical ways towards national development.

He advised the participants to join hands with some international non-governmental organisations (NGO'S) such as the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), who are educating the disadvantaged sections in the society on their legal rights and helping to ensure prompt redress where necessary.

He called on them to support and encourage alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems which have been initiated in many countries without recourse to costly and time-consuming court action.

Touching on globalisation and the revolution in information technology, Professor Mills said the situation demands that an African lawyer be informed on the fast evolving international and multinational corporate structures, banking practices and natural resource regimes.

The Vice-President commended the IBA for the topics chosen, and hoped the participants would provoke a discussion on the challenges the African lawyer would encounter in the 21st century.

Mr Justice Isaac Kobina Abban, Chief Justice, said attracting investment is now the primary focus of world economies and for Africa to be well placed, the law has to provide direction to market-oriented economies and social and human resource development.

He therefore charged the participants to work towards creating and promoting the necessary legal framework to achieve set goals. On delays in the disposal of cases in the courts, Mr Justice Abban emphasised that it is a problem that needs to be solved or brought under control, as it can scare investors in various African countries.

He asked the participants to review procedures and practices, which hamper the rapid development of the legal profession to enable the Africa Judiciary contribute effectively to the growth of the continent. Dr Obed Asamoah, Attorney General and Minister for Justice asked the lawyers to always uphold the ethics of the profession.

The Attorney General announced that all the necessary machinery has been acquired for the establishment of ADR system in the country.

The operation of the ADR system would reduce the number of cases sent to the courts, as minor ones would be resolved.

Mr Klaus Bohlhoff, President of the IBA commended African lawyers for the role they continue to play in the development of law and protection of human rights on the continent.

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 8 April 

The royal family and the Gyaase division of the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) will celebrate the 40th day celebration of the death of Otumfuo Opoku Ware the second, the late Asantehene, today, Thursday, April eight at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The Gyaase division comprises the Gyaase, Mawere, Ankobea and Nkosuo.

By Akan tradition and belief, the soul of any person after his death leaves for the ancestral world after 40 days and would never be seen on earth.

After tomorrow, the ban on drumming and funeral celebration within Asanteman instituted after the death of the late Asantehene would be lifted.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu the second, the newly-installed but yet to be enstooled Asantehene can now sit in court as a ruler but will not be expected to hold an opinion of his own, as he is presumed not to be conversant with the affairs of the state.

The few days after the installation are devoted to stock- taking of the drinks, sheep, monies and other presentations made to the bereaved family and Asanteman during the burial ceremony.

Following his installation and enstoolment, the new King would then begin to study the palace structures, organisation and the history of the Kingdom including court etiquette, royal manner of speech and majestic walking.

On the first Thursday after his installation, which also falls, tomorrow, the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem the second, takes the new King to the stool house where he sees for the first time, the Golden Stool and the black stools.

Thereafter, he is allowed to offer libation and sacrifices, this is the only occasion that the Asantehemaa is granted permission to enter the male stool house, she sees the stools in the female stool house every "Akwasidae" and "Awukudae", the 40-day calendar of Akans.

The Deboasehene and Abenasehene are the experts in the King's household, its organisation and what takes place there.

With teaching aid models of the palace, the new Monarch learns the whole complex tapestry of Asante custom and regal life such as how to control his speech, his thoughts, his walking when to smile and when to look serious and gloomy.

The new King is taught courtesy and Asante values, culture and the great part that state drums play in it. Everything in Asante life depends on drums -"atumpan, kete, fontomfrom,and donno and dawuro". The drums call people to council meetings and to war, they also play for celebrations of religious festivals and for entertainment.

He is taught to recognise each drum by its sound, to know what the combinations of the drum and sound mean, he is also taught how to dance to the tune and rhythm of all Asante drums.

The models for teaching aids are called "nkraba" and the system of using them as visual and teaching aids for the schooling is called "nkrahene".

The schooling is done in such a way that it does not interfere with the normal engagements of the King, it takes place in the evenings.

The mornings and afternoons are devoted to routine duties such as giving out money and offering libation and sacrifices, while the schooling is going on preparations for the enstoolment ceremony are also in progress, thereafter, the final rites of the departed Monarch are discussed.