GRi Newsreel 13-04-99

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 

Teachers in the Greater Accra region have embarked on a sit-down strike as a warning to the government to expedite action on the implementation of the Price Waterhouse report.

Mrs Eleanor Ohene, Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), told a press briefing in Accra on Monday that the strike is a warning signal to the Central Management Board (CMB) to take a second look at its attitude towards the implementation of recommendations of the report.

A statement by the CMB had said it had completed the examination of the off-loading exercise. The Greater Accra regional branch of GNAT said it is aware that certain specific issues and problems identified in the off-loading exercise and presented to the CMB were yet to be tackled.

"It is on record that the CMB has failed to meet our team to iron out the necessary issues before going on air."

Mrs Ohene said the regional GNAT feels "such an attitude smacks of throwing dust into our eyes, and is unprecedented and disappointing."

Meanwhile, there seems to be confusion among teachers.

Some of those present disagreed with the timing of the strike action.

They argued that during the strike the workload in the classroom would pile up and they would have to sit down to clear it. It was pointed out that some schools in the region were not heeding the strike call and were running normal school hours.

Some were of the view that GNAT executives were playing politics with them and registered their dissatisfaction with the conduct of the executive.

They finally resolved, however, that "if we come back from holidays and nothing is heard from the CMB, the national executives should involve all the regions in the strike action."

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 

President Jerry John Rawlings has led a team of technical experts to inspect the proposed Korle Lagoon dredging project, as well as work being done to contain sea erosion along the coastline between Accra and Ada.

The tour, carried out last Saturday and Sunday, took the team to Ada and Keta Lagoon, as well as parts of the Northern Region. A top official of the Volta River Authority (VRA) told newsmen in Accra on Monday that at Ada, the team inspected a project being undertaken by VRA to clear a sand bar at the estuary of the Volta River to allow sea water to flow into it.

This will kill bacteria, which produce bilharzia so as to protect the tourism industry at Ada. The team inspected a channel between the Volta River and the Keta Lagoon, which the VRA would dredge to allow water to flow into the Lagoon. The Lagoon provides livelihood for thousands of people living along its banks.

The VRA official said the team carried out an aerial survey of the Volta Lake at the point near Debre, where rocky shoals prevent Volta Lake Transport Company vessels from reaching Buipe in the Northern Region.

These vessels carry heavy cargo including fuel.

The VRA is attempting to remove the rock shoals, but this is considered "a limited operation as VRA does not have the appropriate machines to do the job."

The official said he was hopeful that when the agreement between the Ghana and the Dutch governments becomes operational, equipment from the Dutch Maritime Management International would become available for the completion of the project.

Under the agreement, AMRO, a Dutch commercial bank, will provide 65 per cent of the cost of the equipment and services, while the Dutch government would give the remaining 35 per cent in grants.

The dredging would involve about 7,000 cubic metres of hard rock. In addition to clearing the rock formation, there will be additional 80,000 cubic metres of sand to be dredged between Debre and Buipe, a distance of about 32 kilometres.

Kumasi (Asahnti Region) 13 April  

Mr Kwame Afreh Junior, President of the National Drinking Bar Operators Association (NADBOA), on Monday appealed to the government to investigate alleged malpractices by some breweries, which are likely to affect investments in the brewery industry.

The government's trade liberalisation and investment policies are to make Ghana the gateway to the West African sub-region should not be derailed by such alleged malpractices, she said.

Mr Afreh was referring to allegations against Guinness Ghana Limited that it is restricting its distributors to handling only Guinness products, at a monthly meeting of the Kumasi Metropolitan branch of the association in Kumasi He advised members of the association not to discriminate in the sale of products from the breweries but to ensure that they have products of all breweries to satisfy all their customers.

Accra Brewery Limited has sued Guinness Ghana Limited claiming that them later has entered into some secret agreement with retailers in the industry, compelling them to sell only Guinness Products.

Kumasi (Ashanti region) 13 April 

Churches have been advised to allow their pastors to register with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and "contribute to their future security".

Mr Adjei Mensah, Deputy Ashanti Regional Manager of SSNIT, said pastors' contributions are "crucial, because pastors, like other workers, will definitely be caught up with age and retire from the gospel ministry, and will need some form of income to survive on".

At a forum organised by the Kumasi Ministers Fellowship in Kumasi on Monday to educate its members, who are all pastors, on the SSNIT pension scheme, Mr. Mensah stated that various organisations could have their private occupational schemes and still belong to the SSNIT pension scheme.

Over 80 pastors attended the forum from various Christian denominations in Kumasi. The pastors are to explain the value of the SSNIT pension scheme to their congregations.

"It is wrong to assume that SSNIT pension is paid only to the aged. We pay pension to contributors who are invalid, provided such people have honoured their contributions for three or more years".

Mr Mensah said to ensure prompt payment of pensions to beneficiaries under the pension scheme, SSNIT has made a lot of investments in the banks, breweries and housing.

About 160 flats have been completed for the past one year by SSNIT at Asuoyeboa in Kumasi, but allocation to workers has been delayed because of lack of water and electricity.

The Reverend Douglas Frimpong, Chairman of the Kumasi Ministers Fellowship, said once Christians and pastors continue to live on earth, they cannot isolate themselves from contemporary issues. They should therefore "get actively involved in the scheme".

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 April 

Chiefs and opinion leaders in the Amansie West district of Ashanti have called for the "immediate replacement" of Mr Kwaku Aninkora-Sie as district chief Executive (DCE).

In a petition signed by 41 chiefs and opinion leaders in the district to President Jerry John Rawlings through Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Aninkora-Sie was accused of "abusing his authority and respect accorded him with impunity".

They also accused him of looking down on chiefs in the district, promoting chieftaincy disputes and taking unilateral actions.

The petitioners claimed that "the district is beset with a number of problems, among which are pollution of the environment, inadequate supply of good drinking water, poor education standard and health facilities.

"Due to these factors", they said, "the people over the years have been grappling with diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, buruli ulcer and many others.

"This is why when he (the DCE) was appointed ... they expected him to serve with humility by liaising with the chiefs, assembly members and the people to formulate policies that will help alleviate the sufferings of the people."

They claimed, however, that this has not been the case, as "Mr Aninkora-Sie chose to use divide and rule tactics", citing his selection of two chiefs who rebelled against the Omanhene of Manso-Nkwanta to the assembly without consultations with the traditional authority, as an example.

The DCE has never held any consultations with the Omanhene of Manso-Nkwanta Traditional Council to solicit the opinion of the chiefs on development projects, or brief the chiefs on government policies, the petitioners claimed.

When Amansie Resources, a gold mining company in the district, wanted to pay accrued royalties to the Manso-Nkwanta trational Council, the DCE caused the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs "to write a letter to the Minerals Commission to pay the computed amount into the accounts of the House of Chiefs".

The petitioners said they strongly believed that the DCE's action was to set the Omanhene on a collision course with the Asantehene and some of his sub-chiefs.

They said the proof of their suspicion is in the summoning of the Omanhene and his stool elders before the Asantehene to explain why he restrained the registrar of the House of Chiefs from carrying out the advice of the DCE.

"These problems and a lot more have contributed to the erroneous impression of neglect by the central government in the minds of the people.

"We the chiefs and opinion leaders in the district have tried to address our people's misconceptions unsuccessfully since we have also been subjected to the same humiliation and disrespect by the DCE", they added.

They therefore called on the President "to intervene promptly to restore peace and tranquillity in order to enhance development in the district".

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April

Dr Henry Hooldbrook Smith, Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, on Monday attributed the delay in the payment of extra duty allowance to junior doctors to delays in the preparation of their duty roaster.

Speaking to the GNA in an interview in Accra, he said the minister of health, Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, during one of their meetings pointed out that payment of extra duty allowance is not across board and therefore called for a duty roaster. "The preparation of the duty roaster will determine who is performing the extra hours duty."

Dr Holdbrook-Smith said the payment of the money through the banks, as the doctors are demanding, would be difficult, "because administration-wise, payment at the facility level helps us know who is to be paid".

He explained that paying through the banks would engender confusion since "a doctor may be on leave but will collect the money, for which he has not worked."

Dr Holdbrook-Smith said plans are underway to prevent junior doctors of the hospital from going on strike.

The hospital management is planning to look for funds for the doctors, while they wait for their monies. "This is to keep the hospital running."

The Greater Accra group of junior doctors on Monday threatened to lay down their tools again by Thursday, April 15th, if their March additional duty allowance is not paid.

They demanded that their April and May allowances at the facility level be paid on or before April 30th and May 31st respectively to keep them at work.

The junior doctors have also asked for their monies for June and for subsequent months to be paid through their banks and not at the facility level.

Jachie (Ashanti Region) 13 April

The Rev. Father John Kingsley Mensah, Anglican priest in-charge of Jachie in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district, has expressed concern about the increasing level of marriage breakdowns among the youth.

Rev Mensah told the GNA at Jachie that though the youth love to enter into Holy Matrimony, "they are not able to sustain their marraige".

He attributed the numerous breakdown in marriage to ineffective planning, lack of marriage psychology, spiritual development, love and understanding.

Rev Mensah said marriage is everlasting and couples should have to develop courage, love, understanding and tolerance to make it work.

He therefore asked the youth not to rush into the marriage only to regret later.

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April

The British High Commission in Accra on Tuesday asked travellers to the United Kingdom to lodge their visa applications at least six to eight weeks before the day they wish to travel as the visa section approaches its busiest period.

A news release in Accra said all visa applications would be dealt with as quickly as possible.

However, past experience shows that the period between May and September would be extremely busy.

It said the visa section of the High Commission is open to the public from 0745 to 1045 hours on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

The High Commission advised the public to familiarise themselves with supporting documents required for their particular category of trip and ensure that they obtain a valid passport, complete a visa application form and produce copies of the necessary supporting documentation before submitting their applications.

Nsawam (Eastern Region) 13 April

The people of Nkyenekyene Amanforo near Nsawam, have appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Akwapim South district assembly, to provide the local junior secondary school (JSS) with classrooms without further delay.

Mr Sewornu Kpodo, unit committee chairman, who made the appeal, said the school building was destroyed by rainstorm about four years ago.

The people have spent 15 million cedis and provided communal labour to construct a new building to the roofing level, but because of financial difficulties they could not continue.

A temporary structure has been erected for the JSS students, but they have to stop classes any time it rains.

Nana Kwame Owusu Enguah the second, chief of the town offered the land for the project and said the people are ready to assist with contributions and communal labour should the district assembly or any

organisation go to their aid.

Akropong-Akwapim (Eastern Region) 13 April

Mr Fuzzy Torbay, Member of Parliament for Okere, has asked the Divestiture Implementation Committee and the Ministry of Finance to float shares for companies under divestiture on the Stock Exchange.

Part of the shares of such companies could be sold to workers of the company where they could use their end of service benefit or even raise loans to purchase them.

Mr Torbay was addressing a seminar attended by 150 ward, branch and constituency executives of the Akwapim North District branch of the National Democratic Congress at Larteh Akropong on Monday.

The seminar, also attended by Progressive Voluntary Organisations and other organs affiliated to the NDC, aimed at preparing the participants in party organisation, mobilisation and political propaganda in readiness for the 2000 parliamentary and presidential elections in the district.

Mr Torbay, also chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare, Employment and State Owned Enterprises, spoke of the low morale of workers of diversified companies, saying "they are not happy because of low salaries and lack of incentives."

Mr Kofi Saforo, Eastern Regional Chairman of the NDC, said the seminar was the first of a series planned for all the 15 districts of the region.

About 6,000 core organisers of the party in the region would be equipped with the necessary knowledge and strategies in the next three weeks to convincingly win all seats in the region in the 2000 elections.

Mr Anthony Gyampoh, Akwapim North District Chief Executive, called for closer contacts with the people to enable them to explain government policies to the electorate.

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says the overall food supply situation in Ghana is good following the harvest of the main crops.

It would, however, need to import 500,000 tonnes of cereals, mostly wheat and rice, to supplement its requirement this year.

According to FAO's publication on global food information received in Accra on Tuesday, seasonably dry conditions prevail in the country.

It said aggregate 1998 cereal production was estimated at 1.78 million tonnes which is slightly above that of 1997.

"Production has recovered in the extreme north, where crop output had been reduced in 1997. Roots and tubers production is estimated at 13.44 million tonnes which is well above average."

FAO said about 30,000 Liberian refugees were receiving food assistance.

It said civil strife, drought and hurricanes were hampering food production in many countries.

Angola, Democratic republic of Congo and Somalia are countries where civil war has affected production while drought has pinned down output in Chile, Cuba and Jordan.

FAO said serious concern mounts over deteriorating food situation in Somalia, for instance, where the search for food and water is increasing whereas renewed fighting has aggravated an already precarious situation.

In West Africa, generally favourable conditions in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad in 1998 resulted in a record crop estimated at 17 per cent higher than average, it said.

FAO said improved security and favourable weather resulted in a good cereal harvest in Liberia, but in neighbouring Sierra Leone, the 1998 crop production was well below average and food supply remains critical in many areas.

Yaakrom (Brong Ahafo) 13 April

Mr J.H. Owusu-Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, has dismissed claims that poultry products were being smuggled into Ghana to the detriment of the future growth of the industry.

This follows an on the spot investigations by the Minister during a surprise visit to Dormaa Ahenkro and six poultry farms allegedly involved in the smuggling.

The six farms at Yaakrom and Dormaa-Ahenkro have a total production of about 120 crates of eggs daily and a population of more than 91,000 birds.

Apart from the six farms, other individuals are engaged in poultry farming but on a smaller scale to supplement their incomes, according to Dr. Kuntor Agyemang, District Director of Agriculture.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong visited Unity Farms Feed Mills, which processes about six tons of poultry feed daily for its own use and for other poultry farmers.

The Minister said "the low cost of maize and labour which abounds in the district gives the company comparative advantage in poultry production over other areas in the country".

Mr Owusu-Acheampong expressed satisfaction with the operations of Unity Farms, which has offered employment to the youth and "makes the Dormaa District the leading producer of poultry products in the region".

Mr Briamah Musah, proprietor of Yaakrom Unity Farms, said products from his company have market in Accra.

The Minister also addressed workers of government departments and corporations including the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, Immigration Services, Health, Agriculture and Trade at Gonokrom, the main entry point from Cote d'Ivoire to Ghana in the district.

Mampong (Ashanti Region) 13 April

Nana Kofi Acheampong, a Ghanaian based in London, has donated school uniforms worth five million cedis to 10 primary schools in the Sekyere West district at Asante-Mampong.

The beneficiary schools are Benim United "A" and "B", Asaam,Brofoyedru, Nwandan, Nyinampong, Penteng-Nwase, Petase,Sesase-Kokoben and Sawino.

Nana Acheampong said his gesture was to support the government's poverty alleviation programme and to whip up children's interest in education.

He appealed to parents to invest more in their children's education especially the girl-child and urged headteachers to step up their supervisory role to enhance effective teaching.

Mr Martin Owusu-Mensah, the District Director of Education,commended Nana Acheampong for the uniforms and called on other citizens outside the country to emulate him.

Nana Acheampong is already paying the salaries of teachers of two kindergarten schools in Benim.

Anochie (Western Region) 13 April

Ten million cedis was realised at a harvest held at Anochie in the Nzema East District to procure electricity poles.

It was organised by the Anochie Town Improvement Association on Saturday in aid of the town's electrification programme.

Mr J. D. Cobbinah, Nzema East District Chief Executive,(DCE) commended the association for organising the function which, he said, would instil the spirit of unity among the people.

The DCE said the district assembly would assist communities which initiate development projects.

Mr Fred Blay, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, praised members of the association who came from Cote d'Ivoire to participate in the function and urged them to keep up "this spirit of patriotism".

Mr Blay, Member of Parliament for Ellembe, pledged 1.2 million cedis from his share of the District Assemblies Common fund towards the project.

Citizens resident in London donated 200,000 cedis while those in other parts of the nine regions, contributed 30,000 cedis each.

Navrongo (Upper Easter) 13 April

This year's Northern Easter School has ended at Navrongo with a call on District Assemblies to institute scholarship schemes to sponsor brilliant and needy students in second-cycle and tertiary institutions.

It also asked for the strengthening of the girl-child education unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) with both human and material resources to make the unit more effective.

The five-day school on the theme "Education and development in the next millennium: issues affecting Northern Ghana," was aimed at reviewing the social, economic, political and cultural situation of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions at the close of the 20th century.

The school noted with concern that educational standards in Northern Region schools had fallen drastically, thus, creating a wide gap between the performance of students in the area and those in the Southern sector of the country.

Professor Kobina Asiedu, Director of the Institute of Adult Education (IAE) who closed the session, said the IAE had revived the People's Educational Association (PEA) programme to promote changes and development in communities to enhance the status of school graduates.

The PEA which functioned effectively in the 1950's, became an effective tool for personal and community development, he said.

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April

The National Day of Thanksgiving to commemorate the Sixth Anniversary of the Fourth Republic scheduled for Sunyani on April 18 has been postponed, a statement from the National Celebrations Planning Committee announced on Tuesday.

Muslim prayers scheduled for April 16 at Sunyani have also been postponed.

The committed expressed "deep regrets at the inconvenience caused by the postponement."