GRi Newsreel 20-04-99

Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 

Dr Obed Asamoah, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, on Monday urged Asian-African legal officers not to limit themselves to the legal field. They should also deliberate on issues pertaining to the environment, migration, poverty alleviation and health, of which, the two continents are victims. Dr Asamoah said this at the opening of the 38th Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC) in Accra.

Delegates from more than 40 AALCC countries as well as observers from more than 45 countries are attending the five-day meeting.

Dr Asamoah said ''countries from Asia and Africa share some common interests and aspirations. We all have fledging democracies and we are often marginalised in international affairs. Our countries, therefore, look forward to growth and development affecting our lives''.

Dr Asamoah said international law is dynamic and that AALCC has a unique role to play as a legal body representing the Third World by identifying their common interests and needs and provide a common platform in the development and codification of International Law. He urged participants to come out with definite conclusions on subjects such as refugees, migrant workers and environmental degradation, some of which have been on their agenda for quite sometime.

Mr Arun K. Banerjee, the Indian High Commissioner in Ghana read the message of the out-going President of AALCC, Dr P.S. Rao of India, who could not attend the meeting. Dr Rao wished the participants fruitful deliberations and expressed the hope that their attention would be focused on the development of the under-privileged in their societies.

Asirebuso (Eastern Region) 20 April 

The Police at Asirebuso have appealed to the government, Inspector General of Police and the Fanteakwa district assembly, to come to their aid and rehabilitate the building which serves as their office and residence.

Sergeant Kwasi Adu of the station told the Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who was on a tour of the constituency, that the building had not undergone any rehabilitation since it was built in 1964. There are serious cracks in the walls while parts of the roof have been ripped off, allowing rain water to seep in. "The situation is very dangerous as our hearts are always in our mouths anytime there is a severe rainstorm", he added. Besides this problem, Sergeant Adu said, the three Policemen at the station have to walk several miles to make arrests and send suspects to court due to lack of vehicle for the Unit.

Though, they had made several appeals to the authorities, they were yet to receive any positive response.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo inspected the police station and expressed dismay about the conditions in which the personnel worked to carry out their duties and pledged to discuss the issue with the Police administration. The MP presented two bundles of roofing sheets and ten bags of cement for temporary repairs to be carried out on the building.

Kumasi ( Ashanti Region) 20 April 

Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister, on Monday said the nation could hardly make any headway in its development efforts if Ghanaians continued to show indifference, hatred and are suspicious of one another.

Meaningful development could only take place in an atmosphere devoid of rancour and bitterness.

This was contained in an address read for the Regional Minister, at this year's Conference of Asante Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in Kumasi.

The five-day conference is under the theme: "Turn to God, Rejoice in Hope". Mr Yankah called on the church to help shape the moral lives of its members and to use the pulpit and groups in the church as instruments to turn people from social vices. "Any society which abandons the path of virtue, exemplified by love, understanding and good morality is surely destined to be destroyed", he added.

The Regional Minister pointed out that in discharging their responsibility to educate their members on national policies and issues, churches must place emphasis on the need for love and understanding, honesty, probity and hard work among the congregation.

Reverend Dr Kofi Effah-Ababio, Asante Presbytery Chairman of PCG, called for co-operation and teamwork among the Pastors, Catechists and Presbyters to serve the Lord and His church faithfully. He pledged the church's support to the state in the fight against social vices that have plagued the country, to pave the way for meaningful socio-economic development.

Catholic Bishop launches pastoral centre project.

Koforidua (Eastern Region) 20 April 

The Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, the Right Reverend Charles G. Palmer-Buckle on Sunday launched the construction of a Diocesan Pastoral Training Centre, estimated at more than one billion cedis, in Koforidua

The centre would have an administration block, a library, a conference complex with an auditorium, seminar and meeting halls, hostel facilities, a chapel, a dining/kitchen complex and prayer gardens.

Bishop Palmer-Buckle explained that the centre would serve as a venue for spiritual and human development in furtherance of the church's evangelisation mission.

Facilities at the centre would be made available not only to Catholics but to all groups and associations whose aims and objectives would not conflict with the goals of spiritual and human development.

Bishop Palmer-Buckle announced that the Diocese had already purchased a plot to be developed into a Diocesan secretariat at a cost of 350 million cedis.

He mentioned that the six-year old diocese has the provision of a number of educational and health institutions. It has a water and sanitation programme under which it would dig wells and a brick and tile making project.

Income-generating ventures such as oil palm plantations, palm oil and palm kernel oil extraction and gari processing factories, tie-and-dye, beads and batik making projects for women will be included.

An appeal for funds yielded 63 million cedis. Mr Boateng pledged to donate 100 bags of cement.

Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 

Mrs Matilda Fiadzigbey, Administrator of Stool Lands, on Monday denied allegations that there was "an intended fraud" involving 380 million cedis at the Stool Lands Administration.

An Accra weekly, "The Independent" in its Tuesday, April 13 issue published that Mr Agyare Koi-Larbi, Member of Parliament for Akropong said, "an intended fraud of 380 million cedis has been detected by the Minority group at the Stool Lands Administration of the Ministry of Lands and Forestry". The weekly said Mr Koi-Larbi made the statement from the floor of Parliament.

Mrs Fiadzigbey, who was briefing pressmen on the alleged fraud, described it as "baseless". She said the office was set up by the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands Act 1994 (Act 481) to be responsible, among other functions, for the collection and disbursement of stool lands revenue, including timber royalties, to beneficiary stools, traditional councils and district assemblies.

"By Article 267 (6) of 1992 Constitution of Ghana and section 8 (1) of the Act 481, 10 per cent of the revenue accruing from stool lands shall be paid to the office to cover administrative expenses.

"In compliance with the above, the Chief Conservator of Forests had been keeping the 10 per cent of timber royalties from off-reserve areas to meet administrative costs," she explained.

Mrs Fiadzigbey said as a result of negotiation between her and the Chief Conservator of Forests the "latter agreed to refund 2.5 per cent of administrative charges, which had accrued between 1995 to 1997" to her.

With the approval of the Minister, an amount of 386.7 million cedis, representing two per cent of accrued dministrative charges was released to her through the Controller and Accountant-General in October last year.

"That year, the office opened six regional offices in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Western, Eastern, Central and Greater Accra regions in compliance with the law establishing it."

Mrs Fiadzigbey said the Ministry of Finance was, however, unable to release enough funds to equip these offices hence approval was obtained from the Minister to utilise the money to provide logistical support for the six offices.

Ho (Volta Region) 20 April  

An international conference on "Agenda 21 and poverty reduction", held at Ho, has recommended the formation of a steering committee to see to the implementation of the principles of the Agenda in the Volta region.

Agenda 21 which was the outcome of the 1992 earth summit in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, is an action programme for the 21st century, which tasks nations to adopt strategies for tackling poverty and promoting sustainable development.

The Ho conference was the result of collaboration between the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana, the Bremen mission in Germany, the Bremen Parliament and the Bremen office for development co-operation. The conference focused on the promotion of small-scale business in Ghana, the challenges for attaining sustainable development by the year 2020, poverty reduction and environment practices for promoting sustainable development.

Other issues discussed were the role of women in promoting sustainable development and appropriate strategies for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government collaboration in addressing poverty reduction and environmental programmes. Delegates gained insight into issues of municipality and Agenda 21 and the implementation of the Agenda in the Southern Africa sub-region.

Professor Jossey-Materu, Urban development and decentralisation specialist from Zimbabwe, called for close collaboration between Ghana and the Southern African region in sharing ideas and experiences in implementing Agenda 21.

The Right Rev Japhet Yao Ledo, Moderator of the EP Church, Ghana, said issues concerning poverty and sustainable development are too complex to be left to government alone to tackle, hence the church's initiatives.

Pastor Erhard Mishe, director of the Bremen Mission said the Mission will help establish an Agenda 21 office in the Volta region.

Apedwa (Eastern Region) 20 April  

A Ghanaian resident in the United Kingdom (UK) has appealed to the government to take a second look at charging the Value Added Tax (VAT) on imported medical equipment. Mr Brian Kesse Adu, Clinical area Manager for Barnet Health Care HNS Trust in London, said exempting VAT on medical equipment would allow Ghanaians resident abroad to contribute their quota to the health delivery sector.

Presenting 50 million cedis worth of medical equipment on behalf of the Apedwa citizens resident in the UK to the Apedwa Health Centre at the weekend, Mr Adu said efforts were being made to furnish the Centre's laboratory, as well as build additional wards to cope with the demands of the twin communities of Apedwa and Nkoronso.

The items included 27 beds, 27 mattresses, 50 chairs, a medical examination trolley and cupboards, among other things.

Ms Emelia Amoasah, Senior Medical Assistant in charge of the Centre, expressed gratitude for the donation saying they would help alleviate the problems facing the centre. She, however, appealed for an ambulance for the centre. The senior medical assistant recounted how nurses of the Centre often go combing the Apedwa township, in emergency cases, for a vehicle when patients are referred to other hospitals.

Aboabo (Eastern Region) 20 April 

Farmers in some communities in the Fanteakwa district have appealed to the government to channel the poverty alleviation fund through the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).

The farmers explained that the passage of the fund through the district assemblies often create problems, resulting in situations where certain influential persons in the district, get the loans at the expense of the poor farmers in whose interest the fund was set up.

Mr Michael Donkor, Unit Committee Chairman at Aboabo, in the Fanteakwa district of the Eastern Region, made the appeal on behalf of the farmers at a meeting with the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo. He said farmers' groups were not benefiting from the fund to expand their farms and this situation was defeating the objectives of the fund.

The MP's visit was to interact with the people to explain government policies and programmes as well as the work of Parliament.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who visited Miaso, Nyadee, Aburaso, Miawa, Asirebuso and Aboabo, presented roofing sheets and bags of cement for the rehabilitation of some schools. He advised the farmers to send their children to school.

He said the assembly had awarded the road from Miaso to Aboabo on contract and work would soon begin. The road will open up the area to enable the farmers cart their produce to marketing centres.

Abetumeso (Western Region) 20 April 

Fifty people were rendered homeless and large acreage of food crops and cocoa farms destroyed by a severe rainstorm that hit Abetumeso in the Essaman electoral area of the Mpohor-Wassa East District at the weekend. The rainstorm ripped off the roofs of 10 houses, while the community centre collapsed. The victims who escaped unhurt, are putting up with friends and relatives.

The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. David Sono, who inspected the ruins and visited the victims, said the cost of damage runs into millions of cedis. He assured the people that he would convey their plight to the Western Regional Disaster Management Committee for assistance.

Tarkwa (Western Region) 20 April

A report on a survey carried on population, poverty and environmental degradation in the Nzema East, Wassa West and Sefwi Wiawso districts in the Western Region revealed that large-scale mining, logging and farming, chemical pollutionand the disposal of sawdust were major concerns of the people in the Wassa West District.

A common problem was the poor sources of water supply, with only 35 percent of the people having access to potable water. Poor road net work, encroachment of forest reserves and extensive soil erosion in Sefwi Wiawso were also identified.

A team of researchers headed by Professor George Benneh former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, conducted the survey, whichwas sponsored by the United Nations Fund For Population Activities (UNFPA).

It was on Monday presented at a day's workshop at Tarkwa. Participants at the workshop included district chief executives, district co-ordinating directors, presiding members, and district planning officers, assembly members and heads of departments.

The survey recommended the immediate tackling of sanitation at the Axim beach, in the Nzema East District, which has a potential for the outbreakof cholera due to dumping of waste at fish landing points. The report recommended that the assemblies should consider the mode of land acquisition for mining and large scale agriculture. They should also monitor the operations of logging companies to conserve the forest, and to protect the sources and courses of rivers.

Dr. A. M. Abane of the Department of Geography and Tourism, University of Cape Coast, said the rationale for the study was to understand the dynamics and inter-relationship among population, poverty and utilisation of the environment. He said the districts were chosen on the basis of the available evidence of a possible environmental stress from the different economic activities in the region.

Bolgatanga (Upper East) 20 April 

The World Health Organisation has initiated a programme, "Roll Pack Malaria," to reduce the incidence of the disease and child mortality.

The project would help co-ordinate global action in the fight against malaria, assist governments to meet targets and to help endemic countries to strengthen their health sector.

This would be done through the popularisation of insecticide treated bed-nets, a package of essential interventions for the care of infants and the simple packaging of anti-malaria drugs to ensure that people take the proper course of treatment.

The project would also ensure that anti-malaria drugs, produced locally, meet good manufacturing standards and are affordable. A WHO report said ''despite previous efforts at curbing the disease, malaria is still a problem'' adding that in some places, the disease is getting worse.

It noted however that some private and public companies are providing millions of dollars to support various projects on the disease.

The report said such funding could lead to new drugs being developed to combat the disease.

Bejamse (Volta Region) 20 April 

The government is ready to support private sector involvement in setting up community radio stations. It is also committed to opening up rural communities with a definite programme to extend telephone facilities to communities with a population of 500 people or more, in addition to the provision of electricity and other social infrastructure. Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications, revealed this last Friday at the annual Sonkor festival of the people of Bejamse in the Krachi district.

The Minister called on chiefs to strive to maintain the current peace and stability in the country to increase donor and investor interest in exploring business opportunities in Ghana as the "true gateway to West Africa".

On education, Mr Mahama asked communities to take up the supervision of their own schools to achieve quality education. The contract on the road network in the Northern Volta is being reviewed and would soon be awarded for work to commence, he said.

Alhaji Seidu Iddi, Volta regional minister assured the people of the Government's commitment to developing the Volta region to be at par with other regions of the country. Government would not relent in its efforts to ensure that every child gets the opportunity to have quality education to the level each child can go, he said. Traditional leaders should play a leading role in ensuring that enrolment in schools increase, especially in the rural areas.

Mr Francis Osei-Sarfo, Krachi district chief executive said the assembly has spent large sums of its share of the common fund in rehabilitating and constructing schools, providing furniture and awarding scholarships to needy and hardworking students.

Kasoa, (Central Region) 20 April 

A wind storm last Saturday ripped off the roof of Salmaniya Junior Secondary School (JSS) and part of the new market under construction at Kasoa. Properties destroyed run into millions of cedis, according to Mr Harunah Tetteh Mensah, Assemblyman for Odupong-Kpehe electoral area.

Mr Mensah appealed to the Awutu-Effutu-Senya district assembly and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help with materials to rehabilitate the affected buildings and market stalls.

Bolgatanga (Upper East), April 

Member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have been urged to take definite steps towards sub-regional integration.

ECOWAS states must muster the political will to speed up sub-regional monetary integration, ensure the free movement of citizens, goods and services, and join forces in fighting cross-border crimes, a Communiqu=E9 issued at the end of a one-day meeting in Bolgatanga between delegations from the Upper East region of Ghana and Nahouri province of Burkina Faso on promoting good neighbourliness.

The Communiqu=E9, which was signed by the Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Amidu Sulemana and his Nahouri province counterpart, Mr Jean Christopha Compaore, underscored the need for closer collaboration between security agencies of the two countries in crime prevention. It noted that the stealing of cattle and livestock, and the destructive activities of alien herdsmen must be given a serious look so that these activities do not compromise the existing cordial relations between the two countries.

The Burkinabe delegation disclosed that a total of 629 cattle were recorded to have been stolen from their side of the border between 1994 and April this year, and that this year alone 279 stolen goats and sheep have been moved from Burkina Faso into Ghana. These activities, according to the Burkinabe security authorities, are being carried out by organised armed gangsters operating along the Ghana-Burkina Faso border, especially in the Nahouri and Zabre provinces of Burkina Faso and the Kassena-Nankana and Bawku West districts in Ghana. The Burkinabes commended the Upper East regional Police Command for sharing information, which led to the arrest of two notorious cattle rustlers who operate between the two countries.

The two delegations were drawn from Ghana's Customs, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS), the Burkinabe Military police, Immigration, Police and Veterinary Services headed by the Regional Ministers of the Upper East and Nahouri province.

Present at the meeting were Miss Clothilda Amenga Etego, district chief executive for Kassena-Nankana, Mr Sulley Agholisi, Bawku West district chief executive, and officials of the regional co-ordinating council.

Apam (Central Region) 20 April 

Christians have been urged to live above reproach, show love and to contribute to the development of their church, community and nation.

The Reverend Isaac Kweku Sam, Superintendent Minister of the Apam Circuit of the Methodist Church at the opening of the four-day annual camp meeting of the 15 societies under the circuit at Apam, described the cross of Jesus as a symbol of sacrifice, which has the power to transform and correct the ills of society..

Theme: ''There is healing in the Cross of Jesus,'' members were asked to honour their tax obligations since the church does not stand for their spiritual well being alone but is also interested in their social development.

Just as Jesus sacrificed his life to save mankind, his followers must be ''their brothers keeper'', Rev. Sam said. He led the congregation in prayers for the leaders of the country including politicians and traditional rulers.

About 100 members of the church were baptised while 30 were confirmed.

Kpedze (Volta Region) 20 April

A number of roads in the the Volta region, including the phase two of the Kpedze - Bame and Sogakofe-Ho-Fume roads are receiving serious attention. Mr Francis Agbotse, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho-West who announced this last Saturday, however regretted that the latter project was moving at a slow pace. Briefing chiefs and assembly-members in his constituency on the progress of development projects in the area, Mr Agbotse said efforts were being made to extend potable water from the Kpeve water headworks to a number of communities, including Abutia-Kloe, Bame, Anfoeta and Tsito.

Mr Kofi Attoh, MP for Ho-Central, called for the formation of district houses of chiefs to serve as a platform for the promotion of peace and unity to accelerate development. "These autonomous houses could also serve as mouthpieces for chiefs so that pertinent issues concerning chieftaincy as an institution can be discussed."

The chiefs expressed grave concern about the slow pace of development in the region.

Ho (Volta Region) 20 April

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is to start prosecuting tenets of their flats who have defaulted in the payment of rents.

Apart from the Juapong Textile Limited, the Volta Region Community Water and Sanitation Programme is the second best contributor to the Social Security Scheme in the region, with receipts totalling about 12 million cedis every month.

Mrs Helena Cartey, Volta Regional Manager of the Trust announced this in Ho last Thursday, at a ceremony to honour the VRCWSP. The Regional Manager said the Trust is also in the process of selling out its flats to interested organisations and individuals.

Mr Fred Bukari, Ho SSNIT District Manager, who presented a souvenir of the Trust to VRCWSP in appreciation of the unit's contributions, reminded workers to constantly update their beneficiaries to avoid embarrassment and confusion in the future.

Mrs Judith Bortsi, Administrative Officer of the VRCWSP, who received the parcel on behalf of the outfit, thanked SSNIT and pledged their continuous contributions saying "the welfare of our staff is of grave concern to us".

Cape Coast (Central Region), 20TH April

Both senior and junior staff of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have embarked on a strike action to press home their demands for improved salary scales and better conditions of service.

University sources said on Tuesday that the strike which began on April 13 should have come off earlier but was delayed because of the 29th Congregation of the university held on April 10.

Some of the workers wearing red arm bands could be seen in groups under trees chatting among themselves and as one worker put it "we are waiting for our leaders".

Another source said there were no lectures on Tuesday morning and that members of the UCC branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) were holding an emergency meeting on the Price Waterhouse salary issue.