Mills calls for collective action against corruption
FIDA to propose domestic violence bill
"I have not quit politics" - Asoma Banda
Manhyia NDC declares support for Mills
Accra (Greater Accra) 03 April 2000
Vice-President John Atta Mills on Sunday bemoaned increasing reports of corruption in both the private and public sectors, saying the government is as concerned as the people and is doing a lot to check it.
As part of measures to fight corruption in the public sector, he said the government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to display at conspicuous places on their premises all fees chargeable for their services.
This is to prevent unscrupulous officials from charging unauthorised fees, Professor Mills said in a speech at the sod-cutting ceremony for work to begin on the headquarters of the Ghana Baptist Convention at Abelemkpe in Accra.
He said the Serious Fraud Office has chalked an encouraging record in dealing with corruption cases, and would be strengthened and motivated to do better in ridding the country of shady deals.
The periodic reports of the Auditor-General are also an indication of the work of the government in ensuring accountability, Prof. Mills said.
He, however, expressed regret that not many people read the reports to be apprised of such efforts.
Vice-President Mills said what was more worrying to him were the increasing daily reports of defilement and rape cases, and described as outrageous cases where the victims are as young as eight years or even less.
These shameful acts have serious consequences, he said, and cited the alarming pandemic of the HIV/AIDS as very disturbing for the nation since those infected are the most productive sector of the population.
Prof. Mills lamented the official daily infection figure of about 200 people, saying: "it will undoubtedly have dire consequences on the productive capacity of the nation".
While the Vice-President commended society for speaking out against such acts as corruption and immorality, he said it was not enough to put the responsibility at the doorstep of only the government.
"We need to go a step further. It is not only (the) government which should fight corruption. We all have a part to play."
He cited the Biblical principle that Paul used for the body of the Church, saying, society would be making a mistake "if we see corruption anywhere in the community and we shut our eyes to it, thinking that it does not affect us".
Prof. Mills, who of late has openly shown his disapproval of the conduct of some churches, said it is more grievous if a church leader misconducts himself because it goes to tarnish the image of the entire church.
He, therefore, urged the men of God to strive to attain those "great heights, which Jesus Christ challenged us to attain".
He, however, commended churches for doing a lot in the area of counselling and asked them to do a lot more to create awareness in the youth about the consequences of immorality.
GRi../
Mankranso (Ashanti Region) 03 April 2000
An 81-year-old farmer at Mankranso in Ashanti region, Opanin Kwaku Kra has appealed to President Jerry John Rawlings and Odeefo Boaamposem, President of National House of Chiefs to intervene to get his 8.3 hectare cocoa farm back to him.
Opanin Kra said the chief of Denkyira Obuasi and his Abusuapanin without any cause had taken the cocoa farm away from him.
Narrating the incident to newsmen in tears at Mankranso, Opanin Kra said about fifteen years ago, he went to Baadua, near Dunkwa-On-Offin, acquired the land and cultivated the said cocoa farm.
Two years ago, he came to Mankranso, his hometown and on his return to Badua he got to know that his cocoa farm had been taken away from him by the two people without any reason.
He said the actions of the chief and his Abusuapanin has brought hardships to him and his family.
Efforts made to get in contact with the chief and his Abusuapanin for their sides of the story were futile, since they were absent from their normal place of residence.
GRi../
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 03 April 2000
The Police at Nkawkaw have arrested five personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service for allegedly stealing three million cedis from a motor accident victim on the Nkawkaw-Kumasi highway.
According to a police statement issued in Koforidua, the five, whose names are being withheld, were the first to reach the accident spot at Kyidom, on 23 March, where a tipper truck and a Nissan Urvan bus were involved in an accident.
Two persons died on the spot and two others were seriously injured in that accident.
The statement said the widow of Tetteh Madjetey of Manya Kpornor, Madam Rose Ayisah, later reported to the police that her husband had three million cedis on him when he set off for the journey and suspected that the money must have been stolen by those who first appeared on the scene.
According to the release, the Nkawkaw police on 24 March 24 arrested four Fire Service
personnel who were at the accident scene for interrogation and they allegedly confessed having taken 280,000 cedis from the pocket of the deceased.
On 28 March, one of the suspects, who could not be traced by the police earlier, reported to the police to assist in their investigations.
The five suspects have since been granted police enquiry bail pending further investigations.
Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Jonathan Kwame Abban, Police Public Relations Officer, Eastern Region, has warned the public against the consequences of looting money and valuable items from accident victims.
GRi../
President J. J. Rawlings left
Accra on Sunday to attend the African-Euro summit in Cairo, Egypt.
Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Minister
of State Protocol and Chieftaincy Affairs, accompanied him.
The summit, which is under the
auspices of the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) and the European Union (EU)
opens on Monday.
Already in Cairo for the
preparatory meeting are the Foreign Minister, Mr Victor Gbeho, Mr Dan Abodakpi,
Minister of Trade and Industry, Nana Ama Oye Yeboah, Ghana's Ambassador to
Belgium and Major General A K Twumasi, Ghana's Ambassador to Egypt.
A statement in Accra by Mr A. A.
Laryea, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said about 67 Heads of State from
both Africa and Europe are attending.
Issues to be discussed include
regional economic co-operation and integration, human rights, democracy and
good governance, the rule of law, conflict prevention, management and
resolution as well as developmental issues.
The summit is expected to come out
with a declaration and a plan of action emphasising the guiding principles for
action aimed at achieving the commitments in the Cairo declaration.
The statement noted that Africa
and Europe have enjoyed long relations in areas covering political, economic,
and social as well as cultural and linguistics.
GRi../
Sogakope (Volta Region) 03 April 2000
The International Federation of
Women Lawyers (FIDA) on Saturday indicated its intention to propose a Private
Member's Bill on Domestic Violence before Parliament.
The objective of the Bill is to
provide a comprehensive set of provisions to specifically govern and protect
the rights of children, particularly girls in the home and in existing or past
intimate relationships.
FIDA laid the proposed Bill before
a section of parliamentarians attending a workshop on Domestic Violence and
Initiating Legislation in Parliament at Sogakope in the Volta Region.
According to FIDA, the legal basis
for seeking redress for violence against women and children as enshrined in the
1992 Constitution under the criminal code is limited in remedies.
"There is limitation in the
remedies that these laws provide and sometimes the punitive measures used, such
as arrest and jail sentences are not favourable for promoting the welfare of
the existing family structures."
Mrs Ernestina Hagan, Vice
President of FIDA, said the Bill is, therefore, to provide victims of domestic
violence with a broader set of remedies, including civil protection, which
extends beyond mere criminal sanctioning of the perpetrator of violence.
She said that the proposed Bill,
when passed into law, would regulate the family, community and society's
attitude and general respect for women and children.
The causes of the high incidence
of violence against women are basically socio-cultural and deeply rooted in
extinct traditional beliefs regarding the place and role of women in the home.
The woman is considered as the
weaker and vulnerable sex, who needs to be controlled and protected by the
family and society.
The proposed Bill includes
sections on the filing of complaints in respect of domestic violence, petition
for civil protection, grant of civil protection orders and duration of
protection orders, among other things.
It also seeks that the Police
Service incorporates lectures on the causes and dimensions of domestic violence
in its educational programme.
GRi../
Tma (Greater Accra) 03 April 2000
Alhaji Asoma Banda, a Shipping Magnate and former National Chairman of the erstwhile People's Convention Party (PCP), says he now considers himself a statesman but has not quit active politics.
"I have no office as a politician. Now, my party is Ghana, my constituency is Ghana, my sympathy is still with the "Nkrumaists" and once a CPP (Convention People's Party), always a CPP," he told newsmen in Tema on Friday night during the company's Long Service Awards ceremony.
At the ceremony, 31 employees who had served the company for 10 and 15 years received refrigerators and cash prizes to the tune of 80 million cedis.
Alhaji Banda, 62, who is Executive Chairman of Antrak Group Limited, said he did not quit politics but only took a leave to concentrate on his business, earning his company the 'Best Shipping Line in Europe' in 1999.
He said he was taking a rest in politics and would come back "when the heat starts", adding: "once a politician, always a politician".
He declared that even though he is an Nkrumaist, he does not belong to any of the political parties, including the Convention Party (CP).
Alhaji Banda said he bore none of these parties any grudge and that it was a simply fact that not every Nkrumaist belonged to the CP or the Veranda Boys and Girls Club of Ghana, a wing of the National Democratic Congress.
On the current political atmosphere, he said the post-Rawlings era would be very interesting and confusing.
"I believe President Jerry John Rawlings himself does not know what it will be like but I hope this assumption is wrong."
On his business, Alhaji Banda said Antrak Group has eight cargo ships and currently runs 146 offices throughout the world.
Besides O. T. Africa Line, Antrak Group, has won the agency for Ignazzio Messina Lines.
Currently, he said, the Group handles about 140 ship calls per year from a low figure of 47 six years ago, adding that United Parcels Service (UPS) has been added to the Groups operations as part of its diversification programme.
Asked how much he is worth, Alhaji Banda replied: "I don't want to know. If you know how much you are worth, you won't work".
"As a businessman, I love money and I want the money that I can spend freely so I can't be a Minister or Council of State Member," he said.
Alhaji Banda said even during his Chairmanship of the PCP, he had never been interested in holding a political office.
GRi../
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 03 April 2000
With the National Democratic
Congress’ delegates congress drawing closer more branches of the party continue
to declare their support for Vice President Prof. Atta Mills’ candidacy.
At the biennial conference of the Manhyia
constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kumasi on Thursday,
delegates pledged their unflinching support for the presidential candidacy of
Mills in this year's elections.
In a resolution, the delegates
said they have been following the untiring efforts of the Vice President since
he came to the political scene.
They described him as the best
among the presidential aspirants vying for the position and said he has all the
leadership qualities to be President.
The resolution said the constituency
would vote massively for him at this month's national congress of the party.
Mr Kwame Boateng, Constituency
Chairman, called on members to support the executives to wrestle the Manhyia
seat from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said the task may be difficult
but with zeal and determination they would succeed.
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