Four beach fans killed in accident
Mills receives Yugoslav Foreign Minister
Accra City Car Park begins trial operations
CPP slates national delegates' conference for May
Help halt exodus of young girls from North -
Hajia Fati
Four beach fans killed in accident
Tema (Greater Accra) 25 April 2000
Four persons returning from the Mighty beach at Sakumono on Easter Monday died when they fell off a pick-up vehicle at community one, in Tema.
The dead, between the ages of 18 and 20 years have been identified as Claude Acquaye, an employee of the Tema Oil Refinery who died on the spot while Philip Tawiah died soon on arrival at the hospital. Felix Oko and Nana Tawiah who were referred from the Tema General Hospital (TGH) to the Police Hospital and were further referred to the 37 Military hospital, died on the way.
All the bodies have been deposited at the TGH mortuary. A fifth victim, Ato Kakraba, an SSS two student is on admission at the TGH hospital with a swollen jaw.
Dr. John Amable, the Hospital Director said Kakraba's situation is stable. The accident happened at about 8 pm when the driver of the pick-up swerved with speed at the Padmore Traffic light, in Tema, in a hurry to beat the red light when the amber was showing.
In the process, one of the sideboards of the vehicle opened and the five fell off but the driver did not stop.
It was not known how many people were on the vehicle but Mr. John Agboado, the Tema Regional Motor Traffic Unit Commander said they were more than necessary. The police were looking for the vehicle and the driver, he said.
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Mills receives Yugoslav Foreign Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 25 April 2000
Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic on Tuesday called on Vice President John Atta Mills at the Castle, Osu, and underscored the need for closer but profitable relations between his country and Ghana.
He said the two countries must work at securing fruitful political and socio-economic co-operation that will boost the development of their peoples, commonly united by the goals of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Mr. Jovanovic is visiting Ghana at the head of a business delegation to explore areas of partnership with Ghanaians and also to renew an earlier invitation to President Jerry Rawlings to visit the Balkans.
He said Yugoslavia is entering a new stage and is working to further develop vital areas of its economy, especially science and technology, despite the current political difficulties.
Mr. Jovanovic said despite sanctions by the West, the refugee problem and the "distorting pictures being shown around the world", Yugoslavia managed to achieve economic growth with average Gross National Product between five and six per cent as compared to the 1.7 per cent average for the entire Eastern Europe.
He lauded Ghana for its role in international politics in the past decade, saying it has been an inspiration to the developing world.
"We so much cherish the positive and constructive role of Ghana in the West African region as one of promoters of integration, peace and stability," Mr. Jovanovic said.
Vice President Mills, who described Yugoslavia as a "true friend", buttressed the need for the two countries to shift focus in their relations to economic co-operation to exploit the many opportunities available.
He said Yugoslavia still has the potentials and called on "true friends" to remain behind it to go through the current difficulties.
Vice President Mills said there are investment opportunities in Ghana for genuine and committed investors.
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Accra City Car Park begins trial operations
Accra (Greater Accra) 25 April 2000
The Accra City Car Park on Tuesday began free trial operations for both private and commercial (taxi) drivers in the municipality, but managers of Ghana's first multi-storey car park said actual operations would begin in two weeks.
Mr. Cyril Sevor, Manager of the car park, told the GNA in an interview that owners of the 500-capacity car park would charge 2,000 cedis for the first two hours, 1,000 cedis for the second and third hours respectively and 500 cedis for subsequent hours that a car remains there. Special discount would be given to companies whose officials become regular users and park their cars for longer hours.
Mr. Sevor said owners of the park, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the Merchant Bank, the First African Group and the Labour Enterprise Trust, are yet to contract a company to see to the security aspects of the park but it is currently being protected by security personnel of the contractors.
A private company has already been engaged to see to the cleaning of the car park which has shops on the ground floor, toilet facilities for both the public and users of the park as well as two lifts.
The car park also has two entry and exit electronic control barriers that would require drivers who enter the park to collect a ticket and pay on exit according to the number of hours that would be recorded automatically by a central control system.
Mr. Sevor said managers of the park would soon begin an education campaign by using flyers and animation on the use and directions of the park.
He said the City Park expects competition from other car park operators as a result of franchise given them by the AMA to run car parks on commercial basis but "our facilities will justify the extent of patronage we get."
He said the company expects high patronage but "this will also depend on the enforcement of parking regulations."
It took two years instead of 11 months to complete the 5.5 million-dollar car park.
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CPP slates national delegates' conference
for May
Komenda (Central Region) 25 April 2000
Mr. Felix Amoah, acting National Chairman of the Convention Peoples Party on Monday said the party would hold its national delegates' congress on May 19 and 20 this year.
He said the agenda for the congress, scheduled to come off at University of Ghana, Legon, would be the election of the party's flag bearer and its national chairman.
Speaking to the GNA at Komenda on Monday, Mr. Amoah mentioned Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, Prof. George Hagan, Mr. George Adotei and Mr. Johnny Hanson as the party's presidential aspirants.
For the position of the party's chairman, Mr. Amoah said the party's only two contestants are Dr Edmund Delle, a dermatologist and Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, Director of Development at the University of Ghana.
On issues pertaining to internal wrangling in the party, the acting national chairman, said such problems are trivial and quite common within other parties but said steps are being taken to resolve them amicably.
On the selection of running mates for the flag bearer, Mr. Amoah said the CPP is not particularly concerned about the issue of ethnic background but wanted a personality capable of delivering the goods.
He said the party is determined to make the congress a success and is therefore taking steps to ensure that programmes scheduled for the day are carried on smoothly.
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Help halt exodus of young girls from North
- Hajia Fati
Walewale (Northern Region) 25 April 2000
A member of the Council of State, Hajia Fati Jawula, has urged youth associations in the northern regions to collaborate with their district assemblies to find ways of halting the exodus of young girls to the South.
"These girls who work as head porters, otherwise known as "kayayo" in the big towns, are subjected to all forms of abuse and exposed to numerous dangers including contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases."
Hajia Fati was speaking at an Easter congress of the Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA) in Walewale at the weekend.
She said an increasing number of young girls from Mamprugu have now joined the drift of Northern rural youth to seek greener pastures in the Southern cities, notably Accra and Kumasi.
Hajia Fati acknowledged that given the present economic circumstances, it would not be easy curbing the trend but entreated district assemblies in the area to support programmes that would generate employment, using their share of the common fund.
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