GRi Newsreel Ghana 20 - 04 - 2001
Ghana is still
alert on "slave ship"
CPP says NPP's
performance is "average"
Provisional
results on stock of houses to be ready by next month
Creation of a new region needs careful
approach
Wenchi Omanhene
denies allegation
Ghana Civil
Aviation withdraws permits/passes
Opposition parties urged to offer
constructive criticisms
Military alone should not be blamed for coups – NCCE
Upper East NDC members of parliament meet
the press
Manso youth on the rampage, destroy cashew,
food crops farms
Rains cause more havoc in Techiman District
New Gold reserves discovered in Central
Region
Osafo-Maafo, J.H.
Mensah leave for Washington
Women farmers asked to help attain
agricultural objectives
Chief alleges police brutalities at Yameriga
over Inspector's murder
Ghana will ensure early settlement of Guinea
conflict – Veep
Sub-regional military exercise under way at
Yendi
Opt for micro dams instead of Bui - Energy
Foundation
Human rights activist says judicial service
is corrupt
Aliu calls for British support for youth
employment drive
Committee investigating GWCL begins work
Workshop on national economic dialogue opens
CPP wants its assets de-confiscated
Ghana is still
alert on "slave ship"
Tema (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
The Ghana Navy is still on the
alert for the suspected "slave ship" irrespective of the fact that MV
Etrieno, which was first thought to be carrying child slaves, has docked at
Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin.
The Ghana Navy, in collaboration
with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), is looking out to arrest
any suspicious vessel that would transfer people at the high seas or the
country's ports.
A source close to the Ghana Navy
told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the ''slave'' ship that even
though there is information on the docking of Etrieno at Cotonou, other reports
indicate that it is not the ship allegedly carrying the children.
The source said, "our problem
is that we do not have the complete identity, the colour, number and the flag
the other ship involved is flying, thus making it difficult for her arrest in
case she comes into Ghanaian waters".
Real Admiral John K. Gbena, Naval
Commander, who confirmed the alertness of the Ghana Navy, said, " what we
are seeking for is the proper identity of the vessel involved, so that if we
find it in our waters, the arrest could be effected".
He quoted an International
Maritime Law, which states that there should be very good reasons to suspect a
vessel before it could be stopped otherwise one could be sued, adding, "we
will act professionally in any action that we take in this matter".
It is estimated that about 200,000
children are trafficked annually in West Africa.
The Benin government had earlier
suggested a mix up between Etrieno and another Nigerian boat that is carrying
the children possibly off the Equatorial Guinea coast.
MV Etrieno left Cotonou on March
30 for Libreville in Gabon, but was turned out by the authorities there.
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CPP says NPP's
performance is "average"
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April
2001
The Convention People's Party
(CPP) on Thursday described the performance of the NPP government as
"average" saying its greatest strength is in the enormous goodwill
now shown by Ghanaians.
Dr Nii Noi Dowuona, General
Secretary, in a written answer to a questionnaire by the GNA on the first 100
days of President John Agyekum Kufuor, said the party's scores are in
recognition of three factors.
These are; the NPP tradition being
out of power for about 30 years, the "rotten legacy" of the former
government and the short time between the declaration of results and assumption
of office.
"Our assessment of the NPP's 100
days in government as average is against the background of the fact that they
were the shadow government while in opposition, and one would have expected
them to adapt very quickly to the new realities they found themselves in,
despite the obstacles alluded to earlier."
Dr Dowuona said the greatest
weakness of the government "is its inability to understand the fundamental
causes of our underdevelopment and poverty and surrendering itself to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank's orthodox
paradigms."
He referred to criticisms of the
NPP of delving too much into the past wrongs, but said it is "important to
appreciate the fact that the present emerged from the past."
"Therefore, Ghanaians have to
be given a detailed picture of the messy legacy of Rawlings."
Dr Dowuona said it is, however,
necessary for the NPP to realise that "the present against the past stands
the danger of losing the future."
He added that President Kufuor
would be judged by how he responded to the aspirations of the people and not
how he succeeded in exposing the wrong doings of the past government. Asked
whether the NPP can fulfil its campaign promises, he said: "Nothing short
of a miracle would make the NPP fulfil most of its campaign promises.
"The NPP's reference to the
IMF and World Bank as 'partners in development' is self-destructive...because
past and comparative experiences have proven that wherever these institutions
tread in the so-called Third World, they have wrecked one havoc after the
other.
"We are, therefore, not
surprised about the noisy silence in the 2001 budget statement on the issue of
subsidies on agricultural inputs, which was a major campaign promise of the
NPP.
"Also the NPP's emphasis on
full cost recovery, coupled with the stagnant and declining wages of Ghanaian
workers will only worsen the plight of the majority.
"The insistence on
privatisation will jeopardise the promise to create more jobs since
privatisation is synonymous with job losses through retrenchment."
Dr Dowuona said CPP is sceptical
about the chances of the government making any positive impact specifically in
the areas of the economy, agriculture, health, education and job creation
although they wished the Kufuor administration success.
Had the CPP been in power, it
would have adopted an alternative approach to underdevelopment with a strategy
that would shift from Gross Domestic Product (GDP) planning to real development
through a robust industrialisation programme, he said.
This, it would have done, using
indigenous human and material resources through "a militant programme of
self-reliance at the national level and linking it up with continental
effort."
Dr. Dowuona said the CPP considers
reconciliation as a thorny national issue.
"In fact, it is a necessity
in the present circumstances in the country, and we expect the government to
take immediate and practical steps in this direction beyond official
pronouncements on the setting up of a reconciliation committee."
Asked about the romance between
the CPP and NPP in the presidential run-off, Dr Dowuona said the CPP threw its
weight behind the NPP on the basis of an agreement on general policy
objectives, including defeating the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said there was no alliance and
CPP is not in a coalition with the NPP.
The issue of the party withdrawing
its support from the government, even in parliament, does not arise.
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Provisional
results on stock of houses to be ready by next month
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April
2001
Dr Kweku Twum-Baah, Acting
Government Statistician, on Wednesday said provisional results on stock of
houses and number of households at national, regional and district levels would
be ready by the end of next month.
Other post-enumeration activities,
including data editing, data capture of the main questionnaire and a survey to
assess coverage and content error are far advanced.
He said provisional results on
major localities -- population, housing and community variables,
district-by-district -- would also be ready by July.
Dr Twum-Baah told the Ghana News
Agency that the National Census Secretariat would come out with a preliminary
report of final results of aggregated data on all major questions in the
census.
These include age, sex, education,
religion, economic activity, housing type as well as housing facilities, among
other things, by December.
"The main reports, stating
demographic and economic characteristics at national, regional and district
levels and special demographic analysis reports giving trends, policy
implications for selected sectors to be undertaken by 20 local consultants with
support from the UNFPA would be done between July and December next year."
He said the secretariat has
delayed in coming out with the results because it suffered data capturing
problems as well as power surges, which blew out most the equipment being used
to scan the information.
On the secretariat's activities,
Dr Twum-Baah said editing work for the last two regions is to be completed by
next month, adding that post-enumeration survey fieldwork has been completed
and data capture is expected soon.
He said validation of scanned
materials has been completed for two regions, while it is ongoing in three
others.
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Creation of a new region needs careful
approach
Ho (Volta Region) 20 April 2001
Mr Kwasi Owusu- Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister has said lack of development in the northern sector of the region alone may not be sufficient reason for the creation of a new region.
He said other important issues, which he did not mention, needed careful study to determine the merit of petitions for a new region.
Mr. Owusu-Yeboa, who was speaking on a Volta Star Radio Programme, "Public Forum" on Thursday said the immediate task is to address the imbalances in development between the southern and the northern sectors of the region, which has been the basis for the demand.
He, however, acknowledged demands for the creation of new districts and constituencies, in the region, but said it would require careful study of the situation and elaborate constitutional procedures to bring it about and noted that the final decision rests with the President.
Mr. Owusu-Yeboa said his vision is to preside over a region, which is united and economically vibrant with opportunities for the people to improve upon their standards of living.
It is important that the people of the region overcome the negative perception of a divided region, he emphasised.
He said it is in pursuit of these that he established working relations with the Volta Parliamentary Caucus, for mutual co-operation in developing the region.
The Regional Minister said he would liaise with the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance to reactivate the Aveyime Rice Project, which according to him has been abandoned by the project consultant and the investor.
The country has invested heavily in the project, which has a potential to meet the country's rice needs and should not be left to waste, he said.
Mr Owusu-Yeboa dismissed as propaganda, allegations that the government has ordered the stoppage of road works in the region.
He explained that contractors on some portions of roads in the Kete- Krachi area have abandoned the job for non-payment of work done, by the previous government.
The Regional Minister said road contracts in the northern sector of the region would be repackaged to make them attractive to contractors, who do not want to take contracts in that part because of difficulties they often encounter there.
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Wenchi Omanhene
denies allegation
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 20 April
2001
Osagyefo Ampem Mbore Bediatuo IV,
Omanhene of the Wenchi Traditional Area, said on Thursday that, measures
adopted by the Traditional Council to ensure sanity in the administration of
Wenchi stool lands have no political undertones.
The action being taken against one
madam Ama Serwaa, a settler farmer at Ayigbe, in the area, is to exert the
Council's authority over lands under its jurisdiction, he explained.
Osagyefo Mbore Bediatuo was
reacting to reports of alleged harassment of settler farmers, for political
reasons, at a press conference in Sunyani.
The Omanhene, who is the President
of the Council, denied accusations by the Member of Parliament for the area,
Alhaji Mucktar Mussa Bamba, of being partisan.
He warned the MP to stop what he
described as "the lies and disrespectful attitude towards the Council as
that could erode the peace in the area and unity among the people.
"I have never ejected and
will never eject any farmer from my piece of land", Osagyefo Mbore
Bediatuo said, adding that the allegations made against him by the MP "are
full of inaccuracies and falsehood".
Osagyefo Mbore Bediatuo accused
the MP and some leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of hatching an
agenda to politicise "the affairs of the Wenchi stool in an attempt to
take the stool from its present and lawful occupant".
Flanked by his elders, Osagyefo
Mbore Bediatuo said he and the Council harbour no ill intentions against the
NPP "as I was one of the chiefs who were the first to send congratulatory
message to President J. A. Kufour on his election victory".
He said his detractors should not
be allowed to draw a wedge between him and the government and denied that there
was tension in any of the communities due to his alleged ejection of some
settler farmers as reported by the media.
There is a hidden agenda by the MP
and his supporters to create confusion and tension among the populace so that
they may have the chance to resurrect a long-forgotten chieftaincy problem in
the Wenchi Traditional area, he said.
Osagyefo Mbore Bediatuo called for
investigations into the alleged harassment of farmers and pledged his full
support for the government adding that the Council would co-operate to ensure
perfect peace and the steady development of the area.
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Ghana Civil
Aviation withdraws permits/passes
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April
2001
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority
(GCAA) has withdrawn all permits/passes and vehicle stickers issued by it.
A statement issued by Captain Joe
Boachie, Acting Chief Executive, in Accra on Thursday said the measure is due
to the on-going rehabilitation works at the Airport.
It said holders of such
permit/passes should re-apply to GCAA for new ones.
The statement said the notice does
not affect members of the Diplomatic Corp, however, they should contact the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further directives.
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Opposition parties urged to offer
constructive criticisms
Agona Kwansakrom (Central Region) 20 April 2001
Dr Mustapha Appiah, Medical Officer in charge of Ahmadiyya Homeopathic Clinic at Mankessim, has called on the opposition parties to criticise the government constructively to enhance the country's democracy.
He said; "the continued rejection of government's policies and programmes for the sake of opposing them, would not do the nation any good, but rather jeopardise the bold economic decisions initiated".
Dr Appiah expressed this view when he addressed members of the Agona District branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association at Kwansakrom, near Agona Swedru.
The two-day conference was under the theme: "Moral decadence, a threat to national development".
The nation is facing serious economic difficulties, which need concerted efforts to solve to alleviate the suffering of the people, he said.
Dr Appiah said the youth have every right to stand up against any action by party or government functionaries that could undermine the economic development of the nation.
He cautioned against unreasonable demands made on political office holders by their constituents, families and individuals, saying this creates room for malpractice.
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Military alone should not be blamed for
coups – NCCE
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Thursday stated that the military alone should not be blamed for coups if the civilian public failed to condemn such upheavals.
"The support and jubilation that coup makers receive from the general public immediately after the announcement tend to serve as a catalyst and motivation for the survival and entrenchment of the take over," the NCCE noted.
Mr Larry Bimi, Chairman of NCCE, said this at a press briefing on the National Constitutional Week Celebration, which will be held from April 28 to May 4.
The celebration will offer the public the opportunity to participate in discussions, debates, theatre performances and other activities on the constitution "to ensure that it becomes a living document embedded in the mind and heart for the attainment of democracy and good governance".
Mr Bimi said experience has shown that the general public jubilates after military take-overs when they should rather defend the constitution.
"If the civilian population know their constitutional rights they will be bold and willing to defend those rights any time there is an infringement either by ordinary persons, the government or the military."
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Upper East NDC members of parliament meet
the press
Bolgatanga (Upper East) 20 April 2001
The Upper East Regional NDC Parliamentary caucus on Wednesday called on the government to reconsider its decision to allow the utility service companies to increase their tariffs.
The caucus further urged the government to review the current prices of petroleum products downwards, contending that such an action will reduce the high cost of transportation of foodstuff and food prices across the country.
Mr.John Akologo Tia, Member of Parliament for Talensi, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues at a press conference at Bolgatanga, said their interactions during the Easter recess has revealed that the people of the region are going through difficult times mainly due to the current high cost of living.
He cited for example the price of a bag of millet at Bolgatanga, which has jumped from 80, 000 cedis last year to 180,000 cedis currently and maize from 70,000 cedis to 160,000 cedis.
He said the prices of beans, groundnuts, rice and other cereals have similarly been affected.
The NDC caucus dismissed the government's economic policies outlined in both the President's address to parliament and the Finance Minister's budget statement as "disappointing".
"We wish to urge the NPP government to concentrate on fulfilling its campaign promises of creating 700,000 jobs, abolishing the cash and carry system, reducing the high cost of education and subsidising agricultural inputs instead of concentrating its efforts on destroying political opponents, especially the NDC", the MPs said.
On HIPC, the caucus said it was not only the NDC which disagrees with the government's decision to adopt the initiative, but that even the CPP and PNC, both of which helped the NPP to come to power, are also against the move.
They said the government's decision to go HIPC was a move calculated to portray the NDC regime in a negative light.
Mr. Moses Asaga, MP for Nabdam, and former Deputy Finance Minister said the much-talked-about benefits of HIPC are only imaginary.
He said there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the initiative, and that countries which adopt it cannot have access to other sources of international credit such as the export credit facilities and foreign private capital.
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Manso youth on the rampage, destroy cashew,
food crops farms
Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 20 April 2001
Rampaging youth of Manso in the Nkoranza District of Brong Ahafo on Tuesday destroyed a five-acre cashew plantation and burnt down three bedrooms belonging to Nana Gyimah Farms, allegedly under the instructions of the chief of the town, Nana Menka Ameyaw.
The youth also vandalised a large nursery of cashew and teak, cassava, maize, and coconut crops and a power generating plant.
Nana Ameyaw, who has denied his involvement in the incident, has, however, been arrested and is helping the police in their investigations.
When newsmen visited the scene, the three rooms of the six-room living quarters were still burning.
The extent of damage is said to run into several millions of cedis.
Mr Matthew Kofi Gyimah, proprietor of Nana Gyimah Farms, told newsmen that there has been a longstanding dispute between him and the chief over a portion of land, which his late father, Nana Kwasi Gyimah, bought from the chief of Manso and which the community wants to reclaim.
Mr Gyimah said he got wind of the intention of the chief and his elders to forcibly evict him from the land by destroying his property, and reported the matter to the Techiman Police who invited the two parties on Tuesday, April 17, to resolve the matter.
He said he was, therefore, surprised when the caretaker of the farms, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, came to inform him that the youth of the town had early morning that day attacked him and destroyed the farms.
When contacted, Assistant Superintendent of Police Emmanuel A. Yendaw, Techiman District Police Commander, confirmed that he was at a meeting with the two parties when the caretaker of the farms came to report the incident.
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Rains cause more havoc in Techiman District
Buoyem (Brong Ahafo) 20 April 2001
A downpour on Wednesday seriously damaged 11 houses, displacing more than 50 people at the Ahenfie Gyase Electoral Area of Buoyem in the Techiman District.
The heavy rains, which lasted for almost four hours, pulled down and washed away parts of newly constructed buildings.
Residents at some low-lying areas abandoned their mud houses for fear of being swept away by the rains.
Mr Benjamin Nti, assemblyman for the area, told the GNA that there was, however, no casualty but damage caused to property was estimated at 150 million cedis.
He appealed to the government, Techiman District assembly, National Disaster Management Organisation and benevolent societies for assistance.
The victims are meanwhile temporarily putting up with friends and relatives, the assemblyman added.
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New Gold reserves discovered in Central
Region
Cape Coast (Central Region) 20 April 2001
Gold production in the Central Region has increased following the discovery of new mining areas along the Pra River, Apam, Asebu and Winneba and alluvial gold along the beaches of Saltpond and its neighbouring towns.
The Director of Operations at the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Mr George Asante, made this known on Wednesday at a meeting with members of the Cape Coast and Twifo Praso branches of the Ghana Small-Scale Miners Association (GSSMA) and Licensed Buying Agents (LBAs) in Cape Coast.
He did not, however, give any figures but said more LBAs had, as a result, been engaged by the PMMC "to bring markets to the doorstep of miners".
The meeting also coincided with the presentation of two water pumps and four shovels valued at 8 million cedis to the two associations to assist them in their operations.
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Osafo-Maafo, J.H.
Mensah leave for Washington
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April
2001
Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of
Finance on Thursday led a government delegation to attend the annual spring
meeting of finance ministers of member countries of the IMF and World Bank in
Washington, USA.
Other members of the delegation
are Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Minister of Government Business, Dr Anthony Akoto
Osei, Special Assistant to the Minister of Finance and Mr Osa Ahinakwa, Senior
Economist at the Ministry of Finance, according to a statement signed by Ms
Elizabeth Ohene, Government Spokesperson.
The delegation will hold a wide
range of discussions with officials of the Britton Woods institutions,
including special meetings with the President of the World Bank, Mr James
Wolfenson and the Managing Director of the IMF, Mr Horst Kohler.
The statement quoted the finance
minister as saying: "The delegation will finalise Ghana's new economic
programme with World Bank and IMF officials as well as discuss details of the
HIPC initiative, which Ghana recently opted for."
"We are going to put across
the special nature of Ghana's case to ensure quick decision making and
completion points of the HIPC initiative," Mr. Osafo-Maafo said.
The delegation, which will be away
for two weeks, will also follow up on the recent Akosombo meeting of Ghanaian
economic and financial experts by meeting Ghanaians working in the IMF and
World Bank.
It will also meet the Ghanaian
community in Washington.
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Women farmers asked to help attain
agricultural objectives
Dagadu (Brong Ahafo) 20 April 2001
Women have been advised to redouble their efforts to help achieve the objectives of agricultural policies.
Mr Nelson Donkor, Agricultural Extension Agent (AEA) in-charge of Dagadu Operational Area, near Seikwa, in the Brong Ahafo Region, gave the advice when he addressed separate farmers' forums at Dagadu and Donkorkrom as part of a community mobilisation effort towards the implementation of the Food Crops Development Project (FCDP).
"Since women are at the grassroots of production, processing and marketing of agricultural produce, they are better placed to help meet the country's food requirements."
Mr. Donkor said the FCDP has put in place mechanisms to support the resource-poor farmers in the Wenchi District to improve household food security and to increase their incomes.
"The need to place emphasis on women in agricultural development in the rural areas to participate at all levels of production by the FCDP, will lead to a significant improvement in the quality of life of the family, community and the nation as a whole."
The Extension Agent, therefore, advised farmers, especially women, to form groups to enable them to benefit from the FCDP package.
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Chief alleges police brutalities at
Yameriga over Inspector's murder
Yameriga (Upper East) 20 April 2001
Police personnel allegedly burned down three houses at Yameriga village, confiscated and burnt foodstuff belonging to some residents.
This followed the murder of Police Inspector George Musah who had gone to effect the arrest of a suspect who had allegedly stolen a sheep.
Dana Dong Yin, Chief of Yameriga, made this known to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Talensi Constituency, Mr John Tia, when he paid a working visit to the area on Wednesday.
According to the chief, the police personnel also subjected some women in the community to beatings when they could not find any culprit immediately because all the young men in the village had gone into hiding.
Dana Yin said the villagers now live in fear and the young men flee at the sound of a moving vehicle, adding that they only sneak back to the village at night to eat and run back to their hiding places.
Dana Yin appealed to the MP to urge the police to speed up their investigations to enable life to return to normal so that the people can engage in their farming activities.
Mr Tia earlier called on the Acting Regional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Reynolds Kwakye, to sympathise with the police over the loss of their colleague and to also apologise on behalf of the people.
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Ghana will ensure early settlement of
Guinea conflict – Veep
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
Vice-President Aliu Mahama on Thursday expressed the wish of Ghana to see an early resolution of the border conflict between Guinea and its neighbours to promote peace and stability in the West Africa sub-region.
Continuous instability in the sub-region has engaged the attention of Ghana for sometime now, prompting President John Agyekum Kufuor to attend the last extraordinary meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria, Alhaji Mahama said at a meeting with the Guinea Ambassador, El Hadj Mamadou Bah at the State House.
He assured the Ambassador of Ghana's continuous support to find lasting solution to the conflict.
The Vice-president also expressed the need to revive the 1991 Ghana-Guinea Joint Commission as part of efforts to enhance bilateral relations.
He said the investment of the Ashanti Goldfields Company in Guinea is a testimony to the desire of Ghana to deepen economic co-operation between the two countries.
El Hadj Bah commended Ghana's support to end the cross- border armed insurgence against his country.
He also praised Ghana for the peaceful political transition, which brought the New Patriotic Party to power.
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Sub-regional military exercise under way at
Yendi
Yendi (Northern Region) 20 April 2001
A multi-national peacekeeping military exercise involving Ghana and nine other African states began simultaneously at Yendi in the Northern Region and Kara in Togo on Wednesday.
The participating countries are Ghana, Benin, Burkina-Faso, Cote d’Iivoire, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Senegal and Chad from Central Africa.
The exercise, which is organised by Togo and sponsored jointly by the French government and the participating countries, has political, military, humanitarian security and economic implications
It is code named "Cohesion Kozah" and aimed at enhancing the capacity of the forces to move quickly to the aid of any of the sub-regional countries in times of crisis.
It will also afford them the opportunity to harmonise their understanding and operations of the forces in peacekeeping procedures.
In all, Ghana is hosting a battalion, which has been deployed in some districts of the Northern region.
The exercise is built on an imaginary situation where the population of young and wealthy Republic of Fibaloland is dissatisfied with the ruling government and has challenged the legislative and presidential elections and their poor standard of living.
The situation has engendered the upsurge of delinquency and banditry.
The government forces experienced serious difficulties in ensuring security, especially in the central provinces where they lost control of the situation and holding on to the capital, Kara and its surroundings.
In the face of this situation and following mediation by the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a ceasefire agreement was signed at Rollo on October, 31, 2000.
This agreement was immediately violated by the armed wing of the opposition reinforced by some militia who claimed the secession of the DAOU Region, the strong hold of the opposition of Fibaloland.
At the request of the ruling government, the United Nations Security Council deployed a multinational force - United Nations Mission in Fibaloland (MINUFI) with the aim to calm tension and facilitate the return of peace.
This would create favourable conditions for the provision of humanitarian aid and the return of displaced people, as well as the supervision of the cease-fire.
Benin, Burkina-Faso, Cote D'ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal and Chad responded favourably as the United Nations mandated force to intervene from April 20, 2001 for a period of six months.
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Opt for micro dams instead of Bui - Energy
Foundation
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
The Energy Foundation (EF) on Thursday proposed to the government to consider building micro-hydro projects along smaller rivers instead of investing in a 400 MW Bui Dam Project.
Mr. Ernest Asare, Director, Communication and Marketing of EF, said if the Bui Dam is built, the Bole Game reserve will be flooded and considerable sums of money would have to be spent to compensate and resettle affected people.
"Their livelihood, land, ecosystem may be hard to replicate," he added.
The building of micro-hydro dams, involving the damming of smaller rivers, would still provide the needed electricity, water for drinking and irrigation in small rural communities without causing devastating effect on the environment, Mr Asare said.
Mr. Asare made the proposal in a paper he presented on: "Meeting the increasing energy demand options and challenges," at a seminar organised by the Green Earth Organisation as part of activities marking World Earth Day celebration.
World Earth day is celebrated on April 22 each year. This year the theme for the day is "Clean Energy Now".
Mr. Asare said although hydro-electricity is traditionally the cheaper source of energy production, "it is getting increasingly difficult to get funding for new dam construction, because a whole slew of organisations are opposing such projects."
"The cost of the dam will have to be sourced from outside, adding to the country's already heavy debt burden, while its sustainability is affected by the reliance on unpredictable rainfall patterns," he said.
Mr. Asare said the experience of the Volta Lake is still fresh in the minds of people while the indigenous inhabitants are still struggling to recover a semblance of their lives, most of them after 35 years are without electricity.
Mr. Asare said it costs approximately one million dollars per MW to build a hydro dam and a number of such one MW sites have been identified as potential electricity generating points.
He cited the Likpe-Kukurantumi pilot project as a success story of such a micro-hydro dam and urged the government to take a second look at the Bui hydro project in the national interest.
The Minister of Environment Science and Technology, Professor Dominic Fobih said in a speech read form that the theme for the celebration should be perceived as having special importance in the nation's efforts to manage the environment.
He said The Energy Research Group, an international body, has indicated that even though developing countries constitute about 70 per cent of the total world population, their share in global energy and electricity consumption is only 25 per cent.
Mr George Ahadzie, Executive Director, Green Earth Organisation, reminded Ghanaians that the world is a global village hence the need for all to be cautious in the use of the natural resource.
"Indeed the environment has been deeply disturbed and there is the need for a critical attention if any dream of achieving sustainable development to be realised.
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Human rights activist says judicial service
is corrupt
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
A university don and human rights activist on Thursday accused the judicial service of corruption and urged the public to disclose the "atrocities" going on there.
Dr. Kwasi Agyemang, Head of the Philosophy Department at the University of Ghana, Legon, and Executive Director for African Human Rights Heritage, said: "The judicial service is steeped in corruption and has been denying Ghanaians the justice they deserve.
"Justice in the country is for sale to the highest bidder and those who cannot afford to pay are refused justice", he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
Dr Agyemang, a former judge at the Criminal Agency Board in Ontario, Canada, said the judicial service embraces not only judges, but also the police service, lawyers as well as court clerks and registrars.
He described the change in government as a tip of the iceberg in the new democratic dispensation.
"The country is crying out for fairness," he said, and appealed to the Attorney General, members of the public and media to expose corrupt officials in the judicial service.
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Aliu calls for British support for youth
employment drive
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
Vice-President Aliu Mahama on Thursday called for British support to fulfil the government's pledge of generating wealth and employment for the youth.
He said of particular interest to the government is British technical and financial support for the agricultural sector to help alleviate poverty.
Alhaji Mahama was speaking during a meeting with the British High Commissioner, Dr Rod Pullen at the State House.
He commended the British Department for International Development for its assistance in the education, road, transport and health sectors.
Alhaji Mahama said Ghana would appreciate further support in the area of strengthening the democratic process through the rule of law and good governance.
He described the relationship between Ghana and Britain as very special since Ghana as a former British colony is also a member of the Commonwealth.
Dr Pullen who assumed duty six months ago expressed the desire to strengthen bilateral relations.
He commended Ghana for promoting democratic rule, which he said, was displayed through the recent political transition from the National Democratic Congress to the New Patriotic Party.
He also praised President John Agyekum Kufuor for deepening this process by organising a press conference on Wednesday to account for his 100 days in office.
Dr Pullen pledged his country's continuous support to Ghana, citing a 17 million-pound grant it offered Ghana last year to facilitate development.
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Committee investigating GWCL begins work
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
The Ministry of Works and Housing on Thursday asked people with information on the Ghana Water Company to submit it in writing or make personal presentations to the committee investing the company.
A statement issued in Accra by Ms Jessei Danquah, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, said the committee is sitting in Room 204 at the company's head office.
The committee starts sitting at 1100 hours and people with information should report by 1020 hours.
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Workshop on national economic dialogue
opens
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 April 2001
The first in the series of workshops to collate views from civil society to serve as input for the National Economic Dialogue slated for the middle of May opened in Accra on Thursday.
The rationale for the workshop is to examine earlier conclusions on poverty programmes to fine-tune past poverty reduction strategies for development.
Dr Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation, who opened the workshop said it forms part of activities by the ministry to gain the participation and ultimate consensus from a cross section of Ghanaians in the development of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS).
"What we are developing is an agenda for growth and prosperity...to reduce poverty," he said, adding that targets set at the national forum would become the broad agenda that would guide government decisions and programmes.
"Though, there is the need to reduce poverty, government will do so through activities that will enhance growth and bring relief to the majority of Ghanaians," Dr Nduom stated.
Dr Nduom said government would concentrate on the most deprived regions during the implementation of the GPRS and direct resources to other areas as and when it is necessary.
Mr George Laryea, of the National Development Planning Commission, said discussions would be held against the background of the various forms of poverty and their incidence.
The first four Ghana Living Standard Surveys (GLSS) have identified two main forms of poverty.
These are defined as when a person cannot afford to meet the nutritional requirements and essential non-food needs and extreme poverty when a person is unable to meet the basic nutrition needs, even if the entire consumption budget is devoted to food.
Available data on poverty in Ghana in the 1990s indicates that there was a general decrease in poverty levels.
Incidence of poverty decreased from 52 per cent in 1992 to 40 per cent in 1999 while extreme poverty also declined from 37 per cent to 27 per cent within the same period.
However, Mr Laryea said, the rate of decline was not enough to take care of sustained incidence of poverty and extreme poverty reduction due to the high rate of population growth.
He said on the regional level, five out of 10 regions have more than 40 per cent of the population living in poverty. They are the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Central and Eastern regions.
In the same regions, 30 per cent of the population lives in extreme poverty, which is more than the national average.
Mr Laryea said the country is saddled with an unfavourable social sector spending which is evidenced in a serious decline in access to education and health facilities, among other things.
He expressed the hope that the workshops would come out with a strategy to direct government in efforts to reduce poverty.
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CPP wants its assets de-confiscated
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 20 April 2001
The Eastern Regional Steering Committee of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has urged its national leadership to appeal to the government for the de-confiscation of the assets of the party.
In letter to the National Chairman of the party and signed by the Acting Regional Chairman, Nana Owusu Sekyere, the Committee mentioned the assets as bank accounts, furniture and buildings.
The letter copied to the Press said the party has buildings in all the regions and some districts. There is a two-storey building at Koforidua, which currently houses a number of government offices, while a storey building at Asamankese is being occupied by the Produce Buying Company and other departments.
It noted that since the assets of individuals and organisations have been returned to them, there should "not be any difficulty in getting back those of the CPP, seized after the 1966 military take-over".
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