President grants widows' request
Properties to be restored to widows of
Nkrumah and Busia
Japan is not against HIPC...Ambassador
Nigerian Army Commandant calls on
Addo-Kufuor
GJA announces
Press Week celebration
Ministry to step up assistance to
small-scale enterprises
GT boss deplores workers' attitude towards
customers
Prison Service is committed to reformation
of inmates – Kuuire
Veep announces a
50 m-dollar credit facility for housing sector
Amend Article 290 of the Constitution -
Legal Consultant
National
Reconciliation Commission bill ready - Nana Akufo-Addo
USAID asked to re-examine its policies in
the agricultural sector
President grants widows' request
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
The President, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor has decided to grant the request made to him by the widows of the Senior Military Officers who were executed in 1979 during the heat of the June 4 uprising.
The widows had petitioned the President that the bodies of their husbands be returned to them for fitting burial.
A statement issued on Friday said the President has therefore directed that a committee of five persons made up of a Military Officer, Prisons Officer, a Civil Servant, a State Attorney and a Medical Officer be established to organize the orderly exhumation and retrieval of the bodies for fitting burial.
He expressed the hope that the successful conclusion of the committee's work would permit the nation to bring down the curtain on one of the many sad events of the nation's history. The statement said the nation would be kept abreast of development.
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Properties to be restored to widows of
Nkrumah and Busia
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
Cabinet has decided that the Odorkor property of the late Prime Minister, Dr. K.A. Busia be rehabilitated prior to its transfer to his widow, Madam Naa Morkor Busia.
Also, the Labone property, which was originally given by the state to Madam Fathia Nkrumah, widow of first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is to be restored to her.
A statement issued on Friday said the directives are in line with the government's determination to promote the cause of national reconciliation.
It said even though the past government had announced that the Odorkor property of Dr. Busia would be returned to his widow, this has not been done.
"It has in the last decade been occupied by commandos who have caused substantial damage to the property.''
It would therefore be rehabilitated and handed over to Madam Busia in a fit state to end her many years of distress, the statement added.
In the same vein, it said the government considers it a shame that the widow of Ghana's first President has not had a home in Ghana these past many years.
"The Labone property which has until recently, been in the occupation of, Mr. Justice D. F. Annan, former Speaker of Parliament, would be restored to Madam Fathia in a fit state.
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Japan is not against HIPC...Ambassador
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
Mr Hiromu Nitta, Japanese Ambassador, on Saturday repeated that his country is not against Ghana opting for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
He said his country would continue to support Ghana with grants and aid as part of its development assistance programme.
However, the Japan government is yet to confirm its support for certain on-going projects, especially, the Malam-Yamoransa stretch on the Takoradi road and a stretch of road on the Achimota-Kumasi road.
Mr Nitta said this, when he hosted a cocktail for the media to explain relations between Ghana and Japan, especially on issues regarding the HIPC initiative.
He said Japan is the biggest contributor among the world's industrialised countries (the G8) to commit 3.8 billion dollars as relief for 22 countries under the Initiative.
The G8 comprise Japan, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States and Russia.
Mr Nitta said Japan had been the largest bilateral donor to Ghana for sometime, under its official development assistance (ODA).
Japan gave Ghana 8.95 billion-yen (19 million dollars) in 1999 and 5.57 billion yen (15.5 million dollars) in 2000.
Mr. Nitta said: " Japan is not at all against any country to apply for the debt relief under the HIPC initiative.
"Indeed, as of December 2000, the total amount of relief to be provided by Japan for 22 countries will be 3.8 billion dollars, making Japan the biggest contributor."
The Ambassador said his country's ODA in year 2000 was 13.06 billion dollars, making Japan the world's biggest donor for 10 years since 1991.
HIPC is a relief package designed by International Monetary Fund (IMF) to assist distressed countries that cannot pay debts owed to donor countries, the World Bank and the Fund.
Under the HIPC initiative, member countries are made to accept certain conditionalities including the reduction of poverty among the citizenry.
The New Patriotic Party government opted for the initiative and this has brought it under criticism from the public and certain organisations that complained about the absence of dialogue on the decision.
The Japan government, ranked as a top donor to Ghana, has also been quoted in certain quarters to be against the initiative.
Japan contributes about 25 per cent to the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) run by 22 member countries.
Mr. Motoyoshi Noro, Deputy Head of Mission, said Japan would not grant loans to any HIPC country because they would be pilling up their debts.
Ghana must bargain for the best terms under HIPC, especially, with regards to the privatisation of the Ghana Commercial Bank, he said.
However, Japan advises war-thorn countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone to opt for the initiative to revive their economy.
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Nigerian Army Commandant calls on
Addo-Kufuor
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence on Friday called for the setting up of a unified training school for the armed forces of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
"This could lead to friendship and become the nucleus for the establishment of the African High Command."
Dr Addo-Kufuor said this when Air Vice Marshal, A. O. Ogundana, Commandant of the Jija Command and Staff College in Nigeria led students of the college, who are on tour to selected West African countries called on him.
Real Admiral John Gbena, Acting Chief of Defence Staff was present.
The 46-man team has already visited Cote d Ivoire.
Dr Addo-Kufuor commended the military co-operation between the two countries adding, "the experiment of ECOMOG is historic and has been a source of pride to both countries".
He stressed the need for an expansion in the scope of co-operation, especially, at the service to service levels to their mutual benefit.
Since most Nigerian military officers passed through the Ghana Staff College the symbol of unity may not be far fetched, he observed.
Real Admiral Gbena said military relations between the two countries dates back to the days of the Royal West African Frontier Force and hoped this will continue.
Air Vice-Marshal Ogundana expressed satisfaction that the governments of the two countries are working to bring their armies together and said that Ghana is very important to Nigeria.
He said Nigeria is grateful for all the assistance it had received from the Ghana military over the years.
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GJA announces
Press Week celebration
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April
2001
The Ghana Journalists Association
(GJA), on Sunday said that the pledge of the government to repeal the Criminal
Libel Law is a positive step to make the media more responsive to the
aspirations of the people.
The GJA said eight years after the
return to constitutional rule there are challenges that need to be
"decisively dealt with, in order to realise the full potential of the
media."
This was contained in a release by
the association, issued in Accra to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, which
falls on May 3.
The release also said GJA Press
Week, starts from April 30 to May 6, 2001. It noted that the Criminal Libel Law
is the most visible of laws existing in the statute books that seem to be
contrary to the spirit of the liberal atmosphere created by the Constitution.
"This is more so, when the
Constitution enjoins the media to hold public officers accountable and for
editors not to be harassed in any way for their editorial opinion," it
said.
The GJA said, "the task
confronting it is how to make the wider society, including civil organisations
and political parties believe that media freedom is cardinal to freedom of
expression and therefore, everybody's freedom."
The related task, the release
said, is to assure sceptics of the commitment of the GJA as corporate body and
media professionals to media accountability.
It said this means, "the
creation of a more conducive legal framework would not automatically lead to
irresponsible behaviour on the part of media professionals."
Through the celebration of Press
Week, the GJA seeks to sensitise the people on the importance of the media to
good governance and to assure Ghanaians of the preparedness of media
professionals to be accountable to society.
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Ministry to step up assistance to
small-scale enterprises
Elmina (Central Region) 30 April 2001
The Ministry of Trade and Industry on Sunday said it intends to recapitalise the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to accelerate the development of Small-Scale
Enterprises (SSEs).
It, therefore, intends to commit a greater chunk of donor support through the Ministry of Finance to the industrial sector, solely into the SSEs, in addition to contacting other donor agencies such as the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) for more financial assistance.
This decision was reached at the close of a 'brainstorming session at Elmina to fine tune policies, programmes and strategies of the ministry.
The three-day session, which was held under the theme "enhancing the growth and development of trade and industries, was organised by the ministry with funding from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
It evaluated the operations of the ministry and made recommendations for an action plan for restructuring the policy framework for support for the ministry and institutions under it.
About 60 top officials of the ministry and representatives of selected stakeholders, such as the NBSSI, the Ghana Exports Promotion Council and the Ghana Standards Board attended.
The ministry will in addition ensure enhanced technical support for the NBSSI to enable it to improve upon its services to the SSEs.
The session called for "better support" for all aspects of the ministry's operations and stressed the need for greater co-operation from the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs as well as from the Bank of Ghana.
It, however, re-echoed the sector minister's concern about the fact that policies of the ministry are unclear and fragmented, and reiterated the need to rectify this to enhance the operations of the ministry and its institutions.
The session further called for management training for officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and its institutions to step up supervision and performance respectively.
In view of the short period for the session, a seven-member technical committee headed by the sector minister, Dr Kofi Konadu
Apraku, was set up to produce a report for the national economic forum scheduled to take place later in the year.
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GT boss deplores workers' attitude towards
customers
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 30 April 2001
The Eastern Regional Director of Ghana Telecom, Mr Paul Evans Amuzu, at the weekend bemoaned the unfriendly attitude of some workers of the company in the region towards its customers and warned them to change or quit.
Mr. Amuzu gave the warning at the annual get-together of the staff of the company at Koforidua during which it awarded 18 former employees who retired in 1999 and 2000.
Mr. Amuzu described the attitude of some of the workers as "appalling, shameful and an embarrassment to the regional management".
He said the company, which faces stiff competition from other operators, cannot afford to lose its customers through the bad attitudes of workers.
He expressed concern about the rate at which workers of the company are retiring in the region, saying 25 per cent of the total staff in the region would attain their retirement age by 2005.
Mr. Amuzu said Ghana Telecom is currently expanding and modernising its facilities at Krobo Odumase, Akosombo, Nkawkaw, Nsawam, Oda and Asamankese.
He said that the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2002 required hard working and dedicated young workers to replace the retirees.
Mr. Amuzu announced that the regional management was instituting an annual awards scheme to reward hard-working staff, and urged them to continue to work harder to improve service delivery to the company's customers.
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Prison Service is committed to reformation
of inmates – Kuuire
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 30 April 2001
Mr Richard Kuuire, Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, said at the weekend that the service is committed to the reformation of inmates.
This, he said, called for the introduction of professionalism among personnel and the collective support and efforts from all stakeholders.
Mr. Kuuire said these when he paid a courtesy call on Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, during a three-day official visit to the Ashanti Region.
He emphasised that the reformation of inmates is on record and has already started with vocational and technical training in the various prison camps.
Mr. Kuuire observed that the lock-ups at the prisons are always increasing in Ashanti, especially Kumasi and Obuasi, because they have big catchment areas.
He said remand prisoners at the Prisons form about one-third of the inmates, adding that under a situation where most convicts are not going out, overcrowding, which affects the resources of the service, occurs.
Mr. Kuuire urged the Regional Minister to ensure the effective formation and functioning of the regional prisons committee and suggested that Mr. Boafo, as chairman of the committee, should invite all those involved in criminal systems to reflect on remand terms and harsh sentences.
Mr. Kuuire said the service has intensified its prison agricultural programmes to produce more food to feed the inmates.
Accommodation is a problem facing officers, he said, adding that there are plans to re-locate the prisons, which have now been engulfed by residential houses.
Mr. Boafo thanked the Director-General for the visit and said it is time they see each other as partners in development of the nation.
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Veep announces a
50 m-dollar credit facility for housing sector
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April
2001
Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama
announced last night that the government is securing a 50 million-dollar
external credit facility to assist the Ministry of Works and Housing to embark
on a low-income housing scheme for the people.
He said the scheme to be called
"Housing the people scheme", involves the acquisition of land by the
Ministry, which would be provided with basic infrastructural services for
low-income workers to put up houses.
Alhaji Mahama was addressing a
banquet and awards night organised by the Home Finance Company Limited (HFC) to
mark the 10th anniversary of the company as a housing and mortgage financing
venture.
Alhaji Mahama said an additional
50 million dollars is being arranged for members of the Ghana Real Estate
Developers Association (GREDA) to provide rental and land ownership housing
units.
The financial package would
complement this year's budgetary allocation of 325.54 billion cedis for
specific policy initiatives and directions relating to the housing sector.
Alhaji Mahama said plans are
underway to promulgate a law to regulate business activities and enhance the
capability of local enterprises to be competitive in the West African market.
He expressed the hope that
entrepreneurs in the housing industry will take advantage of the housing
finance and mortgage insurance and the small business service schemes to boost
their business.
Mr. Kwamina Bartels, Minister of
Works and Housing, said the government would initiate an inter-ministerial
discussion to formulate a national policy on housing.
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Amend Article 290 of the Constitution -
Legal Consultant
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
Mr. Kwasi Prempeh, an international legal consultant on Saturday suggested an amendment of Article 290 dealing with the manner in which an entrenched provision of the constitution could be amended.
He said: "Where the Constitution, by design or omission, has become in one way or the other a stumbling bloc to the advancement of our constitutional democracy we must be willing to consider amending the offending provision."
Mr. Prempeh made the suggestion in Accra at the inaugural lecture of the maiden National Constitution Week celebration under the theme, "The Constitution and You."
Speaking on, "Eight years of constitutional rule, challenges and prospects", the renowned Ghanaian International Constitutional Law Expert, said article 290 sets an impossibly and ridiculously high requirement for amending the Constitution.
He said the article, which is also an entrenched provision, required that " after an amendment bill has gone through the Council of State and first reading in Parliament, a bill to amend an entrenched provision must be submitted for a national referendum."
Mr. Prempeh said at the national referendum there must be a voter turnout of not less than 40 per cent of registered voters and at least 75 per cent of the votes cast must be in favour of the amendment.
He stressed that article 290 is needlessly costly and obstructionist and would make an amendment to an entrenched clause of the Constitution almost impossible to achieve.
Mr. Prempeh said it is not necessary to hold a national referendum at each time there is a proposal to amend an entrenched clause and suggested a two-third parliamentary majority plus 50 per cent or more of all district assemblies’ approval for an amendment to an entrenched provision.
He devoted much of the talk to the Presidency, Parliament, Council of State, Media, Judiciary, Watchdog Committees and ministerial appointments.
He said although the Constitution is only eight years old, "it is the only one in our history to have broken the curse of infant mortality that has kept each one of our previous Constitutions from serving beyond a few short years."
"There is, therefore, ample cause to treat this Constitution as special and thus honour it with an annual celebration," Mr Prempeh emphasis.
Nana Akufo-Addo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who performed the inauguration, presented awards to three second cycle institutions that excelled in a constitutional game competition.
Accra Academy, who worn the median competition, received 500,000 cedis, a plague and a dustbin, the first runner-up, Presbyterian Boys Secondary School was given four hundred thousand cedis.
Three schools, Accra High, Accra Girls and Achimota Secondary tied for the second runner-up and was each given 200,000 cedis.
The Main sponsor Ford Foundation of USA in a solidarity message commended NCCE for the foresight in initiating the process for the institutionalisation of the Constitution Week.
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National
Reconciliation Commission bill ready - Nana Akufo-Addo
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April
2001
Nana Akufo-Addo, Attorney General
and Minister for Justice, on Saturday indicated the government's readiness to
present a bill to parliament for consideration for the establishment of
National Reconciliation Commission.
He said the enactment would enable
the government to reconcile the nation in a transparent manner devoid of
partisanship characteristics and provide the necessary restitution to victims.
Nana Akufo-Addo said this at the
inauguration of the first National Constitution Week celebration in Accra
organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
The celebration is a period when
the entire Ghanaian community is to participate in discussions, debates,
theatre performances and other activities on the Constitution to ensure that it
becomes a living document embodied on the mind and heart for the attainment of
democracy and good governance in Ghana.
The week was borne out of an
urgent demand for knowledge and information by Ghanaians to accelerate the
growth and sustenance of democracy and constitutionalism in the country.
Nana Akufo-Addo urged governmental
institutions to use the week to review their programmes to conform to the new democratic
dispensation and the wind of "Positive Change".
The Attorney General said measures
are underway to de-confiscate improperly confiscated assets to their rightful
owners, saying "the process of restoration of assets has begun."
Nana Akufo-Addo paid tribute to
individuals and institutions that embarked on a national crusade for the
entrenchment of constitutional democracy in the country.
Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II,
Amanorkromhene, who chaired the occasion, called on the NCCE to collaborate
with the Ministry of Education for the restoration of Civic Education on the
school curriculum.
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USAID asked to re-examine its policies in
the agricultural sector
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), on Saturday appealed to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to re-examine its policies towards the support of public sector research and extension of agricultural production in Sub-Sahara Africa.
Prof. Fobih said results of a recent impact study showed that sustained donor support from 1980 to 1996 by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) on maize and cowpeas research and extension activities yielded financial returns above 50 per cent.
He said similar sustained support from the French government and the European Union also achieved positive results that required no further evidence and hoped that agricultural research will be accorded the importance it deserves in future activities.
Prof. Fobih made the appeal in an address at the closing of a three-day stakeholders' workshop on agricultural production support and financial services in Accra.
The workshop, on the theme: "Promoting innovative options for strengthening agricultural production, support and financial services in Africa", brought together 40 participants from Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and the United States of America.
It was organised by Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD) of the OAU and sponsored by USAID.
He expressed his ministry's support in such efforts by ensuring that scientists carry out more demand-driven, farmer -oriented research so that technologies generated meet the needs of the numerous small-scale farmers.
"It is very unfortunate that our farmers income earnings are so woefully inadequate that they cannot even afford some basic equipment needed for their work."
He said the government will continue to strengthen the regional extension liaison committees at the district levels under the proposed World Bank Agricultural Services Sub-sector Investment Programme (ASSIP) which is due to start later this year.
Prof. Akwasi Ayensu, Acting Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research who presided, asked agricultural scientists to invest in research and add value to their products for the benefit of the end user.
He also appealed to governments to invest in agriculture since a nation cannot survive or progress without sufficient food to feed its people.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 April 2001
The former vice-president Professor John Atta Mills returned home from Beijing, China after attending the UN conference of experts on double taxation.
Speaking to newsmen at the airport, Professor Atta Mills described the conference as successful and said the experts discussed a model double treaty between developed and developing countries.
Prof. Atta Mills explained that presently, there is no single tax system worldwide, "as things differ from one country to the other."
Since every country wants to project its source of revenue, there is the need to fashion out a fair and common tax treaty between developed and developing countries, he observed.
The former vice president said the model double tax treaty is under-going periodic review and that a final document would be ready by June this year.
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