Ashanti Economic Forum ends in Kumasi
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The issues on the determination of a new daily minimum wage and End of Service Benefits (ESB) for workers would be addressed by the end of the month. This came up at a meeting at the Castle, Osu, between the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama and the executives of the Civil Servants' Association of Ghana (CSAG).
Mr Annan Cato, Secretary to the Cabinet, told the meeting that there were strong indications from stakeholders that the minimum wage would soon be determined. He said the delay in the process was to ensure that fairness and equity prevailed for beneficiaries. The current daily minimum wage stands at 5,500 cedis. The ESB was frozen by the previous government because the stakeholders said they could not sustain it.
An 11-member executive of CSAG led by its President, Alhaji Yakubu Ziblim, discussed the importance of a Wages and Salaries Policy, pension schemes, outmoded tools and productivity with the Vice President, Mr Joe Donkor, Deputy Minister of Manpower Development and Social Welfare, the Head of the Civil service and other government officials.
Mr Cato expressed the government's commitment to ensuring better working conditions for workers, saying President John Agyekum Kufuor, at Thursday's
Cabinet meeting, directed that consultants working towards the implementation of a Wage and Salary Policy be made to speed up their work.
"The President and the Cabinet are aware of the poor conditions of civil servants and have good intentions towards addressing these," he said. "The government knows that without the input of workers as partners, it cannot achieve its objective of prosperity for the nation."
Mr Cato said the membership of the new Civil Service Council would soon be announced in line with the Civil Service Law. He urged CSAG to initiate a debate on the Wages and Salaries Policy to elicit sound contributions, saying the response at present was discouraging.
He criticised the poor work ethics of most government employees, saying without raising productivity levels, it would be difficult for the government to sustain reasonable wages. "Let us not wait until we receive satisfactory wages before we put in our best, but desist from wasting productive hours at work and be dedicated towards national development," he said.
Responding to a call by the civil servants for the re-introduction of CAP 30 or adoption of some other terminal benefits to supplement the SSNIT Pension Scheme, Mr Donkor said the Tripartite Committee would soon announce its decision on the End of Service Benefit.
He expressed the hope that their recommendation would address the contention about the CAP 30 and other terminal benefits. Mr Donkor urged the executive of CSAG to help to eliminate malpractices, lateness and other negative attitudes and practices at the workplace. Alhaji Mahama described the present level of indiscipline in the public service as a case of near hopelessness, but said this could be changed with determination and goodwill of workers towards the national good.
H expressed the hope that the reforms being carried out under the National Institutional Renewal Programme to make Ministries, Departments and Agencies more efficient would make the desired impact for national productivity.
"We recognise the Civil Service as our closest ally in the formulation and implementation of policy and we need closer partnership and dialogue to move our nation forward," he said. The Vice President assured the leadership of CSAG that the government would not support any aggrieved individual in the service to undermine authority and advised such persons to seek redress through the approved legal channels and procedures.
Alhaji Ziblim and Mr Smart Chigabatia, executive secretary of CSAG, who spoke about workers' concerns, assured the government of the association's loyalty and determination to help fight corrupt practices such as ghost names.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- Victor Emmanuel Smith, an aide to Former President Jerry John Rawlings, was on Friday put before an Accra Circuit Tribunal charged with issuing threat of death. He pleaded not guilty and was granted 50 million cedis bail by Mr Imoru Ziblim to appear again on 24 April.
Counsel for the accused, Dr Josiah Aryeh and Wahid Iddrisu, prayed the court to grant the accused self-cognisance bail since he was known and would appear on any day ordered by the court. However, the prosecution objected to this because of the seriousness of the charge, which is a second-degree felony.
Dr Aryeh also stated that the time the court sitting because the time was 1330 hours when they were expected to close. However, Mr Ziblim dismissed the argument saying statutorily there was no specific period allowed for courts to sit.
Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Patrick Sarpong told the court that on 18 March, the accused and Mr Abrampah Mensah, interim president of the Action Forum of the National Democratic Congress, wrote a correspondence to be handed over to Mr Kweku Baako Junior, Editor of the Crusading Guide newspaper and Mrs Margaret Amoakohene, a social commentator and lecturer at the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana that they would not sit down unconcerned over their criticism of the former president.
He said the accused also warned that if the victims failed to stop their criticisms after receiving the letters, members of the Action Forum would be given pick-up vehicles to track them down and crash them. The Prosecutor said the accused further stated that should these steps to silence the two fail they would devise other means to kill them.
DSP Sarpong said Mr Mensah, who is a witness in the case, was alarmed and revealed the plot to a friend and handed the letter to him. This friend in turn gave it to Mr Baako Jnr, who informed Mrs Amoakohene. The Prosecutor said when the accused was arrested he admitted being the author of the threatening letter.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharabutu, is to lead a delegation of Muslim clergy to the Yendi and Tamale Municipalities on Saturday 13 April to offer counselling and prayers for victims of the Dagbon Chieftaincy tragedy.
Mr Ferdinand Ayim, Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, told newsmen in Accra during the daily briefing on the Yendi crisis that "as the spiritual leader of the Muslim Community, his presence and counselling would help facilitate the peace initiative of the government."
He said security assessment on the ground indicated compliance with the state of emergency and commended the people for their respect for law and order, and resolve to give peace a chance. He said the dusk to down curfew has been adjusted to start from 1900 hours instead of from 1830 hour. This is to allow the mainly Muslim community room to offer their 1800 hours prayers before the restriction.
Mr Ayim said the military/police force was still on the ground and in firm control in the Dagbon Traditional Area. The Special Assistant noted that the Investigative Team was also on the ground working hard to unearth all those behind the tragic incident, which led to the death of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and 29 others.
On the refugee situation, Mr Ayim said it had reduced from the original 7,000 to 3,000. He said the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had offered relief items of 200 mini bags of rice, 40 bags of beans, 500 blankets and 500 mats to the displaced victims.
Mr Ayim said the Catholic Relief Agency and other non-governmental organisations had also offered relief items to the victims. On the state of the Gbewaa Palace, he said personnel from the Ministry of Works and Housing and Public Works Department were currently at Yendi to assess the extent of damage and how to restore it.
He said the government's level of assistant would be based on their recommendations. Meanwhile, Mr Ayim has expressed concern about some media houses that had floated the State of Emergency regulation on reportage of the Yendi crisis and urged journalists to be circumspect and adhere to the regulations.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 April 2002- The police in Kumasi have arrested 34 people from two hotels for loitering. The suspects included 23 men and 11 women, six of them from neighbouring countries. Mr Gideon Boateng, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told the GNA in Kumasi on Friday that the proprietors of the hotels, Madam Adwoa Fordjour and Nana Gyambibi were also arrested.
He named the hotels as the Abidjan and Plaza hotels. Mr Boateng said two of the suspects, Simon Ananfo, 24, and Thomas Adokor, 20, all of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, were found with a locally manufactured pistol and a quantity of a substance suspected to be gun-powder during a search in their room.
According to the police PRO, they had been charged with the offence of possessing firearms without authority. The two hotel proprietors, he said, were also charged with failing to register lodgers' names in the hotel lodging registers, while the others had been charged with loitering.
Mr Boateng said on Thursday, 11 April, the police striking force in Kumasi, acting upon a tip-off, rounded up the suspects at the Abidjan and Plaza hotels all in Kumasi. Mr Boateng said they would be put before court soon.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The University Council of the University of Ghana, Legon, has approved the appointment of Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere as Vice-Chancellor with effect from October 1, 2002.
He replaces Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, who has served two terms. A statement by the Council on Friday said Prof. Asenso-Okyere currently Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University in 1973.
It said Prof. Asenso-Okyere also had a Master's Degree from the University of Guelph in Canada (1975) and a Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia, USA, (1982). He was appointed a Research Fellow at ISSER in 1976, Associate Professor in 1990 and a Full professor in 1997.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere born on 7 January 1947 has held several offices in Commonwealth Hall including its Hall Master from 1995-2000. His academic interests include economic development with special emphasis on food and agriculture, health and international trade policies.
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Kumasi (Ashnati Region) 13 April 2002- A three-member government delegation from La Cote d'Ivoire led by the Ivorian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Amon Tanoe Emmanuel on Friday met Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene behind closed doors in Kumasi.
Briefing the press later, Mrs Sarata Ottro-Toure, Chief of Staff from the office of the Ivorian President, said the objective of the visit was to strengthen the existing relations between the two countries. She said co-operation and solidarity between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire would be built upon to foster economic and social development.
Mrs Ottro-Toure expressed Cote d'Ivoire's appreciation for the warm reception and said they were impressed about the good work of the Asantehene towards education and achievements in the short period he had occupied the Golden Stool.
Mr Leopold Kohou, Defence Attaché at the Cote d'Ivoire Embassy urged Ghanaians to continue to embrace peace overtures to safeguard national security. He also called for exchange of educational programmes of the armed forces with regards to training.
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Obuasi (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- An Anglican Priest has said society was polluted with false ideology on sex, which had resulted in increasing sex-related diseases, including the HIV/AIDS.
The Reverend J. K. Mensah, the outgoing Parish Priest of Obuasi Saint Paul's Anglican Church, who made this observation, condemned the notion that people who stuck on to one partner were primitive.
Speaking on the theme: "The youth and AIDS", during the Saint Paul's Anglican Youth Week at Obuasi, Rev Mensah emphasised that God blessed marriage between man and woman but did not approve of irregular sex partners.
"Similarly, God did not sanction that people should have sex with unknown partners as well as those with dubious characters". Rev Mensah, therefore, cautioned the youth against early and indiscriminate sexual activities.
The Anglican Priest said HIV/AIDS was an infectious and incurable disease and to avoid it, the youth should rededicate their lifestyles to God desist from immoral practices, which could endanger their future.
Rev Mensah charged the youth to refrain from associating themselves with sexually immoral people adding, "flee from sexual immorality since all other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his body".
Mr Samuel Nyame, the Secretary of the Anglican Young People's Association (AYPA), called on the church to assist the youth in its evangelism programmes. He noted that unemployment was hindering the Association's activities and said the celebration of the week was to create awareness for support.
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Agona Swedru (Central Region) 13 April 2002- A one-and-half year old girl, died on the spot when a Kia truck loaded with beams veered off the road and plunged into a house at Gomoa Ekwamkrom, near Agona Swedru in the Central Region.
Mr John K. Ackom, Agona Swedru Divisional Crime Officer, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on Thursday at Swedru, said the deceased, Peggy Paintsil was playing in front of her home when the accident occurred.
The Crime Officer said the driver Mathius Aidoo, who sustained serious injuries, was on admission at the Swedru Government Hospital and responding to treatment. He said the Kia truck with registration number GR 7317 Q was fully loaded with beams from Swedru Timber Market and was heading towards Kasoa.
On reaching Gomoa Ekwamkrom, Mr Ackom said a Daewoo Tico taxicab was alleged to have crossed the truck and the driver in an attempt to avoid it, plunged into the house killing the little girl instantly. Mr Ackom said the body of the little girl had been deposited at the Swedru Government Hospital awaiting autopsy.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- Police on Friday said they had arrested a woman for looting bowls and buckets from the late Ya Na's palace, which was burnt down following the recent outbreak of fighting between the two gates to the Skin.
Sumarya Mahamadu admitted to the police that she stole the utensils from the late Ya Na's palace and took police to the palace grounds to show them where she stole them. A source at the Special Investigative Team told the Ghana News Agency that Mahamadu had been charged with stealing and would appear in court on Friday.
The source said another person had been arrested and was helping the police in their investigations into how he came by cattle suspected to belong to the late Ya-Na, at the Tamale Market.
Police believe the suspect transported the cattle to Tamale in a bid to sell them. Meanwhile another resident Mahama Seine had also been arrested for breaching the curfew imposed at the Dagbon area under a state of emergency declared by the president.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- Mr Kwadwo Asiedu Afram, Deputy Minister for the Interior, on Friday urged the police to cultivate a healthier police-public relationship in order to tap vital information from law-abiding citizens.
He said it was imperative for the police to protect informants and avoid leaking vital information provided to them by the public to avoid exposing them to the wrath of criminals. "Informants must of necessity be assured of their safety, otherwise vital information would not be forthcoming and crimes would remain unresolved," he said.
He was opening an emergency Police Regional Commanders conference to map out strategies to combat the increasing spate of armed robberies. Police Administrative Regional Commanders from all over the country took part in the one-day meeting. Mr Afram said the surge in armed robberies was not only a threat to national security but also gave negative signals to potential investors, adding, "Investors will only invest when they are assured of the safety of their investment."
The Deputy Minister said for national development to progress there was the need for the police to use their statutory powers to maintain law and order to look out for effective strategies to curb the crime wave. He said there was the need for the service to update personnel skills in policing since crime had become sophisticated.
Mr Afram said government was working to equip the police adequately to enable them to guarantee adequate protection for the citizenry. Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, Inspector General of Police, said the police had an obligation to prove to the world that the country was safe and would not relent in its efforts to combat the increasing crime wave.
Statistics indicated that armed robberies were on the ascendancy the Police Chief said, adding that it was crucial for the police to intelligence and information to step ahead of the criminals.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The Osu Council of Elders has agreed to postpone the announced out-dooring ceremony of the Osu Mantse scheduled for Saturday 13 April 2002.
The deferment is on account of perceived threat to security in the Osu traditional area. A statement issued by the Osu Council of Elders on Friday and signed by Nii Okwei Nortey, Osu Stool Secretary said the postponement-followed consultations with the Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
It said a new date would be announced later. A statement by the Ministry of Local Government had said that at a meeting convened by Capt. Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, Deputy Minister and the REGSEC, the security agencies indicated that there was the likelihood of a breach of peace if the intended installation proceeded on Saturday, 13 April 2002 as planned.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The Association of Health Service Administrators, Ghana (AHSAG) on Friday congratulated Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa on his appointment as the new Director General of the Ghana Health Service.
Prof. Akosa was the immediate past president of the Ghana Medical Association. A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Ebo Hammond, Public Relations and Information Officer of AHSAG said it was the hope of the association that Prof. Akosa would bring his rich experience in health service delivery to bear on the management of the service.
"The association also expresses the hope that you will use your high office to unify all the numerous professional groups in the health sector to improve health services delivery for the benefit of the people." The association pledged its unflinching support for him in his quest to improve the management of health services in the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The Ghana Prisons Service and her Nigerian counterparts have initiated moves to collaborate in clamping down cross border crimes by exchanging and sharing information on crimes committed by their citizens in each other's country. The cooperation will center on the type of crimes and the number of prisoners in their various prisons.
This was disclosed to newsmen by the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service Mr. Richard Kuurie at the airport on his arrival from Kaduna, Nigeria, where he visited 16 Ghanaian prison officers undergoing training in that country.
Mr. Kuurie, whose visit was at the invitation of the Nigerian Prisons Service, said the prisons services of the two countries acknowledged that criminals who indulge in cross-border crimes within the sub-region were abusing the ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of people.
He said the Ghanaian officers were undergoing a one-week intensive training on how to handle hardened criminals such as armed robbers, the practices employed, so as not to infringe on the rights of the prisoners. Mr. Kuurie said prisoner exchanges between the two countries were also discussed and both parties agreed that it was necessary to re-start since the last exchange was in 1988.
The week-long training programme is being sponsored by Prisons Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, [PRAWA] a Nigerian NGO, one of over 90 NGOs specializing in prison rehabilitation and reformation.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 April 2002-Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene will grant audience to their Royal Highnesses, the Crown Prince William Alexander of Netherlands and his wife, Maxima at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on 16 April 2002.
A press release signed by Mr Kofi Owusu Boateng, personal secretary of Asantehene, said a mini-durbar of Amanhene of Asanteman will be held in honour of the Crown Prince and his wife at the Manhyia Palace. Crown Prince William Alexander and his wife will arrive in Accra tomorrow and they will be met at the airport by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama. The couple will later pay a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor as part of their visit to the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- Miss Aba Baffoe-Wilmot, Principal Medical Entomologist of the Disease Control Unit, Ghana Health Service, on Friday said malaria constituted 40 per cent of all cases reported at Out-Patients Departments of health institutions in the country.
She said malaria, the number one killer disease in Africa, mostly affected children under five years and pregnant women and there was the urgent need for all communities to help control the disease.
Speaking at the launch of a community and sanitation control project on malaria in the Accra, Ms Baffoe-Wilmot said the introduction of the Roll-Back Malaria Programme by the World Health Organisation (WHO) must be welcomed by all and urged stakeholders to join hands in the fight to control the disease.
She urged the communities to keep their surroundings clean and use the treated mosquito bed nets for protection against malaria. The project would be on a pilot basis in malaria-prone areas of Accra. Vibe FM, a private radio station, is facilitating it in collaboration with VRTEX
Limited, a pest and insect control company.
The project would include public education, youth and community involvement in clean-ups, mass fumigation and draining of stagnant water. Areas to be tackled include Nima, Chorkor, La, Alajo, Odorkor, Achimota, Osu, Abeka, Odorna, Nii Boi Town, Abelenkpe and Agbogbloshie.
Mr Allen Mends, Managing Director of VRTEX Limited, said the first phase of the project, which would begin on 1 May in some selected parts of Accra, would be supported by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Ministry of Health. He said the programme, when successful, would be extended to other parts of the region.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- The Ashanti Region registered the highest number of new voters during the last Voters' Register Revision Exercise with 87,351, while the Upper West Region recorded the least of 16,295 new voters.
Figures made available to the Ghana News Agency by the Electoral Commission on Friday, indicated that a total of 432,018 new voters registered during the period, but the figures were without three districts from the Volta Region. Figures from the Western Region have also not been returned.
A total of 1,376,638 persons were registered during the 2000 supplementary registration exercise that took place from 6 to 15 May, while in 1996 and 1997 the supplementary registration exercise registered 24,360 and 179,815 respectively.
Ashanti also recorded the highest number of fresh voters in 2000 with 376,050 followed by Greater Accra and Eastern regions with 279,291 and 124,254 respectively. The regional statistics for the 2001 revision exercise are; Greater Accra 74,172; Eastern 56,745; Brong Ahafo 51,730; Northern 47,685; Central 42,422; Volta less three districts 33,784; and Upper East 21,834.
A comparative statistical data on the voters' register from 1995 to 2000 indicated that; the original list recorded 9,238,009 in 1995, while 24,360 supplementary voters were added in 1996; 179,815 in 1997, and 1,376,638 in 2000.
The Western Region recorded 967,631 in 1995; with a supplementary 1,113 in 1996; 16,320 in 1997; and 114,169 in 2000; Central recorded 769,984 in 1995, with a supplementary list of 1,857 added in 1996; 16,400 in 1997 and 86,442 in 2000 and the Greater Accra 1,555,954 in 1995 with supplementary lists of 3,389 in 1996; 13,880 in 1997 and 279,291 in 2000.
Others are Volta 891,820 in 1995; plus a supplementary of 1,526 in 1996; 16,954 in 1997 and 80,236 in 2000; Eastern with an original list of 1,055,064 in 1995; new voters of 2,001 in 1996, additional 19,429 in 1997 and in 2000, 124,254 new voters were added during the revision.
The Ashanti Region registered 1,591,935 during the general registration exercise in 1995 with a supplementary list of 2,290 in 1996, recorded 22,769 in 1997 and 376,050 in 2000. The Brong Ahafo region registered 904,045 in 1995 with a supplementary one of 2,896 in 1996, recorded 19,383 in 1997 and 138,065 in 2000.
The rest are; Northern; 797,004 in 1995, 5,810 in 1996, and in 1997 a supplementary list of 24,712 and 107 and a further 111 in 2000; Upper East recorded 432,687 in 1995, 1,372 and 10,124 in 1996 and 1997 respectively and in 2000 recorded 38,016; Upper West Region recorded 271,885 on the original register in 1995, a supplementary list of 2,106 in 1996, and 33,004 in the year 2000.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- Three envoys have called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang in Accra. Separate statements issued by the Ministry said Mr Ibrahim Omar, Palestinian Ambassador, Mr Chung Eui Min, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea and Mr Pierluini Conti, Minister at the General Directorate for Africa in the Italian Foreign Ministry paid separate courtesy calls on the Ministry on Tuesday.
It said the Palestinian Ambassador expressed regret that the Saudi initiative on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which had the support of the international community and many Arab states, could not see the light of day because of Israel's intransigence.
He thanked the government for its statement on the conflict, calling for urgent and concerted efforts by the international community to break the impasse and bring the two parties back to the negotiating table. The statement said the Minster told the Ambassador that he was of the view that the two sides needed to be brought back to negotiations to work out a just and lasting solution to the conflict.
He said the government would continue to monitor the situation and also work closely with other African states, the African Union and the UN to appeal to two sides to refrain from any action that would inflame the already volatile situation. The statement said Mr Conti reiterated Italy's commitment to assist in Ghana's development programme. Mr Owusu-Agyemang expressed satisfaction at the long-standing and cordial relations between the two countries and thanked Italy for its assistance.
He called for closer cooperation, particularly in the areas of technical and vocational education, road construction and agriculture as a means of giving employment to the youth and reducing poverty. The statement said Mr Owusu-Agyemang and Mr Chung reviewed Ghana-Korea relations and the Minster thanked Korea for its assistance.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 April 2002- Ms. Frances Asiam, 44, a member of the Greater Accra Communications Committee and Youth Forum of the National Democratic Congress was on Saturday elected as the new National Women's Organiser of the party.
She pooled 30 votes to beat her other contestant, the Western Regional Vice Chairperson of the party, Madam Tabitha Sybil Quaye, a former MP for Takoradi in the first Parliament of the Fourth Republic and the Founder and President of Tabitha Caring Foundation (TCF), who had two votes. The third contestant, Mrs Ernestina Lomotey withdrew just before voting and wished the two candidates well.
The election, which took place at the 5th National Conference of the Women's wing of the party in Accra, under the theme; "NDC-New Direction New Vision," was attended by three delegates each from all the regional wings of the party and observers.
Madam Ayanba Laadi Ayii stood unopposed for the post of First Deputy National Organiser. The post of Second Deputy National Organiser went to Hajia Salamatu Kuntey, the Ashanti Regional organiser, who pooled 18 votes to beat Ms. Grace Afoakwa of the Western Region who had 14 votes.
The Electoral Commission officials supervised the elections. Ms Asiam, was also the immediate past Deputy Greater Accra Regional Women's Organiser. She served as President of the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC, at Legon campus, a member of Publicity and Propaganda Sub-committee and former member of the National Women's Wing Working Committee of the party.
She told the GNA after the elections that she would use her vast experience as a women's leader to transform the Women's Wing of the NDC into a vibrant organisation to propel the NDC to power in the year 2004. She said, "as a strong advocate of grassroots political participation, I will ensure that organisation in the women's wing will involve the branches, constituency and the regional levels effectively."
Ms. Asiam said the Women's Wing would work in collaboration with the constituency and the wards to ensure total victory, adding, that the bottom-up approach would be pivotal in the organisational focus of the NDC Women's Wing.
She said, with the worsening socio-economic conditions and the attendant hardship visited on the women folk, the NDC Women's Wing would be the mouthpiece to articulate and drum home the issues of women and the larger society to government and civil society.
Notable personalities at the conference included; Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary, Dr. Tony Aidoo, former deputy Minister of Defence, Ms. Sherly Ayitey, Mrs. Easter Lily Nkansan, former Western Regional Minister and Mrs Cecilia Johnson the out-going National Women's Organiser and NDC female parliamentarians.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 13 April 2002- The Upper East Region branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Friday held its congress to elect new executives to steer the affair of the party in the Region for the next four years.
Out of 11 vacant positions for the contest, four went unopposed. They include Chairman, Alhaji Huudu Abubakar Patience, Madam Juliet Hilda, Treasurer, Mr Benard Bougzor Boayerik, propaganda secretary and R. Roger Abolimbisa, deputy secretary. Mr Richard Adua won the post of the first vice chairman to beat Mr Donald Adabre, former Regional Minister for the Brong Ahafo.
The post of second vice chairman went to Mr Robert Apasnaba. Mr Donatus Atanga, retained his position as secretary while Mr John Agboam was elected organising secretary. The post of deputy propaganda secretary went to Ben Ayensoni and Mr. Issah Mumuni became deputy treasurer. Present at the function were some NDC Members of Parliament in the Region. They included Mr Moses Asaga, Mr Cletus Avoka, Mr Albert Abongo and Mr Abuga Pele.
Speaking on behalf of the new executive, Mr Donatus Atanga, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in them, and gave the assurance that they would work relentlessly to bring the party back to power in the 2004 elections. The Bolgatanga Central constituency could not present delegates, because it has been engaged in an election dispute that ended up in Bolgatanga High Court.
The matter was however withdrawn for settlement out of court, but it could not constitute an executive body. Mr Cletus Avoka, MP for Zebilla, in an address, said there was a serious security lapse in the country that had led to the upsurge of armed robbery, bloody chieftaincy, religious and ethnic conflicts, as well as social tension.
He attributed these to incompetence on the part of the NPP government. He indicated that although government may not be directly linked to these incidences, it ought to take the blame, because it's stewardship includes ensuring the security and peace of the country. He said time was, therefore, ripe for the NDC to recapture power in 2004 and urged party faithful to close their ranks and work for that cause.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 April 2002- Participants at the just-ended Ashanti Economic Forum have called on the district assemblies, Chamber of Mines and mining companies to constitute technical committees to identify and analyse problems connected with land use and alternative sources of livelihood for mining communities.
In a communiqué adopted at the end of the forum in Kumasi on Thursday, the participants further called for innovative ways to process residue from saw milling activities to help reduce waste and create additional wealth and generate employment.
It advocated the setting up of appropriate institutional framework to help provide advocacy and the realisation of the growth and development of non-banking financial institutions such as brokerages, discount houses, leasing companies and venture capital companies.
The communiqué also suggested the introduction of innovative lending and new credit systems to remove bottlenecks and facilitate the provision of credit to small and medium scale enterprises to expand investment, ease unemployment and reduce poverty.
It again called for the establishment of special units in financial institutions to provide the necessary advisory and consultancy services, data and information to small and medium scale enterprises to help reduce some of the high-risk factors inherent in their operations.
The communiqué urged the government, financial institutions and other stakeholders to continue dialoguing to create an enabling environment towards the attainment of low interest rates, low foreign exchange rates and the provision of attractive financial incentives for growth of business and investment.
Speaking on the topic "NGOs and economic development", the associate director of World Vision Ghana in-charge of the central sector operations, Mr Auckhinleck Kwame Adow, urged governmental support to credible NGOs to enable them play their roles effectively in society.
He said over 1,500 boreholes had been drilled to provide potable water for over a million people living in 800 communities in five districts in Ashanti. The districts are Ejura-Sekyedumasi, Sekyere East and West and Asante-Akim North
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