Armed robbers kill MD of BRM Wood Processing
Minister assures staff of Konongo Rice Mills of support
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002 - Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on Monday said the world water crisis was a crisis of governance and not one of scarcity. "While water is indeed getting scarce in many places on the global scale, there is enough water to provide 'water security' for all, but only if we change the way we manage and develop water".
Prince Willem-Alexander, the UN Secretary General's Ambassador on Water, was speaking on: "No Water, No Future" at the three-day Regional Stakeholders' Conference for Priority Setting on Water and Sustainable Development in Africa, which opened in Accra.
The Conference being hosted by the Ministry of Works and Housing is organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute, Water Resources Commission of Ghana and sponsored by the Netherlands Government.
It is to provide an opportunity to promote effective consultation between different constituencies in the water and development sectors. In attendance are politicians, government officials, the private sector, multi-lateral development institutions and civil society organisations.
Prince Willem-Alexander, currently on a four-day official visit to Ghana, said the water crisis was acute in Sub-Saharan Africa where only about 60 per cent of the 680 million people had access to potable water.
He said people in 50 countries, which are in very difficult conditions, must try and meet their water and sanitation needs on an average of 30 litres or less per day. This is far less than the 50 litres per day level, which according to the UN, constituted the absolute minimum for water needs. At least half of that number is in Africa.
Prince Willem-Alexander said people, who lived on less than 10 litres of water per day could never escape poverty and achieve sustainable development without first addressing their water scarcity. He said water was crucial to development because while the world population tripled during the 20th Century, the use of renewable water resources grew six-fold, mostly for use in agriculture.
Prince Willem-Alexander said no single type of intervention had had greater overall impact upon economic development and public health than the provision of potable water and proper sanitation. "In health alone, improved water and sanitation could reduce morbidity and mortality rates of some of the most serious of water-related diseases by up to 80 per cent, " he added.
Prince Willem-Alexander said to overcome the world water crisis, achieving water, food and environmental security simultaneously was one of the most formidable challenges to overcome to attain sustainable development.
He suggested that to solve the water crisis and sanitation problems at a global level, there should be reduction by about 50 per cent of the people who were unable to reach or afford potable water or sanitation by 2015.
Others were to increase water productivity in agriculture, both rain-fed and irrigated, to enable food security for all people without increasing water diverted for irrigated agriculture over that used in 2000.
Prince Willem-Alexander said the World Water Assessment Programme of the UN should be mandated to establish a baseline and monitor progress towards the targets and report to the ministerial conferences associated with the World Water Forum. On public-private sector, he suggested that at least 20 per cent of all water infrastructure investment should be funded through alternative forms of financing by 2015.
Prince Willem-Alexander said the corresponding action was to build capacity in local government to assess alternative forms of financing for infrastructure including capacity to identify, develop and negotiate sound projects that were financially feasible and environmentally sustainable as alternative solutions to large-scale investments.
Prince Willem-Alexander said global governance should assess virtual water imports and exports through agricultural products for each country by 2015. He explained that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should develop and consider virtual water balances using a resource accounting framework when assessing and negotiating agricultural subsidies and trade in agricultural products.
Prince Willem-Alexander said in relation to science and technology, an agreed strategy should be developed by 2010 for the use of molecular biology to increase drought tolerance and water productivity of crops to achieve water, food and environmental security.
He said the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) should assess the potential for increased drought tolerance and increased water productivity in agriculture, including the potential of the use of functional genomics and other tools of modern molecular biology.
Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Mission of African Water Ambassador, said the conference marked an important milestone for better water management in Africa. He said water was a critical resource for social, economic and political development in Africa because most African countries shared common borders with rivers, which could be well utilised for their mutual benefit. Dr Salim said much, however, remained to be done on water resources in Africa since most of them had not been well developed for the benefit of the people.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002 - Foreign Minister Hackman Owusu-Agyemang is in Dakar, Senegal, at the head of a ministerial delegation to attend the summit of African heads of state and government on the private sector's partnership in financing the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
The objective of the three-day summit, which opens on Monday, would be to enhance the private sector's participation in the financing of NEPAD projects through strategic partnerships.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry in Accra on Monday said the summit would also provide a forum for interaction among African heads of state and governments, senior officials of international organisations, international financial institutions, regional and sub-regional bodies, captains of business and industry.
The statement said workshops would be held to explore options for financing the priority programmes of NEPAD, which included agriculture and market access, information and communication technology, energy and environment.
Other members of the delegation are Dr Paa Kwesi Ndoum, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation, Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development and Alhaji Asoma Banda, a businessman.
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Goaso (Brong Ahafo) 16 April 2002 - Although the country's annual allowable timber to be cut is one million cubic metres, sawmills are able to meet their demand of four million cubic metres through the assistance of illegal chainsaw operators.
Mr Joseph Boakye, Assistant Regional Forestry Manager for Brong Ahafo, said this was happening in spite of the adoption of measures to ensure that loggers operated within the annual allowable cut for the sustainable management of the forests.
"If this trend is allowed to continue, the country will be forced to import some of its wood needs in the near future," he said. Mr Boakye was speaking at a two-day workshop to discuss a draft management plan for the Subim, Ayum, Bonsambepo and the Abonyire forest reserves in the Asunafo District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The management plan is to ensure that communities living around reserves collaborated with the Forestry Services Division (FSD) to manage the forests for the benefit of both the fringe communities and the country.
Mr Boakye urged people living around the country's forest reserves to consider it as their duty to help check the activities of illegal chainsaw operators. ''All the 13 districts in the Brong Ahafo Region could boast of forests in the past, but now it is only the Asunafo and Asutifi districts that remained the hope of the region in terms of forestry potentials''.
"The proper management of the reserves with the collaboration of the fringe communities would encourage eco-tourism and provide employment for the people." Mr Kwakye Ameyaw, Brong Ahafo Regional Forestry Manager, stressed that forest management was a shared responsibility that required assistance from chiefs, assemblymen, unit committees and the people.
Mr Anthony Saaniano, Asunafo District Forest Manager, said a timber taskforce had been formed with the collaboration of the various security agencies to curb illegal chain sawing in the area.
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Ashaiman (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002 - The Ashaiman Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has suspended eight of its members including three executives for allegedly associating with other political parties.
Two others, Mr A. Mensah and Mr A. Amankwaah were cautioned after they had confessed they associated with other political parties. All the affected members were also accused of bribery during the last presidential and parliamentary elections.
The executive members were Mr James Ackah, Organiser, Mr Baba Abdulai, Secretary, Mrs Awudi, Women's Organiser. The other members were Mr James Gyamfi, Assemblyman for Zongo Lanka electoral area, Dickson Nsowah, Madam Kate Addea, Mr Aziz Mohammed and Mr Edward Boamah.
The executive members have been suspended for two years while the other members are on a year's suspension. Mr Emmanuel K. K. Teye, MP for Ashaiman, told newsmen that suspension letters signed by the Constituency Chairman Mr Kofi Agyapong had been given to the affected members.
He said the decision was based on the recommendation of a committee set up to investigate the allegation and urged them to hand over all party property in their possession.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 16 April 2002 - Lord Commey, New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Organiser has said it was important for government appointees to do a lot more to bring government closer to the party.
He said since the government was a party government, it was important that the party was not left out at all levels. Lord Commey was speaking at a meeting with constituency secretaries, organisers and youth organisers of the party in Kumasi.
The meeting was to fashion out party organisation, especially at the constituency level, that would stand the test of time. Mr Commey is touring constituencies in Ashanti Region to educate party members on the new system of organisation and management of the party in the area of information dissemination and how to counter propaganda.
''It is important that there are frequent meetings between ministers of state and party functionaries so as to bring government closer to the party''. He announced that the party was thinking of setting up a training centre for constituency executives next year so that they could build upon the vision of the founding fathers.
Mr Commey appealed to civil and public servants to support the government in its new vision of positive change for the country. Mr Sam Cudjoe, the Ashanti Region Secretary of the NPP, appealed to the Constituency Executive to work hard to consolidate the gains made so far and to implement the President's declaration of zero tolerance. He appealed to Ghanaians to bear with the government in spite of the difficulties, saying that there were signs that the government would deliver on its promises.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 15 April 2002 - Armed robbers numbering four in the early hours of Monday attacked and killed the Managing Director of BRM Wood Processing Company, Mr Roberto Massimo at his North Ola residence, a suburb of Cape Coast.
Briefing newsmen at Cape Coast, Mr Patrick Ampawuah, Deputy Regional Police Commander, said at about 0130 hours four armed robbers jumped over the wall of the deceased's house and tied the hands of the watchman, Shaibu Mohammed.
They then used concrete blocks to force open the main door to the house. Mr Ampawuah said they went to the door of one of the rooms which was occupied by a visitor who had come to place order for some processed wood and started banging at it.
The man refused to open so they shot through the door, forcing him to open it. He said they collected four million cedis, a mobile phone and a wristwatch from him after which they moved to the apartment of Mr Massimo.
Mr Massimo had then moved to the bathroom when he heard the robbers attacking his visitor. They entered the bathroom and shot him twice in the upper shoulder. Mr Ampawuah said they ransacked the room, took a bag containing an unspecified amount of money which was to be used in paying some chiefs the following day, a television set, a video deck and other valuable items, packed them into his car and drove off.
He said when the Police were informed they went to the scene and took Mr Massimo to the Central Regional Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Mr Ampawuah said no arrest had been made yet and called on the public to come out with any information that would lead to the arrest of the armed robbers.
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International Conference on Water opens in
Accra.
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday called on African countries to harvest and use water purposefully and efficiently to improve the lives of the people.
He said, "water is not only the source of all life, it is also crucial to development and if Africa is to make a headway in moving the continent forward and improve upon the lives of the peoples, it has to learn to harvest and use water purposefully and efficiently".
President Kufuor made the call when delivering the keynote address at the three-day Regional Stakeholders' Conference for Priority Setting on Water and Sustainable Development in Africa, which opened in Accra.
The Conference being hosted by the Ministry of Works and Housing was organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute, Water Resources Commission of Ghana and sponsored by the Netherlands Government. It was to provide an excellent opportunity to promote effective consultations between different constituencies in the water and development sectors.
In attendance were the visiting Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, politicians, government officials, the private sector, multilateral development institutions and civil society organisations. President Kufuor said although Africa was the continent of the Sahara and Kalahari Deserts, it also had many great rivers such as the Nile, Congo, Niger, Limpopo, Volta and lakes.
He said though water should under normal circumstances pose a constraint to development in view of the abundant water resources of the continent, it was sad that Africa was at the mercy of the dangers posed by the excess and scarcity of water because the knowledge and technical know-how needed to manage and develop this vital resource had been in very short supply and the required investment negligible.
"Africa has, therefore, been reduced to a continent of natural disasters alternating between droughts with dehumanising famine and deluges that sweep away everything in their wake like homes, infrastructure, livestock and human lives", he said. President Kufuor said in much the same way, some historic towns, fine beaches and ecosystems were lost to uncontrolled ravages of the sea while Africa looked on helplessly.
He said the urgency of taming and harnessing water for sustained development and improvement of life in Africa could not be overemphasised, adding, "it is because we must get mastery over water that Ghana and her neighbours must seek capital, technical know-how, management and committed partners. This is the only way to ensure access to safe and sufficient water on sustainable basis for the health and the well-being of our people".
President Kufuor said it was not possible to acquire the know-how and technology to develop water resources without cost and the current universal problem of major infrastructure developments tending to tamper with the eco-balance of the environment. He said the continent's future depended on finding ways to resolve the challenges posed by the sustained provision of water to meet social and development needs.
President Kufuor suggested that the necessary partnerships to attract investment in the water sector should be examined on a case-by-case basis to ensure a balance between effective supply and conscionable economy. "Unnecessary suspicion of motives should be (avoided) and a bipartisan approach should be cultivated," he added.
Mr Ahmed Bahgat, Vice-President of the AfDB in charge of Finance and Planning, said since the adoption of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) policy of the bank about three years ago it had invested about 4.9 billion dollars in the water sector in the region.
This includes water supply, sanitation, irrigation and power, and these represented over 13 per cent of the bank's lending portfolio. He said it was estimated that about 20 billion dollars of investment annually was required in Africa to achieve the main targets in the World Water Vision by 2015.
Mr Bahgat pledged the bank's commitment to support and promote initiatives in the water sector to help reduce poverty and promote sustainable economic development in Africa.
He said the bank recognised how important water was to the achievement of these goals through its impact on agriculture, health, education and other economic activities and was, therefore, determined to work together with other institutions to help propel the African region towards the path of sustained socio-economic development.
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Ajumako (Central Region) 16 April 2002 - The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kenneth Obempong has denied he continued to collect his salary as a teacher after he was appointed DCE.
Speaking at a press conference at Ajumako on Monday in reaction to accusation by one Seth Akyirefi, a citizen of Ajumako, Mr Obempong said even though he had been granted secondment by the Ghana Education Service (GES) his name still appeared on its pay voucher six months after his appointment as DCE.
He said he became aware of this anomaly following an audit query during the recent head count of teachers in the district. Mr Obempong, therefore, paid into government's chest 5,367,051 cedis salary that went into his bank account. He also denied he had bought two taxi cabs since his appointment saying he owned a taxi cab number GR 5633 G and a motor-bike number ER 4651 C before he became DCE.
Mr Obempong said he sold the old taxi and bought another one number GT 8912 Q. "I am not a poor teacher as Mr Akyirefi sought to portray," he said and added that he owned a two-bedroom house that he was in the process of extending before his appointment.
He said before he took office as DCE in February 2001 he made his personality notes available to the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) that covered his properties. Mr Obempong said his administration was open to all citizens and appealed to anyone who had any genuine concern to seek clarification instead of telling lies about people in authority.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002 - The Attorney General's Department is working on the final phase of the docket for the prosecution of the Policemen implicated in the9 May Accra Sports Stadium Disaster.
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 and other national security issues on Monday. He said in line with the government's aim of making the rule of law the hall mark of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government all the officer's found to have been implicated in the event would face criminal prosecution for the reckless use of firearms.
A Presidential Commission of Inquiry was set-up immediately after the incident to investigate and make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of the incident in which about 126 football fans died and many others were injured.
Mr Sam Okudzeto, a lawyer and Chairman of the Commission, who presented the report to government in July last year, described some of the policemen, who gave evidence at the inquiry, as dishonest and said they should be punished to act as a deterrent to people in public service.
The report identified laxity in record keeping and cited the armoury record book, in which arms issued and returned were haphazardly recorded. Mr Okudzeto said the most disturbing thing that came to their notice was that officers and men, who went to the stadium on the day of the disaster were not recorded in the station diary of the Police Striking Force.
"The Officer In-Charge of the Station detected in the evening that false entries were made in the register indicating that the men left for the stadium after 5.00 p.m. when indeed they left in the morning."
On the Stadium Disaster Fund, Mr Ayim said the amount generated would be disbursed as part of activities marking the first anniversary cerebration on 9 May 2002. In the Yendi tragedy, the Special Assistant said another person had been arrested and was assisting the Criminal Investigation Team while there was calm at both Yendi and Tamale.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002- An Accra High Court would on Tuesday begin hearing the case of Charles Ebo Quansah, a self-confessed serial killer. Quansah charged with murder, is alleged to have confessed to the killing of eight women in Accra and Kumasi.
He has since been in prison custody while a bill of indictment and summary of evidence was being prepared by the Attorney General Office to begin his trial. On 15 March, this year an Accra Community Tribunal committed Quansah to a High Court to stand trial on the murder of one Akua Serwa, a 24-year-old hairdresser in Kumasi.
Quansah, 33, a mechanic and a driver resides at Adenta while the deceased lived in Kumasi. The facts of the case in respect of the murder of Serwah were that in 1996, while serving a prison term for robbery at the Nsawam Medium Prisons Quansah met a mate William Bittar, a Lebanese, who helped him to secure a job in Kumasi.
Accused befriended Serwah in 1996 while in Kumasi where he allegedly strangled her after a drinking spree at a drinking Bar, near the Kumasi Sports Stadium. A Police statement issued on 15 May, last year, alleged that Quansah killed women in Kumasi and Dansoman, Matehako and Adenta all in Accra.
The statement said Quansah, who hails from Komenda in the Central Region, allegedly killed the women by strangulation. He was arrested at his Adenta residence in February last year following intensified investigations into the serial murders including the setting up of a special team made up of experts in crime scene management and interrogation. The Police said Quansah had severed jail terms at the James Fort and Nsawam Medium Prisons for rape.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002- Dr Ram Beckley, an occultist and medical practitioner, was on Monday remanded into prison custody for kidnapping by the Adjabeng Community Tribunal presided over by Ms Elizabeth Ankomah.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and would reappear on 22 April 2002. Dr Beckley was arrested on Saturday night after police received a complaint from a parent that her daughter was allegedly abducted by the accused on Friday evening.
An angry mob set ablaze his residence and property running into millions of cedis at New Gbawe in Accra. Police are investigating complaints that Dr Beckley abducted two teenage girls to his house after luring them that he wanted to purchase some tomatoes they were selling.
Dr Kofi Kesse Manfo, Greater Accra Regional Commander, told the GNA that as at 1400 hours on Monday about 5,000 people were still at the residence and hampering the work of Police investigators, who wanted to ascertain evidence at the site.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002- The Minister of Local Government, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has expressed satisfaction with the operations of Konongo Rice Mills and rice production in the district and assured the management and staff of support from the District Assembly, the Ministry of Agriculture to increase productivity.
A statement issued in Accra said Mr. Frank Asante, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry said the Minister, who is also the MP for Asante-Akim North, was speaking when he interacted with the staff of the Rice Mills during a tour of his constituency to explain government's policies to them.
The statement said the Manager of Rice Mills, Mr. Amadu Dagomba called for support to replace obsolete equipment, saying a lot of traders patronised the factory. Mr. Dagomba said their operations had enhanced rice farming in the district as farmers milled their produce with little difficulty. Rice Mills employs about 10 people from the district, he said.
According to the statement, the MP, who was accompanied by the District Chief Executive, Mr George Frimpong also visited Ananekrom and Kwaakoko in the Afram Plains, where he inspected the reconstruction of Agogo-Ananekrom-Dukusen road and bridges under the Village Infrastructure Project, rural water supply by World Vision International, construction of market for farmers and traders from Serebuso, Nhyiam, Nsuoyaneye, Frifere and Agogo.
He also inspected a new clinic, which was constructed with funds from the district assemblies common fund, a toilet being built under VIP. Mr Baah-Wiredu praised the people for their communal spirit and urged them to continue. He interacted with the various groups in the village, processing cassava into gari and urged them to process more because there is market for gari in the country. Mr. Baah-Weredu donated books and other teaching aids to the schools in the towns.
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18 curfew breakers before court
Tamale (Northern Region) 16 April 2002 - Eighteen people were on Monday arraigned at the Tamale Circuit Court for breaking the curfew imposed on the Dagbon Traditional Area.
All the suspects, who pleaded not guilty, were released on bail to reappear on 16 April 2002. The Prosecution told the court that the 18 were found on the streets during the curfew period but the suspects alleged that they were either arrested on their verandas or in the toilet.
Meanwhile more than 60 other curfew breakers are to be put before court on different dates. The Military Patrol Team enforcing the curfew had warned that it would continue to arrest those who broke the curfew.
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Elmina (Central Region) 16 April 2002- His royal Highness Willem -Alexander, the crown Prince of the Netherlands and his wife, Her Royal Highness Princess Maxima, who are in the country on a four-day official visit, on Monday undertook a walking tour of some historical sites at Elmina.
The visit of the Royal couple, among other dignitaries accompanied by the wife of the Vice -President, Hajia Rhamatu Mahama, Senior Minister, Mr J. H. Mensah and the Minister for Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey to the town
It was to cement diplomatic relations between the people of Elmina and the Netherlands, which dates back 300 years. The couple was given a rousing welcome by school children that had lined the streets waving miniature Ghanaian and Netherlands flags and some older residents when they arrived at around 15.30 hours.
The walking tour took them through some of the principal streets and the 'Mpoben' landing beach, where His Royal Highness interacted with a fisherman mending his net, the Dutch cemetery and the Elmina Castle.
The couple was later in the evening, treated to a musical concert at the castle. His Royal Highness, had earlier address the opening of the 'Elmina Town Consultation forum', to evolve a strategy towards the implementation of the 'Elmina Cultural Heritage and Management Programme,' at the castle.
The Programme, a joint initiative of the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) in the Netherlands and some local institutions, is aimed at ensuring the integrated development of the resources of the area including its tourists attractions and other economic activities like the fishing industry, for accelerated development. Prince Willem recounted the start of diplomatic relations between his country and Elmina, which he said was marred by the slave trade and said, "we look back on the dark ages with remorse."
He underscored the importance of the programme, which he said "has its sights firmly on the future," stressing that the town has great potential not only in its salt and fishing industry, but also in tourism. Mr Mensah was happy about the level of participation in the forum, which involved traditional rulers and entrepreneurs, and assured them of the government's preparedness to help in the implementation.
Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, Komenda-Edina- Eguafo-Abrem District Chief Executive, and the paramount chief of the Edina traditional area, Nana Kodwo Conduah graced the occasion. The chiefs presented a number of gifts to the couple.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2002- The All-Africa Students Union (AASU) on Monday expressed concern about the worsening situation in the Middle East and called for the implementation of UN resolutions relevant to the Palestine question.
In a statement issued in Accra, the Union said the continued occupation of Palestine with its closure of settlements; military oppression and economic strangulation by Israel remained the single most prohibitive obstacles to peace.
"We further declare that the immediate protection of the Palestine civilian population by an international presence is imperative," AASU said in the statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Anyars Imoro, Deputy Secretary General.
"We urge the United Nations Security Council to immediately place such a force in Palestine to serve as a global watch and physical presence in order to reduce violence." AASU said the deliberate curtailing of the freedoms of the Palestinian people and the defiant use of deadly and sophisticated weapons by the Israelis had heightened the suffering of the Palestinian people.
The US Secretary of State Colin Powell is in the Middle East to help broker peace after violence escalated when Israel sent in tanks, supported by helicopter gunships and jets into Palestinian cities saying it was hunting down terrorists. Israel had killed hundreds of Palestinians in the latest confrontation.
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