President Kufuor gives two ministers
additional assignments
Nana Twum Barima acquitted and discharged of
grave looting charges
Serial killer faces another murder charge
Chief calls for enforcement of traditional
norms and taboos
Ho nurses petition Ministry of Health
Former Northern Regional Minister explains
resignation
NCCE outlines activities for Second
Constitution week
More education needed for medical
practitioners - Minister
Thirty-five years' old chieftaincy dispute
settled
Africa should seek progress from within -
Minister
Chiefs and Amankrados have no right to
destool - Kingmakers
Student's leg cut off in a freak accident
Minister commissions European Union projects
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- His Royal Highness, Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife, Princess Maxima of the Netherlands left Accra on Wednesday evening for home after a four-day official visit.
They were seen off at the Airport by Vice President Aliu Mahama and his wife, Hajia Ramatu Mahama, some minister of state and the Netherlands Ambassador, Mr Alexander Heldring.
The couple was in the country to celebrate 300 years of Ghana/Netherlands relations. While in the country, the couple paid a courtesy call on President J. A. Kufuor and participated in the International Water Management Conference in Accra.
The royal couple also visited the Cape Coast and Elmina castles and Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, Asantehene, organised a mini durbar in their honour at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. They also watched a photo exhibition at the National Theatre and met with officials of the Institute of Economic Affairs.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- The Accra Water Conference ended on Wednesday with a declaration calling for a series of concrete steps that would cut the portion of Africa without access to safe water by 75 per cent by 2025.
These include improved access to potable water services and sanitation, water use to address food security and income generation, integrated water resource management (IWRM) and national and shared water basins and water-related disaster prevention, mitigation and management.
Other steps are empowerment and capacity building focused on improving equity and gender and pro-water governance and water supplies. The Accra Conference has been described as the continent's most ambitious attempt ever to solve the continent's severe water crisis. The Declaration noted that Africa had the worst water situation than any continent. "Only about 60 per cent of Africa's 680 million people have access to safe water supplies," it said.
"People in the worst-off 40 countries, at least half of them in Africa, must try and meet all their water and sanitation needs on an average of 30 litres or less per day (eight gallons), far less than 50 litres (13.2 gallons) per day level that the United Nations says constitutes the absolute minimum for water needs.
"The daily per capita water requirements include five litres for drinking, 20 for sanitation and hygiene, 15 for bathing and 10 for food preparation, per person." Globally, more than one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and half of the population lacks adequate sanitation. More than two million people die annually from water-related diseases.
About 300 delegates, including government officials from all sub-Sahara, representatives of industrial countries, international organisations such as the World Bank, UN, private industry and NGOs attended the Conference. The guest of honour was the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, who is a special adviser to the UN Secretary-General.
Delegates met in both general sessions and specialised meetings in working groups on such subjects such as "water-food security and international agricultural trade," and "water and sustainable development in Africa"
The Accra Declaration said: "Water is the basis of life and development and its use and protection must underpin the rejuvenation of Africa and the achievement of all goals established by African Heads of State in the Millennium Declaration of 2000."
The Declaration also backed the New Partnership for Africa's development (NEPAD), describing it as a "bold initiative whose success will require the application of all of Africa's human, economic, technological and natural resources."
"We have concluded that water can make an immense difference to Africa's development if it is managed and used wisely," the Declaration said. "Given clear priorities and strategies and real commitments to implementation, we can use water to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development in Africa."
The delegates said the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable development and the Kyoto Third Water Forum offer the opportunity to report, evaluate and account in structured manner on progress made since the Hague World Water Forum in 2000 at which Frameworks for Action were established.
"We recommend that these be used to review both global and African progress and identify and propose actions to bridge any gaps that may appear between commitments, delivery and goals."
The delegates said Africa had to develop specific action programmes to meet the challenge so that the proportion of Africans without access to basic water supply and sanitation is reduced by 50 per cent by 2015 and 75 per cent by 2025.
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President Kufuor gives two ministers
additional assignments
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday assigned two ministers additional duties, a statement from the office of the president said in Accra.
According to the statement signed by Mr Kwabena Agyepong, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence will temporally be responsible for the Ministry of Interior, while Mr Ernest K. Debrah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, takes over the running of the Northern Region.
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Nana Twum Barima acquitted and discharged
of grave looting charges
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 April 2002-Nana Twum Barima II, former chief of Twumduase near Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi who was accused of grave looting has been acquitted and discharged by a Kumasi circuit tribunal, chaired by Mr. E.Y. Obimpe.
Nana Twum Barima and his driver, Kwame Poku were charged with two counts of disinterment of the body of the dead and unlawful exhumation. They pleaded not guilty to the charges. The tribunal, in acquitting and discharging the accused held that there was no evidence against them.
It upheld the argument by the counsel for the accused, Mr. Dennis Adjei, that evidence against them did not disclose any prima facie case and that the prosecution failed to prove that they committed the offences.
The tribunal took a serious view of the disinterest shown by the prosecution in the case, noting that since it called the first prosecution witness on 1 September 2000, it took 14 adjournments to call the next witness on 3 May, 2001. After 3 May 2001, the case was again adjourned for 14 times and prosecution could not even bring back the second prosecution witness for cross-examination.
The case of the prosecution was that the two, in June 1999, exhumed the remains of the grandparents of Opanin Kwabena Owusu and Madam Adiyia without consent of the Minister of Local Government.
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Serial killer faces another murder charge
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- A Community Tribunal in Accra on Wednesday committed, Charles Quansah, a self-confessed serial killer, to stand trial at a High Court for allegedly murdering one Millicent Mawunya Adeku at Adenta. In the dock, Quansah, 33, a mechanic told the tribunal, chaired by Mr. Kojo Owusu that while he was in custody, he was served with a bill of indictment.
According to him, he did not know the deceased but one Malik informed him, that a woman was found dead at Adenta that morning, saying, he intends calling Malik as a witness in the case. The accused also explained that a "T" shirt allegedly worn by the deceased at the time of her death belonged to him.
Police Inspector Peter Benneh, who prosecuted, said that Adeku, 32, was living at Adenta Housing Down with her fiancé, Charles Kofi Sampong, who is a porter at the University of Ghana, Legon. He said Quansah, who formerly lived at Dansoman later moved to Adenta in September 2000 and that during the first week of December that year, the accused met the deceased in a drinking spot belonging to her relative, one Boamah.
The accused was said to have proposed love to the deceased but Boamah, warned him that she was married. On 10 December 2000, the deceased went to see her husband off to work at about 1500 hours at the Adenta Housing Down taxi rank, and later visited her sister Esi Kumah and Amedjo a relative. Amedjo saw her off later in the day but that was the last time the deceased was seen.
According to the prosecutor, Adeku was seen dead on 11 December 2000 behind a house at Pawpaw Street, Adenta Housing Down. It was detected that the "T" shirt that the deceased was wearing the previous day was missing and that her body was lying naked with her legs widely opened, exposing her genital organs.
" She was found to have defecated with faeces and blood around her anus," the prosecutor added. Inspector Benneh said the deceased's panties was also found beside her and smeared with faeces, while the skirt was pulled to her waist. The prosecutor said autopsy conducted on the body revealed that the deceased was strangled. He said that police investigations led to the arrest of Quansah and also the recovery of the missing "T" shirt in his house.
Quansah denied having murdered the deceased, but later broke down in tears and explained that he was possessed by an evil spirit that attacks people who offended him and that the deceased once insulted him at a drinking bar. The prosecutor said, the accused confessed that when he met the deceased on the night of 10 December 2000 he became possessed and therefore, strangled Adeku to death.
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Chief calls for enforcement of traditional
norms and taboos
Kintampo (Brong Ahafo) 18 April 2002- Nana Asare Akomeah II, Chief of Jema and Kyidomhene of Nkoranza Traditional Area, has called for the re-introduction and strict enforcement and observance of traditional norms and taboos to preserve the environment.
He noted that, "taboos were used by our forefathers to protect, especially water sources and the forests against rampant degradation." Nana Asare made the call in Kintampo at a cultural festival by schools in the Kintampo District.
The Kyidomhene said cultural festivals promoted bilateral and multilateral trade, and appealed to pupils and students to cultivate interest in their culture to help themselves and the nation. "As a traditional head I will not leave any stone unturned to see that the culture of my people are preserved and protected in order to uphold the dignity of our heritage," he added.
Mr J.K. Bomfeh, District Chief Executive, called on stakeholders in education to ensure that cultural studies and practices were encouraged both in first and second cycle institutions. He called on the Ghana Education Service to involve private schools in such cultural festivals, "since children in those institutions are also Ghanaians." Mr Bomfeh gave the assurance that the district assembly would help promote cultural festivals in the district.
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Ho nurses petition Ministry of Health
Ho (Volta Region) 18 April 2002- The Volta Regional Council of the Ghana Registers Nurses Association (GRNA) on Wednesday petitioned the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to urgently address the irregularities and delay in the payment of their Additional Duty Hour Allowance (ADHA) to forestall the current drift of nurses to other regions.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Mr Samuel MacCarthy, Regional Secretary of GRNA and copied to the media in Ho. It observed that the additional duty hours made did not commensurate with the ADHA, even though nurses in the Volta Region perform the same or even more duty hours as their counterparts in other regions.
The statement also said an equivalent of about 20 hours was being paid nurses whilst other health professionals continue to draw their maximum 200 hours per month in the region.
It described the situation as creating dissatisfaction among nurses culminating in the migration of personnel to other regions thereby over-burdening the few working at the region's health institutions. "There is, therefore, agitation in the nurse's front in the region which could explode if the anomalies of the ADHA were not corrected immediately," the statement said.
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Former Northern Regional Minister explains
resignation
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- Mr Prince Imoro Andani, former Northern Regional Minister said on Wednesday that his resignation was neither to acknowledge responsibility for the 27 March incident at Yendi, nor to admit guilt of wild allegations and charges by certain parties to the incident.
He said it was rather "a move out of the saddle as Regional Minister to give the security agencies and government the necessary free hand to conduct thorough investigations into the matter and unearth the truth without giving those who seek to exploit the tragedy for their parochial interests the opportunity to do so."
In a statement signed by him and routed through the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr Andani said after his resignation and its acceptance by the President, he decided to place himself at the service of the region and to assist in efforts to ensure a speedy return of Dagbon to normalcy, "more especially since I continue to occupy the Residency."
This, the former minister said he had been doing without jeopardising or compromising investigations being carried out by professionals acknowledged in the field. "I have vacated my office and it is my intention to withdraw completely from the Residency as soon as practically possible."
He said he was ready, however, to assist in efforts to bring sustainable peace to Dagbon and the Northern Region. Mr Andani expressed his thanks to the President for the opportunity to serve his people and country.
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NCCE outlines activities for Second
Constitution week
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Wednesday outlined activities for the Second Constitution Week celebration coming off from 28 April to 4 May under the theme; "The Constitution, Cultural Values and Good Governance."
Mr Larry Bimi, NCCE Chairman, told the GNA that the focus of the celebration would be on how to strengthen the cultural base of constitutional democracy in the country, challenges and prospects after 10 years of democratic governance.
"This will be a period when the entire Ghanaian community would 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."
Mr Bimi said Ghana stood on the threshold of assuming the status of model democratic governance for African countries and the rest of the world through the systematic entrenchment of constitutional rule in a multi-party state. The programme starts with a press briefing on 22 April to be followed by launching on 28 April on radio. There would be an inaugural lecture on 29 April.
Mr Bimi said the role of the security services in the consolidation of democracy would be given a boost with their involvement in the celebration through durbars for personnel of the Armed Forces, Police, Immigration, Ghana National Fire, Prisons and Custom, Excise and Preventive Services.
The topic for the security services is: "Promoting Discipline and the Rule of Law in the Ghanaian Society." He reiterated the aim of the constitutional week, which is to create an increased and sustained interest and participation of all Ghanaians in the new democratic dispensation for the achievement of good governance, social and political stability for national unity and development.
The NCCE Chairman appealed to the media to adopt pragmatic programmes during the period to sensitise and educate the general public on the Constitution and how it affects them.
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More education needed for medical
practitioners - Minister
Accra (Accra Greater) 18 April 2002- The Health Minster, Dr Kwaku Afriyie on Wednesday called for an expanded and sustained medical education for doctors and other specialists in the field to ensure improved socio-economic development of the country.
"We need to ensure that the capacity and competence of health workers are developed to assess individual and communities total health needs and promote healthy lifestyles," he said. He said it was not enough to measure the work of doctors through the number of patients cured or deaths averted but by how much they contributed to change "critical development indices in the country and the sub-region."
Dr Afriyie was speaking at the opening of an international medical conference and exhibition, dubbed "Medic Africa," which is under the theme: "Working together for better health and better life." It is being organised by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and a UK firm, FSG Communications Limited.
Topics being discussed include the endemism of malaria, the impact of environmental sanitation, the extent of abortion and its management and infertility. An exhibition, showcasing various medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and consumables forms part of the conference.
Dr Afriyie said all over Africa various health reform programmes were going on due to disease trend and demographical changes and, therefore, there was the need to raise the professional competence of medical practitioners.
He said because of communication technology, people were better informed and had very high expectations of medical professionals. The Health Minister announced that the Ministry was working on a package to reward medical practitioners, who stayed to practice in the country and or work in deprived areas.
Dr Jacob Plange-Rhule, GMA President, said it was important that all stakeholders in the medical field acquainted themselves with modern medical gadgets to improve upon health care delivery.
Ms Hannah Nyamekye, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, who opened the exhibition, said: "The field of medical technology innovations is rapidly evolving worldwide and, therefore, the health professionals, who do not strive to keep up to date with it, cannot be said to be offering the best and quality care to their patients."
She appealed to health professionals to mainstream environmental issues into their activities saying the management of bio-medical waste and other waste from health facilities was an issue that the international community took seriously.
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Thirty-five years' old chieftaincy dispute
settled
Nchiraa (Bronf Ahafo) 18 April 2002- Mr Kwaku Amoa-Tutu, Chairman of Nchiraa Area Council in the Wenchi District, has appealed to the chief of the area, Nana Kwaku Tabiri 11 and his elders as well as his supporters to reconcile with an opposing faction to promote peace and understanding in the area.
The appeal followed a ruling by an Accra High Court upholding an appeal by the chief against attempts to destool him. The court's ruling settled a 35 year-old dispute in which a faction of the town stood against the chief's enstoolment.
Mr Amoa-Tutu urged the chief to "let sleeping dogs to lie" and to co-operate with the opposing faction for the development of the area. He expressed regret about how the dispute had affected the implementation of development programmes, "as it became very difficult to organise the people". ''Nana, you and your elders should restrain your supporters from celebrating the victory since it will not promote peace'', Nana Amoa-Tutu said.
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Africa should seek progress from within -
Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 April 2002- Mr M. S. Maladlana, Labour Minister of South Africa, on Wednesday said it was better for African governments to look from within the continent for solutions to problems to promote growth.
He said the differences in strengths and shortcomings of respective African countries could complement each other for the overall development of the continent. Mr Maladlana said this when he led a four-member delegation from South Africa to call on Mrs Cecelia Bannerman, Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, in Accra.
He said South Africa could learn a lot from Ghana since Ghana, unlike South Africa, had been in charge of its own affairs for a relatively long period. Mrs Bannerman said the ministry had plans to liaise with its counterpart in South Africa for new ideas that could speed up progress.
She said the main concern of the ministry was to generate rapid employment and expressed the hope that the two countries could work together to deal effectively with problems of manpower development and employment.
Mr Maladlana's is expected to visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the Cape Coast Castle and the Kakum National Park. He leaves for Ouagadougu-Burkina Faso on 19 April.
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Chiefs and Amankrados have no right to
destool - Kingmakers
Bodada (Volta Region) 18 April 2002- The Kingmakers and Council of Buem Traditional Area have disassociated themselves from the purported destoolment of Nana Aburam Akpandja IV, Buemhene.
A release to the press signed by six out of the seven kingmakers of the Traditional Council, said among other things that the chiefs and Amankrados, who met at Kudje, on 5th April and slaughtered a ram and performed rites to declare the Buemhene destooled had no legal or traditional right to do so.
"They did not enstool him and cannot destool him because none of them is a kingmaker", the released said. The Kingmakers, who signed the statement, included Abusuapayin Biakoyeya, from the Onayua family, Abusuapayin Kwasikuma, from Otibua family and Abusuapayin Boakye from Bankyira family.
The others were Abusuapayin Addison from Badomena family, Abusuapayin Osahene from Opama family and Abusuapayin Atta from Bekplukpo family. The release stated that the council or elders including the kingmakers on the 4th of January revoked the appointment of Amankrado Spra Boampong, the seventh kingmaker, for gross misconduct.
The release, therefore, noted that the action of the seventeen divisional chiefs and five Amankrados was null and void. On Friday 5th April, 17 divisional chiefs and five Amankrados of the Buem Traditional Council met at Kudje and preformed traditional rites to declare the Buemhene destooled for misconduct. Nana Owusu Akuamoah VII, the Nifahene and the chief next in seniority was mandated to act as Buemhene.
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Student's leg cut off in a freak accident
Bechem (Brong Ahaofo) 18 April 2002- Master Prince Badu, an 18-year-old student of Bechem Presbyterian Secondary School (BESS) had his right leg cut off in an accident, on Tuesday, while on his way to school. He is on admission at the Bechem Government Hospital and is responding to treatment.
An eye-witness told Ghana News Agency that an articulated truck with registration number GR 4075 P, loaded with "wawa" boards and heading towards Sunyani pulled down some telephone wires and the student, who happened to be near the area got entangled by the wires while the vehicle was in motion.
The vehicle dragged him to a distance until his right leg was cut off at the hip by the wires. Mr Issifu Habibi, a 28, driver of the vehicle, who is in police custody, admitted that his vehicle pulled down the wires but said he did not know that the student had got entangled in them.
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Minister commissions European Union
projects
Bawku (Upper East) 18 April 2002- The European Union in Ghana (EU) has constructed 113 facilities in the Upper East Region at the cost of about 9.81 billion cedis under the Phase One of its Fifth Micro Projects Programme.
So far, 59 of the facilities in six districts in the region have been completed. They include schools, market stalls, clinics, residential accommodations and hand-dug wells. The facilities are provided under a joint partnership programme between the government of Ghana and the EU geared towards developing social infrastructure in the three Northern Regions.
The Upper East Region Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu said this in an address to commission projects in the Bawku East and Bawku West Districts. At Bawku East District he commissioned a chain of market stalls, a clinic, school block and hand-dug wells. At Teshie in the Bawku West District he commissioned a three-bedroom house for nurses.
Mr Salifu said the facilities were expected to enhance the human resource base and capacities of the assemblies and communities in accounting, store management and artisan and training management.
Mr Salifu warned against situations where project funds were misapplied, material and vehicles were misused and said: "such practices should cease henceforth." He asked the assemblies to speed up submission of financial and progress reports in order to meet deadlines for the projects.
Mr Salifu urged the assemblies and communities to involve women in the execution of the projects because ''they are naturally imbued with the communal spirit''. He noted that there were duplication of projects among donor agencies and said such practices bring unhealthy rivalry.
A representative of the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Miss Kirsi Pekuri, said 27,000 Euros have been provided for the construction of 1,950 projects in the Phase One of the programme throughout the country.
Miss Pekuri urged the beneficiaries of the facilities to develop the culture of maintenance in order to prolong the life span of the facilities. She said the role of decentralised departments could not be over-emphasised adding that they play an effective collaborative roles to ensure the success of the programme.
The Deputy Programmes Manager of EU, Reverend Samuel Otu Pimpong, expressed regret that some communities are unwilling to provide communal labour, a pre-requisite for the location of a project.
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