Nurses reject appeal to resume duty in Sekondi
Rawlings receives message from Jamaican Premier
Soldiers worried over civilians in military uniforms
Tema Assembly suspends MP from meetings
Police record high sexual cases
Suspected members of car stealing syndicate arrested
Students Unions can be tools for development, Mrs Mills
CP Regional Chairman and Secretary deny bribery charge
"Do not be alarmed", says Meteo Department
Cutlasses gift for Nsoatre NDC women
Nurses reject appeal to resume duty in Sekondi
Sekondi (Western Region) 5 Aug. ’99
Striking junior nurses at Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the Western Region Health Directorate to return to work on humanitarian grounds.
This was after a three-and-a-half-hour meeting with officials of the Health Directorate, led by Dr (Alhaji) Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Western Regional Director of Health Services.
The nurses said they would resume duty only after disparities in extra duty allowances have been addressed.
In another development nurses and para-medical workers at Sunyani Government General Hospital on Wednesday embarked on a strike action to back their demand for the payment of their extra-duty allowances.Though the government has released 130 million cedis for the allowances, they decided to embark on the strike action, saying their colleagues at the Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye Hospitals had received higher allowances than them.
The Deputy Regional Minister, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, appealed to the workers to rescind their decision and go back to work for the sake of the sick and the dying.
He said since their profession is a divine calling, they must show more sense of sympathy and loving care for the sick.
Alhaji Adam said government is more concerned and committed to the affairs of health workers in the country and appealed to them to resort to diplomacy in solving any problem that may crop up.
"Your services to the nation are indispensable and cannot be quantified in terms of money," he remarked.
At the Tamale Regional hospital Junior nurses have threatened to resort to another industrial action if by the end of this month, disparities in their extra duty allowances are not rectified.
At a press conference in Tamale on Wednesday, the nurses declined to specify what form the industrial action would take but said "they will advise themselves if they are not paid the correct amounts from January to July".
Also in Accra, Junior nurses and para-medicals in the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday resolved to present their petition to President Jerry John Rawlings at the Castle on Friday after a peaceful demonstration.
At a meeting held at Ridge Hospital in Accra, the nurses claimed that the money allocated to them by the Ministry of Health as their overtime allowance has been slashed by more than half for reasons unknown to them.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Augustine Odoom, a representative of the nurses, said the situation is now getting out of hands and it is time the president steps in to solve it once and for all.
Citing Accra Psychiatric Hospital as an example, he claimed that out of the 267 million cedis allocated to nurses, only 140 million cedis was made available to them.
"Where has the difference of 147 million cedis gone? We know the amount given to all the hospitals and the formula for disbursement and we are not going to accept this lie because we have the master list from the ministry with us."
Meanwhile, the entire 252 nurses and paramedical staff of the Wa Regional hospital on Wednesday went on strike to protest against the disparity in the payment of overtime allowances between them and their colleagues in the teaching hospitals.
Carrying placards some of which read "no equity, no work", "Nursing in Korle Bu is the same as in Wa", they vowed not to resume work until the situation is resolved.
They later presented a resolution signed by Mr Lawrence Nankuni Walter, regional chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association to Mr Charles Kunko, Deputy Director of Nursing Services.
The resolution said whereas their colleagues in the teaching hospitals collected between 400,000 cedis and 900,000 cedis, they in the Wa hospital had between 70,000 cedis and 158,00 cedis.
They contended that because of inadequate staffing in hospitals in the deprived areas, "we have more workload than the other areas, hence the justification for our action."
Junior nurses here have been on strike at one time or the other for the past month over extra duty allowance.
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Rawlings receives message from Jamaican Premier
Accra (Greater Accra) 5 Aug ’99
President Jerry John Rawlings said on Wednesday that PANAFEST, which assembles blacks in the Diaspora, could be utilised in solving problems that impede Africa's development.
President Rawlings said the festival, apart from serving a cultural purpose, could be a forum for identifying and proposing solutions to the many problems facing the continent.
The President said this when he received a special message from Mr Percival J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica, at the Castle, Osu.
The message was delivered by Mrs Phyllis Mitchell, Minister of State for Education and Culture, who is leading Jamaica's 25-member delegation to PANAFEST.
President Rawlings said the festival should not be used only to remind blacks of the era of the slave trade but must also be used to chart a course for the future.
He mentioned conflict areas such as Sierra Leone where a peace agreement has been signed, Congo, Somalia, Sudan and others and said "these are painful situations which we need to resolve".
Mr Victor Gbeho, Foreign Affairs Minister, said Ghana and Jamaica have enjoyed good relations over the years, mentioning education and culture as the main areas of co-operation.
He said immediately after independence, Jamaican academicians served in some of Ghana's institutions of higher learning as well as in the judiciary.
"Therefore, it is not surprising that Premier Patterson is willing to expand this co-operation."
Mrs Mitchell praised the interest PANAFEST has generated among blacks in the diaspora and said "it is through education and culture that we can bring blacks all over the world together.
"PANAFEST is good, it has blossomed and will grow from strength to strength. It has increased awareness among those of us in the diaspora".
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Soldiers worried over civilians in military uniforms
Tamale (Northern Region) 5 Aug ’99
Personnel of the Tamale Garrison of the Ghana Armed forces have expressed concern over the use of military uniforms by civilians and called for steps to stop the practice.
Soldiers at Tamale raised the issue during a durbar to round off a visit by Dr Tony Aidoo, Deputy Minister of Defence, on a day's tour of military establishments in Tamale on Tuesday.
Dr Aidoo inspected facilities at the Tamale Airforce station, the Airborne Force and the Sixth Battalion of Infantry to acquaint himself with their problems.
The soldiers noted that their uniforms are used by unscrupulous people to commit various crimes.
This, they said, has given the military a bad image and undermined the respect and confidence that people have for the military.
Dr Aidoo advised the media not to publish material that would cause disaffection among the armed forces.
He cited a publication by a newspaper five years ago which said soldiers on peacekeeping operations are given only 50 per cent of their daily earnings while the rest is paid into government coffers.
Mr Aidoo explained that this has become necessary because the government is unable to bear the full cost of such operations.
He said the rational for this policy is to enable Ghana to continue to participate in peacekeeping operations in spite of her financial problems saying soldiers should do well to bear this in mind since it is in their interest.
Dr Aidoo commended personnel of the garrison for their role in "operation Gonggong" which helped to contain the 1994 ethnic conflict in the Northern Region and which restored peace and tranquillity in those areas.
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Tema Assembly suspends MP from meetings
Tema (Greater Accra) 5 Aug. ’99
The Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) has voted to suspend, Mr Ishmael Ashitey, MP for Tema East Constituency, for two consecutive meetings, for his persistent misconduct towards the Assembly.
There were 51 votes in favour of the suspension, five against and eight abstentions.
The vote, taken after a lengthy debate on the conduct of Mr Ashitey at the assembly's general meeting at Tema, was in accordance with the Local Government Act of 1993 (Act 462).
Mr Ashitey (MP) was accused of levelling unsubstantiated allegations against the Assembly in some media reports.
A committee which was subsequently set up to investigate the allegations called on r Ashitey to apologise to the house but he allegedly refused to do so.
He is accused of saying that the Assembly discriminates against his constituency in terms of development, and described that as wicked, immoral and improper.
He is said to have said that the assembly is run on partisan basis, because projects were limited to only NDC constituencies.
Sub-Sections four and five of the Local Government Act say that a member of the Assembly who refuses to render an apology in accordance with the section shall be suspended for two consecutive meetings of the Assembly.
The person so suspended shall in addition lose all his privileges, immunities and allowances in respect of his membership of the Assembly until such time as he apologises.
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Police record high sexual cases
Accra (Greater Accra) 5 Aug. ’99
Ninety-three cases of rape, defilement and assault on women were reported at the Women and Juvenile Unit of the Police Service (WAJU) between January to July.
The cases were 40 on defilement, seven on rape and 46 on assault of women.
Commenting on the statistics, Inspector Tawiah Yartey, Station Officer, of the Unit, attributed the situation to moral decadence in society.
"Most of the child victims are ignorant of the tricks used by these men and are often taken by surprise.
"The issue of moral decadence has led to decent men stooping so low to the extent of defiling children of their daughters ages."
The station officer said offenders were mostly family members, pastors, teachers and sometimes strangers.
He said offenders usually lure the victims with gifts and in most cases send them to run errands.
Sentences on rape are mandatory ranging from 7-25 years in prison depending on the circumstances.
The Police, he said, do not have the mandate to request suspects to undergo medical examination on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV but rather could appeal to the court to issue an order for an offender to be examined.
He said, there are no specific laws covering those with STDs and HIV but stiffer sentences were often given because it is assumed as a deliberate act to spread the disease.
Inspector Tawiah advised parents not to leave their children in situations where they can be sexually abused.
"Parents should be careful, who they leave their children with and where they leave them".
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Agona Swedru (Central Region) 5 Aug.’99
Mr Saeed Mustafa, an official of Arab Contractors Company in charge of fuel, and another worker, were brutally assaulted by some angry workers of the company, who have embarked on a strike action.
The other worker is Mr Benjamin Asamoah, a tanker driver.
Mr Asamoah said the workers, wielding cutlasses, knives and other offensive weapons, chased them from Gomoa Osamkrom to Gomoa Potsin, where they assaulted them.
According to him, the workers started threatening them as soon as they arrived at Gomoa Abasa, where the company is constructing a bridge.
The workers of the company, constructing the Winneba Junction-Oda road, have embarked on strike to demand better conditions of service.
Mr Samuel Anni-Sky, administrative manager of the company, told newsmen at Agona Swedru on Wednesday that the company pays the workers according to their collective agreement.
He said 15 workers have been identified as being behind the attack on Mr Mustafa.
The Administrative Manager explained that the assault might have stemmed from punishment meted out to Mr Abraham Armanugi, a pay-loader driver who used his vehicle to do a private job.
When Mr Armanugi was found out, Mr Mustafa ordered the accountant to deduct two days' remuneration from his salary. He was also suspended for one week.
The workers have complained about non-payment of overtime allowances, medical bills, disparities in salaries and denial of other fringe benefits.
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Suspected members of car stealing syndicate arrested
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 5 Aug. ’99
Police has arrested and detained in Berekum four suspected criminals believed to be members of a car-stealing syndicate operating between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.
A Peugeot 406 saloon car with registration number GR 369Q and a blue Honda Civic, registration number GR 4907 and used by the suspects have been impounded.
Three of the suspects gave their names as Robert Yaw Bada, 31, Kofi Nsiah, 35, and Eric Gyan, 31.
The fourth suspect, who produced an Ivorian citizenship identity card bearing the name Kofi Tanor Kyeremeh, claimed ownership of the cars but could not produce documents covering them.
The Berekum Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent J.K. Yali, said Kyeremeh said during interrogation that he bought the cars from one William Quarshie, who is resident in Cote d'Ivoire, for five million cedis each.
Mr Yali said Kyeremeh tried to bribe the police with six million cedis, but they rejected it and arrested the suspects.
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Students Unions can be tools for development, Mrs Mills
Accra (Greater Accra) 5 Aug. ’99
Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, wife of the Vice- President, said on Wednesday that student unions are a potential force for development if their objectives are the right ones.
"They are a means of harnessing the youthful energies of students into pursuits whilst at the same time helping them to widen their perspectives and interests".
Speaking at the inauguration of the Dangme Students Union and Associates (DANSU), Accra Polytechnic Chapter, Mrs Mills said students unions are particularly useful for the youth because of the many enticing temptations, which beset young people today.
"You are indiscriminately bombarded through films, videos, magazines and other media channels with materialistic ideas and images, which glorify wealth, beauty and success no matter how they are obtained, and marginalise moral values".
A sad development among many of the youth these days is the lack of ability to think for themselves.
"Peer pressure from friends urges you to do things their way.
" Whilst peer pressure can sometimes be positive, more often it leads young people into conforming with the fashions and activities of the group, be it drinking, the use of drugs and premature sexual activity.''
Mrs Mills said young people find themselves doing what they know to be wrong but because they want to prove to friends that "they are not cowards or that they also are 'cool'."
She advised them to resist such tendencies, adding, "one of the reasons for going to school is to develop your mind to be able to take decisions for yourself".
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CP Regional Chairman and Secretary deny bribery charge
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 5 Aug. ’99
The Ashanti Regional Chairman and Secretary of the Convention Party (CP), Mr G. K. Appiah and Mr Kwabena Anim have denied the bribery and corruption charges levelled against them by some constituency executives of the party.
Reacting to the allegations, the two said there was no meeting at which the Regional Chairman informed members of any 25,000 cedis for distribution to the delegates from one of the candidates bidding for the party's national chairmanship.
They said they received official money from the party headquarters for the delegates to attend the first national congress, which the chairman distributed to all the constituencies that participated.
The two executive members said it is not true that the Ejura, New Edubiase and Fomena constituencies declined a bribe offer as no such offer was ever made.
They stated that there is no conflict between the two of them and that there has never been an occasion when the Regional Chairman rejected any money from the Regional Secretary.
The unconstitutional action taken by a few members against the regional leadership, which is determined to build the party into a formidable one in the region, was "a calculated attempt to destroy the initial gains made so far", they said.
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"Do not be alarmed", says Meteo Department
Accra (Greater Accra) 5 Aug. ’99
The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) said it observed an optical phenomenon in a form of rings of various colours forming a halo around the sun on Wednesday morning.
A statement from the MSD in Accra said the phenomenon, which was observed in Accra, Takoradi and other parts of the country is produced when sun-light is separated or refracted into its various component colours by ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.
The statement said it is a natural phenomenon, which occurs when the atmosphere is quiet and asked the public not to be alarmed.
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Cutlasses gift for Nsoatre NDC women
Nsoatre (Brong Ahafo) 5 Aug. ’99
The Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has presented 120 cutlasses to the Nsoatre constituency branch of the party at a brief ceremony at Nsoatre on Tuesday.
Miss Franklina Asamoah, Regional Women's Organiser of the party made the presentation on behalf of the party's regional chairman, Alhaji Abdallah Ahmed.
She said the presentation was enough proof that the NDC attaches great importance to agriculture and advised the executives to involve the youth in their agricultural programmes to produce more food and to enhance their living standards.
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