Rawlings maintain stance on tertiary fees
NUGS rejects three billion cedis for poor students
Workers of PFC lock out management
GRNA protests against attempts to divide their group.
Girls told to excel academically
Mills expresses support for distance learning
Committee to ensure peace at Akomasi festival
Rawlings maintain stance on tertiary fees
Accra (Greater Accra), 18th August 99
President Jerry John Rawlings said on Tuesday that the government would ensure the re-opening of the universities on schedule and guarantee the safety of students.
"When the time comes, students who will show receipts indicating they have paid their fees will be admitted," he said when he granted audience to the Rt. Rev. Sam Prempeh, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, at the Castle, Osu, adding that it was unfortunate funding of tertiary education has been politicised and the main issues ignored.
Students of tertiary institutions are kicking against increase in fees and last Friday went on a demonstration that turned sour when police chased and threw teargas at them at the Osu Crossroads.
The students had intended to present a petition to the President and had formed up at the Castle junction, facing a line-up of riot police.
But pandemonium broke out when police charged on the students after they had set fire to lorry tires and miniature coffins of the President, Minister of Education, Deputy Minister of Education in charge of tertiary education and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana.
President Rawlings said the government is aware of difficulties parents face and it is doing its best to alleviate them. "We know the difficulties people are going through but when students take their legitimate protests beyond a certain limit and throw overboard logic then students lose their power."
He appealed to churches not to be silent on issues that affect the whole country. "You must play an active role in the governance of the country," he told them.
"It is part of your responsibility to remind us when we go wrong otherwise we will be knocking our heads together which is not necessary,"
Mr Nathan Quao, an adviser to the President, spoke about areas the Presbyterian Church has been active in, including education and health, and told Rev. Prempeh "it is up to you to maintain the record."
Dr Christina Amoako-Nuama, Minister of Lands and Forestry, appealed to churches to get involved in the debate on tertiary education funding.
"People have politicised the issue to our detriment. Therefore, since the churches are non-partisan if they provide a forum for the debate people will discuss the issue dispassionately."
Dr Amoako-Nuama said it is not in the interest of parents for the academic year to be disrupted. "Some of the students have been in the house for three years and would get restless if their stay at home is prolonged."
GRi…/
NUGS rejects three billion cedis for poor students
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Aug. ’99
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on Tuesday rejected the three billion cedi assistance for needy student announced by the government describing it as "woefully inadequate."
NUGS said the offer has come too late and at the time when the universities have only a few days to re-open citing University of Ghana, which has only two days to re-open.
Mr Joseph Adongo, President of NUGS, who announced this at a news conference in Accra said "no mechanism has been put in place to enable students have access to the facility."
He said a survey conducted by the authorities of the universities showed that 13 billion cedis is the minimum needed to run the universities for 1999.
Mr Adongo said it behoves the government to make the whole amount available to the universities pending the conclusion of discussions on a long-term solution to the financial crisis facing the institutions.
He said there has not been any scientific analysis on the number of students who could benefit from the amount adding that there are thousands of students with poor financial background who cannot afford to pay the new fees imposed on them.
Mr Adongo said until the government provided the full amount of 13 billion cedis, student would not give up their struggle, including a national protest march for the withdrawal of the new fees.
He announced that if nothing is done by Thursday, August 19, students would march to the Castle to present a petition to the President himself.
An attempt by the students to present a petition to the president last Friday ended at the Christiansbourg Cross Roads when police prevented them from moving further.
Police charged on the students using teargas, water canons and batons when the students started burning miniature coffins of the president, the education minister, deputy minister of education in charge of tertiary education and vice-chancellor of University of Ghana.
Mr Adongo condemned the police for brutalising students during Friday's demonstrations and called for investigations.
He demanded the resignation of Mr Kofi Boakye, Commander of the Police Striking Force, who, the students said, asked police to attack and molest them.
Nii Narko Dowuona, President of the Students Representative Council of University of Ghana said the three billion-cedis offer was a political statement.
He claimed that only students who sympathise with government would benefit from the facility.
Mr Sam Ottu Darko, Member of Parliament for Ga North Constituency, was present at the news conference.
GRi../
Workers of PFC lock out management
Tema (Greater Accra), 18th August 99
About 2,000 workers of the Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) on Tuesday morning locked out their management personnel, accusing them of slavery.
The workers alleged that management had refused to implement article 11 of their collective agreement on the payment of "afternoon/night shift allowance."
The article requires the management to pay allowances to employees "required to work during the periods, three p.m. to 11 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The payment is as follows -- afternoon shift -- 17.5 per cent of daily consolidated wage per hour, and night shift - 35 per cent of daily consolidated wage hour".
"We are made to stand and work for eight hours daily, and this makes us fall sick; but as soon as we are treated by the company's doctor at the factory, we are asked to continue to work".
The workers demanded "safety and canteen allowances which they claimed had not been "paid for sometime now".
The workers carried placards some of which read "pay us our shift allowance", "declare us redundant and we are prepared to go", "how long shall we be in slavery?", "with Mr Osei and Co, PFC is like a lion's den".
At the time of filing this report, a number of policemen had been sent to the factory and according to Mr Robert Mark Azu, Tema community one District Commander, "more policemen will soon arrive at the factory".
Mr Azu, assured the workers that "we are not your enemies. We are here to protect life and property, so there is no need for you to attack us".
Mr K. Ampeaw Ossei, Administrative and Human Resource Manager, said however that the company has been paying the afternoon and night shift allowance for the past 18 months, and was surprised at the turn of events.
GRi…/
GRNA protests against attempts to divide their group.
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Aug. ’99
The Ghana Registered Nurses' Association (GRNA), on Tuesday said it disapproves of false accusations being peddled by certain groups and highly placed personalities which are meant to "incite disaffection against the leadership of the association".
A statement issued in Accra, said the national council has read with "profound dismay accusations from many quarters of the Ghanaian media in recent times following the withdrawal of services by nurses."
It said the GRNA is surprised about reports alleging that the association is divided because a group calling itself the Junior Nurses' Movement has taken control of its administration during the recent strike action.
It said there has never been any rift between the senior and junior nurses.
"The alleged disregard of the interest of junior nurses by the national executives of the GRNA is only one of the ploys of our destroyers to sow seeds of discord."
The GRNA said in principle the association does not derive any interest in strike actions and the recent unrest in the GRNA was not because the junior nurses had no faith in the leadership on account of the delay in payment of allowances.
GRi../
Girls told to excel academically
Akwatia (Eastern Region), 18th August 99
The Akwatia St. Rose's Girls Junior Secondary School has held its maiden open day with a call on them to take advantage of available opportunities to advance academically in their chosen careers.
The guest speaker, Mrs Mercy Owusu-Nimoh, a Member of the Council of State, regretted discrimination against the girl-child, resulting in low level Education which has reduced their chances of getting top ranking jobs.
Mrs. Owusu-Nimoh cited the Electricity Company of Ghana where in 1995, there were only 50 senior staff females as against 529 males.
Of women in politics, she said in 1997, there were 16 male cabinet ministers as against two females, 20 male members of the Council of State as against four females, and out of the 200 Members of Parliament, only 18 are females.
Mrs Owusu-Nimoh said with 51 per cent of Ghana's 18 million population being females, "it is obvious from the statistics that a large chunk of the population, the women, are not being utilised properly for economic development".
She said the government has therefore instituted measures to create interest for continued education of girls in order to remove negative thoughts that make them drop-outs at school.
Mrs Owusu-Nimoh cited the science and mathematics workshops now being organised for girls at regional levels as part of the programme to entice girls to work hard.
GRi…/
Mills expresses support for distance learning
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Aug ’99
Vice-President John Atta Mills on Tuesday said Ghana would have to explore distance learning as another way through which a lot more people could access quality and affordable education.
As time goes on, there will be the need to provide education for more people and this requires innovations in order to take off pressure on resources, including classroom space and hostel facilities, Prof. Mills said when two top officials from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) called on him at the Castle, Osu.
The officials, led by Prof. Hughes Ian Mcdonald, Chairman of COL Board of Governors for the Vancouver-based institution, is in the country to see how best to facilitate distance education in Ghana. The other member is Dr Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Vice-president Mills said the team's presence in the country was timely as Ghana is currently seeking ways to improve the quality of education which has been government's top priority.
Although government spends about one-third of its budget allocation on education, the resources were becoming increasingly inadequate, hence the need to explore other means of education with emphasis on quality.
Prof. Mills said a national education forum would be held to gather views on making quality education accessible to Ghanaians.
Prof. Mills expressed the hope that the issue of distance learning would be discussed objectively among all stakeholders.
Prof. Mcdonald said the COL hopes to do more in the area of distance learning for Africa adding that the continent would be given priority in the institution's programme in future.
Dr Dhanarajan said they are in the country to "respond to Ghana's future needs of distance education." and expressed appreciation for government's co-operation and continued support for the programme and pledged his outfit's commitment to see it through.
Mr Rueben Aggor, National Co-odinator, distance education, said there is a pilot programme for 200 learners at Winneba.
Mr Aggor, himself a beneficiary of distance learning, said enthusiasm for the programme is high, adding that the University of Ghana would also launch the programme at the end of this year.
Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, a deputy Minister of Education, said Ghana has benefited substantially from COL technical and manpower assistance over the years.
GRi../
Committee to ensure peace at Akomasi festival
Senya Breku (Central Region) 18 Aug. ’99
The Planning and Implementation Committee of the annual "Akomasi" festival of the Senya Breku Traditional area has given the assurance that it will ensure peace at this year's celebration which commences on Friday.
At a meeting with the District Chief Executive for Awutu-Effutu-Senya, Lieutenant Daniel William Osardu at Senya Breku on Saturday, a spokesman for the committee noted that the town is sinking fast and urged Asafo companies, groups and citizens to use the festival to gather funds for the rehabilitation of schools.
According to a spokesman for the committee, the week long festival would be used to mobilise resources to finance development in the area.
The committee urged chieftaincy contractors in the area to stop their activities and join progressive citizens to speed up the development of the town.
Lt. Osardu commended members for their concern and expressed the hope that citizens at home and outside would turn up in their numbers to ensure a successful festival.
GRi../