ECOWAS front is being divided - Parliament
"I am not candidate" for vice president's slot - Akufo-Addo
Intensify research work on FGM - Twumasi
Farmers urged the Gov't to reclaim land from Togolese
36th Baptist Church conference opens
Birim North Assembly improves health delivery
Danish delegation holds talks with Minister
ECOWAS front is being divided - Parliament
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Aug. '99
Commodore Steve Obimpeh, Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament on Monday said the existence of the Monetary Union of Francophone countries is a problem to the development of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).
He said the union is dividing the front of ECOWAS countries and may slowdown the aspirations of ECOWAS.
Commodore Obimpeh said this during a meeting between the Finance and Public Accounts Committees of Parliament and members of the Danish Parliamentary delegation in Accra.
The meeting discussed parliamentary democracy, contemporary world politics, economic development and bilateral relations.
Commodore Obimpeh emphasised the need for refining the country's gold locally and said in spite of the declining world market price of gold, there is the need to continue production.
The government has adopted the policy of diversification to limit the country's over dependence on cocoa export, by promoting other sectors of the economy such as tourism and services to generate more foreign earnings, he said.
Squadron Leader Clend Mawuko Sowu, Member of Parliament for Anlo and Chairman of the Committee on Environment, condemned the sale of gold by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other developed countries saying the rationale for the sale is not reasonable.
The sale will worsen the plight of developing countries especially gold producing countries he said and urged the IMF and the World Bank to abandon the idea.
Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Member of Parliament for New Juaben and Minority Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, said the present World Trade Organisation (WTO) policy on trade hinders competition from developing countries.
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"I am not candidate" for vice president's slot - Akufo-Addo
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Aug. '99
Nana Akufo-Addo, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Monday said he is not campaigning for the position of a running mate to the party's flag bearer.
"I am not a candidate, nor am I involved in any campaign, for the position of a running mate on the party's presidential ticket," he said in a press release on Monday.
Nana Akufo-Addo said "there have been recent media reports and speculations about calls for my joining the Party's presidential candidate, J. A. Kufuor, as his running mate to complete the Party's ticket for election 2,000.
"The matter has been deliberated by friend and foe alike" and "it appears that the growing reports and speculations threaten to divert and distract the Party from the important tasks before it, the principal one of which is strengthening its grassroots organisation."
Nana Akufo-Addo said his decision to break his silence on this issue was due to the extent to which it has engaged the attention of the rank and file of the party.
He said the Party must direct its energies to grassroots organisation.
He said he was confident that at the appropriate time in line with its Constitution, the Party would complete the ticket in a manner, which would command the support of the rank and file.
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Hyewohoden(Eastern Region) 24 Aug '99
A one- year- old Fulani baby boy was allegedly shot dead on her mother's back and three persons were injured following a clash between Fulani herdsmen and some farmers at Dedease near Hyewohoden in the Kwawu south district.
The clash resulted from an alleged destruction of farms by the cattle of Fulani immigrants. The three victims are o admission.
They are Madam Aishetu Fulani, mother of the dead boy, who received gun shot wounds in the back and neck, Mr Kwaku Ayoma, 28-year-old farmer who had gun shots wound on the stomach and Mr Charles Agbenyo who was shot in the thigh.
Mr Ayoma said on his hospital bed that Dadease farmers were informed that the cattle of Fulani immigrant herdsmen were destroying their foodstuff farms at Hyewohoden village, so they mobilised themselves with the intention of going to drive the cattle from their farms.
Mr Ayoma alleged that they started beating gonggong to scare the cattle but an unidentified Fulani herdsman fired a shot gun at them, hitting Mr Agbenyo.
No arrest has been made but one Mr Gariba Fulani is assisting the police in their investigations.
Addressing the people at Dadease and Hyewohoden, the Nkawkaw Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Daniel Owusu-Prempeh, advised them not to take the law into their own hands.
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Intensify research work on FGM - Twumasi
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 August '99
There is the need to intensify research work on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa to help abolish the inhuman practice, Professor Patrick Twumasi, a Presidential Staffer said on Monday.
Despite legislation and calls by many of the affected countries, people still practice it, Prof Twumasi said at the opening of a three-day regional steering group meeting on promoting the prevention of FGM.
The practice of FGM is an obstacle to the attainment of good health, development and human rights not only for its victims but also for all members of society, he said.
"In support of formal legislation, there is the need for us to mount a campaign to reach all the 'doubting Thomas'" in Africa and elsewhere to abolish this inhuman practice.
"This will let them see the need to put an end to the unnecessary suffering of girls and women who live in such social structural arrangements."
It has been estimated that more than 130 million girls and women have undergone genital mutilation worldwide with two million more at risk every year.
In Ghana for example, it is noted that the practice is more prevalent in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West, parts of Brong Ahafo and the Volta regions.
The Professor, who is a sociologist, conducted a survey on FGM on 5,275 women aged between 15-49 in the Kassena-Nankana district in 1995, which showed a prevalence rate of 77 per cent.
For women with no education, 87 per cent had undergone FGM as against 16 per cent of women with secondary education.
The meeting is the first to be organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
Twenty-seven participants drawn from Ghana, Gambia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya and Burkina Faso and some United Nations agencies are attending.
The meeting aims at identifying the best practices for the prevention of FGM, integrate them into national FGM prevention and management programmes and to stimulate the formation of regional steering groups.
Participants would be deliberating on regional and national policies, health consequences, framework for country research and actions and identify best practices for prevention.
Mr Moses Mukasa, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Representative, who touched on the health aspects of the practice, said the programme was committed to ensuring the reproductive health and rights as well as the full empowerment of women and girls on gender equity and equality.
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Farmers urged the Gov't to reclaim land from Togolese
Shiare-Akyode (Volta Region) 24 Aug '99
Farmers of Shiare-Akyode in the Nkwanta district of the Volta region have appealed to the government to expedite action on reclaiming their farm lands seized from them by armed Togolese in April, this year.
A spokesman for the farmers, Mr Agyemene Donkor, said at Shiare-Akyode that a land dispute between them and some farmers from Dekpelewu in Togo had been ragging on for 25 years now without any settlement of ownership.
He alleged that 18-armed Togolese, including gendarmes from Bekpelewu, besieged their farms located about six kilometres away from the international boundary, and drove them away in April.
They uprooted some of their palm trees to tap palm wine.
Mr Donkor, a unit committee chairman, said before the German colonisation in 1921, the land in the area had been owned by the Akyodes with the boundary, situated just at the outskirts of Bikpelewu.
He recalled that in 1974 when the dispute started, he and a nephew, Lenwah Kwaku Ntem, now deceased were arrested by Togolese gendarmes and detained at the Atakpame police station for four months.
Mr Donkor said in 1994, five farmers including the deceased were again arrested from their farms. Four of them were released after four months but Ntem remained in cells for about four years and died soon after returning home from detention.
He regretted that since the April invasion, the local farmers had been denied access to their farms due to repeated threats.
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36th Baptist Church conference opens
Tamale (Northern Region) 24 Aug. '99
The Ghana Baptist Convention has added its voice to the call on the government and the National Union of Ghana Students to use dialogue in resolving the impasse over the increase in University fees.
"As a church we do not think the best options are threats and intimidation; a better option is dialogue between the government and the student body", Deacon Bennet Niboi, Acting President of the Convention said in Tamale on Thursday.
Addressing the 36th annual general session of the church, he called on both government and NUGS to reconsider their stand on the issue and open their doors for objective and honest discussions.
The four-day conference being attended by 500 delegates nation-wide will deliberate on the theological education, church development, evangelism and human resource management of the church.
Deacon Niboi expressed the Church's concern about the growing political polarisation of national issues, which he said, "has the potential of degenerating into rancour and acrimony".
The church would continue to pray for unity, peace and the spirit of forgiveness to permeate national affairs, he said.
Deacon Niboi observed that inspite of the achievements of national economic growth, majority of Ghanaians "are living in abject poverty with many families unable to have one square meal a day".
He quoted from the report of a recent survey by the Christian Council of Ghana, which showed that only 25 per cent of Ghanaians "have access to health care, 27 per cent to good sanitation and over 25 per cent of children below five years being malnourished".
Deacon Niboi called on the government to take measures to translate the acclaimed economic success to reflect in the lifestyle of the common people.
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Birim North Assembly improves health delivery
New Abirem (Eastern Region) 24 Aug '99
The Birim North District Assembly spent about 130 million cedis between 1995 to 1998 and about 144 million cedis, this year to improve upon health delivery in its communities.
Prince Yaw Danso, District Chief Executive, said this at New Abirem in the Eastern region when he addressed a workshop on safe motherhood organised by the Eastern Regional Health Administration in collaboration with the District Directorate of Health at the weekend.
The workshop followed a three-week intensive training programme on safe motherhood organised for 20 midwives and other stakeholders in the district recently.
It was meant to equip the district with skills and knowledge to undertake education on making motherhood safe.
Mr Danso announced that plans are far advanced to upgrade the new Abirem Health Centre into a hospital.
The district director of health services, Mr Tei Djangmah said 40 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAS) have been trained to assist expectant mothers in line with the safe motherhood protocol with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG).
Maternal deaths can be prevented by creating awareness on its problems and making appropriate interventions, he said.
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Danish delegation holds talks with Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Aug. '99
Ghana has the lowest rate of expenditure on the military in Africa though her performance in peace keeping missions has been described as most exemplary all over the world, Kwame Peprah, Minister of Finance has told a meeting of finance committee members of the Danish Parliament and the ministry of finance in Accra.
"Military expenditure in this country is the lowest per any in the whole of Africa", this is in spite of previous prevalence of military leaderships in the country, Mr. Peprah said.
He said however that as a policy, the government places greater emphasis on public safety and thus spends more for public safety institutions such as the police and judiciary.
The Finance Minister said the budgets of these institutions used to be low but this has been beefed up to ensure a conducive environment for investment.
The discussion was based on government expenditure on energy reforms and periods before elections. Other areas discussed were expenditure on the military, corruption, privatisation and tax procedures.
Mr. Jan Peterson, leader of the seven-man delegation said the visit was to acquaint them with the current pace and trend of socio-economic development in the country, especially in the face of policy changes in Danish programmes with the world.
"Our objective is also to see programmes in place, how it was functioning and the extra support required".
On the current budgeting procedures, Mr. Peprah said government has introduced the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Programme, which seeks to rationalise the undertaking of development projects and allow it to focus on national priorities.
The system keeps budgets running over a three-year period.
In this direction, total national discretionary spending over the period has increased from 28 per cent to 31 per cent.
Asked how privatisation is faring, the Minister said a comprehensive framework has been instituted with the Divestiture Implementation Committee spearheading the process.
Privatisation has been a key element of the nation's surge into the next millennium under the Vision 2020 development programme, he said.
"The idea is to get government out of business activity and leave it for those well-versed in it, especially in the private sector to do so".
Mr. Peprah said a policy document on reforming the energy sector is out, adding that a similar reforms in the water and telecommunications sector will be coming out.
He explained that the private sector is being fully involved in the reforms taking place in the energy sector.
Currently about five independent power producers are in the country, and taking part in boosting the energy capacity of the country.
The electricity bill is now in Parliament and this will outline the broad framework of changes and procedures in the power sector, he said and expressed optimism that the sector would witness the growth being anticipated.
Mr. Peprah admitted that there was corruption in the system, "as pertains in most societies world wide", saying stringent measures have been put in place to tackle official corruption.
"One of the measures we have adopted is the procurement process. This we are ensuring to be as transparent as possible through independent competitive bidding".
He said public institutions, such as CHRAJ have been established and have investigated allegations of corruption against high ranked public officers including ministers of state.
"We are not saying that everything has been done to eliminate corruption, but we believe that we have to do some more by ensuring that there is no room for those in high and low places to be corrupt."
Mr. Selormey, said the tax system is progressive, with the top bracket paying up to a limit of 35 per cent.
This, he noted, changes annually, but has an indirect tax element imbedded.
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