Ghana, Burkina Faso agree on four areas of co-operation
Fire Volunteer squads in B/A form association
Donkro-Nkwanta appeals for fire post
Ghanaians urged to develop culture of tolerance
Diabetic association urges removal of taxes on
NPP to concentrate on rural campaign
Ghana, Burkina Faso agree on four areas of co-operation
Accra (Greater Accra), 30th August 99
Ghana and Burkina Faso on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding in four major areas of co-operation in the energy sector.
These are the construction of an oil pipeline from Buipe in northern Ghana to Bingo in Burkina Faso, cooperating in electricity supply, the joint us Noumbiel of the hydro-electric dam in Burkina Faso, and the joint management of waters of the Volta River Basin.
A release from the ministry of Mines and Energy said the Burkinabe delegation and their Ghanaian counterparts reaffirmed their determination to undertake the construction of the oil pipeline from Buipe in Ghana to Bingo in Burkina Faso.
Ghana's delegation was led by Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Minister of Mines and Energy, while the Burkinabe delegation was led by the State Secretary for Energy, Mr Sadare Etienne Ouedraogo.
The two parties, according to the statement, underlined the importance of the projects in conformity with the objectives of the Economic Community of West African States.
A Korean appraisal mission is expected in Ghana in September to finalise plans to finance the Buipe-Bolgatanga oil pipeline project estimated at 35 million dollars.
With regard to the tapping electricity from Navrongo and Tumu in northern Ghana to Po and Leo in Burkina Faso, the Burkinabe delegation referred to conclusions reached at the Ghana-Burkina Joint Commission for Co-operation held in Accra from August six to eight, last year.
The delegation expressed the wish that Mr Kena would intervene with the Volta River Authority (VRA) on its behalf to get a concessional rate per Kwh acceptable to Burkina Faso in view of the fact that previous technical meetings held between the VRA and SONABEL, its Burkinabe counterpart, had up till now remained inconclusive. Mr Kena promised to take up the matter with authorities of the VRA. On the Noumbiel hydro-electric dam, the Burkinabe party recalled that during the working session of the Joint Commission, the Ghanaian delegation promised to inform the competent Ghanaian authorities on the wish of the Burkinabe party to get the project off the ground. Mr Kena assured them that the VRA had no objection to the take-off of the project. The two parties reiterated the need to set up a committee such as was recommended by heads of state of the two countries to work towards the joint management of water resources of the Volta Basin. At the end of the meeting, the Burkina delegation expressed satisfaction with the already cordial relations between the two countries and expressed the wish that these will be further strengthened. The Ghanaian delegation expressed similar sentiments. The Burkina delegation, which left for home on Friday, had prior to the meeting visited the VRA, Tema Oil Refinery and inspected the Tema-Akosombo oil pipeline.GRi.../
Fire Volunteer squads in B/A form association
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 30th August 99
The anti-bush fire volunteer squads in the Brong-Ahafo Region have come together to form an association to enable them to effectively mobilise adequate financial and material resources to enhance their capacity to prevent and fight bush-fires in the region.
The "Brong Ahafo Region Fire Volunteers Association", would soon be registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) so that it could solicit assistance from governmental and private sources for the various squads most of whom are inactive due to lack of logistics.
Mr Kwame Oppong-Frempong, Regional Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), announced at the end of a three-day orientation seminar organised by the service for district rural fire co-ordinators and chairmen of fire volunteer squads in the region at Sunyani.
Mr Oppong-Frempong said the formation of the association, which is the first of its kind in the country, has become necessary due to the sagging morale of members, who are losing interest in the activities of the squads as a result of lack of incentives.
He said it is obvious that the government alone could not provide the logistical needs of the squads and expressed the hope that the formation of the association and its eventual registration as an NGO would help address the problem of motivation.
Mr Oppong-Frempong stated that with the region being the country's main buffer zone against the southward drift of the Sahara Desert, it was important that every effort was made to motivate the squads to enable them give off their best.
A five-member regional executive headed by Mr B. K. Nsiah of Hwidem was elected to run the affairs of the association.
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Donkro-Nkwanta appeals for fire post
Donkro-Nkwanta (Brong Ahafo), 30th August 99
The chiefs and people of Donkro-Nkwanta in the Nkronza District have appealed to the government to open a fire post in the area to help combat fire outbreaks.
The area is noted to be prone to fire disaster, the assemblyman for the area, Mr Collins Fosu said over the week-end adding that sometime in 1994 over 40 thatched houses in the Zongo area was burnt resulting in the loss of property worth millions of cedis.
Mr Fosu said the area has been connected to the national electricity grid and the provision of the fire post would go a long way to protect life and property.
He also appealed to the Nkronza District Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to periodically organise training workshops for fire volunteers in the communities.
Mr Fosu complained of the deplorable state of the local Anglican Primary School and appealed to the District Assembly to assist the people to renovate it to make the place conducive for teaching and learning.
He also called on the government to rehabilitate Nkoranza - Donkro-Nkwanta - Sekodumase road to facilitate the evacuation of foodstuff to marketing centres.
Meanwhile, Mr Peter Nsiah-Kwarteng, Chairman of the Area Council has urged the Assembly to assist the area, town and urban councils to enable them to perform their respective roles to enhance development.
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Ghanaians urged to develop culture of tolerance
Cape Coast (Central Region), 30th August 99
A member of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. E. K. T. Addo, says the Constitution and democracy could only be sustained if Ghanaians strive to develop the culture of political and religious tolerance.
He said although the Constitution makes provision for fundamental human rights and freedom, they could only be enjoyed if "we refrain from infringing on each others' rights".
Mr Addo was speaking at a forum on "Political and religious tolerance, key factors for peaceful co-existence," organised by the Central Regional Secretariat of the NCCE at Cape Coast on Friday.
He stressed the need for tolerance of divergent views and opinions in both politics and religion.
The NCCE member, who is responsible for the Central and Western regions, asked leaders and preachers of various religious groups to ensure that their utterances and activities do not impinge on other's religious beliefs.
The Most Reverend Peter Turkson, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast, who delivered the keynote address, noted that political and religious intolerance come about when elected governments arrogate to themselves the mandate to perceive what is good for the people.
To curtail such conflicts, there was the need for politicians to recognise that diversity of opinions was not "an enemy of unity," adding that religious groups should endeavour "to give witness" to the beauty and love of God and of His loving kindness and to refrain from fighting over Him.
The Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Abubakar Hassan, said he was unhappy that some educational institutions were imposing the Christian religion on Muslim students, while some people also make derogatory remarks about Islam and noted that this did not augur well for religious tolerance.
Mr Ebo Barton-Oduro, a legal practitioner based in Cape Coast stressed the need for politicians to place the interest of the state above anything else to ensure stability.
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Diabetic association urges removal of taxes on drugs
Cape Coast (Central Region), August 99
The Ghana Diabetes Association (GDA) has appealed to the government to remove taxes on insulin and other diabetic drugs to make them cheaper.
The association has also suggested that insulin for diabetic children must be made free of charge.
Dr Francis Ofei, President of GDA, made the appeal at a scientific seminar on "Better and affordable care for people with diabetes," at Cape Coast over the weekend.
The seminar climaxed the activities of the diabetes awareness month launched at Cape Coast last week.
Dr Ofei observed that the cost of managing the disease was very high and that in most cases patients had to bear the full cost alone or with their families without any support from society.
"This situation is a worry to the association, which is doing all it could to have the disease controlled."
He noted that some patients who have had to stop treatment mid-way because of the
expensive nature of the drugs have developed complications and died although they could have lived longer if they had continued with the medication.
The President pointed out that the disease when efficiently managed could make the patient live normal life and called for a change in the country's professional school curriculum to follow the modern trend.
He said a study has shown that many people do not know how to administer insulin injections to patients leading to them making mistakes, while a lot more cannot differentiate between the various types of insulin.
Dr Ofei, therefore, stressed the need for the training of more medical and nursing non-specialists to join the team of health care providers for diabetes centres.
He said, lack of trained personnel, health facilities, low literacy rate and incomes were some of the factors militating against the efficient control of the disease.
Dr Martin Morna, Medical Officer in charge of the Central Region Diabetes Centre, said the Centre, which was opened about a year ago has registered 358 patients. Five of them are teenagers with the youngest being six years old.
He said the disease is prevalent in Africa and stressed the need for people to be conscious of their diet, eating habits and their general physical activities.
Dr Morna said the disease affects 200 million people worldwide and that "it would in future constitute a major economic burden on countries in Africa".
The Centre has plans to institute periodic screening process at the outpatient department to identify diabetes patients early for effective management and control.
The Centre also hopes to empower patients to manage themselves through group discussions for them to cut down on their visits to the hospitals.
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Kofi Annan Camp ends
Cape Coast (Central Region), 30th August 99
The second in a series of Kofi Annan holiday camps in honour of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, ended at the Adisadel College, Cape Coast on Friday.
The one month camp, which was attended by 54 pupils from first cycle schools in the Central Region was jointly organised by the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme, ''Raising the standard of education in Ghana''.
The Reverend Emmanuel Amissah, camp director appealed to the RCC and GES to provide financial support for the running of the camp and charged the pupils to share the knowledge they have acquired with their colleagues when they return to their schools.
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NPP to concentrate on rural campaign
New Edubiase (Ashanti), 30th August 99
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is to intensify its campaign in the rural areas, Mr Dan Botwe, general secretary of the party said at the launching of an outreach programme at New Edubiase in the Ashanti region last Friday as part of efforts to capture the five constituencies they lost in the region in 1996.
The general secretary said to effectively cover rural areas, regional secretariats of the party are going to be made to work effectively and warned that anybody who cannot cope with the task ahead should not contest for any position.
Mr Botwe said polling station organisation would receive priority attention to end all forms of cheating in elections.
He conceded that even though money plays an important role in political campaign, a party without a strategy cannot do much even if it had all the resources at its disposal adding that planning is the key to success.
The General Secretary said the National Executive understands the difficulties of the constituencies and gave the assurance that problems of logistics will be addressed soon.
He called for discipline within the rank and file of the party and respect for minority tribes as a means of winning their votes, adding that constituency executives as well as ward and polling station executives should take the party as their own and not to wait for directives.
Mr Baffour Kyei De-Graft, New Edubiase constituency secretary of the party, enumerated problems facing the constituency including transportation which hampers their efforts at reaching out to the remote farming communities.
Mr Isaac Akampong, constituency chairman, said the party should capitalise on the disillusionment of the people to win them over.
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