Goosie elected Reform flagbearer
Conference promises reliable electricity supply by
2020.
ADB backs fertiliser import with 10 million
dollars
Political Parties law are badly flawed - Reform
NPP expresses disappointment over Kofi Annan's
programme
Fifth Export Development forum opens in Accra
Annan
International Peacekeeping Training Commissioned
Two Ghanaian peacekeepers die in Sierra Leone
Goosie elected Reform flagbearer
Accra (greater Accra) 05 August
2000
The National Reform Party on
Saturday elected Mr. Augustus Obuadum Tanoh as its flagbearer for the December
elections at its first national delegates' congress in Accra.
Mr. Tandoh polled 325 votes or 70.7
per cent against Alhaji Mohammed Sanni's 48 representing 10.4 per cent of the
total 463 valid votes cast. Forty-eight ballots were rejected.
Mr. David Adeenze-Kangah, Deputy
Chairman of Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Operations, who led a team
to supervise the elections, announced to the delegates.
Mr. Peter Gameli Kpordugbe polled
367 votes representing 79.8 per cent to become the National Chairman while Mr.
Kyeretwie Opoku got 348 or 75.7 per cent of the ballot to win the position of
General Secretary.
According to the party's working
document on elections, unopposed candidates must obtain 51 per cent of the
valid vote cast to be elected.
Mr. Tanoh in a brief speech after
his election said the arrival of NRP on the political landscape of the country
is to liberate through transformation. He said the party has come to stay and
is the fastest growing political party in Ghana.
NRP has a new vision for the
country, he said, and called on the electorate to vote massively for the party.
The party considers leadership as a
mandate for service and is ready to serve the interest of the ordinary people.
The EC would announce the results
of the election of 30 members to the National Council (NC) later in the day.
The party would hold a rally at
James Town in Accra, where the flagbearer would introduce his running mate and
make a formal acceptance speech.
GRi…/
Conference
promises reliable electricity supply by 2020.
Accra
(Greater Accra) 05 August 2000
The
fourth International Conference on Power Systems Operations and Planning, ended
in Accra on Thursday with a promise to transfer technologies that would allow
economical and reliable electricity supply to every household in Sub-Saharan
Africa by 2020.
The
four-day conference, which opened on July 31, provided a forum for the exchange
of ideas on the Restructuring of Power Systems and energy as a unifying force
for the people in the sub region.
A
three point communiqué read by Professor James Momoh, Conference Co-ordinator
and Director of the Centre for Energy Systems and Controls, Howard University,
said the infrastructure of some utilities in the sub-region have deteriorated
due to lack of maintenance as a result of lack of funds.
It
noted that apart from funding for the construction of new facilities not been
readily available, the problem has been compounded by the absence of the means
to update the knowledge and skills of utility personnel to handle issues
presented by deregulation.
The
communiqué noted that there had been lack of political will to implement
expansion and or reinforcement projects that are tailored towards improving
systems performance and reliability.
It
said the West African Power Pool is faced with challenges including long tie
lines with high loading, power transfer capabilities on the tie-lines, voltage
stability and system dynamic stability, political, financial and economic
challenges.
The
communiqué said technical, economic, institutional and social issues associated
with deregulation and restructuring were discussed and include the issues of
Primary and Ancillary Services, Systems Security, Capital Recovery, Fair
transmission market and social impact.
Recommendations
made by participants, among others, is for the establishment of a Centre of
Power Systems Analysis and Planning in West Africa.
They
also agreed that peace and stability are extremely important to the
establishment of a restructured power system, which should take into
consideration social and environmental issues.
GRi…/
ADB
backs fertiliser import with 10 million dollars
Accra
(Greater Accra) 04 August 2000
The
Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) is to provide 10 million dollars for the
importation of fertilizers to meet demands of farmers during the next farming season,
a communique from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said on Wednesday.
The
communique said the Minister in consultation with the stakeholders and the ADB
has directed that the high price of fertiliser in certain parts of the country
should be reduced immediately to enable farmers to increase food production and
promote exports.
It
said the Ministry has also directed its Plant Protection and Regulatory
Services to send large quantities of the weedicides to the Northern Sector at a
reduced price of 25,000 cedis per litre instead of the current 40,000 cedis to
support the Accelerated Rice Production Programme there.
The
communiqué announced the new retail prices for fertiliser in the North as
follows:
In
Tamale, Bawku, Tumu, Wa, Bimbilla and other locations in the northern sector,
15-15-15 and 20-20-0 of NPK is to sell at 78,000 cedis per a bag of 50
kilogram-.
Sulphate
of Ammonia at 57,000 cedis and Urea (46 per cent N) at 50,000 cedis per a bag
of 25 kg.
In
the Southern Sector, the communiqué said 15-15-15 and 20-20-0 NPK will sell at
74,000 cedis per 50 kg at Tema while it sells at 76,000 cedis in Kumasi.
Sulphate
of Ammonia will sell at 53,000 cedis at Tema and 55,000 cedis in Kumasi while
Urea will sell at 47,000 cedis at Tema and 48,000 cedis in Kumasi.
GRi…/
Political
Parties law are badly flawed - Reform
Accra
(Greater Accra) 04 August 2000
The
National Reform Party on Thursday said the Political Parties ACT 574 and Article
55 of the 1992 constitution are badly flawed.
Rather
than encourage free association, issue-based activism and civic responsibility,
the laws bureaucratically restrict the growth of politics in the same way that
a society regulates the use of poisonous substances or firearms.
Mr.
Kyerietwie Opoku, aspiring General Secretary of the party, told the GNA in an
interview at the on-going congress that laws that require special licensing for
political parties by the Electoral Commission places "irrationalities on
the parties".
There
is no reason why the Registrar General's Department cannot manage the
registration of political parties under the Companies Code, he said.
The political parties' law
requires that parties should be issued with certificates before
they start operating.
Yet,
the same law requires that parties must "somehow miraculously be organised
in all the 10 regions of the country and in two-thirds of the districts before
certification".
He
said the natural process through which groups of like-minded people band
together, over time and around specific issues that concern them, and then grow
their appropriate levels of operations, is not possible under the political
parties' law.
The
refusal of the state to fund political parties, the Executive's financial
control over the Electoral Commission and the barring of long-term residents
from ECOWAS countries from participating in the country's politics are flaws in
the system.
He
said even though the law recognises that the political process involves much
more than balloting and that the youth have a tremendous stake in politics, yet
it bans those below 18 years from membership of political parties.
Mr.
Opoku described as misleading rumours that Mr. Kwesi Botchwey, former Finance
Minister, Mr. Paul Victor Obeng, former Presidential Adviser, and Mr. Kwame
Pianim, an economic consultant and a former leading member of the NPP, are
aspiring for positions in the party.
He
said he would be surprised to see them at the congress but that not
withstanding, the doors of the Reform Party are open to all Ghanaians who share
their aims and aspirations.
"In
politics, anything can happen. However, in the game of politics one should make
room for surprises and the Reform Party has such surprises for Ghanaians."
GRi…/
NPP
expresses disappointment over Kofi Annan's programme
Accra
(Greater Accra) 05 August 2000
The
New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday expressed disappointment over the fact
that provision was not made for Mr. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General to meet
leaders of the Opposition throughout his first official visit to the country.
It
described the visit as a missed opportunity for peace building in Ghana.
A statement
signed by Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, MP and Monitory Spokesman for Foreign
Affairs, said the attendance by some leading members of the Opposition at the
State Banquet and the Special Congregation at the University of Ghana were at
the parties own initiative.
It
said there is no doubt that as a very respected citizen of the country, he
would have provided the necessary bridge between the Opposition and the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in the quest for common grounds
for the task of deepening democracy and nation-building.
The
NPP said this year's election is historic one, and while in the country, the
impact of a world acknowledged peace-maker like Mr. Kofi Annan on the political
process would have been of tremendous benefit to all..
It
however stated that notwithstanding the lost opportunity, the Secretary General
and his Organisation still has a role to play as an honest broker of peace in
Ghana to the run-up to the December election.
The
NPP congratulated Mr. Kofi Annan for the national honour conferred on him by
the Government and the Doctorate awarded him by the University of Ghana.
It
expressed the hope that the award would not only be seen as an honour to a
distinguished son of Ghana, but to a celebrated world leader who has broken out
of a stereotyped mould to make the African proud of his abilities and
capabilities.
The
NPP said the current generation and posterity would remember and surely honour
Mr. Kofi Annan for the intermediary role history beckons him to perform for his
motherland.
GRi…/
Fifth
Export Development forum opens in Accra
Accra
(Greater Accra) 04 August 2000
The
Fifth Ghana Export Sector Development Forum to come out with recommendations
for the review of the National Trade Policy opened in Accra on Wednesday.
The
forum, which brought together researchers in export, exporters and managers, is
to provide an opportunity for researchers to share knowledge with exporters and
generate new ideas for policy makers.
Mr.
Dan Abodakpi, Minister of Trade and Industry who opened the forum, said the
export sector faces financial constraints in terms of increased cost of credit,
inadequate access to credit, erosion of liquid resources and limitation of
investment as a result of the free fall of the cedi.
"The
donor community needs to review this position continuously with the government
to ensure that, in the short-term, the development targets within the
comprehensive development framework are not derailed."
The
Minister said the Bank of Ghana should do more to stabilise the cedi through
more vigorous, focused and responsive exchange and interest rate policy
regimes.
He
said government is co-ordinating and harmonising programmes, policies and
initiatives to remove administrative and regulatory impediments that could
undermine Ghana's attractiveness as an investment destination.
Professor
Ivan Addae-Mensah, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, said in a
speech read for him that Ghanaians need to deal with the problems of a narrow
manufacturing base, inadequate development of indigenous technology, too little
added products and rising production cost.
He
said the harsh economic difficulties Ghana is going through in recent times
could be attributed to the fall in export revenue of the main foreign exchange
earning commodities, namely cocoa, timber and minerals.
"This
is aggravated by increasing expenditure on imports such as petroleum
products."
GRi…/
Annan International Peacekeeping Training Commissioned
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 August 2000
Mr. Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, on Wednesday cut
the sod to commission an International Peacekeeping Training Centre named after
him in Accra.
The centre, which is to be sited at the Ghana Armed Forces Staff
College in Accra, will have its training grounds at Ankoefe, near Ho, in the
Volta Region.
Mr. Annan expressed his gratitude to the government and the Ghana
Armed Forces for the honour done him, saying Ghana's record of service and
achievement in international peacekeeping had laid the foundation for the
commissioning of the Centre.
The UN boss stressed that Africa needs well-trained and equipped
peacekeepers to meet the challenge of the crisis facing the continent and
described the Centre as a significant entity that would serve the entire
continent.
Mr. Annan noted that, other governments in developed states, are
increasingly reluctant to solve our problems, adding: "instead, they have
sought to explore ways to help Africans to improve African peacekeeping".
He asked representatives of donor countries present to seize the
opportunity to provide the necessary support to make Ghana's vast experience in
peacekeeping beneficial to Africa and, ultimately, to the cause of world peace.
Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel K.T. Donkor, Minister of Defence, said
Ghana has played significant roles in peacekeeping with pride and dignity,
which has come at great cost and sacrifice.
He said Ghana had gained enormous experience on the peacekeeping
trail, and would very much wish to share it with the whole world.
GRi…/
Accra
(Greater Accra) 05 August 2000
Two
Ghanaian soldiers serving with the United Nations peace- keeping force in
Sierra Leone have died, a statement from the Ghana Armed Forces said on Friday.
The
statement said Sergeant J. Afutey died on July 25 while Sergeant Robert Arthur
died on July 28.
It
said the bodies of the two men have since been flown to Accra for autopsy.
Funeral
arrangements would be announced later.
The
statement said the High Command of the Ghana Armed Forces has expressed
condolences to the bereaved families.
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