Police getting close to finding clues to serial
killings
PNC Members asked to intensify education on its
manifesto
Minister inspects Keta Sea Defence Wall project.
SSNIT urges contributors to update records regularly
World Bank approves
five million dollars for Ashanti
Accra
(Greater Accra) 08
The
National Democratic Congress (NDC) said on Monday the fact that President Jerry
John Rawlings and the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings wield
considerable power and influence in the party is to be expected since they were
central to its founding.
This
was contained in a statement by the Party's National Press Secretary Mr.
Vincent Asiseh, in reaction to comments by the former Finance Minister, Dr
Kwesi Botchwey that the President and his wife wield enormous influence in the
party.
The
NDC statement said the degree of internal democracy within any political party
varies depending on its needs, strengths and weaknesses.
The
statement said when parties are founded on the basis of a clear political
philosophy, as in the case of the NDC, they tend to start out revolving around
the founding figures that made the political philosophy in the first place.
Such
founding figures must necessarily exert their influence in developing the
political philosophy after which the party evolves towards greater internal
democracy and less centralised influence.
It
pointed out that in Ghana this evolutionary process is illustrated by the
central role that Dr Kwame Nkrumah played in the CPP.
"Today,
virtually every political party which is claiming to be democratic internally
also claims to be pursuing the Nkrumaist tradition." The statement said the Busia-Danquah
tradition evolved in the same way.
"Today's
NDC marks the beginning of the evolution of a new tradition centred around the
political philosophy of the founding figures with President Rawlings much in
the role Nkrumah once played in the CPP."
The
statement said the NDC is still a young party, which is confident of evolving
politically in this manner over the coming decades within a stable national
polity.
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Police
getting close to finding clues to serial killings
Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 08 August 2000
Security
arrangements put in place in the wake of recent mass protests and public
outrage at the serial killings in Accra have yielded positive and encouraging
results,
Mr.
Peter Nanfuri, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) said in Kumasi on Monday.
Some
arrests have been made and that the evidence gathered might eventually provide
clues to the mysterious murders, the IGP said at the opening of a six-week
refresher course for 50 Inspectors at the Police Training School at Patasi but
did not give any details.
He
however said: "the police would have to walk the extra mile, work around
the clock to get to the root of the senseless killings to restore the confidence
of the people and assure them of protection".
He
said while grappling with "the phenomenon of the mysterious and brutal
killings", it is equally important for the police to be conscious of their
responsibility to maintain peace during the electioneering campaigns for the
December general elections.
The
IGP reminded police personnel of their statutory duty to enforce the provisions
of the Public Order Act fairly and impartially.
They
should resist all forms of pressures political parties with a view to
influencing their professional judgement in enforcing the law.
"I
take this opportunity to call on all officers and men to stand firm in the face
of all forms of persuasions and even provocation. Tolerance and impartiality
should be your hallmarks at all times as law enforcement officers".
He
called for public co-operation in the fight against crime but was quick to
point out that this would not be forthcoming if police personnel do not exhibit
friendly attitudes and civility towards members of the public.
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 08 August 2000
Mallam
A. Y. Isah, Second National Vice Chairman of the Peoples National Convention
(PNC), has called on members to study the party's manifesto to enable them to
educate the people on its aims and objectives.
He
told the Ashanti Regional delegates' congress of the PNC in Kumasi that the
manifesto represents the wishes and aspirations of the people.
Mallam
Isah said such a move was urgent since Ghanaians are ready to vote for the
party that could lead the nation to socio-economic and political salvation.
"Much
depends on their comprehension and appreciation of the party's manifesto and
how relevant it is to their situation".
Mallam
Isah noted that the PNC is the only party, which has been able to document and
circulated its manifesto to its members and said it is a practical
demonstration of "serious political business".
The
National Vice-Chairman urged members to remain steadfast and committed to the
ideals of the founding members and to explore means in transforming the ideals
of the party into reality.
"With
the general elections approaching, attempts would be made by self-seekers to
sway you from the cause of the PNC by influencing you with money, but its
important to resist such attempts even in the face of poverty and hunger,"
he stressed.
Mr.
Thomas T. Atigah, Regional Secretary, commended the national leadership of the
party for assisting 18 districts in the region to establish party offices.
He
said that the PNC has executive committees in the 27 constituencies with the
remaining six being manned by interim executives.
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Minister
inspects Keta Sea Defence Wall project.
Kedzi
(Volta Region) 08 August 2000
Mr.
Isaac K. Adjei-Mensah, Minister of Works and Housing, on Monday spent inspected
work on the Keta Sea Defence Wall Project at Havedzi.
The
84 million-dollar project involves the reclaiming of land, dredging of the Keta
lagoon and the construction of a sea defence wall. It is being funded by the
EXIM Bank of America and the government and would take four and half years to
complete.
A
narrow strip of land separates the lagoon and the Gulf of Guinea and the
isthmus experiences severe erosion, which has led to a number of residential
and public infrastructure and communities being lost to the sea. Experts
estimate that erosion between Keta and Kedzi is at the rate of four to eight
metres a year.
Mr.
Gary Schack, Project Manager of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company said that
the first phase of the project involves the dredging and reclaiming of land
from the lagoon to expand communities and settlements around the area and to
link Keta to Hlorve, a distance of 8.3 kilometres.
He
said that seven other access roads to facilitate the transportation of boulders
to the each for the construction of the sea defence wall will be built.
The
Project Manager said that the company would also build a drainage way to
control flooding, a breakwater and a new coastal highway among other
structures.
He
said that the dredging equipment, which is known as "Alabama,"
reclaims between 70 to 80 meters of land a day.
Mr
Schack said the work would be intensified with the arrival of the second
dredging equipment to enable the company to meet its programme of preventing
the periodic coastal erosion and flooding.
Mr.
Adjei-Mensah said that the Keta problem was identified in 1869 but it is only
the NDC government, which has taken steps to address it. He said the NDC
government is principled and would never pay lip service to the people who gave
it their mandate.
The
Minister stated that the project started long ago with feasibility studies but
the physical work has now started and expressed the hope that it would go on
according to plan.
He
noted that the people of Avu-Keta depend on the lagoon for their livelihood and
its preservation was one of the main concerns of the government to maintain the
socio-economic development of the area.
With
the commencement of the physical work, he called on the opposition parties to
stop playing politics with the project and to help in building the country and
urged the people to continue supporting the NDC by voting massively for it.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 08 August 2000
Mr.
Kweku Osei Bimpong, Public Affairs Manager of the Social Security and National
Insurance Trust (SSNIT), on Monday urged contributors to the scheme to
regularly update their personal data to avoid the legal tussles sometimes
associated with death benefits from claimants.
He
said some contributors fail to update their nominees and in the event of their
death there is a lot of confusion as to who should receive their benefits.
Mr.
Osei Bimpong was speaking on a public education programme on the operations of
the SSNIT pension scheme organised by the Ghana News Agency Chapter of Ghana
Journalists Association in Accra.
He
said that the worst offenders are people considered as enlightened who after
getting married and having children or contracting other personal
relationships, forget to update their documents to include these new relations
as beneficiaries of death benefits.
"These
create a lot of confusion with different relatives turning up with claims which
usually end up in legal battles."
He
noted that there are a lot of misconceptions about the SSNIT scheme, one of
which is that contributors think they are entitled to the benefit from
investments made by SSNIT in housing projects and loans.
"What
most people fail to realise is that they only pay 17.5 per cent out of the 35
per cent contribution on which their benefits are worked out and it is these
investments that enable SSNIT to make up the difference."
He
said there are about 800,000 active contributors from the formal sector out of
a total of about the eight million working population, the majority of whom are
from the formal sector with the informal sector forming a negligible amount.
Mr.
Osei Bimpong spoke about the student loans scheme and said most employers fail
to notify SSNIT when they employ beneficiaries of the loan and this makes it
difficult to hold these former students accountable to pay up.
Some
of these former students also use their contributions to pay their loans and
they end up being uninsured for the period.
Mr.
Osei Bimpong said the interest rate of the students' loan is now 10 per cent,
up from six per cent.
Mr.
Samuel Osei-Frempong, the Chapter Chairman said, journalists need to be abreast
with important issues such as the SSNIT scheme, if they are to serve as
effective channels of public education.
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Kumasi (Greater Accra) 08 August 2000
The World Bank under the pilot phase of the "Learning and
Innovation project" has approved a five million-dollar financial support
for the development of Ashanti Region.
Areas to be covered by the assistance package include education,
health and agriculture.
Mr. Samuel Nuamah-Donkor, Ashanti Regional Minister announced this
at a durbar of chiefs at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi to climax the Yaa
Asantewaa Centenary celebrations at the weekend.
He said the intervention followed recent consultations held by a
team from the bank with the Regional Co-ordinating Council and the Asantehene,
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The council and the traditional authorities are to set up
committees to collaborate with the bank on the utilisation of the money.
Mr. Nuamah-Donkor praised Dr Ohene Nyanin, a Ghanaian Manager at
the World Bank in Washington who he said, was very instrumental in getting the
money approved.
The Regional Minister used the occasion to advise the youth
against fomenting chieftaincy and other disputes in the region.
He warned that those found to be involved in acts that threaten
and undermine the peace and security of the region would be dealt with
according to the law.
He spoke of the need for the youth to respect the traditions and
culture of the nation and help preserve them.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu reminded the chiefs and people of their
responsibility to build on the foundation laid through the sacrifices of their
ancestors.
He noted that it is by unity of purpose and selfless devotion to
the service of their community that they can give meaning to the sacrifices
made by Asante heroes and heroines like Yaa Asantewaa, Nana Afranewaa of
Offinso, Nana Kwaku Kyei of Agogo, Tweneboa Kodua and Asenso Kufuor.
The Asantehene told the chiefs to help preserve the tradition and
culture of Asante and condemned the situation where some of them do not even
visit the stool houses.
He commended the Asante Congress for identifying ways to speed up
the development of Asanteman and asked the chiefs to support the congress to
achieve its set goals.
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