NDC Ward Chairman lauds leadership over choice of candidate
MTTU to embark on traffic safety check
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 August 2000
The Panther Unit of the Police Service said on Monday that they have cracked another notorious 419 syndicate with the arrest a Ghanaian with bundles of fake dollar bills totalling more than 50 million dollars.
Mr. James Apuri, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of the Panther Unit, told newsmen in Accra on Monday that one Sylvester Amenyo was arrested with the fake dollar bills on Saturday.
A Ghanaian, Kuma Adzraku and two Nigerians, identified only as Ndeke and Ameka, believed to be members of the 419 syndicate, are on the run.
According to ASP Apuri on August 26, the Panther Unit, upon a tip-off, stormed and searched an uncompleted house at East Legon and found a large trunk, two suit cases and bags containing bundles of fake dollar bills.
They also found chemicals and rubber stamps bearing the seals of the World Bank and other organisations.
Amenyo who was found in the house at the time of the raid, said the items belonged to him and the other accomplices. They used them to dupe members of the public including foreigners.
"We invite the foreigners into the country and tell them we have money we want to transfer to their respective countries for business and ask them to help us by using their account numbers.
"With their account numbers in our possession we are able to withdraw genuine dollars from these accounts which we mix with fake ones and put into the system."
He said other people are contacted and made to part with some dollars by convincing them that they have papers that can be changed into dollars and need money to buy chemicals for that purpose.
"When they show interest we ask them to deposit specific sums of money after which we tell them that their share of the booty would be transferred into their accounts when everything had been completed.
"We then mix the bulk of the fake money with a few genuine ones and circulate them in the system." He is quoted as telling the police.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 August 2000
The United Ghana Movement (UGM) says it will launch a programme to provide assistance to small and medium scale (SMEs) businesses on coming into power.
Known as the Business and Employment Support Teams (BEST), the initiative would integrate the administration of the various existing SME support schemes.
These include the Poverty Alleviation Fund, the Youth in Agricultural Programme, GRATIS micro-finance and EMPRETEC.
A statement in Accra signed by the party's Public Affairs Officer Mr. Joseph Essifie Otoo on Monday said the initiative would be under the direction of the party's vice-presidential candidate Larry Adotey.
Advisory and information centres would be established in all district capitals to inform and encourage local entrepreneurs of available incentives and support packages to enable them to improve upon their businesses and to create employment avenues.
The statement said substantial wealth and economic activities in the country are generated at the small and medium-scale levels but the sector is hardly given any recognition.
"However, because of the erroneous and unfortunate tag of being labelled as the informal sector, the needs of the very core of the country's economic, employment and social development have been marginalised and largely reduced to periodic short-lived activities under the myriad of unsustainable projects."
The Statement said the initiative would reverse the focus of government policy, which centres on a few large-scale industries, mostly dominated by multinationals, to the neglect of the SMEs in the agriculture, commercial and industrial sectors.
It said existing policy measures to improve the micro financing sector would be at the centre of policy initiatives to increase access to finance by the largest segment of the economy.
Other measures would be special grants and tax breaks to SMEs which, need retooling to improve productivity as well as special incentives for training of staff and granting of tax relief to companies which take on new employees.
There will also be measures to review and revise personal and corporate tax obligations in line with economic realities to instil confidence in entrepreneurs.
The statement further added that the initiative would place SMEs at the forefront of efforts to attract foreign investors in line with the party's vision.
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Diare (Northern Region) 29 August 2000
The parliamentary candidate of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) for Savelugu, Mr. Yakubu Abdulai, has called on the people to reject the NDC because of the high cost of education in the country.
Speaking at a rally at Diare, he said this has led to the high dropout rate in the area. He told the cheering supporters that, "the growing popularity of the CPP in the country would defy any political opposition".
Mr. Abdulai said that the policies of the NDC government should deter people from voting for it in the general election adding that, "every farmer is aware that it is the government of the NDC that has discouraged active farming in the country through the removal of subsidies on agriculture".
"A vote for the CPP would restore the development aspirations of every Ghanaian," he said.
The Northern Regional Organiser of the CPP, Alhaji Issah Zorro, said the NDC could not match what it has achieved in 20 years with the Nine-year rule by the CPP under the late President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 August
2000
President Jerry John Rawlings
returned home early on Tuesday from Arusha, Tanzania, after joining other heads
of state from the Great Lakes Region to witness the signing of a peace
agreement among the warring factions in Burundi.
The Foreign Minister, Mr. John
Victor Gbeho, Mr. Ohene Agyekum, Minister for Chieftaincy and Protocol, and Dr.
Tony Aiddo, Deputy Minister of Defence, accompanied the president.
Mr. Nelson Mandela, former
president of South Africa, who facilitated the meeting, and United States
President Bill Clinton, now on an African tour, also witnessed the agreement
aimed at helping to bring a lasting solution to Burundi in particular and to
the Great Lakes Region in general.
The accord was the culmination of
two years of discussions by the various warring factions in the seven-year war
between Burundian Hutu rebels and the minority Tutsi-led government.
There is still the outstanding
issue of who will lead the transitional government.
Vice-President John Evans Atta
Mills and other government officials met President Rawlings on arrival.
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Takoradi (Western Region) 29 August 2000
The Western Regional Minister, Mrs. Esther Lily Nkansah, on Monday called on the security services to uphold the 1992 constitution by defending the rights of Ghanaians especially women and children, who are most vulnerable.
Opening a workshop jointly organised by the Federation of Women Layers (FIDA) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, for the security services in the Western Region at Takoradi, Mrs. Nkansah mentioned rape, wife beating, female genital mutilation, trial by ordeal, sexual harassment and the subjection of women to ritual slavery as crimes that should engage the attention of security agencies.
She noted that parliament has enacted laws to protect the rights of women and children and called on the police to enforce them, expressing the hope that the discussions at the workshop would equip the participants with the requisite knowledge needed for the prevention of violence against women
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 29 August 2000
Dr Ken Attafuah, Director of Operations and Chief Investigator of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has called on Ghanaians to pursue policies that would ensure human rights to promote democracy.
He said this would ensure peace and stability and enable the individual to contribute to the socio-economic and political development of the country.
The time has come for the Ghanaians to co-operate with the government to remove all cultural, social and political practices that infringe on the rights of citizens, Dr Attafuah said.
He condemned female genital mutilation, child marriages, servitude of women and child violation adding that, a conducive environment should be created to enable every Ghanaian to develop his or her potentials.
Dr Attafuah, who was speaking to newsmen in Kumasi, expressed concern about the rampant child marriages, women and age discrimination, which has become an integral part of our culture psyche.
He said persons with physical disability forms approximately 10 per cent of the population and between two and five per cent is made up of persons with visual impairment.
Dr. Attafuah said the negative pre-judicial and discriminatory attitudes hurt them and their families and the society, adding, "as we continue the senseless carnage on our streets and the odious use of mind-expending drugs and other dangerous narcotics, the number of physically and mentally disabled persons is likely to rise".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 August 2000
Mr. J. H.Owusu-Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture has said that a law would soon be passed to regulate the fishing industry to ensure sanity.
Under the law, there would be a closed fishing period to allow for the young stock of the fish to mature before they are caught.
Mr. Owusu Acheampong was speaking at a meeting organised by the Ministry in Accra to discuss allegations of irregularities levelled against tuna fishing vessels by the Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association (GIFA) on Monday.
He said the government cannot do without the fishing industry and as such it would not sit down unconcerned for it to be destroyed.
GIFA has accused the tuna vessels, among other things, of using fish aggregate device to catch various fish species at sea, and throwing the unwanted ones back into the sea.
Furthermore, GIFA alleged that the big trawlers have been destroying their nets at sea.
Tempers began rising as each party tried to lay blame at the doorsteps of the other.
Nii Ankama Okai, Executive Secretary of GIFA said tuna vessel operators have been bribing the surveillance team sent to monitor their activities.
Madam Emelia R. Anang of the Research Section of the Fisheries Department refuted the allegation, saying that on the contrary tuna vessels have been operating strictly under international fishing regulations.
She explained that throwing unwanted fish back into the sea is a universal practice.
The minister called on both sides to adhere strictly to the fishing regulations and warned that any one caught infringing them would be severely dealt with.
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Wa (Upper West) 29 August 2000
A lecturer at the Department of Geology of the University of Ghana, on Sunday called on Agriculture Extension Officers to educate farmers on how water bodies can be polluted through the application of chemical fertilisers and other toxic materials.
He said the application of chemical fertilisers near dams; boreholes and other water sources could pose a health hazard to both human beings and livestock.
Dr Bruce Banoeng-Yakubo, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Wa, is conducting a research on the availability of water and ways of increasing it in the region.
He urged farmers to reduce their dependence on chemical fertilisers and to embrace organic and animal droppings, which are cheaper, environmentally friendly and have minimum health risk.
The lecturer said the research is to facilitate studies by the government and non-governmental organisations interested in sponsoring water projects in the region.
Similar researches would be carried out in the Upper East, Northern, Volta and Greater Accra Regions, he added.
Dr Banoeng-Yakubo noted that the Region has a lot of water terrain, which could be developed to increase potable water for both domestic and commercial consumption.
He called on organisations interested in such projects to use cost effective and appropriate measures to maximise water utilisation adding that "the most appropriate water is the underground water, which is mineralised and clean from sources instead of dams and wells, which can easily be polluted by human activities".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 August 2000
The five-member committee that investigated the demonstration by junior staff of the Ghana Prisons Service last June, has urged the government to address issues relating to poor salaries and allowances which have contributed to low morale in the service.
The chairman of the committee, Mr. Christian K. Kuadey, said even though the members are aware of the economic problems facing the country, there is the urgent need to solve some of the immediate problems of the service.
He made the appeal when he presented the committee's report to the Minister of the Interior, Nii Okaija Adamafio, in Accra.
The Committee was set up on June 19 after prison officers staged demonstrations to demand better working conditions and salaries.
Mr. Kuadey said the committee's report also made recommendations for the improvement of the conditions of prison inmates and expressed the hope that due consideration would be given to issues raised to enhance the reformation of prisoners.
Mr. Kuadey said the committee took statements from over 80 witnesses and visited prisons in Accra and Kumasi.
This, he said, gave them a first-hand experience of the operations of the Ghana Prisons Service, the extent of its responsibilities, the conditions under which the staff work, the condition of inmates and the general condition of the infrastructure of the service.
Nii Okaija thanked the members for the good work done saying the ministry is in consultation with the Finance Ministry on improved salaries and allowances for officers and men of the service.
The minister said the ministry is determined to address some of the problems identified in the report.
"Problems associated with the Ghana Universal Salary Structure would also be addressed as soon as possible, he added.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 29 August 2000
Vice President John EvansAtta Mills has stated that he would create an office that would be charged with the responsibility of harmonising relations between different political parties when given the mandate to rule.
Professor Mills said the office would also work to reconcile differences among the people.
He said consensus building and teamwork would play a large part in his administration, making a major plank in the effort of achieving reconciliation.
"We should seek to achieve a nation free of rancour, bitterness, recrimination and vengeance", he said in an address read on his behalf at a fund raising dinner organised by the Cape Coast Constituency Branch of the NDC at Cape Coast.
Prof. Mills said he would make consultations one of the pillars of his administration, listening to anyone who has some contribution to make to the development of the nation.
"Tsir kor nnko egyina", Prof. Mills quoted a Fanti proverb, which literally means, "two heads are better than one" to support his stance.
"Manifestos of parties are at best, statements of intentions, but when it comes to implementation we realise that we cannot do it all alone. Ideas from other sources can enhance our decision making".
One of the priorities of his administration, he said would be to ensure food security to reduce the component of domestic budget on food.
"In this direction, the youth in agriculture programme would be developed and expanded".
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Fian (Upper West Region) 29 August 2000
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has confirmed three more parliamentary candidates in the Upper West region for this year's general election.
Mr. Stephen Engmen Yiri-Eru, a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, will vie for the Lawra/Nandom seat while Mr. Timothy Taafali Dombo, a businessman and an assembly member is standing for the Jirapa seat.
They were both elected unopposed.
Mr. Sahanun Mogtari, Regional Secretary of the party made this known at the Nadowli South constituency primaries at the weekend at which Mr. Albert Dakura Ye-Anyi, a 53-year old farmer was also elected unopposed to contest the seat.
This brings to seven, the number of candidates approved to stand on the ticket of the party in the region.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 28 August 2000
The British Department for International Development (DFID) has provided one million Pounds Sterling to the Electoral Commission (EC) towards the successful conduct of the December presidential and parliamentary elections.
Mr. James Gregory Quinn, Second Secretary in-charge of Political, Press and Public Affairs of the British High Commission, disclosed this on Monday when he called on the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Donald Adabre, in Sunyani.
The visit of the British Diplomat was to enable him to assess the electoral process with particular reference to the on-going changing of the thumb printed identity cards to photo identity cards.
Mr. Quinn said Britain appreciates the efforts of the EC so far to ensure a credible election.
The election is very important to the sustainable political growth of the country and the amount is aimed at providing enough materials and logistics towards the exercise, he said.
"The EC seems to be doing well so far and it is hoped that the provision of the photo identity cards would eliminate all electoral malpractice and make the results acceptable to all contestants".
Mr. Quinn said the High Commission would collaborate with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) to find a lasting solution to the country's deforestation problem.
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Kasoa (Central Region) 29 August
2000
The Chairman of the Awutu/Senya
Constituency branch of the NDC, Alhaji Habibu Adramani, has, on behalf of the
entire executive, expressed appreciation to the leadership of the party for
accepting Mrs. Hanna Serwaah Tetteh-Kpodar as its parliamentary candidate for
the December parliamentary election.
Addressing an executive meeting at
Kasoa on Monday, Alhaji Adramani described the move as a big victory not only
for women in the Awutu/Senya Constituency but also for all women in the
Awutu-Effutu-Senya District.
"This is because since the
nation obtained independence over 40 years ago, this is the first time a woman
has been chosen by a political party to contest parliamentary election
in this area."
Alhaji Adramani expressed the hope
that the acceptance of the offer by Mrs. Tetteh-podar would inspire more women
in the district to develop keen interest in partisan politics and contribute
effectively to the promotion of democracy.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 August 2000
The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana police is to embark on an exercise to ensure that motorists have valid documents covering their vehicles.
Inspector Jordan Quaye of the Public Relations Unit of the Greater Accra Region told the GNA on Monday that the exercise forms part of the traffic safety measures.
Motorists without original driver's license, certificate of roadworthiness and insurance will be prosecuted in court.
Inspector Quaye warned commercial vehicle drivers especially to update their documents so that they would not embarrass their passengers when they are arrested.
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