Ghana committed to good governance in West Africa-Kufuor
Ghana to consider reopening mission in Iran
Minister of Defence visits Ghanaian troops in Lebanon
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 August 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday said Ghana is committed to good governance and good neighbourliness in the West African Sub-region.
In the wider international context, Ghana would continue to strive within the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the United Nations (UN) for the achievement of a just international order, peace and security for all nations, Kufuor said when Mr Jose Nestor Ureta, Argentine Ambassador, presented his credentials to him at the State House in Accra.
Although relations between the two countries have been very cordial over the years, the level of trade and economic co-operation between them has been rather low, President Kufuor stated and asked Mr Ureta to strengthen co-operation between the two countries especially in the area of livestock breeding and pasture production.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 August 2001
An aspirant to the position of National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Lord Commey said in Accra on Tuesday that the opposition was dictating the pace of governance by constant criticism of the government policies.
He therefore promised to organise party loyalists, especially the youth, train and equip them with the necessary communication skills to defend and explain government policies to Ghanaians.
He said: "we are worried that a minister spends three to four hours debating and defending government policies. The ministers will have to be in their ministries to do their work. We the youth have to go round to defend the policies."
Mr. Commey made the remarks after launching his campaign to contest the position of National Organiser of the NPP. The launch was under the theme: "To Keep Your Hopes Alive."
The position of National Organiser became vacant following the appointment of Major Courage Quashigah (rtd) as the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
The party will hold its national delegates' conference on August 25, at the University of Ghana, Legon to elect new national officers.
The race for the position of National Organiser got hotter with the launch of a similar campaign in Accra by Mr Mustafa Abdul-Hamid a 30-year-old marketing consultant last week.
Mr Commey is the Deputy Regional Secretary for the Greater Accra Region and a member of the National Youth Wing.
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Oyoko (Eastern Region) 08 August 2001
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman has explained that the Kufuor administration's support for Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas for the post of the Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was a manifestation of its commitment to run an all-inclusive government.
Addressing the chiefs and people of Oyoko, near Koforidua, at the weekend as part of his two-day "meet-the-people" tour of the New Juaben North constituency, he said the policy would be pursued to ensure that all available human resources were fully harnessed for national development without discrimination on political grounds.
Mr Owusu Agyemang, who was accompanied by the New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Nana Adjei Boateng, addressed similar rallies at Jumapo, Asokore and Effiduase.
He recounted some of the economic policies so far evolved by the government, including the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and said that everything possible would be done to promote the well being of the people and the development of the country within the four-year tenure of the New Patriotic Party.
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Asankrangwa (Western Region) 08 August 2001
Elephants are destroying cocoa farms at Asuoso, near Wassa Dunkwa in the Wassa-Amenfi District of the Western Region, according to a spokesman of farmers in the area, Mr Kingsley Amankwa.
He said at Asankrangwa that the elephants invade the farms at night to eat the pods and in some cases destroy the trees as well.
He has, therefore, appealed to the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission to assist them to drive away the elephants, adding that any delay could spell financial disaster for them.
Mr Nicolas Ankudey, Executive Director of the Division, told the GNA in Accra, that there was an Elephant Control Team at Goaso in the Asunafo District of Brong Ahafo Region and advised the farmers to contact their District Chief Executive to link them up with the team for assistance.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 August 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday said Ghana would consider the re-opening of its mission in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would soon begin the negotiations to that effect when a firm decision is taken, President Kufuor announced when Mr Majid Bizmark, Iranian Ambassador, presented his credentials to him at the State House in Accra.
He said the re-activation of the dormant Joint Permanent Commission of Co-operation between the two countries would also be considered due to the tremendous contribution Iran has made to Ghana in agriculture, health, education and culture.
Mr Bizmark said the success of the transparent and free elections in Ghana has shown the political maturity of Ghanaians and has made Ghana a model of democracy in Africa. "This development promises a new era of growth and progress in Ghana." he added.
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Kufuor calls for close collaboration among
African countries
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 August 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday stressed the need for African countries to work together to achieve political stability on the continent and a reasonable level of economic development to guarantee decent living for the people.
Ghana is ever prepared to co-operate with all African countries to achieve this objective, President Kufuor said when he received the credentials of Dr Machivenyika Tobias Mapuranga, High Commissioner of Zimbabwe, at the State House in Accra.
He said as developing countries the economies of African countries are beset with various factors including low commodity prices and an inequitable international economic system characterised by protectionism against their vital exports.
"In today's increasingly competitive and globalised setting, the efforts of our individual countries to develop our national economies should be commensurate with our determination to work towards achieving the goals of economic integration."
President Kufuor said: "We in Ghana believe that bilateral economic relations between African countries should form the bedrock of our joint efforts to achieve the goals of regional integration.
''In this regard we owe it as an obligation to establish closer co-operation among ourselves as a means to meeting the aspirations of our people for a higher standard of living."
President Kufuor said relations between Ghana and Zimbabwe have been mainly at the political level. It is therefore imperative for both countries to translate this political goodwill into projects such as expanding trade exchanges and greater economic co-operation.
He suggested that the Joint Commission for Co-operation, that has remained dormant since 1995, should be re-activated to provide a framework for identifying specific projects for co-operation.
"The decision of Zimbabwe to open a full diplomatic mission in Accra, though long overdue, is therefore a welcome development which will go a long way to facilitate trade exchanges between our two countries not only at the official level but also among our respective private sectors."
President Kufuor said Ghana appreciates the efforts of the government and people of Zimbabwe to take pragmatic measures to address problems facing the country in spite of the serious external forces they had to contend with.
"We admire Zimbabwe's principled and courageous stand on fundamental issues facing the country and hope that a good measure of tactfulness will be adopted to avoid tension in the country and on the continent'', he added.
Dr Mapuranga commended Ghana in its role in the liberation struggle on the continent that led to the liberation of most African countries.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 August 2001
The Ethics Committee of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Tuesday reaffirmed that Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Energy Adviser to the President, refused to substantiate his allegation of bribery against journalists when he appeared before it.
Instead, Dr Wereko-Brobbey insisted "he will only do that before a Commission of Enquiry."
A statement signed by Frances Ademola, Chairperson of the committee, said Dr Wereko-Brobby failed "to cooperate with us in giving us the names of the journalists, who he specifically said, were taking bribes in black polythene bags."
Reacting to pronouncements made by Dr Wereko-Brobbey during an interview with Joy FM, the statement said there were deliberate misrepresentation of what happened.
It said Dr Wereko-Brobby never offered to arrange for any member of the committee to have confidential discussion with any of the three persons he named as his 'leads'.
The statement said Dr Wereko-Brobby told the committee that once, while he was with Mr D.K. Osei, Secretary to the President, a journalist telephoned the President on the "Sahara Issue" and demanded a bribe.
The statement quoted Mrs Ademola as saying that Dr Wereko-Brobby asked her to telephone President Kufuor to verify but "I thought it would be both disrespectful and inappropriate to telephone the President of Ghana to verify such a matter."
The committee wrote to Mr Osei, suggesting a discussion on the matter with Mr Kweku Rockson, a member of the committee but Mr Osei was not available and did not respond to the letter.
"This is what Dr Wereko-Brobby describes as 'formal approaches which were completely inappropriate and not surprisingly rebuffed."
The statement said, Mr Ben Ephson, Editor of 'The Dispatch', who was the third lead, denied knowledge of any journalist taking bribe in the coverage of the "Sahara Affair."
Mr Ephson said his refusal to carry a story, which later appeared in another newspaper, was no basis for suspecting that a reporter had been bribed.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 August 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor has commended Ghanaian troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for their excellence, which has ensured peace in their operations area.
A statement by the Directorate of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in Accra and signed by Deputy Director, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Awuah said Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence conveyed the commendation on behalf of the President when he visited Ghanaian troops in Lebanon on July 30.
It said the visit was to afford the Minister the opportunity to participate and present medals to the officers and men of the Ghanaian Battalion (GHANBATT) at the Medals Day Parade which fell on Thursday August 2 and to acquaint himself with the operational and living conditions of the troops.
Dr. Addo Kufuor was accompanied by Air Commodore Richard Awuku, Commanding Officer of the Air Force Station, Takoradi, Colonel J.K.T Caesar, Director of Military Records, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Owoo, Staff Officer, General Headquarters and Lieutenant Colonel Obed Akwa, Military Assistant to the Minister.
The Minister and his delegation called on the Acting UNIFIL Force Commander, Brigadier General Ganesan Athmanathan, toured selected forward positions in GHANBATT 54 along the Lebanon-Israel border and addressed an allrank durbar of the battalion.
Dr Addo Kufuor briefed the Ghanaian Battalion on the policies of the Ministry including plans to establish Emergency Response Units in Ghana and the various welfare schemes for personnel of the armed forces.
He also called on the unit to take advantage of their presence in the region to acquire the ingenious farming methods of the locals, which has transformed arid lands into rich agricultural lands, and later commissioned a new gymnasium named after him (Dr Kufuor) and a new camp known as Uaddara Camp.
The Minister also visited the Ghanaian community in Beirut and called on the Lebanese Defence Minister and top-ranking Lebanese military officers.
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Broadcasters urged to present balanced
programmes
Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 08 August 2001
The Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Ghana, Mr Peter Premus has called on Radio Broadcasters to present balanced and diversified programmes to ensure efficient dissemination of information to their audience.
He said the positive climate change in the media scene has brought to the fore the need to inform the Ghanaian public comprehensively about issues of international relevance.
Mr Premus was speaking at the commissioning of a 17,000 Dutch Mark (52 million cedis) Satellite equipment and accessories for Life FM radio station at Nkawkaw to enable it to broadcast Deutsche Welle (D.W) programmes.
He said for the past few years, DW Radio had assisted six Local FM radio stations in the country with similar facilities to strengthen the German/Ghanaian co-operation in the media sector.
The Radio DW Representative in Ghana, Miss Beatrice Schaich-Ampaw said the equipment, which comprises a satellite dish, a decoder and an uninterruptible power supply, would enable Life FM to re-broadcast DW programmes in English language.
He said DW radio also has a long-standing tradition of organising courses for radio technicians and journalists either in Ghana or at its headquarters in Cologne in Germany.
Mrs Schaich-Ampaw said the Federal Republic of Germany through DW radio was pleased to have a share in the progress of the democratisation in the country that has brought about the multiplication and diversification of radio programmes.
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