Trespassers given two weeks to quit cemeteries
Security personnel swoop on criminals at Christian Village
Two people helping police over stolen corpse
Government urged to do cost analysis in mining areas
New appointments for government institutions
Two NDC activists in Ashanti suspended.
De-politicise the reconciliation move – Agyeman_Duah
Ghanaian journalists on assignment in Zimbabwe needs accreditation
Local government to be made resourceful
Payphones not functioning but Telecom blames users
Agencies under Ministry of Trade and Industry cry for assistance
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
Over 50 trespassers identified in three major cemeteries in Accra have been given a two-week ultimatum by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to quit or face prosecution.
The trespassers operating as masons and gravediggers have allocated to themselves portions of the cemeteries and charge illegal fees ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 cedis.
Mr Emmanuel Akrofi Bruce, Acting Director of the Metropolitan Public Health Department issued the ultimatum when he visited the cemeteries at Osu, La and Awudome following reports about the illegal operation of the trespassers.
Mr Bruce said their operation has given rise to criminal activities in the cemeteries including grave looting.
He said the trespassers also direct mourners to bury their corpses at wrong places, creating confusion between mourners and the AMA staff.
The trespassers pleaded with the AMA for more time to wind up their affairs since some of them have entered into contracts with people to dig graves for them.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
The Military and the Police on Thursday arrested 55 suspected criminals in a joint "cordon and search" operation at the Christian Village, Achimota in Accra.
The suspects made up of 44 males and 11 females were arrested at their various hideouts in and around the village. Among them were Nigerians, Togolese, Sierra Leoneans, Liberians and Ghanaians.
They are currently being kept at the Police Headquarters for screening. Most of the women were arrested for trying to hide some of the suspects and for their affiliation to them.
The operation, which started at 09:00 hours formed part of "Operation Calm Life", an exercise initiated by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to check the rising crime rate in the country.
Two television sets, a video compact disc player, 4 amplifiers, a video deck and two pairs of military boots were retrieved after a search.
The other items included blood stained gloves, syringe, fan, military uniforms, television stand, gas cooker, a large quantity of panther condoms and black papers used for printing counterfeit currency and personal effects.
The security personnel also impounded three saloon cars - a Fiat Tipo with registration number GT 6353 R and Chrysler Neon and a Mercedes Benz 190, both unregistered. The Benz had marks that suggested that the number plate had been removed.
Lieutenant Colonel John Guyiri, Commamding Officer of the Five Infantry Battalion (5BN), told the Ghana News Agency that the GAF upon a tip-off that suspected criminals of various nationalities were staying in the village decided to flush them out.
He said the joint team cordoned-off the village and searched most of the houses with the help from some residents, who were willing to assist them to identify the suspects.
Lt. Col. Guyirihe, who described the village as a hide out for criminals, said although they arrested quite a sizeable number of suspects, most of them had fled the village upon a tip-off.
The Commanding Officer said the residents, who claimed they were being intimidated by the presence of the suspects, were not willing to help the team.
"The people are apathetic although they have the ants biting them. People are so scared to corporate but yet they want their problems to be solved. Much as the security agencies are doing their best to help, the public have a much more important role to play".
Some residents, who declined to identify themselves, saying: "I fear for my life," told the GNA that most of the women arrested were prostitutes and were acquaintances of the suspects.
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Akyem Oda (Eastern Region) 10 August 2001
The Akyem Oda Police has placed in custody two people in connection with the theft of a corpse from Akyem Oda Hospital mortuary.
Their names were being withheld pending further investigations. The deceased, a 32-year-old driver died in a motor accident on August 2, at Akyem Asene in the Birim South District.
A Police source said after the accident the body was deposited at the mortuary and embalmed for post mortem examination.
However, on the following day the body could not be traced at the mortuary.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
The Government was on Thursday urged to carry out a thorough cost-benefit analysis of the mining sector in the context of liberalisation to inform the citizens of its true impact.
Mr Abdulai Darimani, Environmental Programme Officer of the Third World Network-Africa said the analysis must include a thorough economic, environmental, social and community impacts of the mining sector.
He made the call on behalf of participants at the end of a two-day national workshop for communities affected by mining and some media personnel in Accra.
Mr Darimani said the renewed mining boom has brought untold hardships to local communities affected by mining while the perceived benefits of mining appear marginal at both the national and local levels.
"The economic benefits are not felt at both the national and local level, and there is a general lack of transparency on the quantum and use of revenues accruing to the state," he said.
The workshop was organised by Third World Network- Africa, an NGO for about 30 participants drawn from all the ten regions.
In a ten- point resolution, Mr Darimani called for a moratorium on surface mining in all forest reserves and sensitive ecological zones until a thorough cost-benefit analysis on mining is conducted to inform the citizens on policy direction.
He urged the government to create a platform for harmonising national policies on the extractive sector.
Participants at the workshop had learnt that some communities were ejected from their lands without compensations through the use of paramilitary machinery.
Mr Darimani said "forced eviction by the use of state and private security and all forms of inhuman treatment against communities affected by mining must cease forthwith".
Mining issues should be included in the national processes leading to the World Summit on Sustainable Development dubbed Rio + 10 scheduled to take place in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, he said.
"The current mining code review process must seek the involvement and the views of all categories of society particularly communities affected by mining operations and the civil society groups", Mr Darimani said.
He added that the current process where all these categories of society are lumped together in the name of participation is unacceptable.
Mr Darimani said the review process should address the creation of stronger environmental laws and quality standards to be managed by well-resourced national environmental protection institutions with powers for on the spot fines.
"It should also address compensation for different types of property, different interest groups and environmental costs", he said.
Mr Darimani said the size and redistribution of royalties should also be reviewed to ensure that traditional rulers who are recipients are accountable to the people so as to ensure maximum benefits to the communities.
"Clear guidelines for conflict resolution between small- scale and large scale mining as well as mining companies and communities affected by mining should be included in the new code", he said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor has in consultation with the Council of State, appointed Mr Yaw Manu-Sarpong a Banker as the Chairman of the reconstituted 10-member Governing Board of Revenue Agencies in the country.
A statement issued from the Office of the President on Thursday named other members as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Commissioner of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Commissioner of the Value Added Tax (VAT).
The rest are Ms Gloria Ofori Buadu, Executive Secretary of FIDA, Mrs Victoria Dompreh an Educationist, Mr S. K. Tsahey, a Lawyer and an Accountant, Mr Paul Osei Kwabena an Accountant and Mr Harry Owusu, Acting Executive Secretary of the Private Enterprises Foundation (PEF).
The reconstituted 14-member Governing Board of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is under the Chairmanship of Mr J. Sackah Addo, a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BOG) with Dr Charles Mensah and Mrs Rose Karikari Annang both representatives of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) as members.
Others are, Mr Kwasi Amankwaa, Secretary-General of the TUC and Mr Napoleon Kpoh General-Secretary of the ICU as representatives of the TUC, Alhaji Yakubu Ziblim, National Chairman of the Civil Servants Association (CSA) and Mr
W. Kusi-Atansah representing the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT),
Mr Emmanuel Asiedu-Mante, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BOG) as its representative and Mr Asafo Adjaye a Banker.
The rest are Dr A. A. Osei, representative of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs Bridgette Jubilee Katsriku, Executive Secretary of the Ghana AIDS Committee, Ms Faustina Mensah, an Industrialist, Dr Edward Prempeh, a legal practitioner and Managing Director of M&J Travels and the Director-General of SSNIT.
Mr Charles Kofi Gyimah of the Exim Guaranty Company is the new Managing Director of the National Investment Bank (NIB) with Mr Owusu Tweneboah of the Banking College as the Deputy.
The NIB now has Mr Charles Danyagari Jebuni, a Research Fellow of the
Centre for Policy Analysis as the Chairman of the 10-member reconstituted Board of Directors.
Others are Nii Adu Darku Mante, Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle,
Dr Opoku Agyeman, a medical practitioner, Dr C. D. Ayomi, an Economist at the
Ministry of Finance, Dr N. A. Armah, an Economist at the Institute of Economic
Affairs (ECA) and Mr J. Kwame Ampadu, a private businessman.
The rest are Ms Serwaa Oppong, a businesswoman, Dr Anthony Mensah, an agro processing expert, Mr Charles Kofi Gyimah, the Managing Director and Mr Owusu Tweneboah, Deputy Managing Director.
Also, Mr Samuel Welbeck has been appointed the new Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) with Mr Boakye Agyeman and Mr Yaw Atuahene as his deputies.
The Eight-member reconstituted Board of Directors of the bank has Mr Paul Koranteng, former Manager of the Ghana Commercial Bank as Chairman, Mr Amadu Montia of the Bank of Ghana (BOG) and Mr J. A. Yamoah of the Ministry of Finance as members.
Others are Alhaji Abukari Alidu, a businessman, Mr Franklin Donkor,
Director of Extension Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr Welbeck, Mr Agyeman and Mr Atuahene.
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Two NDC activists in Ashanti suspended.
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10 August 2001
The Ashanti Regional Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has with immediate effect suspended two activists, Messrs Asamoah Atuahene and A. K. Mensah from the party for indiscipline.
The two have consequently been warned against holding themselves out as members and making public statements on behalf of the party.
This was contained in a press release signed by NDC Regional Vice-chairman, Mr Nti Fordjour in Kumasi.
It said much as the party recognised and appreciated the fact that multi-party democracy was essentially about numbers, it would not compromise on acts of indiscipline on the part of any member or supporter.
"We would, therefore, not hesitate to bring to order confusionist bent on sowing seeds of division among the rank and file and create public image problems for our party."
It asked all members, supporters and sympathisers of the NDC in Ashanti to remain firm and to continue to have faith and confidence in the leadership as they make determined efforts to re-organise and prepare the party to re-capture power in the next general election.
Messrs Atuahene and Mensah have been accused of being behind reports hypercritical of some leading members of the NDC in the mass media.
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Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 10 August 2001
The Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) is not meant for distribution to New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists, they should, therefore, not try to exert undue pressure on the committee charged with its disbursement, Mr Joe Boampong, Adansi West District Chief Executive, has said.
"I will not give the Poverty Alleviation Fund to individuals, whether you are an NPP supporter or chairman of the party."
Mr Boampong, who was inaugurating the NPP Kroye Kuo at Brahabebome in Obuasi, said the fund would be disbursed to co-operative groups that were serious and ready to go into viable ventures.
He said in the past the fund was given to party activists and this accounted for the difficulty encountered in its recovery, stressing that the NPP was going to change the system.
The District Chief Executive said the NPP government was determined to create the necessary conditions that would make millionaires out of Ghanaians.
"We are serious. We are not joking. Our main objective is to make Ghanaians millionaires."
Mr Boampong invited all Ghanaians to rally behind the government in its effort to re-engineer the economy.
In a speech read for Alhaji Akwasi Yeboah, District Chief Executive for Kwabre and National Chairman of the Young Elephants Movement (YEM), he said the youth in the party have a lot of responsibilities to make the party solid.
He advised them against wrongful use of youthful exuberance, stressing, "the Young Elephant is an arm of the party and not the core of the party".
Mr Peter Mensah and Mr Kwame Oppong, Secretary and Vice-Chairman of the Kroye Kuo, respectively, said it would go into large-scale farming to offer employment to the youth.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
Dr Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Associate Executive Director of Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), on Thursday urged civil society organisations and political parties to help de-politicise the national reconciliation concept.
He said, "the fear is that if the exercise becomes politicised and takes partisan approach then we cannot be reconciled"
Dr Agyeman-Duah told 30 participants drawn from civil society organisations in Accra at a one-day seminar that; "whether you are for Kufuor or not is not the issue. It is far above those sentiments. The issue should not divide the already divided society".
It is necessary that the society is sensitised enough to appreciate the enormity of the issues at stake in reconciling the nation and to chart a new political course that will deepen the practice of democracy, he said.
Dr Agyeman-Duah said there were three different thoughts on the reconciliation concept that needed to be critically examined.
"Those belonging to the NPP saying the reconciliation must embrace the AFRC and PNDC eras, the second being the NDC group that thinks reconciliation should embrace all regimes from the day of the independence while the third group holds the view; Forget the Past and Move Forward (FPMF)".
Dr Agyeman-Duah said there was the need to harmonise all those views now that the Bill on the national reconciliation is before Parliament.
He said there was the need for civil society to play its active role through suggestions, memoranda and lobbying to be able to influence its passage into law.
Dr Agyeman-Duah said "it is absolutely necessary that the nation moves towards peace, reconciliation, unity and development that would secure its present and the future".
He advised those who would engage in debates and discussions to be fair, realistic and objective to avoid setting the clock of development backwards.
Professor Nii Ashie Kotey of the Law Faculty, University of Ghana, Legon, who took the participants through the Bill, said there was the need for those who would constitute the reconciliation commission to be people with integrity who command respect and are acceptable to the people.
He said the exercise promises to be expensive and it would come to nothing if membership of the commission failed to meet the expectations of the people, adding that it would have been better if the exercise did not begin at all.
The bill proposes a seven-member commission to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Council of State.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
The Zimbabwe Department of Information has directed that all foreign journalists and other media personnel who intend to visit Zimbabwe on media assignment are henceforth to apply for accreditation from their countries of permanent station.
A Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA) release in Accra on Thursday said a statement from the office of the President and Cabinet in Zimbabwe has directed that with immediate effect, applications for accreditation must be lodged with the Zimbabwean Department of Information and Publicity in the office of the President, either directly or through the nearest Zimbabwean Mission, at least a month before the proposed visit.
The GJA release quoted the statement as asking all applicants to support their request for accreditation with relevant documents from employing media institutions.
It said travel arrangement should only start after a clear indication from the department on the accreditation status of the applicant.
The statement said the department would no longer entertain applications from individuals already in the country.
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The Deputy Minister emphasised that: "We shall, therefore, take the necessary action to ensure that new and existing relevant policies on decentralisation are vigorously pursued for effective and efficient local government administration".
Mr Dzamesi was speaking at the opening of a two-day Third Ordinary meeting of the Second Session of the North Tongu District Assembly at Adidome.
He called for co-operation between the Central government, Local government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and communities to facilitate socio-economic activities in the area.
Mr Dzamesi advised the assembly not to over-rely on the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) but should explore other sources of revenue generation to enable it to carry out its development projects.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 August 2001
Over 450 payphones out of the 1,500 installed nationwide are out of order but Ghana Telecom says it is due to vandalism and fraudulent acts by users.
A Ghana News Agency investigations in parts of Accra revealed that some phones were unable to register numbers punched, calls cut off abruptly and new phone cards registering ''void'' when slotted into the machine.
"It is very frustrating when your call goes through and then cuts. This means you have to keep trying and this wastes time especially when the call is urgent", says Mr Tony Akussah, Records Supervisor of National Archives.
Mr Akussah was having a hard time making a call at a payphone near the Oreily Secondary School at Adabraka when the GNA caught up with him.
A payphone at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, near the Iran Clinic, functions intermittently, while the one at Mr Rees Drinking Spot at Kokomlemle was out of order.
Mr George Mensah, a tradesman at the West Industrial Area, described the payphone at the Avenor Mosque as a white elephant. "The phone has not been functioning for three months."
"A lot of people who come here are always disappointed, the buttons simply do not function."
One of the two payphones at Swanlake Junction at North Kaneshie has its handset severed while the one at the Mobil Filling Station in the same area was out of order.
At Mataheko, the only one at the main road to Dansoman was out of order. At the Wesely Grammar Secondary School Junction in Dansoman the only payphone has been out of order for more than five months.
The payphone at the filling station on the main Russia- Dansoman road was non-functional.
Mr Samuel Kwesi Ainsoh, General Manager Payphone Division of Ghana elecom, told the GNA that most of the faults were due to vandalism, fraudulent acts by some users to cheat and the lack of spare parts to replace outmoded ones.
He said new customer friendly phones were being installed. "There would be drastic changes in the payphone business by the end of the year."
Mr Ainsoh said some customers fraudulently try to key in some instructions to enable them to make free calls.
"The system has been programmed in such a way that it automatically stops functioning for a period."
He said at certain times payphones in specific areas experience total blackout over a period due to the activities of this unscrupulous people.
"The service provider has no alternative but to delete that area as counter-measure and also to safeguard the system," he said.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 10 August 2001
Heads of departments and agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the Upper East Region on Thursday called for the immediate intervention of the sector Minister to keep them afloat.
They said the problems confronting their operations in the region were now beyond improvisation and personal sacrifice and should, therefore, be tackled under a certificate of emergency otherwise the government's golden age of business initiative would elude the people.
The Regional Heads made the appeal when they and their staff interacted with
Mr Boniface Abubakar Saddique, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry at Bolgatanga as part of his two-day familiarisation tour of the region.
Briefing the Deputy Minister on the operations of the Northern Zonal Office of the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC), Mr Dominic Abakuri, Export Development Officer, said they have created a high level of export awareness in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Besides the GEPC has also identified exportable products in the three regions. These include straw and leather products.
It has provided both technical and financial assistance to craftsmen to improve upon the quality of their products.
Mr Adakuri said despite these remarkable achievements within the past few years, the complete lack of funds to run the day-to-day administration of the Office has virtually crippled their efforts to reach more people.
"Things are so serious that sometimes we have to go and beg for stationery such as paper and typing ribbon from other offices. Fuel and lubricants for our over aged pick-up, which is supposed to carry us around, is either bought on credit or financed from private pockets," he told the Deputy Minister.
The stories of other agencies under the Ministry as narrated by their regional heads were not different, even though they all said remarkable achievements have been recorded in their various sectors despite the difficulties.
Mr Saddique gave the assurance that the sector ministry would endeavour to improve upon their working conditions to enable them to play their expected roles.
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