Affirmative action to empower women needed - GBA President

Govt has not lost control of economy, President Rawlings

Awoonor calls for religious tolerance

Police caution public against criminal activities.

CEPS officers urged to intensify revenue collection efforts

Takoradi (Western Region) 13 December '99

The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Mr. Ebo Quarshie, has called for affirmative action towards the empowerment of women.

In this regard, he suggested that the government, individuals; organisations and corporate bodies must take steps to consciously institute a "Quota system" for women in certain positions.

Mr. Quarshie made the call when he spoke on "Women empowerment in the next millennium", at a seminar organised by the Peoples' Educational Association (PEA) at the Takoradi Workers' College at the weekend.

He asked men to change their attitude of always underrating women and to see them as partners and not as "driver's mate".

Job stereotyping must not be encouraged and banks must treat men and women equally when it comes to the granting of loans.

Mrs Sweetie Sowah, Western Regional Treasurer of GBA, who spoke on the law on wills, said women could also make wills for their husbands.

Married couples should prepare their will to save their children from undue maltreatment by family members.

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Bawku(Upper Eastern) 13 Dec '99

President Jerry John Rawlings has assured Ghanaians that the government has not in anyway lost control over the economy.

Efforts are being made to manage the temporary dislocation in a manner that would make the nation derive the best out of the situation, the President at the annual "Samanpiid" festival of the chiefs and people of the Kusaug traditional area at Bawku.

In an address read for him by Hajia Fati Seidu, Deputy Upper East Regional Minister,

he said: "What is more important in our present predicament is for all of us to appreciate that the current state of our economy is not the making of government or any individual person but accentuated by exogenous factors which we have no control over."

President Rawlings explained that the global economic order has been unfavourable to most developing countries and that in the case of Ghana "this has been worsened by a further drop in the prices of the country's major foreign exchange earners, cocoa and gold."

He said these problems notwithstanding, the government has not been daunted in anyway from providing quality life for all and sundry.

On the agricultural front, President Rawlings said the Bawku East district alone benefited from 12 out of 44 dams constructed in the region under phase one of the upper East Land Conservation and Smallholder Rehabilitation Project (LACOSREP).

He said in order to consolidate the gains of LACOSREP one, the government has signed a 11.5 million-dollar loan agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to implement the second phase of the project (LACOSREP TWO) from 1999 to 2004.

Of 36 additional dams to be built in the Upper East region under LACOSREP two, nine would be sited in the Bawku East district to boost Agricultural production.

President Rawlings said as part of the government's commitment to the development of education, it approved a total of 3.1 billion cedis for the rehabilitation of educational infrastructure and construction of new ones in the region during the year.

Projects targeted included the rehabilitation of a two-storey classroom block and another two-storey dormitory block at Bawku secondary school at a cost of 130 million cedis.

About 110 million cedis would be spent to connect electricity to Bawku Secondary Technical School from the national power grid, he said.

President Rawlings said although it is the avowed commitment of the government to ensure that all children of school-going age receive education through the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme, "it has become apparent that the full burden of tertiary education cannot be borne by (the) government alone."

"It is out of this state of affairs that the concept of cost-sharing between (the) government, parents, students and others has been born. The government would not shirk its responsibility in this direction, but it is imperative that you meet us in a way in this endeavour."

He said some parents and students would genuinely find the system of cost-sharing extremely difficult and therefore called on district assemblies to establish educational funds to support needy students.

President Rawlings acknowledged the developmental efforts of the Bawku East district assembly which, as at the end of October this year, mobilised 384.8 million cedis from local revenue sources to support development projects.

He commended the people for the relative peace and stability which the district has enjoyed in the past decade and urged them to work relentlessly towards the sustenance of this atmosphere of tranquillity.

"let us all in unison harness our diversities into formidable strengths for the development of our district and the nation at large."

The Bawku Naaba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka the second, expressed his people's appreciation to the government for coming to their aid during the armyworm and flood disasters.

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Sekondi (Western Region) 13 Dec. '99

Professor Kofi Awoonor, Presidential Aide, has called for religious tolerance particularly among Christians.

He said the universe is the domain of all God's children and that "in Christ there is nothing like north, south, east or west".

Professor Awoonor made the call at the 70th anniversary celebration of the Sekondi-Takoradi District branch of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E. P.) Church at Sekondi on

Sunday.

He said Christianity must accept that God's mercy is available to all his children whether they are Jews, Hindus, Moslems or African Traditionalists and must enjoy God's infinite love, which spreads its wings over all people wherever they are.

He deplored the attitude of some churches, particularly some charismatic church leaders, who "presume that they alone possess God's grace or comprehend God's will".

Professor Awoonor said that these "leaders condemn every other faith, speak in contemptuous tone of all others and proclaim themselves to be holy, pure and the elect of God".

He pointed out that evangelism that brings people to Christ remains a legitimate part of the Christian mission, "but when it is done from a position of social superiority and spiritual arrogance, it will not find favour in the eyes of God".

Professor Awoonor expressed regret that some churches are plagued with division, quarrels, horrible manifestation of greed and maligning one another, dragging one another to court and accusations and counter accusations.

He observed that there are acts of oppression in the churches, especially against women, adding that the church is becoming instrument of power in the hands of the rich.

Professor Awoonor, therefore, advised church leaders to learn the humble ways of the early founders of the church: "we expect to hear humble words, words of love, compassion and understanding from the mouth of the bishops, and all the exalted presidents and moderators of the Christian orthodox churches".

"Many of the statements and pastoral letters from these exalted princes of the church sound arrogant, pompous and without charity", he added.

Mrs. Esther Lily Nkansah, Western Regional Minister, urged the main-line churches to develop new initiatives that would attract the youth, win, teach and establish them firmly in the body of Christ.

The moderator of the E.P. Church, Right Reverend J. Y. Ledo advised Ghanaians, particularly Christians not to embark on any expensive Christmas celebrations that would land them in debts.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 Dec '99

Mr Cephas Kwashivie Agbelie, Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, on Monday assured the public of the police's readiness to bust criminal activities this Yuletide.

He said the activities of tricksters (azaa people), pick pockets and porters popularly known as "Kaya Yoo" have been understudied and measures have been taken to nip their activities in the bud.

Mr Agbelie said as Christmas approaches and the city filled with shoppers, criminals take advantage of such situations to reap " an undeserved harvest.

"These criminals use dubious means to rob innocent victims of their moneys and goods".

For instance, some of them create unnecessary quarrels and squabbles to draw the attention of passers-by who end up being robbed."

Mr Agbelie advised the public especially rural folks who come to the city during such seasons not to get carried away by such tricks.

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Ho (Volta Region) 13 Dec. '99

Mr Nii Okine Adjei, Commissioner of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has urged its personnel to work towards effective revenue collection, accounting and transparent service delivery to facilitate trade and investment in the country.

He said the ability of the service to collect its mandatory 50 per cent of total government revenue must never be in doubt because ''our inability to achieve this will go a long way to dislocate government projections and the economy at large''.

This was contained in a speech read for him by Mr Edward Noi, Deputy Commissioner of CEPS in charge of operation at this year's CEPS Volta Regional Awards Ceremony.

Mr Adjei said some vital operational areas of the Service would be reviewed.

These are risk management, profiling, selectivity, CEPS Management Law (PNDCL 330) and post clearance audit.

Mr I. Opoku-Ntiamoah, Volta Regional Sector Commander of the Service said the challenges the service will face in the new millennium will be to ensure that procedures and processes do not impede international trade.

Honuta Border post was adjudged the best overall station in the region for exceeding its revenue target of 130 million cedis in 1998 by six million cedis.

It is about to realise its 1999 target of 148.6 million cedis by collecting 130.2 million cedis as at the end of October.

Tinjase was adjudged the most improved station for increasing its revenue collection from 500,000 cedis in 1988 to 6.67 million cedis as at the end of October.

Mr Billey Kwame Anartey, Assistant Collector at Ho won the Senior Officers' Award while Mr Robert T. K. Asiamah of Nyive station won the Junior Officers' Award they were special prizes.

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