Ex-Corporal arrested for alleged murder

NPP students condemn alleged Police brutalities

Tarkwa youth demonstrate against Goldfields Limited

Mills ask CEPS and IRS to set new standards

Low wage levels cannot give foreign direct investment

Let's sustain peace and stability - priest urges Ghanaians

Kumasi drivers unleash mayhem

Ministry lifts ban on import of Belgian poultry products

Don't allow gifts to influence your voting - NPP

Indian philosopher shows way to meaningful living

Agyekum criticises government departments over contract procedures

Stakeholders identify priorities for National Biotechnology Programme

Ministry to assist CSIR, GAEC to develop Biotechnology

Ellenda (Western Region) 14^th December 99

The Police at Tikobo Number One have arrested Ex- Corporal Kojo Sayi from Ellenda for allegedly shooting one Mr Emmanuel Bordoh and later inflicting several cutlass wounds on his body to kill him at the weekend.

A Police spokesman, who disclosed this to the GNA at Ellenda, said for the past six months, Sayi, aged 40 and Bordoh, 43, from Akuse in the Eastern Region had been at loggerheads.

On December five at about 01:30 hours, Sayi armed himself with a shotgun, a hammer and a cutlass and went to the house of the deceased and damaged the door.

The Police said Sayi later laid ambush in a nearby plantain farm and when Bordoh came out of the room after some time, Sayi shot him in the stomach.

He later inflicted several cutlass wounds on his head killing him.

Bordoh's body has been deposited at the Half Assini Government Hospital mortuary for autopsy, while Police investigation continues.

In another development, the Tikobo Number One Police are looking for Mr Blay Ackah of Amondo, near New Kabenlasuazo, for allegedly inflicting several cutlass wounds on the former husband of his wife, Mr Emu Ekyi.

The Police said Mr Ackah suspects Mr Ekyi of still having an affair with his ex-wife now married to him.

Mr Ekyi is responding to treatment at the Siloam Clinic at Bonyere Junction.

GRi

Return to top

Accra (Greater Accra), 14^th December 99

The University of Ghana branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday condemned "recent brutalities" meted out to students of the University of Cape Coast, when they embarked on a peaceful demonstration to protest against their grading system and increase in fees by the government.

A statement signed by Patrick Apraku, Press Secretary, called on the Inspector General of Police to caution his men to desist from using "offensive weapons" when students or workers embark on demonstrations.

It said the Police should be circumspect in their dealings with protestors and see demonstrations as a constitutional right.

It said any attempt to prevent people from staging lawful demonstrations is a denial of their right.

The statement appealed to Mr Charles Agbenza, Central Regional Minister, to forgive the students, who were alleged to have assaulted him and bury any differences, brought about by the encounter.

GRi

Return to top

Abontiakoon (Western Region) 14 Dec. '99

Tarkwa Police on Monday shot and wounded nine persons at Abontiakoon, near Tarkwa, as thousands of people, mostly unemployed youth, demonstrated against Goldfields Ghana Limited (GGL) for mass lay-off of its employees when it abandoned an underground mine.

The victims were sent to Tarkwa Government Hospital where six of them were treated and discharged. The remaining three, whose injuries were serious, are on admission.

As early as 0400 hours, the demonstrators wearing red bands and singing war songs, placed obstacles over a distance of about two kilometres on the Tarkwa-Bogoso main road to block traffic.

Travellers had to walk, as vehicles, including those carting cocoa, lumber and other goods from Sefwi Wiawso and Kumasi to Takoradi Harbour, were all grounded by the action.

The demonstrators burned lorry tyres on the road, compounding the already hazy atmosphere caused by the harmattan weather.

Mr. Kofi Bekoe, unit committee chairman of Cyanide, a suburb of Tarkwa and director of operations of Akoon Co-operative, a small scale gold mining society said the society is requesting to operate the abandoned mine.

Mr Bekoe said the Society has written to the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Mines and Energy for permission to operate at the abandoned mine, under the small-scale mining programme.

With the recent massive lay-off at GGL, unemployment has worsened in the area, he said, and appealed to the government for a quick resolution.

GRi../

Return to top

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 14 Dec. '99

Vice President Professor John Evans Atta-Mills on Monday called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the VAT Secretariat to set new standards and permit increasing number of customers to access their services through modern communication systems.

The government must improve the public access to its services and should operate an economic system that shines through every developmental policy, Professor Atta-Mills said in a speech read for him at the opening of the Fifth Quadrennial Conference of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) in Kumasi.

The four-day conference is on the theme: "Public Services and the Challenges of globalisation in the next Millennium".

The Vice-President said the government has approved a programme to reinvent and

modernise the public services of Ghana to enhance its competitiveness and performance and to enable it to cope with the challenges.

Parliament has already given its approval to the programme and implementation has already started under the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP).

Under the programme, the capacity of the public services would be strengthened to enable them to play the role of a catalyst facilitator and a partner for good governance and sustainable development.

"These reforms will also strengthen both economic and legitimate political leadership to effectively represent and act as intermediary between different forces of the society", Professor Atta-Mills said.

Professor Atta-Mills said globalisation requires competent public services to make central government machinery more effective, efficient and customer friendly and to permit the full participation of the private sector and social partners in the development process.

Professor Atta-Mills said presently, new human capital management and incentive system; performance management system and comprehensive information technology and renewal systems are being designed for the Public Services.

The Government, he said, is also in the process of introducing a public-private sector partnership programme to increase private sector input through exchange programmes, joint activities and apply private sector standards such as audit supervision on public services operations.

Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications said his Ministry was trying to ensure that Ghana was not left out in the new developments in the communications world.

There is the need for workers to reorient themselves to the use of computers because they have come to stay, he said.

It is, therefore, not too late for even the older people in employment to become computer literate.

GRi../

Return to top

Kumasi (Greater Accra) 14 Dec. '99

Mr. Christian Appiah-Agyei, secretary-general of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has observed that low wage levels cannot attract increased flow of foreign direct investment.

This is a myth, because in spite of the slave wages being paid in the country, her share of such investment continues to be abysmally low, he said.

Mr. Appiah-Agyei was speaking at the fifth quadrennial delegates conference of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) in Kumasi on Monday.

The theme for the four-day conference is "Public Services and the challenges of Globalisation in the next millennium".

The TUC secretary-general explained that labour cost depends on productivity, and a country with low per capita income and low wages could not have competitive advantage on the world market.

The Government and TUC must collaborate to address the question of low productivity, and work out a satisfactory solution.

He said that public services have borne the brunt of the negative consequences of the World Bank-directed Economic Recovery Programme.

Mr. Abraham Tetteh Dian Okine, acting general secretary of the PSWU said the TUC has been exonerated on its stand that the Price Waterhouse Report and the Ghana

Universal Salary Structure had serious defects and were unrealistic.

The PSWU totally rejects the Price Waterhouse report and would continue to fight against it, he said.

Mr. Okine regretted that in spite of the freedom of workers in the country to establish trade unions to protect and promote their working interests, the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has been deunionised.

Mr. Okine said the PSWU and the TUC affirm their confidence in the collective bargaining process and urged members to continue to support the union.

He appealed to government officials and employees associations to stop commenting on the contents of the New Labour Code as it has not been completed, to ensure industrial peace.

The union must have its own vision for the future and guide members into the future.

Mr Samuel Mensah-Nyarko, National Chairman, said the PSWU would help to shape the destiny of the TUC and the total membership in the attempt to confront issues at stake.

GRi../

Return to top

Winneba (Central Region) 14 Dec. '99

The director of The School of Jesus, in Accra, Reverend Jesse Addae, has called on Ghanaians to resolve to promote peace and stability in the country.

Speaking to newsmen on the country's socio-economic prospects in 2000 and beyond, he said "Ghana has enormous human and natural resources, which must be exploited to advance her development."

"There is no doubt that Ghana has a bright future; what is needed is how to protect and sustain the existing peace and stability."

Besides, he said, Ghanaians must learn to work hard in whatever capacity they find themselves and endeavour to shun acts that would divide them.

On the country's democratic dispensation, Rev. Addae said democracy is all about tapping the good sense of the people for constructive ideas and suggestions to accelerate the economic, moral, and spiritual emancipation of the country.

GRi../

Return to top

Kumasi (Greater Accra) 14 Dec. '99

Commercial drivers in the Kumasi Metropolis on Tuesday unleashed mayhem. They blocked most access and main roads to the city.

The drivers who claimed they had resolved not to work today as a result of the increases in fuel prices and the fact that there was no accompanying new transport fares, harassed innocent drivers, especially private car owners.

They refused to open roads which they had used their cars to block and in some cases the police had to use armoured vehicles to clear the cars to make way.

At Aboabo in Kumasi, common sense was thrown to the wind, as the rioters, some below 18 years, demanded all private cars carrying school children to let them down to walk to school before they would be allowed passage.

Some shops and offices closed and a number of people decided to take a holiday out of frustration and anger.

The driver however continued to harass motorists until the Police arrived on the scene.

They eventually restored order.

GRi../

Return to top

Accra (Greater Accra) 14 Dec. '99

The Ministry of Trade and Industry on Tuesday lifted the ban on the importation of Belgian poultry, meat and their derivatives as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

A statement issued in Accra by Mr Dan Abodakpi, a deputy minister, said the decision is the result of measures taken by the Belgian government to control and prevent future occurrence of dioxin contamination in its products.

The statement reminded importers that the fat contents of poultry products of 15 per cent, beef 25 per cent, mutton 30 per cent and pork 35 per cent remain unchanged.

It said health and sanitary certificates including dioxin free certificates would also continue to be required.

The Ministry slapped the ban after reports that Belgian poultry and meat products contained the cancer causing dioxin chemical.

The statement said old stocks of affected Belgian products that have not yet been re-exported as directed would not be permitted to be cleared and sold on the market.

GRi../

Return to top

Tumu (Northern Region) 14 Dec '99

Alhaji Abudulai Issahaque, Upper West Regional Chairman of New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned voters in the region not to allow gifts to influence their voting pattern in next year's elections.

"Such gifts can never improve your lives beyond the day you receive them. The NDC after buying your vote will make you poorer and miserable so don't vote for them again".

Alhaji Issahaque said this at the Sissala constituency delegates' conference of the party at Tumu, during which the old executive led by Mr Abbass Dawuda was retained.

After 18 years in government the NDC, he said, has run out of ideas and is now governing the country by "trial and error".

Inaugurating the "Young Elephants", the youth wing of the party at the function, the Regional Secretary, Mr Sahanun Mogtar called on them to commit themselves to the party's cause since their salvation lies in the party winning power.

He called for state funding of political parties because that was the most important step towards levelling the political field and sustaining the young democracy.

A 54-year old administrator, Mr Lamini Mushudu Dawudu was chosen unopposed as the party's parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

He pledged to use his organisational skills acquired over several years of working in the public and private sectors to win the constituency for the party.

GRi../

Return to top

Accra (Greater Accra) 14 Dec. '99

The age of science and technology has given man a lot of means but little meaning to life, an Indian philosopher said in Accra on Wednesday night.

Dada J. P. Vaswani, Head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission in India, said science and technology has given man a false sense of comfort, contentment, security and progress, giving rise to lust for power, gold and fame.

The 81-year-old philosopher, who is also a philanthropist and a writer, was speaking on "How to make problems work for you" at a lecture organised by the Indian Association of Ghana (IAG).

Dada Vaswani said this unfortunate situation has led to a state where more than 90 per cent of people die without knowing the powers existing in them, a fraction of which if unfolded could make them achieve many unimaginable things in life.

Shutting out the feeling for worldly things, working hard, helping people in need and adopting a daily habit of meditating for some time, are the surest ways to overcome inevitable problems.

Dada Vaswani interspersed the talk with hilarious anecdotes to underline the importance of having a good sense of humour, which he observed, relieves stress and gives him an optimistic view to life.

Justice D. F. Annan, Speaker of Parliament, noted that despite the current notion that the world is a global village, a lot of disparities exist in the living conditions of countries.

In order to bridge the gap, he stressed the need for developing countries to forge closer ties by looking critically at issues that "bring us together as people of one village".

As part of the occasion, the IAG made a presentation to the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr K. O. Adade, to mark the dedication of the Sadhu Vaswani-IAG Eye Care Project.

GRi../

Return to top

Accra (Greater Accra) 14 Dec. '99

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum, on Tuesday expressed concern about the abuse and disregard for contract procedures by some government departments and agencies.

"Many government departments are now constituting themselves into so-called Departmental Tender Boards or Committees and are awarding their own contracts."

This, he said, is contrary to laid-down government guidelines.

Mr Agyekum who was addressing the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) meeting in Accra said the practice is sometimes encouraged by professional consultants who should know better.

The meeting was attended by all District Chief Executives, Co-ordinating Directors, departmental and institutional heads.

The Minister said the RCC would not condone such wrongdoing adding that he has authorised the staff of the RCC to reject all certificates and letters that accompany any illegal contract.

He said indiscipline and disorder in land administration in the region is assuming an alarming proportion.

"We have seen public organisations actually giving public lands to other third parties for all sorts of uses without the mandatory consultations with the sector ministries."

"In some cases public lands earmarked and reserved for public use have been turned into commercial centres, stores, hotels and private houses."

Mr Agyekum urged all district assemblies to be vigilant and deal severely with government officials who indulge in fraudulent land deals.

"I fully support, so far, action taken by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to suspend six officials who were alleged to have been involved in land racketeering."

Mr Agyekum said chieftaincy disputes, land litigation and violence continue to disrupt peace and development in the region.

Accra is considered one of the violent cities in Ghana and this does not befit it as the national capital and gateway to Africa, he said.

The Regional Minister appealed to the traditional councils and Regional House of Chiefs to expedite action and dispose of many disputes and cases before them in order to bring peace to the region.

Mr Agyekum announced that there are plans to undertake a project dubbed "the Greater Accra Regional Millennium Parks Project" in January next year to enhance natural and urban environment.

He explained that the project would help create several green parks and open spaces in the urban setting for education and observation.

Mr Jerry Akwei Thompson, Ga District Chief Executive, announced that a well-furnished theatre would be opened in January 2000 to cater for the increasing cases of buruli ulcer in the district.

GRi../

Return to top

Elmina (Central Region) 14 Dec '99

The National Stakeholders Conference on Ghana's Biotechnology Development Programme (BDP) at the weekend established priority areas for the application of biotechnology technologies and techniques in agriculture and health.

Their choice was based on the need to ensure national food security by preventing post-harvest losses and improving planting materials.

This is expected to lead to an expansion of the export base of the economy through agro-processing.

It will also combat diseases, improve nutrition and breeding of livestock and to conserve medicinal plants.

They identified tissue culture techniques, enzyme, fermentation and bio-processing technologies, cell culture and molecular biology.

Other technologies such as bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides, bio-degradation and bio-remediation were identified as the major capacity building requirements for meeting the objectives of the programme.

Most of these techniques are already being applied by the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), consultants to the BDP, research institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial research (CSIR) and the universities.

The conference, which ended on Monday, was organised by the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of the CSIR in collaboration with the Graduate School of Environmental Studies (GSES) of the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST).

The stakeholders, comprising scientists, policy makers, healthcare providers, technology end users, the media, representatives of donor agencies and industrialists provided inputs for policy formulation for the development, utilisation and management of biotechnology in line with Ghana's development vision.

They also addressed issues relating to capacity building, policy, regulation and bio-safety. The conference selected cassava, maize, cocoa/sheanut, cotton, yam, cowpea, horticulture, oil palm/coconut, plantain/banana, and medicinal plants as areas of top priority for biotechnology research.

In the livestock sector, priority in biotechnology research and application was given to poultry, small ruminants, cattle and pigs while tilapia, mudfish, shrimps, crabs and clams were targeted in aqua-culture.

Here too, emphasis was placed on the need to use molecular biology to produce vaccines, genetic engineering and Polymerase Chain Reaction or DNA characterisation and sequencing to address the problems of diseases, nutrition and breeding.

The stakeholders were also unanimous on priority areas in health research under the programme and agreed on malaria, other parasitic diseases such as schistomiasis, onchocerciasis, buruli ulcer and HIV in order of importance under the programme.

They contended that the high rate of mortality and morbidity induced by malaria made it a top priority area for biotechnology research.

Buruli ulcer was considered a localised disease with no effective cure and not likely to receive international funding while the localised strain of HIV (HIV2), which causes AIDS, required appropriate localised diagnostic techniques.

Traditional medicine also received a very favourable rating for biotechnology research because it provides a viable and cost-effective alternative to the treatment of diseases such as HIV and malaria.

GRi../

Return to top

Elmina (Central Region) 14 Dec '99

The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) has decided to focus the attention of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) on the development and utilisation of biotechnology.

It has also decided to assist the two main science and technology institutions to build their capacities to be able to meet the needs of their various publics as well as the developmental needs of the country.

Mr. E. P. D. Barnes, Chief Director of the Ministry, said this in an address read for him by Dr. Joe Gogo, Director of the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of CSIR to close the four-day Biotechnology Development Programme, National Stakeholders Conference at Elmina on Monday.

The conference, which marked the end of the first phase of the Biotechnology Develop Programme, provided inputs for policy formulation for the development, utilisation, and management of biotechnology in the country.

Scientists, policy makers, technology end users, industrialists, donor representatives, the media, and health care providers attended the conference.

It also addressed priority setting for biotechnology application in agriculture and health, identifiable technologies and techniques and provided a framework for addressing issues relating to biotechnology such as regulation, capacity building and private sector development.

Mr Barnes, who also participated in the conference, believed that biotechnology has applications in critical development areas such as food production and processing, health, manufacturing industry and in environmental management.

"The country has some level of capacity to promote the use of our various biotechnological techniques and systems to enhance product development, productivity and the delivery of services.

"Our pressing need appears to be formulation of strategies that will help focus our efforts in addressing national needs."

Mr Barnes recognised the role researchers in the universities and other public and private institutions have to play in this national effort and stressed the need for researchers to establish the linkage with industry and other possible users and beneficiaries of biotechnology.

He also urged representatives of all stakeholders at the conference to sensitise their organisations and thereby raise the profile of biotechnology "so that it could be considered as one of the priority areas for the allocation of funds".

"In the public sector, in particular, our hope is that through our collective efforts, ministries such as Food and Agriculture, Health and Education will join hands with MEST by committing some resources to this effort for the national good.

"We should look at biotechnology as an essential tool for the country's development; in fact as a national crusade and not just a programme being promoted by MEST," he stated.

He stressed the need for closer collaboration between researchers and the private sector to ensure that the needs of stakeholders on the demand side are addressed, adding that the products from the research institutions must be packaged in such a way as to facilitate their use by the private sector.

Researchers should develop strong linkages with their prospective clients, he said, adding that in this regard, the Ministry intends to organise early next year a forum for researchers and the private sector to see how linkages can be further developed and strengthened for mutual benefit.

Mr Barnes called for stronger linkages between individuals and institutions engaged in biotechnology activities, a re-orientation of the research activities of science and technology institutions to address priority issues that were raised.

Inventory should be taken of current biotechnology activities being undertaken by the science and technology institutions as well as the capacities existing in them.

This is to help reduce duplication of efforts and ensure that resources are efficiently used for the good of the country.

The Chief Director called for "a clearer understanding of the policy initiatives that have to be put in place to ensure that biotechnology is effectively used in pursuit of our national development goals".

Professor A. A. Oteng-Yeboah, Deputy Director General of the CSIR, who presided over the closing ceremony, called on the stakeholders to continue to lobby and play an advocacy role in biotechnology development.

He called for commitment from stakeholders and government, which he said, must commit itself to the processes of biotechnology.

GRi../

Return to top