NPP says it is shocked at Prof. Mills' behaviour

Gwira demands admission of Omanhene to Regional House

Ghana Telecom on war path

EPA to suspend environment permit

Priest calls for end to evil-doings

World Bank provides 110 billion cedis for VIP

Journalist repeats call for the removal of laws that hinder press freedom

Judicial staff asked to change attitude to work

Three regions get forestry teams

Northern university pleads for investment

No more payments for acting presidents - House

Ashanti branch of GBA elect new executives

Accra (Greater Accra) 16 Dec. '99

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday described as "a shocker" the behaviour of the Vice-President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills at last Saturday's National Democratic Congress (NDC) rally at the Kawukudi Junction in Accra.

It said Prof. Mills joined the top brass of the NDC in "heaping vulgar abuse" on the opposition and the private media

The NPP in a statement signed by Mr. S.A Odoi-Sykes, chairman, said "the Vice-President Atta Mills went out of his way to launch an unwarranted attack on the opposition in imitation of his boss, President Rawlings."

The statement said the NPP and its leadership are self-respecting persons and not arrogant and would not descend to the level of the NDC to "trade abuses with Atta Mills or with the NDC."

"Unlike the NDC, we shall never resort to vilification and vulgar abuse to cover up our failures and deceit.

"Atta Mills has clearly demonstrated at least that he is a mere puppet of Rawlings - what the Fanti people call 'Kohinko', and that if elected president it would simply be giving power back to his boss."

"Rawlings will pull the strings and Kohinko Mills will jump as Rawlings pleases."

The statement said the NPP "had thought that Atta Mills, a learned professor of Law, would have a better appreciation of multi-party democracy in which opposition parties are not traduced and bullied."

"It was a disgraceful sight to see a whole President, his Vice, Ministers and leading members of the NDC government competing in the heaping of vulgar abuse on the opposition parties and the private media. There was no senior person to caution or call anyone to order. It was free for all".

The statement said the NPP are not liars as was proclaimed by the Vice-President adding that it is the opposition who is "telling the people the truth about presidential jet, about the Keta Sea Defence Wall, about the "Rawlings tape" about the national economy."

The statement described Prof. Mills as the "baptized and confirmed disciple of the NDC and President Rawlings," and said electing him (Prof. Mills) "means in effect re-electing Rawlings for a third term."

"This will be a disaster which Ghanaians do not deserve."

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Sekondi (Western Region) 16 Dec. '99

The chiefs and elders of Gwira Traditional Area on Tuesday went on a peaceful demonstration at the Western Regional House of Chiefs to register their indignation over the alleged refusal of the House to admit their new Omanhene, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II.

Led by Nana Fittie III, Benkumhene of the traditional area, the chiefs and elders who carried placards and wore red bands around their heads and wrists, later presented a petition to the President of the House, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio II.

In their petition, they said after the death of the Omanhene, Awulae Amankra Payin IV, the kingmakers unanimously nominated, elected and enstooled Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II as Omanhene in accordance with the custom and traditional usage of the area.

Consequently, the reconstituted Gwira Traditional Council forwarded the necessary documents on the new Omanhene to the National House Chiefs through the Regional House for his registration in the national register of chiefs.

The petitioners said having satisfied itself with the facts on Awulae Tu-Agyan, the National House of Chiefs registered him accordingly.

They said despite the due recognition of Awulae Tu-Agyan by the National House of chiefs, the Western Regional House of Chiefs had consistently denied their Omanhene recognition to enable him to sit in the House of Chiefs.

The chiefs and elders alleged that the Regional House of Chiefs was using subtle moves to coerce Awulae Tu-Agyan into agreeing to have the Queenmother, Adjoa Fia's name entered in the National Registrar of Chiefs as a pre-condition for his

admission into the House.

They, therefore, urged the Regional House of chiefs to admit Awulae Tu-Agyan unconditionally into the house and permit him to sit in the next meeting as well as restore to him all rights and privileges due him.

The petitioners also asked the House to prevail on the Acting President of the Gwira Traditional Council to hand over all stool properties and keys to the Traditional Council offices to the new administration headed by Awulae Tu-Agyan.

Odeneho Gyapong Ababio asked the chiefs and elders to exercise restraint while members of the house deliberate on the petition.

The petitioners also presented a copy of their petition to the Western Regional Minister, Mrs. Esther Lily Nkansah.

Some of the placards read, "Odeneho, please stop interfering in the affairs of the Gwira Traditional Area", "We want peace at Bamiankor", "Regional Minister, step in the case to avoid bloodshed".

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Agona Swedru (Central Region) 16 Dec '99

The Swedru Police have been without telephone lines for the past three weeks following the disconnection of their phone lines for indebtedness of 80 million cedis to Ghana Telecom.

Ghana Telecom sources said at Agona Swedru on Wednesday that between 1990 and 1994 Swedru Police had their unpaid telephone bills wiped off by officials of the company.

The sources said Ghana Telecom "now needs money to meet its expenditures and cannot afford to allow state organisations to accumulate bills".

The Swedru Divisional Commander Mr Ben Bedjinah, confirmed the disconnection of the lines, saying "we cannot therefore communicate outside".

Mr Bedjinah therefore appealed to Ghana Telecom "to bear with the police administration because the administration will soon pay the accumulated bills."

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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 Dec '99

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to suspend "Environment Permits" of organisations which flout regulations governing proper land use.

Dr Peter Acquah, Executive Director of EPA, said at a meeting between the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology and the Board of the EPA that the suspensions have become necessary due to the rampant degradation of the environment.

"At the moment, a suspension order for one such establishment is ready for delivery."

Dr Acquah said to make the District Assemblies more responsible to environmental issues, the EPA has built a training school at Amasaman to train Assemblymen and staff of the assemblies.

EPA has the responsibility of monitoring district environmental action plans, but district assemblies, he said, still do not take issues of the environment as integral activities for their development programmes.

Thus, the implementation of these action plans does not fit into their developmental agenda, he said adding this is a serious problem as far as the district assembly constitutes the foundation for the country's development.

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Akatsi (Volta Region) 16 DEC. '99

Ghanaians have been called upon to put an end to all evil-doings in order to enter the next millennium with great joy as the birth of Christ is an occasion for joy.

In a goodwill message at the nine lessons and carols night at the Akatsi Teacher Training College last Sunday, the REV. Father Victor Ashiagbor of the Christ the King Church, Akatsi, said "today life has become unsafe, insecure and unpleasant in the face of all the technological advancements."

REV. FR. Ashiagbor who is also a chaplain of the college urged Ghanaians not to be led into doing evil for lust of wealth, pointing out that "big houses and cars have no place in heaven."

He advised Ghanaians to submit themselves to God for him to transform their lives for "everybody to be content with what he has."

Earlier in a welcoming address, the Acting Principal of the Akatsi Teacher Training College, Mr S.K. Dewotor, said "the spirit of forgiveness which the birth of Christ has brought to mankind should permeate our lives in the next millennium."

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Nkawie (Ashanti Region) 16 Dec '99

The World Bank has made available to Ghana 110 billion cedis to support the implementation of her Village Infrastructure Project (VIP), Dr Agyemang Mensah, National Co-ordinator of the Project, has said.

The project, scheduled to take off next year in all the 110 Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts assemblies, is designed to speed up rural and agricultural development.

Dr Mensah was briefing members of the Atwima District Assembly on the VIP at their ordinary meeting at Nkawie on Tuesday.

He explained that the main components of the project are to empower the beneficiary groups to increase access to technical and financial resources and strengthen district level institutions through their capacity to plan and manage rural infrastructure.

The National Co-ordinator told the assembly that adequate and effective mechanisms have been introduced to prevent misappropriation of funds released under VIP.

Dr Mensah spoke about what he described as "process audit" which, he said, was to ensure transparency in both the financial and physical aspects of VIP projects.

Nana Asiama Poku Afrifa, Toasehene and Presiding Member of the assembly, regretted that decisions of the assembly could not be implemented largely because of the lack of commitment by the Assembly's own staff.

He warned that the indifferent attitude of the staff would not be entertained next year.

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Accra (Greater Accra), 16^th December 99

The government has once again been called upon to expunge all obnoxious laws that hinder the free flow of information from the statute books.

Mr. Kwame Obeng Fosu, President of the Private Newspaper Publishers Association (PRINPAG), made the call on Wednesday at the launch of a book entitled ''The Law of the Press - A Ghanaian Perspective.''

The 221-page book was written by Mr. Andrews Ofoe Amegatcher of the Attorney-General's Department and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through a grant to PRINPAG.

The book seeks to focus on parts of the law that promotes or hinders freedom of expression in books, newspapers, broadcasts and the new communication media.

Topics dealt with include defamation, sedition, contempt of court, rumours and false reports, state secrets and law of confidence.

Mr. Fosu said because of these obnoxious laws some members of PRINPAG have been jailed "for expressing their candid opinions."

He said Ghana must formulate its own press laws and expressed regret that 42 years after independence, the country still uses outmoded laws of its colonial master.

Mrs Janet Graham, Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana, said that the existence of an active, free, independent and responsible press is important to a thriving civil society in a modern pluralistic democracy.

She said the book is a testimony to the vibrancy and stature of the press that weighs the delicate balance between press freedom and the individual's right to private and unwarranted injury.

Mr Emile Short, Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who presided said the importance attached to the role of press freedom in the country is so opportune that there is the need to get a book to safeguard interests of journalists.

''I hope the book has been well researched and would help journalists, its users and also guide judges in their deliberation.''

Mr Amegatcher was one time head of the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Ghana Copyright Office.

In 1998 he worked as a consultant at the World International Property Organisation (WIPO).

The first copy of the book was auctioned for 500,000 cedis.

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Kumasi (Ashanti), 16^th December 99

Mr. Justice Gilbert M. Quaye, Supervising High Court Judge for Ashanti, has called on the staff of the Judicial Service to change their attitude to work for an effective and efficient court administration in the country.

He said the correct attitude to work coupled with the envisaged provision of modern equipment and facilities for the judiciary, will enhance the administration of justice.

Mr. Justice Quaye was addressing the closing session of the three-day seminar for registrars and chief registrars manning the high courts and the regional tribunals in Kumasi.

The seminar on the theme "Human resources development for efficient and faster court administration", was organised by the Judicial Service Training School of the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP) and sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It was to update the knowledge of the registrars in the role they must play in creating an enabling environment for a faster and efficient administration of justice.

The seminar was also to introduce them into modern judicial administration and the use of information technology as a tool for faster service delivery.

Mr. Justice Quaye said it is ideal for them to be conversant with the rules of the courts since they complement the duties of judges on how orders made should implemented.

He observed that an effective and efficient disposal of cases before the courts are the joint responsibilities of all stakeholders in the Judicial Service.

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Ho (Volta Region), 16^th December 99

Regional Forestry Planning teams for the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions were inaugurated at a seminar at Ho on Wednesday.

Also inaugurated were the Regional Collaborative Forestry Management Teams for the three regions.

The teams will prepare and formulate Forest Management Plans in consultation with all stakeholders in forestry towards sustainable and scientific forest resource management.

Mr. Oppon Sasu, Revenue and Commercial Manager of the Forestry Service division, who inaugurated the teams, said the review of the 1994 forestry and wildlife policy is to make it more community focused in planning, management and operation of forest and wildlife resources.

He said the new policy would promote public awareness and involve rural people in forestry and wildlife conservation to facilitate life-sustaining systems, preserve scenic areas and enhance the potential of recreation, tourism and income generation opportunities.

"A working partnership between local people and forestry department will ensure that management of all forest resources is equitable, more efficient and encourage biodiversity".

Mr Sasu said Ghana's high forest zones covering an area of 8.2 million hectares in 1948 has dwindled to 1.8 million hectares due to deforestation and wrong farming methods.

He therefore charged the teams to work on the necessary guidelines towards making forestry management scientific and grassroots driven.

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Nyankpala (Northern Region), 16^th December 99

Students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has called on the government to provide seed money for the establishment of its basic infrastructure.

They said the little resources inherited when the University was established in 1992, are under great pressure with the increasing intake of students.

At a press conference at Nyankpala on Wednesday to draw public attention to the state of affairs at the university, the students blamed the university's problems on government negligence.

''Those who are to oversee the right establishment are not doing their work'', Mr. Samuel Akwaka, President of the Students Representative Council, said in a statement read on behalf of the students.

''We call on the government and the Presidential Sub-Committee on UDS, to exercise the same political will that led to the establishment of the university''.

Mr. Akwaka urged the university authorities to be more versatile and pragmatic in marketing the university, expressing surprise at the absence of UDS at the recent national educational forum.

He said UDS will welcome donations from well endowed members of the public, including corporate bodies such as Unilever, the Valco Trust and the Asantehene's Education Fund, to build hostels.

Mr. Akwaka praised the deans and lecturers of three of the University's four faculties- Agriculture, Integrated Development Studies and Applied Sciences- "for delivering good results despite the meagre resources".

He could not say the same for the School of Medical and Health Sciences, the youngest of the four, whose dean, Professor David Nii Amon Kotei, he demanded should be removed from office.

He gave notice that if by January three, 2000, this has not been done "we will ensure his removal by any means necessary".

He accused the dean of refusing to comply with the curriculum with which the school was established, even though an alternative one he personally drafted has been rejected by the University's Academic Board.

Mr. Akwaka rejected a suggestion that their criticism of the Professor was misplaced, because he was only carrying out a mandate given by the government.

He said if that was so the government should come out to defend that mandate.

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Koforidua (Eastern Region), 16^th December 99

The Eastern Regional House of Chiefs has recommended payment of full allowances to acting Presidents of Traditional Councils should be stopped.

The measure is intended to reduce the long period of time taken to fill vacant paramount stools and compel such acting Presidents to ensure that such vacancies are filled in good time.

The President of the House, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III, announced this at an end of year meeting of the house at Koforidua on Wednesday, saying the measure, if adopted, should be replicated in all traditional councils in the Region.

He charged Nananom to personally ensure early resolution of all Chieftaincy disputes pending before the traditional councils.

The meeting which coincided with the formal admission into the House of Okotwaasuo Kantamanto Owarea Agyekum III, Omanhene of Akyem Bosome Traditional area, brings to eight the total number of incumbent Paramount Chiefs in the house.

Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa, Omanhene of Akwapim Traditional area, renewed his appeal to the various judicial committees both at Koforidua and the National House of Chiefs handling stool disputes affecting Manya Krobo, Akwamufie and Akim Oda, to expedite action on them to enable those areas to fill vacant paramountcies .

He spoke of the respect that Ghanaians have for the chieftaincy institution and regretted that both the government and opinion leaders have on a number of times decried the increasing spate of chieftaincy disputes and its attendant negative effect on development and peace in the affected areas.

This situation, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa said, was a source of worry not only to the government but also to the Chiefs.

Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa recalled that the century just passing away has been characterised by wars, disputes and mistrust among mankind.

"We can only hope for a better in the next millennium if we take seriously the lessons offered by the events around the birth of Christ.

Mr. Justice George Twum, a Koforidua High Court judge who swore in Okotwaasuo Kantamanto Agyekum called on kingmakers to ensure that only people from the royal families are nominated, elected and installed Chiefs to avoid chieftaincy disputes.

He stressed the need for co-operation between chiefs, District Chief Executives and government agencies for the development of their areas.

Mr. Justice Twum advised chiefs against taking sides, adding they should be abreast with chieftaincy laws as well as the Constitution to enable them to dispose of cases brought before them.

Okotwaasuo Kantamanto Agyekum called on the government to assist Paramount Chiefs to stem the tide of disintegrating forces who are power drunk and want to bring division among some traditional councils.

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Kumasi (Ashanti), 16^th December 99

The Ashanti branch of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) at its annual general conference held in Kumasi has elected Mr Dei Kwarteng, as its president for the year 1999/2000.

Mr Kwarteng takes over from Mr I.K. Boakye, the immediate past president.

Mr Justice Kusi Minka-Premo, was elected vice president and Mr A. Osei-Poku , as secretary with Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, as assistant secretary.

A GBA statement issued in Kumasi on Thursday said Mr Kwabena Berchie-Antwi was elected treasurer while Miss Mariam Agyemang Gyasi was elected social secretary.

Mr Arnold Agyeman Prempeh and Mr Yaw Acheampong Boafo became the seniors and juniors representatives on the executive committee.

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