MOFA to adopt farmer-centred programme to enhance production
GNAT presents five million cedis to disaster victims
Ministry to establish Plantation Development Fund-Amoako-Nuama
40 chalets to be built along Foso Lagoon
More window shopping than buying as Christmas approaches
Ministry warns of computer virus
Government agencies to take steps to avoid loss of data
Third batch of Trokosis pass out
AMA spends 72 billion cedis on waste management
Treat Prisoners Humanely - President
Bartels refutes allegation of negligence
Drivers unhappy about decision on fares
Accra ( Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
President Jerry Rawlings has removed Mr Korankye Ababio, District Chief Executive for Kwaebibirem, from office.
A statement signed by Mr Jimmy Amissah, Secretary to the President in Accra on Thursday said the Eastern Regional Minister is to hold temporary responsibility for the District.
Meanwhile, a Committee of Inquiry has been set up to investigate allegations of impropriety and misconduct raised against Mr Ababio.
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MOFA to adopt farmer-centred programme to enhance production
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, on Thursday announced that the Ministry has decided to fully incorporate the Integrated Crop and Pest Management Programme (ICPM) into its extension delivery system.
He said the programme aims at enhancing farmers' participation in better crop management based on minimum application of chemicals, promotion of environmentally sound crop production and growing of healthy crop, among other practices.
Mr Asiedu Nketia was speaking at the opening of a two-day review workshop on the National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Farmers Fields Schools' (FFS) Programme in Accra.
The workshop is being organised by the Ministry with support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.
He said farmers ought to be able to select and make their choices from the different technologies generated by research and to empower themselves to make better decisions on their farm management activities.
The Minster said these farmers have to see "farming as a business and to move from resource-poor farmers' situations to knowledgeable farmers who are able to invest and expand their farms, thus making better and improved standards of living from farming."
Mr Asiedu Nketia said the programme is a fulfilment of the government's obligation to support farmers based on Agenda 21 Convention on Biological Diversity and the Food Security Action Plan of the World Food Summit.
"These agreements call for enhanced farmers' participation in improving their agricultural systems through better management of inputs and establishment of farmers' forums."
The government has formulated an Accelerated Agricultural Growth Strategy (AAGS) that is designed to increase the pace of the sector's growth from the current rate of three to four per cent to five to six per cent in order to achieve the goals of Vision 2020.
Professor Anthony Youdeowei, a consultant at the FAO and the facilitator, said the workshop is to review the achievements of the IPM/FFS since its inception in 1995.
Professor Kwame Afreh-Nuamah, National IPM co-ordinator, noted that the IPM was first seen as a concept that promoted the use of biological control and good agronomic practices while resorting to the use of chemical pesticides as a last resort.
He said this concept has now been replaced by the UNDP-supported ICPM project, which aims at sustainable, cost effective and environmentally sound crop production.
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GNAT presents five million cedis to disaster victims
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) on Thursday presented five million cedis to the National Disaster Management Organisation for the Northern flood victims.
Mr Kwame Amo Dako, President of GNAT, said the teachers' donation was to express solidarity with the flood victims and help alleviate their sufferings.
Mr Titus Kuuynor, Chief Disaster Control Officer of NADMO thanked GNAT for the gesture.
NADMO is collaborating with the Ghana Education Service to develop a hand book on disaster management for school children, he said.
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Ministry to establish Plantation Development Fund-Amoako-Nuama
Wamfie (Brong Ahafo) 17 Dec '99
A bill to establish a plantation development fund to support a vigorous collaborative forest management and plantation development with the private sector is to be laid before parliament soon.
Dr Christine Amoako-Nuama, Minister of Lands and Forestry, told workers of Asuowam Complex, a timber company at Wamfie on Wednesday that the bill would provide modalities for the disbursement of more than 20 billion cedis accumulated under the Timber Utilisation Contract.
The bill would help to pursue a vigorous collaborative forest management and plantation development with the private sector as an efficient means of sustaining forestry resources in Ghana.
Dr Amoako-Nuama had inspected part of the 70 hectares of the Dormaa-Akwamu portion of the Paamu-Berekum forest reserve released to the company for its reforestation programme.
Twenty hectares of the degraded reserve has been planted with Cidrella, Framo, Kyekyen, Onyina and Wawa tree species.
Dr Amoako-Nuama stressed the need to involve the private sector in timber plantation and forest rejuvenation because the present annual planting target of 2,000 hectares is "woefully inadequate to match the rate of forest destruction".
Under the programme, she said, every support and assistance would be given to individuals, communities, institutions and organisations to establish nurseries to produce seedlings for reforestation projects.
Dr Amoako-Nuama said the creation of a semi-autonomous Forestry Commission as an umbrella organisation for all forestry institutions would ensure efficient and effective implementation of policy guidelines to enhance management of the forestry sector.
She urged sawmills and timber companies to collaborate with communities in which they operate for joint forest management and plantation development to ensure continuous flow of benefits of forest resource.
Dr Amoako-Nuama commissioned a 60 million- cedi clinic built by Asuowam Complex to serve the health needs of its workers and the people of Wamfie and surrounding communities.
The Managing Director of Asuowam Complex, Mr. Clement Appiah-Boateng, said the company has been involved in many community projects including schools, water, roads and electrification at Nkrankwanta, Atuna, Kotaa, Krakrom and Asuotiano.
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40 chalets to be built along Foso Lagoon
Cape Coast (Central Region) 17 DEC. '99
BSI (Ghana) Limited, an affiliate of United States Business Systems International (BSI) is to construct 40 chalets along the beach, near the Foso Lagoon in Cape Coast, under the second phase of the company's investment drive in the Central Region.
Dr Yeriel Ben-Yehuda, Chief Executive of BSI, Ghana, said this at the opening of ''Asasse Pa'' Health and Wellness Resort Complex, the first phase of BSI's effort to develop the Foso Lagoon area into a tourist site.
Asasse Pa (good land) Resort, comprises a conference centre, a vegetarian restaurant, a holistic health facility which operates massage and reflexology centre, intestinal cleansing unit, natural skin and hair care centre and health food store.
Dr Ben-Yehuda would not disclose how much had been spent so far on the project but said "a substantial investment has been made to ensure substantial returns".
The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr H.Q. Jehu-Appiah, who opened the resort, said the region has been blessed with an investment that would make a productive impact on tourist and their health needs.
The socio-economic needs of the citizens call for an investment that would be beneficial and affordable.
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Robbers make away with safe
Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 17 Dec. '99
Five armed robbers dressed in military uniform allegedly attacked the Novotek company Limited at Nkawkaw on Tuesday, and made away with a safe containing unspecified foreign and local currencies.
The thieves also bolted with 250,000 cedis cash from the cashier's drawer but were unsuccessful in their attempt to open the safe in the personnel manager's office.
Disclosing this to newsmen at Koforidua on Thursday, Chief Inspector Jonathan Kwame Abban, Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer said the robbers allegedly held one of the night watchmen, Dongo Frafra at gun point before ransacking the offices.
He explained that the armed robbers gained access to the offices by removing some of the louvre blades at the back of the office.
Meanwhile, police have picked Alhassan Grushie, Dongo Frafra, Atinga Frafra and Azure Frafra, all night watchmen who were on duty for questioning and have intensified their search for the armed robbers.
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More window shopping than buying as Christmas approaches
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
Central Accra is virtually getting choked with Christmas shoppers but most shop owners say patronage of their goods is on the low side, with the majority of people just window-shopping.
A survey conducted by GNA showed that although most shop owners have adorned their shops with Christmas decorations, they are getting disappointed as business is not picking up.
Speaking to some traders at Makola Market, a cloth dealer attributed the low patronage to the economic situation.
Auntie Naomi, a cloth dealer, said although they encountered similar problems last year, "this year is just too bad".
She said the price of a half piece of GTP cloth, which sold between 38,000 cedis and 75,000 cedis in September now sells between 45,000 and 85,000 cedis.
Woodin fabric, sold at 28,000 cedis is now selling at 32,000 cedis while ATL which was sold between 35,000 cedis and 66,000 cedis, now sells at 54,000 cedis and 84,000 cedis.
Ms Aku Sika, who sells only Holland cloth, said a half piece of coloured Holland new design cloth, which was selling between 125,000 cedis and 135,000 cedis as at August-September, this year, now sells between 150,000 cedis and 160,000 cedis.
Black and white Holland now sells at 110,000 cedis as against 90,000 cedis.
Another cloth dealer attributed the low patronage of goods to wholesalers who now sell the cloths directly to customers at retail prices, which has caused many people not to buy from retailers.
A sales attendant at a boutique, Nana Osei, attributed the high price of goods to the increase in the dollar rate, hence the low patronage of goods.
He said as at August-September, the prices of blouses ranged between 38,000 cedis and 45,000 cedis but this has shot up to 60,000 cedis and over, adding that the dollar rate has compelled them to sell their old stock.
White Chapel, Lava and Melcom shops all expressed similar sentiments about
low patronage, saying: "they come in bulk and go back in bulk without buying a single item".
The prices of children's wear range between 10,000 cedis and 38,000 cedis.
They expressed the hope that things may pick up by next week.
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Ministry warns of computer virus
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
The Ministry of Communications has warned of a computer being transmitted mainly via e-mail around the world and programmed to be activated on or after First January 2000.
In a statement signed by Mr Ben Eghan, Chief Director, the Ministry said such virus attacks could be mistaken to be a Y2K problem.
It said computer security experts say it is the fifth Y2K virus to be detected, all in the latter part of this year, and warned that there are threats of more to follow before the year rolls over into the year 2000.
Most of these viruses are programmed to lie in wait in the computer's hard drive until a pre-determined time for activation, and they destroy computer hard drives, corrupt files or simply wipe out files.
Some government institutions are already experiencing strange virus attacks on their computers, the statement said.
The Ministry advised that it would, therefore, be prudent for computer users, both standalone and networked, linked to the Internet, to take back-ups of their hard drive.
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Government agencies to take steps to avoid loss of data
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to take immediate steps to take complete back-ups of all their hard drives and other storage devices.
This is to prevent the loss of any vital government information.
A statement signed by Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications said that with fifteen days left to the turn of the century, the Government through the National Y2K office is intensifying its activities to minimise the effects of Y2K on the nation.
In view of this, heads of organisations are requested to have personal interest and take all necessary measures to ensure that such losses of public data do not occur.
The statement warned that heads of organisations would be held personally responsible for any data loss.
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Third batch of Trokosis pass out
Adidome (Volta Region) 17 Dec. '99
Twenty-eight former Trokosis on Thursday graduated from the International Needs Vocational Training Centre at Adidome in the North Tongu district of the Volta region.
They are the third batch of trokosis to have passed out of the centre since its inception in 1990 by the International Needs, Ghana (ING), an NGO campaigning against the trokosi practice in the country.
Under the trokosi system, which is practised in the Volta, Greater Accra and some parts of the Eastern region, innocent young girls are sent to fetish shrines to atone for sins committed by their forefathers.
The former trokosis trained in dress-making, baking and confectionery, kente weaving and hair dressing.
They were presented with sewing machines, hair dryers and accessories, weaving looms, cooking utensils and a seed fund of 100,000 cedis each.
Mr. Joseph K.A. Amenorhu, District Chief Executive, commended the ING and all NGOs involved in the district, adding that the district assembly would assist the graduates through its poverty reduction programme.
Rev. Walter Pimpong, Executive Director of ING, said beginning next year the organisation would introduce modular courses for the women.
Rev. Bimpong said there is evidence that trokosi was spoken against as far back as 1919 and "this in itself is enough evidence that the people in the communities where this is being practised are not happy about it''.
He called on district assemblies to join them in the educational campaign to enlighten the people about the evil aspects of the practice.
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AMA spends 72 billion cedis on waste management
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) spends about 72 billion cedis annually on waste management to make the national capital one of the cleanest in West Africa.
Out of an annual budget allocation of 105 billion cedis for General Administration, Metropolitan Roads Department and Waste Management, 70.1 billion cedis, representing 56.1 per cent, went into sanitation alone.
Mr Samuel Addokwei-Addo, Chief Executive of AMA, who announced this at its second ordinary meeting held in Accra on Thursday, said the 105 billion cedis for the three sectors forms about 84 per cent of the total budgetary allocation of the assembly.
The AMA boss noted that under the "Sanitation 2000" programme, the assembly has been able to evacuate a number of unsightly refuse heaps at Ablekuma, Ashiedu-Keteke, Okaikoi, Ayawaso and the Osu Clottey sub-metros, adding that the exercise would soon be extended to the Kpeshie sub-metro.
He said collection of refuse from various homes and businesses can no longer be free in the face of the economic realities in the country.
"We must pay for better services," he added.
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Treat Prisoners Humanely - President
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec '99
Ghana is considering the introduction of parole as well as suspended sentences and community service as ways to decongest the country's prisons, President Jerry John Rawlings said on Friday.
He said Ghanaians would continue to insist on the observance of human rights and good governance as their constitutional right and this, he said calls for treating everyone including prisoners humanely.
President Rawlings, who was speaking at the passing out ceremony of 35 officer cadets of the Ghana Prisons Service, said; "major institutions charged with the enforcement and administration of criminal justice have been tasked to work expeditiously with due regard to fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Constitution."
President Rawlings expressed regret that undue delay in administration of justice is creating more remand prisoners and said this should be adequately addressed by ensuring speedy trials of cases pending before the courts.
He commended the Prisons Service for establishing agricultural prison camps as a means of decongesting the prisons, improving upon the quality of food while at the same time reducing cost and equipping the inmates with farming skills.
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Bartels refutes allegation of negligence
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
Mr Kwamena Bartels, MP for Ablekuma North, on Thursday said he has not neglected the people of Busia Junction as alleged by a caller on an Accra FM phone-in programme.
The caller alleged that since the MP took office some three year ago, he had not set foot in the area, which is within his constituency, to know their problems.
In an interview with GNA, Mr Bartels said it appeared the woman, who called was either not a resident of Busia Junction or the allegation was one of the numerous tricks being used to discredit him.
"I have held ten meetings with the Association of the area since the past three years and the chairman of the association can testify to that."
Mr Bartels said when he was elected, he found out that the major problem in the area was lack of a drainage system, which posed serious health risks to the people.
He said he had to lobby the Ministry of Works and Housing, the former AMA boss Nat Nunnoo Amartefio, who sent engineers to the site to assess the problem.
The Government then voted 200 million cedis and the local Catholic Church also mobilised 10 million cedis but it was not enough to undertake the project.
The MP said apart from the monetary shortfall, another major obstacle to the project is an unauthorised building standing in the way of the proposed drain, adding that it would have to be demolished or the drain would have to pass through it.
He expressed the hope that the owner of the house would co-operate to get the project under way when adequate funds are made available.
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Drivers unhappy about decision on fares
Kasoa (Central Region) 17 Dec. '99
Commercial drivers in the Awutu-Efutu Senya district on Thursday expressed their discontent with the retention of transport fares in spite of the recent price increases on petroleum products.
They have, therefore, appealed to the National Executive of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to review the prices to reflect the new fuel prices.
They will, however, charge the old fares until they are reviewed.
The drivers strongly registered their protests at separate meetings organised by various branch executives in the district explaining that they could not break even with the old fares.
They said the continuing depreciation of the cedi has increased the prices of spare parts and other items needed for the maintenance of vehicles.
Addressing them, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu and Mr Kwao Mossi, Chairmen of the Kasoa Number One and Two branches respectively urged the drivers to comply with the directives of their National Executives, while their grievances are looked into.
Issues such as the bad nature of some roads and high rate of accidents were also discussed.
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ECG, GWC ready for year 2000
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWC) on Friday assured the country that their equipment are Y2K compliant and there will be regular supply of electricity and water come First January 2000.
The two utility companies said they have carried out all the necessary engineering and other steps to avoid the year 2000 computer scare, otherwise called Y2K bug, and that there is no cause for alarm.
They said they do not rule out failures resulting from other occurrences that may affect their operations between now and January 2000. However, they said such situations should not be attributed to the Y2K bug to cause panic and confusion.
Mr David B.M. Vukania, Director of Customer Services of ECG and Mr Peter Korsinah, Manager, Management Information System of GWC were speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in separate interviews on their preparedness against the millennium bug.
Y2K is a computer programming flaw that could cause computer systems and other electronic devices programmed to record date information in two digits instead of four to malfunction or completely shut down at the turn of the year 2000.
Mr Vukania said: "we (ECG) have done what is required to ensure constant supply of electricity. We have up-dated, tested and are still testing our sensitive equipment and everything is running effectively."
He said a high-powered team comprising experts from various divisions of ECG has been constituted, beside the Y2K committee, to work around the clock in an effort to ensure that there would not be any hitch.
Mr Vukania said ECG contingency plans have since 15 December 1999, been put into action and this would continue till 31 December and January.
He said personnel equipped with communication and other gadgets would be deployed to locations to monitor and ensure that nothing negative happens.
He said how to pay money, how to keep money and how to produce electricity bills when the computers are not running have been catered for.
"We have also catered for in-house activities and our meetings with the Volta River Authority have confirmed that we area Y2K Compliant."
Mr Korsinah said GWC has asked all regional directors to ensure monitoring, maintenance and repair of any breakdown of equipment.
He said personnel have been put on a 24-hour vigil and provided with motorcycles to monitor pipe burst as well as report all cases that might affect water supply to any part of the country.
Mr Korsinah said other contingency plans have also been put in place to forestall any problem.
GWC has stored sufficient chemicals for the treatment of water to avoid transportation, harbour and other problems to enhance regular supply of good quality water for the period, he said.
"Ourcomputers, installations and systems of the company have passed the Y2K test and are ready", Mr Korsinah said.
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Veep's father laid to rest
Cape Coast (Central Region) 17 Dec. '99
Burial took place on Friday at Asokyeano cemetery, a suburb of Cape Coast of Mr John Evans Atta Mills (Senior), father of the Vice-President Professor John Evans Atta Mills after a three-hour thanksgiving service at the Wesley Methodist Church in Cape Coast.
The body of the late Mr Atta Mills, 88 was earlier laid in state at his Nkanfoa residence in Cape Coast, where President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife the Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings filed past.
People from all walks of life, including members of the Council of State, ministers of state, parliamentarians, high ranking government officials and district chief executives paid their last respects.
Traditional rulers led by Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III, President of the National House of Chiefs also paid their last respects to the late Mr. Mills, who died on 13 November, after a short illness.
At About 0800 hours the body was conveyed to the Methodist Chapel for the burial service, which was conducted by the Rt. Rev. J. K. Dadson, Methodist Bishop of Cape Coast Diocese assisted by a host of other bishops.
Professor Mills read the first scripture lesson while a member of family read the second.
The late Mills left behind six children including the Vice-President.
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