Treat Prisoners Humanely - President
Bartels refutes allegation of negligence
Drivers unhappy about decision on fares
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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Return to top 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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Return to top 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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Return to top 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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Return to top 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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