Three arrested on Ghanair flight on December 31 and January one
Keta sea defence project set to begin - Minister
Hawkers take up Accra streets again as Xmas nears
Kintampo residents refuse to pay for water project
Moderator cautions against fear of millennium
New road ordinance in the making
No Ghanair flight on December 31 and January one
Accra (Greater Accra), 24th December 99
Ghana Airways will not fly any of its aircraft on December 31 and New Year's day, January one, 2000.
Mr. N. K. Sykes, Leader of the Airline's Y2K team, told said on Thursday that the measure would enable it to monitor effectively its technical transition into the New Year.
"We will, however, welcome one of our planes from New York on the morning of December 31."
He said Ghana Airways, which now has a fleet of five aircraft, is Y2K compliant and operates from a millennium bug-free home base controlled by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, "but we cannot guarantee the readiness of other airports on that day."
Mr Sykes said normal flights would resume on January 2, 2000.
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 Sykes said: "We are liasing with IATA in a co-ordinated effort to ensure Y2K readiness of airports and air traffic systems including those located in Ghana.
"The on-going review project has been well structured in order to provide airline services that will not be adversely affected by the Year 2000 Transition."
Other airliners that will not be flying on December 31 include British Airways.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) at the weekend pledged to waive all charges for the first 10 airliners that would take off or land at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) between December 31 and mid-day January one.
Also included are the first 10 airliners that would fly within the Accra Information Region, the airspace of Benin and Togo controlled by KIA, between the said period.
Wing Commander Andy Mensah, Director-General of the GCAA, assured stakeholders in the aviation industry that KIA and the GCAA are Y2K compliant.
He said GCAA has re-activated its redundant system to meet envisaged and speculative emergencies. It has also installed new equipment that would ensure safety and security of flight operations in the next millennium.
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Keta sea defence project set to begin - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra), 24th December 99
Mr. Isaac Adjei-Mensah, Minister of Works and Housing, on Friday announced that work on the 93.87 million-dollar Keta Sea Defence Project would start in January this year after the removal of all obstacles.
He said the U.S. Eximbank, financiers of the project, had written to confirm on December 14, that "all conditions precedent to making the credit effective have been fulfilled, and the loan is now operative."
Mr Adjei-Mensah who was speaking at a press conference in Accra said this followed the government's payment of the first instalment of 15 per cent of the project cost and the fulfilment of 14 loan conditions known as "conditions precedent."
The conditions included authorization of the credit facility by government, legal opinion of the Attorney General's office and the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan prepared by the Contractor.
Another condition is payment in full of all amounts owed Eximbank, also referred to as "arrearages."
It took six months after the signing the Loan Agreement on July 7, 1999 to fulfil the 14 conditions.
The Minister said the contractor, Messrs Great Lakes, would begin "the mobilization of both human and material resources" within three to four weeks.
He said the Project Manager and Civil Works Manager are already in the country and the next batch of eight expatriates is due on January 15.
Mr Adjei-Mensah said as part of the mobilization work, electricity supply has already been extended from Afiadenyigba town to the project site at Havedzi town. Activities lined up for the next two months are the rehabilitation of Contractors Camp at Weta.
Other activities are the erection of a marine camp at Havedzi, transportation of a dredger from Tema Port to Keta, assembling, launching and testing of dredger and dredging of the access channel.
The Minister said two local contractors have been awarded sub-contracts for rehabilitation of the Weta Camp, erection of the Marine Camp and the construction of the Employers' Representative Camp at Afiadenyigba junction.
He said Messrs Great Lakes have begun clearance of the quarry face and stone blasting will start after the Christmas holidays.
Mr Adjei-Mensah said the government attaches great importance to the project and appealed to the people of Keta and the Volta Region to ignore "the palpable lies and falsehood that had been peddled by the opposition" about it.
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Hawkers take up Accra streets again as Xmas nears
Accra (Greater Accra), 24th December 99
With two days to Christmas, hawkers have again taken control of the streets of the capital's business district nullifying months of efforts by the City Guards of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to keep them off.
The hawkers, who have migrated from various markets to sell their goods, have taken up any available space including the streets and even waste disposal sites.
Thousands of people, who flocked to the city for their last minute shopping have to compete with cars for space while others struggled to find their destinations.
As a result, motorists found it difficult to park their vehicles and off load passengers and people indiscriminately littered about as they cannot have access to waste disposal containers.
Some drivers park their vehicles in the middle of the streets to pick up passengers thus causing traffic jams.
A visit to the 31st December Market and the Independence Avenue near the Liberty House indicated that although security is in place to ensure free flow of vehicles, drivers negligently refuse to adhere to driving regulations.
Attempts by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) guards to drive away the hawkers proved futile because they were outnumbered.
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Kintampo residents refuse to pay for water project
Kintampo (Brong Ahafo), 24th December 99
The Kintampo community may lose a 4.3 billion cedis water project following the refusal of the people to contribute the mandatory matching fund of 217 million cedis, representing five per cent of the cost of the project.
With only a month left for the community to pay the amount or forfeit the project, which the governments of Ghana and Germany are funding, only 40 million cedis have so far been mobilised.
Mr Stephen Kunsu, District Chief Executive expressed grave concern about the situation at the second ordinary session of the district assembly held at Kintampo on Wednesday.
He explained that the 15,000 cedis levy imposed on every adult in the town about a year ago is a reasonable amount they could easily pay.
The DCE warned that the community must pay the matching fund before January three next year or lose the project.
The assembly has already added 40 million cedis to the amount collected by the community and suggested that part of its common fund be used to pay the fund.
Mr Kunsu said the assembly was able to collect about 230 million cedis from traditional sources as at last September, which represents about 90 per cent of this year's target.
He urged the assembly members to assist the assembly in the collection of revenue and levies to enhance its capacity to execute more projects.
Mr Kunsu announced that the assembly is taking steps to develop two waterfalls in the district and other natural endowments into first class tourist attraction and appealed for the support of private investors to make the exercise a success.
During deliberations, the assembly endorsed Mr. Kunsu's suggestion that part of the common fund be used to pay the matching fund of the water project so that the community does not lose it.
The assembly also voted to remove the capital of the Amoma/Ajena area council headquarters from Amoma to Pamdu as a punishment for the chiefs and people of Amoma and surrounding communities
They were said to have declared themselves autonomous from the Kintampo district assembly in August, drove away revenue collectors of the assembly and started collecting revenue themselves in protest against poor roads in the area.
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Moderator cautions against fear of millennium
Ho (Volta Region), 24th December 99
Ghanaians have been urged not to be afraid of the approaching millennium because "God is our rock and refuge".
"This is because the fear of the unknown of the coming of Jesus is not a new phenomenon."
The Right Reverend Japhet Yao Ledo, Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana, made the call in his Christmas and New Year message issued to the press at Ho on Thursday.
Rev. Ledo said the fear syndrome "happened at the time Jesus was born... that is why the Angels said "do not be afraid for I have come to tell you news of great joy".
He said this is the time for all Ghanaians to marshal their resources in fighting social evils and injustices in the society.
He called for reconciliation among Christians and between Christians and other faiths.
Rev. Ledo implored Ghanaians, especially Christians, to uphold the truth always no matter the consequences so that "the saltiness and lightness must be seen in our daily living".
He called for alertness in confronting the challenges of "the electronic culture", which is being used in Hi-Tech criminal activities.
Rev. Ledo called for regular prayers for God's guidance for those placed in leadership positions to enable them to face their complex tasks in the discharge of their duties.
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New road ordinance in the making
Tema (Greater Accra), 24th December 99
The Ministry of Roads and Transport will lay before parliament next year a revised Road Traffic Ordinance to promote safety and discipline on the country's roads.
Mr Edward Salia, the sector Minister, said on Thursday that the existing Ordinance was promulgated between 1952 and 1954 with a slight amendment in 1974 to enable the "Operation Keep Right" to take off.
He said sentences and fines imposed by the courts on drivers who commit traffic offences are so ridiculously low that they do not serve as enough deterrent on the offending drivers.
Mr Salia was responding to questions from journalists on the high rate of accidents on the country's roads after he had addressed the first ordinary meeting of the second session of the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA).
He said so many things have happened since 1974, and these call for a revision to promote safety and discipline on the roads.
He pointed out that under the new ordinance some of the road regulations would be modified, while others would aim at enhancing traffic management with special attention to traffic safety.
Mr Salia explained that under the new law, a Driver's Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) would be made to have control over driving schools in the country.
"The authority will plan their syllabuses, periods for training and approve the establishment of such schools.
He said drivers will be categorised through examination and any driver who "wants to change from bus driving to an articulated truck or a tanker, will have to be examined before he can change".
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