GRi Newsreel Ghana 18 - 12 - 2000
Amidu says elections results lesson for NDC
Party agents advised against apathetic
attitude
NDC Secretary appeals to NPP to ensure peace
Nkrumaists urged
to ignore leaders
Electricity load
shedding creates tension at Ahinsan
Minimum Pension is now 15,000 cedis
Road Safety
Awareness Campaign 2000 launched
Association challenges NDC to substantiate
claim or apologise
Women's organiser predicts NPP victory
'Don't drag Dagbon chieftaincy into partisan
politics' – DAYA
Independent
Candidate supports Prof. Mills
Amidu says elections results lesson for NDC
Bimbilla (Northern Region) 18 December 2000
Results of the December 7 general elections did not indicate a vote for the change of the NDC, Mr Martin Amidu, vice presidential candidate of the party, stated on Saturday.
The results were a form of protest by some NDC supporters to indicate their misgivings about "certain happenings (within) the top hierarchy of the party and over confidence of winning," he said.
Addressing a meeting of chiefs, elders and people and supporters of the NDC at Bimbilla to thank them for their solidarity, Mr Amidu said the results indicated that the two major parties failed.
He explained, "it is only that one party won a few marks over the other, thus the call for the run-off".
Mr. Amidu said the total support from the northern sector for the NDC demonstrates the faith the people have in the party and justifies his selection as the running mate.
He said because of the over-confidence of always winning elections more than two million NDC supporters, especially those from their strong holds, failed to vote.
Mr. Amidu said the results were also "to pull the ear of the NDC to face realities, listen to those at the grassroots and for them not to take things for granted".
He said the NDC has learnt its lessons, adding that all efforts would be made to rectify the situation and make the NDC victorious once more.
The running mate said intimidation, threats and harassment by some supporters of the NPP against people supposed to have voted for the NDC is very unfortunate and must be condemned by all peace-loving people.
Mr. Amidu said the actions of supporters of the NPP are danger signals targeted at certain ethnic groups regardless of party affiliation.
He urged the people to take a cue from what is happening to encourage all eligible voters to come out and vote massively for the NDC to defeat the NPP.
Mr. Amidu said the NDC has already built the necessary infrastructure in the country, adding that the people must give it their mandate to bring about progressive change and create jobs for the youth, make farmers more productive and to strengthen the country's economic recovery programme.
The regent of Bimbilla, Vo-Na Attah Abarika, thanked the political parties for ensuring peaceful elections.
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Party agents advised against apathetic
attitude
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 18 December 2000
Political party representatives at polling stations have been advised against refusing to sign result declaration forms for the simple reason that their party has lost.
Mr Seth Anane-Amankwaah, Sunyani District Electoral Officer, said this behaviour is deplorable because it tends to delay the electoral process, thereby causing anxiety and suspicion, which could lead to violence.
He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the conduct of electoral officials in the Sunyani East and West constituencies during the December 7 election and other factors that delayed the release of official results.
Mr Anane-Amankwaah commended the police and other security personnel and the electorate for ensuring peaceful elections in the district, which, he described as "successful and satisfactory".
"The fact that my office has not received any complaints over the conduct of the elections in the district is an indication that all parties were satisfied with its conduct," he added.
The district electoral officer also commended drivers of vehicles commandeered for the exercise, as well as individuals who voluntarily helped to cart materials to and from polling stations, and hoped that they would help to ensure efficient conduct of the presidential run-off on December 28.
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NDC Secretary appeals to NPP to ensure
peace
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 18 December 2000
The Eastern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Joshua W. Agyekum, has appealed to the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to caution their sympathisers in the region to desist from acts that could disturb the peace and tranquillity of the country.
He said the NDC had restrained its members to avoid retaliatory measures in the face of intimidation and harassment but could not guarantee the outcome if such provocative threats continued.
Mr. Agyekum was commenting on an incident in which an NPP supporter allegedly slashed the left palm of one Eliasu Hassan, a dealer in suiting materials at the Koforidua Timber Market last Friday, on suspicion that he might have voted for the NDC in the December 7 polls.
He said after the elections, some sympathisers of the NDC in the New Juaben Municipality, who were being harassed, had to be camped at the regional party headquarters for three days.
"It is important for the NPP hierarchy to let their sympathisers realise that the only way to win political power under the current conditions in the country is through the ballot box and not through intimidation and harassment of one's political opponents," Mr. Agyekum
observed.
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Nkrumaists urged
to ignore leaders
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 December
2000
The Atta Mills Brotherhood
International on Saturday urged all Nkrumaists to ignore their leaders and vote
massively for Professor John Evans Atta Mills in the December 28 presidential
run-off.
In a statement on Saturday it called
on all genuine Nkrumaists and those with parties that claim to belong to the
Nkrumah political tradition to rally behind the NDC and Professor Atta Mills in
the election.
It said the battle is now between
Kwame Nkrumah and the Danquah-Busia traditions and therefore called on all
ordinary Nkrumaists to rally behind the NDC and Professor Atta Mills to save
mother Ghana from destruction.
"Join the Brotherhood to
supplement NDC votes for a massive victory in order to defend the ongoing NDC's
Nkrumah's vision, dreams, ideals, national progress and national prosperity for
the people of Ghana and Africa."
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Electricity load
shedding creates tension at Ahinsan
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18
December 2000
The residents of Ahinsan in Kumasi
have expressed their anger and frustration over the frequent load shedding by
the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the area, which, they say, has gone
on for more than nine months.
Mr. Edward Akuamoah-Boateng,
assembly member for the area, who, called at the offices of the Ghana News
Agency in Kumasi, said that for the past two weeks, the residents have been
complaining bitterly about the situation and sometimes insult him.
"They simply refuse to see
reason in whatever explanation given to them and seem to be taking the law into
their own hands," he said.
He, however, warned that he would
not hesitate to take action against those who create confusion in the area.
Mr. Akuamoah-Boateng also appealed
to the ECG to speed up its efforts at installing an additional transformer in
the area to end the load shedding.
A source at the Ashanti Regional
Office of the ECG told the Ghana News Agency that the company, with support
from the World Bank, is undertaking a project in the area, which would enable
the residents to enjoy uninterrupted power supply.
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Minimum Pension is now 15,000 cedis
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 December 2000
Current pensions will be increased by an average of 21.8 per cent from January 2001, Mr Charles Asare, Director General of Social Security and National Insurance Trust, told pensioners in Accra.
He said minimum pension would be increased by 50 per cent from 10,000 cedis to 15,000 cedis per month.
The Director General was addressing over four hundred pensioners at the SSNIT Guest House in Accra at an end-of-year party on Saturday.
Mr Asare said, "we admit that there are some challenges in the investment areas, we also need to improve on our operational performance and more importantly find a way to improve service delivery".
He said the trust has initiated measures to either divest interest or restructure some of its investment for improved performance.
"Indeed, it is the investments in the manufacturing areas in particular, which under performed and clearly the difficulties in the economy have affected such investments".
Mr Asare assured the pensioners and contributors that all steps are being taken to improve service delivery.
On alleged corrupt practices at SSNIT, he said, "we welcome the investigation, which have started and we have pledged to co-operate for the truth to be established".
Mr. K. B. Asante, a former diplomat, chaired the function.
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Road Safety
Awareness Campaign 2000 launched
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 December
2000
A total of 325 fire related
accidents were recorded within the past two years, 761 in 1998 out of which,
117 were vehicular related.
A total of 686 cases were recorded
in 1999 out of which, 128 were vehicular related.
Mr Tony Lawoe, Deputy Chief Fire
Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, who disclosed this at the launch of
this year's Road Safety Awareness Campaign, said 80 cases have been recorded
this year.
The campaign is on the theme:
"Motorists have Consideration for Pedestrians and Pedal Cyclists".
He said investigations have
revealed that almost all the accidents were caused by carelessness and
mentioned short circuit in wiring systems, leakage of petrol along fuel pipes
and lack of attention on the part of welders as some other causes.
Mr Kwesi Abbey Sam, Chief Director
of Ministry of Roads and Transport, said that at least six people die each day
through road accident in Ghana.
He said 43 per cent of road
accident victims are pedestrians with nearly half being children.
"The global scenario is not a
very comfortable one either. It is estimated that each year one million people
are killed and 10 to 15 million injured through road accidents globally,"
he said.
"Out of this number, 16 per
cent of those killed and 10 per cent of those injured are children under 15
years."
Mr Sam said 75 per cent of these
accidents occur in developing countries, adding that Ghana has a vehicular
population of over 40,000 with an annual growth rate of 10 per cent.
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Association challenges NDC to substantiate
claim or apologise
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 December 2000
The Concerned Citizens Association of Kumasi has challenged the leadership of the NDC in Ashanti to support the claim of molestation and intimidation of its supporters with concrete evidence or else apologise to the people of the region.
In a statement signed by the secretary, Mr Stephen Oduro-Kwarteng in Kumasi, it accused the NDC of "engineering a campaign of misinformation to incite one tribe against the other in order to achieve a parochial political ambition".
The Association cautioned the NDC against using such baseless accusations to misinform the public to cause disaffection for the people of the region and the NPP.
According to the statement, following allegation by the NDC that its followers at Mankranso and Ahwerewam in the Ahafo-Ano South constituency were being brutalised and harassed, some members of the Association went to the area to ascertain the truth.
It said investigations at the area revealed that there had not been any incident adding "the chiefs and elders expressed surprise about the story".
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Women's organiser predicts NPP victory
Dormaa-Ahenkro (Brong Ahafo) 18 December 2000
Madam Emma Agyemang, assistant women's organiser of the Dormaa West constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has predicted resounding victory for the party in the presidential run-off on December 28.
She said the impressive performance of the party in the first round of the elections "is a clear manifestation of the support the party enjoys among Ghanaians."
Mrs. Agyemang, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Dormaa-Ahenkro, said the results reflected the yearning for a change in government.
She called on the party's supporters to turn up in their numbers in the run-off and vote for Mr J.A. Kufuor to enable the party to effect the desired change to improve the lot of Ghanaians.
She commended the decision of the other opposition parties to support the NPP, saying this enhances Mr Kufuor's chances of winning with overwhelming majority.
But she called on NPP supporters to intensify their campaign to win more converts for the party and the party's agents to be extra vigilant at the polling stations to check election malpractice.
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'Don't drag Dagbon chieftaincy into
partisan politics' – DAYA
Tamale (Northern Region) 18 December 2000
The Dagbon Youth Association has urged politicians not to drag the Dagbon Chieftaincy into partisan politics saying such an endeavour would only result in chaos and disruption of socio-economic lives of the people and the destruction of the traditional area.
In a statement in Tamale signed by Mr. A. Baba Issifu, Secretary-general, DAYA said its attention has been drawn to an allegation that the NPP, if voted into power, would deskin Ya-Na Andani Yakubu II, overlord of the Dagbon traditional area.
The association said the NPP subsequently issued a statement refuting the allegation as a misinformation exercise by opponents of the party.
"To say the least, we are very unhappy about the circulation of the such an allegation and wish to express our legitimate concerns as such", DAYA said.
The statement said; "like any people proud of their beginnings, Dagbamba are very attached and passionate about the high office of the Ya-Na and the revered institution of chieftaincy."
The association recalled the bitter experience of Dagbon whose people came out of an all-consuming and protracted chieftaincy dispute about a decade and half ago.
"We were offered a hitherto rare opportunity to pursue the matter of our disagreement through legal court processes.
"This was done leading finally to the Supreme Court where the dispute was finally settled" it said.
The statement said; "Dagbamba remember vividly the repercussions of our dispute. The adverse effects Dagbon and Dagbamba, and even non-Dagbamba alike suffered, cannot be quantified."
"To subject Dagbon to a four-yearly trauma by aligning it to party political campaigns, would therefore, be disastrous and unpardonable."
The association said there are issues of national importance that party propagandists can fall upon in the campaigning for votes.
The statement said; "it would be unfair therefore for any of the propagandists to pick on the traditional office of reverence to Dagbamba, the outcome of which would be to our detriment."
It called on Dagbamba electorate not to fall prey to any divisive ideas that would make the Gbewaa skin a pawn in the party political game at this crucial time when DAYA, along with other well-meaning Dagbamba are preoccupied with efforts to enhance a more cohesive Dagbon.
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Independent
Candidate supports Prof. Mills
Wa (Upper West) 18 December 2000
Mr. David Deribaa, Independent candidate
for Lambussie in last week's election, on Friday asked his supporters to vote
for the vice-president, Professor John Attah Mills in the presidential run-off.
Mr. Deribaa who spoke to the Ghana
News Agency in an interview at Wa dispelled rumours that he had entered into an
electoral alliance with the local branch of the New Patriotic Party.
He said as a cadre, he had no
reason to abandon the cause of the NDC and Professor Mills to follow any other
presidential candidate just because predictions favour him.
In the election, Mr. Deribaa
polled 1,215 votes against about 7000 for Mrs. Alice Teni Boon who won.
Mr Deribaa congratulated Mrs. Boon
for retaining the seat and pledged to co-operate with her for the development
of the area.
He expressed his gratitude to all
those who supported him during the elections, saying, with the experience
gained and with their commitment, he would win the seat in four years.
The parliamentary aspirant called
on the party that will form the next government to respect the constitution by
upholding fundamental human rights and other freedoms enshrined in it.
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