Bawku warring factions unwilling to
surrender arms
Minister condemned media for poor coverage
NDC still active, has sound foundation
-Prof. Papafio
Live TV coverage of Annan's investiture
UN Human Rights Day falls on December 10
Student adjudged best youth farmer
Government to promote Ghana via Volta region
–Veep
Bawku warring factions unwilling to
surrender arms
Bawku (Greater Accra) 10 December 2001- Security agencies deployed to keep the peace at Bawku following inter communal clashes there are having a hard time disarming the warring factions. The people are neither willing to surrender the arms nor volunteer any relevant information.
"If they do, it is wrong information," a GNA story quotes a security source saying on Friday. The source said the security agencies had for the past two days cordoned-off and searched a number of suspected places but this did not yield any results.
They dug some sites following reports by some citizens but these turned out to be old graves. Though the situation in Bawku was calm the source said the conflict could ignite again if the military cum police detachment was withdrawn, because the ill-equipped Bawku Police alone could not subdue the warring factions.
In another development the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the township was reported to be taking a toll on the Muslim community. Alhaji Mohammed Inusah, Imam of a local mosque said Muslims could no longer congregate for the early morning (Subhi), early evening (Maghrib) and late evening (Insha) prayers.
Alhaji Inusah said a special prayers at mid-night on the last ten days of fasting could not be observed as a result of the curfew. Muslims, who broke their fast in-groups, now had to do so individually in their homes.
Meanwhile, the sixteen victims of the crisis, who were airlifted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are said to be doing well.
"Instead of our 24 to 48 hours care, theirs is continuous. They are getting all the attention needed, no cash down," Mrs. Eleanor Odeamah, Principal Nursing Officer of the Accident Section of the hospital told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Saturday.
She said the hospital authorities have instructed the units providing treatment not to demand deposits, unless otherwise stated, although the treatment is very expensive.
Mrs. Odeamah said two of them were suffering from neurosis, a result of bullets in the brain, whilst some also received bullets in their livers.
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Minister condemned media for poor coverage
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 December 2001- Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture on Sunday condemned the poor media coverage given the 1st Ghana International Food and Agric fair, dubbed "AGRIFEX 2001".
"I am surprised about the poor publicity of this important fair by the media, while they spent time and resources to promote foreign cerebrations such as Valentine and other programmes."
Maj. Quashigah made this observation during the closing ceremony of the week-long fair in Accra and called for a change of attitude towards made in Ghana goods.
The fair was jointly organised by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited (GTFC) to provide the platform for interaction among farmers, researchers and agro-industrialists.
It also served as a meeting point for ideas and goods, and opportunities for producers, traders, buyers and consumers, with the view to projecting agriculture as a business.
Maj. Quashigah also expressed concern about the apathy of the private sector operators and financial institutions towards the fair, saying that a platform created for interaction between they agencies was not properly utilised.
He, however, said that the ministry would create a system to link stakeholders in the agricultural industry, especially the ministries of Health, Education, Roads and Transport, and Finance to harness resources to promote agriculture in the country.
The Minister said through the Education Ministry, all second cycle institutions have been tasked to submit agricultural business proposal for technical and financial assistance.
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NDC still active, has sound foundation
-Prof. Papafio
Tema (Greater Accra) 10 December 2001- The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is still alive because it is based on a sound foundation, Professor Emeritus J.B. Quartey-Papafio, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party said on Saturday at Tema.
He said in spite of the "stresses and strains" that occur in any vibrant democratic organ the party remains intact and called on all activists to continue to be loyal to the party.
Prof. Quartey-Papafio was delivering a welcoming address at the Greater Accra Regional fifth biennial delegates conference of the NDC at Tema during which new executive members were elected.
Mr. Joshua Alabi, former Greater Accra Regional Minister was elected as the Chairman, Nii Oko Djangmah Vanderpuye, Secretary, Mr. Nikoi Addison, Organiser, while the post of Propaganda Secretary went to the Reverend Fred Adjetey Larbi and the Hajia Cash Anatu Kasian had the post of Treasurer.
Prof. Quartey-Papafio, who did not contest the elections said, though the party lost the last presidential and parliamentary elections, that was “no indication of an imminent demise of our dear Akatamansonian party far, from it, we are very much alive", because it has a divine duty to organise itself into a strong organ of the multi-party process of the country."
This, he said, calls for practicing democracy at all levels of the party and the need to recognise the party as an organ that enables members to serve the community, rather than a means to achieve personal gains.
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Live TV coverage of Annan's investiture
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 December 2001- The investiture of UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan with the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway will be shown live in Ghana, an official statement said on Friday.
The statement, by the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, said the government had made an arrangement for Ghana Television to provide a live coverage of Mr. Annan's investiture on Monday December 10 between 12 noon and 2.00 pm.
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UN Human Rights Day falls on December 10
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 December 2001-The United Nations Human Rights Day falls on Monday December 10, under the theme: "Human Rights Are Under Attack Around the World- Act Now for Human Rights."
The Day is observed every year by member nations. A statement issued by Amnesty International-Ghana said on Sunday in Accra expressed support for human rights, and showing commitment by engaging ordinary people in actions to protections.
It said the occasion reminds people in the world, the nature of serious attacks on human rights defenders as well as the need for human rights to be the centre of all discussions.
The statement said the theme chosen was meant to draw attention to the non-adherence to the contents of the human rights laws in national constitutions and which had led to massive violation of people' rights.
"Despite the existence of such human rights laws most governments all over the world just pay lip service to the contents of their national constitutions and other human rights laws."
It said governments who had pledged their support to promote and protect their citizens without fear or favour most invariably, used their security personnel to carry out such attacks against their own people.
The statement said the upsurge in human rights abuses such as arbitrary detention, racist attack, female genital mutilation, trokosi, nationally and internationally needed to be tackled.
Recent events in America, Afganistan, Bawku in the Upper East region of Ghana and others were tragedies that undermined human rights.
The statement said as the day would be celebrated throughout the world, AIG shared in the joy as its very existence was derived from the universal declaration of human rights.
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Student adjudged best youth farmer
Mampong-Akuapem (Eastern Region) 10 December 2001- Master Richmond Appiah, a 24-year-old student of Takoradi Polytechnic, was on Friday adjudged the best youth farmer in Akuapem North District during this year's District Farmers Day at Mampong Akuapem.
Master Appiah from Adukrom Yensi cultivated four acres of maize, two acres of cassava and has 400 mounds of water-yam. He was among 10 others who were honoured.
Master Appiah, who said he used the proceeds from his farm to finance his education, also said he worked on the farm during vacations and leave it in the care of his sister when school re-opens.
Madam Rose Bekoe, 70, the only female farmer, was adjudged as the best farmer for small ruminants while the Demonstration School for Deaf and Dumb, won the prize for the best school poultry farm with 1386 birds.
Mr. Amu Kwadwo, 40, of Comosa Farms, won the Best District Farmer award. He owns 83 acres of oil palm, 101 acres of plantain, 28 acres of cassava, 140 acres of maize and 12,000 mounds of water-yam.
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Government to promote Ghana via Volta
region -Veep
Kadjebi (Volta Region) 10 December 2001- The government is to undertake massive rehabilitation of infrastructure in the Volta Region to enable it to play a leading role in promoting Ghana to the outside world.
Vice President Aliu Mahama, who announced, this on Sunday, at the Dawurokese Festival at Kadjebi, said the government would take advantage of the strategic position of the region and develop it to play a leading role in the 'Golden Age of Business.'
"...Plans have been concluded for the smooth take off of a project that will make it possible for Kadjebi and other districts in the region to have three-phase electricity power supply to pave the way for the establishment of more rural and cottage industries," he said.
A number of major trunk roads in the region would be rehabilitated by 2004, he said, adding that, a contract would soon be awarded for the extension of telephone lines from Hohoe to Kadjebi.
The Kadjebi district, located in the northern part of Volta Region, is about 220 kilometres from Accra. The people of Kadjebi are Akans who migrated from various part of the country about 300 years ago, to settle in their present area, mostly forest and mountainous territory.
The people, who are mainly farmers of food and cash crops, celebrate the Dawurokese (big gong gong) Festival to commemorate their victory over the pollution of their lone stream by their adversaries, which had led to the outbreak of an epidemic.
History has it that at the time of the epidemic, the then chief, Akompi, in consultation with an oracle, was said to have caused a big gong gong to be made, which was believed to have mesmerised and demoralised the enemy.
Spiritual and physical cleansing was also carried out, following, which an annual sweeping ritual was undertaken by the women to drive away sickness.
This year, the festival was observed under the theme: "Our Forests and Streams, Our Children must be Inheritors not Survivors."
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