GRi Newsreel 19-02-99

Takoradi (Greater Accra) 19 Feb  

Some truck drivers at the Takoradi Harbour who said they have been at the port for about four months without their trucks of cocoa beans being off-loaded, have alleged that private companies in the cocoa industry such as Cashpro, often quickly off-loaded their consignments leaving those of the Produce Buying Company (PBC)..

The allegation came up when Mrs. Gladys Asmah, Member of Parliament for Takoradi, on Wednesday visited theTakoradi Harbour to find out why about 250 articulated trucks loaded with cocoa beans had not been off-loaded at the Takoradi harbour for the past three months.

Officers at the Ghana Cocoa Board and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) could not explain because their bosses were not at the harbour during the MP's visit.

Mr. Adamu Siedu, Co-ordinator of the Takoradi branch of the Ghana Haulage Trucks Drivers Union said the situation had led to loss of revenue to both drivers and the Nation since many of the beans get spoilt during long delays. He explained that previously, articulated truck drivers paid three thousand cedis as tolls at the port but with the provision of toilet and bathroom facilities this has been increased to six thousand cedis. In spite of this , they are being refused access to these facilities but are still paying the new charges.

Mrs. Asmah assured the drivers that she will do her best to ensure that the situation is rectified. The drivers on their part said they appreciated the visit and pleaded with her to let their plight be known in Parliament.

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 19 Feb. 

Dr Robert Dodoo, Head of Civil Service today said performance agreements would ensure the attainment of national developmental objectives.

He said people should not perceive the introduction of the agreements as a threat because these are intended to help the Civil Service to provide effective, timely and quality services.

Dr Dodoo said these at the signing ceremony of Performance Agreements in Kumasi between the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Regional Co-ordinating Director, and District Chief Executives and District Co-ordinating Directors of the Region. The Agreements are part of the on-going capacity building initiative programme to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Civil Service Dr Dodoo stressed the need for objectivity in evaluating performance in the Service, especially at the high levels of the bureaucracy, where performance assessment was until recently absent.

He explained that under the agreement, if a regional or district co-ordinating director fails to produce 70 percent of the deliverables without adequate explanation, he or she would be counselled, cautioned, suspended, retired or dismissed, depending on the gravity of the shortcomings. He stated that in view of the importance of the agreements, they may in future be extended below Director level, so that the accountability cycle will be complete.

Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister, said that the agreements have replaced the era in which some DCE's and DCD's took ad hoc measures in the discharge of their work. He advised DCE's and DCD's to approach their work with urgency and professionalism for targets to be achieved.

Tema (Greater Accra) 19 Feb.  

Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Greater Accra Regional Minister, today said the Regional Security Council and the security agencies are on the alert to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of violence against women. Women can no longer be subjected to violence by men, he said, as it (violence) threatens their progress.

Mr Ohene Agyekum said this at a three-day regional conference of the 31st December Women's Movement, under the theme, ''Economic Empowerment for Better Life''.

The Regional Minister urged women not to hesitate to take up responsible positions, for the dignity of Ghanaian women has been lifted through the quality leadership that Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, president of the movement, has provided. "The time that women were left behind is past, now their role is being recognised both in public and private lives", he added.

Mr Ohene Agyekum urged the movement to pursue its objectives diligently to enable women to contribute effectively as partners in development. "District Chief Executives must support women in various vocations with their share of the common fund allocation for poverty alleviation.

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 19 Feb. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Egyptian embassy will organise an economic forum to explore areas of business investment.

Mr Talaat Mounen, Egyptian Ambassador in Ghana announced this yesterday during a call on Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister as part of a two-day official visit to the region.

He said Ghana is not noted for only football, but has potentials in other economic ventures which should be explored. As part of the tour, Mr Mounen will inspect some projects being undertaken by Arab Contractors, including the rehabilitation works of the Kumasi Sports Stadium and the World Bank-sponsored Kumasi Subin drainage project.

Mr Yankah, briefed Mr Mounen on the socio-economic and cultural heritage of the Ashanti region and its contribution to national development.

Accra (Greater 18 Feb  

Resolute Amansie Limited (RAL), formerly Amansie Resources on Thursday said highway robbers took away more than one million dollars worth of gold when they ambushed a bullion van transporting the precious metal to Accra.

Mr William Usmer, head of the risks management unit of the Company, said the robbery took place near Apam Junction, about 40 kilometres west of Accra.

The gold weighing 170 kilograms was being conveyed from the Company's mine at Obotan in Ashanti to the Kotoka International Airport when the robbery occurred.

He said the gold was in eight boxes and was being escorted by personnel of West Coast Allied Services Limited (WCAS), a private security agency, which normally handles the company's security.

Mr Usmer said his outfit has referred everything concerning the incident to WCAS which would deal with its local allies in the investigations.

The management of WCAS confirmed the robbery saying its personnel were overwhelmed by the "superior number and fire power" of the heavily armed thieves numbering about eight.

"A number of shots were fired during the attack. Thankfully, only one minor injury was sustained by a member of the security crew who was hit in the hand by flying shrapnel".

The robbery is said to be the first of its kind in the country.

The RAL was officially commissioned by the President in February 1998. RAL is a medium-sized mine with an initial investment of 50 million dollars. It is 90 per cent Australian-owned with the remaining 10 per cent being Ghanaian.

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 19 Feb  

Mr P. E. K. Antwi, Ashanti Regional chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on members of the party not to relent in their efforts to educate the masses on government policies and programmes.

This, he said, was very crucial due to the negative activities of some leading opposition members, who are going about preaching against the programmes of the government.

At an educational rally and inauguration of Atonsu Ward One Executive Committee in the Asokwa West Constituency in Kumasi, Mr Antwi deplored the utterances of some of the opposition Members of Parliament in Ashanti, especially that of Subin, Manhyia and Offinso North, who are always criticising the government's development programmes.

The chairman said the government is doing what is good for the country and it behoves all Ghanaians to rally solidly behind it to ensure the steady and accelerated development of the country.

Mr Kwabena Agyapong, chairman of the Asokwa West Constituency, urged members of the party to re-double their mobilisation efforts to draw more opposition members to the party.

Hajia Salamatu Kuntey, Ashanti Region Women's Organiser of the NDC, said it is no wonder that people still speak ill of the NDC because they do not understand the issues at stake. She said the NDC Government is committed to the welfare of the people and the development of the country and called on members to do all that they could to ensure total victory in the 2,000 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Bolgatanga (Upper East) 19 Feb  

Crime cases reported to the Police in the Upper East region reduced from 2,874 in 1997 to 2,124 in 1998 a drop of 26 per cent.

A release issued in Bolgatanga and signed by Mr Adolphus Wemegah, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the region, said although assault and stealing are the prevalent offences in the area, the most serious ones committed during 1998 were murder, unlawful possession and distribution of narcotic drugs.

The release added that in spite of the modest decline of the crime rate in the region, the crusade against crime during the past few years cannot be said to have been richly rewarded, taking into account the fact that crime has generally been on the ascendancy nation-wide.

It said the feeling among the public that maintenance of law and order is the sole responsibility of the police, as well as the tendency to withhold information about crime and criminal elements from the police poses a great hindrance to effective investigation.

Kitoe (Northern Region), 19 Feb.  

The people of Kitoe in the East Gonja District have returned home to resettle after abandoning the village for seven years as a result of an ethnic conflict that engulfed the district.

The village recorded the heaviest casualty in the 1992 ethnic conflict between Gonjas and other ethnic groups in the district. Seventy-two people were believed to have died.

Speaking to newsmen about the resettlement programme, Mr Enimu Ekumato Bakeri, a traditional elder, said about 30 households have so far returned since the programme started last week, adding that "some of them are very anxious to return".

He expressed gratitude to the government and the various non-governmental organisations for the food, clothing and other forms of relief assistance they gave to the people during the period they lived as refugees in Salaga and surrounding villages.

Mr Bakeri said they were encouraged to go back by the National Mobilisation Programme which assisted them with farms and houses.

He said the main problem facing his people is access to a clinic and a school.

New Tafo (Eastern Region), 19 Feb.  

Mr J.H. Owusu-Acheampong, Minster of Food and Agriculture, has urged soil scientists to collaborate with his ministry to help remove the constraints hampering food sufficiency in the country.

He expressed concern that despite the abundant human and natural resources, Ghana continues to import food.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong was opening the 16th annual general meeting of the Soil Science Society of Ghana (SSSG) at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Akim New-Tafo on Wednesday.

The theme of the meeting was ''Managing soil for sustainable production of food, cash and industrial crops''.

He said the ministry was undertaking various studies to identify constraints that impede increased agricultural production as the country enters the new millennium.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong said in most sub-Saharan African countries including Ghana, agricultural production continued to rely on the traditional bush-fallow system, resulting in low crop yields and declining soil fertility due to decreasing fallow periods.

The minister, who commended the co-operation of soil scientists with his ministry in the development of a National Soil Fertility Management Action Plan launched last December, was happy that Ghana was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to have come out with such a plan.

The plan will enhance soil fertility for sustainable increase in agricultural production within the framework of the World Bank's global soil fertility initiative.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong said the launching of the National Soil Fertility Management Action Plan was a further challenge to members of the society and invited them to use the meeting as an opportunity to demonstrate the relevance of the soil as the basis and foundation for agriculture .

He said most farmers are unable to afford the high costs of mineral fertility management strategies because this involve the combined use of mineral fertiliser and organic plant nutrients and commended the CRIG for developing potash fertiliser from cocoa pod husk to supplement inorganic potash fertiliser imports.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said the theme is relevant at a time the country is working towards achieving food sufficiency.

He reminded the society that it had a crucial role to play in Ghana's efforts to properly manage her soil resources so that agriculture could be sustainable.

Dr S.V. Adu, one of the first Ghanaian soil scientists who solely conducted the first soil map survey of the land allocated to the then West Africa Cocoa research Institute (WACRI), now CRIG in 1946, urged young scientists to emulate the dedication and hardwork of the pioneers of the society.

Techiman (Brong Ahafo), 19 Feb. 

Mr Donald Adabre, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, said yesterday that the Regional Co-ordinating Council will institute punitive measures against district assemblies which become laxed in their revenue generation.

He said the existence of the Common Fund has undermined local revenue generation efforts of some assemblies in the region and that the RCC was determined to introduce appropriate sanctions.

"The Common Fund is meant to supplement efforts of assemblies so the RCC will monitor revenue collection performance of all assemblies and take measures against the defaulting ones", he cautioned.

Mr Adabre was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Techiman at yesterday as part of a familiarisation tour of the district.

He expressed displeasure at the increasing tendency of the communities placing all their developmental obligations at the doorstep of their district assemblies.

Mr Adabre said no district assembly could single-handedly provide the developmental needs of its people and appealed to chiefs and communities to complement the efforts of the assemblies by initiating their own projects. He expressed apprehension over the ''environmental degradation in the region and urged district assemblies, chiefs, individuals and organisations to emulate the Techiman Tree Farmers Association which is involved in an afforestation project along the banks of the river Tano which serves as a source of drinking water for numerous communities in the region.

The Deputy Regional Minister, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam who is also Member of Parliament for Techiman south said, he would use his share of MPs fund to finance boreholes for six communities in his constituency.

The Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa the second, appealed to the Minister to help resolve the Tano-Subin chieftaincy dispute involving the elevation of certain towns to paramountcies by the Asantehene once and for all in the interest of peace.

Accra (Greater Accra), 19 Feb. 

The 12th Session of the Commission for Agrometeorology CAgm) opened in Accra today with speakers urging the commission to provide timely and relevant information to farmers, especially in the developing world, to improve food production. The speakers noted that there have been an increasing swing in the weather and climate.

Farmers in developing countries who are more vulnerable to climate related change and natural disaster, therefore, need accurate prediction and forecast to plan their activities.

The speakers include the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Professor Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi, Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications, Mr J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture and Professor Kees Stigter, President CAgm.

Under the theme: "Weather, Climate and Agriculture," the session is being attended by over 100 delegates from all over the world.

It will, among other things, draw up a programme for the Commission for 1999 to 2002. Ghana is the first country in Africa to host the conference of a WMO session.

Prof. Obasi asked the session to consider ways to identify regions most vulnerable to climate variability and promote the use of forecasts in agriculture.

"The WMO is collaborating with national and international research programmes and institutions to further improve the prediction of climate variability on the scale of weeks to seasons or even years.

"Such predictions will have a tremendous impact on the contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological services (NMHS) to agricultural planning and production".

Prof. Obasi said they should develop strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and variability and take advantage of any improved conditions which may arise to enhance agricultural production.

Prof. Obasi expressed concern about the spate of natural disasters in the past years pointing out that global losses from climate and weather-related events in the 1990s are about six times the level of those of the 1980s.

"In the first half of the 1990s alone, the cost worldwide is 162 billion U.S. dollars compared to just 54 billion dollars for the entire decade of the 1980s with a large proportion of the estimated losses, being in the agricultural sector. Agriculture is the sector most sensitive to variability in the weather and climate".

He said the 1990s have recorded alarming cases of floods, tropical cyclones, droughts, El-Nino and other climatic catastrophes. "I am aware of the hardship that the people of Ghana had to endure because of the low level of the famous Volta Hydro Electric Dam at Akosombo during the 1997-1998 El-Nino event."

He urged governments in both developed and developing countries to implement the United Nations Conventions on the protection of the environment.

Prof Obasi called on the Commission to consider the impact of commercialisation of NMHSs on the provision of agrometeorological services, training requirements and development of agrometeorological capacities in the developing countries.

The promotion of increased participation of experts from developing countries in the work of the Commission must also be considered.

Mr Mahama said since agricultural production in Africa is largely small-scale, data on agrometeorology must be presented in a manner that would be beneficial to them.

He expressed the determination of the government of Ghana to improve meteorological services and create greater awareness on how weather and climate affect day-to-day activities, especially farming.

"For this reason, in our forthcoming Communications Policy we have aimed at establishing a mechanism to facilitate the availability of Communications Infrastructure among all meteorological stations within the country.

"The Central Analysis and Forecast Office (CAFO) and the National Meteorological Headquarters and the Meteorological Service Department are to be assisted to acquire and install vital and up-to-date equipment".

The department will also be assisted to upgrade its data base taking advantage of Information and Communication Technology to make data available on-line to local and external users. Mr Mahama urged the delegates to familiarise themselves with Ghana's weather and climatic conditions during the session and use it as a case study during the session.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong underscored the importance of agriculture to the economy and said the Ministry has been collaborating with the Meteo Department to enhance food production.

The nine-day session will discuss issues such as farming practices, forestry, livestock management and land use and the economic impacts of flooding and surges resulting in inundation, especially of coastal locations.

The Commission for Agrometeorology is responsible for the application of meteorology to agricultural farming systems, forestry, livestock management and agricultural land use.

It takes into consideration meteorology and agricultural development in both the scientific and practical fields. It also develops agricultural meteorology services of member-countries by the transfer of knowledge and methodology, through advice on a wide range of issues.

Accra (Greater Accra), 19 Feb 

Mr Moses Mukasa, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) representative in Ghana, on Thursday stressed that the problem of violence against women must be tackled in a well co-ordinated manner that will involve all stakeholders at the family and community levels.

''The broad issue has become thematic. We must all become allies in the process and this is of key interest to all in the country."

Mr Mukasa said this at the opening of a two-day seminar dubbed: ''Economic Violence Within the family'' organised by the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) in collaboration with the UNDP, UNIFEM and UNFPA in Accra.

He said empowering women with education, skills training and better access to resources and mobilisation of consensus against issues of violence at the family and community levels would underpin the process of eliminating violence from the society.

'' We need to strengthen and develop networks and alliances to address the issue of violence as they affect women and children as well as men.''

He said the physical and emotional consequences of violence against women have a bearing on reproductive and sexual health status of women and girls as well as their participation and productivity in national development.

Mr Mukasa said a study has identified assault, rape, wife beating and female genital mutilation, among other things, as some of the major violence against women in the country.

This is attributed to persistent gender inequality and inequity in social relationships, lack of education and access to resources as well as negative traditional practices.

He said it is important that requisite facilities and support services, including counselling, information and education on issues on violence are provided to victims and the public to enable them to address the problem. Mrs Ernestina Hagan, Vice-President of FIDA Ghana, who chaired the function, said there is the need for a concerted action to curb the menace else the society will disintegrate.

She said the seminar is opportune and will help tackle some issues and handle complaints and cases of violence in the most effective manner Mrs Edna Kuma, acting administrator of FIDA, said the association is aware of many instances where women who reported cases of violence against them to the Police have been sent away.

She said campaigns have been initiated world-wide to create an atmosphere of public disapproval of violence against women and a consensus that it is unacceptable.

Accra (Greater Accra) , 19 Feb

Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) said on Thursday that seemingly high bills for January that consumers have been complaining about are due to a change in their consumption patterns.

Consumers have complained that even though they have not added any new gadgets, their bills have been increasing gradually over the past four months, reaching their peak in January. Mr Prince Brobbey, Division Manager of Billing and Revenue, said in Accra that that the consumption pattern of consumers had changed since the end of the power crisis and this may have led to the higher tariffs. Mr Brobbey said after the crisis, consumption of electricity has gradually picked up and it has reached its peak.

"All too soon, Ghanaians have lost sight of the need to conserve energy and are using electricity at the full blast.

''While some people are now using gadgets that were not being used during the crisis, others have also acquired more gadgets and ECG is not to blame for increased tariffs.''

"Ghanaians should be thankful for the additional power being supplied by independent power producers, Aboadze Thermal plant and Cote d'Ivoire else we will still be experiencing power outages as water in the Akosombo dam is below average.''

Mr Brobbey said the current tariffs are not enough to enable the ECG to break even.

''Indications are that we may declare a huge loss for 1998 and it will take us about three years to demand economic tariffs from consumers".

Accra (Greater Accra), 19 Feb

Dr Nii Kwaku Sowa, an official at the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), yesterday suggested that education and proper manpower planning must be central to the country's plan if it is to attain a middle income status in the new millennium.

"Development does not depend so much on the amount of gold or timber or cocoa that you have. Now development is knowledge-based. What is important is the skill with which particular resources are efficiently managed."

Dr Sowa was presenting a paper on "Vision 2020: Will it be a myth or reality" at a meeting of the Accra West Rotary Club in Accra.

He said without proper development of skills for the exploitation of resources, the country may find it difficult to advance to the medium income status.

The Government's "Ghana-Vision 2020" is a 25-year development framework of integrated programmes of economic and social policies that provide a perspective for accelerated growth and sustained development.

It is aimed at making Ghana a buoyant and dynamic middle-income country by the second decade of the next century.

Dr Sowa said Ghana can develop if a proper look is taken at the educational system with a view to meeting the manpower needs of the future adding that the present investment index of 17 to 18 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 12 to 13 per cent for savings must be improved upon.

"This means that currently there is a savings-investment gap of about five per cent of GDP being met from foreign sources.

"Given the investment target of 25 per cent of GDP in Vision 2020, without improving our savings habits, we may need to attract foreign direct investment of over 10 per cent of our GDP."