GRi Newsreel Ghana 07 - 02 - 2001
President Kufuor pledges to fight
'humiliating' problems of Africa
Political clash
leaves uneasy calm at Asutsuare
Petrol smuggling on the increase in W/R
CHRAJ officer calls for assistance for
farmers
Disaster clubs to facilitate work of NADMO
Police impound truckload of timber boards
Ghanaian Company wins international award
President Kufuor pledges to fight
'humiliating' problems of Africa
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 February 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to co-operate with fellow African heads of state in confronting the political and socio-economic challenges plaguing the continent.
Speaking with the African group of the diplomatic corps, Mr Kufuor described as 'humiliating' the social political and economic discomfiture of the continent caused by poverty, diseases, debt and the scourge of war and which continue to wreak havoc on its peoples.
He assured the envoys of good governance under his leadership, saying it is the belief of his government that it is only in true freedom that the people's hidden potentials could be liberated and harnessed, especially the youth in the task of nation building.
"The success of our leadership must be measured not only by our commitment to a visible improvement in the living standards of our people but also to the principles of democracy, good governance and the rule of law."
Members of the group, led by Ambassador Elwood Greaves of Liberia, called at the State House to express support for the new government.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the government and the representatives of the various African states to renew bonds of co-operation in confronting the challenges, especially of economic and political instability.
"Great challenges face us as leaders of our people to build and sustain peace on our continent and develop institutions and structures that will ensure sustainable economic development for our people," President Kufuor said.
Congratulating the President, his team and Ghanaians for successful elections, Ambassador Greaves said it is an achievement that would continue to inspire and give impetus to the quest for democracy, good governance, and respect for human rights in the continent.
"The road Ghana has charted at the dawn of Africa's awakening by being the first African state, south of the Sahara to breath the air of freedom, is being continued by Ghana once again being among the few, but important countries, to effect a change of government through the ballot box."
Mr Greaves lauded Mr Kufuor's pledge to good governance, rule of law and corrupt-free administration saying these virtues place him firmly along the new generation of leadership in the continent.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 February 2001
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) intends to use this year, declared as the International Year of Volunteers, to link up with UN volunteers and individuals working for the betterment of their fellows.
UN agencies could also use the year to acknowledge and appreciate the volunteers working on their various programmes, Mrs Sharon Capeling-Alakija, UNV Executive Co-ordinator, said on Tuesday at a meeting with heads of UN agencies in Ghana in Accra.
Those present were the heads or deputy heads of the UN Development Programme, World Food Programme, UN High Commission for Refugees, Food and Agriculture Organisation and the UN University.
The meeting was one of Mrs Capeling-Alakija's last schedules in a five-day visit to the country, during which she conferred with former President Jerry John Rawlings on his new role as one of three eminent personalities chosen by the UN to promote the spirit of voluntarism.
The other two are Spain's Crown Prince Felipe of Asturias and Ms Anita Roddick, founder of UK-based Body Shop.
Mrs Capeling-Alakija said 70 per cent of UN Volunteers come from developing countries and their roles "cut across the turf and divisions of the UN."
"You could use the UNV logo for your own purposes, to let people know that the volunteers working with you are the same people in the rest of the world," she told the meeting.
She said the three eminent persons were chosen with the hope that their profiles would inspire voluntarism among the people they come across in their new responsibilities.
Mrs Capeling-Alakija said Ex-President Rawlings, who opted to spearhead the campaign against AIDS and malaria in Africa, was chosen because of his "charisma, masculinity, and contributions to the state as well as for being plain-spoken."
"The fight against AIDS requires somebody who is both respected and blunt," she added.
Prince Felipe, she said, was selected because of his devotion to child welfare and a special award he had instituted for volunteers in Latin America.
Ms Roddick was picked for her initiative in allowing between a day and a month for her workers to volunteer for any task of their choice at her own expense.
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Winneba (Central Region) 07 February 2001
The Chairman of the Effutu constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Nii Ephraim, has called on supporters and sympathisers of the party in the area to disabuse their minds of the notion that the party has lost popularity following its inability to win the general election last year.
A statement signed by Mr Ephraim said the party is more alive to its responsibilities than ever, and is determined to win back power in 2004.
It said the claims by some NPP supporters that the party is 'dead' and cannot resurrect are part of "a malicious propaganda strategy" adopted by its opponents to destabilise it.
The statement assured Ghanaians that the NDC remains a formidable force in national politics and will continue the fight for national peace, stability and progress.
It advised the leadership of the NPP to restrain its supporters from intimidating and harassing NDC supporters.
The statement said the entire executive of the branch and ward leaders reaffirm their support for the leadership of the party under Flt.Lt. Jerry Rawlings.
It expressed concern about media attacks on the former President and his wife lately.
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Political clash
leaves uneasy calm at Asutsuare
Asutsuare (Greater Accra) 07
February 2001
A violent clash between alleged
supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) on Saturday, which left 30 persons wounded at Asutsuare in the Greater Accra Region, has been
brought under control by the police.
The Asutsuare police suspect,
however, that the disturbances might have been triggered by land and
Chieftaincy disputes, which had divided the town between the two political
parties, with the NPP supporters seeking revenge for alleged maltreatment they
had suffered from the NDC sympathisers in the past.
Mr Raphael Lawerh, a 32-year-old
driver, who according to authorities at the Akuse hospital, was hit in the foot
by a bullet and three others with various degrees of injuries, are on
admission.
They are Samuel Ayertey, driver,
26, Moses Nokolawe, both of the Volta River Estates, and Lawrence Amanor,
Acting Asafoatse Aza of Asutsuare.
Dr Kofi Yamoah, Senior Medical
officer in-charge of the hospital told the GNA, that a total of 14 men, and two
women were admitted on Friday, while 14 others were treated and discharged.
Some of those treated and
discharged told the GNA that they are seeking refuge at the police station,
since most of the perpetrators of the act have not been arrested.
Sources close to the Asutsuare
police said the situation is "seemingly calm," but added that a
platoon of 33 policemen have been deployed to check any further confrontation
in the town.
The sources said the policemen who
are stationed at the Asutsuare Sugar Factory, quite distant from the town,
however, have no vehicle for patrol duties.
The clash, which started on the
night of Friday, February 2 and raged on till Sunday, left Nene Michael Tetteh
Ablor III, Asutsuare Chief's palace and four other houses belonging to NPP
supporters vandalised.
Nene Ablor said the attackers
"destroyed all the doors and windows of the palace, broke drums and
traditional stools, stole four linguists sticks and jewellery, but did not take
the black stool away."
The palace was littered with
pieces of wood, stones and broken bottles used in the attack.
At Gabon House belonging to Mr
Ebenezer Dede Nartey, three rooms were set ablaze.
Nine suspects arrested in
connection with the incident have been granted bail, while two others, Gabriel
Dewor, a 42 year old farmer and Isaac Amanor Addae, a photographer have been
placed in custody.
A police source said the two were
being sought by the police in connection with an attempted murder of Detective
Sergeant Samuel Addo, of the Akuse police when policemen were detailed to
arrest a group of person in connection with a criminal offence last year.
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Petrol smuggling on the increase in W/R
Sefwi-Kaase (Western Region) 07 February 2001
There are reports of increasing incidence of smuggling of petrol and petroleum products across the border, especially in the Juabeso-Bia district.
Farmers who described the trend as alarming, have called for urgent measures to check it in order not to compound the country's economic problems.
They said smuggling of petrol, gas oil, and kerosene across the border to Cote d'Ivoire has become so lucrative in the Kaase area that more people join the illegal trade every day.
Maame Ama Dansoa, a farmer said the smugglers use both approved and unapproved routes to ferry the products.
Opanin Samuel Amponsah, a prominent cocoa farmers at Nkwantakesie said each night, several vehicles could be seen loading petrol at Yamatwa near Kaase bound for towns in Cote d'Ivoire.
He said some young men at Kaase, alarmed by the situation have formed a vigilante group to stop the smugglers but their effort has not yielded the desired result because they do not have official backing.
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CHRAJ officer calls for assistance for
farmers
Nkoranza (Brong Ahafo) 07 February 2001
Miss Joyce Nyamadie, Nkoranza District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has appealed to the government to consider the plight of farmers in the district and provide them with subsidies to enable them to improve productivity.
She told the Ghana News Agency on Monday that abject poverty and unemployment are the main causes of child neglect and school dropout in the district.
She said such assistance would enable parents who are predominantly farmers to expand their farms and earn more money from their efforts.
"They will then be in a better position to manage their families," Miss Nyamadie said.
She suggested to the churches and other religious organisations to establish education endowment funds to support the education of children of their needy members who could not make ends meet, adding, "after all service to mankind is service to God".
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Disaster clubs to facilitate work of NADMO
Bayere-Nkwanta (Ashanti Region) 07 February 2001
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has established more disaster volunteer clubs to assist in the management and prevention of disasters in the Ejura-Sekyedumasi district.
The District Secretariat of NADMO at the weekend inaugurated clubs at Nyamebekyere, Homako, Bayere-Nkwanta, Amenamu, Ebuom, Adiembra and Mininaso Number one and two at a ceremony at Bayere-Nkwanta.
Mr Gabriel Barimah District Co-ordinator, who inaugurated the clubs said the increase in disasters in the district of late has necessitated the formation of volunteer groups to augment the work of the organisation.
He appealed to the people to support the clubs to function effectively.
He said last year the district recorded 23 cases of bushfire and four domestic fires that affected 500 people and destroyed property worth over 35 million cedis.
He said rainstorm-related disasters also destroyed an estimated 40 million cedis worth of property and rendered 521 people homeless.
Mr Jones Boateng, District Disease Control Officer advised the people to practise personal and environmental hygiene to keep them in good health.
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Police impound truckload of timber boards
Offinso (Ashanti Region) 07 February 2001
Police at Abofour in conjunction with the Young Elephants Movement (YEM), a youth wing of the NPP, have impounded an articulated truck loaded with timber boards from the Abofour forest reserve.
The driver escaped after the truck ran into a stationary mini-bus but his mate was arrested and is helping the police in their investigation.
The operation forms part of measures by the police to clamp down on chainsaw operators who engage in illegal felling of timber in forest reserves in the Offinso district.
Mr Kwabena Sarfoh, Member of Parliament for Offinso South, expressed concern about the high rate of illegal felling of trees, which is causing the fast depletion of the forest.
He commended the police and members of the movement for their effort to help in protecting the environment and urged other communities to emulate them.
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Ghanaian Company wins international award
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 07 February 2001
Magvlyn Enterprise, producers of Mobile Purified Water in Accra and Kumasi, has won the '2000 Arch of Europe' award for distinguishing itself in science and technology and for its quality products.
It will receive the prize during the 27th international Arch of Europe convention on March 5, in Frankfurt, Germany.
A letter received by Mr Magnus Nunoo Managing Director of Magvlyn from Mr Joes E. Prieto, President of Arch of Europe, which instituted the award announced the winner.
It indicated that the International Selection Committee of Business Initiative Direction (BID), comprising companies and prestigious professionals decided on the award.
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