GRi Newsreel Ghana 08 –02 - 2001

 

Heads of state banks to proceed on leave

 

President Kufuor swears 10 more ministers

 

Review past government’s decisions - IEA

 

Ghana Bar Association congratulates Nana Akufo-Addo

 

"I will make tourism the number one national source of income" - Hawa Yakubu

 

Canadian Envoy calls on Works and Housing Minister

 

Kufuor asks media to be nationalistic

 

Defence Minister calls for collaboration among security agencies

 

Botwe denies report

 

Prohibit importation on genetically modified foods-Food Board.

 

Many people apply for DCE post in Eastern Region

 

19 women on five years remand without trial - CHRAJ

 

Kojo Botsio is dead

 

UNDP launches Internet on wheels

 

 

Heads of state banks to proceed on leave

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday directed seven senior officers of several financial institutions to proceed on leave with immediate effect.

A statement signed by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Government Spokeswoman, named them as Mr S. Appiah Ampofo, Chief Executive of the National Insurance Commission (NIC), Dr P.K. Kuranchie, Managing Director of Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and Mr Charles Asare, Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The others are Mr David Adom, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),  Mr Ebenezer Allotey, Managing Director of State Insurance Company (SIC), Mr Emmanuel Coleman de Graft, Deputy Managing Director (Technical), SIC, and Mr Gideon Agbemabiese, Director, Commercial Banking, National Investment Bank (NIB).

The statement said Mr Ampofo is to hand over to Mrs Nyameke Kyiamah, Deputy Chief Executive (NIC), Dr Kuranchie is to hand over to Mr S.A. Welbeck, Acting Deputy Managing Director, ADB and Mr Asare is to hand over to Mr Eric Adjei, Deputy Director-General (SSNIT).

Mr. Adom is to hand over to Mrs Janet Opoku-Acheampong, Deputy Commissioner, IRS, Mr Allotey is to hand over to Mr Victor Kusi Yeboah, General Manager, Non-Life, SIC and Mr Simpson Kuleke, Director of Finance, NIB, is take over NIB from Mr Halhoud K. Hantour, acting Managing Director of NIB.

The statement said the appointment of Mr Hantour as Adviser to the NIB has also been terminated. He is to report to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to be reassigned.

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President Kufuor swears 10 more ministers

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday swore the second batch of 10 ministers into office and tasked them to be transparent and work as a team to meet the high aspirations of the people.

"We should not allow petty squabbles and struggle for wealth to affect our work," he told the new ministers after he presented them with instruments of appointment.

The ministers included Mr Charles Omar Nyannor, Minister of State at the Office of the President (Private Sector Development), Dr. Richard Anane, Minister of Health, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Roads and Highways, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Energy and Mr Kwamena Bartels, Works and Housing.

Others are Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State (media relations), Madam Hawa Yakubu, Tourism, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Presidential Affairs, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Education and Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Lands, Mines and Forestry.

The list adds up to 20 the number of ministers sworn in by President Kufuor. The first batch comprising 10 ministers was sworn-in last week.

They swore the oaths of Allegiance, Secrecy and that of Minister of State, pledging to conduct themselves without fear or favour and to uphold the Constitution in the discharge of their duties.

President Kufuor said as ministers, they will bear responsibility for their actions and must, therefore, ensure that their decisions are based on good advice. They should be guided by the principles of transparency, probity and accountability in whatever they do.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Mr Nyanor, a veteran politician and MP for Upper Denkyira, thanked the President for giving them the opportunity to serve the nation.

He assured him that they would do their best to meet the high expectations of the people.

Those present at the ceremony were leading members of the ruling New Patriotic Party, including Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, Chairman, Dan Botwe, National Secretary and Charles Kofi Wayo, as well as friends and relatives of the new ministers.    

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Review past government’s decisions - IEA

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on Wednesday insisted that the NPP administration should review the past government's actions on the economy and national security before taking any policy stand on them.

This is because many decisions on the two sectors that did not reflect the popular will, but were taken by previous governments, are still in force.  

The call came at a roundtable discussion on "IEA policy measures for Ghana's new administration."

Topics discussed were, "IEA policy measures for good economic governance", by Professor Bartholomew K. Armah, and "The need for security sector reforms in Ghana", by Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, both IEA Research Fellows.

"...The government's policy options are limited. However, the first order of business should be an account of the state of the economy. "This will assist policy analysts in identifying critical areas of intervention," suggested Prof. Armah.

He said the prevailing dilemma on increasing fuel prices would not have arisen if past governments had adjusted prices to match fluctuations on the international market and the exchange rate.

"To ensure the economic survival of the Tema Oil Refinery and minimise the risk exposure of its financing institution, petrol prices must rise to cost recovery levels", Prof. Armah said.

To offset the potential inflationary impact and its associated economic hardships, Prof. Armah suggested "an incremental rise as opposed to a large price hike."

Alternatively, vulnerable groups likely to be adversely affected by price hikes should be identified and measures taken to offset the pains they might suffer.

Other short-term fiscal policy measures suggested by Prof. Armah included a recovery of government guaranteed debt on schemes like the Business Assistance Fund, Poverty Alleviation Fund and Council of Indigenous Business Associations.

The long term, he said calls for an improved tax compliance, rewarding foreign currency deposits and harmonising fiscal and monetary policy by "curtailing government borrowing to a level consistent with macro targets set for the Second Monetary Union."

Dr Aning said the current state of the army calls for structural reforms and comprehensive guidelines on situational problems like peacekeeping. 

He stressed the need to re-define national interest and security, saying previous governments had defined it to suit the quest to perpetuate their hold onto power.

He said making military expenditure secret in the name of "national security" was untenable since such information could now be easily accessed on the Internet.

Dr Aning said any new principle, policy and structures taken on the army "must be rooted in Ghana's history, culture, legal framework and institutions."

Presiding, Dr Amon Nikoi, a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, called on MPs, especially chairmen of parliamentary committees, to demand and scrutinise all contracts and loans engaged by government.

He said this had not been done for the past two to three years, adding: "The constitution obliges us to lay the conditions of all foreign contracts and agreements before Parliament."

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Ghana Bar Association congratulates Nana Akufo-Addo

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

The Ghana Bar Association, (GBA) on Wednesday congratulated Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his nomination and subsequent appointment as Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

A statement by the Association in Accra said the association rejoices in his appointment and hopes that he will uphold the tenets of rule of law as exemplified in chapter four of the New Patriotic Party's manifesto."

The statement said the GBA also expects the new Attorney General to bring his vast experience in the area of human rights and legal sector development to bear on his new office.

"The GBA is of the firm belief that you as the principal legal adviser to the government will review all obnoxious laws in our statue books which are inconsistent with the provisions of the 1992 constitution with the view to having them repealed," the statement added.

The statement said the GBA recalls with fondness, satisfaction and respect his immeasurable contribution towards the uplifting of the Bar when he was the president of GBA, Greater Accra Branch and pledged to work with him for the betterment of the country.

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"I will make tourism the number one national source of income" - Hawa Yakubu

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, said on Wednesday said she has a master plan that could make tourism the number one foreign exchange earner for the country.

The plan, she said, includes the identification of all tourist spots and proper packaging to attract potential tourists. Madam Yakubu was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) shortly after she was sworn into office by President J.A. Kufuor at the State House.

She was among nine other ministers to be given the seal of office after they had been vetted by Parliament. Madam Yakubu said she would improve on research into tourism and produce brochures and other publications that can market the industry.

She will also tour the rural areas where there are tourist potentials to be harnessed.

Mr Charles Omar Nyanor Minister of State for Private Sector Development, also told the GNA that the immense experience he gained as minister under the defunct Progress Party makes him competent to promote the private sector.

"My priority is to remove all the bottlenecks and impediments that affect the private sector and fill in all the gaps that will make the sector an engine of growth," he said.

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Canadian Envoy calls on Works and Housing Minister

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

Ms Janet Graham, Canadian High Commissioner, on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on Mr Kwamina Bartels, Minister of Works and Housing, to renew relations with the Ministry on, especially, issues pertaining to guinea worm eradication and provision of water.

Mr Bartels who assumed office on Wednesday said Ghana is grateful to the Canadian government for its assistance over the years.

He expressed the hope that the Canadian government would through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) continue to provide water in the guinea worm endemic areas.

Mr Bartels told the High Commissioner that it would take some time to make appointments to the district chief executive positions.

"However, I have already talked to the President to make appointments first to the seven guinea worm endemic districts in the Northern Region to make the work of CIDA easier."

By so doing, the Minister explained, the district chief executives would be able to identify areas that need priority attention.

The seven districts are East Mamprusi, West Manprusi, Gushiegu Karaga, Yendi, Saboba/ Chereponi, Zabzugu/ Tatale and Nanumba.

About 120 water projects are expected to be completed this year in the rural communities throughout the country.

Ms Graham said relations between the two countries have been constructive for the past 25 years that they have been working together.

She said her mission has drawn up a new programme for this year that aims at empowering the communities in the Eastern Corridor in the provision of water.

"Guinea worm is a terrible but avoidable disease," Ms Graham said, adding that the provision of potable water can easily prevent its occurrence. She therefore pledged her government's continued support towards this goal.

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Kufuor asks media to be nationalistic

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday called on media practitioners to be nationalistic in their approach to duty to enhance the co-operation the government requires to fulfill the social needs of the people.

He said his government respects the freedom of the press but the expression of this freedom should promote the national interest.

President Kufuor was speaking during a meeting with a six-member delegation of International PEN who called on him at the State House.

Dr Terry Calborn, International Secretary of PEN, an association that includes poets, editors and novelists to promote literature and defend freedom of speech and expression led the delegation.

President Kufuor said while he is very proud of the sense of initiative and dedication of the private media, his administration would frown on any media practice that would undermine the development of the country.

"...The private media should be commended for contributing to the present political situation in the country."

President Kufuor commended International PEN for extending its activities to Ghana and called for support for the Ghana Centre to spread its activities to all parts of the country. He pledged the government's support in that direction.

Dr Calborn said Ghana is enjoying the highest level of press freedom, which is a model for other African countries.

He said the country has a lot to be proud of especially, the success of the recent general election, which has placed Ghana at the centre stage of democracy.

Mr Calborn said International PEN is operating in the Upper East and Upper West regions where it is unearthing the potential of the youth, especially in literature, adding that with these immense resources at the disposal of the country, the future is very bright.

Other members of the delegation were Dr Vincent Magombi, the only African serving on the International Executive Committee of International PEN and Frank Mckay, President of the Ghana centre.

The rest were Mr Haruna Atta and Frank George Asmah, Vice Presidents and Mr Frank Asare Donkor, Secretary.

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Defence Minister calls for collaboration among security agencies

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, on Wednesday said effective collaboration of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) with other security agencies would help minimise the current spate of armed robbery and other social vices that disturb the peace.

Addressing the staff of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at an induction ceremony at Burma Camp in Accra to usher him into office, he stressed the need for the GAF to co-operate with the Police to retrieve all illegally held arms and ammunition.

Those present at the ceremony were the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Ben Akafia, the Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Joseph Smith, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah and the Chief Director of the MOD Mr Samuel Saaka.

The Minister inspected a guard of honour made up of three officers and 48 naval ratings after which the Director-Generals, Directors and other senior officers at the General Headquarters of the GAF were introduced to him.

Dr Addo Kufuor said government's policy is to ensure that the cordial relations between the Armed Forces and civilians are restored.

He gave the assurance that the new administration would do whatever it could, within the budgetary constraints, to provide the GAF with the means to discharge the onerous responsibilities entrusted to them.

Resources, the Minister said, would be made available to them to facilitate effective peacekeeping operations and the maintenance of internal security.

He exhorted the GAF to maintain discipline at all times and be prepared to defend the constitution and the civil rights of Ghanaians.

"Officers and men of the GAF must dissociate themselves from land guard activities, desist from acting as debt collectors of private people and stop unprovoked attacks on the civilian population."

Dr Addo Kufuor said Open Days for the GAF would be organised to offer the opportunity for close interactions between the military and civilian population.

Such interactions, he said, would not only promote goodwill but also ensure a better understanding and appreciation of the contribution of GAF to national development.

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Botwe denies report

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Dan Botwe, on Wednesday denied a newspaper report that quoted him as saying the former first lady should stop circulating information of her supposed ownership of the house at Ridge where the former President is staying.

In a press statement signed in Accra, he said his discussion with the Evening News centred on the resettlement of former President Jerry Rawlings and the call by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that his decision to stay with his wife Nana Konadu should be respected.

"My comment was that the NDC statement could be misleading and the impression should not be created as if the property was personally owned by the former first lady."

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Prohibit importation on genetically modified foods-Food Board.

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

An official of the Food and Drugs Board on Wednesday called on policy makers to formulate laws to prohibit the importation of genetically modified foods.

Mr. Kwamena Van-Ess, Principal Enforcement Officer who was addressing a day's workshop on "Genetically Modified Foods and Your Environment and Health", said the side effects of such foods take a long time to manifest.

"Pregnant women, infants and the elderly are the ones most at risk", he told the workshop organised by the Centre for Community Studies Action and Development (CENCOSAD) for environmental NGOs and community-based groups in Accra.

It was designed to give participants a first hand understanding of what genetically modified organisms (GMO) are.

They include foods whose genetic material or information has been modified or changed, involving the artificial transfer of the genetic information specific to one organism into a different organism either to prolong its shelf life or to make it bigger.

Mr Van-Ess said intelligence reports have attributed the outbreak of the mad cow disease in Europe to the feeding of GMO to cows.

He said Ghana, unlike the advanced countries, does not have the machinery to detect some of the effects of such GMO.  Therefore the best way to avoid the devastating effects is to stop the importation and usage of such foods.

"We are at risk because we do not have the capacity to do many things," Mr Van-Ess said.

He called for an inter-agency collaboration to educate policy makers and consumers on the effect of this biotechnology.

Mr John A. Pwamang, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Agency said while many developed countries have domestic legislation on GMO, the opposite is the case in developing countries, including Ghana.

He observed that the promotion of GMO is also undermining efforts by developing countries to increase export of organic farm produce. He therefore called for collaboration among farmers in developing countries to help promote the continuous use of organic materials, which are suitable to the environment and without health complications.

Mr Pwamang commended NGOs for being in the forefront of the campaign to control the production and use of GMO and urged government agencies including the EPA to make available, information that would help in drafting the appropriate policies to ban the importation, usage and processing of GMO in Ghana.

Professor James Annorbah-Sarpei, Executive Director of CENCOSAD who chaired the function said the issue of mad cow disease should be an eye opener for all Ghanaians "as we try to genetically modify our foods".

"What we plant, grow and eat within our environment is beneficial to our health and we do not have to change and import seeds that would end up affecting our unborn babies," he said.

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Many people apply for DCE post in Eastern Region

Koforidua (Eastern Region) 08 February 2001

 

A total of 60 persons have applied for appointment as District Chief Executives (DCE) for the 16 districts of the Eastern region.

A highly placed source at the Regional Secretariat of the NPP informed the GNA in Koforidua on Wednesday that the regional executive is liaising with the with the constituency executives to shortlist three candidates each for consideration.

It said the regional executive would then screen the candidates before forwarding their applications to the President for his nomination.

The source said this procedure would ensure transparency in the selection of suitable candidates to eliminate bickering that often characterised the endorsement of the president's nominees by the assemblies.

The source said the party is yet to take a decision on members of the assemblies appointed by the previous government.

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19 women on five years remand without trial - CHRAJ

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

Dr Ken Attafuah, Director of Operations and Chief Investigator of Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), on Tuesday said that 19 out of 28 women inmates in the Usher Fort Prison have been on remand without trial for the past five years.

He revealed this in response to a question during a symposium on consolidation of democracy in Ghana, organised by CIVITAS Ghana, an NGO dedicated to the advance of human rights, democracy and good governance.

"When I visited the Usher Fort two days ago, I found out that out of the 28 women inmates there, 19 have been on remand for the past five years for various degrees of offence for which they have not been convicted yet," he said.

He said their offences include murder, assault and drugs charges, adding that some of the women are nursing mothers.

Dr Attafuah said his discovery was a reflection of a wider picture of what pertains in the country's prisons across board.

"There are so many people in prison who do not know why they are there," he said. "Beginning from this month, CHRAJ would undertake a programme to rectify the anomaly to ensure that justice is done to the victims of such negligence in the prisons service."

He said there is no justification in placing suspects in prisons meant for convicts, adding that the jungle justice must stop.

Dr Attafuah said there is the need for a collective effort at confronting the injustices in society to ensure that our democratic gains are effectively consolidated.

He said, for democracy to take root and thrive in this country, the NPP government must evolve stringent programmes and policies aimed at combating corruption, jungle justice, unemployment and impunity on the part of state functionaries.

"Research has proved that countries characterised by high levels of corruption, crime and socio-economic injustice, are also guilty of dictatorship and lack of good governance," he said.

He mentioned Ghana, Nigeria, the United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa, Uganda and others as countries guilty of this phenomenon, adding that civic education on democracy was one effective tool for combating the situation.

Dr Attafuah noted that democracy is not an event, but a process, which must begin from individual homes, offices and churches, saying that there is the need to put an end to the act bullying existing in schools and other levels of human institutions.

"Serious national programmes must be designed to effectively curb the abuse of women in society," he said. "There is the need for a national policy on multiculturalism to totally iron out all tribalistic tendencies from the perception of citizens."

Mr. Emile Francis Short, chairman of CHRAJ said, for democracy to be sustained in this country, the new government would need to translate its promise on upholding the rule of law into practice.

"Democracy is a journey of many rituals, all of which are of utmost importance to its success," he said. "The rule of law, transparency, accountability, human rights protection among others are necessary conditions if this country should achieve true liberal democracy."

He said, the rule of law requires that nobody, in spite of his status should be above the law, adding that what we have in Ghana now is just a wave of freedom, the sustenance of which depends on the collective efforts of the entire citizenry.

"The government and the institutions of governance under the constitution can not do it alone," he said.

Professor Miranda Greenstreet, Chairperson of the Coalition of the December Election Observers (CODEO) said there is the need to put an end to the reliance on the services of electoral observers in order to prevent excuses for inaction on the part of the Electoral Commission. This she said was necessary for the effective consolidation of democracy in the country.

She said for this to be possible however, effective measures must be put in place within the next four years to, correct the various anomalies in the electoral process before the next elections.

"Steps must be taken to address the issues of the over bloated voters register and that of non-uniformity of the voter ID card," she said. "There is also the need for an independent body to be set up to handle electoral disputes expeditiously."

Mrs Leonora Kyeremateng, Good Governance Manager of the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP), who presided, said, efforts are underway to renew and re-capitalise the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to play its constitutional role effectively.

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Kojo Botsio is dead

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

The death is announced in Accra of Mr Kojo Botsio, a key player in Ghana's independence struggle. Mr Botsio, 85, a close associate of first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on February 5, a family spokesman told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday.

Born in 1916, he attended Adisadel College in Cape Coast and Achimota College. He obtained his first degree at Fourah Bay University College in Sierra Leone, the only University in West Africa at the time.

In 1945, a year after his degree, he went to Brasenose College, Oxford University, where he obtained a post-graduate degree in Geography and Education.

He played a key role in the organisation of the Convention People's Party (CPP) as political organisation under Dr Nkrumah and became the first Minister of Education at independence.

A biography by the family in Accra said as minister, he introduced the Accelerated Education Development Plan (AEDP) in 1954 by which primary education was made fee-free and compulsory.

"During his tenure of office, the Ghana Education Trust built approximately 50 secondary schools all over the country."

Mr Botsio also headed the Commission on Higher Education that was instrumental in the establishment of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Cape Coast University.

Described as one of Dr Nkrumah's closest associates Mr Botsio was with him when he declared independence and held a number of ministerial appointments. These included Foreign Affairs, Social Welfare, Transport and Communications, Agriculture, Trade and Development.

As an educationist Mr Botsio taught in a number of schools including St. Augustine's College and London City Council Secondary School in the United Kingdom.

Among his students were Mr Kofi Baako and Mr P.K.K Quaidoo, who were ministers in the first government, Mr H.P. Benyah, first Chief Inspector of Mines of Ghana, Mr H.P. Nelson, a retired Principal Secretary and Mr J.J. Mensah-Kane, a well-known educationist. Mr Botsio was also Vice-Principal of the Abuakwa State College, Kibi.

He was survived by a wife, Ruth Botsio (nee Whittaker) and two children, Kojo Botsio Jnr. and Mrs Merene Botsio-Philips both barristers-at-law.

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UNDP launches Internet on wheels

Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2001

 

Mobile Telecentre-To-Go (MTTG), a pilot project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was launched in Accra on Wednesday as part of an Internet initiative for Africa.

The project, dubbed "Internet on wheels," aims at assisting 10 or more sub-Saharan African countries to strengthen their Internet infrastructure and service in order to accelerate socio-economic development.

The implementation of the project in Ghana is to raise funds, create awareness, promote capacity building and take the Internet to the public.

Ms Eva Lokko, Regional Programme Co-ordinator, said the MTTG concept places no restriction on location, application or beneficiaries and eliminates equipment and access cost that prohibit many users from using the Internet.

MTTG will cover all spectrums of socio-economic activities, including agriculture, industry, education, health and trade.

Other advantages of the MTTG include the provision of skills and services for distance learning, tele-medicine and other value added services on the Internet.

Ms Lokko said the project is cost-shared on a 50-50 basis with the UNDP taking half and the government taking the other half.

The project, she said, aims to assist the African design, implement and manage poverty eradication programmes, support small and micro-enterprises and self employment. It is also to achieve greater civil and society participation and transparency in governance.

She said in Ghana, the project would make use of audio messages in the local dialects so that those who cannot read or write can also have access.

Mr Alfred Salia Fawundu, UN Resident Director, said globalisation has escalated the urgency of bridging the digital divide.

"This urgency is compounded further by the global demand for participatory governance, transparency and accountability," he said. "Consequently, information and, therefore, access to the Internet becomes a human right."

He said it has become imperative that the public and private sectors put in place the infrastructure and facilities for information delivery into every home.

Mr Fawundu said since "the building blocks of digital bridge" are so many, the UNDP has invariably been forced into concentrating on areas where the impact can be achieved.

He advised Ghanaians to move away from "the business as usual attitudes" to "business unusual" in order to partake of the fruits and collaborative approaches of sustainable partnership through the Internet.

"This will enable Ghanaians to achieve the drive towards building a sustainable bridge that can allow them to take part in globalisation on equal terms."

Mr Ben Eghan, Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said the MTTG is a recent technology of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) designed to serve the remote and under-served areas of the third world where the Internet is still regarded as a mystery.

He welcomed the initiative saying, "should all 110 districts of the country have the MTTG, district assemblies can do business directly with prospective investors at home and abroad."

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