KLM
flight grounded due to Accident at Kotoka
Two
convicts cause policeman’s death
Trade Fair Centre to be busy all year round
Accra
(Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - The Government of Ghana at the weekend
intervened to secure the release of a New York bound Ghana Airways aircraft
impounded at the Dakar International Airport in Senegal.
The act of
impounding the aircraft on Saturday by Ascetna, a Dakar-based private
Francophone aviation company, was designed to compel Ghana Airways to settle
outstanding debts of three billion (3 billion) CFA francs owed to the company.
This was
confirmed to the Graphic by Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, after information of the seizure of the aircraft was made available to
the paper from sources close to the aircraft. The aircraft has since left for
New York.
Following
the intervention by the Ghana Government, the management of Ghana Airways has
given an undertaking to the company, to take immediate steps to settle the
outstanding amount said to have accumulate since 1997. Graphic has also learned
that Ghana Airways has been enjoined by the agreement to make prompt or timely
payments for services it patronizes from the company henceforth and to refrain
from increasing the stock of debt in the future.
Mr
Owusu-Agyeman further explained that his intention was drawn to the matter
through a telephone call he received at about 8 am on Saturday from Ghana’s
Consul General based in Dakar. He pointed out that because of the very warm
relations between Ghana and Senegal, he immediately established contact with
his Senegalese counterpart, Dr Datio, to commence the process of resolving the
problem.
“Together
with the Minister of Roads and Transport, Dr Richard Anane and the acting Chief
Executive of Ghana Airways, Mr Kofi Kwakwa, we worked around the clock to reach
an agreement with the company on the matter. Finally around 3.30 pm, we
clinched a deal and the aircraft was released,” he said.
Mr Owusu-Agyeman,
however, declined to be drawn into the detail of the agreement saying that “it
is refreshing at least for now that with the help of the fraternal Senegalese
Government and Ascetna, we have managed to resolve this problem and the
necessary steps to make good Ghana Airways’ commitment in the matter would and
must be addressed,” he added.
Sources
close to Ghana Airways have, however, revealed to the Graphic that the airline
has agreed to pay an amount of one billion CFA within the next few weeks and that
a schedule has already been drawn up to pay up the rest of the debt.
The sources
hinted that a meeting of the board and management would be convened soon,
possibly this week, to deal with the matter and other issues affecting the
operations of the airline, which, in recent times, have been quite
embarrassing. – Daily Graphic.
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A royal
Dutch Airline Flight (KLM) KL590, scheduled to leave the Kotoka International
Airport (KIA) last Thursday night, could not take off as a result of an
accident.
Enquiries
at KIA revealed that a light service van belonging to First Catering Service,
running at a terrific speed on the tarmac, headed into the waiting plane. As
such passengers whose number was not disclosed who had booked for the flight
were moved into hotels.
Chronicle’s
source said on Friday, the next day, some of the passengers were put on board
that day’s flight, leaving behind quite a large number. Anxiety set in on
Saturday when the remaining passengers swarmed the departure hall for boarding
passes.
The paper’s
findings are that normally there are supposed to be a queue for one to obtain a
boarding pass, but this was not the case, leading to stampede at the hall on
Saturday. The source said the accident occurred at about 8.30 pm. Officials of
both KLM and First Catering Services confirmed the accident but were
tight-lipped on the issue.
As at
Sunday evening, flight engineers flown from outside, probably Schipl,
Amsterdam, were busily working on the grounded plane. The actual damage caused
could not be immediately ascertained and same could not be told of the
service’s van driver. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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We’ll review tainted NDC contracts - Bartels
The
Minister for Private Sector Development, Hon Kwamena Bartels last Friday took a
tough but necessary stand when he told a visiting German official that
government will not hold back its decision to review contracts that were signed
under the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations that it sees
as questionable.
He
intimated that while it is true that the government is bent on doing everything
possible to encourage genuine investors to work in the county, it would not
encourage investors who involve in shady deals with politicians at the expense
of Ghanaians.
Hon Bartels
said this in a strong but soft tone when Dr Stefan Oswald, Counsellor in the
Department for Financial Cooperation in the Federal Ministry of Economic
Cooperation and Development, Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany, paid a courtesy
call on him at the State House.
He was
responding to a concern expressed by the German Counsellor, who revealed that
there were indications from the point of view of some firms that contracts
which they signed under the former NDC were being questioned by the new NPP
administration, making specific reference to the Gateway Service Limited (GSL)
initiative, which involved direct spectrum in Ghana.
Dr Oswald
was actually worried that if the previous government did not follow all the
necessary procedures then to have those agreements fully legal, it is not the
commercial counterparts who should suffer from the arrangement. But hear him
before then, expressing the German Government’s support for the Government of
Ghana: “The German Government will continue to assist Ghana, but is not for the
German Government to decide which sector they are going to continue to assist
Ghana in, rather it is at the advantage of the Ghanaian Government to decide.”
“The German
Government is very much interested in countries that are involved in the
private sector development…private sector development in Ghana is certainly a
step forward,” Dr Oswald said.
He then
continued, “There are indications from the point of view of the firms involved
and concerned that contracts which had legally been signed by the previous
administration are nowadays being questioned. There is in the contest of the
Gateway initiative involved in direct spectrum in Ghana… Our opinion as the
German Government is to support the things that are clear and going in a legal
way.
On the
other hand, if the previous Government did not follow all the necessary
procedures to have the whole things really fully legal…I think it is not the
commercial counterparts who should suffer out of such an arrangement.” He added,
“There is the need for Government to look at the psychological effect the move
would have on the outside world and the willingness to bring direct investment
to Ghana.”
“I am not
fully involved,” he said, adding “what ever one does there is a need to look in
this respect that money is like an animal in the wild that would quickly run
away from a squeaky sound and Government should see a potential investor as a
customer.”
The concern
expressed by Dr Oswald has come barely a month after the Government made it
categorically clear following months of intense painstaking review that it will
abrogate the Telecom Malaysia contract, which is part of many agreements signed
under the previous administration.
But Hon
Bartels maintained and made it clear that the NPP government is intent on
running an administration that is transparent and as such contracts, which it
is believed to be questionable, would be reviewed. Here is Hon Bartels,
“Certainly, customer care is what the Government is set to achieve and that is
the purpose of this ministry, but let me make it clear that this Government is
intent on running an administration which is transparent.”
He
continued, “There were contracts we came to meet which have a lot of question
marks. For example, the Road Sector in one day, about 23 contracts were signed
and on the same day mobilisation fees paid.” Coming back, he said, “I believe
you are referring to the GSL agreement, the GSL agreement is being reviewed and
the interesting thing is that, in that review there are question marks. GSL
compacters themselves are willing to make various compromises so as to have the
review of the agreement done to the satisfaction of everybody.”
“So let me
put it this way, we will do our very best to promote the private sector, but we
will not want to encourage agreements which we believe are not in the interest
of our people,” that was Hon Bartels, with a last reference to the Ghana
Telecom and Telecom Malaysia, which the government has declared its intention
to abrogate.
He said the
government is keen on setting a standard whereby investors would operate
independently without conniving with a party, “so that when another government
ascends to power it can operate without fear.”
Meanwhile,
earlier in his presentation, Dr Oswald called on the government to expedite
action towards the fast divesture of the National Investment Bank (NIB), which
the German Development Bank (DED) is providing equity for to enable it boost
the private sector initiative from which the present government is birthed. –
The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra
(Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - For five continuous nights, a suburb of New
Boye Town, a suburb of Accra, slept in darkness. The whole of the nation’s
capital, Accra, generally was experiencing load-shedding. But darkness for five
continuous nights was taking the load-shedding a bit far. Patience was already
in short supply when news came through that the residence of the Member of
Parliament (MP) for Okaikoi South, Darko Mensah, who lives in the neighbourhood
was lighted.
What they
did not know was that the light emanating from the flat of the Honourable
member did not come from the national grid. It was not from a generator either.
It was from an improvised gas cylinder. But who had time to do a proper
verification when patience was in very short supply?
Some youth
members of the area decided to confront their representative in the Legislature
to explain why he was being given a preferential treatment while the rest of
them slept in darkness. That is where the trouble began. A delegation of the
youth that approached the Member’s household went banging the door violently,
singing war songs and yelling.
The Member
was out on a conference, the Public Agenda learnt, at Akosombo. His wife,
Elizabeth Afriyie sensing danger sneaked out to the Tesano Police Station and
asked for protection. When the Police arrived, at about 7:30 am on Saturday
morning, the youth had massed up on the main road for a demonstration.
They had
blocked all routes to the suburb. Initially, it was all calm as the police
tried to reason with them to remove the blockade. From nowhere, some one hurled
a stone at the police while another lighted used lorry tyres that had been
gathered on the road. The police responded by throwing about six tear-gas
canisters and rubber bullets. Hell broke loose as people ran helter-skelter.
At a place
called High Tension Junction, the tension was more intense. Police bulldozed
through the area with their reinforced well-fortified riot control vehicles,
J.H. Cobinah and Nana Agyeman Badu. Rubber pellets were fired and the booming
sounds of tear gas sent both the rioters and innocent by-standers running for
cover. A number of people were allegedly manhandled.
Kofi Taky,
31, a native of Saltpond in the Central Region had a rubber bullet wound in the
left arm. Telling his own story Takyi told this paper thus: “I was just
crossing when the police shot at me.” Showing off his wound he said, “I think
it is from rubber bullet…I don’t know why they (Police) should come and
brutalise the whole community the way they did.”
Kwame
Ofori, 17, an electrician apprentice was injured in the right back shoulder
apparently from rubber bullets. A 15-year old pupil of Sunny Side Junior
Secondary School, whose name was given simply as Salem, was also allegedly
injured in the head. Someone having a bicycle ride was allegedly beaten and
taken away.
Felix
Arthur, a welder was injured at the back of his shoulder. His mechanic shop
bore the brunt of the police raid. A taxi at the workshop had its back
windscreen smashed by a pellet from a gunshot.
A number of
arrests were said to have been effected. At the Tesano Police Station, where
those arrested were taken, activities at the charge office was very brisk. A
number of people had massed up apparently to look for their relatives and to
arrange bail. One schoolboy, who had been sent to fetch water had a souvenir
item in his pocket. It was a tear-gas canister. Trust the young chap to display
the canister at the playgrounds at school on Monday.
The Police
came in for verbal thrashing. Felix Arthur, 20, whose workshop bore the brunt
of the attack said the Police appear not to have learnt any lesson from the
Accra Sports Stadium Disaster of May 9, last year in which 126 soccer fans lost
their lives.
Another
victim, who would not give his name reported: “The tax payer’s money is being
wasted by the police on a very flimsy excuse of dealing with riot that never
took place.” Ebenezer Sewoekpor, 25, manager of Lawspo Computer and Business
Services was a very angry young man. “How can they keep us in the dark and give
the MP power. Is he more important than his constituents? Someone owes us an
explanation. We cannot tolerate this kind of discrimination anymore.”
Another
young man, identified only as Adams, had a much cooler head. “Power failure is
not only peculiar to Nii Boye Town. We should be careful not to be seen
carrying out the wishes of shadowy characters in the background implying
possible political connotation to the action by the youth.
At the
residence of the MP for Okoikoi North, his wife, Elizabeth Darko Mensah, said
the household had experienced the power outage just as the whole neighbourhood.
“We only converted our gas cylinder to give us only a little bit of light,
which could not even illuminate the household.” Instead of people finding out before
acting, they assumed that their MP had light in his house.
It is a
serious problem representing the people these days. I don’t know what they
think but they seem to imply that the MP should not lead a normal life. We do
not have electricity just as everybody else.”
She said
the husband had been away when they came banging in the night. Naturally, I was
a bit apprehensive. A few days ago, thieves broke in and stole the windscreen
of my husband’s car. I cannot let in people chanting war songs like that when
the man is not in the house. That’s why I called the police.”
When Public
Agenda inquired from the Charge Office of the Tesano Police Station about the
motive for the police raid, the possible number of arrests and the injured,
this paper was directed to see the divisional Commander Supt. Charles Tokor.
Unfortunately, the Commander was out and no one was prepared to volunteer
information. The good news is that at exactly 12:30 pm on Saturday, while the
Agenda was on the scene, the lights at Nii Boye Town was switched on. – Public
Agenda
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - The director of stores, services and Drug
Management Board at the Ministry of Health, Samuel Boateng, signalled on
Friday, that his outfit is still awaiting a replacement shipment for the “dud
drugs”, supplied in November by the Indian drugs firm, Nabros Pharma Pvt.
Limited. The sub-standard drugs are currently lying dormant in Tema docks.
It would be
the third time the company would have supplied the same drugs. The first
product failed, prompting the former Minister of Health Dr Richard Anane to
write on August 1, 2001 to M/S Nabros Export of Ahmedabad, asking for a
replacement. When the replacement arrived in November last year, they were also
found to be of sub-standard. The dud drugs are valued at $20,000.
The
Ministry’s order asking Nabros to replace these drugs come after a confidential
document sighted by Public Agenda blacklisted the Indian company until Food and
Drugs Board’s re-investigation into allegations that the drug company
consistently supplied near expiry drugs to the country is complete.
Following
revelations in December 2001 editions of the Public Agenda, relating to the
consignment of substandard drugs imported into the country, the Food and Drugs
Board asked the Indian drugs giant to take immediate action to rectify the
problem. “They need to ensure both quality, evident in the replacement
consignment, and an assurance, by way f independent certification of quality
production, to prove their worth in the drugs market,” Boateng stressed in an
interview on Friday.
The
director also emphasized the point that the quality of the replacement
consignment had to be of the highest standard, and was “non-negotiable.”
Boateng said, “if the next batch of drugs is still of sub-standard, then, given
the importance and relevance, links to the company could be severed.”
The
Director highlighted that once a replacement cargo has landed, the “dud”
consignment would be destroyed. Pressed on the question of when the new
consignment would arrive, Boateng expected it to be within a month. In
addressing the specific question of who has filled the gap left by the
blacklisting of the Nabros, Boateng argued that there are many companies
supplying drugs to the government. – Public Agenda.
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Cape Coat (Central Region) 18 February 2002 - About 750 basic school teachers were at the weekend admitted into the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to pursue a three-year distance education programme for the award of Diploma in Basic Education.
The programme is the first to be designed by the university to give the teachers, from both the public and private schools, the opportunity to upgrade themselves academically and professionally. It will also help improve standards at the basic and secondary education levels.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. E.A. Obeng, said there were over 200,000 basic school teachers certificate ‘A’, most of whom were becoming disillusioned because opportunities available to them for self-development were not only limited but also financially expensive.
He noted that traditional workshops that were organised periodically by the Ghana Education Service GES for teachers, could not sufficiently improve teachers’ performance because they were not motivated with the prospect of higher qualification.
The Vice-Chancellor hoped that with the distance education programming in place, most of the basic schools in the country would be staffed by the year 2020. He assured the matriculants that those who succeed in their training would be allowed to pursue a post-diploma degree in basic education and masters degree in basic education, administration and management in the university.
Prof. Obeng stressed the need for the students loan facility to be extended to teachers to provide them with some level of financial relief and an accompanying peace of mind for their studies. He charged the teachers to develop positive attitudes to enhance their studies, stressing that, they had a unique opportunity to upgrade themselves and thereby, contribute their quota towards the development of the nation. – The Ghanaian Times
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - Dr Stephen Adei, Rector and Director-General of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration has proposed the raising of the Value Added Tax (VAT) by two-and-half per cent to fund a national health insurance scheme. This will raise VAT from the present 12 1/2 and half to 15 per cent.
Dr Adei made the proposal in his welcome address at a day’s workshop on critical National Development organised by the Institute on Friday. It was under the theme “A case of a viable national health insurance scheme”. According to him, a national health insurance scheme must be nationally funded and the most equitable way of doing it was through taxation.
The GIMPA Director-General said nominal fees paid at the hospitals and government supplementation alone could not sustain the health delivery system in the face of its increasing cost.
“Indeed, the nation’s health delivery system broke down with its attendant problem of mass exodus of doctors and nurses to seek greener pastures outside the country,” he said. Dr Adei said the issue of the introduction of a national health insurance scheme was therefore critical, and should be tackled by experts from different perspectives.
The Minister of Health, Dr Kweku Afriyie said the government had the vision of introducing insurance schemes, which would completely replace out of pocket payments and points of service (cash and carry), over time. The Minister said already, they have a drafted policy document and a draft legislation ready to be presented to Parliament after their last policy dialogue forum in Accra on Monday. – The Ghanaian Times.
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Wa (Upper
West) 18 February 2002 - The Department of Social Welfare has caused the
release of four children from the custody of a shrine owned by their uncle,
where they were subjected to inhuman cultural practices to fortify them against
the activities of the ghost of their father.
The
children, Amamata Asempa, 15; Issifu Asempa, 13; Salifu Asempa, 10; and Abass
Asempa, 6; lived with their parents at Teshie near Accra until their father
died last January 17.
According
to the Police Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh, head of the Police Public Relations
Unit in the Upper West Region, the four were withdrawn from school at Teshie
and sent to their mother at Jambose village in the Wa District of the Upper
West Region to observe the final funeral rites of their late father, Mr Asempa
Dagarti.
Inspector
Dorkpor said no sooner had the funeral rites ended than their uncle, who
believes in traditional practices, took custody of the children. He confined
them to the shrine and subjected them to dehumanizing ordeals, including the
bathing with and drinking of some concoctions, with the aim of fortifying them
against evil spirits, as well as the spirit of their departed father inviting
one of them to join him in the ancestral world.
Inspector
Dorkpor said the mother of the children, Fatima Asempa, returned from Accra to
the village on two occasions to convince the uncle of the children to release
them to continue their education in Accra or in the village but he refused,
saying that “when they return to Accra, they will not come back to their
hometown”.
According
to Inspector Dorkpor, when all attempt to convince the uncle of the children
failed, the mother reported the matter to the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of
the Ghana Police Service.
Inspector
Dorkpor said a joint team, comprising personnel from the police and the
Department of Social Welfare, conducted an inspection of the condition under
which the children were living and recommended their release. They have since
returned to Teshie to continue their education. – Daily Graphic.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - Two convicted criminals last Saturday caused
the death of a police constable who was driving them to the Nsawam Medium
Security Prisons to begin their prison terms.
It all
began when one of the convicts, Kofi Baah, allegedly attempted to strangle the
driver of the police Landrover conveying them to Nsawam. In the process,
Constable Kofi Sarpong lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle hit
two cars and skidded off the road, resulting in the instant death of the driver
and Baah.
Detective
Inspector S.O. Quarshie, who was escorting the two convicts was injured, and is
on admission at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, having been rushed there by
some good Samaritans. The other convict, Victor Atitsogbui, 22, is on admission
at the Police Hospital following serious injuries he sustained. Reports,
however, say he is out of any life-threatening condition.
The police
vehicle, on which they were travelling, was seriously damaged. The bodies have
been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary in Accra for autopsy. The two
convicts, Baah and Atitsogbui, had been sentenced to two years and 18 months
respectively. The incident occurred between Kutunse and Medie on the
Accra-Nsawam road.
The Accra
Regional Police Commander, Dr D.K. Manfo, confirmed the incident and said Baah
and Atitsogbui were convicted last Friday by the Osu Community Tribunal chaired
by Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills. He said Atitsogbui snatched a bag at knife-point at
the Kantamanto area in Accra about a week ago, while Baah was jailed for
causing harm to somebody, also at Kantamanto a week ago. Dr Manfo said the two
convicts were being sent to the Nsawam Prisons last Saturday at around 2.00 pm
when the accident occurred. Police investigations continue. – Daily Graphic.
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Trade
Fair Centre to be busy all year round
Accra
(Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - It is proposed that the Ghana Trade Fair
Centre should be fully utilized throughout the year so as to generate more
revenue. In furtherance of this, the whole centre needs to be fully
recapitalised.
This
indication was given by Ms Esther Ofori, Chief Executive of the Ghana Trade
Fair Company, in an interview with HSJ in Accra. She said the recapitalisation
has to be done through government intervention since the company, though a
limited liability company has government as the sole shareholder.
When fully
recapitalised, serious infrastructural development of utilities, that is,
reliable electricity supply, good communication and water system would be
undertaken. After these, she said, investors could then be invited to invest in
the various areas: convention centre, hotels, conference halls, etc.
Ms Ofori
said it is proposed to turn the African lake near the centre into a tourist
resort. Recalling the initial idea of a trade fair as conceived by the late Dr
Kwame Nkrumah, she said the plan was to build a fair site to accommodate a big
hotel, conference centres and shopping malls. The African Lake was to be
developed into a holiday resort that people could cruise on.
She said
Nkrumah wanted to develop the trade fair site to develop the trade fair site to
become the gateway to Africa and also to promote his industrialisation
programme by providing a place where African goods could be showcased or
marketed.
Ms Ofori
praised the former NLC government for continuing the trade fair project by
organising the first trade fair in 1967. She however, regretted that facilities
at the site had been allowed to deteriorate due to poor maintenance. She urged
Ghanaians to adopt a serious maintenance culture so as to preserve whatever we
have at all times. - High Street Journal.
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Ghana to benefit from participation in World tourism event
Accra
(Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - Ghana will be among more than 180 countries
that are expected to participate in this year’s International Trade Fair to be
held in Berlin, Germany, from 16 to 20 March 2002.
The fair is
regarded by many tourism practitioners, including the world’s governing body on
tourism the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), as being the biggest
international tourism event in terms of attendance, communication and marketing
forum for the tourism industry.
Ghana’s
presence promises to further expose the country’s many tourism potentials to
the outside world. The fair is expected to showcase Ghana’s unique tourism
products, and induce tour operators and travel agents to include Ghana in their
tourism programme. Attendance by Ghana at the fair is also expected to help
inform and sensitize investors of the investment opportunities in the industry
in Ghana.
Participation
in the five-day fair will help the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), the main
implementing agency, to conduct market research in competing and other
generating markets, renew previous business contacts and establish new ones.
The fair will also help Ghana explore sponsorship and training opportunities in
Germany.
Ms Abigail
Tagoe Marketing manager of GTB spoke to High Street Journal (HSJ) last week
regarding the importance of the international fair to the tourism industry
worldwide; how it will benefit Ghana, those attending and why Ghana should
participate at the 36th edition.
She said
the fair’s position as a leading trade fair for the industry is underscored by
the fact that over three quarter of exhibitors and over 30 per cent of the
visitors come from abroad, making the event the best forum to sell Ghana.
According to her, the fair’s worldwide reputation as the leader in the tourism
business is confirmed by the many exhibitors it attracts. The German fair, Ms
Tagoe attested, also continue to attract large numbers of trade visitors.
The
marketing manager stated that the fair has attracted such high acknowledgement
from no less a person than WTO’s secretary-general, who estimates that the fair
each year brings together over 10,000 travel trade executives. She agrees with
the WTO’s boss in his assessment that the fair makes substantial contributions
to the overall success of the tourism industry.
The fair
also continues to create links between business and outstanding entertainment
providers that make tourism not only one of the most important sectors of the
world’s economy, but also one of the most enjoyable.
Ms Tagoe
hinted that, given the fact that the fair continues to attract new entrants to
it, this year’s figures are expected to be far more as almost 92 per cent of
all exhibitors at the 2001 fair had agreed to participate in the 2002 event.
From Ghana’s point of view, she explained, the international fair is one of the
specialized international tourism exhibitions target markets in Europe.
The other
target markets where the Ghana Tourist Board intends to go are the USA and
Africa. She explained that Europe, USA and Africa have been identified in the
country’s 15-year integrated national tourism development plan as Ghana’s major
generating markets. “It is important to promote the tourism product at these
fairs,” she emphasized. – High Street Journal.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 18 February 2002 - Students of the Ghana National College, on Friday, vandalised school property valued at millions of cedis, following a violent demonstration. The demonstration was in protest against an incident in which their colleague was injured.
The incident started at about 8: 30 pm when some students refused to attend night studies (prep). According to a police source, the Senior Housemaster, Mr C.K. Williams, began to chase them with a cane and in the process, a final-year science student, Selorm Kuduro, fell from the second floor of the J.J Mensah Kane House to the ground.
Kuduro, 17, got injured and was rushed to the Central Regional Hospital where he was admitted. The students were incensed by the incident and rushed to the Senior Housemaster’s bungalow with stones and clubs, but he managed to escape. The irate students vandalized the bungalow and destroyed the school’s Mercedes Benz bus, GV 5404. They later besieged the school’s dinning hall, caused damage to louvre blades and set ablaze tables and kiosks belonging to food vendors in the school.
The police were called in to restore order but the situation worsened when the police team tried to use teargas to disperse the students. There were however, no casualties were recorded. Some of the students the ‘Times’ spoke to at the school later, said that they had refused to go for studies because they were tired after having written examinations and engaging in other activities, including sports. The students said that they took the action because they felt that the teachers had treated them unfairly. – The Ghanaian Times
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 February 2002 - The “Ghanaian Voice” can today reveal that secretaries who service the President and Vice President, Secretaries of Ministers, are all being given special allowances.
Secretaries of Deputy Ministers, and Regional Ministers, secretaries of chief directors and indeed Regional Coordinating directors are all being given preferential treatment, which are not available to secretaries and other auxiliary workers in other sections of the civil service.
The “Ghanaian Voice” has gathered that apart from these categories of workers, who service the above members of the executive arm of government others also receive some special treatment.
According to a Ministry of Finance letter debentured on 23/10/2001, secretaries in the President and Vice President’s offices are given 40 per cent of their gross salaries as allowances whilst secretaries of Ministers take home 30 per cent of the gross of their salaries outside their normal salaries.
These revelations in connection with this special treatment given to these category of persons were made known on Joy FM, a local radio, in one of the station’s programme last Friday by Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, Minority Spokesperson on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises!
The Finance ministry’s letter was however chanced upon by this paper. Signed by Mr J.A. Amoah Chief Director on behalf of Ministry of Finance, it also mentioned that secretaries of Deputy Ministers have the advantage of 25 per cent of their gross salary.
To enable compliance to this directive, this letter was copied to all sector Ministers, Deputy Ministers, all Regional Ministers, Deputy Regional Ministers and the Acting of Head of Civil Service.
To register their objection to this unfair treatment of other workers, the Minority Spokesperson Hon Ama Benyiwa Doe has signed a Minority press release drawing attention to this divisive and otherwise less publicised position of the Hon. Minister of Finance. – The Ghanaian Voice
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