President Kufuor nominates
11 more Ministers for appointment
Chief of Staff orders
inventory of all gov’t properties
Rights group asks Ghanaians
to build confidence in rule of law
Two Parliamentary
candidates withdraw petition from court
Volta Region records more
than 100 percent rise in fire outbreaks
Police hunt for murdered
woman's assailant(s)
EC praise media, civil
society, churches
NPP
government asked to harness fishing industry
Women's coalition wants
IGP’s “head”
NMC boss asks GNA to start
commercialisation
Total eclipse of the moon
observed in Ghana
American lawyers prepare
suits for reparations
NMC: We're sole body with
oversight responsibility for state-owned media
Cocoa farmers to
demonstrate over arrears
African countries need pragmatic policies - Duffuor
President Kufuor nominates
11 more Ministers for appointment
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
The President, Mr. J. A. Kufuor on Wednesday s nominated 11 more people for appointment as ministers. A statement signed by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Presidential Adviser on Public Affairs, named them as, Mr. J.H. Mensah, MP for Sunyani East as Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo, MP for Akyem Oda, as Minister of Finance, Nana Akufo-Addo, MP for Abuakwa as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mrs Gladys Asmah, MP for Takoradi as Minister for Women's Affairs, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang MP for New Juaben North as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, MP for Manhyia as Minister of Defence.
Others are, Dr. Kofi Apraku, MP for Offinso North as Minister of Trade and Industry, Major Courage Quashiegah (RTD) as Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Malik Yakubu Alhassan, MP for Yendi as Minister of the Interior, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie as Minister of Lands and Forestry and Professor Dominic Fobih, MP for Assin South as Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment.
The President had earlier appointed Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey as Chief of Staff and nominated Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
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Chief of Staff orders
inventory of all gov’t properties
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
The Chief of Staff on Wednesday asked all District Chief Executives (DCEs) to take inventory of all government property in their districts and make the list available to the in-coming regional ministers.
A statement signed by Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey in Accra said the DCEs should arrange to supervise the process pursuant to the announcement that they should remain at post until otherwise stated by the president.
"The list of inventories taken should be collated and used as part of the briefs to be presented by them to their respective regional ministers to be appointed soon," the statement said.
In another statement, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said all chief directors and directors grade one are to assume temporary responsibility of their ministries, departments and agencies.
This is to ensure that work does not grind to a halt in the various ministries, departments and agencies.
Decisions on major policy issues should, however, be deferred for reference to the in-coming ministers.
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Rights group asks
Ghanaians to build confidence in rule of law
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
The Africa Human Rights Heritage (AHRH) on Wednesday called on Ghanaians to help build confidence in the structures of government and the rule of law to guarantee peace and stability.
It said this is important if all differences and conflicts are to be resolved to ensure a more cohesive society.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, the Chairman, Mr Baffour Anning said past governments have failed to give meaning to human rights because they did not accord the rule of law its proper place in their administration.
He said any call for peace without an appropriate linkage with justice is meaningless and an act of hypocrisy.
Mr Anning advocated a community policing system, which, he said, is the foundation for alleviating official lawlessness and other root causes of conflicts, corruption and poverty.
Community policing is the process of providing grassroots education on human rights issues to people in communities to enable them claim these rights.
He said the answer to the socio-economic problems facing the country does not lie in the change of government but in a collective change in attitude through community policing.
"If individuals are alive to their responsibilities and know that their community members could bring them to justice, they would not go astray," he said.
Mr Anning, therefore, urged government institutions and individuals to wage a war against official lawlessness, saying it is the positive answer to peace.
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Two Parliamentary
candidates withdraw petition from court
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 11 January 2001
Two NDC parliamentary candidates who filed petitions against the Electoral Commission (EC) at the Koforidua High court, seeking a recount of the ballot in last month's parliamentary election in their respective constituencies, have withdrawn the petitions.
The two candidates, Mr Anthony Gyampoh for Akropong and Mr Ahmed Jamal Mohammed, for Akwatia said they withdrew because of "some procedural mistakes made in the filing of the petition".
The presiding judge, Mr Justice George Twum struck out the case "with liberty to come back" and awarded one million cedis against Mr Gyampoh and 1.5 million cedis against Mr. Mohammed.
Both candidates filed the petitions asking the court to order the EC to recount the vote in their constituencies because some of the ballot papers were not counted. They said if those ballot papers were counted, the final result would go in their favour.
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Volta Region records more
than 100 percent rise in fire outbreaks
Ho (Volta Region) 11 January 2001
A total of 105 destructive fires were recorded in the Volta Region last year as against 55 in 1999, representing more than 100 per cent increase.
There were 22 bush fires in 1999 as against 51 in 2000 while domestic fires rose from 19 in 1999 to 44 in 2000.
Mr Corneleus Woedi, Regional Fire Officer, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Ho on Wednesday, said there were five fires attributed to electrical fault in 1999 compared to seven in 2000.
There were five vehicular fires in 1999 as against two last year while one petrol- related fire was recorded in 2000 against none in 1999.
Mr Woedi said the fire service is undertaking public education programmes through its volunteer fire prevention organisations to curb bush fires, which represent more than 50 per cent of fire outbreaks in the region.
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Police hunt for murdered
woman's assailant(s)
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
Police have mounted a search for the murderer or murderers of an unidentified woman at Abelemkpe, Accra, on Monday January 1.
A statement by the police in Accra on Wednesday said no suspects have so far been arrested.
Newspaper reports said the woman aged about 25, was found lying in a pool of blood with multiple cutlass wounds near the Santana B Hotel at Abelemkpe.
According to the reports, she was sent to the 37 Military Hospital around 9.00pm by some sympathisers but she died on arrival.
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EC praise media, civil
society, churches
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
Mr. David Adenze Kanga, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Wednesday paid tribute to the local media, civil society, churches and the security services for their immense contribution to the success of the December 2000 elections.
"Although the EC is yet to review the elections, the contribution of the media, churches, civil society, security service and some individual to its success was so immense that it is worthy of mention before our official review," he said.
Mr. Kanga made the remark at the on-going 52nd annual New Year School, organised by the Institute of Adult Education (IAE) of the University of Ghana, Legon, to evolve strategies for Ghana's full participation in the global economy.
He said in the run-up to the elections, the media and civil society organisations provided immense voter education, adding that the EC depended largely on media reports during the elections to attend to calls for help when necessary.
Mr. Kanga paid special tribute to the Dispatch, an Accra-based private weekly, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the private FM stations.
"Civil society and churches also provided over 8,000 electoral observers who worked vigilantly to ensure transparency in the process," he said.
He admitted that the nature and volume of challenges the EC faced, coupled with the threats issued by political parties and individuals in the run-up to the elections, pointed to an eminent unrest.
"For us at the EC, therefore, it took God through the several prayers of the churches to ensure a peaceful and smooth electoral process, despite the few cases of ballot box lifting and voters intimidation by some military men," he said.
Mr. Kanga described the excesses of the December 28, 2000 run-off elections as horrible, adding that some cases, including those from Bawku, Akropong and other few areas, are still pending in the law courts.
"We at the EC have learnt from the December elections that it is not true that opposition parties do not win elections," he said.
Dr. Baffour Agyemang-Duah, Associate Executive Director of the CDD, said the role of the media as a whole and the private FM stations in particular to the success of the December elections, cannot be over emphasised.
He said media announcement of results from the polling stations, though sometimes controversial, pre-empted the final results and to a large extent prevented any mischief.
"We know from our own experience and from other democracies that electoral fraud usually occurred between polling stations and the electoral centres, and between the centres and the headquarters of the electoral body," he said.
This, he said, could not happen because the media alerted the public on what to expect as the final results, adding that the role of the media brought a high level of integrity to the nation's electoral and democratic process.
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NPP
government asked to harness fishing industry
Tema (Greater Accra) 11
January 2001
The National Fisheries
Association of Ghana (NAFAG) has appealed to the government to exploit the
nation's rich marine and water resources to boost the fishing industry.
In a congratulatory
message to President John Kufuor, NAFAG said it shares the tenets of the NPP
manifesto, particularly on fisheries, and expect a cordial working relationship
with the government to achieve the objectives of the manifesto.
The message, signed by
Nana William Buckman, President of NAFAG, pledged members' unflinching support
to the new government and wished it success.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 11
January 2001
Staff Sgt. Frank Addo
of the Ghana Armed Forces, Burma Camp, who allegedly knocked down a pedestrian
at Klagon near Tema on Tuesday night and escaped, has been arrested by the
Ashaiman police.
A motorist, Mr Ebenezer
Ebo Quainoo, who was driving behind the soldier, pursued him to Farm Vivian
near Lashibi before he stopped.
DSP Harry Fiawoo,
Ashaiman District Police Commander said Staff Sgt Addo, 52, of the Defence
Military Transport Unit, has been placed in police custody pending further
investigations.
The victim, Mr Saviour
Yevu, a driver, died at the Tema General Hospital where he was taken after he
was hit while crossing the road. Staff Sgt Addo was driving his private car.
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Women's coalition wants
IGP’s “head”
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
Sister Keepers, a non-partisan coalition of women, on Wednesday appealed to President John A. Kufuor to take concrete steps that will solve the serial murders of women.
They also called for the immediate replacement of the IGP and make public on-going details about the nature of the crime against women.
"We can no longer tolerate the anti-people and anti-women attitudes repeatedly demonstrated by the head of the police," Ms Elizabeth Akpalu, Co-ordinator of Sisters Keepers, told a press conference in Accra.
She said women are appalled at the inability of the police to unravel the mysteries surrounding the murders, adding that numerous demands by groups such as theirs on the issue had seen no concrete action to resolve the killings.
"The continuing murders of women in Accra proves that the Ghana Police, under the command of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Peter Nanfuri, was not deployed or organised to serve the public interest," she said.
"Under the current IGP, the police operate according to priorities that are suitable to them and neglect what women and the public need."
She appealed to the new government to accept that this is not a partisan issue, adding "all women and men are concerned and we ask that you initiate action to alley the fears of women".
The Sisters Keepers congratulate Mr Kufuor on his assumption of office as the president of Ghana. "We wish him and his team well," Mrs Akpalu added.
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NMC boss asks GNA to start
commercialisation
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), on Wednesday urged the Ghana News Agency to start its own perspective of commercialisation to make for a smooth transition.
He said regarding the "enormous challenges facing the GNA Board and Management, it should not wait for the implementation by the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP)."
Mr Kuenyehia said this at the inauguration of a seven-member Board of Directors for the GNA in Accra.
It has Mrs Georgina Baiden, a retired educationist, as Chairperson for a third two-year term. The GNA is billed to be weaned off government subvention and become commercially viable by 2003 under a World Bank-sponsored initiative being undertaken by the NIRP.
"It needs to be emphasised, however, that the programme would only succeed if the GNA is recapitalised, staff retrained and it is provided with the necessary tools," Mr Kuenyehia said.
He noted that any media institution that depends on the largesse of government cannot meaningfully defend and protect its independence.
"It may find it very difficult to resist the temptation to please the government while the Government may well behave as the master with the big stick."
While hoping that the Board would work hard to achieve desired results, Mr Kuenyehia recommended dialogue, consultation and mutual respect between all parties as necessary ingredients for progress.
Mr Robert Kafui Johnson, GNA General Manager, said he placed a high premium on motivating GNA staff whom he described as "highly professional and hard-working".
"But motivation cannot come in a vacuum. In fact ...without resources, financial, material, etc., motivation can only succeed partially.
"GNA needs to be recapitalised to be able to fulfil its full potential as a viable news agency.
"We cannot continue to work with old obsolete equipment and lack of financial resources."
Mr Johnson said if nothing were done, all efforts to motivate the staff would be "seen like electoral promises, rarely fulfilled."
He said he was happy with the NMC's initiative to assume oversight responsibilities over the state-owned media, saying that would give GNA the necessary resources.
Other members of the Board are Ms Audrey Gadzekpo, a lecturer at the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon; Ms Mariam Agyeman-Gyasi of the Ahmadiyya Mission; and Mr Samuel Loving Asiedu, a Marketing Consultant.
The rest are Mr Sulemanu Alhassan, an IT Specialist at the Ghana Supply Commission; Mr Fred Oware, Managing Director of Choice FM; and Mr Johnson.
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Total eclipse of the moon
observed in Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
The Meteorological Service Department said on Wednesday that a total eclipse of the moon was observed on Tuesday night at the 1815 hours and lasted for about three hours.
Speaking to the GNA, Mr Kwaw Wiredu, Principal Meteorologist at the Airport, said the total eclipse covered the whole surface of the moon.
He said people in Japan observed it in the morning.
According to Mr Wiredu, an eclipse of the moon occurs every six months, but is only observed in a particular hemisphere from where it is visible.
He said another eclipse expected in July will be visible to those in the southern Atlantic and is unlikely those in the Northern Hemisphere would observe it.
In Tamale, the eclipse of the moon offered residents of Tamale a rare opportunity to organise fanfares to commemorate the scientific phenomenon.
The revellers comprising mainly children between 10 and 16 years organised street processions amidst drumming and dancing.
They also chanted "oh sun, fear God and release the moon", between 7pm and midnight.
Special Muslim prayers were offered in the mosques until the eclipse disappeared.
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American lawyers prepare
suits for reparations
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
Top African- American legal strategists are considering what is seen as the biggest lawsuit in American history to force today's generations to pay trillions of dollars for slavery and its atrocities their ancestors committed.
Attorney, Willie Gary, 53-year-old son of an Indiantown sharecropper, who recently won a 240 million-dollar verdict against Walt Disney and Company, is leading the lawyers.
Gary said, "I think the nation will be better off for having dealt with this issue (reparation). Otherwise, it's like pain without ending. It's always going to be there".
This story was on the Internet and the hard copy was made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra by the executive committee of African World Reparations and Repatriation Truth Commission (AWRRTC), which is fighting for reparations for Blacks who have suffered from the inhuman trade.
Some of the lawyers are Alexander Piers of Washington, Richard Scruggs of Pascagoula, Missouri, Dennis Sweet of Jackson, Missouri and Professor Charles Ogletree of Harvard Law School.
They have all won various lawsuits in billions of dollars in discrimination and land suits against the US Agriculture Department and reparations for resettlement for blacks.
The lawyers are even planning to file not only one lawsuit, but series of them against the US government, states, corporations "who continue to benefit from slavery."
They said they will "also make the case that while slavery ended in 1865, it's effects lingered long afterward through sharecropping schemes, housing discrimination, racial segregation and peonage laws".
"Maybe it's fitting in the end that slavery should wash on the shores of a judge's bench", they said.
They said they are contemplating suing "history books publishers that give Blacks short shrift."
The suits "if successful, will win trillions of dollars for American blacks and go a long way to make amends for slavery.
"But they also could inflame racial tensions- and divide blacks who suddenly get to decide who benefits and who does not", they said.
They said they are cautious because "it has to be a carefully thought-out lawsuit.
"Using the wrong theory and the wrong logic, you open the door for any minority group to bring similar action: the Irish could do it. "Like it or not, it's a huge political issue".
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NMC: We're sole body with
oversight responsibility for state-owned media
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 January 2001
The National Media Commission (NMC) is the sole body with oversight responsibility for state-owned media organisations and their boards of directors, Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia, NMC Chairman, stressed in Accra on Wednesday.
The state media should, therefore, "overcome the old habit of looking to the Minister or Ministry of Communications as the alpha and omega," he said.
Speaking at the inauguration of a seven-member Board of Directors for the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Kuenyehia said the state-owned media have become so dependent on the Ministry of Communications that they are scared of operating through and under the NMC.
He said the Supreme Court's decision, which said appointing chief executives for state-owned media should be made by the NMC and not Government "put to rest forever the question of responsibility for state-owned media".
Mr Kuenyehia quoted Article 167 of the 1992 constitution to back the "NMC's determination to give life and meaning to the provisions of the Constitution".
The provision charges the NMC to promote and ensure media freedom and independence, take measures to maintain high journalistic standards and to insulate state-owned media from government control.
"It is imperative, therefore, that the various state-owned media appreciate the true position and adjust accordingly," Mr Kuenyehia said.
Mr Kuenyehia said: "it should be possible in the near future to work out acceptable modalities by which matters concerning and affecting the media are brought to the attention of the Government for redress".
He said that is the only way to insulate the media from government control and interference.
"It needs to be stressed that the NMC is equally determined to protect the media from powerful individuals in the society. This is the only way to ensure the independence of the media and media pluralism."
Mr Kuenyehia said the NMC is working out mechanisms to enable it to look into the budgets of state-owned media before they are sent to government.
The GNA Board has Mrs Georgina Baiden, a retired educationist, as Chairperson.
Others are Ms Audrey Gadzekpo, a lecturer at the School of Communication Studies,
University of Ghana, Legon, Ms Mariam Agyeman-Gyasi of the Ahmadiyya Mission and Mr Samuel Loving Asiedu, a Marketing Consultant.
The rest are Mr Sulemanu Alhassan, an IT Specialist at the Ghana Supply Commission, Mr Fred Oware, Managing Director of Choice FM, and Mr Robert Kafui Johnson, General Manager of the GNA.
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Cocoa farmers to
demonstrate over arrears
Agona Swedru (Central Region) 11 January 2001
A large number of cocoa farmers in the Central region have threatened to demonstrate against the Produce Buying Company (PBC) for delay in the payment of arrears of cocoa purchased, during the main crop season, last year.
The aggrieved farmers, who are from Odoben, Kwamang, Nyakrom and Swedru districts have appealed to the government to intervene on their behalf, since the delay is affecting their socio-economic development.
Spokesman of the farmers, Opanyin Kobina Atta, on Tuesday explained to newsmen at Agona Swedru that the arrears are as a result of the new producer price announced last year.
He expressed surprise at the development, because before the opening of the main crop season, it was announced on radio and published in the national dailies that the government had secured loans from seven foreign banks for the purchased of cocoa.
Opanyi Atta said the management of PCB, issued a circular to all marketing clerks in the region instructing that farmers should be paid the new producer price for cocoa purchased during the main crop season.
The spokesman said the reluctance of PCB in paying the amount is an indication that the company wants to cheat the farmers, and therefore appealed to President Mr J.A. Kufuor, to assist them in recovering the money.
On Tuesday, some of the farmers besieged the premises of the Swedru district office of the company, demanding their money.
Reacting to the farmers' agitation, Mr N. A. Tettey, Central Regional Manager of PCB said that it was not the intention of the company to create hardship for the farmers.
He explained that the out-going government kept the money as a measure of reducing the rate of inflation. "The money is only on paper and it is now that government is trying to transform some into cash."
Mr. N. A Tettey assured the farmers that his outfit would do its best to solve the problem.
He disclosed that a cheque of 3 billion cedis had been received from the head office of the PCB, to be paid to cocoa farmers in the Central region.
Mr. Tettey said plans are far advanced to clear the cheque from the Ghana Commercial Bank and urged the farmers to exercise restraint.
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African
countries need pragmatic policies - Duffuor
Accra (Greater Accra)
11 January 2001
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor,
Governor of the Bank of Ghana, on Tuesday urged African countries to avoid
"big bangs" and adopt "pragmatic policies" so that they can
benefit fully from the opportunities of globalisation.
He was giving a keynote
address on "globalisation; implications for developing countries at the
52nd annual New Year School, organised by the Institute of Adult Education
(IAE), of the University of Ghana, Legon.
The week-long school
will offer participants the chance of making recommendations, to assist policy
makers to evolve strategies that would enable the country to fully participate
and benefit from the global economy.
Dr. Duffuor said,
"to be able to contribute successfully in the global economy, developing
countries should avoid radical across-the-board trade liberalisation.
"Such a measure is
not likely to yield the desired economic results and could invariably lead to unnecessary social cost."
Dr Duffuor said on the
other hand, policies on blanket protectionism, over-valued exchange rates,
excessive taxation of producers and over-regulation, have had disastrous effect
on economic growth and trade performance in Africa.
"African countries
will therefore require realistic policies to streamline selective time-bound
and performance-related protection and investment controls to avoid being
marginalised in the global economy or become vulnerable to global market
forces," he said.
Dr. Duffuor observed
that advanced nations integrate their economies and re-orient their policies in
order to benefit from globalisation.
He said on the
contrary, African countries remain isolated from each other, continue to pursue
unpopular policies and use obsolete technologies under outmoded socio-cultural
and unstable political conditions.
The Governor observed
that population growth continues to erode per capita income gains of African
economies, and HIV/AIDS has also cut life expectancy shorter.
Dr Duffour said despite
this, African governments continue to pursue the same population policies.
He said that current
global trends indicate an ever-widening gap between poor and rich countries,
saying that African countries can take concrete steps to quickly join the
global economy.
He attributed the trend
to effective socio-economic, monetary and political integration among advanced
Western nations as against isolated conflict prone, obsolete policy and
outmoded technology of African countries.
"Developing
countries need as a matter of urgency to develop diversified export structures,
skilled labour and access to markets in the industrialised world, imports of
advanced technology and infrastructure," he said.
Dr Duffuor said for
African countries to successfully participate in the global economy, they should forge a stronger regional
integration within the shortest time.
"I therefore urge all
member countries of ECOWAS and the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA) to put
in place appropriate mechanisms that will help foster the degree of convergence
required.
"In particular,
the process of harmonisation of economic and financial policies requires, as a
precondition, a set of macro-economic standards by all member states," he
said.
Dr Duffuor called on
individual African countries to fashion their policies within the framework of
regional integration, allowing national interests to give way to regional ones.
This, he said must
change the role of African governments from regulating markets to facilitating
their relentless expansion by removing barriers to trade and investments.
"At the national
level, we must manage adjustment processes and strengthen social, structural
and financial systems."
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