CHRAJ: Old and new
administrations must declare assets
I will adhere strictly to
rule of law - Kufuor
Kufuor makes first travel
to Togo
Volta Region requires the
attention of NPP Government - Citizens
Pensioner calls for
revision of salary structures
Staff re-engagement based
on competence - Consultant
Two contestants deadlocked in GJA poll
Ala Adjetey pledges to be
impartial
UGM National Vice-chairman
calls for investigation into alleged arson
NMC does not appoint or
dismiss editors, Kuenyehia
Deep poverty still high
world-wide
Kufuor
appoints Hamidu Security Advisor
Govt
urged to take tougher anti-smuggling measures
CHRAJ: Old and new
administrations must declare assets
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on Thursday reminded both the outgoing and incoming administrations that they have to comply by the laws on declaration of assets.
In a statement signed by Mr Emile Francis Short, Commissioner, it listed all those who must comply with the order as the president and vice-president through ministers, ambassadors, governor of the Central Bank and his deputies, chairman of the Electoral Commission and his deputies, presidential staffers and aides.
"The CHRAJ also wishes to draw attention to Article 286 (1) of the Constitution which provides that the declaration must be made before taking office at the end of every four years and at the end of the officer's term."
CHRAJ said the declaration should be made not later than six months of taking office, at the end of every four years and at the end of the term of office.
Properties that are subject to the declaration include lands, houses and buildings, farms, concessions, trust of family property, vehicles, plants, fishing boats, business interest and bank balances.
The others are bonds and treasury bills, jewellery and objects of art of value of five million cedis and above and life insurance policies.
"Where any public officers mentioned ...fails to declare assets and liabilities in accordance with the law, or makes a false declaration, the Commissioner shall investigate that officer and may take such action as he considers appropriate," CHRAJ said.
The commission said it was also drawing the attention of the new government and parliament to "certain key deficiencies" in the law relating to declaration of assets.
It said there is no administrative machinery for checking the accuracy of veracity of the declarations, adding that no official or institution is mandated to undertake this task.
"At present, the declarations are filed with the Auditor-general who simply acts as a custodian."
CHRAJ also said the declarations are not accessible to the public and shall only be produced in evidence before a court, a commission of inquiry or an investigator appointed by CHRAJ.
It said it is difficult to justify why only officers in the Armed Forces who have been seconded to civilian establishments and institutions are required to declare their assets.
"In our view, the government and parliament should, in the interest of justice and fairness, give these concerns the urgent attention they deserve.
CHRAJ congratulated the general public and political parties for the peaceful and democratic election and said the birth of a new government provides a golden opportunity for institutional renewal and deepening of democracy.
"The CHRAJ is deeply pleased and encouraged by the expression of commitment by His Excellency the President, Mr J.A. Kufuor, to the promotion of human rights, rule of law and a zero tolerance for corruption."
It said they look forward to the concrete implementation of these goals.
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I will adhere strictly to
rule of law - Kufuor
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday restated his government's commitment to the rule of law, saying its primary objective is to foster liberal democracy.
"We'll uphold the rule of law religiously to make the people believe that the government belongs to them," Mr Kufuor said when he received four executive members of the Ghana Bar Association led by its president, Mr Ebo Quarshie.
The others are Mr William Ofori-Boafo, Vice-President, Ayikoe Otoo, Secretary, and Benson Nutsukpui, Assistant Secretary.
They were at the State House to congratulate Mr Kufuor not only on his election as President but more significantly as the first lawyer to become Executive President of Ghana.
The President said that, as a lawyer, he is determined to make his professional colleagues proud by using the law as the cornerstone of his rule.
"We believe that the law should provide the framework by which the people should be governed, a system where nobody will arrogate power to himself."
President Kufuor made reference to the manifesto of the NPP and said it made it clear that its policies and programmes would be implemented according to the laws of the land "as humanly" as possible.
"But should we be found wanting by society, it would not be of any ulterior motives," President Kufuor added.
Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, Chairman of the ruling party, expressed gratitude to the GBA for its co-operation with the party in the past.
He asked the Bar to regard the new government as a partner by making suggestions, especially on differences in national matters.
"We are ready to work together with members of the Bar. We'll understand them and move forward," Mr Odoi-Sykes reassured.
Mr Quarshie said the GBA is happy about the commitment shown by the NPP to the rule of law.
Particularly gratifying is the party's emphasis on agriculture as a main bloc for building a strong economy.
Mr Quarshie appealed to the new government to strengthen relevant constitutional institutions such as the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice to enable it to enhance the confidence of the people in demanding their rights.
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Kufuor makes first travel
to Togo
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor will make a return trip to Lome, Togo, on Saturday at the invitation of his Togolese counterpart, Gnassingbe Eyadema, to attend celebrations marking the 34th anniversary of the coup that brought the Togolese leader to power.
Saturday's trip by President Kufuor will be his first foreign travel since he assumed the Ghanaian presidency six days ago, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Public Affairs Advisor to the President, confirmed to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
"All I know is that the President will return same day," she said.
President Eyadema was among four African Heads of State who attended Mr Kufuor's inauguration as Ghana's sixth elected president.
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Volta Region requires the
attention of NPP Government - Citizens
Ho (Volta Region) 12 January 2001
A cross-section of residents at Ho and Aflao expect the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to immediately tackle the developmental needs of the Volta Region.
A survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency in the two towns indicated that expectations of the people are so high that some of them doubted whether or not the new government would be able to fulfil its pre-election promises.
Mr Alfred Yaw Tamakloe, a public servant, called on the government to give priority to the road network linking the southern and northern sectors of the region.
He called for national unity irrespective of the outcome of last year's elections in which the region, as in the 1992 and 1996 elections, voted overwhelmingly for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Nana Kodia II, Adontenhene of Nkonya Wurupong, expressed reservations about the government's ability to meet the high hopes it has raised among the citizenry during the electioneering campaign.
He observed that President John Agyekum Kufuor has a big task in tackling corruption that has gained roots in many Ghanaians.
Miss Comfort Adjei, a Senior Technical Officer of the Ministry of Health, hoped the new government would create conditions that would enable parents to look after and pay the fees of their children without much worry.
Mr Patrick Amevor, a pensioner, called for the rationalisation of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (Cap 30) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pension benefits.
Mr Elorm Kpe, a National Service Person, urged the government to address the concerns of students and youth in order to create the right atmosphere for them to work towards their future.
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Pensioner calls for
revision of salary structures
Ho (Volta Region) 12 January 2001
Mr Ben Edwin Kpesese, Chairman of the Volta Regional Branch of the Ghana Government Pensioners Association (GGPA), has called on the new government to review salary structures to make remuneration commensurate with work done.
He said the present situation where there are disparities in the salaries of workers of the same grade but working in different organisations is an abuse of human rights.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, Mr Kpesese said the Ghana Education Service (GES) continues to lose teachers to other institutions because of better service conditions.
He said the practice of sending non-performing teachers to offices as supervisors should be discontinued because it lowers the morale of dedicated teachers in the classrooms.
Mr Kpesese called for the revision of teacher training programmes as a means of ensuring quality teacher training in the country.
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Staff re-engagement based
on competence - Consultant
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
Vanef STC said on Thursday the recruitment of staff under the new management was based on competence and qualification.
Mr Neil Armstrong-Mortagbe, Marketing Consultant of the company told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that "the human resources structure of a new company must be based on the organisational goals and demand for attainment of set targets within the framework of national policies".
Mr Armstrong-Mortagbe was reacting to speculations on the dismissal of staff who joined the Vanef STC from the erstwhile State Transport Corporation (STC).
He said the World Bank recommended the re-structuring of STC to conform with international transportation requirement of one bus to four staff.
Currently Vanef STC has 102 buses, which require a total of 408 people to operate effectively and efficiently.
He said Vanef STC inherited a workforce of 714, which has been streamlined to about 522 based on competence, new organisational goals, length of service and other internal administrative policies.
The Consultant explained that the contract for STC employees was terminated on May 31 under a project by the Divestiture Implementation Committee.
He said all workers, including management members, were paid off their entitlements ranging from 10 million cedis to 70 million cedis based on service, qualification and salary of the individual.
Mr Armstrong-Mortagbe said Vanef STC under its new management engaged workers on a three-month contract from June to August 2000.
At the end of the contract, a letter of appointment dating September 1, 2000, was issued to all staff indicating a probation period of six months.
He said "during the probation, workers were assessed in line with organisational needs and where necessary those whose skills are no longer required are laid off".
Vanef STC engaged a new work force based mainly on needs, he said, adding that in all such cases the old staffs were given the first option.
Mr Armstrong-Mortagbe said the restructuring of the company is in line with a framework agreed upon between DIC, STC and Vanef STC on modalities for the release of workers whose services may not be required.
He said the restructuring, which has affected their operations in Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire, is to enhance the image of the company "as new departments were created".
The Marketing Consultant of Vanef STC refuted allegations that the safety requirement of the company has not been the best.
"We are working towards a zero accident rate but general in indiscipline on our roads accounts for most of the accidents which were not the fault of Vanef STC drivers."
He sympathised with the families of two travellers who died in a fatal accident involving Vanef buses last year and said the company has adopted new defensive driver methods and other modern driving techniques to reduce the number of accident on the roads.
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Two contestants deadlocked
in GJA poll
Takoradi (Western Region) 12 January 2001
Mr. Joe Isaac Haizel, Western Regional Editor of The Daily Graphic, and Mr. Anthony Osei Gyasi, a freelance journalist, were unable to poll sufficient votes to win the post of
Chairman for the Regional chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA.
Both candidates polled 13 votes each in the election supervised by a three-man team from the Electoral Commission headed by Mr. King Addai-Darkwah, Deputy Western Regional Director of the Commission.
There will therefore be a run-off election on January 18.
Mr. Frank Mochia of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Mr. Daniel Amoo of the Ghanaian Times, and Miss Felicia Boateng of the GBC were declared unopposed for the posts of Regional Vice-Chairman, Regional Assistant Secretary and Regional Treasurer respectively.
Mr. George Amihere Naykene of the Ghana News Agency won the post of Secretary when he polled 20 votes as against six by Mr. Phillip Nyakpo of SKYY Power FM.
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Ala Adjetey pledges to be
impartial
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of Parliament, on Thursday pledged to make impartiality his guiding principle in the discharge of his duties to make parliamentary democracy flourish.
Mr Adjetey said this when a four-man delegation from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) called on him to congratulate him as the new speaker.
The Speaker stated: "Impartiality stands for principles of fairness and I will be fair and being human the element of mistakes could, however, not be entirely ruled out".
He said he considers the position of the speaker as an embodiment of the House and that he would do everything possible to ensure that each member is able to contribute freely on issues for the two divides to bring out their best in the interest of the nation.
Mr Adjetey asked the Bar to research into existing laws that needed change and to present them to Parliament through private motions and by lobbying members of parliament to enrich the rule of law for necessary development.
Mr Ebo Quarshie, National President of the GBA, said the association feels obliged to visit the Speaker and congratulate him, especially as a member of the Bar who was four consecutive times its President.
He said Mr Adjetey should use his vast experience to bear on the House to initiate law reforms.
Mr Quarshie said the Law Reform Committee of the Bar is preparing materials to be presented to Parliament on some aspects of the law.
He did not however indicate which laws they were working on.
The delegation included Mr William Ofori Boafo, National Vice President; Mr Ayikoe Otoo, National Secretary; and Mr Benson Nutsukpui, Assistant National Secretary.
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UGM National Vice-chairman
calls for investigation into alleged arson
Tamale (Northern Region) 12 January 2001
Mr Basharu Alhasan-Dabolli, National Vice-chairman of the United Ghana Movement (UGM), on Thursday called on the Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged arson on the property of Alhaji Yakubu Ayarna, an NDC activist in Tamale.
Alhaji Ayarna, whose car and house were burnt in a space of two weeks after last month's general election, has said the attacks were politically motivated.
Reacting to Alhaji Ayarna's assertion, Mr Alhassan-Daballi described as hasty and unfortunate the conclusion drawn by the victim.
In an interview with the GNA, he said there are richer people within the NDC in Tamale and none has been threatened or attacked.
Mr Alhassan-Daballi said violence is not the trademark of the parties opposed to the NDC, adding, “that is why we resorted to the ballot box and not the gun to remove the NDC from power."
He asked the police not to rule out the possibility of Alhaji Ayarna himself setting his property on fire to attract public sympathy and compensation, having collected huge sums of money in foreign currency from prospective Hajj pilgrims.
Alhaji Ayarna, who is a Hajj agent, alleged that 70,000 U.S. dollars, 2,800 pounds sterling and other foreign currencies were burnt in the fire.
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NMC does not appoint or
dismiss editors, Kuenyehia
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
The National Media Commission (NMC) on Thursday said it does not appoint or dismiss editors of the state-owned media, a prerogative, it says, lies with the Boards of Directors.
"It is for the Boards to determine whether or not a particular editor achieves results and objectives of the particular news media," Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia, NMC Chairman said.
Speaking at the inauguration of a nine-member Board of Directors for the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Kuenyehia, however, cautioned that Ghanaians now demand "higher professional standards."
The Board has Mr Alex Quarmyne, a broadcaster, as Chairman.
The NMC Chairman stressed the need for newspapers to portray a national balance in their reportage, saying, "this is the only way to ensure that there is no clamour for a change of editors with the change of government."
He called on the new Board to study reports of the NMC media monitoring project of last year's elections saying it indicts the "Daily Graphic" as devoting more space to the then government.
Mr Kuenyehia, therefore, advised the GCGL to "be more balanced, objective and critical of issues of national interest" and avoid the tradition of being for the government of the day.
In reaction to a concern raised by Mr Elvis Aryeh, acting Managing Director of the Group, Mr Kuenyehia said the conversion of the state-owned media into limited liability companies by an Act of Parliament would take time to be realised.
Mr Aryeh had said Graphic is the only state-owned media house that had made some changes to reflect the new status.
"In spite of that the shares are still 100 percent state-owned. We have been asked to wait and we are still waiting," he added.
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Deep poverty still high
world-wide
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 January 2001
Deep poverty still persists despite the huge resources of the world's six billion people, 2.8 billion of which live on less than two dollars a day.
According to World Development Report for 2000 and 2001, titled "Attacking Poverty" issued in Accra, 1.2 billion, or a fifth of the world's population live on less than a dollar a day.
The report notes that in rich countries, fewer than one child in a 100 does not reach its fifth birthday, while in the poorest countries as many as a fifth of children do not.
In rich countries fewer than five per cent of all children under five are malnourished, and in poorer countries as many as 50 per cent are.
The report said it is regretful that this destitution persists even though human conditions have improved more in the past century than in the rest of history.
"The average income in the richest 20 countries is 37 times the average in the poorest 20 - a gap that has doubled in the past 40 years," the report notes.
"And the experience in different parts of the world has been very diverse."
In Ghana, according to the Ghana Statistical Service, about 70 per cent of Ghanaians live below the poverty line and this is increasing.
In East Asia, the number of people living on less than a dollar a day fell from around 420 million to around 280 million between 1987 and 1998 - even after the setbacks of the financial crisis.
"Yet in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, the numbers of poor people have been rising.
In the countries of Europe and Central Asia in a transition to market economies, the number of poor people living on less than a dollar a day rose more than 20 fold.
The report said there has been major advances and serious setbacks in crucial non-income measures of poverty: India has seen marked progress in girls attending school, and in the most advanced state, life expectancy is greater than in other places with many times the level of income.
Yet in countries at the centre of the HIV/Aids epidemic in Africa, such as Bostwana and Zimbabwe, one in four adults is infected.
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Kufuor
appoints Hamidu Security Advisor
Accra (Greater Accra)
12 January 2001
President John Agyekum
Kufuor on Thursday appointed Lieutenant-General Joshua Hamidu (Rtd.) as National
Security Advisor.
A statement issued by
Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Presidential Advisor on Public Affairs said Lt. Gen. Hamidu
was a former Chief of Defence Staff under General Kwesi Akuffo's regime that
was overthrown in 1979.
He later became a
liaison officer between that government and the Armed Forces Revolutionary
Council (AFRC) the same year.
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Govt
urged to take tougher anti-smuggling measures
Ho (Volta Region) 12
January 2001
The New Patriotic Party
(NPP) administration was on Wednesday urged to take tougher measures against
smuggling to curtail the threat posed to the growth and viability of local
industries.
Mr. Victus Ninfaakang,
Marketing and Research Manager of British American Tobacco (BAT) Company, made
the call, when he witnessed the destruction of 1,168 cartoons of smuggled
foreign cigarettes worth 39.5 million cedis, by officials of the Customs Excise
and Preventive Service (CEPS) at Ho.
He said such measures
should be accompanied with well-planned public education programmes to
encourage Ghanaians to develop the taste for locally produced goods.
Mr Ninfaakang said his
company pays more than 60 billion cedis annually in taxes to the government and
expects protection against competition posed by the proliferation of the
Ghanaian market with foreign cigarettes.
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