GRi Newsreel Ghana 24 - 01 - 2001
Amidu calls for investigations into allegations of treason
Ex-Ministers asked to surrender diplomatic passports
Use credit cards
to stem armed robberies – Manager
Amidu says EC boss erred in backdating
gazetted election results
Ghana's delegation to Bush's inauguration returns home
Twenty school children involved in accident
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
Mr Martin Amidu, the running mate of Prof. John Atta Mills of National Democratic Congress (NDC) in last month's election, has called for investigations into allegations of treason leveled against him.
In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, he said he was accused by Mr Imoro Salifu, Upper East regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), of supplying arms and ammunitions to the Kusasi's in Bawku and inciting them to fight the Mamprusi's during the December 7 elections.
He said Mr Salifu made the allegation in public, in the presence of the Vice President, the Regional Police Commander and senior police officers in Bawku at the time, the General Officer Commanding the Northern Command of the Armed Forces and members of the media.
"These accusations of supplying arms and ammunitions to the Kusasi people to fight part of the Mamprusi people is a grave accusation of crime against me in the nature of treason", he said.
The petition dated January 18, 2000, was copied to the Mr Salifu, and Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General secretary of the NDC.
It said: "the accusation has increased the tension in Bawku and pit my old mother, family property, personal and political friends in danger of attack and arson now and in the future.
"As a citizen of this country, I am not above the law and such a grave accusation of crime against me that has the potential of disrupting the peace in Bawku ought to be investigated."
The petition called for thorough investigations into circumstances that led to the eruption of fighting and violence in Bawku on December 8, 2000.
Mr Amidu said efforts made to get the Regional Police Command to have the allegations against him investigated have proved futile.
Several people died when fighting broke out at Bawku as the votes in the elections were being counted.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 24 Jan 2001
An acute fuel shortage has hit the Tamale Municipality for the last two days and motorists have accused the filing stations of hoarding in anticipation of an increase in price.
Motorists who spoke to the GNA called on the security agencies to intervene and make sure that no fuel is hoarded.
Filling station managers in the municipality have however denied hoarding any fuel and blamed the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) for creating the artificial shortage.
They said that though there was enough fuel at the BOST warehouse at Buipe in the Northern Region, it has continuously supplied far below their request, hence the shortage.
Mr K.A. Djan, Mobil (Old Market) filling station manager, said any time he ordered for 6,000 gallons of petrol, he was given between 1,000 and 2,000 gallons.
This, he said, creates panic buying because people are not sure whether there would be a shortage or price increase.
Shell Company, which is dominating the petroleum sector in Tamale, has come under serious criticisms for causing the crisis in the municipality.
Mr Abass Dauda, a motorist, said the two Shell filling stations at Sakasaka put up a "no fuel" notice on Monday morning but started selling a limited quantity last night though they did not get any fresh supplies.
Mr Yaw Amponsah, assistant manager of Savelugu road Shell filling Station, denied hoarding the fuel and said what was left was the "desk top", which is the minimum quantity a filling station is required to keep.
He said such fuel would not even come out of the fuel pump. Efforts to get in touch with BOST for its comments proved futile as the telephone link between Tamale and Buipe was faulty.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on
Tuesday said all diplomatic and service passports issued prior to the
inauguration of the new government on January 7 to former ministers, deputy
ministers and other functionaries ceased to be valid from that date.
A Foreign Ministry statement
signed by Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, on behalf of the President, said holders of
such passports should surrender them to the Chief Director of the Ministry for
cancellation by Wednesday, January 31, 2001.
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Use credit cards
to stem armed robberies – Manager
Cape Coast (Central Region) 24
January 2001
Mr Yaw Ankoye-Yeboah, manager of
the Mobil filling station at Pedu, in Cape Coast, on Tuesday suggested the use
of credit cards in business transactions to stem the spate of armed
robberies.
He said by adopting this measure,
currencies would not be required to warrant the keeping of huge sums of money
that would attract thieves and robbers.
Mr Anokye-Yeboah, made the
suggestion during a visit to some filling stations in Cape Coast and Elmina
area by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to find out measures they had adopted to
ward off armed robbers.
Armed robberies at a number of
filling stations in Accra recently lead to the death of two attendants.
The managers said they have
stopped 24-hour services and now close between 22 hours and midnight.
Mr. Anokye -Yeboah said he had put
in place additional precautionary measures including the installation of a
security camera and an alarm system to ward-off intruders.
The GNA also found out that
although other filling stations had employed watchmen they could not ensure
adequate security.
At Elmina Mr Peter Quainoo,
manager of the 'Shell' filling station said he engaged the services of a police
guard since the station was robbed sometime ago. The 'Unipetrol' filling
station nearby also had an armed police guard.
The managers said they do not have
an association to champion their cause since their "principals" do
not favour such a body.
The Regional Police Crime Officer,
Mr Bartholomew Agbenyega said police have intensified their night patrols.
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Amidu says EC boss erred in backdating
gazetted election results
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 January 2001
Mr. Martin Amidu, former Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, said on Tuesday that the Electoral Commissioner erred by giving retrospective dates to the gazetted results of the December elections.
He described the action of Mr Kwadwo Afari-Dyan as unconstitutional and asked him to correct the dates before January 26.
In a letter to the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Amidu, who was the running mate of Prof. John Atta Mills, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the constitution frowns upon retrospective legislation that adversely affects the rights of citizens.
"It cannot therefore sanction any retrospective gazette notification that affects or abridges or interferes with the rights of citizens."
Mr. Amidu said he had followed the electoral process, which culminated in "the purported publication of the Ghana Gazette No. 1 with the printed date of Friday, 5th January, 2001."
He said the date of gazette notification of both the parliamentary and presidential elections has constitutional and legal consequences.
Mr. Amidu said that at the time he left office on January 7, no gazette in respect of both the parliamentary and presidential elections had been published.
He said he continued to follow the issue and was informed on January 9 and January 10 that the proofs of the gazette had been returned to the Electoral Commissioner for correction but had not been returned to the publishers.
"I was made to understand that you were verifying some of the figures and also trying to supply certain omissions in respect of the number of votes cast for some candidates."
Mr. Amidu said he was informed on January 15 that the Electoral Commissioner had corrected the proofs and supplied the missing gaps for the finalisation of the printing of the gazette.
"The printing of the gazette was completed after six O'clock in the evening of 15th January, 2001. It was actually published on the morning of 16th January, 2001 in time for copies to be available should the Supreme Court require a copy in Hawa Yakubu's application for certiorari that morning."
Mr Amidu said he was, therefore, surprised when on January 16, he obtained the Ghana Gazette Number one only to find the date Friday, 5th January, 2001 printed on it as the date of publication.
He said when he sought an explanation for the retroactive dating, he was told that the Electoral Commissioner submitted the parliamentary and presidential election results for gazetting on December 22 and December 30 respectively.
Consequently since gazettes are printed on Fridays, the EC boss requested that the date of the first Friday following the date of submission should be used as the date of publication.
"It needs to be noted that both letters you wrote to the Ghana Publishing Corporation were received on 2nd January, 2001.
My understanding is that you authorised the use of the retroactive date of 5th January, 2001 as the date of publication of the gazette in spite of the fact that you knew that the printing of the gazette was not finished until after close of work on Monday, 15th January 2001."
Mr Amidu said the conduct of the Electoral Commissioner in procuring and facilitating the retroactive dating of the Ghana Gazette No. 1 is contrary to the letter and spirit of the constitution.
He said the EC boss should have ensured that the actual date of publication of the gazette is printed on it.
"You have not only failed to do this but you have also unconstitutionally procured and facilitated the retrospective dating of both the No.1 and 2 gazette for the year 2001."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 January 2001
Former South African President Nelson Mandela has lauded former President Jerry Rawlings, describing him as one of Africa's remarkable role models that have brought honour and pride to the continent.
In a letter to Flight Lieutenant Rawlings (rtd), he wrote: "Your star performance as leader of the republic of Ghana was legendary, and clearly distinguished you as a powerful and dynamic personality who came to command respect and admiration in many parts of the world."
Flt. Lt. Rawlings bowed out on January 7 after supervising a smooth transition in which his chosen successor, former Vice President John Atta Mills lost to Mr John Agyekum Kufuor.
Mr Mandela said for a young flight lieutenant to have planned and staged a successful coup in a country ruled by corrupt and pitiless tyrants showed peerless courage and determination.
"Your decision to acknowledge and highlight the achievements of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and to uproot all forms of corruption encouraged enlightened opinion makers far and wide.
"I might add that few leaders in history, who had seized power by undemocratic means, have been willing to submit themselves to democratic elections.
"That monumental decision on your part went a long way in silencing and even discrediting your detractors."
Mr Mandela said equally significant is the fact that Flt. Lt. Rawlings' contribution to world and regional organisations was just as impressive.
"Many decision makers will miss your wise advice as you take your well deserved rest."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
The Out-going Director of Passports, Mr. Ernest Owusu-Poku, has attributed the delay in issuing passports to applicants either providing false information or submitting forms through wrong channels.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, he said, "I will not endorse a form, which has false and unfounded information, much more issue the owner of that form with a passport."
Mr. Owusu-Poku pointed to several application forms on his desk saying, "some of these forms for instance have non-existent telephone numbers supposed to belong to witnesses of the applicants."
He said some applicants also provide names of supposed relatives who are usually never traced in case of eventualities.
"Our experience with this sort of problem is one of the reasons I personally take my time to scrutinise the applications to ensure that passport seekers do not outwit us," he said.
"If one submits one's forms and there are no such problems I do not see why the issuing of such a passport should take more than the mandatory one month."
Mr. Owusu-Poku, now the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), called on passport seekers to disabuse their minds of the notion that paying huge sums to self-styled passports agents is a guarantee for speedy acquisition of passports.
"I must point out that I personally would not endorse a form to be treated urgently without a cover note from an appropriate source explaining why that particular case should be treated special," he said.
A number of passport seekers at the Accra regional office of Ghana Immigration
Service (GIS) told the GNA that they submitted their forms almost a year ago with all the relevant information but have not yet received their passports.
A university student who pleaded anonymity said: "I submitted my form in August last year, now they are telling me it is lost so I must get a new one."
He said he just bought and submitted a new one, and for now "I do not want to be victimised so I am keeping calm, but I will deal with them after I have received my passport."
Mr. Owusu-Poku said processing a passport is cumbersome as it involves issues of national security, adding, "it is for this reason that we treat it with the seriousness it deserves."
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Tema (Greater Accra) 24 Jan 2001
The multi-million dollar Heimann
Fixed Container X-ray Scanner, which was installed at the Tema Port last year,
officially started operating on Tuesday.
The scanner, first to be installed
in an African port, helps to facilitate the clearance of goods, detect foreign
matter in containers and to ensure accurate assessment of duties on imports.
It is a new technique that
utilises the most modern giant X-ray technology, allied to computerised risk
analysis and a huge computerised price database to give increased facilitation
of trade without any loss of revenue.
Mr David Nutakor, Operations
Manager of Scanco Division of the Gateway Services Limited (GSL), explained the
functions of the scanner and said it can check 20 containers in an hour.
The scanner brings an end to the
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) as well as physical inspection of cargo by
customs officers, a system that caused undue delay in shipment and clearance of
goods. It also replaces the mobile scanner that was installed in June last
year.
The new customs technology has attracted
many African customs officials to the Tema Port to learn at first hand
information about its operations and introduce it in their countries.
On Tuesday, a four-member customs
delegation from Tanzania visited the port to see how the scanner functions.
Four ports in the world using the
X-ray scanning are Bremen, Le Havre, Hamburg and San Diego.
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Ho (Volta Region) 24 Jan 2001
Mr Justin Dorgu, Volta Regional
Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ),
on Tuesday called on the government to make community service part of the
country's penal system.
Mr Dorgu explained that, under the
system, suspects who are found guilty on lesser offences "would be made to
work on development projects within the community under the supervision of
prisons officers".
It will also help ease
over-crowding in the country's prisons.
Mr Dornu made the suggestion in
re-action to a questionnaire submitted to him on issues relating to the CHRAJ's
activities in the Volta Region.
He deplored conditions prevailing
at the Ho, Kpando and Kete-Krachi Prisons and said CHRAJ has called for
immediate improvement in order to avoid an outbreak of disease.
Mr Dornu said the Ho Male Prisons
accommodates 327 inmates, including 106 remand prisoners in its 170 capacity
prison whilst the female prison, which has a capacity for 24 inmates,
accommodates 22 inmates comprising 13 convicts and nine remand prisoners
including a breast-feeding mother and a pregnant woman.
He added that lack of efficient
medical care for the inmates is another problem facing the prisons in the
region.
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Ho (Volta Region) 24 Jan 2001
The Commission on Human Rights and
Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in the Volta Region last year received 582 cases
out of which it disposed of 316 cases.
This compares with 496 complaints
received in 1999 out of which 221 cases were settled.
Unresolved cases are however receiving
urgent attention, Mr Justin Dorgu, Volta Region Director of CHRAJ, disclosed to
the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Tuesday.
He said cases received were made
up of administrative injustices including dismissals, wrongful termination of
appointment and non-payment of pension and gratuity entitlements.
Others were lack of child
maintenance, which, he said, is on the Increase; property rates and
inheritance; land entitlements and the confiscation of assets.
He said complaints that bothered on
infringement of human rights were mainly on police brutalities, detention
beyond the 48 hours constitutional provision and payment of money before bail
was granted.
Mr Dorgu said that, with the
exception of a few cases that go to the courts, most complaints were resolved
through mediation and reconciliation.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Tuesday consented to hawkers appeal to sell along pavements and walk ways within the city.
It, however, directed the hawkers to position themselves in such a way that they do not obstruct pedestrians and traffic by displaying their wares on the pavements and the streets.
This followed a meeting chaired by AMA Chief Executive, Mr Victor Addokwei-Addo in Accra to deliberate on the problems of hawkers in the city and to stop the frequent harassment by the police and AMA traffic guards.
Mr Addokwei-Addo said the harassment is not in the interest of either the AMA or the hawkers, describing it as a hectic exercise and a drain on the resources of both parties
Mr Addokwei-Addo said, "If we set the rules, let us make sure that we obey them" and warned that if the hawkers failed to abide by the rule then they would have themselves to blame.
The two parties agreed to explore other alternatives to street hawking without causing inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists.
Hawkers from the Rawlings Park, Tema station, Electricity, Kinbu, Angelina House, Mokola, UTC, IRS and Okaishie were represented at the meting.
Mr Addokwei-Addo asked the various groups to set up task force to monitor activities of hawkers within their jurisdiction alongside AMA teams.
To ensure that the hawkers abide by their own regulations, he urged the groups to delegate two representatives each to serve on a central committee to be set up by the AMA to explore other ways of solving the problem of street hawking.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 24 Jan. 2001
Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, the 65-year-old veteran politician, who contested the December 2000 general election as running mate to the presidential candidate of the Convention People's Party (CPP), said in Tamale on Tuesday that he has no intention of quitting active politics.
"I have no intention of hanging my gloves now, since I am still physically and mentally strong to continue my political activities", he told the GNA in an interview.
Alhaji Mahama, a legal practitioner, started his political career at the age of 33 as a Member of Parliament for Tamale in 1969, during the Second Republic.
Earlier in 1966, he was appointed Commissioner for Information by the NLC regime that overthrew the first republican regime.
"I have not yet achieved my political ambition of being the Chief Executive of this country.
"I will therefore offer myself as the flag bearer of the CPP to contest the 2004 general election", he said.
Alhaji Mahama was the running mate to Lt.-General Emmanuel Erskine to contest the 1992 general election under the defunct Peoples Heritage Party (PHP).
In 1996, he lost the presidential slot of the People's Convention Party (PCP) to former Vice President Kow Nkensen Arkaah.
Alhaji Mahama said "the only time I will say good-bye to politics is when I am no longer fit to serve my nation".
He said he will not decline any appointment the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will offer him so far as he can play an advisory role or in line with his political preference.
Alhaji Mahama expressed optimism that the CPP will re-organise as a formidable party to make the desired impact in the next general election.
"The way forward is to open offices throughout the country, put in place constituency executives and place at their disposal the necessary logistics to work with".
He blamed the poor performance of the party in the recent general election on internal differences.
Alhaji Mahama commended the NPP for the able manner it has managed the affairs of the nation in just over two weeks.
He said the new government has the right calibre of people to transform the country and he will be surprised if they fail to achieve the national goals.
Alhaji Mahama said it would take the National Democratic Congress (NDC) a long time to stage a political come back.
He said there are a number of discredited people within the party and until they leave the scene, NDC will never recover from the December 2000 electoral defeat.
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Bole (Northern Region) 24 Jan. 2001
Bole District Chairman of the NPP, Alhaji Mahama Gonja, has called for the formation of an anti fuel smuggling squad to combat fuel smuggling in the district.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, Alhaji Gonja noted with concern the rate at which goods, including petroleum products are being smuggled across the border, saying this could thwart the efforts of the new government to stabilize the economy.
He called on law-abiding citizens, especially NPP members to be vigilant and not to allow anti-government elements to destroy the already ailing economy through smuggling to create artificial shortage and price increases.
Alhaji Gonja said as a first step the local NPP has organized its members to assist the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and the Police to track down smugglers.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
The African Development Bank (ADB) on Monday said it approved a grant of 500,000 dollars to finance the Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement the ADB Communication Unit said the grant from the Special Relief Fund, was approved by the Board of Directors for the procurement of vaccines, kits, pharmaceutical products, and consumables, and accessories for safe blood transfusion in the DRC.
"The grant will be used to provide vaccines against target diseases of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and potentially epidemic diseases such as cerebrospinal meningitis, yellow fever and cholera as well as test kits for HIV 1 and HIV 2, hepatitis and syphilis," the statement said.
The aim of the grant, the ADB said, is to help improve the health status of the population of the Kisangani region, and to specifically enable the government of that country tighten its control of the epidemiological situation.
An estimated budget of 2.90 million dollars, the statement said is expected to cover all the requirements, adding, "the Bank group contribution will support the government's efforts to improve the living conditions and ease the sufferings of the war victims."
Disbursement of the grant will begin in March this year and will cover a period of three months and procurement of drugs will have to conform with the WHO's procedures which are acceptable to the Bank.
According to the statement, since 1972 the Bank group has committed a total of 754.11 million US dollars for 54 operations in the DRC of which 710.54 million US dollars has been disbursed.
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Konongo (Ashanti Region) 24 Jan
2001
The government has been urged to
critically examine the composition of the National Commission on Civic
Education (NCCE) with a view to ensuring that it becomes politically neutral.
Nana Adu Asabre, Asante-Akim North
chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who made the call said the NCCE is
one institution that every effort must be made to ensure that it is properly
constituted and functions effectively.
He was addressing supporters of
the party at a victory rally held at Konongo. Nana Asabre observed that
"the immediate history of the NCCE is pregnant with partisanship and steps
should be taken to ensure that its constitutional duty is not sacrificed".
He made reference to the
just-ended general elections and said the activities of some workers of the
commission during the elections gave ample testimony to the partiality of the
institution.
Nana Asabre cited the instance where
the Asante-Akim North District Director of the NCCE was at the forefront of the
NDC campaign team in the constituency and personally supervised the
distribution of food and drinks to the party's agents during the polls.
He said the previous NDC regime
used the "NCCE as an avenue to appease the foot soldiers of the party who
were mostly drawn from the defunct PDC's and CDO's".
The result, he said was that
instead of educating the people to know their civic rights and
responsibilities, the commission persistently acted as an agent of the NDC in
rural areas and created confusion and division among the people.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
Chiefs still maintain
"deep-seated" legitimacy in society, with 70 per cent of Ghanaians
upholding the institution, raw data from a survey by the Institute of African
Studies (IAS), University of Ghana, have shown.
The survey, undertaken in August
and September last year, covered 2,500 respondents including the youth,
religious bodies, district assemblies, academics and transport unions.
It forms part of a larger project
that will culminate in the opening of a centre of learning for chiefs at the
IAS.
Dubbed "The Chieftaincy,
Governance and Development Project", it is sponsored by the US-based Ford
Foundation.
The Rev. Dr Abraham Akrong, an IAS
Research Fellow in Philosophy and Religion, told the GNA in Accra on Tuesday
that the exercise is aimed at enhancing the capacity of chiefs to cope with
changes in time.
"We have been to the National
and Regional Houses of Chiefs, traditional councils, district assemblies, civic
and social groups to test our agenda for chieftaincy," he said.
"Our findings mean that
chiefs cannot be by-passed by Government in its development effort," Rev.
Dr Akrong said.
The chieftaincy institution has
recently been rocked by many problems, including land and stool or skin
disputes, a situation not helped by the little attention paid to it by
politicians in the run-up to last year's elections.
Rev. Dr Akrong, who is also the
Project Manager, said as part of the survey, stool histories were also gathered
to serve as blueprints to succession and land boundaries, to help stem the many
disputes.
The National Conference on
"Chieftaincy, Governance and Development" held recently in Accra and
attended by chiefs from all over the country, was to modify the agenda through
consensus.
Rev. Dr Akrong said the IAS
intends to use the research findings as a guide for teaching materials for the
centre of learning for chiefs.
The centre, to be made open to
newly installed chiefs and those already installed, is to increase the
intellectual discourse of chiefs so that they can contribute effectively to the
development modem.
"Government and society make
a lot of demands on chiefs, but most of these demands are not adequately
addressed in the traditional set up."
Some of the demands, Rev Dr Akrong
noted, relate to the impact of environmental protection on the survival of
their communities, negotiation for and use of royalties from stool lands and
modernity on rural communities.
Rev. Dr Akrong said sometimes when
chiefs are unable to cope with such pressures they compromise their neutrality
and traditional authority to align with political parties that they feel could
ease the burden.
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Siiru (Upper West) 24 Jan. 2001
The United States Defence
Department and its European Command have approved 300,000 US dollars for the
rehabilitation of dams, which were destroyed by floods in 1999.
Ten dams, most of which are in the
northern sector of the country, would be selected for the exercise based on
data collected on their level of destruction and their impact on the lives of
the people after the floods.
Ms Kathryn Dee Robinson, US
ambassador to Ghana, announced this on Tuesday when she commissioned a
rehabilitated dam at Siiru in the Wa District.
The dam was rehabilitated by the
US Department of Defence and its European Command at a cost of 482 million
cedis, which could exchange for 100,000 dollars at the time the contract was
signed.
The Siiru said the dam, the
largest of 65 that were recommended by The national Disaster Management
Organisation (NADMO) for urgent repairs, was constructed in 1989 but has always
suffered some form of damage during years of heavy rainfall, the worst being
1999.
It will benefit about 20,000
people living in the catchment communities of Siiru, Balawa, Kaku, Daboziri and
Pingbanben through irrigation for dry season agricultural activities and
domestic use.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
Filling station managers in the Accra metropolis have agreed to close their stations at 2000 hours following the recent spate of armed attacks that have led to deaths of pump attendants.
The police, on their part, say they have increased their patrols in the city to curb the rising crime wave.
Mr Sylvester Apedoe, president of the Petroleum Retailers Association (PRA), told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday that members have agreed that stations at remote locations should close earlier.
This is to reduce the risk of facing armed robbers who do not only take away money but are also killing pump attendants.
In less than a week, two stations in the Accra metropolis have witnessed such attacks during which two attendants were shot dead. Another station was robbed of 50 million cedis in the same week.
Mr Apedoe said the association would be meeting on Wednesday to review the situation with the view to coming out with a definite position for the authorities to consider.
In the interim, dealers are advised to be security conscious, he said.
"We told them not to be counting money openly," Mr Apedoe said. "They are also encouraged to send (money) to the bank at shorter intervals than they are doing."
Mr Apedoe said dealers do not have many options available to them. "Our hands are tied," he said, and explained that preliminary findings indicate that the modus operandi of the robbers is sophisticated.
"They come with sophisticated weapons and in numbers that cannot be easily overcome," Mr Apedoe said.
Pump attendants, victims in most attacks, are paid between 50,000 cedis and 150,000 cedis a month because what accrues to the station as profit from the oil companies is inadequate.
Mr Apedoe said: "I can assure you that we pay them within the national minimum wage." Adding that they are also insured.
Some petroleum dealers the GNA interviewed said the spate of armed robberies at filling stations is the reflection of a breakdown of national security.
"The situation calls for a holistic approach to addressing the issue as hey relate to security agencies and other bodies in order to cut down on the crime wave," Mr Commodore Mensah, Manager at Airport Shell station, said.
He said the loose immigration rules are to blame since it has led to the influx of a large number of foreigners whose social and moral background cannot be verified.
"The immigration authorities need to sit up and ensure that not everyone is allowed into the country," Mr Mensah said. "Besides those who are permitted into the country must be made to leave by the specified period indicated."
Mr Divine Torkonoo, Manager at Legon Total, said he was sad at the attacks and murders and urged government to act quickly to halt them.
At the Unipetrol station on the Legon-Madina road, where armed robbers killed a lady pump attendant, the manager, Mr Emmanuel Sowah, looking sombre, said he was yet to get over the ordeal.
He said the station, which now has police protection, is operating normally, but added: "my staff is scared because they do not know what might happen next. This is the second time we have been attacked."
The supermarket, where the lady was shot, was opened but was empty since, according to Mr Sowah, "the boys say they just cannot stand the pain and grief they experience when they are inside."
The attendants sit outside and enter the shop only when a customer arrives. The lady is yet to be buried.
Mr Sowah said they now close at 2000 hours to avoid any such incident. ASP Richard Baduweh, Police Public Relations Officer, said they had increased patrol in the city and hope to come up with something soon.
The total strength of the police which stands at 14,000 cannot do all there is concerning crime.
"All we can do now is to increase patrols and place men at certain strategic points in town as a rapid response unit," ASP Baduweh said.
"We also have just taken delivery of a 15 new pick-ups and this will enhance our operations significantly," he added.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Jan. 2001
Ghana has received a positive response from the United States (US) Representative for Africa, Rosa Witaker to expedite the processing of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act to enable Ghana benefit from it.
This was the outcome of a meeting by Witaker with Ghana's three- member delegation led by Mr Samuel Odoi-Skyes, Chairman of the NPP to the inauguration of Mr George W. Bush as the 43rd US president.
The other members of the delegation were Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister designate for Trade and Industries and Mr Kwabena Darko an entrepreneur.
Speaking to newsmen on the delegation's return to Accra on Monday, Dr Apraku said their meeting with the US trade representative also involved exploring business opportunities, trade promotion as well as speeding implementation of the Act.
He said Witaker pledged to extend technical training opportunities to the Ministry of Trade and Industries and other government agencies to enable Ghana to take advantage of the tenets of the Act and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement.
He said the delegation also met with officials of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and discussed ways of facilitating greater inflows of investment into the country.
They urged the OPIC officials to implement the ACT, which requires them to provide special funding in the export of goods into the US market.
Dr. Apraku said at another meeting, the President of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) pledged CCA's support for the government of Ghana to strengthen the ties established over the years by the two countries.
The CCA also promised to plead the case of Ghana for greater investment and trade assistance by the Bush administration.
CCA is made up of representatives from 187 major companies including oil and financial institutions doing business in Europe, the US and Africa.
CCA has become one of the major influential organisations in the US that lobby on behalf of Africa to ensure the enactment of favourable legislation in respect of trade and investment flows in Africa.
Dr Apraku said the delegation met with the Christian Coalition, which expressed the desire to invest in communication, information technology, housing and agriculture.
Mr Odoi-Sykes said CCA commended Ghanaians for the smooth transition to a new administration and extended an invitation to President J.A. Kufuor to participate in its annual conference, to be held in Philadelphia in September this year where he would have the opportunity to meet investors.
Mr Odoi-Sykes said the delegation also met with the Ghanaian community to explain to them the current political dispensation and elicit their contribution to the development of the nation.
Mr Darko described the visit as "wonderful", saying that the response was very good and most of the businessmen they met expressed the desire to invest in Ghana.
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Kasoa, (Central Region) 24
Jan.2001
Twenty pupils of the Little Rock
Academy, at Kasoa, in the Central Region, on Monday sustained various degrees of
injuries when a school bus carrying them was involved in an accident with a
taxi cab on the Kasoa-Winneba road.
The children aged between six and
14 were being conveyed to Breku, also in the region, where they are picked
every morning to school in Kasoa.
They were rushed to the Kasoa
health post for treatment but those who sustained serious injuries were sent to
Korle Bu and other Hospitals.
Unconfirmed reports say the driver
and some of the passengers on board the taxi died.
Mr Kodjo Wiafe-Annor, Director of the school, told the GNA during
a visit to the health post that the accident occurred near the Liberia Camp,
when the taxi driver tried to overtake the bus but run into it to avoid a
head-on collision with an on-coming vehicle.
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