Prez Kufuor declares 2002 “Year for Hard Work”
‘Capital market prospects bright’ - Dr Asembri
ECOBANK is leading bank
Prez Kufuor declares 2002 “Year for Hard Work”
President John Kufour has declared this year a
period for hard work to bring about the needed transformation in the lives of
the people.
Consequently, he said, the NPP Administration
will begin to implement its vision for the country in order to build upon the
economic gains so far achieved.
The President was reflecting on his first year
in office in an exclusive interview at his private residence at the Airport
Residential Area in Accra on New Year’s Day.
He pledged that the government will launch a
policy framework to promote economic growth and create the much-needed wealth
for the socio-economic advancement of the people. He explained that by
generating wealth, “we will be combating poverty and improving the infrastructural
facilities of the country.”
President Kufour said work on a number of
projects will begin this year to create the right atmosphere for business to
thrive. He said work on the Accra-Aflao road for which funding has already been
secured will begin in earnest this year. According to him, work on the
Accra-Cape Coast and Accra-Kumasi roads will also be tackled.
The President acknowledged the up-hill task
confronting his administration but gave the assurance that he and his men are
on top of the agenda to transform the society for the better. He said the
government will commit resources towards the transformation of the countryside
by improving infrastructural facilities.
President Kufour said: “Power or energy is also
crucial because what we have now is not adequate and we are ready to promote
joint ventures with partners who will bring in capital.”
He added that the government will diversify
sources of energy and create the stock which will see Ghana through
industrialisation.
The President revealed that one of the central
promises of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration is to restore quality
education and try to provide all the 110 districts in the country with at least
one quality senior secondary school.
On the ‘Cash and Carry’ scheme, the President
hinted that studies have so far been concluded on a health insurance scheme and
a blue-print will be ready within the next two months. The scheme will be
implemented on a pilot basis.
The President said the government is determined
to introduce some joy and relief into agriculture by “moving away from
dependency on nature to scientific farming through irrigation and a mechanised
system.” He said the government will
add value to agricultural produce to stabilise prices.
The President disclosed that government will
provide credit facility to farmers and introduce an organised marketing scheme
for agricultural produce.
He promised to raise the professional conduct
of the police and other security services by motivating the personnel to ensure
law and order in the country.
Earlier, speaking on GTV Breakfast Show, the
President said managing the affairs of the nation for the past one year has not
been an easy task but “I have worked to the best of my abilities as a leader
and this has received acknowledgement from the international community.”
He declared, “I am adjusting to the heat on the
seat of the Presidency and I believe I am enjoying co-operation and goodwill
from the people.
When the President was asked how the demands of
the high office of the land have affected his private life, he said, he spends
the greater part of time attending to government business, and, therefore, has
little time, for instance, watching television.”
To a question whether he accepts criticisms
against his government, President Kufour said he feels quite okay with
criticisms and even goes further to learn from informed criticisms. “However,
when criticisms are uninformed, I get worried,” President Kufour said.
On the issue of the relationship between him
and his Ministers, the President said he gets on well with them, but said he
has been quick in pointing out any mistake on the part of any minister for the
corrective measures to be taken. “I do not like to be bossy but to work with
them as a team,” he said.
Asked how his first Christmas as the sitting
President has been like, Mr. Kufour said he visited the theatre and also
received a lot of people who called on him to wish his family a Prosperous New
Year.
To another question about what life would have
been during Christmas if he were a private man, President Kufour said he would
have been driving around town shopping and visiting friends on the quiet.
More…/
A Director of the Commission for Human Rights
and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Dr. Ken Agyemang-Attafuah, has said that
the zero tolerance for corruption declared by the President will remain a mere
slogan if institutions designed to enforce it are not well resourced to work
effectively.
He has, therefore, called for a clearly
articulated programme of support for all anti-corruption agencies.
Dr. Agyeman-Attafuah made the call on the fourth
day of the ongoing 53rd New Year School at Legon. The six-day school
is being organised by the Institute of Adult Education to discuss pertinent
issues and suggest ways of addressing the problems.
He said although the government is creating the
socio-legal space for effective criminal system, “it must move fast to quickly
beef up the capacity of the police and the other institutions to better perform
their duties as well as reduce the temptations for, and opportunities to engage
in corrupt conduct.”
Dr. Ayemang-Attafuah said while promises to
enhance the capacity of these agencies have been loud and clear, concrete
measures to invigorate and motivate them remain, at best, on the drawing board.
Dr. Agyemang-Attafuah recalled the various
military regimes which surfaced through coup d’etat with a pledge to introduce
probity, transparency and accountability into our national life.”
He said the “rhetoric of justification for
virtually every successful or attempted military intervention in Ghanaian
politics has included a tirade of criticisms against the ousted regime for
fostering corruption and being the very embodiment of corruption.”
The CHRAJ director also recalled the various
anti-corruption slogans and jingles, including educational messages by Dr.
Kwame Nkrumah and Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, adding that the fact that in spite of
these, corruption is still on the ascendancy indicates that the incumbent must
be clear with its stand on the declaration.
Dr. Agyemang-Attafuah said although the
President has started well by allowing the law to deal with his own former
Minister of Youth and Sports and a former Deputy Minister of Finance in the
erstwhile NDC regime for corruption, the institutions which must unearth more
of such crimes need to be supported.
He said investigation of persons by the lawful
institutions of state, constitutes a practical manifestation of the
government’s commitment to the policy of zero tolerance.
He expressed concern about what he described as
“the virtual absence, to date, of any policy of zero tolerance for corruption
and strategies for its implementation.”
“While the President’s inaugural address and a
number of ministerial pronouncements have announced and echoed the policy, the
government is yet to provide the necessary elaborations, signposts and
benchmarks crucial to a wider public appreciation of the policy and the
concrete elements that will engage the citizenry in lending support to it,” he
added.
To this end, he said, the policy thus “remains
amorphous, inadequately articulated and fuzzy and appears to fit, so far, more
in the domain “sloganeering” than serious policy development and
implementation.”
Dr Agyeman-Attafuah said the policy has made
the regime one of sanctions and punishments and even though it has better chances
of success, there should be thoughtful programmes that promote integrity,
reduce poverty, provide living wages and adequate resources and equipment for
anti-corruption agencies such as the Police Service, CHRAJ and the Serious
Fraud Office.
Mr K. Buabeng Asamoah of the Ghana
Anti-Corruption Coalition also called for better resources for the
anti-corruption agencies. He asked Ghanaians not to sympathise with those found
guilty of corruption, since their behaviour have the tendency of destroying the
moral fibre of the society, if not checked.
Professor Kwesi Yankah, the Dean of the Faculty
of Arts of the University of Ghana, who chaired the function, called on the
government to expedite action on the Freedom of Information Act to give the
media the opportunity to play its role in exposing the corrupt ones in society.
More…/
A biography of the current occupant of the
Golden Stool, entitled: ‘Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of Gold’ has been launched
in Kumasi.
The President, John Kufuor, launched the book
at a cocktail party that Asantehene, Otumfuo Dr Osei Tutu II, organised at the
Manhyia gardens for a cross-section of the society.
The ceremony was to commemorate the honour
conferred on Otumfuo by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(KNUST) Kumasi, which saw him being decorated with an honorary doctorate degree
in literature for his immense contribution to the development of education in
the country.
Written by Abene Ansaa-Adjei, a product of
KNUST the book covers the life of the Asantehene from birth till his ascendancy
of the Golden Stool. It was originally her long essay for her first degree in
Publishing Studies.
Databank and Enterprise Insurance Company Ltd
sponsored the ceremony, attended by some ministers of state, paramount chiefs
and opinion leaders.
Launching the book, President Kufuor expressed
concern about the fact that Ghanaians do not normally write books and said it
is time for that culture to be broken. He said the Ghanaians are eager to learn
about foreign cultures but shy away from learning about their own.
He described Otumfuo as a modern king who is
also the embodiment of modernity. He urged Ghanaians to patronise the book, as
it gives an insight into Asante culture, customs and practices. President
Kufuor further urged the Ministry of Education to encourage schools to use the
book.
The Asantehene commended the author for her
efforts in coming out with the epoch making book. He recounted the problems the
author encountered with some courtiers and staff of the palace when she was
making contacts to enable her to obtain materials for the book, which has
brought honour to the Golden Stool and urged the Manhyia staff to learn to
appreciate good things when they come their way.
He said the author traced her roots to his
aunt, with whom he stayed as a kid at Sefwi Wiawso where he schooled. The book
contains useful information about Otumfuo and Asante traditions, customs and
culture.
Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, was
present at the ceremony and received a complimentary copy of the book. She said
the book will be accepted as part of the Heritage series to promote the
nation’s culture.
The SSB Bank Limited purchased the first
autographed copy of the book for ˘20 million with the Managing Director of
Guinness Ghana Limited, Mr David Hainsworth, taking the second copy for ˘10
million. Kamai Motors and First Allied Savings bought other copies.
The author is a 23-year-old and holds a First
Class honours degree in Publishing Studies from KNUST. Mr Ken Ofori Atta of
Databank urged the universities not to feel reluctant to award First Class
degree to students.
More…/
‘Capital market prospects bright’ - Dr Asembri
Signs are that there will be significant
improvement in the economy to encourage investors to go to the capital market,
Dr Charles Asembri, Director -General of the Securities Regulatory Commission
(SEC), has said.
In an interview in Accra, Dr Asembri said,
"Gradually but surely the fundamentals are taking shape and it is the
expectation of all of us that we achieve the desired results so that the
capital market will boom."
The director-general noted that he was even
more encouraged that Parliament has endorsed the legislative instrument
governing mutual funds and trust. He said the stage is now set for applicants
who have been on the waiting list to take their rightful positions and carry on
with their work shortly. Collective investment will now get a new lease of
life, he added.
He
recalled with nostalgia the time when return on investment on the exchange was
about 120 per cent and that of treasury bills was 20 per cent. It was a
glorious period for the securities market, he said. "We are anxiously
waiting for the period when all those investors, both foreign and local, who
were on the exchange will return," `the director general said.
He contended that an efficient and robust
capital market is needed to give meaning to the talk about private sector
development. He agreed that the Stock Exchange must be supported to meet the
prevailing global challenges, especially technological developments, which have
been so fast that if any bourse does not go along those lines, it will be
marginalised.
More…/
The NDC has condemned the decision by the
Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to ban party’s intended procession
along some principal streets in the Tamale Municipality to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the 31st December Revolution.
The party described the action by the REGSEC as
unconstitutional and said that political rather than security reasons motivated
the ban.
The Northern Regional Youth Organiser of the
party, Alhaji Ibrahim Alhassan Libron, who was speaking at a press conference
in Tamale on Tuesday, said the decision by the REGSEC is a clear case of the
NPP administration’s intolerance of the views, beliefs and aspirations of its
political opponents.
According to Alhaji Libron, the NDC officially
notified the police in accordance with the public order act about the planned
procession that was to come off on the December 31. He said they received a
letter of consent from the police on Saturday, December 29, directing them on
the particular routes to follow.
The Organiser said as the final preparations
were being made, the police again sent a letter to him withdrawing their
earlier letter of consent requesting the members to call off the entire
programme.
In the letter, the police stated that, “In view
of developments affecting security in the municipality within the past 48
hours, it has become necessary to request you to suspend the celebration of the
two occasions, namely December 31, 2002 as request by you”.
Prior to the withdrawal letter of the police,
Alhaji Libron said the REGSEC had effected an announcement to be made on a
local radio station calling off the entire programme, citing security reasons.
“What security developments could have occurred in the municipality in less
than the 48 hours that the police did not know of before issuing the first
letter of consent?” Alhaji Libron queried.
He said that by law, “nobody has the right to
stop anybody or group from embarking on a procession even in the event of any
two groups intending to embark on similar events on the same day. All the
police can do is to designate different routes for each group to follow,
something which we were directed to do in the first of consent from the
police.”
The organiser, therefore, called on the NPP
government to put a stop to wanton abuse of power and strictly uphold the rule
of law, adding, “We will jealously defend our infant democracy and will resist
any attempt by any group from any quarters to undermine it.”
Present at the conference was the General
Secretary of NDC, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, the former Northern Regional Minister,
Alhaji Seidu Iddi and other members of the regional executive of the party.
More…/
The Central Regional Director of Education, Ms
Lydia Osei, has said the send-your-girl-child-to school campaign has yielded
positive results in the rural communities. Currently, she said the number of
girls in basic schools has improved in the rural areas with girls outnumbering
boys in most of their classes.
Ms Osei was addressing a one-day forum on Free
Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme at Cape Coast. The forum
discussed Ghana’s FCUBE: The Concept, The Policy, and its impact on the Civil
Society.
Ms Osei said the ultimate aim of the FCUBE
programme is the empowerment of citizens, regardless of their geographical
location, gender, ethnicity or religion. She noted that the number of subjects
taught at the primary, which increases from 9 to 13 at the JSS levels, is
uncomfortable for the teachers and pupils.
Ms Osei said the idea of Ghanaians perceiving
education as free is an illusion, saying education is paid for in the form of
sports fees, Parent Teachers Association (PTA) dues, book supplies, and extra
classes.
Ms Osei urged parents to educate their children
to ensure the success of the programme, adding that it will equip the child
with the fundamental skill of numeracy and literacy.
Professor Dominic K. Agyeman of the Department
of Sociology of the University of Cape Coast, said poverty, lack of political
will to translate national policies into action and inadequate qualified
personnel, who are underpaid, are the greatest challenges to the achievement of
the goals of the FCUBE.
GRi…/
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ECOBANK is leading bank
ECOBANK Limited is now the leading regional
banking group under a single brand name in Africa with its 12 networks across
West Africa and Central Africa.
In the West African sub-region alone, the
bank’s networks have extended to 11 countries namely Ghana, Benin, Togo,
Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Niger.
The chairman of Ecobank, Mr Edward Gyampoh, who
announced these at a reception in honour of the media in Accra on Friday said
that the bank also opened an affiliate in Cameroon “thereby extending our
network into Central Africa for the first time.”
He explained that with its strategy to become
the leading financial institution in Ghana and West Africa, the bank, since
commencing business 11 years ago, had been at the fore of bringing efficiency
and innovation into the banking sector.
“Our mission statement sets us out to
contribute to the financial, economic and social development of Ghana and West
Africa by providing a full range of banking services and products to
individuals and institutions and by the promotion of trade and investment,” he
stated.
The bank, he said aims to achieve these goals
through the provision of excellent customer service and by focusing on adding
value to the customer. “We are also working to streamline and standardize our
process, harnessing the efficiency and cost saving potential of technology and
telecommunications to develop a brand for quality and excellent service,” he
assured.
He recalled some of the bank’s activities and
products it introduced during 2001 and said they impacted positively on the
bank’s performance such that in spite of challenging market conditions its
level of profitability continued to be strengthened.
More…/
The
Kumasi Police are looking for Madam Ama Serwaah, 60, farmer and her son, Kwadwo
Agyeman, 28, an assistant pastor both of Kumasi for allegedly framing up their
relative, a popular Kumasi-based man of God in a rape case with the objective
of getting him imprisoned.
Their goal was to get relative, Reverend
Emmanuel Owusu, popularly known as “No Way for Satan”, founder and leader of
the Seraphim Church of Christ at Bohyen a suburb of Kumasi, jailed to enable
them to take over his church and other property.
But the plot failed last week Friday when the
supposed rape victim, Ama Owusuwaa, let the cat out of the bag with the
confession to the Police Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) that Rev. Owusu never
touched her.
According to her, she was coached by Madam
Serwaah and Agyeman, Assistant Pastor of Rev. Owusu’s Church, on what to tell
the Police to incriminate Rev. Owusu and promised her a reward of 50,000 cedis
if the deal went through. The two disappeared from home on learning that
Owusuwaa had let out the secret.
Briefing the “Times” in Kumasi at the week-end,
Police sources said that Rev. Owusu travelled to Germany in 1996 and returned
home recently only to realise that his property including a house and four
vehicles had been taken over by his two relatives. The relatives in fact,
changed the ownership of the property into their names.
Shocked by their conduct, Rev. Owusu asked them
to leave the house after several unsuccessful attempts by them to poison him.
Upon the intervention of Reverend J.Y. Adu of
the New Jerusalem chapel at Sobobon, near Kumasi and close friend of Rev.
Owusu, Madam Serwaah and her son were reconciled with Rev. Owusu.
On December 21, the two led Owusuwaa, a
housemaid, to the Kumasi WAJU office with the story that the girl had been
raped by Rev. Owusu.
In the course of investigations, Owusuwaa
confessed that the story was false saying that it was cooked up by Madam
Serwaah and Agyeman to get Rev. Owusu imprisoned to enable them to take over
his assets. A medical report also confirmed that the allegation was false.
GRi…/
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