Tema (Greater Accra) 07 January
2003 - The Volta River Authority (VRA) has initiated a programme to reduce
power supply to the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) due to the low level of
water in the Akosombo Dam.
Sources close to VALCO told the
Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday that the exact amount and financing of the
reduction have not been finalised and that discussions were continuing with the
VRA.
The sources said in anticipation
of the possibility of power reductions, "management has already begun shut
down procedure for part of the plant. You may be assured that VALCO management
team is working diligently with the VRA to arrive at an agreement that will
minimise the impact on our workforce.''
The sources asked
for workers' patience and understanding as "we work through these
difficult issues."
On 1 October last year, VALCO
declared 80 employees out of its workforce of 1,009 redundant because of low
aluminium prices coupled with reduction in operation capacity since March 2002.
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"Modern technological
development and globalisation demand transformation of the traditional
institution of chieftaincy from -painted relics exhibited to foreign tourists -
to fit into the expectations of the 21st Century," he said.
President Kufuor said this at
the opening of a five-day international conference on "Chieftaincy in
President Kufuor whose speech
was read on his behalf by Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister, tasked chiefs
to adopt measures to meet the challenges brought about by the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, information and digital revolution and general education of the
citizenry.
The Conference, which would
discuss chieftaincy, governance and development, is being attended by policy
makers, representatives from royal houses all over
It also aims at a systematic
academic study of the institution of chieftaincy and its role in the general
system of governance in the midst of rapid modernisation and globalisation.
President Kufuor urged chiefs to
embrace the modern technological trend through self-transformation of norms and
traditions that inhibit development and portray the institution as custodian of
outmoded culture.
He said culture must be dynamic
to modernity stressing, "chiefs must focus on attracting investors,
improving education, communal participation in development projects and
transparent administration."
The President also noted that
the issue of governance and development are a critical problem that has created
wars, instability and underdevelopment in
President Kufuor assured
Ghanaian chiefs of government's commitment to empower, equip and improve the
institution with modern tools for development and growth. President Kufuor
commended chiefs who have adopted measures such as establishment of educational
funds to help needy but brilliant children, embarked on crusades against
environmental degradation, especially the depletion of national forest by
chainsaw operators.
He also commended those who are
championing economic investment drives into their communities.
Oyeeman Wereko
Ampem II, Gyaasehene of Akuapem Traditional Area, who chaired the opening ceremony
acknowledged the significant role the institution had played with resilience
despite the numerous political changes across the continent.
He, however, expressed concern
about lack of significant and well-defined role for chiefs to make meaningful
contributions to economic development. Citing the local government structure
where, he noted, the chiefs were expected to play significant role in its
administration and development, Oyeeman Ampem said, "we find that
chiefs have been marginalised to the extent that their contribution is very
small."
He said chiefs who are members
of the district assemblies are there by virtue of the exercise of the
prerogative by the President. Oyeeman Ampem, who is also the chief of Amanokrom
of the Gyaase Division of Akuapem
called for bold initiatives to recognise the potential that chieftaincy can
make towards national development with assigned roles within the Constitution
and laws of the state.
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Ho (Volta Region)
Nicholas Blewushie,
Ho District Police Commander, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on
Monday, however, declined to give their names. He said the demonstrators, whose
27 placards had been seized and were in the custody of the Police, did not
apply for Police permit. Some of the placards read, "Liquidate Nuworsu and Amematekpor,'' and
''Internal Democracy Now."
Blewushie said preliminary investigations
indicated that the demonstration was targeted at Mr Kofi Dzamesi,
Deputy Volta Region Minister, Tommy Amematekpor, a
contractor and a Special Aide to the President and Mawutor
Goh, Ho District Chief Executive.
Others were Kenwood Nuworsu, acting Regional Chairman of the NPP and Regional
Co-ordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Van Seshie Torblu, Ho Central
constituency Chairman and others.
Blewushie said the police were yet to
establish if there was a link between the demonstration and a fight between Mr Torblu and a Geoffrey Mensah an activist during a New
Year's Eve get-together organised for party members.
In an unsigned resolution attributed
to the three constituencies in the Ho District, the demonstrators, among
others, demanded "an immediate freeze on appointments of Zonal Coordinators of NADMO".
The 10-point resolution revealed
grievances among the rank and file of the party regarding award of contracts,
party finances, privileges and comportment of regional executives of the party.
When contacted Kwame Atta,
Regional Secretary of the party, denied that there were any grievances that
were brought to the notice of the Regional Executive.
He said the party had procedures
for resolving grievances from the ward level through the constituencies and the
regional to the national level. Atta said he was surprised by the action and
was yet to identify those who were behind the demonstration.
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Their committal followed their
second appearance before an Accra Magistrate court after bills of indictment
had been served on them to reappear before the court. They are Chief
Superintendent of Police Koranteng Mintah, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Frank Awuah, ASP Faakyi Kumi, ASP B.B. Bakomora, ASP John
Naami and ASP Frank Aryee.
Each has been charged with 126
counts of manslaughter. Their pleas were not taken. The magistrate Mrs
Elizabeth Adusei granted each of them 20m cedis bail
with two sureties.
They are expected to report to
the
However, the Administration
withdrew the interdiction on the grounds that it was no longer necessary since
investigations had been completed. The fans died in a stampede when police
fired tear gas into the stands to control people from throwing plastic chairs
and other objects onto the field of play. President John Agyekum Kufuor set up
the Commission to investigate the deaths, which are the worst in
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 January
2003- R.A. Quarshie on Monday urged all the youth of
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rally behind the newly elected National Youth Organiser
of the party, Mustapha Hamid saying the 2004 election
"is going to be won by the youth".
In a statement issued in
"I am a sportsman and I
have learnt how to lose and to win. The esteemed delegates have spoken and I
respect the decision. We do not have to dwell on the past," he said.
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Mrs Chris Botchwey, Executive
Director of OGR Travel and
She was commenting on the
performance of the new coach service since it began operations last month. OGR
currently operates a fleet of three coaches to
The coach is air-conditioned and
fitted with a fridge, toilet facility, over-head
reading lights, on-board movies, drinks, snacks and stewards. Mrs Botchwey said
She said the coach has two
highly trained technicians on board at any given time to ensure that faults are
quickly and readily corrected. "We also have a mechanism with the Ghana
Police Service for maximum security."
Some travelers who spoke to the
GNA welcomed the operations of the OGR saying, "It is long overdue. But we
are happy that at long last there is a service that is clean, efficient and
luxurious."
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Abuakwa (Ashanti Region)
Samuel Oracca-Tetteh,
the General Secretary of ASAN, expressed the concern at a day's workshop on HIV/AIDS
organised by Universal Advo-Counselling International
(UNACIT), an HIV/AIDS NGO within International Jesus Family Ministries at Kubease-Abuakwa near
Under the theme, "Bread
breaking with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) - Community commitment",
the workshop was aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS in the communities.
Oracca-Tetteh said from January to September
last year, statistics show that more than 15,629 PLWHA were recorded in the
Ashanti Region with
Reverend Samuel Asiamah, Director
of Universal Diet Clinic and founder of the International Jesus Family Ministries,
said religious bodies have a major responsibility to intensify anti-HIV/AIDS
campaign to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Rev Asiamah, who is also the
Director of UNACIT, said the organisation aims at researching into herbal and
natural therapeutic treatment, offer counselling on dietary and give support
and care to PLWHA and orphans of AIDS patients.
Miss Diana Babari
and Charles Aikins, two HIV/AIDS patients, asked the
public not to shun PLWHA's but rather have love,
affection and understanding for them. Rev Asiamah later organised a reception
for the participants and other HIV/AIDS patients who attended the workshop.
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"If Africa is to develop
and take its place in the comity of the nations it must charter a course that
exploit its own indigenous resources and traditions which respond to the
aspirations of the people," he said.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere
said this at the opening of a five-day international conference on,
"Chieftaincy, Governance and Development in
Policy makers, representatives
from royal houses all over
Odeneho Gyapong
Ababio, President of the National House of Chiefs in
a speech urged African governments to recognise the overriding need to empower local
governments through involvement of chiefs in order to bring development
decision closer to the people.
Recalling the historical
background to the marginalisation of chiefs in local governance, he noted
"Democracy, with its insistence on mass participation of enfranchised
adults, forced the newly emergent African political class to review its
relationship with traditional rulers."
Odeneho Ababio
said in this new millennium, governments must focus on ensuring that local
government and the chieftaincy institution integrate for national development.
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Wa (Upper West)
He has been barred from
celebrating Mass in any of the Catholic Churches in the Diocese, would not be
allowed to hear confession from any member of the congregation and would not be
allowed to perform any priestly duties.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency
(GNA), Most Rev Paul Bemile, Catholic Bishop of Wa Diocese, said copies of the decision had been
distributed to all parishes of the diocese.
Bishop Bemile
said Rev Fr Linus Mino had
persistently violated the vows of celibacy and disobedience to the Bishop even
though he had been warned several times for the past two years.
"He has obstinately
disobeyed the offices of the Bishop and went ahead to violate the vow of celibacy
which is unacceptable." Bishop Bemile said the
suspension was to enable the priest to reflect and to reform and if after
sometime he concedes his mistakes and turns over a new leaf ''we shall not
hesitate to take him back in our fold."
"We did a lot to change
him, even by transferring him far away from Wa, but that did not help him and right now we have
no other option than the decision taken". He said a copy of the letter had
been sent to the Pro-Nuncio of the Church for his action and the priest would
only return to his normal duties based on his conduct and behaviour during the
suspension period.
GNA's further interviews in Wa town revealed that the
suspended Rev Fr Linus Mino
has impregnated a hairdresser in Wa. Information had
it that he travelled with the lady anytime he was going out of the region and
even when he was transferred to Lawra Parish the lady
visited him regularly and slept with him. The priest could however, not be traced
as he was said to have travelled out of town.
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Pokuase (Greater Accra) 07 January 2003-
Rev Eric Ahumah Otumfour,
in charge of the Power Centre Assemblies of God Church on Sunday called on
politicians to remain united in order to ensure the rapid development of the
country.
He said the development of any
country depends largely on politicians who lead the people. Rev Otumfour who made the call after a three-day prayer session
congratulated his church members for mobilizing resources for the construction
of a permanent church building at the cost of about 120 million cedis. The
project, he said, is being undertaken through communal labour and special
levies of 50,000 cedis a man while the women pay 20,000 cedis.
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Awutu Mankesim
(Central Region)
This is because apart from
dissipating the scarce resources through the escalation of such problems
chieftaincy disputes had of late been identified as one of the vices impeding
national development
Nai Kwao
Otuo, Ankobiahene of the Awutu
Traditional Area, was addressing about 30 pastors of various churches at an end-of-year
party organized for them at Awutu Mankesim.
Nai Otuo was optimistic that better
results could be achieved if ministers of religion in chieftaincy conflict areas
would team up with government officials and representatives of the National
House of Chiefs to find amicable solution to all chieftaincy disputes.
Nai Otuo appealed to all committed
ministers of God to help the government to expose unscrupulous pastors whose
illicit activities tended to cast a slur on the reputation of the Christian
faith. He appealed to pastors to devote enough time to educate their followers on
the HIV/AIDS and communal activities.
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Ejisu (Ashanti Region) 07 January
2003- Very Reverend Samuel Fosu Kusi-Appiah,
Superintendent Minister of the Ejisu circuit of the
Methodist Church, has blamed all Ghanaians for corrupt and irresponsible
practices that have contributed to the current socio-economic woes of the country.
He has therefore, appealed to
Ghanaians to accept their weaknesses in good faith and strive
to make amends in the New Year to help improve the economy, instead of always
pointing accusing fingers on certain individuals and governments.
Rev Kusi-Appiah
was preaching the sermon to mark the Covenant Sunday of the Ejisu
circuit of the
He said corrupt practices in
homes, churches, offices, market places, borders as well as lack of sacrifices
and dedication had ruined the nation and urged Ghanaians to re-think and change
their attitude to help rebuild the country.
He commended the initiative
taken by the government to reconcile the nation and said it was only through unity
that the country could move forward. Rev Kusi-Appiah
urged all Ghanaians irrespective of their social, political and religious
background to come together to find solutions to the problems facing the
nation.
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Awutu Panim
(Central Region) 07 January 2003- The 1994 Second National Best Farmer, Nai Kwao Otuo, has said the most
enduring legacy President John Agyekum Kufuor could bequeath to the nation was
the industrial starch factory that the government was establishing at Awutu Bawjiase in the Central
Region.
He appealed to Ghanaians not to
play politics with the project but do all they could individually and collectively
to ensure its success. Nai Otu,
chairman of the Central Region branch of the Ghana National Association of
Farmers and Fishermen, was addressing 200 tenant farmers at a meeting a Awutu Panim in the Central
Region.
He appealed to jobless youth in
the Awutu Traditional area to take up the challenge
to cultivate large acres of industrial starch cassava farms to feed the
factory. Nai Otu urged Awutus in particular to be thankful to President Kufuor for
citing the project in the area and appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders to put
their religious, ethnic and political differences aside and do all they could
to encourage the youngsters to embrace it.
He praised the farmers operating
in the Awutu Traditional Area for their dedicated and
commitment to farming that had contributed to the increased food production in
the Central Region and nation at large.
Nai Otu
however, stressed the need for the farmers to use greater part of their
earnings on their children's education. Opani Kwesi Mensah, spokesman for the farmers, assured President
Kufuor and the nation of their preparedness to expand their cassava farms and
also maintain them effectively to sustain the Ayensu Starch Factory.
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