At a meeting with farmers at Techiman, Mr E.S. Danso, Techiman District Manager of the bank, said the practice makes it difficult to identify loan defaulters

The meeting was organised by the Techiman District Secretariat of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) to create awareness about farm income losses and loan utilisation.

The meeting also discussed good marketing strategies to be adopted to ensure good prices for their produce.

Mr Danso noted that most farmers granted loans by the ADB under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) scheme in the Techiman district are still owing the bank, even though the period of refund is over.

He said the bank is taking steps to recover the loans through a ''house-to- house" loan collection exercise, and when that fails, it would resort to court action.

Mr Danso noted that farmers do not use the loans for the purpose for which they are acquired and advised them to use them profitably.

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Asokore Zongo NDC members stage mass defection

Asokore (Ashanti Region), 19 July '99,

Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Asokore-Zongo in the Sekyere East district of Ashanti have staged a mass defection to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), citing unfulfilled promises, deceit and neglect as the basis for their action.

Mr Osman Ali, spokesman for the more than 200 defectors, said at a ceremony held to officially welcome them to the NPP, that they can no longer compromise the situation where Asokore Zongo, a stronghold of the NDC in the district, continues to be left out in all development schemes.

He noted, for example, that while the main parts of Effiduase and Asokore enjoy street lights, the Zongo areas of the two towns are in total darkness, making them vulnerable to persistent armed attacks.

In addition, they are faced with a serious water problem, while the only road leading to the community has so deteriorated that drivers refuse to ply it.

Consequently, the kola-nut trade, their main economic activity, has slumped.

Mr Ali explained that the promise by some officials of the NDC to secure them jobs after collecting educational (academic) certificates from members of the community has largely remained unfulfilled.

The spokesman said they are of the firm conviction that a government of the NPP would be more sympathetic to the development needs and aspirations of the community.

This, he said, is evident from the sublime disposition and concern shown to the plight of people in the Zongo communities in the Effiduase-Asokore constituency by the NPP Member of Parliament (MP), Mrs Grace Coleman.

The spokesman gave assurance of their determination to help dislodge the NDC from its hold on the Asokore Zongo and urged the NPP to open an office in the community.

Mr Yaw Agyei Britwum, acting Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, told them to be firm, steadfast and loyal to the party.

He said the only way the country could come out of the "worsening socio-economic conditions is to vote the NDC out of power in the 2000 general elections".

He called for political tolerance and advised against insults, intimidation and threats.

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Nursing Training Colleges upgraded

Kumasi, (Ashanti Region) 19 July '99,

Nursing Training Colleges have been upgraded to diploma awarding institutions, Mr Maxwell Gyamfi, Deputy Director of Nursing Services in-charge of the Nursing Training College (NTC) in Kumasi said on Saturday.

He said more programmes to prepare specialised practitioners at graduate levels are being implemented.

Mr Gyamfi was speaking on the topic: "Nursing education, which way forward", at the second symposium organised by Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees' Association (GNMTA) as part of its week-long celebration in Kumasi.

The theme for the symposium was "Scientific health delivery, the nurse's responsibility".

Students attended it from Nursing training colleges in Kumasi, Agogo and Berekum.

Mr Gyamfi said nursing could not remain static since the development of society influences nursing practice.

He indicated that education for nursing now places more emphasis on the behavioural sciences, explaining that, knowledge gathered from experience and observation only and the memorisation of procedures and routines are no longer adequate.

The Deputy Director stressed the need for the turning out of high calibre nurses committed and knowledgeable in social sciences to meet demands of the day.

Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, said most people are dying from various diseases that can be prevented.

He pointed that the objective of the Ministry of Health is to provide make quality health services accessible to the people.

Dr Appiah-Denkyira said the ministry is now working out strategies to support health delivery providers to enable it to achieve its objectives.

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Government delegation at Nadowli

Nadowli (Upper West Region), 19 July '99,

Mr John Mahama, Minister for Communication on Saturday led a government delegation to the final funeral rites of the late paramount chief of the Nadowli traditional area, Alhaji Abdulai Dapilaa Dassa, who died on May six this year at the age of 105.

Mr Mahama presented one million cedis, one bag each of millet and rice, five cartons of beer and five crates of soft drinks to the bereaved family on behalf of the government.

He described the late paramount chief as " a development minded chief" who co-operated with the government for the progress of his area.

He appealed to the chiefs and people to unite and make sure that the right candidate is chosen to succeed the late chief.

Mr Mahama advised them not to allow Naa Dassa's death to draw back development in the area adding that, " in trying to find a successor avoid litigation and disputes."

He hoped his successor would maintain the good working relations the government enjoyed from the late paramount chief.

Earlier, Mr Mahama had led the delegation to Sabule in the Jirapa Lambussie district, to pay their last respect to Mr Maurice Kpiembarah, the 45 year old district director of agriculture at Bole who was killed by an ex-warrant officer, Ebenezer Quaynor, on June 24 in Accra.

Mr Mahama advised the people to exercise restraint and gave the assurance that the government would ensure that justice takes its course.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), presented an amount of 8.1 million cedis to the bereaved family.

Five million cedis out of the amount are to be invested in treasury bills to cater for the education of the two children of the deceased.

Members of the delegation included the IGP, Mr Peter Nanfuri, Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Francis Korbieh Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Mr David Osei Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister.

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Gold ornaments at Manhyia to be purified

Kumasi, (Ashanti Region) 19 July '99,

Investigations conducted by the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on the rationale behind the Asante tradition which bars the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, from attending any public engagements outside Asanteman until the final funeral rites of his predecessor, the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, revealed that the Asantehene could not adorn any gold ornament used by his predecessor until it has been "purified".

After the final funeral rites yet to be fixed, all the gold ornaments to be used by the new Asantehene will have to be purified through the performance of some rituals to exorcise the spirit of the departed Asantehene before they can be adorned by the new chief.

The investigations indicated that when the final funeral rites have been performed, then the Asantehene could exhibit the rich cultural heritage of Asanteman by adorning the full regalia as King of Asante.

A statement from the Manhyia Palace on Thursday had said the Asantehene is still in a state of mourning and could not attend any public engagement outside Asanteman until the final funeral rites of the late Asantehene.

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Immigration officer to appear before CHRAJ

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 19 July '99

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is to investigate a case in which an immigration officer is alleged to have assaulted a 45-year-old trader in Kumasi last October.

This followed a petition by the trader, Madam Adwoa Nyarko to CHRAJ after the Attorney-General's Department had allegedly advised the police not to prosecute the immigration officer, Mr Divine Narlobie, stationed at Asante-Bekwai in the Amansie East district.

Madam Nyarko, in her petition, said the grounds upon which the Attorney-General's Department advice was given was not satisfactory, hence her decision to seek redress through the CHRAJ.

She claimed that the immigration officer brutally assaulted her without any provocation in her shop at Adum, Kumasi, on October 23, last year, saying she bled in the nose and had a swollen and contused face as a result.

Madam Nyarko said she reported the case to the Kumasi Railway police, who charged Mr Narlobie after investigations, but she was later informed by Superintendent of Police Florence Arthur of the Court Unit that the docket had been sent to the Attorney-General's Department for advice.

She expressed the hope that justice would be done and the immigration officer made to face the full rigours of the law.

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Church service held in memory of Justice Akufo Addo

Accra (Greater Accra) 19 July '99

The Very Rev Anthony Beeko, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church, on Saturday called on Ghanaians to resolve to make a sharp break with any life of laxity and indiscipline and strive to set examples worthy of emulation.

Reverend Beeko was preaching at a church service at the Presbyterian Church of Resurrection in Accra in memory of the late Chief Justice and President of the second republic of Ghana, Mr Justice Edward Akufo Addo.

Mr Justice Akufo Addo died in July 1979 at the age of 73.

He said Mr Justice Akufo Addo was a staunch Christian, whose mission to propagate the ideals of Christ did not leave him as a lawyer and judge.

Rev. Beeko said the country needs people like Justice Akufo Addo who would go about their daily duties with a quality that influences society.

The former president proved to be a man of determination, "with the courage of his convictions in situations which demand more than cautious platitudes.

"Those who have access to his judgements will bear testimony to the fact that he would not trim his wings to suit any political climate, because his ideal in life was to represent the reasoned voice of Christian conscience in matters affecting society", he said.

"If we want Ghana to develop and continue to produce people of high calibre to run world bodies, then a life of upright character and desire to achieve excellence in everything should be an indispensable ingredient in our recipe for training."

Tributes were read to honour the late president. Professor A. A. Kwapong, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, described Justice Akufo Addo as a true nationalist and patriot dedicated to the service of his nation, adding that he "will occupy an assured and honoured place in the roll call of our national heroes when the history of modern Ghana comes to be written".

"It is now widely acknowledged that he is one of the greatest jurists that this country ever produced, in terms of his professional mastery of law, clarity of analysis and brilliance of advocacy."

He said as the nation stands on the brink of the third millennium with all that it portends, "this is the opportune time for us to take a fresh look at our past before and after our attainment of national independence, reassess those times and ... arrive at a clearer appreciation of the lives of those nationalist and statesmen who played a crucial rule in the independent movement".

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa and son of the late president, said on behalf of his siblings that their father was a stern Presbyterian who, nevertheless, knew that "humour was necessary to preserve balance and perspective".

This made him a refreshing, engaging person to talk to, he added.

He said he encouraged them to have their own thoughts and express them freely, provided they were intelligent.

Other personalities at the service included Mr Justice F .K Apaloo, Chief Justice, from 1977 to 1986, Mr K. N. Arkaah, former vice president, Mr J.H.

Mensah, Minority leader in parliament, Honourable Kofi Attoh, Deputy General Secretary of NDC, and other parliamentarians.

Mr Justice Akufo Addo, one of the Big Six, left behind a wife, Mrs Adeline Akufo Addo, and four children, who organised the service.

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19 billion cedis for projects in the Eastern Region

Mpraeso (Eastern Region) 19 July '99

The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) is to spend 19 billion cedis to sink 540 boreholes and to construct 6,000 Ventilated Improved Pits (VIP) for 270 communities in the Eastern region.

A total of 110 institutional places of convenience will also be constructed for Primary, Junior Secondary Schools and clinics.

The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the government are funding the project with the beneficiary communities contributing five per cent of the cost.

Mr Emmanuel Foster Boateng, Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the CWSA, said this when he briefed executive committee members of the Kwahu South District Assembly at Mpreaso.

He urged district assemblies to establish water and sanitation teams (DWST), each consisting of three persons with skills in community development, hygiene education, water supply and sanitation to promote and manage the programme.

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Rural water fund to be set up

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo ) 19 July '99

A rural water fund is to be created to mobilise financial resources for the smooth operation of the 110 small water systems in the country whose ownership and management are being transferred to communities in which they are located.

The Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Mr Charles Adjei who announced this, said revenue generated from the two per cent which rural water consumers are levied would be used to set up the fund.

He was commissioning a 400 million cedis Japanese-funded office complex for the Brong Ahafo Regional branch of the company at Sunyani on Friday.

Mr Adjei said, as part of the government's restructuring exercise, it has become necessary for the company to transfer ownership and management of small water systems to local communities to ensure greater efficiency in the water industry.

The creation of the fund, which, he said, would be managed by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), is one of the steps being taken to ensure that beneficiary communities are in a position to manage the systems efficiently.

The fund would be used to supplement revenue that would be generated from tariffs charged by the communities to undertake repairs, routine maintenance and possible expansion of the systems.

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Builsa district promotes girl-child education

Sandema (Upper East) 19 July '99

The Builsa district in the Upper East region has recorded an increase in the enrolment of girls as against boys in basic schools following special programmes designed by the district assembly and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to encourage girl-child education.

At the beginning of this academic year, the district recorded 1,211 female admissions into day care centres as compared to 1,171 for males while 6,121 girls were enrolled in primary schools as against 5,355 boys.

About 1,200 girls are currently attending the 22 junior secondary schools in the district while the figure for boys stands at a little over 9,000, the District Chief Executive, Mr Daniel A. Syme, has told Mr Kwabena Kyere, a Deputy Minister of Education, at Sandema .

Mr Kyere and Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), were on a working tour of the Upper East region.

Mr Syme said a programme - Child-Score - had been designed under a UNICEF-supported community-based development project aimed at strengthening the capacities of local people to mobilise their children to attend school.

Besides, the project has also provided a number of motorcycles, equipment and funding for the training of a district child-scope team to ensure the success of the programme.

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Government to find lasting peace along frontiers

Ashanti-Kpoeta (Volta Region), 19^th July 99 –

Mr Kofi Totobi-Quakyi, Minister for National Security, has said government is carefully planning an approach to establish a framework necessary to ensure lasting peace and co-existence among communities along Ghana's eastern frontier.

He, therefore, called on such communities to exercise restraint as government comes out with a sustainable means for resolving any impasse.

Mr Quakyi said this during a fact-finding visit to the three Ashanti communities of Kpoeta, Achem and Kpodzi to meet their chiefs and elders following renewed land and border disputes between them on one hand and Hanyigba-Todzi in Togo on the other hand.

He assured the people that the government was in close contact with officials from the Togolese side to find an amicable solution to the problem.

He cautioned the people not to do anything that would aggravate the already fragile security situation in the area despite the inconvenience and pain being experienced following the conflict.

Alhaji Seidu Iddi, Volta Regional Minister, asked the people to allow peace and unity to prevail among them in order to facilitate government's development efforts.

"If you allow a crack in a wall in your bedroom, then, be prepared to sleep with a lizard", Alhaji Iddi said and urged them to present a common front to ward off infiltrators.

Togbe Gadze VIII, Paramount Chief of Kpoeta, speaking through a spokesman, said for sometime now, the people of Togo had been encroaching on their farmlands in Ghana.

However, between March and June this year, the situation worsened when the Togolese set ablaze two hamlets belonging to Mr Noah Gavlo and Mr Komla Axovi, while Mr Holy Adzaho was attacked with a cutlass on his farm.

The spokesman said similar clashes occurred in 1983 and that of 1995 led to the death of Mr Adzawu Arnold, which was resolved after arbitration between the two sides.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to facilitate action to resolve the issue.

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Telecom introduces space-based network communication

Kumasi (Ashanti), 19^th July 99 –

Ghana Telecom (GT) has introduced the "Vsat" technology, a satellite-based network telecommunication which enables head offices of corporate bodies outside Ghana to have direct access to their branches including those located in areas that are not within the terrestrial links of GT.

Mr S.K. Ainsoh, General Manager (Product Development and Marketing) of the company, said this in a presentation on the new technology to some heads and representatives of financial institutions, hospitals, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the security services and other corporate bodies in Kumasi.

He explained that "Vsat," has already been applied for corporate networking by Unilever and the Metropolitan and Allied Bank, while that for Standard Chartered Bank is being installed.

Mr Ainsoh said Ghana Telecom is using the technology for its customer management and billing system.

He noted that apart from the inherent advantages of security, reliability and availability, the new technology does not lend itself to unnecessary interference.

Mr Ainsoh said there are plans to ensure that all parts of the country have access to telephone in the next five years.

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Kokofu gets new omanhene

Kokofu (Ashanti), 19^th July 99 –

Peace and tranquility has returned to the Kokofu traditional area in Ashanti with the enstoolment of a new paramount chief.

This follows the resolution of the misunderstanding between the queenmother, Nana Ataa Birago, and the kingmakers over the selection of an omanhene.

Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II, was on Thursday installed omanhene for Kokofu.

Known in private life as Mr Joseph Adu-Bobi alias Kwame Sakyi Adu-Abankoro, a retired educationist aged over 60, the new omanhene would swear the oath of allegiance to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene on Monday, July 19 at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

Barima Okogyeasuo succeeds his brother, the late Barima Kofi Adu II, who died three years ago.

The peaceful and colourful installation was witnessed by people from all walks of life.

At about 3 p.m., the omanhene rose from the family house and was guided by Gyaase to the durbar grounds, where he was introduced to the chiefs, elders and the people.

After this, the chiefs took turns to advise him to be tolerant, avoid discrimination and to mobilise the people for the development of the area.

Kyeame Agyei Akyamfuo, Asantehene's linguist who represented Otumfuo Osei Tutu, urged the people to help the new omanhene to ensure development.

The omanhene later swore the oath of allegiance to the people and promised to follow the good works of his predecessors for the development of the area.

The chiefs and the elders also swore allegiance to the omanhene, who later rode through the principal streets of the town in a palanquin.

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Crops institute assures farmers on efficacy of its seeds

Kumasi (Ashanti), 19^th July 99 -

The Crops Research Institute (CRI) has given the assurance that it does not grow the "terminator" seed and that farmers can rely on the seeds it supplies for multiplication.

Dr Ernest Asiedu, Seed Scientist of CRI, gave the assurance when Mr Cletus Avoka, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, inspected the institute's maize farm on the second day of his familiarisation tour of research institutions under the Ministry in Kumasi.

Dr Asiedu explained that the terminator seed could be cultivated between one to two generations, after which it would not yield.

He said the danger with the seed is that it pollinates other farms and affects their yields, adding that it is a way of getting farmers dependent on seed growers.

Professor F.K.A. Allotey, Chairman of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), has called for the ban of the technology, which produces the terminator seed.

According to Professor Allotey, if the technology were allowed into the country, farmers would not be able to replant seeds harvested from their farms.

Dr Asiedu told the Minister that from a total maize production of 30,000 metric tonnes in 1979, the country now produces 1.5 million metric tonnes.

He attributed this to the high-yielding and streak-resistant varieties of maize introduced by the institute, and said this has helped to stop the importation of maize.

Dr John Alex Otoo, Co-ordinator of the Roots and Tuber Crops Improvement Project, told the minister that the project is carrying out research to get a cassava variety which has the characteristics of malt for use in brewing.

He said Guinness Ghana Limited has expressed interest in using the variety in the production of its stout beer to reduce the cost in importing malt.

The institute has so far released three varieties of cassava, namely, Afisiafi, Gblemoduade and Abasa Fitaa, as well as four varieties of sweet potato, Okum Kom, Farar, Santum-Pona and Sawuti, for cultivation.

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NPP to vet parliamentary candidates

Agona Nyakrom (Central Region), 19^th July 99-

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) would vet all its prospective candidates for the 2000 parliamentary primaries.

National and regional executives of the party would undertake the vetting designed to avert conflicts in the constituencies, Mr Mohammed Adu, Agona West Constituency Chairman of the party, said at Agona Nyakrom on Thursday.

Addressing an NPP rally on the selection of parliamentary candidates for the 2000 elections he noted that the candidate to be selected should be endorsed by members of the polling areas for acceptance by the constituency executives.

Only the endorsed application form is to be forwarded to the regional and national executives for consideration.

Mr Adu, urged prospective candidates to be ready to go through the process early to enable the party to prepare for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

He said the entire constituency executives were determined to work with any candidate, who would win the forthcoming parliamentary primaries.

Alhaji Abu Abass, Nyakrom ward chairman, called on the national executives to provide adequate logistic support to enhance the electioneering campaign.

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Rehabilitated mother and baby unit for KATH commissioned

Kumasi (Ashanti), 19^th 99 –

The 150 million-cedi rehabilitated mother and baby unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), one of the most modern well-equipped units in Africa, was commissioned in Kumasi on Friday.

It comprises six incubators for pre-mature babies and a photo-therapy unit, which breaks neurobin in babies born with jaundiced skin and can accommodate 36 babies and their mothers.

The project which is falls under the first phase rehabilitation of the unit, was jointly undertaken by the management of Guinness Ghana Limited (GGL) and Consar Limited, a building and civil engineering firm.

It was commissioned by Lady Min Greener, wife of Sir Tony Greener, chairman of DIAGO, a joint partnership between Guinness International and Grand Metropolitan, a food and drinks manufacturing company in Britain.

She said the facilities would help improve the health of babies and nursing mothers.

Lady Greener, who presented keys of the unit to the hospital, commended the medical officers and the nurses for their dedication and hard work.

Professor Joseph W. Acheampong, medical administrator and a director of GGL, said the project was initiated in 1997 after a visit to the hospital by a delegation from the company.

He announced that GGL would adopt the ward after the completion of the second phase of the project to help maintain high standards and provide comfort for patients.

Dr Charles Poku, Head of the Department of Paediatrics who received the keys, said completion of the unit is a major step in the hospital's child health care delivery efforts to become a baby friendly hospital by the year 2000.

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Controversy over operation as Komfo Anokye claims it undertook first Siamese operation

Tamale (Northern Region), 19^th July 99 –

The recent successful separation of the Siamese twins may have been the first at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, but not in the country, says professor David Nii Amon-Kotei, Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University for Development Studies (UDS).

At a press conference in Tamale, to set records staright, Professor Amon-Kotei stated: "Contrary to the impression created in a section of the media, the first successful separation of a Siamese twins was not at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital but at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi in 1994.

He said he headed a team of five medical experts to successfully operate on two females delivered joined in the chest and abdomen.

They were born at Bawku in the Upper East region and referred to Komfo Anokye Hospital when they were one month old.

Other members of the team were Dr Pius Agbenorku, Plastic Surgeon, Dr Bafoe Bonney, Head of Paediatrics, and Dr Francis Abantanga, Paediatric Surgeon, who is now said to be doing further course in heart surgery overseas.

Professor Amon-Kotei, then the Chief Surgeon at Komfo Anokye, said the Siamese twins had a common liver but two separate gall bladders.

"They survived the operation, but one month later, one of them died from Juandice'', he said, adding that reports reaching him say the other child is still alive.

The recent separation of Siamese twins at Korle Bu was hailed in the media as the first in the country.

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