Industrial and commercial workers take to the streets
School for the Deaf adds vocational training
ICP stresses need to learn, respect other cultures
Accept postings to rural areas - Minister
Mintah on NDC nomination of parliamentary candidates
Akim Oda-Nkawkaw road impassable
Scientific community urged to react to Terminator Technology
Offinso (Ashanti), 21st July 99--
The Water Research Institute (WRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has said the wrong use of pesticides was destroying foodcrops, the environment and human beings in Akomadan and its environs in the Offinso district.
These findings based on research the CSIR conducted, concluded however that "no quantifiable levels of organochlorine residues were detected in the area".
Mr William Joseph Ntow, Scientific Officer of WRI, made this known at a day's training of trainers workshop on "Safe pesticides management" for 42 participants selected from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the Ministry of Health, Offinso District Assembly and other related organisations in the district.
Jointly organised by the CSIR and the Offinso District Assembly, the workshop discussed topics like classification of pesticides, effective use of pesticides, integrated pest management, prevention of accidents, recognition of poisoning and management of poisoning.
Mr Ntow said the research was in response to allegations of impotency, high youth mortality and other environmental problems prevalent in the Akomadan area.
The study revealed that a wide range of pesticides was used in tomato production while its application was not regulated.
Mr Joseph Akwasi-Kumah, Offinso District Chief Executive, said since majority of the population are engaged in farming, the workshop would help to address some of the problems affecting them.
He acknowledged the harm that the wrong use of pesticides cause to human health and the environment and emphasised the government's commitment to minimise this through intensive education.
Mr Akwasi-Kumah regretted that most research findings "have almost always continued to gather dust on our shelves" and called on all stakeholders to ensure that "the nation benefits from research results from the institutions.
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Accra (Greater Accra), 21st July 99 -
The special monitoring squad of the Anti-Economic Saboteurs, an NGO, on Tuesday expressed concern about the spate of strike actions employed by workers to resolve labour disputes.
In a press release signed by Mr Thomas Nii Odarlai Mills, Leader of Operations of the squad, it said such actions affect the economy and productivity. They should therefore seek dialogue in resolving labour-management disputes.
The squad also appealed to managements to establish effective and sustained communication links between them and workers, saying investigations have revealed that most of such disputes are the result of lack of an effective communication which makes transparency difficult.
It suggested that the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare should establish an effective secretariat that would identify labour problems swiftly before they get out hand.
The secretariat will not only bring the ministry closer to management and employees but help to expose corruption and illegal tendencies which are some of the causes of industrial action, it said.
"Most of the causes that normally result in strike actions are mainly the negative attitudes of some people in responsible positions in this country who try to subvert government policies to the detriment of the ordinary Ghanaian."
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Industrial and commercial workers take to the streets
Accra (Greater Accra), 21st July 99 -
Hundreds of workers of the Greater Accra branch of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress on Tuesday defied pleas by their national executive not to demonstrate to defer their planned demonstration.
The angry placard-bearing workers ignored the advice given by Mr Napoleon Kpoh, General Secretary of ICU, who told them that majority of the grievances of the workers had been met by the National Tripartite Committee.
Some of the placards read "We want investors and not shooters", "Deport Hijazi", "We Want Better Pay", "Workers Rights are human rights", "TUC try to advise them", "Sintex workers are suffering", "Rawlings arise" and "Austin Gamey is a liar".
The workers also carried a miniature coffin with the inscriptions R.I.P Hijazi and the names J. J. Rawlings and Austin Gamey at the sides.
Mr Kpoh said the arrest of Mr Mohamed Hijazi, Managing Director of African Automobile Limited (AAL) and International Automobile Limited vindicates the ICU.
Mr Hidjazi was alleged to have drawn a pistol at workers during a meeting. He travelled abroad soon after that but was arrested by the police on his return last week.
There is also a directive for full scale investigations into the alleged brutality and criminal acts at AAL and an agreement on the issuance of a certificate for the ICU to represent workers of Wire Weaving Industries who have opted to join the ICU.
Mr Kpoh said the handling of mass dismissals at AAL and unionisation problems at Akosombo Textiles limited are what the ICU was calling for.
At this stage the workers shouted "no, no, no, ..." amidst dancing and chanting of patriotic songs.
Mr Kpoh expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the unfair manner in which the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare handles issues involving ICU member organisations.
He said the ICU would no more sit down for the rights of workers to be trampled upon by the government, employers and individuals.
The ICU boss said although the union does not encourage violence, the proper procedures must be followed when dismissing workers adding that Ghana has good employers and the ICU will co-operate with them.
He said the leadership of the ICU would follow the prosecution of Mr Hijazi to ensure that the law takes its course.
After his speech, the workers marched to the office of the Regional Co-ordinating Council where they presented a five-point resolution to Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Greater Accra regional Minister.
The resolution called for an unconditional reinstatement of the four dismissed local union executives of IKAM.
It demanded that an urgent action be taken to restore the confidence of workers in the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare and the Labour Department in their handling of labour issues.
Mr Ohene Agyekum said the government is doing its best to ensure industrial peace to enhance productivity.
He said strikes and demonstrations cost the nation a lot of money and appealed to the workers to go back to work.
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School for the Deaf adds vocational training
Jamasi (Ashanti), 21st July 99 --
The Ashanti School for the Deaf at Jamasi has achieved its avowed aim of introducing vocational subjects into its curricula to help deaf children who might not be able to further their education to the senior secondary school level.
Mr Yirenkyi Danquah, head of the vocational department, told the GNA at Jamasi that students who will pass out, would receive adequate training that would make them lead decent lives.
He said vocational classes are held in one of the school's classrooms which had been converted for that purpose for eight students, six boys and two girls, who completed junior secondary school (JSS) last year.
Subjects taught include dressmaking, tailoring, weaving, carpentry and masonry, he added.
Mr E.A. Asamoah, headmaster of the school, gave the assurance that the students would be helped to learn a trade and urged parents and guardians to support their children during their three-year training.
He appealed to non-governmental organisations, benevolent societies, philanthropists, financial institutions and churches to help the school put up a permanent dormitory to enable it to admit more students.
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ICP stresses need to learn, respect other cultures
Accra (Greater Accra), 21st July 99 -
The International Confederation of Principals (ICP), has stressed the need to include the spirit of peaceful coexistence and the desire to learn and respect other cultures irrespective of race, gender and colour in curriculum programmes for the youth.
A statement issued on Monday in Accra after the just ended fourth biennial conference of the ICP in Helsinki, Finland, said it has viewed with grave concern the impact of war, civil strife, prejudice, and injustice on the education of millions of children throughout the world.
It called on the United Nations to strongly urge its member-nations to introduce subjects that manifest the wonderful diversity of human race in their nation's curriculum to inculcate in the youth the sense of belonging.
The statement said "even if a fraction of the resources currently used to finance war and hatred were redirected to building schools, creating training programmes and teaching children of the beauty and power of human diversity, perhaps our newspapers would not be so grim.
"To continue to spend billions of dollars on destruction and to continue to devastate our most precious commodity, our children, is to invite the final ruination of our future and ourselves''.
The statement said "when a society loses its means to educate its future generation, it is in danger of losing its soul and of being condemned to finally fade from the stage and appealed to adults to cease robbing the next generation
of the future through war, prejudice and injustice."
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Accept postings to rural areas - Minister
Wa (Upper West), 21st July 99 -
Mr David Osei-Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister, has advised National Service Personnel to accept postings to the rural areas despite the present problems being encountered there.
"Due to the shortage of teachers, most of our schools are kept alive by service personnel and you should not allow this meaningful contribution to the development of these communities to suffer by refusing to serve there".
The Regional Minister was launching this year's National Service Week celebrations in the Upper West Region at Wa on Monday on the theme "Creating environmental consciousness--the role of the national service personnel"
Mr E.A. Aarah-Bapuah, the Regional Co-ordinator of the National Service Scheme, said 16 senior secondary schools have requested for 182 servicemen for next year out of the total regional request of 216 servicemen.
He appealed to the authorities to speed up the payment of allowances for the personnel.
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Mintah on NDC nomination of parliamentary candidates
Winneba (Central Region), 21st July 99 -
Nomination of National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidates for next year's elections may come off late in the year or early next year.
Constituency executives in the Central Region have therefore been advised to wait for directives from the national headquarters of the party before holding their primaries.
Mr Kofi Mintah, Central Regional Chairman of the NDC, made this known after touring 17 constituencies of the region to interact with party officials on plans for next year's presidential and parliamentary elections.
Mr Mintah advised constituency executives to discuss campaign strategies with ward chairmen and secretaries in order that "the NDC wins all the 17 seats in the region."
He acknowledged the "hard battle ahead" but said, "with hard work and effective campaign strategies, there is no doubt that the NDC can chalk another landslide victory in 2000 elections.
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Akim Oda-Nkawkaw road impassable
Akim Oda (Eastern Region), 21st July 99 --
Commercial activities at Akim Oda is gradually grinding to a halt as a result of the bad nature of the Akim Oda-Nkawkaw road which has been worsened by recent downpours.
On Monday, a portion of the road linking Birim North and South districts became so bad that vehicles carrying traders to the Akim Oda market got stuck in the mud.
The stranded traders had no alternative than to get down from their vehicles and walk through the mud with some falling down in the process.
The traders hired porters who conveyed their wares from the vehicles to the other end of the road before being able to make the journey to the Akim Oda market.
This situation also prevented day students of the Oda secondary school staying at Akim Oda from attending classes as their school bus could not make it through the mud.
Meanwhile the Akim Oda branch executive officers of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union who were at the scene have appealed to the government, as a matter of urgency, to rehabilitate the road to save the two districts from being cut off from the rest of the country.
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Scientific community urged to react to Terminator Technology
Bunso (Eastern Region), 21st July 99 -
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Mr Cletus Avoka, has called on the scientific community in the country to come out with their reaction to the call on the government to ban the "terminator technology".
He was referring to the call made by both Professor F.K.A. Allotey, chairman of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), and the head of the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) in Canada and published by the "Daily Graphic" last Wednesday.
They explained that the technology was a set of genetic engineering techniques that caused crops to bear sterile seeds thereby compelling farmers to seek new seeds every season for re-cultivation.
Mr Avoka, who was addressing the staff of the Plant Genetic Resources Centre at Bunso at the weekend during a familiarisation tour, said the government could only act on the calls when the scientific experts had submitted their views on the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.
He urged that the issue be approached "scientifically and without emotions" to ensure that whatever decisions would be taken would be to the best interest of the country.
On the demands by the staff of research institutions which led to their brief industrial action recently, Mr Avoka announced that the government has agreed to restock their libraries with scientific journals and connect the institutions to the internet to enable them keep abreast with current scientific trends world-wide.
The government has also directed his ministry to look into the financial commitments of scientists to the international organisations they were affiliated to for a decision to be taken to enable them to maintain their memberships.
Cabinet, he said, has decided that there would no more be the analogous salary structure for public sector employees but to rationalise emoluments according to job descriptions.
The Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Professor Walter Alhassan, told them that the staff of the council were not affected by the outcome of the new salary and wage policy of the "Pricewaterhouse Report" but are awaiting negotiations by their union.
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