Korle Bu Doctors call off strike
Cabinet recommends Audit Service Bill
Education unit refutes MP's claim
210 boreholes to be sunk in Volta region
Seminar held for fish exporters
Communal Labour Ends in Disaster
Exploit benefits of neem tree - Prof. Addae-Mensah
Suminakese needs more police personnel - Chief
District directors of Education sign performance agreement
Assemblies hold workshop on Common Fund
Committee to investigate land dispute
Korle Bu Doctors call off strike
Accra (Greater Accra), 22nd July 99 -
Consultants and specialists at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday called off their strike as a result of confirmation that Dr Silvia Anie-Akwetey, Director of Administration, has proceeded on leave.
At an emergency meeting held at the hospital, the doctors resolved that they would resume their services with immediate effect.
The Acting Board Chairman, The Reverend Professor Seth Ayetteh and the hospital's management board had confirmed that Dr Anie-Akewtey had proceeded on indefinite leave.
The doctors threatened to withdraw their services if any of their members is victimised as a result of their action.
The doctors on Monday withdrew their services to press demands for the removal of the director of administration who was at the centre of a controversy over purchases of hospital consumables.
A GNA reporter who visited some of the wards saw most of the doctors at post.
Meanwhile, nurses at the hospital who also laid down their tools to demand payment of their extra-duty allowances have refused to resume work until they are paid.
The nurses have been assured by the Ministers of Health and Finance that the allowances would be paid on July 28.
However, the nurses at a meeting on Wednesday told their leadership that they would not work until they receive their money.
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Cabinet recommends Audit Service Bill
Accra, (Greater Accra) 22nd July '99,
Cabinet has recommended the new Audit Service Bill to replace the Audit Service Decree of 1972 by incorporating new articles.
Announcing this at the post-cabinet press briefing at the Castle, Osu, on Wednesday, Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications, said the new bill would contain articles 187 and 188 of the constitution.
It would also contain certain provisions of the Financial Administration Decree of 1979, thus bringing the operations of the Audit Service in line with modern developments.
An innovation in the Bill is the setting up of audit committees in every institution, subject to auditing by the Auditor-General.
These committees would follow up matters and recommendations relating to their organisations in the Auditor-General's report as well as financial matters raised by their internal monitoring units.
"Heads of institutions shall prepare an annual statement showing the status of implementation of the Auditor-General's reports and remedial action taken or planned".
Mr Mahama said following Cabinet's approval, the Attorney-General's Department is to initiate the establishment of a National Commission on Light Arms under the National Security Council.
Cabinet also approved the Draft Plan of Action to Implement the Programme for Co-ordination and Assistance for Security and Development.
This programme was adopted by the 16-nation sub-regional economic grouping, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African states) at its foreign ministers meeting in Bamako, Mali, earlier this year.
It is to give effect to the moratorium declared by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on the exportation, importation and manufacture of light arms and small weapons in West Africa.
"This is to curb the proliferation of these weapons in the sub-region posing security threat to law and order".
He said Cabinet also approved a Copyright Bill to replace the Copyright Law of 1985 to bring the legislation in line with the constitution.
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Education unit refutes MP's claim
Nkawie (Ashanti Region), 22nd July '99,
The Atwima district Directorate of Education has denied claims by Mr Kwasi Dante Afriyie, Member of Parliament for Atwima-Mponua that the Apenkro primary school has been without a teacher for the past six months.
Mr Eddy Obeng-Darko, District Director of Education, said on Tuesday that the MP could have spared the general public the unnecessary alarm caused by his pronouncement if he had checked his facts with the directorate.
He explained that the Apenkro Local Authority primary together with Afepaye, Kwabenakwa and Kakaatire, have peculiar problems with accessibility and accommodation.
In the case of Apenkro, it can only be reached through either Anwiafutu where people are ferried across the Offin River by canoes.
He said in the rainy season, "it is nightmarish crossing the Offin River", adding that "this situation has discouraged many teachers from accepting postings to the school".
Mr Obeng-Darko said notwithstanding this, the education directorate "ensures that the school which is up to primary three with 37 pupils, always has at least a teacher".
At present, it is being handled by Mr Mark Nyina Blankson, a General Certificate of Education advanced level holder.
He said the education directorate is now recruiting GCE 'A' level holders from those communities as teachers to provide a lasting solution to the problem of teachers refusing postings to those schools.
Mr Obeng-Darko said it was unfortunate that the MP had to accuse the directorate by inference of neglecting the Apenkro school.
Meanwhile, the chiefs and people of the community have expressed shock at the MP's pronouncement since he himself last visited the area on March 14, this year.
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210 boreholes to be sunk in Volta region
Ho, (Volta Region) 22nd July '99,
Two hundred and ten boreholes are to be drilled in the Volta region at a cost of 3.1 billion cedis under the Volta Region Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA).
Alhaji Seidu Iddi, Volta Regional Minister, who announced this on Monday said in Ho that the contract for the project has been awarded to four contractors to provide potable water for 63,000 people in the region.
This was contained in a speech read for him by Mr Kwesi Aboagye, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, at this year's mid-year review meeting of the CWSA.
The six-day meeting is on the theme ''Post delivery responsibility towards water and sanitation scheme''. It aims, among other things, at assessing their performance and prioritising strategies and review targets and budgets.
Alhaji Iddi said so far, 175,000 people had been served with potable water in the region and that an additional 30,000 people would be served by the end of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) sponsored programme by 2003.
He entreated district assemblies to set aside part of their common fund for effective management of investment under the water and sanitation sector for sustainable delivery.
Alhaji Amadu Seidu, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, said the post construction phase in water and sanitation delivery was of critical significance for the maintenance and sustainability in the sector.
He implored the CWSA to create the enabling environment for communities and other stakeholders to play their role as far as post delivery responsibilities are concerned.
Alhaji Seidu said although communities are responsible for the operations and maintenance under the CWSA national strategy "I believe strongly that communities must be provided with the needed support to enable them to meet the challenges of post delivery responsibilities".
He called on the meeting to consider the provision of adequate water points, pricing mechanism and monitoring quality to ensure that communities do not go back to untreated water sources to thwart efforts at eradicating water borne diseases.
Mr P.O. Sackey, acting CWSA chief executive, said CWSA was expected to construct 628 boreholes and rehabilitate 1,352 old ones.
The Agency will also sink and rehabilitate 661 hand-dug wells and 70 small towns pipe systems, while 2,750 household toilets would be constructed alongside 120 schools.
Mr Sackey announced that a board for the agency would soon be appointed to facilitate their work and called on the staff "to rise above the challenges of the time to justify the level of investment in the sector by donors and the government of Ghana".
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Tamale, (Northern Region) 22nd July '99,
The newly established Village Infrastructural Project (VIP) is to absorb all uncompleted projects and other liabilities of the Agricultural Sector Improvement Project (ASIP) which has now been phased out.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), is negotiating with the World Bank which is responsible for the two projects for the conclusion of uncompleted projects which are of crucial importance to the beneficiary communities and district assemblies which have met all financial requirements.
Dr Kweku Agyeman-Mensah, VIP National Co-ordinator made this known in Tamale on Tuesday when he addressed a meeting of representatives of 14 district assemblies from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions that have been listed to benefit from the VIP.
VIP is aimed at empowering local communities and beneficiary groups to identify, plan, implement and maintain small village-level infrastructural investments.
The meeting which was attended by district chief executives, Co-ordinating Directors of Administration and members of the district assemblies, discussed the rationale, objectives and components of the VIP as well as its eligibility criteria, procurement, disbursement and information requirements over a two-year development plan.
Dr Agyeman-Mensah said the 60 million-dollar five-year-project would provide rural water, transport, post-harvest infrastructures, and poverty alleviation programmes.
It is targeted at Ghana's over 64 per cent peasant farmers classified as poor to raise their earning capacities and standard of living.
He said a consignment of 70 pick ups and 120 motor bikes is expected soon to add to the 33 pick ups already supplied to the field officers to facilitate the project's implementation.
Dr Agyeman-Mensah charged district chief executives to monitor and supervise every aspect of the project to ensure its success.
Mr Brown Matthew Oppong, the project engineer cautioned the beneficiary district assemblies against fraudulent practices especially in procurement procedures.
He warned that offending districts would be blacklisted.
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Seminar held for fish exporters
Accra, (Greater Accra) 22nd July '99,
Mr Alex Ntiforo, Acting Director of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB), on Wednesday said no efforts should be spared in ensuring continuous growth of the fishery industry because of its economic value.
He said fishery products have become one of the most important non-traditional export commodities in the country, especially at the time when prices of traditional export commodities are fast declining on the international market.
Mr Ntiforo said this in a speech read for him by Mr Neils Lartey Hesse, Acting Deputy Director of GSB, at a day's review seminar held in Accra on the export of fish to the European Union (EU).
The seminar, which is the third in a series, is to enable the operators to identify critical points in the industry which need to be controlled either biologically or chemically.
He said since July 1998, Ghana has been listed in "Group One of the Third Countries" authorised by the European Commission to export fishery products to its member states.
To qualify to export fishery products to the EU, establishments and vessels must meet stiff requirements including high safety standards.
Mr Ntiforo said although the board had listed only six approved establishments in 1998, they have now listed 14 land establishments and 20 Freezer Vessels.
The establishments, he said, are made up of canneries, one company dealing in smoked and dried fish, six dealing in live lobsters and another five dealing in fish and frozen fish.
The Acting Director said to consolidate Ghana's position as a recognised fish exporter to the EU, the GSB will continue to organise refresher courses for approved establishments and vessels owners.
He said the Board has also put in place training programmes to educate prospective exporters to enable them to meet the requirements.
Mr Ntiforo said the Japanese Government's acknowledgement of the GSB Chemical Laboratory as a recognised institution for chemical analysis and certification for food and food-related products being exported to Japanese markets, shows the determination of the board to assist willing local stakeholders and players to attain greater heights in their operations.
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Communal Labour Ends in Disaster
Ve-Deme (Volta Region), 22nd July '99,
Seven enthusiastic communal labour participants were burnt severely when a concrete pole they were erecting for electricity supply to the town caught fire and exploded at the weekend.
The pole touched an overhead high tension wire, caught fire and exploded, severely burning the participants and turning the happiness of the people into anguish.
Mr Kwaku Nulanyo, 42, a farmer, Mr Maxwell Ackotia, 29, and Mr Ofin Gyebi, 32, both technicians with the Transelectric Company, are on admission while the others have been discharged.
Mr Kwasi Ayirebi, Assemblyman for the area, said "a low tension pole was being erected under a high tension wire when it caught fire and exploded and, in a split of a second, the seven had collapsed but regained consciousness at the hospital".
Togbe Delume the seventh, Paramount Chief of Ve Traditional Area, said the upkeep and the medical expenses of the victims are being borne by the people of Ve-Deme.
He appealed for support for the victims and called for the early completion of the project.
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Exploit benefits of neem tree - Prof. Addae-Mensah
Accra, (Greater Accra) 22nd July '99,
Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, on Wednesday called on local entrepreneurs to translate the research findings of the uses of the neem tree into viable economic ventures.
He said these entrepreneurs should take advantage of the economic potentials, made available in research findings, of the tree and go into processing for local use and export, instead of concentrating on exporting raw materials to which no value has been added.
Prof. Addae-Mensah was speaking at a ceremony in Accra where he launched a 127-page brochure on the "The potentials of the neem tree in Ghana" which are research findings jointly prepared by the University of Ghana and the German aid agency, Goethe Institut in collaboration with the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ).
The project, which is the result of a seminar held in October last year at Dodowa, looks at the uses of neem trees in pest control, health care, veterinary medicine and forestry with the aim of exploiting the tree for commercial purposes.
The vice-chancellor said that the University of Ghana could, as part of its income generating activity, go into a pilot production of the tree in order to come out with some products that could be marketed.
He noted that the tree has been found to help in reclaiming the worst kind of environmental degradation posed by surface mining.
Dr Archie Sittie of the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine who was part of the research group, said there is the need to develop the tree for local use.
He said a proposal would soon be made to help in the training of the youth in soap making, tooth paste and shampoo production which could all be got from neem trees.
Dr Sittie said a vocational school at Dodowa would be adopted to train people in the vocations.
Among other proposals are the possibility of going into the large-scale plantation of the tree to check desertification in the northern regions and a nation-wide survey of its population to boost commercialisation.
Mrs Sabine Hentzsch, Director of Goethe Institut, said the brochure is to inform and create awareness of the many uses of the tree which is already being exploited commercially in Eastern Asia and some parts of Africa.
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Suminakese needs more police personnel - Chief
Suminakese (Eastern Region), 22nd July 99 --
Nana Kofi Adarkwa Yiadom, chief of Suminakese, near Nkawkaw, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to augment the present staff strength of four police officers stationed in the town to enable them have firm control over the vast area under their supervision.
He made the appeal through the Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Jonathan Abban, who paid a courtesy call on the chief at his residence as part of his familiarisation tour of police stations in the region.
Nana Yiadom explained that the Suminakese Police Station, which controls 20 villages, in his view, was too big for the police personnel and said four vacant rooms are available which could be occupied by additional personnel if they are posted to the town.
He praised the officer in charge of the station, Inspector J.K. Gyau, and his subordinates for living up to the expectation of the people and promised giving them every support.
Inspector Abban explained the concept of the community watch-dog committee saying it seeks to involve the public in policing and urged the elders to liaise with the police on ways to reduce crime to the barest minimum.
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District directors of Education sign performance agreement
Koforidua (Eastern Region), 22nd July 99 --
Fifteen District Directors of Education in the Eastern Region yesterday signed a performance agreement with the regional Directorate of Education.
The agreement was to ensure that the district directors efficiently utilise resources provided them to achieve realistic objectives in the educational sector in the districts.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Jacob M. Bagonluri, Director of Special Duties at the headquarters of the Ghana Education Service (GES), said in future, the signing of performance agreements would be extended to heads of schools and institutions.
He explained that, under the process, the district directors of education would be expected to hold their circuit supervisors accountable while the circuit supervisors would be expected to hold the head-teachers accountable for their performance.
This will ensure that the achievement of the district as a whole meet targets agreed on at the beginning of the year.
Mr. Bagonluri further explained that the targets were derived from some prioritised national standard output that the GES, as an entity, has identified within the policy direction of the Ministry of Education and the first medium-term development plan of the Ghana government.
To this effect, he said 85.7 per cent of GES's resources have been decentralised for non-salary expenditure.
Mr Bagonluri said under the new arrangement, headteachers have been given petty cash to enable them to manage their schools more efficiently by undertaking minor repairs of classrooms and furniture, improvement of sanitation and the provision of teaching and learning materials in their schools.
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Assemblies hold workshop on Common Fund
Ho (Volta Region), 22nd July 99 -
Mr Josiah Wilson Ampiah, Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, has reminded Members of Parliament not use their share of the fund for their personal purposes since it was meant to the development of their communities.
Reacting to concerns raised by district assemblies over the lack of co-operation between MPs in the disbursement of the fund, Mr Ampiah said such monies must be treated as part of the national development plan meant to upgrade conditions in their localities.
The workshop, attended by District Chief Executives, Co-ordinating Directors and District Budget Officers in the Volta Region at Ho on Tuesday, is discussing a manual on the utilisation of the District Assemblies Common Fund.
It was organised by the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Mr Ampiah called on Parliamentarians to disburse the fund in consultation with their District Chief Executives and "must follow laid down guidelines for administration and accounting for the fund".
He called for the co-operation of the MPs and their District Assemblies for the smooth administration and execution of development programmes in the districts.
Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said since the inception of the Common Fund five years ago, a total of 426.157 billion cedis has been transferred to the 110 districts.
The assemblies in addition have generated a total of 100.9 billion cedis through their own internal revenue efforts.
"This indicates government's commitment not only to implement a constitutional provision but also concretely support financial management and development functions of the new local government system".
Mr Kwasi Aboagye, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, expressed government's concern about the misapplication of the fund and flaws in the administration of contracts being financed with the fund.
He called for strict compliance with the provisions of Legislative Instrument 1606 which establishes tender boards to award contracts for the district assemblies.
Topics being treated include increasing local revenue generation, preparing estimates for the utilisation of the common fund and revenue mobilisation at the district level.
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Committee to investigate land dispute
Twifo-Praso (Central Region), 22nd July 99 --
The Stool Lands Administrator, Mrs Matilda Esi Fiadzegbe, has set up a committee to investigate a feud between the chief of Twifo Buaben Traditional Area and settler farmers which has come about as a result of a decision by the chief to release farm lands in the area to the Twifo Oil Palm Company (TOPP).
Mrs Fiadzegbe set up the committee when farmers in the area presented a resolution to her at a forum organised by the Stool Lands Administration at wifo-Praso on Tuesday.
In the petition addressed to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, 12 communities in Twifo Buaben appealed to the Minister to use his good offices to restrain the chief from releasing the land to TOPP.
The farmers said they have stayed in the area between 40 and 50 years and have undertaken various development projects including schools, road and houses stressing that their livelihood is attached to the land.
Mrs Fiadzegbe named representatives from the District Assembly, Lands Commission, Twifo Traditional Council, Office of the Administration of Stool Lands, Forestry Department and farmers to form the committee.
She said the report of the committee would be forwarded to the Minister and that her office would act on the report based on the instructions from Ministry of Lands and Forestry.
Nana Kofi Buabin the third, chief of Twifo Buaben, in a heated argument at the meeting, dismissed all the allegations by the farmers stressing that they have defaulted in the payment of rent to the stool for many years.
He cited instances where the farmers leased part of the land given them to other farmers without the consent of the chiefs.
Crops they agree to grow on the farms also turn out to be something else, he said adding that for many years, the land has not yielded the expected results.
Nana Buabin further intimated that the decision to hand over the land to the company is in the interest of the farmers since the TOPP will plant the palm trees and later hand them over to the farmers.
He said only one-fourth of the produce of the farm would be given to TOPP with three quarters for the farmers who will in turn sell the palm fruits adding that large tracts of land are lying idle because the farmers are not able to cultivate them.
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