Fire Service enquiry report out
Huudu Yahya
explains why NDC did not hold primaries
Exhibition of voters' register postponed to July 10
Ensure African family system remains intact - Prof Gyekye
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
The National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) on Wednesday said it is disappointed that the police has not yet apprehended any culprit over the murders of women in Accra, and urged the government to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves.
The Council called for the total mobilisation of all security agencies to mount patrols and launch a big hunt for the criminals.
The Council said this in a protest statement signed by Dr. Charlotte Abaka, Chairperson of the NCWD, to the Offices of the President and Vice-President.
"We call on the immigration service to be on the alert and to scrutinise all persons entering and leaving the country according to existing immigrations laws."
The council said it endorsed the decision taken by the National Security Council to seek competent international assistance in tracking down the culprits, and called on government "to declare this unfortunate occurrence as a national tragedy".
It also advised all women and girls to be more responsible, cautious and wary of strangers and avoid situations that expose them to danger.
"We make a passionate appeal to society to be extremely vigilant and be prepared to come forth with information to halt this reign of terror. Let us exercise our long traditional practice of being each other's keeper."
The statement further appealed to the government to make available material, financial and human resources so that men and women can go about their daily activities without fear. It also called for the declaration of a national day of prayer for divine intervention.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
The four-member committee set up to investigate the circumstances that led to a demonstration by some Fire Service Personnel presented its report to the Minister of the Interior on Wednesday.
The committee, chaired by Mr Emmanuel Owusu Poku, Commissioner of Police in charge of Special Duties, presented six copies of the 14-page document on the findings and recommendations of the committee and thanked the minister for the confidence reposed in them.
Other members of the committee were Mr Michael Ntumy, Chief Superintendent of Prisons, Constant Home Tornu, Deputy Superintendent, Immigration, and Mrs Margaret Ahiadeke of the Attorney General's Department.
He said the committee heard testimonies from a number of people, including the Chief Fire Officer, his immediate subordinates, some fire service personnel and the Electricity Company of Ghana, among others.
He said the committee established after the evidences given that there were both immediate and remote causes, which triggered the demonstration and had therefore made appropriate recommendations.
Mr Poku said admittedly the Fire Service, as an institution, faces a number of problems, which must be addressed for the good of the service but stated clearly that the committee's objection to demonstrations by security personnel as a means of addressing grievances.
He said due to time constrains, the committee could not delve deeply into the administration and operations of the service, which, in his view, must be tackled as a matter of urgency.
He said the committee has therefore suggested that a broader committee be set up to fully examine the administration of the security services in general.
Mr Kwaku Acheampong Bonful, Deputy Minister of the Interior, congratulated the committee for meeting the deadline and assured members that the ministry would
consider the petitions and recommendations and decide whether it is necessary to set up a broader committee to look at the administration of the security services as requested by the committee.
Some personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service stationed at the Accra North Industrial Area on May 8 went on a public demonstration and presented a petition to the Acting Chief Fire Officer over the death of their colleague, who was electrocuted in the line of duty.
They complained about the general working condition of Fire Service personal and the fact that they had no insurance cover.
The Minister of the Interior set up a four-member committee to probe into the circumstances that led to the demonstration and submit its report within two months.
GRi../
Huudu Yahya
explains why NDC did not hold primaries
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
The General Secretary of National
Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Huudu Yahya, on Tuesday noted that the
holding of primaries is not the best democratic way of selecting parliamentary
candidates.
Giving reasons why the NDC did not
hold primaries to select its candidates this year, he said the party adopted
the consultative, assessment and consensus reaching method because it covers
wider spectrum of opinion than primaries, in which few delegates decide for the
majority.
He was speaking to a delegation of
the party from the Gomoa West constituency who called on the national executives
in Accra.
The General Secretary said that
the probability of rich contestants influencing delegates with money to vote in
their favour in primaries cannot be ruled out and said if that was done, the
services of some honest people would be lost to the nation.
The party is holding consultations
to enable it to come out with "credible and marketable" candidates
who would serve the people, he said.
Alhaji Yahya, urged constituencies
whose candidates have not yet been approved to exercise patience because
"we want to delve deep into complains from the constituencies" adding
that the final list would soon be released.
Alhaji Issifu Ali, Co-national
Chairman, advised members who are using trivial matters to settle personal
scores and to discredit some candidates to put an end to their activities since
it could break their front.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi arrives in Ghana on Friday for a two-day visit. An official statement issued in Accra on Wednesday by the Minister of Communications, Mr John Mahama, said while in Ghana, Colonel Gaddafi will address a public gathering at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, July 8, at 1030 hours.
It said MPs, District Chief Executives, party activists and the general public are invited.Col. Gaddafi, who has been travelling by road from Niger on his way to the OAU summit in Lome, Togo, will speak on the challenges of African unity in the 21st Century.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
The Electoral Commission announced on Wednesday that the exhibition of the voters' register has again been postponed to Monday, July 10 - 17.
A statement issued in Accra said the postponement is to ensure that all registers and other materials get to the polling stations before the commencement of the exercise. The exercise was to have commenced on July 7.
GRi../
Tema (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
Twenty-seven people were injured, three seriously, when a Ho-Accra bound 33-seater bus somersaulted near the Michel Camp on Wednesday afternoon.
According to some of the passengers, the accident occurred when the driver, Kofi Tutu, lost control of the vehicle after overtaking another vehicle.
The driver's mate, Kingsley Blessie, however, said the bus skidded off the slippery road when an Opel Kadett car crossed from a junction, compelling the driver to swerve to avoid hitting it.
All the victims were rushed to the Tema General Hospital where some of them were treated and discharged.
Doctors were attending to three of the victims who were in serious condition at the operations theatre at the time the Ghana News Agency called there.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 July 2000
Professor Kwame Gyekye, Dean of
the School of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana, on Wednesday called for
efforts to en sure that the African family system remains intact in the face of
rapid social change.
This is because the family,
nuclear or extended, "is in the African social and moral context, a potent
and an unfailing source of the well-being of the individual human person".
He was speaking on, "Family
Well-being: Traditional Ideas, Values and Practices," at a workshop to
sensitise media practitioners on "Family Health and Social Well-being:
Prospects and Constraints".
Prof. Gyekye said values like
community, solidarity, sharing, social harmony, caring, hospitality and
reciprocal obligation should be cherished and maintained for the sake of the
human well-being.
"The fragmentation of the
family system will thus destroy this valuable moral and psychological support
for individual well-being, bringing in its wake unwanted social evils and
feelings of insecurity."
He noted that the well being of a
family depends on internal and external factors, the nuclear family and the
extended family and the community.
Prof. Gyekye said it is a common
social practice in the society for elderly people to reprimand or punish
mischievous youth whose acts may lead to their own unhappiness or affect the
well-being of the community.
Listing "abundant" life
and health as being among the most important values of African societies, Prof.
Gyekye said it is common to see members of the extended family being concerned
about a disease or problem faced by a family member.
"This is a very important
social practice, which helps to restore the mental and emotional health or
well-being of the person being consoled, who would have been depressed and in
low spirits".
He said even though well-being is
commonly regarded as material welfare it goes beyond to include
"non-sensible values such as dignity, liberty, happiness and opportunity
for self-development.
The counselling role, played by
extended family members for married couples, he said can be likened to
professional marriage counsellors in Western societies but said the former is
more effective because "as lineage members they would be more involved
emotionally in their counselling duties."
Prof. Gyekye noted that even
though the pursuit of family well-being is seen in the African context as a
shared responsibility, it is the man, being the head of the family, who
shoulders more.
Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, Vice
Chancellor, University of Ghana, warned that a nation's health status should
not be determined only by life expectancy and mortality rates.
"This over-reliance on simple
statistical data of life and death can lead to misleading conclusions about the
quality of a nation's health status and drive national policies in directions
that will not necessarily be to the advantage of the nation".
He said the economic well-being of
a nation has to be quite sound to ensure that at least the population benefits
from a majority of the physical, psychological, social, environmental and
spiritual policy initiatives.
GRi../