Sahara and VITOL agreements are the same
Police kill two armed robbers in Kumasi
Spintex Road to be opened on Wednesday
Asantehene calls on President Kufuor
Ghana armed Force on nationwide tree planting
Africa needs a Marshall Plan for development - Owusu-Agyemang
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 July 2001
Doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital who began an industrial action last Friday have gone back to work.
Dr Henry Holdbrook-Smith, Chief Executive of the hospital said on Tuesday that heads of some departments had informed him that most of the doctors who embarked on the strike to demand full payment of their Additional Duty Hours (ADH) allowance were back at post.
As at 11.45 am when the GNA spoke to him, the Chief Executive said he had sent some people to find out how work was going.
A high-powered government delegation on Monday began a closed-door meeting with members of the Ghana Medical Association to discuss the controversy surrounding the payment of the allowances.
The meeting followed a strike by the doctors to demand the full payment of their ADH allowances for May 2001.
The Ministry of Health had given the hospital administration 1.1 billion cedis to effect payment to deserving health workers but the doctors described it as inadequate.
Claims submitted exceeded the amount, compelling the hospital management to reduce the number of hours for which the payment was to be made.
Cheques were given out for the payment of the ADH but the doctors refused to collect them.
Dr Holdbrook-Smith said an additional 400 million cedis is expected from the Finance Ministry to help resolve the crisis.
He said this is a short-term solution but government is looking into the whole salary structure of health workers to find a long-term solution.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 July 2001
The Minister of Energy on Tuesday said the incentive offered to Sahara Energy Resources to lift crude oil for Ghana was not peculiar, adding that under the VITOL contract a similar arrangement existed.
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah said under VITOL the actual contract fee for Bonny Light was 1.12 cents per barrel with a discount of 17.5 cents bringing the figure to 94.5 cents.
But, he said, clause 4 of the VITOL contract read: "In the event that NNPC ... does not supply the cull quantity of 450,000 (barrels), then VITOL shall meet to discuss changes to discount of 17.5 cents per barrel.
"And in accounting and in logic 'reduced discount' has the same effect as 'incentive payment'. "
Mr Kan-Dapaah was addressing journalists about concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament and a cross-section of Ghanaians, who are yet to come to grips with what the "Sahara Affair" was all about.
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) members in Parliament last week demanded the resignation of the Energy Minister citing among other things, malfeasance in the Sahara Energy Resources contract.
This was the second time that the Minister has had to come out at a press conference to explain what the Sahara deal entails.
NPP functionaries intermittently interrupted the press conference by clapping and cheering at answers given to questions by journalists.
Mr Kan-Dapaah said the Sahara contract, like the VITOL one, did not require parliamentary approval.
"The contract for the allocation of crude was a straight contract between the Tema Oil Refinery and Sahara. The reference to government of Ghana was clearly superfluous and unnecessary ... in law and in fact, the government of Ghana was not party to either contract."
Mr Kan-Dapaah said if the NDC government did not see anything wrong with not bringing the (VITOL) contract before parliament, why do the NDC now in opposition see anything wrong with the Sahara contract not being put before the House.
He said the difference between VITOL's agreement and Sahara's was that "the VITOL contract is a financing and lifting contract and the Sahara contract is a lifting agreement only"
Mr Kan-Dapaah said the allocation contract was for 450,000 per cargo subject to the tolerance of plus or minus five per cent. The Minister was referring to the issue of Sahara lifting 430,000 barrels of crude oil instead of the contracted 450,000 barrels.
This implies that contractual quantity range to be loaded was 427,500 barrels minimum and 472,500 maximum, the Minister explained, adding: "Therefore, if NNPC loads about 430,000 barrels per cargo, it will be in tune with the terms of the contract".
He said the average cargo size in fiscal year 2000 was 436,202 barrels net of sediments of water, which is in the lowest end of the NNPC volume of tolerance of plus or minus five per cent.
Since April this year, when Sahara began to lift, the average cargo has increased to only 439,885 barrels.
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Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 04 July 2001
Mr Kwaku Minka-Fordjour, Techiman District Director of Agriculture, on Tuesday advised that, since crop infestation starts in the field, farmers need to harvest early and dry their produce properly to prevent post-harvest losses.
Mr. Minka-Fordjour was addressing a day's workshop on post-harvest management of cereals at Techiman.
It was under the theme, "quality grain for better health and increased income". About 80 participants drawn from 25 Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) supported groups and personnel from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in the Techiman District attended the workshop.
They were taken through topics including, field infestation, storage conditions, fumigation, usage of pesticides, harvesting and transportation, and rodent control.
He urged farmers and staff of MOFA in the district to redouble efforts to reduce post-harvest losses, "since it has been indicated that production may be lower than expected in other parts of the country".
Mr. Baba Adams, storage officer of the Food Distribution Corporation in-charge of silos in Brong Ahafo, speaking on "fundamentals of storage", said that for production to march the increasing population, storage of foodstuff, especially cereals, should be taken seriously.
He called on the government and non-governmental organisations to provide storage facilities in areas that lack them, to minimise post-harvest losses and thereby boost the income of farmers.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 July 2001
The Police in Kumasi on Monday night killed two armed robbers in a fierce gun battle on the Asokore-Mampong - Adarko-Jachie road.
Three of the robbers, however, managed to run away after abandoning a taxicab they were using for their operation.
Speaking to newsmen about the incident on Tuesday the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Mr George Asiamah said the robbers on started their operations around 20:00 by snatching a Toyota corolla with registration number BA 1365 Q from the owner.
He said the Police had information at about 23:00 hours that the armed robbers were at Ejisu on the Kumasi-Accra road harassing innocent traders and that they had shot and killed one Kwame Appiah, a taxi driver and injured two others.
The Commander said the Police had the information that the armed robbers wielding AK 47 rifles used the Asokore Mamapong - Adarko-Jachie road to get to Ejisu so the Police/Military patrol team decided to use that same road.
He said fortunately the came face-to-face with the robber, who had used black celluloid tape to alter the original registration number of the taxicab to read BA 11888.
Mr Asiamah said during the exchanges two of the robbers were killed while the three others abandoned the taxicab and fled.
He said the bodies of the robbers and that of Kwame Appiah have been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital mortuary.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 July 2001
The Spintex Road which was closed to traffic after last week's heavy rain washed away a culvert near D and C Industries would be opened to traffic on Wednesday.
A statement issued by Mr Alex Twumasi-Boakye, Acting Director of Urban Roads, said motorists would use a temporary access provided south of the collapsed bridge.
It said vehicles above 10 tonnes, trucks and other heavy duty vehicles with three or more axles would, however, not be allowed to use the temporary culverts.
"Such trucks are advised to use the Coastal Road or the motorway to access their properties," the statement said.
It added that steps were being taken to ensure that a permanent bridge is constructed at the location of the collapsed culvert in the shortest possible time.
Construction of the temporary access road began on Friday night and traffic was closed within 400 metres on both sides of the road to facilitate the work of the contractor.
M/S PW Ghana Ltd, a private construction firm, offered to construct the access road to provide passage for vehicles and pedestrians.
The Spintex Road is a crucial link for industries at Batsonaa and for residents at Sakumono, Lashibi, Nungua and some parts of Tema.
Following the closure of the road, traffic piled up on the Nungua Coastal Road and the Beach Road to Tema.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 July 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday asked chiefs to take interest in the investment programmes of the government and initiate measures for their citizens outside the country to come and invest.
He said response from the World Bank and Ghanaian communities on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene's recent visit to the United Kingdom and the United States on investments in the country was fruitful.
President Kufuor made these remarks when the Asantehene paid a courtesy call on him in Accra after a seven-week visit to these countries.
"The Ghana communities in these countries received the Asantehene's message on investments in good faith. Other chiefs should therefore emulate him and sustain the chieftaincy institution as an avenue for development."
President Kufuor said there is dignity in good service to mankind and this bears testimony to the honorary degrees bestowed on the Asantehene by the Glassgow University in the UK and the Savannah and Maryland Universities in the
USA.
Oheneba Agyeman Atwereboandah II, Hiahene and Asantehene's spokesman briefed President Kufuor and Ministers of State present on the visit and the honour bestowed on him.
He said the visit, which was mainly to seek investments in health, tourism, agriculture and education, took the Asantehene to seven states, a discussion with UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan and World Bank officials.
He received honours from some Universities.
Asantehene was due to leave Accra for Kumasi in the afternoon.
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Begoro (Eastern Region) 04 July 2001
Brigadier Joseph B. Danquah, General Officer Commanding the Southern Command (GOC) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on Tuesday said deforestation, like all environmental degradation processes, is a real threat to national security.
He said it is to arrest this situation that the GAF is embarking upon a massive nationwide re-forestation exercise dubbed: "Operation Jungle Revival" to reclaim encroached forests.
Brig. Danquah was speaking at the launch of the first phase of a reforestation programme, which covers 50 hectares of encroached forestland at Begoro in the Fanteakwa District of the Eastern Region.
The second phase will take off immediately the first one is completed. He said the project, which will last for 20 days is under the technical supervision of the Forest Services Division of the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines which provided 50,000 seedlings.
The GOC said the target area was chosen because of the Southern Scarp Forest Reserve which forms part of the of the River Afram catchment area that should be protected from any threat of desertification.
It is also to complement the tireless efforts being made by Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, towards the protection of the environment in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.
"It is also our expectation that our involvement in this programme will not only promote a good military-civil relationship in this area but will provide the tonic for the local people's active involvement in re-forestation programmes and a halt in uncontrolled chain-saw logging which has substantially reduced the forest area in Akyem Abuakwa."
Brig. Danquah said the Army has adequate manpower resources to undertake a phased re- forestation programme throughout the country but lamented that the
GAF faces logistics constraints.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 July 2001
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday said Africa needs a Marshall Plan of capital infusion for development to save the continent from stagnation, war and deprivation.
He said the infusion of capital for development would promote and strengthen Africa's effort in establishing democracy, good and transparent governance.
Mr Owusu-Agyemang said this during a farewell call on him by the Canadian High Commissioner, Ms Janet Graham who is leaving the country on Wednesday after three years duty tour.
Mr Owusu-Agyemang recalled that after the First World War, a Marshall Plan was drawn up for Europe through large infusions of capital, which accelerated its development.
He said at the current stage of Africa's effort in developing democracy and good governance, it also needs to be supported with such a plan, for "democracy thrives in an atmosphere of peace and development."
The Minister expressed the country's gratitude to the Canadian government and the High Commissioner for the numerous development projects being undertaken.
He mentioned in particular Canadian assistance to the Electoral Commission during the December 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary elections and its interest in the activities of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).
Mr Owusu-Agyemang also mentioned agricultural development and support programmes, poverty alleviation in, especially, the northern parts of the country, office of the President, capacity building projects, children in conflict and parliament.
The Minister described Canadian assistance as humane without any conditionality.
Ms Graham noted with admiration Ghana's democratic development within a short period of time and urged all to help strengthen it by adhering to constitutional principles.
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