GRi Newsreel Ghana 23 - 07 - 2001
Cooperate with security
agencies - Council of State
Days of embezzlement in Public Sector are over- Deputy Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 July 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday assured Ghanaians abroad of plans by his administration to accord them their demand for dual citizenship by the end of the year as well as the right to exercise their franchise at elections.
President Kufuor who gave the assurance during the official opening of the Home Coming Summit of Ghanaians living abroad in Accra asked the over 1,000 participants to feel free to make any suggestions that could contribute towards the socio-economic development of the country without inhibition or fear.
His 30-minute speech, which drew intermittent applause from the gathering, centred on efforts by his government to lower political tension and creates an enabling condition for normal business.
The summit, the first of its kind, was organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the government on the theme: " Harnessing the global Ghanaian resource for accelerated national development."
President Kufuor said remittances of Ghanaians abroad represent the third biggest foreign exchange inflow, which is a crucial component of national revenue, hence the need to create enabling conditions to support such huge investments.
"One of the first tasks my government set itself on assuming office was to lower the tensions in our body politic. I believe that Ghanaians need to be at peace with each other to be able to tackle the many problems that we have."
President Kufuor said there would be no victimisation or witch-hunt under his administration since everyone deserved to be heard.
He urged the participants to let the country have something laudable to boost its development efforts by not giving in to the sceptics who said it would be "just another talk-shop, of which Ghana has had several times,"
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Accra (Grater Accra) 23 July 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Monday that his administration does not claim to have exclusive wisdom or answers to the problems of the country. It is, therefore, open to public suggestions in the search for solutions.
He said some of the measures the government has taken might seem wrong to some people although such decisions are arrived at through the evaluation of the facts available and in the interest of Ghana.
President Kufuor was speaking at the opening of the Homecoming Summit for Ghanaians abroad organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre on the theme: "Harnessing the global Ghanaian resource for accelerated development."
The summit, the first of its kind, has attracted about 1,000 Ghanaians of varying professional and business backgrounds who are expected to brainstorm on how to go beyond their annual remittances of about 400 million dollars to investment in all sectors of the economy.
President Kufuor said his government has taken a number of very difficult decisions, all of which are calculated at restoring the economy to health.
"Unfortunately, until the full effects of these decisions are realised, we are bound to incur some unpopularity in certain quarters. But this is expected we are the first to admit that having taken the right decisions, things must get slightly worse before they get better."
President Kufuor said his administration took over an ailing economy, which needs sustained discipline for things to get better.
He called on participants to evaluate the problems of the country and make the right contributions that can restore economic stability and sustained accelerated growth.
The President urged Ghanaians abroad to come home and help rebuild the economy or continue to remit money for investments and for the upkeep of their families.
"But it isn't just your money that we need, we need your skills and your contacts and your connections. These days, technology means it is possible to make an input from half way around the world."
President Kufuor said his government is aware of the frustrations confronting Ghanaians abroad especially when they want to clear their goods from the ports, the demand of bribes from customs officials and other irregularities.
He asked them to go beyond these problems and suggest ways of improving on such services.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 July 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday called on Ghanaians living abroad to inculcate the national values in the upbringing of their children so that they will not grow up alienated from home.
"Obviously, the children you are bringing up in your new homes do not and will not have the same attachment or pull to Ghana. Unless you make a definite effort, they would probably see themselves as Americans or Black British," he said.
President Kufuor was speaking at the opening of the Homecoming Summit for Ghanaians living abroad in Accra on the theme: "Harnessing the global Ghanaian resource for accelerated national development."
"It is your challenge to turn the minds of such young people towards home," he told the about 1,000 participants of varying professional and economic backgrounds who are attending the first summit organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.
The participants are expected to brainstorm on how to go beyond the over 400 million dollars remittances they send to their families annually to invest in the economy.
President Kufuor, who was flanked by Vice-President Aliu Mahama, the acting Chief Justice, Mr Justice Edward Wiredu, Speaker of Parliament, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey and Ministers of State, asked the participants to feel at home.
He said some of them left Ghana due to political instability or persecution, to study or seek greener pastures. What is more important, he added, are the skills and new attitudes they have acquired to help transform the economy.
"All of you Ghanaians, living abroad, members of the Diaspora, for want of a better term, constitute the single most important development partner of the nation."
He said despite the widespread poverty in the country there is no excuse why basic needs such as potable water, shelter, food and education should be denied the people.
President Kufuor said his administration has as its cornerstone the policy to create wealth to satisfy such needs, explaining that this can be done if the economy is transformed.
He said for this to happen there is the need for political stability to attract investments from Ghanaians abroad. "I do not want one set of Ghanaians to come back home only to be replaced with another set of Ghanaians going into exile."
The President warned, however, that those who dissipate government funds and resources would be punished.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 July 2001
Mr Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General on Monday said the Homecoming Summit in Ghana offers an excellent opportunity for expatriate Ghanaians to join hands with compatriots at home to seek new ways to advance the country's development.
The summit would also ensure that education and health are improved for the next generation of Ghanaians, he said in a message read by Mr Alfred Salia Fawundu, UN Resident Coordinator.
"Every Ghanaian has a role to play in making the country stronger, better and more prosperous in the future," he said at the opening of the three-day meeting at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Mr Annan said the landmark summit would bring together Ghanaians from every part of the world, from different backgrounds and professions, all of them sharing a common bond and special sense of belonging to Ghana.
Mr Dan Boakye Agyemang, a lawyer in California, US, said the summit is an opportunity for them to dialogue with their compatriots and government about moving the country forward since most Ghanaians abroad have acquired vast experience, resources and contacts that could and would be brought to bear on national development efforts.
He said their message is one of high hope and confidence - hopeful about the country's future and confident that with positive contributions from everyone, positive changes would be made to propel the nation ahead in development.
Mr Agyemang appealed to the government to review some aspects of the Dual Citizenship Law, which makes Ghanaians abroad second-class citizens. He also called for improvement in the relationship between Ghanaian Embassies and the citizens and appointment of honorary consulates in specific cities that are potential sources of investment capital or have large Ghanaian populations.
Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Executive Chairman of Databank, who spoke on behalf of Ghanaians who have returned home, was given a standing ovation after his message.
He said the nation was in crisis and no one could re-build it except Ghanaians, including the over three million of them abroad who represent about 15 per cent of the population. This group makes official and un-official remittances of about 400 million dollars annually, which is equivalent to about 25 per cent of annual exports and the third largest foreign exchange earner after gold and cocoa.
Mr Ofori-Atta said Ghana has a destiny with greatness - not one of squalor, poverty, illiteracy and moral decay, but one of peace, prosperity and progress.
He urged them to be willing to endure setbacks, risks and hardships; be willing to sacrifice to pay the price for national greatness and to regain leadership in Africa.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 July 2001
The Council of State has appealed to the general public to cooperate with the security agencies in the performance of their duties.
A statement issued in Accra by the Council said the appeal was made after it has met with the Minister of Interior, Alhaji Malik Alhassan and the National Security Adviser, General Joshua Hamidu.
It said the meeting was held to brief the Council on the security situations in the country.
"The Council was satisfied after fruitful discussions that the security situation in the country is under control and accordingly, commended the security agencies for their efforts", the statement added.
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The Minority leader
criticises Reconciliation Bill
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 23 July 2001
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin had stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would allow the PNDC/NDC era to be investigated only when the reconciliation exercise was extended to cover all regimes since independence.
He cautioned that the reconciliation exercise being envisaged by the government could unite the nation only when it told the people the "truth behind the Reconciliation Bill".
Mr Bagbin was speaking at a public forum organised by the Koforidua Polytechnic branch of the Tertiary Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC, at the weekend to mark its second anniversary.
He referred to the proposed Reconciliation Bill, which would be laid before Parliament on Tuesday and queried why the Bill sought to limit the exercise to only military regimes, "when severe atrocities and human rights abuses occurred in past civilian regimes".
He wondered why the "NPP government was afraid to extend the investigations to the Busia and Nkrumah regimes" where, according to him, "several disappearances occurred and bombs were thrown at political opponents".
The Minority Leader said contrary to its principles of democracy, the government was "only interested in entrenching itself in power and has devised a system of intimidation to put fear into its political opponents".
He alleged that the arrest and intimidation of NDC activists and appointment of people from other opposition parties into the government, were attempt to stifle the opposition and suppress multi-party democracy in the country.
Mr Bagbin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nadowli North, pointed out that the criticisms of the government by the minority parties was not meant to bring it down but to ensure that the government did the right thing and "not misuse power".
He said the NDC was "happy that it was in the opposition since it would give the people the opportunity to judge the two governments during the 2004 elections".
Mr Bagbin explained that the re-organisation of the NDC was the first step in "putting the party on a sound footing" and urged the students to co-operate with the committee to come out with policies that would benefit the party.
The National Youth Organiser of the NDC, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, attributed the defeat of the party in the December elections to "misinformation and politics of deception by the NPP" and said Ghanaians voted for the NPP because of lies told about the NDC.
He said the government has shown that it rather has "zero tolerance for criticism but not corruption" and has been waging a "campaign of lies to destroy the NDC".
Mr Mensah said the arrest of some leading members of the party was a calculated attempt to collapse the party.
The MP for Bibiani, Mr Seidu Adamu reiterated that the minority criticisms of the government were not to run the country down but to offer "constructive advice" to enable the government to perform better.
He alleged that more than 2,000 people had lost their jobs within the six months the government took over power through "bad policies of fuel and tariff increases".
The MP for Fanteakwa, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo said there was the need to allow the minority parties to grow to ensure true democracy in the country.
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Fomena (Ashanti Region) 23 July 2001
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government's efforts to bring the nation back on sound economic recovery could be impeded if chieftaincy disputes continued to exist in the communities.
Mr Joseph Kwadwo Boampong, Adansi West District Chief Executive made this observation when he addressed a durbar organised in his honour at Fomena, the traditional seat of the Adansi State.
He expressed concern about the number of chieftaincy disputes in the district and said he was particularly not happy about such disputes at Akrofuom, Odumasi, Bodwesango and Bobriase and appealed to the Adansi Traditional Council to take steps to resolve them.
"I want to plead with the kingmakers to apply the laid down processes of enstooling a chief to end the myriad of chieftaincy disputes in the Adansi area".
Mr Boampong said the District Assembly was going to hold a series of dialogue with Nananom on how best the district could be developed but said this could not yield dividends if the chiefs themselves were disunited.
He warned the youth against meddling in chieftaincy matters stressing, "you will not enjoy my support if you dissipate your energies on unproductive activities".
Mr Boampong gave the assurance that, even though, he came to inherit a "heavily indebted poor assembly", with the support of all the tide could be changed for the better.
He declared: "We have to harness all human resources irrespective of ones political affiliation for the meaningful development of the district."
Mr John Yaw Kwarteng, Assistant Headmaster of Fomena T. I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School, enumerated countless problems facing the school and appealed to the district assembly for assistance.
He said lack of masters' accommodation was one of the major problems since all the masters were living in compound houses in the town and the roof of the Headmasters' bungalow needs major repairs.
The Adansihene, Nana Ofori Agyeman 11 noted that because Fomena had over the years aligned itself with the Danquah-Busia Tradition, past regimes have neglected the area and expressed the hope that with the NPP, the area would see development.
Nana Ofori Agyeman urged the people to rekindle their communal spirit saying: "The weeding of our surroundings and other clean-ups, are not activities we should expect the government and the assembly to undertake."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 July 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said Ministers of State have a sacred duty to ensure that public funds are treated with the utmost diligence and care and the decisions they take ought to be able to stand the scrutiny of future generations.
"The sight of former high office holders appearing before the law courts should serve as a constant reminder that in all we do, there will be a day of accounting. I urge you to be particularly careful when it comes to making decisions that have implications on the public purse."
President Kufuor was opening a three-day workshop for Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State at GIMPA in Accra.
The two-day is the second in a series for capacity building for the minister. Two more will be held before the end of the year, according to Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Presidential Affairs.
President Kufuor said: "We came to power on the crest of the people's revulsion toward the arrogance of power and misuse of public funds. We have put ourselves on a glass pedestal and the people of Ghana are watching our every move. In all we do, we should remind ourselves daily that we shall be judged by the standards we demand of others."
President Kufuor said the biggest problem facing the nation is poverty with many of the people living in unacceptable conditions and the policies embarked upon by the government since assumption of power has been aimed at stabilizing the economy and in pursuit of this, government had to take some very hard and difficult decisions.
He said some of the policies being pursued were done with long-term objectives in mind and government has resisted the temptation of opting for short-term measures that might bring temporary political advantage but was hopeful that in the long run these policies would bear fruit.
"The currency is showing signs of stability and inflation is coming down, we have therefore set the foundation for a sensible management of the economy and as we move into the second phase of delivery when we can start spending money on implementing our programmes, there will be many temptations and challenges," he said.
President Kufuor reiterated that never would the possession of a party card be the sole criterion for decisions on contracts and other economic activity. "Let us give every qualified Ghanaian a fair chance and an equal opportunity. In this phase, zero tolerance of corruption applies with added vigour."
He urged the Ministers and Deputy Ministers to monitor and evaluate their performance periodically as the government implements its programmes, saying he would monitor and evaluate the activities of each of them.
"I insist on team spirit and would not tolerate cliques and cabals in the government. They will debilitate and weaken our performance and there would be no room for those who would not be team players.'
"We must at all times remember that we are servants of the people and we must serve them with humility. Your lifestyles are bound to change but keep a sense of proportion because the public would notice and would wonder how all these magnificence is being financed. And we must always remember that when we have finished serving our term, we shall be back among the people again without the trappings." he added.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 July 2001
Earth Vision Organisation (EVON) an environmental Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has expressed concern about the danger faced by children who hawk various wares along major roads and streets in the cities, particularly from motorists.
A statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr J. B. Quansah, at the weekend cited two incidents, which resulted in the death of a 15-year-old iced water seller and injuries suffered by six other persons.
On Tuesday, July 17, Azaratu Alhassan, a minor hawker, died at Adabraka near the traffic intersection on the Kojo Thompson Road in Accra. Then on Thursday, July 19, a Mercedes Benz car ran into six hawkers in front of the New Times Corporation. They sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The statement described the situation as unfortunate and could have been avoided if repeated warnings from law enforcing agencies and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to hawkers to desist from selling along pavements and the streets had been heeded.
EVON said two accidents left a "sore taste in the mouth of all well meaning citizens who fight for the protection of children's rights".
"They are indeed a grim reminder of the danger children, some as young as seven years, run while hawking various wares on our streets, particularly, at traffic lights and on very busy sections of our roads. " the statement said.
It pointed out that poverty is one of the major causes of hawking at unauthorised places, adding: "It is equally untenable that the lives of innocent children should be sacrificed for a few 1000 cedis."
"Certainly, children who are our invaluable assets are not guinea pigs to be toyed with. The nation can not afford to lose them," the statement stressed.
A handbook on children's rights launched by the First Lady, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor, has set the pace for a change of attitude towards children who are made to perform all manner of menial jobs.
The statement called for tougher sanctions against careless and indiscipline motorists as well as parents who flout the rights of children.
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Bunso (Eastern Region) 23 July 2001
The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Gustav Narh-Dometey at the weekend warned public officials that the days of embezzlement and under-invoicing in the public sector are over.
He said the Government's policy of "zero tolerance for corruption" would be vigorously pursued to purge malfeasance.
Mr Narh-Dometey gave the warning at the closing ceremony of a three-day National Conference of Revenue Superintendents, Regional Stool Lands Officers and Regional Accountants of the office of the Administrator of Stool Lands at Bunso on Friday.
He urged the participants to help mobilise adequate revenue to improve the living standards of Ghanaians.
Mrs Matilda Fiadzigbey, the Administrator of Stool Lands expressed the hope that the knowledge acquired would help to improve their efficiency.
She said by the end of the year, an office would be established at Tamale to take care for the three Northern Regions.
Mrs Fiadzigbey said arrangements are also underway to open district offices at Hohoe, Nkwanta, Jasikan and Kadjebi in the Volta Region.
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