Local govt structures must be at DCEs fingertips - Baah-Wiredu
Armed robbers bolt with 40 million cedis
Establish Commonwealth Parliamentary Institute in Ghana - Dzirasah
Tema fishermen expect bumper fish catch
Minority says media is the greatest ally
Trawlers destroying Ghana's fish stock-
Minister
Asphyxia, major cause of deaths in stadium
disaster
Preparation for cocoa spraying exercise in Volta Region begins
Tema (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
The Ministry of Energy says it is looking for two million dollars to pay the severance awards of about 700 workers of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
A source at the Ministry told the Ghana News Agency that the efforts to mobilise the funds for the payment of all entitlements to workers that would be affected by a redundancy exercise have reached an advanced stage.
The Ministry source said workers qualified in petroleum exploration and other administrative staff, who would express their interest to work with a new GNPC to be set up, could reapply for consideration.
It said the new GNPC, "which has been restructured to perform hydrocarbon exploration and no other off-cuts will recruit about 70 employees".
GNPC has received adverse publicity on alleged mismanagement, to the point that its drill ship, Discovery 511 has been sold to defray a debt of 47 million dollars it owed Societe Generale.
The Ministry of Energy has decided to hold a press conference this week to give further details about how the drill ship was sold and other related GNPC matters.
GNPC was established under PNDC Law 64 of 1983, with the objective to undertake the exploration, development, production and disposal of hydrocarbons.
In addition, the corporation was to ensure the training of citizens of Ghana and develop national capabilities in all aspects of petroleum operations.
GNPC was to conduct its affairs on sound commercial lines and in particular, "shall take all necessary steps to ensure that, taking one year with another, its revenues are sufficient to produce on the fair value of its assets, a reasonable return."
It was also to meet interest payments on borrowings and to provide for repayment of loans made to it.
GRi../
Send your comment to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
A total of 205,334 criminal cases were recorded nationwide by the Police last year as against 191,555 in 1999, an increase of seven per cent, Police sources told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.
Out of last year's figure, 32,310 were sent to the court of which 12,361 were convicted. The source said the Attorney- Generals' office refused to prosecute 9,926 cases, invoking the rule of "non-proseculle," the right to determine which cases could be prosecuted at the court successfully.
Cases that fall under this category include those that either lacked merit in law or did not have concrete evidence. Others were not well investigated by the Police.
The source said the number convicted indicated a drop from that of 1999 when 14,832 were convicted.
It mentioned that the number of fraud cases increased from 11,500 in 1999 to 12,200 in 2000 and said: "When an economy is opening up fraud become very rampant."
The number of deaths in road accidents increased from 1,397 in 1999 to 1,800, a percentage increase of 28. Those who got injured in road accidents decreased form 18,100 in 1999 to 12,200 last year.
The source said 17,484 road accidents were recorded last year compared to 13, 900 cases in 1999, an increase of 26.44 per cent.
The source attributed the rise in road accidents to the increased number of vehicles on the roads.
The source blamed commercial drivers for most of the accidents and said, "Commercial drivers display ill manners, have disregard for simple traffic regulations. My advice to passengers is they should sometimes intervene when drivers are being reckless.
GRi../
Send your comment to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday launched a 700 billion- cedi relief programme aimed at creating employment and income generation opportunities for the poor in the most depressed districts.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are funding the three-year Emergency Social Relief Programme (ESRP), which was launched at James Town in Accra.
The programme is also to raise food production, incomes and food security among small-scale food crop producers and improve access to quality basic health infrastructure and services.
Others are to ensure increased access of very poor children to pre-school, primary and secondary education in targeted districts, enhance the sanitation and dwelling conditions of the poor in urban and peri-urban slums, rehabilitate street hawkers, female porters (kayayee), vagrants and increase awareness and coverage of treatment services for the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Beneficiary fishing communities are James Town, Chorkor, Shama, Axim, Biriwa, Elmina, Agavadzi, Adina, Moree and Komenda where the fishermen would be provided with fishing inputs such as outboard motors, fishing nets and pre-mix fuel.
The women would be supported with aluminum pans, fish smokers and some working capital to ensure that they are able to maximise their profits during the fishing season.
Food production districts to benefit are those in Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, Sefwi-Wiawso and Juabeso Bia in the Western Region, Nkwanta in the Volta Region and the Afram Plains area, which stretches from the Eastern Region through Ashanti to Brong Ahafo Region in addition to Kintampo, Nkoranza and Atebubu.
President Kufuor said the government is determined to initiate programmes that would help the poor to stand on their feet in the face of the difficult economic situation.
He said the government believes in the individual's ability to improve on his living standard although society has the responsibility to help the needy to improve on their standard of living.
"Some people only require the creation of a conducive atmosphere for them to take off; others like many school leavers need only to be given skills and directed to productive activities while others like those in fishing communities need to be given direct help."
President Kufuor announced that a nine-member national committee has been set up to define critical areas of need, the type and extent of support required by beneficiaries and also be accountable for the efficient use of the funds.
The committee has already delivered food aid and other assistance to communities in the Upper East Region that have been affected by drought and invasion of armyworm.
Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Majority Leader and Minister of Government Business, said government has voted 40 million dollars to establish schools with modern equipment and facilities on fishing for the youth in fishing communities.
He explained that this is in line with the government's vision for a new beginning for all sectors of the economy.
Mr Mensah said soon the National Planning Commission would establish the philosophy of the government for all institutions involved in rural development.
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the programme is to ensure that beneficiaries are provided with the basic inputs and good atmosphere to work during the peak and lean seasons in the fishing or farming communities in order to repay the loans.
Mr Baah-Wiredu, who is also the chairman of the national committee on the implementation of the programme, said members had already toured the beneficiary communities to have first hand information of their problems and the assistance they would require.
He said efforts would be made to provide access roads, an all-year round availability of food and fish and improvement in the insanitary conditions in the communities.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, who is the Coordinator of the programme, said the Agricultural Development Bank has been mandated to receive and process applications from those who need assistance from August 1.
He said the aluminum pans for the women are ready adding, "we need people who are serious and need assistance."
GRi../
Send your comment to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Breman Asikuma (Central Region) 31 July 2001
The first regional conference for the new District Chief Executives for the Central Region has been held last Friday at Breman Asikuma under the theme: "In pursuit of results".
It was attended by all the eleven DCEs except the DCE for Winneba whose nomination has not been confirmed as yet.
In a speech read for him, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu said that the structure of the local government system must be "at the finger-tips" of DCEs and that the managerial skills should cover planning, organising, directing and controlling.
He said the town councils and unit committees must be delegated to join "in the pursuit of results" programme.
The Minister said as political leaders the DCEs and their staff must know one another well, adding that security matters must attract their prompt attention and that as chairpersons of District Security committees they must take all reports seriously and be in good relations with members of the committees.
GRi../
Send your comment to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kwame Danso (Brong Ahafo) 31 July 2001
Five armed robbers attacked and robbed 40 traders of several millions of cedis at gun-point last Thursday at Kokofu in the Atebubu District of Brong Ahafo.
The traders were travelling from Kumasi to Kwadwokrom, a fish-marketing centre on the banks of the river Volta in the Sene District.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Peter Baba, Atebubu and Sene District Police Commander disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency at Kwame Danso at the weekend.
He said the masked robbers blocked the road at the outskirts of the town, off the Atebubu-Kwame Danso road and wielding guns, attacked the traders as their vehicle with registration number AS 3009 D got there.
Mr Baba said the robbers took away more than 40 million cedis from the traders.
The District Commander said the traders suspected that the robbers trailed them from Kumasi because when their vehicle stopped at the barrier near Asante-Mampong, a Landrover that the robbers used passed by them.
ASP Baba called on traders to come
together and seek police or military protection to and from the area.
Some traders from Sunyani deplored the menace and urged the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to arrange for such security services.
GRi../
Send your comment to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
Ghana is lobbying the international community to have the African Regional Office of the Commonwealth Institute of Parliamentary Studies and Professional Development established in Accra.
Ghana and South Africa have been earmarked for the institute, which would train and develop the professional skills of parliamentary staff in the Commonwealth, Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, Second Deputy Speaker, said at a press conference on Tuesday in Accra.
He said the establishment of the institute would feature prominently on the agenda at a conference of Commonwealth Hansard Editors Association (Africa Region) to be held in Accra from September 24 to 28.
The association is in four regional groupings - European, Canadian, Australasian and Pacific and African.
Mr John Agama who is the editor of Debates of Parliament heads the African Regional grouping that has its secretariat in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mr Dzirasah, who is the chairman of the planning committee of the conference, said "the paucity of institutional facilities for the training of parliamentary staff should be a source of worry to all those who are concerned with strengthening parliamentary democracy in any corner of the globe."
He said the institute would require the support of the Governments and Parliaments of Commonwealth countries, donor partners such as USAID, UNDP, the World Bank and non-governmental organisations.
"There is no doubt that the centrality of the institution of Parliament in any jurisdiction poses a great challenge to parliamentary staff," Mr Dzirasah said.
He said the need for the institute was greater in the developing world because many parliaments in Africa are relatively young. These parliaments find themselves grappling with basic issues of sustainability and independence to the detriment of burning issues such training, retraining, capacity building and development".
GRi../
Send your comment to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Cape Coast (Central Region) 31 July 2001
A Ghanaian Information Technology (IT) Expert based in the United States (US), Dr Osei Darkwa on Monday advocated the establishment of multi-purpose community computer tele-centres in Africa, to facilitate access to the technology.
Dr Darkwa, who hinted that a model of such a centre was to be established in Ghana in the Ashanti-Akim District, outlined the educational, and economic benefits that could be derived to facilitate an improvement in the lives of the people.
He told a 'Technology Forum' organised at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) as part of activities of PANAFEST that the centres, apart from enhancing distance education, could be used for the assembling of computers to create more jobs for the people, digitise and promote indigenous resources as well as be used in improving agricultural production and health care delivery.
The Forum was to discuss the cultural, financial and institutional challenges that inhibit the majority of the African people's access to IT.
Dr Darkwa expressed regret that the information revolution was still only a rumour in Africa and that although she constitutes about 12 per cent of the world's population, only one per cent of her people have access to it.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Obuasi (Ashanti Region) 31 July 2001
Over 2.6 billion cedis in mineral royalties due to be paid to the chiefs and people of Adansi and Amansie districts in Ashanti has been in arrears since April last year.
The Adansi Traditional Council said the royalties covering the periods March-April and October-December 2000 and January to March this year represent 10 per cent of the total mineral royalties paid to the government.
In a letter to the Finance Minister dated July 5, 2001, the traditional council referred to a number of reminders and expressed the hope that the Minister "is now in a position to give or have already given positive instructions for the release of not only royalties for April and October to December, 2000 but also for the period January to March, 2001, all totalling 2,634,020,271.33".
The letter said any delay in the release of the royalties would increase the arrears with the passage of time thereby compounding matters by creating difficulties in the payment of the accumulated arrears.
At a recent meeting of the traditional council, the chiefs expressed concern about the undue delay in the release of the royalties and resolved to send a joint delegation of chiefs from the district and Amansie to meet the Finance Minister on July 24.
"But because of the home-coming summit, we had to postpone to July 31," Nana Adu Ampoti-Dwaa II, special assistant to the Adansi Traditional Council told the Ghana News Agency at Obuasi.
He said as a result of the delay, the beneficiary groups the district assemblies, traditional councils and the stools are facing a lot of problems in the implementation of their development programmes, especially financing of scholarship schemes they have instituted.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Tema (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
Fishermen of the Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association (GIFA) at the Tema Fishing Harbour at the weekend said they expected bumper fish catch during the peak season in August and September.
They do not expect to get high returns because they would be compelled to sell their catch cheaply due to lack of storage facilities, Mr Martin Agboli, Acting Secretary of the GIFA told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview.
Currently, he said, the fishermen who operate about 40 boats popularly called "Legey Legey" return from their fishing expedition with 20 to 40 crates of herrings and salmon, which they sell at 160,000 cedis a crate.
"From August to September, the peak season, when we would be landing about 200 crates from each expedition, we will be forced to sell a crate of fish, (salmon or herrings) for about 60,000 cedis or 80,000 cedis because private cold storage facilities will refuse to accept them," Mr Agboli said.
The Acting Secretary said the private cold stores at the Fishing Harbour accept fish packed in cartons only but they do not have that facility and put theirs in crates. To get them out of their plight, Mr Agboli appealed to the government as an interim measure, to install a blast freezer, which freezes fish in an hour so that they could store them in some private cold stores for a fee against the lean season.
During the lean season the fishermen sail as far as to Aflao on expedition and return with only five to 10 crates while in the peak period they fish from Tema to Winneba.
He said during peak season, fishmongers dictate the price of the fish and since they have no alternative "we agree to their prices to our disadvantage, thus making small margins because of the high cost of fuel and fishing gear".
Mr Agboli said the price of diesel, which is supplied by the Bunkering Services directly from the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), ice flakes and food for the crew makes the operating cost very high.
Three pieces of herrings and salmon sold at 500 cedis at the fishing harbour at the weekend, while market women at the Tema Central Market sold the same quantity for 2,000 cedis.
Cold store operators explained to the Ghana News Agency that they refuse to accept fish in crates because the fishermen go to sea without freezing facilities and return with fresh fish that takes a long time to freeze, the concomitant high electricity bills and the fact that fish in crates is difficult to pack.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Minority says media is the greatest ally
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader at the weekend pledged its continued co-operation with the media saying it was the greatest ally of the people in ensuring development and protecting the rights of the individual and society.
He said, "the political climate all over the world reckoned that the only friend one has is the media that is not only able to convey one's thoughts to many to form their own opinions and take decisions but also to mobilise the masses for development".
Mr Bagbin was speaking at a press soiree the leading Minority Party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) held for the Parliamentary Press Corps at the end of the second meeting of the first session of the House in Accra.
He said, "I can assure you that the Minority will continue to co-operate with you and give you every assistance in the performance of your duties to ensure the growth of political pluralism that we have chosen for ourselves"
Mr Bagbin said the Minority would come back from the recess more determined to improve upon the work it did in the just ended meeting of Parliament to enhance democratic practice and governance.
Miss Ruby Amable, Leader of the Press Corps, said the media would, with all the imperfections attributed to it, endeavour to be objective and present balanced reportage of parliamentary proceedings.
She appealed to politicians to take the criticism of the media in good faith to ensure that the democratic system operates efficiently.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Trawlers destroying Ghana's fish stock-
Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
Mr Ishmael Ashitey, Minister of State for Fisheries, said on Monday that trawlers are destroying fish stocks within Ghana's territorial waters. "They destroy the habitats of the fish, forcing them to migrate to other areas," he told the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
Mr Ashitey said research has shown that about 100,000 metric tons of fish could be caught in Ghana's waters annually "but what we catch presently is below 60,000 metric tons."
''If the fish stock is managed properly it should be enough to feed our people without the government importing any."
He called on fishermen to add value to fish before export because Ghana would earn more foreign exchange than when the fish is exported in its raw form.
Mr Ashitey said Ghana is not benefiting from the present fish catching system, because a lot of Ghanaians are fronting for foreigners who own most of the vessels.
The fishing law states that every foreign fishing vessel should have at least a 30 per cent ownership by a Ghanaian.
This, Mr Ashitey said, ''is not what is pertaining in the field''.
Government is therefore preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Morocco under which Ghana would fish for sardines in Morocco's territorial waters and Morocco will in turn catch tuna in Ghana's waters.
Morocco will also set up fish canneries in Ghana to process tuna for both local consumption and for export.
Mr. Ashitey said "we are inviting them because they have the vessels and canneries, while we have the technical know how to fish tuna. We are finding ways of adding value to fish caught in our waters before export."
He said there are a lot of tuna within Ghana's territorial waters but the local fishermen do not have the gear to catch them. "If we do not harvest them, they would either migrate or die."
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Asphyxia, major cause of deaths in stadium
disaster
Accra (Greater Accra) 31 July 2001
Eighty-seven of the 126 victims of the Accra sports stadium disaster died from asphyxia, a condition of not being able to breath properly, a pathologist's report has said.
In a memorandum, the Chief Pathologist of the Ministry of Health Professor Agyeman-Badu Akosa who is also the President of the Ghana Medical Association, said three of the victims who were picked drunk were conveyed to the hospital with the others and died of suffocation.
Prof Akosa said in the report, a copy of which was sent to the Deputy Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Emergency Disaster Unit of the Ghana Armed Forces, Mr Edward Akita, that most of the victims could have recovered and saved if trained paramedics had attended to them.
He said it was unfortunate that some of the victims who were picked alive were cramped in taxis and trotros and only died on their way to the hospitals.
The memo called for the establishment of an emergency ambulance response unit, which would rapidly respond to such situations.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Ho (Volta Region) 31 July 2001
The District Chief Executives (DCEs) in cocoa producing areas of the Volta Region on Monday met stakeholders in the industry to discuss modalities for the impeding cocoa disease control programme.
Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, chaired the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Cocoa Services Division (CSD) of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and farmers.
Under the programme, which would begin in August this year, District Cocoa Task Forces have been set up under the chairmanship of the DCEs to recruit, train, monitor and co-ordinate the spraying of farms.
Volta Region produces 1,200 tons of cocoa in the Hohoe, Ho, Kadjebi, Kpando, Jasikan and Nkwanta Districts.
Major Daniel Abloh-Quarcoo (rtd), Corporate Treasurer of the Ghana Cocoa Board and National Co-ordinator of the Disease Control Project, said the projected cost for labour and materials alone would be more than 77 billion cedis.
He said the rise was due to new information gathered in cocoa growing areas, which were not included in the data used in computing the cost.
Major Ablor-Quarcoo said funding for the project would come from accumulated bonuses due farmers as a result of the decline in the value of the cedi last year.
He said the exercise was targeted at the black pod and capsid diseases countrywide but emphasis in the Volta Region would be on the black pod, which was endemic in the area.
More than 300 people, literate and above 18 years would be recruited and trained at institutions located at cocoa growing areas in the various districts for the exercise in the region.
They would work in a gang of six and would be paid according to the number of hectares covered.
Major Ablorh-Quarcoo, therefore, asked the taskforces to recruit only trust-worthy people to ensure that environmental guidelines were observed.
Nana Agyei Kramo, Regional Cocoa Chief Farmer, said suggestions that the chemicals should be given to farmers to spray their farms might be counter productive because most farmers have no spraying machines and there was the possibility of diverting the chemicals.
Mr Owusu-Yeboa advised the National Co-ordinating Committee to take a second look at the remuneration package of the people to be recruited to ensure high returns.
GRi…/