Akwasi Agyeman in hot waters as KMA petitioners stand by their decision
New daily minimum wage for workers out
Volta Lake disaster – boat was over loaded
School denies district assembly use of hall
Conference on private partnership with Universities opens
Private newspapers petition Chief Justice on fines
A 59 million-cedi clinic commissioned at Kwanwoma
Enough fuel in stock, Oil refinery assures public
Encourage good worker management relations - Owusu-Acheampong
Volta Region to have its fair share of national cake, Mills
Farmers association not branch of NDC, president
Work on Anwiankwanta-Kumasi road progresses
Rawlings receives UN university Rector
Our products are free of dioxin - Kwabena Darko
Mix boldness with prudence, academicians told
Akwasi Agyeman in hot waters as KMA petitioners stand by their decision
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10th June '99
Forty-six members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) who have petitioned President J.J. Rawlings that they can no longer work with Nana Akwasi Agyemang, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, say they still stand by their decision.
They said they have had enough of the Metropolitan Chief Executive but they are prepared to serve the people of Kumasi who voted them to the assembly.
The assembly members affirmed their stand at a press conference in Kumasi on Tuesday to address issues emanating from their resolution of no confidence in the Metropolitan Chief Executive.
Mr Ishmael Buttler, their spokesman said none of the 46 elected members signed the resolution under duress, as was being alleged by Mr Kwame Boateng alias "Apegee", a government appointee.
Mr Buttler said they all signed the resolution out of their own free will.
He said time and again the Metro Chief Executive has administered the KMA as if the Metropolis is his personal organisation, adding that this is evidenced by the way things are done in Kumasi.
Mr Buttler said under the Local Government law and Standing Orders of district assemblies, a Metro Chief Executive can be removed either by the President or by a resolution of the assembly.
He said they have served a notice to the Presiding Member asking him to convene an urgent meeting within seven days as stipulated by the standing orders and warned that if he fails to act positively to their request, they will advise themselves.
He therefore appealed to President Rawlings to act on their petition as quickly as possible since there is a big division at the KMA, which is retarding business in the metropolis.
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New daily minimum wage for workers out
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99
A new daily minimum wage of 2,900 cedis has been agreed upon by the National Tripartite Committee.
A communiqué issued by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare on Wednesday said the agreement was reached at a meeting of the committee held in Accra on Tuesday.
Signatories to the communiqué were Mr Austin Gamey, a Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr H. R. Amonoo, Council Member, Ghana Employers Association and Mr D. K. Y. Vormawor, Acting Secretary-General of Trades Union Congress (TUC).
It was further agreed that the new national daily minimum wage for the year would be gazetted.
The committee said it took note of its previous decisions on the adjustment of taxes on overtime and bonus payments to enhance take-home pay of workers and agreed to submit its recommendations back to Parliament for necessary action.
The National Tripartite Committee agreed to reconvene soon to begin discussions on the determination of the daily minimum wage within a Medium-Term framework.
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Wa (Upper Wast) 10th June ’99
The Wa Police have arrested a 22 year old tea seller for allegedly raping a 25 year old cola seller at Duori a suburb of Wa.
The suspect, Janfaro Salifu, who has admitted raping the cola nut seller, has been released on Police enquiry bail pending further investigations.
Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh, Police Public Relations Officer at Wa, said in an interview that the victim was sent to the Wa Regional Hospital and a medical report confirm that she was raped.
Inspector Dorkpoh said, on Tuesday June one, Janfaro, invited the victim into his house to buy all the quantity of cola nut she was selling.
When she got into the house, Janfaro invited the girl into his room to bargain, but pushed her onto his bed and restrained her from crying out for help while he sexually assaulted her.
The victim reported the case to the Police and the suspect was arrested while the victim was sent to the hospital for medical check up.
The suspect is said to have admitted the offence during interrogation but said he had been admiring her for long and had not had the opportunity to have sex with her owing to his tea selling business.
He said that day, was therefore, "a chance in a million for him to satisfy his sexual desires.
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Volta Lake disaster – boat was over loaded
Tata-Abotoase (Volta Region) 10th June ’99
It has now been confirmed that the passenger boat, which capsized on the Volta lake last Friday and left an unspecified number of people dead was overloaded.
The boat was reported to be carrying more than 100 people at the time of the accident instead of the stipulated 40.
A rescue team at Abotoase has retrieved six bodies, which included those of five women traders.
Other communities along the lake have also retrieved some of the bodies.
These were disclosed to Vice President J. E. A. Mills, when he visited the landing site of the lake at Tata-Abotoase to express government's condolence to the bereaved families over the accident.
Prof. Mills is on a four-day working tour of seven out of the 12 districts in the Volta region.
Briefing the Vice President and his entourage, which included ministers of state and MPs, Nana Ogronwe Anyinam Kwaku Boateng II, Paramount Chief of Tata Traditional Area, said the boat was carrying traders from Kete-Krachi and surrounding communities to the market at Daboase, when it capsized during a severe storm.
The chief suggested that the government sets up a "monitoring system" for boat operators at all the landing sites to ensure that they carry only the stipulated number of passengers, who should be provided with life-saving jackets.
Nana Boateng further suggested an insurance scheme for passenger boats operating on the lake as was done for vehicles on the road.
Prof. Mills later addressed some operators and boat owners at the lakeside and cautioned them to adhere to safety regulations.
He told them of proposals to streamline their operations and asked them to co-operate or face the law.
Mr Steve Akorli, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport, also expressed the Ministry's condolence to the bereaved families and called for an intensified education to improve transportation on the lake.
He said the Ministry is in the process of introducing a bill in Parliament, which would enforce safety regulations on transportation on the lake.
Mr Akorli recalled the lake accident in 1995, in which more than 100 people lost their lives, saying since then, the Ministry has adopted measures to streamline the operations on the lake.
It is a requirement that every passenger boat is marked with a maximum loading line.
The Ministry and the Volta River Authority have also commissioned a lake patrol unit to conduct periodic checks on passenger boats on the lake.
Mr Akorli said the shipping division of the Ministry has also been educating operators on the need to maintain safety standards.
However, he noted, there are some recalcitrant operators, who pay little attention to these measures because of selfish gains.
Meanwhile, the Kedjebi Police said it is continuing investigations into the accident.
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School denies district assembly use of hall
Half Assini (Western Region)10th June ’99
The authorities of the Half Assini Secondary School say they can no longer allow the Jomoro district assembly to use the school's assembly hall for its sittings.
This was contained in a letter signed by the headmaster, Mr Kingsley Fomiah Addai to the secretary to the assembly and copied to the Western regional director of education on Tuesday.
According to the authorities, the action is to ensure the neutrality of the school in the political wrangles in Half Assini.
"Of late the use of the assembly hall by the assembly seems to be creating problems for the school.
"To enable the institution to operate in a positive neutrality, I regret to inform you that the temporary use of its hall by the assembly for meetings has been repealed with effect from today", the letter stated.
When contacted, Mr Francis Amenlemah, presiding member said the assembly's meeting for a vote of no confidence would definitely take place tomorrow, but at a different venue.
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Conference on private partnership with Universities opens
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99, -
African Universities should redefine their focus to meet the development aspirations of the continent.
The call was made at a conference to seek a new relationship between civil society and African universities, which opened in Accra on Wednesday.
Speakers at the three-day conference said the focus of the Universities should help resolve problems such as poverty, environmental degradation, unemployment, conflicts and wars.
The African Regional Council of the International Association of University Presidents organised the conference, which is aimed at bringing the stakeholders together to discuss the prospects for collaboration for sustainable development of the continent.
More than 80 foreign and local officials from the academia, private sector and civil society are attending the conference.
In an opening address, Mr Harry Sawyerr, a member of the Council of State, said the need for African Universities to forge partnerships with the private sector and civil society has become imperative.
He said as most Universities in Africa were established as public institutions and continue to rely on the state for support which has now become very difficult to continue because of the economic hardships facing the continent.
The contraction of state funding, Mr Sawyerr said, has resulted in a mismatch between growing enrollment and provision of infrastructure for higher education.
"It has become clear that the legacy of free University attendance that was possible three decades ago, when numbers were small, cannot be maintained under present circumstances."
For instance, he said, Ghana allocates an average of 30 to 35 per cent of its national recurrent budget to education out of which 12 to 13 per cent goes to the tertiary sector.
"This is about the limit of feasible public spending on education and is far higher than in the industrialised nations," Mr Sawyerr, a former Minister of Education, said.
Stakeholders should not only have the responsibility for sharing costs of tertiary education, but should also have the right to participate in crucial decisions affecting quality, relevance, access and funding of higher education, he said.
"Forging closer partnerships with stakeholders in education should expand Africa's capacity to identify and address the many challenges ahead."
Dr Kofi Amoako, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, expressed concern about the depth of poverty in Africa.
He said poverty has been on a rising trend with about two-fifths of the continent's population living under one dollar per day.
Even though many countries in Africa are progressing and benefiting from structural reforms, "the progress is fragile and also still loaded with many outstanding development challenges," Dr Amoako said.
"We also know that growth alone will not be sufficient. We must couple growth with deliberate policies attacking poverty and promoting education, health and social safety nets."
Professor George Benneh, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said though the contribution of African Universities to society could not be discounted, they still have a lot to do to fit into the rapid changes in the socio-economic environment of the global economy.
This, he said, could be done through forging strong partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders to generate more resources to meet high enrolment into the Universities.
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Private newspapers petition Chief Justice on fines
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99-
The Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) has sent a petition to the Chief Justice expressing shock at a 42 million Cedis fine imposed as damages on the "Ghanaian Chronicle" for libel.
A petition, signed by Mr Nii-Laryea Sowah, General Secretary of PRINPAG, said the amount, the highest ever imposed on any newspaper in the country, is rather excessive and harsh.
"It would, therefore, be worthwhile for our judiciary to seriously ponder over a situation, where all newspapers would be closed down leaving sycophants and proteges to rulers.
"Much as members of PRINPAG detest blackmail and character assassination, we maintain that monumental fines are not the right corrective measure to bring sanity to the publishing industry."
The petition said newspapers contribute to increasing literacy as well as strengthening the pillars of democracy and no attempt should be made to stifle their existence.
"PRINPAG is appalled by the fact that within a period of eight months, a fine of 96 million cedis has been imposed on its members - The Voice 20 million cedis, The Guide 30 million cedis and the Ghanaian Chronicle 46 million cedis.
"As publishers, we are aware that damages are meant to compensate for the harm done to the plaintiffs and to cover their costs.
"However, of late, there is no evidence in any relation between the damages being awarded in libel cases and the harm done. Justice, it is said, must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done."
PRINPAG said it believes that the nature of the damages demonstrate that those, who impose the fines are not aware of the mechanism or cost of producing a newspaper.
"If they claim to be aware then we suggest that there is a deliberate attempt to cripple the private press enterprise.
"PRINPAG believes that when free speech dies, the judiciary would not be safe.
"We appeal to the Judiciary to consider the huge fines and allow justice to prevail."
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A 59 million-cedi clinic commissioned at Kwanwoma
Kwanwoma (Ashanti), 10th June 99 --
A 59 million-cedi clinic constructed under the European Union (EU)-Government of Ghana Project for the people of Kwanwoma and its surrounding communities in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district was commissioned at Kwanwoma on Tuesday.
The district assembly and the Kwanwoma community supported the implementation of the project, which has two staff quarters and a toilet.
Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kojo Yankah commissioned the clinic, as part of his one-day tour of the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district, to inspect projects and assess its developmental needs.
Mr Yankah commended the district assembly for providing health and educational infrastructure in the rural communities in the district.
"It is only by making health facilities and education easily accessible to the rural communities that their health can be improved to place them in a position to contribute to national development",he said.
Mr I.K. Nyame, the District Chief Executive, urged the Ministry of Health to provide personnel to man the clinic
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Enough fuel in stock, Oil refinery assures public
Tema (Greater Accra), 10th June 99 --
The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has enough fuel products for the country's supply and any shortage in the Western Region should be considered as temporary.
Mr William Sakyi Parker, Chief Executive of TOR disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) about the fuel shortage in the Western Region.
He said following press reports about the shortage, "we have dispatched a number of tankers by road to the region to solve their problem".
He explained that petroleum products to the region normally go by sea and the vessels do not take more than 10,000 tonnes, due to draught restrictions at the port.
Mr Parker said petroleum products are sent by sea because fuel tankers usually get involved in accidents, adding, "a vessel can carry what a good number of petrol tankers could carry at a time, and this is done fortnightly to avoid demurrage charges".
He assured the motoring public that with "TOR's present 2.5 million metric tonne capacity, we will be able to do away with avoidable fuel shortages throughout the country".
The Bulk Oil and Storage Transport Company Limited (BOST) could not tell how many tankers had been despatched to the Western Region when contacted.
According to the press reports an acute shortage of petroleum products has hit Sekondi-Takoradi, resulting in long queues of vehicles at petrol filling stations in the metropolis.
Officials of BOST in the region attributed the shortage to the June four holiday.
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Encourage good worker management relations - Owusu-Acheampong
Daboase (Western Region) 10th June '99
Mr J.H.Owusu- Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, on Tuesday called on organised labour to encourage good worker-management relations to ensure industrial harmony.
Organised labour, he said, has to support the government's investment drive and help disabuse the minds of investors that "Ghana is not a safe place to do business".
Mr Owusu- Acheampong said this during a visit to the Subri Industrial Plantation,(SIPL) where he was briefed on interest being shown by investors in the company's pulp and paper mill project at Daboase.
He said confrontational attitude of workers could make potential investors think that there is no industrial harmony in the country.
He urged workers to resolve conflicts with their managements through dialogue.
Mr Mr George Naab, SIPL managing director, who brief the minister and his entourage said investors from China, Korea and a number of Western countries have submitted proposals for joint partnership in the company's pulp and paper mill project.
The company is diversifying its operations into the timber industry and furniture production, he told the minister, adding that it has recently won contracts for the supply of furniture.
A loan was being sought from the Agriculture Development Bank for the purchase of the necessary equipment to execute the contract.
Mr Owusu- Acheampong and his entourage also paid a courtesy call on Nana Adwoa Kyewa Assibuo II, chief of Daboase.
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Volta Region to have its fair share of national cake, Mills
Hohoe (Volta Region) 10th June '99
Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday said the government is determined to implement its programmes and ensure that the Volta Region has its fair share of the national cake.
He was speaking during a courtesy call on Togbega Gabusu VI, Paramount chief of Gbi traditional area, as part of a four-day tour of seven districts in the northern sector of the region.
Professor Mills cautioned against being deceived by vain promises and expressed his gratitude to them for their continued support for the NDC.
Togbega Gabusu assured the Vice-President that the downpour, which disrupted Tuesday's durbar in his honour was a sign that God has endorsed his visit.
He appealed to the government to build a wall around the Hohoe government hospital and to provide the necessary equipment and doctors' bungalows to bring it to the status of a district hospital.
Togbega Gabusu explained that the fencing would reduce encroachment on the hospital's land.
He called on the government to ensure a proper demarcation of Hohoe and Kpando districts, especially Kpeve, to avoid any conflict.
Among those present at the meeting were Professor Kofi Awonoo, a Presidential Aide, Dr Obed Asamoa, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Alhaji Seidu Idi, Regional Minister, MPs from the area and some Ministers of state.
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Farmers association not branch of NDC, president
Awutu (Central Region) 10th June '99
Mr Bismark Doku-Nartey, President of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), has denied at Awutu that the organisation is a political wing of the NDC government.
He said GNAFF is purely an agricultural-oriented body with the objective of producing enough food to feed Ghanaians.
Mr Doku-Nartey was speaking at a farmers' rally organised by the Central Regional executives of the GNAFF to educate farmers and fishermen on the association's plans to improve their lot.
The GNAFF is bent on mobilising its members to produce more food for local comsuption and export to complement government efforts.
He announced that an American Firm has offered to assist the association financially to enable it set up a Gari processing factories in the rural areas.
Lieutenant Daniel William Osardu, District Chief Executive for Awutu-Effutu-Senya, advised farmers to act as watchdogs against illegal chain-saw operators who indiscriminately fell trees to degrade the environment.
Mr E. N. Barnor, Central Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, urged the association to explore markets for their members saying this will entice the youth to accept agriculture as a lucrative venture.
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Work on Anwiankwanta-Kumasi road progresses
Brofoyedru (Ashanti), 10th June 99 –
Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister on Tuesday inspected progress of Work on the rehabilitation of the 24.6-kilometre Anwiankwanta-Kumasi road being undertaken by Daewoo Corporation, a Korean road construction firm.
The Regional Minister accompanied by Mr Joe Issachar, Regional Co-ordinating Director and Mr I.K. Nyame, the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District Chief Executive, were briefed on the progress of work by Mr Masaaki Urhara, Project manager and Hidekazu Ichikawa, the General Manager.
Mr Uehara told the Minister that the project estimated at 37 billion cedis, has a local component of 17 billion cedis and a 1.5 billion Japanese Yen.
He said the work which started in December 1998 and expected to be completed in November next year, "is already three months ahead of schedule" with the completion of over 32 per cent of rehabilitation works.
Mr Uehara said about 22 per cent of the total amount involved in the project had already been spent and that work was progressing smoothly adding that the company enjoyed the co-operation of all parties including the chiefs and communities living along the road.
Mr Yankah expressed satisfaction about the quality of work on the project and commended the construction firm for their hard work.
He assured them that the government would not let them down in view of the importance of the road and would therefore soon address their financial concerns.
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Rawlings receives UN university Rector
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99 –
President Jerry John Rawlings on Wednesday appealed to United Nations agencies responsible for protecting the environment to assist Ghana to check illegal fishing practices by foreign fishing vessels.
He said Korean and some other fishing vessels are engaging in unorthodox fishing practices that make it impossible for young fishes to grow.
"They clean the sea bed. This is what you should be checking," President Rawlings told Professor Hans Van Ginkel, Rector of the Japan-based UN University, at the Castle, Osu.
Prof Ginkel is attending the Third Board Meeting of the UN-run Institute of Natural Resources based at the University of Ghana, Legon.
One of the objectives of the institute is to develop policies which would enable African countries to manage their natural resources well.
President Rawlings said Africa's environment is being degraded and, in Ghana for example, rivers are drying up because vegetation along their banks have been destroyed.
"This is not what is happening in Nigeria. In Nigeria, laws against farming along river banks are enforced. This is what I want to see happen in Ghana."
President Rawlings said it is important to implement programmes the Institute formulates for the preservation of the environment.
Prof. Ginkel said the institute does not concentrate on such resources as gold, diamond and other minerals because ordinary people do not benefit directly from them.
"We place emphasis on the soil, water, vegetation as well as traditional food crops," he said.
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Our products are free of dioxin - Kwabena Darko
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99 –
Darko Farms (DF), Ghana's largest poultry producer, on Wednesday assured consumers that its products are free from dioxin, the chemical ingredient in poultry and other feed that causes cancer.
Mr Kwabena Darko, Chief Exeutive of DF, told journalists at a press conference in Accra that eggs and meat products produced locally from chicken fed on feed compounded from ingredients, which have passed stringent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) screening, and are safe for human consumption.
He said the company does not import any product from Belgium and that "all Darko Farms and Company Limited feed are free of dioxin".
Ghana last week suspended the importation of chicken, eggs, poultry products, pork and pork products, mayonnaise, pasta, pastries and cakes originating from Belgium because of the dioxin scare.
This is because these products may be unsafe for human consumption as a result of the high level of dioxin in the feed used in the poultry industry in Belgium.
Mr Darko said he had contacted Tyson Foods Incorporated, USA, its new partners, and has been assured that the Tyson quality analysis policy on pesticide residue ensures that all flocks are tested and cleared prior to removal from the farm.
"Samples from feed ingredients, finished feed, litter and soil from each farm are also routinely tested for pesticide residue".
Mr Darko said his company has taken steps to ensure that the withdrawal of poultry products from Belgium and parts of Europe does not create shortages in the country.
"We have stepped up our production of frozen chicken and eggs and ordered additional supplies of chicken cuts from Tyson Foods Inc. under our co-operation agreement".
An official of the Ministry of Trade and Industry said it is instituting measures that would ensure that poultry products from Belgium in the country are shipped back and those already on the market are not consumed.
He appealed to the public to co-operate with the Ministry, the Ghana Standards Board, and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to flush out people, who may try to break the ban and sell such products to the public.
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Mix boldness with prudence, academicians told
Accra (Greater Accra), 10th June 99 –
Dr Kofi Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, on Wednesday urged African Universities to recognise the dynamic transition of the continent and shift their emphasis from pure theory to pragmatic applications.
"Most students will not have the luxury of dwelling in a world of pure theory; they must have abilities which directly lead to pragmatic employment opportunities," Dr Amoako told a large forum of academia and stakeholders in higher education attending a three-day conference in Accra.
More than 80 foreign and local officials are attending the conference, which will focus on the partnership between the private sector and civil society in developing African Universities.
Under the auspices of the Africa Regional Council of the International Association of University Presidents and the Association of African Universities, the conference will chart a new direction among the stakeholders towards a sustainable development of Africa through higher education.
Dr Amoako said even though higher education in Africa receives a high share of the continent's total education budgets, tertiary enrolment ratios in Africa remain the lowest among other regions.
From six universities in Africa in 1960, the continent now boasts of 120 universities with enrolment reaching 3.8 million in 1995 from 1.5 million in 1980.
Yet, while Africa's growth rate for enrolment in higher education has led every other region by a wide margin, university budgets have been the least adequate among the regions.
"This calls for a new understanding of the situation of the university and what its options are," Dr Amoako said.
Dr Amoako who is a United Nations Under-Secretary, said the time has come for African Universities to move from heavy dependence on the state for funding and seek partnership with other interested groups.
He said the changing role of the state has powerful implications for universities.
"Students and researchers must be far more attuned to a pluralistic society. Pluralism means, much more wider diversity for employment of graduates, the need for more complex understanding of how societies operate and change, and of course, far more facility in anticipating and coping with new social, demographic technological and scientific transitions."
Dr Amoako said a progressing Africa, where higher education seeks and receives more authority and responsibility to be innovative, can implement a "full menu of relationships" with the private sector and civil society.
"No one person or institution has all the answers as to what every specific menu should be, so this is another area in which to share ideas and experiences."
Dr Amoako called for research collaboration with the private sector that will encourage higher education, allow more autonomy and give incentives for quality improvement and better service to the public.
This, he said, would help in Africa's overarching challenge of eradicating poverty.
"This vision of progress would only become a reality if we are talented drivers of the economy, making long sighted choices and staying with the tasks as we address the challenges facing the continent," Dr Amoako said.
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