Human Security must be Centre of Global Affairs - Canada

Police swoop at Mangoase results in injuries

NGOs urged to help promote children's right

Tema Manhean fishmongers and fishermen to be resettled

Minister orders replacement of mosquito nets at Korle-Bu

Training towards trial census on course

Local NGO to support women groups

NCWD expresses concern on killings

Government will assist independent commissions - Awoonor

New civil aviation convention to come into force soon - Hammah

Books scheme for basic schools launched

Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms. Janet Graham, on Thursday said Canada would continue to support initiatives that would promote global peace and security to ensure economic stability.

"Stability and security, she said, are prerequisites for economic growth and development and Canada will work with other countries, including Ghana, to ensure global peace."

Ms Graham said this at a forum in Accra where she presented a paper on Canadian foreign policy and assistance to democratic development as an integral part of human security.

The forum, organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development, a research group, brought together parliamentarians, political parties, private sector and other research institutions.

It was the second in a series of forums to discuss and share ideas on contemporary foreign policies and assistance of major donor countries towards the democratic and socio-economic development of Ghana.

Ms Graham said the issue of human security agenda at the close of the 20th century is no sideshow. On the contrary, it is rapidly becoming the main event of global affairs.

This, she said, put the Canadian foreign policy focus on promotion of prosperity and employment, protection of security within a global framework and the projection of Canadian cultural values.

"However, the threats to security now are more complex than before... and our own security, including economic security, is increasingly dependent on the security of others.

"We need to address security issues in an integrated fashion and to draw on all available foreign policy instruments," Ms Graham said.

In Africa, she said, while progress has been made towards political and economic reform, much of the continent continues to be marked by instability and conflict.

Even where the political will exists to resolve such conflicts on the continent, she said lack of resources often poses problems for institutions such as the Organisation of African Unity.

Ms Graham said: "the road to stable, representative, democratic governments will be a long one for many countries".

She, therefore, urged the international community to give attention to an effective mix of policy instruments to influence change.

On Canadian Development Assistance that went to low income countries, Ms Graham said Africa continues to be prominent in the share of resources.

"Programming in Africa is firmly rooted in individual countries but support for regional initiatives is gradually taking on some importance," she said.

For instance, Ghana, which receives the largest share of Canadian bilateral programme (about one billion Canadian dollars by year 2000), would be supported to work towards regional integration.

"We share a mutual commitment to the alleviation of poverty and the economic prosperity of Ghana and, indeed, Africa.

"We share your belief that unless development efforts bring benefits to the poorest in society, our goals will not be met.

"There can, however, be no development without peace and we are equally committed to working on achieving peace and security in West Africa as the necessary condition for both Ghanaian and regional prosperity," Ms Graham said.

There were contributions that bordered on trade restrictions and barriers in the ECOWAS.

The strengthening of parliament through the provision of research facilities and the lack of control over fiscal expenditure were some of the issues raised and discussed by the participants.

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Mangoase (Brong Ahafo) 25 June '99

Scores of people including children and the elderly received various degrees of injuries at Mangoase, in the Techiman district, during a raid last Wednesday night by the Police to arrest suspected illegal chain-saw operators.

A number of houses also had their windows and doors broken by the Police in their zeal to roundup the suspects.

The ages of those injured ranged between 13 and 69 years, according to the Nkwankwahene of the town, Nana Kwame Sakyi, who took newsmen round to see some of the injured and houses damaged during the raids.

Nana Sakyi, speaking on behalf of the people said the Police attack was unjustified and appealed to the government to institute a probe into it and bring all those involved to book.

Giving details about the incident, he said, on June 16 this year, residents were woken up in the dead of the night by series of gunshots followed by indiscriminate smashing of doors and windows.

Nana Sakyi said, "without provocation, the Police, armed to the teeth and numbering at least ten, violently assaulted those they rounded up, some of them naked, without any explanation".

"In the process, scores of us sustained varying degrees of injuries including broken limbs while 35 others were arrested and sent to Police cells at Sunyani".

Nana Sakyi said but for the intervention of their Member of Parliament, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, who is also the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister and the payment of 200,000 cedis by those arrested, they would have been refused bail.

He said it was only after they had been taken to the Sunyani Police Station that they were told that they have been arrested in connection with an attack on some Policemen by a group of illegal chain-saw operators at the outskirts of the town.

Nana Sakyi said most of the people in the town were not aware of the said attack, which took place on May 19, because it occurred at its outskirts in the middle of the night.

He wondered why the whole population should be made to suffer for the sins of only a few illegal chain-saw operators, "who are well known to the Police".

Nana Sakyi contended that with a little professionalism, the Police could have made their arrests easily without having to inflict pain on all the people.

"Even as at now the whereabouts of those, who fled during the raid are not known. Only God, knows where they are" he added.

Nana Sakyi said for the people to be appeased, there was the need for a probe to bring those responsible for the attack to book, and a just compensation should be paid to all victims of the Police excesses.

The District Police Commander, Mr Reynolds Kwakye, when contacted said though his men undertook a swoop in the town, he was not in a position to confirm or deny the claims of the town's folk as regards the alleged Police brutalities.

Mr Kwakye said the petition for an enquiry by the people has been forwarded to the Regional Crime Investigation Department (CID), which has commenced investigations into the allegations to enable the Police administration determine the next step to take.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

Mr John Mahama, Minister for Communications, on Thursday called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to complement government's effort in creating awareness on children's rights to help make the conventions in the children's Act a reality.

Opening a three-day workshop on the Children's Act organised by the International Club of Journalists for Children's Rights (ICJCR) for the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) branch, Mr Mahama said the issue of child survival, development and protection has of late been high on the agenda of most governments and the international community

"This is because people continue to violate children's rights forgetting that they are also human."

Mr Mahama noted that, even though, a lot of noise has been made on the need to respect the rights of the child, very little is actually known about the Children's Act.

He said there is the need for vigorous mass education on issues stated in the Act such as the need for proper child custody, access, maintenance rights of the child and parental responsibility.

Mr Mahama said the Ministry is at the moment deliberating on issues of violence and sex shown on television and would also review the cinematography Act of 1994, which is outdated.

He appealed to government agencies and departments, NGOs and the media to work in concert to promote children's rights.

Mr David Newton, Director of GIJ, attributed the impediment in the progress of children's rights to the attitude of the adult population, which, to a large extent, is shaped by cultural and traditional perception of the adult about children.

He appealed to adults to recognise children as distinct individuals, whose needs and entitlements must be recognised by those charged with caring for them.

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Tema Manhean (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

Residents in Tema Manhean, mainly fishermen and fishmongers, whose unauthorised structures were demolished recently, are to be resettled by the Tema Traditional Council (TTC).

Nii Adjei Kraku 11, President of TTC, who disclosed this on Thursday said a new area at the "U Compound", with over 100 plots, each measuring 40 feet by 40 feet, have been earmarked for them.

Speaking to journalists on plans being made to help the about 300 victims of the demolition exercise, that was carried out by the Tema Municipal Assembly about six months ago, Nii Adjei Kraku said applications forms have already been designed and the Traditional Council would soon meet leaders of the community to explain the Council's plans for the area.

Their structures demolished had no permits.

Plans envisaged for the area include a well layout settlement with roads, electricity, water and improved sanitation.

Madam Norvi Fiatsi, a representative of the settlers said the demolishment had brought hardships to them as their businesses have collapsed, and their children's education has also been seriously interrupted.

She explained that fishmongers at Tema Manhean play a vital role in the fish processing industry and they must be given the necessary assistance to be able to continue to contribute to the national economy.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Minister of Health has directed the Chief Executive of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to undertake immediate replacement of all the mosquito netting at the Children's Block to avoid exposing the children to mosquitoes

The exercise is to be undertaken within 14 days pending the general renovation of the block, a statement issued on Thursday said.

This is in reaction to a news publication to the effect that the worn out mosquito netting in the children's block cannot be replaced because the block is to be rehabilitated as soon as funds are made available.

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Cape Coast (Central Region) 25 June '99

A two-week training course for 68 supervisors and 340 enumerators selected to undertake the trial population and housing census in the Cape Coast and Twifo-Hemang-Lower-Denkyira districts opened simultaneously at Cape Coast and Ajumako on Thursday.

The two districts have been selected for the trial census, which comes off in July this year and is expected to end within 3 weeks.

The trial census is meant to test all census procedures and data processing.

Mr David Combat, assistant regional census officer, said the enumerators will be selected to correspond with the enumeration areas after the course.

In Cape Coast, Mr H.Q. Jehu-Appiah, Deputy Central Regional Minister who opened the course, said the trial census is a prelude to the year 2000 population and housing census.

He reminded the participants of their role towards the successful conduct of the trial census and urged them to take the exercise seriously.

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Tamale (Northern Region) 25 June '99

Katimali Society, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has instituted a three-year development programme to help women in the Tolon-Kumbungu and Savelugu-Nanton districts to improve on their socio-economic conditions.

The project, which will benefit about 700 women on a pilot basis, is being implemented in partnership with Village Aid, a British NGO, which seeks to remove barriers to women's development.

Sheikh Yakubu Abdul-Kareem, General Secretary of the society who disclosed this in Tamale, said the project would cover family planning, income-generating ventures, skills development, ownership and human rights education.

"Human rights form the basis of women's empowerment as they look forward to opportunities to free themselves from what they perceive as manipulation and cheating by men", he explained.

Sheikh Abdal-Kareem said the society has met with chiefs in Dagbon, including the Ya-Na, to seek their support for the project, which would cover more districts after the pilot phase.

The project would be launched during this year's Damba festival.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

The National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) on Thursday expressed concern about the killing of women in Dansoman and other areas in Accra.

Last Tuesday, a news item on GBC TV showed a picture of a young woman of about 30 years old, who was found dead at Akokofoto, Dansoman and suspected to have been raped and killed.

A statement by the NCWD in Accra, said the Council was concerned that nobody had been apprehended yet and was equally shocked and dismayed at the undignified manner, in which the dead woman was shown naked to the public.

It said " it is an acknowledged and universal truth that all human beings are endowed with inalienable rights and dignity even in death"

"The picture of the dead woman shown almost naked and in a very bad position denied her that right and dignity", adding that covering her body before taking the picture would have been enough to preserve her dignity.

The NCWD, therefore, appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other law enforcement agencies and the media to refrain from displaying pictures of dead people in an undignified and ghoulish manner.

"It is the hope of the Council that the Police would intensify its search for those involved in these hideous crimes.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

Professor Kofi Awoonor, a presidential aide, said on Thursday that the government will continue to assist independent commissions to play their part in the democratisation process and enhance governance.

He mentioned some of the independent institutions as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the National Media Commission.

Professor Awoonor, who was speaking at the third National Governance Workshop in Accra, said such important institutions must be made proactive and able to act much more quickly as their "inaction or improper actions" have the potential to create conflict situations or exacerbate them.

The two-day workshop, organised by Parliament under the sponsorship of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is on "Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Management for Peace, Stability and development".

Professor Awoonor said the NCCE, for instance, must remain at the fore-front of securing national harmony through education and public awareness, since ignorance breeds fear and suspicion, which in turn, generate conflict.

He observed that under the constitution, the media have been given a new lease of life, saying at no time in the history of the country have the media been freer.

For instance, he said, the air waves have been liberalised and the print media given free room to operate.

"The media have a critical function of shaping public opinion for better or for worse, and must, in conflict, become whistle blowers and not the originators of the conflict.

"They must carefully balance their responsibility to provide accurate and timely information against spreading panic.

"They must be free yet professional, innovative and investigative as well as help stimulate a creative harmonious atmosphere for national development", he said.

Professor Awoonor expressed the need to institutionalise the collaboration among labour, business and government to ensure industrial peace, promote stability for economic growth and maximise the use of available human resources.

He gave the assurance that the government will continue to provide the required support to enhance their efforts at managing labour conflicts and preventing disagreement from getting out of hand.

The peaceful transition to democratic rule at the national level is being equally peacefully managed at the local level through decentralisation, he noted.

Popular participation, he said helps empower those at the grassroots, diffuse power, and promote accountability and transparency, as well as ensure the equitable distribution of national wealth.

Prof. Awoonor said the advantage of a decentralised conflict resolution mechanism is

that early attention to problems and demands can be promptly attended to at the lower level.

"There is need for mature leadership at the district level and reasonable commitment to the satisfaction of expectations as each becomes his brother's keeper.

"This is why it is our strongly held view that the intense rivalry that partisan politics generates must be spared at the district political system", Professor Awoonor said.

He said another important institution which must be placed at the centre of conflict prevention, management and resolution is chieftaincy.

The institution, having stood the test of time, must be preserved and adapted to become the pivot of "our tradition and culture, without which we risk losing our collective self-pride and identity.

Professor Awoonor suggested that the role of chieftaincy in the consolidation of democratic governance should be so redefined as not to lose its crucial contribution to "our own institution building process.."

Conflict prevention and management require multi-tools that must be chosen with care, he said, adding that new approaches must be linked to established programmes in more coherent and specific strategies.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June '99

A new International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) Convention aimed at unifying, modernising and consolidating certain rules relating to international air carriage is expected to come into force soon.

Known as the Montreal Convention, the new regime deals with the liability of air carriers and the compensation to be paid to victims of air accidents or their next of kin, and for delays, loss or damage of baggage and cargo.

It seeks to replace the 70-year-old Warsaw Convention that has undergone various degrees of amendment through fragmented protocol agreements.

Mr Mike Hammah, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport, said during a press briefing, on Thursday on Ghana's participation in a conference on air law held in Montreal Canada from the May 10 to 29.

Ghana's delegation, which was led by the Deputy Minister, included Wing Commander Andy Mensah, Dir