Council of State meets political parties
NDC has vision for country - Mills
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 June 2000
The Ministry of Communications, in consultation with the Office of National Security, has set up a combined team to conduct immediate investigations into widespread complaints about illegal use of customers' telephone lines.
The team will also investigate other allegations of telephone fraud in respect of services provided by Ghana Telecom.
A statement issued on Wednesday said the team comprises personnel of the National Communications Authority, Serious Fraud Office and the Bureau of National Investigations.
It said over the last few months, the ministry has received several complaints from members of the public alleging that certain persons have been illegally using their lines for which huge bills are delivered to them every month.
"These complaints have been routinely referred to Ghana Telecom for verification."
The statement said in certain cases it was established that unauthorised use of the phone occurred on the customers premises.
"In other cases, however, it will appear that customers have a genuine cause for complaint." The statement said in view of the present magnitude of the complaints, the Ministry has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
"The Minister has warned that firm action will be taken against any person or group of persons found to be involved in such illegal practices in order to protect the integrity and efficiency of the telecommunications industry," it added.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 June 2000
Professor Kofi Kumado, Senior
Lecturer at the Law Faculty of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday
reminded legal practitioners of their crucial role to ensure that the Rule of
Law is firmly entrenched in the society.
He was delivering the first in a
series of this year's Memorial Lectures in honour of the three High Court
Judges who were murdered 18 years ago in Accra.
Prof. Kumado pointed out that
lawyers would be doing this nation a great disservice if they do not focus
their activities on ensuring that "Ghana is in truth a society based on
the Rule of Law, an aspiration to be found in the preamble to our
Constitution".
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA)
instituted the lectures in memory of the three judges, Mr Justice Kwadwo Adjei
Adjepong, Mr Justice Fred Opoku Sarkodie and Mrs Justice Cecilia
Koranteng-Addow, who, together with a retired army officer, Major Sam Acquah,
were abducted from their homes and murdered in the early hours of June 30,
1982.
"This is our charge. No price
is too small and if people hate us, it must be because we are not doing, to
their knowledge, the right thing for our country."
Speaking on "Pimples and
Incipient Boils: Random Thoughts of a Native", Prof. Kumado, who is also
the first Chairman of the National Media Commission, expressed grave concern
about some major crimes in the society namely, murders, ethnicity, corruption
and the breakdown of respect for the law.
He pointed out that these crimes
have become "pimples on our constitutional landscape", which need to
be eliminated and therefore charged members of both the Bar and the Bench to
develop the needed skills and sensitivity to "detect the pimples appearing
on our constitution, otherwise, we pay a painful price".
Prof. Kumado stated,
"everyone now accepts the inextricable linkage between democracy, good
governance, respect for human rights and poverty eradication", pointing
out that the reality in Africa now is that conflicts have not only kept
stomachs empty; rather "empty stomachs get gorged out".
For this reason, he charged
African leaders to mend their ways, democratise, respect the Rule of Law and
Human Rights and end conflicts on the continent.
Mr Ebow Quashie, President of the
GBA and Chairman for the occasion, re-echoed the fact that the judges, who are
now martyrs, were murdered because "they were masters of justice".
He reiterated the need for members
of the association to re-dedicate themselves to the fight against human rights
abuses as enshrined in the constitution.
Mr Kwesi Pratt, a media
practitioner and politician, charged GBA to set up a fund to cater for all
those who have become victims of human rights abuses in the country.
Among those present at the
function were two past presidents of the association, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, and
Mr Sam Okudzeto.
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Subinso No.2 (Brong Ahafo) 29 June
2000
Women food farmers at Subinso
Number Two in the Wenchi District have appealed to the government to provide
them with agro-chemicals and farming implements to boost production.
They also asked the government to
provide the community with transport facilities to enable them to cart their
farm produce to marketing centres.
The women made the appeal at a
forum organised for them by the Hunger Project, Ghana, as part of activities
marking the celebration of "African Woman Food Farmer Day on Wednesday.
It was under the theme
"Recognising the Role of the Ghanaian Woman Food Farmer" and focuses
on "advocacy for women food farmers and the opening up of opportunities
for women to speak about their work, needs and problems".
The women said lack of transport
facilities, as a result of unmotorable roads in the area, and the limited
marketing avenues for their food and vegetables, were a disincentive to
agricultural production.
The women appealed to the
government to build storage facilities in the area so as to get reasonable
prices for their goods.
Dr. Naana Agyeman-Mensah, Country
Director, Hunger Project, Ghana, said the inter-change of ideas between farmers
and officers from relevant government agencies at the various forums being
organised by the Hunger Project would facilitate an effective analysis of the
situation of the woman food farmer.
She said the forums would also
help identify solutions to problems faced by women food farmers who are the key
agents for the sustainable end of hunger in Ghana.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 29 June
2000
The Eastern Regional Security
Committee (REGSEC) has expressed grave concern about the increasing spate of
highway robbery in the region.
At a meeting in Koforidua on
Wednesday, the REGSEC said it viewed the recent attack on market women,
travelling from Kumasi to Accra, by armed robbers at Anyinam as a serious
threat to the security and safety of traders on the highways at night.
The robbers allegedly stole over
470 million cedis from the women at gunpoint.
The REGSEC has, therefore,
suggested to the financial and banking institutions to consider introducing
mobile banking services in some of the major marketing towns.
This will enable traders and
market women to transact business without carrying huge sums of money on them.
It cited Asesewa, Techiman,
Donkorkrom and Agormanya as some of the major marketing centres where mobile
banking services were needed.
The REGSEC further asked banks to
adopt some modern techniques of transaction other than the use of hard cash to
save the market women from perennial harassment by robbers. It further warned
the public against giving false alarm and information to the security agencies.
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Adensua (Eastern Region) 29 June
2000
The Country Director of the Hunger
Project, Dr Naana Agyeman-Mensah, has called on the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture, district assemblies and NGOs to give adequate financial and
material assistance to women food farmers to help fight hunger and poverty.
She said since women food farmers
produce 80 per cent of the nation's food requirements and also contribute
towards food preservation, they could produce enough to feed the nation and for
export if they were given technical advice and financial support.
Dr. Agyeman-Mensah was addressing
women food farmers and members of the Hunger Projects at Adensua in the Kwahu
South District as part of the celebration of the African Woman Food Farmers'
Day during which the African Leadership Award for the Sustainable End of Hunger
was shown to them.
The award and an amount of 200,000
dollars were received on behalf of the country's food farmers by 64-year-old
food farmer Maame Adwoa Kwaaba of Obedzie from the Central Region.
The project director said if the
nation's women food farmers are given the needed assistance to prevent
post-harvest losses, which is about 40 per cent, they could provide all the
nation's food requirements.
Dr. Agyeman-Mensah said the
200,000 dollars accompanying the award would be granted as loans to members of
the project in the Greater Accra, Central and Volta Regions before extending it
to other parts of the country.
Maame Kwaaba advised women to send
their girl-child to school and form co-operatives to get financial assistance
to increase production.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 June 2000
Ghana on Wednesday received a grant for about 4.8 metric tons of rice worth two million dollars from the Government of Japan to meet the shortfall in rice production locally.
The consignment that includes Australian, Japanese and Thai rice is also to alleviate the Balance of Payment difficulties of the government of Ghana.
Dr. William Adote, Director of International Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance received the items from Eiichi Suzuki, Deputy Head of mission, who made the donation on behalf of his government.
Dr Adote said, the facility is the eighteenth since the first of its kind was signed in 1973. It brings to a total of 30 million dollars worth of food aid extended to Ghana and has also generated a counterpart fund of about 150 billion cedis when sold ".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 June 2000
Panellists at a symposium to commemorate this year's Scientific Renaissance of Africa Day on Wednesday stressed the need to effectively address problems that impede sound agricultural growth and the attainment of national food security.
The panellists, who presented papers on the various components of agricultural production, identified limited adoption of technical innovations, low level of irrigation, lack of subsidies, high cost of inputs, lack of efficient processing and storage facilities and high interest rates on credit facilities as some of the problems.
The Day, which falls on June 30, was designated by the Organisation of African Unity in 1987 to create awareness on the need to promote science and technology in development.
"Science and Technology in Ghana's Agricultural and Industrial Growth" is the theme for this year's celebration being organised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Giving an overview of the Agricultural Sector, Dr Francis Ofori, Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, said in spite of the various programmes and interventions implemented over the years, the sector, which contributes 40 per cent to Gross Domestic Product, has chalked limited success.
"Despite the increased growth in the production of some major food crops, agriculture's contribution to the overall economic growth and poverty alleviation has been below expectation during the last decade.
"The average growth in the agricultural sector (2.8 per cent) is not keeping pace with the average population growth (3.2 per cent) and has serious implications for the attainment of food security, employment generation, improved rural income and the national economy ".
Dr Ofori said, in terms of self-sufficiency, there has been a slight improvement over the 1990 levels of 70 per cent in cereal production, 60 per cent in fish, 25 per cent in meat and less than 20 per cent in the production of raw materials required for agro-based industries. In 1996, self-sufficiency for cereals was 80 per cent, while starchy staples was 100 per cent.
However, the production of rice and millet has declined with Ghana importing 240 metric tonnes of rice at 95 million dollars last year.
Dr Ofori, however, expressed the hope that with the implementation of the Village Infrastructure Project, Youth In Agriculture Programme and the Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Development Strategy, Production levels for staples, vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry and other crops would improve considerably.
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Agona Swedru (Central Region) 29 June 2000
Madam Yaa Adoaba, a 36 year -old farmer and a citizen of Gomoa Esikuma in the Central region has committed suicide by hanging.
The deceased was undergoing a spiritual treatment for an ailments at the Musama Disco Christo Church(MDCC) healing camp at Gomoa Beseadze, Agona Swedru.
Mr John Donkoh, Acting Agona Swedru Divisional Police Commander told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that on June 16, the deceased disappeared unceremoniously from the healing camp.
He said the next day, at about 3 pm, a search team spotted Adoaba hanging on the tree in a bush. Mr Donkoh who is also Divisional Crime officer said the body has been removed
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 June 2000
The Council of State on Wednesday held a meeting with the leadership of registered political parties in Accra to discuss the political situation and campaign for December's vote.
A statement signed by the chairman of the Council, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia said they have noted with concern that the campaign has begun with the trading of accusations and counter-accusations in provocative and abusive language.
This trend of affairs has the tendency and potential to disturb or destroy the peace and stability in the country.
The Council has accordingly appealed to the leadership of the various parties not only to avoid making provocative statements but also to prevail upon their activists and supporters to be circumspect in the language and dealings with other parties.
The statement said the party leaders, represented by their chairmen and general secretaries gave assurances that they would not do anything to disturb the peace and stability needed to continue the democratic process and development.
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Sekondi (Western Region) 29 June 2000
The Vice President Prof. J. E. A. Mills said Wednesday that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has a vision for this country.
The vision, he said, is to make Ghana a middle income country within the next two decades, " where we shall see a higher standard of living for the chiefs and people of this country".
Prof. Mills was addressing the Western Region House of Chiefs as part of his four-day working visit to the Western region.
He said employment for the youth and easy access to education, health, water and sanitation services would be available for every Ghanaian.
Prof. Mills said the implication of the vision for the region is the commitment by government to remove all the constraints and bottlenecks that hinder government's efforts to bring development to the area.
Prof Mills said even though "we have not been able to achieve all that we wanted, a firm foundation is being laid to propel the region forward to achieve its objectives.
He said in spite of the great expenses involved, the government has invested and continues to invest heavily in the region's road infrastructure, adding that a particular heavy cost component has been the provision of numerous bridges and culverts because of frequent criss-crossing of the landscape by various rivers and streams.
He disclosed that funding has now been secured to complete the Bawdie-Asankrangwa-Enchi road.
Prof. Mills said electricity has been extended to almost every district capital and towns in the region while the number of educational institutions in the region has gone up.
The Vice President said the NDC government is keeping faith with the people of the region and will continue to pursue policies and programmes, which will enhance the quality of life in the region.
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