IGP: Striking Force, Panthers Unit to be absorbed into Mobile Force
Chieftaincy dispute, rival factions clash near Tamale
Tower Clock at General Post Office at standstill
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The Police Administration has decided to enforce Government's directive on the White Paper on the Justice Archer Commission that the Striking Force and Panthers Unit be absorbed into the Mobile Force, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku announced on Friday.
Speaking at a meeting of personnel of the three units in Accra he said the combination of the duties of the three units is to ensure an effective and efficient rapid deployment force.
He said the modalities of the merger would be announced in due course. "It is time to put our house in order and retrain personnel of the merged unit on public order and containment of violence. We must depart from a situation where the police is referred to as 'trigger happy' by the members of the public."
The Mobile Force was formed in the colonial era as a rapid deployment force. The Striking Force was formed after independence and the Panthers Unit after December 31, 1981.
Mr Owusu-Poku said the past two decades have witnessed a massive socio-political and economic development the effects of which have placed an enormous responsibility on the police.
"As the challenges of policing continue to grow in leaps and bounds so also have been the expectations of better performance from ordinary citizens."
Mr Owusu-Poku noted that a lot of things have been taken for granted by the police while discharging their duties thus exposing their weaknesses publicly at all levels.
"In most cases, officers appeared to have lost their bearings and assumed certain responses which have created a lot of embarrassment to the service as a whole."
The IGP said developments over the past two decades have also changed their professional way of performing their duties.
"This situation, no doubt, has been reflected in the extend to which personnel have tended to rely so much on the use of weapons than on commonsense and discretion in the discharge of duties.
"I am saddened when I see weapons being used in carrying out almost all duties, more so, when arrests are made with weapons in very minor cases."
Mr Owusu-Poku said the manner officers use firearms indiscriminately in containing public disorder and violence has raised much public concern adding that the public have found the use of lethal weapons in controlling riots and crowd no longer tenable.
"The acquired dependency on weapons syndrome must be abandoned if we are to function effectively.
"We must return to basic crowd control methods of using steel helmets, shields and long batons."
Mr Owusu-Poku said the current democratic dispensation required that they reviewed their policing methods and adapted them to suit the constitutional obligations imposed on them as a law enforcement agency.
The IGP also expressed concern about lack of discipline in the service and said police officers should change their behaviour and attitude towards the public and strive to redeem their image.
"You should note that the police officer is the arbiter of social justice and the public expect officers to be fair and firm."
Mr Owusu-Poku said even though they have personal prejudices, the police officers should not allow them to colour their sense of judgement in the performance of their duties.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 01 June 2001
Rival factions in a chieftaincy dispute at Kanvilli, near Tamale clashed on Wednesday in which seven people suffered serious injuries.
The seven are on admission at the Tamale regional hospital.
A timely intervention by armed soldiers and police prevented a possible blood bath, as the two factions were mobilising forces for a showdown later on Thursday.
The trouble started on Wednesday night when the regent of Kanvilli, Mohammed Alhassan went to the village to prepare towards his father's funeral.
The other faction had forced his father, Chief Abdul-Rahman Alhassan-Sabliga out of the village. He died in Tamale in 1995.
The Kanvilli chieftaincy problem started in the early 1990s when the then Gulkpe Naa, Chief of Tamale enskinned Alhassan-Sabliga while the Ya-Na also enskinned Alhassan Dramani both as chief.
Chief Alhassan-Sabliga's son, who has been living in Tamale since his father’s death decided to move to the village on Wednesday night with armed men.
An eyewitness told the GNA that, after the regent had settled in at a house close to the chief’s palace, his men started firing at the palace.
The other faction also mobilised and returned the fire until the police intervened and security personnel whisked the regent away to safety.
Members of the Northern Region security committee went to the village to assess the situation and appealed to both factions to be calm.
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Wa (Upper West) 01 June 2001
Mr Emmanuel Bossman Ansong, Upper West Regional Police Commander has cautioned the public against negotiating with the police for withdrawal of sensitive and criminal cases for settlement at home.
He said the practice does not only impede social progress but also encourage more people to take to criminal activities.
Mr Ansong gave the warning on Thursday when he interacted with newsmen in the region at Wa.
The Regional Commander said frequent appeals by relatives of suspects to get cases settled out of court is becoming a problem and called for a halt to the practice.
Mr Ansong said people must learn not to infringe on people's rights in order to avoid facing the law.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Ghana is to receive a 40 million dollar grant within a month from the Spanish government towards the country’s developmental efforts.
The grant is to be disbursed as follows: Cardio- Therapy Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; 10 million dollars, the Children and Maternity department of the Komfo- Anokye -Teaching hospital; 10 miliion dollars whilst 10 million goes for the improvement of the Eastern Region water project with the remaining 10 million slated for the provision of equipment for the University of Development Studies (UDS) in the Northern Region.
This was disclosed to newsmen by President John Agyekum Kufour on his return from Valencia Spain where he attended the 36th session of the ADB and the 27th session of the meeting of the African Development Fund (ADB)
The President said, Mr. Osafo-Marfo the finance minister, will return to Span to negotiate for a 100 million dollar grant being offered by the Spanish Government for the development of Education, Health, Tourism and Fisheries in Ghana.
He described the meeting as successful being the first of its kind outside Africa. It was also attended by President Chissano of Mozambique.
The President Kofuor took the opportunity to address the session where he reminded them that the world had become inter-dependent and that Africa being one of the handicapped continents needs partners in her developmental efforts.
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Foreign Minister said the President held discussions with the Governor of Valencia who agreed to assist Ghana in her social projects and Tourism.
In Madrid, the President held a meeting with a group of investors in fisheries and its allied industries as well as oil and petroleum explorers where the president assured them of the necessary Insurance protection for those who invest in Ghana.
In Italy President Kufuor held meetings with to government officials and was able to secure an agreement to establish an ultra- modern Technical Institution in the country.
At the airport to welcome the president and his entourage was the Vice-president Alhaji Mahama Aliu, the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ernest Owusu Poku, and some members of the Diplomatic Corps .
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior, on Friday said the passage of the Public Holiday Bill by Parliament is a victory for democracy and the people of Ghana.
"No single individual, party or group can claim to be the victor of what has happened today. No one is a loser. We are all victors."
The Minister told the GNA in an interview that it has always been the wish of the majority of Ghanaians, including members of the National Democratic Congress
(NDC), to live without the celebration of June 4th because it invokes sad memories.
"June 4th is not unique because it is not the only military coup staged to remove a military junta. It even set high ideals, which could not be followed by the people who extol it."
On the strong resistance showed by the minority to the bill, the minister said, "it is all part of parliamentary practice but I know that certain members of the minority supported our move. As we all know, not all of us have the courage to speak our mind."
Alhaji Yakubu who is MP for Yendi said, " We (NPP) have no hard feelings for anyone. That is the way it has to be."
Mr Johnson Aseidu Nkestia, NDC-Wenchi West, however, said June 4th would be
reinstated as a holiday anytime the party came to power.
"It seems to me that this political game will never stop. I believe we will have the chance one day to call the shots"
Parliament by a voice count passed the bill that deleted June 4th from the holiday schedule amid a spirited resistance from the Minority NDC group.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The 37 Military Hospital on Thursday said 14 victims of the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium disaster are still yet to be collected by their families with one unclaimed.
Lt Col Sam Aninkorah, Administrative Officer of the Hospital, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra said most families who might be Gas have indicated their intention to collect the bodies after June 7, as a result of the ban on drumming and noisemaking imposed on the Ga State by the Ga Traditional Council from May 7 to June 7.
Col. Aninkorah advised the public to call at the hospital to check on the unidentified body as it is possible that he might have come from far away to watch the match without the knowledge of relatives.
Col. Aninkorah said the hospital authorities have so far realised 340 million cedis from donations to the disaster fund and an estimated account would be presented to the Minister of Defence for the necessary directions.
Meanwhile, The Apostolic Church of Ghana and Believers Bible Church International have donated five million cedis and 500,000 cedis respectively to the hospital.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Ms Christine Churcher, Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Girl-Child Education, said on Thursday that the battle cry of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) "Positive Change" is not an empty slogan.
He said the government is determined to translate it into "economic and social progress" in order to raise the living standards of the people.
Speaking at the launch of the Women's Refuge - Africa (WORA) and Horizon Girl-child Development Programme in Accra, Ms Churcher said the government was mindful of its promise of positive change and would put in place a policy framework that would help reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth.
WORA, is an NGO committed to providing temporary refuge centres for victims of domestic violence and provide counselling to married men and women.
Ms Churcher said the government would restore hope, self-confidence and respectability to the Ghanaian woman through quality education and skill training.
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Anomabu (Central Region) 01 June 2001
The Anomabu Traditional Council is to build a 'Heroes Centre' where the mortal remains of Dr George Ekem Ferguson would be re-interred and effigies of Dr Kwegyir Aggrey, George Kuntu-Blankson and other eminent citizens of the town would be mounted.
Dr Ferguson's remains are to be brought down from Wa, where he was Buried, after he had been killed by soldiers of Samouri Toure, a slave raider, while on duty for the Colonial Government.
The Omanhene of the Traditional Area, Nana Amonu XI, announced this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, at Anomabu on Wednesday.
He said the Council, has meanwhile, set up a five-member committee headed by himself, to protect and preserve a memorial erected in honour of Dr Ferguson, a renowned politician, explorer and surveyor in the 19th century.
Sir Arnold Hudson, a Governor in the Colonial Era, erected a monument, consisting of a cenotaph with a brass plaque bearing the biography of Dr Ferguson in the town at a site now known as the 'Ferguson Memorial Park'.
Dr Ferguson, who was born in 1864, was instrumental in bringing many of the Northern Territories, now the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions under British rule.
Nana Amonu said the establishment of the committee became necessary when a lunatic removed the plaque from the cenotaph about three weeks ago.
He said the plaque has been retrieved from the man and that the committee plans to rehabilitate the park before replacing the plaque.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The Accra Stadium Disaster Commission has invited six people to appear before it on Friday June 1 at 9.a.m. to assist in its work.
A statement issued in Accra named them as the Medical Officer in charge, the Pathologist and the Mortuary Manager, all of The Trust Hospital.
The rest are Mr. J.M. Ayettey, Commanding Officer, Col. Wadhwani, Pathologist and Mr. Teye Cudjoe, Chief Medical Superintendent all of the 37 Military Hospital.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The East Ayawaso Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Thursday said it has no hand in the arrest of Alhaji Seidu Yahya, Stephen Kobla, Sambo Suleiman and A.B.Y Flashman, all National Democratic Congress (NDC), constituency executives who were alleged to be the brain behind the Nima riots of May 11.
In a statement issued in Accra the NPP said it wonders why their NDC counterparts in the constituency should associate them with the arrest.
It asked the NDC to stop the campaign of lies against the BNI and the NPP because the arrest of the four has nothing to do with any bid to take over the ACDR office at Nima.
The statement said no names have been given to the BNI as alleged by the NDC and the NPP would not engage in any tussle over any building whatsoever adding, it is not true that the NPP in East Ayawaso has hoisted its party flag on the ACDR building.
It said in spite of acts of provocation, intimidation and vandalism openly endorsed by the NDC within the constituency it has maintained a dignified posture and would not allow itself to be drawn into a propaganda war aimed at interfering with the work of the BNI and in the process stop the wheel of justice.
By labeling all genuine and legal attempts by the BNI to do their work as witch-hunt, the NDC is simply trying to give immunity to its activists. This is unfortunate, it said.
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Ho (Volta Region) 01 June 2001
Mrs Felicia Okyere-Darko, Principal State Attorney in-charge of the Volta Region, on Thursday called on the public to defend the freedom of the media to guarantee their fundamental rights and liberties.
She explained that a gagged media meant a denial of adequate channels for the protection of their rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution.
Mrs Okyere-Darko, who was giving her remarks at a forum to mark this year's World Press Freedom Day at Ho, however, cautioned journalists to be circumspect with issues relating to state security.
The forum, which was under the theme, "Press Freedom is Everybody's Freedom," was organised by the Volta Regional branch of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) and sponsored by the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP).
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Women's Affairs, on Thursday said the ministry will soon establish a Women's Development Fund to help reduce poverty among women.
The idea is to assist women to set up income generating activities to support their families.
In a speech read for her at the launch of Women's Refuge-Africa (WORA) and Horizon Girl-Child Development Programme (HOGDEP) in Accra Mrs Asmah said the fund would also assist victims of domestic violence.
WORA is a non-governmental organisation that seeks to provide temporary shelter for battered women, give counselling and build better life for victims of domestic violence.
It will also help women to have basic securities in life for better relationships with their husbands.
Mrs Asmah condemned domestic violence against women and children saying it damages the victims not only physically, but also emotionally and psychologically for the rest of their lives.
She suggested that women should be empowered to take their destiny into their own hands and move on with life.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 01 June 2001
The Eastern Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned the youth of Manya Krobo against involving chiefs and other traditional leaders in the nomination and approval of a district chief executive (DCE), for the area.
The Regional Chairman of the party, Nana Adi Ankamah made the call at a news conference at Koforidua on Thursday, to react to last Friday's mob protest by the youth of Odumase-Krobo, which disrupted the voting on the President's nominee for the position of a DCE, Mr Andrews Teye.
Factions supporting Teye, from the Dorm clan and Mr Henry Demanarh of Odumase clan, all of Krobo Odumase, were fighting for their favourites to occupy the position of DCE.
Nana Ankamah accused "a Professor at the University of Ghana, Legon and his collaborators" for allegedly inciting the youth of the town to demonstrate against the nominee on purely chieftaincy basis.
He appealed to the youth to desist from their agitation, saying: "If you have anything against the nominee you should rather lobby the assembly members to exercise their franchise in your favour in line with the democratic dispensation we are in now."
Nana Ankamah warned, "we would expose those who are inciting the youth into creating violence if they do not stop, since we know them".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The Tower Clock at the Central Post Office in Accra has been at a standstill for the past three weeks while the authorities of Ghana Post await the arrival of workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to fix a power problem that has been identified as the fault.
Mr James Atram, Chief Manager of Ghana Post, told the GNA in Accra that the ECG has identified an underground fault in the power cable that supplies energy to the clock and the siren.
"They have promised to repair it and we have been calling them everyday," Mr Atram said.
Mr Atram said until the ECG repaired the power cable all other things that needed to be fixed could not be done.
As at Thursday the clock to the east of the capital reads 7.15, to the West 7.10, to the North, 7.10 and to the South 7.20.
The clock has been described in a section of the media as the most accurate among the lot in the capital. It is also referred to as the Big Ben of Accra.
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Remove bottlenecks to Gas pipeline project
– Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The meeting of the Steering Committee of Ministers and Sponsors Management Committee of the West African Gas Pipeline Project (WAGPP) opened in Accra on Thursday with a call on member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to work towards integration.
Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament who made the call, expressed dissatisfaction about progress of ECOWAS towards regional integration since its formation despite the tremendous efforts made by the founding fathers.
"If the vision of our founding fathers had been carried through, the fruits would have been evident by now. What we see, however, is a fragmented development with no real improvement in the material standard of our people."
The Meeting brought together Ministers of Energy from Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, and other stakeholders including the USAID, Chevron (Nigeria) and the ECOWAS Secretariat to review the status WAGPP.
Mr Blay said: "As a region we have no choice but to pool resources, integrate our economies and achieve for our people improved living and economic conditions."
He asked member states of the project to remove all bottlenecks that have militated against its speedy implementation.
"For us in Ghana," he said, "WAGPP is a demonstration of the desire to establish a durable and a flexible institutional, legal and regulatory arrangement to promote regional energy integration."
The First Deputy Speaker urged the stakeholders to work assiduously to make the pipeline project become operational by 2004.
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Ghana's Minister of Energy, expressed the hope that the project would attract foreign direct investments into the various countries.
He said he is also optimistic that the project will be capable of spurring 1.2 billion dollars in industrial development in the sub-region.
Mr Kan-Dapaah urged Energy Ministers of implementing countries not to lose sight of the initial guiding principles which motivated the project from its inception - the mutual requirement of Ghana, Togo and Benin to produce cheaper, cleaner and reliable electricity and Nigeria's need to reduce flaring of its natural gas for environmental reasons.
Dr Frank J. Young, Mission Director of USAID, Ghana, said the willingness of Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria to harmonise their regulatory tariff and energy policy regimes as well as their environmental approaches demonstrate a tangible commitment to regional security and economic growth.
"In a region better known for conflicts than compromise, your work stands as a visible reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish," he said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
A multimedia computer anti-virus scan was launched in Accra on Thursday with a call for collaborative partnership between the government and network providers to accelerate the pace of Information Technology use.
Miss Christine Churcher, Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Girl-Child Education, who made the call, said the government is determined to use information as a resource for rapid socio-economic development. Therefore, "all hands must be on deck" to protect database, she said.
The Panda Invent 3.0 ActiveScan is a programme developed in Spain that scans, detects and eliminates viruses on-line in all system components: hard disks, compressed files and incoming files from the worldwide web.
Like similar modern products, Panda ActiveScan software comes in a CD-rom for quick installation.
However, unlike other products, Panda ActiveScan automatically upgrades itself to match up with higher capacity viruses without an update by the user, thereby saving the user time and resources.
The President of Panda Software, Ghana, Leslie Osei, said his company is spending more than 160,000 dollars to provide free software to all ministries and some selected government departments this year.
Statistics show that about 7.6 million dollars worth of information is destroyed annually worldwide by viruses with 99.7 per cent of computer users being the victims.
Prominent among the world's known viruses that hit the information technology sector in recent times was the much-dreaded "I love you" e-mail virus, which destroyed billions of files.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, on Thursday appealed to the British Armed Forces to help train their Ghanaian counterparts, especially medical staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), on the management of disasters and emergency services.
He also asked for the provision of disaster management equipment and ambulances to facilitate the GAF's emergency ambulance service at the 37 Military Hospital, which is to be operated on a pilot basis and later extended to other regions.
Dr Addo Kufuor made the appeal when the British Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Policy), Major General John George Reith, who is on a three-day visit to the country, called on him at the Ministry of Defence at Burma Camp in Accra.
Maj. Gen. Reith's role as the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff enables him to contribute to the formulation and review of UK strategic defence policy, nuclear policy and defence relations with other countries.
Maj. Gen. Reith is responsible for British military assistance overseas, international policy, selection and management of UK Defence Attaches and Advisers, and liaison with foreign Defence Attaches and Advisers based in London.
Dr Addo Kufuor said the GAF is an offshoot of the British tradition and that relations would always remain cordial.
If Ghana's economy should be strengthened, it needs direct foreign investment to achieve this, he said, adding that the GAF is particular about the country having a strong economy and the enhancement of professionalism in the forces.
He expressed the hope that the level of co-operation between both armed forces would be stepped up to facilitate the GAF's quest to become more professional and to maintain peace in the sub-region.
Gen Reith commended Ghana for its smooth transition from one democratically elected government to another and assured the Minister of UK's support for the
GAF.
He said the British Armed Forces could assist with the development processes of the Ministry of Defence by supplying it with personnel to help with its military planning.
"We have the professionals with rich experiences with African militaries to help you do this."
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