GRi Newsreel Ghana
19 - 06 - 2001
Mass
funeral to be held for judges
MOFA
urged to provide inputs for farmers
Blacksmith
and son arrested for manufacturing firearms illegally
Desertification
day launchedMahama's death, a big blow to Nkrumah fraternity - CPP
Establish
code of conduct for Council of State members, New entrant advocates
Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
Libya has
agreed to supply 30,000 barrels of oil per day to Ghana to augment the supply
from Nigeria.
The deal,
which is on favourable terms, makes up for the 60,000 barrels needed daily by
Ghana. Nigeria supplies the other 30,000 barrels.
This was
disclosed to newsmen at the airport by Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Foreign
Minister on his return from Tripoli, where he delivered a special message from
President John Agyekum Kufuor to Muammar Quathafi, the Libyan Leader.
He said
Libya has also agreed to Ghana's request for a 250 million dollars to establish
an investment fund for small-scale and agro-industries as well as assistance to
business.
Mr Owusu
Agyeman said Tema Oil Refinery has the capacity to refine 45,000 barrels of
crude oil per day while the Aboadze Thermal Plants requires 15,000 barrels of
oil daily.
The Foreign
Minister said the Nigeria's supply of 30,000 barrels could not meet Ghana's
requirement hence the need to scout for the extra 30,000 barrels from Libya.
"The
Energy Minister is still in Tripoli working out details of the concession terms
and arrangements with his counterpart to enable the lifting of the oil to begin
in August.
Asked why
Ghana did not fall on oil producing countries, within the Sub-region, Foreign
Minister said, "We could not have gone to the open market to bid for oil
due to the urgency of Ghana's requirement and especially when Libya has agreed
to offer us oil on concessionary terms".
He said
they held bilateral discussions on need to strengthen relations between the two
countries and discussed the next meeting of Ghana-Libya Permanent Joint
Commission to be held in July this year as well as exchange of ambassadors.
They also discussed the fate of the
supposedly three Ghanaians, who have been condemned to death after the riot in
that country last year, stressing, however, that the nationality of the three
would have to be ascertained by Ghana before the government could intervene.
He said the
two countries also discussed the forthcoming African Union (AU) summit in
Zambia.
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Ghana to host IFEX meeting next year
Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
Ghana has
been selected to host the next annual general meeting of the International
Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) next year.
A statement
issued by Mr. Kabral Blay-Amihere, President of the West African
Journalist
Association (WAJA) said the meeting will bring together over 100 journalists
from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
IFEX is an
international network of human rights organisations, writers and journalists
associations and is committed to the promotion and defence of freedom of
expression worldwide.
The statement
said, (WAJA) and Ghana won the bid to host the next meeting at IFEX's annual
general meeting, which took place in Bangkok on June 3 this year.
It said
Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, President of the Ghana Journalist Association viewed
the selection of Ghana, as a venue for the event, as a reflection of the
improvement of journalism in the country.
She said
the event will provide a good occasion for broadening the international horizon
of press freedom.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
A people's
funeral is to be held throughout the country for the three High Court Judges
and the retired Army Officer who were murdered in June 1982 on the 18th
anniversary of their death, which falls on June 30, 2001.
It will be under the theme " Cry
Justice."
Three High
Court Judges, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng- Addow, Justice K.
Sarkodie,
Justice K. A. Agyepong and Major (rtd) Sam K. Acquah were picked from their
homes in the night and murdered in cold
blood and partially burnt by unidentified security agents.
Some
members of the PNDC including Amartey Kwei were subsequently charged with the
act and sentenced to death by firing
squad.
Addressing
a news conference in Accra on Monday, Nii B. K. Yemoh, Co-ordinator of the
Victims of June four said that the murder of these prominent people has become
a blot on the country's fabric and bother to the national conscience.
"This
is not about politics or playing to the gallery", he stressed.
" It
is time, therefore to resolve the matter once and for all... and lay it to rest
in the spirit of national reconciliation especially now that the regime under
which this crime was committed, is out of power."
He said
over the years the remembrance of the murdered judges had been the preserve of
the Ghana Bar Association and that this mass funeral is to embrace the entire
relatives of the victims and all Ghanaians and more so "the over 250
people who were subjected to extra- judicial killings."
Nii Yemoh
called for a second look at the report by the Special Investigation Board (SIB)
charged to investigate the murders. "We fully support all the calls for a
second and deeper look at most heinous crime against citizens of Ghana,
deliberately and callously killed in their line of duty."
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Hohoe
(Volta Region) 19 June 2001
Alhaji
Usman M. Faisal, National Chairman of Rahama Farmers Association (RFA) at the weekend appealed to the
Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to support farmers associations with
tractors and farming inputs.
Inaugurating
the Hohoe branch of the Association, Alhaji Faisal said the association is to
foster unity and stability among farmers and encourage them to produce enough
food to feed the nation.
He advised
farmers to report persons found collecting monies from farmers, under the
pretext of getting them loans from the government, to the Police.
Mr Mohamad
Shuib rpt Shuib, General Secretary of the Association, appealed to the district
assemblies to consider the members of the Rahama Farmers Association when
disbursing the Poverty Alleviation Fund.
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Tema
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
The Tema
Police at the weekend arrested a 73 year-old blacksmith and his son for
allegedly manufacturing arms and ammunition for sale to armed robbers.
A search
conducted at the workshop of Godwin Agbanaglo and his 21 year old son, Mr Kwaku
Setsofe at Ashaiman Newtown, led to the discovery of tools used in the
manufacture of pistols, shotguns and ammunition.
Mrs Agnes
Sikanartey, Tema Regional Commander of Police, told newsmen on Monday, that
Agbanaglo deliberately delayed in taking the Police to his house by going round
the Ashaiman town several times to enable his other son Kwame Agbanaglo, who is
on the run, to pack off all the finished products from the house.
The
Regional Commander showed the press a pistol, the butt of a gun, barrels of
both shot guns and pistols that were ready to go on the production line and
spent shells filled with pellets that were seized from Agbanaglo. A set of
military uniforms was also seized.
Agbanaglo
told newsmen that he specialised in the manufacture of arms and ammunitions in
1947 and it has been his trade all these years.
He said he
was employed during the General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Regime to service
military weapons, which earned him a living.
"These
days I manufacture and sell one shotgun for 200,000 cedis to feed myself and
family because I cannot do any other work apart from this."
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
The
Convention People's Party (CPP) on Monday said the death of Mr E.A. Mahama, an
ally of the late former President Kwame Nkrumah is "a shock and another
blow to Nkrumah fraternity" considering the demise of two other stalwarts
within the last four months.
A statement
signed in Accra by Dr Nii Noi Dowuona, General Secretary of the CPP, said:
"These sad events have occurred at a time when the political family is
devising strategies towards building a formidable, united front and hopes to
fall on the wisdom and guidance of all the elders in this effort."
The CPP
said Mr Mahama was "a pillar of strength" who with other members
helped to transform the CPP into a winsome party, especially in the north.
Mr Mahama
held several ministerial posts in the CPP government and remained loyal to Dr
Nkrumah.
It said in
1979, he played an active part in the transformation of the People's National
Party, which won the parliamentary and presidential vote.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
A three-man
Gambian delegation on Monday delivered a special message from President Yahaya
Jammeh to President John Agyekum Kufuor to seek Ghana's support for the
election of a Gambian for the post of Executive Secretary of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Mr Musa H.
Sillah, Gambian Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, who
delivered the message, said it is necessary to seek Ghana's assistance given
her role in regional integration and the long-standing relationship between the
two countries.
He said the
Gambia has put up three candidates for the post, which becomes vacant in August
after the two terms of Mr Lansana Kouyate.
The post
alternates between the Anglophone and Francophone countries in the sub-region.
The three
Gambians contesting for the post are Dr Jeddan Senghore who works with the
Office of Regional Integration in the Gambia, Dr Man B. Joof, Head of
Administration at the ECOWAS Secretariat and Mr Crispin Grey Johnson, Gambian
High Commissioner in Sierra Leone.
President
Kufuor said the government would consider the request to maintain peace and
stability in the sub-region.
He
commended the Gambia for the cordial relationship that has existed between the
two countries.
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Takoradi
(Western Region) 19 June 2001
Mr Ebenezer
Begyina Sekyi-Hughes, Council of State member-elect representing the Western
Region, has suggested the need to establish a code of conduct for the members
to ensure neutrality in the discharge of their duties.
He said
such a measure would help restrain members from becoming sycophants to the President.
Speaking in
an interview with the GNA in Takoradi after his election at the weekend, he
described the Council as a sacred institution whose members are expected to
live above partisan politics.
Mr.
Sekyi-Hughes, therefore, advised fellow members to concentrate on their
advisory role without fear or favour if they are to win the confidence and
respect of Ghanaians.
He said
members are not lawmakers and should not attempt to usurp the functions of the
MPs from their regions.
"
Members must desist from interfering with the work of Members of Parliament as
their role is only to advise the President and not to make laws or to fight for
development projects", he added.
Mr
Sekyi-Hughes expressed concern about the spate of chieftaincy disputes in the
region and other parts of the country and said it is a barrier to progress.
He
attributed this to the regional houses of chiefs' inability to attract and
retain lawyers due to poor remuneration.
He called
on the government to initiate measures to reverse the trend.
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Takoradi
(Western Region) 19 June 2001
Mr Frank
Etti, a member of the Jomoro Citizens Association in the United States at the
weekend called on the government to embark on a pragmatic agricultural
programme to curb the high cost of food.
Speaking to
the GNA in an interview at Takoradi, Mr. Etti expressed fears that if the current
food situation is not tackled with dispatch it might compel workers to agitate
for higher wages and salaries, which could have a negative impact on the
economy.
As an
interim measure, he said exportation of foodstuff such as cassava, yam and corn
should be suspended until the situation improves.
He
suggested the re-establishment of state farms in all the districts by the
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in conjunction with the district
assemblies to offer employment to the youth.
Mr. Etti said
such farms should be based on the co-operatives concept with the assemblies
acquiring land and MOFA recruiting the youth and providing inputs
and
technical advice.
The
Government should also encourage back yard gardening by people in the urban
areas to supplement food supplies from the rural areas.
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Lawra
(Upper West Region) 19 June 2001
The
Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology will soon establish a national
desertification fund to mobilise financial resources from local and foreign
sources for anti-desertification activities in the country.
To benefit
from the fund, district assemblies would be required to show evidence of
resources generated to support environmental programmes, Professor Dominic
Fobih, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology announced at Lawra on
Monday.
He was
speaking at the launch of World Day to combat desertification and drought under
the theme: "Let's save our land, our future", to mark the beginning
of a yearlong anti-desertification activities at the community level.
Prof Fobih
appealed to the district assemblies in the three Northern regions which are the
worst threatened by desertification, to use part of their common fund to engage
unemployed youth in reforestation and other anti-desertification activities.
Such a
venture, the Minister noted, would provide food and fodder, protect water bodies
and improve soil fertility and climate of the areas.
Prof Fobih
said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the sponsorship of the
natural resource management programme is preparing a national action plan.
Work on the
plan would be completed by November this year, he said.
Prof. Fobih
asked district assemblies to start implementing all their environmental action
plans, which are meant to address their environmental concerns arising from
development.
Mr Sahanun
Mogtari, Upper West Regional Minister observed that some local chiefs and
opinion leaders encourage alien herdsmen to settle in the region under their
protection to destroy the environment with their large herds of cattle.
He advised
the chiefs to uphold the nobility of the chieftaincy institution by desisting
from undermining the economy of the region through such activities.
Mrs Anna
Nyamekye, Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology presented
awards on behalf of the ministry to five individuals and organisations, which
have spearheaded forestation programmes in the region.
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