Reconciliation Commission's work should start from Independence era –Participants
Okyenhene urged public officers to help government succeed
Haroum calls for conservation of plant genetic resources
AMA Task force gives ultimatum to night food vendors
GJA Ethics Committee urges media houses to publish full text of reports
Amma Busia resigns NPP post to serve on Council
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Food prices would start going down soon due to measures instituted by the government to ensure adequate food supply, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture, said on Thursday.
"From now on food prices would go down...Ghanaians should not panic," he said.
The Minister said this after addressing District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives on the state of agriculture at the on-going orientation course for them.
Major Quashigah said the government has received some food aid, which would to be used to mitigate the effects of food shortage due to the lean season.
"My ministry is working with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to identify places where food has been locked up due to the bad nature of roads so as to facilitate its transportation to market centres."
He gave the example of Ejura Farms, which has transported maize to the capital and are advertising it for sale.
Major Quashigah said in the long term, problems affecting the performance of the Ghana Food Distribution Corporation in facilitating an all year round food distribution in the country was being addressed.
He said when the need arises to divest the Corporation it would be done taking into consideration the rights of its workers among other things.
Major Quashigah bemoaned the situation where some importers were deliberately exploiting consumers, saying "as one people let us do what is right and look at each other with love".
On the reported arrival of imported quality rice by Mr Charles Kofi Wayo, an NPP member, at competitive prices, he said this shows the love by one man to stop exploitation of consumers and still make profit.
He described the escalation in food prices as a yearly ritual due to the lack of processing facilities and post-harvest losses, which the trader passes on to the consumer.
He advised the DCEs not to rush into taking decisions on agriculture but work with district directors on the field.
Major Quashigah urged them to sensitise people about agriculture so that they would recognise its value to national development and creation of jobs.
He said the government has adopted a fast track approach known as "Objective 2010", which would pave the way to achieve the sustained growth for the country as enshrined in Vision 2020, the former government's blueprint for socio-economic development.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Participants at the two-day international conference on reconciliation have recommended that the timeframe for the work of the proposed National Reconciliation Commission should also cover the period between March 6, 1957 when Ghana attained Independence and January 6,1993.
This recommendation was an amendment to a proposal in the government's draft bill that the Commission's work should mainly focus on two military regimes led by Flt. Lt Jerry John Rawlings - the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council in 1979 and the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) from 1982-93.
"The time frame for examining cases of abuses and injustice should not be too restrictive to be construed as overly selective and targeting people," the conference said in a 12-point declaration at the end of deliberations on Thursday.
It said the government should involve the Ghanaian public in the debate with the aim of arriving at a practical timeframe for the Commission's work.
The two-day conference was organised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) to work out a framework for Ghana's National Reconciliation as proposed by the Government.
It was under the theme: "National Reconciliation: International Perspectives" and sought to share experiences of some 40 countries, which have had to set up similar reconciliation institutions to heal wounds of the past.
Dr Alex Boraine, Deputy Chair of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and other experts from the International Human Rights Centre in the United States were among resource persons drawn from abroad.
It was the view of the conference that members of the Commission should be "persons who command respect across the board in the country" to guarantee its credibility and public confidence.
"The notion of justice, rehabilitation and reparation must be considered carefully in order to unify the nation rather than divide it."
The issue of amnesty for truth should also be carefully considered to arrive at a consensus acceptable to Ghanaians and in conformity with the prevailing international norms.
To achieve transparency, proceedings of the Commission should be open to the public, the declaration said, adding that there should be the political will and a mechanism to implement the Commission's recommendations.
The workshop called for ardent public education on every aspect of the reconciliation process and urged full public involvement in defining its mandate and powers.
The Commission's mandate, the workshop said, should be framed to guarantee and ensure its independence.
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Kyebi (Eastern Region) 22 June 2001
The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has called on appointees of the Kufuor administration to work conscientiously to enable it deliver on its manifesto sold to the people during the electioneering campaign.
He reminded ministers and functionaries that they had a duty to perform their assignments honestly to bring about the accelerated development the New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised the people.
The Okyenhene was speaking when President J. A. Kufuor paid a courtesy call on him at the Ofori Panin Fie at Kyebi on Thursday as part of his two-day tour of the Eastern Region.
He laid emphasis on the need for the government to pursue a comprehensive rural development policy to relieve the people of their many deprivations, especially in the areas of poor education, water, health and roads to help check the rural-urban drift.
President Kufuor had earlier thanked the chiefs and people for their massive votes, which propelled the NPP and him into electoral victory last year and gave the assurance that his administration would endeavour to live up to their aspirations through their continued support and prayers.
President Kufuor said efforts would be made to hook the town unto the digital telephone system soon to replace the Willes system, which was prone to frequent breakdown.
Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of Suhum, President Kufuor announced that the government would revive the cocoa project in the area as part of its rural development programme.
He reminded Ghanaians that since it took about 20 years of a previous administration to cripple the economy, his administration could not take six months to redeem the situation and pleaded for patience, hard work and prayers from all citizens.
"Within five months my administration has been able to stabilise the free- falling-cedi and arrested a confessed women serial killer", he declared, adding that within the next three months, they would begin to see signs of positive changes in their lives as a result of the pragmatic policies being pursued by his government.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Dr Abel-Majeed Haroun, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in Charge of Crops, on Thursday underscored the need for effective conservation and utilisation of plant genetic resources to transform the country's agriculture.
The government's drive to turn agriculture into a high-productive venture and attain food security using plant materials with high yields and other inputs could only be achieved if plant genetic materials were effectively conserved, he told a forum organised jointly by the Ministries of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra.
The forum, which was on the theme: "Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Use for Development: Management and Policy Dimension", was to create awareness on plant genetic resources.
The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) sponsored it. The forum also formed part of the 17th management meeting of the IPGRI.
Dr Haroun said local maintenance and use of traditional varieties in crop improvement programmes would ensure more appropriate products in the farming systems in which they are used.
He said when plant genetic resources are conserved the effect of genetic erosion would reduce in the habitat and the ecosystem and pledged the commitment of MOFA to identify areas where conservation efforts could be focused to develop local and regional conservation strategies to address policy issues.
Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, noted with concern the threat of deforestation, urbanisation and other natural causes to biological resources depletion.
He said the government would review existing policies and legislation on plant genetic resources in order to make them consistent with and supportive of national objectives and priorities.
The Ministry would provide strong support to institutions and agencies to monitor the environment, implement preventive and control measures and propose necessary actions to government and support plant genetic resource conservation and their judicious use.
While acknowledging the role of various agencies, organisations and other stakeholders in genetic resource conservation, Prof. Fobih noted that there was limited co-ordination of their activities, which results in the duplication of efforts.
He said the ministry was determined to ensure proper co-ordination and inclusion of al relevant stakeholders to complement national plans to manage plant genetic resources.
Dr Samuel Bennet-Lartey of the Plant Genetic Resource Centre, Bunso, in a paper said that the slash and burn method of farming, construction of roads, dams, mining and bush-fires have led to the loss of several plant species.
He suggested that species should be collected and conserved in gene-banks to safeguard them.
Participants agreed on the need to sensitise children on the need for conservation by including in the school curricula topics on conservation.
They also agreed on the need to diversify consumption of plant and animal species and also find alternative ways of producing endangered species like snails.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Cooked food sellers operating at night within the Accra Metropolis have been given a month's ultimatum to undergo medical examination or face arrest and prosecution.
The Acting Director of the Public Health Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Emmanuel Akrofi Bruce, told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday that the Metropolitan Public Health Taskforce would as from next week inspect the health certificate of all food vendors.
Mr Bruce said the operation had become necessary because a lot of food sellers operating in the morning have now shifted their activities to night time to avoid the inspection of their health certificates by the task force.
He noted that many food vendors adopt bad preservation methods, thus posing a great danger to the health of consumers.
Mr Bruce warned that anyone caught selling cooked food in the night without a health certificate would be prosecuted.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
The Ethics Committee of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Thursday noted that certain media houses wrote inaccurate stories on its report on the public exchanges between two editors and urged all media houses to publish the full text of its reports in future.
A statement signed by Mr Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the GJA and a member of the Committee, said it was concerned about the erroneous impression these reports have created of some aspects if its proceedings and findings.
"The Committee, therefore, urges all media houses to endeavour to publish the full text of its future reports to avoid misrepresentation and distortion of its position."
The Committee looked at the public exchanges between the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Elvis Aryeh and the Publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle, Mr Kofi Coomson.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
Madam Amma Busia has resigned her position as the First National Vice-President of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to serve as a member of the Council of State.
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Daniel Botwe, General Secretary of the NPP, in Accra on Wednesday.
The statement said Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, National Chairman of the NPP, has accepted the resignation of Madam Busia.
"The National Executive Committee takes the opportunity to thank Madam Amma Busia for her dedicated services to the NPP and hopes that she will serve the nation with the same dedication in her new role."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2001
The Army Commander, Brigadier Clayton Yaache, on Thursday commended Ghana's United Nations peacekeeping force to Sierra Leone, currently on a 10-week pre-operational training, for their high level of professionalism and discipline.
A statement released by the Ghana Armed Forces said, Brigadier Yaache made the commendation during his maiden familiarisation visit to the training camp at Bundase.
He explained that his visit was to have a fair idea of the level of training so far acquired and the necessary assistance they may require to enhance their training and urged them to make judicious use of resources at their disposal.
Briefing the Army Commander, Lt. Col. William Ayamdo, Commanding Officer of the peace-keeping force, (UNAMSIL) GHANBATT FIVE, disclosed that the standard of training so far acquired is high and hoped that, "when launched into the theatre in Sierra Leone, the troops will deliver the goods."
GHANBATT FIVE is a potential peace enforcement battalion being trained by instructors from the United States Special Forces Ranger Airborne Unit to beef up troops in Sierra Leone.
Lt. Col. Glover, Commanding Officer of the US training team who conducted Brigadier Yaache round the training logistics base, expressed confidence in the Ghanaian troops and commended their ingenuity.
The Army Commander was accompanied by some senior officers, including Col. John Forkuo, Director of Army Training.
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Konongo (Ashanti Region) 22 June 2001
The Asante-Akyem North District Assembly has called on the government to take immediate steps to promulgate the Local Government Service Bill.
This, it said, was necessary to enable the district assemblies to take full control of decentralised department and enhance measures towards zero tolerance of corruption.
The assembly's call was contained in a statement signed by Mr George Baffour Kyei, Presiding Member, at the end of its second ordinary meeting held at Konongo.
It also asked that a second look be taken at the national policy on feeder roads rehabilitation and maintenance to ensure value for money.
"The present system whereby millions of cedis are spent on re-shaping and re-gravelling of feeder roads only to deteriorate in months is not in the interest of district assemblies.
The government should aggregate road development financial assistance of respective district assemblies and use such funds to construct stretches of all weather roads in phases, which could stand the test of time.
The assembly also observed flaws and abuses in the guidelines by the Controller and Accountant-General to district finance officers on the preparation of trial balances.
It, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to review the guidelines to allow indication of debtors and debt profiles on trial balances.
Another issue of concern to the assembly was the neglect of plant, equipment and machinery at the Yawkwei Camp of the Ghana Highways Authority by the ABU, a German construction firm, after constructing the Anyinam-Kumasi highway about 15 years ago.
It called on the government to decide the fate of the equipment and machinery, which include heavy-duty trucks, caterpillars, bulldozers, cars and a full complement of quarry plants to save them from further deterioration.
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Mr. Lawrence Adoboe, a Ghanaian computer technologist, has won the prestigious Cash Cards Top Agents award, sponsored by Cash Cards International, a worldwide number one e-Commerce payment system of choice.
He came first to beat 15 outstanding contestants from the whole world to claim the Top Agent award of a 'Swiss $20 Frank Gold Coin' and a bonus of $1,000 cash.
A message of congratulations sent to Mr. Adoboe from Mr. Steve Renner, founder of Cash Cards International, said Mr. Adoboe has been an outstanding promoter of the Cash Cards leading to its rapid growth and worldwide fame.
'We are going to honour those outstanding individuals whose efforts have put us firmly in the lead as the number one card payment System in the world today' the message stated.
Other award winners came from Canada, Japan and the U.S.
It is recalled that Mr. Adoboe, in 1990, won the Best-All-Round male student award at a three-week Compu -Camp organized in Accra for 125 teenagers from 11 African countries and the State of Palestine.
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Kukuom (Brong Ahafo) 22 June 2001
Three people died on the spot whilst several others sustained injuries when a mini bus and a motorbike were in collision at Kukuom near Goaso.
Police identified the dead only as Papa Alhassan, Gynabu and Afia who was riding pillion on the bike.
An eyewitness told the Ghana news Agency that Alhassan and Gynabu, both pedestrians were killed when the bus skidded off course and hit them.
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