GRi Newsreel 23-03-99

Kyebi (Eastern Region) 23 March 

The sudden death of the Okyenhene and paramount chief of the Akim Abuakwa traditional area, Osagyefo Kuntunkununku the second in Accra last Wednesday was formally announced to an emergency meeting of the Okyeman Council at the Ofori Panin Fie (palace) Kyebi on Sunday.

Osabarima Kena Ampaw the second, Adontenhene of the traditional area who has assumed the position of acting president of the council, made the announcement.

The Okyenhene, who was also President of the National House of Chiefs, died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra at dawn on Wednesday, March 17, having been suddenly taken ill the previous evening, he said.

The announcement to the hushed meeting was immediately followed by the sounding of the 'fontonfrom' drums and the wailing of women who thronged the palace to listen to the confirmation of the death reported in the media on March 18.

Osabarima Ampaw paid glowing tribute to the Osagyefuo, who was a member of the council of state, for his "dedicated leadership role" in the traditional area, the Eastern region and the nation.

The meeting was also attended by a government delegation, led by the Eastern Regional Minister, Miss Patience Adow, the deputy regional minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, district chief executive for East Akim, Mr Mike Odame Darkwa, and the New Juaben Municipal chief executive, Mr E. Adu Boateng.

In line with custom, Osabarima Ampaw presented six rams and six bottles of schnapps to the council, after which libation was poured and two of the rams slaughtered at the forecourt of the palace.

The regional minister, on behalf of the government, also presented 12 bottles of schnapps, 2 cartons of beer and two crates of minerals to the council.

Miss Adow expressed regret about the "great vacuum" created by the death of the Okyenhene in the chieftaincy institution, especially at the regional level, saying by his death, the Eastern regional house of chiefs could not form a quorum for sometime to come.

This, she explained, was due to the vacancies earlier created by the deaths of the paramount chiefs of Akim Bosome, Nana Oware Agyekum, Akim Kotoku, Nana Agyeman Attafua and Boso-Guan, Nana Nyarko Yeboah, over the past two years. She said the stools of Akwamu and Manya Krobo are also yet to be occupied because of litigation which followed the deaths of Nana Kwafo Akoto and Nene Azu Mate Korle.

The only remaining members of the 11-member regional house include those of New Juaben, Akuapem, Yilo Krobo, Kwahu and Anum traditional areas.

Miss Adow appealed for a peaceful atmosphere to prevail in the areas without paramount chiefs until successors are enstooled Apart from the death of the Okyenhene, Akim Abuakwa has been without a substantive queenmother since 1997, following the death of Nana Sekyeraa the second.

But Osabarima Ampaw told newsmen that despite the situation, "everything will go on smoothly, including the finding of a successor to the Okyenhene, since it's the family which selects the candidate to be announced to the kingmakers by the queenmother".

The council would soon meet to plan the burial arrangements.

The late Okyenhene, known in private life as Dr Alexander Kwadwo Fredua Agyeman, was born on February 22, 1942, at Asiakwa and installed on August 2, 1976 as the 34th occupant of the Ofori Panin Stool at the age of 34. He succeeded his uncle, Nana Ofori Atta the third. He was educated at the Asiakwa, Asamankese and Old Tafo Presbyterian schools, Prempeh college (1957-61) and Accra Academy (1961-62), before proceeding to the Sofia State University in Bulgaria to study medicine.

On his return in 1969, Dr Fredua Agyeman worked at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and later at the Ridge hospital until his enstoolment. Osagyefo Kuntunkununku served two-terms as President of the Eastern regional house of chiefs (1994-98), before his election as national president in December 1998 and becoming a member of the Council of State.

Berekum (Brong Ahafo) 23 March 

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) has directed district chief executives to ensure that all projects on contract "are satisfactorily executed before authorising payment to contractors".

At a meeting of the Berekum district assembly, the Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre, warned that any consultant who would be "associated with shoddy work will be blacklisted=94.

It is my avowed intention to ensure that the RCC's monitoring team continue to seriously monitor district assembly projects to check government resources from going to waste through shoddy work, he stated.

Mr Adabre directed that all on-going projects must be completed, handed over and paid for before new ones are started.

He urged district assemblies to ensure the judicious use of all funds they generate and receive from government and be accountable, adding that his administration would not deal lightly with those who do not observe strict financial discipline.

Mr Adabre said with immediate effect, the policy of the RCC would be that any building contract awarded must contain some element of tree planting, so that contractors who complete their jobs but have not planted such trees would have their payments suspended.

He expressed concern about the rate at which the environment is being degraded through improper sanitary practices, illegal chainsaw operations and bushfires and said this is not helpful to "our journey to the next millennium and Vision 2020".

Mr J. H. Owusu-Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Berekum, charged assembly members to use their power to implement government decisions at the grassroots to improve upon the lives of the people.

He noted that the Auditor-General's report on the award of contract by some district assembles "is not encouraging" and therefore urged them to award contracts through the tender board.

Mrs Mary Boakye, district chief executive, stated that the assembly realised 119.8 million cedis, out of its estimated revenue of 179.6 million cedis last year.

This year, the assembly hopes to mobilise 2.2 billion cedis, with 302.5 million cedis expected from traditional sources.

Mrs Boakye noted that the heavy demands on the assembly call for an effective revenue mobilisation programme that would explore new areas of revenue collection.

The presiding member of the assembly, Mr Kofi Adoma, said 376 farmers in the district benefited from a 75 million-cedi poverty alleviation fund last year and that 200 million cedis has been allocated under the fund this year.

Nsawam (Eastern Region) 23 March  

The people of Chinto in the Ankwa Dobro electoral area, near Nsawam, have embarked upon 130 million cedis development programme to improve their living conditions.

Mr Emmanuel Odartey Lamptey, assembly member for the area disclosed this to the GNA shortly after a five-hour communal labour by the residents on Tuesday.

The Assembly member said projects envisaged under the programme include reshaping the Chinto-Dobro feeder road and sinking of boreholes.

He said a 30-million cedi school block for the Gidikope community has been placed on priority.

Each adult citizen of Chinto is paying levy of 5,000 Cedis to finance the projects.

Tema (Greater Accra) 23 March 

Four persons alleged to have stolen two cars from Tema and sold them in the Northern and Ashanti regions are in the grip of the Tema police.

They are Basiru Mumuni, Cudjoe Nasiru, Ibrahim Tanko and Thomas Oppong. A taxicab with registration number GT. 9163 N was retrieved from Oppong at Ofoase Kokoben in Ashanti while another one, Gt. 5169 C, was intercepted at Tamale.

Inspector Kwame Tawiah, Tema Police Regional Public Relations Officer, told the press that on January 26, this year, one Mr Michael Boakye reported his missing Toyota Carina taxi cab which he had parked on the street at Site 19, Community One, Tema.

While the case was under investigations, Basiru Mumuni was arrested as an accomplice, by a member of the area watchdog committee of and handed him over to the police. Mumuni admitted that he and Nasiru stole the car, which they had sent to Kumasi for sale. Mumuni led the police to Kumasi where Tanko, who acted as a middleman in the sale of the car for four million cedis, was arrested.

Oppong bought the car and paid three million cedis on condition that the rest of the money would be paid when he got the car's papers. He sent the car to Ofoase and changed the colour to white.

Cudjoe Nasiru was implicated in the theft of another car, also a Toyota Carina car, belonging to one Mr Peter Ofori of Tema Newtown.

The Tamale police also intercepted the car, which was being driven by Nasiru on March 13, this year, with a new registration number UE 13.C. Nasiru again mentioned Mumuni as an accomplice who was later arrested at Site Two, Tema.

Tema (Greater Accra) 23 March 

The second phase of the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) designed to deal with command and staff functions at the battalion level in peace support operations opened at the Eastern Naval Command, Tema, on Monday.

The training programme, dubbed "ACRIFT" which is expected to end on April 16, will further strengthen the capacity building of the Ghana Armed Forces to respond positively to any crisis situation in Africa.

The task force for the training programme is made up of 80 all ranks, including an evaluation team from the Ghana Armed Forces under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Tawiah, commanding officer of the First Battalion of Infantry (1BN), and 25 United States Mobile Training Team (MTTI) led by Captain Roy Douglas.

Last year, a Ghana Armed Forces battalion task force of 800 men benefited from a similar training offered by American and Belgian troops under the US ACRI initiative.

This was also aimed at capacity building of the Armed Forces to participate in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in any part of the African continent at short notice, Colonel David C.K. Kattah of the Ghana Armed Forces said.

It is through ACRI One, dubbed "Ex-Fafa Afrika", that this follow-up training christened "Ex-Fafa Afrika 99", is being organised to train and exercise command and staff of a national task force battalion to exercise various functions.

These include how to protect non-governmental distribution of relief supplies by safeguarding convoys to refugee camps and protecting non-governmental medical treatment of civilians within the battalion sector.

Other tasks include safeguarding personal and public property through the use of checkpoints and patrolling as well establishing and participating in joint military commissions to resolve issues encountered during the implementation of a cease fire.

Tamale (Northern Region) 23 March

A national forum to discuss the rising cost of education and other problems affecting the education sector will be held in Accra next July.

The meeting, which will attract all stakeholders in education, will also witness the inauguration of a national committee to spearhead the international campaign for "good quality and enjoyable basic education for all".

Professor George Mensah, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies at Tamale, announced this in Tamale today when he launched the campaign in Northern Ghana, which is also being held simultaneously around the world.

In Ghana, the campaign is being undertaken under the aegis of the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), formed specifically for that purpose.

During the campaign, resources and other forms of assistance would be solicited from donor agencies and the general public for education and efforts made towards the removal of barriers impeding universal access to good quality basic education for all children.

The campaign is the product of a collaborative effort of several international organisations, including UNICEF, UNESCO, Educational International, Oxfam and Action Aid.

Professor Mensah said in spite of constitutional provisions guaranteeing basic education and government's efforts at providing free compulsory universal basic education, the reality is that "free basic education remains as distant today as it was in 1995".

Professor Mensah said while government devotes between 36 and 40 per cent of its recurrent budget on education, overall spending on education remains low. "Consequently, we in Ghana identify with the international campaign and have adapted it for our national agenda".

The GNECC will help ensure that all stakeholders play a serious role in the formulation of educational policies and the management of educational institutions.

Takoradi (Western region) 23 March

Some 395,078 and 404,971 children in the Western Region were immunised in the first and second phases of the 1998 National Immunization Day ( NID ).

Dr Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Regional Director of Health services, announced this at a one-day review meeting of the Regional NID Planning Committee in Takoradi Monday.

He said the figures represent 109 percent coverage in the first phase and 111 percent in the second phase of the immunisation programme.

The region achieved 96 percent and 102 percent coverage in the first and second phases of the NID in 1997, he said. The challenge facing the region is to find ways of getting all children under five years not covered by the 1984 census to be immunised, he said. The population of children in the region was put at 334,719 in 1996, 352,585 in 1997 and 363,840 in 1998, based on the 1984 population census.

Kumasi (Ashanti region) 23 March 

A Parliamentary delegation led by Dr Kwabena Adjei, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, paid its last respects to the late Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware the second, at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Monday.

Mr J.H. Mensah, Minority Leader, Mr Doe Adjaho, Majority Chief Whip, Alhaji M.A. Seidu, Deputy Majority Leader, and Mr S.K. Boafo, Minority Chief Whip, were among the delegation.

The MPs are among a number of dignitaries who paid their last respects on the first day of the late Asantehene's burial rites. Thousands of mourners from all walks of life have converged at Manhyia Palace to pay their last respects to the departed king.

The Ghana Red Cross Society, which has mounted a first aid post at Manhyia, told the Ghana News Agency that it has recorded 40 casualties on the first day of the burial rites.

Most of the cases resulted from exhaustion, others received minor cuts and bruise because of pushing and jostling.

The Red Cross said a few of them were rushed to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for treatment, and one person has been admitted at the Manhyia Polyclinic.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) have warned encroachers on the government-acquired land at Dunkonah to remove their structures before March 31.

They should also evacuate their workers, machinery and materials from the land.

A statement issued by the National Housing Project Committee on Dunkonah said illegal structures found on the land after the deadline would be demolished and owners surcharged with the cost of the exercise, including the disposal of debris.

The land is about 16 kilometres from Accra on the Accra-Winneba road and adjoins the Vanderpuye-Orgle Estates lands.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

A global campaign to re-channel funds from debt servicing into education was today launched in Ghana and other countries around the globe.

Ghana's contribution to the campaign, initiated by the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), was introduced in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale and Ho, under the theme, "Good Quality and Enjoyable Basic Education for All."

The Reverend Dr Kwasi Aboagye-Mensah, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana and representative of the GNECC, told a press conference in Accra that the campaign is to emphasise the need for world governments and donor organisations to treat the "global basic education crisis" with the urgency it merits.

He noted that globally, 125 million children of primary school-going age do not attend school, and a further 150 million drop out of school before they could read and write.

"As we stand at the threshold of the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly clear that targets set to ensure better quality of life will not be met," Reverend Aboagye-Mensah said, adding that slogans such as health and education for all by the year 2000 have lost their relevance.

Reverend Dr Aboagye-Mensah blamed the current state of affairs on lack of commitment by policy makers and governments to set targets and policy programmes, which has resulted in the education- for-all target being shifted from year 2000 to 2015.

Despite the enormity of the education crisis in developing countries, governments and donor organisations commit over 14.5 billion dollars to debt servicing annually, while the education sector needs only 3.6 billion dollars per annum to be on course.

"Financing education constitutes well below 10 per cent of the World Bank's loan portfolio in Africa."

In Ghana, though 36 to 40 per cent of recurrent expenditure is

devoted to education, the sector consumes only between three to four per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while debt servicing consumes six per cent.

"The amount of money that the government of Ghana spent in 1996 from its own budgetary resources to pay external debts was nearly seven times what was spent on education and health combined."

Reverend Aboagye-Mensah said the campaign is therefore to ensure that the new promise of education for all by 2015 is not broken.

He called on the government and donor organisations to re-channel funds from debt servicing into education to ensure that the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme becomes a reality.

Reverend Aboagye-Mensah suggested that all stakeholders in education be included in policy formulation and management of resources in the sector, adding that the management of institutions should be the exclusive duty of the government and local organisations.

The campaign is being supported by 23 governments, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral organisation around the globe.

Similar campaigns are being launched in Brussels, Washington DC, London, Bangladesh and Johannesburg today.

Programmes for the campaign would be announced later for community participation.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March 

Health professionals, other than doctors and dentists have been assured of payment of allowances on authorised extra working hours.

A source close to the Ministry of Health told the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday that a time-table for negotiations in that regard will be issued.

The source said the decision came out of a meeting held on March 19 between the Ministries of Health and Employment and Social Welfare, representatives of various health institutions and the Trades Union Congress.

The meeting recommended that representatives of the various health professionals negotiate with government, based on their proposals to be submitted for additional duty hours.

Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, the Health Minister, has given the assurance that negotiations are expected to be concluded by the end of April and appealed to all health professionals to exercise patience, while negotiations continue. Meanwhile, nurses at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital met the Minister on Monday morning on the same issue, but there is no word on the outcome of the meeting.

Health professionals other than doctors and dentists on March 18 threatened to lay down their tools, if they were not given allowances for the extra hours they work.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

The Ghana Armed Forces on Monday appealed to the public to volunteer information on the whereabouts of three soldiers wanted in connection with criminal investigations.

A statement issued by the Public Relations Directorate named the suspects as Lance Corporal Isaac Frimpong, L/Cpl Akoetey Bright Kpodo and Cpl Ofori Wilson.

L/Cpl Frimpong, who hails from Sampa in the Brong Ahafo region, is dark in complexion and five feet six-and-a-half inches tall.

L/Cpl Kpodo is from Aflao in the Volta region. He is black, five feet six inches tall and has tribal marks on his left cheek.Cpl Wilson, a native of Osudoku in the Eastern region, is fair and five feet seven inches tall. He has a tribal mark on his left cheek.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March 

President Alpha Omar Konare of Mali arrived in Accra on Tuesday for a one-day official visit. He was accompanied by a five-member delegation including Mr Mohammed Salia Sokona, Minister of Defence, Mr Mohammed Askie, Minister of Communications and Mr Moussa Koulibaly, in charge of Diplomatic Affairs.

President Rawlings, Vice-President John Atta Mills and Ministers of State met the Malian delegation on arrival.

Also at the airport were the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Peter Nanfuri, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt-Gen Ben Akafia, Members of the African Diplomatic Corps and a section of the Malian community.

The two Presidents took the national salute after which the Malian leader inspected a guard of honour mounted by a detachment of the Ghana Air Force made up of three officers and 96 men with a 21-gun salute booming at the background.

The two leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks as well as discuss issues affecting the sub-region and the continent as a whole.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March 

The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday said it is taking steps to ensure that farmers produce quality crops abundantly at a low unit cost and at competitive prices.

In an interview with the GNA in Accra, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, a Deputy Minister of Agriculture, said a number of programmes have therefore been initiated.

These include the Roots and Tubers Improvement Programme aimed at enhancing the quality of crops such as cassava, cocoyam, potatoes and yam.

The Village Agriculture Infrastructure Programme has recently been launched, under which feeder and farm roads would be cnstructed. It would also introduce an Intermediate Transport Technology - the use of donkeys and tricycles to cart produce from farms to depots. '' This will replace the dependence of human conveyance that relied on the strength of the individual".

"Our long term vision is to move the sector uphill in such a way that Ghanaians could have three square meals a day at affordable prices."

Mr Nketia said the Ministry's efforts can only succeed when farmers adhere to good farming practices, adding that ''there are some, particularly rice farmers, who still want to go into traditional crops against the advice that heir land is unsuitable for the crop.

"So what the Ministry is doing now is determining the best soil and agro-ecological zones that will give the highest yield and introduce farmers to improved cultural practices.

''Gradually farmers are being made to understand that the nation has departed from a command economy where government determines what is to be produced, at what quantity and buying directly from farmers whatever is produced.

"This is not possible in a free market economy which government has been pursuing since the inception of the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP). So production now must take into consideration the market".

In effect, Mr Nketia said, ''government does not market individual farmers' produce but helps to build linkages between producers and consumers, processors or agricultural industries''.

He said because farmers end up producing for instance, ''rice at high unit cost of production, they cannot sell on the local market let alone export.''As a result, some rice farmers are suggesting a total ban on importation of rice or slapping high tax on imported rice.

"Unfortunately, as a nation we are parties to international fair trade agreements which limit our ability to apply some of the solutions being called for."

 In fairness to consumers, Mr Nketiah said, restrictions must not be placed unduly on consumer choice unless it is absolutely necessary.

With good rains it is possible to achieve the 5.6 per cent growth rate projected in the budget, saying that despite poor weather conditions last year, "we were able to achieve more than four per cent''.

Ho (Volta Region) 23 Mar

The Right Reverend Japhet Yao Ledo, Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana, has underscored the need to improve the quality of and access to education as a bedrock for effective development.

He therefore, called on non-governmental organisations, national and international stakeholders in education to help develop education to enhance its social and economic progress.

Rev Ledo was addressing a press conference organised by the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) in Ho on Monday as part of the "Good quality and enjoyable basic education for all" campaign.

Mr Alfred Kofi Appiah, Regional Co-ordinator for GNECC for Volta and Eastern Regions, said the campaign is geared towards assessing the educational reforms and its lapses and what can be done to address the situation.

By Yaa Oforiwah Acquah

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

Tuberculosis (TB) has remained a deadly disease for ages throughout the world and still remains a very serious health problem.

But the window of hope today is that it is curable and the health authorities are finding effective means of controlling the age-old deadly disease.

"We must all form a coalition against a curable disease which afflicts eight million more people every year," Dr Frank Bonsu, National Co-ordinator of the National TB Control Programme (NTP) said.

For an effective control strategy to work, all Ghanaians should join forces to combat the disease now or the epidemic will be bigger, more expensive to control and more deadly, he said. TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria and transmitted from person to person by "droplet infection" through sneezing, coughing and spitting.

About one-third of the world's population has already been infected with the bacteria out of which an estimated eight million people are developing the deadly disease annually. If not treated adequately it can easily lead to death. Indeed, it causes about three million deaths every year globally with most cases in the developing countries.

Ghana has not been spared this scourge and the disease is said to be a major health problem.

Though statistics are incomplete, Ministry of Health sources say the incidence is high and is rising at an alarming rate. It is estimated that over half the adult population is infected although the majority does not have the clinical disease. However, the emergence of HIV/AIDS has of late been increasing the risk of developing active TB among persons previously infected with the bacteria.

"We are all at risk of TB," warned Dr Bonsu, saying that is why NTP was launched in 1994 to reduce the transmission of the disease to a level where it would no longer be a major public health problem.

The programme aims at introducing the new TB treatment known as Short Course Chemotherapy (SCC) in all treatment centres in Ghana through the Directly Observed Therapy Short-course (DOTS). Introduced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its Global Programme on TB (GTB), DOTS provides the most effective medicines to TB patients, ensures that they regularly take those medicines as prescribed and monitors their progress towards cure.

Dr Bonsu said it is the expectation of the NTP that DOTS coverage would reach 100 per cent by the end of this year. He expressed the hope that with an intensified public education, increase in supervision and monitoring, collaboration with the private sector and quasi-government institutions, their goals would be achieved.

According to WHO, DOTS was developed from the best collective practices, clinical trials and programmatic operations of TB control over the past two decades. The World Bank considers it as one of the most cost-effective health strategies available.

DOTS, among other things, succeeds with sustained and maximum government commitment in the control activities and a regular uninterrupted supply of all essential anti-TB drugs. There are several advantages for using DOTS, according to WHO. It can help any country, whether poor or rich, to achieve high cure rates, it can be successfully integrated into general health services to achieve wide coverage and case detection, through phlegm examination,. It is simple, accurate and reliable. WHO said it is also good because trained health workers and community volunteers can administer treatment.

DOTS does not require hospitalisation, prevents drug resistance which is often fatal and about 100 times more expensive to treat and can produce cure rates of up to 95 per cent even in the poorest countries.

For Dr Nora Bonso-Bruce, also of NTP, "a cure for TB depends on compliance and compliance requires everybody's responsibility". DOTS needs a combination of a minimum of three drugs to be taken daily by patients between six and eight months.

Dr Bonso-Bruce said new cases could be treated within the required period of between six to eight months if there is total compliance at all levels and called for more commitment from government, health workers, patients, families and relations to attain set goals.

She said they are concerned, for they fear that if treatment is suspended or is incomplete, cases of TB will become worse and expensive to treat.

As Ghana joins the world to observe "World TB Day", which falls on March 24, the clarion call is for all to assist in making sure that the DOTS Strategy works successfully, controlling the disease as indicated by the theme "TB is curable, seek early treatment".

A three-man delegation from Hyper Star, sponsors of a project to develop the capital's biggest one-stop shopping centre by September, has held discussions with government officials in Accra.

The European style Hyper market, which would occupy a 20,000 sq. ft. area, would offer a mix of both local and European goods at "extremely competitive prices". It will have a recreational centre, restaurant, car park and a filling station.

Mr Kaff Deku, a Ghanaian investment facilitator based in the United Kingdom and his British counterpart, Mr Richard Smith, told the GNA on Tuesday that they intend to invest an initial 500,000 dollars to start the project.

Mr Smith runs a chain of supermarkets in South London, with annual turnover of about 95 million pounds sterling. The range of goods to be sold include adult and children's clothing, foot and sports wear, household items, entertainment, cosmetics and perfumes.

Mr Deku said: "We have had fruitful discussions with the officials at the Trade Ministry, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Export Promotion, Free Zones Board and met representatives of vegetable growers association. Looking at the prospects, I think we are making progress."

Other members of the delegation are Mr. Ben Acquah, a Ghanaian businessman, based in the UK, and Mrs Barbara Fynn-Williams, a business woman and local representative of the company. Mr Smith said Ghana was chosen for the project, because of its "infrastructure, political stability, language and positive climate for investment". " .We intend to use Ghana as the gateway to reach the rest of West Africa with a population of nearly 200 million, many of whom are fairly sophisticated."

Mr Smith said the management of the project would introduce a "humane and progressive employment policy. We will endeavour to attract and develop a work force capable of supporting the future expansion of the company. " To achieve this, we will offer above average marketplace rates of pay and employees will have the opportunity to share in the company's success through a staff profit-sharing scheme."

Mr Smith said they will also encourage local production of both agricultural and manufactured goods, adding:" It is our intention to work with local farmers and suppliers to develop best practices with regards to quality, packaging and distribution."

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

This year's Eid-Ul-Adzha will be celebrated on Saturday, March 27.

This was announced in Accra on Tuesday by the National Hilal Committee on the authority of the National Chief Imam and Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana.

A statement said this follows the confirmation that the Yaumul Arafah festival officially starts on Friday, March 26.

The statement said on "this sacred occasion, the Islamic Community prays that Almighty Allah will, out of His grace, grant the people of Ghana, peace, progress and unity in all their endeavours."

Aseseeso-Akuapem ( Eastern Region) 23 March

Thieves have since October last year broken into 20 junior secondary schools (JSS) in the Akuapem North district and made away with all the technical and vocational tools provided to those schools by the government.

Though all the burglaries have been reported to the police, no arrest has been made. This was disclosed by Mrs Agnes Abedi, assistant director in charge of supervision at the Akuapem North district directorate of education at the presentation of technical and vocational tools estimated at over three million cedis by the Aseseeso and Abonse Citizens Association based in the United Kingdom to the Aseseeso Presbyterian JSS at Aseseeso yesterday.

The association also presented a set of athletic jerseys and kits for athletes valued at over 500,000 cedis to the school.

Mrs Abedi therefore appealed to the school authorities and the people of Aseseeso to find a safe place to keep the tools and equipment to prevent them from being stolen. Mrs Abedi explained that education standard in most schools in rural communities in the district has fallen very low, because some parents always fail to provide their children with basic things like exercise books, pens and pencils.

She therefore appealed to the association to consider providing some exercise books, pens and pencils for the benefit of children whose parents could not provide them with those basic items.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

Mrs Alberta Quartey, Chairperson of the Ghana National Commission on Children, has advised children to stop soliciting for gifts from pen pals abroad but rather learn more about each other's country.

"Children these days write to pen pals and solicit for presents instead of learning from each other and improving on their English."

Mrs Quartey said this at the closing ceremony of an exhibition on stamps held in Accra to select the most attractive stamp issued in 1998 and to encourage stamp collection among children. She urged the children to engage in stamp collection and inform other children about it.

The programme is the first step towards the establishment of stamp collectors clubs in basic schools. Some selected schools in Accra were chosen to participate in the programme, for which children between the ages of 8 and 12 were chosen because they have already acquired the habit of writing. They also have a sense of maturity, which will enable them appreciate the programme.

Today's exhibition was attended by Alsyd Academy and Association International schools, both in Accra.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Education, on Monday said Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) in the country will soon be made diploma awarding institutions.

This will encourage more people into the teaching profession to ensure that the human resources of the country get better education at the basic levels.

At a meeting in Accra with the executive of the Conference of Principals of Teacher Training Colleges (COPTTC), Mr Spio-Garbrah said when the institutions are raised to tertiary level, parents and students must be made aware of the implications.

Mr Spio-Garbrah explained that teaching allowances being enjoyed by students, at the moment, will no more be there.

"They will be treated as any other tertiary institution in the country and the cost sharing policy will also be introduced".

Issues raised at the meeting included students allowances, the teaching of Ghanaian languages, staff accommodation, female intake and upward review of responsibility allowances to principals and other heads of institutions.

Mr Spio-Garbrah said his ministry has placed an embargo on the establishment of new teacher training colleges. "It is impossible at the moment to build new dormitories let alone colleges, and we don't want to over-stretch the budget allocated to the ministry".

At the moment, expansion of schools will be an economic constraint to the national budget.

''There is the need to finish the existing building projects and infrastructure in the various educational institutions for effective teaching and learning''.

Mr Spio-Garbrah was not happy about the situation whereby qualified students for the teaching profession are discarded and warned principals who are in the habit of extorting money before admission, to be careful because the ministry will soon take measures against them.

Ms Hienne Obeng, President of COPTTC, explained that genuine lists are sometimes discarded not because of money but ''due to pressure from protocol lists''.

He called on the Minister to use his good offices to educate the public to refrain from such habits since "this is creating problems for us".

Mr Kwabena Kyere, a Deputy Minister of Education, stressed the need for constant monitoring and evaluation of existing school projects to ensure early completion.

"Some of these works take 10 or 20 years before they are completed'', he said, adding '' they are shoddy work and criminal negligence" and asked heads of educational institutions to take interest in what is happening at their various schools.