GRi Newsreel 31-03-99

Accra (Greater Accra) 31 March

Members of the University of Ghana Senior Staff Association and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union on Monday hoisted red flags at the entrance of the university to show their determination to ensure that their collective bargaining rights are respected.

The members of the two unions had at a meeting at the Great Hall of the University reviewed developments since they passed a resolution on March 11 calling on the Committee of Vice-chancellors and Principals to convene a meeting of management/union standing joint consultative meeting by March 26 this year.

The Unions registered their displeasure at their non-involvement in the off-loading of the current 130 salary levels onto the proposed 22 level salary structure as part of the government's medium to long term public sector wages and salary policy.

The unions said workers of all five universities will embark on a sit down strike within the next few weeks if nothing is heard from the authorities.

Axim (Eastern Region) 31 March

The Right Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, has said establishing a Ghana Voluntary Service Organisation for professionals at home and abroad to offer their skills free of charge will help develop the rural areas.

At the 39th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Nsein Senior Secondary School at Axim on Saturday, he said this is how some developed countries have been built.

"What Ghana needs today is a generation that is ready to sacrifice its own comforts for the good of the nation. Just one generation and we shall be okay", said Bishop Palmer-Buckle.

"Is it not possible that during vacation, qualified teachers, for instance, go to their own villages or towns to offer free tuition to help pupils pass the BECE with good grades?

"How about doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants offering to help our villages better their lot through free and regular service?"

Bishop Palmer-Buckle told the students that when they become professionals, they should not be lured to stay abroad rather they should return to their villages "to give back to the soil what you took from it".

The Bishop referred to the falling standards in education and said facilities in schools are demoralising.

He said in some cases, "parents are hardly able to or are willing to pay any fees for the education of their wards.

"Children are more easily encouraged, attracted to or even compelled to work on farms or do petty trading either for money or to pay school fees or to supplement the meagre income of the family. "

Bishop Palmer-Buckle said to give a future to your children in the urban areas means you have to be reach.

The Bishop lauded the work of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and appealed to the authorities of the school to re-name the school Kwame Nkrumah Secondary School during its 40th anniversary next year.

Mr J.N. Essien, the Headmaster, said the foremost headache is the low enrolment and poor aggregates in the JSS.

"Both the public and parents expect us to produce a brilliant academic performance yet the results from the basic level are very low and poor."

He said the school has the capacity to admit over 1,000 students and has a centre for compulsory computer lessons.

Accra (Greater Accra) 31 March

Mr Gershon Gbediameh, Member of Parliament for Nkwanta and Secretary of the Volta Region Parliamentary Caucus, has called on everyone who have the region at heart, especially the youth, to demand results from those in responsible positions in order to push the region forward.

Mr Gbediameh made the call at the inauguration of the Accra Polytechnic branch of the Volta Region Students Association (VORSA).

"The time has come for the talking and meetings to seize for action to develop and improve the living conditions of the people," he said

Mr Gbediameh singled out the abundant human resource in the region, saying these could be used for the upliftment of the living conditions of the people.

He said parliamentarians are ready to assist the Association to achieve its aims and objectives provided they are in the right direction.

The Association, which was formed in 1997, aims at mobilising human and financial resources devoid of any political or religious affiliations for the development of the region.

It is to visit and participate in development projects taking place in the region, serve as "the last line of defence in assisting the people in achieving a higher standard of living."

The function was chaired by Togbe Adza Tekpor, Osie of Avatime, former member of the Council of State.

Accra (Greater Accra) 31 March

Mr Charles Adjei, Managing Director of the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation (GWSC) has called for investments into the treatment of raw water from the Volta lake for export to Togo.

At a discussion on urban water delivery with members of the Korean Construction Mission to Ghana in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Adjei said there is a lot to be gained from such a venture.

''While the investor will get good profit for his money, the government will also earn the much needed foreign exchange for development''.

Mr Adjei explained that fresh water from the lake flows into the sea and becomes waste but this can be tapped at Sogakope to serve as a new dimension to investors in the water sector. He told the delegation that there are other avenues like the importation of unavailable parts such as pumps, iron pipes and accessories.

A document on the urban water delivery system that requires a 1.5 billion dollar funding was given to the 12 member delegation for action.

Mr Dong-Chun Shin, leader of the delegation, said Korea's construction sector has ample experience in water treatment to meet Ghana's expectations. He said their three-day visit has been quite successful.

''We will study all documents and make necessary correspondents in order to contribute in one way or the other towards the development of Ghana''.

The delegation which leaves the country on Wednesday is exploring investment avenues in the construction sector. Its members had held discussions with the various sectors under the Ministries of Roads and Transport and Works and Housing.

Accra(Greater Accra) 31 March

The wrong application of pesticides on food crops has been identified as one of the causes of Ghana's numerous health problems in recent time.

Mrs Patience T.M. Damptey, a director at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) on Tuesday regretted that many people often attribute superstitious beliefs to health problems caused by pesticides. She was speaking on "Pesticides and gender relations" on the second day of a three-day national review workshop for the National Action Programme for Integrated Chemical Management in Ghana.

The workshop has been organised by the Environmental Protection Agency, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Inter-Organisation programme for Sound management of Chemicals (IOMC). About 100 participants drawn from government ministries, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, the media and related Non-Governmental Agencies among other organisations, are attending the workshop.

Mrs Damptey said there is the need to document such health-related problems for national planning and management programmes. The health problems identified so far include cancers, birth defects, still births, brain damage and miscarriages.

She called for education especially for women on the proper handling of such chemicals since "the mishandling of such chemicals by a woman could put a whole family in danger".

Berekum, (Brong Ahafo) 31 March

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre, has advised traders to go into manufacturing using local raw materials such as clay and timber to create jobs.

The Regional Minister was addressing the Berekum District Assembly as part of his familiarisation tour of the district. He urged entrepreneurs in the area to take advantage of the peaceful and friendly environment to attract investors to enhance the socio-economic development.of the district

Mr Adabre said it is the responsibility of all to join the crusade against environmental degradation to protect the vegetation. The Regional Co-ordinating Council would ensure that public building contracts include landscaping to protect the environment, he said.

Koforidua (Eastern Region) 31 March

Mr Daniel Vormawor, deputy secretary general of the Trades Union Congress in-charge of administration, has appealed to workers not to force the Central Management Board to hastily implement the public sector salary rationalisation policy which might not be in their interest.

At a meeting of the New Juaben District Council of Labour in Koforidua, he stressed the need to give CMB time to scrutinise and remove all distortions before the implementation of the policy.

Mr Vormawor asked workers not to expect ''any appreciable salary increase'' under the Price Waterhouse Report and called on the government to come out with a temporary across the board salary increase to ensure industrial peace. The deputy secretary general assured workers that with the operation of an insurance company under the Labour Enterprise Trust, more ventures will be initiated and asked workers who have not bought shares to do so in their own interest.

The Eastern Regional secretary of the TUC, Mr Henry Pieterson, briefed the meeting on the recent changes in the TUC constitution and called on women workers to involve themselves actively in union activities.

Koforidua (Eastern Region) 31 March

The Eastern Regional Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana, Mr Jean Gbadago, has warned employees not to connive with customers to cheat ECG.

They should desist from making illegal connections for people and should not pose as electrical contractors, he said, adding, offenders would be dealt with in accordance with the company's code of ethics .

Mr Gbadago was reacting to concerns raised by some of the members of the Eastern Region branch of the Electrical Contractors Association, at a meeting in Koforidua on Saturday. The forum was to find solutions to problems including illegal connections, enforcement of standards and educating members of the association on new developments in the industry.