Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002- Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni, the Minority Spokesman on Legal, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, has urged the Minister of Justice to take proactive initiative to release all convicts of the Fast Track Court. He said the continued detention of those convicts constituted the abuse of human rights and disrespect for the rule of law.
Alhaji Mumuni, who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on matters arising out of the ruling of the Supreme Court that the Fast Track Court was unconstitutional, said Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should not down play his role as the Minister of Justice.
He said just as his other role of an Attorney- General urged him to re-arraign Mr Tsatsu Tsikata so should his Minister of Justice spirit behove him to seek the rights of those convicts, who were victims of illegality.
Between now and the period of the review of the Supreme Court's decision, an illegality was being perpetrated and great injustice was being meted out to the victims, Alhaji Mumuni said.
Nana Akufo-Addo should be the last person to abuse the fundamental human rights of any Ghanaian since he is the Minister of Justice and an advocate of no mean stature of the rule of law, Alhaji Mumuni stressed.
He said the Constitution mandates the Minister of Justice to deal with all manner of people with justice and to ensure that no one suffers injustice from the hands of the law.
Alhaji Mumuni advised the Minister of Justice to bid his time and wait for the reasons to be adduced by the Supreme Court for its decision before talking about a review. "It is only on the facts or reasons for the judgement that the Minister of Justice can base his call for review. So why the rush?"
He said if the Minister was asking for restraint from lawyers and had in the same breath re-arraigned Mr Tsikata, then one could conclude that Nana Akufo-Addo had personalised the prosecution of Mr Tsikata.
Mr Doe Adjaho, the Minority Chief Whip, said the government's description of the Supreme Court's ruling "as strange", was sending the wrong signals to the people since it was creating the impression of a confrontation between the Judiciary and the Executive.
He said it was reminiscent of the; "No court! No court! Episode of the Busia regime"; adding "If Nana gets those now being kept illegally in prison out, he would be scoring some major points".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Thursday asked the security agencies and legal personnel to focus on eliminating child trafficking and other life-threatening forms of child labour, which destroy the normal development of the victims and impede national progress.
Speaking at a ceremony in Accra at which he launched the National Programme On Combating the Trafficking of Children For Labour Exploitation, Alhaji Mahama said Laws on Child Trafficking had been included in the Draft Labour Bill that would soon be presented to Parliament.
Alhaji Mahama also inaugurated an 18-member Taskforce with members from requisite public institutions and non-governmental organisation to work towards eliminating the trafficking of children.
He said the government would complement the enforcement of laws by raising the incomes of families, through the poverty reduction strategy and other credit schemes, to take better care of their children since poverty had been identified as the underlying cause of child trafficking.
Alhaji Mahama asked the taskforce to design imaginative programmes to sensitise, educate and inform Ghanaians on the existence of the issue and its negative impact on the individual, the family and the nation.
Ghana is a major supplier of children for exploitative labour internally and for the West and Central sub-regional markets, according a yearlong study by the African Centre for Human Development.
The study, sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), said children of usually poor parents were lured, coerced, or bought from their guardians or parents by recruiters who sent them through intermediaries for sale to employers.
Bolgatanga, Tamale, Wa, Ningo, Ada, Winneba and rural communities, particularly in northern Ghana were identified as some of the supply points whereas Sunyani, Accra, Kumasi, the Afram Plains, Dzemeni, Kpando Torkor, towns along the Volta Lake and some urban towns provide markets.
Some of the children are sent Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso. The study said trafficked children were engaged in risky and exploitative labour, including commercial sex, domestic work, work on farms and plantations, illegal mining, fishing, trading and begging.
The hazardous nature of their jobs and the conditions under which they worked exposed them to physical and psychological abuse, violence, sexually transmitted diseases and other health risks and left them with no education, basic training or skills.
They, therefore, perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty started by their parents and were unable to contribute meaningfully towards national development, the report said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002- Dr. Edward Mahama, leader of the People's National Convention on Wednesday deplored President John Agyekum Kufuor's absence from the 45th Independence Anniversary celebration of Ghana, saying, "no President who has the interest of his country at heart would absent himself from such an important occasion."
He emphasised that the President has no excuse to give because the Commonwealth meeting that he attended ended before the anniversary celebration and that he should have been around if he had the interest of the nation at heart.
Dr. Mahama was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra after the 45th Independence Day Parade. The President of America would never absent himself from the celebration of their Independence," he said
The PNC leader said what the President should have been doing now is to try to create opportunities internally to benefit the youth rather than seeking assistance from countries, some of which Ghana are older than.
He said Ghana is far from where she should have been in terms of development and technology and called on the people to continue to remain united and not to be divided by politics, in order to build the nation together.
He said what Ghana needed now is self-reassurance and to put the interest of the people above other considerations. Dr. Mahama praised the first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for promoting the image of Ghana at home and abroad.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 07 March 2002- Prince Imoro Andani, Northern Regional
Minister, on Wednesday took the salute at a parade of the security services, first and second cycle school children, market women and drama groups to commemorate the 45th anniversary Ghana's independence, at the police park in Tamale.
The security services were made up of a detachment of the sixth battalion of infantry, airborne force, airforce, the police, prisons, fire service and Customs Excise and Preventive Services.
In an address, Prince Andani expressed concern about the creeping indiscipline among students and the society at large. He said Ghana has not made enough progress because of corruption and mismanagement, adding that the government was doing everything possible to reverse the unfavourable trend.
The Northern Regional Minister, who later addressed the security services at Kamina barracks, promised to provide roofing sheets to the barracks to re-roof some of the structures whose roofs were ripped off by a rainstorm.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 07 2002– The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, was the guest of honour at a State Reception held on Wednesday night to wind up the week-long activities marking Ghana’s 45th Independence Anniversary.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, First Lady Theresa Kufuor and wife of the Vice President, Hajia Ramatu Mahama, were at the cocktail party, attended by members of the Executive, Legislature, Diplomatic Corps and a cross-section of Ghanaians.
They were entertained with music from the Police Band and some cultural dances.
Earlier in the day, a parade was mounted by the security services and school children at the Independence Square, at which the Vice President delivered the Anniversary Address that highlighted the need to fight indiscipline in all spheres of life.
Similar parades were formed in the regional and district capitals. Other activities that marked the occasion were Muslim prayers, church services, a lecture and schools’ debate.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002- Thousands of visitors on Wednesday crammed the Trade Fair Centre at La, in Accra to witness activities at the on-going eighth Ghana International Trade Fair, but exhibitors said their presence did not make any meaningful impact on the volume of sales.
The crowd, mainly school children and students took advantage of the Independence Day celebration to at least window-shop, interact with friends and have fun. The crowd kept mounting as the day progressed and it was expected that they would even increase more in the evening with the expected live bands billed to perform.
Mr Prince Quarcoo, the Exhibition Director told the Ghana News Agency that the Fair Company had asked the security personnel to open all the gates to prevent any stampede. In a chat with some exhibitors, they complained that the large presence especially of school children, did not register any appreciable increase in their sales.
"Their large presence did not meet our expectations, said one exhibitor, the kids were only here to window-shop, while jamming up the place to make it difficult for the real buyers to show up."
Mr Fauzi Ayob, Trade Commissioner of the Malaysian Trade Development Corporation said the Malays were expecting more business people, but most of the visitors to their stand were retail buyers. Mr Allan Manche, representing a Spanish firm said the expected sales might increase with the rest of the days.
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Sekondi (Western Region) 07 March 2002- Six students were on Wednesday presented with certificates and cash prizes at Sekondi, for their exceptional performance in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The Western Regional Coordinating Council made the presentation in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, as part of activities marking Ghana's 45th anniversary celebrations.
At the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level, Jennifer Ohenewaa Agyekum of the Tarkwa Goldfields JSS emerged first, while the second and third prizes went to Justice Arkaah of the Sefwi Bekwai JSS and Jerome B. Abeka-Cann of the Bethel JSS.
Daniel Ohene-Kwoffie of the Saint John's Secondary School, took the first prize at the Senior Secondary level while Khatri Kunaal Harkishin of the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) and Gilbert Owua-Kwoffie of Saint Mary's Boys Secondary School took the second and third prizes respectively.
Mr. Joseph B. Aidoo, Western Regional Minister and Mrs. Rebecca Dadzie, Deputy Regional Director of Education presented the certificates and cash prizes to the award winners.
In another development, The Right Reverend Doctor Robert Ofori-Twumasi, Presiding Bishop of the Holy Fire International Church at Sekondi has presented a dozen cassettes recordings of a new song entitled "Ghana" to President John Agyekum Kufuor through the Regional Minister. Bishop Ofori-Twumasi said the songs, composed by Pastor Joe Beecham, of the church and dedicated to Ghana, were yet to be launched.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002- Accra High School on Wednesday won the 45th Independence Day March Past Competition for second cycle schools at the Independence Square in Accra. It bagged 212 points while Nungua Secondary School came a close second with 211 points. Ebenezer Secondary School came third with 202 points.
In the cadet corps division, Depot JSS Cadet, which is trained by the Ghana Police Service, came first with 234 points, O'Reilly Secondary School Cadet trained by the Air Force came second with 215 points and Labone Secondary School Cadet trained by the Navy came third.
For the basic schools, 5 Garrison Basic School came first with 235 points, Kpeshi Sub-Metro came second with 208 points while Ablekuma North Sub-metro came third with 207 points.
Winners of the various divisions received 600,000 cedis and a plaque each. Those who placed second received 400,000 and a plaque each, while those who placed third took 300,000 and a plaque each.
Schools that competed in the march past included the Kpeshie, Ablekumah, Fifth Garrison and Osu Clottey sub-metro basic schools. Nungua, Ebenezer, Achimota, Accra High, O'Reilly and Labone secondary schools competed in the second cycle division.
Their prizes were presented to them at forecourt of the State House at a ceremony attended by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Ministers of State and Members of the Council of State.
This year's independence celebrations are under the theme: "Discipline - An Essential Tool For National Development". In a speech, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education urged students to be mindful of their behaviour in school since discipline, aside their academic performance, would determine their job security in future.
"The freedom of independence, which Ghanaians enjoy today did not come on a silver platter but through the hard work, discipline, commitment and priceless sacrifices of our forefathers," he said.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi said discipline in schools could best be described as bad, adding that teachers had a lot to do to save the situation. He expressed regret at the rate at which students, especially those in tertiary institutions, took to the streets rather than go through the proper channels to seek redress.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi urged students who won the Presidential prizes and those who performed excellently during the march past never to compromise the high sense of discipline inculcated in the them by their teachers but to make it manifest in all their endeavours.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 07 March 2002- Action Aid-Ghana (AAG), an international non-governmental organisation operating in the Upper East Region, is to refocus its operations to confront the region's problems from their root causes.
It would now move from its traditional role of addressing problems by their symptoms to go into the interior through collaborations with district assemblies, NGOs and relevant departments to address their causes.
The Africa Regional Director of AAG, Madam Algresia Akwi-Ogozo, said this on Tuesday in Bolgatanga at a meeting with the Regional-Co-ordinating Council (RCC), District Chief Executives, partner NGOs and heads of departments.
She noted that partnership by collaboration was a vital ingredient in the development process that must be cherished by all development-oriented agencies in order to maximise output.
She said working for a common agenda invariably means making the necessary sacrifices by looking for the real problems together and mapping strategies to address them.
Madam Akwi-Ogozo observed that the evil that diverts partners from collaborating for a common agenda was the desire to be first in everything that is done, without considering its implication. She added that the saddest thing to experience as an NGO is when collaboration fails.
The Director, therefore, advocated for firm action to bind development partners together. She cited her home country, Uganda as one that suffered from HIV/AIDS because the people did not realise the importance of collaboration.
She prayed that her caution would serve as a guide for development agencies in Ghana not to fall victim, and called on all members to first and foremost consider a common developmental agenda rather than looking for faults with their colleagues.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, who hosted the Director and her entourage, pledged to offer every needed support to Action Aid and other NGOs working in the region.
He praised AAG for their role in conflict resolution, especially the Bawku conflict, and mentioned that AAG alone has spent over 160 million cedis in trying to solve the Bawku conflict.
Mr Salifu appealed to AAG to spread its operations to Bawku East and Bongo districts in the region, where poverty is equally prevalent. He lauded them for their intervention in the region.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 March 2002- Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Education has directed that Thursday March 7, be observed as a holiday for first and second cycle institutions.
A statement signed by Ahmed Ayuba, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry said the directive was to allow students and pupils of these institutions to have some rest after the activities marking the 45th Independence anniversary celebrations. It said the Minister wished to express gratitude to pupils, students and teachers who contributed in diverse ways to the success of the anniversary.
Proof. Ameyaw Akumfi also reminded them of the need to ensure discipline in their conduct both at home and at school, adding that schools would resume on Friday March 8.
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