Parliament expected to rise "sine die" this Friday
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - Mr Justice Dixon Kwame Afreh, 68, an Appeal Court Judge with 31 years of legal practice was on Monday nominated to become a member of the Supreme Court.
President John Agyekum Kufuor in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament announced the nomination, which is subject to parliamentary approval. The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey referred the nomination to the Appointments Committee for vetting. Justice Afreh was born in Kumasi on March 25, 1933 and was admitted to the Ghana Bar in September 1961.
He has his second cycle education from 1949 to 1954 at Achimota School and left for the University of Birmingham, England for his LL.B between October 1955 and July 1958 and continued to the University of London, England between October 1958 and October 1960 for his Master's in Law.
He was called to the English Bar in February 1960 at the Lincoln's Inn, London. Between 1962 and 1975, he lectured at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon rising to the position of Senior lecturer, Acting Dean of Law Faculty and Acting Hall Master of Commonwealth Hall in 1974. Justice Afreh worked at the Attorney -General's Office as Chief State Attorney between 1975 and 1978.
In April 1973 to June, 1980 he worked with the General Legal Council as Director of Legal Education. He later joined the Pan African News Agency (PANA), in Dakar, Senegal between June 1981 and October 1992 as Head of Administration and later becoming the Financial Controller from 1989 to 1992.
Between September 1978 and June, 1979 he became Commissioner for Information and Cocoa Affairs under the AFRC regime. He was also a Deputy Commissioner for the Electoral Commission between 1992 to 1994 and was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ghana in June 1994.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance on Friday said the government was fighting hard to avoid hedging its cocoa in the international market to reap the maximum benefit the market prices offered.
Ghana had not been reaping the benefit of the actual world market price of the commodity because she sold in advance sometimes at a low price and even if the price rose the country did not enjoy the actual rise in price.
Mr Osafo-Maafo was winding-up a debate on the 2002 Budget he presented to Parliament on February 21, which received parliamentary approval on Friday after many members praised portions of the document and others condemned it as lacking in focus and direction.
Commending members for criticising and making useful comments on the budget proposal, Mr Osafo-Maafo said the House performed its constitutional and democratic assignment.
He said it was true that macro economic stability alone could not be a panacea to economic development yet it was necessary to stabilise the economy as a benchmark from which all other activities could take off.
"You cannot grow without stabilising and you cannot swim without using your limbs." Mr Osafo-Maafo said there was a slight shift from service providing sectors to agricultural, industrial and mining sectors to expand and to promote economic growth and to generate employment.
He said the Stock Exchange Market made 60 million cedis profit last year compared to a loss the previous year and that this was possible because treasury bills had been falling through financial discipline the government was instilling into the economy.
The Minister said the criticism that the budget was not balanced and that there was a 792.4 billion cedis financing gap was not valid. That amount was not added to the total estimate because it was being expected from external sources that could or could not come and that it was not a gap that was created from "our own domestic financing".
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - The Forestry Commission is to take-over the handling and processing of applications for forestry and wildlife investments in Ghana.
The Timber Resources Management (Amendment) Bill has been passed by Parliament to end the legislative process for the takeover. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre was responsible for the processing of applications for forestry and wildlife investment.
A report made available to the House by the Committee on Land and Forestry, said it was the view of the government that Forestry Commission was better equipped to handle such operations and to over see investments in the related as areas like the mineral resource and petroleum.
It was also the view of the government that there should be clear limits on the duration and size of area for which timber rights could be granted as is applicable to mineral rights.
In a related development, the Forestry Plantation Development Fund (Amendment) Bill has been passed. The bill seeks to bring on board small-scale and public sector institutions into plantation development and enable them to benefit from the fund.
Under the existing law, only private sector commercial plantation developer could access the fund. The House also passed the Forest Protection (Amendment) Bill. It primarily seeks to revise fines upward to level that would deter would-be offenders of the laws on forest exploitation.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, Member of Parliament for Shama, on Friday called on society not to demand heavy dowry from "would be" husbands as a measure to stop the impression that women were commodities.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah in a statement in Parliament to mark International Women's Day, which was celebrated in Ghana under the theme: "A year of Women, Peace and Security," she explained that the bride price that men pay was only a sign of commitment, saying it was rather disheartening that some men take it as buying the women and, therefore, regard them as commodities.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said there was the need to register customary marriages to prevent inconveniences that might arise in the sharing of property of a spouse. It was unfortunate that at this time that Ghana was celebrating her 45 years of Independence shameful, gruesome murders and acts of suicide have hit the country and in less than a month, four men have shot and killed their wives, she observed.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said Ghanaians could not boast of peace and security when the women were not free to go about their duties without being murdered and could not make meaningful contributions in the home without men stamping their authority on them.
The shooting of spouse's and their partners and committing suicide afterwards had negative effects on the immediate and extended families since children were left behind without proper care. "Orphans and families left behind would forever live with the stigma, which may have psychological effects on especially the children's development", she said.
Mrs Baiden-Amisah said it was sad that culture encourages men to be sexually promiscuous but a woman has no right even to greet a male friend. Parents should to ensure that their children were educated before entering into marriage.
Mrs Hanna Tetteh Kpodar, NDC-Awutu-Senya, called for a change of the people's social attitude to crime adding that most often cases of rape were not made issues for prosecution but the parties agree to settle the case at the community and home level.
Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, NPP- Tarkwa- Nsuaem, said in the Ghanaian tradition the man was supposed to be the head of the family but of late they have lost that responsibility and have allowed all forms of abuse, women battering, child abuse, violence and rape to be freely be the vogue of the day.
Mrs Edith Hazel, NDC- Evalue-Gwira, said most men in high executive positions often discouraged, women who aspired to go in for high positions in politics. Such men do whatever they could to discredit women to the electorate.
She said the time had come for women to untie and come together and be non-partisan in their demand for the implementation of the right acts to protect women and children and to support the Domestic Violence Bill.
Mrs Cecilia Amoah, NPP-Asutifi South, said the recent acts of violence against women had filled Ghanaian women with fear and they fell insecured even in their matrimonial homes. She, therefore, pleaded with men to change their attitude towards women and try to be patient with them by being responsible husbands.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 March 2002 - Parliament is expected to rise "sine die" on Friday, March 15, 2002 to end the first meeting of the second session of the third Parliament after going through a tight business to consider and approve the Appropriation Bill for the year. It would also consider and approve reports of various committees on the annual budgetary estimates for Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
Presenting the Business Statement for the week, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, said because of the heavy schedule sitting would begin on Monday and would be extended.
He said during the week statements, motions and papers would be laid and urged chairmen and clerks to committees to present their reports as programmed so as not to derail the work of the House.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com