Dual Nationality policy begins April
Consumers face danger as board ‘allows’ uncertified products on the
market
The ‘Delta Foods case’ – US Court orders seizure of Ghana Embassy
Fishermen petition President on new Fisheries Bill
Victor Smith - The hand behind threat on Kweku Baako, Mrs Amoakohene
Dominic Nitiwul, MP-elect outdoored
Woman
freed of adultery charge
Dual Nationality policy begins April
Cape Coast (Central Region) 26 March 2002 - The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) would begin the implementation of the law on dual nationality, indefinite stay and right of abode early next month. The Director of Immigration, Nana Owusu-Nsiah who stated this, said application forms in this regard will be ready by next week.
He was speaking at a meeting with officers and men of the
service at Cape Coast as part of his nationwide tour. Nana Owusu-Nsiah,
however, stated categorically that the conferment of these rights would not be
automatic for the applicants. He said most importantly, holders of foreign
passports who would wish to apply are required to be in possession of a valid
residence permit at the time of application. This, he said, is to ensure that
the right people are accorded the opportunity to enjoy the new legislation.
He said the office to handle the programme has been established and special seminars are being planned for personnel to update their knowledge about the processes involved while the service is taking steps to educate the public on the provisions of the law.
On discipline among personnel, he said, his administration would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline that would bring the image of the service into disrepute and advised them to comport themselves. He asked them to step up their vigilance and ensure that foreigners comply with immigration laws and at the same time ensure that their efforts do not derail government’s drive to attract tourists and investors.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah also expressed concern about the delays and frustrations in the processing of passports adding that, “one of the identified causes has been the use of the ‘back door’ rather than through the GIS by some government agencies in processing their forms.” He gave the assurance that his administration would soon come out with policies on transfers, study leave and resignation and issues concerning the conditions of service of personnel.
He said efforts are also being made to solve the transportation, accommodation and the human resource personnel problem facing the service. In his address, the Regional Commander of the GIS, Mr Devasse Mate-Kole said out of the 12 districts in the region, the service is operating in only four. He said last year, the service was able to collect more than ¢347 million in revenue and has collected over ¢71 million from January to date, this year. - Daily Graphic
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Consumers face danger as board ‘allows’ uncertified products on the
market
Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - There is growing tension and rifts among
officials of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), as some of them appear to have
violated their own laws by disregarding the health safety of consumers and
rushing to register alcoholic beverages that had not been certified as
wholesome by their own laws.
In recent
times, the country’s markets have been flooded with different alcoholic
beverages, which have not been tested and certified by the mandated body (FDB).
Some of these drinks included Oboadea, Ke Ba Shoo, Mmaa Nkomo, Lai Momo, Atupa
special, Asotwann, Police Abaa among others.
At least
four Ghanaian consumers have been reported dead after taking some of these
uncertified products. Despite this arduous situation, the FDB has proven to be
more efficient in the registration and collection of millions of cedis to swell
their kitty instead of pursuing people with unwholesome products.
The
beverages conveniently carry the seal of the Ghana Standard Board, assuring the
consumer of a wholesome drink, though they have not yet been tested by the
Board. There are unconfirmed reports of connivances on the parts of some FDB
officials and some of the manufacturers to keep them (manufacturers) in
business though their products have not yet been tested.
Section (24)
of the Food and Drugs Law 1992 (PNDCL 305B) states that “No person shall
manufacture, prepare, supply, distribute, export of import for sale of any
herbal medicine or homoeopathic drug has been registered with the Board.”
These
beverages, whose peddlers/manufacturers claim, have medicinal values, are sold
on the market without any approval from the Board and yet the officials of the
FDB had remained unperturbed pretending to be living in blissful ignorance.
After repeated public outcry about the devastating effects of some of those
alcoholic beverages, the FDB finally held a meeting on
the 22nd
January with the manufacturers of the beverages.
At the
meeting, Mr Ben Botwe, Acting Chief Executive of the FDB, issued directives to
the manufacturers to “stop further production.” “Withdraw products already in
retail from the market. Withdraw advertisements from the media. Start the
registration process for the products. Seek approval from Ghana Standards
Boards before using their certification mark,” stated the directive.
Mr Botwe
was categorical stated that the beverages label as wine when there was no
documentary evidence to support the product name was illegal. “This could be
described as a deceptive practice. A practice, which contravenes section 3
(Food and Drugs Law 1992),” he cautioned.
On
medicinal claims, Mr Botwe said, “Medicinal claims connote drug attributes and
in that case the product must bear dosage regimen as a pre-requisite for all
drug preparations. Proof of medicinal claims must be provided.” He also
reiterated that none of the beverages had been registered with the Board,
adding that it contravened section (25) of the Food and Drugs Law (PNDCL 305
B).
After
registering their dissatisfaction with the activities of the manufacturers, one
of them (Producers of Ke Ba Shoo and Atadwe Ginger Wine) took FDB to court to
force them to register their products. Interestingly, the FDB treated the case
as a minor irritant of a nuisance value, their lawyers failed to turn up at the
numerous sittings, leaving the trial judge with no option but to rule on the
available evidence.
FDB was
therefore, ordered to register those products though they (products) had not
been certified and could therefore pose a health risk to consumers. “Instead of
working to legally set aside the order in the interest of the consumer, the FDB
within a split second went ahead and registered the products with brutal
precision, lauding, applauding and rewarding the efforts of the manufacturers
without pondering over the devastating effect they could pose to the consumer,”
charged a consumer rights protection activist.
He
contended that the FDB for some time now has allowed a serial canker of such
scams to foster and swell to terrible proportions under the colour of their own
negligence, providing a leeway to some selfish businessmen. “They had given the
manufacturers a deadline of 20th March 2002 to comply with their
directive or face the law, but said nothing on the D-day. Consumers therefore
take these drinks at their own risk,” he added.
When the
Principal Regulatory Officer of the FDB, Kwamena Van-Ess, was asked why the
Board could not show up in court, he attempted to be economical with the
details. “Who told you we didn’t show up in court,” he asked. When Marian
Acolatse of (TV3) backed it with documentary evidence, he retreated with ‘his
tail between his legs,’ retorting that “I don’t want to go into the details of
the matter.”
Asked again
of the implications for the consumer, Mr Van-Ess pretended as if all was well
with consumers, thus dismally contradicting his own outfit’s position that the
goods could jeopardize the health of consumers since they are uncertified. –
The Crusading Guide.
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comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
The ‘Delta Foods case’ – US Court orders seizure of Ghana Embassy
Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - Latest developments in the case in which the
Ghana government has been ordered by a United States District Court to settle
payment claims to Delta Foods Ltd., a Ghanaian company, show a dramatic turn
for the worse. From the grapevine, it is now learnt that Ghana government’s
claim of diplomatic immunity cover for its assets in the event of attachment has
been dismissed.
Information
reaching The Ghanaian Voice is that Ghana government’s counsel in the United
States says having lost on every decision-affecting Delta, he will no longer
oppose the company’s efforts to enforce the judgement. Ghana government has
been ordered to disclose within the next seven days all the financial and other
information requested by Delta Foods or face sanctions of contempt.
In
furtherance of this order, Delta’s solicitors shall be conducting depositions
under oath of Ghana Embassy’s employees and other witnesses who have knowledge
of all the Ghana government’s assets in the United States. The United States
District court, using every harsh language it could muster, has ordered the
Ghana government to identify all of its assets and accounts in the US and to
turn over the Ghana Embassy’s banking records.
To this
end, the Ghana government is requested to make three main provisions. It should
provide a full and accurate particularisation of its assets and bank accounts
within seven days; and Ghana Embassy employees (and other government
representatives with knowledge) must promptly appear for examination under oath
regarding the government’s assets in the US. The Ghana government, also on pain
of sanctions, must refrain from transferring assets.
Readers may
recall that the 4th – 6th March 2002 of edition of the
paper pointed out the intransigent position which has been taken by the
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in relation to the Delta Foods. The
paper also did reveal that everyday that passes the debt attracts a colossal
¢45 million in interest, which is equivalent to ¢1.350 billion a month and
¢16,200 billion a year.
It is the
hope of The Ghanaian Voice that in line with its declared policy of ‘Golden Age
of Business’ the government will ‘Fast Track’ the issue to avoid further
embarrassment. – The Ghanaian Voice.
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Victims to share 2.8 billion cedis – in
May, this year
Accra (Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - Disbursement of more than 2.8 billion cedis to victims of the Accra Stadium tragedy will coincide with the first anniversary of the incident which falls on May 9. The modalities are being worked out to ensure equitable disbursement of the funds.
Mr Ferdinand Ayim, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, who made this known in an interview in Accra yesterday, said the government is concerned about the plight of the victims of the tragedy, and has advised their relatives to bear with it.
He said donations made by individuals and institutions to the Accra Disaster Relief Management Fund amounted to 2.8billion cedis, but as a demonstration of its commitment to its social responsibility, the government has decided to provide more money to the fund for disbursement to the victims or their relatives.
He said so far 241 dependants of those who died have been identified and screened out of which 129 are children. Mr Ayim said the government demonstrated its commitment to the families of the victims by providing 2.5million cedis to each of the families of the deceased for the burial and funeral expenses and also took care of the medical expenses of those who were injured.
Mr Ayim explained that the disbursement of the fund has delayed partly because of the conflicting claims by some of the relatives of the victims. He said the government has been very careful in its approach to the disbursement of the funds to prevent any misapplication and ensure that nobody is left out. He said the services of the BNI and district assemblies were engaged in the screening exercise to forestall any unjustifiable claims by the relatives of the victims.
On May 9, last year, 126 soccer fans dies and several others were injured as a result of a stampede at the Accra Stadium during a league match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko. The government set up a stadium disaster fund to mobilise resources to provide relief for the victims to ameliorate the effects of the disaster on their families. - Daily Graphic
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - Alhaji Asoma Banda, who has recently been
supporting capacity building for maintenance of law and order, has himself been
accused of violating a court order served on him.
Chronicle
learnt that Asoma Banda evicted occupants of a building he had just acquired
through auction, even though an interlocutory injunction had been served on
him. This action by the shipping magnate and leading political figure has
resulted in a violent clash between some macho men and the occupants of his new
building, who resisted the eviction.
The genesis
of the story was that, way back in 1992, a Russian fishing crew based in
Senegal sought a loan from a Ghanaian market woman, Mrs Grace Akuamoah Dartey,
Manager of Waras Company Limited, to purchase fuel whiles they were trying to
procure a permit in order to land the fish they had brought into the country.
Mrs Darteh
was unable to dish out all the $36,000 and requested her friend, Vincentia
Asante, to top it up with the remaining $14,000. Akuamoah told The Chronicle
that the Russian fishing crew bolted with the money, resulting in her friend
Vincentia Asante hauling her to court to retrieve the amount. What Mrs Akuamoah
considers intriguing is that the case was transferred from the original court
to a different one without her knowledge and there she was pronounced guilty.
She
recalled that on June 13, 1995, Vincentia Asante obtained judgment against her
and the company for the recovery of $14,000 with interest, without her
knowledge and eviction order from the house. The property in question, which
was supposedly auctioned to Banda was attached to satisfy the judgement debt.
On August
10, 1999, the High Court placed the reserved price on the house, 889/5 3 Mayara
Lane, Awudome Estate, at ¢235 million, and it was auctioned off for ¢300
million. Investigations revealed that the auction was not published in any
newspaper as required by law.
When the
Chronicle called to inquire on the documentation that supported the auction,
officers of High Court No. 5 could not trace the file, which contained the
documents on the auction, raising suspicion about the sale. They were however
able to produce other documents from 1994 to 2002.
The court
bailiff told The Chronicle that the Chief Registrar who handled the case, Mr
W.K. Abowe, who had been transferred to the Volta Regional took that particular
document away. It did not take long to contact Mr Abowe in Ho, who denied it
and told Chronicle on phone that he handed over everything to the Chief
Registrar. He said the bailiffs should be held responsible “if any documents
had gone missing.” “It is the bailiff who deals with auctions, he should
produce the documents indicating that there was an auction.”
Asoma Banda,
who possessed a certificate of purchase, contradicted himself in a follow-up
interview. He said, “I bought the property in an auction sometime in September
2001, but if the woman and the family had come to plead, I would have given the
house back to them without retrieving the money.”
At the High
Court Asoma Banda had said he bought the house on August 30, 2001 whilst
available documents indicate that the purported auction was held on August 10.
Angered by
the events, Mrs Akuamoah filed an appeal and served Asoma Banda to appear
before court on March 8, this year, but a day before the scheduled date, Banda,
who had in his possession the court orders to effect the eviction long before
the appeal was filed, applied the orders given to him by the court and executed
the eviction force.
Fortunately
for her, the court, sitting on that day, reversed the earlier order against
them to relocate into the house. Asoma Banda told The Chronicle later that The
Akumoah’s had forced themselves into the house with the help of soldiers,
probably oblivious of the court order. – The Chronicle
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - Kwaku Omari, the spectacle repairer who allegedly shot and killed his wife and sister-in-law at a house in the Gaskia area at Sabon Zongo, Accra, on Monday appeared before the James Town Community Tribunal on a provisional charge of murder.
His plea was not taken and the tribunal, chaired by Mrs Jennifer Tagoe, remanded him in prison custody to appear again on April 8. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Osei Assibe, told the tribunal that the accused is still receiving daily medical treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and will undergo an operation on Thursday to remove a piece of metal embedded in the jaw.
She said Omari, 57, in an angry mood shot and killed his 35-year-old wife, Jane Abena Boatemaa, and her sister, Obaa Yaa, after he had accused his wife of being unfaithful to him. The accused also shot a third person, Kwame Asante, who was treated and discharged at the Korle Bu-Teaching Hospital. The accused later attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself, but was only injured in the jaw by the bullet.
When the accused arrived at the tribunal in handcuffs and under police escort, he caused a scene as he tried in vain to avoid the lenses of the Graphic photographer. At one stage, he turned his back to the camera, and at another stage, hid his face behind the police escort.
After the tribunal had asked that the accused be remanded, he walked briskly to the adjoining cell in yet another desperate bid to avoid the camera. A large crowd, mostly women, which had gathered in front of the tribunal to catch a glimpse of Omari, appeared calm. Some of them, however, burst into laughter anytime he tried to avoid the camera. - Daily Graphic.
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Gbimisi (Northern Region) 26 March 2002 - The people of Gbimsi in the West Mamprusi District have refused to participate in the current Voters Register Revision Exercise to register their protest over an abandoned electrification project for the area.
To press home their resolution, the people have prevented officials of the Electoral Commission engaged in the exercise from working in the area and its surrounding communities. According to a reliable source, the people have further resolved not to participate in any national exercise unless the project, which is at an advanced stage is completed.
Investigations by ‘The Evening News’ indicate that the project was started in 1998 under the Rural Electrification Programme with an estimated amount of ¢240 million so far spent on the erection of poles and connection of cables within the community.
A transformer that was acquired for the project was of a bigger capacity and, therefore, required a smaller one, as a result of which the big transformer was sent away. It was later decided that the power be extended from the district capital Walewale, to Gbimsi, a distance of about four kilometres.
However almost three years now the project has come to a stand still. A source close to the District Assembly informed ‘The Evening News’ that Mr Amadu Abdulkarim, the District Chief Executive has been meeting with all the interested parties to help resolve the problem quickly.
The Voters Register was opened throughout the country last Friday to receive applications from the prospective voters and also to clean the register. The one-week exercise is being undertaken in designated centres in each of the 5,000 electoral areas throughout the country.
During this period Ghanaian citizens who have attained the age of 18 since the last registration exercise are being given the opportunity to register. Older Ghanaians who for one reason or the other have not registered since 1995 can also take advantage to register.
According to the Electoral Commission in order to have a reliable, accurate and dependable register, Ghanaian citizens, family heads, traditional rulers, Assembly members, Unit Committee members as well as opinion leaders in communities, political parties and religious bodies are being asked to report on the death of their registered relatives and friends. This would enable the Commission to remove the names of the dead from the register. - The Evening News
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Elmina (Central Region) 26 March 2002 - Chief fishermen in the Central Region, have petitioned President J.A. Kufuor to suspend any intent to append his signature to the new Fisheries Bill. The chief fishermen, numbering about 20 contended that they had no knowledge about the bill, which was awaiting the President’s assent to be passed into a law.
They urged that issues contained in the bill had not been explained to them, and therefore, doubted whether it would positively affect the lives of fishermen along the coasts of the country.
At a news conference at Elmina on Thursday, Nana Kweigyan, the Regional Chief Fisherman, urged that President to halt his assent to the bill until steps were taken to explain the bill to the fishermen to become fully convinced whether it would promote their occupation and the interest of the nation.
Among those present at the conference were canoe and boat owners, fishermen, fishmongers and their children. Nana Kweigyan also asked the government to halt the activities of fishing trawlers along the shores, which was affecting the work of the fishermen. According to him, the Saiko fishing trawlers come to the demarcating areas of the fishermen to transact business which he described as an unhealthy practice. The trawlers had located at six nautical miles north on the high seas.
The law also states that anyone in charge of fishing vessels should not engage in trans-shipment on the high seas. These regulations have been violated by the trawlers, which come close to the shore with vessels to destroy the equipment of the fishermen and transact business in the area with their agents, leaving the fishermen in abject poverty.
“Sometimes they go along with their agents to the high seas to sell fish to them in their small canoes.” The situation has brought misunderstanding and suspicion between the fishermen and the trawlers for weeks. Nana Kweigyan therefore appealed to the government to find an amicable solution to the problem to avert any demonstration to the Castle and Parliament, possibly next week, by the fishermen. - The Evening News
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Victor Smith - The hand behind threat on Kweku Baako, Mrs Amoakohene
Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - Victor Smith, literally, the vocal extension to
former President Jerry ‘Boom’ Rawlings’ thoughts and ideas has been exposed as
the alleged sinister hand behind threats to Kweku Baako Jnr., the Editor
in-Chief of The Crusading Guide and Mrs Margaret Amoakohene, a lecturer at the
University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, forensic tests by Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) of Police have shown.
Also, the
person who turned coat and exposed the plot to the national security agents is
now under 24-hours police protection in a “safe house” after alleged threats on
his own life, subsequent to his cover being blown. Last Thursday’s edition of The
Crusading Guide spoke of “a sinister plan by some pro-Rawlings fanatics to
psychologically harass and possibly physically eliminate some key journalists
and social commentators in the country.”
The news
has sent shockwaves throughout the nation, particularly coming at a time of
heightened adherence to press freedom. A copy of a hand-written draft seen by
this newspaper warns the two leading social commentators to “desist from
perpetual attacks without decorum on the person of former President, Jerry
Rawlings on national media networks.”
When Victor
Smith was contacted by our reporter last night he did not deny the contents of
the document quoted to him, but insisted a copy of the document be faxed to
him. He said he had not seen a copy of the said document but when asked, “are
you saying you didn’t write it?” he responded, “I didn’t say that.”
Although,
two suspects were in police custody last night and were reported to be singing
like canaries, the special aide to the former President said he had not been
spoken to by the officers in charge of the investigation.
The
Statesman has learnt that last Friday, Spio Garbrah, Minister for Education in
the previous government arranged a meeting with Kweku Baako at the Coffee Shop,
Labone. Also in attendance was Victor Smith. But intriguingly, the meeting was
more of a shadow boxing contest with both parties revealing very little but
expecting more from the other side. Victor Smith then made no mention of having
anything to do with the plot to deal with journalists and social commentators
who are seen to be very critical of his boss, Rawlings.
On Monday,
the Editor-in-Chief of the Crusading Guide said he spoke to Victor Smith for
thirty minutes on telephone, putting it to him like the pseudo-legal expert he
has become of late, that he, Victor Smith, is the author of the threatening
“directive.” “I told Victor Smith this afternoon that ‘I’m telling you, you
wrote the thing’ Smith did not respond either way.”
But, during
Friday’s meeting the two top NDC men were said to have acknowledged that such a
“directive” could have been drafted. According to a source, immediately after
the secret meeting in which the plot was hatched, a “mole in the camp sent a
copy and other damning information to the security services.” The two suspects
arrested over the weekend were alleged to have been part of the conspiracy.
Tensions
are said to be on an all-time high within the circles around the former
President. Victor Smith is said to have confided in close associates that he is
under a lot of stress as “the pressure was mounting against him.” A source told
the paper that the super-grass, now under police protection, “was a trusted
member of an inner circle within the NDC,” The second largest political
partying the country.
According
to Kweku Baako, “from what I’ve been told, these threats are only for
starters.” He added that the main menu would have involved a broader recipe of
many journalists considered to be highly unfriendly to the former President.
“The names of the two of us, I understand, just happened to be on top of the
list,” he added. Kweku Baako said he had been assured by the police that the
they are taking the threats seriously and taking measures to protect him and
Mrs Margaret Amoakohene.
In a
related development, a statement released by the NDC’s Media Committee and
signed by Spio Garbrah said that the NDC “categorically denies any involvement
of its members in the alleged plot.” The statement carried on Radio Ghana news,
asked media practitioners to carry on their work “without fear of attacks from
anyone.” – The Statesman.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chairman of the NDC Publicity Committee, has reassured Ghanaian journalists that the Party, as a policy, has no intention of causing any harm to any media practitioner.
Speaking on a ‘Joy FM’ programme, about a private meeting in which he participated, with Mr Kweku Baako, Editor of the “The Crusading Guide”, Mr Spio-Garbrah said his interest in that meeting did not go beyond that of guaranteeing Mr Baako’s safety, as far as the NDC is concerned. He expressed surprise that what transpired, as private discussions had now become a matter of public domain, but still insisted that the NDC is rather now more concerned with promoting friendship with the media.
Later, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information, confirmed that the Government considered the issue very serious and that the Police would go on with its investigations to its logical conclusion. “If it is found out that someone has broken that law, then it will take it course”, he added. - Ghana Palaver
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Agroyesum (Ashanti Region) 26 March 2002 - The management of Saint Martin’s Hospital at Agroyesum in the Amansie West District of Ashanti have expressed concern about the emerging phenomenon of treated patients running away and leaving their medical bills unpaid.
Mr Emmanuel Taddie, the Hospital Adminstrator, said the unsettled bills left by the runaway patients stood at over ¢30 million. He made this known at an annual health review workshop the District Health Management Team (DHMT) organised for health workers, assembly members and community leaders at Manso-Nkwanta last Thursday.
Mr Taddie said the situation was putting tremendous pressure on the hospital’s limited resources and appealed to chiefs and assembly members in the area to assist the management to track down and recover the bills.
He mentioned lack of adequate medical staff as another area of concern and suggested to the district assembly to help sponsor the training of nurses from the district. The hospital administrator said such trainee nurses could be made to sign a bond to serve for a specified period of time in the area on completion of their training.
Mr Taddie called for an end to the practice where patients suffering from Buruli ulcer from outside the district were referred to the hospital for treatment. He stated that they did not have any specialised facilities for the treatment of the ulcer.
Mr Joseph Adomako, District Director of Health Services, noted with concern the upsurge in the incidence of tuberculosis in the area, saying, a total of 59 cases were recorded last year compared to 34 in 2000. He said to help control the situation, a “case holding approach” was being used to ensure that patients underwent the full course of treatment. The District Health Director complained about the low percentage usage of iodated salt by the people, noting that, just about 47 per cent of the population used it.
The participants at the workshop called on the Ministry of Health to work closely with the Christian Council, Muslim chiefs and other religious doctrines inhibiting the acceptance of family planning. - Ghana Palaver.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - The MP-elect for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, has
noted that peace and unity constitute his prime target during his term of
office. He disclosed that before he will embark on any development programme,
he would make sure that peace, unity and reconciliation are firmly entrenched
in the Bimbilla constituency.
Nitiwul
made these disclosures when he was introduced officially by the Chairman of the
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Harona Esseku to the public in Accra on Monday. The
public introduction took place at NPP headquarters at in Accra. The 25-year old
teacher turned legislator emphasized that he is very well informed about
volatile and deprived conditions pertaining to his constituency and therefore
what is needed most now is to reconcile the various factions so that everybody
will be ready to assist in the development of the area.
Giving
background to the story, which led to his nomination and victory, Nitiwul said
the fact that he, a Konkomba, was nominated by a Nanumba, indicates that the
people are ready for peace and they see him as a symbol of peace for the area.
He was
convinced that he possesses the zeal and commitment needed to bring peace and
unity to the area. He added that the people had no choice other than what he
stood for: “We are deprived; left behind and we need to change for the better,”
and this led to the people abandoning the NDC for the NPP.
The
Bimbilla MP-elect cautioned that nobody should take him for granted because of
his age, declaring that “age is not a barrier to ability,” and “grey hair does
not mean wisdom.” He commended the chiefs and people of Bimbilla constituency
for rallying behind him to change their fortunes for the better. He promised to
do all he can to justify the confidence and trust reposed in him.
Meanwhile,
Harona Esseku has told Ghanaians that Nitiwul’s election is a manifestation of
the NPP’s policy to offer “the youth the opportunity to exploit their
potentials and contribute to the task of nation development.”
He stated
that Nitiwul represents a new face of future leaders emerging within the NPP
who are prepared to use dialogue as the ideal tool for seeking solutions for
problems. He pledged the party’s support for the MP-elect and assured him that
every effort would be put in place to help him reconcile and unify his people
for development and prosperity.
It must be
noted that Bimbilla is one of the volatile places in Ghana since 1994 tribal
war between the Konkombas and the Nanumbas. This tribalism and ethnicity were
used by some politicians during the bye-election, but all to no avail. The
bye-election in Bimbilla was peaceful, free and fair. – The Statesman.
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The Danquah-Busia group - a tradition of political intolerance,
harassment, and persecution
By Prof
Kwaku Danso-Boafo
Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - To those who are not familiar with the
political tactics of the Danquah-Busia group, political harassment and
persecution may be misconstrued as part of the process of political maturity
for a group of people who had sojourned in the political wilderness for more
than three decades.
However, in
this article, I will demonstrate that political intolerance, harassment, and
persecution are the hallmark of this political tradition since their emergence
on the political scene. Their track-record characeterised by self-interest was
very much in evidence in the struggle for independence.
Their own
philosopher-king Prime Minister, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, had pleaded with the
British colonialists in 1956. “We still need you in the Gold Coast. Your
experiment there is not yet complete. I wonder why you seem in such a hurry to
wash your hands of us.”
This was an
attempt to frustrate Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s strategy to wrestle
independence for the country. The worldwide negative political campaign waged
by the predecessor of the NPP, the National Liberation Movement (NLM) and late
the United Party (UP) is very well chronicled in Ghana’s political history.
The
numerous assassination attempts on Nkrumah’s life; the Kulungugu bombing
incident; the confessions of Mallam Mama Tula; the conspiracies of Mr R.R. Amponsah,
Modesto Apaloo and Captain Benjamin Ahwaitey to kill Nkrumah were all designed
to accomplish a self-serving sinister political objective.
When they
succeeded in removing Nkrumah and the CPP with the connivance of their external
supporters in 1966, the inhumane treatment they meted out to Nkrumah’s
supporters was unimaginable! Former CPP officials were barred from holding
public office and several others were jailed. They even caged Mr Boye Moses,
one of Nkrumah’s security men like an animal and paraded him through the
streets of Accra.
Even when
the country returned to constitutional rule in 1969, perceived opponents were
continuously harassed. Typical cases of harassment were the ones involving Mr
Kofi Badu, former editor of The Spokesman newspaper. They used the police just
as they are doing now; to raid the printing presses associated with the
production of The Spokesman while Mr C.C. Wentum, Managing Director of the
Floent Press, which published The Spokesman, was held at headquarters police for
six hours.
They also
deported a business acquaintance of the late Mr K.A. Gbedemah, Mr John L.
Lynes, without any tangible reason. It is also on record that the late Mr S.D.
Dombo, then Minister of Interior, and Mr B.A. Yakubu, then Inspector General of
Police, were bonded by an Accra High Court over the deportation of Mrs Birokuya
Nellie Nark, while a writ she filed against her deportation was pending.
As if this
was not enough damage to its democratic credibility, the Progress Party (PP)
government abolished the Trades Union Congress (TUC) with the passage of the
Industrial Relations Act (Act 383). When the National Union of Ghana Students
(NUGS) joined the erstwhile United Nationalist Party’s (UNP) call for an
amnesty for Nkrumah in April 1970, the PP government responded by enacting a
law criminalising the revival of the CPP or the restoration of Nkrumah as head
of state/government.
They also
sought to initiate legislation to protect Prime Minister Busia from insults. At
the same time, they reacted angrily to Gen A.K. Ocran’s insistence that Members
of the Busia government ought not to delay in complying with the constitutional
requirement to declare their assets.
These acts
of political harassment and persecution raised a lot of questions about Busia and
his Party’s belief in liberal democratic ideals espoused in his famous book,
Africa In Search of Democracy. The current misuse of the Intelligence and
Police unites to harass perceived opponents seems to suggest that Danquah-Busia
group has not abandoned its primitive tactics.
What is
more disturbing and most dangerous is the fact that they continue to blame it
on alleged NDC sympathisers still operating in these units. I thought the NPP
painstakingly weeded out all such individuals as soon as it assumed power. It
is therefore preposterous for the NPP to continue to lay the blame for their
own incompetence and lack of commitment to individual freedoms and rights on
so-called NDC sympathizers.
Where
credit is due, they do not think twice to claim it but when there is a blunder,
they pass condemnation on to the NDC but those who have eyes have seen that the
NPP’s development agenda comprise a set of stolen polices from the NDC. History
repeats itself, they have failed once and they will fail again. – The Ghanaian
Voice.
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comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Lagos
(Nigeria) 26 March 2002 - A Sharia court in Nigeria has upheld the appeal of a
Muslim woman who had been convicted of adultery under Islamic law and sentenced
to death by stoning. Safiya Husaini won her case after the court in the
northern town of Sokoto, said that the original ruling was unsound.
But as the
verdict was announced, it emerged that a second woman had been sentenced to
death by stoning for adultery. A Sharia court at Bakori in Katsina State
sentenced Amina Lawal to die after she confessed to having had a child while
divorced.
In the
courtroom in Sokoto, Safiya, smiling broadly, was surrounded by the world's
media as she held her one-year-old daughter in her arms. It was the conception
of Safiya's child out of wedlock that had been proof enough at the first trial
of her adultery.
But in
Monday's ruling, Judge Mohammed Tambari-Uthman said that because the alleged
act had taken place before adultery became a criminal offence under Islamic
law, her case should be dismissed. "The first court that convicted her did
not follow the appropriate procedure. The police report also did not give all
the necessary information related to the offence," he said.
The BBC
Lagos correspondent, Dan Issacs, says the ruling will be welcomed by human
rights groups around the world. Anti-adultery laws, however, remain on the
statute books in 12 northern Nigerian States, which have reintroduced Sharia
law in the past two years. Under Islamic law as practiced in northern Nigeria,
pregnancy outside marriage is sufficient evidence to convict a woman.
In contrast,
four eye-witnesses are required for a man to be found guilty of adultery. The
man named by Ms Lawal as the father of her baby girl denied having had sex with
her, and charges against him were dropped, reports the French news agency, AFP.
She has 30
days to appeal against the sentence. Federal Justice Minister Kanu Agbabi last
week made public, a letter he had written to the governors of the northern
states, advising them to “take measures to amend or modify the jurisdiction of
the courts imposing these punishments.” He said that Muslims should not be
subjected to more severe punishments than other Nigerians. – The Ghanaian Times
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 26 March 2002 - The Minister of Road and Transport, Dr Richard
Anane, has expressed concern about the high incidence of piracy and armed
robbery against ships in the West African sub-region. He said that statistics
obtained from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) showed a very
disturbing picture of the situation.
"It is
sad to note that since the first meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, in October 1999,
and notwithstanding our regional resolve to combat such acts in the region, the
rate of reported incidents has increased," he observed. Dr Anane said this
at the second phase of an Anti-piracy Project Regional Assessment meeting in
Accra on Monday.
The two-day
meeting in a follow-up to the first held in Lagos, Nigeria, three years ago. Dr
Anane said that the statistics were disturbing and called for a joint
intensification of efforts at the regional level in a manner that would leave
no room for the criminals to operate.
"We
need to improve the safety of lives and property at sea and in port areas by
increasing the awareness of governments in the sub-region about the need to
build upon their capability for preventing and suppressing piracy and armed
robbery against ships," he said.
Ghana, he
said, had already intensified its efforts at fighting all forms of piracy and
armed robbery against ships in her territorial waters and pot areas. Dr Anane
noted that Ghana had improved port security from mere operational matter to
focusing more on security and regulatory matters. He pointed out that, the
success of both national and regional, measures aimed at addressing the problem
of piracy largely depended on clearly established agencies with the
responsibility for co-ordinating both national and regional measures.
"There
is also the need to enhance dissemination of information and facilitating the
acquisition if knowledge and skills on piracy control, maritime safety and
maritime laws," he added. Dr Anane said that Cabinet had approved the
Ghana Maritime Authority and Shipping Bills for Parliamentary ratification.
They would cover most of the IMO conventions.
He noted
that the meeting was the beginning of the process of improving security and
safety in the sub-region and called on the appropriate authorities to follow-up
with effective action programmes for a joint implementation at the regional
level to address the problem more effectively.
In a short
address, the Sierra Leonean Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr
Sidikie Brima, noted that piracy and armed robbery against ships, if not
checked, could have negative efforts on the economies of the countries in the
West African sub-region. "We should be mindful of the September 11
disaster and look forward to addressing the problem of piracy and armed
robbery. Mr Brima commended Ghana and Nigeria for their contributions, which
brought peace to the country.
In a
welcome address, the acting shipping and Navigation Division of the Ministry of
Roads and Transport, Mr I. Peter Azumah, said global reports indicated that
piracy and armed robbery against ships were far from being things of the past.
He noted that world scale statistics indicated an increase by 75 per cent from
1433 in 1998 to 2,511 in 2001. - The Ghanaian Times
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