950 tonnes of cereal locked up for lack of market?
Health ministry reviews activities
Tamale telephones modernised to increase customers access
ECOWAS Parliament will ensure participatory democracy-Speakers
ECOWAS Parliament will break language barriers - Mills
VRA to meet nation's energy requirements-Evans-Appiah
African ministers want slave route project implemented
Eight individuals and three organisations honoured
Two feared dead as fishing vessel sinks at sea
950 tonnes of cereal locked up for lack of market?
Tono (Upper East), 6th May 99,
About 250 tonnes of soyabean and 700 tonnes of rice valued at more than 620 million cedis have been locked up in silos of the Irrigation Company of the Upper Regions (ICOUR) Limited because the company has no market for them, Mr Issah Bukari, Managing Director of ICOUR has said.
He said ICOUR's main customer for soyabean, Bossbel, a Tamale-based agro-processor, as well as public institutions that normally buy the rice are finding it difficult to raise money for their purchase.
Mr Bukari disclosed this at Tono, near Navrongo when briefing Ministers and regional ministers who were on a tour of the Tono Irrigation Project to acquaint themselves with its operations.
The Ministers including Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, his deputy Mrs Cecilia Johnson, and Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, Minister of Lands and Forestry visited the ICOUR offices and the Tono reservoir.
Mr Bukari told them that his company finds it difficult to sell in the open market because of high cost of production resulting from high bank borrowing rates as well as high cost of inputs.
He said the influx of imported rice on the market also threatens local production on commercial basis.
ICOUR supports more than 6000 small-scale farmers at its Tono and Vea projects with tractor services, inputs and training in improved crop production methods.
Mr Bukari asked the government to recapitalise the company, saying in this way ICOUR will help improve food security within "the Upper East Region and assist farmers to increase their incomes."
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Health ministry reviews activities
Accra, (Greater Accra) 6th May 99,
Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Minister of Health, said Wednesday that the ministry chalked significant progress in improving health services between 1997 and 1998.
The Minister who was opening a two-day 'summit' meeting between the Ministry and its partner organisations, said during the period, the Ministry increased its access and coverage of health services by constructing new health facilities in under-served districts in addition to rehabilitating existing ones.
The meeting is being attended by 200 health staff and 10 donors, including the British Department for International Development (DFID), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), European Union (EU) and World Health Organisation (WHO).
It forms part of a partnership arrangement reached between the Ministry and donors since 1997 to guide the implementation of the Health Sector Medium Term Strategy and five-year Programme of Action.
It affords the partner organisations the opportunity to review activities during the year and provide guidelines for the future.
Mr Nuamah Donkor listed achievements in the ministry during the past year and said, for example, that the exemption budget for the elderly, pregnant women and children below two years was increased from 3.2 billion cedis in 1997 to seven billion cedis in 1998.
There were, however, setbacks which include the inability of the Ghana Health Service to take off as planned due to some differences with the ministry of local government.
Professor Kenneth Lee, a representative of the donor community who read the review committee's report, asked the ministry of Health to conduct a national strategic review of the roles, functions and expected performance of hospitals for the development of a medium term plan and reform programme.
He said the Ministry should also set up a task force with national, regional and district representation to study the inter-regional differences in hospitals and primary care performances and make recommendations for improvement.
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Tamale telephones modernised to increase customers access
Tamale, (Northern Region) 6th May 99,
Ghana Telecom is modernising and expanding the existing telephone cable network in the Tamale municipality under a four year programme dubbed customers' access network (CAN).
Speaking in Tamale on Wednesday, the northern regional director of Ghana Telecom, Mr T.O. Acheampong said the first of the projects which is nearing completion involves 2,800 lines to cover the central and eastern portions of the city.
The other phases will cover the rest of the Tamale municipality and Yendi, the region's second largest town.
Mr Acheampong said the digital exchange capacity has been increased from 3000 to 5000 but less than 2000 people have been connected due to the limited coverage of the old cable network.
" It is hoped that when the CAN is completed, more people can have easy access to telephone subscription".
Mr Acheampong explained that in selecting the areas to be covered, priority is given where there are constant problems and where there is a large concentration of subscribers.
Subscribers with the wireless local loop (WILL) telephones will be switched to the CAN at no extra cost.
He said the WILL telephones will be given to nearby districts which are not covered by the CAN but are between 30 and 50 kilometres radius of the company's digital switch.
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ECOWAS Parliament will ensure participatory democracy-Speakers
Accra (Greater Accra) 6 May 99
Delegates to the just-ended First Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments on Wednesday underscored the need for governments in the sub-region to break barriers that hinder unity and co-operation.
In a communique, they contended that, by institutionalising the conference, West African governments will be contributing meaningfully to the establishment of an ECOWAS Parliament.
Such a parliament will not only deepen the practices of representative and participatory democracy but will also place good governance and the rule of law within the framework of a dynamic African Parliamentary system.
It will also serve as a source of inspiration and hope for the progress of regional integration and development.
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ECOWAS Parliament will break language barriers - Mills
Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills today urged delegates to the just-ended First Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments to examine the potential benefits and practical considerations related to the implementation of a West African Parliament.
Professor Mills, who was addressing the closing session of the conference, said, by so doing, governments in the sub-region would be enabled to look beyond their boundaries, cutting across traditional kinship and rise above language barriers.
Prof. Mills pointed out that, when established, a West African Parliament will provide "the key to circumventing the factors that have slowed down the realisation of the full potential of ECOWAS".
He told the speakers that in the process of making their respective parliaments and national assemblies function successfully, they would be contributing immensely to peace, democracy and the rule of law in their countries.
The Vice-President made it clear that the success of a West African Parliament would depend largely on the popular support and understanding of ordinary citizens, the knowledge and skills of experts, and the diplomacy and leadership of its politicians.
After 24 years of the existence of ECOWAS to promote integration in the sub-region, obstacles to the free movement of peoples and goods, as well as immigration problems still stared it in the face.
This is making it highly impossible for the community to bring its programmes of integration closer to the people.
The development of multi-party parliamentary democracy in the sub-region had been uneven and, at times, descended into civil strife, Prof Mills said.
"At times, it has become necessary to use drastic means to steer our nations firmly back onto the track of our ideals."
Delegates from 12 of the 16 ECOWAS member-states and the Union of African Parliaments Secretariats attended the three-day conference.
Nigeria was there as an observer.
The conference, with the theme "ECOWAS - The Parliamentary Dimension",
aimed at strengthening parliamentary democracy and fostering inter-regional and sub-regional co-operation among member-countries.
During the period, the delegates, deliberated on pertinent issues bordering on the setting up of a West African Parliament.
It was generally agreed that the next conference be held in Burkina Faso.
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VRA to meet nation's energy requirements-Evans-Appiah
Akosombo (Eastern Region) 6 May 99
The Volta River Authority (VRA) says it is determined to meet all the nation's energy requirements this year because it does not anticipate any energy problem during the period.
Mr Ricky Evans-Appiah, Acting Director of VRA in charge of Engineering Design and Construction, told delegates of the just-ended First Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments who were on tour of the Akosombo Dam on Wednesday that the VRA will develop additional transmissions to augment existing ones to minimise the risks of low in-flows.
Apart from the additional transmissions, measures will also be taken to ensure that a total of 600 megawatts are put in place within the next two years.
By so doing, VRA will be in a better position than last year to supply the country's energy requirements in a very reliable manner.
Mr Evans-Appiah said work on the fourth unit of the Takoradi Thermal Plant at Aboadze had begun in earnest and expressed the hope that it will be ready for use by June.
Led by Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan, Speaker of Parliament, the visitors, who had earlier visited the dam site, were welcomed by VRA officials led by Mr Benjamin Osei Afeng, Director in charge of Generation Systems, and Mr Emmanuel Dwamena Bekoe, Asuogyaman district chief executive.
The three-day conference attended by 12 of the 16 ECOWAS member-states under the theme "ECOWAS - The Parliamentary Dimension", was aimed at strengthening parliamentary democracy and fostering inter-regional and sub-regional co-operation.
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Accra, (Greater Accra) 6th May 99,
Vice-President John Atta Mills on Wednesday expressed appreciation for the contribution of the Lebanese community to the country's development process.
He said, however, that his expectations are that the Lebanese, who are currently dominating the tourism sector, would move into other areas such as agriculture and agro-processing.
Vice-President Mills said these when the outgoing Lebanese Ambassador, Dr Mounir Khreich, called on him to bid farewell after four-and-a-half years duty tour of Ghana.
Prof. Mills said Dr Mounir had helped to promote relations between Ghana and Lebanon during his tenure and expressed the hope that his successor would build on it.
He reaffirmed Ghana's commitment and support for lasting peace in the Middle East, saying it is the government's prayer that the process achieves positive results.
Dr Mounir said he was leaving with good impressions about Ghana's strides in economic development and commended the governments role in global peacekeeping, particularly, the efficiency of Ghanaian troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force In the Lebanon (UNIFIL).
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African ministers want slave route project implemented
Accra, (Greater Accra) 6th May 99,
African ministers attending the joint World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and Africa Travel Association (ATA) meeting in Accra on Wednesday urged member states to ensure the quick and comprehensive collection of facts needed for the UNESCO-WTO Slave Route project.
They were unanimous that the project concerns all African countries and would provide hidden truths about the enslavement of Africans, especially as the continent enters the next millennium.
The five-day meeting, under the theme "Africa: tourism destination for the next millennium", is being attended by more than 1,500 delegates from Africa and the Diaspora.
The ministers' action followed the presentation of a report on the project by Mr Doudou Diene, Director of UNESCO's Division for Inter-cultural Projects.
They stressed the need for the project to cover the restoration and acquisition of artefacts needed to set the records straight, as most of the history about slavery, was written by the perpetrators
The dissemination of findings from the project must also consider the high rate of illiteracy on the continent to enable as many Africans as possible to know and understand the truth, they said.
Mr Diene said one objective of the project is to study the deep causes, modalities and consequences of the slave trade as a universal issue to be known and taught. It is also to highlight and study the consequences of the slave trade, including the human, social and cultural interaction that went on in the Americas and Caribbean.
He said UNESCO embarked on the project because of the silence, not on the history, but the facts of the trade and the denials by the instigators and of the sites linked to the trade.
Mr Diene said WTO came in because of the boost the project is expected to give to international tourism, adding that some of the countries involved, including Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone have won a strong demand by tourists.
The project will also throw more light on other African countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola and some North African countries where the trade thrived but of which little is known.
Mr Diene said UNESCO has already established a committee of international scholars, scientific and scholarly networks that have started looking at the modalities for the project.
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Eight individuals and three organisations honoured
Accra, (Greater Accra) 5th May 99,
Eight individuals and three organisations were honoured in Accra on Wednesday for their contributions towards the improvement of rural water and sanitation sector.
The "Mole Award" was the first of its kind and it is to give recognition to individuals and organisations that are committed to providing safe water to rural communities.
It was organised by the Professional Network Association (PRONET), a non-governmental organisation.
The "lifetime achievements award" went to Mr Robert Richter Bannerman and Mr Harry Reynolds while Ms Charlotte Akweley Engmann and Ms Fati Mumuni received the "women in water award".
"Outstanding individuals awards", were received by Mr Ronald Bannermann, Mr Peter Kpordugbe, Mr Peter Sackey and Mr Gani Tijani.
The three organisations were WaterAID, Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) and Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA).
Vice President John Evans Atta Mills, in a speech read for him by Mr D.S. Boateng, Presidential Staffer, commended the organisers for instituting the awards to honour those who have made outstanding contributions to the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in the deprived parts of the country.
He said 10 years ago, the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation (GWSC) had a countrywide responsibility that was beyond its capacity, and a system that was inappropriate to address the needs of smaller rural communities.
"Now, the GWSC is an organisation with clearly defined task as an urban utility provider, while the CWSA helps rural communities to take charge of their own appropriate water and sanitation systems in a new participatory way."
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Techiman (Brong Ahafo), 6th May 99,
Four zones of the United Ghana Movement (UGM) from Techiman, Wenchi, Nkoranza and Kintampo have held a joint meeting at Techiman to plan and adopt campaign strategies for the 2000 general elections.
Addressing over 1,000 members and supporters at a meeting at Techiman, Mr Kasim Atta Fuseini, zonal co-ordinator, appealed to them to desist from casting insinuations at members of other political parties.
He called for discipline among the members and praised the leader of the party, Dr Charles Wereko Brobby for his dynamic leadership, adding, "he is capable of transforming the country into a prosperous one if given the mandate.
Mr Fuseini expressed his gratitude to the members for attending the meeting in their numbers and asked them to continue to work hard to attain victory.
A leading member of the party, Mr Mensah Sarpong, advised the youth to undertake house-to-house campaigning to inspire confidence among the electorate.
Madam Adama Seidu (Makhajia), head of the Dagomba women's community and a leading member of the UGM, called for unity among women and and urged them to work with their male counterparts towards winning the next presidential and parliamentary elections.
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Two feared dead as fishing vessel sinks at sea
Tema, (Greater Accra) 6th May 99,
A fishing vessel, M/V Hera, is reported to have capsized and sunk at deep sea around Gomoa Fete last Monday night during a fishing expedition.
Mr Yeboah Afari, General Manager of Radusta Enterprise, owners of the vessel being managed by Holiday Fishing Company told newsmen that 23 of the 25 crew members on board were rescued with the remaining two still missing.
The names of those missing are Mr George Wilson, a sailor, and Mr Harrison Nogbey, a cook.
Captain Livingstone Ahiabor, who was in charge of the vessel, is now on admission at a private clinic in Tema, while the rest have been treated and discharged.
Mr Afari said reports gathered from the sailors showed that the vessel sank in a matter of 30 minutes, without any water leakage.
"All that the crew saw was that the back of the vessel was going down; then, it listed. Realising the seriousness of the situation, the crew began to fight to save their lives. The vessel sank at longitude 14.5 degrees West," he said.
Mr Afari said that it normally takes between three to five days for a vessel that is taking in water to sink. The "sudden sinking" of the vessel appeared to have made the crew not to think of relaying any SOS message, even though, their communication equipment was in perfect condition.
Mr Afari said some of the crew stayed in water for over 22 hours before either canoe fishermen or other fishing vessels rescued them, some from as far off as Kpone.
He expressed surprise that Mr Nogbey, who was alleged to have used a life buoy and jumped into the sea, cannot still be traced.
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