Assembly revenue collectors fired
CPP constituency chairman decry action
Four royal houses reaffirm loyalty to Effiduasehene
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2000
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is to pay an official visit to the United Kingdom from Sunday, May 14 at the invitation of the British Government.
It would be the Asantehene's first visit outside Ghana since he ascended the Golden Stool in April 1999.
A joint statement from the British High Commission in Accra and the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi said on Thursday that he is expected to call on the British monarch at Buckingham Palace.
He would also visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development (DFID), British Council, Guinness and Standard Chartered Bank.
The Asantehene would publicise the Otumfuo Education Fund and visit a community project he helped to initiate at Brent in 1998.
An official delegation of three and a larger number of personal assistants, just like the first official visit by his predecessor, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II in 1972, would accompany him.
The call on the Queen is to reinforce the close relationship between the British Royal Family and Asanteman.
The Queen visited Ghana in November last year.
GRi../
Assembly revenue collectors fired
Mankraso (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2000
A government appointee of the Ahafo Ano South District Assembly, Mr Kwaku Addae, has attributed the poor revenue base of the assembly to dishonest deals by some revenue collectors and called for their immediate dismissal.
Speaking at a just ended first sessional meeting of the assembly, which discussed many burning issues including revenue mobilization, Mr Addai said any worker of the assembly whose activities are found to be ''pulling down the progress of the district should not be spared.''
The assemblyman suggested that the assembly should investigate the conduct of a collector at the Pokukrom police barrier who allegedly does not issue receipts for monies collected from traders. He said revenue collectors at Domiabra and Asuadie should similarly be investigated.
GRi…/
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 04 May 2000
Sixteen constituency chairmen of the Convention People's Party (CPP) in the Eastern region have dissociated themselves from the dissolution of the region's steering committee ''by some so-called chairmen of the party.''
A press statement issued at Koforidua by the chairmen on Wednesday explained that they were not part of a meeting at which a three-man committee headed by Mr Kwabena Awuku Lokko was appointed to replace the steering committee of the party.
The 16 chairmen therefore expressed shock when they heard a radio news item that the steering committee had been dissolved.
They said the move is unconstitutional and therefore pledged to stand solidly behind the steering committee and also support
the National leadership of the party in their efforts to hold a National Congress on May 20.
Meanwhile, a statement signed by Mr Kwabena Apea, regional secretary of the party expressed gratitude to the 16 constituency chairmen for their stand on the issue.
He blamed Mr G. Aggudey, one of the Presidential aspirants of the party for giving his blessing to the decision to dissolve the steering committee.
GRi…/
Four royal houses reaffirm loyalty to
Effiduasehene
Effiduase (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2000
The four royal houses of the Mposo and Ameyaw stool of Effiduase in Ashanti - Adu Ameyaw, Nana Amakyaa, Nana Kwaku Hyia and Nana Adarkwa - have reaffirmed their loyalty and support for Nana Adu Ameyaw II as Effiduasehene.
They have, therefore, condemned the actions of the Mamponghene, Nana Osei Bonsu II, and the Mampong Traditional Council in their purported destoolment of Nana Ameyaw, describing it as "unlawful, uncustomary and of no effect on the people of Effiduase".
A statement signed by Opanin Owusu Sekyere of Adu Ameyaw, Opanin Boagya Boateng of Nana Amakyaa, Opanin Kofi Fosuhene of Nana Kwaku Hyia, and Opanin Osei Kwabena of Nana Adarkwa's Houses, said they were baffled and shocked by recent events surrounding the Effiduase stool affair.
They said in spite of the plain truth that Mr David Osei Amankwah, who calls himself Nana Osei Worae II, is not a royal of the Mposo and Ameyaw stool, certain persons had not grasped this fact.
"There has never been any Nana Osei Worae I in the history of Effiduase," they contended. The four houses said they want the whole world to know that Mr Amankwa's purported installation in February 1979 as Effiduasehene was done through fraud.
This is because while he claimed that his name had been entered in the National House of Chiefs register, he had not entered the palace, let alone been in possession of the black stool.
They claimed that he forcibly broke into the palace with the assistance of the police in December 1979 for which he was arraigned at a High Court in Kumasi on a charge of unlawful entry.
The four houses said in 1989 when Mr David Amankwah attended a funeral at Effiduase and held himself as chief, he was arraigned at a circuit court in Kumasi on a charge of offensive conduct likely to breach the peace.
They said he jumped bail and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest but he was not seen anywhere near Effiduase until after two years when the warrant had expired.
They contended that in 1997, Mr Amankwah manoeuvred to get the Research Committee of the National House of Chiefs to enter his name in the register.
They were cited for contempt since Effiduase had a chief in the person of Nana Adu Ameyaw II who had been duly recognised by the government since 1991.
Due to this recognition, Nana Ameyaw has been attending the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs meeting and acted as President of the Mampong Traditional Council, the four houses said.
In November 1998, the Research Committee of the National House of Chiefs realised their mistake and purged themselves of the contempt by expunging Nana Osei Worae's name from the register.
They said even though the Supreme Court eventually dismissed the contempt case, the ruling had nothing to do with the status of Nana Ameyaw as Effiduasehene.
Mr Amankwah is, therefore, not a chief of Effiduase and should be regarded as any ordinary citizen by all, including the security agencies, they said.
GRi…/
Tourism development project in Cape Coast
on course
Cape Coast (Central Coast) 04 May 2000
Four international organisations charged with specific aspects of the preservation, conservation and rehabilitation of historic monuments and sites for the promotion of tourism have completed their mandates.
MUCIA (museums), Conservation International (forests), US ICOMOS (monuments and sites), and Smithsonian Institute (tourist products development) are due to hand over portions of the project they undertook to the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT) in June, this year.
Mr Nkunu Akyea, Executive Director of the GHCT, made this known at a meeting to brief members of the Ghana branch of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on a familiarisation tour to Cape Coast and Elmina recently.
He said the project is under a 10-year National Resource Conservation and Historic Preservation Programme, adding that a
document covering the scope of the Central Regional portion of the programme would be out soon.
The document, entitled "Development Programme for the Preservation of Historic Monuments, Buildings and Sites in Cape Coast and Elmina", is a product of a workshop held for various players of the development of the Region last year.
He, however, noted that the ideals of the programme were already being implemented under a USAID sponsorship, adding that the first phase focused on the development of parks and rehabilitation of castles.
Mr Akyea said under the second phase, 300 residential and office buildings had been selected between Cape Coast and Elmina based on their historic, monumental and touristic relevance, for rehabilitation and preservation.
"Out of the 300 buildings, 10 families are currently benefiting from "home owners grants" for the development of their houses as tourists attractions."
Mr Akyea mentioned other aspects of the Cape Coast/Elmina development projects as the improvement of conditions at Kakum Park, improvement of hotel accommodation, the beaches, transportation facilities and the road network in the area.
This, he said, is to give a face-lift to Eco-tourism and to create a dynamic walking tourism industry in the region.
He stressed the need for Ghanaians to preserve certain aspects of their culture, saying: "this is our trump card for the realisation of the vision 2020 goals for the tourism sector".
GRi…/