Ivorian President calls for closer economic
co-operation
Agriculture requires new impetus - Quashigah
Use power with circumspection - Bakari
Women have right to bail suspects - MP
Constitution was born out of past experience
Private sector urged
to contribute to manpower development
Chiefs protest
against Gov't appointees to Assembly
Two specialized fairs scheduled for
September, November
Ten year-old boy
killed and several others injured in accident
NCCE official urges Ghanaians to resist
violation of constitution
Akuapim South elects Presiding Member
Women, Children
rights abuse on the increase in Lawra district
Ivorian President calls for closer economic
co-operation
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2001
The President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire on Thursday called for the opening of a new chapter of closer economic co-operation between Ghana and his country.
This, he said, is necessary to help boost their economies and create wealth for their peoples.
President Gbagbo, who is on a two-day visit to the country, was addressing a colourful durbar of chiefs held in his honour at the Manhyia Palace, in Kumasi.
He was accompanied by his wife, Simone, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the Ghanaian Vice-President and his wife, Hajia Rahmatu, and Ministers from Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire including those of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and Energy.
The visiting President noted that forging stronger ties in cocoa, coffee and food crop production as well as in other sectors would make the two nations strong economically on the African continent.
President Gbagbo said the need to reinforce the relationship between the two also lies in the fact that there is a large section of Ghanaians, particularly Akans in his country, adding that his wife has Akan ancestry.
Alhaji Mahama observed that there is a strong linkage between the Asantes and the people of Cote d'Ivoire.
He said there are some paramount chiefs in that country, who owe allegiance to the Golden Stool and cited leading personalities like the late President Felix Houphouet Boigny, who traced his roots to Nsuta in the Ashanti region.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, asked Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire to work together to promote and expand the production of cocoa.
He drew attention to the need for the two nations to ensure that they process the cocoa they produce locally to add value to it.
The Asantehene said whatever happens in Cote d'Ivoire is of interest to Ghana and asked that everything should be done to ensure that democracy thrives there.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu attributed the peace now prevailing in Ghana to its constitutional governance.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu thanked the Ivorian first couple for the visit and presented them separately, with a rich Kente cloth and muffler.
The visiting President in turn gave the Asantehene and Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Serwaa Kobi Ampem gifts including cloth and jewellery.
Earlier on his arrival at the Kumasi Airport, President Gbagbo inspected a guard of honour mounted by soldiers from the Fourth Infantry Battalion (4BN).
He also exchanged greetings with Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, service commanders and a section of the Ivorians community in Kumasi, who thronged the airport to meet him.
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Agriculture requires new impetus -
Quashigah
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2001
Ghana's agricultural development has reached a stage where it requires a new impetus to launch it into a phase of rapid growth and expansion, Major (rtd) Courage Quashigah, Food and Agriculture Minister, said on Thursday.
He, therefore, called for vigorous efforts to increase food production and processing to add value to the major staples.
Major Quashigah said this in a speech read on his behalf by Dr Mathew K. Antwi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture-designate, at the first national workshop on agro-industrial development in Accra.
About 100 participants, mainly from the ministries, government departments and other stakeholders in the food and agro processing industry, are attending the workshop.
It is on the theme: "The development of the agro-industries sub-sector in
Ghana."
The objective is to generate recommendations to enable a consulting group, MASDAR, which was contracted by the government, to conduct a study on increasing investments in the agro-industries sub-sector.
Major Quashigah expressed concern at the seasonal fluctuations in food production with its attendant high prices, and stressed that "with appropriate storage and processing facilities, the supply of most agricultural produce could be stabilised during the off season."
He noted that value addition in Ghana is mostly at the artisanal level and is dominated by women. Moreover, the quality and hygiene in most cases are poor.
The minister said there is a vast potential for investment in the processing of cassava, yam, plantain, corn, fruits, fish and meat products and extended an invitation to Ghana's development partners and investors to consider supporting the country in these areas.
He called for the re-establishment of agro-processing plants in communities where they existed to improve upon the economic life of the people in such places.
He suggested to MASDAR to cover a wide and detailed design of micro, medium projects and large scale enterprises as well as across a whole spectrum of ecological zones of the country.
Consideration, he said, should also be given to gender and the physically challenged in the design of projects and equipment to cater for the needs of the vulnerable.
Dr Wisdom A. Plahar, Acting Director, Food Research Institute, said post-harvest losses pose a threat to food and nutrition security in the country.
He, therefore, charged the participants to come up with workable solutions to develop the agro-food sub sector.
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Use power with circumspection - Bakari
Mampong (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2001
The nation's two main powerful bodies, the labour force and students' unions have been called upon to use their powers in the service of the country.
Mr David Bakari, Sekyere West District Co-ordinating Director, made the call when he launched the Constitution Week at Asante-Mampong on Wednesday.
He said the two bodies were powerful because they could cause chaos by calling on their members to demonstrate and dislocate the progress of the nation.
Mr Bakari asked students and civil servants alike not to give in to those, who had made it their business to try and use them by stirring them against the ruling government.
He assured Ghanaians that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) gives prominence to the rule of law concept and added that it has no intention of polarising the powers of associations and organisations but expects that they would use their powers for the sustenance of the nation's democracy.
Mr Bakari said the NPP government had not rushed Ghana into the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative but it is rather the precarious economic conditions that had landed the nation into it.
He stated that the nation had no way of getting out of her debt apart from a harder and efficient work by her citizens.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Alex Bempong-Marfo called on Ghanaians not to corrupt the Ministers of State by their expectations from them.
He said power goes along with responsibilities and challenged occupants of privileged positions to live up to their calling.
Nana Kodua Basoa, Chief linguist of Kwamanghene, said Ghanaians are custodians of the constitution and urged them to conduct their activities towards its sustenance.
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Women have right to bail suspects - MP
Kuntanase (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2001
Mr Adu Gyamfi Poku, Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, has dismissed the wrong notion circulating in certain quarters that women have no mandate to bail suspects in police custody.
He said that women like their men counterparts equally have the right to bail suspects, provided such women are credit worthy and of good standing in society.
Mr Poku made the assertion when he launched the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District Constitutional Week being organised by the district directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at Kuntanase on Wednesday.
The MP also denounced the attitude of some people who resort to offering monies to the police in order to entice them to grant bail to suspects.
Mr Poku explained that bail is not paid for and, therefore, stressed the need for Ghanaians to follow the legal procedure to secure bail for suspects and cease influencing the police with money since that runs contrary to the dictates of the Constitution.
Mr Stephen Asamoah Aburam, District Director of NCCE, urged chiefs, opinion leaders and workplace leadership to champion the cause for the formation of civic education clubs to be used as a vehicle to enlighten the people on their rights and responsibilities.
Mr Aburam noted that unless the majority of Ghanaians are well educated on their civic responsibilities and rights, their contribution to national development might make very little impact.
Mr T. Y. Andrews, District Coordinating Director, advised Ghanaians against the tendency of voting to elect people to represent them at the unit, assembly and parliamentary levels on basis of their eloquence in speech on campaign platforms.
Mr Andrews said what should guide the electorate in voting should be the unblemished background of the candidate, hard work and the candidate's capabilities for the area.
Mr P. K. Amofa, Chairman of the District Organising Committee on the constitutional week, appealed to Ghanaians to do away with the wrong conception that the NCCE is a wing of a political party, saying the commission is non-partisan and derives its authority from the Constitution.
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Constitution was born out of past
experience
Mamponteng (Ashanti Region) 04 May 2001
Mr Hector Amoa-Darkwa, Kwabre District Coordinating Director, has said that the 1992 Constitution was born out of past experiences and there is, therefore, the need for a concerted effort to create awareness of its provisions among Ghanaians.
This, he said, demands that Ghanaians join the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to pursue an effective civic education drive on the constitution since its future largely depends on the people.
Mr Amoa-Darkwa was launching the district's constitution week at Mamponteng on Wednesday under the theme "The Constitution and you".
He called on religious groups, civil society, donor communities and individuals to assist the democratic building institutions especially the NCCE with logistics to strengthen constitutional democracy.
He stressed the need for all to take advantage of the opportunities created under the week celebration to reflect upon how "we as Ghanaians have been keeping to our time".
Speaking on, "The roles of the citizenry in making the constitution a living document", Reverend Peter Kwasi Yeboah-Amanfo, Priest in-charge of Mamponteng Catholic Church, said the mark of a true Christian is manifested in social justice.
"Our work for social justice is a work of discipline and commitment. For the Christian, it is the work of faith to bring the healing hand of Christ to those in need, the courageous voice of the prophet to those in power and the gospel message of love, justice and peace to an often suffering world.
Mr Emmanuel Ani-Boye, District Director of NCCE, called on the people to refrain from all acts that militate against the smooth implementation of the laws of the country.
He also asked them to map out strategies to fight against the HIV/AIDS menace, illiteracy and ignorance in society.
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Private sector urged
to contribute to manpower development
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2001
Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, Minister of
Manpower Development and Employment, on Thursday called on the private sector
to fulfill its moral obligation of making a substantial financial contribution,
on a sustainable basis, towards the development of the nation's manpower.
"I am aware that the track
record of the private sector in this regard is not entirely zero, but I am
convinced that the sector can do more," she said.
" I am calling upon them to
do that little extra," she added.
Mrs. Bannerman was inaugurating
two committees and three sub-committees to implement a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between the Public Services Commission (PSC) and the state
universities for the promotion of policies and strategies of the tertiary
institutions and the demands for the local job market.
The committees are the Public
Services Commission/Universities/Private sector Co-ordinating Committee
(PUPSCOM) and the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC).
Mr Emmanuel A. Sai, Chairman of
the Public Services Commission (PSC), heads the first committee while and
Professor S.K. Adjepong, Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and
Principals, heads the second committee.
The sub-committees are the Public
Services Commission sub-committee, the Universities sub-committee and the
Private sector sub-committee.
The MOU, signed in 1999, is to
provide the institutional framework for regular consultations between the PSC
and the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVCP).
The objective of the initiative is
to directly link university products to the job requirements of the national
economy, by ensuring that only suitable persons of the right calibre, in
relevant disciplines and specialisation, are available in adequate numbers to
man the public and private sector.
Mrs. Bannerman said the initiative
is in line with government's policy on rational use of the nation's human
resource.
She assured the initiators that
government would do all it could to assist with the realisation of the goals of
the MOU.
Mrs. Bannerman reiterated that it
is not in any nation's interest to toy with the development and management of
its human resource.
"In any country, where the
national human resource development and management policy goes wrong,
everything else goes wrong."
Mrs. Bannerman said Ghana's human
resource development and management landscape has witnessed so much disharmony
and dislocation at the tertiary level over a long period.
This is in terms of whether or not
all tertiary products churn out year after year, the mix of disciplines and
specialisation prevailing in the universities, in particular, meet the assessed
priorities of the occupational demands of the economy.
Mr Sai said the magnitude and
complexities of the goal the partnership is expected to accomplish are rather
daunting, though not necessarily insurmountable.
He urged committee members to put
in their best to enable them to achieve goals.
Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, Vice
Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, stressed the need for tertiary
institutions to train the minds of their students in addition to giving them a
skill to enable them to have the upper hand in all disciplines.
He called on employers and
training institutions to organise refresher courses regularly for workers.
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Breman Essiam (Central Region) 04
May 2001
Five tradition rulers in the
Central Region have protested against the mode of selection for Government
appointees to various district assemblies in their areas.
The chiefs of Ajumako, Enyanmain,
Essiam, Abassa and Denkyira made the protest at a durbar organised by the
District Secretariat of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at
Breman Essiam on Thursday.
The durbar formed part of
activities planned by the NCCE to mark the weeklong celebration of the
Constitution Week.
The chiefs argued, that the
constitution states that not more than 30 per cent of total members of a
district assembly would be appointed by the President in consultation with
traditional authorities and other interest groups.
The chiefs said neither they nor
any interest group was consulted before the appointees were selected to the
assemblies in the area.
They contended that the exercise
contravened the constitution and appealed to the Government to correct the
anomaly.
Nana Amanafo Poku II, Acting
President of the Central Region House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Breman /Essiam
appealed to the chiefs to exercise restraint until the matter was aresolved.
Nana Poku urged the Ghana
Education Service (GES to include civic education in the syllabus of basic and
second cycle schools.
He advised the NCCE to extend its
outreach programme to meetings of traditional authorities.
Miss Georgina Yeboah, District
Director of NCCE advised the people to be prepared to defend the constitution
whenever anyone tried to subvert it.
She appealed to chiefs, district
assemblies and NGOs to provide the district secretariat with logisticts to
enable it to perform its functions effectively.
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Two specialized fairs scheduled for
September, November
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 May 2001
Two specialized fairs, which will be held this year were launched in Accra on Thursday.
The first Ghana International Medical and Pharmaceutical Fair will be held from September 10-16 and Sports Exhibition (SPORTEX) is scheduled for November 12-18.
The two specialised fairs aim at creating the right forum for all stakeholders in the health and sports sectors, including medical, pharmaceutical, paramedical and keep fit clubs, among others, to meet to discuss pertinent issues and exchange ideas in the improvement of the health care delivery system and sports.
The fairs are the initiative of the Ghana Trade Fair Company in collaboration with the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Youth and Sports.
Mr Frank Appiah, Managing Director of Talent Marketing, who launched the fairs said the major role the medical and pharmaceutical sub-sector plays in the improvement of the health sector justifies the fairs.
He said they would assist to improve the quality of life through a showcase of high-tech in health delivery service.
Mr Appiah said there would be seminars, workshops, demonstrations and counselling at the fair to educate visitors and exhibitors on all measures available for health improvement and delivery in Ghana, especially the control of HIV/AIDS, effective family planning and safe motherhood to achieve an increase in contraceptive use.
Mr Appiah said the organisation of SPORTEX is not only aimed at exposing the economic potentials of the sector but also to whip up interest and enthusiasm of Ghanaians in other less popular forms of sports and games.
He said there would be competitive games and sports during the fair, including boxing, table tennis, netball, football, weight lifting, and indoor games.
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Ten year-old boy
killed and several others injured in accident
Breman Amanfon (Central Region) 04
May 2001
A ten-year old primary one pupil,
Kwabena Mensah was killed when a mini bus crashed into a handcart he and 16
other children were riding on at Breman Amanfon, near Breman Asikuma.
The boys, all from Brakwa were
returning home after travelling five kilometres to Amanfon for a swim in River
Ochi.
Several of the boys were injured,
one of them, Kofi Appiah, whose condition was said to be serious, has been
admitted at the Breman Asikuma Catholic hospital.
The others were treated and
discharged at the Brakwa health centre.
A report by Breman Asikuma police
said the driver of the vehicle, number GW 2307 P, Dominic Aidoo, is on police
enquiry bail.
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NCCE official urges Ghanaians to resist
violation of constitution
Sekondi (Western Region) 04 May 2001
Mr Sam Bonyah, Western Region Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has said Ghana's fledgling democracy can succeed only when the citizenry are willing to resist all forms of violations of the constitution.
Speaking at a press briefing on the National Constitution Week celebration, Mr. Bonyah stressed the need to empower all the democratic institutions like the media, the judiciary and other law enforcement agencies with enough resources to perform to public expectation.
He said these democratic institutions, have not performed creditably in protecting, defending and upholding democracy because of apathy on the part of civil society.
Mr. Bonyah said although all the previous constitutions contained provisions guaranteeing the rights and freedom of the citizen, they were overthrown by military coups because the people were not ready to defend and uphold them.
The Constitution week celebration on the theme: "The Constitution and you", was instituted by the NCCE to raise public consciousness about the constitution.
Various activities, including lectures, radio and TV programmes are being organised to commemorate the occasion.
At Bechem, Mr. Kusi Aboraah, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the NCCE has also asked Ghanaians to be alive not only to their rights but their responsibilities as well if the constitution is to be made functional.
He said good governance and national development suffer a major draw back, when citizens insist on their rights to the neglect of their duties to the state.
"We must not forget that the exercise and enjoyment of rights and freedoms as enshrined in the 1992 constitution, is inseparable from the performance of duties and obligations."
Mr. Aboraah was speaking at the launch of "the constitution week" celebrations in the Tano district, at Bechem on Wednesday.
He expressed concern about people's lack of interest in the commission's educational programmes, which is undermining its effort to create deeper awareness about the constitution.
Mr. Aboraah urged other relevant institutions to assist the commission in educating the wider public on the constitution to help entrench democracy in the country.
Mr. John Adjei, Regional Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers who spoke on children's rights, said though the constitution guarantees children's rights to education, health, protection and non-discrimination these are blatantly violated.
Mr. Adjei, therefore, called on individuals, organisations, law enforcement agencies and the government to collaborate in protecting children's rights.
"There is no way our children can grow up to become responsible citizens if we continue to deny them their rights and refuse to make their interests paramount".
Nana Ofosu Gyeabour Akoto II, Omanhene of Bechem, who presided, commended the NCCE for instituting the week and urged people to study the constitution so that they could fully reap its inherent benefits.
A series of educational forums on the constitution have been organised as part of the celebration, which would be climaxed with a quiz competition on the constitution among secondary schools in the district.
A clean up exercise was held at the Bechem Government Hospital as part of the launching.
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Akuapim South elects Presiding Member
Nsawam (Eastern Region) 04 May 2001
The Akwapim South District Assembly on Wednesday elected Nana Akua Okyerewa, Queenmother of Aburi-Nsakye as its presiding member for a two-year term of office.
Nana Akua also the Banmuhemea of Akwapim Anafo Traditional Area polled 40 votes as against 17 by Mr Kingsley Yeboah, her only opponent.
Fifty-eight assembly members cast their votes, but one vote was disqualified. Ms Modesta Bokuma, Acting District Coordinating Director administered.
Nana Okyerewa thanked the members for the confidence reposed in her and urged the members to co-operate with to bring about the positive change that the government has envisaged for Ghanaians.
She said she would give priority to education, including adult literacy and sanitation.
Ms Bokuma commended the members for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election.
She called on the members and the staff of the assembly to work closely with the new presiding member.
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Women, Children
rights abuse on the increase in Lawra district
Lawra (Upper West) 04 May 2001
The Lawra District is recording an
alarming rate of abuse of women and children's rights, according to statistics
by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
While most women are used as the farm
hands and subjected to all kinds of maltreatment like assault, rape and divorce, children are withdrawn from
school and given out either in marriage or as house helps or farm hands.
Mr Clement Vaare, Lawra District
Director of NCCE, who made this known at Ko on Tuesday said even though women
rear domestic animals, for example, they are not allowed by custom to sell them
to earn some income.
He was speaking at a public
lecture on the rights and responsibilities of the citizen in connection with
the Constitution Week celebration.
To solve such problems, he said,
the NCCE has drawn up an educational programme to sensitise the people on their
rights and responsibilities.
He spoke about increasing
incidence of parents giving out their children to relatives as house helps who
end up being subjected to various forms of abuse of their rights.
Mr Vaare said the Lawra District
is made up people who are mainly peasant farmers and while women spend a lot of
time farming and taking care of the needs of children, men rather resort to
drinking and contribute virtually nothing to the upkeep of the family.
He called on parents not to shirk
their responsibility to educate their children, stressing that failure to do so
amounts to abuse of the child's rights.
Some women expressed reprehension
against the practice of denying widows a share of the property of their
deceased husbands.
One widow called on NCCE, the
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative
Justice and the Department of Social Welfare to intensify their education
on the intestate succession law to liberate women from denial of their rights.
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Apam (Central Region) 04 May 2001
Participants at a workshop on
Poverty Reduction Initiative (PRI) at Apam, on Wednesday called on Ghanaians to
change perceptions they have for certain jobs to enable the unemployed to
accept them to do.
They said if care was not taken, the
unemployed would reject jobs created for them because of the stigma attached to
them as being menial.
The two-day workshop, attended by
assembly and unit committee members, heads of development organisations and
leaders of women's groups, was the second to be organised by European Union
(EU) in the country, the first in Nadowli District in the Upper East Region.
The workshop, sponsored by Pentax
Management and Consultancy Service in Accra, Participatory Development
Associates in Kumasi and Constultancy Engineers COWI in Denmark are all
consultancy firms of the EU.
It was aimed at identifying best
practices in poverty reduction programmes with priority in health water and
agriculture sectors, identify the needs for capacity building at district
levels and to develop appropriate tools for monitoring poverty.
Mr Mortem Pulsen of COWI, Mr Joe
Appeah of Pentax Management Consultancy and Mr Tony Dogbe of Participatory
Development Associates led the discussions.
The women's group objected to
certain social norms which made acquisition of assets by women, done through
either their spouses or male relatives, describing it as unacceptable and
deprivation of women's rights.
They argued that since poverty is
not only material deprivation but also of one's rights, all social norms and
laws that infringe on people's rights must be abolished.
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Gomoa Mprumam (Central Region) 04
May 2001
Apaaba Development Organisation
(ADO), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Gomoa District is
constructing a multi-purpose vocational institute for the people of Gomoa
Mprumem.
The African Union, an NGO in
Sweden, is financing the project with facilities for bakery, catering, batik,
tyre and dye production and a nursery.
Briefing newsmen, Madam Jemina
Acheampong, President of ADO, said the first phase of the project, estimated at
180 million cedis, would enable nursing mothers to enroll their children at the
institute while they are away for work.
Madam Acheampong said the youth,
especially Junior Secondary School (JSS) leavers, who could not further their
education, would be trained in vocations such as carpentry and masonry.
She expressed gratitude to the
former Gomoa District Chief Executive Mr Kow Anyanful and the African Union for
his assistance that has made the project a reality.
She said apart from training, the
project would also offer employment for the youth in the area.
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