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Newsreel Ghana 07 - 05 - 2001
Kufuor appeals for Chinese support
NDC: Rawlings has not warned against celebration of May 15
Decentralisation should involve all facets of society - Conference
Form Co-operatives to obtain credit facilities - Yakubu
Water Company warns public against illegal connection
Formation of concerned members group within GTA is illegal
Fulfil responsibility to nation before insisting on rights - Chief
No death recorded on Accra roads during Easter
Movement of Kejetia traders not by force - Regional Minister
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
The
President Mr John Agyekum Kufuor on Sunday continued his nomination of persons
for approval as District Chief Executives
DCEs)
by their respective assemblies.
A
statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu,
Minister
of Local Government and Rural Development named Dr (Mrs) E. Quist for Akwapim
North, V. B. Owusu Ahinkorah for Birim North and Yaw Amprofi for Birim South.
The
others are Mr Raymond Osafo Djan for Kwahu South, Benjamin A.
Anorkye,
Afram Plains and Emmanuel Odei, East Akyem.
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Kufuor appeals for Chinese support
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
President
John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to China to lend a helping hand to
efforts by Ghana to streamline her economy and keep its development initiatives
on course.
"We
want to add value to what we produce and sell and we count on China to
encourage investments and joint ventures to facilitate the transfer of
technology to Ghana," he said.
President
Kufuor was speaking during a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador Mr Lu Yongshou
at the State House.
The
meeting was part of a series Mr Lu has held with the government this year to
deepen bilateral relations.
President
Kufuor lauded the 40 years of development co-operation with China with the
focus on agriculture, education and culture.
"We
want such nations with knowledge in science and technology to help us develop
on the basis of humanity. We do not want to feel that our big friends want to
keep we, the smaller ones, down," he said.
President
Kufuor called for Chinese assistance to boost local efforts to generate
sufficient revenue to reverse its trade deficits.
Mr Lu
said his country is committed to a dynamic partnership with Africa by
strengthening co-operation in politics, economics, science and education.
He said
China would improve on its development support to Africa, which stood at three
billion dollars (100 billion Yuan) last year.
Mr Lu
said 30 million dollars was spent on water and electricity projects for 106
communities along the Volta Lake.
He
expressed appreciation for the leading role of Ghana in promoting world peace
and stability.
Mr Lu
said in appreciation of this role, China has decided to support the UN
secretary-general, Mr Kofi Annan in his bid for re-election.
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NDC: Rawlings has not warned against celebration of May 15
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
The
National Democratic Congress (NDC) on says former President Jerry Rawlings has
not warned cadres of the Progressive Voluntary Organisations to desist from
celebrating the May 15 uprising.
In a
statement issued in Accra at the weekend, the NDC said the former president has
never met any group of cadres after leaving office as alleged by an Accra
private newspaper.
"The
NDC wishes also to state emphatically that the party of which the former
President is the leader and founder still stands by the principles of May 15,
June 4 and 31st December Revolution, that is probity, accountability and
attainment of grassroots democracy...and will continue to work towards these
principles..."
On May
15, 1979, former President Rawlings who was a Flight Lieutenant in the Air
Force was arrested with a group of airmen for mutiny.
The reading
of his statement during a court martial catapulted him onto the political
landscape as he was sprung from jail on June 4, 1979 to lead a revolution.
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Decentralisation should involve all facets of society - Conference
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
Participants
at the just ended two-day conference on decentralisation in West Africa have
said that decentralisation reforms should be in partnerships with all levels of
government, civil society and the private sector through the design and
execution of implementation plans.
Governments
should fashion adequate procedures and institutions and
provide
funds, improved service conditions for personnel and moral support to ensure
successful decentralisation.
These
were contained in a-nine point declaration at the end of the
conference
and released by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in Accra
at the weekend.
Declaration
said that political and administrative decentralisation should be designed and
implemented to produce entrepreneurial leadership at the level of local
authority and that the central government must create the necessary legislative
environment that would improve the process of decentralisation.
The
limited availability of trained personnel, finding necessary backup research
and congenial environment impinge on the process of decentralisation.
The
conference recognised the low level of consensus building and active participation
of stakeholders and the dependence of local authority on central government and
suggested that local government should find its own resources.
Mr
Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, who closed the
conference advocated for an annual or bi-annual conference on decentralisation
in West Africa and a comparative study of decentralised systems in Africa.
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Form Co-operatives to obtain credit facilities - Yakubu
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
Madam
Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, has advised Northern communities in the
various parts of the country to form co-operatives in order to obtain credit
facilities from the banks.
This,
she said, would enable them to purchase the needed equipment to
embark
on viable ventures that would help improve their standards of living.
Madam
Yakubu gave the advice at weekend when members of the Builsa
Community
in Tema paid a courtesy call to congratulate her on her appointment as a
Minister of State.
She
asked people from the three Northern Regions to be law-abiding, adding that
this is the surest way by which they could live in peace and harmony with the
indigenous people of their areas of residence.
On the
New Patriotic Party government's adoption of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries
(HIPC) initiative, the Tourism Minister stated that the nation stands to derive
maximum benefits from it if only Ghanaians give the scheme their fullest
support in its implementation.
Madam
Yakubu praised President John Agyekum Kufuor, saying that she has enjoyed
working under him.
She
described the President as somebody, who is firm and resolute but one who
listens to advice, consults and is always open to criticisms.
Nab
Ibrahim Mahmoud Bansi, Chief of the Builsas in Tema, gave the Minister the
assurance that as the people's choice, she would enjoy their fullest support in
all her endeavours to boost Tourism in the North in particular, and the country
as a whole.
Nab
Bansi pledged the people's preparedness to contribute generously
towards
the upkeep of the victims in the violence that erupted in Bawku after the
December 2,000 elections.
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Water Company warns public against illegal connection
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
The
Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), on Sunday, warned the public against
illegal connections, tampering of its pipelines and meters, saying offenders
would be prosecuted.
The
company announced cash award of 50,000 cedis to anyone who reports of an
illegal connection.
These
measures aimed at providing better services to consumers, were made known at a
public forum where officials of the GWCL interacted with residents of Odorkor,
a suburb of Accra, on measures the company is taking to reduce losses and
improve services.
Mr
Edward Yao Awadzi, District Manager of the Company who led discussions, asked
operators of car washing bays and private consumers who want to operate on
commercial basis to contact the company for meters.
He
warned that a taskforce has been formed to arrest consumers who are found
dealing in illegal connections or tampering with its pipelines and meters.
Mr
Awadzi warned that it is a serious offence punishable by law for anyone to tap
water from the company's pipeline to homes or water tanks without authority
from the GWCL.
He,
therefore, asked the residents who need water in their premises to contact the
company's office at Dansoman and Darkuman for assistance.
Mr
Michael Agyemang, Public Relations officer of GWCL warned the public to be wary
of unauthorised private contractors who might approach them for service
connections.
He said
qualified and authorised contractors under the supervision of the GWCL would
henceforth undertake service connections and gave the assurance of better
services to consumers.
Mr
Agyemang warned consumers who have defaulted in payment of bills for more than two
years face disconnection and said service would be restored only after payment
of 1.5 million cedis re-connection fee.
Mr Sam
Commey, Assemblyman for the area, advised the residents to report all cases of
illegal connection to enable the company to give them better services
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Formation of concerned members group within GTA is illegal
Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 07 May 2001
The
Ashanti region branch of the Ghana Timber Association (GTA) has stated that the
formation of concerned members group within the association is a breach of the
association's constitution.
This
was contained in a statement signed by Mr Kwame Boateng, Regional Chairman of
the association and released to the press in Kumasi.
The
statement said the meeting held by the so-called concerned members of the
association at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi last Thursday, was,
therefore, a breach of the constitution and a calculated attempt to create
disaffection among members.
It said
the association does not recognise that group and that all genuine members
should be wary of the group, adding that anybody who does business with them
does so at his or her own risk.
The
statement advised members not to hesitate to contact the regional GTA
secretariat for clarification on any issue whenever the need arises to bring
sanity and unity into the association.
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Fulfil responsibility to nation before insisting on rights - Chief
Ejisu
(Ashanti Region) 07 May 2001
Nana
Aboagye Adjei, Ejisuhene, has appealed to Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of
fulfilling their responsibility to the nation before insisting on their rights.
He
observed that the current situation where people take great delight in
insisting on the enjoyment of their rights and freedoms but turn to shirk their
obligation to the nation in respect of payment of taxes and respect for the
country's laws, should not be countenanced.
Nana
Adjei made the appeal at the launching of the Ejisu-Juaben District
constitutional week celebration organised by the National Commission for Civic
Education (NCCE) at Ejisu.
The
Ejisuhene proposed to the authorities to consider as a matter or urgency the
provision of a vehicle mounted with public address systems to each of the
district offices of the NCCE to enable them to effectively conduct their
constitutional duty especially at the grassroots level.
Mr Nti
Berko, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the NCCE, called on
Ghanaians
to do away with the wrong impression that the NCCE was an appendage or an affiliate body to a
particular political party.
He
stated that the Commission was set up by the constitution and was not a wing of
any political party but rather a neutral entity with the legitimate
responsibility of educating the people on their civic rights and
responsibilities.
Nana
Okyerefo Ponkor Abarim, Ejisu-Juaben District Chairman of the
Constitutional
Week Organising Committee, stressed the need for traditional rulers and opinion
leaders to demonstrate in a more practical manner their commitment to
environmental cleanliness by organising their people to undertake clean-up
exercises on sustained basis.
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No death recorded on Accra roads during Easter
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 May 2001
No
death was recorded on Accra roads during this year's Easter holidays, according
to figures released by the Central Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the
Ghana Police Service.
Speaking
to the Ghana News Agency, Superintendent of Police Victor
Tandoh,
Commanding Officer of the Unit, disclosed that while two people were killed
during the 1999 Easter no deaths were recorded in 2000 and this year.
However,
the number of accidents increased from 66 in 1999 to 72 in 2000 and 86 this
year.
Commanding
Officer Tandoh advised motorists to be mindful of the amount of alcohol they
take on festive occasions.
By so
doing, he said, they would help reduce road accidents on these
occasions
to the barest minimum.
"It
is always better to drive home safely than to end up in an uncomfortable place
like the hospital".
He
attributed the annual increase in the number of accidents to a multiple of
factors and, therefore, underscored the need to intensify public education on
the use of the roads by both motorists and pedestrians.
Sup
Tandoh was of the view that if educational programmes on road usage got down
well with the public, there would be safety on the roads.
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Movement of Kejetia traders not by force - Regional Minister
Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 07 May 2001
Mr S.
K. Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, has stated that the movement of traders in
and around Kejetia area was not carried out by force but rather through persuasion.
He made
it clear that persuasion and the goodwill of the traders themselves were the
vital ingredients that made it possible for the authorities to succeed in
getting the traders to agree to move to the Racecourse.
Mr
Boafo made the observation at a four-day power packed revival organised by the
Old Tafo Christian Youth Association in Kumasi at the weekend.
The
theme of the revival was "Arise and let us build".
The
Regional Minister stressed "no amount of force could have moved the
Kejetia traders but rather persuasion and divine intervention".
Mr
Boafo advised those Christians, who turn themselves into pastors
overnight
using visions as a pretext to critically examine the visions that come their
way to ascertain their genuineness before proclaiming that they have been
called by God to become ministers of religion.
He said
it is wrong for some people to decide to belong to the Christian faith simply
because of their affection for a particular pastor or in the wrong belief that
all their problems could be resolved instantly by the pastor and nobody else.
"It
is only God who has the power for our salvation and it is He alone we should
worship and in Him alone should we put our trust", explaining that pastors
are not God but serve as guides through whom people could be led to the right
paths.
Mr
Boafo advised the youth to use their God-given talents in supporting
development and growth of the church, progress of the nation, their
neighbourhood and society so as to give Christianity a more positive and practical
meaning.
Mr
Francis Ampadu, Chairman of the association, said its objective is to bring the
youth of the various churches together to educate people about national topical
issues such as HIV/AIDS.
He said
it is also the goal of the association to help provide training schemes for
school leavers in order to help make them become self-employed.
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