GRi Newsreel Ghana 10
– 05 - 2001
Kufuor, Aliu, ministers visit 37 Hospital
Government will probe stadium tragedy -
Obetsebi-Lamptey
Officials discuss process of passport delivery
About 400 pieces of plastic chairs destroyed
World Bank to assist government to rehabilitate
road
Security agencies make headway in serial killings -
Minister
Disasters displace thousands in Volta Region
Stranded relatives wait for news on their
relatives, and it could be grim
Movements will forestall insecurity - Committee
About 2.7 million cubic metres of timber felled
illegally
Chiefs, Queenmothers attend seminar chieftaincy
Traders demand probe into allocation of Asafo
market stores
British Airways and Polo Club assists children Home
Atwima assembly confirms President's nominee
Bawku West DCE sworn into office
NPP youth wing demonstrate against DCE's nomination
Kufuor, Aliu, ministers visit
37 Hospital
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor, Vice President Aliu Mahama and
several senior Cabinet ministers visited the 37 Military Hospital, which took
most of the pressures of the stadium tragedy.
The Government Spokesman Ms Elizabeth Ohene said the President
is "totally devastated," upon which he scheduled an emergency Cabinet
meeting for Thursday to discuss the tragedy.
Joy FM reported that the President has demanded a full briefing
on the tragedy. It also quoted the President as asking the 37 Military Hospital
to begin the process of identifying the bodies and informing relatives.
At the last count 121 sports fans were confirmed dead in a
stampede after Hearts of Oak Asante Kotoko Premier League Football match on
Wednesday.
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Government will probe stadium
tragedy - Obetsebi-Lamptey
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
The Minister of Presidential Affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has
described Wednesday evening's stadium incident in which 117 soccer fans died as
"a great national tragedy" adding that a commission of enquiry would
be set up to probe it.
A GNA count showed that at least 117 soccer fans died in a
stampede when police fired teargas to control hooligans from a section of stand
at the Accra Sports Stadium after a premier league match between Asante Kotoko
football club and their arch rivals, Accra Hearts-of-Oak.
Hearts won 2-1.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey visibly shaken by the horrible tragedy
appealed for calm saying citizens should remain by their radio sets for
announcements instead of trooping to the hospitals to look for relatives.
"It's a night for us to mourn and not a night for
impatience and anger," said Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey, who almost broke down at
the sight of a line-up of corpses at the 37 Military Hospital.
Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister for Media Relations, who also
turned up at the hospitals, described the incident as horrific and terrible and
called on the nation to rally behind the families of the victims.
Apparently commenting on accusations and blame for the tragedy,
Miss Ohene said it was premature to apportion blame.
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Officials discuss process of
passport delivery
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Directorate of
the Passport Office and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), met on Wednesday
to discuss ways of ensuring expeditious processing and delivery of passports.
The meeting discussed in detail, the entire procedures involved
in the processing and delivery of passports with the view to identify the
causes of delays and other bottlenecks that hamper the smooth operations of the
Passport Office.
A statement issued in Accra by the Ministry and signed by Mr. S.J.K.
Parker-Allotey, Acting Director Policy Planning and Research Bureau, said the
meeting was in reaction to public complaints about delays in the processing of
passports.
The meeting identified some of the problems that militate
against the speedy processing and delivery of passports as, the need to speed
up the dispatch of forms from submission points to the Passport Office in Accra
and incorrect completion of passport forms.
Others are inadequate supply of personal details, lack of
relevant documents that must accompany applications, frequent breakdown of
computers at the Passport Office and the frequent power outages leading to the
complete shut down of work.
The rest are the reported incidences of loss of passports with
valid visas, the delays in the processing of endorsement forms, and multiple
applications for passports by passport holders, which puts undue pressure on
the Office.
The statement said as part of a remedial action, the meeting
agreed that staff of the Passport Office should put in extra working hours,
including working beyond the stipulated 1700 hours daily and weekends to clear
the backlog of passports.
It said, henceforth, passports requiring endorsements would be
processed within 48 hours of submission and applicants having valid visas in
their passports would no longer be required to attach those passports to their
applications. Instead, photocopies of those passports including pages with
relevant visa details should be attached.
The meeting, the statement, said deplored the activities of
passport contractors in the passport delivery system and advised that except in
the case of minors, all applications should be submitted to the immigration
offices by applicants themselves.
It said, the meeting also decided to revive the Passport Oversight
Committee to improve inter-agency co-ordination to facilitate the early
processing of passports.
In the meantime, the Passport Office is working hard to
rehabilitate the broken down computers to augment the number of serviceable
equipment available for the issuance of passports, the statement said.
It appealed to the general public to bear with the situation as
steps are being taken to address the passport delivery issue. It also advised
the public to desist from crowding at the Office, in order not to slow down
work.
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About 400 pieces of plastic
chairs destroyed
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
About 400 plastic chairs were destroyed at the Accra Sports
Stadium after the Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko Star Premier League encounter
on Wednesday.
Apart from the chairs there were no visible damage to other
fittings at the stadium, which was deserted when the Ghana News Agency paid a
visit there at 22:00 hours.
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World Bank to assist government
to rehabilitate road
Yefri (Brong Ahafo) 10 May 2001
The World Bank is to assist the government to construct and tar
the road from Joma to Nkwanta, near Kintampo, through Nkoranza to Sekodumase in
the Ashanti Region to facilitate the movement of goods and services.
My Hayford Francis Amoako, Member of Parliament for Nkoranza,
announced this
at separate forums at Yefri and Bodom during a recent tour of
his constituency.
He advised the people to live in harmony so that they could
initiate development projects to attract support from the government and
non-governmental organisations.
The youth too should guard against political, chieftaincy and
religious conflicts and invest in the education of their children.
Mr Michael Obour, assemblyman for Yefri, appealed to the
government to upgrade the local health centre into a hospital, saying this
would benefit neighbouring communities.
He also called for speedy action on the town's electrification
project to improve the socio-economic life of the people.
At Bodom, Mr Kwasi Nyamekye, Chairman of the community project
implementation committee, appealed to the National Disaster Management
Organisation (NADMO) and the Nkoranza district assembly to
provide some relief items for residents
whose houses were recently destroyed by a rainstorm.
Mr Nyamekye expressed gratitude to the government for the
extension of electricity to the area.
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Security agencies make headway
in serial killings - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
The security agencies, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau
of Investigations (FBI), have made a meaningful breakthrough in investigations
into the serial killings, Alhaji Malik Alhassan, Minister of the Interior,
announced in Accra on Wednesday.
He did not give details but said after both institutions have
shared views on some evidence gathered, a breakthrough has been made and there
is the need to offer some training programmes to the security agencies on the
type of equipment required to carry out scientific investigations.
Alhaji Alhassan was briefing newsmen in Accra after a meeting
between a 13-member FBI team led by Mr Joseph Brint and President John Agyekum
Kufuor and
senior officials of the agencies.
The Interior Minister said the visit of the FBI officials who
have been in the country for the past week has been beneficial.
He said the government is confident that with the needed
equipment their Ghanaian counterparts could deal with the serial killings and
other crimes.
Alhaji Alhassan said with the assistance of the FBI the skills
of the security agencies in forensic and profiling of crime scenes have been
improved.
More than 30 women have been murdered under mysterious
circumstances triggering public anger.
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Disasters displace thousands in
Volta Region
Ho (Volta Region) 10 May 2001
More than 5,000 people were rendered homeless in 77 communities
in the Volta Region, in the first quarter of this year as a result of rainstorms
and fire disasters.
About 650 houses, school and other public buildings were
destroyed. Mr Gavina Tamakloe, Volta Regional Co-ordinator of the National
Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), disclosed this in an interview with
the Ghana News Agency at Ho on Wednesday.
She said, there were no casualties in the disasters, adding that
bushfires accounted for the highest number of the disaster victims.
Mrs Tamakloe said the largest quantity of about 50 million cedis
worth of relief items donated to the victims went to those affected by
bushfires.
Kadjebi district was the worst hit by rainstorms, where 236
households were affected, while Nkwanta district recorded the least number of
three school buildings being destroyed.
Other districts affected by rainstorms were Jasikan, Hohoe,
South Tongu, Ho and Kete-Krachi.
Out of 2,040 fire outbreaks recorded in the region in the period
under review, Ho district recorded the highest figure of 836, while South Tongu
recorded the least number of 11.
Mrs Tamakloe said NADMO presented relief items including
blankets, matresses, second hand clothes and household wares to those affected.
She said the organisation is faced with shortage of relief items
and called for assistance from organisations and individuals.
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Stranded relatives wait for
news on their relatives, and it could be grim
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
Desperate family members and sympathisers seeking the
whereabouts of their relatives thronged the Ridge, 37 Military and the Police
Hospitals late Wednesday evening giving security personnel and medical staff a
hectic time.
At least 117 people are feared dead and a lot more injured after
a stampede at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Anxious family members were not in the mood to listen to plea
from medical staff to calm down for the situation to be brought under control
before any identification could be made.
At the Ridge Hospital where the Out Patient Department has been
turn into an emergency unit, the Chief of Staff, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey had
to physically restrain the crowd as they pushed their way into OPD.
While some were still waiting to hear the condition of their
relatives, a woman broke down and collapsed when she identified the only lady
among the nine dead as her relative.
The situation was a bit under control at the 37 Military
Hospital due to heavy military presence.
Here the Chief of Staff, who had come to check the situation,
broke down as he saw the dead numbering about 102 piled up at a temporary place
waiting to be sent to the mortuary.
The crowd that had gathered blamed the Police for their
indiscriminate use of the teargas on helpless fans, who pleaded in vain for
them to stop firing when the stamped started.
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Mediacare / KMA launches
advertising litter bins
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10 May 2001
Mediacare Limited, a private advertising agency, has launched
two samples of advertising litter bins, which have receptacles at the base for
litter and a space on top for adverts, as part of efforts to assist the Kumasi
Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to keep city clean.
Ofori Amanfo Metal Works at Kentinkrono, near Kumasi designed
the device.
Speaking to newsmen at the launching ceremony in Kumasi on
Wedneday, Mr Paul
Boateng of Mediacare said the company is producing 50 bins
initially at the cost of 27 million cedes.
He said Medicare envisages that companies would buy the space on
top of the bin to advertise their goods and services at a fee.
Mr Micheal Essandoh, Kumasi Metropolitan Co-ordinating Director,
thanked Mediacare for the initiative and expressed satisfaction about the fact
that a private company has now shown interest to help KMA solve its sanitation
problems to help spring the city back to its former status of a "garden
city".
He said it was gratifying that the device would not only serve
as litter bins but also a means of standardising advertising in the city.
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Movements will forestall
insecurity - Committee
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 May 2001
The Joint Intelligence Committee on Wednesday assured the public
that various "visible movements" of the army and the police have been
planned to forestall any eventuality to neutralize the sense of insecurity,
which is being falsely propagated.
This was contained in a statement issued in reaction to a story
in an Accra private newspaper that some "disgruntled elements" would
like to destabilise the security of the nation on May 15 or June 4.
The statement said the security agencies have so far played a
commendable role in the recent retrieval of arms and exhibited the expected
professional discipline.
It said no ethnic differences have manifested and gave the
assurance that there continues to be good police and army relations.
"The security agencies are aware of some fringe groups who
are interested in brutality, misinformation, atrocities and in the
destabilisation of the country so that they have the opportunity to enjoy the
fruits of their criminal activities."
It said appropriate action would be taken against such groups
whose activities run counter to the present democratic dispensation.
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About 2.7 million cubic metres
of timber felled illegally
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10 May 2001
A study conducted by the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the
Forestry Commission has revealed that 2.7 million cubic metres out of the total
of three million felled in the country last year were cut through illegal
logging and chainsaw operations.
Mr John Kwao Otu, Director of Operations in-charge of Coastal
Savanna of the FSD, said the illegal logs found their way into the sawmills.
He disclosed this at a seminar attended by about 80 stakeholders
in the timber industry from Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions to
introduce the operational guidelines on Log Measurement and Conveyance
Certificate (LMCC) in Kumasi on Wednesday.
They were made up of regional and district managers of the FSD,
representatives of the Ghana Timber Association (GTA), Ghana Timber Millers
Organisation (GTMO) and the furniture and Wood Workers Association of Ghana
(FAWAG).
Mr Otu said because the Forest Products Inspection Division
(FPID) operates in the daytime, those behind the illegal operations work in the
night and get the logs through to the mills.
He said it has, therefore, become necessary to come up with a
system that would ensure that the mills, which are the final destination of the
logs are audited.
Mr Alex Amoako Boadu, Ashanti Regional Manager of the FSD,
called on district managers of the Division to take pains to properly verify
logs before issuing conveyance certificate to cover them.
He condemned the situation where certificates issued tend not to
match the actual number of logs loaded on timber trucks.
Mr Boadu also cautioned loggers against speculative felling,
pointing out that the preparation of bills are based on Trees Information Form
(TIF) and for that matter once the trees are cut the bills must be paid within
30 days.
Mr Charles Dei-Amoah, Manager, Production, Forest Management
Support Centre, said the introduction of the LMCC would enhance log tracking
and monitoring.
The LMCC unifies the conveyance certificate and the log
measurement and grading certificate that used to be issued separately by the FSD
and FPID respectively
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Chiefs, Queenmothers attend
seminar chieftaincy
Krobo (Brong Ahafo) 10 May 2001
A day's seminar has been held for 30 chiefs and Queenmothers,
from the Kyidom Division of the Techiman Traditional Council at Krobo to update
their knowledge on the chieftaincy institution under the current political
dispensation.
Organised by Nana Asa Akompanin, Krobohene and Kyidomhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, on the
theme "sustaining the image of chieftaincy", the seminar discussed
how best the traditional rulers could interact with their subjects.
Nana Asa Akompanin appealed to chiefs to discharge their duties
effectively and to unite the people for development advising that because they
are agents of change they should build on what they had inherited and not to
destroy it.
He traced the role and structure of the chieftaincy institution
before and after colonial rule, mentioning their roles in the judicial,
administrative, cultural religious and educational sectors.
The Kyidomhene said chieftaincy could be made to perform a
significant role under the current political dispensation and asked chiefs to
be abreast with the times, so that they could contribute positively to national
development.
Speaking on "the role of Chiefs and Queenmothers in the
current political dispensation", Mr Akwasi Appiah-Kubi, Acting Techiman
District Director of the
National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), commended Nana
Akompanin for the initiative and expressed the hope that other divisional
chiefs would emulate him.
He said that the fact that chiefs are barred from active
partisan politics "does not mean they have nothing to do with the politics
of their areas of jurisdiction.
"They are to explain government policies and programmes to
their subjects to contribute to the development of their communities."
Nana Amobea Dufie, Krobohemaa, expressed concern about the
fallen standards of education in the area especially girls and appealed to
parents to co-operate with teachers to arrest the situation.
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Traders demand probe into
allocation of Asafo market stores
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10 May 2001
Traders at the Asafo Market in Kumasi have appealed to the new
Metropolitan Chief Executive to institute a probe as a matter of urgency into
the allocation of the 218 stores constructed by the Kumasi Metropolitan
Assembly (KMA) at the market.
They contend that the allocation of those stores, which were
constructed between 1999 and 2000, was fraught with irregularities, lack of
transparency and fairness.
The traders made the appeal at a meeting with the Ashanti
Regional Women's Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ms Georgina
Osei-Tutu in Kumasi.
The meeting was aimed at discussing problems facing women
traders at the market and ways to improve conditions there.
Madam Gladys Opoku-Agyeman, Leader of the Patriotic Women's
Movement, an association that groups more than 200 traders at the market,
complained about what she said was the shoddy job done by the contractors, who
built the stores.
She said the roofing leaks badly when it rains while the poor
manner the doors to the stores were fixed do not allow for easy and free
movement of the doors.
Ms Osei-Tutu said the government was committed to supporting the
socio-economic activities of women to enhance their living status in the
society.
She said that the government has demonstrated this by the
establishment of the Ministry of Women Affairs.
Ms Osei-Tutu advised them to be at the forefront of the national
crusade against the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic by getting themselves
adequately informed about the disease.
She told the women to ensure a united front and become active
partners with the Metropolitan Assembly in its bid to rid the city of filth.
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British Airways and Polo Club
assists children Home
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 10 May 2001
British Airways and the Accra Polo Club has presented a
10-million cedi cheque to the Kumasi Children's Home for the upkeep of the
children.
Mrs Essie Anno Sackey, Manager of Accra office of British
Airways and Mr Daniel Awuah-Darko Jnr., of Accra Polo Club jointly made the
presentation.
Mrs Essie Anno Sackey, said the gesture is part of efforts by
the two organisations to assist needy children to grow into useful adults and
promised that British Airways would also provide playing items including toys
for the children.
Mr Daniel Awuah-Darko said the organisations were moved by a
news item on TV03 about the plight of the Kumasi Children's Home and decided to
give the proceeds of this year's charity match to the Home.
Mr Stephen Adongo, Ashanti Regional Director of the Department
of Social Welfare, operators of the home, received the cheque on its behalf.
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Atwima assembly confirms President's nominee
Nkawie (Ashanti Region) 10 May 2001
The Atwima District Assembly, on Tuesday confirmed President
John Agyekum Kufuor's nominee for the position District Chief Executive (DCE)
Mr Charles Yeboah. He polled 70 votes of the 72 votes cast by members present.
The 45-year-old senior tutor of Ghana Co-operative College holds
a diploma in Organisation and Management of Co-operatives from Moscow
Co-operative Institute, Russia.
Mr Yeboah, who is also the assembly member for Atanasu-Mpasatia
Electoral Area, pledged to offer transparent, open and all-inclusive
administration in line with the government's democratic principles and urged
the citizens, irrespective of their political affiliation to help build the
district.
Mr James Adusei Sarkodie, Member of Parliament (MP), for
Atwima-Nwabiagya, noted that the successful implementation of government
policies and programmes
would depend on the viability of the district assemblies and called
on the people to co-operate with the new DCE.
Nana Twum Barima Apau III, the Presiding Member of the assembly,
said the smooth and peaceful confirmation of the DCE is a manifestation of the
unflinching support and confidence that Atwima people have in President Kufuor
and the government.
The district assembly concept, he said, is non-partisan and
called on the members to offer the new DCE the needed co-operation, support and
encouragement.
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Bawku West DCE sworn into
office
Zebilla (Upper East Region) 10 May 2001
The Bawku West District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Moses Abaare
Appiah was on Wednesday sworn into office at Zabilla by the Bolgatanga
Community Tribunal Chairman, Mr Garbriel Odone Adufu.
Members of the assembly unanimously confirmed Mr Appiah on
Monday.
So far, out of the six districts in the region, two DCE's have
been confirmed and sworn into office to start work. The other is the Bolgatanga
District Chief Executive Mr Rockson Ayine Bukari.
The Upper East Regional Minister Mr Mahami Salifu, who witnessed
the ceremony, advised the members to make consensus building a key element in
the development processes of the district.
He said that once unity becomes the binding force the district
would achieve its development objectives.
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NPP youth wing demonstrate
against DCE's nomination
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 10 May 2001
The youth wings of the Atebubu South and North constituency
branches of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday staged a massive
demonstration at Atebubu in protest against the government's nomination of Mr
Cassius Osei-Poku as the District Chief Executive for the area.
Three days ago a group of people severely assaulted the Atebubu
South constituency Vice Chairman of the Party, Mr Oppong Quainoo for his
alleged support for Mr Osei-Poku's nomination.
The people, led by the youth wings of the two constituencies and
the Atebubu Youth Association, said Mr Osei-Poku "is not from anywhere
near the area, and is, therefore, not fit to ascend to such a high office in
the district".
They stated further that he has not got the credentials or the
track record to manage the affairs of the district because he "woefully
failed to deliver" as the Head teacher of a school in Atebubu.
"The academic and indeed the general performance of the
school have taken a steep dive since he assumed the headship".
At 12:30 hours when the Ghana News Agency spoke to a Police
source at the Regional Police Headquarters in Sunyani, the demonstration was
ongoing, albeit peacefully.
The source said Mr. Quainoo, who sustained some degree of
injuries during the assault, is responding to treatment at the Atebubu
government hospital.
He was said to have been attacked by three people, two of whom
have been arrested, for refusing to sign a resolution endorsing the
demonstration and the cancellation of Mr Osei-Poku's nomination.
The Police, the source said, are on guard to ensure the
demonstration did not turn violent.
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