Red Cross: We did our best in stadium disaster
Parliamentary Committee on Foreign affairs
attends orientation workshop
Ho (Volta Region) 15 May 2001
Professor Kofi Kumado, Director of the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA) at the weekend stressed the importance for collaboration between the Executive and Parliament in the formulation and conduct of the country's foreign policy to effectively serve the interest of the nation.
He said the opportunities for collaboration between the two bodies revolve around the roles assigned each in the constitutional arrangements of the country.
Prof. Kumado said this at an orientation workshop organised at Ho at the weekend for members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament.
Also in attendance were directors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former diplomats and statesmen. It was organised by LECIA and sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES)
Speaking on the topic: "Collaboration between the Executive and Legislature in the formulation and conduct of foreign policy", he said international relations and the policies through which nations conduct their relations with other players in the international system require many participants.
"In Ghana, two of the participating players are the Executive and Parliament. Sometimes these two branches will compete with each other. Most times, though, collaboration between them serves the best interest of the nation."
Prof. Kumado said if there is effective collaboration between the two, parliament by its enquiry nature can ensure that there would be a master plan in Ghana's missions abroad defining her objectives and goals and the policies to be employed to achieve them.
He said effective direction therefore is depended on constant co-operation and collaboration as well as healthy competition between the two. Both bodies should be seen as training grounds for "our future development".
The Director said MPs need orientation to make them experts and useful partners in all matters since parliament's involvement brings the people closer to governance.
Dr Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation in a speech read on his behalf by Mr George Cann, Chief Director of the Ministry, said Ghana has so far completed and ratified 34 out of the 35 ECOWAS protocols.
It leaves only the one relating to the mechanism for prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security.
Speaking on: " Ghana's role in ECOWAS", he said the 16 West African countries forming the ECOWAS were initially expected to translate into a full Customs Union through four main instruments of regional co-operation.
These are an export trade liberation scheme, harmonisation of national economic and financial policies, elimination of tariff and non-tariff restrictions on intra-community trade and free-movement of persons and capital, and the harmonisation of agricultural infrastructure, industrial, monetary and economic policies.
Dr Nduom said a second economic group has now emerged out of the ECOWAS following the establishment of the West African Economic and Monetary Union
(UEMOA). The union comprises eight member states linked to a common convertible currency, which is pegged at the French franc and governed by harmonised fiscal policies and customs tariffs.
Ghana's largest trade partner is Europe, which accounted for about 51 per cent of imports and 68 per cent of its exports in 1999 while in comparison the level of Ghana's trade within ECOWAS amounted to 11.5 per cent of imports and 12.6 per cent of exports.
He said with the exception of Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire and Mauritania and to a small extent Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde, which recorded a surplus in trade relations with Ghana, the remaining ECOWAS countries registered a negative balance of trade with Ghana as at 1999.
Burkina Faso and Togo together absorb 50 per cent of Ghana's export products within the ECOWAS region while the relatively large industrial neighbours of Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire together account for a total of only 9.9 per cent of Ghana's exports to the region.
Dr Nduom said the harmonisation of fiscal policies, standardisation of customs procedures and certification of products drawn from existing ECOWAS protocols have thus far been put on the fast-track initiatives.
Under the fast tract approach, decisions in relation to a borderless ECOWAS was taken. These include elimination of rigid border formalities and modernisation of border procedures, the 90-day period of stay for ECOWAS citizens at points, removal of numerous road blocks and security check points on international highways and adoption and introduction of a multi-country, shengen-type visa system.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 May 2001
The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) said on Monday that it did its best during the stadium tragedy as it had only six members to provide first aid.
The volunteers, it said, did what they could to assist the casualties and helped to carry them into vehicles that transported them to the hospitals.
According to a release issued in Accra, the GRCS said its volunteers provided the services as detailed, and carried two casualties to the nursing station at the stadium. It added that they had only six volunteers as that was the number the stadium management allowed the society.
The society said such an explanation has become necessary because of questions being asked on its whereabouts during the stampede at the stadium that claimed 126 lives.
The statement said because the volunteers were so few, their impact was not felt. Neither did many people see them at work.
The Red Cross said more volunteers went to the stadium and provided assistance following radio announcements on the disaster, but most of them were not wearing aprons that could have identified them as first aid volunteers from the society.
The society explained that the stampede occurred in the stands while their volunteers were in the enclosure.
"It was, therefore, neither possible for them to go into the stands, as it was full of teargas and stampeding spectators."
The GRCS stressed that it is necessary to prepare for such mass emergencies, which can strike wherever many people gather -churches, mosques, schools and factories, among other places.
It said fire outbreaks or explosions could trigger a stampede if there is no prior training of volunteers on what to do.
The GRCS recalled that it hosted a workshop in Accra in 1993 to which all stakeholders were invited to address the need for disaster preparedness planning.
This, the GRCS said, was followed with 10 regional seminars at which the regional ministers and district chief executives, traditional councils and non-governmental organisations participated to draw attention to the need to prepare for disasters.
There were also workshops at which 40 district assemblies were provided with a framework for managing disasters in the districts.
The society underscored the need for a forum to be held without delay to draw up frameworks for managing such emergencies, and training to evacuate victims in such emergencies.
The GRCS said it is ready to contribute to such a move and called for additional resources from the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies to achieve this goal.
The GRCS expressed its sympathies to the bereaved families and wished those on admission speedy recovery.
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