Ghana security chief warns of anti-government plot
Disaster Commission begins work
Fifty-six burial permits collected by families
IGP and four others to appear before Stadium Disaster Commission
The arrest of E. T. Mensah was legal- Malik Yakubu
Asoma Banda pleads for public support for police
Ghanaians urged to reduce demands to enable government to prop up economy
Agriculture sector to pull Ghana out of the woods
Avoid disunity in CPP - Chairman
Developing nations urged to develop telecom infrastructure
Two District Assemblies endorse their District Chief Executives
Three District Assemblies in Volta Region approve DCEs
Draft National Information Communication Plan ready by August
Regional Seminar on conflict prevention to be held in Accra in August
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
Ghana's national security adviser said on Thursday the authorities were questioning a group of people suspected of plotting against the government. "They've been meeting and we're aware of it...If it's a coup they're plotting, then we're saying that they had better have a re-think because it will fail and the people of Ghana will not stand for it," General Joshua Hamidu told Reuters.
He said the alleged plotters were believed to have been planning to cause trouble between May 15 and June 4.
The two dates are celebrated in the West African country by supporters of former president and two-time coup leader Jerry John Rawlings, who led an army mutiny on May 15, 1979 and went on to seize power on June 4 of the same year.
He did not say how many people were being questioned and did not identify those being questioned.
Political tension rose in Ghana after the government of President John Kufuor accused the opposition of whipping up public anger over a soccer stampede in which 126 people were killed last Wednesday.
The tragedy triggered anti-police riots during which some protesters chanted for the return of Rawlings, who stepped down in January after nearly two decades in office, setting a rare example of a peaceful, democratic transfer of power in Africa.
Police briefly detained a former minister and senior official in Rawlings's National Democratic Congress party on suspicion of having orchestrated the protests.
Several other senior officials from the old administration are due to stand trial this week on corruption charges.
Since independence from Britain in 1957, Ghana has experienced five successful military coups and many attempted ones.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
The five member Commission of Inquiry into the Accra Sports Stadium disaster in which 126 soccer fans died began sitting at the Teachers' Hall in Accra on Thursday.
Brigadier George Brock, Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council and three others testified at the opening session which lasted six hours.
Led in evidence by Mr Miguel Ribeiro, Counsel for the Commission, Brigadier Brock said security arrangements for the match were adequate.
He said 68 police personnel were assigned to duty in addition to two vehicles equipped with water cannons.
Witness said he had spotted a policeman with a tear gas dispenser at the outer perimeter of the stadium and cautioned him about the use of the noxious gas.
In answer to a question by Mr Sam Okudzeto, Chairman of the Commission,
Brigadier Brock said he did not communicate his position on the use of tear gas to the commander of the police unit at the stadium.
To another question by a member of the commission, Professor George Ofosu Amaah, the Acting Chief Executive said he could not say if the stairwells at the Ade Coker Stand were defective or not since he was not an architect.
He said the NSC has no medical personnel of their own but they rely on the Stadium Clinic, which is owned by the Ministry of Health.
He also informed the commission that the NSC does not invite the Fire Service to the stadium on match days, but they had liaised with officials of the Fire Service who told them to ensure that fire extinguishers are placed at strategic places at the stadium.
Narrating his experiences on the night of the disaster, Brigadier Brock said he saw some fans throwing some yellow objects, which he found out later, to be broken plastic chairs.
He said shortly after that, he saw the police firing tear gas into the crowd but he did not anticipate there would be a disaster.
"I was informed by my PRO that there was a stampede and that people were in critical condition. I called 191 and 192 to request for assistance from the Fire Service and the Police but there were no replies."
He said he then called the Operations Room of the Ghana Armed Forces and spoke to the duty officer to contact 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital for assistance.
Brigadier Brock summed up the manner in which the police targeted their tear gas "an over reaction."
In his evidence, Mr Richard Quarshie, Chairman of the Central Co-ordinating
Committee (CCC) of the Accra Sports Stadium said the CCC had arranged for 10 men
from the Police Panthers Unit to man the Ade Coker Stand.
He said the CCC, an umbrella body of the Ghana League Clubs Association, (GHALCA) which is responsible for security arrangements for league matches made the request because of the level of publicity and hype the match had received.
Consequently he advised the Match Commissioner against allowing unauthorised persons into the inner perimeter.
Another reason why the CCC requested for policemen at the stands, Mr Quarshie said was that, he was informed by some Hearts fans that Kotoko supporters were making trouble during the match though he failed to inform Kotoko executives.
Answering a question from Professor Ofosu Amaah, Mr Quarshie said though he was aware that Hearts supporters caused trouble during the Gala which ushered in the new season, he did not request for any police presence among them.
He agreed to a suggestion by Professor Ofosu Amaah that the policemen detailed to mingle with the spectators failed to take their positions during the match.
The CCC chairman said they had arranged for six persons each from the Ghana Red Cross and the St. John's Ambulance Brigade as stretcher-bearers, while a doctor each from the Police Hospital and the Stadium Clinic was also drafted for duty. In addition the two doctors were to be assisted by eight nurses.
Mr Quarshie informed the commission in answer to a question by the Chairman that alcohol is sold at the stadium under license issued by the NSC.
Narrating his experiences during the night of the disaster, Mr Quarshie said he was disappointed that the police deserted the stadium after firing canisters of tear gas, which resulted in the stampede leading to the death of the victims.
Also to testify was Mr Seth Dwamena, Chief Security Officer of the NSC who told the Commission that he could provide the names of the police officers who were in command at the stadium on May 9.
He tendered in evidence copies of letters he had written to the police requesting for personnel to be provided for the match and a deployment roaster for duty.
Though he said he requested for 68 policemen, he found it difficult to reconcile the number from his appropriation tables.
He said the policemen deployed to the Ade Coker Stand did not turn up for duty.
The Commission was surprised that evidence, which could be useful to them, had been erased since the stadium was cleaned, after a Commission was established to delve into the circumstances leading to the disaster.
Earlier the match commissioner, Mr Godwill Geraldo de Lima told the Commission that at the end of the match he saw a boy pass by with a broken Guinness bottle but he did not question him.
He said, he was later informed by one Mama, a member of staff of the NSC that some fans were destroying plastic chairs at the end of the match.
The match commissioner said he escorted the match officials to the dressing room only to return to meet a haze of tear gas being fired by the police at spectators at the Ade Coker Stand.
He said as dispensing of the tear gas increased he and a police corporal discussed its severity and agreed that it was "too much."
He said he left the stadium and went to Ho and sent his report to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) the next day.
The Commission, which continues sitting tomorrow, consists of Mr Sam Okudzeto, Chairman, Prof. George Ofosu Ammah and Prof. Akua Kuenyehia. Others are Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa and Mr Ken Bediako.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
Lt. Col. Sam Aninkora, Administrative Officer of 37 Military Hospital on Thursday said burial permits for 56 dead bodies of the Stadium Disaster have been processed and collected by families of the deceased.
He said the families collected the permits as evidence to claim the government's offer of 2.5 million cedis towards the burial expenses of each of the dead.
Col. Aninkora told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that although the families have collected the burial permits, none has so far collected the bodies.
The 37 Military Hospital received 106 dead bodies on Wednesday May 9 as a result of the stampede at the Accra Sports Stadium after a football match between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak.
The hospital released the bodies of 26 Muslims to their families on Friday May 11 while the remaining 80 are yet to be collected.
Col Aninkora advised bereaved families who have collected their burial permit to contact the hospital authorities for the bodies as soon as burial arrangements have been completed instead of waiting till the June 9 deadline.
He said two out of the three bodies with multiple identification have now been rectified while two of the five unidentified have also been claimed.
There are now three unidentified bodies and one with multiple identification and appealed to the public especially people with relatives or friends missing since May 9, to contact the hospital.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
The Accra Sports Stadium Disaster Commission on Thursday invited the Inspector General of Police and four others to appear before it on Friday, May 18 2001.
The four are the Public Relations Officer of the National Sports Council, the Chairmen of Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko and the Estate Officer of the National Sports Council.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Mrs Regina Apotsi, Secretary to the Commission in Accra.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
Alhaji Malik Al-hassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior, on Thursday said the arrest and detention of Mr Enoch Teye Mensah by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) was legal and proper.
"As a national security agency, the BNI has the duty to act timeous, decisively and effectively when national security is threatened."
In a statement read by the Minister in Parliament on the arrest of the member for Ningo/Prampram, which has resulted in a four-day boycott of Parliamentary proceedings by the NDC Minority group, he said, "when they acted the way they did in the E. T. Mensah's case, they were only discharging their duty as expected of them".
Explaining the circumstances of the arrest, he said security agencies received intelligence reports, which suggested that the member was involved in activities aimed at inciting the youth of Nima to demonstrate violently during which certain targets including the Nima and Kotobabi Police Stations would be attacked after burial of the victims of last Wednesday Stadium disaster.
"According to intelligence reports, on Thursday, May, 10th 2001, certain persons, who are closely associated with E. T. Mensah were sighted in and around Nima contacting persons of suspicious character in furtherance of their plan to take advantage of the stadium tragedy for political ends."
Alhaji Yakubu said on the same Thursday, when a delegation from Parliament visited victims at the 37 Military Hospital, the member was quoted as telling someone that "our plan is working well" thus adding credence to the earlier intelligence reports.
"Further to this, whilst other members of Parliament were seen sympathizing with victims, Hon. Mensah was seen in conversation with some people among the crowd that had gathered at the hospital, who hailed and mobbed him, in sharp contrast to the prevailing sad atmosphere.
The Interior Minister said the behaviour of the demonstrating youth and the placards they bore on Friday, some of which had the inscription "Death to Kufuor", "We want Rawlings, not Kufuor " gave further credence to reports gathered so far by the security agencies.
Alhaji Yakubu reasoned," if the violent demonstration of the youth was a straightforward expression of anger against the Police, then what was the need for such utterances and inscriptions as appeared on the placards.
"The intelligence reports further indicated that the riots at Nima were to be extended to other places such as the forecourt of Parliament where inter faith ceremony was to be held on Sunday, 13th May 2001."
Alhaji Yakubu said Mr Mensah reported to the BNI with his lawyer, Mr Bram Larbi on Saturday and was interviewed by the Bureau's Director in the presence three officials.
He said the member was kept in the VIP cells initially but had to be confined elsewhere, when it become clear that he had become violent and was obstructing the smooth functioning of the BNI office.
"The honorable member was kept for forty-eight hours, which is within the limits of Article 14 clause 39(b) of the Constitution. He was allowed to contact his lawyer and his wife, whilst he was being held for questioning."
Alhaji Yakubu said the BNI was acting in consonance and within the confines of security and Intelligence Agencies Act of 1996 (Act 526) and section 200 of the Criminal Code of 1960(Act 29).
He refuted allegations made by the NDC Minority that the member's privileges as a Parliamentarian have been breached and that it was politically motivated.
Alhaji Yakubu said, "what happened in the case of E. T. Mensah was done in strict accordance with constitutional and statutory provisions and in the supreme national interest.
Meanwhile, the majority NPP group in Parliament has appealed to boycotting members to reconsider their action.
Papa Owusu Ankoma, the Deputy Majority Leader, told a press conference on
Thursday that the best way to address the problem is for the striking members to resume work and officially inform Parliament about their grievances.
"As an institution with laid down rules, regulations and procedures governing its affairs, Parliament is only seized with a matter when it is formally brought to its attention to enable members debate it on the floor of the house and decision taken on it thereafter."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
Alhaji Asoma Banda, Chairman of the Crime Prevention Foundation on Thursday said that the Stadium disaster in Accra was a clear indication that the Ghana police service needs a massive transformation to enable it discharge its duties properly and efficiently.
In a statement in Accra, Alhaji Banda said, "lack of training for the police in modern techniques like mob control, crime prevention, use of sophisticated equipment, has made most of them rusty."
Alhaji Banda said this when he briefed a cross section of Ghanaians in Paris, France about the national disaster that claimed 126 lives.
He said the problems of the Ghana Police Service were the reason for his setting up of the Foundation and appealed to all Ghanaians to contribute towards it to assist the police in their task.
Alhaji Banda said the arrest of Charles Quansah, a self-confessed serial killer of women recently is a clear manifestation of what the police can achieve if they are motivated and given the requisite training and resources.
He made a passionate appeal for the police saying, "we should not be antagonistic towards them. We live with them and require their services every hour of the day. They are human beings, and therefore not infallible."
He expressed regret that such an important institution should be neglected for such a long time, saying: "Go to the police barracks all over the country to appreciate the extent of decadence, the rot and horrible conditions in which the police live."
"We should therefore, not despise them for that tragic event of May 9. It could be a judgement of human error," he said.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 18 May 2001
The University of Cape Coast branch of Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Thursday said they supported the four-day boycott of parliamentary business by NDC's Parliamentarians' in protest against the "unlawful arrest and detention" of Mr E. T. Mensah, Member for Ningo Prampram last week.
They also urged supporters of the party to remain steadfast in the face of persecution.
These were contained in a statement signed by its President and Propaganda Secretary, Mr Cosmas Marshall and Sebastian Tsome, respectively.
The statement denounced the BNI's "dehumanising and misplaced aggression on Mr E. T Mensah, who has never been a scandal monger".
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 18 May 2001
Ghanaians were on Thursday told that they could help ensure prudent management of the nation's financial resources to revamp the economy, by reducing demands on the government and thereby cut down on expenditure.
The call was made by a section of participants during a group discussion at a symposium on "good governance for national socio-economic development".
It was held under the theme, "ensuring good governance for national socio-economic development", at the 'Sasakawa Centre' of the University of Cape Coast.
About 80 economists, academicians, heads of government departments and agencies, civil societies and students from the Central and Greater Accra Regions attended the symposium which was and organised by the Ghana Chapter of the 'Society for International Development and the African Association for Health, Environment and Development (AAHEAD).
The participants pointed out that although it behoves the government to practice financial discipline, it is imperative that the people offer constructive support by refraining from making demands that would lead to further financial constraints.
They also underscored the importance of increased access to information technology (IT) and accelerated development and called for the reduction of import taxes on IT equipment.
Computer literacy should be made compulsory at the secondary and tertiary levels of education.
The participants also underscored the relevance of improved agricultural production in boosting the economy and called on the government to ensure increased farmers' access to credit and land and improved farming methods.
They also stressed the need for large-scale agro-processing and better packaging as a means of adding more value to agricultural products for increased foreign exchange earnings and suggested that awards should be given for innovations in the agro-processing sector.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi outlined the devastating effects of corruption on the socio-economic development of the country.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi, who spoke on "good governance, growth and development", said that corruption among other things promotes economic decay, social and political instability and perverts the ability of the state to foster the rule of law.
He noted that to ensure the reduction of this canker, mechanisms of discovery and punishment should be put in place, stressing that institutions established to oversee, expose and punish corruption "must be insulated from the very actors they are supposed to be controlling".
He mentioned some of the key elements of good governance as transparency and accountability, a vibrant civil society and an independent media and judicial system.
Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at Legon, took the participants through the performance of the nation's economy over the years.
He expressed regret that poverty still remains a challenge to development and that recent developments in the Ghanaian economy have given cause for concern and have deepened doubts about the success of the 'Vision 2020' objective.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere pointed out that the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative presents no guaranteed solution to the ravaging debt crisis of poor countries.
He said it is necessary for Ghana to incorporate the initiative into its debt management portfolio, to enable it negotiate maximum interim debt relief, for a "timely respite from the cash crunch it now faces".
The ISSER Director also made several recommendations towards the salvaging of the economy and among other things called for effective monitoring of HIPC so that the reins could be pulled if it does not prove beneficial adding that domestic borrowing should be regulated by Parliament.
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Ho (Volta Region) 18 May 2001
Major Courage Quashiegah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has asserted that the agriculture sector bears the singular responsibility of bringing respite to the economy and the populace.
He said a well-organised agriculture sector in which the missing links between production and distribution are well established, strengthened and co-ordinated holds the antidote to food insecurity and high cost of living in the country.
Major Quashiegah, who was addressing workers of the Ministry at Ho on Thursday as part of his three-day tour of the region, painted a gloomy picture of the food situation in the country and reminded the staff that Ghanaians look up to them for a sustainable solution.
He said a country, which cannot guarantee the food needs of its citizenry at affordable prices from internal production, is vulnerable to external forces and prayed that the country would overcome this problem as quickly as possible.
He said the government has taken some initiatives aimed at making the sector the strength of the economy.
Major Quashiegah said the enormity of the problems to be solved seem impregnable but gave the assurance that by the end of the government's mandate positive results would begin to emerge.
The Agriculture Minister said, "it is easy to destroy but difficult to build" but with examples from other places, the resolve of the government and the goodwill of the country's friends the government will chalk the required successes earlier than anticipated.
He said it is time to treat agriculture as business and consciously involve the private sector actively in haulage, processing, storage and marketing.
Major Quashiegah called on staffs of the ministry, who are about to go on retirement, to go into agriculture and bring their expertise to bear on the sector and promised government support to such initiatives.
He said the sector is now in dire need of leaders whose, initiatives can help quicken the pace towards securing the goal of food self-sufficiency characterised by improved incomes, availability of the right varieties of foods at all times and at reasonable prices.
He lamented that in spite of the country's rich agricultural endowments it has for years been grappling with high food prices, shortages and imports while its less endowed neighbours have been able to solve similar problems.
Major Quashiegah promised to provide the leadership required in meeting the challenges in the sector and called for the support of stakeholders.
During an open forum the workers among other things called on the Minister to explore the potentials for the production of fresh milk in the country on a large scale and review the unified extension system.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
An estimated 99 per cent of Ghanaian Internet users only explore the Internet for sending and receiving e-mail messages without taking advantage of other opportunities and information it provides.
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Felix Owusu- Adjapong, who gave the gloomy statistics said in other third world countries, such as India and Malaysia, information technology (IT) contributes more than 15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through out- sourcing of services.
The services include data processing, data input, web site out-sourcing and data imaging.
Mr Owusu Adjapong said this in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the first Ghana Web Awards in Accra on Thursday.
The awards aim to unearth and encourage latent talents in the youth in the field of IT and also to promote the highest level of policy through the re-enactment of laws to include electronic information development, storage and access culture in primary and tertiary institutions.
It will also explore the IT sector as a foreign exchange earner for Ghana as pertains in other parts of the world.
The Minister said the launching of the awards is in line with government's policy to champion the development of IT to equip the youth with employable skills as well as use it in all facets of governance and administration.
He said by this awards' programme, the organisers are indirectly creating new economic development opportunities and providing a useful base for the promotion of human resources for macro and small business operators.
Mr Owusu-Adjapong lauded the contributions of private organisations and individual operators in the IT industry for taking advantage of the liberalisation programme despite the problems militating against the smooth operation of the telecommunications industry.
He urged all stakeholders to endeavour to eliminate barriers, which tend to limit communication and access to information, which impede rapid socio-economic development.
A panel of 19 judges comprising students, computer dealers, international experts and professionals will assess the awards in content and design. The awards ceremony comes off in July.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 May 2001
Mr Osei Bonsu, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) has called on all constituency executives in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area to study the party's constitution in order to help them to organise the party at all local/ward levels.
Mr Bonsu was addressing constituency executives of the party at a meeting in Kumasi.
The meeting discussed the organisational structure of the CPP in the document that has already been distributed to the regional executives.
Mr Bonsu and leading members of the party linked the proposed structure with the relevant provisions of the party constitution.
He called on the national leadership of the party to promote unity in the region and to avoid doing or omitting to do anything, which encourages rebellious attitudes and disunity as it is happening in the region.
The Metropolitan Executives of the CPP were vehement in their reference to the behaviour of the national leader, Dr Abubakar Alhassan and called on him to end his support to factionalism, tribalism and encouragement for the setting up of a parallel administration in the Ashanti region.
The meeting pledged their unqualified support for the regional steering committee in the bid to maintain unity and to organise the party for effective political activity in the region.
They called for positive change and action for understanding and cohesion in the national and regional leaderships of the party for the electoral challenges ahead.
The meeting later observed a minute's silence for the victims of the stadium disaster - the black Wednesday - and in memory of the demise of the former Vice-President Kow Nkensen Arkaah.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday urged developing countries to develop their telecommunication infrastructure, notably telephone lines, to reap the benefits of the Internet.
They should also make the contents of the Internet available in many countries and its price accessible within the reach of all people.
This was contained in a statement issued from the United Nations to mark this year's World Telecommunication Day which fell on Thursday, May 17.
This year's day highlights the emergence of "digital divide", a wide imbalance between Internet users and non-internet users.
For example, while people all over the world do access the internet, internet users still account for only five per cent of the world's population. Furthermore, 85 per cent of all Internet users are in developed countries, where 90 per cent of all Internet hosts live.
Mr Annan stressed the role of the internet in today's business saying "it can allow businesses to sell goods and services directly to customers across national boundaries and facilitate delivery of basic services, including health care and education, to be evenly distributed among the world's population.
The statement said from the humble beginnings in 1981, when the Internet supported a mere 213 hosts, the individual computer systems used to connect to the Internet, and a few thousand users, it had grown by 1999, to over 56 million hosts with 190 million users.
A closer look at these figures, Mr Annan said, though impressive reveals great disparities in Internet access across geographical regions.
"Today, there are almost as many hosts in France as in all of Latin America and the Caribbean, and there are more hosts in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand than in all of the other countries in the Asia Pacific region combined," Mr Annan said.
The Secretary General said access to Internet knowledge has become synonymous with social, political and economic power, and urged nations to commit themselves to the task making Internet knowledge available to all to bridge the "digital divide".
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Bole (Northern Region) 18 May 2001
The East Mamprusi District and Bole District Assemblies in the Northern Region on Thursday, approved of their nominees as District Chief Executives.
Mr Sam Mahama Akati, 60, a retired educationist is the new DCE for the Bole District having polled all the 59 votes cast.
The East Mamprusi District Assembly confirmed the nomination of Mr David Dubik, 52, Assistant Headmaster of Wulugu Senior Secondary School in the West Mamprusi District. He polled 65 out of the 66 votes cast.
Officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) supervised the two elections. In his acceptance speech, Mr Akati promised to operate an open-door administration and called for support and co-operation of members.
Mr Kenneth J. Mahama, the Presiding Member, urged Assembly members to bury their political differences and forge ahead for the development of the District.
On his part, Mr Dubik expressed gratitude to the Assembly for their confidence reposed in him and asked members of their co-operation to ensure unity at the Assembly.
Mr Dubik said even though the District is one of the oldest in the country, it remains under-developed because of conflicts.
He assured members of the Assembly that the Traditional Council is doing all in its power to resolve chieftaincy and land disputes in the area.
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Ho (Volta Region) 18 May 2001
Three of the President's nominees for the position of District Chief Executives in the Volta region out of 12 have so far received the nod of their respective assemblies.
Mr Kofi Adjei-Ntim, a Business Executive polled 36 votes out of 41 to become the new District Chief Executive for Kadjebi, Mr Samuel N. K. Blagodzi polled 35 out of 42 votes to become the DCE for the Nkwanta district while Mr Nicholas Coffie Negble, 55 a retired educationist got his ticket by 35 votes out of 47 votes cast at an emergency meeting of the Akatsi District Assembly on Thursday.
The Akatsi assembly also accepted the selection of Mr William B. K. Atimu, 55 a teacher, by a joint select committee as its Presiding Member (PM) thus breaking the four-week stalemate over the election of a PM following disagreements between the elected and appointed members of the assembly.
Mr Negble in his acceptance speech thanked the members for the confidence and honour extended to him and pledged to work towards reconciliation and development of the district.
Mr Atimu asked the people to bury their political differences and work towards the common goal of developing the area.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 18 May 2001
Members of the Cape Coast Municipal Assembly on Thursday endorsed the nomination of Mr Minuru Arafa Nuhu for the post of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).
Mr Nuhu, a 49-year old Tutor of Economics at the Adisadel College, polled 40 votes as against 18 against during the second round of voting, which the Regional Electoral Officer supervised.
The new MCE got 50 per cent of the votes instead of the mandatory two-thirds during the first balloting on May 8.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Nuhu, thanked the members for the confidence reposed in him and promised to manage the resources in the area more effectively, stressing that improving education at the basic level would be high on his agenda.
Mr Nuhu gave the assurance that all projects, which have already been initiated, would not be abandoned and would ensure that every electoral area gets its fair of the "Municipal cake".
He pledged to co-ordinate the different groups of people in the municipality for orderly development and called for their total support to enable him to perform his duties efficiently.
Ms Christine Churcher, Member of Parliament for Cape Coast and Minister in charge of Basic, Secondary and Girl-child Education, said the endorsement showed that democracy in the assembly has grown.
She asked them to forget about the past and forge ahead with the development of the Municipality instead of seeking their individual selfish interest.
In all 10 districts in the region have so far confirmed the nomination of their DCEs except Assin and Ewutu-Effutu-Senya district assemblies, whose nominees did not obtain even 50 per cent in the first voting and would, therefore, have to be withdrawn by President John Agyekum Kufuor.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
The Ministry of Transport and Communications will formulate a draft National Information and Communication Plan by August this year, the sector Minister Mr Felix K. Owusu-Agyapong announced on Thursday.
The plan, he said, will open up the basic telecommunications market to a wider range of players and investors, promote the use of tele-centres and extend access to under-served communities.
It will also promote competition in the Internet service provision market.
The Minister was speaking at a flag raising ceremony to mark World Telecommunication Day in Accra and to open the fifth West African Telecommunication Exhibition (AITEC 2001). The celebration is on the theme:
Internet, Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects.
Mr Owusu-Agyapong said the ministry will enforce a legal framework to protect intellectual property and copyright as a way to promote local content and also ensure reasonably priced access for schools, universities, libraries and other public service institutions to stimulate usage of the internet.
He described the advent of the Internet as an important development, saying, "it is difficult to conceive of any form of successful enterprise that does not use the Internet."
"It is in this light that I have initiated a programme within six months, to help all senior officials of their ministries to become computer literate capable of skilfully using the word and spreadsheet programmes as well as the internet."
The Ministry's interest in using the Internet, he said, stems from a pilot testing of a National Information Clearing House Project, which sought to network a number of vital ministries in storage and sharing of vital information.
To further boost this, the ministry is collaborating with Arrow Network Systems to establish "Odwumfo," a resource centre that will make it possible for Ghanaian professionals throughout the world to provide inputs to discussions toward key technical and policy issues.
This, the Minister said, is in line with government's policy to include all in discussions of national issues, adding, "professionals do not need to be appointed government functionaries in order to contribute to good governance.
All one needs is an Internet connection and membership of Odwumfo."
Mr Owusu-Agyapong underscored government's commitment to an effective telecommunication base to ensure provision of Internet services to rural and under-served areas.
In his statement to mark the day, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said developing countries will reap the benefits of Internet use, if they develop the requisite infrastructure, notably telephone lines, bring down the price of Internet access and ensure that content of the Internet is available in many different languages.
Mr Moses Mokassa of the UN office in Ghana and Mr Owusu-Agyapong hoisted the flags of the UN and Ghana to mark the day.
The Minister cut the sod to get the AITEC exhibition underway.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 May 2001
Ghana is to host a seminar that will explore wide areas and assess options for a long-term conflict prevention for ECOWAS countries in Accra.
The five-day seminar funded by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) is scheduled for August 20 to 24 this year.
A five-member US delegation led by Dr. Nancy J. Walker, Director of ACSS called on Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence on Thursday to brief him on the programme.
The seminar intended for leaders and policy makers will seek to build on efforts by regional leaders' interventions under the auspices of ECOWAS, and contributions by NGO's and other regional and international organisations.
Dr. Walker said prevention of conflict and creation of a favourable regional stability will be the main focus of the seminar.
Dr. Walker expressed her appreciation for the Ghanaian hospitality and consoled families and relatives who lost their dear ones through the Stadium disaster.
Dr. Kufuor thanked the delegation on behalf of the government saying, " we are grateful to have people outside Africa who are interested to do research and collaborate to ensure peace and stability in the African continent."
He said, the Chief Director and other Ministry officials have been directed to put in the necessary modalities that will ensure successful seminar in August.
The Minister, however, asked the Director to focus more on economic development programmes in the region to meet the aims and aspiration of the ECOWAS countries.
Senior civil and military leaders from the 15 ECOWAS countries and Mauritania will participate in the seminar.
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