Let's check our men - IGP tells Commanders
"Stadium disaster fund will not be misapplied"- Jake
Forum calls for improved phone network to enhance Internet use
NMC settles complaint against Ghanaian Chronicle
Banning Tear Gas usage not the solution - IEA
Proper nutrition is a must for high academic performance - Dittoh
Poor performance of agriculture sector blamed on misapplication of loans
Innovation in Agro-processing competition launched
Quality Grains, Police investigate reports of sabotage
Government told to review Pricewater salary policy
Nation-wide inspection of industrial establishments soon
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
Mr. Ernest Owusu-Poku, Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Friday called on police officers to keep their men in check by offering good leadership and exercise the necessary controls over them.
He said some policemen have become so incorrigible that they are not deterred by punitive sanctions, and because some officers are unable to exercise control over them, such subordinates resort to indiscriminate use of firearms on operational fields with disastrous consequences.
Effective law enforcement, the IGP said, requires the use of various professional operational methods and strategies, and those who enforce the law must use means and methods which are legally permissible and reasonable else they would fall foul of the law themselves.
Mr. Owusu-Poku who was opening an emergency meeting of regional police commanders at the Police Headquarters in Accra said: "We must operate within the parameters of the law."
The meeting was convened to examine police procedures and strategies in crowd and mob control.
This is in the wake of public outcry against the professional competence of the Police in crowd control following the Accra sports stadium stampede, which claimed more than 126 lives.
Mr Owusu-Poku expressed regret that many officers do not conduct briefing parades for the men before important exercise is undertaken and said with the right supervision and direction the police will perform better and errors will be reduced to the barest minimum.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Presidential Affairs on Friday assured contributors to the Stadium disaster fund that their donations either in cash or in kind would not be misapplied by the state.
"Every penny will go to the victims. None will be used for administrative cost, refreshment or whatsoever," he told three organisations that donated a total of 30 million cedis to the fund at the Osu castle.
He described public donation to the fund as very heartening and impressive, bringing people together in solidarity with the families of the 126 soccer fans who lost their lives in the stadium tragedy.
"No donation is too little, since little drops of water makes a mighty ocean."
Mr Michael Moffett, General Manager of Gateway Services limited who donated a cheque for 10 million cedis described the disaster as very shocking, saying, " I have a son of 33 years old and I tried to imagine how I will feel if I had lost him."
Total Finale Elf donated 10 million cedis and 10 cartons of insecticide valued at 2.4 million cedis, while the Association of Roads Contractors also donated 10 million cedis.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
For Ghana to fully tap the numerous benefits of the Internet to achieve her development goals, there is the need to improve on telephone penetration to all areas of the country.
Government policies, especially the tax laws, and other regulatory framework that are inimical to the development of the Internet as a tool to achieve set goals must also be looked at to encourage further investment in the sector.
These were the views of participants at a National Forum in Accra on Friday to mark World Telecom Day, which fell on Thursday. The day is celebrated on May 17 every year to draw attention to the importance of telecommunication.
The theme for this year's celebration is: "The Internet, Challenges, opportunities and Prospects."
Mr Francis Quartey, Chief Operations Officer Intercom Data Network, said to promote the internet as a practical tool to achieve set goals, the government must fashion out policies that will foster the development and use of the internet.
He said Ghana compared to other developing countries has lagged behind in the use of the Internet because the rate of telephone penetration is low and the access cost to most individuals is prohibitive in relation to their wages.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
The National Media Commission (NMC) said on Friday that it has settled a complaint lodged by Dr Jones Ofori-Atta, an economic consultant and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), against Nana Kofi Coomson, publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle.
A statement in Accra said the complaint was in respect of a story with the headline, "Kufuor's government held hostage - Major spat over 45,000 barrel crude oil contract" that appeared in the March 19-21 issue of the newspaper.
Part of the story alleged that Dr Ofori-Atta had deserted the NPP and "snuggled close to Rawlings-Atta Mills government" ending up as an adviser to the National Democratic Congress government. The story claimed that Dr Ofori-Atta had benefited substantially from that government's business such as the sale of stocks in the government's blue chip companies abroad, especially from Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited (AGC).
Dr Ofori-Atta denied that he had ever acted in any capacity and in particular as an adviser to the Rawlings/Atta-Mills government.
He also stated categorically that he never benefited from any NDC business.
The statement said the NMC found that the inferences and deductions which were purportedly made by the Ghanaian Chronicle as they relate to Dr Ofori-Atta are not borne out by the available evidence.
"The publication was in respect of the alleged business dealings of Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the grown-up son of Dr Jones Ofori-Atta. In that regard, the article could have been written without any reference to Dr Ofori-Atta."
The NMC also found that the statement that he snuggled close to the Rawlings-Atta Mills government was unwarranted in the circumstances.
The NMC has therefore directed that the Ghanaian Chronicle should publish the statement in two continuous editions of its publication and unreservedly retract the publication in as far it relates to Dr Ofori-Atta.
It said the newspaper should also render an unqualified apology to Dr Ofori-Atta.
The newspaper has 21 days to comply with the orders.
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Akosombo (Eastern Region) 21 May 2001
Dr. Emmanuel K. Aning, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), on Saturday said the ban on the use of tear gas in crowd control is not a solution to the inadequacies of the police service as demonstrated in the Sports Stadium tragedy.
"The tragedy calls for orientation, retraining and general improvement of the skills of our security forces in rowdy crowd control and usage of tear gas and rubber bullets on such occasions."
Dr Aning who talked to the Ghana News Agency after a workshop on "Democratic control of the military: Lessons from the USA," at Akosombo argued that what is needed is for the security forces to be adequately trained to discharge their duties in a more professional manner.
The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku has directed all police personnel to stop the use of tear gas and rubber bullets in crowd control in view of the realisation that the personnel may not be aware of the dangers they pose if not use properly.
Dr Aning said the blanket ban may not resolve the problem of crowd control, adding that the emphasis should be on training of police personnel on modern strategies.
He stressed that the analytical skills of the security services need to be improved, "so that they can understand and manage security threats with less consequences."
He said the national security forces need to differentiate between irrational and political violence as the handling of the Nima riots again exposed the Police, Military and the Political Leadership.
Dr Aning noted that the Nima riot was irrational act of spontaneous violence by small number of youth that should have been controlled differently by the security forces rather than creating a state of national insecurity and fear.
He said the nation need to accept the security lapses leading to the incident and adopt better stadia security measures to forestall future occurrence.
Dr Aning called on the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Ghana Football Authority to engage the services of experts in stadia security to undertake thorough assessment and analysis of stadia management in the country.
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President Kufuor returns home from Morocco
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
The President John Agyekum Kufuor has described his visit to Fes, Morocco as very successful.
Briefing newsmen on his return home last Saturday after a four-day official visit at the invitation of King Mohammed the sixth, he said a lot of strides have been made by the two countries, promising co-operate at all levels.
The two countries signed an agreement to set up a Joint Permanent Commission and also establish missions at ambassadorial levels.
In addition, King Mohammed offered to train young Ghanaians in the field of tourism and fisheries, areas Morocco has well developed.
President Kufuor said the private sector also had a lot of discussions with their Moroccan counterparts on how best both countries could co-operate.
The President was accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, Mr Ishameal Ashitey, Minister of State for Fisheries and representatives of the Private Enterprises Foundation (PEF) and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).
He was met on arrival by the Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Ministers of State, Mr Ernest Owusu Poku, Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Service Commanders and Mr Ibrahim Omar, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
Food vendors in the Greater Accra Region are to be screened and issued with medical certificate before they are allowed to sell, Mr Alfred Ablordepey, Greater Accra Environmental Health Officer has said.
Mr Ablordepey, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said the programme formed part of the Environmental Health Initiative, which is placing emphasis on awareness raising and environmental improvement, particularly the home and personal hygiene.
This has become necessary due to population increase and over crowding and the fact that many people have found it easier and economically convenient and reasonable to eat from food vendors, he said.
To ensure that the health of the people is not put at risk it is necessary to monitor and control the quality of food sold, especially where food vendors spring up at every corner of the street, he said.
"Whilst we aspire to keep our environment clean and beautify our surroundings, we should not lose sight of the quality of the food that we eat, for they also impinge seriously on our well being", he said.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 21 May 2001
Dr Saa Dittoh, Co-ordinator of the Food and Nutrition Security Unit (FNSU) of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has said Ghanaians should not expect any miracle in the academic performance of school children if steps are not taken to ensure that they are properly fed.
"If we keep on building schools and we put in children who are mal-nourished, we are wasting our time".
Dr Dittoh was speaking at a public lecture on "Food and Nutrition Security in Northern Ghana" at the UDS in Tamale at the weekend.
The lecture was in honour of Dr Inge Brouwer, a nutritionist with UNICEF and her husband Dr Kees Van Vekiw of the UDS, who were instrumental in the establishment and development of the FNSU as well as various research works in nutrition in the Northern sector of the country.
Speaking on, "from nutrition laboratories to nutrition secure communities - a path to development in Northern Ghana", Dr Dittoh said development of any kind, especially academic development, depends on the brain and brawn power of the human being.
"It is now known that brain and brawn power is critically dependent on macro and micro nutrients", he explained.
He said it, therefore, follows that any remarkable achievements by students would depend on how well nourished their brains and muscles are especially during the critical years of early childhood development during, which the development of the brain takes place.
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Denu (Volta Region) 21 May 2001
Major Courage Quashigah, Minister of food and Agriculture (MOFA) has blamed the current low level of agricultural production on the misapplication of loans meant for credit and infrastructure development.
He said such loans had been spent on the payment of huge per diems and high consultancy fees to so called experts.
The Minister made this remark on Saturday during an interaction with farmers and officials of the Ketu District Directorate of MOFA as part of his three-day tour of the Volta Region.
He expressed regret that in spite of the hopes raised about the Youth in Agriculture (YIA) and the Village Infrastructure Project (VIP) there is nothing to show for them because the schemes did not benefit those for whom they were meant.
Major Quashigah told the farmers that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would modernise agriculture through the provision of credit facilities, equipment and access to markets.
He asked the District Directorate of MOFA to conduct research into the salinity of water bodies in the district to ascertain their suitability for irrigation and also identify all abandoned farms for possible revamping.
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 21 May 2001
The Central Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze on Saturday called on businesses and corporate bodies to set aside a percentage of their profit to provide financial and material assistance to the distressed in the society.
He further called on them to include humanitarian activities such as caring for the poor and needy in their programmes to supplement the government's efforts at caring for the distressed in the society.
Mr Edumadze was speaking at the first anniversary celebration and a fund raising dinner dance of the Cape Coast Crystal Lions Club, under the theme, "reaching out to the distressed in the society" at Cape Coast.
The club, which was formed two years ago in the region, is a non-governmental organisation specialising in providing for needs of the distressed in society.
The Minster observed that most of the corporate bodies make a lot of profit at the end of every year and, therefore, urged them to assist needy people in the areas they operate.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
The Association of Ghana Industries, on Saturday launched a competition on Innovation in Agro-processing to encourage research institutions and the Universities to come out with unique findings to enable the country to add value to its agricultural products.
The innovation, which should be an original work emanating from Ghana should also be environmental friendly and answer the association's sense of creativity.
The best innovative research work will receive a cash price of 15 million cedis. The first and second runners up will receive 10 and five million cedis respectively.
Mrs Elizabeth Joyce Villars, 2nd Vice-president of the Association, who launched the competition at the INDUTECH Final Sponsors night in Accra, said there would be no meaningful industrialization if corresponding efforts were not made to improve on agriculture growth.
The INDUTECH 2001 night was held to honour and show appreciation to organisations, individuals and the media who contributed in diverse ways to make the fair a success
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey left Accra on Saturday for Libreville, Gabon to attend the 38th Session of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) Executive Committee meeting which opens on May 21.
Mr Adjetey was accompanied by Mr Rex Owusu Ansah, the Clerk of Parliament.
The conference, which would be attended by various National groups, would hold consultations and exchange views on questions that concern the APU and the continent.
The participation of the Speaker is essential in view of Ghana's continued strides in consolidating the objective of the African Continental Parliament.
Among issues to be discussed include admissions and re-admissions into the APU, consideration of management accounts for 2001 and the implementation of decisions and recommendations of the conference.
They would be away for five days.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on Saturday said it is carrying out a re-organising exercise to become a close knit and dedicated political organisation to enable it to win the 2004 elections.
It is therefore putting in place a series of organisational strategies, including training workshops for its leaders at the various levels to project the party as a better alternative to the ruling party.
Dr. Abubakr Alhassan, National Chairman and Leader of the CPP announced the strategies at the opening of a workshop for regional executives of the party from the southern sector - Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Central, Volta and Eastern regions -in Accra.
Topics to be treated include Provisions of the CPP Constitution and the Party Structures, Functions of Officers and Organs, Rights and Obligations of Officers and Disciplinary Actions and Procedures.
There would also be suggestions for possible amendments to the CPP constitution.
Dr Alhassan said the CPP contested the December 2000 election against many odds, one of which was how to market the party and its presidential and parliamentary candidates just five months to the elections.
Having organised a congress to elect a substantive chairman and a presidential team just after coming out of crisis, a section within the party argued that the party should concentrate on preparations for the 2004 election, instead of using its meagre resources to contest the year 2000 elections, he noted.
They said if anything at all, the party should just select some winnable 50 constituencies and not take part in the presidential race.
Some spearheaded full participation in the elections, saying, the "CPP, is a national party and cannot stay away from national elections, however unprepared it may be."
Dr Alhassan gave statistics on the performance of the party in the 2000 elections and said the results, viewed against the odds that confronted the party before the elections, was no mean achievement.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
The Police are investigating reports that some saboteurs intend to destroy machinery, plantation and other items of evidential value at the Quality Grains Project at Aveyime in the Volta Region.
A statement from the Police Public Relations Unit and signed by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David S. Eklu said the Inspector General of Police has accordingly ordered the Volta Regional Commander to institute adequate security measures to protect the project while investigations continue.
It further ordered that as a preventive security measure, apart from genuine workers and farmers, no persons will be allowed into the farm without authorization from the police headquarters.
The statement said, no land assessments, surveying or cartography will be allowed.
These measures will be in force until the threats subside or the court case is disposed of.
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Yendi (Northern Region) 21 May 2001
Mr. Daniel Freeman Lawer, Chairman of the Northern Regional Council of Labour on Sunday appealed to the government to review the Pricewater House salary policy and the SSNIT Pension Scheme for workers.
He also called on the government to restore the end-of-service benefits and leave claims of workers to alleviate their hardships.
Mr. Laweh made the appeal at the quarterly meeting of the Yendi District Council of Labour at Yendi.
The meeting, which was attended by 25 participants from 12 unions in the district, discussed the history of the Trade Union Congress, Structure of the TUC, Draft Labour Laws and the Labour Enterprises Trust. Mr. Hudu Walvis Vice-Chairman of the District Council of Labour appealed to workers to exercise restraint in their demands on the government, since the Kufuor administration is barely four months in office.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
Ghanaian environmentalists will on June 6 begin an exercise, under a project called Urban Bird Survey One, to count birds in the Accra metropolis.
The Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS), an environmental group, will carry out the survey and documentation of birds within Accra and its immediate suburbs in view of the rapid decline in their natural habitat and the continuous alteration in landscape due to human activities.
Mr Gerard Hillary Osei Boakye, Marketing Officer of GWS, in an interview with GNA, said the project is estimated at about 39 million cedis.
Standard Chartered Bank will bear 76 per cent of the cost whilst the GWS will bear the rest.
Birds, though good indicators of the quality of the environment may not provide an early warning signal of environmental deterioration. However, a continuous monitoring of their population over a period can provide vital data and information to quantify the changes taking place or that has taken place in the environment.
Mr Osei-Boakye said the survey would provide the baseline information on birds and other components of the environment against which any future comparison can be made.
He said GWS can boast of an unparalleled expertise in the field of Ornithology (study of birds) and other wildlife related issues.
Birds, throughout the world are the most well studied groups of organism, he said. "This, to a large extent, is due to the fact that birds are easily seen or heard, an attribute that enhances effective observation and studies."
Mr Osei-Boakye said the project would also look at the potential of birds colliding with aircraft, incidents, which has caused heavy financial and human losses to several airlines and countries.
The result of this survey, he said, would provide essential data and information that can be utilised by the relevant agencies for effective landscape planning and development of the Accra metropolis and its suburbs.
"If the Accra project proves successful, it would be extended to other regional capitals, until the whole country is studied".
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Offinso (Ashanti Region) 21 May 2001
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is to undertake a nation-wide inspection of industrial establishment to determine their viability for rehabilitation to open job opportunities for the unemployed youth.
Announcing this at Offinso at the weekend, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry said the ministry has also established the Ghana Investment Fund to facilitate access to credit by youth entrepreneurs.
Dr Apraku was speaking at a durbar by the Offinso Traditional Council in his and Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Energy's honour at offinso.
The two ministers, who both hail from the traditional area, were honoured for their role in government.
Dr Apraku said the government has procured some machines for preservation and processing of tomatoes to be sited in the traditional area, a major producer of the vegetable.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May 2001
About 2,000 polling and monitoring agents of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were on Saturday honoured for the sacrifice and dedicated service rendered to the party during last December's Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
The agents, who monitored the elections in the Volta Region, were drawn from Accra, Tema, Ashiaman and a number of tertiary institutions.
Mr Odoi Sykes, National Chairman of the party who addressed the gathering commended the agents for their vigilance during the elections and asked them not to rest on their oars, but to support the democratic process being carried out by the party.
He congratulated some of the agents, who stayed in the Volta Region for about three days despite the maltreatment and molestation by the police and opposing party supporters.
The NPP Chairman said, irrespective of one's political affiliation, the country should be put first and that all efforts should be made by all to assist in the development of the country for the benefit of Ghanaians.
He said : "if an NDC man has something good to offer the nation, we should co-operate with him to move the nation forward."
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