Change of Rawlings' guards in line with security policy -Minister
Churcher calls for multi-level approach to conflict resolution
Offinso District Assembly rejects President’s nominee
Disaster Commission invites more to appear before it
Government finding ways of meeting HIPC conditionalities - MP
Government would respect constitutional guarantees of chieftaincy
CPP suspends two Vice-Chairmen
Ashanti NPP women kick against Alhaji Inusa
Agyeman_Rawlings congratulates 31st DWM members
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 May 2001
The Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Al-Hassan Malik Yakubu, on Monday explained that the provision of police, rather than military guards for former President Jerry Rawlings was in accordance with Government's internal security policy.
A release in Accra signed by the Minister stated that policemen rather than soldiers undertake security protection of top government and state officials, including the President.
The release said the Government paid particular attention to the quality of the security protection needed for the former president, and has, therefore, directed that the security detail for him should be under the supervision of a very responsible senior police officer.
It added that the Government has been very mindful of its constitutional obligations in making the necessary protection arrangements for the former President, ensuring that all actions taken in this regard accord fully with the constitution.
The Minister said the replacement of soldiers by policemen to guard the former President, which took effect from Wednesday, May 23, was a decision reached after several discussions with representatives of Government, the military, the police and the former President.
According to the Minister, in all the discussions the Government made the fact of the police guarding the former President very clear.
Alhaji Yakubu said the Government has, therefore, done what was to be done in a most responsible and appropriate manner.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) last week protested the withdrawal of former President Rawlings' military guards saying the action violates the Constitution.
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Elmina (Central Region) 29 May 2001
The Minister of State for Basic, Secondary and Girl- child Education, Ms Christine Churcher on Monday said conflict resolution in the West African sub-Region, demands a multi-level approach and high level mediation.
It is necessary for educationists to suggest policies that will help to inculcate in the youth, the values of trust, peace and reconciliation, within the various educational institutions, she said.
Ms Churcher made the call when she opened an "Experts Meeting on Curricula Development for Region-Specific Peace Education Programme", at Elmina.
The four-day meeting, under the theme " Educating for Peace And Reconciliation In West Africa", is organised by the West Africa Network For Peace-building (WANEP), and has participants from Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
It is aimed at developing a broad curriculum for 'peace-education and non-violence', that would be integrated into school curricula from the primary to tertiary level.
Participants would be expected to design strategies for the implementation of a three-year peace education programme in 84 schools selected from countries in the sub-region for pilot projects.
Ms Churcher noted that modern warfare can occur in schools or in communities between former neighbours and friends, and can draw in men, women and even children as fighters.
Recent developments in the sub-region, make it imperative for conflict resolution to be tackled in earnest, she said.
Current economic policies, she noted, do not only aggravate poverty and gender inequity, but also contribute to economic mismanagement, tension and conflicts among people.
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Offinso (Ashanti Region) 29 May 2001
The Offinso District Assembly on Monday rejected Mr Francis Buor, the President's nominee for the position of District Chief Executive for the district.
Thirty-seven out of the 60 assembly members present gave him the nod while 22 voted against him and one ballot was rejected as spoiled. He thus failed to make the mandatory two-thirds required.
Before the voting, Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Omanhene of Offinso, the Reverend Father Jacob Tadie Adomako, a Catholic Priest and Mr Alfred William Kumah, the Presiding Member, took turns to appeal to the members to confirm Mr Buor.
However, all their admonitions fell on deaf ears as the voting confirmed rumours, which had gained grounds that the assembly was going to reject Mr Buor.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 May 201
The Accra Sports Stadium Disaster Commission has invited another group of people to appear before it on May 29 to assist the Commission in its work.
A release signed by Mrs Regina A. Apotsi, Secretary to the Commission in Accra on Monday named them as: Chief Insp. Abubakari, Inspector Awuah; W. O.II Dwamena, Chief of Security, Accra Sports Stadium; Mr Owusu-Ansah, Chairman, GFA and Mr. Sylvester Mensah, Chairman, Professional League Board.
The others are the Medical Officer, Police Medical Group, Accra Sports Stadium, The Head of Ghana Red Cross, Accra and the Head of St. John's Ambulance, Accra.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 May 2001
Samuel Koomson, 53, a contractor on Monday committed suicide by shooting himself in his house at Darkuman, near Odorkor in Accra.
Koomson was reported to have returned from a funeral and decided to take a nap.
After sometime his son, Samuel Koomson noticed that he was not feeling well and decided to take him to the hospital but he refused.
A few hours later Samuel heard the sound of a gunshot and when he rushed into the house, he saw his father lying in a pool of blood with the gun by his side.
The deceased, who was survived by four wives and 15 children had not been well lately.
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Takoradi (Western Region) 29 May 2001
Mr S. P.Adamu, Member of Parliament for Bibiani, on Monday said the task ahead of the government is to find ways of meeting the challenges and conditionalities of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
He told a day’s seminar on, Civil Society and Economic Development in Takoradi, that the country has to look for policies that would improve the quality of life of the poor.
He said, "anybody who indulges in corruption is a murderer" because he is depriving the poor of a better standard of living.
Mr E. Kumi, Western Regional Economic Planning Officer, explained that increases in the prices of petroleum products were not due to the adoption of HIPC Initiative by the government but rather as a result of an increase of world market prices of the products.
He said prices of the products should have been increased by the NDC government but was delayed on the grounds of political expediency.
He said increases in water and electricity tariffs were caused by the rise in production costs.
The seminar was organised by the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) in collaboration with Friends of the Nation and Save the Children Fund.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 May 2001
Madam Theresa Amaley Tagoe, Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, on Monday appealed to manufacturing companies to slow down the rate of mechanisation so as to create more jobs for Ghanaians.
With the modern rate of computerisation and capitalisation, "if manufacturers should go all out to meet these modern trends, a lot more Ghanaians would remain jobless," she observed.
Madam Tagoe made the appeal when she paid a familiarisation visit to the African Concrete Products Limited (ACP) Bricks and Tiles factory and later toured its housing estate at Pokuase, near Accra.
"With the country's high rate of unemployment, I am appealing to you to slow down in your rate of capitalisation, so that more factory hands can be employed till the economy becomes better," she said, adding, "we need to create jobs for the people through the private sector".
Madam Tagoe, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South Constituency, appealed to real estate developers to endeavour to use local materials to make their houses affordable to the average worker.
"Formerly, Ghanaians use to build with mud which are similar to bricks, but we have all turned away from it to cement, which is not suitable to this weather and also getting out of reach of the average worker," she said.
The two million dollars tiles plant, the largest in West Africa employs 35 people whilst the estates has a number of sub-contractors.
An average of 45,000 bricks are produce daily. The estate community currently has 200 homes being occupied whiles another 400 is still under construction.
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Sunyani (Eastern Region) 29 May 2001
The government is committed to rewarding excellence in public service, Mr E.A. Debrah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister said on Monday.
However, personnel of the service who fail to measure up to defined organisational roles, objectives and tasks would be sanctioned, Mr Debrah said in a speech read for him by his deputy, Mr Adjei Duffour, at the opening of a two-day workshop at Sunyani to train members of Capacity Development Teams (CDT) in the ministries, departments and agencies in the region in project proposal writing.
Organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service and sponsored by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (UKDFID), the workshop is being attended by 60 participants from the ministries, departments and agencies in the region.
Mr Debrah said reforms carried out in the civil service are meant to address weak institutional capacity, a problem, which was particularly linked with inadequate incentives structure.
This led to inefficiency in the discharge of functions, management and use of public resources.
The Regional Minister said a number of processes initiated to make the civil service more responsive and supportive of the private sector have culminated in the preparation of performance improvement action plans as well as the signing of performance agreements to ensure the efficient delivery of service and output.
"In view of the limited resources to ministries, departments and agencies, the civil service performance improvement project programme will help to identify activities that can be undertaken with the limited resources in competence."
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 29 May 2001
Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, on Monday gave the assurance that the government would respect the guarantees accorded chiefs by the 1992 Constitution.
He said it would, therefore, create an enabling environment that ensures that chiefs "pursue their legitimate interests and aspirations without fear of victimisation or intimidation from any source".
These were contained in a keynote address read for him by a Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mr Edward Osei Kwaku at the opening of a two-day seminar for the National House of Chiefs (NHC), under the theme "Chieftaincy and governance in Ghana - challenges and opportunities" and sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Kumasi.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey observed that the chieftaincy within the country's present democratic dispensation is free to take appropriate actions for the realisation of the socio-economic development of the country.
"The National House of Chiefs, therefore, faces the challenge of ensuring that it has the requisite capabilities and the necessary resources to encourage and lead chiefs to put into effective use the powers granted them by the constitution".
The Minister for Presidential Affairs noted that chiefs are adequately involved in the governance of the nation and said their role in that regard "cannot be underestimated".
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey, however, expressed concern that, notwithstanding, the unique role of the chieftaincy institution in governance, it is plagued by "an incredibly large number of chieftaincy disputes".
He, therefore, called on the various Houses of Chiefs to evolve pragmatic measures towards the reduction of the numerous disputes that have bedevilled the institution.
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Ejura (Ashanti Region) 29 May 2001
A research scientist has attributed poor crop yield that pertains in the country mainly to the inability of Ghanaian farmers to have adequate access to improved healthy seeds.
Dr O. A. Danquah, Seed Pathologist at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said this explains why in spite of the high percentage of cultivated farmland, Ghana is still not self-sufficient in food production.
Dr Danquah made the observation at a farmers' field day held at Ejura under the seed health technology programme, which was designed to transfer the technology of healthy seeds to cowpea farmers in the Ejura-Sekyedumase District.
The programme, which was organised by the CRI in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was used as a platform to teach farmers how to manually separate "dirty" seeds from clean and normal looking seeds.
The seed health technology programme was also used as an avenue to impart to farmers the requisite skills for the conduct of emergency tests on seeds.
Dr Danquah stated that the only option opened to the country to effectively address the shortfalls in crop yields is for farmers to be motivated and encouraged to improve upon their stock of saved seeds and also persistently make use of healthy seeds in the cultivation of their farmlands.
He said that in the Ejura-Sekyedumasi area, where grains are used as seeds by most farmers, crop losses is between 10-20 per cent as a result of seed failure.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 29 May 2001
The Ashanti Regional Executive Committee of the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) has announced the suspension of Mr Kwadwo Tweneboah, First Regional Vice Chairman and Alhaji Yakubu Mohamed, Second Regional Vice-Chairman of the party.
A press release signed by Mr Kwabena Anim, Ashanti Regional Chairman of CPP in Kumasi, said the regional executive committee acting on its disciplinary powers as stipulated in article 38 (H) of the party's constitution effected the suspension on March 21 for indiscipline.
The release castigated the National Chairman of the CPP, Dr Abubakar Alhassan for causing application forms for membership to be delivered to the two suspended persons.
It described the continued promotion of disunity in the regional branch of the party by the National Chairman as a violation of the party's constitution, which aims at building a disciplined and dynamic political party.
The Regional Executives said the delivery of the forms to Mr Tweneboah and Alhaji Mohamed is a clear act of indiscipline and should be collected and sent to the Regional Secretariat of the party at Kejetia, in Kumasi.
The release said the local branches of the party are being organised and this has started with the six constituencies in the Kumasi Metropolis.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 29 May 2001
The Ashanti Regional Women's Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned the leadership of the party against re-admitting Alhaji Issaka Inusa, a former Campaign Manager of President John Agyekum Kufuor into their fold.
They stated that it would not be politically prudent to accept him back in view of the pain and anguish he caused the party by his wild and damaging remarks against the it and some of its leading members in the run up to the last December polls.
These were contained in a press statement issued and signed by Miss Georgina Osei-Tutu, Regional Women's Organiser, in Kumasi.
It said but for the good judgement on the part of voters, the palpable lies and falsehood Alhaji Inusa kept "shamelessly parroting on the campaign platform could have cost the NPP the election victory".
The statement wondered if Alhaji Inusa would have ever contemplated re-joining the party he made several disparaging remarks about if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had won the last elections.
"We are constrained to believe that Alhaji Inusa has by his own actions demonstrated beyond any shred of doubt that he is the type of politician, who cannot be trusted, unpredictable and unprincipled.
"We are afraid the NPP has no place for bare-faced opportunists and that the door must be closed on stomach politicians".
Alhaji Inusa caused a major political stir when he staged a high profile defection to the NDC in the run up to last December general election.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 May 2001
Mr Justice Edward Wiredu, acting Chief Justice, on Monday swore in the Presidential and Parliamentary nominees of the National Media Commission (NMC).
They were Mr Joe Baidoo Ansah, MP for Efia Kwesimintim and Ms. Gifty Ama Asantewaa Serwa, a trader, nominees of the President and Mr. Abraham Ossei Aidoo, MP for Tema West and Mr Kwame Osei Prempeh, MP for Nsuta Kwamang, nominees of Parliament.
The 1992 constitution provides that the President nominates two persons, while Parliament nominates three.
The third parliamentary nominee, Mr Doe Adjaho, MP for Avenor, has already been sworn in.
After administering the oaths of allegiance and office, the Chief Justice reiterated the constitutional provision, which specifies that the media shall not be subject to interference or control by the government or any other authority, saying: "Its freedoms and independence are guaranteed under the constitution."
Mr Justice Wiredu underscored some of the important functions of the NMC and said, "this is not an enviable task in our present struggle for a meaningful democracy".
He said it is important that while guarding against interference with the media they should consider the protection of the rights that the individuals and institutions have under the constitution.
This, he said, is because the media have come under attack from all corners of the society in the past.
The Chief Justice said though the task ahead is an enormous one, with dedication, courage, impartiality and understanding they would rise up to the challenges.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 29 May 2001
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, President of the 31st December Women's Movement on Monday congratulated members of the movement on the occasion of their 19th anniversary.
A statement signed by her said, "May 15, marked the 19th anniversary of the day that the dynamic women of this country resolved never to be left behind but be part of the decision making process".
She said women then resolved to advance their cause politically, socially, economically and culturally while supporting the reconstruction efforts.
"Our hard work has created an awareness which has resulted in the desire of every political party to put women in the forefront of activities," the former first lady said.
This, Nana Konadu said was enough to spur the members on to remain undaunted, united, and strengthened to ensure the total advancement of women in all spheres of the Ghanaian life.
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