Akufo-Addo on provisional charge for publication of tape

Civil servants divided over staging demonstration

Opposition parties will not undermine national security -Mahama

Don't charge unapproved levies, Amponsah

Girl named after Queen Elizabeth thrilled about her visit

Wildlife society to develop eco-tourism around mount Afadjato

Accra (Greater Accra) 3 Nov '99

Nana Akufo-Addo, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa on Wednesday announced that he has been provisionally charged by the police in connection with the publication of the transcripts of a tape, which a government statement has called a "forgery".

The Weekend Statesman last weekend published the contents of a tape recorded conversation making serious allegations of a criminal nature against the President of the Republic.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, Nana Addo said the managing director of his Kinesic Communications Limited, publishers of the bi-weekly Statesman and Week-end Statesman newspapers, Mr Amfo Kwakye has also been charged with publishing false news.

Nana Addo and Mr. Kwakye are on police enquiry bail.

He admitted that he authorised the publication of the tapes and the circulation of copies and transcripts to the Attorney General, the Minister of the Interior and the Inspector General of Police simultaneously.

Throwing more light on "the tape" Nana Addo said an unidentified person delivered the tape to the office of the Statesman in early October this year.

He said he made copies of the tape and sent them to the authorities because he wanted the contents to be "investigated since they were matters of considerable public importance which possibly involved the President of the Republic and members of his entourage".

The MP said the conversations on the tape "related to the involvement of 'Albert' in the perpetration of certain violent and unsavoury crimes, which, according to 'Albert', were authorised by the 'the old man'."

He said: "The conversation could amount to a confession on the part of 'Albert'.

Nana Addo flanked by Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes and Miss Ama Busia, Chairman and first Vice Chairman respectively of the NPP, said "once the transcripts had been produced, and the enquiries surrounding the tape had been concluded, it was clear to those responsible for the paper that they were in possession of potentially grave information, with far-reaching implications for the public interest.

"The tape appeared to relate to persons who were well-known members of the President's entourage and the voice of 'Albert" appeared to belong to a person in that same entourage".

Nana Addo said he could not identify the voice of the woman referred to on the tape as "Madam" but that he could, however, identify the voice of Albert whose confession was "an important element buttressing the credibility of the tape - that 'Albert' was the person who checked into the hotel and left a bombing device", which blew up the hotel in 1992..

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Accra (Greater Accra) 3 Nov. '99

Confusion broke out at a durbar organised by the Greater Accra Regional branch of the Civil Servants Association on whether to go on a demonstration slated for today, 4 November.

While the leadership wanted the demonstration postponed until the Police granted them permit, the members insisted that "this is the right time to show the government that civil servants are the bedrock of the economy".

Mr James Amissah, Regional Chairman, told the gathering to allow them to postpone the planned demonstration until after the visit of Queen Elizabeth of Britain.

This was greeted with, "No! No! We would not agree," from the gathering.

"When we are angry, you are talking of the Queen's visit"!

Mr Amissah explained that the leadership would have loved to join the members to embark on the demonstration but the Police did not grant them a permit and moreover, their "own people are not giving them the necessary support".

He appealed to them to restrict the demonstration to the ministries to avoid being mistaken for saboteurs.

Paa Nii, a spokesman of the gathering said members were tired of negotiations and stressed the need to go on strike from tomorrow to press home their demand for a better salary structure.

Since the introduction of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure in June this year, Civil Servants have alerted the government of anomalies in its implementation and have since been calling for corrections such as the restoration of allowances wrongfully deducted.

The Greater Accra branch have been wearing red bands for the past two months to signal their unhappiness about how the "government is dragging its feet" in addressing the problems.

Their colleagues in the regions have since joined them in the wearing of the red armbands.

Following a meeting with the Vice President, Prof. Evans John Atta Mills, the Ministry of Finance instructed the Controller and Accountant General to restore vehicle maintenance, fuel, house help, driver-cum-guard and over time allowances immediately, with retrospective effect from January, 1999.

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Tamale (Northern Region) 3 Nov '99

Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, Presidential aspirant of the Convention Party (CP), has dismissed the notion that the planned demonstration by the opposition political parties against government policies "is a ploy to undermine national stability".

He said the planned action is one of the legitimate means by the opposition to register their protests against ''some of the counter-productive policies of the government''.

Alhaji Mahama told newsmen at Tamale on Wednesday that the growing discontent of workers about the universal salary structure, the decline in the national economy and the crisis at the universities over facility user fees are issues of great concern especially to the CP.

"We therefore have every right to demonstrate to let the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government know that we are not happy."

Commenting on media speculations about a possible merger between CP and the Peoples National Congress, Alhaji Mahama said there has not been any definite decision on the issue, adding, "it is the impending Congress scheduled for November 20 that can decide".

He denied knowledge about attempts to disrupt last month's national congress of the party at Sunyani, adding that, the Congress was deliberately postponed to give supporters in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions who were affected by the recent floods, time to recover.

Alhaji Mahama expressed optimism about his chances of winning the mandate of the CP to lead the party for the next general elections.

''I promise the country the Nkrumahist vision of the state playing a big role in education, health, water, sanitation and other important socio-economic amenities''.

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Twifu Praso (Central Region) 3 Nov '99

Mr Michael Amponsah, District Chief Executive for Twifu Hemang Lower Denkyira district, has warned school authorities against charging levies that have not received approval from the assembly.

He warned schools in the area imposing sports and endowment levies, which have not been approved by the assembly, calling on them to halt the practice.

The district chief executive gave the warning at the third ordinary meeting of the first session of the assembly at Twifu Praso on Tuesday.

He said as a result of the imposition of those levies, most parents have been forced to withdraw their wards from school, a situation, which would not augur well for the FCUBE programme, he said.

Mr Amponsah called for the merger of some schools since there was insufficient resources and teachers to site a school in every community.

"There is no need to build schools all over the places which cannot be put to good use due to lack of teachers and logistics".

Mr Amponsah deplored the way some sector ministries awarded contracts without consulting the assembly and the beneficiaries of the project, saying "this is causing a lot of problems to the assembly".

Such contracts are poorly executed due to lack of supervision, he said.

He mentioned the ministries of health and education as the worst offenders and called on them to always consult the assembly before awarding contracts to ensure effective supervision.

Mr Amponsah expressed concern about the high prices of kerosene and asked assembly members to be vigilant and stop those who had arbitrarily increased the price of kerosene.

Mr John Appiah-Cobbold, presiding member, called on the Ghana Railway Corporation and the Ghana Highway Authority to rehabilitate the rail bridge over River Pra which "is in a very poor condition".

He suggested that the assembly be allowed to collect tolls on the bridge that links Twifu to Agona and Atti-Morkwaa.

The presiding member said development projects in the district are on course and announced that the district clinic is to be upgraded into a hospital.

Nana Kwame Baduo of the Lands Commission, called for education of the communities on the need to acquire land titles on their plots before developing such lands, to avoid land disputes.

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Kumasi (Greater Accra) 3 Nov. '99

A 13-year-old girl named after Queen Elizabeth II of Britain has expressed her joy at the Queen's visit to Ghana.

In a welcoming letter sent to the Queen through the British High Commission and copied to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Queen Elizabeth Afi-Fugah, said, she was delighted because she would be able to see the Queen for the first time.

She wrote, "since this is my first time that I will be seeing you on Ghanaian soil, I wish to welcome you on my behalf and on behalf of all children of Ghana and Africa".

Afi-Fugah, daughter of Mawufeame Fugah, Head of the Anlo community in Kumasi and President of the Association of Small-Scale Industries (ASSI), said she will forever cherish the Queens visit.

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Gbedi-Gbogame (Volta Region) 3 Nov '99

The Ghana Wildlife Society has initiated a five-year programme to develop mountain Afadjato and its environs into a tourist attraction.

The project is part of the society's efforts to preserve plant life and the beauty of the area.

Mr Isaac B. Olesu-Adjei, project officer responsible for community based natural resource management projects disclosed this to the Volta Regional Minister, Alhaji Seidu Iddi during a visit to the project site at the weekend.

Mr Olesu-Adjei said the programme, started in 1998 was being supported by the Dutch government with about 3.5 million Dutch Guilders.

He said the 2905 feet high mountain, the highest in the country together with other natural attractions in the area, need to be protected and developed into first class tourism attractions to enhance their aesthetic value.

Under the programme, a recreation park, bars, restaurants and other entertainment facilities would be built and the road network improved.

Mr Olesu-Adjei said the community is being encouraged to help and co-operate in protecting the flora and fauna in and around the area.

Alhaji Iddi commended the initiative of the society and underscored the need for agencies and individuals to help protect and develop the country's natural attractions into marketable tourism commodities.

He pledged the RCC's support for such groups and individuals who demonstrate their commitment to adding value to the region's tourism products.

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