Ministry orders re-exportation of shoddy and unwholesome goods
Ghana/Togo to re-activate boundary commissions
Ga Traditional Council urges opposition to cancel demonstration
Four arrested in connection with shooting incident
Muslims call for probe of Agonya Nyakrom conflict
NPP will curtail corruption - MP
Gomoa enacts bye-law on fishing activities
Workshop on building regulations opens
Regional Minister inspects work on Bolga-Bawku road
NPP will curtail corruption - MP
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 24 Nov. ’99
Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, Member of Parliament for Asokwa West in Kumasi has said that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would deal with corruption, eliminate waste in the economy and provide good governance if given the mandate in the next general elections.
He said the party has the potential to win the elections and lead the nation, stressing that the majority of the people in the country had "realised the need for a change for the better."
Mr Osei Kwaku was addressing Asokwa West NPP Constituency delegates conference to elect new officers.
The MP warned that the change of Government will not be achieved on a silver platter unless the rank and file of the party work assiduously from now onwards to the last day of the elections next year.
He called on the members to work with commitment, zeal, dedication to enable the party win the elections.
Mr Ben Abdallah, Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the party urged polling station executives to meet regularly to draw new programmes to win new members for the party.
In an election conducted and supervised by Mr Yaw Agyei Britwum, Acting Ashanti Regional Secretary, Mr Robert Asare Bediako retained his post as the Constituency Chairman, Mr E. Akuamoa-Boateng was elected First-Vice Chairman with Mr Gabriel Dwomoh as Second Vice-Chairman.
Mr Ofori Agyapong, Assembly member for Asokwa New Town was unanimously elected Secretary, Mr Daniel Forkuo, Treasurer, Mr Alfred Abu-Amosi, Constituency Organiser, Mr Osei Wusu Achiaw, Financial Secretary, Mr P. K. Manu, Youth Organiser and Madam Akosua Amonimaa, Women Organiser.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Nov. ’99
Participants who attended a four-day seminar on "Challenges of gender equity in the Ghanaian media" have called for the development of an agenda to bring about an effective participation of women in the media.
The seminar was organised by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and CONGESPRRO of the University of Montreal, a statement issued by the GJA said on Tuesday.
In a resolution adopted at the end of the seminar, the participants said the very low representation of women in the Ghanaian media, especially at the top management level, "needs to be rectified in the interest of social justice and development".
They identified the multiple societal roles women play as one of the factors militating against their advancement in the media. However, that should be no excuse for women in the media to allow themselves to be caged into accepting stereotype roles.
"Female journalists should accept challenges when it comes to reporting news in general," it said, adding that certain managerial practices marginalize women and prevent their rise to the top.
Participants said some male media practitioners prejudiced by stereotypes, use the negative conduct of one female practitioner to assess all other female counterparts, this they described as unfair.
They said apart from sexual harassment of female journalists, the uncooperative attitude of some male counterparts and members of the public, frustrate women in the media.
To address the issue, participants recommended network and coalition-building among existing women's media organisations like Women in Broadcasting (WIB) and Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM).
This, they said, should be carried out with the support of the GJA and in partnership with men in the media, to pursue the agenda of strengthening women's participation.
There is the need for administrative policies on the issue of sexual harassment, complaints and adjudication at the various press houses.
Participants urged the GJA to sensitise publishers, editors and news editors about the need to look at gender implications of the portrayal of both men and women in the mass media.
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Gomoa enacts bye-law on fishing activities
Apam (Central Region) 24 Nov. ’99
The Gomoa district assembly, in conjunction with the community based fisheries management committee, has enacted a bye-law to protect fish stock and fishing activities in the district.
The law, which was passed at the sixth ordinary session of the assembly at Apam, is also aimed at ensuring the good conduct of people at the beaches as well as safety and security at sea.
It forbids the use of explosives and illegal fishing gear for fishing, and restricts children below the age of 12 from going to sea, and school children from loitering around the beaches during school hours.
Community based fisheries management committees have been charged with the responsibility of enforcing the bye-law, which attracts fines ranging from 20,000 to 500,000 cedis.
Mr Kow Anyanful, District Chief Executive said the assembly has disbursed 200 million cedis so far to some groups and individuals under the poverty alleviation fund.
The assembly has also taken some measures to arrest maize and cassava glut in the area. It is also funding some local entrepreneurs to process cassava.
Beneficiary farmers can pay back their loans with farm produce.
Warrant Officer Richard Annan (rtd), presiding member, expressed concern about political agitation in the district and cautioned the people to refrain from activities that could divide them.
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Mankessim (Central Region) 24 Nov ’99
Mr Jacob Arthur, Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, has called on Ghanaians to use their rights judiciously in order not to jeopardise the democratic dispensation.
He told the GNA in an interview at Mankessim that though Ghanaians can constitutionally express their feelings through demonstrations, such a right must be exercised sparingly, and only when all avenues to seek redress have failed.
Mr Arthur, a chartered accountant, said "taking to the streets" erode confidence in the economy and scare away investors.
Demonstrations create panic, insecurity and confusion among the people as hooligans could use them to unleash mayhem.
"Such spectacles by the opposition parties are not in the best interest of the national economy."
The MP advised that the opposition parties could use their MPs to put their case across in the House, instead of demonstrations.
Let us use dialogue to solve our problems, he said.
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Workshop on building regulations opens
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Nov. ’99
A two-day workshop on national building regulations opened on Tuesday with a call on the press to help educate the public on the importance of these regulations to national safety and sustainable development.
The workshop, which was under the theme "towards improved national building regulations," was organised by the Geological Disaster sub-committee of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and co-sponsored by the Ghana Chamber of Commerce.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah said the workshop could not have come on at any better time, given the wave of building-related disasters the world has been experiencing in the last few months.
"The experiences in Turkey, Taiwan and Greece are too fresh to escape our memory and we in Ghana need to protect our heritage and ourselves by putting in place preventive measures such as an effective and enforceable National Building Regulations." His speech was read by Mr Amadu Seidu, a deputy minister of Works and Housing.
Mr Adjei-Mensah said the LI 630 (1996) spells out clearly the rules and regulations governing the construction of different types of buildings for different purposes.
"The threat of potential disasters on buildings emanating from the earth's interior calls for urgent consideration and incorporation of geological, geophysical and seismological parameters into the design and erection of all buildings."
Mr Adjei-Mensah said smoke detectors need to be put in all buildings, "Helipads/landing places and exits through rooftops in high rise buildings are expressly important to facilitate search and rescue exercises should there be fire outbreaks. In fact these should be compulsorily provided in high rise buildings."
The Minister therefore urged participants to make recommendations for policy and regulations that can strengthen the monitoring and control of developer's conformity to regulations.
Dr Amos Ofori Quaah, Chairman, Geological Disasters sub-committee, said although safety requirements have been addressed in the existing building code these are not being enforced, thus putting the lives of many people at risk.
"This is a God-sent opportunity for us to thoroughly and impassionately review the existing building regulations and come up with a set of workable and enforceable building regulations that will bring sanity into the building industry in this country."
In a paper on "revising the national building regulations 1996: the case of geological and other natural disasters," Dr Quaah said there was the need to devise appropriate strategies for accumulating the requisite data for the formulation of appropriate mitigation polices.
He stressed that the Turkish disasters were sewn during a construction boom about 25 years ago. Ghana is also experiencing a housing boom with little thought about earthquakes and other natural and man-made disasters.
Mr Fats Nartey, Director, Regional Co-ordinating Council, who chaired the function said district assemblies have the responsibility to enforce building codes.
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Regional Minister inspects work on Bolga-Bawku road
Bolgatanga (Upper East) 24 Nov ’99
Rehabilitation works on a total of 84 kilometre Bolgatanga-Bawku trunk road estimated at about nine billion cedis is progressing on schedule.
Major works that are being carried out on the road include the construction of culverts, drains, grovelling, grading and tarring.
The contractors, Messrs P and W Ghanem, Ghamini Enterprises Limited and Alhaji Awudu Ali Contract Works Limited gave the assurance that their various portions of the contract would be completed before the 10 months' deadline.
They were briefing the Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, who was on an inspection tour of the road to determine the progress of work on the project.
Alhaji Sulemana said government attaches importance to the Bolgatanga-Bawku road because of its socio-economic importance to the nation.
Alhaji Sulemana said it is for this reason that the government has committed such a huge sum of money towards its rehabilitation to provide the vital link between Ghana and its neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger and Mali.
He commended the contractors for working on schedule and cautioned officials of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) not to be complacent in their monitoring and supervision to ensure that quality job was done.
The Regional Minister noted that consultants and public officials responsible for ensuring that standards are maintained would be doing the nation and people of Ghana a great disservice if they close their eyes to shoddy work by contractors.
"It is the responsibility of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to enforce the strict compliance of the contract specifications to ensure the highest standard of work" the minister noted.
Alhaji Sulemana also emphasised the need for the Ghana Highway Authority and other utility providers such as the Ghana Water Company Limited, Volta River Authority and Ghana Telecom to co-ordinate their activities to avoid the destruction of roads after their completion.
The Upper East Regional Director of the GHA, Mr D.S. Issah, explained that it was difficult to co-ordinate the activity of the other interest groups because of lack of co-operation.
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Oblogu gets power
Oblogo (Greater Accra) 24 Nov. ’99
A forty-five million cedis electrification and street light project for the people of Oblogo, near Accra has been commissioned.
The chiefs and people, the Ga district assembly and Mr. Stanley Owusu, an entrepreneur, jointly funded the project.
Nii Kojo Ababio V, paramount chief of James town and acting Ga Mantse who commissioned the project commended the people for their self-help spirit and urged them to initiate and complete more development projects.
Nii Kwaku Bibini III, Chief of Oblogo appealed to the government to assist the people to rehabilitate the road linking the town to Weija junction, which he said is in a deplorable state.
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