Armed robbers at it again, they attack Nkawkaw Hospital
Interpol hunts for former board member of SSNIT
Ghana and Burkina Faso hold cross-border meeting in Bolgatanga
Pakyi Number One (Ashanti Region) 21 November 2001 - Seventeen people died on the spot seven of whom, including the driver and a baby, were burnt when a benz bus on which they were travelling was involved in an accident at Pakyi Number One junction on the Kumasi-Obuasi road on Monday.
The Asokwa Police told the media that the bus, which was travelling from Manso-Keniago in the Amansie West District to Kumasi, crashed and burst into flames at about 1700 hours.
The seriously injured were rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), at Kumasi and the dead were deposited at the mortuary.
The Police said the bus skidded off the road, somersaulted and burst into flames. Eyewitnesses however said the vehicle somersaulted when the back axle got broken forcing the tyres out and causing it to veer off the road.
They said they managed to get some of the dead out of the vehicle before it burst into flames burning the seven who were trapped in the vehicle. The Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
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Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 21 November 2001 - The 10 expatriate Catholic Nuns, including a Matron, Nurses, a Chief Accountant and other Para-medical Staff at the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region have threatened to withdraw their services and leave for their respective countries because incessant robberies.
They have been robbed on six different occasions within 30 months, their property worth million of cedis and cash including foreign currencies have been stolen.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Nkawkaw on Tuesday, the Matron of the Hospital, the Reverend Sister Annees said, at about 2 am on November 17, about 15 armed robbers, armed with guns, cutlasses, a gallon of petrol and other offensive instruments, attacked the hospital and took the Security-men hostage for over one hour.
He said they forced the doors of their Convent open, disconnected their telephone lines and threatened to set their rooms ablaze if they refused to give them dollars.
She said as humanitarian workers serving the community they could not bear the persistent attacks and robberies, adding: "Since the security agencies have failed to give us the needed protection, we have to leave to save our lives".
Samuel Owusu Ampadu, Chief Security Officer at the Hospital, who confirmed the story, however gave the number of the suspected armed robbers as about 20.
He said, they jumped the wall of the hospital and seized the shot guns of the two security guards manning the Sisters' Convent.
He said they used the two Security guards as front shield and broke into the Convent and the Cashier's Office and brought out a safe containing some money but could not carry it away following the arrival of the Police.
Ampadu said the robbers used a hand bell to wake up the Sisters and demanded dollars from them or they would set their residence ablaze so one of the Sisters threw a polythene bag containing about 500,000 cedis to them before they left.
He said following the disconnection of their telephone lines, he had to send one of the Security guards to inform the Police but he met the Police Patrol Team on the way and led them to the hospital.
On arrival, however, they realised that the robbers had locked all the gates to the hospital so the guards had to climb the wall to open the gates for the Police to enter.
The Chief Security Officer said when the robbers saw the Police they fled by jumping the wall leaving behind two out of the three shot guns they seized from the Security guards and a cutlass.
The Hospital Administrator, Mr Albert Ofori Mensah appealed to the Police for assistance to ensure security at the hospital. The Police confirmed the robbery but said no arrest had been made.
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Interpol hunts for former board member of
SSNIT
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2001 - The International Police Organisation, Interpol has mounted a search for the arrest of a former member of the board of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Kwame Addo.
Mr Addo who is also a known arms and ammunitions dealer is
being sought by the police to answer questions in connection with his arms
trade. He is alleged to have disappeared to neighbouring Togo early this year
but his whereabouts are still unknown.
Information available to JOY-FM indicates that Interpol Togo, has been co-operating with their Ghanaian counterparts in efforts to track down the former SSNIT Board member who is also wanted for multiple cases of alleged fraud in his association with SSNIT.
As the police search continues, his lawyers are reportedly brokering an arrangement of some sort with the Serious Fraud office on his behalf. Details of the negotiations are however unknown. – Joy
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Environmentalists call for review of mineral and mining policy
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2001 - Four organisations concerned with the maintenance of the environment has called for a review of the country's mineral and mining policy.
They said the policy must protect the concerns and interests of communities affected by mining operations, maximise the economic benefits of mining to the communities and the state and provide clear guidelines for conflict resolution in the mining sector.
The call was made by Mr Linus Ataarah, Executive Director of Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Af), an environmental NGO, at a joint press conference in Accra on Tuesday, in reaction to cyanide spillage by a mining company, Goldfields, at Abekuase near Tarkwa in the Western Region.
The other NGOs at the press conference were Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), League of Environmental Journalists (LEJ) and Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM).
They also called for an independent team of experts to investigate the frequent cyanide spillage in the country and a thorough geological study in the Tarkwa area on water usage by the mining companies and its implications on the long-term sustainable water supply.
Mr Ataarah reiterated their call on the government to carry out a thorough cost-benefit analysis of mining on the economic, environmental, social, gender and community impacts of the mining industry.
He also appealed to the government for full-scale investigations into alleged violation of rights by mining companies. An intensive health screening exercise should also be carried out on communities living along the polluted rivers.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 November 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday said the government would introduce a bill in Parliament on state support for political parties to perpetuate democracy.
"It is my intention to introduce a bill in Parliament for the state to support political parties, the genuine ones, to ensure that democracy thrives in the country", he told a delegation from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) who called on him at the Castle, Osu.
The KAF is holding an international conference on "Globalisation and political parties, the future of the Euro-African Inter-party dialogue" as part of its 125th anniversary.
President Kufuor, however, said state support for political parties would be on clear-cut formula and without any abuses, to ensure that there was genuine democracy.
He said the NPP had been in opposition for 30 years and its victory in election 2000 showed the strong desire of its supporters to achieve success.
The President said the government appreciated the goodwill from the international community and its placement of Ghana on a high pedestal as far as democracy in Africa was concerned.
''Such an achievement is mainly based on the nature of the Ghanaian who is naturally liberal, respects humanity, the rule of law and order and does not give in to extremes in politics or religion''.
President Kufuor commended the Foundation for its contribution to Ghana's socio-economic development and said the participation of some German MPs in the conference would assist West Africa to set up its West African Parliament.
Mr Klaus-Jurgen Hedrich, Secretary of State and Deputy Minister of Economic Co-operation in Germany who led the seven-member delegation, said he was hopeful that other African countries would take their cue from Ghana to establish their democracy and social justice along similar lines.
He said state involvement in activities of political parties was essential but the rules and monitoring of the disbursement of such support should be clear to all.
Mr Harald Loeschner, German Ambassador, said the major bond of friendship between Ghana and Germany had been the existence of the rule of law and democratic principles.
''Germany would continue to offer the needed assistance for Ghana's development''. Mr Martin J. Wilde, KAF Resident Representative, said the foundation, which had been in Ghana for the past 35 years had been assisting in its socio- economic and political development.
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Sekondi (Western Region) 21 November 2001 - Mr Ebow Bentsi-Enchill, a leading member of the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) has called on Parliament to reduce the car loans to be granted to Members of Parliament (MPs), from twenty thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars each.
Speaking at a reception organised by members of the Sekondi constituency branch of the party after a fund-raising rally at Sekondi, he said the MPs could use the cedi equivalent of ten thousand dollars to purchase a good car on the Ghanaian market.
He said since some MPs had not completed paying the car loans given them during the last Parliament, they should not be saddled with more loans.
Mr Bentsi-Enchill said though MPs must be made mobile to enable them to discharge their duties effectively, the state of the economy must be considered before deciding on the amount to be given them for the purchase of cars.
He called on Parliament to debate on the matter before action was taken on it to show that the current political administration was transparent.
He also called on Ghanaians to come out with concrete suggestions on issues discussed in Parliament, to which they held contrary views instead of merely condemning MPs.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 21 November 2001 - Ghana and Burkina Faso, on Monday identified information sharing by security agencies of the two countries, as the key to combating cross-border crime.
Both countries agreed that in this era of technological advancement, crime has assumed "a correspondingly sophisticated pose which both sides should network to keep pace with criminals and fugitives".
This was an outcome of a meeting by delegates from both countries at Bolgatanga to provide a forum for deliberations on increased collaboration and other issues of interest.
The meeting discussed health co-operation with particular reference to the spread of HIV/AIDS, smuggling, cattle rustling, motorcycle thefts and relaxation of immigration and customs laws to allow free movement of people and goods along he borders.
Mr Mahami Salifu, Upper East Regional Minister, headed Ghana's delegation, while a 12-member team from Burkina Faso was led by Mr Rouamba Issouf, Haut Commissaire (Regional Commissioner) of Boulgou Province, and Mr Savadogo
Aboubacar, Haut Commissaire of Koulpelogo Province.
Mr Salifu said the people of both countries are essentially one, sharing common historical and cultural bonds. He said ethnic groups like the Busanga, Kassena and Frafra in the region have their counterparts across the border in Burkina Faso, and urged the people of the two countries to live in unity.
Mr Salifu said the government would continue to implement the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol and called for increased
co-operation between the two neighbouring countries in areas of agriculture, trade, communication, health and tourism.
The Regional Minister called for the relaxation of immigration rules on both sides of the border, and the exchange of information on activities of criminals.
He stressed the need for citizens of the two countries to be law abiding. Mr Issouf said his country and Ghana have a long history of co-existence and there was the need to iron out all differences for their mutual benefit.
He urged both parties to demonstrate real commitment in addressing issues raised at the meeting in order to find lasting solutions that would benefit them. "The solutions may not be found in one day, but with perseverance and commitment we will get there," he added.
Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism who was at the meeting, said Ghana and Burkina Faso have a lot to share in the areas of trade and tourism because of similar geographical and historical identities.
She praised Burkina Faso for its ability to cultivate rice twice in a year, in spite of drought and hoped agriculture experts there would share their experience with their Ghanaian counterparts.
Heads of various government departments in the region including, Health Services, Police Immigration, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) attended the meeting.
Also at the meeting were Mr Basel Anuka, MP for Builsa North, Mr John Achuliwor, MP for Navrongo Central and Deputy Minister of Communications and Technology, and Mr George Anaba, the Regional Co-ordinating Director.
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