Serious Fraud Office exonerates Abbatoir MD
Food security programme for Upper West.
Police update knowledge in public order management
Nigerian Chief of Naval Staff visits Ghana
Union urges parliament to approve amendment to timber law
Farmer cries for justice against driver
Government urged to expedite action on non-custodial sentence
Government to assist in re-burial of executed military officers
Aliu says Ghana’s economy requires strategic planning
President Kufuor begins Official visit to France
Poultry Industry has potential to facilitate
economic growth-Darko
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 29 November 2001-The Serious Fraud Office (SFO), has exonerated Mr K. Agyenim-Boateng, Managing Director of the Kumasi Abattoir Company Limited from any malfeasance.
The report on investigations conducted into the financial administration of the company proved conclusively that there was no substance in the allegations made against the Managing Director by Mr Maxwell Kofi Awuku, Administrative Manager of the Company.
A press release issued by the Board of Directors of the Company in Kumasi on Tuesday said the SFO, had, however, surcharged Mr John Owusu Abrefa, the Production Manager with the sum of 2.3 million cedis arising out of the purchases of items for the construction of an additional production line, which he could not account for.
The report according to the release also recommended that as head of the Production Department of the company, he should be reprimanded.
The release said the report recommended that appropriate administrative sanctions should be taken against Mr Awuku, Administrative Manager, for spending moneys without the prior authorisation from the Managing Director.
Mr Awuku in June this year levelled allegations bordering on financial malfeasance against Mr Agyenim-Boateng, Managing Director and Mr John Abrefa, Production Manager.
The SFO instituted investigations, while the Board also set up an enquiry into the same allegations. Following the report of the SFO on its investigations and recommendation that the Board should instituted appropriate sanctions against Mr Awuku, the Board terminated his appointment.
The Board attributed its action to gross insubordination and disloyalty. It explained that as the Administrative Manager, Mr Awuku was the third in the company's command structure and therefore was in a very good position to ascertain the veracity of his allegations.
The Board said, however, that he did not do so because of hatred and jealousy having "closed his mind to all advice and remained impervious to good reason".
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Food security programme for Upper West.
Wa (Upper West) 29 November 2001- The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is to spend 1.5 billion cedis to boost agricultural production in the Upper West Region under its food security programme within the next five years.
It will benefit 1,000 new farmers who would be provided credit facilities, inputs, including quality seeds and small manual water pumping machines, and land preparation services.
Mr Sampson Fordjour, Field Project Officer in-charge of the region, who announced this at a one-day workshop for ADRA's collaborators at Wa on Tuesday, said ADRA spent 840 million cedis on the agricultural sector in the region between October 1996 and September this year.
Among the 43 participants were planners, educationists, health delivery services personnel, agriculturalists and cooperative officers.
The workshop offered an opportunity to brief them on the new five-year programme, which began in October this year and expected to end in September 2006.
Mr Fordjour said during the period farmers would be encouraged to go into baobab tree plantation whose fruit was in high demand in Europe.
He said ADRA was also collaborating with A-Snap, a South African NGO, in the production and conservation of medicinal plants in the area and would soon introduce hydroponics technology (growing of plants and vegetables in water) to the local farmers.
Within the same period, the agency would provide ten boreholes, 50 hand-dug wells and household ventilated improved pit latrines in communities in the region.
Mr. James Dassah, Regional Economic Planning Officer, who is also the Regional Coordinator of NGOs, advised ADRA to go through the plans of the district assemblies and intervene in areas it could make an impact.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 November 2001 - A three-day course in public order management for police personnel opened in Accra on Wednesday.
The course, sponsored by the French government is designed to update the knowledge and expertise of the police in security management, especially at sports stadiums.
Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, Inspector General of Police said in a speech read for him that the course was important for the people of Ghana who would not like to experience the reoccurrence of the May 9 tragic event at the Accra Sports Stadium.
He said the police needed training on general security and control methods at stadiums during sporting events.
The IGP said although some of the police personnel had already received such training this one would further enrich their knowledge.
He called on the participants to reciprocate the gesture by the sponsors by imparting and using the knowledge acquired for the benefit of the nation.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 November 2001 - The Nigerian Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan, who is in the country for a five-day working and familiarisation visit, on Wednesday called on his Ghanaian counterpart at Burma Camp in Accra.
The Vice Admiral appointed the 16th Chief of Naval Staff on April 24, 2001 is in the country at the invitation of his Ghanaian counterpart, Rear Admiral
John Gbenah.
The visit is aimed at exploring at ways the two navies, can co-operate for the mutual benefit of both countries and solidify the bonds of friendship.
After an inspection of a guard of honour mounted by a detachment of the Navy, the two naval chiefs went into a closed-door meeting after which Admiral Afolayan called on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt. Gen. Seth Obeng.
Admiral Afolayan told the CDS that his visit was meant to find areas where both navies could collaborate and pool resources for the benefit of both countries. He said the Nigerian navy was looking forward to joint training exercises through which unity could be built and fostered.
Admiral Afolayan assured General Obeng that the Nigerian fleet would be prepared to collaborate with the Ghana Navy in holding the joint exercises.
He said Nigeria had good facilities for ship maintenance, which Ghana could also utilize rather than sending her ships to Europe, stressing that it was time the military in the sub-region did things for themselves and co-operated to maximize such advantages rather than depend on the developed countries for help.
"In the interest of our unity, we need to forge ahead together and look at what is available for our mutual benefit." Gen. Obeng said collaboration should not be with the Navy alone, but with all arms of the Ghana Armed Forces.
He also called for joint training exercise, which, he said, would be beneficial to both countries as both had something to learn from each other.
The Nigerian CNS also visited the Military Academy and Training School and the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, where he held closed-door meeting with the various Commandants.
He is scheduled to visit the Western Naval Command at Takoradi and the Northern Command Headquarters in Kumasi before calling on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Friday and visiting the Ashanti Goldfields.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Union urges parliament to approve amendment
to timber law
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 November 2001- The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Timber and Woodworkers Union on Wednesday called on Parliament to approve the proposed amendments to the Legislative Instrument 1649, which deals with the procedures for granting timber rights.
A statement issued in Accra also called on the Forestry Commission to expedite action on its granting of Timber Utilisation permits as an interim measure to alleviate the raw material supply needs of distressed companies.
This was contained in a resolution adopted by the council at its last meeting of the year held in Kumasi. The statement signed by Mr Joshua Ansah, General Secretary of the Union, said the resolution called for urgent steps to be taken to allocate timber utilisation contract to deserving companies.
It also called on district assemblies to enact byelaws on bush fires as required under the bush fire control law since they destroy over 15 million cubic meters of wood annually.
The statement said the council supported the President's initiative in undertaking the nationwide afforestation project and urged employers to seriously embrace and embark on it.
The council said it was satisfied with the establishment of the Forest Plantation Development Fund, but cautioned government to be fair in its disbursement to genuine and needy applicants.
It urged the leadership of the Trades Union Congress not to relent in their demand for the restoration of the End-of-Service benefit for workers and an acceptable minimum wage for the year 2002, before the government's financial statement was presented.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Farmer cries for justice against driver
Drobo (Brong Ahafo) 29 November 2001- A young farmer whose career has been ruined through a motor accident has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to bring the driver and owners of the accident vehicle to justice.
Isaac Kwabena Ansu, who suffered extensive damage to his right hand through the accident, which occurred on August 30, 1997, told the Ghana News Agency at Drobo that all attempts to bring the driver, Sampson Adu Joe and the owners of the vehicle, Opoku Brothers, a manufacturing company, to court had failed as they could not be traced.
As a result of the accident, Mr Ansu is now suffering a disability of the right hand and can no more work on his farm.
A medical report from St Mary's Hospital signed by Dr Akuamoah Somuah, Senior Medical Officer on August 3, 1998, indicated that the victim had "50 per cent difficulty in extending the fourth and fifth metacarpals of the right hand and 60 per cent difficulty in flexing the same digits".
The report said the victim was seen at the hospital with deep lacerations of the right hand and admitted from September 2 to 11, 1997 and continued receiving medical attention till November 18, 1997 when he was declared treated. A report from Nyanahin Police dated June 22, 1998, on the accident also confirmed the injuries suffered by the victim.
The police said the matter, which was pending at the high court in Kumasi could not be pursued as the defendants could not be served with the writ of
Summons.
Mr Ansu said he suspected that some people who knew the driver and the company were trying to shield them. He, therefore, called on the IGP to help trace both the driver and the company and bring them to face the law.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Government urged to expedite action on
non-custodial sentence
Sekondi (Western Region) 29 November 2001- The Western Regional Supervising High Court Judge, Justice S. K. Asiamah has called on the government and law enforcement agencies to expedite action on the establishment of non-custodial sentences like the parole and community services to decongest the prisons.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in connection with the Prisons Week celebration in Sekondi on Wednesday, Justice Asiamah said such sentences could be applied on persons convicted of minor crimes and first offenders with good behaviour.
He said convicts, who were put on community service labour could also help in maintaining good public environment. Justice Asiamah said the large number of prisoners convicted was making the prison service too expensive for the taxpayer.
He called on parents and leaders of society to create the environment that would make the people frown on activities that glorify criminal acts.
Justice Asiamah said video films that show scenes of armed robbery, rape and other forms of violence must be banned because they motivated people to enact such scenes.
He also called on religious leaders to take the lead in the crusade to change the hearts and attitudes of people from committing crimes since most criminals belonged to religious organisations.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Government to assist in re-burial of
executed military officers
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 November 2001- Government has provided a casket and seven million cedis to each of the widows and families of the eight senior military officers who were executed by firing squad during the June 4 uprising in 1979.
They were General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, and General Fred W. K. Akuffo, all former Heads of State.
The rest were Air Vice Marshall Yaw Boakye, Rear Admiral Joy Amedume, Major-General R.E.A. Kotei, General E.K. Utuka and Colonel Roger Felli.
President John Agyekum Kufuor announced this at a meeting with the widows and families of the deceased at the Castle, Osu, on Wednesday.
President Kufuor said the seven-man Committee under the chairmanship of Air Marshall M.A. Otu, former Chief of Defence Staff, which organised the exhumation and identification of the corpses, had also been tasked to provide further legitimate assistance requested by the bereaved families to complete the process.
He said government's decision in response to a petition by the widows and bereaved families about three months ago, was in line with its policy to promote national reconciliation and close the unhappy chapter of the country's history.
"I am aware that reconciliation cannot totally undo the past and in your case, your loved ones cannot be restored to life. But you are at least being enabled to accord them dignified burials and identifiable resting places.
"I therefore count on you to accept my decision in the spirit of reconciliation and attend to the final obsequies of your loved ones in peace and with dignity. I pray that we never have to go through such traumas again in this country."
Mrs Christiana Afrifa thanked God for the change in government and the decision by the government to assist in the reburial of their beloved ones.
She expressed appreciation to the members of the Otu Committee and others for their work, which had culminated in the government's decision.
"No amount of legal (issues) or money could have given us the bodies of the deceased. It is God who has done this and we are grateful to him and all who have done such an honour to our beloved ones," she added.
Mrs Beatrice Afia Boakye, who was almost in tears, appealed to the government to release the corpses to them at the same time and provide a space at the Military Cemetery at Osu for their reburial.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Aliu says Ghana’s economy requires
strategic planning
Nkawie (Ashanti Region) 29 November 2001- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Wednesday appealed to Ghanaians to exercise patience while the Government pursued sound policies that would permanently solve the economic problems of the nation.
Ahalji Mahama, who was addressing the chiefs and people of Nkawie as part of his four-day visit to the Ashanti region, said the government would not fail to fulfil its campaign promise of transforming the economy to create wealth, provide jobs, revamp agriculture and improve health and educational facilities.
He, however, said the present state of the economy required strategic planning and implementation of effective programmes that would alleviate poverty.
Alhaji Mahama said it was for this reason that the government decided to take the difficult but necessary decision to join the HIPC initiative "whose benefits will take sometime but will surely materialize to transform the weak economy into a viable one".
The Vice President talked about the government's vision of Golden Age of Business, which he said would ensure the strengthening of the private sector to be vibrant and capable of providing jobs opportunities.
He said the Golden Age of Business would favour all entrepreneurs, irrespective of their political affiliation. Ahalji Mahama said the government was determined to complete the Nkawie Agricultural Fair project and make it a national fair centre.
Nana Twum Barima Appau III, Nkawiehene, said the Nkawie Traditional Authority was ready to release land to investors for industrial ventures.
Nana Appau said the authority had already provided 20 hectares of land for the construction of hospitals and 150 hectares for the hosting of national agricultural show. He expressed the hope that the fair site would be completed to provide jobs for the youth.
He appealed to the government to tar the road that leads to the site of the hospital project and improve school infrastructure in the area. The Vice President earlier visited Darko Farms at Akropong-Ashanti.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
President Kufuor begins Official visit to
France
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 November 2001- President John Agyekum Kufuor left Accra on Wednesday night for Paris, to begin a week's official visit to France, at the invitation of President Jack Chirac.
The President was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Finance Minister, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Mafo and the Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, Dr.
Paa Kwesi Nduom.
Briefing newsmen before departure, Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, Deputy Government Spokesman said the visit is to further strengthen the existing cordial relationship between the two countries.
He said Ghana has been selected as one of the non-French speaking African countries by France in other to enhance economic and trade relationship between the two countries.
He said during the visit of President Kufuor, the two countries would sign a 10-million dollar grant for the improvement of roads in the Northern Sector of the country.
Mr. Agyepong said the visit is also expected to be used to extend the level of debt forgiveness to Ghana and also to re-negotiate for conceptional loans.
The Government Spokesman said President Kufuor would hold discussions with the French Prime Minister and the President of the French Senate as well as visit French Institute of International Relations.
The President would also meet the Ghanaian community and continue to Norway to witness the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Kofi Annan, the United Nation's Secretary General.
The President was seen off by Ministers of State, the IGP Mr Ernest Owusu Poku, and the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Mr Ibrahim Omar.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Poultry Industry has potential to facilitate
economic growth-Darko
Akropong (Ashanti Region) 29 November 2001- Mr. Kwabena Darko, proprietor of Darko Farms on Wednesday appealed to the government to facilitate investment in the poultry industry because it has the potential to enhance economic growth and provide jobs for the youth.
Mr Darko, who said this when Vice President Aliu Mahama visited Darko Farms at Akropong, in the Atwima district said, with the requisite investment, Ghana could earn substantial income from exporting chicken breasts to the United States under the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA), to Europe and countries in the sub-region within one year.
He cited Brazil, which, he said, would earn 1.2 billion dollars from poultry exports to the US markets this year. "We are closer to the United States than Brazil and we have the manpower, infrastructure and technology to deliver", he said. "What is required is the funds to expand production of both big businesses and that of out growers."
Mr. Darko said, last year, his company lost about 2.5 billion cedis because of the continuous depreciation of the cedi, adding that, other large farms, which suffered similar losses, had gone out of business.
He appealed to the government to support the poultry industry to enable it to thrive. Darko Farms, which started with 900 birds in 1967, has become the largest in the country, producing about five million-day old chicks, 40 million table eggs, one million units of dressed birds and 30,000 tones of animal feed a year. It employs 270 people.
Alhaji Mahama said the government would pursue programmes that would facilitate the growth of all businesses, irrespective of the political affiliation of their operators.
"Government has no business interfering in the affairs of business people. Its role is to facilitate investment for the growth of the private sector."
Alhaji Mahama said the government would accordingly seek investment opportunities for large-scale poultry farmers, while it supports small-scale operators under the Emergency Social Relief Programme (ESRP).
The government has allocated three billion cedis under the programme to support small-scale poultry farmers to produce chicken at reasonable cost to Ghanaians during the Christmas festivities.
Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, who is chairman of the ESRP committee, said the package would be extended beyond Christmas. He said government would pursue programmes to reduce inflation to ensure that food prices do not escalate.
The visit to the farm forms part of the Vice President's four-day visit to the Ashanti Region to interact with the chiefs and people to find out their concerns for reshaping of policies and also to inspect the progress of on-going projects.
He was accompanied by Mr. Sampson K. Boafo, Regional Minister and Mr Alex Safo, deputy Minister of Roads and Highways.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com