IGP says police should defend themselves
against mob attacks
‘Review sentence on defilement’
Pokuase Police Station closed
NDC denies allegations over executive positions
African-American Institute honours Ghana, Senegal
Bartels sues Free Press
Prophetess says angel gives new date for Christmas
Adjaho
says govt subverts Constitution…but Osafo Marfo disagrees
Top
NDC man warns party will collapse if…
Wa
Naa’s palace goes bad
Obed Asamoah
to contest NDC Chairmanship
Police hunt
for robbers of Awuni's residence
Huge fake
invoices detected
NDC Youth
looking for 'traitors'
Can Ghana
reconcile?
Buy made in
Ghana goods - Appiah-Menkah tells Ghanaians
Ghanaians of
September 11
Pollution
Control is a professional work
The relevant
portions of this law are Sections 72 and 83.
Kade Hearts'
chapter marks 90th anniversary
IGP says police should defend themselves
against mob attacks
The Daily Graphic carries that the Inspector-General of
Police (IGP), Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, has directed personnel of the Police
Service to defend themselves and their property against mob attacks. He made it
clear, however, that such self-defence should be carried out within the
confines of the law.
Reacting
to the increasing attacks on the police, the IGP said as citizens of the
country, police personnel are also entitled to self-defence during when
attacked. He said the fact that police personnel are peace officers maintaining
law and order does not mean that they should sit down unconcerned when they are
attacked without any cause or in the course of providing security and enforcing
the rule of law.
Mr
Owusu-Poku decried the increasing spate of unprovoked attacks on police
stations and personnel of the service and warned that, “this kind of
gangsterism would not be tolerated again”. According to the IGP, personnel who
do not respond appropriately to unprovoked attacks must have a problem with their
policing skills.
He referred specifically to the attack on the Pokuase Police
Station by a mob of 400 at the weekend and described the action as unwarranted.
He said because the police personnel were not at the centre of the mob’s
agitations, “it was as uncalled for as it was misguided and misdirected
aggression”.
More…/
The Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal, Mr Justice Charles Quist, has called for a review of the minimum sentence of seven years imposed on persons convicted of defilement.
He described the present sentence as harsh because of the youthful ages of most of the offenders. Justice Quist made the call at the opening of a three-day symposium organised by the Ghana Prisons Service in Accra on Monday.
Speaking on the topic “Establishing Linkages in the Criminal Justice System of Ghana for Effective Crime Control - The Role of the Judiciary”, he explained that most offenders in this category are often between the ages of 17 and 25 years, adding that to sentence such young persons to a minimum of seven years, without any discretion given to judges, is a bit on the harsher side.
Mr Justice Quist also recommended a review of the minimum sentence of 10 years imposed on persons in possession of narcotics drugs.
He said the sentence is harsh, arguing that, “most offenders are users of the drugs who are not given the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves”.
Mr Justice Quist said the law must balance the need to prohibit the exportation and use of narcotic drugs with the world-wide drive to rehabilitate drug users.
On measures needed to strengthen the various institutions within the criminal justice system, the tribunal chairman recommended to Parliament to amend sections of the Constitution to include community service as a form of punishment that can be imposed by the courts.
"Without such an amendment, no amount of exhortation by the public on the courts to impose community service on offenders will be adhered to since the court can only issue appropriate sentences provided by law", he added.
Mr Justice Quist also called for sentencing policies and guidelines with respect to various categories of offences to ensure uniformity in punishments.
More…/
The Pokuase Police Station in the Ga District of the Greater-Accra Region has been closed down indefinitely, following a mob attack on the station by some residents of the community at the weekend. The 18 police personnel manning the station have been reassigned to other stations.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Dr K. K. Manfo, who confirmed this, said the attack has incapacitated the station. “With regard to the extent of damage caused to the building, station books and radio communication facility, we can no longer continue our normal police duties at Pokuase,” Dr Manfo explained.
However, he said, adequate contingency measures have been made by the regional police command to ensure law and order in the area. The regional commander said as part of the measures, day and night police patrol teams would be detailed to Pokuase regularly to maintain security and forestall further acts of violence.
More…/
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied that various positions for the party’s national delegates congress slated for December 28 have already been allocated to specific leading members.
“The party wishes to make it clear that at a time it is working hard to reorganise and rejuvenate its structures, the last thing the party leadership will do is to pre-empt an open democratic election process at congress by selecting particular individuals in advance,” a statement issued in Accra by the Chairman of the Media Committee of the party, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said.
The statement assured supporters of the party that all positions from the ward to the national levels are up and open to new candidates this year. “The same openness that has characterised the elections that have taken place already in certain constituencies around the country is what the party expects to take place at the national delegates congress,” it said.
The statement said attempts by some media houses to give the impression that former President Jerry Rawlings is dictating to the party who can and cannot be a candidate for any position at the forthcoming congress is patently false.
“To say already, there is evidence that some individuals have allegedly been pencilled in by ex-President Rawlings for some specific positions will indicate that they are not contesting for those positions. As events unfold, the general public and party members will come to see the true picture and recognise the misinformation being peddled by the party’s detractors,” it said.
More…/
The Africa-America Institute (AAI), a Washington-based non-governmental organisation, has honoured the people of Ghana and Senegal for enduring difficult political and economic circumstances to transform their societies into vibrant democracies.
The Institute, which has, for the past 48 years, promoted enlightened engagement between Africa and America through education, training and dialogue, conferred the honours on these two countries at its 17th annual awards dinner at the plush Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York.
Mr Richard Matzke, Vice Chairman of Chevron Texaco Corporation presented the two awards for national achievement in the names of President John Kufuor of Ghana and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.
In an accompanying citation, Mr Matzke acknowledged the courage and political maturity of the people of Ghana and Senegal for establishing themselves as role models and beacons of hope for other citizens in the West Africa sub-region in their struggle for democratic reform.
He said in electing Mr Kufuor as President, Ghanaians have chosen a man who upholds the principles of respect for human rights and the rule of law.
More…/
The Minister of Private Sector Development, Mr Kwamena Bartels has filed a suit at the High Court, claiming ¢400 million as general damages from the publishers of the Free Press, an Accra weekly newspaper, for libel.
Joined in the action are Frank Boahene, acting Editor of the Free Press and Tommark Advertising Services Limited, publishers of the newspaper.
According to Mr Bartels who, until October, this year, was the Minister of Works and Housing, the defendants falsely and maliciously caused to be published in the Free Press of Friday, November 15, 2001, words imputing dishonesty, corruption, fraud and lack of credibility on his part.
The publication was captioned “The Keta sea defence scandal revisited. Where is the 3.2 billion refund from Pentax? Kwamena Bartels’ unnatural silence.”
Mr Bartels, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, is further seeking an order that the defendants retract the publication in the newspaper in the same manner and give same prominence to the retraction as was done to the publication.
He is further seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the defendants from the publication of any words imputing on his part without justification.
In the said publication, the newspaper alleged that Mr Bartels, who became a hero when he exposed the graft an embezzlement which had engulfed the Keta Sea Defence Wall Project had failed to live up to his pre-election promises by maintaining an unnatural silence on a matter he had, prior to his election, publicly criticised.
It was further alleged that the reason why plaintiff had remained silent was that he was in collusion with Pentax.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Prophetess says angel gives new date for Christmas
Stop the preparations; stop the fun, says the Graphic Showbiz, as Prophetess Madam Lehem of Zetaheal Mission, an inter-religious denomination, has proposed that November 14 should be celebrated as the day of Christ’s birth and not December 25.
The date, according to her, was revealed by the angels’ of God and she is urging the government to adopt November 14 as a national holiday.
Madam Lehem who said this at the out-dooring ceremony of Christ said the birth of Christ has played a significant role but over the years it has not been celebrated, as it should.
Zetaheal Mission, which has been in existence for the past 26 years, is a church where both Christianity and Islam are practised. She said as an emissary who is to act as a mediator between man, God and his angels, there will be peace all over the world if the birth of Christ is recognised and celebrated accordingly.
She said as revealed by the angels to her, every year, special prayers are offered by members of the mission to await the safe arrival of baby Jesus.
“On his arrival, there will be three gun salutes to greet him as King of Kings, followed by a presentation of flowers”, she said.
Prophetess Lehem said to welcome Christ as a King is what has prompted the Mission to revisit the issue annually so that Christ can be given a befitting birthday.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Adjaho says govt subverts Constitution…but Osafo Marfo disagrees
The
Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Hon Doe Adjaho, has stated that the NPP
government has flouted and betrayed all Constitutional and Parliamentary
decorum by unilaterally earmarking a whopping ¢384 billion for use without
Parliamentary approval.
A story by
The Crusading Guide’s says Hon Adjaho in an interview with the paper said the
amount targeted for misapplication by the NPP government was siphoned from the
Ghanaian tax payer’s development budget comprising of health, sports,
education, Media Commission, etc.
“This is
misapplication in so far as it contradicts what has been legally authorized by
the Appropriation Act. The implication is that road, health, electricity, water
and education and other development projects indicated in the 2001 Budget
statement cannot be implemented since the money has been used for purposes
other than development or investment.
If one can
use road project money for administrative purposes without any question then
what constitute misapplication of Public Funds?” Doe Adjaho argued.
According
to him, Parliament approved ¢1.2 billion in the Parliamentary Act 599 2001 for
the NPP as Contingency Fund but the Minister of Finance Mr Osafo Marfo surfaced
with his Mid-Year review budget only to illegally allocate ¢122 billion as
Special Contingency. “In the Appropriation Act 599 2001 that gives legal
backing for the Minister to spend, he had earmarked ¢1.2 billion for
contingency and he has earmarked ¢122 billion to spend. We realized it was
unconstitutional and illegal,” said the Minority Chief Whip. Mr Adjaho also
made a number of listings.
When
contacted, Mr Osafo Marfo intimated that the Appropriation Act is the upper
limit provided by Parliament for the Executive to spend within and if the
government exceeds the upper limit then it must come back to Parliament for
approval.
The
Appropriation Act passed in March, according to Osafo Marfo, was ¢14 trillion
and in the Mid-Year Review, he (Minister) earmarked only ¢13.01 trillion. By
this the Finance Minister argued that his review was within the limit.
More…/
Top NDC man warns party will collapse if…
A leading
member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr William Ayanful
has warned the leader and founder of the party, Flt. Lt (rtd) Jerry Rawlings
that the party will collapse if he tried to impose Professor John Attah Mills
on the NDC for election 2004.
Mr Ayanful,
who is the party’s Chairman for the New York, United States of America (USA)
branch, disclosed this to the Crusading Guide in an interview in Accra
recently. He warned the former President that the party could break up into
four factions.
According
to him, the party’s branch in the USA supports the idea of going to congress to
elect a flagbearer for 2004. Mr Ayanful cautioned Rawlings that the branch
would not support the NDC financially if the ex-President continued campaigning
covertly for Atta Mills.
The New
York NDC Chairman who had arrived in the country ahead of the party’s national
congress scheduled for December 28 said the Flt. Lt. Rawlings needs to expend
his energy to ensure that unity of the party is maintained rather than working
relentlessly to impose someone on them.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Wa Naa’s palace goes bad
The Wa Naa’s palace, which used to be the architectural showpiece and one of the major tourist centres in the Upper West Region has crumbled, according to The Ghanaian Times.
This is because, since the death Naa Momori Bondiri II, paramount chief of the Wala Traditional Area in 1998, there has not been any succession to the skin to occupy the palace due to chieftaincy disputes. As a result most of the roofs and walls built with Sudanese architectural designs for centuries have now caved in while some of the bedrooms and sitting rooms are completely broken down.
An attempt by the Wa District Assembly and the regional office of Meseums and Monuments Board to give the palace a facelift last year failed as a visit by the Ghana News Agency to the site revealed that sand, stones and gravel heaped there last year for the renovation have been partly washed away by rains and the wind.
The Times says people are even wondering why the police should keep guarding a palace that has lost its traditional respect and value. Others called for its demolition. Apart from that, the Wala Traditional Council, Wa District Assembly and the Meseums and Monuments Board are also losing tourists it used to attract from all over the world in the previous years.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Obed
Asamoah to contest NDC Chairmanship
Dr Obed Yao
Asamoah, Chairman of the Reorganisation Committee of the National Democratic
Congress (NDC), has dropped hints that he will contest the chairmanship
position of the party during their congress at the University of Ghana, Legon,
on December 28.
"People
are entreating me to contest the chairmanship, and I'm actively considering
their entreaties," The Ghanaian Chronicle quoted Dr Asamoah as saying. He
was answering questions in an interview with the paper in Accra on Wednesday.
Dr Asamoah
would, however, not comment on a meeting reportedly held in the Ridge residence
of ex-President Rawlings at which certain unsavory remarks were allegedly made
about him by the ex-President.
The
ex-President reportedly accused him of planning to strip him of his positions in
the NDC. “I was not in the meeting; in fact, I was out of town; I can,
therefore, not comment on an event I do not know much about,” the legal
luminary said. "In any case, I do not see how anybody could circumvent the
wishes of the grassroots," he added.
Dr Asamoah
said the National Reorganisation Committee, which was created by the NDC
National Executive Council and the Consultative Committee which includes
representative of the alliance partners, the DPP and Eagle Party, toured the
whole country, collected and collated views from the rank and files as to how
the party should be moved forward.
Asamoah
said party members expressed concerns about three main issues-the imposition of
candidatures at the constituency and national levels, the position of Founder
and Leader of the party and six national vice-chairman of the party.
He said it
was generally proposed that no candidates should be imposed at any level of
party organization, and that free and fair elections should be held at all
levels.
More…/
Police hunt
for robbers of Awuni's residence
The Police
have begun investigations into the November 19 robbery at the residence of
Police Public Relations (PRO) chief, DSP Angwubutoge Awuni.
Statements
from eyewitnesses, including DSP Awuni’s mother and the Police PRO chief
himself, have been taken to assist in the investigations. Sources say the leads
gathered by the police so far has been useful.
The robbery
of Awuni's residence was the second in almost a month and the second since his
recall as Ashanti Regional PRO to serve in his old role as the Chief Police in
the nation's capital few months ago. The first time Awuni was robbed was on
October 30.
The recent
armed robbery was said to have taken place when the only the mother of Awuni
was left at the family's residence at Dunkona, a suburb of Bortianor in the
Greater Accra Region and the robbers seized the opportunity.
They used
weapons to break into the house, the mother of the victim told the police.
Chronicle
gathered that Awuni's mother managed to save her life by sneaking into a nearby
bush.
The robbers
took away a fax machine, video deck, an unspecified amount of cash and a
Minolta camera bought by the Police PRO chief during his United Nations duty
tour of the Balkans.
Both
robberies on Awuni were preceded by phone calls warning the police official
that he would be paid back for his vocal anti-crime stance, especially in the
media.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Huge
fake invoices detected
The Evening
News reports that between 90-95 percent of all invoices presented by importers
to the Gateway Services Limited (GSL) for Final Classification and Valuation Reports
(FCVR) are either fake or fictitious.
Consequently,
all such classification reports issued by the GSL are low values, resulting in
a major revenues leakage.
The
national Chairman of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) Senior
Staff Association, George Adum-Kwapong, revealed this during the association's
recent national delegates conference held in Kumasi.
He said the
situation has arisen because the CEPS core function of Valuation,
Classification and Examination has been "surrendered on a silver platter
to private companies, GSL and the Ghana Standard Veritas Bureau (GSVB)."
More…/
Disturbed
about the way certain vital information including exclusive meetings are leaked
to the media, the NDC Youth Forum is striving hard to expose the 'traitors'
within their midst.
The latest
information from an in-house meeting leaked to the media on Monday has made the
youth to sit up.
The Forum
on Tuesday night held a marathon meeting in Accra, specifically to find out how
the deliberations at a meeting with ex-President Rawlings at his official Ridge
residence was leaked to the media.
Tuesday's
meeting, which was inconclusive and therefore scheduled to continue this evening
will enable the members to identify the 'traitors' and put them before the
party's disciplinary committee.
Mr Bismark
Agbemenule, Greater Accra Youth Organizer of party, confirmed to "The
Evening News" on telephone that the meeting came on as planned.
According
to him the Forum was disturbed about the leakages and promised that the
'traitors' would be dealt with the party's code of conduct.
On
derogatory remarks allegedly made by former President Rawlings against certain
top members of the NDC during the meeting and his list of favourities, Mr.
Agbemenule said the former President as an individual has the right to freedom
of speech and choice and "nobody can begrudge for his choice."
He said the
absence of people like Dr Obed Asamoah, former Attorney-General and Minister of
Justice at the meeting did not mean that he had been sidelined.
He
explained that the Youth Forum, after holding separate meetings with other
leaders of the party decided to meet the former President who is also the
founder and leader of the NDC.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Can Ghana
reconcile?
By A.
Harruna Attah
Debate on
the National Reconciliation Bill is stalled. This is because the Minority in
Parliament has decided not to have anything to do with it.
Their
Leader, Mr. Alban Bagbin has said unless the Attorney General and Minister of
Justice, Nana Akufo-Addo apologises to them for unfavourable utterances against
them in his winding up, they will not take part in debating the bill.
Effectively
then, they are scuttling the bill, for at the time of writing yesterday
afternoon, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice had not indicated his
willingness to accede to the Minority demand.
The issue of
national reconciliation caught the public fancy in the dying years of Rawlings'
20-year grip on power when it was felt by many people that June 4 and December
31, together with Rawlings' own abrasive nature had so traumatised the nation
that, there was the need for the country to come to terms with that portion of
its history so as to move into the new millennium without the excess baggage of
a disuniting heritage.
Rawlings
himself must have felt the pull of public opinion when he attempted a couple of
grudging and half-hearted apologies.
It was with
those periods in mind that Religious Leaders, Journalists, Politicians and
other representatives of the conscience of society kept asking for
reconciliation and prayers for the nation.
Indeed, in
the run up to Election 2000, the country erupted into one huge prayer ground
because it was felt that one way or the other, violence would erupt.
The violence
that would erupt was expected to be between Jerry Rawlings and his June 4 and
December 31 adherents on one hand (not even NDC), and the rest of the country
on the other.
In fact, the
few instances of violence recorded were actually along those lines.
When the
President therefore spelt out his intension of setting up a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission in his Sessional Address in March, it was clearly
with that mind-set. He wanted to reconcile the country in connection with the
traumas of its recent history, that is June 4 and December 31.
The
President was spot on, because barely three months after his Sessional Address
on June 4, 2001, he was proved right when the main architect of those traumas
was at it again threatening "BOOM!" against Ghanaians because
parliament had voted to expunge June 4 from the list of Ghana's national holidays.
Events since
the change of government early this year prove that June 4, and December 31
continue to haunt Ghanaians like no other period of the country's history.
Even the
NDC, the main opposition party, which metamorphosed from June 4 and December
31, is haunted by those two dates, unable to free itself to lead the
independent life of a bona fide political party.
And there is
no wonder, because some of the loudest critics on the NDC benches in
parliament, only a few years ago, when they belonged to the then opposition
were equally loud in condemning those two periods as the darkest in Ghana's
post independence period.
There will
certainly be a watering down of the process if June 4 and December 31 are not
made the heart of the reconciliation process. It is the bitter aftertaste of
those two dates which continue to linger in Ghanaian conscience, that called
for the need to reconcile in the first place.
The Accra
Mail has obtained excerpts of the Hansard in connection with the Attorney
General's winding up (serialisation tomorrow). It is difficult to see what
could have been so arrogant and insulting as to necessitate the Minority's
boycott.
Certainly,
the charge of arrogance cannot be used to stall parliamentary proceedings
unless of course other motives are involved.
What then
could these motives be? - Accra Mail
Online
More…/
Buy made in
Ghana goods - Appiah-Menkah tells Ghanaians
Mr Akenten
Appiah-Menkah, an Industrialist, has pointed out that this was the time for
Ghanaians to push their brands by patronising made in Ghana goods.
Mr
Appiah-Menkah was speaking at the opening of "Grand Sales 2001" in
Kumasi, being held under the theme: "Bringing buyers and sellers
together".
The weeklong
fair is being organised by the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited in
collaboration with the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), National Board
for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and
under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
He also
called for support for the numerous artisans at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi
and suggested that the year 2002 be declared "Ghana Year".
The
Industrialist said that no country could survive without the business
community.
He said it
was, therefore, a matter of regret that over the past 20 years Ghanaian
businessmen were subjected to insults and were branded as thieves and criminals
and attempts were made to kill all their businesses.
The
industrialist said it was to correct this unfortunate situation that the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) government had made the private sector the engine of growth.
Mr
Appiah-Menkah told industrialists that the quality of their product, its
packaging, pricing and publicity needed to be considered if they were to
compete favourably in the global market.
He noted
that one area where an industrialist or manufacturer could publicise his
product was at trade fairs and exhibitions saying that these were the most
effective means of marketing a product.
Mr Kwasi
Osei Agyei, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, urged producers to place
emphasis on the consumer as their priority saying that research had shown that
well packaged made in Ghana goods sold quickly in the markets just like any
imported goods.
He noted
that Grand Sales had good international recognition in the ECOWAS sub-region
pointing out that since its introduction in 1991, it had contributed immensely
towards the development of quality products and created vibrant markets for the
less known products and services both locally and internationally.
Grand Sales
had for the past 10 years won the hearts of many industrial and commercial
operators and had been the most accepted and well-patronised mid-year sales
event.
Mr E. E. K.
Acquah-Moses, Regional Manager of AGI for the Northern Sector, said the Ashanti
Region had in the past held its fairs at the National Cultural Centre but noted
that the site had now become inappropriate due to the dislocation of trading as
a result of the Kejetia project.
Mr
Acquah-Moses said AGI was proud to be associated with the Ghana Trade Fair
Company in organising the events as everything pointed to successful activities
during the weeklong sales.
He said AGI
was particularly happy about the choice of Kumasi as its first location for an
outreach programme after successfully organising a series in Accra.
Ms Esther
Dzifa Ofori, Chief Executive of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, said the
choice of Kumasi for its outreach programme was symbolic since it was easily
accessible and that Kumasi and for that matter Ashanti served as the commercial
hub of the country not to talk of the business dynamics of the people of the
region. - Accra Mail Online
More…/
Ghanaians of
September 11
Yesterday on
page two of The Accra Mail was a world map.
It had a
simple legend: "Darkened countries are believed to have lost citizens on
11 September."
In the West
Africa sub-region, Ghana and Nigeria stood out dark and alone. I felt lonely.
What could
my compatriots, eking out a life in far away America, have done to suffer such
a fate?
It's been
said that if any Ghanaians were caught up in the outrage of September 11, they
would be mainly cleaners or people involved in menial jobs - the kind of people
who are invisible, due to their illegal immigrant status.
They
struggle. They send money home. They contribute to the US$400 million remitted
annually from the Diaspora. How many of them were caught in the crash of the
twin towers?
We may never
know. What we know is that Ghanaians can be found everywhere on the planet. If
there are any Ghanaians in Afghanistan, then it's a double tragedy for us, for
they could be caught in the fight between the coalition and the Talebans
shielding the criminals of September 11.
And yet, to
some of my compatriots, alive and enjoying life, the perpetrators of September
11, and those shielding them are treated almost like heroes.
It's
fashionable to bash America, but America is different. One American life lost
is worth avenging. Not us. So even as our compatriots may have been lost in the
twin tower bombing, we make room for many "buts". But this, but
that...
All the
same, one must not belittle the pains of the Afghan people.
They have
been thrust into a tragedy others planned for them. Those who used Afghanistan
as the launching pad for their fight against America are in hiding as the
Afghans are enduring the ravages of war.
Hopefully,
all will soon be well. The meeting in Bonn seems promising enough. The Afghan
leaders will have to know that if they fail, then they have given victory to
those who brought their devastated country this latest pounding from land, sea
and air.
The Afghan
people need a break. The decision to get that break - a permanent one - lies
with them and their leaders. I wish them God speed. - Accra Mail Online
More…/
Pollution
Control is a professional work
By S.B.
Akuffo, Environmental Consultant
Pollution
Control like land use planning, (two pillars in environmental protection work),
is a professional work, which requires multidisciplinary (postgraduate)
training in various areas for efficiency to be achieved.
Unfortunately
this is not so in Ghana. Anybody with a good first degree or postgraduate
degree becomes an expert in environmental matters and allowed to perform as
such.
For the lack
of professional training, complete inertia has gripped EPC/EPA for close to 30
years and successive Ministers have always been misled to become part of this
general malaise.
My problem
here is with the proposal by the Ministry of Environment and Science to set up
a technical team from various scientific institutions to determine the
systematic effect of the cyanide spillage into the Huni and Asuman rivers near
Tarkwa in the Western Region (Daily Graphic 23/11/2001).
If this
exercise were to be for academic purposes only, that would be all right. But I
would like to draw the Ministry's attention to the fact that pollution control
is a professional work and not an academic or research work.
There are
standard procedures, backed by law to always deal with such situations.
Such
procedures are not in place in Ghana, and attempts to circumvent the proper
procedures, by bringing in amateurish technical teams and others could only be construed
by the international business community as harassment. And there are
indications that they are not happy with it.
In the
present circumstances the only law in Ghana under which the Ministry and EPA
could operate in situations like the cyanide spillage is "The minerals and
Mining Law (PNDCL 153 OF 1986). - Accra Mail Online
More…/
The relevant
portions of this law are Sections 72 and 83.
No other law
exists for the appointment of 'technical teams', 'technical experts' and 'task
forces' to harass industries and traders.
Under section
72 of PNDCL 153, "The holder of a mineral right shall have due regard to
the effect of mineral operations on the environment and shall take steps as may
be necessary to prevent pollution of the environment as a result of such mining
operations".
Under this
law the licensee, i.e. the holder of mineral right, who is also the polluter,
is to ensure that his own activities polluting the environment are controlled
by himself. This is not an effective way of controlling pollution, but it is
the only relevant law in Ghana at moment.
This
approach is referred to in environmental parlance as being "the poacher
and at the same time the gamekeeper". This law was enacted at the time EPC
the predecessor of EPA had been in existence for twelve years. Even so EPC's
existence was not captured in the law.
Under
section 83 (m) of the law, the Minister may by legislative instrument, make
regulations providing for: "Preventing the pollution of water, springs,
rivers or lakes". These regulations have not yet made been made by the
relevant Minister. So where is the appointment of the technical team coming
from?
After 27
years of existence, EPA/EPC has not come up with any water pollution control
regulations and a host of other regulations under which procedures could be
established to deal professionally with problems like cyanide spillage.
The present
unprofessional approach portrays these vital industries more as villains than
partners in progress in this golden age of business.
But the
important thing to note is that, international trade regulations forbid the
intrusions of non-statutory bodies such as those suggested by the Ministry of
Environment and Science, who come prying into the activities of traders and
industries in the name of special 'task forces' and 'technical experts'.
It was for
this reason that Prof. Tetteh's 'expert committee' from the Atomic Energy
Commission was prevented from observing test procedures in Geneva in the
'skimmed milk affair' over a decade ago. If they were aware of the professional
implications of trade tests, they would not have gone to Geneva.
For legal as
well as managerial reasons, research institutions, universities etc. may
undertake some monitoring for scholarly purposes, but they may not be allowed
into certain areas where trade and commerce are concerned because of trade
secrets acts and other reasons that cannot be explained in this short article.
I would
therefore appeal to the Minister of Environment and Science to take immediate
steps to transform the EPA from its present lame quasi scientific research
institution into a professional body with the needed human resources and
legislative instruments to do the work properly.
They have
been toying with the problems of environmental protection for far too long. - Accra
Mail Online
More…/
Kade Hearts'
chapter marks 90th anniversary
The Kade
chapter of the Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club Supporters Union has
celebrated the 90th anniversary of the premier club at Kade with a 60-minute
friendly football match against supporters Kumasi Asante Kotoko which ended
goalless.
The Kade
chapter which is the 71st chapter in the country also held a dinner dance to
award prizes to deserving footballers and officials of the champion club.
Emmanuel
Osei Kuffuor was voted the best player of the year. His prize was received on
his behalf by Mr Yaw Amponsah, second-vice chairman of the supporters' union.
Mr Ato
Quagraine, national chairman of the supporters union received the best
statesman award while Ishmael Addo received an award for being the highest goal
scorer.
Asante
Kotoko also received an award for their efforts in promoting soccer in the
country.
Mr Harry
Zakkour, Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak was awarded for promoting peace and
solidarity in the team while Mr Yaw Amponsah received an a prize for his hard
work with the Akim Abompehene being awarded as the best patron of the Kade
chapter.
During the
ceremony Mr Daniel Kumah of the Kade Health Centre was appointed the new
chairman of the chapter to replace Mr Kwabena Appea Ayeh who is no more with
the chapter.
Mr Quagraine
advised the supporters to unite at all times to support the team both
materially and spiritually.
He also
advised them to do away with politics stressing that politics in football does
not help a team to progress. - Accra Mail Online
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com