GRi Newsreel 14 - 10 - 99

Stop frustrating government's efforts, Minister tells professionals

Accra (Greater Accra), 14^th October 99

Mr. Cletus Avoka, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, on Tuesday appealed to professionals in the Civil Service to "stop frustrating the development efforts of the government with industrial actions."

He made the appeal at a meeting with workers of the Food Research Institute (FRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as part of a familiarisation tour of institutions under the council.

Mr. Avoka noted that within the last two years, economic activities in the country have been greatly disturbed by several industrial actions among teachers, doctors, nurses and research scientists, among others.

"Though there may be good reasons for such strike actions and demonstrations, we must understand that the government is working with very limited resources under strict international regulations."

The minister said the turn of economic events at the beginning of the year with its resultant decrease in inflation and stability in the cedi, would have impacted positively on the socio-economic lives of the people.

He attributed the current plight of workers to the fall in the prices of cocoa and gold, adding that the recent drought, floods and invasion of army worms in the north, are major causes of constraint on government resources.

"The government is not insensitive to the plight of the people but the realities of our present economic situation is not allowing us to fulfil our good intentions towards the people".

Mr. Avoka said in view of the obvious reasons for national predicament, "I expected the doctors and other professionals in the civil service to have been more circumspect in handling the salary increment issue."

He said it is important that professionals appreciate the government's problem and change their attitude to reflect the local circumstances as a way of being grateful to the taxpayer "who paid for our education."

Touching on the militarisation of some hospitals in Accra, Mr. Avoka said it is a very positive step by the government to protect innocent lives in the event of industrial actions among civilian health workers.

"I expected some pressure groups and the general public to have gone on a counter demonstration against the striking health workers to back the government's efforts at protecting lives."

The minister assured the public that things are not going to be bleak forever, saying "indications are that the future is bright and the government is determined to pursue policies and programmes that will impact positively and directly on the living standards of workers and citizenry at large."

GRi

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Suhum Assembly holds send off party for Police commander

Suhum (Eastern Region), 14^th October 99

The Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District Assembly is to provide telephone and other communication facilities to the district police station at Suhum, before the end of the year.

Mr. Stephen Frimpong Manson, District Chief Executive, announced this at a send-off party organised for the district commander of police, Mr. Francis Yeboah, who is going on retirement.

He said even though the government was doing everything possible to equip the police, it needed the assistance of the private sector, individuals and organisations to help and commended Mr. Yeboah for his hardwork which helped to reduce crime in the district.

Mr. Yeboah thanked the community for the support given him during his tenure of office.

He, however, expressed concern about the high rate of accidents on the Accra-Nsawam-Suhum road and appealed to drivers plying the road to take extra care, especially, at the Suhum roundabout.

GRi

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Churches donate towards water supply

Mosease, (Eastern Region), 14^th October 99

The local council of churches at Mosease in the East Akyem District on Sunday donated 1.1 million cedis to the Water and Sanitation Committee (WATSON) for the sinking of two boreholes in the town.

Mrs. Dora Adonten, treasurer of the council, presented the amount said the presentation was aimed at ensuring that the town gets sufficient good drinking water at all times.

Mr. Ebenezer Anim Dankwah, assembly member for the area, used the occasion to advise the people to pay their water bills regularly and also to maintain a healthy environment to prevent an outbreak of epidemics like cholera and typhoid.

A Community water and sanitation development group and partners organisation representative, Mr Eric Osei Danso, said since water has no substitute, people should take good care of existing water bodies.

GRi

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Snake scares dignitaries on disaster prevention week

Akim Osorase (Eastern Region), 14^th October 99

There was pandemonium at the launch of the Birim South District Disaster Prevention week at Akim Osorase last week Thursday when a big snake emerged from where the dignitaries were seated.

While most of the dignitaries were attempting to run away, Major Owusu Frempong, Second Commander at the Akim Achiase Jungle Warfare Training School, quickly stamped on the reptile to kill it winning applause from the crowd.

Mr. Sampson Mensah-Takyi, the District Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), said 400 people had been rendered homeless in the district this year following rainstorms which ripped off the roofs of their buildings.

He blamed poor quality work by some carpenters and masons in the communities as causes of some of the disasters and appealed to the people to plant trees around their homes to serve as windbreaks.

Mr. Mensah-Takyi called on assembly members, Unit Committees and chiefs, to ensure proper layout for their towns in order to check haphazard development in their areas.

The District Forestry Officer, Mr. Yaw Kwakye, advised the people against indiscriminate tree felling, saying, taking good care of the forest would minimise such disasters as windstorm, food scarcity, desertification and floods.

GRi…/

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