Give Queen the best welcome - Gbeho

European union/CIDA offer grants to ITTU

Police investigates robbery case

Favour women in disbursement of funds - Alabi

Upper East PNC elects executive

Accra (Greater Accra) 26 Oct. '99

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has urged Ghanaians to receive Queen Elizabeth II, with the best of the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality in appreciation of the enormous support Britain offers towards the socio-economic development of Ghana.

The Queen who begins a three-day visit on Sunday, 7 November, will be accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Mr Victor Gbeho said: "the significance of her Majesty's visit this year, cannot and should not be lost on anyone. It is an endorsement of Ghana's effort at creating a peaceful and enabling environment for sustainable economic development.

"Ghana will, therefore, receive her Majesty with grace and affection to express our deep appreciation to the government and people of the United Kingdom for their unwavering support to the development efforts of Ghana."

The Queen will confer with President Rawlings, address Parliament and meet a cross-section of Ghanaians, including a durbar of chiefs and people.

She will also visit a primary school, drive through some principal streets of Accra and be guest at a state banquet.

Queen Elizabeth II, 73, was coronated in 1952 to succeed her father, King George VI. She has five children.

At a news conference, attended by the British High Commissioner, Mr Ian Mackeley, the minister underscored the importance of the relationship between the UK and Ghana, which is characterised by financial and technical assistance, bilateral relations and trade.

"The United Kingdom is at present the leading trading partner of Ghana with a total trade volume (exports and imports) of 748 million dollars in 1998.

"It is also an important donor, providing significant programme and project support as well as technical assistance for Ghana's economic development".

Mr Gbeho recalled the Queen's visit to Ghana in 1961, President Rawlings' visits to the UK. in 1995 and 1997, Vice President Mills visit to the UK recently as well as many others undertaken by Ghanaian and British Ministers of State.

"Princess Anne and Prince Edward, children of the Queen, have also been here and this signifies the interest the Royal Family has in Ghana. The Queen is indeed a friend of Ghana".

The Minister said during his visit last September, Professor Mills discussed major issues including the "requirements for the conduct of the 2000 elections, appropriate capacity building techniques for Ghanaian personnel in trade negotiations, equipment and training facilities for our personnel in various fields for the Y2K programme".

Mr Gbeho said Queen Elizabeth's visit demonstrates the growing international recognition Ghana is receiving for her commitment to democratic rule and respect for human rights and her role in the Commonwealth.

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Zebilla (Upper East) 26 Oct '99

The European Union (EU) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) have given a five-million dollar and a five-million Canadian dollar grant respectively to GRATIS and the intermediate Technology Transfer unit (ITTU) to facilitate their activities.

The Canadian grant is for food security and improving the lives of women in Northern Ghana while the EU facility would be used to expand the ITTU.

Dr. Kwamena Praker Asante, executive director of GRATIS, announced this at Zebilla at the weekend when he accompanied the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Mr. Cletus Avoka on a familiarisation tour of departments and institutions under the Ministry.

Mr. Asante said GRATIS would soon expand facilities of ITTU in the Bolgatanga District to train people in Batik Tie and Die to ensure that the youth are gainfully employed.

Mr. Avoka who later addressed a durbar of chiefs and people of Bawku West District at Zebilla, said the objective of GRATIS and ITTU is to combat hunger and alleviate poverty in the country.

Mr. Avoka urged the people to take advantage of facilities provided by GRATIS to improve their living conditions.

Professor Walter Alhassan, director-general of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said government has given mandate to the CSIR to commercialise some of its products in order to sustain the institute.

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Cape Coast (Central Region) 26 Oct. '99

The police are investigating a robbery case in which Mr Kenneth Atigah, a regional representative of Meridian Tobacco company in Cape Coast, was shot in the arm and an unspecified amount of money stolen from his car last Thursday.

Mr Atigah was admitted to the Cape Coast Regional Hospital on Thursday 21 October and discharged on Saturday 23 October after an operation.

The Regional Police Crime Officer, Mr Bartholomew Kwaku Agbenyega, told newsmen on Monday that Mr Atigah could identify the robbers because he had seen them on two occasions that day before the robbery at 2 p.m. He has however travelled to Accra for further treatment.

According to the police, two Nigerians using a foreign plated vehicle at Abura near Pedu had asked Mr Atigah for directions to Kumasi on the day.

Later in the day at Cape Coast, the same persons, using the same car at Adisadel College area, asked him again for directions to Takoradi.

The Crime Officer said after giving them the directions, one of the two warned that his back tyre had a puncture and as Mr Atigah got down to inspect the puncture, one of them came to his car and pick four bags, containing sales he had collected for the day. Only one bag containing 2.5 million cedis was left.

Mr Agbenyega said when Mr Atigah noticed that the alarm was false, he chased the robbers but on reaching a spot near the Regional Police headquarters, he felt severe pains in his shoulder.

Mr Atigah therefore drove to the Regional hospital where he was admitted and operated upon, Mr Agbenyega added.

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Tamale (Northern Region) 26 Oct. '99

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Joshua Alabi, has called on District Assemblies to favour women in the disbursement of the common fund.

This is because government has identified poverty as the main cause of the vulnerability of most women, resulting in the abuse of their dignity.

Mr Alabi was speaking at a one-day workshop organised by FIDA, Ghana, in conjunction with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), to promote awareness of violence against women, among security agencies.

The workshop, the third in a series after similar ones at Ho and Kumasi in the spate of accelerated violence against women, was attended by 100 participants.

They were drawn from the Prison Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service.

Mr Alabi said the import of the Poverty Reduction Fund of the District Assemblies common fund and the recently launched Social Investment Fund are all intended to economically strengthen women in the Ghanaian society.

He said the ascendancy in violence and related deprivations against women in Ghana and more especially in Accra "calls for sustained public awareness campaigns" and commended FIDA and FES for organising the workshop.

Mrs Gloria Ofori-Boadu, an administrator of FIDA, said the aim of the workshop was to provide legal education and support to the security agencies, especially the Police Service, in their role of preventing, prosecuting and the providing remedies for victims of violence.

"It is my fervent hope that by the close of the day, participants would pay attention to domestic violence particularly which is often overlooked by both the security agencies and society.

"It is also my fervent hope that by the close of the day, participants would become champions, advocates, and counsellors in their respective families, workplaces, and communities in upholding the constitutional rights of women and children".

Mr Edward Briku-Boadu of FES called for a change in attitude towards women, saying, "the way most men treat their wives are not issues they can be proud of in the open".

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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 26 Oct. '99

Dr. Mohammed Kanbong, a lecturer at the Navrongo campus of the University of Development Studies (UDS) was at the weekend elected chairman of the Upper East Regional branch of the People's National Convention Party (PNC).

At a congress held in Bolgatanga, 80 delegates from the region voted for a nine-member executive under the supervision of Mr. Bladwin Freeman, Bolgatanga district electoral officer.

Mr Mathias Atubiga, was voted vice chairman with Mr. Augustine Akanlu as second vice chairman, while Madam Juliana Ada, became the new women's organiser.

Mr. Musah A. Atoya was elected the regional education secretary, all of them were elected unopposed.

Mr. David Apasera maintained his position as the regional secretary with 58 votes as against nine votes for Gilbert Amoak, and three for Nelson Akolgo.

Dr. Kanbong, speaking on behalf of the elected executive, said they would work hard to bring victory to the party in the coming year. He urged constituency executives to start preparing for the impending general elections.

"We need everybody in the party and we would bring back all those who have gone wayward," he added.

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