GRi Newsreel Ghana 19 - 10 - 2000
Let's vote for change – Otabil
NPP will restore the country's shattered economy – Candidate
Third National
Media Commission to take office
Ahafo Ano South Basare Community faction
supports NPP
Eye Patients cry over stolen eye machine
More Ghanaians
trapped in Libya flown home
Minister denies
NDC hoarded cutlasses to buy votes
Let's vote for change – Otabil
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 Oct. 2000
The Reverend Dr. Mensa Anumua Otabil, General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), on Wednesday called on Ghanaians to vote for change in the December 7 elections, saying: "we don't need a government which will maintain the status quo".
He said the electorate should vote for leaders who will take radical and sustained steps to ensure national unity and development.
"The kind of change I am calling for is not cosmetic or easy, but very vital to our development as a nation," he said.
Rev. Otabil made the call in the first of a three-day series of the Eighth Annual William Ofori-Atta Memorial Lectures in Accra. He spoke on "Renewing the Vision of the Fathers".
"No one can convince me that we are better off under the present national leadership. We are poor, underdeveloped, living in very deplorable conditions and in filth; our currency is devalued and we need change."
Rev. Otabil said although the goals for national development are achievable, "they are deeply rooted in very real and immediate challenges".
These include ethnic and tribal sentiments which "cloud our objectivity even when we need to establish national priorities and make crucial national choices".
He said the kind of change needed is not in the circumstances prevailing in the country, but in the "personhood" of the people to accept one another in the spirit of nationalism.
Rev. Otabil said the modern generation has a challenge to make good the vision of the fathers of the nation who won power from the colonial master.
He noted that much as it is noble to celebrate the memories of the founding fathers of the nation, "the greatest memorial we can give them is to go beyond survival and live to attain greatness in our time". This is the only way we would have brought their vision into reality, he said.
Rev. Otabil called for a common national festival and a national king to replace the several ethnic festivals and chiefs in the country.
He also called for a review of the chieftaincy system to ensure that chiefs do not wield too much power to become autocratic.
"We cannot pride ourselves with outmoded cultural systems as the facts of our deplorable state remain with us."
The lecture, organised by the National Association of Evangelicals of Ghana, is under the theme "The quest for a new Ghana".
Other topics under the theme are "Hope for the children" and "Challenges of a new Ghana."
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NPP will restore the country's shattered economy – Candidate
Offinso (Ashanti Region) 19 Oct. 2000
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it is committed to restoring the country's shattered and mismanaged economy to ensure a brighter future for the vast majority of Ghanaians.
It will also stave off poverty, which is seriously threatening the survival of Ghanaians when it wins power to administer the country in the December general election.
Mr Kwabena Sarfoh, Offinso South NPP Parliamentary candidate, gave the assurance when he addressed separate rallies in some communities as part of his campaign tour of the constituency.
He has so far toured Abofour, Koforidua, Kayera, Anyinasuso, Twumasen, Ayensua, Asamankama, Wawase, Apotosu, Kyebi and Anyankasu.
Mr Sarfo also met teachers in the constituency and briefed them on the state of the economy and the need to vote for the party to ensure improved quality education.
He said the problems facing the country were due to the poor performance and administration of the NDC and there was therefore no option than for Ghanaians to vote the NDC out of office.
"It is only the NPP which can create a new hope and better future for Ghanaians," he said, and called on the electorate to vote massively for him and Mr J.A. Kufuor, the party's presidential candidate.
Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Badu, NPP Constituency Chairman, urged party supporters to be vigilant and resist any attempt by the NDC to cheat, trick and manipulate the elections.
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Third National
Media Commission to take office
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 Oct. 2000
The third Media Commission has
been constituted and will be sworn into office in October 26.
A statement signed by Yaw Boadu
Ayeboafo, Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC) on
Tuesday, said out of 18 members, 11 have been retained from the current
membership.
The tenure of office of the second
commission ended on Monday, October 16. Members were in office for three years
in line with constitutional provisions. The statement quoted Mr Tim
Acquah-Hayford, the out-going chairman, as commending the donor community for
their support, which has enabled the commission to make a positive impact on
the media scene.
He mentioned in particular the
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the Danish International Development Agency
(DANIDA), the German Embassy, UNDP, NIRP and the Parliamentary Select Committee
on Communications for their invaluable support to the NMC.
Mr.Acquah-Hayford also thanked all
the partners and stakeholders of the commission and appealed to them to extend
similar support and co-operation to the new commission.
The members are: Mr. Nutifafa
Kuenyehia (Ghana Bar Association), Dr. A. Bonah Koomson (Ghana Journalists
Association), Mr Cyril Acolatse (Ghana Journalists Association), Mr. Dan Ansah
(Private Newspaper Publishers Association) and Mr. Kwaw Ansah (Association of
Private Broadcasting Companies).
The others are: Ms. Vinolia Mantey
(National Council on Women and Development), Mr. Kingsford Amoah (Christen
Group -Catholic Secretariat/Christian Council/Pentecostal Council), Mrs.
Rabiatu Konney (Moslem Group -Federation of Moslem Councils/Ahmadiyya
Movement), Mrs Margaret Ivy Amoakohene (Institute of Public
Relations/Advertisers Association of Ghana), Dr. Rex Quartey (Ghana Association
of Writers/Ghana Library Association and Mr Martin Loh (Media Training
Institutions -School of Communication Studies, Ghana Institute of Journalism/
National Film and Television Institute).
The rest are: Mr. Wilson
Kusi-Atansah (Ghana National Association of Teachers), Mr Kofi Asamoah (Trades
Union Congress), Mr. E.K. Adjaho (Office of Parliament) Mr A.S.K. Bagbin
(Office of Parliament), Mr Papa Owusu-Ankomah (Office of Parliament), Professor
Kofi Awoonor (Office of the President) and Mr. Christian Aggrey (Office of the
President.)
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Ahafo Ano South Basare Community faction
supports NPP
Mankranso (Ashanti Region) 19 Oct. 2000
A section of the Basare Community in the Ahafo Ano South district has pledged to vote en-bloc for Mr Stephen Balado Manu, New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the area and Mr J.A. Kufuor, the party's presidential candidate, in the December 7 general election.
At a meeting at Beposo near Mankranso on Tuesday, attended by various heads, the community disassociated itself from a meeting by some members of the community with the District Chief Executive and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) early this month.
Mr Abubukari Bukaa, leader and spokesman for the community, said Mr Thomas
Nwikya, who claims to be the leader of the Basare community, is not known to and recognised by the members.
Mr Bukaa alleged that Mr Nwikya is being manipulated and used by the NDC to divide the ranks of the Basare community and urged the members to remain united.
Mr Joseph Nkomo, Vice-Chairman of the community, who said he has defected to NPP from NDC, advised other members of the community still with the NDC to change their mind.
He accused the NDC of taking northerners for a ride after being loyal to the party for many years. Mr I.K. Donkor, NPP Constituency Vice-Chairman, called on all members of the community and other constituents to reject the NDC and vote massively for NPP.
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Eye Patients cry over stolen eye machine
Kpando (Volta Region) 19 Oct 2000
Scores of eye patients at the Margret Marquart Catholic Hospital, Kpando on Monday wept bitterly on learning that the prolonged delay in attending to them was due to the stealing of the clinic's 27 million cedi slit lamp (eye screening machine).
Most of the patients queued at the Clinic as early as 5 am and some who travelled from far had slept overnight at the Pastoral centre adjoining the hospital.
When by 3pm they had not been attended to, the patients became restless, accusing the hospital staff of not working fast enough.
Dr Fridolin Anyomi, ophthalmologist, said the absence of the machine was delaying their work since the two doctors have to use one machine.
"If the machines were two the other doctor would have been examining other patients. It makes the work easier and faster," Dr Anyomi said.
"What does the thief want us (the blind) to do and who will be buying this curse?," a septuagenarian patient lamented.
Mrs Laurentia Lithur, Administrator of the hospital said management is taking measures to strengthen security at the premises.
She said the stealing of the machine has dealt a serious blow to the hospital.
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More Ghanaians
trapped in Libya flown home
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 Oct. 2000
The third batch of 448 Ghanaians
trapped in Libya were flown to Accra on Wednesday night aboard a Libyan
aircraft.
It is made up of 428 men, 18 women
and four children, according to a statement signed by Mr James Owusu-Amoah,
Public Relations Officer of the National Disaster Management Organisation
(NADMO).
This brings to 1,587 the total
number of Ghanaians so far evacuated after the government moved to bring home
citizens who were trapped in Libya following attacks on immigrants. It said
more flights with Ghanaian returnees are expected.
NADMO asked those who returned on
the Ghana Airways flight on Sunday October 8 without their luggage to report to
the national official hangar one at the Kotoka International Airport between
0800 and 1700 hours to identify and collect them.
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Minister denies
NDC hoarded cutlasses to buy votes
Aworowa, (Brong Ahafo) 19 Oct.
2000
The Minister for Works and Housing
Mr. Isaac K. Adjei-Mensah, on Wednesday denied rumours that the National
Democratic Congress (NDC), has hoarded large quantities of cutlasses to use in
buying votes from rural farmers during the December election.
Addressing separate rallies at
Aworowa, Offuman and Aboabo, Mr Adjei-Mensah said opponents were only making
such unsubstantiated allegations to malign the party and to win undeserved
public sympathy and support.
The minister, who is also Member
of Parliament for Techiman North, urged the people to disregard such
allegations and ensure that the NDC retains power to continue its development
projects.
He announced that five communities
in the constituency including Jama-Temponim, Jebiri, Akrofrom and Aworowa would
soon benefit from a 200 million cedi water project to be funded by government.
He said the recent increase in the
producer prices of cocoa despite a drastic fall in the world market price of
the commodity is a testimony of government's concern about the plight of
farmers and the desire to ensure that they derive maximum benefit from their
toil.
The constituency chairman, Mr.
Kennedy Donkor, commended the Minister for a number of development projects in
the constituency and urged the people to vote for the minister and the party's
presidential candidate Prof. J. E. A. Mills in the Dec election as a sign of
gratitude.
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