GRi Newsreel Ghana
20 - 10 - 2001
Konare
urges ECOWAS member-states to strengthen integration
Public
Relations practitioners must help wipe out bribery
Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001- A prominent Ghanaian entrepreneur, Mr B. A
Mensah on Friday said: "The Rawlings regime decimated the fledgling
private sector out of jealousy and greed only to replace it a decade later with
a political party-biased private sector composed of those, who had organised
the coup and were running the country."
He told a
conference on: "Ghana's Foreign Policy Options" organised jointly by
the Foreign Ministry and the Legon Centre for International Affairs
LECIA). Mr Mensah, whose topic was:
'The Private Sector and the Articulation of Ghana's Foreign Policy", said
former President Jerry John Rawlings presided over the destruction of the
private sector out of jealousy and greed.
"In my
view, former President Rawlings' open hatred towards successful local business
people among other factors clearly sent negative signals to would-be foreign
and local investors," Mr Mensah said, quibbling that he was not a
politician but businessman.
He said the
image portrayed to the outside world under former President Rawlings was that
of corruption and ineptitude. A regime that was prepared to accept backhands
and did not practise what it preached.
Mr Mensah
said the former government's alignment with Libya, Nicaragua and Cuba led to
further isolation of Ghana by the western world and greater economic
retardation.
He
acknowledged, however, that some attempts were made by the last regime to
promote the private sector and foreign investment but said these attempts
achieved limited success because the indigenous business people were hardly
involved in the formulation of the requisite laws.
Mr Mensah's
words drew a sharp reaction from Mr Kofi Attor, NDC MP for Ho Central and
Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, who accused Mr Mensah of misusing the
forum to undertake a "Rawlings bashing." He said Mr Mensah's presentation was an attack on the personality
of the former President, which he thought was unfair.
"I'm
wondering what we'll be achieving at the end of the day if we begin to
politicise this forum - organised to collate opinions for a suitable foreign
policy-into a political platform to pour out vendetta in attempts to settle
personal scores."
Mr Attor
said while he admitted that there were wrongdoings in the past, he thought that
the nation should move forward taking cue from such wrongs in the past.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001-A prominent Ghanaian entrepreneur, Mr B.A
Mensah on Friday defended President John Agyekum Kufuor's trip to Togo in
January, saying it was in fulfilment of a pre-election promise made to the
Togolese government in return for the closure of the frontiers.
Mr Mensah
said he personally used his contacts to get through to Togolese President
Gnassingbe Eyadema and impressed upon him to refuse a request from the former
government that Togo should open its borders during the election period.
He told a
conference on ''Ghana's Foreign Policy Options'' organised jointly by the
Foreign Ministry and the Legon Centre for International Affairs LECIA). Mr Mensah said a delegation led by Mr Kofi
Totobi Quakyi, then Minister for National Security, was in Lome just before the
second round of the elections to arrange for the opening of the borders.
"...I
told President Eyadema not to accede to that request. I told him, 'please do
not open the border. Close it'. Truly on election day, the border was
closed." He said he contacted President Eyadema's wife, who arranged for
him (Mr Mensah) to see the President.
Mr Mensah
said that President Eyadema made it clear to him that he was going to close the
border on condition that Togo would be the first country Mr Kufuor would visit
should New Patriotic Party (NPP) win the elections.
Mr Mensah,
who was on President Kufuor's delegation to Lome on January 13, gave details of
how transport arrangements were made saying he personally booked the Ghana
Airways flight following the reluctance of the new government to use the
presidential jet.
"In
fact I wept when we finally landed at Lome airport and President Eyadema came
on board the aircraft to meet us," he said.
Mr Mensah,
whose topic was 'the Private Sector and the Articulation of Ghana's Foreign
Policy", said former President Jerry John Rawlings presided over the
destruction of the private sector out of jealousy and greed.
"The
Rawlings regime decimated the fledgling private sector out of jealousy and
greed only to replace it a decade later with a political party-biased private
sector composed of those, who had organised the coup and were running the
country."
He said the
image portrayed to the outside world under former President Rawlings was that
of corruption and ineptitude of a regime that was prepared to accept backhands
and did not practise what it preached.
Mr Mensah
said the former government's alignment with Libya, Nicaragua and Cuba led to
further isolation of Ghana by the western world and greater economic
retardation.
He
acknowledged, however, that some attempts were made by the last regime to
promote the private sector and foreign investment but said these attempts
achieved limited success because the indigenous business people were hardly
involved in the formulation of the requisite laws.
"In my
view, former President Rawlings' open hatred towards successful local business
people among other factors clearly sent negative signals to would-be foreign
and local investors," Mr Mensah added, maintaining that he is not a
politician, but businessman.
Mr Mensah's
words drew a sharp reaction from Mr Kofi Attor, NDC MP for Ho Central and
Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, who accused Mr Mensah for misusing
the forum to undertake "Rawlings bashing."
He
maintained that Mr Mensah's presentation was an attack on the personality of
the former President, which he thought was unfair. "I'm wondering what
we'll be achieving at the end of the day if we begin to politicise this forum -
organised to collate opinions for a suitable foreign policy-into a political
platform to pour out vendetta in attempts to settle personal scores."
Mr Attor
said while he admitted that there were wrongdoings in the past, he thought that
the nation should move forward taking cue from such wrongs in the past.
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Awutu-Bawjiase
(Central Region) 20 October 2001-Ayensu Starch Company (ASCO), the first
project under the President's Special Initiatives to produce industrial starch
from cassava for export, was commissioned at Awutu-Bawjiase in the
Awutu-Efutu-Senya District in the Central Region on Friday.
The Company
owned by 2,500 farmers from five districts would cultivate 5,000 acres of
cassava to be managed by a Board of Directors.
It was named after river Ayensu, which passes through the districts to
the sea. They are West Akim, Agona, Gomoa, Awutu-Efutu-Senya and Ga Districts.
President
John Agyekum Kufuor, who presented the certificate of incorporation and certificate
to commence business to the Directors at the ceremony, said the project would
create employment in the selected districts, generate sustainable income and
promote the growth of small satellite business with links to ASCO.
He said the
project was another step in achieving the government's goal of improving the
quality of life of Ghanaians through the two-pronged approach of fighting
poverty by creating wealth and supporting the private sector to flourish.
President
Kufuor said it would bring together all the factors that should work to make
the economy grow, because it is driven by the private sector, utilises the
know-how of high-calibre professional personnel and would help integrate rural
communities into the mainstream economy.
President
Kufuor said the five districts were selected based on an objective assessment
of their potential in cassava production. Nine other districts with equally
high potential for cassava production have been identified.
He said
they would be assisted within the next few months to start the process of
establishing other companies for starch production and 25,000 farmers would be
involved in the project nation-wide.
President
Kufuor said the new farmer-ownership scheme called the Corporate Village
Enterprise (COVE), which has been specially evolved to operate the project,
would in addition serve as a training ground for the acquisition of skills by
the rural youth.
Nai Otwoo
Adawu Darko Tetteh, Chief of Odupong Ofankor, on behalf of the chiefs said the
project would provide investment and employment to the district, which is one
of the most deprived in the country.
He said
their major problems are lack of educational facilities especially second-cycle
institutions, health and sanitation problems and lack of basic amenities and
stool boundary disputes.
Nai Tetteh
therefore appealed to the people to avoid disputes over land within the project
area to make it succeed and improve their standard of living.
He appealed
to government for a separate district for the people of Awutu and said about
eight acres of land has already been acquired for the construction of the
district assembly and offices for the decentralised departments as well as
accommodation for the staff.
The seven-member
Board of Directors is under the chairmanship of Nai Kwaku Osardu II, Chief of
Awutu-Bawjiase.
The other
members are Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional
Co-operation and Mr Patrick Nimo.
The rest
are Mr Samuel Kontoh Dodd, Miss Juliana Annan, Miss Elizabeth Kudeka and Mr
Osei Owusu Agyeman, who is the Managing Director.
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Awutu-Bawjiase
(Central Region) 20 October 2001-Ayensu Starch Company (ASCO), the first
project under the President's Special Initiatives to produce industrial starch
from cassava for export, was commissioned at Awutu-Bawjiase in the
Awutu-Efutu-Senya District in the Central Region on Friday.
The Company
owned by 2,500 farmers from five districts would cultivate 5,000 acres of
cassava to be managed by a Board of Directors.
It was named after river Ayensu, which passes through the districts to
the sea. They are West Akim, Agona, Gomoa, Awutu-Efutu-Senya and Ga Districts.
President
John Agyekum Kufuor, who presented the certificate of incorporation and certificate
to commence business to the Directors at the ceremony, said the project would
create employment in the selected districts, generate sustainable income and
promote the growth of small satellite business with links to ASCO.
He said the
project was another step in achieving the government's goal of improving the
quality of life of Ghanaians through the two-pronged approach of fighting
poverty by creating wealth and supporting the private sector to flourish.
President
Kufuor said it would bring together all the factors that should work to make
the economy grow, because it is driven by the private sector, utilises the
know-how of high-calibre professional personnel and would help integrate rural
communities into the mainstream economy.
President
Kufuor said the five districts were selected based on an objective assessment
of their potential in cassava production. Nine other districts with equally
high potential for cassava production have been identified.
He said
they would be assisted within the next few months to start the process of
establishing other companies for starch production and 25,000 farmers would be
involved in the project nation-wide.
President
Kufuor said the new farmer-ownership scheme called the Corporate Village
Enterprise (COVE), which has been specially evolved to operate the project,
would in addition serve as a training ground for the acquisition of skills by
the rural youth.
Nai Otwoo
Adawu Darko Tetteh, Chief of Odupong Ofankor, on behalf of the chiefs said the
project would provide investment and employment to the district, which is one
of the most deprived in the country.
He said
their major problems are lack of educational facilities especially second-cycle
institutions, health and sanitation problems and lack of basic amenities and
stool boundary disputes.
Nai Tetteh
therefore appealed to the people to avoid disputes over land within the project
area to make it succeed and improve their standard of living.
He appealed
to government for a separate district for the people of Awutu and said about
eight acres of land has already been acquired for the construction of the
district assembly and offices for the decentralised departments as well as
accommodation for the staff.
The
seven-member Board of Directors is under the chairmanship of Nai Kwaku Osardu
II, Chief of Awutu-Bawjiase.
The other
members are Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional
Co-operation and Mr Patrick Nimo.
The rest
are Mr Samuel Kontoh Dodd, Miss Juliana Annan, Miss Elizabeth Kudeka and Mr
Osei Owusu Agyeman, who is the Managing Director.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001-Mr John Bennam, Deputy Minister of Manpower
Development and Employment, on Friday advised the Ghacoe Women's Ministry to
organise its trainees, who have acquired entrepreneurial skills to access the
Emergency Social Relief Programme Fund to establish their businesses.
The
government in July launched the 700 billion cedi-fund aimed at creating
employment and income generation opportunities for the poor in the most
depressed districts. The World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are funding the three-year Emergency
Social Relief Programme (ESRP), which was launched at James Town in Accra.
Speaking at
a graduation ceremony for 55 trainees, Mr Bennam said the groups could also
take advantage of other credit schemes to set up income generating ventures so
that they could contribute towards national development.
He stressed
that if the trainees were not given seed money to earn a living from the
productive skills they had acquired, they would end up on the streets 'selling
roasted plantain, groundnuts, waakye and tuo-saafi.'
Mr Bennam
commended Ghacoe for being consistent in the provision of entrepreneurial and
industrial training to unemployed women, saying their objective was in line
with government's policy to create jobs through the private sector.
"The
thrust of government's macro-economic policy has been to withdraw from the
productive sector of the economy and instead concentrate on the provision of
regulatory and an enabling environment in which the private sector plays a
leading role in production and employment."
Ghacoe has,
since 1983, been providing training in the making of tie and dye and batik,
cosmetics, ornaments, soap making, confectionery and screen printing for
several thousand people, mainly women.
With
support from the United Nations Development Programme and the government, it
also teaches basic managerial skills and biblical doctrines.
Mrs
Theodosia Jackson, President of Ghacoe, advised the participants not to wait
for huge funds as seed money before they start their enterprises, but start
with the little they could get.
She said
they should be conscious of the existence of AIDS and live good moral lives. Mr
Bennam cut a tape to open an exhibition of the products of the trainees.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001 - The Regional Chairman of the UK branch of the
Convention People's Party (CPP), Dr Kojo Hanson, arrived in Accra on Friday from
London.
He will
hold discussions with the national executives of the party on a wide range of
issues relating to its ongoing organisational restructuring.
Dr. Hanson,
in a statement issued on his arrival, said the deliberations would focus on
ways of harnessing the political support of the CPP on the international front
to the benefit of the party.
He said he
would announce initiatives that could help the party come to power in 2004. Dr
Hanson will meet with a cross-section of Ghanaians including workers, farmers,
and trade unionists to exchange ideas on national issues.
Mr. Kwesi
Pratt Jnr, the General Secretary of the CPP and members of the Women's Wing of
the party met Dr Hanson on arrival.
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Tamale
(Northern Region) 20 October 2001 - Participants at a forum in Tamale on the demarcation
of administrative and electoral boundaries have said the exercise should not
favour a particular political party or ethnic group.
It should
be fashioned on the objective of sustaining the prevailing peace to enhance the
democratic process. The forum was
organised by the Electoral Commission (EC) for representatives of political
parties, traditional rulers, assembly members and youth associations and formed
part of a programme to educate the public on the modalities of the exercise
scheduled for next year.
They urged
the EC to embark on an educational campaign through out the country to prepare
the people for the exercise. The government should also improve infrastructure
in the three northern regions to stop the youth from migrating to the south.
Mr Kwadwo
Sarfo Kantanka, Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations of the Commission,
described the exercise as a delicate one and said care would be taken not to
offend traditional rulers and their people.
The EC has
trained personnel on the Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, which
would be used to produce accurate administrative and electoral boundaries.
He said the
Commission, however, lacked equipment to put the technology into operation and
appealed for assistance.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001 - The Minister Presidential Affairs and
Information, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey left Accra on Friday for a seven-day
official visit to the United States, a statement from the Office of the
President said.
In a
pre-departure interview, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey reiterated the government's commitment
to work in close collaboration with the media in strengthening democracy in
Ghana and promoting the national quest for improved standard of living.
The
statement said the Minister advised the media to exercise a high sense of
responsibility in line with its constitutional mandate to hold the government
accountable to the people.
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Sunyani
(Brong Ahafo) 20 October 2001 - Mr Ernest Debrah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister
said on Friday that chieftaincy disputes have become the number one issue that
threaten peace and security in the region and should be nipped in the bud.
He,
therefore, charged the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional
House of Chiefs to find a lasting solution to the numerous protracted disputes,
which often degenerate into violent clashes.
Opening the
first ordinary meeting of the RCC at Sunyani, Mr Debrah said sustained
development could only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and
tranquillity. "These disputes
are seriously retarding development and the RCC should find a way to
collaborate with the House of Chiefs to resolve them".
Mr Debrah
also urged the district security committees to meet regularly to assess the
security situation and report potential conflicts to the RCC for action.
He said the
Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has adopted measures to ensure adequate
security including 24-hour snap checks on selected roads by joint police/army
teams.
Mr Debrah
said in order to enhance the work of the RCC members should become conversant
with plans, programmes and activities of governmental and non-governmental
organisations in the region.
He
expressed concern about low education standards in the region, saying his
recent tour of some of the districts confirmed this for which the RCC should
take immediate action to reverse the trend.
He
attributed it to inadequate trained teachers, text books and other facilities,
including furniture. Mr Debrah
announced that, henceforth, lumber seized from illegal timber operators would
be used to manufacture furniture and repair school buildings.
He advised
district assemblies to prepare special budgets for the provision of facilities
in deprived schools. The assemblies
should also sponsor the training of nurses and teachers so that they would come
back to serve in the region.
Mr Debrah
called for a concerted effort by chiefs and other opinion leaders, religious
and non-governmental organisations to help check the spread of HIV/AIDS
"because its impact goes beyond the lives of the affected people".
He
announced that the RCC would soon initiate an agricultural project to offer
employment to the youth and appealed to chiefs and other land owners to release
land for the project.
Regional
heads presented reports on the agriculture, health, water, education and
security sectors.
The various
district assemblies also presented reports on their activities and projections.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001 - The Committee of Commonwealth Foreign
Ministers on Zimbabwe will visit Zimbabwe on October 25-26 at the invitation of
the government of that country. The
invitation was extended during the committee's meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, on
September 6, 2001.
The
committee, which comprises ministers from Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya,
Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, and the Commonwealth
Secretary-General, plans to meet President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and other
members of government, opposition leaders and representatives of civil society
in the country.
This was
contained in a press release by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, and
received in Accra on Saturday.
The
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don Mckinnon, who will be in Zimbabwe for the
meetings said, "this visit represents an important step towards
implementation of the Abuja Agreement.
"I
hope that all concerned will be able to agree an implementation timetable and
that the visit will be guided by the Commonwealth spirit of dialogue and
co-operation which underpinned the Abuja discussions.
"I
wish once again, to extend my deep gratitude and appreciation to President
Obasanjo of Nigeria for his continuing efforts through the Abuja process to
find a lasting solution to the land issue and related matters in Zimbabwe, this
important member country of the Commonwealth."
The
Committee of Commonwealth foreign Ministers on Zimbabwe met in Abjua, at the
invitation of President Olusegun Obasanja, and reached agreement on a way
forward for resolving the land issue and related matters in Zimbabwe.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday
called on leaders within the West African Sub-region to work towards the
breakdown of artificial barriers created by colonialists.
He said
there are strong indications that ECOWAS is moving ahead positively to unify
countries in the sub-region and therefore such barriers should not become
impediments.
President
Kufuor made the call when he officially welcomed Malian President Alpha Oumar
Konare to the Castle, Osu, for bilateral talks behind closed doors. President Konare, who is also the Chairman
of ECOWAS, is on a day's official visit to Ghana.
President
Kufuor said the success of the unification in the sub-region has been given a
boost by the exemplary leadership role of President Konare as head of the
ECOWAS.
He cited
the peace process in the Mano River area and the commitment of President Konare
to maintain peace, stability, rule of law and human rights within ECOWAS,
saying that, without such institutions, economic development in Africa would be
elusive.
President
Kufuor gave the assurance that the relationship between Ghana and Mali, which
existed some centuries ago, would be pursued to give centre stage to the
interest of the entire ECOWAS sub-region.
President
Konare said both countries have common problems and stressed the need to ensure
that decisions of their Joint Permanent Commission of Co-operation, which has
been re-activated, are implemented for the benefits of their peoples.
"It is
necessary teams from the two countries on the Commission identify their
problems and common grounds of solution to give more meaning to their
relationship to build ECOWAS."
He asked
the governments and people within the sub-region not to distance themselves
from activities of ECOWAS because there are a lot of problems such as energy
supply, communication, linguistic, culture, security, peace and stability,
which should be solved for prosperity within ECOWAS.
President
Konare said it is the responsibility of governments within ECOWAS to pursue an
agenda that would translate into reality their determination to carry their
commitment of a prosperous sub-region.
President
Kufuor, proposing the toast at a luncheon at the Banquet Hall, said there was
light at the end of the tunnel to make the dream of African Union (AU)
fulfilled.
He therefore
called for more qualitative and pragmatic leadership among African leaders to
have more democratically ruled countries on the continent to bring the AU into
fruition.
President
Konare, in replying to the toast, commended President Kufuor for the great impact
he had made within ECOWAS since his assumption of power through the
strengthening of relationships between Ghana and many other countries.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001 - Malian leader Alpha Oumar Konare on Saturday
urged member-states of ECOWAS to work to strengthen the integration of the
sub-region since no member has a future outside it.
He noted
that, of late, member-states have demonstrated their commitment to accelerate
the integration of their economies to the benefit of their peoples. President Konare said this in a
pre-departure interview with journalists at he end of his one-day official
visit to the country.
He said one
factor that can help in further strengthening the integration is the
understanding of member-countries of the benefits that would be derived from
such a union as well as the democratisation of member-states. "We must consolidate the monetary union
not just for the sake of it but for the progress of the community as a
whole."
The Malian
leader noted that the perception that francophone countries are still attached
to their colonial master is not true and said these are some of the allegations
that retard the progress of the sub-region.
On ECOWAS'
stand on terrorism, President Konare said Africa took a firm decision in
Algeria to fight terrorism two years ago where it made it clear that it would
not accommodate such barbaric acts, especially when it surpasses human
understanding. He has since left for home.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 October 2001 - Mr Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the
National Media Commission (NMC), on Friday said the Institute of Public Relations
unit has a crucial role to play if allegations of bribery, or "Soli"
are to be wiped out from the media.
He said
there are allegations that some PR practitioners often use the name of the
media to collect money from their organisations only to use them for their own
selfish interests.
The NMC
chairman was speaking at this year's launching of the IPR week in Accra under
the theme: "Public Relations a Vital Link for Good Governance."
Mr
Kuenyehia said there is an urgent need for the Institute of Public Relations
(IPR) to team up with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to weed out
corrupt practices and allegations of bribery against some journalists and media
organisations.
Mr
Kuenyehia said PR aims at building trust and relationships between organisations
and other different publics and it is effective only when it is practised in
truth and acceptable means.
"Let
us help the GJA to purge the media of such claims by purging ourselves of the
charge of parasitic relationships with the media."
Mr Kuenyehia
said the IPR could equally assist the GJA to remove impostors parading as
journalists, by asking for accreditation cards or identity cards issued by the
recognised media institutions.
He said if
the IPR wants public relations to serve as a vital link for good governance,
they must support media pluralism. "This they can do by advising their
management not to discriminate against any media by way of invitations to cover
their assignments or the placement of advertisements."
Mr. Kweku
Rockson, Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, said some media houses
contribute to corruption as they employ some personnel, especially new
graduates, without paying them.
He said
under such a situation, they have no option but to take money offered them when
they go out to cover assignments.
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