Seven file nominations for Presidential election
Eligible voters besiege polling stations for photo ID cards.
Gbeho to stand as independent parliamentary
candidate
Togolese security personnel fire at CEPS vehicle
Workshop for journalists opens in Sunyani
Tema market "Tuesday thief" grabbed
TUC Congress Sixth quadrennial congress of TUC opens
Government urged to enforce directive on the
use of Akuafo Cheques
Ghana/AFD sign agreement to expand Rubber
Plantation
GJA congratulates new chief executives
Asantehene urges donor agencies to offer assistance for manpower development
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 September 2000
Four more candidates, including Mr. Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), filed their papers on the final day of nominations to contest the December 7 presidential election.
These brought to seven the number of candidates who duly completed their forms and met the deadline to contest the election.
Mr. Dan Lartey, flagbearer of GCPP, and his running mate, Mr. Ewarts Ladzagla, a 55-year-old teacher from Mepe in the Volta Region, completed their nomination forms.
Others who filed their papers on Wednesday were Dr. George Hagan, flagbearer of the Convention People's Party (CPP), and his running mate, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, Dr. Edward Mahama, flagbearer of the People's National Convention (PNC), and his running mate, Mr. Bannerman Baah Ntim, and Goosie Tanoh of the National Reform Party (NRP) and his running mate, Mr. Cletus Kosiba.
Vice-President John Atta Mills, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor and Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby filed for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) and United Ghana Movement (UGM) respectively on Tuesday.
Mr. Lartey said the party has not been in the media limelight because it decided to work from the grassroots, adding that the fact that they had fulfilled the electoral requirements showed the organisational ability of party.
He said he had instructed the regional co-ordinators of the party to organise for the filing of nominations by its parliamentary candidates.
Mr. Lartey said he was optimistic that GCPP would form the next government.
The political parties appealed to the EC to organise transparent, free and fair elections for the results to be acceptable.
Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, said the commission would continue to play its role effectively and expects the political parties to abide by the code of conduct for the election.
The EC scrutinised the nomination forms of prospective candidates for the presidential and parliamentary elections to ensure that the necessary electoral requirements had been adhered to.
The Public Elections Regulation requires that parliamentary and presidential candidates fill nomination forms in quadruplicate and deliver them to the appropriate officer of the commission on the nomination days.
A prospective presidential candidate is required to complete a 62-page form, which must be endorsed by two registered voters resident in each district of the country.
Meanwhile none of the prospective independent candidates who declared their intentions to contest the presidential election was able to file their nomination.
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Eligible voters besiege polling stations
for photo ID cards.
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 September 2000
Togbe S. K. Fugah, Head of the Anloga Community in Kumasi, on Tuesday appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC), to set up more centres to enable eligible voters to acquire photo identity cards (ID) for the December elections.
Speaking to the GNA in Kumasi, Togbe Fugah said with the deadline for the Ashanti Region set for Friday, September l5, most of the voters have become agitated and worried that they may not be able to have photo ID cards before the deadline.
He, however, said Mr. Isaac K. Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director of the Commission, gave the assurance that there will be mopping up exercise in the region to ensure that all eligible voters get their ID cards.
Togbe Fugah suggested that the mass media, especially the FM stations should be well informed about the exercise to enable them to educate the people about the mopping up in order that their minds will be set at ease.
Togbe Fugah said he is determined to mobilise the people at Anloga, 0forikrom and Anlo Fanti New Town from where numerous reports have reached him that many people have not been photographed.
He noted that it is urgent for the EC ensure that nobody is disenfranchised because of the person's inability to have a photo ID card.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 September 2000
Mr. James Victor Gbeho, Minister of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday declared his intention to stand as an independent parliamentary candidate for the Anlo Constituency in the December 2000 parliamentary elections.
According to Mr. Gbeho, he took the decision in order not to betray the trust and confidence the chiefs, opinion leaders and his supporters have in him, and to save the constituency.
In a release issued and signed by Mr. Gbeho in Accra he re-called that earlier this year, the people of Anlo Constituency informed the headquarters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) their wish to see Mr. Gbeho nominated as the party's candidate for the Anlo Parliamentary seat.
It said this was followed by letters from the Anlo Traditional Council pledging support for Mr. Victor Gbeho.
"The letters were however never acknowledged or discussed with their authors".
The release noted that a few months ago, the party sent an outreach team headed by Dr Obed Y. Asamoah to inform the chiefs and people about the wish of the party to avoid the holding of primaries nation-wide and also to express a preference for the incumbent.
The chiefs and the people however rejected the proposal and claimed an inalienable right to have a say in who should represent them in parliament.
"Since then, many meetings have been held by the party leadership in Accra to finally decide on who among the four known candidates deserved the endorsement of the party."
The release said on September 4, the headquarters of the NDC suddenly informed the four aspirants that the primaries would be held in the constituency on Friday, September 8 at an extra- ordinary meeting of the Anlo constituency.
"At the venue for nominating a candidate on September 8, an NDC team from headquarters postponed the primaries dramatically because, as they explained one of the candidates had in a letter strongly questioned the legality of the event.
The team emphasised the need for their immediate return to Accra in the circumstance, for fresh instruction in the matter with a promise to reassemble the four candidates on Monday, September 11, but this did not happen and enquiries made in Accra drew no positive response.
"It was therefore a matter of great dismay to the people of Anlo constituency and me when on the evening of Tuesday, 12 September, our attention was drawn to a news item carried by some part of the media that Squadron Leader C.K. Sowu had been nominated by the NDC as its choice for the Anlo parliamentary seat for the December 2000 elections".
Mr. Gbeho stated in the release that while he will not question the right of the NDC to nominate anyone, the determination to force the incumbent upon the Anlo constituency, the paucity of communication among stakeholders and the obvious lack of transparency in the nomination process have prejudiced the choice in the eyes of those on whose behalf the party has sought to act.
Mr. Gbeho said since the news broke out the decision, chiefs, opinion leaders and his supporters in the Anlo constituency, had been in contact with him, and had maintained that he should represent them.
He said he deeply regretted that his supporters and he had been forced into this situation by such unpleasant aspects of the process.
Mr. Gbeho, however, confirmed his respect for the NDC, and its achievements, but reiterated that he could not accept the silencing of the voices in the Anlo constituency in such a manner.
Mr. Gbeho said he would continue to urge his supporters to vote for Prof Atta Mills for the post of President, but in the matter of the Anlo constituency in particular to vote as their conscience told them.
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Asuom (Eastern Region) 13
September 2000
Members of Ghana Oil Palm
Development Company (GOPDC) Farmers Association on Tuesday asked the management
to refund monies used to buy shares for them or risk withdrawals of supply of
their farm produce.
The farmers, made up of
out-growers and small-holders, gave the management up to September 19 to pay
back the monies and accrued interest since they were no longer interested in
holding on to the shares.
The decision was reached at a
general meeting of the farmers at Asuom and Kwae attended by over 3,000
farmers, where they also agreed to the withdrawal of sales of their produce.
The meeting was held to discuss
issues affecting the welfare of the farmers and to adopt strategies to deal
with the problems.
The farmers alleged that the
management has persistently refused, over the years, to make them aware of the
value of individual share holdings and has also failed to give them their share
certificates.
They claimed they had no knowledge
of how much each share is worth and can, therefore, not continue to hold on to
something that they do not know its value.
The farmers said, they initially
agreed to a five per cent deduction from the proceeds of each farmer to pay for
the shares.
However, instead of the two-year
period agreed on, the deductions were continued until the farmers protested
before it was stopped.
The farmers said the stoppage of
the deductions alone shows that the management was playing on their ignorance
and was doing something illegal.
In a resolution, the farmers
called on the management not to renege on the existing agreement signed with
them.
Management should also not make
the signing of a new agreement a condition for the payment of their back pay.
They said a decision on a new
agreement should be negotiated between the management and the farmers.
They also called on the management
to pay them a price higher than what is being paid now.
Members additionally resolved to
dissolve the association executives and asked them to hand over any assets they
may have in their possession to an interim management committee.
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Aflao (Volta Region) 14 September
2000
Togolese security personnel last Thursday opened fire on a Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) vehicle at Lente, a village along the Ghana-Togo border and injured three persons.
They were Baba Dayome Donewoo, farmer, 25, Doe Sodzi, 10, and his sister, Dofui, eight.
Sources close to CEPS at Aflao told the Ghana News Agency that a Customs' patrol team strayed into the Togolese territory and at about 19:00 hours they came across Mr. Donewoo and asked him to help them retrace their course.
As the Toyota pick-up in which they were travelling approached Pillar 18, on a notorious route for armed robbers, car thieves and other criminals, the Togolese security personnel opened fire on the vehicle as it reversed.
Mr. Donewoo, who was standing in the bucket of the pick-up was hit in the thigh, fell-off and the vehicle sped off.
Aflao, Sept. 14 GNA- Togolese
security personnel last Thursday opened fire on a Customs Excise and Preventive
Service (CEPS) vehicle at Lente, a village along the Ghana-Togo border and
injured three persons.
The three are Baba Dayome Donewoo,
farmer, 25, Doe Sodzi, 10, and his sister, Dofui, eight. The bullets hit Doe
and Dofui on their foreheads.
Sources close to CEPS at Aflao
told the Ghana News Agency that a customs patrol team strayed into the Togolese
territory. At about 19 hours the team came across Mr. Donewoo and asked him to
help them retrace their course.
As the Toyota pick-up in which
they were travelling approached Pillar 18,an area known to be a notorious route
for armed robbers, car thieves and other criminals, the Togolese security
personnel suspicious of the patrol team opened fire on the vehicle as it
reversed.
Donewoo who was standing in the
bucket of the Toyota pick-up was hit by bullet in the thigh and he fell. He was
left behind as the vehicle sped off.
According to the sources, the two
children who were then warming themselves by the fireside were hit on the
forehead by the bullets.
The Togolese security personnel
took Mr. Donewoo and sent him to a hospital in Lome, while the two little ones
were treated and discharged at the District Hospital at Aflao.
The sources blamed the CEPS patrol
team for operating in the area without the knowledge of the Sector Commanders
at the Aflao border post.
Mr. Kow Amissah Koomson, the
Sector Commander confirmed the story, but refused to comment because "it
is a serious security issue and the National Security Council is the
appropriate body to approach."
Meanwhile, the sources said Mr.
David Anaglate, Ghana's Ambassador to Togo was negotiating with the Togolese
authorities for the release of Mr. Donewoo to continue his treatment in
Ghana.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 14 September 2000
The fourth in a series of workshops being organised by the Ghana Centre of International Pen, a world association of writers, to sharpen the skills of media practitioners towards the December elections opened at Sunyani on Wednesday.
The workshop, sponsored by DANIDA under the theme "Towards Peaceful, Free and Fair Elections: The Role of the Writer" is being attended by representatives of political parties.
Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, noted in an opening address that peace and sustained development can only be guaranteed in a well-informed society.
It is in view of this that the government decided to liberalise the airwaves to promote freedom of discussion of policies to enhance understanding and peaceful co-existence among the people.
Alhaji Adam said media practitioners, therefore, have a crucial role to play to ensure free and fair election whose result would be credible.
He spoke against the tendency of a section of the media "who resort to misinformation and sensationalism, which may pay off only in the short run", and called on media practitioners to be more circumspect in their reporting.
Mr. Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah, President of the Ghana Centre of International Pen, said party politics in Ghana has come of age, and people should therefore learn to respect the views and ideas of their opponents.
Mr. Anim-Appiah noted that rural dwellers, who are easily manipulated by politicians because of ignorance, "are now awake" and would determine the fate of politicians in December.
He said notwithstanding the achievement of some degree of fairness in the reporting of the activities of political parties, more should be done to avoid complaints of unfair treatment.
He suggested that to enable the media houses to give of their best in terms of coverage, political parties should assist media houses in the procurement of equipment and other needs.
Mr. Leonard Victor Amengor, Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, advised journalists to play their role as watchdogs more efficiently by being "watchfully neutral".
He said journalists should avoid the tendency to "attach their apron strings to political parties" to assert their independence in their work.
Mr. Javis Agyemang-Badu, Headmaster of Twene-Amanfo Secondary Technical School, who presided, urged journalists to articulate the views of the electorate, especially the voiceless in the society.
Journalists, he said, should make a clear distinction between national and personal issues and avoid the "irresponsible" use of the press.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 14 September 2000
A 34-year-old woman, Mary Nyarkoa, who made Tuesdays her special days for stealing from the Tema market, is finally in the grips of the police.
Nyarkoa, who was caught last Tuesday with a full piece of GTP wax print and was being disciplined by traders at the market, was identified by a store boy from whom she had stolen 719,000 cedis the previous market day.
Nyarkoa's way of operation was simple. She normally puts the cloth she has not paid for in her handbag and leaves a bigger bag containing thrash behind under the pretext that she is going to buy school uniforms for her children but never returns.
A police source told the GNA that after her arrest, Nyarkoa was further identified by a salesgirl who alleged that Nyarkoa was in her shop on Tuesday, September five, during which she stole a full piece of a Dutch wax print valued at 600,000 cedis.
The source said on September 12, Nyarkoa entered a shop at the Community One Market and bought a bag of rice for 155,000 cedis.
After paying for the commodity, she asked Mr. Sylvester Kuffour, the 22-year-old storekeeper, to divide it into two equal parts because she was going to share it with a friend.
But while Mr. Kuffour was sharing the rice, Nyarkoa, who had been sitting at the shop for over one hour, managed to steal the money without Kuffour noticing her.
She then sought permission to go and take a bottle of soft drink but never returned.
Mr. Kuffour later found to his surprise that an amount of 719,000 cedis being the sales for that period had vanished.
He also detected that Nyarkoa neither touched the 155,000 cedis she used to pay for the rice nor came for the commodity.
The suspect went into hiding until she appeared at the market again last Tuesday and stole the full piece of wax print from the shop of Madam Yaa Agyeiwaa where she had befriended the salesgirl whom she visited regularly.
Nyarkoa allegedly admitted all the offences before the police and was quoted as saying that she resorted to the act to cater for her five children after her husband, a factory hand, died two years ago.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 14
September 2000
The Vice President, Professor John
Evans Atta-Mills, on Wednesday called on the Ghana Trades Union congress (TUC)
to make opportunities for training and human resource development programmes for
workers constitute one of the core demands in collective bargaining
negotiations.
Such programmes should also take
into account the special needs of women and younger workers, he said, adding
that this is the way to increase employability in the wider labour market.
Professor Mills was opening the
sixth quadrennial delegates' congress of the TUC at the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
The congress, which is on the
theme: "Economic emancipation and democratic governance --The role of
Trade Unions", is being attended by 306 delegates from all the 17 national
affiliate unions.
About 50 observers and 20
international fraternal delegates including those from the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
(ICFTU), the American Centre for International Labour Solidarity (ACILS) and
the Dutch Trade Union Federation (FNV), are also attending.
A special feature of the congress
is the interaction with the delegates by flag-bearers of the six political
parties contesting the December elections.
They will brief the delegates on
their parties' manifestos and how they intend to address workers concerns in
the event of being in power.
Professor Mills noted that the
structure of the world economy has shifted from manufacturing to services with
education remaining the backbone of the service-based new economy.
"This is the challenge we
must face in the new century if Ghana is to become competitive and be able to
raise living standards".
The Vice-President said it is the wish of any government to see its working people's productivity employed in secure jobs, which provide a decent living and enable them to look after the needs of their families.
He said government is aware of the low wages and salaries, especially in the public sector and would have wished that the present circumstances would allow it to satisfy the real needs of all and also provide the economic and social infrastructure necessary for national wellbeing and prosperity.
"However, the reality of the situation now does not permit it. Of course, it is very tempting in the face of important elections, to agree to demands from various sectors of the economy".
Professor Mills said short-term soft options and quick fixes are in the long run detrimental to the interest of the average worker. The government will therefore always be truthful and explain to workers what is possible and what is not possible as they negotiate for a minimum wage and improved conditions of service.
He expressed appreciation to the TUC and others who contributed towards the draft Labour Bill which will soon be put before parliament.
He urged the congress to take advantage of an opening through the relevant parliamentary committee to make its views known on areas on which it might still have concerns to further improve upon the bill before its final consideration.
Mr. Christian Appiah-Agyei, Secretary-General of the TUC, stressed the need to relate the salary and wages administration to the prevailing cost of living.
This, he said, has become more urgent at this time when government through deliberate policy initiatives is holding down wage levels even in the collective bargaining sector of the public service.
Mr. Appiah-Agyei said, "government's pre-determined position on the tripartite minimum wage fixing machinery which does not allow the National Minimum Wage to exceed the level established in the Civil Service is unjust and will be relentlessly resisted by us".
He therefore suggested that the tripartite minimum wage fixing machinery should be employed in good faith to determine a realistic minimum wage that takes account of the interest of all the social partners and not just skewed to protecting only the interest of government.
He asked the government not to underestimate the resolve of Ghanaian workers to sustain a long struggle to secure a realistic minimum wage that can provide for their very basic needs.
Mr. Appiah-Agyei, whose tenure of office ends after the congress having served two terms, commended workers of Ghana for their patriotism and the enormous sacrifices they have made in the face of daunting difficulties. He described them as the unsung heroes of the country's economic development.
Mr. A.K. Bonney, a member of the executive board of the TUC who chaired the function, noted that the policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank continue to drive many Ghanaians into the streets.
He said after more than a decade of economic recovery and structural adjustment, the worker earns less than a dollar a day.
Alhaji Abudu Mumuni Issifu, a former Secretary-General of the TUC and Mr. Harry Mbeah, former Administrative Secretary, were honoured for their meritorious services to the labour movement.
The climax of the congress will be on Thursday when a new Secretary-General and other officers will be elected.
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Jacobu (Ashanti Region) 14 September 2000
Mr. Johnny 0wusu-Boadi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of 0dotobri Rural Bank, has called for the enforcement of the government's directive that private cocoa purchasing companies, which pay cash instead of cheque to farmers for cocoa bought during the main crop season, should be prosecuted.
He noted that rural banks in most major cocoa growing areas are disillusioned about the operation of the Akuafo Cheque system due to the payment of cash for cocoa purchased.
Mr. Owusu-Boadi made the call when he addressed the 14th annual general meeting of shareholders of the bank at Jacobu in Ashanti on Tuesday.
"The Akuafo Cheque system is now collapsing. Most cocoa farmers have neglected the cheque system and instead receive cash from purchasing clerks," he lamented.
As a result he said the bank was only able to purchase 450 million cedis worth of cocoa as against 1.4 billion cedis it bought last season.
"In view of this, the board of directors declined loan applications from most cocoa farmers who did not channel their Akuafo Cheques through the bank last season. If this trend continues, the board may be compelled to turn down all loan applications from cocoa farmers because there is no guarantee for repayment when the system does not exist".
Mr. Owusu-Boadi said the bank's deposits rose from 408 million cedis in 1997 to 1.1 billion cedis last year and it declared about 107 million cedis as profit before taxation as against 42.6 million cedis.
Mr. Owusu-Boadi said the bank's investments in treasury bills increased from 158 million cedis in 1997 to about 440 million cedis last year. It granted 1.1 billion cedis in loans to about 2,200 customers.
He appealed to beneficiaries of the poverty alleviation fund to pay back their loans promptly otherwise the board would be compelled to take legal action against the defaulters as it did the previous year to recover about 98 per cent of the loans.
Mr. Samuel Nkrumah-Gyimah, Member of Parliament for Odotobri, commended the bank for charging a relatively low interest rate of 32 per cent on loans granted to its customers.
He called on the commercial banks to reduce their interest rate of 42 per cent on loans to help the private sector to operate effectively and employ more people.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 September
2000
Ghana and the Agence Francaise de
Developpement (AFD) on Wednesday signed a 5.9 million - Euro Rubber Out-growers
Plantation Project Agreement in Accra.
It would be used to finance the
second phase of a 2,800-hectare rubber plantation, approved by Parliament
during its last session.
It would offer a credit line for
about 500 farmers over a period of five years.
The fund would be disbursed
through the Agricultural Development Bank to help farmers purchase agricultural
inputs.
It would also go into the
construction of a 40-kilometre road that would open up the area and ensure easy
access to production and marketing areas.
Mr. Victor Selormey, Deputy
Minister of Finance, signed for Ghana while Mr. Laurent Duriez, Resident
Manager for (AFD) signed for the Agency in the presence of Mr. Didier Ferrand,
the out-going French Ambassador to Ghana.
With a 10-year duration, the first
phase of the project started in 1995 and ended in 1999 with more than 1,200
hectares planted by 400 farmers.
A statement issued by AFD at the
signing ceremony said 164 old rubber farms covering 3,050 hectares have been
rehabilitated and are producing more than 1,200 tonnes of rubber per annum.
The project is under the control
of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Ghana Rubber Estates
Limited (GREL) is managing and providing technical support.
Mr. Francis Ofori, Director of
Crop Services, MOFA, said the second phase involves expanding the project to
Jomoro, Nzema East, Ahanta West, Mpohor Wassa East, Wassa West and Wassa Amenfi
all in the Western Region.
He said the selection was based on
favourable climate and soil conditions, the large size of the population in the
six districts, high incidence of poverty and the closeness of the districts to
the industrial plantation and processing facilities of GREL.
It is also to consolidate the
gains made in phase one of the project.
Mr. Selormey noted that the project would increase the incomes of
beneficiary farmers and improve their organisational skills and ultimately
increase exports.
He thanked the French for its
continued support to Ghana's development, which, he said, reflects that
government's support to the Anglophone as well as to the Francophone countries.
Mr. Ferrand observed that Ghana's
agricultural sector has a huge potential, and could become self-sufficient in
food production.
This, he noted, would reflect in
the prices of food items and reduce the high dependence on imports.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 September
2000
The Ghana Journalists Association
(GJA) on Wednesday congratulated the newly appointed chief executives of the
State-Owned Media (SOM) and called on them to ensure that their organisations
pursue fair and balanced reporting to move the media forward.
A statement signed by Mrs. Gifty
Affenyi-Dadzie, President of GJA, said the appointments by the National Media
Commission (NMC) "settle once and for all, the legitimate body to make
such appointments."
The new chief executives are Mr.
Ben Kafui Johnson, General Manager of the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Seth Ago
Adjetey, Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Berifi Appenteng,
Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited and Naabayin
Pratt, Managing Director of the New Times Corporation.
Their appointment followed a court
ruling early this year that annulled all appointments by government of chief
executives of the SOM as stipulated by the Constitution.
The GJA said it welcomes Mr.
Johnson and Mr. Adjetey into the mainstream of the media scene.
It reminded them that their
appointments, "have been made at a crucial stage in the national history,
especially, coming at the heels of the filing of nominations for the December 7
presidential and parliamentary elections."
"The public will be watching
to see how they impact on the performance of the SOM and they must live up to
expectation to assure the nation that the SOM can operate professionally."
The GJA expressed the hope that
Mr. Appenteng, a member of the association, would extend the loyalty and
commitment with which he has approached its activities to the management of the
Graphic Group.
"It is our hope that he will
ensure that newspapers from the Graphic Group are not only fair, objective and
balanced, but are credible to impact qualitatively on national decision-making
processes and in the shaping of public opinion."
The statement commended the good
rapport built by Naabayin Pratt, while he served as the President of the
Institute of Public Relations (IPR), saying there is indeed the necessity for a
bond between journalists and public relations practitioners to move the media
forward.
"It is our hope that he would
bring glory to the New Times Corporation as he did with the IPR."
The GJA called on staff of the
SOM, especially the editors and journalists, to complement the provisions of
the constitution and activities of the NMC to ensure that they are objective,
fair and balanced in their coverage of activities of all political parties.
"Even if all political
parties cannot be covered equally, there must be equity and fairness, which
will enable the average Ghanaian to have confidence and credibility in what you
report or write about."
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Kumasi (Greater Accra) 14 September 2000
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene on Wednesday appealed to donor agencies to offer more technical assistance towards the development of country's middle level manpower needs.
"As a developing country, Ghana's middle level manpower development is crucial. Therefore, assistance from donor agencies should be packaged in a manner that will help to equip people with technical know-how to be truly independent".
Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the appeal when a six-man delegation from the European Union (EU) in Ghana paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi to brief him on activities of the EU.
The Asantehene also appealed to agencies, organisations and institutions engaged in community development not to impose projects on the people but consult to know their felt needs before initiating any projects.
He commended the EU for its assistance to developing countries and especially Ghana.
Oheneba Agyeman Atweneboana, Hiahene, said Asantehene is concerned about development especially in the areas of health and education.
He said Asanteman would therefore welcome assistance from donor agencies to fight illiteracy, poverty and disease to raise the living standard of the people.
Mr. Charles Brook, Head of the EU delegation in Ghana, said in addition to financing micro projects in the rural areas, the EU will assist in the rehabilitation of some roads including the Kumasi-Techiman road and others in Ashanti region this year.
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