Ghana traumatised by attacks on US - Kufuor
London (UK) 15 Sept 2001 - Ghana's President John Kufuor arrived in London, England on Saturday at the invitation of the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
President Kufuor, together with five other African leaders have been invited by Mr Blair to participate in a special meeting on development on the African Continent.
The other leaders are Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Joachin Chissano of Mozambique, Festus Mogue of Botswana, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Mpaka of Tazania.
Briefing the press, Daniel K Osei, private secretary to President Kufuor, said the meeting would be held on Tuesday 18th Sept at the Chequers in the Chilterns, the private residence of the British Premier, which is about 60 kilometers northwest of London.
The Chequers meeting would be informal but focused, touching on major issues aimed at generating proposals and priorities to meet the challenges facing the African Continent. Among the issues to be discussed are African strategies for growth, economic policies, poverty reduction strategies and possible budgetary support to open market economies.
Besides, legal and regulatory systems, Information Technology, intra-African trade links and globalisation would also be deliberated.
On governance, the meeting would reflect on good governance, human rights, accountability, and participation of the disadvantaged groups in society on decision making. The rest are conflict prevention and resolution to development, human resource development, education, health, social security and provision of basic amenities.
Mr Osei, who is also an Ambassador at Large, said President Kufour would in addition hold bilateral meetings with his colleagues, the African leaders, to share views on the African Union, good governance and sub-regional organisations.
Three other personalities invited to the meeting but were unable to attend are UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan; President Alpha Konare of Mali and President Thambo Mbeki of South Africa. President Kufuor would be away for a week.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - Two illegal Ghanaian immigrants travelling to Libya through the desert, lost their lives 24 kilometres from Bal-Ghat in southern Libya when a gang of armed robbers attacked the group with which they were travelling.
The armed robbers, who were alleged to have made off with the victims monies, food, clothing and water, abducted the deceased Augustina Akosua Frimpomaa, aged 30 and her teenage brother.
A release issued from the Office of the President said the Government was very much concerned about the situation and appealed to Ghanaians to desist from using such unapproved routes.
The release said the armed robbers gang-raped Frimpomaa, who despite her ordeal managed to rejoin her compatriots. However, due to her weak and frail condition, the group abandoned her and continued with their journey.
The statement said a search team mounted by the Ghana Mission in Tripoli assisted by Libyan security and medical personnel, found the skeletal remains of the two after four days of search in the desert.
It was presumed that foxes devoured the two as only the head of the deceased woman and a few clothing could be used to confirm their identities.
"The use of dangerous and unapproved desert routes by Ghanaian immigrants seeking to enter sister countries including Libya has become a source of concern to the government', the statement said.
The name of the mother of the deceased has been given as Auntie Yaa, believed to be a resident of Abeka Lapaz, near the popular entertainment complex, "Abrantie Spot" in Accra.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), has increased its staff strength at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and other entry points to forestall the infiltration of potential terrorists and other persons of dubious character into the country.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah, Director of GIS told newsmen that the move followed Tuesday's terrorist attack on the United States, in which four hijacked commercial planes rammed into the World Trade Centre (WTC) Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.
"Following the recent attack on the USA, we do not want to take chances, as it appears that terrorists are operating from all corners of the world through even commercial planes.
"We are going to ensure that for 24 hours there would be an officer each in all the immigration booths at KIA," he said. "We are also seeking the assistance of the police to guard the arrival room for 24 hours to ensure that only visitors enter that room."
Nana Owusu-Nsiah said the arrival room is open to all kinds of people, making it difficult for immigration officers to do their work effectively. Officers at the airport and other entry points have been detailed to thoroughly scrutinize the passports and other documents of visitors before allowing them to pass through adding, "we have asked them to detain any suspicious characters and refer questionable documents to the headquarters for further action."
He, however, said these security measures would not be made to undermine investor and tourist confidence and that officers have be asked to handle visitors with utmost tact and circumspection.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah said the GIS have instituted new measures to ensure speedy processing of passports. Application for passports would not take more than four days to be processed and forwarded to the passport office for further action. "We expect the passport office to do the same to complement our effort."
This, he said, is to ensure that passports are processed and delivered to applicants within the mandated four weeks. "At the moment there are several thousand passports at the Greater-Accra Regional Immigration Office yet to be collected. This is probably because applicants have given up chasing their passports owing to the delay in processing them."
He said names of persons whose passports have been completed would soon be published in the newspapers for the owners to go for them.
Nana Owusu-Nsiah added his voice to the call by the Vice President on diplomatic missions to stop defacing passports of rejected visa applicants. This contributes to the pressure on the GIS and the passport office for new passports by people who have fallen victim to such treatment.
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Gomoa Dawurampong (Central Region) 15 September 2001 - The Member of Parliament for Gomoa West, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, has said the seven trillion cedis debt said to have been contracted by the NDC government is an accumulation of loans contracted by previous governments.
She said this when she joined the people of Gomoa Ajumako-Ansah and Dawurampong to celebrate their annual Akwanbo festival at the weekend.
The MP accused the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of contracting loans to the tune of 4.9 trillion cedis within eight months of coming into office.
Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said she was however happy that the government had now seen the wisdom in some of the policies of the previous government and was implementing them.
She cited the divestiture programme as a typical example, saying the government was so comfortable with it that it had decided to privatise water.
The MP assured the nation that the NDC members in Parliament would never be an impediment to the government in its efforts to improve the standard of living of the people.
She, however, said they would not shirk in their responsibility to keep the government on its toes.
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Apam (Central Region) 15 September 2001 - The Gomoa District Chief Executive (DCE), Miss Joyce Aidoo has urged journalists to be circumspect in their reports about the district so as not to create bad blood between her and the former administrators of the district.
Miss Aidoo said that as much as she would appreciate any effort of journalists to market the district to the outside world, she would not entertain any publication that could undermine the unity and cohesion needed to enhance the development of the area.
She was reacting to a publication in the September 11 edition of a national daily under the heading: "Gomoa DCE calls for end to litigation." The publication quoted her as having said that she would work to bring more development than her predecessors did.
Miss Aidoo said she knew how difficult it was to start a new district and really appreciated the efforts her predecessors put in to bring the district this far since it was carved from the then Gomoa-Awutu-Effutu-Senya District some 13 years ago.
The DCE also denied ever saying that the Gomoa District was the second largest in the country as reported in that publication. "What I know and which I always tell my people is that the district is the second largest in the Central Region."
She appealed to all citizens to bury any political, ethnic or chieftaincy differences and rally behind the government in its efforts to solve the numerous problems facing the district.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Friday reiterated the government's commitment to provide the private sector with technical and financial assistance to enhance its productive capacity and ensure efficiency.
The government, he said, would go beyond its traditional role of formulating macroeconomic policies to facilitate access to direct technical and financial support at the enterprise level.
"This is the only way to ensure that the private sector can take advantage of the opportunities created by the favourable macroeconomic environment." He told the inauguration of the Association of Ghana Industries Co-ordinating Committee for the President's Special Initiatives on Garments, Textiles and Agribusiness.
President John Agyekum Kufuor launched the two special initiatives - Integrated Action Programme for Cassava Starch Production and Export and the Export Action Programme for Garments and Textiles - in August.
Under the action for cassava starch production about 25,000 farmers from 10 selected districts would be identified and assisted technically and financially to grow and process cassava into high-grade industrial starch.
The first Corporate Village Enterprise for Industrial Starch Processing in the Awutu-Efutu-Senya District has already been launched. Nine other districts are to be covered in the next two years.
The Garments and Textiles sector is expected to create 70,000 jobs and generate about 3.4 billion dollars in export revenue over four years based on the country's ability to take advantage of the United States Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The Vice-President said the designation of the two initiatives, as "Special Presidential Initiatives" was enough demonstration of the importance the government attached to them and its desire to provide the required leadership to ensure successful implementation.
Alhaji Mahama said it was in line with this commitment that the President set up an Inter-Ministerial Facilitation Team to ensure effective co-ordination of support among the various sector ministries and agencies.
He emphasised that the two initiatives complement and build on other development programmes and projects that were in existence or would soon to be launched.
The Vice-President urged the private sector to collaborate with the government to build a prosperous nation that would guarantee a decent living standard for Ghanaians.
Prince Kofi Kludjeson, President of AGI, said the initiatives could help improve the country's export earnings, employment generation and poverty reduction. He pledged AGI's readiness to collaborate with other stakeholders in implementing the project.
Alan Kyremanten, Ambassador-Designate to the United States, said it was heart-warming to have a government that was ready to collaborate with the private sector, which had in the past been looked at with suspicion and mistrust.
He asked the committee to work towards its the effective implementation to ensure the success. The 10-member Committee has as its chairman Mr Prince Kofi Kludjeson.
Other members are Mr Ben Kuma, Mrs Charity Agbenu, Mr Peter Mac Manu and Mr
Victor Q. Ameyibor. The rest are Mr Samuel Appenteng, Nana Gyekyewa Opokua II, Mr John Graisham, Mrs Nana Yaa Young-Gyambo and Mr Seth Twum-Akwaboah.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said Africa is re-awakening with the establishment of the various regional groupings to pool resources and use the continent's assets for peace and development.
He said under the groupings, Africans now live as brothers, get to know each other better and pursue common projects of physical and economic development.
President Kufuor told Ousman Djidda, Chad Ambassador to Ghana who presented his credentials to him at the State House in Accra that with such determination in the horizon, Ghana would continue to support ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) to succeed.
"With your appointment, I see you as a vital link between Ghana and Chad in order that the ties that exist between us would grow from strength to strength."
Djidda said Chad has not had a diplomatic mission in Ghana for a long time and his presence testifies to the importance Ghana has attached to ECOWAS and the African Union.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 – The Police have arrested a 26-year old trader for dealing in fake currency.
Dr Kofi Kesse Manfo, Greater-Accra Regional Police Commander, who made this known in Accra on Friday, said the suspect, Awudu Sadik, a second-hand clothes dealer, was arrested on Friday at about 1400 hours at Darkuman-Kokompe.
Dr Manfo said a flour-chips seller at Kokompe became suspicious when Sadik attempted to buy some with a fake five thousand cedi note.
The Regional Commander said she consequently reported the matter to Policemen on patrols and the suspect was arrested and a search on him revealed 44 units of fake five thousand cedi notes.
Dr Manfo urged the public to be on the lookout for those circulating fake currency notes by exchanging fake five thousand-cedi notes for genuine two thousand cedi-notes.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - A former student of the University of Ghana, Richard Turkson was on Friday handed over to the Legon Police for allegedly extorting
95,000 cedis from four fresh students under the pretext of providing them with accommodation at the Commonwealth Hall.
The four aggrieved students, Moses Dzawu, Wisdom Dogbe, Richard Adisah and
Desmund Kumi said Turkson posed as the Sports Secretary of Commonwealth Hall and collected the money to assist them get accommodation in the hall.
Information gathered from the Commonwealth Hall indicated that Turkson entered the University with false documents and was rusticated last year.
In spite of this he managed to procure a new student's identification card this year that will expire in 2004.
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Salaga (Northern Region) 15 September 2001 - The Police have arrested four suspected armed robbers at Salaga in the Northern Region upon a tip-off.
The suspects, whose names are being withheld for security reasons came to Salaga in a taxi to visit a patient at the Salaga Hospital.
Police Inspector W. R. Tetteh in charge of the Salaga Police Station told the Ghana News Agency that they found three screwdrivers and a metal cuter when the vehicle was searched.
He said the suspects would be transferred to the Yendi Police for further interrogation.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday asked Germany to assist his government to create the necessary conditions that would convince Ghanaian technocrats to return and help build the country.
He said Germany has trained many Ghanaian medical practitioners and other professionals but they are reluctant to return due to the non-availability of the requisite facilities for them to operate efficiently.
President Kufuor made the call when Dr Harald Loeschner, German Ambassador to Ghana, presented his credentials and letters of recall of his predecessor to him at the State House in Accra.
President Kufuor said the taxpayer had spent a lot on these professionals and it would be ideal for them to return for the society to benefit from their knowledge, skills and experiences.
Ghana has gained tremendously from NGOs and foundations from Germany and was hopeful the new Ambassador would help add value to the existing cordial relationship between the two countries. President Kufuor called on Ghana's developing partners to appreciate her decision to join the HIPC initiative and assist her.
Dr Loeschner said this is his first posting to an African country but he has followed Ghana's development towards democratic rule, rule of law and establishment of market economy.
"My tenure of office would ensure fruitful co-operation in order to make Ghana's development more successful and more positive."
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Nsawam (Eastern Region) 15 September 2001 - Eric Kwasi Asamoah, Secretary for Akwapim South Constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was attacked at
Gyankrom near Nsawam, by a mob suspected to have come from the local Zongo.
Briefing the GNA at the Nsawam Government Hospital on Thursday, Asamoah said the mob attacked him at about 0500 hours in his house when he raised the alarm about some items kept at his building site, which he believed were stolen.
Asamoah, who has been treated and discharged, said his attackers some of who were wielding sticks and carrying petrol, beat him up and threatened to set his house ablaze.
The Nsawam Police said they have mounted an intensive search for the culprits.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - The Ghana Armed Forces said on Friday that the joint military and police patrol teams have made several arrests as they continue to clamp down on criminal activities.
A statement issued by Lt. Col. E.W.K. Nibo, Acting Director of Public Relations, said three suspects were arrested at Ablekuma last Tuesday at about 2130 hours for attempting to steal car spare parts.
On September 10, a joint team chased a number of armed robbers who attempted to hijack a taxicab with registration number WR 298 Q at Ketan between 0200 and 0230 hours.
The robbers escaped with the ignition key, but left behind a loaded locally manufactured pistol. Another patrol team in Kumasi arrested one Yaw Manu at Atwima Akosombo with two unlicensed single barrel guns and two cartridges.
All the suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigations.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday presented letters of accreditation to eight newly appointed High Commissioners and
Ambassadors-designate.
They were Dr Kofi Dsane-Selby (Italy), Ms Veronica Sharon Boakye Kufuor (Czech Republic), Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Adu (Denmark) and Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere
(Sierra Leone).
The others were Major-General Francis Yahaya Mahamma (Russia), Mr Ernest Kwame Asiedu Amoa-Awuah (Liberia), Mr George Kumi (Libya) and Mr Rowland Issifu
Alhassan (Federal Republic of Germany).
At the ceremony attended by Vice President Aliu Mahama, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Alhaji Malik Al-hassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior, the new envoys swore the oath of allegiance, secrecy and the official oath.
President Kufuor advised them not be swayed by the privileges attached to their appointments and be complacent but to promote the socio-economic development of the country.
“The interest of Ghana and Ghanaians should be your main focus,” he advised and urged them to provide comfort to Ghanaians in difficulty especially private businessmen who should be linked to the right sources for access to credit and other forms of assistance.
This would make their work easier to promote the government's policy of "Golden Age for Business."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday said the government and people of Ghana have been traumatised by last Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the United States.
"It is sad. The government and people of Ghana are traumatised by the attacks the terrorists have subjected the entire world to," President Kufuor said when the newly appointed US ambassador to Ghana, Ms Nancy Jo Powell presented her letters of accreditation to him at the State House in Accra.
Terrorists flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington with heavy loss of lives.
The president said the government was committed to the establishment of rule of law, adding that terrorism would not have a place in Ghana.
President Kufuor said with the depth of relationship between Ghana and the US, efforts would be made to promote such relationship and make the private sector pull the country out of its economic doldrums.
Ms Powell who has served in Togo said the government and people of the US have been touched deeply by the concern shown by the entire world to atrocities meted out by the terrorists.
The US would count on Ghana's support in the campaign against terrorism to ensure that the many activities and programmes, which have been beneficial to both countries, were improved upon, she said.
Ms Powell pledged to promote the government's "Golden Age of Business" with businessmen and other investors from the US.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 September 2001 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday asked for Canada's assistance for Ghana to reach the decision point under the HIPC initiative on time. "We want Ghanaians to appreciate the wisdom in joining the HIPC initiative," he said.
"It is a step we believe would take the country out of the doldrums," President Kufuor said when Mr Jean-Pierre Bolduc, Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, presented his credentials to him at the State House in Accra. President Kufuor commended Canada for its tremendous support to Ghana in her development efforts.
Mr Bolduc said he would continue to share in the government's determination to establish democracy, rule of law and order for good governance. He said the co-operation between the two countries has been cordial and would work to strengthen it.
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