Loss of biodiversity would have economic consequences - Prof. Fobih
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 17 September 2001 -The Ashanti regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held a meeting in Kumasi at the weekend to review the state of the re-organisation of the party in the region and to plan strategies for the impending congress at the branches, constituency and regional levels.
It was attended by representatives from all the 33 constituencies, comprising constituency chairmen, secretaries, organisers, Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary candidates.
The meeting observed from various reports submitted from the regions that the New Patriotic Party (NPP), after eight months in power, its supporters continue to intimidate and harass NDC supporters or people who are perceived to identify themselves with the previous government.
Some of these victims are civil and public servants whose only offence is that in the discharge of their duties, they are perceived to be sympathisers of the NDC.
The meeting observed that many of the transfers and "proceed on leave" orders of district and regional staff at the local government are politically motivated. The cited a letter signed by Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister asking Mr. Abraham Kofi Topen, Ashanti regional co-ordinator of the National Mobilisation Programme (NMP), who is the NDC's regional secretary to proceed on indefinite leave.
The members also noted that vandalisation and destruction of NDC property and that of their supporters is on the ascendancy and mentioned the Fomena office of the party, which was set ablaze and had it not been for the timely intervention of sympathisers, would have been burnt to the ground.
They said a physical attack on Mr Sly Akakpovie, an activist of the party in Kumasi resulted in the breaking of the windscreen his car, adding, "attacks on several other NDC members and supporters continue unabated".
All these, the meeting believed, are in line with the NPP's publicly confessed and avowed aim of destroying the NDC and its members by election time 2004 as expressed by Mr J.H. Mensah, NPP parliamentary majority leader.
The meeting called on the "good people of the country to join hands in condemning all acts of vilification, harassment, vengeance and victimisation of people perceived to belong to the minority parties, especially the NDC.
While the meeting urged members to remain calm in the face of all provocations, it called on the leadership of the NPP to educate their members to exercise restraint in dealing with those who do not belong to their party.
In another development, Mrs Alice Boon, Member of Parliament for Lambussie on Friday urged the youth and women's wings of the NDC to involve supporters in the re-organisation exercise to strengthen its grassroots structures.
Professionals like teachers; nurses and other community service providers could contribute positively to return the party to power in the year 2004, Mrs Boon said when she addressed representatives of the youth and women's wings of the party drawn from the eight constituencies in the Upper West Region at Wa.
She was among a team of women and youth leaders of the party who were in the region to interact with women and youth groups to device strategies to re-activate the party's structures in the region.
GRi../
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Tema (Greater Accra) 17 September 2001 - The Ministry of Interior is to launch the Police Endowment Fund on September 21 to supplement budgetary allocation from the government.
Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, Minister of Interior said on Sunday at the 31st Greater Accra Regional Conference of the Ahamadiyya Muslim Mission at Tema that the fund has no set target, because it would be on going and continue to receive monies from donors.
The Minister said the government intended to empower the Police by equipping them and to improve on their accommodation facilities.
Alhaji Yakubu said: "We want to empower the Police to take up their functions as far as internal security is concerned. We can achieve this aim if enough financial resources could be released to them to procure equipment for their operations".
He said armed robbery, which was unknown in Ghana some decades ago was on the increase and alongside this is the indiscipline on the roads which has led to the killing of innocent citizens.
All these could be checked to allow citizens to retire to their homes peacefully after their day's work if the Police performed their operations efficiently. This, however, depended on the resources available hence the need to launch the fund.
Alhaji Yakubu, said already a number of companies including the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Japan Motors and Riss & Co have made some donations towards the fund.
He appealed to the Muslim community to donate generously when the fund is launched saying Muslims have a role to play, just as the government has a duty to perform by ensuring law and order in the country.
GRi../
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Awahan (Eastern Region) 17 September 2001 - Loan defaulters of the Poverty Alleviation Fund in the West Akyem District have been given a month to refund their amounts or face legal action.
Umar Amoah, the District Chief Executive, who gave the order at separate durbars at Awaham, Akyem Boso, Ekoso and Topease as part of familiarisation tour of the district over the weekend said the assembly's legal adviser were preparing the necessary documents to send the defaulters to court.
He said, out of the 118 million cedis of the fund disbursed to individuals and groups since 1998, only 26.8 million cedis had been refunded, explaining that the fund, which was meant to assist groups and individuals to improve upon their businesses and ventures, was also to serve as a revolving fund and not a gift.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 September 2001 - Professor Dominic Kweku Fobih, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, on Monday said the loss of the world's biological diversity and its economic and ecological consequence has become a matter of concern to all.
A United Nation Environment Programme report suggested that two to 25 per cent of species of plant and animal in tropical forests might become extinct within this generation.
In a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the second meeting of the "Anglophone biodiversity planning support programme for West and Central Africa", he said: "This present level of loss of plant and animal species represents a rate of between 1,000 and 10,000 times the historic rate of extinction."
About 40 participants from 14 countries including Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, Niger and Nigeria are attending the meeting.
The others are Guinea, Cameroun, Mali, Burundi, Kenya, Central Africa Republic and Congo Brazzaville.
The objective of the meeting is to plan the implementation of the on-going national strategies and action plans in the region.
GRi…/
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