GRi Newsreel Ghana
22 - 09 – 2001
Residents
at periphery of Korle Lagoon asked to leave
Serious
Fraud Office clears official
Veep
urges Nigerians to invest in Ghana
Akufo-Addo
on the constitution and the public sector
Annan
says there are positive signs of preserving Ozone Layer
UN
calls for global cease-fire
Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 September 2001 - Solomon Darko, Chief Executive of the Accra
Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), on Friday ordered residents living at the periphery
of the Korle Lagoon known as Pig Farm, to move before Monday, September 24.
He warned
that the AMA would eject them by force if they failed to leave before the
deadline.
Mr Darko
gave the ultimatum when the parliamentary select committee on Works and Housing
paid a familiarisation visit to the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project
(KLERP) site to get a first hand knowledge of progress of work.
He said if
the inhabitants refused to vacate the area before the contractors arrive, it
would cost the taxpayer about 250,000 dollars a day as a result of the
contractors staying idle.
"We
will have to pay the contractors this amount each day whether they work or not,
once it is within the project period."
The
residents had been asked to move two months ago to avoid the use of force.
"The area is part of the project site which we need to hand over to the
contractors at the earliest possible time," Mr Darko said.
The KLERP
contract being executed jointly by Dredging International n.v. of Belgium and Gulf
Dredging and General Contracting Company of Kuwait has a total project cost of
65.95 million dollars.
The cost of
the three-year project, which started late in 1999, is expected to reach about
73 million dollars with the addition of administrative costs and other
expenditures.
Ms Theresa
Tagoe, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, said plans were underway to
relocate residents of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Agbobloshie Market at Amasaman
to enable the contractors to go on with the project.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 September 2001 - The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on Friday
cleared Mr P. O. Sackey, Director of Community Water and Sanitation Agency
(CWSA), of allegations of financial malpractice levelled against him in 1999.
"The
SFO has completed its investigative exercise and found nothing adverse against
Mr Sackey, as far as the allegations levelled are concerned," Mr B. A.
Sapati, SFO, Acting Executive Director, noted in a report made available to
Ghana News Agency in Accra.
The SFO, in
1999 received allegations of fraudulent award of contracts to some consultants
and companies by Mr Sackey in return for huge kickbacks. It was also alleged
that Geo-Mechanik Company bought a BMW 5 series car for Mr. Sackey and
sponsored a two-week visit to Germany for him and his wife.
Mr. Sackey
was again alleged to have purchased a house costing 45,000 dollars at ABC
Brewery, owned another, valued at 200 million cedis at Taifa and other houses
at Koforidua and Somanya, all purported to have been acquired ostensibly from
kickbacks he received from award of contracts.
Mr. Sapati
said the SFO initiated investigations to examine tendering procedures of CWSA
to establish whether it could be manipulated for selfish gains. Mr. Sackey was
requested to complete an Assets Declaration Form also to establish the source
of his assets.
The SFO
report revealed that sources of funding for CWSA were from the government and
donor agencies, which vet bidding documents on any project.
Mr Sapati
said CWSA tenders are mostly international competitive bids, which are
evaluated by consultants and reviewed by a technical committee for approval by
its Board.
Finally,
the result is sent to the funding agency concerned for a "no objection
certificate". Payment of transactions is countersigned by the finance
ministry and submitted to the funding agency for the contractor or consultant,
whatever the case may be.
Mr. Sapati
stressed that the accused was not linked to any of the companies listed in the
allegation and that some of the alleged malpractice was before he took over as
director of CWSA.
On the
acquisition of houses, the report indicated that, "it is reasonable for Mr
Sackey based on his qualification and number of years in public service both
home and abroad to acquire such properties from genuine earnings."
The report
indicated that Mr. Sackey was employed by Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation
in 1967 as an engineer and served in various top management positions until
ultimately becoming Managing Director of CWSA in 1999.
The report
found the allegation of ownership of a house at Taifa and ABC Brewery untrue.
It found that Mr William Sackey, his son in the US, bought the BMW car for him.
It also
noted that Mr. Sackey, during his tenure as Managing Director of CWSA travelled
to Germany in 1995, 1997 and 1998, which were all official trips sanctioned by
CWSA.
"In
light of its findings, no evidence of wrongdoing could be adduced on the part
of Mr P. O. Sackey during his tenure at CWSA. The SFO, therefore, regards the
case as stood down."
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 September 2001 - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Friday
received Dr Peter Odili, Governor of the River State of Nigeria, and urged him
to promote investment opportunities in Ghana in his country.
Alhaji
Mahama said it was crucial for Africans to form business partnerships to create
wealth and jobs for the people of the continent. "There are several
opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, commerce and other
sectors to explore and develop for our mutual benefit," he said.
Dr Odili,
who arrived on Friday with a seven-member delegation, is on a three-day
investment and tourism promotion tour.
Alhaji
Mahama said the government was determined to pursue democratic governance whose
standards would be adopted by future governments. "We are committed to the
principles of good governance, the rule of law and respect for human
dignity," he said.
Efforts
were being made, he said, to improve the national economy for business to
thrive. Alhaji Mahama said the government was creating a 'Golden Age of
Business' through the implementation of policies and programmes that support
the private sector to create jobs and wealth for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
Alhaji Mustapha
Ali Idriss, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, underscored the importance of
intra-African trade in speeding up the continent's development.
Madam Hawa
Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, commended Dr Odili for pursuing prudent policies
that recently won him the award of ''Best Governor''.
Briefing
the Vice-President about some of the policies, Dr Odili said he had introduced
free education and free transportation for students and a conditional free
health scheme for children under seven years and citizens over 60 years.
For the
medical scheme, a relation of the potential beneficiary has to show evidence of
regular tax payment for five years.
Dr Odili
said the measures were aimed at alleviating poverty and motivating citizens to
be productive. "The state pays the fees of primary school pupils and
junior and senior secondary school students. We have also increased the bursary
of under graduates and introduced some scholarship schemes," he said.
He
explained: "When Nigeria reverted
to democratic rule vital sectors of the economy had been severely run-down.
Hospitals, schools and roads were in poor condition. We had a demoralised
population with a huge volume of poverty."
Dr Odili
said the first couple of years were also used to rehabilitate run-down infrastructure.
"Indeed, these measures have worked well and brought great relief to our
people."
He said
authorities of schools and public organisations were encouraged to utilise
funds judiciously to prevent waste.
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Akosombo
(Eastern Region) 24 September 2001 - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of
Justice and Attorney-General on Saturday, said the 1992 Constitutional of Ghana
should serve as benchmark in the development of human resources in the public
service.
"Anyone
engaged in the formulation and implementation of public sector human resource policy
cannot hope to be able to achieve any worthwhile results unless he or she has
taken the trouble to familiarise himself or herself with fundamental goals of
those in the constitution, that set the benchmark that must guide action".
He was
speaking at a three-day workshop on the impact of constitutional provisions and
administrative reforms on public sector human resource management, the role of
politicians and bureaucrats on behalf of the Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama
at Akosombo.
It is being
organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in collaboration with
the Public Service Commission and the Friedrich Naumann Foudation (FNF).
Nana
Akufo-Addo said: " The Constitution recognises a liberal democratic state,
based on the separation of powers, which are policed by independent bodies and
which exact good conduct from high office holders to ensure public
accountability and free government".
"It is
absolutely important that those of us who have anything to do with human
resource management of the public sector are constantly reminded of the
relevant constitutional provisions, that guides such exercises".
Nana
Akufo-Addo urged the participants to assess whether the public sector personnel
could be considered as having developed a committed and productive attitude to
work.
He said it
was important for participants to find out whether public sector personnel were
increasingly demonstrating an aversion to corruption and other forms of
unethical conduct.
Mrs
Marjorie Beeko, Programme Officer of FNF said the foundation was sponsoring the
workshop because of its concern for good governance to ensure that the
politicians dream was translated into workable policies by the bureaucrats who
would not only provide policy options but also point out the consequence of
each policy decision made.
She said
for that to be done, "the structure for strengthening administrator's
partnership with the politician need to be built up".
Prof.
Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director of CDD said there was the need to
deepen the constitutional provisions on the public service to ensure good
governance that would sustain the country's young democracy.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 September 2001 - The United Nations Secretary General, Mr
Kofi Annan said on Friday that the battle to repair the ozone layer, the
earth's protective shield, which filters out harmful levels of sunlight, has
been a positive example of all people and nations who care about preserving the
fragile global environment.
He said in
a message to mark International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer, that
governments, scientists, industries, consumers and multilateral organisations
including the United Nations first recognised the threat posed by certain
chemicals about 30 years ago and alternative chemicals have been introduced.
Mr Annan
said if the provisions of the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone
layer and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone and its
Amendment continue to be implemented, the ozone layer would recover its
pre-1980 state by 2050.
He
cautioned that if illegal trade in ozone-damaging substances and other products
were not controlled, the desire for the layer's full repair and recovery would
be unachievable.
Mr Annan
said the experience with the ozone layer suggests that the international
community can summon the resources, creativity and political will to address
major environmental threats.
"As we
remain vigilant about threats to the ozone layer, let us also address ourselves
to the long list of other threats awaiting similar attention."
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 September 2001 - The United Nations on Friday declared that
the International Day of Peace should be observed with a global cease-fire and
non-violence.
Kofi Annan,
UN Secretary-General, in a message on the day said, "Let us dare imagine a
world free of conflict and violence.
And let us seize the opportunity for peace to take hold, day by day,
year by year, until every day is a day of peace".
He said:
"The International Day of Peace is a day on which we try to imagine a
world quite different from the one we know. "We try to picture those who
wage war laying down their arms and talking out differences. We try to picture all governments listening
to - and acting on - the will of the people".
Mr Annan
said the Day was moving a step forward with those exhortations and "where
truces are observed, medical and developmental agencies can provide vital
services to civilian victims in safety."
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Sunyani
(Brong Ahafo ) 22 September 2001 - Mr Andrews Adjei-Yeboah, Member of
Parliament (MP) for Tano South has denied a newspaper report that he had used
his position to acquire a timber permit "through the back door".
The report,
which appeared in the September 11-13 edition of the "Palaver", an
Accra weekly, accused the MP of failing to meet his social responsibilities as
a timber merchant.
A statement
issued in Sunyani on Friday by Mr Adjei-Yeboah, the MP said he set up the
company Forest Wood Products Company Limited in 1993, seven years before he
became an MP and has been producing for the local market.
"I
have operated with a license since then and it is, therefore, a figment of the
writer's imagination to state that I used my position as an MP to acquire the
permit".
The MP
added that since the company was established, he has supplied wood products to
communities in the Tano District for development.
He
mentioned an eight-million-cedi worth of wood products, which he provided for
the Derma Islamic JSS project and the Brosankro Nursery School, in addition to
cash for the Dwomo electrification projects, among others.
Mr
Adjei-Yeboah stated that the company has met all its tax obligations and asked
his accusers to check from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social
Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
"The
fact that the paper refused to cross check from me before the publication, is a
clear indication that it was out to damage my reputation".
The MP
called on his constituents to dismiss the story with the contempt it deserves.
He assured the people that he cares for the development of the area and would
never engage in acts that would derail the development process.
The MP
called on the paper to retract the story warning, that if it failed to do so,
he would advise himself.
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