Yankey still ECOWAS Bank
President without Ghana Gov’t support
Government is sensitive
to students' plight - TESCON
Armed robbery suspect re-arrested
Radio presenters asked to be fair to contributors
Paramount Chief appeals to IGP
"Journey of Hope" reaches Tamale
Yankey still ECOWAS Bank
President without
Ghana Gov’t support
Abuja (Nigeria) 26 September 2001 - The President of the
ECOWAS Bank, Dr. George Sipa Yankey has won a suit filed against the ECOWAS
Secretariat. The suit was filed at an Abuja court to challenge the
Secretariat’s implementation of a directive from Ghana government to terminate
his appointment as President of the ECOWAS Bank.
This
was after the NPP government announced the withdrawal of support for Dr. Yankey
as President of ECOWAS Bank, citing his alleged involvement in the Quality
Grains Scandal as the basis for taking that action.
The
move generated controversy in the sub-region although Dr. Yankey was still at
post. The ruling means that Dr. Yankey will remain at post despite the obvious
lack of government support.
It will be recalled that the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government terminated
the appointment of Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey as the President of the ECOWAS
Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). The termination of his appointment
follows the withdrawal of Ghana Government’s support for him.
The
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, had disclosed that the
government’s withdrawal of support for Dr Yankey follows its interest in the
position of Executive Secretary of ECOWAS. He had said the Ghana government had
told member states of ECOWAS of its unflinching support for the candidature of
Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, for the position of
ECOWAS Executive Secretary and could, therefore, not support Dr Yankey.
The Government was said to have written to the Chairman of the ECOWAS
Authority of Heads of State and Government, which terminated the appointment of
Dr Yankey. The letter of dismissal from the ECOWAS secretariat dated April 23,
2001 noted that the termination of his appointment takes effect from May 31,
2001.
Dr Yankey however
challenged the authority of the said body to terminate his appointment in an
Abuja court.
Dr.
Yankey, 49, holds a Ph. D. in International Finance and Investment Law from
Warwick University in England.
GRi../
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 26 September 2001 - The University of Cape Coast branch of the Tertiary Education Students Confederacy (TESCON) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has commended the government for absorbing the increment in the residential and academic facility user fees of tertiary and second-cycle institutions.
A release signed by Mr Alex Asamoah, Organising Secretary in Kumasi, said this was a positive step by the government to improve education and develop the human resource of the country.
It said the NPP government has made education affordable and accessible to the ordinary Ghanaian as promised during the campaign for the 2000 Elections.
The TESCON also commended the government for being sensitive to the plight and grievances of students since their assumption of office.
It expressed its appreciation to the government for resolving tension and conflicts among students and the authorities of the University of Cape Coast and increasing the students' loan.
"This is a realistic touch of positive change that Ghanaians should boast of and realise the growth and development of our beloved nation as envisaged by our past heroes since time immemorial."
It said the students have realised that the NPP was capable of fulfilling its campaign promises and urged Ghanaians to co-operate with the government for the socio-economic development of the nation.
The TESCON said it has taken cognisance of government's efforts and concern about workers' plight by increasing the minimum wage from 4,000 cedis to 5,500 cedis.
It noted with concern the upsurge in armed robbery and suggested that the government should strengthen its strategies by using military reinforcement to eradicate this unhealthy situation.
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Accra (Greater Accra Region) 26 September 2001 - Mr Andrew Agyekum, Administrative Manager of Federated Commodities, a private cocoa buying company, has appealed to cocoa farmers and other stakeholders in the cocoa industry to strive to maintain the high reputation Ghana cocoa enjoys on the international market.
"To achieve this farmers will need to adhere strictly to proper agronomical practices extension officers teach them'', Mr Agyekum told cocoa farmers at a well-attended farmers' forum at New Edubiase in the Ashanti Region.
"If you adopt enhanced cultural practices in your farming it will lead to increased crop yield and this will translate into higher incomes. There is no reason why farmers should be poor'', he said.
Mr Agyekum assured the farmers that COCOBOD would always promote their welfare. Therefore, they should hold on to their cocoa beans and should not be tempted to sell them to middlemen before the official opening of the purchasing season.
"If you sell your stocks now the rewards from your toil will go to middlemen''.
Mr Benjamin Boateng, Ashanti Sector Manager of Federated Commodities, said the company has launched a programme under which farmers would be taught modern farming methods to enable them to increase their yield.
Mr Abdulai Kassim, Branch Manager of the Agricultural Development Bank, appealed to the farmers to accept cheque instead of demand to be paid in cash.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2001 - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Tuesday inaugurated two working groups and tasked them to lead a crusade that would redeem the northern regions (Upper East, Upper West & Northern) from poverty, deprivation and under development.
Members of the working groups: the 20-member National Oversight Committee and the 12-member Technical Planning Committee are to identify the fundamental socio-economic problems that inhibit development in the areas for discussion at an all Northern People's Development Conference they are to organise.
Alhaji Mahama highlighted some of the many problems of the three northern regions saying, "the situation has become so alarming that, the name Northerner has almost become synonymous with everything undignifying."
"You are the ones the old men and women back home are waiting for. They are not waiting for the five thousand cedi notes you regularly or even sparingly drop on their laps," he said.
"They are waiting for you to teach and lead them out of their present state of deprivation and despair."
The Vice President said though the northern regions have people with the requisite know-how and abundant natural resources such as land, gold and salt, which could be harnessed for development, many of the people lack basic needs.
It was for these reasons that he mooted the idea of the conference at the end of his tour of the regions to develop a strategic development plan and mobilise resources to address the problems.
"I made the call because I believe that we need a platform that will sufficiently provoke us to take our destiny in our own hands," he said.
Alhaji Mahama said the government was committed to improving the quality of lives of all Ghanaians through employment generation, broad based social and rural development and poverty reduction programmes.
However, the country's economic situation could not foster the speedy development of the three areas. "I hold the view that without the involvement of the people in improving their own lot, relying on their own potentials and on resources available to them, poverty will continue to stare us in the face for a long time," he said.
Alhaji Mahama told members of the committees that the challenges of their task were daunting, however, they should be mindful of the sufferings of the people and be resolute in their commitment.
"Whenever you feel tired and want to give up on this job, remember those shepherds back home," he said. "Remember those little boys and girls who trek daily crossing streams and climbing hills to attend school under trees and in dilapidated buildings.
"...Think of all those men and women who work very hard on their farms in the scorching sun yet gain very little in their barns. All these people are relying on you and me to deliver them from the vicious cycle of poverty."
Alhaji Mahama likened the northern regions to the "ancient distressed cities of yore, with a story of broken down walls and burnt down gates."
He expressed concern about the high migration rate, saying they were the hardest hit in the country.
The Wulugu -Rana, Professor John Nabilla, a member of the Oversight Committee, said the crusade should not be considered as a sectional programme but part of the efforts to achieve national development.
He said the potentials of not only northerners, but also all Ghanaians and friends of the northerners would be harnessed for the development of the regions. "We will make sure that all our tail, whether long or short, is tied together, so that we can work towards the same goal and succeed," he said.
He assured the Vice President of the support of the National House of Chiefs to the cause.
The Oversight Committee will establish and manage structures for the conference, set up relevant sub-committees at all levels for resource mobilisation and management of the processes leading to the conference.
It would also approve a work plan, and research and resource teams to prepare papers for the conference. Membership was drawn from Parliament, political parties, and house of chiefs, among other sectors.
The Technical Committee on the other hand, would identify critical areas for development and recommend their adoption.
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Aflao (Volta Region) 26 September 2001 - Officials of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) at the Ghana-Togo border at Aflao on Friday re-arrested a suspected Nigerian armed robber, who allegedly jumped court bail in Sekondi.
Emerica Osondo, 22, a self-styled businessman, was arrested in Sekondi in connection with an armed robbery case sometime this year but he jumped bail two months ago.
Chief Inspector Frimpong Manso, in-charge of the Aflao Police station, said Osondo was identified and re-arrested, when he attempted to cross the border to Togo. He has since been sent back to Sekondi.
In another development, the Aflao Police on September 15 retrieved a white Ford Sierra Saloon car with registration number GR 6015 S and chassis number WFOFXXGBBFMU61939, believed to have been stolen from Kumasi, at Viepe, a suburb of Aflao.
Chief Inspector Frimpong Manso said they had information that a driver had gone missing with the car in Kumasi sometime this year. Later the Aflao Police had a tip-off that some people were using a white car at Viepe at night only.
He said efforts to arrest them failed as they changed the parking place of the car and went into hiding.
Chief Inspector Manso said following another tip-off, the Police on Saturday, September 15, at about 10:00 hours found the car parked with its rear tyres removed and they towed it to the Police station. No arrest has so far been made.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 26 September 2001 - Members of the Gaskia Club, affiliated of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have expressed their disgust about the bias and unfair treatment meted out by some FM radio presenters to NDC sympathisers during phone-in programmes.
Alhaji Issah Kwame, Chairman of the club, alleged that whereas sympathisers of other political parties were often allowed adequate time to contribute to discussions on such programmes, NDC members were most often cut off mid-way during their contribution.
Speaking at a meeting of the club in Kumasi on Monday, Alhaji Kwame advised such radio presenters not to allow their political leanings to interfere with their work. They should rather strive to accord equal opportunity to contributors who call to express their views on programmes.
He advised members and sympathisers of the NDC not to be cowed by the negative propaganda being peddled about the leadership of the party since most of them have no basis and only calculated to destroy the NDC.
Mr J. B. Salifu, Secretary of the club, stressed the need for the government to re-direct its energies and resources to the completion of projects initiated by the NDC government rather than abandoning them for new ones.
He observed that the tendency for new governments to abandon all projects started by previous governments has been a major contributory factor to the slow pace of growth and development of the country and should no longer be entertained.
Mr Salifu appealed to the government to explore all avenues to ensure speedy completion of the Kejetia, project in particular, to help e8ase the congestion in the city centre.
Miss Joyce Darko, an executive member of the club, said the excuse that the NPP assumed office on empty national coffers was not enough reason for it to fail to deliver on its campaign pledges.
She said the fact that the NPP government had to embrace the VAT and even increase utility tariffs, which they previously kicked against, was an indication of their failure to transform the economy positively.
Alhaji Ahmed Abubakar, Chairman of the re-organisation committee of the Asokwa-East constituency of the NDC, proposed that the reconciliation drive should involve all regimes and governments after Independence.
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Winneba (Central Region) 26 September 2001 - Nana Ayirebi Acquah V, a rival Paramount Chief of Effutu Traditional Area, on Monday appealed to the Minister of the Interior to investigate the genuineness of the nomination and installation of Nana Ghartey VII, as the Paramount Chief of Effutu.
He also appealed to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene and the National House of Chiefs to intercede on behalf of the people of Effutu to ensure that the truth came out of the long-standing chieftaincy dispute.
Nana Ayirebi Acquah stated these at a news conference at Winneba to throw more light on what he described as the fraudulent nomination and installation of Nana Ghartey VII, as Omanhene of Efutu.
He accused Opanyin Kweku Kyikyibi Gyan, Head of Otuano House of Effutu and the former President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Boa Amponsem II, Denkyirahene of complicity in the installation of Mr Daniel Kobina Bortsie Ghartey, as the Omanhene of the Effutu State.
Nana Ayirebi Acquah alleged that there was a collusion between Nana Ghartey, Opanyin Gyan and some officials of the Central Regional House of Chiefs to bring the tested and revered institutions of chieftaincy into disrepute.
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Tamale (Northern Region) 26 September 2001 - Mr Emmanuel Fiagbe, a Senior Programme Officer at the Johns Hopkins University in the United States, has called for collaboration between Ghana and its neighbouring countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He said the lack of co-operation and collaboration between Ghana and its neighbours could make the fight against HIV/AIDS in these countries difficult.
Mr Fiagbe commended the Ministry of Health (MOH) for carrying out an immunisation exercise against the six-childhood killer diseases in conjunction with Burkina Faso, Togo and Cote d'lvoire and said such collaboration should be sustained.
He was speaking at Tamale on Tuesday at the training of trainers' workshop for the implementers of the "Journey of Hope", a programme aimed at enhancing the impact of efforts being made in Ghana towards the realisation of an HIV/AIDS free society.
The programme offers new tools and approaches to help Ghanaians, particularly the youth in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, estimated at 200 new infections each day.
Mr Fiagbe said the people in Northern Ghana were highly susceptible to the disease because they share borders with countries with high prevalent rate.
He said Togo has a prevalence rate of 5.98 per cent, Burkina Faso, 6.44 per cent and Cote d'lvoire, 10.76 per cent.
Mr Fiagbe said the fight against AIDS in Ghana was yielding positive results as more young people were abstaining from sex.
He mentioned that male condoms acceptance level has also increased from between nine and 13 per cent to 16 per cent, while the usage of female condom has also increased from six to nine per cent.
GRi../
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