More window shopping than buying as Christmas approaches
Ministry warns of computer virus
Government agencies to take steps to avoid loss of data
Third batch of Trokosis pass out
AMA spends 72 billion cedis on waste management
Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) 17 Dec. '99
Five armed robbers dressed in military uniform allegedly attacked the Novotek company Limited at Nkawkaw on Tuesday, and made away with a safe containing unspecified foreign and local currencies.
The thieves also bolted with 250,000 cedis cash from the cashier's drawer but were unsuccessful in their attempt to open the safe in the personnel manager's office.
Disclosing this to newsmen at Koforidua on Thursday, Chief Inspector Jonathan Kwame Abban, Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer said the robbers allegedly held one of the night watchmen, Dongo Frafra at gun point before ransacking the offices.
He explained that the armed robbers gained access to the offices by removing some of the louvre blades at the back of the office.
Meanwhile, police have picked Alhassan Grushie, Dongo Frafra, Atinga Frafra and Azure Frafra, all night watchmen who were on duty for questioning and have intensified their search for the armed robbers.
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More window shopping than buying as Christmas approaches
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
Central Accra is virtually getting choked with Christmas shoppers but most shop owners say patronage of their goods is on the low side, with the majority of people just window-shopping.
A survey conducted by GNA showed that although most shop owners have adorned their shops with Christmas decorations, they are getting disappointed as business is not picking up.
Speaking to some traders at Makola Market, a cloth dealer attributed the low patronage to the economic situation.
Auntie Naomi, a cloth dealer, said although they encountered similar problems last year, "this year is just too bad".
She said the price of a half piece of GTP cloth, which sold between 38,000 cedis and 75,000 cedis in September now sells between 45,000 and 85,000 cedis.
Woodin fabric, sold at 28,000 cedis is now selling at 32,000 cedis while ATL which was sold between 35,000 cedis and 66,000 cedis, now sells at 54,000 cedis and 84,000 cedis.
Ms Aku Sika, who sells only Holland cloth, said a half piece of coloured Holland new design cloth, which was selling between 125,000 cedis and 135,000 cedis as at August-September, this year, now sells between 150,000 cedis and 160,000 cedis.
Black and white Holland now sells at 110,000 cedis as against 90,000 cedis.
Another cloth dealer attributed the low patronage of goods to wholesalers who now sell the cloths directly to customers at retail prices, which has caused many people not to buy from retailers.
A sales attendant at a boutique, Nana Osei, attributed the high price of goods to the increase in the dollar rate, hence the low patronage of goods.
He said as at August-September, the prices of blouses ranged between 38,000 cedis and 45,000 cedis but this has shot up to 60,000 cedis and over, adding that the dollar rate has compelled them to sell their old stock.
White Chapel, Lava and Melcom shops all expressed similar sentiments about
low patronage, saying: "they come in bulk and go back in bulk without buying a single item".
The prices of children's wear range between 10,000 cedis and 38,000 cedis.
They expressed the hope that things may pick up by next week.
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Ministry warns of computer virus
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
The Ministry of Communications has warned of a computer being transmitted mainly via e-mail around the world and programmed to be activated on or after First January 2000.
In a statement signed by Mr Ben Eghan, Chief Director, the Ministry said such virus attacks could be mistaken to be a Y2K problem.
It said computer security experts say it is the fifth Y2K virus to be detected, all in the latter part of this year, and warned that there are threats of more to follow before the year rolls over into the year 2000.
Most of these viruses are programmed to lie in wait in the computer's hard drive until a pre-determined time for activation, and they destroy computer hard drives, corrupt files or simply wipe out files.
Some government institutions are already experiencing strange virus attacks on their computers, the statement said.
The Ministry advised that it would, therefore, be prudent for computer users, both standalone and networked, linked to the Internet, to take back-ups of their hard drive.
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Government agencies to take steps to avoid loss of data
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to take immediate steps to take complete back-ups of all their hard drives and other storage devices.
This is to prevent the loss of any vital government information.
A statement signed by Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications said that with fifteen days left to the turn of the century, the Government through the National Y2K office is intensifying its activities to minimise the effects of Y2K on the nation.
In view of this, heads of organisations are requested to have personal interest and take all necessary measures to ensure that such losses of public data do not occur.
The statement warned that heads of organisations would be held personally responsible for any data loss.
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Third batch of Trokosis pass out
Adidome (Volta Region) 17 Dec. '99
Twenty-eight former Trokosis on Thursday graduated from the International Needs Vocational Training Centre at Adidome in the North Tongu district of the Volta region.
They are the third batch of trokosis to have passed out of the centre since its inception in 1990 by the International Needs, Ghana (ING), an NGO campaigning against the trokosi practice in the country.
Under the trokosi system, which is practised in the Volta, Greater Accra and some parts of the Eastern region, innocent young girls are sent to fetish shrines to atone for sins committed by their forefathers.
The former trokosis trained in dress-making, baking and confectionery, kente weaving and hair dressing.
They were presented with sewing machines, hair dryers and accessories, weaving looms, cooking utensils and a seed fund of 100,000 cedis each.
Mr. Joseph K.A. Amenorhu, District Chief Executive, commended the ING and all NGOs involved in the district, adding that the district assembly would assist the graduates through its poverty reduction programme.
Rev. Walter Pimpong, Executive Director of ING, said beginning next year the organisation would introduce modular courses for the women.
Rev. Bimpong said there is evidence that trokosi was spoken against as far back as 1919 and "this in itself is enough evidence that the people in the communities where this is being practised are not happy about it''.
He called on district assemblies to join them in the educational campaign to enlighten the people about the evil aspects of the practice.
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AMA spends 72 billion cedis on waste management
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 Dec. '99
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) spends about 72 billion cedis annually on waste management to make the national capital one of the cleanest in West Africa.
Out of an annual budget allocation of 105 billion cedis for General Administration, Metropolitan Roads Department and Waste Management, 70.1 billion cedis, representing 56.1 per cent, went into sanitation alone.
Mr Samuel Addokwei-Addo, Chief Executive of AMA, who announced this at its second ordinary meeting held in Accra on Thursday, said the 105 billion cedis for the three sectors forms about 84 per cent of the total budgetary allocation of the assembly.
The AMA boss noted that under the "Sanitation 2000" programme, the assembly has been able to evacuate a number of unsightly refuse heaps at Ablekuma, Ashiedu-Keteke, Okaikoi, Ayawaso and the Osu Clottey sub-metros, adding that the exercise would soon be extended to the Kpeshie sub-metro.
He said collection of refuse from various homes and businesses can no longer be free in the face of the economic realities in the country.
"We must pay for better services," he added.
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