Five killed in accident
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Nsawam ( Eastern Region) 18 Jan. 99
Three persons were killed on the spot and two others died later on admission at the Nsawam Government Hospital, when three vehicles were involved in an accident at Akwadum, near Nsawam, on Saturday on the Adeiso-Asamankese road. Eleven others who were seriously hurt were transferred from the Nsawam Government Hospital to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. According to Police Chief Inspector James Domah of the Nsawam Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), the deceased were identified a Mr Kwabena Avejor, Mr Fredric Sakyi Armah, Mr Goleku Kwabena Asare, Adeiso postmaster, and Prince Kwame Appiah, a five-year-old baby boy from Otoase. Dr E.K. Tinkorang, Senior Medical Officer in charge of the Nsawam hospital, said the bodies of the dead have been deposited at the hospital for autopsy. Meanwhile, Dr Tinkorang has appealed to relatives of four persons who lost their lives in a similar accident at Hebron on the Nsawam-Accra road on December 18 to contact the authorities for the bodies.
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Two organisations condemn Afrikania Mission
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Jan.
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) today joined International Needs (IN), a non- governmental organisation, in condemning the Afrikania Mission for attempting to breathe life into the outlawed Trokosi system. Mr Emile Short, CHRAJ boss, told a press conference in Accra that the Afrikania Mission 's efforts to perpetuate the Trokosi system is "inhuman". Mr Short described a document being circulated by the Afrikania Mission in Ghana and outside as ''frivolous, unmeritorious and mischievous.'' He accused the Afrikania Mission of ''using religion to confuse issues inherent in inhuman activity''. The Reverend Walter Pimpong, executive director of IN, said in circulating the document, the Afrikania Mission used ''subtle and dangerous attempts to incite religious hatred and conflict between Christianity and traditional religion.'' Reverend Pimpong said the IN, after liberating enslaved girls at the Trokosi shrines, has built a vocational training school to accommodate 140 girls at a cost of 200 million cedis. He said a 30 million cedis nursery is being built by the IN at Kebenu in the North Tongu District to house children of the liberated women.
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Christians urged to support state activities
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Jan.
The Rev Father John Straathof of the Accra Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has urged Christians, especially the youth, to appreciate God's guidance and protection and support state and church activities Inaugurating the Star of the Sea Unit of the Catholic Youth Organisation at Dansoman, Accra, on Sunday, Reverend Straathof observed that the state must progress in its activities, while the church should expand in her programmes of winning more souls. As future leaders of the nation, you owe the state and the church religious and civic duties, which they should discharge with zeal and determination, he reminded the youth.
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Minister calls for public support for security agencies
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 18 Jan.
The central regional minister, Lt. Col (rtd) Charles Agbenaza has asked the public to give useful information to the security services to assist them curb the high incidents of criminal activities in the country. The security agencies need the support and co-operation of all law-abiding citizens to ensure peace in the country, he said. The regional minister made the call when he addressed officers and men of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) in the central region at an end-of-year party at Cape Coast at the weekend. The annual reception was for the first time attended by some heads of public organisations including the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ghana News Agency, Trade Union Congress and the State Transport Company. Col. Agbenaza said everybody has a role in ensuring peace adding ''if Ghana is peaceful everybody will have a peaceful sleep''. Madam Victoria Naomi Bonney, Cape Coast municipal chief executive, expressed concern about the high incidence of rape cases and other crimes in the society.
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MP calls for reconciliatory meeting on Sierra Leone
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Jan.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minority spokesman on Foreign Affairs today called for an immediate reconciliatory meeting between rebels and the government in Sierra Leone as part of efforts to restore peace in that country. He said the disturbances and atrocities in Freetown and its environs pose a threat to the investment drive of governments in the sub-region and steps at integrating and empowering member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Mr Owusu-Agyemang who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra condemned the alleged backing of the rebels by some countries particularly Liberia saying ''it is a sabotage''. It is unfortunate for any member of ECOWAS to fan and support rebel activities to bring instability or make states ungovernable in the sub-region, he said. Mr Owusu-Agyemang who is the Member of Parliament for New Juaben said the hundreds of dead bodies rotting on the streets of Sierra Leone ''does not speak well of West Africa and the African continent''. He condemned the ECOWAS Peace Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) for intervening in the war and rather urged them to intensify efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability. The Minority Spokesman also appealed to ECOMOG to convene an immediate meeting with the Sierra Leonean government, the rebels and all parties connected with the conflict to erase mistrust and suspicions among them.
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Put Sunyani Forestry School under KNUST Antwi
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 18 Jan.
Mr Lawrence Antwi, principal of the Sunyani Forestry School, has urged the government to attach the school to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of its proposed elevation. An affiliation would enable the school to run tertiary courses for diploma programmes of the recently abolished Institute of Renewable and Natural Resources to train the required middle level manpower needs of the forestry sector. Mr Antwi told told newsmen in Sunyani today that the proposed upgrading of the school has been on the drawing board ''for far too long and it is time something concrete is done for the realisation of this objective''. "The cancellation of the diploma course at the Institute of Renewable and Natural Resources will in the nearest future create a huge vacuum in the human resource needs of the forestry sector. The affiliation of the school of Forestry to the University of Science and Technolgy, like the School of Mines based in Tarkwa, will ensure the availability of manpower resources for the forestry sector. "This will be a simpler and cheaper way of upgrading the School because it already has excellent facilities and a long academic relationship with the university,'' Mr Antwi added. He said the country stands to lose greatly in terms of human resources development for the forestry sector if the proposed upgrading is delayed until the coming into being of the Regional Colleges of Applied Sciences and Technology (RECAST) as it is being suggested.
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Forty drivers arrested in operation
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Jan.
More than 40 drivers, including 13 using trade numbers plates were yesterday arrested during a sepcial operation by the police for flouting traffic regulations including stopping to pick passengers at unauthorised places. Mr Mustapha Garbah, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Commander of Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), observed that drivers take the law into their own hands and disobey traffic regulations on Sundays. He said drivers must regard every day of the week as a working day and observe traffic regulations to prevent motor accidents. He said it was wrong for drivers to take advantage of the absence of the police from the roads, especially on Sundays, to flout traffic regulations with impunity. Alhaji Garbah warned drivers using trade number plates to indulge in stealing and other offences, including hit-and-run, because they were seldom subjected to traffic checking to desist or face the consequences. He said the drivers arrested will be screened, and those found to have committed traffic offences prosecuted at the tribunals.
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Offinso departmental heads warned against ghost names
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Offinso (Ashanti Region) 18 Jan.
The Offinso District Assembly has warned Departmental Heads to ensure that ghost names on their pay vouchers are deleted immediately. Mr Benjamin Brefoh, Offinso District Chief Executive gave the warning at the first quarterly meeting of departmental heads at Offinso last Friday. Mr Brefoh also directed the departmental heads to submit photographs of their staff to the assembly as part of an exercise by the assembly to detect any ghost names on pay vouchers and urged the heads to ensure strict financial control at their offices to avoid waste and the mismanagement of funds. Mr K. M. Offei, Offinso District Co-ordinating Director expressed concern about delays by the heads in presenting their quarterly reports to the assembly adding that the "Staff performance appraisal" of the civil service is aimed at moving away from the confidential system of assessing subordinate staff to ensure transparency and fair play.
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Alhajikrom cocoa farmers review performance
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Alhajikrom (Western Region) 18 Jan. Members of the Alhajikrom Cocoa Society of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) have met at Alhajikrom, near Sefwi-Kazoo in the Juabeso-Bia District to review their performance for the past year and formulate programmes to enhance cocoa production. They also reviewed the society's accounts in respect of the "kilo-kilo" cocoa" deductions towards some development projects in the area. Addressing the meeting, the society's chief farmer, Nana Alhaji Musah, advised the members to adhere strictly to bye-laws guiding bush-burning, especially at this time of the year, to protect their farms and the environment from destruction. He cautioned palm wine tappers, hunters and charcoal burners to halt their activities until the dry season is over and warned that the recalcitrant ones among them would be dealt with if caught. A prominent farmer, Nana Akua Effah, on behalf of the farmers, commended a special committee charged to manage contributions through the "kilo-kilo" cocoa deductions for mobilising six million cedis towards= members welfare and development projects in the area. The committee has donated 700,000 cedis to clad the Nyamebekyere District Council Primary School pavilion. She advised farmers to refrain from selling cocoa in small quantities to unlicensed buyers because the practice encourages stealing of cocoa beans by farm hands.
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American team arrives to assess security at Kotoka Air Port.
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Accra (GreaterAccra), 18 Jan.
A two-man team of aviation security experts from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US are in the country to conduct an inspection of aeronautical and navigational aids as well as security facilities at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). The two, who will be in Accra for one week, will ensure that security standards achieved by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) which earned it "the category one status" of the FAA, are maintained and improved upon. The experts are Mr. Edward Jones, Assistant Manager, Security Division responsible for Africa, Europe and Middle East and Miss Angela Brown, a security specialist. At a meeting, Wing Commander Andy Mensah, Director General, said the GCAA, will not compromise on its safety and security standards stressing that the visit will enhance the continuous improvement, safety and= security status of KIA. He assured the experts that phase two of KIA's development project involving infrastructure, modification and expansion as well as the installation of modern security equipment will soon commence. Mr. Rob Merrigan of the US Embassy in Accra praised GCAA for the security measures put in place during the visit of President Bill Clinton. He said the upgrading of KIA from category three to category one is an achievement which has gained GCAA recognition and should be emulated by other African countries adding "Ghana is a place that pilots feel safe to land". Mr. Jones recalled the impression of the Vice-President of the US National= Transportation Board, Mr. Bob Francis, about the navigational aids and facilities at the KIA which enabled a KLM pilot to have confidence to do an automatic landing.
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Marine experts discuss protection of Gulf of Guinea
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 Jan.
Ghana has proposed the establishment of a protocol on off-shore pollution to ensure that West and Central African countries bordering on the Gulf of Guinea do not discharge untreated domestic and industrial wastes into coastal waters. Mr Cletus Avoka, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, opening a four-day conference of marine experts from six countries, noted that though the gulf can renew its waters only once in about 80 years, several tons of untreated domestic and industrial waste are discharged into it daily. "It has been estimated that over 60 per cent of the existing industries in the region are in the coastal cities and towns. ''The resultant waste discharges from both industrial and human activities into the environment are to a large extent untreated and unregulated thus increasing the risk of polluting the marine environment". Marine experts from Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon and Togo are discussing setting up common guidelines and standards for industrial effluent=20 discharge into coastal waters to minimise pollution and preserve bio-diversity. The conference is jointly organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Gulf of Guinea Large Marines Eco system Project which involves the six countries. Ten other countries including Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe are to be incorporated. Mr Avoka noted that the protocol would complement efforts being made under the project initiated four years ago with the support of Global Environmental Facility and other organisations to address the pollution of the gulf and reounted efforts being made by Ghana to strengthen its industrial and regulatory mechanisms and setting effluent standards to control industrial pollution. Mr Avoka announced that with the support of UNIDO, a Cleaner Production Centre would be set up to give appropriate training and advice to industries on the choice of least cost production methods. "The government is committed to making the cleaner Production Centre a reality. The centre should help in changing the attitude of entrepreneurs so that environmental concerns become an integral part of all activities related to industry to ensure that pollution is prevented instead of being treated end -of - pipe". Mr Avoka expressed regret that some coastal lagoons which supported economic and social activities have either ceased to maintain any life forms or are on the verge of becoming biologically dead and called for urgent action to save the rest. He emphasised the need for the private sector to be actively involved and explore the commercial viability of resource conservation and recycling of waste. "Studies done by United Nations Environment Programme have revealed that some firms, by introducing resource conservation, recycling and re-use programmes into their plant development, have boosted profits, sometimes by as much as 30 per cent. ''Ghana and other countries in the sub-region should be able to benef= it from this trend". Mr Massimo Garzelli, Representative of UNIDO in Ghana, noted that regulations alone cannot reduce pollution unless there is a change in att= itude and patterns of production and consumption. He said there is the need for training and incentives for the adoption of new technologies which have little or minimal effect on the environment to save it for future generations. Mr Edwin Barnes, acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, who gave the background of the conference said the first phase of the Gulf of Guinea Project would soon end, adding that discussions were going on about the component of the second phase.
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Climbing of bamboo poles banned
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Breman-Essiam (Central Region), 18 Jan.
The Breman-Essiam Traditional Council has banned climbing of bamboo poles by masqueraders during festivals with immediate effect. The vice-president of the Central Region House of Chiefs and Omanhene of the area, Nana Atta Amanafo Poku the second, said this at the weekend at Breman-Essiam. Nana Poku expressed concern over the rampant falling of masqueraders from bamboo poles during such occasions. He recalled that two years ago, one Mr Yaw Yakubu fell from a bamboo pole and sustained severe injuries. Nana Poku said much as he appreciated the important role played by masqueraders in promoting culture, tourism and entertainment, the traditional council would not sit down unconcerned for the loss of human lives during festive occasions. It would be recalled that on the boxing day last year, a 27-year-old masquerade, Mr Kwesi Gyedu, fell from a 36-foot bamboo pole while entertaining the public. Mr Gyedu, who fractured his right leg and is receiving herbal treatment, is reported doing well.
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