President Kufuor calls all hands should be on deck
Ministry releases report on Prisons
NPP students call for patience, tolerance
Guest presidents leave for home
The following is the CV of former President Rawlings
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 January 2001
Mr John Agyekum Kufuor was on Sunday sworn in as the new president taking over from President Jerry Rawlings, who bowed out after serving his second four-year term,
Wearing a rich kente cloth, he took the oath administered by the Chief Justice Isaac K. Abban.
Alhaji Aliu Mahama, vice president also took his oath of office. The ceremony took place at the Fore Court of the State House where parliament had moved to for the function.
Thousands of people gathered to watch the new president take office. They included leaders of the political parties, diplomats and distinguished invited personalities across the country.
Among those present were four West African presidents - Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo and Abduolaye Wade of Senegal. Many dignitaries from across the globe were also present.
Former President Rawlings, in an all-white attire, embraced Mr Kufuor on the dais after President Kufuor took the oath.
Mr Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won about 57 per cent of the vote in the second round to beat former vice -president John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2001
Newly sworn-in President John Agyekum Kufuor on Sunday called for collective efforts to revive the ailing economy, reconcile the people and build on the evolving democratic dispensation.
"We have work to do and that starts today. Our greatest enemy is poverty. And the battle against poverty starts with reconciling our people and forging ahead in unity," President Kufuor said.
He was delivering his inaugural speech shortly after he was sworn in as Ghana's fifth President.
The ceremony, marked with pomp and colour, attracted a milling crowd made up of mostly party functionaries and supporters draped in red, blue and white, colours of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), at the Independence Square.
Those present included Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, and Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, South African Vice-President Jacob Zuma and former Nigerian military ruler, General Abdusalami Abubakar.
President Kufuor said Ghana has gone through turbulent times, adding that although the wrongs committed in the past cannot be brushed away, they could be forgiven.
"I do not ask that we forget; indeed, we dare not forget, but I do plead that we try to forgive."
President Kufuor paid tribute to foreign donors for their support to Ghana in the past and appealed to them to continue to assist the country to overcome the current economic challenges, particularly in the relief of debts.
He said presently, Ghana spends one-fourth of her revenue annually on servicing of debts.
The new President pledged hard work and sacrifice by his administration in order to cut down waste and corruption.
"There will be, under this administration, zero tolerance of corruption," he declared, adding that he would personally set the example.
"We shall also cut our coat according to the size of our cloth and utilise whatever help we get in the most appropriate manner."
President Kufuor paid tribute to his supporters, saying they have worked so hard to bring victory.
He gave the assurance that multiparty will thrive in Ghana and invited Ghanaians living outside the country to return home and help rebuild the nation.
"I pledge that it will not be a case of one set of Ghanaians coming back from exile to be replaced by another set of Ghanaians going into exile. Multiparty democracy is here to stay.
"There is room for differences of opinion; our political opponents have their honoured roles to play and I urge all of us to extend the same tolerance to each other that we want for ourselves."
President Kufuor paid glowing tribute to Ghanaian women for their "remarkable" contributions to the economy.
He announced that his government would establish a Ministry of Women Affairs of cabinet status to harness policies affecting their interest. He condemned the murder of women that has plagued the nation and promised to do his best to ensure that the police give the highest priority to solving it and bringing the perpetrators to book.
President Kufuor also paid tribute to "those who led the struggle for a return to constitutional rule in the past 20 years. He did not elaborate.
The President further pledged his commitment to democratic principles, especially the rule of law and fair justice, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliations.
He particularly challenged the judiciary to work "to renew and restore the faith of our people in the administration of justice" in order to win investor confidence.
President Kufuor said his government would support every feasible business venture and encourage small and medium-scale ventures in all sectors of the economy.
"Ghana is open for business," he declared, in an apparent invitation to foreign investors.
He charged Ghanaian farmers to accept the challenges of new work ethic, embrace new methods and constantly update their skills to make Ghana an integral part of the global economy.
President Kufuor made a special plea to the various branches of government to join in the building of the nation, adding that the nation cannot afford to waste any more time and energy.
"Our people have been very patient but they will not forgive us if we do not start work immediately."
Conspicuously absent at the ceremony were Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and ex-Vice President John Evans Atta Mills. They however attended the inaugural ceremony held two hours earlier.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2001
General Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria, on Sunday pledged his country's preparedness to support Ghana's socio-political stability.
He was speaking in Accra as the Special Guest of Honour at the inauguration of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
"Nigeria will support Ghana's economy and democratic stability," he said. "Nigeria will be deeply interested in the development of Ghana."
Gen. Obasanjo urged everyone to be a stakeholder in the building of a viable society, adding that the process of change should be natural and that cannot be achieved by an individual.
He said nation building depends on patriotism and every Ghanaian needs its neighbour to make the country great and the star of Africa in democratic practice.
Gen. Obasanjo urged the new NPP government to emulate former President Jerry John Rawlings' significant role in handling bilateral and multilateral issues in the West Africa sub-region.
He urged President Kufuor's administration to work even harder within the framework of continental unity.
Congratulating Ghanaians for the peaceful election that saw the country transferring power from an elected government to another for the first time in her 43 years of independence, Gen. Obasanjo said the achievement has made Africa proud that democracy can thrive on the continent.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2001
President Rawlings on Saturday said he had accepted an invitation from Mr Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-general, to become one of the eminent persons who will promote the spirit of voluntarism this year.
The president, whose reign of a second four-year term ends at mid-night on Saturday, said this at a farewell parade by the Ghana Armed Forces in his honour in Accra.
He said he would be pursuing this task within and outside Ghana, and added: "I hoped that the youth, men and women of the Armed Forces, NGOs, religious and social groups will join this endeavour".
"When this task takes me to other parts of the world, I want to be able to point to Ghana as a proud example of the voluntary spirit."
President Rawlings is the first past president of Ghana to receive a UN appointment.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan 2001
The Ministry of the Interior said on Saturday that it has accepted the recommendation of a Committee of Enquiry to sanction officers of the Ghana Prisons Service who took part in demonstrations in June last year.
Accordingly, the Director General of the Prisons Service is to institute disciplinary measures against the officers in line with existing regulations within the Service.
A statement signed by Nii Okaidja Adamafio before his term ended, said the ministry has also accepted the establishment of an internal intelligence unit to assess situations within the Service.
A committee was set up in June last year to look into circumstances that led to demonstrations by Prisons Service Personnel earlier in the month. It was also to determine any breaches of the provisions of the Service Decree and Regulations and make specific recommendations.
The Committee, chaired by Mr C. K. Kuadey, retired deputy commissioner of police, presented its report to the Minister of the Interior in August last year.
The Ministry endorsed the request of the committee for the Director General to address the inefficiency of the commanders of the three units at the Maamobi Complex during the demonstrations.
On the restoration of certain allowances enjoyed by the Service prior to the introduction of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS), the Ministry said it has already submitted recommendations to the government.
It said: "Pending approval, government has decided on a one-time payment of 20 per cent of annual salary on current levels in lieu of overtime to be paid by November 30 to all personnel within the service".
The Ministry said that, based on the committee's recommendations, the review of the health delivery system and improvement in health infrastructure in the Prisons Service should be done in consultation with the Ministry of Health while external assistance is sought to help solve the accommodation problems of personnel.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has accepted the extension of the 'Barracks Annex' accommodation system to include officers in private rented apartments.
The ministry also accepted the recommendation of the committee to tie transfers to availability of funds to pay transfer grants and asked the Director General to take measures to clear the huge arrears of transfer grants due to officers.
The ministry said it is sourcing for concessional financing facility to augment the transportation system of the Service. It denied the existence of an external funding vehicle contract as alleged by the committee, which had called for a review of the second and third phases of contracts for external funding of vehicles.
It explained that in 1996, it had an allocation from the Ministry of Finance for a non-concessional facility of the Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) of the United Kingdom for the purchase of 33 vehicles for the Service.
However, the facility was later discontinued because of a government ban on such concessional loans. The ministry tasked the Director General to prepare a rehabilitation
programme for the Industrial and Technical Wing of the Service as recommended by the Committee.
He is also to submit a report on the Awutu farmland issue in addition to a status report on all the Prisons' farms.
The ministry welcomed the call for the appointment of experts to examine the problems of remand prisoners and said it will consult the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice on the recommendation.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2001
The Danquah family gathered on Sunday at the Danquah Circle in Accra to pay tribute to the late Dr Joseph Boakye Danquah, a doyen of Ghanaian politics.
In remembrance of Dr Danquah's contribution to the attainment of justice, liberty and democracy, his statue was adorned with a cloth of red, white and blue, the traditional colours of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as a symbolic gesture.
The NPP is seen as "party, which has upheld the visionary and humanitarian principles of the Danquah-Busia tradition".
Meanwhile, the Danquah family in a statement described the day as "an important day" and noted that Ghanaians have voted for positive change, democracy and the rule of law, which, it said, were the ideals Dr Danquah stood for and paid the ultimate sacrifice for it.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2001
Ghanaians should be patient and tolerant with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to enable it to fulfil their wishes and aspirations, a youth group of the party cautioned on Sunday.
The Cape Coast University branch of the Tertiary Students Confederacy of NPP (TESCON), which made the call, commended the electorate for effecting a change through the ballot box, saying, "this is a good sign for Ghana's young democracy."
This was contained in a statement signed by Antwi Emmanuel Bosiako, second vice chairman of the branch.
It praised Professor John Atta Mills for conceding defeat to ensure peace and tranquillity and President Jerry Rawlings, for a smooth transition.
The statement also commended the Electoral Commissioner and his staff and the security services for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.
It congratulated President Kufuor and asked for "God's guidance and direction to make the New Patriotic Party administration very successful."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan 2001
The four heads of state who participated in the inaugural ceremony of President John Agyekum Kufuor left Accra on Sunday for their various countries.
They are Presidents Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, and Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso.
They were each seen off at the airport by Vice-President Aliu Mahama and Lieutenant General Joshua Hamidu, a former Chief of Defence Staff.
The presidents had earlier on each inspected a guard of honour mounted by five officers and 96 men drawn from the Fifth Battalion of Infantry with a 21-gun salute booming in the background.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2000
President John Agyekum Kufuor, who was sworn in as the fifth elected president of Ghana on Sunday, was born on December 8, 1938, at Damang, in the Ashanti Region.
He entered the Lincoln Inn, London, where he obtained a degree in Law in 1959 and Oxford University in United Kingdom, from 1961 to 1964. He also has a Masters of Arts degree.
Mr Kufuor started his working career as a Kumasi-based Private Legal practitioner from 1965 to 1969. He was City Manager and Chief Legal Officer of the Kumasi City Council from 1967 to 1969.
He was a member of the Constituent Assembly that wrote the 1969 Second Republican Constitution and the Progress Party's MP for Atwima Nwabiagya.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of the late Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, who governed from 1969-72.
President-elect Kufuor also served on a number of Boards, including being Chairman of the Ashanti Brick and Construction Company, as well as Cojak Company Limited between 1973 and 1978.
He was again a member of the Constituent Assembly that wrote the 1979 Third Republican Constitution and entered parliament for the Atwima Nwabiagya on the ticket of the Popular Front Party (PFP), a successor to the Progress Party.
He was the Deputy Leader and spokesman for the PFP on Foreign Affairs. In 1982 he was appointed the PNDC Secretary for Local Government. He resigned because he did not agree with the philosophy of that regime.
Mr Kufuor was the Chairman of Asante Kotoko Football Club from 1988 to 1991.
In 1992 he contested for the NPP's presidential slot, but lost to Professor Albert Adu Boahen.
He again contested the party's presidential slot in 1996 and won to lead the Great Alliance, which comprised the People's Convention Party (PCP) and NPP.
He lost to President Jerry John Rawlings.
Mr Kufuor was again chosen by the NPP as the presidential candidate to contest the December election. He is married to Theresa, a nurse/midwife.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 Jan. 2001
Former President Jerry John Rawlings, who bowed out after 19 years in office, was born in Accra on 22nd June 1947, to a Ghanaian mother from Dzelukope, near Keta, in the Volta Region, and a Scottish father.
He was educated at Achimota School, where he obtained his General Certificate of Education 'O' Level in 1966.
He enlisted as a Flight Cadet in the Ghana Air Force in August, 1967, and was subsequently selected for officer cadet training at the Ghana Military Academy and Training School, Teshie, in Accra.
In March 1968, he was posted to Takoradi, in the Western Region, to continue his course. He passed out in January 1969, as a commissioned Pilot Officer. He won the coveted "Speed Bird Trophy" as the best cadet in flying and airman-ship.
He earned the rank of Flight Lieutenant in April 1978. He was an efficient officer with a close rapport with his men.
During his service with the Ghana Air Force, he witnessed the deterioration of discipline and morale, reflecting the corruption of the regime of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) at that time. As promotion brought him into contact with the privileged classes and their social values, his awareness of the injustices in society was sharpened. He was thus regarded with some unease by the SMC.
He read widely and discussed social and political ideas with a growing circle of like-minded friends and colleagues.
On May 28, 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings, together with six others, appeared before a General Court-Martial in Accra, charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces on May 15, 1979. There was strong public reaction, especially after his statement had been read in court, explaining the social injustices that had prompted him to act. The ranks of the Armed Forces, in particular, expressed deep sympathy with his stated aims.
When he was scheduled for another court appearance on 4th June 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings was sprung from custody. With the support of both military and civilians, he led a revolt, which decisively ousted the Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) into being.
The AFRC, under the chairmanship of Flt.Lt. Rawlings, carried out a "house-cleaning exercise" aimed at purging the Armed Forces and society at large of corruption and graft as well as restoring a sense of moral responsibility and the principles of accountability and probity in public life.
Meanwhile, following the programme already set in motion before the 4th June Uprising for civilian administration, general elections were held. On September 24, 1979 and the AFRC handed over to the civilian Government of the People's National Party (PNP) under late President Hilla Limann.
On 31st December 1981, Flt. Lt. Rawlings led a section of the Armed Forces to overthrow the PNP administration. A Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), composed of both civilian and military members, was established, with Flt-Lt. J.J. Rawlings as Chairman.
His interests include reading, building model aircraft, horse-riding and swimming. He is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings with whom he has four children - three girls and a boy.
Flt-Lt. Rawlings ceased to be a member of the Ghana Armed Forces with effect from September 14, 1992. He formed the National Democratic Congress, which contested and won the 1992 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. He and the party again won the 1996 elections. His term of office ends in the year 2000.
He is the joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Prize. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Medgar Evers College, City University of New York and Lincoln University Doctorate Degree for Diplomacy and Development. (Source: Information Services Department)
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