Korle Bu Babies Unit cries for help
New Juaben Municipal Assembly Initiates Cocoa Rehabilitation Project
Police retrieve pick-up used by robbers Plans to keep girls in school Theft, Okumaning chief helps police in investigationsPresident’s office not happy with how government vehicles are run
Police intercept two vehicles with stolen items
VALCO presents computers to KNUST
Korle Bu Babies Unit cries for help
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June ’99
The staff at the Babies Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday appealed to the authorities and charitable organisations to assist the unit, now in a deplorable state.
The unit, located on the third floor of the Children's Block and under the Department of Child Health, houses babies right from birth to the age of six months.
A source at the Unit said babies admitted for treatment of diseases such as tetanus and meningitis end up contracting malaria, a major child "killer".
"All the mosquito nets are either gone off or in tatters while some of the louvre blades are broken, making room for mosquitoes to 'do justice to the poor babies'."
There were also complaints of leaking roofs and flooding of the wards whenever it rains.
"We have named this unit 'River Densu' because of the amount of water we collect after each rainfall."
The source listed other problems such as broken down emergency exit doors, hand washing basins and taps and lack of modern thermometers and weighing scales.
"There is shortage of staff, security personnel, and dressing rooms for nurses. We are worried that the babies might be infected with other diseases from the hospital," the source said.
The source said several complaints had been made to the Maintenance Unit of the hospital but nothing had been done about them.
A visit to the unit confirmed the problems outlined by the staff.
Dr Henry Holdbrook-Smith, Chief Executive of the hospital, admitted that there were problems but explained that the Children's Block would undergo a major rehabilitation as soon as funding is available.
He said a donor agency had expressed interest in the project proposal and the hospital was working towards its implementation.
In the interim, Dr Holdbrook-Smith said a budget has been drawn up to cater for re-netting the babies unit of the block as soon as possible.
In addition, bed nets will be provided to protect the children.
Dr Holdbrook-Smith appealed to the nurses and doctors at the hospital to exercise restraint since the problems cannot be solved overnight.
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New Juaben Municipal Assembly Initiates Cocoa Rehabilitation Project
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 24 June ’99
The New Juaben Municipal Assembly (NJMA) has recruited 54 persons to undertake a cocoa rehabilitation project it initiated in May, this year.
The project, which falls under the poverty alleviation and income generation scheme of the assembly, seeks to resuscitate the dying cocoa industry in the municipality.
The cocoa industry there is not doing well due to lack of labour to maintain the farms.
The assembly has set aside 50 million cedis from its poverty alleviation fund to be given as loans to beneficiary farmers to meet the cost of labour and spraying.
Mr Emmanuel Adu Boateng, Municipal Chief Executive, who on Wednesday undertook a familiarisation tour of some of the project areas at Suhyenso and Oyoko, said the beneficiary farmers would be debited with the cost of the services incurred on their farms.
The loan, that attracts a 10 per cent interest, will be repaid after two cocoa seasons while the labourers would be engaged seasonally.
The National Mobilisation Programme (NMP) has been charged with recruiting the labourers while the Cocoa Services Division of the Ghana Cocoa Board offers technical assistance for the project covering farms in 11 communities.
At Suhyenso village, Mr P.H.O. Blankson, zonal supervisor for Asokore/Effiduase/Okomeso, said since May, the 12 labourers in the zone had so far cleared 126 out of an estimated 500 acres of cocoa farms for the 100 registered farmers in the zone.
Mr Yaw Adu Gyamfi, Municipal Co-ordinating Director of the NMP, said 7,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings had been nursed for sale to beneficiary farmers of the project at 200 cedis each.
Nana Kwabena Agyekumhene, Gyasewahene of Effiduase, appealed for the supply of Wellington boots and the inclusion of the replanting of old or diseased cocoa farms under the project.
At Oyoko, the Oyokohene, Nana Kodua Kesse, commended the assembly for initiating the project but lamented that, due to the lack labour to maintain his 10-acre cocoa farm, the yield had reduced from 40 bags a year to about five bags.
He said cocoa is the lifeblood of the country's economy and urged other district assemblies to help rescue the industry.
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Police retrieve pick-up used by robbers
Sunyani (Brong Ahofo) 24 June ’99
The Police have retrieved a pick-up van used by a group of armed robbers on Thursday, June 17, to raid a popular electronics store at Sunyani.
The armed robbers abandoned the vehicle at Abofour on the Techiman-Kumasi road after it had a flat tyre.
They were said to have seized another vehicle at Abofour at gunpoint to continue their journey to Kumasi, where it was abandoned.
A Police source said at Sunyani on Wednesday that the robbers, numbering about five and armed with three A.K. 47 rifles, broke into Simon Electronic Centre and made away with goods and cash estimated at about 13 million cedis.
They fled in the direction of Techiman, reaching Abofour around 05:00 hours. The left back tyre of their car got burst, forcing them to stop.
The source said fortunately for them, they spotted another pick-up in the town, which was being washed by its driver, and approached him for a spare tyre.
The driver, the source said, refused to give them his spare tyre and this infuriated the robbers who assaulted him, took his car and transferred their booty into it and continued their journey towards Kumasi.
The second car, which reportedly belongs to a Sunyani-based timber firm, Oti Yeboah Complex Limited, has been returned to the owner after the Police in Kumasi found it abandoned.
The source said when the first pick-up used by the robbers was searched, two different number plates, GR. 2373 A and AS 1409 C, were found on it, adding that the readiness with which they abandoned it strongly indicates they might have stolen it, too.
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Akatsi (Volta Region) 24 June ’99
The Akatsi District Assembly is to give financial assistance to mothers to undertake economic activities to prevent them from engaging their girl-children in trading at the expence of their education.
Through the assistance, it is hoped that the girl-child will be kept in the classroom, Mrs Victoria Nazza-Gidiglo, Akatsi District Chief Executive, has said at Akatsi.
She was speaking at the celebration of " Girls Education Week" at Akatsi on Wednesday organised jointly by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the District Assembly.
She suggested that more girls should be encouraged to study Science and Mathematics to enable them to pursue science-related professions.
She said District Science, Technical and Mathematics Education Clinics would be organised to enable the beneficiaries to make a better impact on regional and national clinics.
Miss Cecilia Pomary, Head of Girls Education Unit of GES, said gender disparity in enrolment and retention of girls in schools exist at all levels of the country's educational system.
At the Training College level, women are in the minority with only 5,638 women as against 11,755 men.
"The percentage of girls in school reduces as one climbs the ladder to the University level", she noted.
Miss Pomary advised teachers and boys not to discriminate against the girl-child but to encourage her in the classroom.
Mr Doe Hoedinya, outgoing Akatsi District Director of Education, said the celebration was to create awareness among parents to send their girls to school.
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Theft, Okumaning chief helps police in investigations
Kade (Eastern Region) 24 June ,99
Barima Adu Gyamfi III, chief of Okumaning, near Kade and six others are helping the police in their investigations into an alleged theft of a number of items belonging to the erstwhile State Oil Palm Plantation at Okumaning.
The six are Kwasi Acheampong, Kofi Ali, Kwadwo King, Kofi Ketewa, Kwabena Adu and Karbo Samba.
A police spokesman said following a tip off, police were sent to the mill on June three where they found the six men removing asbestos sheets of the mill.
They found six roofing sheets packed on the ground, and bolts and nuts they had removed from the roofing, in a container.
The police found that the suspects had broken into the mill and dismantled a number of machinery.
The police said on interrogation, the six men alleged that the Okumaninghene, known in private life as Mr Kwame Peter, asked them to remove the roofing sheets and the other items.
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President’s office not happy with how government vehicles are run
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June ’99
Nana Ato Dadzie, acting Chief of Staff at the office of the President, on Wednesday expressed government's dissatisfaction with the way its fleet of vehicles are run and maintained in the ministries and other government departments.
He said irrespective of the mode of acquisition of these vehicles by government, huge amounts of money are spent on their running, repairs and maintenance.
Nana Ato Dadzie was speaking at a day's seminar to expose the details and meaning of the new Road Traffic Law (Act 553) to the staff and drivers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in Accra.
The seminar also aimed among other things to educate GES drivers to take good care of vehicles assigned to them to enhance their life span.
Nana Dadzie said the recent parliamentary approval of the National Road Safety Commission Bill and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority Bill are measures meant to restructure government agencies responsible for regulating matters relating to drivers, vehicles and road usage.
The new law is meant to raise revenue for the construction and improvement of the country's road network.
"Government's effort to improve our road network will come to naught if our drivers continue to be ignorant about the basic road regulations or the handling of official vehicles."
The acting chief of staff noted that the amount of money spent by government on the maintenance of official vehicles could be reduced if drivers became a little bit careful and conscientious in the performance of their duties.
"Many government drivers seem to have erroneous notion that once they are driving high-ranking state officials, they are above the law." he noted.
Mr. Johanes Vegba, of the Attorney - General's Department said under the amended law, it is an offence for anyone to print, manufacture or procure a licence without authority.
He noted that the penalty for all the offences under the section 21 of the law, is a maximum fine of 10 million cedis or two years imprisonment or both.
Mr. Kwabena Kyereh, a Deputy Minister of Education, who presided, said government every year, spends more than one billion cedis as salaries for drivers and large amount annually for the running and maintenance of vehicles at the ministry.
He called for the judicious use of funds allocated to the ministry on vehicles and urged drivers to avoid waste associated with reckless and careless handling of vehicles and equipment.
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Police intercept two vehicles with stolen items
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June ’99
Police have intercepted two vehicles loaded with stolen items at Tema Community 18 and Osu.
According to Mr. Agwubutoge Awuni, Police Public Relations Director, Police Panthers Unit, upon a tip-off, rushed to Tema, where armed robbers had loaded a VW LT bus with furniture and other items but the robbers took to their heels and left the stolen items.
Mr. Awuni said at 0300 hours on Wednesday at Osu in Accra, information given by an anonymous caller led to the interception of a vehicle full of items stolen from Snippets Boutique.
He said every effort is being made to arrest the armed robbers. Mr. Awuni appealed to the public to volunteer information about criminals to help stamp out their activities.
"In wake of the recent cases of armed robbery it is only the public, that can support the Police with the necessary information since the criminals live in the society," he said.
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VALCO presents computers to KNUST
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 24 June ’99
Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) Trust Fund on Wednesday presented six computers and accessories valued at 54 million cedis to the Department of Design and General Art Studies of the College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (UST), in Kumasi.
The other equipment were eight power units, two laser printers, software and six programmes on graphics.
Presenting the items, Professor (Mrs.) Miranda Greenstreet, chairman of VALCO Trust Fund, said since its inception, the fund has sought to help in the promotion of educational and charitable ventures.
She emphasised that it is the objective of the board to perpetuate the fund to the benefit of all disciplines.
Prof. Greenstreet said students should be encouraged to have personal computers to become computer literate as they enter the computer age.
Professor Ambrose Tuah, acting Vice-Chancellor, who received the items, commended VALCO for its continuous support towards the development of the university.
He said the government alone cannot solve the numerous problems confronting the university and called on other non-governmental organisations and individuals to go to the aid of the university.
Mrs. Joyce J. Stuber, Dean of the College of Art, thanked the donors and said the gesture would go a long way to feed the "computer hunger" of the students.
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Rawlings asked to intervene in Osu chieftaincy rift
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June ’99
The acting Osiahene of Osu in Accra, Nii E. Q. Nortey, has appealed to President Rawlings to intervene for the amicable settlement of the rift between some kingmakers and stool elders of Osu in Accra.
The rift emanated from acts of lawlessness and vandalism due to the absence of a substantive chief for the town for the past 20 years.
This impasse has militated against the development of the community.
Mr. A. S. A. Adjieteh, secretary to the Osiahene, stressed at a press conference that Osu is "one family with a common destiny" and all efforts must be made to solve the rift.
The press conference was organised to throw more light on the circumstances surrounding the slow pace of development in Osu.
Mr. Adjieteh explained that in 1985, Nii Nortey Owuo the third was installed as chief of Osu, but because no customary rites were performed by the Osu Klottey Wulomo, Nii Nortey could not function as a chief.
He said Nii Nortey was again installed as chief in last May, and measures have been put in place to ensure that the necessary rites are performed in two weeks' time.
The secretary explained that in 1985, one Ashong Omaboe, who did not have the mandate to install a chief, did so but could not contact the Osu Klottey Wulomo for the expected rites to be performed for Nii Nortey Owuo.
Nii Nortey has the "legal and traditional backing as the legitimate Regent Osiahene", according to the Nyametei Report of November, 1989 to install and outdoor a chief, and has done so in this capacity, he said.
According to Mr. Adjieteh, the Ollennu Committee set up to investigate all the problems culminating in the chieftaincy issue at stake also gave its blessing to Nii Nortey as Regent Osiahene.
The Secretary stated that due to the absence of a chief, Osu has not had its fair share of a face-lift to enhance the living conditions of the people.
"High fees are charged at Day Care Centres in Osu, as they are all privately owned. There is no poly-clinic... there is poor sanitation ... and lack of employment".
Twenty stool elders, including Nii Nortey Omatuo VI, Osu Ashanti Dzaasetse, Nii Lantei Akoma 111, Osu chief Fisherman, Numo Owuraso 111, Guan Wulomo, Nii Lantei Brenya 111 and Nii Tenpong 11, both Asafoatsei, were present at the press conference.
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Ahwoi commends Ahafo-Ano North district
Tepa (Ashanti Region) 24 June ’99
Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, has commended the Ahafo-Ano North District Assembly in Ashanti for judiciously utilising its share of the common fund.
He said the provision of schools, health facilities and other social amenities by the assembly demonstrates the wisdom in establishing the fund.
Mr. Ahwoi expressed satisfaction with the way the projects were executed and said unlike some projects elsewhere, what he saw in Ahafo-Ano North was very satisfactory.
Some of the projects he inspected included the yet-to-be-finished 309.6
million cedis court building, the 76.6 million cedis completed fire station, the Anyinasuso area council building being constructed at the cost of 480 million cedis and the Anyinasuso Centre for Employable Skills.
The rest of the projects were the Kroboa feeder road under construction, the Mothers' Hostel at the Tepa district hospital, residential quarters for national service personnel and a bungalow for the district director of education.
Mr. Ahwoi, said the report of the Auditor-General on the accounts of district assemblies for the financial year ended on 31st December 1996, showed that the assembly was among 14 out of the 18 assemblies in Ashanti that failed to submit its accounts.
He said he was sure something must have gone wrong and urged that the situation is rectified as a matter of urgency.
Addressing a durbar at Manfo, near Tepa, Mr. Ahwoi pledged the Ministry's contribution of 50 million cedis to the town towards their electrification project.
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