Nana Akuffo Addo interrogated over "Tapegate"
Police says it will hold party leaders responsible for damage during demo
Minister urges for investments in rural industries
Cocoa farmers appeal for release of cocoa sheds
Workshop on national house of chiefs research project opens
Government will resolve economic crisis Adabre
USS Carter Hall donates to flood victims
Group launches comic strip on children's rights
US Naval and Marines in community work
Suspend planned demonstration Minister
Ashietey urges foreigners to spread investment programme
Nana Akuffo Addo interrogated over "Tapegate"
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Nov. 99
The investigating panel led by the Inspector General of Police Mr Peter Nanfuri on Saturday interrogated Nana Akuffo Addo over the circumstances surrounding the publication of a transcript from a tape recording by the Statesman newspaper.
A police statement signed by Mr Angwubutoge Awuni, Director of Public Relations said Nana Addo, Chairman of the Board of Kinesic Communications, publishers of the Statesman, maintained throughout the six hours of interrogation that the recorded cassette was left at the office of the paper by unknown persons.
The statement said Nana Addo further disclosed that extra copies of the recorded cassette were made in a studio he refused to disclose and that a copy has been sent abroad to an undisclosed friend.
He has since been released while investigations continue, the statement added.
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Police says it will hold party leaders responsible for damage during demo
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Nov. 99
The Greater Accra Regional Police Administration on Monday advised leaders of the political parties that have planned to demonstrate on Thursday to co-operate with the police to make the event as peaceful as possible.
A statement signed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Angwubutoge Awuni, Director of Public Relations, said all demonstrators would assemble in front of Barnet Area at 10 am and move through Randolph Motors area and turn right to Asylum Down Taxi rank.
The demonstrators would then pass through Cathedral Square to the TUC area, turn left through the National Theatre and the Ministries and halt in front of the Accra Sports Stadium.
The statement said that the demonstrators would then wait at this spot while 10 of their leaders proceed to deliver their petition in Parliament House.
The leaders would thereafter return to join the rest at the stadium and move back through the same routes to Barnet from where they would disperse by 1 PM.
The statement said that for the avoidance of any doubt, the demonstrators would not pass through the main business area or the TUC area or anywhere near the Makola market.
"This is to ensure that normal business activities are not disrupted and order is maintained, and that persons who may not be part of the demonstration do not take advantage to loot or involve in any criminal activities."
The police statement reminded the public that traders and other businesspersons at these areas have equal constitutional right to carry out their normal activities without any disruptions.
"Besides it is the wish of the police to reduce the possibility of vehicular congestion at these areas to the minimum, hence the need to select routes that can enable the police to manage such disruptions as they may occur."
The statement advised all demonstrators to take due note of the approved routes and co-operate fully with the police to ensure that the demonstration does not result in any injury to persons or damage to property.
It added that the police would hold the leaders responsible for any damage that would be caused.
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Minister urges for investments in rural industries
Winneba (Central Region) 23 Nov 99
Mr Mike Hammah, MP for Effutu and Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways has appealed to Ghanaian businessmen to invest in the establishment of rural industries and housing projects.
He emphasised that in its determination to make the private sector the pillar of the country's economic growth, the government had thus created the right investment climate.
Speaking at a forum organised by the Awutu Effutu Senya district secretariat of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Deputy Minister asked Ghanaians to take advantage and establish more rural industries.
Mr Hammah commended teachers in the constituency for their good performance and appealed to private estate developers to construct hostels and flats to solve the accommodation problem that confronts workers in the area.
The forum was to educate teachers in the area on government policies and programmes, and Mr Hammah enlightened them on the governments plans as contained in the Vision 2020 programme.
Issues discussed at the forum included the accommodation problem facing teachers and other government employees in Winneba, inadequate basic school structures, state of the country's economy and the universal salary structure.
Mrs Cecilia Kwakyie-Kwofie, an official of the Winneba district education office, who presided, called on teachers to work harder to produce the right calibre of skilled manpower for the nation.
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Cocoa farmers appeal for release of cocoa sheds
Dampong (Ashanti Region) 23 Nov. 99
The Chiefs and people of Dampong, a cocoa farming community in the Asante-Akim South District, have repeated their appeal to the Ghana Cocoa Board to release the abandoned cocoa shed in the town to the community.
They expressed regret that in spite of numerous appeals to COCOBOD in their desire to save the deteriorating cocoa shed for a school, "nothing concrete has been heard from the board."
Nana Okyere Offeih, Krontehene of Dampong and Opanin Kofi Anane, an elder of the town, jointly made the appeal on Saturday, when they conducted Nana Kwabena Ahenmoah Gyata II, Agona Nwamasihene and a team of technical personnel to inspect the abandoned cocoa shed.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has ordered that infrastructure and sites in the rural communities in the Ashanti region, be identified for rehabilitation and if possible, converted into basic or vocational schools in the deprived areas.
Nana Offeih said the shed at Dampong has been abandoned for about 10 years and cocoa produced in the area is now purchased by the private buying companies.
Nana Gyata said the identification exercise is part of the objectives of the Asanteman Educational Fund, which is aimed at improving the standard of education in the region.
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Workshop on national house of chiefs research project opens
Abokobi (Greater Accra) 23 Nov. 99
Any research in the area of chieftaincy should take cognisance of pioneering work on the institution to ensure more fruitful findings, Mr David Sarpong Boateng, Minister of State, said this at Abokobi in the Ga District when he opened a three-day workshop on the National House of Chiefs Research Project.
He said most of such works, including those by John Mensah Sarbah in 1897, Casely-Hayford in 1903, Rattray in 1929, and Dr. K. A. Busia in 1951, have not been easily available to the chieftaincy institution and people connected to it.
The workshop, under the theme "Research on customary laws and practices relating to enstoolment and enskinment of chiefs in Ghana", has the major objective of putting an end to the numerous disputes related to chieftaincy by codifying the processes of enstoolment or enskinment and destoolment.
It is being attended by more than 50 people selected from 21 districts and traditional areas, chiefs, research staff of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Chieftaincy Division.
"It is important to re-evaluate our social institutions with a view to determining which aspects of such institutions should be taken on the crucial and inevitable journey into the next millennium.
"The institution of chieftaincy provides us with a unique sense of belonging, the finest legacy bequeathed to us by our forefathers in their collective wisdom on democracy and on which we have to build and pass on to posterity. It is the African gift to world civilisation."
Mr Boateng, who represented the Vice-President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, advised the participants to draw practical and self-explanatory questionnaires worded to avoid suspicion or controversy.
The project should either be preceded or combined with a public education programme for it to be understood and accepted by those from whom information would be sought, especially members of royal houses.
Mr Laari Bimi, NCCE Chairman, described chieftaincy as one institution that has weathered the storm of colonialism, which could be used to enrich constitutional democracy.
He said findings from the research could in the long term bring about social stability by enhancing democracy.
Odeefuo Boa Amponsem, President of the National House of Chiefs (NHC), said it is expected that the research would end the situation where conflicts are settled by oral tradition.
He said the remaining traditional areas that would not be covered by the project would be systematically researched in order to cover all traditional areas.
"This will lead us to the establishment of documentation centres, one at the NHC in Kumasi and the other at the Chieftaincy Secretariat in Accra."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Nov. 99
Ghana will become a signatory to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Valuation on April one, 2000.
Mr Ben Eghan, Chief Director of the Ministry of Communications, who made this known at a day's seminar on valuation for media personnel in Accra on Monday, explained that the government has recognised some inherent problems in the old system of Valuation.
The participants were taken through topics such as "The determination of Customs Values of Imported Goods", "options to be adopted where Customs Values cannot be determined", and "the rules and regulations governing Valuation and the Formal declaration of Values".
It was to broaden their knowledge about Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) as an institution and some of its procedures. It was also to offer media personnel the opportunity to assist CEPS in its outreach programme aimed at providing information to its major stakeholders and the public at large.
Mr Eghan said recognising the problems inherent in the system, coupled with the benefits to be derived from standardising valuation of goods for customs purposes, the government acceded to the WTO Agreement on Valuation.
He said the benefits to be derived from the agreement are numerous.
These include the provision of reliable trade statistics for economic comparisons, proven criteria for fairness, uniformity, neutrality and transparency.
The Chief Director commended CEPS for its modest attempts in the past few months at implementing this new system of Valuation.
He described as unfortunate the situation where importers who have been encouraged to submit their own invoices for imported goods rather submit fictitious ones.
"Information from suppliers in most cases has confirmed the suspicion of customs officials that some businessmen have the intention to abuse this noble concept of Valuation.
"Unfortunately, these lapses have adversely affected the revenue mobilisation function of CEPS."
Mr Eghan said it was gratifying to note that CEPS was putting in place adequate measures to check abuses when the new system becomes fully operational.
Mr Sampson Hammond, Deputy Commissioner of CEPS in charge of Finance and Administration, who chaired the function, said 215 CEPS staff have already been trained to help in the implementation of the system.
He said CEPS would be organising seminars on the new system for other stakeholders, including exporters, suppliers and clearing agents.
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Government will resolve economic crisis Adabre
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo ) 23 Nov. 99
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre, has assured Ghanaians that the government will soon resolve the current economic difficulties with the same forthrightness that it has tackled serious national challenges in the past.
"The government has exhibited tremendous knack for solving critical national problems and Ghanaians can rest assured that it will find a way out of the present difficulties occasioned by falling commodity prices on the world market."
Mr Adabre was addressing a rally organised by the Sunyani East constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Sunyani to urge the electorate to remain calm in the face of agitation by opposition parties over what they call "economic mismanagement" by the government.
Mr Adabre said the current difficulties "are temporal problems that the government is determined to solve in the shortest possible time".
"It is, therefore, crucial that we stay calm and desist from being brain-washed into joining agitation and demonstration in protest against perceived and alleged government ineptitude in managing the economy."
Mr Adabre said the planned demonstration of the minority parties are only meant to throw dust into the eyes of the public and urged Ghanaians to shun it in the interest of peace and development.
"In the face of genuine fall in the country's export commodities and sharp rise in the prices of crude oil, it was expected that the opposition would join hands with the government to find solutions to the problem instead of taking to the streets."
His deputy, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, said the demonstrations are only political gimmicks and "a lame attempt by the opposition to soil the good image of the government".
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USS Carter Hall donates to flood victims
Tema (Greater Accra) 23 Nov. 99
Sailors and marines aboard the USS Carter Hall, a U.S. Navy ship, on Monday presented relief items to flood victims of the Upper East and West regions, the Northern, Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions.
The items, comprising medical supplies, sewing machines, toys, school bags and used clothing, were channelled through the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
Captain W. Bill McGloon, presenting the items, said they were meant to cement the bond of friendship between the peoples of Ghana and the U.S.
The ship, which is on a six-nation African tour, has already called at South Africa, Namibia and Nigeria and will move to Togo and Cote d'lvoire on Tuesday.
Capt. McGloon said for the past 50 years, the visit, a bi-annual affair, aims at training naval officers of West African countries.
This year, the training is aimed at disaster management for the military forces, undertaking humanitarian assistance and non-combatant evacuation operations for disaster victims.
Ms Kathryn Dee Robinson, U.S. Ambassador, said the visit was a demonstration of the generosity of the people of America to the people of the sub-region and appealed to the participants to make the best of the training.
Mr Kofi Portuphy, National Co-ordinator of NADMO, thanked the donors and said the training would go a long way to assist his outfit in the event of oil spillage.
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Group launches comic strip on children's rights
Tamale (Northern Region) 23 Nov. 99
The Ghana Committee on Human and People's Rights (GCHPR) has launched a comic booklet on the rights of the child at Tamale.
The booklet, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, uses appropriate human interest story to illustrate children's rights
Mr Albert Atutigah, Assistant Director of Education, on behalf of the Regional Director Education, launched the booklet.
He said that, with the increase in the number of child abuse including, defilement, forced child labour and slavery, the booklet would go a long way in educating the child and society on the right of the child.
The launch climaxed a two-day workshop on training of trainers of women and children's rights which was attended by members of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regional chapters of the GCHPR and pupils from first cycle schools in the Tamale Municipality.
The national Vice-Chairperson of the committee, Mrs Veronica Ayikwei Kofie, said it was imperative that books on children's rights were made available "as we enter the new millennium".
Mrs Kofie stressed the need for analysing the impact of human rights and to develop strategies and programmes that would help address the numerous human rights abuses committed against children.
She regretted that, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, more than 150 million children have no access to education, 200 million children are held in diverse forms of slavery and a billion others do not have access to potable water and primary health care throughout the world.
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US Naval and Marines in community work
Dominase (Central Region) 23 Nov. 99
Thirty-three members of the visiting U.S. Naval and Marine team currently on a three-day visit to Ghana on Monday joined Habitat for Humanity, an American NGO, in a five-hour construction work at Dominase in the Central Region.
Some of the ratings engaged in foundation digging while others laid blocks, roofed buildings or painted houses.
Briefing them before the commencement of the exercise, the Country Co-ordinator of Habitat for Humanity, Mr Scott Metzel, said the project had provided 23 out of the 44 houses planned for the community to bring the total number of Habitat houses countrywide to 1,500.
He said with an average cost of two million cedis spread over 15 year's, the houses are affordable to people of low-income group.
"Occupants of the houses are also educated on housing maintenance and environmental related issues."
The team later called at Enyan Okokodo, also in the Central Region, where a special durbar of the chiefs and people of the area was organised in their honour.
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Suspend planned demonstration Minister
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 23 Nov. 99
Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Ashanti Regional Minister, has appealed to a body calling itself Concerned Citizens of Kumasi to suspend their planned demonstration against Nana Akwasi Agyeman, Metropolitan Chief Executive, since efforts are being made to address issues they had raised.
The appeal was contained in a press statement issued after a meeting with the 41 aggrieved assembly members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and executives of the Concerned Citizens by the Regional Security Council(REGSEC) in Kumasi on Monday.
It said that, to forestall peace and orderly development of the Metropolis, the meeting agreed that the Regional Minister and REGSEC should address the concerns and conditions given by the aggrieved members to ensure effective administration of the KMA.
The statement pleaded that, following the acceptance of the conditions, the assembly should have its full session on Friday, November 26.
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Ashietey urges foreigners to spread investment programme
Tema (Greater Accra) 23 Nov. 99
Nii Armah Ashietey, Tema Municipal Chief Executive, on Monday called on foreigners to act as ambassadors to propagate Ghana's investment programme abroad.
"There is absolute stability in Ghana and the democratic regime is making the prevailing conditions conducive to attract investors without hindrance," he said, and asked foreigners to "help sell this business programme abroad".
Nii Armah was receiving Commander Pam Markiewicz, Captain of the U.S. Ship, USS Carter Hall, during a courtesy call on him at his office.
The ship, with 300 crew on board, docked at Tema on Sunday for a three- day goodwill visit.
The Chief Executive said Ghana recognises the contributions of American investors like the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), Pioneer Food Cannery and others.
He said the crew's visit would strengthen the already cordial relations existing between Ghana and the United States.
Commander Markiewicz said the crew would undertake exercises with their Ghanaian counterparts and distribute food and medical supplies, clothings and toys, among other things, majority of which would go to flood victims in the North and other disaster areas.
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