Economic difficulties not the government’s fault
MP call for additional guidelines on MPs' Fund
"Concern citizens" express concern about spate of demonstrations
Asunafo Assembly and Mim Timber issue dud-cheques to SSNIT
Agric Ministry to increase local rice production
"Times" journalists study libel laws
Diseases undermine yam production in Ghana
Osu coronation Planning committee inaugurated
Winneba records 323 Motor accidents in 9 months
District assemblies urged to adhere to guidelines
Delegation back home local authorities confab
Mass wedding at Madina Catholic Church
President of Methodist conference urges more income-generating ventures
Economic difficulties not the government’s fault
Kumasi (Ashanti) 11 Oct ’99
Mr Moses Asaga, Deputy Minister of Finance, has stated that the present economic difficulties are not the making of the government to punish the people or the result of mismanagement.
He explained that they are the result of external factors including the falling cocoa and gold prices on the world market and the hike in the price of crude oil.
Mr Asaga was addressing a durbar of the Chiefs and people from the northern part of the country in Ashanti, organised by the Frafra community in Kumasi on Saturday.
The occasion was in honour of Naba Sigri Be Wong, Paramount Chief of Sakote in the Upper East region to mark his visit to Kumasi.
Mr Asaga, who is the MP for Nabdam, stressed that in spite of the global economic recession the government has made positive strides to cope with the situation.
The Deputy Minister said the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other international donors have rated Ghana second after South Africa in Africa for the efficient management of the economy, because of the confidence they have in the country.
Mr Asaga stressed that the government will do all in its power to bridge the gap between the north and the south.
Naba Sigri Be Wong called on people from the north residing and working in the south to unite and mobilise resources for the development of their areas of origin.
He stressed the need for them to support efforts to provide schools and to establish an educational fund to encourage children to attend school.
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MP call for additional guidelines on MPs' Fund
Bunso (Eastern Region) 11 Oct. ’99
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa, Nana Akuffo-Addo, has called for additional guidelines on the use of the MP's Common Fund (CF), which he described as a good policy but currently fraught with anomalies.
"Further guidelines should be elaborated so that the CF system is not destroyed in a parochial manner," he said, revealing that there had been attempts by certain individuals to "sabotage the policy".
Nana Akuffo-Addo was speaking at the 5th delegates' congress of the Abuakwa constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the weekend.
He also spoke against discrimination in the sharing of the CF by some MPs on the lines of those who voted for, or against them.
Nana Akuffo Addo, who said he was spending a large percentage of his CF on education in his area, said: "Quality and access to education remain the main issues confronting the nation".
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Nkurankan (Eastern Region) 11 Oct. ’99
Two hundred people have been rendered homeless at three villages in the Yilo Krobo District when the roofs of about 50 buildings were ripped-off during a rainstorm on Friday.
Properties worth several millions of cedis were destroyed.
The affected villages are Nkurankan, Wawase and Mile Four.
At Wawase part of the roof of the local Roman Catholic JSS building was ripped-off while food crops were also destroyed.
Mr James Tetteh, assemblyman for the area, who took newsmen round to inspect the damage on Saturday appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the district assembly, the National Mobilisation Programme (NMP) and NGOs to come to the aid of the victims.
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"Concern citizens" express concern about spate of demonstrations
Accra (Greater Accra) 11Oct. ’99
The National Executive Committee of the Concerned Citizens Association of Ghana (CCAG), on Sunday called for an end to the spate of demonstrations and ultimatums by organised labour in the country.
In a statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr J. Y. Aidoo, National Chairman, the association said such actions must be stopped for the sake of posterity.
It described the threat by Doctors to go on strike, if the government did not revert, the Ridge Hospital, La and Mamprobi Polyclinics from the Military and the Police to their former status as ''ill-motivated, insensitive and diabolical''.
Ghana is not a lawless country, it said adding that the country has passed the period of anarchy.
"The people of this country would not yield to the action since it would not promote the goodwill and wellbeing of the people".
The Association said everybody in the country is experiencing the pinch of the current global recession, adding that it is worrying and beyond comprehension that efforts at rectifying the situation are often frustrated because of "sectional interests".
It said such actions would not enable the country's recovery efforts to Succeed.
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Asunafo Assembly and Mim Timber issue dud-cheques to SSNIT
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 11 Oct ’99
A number of cheques issued by the Asunafo District Assembly and Mim Timber Company (MTC) to cover Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions of their workers were not honoured.
Mr Kwame Kusi, Acting Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the Trust, said between April and June, MTC issued six cheques with a total face value of 136 million cedis as part payment of accumulated debt of 321 million cedis but they all bounced, when they were presented at the banks.
Two cheques issued by the Asunafo district assembly for 2.5 million cedis were also dishonoured, making the issue a criminal one, he said.
Mr Kusi said SSNIT has decided to take legal action to recover from the two Institutions, 323.5 million cedis, being workers contributions, which deducted at source but were not paid to the Trust.
MTC's debt has been accumulated over a period between December 1998 and September 1999 whilst the district assembly has failed to pay workers' contribution for over six months in contravention of PNDC Law 247/91, which regulates the operations of SSNIT.
Mr. Kusi disclosed that similar action would be taken against other establishments that are indebted to the Trust.
He reiterated the need for institutions to pay workers contributions to SSNIT promptly to enable it to discharge its obligation to retiring workers more efficiently.
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Agric Ministry to increase local rice production
Fumesua (Ashanti) 11 Oct ’99
Two varieties of locally produced rice, Ghana Rice 18 (GR 18) and Sikamo, are being multiplied to provide adequate quantities of certified seed for planting by farmers next year.
This is part of efforts the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is making to increase production and improve upon the quality of breeder rice seeds produced by the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) in Tamale and the Crops Research Institute (CRI) at Fumesua, near Kumasi.
Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of crops, said this when he addressed the closing session of a two-week rice seed production, organisation and management training course at Fumesua, on Friday.
It was jointly organised by the CRI and the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) based at Bouake in Cote d'Ivoire.
Eighteen delegates drawn from the Ghana Seed Inspection Division, Agricultural Extension Agents, Irrigation Development Authority, SARI and the CRI attended the course.
Mr Asiedu-Nketiah said extension officers are being trained, strengthened and motivated to transfer improved agricultural technologies, including rice production, to farmers.
The farmers will also be trained in the production technologies of rice in order to improve upon the final quality of the produce.
The private sector is also being encouraged to invest in agricultural machinery services for rice production.
The Deputy Minister said MOFA has plans to assist farmers to develop appropriate water control measures such as terracing to retain water for rice growth under rain-fed conditions in some areas of the country, especially in the Northern Region.
Dr Robert G. Guei, rice breeder at WARDA and the course co-ordinator, said it was organising to train Ghanaians to solve the rice seed problem and make improved rice varieties accessible to farmers.
It will also assist in the promotion and marketing rice seed to ensure self-sufficiency in rice production.
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"Times" journalists study libel laws
Accra (Greater Accra) 11Oct. ’99
An Appeal Court Judge on Saturday urged Journalists to avoid libel cases by cross checking doubtful material, publishing rejoinders of people libelled or apologising to people they defamed.
Mr Justice J. C. Amonoo-Monney said even though some clauses in the law enable journalists to defend their publications, "the best way out is to avoid publishing materials with doubtful authenticity."
He gave the caution at a day's seminar on "The law of libel and Contempt of court", organised in Accra for journalists of the Times Corporation by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The participants were taken through lectures on civil and criminal libel, and the defences they can put up in court.
Mr Amonoo-Monney stressed that in spite of the risks, journalists can insist on their publications provided they have a good cause that can be defended in a court of law.
He underscored the importance of the concept of Alternative Dispute Resolution, where disputes are settled
among opposing parties without going to court, saying this relieves "one of the travails of court proceedings".
Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, GJA President, noted that the recent practice of some individuals and institutions to send their reservations about media publications to the National Media Commission instead of the courts, is the best way forward.
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Diseases undermine yam production in Ghana
Nyankpala (Northern Region) 11 Oct.’99
A survey conducted by the yam disease project, funded by the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) in four regions in Ghana has shown that diseases constitute the second major constraint to yam production.
Giving an overview of the yam disease project being implemented by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) at Nyankpala and Crop Research Institute (CRI) at Kumasi, Dr Jaff Peters, project co-ordinator, said yam disease ranks second to lack of financial support for its cultivation.
Addressing researchers and farmers drawn from various districts in the Upper West and Northern Regions prior to a field trip, Dr Peters said more than 400 farmers in the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Northern and Upper West Regions were contacted in three years under the programme.
In addition, SARI, CRI developed field reporting on diseases in the Yendi and Bimbilla Districts.
Dr Peters said it was discovered that viral diseases attacked between 60-70 per cent of yam in the areas under survey, whilst fungal pathogens were found on over 35 per cent of leaves supplied.
Six varieties of soil pathogena affect, at varying degrees, between 14 and 97 per cent whilst nematodes infection was between 7.7 to 18.5 per cent.
Dr Peters said the effects of diseases on yam do not stop at only one cropping season but are carried on to the next season, since affected seed tubers of fungal infection either do not germinate at all or go on to produce plants that are diseased.
Mr O. Olatunde, a researcher from Nigeria said the high incidence of viral diseases in yam was the result of planting affected tubers and called for the need to break the cycle.
He said viral infection results in stunted growth and under sized tubers and a decrease in the palatability of yams in some cases.
Mr Olatunde said the aim of the field trip was to enable farmers to see the effects of yam diseases on yam production in order to take precautions and avoid the use of diseased seed tubers.
The researcher also advised farmers to isolate diseased tubers from healthy ones during storage to avoid the spread of infection.
Mr Stephen Manfo, regional director of agriculture, said yam production in the Northern Region has been on the increase since 1994.
He said an analysis shows that this would remain normal in spite of the army worm invasion and recent floods experienced in the region.
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Osu coronation Planning committee inaugurated
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 Oct. ’99
Mrs Selina Taylor, a retired Civil Servant, on Saturday inaugurated a 13 member Planning Committee for the coronation of the new Osu Manste.
She called on members of the committee to see their assignment as an honour and to work as a team so that their work would be fruitful.
The committee among other things is to plan, raise funds and organise the occasion.
The Rev (Dr) Chris Hesse, Chairman of the Committee, gave the assurance that members would come out with an elaborate programme.
He urged them to be punctual at meetings and to work hard for the success of the coronation to befit the status of Osu as the "political and spiritual seat of the country".
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