GRi Newsreel 21-10-99

Women demonstrate against killings

Accra (Greater Accra) 21 Oct. '99

Thousands of Ghanaian women on Wednesday went on a massive demonstration against what they termed "the inability of the government to unravel the mystery behind recent murders of women in some parts of Accra".

Twenty women have so far been killed this year under mysterious circumstances.

The demonstrators, who were in mourning cloth, marched through some principal streets and carried placards some of which read 'stop killing the women', 'we need street lights', 'support police to track down killers', and 'government save our souls'.

The demonstration was organised by the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) in collaboration with various women's groups including the International Federation of Women Lawyers.

The women later converged at the Independence Square where the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Peter Nanfuri, Nii Okaija Adamafio, Minister of the Interior, and the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, addressed them.

Mr Nanfuri explained that the Police are not being discriminatory in their investigations and that they attach equal importance to all cases.

Citing the Ablekuma murders as an example, the IGP said a section of the public have accused the Police of bias in view of the arrests made at Ablekuma near Accra when two policemen were killed there.

"In the case of Ablekuma, the community gave the information on who the culprits were and that led to the prompt action by the Police.

"However, in this case, there has not been any information and the Police will have to do its own investigations to unfold the mystery behind the killings.

"It is a pity that some people have specialised in the killing of women. We are working round the clock to help bring this people to book."

The IGP said telephone and fax numbers of regional and district police stations have been published in the newspapers and appealed to members of the public who may have information on the murders pass it on to the police.

Nii Okaija Adamafio said government had declared 50 million cedis for anyone who has information that will lead to the arrest of the murderers.

This, he said, is because "government's anger at these murderers is so great that we have had to put in measures including the 50 million-cedi incentive to track down the criminals".

"Government has not forgotten the murders of two doctors last year, let alone that of our women," he said and assured the women that everything was being done to bring the perpetrators to book.

Nana Konadu advised women who attend all night church services to return home early.

A philanthropist, Mrs Comfort, donated mobile phones, Motorola and other detective equipment worth 13,000 pounds to the police.

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Tanker drivers strike over alleged brutalities

Tema (Greater Accra) 21 Oct. '99

Activities at the offices of the Ghana Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association came to standstill today when the Military and Police in a joint operation arrest criminals, in the harbour area brutalised tanker drivers and their mates.

In the process three members of the association sustained injuries and had to be treated at the Tema General Hospital while others were arrested. The offices of the association was ransacked and members beaten up at random, Mr. Wilfred Gbormitah, National Chairman of the Association, told newsmen.

The situation compelled the refinery to temporary shut its loading point as the drivers mounted road blocks on the main Accra-Tema road, which also leads to the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and other heavy industries in protest.

Mr. Gbormitah, said the members of the association will not work until all their arrested colleagues released unconditionally, those wounded compensated for and a formal apology rendered to the association by whoever ordered the exercise.

Mr. Daniel Kabutei, National Secretary of the Association said at about 10:30 hours the Police and the Military invaded the refinery and without any provocation started beating up people indiscriminately.

He said they entered the offices of the Association, drove people out and arrested the majority of the drivers, brutalised them with truncheons and the butts of their guns and stamped on them with their boots.

Mr. Robert Forson, Acting Deputy Managing Director, Operations at TOR said although the refinery was informed about the operation the mode in which it was executed was questionable.

Mr. Joe Danquah, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Tema, denied that the Police entered the offices of the tanker drivers and that all those who were arrested were picked up from outside for loitering.

He said that the tanker drivers have been invited to go and identify any of their members, who was wrongly picked up.

Meanwhile, the situation remains tense at the refinery as the TOR management is meeting the leaders of the tanker drivers to convince them to return to work.

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Britain to support Ghana's forests development project

Accra (Greater Accra) 21 Oct. '99

Britain will continue to support Ghana's forest sector development project (FSDP) with a 12.9million pounds (58.05 billion)-grant, a release in Accra said on Wednesday.

The statement said the programme has been developed with assistance from the U.K. Department for International Development between January, 1996, and September, 1999, under an initial phase.

Phase Two of the project is a key component of the $82 million Natural Resources Management Programme (NRMP) and will provide the resource needed to further the transformation.

The statement said under the first phase, support was provided to the Ghana government to reform the forestry sector legal framework and that substantial progress was made in transforming the Forestry Department into an efficient and effective forest services division of the Forestry Commission.

It said support would also be given to the Forestry Commission Secretariat, Ministry of Lands and Forestry and other stakeholders to ensure that the new commission remains focuses on delivering the services outlined in the new legislation and Forest Policy.

The statement said the programme would last for five years.

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