GRi Newsreel 22 - 10 - 99

Police investigations are secret - IGP

Accra (Greater Accra), 22^nd October 99

Mr. Peter Nanfuri, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), on Thursday said the police cannot be briefing the public on all the steps they are taking to arrest persons killing women in the city.

He said "police investigations are secret" and that the "public should rest assured that the police are working to unravel the mysterious deaths".

Mr. Nanfuri, who was clarifying some pronouncements about the arrest of some people in connection with the deaths to the press in his office, said 17 women have been mysteriously murdered so far in Accra since last year.

The IGP said it was not true that all the deaths occurred under mysterious circumstances because three of them were established by medical reports to be of natural deaths.

He said the identities of 12 of them have been established and that one of the women was killed by her husband who was trying to prevent her from going out. The man whose name was not disclosed is under arrest.

Mr. Nanfuri said it appeared that the murderers were changing their modus operandi because in the last year's murders, the victims were elderly and now the attack is on the young ones.

"We are going to publish the pictures of the unidentified murdered women to enable the public to help the police in the investigations".

The IGP reiterated his appeal to the public to give information to the police to help track the criminals.

GRi

Return to top

Standards Board organises training on drug abuse

Accra (Greater Accra), 22^nd October 99

A three -month drug control training programme began on Thursday at the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) to train participant from three English speaking African countries in methods for the identification and analysis of controlled drugs.

The course is being organised by the Board in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Board and the United Nations International Drugs Control Programme (UNDCP).

A GSB statement said Ghana has been chosen as the regional training centre for Anglophone Africa on controlled drugs. Participants are drawn from Ghana, Mauritius and Zanzibar.

It is aimed at upgrading their skills and equipping them with the requisite knowledge in the identification and analysis of controlled substances with a view to making them more efficient and proficient when faced with analysing these drugs.

In line with its desire to fight the drug menace, the UN has set up a Commission on Narcotic Drugs under the Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) on matters relating to International Treaties for the commission as may be necessary.

The UN, realising the danger posed to society by drug abuse, trains personnel in different areas to help combat the menace.

GRi

Return to top

Atomic Commission needs 3 billion cedis for biotechnology project - Prof.

Kwabenya (Greater Accra), 22^nd October 99

The existing facility of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Kwabenya, is too small to undertake large-scale commercial ventures, let alone meet the requirements of Ghana's proposed Biotechnology Development Programme.

The commission has, therefore, requested for three billion cedis from the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) to complete its new tissue culture building.

The Executive Secretary of GAEC, Professor John H. Amuasi, said in an interview at Kwabenya on Thursday that the building, which was started in 1995, was suspended due to shortage of funds.

As at 21^st December, 1998, phase one of the project was about 80 per cent complete while phase two was about 45 per cent complete.

"If we get the money released and get the building completed, we should start producing by this time next year," he stated.

Prof. Amuasi gave the breakdown of the budget for the expansion of the existing tissue culture building.

These are the completion of laboratory building, two billion cedis, laboratory equipment and supplies, 365,000 dollars, van (refrigerated) for distribution of tissue culture plantlets, 30,000 dollars, and nursery requirement 75,000 dollars.

The others are irrigation and related facilities, 22 million cedis and tractor plus accessories, 38,000 dollars.

Prof. Amuasi said the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) had seen the need to support the commission's biotechnology project, which is now considered a national priority.

The Ghana Biotechnology Development Programme is a collaborative effort involving the CSIR and the Graduate School of Environmental Studies (GSES) of the University of Strathclyde Glasgow, United Kingdom, with the GAEC as the scientific consultants.

The Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK, is funding the project with the University of Strathclyde providing further financial support and personnel.

The Ghana government is providing personnel and office facilities for the programme, which is being implemented in three phases.

BNARI is already applying biotechnology and related nuclear techniques in agriculture, industry and health.

Its current research focuses on tissue culture for micro-propagation of disease-free planting materials for cassava, cocoa, oil palm, plantain and pineapple, among other food crops.

It also aims at preventing post-harvest losses, food preservation and safety, improvement in livestock production, integrated pest management and strengthening human and material resource in biotechnology.

Prof. Amuasi said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is currently supporting the BNARI to develop high yielding and disease resistant varieties of cassava with improved yield and cooking quality through mutation breeding.

BNARI is also developing varieties of disease-free and high yielding planting materials for cocoa, pineapples and plantain.

The cassava mutation-breeding project, which began in 1997, is being carried out in conjunction with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.

Prof. Amuasi said the IAEA provided 114,350 dollars in 1997, 127,500 dollars in 1998 and 89,700 dollars in 1999 towards the project.

The UST, he said, has developed a new disease-resistant cassava called Tek Bankye with an excellent cooking material, which has been given out to farmers for trial.

The Executive Secretary, however, bemoaned the fact that government had not as yet released budgetary allocations for research, investment and construction projects for the year to the commission.

GRi

Return to top

Attempted settlement of rape case causes uproar.

Odumase (Brong Ahafo), 22^nd October 99

A violent confrontation ensued between the families of a rape victim and the suspected rapist at Odumase, near Sunyani, on Thursday following an abortive attempt to withdraw the case from the Police for an amicable settlement at home.

Accusing the family of the victim for going back on their earlier pledge to allow the case to be withdrawn, several family members of the alleged rapist, Patrick Kwame, 25, stormed the house of the victim, resulting in a free-for-all fight.

An eyewitness told newsmen today that the victim, a 16 year-old girl, was returning home from an errand last Monday, when Kwame forced her into an uncompleted building and sexually assaulted her.

The eyewitness said the victim, bleeding profusely, informed her parents about her ordeal and was subsequently rushed to the Sunyani Government Hospital where she was kept overnight.

A report was also made to the police and Patrick Kwame, who is a married with two children, was arrested.

He said a delegation was sent by Kwame's family to see that of the victim where it was agreed that the case would be withdrawn from the police with the Kwame's family pledging to bear all the medical costs of the victim.

On Thursday, family members of Kwame hired a vehicle and conveyed the parents of the victim to the police station to withdraw the case but this could not be because during the deliberations an important figure from Kwame's family went out and never returned.

The witness said when the two groups returned home without Kwame, his mother and other siblings stormed the house of the victim which resulted in a free for all fight.

GRi

Return to top

Take-off of road project brings joy to residents

New Town (Western Region), 22^nd October 99

There was jubilation in New Town, near Half-Assini, when machines for the construction of the multi-million-cedi Efasu-New Town roads finally reached the town.

The people seeing an and to their ordeal of walking over eight kilometres through either the beach or cocoa farms before joining a vehicle to Half-Assini to transact business at the banks or attend hospital, broke out in cheers when the equipment for the work reached the village.

A spokesman for the town, Opanyin Nwolley and Senior Sufohene, thanked the government for the construction of the road, which will relieve them of one of their major headaches.

According to him, the project will not only facilitate the movement of people but also make it possible to cart copra, fish and coconut oil to marketing centres.

Opanyin Nwolley appealed to the government to extend the project to cover New Wharf.

Meanwhile, the chief and people of Ezinlibo have renewed their call to the Department of Feeder Roads to rehabilitate the two-kilometre road that links their town with the main Half-Assini/Tikobo Number One trunk road.

GRi

Return to top

Parliamentarians, journalists need civic education - Bimi

Accra (Greater Accra), 22^nd October 99

Mr. Larry Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), on Thursday said parliamentarians, journalists and politicians need civic education "if responsible democracy is to prevail".

"The unbridled and misguided remarks that usually characterise parliamentary debates, serious allegations in press reports and the irresponsible manner in which political parties celebrate their victory over opponents after elections are a demonstration of lack of civic responsibility in this country".

Mr. Bimi made the remark when a delegation from the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) visited the NCCE in Accra.

The delegation, led by Dr. Jan Nico Scholten, President of AWEPA, is on a three-day fact finding visit to state institutions concerned with elections, civic education and human rights.

Mr. Bimi said Ghana lacks core ethical and civic values, adding that citizens must understand that democracy goes beyond elections and the demand and exercise of one's rights.

He said the NCCE has, therefore, drawn up a programme of action targeted at parliamentarians, journalists and the youth with the view to instilling civic values in the populace and ensure responsible democracy.

Mr. Bimi said the NCCE will soon make a proposal to parliament for the restoration of Civics as a subject in basic schools, adding that after the next general elections, all parliamentarians and journalists will be taken through civic education.

He, however, pointed out that the commission lacks the necessary funds and skilled labour to implement its programmes.

Dr. Scholten assured the NCCE of technical and financial assistance, saying "we are involved in technical training for NGOs, political party representatives and journalists in Eastern and Southern Africa.

"We are extending our operations to West Africa using Ghana as the gateway".

He called for a complete programme of the NCCE towards the next general elections, saying that AWEPA will study it with the view to making inputs where necessary.

Mr. Kosi Kedem, MP for Hohoe South, said good governance entails good and responsible government and an equally responsible opposition.

He said citizens must appreciate the fact that to every right there is a responsibility, adding: "those who preach women and children's rights must realise that those rights go with obligations".

Mr. Kedem, therefore, called on the NCCE to educate the public and the opposition to appreciate their responsibilities to ensure good governance and responsible democracy.

In a related development, AWEPA has assured the Electoral Commission (EC) of technical and financial support in the areas of announcing and regulating elections as well as voter registration.

AWEPA also announced its intention to draw up a proposal on the proportional representation system of government for consideration in the country.

GRi

Return to top