Government releases funds for private participation in forestry
Sekyere East District receives 2.6 billion cedis
Police/Military operations show extent of fuel siphoning
Queenmother wants issues to Asantehene routed through Sarkin Zongo
Book on millennium problem launched
Presbyterian Church to build school complex
Jamaican installed Abontendomhene
Government releases funds for private participation in forestry
Agona-Nyakrom (Central Region) 25th October 99
The government has released 20 billion cedis to promote private sector participation in commercial tree planting.
Details of the project would be outlined soon for speedy disbursement and implementation, Mr. John Ocansey, Forestry Officer in charge of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya, Agona and Gomoa districts said a workshop organised by the Grassroots Empowerment and Peace Group (GEPG), a Non-Governmental Organisation based at Agona Swedru.
Mr. Ocansey urged the private sector to take advantage of the facility to invest in forestry projects and stressed the need for sustainable development and conservation of the country's forest resources to protect the environment.
Mr. Lewis Addai-Baah, Executive Director of GEPG said his organisation embarked on a programme to create awareness about the need to protect the environment.
Mr. Eric Oteng, Central Regional Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency, called for the adoption of appropriate technologies to boost food production.
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Return to top Sekyere East District receives 2.6 billion cedis
Effiduase (Ashanti), 25th October 99
The Sekyere East District of Ashanti has between 1994 and 1998 received a total of 2.6billion cedis as its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund.
This amount has been used to provide infrastructure in education, health, water and sanitation.
Roads, markets, lorry parks have also been provided, as well as programmes in capacity building aimed at helping the people to improve their living conditions.
Mr. Kwame de-Graft Adjei, District Chief Executive, said this when Mr. Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister inspected development projects in the district at the weekend.
He said that 1.1 billion cedis went into education, 843 million cedis was used for capacity building, while 171 million cedis was utilised in health.
The DCE said water and sanitation had 53 million cedis, while 388.3 million cedis went into roads, markets, agriculture, disaster relief and community initiated projects.
This year, the assembly projects to spend about 1.2 billion cedis to provide development projects in the district Mr. de-Graft Adjei said adding that despite assistance from Government, the district remains one of the most deprived in the region.
About 70 percent of the district's land area is in the Afram Plains where passable roads are non-existent, potable water is difficult to come by during the dry season, and the level of social infrastructure generally low.
Mr. de-Graft Adjei said the absence of key decentralised departments like Feeder Roads, Town and Country Planning and Information Services has compounded the deprived status.
This is hampering the smooth implementation of the assembly's Programmes, he said.
The DCE said the district has since its creation in 1988, remained relatively peaceful and the people are committed to the policies and programmes of the Government and the assembly.
Mr. Yankah later inspected a number of projects and commissioned two school blocks costing 51.2 million cedis each at Oguaa and Awaham/Brofoyedru.
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Return to top Ghana marks UN Day
Accra (Greater Accra), 25th October 99
A flag-raising ceremony to mark the 54th anniversary celebration of the United Nations Organisation took place on Sunday with a call on the world body to pay more attention to the needs of developing countries.
Mr. Joseph Laryea, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who made the call in Accra, noted that in spite of the avowed aim of the UN to promote the economic and social advancement of all peoples, there is "growing disquiet that the UN has been palpably ineffective in dealing with the economic and social problems confronting developing countries.
"In the area of conflict resolution, the UN has displayed what appears to be a degree of selectivity in dealing with issues of conflict.
"While prompt in dealing with war situations in other parts of the world, it has displayed a discouraging tardiness when such conflicts erupt on the African continent."
Members of the diplomatic corps, Ministers of State, school children and a cross section of the public attended the ceremony. The day was celebrated worldwide under the theme "the aged - partners in national development."
Mr. Laryea expressed the hope that with the approach of the next millennium, the world body would be more "even-handed in its attitude towards Africa to enable us to better identify with that organisation."
Touching on the theme, he said it is very appropriate as it seeks to create an awareness of the need to place the aged on the agenda of member-countries.
Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN Boss, in a speech read for him, said "it is shocking to think that half of us - three billion out of the six billion - are entering the new era in abject poverty, with three dollars a day, or less, to live on."
He said the 20th century has been the most "murderous" in human history, and steps must be taken to make the 21st century more peaceful and humane.
Mr. Moses Mukasa, the Acting UN Resident Co-ordinator in Ghana, commented on the important role played by Ghana in various UN programmes, including peace keeping.
He mentioned the government's generous offer of a 15-storeyed building to be known as the UN House, which is to be used as a common premises for all the UN family. He said this is yet another expression of the facilitating environment created by the government.
Mr. Michael Awuah Asamoah, Secretary-General of the Ghana United Nations Association, touched on the upsurge of crimes in the country and referred to the recent murders of some women.
He said "this is most un-Ghanaian and a threat to national stability and peace" and appealed to the government to take steps to stem the crime wave.
Earlier a contingent of three officers and 60 airmen from the Ghana Air Force mounted a parade which was inspected by Mr. Mukasa and Mr. Laryea.
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Return to top Police/Military operations show extent of fuel siphoning
Tema (Greater Accra) 25 Oct. '99
A two-day operation carried out by the police, military and other security agencies in Tema have shown that fuel is siphoned from loaded tankers at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
The operation, under the leadership of Mr Joe Danquah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), established how workers of private companies operating near TOR, collude with those described as "bellebelle" boys to siphon fuel products from tankers.
Policemen participating in the operation arrested 139 "bellebelle" boys and retrieved hundreds of jerrycans and barrels containing fuel products, from nearby bushes, and the yards of some of the companies.
The seized jerrycans and barrels have since been sent to the regional police headquarters while the suspects are helping the police in their investigations, Mr Danquah said.
A TOR security source alleged that some liaison officers of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) "have restricted other tankers from getting access to fuel loading points.
As a result, some tanker drivers who stay at the refinery for about four weeks without their vehicles being loaded seek financial assistance from the "bellebelle" boys, for which the drivers allow them to siphon fuel from their tankers in return.
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Return to top Queenmother wants issues to Asantehene routed through Sarkin Zongo
Kumasi (Ashanti), 25th October 99
The Kumasi Zongo Queenmother has appealed to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, to institute a procedure that would make it obligatory for all Zongo Community Heads who would wish to have audience with him to pass such requests through the Sarkin Zongo.
Hajia Ear Gado said the present practice by Zongo Heads to directly seek audience with the Asantehene was a mark of disrespect to the Sarkin Zongo, and should be discouraged.
She made the appeal at an education forum organised in Kumasi on Saturday by the Ghana National Muslims Women Association under the theme, "Importance of education in the Muslim community".
Speaking on "Education as a tool of national development", Alhaji Ahmed Musah, Member of Parliament for Asokwa-East, made it clear that the only legacy that Muslims could be proud of bequeathing to their off-springs should be education and not wealth.
The MP therefore advised Muslim parents and clerics to move away from their zeal to acquire wealth and the tendency to cling to only Arabic education for their children, and place a high premium on formal education.
Alhaji Musah explained that using poverty as an excuse to deny children in the Muslim and Zongo communities of formal education is no longer tenable since the Government is making efforts to assist poor children to go through education.
Alhaji Ali Abubakar III, Sarkin Zongo of Kumasi said that he and his elders have instituted incentives like scholarships for brilliant but needy children to pursue formal education.
The Sarkin Zongo called on organised groups and the various Zongo Heads to collectively explore avenues to raise funds to provide quality and higher education for children in the Zongos.
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Return to top Book on millennium problem launched
Cape Coast (Central Region), 25th October 99
A book entitled "Year 2000 Problem, Strategies and Solutions" which deals with the phenomenon known as Year 2000 Millennium Bug (Y2K) has been launched by the Ghana Millennium Bug Foundation in Cape Coast.
The 48-page book, written by Mr. Leslie Osei, President of the Foundation, is distributed free of charge to organisations and individuals to help them to solve their computer problems before the year 2000.
Chapter one of the book deals with "executive summary", chapter two is devoted to "Taking action on a complex problem", chapter three is on "Let's start working on a year 2000 action plan", with chapter four dealing with the "Five step process".
Launching it, Mr. E.K. Dufu, Resident Network Manager of the Central Region Co-ordinating Council, said the book provides solutions to the Y2K problem and urged organisations and companies to obtain copies.
Mr Osei described the year 2000 problem as "a major global challenge" which should be solved by all.
He claimed that the country at large, and the Central Region in particular, is not year 2000 ready "which poses a challenge.
"Currently, no organisation can claim to be year 2000 compliant because it is impossible to solve every aspect of the computer problem especially the software components being the most difficult area to correct", he said.
Mr. Osei said those organisations which have solved part of the problem are only Y2K ready but not year 2000 compliant.
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Return to top Presbyterian Church to build school complex
Accra (Greater Accra), 25th October 99
The Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in the Kaneshie District in Accra is to build a four-storey school and a library complex estimated at 1.5 billion cedis.
Reverend Agyem Frempong, District Pastor, who announced this when he cut the sod for work on the project to begin provision of infrastructure to schools has become such an expensive venture which the government alone cannot bear, and therefore called on private enterprises to help.
Mr. Paul Mark Owooh, Chairman of the school's library board said the facility would not only benefit children in the school but the whole community.
He emphasised the need for children to acquire knowledge that would help them to become responsible adults, and urged parents to encourage their wards to patronise the library.
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Return to top Jamaican installed Abontendomhene
Agona Duakwa (Central Region) 25 Oct. '99
The Chiefs and people of Duakwa in the Central Region, have installed a Jamaican, Mr. Raymond Mignotte, Policy Advisor Ujumah Housing Association, a Black organisation in London as Abontendomhene under the stool name Nana Yaw Nyarko.
This is in recognition of his contribution to the development of the town.
He provided 12 million cedis for the construction of a modern toilet facility and 12,000 pounds towards a Community Centre project.
Nana Kojo Amoakwa V, Chief of the town, thanked the new chief for his support for community projects.
He said Nana Nyarko has promised to help in efforts to improve educational facilities to enhance teaching and learning.
Nana Nyarko expressed his gratitude for the honour done him and pledged to uphold the integrity and unity of the people at all times.
He outlined plans to launch fund raising activities to improve health and educational facilities, maintain the environment and to help raise the quality of life for the people.
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