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•  WeeklyDigest - Ghana -  WEEK 41

•  WeeklyDigest - Ghana -  WEEK 42

Ghana Police Service

  Water level at Akosombo Dam (rising)

The following is the water level of Akosombo Dam as issued by Volta River Authority on Friday, October 19.
Current Level (19th October, 2007) - 256.00 feet
Previous Level (18th October, 2007) - 255.85 feet
Maximum Level - 278.00 feet
Minimum Level - 240.00 feet    

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Price of sachet water increase

Kumasi, Oct. 17, GNA- The Ashanti Regional branch of the Association of Sachet Water Producers has disclosed that it would with effect from November 1st this year, increase the price of its products. The Association said a sachet of water would be sold at 10GP (1,000 cedis) instead of the current price of 4GP (400 cedis), under the new measure.

Mr Patrick Adu-Gyamfi, Regional Chairman of the Association, who announced this in a briefing with newsmen in Kumasi on Tuesday, attributed the upward adjustment in the price of their product to increases in labour cost and raw materials.

He also cited the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products and high maintenance cost as some of the factors, which had resulted in the increment.

"We derive most of the polythene bags in packaging the sachet water from petroleum by-products and now that government had increased the prices of these products we have no other choice than to adjust the price of our products to suit the economic conditions", Mr Adu Gyamfi noted.

He appealed to the public to cope with the new measures to enable the association come out with quality products.

Source:
GNA

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• 21.10.2007

 Policeman injured by irate students


Kumasi, Oct 21, GNA - A Policeman sustained injuries whilst a bus of the Kumasi T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School (AMASS) was damaged when some irate students of Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) clashed with a team of Police personnel from the Asokwa Police Station at the AMASS campus last Friday evening.

The Police personnel were dispatched to the school's campus to maintain order after some irate students of KTI allegedly threatened to vandalize the property of AMASS for refusing them entry to the school's female dormitory during a friendly football match between the two schools. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Daniel Gyabaah, Crime Officer of the Asokwa District Police, told the GNA Sports at the week-end that the injured policeman, Constable Adams Alhassan, sustained bruises on his left arm when the irate students pelted the personnel with stones in their attempt to disperse them.

He said in the process, the police had no option than to fire warning shots to scare off the advancing irate students, most of who were said to be under the influence of alcohol and totally drunk. ASP Gyabaah said the police managed to arrest two of the KTI students believed to have taken part in the riots, but they have since been granted police enquiry bail.

He said one of the students was in his final year whilst the other was in the second year adding that they would soon be put before court after investigations.

The Crime officer said the injured policeman was currently receiving treatment at the hospital. The GNA Sports learnt that the incident began when during the match some students of KTI marched straight to the AMASS girl's dormitory and tried to forcibly enter but they were denied entry by the school's security.

This was said to have infuriated the irate students who smashed the left driving mirror of a Bedford bus belonging to AMASS and subsequently, threatened to vandalize other property if their demands were not met. The school's authorities quickly informed the police about the threat which the Police responded in an effort to maintain law and order, but they were met with fierce resistance from the irate students, bringing the match to an abrupt end.

Source:
GNA

Ejisu-Juaben Assembly generates 100.000 Ghana cedis


Ejisu, (Ash), Oct. 21, GNA- The Ejisu-Juaben District Assembly in Ashanti has so far collected over one 100.000 Ghana cedis as revenue between January and September this year.

Mr. Yaw Ahenkora Afrifa, the District Chief Executive, who announced this at the assembly's meeting at Ejisu, said the amount represented about 70 per cent of its targeted revenue for the year. He commended the revenue collectors for their hard work that resulted in an increase in revenue collection in the district and the people for paying their taxes promptly and regularly.

Mr. Afrifa said the assembly received over 100.000 Ghana cedis as its second quarter allocation of the District Assemblies' Common Fund and said the amount had been disbursed to fund on-going development projects in the area.

He said the assembly had signed a five-year agreement with the Zoomlion Company to provide sanitation services in the district. Mr. Afrifa said the Nana Aboagye Agyei, the Paramount Chief of Ejisu Traditional Area, has released land for the construction of the Yaa Asantewaa Museum at Ejisu.

Source:
GNA

NPP, NDC, CPP, PNC to sign pact

...against polarization of politics

Accra, Oct. 20, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and the Peoples National Convention have agreed to sign a pact against polarization of politics in the country on October 23, 2007.

A position paper made available to Ghana News Agency in Accra on Saturday by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) explained that the four parties have expressed concern about the polarization of the nation along partisan, economic, chieftaincy, ideological, gender and tribal lines.

The concerns were expressed by Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary; Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC General Secretary; Professor Nii Noi Dowuona, CPP General Secretary and Mr Gabriel Pwamang, PNC General Secretary who form the Platform of General Secretaries under the Political Parties in Parliament programme.

The General Secretaries said the polarization had been deepened by the various coups d'etat that have occurred in the country since independence and admitted that something ought to be done to ensure unity and commonality of purpose to move the country forward. To demonstrate their commitment to de-polarize the nation, the four parties have agreed to jointly sign and issue proclamation against "Polarization of Ghana's Politics," as the nation prepares towards Elections 2008.

Source:
GNA

 Do not use faceless organizations - Ambrose Dery


Accra, Oct 21, GNA- Mr. Ambrose Dery, Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, at the weekend cautioned politicians against riding on the back of non-existent civil society organizations to disturb the peace and unity that Ghanaians were enjoying.

He also challenged all those who were criticizing the onward march of the government to provide workable alternatives and constructive criticisms for the development of the country instead of engaging in "blanket allegations based on their own imagination." Mr. Dery said was reacting to critics accusing him of sabotaging development projects when he was the Upper West Regional Minister in an interview with GNA in Accra.

He said such allegations were not only false but well orchestrated by his political opponents to play down on his contributions to the development of the region.

Mr. Dery said "It is unacceptable and unfair for people who have selfish motives rather than the development of the country to hide behind faceless organizations to deceive and confuse the public with unfounded allegations which only end up creating political polarization, hatred and retrogression in the country." He said a group calling itself "Concerned Youth Fighting for the Marginalization of the North," was trying to create disunity between the people in the northern sector and those in the southern counterparts. Mr. Dery said the group accused him of sabotaging the initiation of development projects in the region and failing to accept political opponents.

"Much as I agree that there might be disparity in terms of development between the North and south, that cannot be narrowed down from 2002 as the group claimed in their pack of accusations." Mr. Dery said since the New Patriotic Party took over the reigns of government, the Upper West Region had had its fair share of the national cake.

He also said the region had its fair share of HIPC funds and benefited from the Presidential Special Initiative on Sorghum, Mango Plantations and other development projects.

Source:
GNA

Vice Chancellor wants College of Technology resourced


Kumasi, Oct. 21, GNA- Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, has appealed to government to resource the technical and vocational laboratories of the College of Technology Education, Kumasi, of the University, to enable it discharge its mandate effectively.

He said since the new education reform placed premium on technical and vocational training, it was necessary to provide the College with adequate equipment to enable it train teachers for vocational and technical subjects at the basic and secondary schools.

Professor Asabere-Ameyaw who was speaking at the 12th Matriculation ceremony of the College in Kumasi on Saturday, said most of the equipment at the laboratories had become obsolete. He said 1,448 out of 5,126 applicants who applied for programmes at the University were admitted to pursue regular and part-time courses in Bachelor of Education in Accounting, Management, Technology, Vocational and Technical as well as Information and Communication Technology Education.

Others programmes were Bachelor of Science in Administration, Bachelor of Business Administration, Masters in E-Commerce and Marketing, Master of Philosophy in Wood Technology and one year Certificate in Education. Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw said the increasing number of enrolment at the College called for the provision of adequate infrastructure and equipment to promote academic work.

He commended government for the provision of classroom facilities, staff accommodation and the expansion of hall of residence for the students.

Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw advised the fresh students to take their studies seriously to enable them to pass their examinations, live above reproach and to be disciplined.

Prof. Steve Sobotie, Principal of the College, said out of the 1448 students admitted, only 180 were offered residential accommodation. He appealed to private organizations including the Banks to invest in academic facilities to facilitate academic work. Prof Sobotie asked the students to take good care of the facilities at the College in order to prolong their lifespan.

Source:
GNA

DVVSU urges support from nurses to enforce law on FGM


Wa, Oct. 21, GNA - The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in the Upper West Region has urged the support of nurses working in community clinics in exposing perpetrators of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in their areas. Inspector Emmanuel Mwinsori, Regional head of the DVVSU, said some communities still practised the outlawed FGM culture in the region and that although the people were aware of the ban against it, they were unwilling to report the culprits for prosecution.

Inspector Mwinsori was speaking at an evaluation seminar on the eradication of FGM in the region. It was organized by the Centre for National Culture (CNC) for cultural officers, gender desk officers and advocacy groups, herbalists and traditional rulers.

The seminar was the second to be organized by the CNC as a follow-up to an earlier one held in May 2004, to find out whether the people were respecting the law banning the practice.

Inspector Mwinsori held that nurses working in rural clinics have not also been helpful, adding that they often refused to cooperate with the police whenever they tried to investigate cases relating to complications from FGM that had been sent to the clinics for treatment. "I personally followed one such case to a community clinic in the Wa West District having disguised myself, but the nurses there refused to talk to me because they were afraid that they could face the wrath of community members if they gave me the identities of the perpetrators." Inspector Mwinsori said three years ago, a woman from Loggu in the Wa district was jailed for five years for practicing FGM and since then "no single FGM case has since been reported" to the police.

Mr Mark Dagbee, Regional Director of CNC, noted that FGM was a deep-seated customary practice that would take time to be eradicated from the region. "Cultures died hard and some people will naturally resist change." He said it was imperative that the situation was evaluated properly for all stakeholders to mount a relentless campaign to stop the practice.

Source:
GNA

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• 20.10.2007

12,000 killed in road accidents

... from 2000 to 2006

Accra, Oct. 20, GNA - Eleven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-two persons were killed, while 33,805 were injured in 70,534 road accidents reported due to reckless driving between the year 2000 and 2006, Mr Daniel O Adonteng, Deputy Director, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Road Safety Commission, said on Friday. He gave these statistics at the celebration of the International Road Transport Action Campaign Week in Accra, on the theme: "Organizing globally, building union power, correcting indiscipline on our roads, eradicating the carnage and addressing the undue delay at our frontiers".
The programme, organized by the Federation of Transport Unions of Ghana (FTU) and sponsored by Unique Insurance Company, Metro Mass Transport Ltd. and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, is to serve as a platform to ensure cohesion in the transport sector to enhance transportation in Ghana and the West African neighbours.

Mr Adonteng said with the country's vehicle population rising to 1.2 million by 2010, it was estimated that 12,000 persons could be killed in road accidents, while move than 40,000 would be injured. He pinpointed unnecessary over-taking, driving above approved speed limits, over-loading of vehicles, abandoning broken-down vehicles on the roads without warning signs, drunk-driving and the use of poorly maintained vehicles as some of the basic road traffic offences that were likely to cause accidents and advised drivers to avoid such pitfalls as a way of reducing the carnage on the roads.
Mr Adonteng expressed concern about the high level of indiscipline among drivers of commercial and private vehicles and called for the creation of a "dedicated police enforcement team" to support the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) to enforce the laws to minimize fatal road accidents.
He also suggested the establishment of road safety call centres, a "National Driver Academy" and the inclusion of road safety education in the curriculum of basic schools in the country.
Mr Emmanuel Armstrong Mensah, Coordinator of the Federation of Transport Unions, urged the authorities to check undue delays of drivers at the country's borders, which was hampering the movement of road transport organizations and businesses across the frontiers.
Mr Kofi Asamoah, Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress urged the transport unions in Ghana to link up effectively with their counterparts in the West Africa Sub-Region to help minimize the carnage on the roads and also help to solve problems that transporters face at the frontiers.


Source:
GNA

 Northern Relief Fund assists Upper West flood victims


Wa, Oct. 20, GNA - The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. George Hikah Benson, has said there are a lot of challenges facing education in the region as a result of lack of teachers in many schools in the area. He said the situation was undermining the progress of education, which has the key to breaking the endemic poverty among the people. Mr Benson made the remarks while receiving a donation of maize and soap valued at GH=A2300 from the Northern Relief Fund (NRF) for flood victims in the region.

He appealed to professional teachers in the country, especially natives of the north not to turn their back on the region because of its deprived nature by refusing to accept posting there. Mr Adam Sulley, Chairman of the Finance and Fundraising Committee of NRF, said the donation was intended to make life bearable for people displaced by the floods, most of whom have lost their property and food crops.

He said the NRF would embark on musical concert, football matches, cultural display and traditional food shows at various levels to raise funds to help the displaced.

"As Northerners away from home it is very heart fulfilling to know that through our collective responsibility we have been able to show some appreciation to our brothers and sisters back home who had become victims of floods," he said. Dr Hakem Wemah, Chairman of the NRF, appealed for more support for the victims. 20 Oct. 07

Source:
GNA

Northern Regional Minister calls for protection of area's culture


Dalun (N/R), Oct. 20, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister has appealed to Ghanaians, particularly the youth, to recognise and respect aspects of their cultures to enhance development. He said everywhere in the world culture was bringing a lot of tourism benefits to boost economies and stressed the need for Ghanaians to recognise and preserve positive aspects of their culture to attract tourists.

This was contained in a speech read for him at a seminar at Dalun in the Tolon/Kumbungu district for Tamale-based Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a non-governmental body. The GDCA's partners in Denmark organise seminars every year in Ghana to showcase and exchange cultures between the two countries. This year's seminar is on the theme: "Art, Culture and Development."

Alhaji Idris said Northern Region had diverse rich cultures that if modified, could attract a lot of tourists to boost the northern economy. He commended GDCA and its Danish counterpart for the initiative and urged them to work hard to sustain the friendship. Professor Abubakr Al-Hassan, GDCA chairman in charge of art and culture appealed to the Danish friends to assess the extent of damage caused by floods in the three northern regions and design some relief packages for the displaced.

Source:
GNA

Auditor General visits the north

Wa, Oct. 20, GNA - Mr Edward Dua-Agyemang, Auditor-General on Friday said the Ghana Audit Service would train and recruit hard working and competent personnel of the National Youth Employment Programme, who were currently serving with the Service.

Mr Dua-Agyemang expressed the hope that the recruitment would offset the perennial shortage of staff currently facing the Service, especially in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions as a result of people refusing to accept postings to the areas in fear of lack of accommodation and other amenities. He said this when he met with Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister during a brief visit to interact with the staff of the Audit Service on their challenges, especially in the wake of recent floods that hit the three regions. Mr Dua-Agyemang who visited Salaga, Yendi and Tamale in the Northern Region and also Bolgatanga and other communities affected by the floods.

He said the Service was fraught with serious problems that were impinging on staff performance in the northern part of the country and called for support from the private sector and international community to enable it meet the challenges.

He indicated that he would be meeting with Members of Parliament from the three northern regions to deliberate on the problems. He mentioned lack of vehicles and equipment, including office and residential accommodation for the staff as the main challenges. For example, he said members of staff of the Sissala East District office of the Audit Service, who should be based at Tumu, were operating from Wa, the Regional capital because of lack of such facilities. Mr Benson commended Mr Dua-Agyemang for his commitment to the efficiency of the Service.

He said the floods destroyed farms belonging to some 4,000 farmers in the region and called for assistance to alleviate their plight.

Source:
GNA

Police arrest escaped rape suspect


Ho, Oct.20, GNA - The Police in Dzodze in the Volta Region on Friday arrested Kennedy Agbozo, an alleged rapist, who had escaped from police cells at Odorkor together with 19 other criminals few months ago. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Bernard Dery, in charge of the Volta Region, told newsmen in Ho that Agbozo was arrested at Penyi, near Dzodze, following a tip-off.

He said Agbozo, 19, admitted he escaped to Togo through Dzodze after spending two-and-half months in police custody. DCOP Dery described Agbozo as a notorious criminal who was cited in many criminal activities, including causing unlawful harm and electoral violence. He said Agbozo would be transferred to Accra.

Source:
GNA

New Abirem D/A model school gets computer laboratory

New Abirem (E/R), Oct. 20, GNA- Ms. Esther Obeng Dapaah, the Minister for Mines, lands and Forestry, on Friday inaugurated 1,800 Ghana cedis computer laboratory for the New Abirem D/A Model School in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region. Ntiamoah Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO), built the facility and equipped it with 40 computers and accessories. The NGO also awarded scholarships to 47 brilliant but needy students in the area to enable them to further their education in the second cycle institution, nursing college, teacher training college and the university.

Ms. Obeng Dapaah, who is also Member of Parliament for New Abirem, commended the Foundation for contributing to the development of education in the area. He urged the students to study hard to enable them to pass their examinations to justify the investment being made in their education by their parents and government.

She appealed to parents to provide their children with the necessary learning materials to enhance their studies. Mr. Robert Kenneth Appiah Asante, executive chairman and founder of the Foundation said it would assist educational institutions in the area to improve on their infrastructure including libraries, classrooms. Mr. Asante said the NGO last year donated 10 million cedis to the national basic school excellence award, renovated some school buildings in the district and donated 26.5 million cedis worth of items to the district directorate of education.

Mr. Emmanuel Nana Acquah Frempong, the District Chief Executive, appealed to the Foundation to extend its assistance to cover financial support for teachers who were perusing distance education programmes in tertiary institutions.

Nana Amo Kyeretwie, the District Chief Executive, advised parents to support teachers in their work and to guard against assaulting those who would discipline their children.

Source:
GNA

 Regional Minister bemoans mode of awarding contracts



Wa, Oct. 20, GNA - The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. George Hikah Benson has expressed concern about the practice whereby contracts are awarded to contractors in Accra to undertake development projects in the regions.

Mr Benson who said this during an inspection tour of government projects in the Wa Municipality on Friday alleged that after winning the job, some contractors put their family members and friends in charge of the projects, resulting in shoddy work or delay in their execution. He said the situation was discouraging supervising authorities in the regions because the projects are awarded from "above", adding that this must be addressed to promote sanity.

Mr Benson said he was not happy that some of the projects were behind schedule and threatened to recommend the termination of the existing contracts to enable them be re-awarded. He also noted that many contractors in the Upper West Region lacked the capacity for road construction.

Source:
GNA

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• 19.10.2007

Traders jailed 20 years for robbery


Agona Swedru (C/R), Oct 19, GNA - The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has sentenced two traders from Fadama in Accra to a term of 20 years each in jail for robbery.

They are Kwesi Boamah alias "Stone" and Kwesi Baidoo while two of their accomplice are at large.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Helena Aidoo, told the Court presided by Mr Charles Adjei Wilson, that the complainants were a mason, an accounts clerk and two traders at Kasoa in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District of the Central Region. The Prosecution told the court that the accused persons who claimed that they were traders living at Fadama, on October 2 this year entered the bed rooms of the victims at about 1.30 PM, took them hostage and collected their money and mobile phones at gun point. Chief Inspector Aidoo said they attacked the mason first and collected three mobile phones and 11 Ghana Cedis or 110,000 Cedis. She said the robbers then went into the room of the second victim and collected a Motorola mobile phone plus 30 Ghana Cedis or 300,000 cedis and finally broke the door of the couple and fired a gun wounding them.

She said the accused persons collected their mobile phones and an unspecified amount of money from the couple and tied them up with a rope and took to their heels.

The prosecution said the accused persons were spotted by the watch dog committee members at Fadama in the night and arrested them. According to the prosecution members of the committee handed them over to the Fadama Police who also handed them over to the Kasoa Police. She told the Court that an identification parade was conducted where the victims pointed out those who attacked and robbed them.

Source:
GNA

Brother, sister drown in river Oti


Ho, Oct. 19, GNA- Two farmers, a man and the sister got drowned and a third sibling rescued, while ferrying yams from their farm across river Oti in the Kete Krachi district. The deceased were named as Kwabena and Nana Yaa and the survivor as Thomas Dembig also a farmer.

Mr. Joy Afagbedzi, Police Inspector in charge of the Volta Regional Police Public Relations department told the press at HO that, Dembig informed the Police at Kete Krachi that on September 24, this year at about 1500 hours, he and his brother and sister were returning from their farm in a canoe loaded with yams across river Oti. Dembig said when they reached the middle of the river the encountered a storm, leading to their canoe capsizing. He said his brother and sister got drowned, but the occupants of another canoe rescued him. Mr. Afagbedzi said the bodies of the two were yet to be recovered from the river.

Source:
GNA

Lack of transport hinders distribution of relief items


Saboba, (N/R), Oct. 19, GNA- Lack of sufficient transport and fuel are hindering the distribution of relief items to victims of the recent floods in some parts of the Northern Region. Over 20,000 flood victims in communities in the Saboba/Chereponi District have still not received relief items because of lack of no fuel and vehicles to convey the items.

Mr. Kramo Matur Joshua, Saboba/Chereponi District Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), said this when Mr. Douglas Asiedu Akrofi (DCOP) Rtd, National Coordinator of NADMO led a team of officials, including officers from the Ministry of Interior to Saboba on Thursday to find out how the relief items were being distributed.

The officials included Mr. Romeo Adu-Tutu, Director of Human Resource Management (NADMO Desk officer Ministry of Interior), Nana Opoku Ampomah, Chief Accountant, Nana Kwesi Sarpong, Public Relations Officer Ministry of Interior and Alhaji Alhassan Mohamoud, Northern Regional Coordinator of NADMO. Mr. Joshua said the district office of NADMO in Saboba had so far received over 1,037 mini and 65 maxi bags of maize respectively, 808 bags of rice, 154 mattresses, 774 cartons of soap, 1,635 mats and 2,694 blankets.

He said only 17 communities in two zones in the Saboaba and Demon areas had received some relief items.

Mr Joshua pointed out that earlier statistics on the number of people who would need relief assistance might not be accurate because some communities, which were inaccessible during the pick of the floods, were now reporting their cases.

Mr. Osman Musah, Deputy Coordinating Director of the Saboba/ Chereponi District Assembly said the assembly had set up a distributing committee, which determined areas and quantities of relief items for each disaster affected area depending on the needs of the people. He said as far as possible the distribution team had ensured fairness and transparency in the distribution of the relief items and had on occasions called on religious leaders and traditional rulers to witness the distribution of the items.

He said the recipients of the items in each community were also made to sign forms indicating the quantity of the items they had received from the distribution team.

Mr. Musah said the assembly also organised a one-day refresher course for the NADMO coordinators to educate them on how to handle the distribution of the relief items.

Mr. Asiedu-Akrofi expressed satisfaction at the distribution system adopted by the NADMO officials in the district and assured that he and his team would brief the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on their findings. He and the inspection them visited the Donkondo Community in the Saboba/Chereponi district to find out how the relief items were distributed but could not cross over the river to the other side. The team earlier on Wednesday visited the Central Gonja District to monitor the distribution of the relief items.

Source:
GNA

Dromankese Zongo community building school


Dromankese (B/A), Oct. 19, GNA- The Zongo community in Dromankese in the Nkoranza District of Brong-Ahafo region is building a three-classroom block to promote basic education in the area. Malam Ali Issa, Chief of the Zongo community at Dromankese conducted Mr. Kwabena Agyemang-Badu, the District Director of Education to inspect the project.

Mallam Issa commended the Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North Major Derek Oduro (rtd) and the Nkoranza District Assembly for supporting the project.

Mr. Agyemang-Badu commended the community for promoting education in the district and urged the people to protect the environment by planting tress seedlings.

Mr. Daniel Opoku, assemblyman of Dromankese commended the Muslim community for initiating the project.

Source:
GNA

Garment, textiles dealers call for reduction in tariffs

Accra, Oct. 19, GNA- SPINnet, an association of indigenous manufacturers of textiles and garments, on Thursday called for reduction in tariffs and controlled limitations to accessing tax incentives in order to produce and sell at affordable prices Made-in-Ghana garments. Nana Ekua Busia, president of the association, observed that although there had been passionate appeals to government through the Revenue Agencies Governing Board to come to their aid by reviewing the present system, little had been done to realise the zero rated tax regime.

"The challenge facing us, however, is that so far none of our members herein seated has ever been able to take advantage of this zero rated tax regime by importing directly," Ms Busia said at a press conference in Accra.

She said consequently members had no other alternative but to buy their raw materials on the open market from suppliers who did not have such zero rates advantage thereby making production cost high. Ms Busia said they continued to suffer indirect high tariffs due to the situation adding "in spite of government's good intentions, the challenge facing us is how to realise the zero rate." She said the association had called on authorities to look into how best the cost of the essential raw materials bought on the market could be tax-adjusted as was the original intention where customs duty paid would be refunded to members.

Ms Busia said the association together with the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge had started an advocacy project, which sought the best possible means of reducing the cost of inputs of the essential raw materials.

Source:
GNA

Let's put in place strong, fearless Judiciary-CJ

Accra, Oct 19, GNA- Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the Chief Justice (CJ), on Thursday underscored the need for a strong and fearless Judiciary, which the citizenry could be justifiably be proud of. She said, consequently, recruitments, appointments and promotions in the Judicial Service would be based strictly on integrity, industry, intelligence and the independence of its members.

Mrs Wood made the call at the first Judicial Service Development Partners' Forum held in Accra, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) where, as head of the Judiciary, she spelt out her vision and shared what it contained with the participants. She charged members of the Judicial Service to be earnestly committed to work as a team, in order to build a trustworthy, strong, efficient and effective independent Judiciary.

Mrs Wood said this would enable members of the Judiciary to fulfil its constitutional mandate of safeguarding and protecting the rights of the people by upholding the rule of law. She said her goal was to lead the Service to pursue policies, projects, programmes and other initiatives that would bring "all of our noble objectives into fruition."

The CJ reiterated that delays, incompetence, and accusations of lack of integrity, remained major challenges facing the Judiciary today. Mrs Wood expressed the hope that with the support of the donor community, the problems would be surmounted in order to bring justice to the doorsteps of the majority of Ghanaians.

She anticipated that "I look forward to a future where there is effective administration of justice at all levels, where all citizens can access justice regardless of their stature, status, or where they live in this country."

Mrs Wood noted that "Judicial Education" held the key to raising competent, confident and independent judges, to ensure a smooth and efficient administration of justice. She said "we need to continue to keep our judges abreast with developments in the law, and to address incompetence." On the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Mrs Justice Wood said the necessary mechanisms had been put in place to extend mainstream ADR to the Central, Western and Volta Regions.

Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, called on members of the Judicial Service to work towards the building of a healthy judiciary to enhance public confidence in the judicial system and to raise the image of the Service.

She thanked donors for their continued support for the programmes of the Judicial Service, and urged them to sustain their assistance to the Service in its quest for justice for all and sundry. Mr. Joe Ghartey, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, assured the CJ of his outfit's co-operation and support for the realisation of the goals and objectives of her vision. Nii Osah Mills, the newly-elected President of the Ghana Bar Association, observed that the Rule of Law could be eroded if majority of the people did not have access to justice.

He pledged the Association's preparedness to co-operate with the Judicial Service to ensure the attainment of the CJ's vision, aimed at promoting the smooth and efficient administration of justice to all manner of persons without discrimination.

Miss Lise Abildgaard Sorensen, Programme Co-ordinator at the Danish Embassy disclosed that over the next few months, the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) would support studies on barriers on Access to Justice. She expressed the hope that the Judiciary would be informed about the intention of DANIDA when developing its work plans. Mr. Kwame Pianim, a renowned economist suggested that the Fast Track Court system be extended to the regions.

Mr. Yaw Baah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, challenged lawyers to make modest contributions towards refurbishing and equipping the courts to enhance justice delivery.

Other dignitaries present at the event were Dr. S.K. B Asante, member of the Judicial Council, Ms Anna Bossman, Acting Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Mrs Leonora Kyerematen, Chairperson of the National Governance Programme.

Source:
GNA

Cured lepers get bungalows in Ho

Ho, Oct. 19, GNA- Three four-unit bungalow houses have been built for cured lepers in Ho by the Community Development Concern (CDC), a Ho based NGO in collaboration with Cured Lepers Foundation of Holland and Ghana.

The houses form part of a 3.5 billion cedis project to build 20 of such bungalows for the lepers.

The first phase semi-detached houses worth GH=A258,800 (588 million) would accommodate homeless cured lepers, who have made a classroom near the Ho Polyclinic as their home after the pupils have closed for the day.

Handing over the keys of the houses to the first 10 beneficiaries, Mrs Joycelyn Oclich-Dotse, Executive Director of CDC and Assembly woman for the Bosompem electoral area in the Ho Municipality, said her outfit was moved by the situation under which the cured lepers lived and decided to relocate them decently.

Mr Hans Straver, a Retired Engineer and an Executive of CLF said his organization sought to accommodate the 3,000 homeless and very deformed cured lepers spread over seven communities around the Polyclinic in Ho.

He expressed regret about the stigma associated with leprosy and urged other NGOs to come to their aid. Mr Nobert Stanley Ahorlu, CLF Executive Director in Ghana, who is in charge of the project said the remaining 17 houses would be completed by April next year for release to other homeless cured lepers. Mr John Eleeza, Ho Municipal Director of Health Services in an address read on his behalf, commended the efforts of the NGOs and said the facility would be maintained well for "generations yet unborn" to enjoy.

He noted that many cured lepers sought asylum around the Polyclinic due to neglect by their relations.

The Director appealed to the NGOs to provide an apartment as a clinic where inmates could access healthcare to save them the trouble of walking long distances to the Polyclinic. He also suggested that a bigger kitchen be provided for the cooking of meals for the inmates especially those who could not cook.

Source:
GNA

Mills' Recipe For Defeat

...the Kwesi Botchwey, Spio factor

An International think-tank based in Vienna in Austria, the African Intelligence Unit (AIU), has cautioned Ghana's leading opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the easiest trick to come to power is only by forming alliance with other opposition parties. The NDC has gone into overdrive, presenting Professor Kwesi Botchwey's chance meeting with Assistant Professor Atta-Mills at the funeral of Mrs. Shirley Ababio as a reconciliatory one to counter the established fact that there is no such thing, despite the two men having their residence, very close to each other.

The caution document translated from German into English and in the possession of The Chronicle revealed "One factor that many observers and analysts do not seem to have paid adequate attention to, but which the AIU believes could be the critical deciding factor in Ghana�s 2008 elections, is that of alliance formation."

The document which has been confirmed to be authentic by one of AIU's activists, Mr. Samuel Fletcher, lamented that the Prof Atta-Mills-led NDC lacked alliance skills.

It stressed that in European politics, especially in Italy, Germany and also in Japan and Israel, the need to form alliances in order to win an election was a common phenomenon

It continued that in one of Ghana's neighbouring countries, Benin, the current President, Yayi Boni, reportedly came to power through alliance with more than 20 political parties after he had won less than 40 percent in the first round of the elections.

AIU observed that in 2000, it was candidate Kufuor's ability to get some five smaller parties based on a number of secret pre-election pacts he had astutely arranged, that enabled him gain the 54 percent with which he eventually came to power.

On the other hand, research conducted by AIU indicated that NDC did not attempt or succeed in forming an alliance with even one of the other parties during the 2000 elections, due mainly to overconfidence.

LACK OF RECONCILATION, A BLOW TO NDC
The unit intimated that in the then ruling NDC, not only did Prof. Atta Mills as party leader, fail to reconcile with Goosie Tandoh and his Reform Party before the 2000 elections, but also failed to gain their confidence and establish any meaningful working relationship.
The report, quoting high level officials of the Convention People�s Party (CPP), said then candidate Kufuor personally lobbied the CPP's Presidential Candidate, Prof Hagan, prior to the 2000 elections, and had obtained his solemn commitment to support the NPP should there be a second round.

"Similar assurances had been obtained by the NPP from Dr Edward Mahama of the PNC and from Dan Lartey of the GCPP, according to our intelligence sources," AIU maintained.

It emphasised that NDC under Prof Mills still did not seem to have learnt its lessons, there by failing to form any electoral alliance for the 2004 elections. Our on-site research findings reveal that far from trying to forge alliances, the NDC was even more fractured in 2004 than it was in 2000.

Its then Chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah, was barely on talking terms with Prof. Mills and former President Rawlings. Obed was reportedly peeved because Rawlings failed to nominate him to take over from him. Then Mills also exacerbated the situation by refusing to accept Asamoah as his running mate and, instead, settled on Martin Amidu.

"It is to be noted that so far the attention of Asamoah's newly formed Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) has been directed against the NDC. If, as it is speculated, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, a former Minister of Finance becomes the candidate of the DFP, that alone could make the NDC and Atta-Mills lose about 5 percent in the national votes, almost certainly sealing their doom," AIU re-emphasized

The NDC suffered from the break-away of a group of intelligent and enthusiastic strategists, led by Goosie Tandoh, who was angered by the unilateral choice in 1999 of Prof. Atta Mills as presidential candidate by former President Rawlings. The NPP, on the other hand, formed alliances both in 2000 and 2004 with all or some segments of the CPP, PNC and GCPP, including Dr Wereko-Brobbey, who had broken away from the NPP in the mid-1990s to form his own party.

President Kufuor also demonstrated further his alliance-building skills by inviting all six of the candidates who had competed against him for the NPP presidential position in 1999 to campaign with him in 2000 and to receive ministerial positions after victory in 2001.

It argued that both in 2000 and 2004, neither Rawlings nor Mills tried to persuade a former NDC heavyweight, P.V. Obeng, to become more active and visible in NDC affairs. P.V. Obeng, who performed functions comparable to that of a Prime Minister between 1982-1995 under Rawlings, was considered in his heydays as a possible successor to Rawlings.

The AIU investigations further revealed that Mr. Kwesi Botchwey reportedly lived less than 200 metres from the Accra home of Mills, and supervised Mills when the latter was Commissioner for Taxes. In spite of their long-standing friendship before the 2003 NDC contest, Mills had made even little effort to reconcile with Botchwey. This behaviour could encourage Botchwey to stand on the ticket of any Party to destroy Mills� votes.

THE SELECTION OF MILLS� RUNNING MATE

The AIU admonished that many undecided voters, with no party affiliation, strongly preferred Spio-Garbrah to Mills.

According to AIU an informal survey by their analysts indicated that the floating voters had openly advised NDC to consider pairing Spio-Garbrah with another popular former Minister and MP, John Mahama.

�Most Ghanaians our team surveyed confirmed that that would indeed be the NDC�s best pairing for 2008,� it said.

NDC�s MISTAKES

It noted that if NDC truly wanted to win the 2008 elections with less difficulty, they would have chosen in December 2006, a dynamic, energetic and persuasive younger candidate, such as Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah or someone else apart from Mills.

But many were those in Ghana who believed that Rawlings and Mills conspired to defeat this better candidate mainly because of the former�s independent mind and the fear of most of the NDC hierarchy that Spio might not be subject to manipulation.

BACKGROUND OF AFRICAN INTELLIGENCE UNIT

The African Intelligence Unit is made up a group of level-headed Africans living across Europe with their headquarters in Vienna (Austria). Membership ranges from University professors, journalists, ex-service personnel, through private businessmen and political analysts, with origins from countries like South Africa ( Steve Mwase, Elvis Iruh); Nigeria (Ali Balyniwa); Uganda (Brown Seo); Liberia (Jefferson Dueh) Ghana (George Quayson); Ghana (Lawrence Amo); Kenya (Lydia Kitingulu) and more. Other non-African collaborators of the unit are Otto Klietzke (Austria), Hans Sloos (BELGIUM), Jens Calay (Austria) and Jim Maltzen (Germany). The AIU was a spin-off from the African Media Forum (AMF), which operated in the interest of African journalists living in Europe.

The association also has analysed elections in other African Countries in the past. This is a registered association under European laws in the form of a foundation.

Source:
Chronicle

Nyakrom youth boycott clean up exercise


Agona Nyakrom (C/R), Oct 19, GNA- Officials of the Agona District Assembly who went to participate in cleanup exercise at Agona Nyakrom on Wednesday, were disappointed when the youth refused to take part in the exercise in a protest against an alleged mismanagement of funds by their elders.

The officials included Mr Ben Mensah, District Chief Executive and the District Coordinating Director, Mr Eric Bediako Oppong, Mr Frank Essilfie, District Environmental Health Officer and his staff and some workers of Zoomlion, the organisation managing the Sanitation module of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP). Briefing newsmen a spokesman for the youth, Paapa Hammond said they would like the elders to account for 350 million cedis or 35,000 Ghana Cedis used on a market, which reached an advance stage before the Agona District Assembly completed it.

He said they were unhappy about the Assembly's inability to cement the market and the lack of proper drainage in the facility and urged the elders to think of the development of the town for the benefit of the people.

Mr Frank Abban, Assemblyman for the Aboraa Electoral Area who also spoke for the youth blamed the elders for the delaying in the commencement of a Community Centre planned for the town even though fund had been earmarked for the project.

A spokesman for the elders denied the charges levelled against them including the mismanagement of funds and that they did not have the development of the town at heart.

Mr Mensah who expressed regret about the boycott of the exercise by the youth and also denied that the Assembly had the amount on the market.

He stated that paving the floor of the market was not included in the original plan and said a separate budget would have to be prepared for that.

Mr Mensah said the next clean up exercise organised by the District Assembly would take place at Agona Nsaba or Agona Duakwa and called on the youth, Assembly members and groups to take active part to maintain its position as the neatest district in the Central Region.

Source:
GNA

Bonzali Rural Bank donates to flood victims

Tolon (N/R), Oct. 19, GNA - The Bonzali Rural Bank at Tolon in the Tolon/Kumbungu District on Friday, donated 200 bags of maize worth GHC 500 and a cheque for GHC 500 to the District Assembly to support flood victims in the area. Presenting the items at Tolon, Mr Andani Mahama, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, said the donation was in response to appeals by the Assembly to the public to go to the aid of the victims. He said the bank was very conscious of its social responsibility to the people in its operational area hence the quick response to the call. "Although this is a very small donation considering the hardships the floods have brought on our people but we think that it would in some way, serve to mitigate the plight of the victims. "Bonzali hopes to continue lending support to our people to ensure good health and sustained economic activity to raise the national output, which we all yearn for", he said. Mr Mahama said in line with this objective, the bank had introduced new products such as the "Walma" and "Hajj" savings, as well as Group Lending for women traders, which is on a pilot basis. He said in its effort to bring banking services to the doorstep of as many people as possible, Bonzali had opened an agency at Lamashegu in the Tamale Metropolis and was in the process of opening another one on the Nyankpala campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS). Mr Wahab Suhuyini Wumbei, the Tolon/Kumbungu District Chief Executive, who received the items on behalf of the flood victims, commended the bank for the gesture and said the Assembly was very appreciative of the services Bonzali was providing to the people. He assured the bank that the items would get to the "real beneficiaries" saying: "I would liase with the NADMO District Co-ordinator to ensure fair distribution of these items".

Source:
GNA

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• 18.10.2007

Cocaine in "Abenkwan"  at KIA


.
A large quantity of cocaine concealed in 60 cans of palmnut cream concentrate and meant for export to the United Kingdom has been intercepted by security operatives at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra.

Experts valued the 60 containers of the stuff at $3 million. Two suspects, Emmanuel Darkey, 50, the exporter, and Kirk Patrick Akoto Bekoe, 28, a freight forwarder, are currently in custody pending further investigations.

They were arrested at the Aviance Cargo Village at the Kotoka International Airport.

Each of the cans contained two kilogrammes of pure, cocaine when it was weighed and tested in the presence of the suspects last Tuesday.

Although the cans were labelled as GhanaFresh Palmnut Cream concentrate, there was no such thing in them.

Without tampering with the lids of the cans, the perpetrators had cut the neck of the cans, filled them with the cocaine in white polythene and resealed them.

Three cans of the cocaine were concealed in a box of pepper labeled as Produce of Ghana, Fresh vegetables.

The use of the GhanaFresh Palmnut Cream cans has raised concerns about the impact of such criminal activities on genuine Ghanaian business trademarks on the international scene.

Until recently, drug dealers were using Nkulenu Palmnut concentrate cans.

The re-packaging was neatly done in such a way that it would take a trained eye to detect it, since the lids remained intact.

Darkey, who is based in London, claimed he came to Ghana two weeks ago to purchase vegetables for export to London.

He told security personnel that the consignment was given to him by another exporter, Michael Osei, to add to his.

When asked whether he knew the contents before accepting them, he answered in the negative.

As to why he accepted the goods, particularly when there was security alert for travelers and exporters not to accept any parcels or goods from anyone without knowing their contents, Darkey admitted he acted stupidly.

A source at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) told the Daily Graphic that security personnel suspected the movement of the boxes containing the supposed vegetables and asked that they be set aside for further investigations.

It said the operatives arrested the freight forwarder, who in turn led the security personnel to arrest Darkey.

According to the source, officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) were duly informed and asked to inspect the products. The source said when officials of NACOB brought their field test kit, they tested the supposed vegetables but they turned out to be nothing but cocaine.

It said the exhibits were being forwarded to the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) for further testing, while the suspects were being investigated for prosecution.

Source:
Daily Graphic

 Ghana - King Faisal Recruits 16 New Players.

18/10/2007 - Accra Mail (Accra) 
                    
The management of King Faisal Football Club of Kumasi has so far spent about 60,000 Ghana cedis to recruit 16 new players to beef up the team.

Among the latest catch by the club include Abedi Sarfo, formerly of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Fooball Club.


The Vice President of the Club, Alhaji Kamel Mohammed told the GNA Sports in Kumasi at the weekend that the new players are tipped to lead Faisal's campaign for its maiden premiership title when the league starts.

Alhaji Mohammed said the other 15 players whose names he did not disclose, are among some of the finest and experienced players on the local scene capable of upstaging the likes of Kotoko and Hearts of Oak for the league title.

The Vice-President also that management had also contracted a Finn-born British, Stephen George Polack as head coach of the Club as part of efforts to strengthen the technical team.

He said he was optimistic that the coach would bring his experience to bear on the rejuvenated Faisal team and called on supporters to rally solidly behind him.

Alhaji Mohammed urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to step up efforts to ensure that the next edition of the Premier League starts on time in order that players of the various Clubs do not become match rusty.

He pointed out that management of the Club was currently liaising with some corporate bodies for sponsorship packages to boost the Club's financial base.

"We are also collaborating with the National Supporters Union of the Club to explore other avenues of generating funds for the Club's development", he told the GNA Sports.

Source: © Reborn Radio Africa ( Germany )

 Ghanaians are dying young -Research



A GRIPPING and heart-dampening research conducted by the Longevity Project Group, a Ghanaian NGO, has revealed that Ghanaians have an incredible low life expectancy.

“The research undertaken by the Longevity Project Group reveals that, Ghana suffers from an incredibly low life expectancy which is as a result of natal related deaths, malnutrition, inadequate poor public sanitation, a combination of deadly infectious diseases, and increasing diseases brought about by the lifestyle of Ghanaians” noted Anna Bannerman–Richter, who doubles as a lawyer and Editor-in-Chief of Africa Alive, a health and fitness magazine.

The research shows that chances of survival up to 58 years for most Ghanaians is a major challenge, with a number of those ho go past this age having to face serious chronic diseases. gye nyame concord

Richter-Bannerman said Ghana shares this heartbreaking statistics with most of its sub-Saharan neighbours and it is as a result of a similar pattern of lifestyle exhibited by individuals living in sub-Saharan countries.

The research noted that the health of Ghanaians and their fitness standards respectively are not anything to write home about.

“This is happening because of inadequate access to health information in the system”

Bannerman–Richter added, saying things may get worse before they get better, adding that, “escalating levels of environmental pollution and latent mental health problems threaten to worsen an already dismal situation in the country, in addition to hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, and other life threatening diseases”.

Speaking at the recent launch of the health magazine, Bannerman–Richter said due to the state of Ghanaian workers’ health, productivity today in Ghana has enormously been affected, giving way to inefficiency and ineffectiveness on the part of employees in the business sector.

“These losses cut across all industries and the cost of treatment represents a substantial drain on the national pocket.”

According to her, most Ghanaians are uninformed about the hazards posed by substandard living conditions, poor sanitations, diet and inadequate exercises.

Madam Bannerman-Richter stated that the magazine was going to be an effective vehicle to inform all and sundry, expressing the hope that it would revolutionize habits and life styles.

“The magazines will also be a useful tool for advocating improved responsiveness from both the public and private sectors towards public health concerns”.

Some distinguished speakers during the launch were the chairman for the occasion Mr. Prince Kofi Amoabeng, CEO of Unique Trust Financial Services, who stated that it is his wish that all corporate organizations will join the Longevity Project Group, to work hard to educate Ghanaians on good health standards.

He called on the Ministry of Health to take the lead as its social responsibility, since this falls within its domain, and the private sector would.

Dr. Angela Ofori-Atta, who stood in for her husband Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, reviewed the Africa Alive Health and Fitness Magazine and recommended it as a must-read for all health-conscious Ghanaians.

Source:
gye nyame concord

Restaurant operators urged to raise standards of service

Accra, Oct. 18, GNA - Mr Steven Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, on Thursday urged restaurant and nightclub operators to utilise opportunities on the ground to raise standards of service delivery of their staff before and after the Ghana CAN 2008 tournament.

"As businessmen you must see the whole tournament as a tourism event, which would put you at the forefront . to meet the required standards," he said.

He was speaking at a meeting with Restaurant and Nightclub operators within Accra to educate them on the need to raise and maintain a higher standard of service delivery and to promote Ghanaian dishes in attractive ways during and after the Ghana Can 2008 tournament. The meeting, which was organised by the ministry, was also to discuss how to create excellent environment at those spots, maintain healthy standards and adapt strategies to deal with changes in the industry.

Mr Asamaoh-Boateng said as part of the preparation towards the tournament, the ministry would organise series of training workshops for restaurant operators and their staffs in the regional capitals to equip them with the necessary tools to meet the international standard. He said the ministry would also consult the health sector, the security and the transport operators to see how prepared they were to take care of the tournament and the safety of the people. He said the services of restaurants should be packaged in a way to play a dual role - feed the clients with good food and entertainment at the same time.

"It is very important for every manager of such places to pay special attention to the visitors to entice them to the place another time. Those who lack these initiatives ended up collapsing their businesses and thereby losing their investments." The Minister also urged the operators to utilise the brains of their staff by involving them in meetings and matters concerning the business.

Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, urged the operators to form cooperatives to enable them organise their activities effectively as their counterparts in the hotel business.

"When you are able to organise yourselves this way, build up your business and products it would encourage government to hold some of its functions at these restaurants instead of giving everything to the hotels," he said. Mrs Ivy Gyampo, Director of Edvy Restaurant appealed to the government to create fair playing grounds for both the bigger and smaller restaurants during and after the tournament to boost the industry. She said on occasions like that, only the hotels and so called big restaurants that were catered for in terms of receiving and serving visitors.

"For a long time now, it was like there was nobody to talk on our behalf. I would like to appealed to the ministry to intervene so that on such occasions some of the visitors would be sent to us," she added. Some of the operators also complained about high licence fees being charged by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, which, they said had forced most of them out of business and urged the ministry to intervene. They claimed they were currently paying seven million cedis as a licence fee as compared to one million and ninety thousand cedis as at last year and urged the government to do something about that or else most of them would be out of business.

Source:
GNA

Four policemen interdicted for extorting



Agona Swedru, C/R, Oct 18, GNA- The Police Administration has interdicted four of its men from the Agona Swedru District police Station for allegedly doing acts contrary to the Police Administration. They are Lance Corporal Foster Mensah, Constable Daniel Abevor, Constable Class Two Albert Amponsah and Lance Corporal Hope Semevor. Mr Osei Kwadwo, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) told newsmen at Agona Swedru that the police administration is investigating the matter and if they are found guilty could face dismissal.

He said on August 11, 2007, the four police personnel on their general rounds in Agona Swedru Township stopped a Taxi cab being driven by one Mr J. K Mensah and demanded money from him. According to DPS Osei Kwadwo when the refused, the policemen subjected him to severe beatings until he managed to flee into a nearby bush with the car keys, leaving the car behind. After awhile, he came back to detect that the police had managed somehow to move the car to the Swedru Police Station, he said. DSP Osei Kwadwo said the car owner upon hearing the matter rushed to the police station to enquire what his driver did, but as soon as he reached the police station he was arrested and put in cells by four policemen.

He said a friend of the Car owner who went to the police to plead for bail for the two was turned away, so decided to inform Nana Kobina Botwe, Swedruhene about the matter. The Crime Officer said the Swedruhene delegated his Sannahene Nana Ogyabea Badu Ehuren to go and plead for bail on his behalf, but as soon the Police personnel saw him (Sannahene) they started insulting him. He said the chiefs who were not happy with the behaviour of the policemen petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) about the conduct of the four police personnel.

Source:
GNA

Fake policeman remanded by court


Koforidua, Oct. 18, GNA- A 47-year-old driver, Justice Mensah who paraded himself as a police officer and duped people on the pretext of recruiting their wards into the police service has been remanded by the Koforidua circuit court.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of falsely pretending to be a public officer and would re-appear on Nov. 5. The Deputy Commander of the Eastern Regional Police Command, Rev. ACP David Ampa-Benin, at a press conference on Thursday, said on October 11, this year, he received a report from complainants that the said driver who claimed to be an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) had collected cash from various persons amount ing to GH=A2260 to recruit their children in to the service.

He said the accused, who resides at Atekyem, a suburb of Koforidua started playing "hide and seek" with the complainants after collecting their money and they reported the matter to the police. ACP Ampa-Benin said the police together with the BNI traced the accused to his hideout where he was apprehended and arraigned before the court.

He said the press conference was to make the matter public so that victims who had fallen to the tricks of the accused would come forward. The Deputy Commander cautioned people who go about pretending to be police officers and other public office holders to dupe unsuspecting victims to desist from it because the law would deal ruthlessly with them.

Source:
GNA

Department of Children donate to children's' hospital


Accra, Oct. 18, GNA - The Department of Children under the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) on Thursday presented assorted foodstuff, toiletries and school bags valued over 15 million cedis to the Princess Marie Loiuse Children Hospital. The foodstuff included rice, sugar, maize, milk, cooking oil and biscuits.

Mr Daniel Dugan, Deputy Minister, MOWAC said the donation formed part of activities that marked the president's end of year party for children but due to funds the programme delayed. He said the ministry believed that the donation would help to solve the food and nutritional needs of the hospital as well as go a long way to benefit the less fortunate children who needed to be fed by the hospital.

Mr Dugan called on individuals and corporate bodies to donate to such hospitals to support health management in the country. Ms Stella Opare, Nutrition Officer of the hospital told the GNA that children from less privileged homes who visited or stayed in the hospital were given two square meals daily with other nutritional supplement.

She said the hospital was able to feed such patients especially those with HIV/AIDS free of charge through the internally generated funds and other sponsorships.

Dr Isaac Abban, Acting Head of the Hospital who received the food items lauded the contribution of the government in supporting the health needs of the Ghanaian child and prayed that the items would be used for the intended purposes.

Source:
GNA

Upper East residents in W/R appeal for support for compatriots


Takoradi, Oct 18, GNA - Citizens of the Upper East Region resident in the Western regional capital have launched an appeal for support for recent flood victims of the region saying the damage was too huge for government alone to address adequately.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Clement Dandori, President of the Upper East Residents Association and Naba Simon Ayeebo, a Community Chief.

The statement said a delegation sent to visit the region to assess the extent of destruction to life and property including schools, roads and farms was too enormous and appealed to the people of the Western region to go the aid of victims particularly the vulnerable including women, children, the aged and the physically challenged. It mentioned the Bulsa, Garu-Timpane and Bawku West districts as the worse affected areas among the eight districts the delegation visited. "We wish to appeal to all the good natured people of the Western region, the business community, traditional authorities, NGOs, philanthropists, Churches and Mosques for humanitarian support for victims of the flood", the statement said.

It expressed the people's appreciation to the government for the prompt response to alleviate the hardships of the victims and said donations in cash or in kind must be sent through Mr. Dandori who is the Co-ordinating Director of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly. Other personalities through whom donations could be made are Mr. David Yaro, Chief Director; Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, Dr. Sylvester Anemana; Western Regional Director of Medical Services and Naba Simon Ayeebo, Community Chief.

The Association had opened an account with the Ghana Commercial Bank number 4011130005190 for people who wish to donate cash for the upkeep of the flood victims.

The statement said six people lost their lives; a total of 5,052 houses collapsed rendering more than 15,000 people homeless. Destroyed farmlands are estimated at about 6,000 hectares and 2,180 tonnes of foodstuffs destroyed.

Twenty-seven bridges as well as 15 schools were also damaged, it said.

Source:
GNA

NADMO records 71 fire related disasters in Tema


Tema, Oct 18, GNA - The Tema Municipality recorded 71 fire related disasters between January and June this year, Mr Abraham Reynolds, Tema Municipal Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has said.

Affected were 24 male adults, 14 female adults, 13 male children and 20 female children while two persons lost their lives. Mr Reynolds made this known at a durbar of schools in Tema on Thursday as part of the programmes marking this year's World Disaster Reduction Day (WDRD).

He observed the disasters occurred due to negligence on the part of the victims and indicated that it was prudent that the habit of safety was inculcated in children for them to grow with it as routine. Giving the aim of the theme, "Disaster Risk Reduction begins at school", the Municipal NADMO Coordinator said it was aimed at highlighting the contribution of children in risk prevention as they were the most vulnerable.

Mr Reynolds further added that his NADMO had not rested on its quest to bring to the minimum fire related disasters in the municipality. Dr Kweku Osei Ackom, Deputy National Coordinator of NADMO, reading Mr Bang Ki Moon, United Nations (UN) Secretary General's message for the WDRD said the day was set aside by the UN to mobilize governments, communities and individuals to make disaster risk an integral part of school curricula.

He said it was also to ensure that school buildings were built to withstand natural hazards. Warrant Officer One (WO1) retired Andrews Odartey, Medical Assistant in Charge of the NADMO Clinic, giving tit bits on first aid advised the public to examine injuries on casualties before rushing them to the hospital.

WO1 Odartey further said casualties should be laid flat on the back at the rear seats of vehicles when being transported to the hospital instead of bungling them in, which worsened the situation. Station Officer Benjamin Allotey of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) during a demonstration said fire extinguishers should be directed at the base of the fire and not in the air. He asked the public to cultivate the practice of plugging fridges, deep freezers and water heaters directly in the main socket instead of extension boards as that was dangerous and advised against overloading sockets.

He urged liquefied petroleum gas users to always put their gas cylinders outside their kitchen when cooking as leakage could spark fire when placed near the source. The Station Officer urged the public to always call the emergency line, 192 rather than the 199, which normally went through processes before reaching the fire service.

Source:
GNA

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• 17.10.2007

Ghana: Country Earns $893 Million From Exports

 
17/10/2007 - Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) 


The Minister for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiative, Hon. Joe Baidoe-Ansah, has indicated that as part of government's efforts in promoting export services in the country, it has initiated discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop a National Services Export Strategy that will be a blue print for harnessing Ghana's potential in exporting services.

He said, in order to enhance the services of the export sector, the government was also reviewing the Law establishing the Export Development and Investment Fund to make the operations of the fund more relevant and responsive to the financial needs of all exporters.

Hon. Baidoe-Ansah was speaking at the 18th National Awards for Export Achievement 2006 held at the State Banquet Hall in Accra last Friday.

He said the government's decision to support the export sector stemmed from the fact that export sector was doing well as it recorded an annual growth rate of 15% with earnings amounting to US$ 893million in 2006 compared to US$ 400million in 2001.

"Export revenue therefore has served as a lifeblood of the economy for which reason the national development agenda was based on an export-led industrialisation strategy," he noted.

Hon. Baidoe-Ansah, who admitted that the sector had not been able to exploit its full potentials due to constraints, said his ministry was therefore implementing various policy initiatives and interventions under the Trade Sector Support Programme to address some of the constraints facing the sector.

"These interventions include the provision of modern storage and cold chain facilities at the airport and Tema Port to store our fresh produce to ensure that their quality is maintained when they arrive at their at their destinations," he sated.

He further stated that the programme was also supporting the provision of pack houses at strategic locations to ensure that the products were packed in hygienic conditions.

The MP for Efia Kwesimintim also averred that Export Trade Houses were being established to market Ghanaian products from small and medium scale producers and also an Export Round Table was being established to fast track support to exporters to meet specific export orders.

He, however, complained bitterly about exporters who did not comply with laid down regulations with regard to export of food items to the traditional markets.

He urged the regulatory authorities to ensure that food items for export were properly inspected and phytosanitary certificates were issued to cover such consignments before they were allowed to leave the ports.

Source:  © Reborn Radio  Africa ( Germany )

 VRA donates food items to flood victims


Tamale, Oct. 17, GNA- The Volta River Authority (VRA) has donated rice and maize valued at over 100 million cedis to victims of the recent floods in the three northern regions.

Miss Abla Fiadjo, Acting Director of Corporate Affairs of VRA, presented the Northern Region's consignment made up of 120 bags of rice and 90 bags of maize to the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, in Tamale on Tuesday.

She said the donation formed part of the social responsibility of the VRA and was also to express the sympathy and concern of the corporation to the victims of the floods who lost their properties and were also rendered homeless without food.

She said the Upper East and Upper West regions would also receive similar donations.

The three regions would also receive cash donations. Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris said the floods had destroyed the road network of the region and would require massive capital investment to improve.

He thanked VRA for its concern for the plight of the people and expressed the hope that other organisations would emulate the example in helping to provide for the needs of the flood victims.

Source:
GNA

 600 pupils learn under trees



Inadequate infrastructure at the Bethel Presby Junior High School at Atonsu, a Kumasi suburb, "has compelled the school authorities to be conducting academic work under trees in the school for a section of the pupils.

About 600 pupils from kindergarten to primary six are affected by the current exercise, and this is undermining academic work.

For the past two years that the storey building, which accommodated the pupils, caved in, the pupils have to be in school early enough to arrange their furniture under the trees for academic work to begin.

Anytime it rains, academic work in the school is suspended because the pupils have to join their senior colleagues in the other classrooms, compelling the teachers to suspend teaching.

Academic work under the trees is also affected when the weather becomes windy.

The Head teacher, Mr Victor de Graft Etsison, said he had written to the GETfund Administrator outlining the problems confronting the school, and that even though he had appealed for support to construct a new classroom for the school there had not been any positive response so far.

He said he had also contacted both the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive who bad paid separate visits to the school to ascertain the seriousness of the problem but their visits were yet to be translated into any positive assistance for the school to get a new block to accommodate the pupils.

The Member of Parliament for the Asokwa Constituency, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, has provided canopies to accommodate some of the pupils as a temporary measure, while efforts are being made to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Mr Etison who expressed concern about the situation when he conducted the Daily Graphic round the school said without prompt measures to address the current problem, the commitment of the teachers to improve on academic work would not yield any positive result.

He said the trees were not enough to accommodate the 600 pupils so they had resorted to the morning and afternoon shift system "but this was undermining effective academic work because the contact hours of six have reduced to three hours."

"We are always at the mercy of the weather because anytime it rains the pupils have to vacate their place, remove the furniture and join their senior colleagues in their classrooms," he noted.

He, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to come to their aid and construct a permanent block for the affected pupils.

Source:
Daily Graphic

District Assemblies fail to utilise donor funds


Tamale, Oct. 17, GNA - Funds provided by donors and development partners for pro-poor projects in the Northern Region have remained locked up in the accounts of the assemblies while the communities continue to suffer deprivation and neglect.

The funds, which include provision for the construction and improvement of feeder roads, footbridges and harvesting of rainwater for dry season gardening, were transferred from the Northern Region Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP) and the DANIDA-sponsored Transport Sector Project Support (TSPS 11) to the district assemblies.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister said this at a five-day workshop on "Strategic Management for District Chief Executives" in the region in Tamale on Tuesday.

The workshop was at the instance of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) with facilitators from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Alhaji Idris noted that each of the district assemblies had about 1.5 billion cedis of such funds in their accounts and warned that if by the end of the year these amounts have not been spent, the donors may redirect their interventions to other areas which have the capacity to utilize them.

The Regional Minister asked the District Chief Executives (DCEs) not to use the intricacies and complexities of the procurement law as an excuse to delay project implementation. He said the perceived difficulties of the procurement law could be overcome if they produced procurement plans as required by the end of the financial year.

He urged all DCEs to be personally involved to ensure that the locked up moneys were utilised for the projects intended before the end of the year to ensure the flow of funds from the development partners. Dr Stephen Addae, Rector of GIMPA, said leadership was the most critical element for the development of any society and it was therefore imperative that those in leadership continue to develop and improve upon their leadership skills.

He said the workshop would take the DCEs through an overview of leadership, strategic management, the local government system and decentralisation and personal organisation. He announced that satellite campuses of GIMPA would be established in Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi soon.

Source:
GNA

Hints of structural changes in the tourism sector


Accra, Oct. 17, GNA - There is going to be a structural change in the tourism sector soon to ensure efficiency in the industry, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, announced on Wednesday.

He said people would be re-assigned to do other things in addition to their work, especially in government departments and agencies, adding that the Ministry would appoint a board of directors for the Ghana Tourist Board in due course.

Mr Asamoah Boateng made the announcement when he met with staff of the Ghana Tourist Board in the Greater Accra Region and those at the Head office to share his vision and also know their problems. The Ghana Tourist Board is the main implementing agency of the Ministry.

Mr Asamoah Boateng mentioned quality service delivery, increase in the number of hotel rooms and proper management of the country's coastlines as three main areas of his focus.

"I want to work with a hardworking team, so if you are not hardworking, I leave you behind," he said.

He said quality service delivery in the tourism sector was key to growth in the industry, hence a programme by the board to train operators in the industry as the country prepared for the Ghana 2008 football tournament.

Mr Asamoah Boateng said he was also planning to set up a Diaspora secretariat at the Ministry, which would streamline activities of investors, among other things.

The Minister urged the staff of GTB to feel free to comment and criticize anytime they have a problem so that together they could gradually address challenges facing the industry.

Source:
GNA

Tourism Ministry in financial mess



The need to strengthen the accountability process in the public service was yesterday brought to the fore in Parliament when the Minister of Tourism and Diasproan Relations, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng and his Chief Director, Mrs Bridget Katsriku, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The PAC, which began public hearing of the 2004 Auditor-General's Report, was astounded by revelations of public funds not properly accounted for.

The Chief Director, who answered questions from the PAC, chaired by Mr Samuel Sallas Mensah, told the members that her ministry did not have its own internal audit system and that it shared the resource with another ministry.

The PAC was not enthused by the improper accountability of resources allocated to the ministry. Vouchers did not accompany monies paid consultants while contracts awarded were not documented.

Some other queries raised were centered on non submission of imprest, improper award of consultancy services and uncompetitive procurement methods amounting to millions of cedis.

At the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, for instance, the approval for 15 per cent of �14.5 million was paid to an agency for an additional work on an advertising project.

The PAC ordered the agency to refund the 15 per cent.

The committee also ordered further investigations into a mosquito spraying exercise in the La Beach area which amounted to 2 billion.

At a point, Mr Asamoah-Boateng, who is a new face in the ministry, admitted lapses in some payments made and pleaded for time to re-examine the ministry's value books and report back to the PAC.

The Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, and heads of agencies of his ministry also appeared before the PAC.

"The Minister of the Interior apologized to the committee for the inability of some of the agencies under his ministry to quickly answer audit queries. The committee also noted that the Ghana Immigration Service, the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) had not responded to audit queries.

Opening the first ever public hearing, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes, appealed to Ghanaians to exhibit the needed courage and fortitude in combating waste and misappropriation in the management of public funds.

According to him, the specter of waste and misappropriation were worrying as they threatened the country's economic development and the quality of lives of the broad masses of the people.

He said he had observed with disquiet reports of the committee on the subject of misuse of public funds.

The Speaker said the decision of the PAC not to sit in camera again but to make its deliberations public would further advance Parliament's quest for fruitful engagement with the people of Ghana about its activities.

"It is my hope that through this engagement and other mechanisms already put in place by Parliament, the larger public will understand some of the problems in public financial management and proffer the needed inputs in policy formulation," he said.

He emphasized that good accord should be maintained by the PAC at all times to sustain its engagement with the public, stressing that the committee should strive to be fair and balanced during its deliberations.

"While we are diligently poised at exposing malfeasance in public financial management, I caution the Committee to endeavor at all times to protect the integrity of public institutions and officials by ensuring that their reputations are not unduly impugned," Mr Sekyi Hughes said.

He further appealed to the media to be fair and objective in the reportage of the Committee's deliberations.

The Chairman of the PAC, Mr Samuel Sallas Mensah, said the objective of the committee's sitting was to inject a level of transparency into its work and also bring it closer to the electorate.

He said it was the conviction of the committee that opening its deliberations to the public would help it acquire from the public, particularly from the media and civil society, complementary information on some of the issues which would ultimately enhance its work.

Mr Sallas Mensah. told the gathering that in most advanced democracies, the Public Accounts Committee's sittings were normally held in public and "Ghana cannot afford to be left behind and therefore to keep up with the global trend, it has become necessary for us to explore ways of making the work of the PAC more effective and responsive to the expectations of the public."

He said in spite of the committee's quest to meet public acceptance of its work, it would try to walk the fine line of transparency and the need to protect the reputation and integrity of public officials and all those whowould appear before it.

"It is for this reason that the committee insists on receiving an official response from respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies and individuals before the public sitting," he said.

Mr Sallas Mensah said through such process, any official, who, for instance, had a strong reservation about an audit query and believed that there were very good reasons why such issues should not be brought to the public domain would be encouraged to make his or her submissions in camera and its merits decided upon by the committee.

Source:
Daily Graphic

Court Frees Korean In Cocaine Case


PAK Bok Sil, a Korean vessel engineer who was standing trial with five others for his involvement in the importation of 77 parcels of cocaine on board the vessel M.V. Benjamin, was yesterday acquitted and discharged by an Accra Fast Track High Court for lack of evidence.

However, the five others,including Joseph Kojo Dawson, the vessel owner, were ordered by the court, presided over by Justice Annin Yeboah of the Court of Appeal, to open their defence because the prosecution had led sufficient evidence (prima facie case) against each of them.

Apart from Dawson, those expected to open their defence are Isaac Arhin, 49, Phillip Bruce Arhin, 49, a mechanic; Cui Xian Li, 49, a vessel engineer and Luo Yui Xing, 49, both Chinese, who were on board the vessel that allegedly brought the narcotic drug packages.

All five men have been charged for the various roles they played in the alleged importation of the cocaine to the Tema Port in April last year.

It was Sheriff Asem Darke popularly called "Limping Man", now at large, who allegedly chartered the vessel from Dawson at 150,00 dollars under the pretext of towing his distressed vessel from Conakry, Guinea.

Dawson has pleaded not guilty to using his property for narcotic offences.

Isaac Arhin, Bruce Arhin, Li and Xing have all pleaded not guilty to two counts of engaging in prohibited business as related to narcotic drugs and possessing narcotic drugs unlawfully. The prosecution called 13 witnesses before closing its case, after which all the accused persons filed a submission of �no case� because they believed that the prosecution could not convince the court that they knew about the cocaine.

Bok Sil, who was acquitted and discharged, had pleaded not guilty to one count of engaging in prohibited business related to narcotic drugs.

In his ruling, Justice Yeboah said although the prosecution had led evidence that Bok Sil was the person who had repaired the vessel that brought the cocaine, the accused had done so in his professional capacity as an engineer.

He said the initial investigator, Detective Inspector Justice Nana Oppong had even told the court during cross examination that Bok Sil repaired the vessel in his professional capacity adding "It will be unjust for the court to ask him to open his defence since the prosecution has not been able to establish a case against him".

"The evidence led by the prosecution leaves clear doubts as to whether Bok Sil knew about the cocaine. The evidence is based on mere suspicion."

The court said that the fact that Bok Sil was tasked to repair the vessel or had a meeting with another Korean called Killer, who is also wanted in connection with the case, did not mean that he was aware that the vessel was to cart cocaine.

Ordering the rest to open their defence, Justice Yeboah said "the prosecution has succeeded in establishing a case beyond reasonable doubt against the first(Dawson), third (Isaac Arhin), fourth(Phillip Arhin), fifth (Li) and the sixth(Xing) accused persons".

He said the court was however not required to give reasons for the action taken saying "if I do it now, it will prejudice the trial because they are yet to mount the witness� box".

Proceedings were adjourned to tomorrow,October 18, for them to open their defence, starting with Dawson.

Source:
Times

Ministry releases list of relief items


Accra, Oct. 17, GNA - The Ministry of the Interior on Wednesday released the list of relief items distributed to flood victims in the three northern regions and the Western Region.

A letter by Nana Obiri Boahen, Minister of State, to the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force, said items sent so far to the disaster areas comprised items purchased by the government and those donated by the foreign governments, international organisations, NGOs and individuals.

Items distributed included food items, building materials, plastic buckets, mattresses, generators and tents. Other items were generators, portable water tanks, mosquito nets and used clothing.

Floods after heavy rains devastated large areas in the northern regions where more that 50 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced. Food, crops, houses, roads and bridges were also damaged.

Source:
GNA

Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) can be sued

... over spillage into the Chemu Lagoon

Tema, Oct 17, GNA- A Tema High Court, presided over by Justice F. G. Korbieh, has ruled that individuals and non-governmental organisations have the right to sue the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) over the spillage of oil into the Chemu Lagoon at Tema Manhean.

The Centre for Public Interest Law and one Mr Richster Amarh Amarfio, Executive Secretary of the Corporate Social Responsibility Movement (CSRM) a Tema based NGO on the environment had filed a writ at the Tema High Court against TOR for allegedly polluting the Lagoon with oil effluent from their plant.

TOR however, challenged the writ asking the court to dismiss the suit for "want of capacity", "want of reasonable cause of action", and procedural irregularities".

In the statement of claim, the two plaintiffs argued out that TOR was negligent in spilling oil into the lagoon as the action was in violation of the rights of the inhabitants of Chemu who are predominantly fishermen and this has deprived them of their livelihood.

It said the action has deprived those settled along the banks to a clean and healthy environment under the constitution and international law.

The writ called for an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the defendant from further pollution of the Lagoon through oil spillage or other means.

In his ruling the Judge said the Defence Counsel did not question the individual capacity of the plaintiffs to bring the action "except to say that they are "busybodies" and wanted cheap popularity". The ruling stated that any person may begin and carry on proceedings in person or by a lawyer, adding that one member of a class may bring an action, which is what the plaintiffs have done.

It added that the constitution guarantees a right to life; it should be interpreted expansively to include the right to a clean environment. The ruling said Ghana is a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, of which article 24 guarantees the peoples' right to a clean and healthy environment.

It indicated further that if the defendant has spilled oil into the Chemu Lagoon, "it has indeed created an environmental problem, which gives rise to a factual situation that needs a remedy". In view of the explanation, it said the plaintiffs have resorted to the constitution of Ghana, which qualifies them to take action and by virtue of the fact that they are protecting the public interest. The plaintiffs were represented by Dr Dominic Ayine and Mr James Agalga while Mr Agyabeng Akrasi stood for the defendant. On May 07, this year, TOR was alleged to have spilled oil into the Chemu Lagoon at Tema Manhean where the people are predominately fishermen. 17 Oct 07

Source:
GNA

Public Accounts to be prepared weekly


Ho, Oct. 17, GNA - Public accounts of ministries, departments and agencies are to be prepared and submitted to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) weekly instead of the monthly and annual accounts.

Mr Daniel Domelovo, Director of Public Financial Management Reform of the CAGD, said this at a three-day workshop for public sector accounting personnel in the Volta Region at Ho on Wednesday.

Dubbed the "National Accounting Workshop", the workshop seeks to address the bottlenecks in the preparation of public sector accounts. Mr Domelevo said now that Ghana had entered the international Bond Market the country must operate by the rules and standards governing that market where competition is keen and the stakeholders involved would take no excuse for non-performance.

He also drew attention to concerns from the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament regarding the delay in preparing and submission of public accounts for scrutiny.

"Now you cannot be excused for delay in the submission of your accounts on the basis of bad roads, lack of vehicles." "Your inability to cope will be financial indiscipline that will not be tolerated", he said.

Mr Domelevo said those who would not be able to cope would be shown the exit and others in the queue taken on board.

In a speech read on his behalf the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr Christian Sottie, reminded the personnel that the Public Service, like any human institution, was dynamic and subject to changes in terms of human resource skills, technology and laws. "This therefore calls for regular overhaul of its human resources to cope with contemporary challenges, and also better manage the other resources for maximum gain". he said.

Mrs Olivia Sosu, Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, said the workshop provided a good platform for the CAGD to address discrepancies on staff pay slips.

She said there was the need for probity and accountability regarding clarifying items on pay slips in order to boost staff morale and motivation.

Source:
GNA

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• 16.10.2007

Topless Ghanaian Teens on Postcards

1.  it`s a OLD STORY .. VERY OLD !   This  is  the ORIGINAL  Postcard  from 2002  !!!  

2. Are this really Ghanaian Girls ? 

3. Are this two girls really under age ? 

4. This Postcard it`s part of tourism promotion for Ghana and Africa !- ghanaweb-news.com

ANY COMMENTS ?  PLEASE FEEL FREE :    GHANA  FORUM

Nude pictures of unsuspecting Ghanaian teens are being used on the covers of some postcards selling in the country.
Painstaking investigations by The Child Alert(CA) have uncovered a group from Benin and some whites as those behind this illegal business.

The postcards, CA learnt, are not only selling as hot cakes in Ghana, but have a booming market outside.

READ MORE ... ON  GHANAWEB

  Foreign NGO supports Brekuso schools


Brekuso (E/R), Oct 16, GNA - Friendship Force International of Los Angeles, a voluntary Organisation on Monday presented reading books and assorted stationery worth over 100,000 dollars to support two schools at Brekuso in the Akuapim South District.

The support to the schools, Brekuso L/A Primary and Brekuso Presby Basic School was to help improve educational standards in the area to reverse the trend whereby 52 schools in both Akuapim North and Akuapim South recorded zero percent in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) within a period of five years. Mr. Gene Haberman, Exchange Director, Friendship Force said the Organisation founded 30 year ago, by former American President, Jimmy Carter believes in building friendship as a way of maintaining global peace.

He said they were therefore, in the country to extend their friendship to Ghanaians because they knew that President Kufuor was a man of peace and the entire citizenry were very peaceful as well. "We have also come to feel the hospitality spirit of Ghanaians as it is always said. Our visit has given us the ample truth that truly Ghanaians are very friendly and hospitable", he added. Mr Haberman said the donation therefore, marked the beginning of a long-standing friendship between Ghana and Friendship Force. Nana Oteng Korankye, Chief of Brekuso and Twafohene of Akuapim Traditional Area commended the organisation for the support and advised the pupils to make good use of the books in order to improve their standards.

He also advised the parents to invest more in their children's education and desist from taking the children to the farm during school hours.

Source:
GNA

Policemen gang-rape teenager


...Face Trial
Two Kumasi based policemen who allegedly gang-raped a teenage junior high school (JHS) pupil are to face trial for their conduct. This follows the initiation of indictment proceedings against them by the Ashanti Regional Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

Kingsford Effah and Daniel Oppong, both Lance Corporals, were said to have gang-raped the 14-year-old girl after luring her into a room.

They are currently on bail. Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Department told the Daily Graphic, "We are ready to forward the docket on the case to the Attorney-General's Department as a first step for the necessary advice." If indicted, the policemen would be committed for trial by a jury at the High Court. Inspector Tanko said the circuit court, where the two policemen appeared on provisional charges of rape, had granted them bail, pending the outcome of the indictment proceedings.

Lance Corporals Effah and Oppong lived in the Police Quarters at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). According to the police, the victim also lived in a house close to the barracks. The two policemen were said to have conspired to rape the girl, who later reported the action to her parents, who in turn reported the matter to the police.

Source:
Daily Graphic

Ghana's children struggle in the aftermath of flooding



ACCRA, Ghana, 15 October 2007 – Akaappab Anyansa and her four young children are among the estimated 260,000 people affected by recent floods in Ghana. Luckily, she did not lose her two-room house, but she has been sharing her room with her neighbours since their house collapsed.

Already struggling to survive in a region where poverty and acute malnutrition is endemic, she now has to share her small stock of millet with nine people. They barely eat one meal a day.

“I boil green leaves and grass, and add salt and pepper. That is all I can give the children, but it doesn’t seem to be enough for them,” said Ms. Anyansa.
Health of women and children
“Pregnant women, lactating women and children under five are most vulnerable,” said UNICEF Ghana’s Chief of Health and Nutrition, Dr. Mark Young. “We have sent ready-to-use therapeutic food to the affected communities. We are conducting assessments and monitoring the situation closely.”

In a nearby community, farmer Aveabila Aduko worries about the future of his children’s education. The floods killed his livestock – four goats and some guinea fowls. Now, the only thing left to eat is a pile of guinea corn that should last two weeks. If relief supplies don’t arrive, the father of seven is afraid he’ll have to take his children out of school.

“The rain destroyed my crops. If I am not able to farm to make money, I won’t be able to buy school books,” said Mr. Aduko.
UNICEF sends school equipment
UNICEF has sent teaching and learning material and furniture to the affected areas and together with the government is planning campaigns to encourage parents to keep children in school.

“The affected flooded areas are already vulnerable in terms of education because of high levels of poverty,” said UNICEF Ghana Education Chief Peter deVries. “All the mud-structured schools are being visited to make sure that they won’t collapse.”

Although the rainy season is almost over, health officials fear that the flooding will mean an increase in malaria. Every year, malaria kills at least 20,000 children in Ghana alone.

High risk of disease

Atanga Apeya and her children are at high risk of contracting the disease. Ms. Apeya is pregnant and her children are all under five years of age. They have lost their house and are living in a shelter.

A few days ago, health worker Nora Ayaric visited the family to give Ms. Apeya an insecticide-treated bednet, the proper use of which can reduce child mortality rates by 20 per cent. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and other partners, UNICEF supported the distribution of 28,000 nets through the end of September. An additional 20,000 insecticide-treated nets have been ordered for delivery with other relief items.

The Ministry of Health will carry out a planned nationwide Integrated Child Health Campaign in late November. During the campaign, a total of 1.5 million bednets will be distributed along with vitamin A supplements, vaccines and deworming medicine.

“The timing is good. It means that at the end of the campaign, most children and pregnant mothers will be sleeping under a treated mosquito bednet and will be protected from communicable diseases,” said Dr. Young.

Source:
unicef

 KATH performs first open heart surgeries



Kumasi, Oct. 16, GNA - The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has recorded a significant historical feat after successfully performing its maiden open-heart surgery at the weekend. Four children underwent successful open-heart surgery on Sunday while another batch of four are having their turn today.

The patients, aged between 1 and 8 years, are all in good condition. The surgeries were performed by a team of cardio thoracic surgeons from KATH and the Boston Children's Hospital of the Harvard University in the USA.

It was under the auspices of the Variety Children's Lifeline, a Boston based NGO that provided medical equipment and consumables worth one million dollars towards the programme.

Dr Francis Fynn Thompson, a Ghanaian Cardiologist at the Boston Children's Hospital, led the team.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Chief Executive of KATH, told journalists in Kumasi that the successful operations, which were conducted free of charge, were a step towards the eventual establishment of a paediatric heart centre and the second cardio thoracic centre in the country to cater for the northern sector.

He said 45 children were screened but 8 were selected for the surgeries and the rest would be operated upon during the second visit of the team in March.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said apart from the surgeries, the team was also training their local counterparts in modern cardio thoracic techniques to build their capacity and equip them so as to be able to manage the proposed centre. He said within the next two years KATH would be operating a full-fledged cardio thoracic centre and thanked the team for the assistance.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said a Ghana Paediatric Heart Fund would be launched on Friday as part of a global drive to solicit for resources to establish the centre and the provision of free heart surgeries for children in Ghana.

Dr George Ofori Amanfo, A Cardiac and Intensive Care Specialist and member of the team, said the goal was to help the patients and also train doctors and other health workers towards the establishment of the second cardio thoracic centre in Ghana 16 Oct 07

Source:
GNA

Ghana's food security situation is impressive -FAO


Accra, Oct. 16, GNA- Mr. Edouard Tapsoba, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Ghana on Tuesday commended the government for making "impressive progress" towards achieving food security for Ghanaians.

Mr Tapsoba said an FAO study entitled "The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2006", showed that in Ghana, the number of undernourished people declined by 59 percent from 5.8 million to 2.4 million over a 10-year period between 1993- 1995 and 2001 and 2003 and at the same time the prevalence of under nourishment dropped from 37 percent to 12 percent.

"We have been encouraged in recent years not only because of the remarkable progress made by Ghana in its fight against hunger and malnutrition, but also by the deliberate decision by government to formulate a Food and Agriculture Sector Policy", he said at this year's World Food Day.

The Day, which is observed on October 16 every year, focuses attention on agriculture and food production to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to heighten awareness of defeating hunger hunger in the world. This year, "The Right to Food - Make it Happen", was chosen as the theme for the Day, to reflect the international community's growing awareness of the crucial role of human rights in eradicating hunger and poverty.

Mr Tapsoda observed however that even though the statistics were encouraging, it showed that there was still "room for improvement" since there were some 41 percent of the population that were still undernourished.

"Moreover, effort should be made on the nutrition aspect, particularly for children. But we are optimistic as the ambitious School Feeding Programme that government has launched recently is very promising," Tapsoba said.

Tapsoba noted that while the FAO was confident that Ghana was making progress to achieve one component of the Millennium Development Goals- the elimination of hunger by 2015- the adverse effects of disasters, such as droughts and floods, which hit the northern parts of Ghana this year, put a sizable number of people on a transitory food insecurity situation.

He held that giving top priority to food and agriculture, as a means of eradicating poverty and hunger in the country, made economic sense, since the sector contributed about 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Products.

The FAO Representative noted that since most of the poor lived in rural areas and derived their livelihoods from the sector, priority should be given to the sector to reduce poverty nationwide. "Thus, adequate resources should be allocated for investments in productive activities, basic infrastructure and supporting services", he added.

Mr Tapsoba said that achieving universal food security for all Ghanaians was a national challenge and should therefore be made a national affair.

He called on all, including all ministries, the private sector, civil society organizations to be part of the preparation and implementation of a food security action plan, adding that the FAO would endeavour to do its part in Ghana's efforts to reduce poverty, eradicate hunger and realize global food security.

Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Ms Anna Nyamekye noted that the right to food as a basic necessity could only be meaningful if people live up to their civil and moral responsibilities. "The right to food therefore can only be meaningful if we the people will live up to their civil and moral responsibilities, by avoiding conflicts, making our roads and homes safe, working hard and recognizing the right of your fellow human being to live and enjoy life".

Mrs Nyamekye noted that while the Constitution guaranteed the right to basic necessities of life, "We cannot survive if negative activities like armed robbery, theft, corruption, religious and ethnic conflicts take the better part of us".

"We shall not be able to work and produce enough to ensure our food security if we do not have the peace needed", she said. She said while every individual had the right to food, "we must also help to make it happen", adding, "The right to food does not mean we should sit and demand it as a right". "We have to work for it, except when we are constrained by situations like illness, age, handicap, famine or disasters as happened in the North.

"Under such conditions, it is justified for the state to come in and assist", she said. Ms Nyamekye said the Ministry had made it its objective to ensure universal food security, and improve growth in agricultural incomes by adopting policies that would enhance and facilitate increased productivity.

She said it was the Ministry's goal to improve productivity in agriculture and attain an annual growth rate of about six percent to conform to the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy by 2015. Mrs. Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries on her part said agriculture and fisheries production and productivity held the key to growth and poverty reduction strategies of nations.

She thus called on Ghanaians to take advantage of the good soil, favourable rains and the numerous water bodies to increase fish and food production to make the "Right to food" happen to rally the energies of the people for productive ventures.

Sheik I. C. Quaye, Greater Regional Chairman chaired the function which had a lively patronage from members of Amen Amen Church, students, Ministers of State, members of the Diplomatic Corps and the Clergy,

Source:
GNA

National Anti-Corruption competition launched


Accra, Oct. 16, GNA - Nana Kobina Nketia V, Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area, on Tuesday launched an Anti-Corruption Slogan and Art Competition in the Ghanaian local Languages. The competition, which was commenced in Accra is being organized by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition with the aim of educating children about corruption and encourage them to adopt positive attitudes that could eliminate the social canker.

The competition is targeting children between 12 and 18 years to widen the scope for the discussion of corruption.

Nana Nketia told the students from selected schools in the Greater Accra Region that they could fight corruption when they desist from immoral acts such as examination malpractices or giving out gifts with the hope to be favoured or to bend the rules.

"I can only imagine what is going to happen next month with the young ones foraging and rummaging for answers to questions on corruption so that their ideas may be crystallized into iconic pictures and pithy slogans."

Nana Nketia observed that corruption, nurtured impoverishment, suspicion, instability, decadence, individualism, bad governance and conflict.

"Corruption will spell the doom of our nationhood," he said. He urged parents to encourage their children to get involve in the competition since it would make a contribution in the promotion of ethics, integrity and accountability and thus enhance character building.

Mrs Florence Dennis, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition said winners would be given "exciting prizes including cash." Students can enter the competition by coming out with an art work in crayon, water colour, oil paint, colour pencil, felt pens etc with an appropriate slogan in Ga, Akan, Ewe or Dagbani.

The art work should be original and on an A4 sheet with contestant's name, age, school and address and endorsed by the school authorities or a senior public officer.

The artwork should be posted to the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) or the offices of Centre for National Culture across the country not later than 20th November 2007.

Ms Anna Bossman, Acting Commissioner, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Vice Chairman of GACC who chaired the function pointed out that corruption impedes national progress. She said corruption embodied little things in society such as parents visiting a head master for admission for his or her ward even though the child did not pass his or her examination. Ms Bossman urged the children to make an effort to stop corruption in the society.

Source:
GNA

Ghana researching into malaria resistance genes



Navrongo, Oct 16, GNA- The Navrongo Health Research Centre in the Upper East Region, is undertaking a study aimed at identifying the genes in individuals that protect them against malaria.

The collaborative study, known as the Malaria Genome Epidemiology Network, is made up of a global consortium comprising 12 institutions in malaria endemic countries across the globe and is led by researchers from the Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, The Gambia, Papua New Guinea and Mali are among countries taking part in the research, which would assist in the development of malaria vaccines.

About 180 families in the Kassena-Nankana district in the Upper East Region are to participate in the research. Mr Lucas Amengo-Etego, a Research Fellow at the Navrongo Health Research Centre told journalists from the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), who were on a tour of the centre, that genes have a lot to do with the control of malaria. He said some people were more susceptible to the disease than others because individuals respond differently to infections from the malaria parasite.

The journalists were in the Upper East and Northern Regions to assess the health status of the population, with particular attention to malaria, following the floods, which hit the northern parts of the country.

The Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance, (MCTA) an African-led institution established to build capacity in the fight against malaria sponsored the trip.

MCTA is currently leading a research into the development of a malaria vaccine in nine African countries, including Ghana. They have targeted 2011 for the introduction of the vaccine.

Source:
GNA

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• 15.10.2007

 Journalists urged to go beyond speeches and press releases


Accra, Oct 15, GNA - Journalists in Ghana were on Monday urged to be more investigative in the practice of their profession to ensure that they brought issues beyond speeches and press releases to the reading public.

Mr Chris Hodges, Public Affairs Director at the US Embassy in Accra, said often when journalists came for functions at the US Embassy for instance, they printed nothing more than the text of the speeches and press releases given to them at the function in their newspapers the following morning.

He was speaking at the opening of a four-day workshop on investigative journalism jointly organized by the Ghana Media Advocacy Programme (GMAP) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to build the capacity of journalists to be able to identify and help fight cyber crime.

Mr Hodges said it was worrying that after journalists had asked so many questions at functions, "we expect them to print the answers they get, which are usually contained in the speeches and press releases, but we read nothing more than the content of our speeches and press releases in the various newspapers the following morning," he said. Mr Hodges asked, "what value do journalists bring to the issues raised in those speeches and press releases by printing them back?" He said the role of journalists as educators demanded that they went beyond the prepared speeches to investigate issues into more details and focus their stories on the details behind the speeches.

"We do have a few very good investigative journalists in this country but we need more than just a few to ensure accountability, good governance and participatory democracy at all levels," he said. With regards to the role of journalists in combating cyber crime, Mr Hodges said journalists were crucial security partners and that the journalists should have an investigative attitude towards their work if they were going to be worthy partners.

Ms Emily Bowers, Lead Resource Person for the workshop, said responses journalists usually got in the form of reader comments on the Internet and through radio and TV phone-ins were indicative of what the readers expected from journalists.

She said reader comments should serve as a motivation for journalists to look beyond prepared speeches and press releases and be more investigative to bring the to the reading public the more intriguing issues.

Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of the GJA, said even though journalists were not police officers, as watchdogs of society, journalists had a responsibility to educate the public on how to avoid cyber criminals.

He called for a close collaboration between the media and the security services within the West African sub-region to stem the tide of the attack by organized and cyber criminals. Mr Abdul Malik Jaleel, Executive Director of GMAP, expressed the hope that the workshop would provide journalists with the tools to educate the public on how to identify and avoid cyber criminals and also to file news reports on cyber crime more accurately and consistently. About 20 participants drawn from Ghana and from the West African sub-region are attending the workshop. They are being trained in practical online journalism, Web Blog usage (blogging) and cyber crime.

Source:
GNA

"Schools Under Trees Project" ongoing


Nkawie (Ash), Oct 15, GNA - Five communities in the Atwima-Nwabiagya District have been chosen by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to benefit from the construction of school blocks under the "Schools Under Trees Project".

The communities are Atwima-Mim, Sepaase, Wurapong, Asakraka and Amadum-Adankwame.

Mr Thomas Ofori-Donkor, Atwima-Nwabiagya District Chief Executive, said this at the second ordinary meeting of the assembly at Nkawie He said tendering processes had been completed and contractors had been taken to their sites for work to start.

He said a block of six classrooms, offices, staff room and stores with sanitary facility constructed under the Social Investment Fund (SIF) programme at a cost of 148 million cedis by the assembly had been inaugurated at Pasoro.

A three-unit teachers' quarters at Bokankye had also been completed. Mr Ofori-Donkor said four projects under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had also been awarded on contract. They include a six-unit classroom block each at Abuakwa and Nerebehi, two-storey girls' dormitory at Barekese Senior High School and two-storey dormitory for Toase Senior High School.

He commended the District Directorate of Education on the impressive performance put up at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for placing the third best in the Ashanti Region. He said the capitation grant, school feeding programme and 'My First Day at School' had improved enrolment in schools.

Mr Ofori-Donkor deplored the attitude of some communities that had made it their stock-in-trade to harass teachers posted to their communities and warned that in future offenders would be prosecuted. On sanitation, he said the assembly had spent a little over one billion cedis to evacuate refuse.

Mr Ofori-Donkor expressed reservations about the poor performance in revenue generation in the district and appealed to assembly members to ensure that revenue collectors perform well.

Mr Beneto Owusu-Bio, Member of Parliament for Atwima-Nwabiagya, called on assembly members to co-operate with the assembly for the rapid development of the district.

He cautioned some assembly members who had cultivated the habit of always going on air about certain developments in the assembly and described the practice as unhealthy and must be condemned by all.

Source:
GNA

Today is a public holiday


Today, Monday, October 15 is a public holiday.
A statement signed by the sector Minister, Mr. Kwamena Bartels said since Eidul-Fitr falls on Saturday, October 13, President John Agyekum Kufuor had declared Monday a public holiday.
The statement therefore called on the general public to observe it throughout the country.


Source:
GNA

Baah-Wiredu wins World Bank award



Accra, Oct. 14, GNA - The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu has been given the Top Reforming African Country award by the World Bank in London.
The award, in a form of a glass shield is given to the best reforming economic system in Africa, a statement from the Ghana High Commission in London received in Accra on Sunday said.

The statement said he shares this year's honour jointly with the Finance Minister of Kenya, Mr Amos Kimunya and Finance Minister of Mauritius, Mr Ali Mansoor all of whom were present at the Unilever headquarters in London to receive the awards.

The ceremony, which formed part of a day's seminar of Doing Business 2008, organised by the World Bank, the U.K. Department of International Development (DFID), BusinessActionforAfrica with the support of Unilever was attended by leading World Bank officials and over 100 chief executives of transnational corporations.

The award presentations were done by the Vice President for Financial and Private Sector Development of the World Bank, Michael U. Klein, who praised the three ministers for steering their economies and business environments from rough roads to greater reform and growth. Mr Baah-Wiredu, with his award in right hand and the flag of Ghana in the left, said the reforms in Ghana had not only led to strategic legislations in the financial and procurement areas but also to general checks and balances in all over administration.

The reforms, he said, accounted partly for the growth in the economy but there was still much to be done even with over 60 per cent of targeted reforms having been carried out.
"It is not a one day business" he said, and thanked the World Bank and other development partners as well as those who had worked on reforms in Ghana for their dedication.
"The Doing Business" reviews, upon which the awards are given and for which Ghana previously placed as the ninth best country to do business, look at 10 areas of everyday business measurements: starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business.
The indicators are used to analyze reforms and business regulation, identifying which countries are improving their business environment the most and which ones slip.
They are also used to check economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where and why.


Source:
GNA

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