Aflao (V/R), March 8, GNA - Mr Moses Atsu Kumalor, a retired Sailor, has advised the government to act with dispatch to tackle the massive smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring Togo from the Ketu-South District. He said the situation was worrying as smugglers were ferrying thousands of litres of petroleum products by sea and land into Togo daily.

Mr Kumalor, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Aflao, suggested the reconstitution of the District Anti-Fuel Smuggling Security Task Force. He said the illicit trade, which resurfaced when prices were lowered in December last year, would worsen as a result of further decreases in price this week. He urged the authorities to compel the GPRTU and other transport associations to always reduce transport fares commensurate with fuel price cuts so that the average commuter could benefit. Mr Kumalor held that only transport operators stood to make windfalls from oil price reductions unless commercial drivers were made to reduce fares drastically.

Investigations by the GNA showed that a litre of petrol which currently costs about 82Gp in Ghana, attracts the equivalent of GH¢1.32 in Togo. A fuel station attendant in Togo confirmed to the GNA that petrol was virtually pouring in from Ghana by land and sea. The Aflao Police also confirmed the situation and blamed Fuel Station managers in and around Aflao for colluding with the smugglers. The Police said many of the smugglers have devised means of swimming with gallons of fuel by sea into Togo.

Calm returns to Afuta after confrontation between

police and residents

Afuta (V/R), March 8, GNA - Calm has returned to the Volta Regional town of Afuta, near Agbozume after a confrontation between residents and policemen who scaled the walls into a house in search of a suspect alleged to have committed assault. The action of the police followed a complaint by a cyclist that he was assaulted by some people in the town on February 28 this year, after he accidentally rode through them. Acting on the complaint, five policemen went into the town and scaled the fence into the house around 0300 hours, but failed to locate the suspect.

An elder in the house told the Ghana News Agency that the sound of the policemen scaling the wall woke them up and that they came in wielding guns and demanding the whereabouts of a suspect who, they claimed lived in the house. However the enraged occupants of the house and some neighbours confronted the police on why they should scale the wall into the house at such a time arguing that they could have knocked and entered through the doorway. The residents also asked the police to apologise. But the police insisted that they acted within the law and threatened to arrest the people should they attempt to harass them.

Bolgatanga, March 7, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday stressed the need for a feasibility study on the Pwalugu Tomato Factory to enable Government to determine how best it would intervene to keep the factory running all-year-round.

He said he would visit the area again at a future date with the Minister of Food and Agriculture and the Minister of Trade and Industries for a detailed assessment of the facility before any definite decisions could be made.

Vice President Mahama was speaking during a tour of the Northern Star Tomato Factory at Pwalugu, near Bolgatanga, at the end of a three-day official visit to the Upper East Region. He said the situation where farmers spent huge sums of money in the production of tomatoes only for the produce to go waste because there was no reliable market for them was a matter of great concern to the Government.

As an immediate step towards ensuring stable market for the produce, Vice President Mahama said his office would liaise with the two Ministries to assist the factory with a capital injection to boost tomato production in the area.

The Vice President pledged government's determination to institute prudent measures to encourage tomato production and processing in the Region as part of a long-term plan to create sustainable jobs for the people.

The Farms Operations Manager of Northern Star Tomato Factory, Mr Kwabena Darkwah, who conducted the Vice President round the facility, mentioned the lack of funds as the main problem hindering its full operation.

He added that although farmers in the Region had cultivated huge quantities of tomatoes, which could serve as raw material for the factory for a long time, there was no money to purchase the produce, thereby putting both the factory and the farmers in an unpleasant situation.

The Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Mr Roy Ayariga said there was at least 10,000 hectares of land that could be put under cultivation at Pwalugu, using water from the White Volta for irrigation. With the availability of water-pumping machines and other logistics, farmers in the area would be capable of producing tomato, maize or onions all-year-round, he added.

Tomato glut in the Upper East Region has been an annual phenomenon because farmers do not have reliable markets for their produce. Ironically, the main buyers known as Market Queens find unorthodox means of constantly exploiting the farmers by delaying the buying of the produce.

In less than a month the price of tomatoes has drastically been reduced from 120 Ghana Cedis per a crate to a little above 10 Ghana Cedis, following the lack of market and unavailable storage facilities for the produce.

Accompanying the Vice President were the Minister of Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka; Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo and Mr Mahama Ayariga, Spokesperson for President John Evans Atta Mills.

Tamale, March 7, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday warned that the government would not shield any one irrespective of political, ethnic or any form of affiliation, found either wielding or keeping weapons in the region.

He said the north had gained notoriety of pulling the trigger at the least provocation and attributed the problem to the culture of impunity, which must not be emulated by any one, "because negative attributes are not copied".

Vice President Mahama gave the warning in Tamale when he addressed National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth who thronged the Northern Regional Residency to welcome him and to discuss with him matters of regional concern so that he would help to solve them.

He directed the security apparatus in the Region to carry out their duties professionally without fear but advised them not shield anyone who breached the peace "because he belongs to party A or party B". The meeting was also meant to assure the youth that government was still putting its house in order and to let them know that their efforts in helping to win power in 2008 would not be fruitless.

The Vice President said: "You are not supposed to have a weapon. That is the law. If you are caught keeping weapons, it would not matter whether you are NDC or NPP you would be prosecuted."

He said: "If we complain of people, who fired gun shots and got away without arrests in the past, you should not fire shots and expect to get away with it because the rule of law is now going to work." He said "the NDC campaigned on a message of 'change' and that the 'change' would not come by itself unless we stopped conflicts and contributed our quota towards that 'change'. "Ghanaians are watching us and after we failed to perform to the aspiration of the people we would have ourselves to blame in four years' time," he emphasised.

Vice President Mahama said Tamale was the hub of the three Northern Regions, which called for the need for lasting peace to prevail so that investors would come in to accelerate the rate of development. "I would want that the next time I am here we should be discussing development projects and counting on our successes instead of talking about conflicts that are drawing the Northern clock of development backwards."

He used the occasion to appeal to Ghanaians to remain patient and wait for the government to settle before embarking on a nationwide thank you tour and gave the assurance that no one's labour would be in vain since the NDC's 'Better Ghana campaign promise' would be fulfilled. Some of the youth expressed concern about persons who wielded weapons in the past and shot in open without any arrest or prosecution and called for punitive measures to be put in place to ensure that the culture of impunity stopped.

Vice President Mahama was accompanied by Mr Cletus Avoca, The Interior Minister and Mahama Ayariga, Press Secretary to the President. They had earlier visited Bawku, another conflict area in the Upper East Region, where he met with the two feuding factions.

Winneba, March 6, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe, on Thursday visited some accident victims on admission at the Winneba Government Hospital and wished them speedy recovery. The Regional Minister, accompanied by Mr Michael Essando, the Central Regional Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Effutu NDC constituency chairman Mr Kojo Bondze expressed regret at the number of road accidents in recent times.

The Regional minister and his entourage were conducted round the wards by Dr Prosper Kwame Aniwa, Medical Superintendent of the hospital. Three people are on admission and are responding well to treatment. They are e made up of two of the Gomoa Potsin and one from Gomoa Okyereko accidents.

Four people died 18 were injured when a metro mass bus they were travelling on from Accra to Agona Swedru ran into a tipper truck at Gomoa Potsin on February 19. Eleven people died, 10 on the spot and one later in hospital, when a Ford bus they were travelling on from Takoradi to Accra rammed into a stationary articulator truck on March 02.

The minister expressed regret that a lot of people were losing their lives through road accidents and urged the media to educate drivers on responsible driving. Madam Benyiwa Doe commended staff of the hospital for attending painstakingly to accident victims despite limited resources. The minister on behalf of the RCC presented 1,000 Ghana cedis to the hospital for the upkeep of the victims.

As the debate on whether or not the decision to honour Ghana’s first President as ‘Founder’ of Ghana should be expanded to acknowledge the other Founding Fathers, the words of Majority Leader, Alban Bagbin clearly support the collective recognition approach.

Addressing the issue of who did what in Ghana’s march towards March 6, 1957, Mr Bagbin called for the recognition of the leadership role played by men such as Joseph Boakye Danquah.

“It is true,” he told Parliament, “that Dr J B Danquah was the spirit behind the struggle to the attainment of independence. He is really one of the architects of the struggle for our independence. He was the talent, he was the thought, he was the moving spirit behind the whole scene and he contributed tremendously to the achievement of independence in 1957.”

Stressing on the collective, Mr Babgin said in Parliament on February 28, 2007, that “I think together, led by some individuals including Dr J B Danquah, our grandfathers did well by achieving independence for us.” He warned, “We should not allow emotions to becloud the gallant efforts of all our founding members.”

Mr Bagbin received support from other NDC MPs, including George Kuntu-Blankson who noted, “It will interest the House to know that history is made by people but it is not a single individual that makes history.”

The Mfantsiman East MP stressed that the foundation of Ghana was a “collective effort.”

He warned against, what he called, the “singling out” of an individual’s efforts: “We have reached a stage in this country where there is the need for us to talk about the achievements of the collective --- so that our young generation also could learn something out of this.”

Lee Ocran, then MP for Jomoro (the seat is now held by Nkrumah’s daughter, Samia), acknowledged the work of the First Vice President of the United Gold Coast Convention, R S Blay, (the late father of President Kufuor’s Special Advisor at the Castle, Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse and an ancestor of Freddy Blay), former Deputy Speaker.

Mr Ocran said our founding fath ers included “ordinary men” like the striking railway workers of Sekondi-Tarkoradi. Warning against the distortion of history, Mr Ocran added, “We should acknowledge the roles played by various people. Ako-Adjei played his part. Without Ako-Adjei, Kwame Nkrumah would not have come to the Gold Coast. And so were others.”

The decision by President John Mills to make Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday, 21 September, a Founder’s Day, marked by a public holiday, has received mixed reactions, with the Nkrumaists hailing it and the Danquah-Busiasts calling instead for recognition of the collective nationalist front, symbolised by the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention on August 4, 1947.

Speaking to The Statesman, former MP for Abuakwa North, J B Danquah Adu, a descendant of Dr Danquah, carried the shared sentiment of the Danquah-Busiasts, by saying, President Mills is free to honour Nkrumah’s exceptional contribution to African and, even, Ghanaian politics with as many holidays as the President likes. “But what he is not free to do and can never be acceptable is to call any such day ‘Founder’s Day’. Ghana, as an independent state, has many fathers and to give that honour to Nkrumah alone would do great injustice to our history, the people who made that history and to the hallowed idea of patriotism for now and generations to come.”

According Mr Danquah Adu, who made the statement in the House two years ago that led to Mr Bagbin’s response, though the breakaway of Nkrumah to form the CPP in 1949 broke the anti-colonialism front, the country had already been brought “to the threshold of full self-government” as a result of the Watson Commission (1948) and the subsequent Coussey Committee Constitutional Report (1949), which paved the way for the 1951 elections.

He quotes a statement of Dr Danquah made in January 1960: “When independence was achieved the CPP has not been formed. The inauguration of independence took place when CPP was in power, but the priest who baptises a child is not by any chance the child’s parents.”

In 1948, the Watson Commission, set up after the February 28 massacre and riots, recommended that the people of Ghana were fit to achieve independence within ten years.

Nkrumah ceremonially declared Ghana independent in 1957, nearly a decade after Paa Grant and others of the UGCC drew up the plan for Ghana’s liberation, namely, “to ensure that in the shortest possible time,… the control and direction of the Government of the country shall pass into the hands of the people,…” and 8 years after Nkrumah screamed “Independence Now!”

Free school uniform for 1.6 million pupils

in public basic schools

Accra, March 5, GNA - The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwabena Duffuor on Thursday presented the 2009 Budget Statement to Parliament. The highlights included:

Provision of school uniforms to 1.6 million pupils in public basic schools throughout the country; Free supply of exercise books to pupils in public basic schools Increase in the capitation grant from three Ghana cedis to four Ghana cedis, fifty pesewas per year.

Subsidy for examination fees for Basic Education Certificate Examination and that of Senior High School Reduction of some taxes on petroleum products Airport tax for travelling outside West Africa increased from 50 dollars to 75 dollars Import duties on rice, wheat and cooking oil re-imposed Oil, Mining and Forestry companies to repatriate part of their retention to Ghana Companies that bring in staff available locally to be surcharged National Youth Employment Programme to be transformed into Youth Employment Service and made permanent.

Abolition of five per cent contribution by rural communities towards the provision of potable water Lands Commission, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Registrar General's Department, Land Title Registry and Immigration Service to extend their working hours The Company Code to be reviewed Registered Queen Mothers to receive allowances Accountant General Department to undertake nation-wide head count of Pensioners Ferry Services on Volta Lake to be improved.

Reactivation of Aveyime Rice Project Establishment of Members of Parliament Development Fund Establishment of Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and re-activation of Central Region Development Company (CEDECOM) Narcotic Control Law (PNDC Law 236) to be reviewed. Thirty per cent of construction work to be reserved for local contractors

Accra, March 5, GNA - A total amount of 3,757,185 Ghana Cedis has been allocated the tourism sector to enable it to effectively perform. In the budget statement presented to parliament on Thursday by Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said out of the allocation, the Government of Ghana was providing 3,372,185 Ghana cedis and Internally Generated Fund (IGF) was provided 385,000 Ghana Cedis respectively.

Dr Duffuor said it had been estimated that with strong support by Government, tourism could become a lead foreign exchange earner and an economic engine for wealth creation, employment generation and poverty reduction within a short time since tourism had economic potential far beyond its current performance.

He said the Ministry would therefore decentralize tourism development and focus on community-based tourism, as a tool for poverty reduction.

"To achieve this objective, Government would facilitate the improvement in standards of tourism attractions to promote patronage, develop efficient marketing strategies and enhance quality services of the hospitality industry," he said.

He said the Ministry of Tourism would also participate in three International conferences as well as four International and domestic fairs and exhibitions and also organize four major events including a National Chocolate Day, Regatta, Carnival, Emancipation and PANAFEST celebrations.

"In addition Ghana will host the UNWTO International Celebration of the World Tourism Day, which would give the country an opportunity to showcase its tourism potentials," he said.

Dr Duffuor mentioned that the Ministry would also produce and distribute tourism promotional materials in and outside of the country through Ghana's Missions abroad and ensure the repackaging and marketing of Ghana's major festivals as well as launching Ghana's Tourism Brand.

He said the Ministry would further develop and upgrade an official tourism website to enhance global access to Ghana's tourism and collaboration with the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Secretariat to establish national hospitality standards, accreditation and certification for hospitality training institutions.

On the performance of the Ministry in the year 2008, the Minister said the Ministry participated in six international conferences overseas and organized one international Seminar in Accra.

He mentioned some of the activities as the High Level Diaspora-led investment, as sources of financing for enhanced growth and development in Africa, (Cape Town, South Africa), the first US Africa Tourism and Sports Seminar -"Making Africa the World's next premiere travel destination" (New York) and the Diasporan International Conference, (Sydney, Australia). He said the Ministry also hosted the UNWTO Regional Seminar and workshop on Tourism and Handcrafts which were two key sectors to contribute to poverty reduction and Economic Development in Africa in Accra, Ghana.

He also mentioned the National Chocolate Day, the Para-Gliding, Emancipation and the Joseph Project as well as the World Tourism Day, as four key annual event held by the Ministry of Tourism in 2008 which greatly promoted tourism in the country.

"Other activities undertaken include: the printing of 30,000 promotional brochures which were distributed to target groups, 2,186 accommodations and catering establishments in both formal and informal sectors inspected and issued with operational licenses as part of ensuring standards and quality service delivery, completed the construction of a new building for Ghana Tourist Board Head Office and held the 8th National Tourism Awards for industry practitioners to promote competition and excellence in service delivery,"

he said.

Dr Duffuor said the Ministry organized training for 106 members of staff in various professional and industry related courses to improve service delivery. It also organised training for 5,386 hospitality service providers to enhance service delivery during the CAN 2008. He said the Hotel, Catering and Training Institute (HOTCATT), a training wing of the Ministry, offered pre-industry training for 239 school leavers in the following industry related Skills: front desk office operations, housekeeping, food and beverage production, tour guiding and ground handling skills.

The Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) also collaborated with FAO, CEDECOM and Ghana Maritime Academy to train 164 food service providers, Trade Association Executives and 29 Life-guards/pool attendants on aquatic life saving.

He said work was started on two Tourist Receptive Facilities at Akwamufie and Saltpond in the Eastrn and Central Regions, in addition to the 21 located at various districts country-wide to open-up these sites for increased patronage.

Accra, March 4, GNA - The Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the circumstances and causes of the series of power outages at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) last Monday. A press release signed by Mr Kweku Sersah-Johnson, Director of Public Affairs of the Ministry, said the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah called for the probe after he inspected the electrical power plant installation at the Airport.

The release said the Minister described the incident as embarrassing and needed thorough investigation to establish what really went wrong.

It added that the minister expressed his regrets to travellers and the public for the inconvenience and gave the assurance that efforts were being made to forestall future occurrences of such magnitude. The press release said Mr Giles Appeatu-Mensah, Electrical Manager of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), informed the minister that when the national power grid tripped, resulting in the outages, the standby generators of the GACL were switched on immediately but a problem with the distribution network most likely prevented the supply of energy to feed the system.

It said Mrs Essie Annor-Sackey, Managing Director of the GACL, assured the Minister that she and her staff were committed to making the KIA an aviation destination and hub in West Africa.

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President reminded to include physically challenged

in government

Accra, March 4, GNA - The physically challenged on Wednesday repeated their request to President John Evans Atta Mills to appoint competent and qualified persons with disability (PWD) to high political offices.

They also urged the President to inaugurate the National Council on Persons with Disability (NCPWD) to give voice to persons with disability (PWD) for them to participate in mainstream national development process.

                      ..at Parliament of Ghana

                       (c) EventPicture.co.uk  &  ghana-net.com

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Bolgatanga, March 4, GNA - Mr. Cletus Kosiba, Executive Director of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), has urged government to increase support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to ensure the country's economic growth.

He said that even though SMEs created industries, employment, and stimulated export, numerous constraints have bedevilled their operations. Mr. Kosiba was speaking at a validation workshop, dubbed " AGI SMEs Agenda 2008" and organised by AGI, to formulate a policy proposal for the growth and development of SMEs in the country, in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region.

He noted that SMEs formed the backbone of the country's economy and it was against this background that the association was developing the AGI SMEs Agenda 2008. Mr. Kosiba said that the association was organising similar workshops throughout the country, and the outcome would be incorporated into the National Authority of the AGI to be forwarded to government for consideration as a bill to enhance the operations of SMEs. He said the "fact-based agenda" would identify priorities and present a plan of action for better business environment, to unleash full potentials of small companies in all regions in Ghana. Mr. Kosiba said that the AGI SMEs Agenda 2008 would include "processing of views from 1,000 chief executives and owners of SMEs from all the regions, analysis of infrastructure, regulatory and administrative framework and bench marking the business environment in each region."

He said that the Agenda would ensure the justification of findings of regional workshops, bringing together SMEs, private sector representatives and government officials, recommendations for improved business environment in the country and the consolidation of suggestions and prioritization at a national SMEs conference to be held in Accra. Mr. Kosiba said this would enable the association to present practical policy suggestions to government for an improved business environment in the country.

Mr. Kosiba said that during Election 2008, the intentions of the AGI were made to the various presidential candidates, who promised to fulfil the objectives if they won power, and expressed optimism that President John Evans Atta Mills would consider the views of the association. He said the National Investment Bank, Ernest and Young Company, GTZ, UNIDO were providing technical and financial assistance to the AGI project.

Mr. Samuel N'lary, Chief Director at the Regional Coordinating Council, commended AGI for its initiatives to support the economy. He reminded Ghanaians that the private sector was the engine of growth of the economy and concerted efforts must be made to enhance the sector.

Mr. N'lary said government had created an enabling environment, by formulating policies, providing infrastructure, capital and enacting legislations such as Public Procurement Act and Internal Audit Act to promote SMEs.

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Accra, March 3, GNA - The former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has stressed the commitment of the 31st December Women's Movement to the empowerment of women to enable them to cater for their families, especially the children.

She was addressing traders at the Makola Market also known as the 31st December Market in Accra on Tuesday at a mini rally to thank them for their support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the last December election.

Nana Konadu explained that the focus of the Movement was because of the role of women as mothers, wives, house-keepers and bread winners of their families.

She called on the women to continue their support for the NDC, which, she said, was a social democratic organization with the welfare of the people as a top priority unlike the former ruling New Patriotic Party that stands for a property owning democracy.

She noted that instead of moving the country forward and caring for the needs of the people, members of the previous government amassed wealth to the detriment of the economy leading to a social breakdown with cocaine, armed robbery and other scandals.

Nana Konadu noted that even though Ghanaians had voted for a change, it had not been as sweeping as it should and said that, the government would honour its campaign promises contained in the party's manifesto including providing uniforms for all school children. The government would also tackle the problem of poverty in the country, which had been made worse in the last eight years of economic and financial mismanagement.

Madam Sherry Aryeetey, Minister for Science and Environment, stated that Ghanaians had now seen the difference between the NDC and the NPP and would never again give power to the NPP.

She said facilities provided at the market for the welfare of the traders which were privatized by the NPP government would be returned to the Market Women's Association.

The Minister urged the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to use some of the revenue it collects from the market to repair structures and to provide new ones.

Madam Aryeetey expressed concern about sanitation and the refuse dump in front of the market, which was also disrupting traffic and said, she would invite the Environmental Sanitation Officers of the AMA to find a solution to the problem.

Madam Mercy Needjan, Secretary of the Market Women's Association, expressed gratitude to Nana Konadu and her entourage for recognizing their contribution to the success of the NDC and paying a visit to the market.

Madam Juliana Adjoa Mensah, leader of the Tomato Sellers Association later presented vegetables and other items to the former First Lady and her entourage which included Mrs. Ato Quarshie and Mrs Kuma Mintah, Greater Accra Regional Co-coordinator of the Movement.

Source:GNA

Accra, March 3, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday urgently appealed to all the sides in the Bawku conflict to lay down their arms immediately. He has also ordered reinforcement of military and police personnel to the area to protect lives and property and urged all the residents of the municipality and its environs to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to restore peace, law and order in the area.

A statement signed by Mr Mahama Ayariga, Presidential Spokesperson, said President Mills had also directed Vice President John Dramani Mahama, to visit Bawku immediately to meet with all sides in the conflict with a view to finding an amicable lasting settlement of the issues in the metropolis. The statement said President Mills had learnt with deep worry the resurgence of violent clashes in the Bawku Municipality and its environs and was very troubled by the consequent loss of lives and destruction of property.

"The President wishes to reiterate his commitment to ensure that every Ghanaian enjoys peace in every part of the country," it said. Renewed clashes between the Kussasis and Mamprusis in the long running Bawku chieftaincy dispute have claimed two lives.

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Accra, March 3, GNA - The Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka has renewed the curfew imposed on the Bawku Municipality, the Gushegu township and their immediate environs, with effect from Monday, March 2, 2009, an official statement said on Tuesday.

A Statement from the Interior Ministry signed by Mr Avoka said the decision was based on the advice of the Upper East and Northern Regional Security Councils, respectively, and by Executive Instrument. The curfew hours remain unchanged for the Bawku Municipality and the Gushegu township from 12 midnight to 0400 hours each day. The statement appealed to the people in those areas to exercise maximum restraint and help bring lasting peace to their communities and the country as a whole.

It said government expected that the prevailing peace would be maintained to ensure rapid socio-economic development of the communities concerned and the regions in general.

The statement reiterated that the ban on all persons in the Bawku Municipal area, as well as the Zabugu, Binduri, Pusiga, Zoasi and Gushegu townships and their environs from carrying arms, ammunitions and other offensive weapons was still in force and any person found with any arms or ammunition would be prosecuted.

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 8% of Europe’s drugs pass through Ghana

 View to the Port of Western Naval Command in Sekondi  (c) ghana-net.com

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Asantehene worried about unauthorized structures

in Kumasi

* 02.03.2008

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 Eleven people die in accident on Winneba-Accra road

Winneba (C/R), March 2, GNA - At least 11 people have died; 10 on the spot, and one later at the Winneba Government Hospital, when a Takoradi-Accra bound passenger Ford bus rammed into a broken-down articulated truck at Gomoa Okyereko, near Winneba on Monday morning. The Effutu Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Nana Ofori, told the Ghana News Agency that six others, including driver of the bus were in critical condition at the hospital.

 STOP OVERLOADING AND OVERSPEEDING!  STOP!

ASP Ofori said the corpses, which were yet to be identified, had been deposited at the hospital's mortuary for autopsy. Nana Ofori appealed to members of the public, especially those whose relatives were travelling from Takoradi to Accra to check on them and when necessary contact the Winneba Police. He expressed concern about the rate of accident on the Winneba-Accra road and appealed to drivers to be extra careful. According to the Police, about four accidents have occurred within the past 14 days claiming many lives.

Source: GNA

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Kumasi, Mar. 2, GNA - Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, Minister for Youth and Sports, has urged members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to be tolerant to divergent political views.

He said multi-party democracy was about pursuing one's ideological agenda but with respect to others political views and ideas noting that under no circumstance

"should we fight each other in our political activities".

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Court asks police to get ready for trial in

Chinese sex trade case

Accra, March 2, GNA - A Circuit Court in Accra on Monday ordered the Police to assemble all witnesses in the case of three Chinese who were busted for transporting and trafficking 10 Chinese girls to engage in the sex trade in Ghana so that trial could begin. The court said it was ready to hear the case on Saturdays, pointing out that it had the caveat of the Chief Justice to sit on Saturdays. It, however, tasked the three Chinese to assist the Police with information on the whereabouts of three of the victims who cannot be traced.

"If you assist the Police to trace the three victims I will grant you bail. The whereabouts of the three victims are of more importance to me than those in the dock," the trial judge Mrs Elizabeth Ankomah said. James Xu Jin, 41, who is believed to be the ring leader and night club operator, Sam Shan Ying, a housewife and Chou Xiu Ying, a night club operator, are facing charges of conspiracy and human trafficking. They have pleaded not guilty and have been remanded into police custody to reappear on March 5.

The audience at the court was thrown into laughter when a Chinese interpreter translated the charges and facts brought against them. Shouts by the court warrant officers "Order, Order" could not stop the audience from laughing. The display by the prosecution of a carved male organ, contraceptives and medicine led to more laughter.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mary Agbozo, the prosecutor, objected to bail application put in by counsel of the accused persons, Mr D.O.K. Johnson. ASP Agbozo contended that because the accused persons were foreign nationals they might abscond. According to her, the Police had not been able to trace the whereabouts of three of the victims and prayed the court to compel the accused persons to assist the Police to trace them.

Mr Johnson prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail because they had cooperated with the police in their investigations. According to him the issues raised by the Police were based on allegations.

The prosecution said the Police had information that some Chinese nationals had trafficked a number of Chinese ladies to Ghana for sexual exploitation. Consequently, on February 14 this year, a group of Police officers from the Criminal Investigations Department led other police personnel to the house of the three accused person at La in Accra. The prosecution said when the police proceeded to the house they rescued seven of the victims, adding that, the whereabouts of three of the victims were unknown. A search conducted in the house revealed condoms, contraceptives, wooden carved male organs and other medications and various sums of money, some of which belonged to the victims.

The Police further impounded a Toyota saloon car with registration number GE 9314 W believed to have been used in transporting the victims for the sex trade. ASP Agbozo said investigations revealed that James and San Shan, a couple, transported the victims from China while Chow sent the victims to their respective clients. The prosecution said one of the victims Tin Tin who could speak English told them that James and San Shan brought them to Ghana and they were paid 150 dollars on their return from the rounds.

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Accra, March 2, GNA - The European Commission on Monday assured government of its continued support to help promote the country's cultural heritage for economic development. Mr. Filiberto Ceriano Sebregondi, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation, said the EU considered culture as an important part of its cooperative programmes with Africa as a way to promote intercultural dialogue, cultural heritage, indigenous industries and improve access to European markets for ACP cultural goods and services.

Mr. Sebregondi said this when he paid a courtesy call on Mr. Alex Asuma-Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, in Accra. The courtesy call was to congratulate the Minister on his appointment, brief him on EU cooperative programmes in the cultural sector and to inform him that he (Sebregondi) would leave the country this month at the end of duty tour.

Touching on ongoing EU cultural support projects, Mr Sebregondi said the National Commission on Culture was receiving two million Euros to implement a Cultural Initiatives Support Programme aimed at strengthening the innovative and organizational capacity of cultural actors. He said the programme which would end in 2010, would also support the country's national cultural strategy in areas of human resource development, employment, income generation, research and non-state actors in the sector. He said the EU had also supported government to rehabilitate the Usher Fort, Elmina Fort and other heritage sites to empower the local people to benefit economically from such monuments, adding that, it also had a project that helped to develop the indigenous textile industry.

Mr. Sebregondi acknowledged the country's effort to promote its cultural heritage and urged government to continue to do more. Mr. Asuma-Ahensah thanked the EU for its support to the cultural sector and pledged that government would do more to develop the sector. In a related development, the Minister interacted with various heads of agencies and departments under the Ministry and called for their support to promote the sector.

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