Four die in Kasoa accident
Four people have been confirmed dead and several others injured in a fatal accident on the Accra-Kasoa road on Sunday.
The driver of a Benz bus with registration number GW 776S is reported to have run into a number of street hawkers when he attempted to dodge traffic jam.
DSP Kwesi Ofori Director of Public Relations of the Police confirmed the number of deaths in an interview with Joy news' Evans Mensah.
According to him, the injured, have been rushed to the Kasoa General Hospital for treatment, adding that investigations will be swiftly conducted to find out the real cause of the accident.
Meanwhile a police man who spoke with Joy news on anonymity said the driver of the Benz bus absconded after the hawkers attempted to lynch him.
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EC should show commitment to fair elections - NDC Chairman
Accra, Aug 24, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has been urged to show its commitment to a free and fair election devoid of violence and conflict.
Speaking in Accra on Saturday, the Chairman of the Odododiodioo Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Daniel Okai, said days after the extension of the recent registration of voters the EC was registering some people at its headquarters in Accra. He said as on the 16th and 17th of August long queues could be seen at the EC headquarters of people being registered.
Enquiries at the EC indicated that the Commission was engaged in what it called "protocol registration" while other officials claimed it was only replacing lost identity cards of voters who had called at the headquarters with the problem, he said.
Mr Okai stated that, while it did not doubt the integrity of the Commission to conduct a free and fair election its operations must be "above board" in a transparent manner to avoid both pre and post election violence, which could throw the country into conflict.
He gave the particulars of a registration receipt with polling station number C050334 for one Alagum Ene Anyederry, a male age 26 issued on 12 August 2008 as one of the voters registered at the headquarters. According to Mr Okai, those registered at the EC would be transferred to various polling stations to vote and said he was aware that some of them had been sent to his constituency.
He cautioned the EC to avoid the situation where there would be many challenges when the Voters Register was exhibited for public scrutiny, which could create tension before, during and after the elections.
"This year's election is very crucial since we must maintain the peace and tranquillity the country has been enjoying over the years for posterity", he said.
The NDC Constituency Chairman noted that the electoral guidelines of the EC stipulate that registration of voters was centred around residence and polling stations and questioned why the Commission would register people at its headquarters and transfer them to polling stations instead of the voters registering at the polling station nearest their residences.
He said, "I hope this is not a ploy to beef up the voters of a particular or any party in their Waterloo areas", adding that such a move would be a recipe for election violence and conflict.
Mr Okai called on the EC to come out with the list of those it had registered under "the so-called protocol registration" and where they would be transferred to avoid doubts and suspicion.
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Hohoe Municipality Registers 13,464 Eligible Voters
Hohoe, Aug. 24, GNA-A total of 13,464 qualified applicants were registered under the 13-day limited voter registration exercise in the Hohoe Municipality by the close of the process.
It recorded 4,521 applicants, who have just turned 18 years, which constituted 13.5 percent of the total eligible voters registered with 1,821 and 7,122 applicants being categorized into 19 years and 20 plus years respectively.
Mr David Acheampong, Hohoe Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) briefing the Ghana News Agency said a total of 8,524 were provided with photo identity cards (ID) while the remaining 4,940 who completed the exercise alright but without passport-size photograph are yet to be provided with IDs.
He said those applicants would be taken care of under the mopping up exercise, which would be announced nationwide.
Mr Acheampong said EC documented 5,615 eligible voters in the 2006 limited registration exercise for the Local government elections, which recorded percentage increases of 58.3 over that exercise.
He believed that this might have been responsible for the shortages experienced during the recent voter registration exercise because their projections were swallowed by the multitude of eligible voters who swarmed the registration centres.
Mr Acheampong said double registration by applicants was not reported but three applications were challenged for nationality.
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State burial for Ala Adjetey
The former Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey, who passed away last July, is to be accorded a state burial in recognition of his distinct career and contribution to national development.
President J.A. Kufuor, who announced this at the Castle, Osu, on Friday has therefore directed the State Protocol to liaise with the family of the late Speaker for the organisation of a fitting funeral for the deceased.
The President received a delegation from the family of Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, who called on him to formally inform him of the passing away of their beloved relative. At the Castle to receive the delegation were the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Mr Joe Ghartey, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Peter Mac Manu, Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), some Members of Parliament and party gurus.
The former Speaker, 76, left behind a wife and 10 children. He was onetime Member of Parliament, the President of the Ghana Bar Association and Akyempimhene of Abiriw.
The burial and funeral of the late Speaker are scheduled to take place from October 9 to 10, 2008.
President Kufuor expressed his deep condolence and that of the government to the bereaved family and said indeed the country had lost an illustrious and distinguished son.
He said Mr Ala Adjetey was one of the sons of the country and the nation owed it a duty to accord him a state burial.
In a short tribute paid on behalf of the government, Mr Ghartey recalled his personal association with the late Speaker and said the former Speaker was a legal giant and luminary, who encouraged young lawyers to rise and shine.
He said the late Speaker served in several capacities and devoted part of his efforts towards the promotion of constitutionalism.
Quoting from the celebrated English poet and author, William Shakespeare, Mr Ghartey said the world was a stage and there was time of entry and time of exit but for him “Peter Ala Adjetey was larger than life".
In another development, a delegation from Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region informed the President of the death of Osabarima Kena Ampaw, the chief of Kukurantumi Traditional Area and Adontenhene of Akyem Abuakwa State.
Osabarima Kena Ampaw, 67, who passed away on December 22, left behind a wife and five children. Until his death, he was a member of the Audit Service Board.
According to Osabarima Adusei Piase, Chief of Tafo, who led the delegation, the burial and funeral of the late chief had been slated for August 28-31, 2008.
President Kufuor expressed his condolence and that of the government to the bereaved family and the chiefs and people of the traditional area.
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Political parties advised not to see themselves as enemies
Kumasi, Aug. 23, GNA- The Most Reverend Thomas Kwaku Mensah, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, has urged political parties and their followers not to regard themselves as enemies but to campaign peacefully as the country was preparing towards the December 7 polls. He noted that Ghanaians cherish peace, stability, democracy and development and that nothing should be done to thwart the effort of the country towards the attainment of such objectives.
Most Rev Mensah was speaking at the National Civic and Voter Education Programme organized by the Dialogue and Advocacy for Good Governance (DAGG), a non-governmental Organization (NGO) of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference in Kumasi on Friday.
The programme attended by over 70 participants selected from the various diocese of the Catholic Church was under the theme: "A Well Informed Electorate-An Asset to our Fledgling Democracy". He said Ghana should be seen as beacon of hope for all the people in the Sub-Sahara and asked Ghanaians to work hard to support the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure violent free elections. Most Rev Mensah advised the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to intensify its educational programmes to sensitize the people towards their political awareness as citizens of the country. The Archbishop called on the Media to give accurate and genuine reportage on events and avoid any sensationalism which could resort to violence, chaos and other negative practices Mr David Kangah, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission said, according to the national census the total population of the country is 22 million as against the EC's figure of 20 million people. He said such a problem in the disparities in the population census was likely to affect the credibility of the elections and hoped that the EC would work harder to address such problem to enable the country has a credible voters register. He disclosed that the EC targeted one million people in the recent voter's registration exercise and regretted that the number exceeded the target because a quite number of unexpected people took part in the registration exercise.
The Deputy Chairman announced that the Commission would soon mount an exhibition of voters register to enable the Commission weed out all bad elements in the voters register. Mr. Kangah stressed the need for observers and polling agents to be vigilant in polling centres to monitor and supervise the elections to ensure incident free elections. He commended the church for its contributions towards socio-economic and political development towards improving the living conditions of the people. Mrs. Augustina A. Akumanyi, Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Programmes of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), said the Commission was doing its best to raise the level of political awareness on the roles and responsibilities of the people in the country. She appealed to the government to resource the Commission with adequate funds and logistics to enable it work efficiently and effectively. Monsignor Douglas Peters, Vicar Peters in a welcoming address said that DAGG has been vibrant and more participatory democratic society that seeks good governance towards a just and dignified society. She called on the participants to help enlighten the people on their civic roles and responsibilities to help ensure accelerated growth of the country.
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CJA Statement on sale of GT
COMMITTEE FOR JOINT ACTION (CJA) PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT ON THE SALE OF GHANA TELECOM
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media,
We thank you very much for meeting with us once again at such short notice. The purpose of this meeting is to focus on how the NPP government, in its enthusiasm to take us back into slavery, completely ignored the national interest in the sale of 70% of Ghana Telecom’s shares to Vodafone.
As the days go by it is increasingly becoming clear that they deliberately concealed crucial aspects of the Sales Purchase Agreement from parliament and the people of this country in the effort to deceive and manipulate.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, We are in possession of documents which confirm that Vodafone, aware of the extraordinary zeal of the NPP government to sell Ghana Telecom at any price, made outrageous demands for concessions and reliefs much to the disadvantage of the people of Ghana; and these appear to have been granted.
In a letter to the Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), dated 9th July 2008, Vodafone applied for the following reliefs from the government:
1. Exemption from import duties on capital items for three years; 2. Exemption from Withholding Tax on Interest Payments; 3. Exemption from Corporate Tax in the first three years; 4. Approval to carry forward any losses and offset them against any profits due to the government of Ghana; 5. Higher Immigrant (Foreign Staff) Quota 6. Non-Payment of Stamp Duty/Capital Duty on sale of GT landed Properties by Vodafone
Strangely, the NPP government failed to provide Parliament with details of these unreasonable reliefs. The reliefs were only mentioned in passing in Article 6.1.13 of the Sales Purchase Agreement, hurriedly approved by Parliament without knowing exactly what those “reliefs” and their implications were.
We intend to take these issues in turn to show you how the NPP government has sold the country down the drain by agreeing to these unreasonable demands by Vodafone. 1. Exemption from import duties on capital items for three years; Vodafone is seeking exemption from import duties payable on plant, machinery, equipment or parts thereof for 3 years.
Provisions of Section 24 of Act 478 that set up the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC) entitle enterprises registered with the GIPC to submit an application to avail themselves of incentives provided under Section 23 of the Act. Specifically, such enterprises could apply for exemption from import duties, sales tax or excise duties on plant, machinery, equipment or parts thereof where the items imported fall under Chapters 82, 84, 85 and 98 of the Customs Harmonised Commodity and Tariff Code.
This incentive was available to and enjoyed by all telephone network operators until the Kufuor administration assumed power.
For some time now, the Government has refused to approve applications for the incentive to telephone network operators. Currently all telephone network operators are paying customs duties and V AT on imports of equipment. The question is why should that incentive, which has been withdrawn for other telephone companies, be suddenly granted only to GT at a time when it is being taken over by Vodafone? What informed the earlier decision of the government to refuse to approve applications for the incentive but is now reversing its decision for the sake of the takeover of GT by a foreign company?
Vodafone makes a claim in its request that if they do not have that special relaxation of the rules for them alone, the development of Vodafone’s Ghana Telecom is likely to limit their ability to deploy “cutting edge, state of the art technology”. It is our view that since the other phone operators in Ghana also deploy state of the art technology without the incentive, it is unacceptable to have granted the facility to Vodafone alone?
Ladies and Gentlemen, why should the people of Ghana be deprived of much needed taxes for the sake of only one company? 2. Exemption from Withholding Tax on Interest Payments for a Period of 5 Years; A large part of the additional funding to be contributed to GT by Vodafone or a Vodafone Group company is likely to be contributed by way of debt. An exemption has been granted to Vodafone from the requirement to pay withholding tax on GT’s interest payments for any shareholders loans by Vodafone for a period of five years.
Vodafone is seeking the setting aside of the provisions on thin capitalisation under the provisions of Act 592 to allow interest payment by the new GT to non-resident associated companies, possibly from the Vodafone International Holdings BV. This means tax that must be deducted in excess of the ratio of 2 to 1 for debt to equity as Prescribed under Act 592 will not be deducted.
Agreeing to the above request will result in huge revenue loss to the Ghana government in the following ways:
a) Government will lose withholding tax of 8% on interest paid by Ghana Telecom;
b) Government will also lose 25% tax on the excess interest over and above the limitation placed under the provisions of Act 592 on thin capitalisation;
Total revenue loss to Government is about 33% of interest to be paid by GT under Vodafone, possibly to associated companies of Vodafone. This tax is an asset to Government that should be efficiently utilised for the benefit of the whole country.
Such an arrangement does not make business sense. We say this because the government could have used the tax revenue to shore up its shareholding in Ghana Telecom to ensure that its shares in GT are not diluted.
3. Exemption from Corporate Tax Rate in the first three years Vodafone has been granted an exemption from the payment of corporate tax in the first three financial years of investment. This again represents a loss in revenue to the Ghana Government at the rate of 25% of GT's net profit. The reality in Ghana today is that in recent years, there have been other changes in the ownership of other telephone network operators who were not granted this tax holiday. Since Vodafone has been allowed to carry forward any future losses against the profits of GT, why does the NPP government agree to this extra incentive which exempts them from Corporate Tax even from the meager profits that GT might make? The effect of this decision is that Ghana is not likely to benefit even from our 30% shares. This is a greedy demand by Vodafone which has sadly been acceded to by the NPP Government. 4. Use of Carried Forward Losses to Offset Profits for 5 years Under this arrangement, any costs that Vodafone would incur, and which may result in losses would, for the first five years, will be offset against any possible profits that Ghana Telecom may make in future. We wish to state that such an arrangement was introduced in Act 592 under the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for all companies. However, in 2002, the NPP government restricted the provisions on “carry forward of losses” to three areas: farming, manufacturing for export and mining. In 2006 the Government expanded the provision to cover ICT, Tourism and Agro-processing. ICT is defined under Act 592 to be software development.
It is strange that the government now finds it necessary to reverse the provisions of Act 592 to favour Vodafone. This amounts to tilting the scales of competition in favour of only one company.
We dare ask: what has Vodafone got that its competitors in Ghana don’t have because of which it alone has to be singled out for such a special favourable dispensation?
What deals were hatched between government officials and Vodafone in the course of this transaction that Vodafone has to be treated in a way that makes them more equal than others in the industry? 5. Higher Immigrant (Foreign Staff) Quota Under the Act that set up the GIPC, a foreign company is entitled to a maximum of four persons to work as their expatriate employees in Ghana. Vodafone alone has been granted the following excessive quotas:
a) For the first six months, Vodafone can have a quota of 32 foreign staff b) For up to three years Vodafone can have 23 foreign staff c) After three years, Vodafone can have seventeen foreign staff.
The implication of this is that the new GT will have an over-bloated number of foreign staff who will receive salaries and other benefits that will eventually eat into the potential profits of GT.
In view of the fact that the Sales Purchase Agreement does not contain any provision for the training of Ghanaian staff to give them the capacity and equal opportunity to be employed in very top management positions within the Company, Ghanaians cannot hope for any significant development of human resource to provide them with the capacity to manage the company within its top echelons.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is yet another example of the NPP government taking us along the road to re-colonisation.
6. Non-Payment of Stamp Duty/Capital Duty Vodafone has been granted exemption on the payment of stamp duty on all bonds guarantees, liens or instruments of security for the period of five years. This represents yet further loss to the Government of Ghana in tax revenue.
7. Lastly, we are appalled that the Sales Purchase Agreement accepts that bribes (deceptively described as charitable donations”) paid to government officials, their close relatives or associates were allowed and there would be no prosecutions as long as the bribes did not amount to more than US$10,000. (Article 10.7 of the agreement and Schedule 13 [3.8])
We wish to assure the NPP government and Vodafone that we of the CJA shall continue to fight against this blatant betrayal of the interests of the people of Ghana until the agreement is reversed. This is because we believe that Ghana gains nothing from this dubious transaction.
Source: GhanaWeb-News
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My Gov't will distribute national cake to every corner -Atta Mills
Odoben (C/R), Aug. 23, GNA-The flag bearer of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Prof. John Evans Atta Mills has said a government under his administration would distribute the national cake equally to every part of the country.
He said his government would be to the total development of the country to improve the living condition of every Ghanaian. Prof. Atta Mills said these at well-attended separate rallies at Odoben, Beedum, Jamera, and Brakwa to mobilise the electorate to vote for the NDC during the December general election when he toured Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa district on Friday.
He therefore appealed to the people to vote massively for him as the President and Madam Georgina Nkrumah Aboah as the Member of Parliament for better Ghana.
Professor Atta Mills is being accompanied by Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe, National Woman's Organiser of the NDC, Mr. Yaw Boateng Gyan Deputy National Organiser, Mr, Ato Ahwoi, a member of the Campaign Team and Mr. Valis Achianu, Central Region Chairman of the party. The entourage earlier paid a courtesy call on chiefs of the various towns he visited.
Prof. Atta Mills said, "NPP government could not fulfil the promises they made to Ghanaians before they were voted into office and have also mismanaged the affairs of the country so they must be voted out". He cautioned members of the party not to involve themselves in acts that will bring the name of the party into disrepute. He urged them to tolerate the views and behaviour of people from other political parties to avoid troubles.
Prof. Mills assured cocoa farmers, irrespective of their political affiliation of enough assistance and incentive to expand their farms to increase productivity.
Nana Kobena Yamoah Odikro of Brakwa appealed to Prof. Atta Mills that, when voted into office, he should rehabilitate Brakwa-Akroso-Asamankese road and re-construct the bridge on river Ochi near Ochisoa, which has become a death trap.
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Rawlings calls for free, fair polls
Accra, Aug. 22, GNA - Former President Rawlings has advised Ghanaians to be vigilant during this year's presidential and parliamentary elections.
He has also called on the National Electoral Commission to conduct the election in a manner devoid of controversy. A statement issued in Accra on Thursday by Mr Kofi Adams, Deputy National Youth Organiser, said the former president was speaking at a mammoth rally the NDC organized at Dormaa Ahenkro as part of a two-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.
It said the former president wondered why the Electoral Commission, which had a history of conducting free and fair elections in 1996 and 2000, had suddenly lost track of its efficiency.
On security during the elections he cautioned the police and military to appreciate that their uniform required them to be fair and just to all citizens, irrespective of their political inclinations. He advised them to stop obeying unlawful orders from people just wanted to use them to achieve their parochial interests, adding, "to the men and women who have kept the dignity of the service, ayekoo." The statement said former President Rawlings' visit, which was a fact finding one following the recent limited voter registration exercise, turned into a full blown political campaign.
Constituencies visited during the tour included Asunafo South, Asutifi North, Dormaa East, Dormaa West, Sunyani and Berekum. Those who were in the former president's delegation included Collins Dauda, MP for Asutifi South, Nii Laryea Afortey-Agbo, MP for Kpone Katamanso and Eric Opoku, MP for Asunafo South.
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Art and crafts fair opens alongside Climate Change Conference
Accra, Aug. 22, GNA - An eight-day arts and craft fair began on Thursday at the forecourt of the State House in Accra as a sidelight to the Accra Conference on Climate Change to showcase Ghanaian works in the industry.
Nine small art and craft companies are exhibiting beads, clothing, woodcarvings, fabrics, jewels and other gift items, all produced locally.
Among the companies are Into Clothing Ghana Limited, Trousemund Enterprise, Marcalf Enterprise, Esther Enterprise and Hispano Enterprise.
The rest are T. Owusu Enterprise, Ato Kofi Enterprise and Jungle Jewels.
Patronage of the goods began on a low note, but Mrs. Joyce Ankrah, Organiser of the fair, dubbed: Arts and Crafts Market, was hopeful of increased patronage from delegates from the 160 countries attending the eight-day conference.
Mrs. Ankrah appealed for more support in the form of management capacity building and access to capital to expand their businesses. She said the operators in the industry were organising themselves into an association to enhance their accessibility to credit and other facilities.
Mrs. Ankrah appealed to embassies, tour companies, travel agencies and event organizers to invite them to for such fairs.
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Northern floods claim eight lives
Tamale, Aug. 22, GNA - Eight lives have so far been lost in the northern floods caused by persistent rains in the Savelugu/Nanton and West Mamprusi Districts.
Three were recorded at Sug-Tampia and Yoggu in the Savelugu/Nanton District, one in the Tolon/Kumbungu District while four were recorded at Janga in the West Mamprusi District.
Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister announced this in an interim flood situation report at a meeting in Tamale on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by District Chief Executives, officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), UNICEF, the Red Cross and NGOs.
It was a follow-up to an earlier meeting to enable stakeholders offer inputs into efforts being made to save lives and properties, which could result from the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso soon.
Alhaji Idris said several areas of the Savelugu/Nanton District along the Nasia and White Volta had been cut-off from the rest of the district with only Kubolila in particular, accessible by road from Tamale through Walewale in the West Mamprusi District.
He said the Kpasenkpe area in the West Mamprusi District was likely to be cut-off from the rest of the district if the Bagre Dam was opened. Mr Idris said reports from Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo and Chereponi districts indicated that communities along the Oti and Gbugbari rivers were flooded with several houses washed away and farmlands inundated. The White Volta in the Tolon/Kumbungu, West and Central Gonja, he said, had broken its banks and was spreading out adding that the communities could only be reached by boat.
The Regional Minister told the meeting that Saboba, the capital of the Saboba District, was now virtually an island because all roads leading to the area from Yendi through Kalba, Wapuli and Chereponi were flooded.
He said Sabara Number Two and Kolikolini in the Zabzugu/Tatale District were flooded as well as parts of the Karaga and Gushegu Districts.
Alhaji Idris attributed the flooding to the heavy rains in the region and expressed concern of a worse situation should the Bagre Dam be opened.
Meanwhile, personnel from NADMO, Volta River Authority and Information Services Department are on the ground warning the communities along the river banks to relocate to safer places.
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Limb Centre faces imminent shut down
Accra, Aug. 22, GNA - Lack of specialists at the National Prosthetics and Orthotics Centre of the Ghana Health Service is forcing the authorities to curtail services at the medical facility where artificial limbs are provided for patients.
The Centre currently has only one prosthetic, who is being supported by 13 orthotics technicians, who assist in designing callipers, braces, collars orthopaedic corsets and other artificial limbs for below the knee and above.
Mr Daniel Kodi, the Prosthetic and Head of the Centre, made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday. He noted that the Centre had less than 25 orthotics serving the whole country and described the number as woefully inadequate. Mr Kodi said there were no prosthetics in any of the regions and only skeleton staff of Orthotics were managing cases in the regions. "Unfortunately, Volta Region does not have a single Orthotic to handle their cases. People in need of services have to travel from the North and other regions to Accra for such services."
The centre is also serving other neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso Cote d'Ivoire and Togo.
The prosthetic explained that students of the School of Allied Health Science do not express interest in the programme, adding that despite a curriculum developed with the School in 1999 "there are no lecturers to teach the programme".
Mr Kodi, who is due to retire in March next year, explained that the World Health Organisation would be supporting four people for a certificate programme in prosthetics and orthotics in September this year to assist in the work.
He appealed for funding to train more prosthetics lecturers for even distribution in all the regions.
Orthotics and prosthetics are the evaluation, fabrication and custom fitting of artificial limbs and orthopaedic braces. It is an allied health profession.
Prosthetics is also an artificial extension that replaces a missing body part lost by injury or missing from birth or to supplement defective body parts. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of fusing mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control lost by trauma, disease, or defect.
In addition to the standard artificial limb for everyday use, many amputees have special limbs and devices to aid in the participation of sports and recreational activities.
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Shea butter processing factory inaugurated in Tamale
Kasalgu (N/R), Aug. 21, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister, on Wednesday inaugurated a 60,000-dollar shea butter factory at Kasalgu, a village near Tamale. Alhaji Idris pledged to ensure a constant supply of electricity to the factory to facilitate the processing of the shea nuts to enhance production.
He said, he had his doubt, when he was first informed about the factory because investors had come with the similar proposals but had ended up "taking the shea nuts away". He advised the workers to work hard in peace and unity. The Regional Minister assured the owners of the company, Sekaf Ghana Limited, of government's support to promote shea butter production saying: "The government will support the shea industry just like it has done for cocoa and coffee".
Mr Senyo Kpelly, the Managing Director, said the company had sales representatives in the United Kingdom, United States and Taiwan adding that the company currently exports refined shea butter to the UK, US, Jamaica and Australia.
The company, he said, also produced refined shea oil, a new product yet to come on to the market. Mr Kpelly said the company had employed 200 women while it had trained 500 others in modern shea butter production adding: "The shea butter village has employed one woman in every household in Kasalgu. "The shea butter village will provide these women with health care assistance, training in world class packaging, labeling and quality control.
"We will also offer them a fair price for the shea nuts they buy to feed the factory to help improve the quality of life of the Kasalgu society," he said.
Mr Iddrisu Abdul Karim, who chaired the inauguration, said the shea butter village, which aimed at producing premium quality shea butter, was another attempt to empower women in the region. He, therefore, urged the women to avail themselves of the employment opportunity provided by the factory to enhance their livelihoods and those of their families.
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Minister expresses worry about armed robbers
Koforidua, Aug. 21, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Afram Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister, on Thursday expressed worry about activities of armed robbers who have virtually put the area under siege and killing innocent and hardworking citizens.
He commended the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the National Security Council, the police with support from the military who are working to reduce the activities of the criminals. Mr Afram Asiedu, who was addressing a meeting of the RCC in Koforidua, appealed for support from the District and Municipal assemblies, traditional authorities and well-meaning Ghanaians to the security agencies to be able to maintain peace and order in the region. He said he expected the assemblies to give logistic support to the police and military patrol teams that had been established in the various Police Divisions in the region.
"I am aware that the support undoubtedly entails heavy financial expenditures, which often overburden the assemblies, but I believe they are expenditures, which can be justified since we cannot allow the people of the districts to live in a state of perpetual fear and insecurity". Mr Afram Asiedu urged the general public to volunteer and furnish the security agencies with reliable information and tip-offs to enable them track down criminals. On chieftaincy, he said the region, like the rest of the country had its due share of chieftaincy disputes adding that though some of the disputes seemed dormant, a few were quite volatile. "For example but for the timely intervention of the security agencies, the installation of the new chief of Amanokrom would have turned violent".
"Also the Municipal Security Committee of West Akyem in collaboration with Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) had to adopt proactive measures to forestall any conflict between the chiefs and people of Asamankese and Anum during the celebration of Asetenapa festival of the Anums".
Mr Afram Asiedu said even though the 1992 Constitution did not allow the government or any of its agencies like the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC)to interfere in chieftaincy matters, "we will certainly move in to protect life and property when disputes threaten the security of the area".
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Poverty, cause of HIV/AIDS epidemic
Accra, Aug. 21, GNA - Mr. Theodore Kwame Gyewu, an industrialist, has said the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was severe, leading to greater poverty because individuals, households and enterprises in the informal sector of the economy have little or no access to health services and social protection.
He said informal sector workers rarely enjoy financial security or surviving at the margins with few savings and little access to credit. Mr. Gyewu, who is also of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) said this when he launched a book on "Informal Economy HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy And Dissemination of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Code of Practice" in four Ghanaian languages in Accra on Wednesday.
He said the transient nature of informal workers by not staying at their workplaces too long can mean that a few days' absence would result in the loss of a job or the right to trade while others have fewer private means to cope with the effects of HIV/AIDS and less access to public services. Mr Gyewu cautioned that even though there was reduction in percentage of the numbers of people infected by the disease, "we cannot be complacent about it as it can spread to the general population from the high-risk groups". He said if the situation is left unchecked; the epidemic would damage the economy and leave an impact which would take years to reverse.
He urged the industries to show particular concern because, "we could lose productive workforce to HIV/AIDS and also face an adverse effect and deterioration of the business climate." The industrialist also advised employers and workers in the informal economy to have a package of common features such as strong commitment of the highest level in their enterprises, effective and sustained education on changing risky behaviours. He called on employers in the informal economy to empower, entrust and exploit every opportunity within their collective reach to mount strong programmes of prevention, care and treatment and fund them in full.
Madam Akua Ofori-Asumadu, ILO Programme Officer in Ghana, said the informal economy comprises 86 per cent of the workforce and developing HIV/AIDS policies and programmes for the sector is often fraught with challenges such as a collective lower socio-economic status and poor access to information and services. She said the ILO workplace education project has achieved positive results in extending HIV/AIDS education to the difficult to reach informal economy. Madam Ofori-Asumadu said the strategy employed has involved the participatory HIV/AIDS policy and behaviour change strategy back by peer counselling and education. She said catalytic comprehensive workplace programming in the sector is imperative to prevent retardation of overall progress aimed at prevalence reduction and treatment access. "Programmes and policies for the informal sector is a must if HIV/AIDS implementers are to succeed in contributing to a reduction in the spread of the disease in developing economies." Mr E.A. Akuffo, Chief Director of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, who chaired the function urged employers in the sector to educate and sensitise their workers to impact knowledge to the people to be conscious to the HIV/AIDS which is not a disease but a social factor which needs frequent hammering. 21 Aug. 08
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Vodafone pays quick cash for GT
Vodafone International Holdings Company Limited of the United Kingdom has made a payment of $900 million to the Government of Ghana to cover the cost of the 70 per cent Ghana Telecom shares the company purchased.
The payment was made on August 15, 2008, barely 24 hours after Parliament had voted in favour of the sale.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra on Tuesday, the Controller and Accountant General, Mr Christian Tetteh Sottie, said the payment was done through a bank transfer to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Friday, a day after the parliamentary approval was given.
The interview was prompted by a statement made by the Head of Corporate Communications and Custom Care of GT, Major Albert B. Don-Chebe (rted), to the effect that the two companies started working together on Monday, August 18, 2008.
Mr Sottie explained that after the payment was made, the BoG subsequently informed the Controller and Accountant General's Department, which is the custodian of state funds and also has the responsibility to disburse such funds.
The money has been paid and is how in government chest ready for disbursement," he stated.
He stated that now that the necessary payments had been made, Vodafone and GT could legally start their joint operation without any hindrance.
An approval was given to the GT-Vodafone deal after days of intense and hectic debate between the government and staff of GT on one side and some members of the opposition parties, as well as some identifiable groups, on the other side.
By a majority decision, Members of Parliament (MPs) approved the sale agreement on August 14, 2008, endorsing the government's request to sell the shares to Vodafone.
Whilst 124 MPs voted for the approval of the agreement, 74 of them voted against it.
When the Daily Graphic visited the premises of GT on Monday, the atmosphere was that of excitement as workers of GT, including those from the regions, were preparing to have their first official meeting with a team from Vodafone UK at a workers durbar in Accra.
The purpose of the meeting was to enable the staff of GT to interact with the officials of Vodafone as the two companies got ready to start working in a new partnership.
A source within GT said the two groups would waste no time but quickly move, into serious work now that Parliament had given approval for the deal to be effected.
Meanwhile, $40 million is to be paid into an escrow account towards employee resettlement in the event of redundancy under the Ghana Telecom-Vodafone deal, reports Emmanuel Bonney.
The Corporate Communications Director of GT, Maj Don-Achebe (retd) explained that the Communications Workers Union (CWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) had remained apprehensive about the government holding the money for the workers.
He said in case there were layoffs, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of the workers would be applied strictly, hence there was no cause for alarm.
He said the workers, who knew the telecommunications industry very well and knew the status of GT, had been very supportive.
At the moment, he said, the GT management was trying to familiarise the workers with the corporate governance structure of Vodafone which had its own ways of doing things, adding that Vodafone, was also taking the opportunity to learn about the GT environment.
"We are drawing a programme of activities with objectives and timelines," he indicated, adding that the issue of people waiting for broadbands and fixed lines, among other things, would be a thing of the past.
Apart from upgrading infrastructure and improvement in broadbands, he said, the company would work towards reducing power outage to its cell sites to the "bearest minimum or none at all".
Major Don-Achebe (retd) said the quality of service was a major priority and that the company would make customers kings and queens.
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Rawlings joins Mills campaign
THE NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) has finally given the green light for its founder, Fl. Lt. Rawlings to support the campaign of the flagbear, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills. The former President is currently leading a four-man campaign team to tour Brong Ahafo region to canvass for votes. Report reaching the political desk of this paper indicates that the former President, noted for his charisma has once again pulled huge crowds at the various constituencies he visited yesterday.
At some areas, the residents were reported to have virtually blocked the road, demanding a speech from the former President before allowing him to pass with his team, which included Hon. Collins Dauda, NDC MP for Asunafo North, Mr. Eric Opoku, Asunafo South MP, Mr. Nii Afotey Afoley-Agbo, MP for Kpong-Kantamanso, Mr. Kofi Adams, his spokesman and Brong Ahafo regional executives of NDC.
Addressing the teeming supporters of the party, Mr. Rawlings, who has been nicknamed “Dr. Boom”, for his trademark explosive language, accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of destroying the nation but said the situation had not gotten out of control and that the NDC government, headed by Prof. Mills can fix it. According to him, the nation is on the verge of getting rotten, if the electorate allowed their votes and conscience to be bought by the NPP in its desperate quest to retain power.
He tasked the people to protect their rights and not to kowtow to any acts of intimidation being allegedly visited on them by the leadership of the ruling party.
To him, the NPP has a grand design to rig the elections and that was why they were preventing NDC supporters from registering during the recent voter registration exercise.
At the time of filing this report, the NDC founder had already visited Atakora, Dorma, Asunafo and addressed a mammoth rally at Sankore.
According to the former President, the NDC was prepared to return to power to restore the nation’s dignity that has been lost by the NPP administration, led by President John Agyekum Kufuor. Rawlings further told his audience that the sanctity of the nation had been destroyed to the extent that the masses are suffering from the wanton poverty that has been inflicted on them.
Mr. Rawlings reportedly accused the Police at Asunafo of protecting the NPP officials who engaged in intimidation and attacks. “If the police here fail to protect you, you must protect yourself. You must not allow yourselves to be intimidated,” he advised the supporters.
According to him, the restoration of the country’s destiny lied in the hands of the electorate. He was optimistic that the NDC would assume power after this year’s elections.
Source:
Ghanaian Chronicle |
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NDC is determined to ensure free and fair elections- Rawlings
Sunyani (B/A), Aug. 20, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Wednesday said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is determined to ensure free, fair and transparent elections to help consolidate the country's fledging democracy.
He cautioned the Electoral Commission to resist attempts by political parties, more especially the ruling New Patriotic (NPP) to rig the December polls.
The former president made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on the Sunyani traditional council in Sunyani as part of his tour of Brong-Ahafo Region.
The two-day tour will take him to Berekum, Dormaa-Ahenkro, Sankore, Goaso, Mim, Amasu, Kyeremasu and Gambia.
Mr Rawlings noted that the country's democratic dispensation had reached a very crucial level and admonished political parties to conduct their electioneering campaigns devoid of acrimony and rancor. He explained that the NPP's property owned democracy had "increased corruption, devastated the economy and led Ghanaians to wallow in extreme poverty.
"This is our last hope and if we refuse to vote the NPP out of power, we would all continue to wallow in abject poverty," he added. Mr Rawlings said the false propaganda peddled against the NDC by the NPP could not affect the fortunes of the party in the December elections, stressing "because of fear of prosecution the NPP is finding means to rig the elections".
He said the NDC was prepared and determined to bring back freedom and justice, which he noted, the NPP government was trying to kill and bury.
Alhaji Collins Dauda, Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, stressed that even though traditional authorities were barred from engaging in active politics, there was the need for them to educate the people about some policies and programmes initiated by the NDC that had facilitated accelerated national development.
Mr J.H. Owusu-Acheampong, a former Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretary, said the NDC would win this year's elections by a larger margin and called on Ghanaians to exercise restraint, since the party would regain power and help alleviate their plight.
Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, Omanhene of Sunyani traditional council, thanked the former president for his visit and said the council would continue to remember him and his party for the construction and tarring of the Sunyani-Kumasi and Sunyani-Berekum trunk road as well as its rural electrification in the region. He said Ghanaians had "tasted" both the NDC and NPP governments and urged the electorate to cast their votes according to their living conditions. The Omanhene appealed to political parties to conduct their campaigns based on issues and eschew politics of insults and defamatory statements.
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Kwame Nkrumah's daughter to contest Jomoro seat
SAMIA YAABA Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has been elected to contest this year’s parliamentary elections on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) at Jomoro in the Western Region.
Her election has unsettled the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP), Lee Ocran, causing him to launch a vitriolic attack on both Samia and her late father.
She won the contest by polling 70 votes to beat her challenger, Edna Anglo Kofie, a well-known teacher, who had a humiliating seven votes.
Lee Ocran has asked Samia to return to her Italy base or to Nkroful where her father hailed from.
Speaking to Citi Fm yesterday, Hon Ocran noted: “Her presence means nothing, absolutely nothing and I am an Nkrumaist so I do not want to sound rude otherwise I would have said that in my years in politics, I have done more for Jomoro than her father ever did.
Her father did more for Ghana but very little for our place. In any case, nobody knows her; she does not speak the language, she had never been there and she does not know any place.
“She is Nkrumah’s child, so what? It does not mean anything. She should go back to Italy or if she wants to stay here, she should find something else to do because our people are very discerning. If her father was Nkrumah, she should go to Nkroful.
People do not just vote because her father was somebody; what has she done for the people all these years? Where had she been?”
“She had never been to the place; she has just walked in and thinks that people would vote for her.
She should go and start campaigning and 7th December would come and elections would take place and she would see where she belongs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Samia has maintained that her tour of the constituency and her interaction with the people revealed that the constituents were still lacking many things and were not living in the best of conditions.
She said whether or not she would win the parliamentary elections should be left for the electorate to judge.
Samia further debunked claims that she was not a Ghanaian, saying she had always been a Ghanaian and that she had renounced her Italian citizenship.
After her landslide victory last Saturday, Samia was paraded through the streets of the constituency as her supporters went on a free-for-all carnival, and on Sunday, arranged for her to visit a number of churches in and around the constituency.
In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Samia said she was elated at the victory, because prior to the election her critics had argued that she was not fit to contest as she does not speak any local dialect.
“Meanwhile, the lady I was contesting is well-known and had stayed there for long so I was a little jittery when she started to speak Nzema to the delegates; all I said in Nzema was ‘good morning’ (Ahioo!) before my speech and ‘thank you’ (Medawase!) after I had ended.
But the people voted for me because they bought my message and have faith in me that I can do the job,” Samia narrated.
Samia indicated that the campaign was tough but it gave her an opportunity to know the people, understand their needs and also for the people to know her.
“There is a lot of goodwill there for me and I hope it would translate into votes on December 7. I get many people telling me they would vote for me; I mean people from other political parties.
They have a lot of belief in me and I do not think I won simply because I am Nkrumah’s daughter. It was not that simple,” Samia added.
She said her priority would be education, job creation and empowering youth and women.
“Everything is a priority for me, but certainly, I am concerned about the women and the youth; I would be working with student groups, women groups, opinion leaders, community heads and the very people who I want to represent in the constituency,” she told DAILY GUIDE.
Samia, the second child of Fathia and Kwame Nkrumah, has relocated to Ghana from her Italy base where she made a living out of lecturing, consultancy and journalism.
DAILY GUIDE was the first to break the exclusive story in January this year that Samia would be contesting parliamentary elections in Ghana this December on the ticket of the CPP.
Samia and her brothers, Gamel and Sekou, were children residing with their mother, Fathia, at the Flagstaff House in Accra when the military overthrew their father in a coup on February 24, 1966.
With the assistance of the Egyptian Government, Fathia, on the same day, left with her children to resettle in Egypt where she (Fathia) hailed from.
Samia attended Achimota Secondary School briefly but has since stayed, schooled and worked in various parts of the world.
The first President’s children have visited Ghana on countless occasions and the youngest son, Sekou, who resides in Accra, caused a stir in political circles last year when he announced his decision to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Gamel, a journalist, still resides in Egypt.
Their mother passed away last year and was buried beside her husband at the Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum in Accra.
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Nsowah-Mensah: Do not sabotage School Feeding Programme
Accra, Aug. 21, GNA - Mr Michael Nsowah-Mensah, Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), on Thursday warned that government would not tolerate civil servants who were bent on sabotaging the programme.
"I want to send a warning to all districts where delay in disbursement and corrupt practices are prevalent that we will soon take the responsibility from them and disburse directly at the secretariat until they are 'ready'", he added.
Mr Nsowah-Mensah gave the warning when he met caterers working under programme in the Greater Accra Region to discuss some basic challenges facing the programme.
He said there was no need for any caterer to pay money to district directors or accountants who managed the finances at the local level and urged the caterers to open a "School Feeding Account" for direct transfer of money.
Mr Nsowah-Mensah said the programme was still at the pilot phase and in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals on education there was the need for proper planning to ensure the success of the programme as well as realizing the goal. He therefore called for effective teacher-caterer collaboration to help in planning and costing of cooking ingredients to promote transparency.
Mrs Juliana Woode, spokesperson for the group, called for prompt settlement of any outstanding debt to enable them to clear off their debts. She also requested for advance payment to make them plan properly.
Mr Ebenezer Kofi Essel, Acting Head, Food Inspectorate Department, said the department, in collaboration with the secretariat would come out with a code of ethics to guide service providers and called on them to purchase ingredients from the right sources to avoid contamination.
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Child survival is still a challenge in Ghana
Sekondi, Aug. 19, GNA - Mr. Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi, Head of the Information Research and Advocacy Division (IRAD) of the Department of Children said child survival in Ghana remains a challenge. He said 80,000 children in Ghana die before they are five years old every year.
Mr. Kyei-Gyamfi said this at a dissemination workshop in Takoradi on Ghana's Plus 5 Report on the World Fit for Children (WFFC). The report is being disseminated in the Volta, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Western regions between August 11 and September 2 this year. Mr Kyei-Gyamfi said the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) of 2006 estimated under-five mortality rates of 111 per every 1,000 live births and infant mortality rates of 71 per every 1,000 live births.
"This negative trend of child deaths has not recorded any significant changes in the National infant, child and under-five mortality rates since the early 1990s", he said. Malaria has been identified as the number one killer of children under five and pregnant women.
"Miscarriages and low birth weight among pregnant women have been attributed to malaria but the fatality rate among children under five had declined from 3.7 percent to 2.4 percent between 2002 to 2005" he said.
Mr. Kyei-Gyamfi said though current maternal mortality rates are not known, institutional maternal mortality ratio which measures maternal deaths in health facilities decreased from 197 per 100,000 live births in 2005 to 187 per 100,000 live births in 2006.
He said enrolment of children at the kindergarten has doubled from 550,000 in 2001 to 1,104.779 in 2007.
Mr. Kyei-Gyamfi said primary enrolment also increased from 2.5 million to 3.4 million within the same period, while Junior High School also increased from 896,000 to 1,132,318 within the same period. "In spite of these laudable achievements, there are still about 800,000 children of primary school going age who are not in school," he said.
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NDC Clarifies Its Position On The Sale Of Ghana Telecom To Vodaphone International Bv
The National Democratic Congress is dismayed and condemns the hasty “fire sale” of Ghana Telecom to Vodaphone International BV of the Netherlands. The NDC also wishes to place on record, that the actions of officials of the NPP government - from the Minister of Finance, to the NPP Members of Parliament (who as usual lived up to their rubber stamp credentials) - is demonstrative of a party and a government whose primary concern is their political survival over the competent management of the interests of the state.
The primary reason for the sale of Ghana Telecom at this time was apparently not only the survival of the enterprise, but rather the sustenance of the economy of Ghana. It is interesting to note that the celebrated economist – Mr. Kwame Pianim in an interview with Daily Graphic stated that Ghana’s economy needed an injection of $130 million to stay healthy and the sale of 70% of GT shares to Vodafone could provide that critical support, strengthen the macro economy and control inflation, he was quoted as saying that if the Government backed out of the sale they would be finished.
This statement has not been denied. It was also stated that without this sale Ghana Telecom would be in critical condition and the workers jobs would be at risk, it is interesting that the Running Mate to Nana Addo was part of the Board that oversaw the decline of Ghana Telecom to this sorry state. It is also interesting to note that GT had been so “efficiently” managed over the last couple of years that it was indebted to several state agencies including the National Communications Authority, CEPS, GIFTEL liabilities, together with taxes and duties as well as the amounts owed under the bond issue. The NPP sympathizers dominating the Board apparently did not consider it a priority to ensure that GT fulfilled its obligations to the state.
What is more the Government of the NPP has been economical with the truth to Ghanaians about the sale price of GT in the contract they have entered into with Vodaphone. The Government of Ghana has sold seventy per cent of GT to the foreign investors for seven hundred million dollars and not nine hundred million as they would have Ghanaians believe, as under the terms of the agreement the Government is obliged to retire the GT debt of two hundred and twenty eight million dollars together with other obligations.
The NDC as the elected government of the people of Ghana always ensured that the well being and security of Ghana was always maintained when it sold shares in state owned enterprises to foreign investors. Under the NDC the Government of Ghana maintained majority shares for the people of this country in Ghana Telecom recognizing its importance as a strategic national asset.
This ensured that the Ghanaian tax payer out of whose sweat and toil the state owned enterprises were built continued to reap benefits from their investments. The NPP has not been transparent in the process it adopted to privatize GT. Furthermore, the NPP has short changed the people of Ghana as it chose to sell GT for as little as it could. In what amount to a fire sale the NPP has sold invaluable assets belonging to the people of Ghana for a song and dance in order to bail the Ghanaian economy which they have mis-managed out of a short fall of foreign exchange.
The NDC is of the view that more could have been realized for the sale of GT fixed line and carrier service, one-touch mobile service, the fibre-optic gateway and the exzeed call services.
After the 2008 elections the subsidy on fuel for which the proceeds of the sale of GT is intended to cover will have to be removed by a subsequent government because it is unsustainable. The NDC is of the view that the path to making the cost of fuel and petroleum products more affordable is to improve the operational efficiency of the Tema Oil Refinery and remove as many taxes as possible.
The short-sighted sale of our national silver to bail out irresponsible politicians is morally repugnant. The long-term damage to Ghana’s economy and national security is a breach of trust which goes to the root of the relationship between a government and its people.
As custodians of this country’s national assets the NDC nurtured the productive enterprises belonging to the people of Ghana and increased their market value prior to the handing over of the reigns of government to the NPP in 2000.
As a government in waiting the NDC would like to assure Ghanaians of its commitment to managing Ghana’s economy to the benefit of the majority of the people. The NDC demonstrated its commitment to the application of sound principles to the management of Ghana’s economy between 1992 and 2000. It is the achievement of the NDC that it was able to hand over a growing economy to the NPP full of assets like the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and Ghana Manganese Company and many more all of which have been whittled down to little or no more than fiefdoms where individual greed reigns supreme.
There are few assets left for the NPP to sell to bail itself out again, we hope they will not feel compelled to sell all the family silver to create the impression of efficient economic management, and then turn around to clamour for prudent fiscal management after the elections. The NDC would like to assure the people of its commitment to turning the management of Ghana’s economy into an enterprise in which truth reigns supreme and the interest of the majority is upper most in all of government’s dealings.
The NDC would also like to give the assurance that it believes that it is important for the country to attract foreign investment for the growth of the economy, and would continue to encourage foreign investment in our economy. However, in all cases where foreign investors are acquiring an interest in State owned assets the NDC considers it important to ensure that the State receives the best possible value for the transaction, and further that the transaction serves the long-term best interests of the people of Ghana. The NDC as stated by our Flag-bearer will review the sale agreement between Vodaphone International BV of Netherlands (or who ever turns out to be the contracting party) and the Government of Ghana in order to satisfy itself that the people of Ghana have not been short-changed.
Source:
Hanna Tetteh -Director of Communications |
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Upper East holds exhibition of made in Africa products
Bolgatanga, Aug. 19, GNA- A five-day exhibition of made in Africa products and cultural awareness creation is underway in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. It seeks to showcase potentials of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions and provide avenue for Africans in the Diaspora to easily trace their roots and invest in Ghana.
The event is being organized by Star Black Foundation International (SBFI), a youth-oriented Pan African Organization, based in Twifo Hemang in the Central Region and supported by Africans in the Diaspora.
Mr. Alhassan Samari, Upper East Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said the Regional Coordinating Council would assist in the promotion of culture and made in Africa goods, especially basket and smock abound in the area.
He said this formed part of government policy to equip the youth with skills to enable them to undertake profitable economic ventures to earn a living.
Mr. Samari said since the youth constituted the bulk of the country's workforce they needed the necessary training to enable them to contribute significantly to national development.
He said government introduced the Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme and expansion of school infrastructure among other initiatives to help develop the country's human resource base. Mr. Samari said the culture of the people in the region was unique, adding that basket and smock production would be improved to create employment for the people.
Mr. Jomo Hutaa, founder of SBFI, said the organization aimed at uniting all people of African descent. He said the group would help the youth to acquire skills to enable them to harness their talents, train and involve them in rural development, and educate the people on their civic rights and responsibilities.
Mr. Hutaa said that Africans in the Diaspora were ready to promote made in Africa goods and culture and appealed to Africans to patronize their products.
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EU supports Arts and Culture Industry with 2.1 million euros
Koforidua, Aug 18, GNA - The European Union (EU) Commission, has established a cultural initiative support program with a grant of 2.1 million euros, to support the Arts and Culture Industry in Ghana. The Chairman for the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Professor George Hagan, disclosed this in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Administration of the (NCC), Michael Attipoe, at the closing of the 10th Palmer Buckle Vacation Youth Camp in Koforidua. He said the support program had become very necessary since craftsmen, artistes and other players in the arts and culture industry need to be supported and encouraged to grow their business.
Prof. Hagan mentioned that the growth of the Arts and Culture industry was one of the social interventions towards the achievements of the objectives of the millennium development goals of creating wealth and reducing poverty.
He expressed worry over the fallen standards of morals where people were bent on making wealth by any means possible, without any recourse to hard work, integrity and honesty, and added that, parents had the responsibility in training their children to appreciate the Ghanaian culture, which frowned on indiscipline.
Prof Hagan commended Bishop Palmer Buckle for establishing the vacation camp for children to teach them the arts and culture values, and reiterated the need for all to work to promote the arts and culture industry.
The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adjei-Boateng described the camp as an important education centre "to make up for the cultural deficiencies in the various school curricula and to sow the seed of nationalism and moral uprightness in the pupils".
He also commended Archbishop Palmer Buckle for the initiative and the Centre for National Culture for hosting and facilitating the education for the past 10 years.
The Palmer Buckle Vacation Camp was established 10 years ago in the New Juaben Municipality by His Grace the Archbishop of the Accra Diocese of the Catholic Church, Charles Palmer-Buckle, as an education and cultural retreat programme to occupy the children during vacations.
This year's camp attracted over 150 pupils from 18 different schools both first and second cycles within the municipality and were taken through cultural Drama and Dances, Visual arts, Practical music and Cultural Games facilitated by the regional Centre for National Culture.
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Register could be bloated
The register to be used for the December 2008 polls could be bloated by more than one million voters, a highly placed source at the Electoral Commission (EC) has said.
The source said by the EC's own calculations, between 600,000 and one million people were qualified to register during the recent limited registration exercise, but reports available pointed to the fact that about two million people registered during the recent exercise.
It said the development meant that the voter population would swell from the current 10.9 million to about 12.9 million, and added that the figure could not be accurate for a population of 22 million.
It added that the country's demography could not support such a figure.
"We sent out two million forms and there are reports that all were used. If that is true, then the register will be bloated." the source said.
It blamed the political parties for the current state of affairs, saying their desperation to capture or remain in power had led them to the bussing of alien and under-age to register.
It said after having conducted registration exercises many times, the EC had considerable experience, and its projections in that regard were always right, adding that the figures emerging from the registration exercise could not be the actual figures of people who needed really to register.
It said the task of removing names of people who had registered twice was a difficult one as it had to be done manually by comparing faces on the pictures, explaining that only a few names could be removed through that process.
The source said if the commission had been operating the biometric system as the National Identification Authority (NLA), people who had registered twice would be easily identified and their names removed.
It further said the commission would move gradually towards the use of the biometric system and expressed the hope that by the 2012 elections, the system would be in place.
Another source at the EC agreed that the register might be bloated, judging from the huge number of people who had registered, and added that most of those who registered needed not to do so.
lt said information available also indicated that people who misplaced their cards were the majority of those who registered, cautioning that they should have initiated moves to have their cards replaced instead of engaging in double registration.
The source explained that although the names would be on the register, it would be difficult for such people to vote twice because of the indelible ink.
With regard to foreigners, it said it would be difficult for them to vote as they would not be able to prove that they were resident in a particular area.
It thus blamed the political parties for enticing people with money to vote twice and said the practice was unacceptable.
The source urged the public not to panic, giving the assurance that there were effective mechanisms in place to check double or multiple voting.
It, therefore, asked people who had registered more than once to contact the EC to have their names expunged.
It said if they did not approach the EC for their names to be expunged, they could face jail terms of not less than one year when caught and successfully prosecuted.
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Give us alternative livelihood - Prostitutes
Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - About 225 prostitutes who operate at various locations in the Accra metropolis say they will give up the world's oldest profession if they are given alternative livelihood to support them and their dependants.
"My Sister, it is not that I like what I am doing here; it is only because life has become rather unbearable and a matter of survival. Look, I am ready to quit this 'Ashawo' (prostitution) business even today, I mean, right now if I can be guaranteed an alternative. I swear, I will quit," Akua, a 20 year-old prostitute, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra at the weekend. The prostitutes, whose ages are between 14 and 35 years, appealed to government and civil society organisations to offer them decent jobs to enable them to quit saying "we are only victims of circumstances". The prostitutes come from different backgrounds and across various regions of Ghana. There are others who are also from neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, Togo and Cote d'Ivoire. They operate at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Akufo-Addo Circle and the Italian Embassy.
The prostitutes were speaking when 54 missionaries and evangelists of the Good News Evangelical Mission International (GONEMI) took the message of salvation to them. The four-hour evangelism exercise was to climax their "mission week" celebrations.
Speaking to the GNA, the Reverend Godson King Akpalu, General Overseer of GONEMI, said the church took the challenge to evangelise the prostitutes during their mission week celebration because they realized that what the prostitutes needed most was love and support and not condemnation and maltreatment.
"The data provided by these our unfortunate sisters indicate that some of them are professionals but due to the lack of jobs, they have resorted to prostitution to just put body and soul together," he said. "It will even interest you to know that one of them is a professional journalist who could not find a job and had to enter the old age profession."
Rev. Akpalu said the church would support all those who would receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal saviour and willingly give up prostitution.
"Those who would like to go back to school would be supported as well as those who want to learn any trade of their choice." Rev. Akpalu said the church would put up a rehabilitation centre to cater for the numerous people currently receiving support. It would embrace new ones ranging from drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics, armed robbers and all other social misfits. He expressed regret about the situation where most churches neglected the people who needed their services most saying "we have taken up the challenge and we are appealing to all Christians to come and support this worthy cause". Rev. Akpalu appealed to the government and all well meaning Ghanaians and international philanthropists to help in the establishment of the rehabilitation centre. "It is only when there are no such people in our midst that Ghana would become the paradise that we all want it to be," he said.
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