18/09/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama yesterday opened the seventh International Building and Construction Exhibition and Seminars in Accra, and reiterated the government’s commitment to enforce building regulations in the country.
He said the government's failure to enforce building regulations had resulted in the construction of poor quality houses and the springing up of haphazard settlements and slums in the urban and rural areas of the country.
Therefore, he said, the enforcement of the building regulations would stop the execution of shoddy work and the springing up of uncontrolled buildings and slums.
Mr Mahama made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, at the launch of the exhibition.
Products on display at the four-day exhibition include floor and wall tiles, building blocks, paints, lights, electric plugs and lockers. It is being organised by Image Consortium on the theme: "Attaining Ghana's Housing and Construction Objectives Through Efficient Planning, Designing and Innovation".
Mr Mahama said the "indiscriminate and uncontrolled" erection of houses in urban and rural areas and the growth of slums resulted in the blockade of watercourses.
That situation, he said, led to the loss of lives and property whenever it rained heavily.
Besides, he said, the slums had serious sanitation problems which affected the lives of the squatters.
Mr Mahama, therefore, urged constructors to observe building ethics to stop the putting up of uncoordinated buildings in the country.
He gave the assurance that the Government would partner with the private sector to promote the growth of the building and construction industry.
The chairman of the exhibition, Mr Frank Tackie, called for a national policy to support players in the building and construction industry to enable them to develop local building materials and consequently reduce the importation of local ones.
He asked the players in the industry to shift their attention from solely marketing their products to getting more affordable products for more Ghanaians.
The Director of the exhibition, Mrs Marilyn Efua Houadjeto, said for Ghana to have independent, well-planned and properly developed cities and towns, "we need to constantly run advocacy campaigns and strategic events".
Besides, she said, attaining Ghana's housing and construction objectives implied the deployment of resources, facilities, products, services, as well as the formulation and implementation of policies that guaranteed the security of physical, economic and social well-being of communities.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Hohoe rice farmers get US$35m credit
17/09/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
FIFTY eight farmers in Hohoe in the Volta Region are benefiting from a US$35-million facility from the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to produce about 2,000 tonnes of rice this year.
MiDA will provide credit facilities to the farmers (nine nuclear farmers and 49 outgrowers) to prepare their farms, and buy fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides. It will also provide extension services and assist the farmers to process their yields.
Finatradegroup, a major player in the rice industry in Ghana and other places in Africa, has entered into an agreement with MiDA to buy all the rice that will be produced.
Consequently, Finatradegroup and MiDA have collaborated in the design of the project, processing and packaging of the rice.
ACDI VOCA, an agronomist company, is supervising the project, while Gbi Rural Bank Limited is offering the credit facility to the farmers on behalf of MiDA.
During a field visit to the rice farms, which are spread across the Hohoe Municipality, on Tuesday by the Director of Corporate Affairs of Finatradegroup, Mr John Awuni, the farmers were seen working on their various farms.
The rice farms are located at Ve, Lolobi, Gbi, Akpafu and Koloenu, among other areas.
Briefing the media, a senior agronomist and representative of ACDI VOCA, Dr Ben Dadzie, said reports available to MiDA indicated that local rice farmers faced problems of access to credit facilities, lack of inputs, inability to process their produce and above all the absence of a ready market.
To address the situation, he said, MiDA contacted the management of Finatradegroup and requested them to be the sole buyers of the rice produce, which they agreed to.
That partnership, Dr Dadzie said, encouraged MiDA to initiate the project since there was a ready market for the rice produce.
He said if the project succeeded, it would be replicated in the other regions of the country.
Dr Dadzie said the agronomy experts supervising the work of the farmers ensured that the farmers applied the appropriate fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides.
Addressing the farmers, Mr Awuni reassured them of the readiness of Finatradegroup to buy their produce no matter the quantity, as a way of encouraging local rice farmers to grow more to feed the nation.
“Your market is 100 per cent assured. There is a guaranteed market for you. There is no limit for the quantity you are going to produce. What you [farmers] have started is supposed to succeed,” he assured the farmers.
Mr Awuni asked the farmers to produce quality rice and assured them that Finatradegroup would offer them the best prices for their produce.
However, he said since the rice was for local consumption, the price would have to be within the means of local consumers for mutual benefit to the farmers, consumers and Finatradegroup.
Mr Awuni, who is also the President of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB), made a commitment to help the farmers to have drying floors for their produce.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
FIFTY eight farmers in Hohoe in the Volta Region are benefiting from a US$35-million facility from the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to produce about 2,000 tonnes of rice this year.
MiDA will provide credit facilities to the farmers (nine nuclear farmers and 49 outgrowers) to prepare their farms, and buy fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides. It will also provide extension services and assist the farmers to process their yields.
Finatradegroup, a major player in the rice industry in Ghana and other places in Africa, has entered into an agreement with MiDA to buy all the rice that will be produced.
Consequently, Finatradegroup and MiDA have collaborated in the design of the project, processing and packaging of the rice.
ACDI VOCA, an agronomist company, is supervising the project, while Gbi Rural Bank Limited is offering the credit facility to the farmers on behalf of MiDA.
During a field visit to the rice farms, which are spread across the Hohoe Municipality, on Tuesday by the Director of Corporate Affairs of Finatradegroup, Mr John Awuni, the farmers were seen working on their various farms.
The rice farms are located at Ve, Lolobi, Gbi, Akpafu and Koloenu, among other areas.
Briefing the media, a senior agronomist and representative of ACDI VOCA, Dr Ben Dadzie, said reports available to MiDA indicated that local rice farmers faced problems of access to credit facilities, lack of inputs, inability to process their produce and above all the absence of a ready market.
To address the situation, he said, MiDA contacted the management of Finatradegroup and requested them to be the sole buyers of the rice produce, which they agreed to.
That partnership, Dr Dadzie said, encouraged MiDA to initiate the project since there was a ready market for the rice produce.
He said if the project succeeded, it would be replicated in the other regions of the country.
Dr Dadzie said the agronomy experts supervising the work of the farmers ensured that the farmers applied the appropriate fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides.
Addressing the farmers, Mr Awuni reassured them of the readiness of Finatradegroup to buy their produce no matter the quantity, as a way of encouraging local rice farmers to grow more to feed the nation.
“Your market is 100 per cent assured. There is a guaranteed market for you. There is no limit for the quantity you are going to produce. What you [farmers] have started is supposed to succeed,” he assured the farmers.
Mr Awuni asked the farmers to produce quality rice and assured them that Finatradegroup would offer them the best prices for their produce.
However, he said since the rice was for local consumption, the price would have to be within the means of local consumers for mutual benefit to the farmers, consumers and Finatradegroup.
Mr Awuni, who is also the President of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB), made a commitment to help the farmers to have drying floors for their produce.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Obama fever grips Accra
4/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A WIDE range of Obama merchandise ranging from cloths, T-shirts, jerseys, paintings to bags are crowding out other items on some of the major streets of Accra ahead of the visit of the US President, Barack Obama.
The US President is scheduled to arrive in Accra next Saturday and ahead of that one of the streets awash with the Obama-related items is the Oxford Street at Osu. The traders hang the items in front of their sheds and on walls to attract customers.
The Centre for National Culture (Arts Centre) also has a host of Obama paraphernalia, including paintings and wooden bowls with inscriptions such as 'Obama in Ghana' and 'Welcome Obama'.
The cloths are in two types: One has only the photograph of President Obama and the other having photographs of President Obama and President Mills. A yard is sold at between GH¢7 and GH¢10, while six yards are sold for between GH¢25 and GH¢30.
Shirts sewn of the cloth go for between GH¢13 and GH¢15.
According to the traders, it was an individual entrepreneur who gave an order to the Akosombo Textiles Limited to design the cloth.
Sales of the Obama paraphernalia are picking up slowly, and the traders are confident that more people will rush to buy the items before and during President Obama’s visit.
Interestingly, according to the traders, the American and European tourists are competing with Ghanaians in the purchase of the Obama cloth.
One of the traders, Alex Owuradu, told the Daily Graphic that some of the Americans shedded tears when he cut the cloth and the scissors went through the face of Obama, cutting his image into two. He said they ended up buying the whole cloth just to save Obama's face. According to Alex, some of the tourists confided in him that they had travelled down to Ghana to see President Obama.
Some of the T-shirts that have President Obama's photograph with the First Family, have inscriptions such as ‘Obama - Change We Can Believe In, ‘Obama - A Leader We Can Believe In’. The T-shirts with pictures of President Mills and President Obama read: ‘Partnership for Change’, depicting their common campaign slogans of change.
The Obama T-shirts and jerseys sell for between GH¢7 and GH¢12. The Obama bags are sold for GH¢15 while the Obama wooden bowls go for between GH¢25 and GH¢30. They are sculptured in wood and decorated with fanciful African beads.
Some of the people who had bought the Obama paraphernalia told the Daily Graphic that they bought the items out of the love they have for the first black American President.
Besides, they said, they wanted to participate fully in the celebration of his visit to Ghana.
Alfred Kwasi Baku, who was seen buying the Obama cloth, said: “I am buying the cloth because I like Obama and because he is a black President of America. As a Ghanaian I want to be part of the celebration of his visit.”
On his expectations of President Obama’s visit, his request was for the American President to make some funds available to improve the road network in the Volta Region.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A WIDE range of Obama merchandise ranging from cloths, T-shirts, jerseys, paintings to bags are crowding out other items on some of the major streets of Accra ahead of the visit of the US President, Barack Obama.
The US President is scheduled to arrive in Accra next Saturday and ahead of that one of the streets awash with the Obama-related items is the Oxford Street at Osu. The traders hang the items in front of their sheds and on walls to attract customers.
The Centre for National Culture (Arts Centre) also has a host of Obama paraphernalia, including paintings and wooden bowls with inscriptions such as 'Obama in Ghana' and 'Welcome Obama'.
The cloths are in two types: One has only the photograph of President Obama and the other having photographs of President Obama and President Mills. A yard is sold at between GH¢7 and GH¢10, while six yards are sold for between GH¢25 and GH¢30.
Shirts sewn of the cloth go for between GH¢13 and GH¢15.
According to the traders, it was an individual entrepreneur who gave an order to the Akosombo Textiles Limited to design the cloth.
Sales of the Obama paraphernalia are picking up slowly, and the traders are confident that more people will rush to buy the items before and during President Obama’s visit.
Interestingly, according to the traders, the American and European tourists are competing with Ghanaians in the purchase of the Obama cloth.
One of the traders, Alex Owuradu, told the Daily Graphic that some of the Americans shedded tears when he cut the cloth and the scissors went through the face of Obama, cutting his image into two. He said they ended up buying the whole cloth just to save Obama's face. According to Alex, some of the tourists confided in him that they had travelled down to Ghana to see President Obama.
Some of the T-shirts that have President Obama's photograph with the First Family, have inscriptions such as ‘Obama - Change We Can Believe In, ‘Obama - A Leader We Can Believe In’. The T-shirts with pictures of President Mills and President Obama read: ‘Partnership for Change’, depicting their common campaign slogans of change.
The Obama T-shirts and jerseys sell for between GH¢7 and GH¢12. The Obama bags are sold for GH¢15 while the Obama wooden bowls go for between GH¢25 and GH¢30. They are sculptured in wood and decorated with fanciful African beads.
Some of the people who had bought the Obama paraphernalia told the Daily Graphic that they bought the items out of the love they have for the first black American President.
Besides, they said, they wanted to participate fully in the celebration of his visit to Ghana.
Alfred Kwasi Baku, who was seen buying the Obama cloth, said: “I am buying the cloth because I like Obama and because he is a black President of America. As a Ghanaian I want to be part of the celebration of his visit.”
On his expectations of President Obama’s visit, his request was for the American President to make some funds available to improve the road network in the Volta Region.
TOR cuts supply to defaulting OMCs
08/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Tema Oil (TOR) has cut off fuel supply to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), for their indebtedness to TOR since 2008.
The OMCs buy fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulted in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
She, however, declined to name the 11 affected OMCs, insisting that exposing their identities would amount to a breach of confidentiality.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies if they did not settle their debts.
She indicated that the management of TOR was negotiating with the owners of the OMCs on how to settle their indebtedness to TOR.
She said the suspension of fuel to indebted OMCs was an effective way in generating revenue for TOR.
Mrs Lokko described TOR’s financial standing as “quite challenging”, and that the management decided to generate funds internally to support the operations of the company.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Tema Oil (TOR) has cut off fuel supply to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), for their indebtedness to TOR since 2008.
The OMCs buy fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulted in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
She, however, declined to name the 11 affected OMCs, insisting that exposing their identities would amount to a breach of confidentiality.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies if they did not settle their debts.
She indicated that the management of TOR was negotiating with the owners of the OMCs on how to settle their indebtedness to TOR.
She said the suspension of fuel to indebted OMCs was an effective way in generating revenue for TOR.
Mrs Lokko described TOR’s financial standing as “quite challenging”, and that the management decided to generate funds internally to support the operations of the company.
Chief Imam calls for fair Hajj
8/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Barbara Tandoh
THE National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, has charged members of the newly constituted Hajj Committee to initiate measures to ensure a problem-free Hajj this year.
Inducting the 11-member committee into office in Accra yesterday, Sheikh Sharubutu urged the members to be guided by the truth in their operations.
He said the reward of being truthful would be the successful organisation of the Hajj.
In the same vein, Sheikh Sharubutu said, when they employed lies and deceit in their work, the organisation of the Hajj would be characterised by delays and disappointments.
He reminded the members that Hajj was one of the five pillars of Islam, and that it was required of them to sacrifice their personal interests for the general good of prospective pilgrims and Ghanaians in general.
He, therefore, charged the members to make pledges to Allah and themselves to ensure the successful organisation of the Hajj.
The Committee has Alhaji Alhasan Bene as the chairman, with Sheikh Yahaya Amin, Mr Amadu Sorogo, Alhaji Baba Lamin, Mr Abu Sadat and Alhaji Awudu Ariff as other members.
The rest of the members are Alhaji Yusif Mohammed, Alhaji Alhassan Mahama, Alhaji Osman Kadri English, Alhaji Mahama Fuseini and Mr Mohammed Kpakpo Addo.
The Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, told the members of the committee that both President John Evans Atta Mills and his Vice, Mr John Dramani Mahama, had expressed their commitment to support the organisation of the Hajj this year.
He said President Mills had indicated that he did not want any Ghanaian pilgrim to go through any difficulty before, during and after the organisation of the Hajj.
Alhaji Yahaya, therefore, urged the members to work around the clock to improve the organisation of the Hajj, by getting good accommodation in Accra for prospective pilgrims from other parts of the country and ensuring their smooth departure to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Chairman of the Hajj Committee, Alhaji Bene, reiterated the commitment of members to do everything within their power to ensure a trouble-free Hajj.
He said members of the committee were working on the Hajj fare, and that they would announce the fare as soon as they finished the work.
The Member of Parliament for Abokobi Madina and member of the Hajj committee, Alhaji Amadu Sorogo, said members of the committee had already made 30 per cent deposit for accommodation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Besides, he said, the committee had made an arrangement that would require only prospective pilgrims due for departure to go to the Kotoka International Airport, as a way of avoiding overcrowding at the airport.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Barbara Tandoh
THE National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, has charged members of the newly constituted Hajj Committee to initiate measures to ensure a problem-free Hajj this year.
Inducting the 11-member committee into office in Accra yesterday, Sheikh Sharubutu urged the members to be guided by the truth in their operations.
He said the reward of being truthful would be the successful organisation of the Hajj.
In the same vein, Sheikh Sharubutu said, when they employed lies and deceit in their work, the organisation of the Hajj would be characterised by delays and disappointments.
He reminded the members that Hajj was one of the five pillars of Islam, and that it was required of them to sacrifice their personal interests for the general good of prospective pilgrims and Ghanaians in general.
He, therefore, charged the members to make pledges to Allah and themselves to ensure the successful organisation of the Hajj.
The Committee has Alhaji Alhasan Bene as the chairman, with Sheikh Yahaya Amin, Mr Amadu Sorogo, Alhaji Baba Lamin, Mr Abu Sadat and Alhaji Awudu Ariff as other members.
The rest of the members are Alhaji Yusif Mohammed, Alhaji Alhassan Mahama, Alhaji Osman Kadri English, Alhaji Mahama Fuseini and Mr Mohammed Kpakpo Addo.
The Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, told the members of the committee that both President John Evans Atta Mills and his Vice, Mr John Dramani Mahama, had expressed their commitment to support the organisation of the Hajj this year.
He said President Mills had indicated that he did not want any Ghanaian pilgrim to go through any difficulty before, during and after the organisation of the Hajj.
Alhaji Yahaya, therefore, urged the members to work around the clock to improve the organisation of the Hajj, by getting good accommodation in Accra for prospective pilgrims from other parts of the country and ensuring their smooth departure to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Chairman of the Hajj Committee, Alhaji Bene, reiterated the commitment of members to do everything within their power to ensure a trouble-free Hajj.
He said members of the committee were working on the Hajj fare, and that they would announce the fare as soon as they finished the work.
The Member of Parliament for Abokobi Madina and member of the Hajj committee, Alhaji Amadu Sorogo, said members of the committee had already made 30 per cent deposit for accommodation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Besides, he said, the committee had made an arrangement that would require only prospective pilgrims due for departure to go to the Kotoka International Airport, as a way of avoiding overcrowding at the airport.
Chief Imam sets up education fund
17/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Barbara Tandoh
AN Islamic education fund to support brilliant needy students irrespective of their religion has been established by the National Chief Imam Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu.
The scheme known as ‘Dr Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu Education Trust Fund’ will be launched on August 15, this year.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra last Tuesday, Sheikh Sharubutu said education was the bedrock of every society, and that the establishment of the fund was to complement the government’s effort at promoting education in the country.
He said many students faced financial difficulties with some dropping out of school as a result.
He said the plight of brilliant needy students in the muslim community was so abject that he had personally supported some students who came to him for support.
The Chief Imam said he was moved by the plight of these students to establish the fund to provide financial assistance to them.
He stressed, however, that every needy student irrespective of his or her religion was qualified to assess the fund.
According to him, his main preoccupation was the development of the country, which “cannot be achieved without education.”
A part of the fund will be used to establish educational institutions and provide educational materials to schools in deprived communities. There will also be free counselling and consultancy services to students and unemployed youth on education and entreprenuership.
The 11-member Board of Directors, chaired by Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim, will operate and control the fund. The rest of the members are Alhaji Mohammed Mamah Gado, Alhaji Mohammed Aminu Futa, Dr Ahmed Bin-Yunusah, Alhaji Showumi Abdullahi Williams, Alhaji Alhassan Abdullahi, Rev. Emmanuel Perigrino Brimah, Mrs Sakeena K. Bonsu, Sheikh Seebaway Zakaria, Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim and Mr Khuzaima Mohammed Osman.
A technical team has been set up to evaluate students’ applications and make recommendations to the Board.
Members of the Board will seek funding from donor communities, individuals, business entities, public organisations as well local and international organisations.
Sheikh Sharubutu stressed on the need for the youth to pursue both secular and religious education to put them in a good stead to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
He lauded the peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the country, and called for alot of collaboration among the leaders of the two faiths.
The Chairman of the fund, Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim,noted that the establishment of fund was a giant step towards ensuring that “every Ghanaian child is given quality education.”
He, therefore, appealed to corporate bodies, individuals, local and international organisations to provide financial assistance to the fund.
The National Chief Imam has established seven schools in Accra, and put up an educational complex at Kasoa in the Central Region, which will be commissioned on August 1, 2009.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Barbara Tandoh
AN Islamic education fund to support brilliant needy students irrespective of their religion has been established by the National Chief Imam Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu.
The scheme known as ‘Dr Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu Education Trust Fund’ will be launched on August 15, this year.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra last Tuesday, Sheikh Sharubutu said education was the bedrock of every society, and that the establishment of the fund was to complement the government’s effort at promoting education in the country.
He said many students faced financial difficulties with some dropping out of school as a result.
He said the plight of brilliant needy students in the muslim community was so abject that he had personally supported some students who came to him for support.
The Chief Imam said he was moved by the plight of these students to establish the fund to provide financial assistance to them.
He stressed, however, that every needy student irrespective of his or her religion was qualified to assess the fund.
According to him, his main preoccupation was the development of the country, which “cannot be achieved without education.”
A part of the fund will be used to establish educational institutions and provide educational materials to schools in deprived communities. There will also be free counselling and consultancy services to students and unemployed youth on education and entreprenuership.
The 11-member Board of Directors, chaired by Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim, will operate and control the fund. The rest of the members are Alhaji Mohammed Mamah Gado, Alhaji Mohammed Aminu Futa, Dr Ahmed Bin-Yunusah, Alhaji Showumi Abdullahi Williams, Alhaji Alhassan Abdullahi, Rev. Emmanuel Perigrino Brimah, Mrs Sakeena K. Bonsu, Sheikh Seebaway Zakaria, Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim and Mr Khuzaima Mohammed Osman.
A technical team has been set up to evaluate students’ applications and make recommendations to the Board.
Members of the Board will seek funding from donor communities, individuals, business entities, public organisations as well local and international organisations.
Sheikh Sharubutu stressed on the need for the youth to pursue both secular and religious education to put them in a good stead to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
He lauded the peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the country, and called for alot of collaboration among the leaders of the two faiths.
The Chairman of the fund, Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim,noted that the establishment of fund was a giant step towards ensuring that “every Ghanaian child is given quality education.”
He, therefore, appealed to corporate bodies, individuals, local and international organisations to provide financial assistance to the fund.
The National Chief Imam has established seven schools in Accra, and put up an educational complex at Kasoa in the Central Region, which will be commissioned on August 1, 2009.
Sodom and Gomorrah to be relocated
17/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SODOM and Gomorrah, a slum within the central business district (CBD) of Accra, will be no more by next December as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it has concluded plans to relocate residents of the place to a new site at Adzen Kotoku.
The Adzen Kotoku land in Ga West has been acquired and developed for the purpose and yesterday the Director of the Metro Public Health Department of the AMA, Dr Simpson Boateng, told the Daily Graphic about the urgency with which the assembly had to effect the relocation plan.
He pointed out that the persistent dumping of refuse and human excreta into the Korle canal by the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah was undermining work on the Korle Lagoon Ecological Project (KLEP).
As a result of the intense pollution of the lagoon by residents of the slum, he said, the government was compelled to spend 5,000 euros daily to dredge and collect the waste generated by the squatters.
Dr Boateng, who was speaking with the Daily Graphic after an inspection tour of the KLEP by members of the Accra Plastic Waste Management Project (APWMP), said the relocation of the squatters was also part of the ongoing decongestion in parts of Accra.
Sodom and Gomorrah is inhabited mainly by traders and porters from different parts of the country and the slum is notorious for crime and filth.
Residents there stay in groups in wooden structures scattered around the area. Some of the structures have been put up at the edges of the Agbogbloshie and Korle canals. These structures catch fire occasionally and allegations are rife that some of the most wanted and hardened criminals in the country use Sodom and Gomorrah as their hideout.
Work on the KLEP, which is to restore the ecology of the Korle Lagoon and improve the drainage situation in Accra, started in 1995 and was scheduled to be completed in 2005.
However, Dr Boateng said, the activities of the squatters had extended the completion period, adding, however, that the AMA could not give any time line.
All that he could say was that "there is no end in sight" so far as the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah continued to be there.
On the relocation, Dr Boateng said the AMA had registered 3,000 squatters and indicated that it was possible that more than that number would move to that area.
While admitting that the new site at Adzen Kotoku could not accommodate all the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah, he made it clear that “the government is not under any obligation to relocate the squatters”.
He said the putting up of quarters at Adzen Kotoku to accommodate some of the squatters was an attempt to support the squatters.
According to the Project Engineer for Dredging International, Mr Gert Truyens, and the Project Supervisor for AMA, Mr Hillarius Ayidzoe, the activities of the squatters made their work more difficult.
They said they had been forced to use excavators to clear the waste generated by the squatters from the canal on a daily basis.
Consequently, Mr Ayidzoe said, work on the third phase of the project, which involves the creation of a recreational centre around the Korle Lagoon, had been stalled.
“So long as the squatters continue to stay here, the creation of the recreational centre cannot start,” he stressed.
The Chairman of the APWMP, Mr Ebow Boakye, said his outfit would fund the construction of traps on the Agbogbloshie, Odaw and Kaneshie canals to prevent the entry of solid waste into the Korle canal.
Besides, he said, the APWMP would collaborate with the AMA to arrest and prosecute persons who indiscriminately littered the city.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SODOM and Gomorrah, a slum within the central business district (CBD) of Accra, will be no more by next December as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it has concluded plans to relocate residents of the place to a new site at Adzen Kotoku.
The Adzen Kotoku land in Ga West has been acquired and developed for the purpose and yesterday the Director of the Metro Public Health Department of the AMA, Dr Simpson Boateng, told the Daily Graphic about the urgency with which the assembly had to effect the relocation plan.
He pointed out that the persistent dumping of refuse and human excreta into the Korle canal by the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah was undermining work on the Korle Lagoon Ecological Project (KLEP).
As a result of the intense pollution of the lagoon by residents of the slum, he said, the government was compelled to spend 5,000 euros daily to dredge and collect the waste generated by the squatters.
Dr Boateng, who was speaking with the Daily Graphic after an inspection tour of the KLEP by members of the Accra Plastic Waste Management Project (APWMP), said the relocation of the squatters was also part of the ongoing decongestion in parts of Accra.
Sodom and Gomorrah is inhabited mainly by traders and porters from different parts of the country and the slum is notorious for crime and filth.
Residents there stay in groups in wooden structures scattered around the area. Some of the structures have been put up at the edges of the Agbogbloshie and Korle canals. These structures catch fire occasionally and allegations are rife that some of the most wanted and hardened criminals in the country use Sodom and Gomorrah as their hideout.
Work on the KLEP, which is to restore the ecology of the Korle Lagoon and improve the drainage situation in Accra, started in 1995 and was scheduled to be completed in 2005.
However, Dr Boateng said, the activities of the squatters had extended the completion period, adding, however, that the AMA could not give any time line.
All that he could say was that "there is no end in sight" so far as the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah continued to be there.
On the relocation, Dr Boateng said the AMA had registered 3,000 squatters and indicated that it was possible that more than that number would move to that area.
While admitting that the new site at Adzen Kotoku could not accommodate all the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah, he made it clear that “the government is not under any obligation to relocate the squatters”.
He said the putting up of quarters at Adzen Kotoku to accommodate some of the squatters was an attempt to support the squatters.
According to the Project Engineer for Dredging International, Mr Gert Truyens, and the Project Supervisor for AMA, Mr Hillarius Ayidzoe, the activities of the squatters made their work more difficult.
They said they had been forced to use excavators to clear the waste generated by the squatters from the canal on a daily basis.
Consequently, Mr Ayidzoe said, work on the third phase of the project, which involves the creation of a recreational centre around the Korle Lagoon, had been stalled.
“So long as the squatters continue to stay here, the creation of the recreational centre cannot start,” he stressed.
The Chairman of the APWMP, Mr Ebow Boakye, said his outfit would fund the construction of traps on the Agbogbloshie, Odaw and Kaneshie canals to prevent the entry of solid waste into the Korle canal.
Besides, he said, the APWMP would collaborate with the AMA to arrest and prosecute persons who indiscriminately littered the city.
Damabafest held in style
20/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
PEOPLE from most of the ethnic groups in the three regions of northern Ghana at the weekend exhibited a sense of unity when they held a durbar to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed (Dambafest), in Accra.
Despite the seemingly intractable conflict between the Mamprusis and the Kusasis in the Upper East Region and the Abudu and Andani gates (both Dagombas) in the Northern Region, it was a delightful scene watching the people mingle together and displaying their rich cultures with traditional dancing, drumming and songs, to the admiration of observers, including European tourists.
The variety of cultural displays gave meaning to the theme of the durbar, which was: “Cultural Consciousness for National Development”. The cultural extravaganza was organised by the Council of Chiefs and Opinion Leaders of the North Living in Southern Ghana (COCOON).
The other ethnic groups present at the grand occasion are the Gonjas, Walas, Bandas, Dagartis, Bermobas, Sammeres, Chakosis, Nanumbas, Frafras, Gurushies, Sissalas, Kokombas and Basares.
Re-enforcing the sense of unity, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama urged the people in the three regions of northern Ghana to shun ethnic and chieftaincy disputes and harness their potentials to develop their respective regions.
“For me, Dambafest presents us with an opportunity to take stock of our challenges and opportunities as a people from a common geographical area, and also to plan for the future,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by a Minister of State at the Presidency, Alhaji Amadu Seidu.
Mr Mahama said festivals were meant to galvanise the cultural consciousness of a people for national development.
However, he said, sometimes the ideals behind the celebration of festivals in the northern part of the country tended to be overshadowed by ethnic rivalries and tensions with dire consequences “which we must endeavour to avoid”.
Mr Mahama said chieftaincy disputes, ethnic animosities and land litigation had destroyed life and property in northern Ghana and affected the general development of the area.
“The phenomenon of insecurity in most parts of the north drives away potential investors and diverts government attention from using scarce resources otherwise meant for education, health, agriculture and other infrastructural facilities, to peacekeeping operations,” he said.
He expressed worry at some people in the southern part of the country who purchased and transported sophisticated weapons to north, and those who fanned chieftaincy disputes and other conflicts as a source of livelihood.
As a result, he said, most people in the north had not been able to go to school, and, therefore, lacked skills to engage in the productive sectors of the economy.
Therefore, Mr Mahama said, the Dambafest should remind the people of the need to emulate the “sterling” leadership qualities of the life of Prophet Mohammed so as to be able to provide quality leadership based on truthfulness, self-sacrifice and perseverance.
Besides, he said, Prophet Mohammed demonstrated tolerance in deed and word throughout his life, hence the need for the people “to show tolerance towards each other, and learn to live in peace and harmony with one another”.
On government support for initiatives in the north, Mr Mahama said the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) would address the social and cultural dimensions of the development of the north.
He said SADA would focus on broader economic development and wealth creation especially for small holder farmers.
The acting President of COCOON, Alhaji Osman Checkson Issahaku, said the chiefs and opinion leaders of the north living in the south were determined to mobilise Ghanaians, particularly those in the savannah area, for the emerging opportunities in the north.
“We also admit as chiefs that the days when we sat in our palaces and waited for our subjects to come to us are no more their expectation, but, rather, we as traditional rulers and opinion leaders, indeed, must reach out to our community in a way that mobilises and galvanises them in the course of national development agenda,” he said.
Alhaji Issahaku lauded the government for introducing the SADA to address the development needs of the north, and expressed the commitment of COCOON in the implementation of the project.
He said the rich cultures of the people of the north displayed at the durbar were a reflection of the holistic potential of natural and human resource.
He, therefore, asked development partners and investors to go to the north “in pursuit of great emerging economic potentials in agriculture, mining and industry to be powered by availability of abundant energy in the direction of Ghana’s emerging economy”.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
PEOPLE from most of the ethnic groups in the three regions of northern Ghana at the weekend exhibited a sense of unity when they held a durbar to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed (Dambafest), in Accra.
Despite the seemingly intractable conflict between the Mamprusis and the Kusasis in the Upper East Region and the Abudu and Andani gates (both Dagombas) in the Northern Region, it was a delightful scene watching the people mingle together and displaying their rich cultures with traditional dancing, drumming and songs, to the admiration of observers, including European tourists.
The variety of cultural displays gave meaning to the theme of the durbar, which was: “Cultural Consciousness for National Development”. The cultural extravaganza was organised by the Council of Chiefs and Opinion Leaders of the North Living in Southern Ghana (COCOON).
The other ethnic groups present at the grand occasion are the Gonjas, Walas, Bandas, Dagartis, Bermobas, Sammeres, Chakosis, Nanumbas, Frafras, Gurushies, Sissalas, Kokombas and Basares.
Re-enforcing the sense of unity, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama urged the people in the three regions of northern Ghana to shun ethnic and chieftaincy disputes and harness their potentials to develop their respective regions.
“For me, Dambafest presents us with an opportunity to take stock of our challenges and opportunities as a people from a common geographical area, and also to plan for the future,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by a Minister of State at the Presidency, Alhaji Amadu Seidu.
Mr Mahama said festivals were meant to galvanise the cultural consciousness of a people for national development.
However, he said, sometimes the ideals behind the celebration of festivals in the northern part of the country tended to be overshadowed by ethnic rivalries and tensions with dire consequences “which we must endeavour to avoid”.
Mr Mahama said chieftaincy disputes, ethnic animosities and land litigation had destroyed life and property in northern Ghana and affected the general development of the area.
“The phenomenon of insecurity in most parts of the north drives away potential investors and diverts government attention from using scarce resources otherwise meant for education, health, agriculture and other infrastructural facilities, to peacekeeping operations,” he said.
He expressed worry at some people in the southern part of the country who purchased and transported sophisticated weapons to north, and those who fanned chieftaincy disputes and other conflicts as a source of livelihood.
As a result, he said, most people in the north had not been able to go to school, and, therefore, lacked skills to engage in the productive sectors of the economy.
Therefore, Mr Mahama said, the Dambafest should remind the people of the need to emulate the “sterling” leadership qualities of the life of Prophet Mohammed so as to be able to provide quality leadership based on truthfulness, self-sacrifice and perseverance.
Besides, he said, Prophet Mohammed demonstrated tolerance in deed and word throughout his life, hence the need for the people “to show tolerance towards each other, and learn to live in peace and harmony with one another”.
On government support for initiatives in the north, Mr Mahama said the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) would address the social and cultural dimensions of the development of the north.
He said SADA would focus on broader economic development and wealth creation especially for small holder farmers.
The acting President of COCOON, Alhaji Osman Checkson Issahaku, said the chiefs and opinion leaders of the north living in the south were determined to mobilise Ghanaians, particularly those in the savannah area, for the emerging opportunities in the north.
“We also admit as chiefs that the days when we sat in our palaces and waited for our subjects to come to us are no more their expectation, but, rather, we as traditional rulers and opinion leaders, indeed, must reach out to our community in a way that mobilises and galvanises them in the course of national development agenda,” he said.
Alhaji Issahaku lauded the government for introducing the SADA to address the development needs of the north, and expressed the commitment of COCOON in the implementation of the project.
He said the rich cultures of the people of the north displayed at the durbar were a reflection of the holistic potential of natural and human resource.
He, therefore, asked development partners and investors to go to the north “in pursuit of great emerging economic potentials in agriculture, mining and industry to be powered by availability of abundant energy in the direction of Ghana’s emerging economy”.
Govt and GMA hold talks on salary
1/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE contentious issue of how much would constitute fair remuneration for Ghanaian doctors within the current economic circumstances is back on the negotiating table following the refusal of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to accept a seven per increment proposed by the government.
The current negotiation, which is aimed at reaching a consensus on the issues of salary increment and allowances for doctors, involves the Fair Wages Commission (FWC) and the leadership of the GMA.
The President of the GMA, Dr Emmanuel Adom Winful, told the Daily Graphic that the first meeting, which was at the instance of the FWC, was held on Wednesday, at which both the GMA and the FWC demonstrated goodwill and the spirit to make compromises in order to reach a consensus on the contentious issues involved.
Dr Winful, however, declined to say what the compromises were, stressing that both parties had agreed to discuss the issues on the quiet till they reached an agreement.
The demands of the GMA, which necessitated the meetings, are contained in a communiqué it adopted at its fourth National Executive Council Meeting held in Bolgatanga.
The communiqué appealed to the government to urgently implement the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between it and the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa Yankey, on May 26, this year, else the doctors would advise themselves.
The MoU was signed following the work-to-rule schedule embarked upon by the GMA.
It quoted the doctors as saying that they would not accept the proposed seven per cent increment, since public sector workers had been given a 17 per cent pay rise.
The communiqué said both parties agreed that salary negotiations that started in 2008 should be concluded, while the salaries for doctors for 2008 be increased by seven per cent with effect from January 2008.
It was also agreed that with effect from January 2009, 10 per cent basic salaries of doctors, including house officers, would be paid to them as on-call duty facilitation allowance, while doctors not housed in official government accommodation also received an allowance of 10 per cent.
According to the communiqué, the government accepted that the arrears should be paid in two tranches in July and August 2009, while those on conditions of service and salaries must be paid by the end of July 2009.
However, it said the Minister of Finance had postponed the payment of the arrears due members and stated that the arrears would be paid in four instalments, in violation of the agreement.
Dr Winful said the GMA and the FWC were making progress on the issues on the table.
However, he said the two parties did not agree on certain issues at the first meeting but stopped short of saying that the meeting had been deadlocked.
Instead, he said he was hopeful that the meetings would come up with a consensus on the issues under discussion.
He said the negotiations were ongoing but could not tell when they would conclude the meetings.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE contentious issue of how much would constitute fair remuneration for Ghanaian doctors within the current economic circumstances is back on the negotiating table following the refusal of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to accept a seven per increment proposed by the government.
The current negotiation, which is aimed at reaching a consensus on the issues of salary increment and allowances for doctors, involves the Fair Wages Commission (FWC) and the leadership of the GMA.
The President of the GMA, Dr Emmanuel Adom Winful, told the Daily Graphic that the first meeting, which was at the instance of the FWC, was held on Wednesday, at which both the GMA and the FWC demonstrated goodwill and the spirit to make compromises in order to reach a consensus on the contentious issues involved.
Dr Winful, however, declined to say what the compromises were, stressing that both parties had agreed to discuss the issues on the quiet till they reached an agreement.
The demands of the GMA, which necessitated the meetings, are contained in a communiqué it adopted at its fourth National Executive Council Meeting held in Bolgatanga.
The communiqué appealed to the government to urgently implement the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between it and the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa Yankey, on May 26, this year, else the doctors would advise themselves.
The MoU was signed following the work-to-rule schedule embarked upon by the GMA.
It quoted the doctors as saying that they would not accept the proposed seven per cent increment, since public sector workers had been given a 17 per cent pay rise.
The communiqué said both parties agreed that salary negotiations that started in 2008 should be concluded, while the salaries for doctors for 2008 be increased by seven per cent with effect from January 2008.
It was also agreed that with effect from January 2009, 10 per cent basic salaries of doctors, including house officers, would be paid to them as on-call duty facilitation allowance, while doctors not housed in official government accommodation also received an allowance of 10 per cent.
According to the communiqué, the government accepted that the arrears should be paid in two tranches in July and August 2009, while those on conditions of service and salaries must be paid by the end of July 2009.
However, it said the Minister of Finance had postponed the payment of the arrears due members and stated that the arrears would be paid in four instalments, in violation of the agreement.
Dr Winful said the GMA and the FWC were making progress on the issues on the table.
However, he said the two parties did not agree on certain issues at the first meeting but stopped short of saying that the meeting had been deadlocked.
Instead, he said he was hopeful that the meetings would come up with a consensus on the issues under discussion.
He said the negotiations were ongoing but could not tell when they would conclude the meetings.
Govt to review GBC status
3/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Cabinet last Tuesday decided to review the legislation establishing the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC NLCD 226:1968 ) to make it a public broadcaster.
At the sixth anniversary celebration of TV Africa, a private television station in Accra last Friday, the Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said the review of the legislation would model the GBC along the lines of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
The review of the legislation is expected to put to rest the raging debate about the status of the GBC.
He noted that the GBC “is suffering from identity crisis” as to whether to operate as a public broadcaster or a commercial broadcaster.
Mr Iddrisu told the Daily Graphic later that the review of the legislation would give the GBC the authority to serve the public well and support government’s efforts at building the country.
He said the change of status of the GBC would make the competition in the broadcasting industry keener.
“The GBC will take the pride of place in Ghana’s media landscape,” he stressed.
The minister, therefore, urged other media houses, including TV Africa, to accept the challenge and respond to the competition in the industry.
He again indicated that the government was committed to the passage of the Broadcasting Act.
Mr Iddrisu said the government wanted every district capital to have at least one public or private radio station to promote the dissemination of information across the country.
Equally, he said, television was important to serve as an effective tool in the dissemination of information within communities, saying that “It has the tendency of transforming social norms”.
Mr Iddrisu said some television stations created awareness about government policies and prepared the people to take advantage of such policies. He, however, said other television programmes “debase our cultural values, and promote child pornography, the use of violent weapons, and explicit sexual programming in the form of Telenovela”.
He, therefore, charged the management of TV Africa to support public education on societal ills, such as crime, fraud, HIV/AIDS, rural-urban migration, teenage pregnancy and street hawking.
Mr Iddrisu commended the station for extending its transmission to about 40 per cent of the viewing population in the country.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to respect, promote and guarantee the independence of the media, media pluralism and freedom of expression.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of TV Africa, Mr Kwaw Ansah, said the station would not use it medium to play politics with issues affecting the people, saying that “We cannot play politics with them.”
Rather, he said, the station would use its medium “to get the people out of the woods”.
The Managing Director of TV Africa, Mr Berifi Apenteng, said the station had come a long way in providing authentic and reliable information about Africa in an African context.
He said through its programmes - news, current affairs and entertainment - TV Africa had been projecting the values of Africa usually ignored by the Western media.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Cabinet last Tuesday decided to review the legislation establishing the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC NLCD 226:1968 ) to make it a public broadcaster.
At the sixth anniversary celebration of TV Africa, a private television station in Accra last Friday, the Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said the review of the legislation would model the GBC along the lines of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
The review of the legislation is expected to put to rest the raging debate about the status of the GBC.
He noted that the GBC “is suffering from identity crisis” as to whether to operate as a public broadcaster or a commercial broadcaster.
Mr Iddrisu told the Daily Graphic later that the review of the legislation would give the GBC the authority to serve the public well and support government’s efforts at building the country.
He said the change of status of the GBC would make the competition in the broadcasting industry keener.
“The GBC will take the pride of place in Ghana’s media landscape,” he stressed.
The minister, therefore, urged other media houses, including TV Africa, to accept the challenge and respond to the competition in the industry.
He again indicated that the government was committed to the passage of the Broadcasting Act.
Mr Iddrisu said the government wanted every district capital to have at least one public or private radio station to promote the dissemination of information across the country.
Equally, he said, television was important to serve as an effective tool in the dissemination of information within communities, saying that “It has the tendency of transforming social norms”.
Mr Iddrisu said some television stations created awareness about government policies and prepared the people to take advantage of such policies. He, however, said other television programmes “debase our cultural values, and promote child pornography, the use of violent weapons, and explicit sexual programming in the form of Telenovela”.
He, therefore, charged the management of TV Africa to support public education on societal ills, such as crime, fraud, HIV/AIDS, rural-urban migration, teenage pregnancy and street hawking.
Mr Iddrisu commended the station for extending its transmission to about 40 per cent of the viewing population in the country.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to respect, promote and guarantee the independence of the media, media pluralism and freedom of expression.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of TV Africa, Mr Kwaw Ansah, said the station would not use it medium to play politics with issues affecting the people, saying that “We cannot play politics with them.”
Rather, he said, the station would use its medium “to get the people out of the woods”.
The Managing Director of TV Africa, Mr Berifi Apenteng, said the station had come a long way in providing authentic and reliable information about Africa in an African context.
He said through its programmes - news, current affairs and entertainment - TV Africa had been projecting the values of Africa usually ignored by the Western media.
Vodafone asked to follow labour laws
5/08/09
Labour consultant (national)
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A LABOUR consultant, Mr Austin Gamey, has urged the management of Vodafone to let the terms of the company’s Collective Agreement (CA) and Section 65 of the Labour Act be the basis for its decision to lay off 950 employees.
He told the Daily Graphic that the terms of the CA should supersede all other provisions in dealing with issues affecting employer-employee relations.
Mr Gamey said Vodafone had the right to lay off workers for economic and technological changes, but said it was required to follow the due process.
He was reacting to the decision of the management of Vodafone to lay off 950 employees by the end of November, 2009, under the company’s compulsory redundancy policy.
The Chief Manager of Corporate Communications of Vodafone, Mr Isaac Abraham, told the press that the lay-off of the workers was to pave the way for a new organisational structure that would take effect on December 1, 2009.
However, the Secretary-General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, was reported to have said that Vodafone’s decision to lay off the workers undermined the legal practices governing the country’s labour relations.
Mr Gamey said it was wrong for the company to enter into any individual agreements with workers on the issue of laying them off.
Rather, he said, there should be a collective agreement on the issue of disengagement of workers.
The labour consultant asked the management of Vodafone to liaise with the Human Resource and the Industrial Relations departments of the company to sit down with the leadership of the workers to follow through the CA and Section 65 of the Labour Act, which deals with issues of employer-employee relations.
He said they could report to the National Labour Commission in case of any difficulties in understanding the provisions of the Labour Act.
Mr Gamey said it was “painful” for anyone to be laid off, aside of its impact on the labour front and the national economy as a whole.
However, he said, “there is nothing wrong” if an employer wanted to embark on a legal disengagement of workers - within the terms of the CA and the Labour Act.
Mr Gamey urged both the management and workers to stay calm while the issue of dispensing with the services of some workers was being discussed.
Labour consultant (national)
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A LABOUR consultant, Mr Austin Gamey, has urged the management of Vodafone to let the terms of the company’s Collective Agreement (CA) and Section 65 of the Labour Act be the basis for its decision to lay off 950 employees.
He told the Daily Graphic that the terms of the CA should supersede all other provisions in dealing with issues affecting employer-employee relations.
Mr Gamey said Vodafone had the right to lay off workers for economic and technological changes, but said it was required to follow the due process.
He was reacting to the decision of the management of Vodafone to lay off 950 employees by the end of November, 2009, under the company’s compulsory redundancy policy.
The Chief Manager of Corporate Communications of Vodafone, Mr Isaac Abraham, told the press that the lay-off of the workers was to pave the way for a new organisational structure that would take effect on December 1, 2009.
However, the Secretary-General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, was reported to have said that Vodafone’s decision to lay off the workers undermined the legal practices governing the country’s labour relations.
Mr Gamey said it was wrong for the company to enter into any individual agreements with workers on the issue of laying them off.
Rather, he said, there should be a collective agreement on the issue of disengagement of workers.
The labour consultant asked the management of Vodafone to liaise with the Human Resource and the Industrial Relations departments of the company to sit down with the leadership of the workers to follow through the CA and Section 65 of the Labour Act, which deals with issues of employer-employee relations.
He said they could report to the National Labour Commission in case of any difficulties in understanding the provisions of the Labour Act.
Mr Gamey said it was “painful” for anyone to be laid off, aside of its impact on the labour front and the national economy as a whole.
However, he said, “there is nothing wrong” if an employer wanted to embark on a legal disengagement of workers - within the terms of the CA and the Labour Act.
Mr Gamey urged both the management and workers to stay calm while the issue of dispensing with the services of some workers was being discussed.
Political parties flout laws
7/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
Only one out of the seven political parties that contested the 2008 general election submitted its audited accounts for 2008 to the Electoral Commission (EC) as required by the Political Parties Law.
Section 21 Subsection (1) of Act 574 (2000) requires political parties to submit audited accounts of a preceding year to the EC by June 30 of the following year.
However, two months down the line only the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has presented its audited accounts for 2008, according to the Director of Finance of the EC, Mr I. K. Boateng.
The others — the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) — have not submitted their accounts to the EC.
Mr Boateng said some of the political parties which registered with the EC but did not contest the 2008 election had not submitted their accounts for between two and four years.
The audited accounts are meant to give the financial position of the political parties in terms of their assets and liabilities. They also give information on fixed assets (items that can be used for more than one year), current assets (assets that can be disposed of within a year), as well as their liabilities.
He said the audited accounts “tell a political party’s financial position, whether it is in debt or not. They also show whether the acceptable accounting procedure is followed”.
According to Section 14 Subsection 1 of the Political Parties Law, “A political party shall, within twenty-one days before a general election, submit to the commission a statement of its assets and liabilities in such form as the Commission may direct.”
Section (2) says, “A political party shall, within six months after a general or by-election in which it has participated, submit to the commission a detailed statement in such form as the commission may direct of all expenditure incurred for that election.”
And Section (3) provides, “A statement required to be submitted under this section shall be supported by a statutory declaration made by the general or national secretary of the political party and the national treasurer of that party.”
On the penalty, Section (4) stipulates, “Without prejudice to any other penalty provided in this Act or any other enactment, where a political party (a) refuses or neglects to comply with this section; or (b) submits a statement which is false in any material particular, the commission may cancel the registration of the political party.”
According to Mr Boateng, both the NDC and the NPP presented their audited accounts for 2007, while the CPP and the PNC presented theirs up to 2005.
He said the political parties were supposed to comply with the law requiring them to submit their audited accounts to the EC and indicated that their failure to do so amounted to flouting the law.
“The law says by 30th June the audited accounts of the preceding year should have been presented. So if they (political parties) do not comply, they have broken the law,” he said.
Mr Boateng, however, admitted that the political parties had not reorganised fully after the rigorous 2008 elections, noting that the leadership of none of the political parties had sent any correspondence to the EC regarding its inability to submit its audited accounts.
In the same way, he said, the EC had not written to the political parties to remind them of their constitutional requirement to submit their audited accounts.
He said the EC would take it up to write to the parties soon.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
Only one out of the seven political parties that contested the 2008 general election submitted its audited accounts for 2008 to the Electoral Commission (EC) as required by the Political Parties Law.
Section 21 Subsection (1) of Act 574 (2000) requires political parties to submit audited accounts of a preceding year to the EC by June 30 of the following year.
However, two months down the line only the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has presented its audited accounts for 2008, according to the Director of Finance of the EC, Mr I. K. Boateng.
The others — the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) — have not submitted their accounts to the EC.
Mr Boateng said some of the political parties which registered with the EC but did not contest the 2008 election had not submitted their accounts for between two and four years.
The audited accounts are meant to give the financial position of the political parties in terms of their assets and liabilities. They also give information on fixed assets (items that can be used for more than one year), current assets (assets that can be disposed of within a year), as well as their liabilities.
He said the audited accounts “tell a political party’s financial position, whether it is in debt or not. They also show whether the acceptable accounting procedure is followed”.
According to Section 14 Subsection 1 of the Political Parties Law, “A political party shall, within twenty-one days before a general election, submit to the commission a statement of its assets and liabilities in such form as the Commission may direct.”
Section (2) says, “A political party shall, within six months after a general or by-election in which it has participated, submit to the commission a detailed statement in such form as the commission may direct of all expenditure incurred for that election.”
And Section (3) provides, “A statement required to be submitted under this section shall be supported by a statutory declaration made by the general or national secretary of the political party and the national treasurer of that party.”
On the penalty, Section (4) stipulates, “Without prejudice to any other penalty provided in this Act or any other enactment, where a political party (a) refuses or neglects to comply with this section; or (b) submits a statement which is false in any material particular, the commission may cancel the registration of the political party.”
According to Mr Boateng, both the NDC and the NPP presented their audited accounts for 2007, while the CPP and the PNC presented theirs up to 2005.
He said the political parties were supposed to comply with the law requiring them to submit their audited accounts to the EC and indicated that their failure to do so amounted to flouting the law.
“The law says by 30th June the audited accounts of the preceding year should have been presented. So if they (political parties) do not comply, they have broken the law,” he said.
Mr Boateng, however, admitted that the political parties had not reorganised fully after the rigorous 2008 elections, noting that the leadership of none of the political parties had sent any correspondence to the EC regarding its inability to submit its audited accounts.
In the same way, he said, the EC had not written to the political parties to remind them of their constitutional requirement to submit their audited accounts.
He said the EC would take it up to write to the parties soon.
Prisons congested - report
13/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Natasha Lewis
THE rate of congestion in Ghana’s prisons worsened last year due to the increasing prison population, according to the 2008 annual report of the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS).
The cumulative prison population for 2008 was 5,170,840 as against the 2007 figure of 4,867,366, representing an increase of 5.9 per cent with an average daily lock-up of 14,128.
The report cited a high incidence of re-offending among ex-convicts as a contributory factor to the increasing prisoner population. Of the 9,377 convicted prisoners admitted in 2008, a total of 1,806 of them, representing 19.3 per cent, had been previously convicted.
It said 8,315 or 88.7 per cent of convicts admitted during the year were aged between 18 and 45.
The youthful nature of the prison population is highlighted in the report in relation to overcrowding with an emphasis on the need to expand facilities for more effective education and training of the inmates to make them productive.
According to the report, the most frequent offence committed by prisoners in 2008 was stealing, with an increase from 3,155 in 2007 to 4,263 in 2008.
The region with the highest occurrence of stealing offences in 2008 continued to be the Ashanti Region, with 1,518 convictions. The Eastern Region was second with 967 cases, followed by Western Region, 579; Central Region, 439; Brong Ahafo, 276; Volta, 191; Upper West, 99; Upper East, 90; Northern, 79 and Greater Accra with 25.
The number of prisoners held for abetment of crime more than doubled from 56 in 2007 to 119 in 2008. In both 2007 and 2008, the second most frequent offence committed was robbery but 2008 saw a decrease in cases from 792 in 2007 to 508.
A total of 131 people were convicted for murder and 11 imprisoned for manslaughter. Rape convicts numbered 79 with defilement recording 445 convicts.
Some 462 people were sentenced for possession of narcotic drugs, with 25 jailed for possessing firearms. A total of 174 people were jailed for driving offences.
Those convicted for assault/indecent assault numbered 287, causing damage/causing harm, 406; and threatening 142.
Fraud cases totalled 339 while conspiracy recorded 412 convicts. There was also a significant decrease in unlawful entry from 624 in 2007 to 330 in 2008.
Sixteen prisoners who escaped from custody were re-arrested and sentenced, while 45 people who could not settle their debts were also jailed and 42 persons convicted for dishonestly receiving.
According to the report, only one person was convicted in the Upper West Region for contempt of court, while nobody was convicted for child stealing.
Other offences were 1,600.
Given the youthful age (18-45) of the majority of prisoners, the report called for “a greater level of commitment to the effective reintegration of ex-convicts into society”, and indicated that projects had been “hampered by lack of funding”.
The Director-General of Prisons, William Kwadwo Asiedu, was quoted as mentioning “dwindling budgetary allocation, increasing prison population, lack of decent and adequate staff accommodation and the passiveness of society to the welfare of prisoners and its resentment towards ex-convicts” as the key challenges confronting the Prisons Service.
He, therefore, called for a “greater display of public goodwill towards the Ghana Prisons Service”.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Natasha Lewis
THE rate of congestion in Ghana’s prisons worsened last year due to the increasing prison population, according to the 2008 annual report of the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS).
The cumulative prison population for 2008 was 5,170,840 as against the 2007 figure of 4,867,366, representing an increase of 5.9 per cent with an average daily lock-up of 14,128.
The report cited a high incidence of re-offending among ex-convicts as a contributory factor to the increasing prisoner population. Of the 9,377 convicted prisoners admitted in 2008, a total of 1,806 of them, representing 19.3 per cent, had been previously convicted.
It said 8,315 or 88.7 per cent of convicts admitted during the year were aged between 18 and 45.
The youthful nature of the prison population is highlighted in the report in relation to overcrowding with an emphasis on the need to expand facilities for more effective education and training of the inmates to make them productive.
According to the report, the most frequent offence committed by prisoners in 2008 was stealing, with an increase from 3,155 in 2007 to 4,263 in 2008.
The region with the highest occurrence of stealing offences in 2008 continued to be the Ashanti Region, with 1,518 convictions. The Eastern Region was second with 967 cases, followed by Western Region, 579; Central Region, 439; Brong Ahafo, 276; Volta, 191; Upper West, 99; Upper East, 90; Northern, 79 and Greater Accra with 25.
The number of prisoners held for abetment of crime more than doubled from 56 in 2007 to 119 in 2008. In both 2007 and 2008, the second most frequent offence committed was robbery but 2008 saw a decrease in cases from 792 in 2007 to 508.
A total of 131 people were convicted for murder and 11 imprisoned for manslaughter. Rape convicts numbered 79 with defilement recording 445 convicts.
Some 462 people were sentenced for possession of narcotic drugs, with 25 jailed for possessing firearms. A total of 174 people were jailed for driving offences.
Those convicted for assault/indecent assault numbered 287, causing damage/causing harm, 406; and threatening 142.
Fraud cases totalled 339 while conspiracy recorded 412 convicts. There was also a significant decrease in unlawful entry from 624 in 2007 to 330 in 2008.
Sixteen prisoners who escaped from custody were re-arrested and sentenced, while 45 people who could not settle their debts were also jailed and 42 persons convicted for dishonestly receiving.
According to the report, only one person was convicted in the Upper West Region for contempt of court, while nobody was convicted for child stealing.
Other offences were 1,600.
Given the youthful age (18-45) of the majority of prisoners, the report called for “a greater level of commitment to the effective reintegration of ex-convicts into society”, and indicated that projects had been “hampered by lack of funding”.
The Director-General of Prisons, William Kwadwo Asiedu, was quoted as mentioning “dwindling budgetary allocation, increasing prison population, lack of decent and adequate staff accommodation and the passiveness of society to the welfare of prisoners and its resentment towards ex-convicts” as the key challenges confronting the Prisons Service.
He, therefore, called for a “greater display of public goodwill towards the Ghana Prisons Service”.
Local firm processes bio-diesel from sunflower
19/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Jasmine Arku
A local company, Tragrimacs Sunflower Ghana Limited, has set up a plant at Tema that processes 5,000 gallons of bio-diesel a day from sunflower.
The oil expeller processes sunflower seeds into crude oil while the bio-diesel processor refines the crude oil into bio-diesel, suitable for vehicles.
The bio-diesel produced from the sunflower is offered for sale, mainly to owners of tractors for farming and other purposes.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supported the project with $25,000 under its Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP).
The Chief Executive Officer of Tragrimacs, Mr Issah Suleiman, made this known to the Daily Graphic after an inspection tour of a 40-acre sunflower plantation at Gomoa Adzentem in the Central Region.
The plantation has a portion for beekeeping for the production of honey.
According to Mr Suleiman, bio-diesel produced from sunflower had several advantages over other bio-diesel products.
For instance, he said bio-diesel from sunflower emit less carbon, thus making it environmentally friendly.
He said the decision to set up the plant to process sunflower into bio-diesel was necessitated by the huge demand and the increasing cost of fuel in the country.
Mr Suleiman appealed to the government to adopt the bio-diesel produced from sunflower as an alternative source of energy in the country.
He asked the government to work towards achieving five per cent production of bio-diesel from sunflower by 2015, and indicated that it would bring down the cost of fuel by 10 per cent.
The National Programme Co-ordinator of the UNDP GEF-SGP, Mr George B. Ortsin, said his outfit had provided funds to three categories of farmers to go into sunflower cultivation, processing and marketing.
The Chief of Gomoa Adzentem, Nana Asare I, who provided the land for the cultivation of sunflower, promised to offer more land to farmers to go into sunflower cultivation in the area.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Jasmine Arku
A local company, Tragrimacs Sunflower Ghana Limited, has set up a plant at Tema that processes 5,000 gallons of bio-diesel a day from sunflower.
The oil expeller processes sunflower seeds into crude oil while the bio-diesel processor refines the crude oil into bio-diesel, suitable for vehicles.
The bio-diesel produced from the sunflower is offered for sale, mainly to owners of tractors for farming and other purposes.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supported the project with $25,000 under its Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP).
The Chief Executive Officer of Tragrimacs, Mr Issah Suleiman, made this known to the Daily Graphic after an inspection tour of a 40-acre sunflower plantation at Gomoa Adzentem in the Central Region.
The plantation has a portion for beekeeping for the production of honey.
According to Mr Suleiman, bio-diesel produced from sunflower had several advantages over other bio-diesel products.
For instance, he said bio-diesel from sunflower emit less carbon, thus making it environmentally friendly.
He said the decision to set up the plant to process sunflower into bio-diesel was necessitated by the huge demand and the increasing cost of fuel in the country.
Mr Suleiman appealed to the government to adopt the bio-diesel produced from sunflower as an alternative source of energy in the country.
He asked the government to work towards achieving five per cent production of bio-diesel from sunflower by 2015, and indicated that it would bring down the cost of fuel by 10 per cent.
The National Programme Co-ordinator of the UNDP GEF-SGP, Mr George B. Ortsin, said his outfit had provided funds to three categories of farmers to go into sunflower cultivation, processing and marketing.
The Chief of Gomoa Adzentem, Nana Asare I, who provided the land for the cultivation of sunflower, promised to offer more land to farmers to go into sunflower cultivation in the area.
Hajj agents want pilgrims to fly from Tamale
22/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
HAJJ agents in the northern sector have appealed to the government to make it possible for prospective pilgrims in the three regions of the north to embark on their journey to Jeddah from the Tamale Airport.
By that arrangement, they said, they would be able to avoid the ordeal that prospective pilgrims from those regions went through by travelling down to Accra and sleeping under dehumanising conditions at the Aviance Village for days before departing to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The spokesperson for the Hajj agents, Alhaji Ayana Yakubu, told the Daily Graphic that it was possible to fly pilgrims from the Tamale Airport since a similar arrangement was effected in the 1970s.
He said the Tamale Airport had all the facilities and personnel to handle the departure formalities of the pilgrims.
Alhaji Ayana said, for instance, that competent personnel from the Ghana Civil Aviation, the Immigration Service and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service were stationed at the Tamale Airport.
In terms of proximity, he said the Tamale Airport was closer to the Jeddah Airport (five hours) than the Kotoka International Airport (six hours).
Alhaji Ayana, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Ayana Hajj Travel and member of the Ghana Hajj Agents Association (GHAA), told the Daily Graphic that in addition to prospective pilgrims from the Northern, Upper West and Upper East Region, those from the Brong Ahafo could also fly from the Tamale Airport to Jeddah, if the arrangement was made.
He said about 1,500, representing 50 per cent of the about 3,000 Ghanaian pilgrims, were from the three regions of the north and the Brong Ahafo Region.
Alhaji Ayana said prospective pilgrims from those areas were compelled under the current circumstances to come down to Accra and often got “stranded” at the Aviance Village for some days before leaving for the pilgrimage.
He said the plight of the pilgrims would be greatly reduced if they were made to take off from the Tamale Airport.
“Flying the pilgrims direct from the Tamale Airport to Jeddah will reduce the tension and difficulty that the pilgrims go through,” he stressed.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
HAJJ agents in the northern sector have appealed to the government to make it possible for prospective pilgrims in the three regions of the north to embark on their journey to Jeddah from the Tamale Airport.
By that arrangement, they said, they would be able to avoid the ordeal that prospective pilgrims from those regions went through by travelling down to Accra and sleeping under dehumanising conditions at the Aviance Village for days before departing to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The spokesperson for the Hajj agents, Alhaji Ayana Yakubu, told the Daily Graphic that it was possible to fly pilgrims from the Tamale Airport since a similar arrangement was effected in the 1970s.
He said the Tamale Airport had all the facilities and personnel to handle the departure formalities of the pilgrims.
Alhaji Ayana said, for instance, that competent personnel from the Ghana Civil Aviation, the Immigration Service and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service were stationed at the Tamale Airport.
In terms of proximity, he said the Tamale Airport was closer to the Jeddah Airport (five hours) than the Kotoka International Airport (six hours).
Alhaji Ayana, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Ayana Hajj Travel and member of the Ghana Hajj Agents Association (GHAA), told the Daily Graphic that in addition to prospective pilgrims from the Northern, Upper West and Upper East Region, those from the Brong Ahafo could also fly from the Tamale Airport to Jeddah, if the arrangement was made.
He said about 1,500, representing 50 per cent of the about 3,000 Ghanaian pilgrims, were from the three regions of the north and the Brong Ahafo Region.
Alhaji Ayana said prospective pilgrims from those areas were compelled under the current circumstances to come down to Accra and often got “stranded” at the Aviance Village for some days before leaving for the pilgrimage.
He said the plight of the pilgrims would be greatly reduced if they were made to take off from the Tamale Airport.
“Flying the pilgrims direct from the Tamale Airport to Jeddah will reduce the tension and difficulty that the pilgrims go through,” he stressed.
Impose non-custodial sentences...to decongest prisons
24/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Jasmine Arku
A CRIMINOLOGIST, Professor Ken Attafuah, has urged the Judiciary to impose suspended or non-custodial sentences on convicts who commit less serious crimes as a way of decongesting the country’s prisons.
Besides, he said the increasing number of re-offending among ex-convicts “indicates a clear failure of the rehabilitation of prisoners by the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS)”.
He said “the courts are enjoined to impose custodial sentences only when it is the reasonable option”, and stressed that “the goal of rehabilitation is a cardinal concern in the imposition of custodial sentences”.
Prof. Attafuah was reacting to the 2008 annual report of the GPS which indicated that the rate of congestion in Ghana’s prisons worsened last year due to the increasing prison population.
The report cited a high incidence of re-offending among ex-convicts as a contributory factor to the increasing prisoner population. Of the 9,377 convicted prisoners admitted in 2008, a total of 1,806 of them, representing 19.3 per cent, had been previously convicted.
Prof. Attafuah said: “Statistics indicate that the Judiciary continues to impose custodial penalties on convicts instead of liberally exercising their discretion to impose non-custodial penalties in appropriate cases as prescribed by the law.”
He mentioned probation, parole, fines, community service, apologies and compensatory service by the perpetrator to the victim as some of the non-custodial penalties that could be exercised under the country’s laws.
He stressed that the high incidence of repeated crimes showed the inadequacy of the resource base of the GPS “in ensuring effective rehabilitation and re-moulding of the character of prisoners.”
According to him, facilities at the prisons “are not only primeval, but also severely inadequate”, while the occupational skills imparted to the inmates “are not in keeping with contemporary needs and standards of society”.
Prof. Attafuah mentioned antiquated blacksmithing, tailoring with ancient machines, leather bag making and basket weaving as some of the out-of-fashion skills at the country’s prisons.
As a result, he said upon their return from prison, the ex-convicts were not able to find any gainful employment.
Prof. Attafuah, who is also the Executive Director of the Justice and Human Rights Institute, said many employers refused to engage ex-convicts, even when the crime committed was not related to the work they were going for.
“That discrimination is unjustified. It forces ex-convicts to hinge on the arms of criminals who are ready to offer them comfort,” he said.
Besides, Prof. Attafuah said most of the ex-convicts were not able to form lasting relationship with women, thus making them careless.
Besides, he said the society rejected ex-convicts, which compelled them to seek solace from their colleague criminals, and thus forcing them to continue committing crime.
He, therefore, urged the public to let ex-convicts feel the sense of belonging, since it had the potential for reducing the incidence of crime in the country.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Jasmine Arku
A CRIMINOLOGIST, Professor Ken Attafuah, has urged the Judiciary to impose suspended or non-custodial sentences on convicts who commit less serious crimes as a way of decongesting the country’s prisons.
Besides, he said the increasing number of re-offending among ex-convicts “indicates a clear failure of the rehabilitation of prisoners by the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS)”.
He said “the courts are enjoined to impose custodial sentences only when it is the reasonable option”, and stressed that “the goal of rehabilitation is a cardinal concern in the imposition of custodial sentences”.
Prof. Attafuah was reacting to the 2008 annual report of the GPS which indicated that the rate of congestion in Ghana’s prisons worsened last year due to the increasing prison population.
The report cited a high incidence of re-offending among ex-convicts as a contributory factor to the increasing prisoner population. Of the 9,377 convicted prisoners admitted in 2008, a total of 1,806 of them, representing 19.3 per cent, had been previously convicted.
Prof. Attafuah said: “Statistics indicate that the Judiciary continues to impose custodial penalties on convicts instead of liberally exercising their discretion to impose non-custodial penalties in appropriate cases as prescribed by the law.”
He mentioned probation, parole, fines, community service, apologies and compensatory service by the perpetrator to the victim as some of the non-custodial penalties that could be exercised under the country’s laws.
He stressed that the high incidence of repeated crimes showed the inadequacy of the resource base of the GPS “in ensuring effective rehabilitation and re-moulding of the character of prisoners.”
According to him, facilities at the prisons “are not only primeval, but also severely inadequate”, while the occupational skills imparted to the inmates “are not in keeping with contemporary needs and standards of society”.
Prof. Attafuah mentioned antiquated blacksmithing, tailoring with ancient machines, leather bag making and basket weaving as some of the out-of-fashion skills at the country’s prisons.
As a result, he said upon their return from prison, the ex-convicts were not able to find any gainful employment.
Prof. Attafuah, who is also the Executive Director of the Justice and Human Rights Institute, said many employers refused to engage ex-convicts, even when the crime committed was not related to the work they were going for.
“That discrimination is unjustified. It forces ex-convicts to hinge on the arms of criminals who are ready to offer them comfort,” he said.
Besides, Prof. Attafuah said most of the ex-convicts were not able to form lasting relationship with women, thus making them careless.
Besides, he said the society rejected ex-convicts, which compelled them to seek solace from their colleague criminals, and thus forcing them to continue committing crime.
He, therefore, urged the public to let ex-convicts feel the sense of belonging, since it had the potential for reducing the incidence of crime in the country.
Iron rod company installs new equipment
24/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SPECIAL Steels Limited (SSL), a Tema-based iron rods manufacturing company, has begun the installation of a new pollution control system to control the emission of exhaust gas to a safe level.
The pollution control system has an in-built chamber that cools exhaust gas after which the cold gas enters a bag filter unit which removes toxic elements from it.
Consequently, SSL has suspended the melting of iron scraps in the furnace to allow for the completion of the installation work by the end of September, this year.
This was evident during an inspection tour of the company on Thursday, following media reports of excess emission of smoke by the company.
The Director of SSL, Mr Vinod Rajan, told the Daily Graphic that the “objectionable” emission was due to some technical failure of the existing pollution control system.
He said the company had rectified the situation by changing the existing blower and replacing it with a higher capacity blower in the exhaust system.
Besides, Mr Rajan said, the company had modified the vantury, scrubber and fume suction hood, to further reduce the smoke.
He said the installation of the new pollution control system was also to meet the increased production at the company as it was to increase production from 2,000 tonnes per month to 4,000 tonnes per month.
Mr Rajan said the SSL had written to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlining the pollution control measures it was undertaking.
A copy of the letter dated August 11, 2009, said, “We humbly request that during the period of installation and test-run of the new pollution control system, the EPA deploys and runs the dust monitoring equipment the results of which will help us understand the level of performance of newly installed system and modify/rectify the stages if the need arises.”
When contacted, a Deputy Director at the EPA, Mr Lambert Faabehuon, confirmed the ongoing installation at the company and the receipt of a road map to control the emission from SSL.
He said the EPA had mounted testing equipment to monitor the emission level at every stage of the installation.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SPECIAL Steels Limited (SSL), a Tema-based iron rods manufacturing company, has begun the installation of a new pollution control system to control the emission of exhaust gas to a safe level.
The pollution control system has an in-built chamber that cools exhaust gas after which the cold gas enters a bag filter unit which removes toxic elements from it.
Consequently, SSL has suspended the melting of iron scraps in the furnace to allow for the completion of the installation work by the end of September, this year.
This was evident during an inspection tour of the company on Thursday, following media reports of excess emission of smoke by the company.
The Director of SSL, Mr Vinod Rajan, told the Daily Graphic that the “objectionable” emission was due to some technical failure of the existing pollution control system.
He said the company had rectified the situation by changing the existing blower and replacing it with a higher capacity blower in the exhaust system.
Besides, Mr Rajan said, the company had modified the vantury, scrubber and fume suction hood, to further reduce the smoke.
He said the installation of the new pollution control system was also to meet the increased production at the company as it was to increase production from 2,000 tonnes per month to 4,000 tonnes per month.
Mr Rajan said the SSL had written to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlining the pollution control measures it was undertaking.
A copy of the letter dated August 11, 2009, said, “We humbly request that during the period of installation and test-run of the new pollution control system, the EPA deploys and runs the dust monitoring equipment the results of which will help us understand the level of performance of newly installed system and modify/rectify the stages if the need arises.”
When contacted, a Deputy Director at the EPA, Mr Lambert Faabehuon, confirmed the ongoing installation at the company and the receipt of a road map to control the emission from SSL.
He said the EPA had mounted testing equipment to monitor the emission level at every stage of the installation.
Unclaimed dead bodies choke Police Hospital
29/08/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
The Police Hospital Mortuary in Accra faces an imminent crisis, if steps are not taken to bury about 400 dead bodies, most of whom are unclaimed.
The hospital authorities hit the wall early August when the people of Bortianor refused to allow them to bury the unclaimed bodies at the cemetery at Mile 11.
The Medical Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfried Asiamah, said the unclaimed bodies which had been at the mortuary for more than three months comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identities were difficult to establish.
He told the Daily Graphic that the continuous storage of the bodies could break down the fridges of the mortuary.
To avoid that situation, he said, the hospital took steps to bury all the unidentified bodies in mass graves but the effort fell through when the people of Bortianor refused the bodies.
He said a similar exercise to decongest the mortuary was undertaken last April with the burial of 125 unclaimed bodies at the Mile ‘11’ Cemetery at Bortianor.
Statistics at the hospital indicate a steady rise in the number of unidentified bodies sent to the hospital’s mortuary. In 2007 for instance, 278 unclaimed bodies were buried and 373 were buried in 2008.
DCOP Dr Asiamah attributed the trend to road accidents in which those who died were brought to the hospital by the police or volunteers on the scene.
Additionally, he said whenever people died in the streets and their relatives did not come forward to claim the bodies, the police collected and brought them to the hospital’s mortuary.
“Numerous people die in the streets. They are picked up by the police and they end up in our mortuary,” he stressed, pointing out that the difficulty was always with people who died in such circumstances without any identification tags on them.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the medical officers conducted post-mortem, while the investigative team conducted investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.
Thereafter, he said, his outfit made announcements in the media about the dead bodies for their relatives to come out to identify and claim them.
However, he said, on many occasions people did not come forward to identify and claim the bodies.
The Medical Director said the police were compelled under the circumstances to organise mass burials for the unclaimed bodies to decongest the mortuary fridges.
He explained that the fridges would break down if the bodies were not disposed of to make way for new bodies.
“If we do not decongest the fridges, they will break down, the bodies will then get rotten and release bad stench,” he explained.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the hospital authorities liaised with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to pick the bodies in refuse trucks to the Mile ‘11’ Cemetery.
According to him, his outfit used the internally generated funds to pay for the transportation of the bodies, which affected the financial standing of the hospital.
He said the hospital authorities did not organise mass funerals for the unclaimed bodies before the mass burial.
DCOP Dr Asiamah appealed to the public to report to the police whenever their relatives got missing and to respond to announcements for the identification of dead bodies.
He admitted that some relatives intentionally refused to come and claim the bodies of their relatives, due to the lack of funds to organise funeral arrangements. Some of the deceased might not have enjoyed good relations with their relatives while alive.
DCOP Dr Asiamah appealed to the public to always carry their identity cards to facilitate identification during emergency situations.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
The Police Hospital Mortuary in Accra faces an imminent crisis, if steps are not taken to bury about 400 dead bodies, most of whom are unclaimed.
The hospital authorities hit the wall early August when the people of Bortianor refused to allow them to bury the unclaimed bodies at the cemetery at Mile 11.
The Medical Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfried Asiamah, said the unclaimed bodies which had been at the mortuary for more than three months comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identities were difficult to establish.
He told the Daily Graphic that the continuous storage of the bodies could break down the fridges of the mortuary.
To avoid that situation, he said, the hospital took steps to bury all the unidentified bodies in mass graves but the effort fell through when the people of Bortianor refused the bodies.
He said a similar exercise to decongest the mortuary was undertaken last April with the burial of 125 unclaimed bodies at the Mile ‘11’ Cemetery at Bortianor.
Statistics at the hospital indicate a steady rise in the number of unidentified bodies sent to the hospital’s mortuary. In 2007 for instance, 278 unclaimed bodies were buried and 373 were buried in 2008.
DCOP Dr Asiamah attributed the trend to road accidents in which those who died were brought to the hospital by the police or volunteers on the scene.
Additionally, he said whenever people died in the streets and their relatives did not come forward to claim the bodies, the police collected and brought them to the hospital’s mortuary.
“Numerous people die in the streets. They are picked up by the police and they end up in our mortuary,” he stressed, pointing out that the difficulty was always with people who died in such circumstances without any identification tags on them.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the medical officers conducted post-mortem, while the investigative team conducted investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.
Thereafter, he said, his outfit made announcements in the media about the dead bodies for their relatives to come out to identify and claim them.
However, he said, on many occasions people did not come forward to identify and claim the bodies.
The Medical Director said the police were compelled under the circumstances to organise mass burials for the unclaimed bodies to decongest the mortuary fridges.
He explained that the fridges would break down if the bodies were not disposed of to make way for new bodies.
“If we do not decongest the fridges, they will break down, the bodies will then get rotten and release bad stench,” he explained.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the hospital authorities liaised with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to pick the bodies in refuse trucks to the Mile ‘11’ Cemetery.
According to him, his outfit used the internally generated funds to pay for the transportation of the bodies, which affected the financial standing of the hospital.
He said the hospital authorities did not organise mass funerals for the unclaimed bodies before the mass burial.
DCOP Dr Asiamah appealed to the public to report to the police whenever their relatives got missing and to respond to announcements for the identification of dead bodies.
He admitted that some relatives intentionally refused to come and claim the bodies of their relatives, due to the lack of funds to organise funeral arrangements. Some of the deceased might not have enjoyed good relations with their relatives while alive.
DCOP Dr Asiamah appealed to the public to always carry their identity cards to facilitate identification during emergency situations.
Police Hospital to cremate dead bodies
05/09/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
AUTHORITIES at the Police Hospital are considering cremating the 400 unclaimed bodies at the hospital’s morgue, following the refusal of the people of Bortianor to allow a mass burial of the bodies at the Mile 11 Cemetery.
The Medical Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfried Asiamah, therefore, appealed to organisations and philanthropists to support the hospital authorities with some funds to enable them to carry out the cremation.
The hospital authorities were in the news early August when the people of Bortianor refused to allow them to bury the unclaimed bodies at the cemetery at Mile 11.
Meanwhile, Dr Asiamah said the authorities of the hospital had appealed to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to secure a land for them to bury bodies.
He said if the AMA failed to secure the land, the hospital authorities would not have any option but to cremate the bodies, since the continuous storage of the bodies could break down the fridges of the mortuary.
According to him, some of the bodies were being kept on the floor in the cold room instead of the fridges.
In an earlier interview, Dr Asiamah said the unclaimed bodies which had been at the mortuary for more than three months comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identities were difficult to establish.
He said the hospital took steps to bury all the unidentified bodies in mass graves but the effort fell through when the people of Bortianor refused.
DCOP Dr Asiamah attributed the trend to road accidents in which those who died were brought to the hospital by the police or volunteers on the scene.
Additionally, he said whenever people died in the streets and their relatives did not come forward to claim the bodies, the police collected and brought them to the hospital’s mortuary.
“Numerous people die in the streets. They are picked up by the police and they end up in our mortuary,” he stressed, pointing out that the difficulty was always with people who died in such circumstances without any identification tags on them.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the medical officers conducted post-mortem, while the investigative team conducted investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.
Thereafter, he said, his outfit made announcements in the media about the dead bodies for their relatives to come out to identify and claim them.
However, he said, on many occasions people did not come forward to identify and claim the bodies.
The Medical Director said the police were compelled under the circumstances to organise mass burials for the unclaimed bodies to decongest the mortuary.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
AUTHORITIES at the Police Hospital are considering cremating the 400 unclaimed bodies at the hospital’s morgue, following the refusal of the people of Bortianor to allow a mass burial of the bodies at the Mile 11 Cemetery.
The Medical Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfried Asiamah, therefore, appealed to organisations and philanthropists to support the hospital authorities with some funds to enable them to carry out the cremation.
The hospital authorities were in the news early August when the people of Bortianor refused to allow them to bury the unclaimed bodies at the cemetery at Mile 11.
Meanwhile, Dr Asiamah said the authorities of the hospital had appealed to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to secure a land for them to bury bodies.
He said if the AMA failed to secure the land, the hospital authorities would not have any option but to cremate the bodies, since the continuous storage of the bodies could break down the fridges of the mortuary.
According to him, some of the bodies were being kept on the floor in the cold room instead of the fridges.
In an earlier interview, Dr Asiamah said the unclaimed bodies which had been at the mortuary for more than three months comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identities were difficult to establish.
He said the hospital took steps to bury all the unidentified bodies in mass graves but the effort fell through when the people of Bortianor refused.
DCOP Dr Asiamah attributed the trend to road accidents in which those who died were brought to the hospital by the police or volunteers on the scene.
Additionally, he said whenever people died in the streets and their relatives did not come forward to claim the bodies, the police collected and brought them to the hospital’s mortuary.
“Numerous people die in the streets. They are picked up by the police and they end up in our mortuary,” he stressed, pointing out that the difficulty was always with people who died in such circumstances without any identification tags on them.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the medical officers conducted post-mortem, while the investigative team conducted investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.
Thereafter, he said, his outfit made announcements in the media about the dead bodies for their relatives to come out to identify and claim them.
However, he said, on many occasions people did not come forward to identify and claim the bodies.
The Medical Director said the police were compelled under the circumstances to organise mass burials for the unclaimed bodies to decongest the mortuary.
Inside Sodom and Gomorrah - the ugly side
05/09/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
MANY were those who heaved a sigh of relief when the government announced its intention to evict the more than 40,000 squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah. The reason is that people shared the government’s position that the squatters there are a danger to national security.
As the name connotes, Sodom and Gomorrah, located within the central business district of Accra, gives true meaning to the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, a communities that were destroyed by God because of their grave sins.
So in effect, whenever a community navigates towards the way of the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, that community is bound to face the ‘wrath’ of God or that of the government of the day.
The Ghana Sodom and Gomorrah, formerly called Old Fadama or Ayalolo, became a shelter for some displaced people from northern Ghana fleeing the Kokomba-Nanumba war in the 1980s. Ever since then, more people, mainly from the three regions of northern Ghana, have also joined the fray.
Intelligence reports indicate that the squatters, who are divided along political, ethnic and chieftaincy lines, illicitly acquire small arms and light weapons, which they use to attack one another at the least provocation.
They are also alleged to be smuggling the weapons to their people up north in breach of national security.
The recent clashes between people suspected to be supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and from the Abudu and Andani Gates at the Kokomba Market that resulted in the loss of four lives, gives credence to the porous security situation at Sodom and Gomorrah.
Police reports indicate that of the number of suspected criminals rounded up in police and army swoop at Sodom and Gomorrah some time past, a number of criminals were identified and some of them were later identified as armed robbers. The police found “wee” and cocaine on some of them. There have been occasions when wanted criminals, including murderers wanted by the police, have been arrested at Sodom and Gomorrah.
Rape and defilement are common occurrence at the slum.
A walk through the slum paints a picture of disorder, desperation and a bleak future. People virtually sleep in filth. The ramshackle wooden structures stand close to choked gutters.
There are no roads while the walkways are right in people’s homes or even rooms.
Interestingly, there are squatters who claim to own the land, because of the structures they have put up. They take rent from other squatters.
There are indeed some youth as old as 18 who were born and bred in the area. School is of no essence to the squatters, although they have a nursery that some single parents ‘dump’ their children there to relieve themselves of the burden of having to cater for them.
The slum has a large number of chop bars and beer bars. Marijuana (wee) and other narcotic drugs are sold and smoked in the open, with the young ladies competing with their male partners.
There are people who sell cooked food there under very unhygienic conditions, further complicating the precarious health situation there.
The disorderly nature of Sodom and Gomorrah makes it susceptible to fire outbreaks; the slum records not less three fire outbreaks in a year, which destroy lives and property.
Interestingly, hardly does the fire settle down than the squatters begin to reconstruct their burnt structures. The reason is that if they delay, other squatters will trespass.
Due to the almost non-existent roads, fire officers from the Ghana National Fire Service are not able to access the road to put out fire; they are forced under the circumstances to break into some of the structures to get to the fire, a situation that allows the fire to rage for hours.
Another worrying scenario is that the activities of the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah obstruct work on the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project (KLERP). The squatters dump solid waste into the lagoon, thus compelling the engineers working on the KLERP to use excavators to clear the waste at a huge cost to the state.
Some of the structures have been constructed at the banks of the lagoon. According to the engineers, the squatters threaten them anytime they speak against their indiscriminate disposal of solid waste.
The Director of the Metropolitan Public Health Department, Dr Simpson Boateng, in an earlier visit to the slum, reportedly said that the squatters would be evicted because their “persistent dumping of refuse and human excreta into the Korle canal by the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah is undermining work on the KLERP”.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, has indicated the government’s resolve to evict the squatters without any form of compensation or relocation. That is a bold decision. But the question many people are asking is whether the government has the political will to carry through this laudable exercise of nipping in the bud the security threat that the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah pose to the nation.
It is the responsibility of the government to provide security to all Ghanaians, and that requires of the government to take decisive action to deal with any group of people who threaten national security.
The squatters are asking the government to relocate them somewhere, since they do not have any financial means to rent rooms in other parts of Accra. They are also not ready to go back to northern Ghana.
Some people have cautioned the government not to rush in evicting the squatters, since it could lead to the creation of smaller slums in parts of the city.
Human rights activists also feel that the government must of necessity try to relocate the squatters, since they have a right to shelter. They have blamed the government for allowing the people to stay there for long and assumed some right to their settlement there.
That argument is sound. But is the government bound to perform a task that it has not initiated, although the government could be said to have encouraged it by not acting fast?
It may not be out of place, though, if the government out of consideration finds a place to relocate the squatters, provided it has the means.
But the government could not be faulted in a way for evicting the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah. But when is the axe going to fall?
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
MANY were those who heaved a sigh of relief when the government announced its intention to evict the more than 40,000 squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah. The reason is that people shared the government’s position that the squatters there are a danger to national security.
As the name connotes, Sodom and Gomorrah, located within the central business district of Accra, gives true meaning to the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, a communities that were destroyed by God because of their grave sins.
So in effect, whenever a community navigates towards the way of the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, that community is bound to face the ‘wrath’ of God or that of the government of the day.
The Ghana Sodom and Gomorrah, formerly called Old Fadama or Ayalolo, became a shelter for some displaced people from northern Ghana fleeing the Kokomba-Nanumba war in the 1980s. Ever since then, more people, mainly from the three regions of northern Ghana, have also joined the fray.
Intelligence reports indicate that the squatters, who are divided along political, ethnic and chieftaincy lines, illicitly acquire small arms and light weapons, which they use to attack one another at the least provocation.
They are also alleged to be smuggling the weapons to their people up north in breach of national security.
The recent clashes between people suspected to be supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and from the Abudu and Andani Gates at the Kokomba Market that resulted in the loss of four lives, gives credence to the porous security situation at Sodom and Gomorrah.
Police reports indicate that of the number of suspected criminals rounded up in police and army swoop at Sodom and Gomorrah some time past, a number of criminals were identified and some of them were later identified as armed robbers. The police found “wee” and cocaine on some of them. There have been occasions when wanted criminals, including murderers wanted by the police, have been arrested at Sodom and Gomorrah.
Rape and defilement are common occurrence at the slum.
A walk through the slum paints a picture of disorder, desperation and a bleak future. People virtually sleep in filth. The ramshackle wooden structures stand close to choked gutters.
There are no roads while the walkways are right in people’s homes or even rooms.
Interestingly, there are squatters who claim to own the land, because of the structures they have put up. They take rent from other squatters.
There are indeed some youth as old as 18 who were born and bred in the area. School is of no essence to the squatters, although they have a nursery that some single parents ‘dump’ their children there to relieve themselves of the burden of having to cater for them.
The slum has a large number of chop bars and beer bars. Marijuana (wee) and other narcotic drugs are sold and smoked in the open, with the young ladies competing with their male partners.
There are people who sell cooked food there under very unhygienic conditions, further complicating the precarious health situation there.
The disorderly nature of Sodom and Gomorrah makes it susceptible to fire outbreaks; the slum records not less three fire outbreaks in a year, which destroy lives and property.
Interestingly, hardly does the fire settle down than the squatters begin to reconstruct their burnt structures. The reason is that if they delay, other squatters will trespass.
Due to the almost non-existent roads, fire officers from the Ghana National Fire Service are not able to access the road to put out fire; they are forced under the circumstances to break into some of the structures to get to the fire, a situation that allows the fire to rage for hours.
Another worrying scenario is that the activities of the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah obstruct work on the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project (KLERP). The squatters dump solid waste into the lagoon, thus compelling the engineers working on the KLERP to use excavators to clear the waste at a huge cost to the state.
Some of the structures have been constructed at the banks of the lagoon. According to the engineers, the squatters threaten them anytime they speak against their indiscriminate disposal of solid waste.
The Director of the Metropolitan Public Health Department, Dr Simpson Boateng, in an earlier visit to the slum, reportedly said that the squatters would be evicted because their “persistent dumping of refuse and human excreta into the Korle canal by the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah is undermining work on the KLERP”.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, has indicated the government’s resolve to evict the squatters without any form of compensation or relocation. That is a bold decision. But the question many people are asking is whether the government has the political will to carry through this laudable exercise of nipping in the bud the security threat that the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah pose to the nation.
It is the responsibility of the government to provide security to all Ghanaians, and that requires of the government to take decisive action to deal with any group of people who threaten national security.
The squatters are asking the government to relocate them somewhere, since they do not have any financial means to rent rooms in other parts of Accra. They are also not ready to go back to northern Ghana.
Some people have cautioned the government not to rush in evicting the squatters, since it could lead to the creation of smaller slums in parts of the city.
Human rights activists also feel that the government must of necessity try to relocate the squatters, since they have a right to shelter. They have blamed the government for allowing the people to stay there for long and assumed some right to their settlement there.
That argument is sound. But is the government bound to perform a task that it has not initiated, although the government could be said to have encouraged it by not acting fast?
It may not be out of place, though, if the government out of consideration finds a place to relocate the squatters, provided it has the means.
But the government could not be faulted in a way for evicting the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah. But when is the axe going to fall?
Media urged to focus on dev issues
10/09/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SPEAKERS at a political parties/media seminar in Accra have criticised journalists and politicians for using divisive, acrimonious, untrue and defamatory language, which threaten peace and stability in the country.
They, therefore, urged the media to shift their focus to serious development issues, such as the effects of climatic change on the country’s future, the health implications of poor waste management, the falling standard of education, the alarming poverty levels and omissions and commissions in governance.
They further asked politicians to be cautious in their utterances.
The President of the African University College of Communications, Mr Kojo Yankah; a former member of the Council of State, Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie; the General Manager, Newspapers, Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh; and a senior fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Brigadier-General Francis Agyemfra, made the appeal in Accra yesterday at the seminar, organised by the IEA.
The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei; the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Ohene Ntow; the Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, and the Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Ladi Nylander, in their separate contributions also admitted infringements of the code on the part of politicians and journalists.
The seminar was to assess whether or not journalists and politicians have complied with the terms of the Political Parties Code of Conduct of 2008, which they all assented to. At the end of the presentations and contributions, both the media practitioners and politicians concluded that they had gone contrary to the terms of the Political Parties Code of Conduct before, during and after the election.
Mr Yankah, who spoke on “An Accountable Media and Politician”, said some of the reports in the print and electronic media were ill-informed, unprofessional and without any background information, while some politicians were dictatorial, arrogant and intolerant of divergent opinions.
He cited poor communication skills on the part of both media practitioners and politicians as the main cause of the use of divisive and inflammatory language by journalists and politicians.
He, however, ruled out any form of strict regulation of the work of the media.
“The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics cannot be isolated from a general course of study and body of knowledge called journalism. It is not code of ethics that makes a professional. A doctor is not a doctor because he knows the Hippocratic Oath. A Christian is not a Christian because he knows the Apostolic Creed,” he stressed.
Mr Yankah said both politicians and journalists were leaders, and indicated that despite their differences in ideology and party identification, “the media person and the politician should share common concerns for the public”.
He said while some media personnel were contributing to the country’s democratisation, others were highlighting attitudes that portrayed them as irresponsible and unaccountable.
Mr Yankah urged the media to give more voice to the marginalised in society, play their watchdog role and serve as channels for the expression of varied views and opinions.
He said polarisation of society through foul and insulting communication on party lines should be considered a subversion of the country’s ethos and asked journalists to refrain from attributing personal statements of politicians to their parties.
Mr Yankah proposed the adoption of a timetable during which all political activities must start and end, and recommended that six weeks after elections, all political party symbols should be taken off the streets.
Besides, he said, the media should have a timetable during the six months to introduce political party campaigns, and suggested that more energy and space should be given to providing information about the entire process from registration to accepting the results.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who gave an overview of the Political Parties Code of Conduct, gave instances where media reports and utterances of politicians were inflammatory.
For instance, he said, some of the reports carried on the airwaves prompted supporters of the NDC to besiege the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) during the 2008 election, on suspicion that it was rigging the election results.
He said the reports which said that dead bodies of NPP agents had been discovered in the Volta Region “did not meet the Code of Ethics of either the GJA or political parties” and stressed that “such aberrations do nobody good”.
On the political front, Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh said some of the messages in the advertisements placed by political parties were “acrimonious, untrue, divisive and dastardly”.
Brigadier-General Agyemfra urged journalists and politicians to try to abide by the Political Parties Code of Conduct in their utterances, in order to maintain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
Dr Kwabena Adjei said responsible utterances, which he described as political morality, must come from within, and challenged the media to be objective and non-partisan.
Nana Ohene Ntow asked both journalists and politicians to have good faith in and commitment to the terms of the Political Parties Code of Conduct, and urged the media to reflect the various shades of views in their reportage.
Alhaji Ramadan stressed the need for politicians to avoid ambiguity in their statements in order not to give room for misinterpretation by the media.
Mr Nylander urged the media to exercise restraint and not to go overboard in pursuit of selling their newspapers.
Mrs Afenyi-Dadzie, who chaired the function, charged journalists and politicians to be diligent in respecting the Political Parties Code of Conduct to ensure accountability to maintain their credibility.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SPEAKERS at a political parties/media seminar in Accra have criticised journalists and politicians for using divisive, acrimonious, untrue and defamatory language, which threaten peace and stability in the country.
They, therefore, urged the media to shift their focus to serious development issues, such as the effects of climatic change on the country’s future, the health implications of poor waste management, the falling standard of education, the alarming poverty levels and omissions and commissions in governance.
They further asked politicians to be cautious in their utterances.
The President of the African University College of Communications, Mr Kojo Yankah; a former member of the Council of State, Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie; the General Manager, Newspapers, Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh; and a senior fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Brigadier-General Francis Agyemfra, made the appeal in Accra yesterday at the seminar, organised by the IEA.
The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei; the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Ohene Ntow; the Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, and the Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Ladi Nylander, in their separate contributions also admitted infringements of the code on the part of politicians and journalists.
The seminar was to assess whether or not journalists and politicians have complied with the terms of the Political Parties Code of Conduct of 2008, which they all assented to. At the end of the presentations and contributions, both the media practitioners and politicians concluded that they had gone contrary to the terms of the Political Parties Code of Conduct before, during and after the election.
Mr Yankah, who spoke on “An Accountable Media and Politician”, said some of the reports in the print and electronic media were ill-informed, unprofessional and without any background information, while some politicians were dictatorial, arrogant and intolerant of divergent opinions.
He cited poor communication skills on the part of both media practitioners and politicians as the main cause of the use of divisive and inflammatory language by journalists and politicians.
He, however, ruled out any form of strict regulation of the work of the media.
“The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Code of Ethics cannot be isolated from a general course of study and body of knowledge called journalism. It is not code of ethics that makes a professional. A doctor is not a doctor because he knows the Hippocratic Oath. A Christian is not a Christian because he knows the Apostolic Creed,” he stressed.
Mr Yankah said both politicians and journalists were leaders, and indicated that despite their differences in ideology and party identification, “the media person and the politician should share common concerns for the public”.
He said while some media personnel were contributing to the country’s democratisation, others were highlighting attitudes that portrayed them as irresponsible and unaccountable.
Mr Yankah urged the media to give more voice to the marginalised in society, play their watchdog role and serve as channels for the expression of varied views and opinions.
He said polarisation of society through foul and insulting communication on party lines should be considered a subversion of the country’s ethos and asked journalists to refrain from attributing personal statements of politicians to their parties.
Mr Yankah proposed the adoption of a timetable during which all political activities must start and end, and recommended that six weeks after elections, all political party symbols should be taken off the streets.
Besides, he said, the media should have a timetable during the six months to introduce political party campaigns, and suggested that more energy and space should be given to providing information about the entire process from registration to accepting the results.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who gave an overview of the Political Parties Code of Conduct, gave instances where media reports and utterances of politicians were inflammatory.
For instance, he said, some of the reports carried on the airwaves prompted supporters of the NDC to besiege the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) during the 2008 election, on suspicion that it was rigging the election results.
He said the reports which said that dead bodies of NPP agents had been discovered in the Volta Region “did not meet the Code of Ethics of either the GJA or political parties” and stressed that “such aberrations do nobody good”.
On the political front, Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh said some of the messages in the advertisements placed by political parties were “acrimonious, untrue, divisive and dastardly”.
Brigadier-General Agyemfra urged journalists and politicians to try to abide by the Political Parties Code of Conduct in their utterances, in order to maintain the prevailing peace and stability in the country.
Dr Kwabena Adjei said responsible utterances, which he described as political morality, must come from within, and challenged the media to be objective and non-partisan.
Nana Ohene Ntow asked both journalists and politicians to have good faith in and commitment to the terms of the Political Parties Code of Conduct, and urged the media to reflect the various shades of views in their reportage.
Alhaji Ramadan stressed the need for politicians to avoid ambiguity in their statements in order not to give room for misinterpretation by the media.
Mr Nylander urged the media to exercise restraint and not to go overboard in pursuit of selling their newspapers.
Mrs Afenyi-Dadzie, who chaired the function, charged journalists and politicians to be diligent in respecting the Political Parties Code of Conduct to ensure accountability to maintain their credibility.
Inflation target not attainable - CEPA
11/9/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) says the government’s end-year inflation target of 14.5 per cent cannot be achieved considering the economic challenges facing the country. It rather predicted an end-year inflation target of 20.9 per cent.
CEPA blamed the excessive spending on the part of the government last year and the failure of the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) to draw the government’s attention to its overspending for the country's economic challenges.
The Executive Director of CEPA, Dr Joseph Abbey, who was presenting CEPA’s Assessment and Critique of the 2009 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, in Accra yesterday, therefore, called for more resources from the international donor community and a greater growth-enhancement and efficiency in public expenditures than in the stabilisation package.
The publication touched on public capital, foreign-financed and pro-poor expenditures, Public Sector Wage Bill, energy subsidies and consultation mechanism on inflation. It contended that the economic programme for 2009 presented to and approved by Parliament with its social democratic principles was consistent with a strategy of Growth with Macroeconomic Stability.
Dr Abbey said CEPA's review of performance record over the last four years and analysis of the monetary policy-making framework led to the conclusion that “the year-on-year inflation target of 12.5 per cent for December 2009 was over optimistic and that like its predecessors would be missed by a considerable margin”.
That view, he said, was affirmed in the International Monetary Funds’ (IMF) stabilisation programme which revised upward the end-December 2009 to 14.6 per cent - an increase of 2.1 per cent.
“In CEPA’s view the targets set in the stabilisation programme are ambitious and would prove difficult to achieve given what could be achieved,” he stressed.
Dr Abbey said the inability to achieve the inflation target would have socio-political cost in terms of output and job losses and the additional poverty burden that would be placed on those least able to bear it, namely the already poor.
He said available evidence pointed to a slowdown in the tempo of economic activity and the continued increase in poverty indicators.
He quoted the World Bank document which states that: “The impact of the current macro-economic difficulties in Ghana comes at a time when many of the poor have not yet recovered from the impact of a series of shocks starting with floods and drought in [northern Ghana] during 2007, and the food and fuel crisis during 2008” to support his claim.
Dr Abbey said given the tight planned budget deficit target of 9.4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), total expenditure was projected to decline from 42 per cent in 2008 to 36.6 per cent this year, representing a reduction of 5.4 percentage points.
He mentioned Public Sector Wage Bill, energy subsidies, interest payments and the public debt, public capital and poverty-related expenditures as some of the critical expenditure items identified for the implementation of the budget.
Dr Abbey said the BWIs had introduced a consultation mechanism on inflation, which involves quarterly reviews for 2009 followed by semi-annual reviews starting in 2010.
Dr Abbey said whenever the realised year-on-year inflation rate fell outside the specified band, the government would have to complete consultation with the Executive Board of the IMF on the proposed policy response before requesting further disbursements under the stabilisation programme.
He said CEPA’s forecast for September 2009 is 20.5 per cent while the central target is 16.5 per cent with an inner band upper limit of 18.5 per cent and an outer band upper limit of 19.5 per cent.
“Thus, should the CEPA forecast for September prove as accurate as those in the earlier months, the Government of Ghana would be obliged to immediately enter into and complete consultation with the Executive Board of the IMF on an appropriate policy response — most likely an interest rate hike — failing which there would be no further disbursement under the stabilisation programme,” he said.
Dr Abbey said should the IMF cease further disbursements, the government would have to fall on the Bank of Ghana for funds.
That, he said, would result in a competition between the government and the private sector for loans, which would consequently raise the interest rate and the cost of doing business.
Dr Abbey, therefore, called for the inclusion of civil society organisations in the negotiation between the government and the IMF on the stabilisation programme.
He said the civil society organisations, such as CEPA, could offer policy options in order to prevent the situation where the IMF could stop further disbursements.
On government's overspending last year, Dr Abbey said "due to the lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the government the truth did not come out". Besides, he said, there were excessive use of money by politicians.
"Donors managed to cocoon the government from taking note. The World Bank cannot absolve itself from blame and leave Ghana to fend for itself," he said.
He said CEPA raised the red flag but lamented that "somewhere along the line our voices did not go far".
A member of the Council of CEPA, Mrs Matilda Obeng-Ansong, who launched the publication, asked the G-20 nations to make funds available for Ghana to achieve her target for the year.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) says the government’s end-year inflation target of 14.5 per cent cannot be achieved considering the economic challenges facing the country. It rather predicted an end-year inflation target of 20.9 per cent.
CEPA blamed the excessive spending on the part of the government last year and the failure of the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) to draw the government’s attention to its overspending for the country's economic challenges.
The Executive Director of CEPA, Dr Joseph Abbey, who was presenting CEPA’s Assessment and Critique of the 2009 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, in Accra yesterday, therefore, called for more resources from the international donor community and a greater growth-enhancement and efficiency in public expenditures than in the stabilisation package.
The publication touched on public capital, foreign-financed and pro-poor expenditures, Public Sector Wage Bill, energy subsidies and consultation mechanism on inflation. It contended that the economic programme for 2009 presented to and approved by Parliament with its social democratic principles was consistent with a strategy of Growth with Macroeconomic Stability.
Dr Abbey said CEPA's review of performance record over the last four years and analysis of the monetary policy-making framework led to the conclusion that “the year-on-year inflation target of 12.5 per cent for December 2009 was over optimistic and that like its predecessors would be missed by a considerable margin”.
That view, he said, was affirmed in the International Monetary Funds’ (IMF) stabilisation programme which revised upward the end-December 2009 to 14.6 per cent - an increase of 2.1 per cent.
“In CEPA’s view the targets set in the stabilisation programme are ambitious and would prove difficult to achieve given what could be achieved,” he stressed.
Dr Abbey said the inability to achieve the inflation target would have socio-political cost in terms of output and job losses and the additional poverty burden that would be placed on those least able to bear it, namely the already poor.
He said available evidence pointed to a slowdown in the tempo of economic activity and the continued increase in poverty indicators.
He quoted the World Bank document which states that: “The impact of the current macro-economic difficulties in Ghana comes at a time when many of the poor have not yet recovered from the impact of a series of shocks starting with floods and drought in [northern Ghana] during 2007, and the food and fuel crisis during 2008” to support his claim.
Dr Abbey said given the tight planned budget deficit target of 9.4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), total expenditure was projected to decline from 42 per cent in 2008 to 36.6 per cent this year, representing a reduction of 5.4 percentage points.
He mentioned Public Sector Wage Bill, energy subsidies, interest payments and the public debt, public capital and poverty-related expenditures as some of the critical expenditure items identified for the implementation of the budget.
Dr Abbey said the BWIs had introduced a consultation mechanism on inflation, which involves quarterly reviews for 2009 followed by semi-annual reviews starting in 2010.
Dr Abbey said whenever the realised year-on-year inflation rate fell outside the specified band, the government would have to complete consultation with the Executive Board of the IMF on the proposed policy response before requesting further disbursements under the stabilisation programme.
He said CEPA’s forecast for September 2009 is 20.5 per cent while the central target is 16.5 per cent with an inner band upper limit of 18.5 per cent and an outer band upper limit of 19.5 per cent.
“Thus, should the CEPA forecast for September prove as accurate as those in the earlier months, the Government of Ghana would be obliged to immediately enter into and complete consultation with the Executive Board of the IMF on an appropriate policy response — most likely an interest rate hike — failing which there would be no further disbursement under the stabilisation programme,” he said.
Dr Abbey said should the IMF cease further disbursements, the government would have to fall on the Bank of Ghana for funds.
That, he said, would result in a competition between the government and the private sector for loans, which would consequently raise the interest rate and the cost of doing business.
Dr Abbey, therefore, called for the inclusion of civil society organisations in the negotiation between the government and the IMF on the stabilisation programme.
He said the civil society organisations, such as CEPA, could offer policy options in order to prevent the situation where the IMF could stop further disbursements.
On government's overspending last year, Dr Abbey said "due to the lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the government the truth did not come out". Besides, he said, there were excessive use of money by politicians.
"Donors managed to cocoon the government from taking note. The World Bank cannot absolve itself from blame and leave Ghana to fend for itself," he said.
He said CEPA raised the red flag but lamented that "somewhere along the line our voices did not go far".
A member of the Council of CEPA, Mrs Matilda Obeng-Ansong, who launched the publication, asked the G-20 nations to make funds available for Ghana to achieve her target for the year.
Hohoe rice farmers get US$35m credit
17/09/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
FIFTY eight farmers in Hohoe in the Volta Region are benefiting from a US$35-million facility from the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to produce about 2,000 tonnes of rice this year.
MiDA will provide credit facilities to the farmers (nine nuclear farmers and 49 outgrowers) to prepare their farms, and buy fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides. It will also provide extension services and assist the farmers to process their yields.
Finatradegroup, a major player in the rice industry in Ghana and other places in Africa, has entered into an agreement with MiDA to buy all the rice that will be produced.
Consequently, Finatradegroup and MiDA have collaborated in the design of the project, processing and packaging of the rice.
ACDI VOCA, an agronomist company, is supervising the project, while Gbi Rural Bank Limited is offering the credit facility to the farmers on behalf of MiDA.
During a field visit to the rice farms, which are spread across the Hohoe Municipality, on Tuesday by the Director of Corporate Affairs of Finatradegroup, Mr John Awuni, the farmers were seen working on their various farms.
The rice farms are located at Ve, Lolobi, Gbi, Akpafu and Koloenu, among other areas.
Briefing the media, a senior agronomist and representative of ACDI VOCA, Dr Ben Dadzie, said reports available to MiDA indicated that local rice farmers faced problems of access to credit facilities, lack of inputs, inability to process their produce and above all the absence of a ready market.
To address the situation, he said, MiDA contacted the management of Finatradegroup and requested them to be the sole buyers of the rice produce, which they agreed to.
That partnership, Dr Dadzie said, encouraged MiDA to initiate the project since there was a ready market for the rice produce.
He said if the project succeeded, it would be replicated in the other regions of the country.
Dr Dadzie said the agronomy experts supervising the work of the farmers ensured that the farmers applied the appropriate fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides.
Addressing the farmers, Mr Awuni reassured them of the readiness of Finatradegroup to buy their produce no matter the quantity, as a way of encouraging local rice farmers to grow more to feed the nation.
“Your market is 100 per cent assured. There is a guaranteed market for you. There is no limit for the quantity you are going to produce. What you [farmers] have started is supposed to succeed,” he assured the farmers.
Mr Awuni asked the farmers to produce quality rice and assured them that Finatradegroup would offer them the best prices for their produce.
However, he said since the rice was for local consumption, the price would have to be within the means of local consumers for mutual benefit to the farmers, consumers and Finatradegroup.
Mr Awuni, who is also the President of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB), made a commitment to help the farmers to have drying floors for their produce.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
FIFTY eight farmers in Hohoe in the Volta Region are benefiting from a US$35-million facility from the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to produce about 2,000 tonnes of rice this year.
MiDA will provide credit facilities to the farmers (nine nuclear farmers and 49 outgrowers) to prepare their farms, and buy fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides. It will also provide extension services and assist the farmers to process their yields.
Finatradegroup, a major player in the rice industry in Ghana and other places in Africa, has entered into an agreement with MiDA to buy all the rice that will be produced.
Consequently, Finatradegroup and MiDA have collaborated in the design of the project, processing and packaging of the rice.
ACDI VOCA, an agronomist company, is supervising the project, while Gbi Rural Bank Limited is offering the credit facility to the farmers on behalf of MiDA.
During a field visit to the rice farms, which are spread across the Hohoe Municipality, on Tuesday by the Director of Corporate Affairs of Finatradegroup, Mr John Awuni, the farmers were seen working on their various farms.
The rice farms are located at Ve, Lolobi, Gbi, Akpafu and Koloenu, among other areas.
Briefing the media, a senior agronomist and representative of ACDI VOCA, Dr Ben Dadzie, said reports available to MiDA indicated that local rice farmers faced problems of access to credit facilities, lack of inputs, inability to process their produce and above all the absence of a ready market.
To address the situation, he said, MiDA contacted the management of Finatradegroup and requested them to be the sole buyers of the rice produce, which they agreed to.
That partnership, Dr Dadzie said, encouraged MiDA to initiate the project since there was a ready market for the rice produce.
He said if the project succeeded, it would be replicated in the other regions of the country.
Dr Dadzie said the agronomy experts supervising the work of the farmers ensured that the farmers applied the appropriate fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides.
Addressing the farmers, Mr Awuni reassured them of the readiness of Finatradegroup to buy their produce no matter the quantity, as a way of encouraging local rice farmers to grow more to feed the nation.
“Your market is 100 per cent assured. There is a guaranteed market for you. There is no limit for the quantity you are going to produce. What you [farmers] have started is supposed to succeed,” he assured the farmers.
Mr Awuni asked the farmers to produce quality rice and assured them that Finatradegroup would offer them the best prices for their produce.
However, he said since the rice was for local consumption, the price would have to be within the means of local consumers for mutual benefit to the farmers, consumers and Finatradegroup.
Mr Awuni, who is also the President of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB), made a commitment to help the farmers to have drying floors for their produce.
Revenue Authority to be operational in January
16/07/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Fauziatu Adam
THE proposed Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which seeks to bring all revenue agencies under one umbrella, is to become operational in January, next year.
The Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agencies Governing Council, Mr Sam Sallas-Mensah, who made this known, said the legislation governing the operations of the GRA would be passed into law by mid-December, this year.
He was speaking at the launch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation Ghana (CITG) 2009 annual tax week celebration in Accra yesterday.
Activities lined up for the celebration include students’ forum, tax forum, seminars, annual general meeting, dinner and awards night.
Mr Sallas-Mensah mentioned the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Value Added Tax (VAT) as some of the revenue agencies that would be replaced by the GRA.
He said the GRA would be a one-stop-shop, where customers would pay all their taxes.
That, Mr Sallas-Mensah said, would ensure efficiency in the collection of taxes.
Besides, he said, it would encourage people to pay their taxes, since the process would be less tedious and would save time.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, who launched the week celebration, urged the CITG to establish high ethical standards and create the right image for the institute.
He advised the institute to put in place policies which would ensure that members were abreast of modern trends in the taxation profession and as well understand the demands of new tax laws that emerged on the market.
Mr Tettey-Enyo urged them to grow the institute in terms of numbers and influence in society since that would put them in a better position to advise the government on taxation issues and consequently increase revenue generation.
He called on Ghanaians to get involved in the seminars organised by the institute to be well informed about the taxation system.
The President of the CITG, Mr Yaw Asante-Boadi, said the institute was exploring avenues for increased co-operation, exchange of tax competencies and tax ideas aimed at increased tax revenue generation and management within the West African sub-region.
He asked tax agencies to base their employment selection choice on graduates of the CITG as that would “increase the professionalism and technical competencies of the revenue agencies”.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru & Fauziatu Adam
THE proposed Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which seeks to bring all revenue agencies under one umbrella, is to become operational in January, next year.
The Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agencies Governing Council, Mr Sam Sallas-Mensah, who made this known, said the legislation governing the operations of the GRA would be passed into law by mid-December, this year.
He was speaking at the launch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation Ghana (CITG) 2009 annual tax week celebration in Accra yesterday.
Activities lined up for the celebration include students’ forum, tax forum, seminars, annual general meeting, dinner and awards night.
Mr Sallas-Mensah mentioned the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Value Added Tax (VAT) as some of the revenue agencies that would be replaced by the GRA.
He said the GRA would be a one-stop-shop, where customers would pay all their taxes.
That, Mr Sallas-Mensah said, would ensure efficiency in the collection of taxes.
Besides, he said, it would encourage people to pay their taxes, since the process would be less tedious and would save time.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, who launched the week celebration, urged the CITG to establish high ethical standards and create the right image for the institute.
He advised the institute to put in place policies which would ensure that members were abreast of modern trends in the taxation profession and as well understand the demands of new tax laws that emerged on the market.
Mr Tettey-Enyo urged them to grow the institute in terms of numbers and influence in society since that would put them in a better position to advise the government on taxation issues and consequently increase revenue generation.
He called on Ghanaians to get involved in the seminars organised by the institute to be well informed about the taxation system.
The President of the CITG, Mr Yaw Asante-Boadi, said the institute was exploring avenues for increased co-operation, exchange of tax competencies and tax ideas aimed at increased tax revenue generation and management within the West African sub-region.
He asked tax agencies to base their employment selection choice on graduates of the CITG as that would “increase the professionalism and technical competencies of the revenue agencies”.
Monday, September 14, 2009
200 unclaimed bodies buried in mass grave
14/9/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
TWO HUNDRED out of the 400 unclaimed bodies which crowded the Police Hospital mortuary for more than four months were finally buried in mass graves at the Awudome Cemetery last Saturday.
The action became necessary after hospital authorities were prevented by the people of Bortianor from burying the unclaimed bodies at the Mile 11 cemetery in August.
The bodies comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identities were difficult to establish.
The Medical Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfried Asiamah, who supervised the burial, said the mortuary was overstreched by the number of unclaimed bodies.
He said the hospital was relieved that the unclaimed bodies had been buried, saying, “I am happy that we were able to bury them, because the continuous stay of the bodies was too stressful.”
The action was facilitated by the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, who released the space at the Awudome Cemetery for the mass burial.
The space was released following a request by the hospital authorities to the assembly.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the hospital had held on to the burial of the remaining 200 unclaimed bodies, with the hope of establishing their identities and getting their relatives to claim them.
DCOP Dr Godfried said the hospital had discontinued discussions with the people of Bortianor, since they had refused to allow the mass burial to take place at the Mile 11 Cemetery.
The lack of a site for the mass burial forced the authorities of the hospital to consider the option of cremating the 400 unclaimed bodies.
The authorities at the hospital, therefore, appealed to organisations and philanthropists to support the hospital authorities with some funds to enable them to carry out the cremation.
In an earlier interview, DCOP Dr Asiamah stressed that if the AMA failed to secure the land, the hospital authorities would not have any option but to cremate the bodies, since the continuous storage of the bodies could break down the fridges of the mortuary.
According to him, some of the bodies were being kept on the floor of the cold room instead of the fridges.
This paper earlier reported that the Police Hospital mortuary in Accra faced an imminent crisis, if steps were not taken to bury about 400 bodies that had not been claimed or identified.
To avoid that situation, he said, the hospital took steps to bury all the unidentified bodies in mass graves but the effort fell through when the people of Bortianor refused the bodies.
He said a similar exercise to decongest the mortuary was undertaken last April with the burial of 125 unclaimed bodies at the Mile ‘11’ Cemetery at Bortianor.
Statistics at the hospital indicate a steady rise in the number of unidentified bodies sent to the hospital’s mortuary. In 2007 for instance, 278 unclaimed bodies were buried and 373 were buried in 2008.
DCOP Dr Asiamah attributed the trend to road accidents in which those who died were brought to the hospital by the police or volunteers on the scene.
Additionally, he said, whenever people died in the streets and their relatives did not come forward to claim the bodies, the police collected such bodies and brought them to the hospital’s mortuary.
“Numerous people die in the streets. They are picked up by the police and they end up in our mortuary,” he stressed, pointing out that the difficulty was always with people who died in such circumstances without any identification tags on them.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the medical officers conducted post-mortem, while the investigative team conducted investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.
Thereafter, he said, his outfit made announcements in the media about the dead bodies for their relatives to come out to identify and claim them.
However, he said, on many occasions people did not come forward to identify and claim the bodies.
The Medical Director said the police were compelled under the circumstances to organise mass burials for the unclaimed bodies to decongest the mortuary fridges.
He explained that the fridges would break down if the bodies were not disposed of to make way for new bodies.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
TWO HUNDRED out of the 400 unclaimed bodies which crowded the Police Hospital mortuary for more than four months were finally buried in mass graves at the Awudome Cemetery last Saturday.
The action became necessary after hospital authorities were prevented by the people of Bortianor from burying the unclaimed bodies at the Mile 11 cemetery in August.
The bodies comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identities were difficult to establish.
The Medical Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfried Asiamah, who supervised the burial, said the mortuary was overstreched by the number of unclaimed bodies.
He said the hospital was relieved that the unclaimed bodies had been buried, saying, “I am happy that we were able to bury them, because the continuous stay of the bodies was too stressful.”
The action was facilitated by the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, who released the space at the Awudome Cemetery for the mass burial.
The space was released following a request by the hospital authorities to the assembly.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the hospital had held on to the burial of the remaining 200 unclaimed bodies, with the hope of establishing their identities and getting their relatives to claim them.
DCOP Dr Godfried said the hospital had discontinued discussions with the people of Bortianor, since they had refused to allow the mass burial to take place at the Mile 11 Cemetery.
The lack of a site for the mass burial forced the authorities of the hospital to consider the option of cremating the 400 unclaimed bodies.
The authorities at the hospital, therefore, appealed to organisations and philanthropists to support the hospital authorities with some funds to enable them to carry out the cremation.
In an earlier interview, DCOP Dr Asiamah stressed that if the AMA failed to secure the land, the hospital authorities would not have any option but to cremate the bodies, since the continuous storage of the bodies could break down the fridges of the mortuary.
According to him, some of the bodies were being kept on the floor of the cold room instead of the fridges.
This paper earlier reported that the Police Hospital mortuary in Accra faced an imminent crisis, if steps were not taken to bury about 400 bodies that had not been claimed or identified.
To avoid that situation, he said, the hospital took steps to bury all the unidentified bodies in mass graves but the effort fell through when the people of Bortianor refused the bodies.
He said a similar exercise to decongest the mortuary was undertaken last April with the burial of 125 unclaimed bodies at the Mile ‘11’ Cemetery at Bortianor.
Statistics at the hospital indicate a steady rise in the number of unidentified bodies sent to the hospital’s mortuary. In 2007 for instance, 278 unclaimed bodies were buried and 373 were buried in 2008.
DCOP Dr Asiamah attributed the trend to road accidents in which those who died were brought to the hospital by the police or volunteers on the scene.
Additionally, he said, whenever people died in the streets and their relatives did not come forward to claim the bodies, the police collected such bodies and brought them to the hospital’s mortuary.
“Numerous people die in the streets. They are picked up by the police and they end up in our mortuary,” he stressed, pointing out that the difficulty was always with people who died in such circumstances without any identification tags on them.
DCOP Dr Asiamah said the medical officers conducted post-mortem, while the investigative team conducted investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.
Thereafter, he said, his outfit made announcements in the media about the dead bodies for their relatives to come out to identify and claim them.
However, he said, on many occasions people did not come forward to identify and claim the bodies.
The Medical Director said the police were compelled under the circumstances to organise mass burials for the unclaimed bodies to decongest the mortuary fridges.
He explained that the fridges would break down if the bodies were not disposed of to make way for new bodies.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Govt to relocate Sodom and Gomorrah
11/9/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Government has decided to either relocate or compensate squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah in Accra, contrary to an earlier declaration by the Greater Accra Regional Minister that the squatters would be evicted without any form of compensation.
Consequently, the Government has directed the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to engage the squatters to identify those eligible for relocation or compensation.
A Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was answering questions on government’s position on the supposed eviction of the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah at a press conference in Accra yesterday, said “the Government wants to maintain a human face to the exercise”.
The periodic press conference dubbed: “Matters Arising”, which is a platform for the Government to give Ghanaians a status report on the Better Ghana Agenda of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, focused on government’s commitment to the fight against drugs, the Youth in Agriculture Programme and support for educational sector.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, in his visit to Sodom and Gomorrah last Thursday, said the slum was a risk to national security, and indicated the Government’s resolve to evict squatters without relocating them or giving them any form of compensation.
However, Mr Ablakwa said, “The Government takes exception to attempts to criminalise poverty and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah,” since “crime can be found in political parties, churches, mosques and society in general.”
“Some of us have not been happy with reports on Sodom and Gomorrah”, he intimated.
Mr Ablakwa said many of the squatters had fled conflicts in some areas in the northern parts of the country to settle at Sodom and Gomorrah, while others were born at the slum.
He said many of the squatters are engaged in productive ventures.
Therefore, he said, “The Government cannot get up and bulldoze the slum down just because they are lesser Ghanaians.”
“We cannot say that human beings should be thrown out as outcasts. They will come back to haunt us,” he stressed.
The squatters have asked the Government to try to relocate them, since they do not have the financial means to rent rooms or have any intention to return to the north.
Some people have cautioned the Government not to rush in evicting the squatters, since it could lead to the creation of smaller slums in parts of the city.
Human rights activists also feel that the Government must, of necessity, try to relocate the squatters, since they have a right to shelter. They have blamed the Government for allowing the people to live there for long and assumed some rights to their settlement there.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Government has decided to either relocate or compensate squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah in Accra, contrary to an earlier declaration by the Greater Accra Regional Minister that the squatters would be evicted without any form of compensation.
Consequently, the Government has directed the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to engage the squatters to identify those eligible for relocation or compensation.
A Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was answering questions on government’s position on the supposed eviction of the squatters of Sodom and Gomorrah at a press conference in Accra yesterday, said “the Government wants to maintain a human face to the exercise”.
The periodic press conference dubbed: “Matters Arising”, which is a platform for the Government to give Ghanaians a status report on the Better Ghana Agenda of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, focused on government’s commitment to the fight against drugs, the Youth in Agriculture Programme and support for educational sector.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, in his visit to Sodom and Gomorrah last Thursday, said the slum was a risk to national security, and indicated the Government’s resolve to evict squatters without relocating them or giving them any form of compensation.
However, Mr Ablakwa said, “The Government takes exception to attempts to criminalise poverty and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah,” since “crime can be found in political parties, churches, mosques and society in general.”
“Some of us have not been happy with reports on Sodom and Gomorrah”, he intimated.
Mr Ablakwa said many of the squatters had fled conflicts in some areas in the northern parts of the country to settle at Sodom and Gomorrah, while others were born at the slum.
He said many of the squatters are engaged in productive ventures.
Therefore, he said, “The Government cannot get up and bulldoze the slum down just because they are lesser Ghanaians.”
“We cannot say that human beings should be thrown out as outcasts. They will come back to haunt us,” he stressed.
The squatters have asked the Government to try to relocate them, since they do not have the financial means to rent rooms or have any intention to return to the north.
Some people have cautioned the Government not to rush in evicting the squatters, since it could lead to the creation of smaller slums in parts of the city.
Human rights activists also feel that the Government must, of necessity, try to relocate the squatters, since they have a right to shelter. They have blamed the Government for allowing the people to live there for long and assumed some rights to their settlement there.
Govt's 'Better Ghana' agenda on course - Ablakwa
11/9/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE maiden edition of “Matters Arising”, a platform conceived to bring governance issues close to the people, opened in Accra yesterday with strong signals that the government’s Better Ghana Agenda was on course.
With job creation as part of the agenda’s main pillars, a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who addressed the forum, said the government was to create employment for 10,000 graduates, skilled and unskilled persons, through a public-private sector partnership in the oil industry.
Under the initiative, a core group would be trained in the management of oil spillage at sea, while the unskilled persons would be engaged to constantly clean the country’s beaches from Aflao to Elubo and plant coconut trees along the beaches, as a way of improving sanitation in fishing communities.
Mr Ablakwa said already the trainers of trainers had received training in Nigeria and would be training another set of supervisors and trainers in the management of the oil spillage.
The maiden edition of the periodic press conference to give Ghanaians a status report on the Better Ghana Agenda of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government also highlighted the government’s commitment to the fight against drugs, the Youth in Agriculture Programme and support for the educational sector.
Mr Ablakwa said the multi-ministerial and private sector partnership being co-ordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology would ensure the transfer of technology to Ghana for the development of the local capacity in the oil industry.
“The transfer of expertise and technical capacity to the local staff would ensure the building of the needed capacity to support the oil industry in line with the NDC government’s objective of developing the human resource capacity of the people,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa said the improvement of the sanitation situation at the beaches would promote tourism, and indicated that since all the persons who would be engaged in that effort were from the various communities, it would improve the financial situations of thousands of families.
He said the employment opportunities that would be created would go a long way to support NDC government’s short-term objective of promoting and creating productive employment opportunities in all sectors of the economy.
“Clearly, the John Atta Mills government is on course, despite the difficulties caused by the poor management of the economy by our predecessors, resulting in huge deficits and undisclosed arrears,” he said.
Touching on the government’s fight against drug, Mr Ablakwa said the President John Atta Mills administration was on course to redeeming his campaign pledge that he would not allow the country to be turned into a haven for the trade in narcotics.
He said the government had initiated effective and practical steps towards dealing with the drug menace. He mentioned skills training, exposure to modern techniques in fighting narcotics drugs and plans to transform the Narcotics Control Board into an autonomous Commission as some of the steps that were yielding results.
“Today, there is not that perception as it was in the past that some powerful people in government may be collaborating with drug barons,” he said, and noted that some arrests had been made, including the successful management of security information leading to the arrest of a ship and seizure of parcels of cocaine on board.
Besides, Mr Ablakwa said, many people had been arrested for having parcels of cocaine concealed in tubers of yam, or heroin swallowed for discharge at their final destinations.
He said structures had been put in place to ensure that seized exhibits “do not either vanish or metamorphose into some other substance overnight”.
Mr Ablakwa said the Youth in Agriculture Programme was growing steadily, and indicated that some youth had cultivated 1,440 hectares of land in Damango in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region under the programme and that more than 300 youth of the area were working on the Block Farm Concept at Damongo.
He said 100 hectares had been ploughed in Komenda and ready for planting, 30 hectares in Gomoa West, 72 hectares in Gomoa East and 40 hectares in Agona East.
“When fully operational across the country, a total of 14,000 hectares of land is expected to be on cultivation under the Youth in Agriculture Programme. And more than 20,000 job opportunities, some periodic, will be created. For this programme, the government has provided GH¢10.7????????? ”, he said.
Mr Ablakwa said the required feasibility study and detailed designs for the first phase of 5,000 hectares under the Accra Plains Irrigation Project would be ready by the end of the year.
Up north, he said, the government was rehabilitating 70 breached dams in the three northern regions, which, when completed, would put 360 hectares of land under irrigation.
The Government has approved the construction of two fishing harbours and 12 landing sites at the cost of $200 million, saying that the government was sourcing funds for the project.
To reduce post-harvest losses, six cold stores would be built in selected fishing communities with a seven- million euro facility from the Spanish government.
Mr Ablakwa said two of the expected six patrol boats for the Ghana Navy were expected in December this year, and stressed that the boats would help the Ghana Navy to enforce fisheries laws and also protect fishermen from the activities of pair trawlers.
He said the government had offered 50 per cent subsidy of fertilisers as a result of which GH¢10 million had been released to support the subsidy payment.
In its bid to improve capacity to produce rice locally, Mr Ablakwa said the government would plant rice on the irrigated lands while it continued to support the Nercia Rice Production in the northern sector and cultivation of a further 700 hectares of rice farm.
“This will be adding to the Aveyime rice farm which should be releasing their rice onto the market soon, and the 200 hectares being cultivated under the Youth in Agriculture Programme,” he said.
Focusing on education, the deputy minister said the government was still committed to ensuring the right of every child and young person to quality education, hence the on-going efforts to expand physical infrastructure, motivate teachers and make logistics available.
For instance, he said, President Mills had ordered a 50-per cent increment in the Capitation Grant per pupil in addition to planned supply of free exercise books, two free pairs of school uniforms each to pupils in selected districts at the cost of GH¢11 million with another GH¢13 million for the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
Mr Ablakwa said the government had decided to pay the full tuition fees for all teachers who would be pursuing further studies through distance learning, beginning from the next academic year.
That, he said, was part of the government’s efforts at motivating teachers to stay in the classroom but at the same time improve themselves academically.
He said the government had confirmed its commitment to science and technology education with the introduction of 41,000 scholarships accessible to mathematics and science students.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE maiden edition of “Matters Arising”, a platform conceived to bring governance issues close to the people, opened in Accra yesterday with strong signals that the government’s Better Ghana Agenda was on course.
With job creation as part of the agenda’s main pillars, a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who addressed the forum, said the government was to create employment for 10,000 graduates, skilled and unskilled persons, through a public-private sector partnership in the oil industry.
Under the initiative, a core group would be trained in the management of oil spillage at sea, while the unskilled persons would be engaged to constantly clean the country’s beaches from Aflao to Elubo and plant coconut trees along the beaches, as a way of improving sanitation in fishing communities.
Mr Ablakwa said already the trainers of trainers had received training in Nigeria and would be training another set of supervisors and trainers in the management of the oil spillage.
The maiden edition of the periodic press conference to give Ghanaians a status report on the Better Ghana Agenda of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government also highlighted the government’s commitment to the fight against drugs, the Youth in Agriculture Programme and support for the educational sector.
Mr Ablakwa said the multi-ministerial and private sector partnership being co-ordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology would ensure the transfer of technology to Ghana for the development of the local capacity in the oil industry.
“The transfer of expertise and technical capacity to the local staff would ensure the building of the needed capacity to support the oil industry in line with the NDC government’s objective of developing the human resource capacity of the people,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa said the improvement of the sanitation situation at the beaches would promote tourism, and indicated that since all the persons who would be engaged in that effort were from the various communities, it would improve the financial situations of thousands of families.
He said the employment opportunities that would be created would go a long way to support NDC government’s short-term objective of promoting and creating productive employment opportunities in all sectors of the economy.
“Clearly, the John Atta Mills government is on course, despite the difficulties caused by the poor management of the economy by our predecessors, resulting in huge deficits and undisclosed arrears,” he said.
Touching on the government’s fight against drug, Mr Ablakwa said the President John Atta Mills administration was on course to redeeming his campaign pledge that he would not allow the country to be turned into a haven for the trade in narcotics.
He said the government had initiated effective and practical steps towards dealing with the drug menace. He mentioned skills training, exposure to modern techniques in fighting narcotics drugs and plans to transform the Narcotics Control Board into an autonomous Commission as some of the steps that were yielding results.
“Today, there is not that perception as it was in the past that some powerful people in government may be collaborating with drug barons,” he said, and noted that some arrests had been made, including the successful management of security information leading to the arrest of a ship and seizure of parcels of cocaine on board.
Besides, Mr Ablakwa said, many people had been arrested for having parcels of cocaine concealed in tubers of yam, or heroin swallowed for discharge at their final destinations.
He said structures had been put in place to ensure that seized exhibits “do not either vanish or metamorphose into some other substance overnight”.
Mr Ablakwa said the Youth in Agriculture Programme was growing steadily, and indicated that some youth had cultivated 1,440 hectares of land in Damango in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region under the programme and that more than 300 youth of the area were working on the Block Farm Concept at Damongo.
He said 100 hectares had been ploughed in Komenda and ready for planting, 30 hectares in Gomoa West, 72 hectares in Gomoa East and 40 hectares in Agona East.
“When fully operational across the country, a total of 14,000 hectares of land is expected to be on cultivation under the Youth in Agriculture Programme. And more than 20,000 job opportunities, some periodic, will be created. For this programme, the government has provided GH¢10.7????????? ”, he said.
Mr Ablakwa said the required feasibility study and detailed designs for the first phase of 5,000 hectares under the Accra Plains Irrigation Project would be ready by the end of the year.
Up north, he said, the government was rehabilitating 70 breached dams in the three northern regions, which, when completed, would put 360 hectares of land under irrigation.
The Government has approved the construction of two fishing harbours and 12 landing sites at the cost of $200 million, saying that the government was sourcing funds for the project.
To reduce post-harvest losses, six cold stores would be built in selected fishing communities with a seven- million euro facility from the Spanish government.
Mr Ablakwa said two of the expected six patrol boats for the Ghana Navy were expected in December this year, and stressed that the boats would help the Ghana Navy to enforce fisheries laws and also protect fishermen from the activities of pair trawlers.
He said the government had offered 50 per cent subsidy of fertilisers as a result of which GH¢10 million had been released to support the subsidy payment.
In its bid to improve capacity to produce rice locally, Mr Ablakwa said the government would plant rice on the irrigated lands while it continued to support the Nercia Rice Production in the northern sector and cultivation of a further 700 hectares of rice farm.
“This will be adding to the Aveyime rice farm which should be releasing their rice onto the market soon, and the 200 hectares being cultivated under the Youth in Agriculture Programme,” he said.
Focusing on education, the deputy minister said the government was still committed to ensuring the right of every child and young person to quality education, hence the on-going efforts to expand physical infrastructure, motivate teachers and make logistics available.
For instance, he said, President Mills had ordered a 50-per cent increment in the Capitation Grant per pupil in addition to planned supply of free exercise books, two free pairs of school uniforms each to pupils in selected districts at the cost of GH¢11 million with another GH¢13 million for the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
Mr Ablakwa said the government had decided to pay the full tuition fees for all teachers who would be pursuing further studies through distance learning, beginning from the next academic year.
That, he said, was part of the government’s efforts at motivating teachers to stay in the classroom but at the same time improve themselves academically.
He said the government had confirmed its commitment to science and technology education with the introduction of 41,000 scholarships accessible to mathematics and science students.
(Muslim youth to promote youth welfare)
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE African Muslim Youth Congress (AMYC) has ended a four-day workshop in Accra, with a commitment to promote the well-being of the youth in Africa.
Participants gave a promise to focus on education and the strengthening of bilateral ties among African countries.
Sponsored by the World Islamic Call Society (WICS), the workshop attracted participants from African countries, including Ghana, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
Addressing the participants, the Director of the Bureau for Islamic Call Centres, Sheikh Amar Abdul Salama Hareba, stressed the need for opportunities to be made available for the growth of the youth, since they were the future leaders.
“Advancement will come about only when we pay special attention to the youth,” he stressed.
Sheikh Abdul Salam expressed worry that globalisation had had a negative impact on the attitude of the youth, who formed about 60 per cent of the world’s population.
He, therefore, called for concerted efforts to reverse the situation.
Sheikh Abdul Salam said special emphasis should be placed on the education of the girl child, imparting of vocational skills to the youth and creating other skills acquisition avenues for the youth.
Besides, he said, the youth should know their religious obligations and shun any acts of violence.
Sheikh Abdul Salam stressed that developing the capacity of the youth brought about economic and social development.
The General Secretary of the AMYC, Mr Abraham Bafelo, blamed the current global economic slowdown on the unbridled capitalism of the West.
He said the West had for the past decades propagated the view that it was only through capitalism that a nation could develop.
Mr Bafelo called on African countries to initiate their own systems of economic development relevant to their circumstances.
That, he said, was the only Africa could achieve any meaningful socio-economic development.
THE African Muslim Youth Congress (AMYC) has ended a four-day workshop in Accra, with a commitment to promote the well-being of the youth in Africa.
Participants gave a promise to focus on education and the strengthening of bilateral ties among African countries.
Sponsored by the World Islamic Call Society (WICS), the workshop attracted participants from African countries, including Ghana, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
Addressing the participants, the Director of the Bureau for Islamic Call Centres, Sheikh Amar Abdul Salama Hareba, stressed the need for opportunities to be made available for the growth of the youth, since they were the future leaders.
“Advancement will come about only when we pay special attention to the youth,” he stressed.
Sheikh Abdul Salam expressed worry that globalisation had had a negative impact on the attitude of the youth, who formed about 60 per cent of the world’s population.
He, therefore, called for concerted efforts to reverse the situation.
Sheikh Abdul Salam said special emphasis should be placed on the education of the girl child, imparting of vocational skills to the youth and creating other skills acquisition avenues for the youth.
Besides, he said, the youth should know their religious obligations and shun any acts of violence.
Sheikh Abdul Salam stressed that developing the capacity of the youth brought about economic and social development.
The General Secretary of the AMYC, Mr Abraham Bafelo, blamed the current global economic slowdown on the unbridled capitalism of the West.
He said the West had for the past decades propagated the view that it was only through capitalism that a nation could develop.
Mr Bafelo called on African countries to initiate their own systems of economic development relevant to their circumstances.
That, he said, was the only Africa could achieve any meaningful socio-economic development.
Speed up passage ofTobacco
7/7/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SPEAKERS at a workshop on tobacco have appealed to the government to facilitate the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law.
That, they said, was crucial to regulate theBill’) sale and use of tobacco in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Dr Stephen Opuni and the Executive Director of the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), Mr Issah Ali, made the call.
Organised by VALD, a civil society organisation, the workshop was attended by representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and civil society organisations.
Participants discussed key elements and provisions of Tobacco Control Bill and made commitment to develop appropriate strategies needed to get the Tobacco Bill passed into law.
Dr Opuni noted that Ghana was the 39th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004. That gesture, he said, “placed her under the obligation to begin to domesticate the provisions of the convention.”
He said subsequent to the ratification, the National Control Bill was drafted and the FDB was mandated to regulate tobacco, which led to the formation of the Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Department under the FDB.
However, Dr Opuni said, tobacco regulation had been largely dormant due to the non-passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law.
Coincidentally, he said, the emphasis for this year’s World No-Tobacco celebration was “Tobacco Health Warnings.” He said the general consensus globally was for the use of warnings which “are a fusion of texts and pictures.”
He said research had shown that tobacco health warnings which incorporate pictures were more effective in conveying the message of the harm wreaked by tobacco.
Mr Ali stressed the need for the government to ensure that the proposed Tobacco Control Law “is strong and in full compliance with the FCTC. We are humbly urging your Committee on Health to ensure that only a strong Tobacco Control Bill is passed.”
He said the passage of the bill into law would help in preventing diseases, such as lung cancer, heart diseases and infertility as well as interference from the tobacco industries.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
SPEAKERS at a workshop on tobacco have appealed to the government to facilitate the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law.
That, they said, was crucial to regulate theBill’) sale and use of tobacco in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Dr Stephen Opuni and the Executive Director of the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), Mr Issah Ali, made the call.
Organised by VALD, a civil society organisation, the workshop was attended by representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and civil society organisations.
Participants discussed key elements and provisions of Tobacco Control Bill and made commitment to develop appropriate strategies needed to get the Tobacco Bill passed into law.
Dr Opuni noted that Ghana was the 39th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004. That gesture, he said, “placed her under the obligation to begin to domesticate the provisions of the convention.”
He said subsequent to the ratification, the National Control Bill was drafted and the FDB was mandated to regulate tobacco, which led to the formation of the Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Department under the FDB.
However, Dr Opuni said, tobacco regulation had been largely dormant due to the non-passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law.
Coincidentally, he said, the emphasis for this year’s World No-Tobacco celebration was “Tobacco Health Warnings.” He said the general consensus globally was for the use of warnings which “are a fusion of texts and pictures.”
He said research had shown that tobacco health warnings which incorporate pictures were more effective in conveying the message of the harm wreaked by tobacco.
Mr Ali stressed the need for the government to ensure that the proposed Tobacco Control Law “is strong and in full compliance with the FCTC. We are humbly urging your Committee on Health to ensure that only a strong Tobacco Control Bill is passed.”
He said the passage of the bill into law would help in preventing diseases, such as lung cancer, heart diseases and infertility as well as interference from the tobacco industries.
TOR cut down supply to indebted OMCs
8/7/09
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Tema Oil (TOR) has cut off fuel supply to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), for their indebtedness to TOR since 2008.
The OMCs buy fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulted in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
She, however, declined to name the 11 affected OMCs, insisting that exposing their identities would amount to a breach of confidentiality.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies if they did not settle their debts.
She indicated that the management of TOR was negotiating with the owners of the OMCs on how to settle their indebtedness to TOR.
She said the suspension of fuel to indebted OMCs was an effective way in generating revenue for TOR.
Mrs Lokko described TOR’s financial standing as “quite challenging”, and that the management decided to generate funds internally to support the operations of the company.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Tema Oil (TOR) has cut off fuel supply to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), for their indebtedness to TOR since 2008.
The OMCs buy fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulted in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
She, however, declined to name the 11 affected OMCs, insisting that exposing their identities would amount to a breach of confidentiality.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies if they did not settle their debts.
She indicated that the management of TOR was negotiating with the owners of the OMCs on how to settle their indebtedness to TOR.
She said the suspension of fuel to indebted OMCs was an effective way in generating revenue for TOR.
Mrs Lokko described TOR’s financial standing as “quite challenging”, and that the management decided to generate funds internally to support the operations of the company.
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