Atta Mills tours Akosombo Dam
Akosombo, April 12, GNA -
Professor John Atta Mills, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said it was time government accepted that it was its policies and inactions that have led to the energy crisis rather than resorting to attacks and insults to deflect responsibility.
He said instead of heaping insults on those who attempt to comment on the crisis the government must declare the seriousness of the situation and refrain from unduly raising people's expectation as to when the crisis would be over.
Prof Mills, the former Vice President, said contrary to the government's assertions that the crisis was nearing its end, information on the ground indicated the crisis would not be over soon.
Addressing the media after touring the Akosombo Hydro-Electric Generating Station on Wednesday, Prof Mills said he wondered why some state officials continue to misinform the public about the true story of the energy situation and appealed to the government to come out with a clear statement on the issue.
"Neither insults nor intimidation can prevent the NDC from putting the searchlight on government's role in the crisis."
In Professor Mills' entourage were, Dr Kwame Ampofo, the minority spokesperson on energy, the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Kwabena Adjei, the National Organizer, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and Mr Doe Adjaho, the Member of Parliament of Ave Avenor.
Led by Mr Kirk Koffi, the Director of Hydro Generation Department of the Volta River Authority, Prof Mills toured all the major sections of the facility that used to produce the bulk of the nation's energy but is now facing one of its worse moments following low water inflow into its reservoir.
Prof Mills said the state of affairs at the plant confirmed the earlier stance taken by the party at a recent news conference that the NPP has since rebuffed.
He said it was irrefutable the significant efforts made by the NDC government to shore-up the energy needs of the country including a retrofitting exercise began in the late 1990s through to the early part of 2000 despite desperate efforts by the NPP to counter the claim. Prof Mills said the desire of the party in highlighting the energy crisis was not borne out of malice or mischief but out of a deep conviction to resuscitate the faltering energy sector by placing at the disposal of the nation the wealth of experience it had in that field. Some of the achievements the NDC government chalked in that field during its tenure include the conclusion of proposals for the construction of the Bui Dam, the retrofitting of the turbines at the Akosombo Generating Plant as well as the development of the Effaso and Tano fields.
The NPP, Prof Mills said, should be willing to learn from the experiences of others.
The minority spokesperson on energy, Dr Ampofo, said he was certain that there would have been no crisis if the NDC was still in power since at the time of leaving office, the NDC led administration had installed facilities capable of generating 1,700 megawatts of energy when the nation needed only 1,400 at the time.
Source:
GNA
The Tema Oil Refinery to shut down for a week
The Tema Oil Refinery will shut its 45,000 barrel per day crude distillation unit (CDU) for planned maintenance during the first week of July, its managing director said on Thursday.
Ghana's main oil refinery, which comprises the CDU and a 14,000 barrel per day catalytic cracker, meets 80 to 85 percent of Ghana's oil product demand.
"We have programmed one week of maintenance this year on some specific equipment, that will be in July. The CDU will be closed," said managing director, Kofi Sarpong.
Last year, the cracker was shut for 10 weeks for routine maintenance while the CDU was also shut for four weeks for routine works.
Poor rainfall has meant Ghana, which relies on hydroelectric power for the bulk of its power needs, has been beset by chronic power shortages since September.
But these power cuts have had very little impact on Tema, which generates 80 percent of its own power, said Sarpong.
Further repairs of existing generators should mean that Tema will be able to generate all its own power by the middle of next year, he said.
Little progress has been made in the oft-touted plans for privatisation and expansion of the refinery, under which Tema would be able to meet all Ghana's needs and capture a larger share of the West African fuels market.
"It is a combined privatisation and expansion. Very soon, the government will appoint a transaction adviser," Sarpong said.
Last year, Ghana approached two South Korean companies, SK Corp and Samsung Corp to discuss the sale of a stake in the refinery.
West Africa's refined petrol products needs are met by imports and a handful of regional oil refineries.
Source:
Reuters
Ghanaian President Stirs Controversy Over Slave Trade Reparations
Bright Simons
Essex, England
April 12, 2007
Ghanaian President John Kufuor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria on Nov. 29, 2006. (Photo: Pius Utomi Ekpei / AFP-Getty Images)
March 25, 2007 marked the second centenary of the passage by the British Parliament of legislation outlawing the mass enslavement of black Africans for commercial profit throughout the British Empire.
> READ MORE here...
Three holiday makers died in accident
Kasoa (C/R) April 12, GNA-
Three persons died on the spot and over 20 others received various degree of injuries when a Tipper truck on which they were traveling from Bortiano beach on Easter Monday was involved in an accident near Amanfrom.
Two of the dead had been identified as Yakuba Kadari, a girl from Kasoa and Tetteh Ashalley, aged, 20 from Domiabra near Kasoa. The Kasoa District Commander of the Motor and Traffic Transport Unit (MTTU) DSP Michael Roland Nyaaba told the Ghana News Agency on Thursday that the tipper truck was avoiding a collision with another vehicle when it veered off the road.
Mr. Nyaaba said the injured had been rushed to the Korle Bu and 37 Military hospitals in Accra and the Winneba Government hospital. He said the bodies have been deposited at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary for autopsy while police investigation continues.
Source:
GNA
Calls for assistance for higher education in Africa
Accra April 12, GNA-
Professor Akilagpa Sawyerr, Secretary=96General of the Association of African Universities on Thursday called for more investments and developmental assistance for higher education on the Continent.
Prof. Sawyerr made the call at two-day stakeholders' consultative workshop, on Higher Education, Science and Technology in Accra. About 60 participants from the Continent are deliberating on topics like: 93Science, Technology and Development in Africa, "Public-private Partnership for Education, Science and Technology Development," 93Rebuilding Higher Infrastructure for Higher Education, Science and Technology" among other things. Speaking on the topic: 93The State Of The Higher Education in Africa, Issues and Challenges", Prof. Sawyerr stressed the need for African universities to be assisted to link up with global networks on the World wide web.
The web, he said would enhance greater access of African scholars to laboratories and experimental sites of best institutions in the world. "There should be greater support for sub-regional and continent wide associations and institutions to facilitate increased interaction and collective work among Africa's institution of knowledge and learning," he emphasised.
Prof. Sawyerr observed that the number of universities as well as enrolments in Sub-Saharan Africa had increased dramatically following the wave of political independence. "From a total of 52 in 1960, to over 300 in 2000 and still climbing, yet many African countries still have only one, two or three universities."
This he attributed to the increasing cost of education and the low enrolment of women. On science and technology, Prof. Sawyerr noted that communication revolution has led to increased movement of ideas; people, resources and also increased competition.
He said these factors had increased the potential for erasing the gap between developed and developing countries. "In my judgement without proper intellectual input, the prospects for devising and implementing polices and actions necessary for sustainable development under the current conditions are dim." He mentioned problems of access and equality, funding as some of the challenges facing African universities. Prof. Sawyerr said notwithstanding these problems a new spirit was dawning on Africa in the 1990's.
He said most African government had re-focused on the tertiary education sector by introducing significant system level reforms. "The African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development aspiring to reclaim the ownership and intellectual leadership of the African development process have accorded higher education, science and technology a special place in their strategic and action plans."
Source:
GNA
CSM claims 11 lives in Bawku
Bawku (U/E), April 12, GNA -
Eleven people reportedly died of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) from January to March this year at various health facilities in the Bawku municipality.
A total of 134 cases were also reported within the same period whilst 39 cases were recorded in the first week of April. The month of March recorded the highest number of cases at 128, with four deaths, January, four cases with two deaths, February, two cases with two deaths whilst April recorded three deaths. CSM is a bacteria causing organism which affects the central nervous system of human beings during the hot season and is an airborne disease transmitted from human to human.
Dr. William Duodu, Municipal Director of Gana Health Services, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Bawku on Thursday.
He said though the situation was reaching the epidemic threshold, it was under control and there was no need for alarm, adding that no cases have been reported in the second week of April.
Dr. Duodu explained that much public education had been carried out earlier on whilst vaccination was done and was still been done. He indicated that a team from the Navrongo Health Research Center was in the municipality monitoring the situation and at the same time attending to infected people.
Dr. Duodu pointed out that most of the cases emanated from the rural communities and appealed to them to sleep in well ventilated places to avoid being infected.
He said the vaccination exercise was free of charge and wondered why in spite of rigorous campaigns people had not availed themselves of the exercises.
Source:
GNA
President's pictures not for posters, calendars
Accra, April 12, GNA -
The Office of the President on Thursday reminded media houses that photographs and images from the President's meetings at home and abroad are solely for news publication purposes.
"...Other uses like posters, calendars, souvenir items, banners, advertisement and any commercial products are not permitted," a statement signed by Mr Andre Awuni, Press Secretary to the President a Presidential Spokesperson, said.
It said should there be the need to use any of the photos and images for commercial products, the Office of the President should be informed.
The statement added that all photos and accompanying text made available by the Press Secretary's Office/the Presidential Archivist should be duly credited.
Source:
GNA
Pay us our money- Musicians ask Ghana@50
A number of musicians who participated in the “Highlife to Hiplife” concerts held simultaneously in eight of Ghana’s 10 regions on March 3, as part of the Ghana@50 Jubilee celebrations are up in arms.
Reason? They have not been paid their performance fees for more than six weeks after the show.
Last week, the Eastern Chairman of the Musician Union of Ghana, Justice Ofosu Okyere was at pains explaining how he has been talking to his members in Koforidua to exercise patience while the MUSIGA head office sorted out the payment.
One of the musicians into an Accra based radio station’s entertainment review programme to complain about how they have been made to wait for their money which appeared never came.
According to the called, the non-payment of the money was creating some suspicions among the rank and file, many of whom believe that Ghana@50 Secretariat had paid MUSIGA but MUSIGA had failed to pay them.
However, President of MUSIGA, Alhaji Sidiku Buari confirmed that indeed the Ghana@50 Secretariat was yet to pay the musicians for their performances at the “Highlife to Hiplife” concerts.
Alhaji Buari said that the delay was unfortunate especially when those musicians who performed in the Accra and Kumasi ‘Highlife to Hiplife’ concerts were paid promptly. “Now it is beginning to look as if we have collected the money and refused to pay our members”.
He said that he had been regularly reminding the Chief Executive of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, Dr Charles Wereko Brobbey about their obligation but had been only receiving promises. “First we were told we will receive the money in two weeks but now those two weeks are over and we are still waiting”.
When contacted, the CEO of the Ghana@50 Secretariat was not available but the Events Manager, Ken Amankwaa said that indeed the Secretariat owed the musicians and was doing everything to have that money paid.
Source:
Graphic Showbiz
Togolose Refugees to be repatriated
Accra, April 12, GNA - The UNHCR, the Governments of Ghana and Togo on Thursday signed a Tripartite Agreement to Facilitate Voluntary Repatriation of Togolese Refugees from Ghana.
The agreement, which was signed in the Togolese capital, Lome seeks to facilitate the voluntary return of Togolese refugees who have been in Ghana since 1992.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ghana's Foreign Minister Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Togolese counterpart Zrifou Ayeva, signed for their countries, while the UNHCR Representative in Ghana, Ms. Aida Haile Mariam, signed for the UNbody. The delegation from Ghana included Nana Akufo-Addo , Mr McArios A. Akanbong, Assistant Director-Legal and Consular Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. M.A. Bawumia, Ministry of the Interior. Also in attendance were various members of the diplomatic community including USA, China and the European Union.
Given some interest expressed by a portion of Togolese refugees in returning home, UNHCR and the respective governments are putting in place a legal framework to govern possible voluntary repatriation to Togo.
Voluntary repatriation is the most preferred durable solution option for refugees. Ghana hosts some 50,600 refugees, 12,326 of them being Togolese.
The Ghanaian Foreign Minister later paid courtesy calls on the new Togolese Prime Minister, Mr. Agboyibor, and the Togolese President, Mr. Faure Gnassingbe.
The meetings, which were held behind closed doors, centered on Ghana-Togo relations and on regional and continental issues. The Togolese President praised the efforts of the Ghanaian President and AU Chairman, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, towards the establishment of peace in the region and continent and hailed him as a great friend of Togo.
Source:
GNA
Ga Dangme Council expresses concern
...with developments in the process of enstooling Ga Mantse Accra, April 11, GNA-
The Ga Dangme Council on Wednesday expressed concern with developments in the process of enstooling the Ga Manste to succeed the late Bone Nii Amugi II.
A press release issued in Accra and signed by Dr. K. B. Asante, President, Ga Dangme Council, noted that, the council has taken notice of a number of suits pending before the appropriate adjudicating authority for determination, relating to the enstoolment of a new Ga Manste.
It said, "It is the view of the council that the pending proceedings should be allowed to take their normal courses and nothing should be done by anyone in the administration of justice". The statement said that, this will ensure the maintenance of peace and stability within the Ga Dangme state.
Source:
GNA
Over 2000 ghost names purged from state payroll ,12 April 2007
The Government has in the last few years up to July 2006 been paying some two thousand and twenty three (2,023) ghost workers, whose names were on public payroll of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and swelling government expenditure to the detriment of the state.
Speaking in Accra the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr. Christian Tetteh Sottie said his outfit sent out students on vacation employment to all MDA’s in July/August 2006 to conduct the exercise of cross-checking on the genuineness of payrolls, and it was in the process that the 2,023 ghost names were detected.
He said the ghost names were made up of three categories of people. One set was made up of people that were dead, but were apparently still being paid by government, and there were those who had either resigned from their various establishments or had gone on retirement, but were all still being paid by the state.
Exonerating the Controller and Accountant General's Department from the perception that ghost names are manufactured in his outfit Mr. Sottie indicated that the problem of ghost names on public payrolls rest at the doorsteps of the MDAs that feed his department with details of the personnel in each state outfit. These lists of personnel and the details come as validated, and his department feeds them into the government payroll system to process them for payment of salaries.
Mr. Sottie said the system will then match the information against the original personnel data from the MDAs in its memory, and it is only after this that the department can begin its process of effecting payment.
The Controller and Accountant General pointed out that the problem of ghost names is pervasive around the world, since everywhere people resign or vacate their post on daily basis, others die or go on retirement, but due to the delay in updating records of MDAs all those who have left are still "paid."
He stopped short of saying it, but history has proven that some top personnel at the different levels of the MDAs intentionally refrain from reporting their reduced numbers and profit thereby.
One could see therefore that it is not the fault of the department, affirmed Mr. Sottie, who added, "Thus the perception that the department could manufacture ghost names and cash in on the system is a misplaced one."
"Blames of the existence of ghost names on public payrolls on the department is the figment of people's imagination, which has been overplayed," he said and added, that is not possible, since the Controller and Accountant General's Department does not have access to the data that is available to the human resource departments of the various MDAs.
Mr. Sottie however allayed the fears of Ghanaians by saying, since July last year, the payroll has been purged of those ghost names making the payroll clean. He however pointed out that the problem of ghost names is a constant one since the means by which it emerges happen every day.
Meanwhile, he says, his department has taken tough steps to move in a direction that will forestall any attempt to defraud the nation either through impersonation or indulgence in fraudulent practice.
Information available to The Independent also says the department is currently putting in place a mechanism by which it could take the fingerprints of all staff of MDAs to ensure that fraud perpetrated against the state in the form of impersonation, collusion and other negative accounting practices are reduced to the barest minimum if not completely eradicated.
The information also indicated that photographs of all government employees would be taken to make it easier for personnel of MDAs to be identified.
Source:
The Independent
13 stowaways reurned back Ghana
Thirteen Ghanaian stowaways, who were jailed in Mozambique, have returned home healthily, but under heavy security escorts.
They returned at noon of Wednesday aboard a Kenya Airways flight from South Africa, where Ghana's High Commission had processed travel certificates for them.
A Deputy Superintendent at the Fraud Section of the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr Daniel Tagoe, told the Daily Graphic at the Kotoka International Airport that one of the stowaways was a Togolese and would be deported immediately.
The remaining 12 have since returned to their various destina¬tions at the time the Daily Graphic team got to the airport.
Mr Tagoe explained that the vessel on which they travelled had berthed at Mozambique but they had to be transported to South Africa to enable their travel documents to be processed, since they had no passports.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Mission in Zimbabwe, secured the release of the Ghanaians, who were alleged to have been jailed after they were deported from China five months ago.
The Chinese authorities were said to have put the Ghanaians aboard a vessel bound for Cote d'Ivoire through Mozambique.
In Maputo, the Ghanaians were handed over to an agency, Jeno, for their onward transfer to Cote d'Ivoire, from where they had stowed away, but the agency rather handed them over to the Mozambican security authorities.
Mr Tagoe said the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) bore their travel expenses from Accra to their final destinations.
Jeno is, however, said to have paid their air fares from South Africa. But the deportees claimed in an earlier telephone interview that Jeno seized their items and $2,000 each they were given by the Chinese authorities to facilitate their return home.
Meanwhile, families of the 13 deported stowaways from China have commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the quick response to their call for help for their relatives who languished in Mozambican jail.
A Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Akwesi Osei-Adjei, said the ministry moved to secure the release of the Ghanaians immediately after the Daily Graphic carried the story in its April 5, 2007 edition.
Source:
Daily Graphic
Health Directorate suspends outreach programmes for Atronie
Sunyani (B/A), April 12, GNA-
The Brong-Ahafo Regional Health Directorate has decided to suspend all its outreach programmes for the Atronie community in the region.
This is as a result of mounting tension that has characterised the area following the gruesome murder of Mr. Anthony Yeboah Boateng, the Administrator of the Goaso Government Hospital last Easter Sunday. A statement signed by Alhaji Dr. M. B. Ibrahim, the Regional Director of Health Services, said "We regret to inform the general public that owing to the fact that we cannot guarantee the safety of any health worker within the vicinity, all outreach activities to the community by health workers have been put on hold until further notice." The Directorate expressed grave concern about the high rate of mob actions being experienced currently in the country as well as a host of similar unresolved murders.
The statement indicated that such developments have brought uneasiness among Ghanaians and have left "a taste of disgust and displeasure" to the people.
While commending the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for the initial steps taken to bring the perpetrators of the crime to book, the Health Directorate urged REGSEC to expedite action on the measures to forestall any looming counter-reaction from any individuals or group of persons in the community.
The statement said, "By their tacit acquiescence, elders and opinion leaders of the Atronie community condoned and connived with the irate mob to unleash this mayhem on innocent lives". It explained, "A visit to the scene of the crime suggests that it happened less than twenty metres from the palace of the Atronie chief and a police post. A brutally and carefully vandalized vehicle with all sorts of weapons such as knives and stones suggest a sinister motive behind the crime".
The statement further noted that "insensitivity of the community towards the plea of the two women, one of whom was a Catholic nun and dressed as such on the night of the resurrection on that Easter Sunday raises questions and concerns about the level of civility in that community".
The late Mr. Boateng was also the Vice President of St. Anthony's Cathedral Church of Catholic Diocese of Goaso and the Presiding Member of Asunafo North District Assembly.
He was together with his wife, a Catholic nun and a nurse conveying the corpse of his aunt in his private car from Sunyani to the Goaso Government Hospital.
At Atronie, the youth, who were said to have mounted a barrier in the middle of the road, asked Mr. Boateng to stop and upon seeing the dead body in the vehicle, demanded an explanation. The deceased's attempt to explain to the youth that he was an innocent person rather inflamed their passion. Some of them who apparently suspected the late Mr. Boateng of carrying the body for rituals, attacked, stoned and clubbed him, killing him instantly in the presence of his wife, the Catholic nun and nurse who looked on helplessly.
A policeman who went to the scene and attempted to rescue the late Mr. Boateng was assaulted by the youth. The security personnel managed to escape with the deceased's wife, Catholic nun and nurse to safety at a local police station before going for treatment at a clinic.
Source:
GNA