President To Visit Portugal

The President, Mr. J. A. Kufuor, begins a two-day official visit to Portugal on Monday, March 19, 2007. The visit is at the invitation of the President of Portugal, Mr. Anibal Vacaco Silva.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD said the President would proceed to Portugal from the United Kingdom at the conclusion of his State visit to that country.It said the visit would accord the two presidents the opportunity to examine ways of strengthening bilateral relations between Ghana and Portugal.

“The two leaders will also deliberate on current African and international issues, including a European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Joint Strategy to develop practical approaches for future partnership between the EU and Africa,” the statement said. Portugal will assume the EU Presidency later this year.
Source:GHP

U-17 ACN: Ghana 0 Nigeria 2

GHANA'S Jubilee BLACK Starlets lost their toughest test in the on going African U-17 championship in Kegue, Togo, today. Having run amok over Eritrea in their last game, the Ghanaians were expected to throw in much to maintain the recent aura of invincibility against their Nigerian counterparts.

But two goals, from the young eaglets, one in each half of the game, dashed the hopes of all Ghanaians. Indeed, the Nigerians appeared more determined for the maximum points.
The Nigerians, like their Ghanaian compatriots, played two games earlier winning all with impressive results. The Nigerians are leading the Group B standings with 9 points ahead of their Ghanaians counterparts.

In the other Group B clash, Burkina Faso, who are yet to fetch a point in the competition would want to vent their venom on bottom-placed, Eritrea at Lome.Today at Kegue competition host, Togo, will seek to make amends in their game against Gabon, while Group leaders Tunisia, battle South Africa in the other Group A match.

Source: Isaac TETTEH

Flagbearer must have the ability to unite the party and nation-Kufuor

London, March 16, GNA - Political experience and the ability to hold together the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should influence the choice of the party's 2008 flagbearer, President Agyekum Kufuor, has counselled.He said, whoever emerged winner in the race to lead the party to the elections should not only be a uniting force to the party but must have the ability to carry along with him majority of Ghanaian voters.

"It is therefore important that even as we exercise our emotion, we should balance it with good judgement."President Kufuor was addressing an international delegates conference of the NPP attended by representatives from the United States (US), Canada and across Europe in London on Friday.The National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac Manu and other national officers, including Madam Ama Busia, a Vice Chairman, joined them. President Kufuor allayed any fears about imposition of a candidate on the party, saying, that was alien to its tradition and that the selection would be done democratically.

He told the conference that the Government has worked to the party's visions and principles of democracy, good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law and that it was this that was drawing increasing international attention to the country. "We are not a party of convenience nor are we opportunists. We believe in humanity and the common good of our people.

" President Kufuor asked them not to give in to the negative propaganda that the Government was detached from the party, describing that as untrue.He advised the diasporan party supporters to prepare and organise well to win more support for the party, especially so with the passage of the Representation of the People's Amendment Act.
Source:GNA

Going, Going .....

...Power cuts to shut Valco from Friday

The Valco aluminium smelter will shut down indefinitely from Friday, March 16 due to chronic power shortages in the country caused by inadequate power supply from the Akosombo Dam.

"There is no electricity to run the smelter ... We just decided to shut down," Valco chief executive Charles Mensa said on Thursday..
Asked about how long the shutdown would continue, Mensa said: "We don't know really. It is indefinite -- maybe for the rest of the year." The shut down, the 11th in the history of VALCO since its establishment in 1967 will result in declaring majority of the 700 labour force redundant.

The 200,000-ton-a-year smelter is jointly owned by Ghana's government(90%) and US-based aluminium giant Alcoa Inc.(10%). It is currently operating at 30% of its capacity.
Mensa described the latest action as regrettable and a disappointment to those who looked up to VALCO to realize the late President Nkrumah’s dream of industrialization.
He explained that the decision to shut down was voluntary when the company realised the declining level of water in the Akosombo Dam.

Poor rains have led to chronic power outages in Ghana since September last year. The country relies on hydro-generation for about 60 percent of its electricity, with the balance provided by thermal power and imports from neighbouring Ivory Coast.
Mensa said a staff of about 200 will be retained to secure and maintain the plant. The skeleton staff would build an extrusion and rod-mill plants in readiness for power to provide the environment for the country’s industrialization and the creation of jobs.

He said the shut down would offer the management of VALCO the challenge to develop alternative sources of power. In the interim the extrusion and rod-mill would help to produce aluminum doors and windows and transmission lines for electricity.
He said the long term objective of VALCO was to develop a coal fixed power plant to take the smelter plant off the national grid.
Dr Mensa explained that it was expected that it would take VALCO a minimum of 24 months to develop the plant, adding that VALCO was working with an independent power provider to start the construction as early as possible.

He said the plant, which will cost about $400 million to construct, would generate about 500 megawatts of power.
Dr Mensa said to enable VALCO to produce full capacity; the company required about 350 megawatts of power.
He said when VALCO achieved that objective; it would be in a position to give the surplus power to the state to improve the capacity of the national grid by about 150 megawatts.
Asked whether the use of coal to power a big smelter like VALCO was outdated, Dr Mensa discounted that claim and explained that coal was readily available in Enugu, Nigeria and Southern African countries.

He said VALCO could no longer rely on electricity to run the plant, adding that an investment whose raw material was electricity could no longer be predicted.
Dr Mensa said VALCO was better off generating its own power and taking control of its operations.
Source:GHP