Eddie Annan meets six constituency executives in C/R at Winneba

Mr. Eddie Anan, one of the aspirants flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party and his campaign team have met with six constituency executives in the Central Region at Winneba to explain his plans and programmes to them. The executives were drawn from Agona East and West, Gomoa East and West, Effutu and Awutu-Senya constituencies.

Mr. Annan in his 10-point plans and programme, said when elected as the flag bearer of the party, he would, among other things, offer decisive leadership and work hard to enable the party take away power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He said, he would unite all factions of the party and work towards increasing members of party, create economics freedom for Ghanaians and create jobs in the country.

Mr. Anane appealed to followers of the party to vote for him to become the flag bearer of the party and also urged them to remain united and continue campaign for more supporters to enable it come back to power in the 2008 elections.

He said, he is the only dynamic and marketable aspirant to lead the party to power, adding that his administration would practice all inclusive government. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency later, he said when given the mandate to rule the country he would tackle unemployment problem in the country that had led to the high rate of corruption.

He added his voice to calls on members of National Association of Graduates Teachers (NAGRAT) to return to the classrooms while government was finding solution to their grievances.Mr. Eddie Anan, one of the aspirants flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party and his campaign team have met with six constituency executives in the Central Region at Winneba to explain his plans and programmes to them.

The executives were drawn from Agona East and West, Gomoa East and West, Effutu and Awutu-Senya constituencies. Mr. Annan in his 10-point plans and programme, said when elected as the flag bearer of the party, he would, among other things, offer decisive leadership and work hard to enable the party take away power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He said, he would unite all factions of the party and work towards increasing members of party, create economics freedom for Ghanaians and create jobs in the country.
Mr. Anane appealed to followers of the party to vote for him to become the flag bearer of the party and also urged them to remain united and continue campaign for more supporters to enable it come back to power in the 2008 elections.

He said, he is the only dynamic and marketable aspirant to lead the party to power, adding that his administration would practice all inclusive government. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency later, he said when given the mandate to rule the country he would tackle unemployment problem in the country that had led to the high rate of corruption.

Change socio-economic discrimination of the north - CYAUR

The Concerned Youth Association of Upper Regions (CYAUR), is to hold a demonstration in Bolgatanga, against what it called "the Economic Discrimination" against the three regions in the northern part of the country.

In a statement issued in Accra at the weekend, it said all efforts must be done to bridge the "yawning" socio-economic gap between the north and south. The CYAUR described the socio-economic inequality gap between the north and south as "alarming and unimaginable" and noted the unfair disbursement of the HIPC Funds, the exclusion of the two Upper Regions from the Millennium Challenge Account Funds and the absence of any Presidential Special Initiative in the three regions as some of the factors for the demonstration.

The statement signed by Mr. Ayorogo Adongo Bismark, President and Mr. Konnuba Joseph Kam-saamba, Secretary both of CYAUR explained that the demonstration, which should have been held on the 27th of October this year had to be postponed to 13th November following appeals of people from the area in the Diaspora to enable them to take part.

It stated that even though traceable to the colonial government's policies that deliberately denied people of the area development for the purpose of reserving them as a source of cheap labour for cocoa farms and the mines in the south, governments after independence in 1957 should have reversed the "colonial legacy" with "a high sense of patriotism and nationalism".

The Association called on all sons and daughters of northern Ghana to do away with their political colours and unite to champion the course of the area, saying, "political parties will come and go, but northern Ghana will continue to exist".

It said that to prevent politicians from making capital out of the exercise, efforts were being made to prevail on the three Regional Ministers and MPs from the northern part of the country to lead the demonstration

The CYAUR appealed to Ghanaians not to see the intended protest as a struggle between the south and the north and said all that it was seeking for was "Equity", adding that, "all northerners, both home and abroad, civil society organizations, human rights advocates, the clergy and all well meaning Ghanaians who support even development of the country should join them in their quest for socio-economic justice.

"The status quo that northerners are hewers of wood and drawers of water and the feeling that northern Ghana is an economic desert, destitute of mineral wealth and other precious resources is a big fallacy and must be challenged and changed by all northerners," the statement said.

The Concerned Youth Association of Upper Regions (CYAUR), is to hold a demonstration in Bolgatanga, against what it called "the Economic Discrimination" against the three regions in the northern part of the country.

In a statement issued in Accra at the weekend, it said all efforts must be done to bridge the "yawning" socio-economic gap between the north and south. The CYAUR described the socio-economic inequality gap between the north and south as "alarming and unimaginable" and noted the unfair disbursement of the HIPC Funds, the exclusion of the two Upper Regions from the Millennium Challenge Account Funds and the absence of any Presidential Special Initiative in the three regions as some of the factors for the demonstration.


The statement signed by Mr. Ayorogo Adongo Bismark, President and Mr. Konnuba Joseph Kam-saamba, Secretary both of CYAUR explained that the demonstration, which should have been held on the 27th of October this year had to be postponed to 13th November following appeals of people from the area in the Diaspora to enable them to take part.


It stated that even though traceable to the colonial government's policies that deliberately denied people of the area development for the purpose of reserving them as a source of cheap labour for cocoa farms and the mines in the south, governments after independence in 1957 should have reversed the "colonial legacy" with "a high sense of patriotism and nationalism".


The Association called on all sons and daughters of northern Ghana to do away with their political colours and unite to champion the course of the area, saying, "political parties will come and go, but northern Ghana will continue to exist".

It said that to prevent politicians from making capital out of the exercise, efforts were being made to prevail on the three Regional Ministers and MPs from the northern part of the country to lead the demonstration

The CYAUR appealed to Ghanaians not to see the intended protest as a struggle between the south and the north and said all that it was seeking for was "Equity", adding that, "all northerners, both home and abroad, civil society organizations, human rights advocates, the clergy and all well meaning Ghanaians who support even development of the country should join them in their quest for socio-economic justice.


"The status quo that northerners are hewers of wood and drawers of water and the feeling that northern Ghana is an economic desert, destitute of mineral wealth and other precious resources is a big fallacy and must be challenged and changed by all northerners," the statement said.

Prez Not Obliged To Publish Probe Reports

A retired Supreme Court judge, Justice George Lamptey, says the President is not obliged to make public the report of any committee or commission of enquiry that he sets up.

Similarly, the Constitution does not support suggestions that the President should act on reports of committees set up by the ministries, he said.

Justice Lamptey was addressing a seminar on Continuous Professional Development for some professional bodies in Accra on Thursday. It was on the theme, ‘Promoting the Public Interest - The Role of the Lawyer’.

He said that a commission or committee of inquiry set up by the President was only expected to present its report to the President who would in turn, issue a white paper on it. "These reports are not for public consumption and so he is not expected to hold a press conference to announce the recommendations to the public."

Justice Lamptey also spoke on vetting of ministers. He said rather than subjecting government appointees to the rigours of parliamentary vetting, Ghanaians should perhaps be looking at amending the Constitution to make it possible for the President’s appointees not to go through such procedures.

"He pointed out that after the President appoints the ministers, Parliament spends about two months selecting and dropping people and, therefore, delaying the actual time needed to commence serious government business."

Justice Lamptey also described as unjustifiable, criticisms that the President travels too much.

He noted that Ghana’s constitution has made the President assume the roles of both Head of State and Head of Government, as well as the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Thus, given the numerous functions of the President, he said, it was to be expected that the President will perform such important roles by visiting other countries for the mutual benefit of all Ghanaians.

"When do we say the President is performing his duties as Head of State and when do we see him performing the role of Head of Government?" he questioned.

The chairman for the occasion, Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, also a retired Supreme Court judge, appealed to professionals in the country to come out of their shells and comment on issues of national interest.

"There are too many ‘experts’ on every issue in Ghana, but the real experts who should set the records straight keep quiet," he complained.

The seminar was organized by the Association of Certified Accountants and other accounting bodies. Representatives from the legal, medical, accounting and engineering fields presented papers on topical issues.

Rivalry between Kufuor and Rawlings intensifies

Accra, Monday October 23 (DPA) - The deep rivalry between Ghana's President John Agyekum Kufuor and former President Jerry John Rawlings reached a new level with Kufuor accusing his predecessor of seeking to overthrow his government, reports said Monday.

Kufuor claimed that Rawlings had sought the assistance of the president of an oil-rich country to overthrow him during a bye- election rally in his home region of Ashanti, 320 kilometres north of Accra on Sunday.

Kufuor did not name the country, but pro-government newspapers had claimed over the past week or so that Rawlings had appealed to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for assistance to overthrow Kufuor.

Kufuor told supporters of his New Patriotic Party that his government had credible information that Rawlings had told the president of the oil-rich country that Ghanaians were fed up with his administration and wanted it overthrown.

He said Rawlings was therefore seeking assistance to overthrow the government.

Kufuor did not say whether Rawlings had received any assistance.

The relationship between the two men has never been cordial. Rawlings has persistently accused Kufuor's government of corruption and incompetence, while Kufuor has accused Rawlings of gross human rights abuses, corruption and bad economic management.

Rawlings, who staged two successful coups in Ghana country and won two elections in his 19-year rule, bowed out of power in January 2001.

He handed over to Kufuor who defeated his chosen successor, former vice-president John Evans Atta Mills, in December 2000.

Source:
German Press Agency

AMA to undertake another decongestion exercise

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) would commence a massive decongestion exercise this month and all who would be found hawking on streets would be prosecuted. This would commence after the new market, which would house 4,000 hawkers at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, is inaugurated by President John Agyekum Kufuor by the end of October.

Mr Stanley Adjiri Blankson, AMA Chief Executive Officer, who said this in Accra on Thursday when he received a 12-member Nigerian delegation, therefore asked hawkers to start moving to the new market this month.

The delegates comprised leaders from Kano State House Committee on Labour and Productivity; Bayelsa State Labour Council of Trade Union Congress and the Nigerian Labour Congress. The delegates, who are on an exchange programme, would also learn from Ghana's local governance.

"As from November this year it would be an offence for people to sell on the street. Culprits who fall foul to this would be punished by the law," the Accra Mayor warned. Mr Blankson said the market complex, including a health post, a Police Station a crèche and big warehouse would be known as "Pedestrian Shopping Mall."

He said the hawkers, who might not have space at the newly created mall would be housed at some traditional markets in the Metropolis. Mr Blankson said the mall would help to control hawkers and mobilize more revenue for the Assembly, which spent 60 per cent of its revenue on waste disposal.

"It would also help to control the activities of thieves, who loiter in and around the market. Hawkers in the new market would have to make use of their laminated identity cards." Mr Blankson said currently the Metropolis had a population of about five million and one of its biggest problems was migration.

He noted that because there were no jobs in most rural areas, the youth now move to the Accra to seek non-existent jobs and end up "perching" mostly in kiosks and containers. "There have been instances where vehicles have knocked down some hawkers and in the end they die. Hawkers also left behind filth."

The Accra Mayor briefed the Nigerians about the Assembly's move to improve the sanitation in the Metropolis saying its success was due to public education. He said in the past 85 per cent of the population did not pay for refuse collection but the Assembly was working on a new system known as “Pay and Dump."

He implored the delegates to come and invest in Ghana saying it was one of the safest countries in the West Africa Sub-Region. Mr Habib Hassan, Chairman on Labour and Productivity, Kano State, lauded the achievements of the AMA over the years in ensuring that the city was clean and safe for all.

He said they would sell Ghana's example to leaders in Northern Nigeria where hawkers and beggars had also invaded the streets.
GNA

Students appeal to NAGRAT to return to the classroom

The Greater Accra Regional Students' Representative Council on Thursday appealed to the Government and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) to speedily resolve the issues that have led to the five-week-old strike by NAGRAT members.

At a press conference in Accra to express the frustrations of students of second cycle schools for being neglected by their teachers since schools re-opened, Master William Boye, Regional SRC President, said students for some time now had been treated unfairly.

This is because strikes by members of NAGRAT had become an annual ritual, he said, adding that students had now become fed up with it and asked the Government to be sensitive to the plight of teachers.

He said Ghanaian students would be writing the same West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination with colleagues from the West Africa Sub-Region from April 2007 irrespective of whether they had completed their syllabus or not.

"The examinations are not in anyway marking time with NAGRAT's strike action," he said, and urged both the Government and NAGRAT to consider the plight of the students when taking their stand in the impasse.

Mr Boye said it was obvious that students were being deprived of their right to education granted them by the Constitution and queried: "Is this to suggest that Government through the Ministry of Education and NAGRAT are interested in us having a mass failure?"

He said teachers were the backbone of second cycle schools and without them everything came to a halt with discipline breaking down. Mr Boye said the absence of the teachers created an avenue for some students to roam about in town while at the same time creating other avenues for others to engage in drug.

He, therefore, appealed to the Concerned Parents Association, Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, Council of State, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and all stakeholders to intervene to resolve the impasse to enable NAGRAT members to return to the classroom as early as possible.

GNA

Cabinet approves 300 million dollars loan for affordable housing

Cabinet has approved a 300 million-dollar concessionary loan to further support and advance Government's promise of providing 100,000 affordable housing units by December 2007. Announcing this on Thursday in Accra, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, said the Company providing the loan would also construct the houses across the country.

"Government's role is to facilitate the process; with an eight-year moratorium if a flat is sold roughly at 130 million cedis the amount will be recouped in no time," he said. Mr Owusu-Agyemang said this when he inaugurated a Local Organizing Committee for the organization of a sub-regional conference dubbed "West Africa High Level Peer Exchange on Government Enablement of Private Sector Lending for Affordable Housing.”

The three-day conference to be held in Accra from November 27 to December 1, 2006 would afford participating countries the opportunity to share experience on how best governments could encourage the private sector and domestic services industry to invest in affordable housing.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang also announced that the Government had released funds to commence work on affordable housing in Tamale and Koforidua besides the ongoing projects at Tema, Nungua and Kumasi.
"When Government says it will deliver, it's not a matter of a joke. This clearly shows that something is being done and it is to ensure that the Government leads in the crusade to reduce the cost of construction in this country."

He said the design for the about 12 million-euro "Sodom and Gomorrah" affordable housing units project at Amasaman would soon be ready for construction to begin.
When the project is completed, a housing unit would be sold at about 6,000 dollars.

Currently, the country has a backlog in excess of 500,000 housing units and an annual demand of over 175,000 units. Government expects to clear this within the next five years.

On the upcoming conference, the Minister said the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, US Agency for International Development, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and UN-HABITAT would provide support.