THE chief and people of Bia have expressed their dismay over the illegal acquisition of land in the area by MTN, the leading mobile telecommunication firm in the country.
Bia is a village in the Bui Gorge catchment area, where the Bui Hydro-electric power plant is being constructed,
According to the chief and his people, the way and manner the parcel of land was acquired was clearly illegal, while the construction of a mast on it by the mobile telecommunication company constituted an unlawful entry on their property.
The chief, Nana Kwesi Nyarko, speaking to the Daily Graphic, said the action of the MTN was likely to degenerate into a disagreement between his people and the people of Jama, an adjoining village in the area.
Giving reasons for his statement, he said late last year, officials of MTN went to Jama to acquire a parcel of land for the erection of a telecommunication mast.
When they approached Nana Kojo Panbour II, the Chief of Jama, he pointed out to them that the land they were interested in rather belonged to the people of Bia, and thus led them to meet with a representative of the chief of Bia, Mr Kofi Donkor, because the chief of Bia had travelled by then.
An official of MTN, Mr Mohammed Bashiru, who is supposed to be a land acquisition agent for MTN, together with other officials of the company, in the company of Nana Panbour II and Mr Donkor, went ahead to conclude negotiations on the land in English language, something Mr Donkor did not understand.
According to Nana Nyarko, when he returned, he ordered MTN to stop work and rather begin negotiations with him and his people, as the first transaction was made in the presence of only one representative of the village who had no idea on what the terms of the deal were, making the whole deal fraudulent and incomplete.
He said MTN, on the other hand, tried to make payments to the Jama Traditional Council, a non-existent institution in May, this year. But Nana Nyarko said he impressed upon the people of Jama not to get involved in an illegality, and so the cheque was eventually returned to MTN.
The situation, he added, generated confusion between himself and his people on one side, and the chief and people of Jama on the other hand.
He said MTN had not gone back to negotiate the rightful terms of the acquisition of the land, adding that his efforts at contacting any official to set the records straight were being frustrated as staff at MTN kept tossing him from one person to another, all of whom claimed they did not have jurisdiction over the matter.
Currently, Nana Panbour II of Jama and Nana Nyarko have reconciled their differences through a formal writing to the Managing Director of the MTN to cancel the deal that was formerly sealed on the acquisition of the land.
A copy of the letter, which was made available to the Daily Graphic, asked MTN to cancel all former transactions and re-negotiate for the land from the rightful owners.
When contacted, Stratcom Africa, the organisation in charge of the corporate communications of MTN, produced letters from the Bui Power Authority and Nana Panbour II, welcoming MTN to the area.
The letter from Nana Panbour II had a plan of the land for the Bui catchment area, and other areas that the people of Jama had given out for resettlement of people directly affected by the construction of the dam.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Bui Power Authority, Mr Fred Oware, when contacted on phone, said the Authority had just brought to the notice of MTN the fact that the area of the Bui Dam was still being negotiated for by the Government of Ghana, and that any changes in the future would have to be complied with accordingly.
05/11/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2008, PG 35
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
BREAST CANCER DESERVES URGENT ATTENTION-PROF NARTEY
The Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Prof Nii Oto Nartey, has stressed the need for health authorities to treat breast cancer with the same urgency accorded to HIV/AIDS.
He said it was clear from research that education and sensitisation programmes on breast cancer awareness was not widespread enough or had not been well absorbed by people, judging from the fact that half of the sufferers of the disease visited the hospital when the disease was at an advanced stage.
Prof Nartey said whereas in other countries mammograms were used periodically as part of the general screening of patients, in countries like Ghana it was only resorted to when doctors demanded a thorough examination of the breast, adding that prevention programmes were limited to annual breast cancer awareness programmes by private organisations.
Prof Nartey made the statement at the opening of a Regional African Co-operation Research Agreement (AFRA) Training Course in Breast Cancer in Accra.
It was organised by the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The training course draws together radiation oncologists, those who use radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer, from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sudan, Madagascar, Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and Ghana to share experiences in the management of breast cancer.
The incidence of breast cancer in Ghana had been estimated at between 50 and 70 cases in every 100,000 women. Health experts describe this as frightening, considering the fact that survival rate is very low due to low level of awareness, late detection and high cost of treatment which is estimated between GH¢2,000 and GH¢3,000.
According to the Chief Executive, breast cancer accounts for fifteen per cent of all fatal cancer cases admitted to Korle-Bu, while half of all cancer patients also report to the hospital when the disease is in its advanced staged, making it difficult to manage.
“I believe it is time for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to take charge of Breast Cancer Programmes just as they have done for HIV,” he proposed, and pointed out that with the increasing cases of the disease, it was justifiable for the MOH to do so.
Prof Yaw Serfour-Armah, a deputy Director General of the GAEC, who chaired the function said cancer was on the increase world-wide with an estimated 20 million people dying of the disease each year. Out of this number, 75 per cent were estimated to be from developing countries.
Prof Serfour-Armah said the GAEC, in collaboration with the MOH, had established national centres of radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine in Korle-Bu and the Komfo Anokye Teaching (KATH) hospitals in Accra and Kumasi respectively through the assistance of the IAEC.
He said that was however not enough because for a country of more than 20 million people there was the need to be a minimum of 10 radiotherapy centres.
He said for the medical application of radiation to contribute meaningfully to the health care system of the country, there was the need for a cancer research institute to advance research in radiation medicine and cancer treatment.
Prof Serfour-Armah expressed the hope that with such collaborative efforts among AFRA members, they would soon become self sufficient in the use of radiation therapy in the management of cancer.
A Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist of the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Dr Verna Vanderpuye, expressed her appreciation to GAEC for partnering the hospital in the development of radiation therapy.
03/11/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008, PG 11
He said it was clear from research that education and sensitisation programmes on breast cancer awareness was not widespread enough or had not been well absorbed by people, judging from the fact that half of the sufferers of the disease visited the hospital when the disease was at an advanced stage.
Prof Nartey said whereas in other countries mammograms were used periodically as part of the general screening of patients, in countries like Ghana it was only resorted to when doctors demanded a thorough examination of the breast, adding that prevention programmes were limited to annual breast cancer awareness programmes by private organisations.
Prof Nartey made the statement at the opening of a Regional African Co-operation Research Agreement (AFRA) Training Course in Breast Cancer in Accra.
It was organised by the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The training course draws together radiation oncologists, those who use radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer, from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sudan, Madagascar, Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and Ghana to share experiences in the management of breast cancer.
The incidence of breast cancer in Ghana had been estimated at between 50 and 70 cases in every 100,000 women. Health experts describe this as frightening, considering the fact that survival rate is very low due to low level of awareness, late detection and high cost of treatment which is estimated between GH¢2,000 and GH¢3,000.
According to the Chief Executive, breast cancer accounts for fifteen per cent of all fatal cancer cases admitted to Korle-Bu, while half of all cancer patients also report to the hospital when the disease is in its advanced staged, making it difficult to manage.
“I believe it is time for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to take charge of Breast Cancer Programmes just as they have done for HIV,” he proposed, and pointed out that with the increasing cases of the disease, it was justifiable for the MOH to do so.
Prof Yaw Serfour-Armah, a deputy Director General of the GAEC, who chaired the function said cancer was on the increase world-wide with an estimated 20 million people dying of the disease each year. Out of this number, 75 per cent were estimated to be from developing countries.
Prof Serfour-Armah said the GAEC, in collaboration with the MOH, had established national centres of radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine in Korle-Bu and the Komfo Anokye Teaching (KATH) hospitals in Accra and Kumasi respectively through the assistance of the IAEC.
He said that was however not enough because for a country of more than 20 million people there was the need to be a minimum of 10 radiotherapy centres.
He said for the medical application of radiation to contribute meaningfully to the health care system of the country, there was the need for a cancer research institute to advance research in radiation medicine and cancer treatment.
Prof Serfour-Armah expressed the hope that with such collaborative efforts among AFRA members, they would soon become self sufficient in the use of radiation therapy in the management of cancer.
A Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist of the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Dr Verna Vanderpuye, expressed her appreciation to GAEC for partnering the hospital in the development of radiation therapy.
03/11/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008, PG 11
RESEARCH TEAM IDENTIFIES 55 FLASHPOINTS
THE Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC) has identified about 55 constituencies in the country with a high potential for violence during the December general election.
Information gathered in an on-going study being conducted by the Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Centre, shows that geopolitical and certain social factors with the approaching elections, could lead to conflicts in the areas identified.
Specific constituencies could not be given because of the sensitive nature of the study and also the fact that researchers are still on the field collecting additional information.
The head of the CPMFD, Dr Kwesi Aning, told the Daily Graphic that the study was a follow up to a Conflict Vulnerability Assessment for Ghana conducted in 2002 by on the propensity of conflicts in the country.
The study is also linked to on-going studies in the area of crime and the availability of firearms in the country.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the study, Dr Aning said the election was a specific factor that contributed with other indicators to make the places identified high flash points.
Other indicators gathered by researchers who are still on the field, are constituencies with tight margins between presidential and parliamentary candidates of the two biggest parties of the country, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dr Aning said although information gathered showed that the differences could sometimes be as low as five percent or just about a hundred votes, these still created suspicions of election malfeasance in the constituencies identified.
Other factors identified were previous conflicts among people, the influence of the youth as a political rallying force, internal migration patterns and areas with tension over identity politics.
With the youth as a contributory factor in conflict creation, Dr Aning said the influence and power of organising the youth for political advantage was not new in the sub-region.
The youth was, therefore, a factor in escalating conflicts depending on how they were organised, he added.
He said within the youth as a group, there was also sub-categories of the unemployed who used their low economic status to engage in violence as a pretext in assuaging their circumstance.
Dr said in such instances, conflicts as started and perpetuated by such youth then became an end in itself and not a means to perhaps gain political leverage.
Migratory patterns, Dr Aning explained, tended to distort the ethnic balance in certain areas.
For instance, migratory inflows from the Northern parts of Ghana to larger towns such as Kumasi and Accra, tended to translate indigenous struggles and age-old tensions within groups.
Identity politics, Dr Aning said, related to settlers on lands in the Akyem, Brong, Breman and some Northern lands, who had through access to modern political power and influence, ursuped the traditional forms of power of the original peoples.
He said conflicts were not only acts of violence but included verbal abuse, the defacing of posters and the threat of violence that could compel people to change their way of life.
Dr Aning said the information gathered so far with others would be used to support the Ghana Police Service to ensure peace and order in the country.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008, PG 44
Information gathered in an on-going study being conducted by the Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Centre, shows that geopolitical and certain social factors with the approaching elections, could lead to conflicts in the areas identified.
Specific constituencies could not be given because of the sensitive nature of the study and also the fact that researchers are still on the field collecting additional information.
The head of the CPMFD, Dr Kwesi Aning, told the Daily Graphic that the study was a follow up to a Conflict Vulnerability Assessment for Ghana conducted in 2002 by on the propensity of conflicts in the country.
The study is also linked to on-going studies in the area of crime and the availability of firearms in the country.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the study, Dr Aning said the election was a specific factor that contributed with other indicators to make the places identified high flash points.
Other indicators gathered by researchers who are still on the field, are constituencies with tight margins between presidential and parliamentary candidates of the two biggest parties of the country, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dr Aning said although information gathered showed that the differences could sometimes be as low as five percent or just about a hundred votes, these still created suspicions of election malfeasance in the constituencies identified.
Other factors identified were previous conflicts among people, the influence of the youth as a political rallying force, internal migration patterns and areas with tension over identity politics.
With the youth as a contributory factor in conflict creation, Dr Aning said the influence and power of organising the youth for political advantage was not new in the sub-region.
The youth was, therefore, a factor in escalating conflicts depending on how they were organised, he added.
He said within the youth as a group, there was also sub-categories of the unemployed who used their low economic status to engage in violence as a pretext in assuaging their circumstance.
Dr said in such instances, conflicts as started and perpetuated by such youth then became an end in itself and not a means to perhaps gain political leverage.
Migratory patterns, Dr Aning explained, tended to distort the ethnic balance in certain areas.
For instance, migratory inflows from the Northern parts of Ghana to larger towns such as Kumasi and Accra, tended to translate indigenous struggles and age-old tensions within groups.
Identity politics, Dr Aning said, related to settlers on lands in the Akyem, Brong, Breman and some Northern lands, who had through access to modern political power and influence, ursuped the traditional forms of power of the original peoples.
He said conflicts were not only acts of violence but included verbal abuse, the defacing of posters and the threat of violence that could compel people to change their way of life.
Dr Aning said the information gathered so far with others would be used to support the Ghana Police Service to ensure peace and order in the country.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008, PG 44
NMC MEMBERS TO INTERACT WITH STATE-OWNED MEDIA
THE National Media Commission (NMC) is to embark on a working tour of all state-owned media organisations by the middle of this month.
The visits are to afford members of the commission the opportunity to interact with the editors and staff of state-owned media organisations on their challenges in complying with the guidelines of the NMC, particularly the “Guidelines for the Fair and Equitable Coverage of Political Parties by the State-Owned Media”.
The Chairman of the NMC, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the visits were part of the NMC’s plans on monitoring how media practitioners adhered to the guidelines and the challenges they faced.
They were also to ensure that the guidelines were adhered to, even as Election Day approached.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said the stage was now set for the political parties to fully campaign, saying it was the time when they were likely to complain about fairness or balance of coverage, hence the timeliness of the guidelines.
He said it was in the interest of all state-owned media practitioners not only to have a copy of the guidelines, be conversant with them and refer to them in situations where political parties complained of unfairness and inequitable coverage, but also sensitise their staff to the guidelines
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said compliance by the public media would be an example for the private media and form the basis for the NMC to point out lapses to the private media.
30/10/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008
The visits are to afford members of the commission the opportunity to interact with the editors and staff of state-owned media organisations on their challenges in complying with the guidelines of the NMC, particularly the “Guidelines for the Fair and Equitable Coverage of Political Parties by the State-Owned Media”.
The Chairman of the NMC, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the visits were part of the NMC’s plans on monitoring how media practitioners adhered to the guidelines and the challenges they faced.
They were also to ensure that the guidelines were adhered to, even as Election Day approached.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said the stage was now set for the political parties to fully campaign, saying it was the time when they were likely to complain about fairness or balance of coverage, hence the timeliness of the guidelines.
He said it was in the interest of all state-owned media practitioners not only to have a copy of the guidelines, be conversant with them and refer to them in situations where political parties complained of unfairness and inequitable coverage, but also sensitise their staff to the guidelines
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said compliance by the public media would be an example for the private media and form the basis for the NMC to point out lapses to the private media.
30/10/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008
ATTAFUAH COMMENDS GOVT ON RETURN OF ASSETS
Professor Kenneth Attafuah who was the Executive Secretary of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) has commended the government for following up on the recommendations of the commission.
He said recent reports of the de-confiscation of assets and their return to the owners could not have come at a better time.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra, Prof Attafuah said that even though he was satisfied with the implementation process of the recommendations so far he had some concerns.
Beginning with the timing of the announcement of the de-confiscation of assets, Prof Attafuah was of the view that because some people might have acquired legal rights to these assets over the years, a process of engagement with all sides had to begin and that had taken time.
“The return of the confiscated assets is one that I will defend the government in saying that they could not have rushed to return those properties. It could only have been the result of a process, because in most cases third party rights had accrued,” he said.
Unlike the assets, the payment of compensation for rights abuse was detailed by the NRC in volume one of its reports, tabling the nature of violations and the corresponding monetary token to be paid to beneficiaries, he pointed out, and that had also taken about two years.
He said as far as the monetary compensation of people who suffered violations was concerned this was done through an office set up at the Attorney General’s Department and headed by Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe.
‘’The government after accepting the report of the NRC and issuing a white paper, moved to implement the recommendations by starting immediately to better the condition of the most disadvantaged victims who suffered and hence the payment of the compensation to begin with,’’ he said.
Although the monetary compensation was just a token in some instances, it was most welcomed by some beneficiaries who used it in fitting memorials in cases where they had lost a family member as a result of an abuse.
Dr Attafuah, however, said he had concerns about other recommendations in the report that had not been carried out.
Referring to a paper prepared and presented by him about a year ago at a programme organised by the National Governance Programme, titled “Promises to keep: Issues paper on outstanding recommendations from the report of the National Reconciliation Commission,” he mentioned the wide publication and dissemination of the NRC report, symbolic reparations that included the rendering of apologies and the staging of commemorative events, as well as community reparation that also included the reconstruction of the Namoo market in the border town of the Upper East Region, as outstanding promises to be kept.
He, therefore, called on bodies such as the National Commission on Civic Education and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to collaborate and come out with abridged versions of the report for all pupils and students.
Prof Attafuah said it was proper for the government to endeavour to implement some of the recommendations before leaving office despite the fact that the NRC was a statutory creation.
He said it would not be amiss for President Kufuor to render an apology, particularly to women on the violations they suffered under certain regimes before leaving office.
For him, the NRC was not an elite club that came out with recommendations to suit particular groups, but was a broad based and engaging process that involved ordinary people and all those who had suffered some human rights abuse.
The NRC’s processes of statement making, investigation and hearing processes, he added, was the most nationally and internationally engaging process of reconciliation ever undertaken in the country.
23/10/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008, PG 14
He said recent reports of the de-confiscation of assets and their return to the owners could not have come at a better time.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra, Prof Attafuah said that even though he was satisfied with the implementation process of the recommendations so far he had some concerns.
Beginning with the timing of the announcement of the de-confiscation of assets, Prof Attafuah was of the view that because some people might have acquired legal rights to these assets over the years, a process of engagement with all sides had to begin and that had taken time.
“The return of the confiscated assets is one that I will defend the government in saying that they could not have rushed to return those properties. It could only have been the result of a process, because in most cases third party rights had accrued,” he said.
Unlike the assets, the payment of compensation for rights abuse was detailed by the NRC in volume one of its reports, tabling the nature of violations and the corresponding monetary token to be paid to beneficiaries, he pointed out, and that had also taken about two years.
He said as far as the monetary compensation of people who suffered violations was concerned this was done through an office set up at the Attorney General’s Department and headed by Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe.
‘’The government after accepting the report of the NRC and issuing a white paper, moved to implement the recommendations by starting immediately to better the condition of the most disadvantaged victims who suffered and hence the payment of the compensation to begin with,’’ he said.
Although the monetary compensation was just a token in some instances, it was most welcomed by some beneficiaries who used it in fitting memorials in cases where they had lost a family member as a result of an abuse.
Dr Attafuah, however, said he had concerns about other recommendations in the report that had not been carried out.
Referring to a paper prepared and presented by him about a year ago at a programme organised by the National Governance Programme, titled “Promises to keep: Issues paper on outstanding recommendations from the report of the National Reconciliation Commission,” he mentioned the wide publication and dissemination of the NRC report, symbolic reparations that included the rendering of apologies and the staging of commemorative events, as well as community reparation that also included the reconstruction of the Namoo market in the border town of the Upper East Region, as outstanding promises to be kept.
He, therefore, called on bodies such as the National Commission on Civic Education and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to collaborate and come out with abridged versions of the report for all pupils and students.
Prof Attafuah said it was proper for the government to endeavour to implement some of the recommendations before leaving office despite the fact that the NRC was a statutory creation.
He said it would not be amiss for President Kufuor to render an apology, particularly to women on the violations they suffered under certain regimes before leaving office.
For him, the NRC was not an elite club that came out with recommendations to suit particular groups, but was a broad based and engaging process that involved ordinary people and all those who had suffered some human rights abuse.
The NRC’s processes of statement making, investigation and hearing processes, he added, was the most nationally and internationally engaging process of reconciliation ever undertaken in the country.
23/10/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008, PG 14
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
ACCIDENT RATES GO DOWN
Initiatives undertaken to reverse the trend of increases in vehicular accidents and fatalities on the country's roads in election years have yielded results.
A review of primary figures collated between January and September of 2007 and 2008, shows that there have been a considerable reduction in road accidents.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) commanding the Central Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Mr Daniel Julius Avorga, made these known at a public lecture organised by the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana School of Law and the Ghana Road Fund Secretariat.
The theme of the lecture was “Transportation as a tool for Development in the sub-region: The impact of the road Fund Act, Act 536,” and it was chosen to give students the opportunity to become conversant with the Act that impacts on their everyday lives as commuters.
Comparing preliminary figures of the two years, Mr Avorga said reported cases of accidents for the first quarter of the 2007 and 2008 were 2930 and 2845 respectively, 2820 and 2612 respectively for the second quarter, while 3080 and 2517 cases respectively were reported in the third quarter.
That showed a 2.9 per cent decrease for the first quarter, 7.4 for the second and an 18.3 per cent reduction for the third quarter, making a total of about 9.4 per cent reduction in road accidents from 2007 to date.
On fatalities reported, there had been a reduction in the number by 1.6 per cent with the number of reported cases of injuries also reducing by 12 per cent and the vehicles involved in accidents also reducing by 5.2 per cent.
He attributed the improvement to pragmatic measures implemented by the Police, the National Road Safety Commission, the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI).
While reinforcing the importance of roads to development, Mr Avorga pointed to the fact that the country had not as yet mastered the maintenance culture, hence the poorly maintained roads.
Over aged vehicles, defective used spare parts and tyres and inadequate institutional capacity to monitor and evaluate the transport business sector, were all challenges that needed strengthening, he added.
He, therefore, urged the students to help in the crafting of standardised laws to improve upon road transportation in the sub region, taking into consideration the diverse cultural backgrounds and geographical conditions in the region.
A Deputy Director of Finance and Administration of the Ghana Road Fund Secretariat, Mr Francis Arthur, in his presentation said the achievements of the road fund since its inception in 1997 included an increase in revenue generation from ¢409 billion in 2002 to ¢1.15 trillion or in 2007
In addition, the national road condition mix, that is, roads in good condition as against those in poor condition, had seen an improvement with 30 per cent in good condition, 21 per cent in fair and 49 per cent in poor condition in 2002.
Currently however, figures in 2007 showed that 46 per cent of roads were in good condition, 35 per cent in fair and 19 per cent in poor condition, with an expansion in the road network from 48,630 kilometres in 2002 to 52, 672 kilometres in 2007.
He listed financing gaps in the maintenance of roads of about 60 per cent, the unsustainability of the Road Fund in the long run if alternatives were found to petroleum products, the improper use of roads and the low levels of road toll rates, as challenges.
Mr Arthur, therefore, suggested that a national dialogue on how to reduce dependency on fuel levies and include alternative sources of levies into the fund.
He also proposed that vehicles fitted with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) should be made to pay a levy under an appropriate legal framework, while road levies needed to be increased from 5 GP to an appreciable level.
Mr Joseph Whittal, the Director of the Legal Department of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who chaired the lecture, commended the students for the lecture and the topic chosen as a nation that was not conversant with its laws, and did not subject it to the necessary reviews would could not make the right progress.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY OCTOBER 23, 2008, PG 47
A review of primary figures collated between January and September of 2007 and 2008, shows that there have been a considerable reduction in road accidents.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) commanding the Central Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Mr Daniel Julius Avorga, made these known at a public lecture organised by the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana School of Law and the Ghana Road Fund Secretariat.
The theme of the lecture was “Transportation as a tool for Development in the sub-region: The impact of the road Fund Act, Act 536,” and it was chosen to give students the opportunity to become conversant with the Act that impacts on their everyday lives as commuters.
Comparing preliminary figures of the two years, Mr Avorga said reported cases of accidents for the first quarter of the 2007 and 2008 were 2930 and 2845 respectively, 2820 and 2612 respectively for the second quarter, while 3080 and 2517 cases respectively were reported in the third quarter.
That showed a 2.9 per cent decrease for the first quarter, 7.4 for the second and an 18.3 per cent reduction for the third quarter, making a total of about 9.4 per cent reduction in road accidents from 2007 to date.
On fatalities reported, there had been a reduction in the number by 1.6 per cent with the number of reported cases of injuries also reducing by 12 per cent and the vehicles involved in accidents also reducing by 5.2 per cent.
He attributed the improvement to pragmatic measures implemented by the Police, the National Road Safety Commission, the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI).
While reinforcing the importance of roads to development, Mr Avorga pointed to the fact that the country had not as yet mastered the maintenance culture, hence the poorly maintained roads.
Over aged vehicles, defective used spare parts and tyres and inadequate institutional capacity to monitor and evaluate the transport business sector, were all challenges that needed strengthening, he added.
He, therefore, urged the students to help in the crafting of standardised laws to improve upon road transportation in the sub region, taking into consideration the diverse cultural backgrounds and geographical conditions in the region.
A Deputy Director of Finance and Administration of the Ghana Road Fund Secretariat, Mr Francis Arthur, in his presentation said the achievements of the road fund since its inception in 1997 included an increase in revenue generation from ¢409 billion in 2002 to ¢1.15 trillion or in 2007
In addition, the national road condition mix, that is, roads in good condition as against those in poor condition, had seen an improvement with 30 per cent in good condition, 21 per cent in fair and 49 per cent in poor condition in 2002.
Currently however, figures in 2007 showed that 46 per cent of roads were in good condition, 35 per cent in fair and 19 per cent in poor condition, with an expansion in the road network from 48,630 kilometres in 2002 to 52, 672 kilometres in 2007.
He listed financing gaps in the maintenance of roads of about 60 per cent, the unsustainability of the Road Fund in the long run if alternatives were found to petroleum products, the improper use of roads and the low levels of road toll rates, as challenges.
Mr Arthur, therefore, suggested that a national dialogue on how to reduce dependency on fuel levies and include alternative sources of levies into the fund.
He also proposed that vehicles fitted with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) should be made to pay a levy under an appropriate legal framework, while road levies needed to be increased from 5 GP to an appreciable level.
Mr Joseph Whittal, the Director of the Legal Department of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who chaired the lecture, commended the students for the lecture and the topic chosen as a nation that was not conversant with its laws, and did not subject it to the necessary reviews would could not make the right progress.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY OCTOBER 23, 2008, PG 47
EQUITABLE COVERAGE OF POLITICAL PARTIES, MEDIA COMMISSION LAUNCHES GUIDELINES FOR STATE-OWNED MEDIA
The National Media Commission (NMC) has launched guidelines for the state-owned media to ensure fair and equitable coverage of political parties.
The 26-page booklet highlights key principles in the fair and equitable coverage of political parties and salient points in other guidelines of the NMC, such as print media and broadcasting standards.
The guidelines are a summation of key principles on how to report on political parties in a fair and balanced manner, taken from the Constitution of Ghana, other rules and regulations in existence, best principles from other countries and the 1994 decision of the Supreme Court in the case “New Patriotic Party (NPP) v the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)”.
The guidelines also have provisions on conflict of interest from provisions by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that defines what conflict of interest is and how media practitioners can wade through this area.
At the launch of the guidelines titled “Guidelines for the Fair and Equitable Coverage of Political Parties by the state-owned media,” the Chairman of the NMC, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, said one of the cardinal elements of the guidelines was the clear procedures for the settling of disputes arising from complaints of unfairness.
For instance, under the provision titled “Procedures for Complaints and Settlement,” the guidelines provide that allegations of any breach “shall first be directed to the entity against whom the complaint is made”,
It also provides that copies of the complaint be made to the NMC containing the specific breach being complained about and the date and time of the breach, where applicable.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi also mentioned the practical steps for the state-owned media on technical questions relating to opinion polls as another key feature.
Among other things, the guidelines provide that the name of the person or organisation that conducted the poll, the name of the person or organisation which sponsored or commissioned the poll and the exact questions, have to be incorporated in any publication of a poll “to avoid wilful bias or unwitting manipulation”.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said soon after the promulgation of the 1992 Constitution, the expectation of the people of Ghana for a democratic environment in which the state-owned media offered opportunities for all shades of opinion on the nation’s quest for progress was not fully met.
That led to the decision of the Supreme Court in the NPP v the GBC, in which the court examined articles 55 and 163 of the Constitution, relating to the fair and equitable coverage of political parties as well as candidates, and the coverage of divergent and dissenting opinions, respectively.
“The thoughtful opinions expressed by the noble court underlie the principles contained in these guidelines. The hope of the Commission is that they would set the framework for the state-owned media to honour their constitutional obligations to be fair to all opinions,” he added.
He commended the Executive Secretary of the NMC, Mr George Sarpong, for conceptualising the project and leading its implementation and Dr Doris Dartey, who led a team of experts in drafting the guidelines, for their commitment.
He also expressed his appreciation to the Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr Donald Teitelbaum, as well as Mr Ben East and Zainab Mahama of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy for supporting the project.
In his remarks, Mr Teitelbaum was of the view that the role of the media in advocating, promoting and protecting democracy could not be underestimated.
However, in exercising that role, the media sometimes offended certain sections of the public.
Using Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the USA, as an example, he said his views of the media before and after he became president were totally different.
Before he became President, Thomas Jefferson, according to him, thought the media to be more important than government in securing democracy but was totally averse to reading newspapers after he became president, he became the target of the media’s criticism.
Mr Teitelbaum emphasised that an independent and free media was important for democracy but although they sometimes offended some in the discharge of their duties, the cardinal principle was for them to abide by the laid down principles and best practices.
The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Mohammed Awal, the Managing Director of the Ghana News Agency, Nana Appau Duah, the Deputy Director-General of the GBC, Mr Kwabena Sarpong Anane, and the Managing Director of the New Times Corporation, Mr Kofi Assuman, all expressed their support for the guidelines and promised to ensure its implementation.
The 26-page booklet highlights key principles in the fair and equitable coverage of political parties and salient points in other guidelines of the NMC, such as print media and broadcasting standards.
The guidelines are a summation of key principles on how to report on political parties in a fair and balanced manner, taken from the Constitution of Ghana, other rules and regulations in existence, best principles from other countries and the 1994 decision of the Supreme Court in the case “New Patriotic Party (NPP) v the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)”.
The guidelines also have provisions on conflict of interest from provisions by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that defines what conflict of interest is and how media practitioners can wade through this area.
At the launch of the guidelines titled “Guidelines for the Fair and Equitable Coverage of Political Parties by the state-owned media,” the Chairman of the NMC, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, said one of the cardinal elements of the guidelines was the clear procedures for the settling of disputes arising from complaints of unfairness.
For instance, under the provision titled “Procedures for Complaints and Settlement,” the guidelines provide that allegations of any breach “shall first be directed to the entity against whom the complaint is made”,
It also provides that copies of the complaint be made to the NMC containing the specific breach being complained about and the date and time of the breach, where applicable.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi also mentioned the practical steps for the state-owned media on technical questions relating to opinion polls as another key feature.
Among other things, the guidelines provide that the name of the person or organisation that conducted the poll, the name of the person or organisation which sponsored or commissioned the poll and the exact questions, have to be incorporated in any publication of a poll “to avoid wilful bias or unwitting manipulation”.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said soon after the promulgation of the 1992 Constitution, the expectation of the people of Ghana for a democratic environment in which the state-owned media offered opportunities for all shades of opinion on the nation’s quest for progress was not fully met.
That led to the decision of the Supreme Court in the NPP v the GBC, in which the court examined articles 55 and 163 of the Constitution, relating to the fair and equitable coverage of political parties as well as candidates, and the coverage of divergent and dissenting opinions, respectively.
“The thoughtful opinions expressed by the noble court underlie the principles contained in these guidelines. The hope of the Commission is that they would set the framework for the state-owned media to honour their constitutional obligations to be fair to all opinions,” he added.
He commended the Executive Secretary of the NMC, Mr George Sarpong, for conceptualising the project and leading its implementation and Dr Doris Dartey, who led a team of experts in drafting the guidelines, for their commitment.
He also expressed his appreciation to the Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr Donald Teitelbaum, as well as Mr Ben East and Zainab Mahama of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy for supporting the project.
In his remarks, Mr Teitelbaum was of the view that the role of the media in advocating, promoting and protecting democracy could not be underestimated.
However, in exercising that role, the media sometimes offended certain sections of the public.
Using Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the USA, as an example, he said his views of the media before and after he became president were totally different.
Before he became President, Thomas Jefferson, according to him, thought the media to be more important than government in securing democracy but was totally averse to reading newspapers after he became president, he became the target of the media’s criticism.
Mr Teitelbaum emphasised that an independent and free media was important for democracy but although they sometimes offended some in the discharge of their duties, the cardinal principle was for them to abide by the laid down principles and best practices.
The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Mohammed Awal, the Managing Director of the Ghana News Agency, Nana Appau Duah, the Deputy Director-General of the GBC, Mr Kwabena Sarpong Anane, and the Managing Director of the New Times Corporation, Mr Kofi Assuman, all expressed their support for the guidelines and promised to ensure its implementation.
GHANAIANS OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL POVERTY ERADICATION DAY
Story: Caroline Boateng
OCTOBER 17, each year has been adopted as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The day is used to create awareness on the issue, invite citizens globally to “stand up” and mark the day, whilst empowering them to hold their governments accountable for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
In Ghana, the Christian Council of Ghana hosts the Millennium Development Goals/Global Call Against Poverty (MDGs/CAP) Secretariat that co-ordinates activities of campaigners against poverty and the attainment of the MDGs by the stipulated date.
This year’s campaigners in the country mobilised 1,115,520 people to participate in nationwide activities that aimed at creating awareness on poverty and initiatives at eradicating it.
At a press conference to review the impact of activities held on October 17, Rev Dr Fred Deegbe, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, said because poverty was still a challenge, there was the need for a campaign that would bring anti-poverty campaigners all over the world to join with citizens in various activities.
Those activities, he said, had the goal of giving a voice to people to express their needs and suggestions so that governments could know and act on them.
Rev Deegbe described the outcome of this year’s activities as “overwhelmingly positive” with youth and adults from educational, religious and social institutions taking part in the nationwide event.
He reminded all and sundry that the eradication of poverty started with a peaceful environment and, therefore, urged all to commit themselves to a non-violent Election 2008 in order to enjoy the fruits of a stable and peaceful country.
He urged the participants to demand accountability from people who had a duty to discharge as a way of eradicating poverty.
A programme officer of the MDGs/GCAP Secretariat, Ms Akua Kyerewa Asamoah, presenting a report on the campaign, said globally the campaign entered into the Guinness Book of Records as having set a new record in the world for mass mobilisation with 116 million people being mobilised from 131 countries.
She mentioned other achievements as opportunities of interaction among all stakeholders, which was made possible by the activities organised and the awareness created.
Ms Asamoah said the campaign was now more relevant than before because of the current global economic challenges that made it an imperative for all to “keep a better focus on poverty”.
She said failure to do that could be “devastating to people already affected by poverty”.
There were solidarity messages from the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC).
A Principal Planning Analyst of the NDPC, Mr Winfred Nelson, emphasised the need for situating all actions and activities within a decentralised system where the poor who were the targets could benefit.
He also stressed the need for countries to emphasise not only on attaining the goals, but also putting in place processes and structures by which the goals attained could be sustained.
While Mr Kofi Asare of the GNECC emphasised education as key to the eradication of poverty, Mr Kwame Mensah of the ILO stressed that abolishing child labour was key to poverty eradication.
Rev Dr Deegbe later launched a website: "http://www.ghanamdgscampiagn.org" of the secretariat, and the activities of the coalition.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008, PG 40
OCTOBER 17, each year has been adopted as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The day is used to create awareness on the issue, invite citizens globally to “stand up” and mark the day, whilst empowering them to hold their governments accountable for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
In Ghana, the Christian Council of Ghana hosts the Millennium Development Goals/Global Call Against Poverty (MDGs/CAP) Secretariat that co-ordinates activities of campaigners against poverty and the attainment of the MDGs by the stipulated date.
This year’s campaigners in the country mobilised 1,115,520 people to participate in nationwide activities that aimed at creating awareness on poverty and initiatives at eradicating it.
At a press conference to review the impact of activities held on October 17, Rev Dr Fred Deegbe, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, said because poverty was still a challenge, there was the need for a campaign that would bring anti-poverty campaigners all over the world to join with citizens in various activities.
Those activities, he said, had the goal of giving a voice to people to express their needs and suggestions so that governments could know and act on them.
Rev Deegbe described the outcome of this year’s activities as “overwhelmingly positive” with youth and adults from educational, religious and social institutions taking part in the nationwide event.
He reminded all and sundry that the eradication of poverty started with a peaceful environment and, therefore, urged all to commit themselves to a non-violent Election 2008 in order to enjoy the fruits of a stable and peaceful country.
He urged the participants to demand accountability from people who had a duty to discharge as a way of eradicating poverty.
A programme officer of the MDGs/GCAP Secretariat, Ms Akua Kyerewa Asamoah, presenting a report on the campaign, said globally the campaign entered into the Guinness Book of Records as having set a new record in the world for mass mobilisation with 116 million people being mobilised from 131 countries.
She mentioned other achievements as opportunities of interaction among all stakeholders, which was made possible by the activities organised and the awareness created.
Ms Asamoah said the campaign was now more relevant than before because of the current global economic challenges that made it an imperative for all to “keep a better focus on poverty”.
She said failure to do that could be “devastating to people already affected by poverty”.
There were solidarity messages from the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC).
A Principal Planning Analyst of the NDPC, Mr Winfred Nelson, emphasised the need for situating all actions and activities within a decentralised system where the poor who were the targets could benefit.
He also stressed the need for countries to emphasise not only on attaining the goals, but also putting in place processes and structures by which the goals attained could be sustained.
While Mr Kofi Asare of the GNECC emphasised education as key to the eradication of poverty, Mr Kwame Mensah of the ILO stressed that abolishing child labour was key to poverty eradication.
Rev Dr Deegbe later launched a website: "http://www.ghanamdgscampiagn.org" of the secretariat, and the activities of the coalition.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008, PG 40
ROTARY CLUB REAISES MONEY TO COMPLETE SCHOOL BLOCK
THE Rotary Club of Accra Ring Road Central has raised GH¢8,000 to complete a school building at Asempaneye, a town in the Eastern Region.
Of the amount raised, Aviation Alliance donated $2,000, A-Kon Consult donated GH¢1,000, Gyandoh, Asmah & Co. donated $500, while GH¢3,000 was raised by the club from a fund-raising walk.
The project is part of the club’s social service to deprived communities for the year. So far, the first phase of the project, comprising a three-classroom block and a store, has been completed.
The second phase will involve roofing and furnishing of the 100-seating-capacity building for the pupils who hitherto were having their lessons in a dilapidated wood and mud structure.
At a meeting in Accra, the club received a further donation of GH¢500 from Creative Eye, an advertising company.
Making the presentation on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Khalas Rashid, a Chief Operations Officer, Mr Freddy Shava, said to commemorate its first anniversary since starting operations in the country, Creative Eye decided to contribute to the society by supporting the Accra Ring Road Central branch of the club towards the project.
The President of the club, Mr Jeffrey Afful, expressed his appreciation for the donation and said it would help in the realisation of the dream of giving pupils the right infrastructure to study.
He presented Creative Eye with a citation and a small vehicle banner of the club.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THRURSDAY OCTOEBER 30, 2008, PG 39
Of the amount raised, Aviation Alliance donated $2,000, A-Kon Consult donated GH¢1,000, Gyandoh, Asmah & Co. donated $500, while GH¢3,000 was raised by the club from a fund-raising walk.
The project is part of the club’s social service to deprived communities for the year. So far, the first phase of the project, comprising a three-classroom block and a store, has been completed.
The second phase will involve roofing and furnishing of the 100-seating-capacity building for the pupils who hitherto were having their lessons in a dilapidated wood and mud structure.
At a meeting in Accra, the club received a further donation of GH¢500 from Creative Eye, an advertising company.
Making the presentation on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Khalas Rashid, a Chief Operations Officer, Mr Freddy Shava, said to commemorate its first anniversary since starting operations in the country, Creative Eye decided to contribute to the society by supporting the Accra Ring Road Central branch of the club towards the project.
The President of the club, Mr Jeffrey Afful, expressed his appreciation for the donation and said it would help in the realisation of the dream of giving pupils the right infrastructure to study.
He presented Creative Eye with a citation and a small vehicle banner of the club.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THRURSDAY OCTOEBER 30, 2008, PG 39
THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN MINING COMMUNITIES IN GHANA (BOOK REVIEW)
hat is the state of rights and fundamental freedoms of people living in mining communities?
The response to the question is what The State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana seeks to provide.
The report by CHRAJ is a result of investigations into reported cases of environmental degradation and human rights concerns in mining areas and is in keeping with its primary responsibility to protect and promote the rights of all persons in Ghana.
With the constitutional imperative in article 36 (1) of the 1992 Constitution that enjoins the government that “All necessary action to ensure that the national economy is managed in such a way and manner as to maximise the rate of economic development and to serve the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every person in Ghana and provide adequate means of livelihood and suitable employment and public assistance to the needy,” CHRAJ set out on the fact finding mission to ascertain the veracity of allegations of abuses in mining communities and environmental degradation.
The right to development apart from being a constitutional imperative on the government is also an international convention, recognised by the United Nations General Assembly as far back as 1986 and these emboldened CHRAJ to enter an unchartered course in investigating allegations of specific abuses in a specific sector of the economy.
Prior to investigations captured in the report, CHRAJ had in 2001 begun investigations of human rights abuses reported to it by some individuals in mining communities.
The report underlies that fact that a key emerging issue from these investigations that involved public hearings conducted in the Wassa West District, an area with the greatest concentration of mining companies, was the lack of mutual understanding between the mining companies and communities.
In launching a full scale investigation into these claims in 2006 that covered 42 mining communities in four regions, namely Ashanti, Western, Brong Ahafo and Upper East Regions, the report states that the commission was of the view that the claims merited attention.
Using an investigative process that is qualitative in nature, that is, in depth and expressive, the commission examined claims of rights abuse and the degradation of the environment, that directly affected the economic and developments rights of people living in these areas.
The reports lists human rights monitoring techniques, that included focus groups discussions, interviews, site inspections, documentation and observation as some of the methods employed to achieve quality investigation.
Stakeholder forums and consultations with key governmental and non-governmental agencies, as well as mining companies, security agencies, traditional rulers, and civil society groups were also undertaken to make the investigation an all-inclusive and comprehensive one.
In all 847 people, 520 males and 327 females were involved in the focus group discussions, while 21 organisations and institution, including civil society groups were involved in semi structured interviews.
Issues dealt with in The State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana include water and water sources, blasting and pollution from mining activities that impact on the environment, health and related issues, safety and security, royalties, compensation and resettlement, livelihood and employment, as well as artisanal and small scale mining.
Investigations by CHRAJ, the reports states, found evidence of widespread violations of human rights of individual members of communities and the abuse of the collective rights of communities.
Evidence documented on some violations of human rights and environmental degradation include widespread pollution of communities water sources, deprivation and loss of livelihoods, excesses by state security agencies and security contractors of mining companies, inadequate compensation for destroyed properties, unacceptable alternative livelihood projects and absence of effective channels of communication.
Community by community, the report documents specific rights abuses and activities of mining communities that deplete the environment of its natural cover and strength.
As expressed by Mr Richard Quayson, a Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, the investigation was not “a fault-finding one” but an opportunity to address concerns amicably for mining to contribute fully to the economic growth and development of all.
The report bears this out by clarifying each step of the way the allegations that are found not to be so.
For instance, in Anyinam where residents alleged that AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) operated a private detention cell at its offices, the report states, “On inspection it was established that the company had no detention facility. A small room which was previously used as a cell might have given cause to the communities’ concern that the company was still operating a private detention facility.”
CHRAJ found no evidence of “gun wielding security personnel” during the period of investigations at Binsere, also in Obuasi where AGA operates, to support claims by the townsfolk.
However, in Anyinam, “Following reports of excessive noise by the company disturbing studies at the primary school, three investigators sat in a lesson during which the teacher had to shout in order for the pupils to hear her,” the report states.
Also described is the state of the Anwiam community that lies in a valley and frequently gets flooded because of erosion on the sides of the hill due to mining activities that diverted flood waters into the communities.
This was compounded by noise and dust pollution from the shaft of AGA which lay very close to the community.
In Diewuoso also in the Obusi area where AGA prospects, claims by the community of two waste dumps where human faeces and cyanide were dumped was confirmed by investigators upon investigation as “an environmental nightmare.”
Particularly worrying for the communities was the dump used by the AGA and the Municipal Assembly as a faecal dump which was polluting the soil and atmosphere.
A chapter is devoted to mining sites in the Upper East Region visited by CHRAJ personnel in The State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana mining operations in Yale and Kadema are discussed at length.
A characteristic of mining in these areas is that mining is undertaken primarily on a small scale by artisanal miners.
While some large scale companies have exploration rights to some concessions, in the two areas visited, some other areas have been demarcated and designated exclusively as small scale mining zones.
Key governmental agencies in these areas are the district assemblies and the Minerals Commission and the report makes the observation that the intense nature of the conflict between large-scale mining companies and galamseys and the associated brutalities, observed in southern Ghana did not exist in these areas in the Upper East region, attributing that primarily to the absence of large scale mining operations in the region.
Pictures and tables illustrate some of the issues discussed in the report, while the arrangement of issues discussed by sub topics in bold formats make for easy reference.
The report recommends further testing of fruit, fish and bush meat samples from Obuasi to ascertain whether chemicals used in mining are present and urges the Ministry of Health to assess the overall health needs these communities.
Another recommendation is the review of the use of the military in the mining communities unless in exceptional circumstances which are beyond the control of the police service.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008, PG 34
The response to the question is what The State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana seeks to provide.
The report by CHRAJ is a result of investigations into reported cases of environmental degradation and human rights concerns in mining areas and is in keeping with its primary responsibility to protect and promote the rights of all persons in Ghana.
With the constitutional imperative in article 36 (1) of the 1992 Constitution that enjoins the government that “All necessary action to ensure that the national economy is managed in such a way and manner as to maximise the rate of economic development and to serve the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every person in Ghana and provide adequate means of livelihood and suitable employment and public assistance to the needy,” CHRAJ set out on the fact finding mission to ascertain the veracity of allegations of abuses in mining communities and environmental degradation.
The right to development apart from being a constitutional imperative on the government is also an international convention, recognised by the United Nations General Assembly as far back as 1986 and these emboldened CHRAJ to enter an unchartered course in investigating allegations of specific abuses in a specific sector of the economy.
Prior to investigations captured in the report, CHRAJ had in 2001 begun investigations of human rights abuses reported to it by some individuals in mining communities.
The report underlies that fact that a key emerging issue from these investigations that involved public hearings conducted in the Wassa West District, an area with the greatest concentration of mining companies, was the lack of mutual understanding between the mining companies and communities.
In launching a full scale investigation into these claims in 2006 that covered 42 mining communities in four regions, namely Ashanti, Western, Brong Ahafo and Upper East Regions, the report states that the commission was of the view that the claims merited attention.
Using an investigative process that is qualitative in nature, that is, in depth and expressive, the commission examined claims of rights abuse and the degradation of the environment, that directly affected the economic and developments rights of people living in these areas.
The reports lists human rights monitoring techniques, that included focus groups discussions, interviews, site inspections, documentation and observation as some of the methods employed to achieve quality investigation.
Stakeholder forums and consultations with key governmental and non-governmental agencies, as well as mining companies, security agencies, traditional rulers, and civil society groups were also undertaken to make the investigation an all-inclusive and comprehensive one.
In all 847 people, 520 males and 327 females were involved in the focus group discussions, while 21 organisations and institution, including civil society groups were involved in semi structured interviews.
Issues dealt with in The State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana include water and water sources, blasting and pollution from mining activities that impact on the environment, health and related issues, safety and security, royalties, compensation and resettlement, livelihood and employment, as well as artisanal and small scale mining.
Investigations by CHRAJ, the reports states, found evidence of widespread violations of human rights of individual members of communities and the abuse of the collective rights of communities.
Evidence documented on some violations of human rights and environmental degradation include widespread pollution of communities water sources, deprivation and loss of livelihoods, excesses by state security agencies and security contractors of mining companies, inadequate compensation for destroyed properties, unacceptable alternative livelihood projects and absence of effective channels of communication.
Community by community, the report documents specific rights abuses and activities of mining communities that deplete the environment of its natural cover and strength.
As expressed by Mr Richard Quayson, a Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, the investigation was not “a fault-finding one” but an opportunity to address concerns amicably for mining to contribute fully to the economic growth and development of all.
The report bears this out by clarifying each step of the way the allegations that are found not to be so.
For instance, in Anyinam where residents alleged that AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) operated a private detention cell at its offices, the report states, “On inspection it was established that the company had no detention facility. A small room which was previously used as a cell might have given cause to the communities’ concern that the company was still operating a private detention facility.”
CHRAJ found no evidence of “gun wielding security personnel” during the period of investigations at Binsere, also in Obuasi where AGA operates, to support claims by the townsfolk.
However, in Anyinam, “Following reports of excessive noise by the company disturbing studies at the primary school, three investigators sat in a lesson during which the teacher had to shout in order for the pupils to hear her,” the report states.
Also described is the state of the Anwiam community that lies in a valley and frequently gets flooded because of erosion on the sides of the hill due to mining activities that diverted flood waters into the communities.
This was compounded by noise and dust pollution from the shaft of AGA which lay very close to the community.
In Diewuoso also in the Obusi area where AGA prospects, claims by the community of two waste dumps where human faeces and cyanide were dumped was confirmed by investigators upon investigation as “an environmental nightmare.”
Particularly worrying for the communities was the dump used by the AGA and the Municipal Assembly as a faecal dump which was polluting the soil and atmosphere.
A chapter is devoted to mining sites in the Upper East Region visited by CHRAJ personnel in The State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana mining operations in Yale and Kadema are discussed at length.
A characteristic of mining in these areas is that mining is undertaken primarily on a small scale by artisanal miners.
While some large scale companies have exploration rights to some concessions, in the two areas visited, some other areas have been demarcated and designated exclusively as small scale mining zones.
Key governmental agencies in these areas are the district assemblies and the Minerals Commission and the report makes the observation that the intense nature of the conflict between large-scale mining companies and galamseys and the associated brutalities, observed in southern Ghana did not exist in these areas in the Upper East region, attributing that primarily to the absence of large scale mining operations in the region.
Pictures and tables illustrate some of the issues discussed in the report, while the arrangement of issues discussed by sub topics in bold formats make for easy reference.
The report recommends further testing of fruit, fish and bush meat samples from Obuasi to ascertain whether chemicals used in mining are present and urges the Ministry of Health to assess the overall health needs these communities.
Another recommendation is the review of the use of the military in the mining communities unless in exceptional circumstances which are beyond the control of the police service.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008, PG 34
INVEST OIL FUNDS PROPERLY-PIANIM
AN economist, Mr Kwame Pianim, has said that governments should manage budgets efficiently to make proceeds from the oil resource an additional fund for extra investments.
Mr Pianim, who is also the Chief Executive Director of the New World Renaissance, said proper management of the economy was key to generating the needed financial resources for development.
He said if policy makers did not ensure fiscal discipline through proper management of the budget, the oil revenues would only be used to balance budget deficits and not come in as an additional resource for developmental projects.
Mr Pianim made the observations when he chaired a lecture in Accra as part of the Economic Development Lecture Series of the Department of Economics of the University of Ghana.
The main lecture was delivered by Mr Tony Killick on the topic “Ghana’s quest for sustainable growth and development strategies: Can Ghana’s economy go on like this?”
The Ghanaian economist said although there had been progress in the economy, there were also challenges that needed prudent measures to overcome.
Mr Killick, a former economic adviser to the Busia administration, in his lecture said the country’s economy had progressed on a chequered path.
The country, he said, needed to sustain the progress made so far and build on it, as lessons from past economic management, policies and implementation showed that “Ghana has been the author of its own economic fortunes, for ill and for good.”
Tracing the historical path of the country’s economic progression, Mr Killick described four periods from the 1970’s and the main economic policy arrangements that had impacted on the whole economy.
He described the periods between 1973 to 1982 as the black years of collapse in government revenues and uncontrollable government spending with resultant inflation among others.
The years of economic recovery programme of 1983 to 1992, he said, was the time economic sanity was instituted and that was “a major achievement.”
Mr Killick said the democratisation years of 1993 to 2002 following the adoption of the 1992 constitution was a landmark, but was quick to add that weak economic management persisted until between 2003 to 2006, where “the new government begun to get a grip on public finances and economic polices.”
In all these periods, weak management of the economy persisted until 2003 to 2006, a period of “re-balancing”, where “the new government begun to get a grip on public finances and economic polices,”
Painting the current picture, Mr Killick said although rapid improvement have been noted in certain sectors of the economy, the disparity in the economic fortunes of people living in the north as compared to those in the south was “a serious blemish on the record of improvement.”
Moreover, obstacles remained, such as, inadequate financial services, un-reformed land tenure and civil service systems and challenges in the power sector, that had the potential of derailing the progress made so far.
All these had in the recent past resulted in the deterioration in budget discipline and inflation.
Also affecting the economy, among others, he noted, was the current downturn in the world economy and the exclusion of Northern Ghana, which he said were being tackled.
Mr Killick was optimistic that despite the challenges there was room for improving and realising levels of technological advancement and productivities in the country, particularly in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
“At the end, much will depend on the quality of national leadership and on how political systems develop,” since political systems impinged on economic performance.
He said the “patronage-driven” political system that characterised the country’s politics, was profoundly anti-developmental, emphasising short-term appropriation ad distribution of resources by the state rather than growth and wealth creation.
If allowed to persist, Mr Killick warned, it would produce characteristic policy biases with weak incentives for reform and strong incentives for wasteful spending by the overseers of the public purse.
He said civil society demands for accountability, transparency and participation would ensure the weakening of patronage politics in the country.
Mr Killick was honoured after the lecture by the Department with a medal and a citation.
DAILY GRAPHIC, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2008, PG 33
Mr Pianim, who is also the Chief Executive Director of the New World Renaissance, said proper management of the economy was key to generating the needed financial resources for development.
He said if policy makers did not ensure fiscal discipline through proper management of the budget, the oil revenues would only be used to balance budget deficits and not come in as an additional resource for developmental projects.
Mr Pianim made the observations when he chaired a lecture in Accra as part of the Economic Development Lecture Series of the Department of Economics of the University of Ghana.
The main lecture was delivered by Mr Tony Killick on the topic “Ghana’s quest for sustainable growth and development strategies: Can Ghana’s economy go on like this?”
The Ghanaian economist said although there had been progress in the economy, there were also challenges that needed prudent measures to overcome.
Mr Killick, a former economic adviser to the Busia administration, in his lecture said the country’s economy had progressed on a chequered path.
The country, he said, needed to sustain the progress made so far and build on it, as lessons from past economic management, policies and implementation showed that “Ghana has been the author of its own economic fortunes, for ill and for good.”
Tracing the historical path of the country’s economic progression, Mr Killick described four periods from the 1970’s and the main economic policy arrangements that had impacted on the whole economy.
He described the periods between 1973 to 1982 as the black years of collapse in government revenues and uncontrollable government spending with resultant inflation among others.
The years of economic recovery programme of 1983 to 1992, he said, was the time economic sanity was instituted and that was “a major achievement.”
Mr Killick said the democratisation years of 1993 to 2002 following the adoption of the 1992 constitution was a landmark, but was quick to add that weak economic management persisted until between 2003 to 2006, where “the new government begun to get a grip on public finances and economic polices.”
In all these periods, weak management of the economy persisted until 2003 to 2006, a period of “re-balancing”, where “the new government begun to get a grip on public finances and economic polices,”
Painting the current picture, Mr Killick said although rapid improvement have been noted in certain sectors of the economy, the disparity in the economic fortunes of people living in the north as compared to those in the south was “a serious blemish on the record of improvement.”
Moreover, obstacles remained, such as, inadequate financial services, un-reformed land tenure and civil service systems and challenges in the power sector, that had the potential of derailing the progress made so far.
All these had in the recent past resulted in the deterioration in budget discipline and inflation.
Also affecting the economy, among others, he noted, was the current downturn in the world economy and the exclusion of Northern Ghana, which he said were being tackled.
Mr Killick was optimistic that despite the challenges there was room for improving and realising levels of technological advancement and productivities in the country, particularly in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
“At the end, much will depend on the quality of national leadership and on how political systems develop,” since political systems impinged on economic performance.
He said the “patronage-driven” political system that characterised the country’s politics, was profoundly anti-developmental, emphasising short-term appropriation ad distribution of resources by the state rather than growth and wealth creation.
If allowed to persist, Mr Killick warned, it would produce characteristic policy biases with weak incentives for reform and strong incentives for wasteful spending by the overseers of the public purse.
He said civil society demands for accountability, transparency and participation would ensure the weakening of patronage politics in the country.
Mr Killick was honoured after the lecture by the Department with a medal and a citation.
DAILY GRAPHIC, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2008, PG 33
AFRICANS MUST SHOW INTEREST IN DARFUR CRISIS-MAJ-GEN ANYIDIHO
A United Nations (UN) military chief, Major General H. K. Anyidoho, has asked African governments to show greater interest in the Darfur crisis.
General Anyidoho, who is a Deputy Joint Special Representative of the African Union (AU)/ United Nations (UN) Hybrid Operations in Darfur (UNAMID), said the political will of African governments to deal with the conflict in Darfur must be further re-inforced by visits and interactions with personnel of the mission in Darfur.
He was addressing 50 Ghanaian and 20 Ugandan police officers at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPKTC) in Accra on Monday.
The training is a collaborative effort of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the KAIPKTC. Since March this year, pre-deployment training of UNAMID personnel has been undertaken at the centre with facilitators from all over the world.
The officers will replace others whose duty tour of the region ends in December.
Major General Anyidoho said AU governments had previously lived up to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of member states but they must now adhere to the principle of non-indifference, and no longer be indifferent to dire situations in member states.
In line with this principle of non-indifference, AU governments had committed men and women to help in peace efforts in Darfur.
He said committing men and women to the cause was not enough, and so that had to be accompanied by visits to Darfur by government officials, the leadership of the police and the military whose officers had been deployed there and also facilitators who trained peacekeepers stationed in Darfur.
Giving a background to the conflict, what the officers were to expect and their functions, among other issues, Major General Anyidoho noted that Darfur posed a great challenge to all, but with the commitment of the police, military and other civilian staff of the AU and the UN deployed there, there was bound to be a change.
He, therefore, charged the officers to be committed, act professionally and desist from acts that would undermine the peace process in the area.
He told them that not adhering to a strict moral code could attract expulsion from the mission and that would be an indictment on the country of origin.
Major General Anyidoho, who also interacted with facilitators at the KAIPKTC, a team headed by Chief Inspector Jann Quanz, charged the trainers to endeavour to visit Darfur in order to evaluate their course structure.
He said by visiting the region, they would be able to find out if the training being given to those about to be deployed in the region was in line with practical situations on the ground.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008, PG 32
General Anyidoho, who is a Deputy Joint Special Representative of the African Union (AU)/ United Nations (UN) Hybrid Operations in Darfur (UNAMID), said the political will of African governments to deal with the conflict in Darfur must be further re-inforced by visits and interactions with personnel of the mission in Darfur.
He was addressing 50 Ghanaian and 20 Ugandan police officers at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPKTC) in Accra on Monday.
The training is a collaborative effort of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the KAIPKTC. Since March this year, pre-deployment training of UNAMID personnel has been undertaken at the centre with facilitators from all over the world.
The officers will replace others whose duty tour of the region ends in December.
Major General Anyidoho said AU governments had previously lived up to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of member states but they must now adhere to the principle of non-indifference, and no longer be indifferent to dire situations in member states.
In line with this principle of non-indifference, AU governments had committed men and women to help in peace efforts in Darfur.
He said committing men and women to the cause was not enough, and so that had to be accompanied by visits to Darfur by government officials, the leadership of the police and the military whose officers had been deployed there and also facilitators who trained peacekeepers stationed in Darfur.
Giving a background to the conflict, what the officers were to expect and their functions, among other issues, Major General Anyidoho noted that Darfur posed a great challenge to all, but with the commitment of the police, military and other civilian staff of the AU and the UN deployed there, there was bound to be a change.
He, therefore, charged the officers to be committed, act professionally and desist from acts that would undermine the peace process in the area.
He told them that not adhering to a strict moral code could attract expulsion from the mission and that would be an indictment on the country of origin.
Major General Anyidoho, who also interacted with facilitators at the KAIPKTC, a team headed by Chief Inspector Jann Quanz, charged the trainers to endeavour to visit Darfur in order to evaluate their course structure.
He said by visiting the region, they would be able to find out if the training being given to those about to be deployed in the region was in line with practical situations on the ground.
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008, PG 32
EC YET TO SET DATE FOR VOTE TRANSFER
The Electoral Commission (EC) is yet to set the period for the transfer of votes as well as the regulations and processes for the exercise.
Any activity, therefore, undertaken during the exhibition exercise purporting to transfer the votes of people is not valid, a Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Operations, Mr Sarfo Katanka, has said.
Responding to the issue of reported transfer of votes in areas such as Asutifi South, Asunafo North and Attebubu in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region, he said all activities or acts in any exhibition centre claiming to be the transfer of votes had been disregarded by the EC.
Mr Katanka said he received reports of some people claiming to transfer votes in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions when he was observing the voters’ exhibition exercise in the northern regions.
When these reports were received, the EC reinforced its decision not to engage in a parallel exercise of the transfer of votes during the exhibition exercise, but to rather conduct the exercise at the district offices at a latter date with the regulations spelt out and communicated that to its staff.
The issue of transferring votes, according to him, had come up at a meeting of the commission, where it had been decided not to conduct the exhibition exercise together with the transfer of votes.
He said the EC’s checks in the areas where those reports were made showed that people claiming to be transferring their votes during the exhibition exercise had just written their names at the exhibition centres.
He said that was not the proper way of conducting a transfer.
For instance, Mr Katanka explained, if a person at Adenta wanted to transfer his votes to Koforidua, he had to rather visit the nearest polling station at Koforidua and not Adenta, where a form would be filled and his particulars taken.
These would then be sent to the EC headquarters where the proper validation would be conducted before the change would be effected.
A member of the Commission, Ms Eunice Roberts, who was also present, stressed the fact that the EC had built into the electoral processes “integrity” and that could not be compromised under any circumstance.
DAILY GRAPHIC, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008, PG 16
Any activity, therefore, undertaken during the exhibition exercise purporting to transfer the votes of people is not valid, a Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Operations, Mr Sarfo Katanka, has said.
Responding to the issue of reported transfer of votes in areas such as Asutifi South, Asunafo North and Attebubu in the Brong Ahafo Region, as well as Ejura in the Ashanti Region, he said all activities or acts in any exhibition centre claiming to be the transfer of votes had been disregarded by the EC.
Mr Katanka said he received reports of some people claiming to transfer votes in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions when he was observing the voters’ exhibition exercise in the northern regions.
When these reports were received, the EC reinforced its decision not to engage in a parallel exercise of the transfer of votes during the exhibition exercise, but to rather conduct the exercise at the district offices at a latter date with the regulations spelt out and communicated that to its staff.
The issue of transferring votes, according to him, had come up at a meeting of the commission, where it had been decided not to conduct the exhibition exercise together with the transfer of votes.
He said the EC’s checks in the areas where those reports were made showed that people claiming to be transferring their votes during the exhibition exercise had just written their names at the exhibition centres.
He said that was not the proper way of conducting a transfer.
For instance, Mr Katanka explained, if a person at Adenta wanted to transfer his votes to Koforidua, he had to rather visit the nearest polling station at Koforidua and not Adenta, where a form would be filled and his particulars taken.
These would then be sent to the EC headquarters where the proper validation would be conducted before the change would be effected.
A member of the Commission, Ms Eunice Roberts, who was also present, stressed the fact that the EC had built into the electoral processes “integrity” and that could not be compromised under any circumstance.
DAILY GRAPHIC, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008, PG 16
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)