GNA- The Catholic church is against its members going in for test tube babies, a priest at the catholic secretariat said yesterday. The priest, who pleaded anonymity, said test tube babies were against God's original plan of creation and the church would rather encourage biological research and medical treatment leading to natural means of conception. Speaking in an interview with the GNA on the position of the church on test tube babies, he declared, 'God is the author of life and death.' He said like abortion, which caused a member's excommunication, getting a baby through the test tube was a mortal sin, but said the church had no explicit sanction yet on test tube babies.
But the Rev. Kwame Amua-Kumah, Deputy General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, said the Council, which embraced several Christian groups could not come out with a blue-print on whether having test tube babies was a sin. Re. Amua-Kumah said all the constituents churches had their own doctrines and teachings on the subject would necessarily differ. The Catholic priest said any member who committed the sin of having a test tube baby would have to obtain an absolution thereafter. He noted, 'In trying to create, through the teat tube system, one would be forcing God to create a soul be never intended to create. 'Even the means of obtaining the sperm, - masturbation - is a sin by itself, adding that the Bible says, 'fornicators would be plunged into a sea of burning fire.'
Rev. Amua-Kumah argued further that 'God has given man the intellect to develop, in that, the sperm and egg are God's creation. Man is only trying to bring them together as part of the reproduction process. 'Human beings are part of God's creative agenda, they are co-operators,' Rev. Amua-Kumah added.
'Unlike normal babies, the test tube baby would have three environments - the test tube, the womb and the world.' Rev. Amua-Kumah said that he would support the test tube process if it was between married couples, but emphasised that God's will must be sought first.
The Rev. Comfort Paha, on the Christian Council, giving a personal view on the issue said, 'it is important for any couple desiring babies to seek God's will first and the overall implications and the long-term effect on the health of both other and child. She said she would rather lay bare all the implications involved in the process and leave the decision to the couple. Rev. Paha asked that the society should look at other options such as adoption, and consider it as another means of creating homes for orphans, adding that the church and the government had a responsibility to create that awareness.
James Asante & Angela Davies
The Ghana Frequency Registration and Control Board (GFRCB) yesterday explained that the non-refundable commitment fees levied on private radio and television organisations were not meant to discourage them from operating. Rather, the fees would be used to purchase essential equipment for managing and monitoring the spectrum, among others, to ensure efficient use of the frequency resources. It would also be used for research and development projects.
Major J.R.K. Tandoh (Rtd), chairman of the GFRCB, gave the explanation in Accra, in reaction to public allegation that the fees were meant to discourage the introduction of private radio and television stations in the country. He said it was the practice in all International Telecommunication Union (ITU) countries, of which Ghana is a member, for spectrum fees to be levied by communication regulators. According to the Chairman, the board's commitment fees for both radio and television were quite considerate if compared to the non-refundable commitment fees of 500,000 dollars being paid by qualified cellular telephone operators in the country. He said also that in most countries, frequencies were advertised for the highest bidder citing the United Kingdom where four companies bidded for an advertised channel 'at a whooping amount.' Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited offered 22 million pounds sterling, New Century Television Limited, two million pounds, U.K. Television Development Limited, 36.2 million pounds and Virgin Television Limited 22.0 million pounds.
Major Tandoh said so far three of the companies granted the licence to operate had fully paid while six others had made part payment with the assurance that they would settle the full amount before November 30, the deadline. He said Video Mart Electronics Limited, Star Broadcasting Company Limited and All Time Broadcasting, all for television operation, had paid in full, while Film Africa made part payment of C5 million. Vision Network Communications Incorporated, Sunshine Radio Station Limited, Aero Communications Company Limited and Network Broadcasting Company Limited, all radio organisations, have also made part payment. Concerning the Independent Media Corporation of Ghana (Radio Eye), he said that the board was still awaiting the outcome of the court's ruling before it could take any decision.
by Willam Selassy Adjadogo & Nana Yaw Duodu Dredging of the Korle Lagoon and the Odaw River is to begin in January, Mr. Fats Nartey, Director of Administrations of the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) said.
Mr. Nartey said in an interview in Accra that, that AMA could not start the dredging in September as it had announced because of technical hitches. He said a team from the Ministry of Works and Housing, Architectural and Engineering Services Corporation (AESC), AMA and other bodies was studying an evaluation report on the project to determine how best the project could be undertaken without any problems. Mr. Nartey added that sub contracts had already been awarded to Lavelin, a Canadian engineering consultancy firm to do an environmental beautification study of the project which would also cover Kumasi, Tema and Sekondi-Takoradi. He said the project to be funded by the Kuwaiti government, the World Bank and other Overseas Development Agency (ODA) had reached an advanced stage.
The study, Mr. Mr. Nartey explained would entail the investigation into the drainage facilities, general layouts of the cities as drawn by the Town and Country Planning Department. He said this had become necessary in view of the problems associated with the cities during rainy seasons and to check other natural disasters. Mr. Nartey added that the ODA would also fund the establishment of the Liquid Waste Plant to facilitate the disposal of liquid sewerage from the Odaw River into the sea.
By Esi Kpodo Ghana can become a middle income economy by the year 2000 with an increase in per capita income from 300 dollars per annum to 600 dollars. This can be achieved by hard work and a boost in the industrial sector. Mr. J.R. Owiredu, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry said this in an interview yesterday.
He said the sector which served as the prime mover of the economy was expected to yield 80 per cent average growth rate per annum ahead of agriculture and the service sectors. He was commenting on the achievements of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) which was its 10th year since its establishment. The Deputy Minister said the government saw the small scale industrial sector made substantial contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr. Owiredu said despite the efforts by government to boost the sector, it was still saddled with problems like obsolete equipment, low access to capital and poor management practices among others. He said in order to solve those problems and to propel the industrial sector into what it should, the government introduced the Business Assistance Boards in all the regions to train small scale industrialists and to make available to them good business prospects. Mr. Owiredu said despite these effort, the development of the sector depended on the attitude of Ghanaian consumers saying that 'if the market is not flooded with products of the small scale industrialists, little would be achieved by the sector.' He urged Ghanaians to change their consumption habits and to patronise 'Made in Ghana' goods in order to boost the industry and make it the engine of growth.
GNA
The leader of the visiting group of Malaysian investors, Mr. Amin Shah Omar Shah said that Ghana is ripe for Malaysian investment. He said members of the group were currently discussing with government officials and businessmen on areas that had been identified for possible investment.
Mr. Shah, who has since left the country, arrived in the country with a 12 member group to explore investment opportunities. Mr. Shah said members of the group were looking at areas like housing and manufacturing and consider the relocation of their industries in Ghana to serve their European clients. He said the need to relocate their industries was because of the potential of Ghana's labour market. Mr. Shah attributed the transformation of Malaysia from the third world country to a newly developed country to the government's policy and support for the private sector. He said the Malaysian government policy of not only setting targets for industries but also ensuring that they were supposed to meet the targets so that they could pay their taxes, explains the success story.
He was seen off by Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, executive director of the Ghana Investment Centre (GIC)
GNA.
Mr. Gershong Kwesi Dzakpasu, Volta Regional Chairman of the civil servants association (csa) has asked civil servants to be effective in t heir work to merit the salary they earn. He was briefing civil servants at Akatsi on the Social Security Bank (SSB) share offer and the new 35 per cent salary.
Mr. Dzakpasu who is also the Kpando District Assembly co-ordinating director urged the workers to show concern for the progress of the service by identifying its problems and helping to them. He said they should aim at high productivity and eschew lateness, absenteeism and drunkenness especially while at work.
GNA More than 50 people have been challenged as aliens at two registration centres at Mankranso in the Ashantin region. The centres are Esikaforambatem and Betoom.
A team of newsmen who visited the centres realised that the registration officials were not at their posts leaving registration forms in the care of party agents. The party agents could not explain the absence of the registration officials. At Esikafoambantem about 28 out of the 210 people registered have been challenged just as 21 of the 320 people who registered at Betoom are being challenged as aliens. These figures were given by the party agents
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GNA
Ghana on Tuesday questioned the seriousness of the international community in helping Africa to help itself, saying that the expected assistance for the continent had not been forthcoming.
"While not down-playing the assistance Africa has received in the past few years, I must register the profound disappointment of many of us on the continent that the expected volume of assistance has never been forthcoming. In a speech at the 50th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Dr. Obed Asamoah, Minister for Foreign Affairs said the requisite action on the debt and aid fronts had also not been adequate. "This is all the more regrettable because of the profound political risks that many governments in Africa have run faithfully implementing painful structural adjustment programme that have had severe impact on their people. "It is also unfortunate because Africa has found expression in the establishment of constitutional rule in country after country." Dr. Asamoah warned that if the problem of poverty in Africa was not tackled seriously, it could pose grave dangers to international peace and security, explaining that many conflicts in Africa were started by the strains of development and could easily take on international dimensions.
Speaking on UN peacekeeping duties, he expressed regret that the world body had delayed in reimbursing countries that contributed troops for peace duties. "We urged that every effort be made to resolve this matter as speedily as possible," he said, adding that it would greatly help if member countries in arrears of contributions would honour their obligations and pay up. Dr. Asamoah referred to the West African Peace-keeping force in Liberia and said efforts by West African countries had brought about relative peace in the country under the Abuja and other accords. "The challenge now is to see through the implementation process as this would require considerable increase in troop strength, logistics for ECOMOMOG and for the encampment, disarmament and resettlement of fighters."
The Minister said international assistance was greatly needed to meet those objectives and expressed the hope that a ready response would be forthcoming at the pledging conference envisaged for later this month. "What ECOMOG has done in Liberia is a good example of how sub-regional and regional organisations should support the UN in the maintenance of peace and security." But, he said, the UN needed to overcome doctrinal obstacles and develop principles that would facilitate hybrid operation involving sub-regional initiatives and UN financing in who or in part. Dr. Asamoah also spoke about the economic blockage against Cuba and sanctions against Libya and cautioned that such actions, particularly when sponsored by the UN, would undermine the world body's integrity. "The collapse of the cold war must make us more vigilant against any attempt to turn the UN into an instrument of foreign policy for any one country or group of countries," he cautioned, saying that "when that happens, regional and sub-regional organisations will be tempted to question and/or disobey the decisions of the UN." The Minister repeated calls on the UN Security Council to lift sanctions on Libya and seek a peaceful solution to the Lockerbie affair.
GNA
The Tema Circuit Tribunal yesterday issued a bench warrant for Bukari Asmanu, a shepherd, who together with two others are charged with stealing a cow valued at c400,000.00.
The two, Amadu Nuhu and Braimah Seidu, also shepherds pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody until October 18. Prosecuting, Inspector Majorie Otabil said the three accused persons took a herd of cattle out for grazing on September 10, and returned at about 7:15 p.m. without informing the owner, Mr. Tetteh Ayornu, that one cow was missing. Later in the night, a witness who saw Nuhu and Seed dragging a cow in the bush, informed another person and together they shouted as the accused to stop but they did not until one of them gave a warning shot. The accused persons then took to their heels.
The following day, when Nuhu and Seidu were confronted by the complainant, they said it was Osmanu who asked them to take the cow to sell.
By James Addy An Accra circuit tribunal yesterday remanded in custody until October 27, Edward Appiah, 39, trader, alleged to have swallowed 60 capsules of cocaine a narcotic drug. Appiah, whose plea was not taken is charged with illegal importation and possession of the narcotic drugs.
Assistant Superintendent Winfred Ansah-Akrofi told the court, presided over by Mr. Charles Nyewolema, that Appiah was arrested by personnel of the Narcotics Control Board at the Accra airport on suspicion of carrying narcotic drugs. ASP Ansah-Akrofi said Appiah who arrived at the airport on board a KLM flight from Bogota, Colombia, admitted during interrogation that he had swallowed 61 oval-shaped balls containing the narcotic substance and when he was medically examined at both the Police and 37 Military Hospitals, he discharged 60 thumbsize capsules of the drugs. He is still under medical supervision to retrieve the last ball.
By Dave Agbnu & Devine Ankamah More that 260 drug dealers arrested by the police between 1992 to date have jumped bail and absconded, deputy superintendent of police, Mr. Robert Ayalingo, head of police narcotics squad, has said. Others are walking freely because of delays in trail and non-prosecution of their cases.
Mr. Ayalingo said since the Public tribunal system was abolished giving way to the courts system in 1992, most drug-related cases had not been fully tried and culprits prosecuted. He argued that whereas the Public Tribunals promptly dealt with such culprits the courts system always granted bail and long adjournment dates, thus giving the suspects the opportunity to jump bail and abscond, adding that this often led the public to lose interest in the case and made it "die a natural death" Mr. Ayalingo, who expressed great concern about the situation, said the public had in recent times accused the police of mishandling such cases and explained that their role was only to arrest such culprits for the law courts to deal with.
Citing a case that occurred in August, 1992, the DSP said the Police Narcotics Unit, with the help of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), arrested a family drug trafficking gang at a hideout at East Legon in Accra. In that raid, the police arrested two persons Kubura Fuleke and Catherine Mettle-Sullivan, with 102 black oval-shaped balls and 20 whitish balls suspected to be narcotic drugs concealed in a polythene bag in a room. The drugs were then valued at 38,000 dollars. Mr. Ayanlingo said the two were charge with possessing the trafficking in narcotic drugs but they were granted bail and Kubura Fuleke who is a Nigerain jumped bail and is believed to have absconded to Nigeria. Catherine is not only free, but also goes to the Narcotics Unit to demand her passport to enable her to travel abroad.
Mr. Ayalingo attributed these developments to the laxity in the judicial process and appealed to the courts to deal promptly with narcotic offenders.
Daily Graphic The Electoral Commission categorically stated that not a single registration form is missing.
In an interview with the Graphic, Mr. David Adenze Kanga, Deputy Director (Operations) of the Commission, described as outrageous reports in an Accra weekly, which sourced him as having declared 2 million registration forms missing.
"I want to made abundantly clear that I neither saw nor even spoke to any one from the media on the said matter. This is purely a wicked, mischievous and dangerous lie perpetrated by someone or group of persons seeking to score cheap political points." he added. Mr. Kanga emphasised that the commission has put in place an elaborate system of monitoring the movement and destination of registration forms and other materials to prevent any getting lost. He explained that there is, for instance, a daily accounting sheet through which every registration officer accounts for every registration form used at his or her centre each day. In addition, each district has been given specific serial numbers on its registration forms so that those for one district cannot be used for registering people in another. "There is in addition to other measures, a scanner here at the commission that rejects forms that are sent across districts for the purpose of registering people outside it," he hinted. The Deputy Commissioner also cited the active involvement of party political agents in the monitoring and filling of the daily registration centres, as further example of checks on the use of registration forms. He, therefore, wondered whether with all these procedures and checks in place, it is reasonable for anyone to say that 2 million registration forms have just disappeared.
Mr. Kanga castigated the said report and said, "if it is for political mischief, that is a grievous error because this is an important national exercise that has great significance for our democratic experiment. "We in the commission are not politicians, we are here as dedicated citizens to do out duty to the nation in its bid to build a stable and prosperous democracy. "Nobody should drag us into their politics," he added. Asked how the numerous cases of shortages of registration forms have come about, he pointed out that given the absence of an accurate statistical base to support the distribution of registration materials, the commission had to make estimation of numbers of eligible voters in the various registration centres.
Some of them, he conceded, have not been as precise as the commission thought. To rectify this, he reiterated the solution prescribed by Dr. Afari- Gyan, the commission's chairman, which involves the mopping up of excess forms from areas of surpluses for redistribution, to other areas within the same district. This, he said, has been proceeding smoothly and it has been the commission's hope and expectation that every eligible Ghanaian voter would have been covered by the end of the exercise next Sunday. In another development, the Statistical Service has expressed concern about Mr. Kanga's purported allegations that problems in the distribution of registration forms were due to the inability of the service to provide the EC with statistical data.
A statement issued in reaction to a publication in the Chronicle said the service received a letter dated January 10, 1995 from the commission asking for projected national voter population by gender as well as regional and district breakdowns and figures for the regional capitals. The statement signed by Dr. Oti Boateng, Government statistician, said the required data was accordingly forwarded to the EC except for the service's stated inability to provide details for some rapidly expanding suburbs of the larger cities.
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From Rajah Quayson, Ho.
The new height of depravity Ghanaian men seem to have attained of late, in copulating freely with animals, is not just beginning. The story of a young man living around the Rural Training Centre (RTC), Ho in the Volta Region, who was caught raping a "screaming " goat one hot afternoon.
The rapist, Kasim Ishmael, who is now serving a prison term for stealing a taxi driver's car cassette player was caught sodomising the goat in its pen by a woman in her late 30s. She told the WEEKEND CHRONICLE: 'That day I heard an unusual bleating of the goat. When I looked through my window I saw Kassim in an ecstatic mood enjoying himself as the goat 'screamed.'' Kassim was in a kneeling position, holding tightly to the goat, and devotedly throwing his waist and sweating profusely. He did not know anybody was watching him. I couldn't believe my eyes.
"I called my younger sister(name withheld) to come and see. She couldn't control herself as she burst out into laughter with the full explosion of her heart. 'Kassim immediately let go the goat, dressed up and sped off before a bewildered crowd could engulf the goat pen. When we said it later his parents supported him to deny'. A driver and former employer of Kassim also told the WEEKEND CHRONICLE that 'He was a constant menace to us here until his arrest and consequent imprisonment. He stole my car tape and that of my friend who visited me when I was involved in a lorry accident. I wanted to send him to the police but his parents went to plead with my father to intervene and we settled the matter at home. However, he continued harassing us. I believe he was responsible for the looting of all my wife's cooking utensils from our kitchen.' The driver said further that Kassim used to dress in a black over-all like a policeman on night duty to waylay unsuspecting victims in nooks and corners of the area to extort money from them..'
Kassim's boss added: The last straw that broke the camel's back was when he stole a taxi driver's car tape. He was caught red-handed. He was sent to the police, arraigned before court and jailed. Currently he is on transfer from Ho Prisons to Cape Coast prisons. The WEEKLY SPECTATOR reported two weeks ago that a32-year-old Goaso farmer, Nobert Adaana Kasife, had committed suicide after he was seen raping a sheep. Police source quoted by the paper said Kadife drank Undlin 200, popularly known as DDT, hours after being caught in the act. The WEEKEND CHRONICLE reported early last month the horror in Kumasi where a sheep delivered a lamp with a human face, apparently the result of an indecent act as Kasife's.
Earlier in late July, the WEEKEND CHRONICLE also reported the incident when a Ho lotto forecaster, Ephraim Anku, was caught naked at night in a sheep pen. Miss Janet Dei, a teacher and owner of the sheep, had gone to investigate an unusual bleating of the sheep deep in the night only to find Anku naked among the sheep with his clothes in one corner. About a month earlier the national weekly. The GUIDE reported another case in the same Ho where a man was caught red handed making love to a pig which had been gagged with a piece of cloth. The man who was later given custody of the pig by the awe-struck owner, Mr. Agbesinyele, said he had been unemployed for three years and could not afford a prostitute.
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Last Updated:16-10-95 23:32