GNA-
The President, Flt-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, said Sunday that "we are moving quickly to develop a legal framework whereby every American of African descent will be eligible for dual citizenship - African and American." "You must interact with our people more intensively and bring your talents and resources to Africa's march to progress and fulfilment", he said.
The President said this at a rally held in his honour at Harlem, a predominantly black suburb in New York. The ceremony, dubbed "Harlem salutes President Rawlings" brought together leasing figures in the black community and a massive turnout of Ghanaians resident in New York. The rally formed part of several activities lined up for the President during his tour of the US which include honorary doctorate degrees to be conferred on him by two US universities. They are the Lincoln Universities and New York State University.
President Rawlings recalled a proposal he made at the Cairo OAU Summit in 1993 about Africa granting African-American dual citizenship and said, "I went further to suggest that institutional arrangements should be made to have black Diaspora representation in the activities of the OAU. "We are hosting ever-increasing annual conferences in Africa to explore economic and social opportunities to further unite our brotherly bonds." The president, however, told the African-Americans that they should come to Africa with skills, resources and talents to help lift the continent out of the economic doldrums. "Do not come to that continent without appropriate skills and resources because you will only be contributing to its poverty," he said. "Pool your savings together to invest in the economic and social future of Africa," the President added. He said the continent has made its contribution to the progress of the world in terms of the material resources but it has been virtually ignored and left to suffer.
The President recalled the late President Kwame Nkrumah's sojourn in the US where he lived in Harlem and said "today, we retrace steps to reinforce the ties that bound Ghana to t his Black Mecca. "I must say that I view this overwhelming reception as a tribute not to me personally but the people and their commitment to the struggle for black emancipation of the world over." He spoke about Marcus Garvey, William Du Bois and Malcom X, and said when we think of what these greats of old did, we are forced to reflect on the heritage bequeathed us and the consequent challenges which we must face. The President added that Africans must support their sons and daughters in the continent. "We must open our doors to you so that you and your children could feel in the very soul that Africa is indeed your mother continent".
President Rawlings attributed Africa's seeming stagnation to the harrowing experience it went through in slavery about several conflicts on the continent and some of them are still raging. The President said millions of dollars are being spent on the Bosnia conflict and that if a minute fraction of that amount had been spent in Liberia, the conflict would have been resolved long ago. "Africa is not being given enough assistance to enable it to end the humiliation it had gone through. "Africa has paid a high price." He spoke about the developments in Ghana and said a solid foundation has been laid but more help is needed. "That is why we are here to seek investment."
Later President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu were present with gifts by the Black community. One black leader said "President Rawlings has opened the door for us in Africa. "He is one of the African leaders who has made us proud." Nana Konadu also presented with chocolates and cocoa powder. Earlier, Dr. Obed Asamoah, Foreign Minister, presented Kente Cloth to UN secretary-general, Boutros-Ghali at the UN Headquarters. It was woven by Mr. Andrew Eugene Asare Jnr, son of the famous Kente weaver, Mr. E.A. Asare, who presented one to the UN in 1962. Presenting the cloth, Dr. Asamoah said the design "ADWENE ASA" was specially designed to commemorate the "relentless efforts which the UN has made over the past 50 years to promote peaceful cohabitation amongst people of the world. It symbolises the extraordinary accomplishments made to date to create a better world order."
Concerned parents of students of the universities have made a passionate appeal to the government to find immediate solution to the impasse between lecturers and the Ministry of Education that has resulted in the closure of the country's universities since April this year.
A statement signed by Mr. Kkwarteng Amaning, Chairman of the Concerned Parents of the University Students, said the continued closure of the universities has been of great concern and source of worry to both parents and students and urged government to expedite action on the negotiations for the universities to be reopened as soon as possible. It expressed the hope that the government and all the parties involved would come to a definite conclusion and have the universities re-opened immediately to save booth parents and students from further agony.
By Margaret Safo
Out of 15,980 reported cases of aids between 1986 and present, 12,712 patients have so far died in the country. Notable among the dead are Agnes Narh, the AIDS patient who, two years ago sacrificed to tell her experiences and thus educate the public on the epidemic.
Dr. Asamoah-Odei, a programme manager of the National AIDS/STD Control Programme told the Mirror this week that since majority of the reported cases have been full-blown AIDS cases, the high death rate is not surprising. Speaking about the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country, Dr. Asamoah-Odei said that the end of 1994, cumulative total of 14,986 cases had been reported. And between January and June 30, this year, a significant 904 cases were recorded, bringing the cumulative total to 15,980 cases. He explained that of the above figure, the most sexually active age groups - between 20-39 - who are also the nation's productive population, make up about 70 percent of the total number of cases.
Dr. Asamoah-Odei pointed out that whereas between 1986-87 there was a high incidence of infection among females, it is no longer so. He said in 1986-87, the ratio of male to female reported AIDS cases stood at one male to five females. In 1995 however, the ratio has scaled down to one male to 1.5 females. Explaining the bridging of the gap between male and female AIDS patients, Dr. Asamoah-Odei said in previous years the AIDS disease was prevalent among female prostitutes most of who had lived outside the country. Over the years the HIV positive prostitutes transmitted the virus to their Ghanaian male counterparts who in turn spread the virus.
Of grave concern to health authorities in particular, according to Dr. Asamoah-Odei, is the high prevalence of HIV among pregnant women. He said with the exception of Agomanya which has a very high incidence of 10% infection of pregnant women, the current rate generally is between two and four percent. Dr. Asamoah-Odei says if current trends continue among pregnant women, the nation is likely to witness more deaths of children as a result of AIDS infection. So far between 1986 to June 30, 1995, there have been 251 reported AIDS cases among children aged from four years to few days old. Dr. Asamoah-Odei noted that knowledge about AIDS in the country is about 93% among females and 97 among males. However, most Ghanaians have not translated this knowledge into behavioural change. As a result of the gap between knowledge and behavioural change, Dr. Asamoah-Odei says what has become known annually is AIDS Awareness Month (November) will this year be dubbed AIDS Prevention Month to indicate the shift of emphasis from awareness creation to education aimed at behavioural change. He said towards this end, more use will be made of interpersonal channels - health and non-health workers - to effect the needed change.
By Lloyd Evans & Efam Awo Dovi
A fetish priestess, Naa Adoley Mampon, who allegedly stole a three week-old baby girl from Mamponse in Accra and allegedly sold it to a Swiss national, is to be put before court today.
Also to be tried in connection with theft are the Swiss woman and a middleman, who allegedly transact the deal. The Dansoman Police have, however, been tight-lipped on the names of the suspect and the facts of the case. In an attempt to obtain the facts from the official sources, the Graphic contacted Chief Inspector Elizabeth Adjei of the Dansoman Police but she exhibited to much hostility to one of these reporters when the reporter presented a note from the Odorkor District Police Commander, Mr. Attitsogbui, asking her to assist the reporter to get the story. Unconfirmed sources told the Graphic that the stolen baby was offered for C5 million and a part-payment of C150,000 was made. Narrating the incident, the baby's mother, Miss Ayorkor Ofori, 21, food seller, said the priestess, who often visited their house, last Wednesday went there to buy food. She said she could not find her child in her room after Naa Mampon had left. However, on Obeng Ankrah, an eye witness said he saw Naa Mampon carrying the baby out of the room covered a cloth and said he did not suspect anything until the baby's mother started looking for it.
He said for about 10 hours they combed various parts of Accra in an effort to locate Naa Mampon and when they finally found her, she denied having taken the baby. He said an angry crowd which had gathered during the search, started manhandling the fetish priestess before she admitted taking the baby to a lady at a hotel at Tesano. Ankrah said when they got to the hotel, they were told the Swiss woman and the middleman had taken the child out for a stroll. When the two returned to the hotel, they used a back door so the detective did not see them. The door was then opened and the two were found with the baby and were consequently arrested.
GNA
A 35-year-old Bangladeshi had his male genital organ chopped off while trying to rape a neighbour's wife the police said yesterday in Khaluna.
The woman Julekha, 30, gave the severed organ to police near the Port of Mongla and told them Ayub Ali had slipped into her hut while her husband was away, they said. "He was trying to get me for some time but unsuccessfully. Today he became desperate," Julekha told police. I pulled a knife from under the bed and just cut off his penis. "I first planned to feed it to my ducks but later changed my mind." Police said Ali was in hospital but gave no further details.
Four persons died and two other are on admission at the Suhum government hospital after allegedly drinking akpeteshie bitters served them at a funeral at Densuso, near Apedwa, in the east Akim district.
The dead have been identified as Yaa Susana, Alias Yaa Baby, 40: Akosua Kpogah, 42: Amosono Kpogah, 42 and Dora Ayivi, 40. Those on admission are Kwabena Avornyo, 31 and Adwoa Kpogah, 40. According to Police Inspector J.A.Donkor in charge of Apedwa Police Station, during the funeral of the late Kwaku Kpogah, a prominent farmer at Densuso, who was noted for drinking Akpeteshie bitters, the family decided to serve akpeteshie.
He said, Kwabena Kpogah brought a bottle of akpteshie bitters from the room of the deceased believed to have been prepared by him and served the victims. Inspector Donkor said as the victims drank the bitters they complained to severe abdominal pains and were rushed to the Apedwa Clinic where three died immediately and the fourth person died soon on admission at the Suhum Hospital. Meanwhile Kwabena Kpogah is helping the police in their investigation. The dead bodies had been deposited at the Suhum Hospital for autopsy.
From Ransford Tetteh, Begoro
This year's Begoro Odwira festival started on a sour note last Tuesday when a man allegedly poured petrol on a fetish priestess and set her ablaze during the observance on one of the rites performed during the festival. The victim, Okomfo Esi Twiwaa, 34, from Obuoho, near Begoro, in the Fanteakwa District in the Eastern Region, sustained severe burns, especially around the lower abdomen. She is on admission at the Central Hospital, Koforidua, while the Begoro Police are searching for the alleged culprit, Kwabena Ampoma, popularly called Green.
It all began about noon last Tuesday, October 17, when over 2,000 citizens of the area including chiefs, gathered at the town's durbar grounds to watch a display by about 30 priests and priestesses to usher in the festival. Eye-witnesses said at Begoro, last Friday, that a handsome prize of cash and a trophy was at stake as a result of which the performers tried to outdo one another to win the prize. One of the witnesses said during the display, a priestess turned a content of a tin of milk into locally distilled gin, "akpeteshie" following which the alleged suspect was said to have challenged her calling the priests and priestesses confidence tricksters who are out in this scientific age to deceive people. It was told that after this challenge, the durbar grounds became "charged" with the performers exhibiting more wonderful displays.
According to the eye-witnesses, when it got to the turn of Okomfo Twiwaa, her assistants collected dry plantain leaves, put some on her head and tied the rest around her body. The assistants were said to have set the leaves on fire with a substance suspected to be schnapps. This went on amidst singing and drumming, encouraged by the deafening applause, Okomfo Twiwaa was said to have asked her assistants to pour more of the substance on her head and body for the leaves to burn well. The suspect, it was said, got annoyed and again described what was going on was "awam" and left the scene.
After some time, the eye-witnesses said, the suspect appeared on the scene carrying a gallon suspected to contain petrol and poured it on Okomfo Twiwaa. In no time all the dry leaves on OKomfo Twiwaa's body got burnt and her regalia which was also woven from grass, caught fire. Another source said when the people started running away, her linguist spotted a pot of palm wine just nearby which he poured on Okomfo Twiwaa to bring the fire under control. The Begoro Police confirmed the story and said they are still investigating.
By Eben C. Sam
The National Service Scheme (NSS) is facing a shortage of service personnel following the protracted closure of the country's universities.
As the universities remain closed, no new servicemen will come out of those institutions and that means that the NSS will lose some 5,000 personnel it has expected this year. In the end, the Ghana Education Service Senior Secondary Schools which benefit from about 80% of service personnel postings will suffer. Speaking in an interview with the Mirror in Accra on Thursday, Mr. Adjei Afriyie Nketia, head of public relations of the NSS, however said that efforts will be made to meet some of the demand using service personnel from other tertiary institution. Mr. Nketia said for the past three years between 20,000 and 21,000 service personnel have been sent on postings annually. He said that the government has not taken any decision on secondary schools leavers yet, even though the secretariat has already completed a master list for them to do national service. If a decision is taken on secondary school leavers, then the number of annual service personnel postings will soar to 60,000 and 80% of who will be sent to the rural areas. He explained that the secretariat does not start postings earlier that October each year. He said that postings are preceded by annual co-ordinators conference at which decision on policies and issues pertaining to postings of the in-coming year are discussed. The conference also evaluates the programme for the year and issue a policy guideline for the in-coming year. That for this year has just ended.
When he was caught red-handed stealing a carton of cooking oil from a stall at the December 31 market, Yusif Musah, 26 knew he was on his way to jail.
But he was pleasantly surprised, when he was given a few slaps and taken to swear an affidavit to the effect that he will not steal again in the office of a Commissioner of Oaths. Musah was too happy to oblige and after he had repeated the words: "I swear I won't steal again" after the Commissioner he quickly dissolved into the crowd and was soon gone.
Narrating his own story to the Mirror at the 31st December Market security office, Musah said on October 16, this year, he left his Darkuman residence very early in the morning to the 31st December Market where he used to sell meat. He confirmed that he and his friend, one Aglah, entered one Juliana Nyanor's stall and made away with the carton of oil. Unfortunately for them they came face to face with the security men at the market and then upon interrogation they took to their heels. Aglah, however, escaped whilst Yusif was arrested. When the mirror contacted the security Co-ordinator of the market, Mr. Samuel Fuzi, he said the swearing of the affidavit was the only way by which his outfit could instil some fear into thieves at the market since they do not get the desired co-operation of the police in such matters. He claimed that due to the delay by the police in dealing with theft cases at the market, most traders prefer reclaiming their goods from thieves and setting the culprits free.
This Mr. Fizi emphasised, has led to the increase in thefts at the market. Mr. Fizi could not immediately give figures as to the rate of thefts in the market, but the mirror gather from some of the market women that at least four or five theft cases are reported daily. The police, on the other hand, denied Mr. Fuzi's allegation and said no theft cases at the market have been reported to them. According to Mr. E.Y. Domie, District Crime Officer, he has been at post for the past one year and no such cases have been brought to his notice. He said all criminal cases, including stealing are often dealt with promptly by his office without delay and challenged the security outfit of the market to report any further thefts to the police.
From Ben Owusu-Sekere, Sunyani
The state of joy that a 29-year-old hunter went through on thinking that he has shot a monkey on top of a tree turned sour when he realised that the "monkey" was a human being.
Kwasi Amkamah, the hunter, is said to have dashed from the spot where he fired the gun with the speed of a Carl Lewis towards the tree shouting "I have got the monkey, I have got the monkey". But he reached the tree only find the horrible sight of a little boy screaming in a pool of blood. Ankamah is now in police custody and he is to be arraigned before court soon.
A police source told the Mirror that the boy, Joseph Damoah, a class six pupil, had gone to trap birds in a cocoa farm at Bronsakrom, a village near Sunyani on October 9 when he met his sudden death. The source said Ankamah whose cocoa farm shares boundaries with farm in which Damoah was trapping birds, has also gone to the farm to hunt for monkeys which were destroying his cocoa pods. Ankamah told the police in his statement that he saw a monkey on a tree close to the tree on which the boy was hiding to trap birds. When he attempted to shoot at the animal, it jumped unto the tree on which the boy was. Ankamah said he was sure it was a monkey so after it jumped to the other tree he hid somewhere and shot at it and it fell. He said he rushed to the spot to pick the animal but to his surprise he found a human being instead. Ankamah raised an alarm for help and later handed himself over to the police. The body of Ankamah has since been buried after post mortem at the Sunyani Hospital.
By Eben C. Sam
Committal proceeding will begin on Thursday, November 9, 1995 at an Accra high court against Adams Ofosu Asamani, 30, the man described by the police as the "sex beast of the Tetteh Quarshie circle".
Asamani who is still in custody at the Airport police station has been charged with an earlier offence of raping a woman around the Tetteh Quarshie Circle in 1993. He has two more charges of rape to answer later. According to ASP D.K. Opare, District Commanader of the Airport Police, an identification parade will be held when the committal proceedings begin. ASP Opare said since rape is a first degree felony, the committal docket had to be closely studied, a process which entails a lot of work, hence the delay.
The Mirror in its October 7, 1995, edition reported the case of a young lady who identified Asamani at the Tetteh Quarshie taxi rank, one year after Asamani allegedly raped her in some bushes around the Tetteh Quashie Circle. The report said Asamani after having satisfied himself started calling others in Ewe to also come and have their share, but the victim managed to escape to Secaps Hotel where with the help of some carpenters mounted a fruitless search for Asamani.