People, Places and Events
IVORY COAST
Release of prisoners
President Houphouet-Boigny has decreed a comprehensive amnesty. This amnesty may involve just under 10,000 common law prisoners, with the exception of those sentenced for crimes of violence.All the common law prisoners with the exception of those guilty of armed robbery or murder will be released involving about 9,500 people out of the 13,000 detained in the Ivory Coast prisons. There will be some 10 French people among those pardoned. This massive release of prisoners is the first such move in the Ivory Coast and was decided on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the country's independence.
Agreement with FRG on debt rescheduling
The FRG and Ivory Coast signed an agreement in Bonn on the rescheduling of DM 30.5m (Fr 91.5m) owed to the federal republic by Ivory Coast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. According to the agreement, Ivory Coast is to repay DM 30.5m between 1989 and 1994. According to the same source, this agreement falls within the framework of a multilateral protocol of the "Paris Club" signed between Ivory Coast and 12 creditor nations on 25th July 1985.BENIN
Amnesty concern over detention
Amnesty International has expressed its "concern" about a recent wave of arrests in Benin and the alleged bad treatment of detainees there. In a communique, Amnesty said a group of up to 100 people - including teachers, students, engineers and officials had been arrested last month for belonging to the banned Dahomey Communist Party.Amnesty said the detainees had not been charged. It added that the terms of their detention were "particularly tough" and noted that political prisoners had been tortured in the past.
The organisation also named seven students who were arrested between May and August.. Several of them were in bad health "because of torture inflicted upon them or because they have been refused medical care". Amnesty said the students may have been accused of leading a student strike in Cotonou last April. It added that three of them had been impris- oned before "because of their opposition to government education policies"...
NIGERIA
Love your neighbours
President Ibrahim Babangida has enjoined muslims to love their neighbours in compli- ance with the main teaching of Islam, instead of fighting among themselves on irrelevant issues.President Babangida's plea was made in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the official opening of the newly completed "All-Purpose-Islamic- complex" at the University of Ibadan.
The Minister of Internal Security in an interview to the Ivory Coast TV tried to reassure the population worried by the idea of the presence of various delinquents back in the streets.
Major-General Babangida, who was represented at the occasion by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshall Ibrahim Alfa, said the government would assist higher institutions in providing avenues for the propagation of religious teachings, as a way of inculcating morality in the youths. He congratulated those who contributed to the completion of the mosque complex.
Save lives through rail system
The president general of the Nigeria Union of Railmen, Mr Omoruyi Ero, has said in Makurdi that the development of an effective railway system was the only solution to the increasing death on the roads.He told newsmen at the end of a two-day national executive council of the union that railway was not only the cheapest means of transportation but also the safest, adding that non-patronage of the railway in Nigeria was due to the ineffectiveness of the system, resulting from lack of maintenance.
Mr Ero revealed that most of the wagons and locomotives for the corporation were obsolete, adding that most of the coaches were grounded due to lack of spare parts and exorbitant customs and excise duties. He called on the Federal government to grant an import licence to the corporation to enable it to function effectively as a parastatal Mr Ero urged the government to link all the states of the federation with railway line adding that the neglect of the corporation 5 successive regimes in Nigeria had almost led to the collapse of the system.
Threat to agric output
Massive shortage of agro-chemicals is posing a great threat to Nigeria's efforts at self- sufficiency in food production and higher earnings from increased production of cash crops.According to a top official of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITA) in Ibadan, agro-chemicals, the lifeblood of agriculture, need to be imported on a large scale if Nigeria's agricultural goals are to be met.
He said that agricultural output cannot be substantially increased without adequate supply of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.
"These agro-chemcals are far more important to farmers, particularly in the southern regions of Nigeria than fertilizers because the soil in these areas is naturally fertile," he added.
Oil minister challenges Britain
Oil Minister, Professor Tam David-West has issued a formal challenge to North sea oil producers (Britain and Norway) saying his country would meet the threat they posed to its oil sales "barrel by barrel and cent by cent".In a statement issued to reporters covering the OPEC conference in Geneva, Professor David-West said he could no longer ignore the fact that his country "has the problem of feeding and taking care of more than a hundred million people".
Nigeria, which produces a light crude directly comparable to north sea grades, had lost customers whenever it failed to match price cuts by non-OPEC members principally Norway and Britain.
The statement meant that from now on Nigeria felt free to ignore official OPEC rules on pricing and production as a necessary step to maintain its revenue from oil in view of the country's current austere economic climate
The country is already producing at the optimum of its OPEC quota, which is 1.3 million barrels per day.
Plane crash-lands
A Nigeria Airways Boeing 737 crash-landed at Enugu Airport, Anambra State, last Thursday morning but none of the 126 passengers aboard was hurt.The aircraft, on a flight which took off from Enugu, was on its way to Lagos when its brake system malfunctioned.
As a result of the development, the aircraft had to race back to Enugu Airport. The plane landed forcefully and punctured its wheels as a result of the impact.
The fire brigade cordoned off the area while care hire service vehicles were allowed into the runway to carry the passenger to the arrival hall.
Following the incident, the airport was closed to traffic until the plane was towed off from the tarmac.
White paper on countertrade
All existing countertrade agreements are to be renegotiated to ensure that the interest of the nation is adequately protected. This time how- ever, the renegotiation will as far as possible, be carried out on government-to-government basis. In a white paper, issued on the report of the committee which investigated countertrade agreements entered into by the previous ad- ministration, the Federal government agreed that there were some serious procedural irregularities which undermine the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme.According to the white paper, the agreements lacked appropriate framework and adequate institutional arrangements for efficient planning, negotiation and adminis- tration, as well as for price surveillance, quality inspection and quick monitoring of goods imports and oil exports..
A number of views expressed by the committee were endorsed by the government. They include the continued use of countertrade as a short-term measure for national economic revival and sustained development as well as the future extension of the scheme to include non-oil exportable minerals such as coal, tin, columbite and butane. Agricultural products like cocoa, rubber, processed roots and fibres, as well as beer are also to be included in the scheme.
In this direction the government has given approval for company-to-company counter- trade agreements by major Nigerian industrial, trading and financial enterprises. The government also expected that priority areas which could in future attract countertrade deals include the completion of vital projects such as the iron and steel, petro-chemical, and the liquified natural gas projects. Others will be for liquidating or servicing selected and verified debts, importation of essential raw materials, machinery, and agricultural equipment.
Liquefied gas project agreement signed
An agreement which will service as a framework for a joint liquefied natural gas (LNG) project between Nigeria and three oil companies has been signed in Lagos. The three companies are Shell Gas Nigeria BP, Nigeria Agip Oil Company, and Elf Nigeria Limited.Under the agreement, the federal government and the three companies will promote a project to market LNG in Europe. The federal government, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, will have 60% participation while Shell will hold 20% interest. Agip and Elf will have 10% participation in the project, for which Shell has been appointed the technical leader.
The Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Prof Tam David-West, said the proposed plant would be located at Bonny in Rivers State. He explained that the intention was to build a filtering plant capable of delivering to customers over 3m tons of LNG per annum. The interest of European companies as it would be easy to absorb because of initial modest size. It will also incorporate the potential for future expansion to further utilise Nigeria's gas reserve, and increase the diversification of gas supplies in Western Europe.
Finance for refinery project
Japanese financiers have signed an agreement to build a 535m dollar oil refinery in Nigeria in conjunction with a French firm. Satsuki Oshizumi, manager for Europe and Africa of Marubeni, a Japanese financial company, signed the agreement on 29th November, covering the Japanese portion of the 150,000 barrels a day refinery to be built by 1988 in Port Harcourt, on the south-eastern coast.But France, which must guarantee the financing for the French company involved, Spies-Batignolles, if the project is to get off the ground, has so far refused to do so. The Japan Gas Corporation is to build the refinery itself, about 55% of the total cost, while Spies-Batignolles is to build the process units and off-site buildings, about 45% of the cost. The plan would turn Nigeria from a net importer of refined petroleum products into a net exporter of about 50,000 to 100,000 barrels a day in such products.
The financial agreement calls for a loan of 61bn yen (about 200m dollars) by Marubeni that is expected to be guaranteed soon by Japan's Export Credit Agency. The loan is to be repaid over 10 years starting six months after the plant becomes operation officials said.
SENEGAL
Financial agreement with FRG
Co-operation between Bonn and Dakar is judged to be on a sound footing. Both countries have signed a financial co-operation agreement worth 19.5bn CFA francs. It was signed by Serigne Lamin Diop, Minister of Industrial Development and Crafts, represent- ing Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Minister of Planning and Co-operation, and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Norbert Lang.The 19.5bn CFA franc agreement is the outcome of the 10th session of FRG-Senegal Joint High Commission meeting which was held six months ago in Bonn. On that occasion all aspects of co-operation between the two countries were examined in particular financial assistance.
Qadafi's visit to Senegal
On the second day of the visit, 4th December, Quadhafi and President Abdou Diouf had attended prayers together at the Daker Grand Mosque, Daker radio said, adding that the delegations, led respectively by the Libyan Secretary for Foreign Liaison, Turakyi, and Senegal's Foreign minister, Ibrahima Fall, had also held a working session at which Turayki had stressed Senegal's role in strengthening African unity and Afro-Arab co-operation. He had said that since President Abdou Diouf had become the OAU Chairman the organisation had been given new impetus. Bilateral relations and the possibilities of future co-operation had been discussed, the Libyan agency said.LIBERIA
Coup Involvement Discussed
Foreign Minister, T. Ernest Eastman has confirmed a BBC report in which authorities in Sierra Leone are said to have assured the Liberian government that an investigation will be conducted into allegations that Sierra Leoneans were involved in the recent coup attempt in Liberia. The BBC report said a Liberian delegation headed by Minister Eastman visited Freetown for talks with Sierra Leone's new Head of State, Maj-Gen Joseph Momoh.TOGO
Two more explosions in Lome
Two more explosions have been reported in Lome. One explosion caused no casualties but the other left one dead and two seriously injured. A series of explosions have occurred recently in the Togolese capital and the Ghanaians have been suspected by the Togo- lese authorities of being responsible for them.GHANA
Col. Qadhafi in Accra
The Libyan leader Colonel Qadhafi has told students of the University of Ghana, Legon, that if the revolution in Libya is toppled, then the revolution in Ghana would be surrendered. He declared: We have the right to rebel against the imperialists; the distance between our two countries does not count, it is the revolution- ary stand which matters, Ghana and Libya are one in the revolutionary sense because they are against imperialism, racism, Zionism and reaction.Col Qadhafi who is visiting the country asked Ghanaians to regard Libya as their second home. He noted that Ghana has started playing her leading role in Africa under the PNDC and she is gaining back the glory during the days of late President Dr Kwame Nkrumah. The Libyan leader called for understanding and protection for the PNDC Chairman, Flt-Lt Rawlings, in consolidating the revolutionary gains because the CIA is against him.
Colonel Qadhafi said although he has been highly impressed by the enthusiastic reception given him, he detests the sight of people sell- ing trivial things like cigarettes and sweets on the roadside. He said, this is consumption without production. He remarked that Ghana is a paradise in view of her abundant natural resources. Ghanaians should therefore return to the land and the slogan should be produc- tion and not consumption, and the word selling should be substituted by the word producing.
In a brief speech, Chairman Rawlings observed that Ghana has benefited from Libya since the revolution was launched. He, however, said: Ghana deserves more assistance because she has done a lot for Africa.
Chairman Rawlings told the students that they are a key to a vital goal. He said: I am dealing with a world that deals with scientific analysis and other things and on the other hand with a mass of people who reason by passion. Flt-Lt Rawlings declared: Your scientific militancy is what the revolution needs. He promised to meet the students again to share with them truths which he said will lay bare certain issues.
Promise of Aid
Colonel Muammar Qadhafi on a visit to Ghana joined a large congregation of Muslims from all walks of life to say prayers together at the central Mosque at Abossey-Okai in Accra. The Libyan was accompanied by a member of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) Alhaji Mahamah Idrissu.Addressing the Muslims he announced that Libya is prepared to give financial support for the establishment of Islamic institutions in Ghana. He said Libya is also willing to offer scholarships to Ghanaian Muslims who wish to pursue higher studies in Libya... He added that Libya owes it a duty to support Muslims wherever they may be.
The Secretary for Culture and Tourism, Dr Mohamed Ben Abdallah, said the visit of Col Qadhafi is significant for Muslims in Ghana in their search for lasting peace and harmony
... He observed that a new chapter has been opened in the history of Islam in Ghana and therefore asked Muslims to work toward unity so that proposals to the Libyan delegation in vital areas of mutual co-operation can yield good results.
In a welcome address, the co-ordinator of the National Islamic Secretariat, Alhaji Dauda Otoo, said Muslims in Ghana have been following with keen interest the assistance Libya has been giving to African nations including Ghana which benefited from food aid, medical and oil supplies during the difficult days of the revolution.
US support is ironic
The US based United Front for the Liberation of Ghana has wondered why recent events regarding the swapping of spies between Ghana and the U.S. and the subsequent expulsion of diplomats from each other's country should raise the question as to why there should be this relapse in Ghana-US relations.The Front emphasized the facade behind the apparent goodwill which the Rawlings' regime has mounted in its relations with the US and noted that this has led to the thinking in certain teaching. circles that there should be business as usual with the regime.
"If the Sousoudis affairs did not elicit enough jolt to the US, the initiative of the Ghana government to expel four US diplomats, which prompted the US to retaliate, should make it clear that the US confidence has been misplaced," the Front continued. "If indeed human rights are a factor in deciding on U.S. economic aid, then the millions of dollars doled to Rawlings and his team have been woefully misapplied. In a sense it is a support for that oppressive regime and it is ironic that the US should support this government which is disliked by its own nationals.
"In this regard, Rawlings' flirtations with Marxist governments exemplified by his trips to Cuba and Nicaragua, and his strong attach-ment to Gadaffi should have put the U.S. on the alert that Rawlings cannot be a dependable ally. If so, why does the US support a system that is so palpably false and hated by Ghanaians?
"Now that the US has seen the Rawlings regime for what it really is, it would, in the long run, be in the best interest of both coun- tries if the US would cease to prop up the Marxist regime in Ghana through financial and other forms of aid, but rather support the efforts to restore democracy in Ghana, the Front concluded in its press statement.
Report order to foreign shop owners
All foreign nationals, operating supermarkets as well as proprietors of shops selling foreign goods, general goods and provisions were ordered to report at the headquarters of the immigration office in Accra between 10th and the 13th of this month with their passports and any other relevant documents covering their operations for inspection.A statement issued by the Ministry of the Interior said they were also to collect within the same period, immigrant quota forms at the Ministry for completion and return not later than the 20th of this month.
Review contents of courses
Professor Kwamena Dickson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast has suggested that after every five years, the Ghana Educa- tion Service (GES) should review the contents of courses offered in the country's educational institutions. The Vice Chancellor made the suggestion in his speech marking the 76th anniversary of the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) at Takoradi.He asked for the extension of the school's laboratory to cover the workshop of wayside fitters and watch repairers. "This is where the foundation of the Ghanaian technology can be found" he added.
He also advised teachers in the country's educational institutions to feel free to teach what the nation requires because nation building depends on how fast teachers are able to make the needs of society reflect in their
Govt won't impose ideas
Mr Ebo Tawiah, a member of the PNDC has called on Ghanaians who still see the CDR concept as alien and an imposition to rethink. He said the CDR as an organ of the revolution is aimed at getting as many people as possible into the art of government and to enable the people to take decisions and under- take ventures that would improve their lifestyles.The PNDC member who was addressing a rally organised to mark the first district-wide Esikuma said the PNDC is not interested in imposing its ideas on the people.
Rather the PNDC is committed to finding and evolving the kind of political institution which would ensure that even the down trodden has a say in matters that affect his interest, he added.
Mr Ebo Tawiah said the establishment of the National Commission for Democracy (NCD) to collect and collate views on how best a new democratic system could be developed to reflect popular power is an indication that the PNDC is seriously committed to its avowed aim of involving the broad mass of the people in taking well meaning decisions to change the course of the country's history.
Post offices sell passport forms
The sale of passport forms has resumed at the various post offices throughout the country after about five years back.So far about 150,000 forms have been dispatched to 88 selected post offices.
Sources at the P & T have expressed the hope that the sale of passport forms by the Post offices "will go a long way to ease congestion as well as the influx of applicants who cover long distances to purchase forms at the Passport Office in Accra.
Rising school fees
The inability of the country's educational auth- orities to institute uniform fees for Government-assisted second-cycle schools has led to large disparities between the amounts paid by one school and that paid by another, with some rising to as high as C4,000 per student per termIn the case of the private second-cycle schools, however, there has been a directive from the Ministry of Education to serve as a guide for a uniform fee that ranges betweenC700 and C1,350, depending on the grade of the specific school.
Investigations have revealed that even sixth formers who are supposed to be catered for by the government through the Scholarship Secretariat pay bills between C2,000 and C6,000 per term
GJA honours 6 Journalists
Six journalists have been honoured by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for their outstanding performance in the field of journalism.The awards ceremony was held in Accra, to climax the Press Week organised by the GJA from November 23 to December 1.
The journalists received handsome cash According to GJA secretary, Mr Kabral prizes at the ceremony. Blay-Amihere the recipients are Miss Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Acting Editor of "The Mirror" for valour and courage; Mr Ben L. Sackey, Acting Director of News and Current Affairs of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation for dedicated service to the GBC for 37 years; and Mr Yaw Boakye Ofori Atta, Editor of the "Weekly Spectator" for exemplary editorship.
Mr Tom Dorkenoo of the "Ghanaian Times" also receives an award for investigative reporting.
The rest are: Mr T. B. Ottie of the Ghana News Agency for his contribution to the growth of the GJA; and Mr Henry Ofori (alias Carl Mutt), a columnist of "The Mirror" for successfully using the medium of humour over the years to discuss issues of national interest and importance.
The Brong-Ahafo Regional branch of the GJA was honoured for being the best organised regional branch. Mr Blay-Amihere said. At the same function, a newsletter of the association, "The Ghanaian Journalist was launched.
Other activities were organised during the week were a press conference by the President of the association, Mr Edwin Tengey to usher in the celebration, after the launching of the Press Week on behalf of the Under-Secretary for Information, Mr Totobi Quakyi by the Secretary for Culture and Tourism, Dr Ben Abdallah.
In a speech, read for him by Dr Abdallah, Mr Quakyi described Ghanaian journalists as unaggressive, docile and domesticated, lack- ing the qualities of their counterparts elsewhere notably Nigeria. Apart from this, they also lack the fortitude to probe further, question and challenge, and are content with being given handouts. A symposium was held on the topic, "Perspectives of the Ghana Press".
UK decision is sabotage
Ghana said at the weekend that Britain's decision to pull out of UNESCO was designed to sabotage third world influence in major international organisations. Accra radio said that Britain had withdrawn from UNESCO for much the same reasons as the USA a year ago.'It is only in the past 10 years or so that members of the third world... have managed to get their voices heard in the corridors of UNESCO and other international bodies', the radio said.
It is therefore understandable that those who benefit from the present state of affairs should sabotage efforts to change them, the Radio added.
It added that this had meant a reduction in the influence of countries such as the US and Britain.
An even more serious challenge to the predominance of the major Western countries had been UNESCO's support for calls for a new world information order and a new economic order, the radio said.
Four years of revolution
Mrs Susan Al-Hassan, member of the PNDC, has launched the fourth anniversary of the December 31 Revolution celebration with an appeal to Ghanaians to resolve to correct all past failures and increase the pace of the nation's political and economic development. The theme for this year's celebration is:'Solidarity in labour for peaceful development'.
In a radio and television broadcast, the PNDC member enjoined both men and women to observe the occasion by looking back over their shortcomings and exchanging ideas on how they could improve upon their performances and resolve to advance into 1986 stronger, more confident and determined to support Ghana's progress.She recalled that in the early days of the revolution, there was an eager rush to partici- pate on many fronts.
"In some cases, opportunists got into the system. In other cases, the individuals concerned were committed but lacked direction and operational skills", she observed.
But, she said, the main problem encountered had been that too many people did not fully accept that participation meant responsibility. She reminded such people that progress in participation required a readiness to take on responsibility.
"Casting our minds back over the past four years, if we all look honestly at ourselves, I think we must admit that although we have achieved many things during 1985, we could have achieved more."
On agriculture, Mrs Al-Hassan warmly congratulated farmers on their achievement resulting in the provision of plenty to eat and enough for exports. To those who say, "food is abundant but it is expensive" the PNDC said they should stop those remarks and think carefully of the situation over the past four years. They would, for instance, admit that "the cost of many basic food items is less, in relation to the average daily wage than it was last year or the year before. "Even though wages and salaries are still not adequate, we are gradually moving in that direction, and we can accelerate the process by the very simple remedy of more efficient work and production".
On the gains of the industrial front, Mrs Al- Hassan said the pace had been slower. "We must strive to identify and remove bottlenecks to increase efficiency in management and production and to eliminate the apathy and lack of urgency which still lingers in many quarters. On the world scene the PNDC member said "Ghana is a small but proud country."
Kotoku meeting
The Akim Kotoku Association (UK) is holding its annual super disco at Woodberry Down Boys Club, Green Lane, Manor House on December 21, 1985. Time 6pm to 12 midnight. For tickets, contact Tel: 01-635 0933.J. O. T. passes away
The body of Mr J. O. T. Agyeman, former Managing Director of the Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) has been flown to Accra for burial.The late Mr Agyeman who was the father- in-law of Flt-Lt Jerry Rawlings, chairman of the PNDC died in a London hospital last week. He was 73.
Danso wins Fao Award
Mr Lawrence. K. Danso of Ghana has won the 1985 B. R. Sen Award for Food and Agricultural Organisation, (F.A.O.) field experts. Mr. Danso won the award for dynamic leadership as head of reforestation and development project in North-East Thailand. The project which is based on an appraisal of the political needs of local people, breaks new ground in applying rural Sociology to the problems facing forest settlements.Mohammed Amin, a television cameraman and producer from Kenya and Claire Brisset, a French journalist have also been named joint winners of FAO's A. H. Boerma Award.
The A. H. Boerma biennial award of 10,000 dollars is given to journalists whose work has helped rally public attention to the world food problem and mobilize efforts to solve hunger and malnutrition.
BBC Award for Ghanaian journalist
Miss Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, acting editor of "The Mirror' newspaper of Ghana and columnist of the paper has been named 'Columnist of the Year by the BBC "Network Africa"."Network Africa's", Journalist of the Year competition invited listeners to send in nominations accompanied by samples of the nominee's work. The competition was also to select the best nominating letter from listeners.
Miss Yeboah-Afari won the title jointly with a Ugandan journalist, Henry Grombya of the 'Kampala Star' who was named "Reporter of the Year" by the panel of judges.
