Senior UN humanitarian official urges end to West Bank home demolitions

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Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Maxwell Gaylard. UN Photo/Mark GartenA senior United Nations official has called for an immediate end to Israel?s demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, as he witnessed first hand the suffering and destruction caused by this ongoing practice.

?Israel, as the occupying Power, has a fundamental responsibility to protect the Palestinian civilian population under its control and to ensure their dignity and well-being,? stated Maxwell Gaylard, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

?The wholesale destruction of their homes and livelihoods is not consistent with that responsibility or humanitarian ideaIsrael, as the occupying Power, has a fundamental responsibility to protect the Palestinian civilian population under its control and to ensure their dignity and well-being.ls,? he said.

Mr. Gaylard visited the Anata village on the outskirts of Jerusalem yesterday where he saw the ruins of seven Palestinian homes demolished earlier in the week and met with representatives of the displaced families.

Bulldozers and troops had arrived in the middle of the night of 23 January, he was told, and that 52 people, including 29 children, had been forced from their homes, which were then destroyed.

The visit by Mr. Gaylard came on the same day that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a new report showing that almost 1,100 Palestinians, over half of them children, were displaced due to home demolitions in the West Bank by Israeli forces in 2011 ? over 80 per cent more than in the previous year.

The report, entitled ?Demolitions and Forced Displacement in the Occupied West Bank,? added that an additional 4,200 people were affected by the demolition of structures related to their livelihoods.

Mr. Gaylard noted that these figures represent a dramatic increase compared with previous years, and that a much greater number, in the tens of thousands, remain under threat of dispossession, demolition and displacement.

?The current policy and practice of demolitions cause extensive human suffering and should end,? he stated. ?Palestinians urgently require ready access to a fair and non-discriminatory planning and zoning system that meets their needs for growth and development.?

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Independent UN expert calls on Brazil to suspend S�o Paulo evictions

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UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Raquel Rolnik. UN Photo/Ryan BrownAn independent United Nations human rights expert today urged Brazilian authorities to suspend evictions from the Pinheirinho settlement in S?o Paulo and find durable solutions with residents.

Raquel Rolnik, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, called on the authorities to find a ?peaceful and appropriate solution,? including housing alternatives, for those evicted this week from the settlement, located in the capital?s S?o Jose dos Campos city.

About 6,000 residents have been affected by the eviction order dictated by a judge in late December last year, according to a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).I?m appalled by the excessive use of force reportedly used during the evictions on 22 January.

?I?m appalled by the excessive use of force reportedly used during the evictions on 22 January,? the Special Rapporteur said.

She cited information she has received suggesting that the military police of S?o Paulo used tear gas and rubber bullets against the residents, including children and the elderly. Twenty residents were reportedly injured, one severely, and 30 arrested.

?I?m told Pinheirinho is still under siege and that nobody is allowed to enter the area,? Ms. Rolnik said. ?The current situation of the evictees is extremely worrying; with no housing alternatives they are vulnerable to other human rights violations.?

The expert, who reports in an independent and unpaid capacity to the UN Human Rights Council, appealed to the authorities of the State of S?o Paulo to suspend the eviction order and the police action in Pinheirinho, stating that this which would allow the authorities to resume negotiations with residents to find a peaceful solution.

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Wa Municipal Health Directorate records decrease in maternal deaths

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The Wa Municipal Health Directorate has recorded a decrease in maternal deaths from eight cases in 2010 to six cases in 2011.

The reduction according to the Municipal Health Authorities came as a result of an increase in the percentage of skilled deliveries from 78.9% in 2010 to 89.4% in 2011 with a corresponding decrease in Traditional Birth Attendance deliveries.

Mrs. Beatrice Kunfah, the Wa Municipal Director of Health Services, who announced this during an annual performance review meeting at Wa on Thursday said antenatal coverage also recorded a marginal increase from 107% to 108% respectively.

She attributed the impressive performance to a number of strategies and activities implemented by the Government through the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health (GHS) in collaboration with the Municipal Health Directorate, its partners and stakeholders.

These strategies and activities included the procurement of medical equipment, logistics and capacity building for midwives and other health staff to improve the quality of maternal health care in the Municipality.

Others are the declaration of zero tolerance for home delivery and maternal deaths, public sensitization on maternal and child health and the institution of pregnancy classes for all pregnant women in the Municipality among others.

Mrs. Kunfah noted however that the acute shortage of Midwives, Medical Assistants, Public Health Nurses and Field Technicians was affecting the quality and coverage of health services in the Municipality.

Other challenges she underscored include the increasing burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in the Municipality, delay in the reimbursement of funds from the Health Insurance Scheme, office and staff accommodation as well as poor attitude of some staff.

Alhaji Yakubu Duogu, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the launching of the KARMA Project in November last year in the Region by the First Lady, Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills, underscored the commitment of the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in tackling the maternal mortality issue.

He said the Wa Municipal Assembly had also made three commitments to help improve quality health delivery in the Municipality.

National Ambulance Service personnel have been engaged on contract to transport pregnant women referred by their health centers to the Regional hospital.

Ten community health Nurses are being supported in various health institutions and the Assembly would facilitate the construction of a hostel at the Regional hospital to accommodate women with high risk pregnancies.

The MCE said the Assembly was also harboring a long term dream of constructing an operating theatre at the maternity ward of the Regional Hospital to serve the needs of women with complicated pregnancies. GNA

Security man charged for kidnapping a girl

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There was confusion at an Accra Circuit Court on Friday when the father of a 14 year old girl who was kidnapped from her grandmother’s house at Sakumono for three weeks told the court that he never reported to the Police that his daughter had been defiled by the accused.

The behaviour of the victim’s father, who is the complainant in the matter, drew sharp criticism from the people in court who shouted at him.

The accused, Anthony Koffie, a security man, has been charged with abduction of a child under 18 years and defilement. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mr Chris Azumah, Counsel for the accused, then asked the Police to strike out the defilement charge against his client since the complainant never made such a report to them and prayed the court to admit the accused to bail since the offence was a bailable one.

The Court as a result of the situation admitted the accused to bail in the sum of GH10,000 cedis with one surety to re-appear on February 7, 2012.

The Prosecutor, Chief Inspector A.A. Ahor presenting the facts of the case, said the victim aged 14 lives at Sakumono with grandmother whilst the accused, Anthony Koffie is a security man who resides at Nungua.

He said the accused established a local football team and recruited young ladies and train them how to play football.

He said in the latter part of December, 2011, the victim asked for permission from the grandmother at Sakumono to spend sometime time at Nungua.

Chief Inspector Ahor said the following morning, the accused bumped into the victim and introduce himself as a team manager who trains young ladies who have football ambition.

He said Koffie convinced and lured the victim into his house and “camped” her for three weeks with the pretence of training her to become a footballer.

He said the victim’s father who was all along searching for her, had information that the victim was putting up with the accused at Nungua.

Chief Inspector Ahor said the victim’s father alerted the Sakumono Police who arrested the accused and rescued the victim, and handed over the accused to the Nungua Police DOVVSU for investigation.

He said a search conducted in the accused room revealed military accoutrement including a locally manufactured pistol. That aspect of the case is being investigated by the Kpeshie Divisional CID.

He said a medical form was issued to the victim and she was examined and full report was submitted on her. After investigation, accused was charged with the offence. GNA

Ghana to set-up inter-Party Youth Platform

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The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in collaboration with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has set in motion modalities for establishing Inter-Party Youth Platform (IPYP).

The IPYP seeks to bring youth leaders of various political parties and other youth movements together once every month to brainstorm and discuss national issues with one voice and in a-political manner.

The platform is to harness the resources and potential of the youth in policy-making as the proliferation of youth organisations makes it impossible to determine which group to consult in formulating and implementing development policies, Mr Ranford Gyampo, political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, said in Accra.

Speaking at the maiden meeting of Youth Leaders of political parties with representation in parliament as well as other minority political parties, Mr Gyampo said the current legitimacy deficit of the National Union of Ghana Students makes the establishment of IPYP imperative.

The IPYP is to be modeled along the Platform of General Secretaries and Policy Analyst under the IEA-Ghana Political Parties programme.

Mr Gyampo said the IPYP would also be used to improve the relevance and effectiveness of programmes, enhance the youth’s sense of ownership, and stimulate new creative, synergistic ideas from both adults and youth in programme development.

He said the IPYP also presents an opportunity to build the capacity of the youth in leadership…it will also foster friendship among the youth who had always been agents of violence in elections to ultimately promote peace before, during and after elections.

The IPYP is also to use the 11-point IEA-Youth Development Manual as fundamental tool for setting modalities for the non-partisanship youth platform.

The Youth Development manual focuses on; advocacy for joint youth issues and causes, serve as mediation and conciliation body, take lead role in conflict resolution, serve as trainer of trainees and act as a joint pressure group against obnoxious and iniquitous national policies and defend the poor, deprived, marginalised and disadvantaged.

The Manual also seeks to build in the youth the capacity to work with NUGS to re-focus on its role as the core leading organisation of the nation’s student instead of operating as splinter groups of political parties on campuses, work with Ghana Education Service for revival in the senior high schools of student in governance associations, clubs and the Voluntary Work Camps Associations.

Mr Theophelius Dowetin, West Africa Programme manager of International IDEA cautioned the youth against involvement in political violence as; “the same seasoned politicians who use them to achieve their political ambitions turn round to accuse them of being violent.

“You must learn your lessons as the youth have never achieved anything out of political violence, the beneficiaries are the paymasters”.

Mrs Jean Mensa, IEA Executive Director, facilitated the maiden meeting attended by youth leaders from the National Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party, Convention Peoples Party, Great Consolidated Popular Party, United Reformed Party, EAGLE Party and the yet to be certified Progressive Peoples Party.

Youth leaders from All Peoples Party and Sierra Leone People’s Party from Sierra Leone also participated, as well as International IDEA Executive from Uganda. GNA

CLOGSAG threatens nation-wide sit down strike over single spine implementation

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The National Executive Committee of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana(CLOGSAG), has threatened a nation-wide sit-down strike, if “anomalies” in the migration of CLOGSAG members onto the Single Spine Salary Structure(SSSS), are not addressed by February 9, 2012.

In accordance with the decision, all CLOGSAG members would with immediate effect, wear red bands, and CLOGSAG offices would hoist red flags.

At a press briefing in Accra on Friday, Mr. Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, said CLOGSAG had come to the conclusion that there had been incomplete migration of Civil and Local Government Staff onto the SSSS, even though it had been “repeatedly announced by the Government that all public sector workers would be placed on the SSSS by December, 2011”.

He said the Accounting Class and the Internal Auditors within the Civil and local Government Services, the Non-Formal Division of the Ministry of Education and “some of our members within the Lands Commission have not been migrated”.

Mr. Addo said the top up allowance which was introduced to mitigate the ”negative and insignificant changes, as was done for other public service institutions as a result of the hype of expectations among public officers, has not been applied to CLOGSAG members”.

He said since September 2011, all efforts by CLOGSAG to get the Accounting Class, Internal Auditors, and some members within the Lands Commission to be migrated unto the SSSS had proved futile.

“We have held meetings with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare and the Minister of Finance and Economic planning without any result. Appeals through the Civil Service Council, Office of the Head of Civil Service and the Local Government Service Secretariat, have also not yielded the desired results,” he said.

Mr. Addo said with the mounting pressures being put on CLOGSAG by its constituents and the “deafening silence from the authorities”, the Executive Committee of CLOGSAG wished that government took steps to address “these concerns” to ensure equity and fairness in the application of the principles underlying the Single Spine Pay Policy(SSPP), to engender peace during this election year”.

He said there was no consistency in the application of the principles underlying the structure.

“Whilst there are overlaps with respect to levels below 21, the higher levels have no overlaps. This implies that the structure has been massaged to the disadvantage of our members,” said Mr. Addo.

“We are not operating a Single Spine Salary Structure. In fact, a non-overlapping salary structure has been applied to sections of the Public Service, where as others are on a salary structure which combines overlapping and non-overlapping levels,” he said.

Mr. Addo said the concerns raised by CLOGSAG “should not continue, and we call on government to ensure as a matter of urgency, that equity and fairness prevails in salaries and conditions of service for all Public Sector workers”.

He said the National Executive Committee of CLOGSAG would have no other option than to declare a nation-wide sit-down strike, if by February 9, 2012, the “anomalies” had not been addressed.

“Meanwhile CLOGSAG members should, with immediate effect, wear red bands and CLOGSAG offices should hoist red flags,” Mr. Addo said. GNA

Court remands evangelist for defilement

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A self styled evangelist, who allegedly defiled a 14-year girl, under the pretext of healing her of epilepsy, has been remanded into prison custody by the Asante-Mampong District Magistrate Court.

The plea of Kwadwo Danquah, 26, was neither taken nor the facts of the case read in court.

The Magistrate, Mrs Joyce Bamfo, ordered that he should be brought back on February 7.

Police Inspector Lawrence Okou, Officer in-charge of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in the Asante-Mampong Municipality, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the accused together with another evangelist, Emmanuel Kofi Acheampong, now on the run, arrived at Mampong from Kumasi on January 23, at about 2030 hours.

They went straight to the local FM Radio Station, bought air time and preached for 30 minutes, during which they invited the sick and those afflicted with social problems to visit them the next day at the Video City Hotel for spiritual healing and counseling.

Police Inspector Okou said the victim’s mother, Mrs Sharifatu Adams, advised the victim, who is an epileptic, to visit the suspects at the hotel for assistance.

On arrival, Acheampong took the victim to the room where he was lodging under where the said praying and healing through the use of anointing oil, would take place.

While in the room, the suspect laid her on the bed, undressed, and massaged her private parts with some of the anointing oil and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.

Inspector Okou said after the act, Danquah the accomplice, also took the victim to his room and had sex with her.

Danquah then ordered the victim to wash down in a bath tub in the room because she had been completely healed of all her sicknesses and go home.

On the way home, she met the mother and narrated her ordeal to her.

The mother informed a police officer in a nearby rented police quarters, who accompanied them to the hotel to arrest them but Acheampong managed to escape. GNA

President Mills arrives in Ethiopia for AU Summit

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President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday afternoon arrived in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, to attend the 18th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).

President Mills, accompanied by senior Government officials, is expected to play key roles during the session of the Heads of State and Government of the 54-nation continental body.

President Mills was received at the Bole International Airport, by Mr Ahmed Chebib, the Ethiopian State Minister of Trade. Two 10 – year old girls, Mesekerem Belete and Mekides Negasi presented him with a bouquet of flowers.

There was the presence of Ghanaians, led by Mr Kobena Quartey, Ghana’s Ambassador to welcome the President.

During the session for the leaders, President Mills would be the Guest of Honour at the unveiling of the statue of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana at the forecourt of the new AU building which would be inaugurated on Saturday.

Professor Francis Nkrumah and Madam Samia Nkrumah, Chairperson of Convention People’s Party, both children of Dr Nkrumah, who President Mills invited to the ceremony are already in Addis Ababa to participate in the ceremony.

Dr Nkrumah who played a leading role in the African liberation struggle, was a founding member of the predecessor of the AU, the Organisation of African Unityas well as the Pan Africanist Movement

President Mills is also expected to deliver a keynote address, which is on the theme: “Boosting Intra African Trade.”

President Alassane Ouatarra of La Cote d’Ivoire and Mr Marti Ahtisaari former Prime Minister of Finland and Nobel Peace Laureate have requested to hold bilateral talks with President Mills on the sidelines of the summit.

High on the agenda at the summit would be the voting to elect new leaders to the continental body.

While the AU typically promotes regional diversity in its leadership, some observers have opined that it would be better to favour countries that have best adhered to AU protocols.

The Heads of State and Government would elect a new chairperson, likely to come from West Africa, to head the continental body for a one-year term.

The new chair is usually selected on a rotating regional schedule, with leaders from North, South, East and West Africa getting a fair shot at the top seat.

Meanwhile, a tough diplomatic battle is taking place at the Union ahead of the Presidential session to elect the Chairperson of the AU Commission,

The AU Commission Chairperson Dr Jean Ping, who is seeking re-election, is facing South Africa’s Interior Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is vying on a platform of change to the continental body, which her country blames for failing to prevent conflicts.

South Africa has proposed to delay the elections of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson during the AU’s ministerial meeting on 26 January, but a counter proposal to postpone the election of eight other commissioners has also been tabled.

Ghana withdrew her candidature for the post of Political Affairs Commissioner in favour of Aisha Laraba Abudulai, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea.

From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Special  Correspondent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

President Mills assigned key role at 18th AU Ordinary Session

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The18th African Union (AU) meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian which officially opened last Monday, has assigned Ghana’s President John Evans Atta Mills major roles during the session of heads of State and Government.

Aside delivering the keynote address, which is on the theme “Boosting Intra African Trade,” President Mills would also be the Guest of Honour at the unveiling of the statue of late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah at the forecourt of the new AU building.

The conference center project, fully funded by the Chinese government and constructed by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), is China’s largest aid project for Africa in decades.

The building would be inaugurated next Saturday in the presence of all the Heads of State and Governments at the meeting.

The conference center covers an area of some 50, 000 square meters and will have a 2,550-seat hall, a 650-seat medium conference hall, five press conference rooms and two VIP rooms, among many other facilities.

According to Mr Koku Anyidoho, Director of Communications at the Office of the President, President Mills has invited Dr Francis Nkrumah and Madam Samia Nkrumah, Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), who are both children of the first President, to join in the unveiling of the statue in honour of their father.

High on the agenda at the summit would be the voting to elect new leaders to the continental body.

While the AU typically promotes regional diversity in its leadership, some observers have noted that it would be better to favour countries that have best adhered to AU protocols.

The Summit will elect a new chairperson, likely to come from West Africa, to a one-year term.

The new Chair is usually selected on a rotating regional basis with leaders from North, South, East and West Africa getting a fair shot at the top seat.

Meanwhile, a tough diplomatic battle has taken shape at the Union ahead of the Presidential session to elect the Chairperson of the AU Commission.

The AU Commission Chairperson, Dr Jean Ping, elected to the position on February 1, 2008 and seeking re-election, is facing South Africa’s Interior Minister, Mrs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is vying on a platform of change to the continental body, which her country blames for failing to prevent conflicts.

Dr Ping’s supporters say their candidate is almost certain of an absolute majority when the elections come on 29 January.

South Africa has proposed to delay the elections of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson during the AU’s Ministerial meeting on 26 January, but a counter proposal to delay the election of eight other commissioners has also been tabled.

Ghana’s candidate for the post of Political Affairs Commissioner has been withdrawn in favour of Aisha Laraba Abudulai, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Guinea.

From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Correspondent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Sakumono Youth Choir tops all at the Accra Regional Choral Competition

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As part of the preparations towards the African Choral festival in March, the first in the series of Regional Choral Competitions organized by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), to select winners who would represent Ghana at the International event, took place at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, on Saturday 21st January 2012.

The Sakumono Youth Choir emerged the Greater Accra Regional Champions. The first and second runner-up positions went to Adehyeman Sacred Choral Group and Royal Sparrows Choir Group respectively.

The winning choir received a cash prize of GH¢ 1,000 whiles the second and third choirs received GH¢ 500 and GH¢ 250 respectively.

The event was highly competitive and the jury had a hard time selecting the eventual winners.

The Divine Favour Choir set the ball rolling for the afternoon putting the audience in the mood for a great afternoon of authentic choral tunes. Some of the songs performed brought back old memories of Ghanaian traditional music.

Each choir had fifteen (15) minutes to sing a compulsory song: Ephraim Amu’s “Yaanom Abibimma” and three other optional compositions. It was truly an afternoon with good performances from all the participating choirs who were loudly applauded by the enthusiastic audience.

Certificates of participation were presented to all the fifteen choral groups by the GTA Regional Manager, Mr. Gameli Dzordzorme.

The Western Forces Choir, the Tanokrom Philharmonic Choir and the Amemereso Choral Group were was also crowned the champions of the Western, Brong Ahafo and the Ashanti regions respectively in their various regional competitions. The audiences at the events were excited about the return of choral music to the Ghanaian society.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Road SDA Choir emerged the Northern Regional Champions in an event that took place at the GNAT Hall at Tamale. The first and second runners-up positions went to the OLA Catholic Youth Choir and the Tamale Teaching Hospital Choir respectively.

The winning choir received a cash prize of GH¢ 1,000 whiles the second and third choirs received GH¢ 500 and GH¢ 250 respectively.

The last round of competitions comes off on Friday Jan 27 in the Central Region while Volta, Eastern and Upper East Regions hold their events on Saturday January 28.

 

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