THE GHANAIAN VOICE

The Voice reports that more than 100 African nationals in possession of valid and genuine Republic of Ghana passport are languishing in jail in a number of countries in Southern Africa. In a front page banner headline: :Nigerians with Ghanaian passport jailed in S. Africa", the Voice says these nationals have been tried, found guilty and sentenced to various harsh terms of imprisonment for a number of criminal offences, principal among them being dealing in narcotics. The Voice quoting its diplomatic correspondent in Pretoria, South Africa, says about 80 per cent of the criminals masquerading as Ghanaians, have been identified as Nigerians. They have clearly deep and visible facial tribal marks and tonation which have betrayed them. The paper says a top government minister was recently in South Africa to conduct personal investigations about Ghanaians languishing in jail in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. GRI

"Veep warns against chieftaincy litigations", is the headline of a story in the centre spread of the Voice. The story says the Vice-President, Prof. J.E.A. Mills, has observed that the vacuum created by vacant stools and skind often lead to land and chieftaincy litigations which do not augur well for the peace and unity necessary for developing of the affected areas. The Vice-President therefore called on traditional councils to endeavour to fill such vacuum in order to provide the needed leadership for local development. Prof. Mills who was on a three-day official visit to the Upper West Region, advised the chiefs to use festivals to foster unity among their people and to use such festivals for stock-taking and plan for the development of their areas. GRI

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has asked the Attorney-General, in collaboration with the General Legal Council, to review the existing law that deprives the association of the right to discipline its members, reports the Voice in its inside pages. The Voice quotes the association as saying that such right facilitates and promotes discipline among legal practitioners to make the profession more credible to the citizenry. The GBA urged the Judicial Council to expedite the promulgation and publication of revised and modernised rules of court at all levels of adjudication to ensure meaningful dispensation of justice. GRI