Ghanaian Times

The ?Ghanaian Times? headline story focuses on the West Africa Speakers of Parliament Conference currently underway in Accra with the headline: "ECOWAS Parliament?.President urges dialogue, consultation". Accompanying the story is a picture of President Jerry John Rawlings and Mr. Justice D.F. Annan, Speaker of Parliament and convener of the meeting, interacting with some participants.

President Rawlings, according to the paper said that the conference has a noble objective that is relevant, of practical import as well as of global significance to all stakeholders for whom the unity, stability, security, peace and prosperity of the sub- region is important saying,

"Enormous investment would be required in terms of time, human and technical resources as well as organisational and institutional development, to see the establishment of an ECOWAS parliament," he said but was optimistic that the needed support will come from the international community .

President Rawlings, the paper says, reminded the speakers that their collective voices and intervention may strengthen efforts to curb the sub-region?s instability emanating from wars and political conflicts.

In another front page story headlined: "GNAT order members to suspend action", the Times says that the Greater Accra Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has asked its

members to suspend all actions and agitations that will put pressure on the government in the implementation of the Price Waterhouse and Associates report on wage policy review for the public sector.

The story says regional chairman, Mr. Abednego Kofi Agyepong, in a statement issued by GNAT said government had accepted to effect payment of the universal salary structure from ending of next month.

Teachers embarked on a sit-down strike from April 7 to 12 last month to press for the implementation of the report.