"Embassy in dubious visa deals...over influx of S. Leone refugees", is the front page bold headline on the front page of the Times. The accompanying story says that it has been established that the influx of Sierra Leoneans to Ghana to acquire Diversity or Immigrant visas to the United States, is a ploy by some officials of the U.S. Embassy in Accra, aided by some so- called human rights activists in the country. The Times says three officials are engaged in this dubious deal without the knowledge and consent of Ghana's Foreign Ministry. Times investigations have shown that a fax message (fax No. 775- 745-232-22-775747) bearing the name of Barbara M. Johnson, a Consul at the US. Embassy in Accra, is on display at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The message, according to the Times indicates that the U.S. State Department has designated the American Embassy in Accra as the location for all immigrant visas and Diversity Visas (DV-97) for Sierra Leoneans until further notice. Because of this notice, many Sierra Leoneans refugees have flocked into Ghana without the government's being informed. GRI

In another front page story the Times reports that men in the Brong Ahafo Region are shying away from vasectomy, a surgical contraceptive operation which keeps a man virile but prevents him from impregnating a woman. The Times says this is contained in the 1996 annual report of the Regional Hospital at Sunyani submitted by the Medical Superintendent in charge, Dr. C.J. Oppong and made available to the press. Significantly, the Paper says, the report indicates that the hospital's maternity ward continues to be the busiest, with deliveries increasing by six per cent over the previous year's figure. The report did not specify the reason for the men's stance but medical experts the Times talked to believe that the men are not being won over to the idea of vasectomy because they fear they may lose their manhood if they submit to that form of contraception. GRI

The Timesreports on its back page that the government has secured 80 million dollars from external sources to extend electricity to 1,400 communities throughout the country. The government will provide additional 20 million dollars from its own sources to fund the project. This is under phase three of the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP III) to connect communities to the national electricity grid. The Times says transformers have already been sent to some of the beneficiary Communities. According to the paper, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Mr. Fred Ohene-Kena, announced these during his familiarisation tour of SHEP sites in Ashanti. GRI