The former Presidential Adviser and Board Chairman of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu has returned the 1998 model Grand Cherokee given to him free of charge by Nii Okine Adjei, Commissioner of CEPS now on leave, reports state-own daily 'The Evening News'

The car which was returned over the weekend is currently parked within the premises of the CEPS headquarters in Accra, among other seized cars.

The paper says it can confirm that there was no letter written from either the Castle or the Office of the President instructing Nii Adjei to give out those seized cars to ex-government officials.

It can reveal also that in a bid to continue staying in political favour of the former NDC government, Nii Adjei decided to give them cars out.

Sources however said the former Presidential Adviser decided to return the car on the quiet to save himself from embarrassment and the wrath of the owners of the seized car.

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NDC attempted to withdraw 7.2bn cedis

In what could well be described as a clever move to plunder the coffers of the state, the NDC government attempted to withdraw an amount of 7.2 billion cedis of the last December elections but the vigilance of some staff at the Controller and Accountant-General's Department and a delaying tactics at the Bank of Ghana torpedoed the whole move.

The amount, according to "Evening News" investigations, was to be used for "post election violence".

But what makes the motive for the withdrawal dubious and suspicious was the fact that as late as January 4, 2001 just three days to the inauguration of President J.A. Kufuor, officials from the office of the former Chief of Staff and the National Security Coordinator were still chasing the money, meant.

The paper's investigations reveal that, the request for the money came from the Office of the former Chief of Staff at the Castle through the Ministry of Finance.

However, the deal fell through when some of the staff at the Accountant-General's Office who felt it was improper informed the NPP transitional team who in turn alerted the Central Bank.

A credible source at the Bank of Ghana confirmed this on Monday but said it was stopped because the "government accounts position at the Bank was already bad".

GRi…/

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The Daily Graphic

Suspend Aboakyer festival - But Nana Ghartey disagrees

The state-own Daily Graphic carries that a section of the people of Winneba, including the two Asafo companies, have called on the government to place an indefinite ban on the celebration of the annual Aboakyer Festival, to ensure lasting peace, law and order in the town.

They maintained that the chieftaincy dispute in the town has polarized the town into warring factions to the extent that the festival, which has since time immemorial unified them, now continues to be a source of division and tension among the people.

Consequently, they said, the imposition of an indefinite ban on the celebration until the law courts settle, once and for all, the issue of who is the rightful occupant of the Winneba stool would help restore sanity in the town as well as reunite the people.

Speaking at the news conference at Winneba, Nana Otubua Siripi II, Tufuhene, who acted as the spokesperson, said the celebration of the festival without the performance of rituals by a recognized chief constitutes a violation of the customs and traditions of the town. Since there is no chief as such, all efforts must be made to prevent "self-imposed person" from breaking the traditions of the land.

However, in a related story the Omanhen of the Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII, has announced that he would preside over activities marking this year's Aboakyer Festival, which would begin on April 30, in line with the traditions of the area.

At a news conference to officially launch activities for the festival, Neenyi Ghartey explained that fixing a date for the celebration and presiding over the festival are his customary rights as the paramount chief of Effutu.

Neenyi Ghartey said no court has restrained the paramountcy from celebrating the festival, noting that the picture of insecurity painted during the festival period over the years was done by opposing factions which sought to disrupt the peace of Winneba.

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Review high tariffs on cocoa - Otumfuo

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has requested the International Cocoa Council Organisation (ICCO) to urge its member countries to review the high tariffs on cocoa and chocolate products, with the view to bringing down the retail prices of these products, and thus making more affordable.

In this respect, he has suggested the setting up of a very strong lobby to encourage and co-ordinate the efforts of member countries at reducing these tariffs.

The Asantehene said this when he delivered a paper on "Sustaining The Global Cocoa Economy In The Millennium" at the 63^rd Regular Session of The International Cocoa Council in London.

He emphasised that there is the need to look at policies and activities that will enhance consumption, and called for ways of improving efficiency in production, packaging and distribution of cocoa products.

GRi…/

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Ghanaian Times

Flagbearer for NDC premature - Spio

Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister of Education, has stated that the issue of a flagbearer to lead the NDC in the next elections is "premature" and is, therefore, not the preoccupation of the party now, state daily, 'The Ghanaian Times' writes.

He said what the party is currently concerned with is how effectively it can re-organise its structures and operations to make it more formidable to enable it to wrest back power form the NPP in the next elections.

Mr Spio-Garbrah said this on Sunday at Ankaful, near Cape Coast, when he spoke to newsmen during a meeting between the party's National Reconstruction Committee and functionaries on the one hand and supporters of the party in the Central Region on the other as part of a nation-wide tour to solicit the views of the rank-and-file of the party's membership to enhance its re-organizational strategies.

The former Minister noted that "everybody seems to want to know who the party's flagbearer would be" but pointed out that the issue would only be deliberated upon at the party's congress in two or three years.

He said that this year's congress would deal mainly with organizational matters.

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6,000 nurses join exodus

Over 6,000 members of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) have left the country within the past three years in search of greener pastures.

The departure of the nurses who are now working mainly in developed countries have led to a steep decline in the association's membership from 15,000 to 9,000.

Mrs Emma Banga, president of the GRNA, disclosed this to the 'Times' in Accra on Tuesday after receiving items worth 370 million cedis from the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) of the United States of America.

The items included a mammogram machine together with a box of films, two computers and books on general and specialized nursing practice.

Mrs Banga lamented that despite efforts to get improved conditions of service and better salaries "the association's cries have to a large extent, not been heeded."

"The situation is far from over, she said, adding that, "the nurses are going and would continue to do so if no better conditions are introduced into the system".

GRi…/

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Free Press

Elizabeth Ohene's brother to take over S.F.O.

There comes a time in the history of every nation when the adversity of a particular individual can be turned to his/her advantage. Such a time has come in our history and Ms Elizabeth Ohene, a Minister of State (Media Relations) is one person who has had that advantage, states the independent bi-weekly, Free Press.

A few months ago, she reportedly was in exile in far away London but when the NPP government was formed, a new ministry was created for her.

Now, her position in the new government, coupled with her close relationship with the presidency might have equally swayed favours to his brother, Emmanuel Ohene and the result, the paper has learnt, could catapult Emmanuel to the position of the new Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Information emanating from government circles indicates that the acting Executive Director of the SFO, Mr B.A. Sapati could soon be asked to proceed on leave.

Although no one can deny the fact that B.A. Sapati had long been treading on dangerous grounds, very few people predicted that the NPP government will make the mistake of handing over the managerial affairs of the SFO to the brother of Ms Elizabeth Ohene.

Apart from the fact that such an appointment could give credence to the "Kokofu axiom" which stipulates that until one's brother is part of a football team the ball is not passed to him, question marks could be seen at the end of this impending appointment.

Emmanuel Ohene is a Solicitor and Barrister at law at the Ofosu Armaah Chambers in Accra.

GRi…/

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The Ghanaian Chronicle

Crisis in ECG deepens

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), according to the private-own 'The Ghanaian Chronicle' is in deeper financial crisis. Mr. David B.M. Vukania, Director of Customer Service, described it as "very unnatural and critical situation" in which the company finds itself.

Vukania has attributed the situation to low tariffs and the fact that ECG has since 1998 not been able to adjust tariff rates even though costs keep rising.

According to Director Vukania, ECG made a net loss of 780 million cedis in 1998, 59 billion cedis in 1999 and an expected loss of 480 billion cedis in 2000.

With the distribution, service change under recover of 26/kwh, the company experienced a revenue shortfall of about 79 billion cedis in 1999 and an expected shortfall of 81 billion cedis for 2000.

As a result, ECG has sent an SOS message to consumers through series of public fora to support the tariff proposals without which the future of the company is uncertain.

At one such public forum in Kumasi to sensitise consumers, Vukania mentioned continued depreciation of the cedi against the dollar and the non-adjustment of tariffs since 1998 as other contributory factors for the present financial crisis facing the company.

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Mallam Issa is out

The Leader of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr. Edward Mahama, has stated categorically that Mallam Yusuf Issa, the former Minister of Youth and Sports is no more the acting Chairman of the PNC.

Speaking to the Chronicle in an interview on Tuesday, Dr. Mahama said the decision to relieve Mallam Issa of his post was taken by the National Standing Committee of the PNC and it is therefore irrevocable.

Mallam Issa on the other hand insists that he is still the acting chairman of the PNC.

Dr Mahama said the PNC as a policy had decided that certain key personalities in the party should not accept positions in the NPP government.

"We felt this would compromise our position on certain policies and handicap our ability to articulate our own views on how Ghana should move forward", Dr Mahama said, adding that it was on this basis that he did not accept the offer for nomination as Minister of Health.

He said the PNC anticipated some problems with taking positions in an NPP government when they had not sat down to discuss policy issues.

"For instance, they have opted for HIPC, but we are against it, as we are against fuel price hike which they have resorted to" Dr. Mahama said.

He said the PNC wants to be free to articulate its own views without any encumbrances.

GRi…/

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The Dispatch

NDC officials shared fifty houses for free

The Dispatch, a private-owned paper, says it can today reveal that in 1992, over 50 houses were distributed freely to some top members of the then out-going Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) as reward for their services. This was done before the 1992 Presidential elections which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won. The houses are located at Sakumono, Ashongman and Dansoman.

The manner in which the news of the free houses leaked can be likened to the lyrics by top musician, A.B. Crentsil in which seven people were sharing seven thousand cedis but one person was left out.

Highly-placed sources within the NDC hinted the paper that as the PNDC prepared for the 1992 elections, a decision was taken that in addition to the monies paid out, loyal officials should be rewarded with free houses. The sharing, sources revealed, was done by a team, after which those who were left out felt peeved that they had not been rewarded.

The aggrieved persons were promised some houses, vehicles or lucrative appointments in due course.

According to a member of the group: "Since 1992, all those promises have fallen through. What really provoked us was the realization that they had paid themselves huge sums of money, be it ex-gratia or end of service benefits. How about some of us?"

They also revealed that quite a number of middle and lower level officials who served the NDC administration have taken away vehicles which they had sold, painted as taxis or hidden.

Regarding those who benefited, the group revealed that they have some of the names but urged the Kufuor administration to investigate how those houses were allocated in 1992, who paid for them and when transfers were done. They also suggested that the occupants should be made to pay the market rate for the houses.

GRi…/

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The Independent

CPP calls for deconfiscation of assets

The Ashanti Branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has called on the President Mr J.A. Kufuor to deconfiscate some properties belonging to the party, which were seized immediately after the 1966 coup which toppled the government of Dr. Kwame Ndrumah, writes the private-own 'The Independent".

Some of the properties are believed to be legally acquired by the party through contributions levied on national office holders with allegiance to the party and many other members who included ministers and other high-ranking office holders during the reign of the country's first president.

This was contained in a statement signed by O.T. Bonsu and Kwasi Prempeh, Regional Chairman and Central Committee Member respectively and issued out at a press conference in Kumasi.

The press conference was to take up the subject of the offices of the CPP, which have been under confiscation to the state for a very long time.

The offices include the national headquarters in Accra, the regional office in Kumasi, and those in other regional capitals throughout the country. Reasons given by the National Liberation Council, the junta which overthrew the democratic government of Dr Nkrumah for the confiscation was that the properties were acquired through illegal means and unapproved methods.

The statement however said the basis for the act by the military men was not because funds were sought through corrupt means to construct the office buildings but "the very repugnance that the CPP meant to the ruling regime at the time of confiscation" it added.

"The mention of the name of Kwame Nkrumah became criminal and books authored by him were outlawed. We thank God that these buildings were not destroyed" it says.

It added that with the pronouncement by the President that the time had come to end the episode of confiscation of properties and restore all such properties to their lawful owners, the Nkrumaist family is optimistic that they will sooner than later possess what is theirs.

GRi…/

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