April fool stunt causes confusion in Kumasi
Accra
(Greater Accra) 05 April 2002 - While US President, George Bush was urging
Israel to end her military offensive on the Palestine, saying that “enough is
enough,” the price of Brent Crude Oil futures rose on Thursday to almost $28 a
barrel, its highest level for more than six months, increasing fears of petrol
price increases in Ghana and upsetting the government’s monetary policy.
The
Minister of Energy, Albert Kan-Dapaah in an exclusive interview with The
Statesman on Thursday observed that, “the continued conflict between Israel and
Palestine coupled with threats of military conflicts hreats fo military actions
against Iraq would keep upward pressures on prices.” Also, inflation this year
could be higher than the expected 13 per cent.
The average
price of crude oil shot up from $18.68 per barrel at the end of December 2001
to a March average of $23.73. The Minister noted that by last Wednesday it had
gone further up to $26.74. “It is around and above $27 today (Thursday), we
expect that it will continue to rise.”
Whiles our
government is yet to react to the price hikes, already in Europe fuel prices
have started going up. On Thursday, BP confirmed fears of further increase amid
instability in the Middle East by announcing a 1p (¢160) a litre rise on
unleaded fuel. Asked as to whether we are likely to see similar rises here in
Ghana, the Minister was rather equivocal in his response.
“If the
trend continues then we will be faced with two equally unpalatable choices:
whether we should get government to suspend some of its social programmes and
release the money to us to subsidise petroleum products instead,” he said, or
the other choice will mean getting the consumer to bear the brunt of the cost.
The Minister of Energy did not, however, reveal what his preferred approach
would be.
High oil
prices are an external shock of the kind that is beyond the control of our
domestic monetary policy. Many who lived through the oil-induced hyperinflation
of the 1970s will be wondering whether the recent oil price rise could recreate
the disastrous period when the annual rate of inflation of even developed
countries such as Britain, rose above 20 per cent.
During the
past three months, the price of crude oil has risen 35 per cent. If nothing
else the volatility of the oil price is a salutary warning that the low
inflation and mild economic growth that we are enjoying may not be a permanent
thing and could easily be upset by circumstances beyond our control. “First of
all, the rise is going to have a serious effect on the world economy.” Going
beyond his ministry’s concerns, Kan-Dapaah further warned, “It will affect the
costs of imported goods to this country because prices will rise in the
international market.” This could keep interest rates unexpectedly high and
delay Ghana’s long awaited economic recovery.
Explaining
the price hikes, Kan-Dapaah said, “what worries us is that there has been no
change in the fundamentals. By which, one means, there has not been any
significant change in supply. Normally, if supply goes down you expect prices
to go up, or if demand goes up, we suspect prices to go up. On this occasion
the fundamentals are stable. So there should be no price increases such as we
are experiencing.”
Ghana’s
Energy Minister cited speculation in the oil market as accounting for the
rises. The markets, conscious of the ever more evident linkage between the
Arab-Israeli conflict, is in no mood to be helpful, especially as new evidence
emerged that OPEC’s supply curbs last Autumn are biting.
At a time
of economic difficulty, George W. Bush’s talk of war is hurting oil consumer
countries, such as Ghana. More sabre-rattling will certainly bring more market
frights and price hikes. Currently, the pump price for premium petrol is
¢2,333.33 per litre; diesel also remains at ¢1,955.56. These levels have been
maintained since 23 February 2001, when the price of a barrel of crude oil
stood at $28.69 and the exchange rate for $1 was ¢7,050.
We
witnessed a $10 fall at the end of last year, pushing the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) to demand for price reductions at the pumps. The government
steadfastly refused to do so, citing, among other things that the Windfall gain
was to be ploughed back into servicing the interest payments in the ¢2.3
trillion petroleum debt accumulated under the previous regime.
The Chief
Executive of VRA, Dr Wereko-Brobby who was at the Minister’s office on
Thursday, chipped in that, if the government had heeded to the opposition calls
“the inflationary pressures could have been much, much higher.” ¢970 billion of
Tema Oil Refinery’s debt was converted into long-term bonds last year. At the
moment 30 per cent of gains made by TOR is used to take care of interest
payments. The windfall profit for last year was ¢66,378,709. In all, interest
payments totalled ¢417 billion of which ¢87.2 billion were on the converted
bonds.
Stock markets
around the world, especially Wall Street, returned from Easter breaks to the
potential repercussions of escalating violence in the Middle East, suffering a
sharp sell-off as the price of crude oil shot higher. Since Bush broadened his
“war against terrorism” to include the “axis of evil” – Iraq, Iran and North
Korea, Iraq has attempted to lure Iran into an Islamic coalition to cut output
in order to force Israel out of occupied Palestinian territories.
If America
is to launch a new offensive on Iraq, the new war is likely to pose a very
serious threat on oil prices and world economy, analysts fear. Meanwhile, top
OPEC producers including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have dismissed calls from Iraq
that oil should be used as an economic weapon against the US. The continued
strength of oil puts pressure on our government’s economic forecast 2002. – The
Statesman.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2002 - President John Kufuor
has called on the leadership of the Pentecostal and charismatic churches and
traditionalists in the Ga Traditional Area to exercise restraint to avoid any
form of confrontation over the ban on drumming and noise-making in the area.
He said the government has already initiated discussions with the chiefs in the
Ga area with the view to achieving a peaceful resolution of the impasse, which
has become a matter of concern to the nation since 1999.
The President was speaking to the hierarchy of the Ghana Pentecostal Council,
which called on him at the Castle, Osu, on Wednesday. He reminded the two
parties that in a civil society, tolerance should be the most valued attribute
for the resolution of any misunderstanding.
“When we are operating in a civil society, we should remember that in any misunderstanding, it is always better to adopt the give-and-take attitude towards the resolution of such misunderstanding,” he said. The President declared: “As Christians, you will be the first to admit that God does not want any clash on this matter and, therefore, I urge you to exercise the utmost restraint.”
Referring to the Yendi crisis, the President said what has
happened shows that greed and self-centredness are at work in the area. He said
the government has put the security network firmly on the ground in the Dagbon
area and added that “we will deal with anybody who will want to take undue
advantage of the situation to create more confusion.” He, however, appealed to
the leadership of the church to pray unceasingly for God’s intervention in the
resolution of the crisis.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Gladys Asmah, expressed concern about the
indiscipline among the youth of the country and urged the church to mount a
crusade to educate the young ones on the need to cultivate good virtues of
life. “The youth of the country, for the past 20 years saw nothing but violence
and this is ingrained on their minds”, she said. She, therefore, urged the
church to try and change the minds of the youth, “else we do not know what will
happen in the future.” She, however, said “with God on our side, there is no
misunderstanding we cannot solve.”
Pastor Mensah Otabil, the Overseer of the International
Central Gospel Church (ICGC), said Ghana “needs peace because destabilisation
makes development impossible.” He said when religion and ethnicity come into
play, the situation becomes very difficult to handle. He said although the church
respects the beliefs of traditionalists, it may not necessarily share fully in
such beliefs.
He, therefore, wondered why since 1999, some churches have been desecrated by a
section of the followers of traditionalists yet no action had been taken against
such people. “No church has yet reacted to the matter, because we have tried to
comport ourselves. We are for peace and we always pray for peace,” he said.
The chairman of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, Apostle Dr Kwabena Ntumy,
assured President Kufuor that “our hearts are with you and the nation in these
trying moments.” He, however, expressed the deepest condolence to the family of
those who lost their lives in the Yendi conflict, adding that, “what has
happened is a source of worry to all of us.”
He commended the government for its determination to fight corruption and
serial killing in the country. “The fight against corruption and serial killing
is succeeding and we, as religious leaders, are firmly behind the government in
this effort,” he said.
He suggested that the report of the Parliamentary Committee
appointed to investigate the misunderstanding between Pentecostal churches and
the traditional rulers should be published to settle the issue. “I pray that
indiscipline which seems to be engulfing the country will not spill over into
the religious sphere,” Apostle Ntumy said.
His Grace Panteleimon Lampadarios, the Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in
Ghana, also called on President Kufuor to hold discussions with him on
wide-ranging issues including the Yendi conflict. He prayed that God will grant
President Kufuor the wisdom to overcome the problem and to lead the people to
attain progress and prosperity.
Responding, the President said the country is of late, experiencing a lot of
destabilisation through armed robberies, indiscipline in schools and the lack
of tolerance. “These are not good signs for development and the government will
ensure that law and order is maintained,” he said. – Daily Graphic
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 05 April 2002 - The Ga Traditional Council (GTC) has warned
that it would engage the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in a bloody fight if the
church goes on with its intention to have some Ga youth imprisoned.
According
to Reverend Odonkor, who is Regent to the Teshie stool, the CAC is using every foul
means to influence the court’s decision to have the Ga youth, who were arrested
last year during the clash between some traditionalists and the CAC when the
church already violated the annual ban on drumming.
According
to The Ghanaian Chronicle sources, Reverend Odonkor gave the threat when
members of the GTC met with the Greater Accra Coordinating Council behind
camera in Accra. Later after the meeting, Reverend Odonkor confirmed in an
interview that seven Ga youths were arrested during the melee and that the case
has been adjourned to April 10, this year. When asked about his threat, he said
in fact they would not sit down for their children to be wrongly jailed.
Just after
meeting with members of the GTC, the Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, held
a press conference and explained that the meeting was part of efforts by
Government to ensure a violent-free society during the annual ban on drumming
of the Ga traditional area. An earlier meeting was held with the religious
bodies.
According
to Sheik Ibrahim C. Quaye, a five-member committee known as the Greater Accra
Permanent Conflict Resolution and Management Commiettee has been put in place
and has been working since April last year. The Committee, he said comprises
Professor Mike Ocquaye, Her Lordship Hon Justice Ivy Ashong-Yakubu, Mr Kofi
Brapui Asante, Dr E.O.T. Prempeh and Hon George Isaac Amoo.
He said the
committee deals with all conflicts bordering on Chieftaincy, land, religion,
and customary practices in the region. “Our aim is to tackle the problem of
conflict management and resolution on a permanent basis by building bridges and
linkages,” he stressed.
Touching on
noise nuisance that has become the bane of some citizens, the Regional Minister
said to normalize the situation, the police have now decided to enforce the
existing laws and AMA regulations, in cooperation with officers of AMA. He said
the committee has, against his background, decided that the Accra Metropolitan
Assembly, the police, National Commission on Civic Education campaign before
vigorous action is taken to enforce the existing laws and regulations.
He
explained that after series of discussions with the permanent committee they
came to a conclusion that the imposition of restrictions on the normal rights
of citizens was not restricted to the Ga Traditional area, adding that it has
assumed national proportions because Accra is the capital and has become home
to many who are not Gas.
Dr K.K.
Manfo, Regional Police commander, who was present, explained unambiguously that
“there are some problems you can’t control like disturbances at the stadium”
but stressed that the police would enforce the law during the ban on drumming.
Pestered
with further questions from curious journalists, he said he did not foresee a
situation where traditionalists will go to the stadium and create a scene in
their attempt to control noise, stressing that in case they do that the police
will prevent them because as much as they would want their custom respected,
they are not law enforcers.
“There’s a
monitoring team that will do that,” he said, and added rather cautiously that,
“you can’t stop people from jubilating if their team should win a football
match.” The Regional Minister buttressed Dr Marfo’s statement by adding that
the traditional authorities have agreed not to enforce the law themselves,
bearing in mind that some rogue elements would take advantage and misbehave. –
The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2002 - Ghana is to benefit from the Gates Foundation, which has set aside a five billion dollar to assist Poverty Reduction in the developing world. This follows the endorsement of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) by the donor community as a good basis for overseas development assistance.
The document was widely distributed and read during the International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monttery, Mexico, March 18-22. It was attended by 171 nations and 51 Heads of State. Ghana’s delegation was led by Senior Minister, Mr J.H. Mensah.
The Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, disclosed this at a press briefing on Thursday, on the International Conference. He said that after reading the document, delegates from the donor community hailed Ghana as having met many of the conditions for increased Overseas Development Agency ODA.
According to Dr Nduom, Norway did not have Ghana on its list of African countries benefiting from the ODA, but it was now keen on adding Ghana to the list. He said the Norwegians were very impressed with what Ghana had achieved so far.
The Minister also said it was agreed that ODA be used to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He disclosed that the United States pledged billions of dollars to finance development on condition that beneficiary countries practised good governance, the rule of law and transparency in government.
The European Union also agreed to an average official development assistance target of 0.39 per cent of national income by 2006, and pledged to meet the UN ODA target of 0.7 per cent of national income. That agreement, Dr Nduom said, represented an additional $7 billion from the union. He also said the US would gradually increase ODA annually to reach an additional five billion from 2006.
Dr Nduom announced that during the conference, it was agreed that Ghana would be used as a pilot for Africa for the Global Clearinghouse project. The clearing house project will use leading edge communication and internet technologies to improve communication and the sharing of information between governments, investors worldwide and international organisations.
Included in Ghana entourage were Mr Yaw Osafo, Minister of Finance, Nana Effah Appenteng, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr Kwesi Abeasi, Chief Executive, Ghana Investment Promotions Centre (GIPC), Mr Kwabena Osei-Danquah, Minister Counsellor, United Nations. – Ghanaian Times.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2002 - The divested State Transport Company is owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and not Vanef Consortium Limited which currently runs the company and has its colours and insignia boldly painted on the fleet of buses operating in all parts of the country.
According to Charles Asare, former Director-General of SNNIT indicted by Government forensic audit report for allegedly leading the trust to issue credit guarantee of ¢77 billion to Vanef for the acquisition of STC without board approval, SNNIT has a controlling share of 92.5 per cent in Vanef Consortium Limited with Vanef Ltd and David Dorte & Company owning the other 7.5 per cent.
“The Trust also controls five out of the eight-member Board of Directors of Vanef Consortium Ltd including the Chairmanship of the Board and the position of Executive Finance Director,” Charles Asare asserted. He was reacting to the finding and recommendation by the forensic audit report, which found him culpable in the SNNIT’s guarantee for the take-over and published in Public Agenda last week.
Asare rushed to the offices of PA Communications, publishers of the Public Agenda and Weekend Agenda newspapers to clear the air, armed with a copy of a memorandum on the issue he sent to Minister of Finance, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, dated January 31, 2001.
The memo stated clearly that the deal was approved by the SNNIT board, contrary to the findings of the forensic audit team. “The Board of SNNIT at its meeting held on 10th July 2000 approved the Trust’s involvement in Vanef Consortium Limited (VCL), the company which had won the bid to acquire the former State Transport Company (STC) from the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC).
Explaining why Vanef has its name and insignia on the buses, the memorandum explains: “The names Vanef/STC have misled the general public to think that James Owusu Bonsu, a minority shareholder of 7.5 per cent in the transaction, is the majority’ owner and to speculate that SNNIT financed him to buy out STC. I can understand this confusion given that Owusu Bonsu, the sole owner of Vanef Limited, owns a number of companies bearing the name ‘VANEF’ such as Vanef Tours and Vanef Forex Bureau.”
The memo goes on to explain that by the time SNNIT got involved in the transaction, Vanef had already concluded the deal to buy STC and the only option available to the Trust was to buy majority shares in Vanef Consortium and seek to make the necessary changes later.
“Accordingly, after SNNIT Board’s approval for the transaction, we moved quickly to suspend the management agreement that Vanef had negotiated with STC and Greyhound Corporation of USA because the contracts were not in the interest of SNNIT. Owusu Bonsu was, however, given a two-year contract as Chief Executive, in his personal capacity in view of his experience with running transport companies and also his general experience in the tourism sector.”
The former Director-General intimated that in December 2000, “the SNNIT Board directed that the name of the company be changed to STC Company Ltd. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to execute this directive but it is not too late to change the name of the company now in order to correct the public’s misunderstanding about the transaction.”
According to Asare, the cost of the entire transaction was put at $12.4 million and ¢4.98 billion. The Trust provided a guarantee cover in favour of the consortium to SSB Bank Ltd for ¢18.6 billion (about $4m) as part payment to DIC. It also provided another guarantee to DIC in favour of the Consortium for the unpaid balance.”
He said the DIC liability was settled through a debt/equity swap arrangement between the Trust and the Government of 53.8 billion cedis owed it by the government to acquire STC.
The former Director-General explained that one of the major reasons behind SNNIT’s venture into the STC deals was to link up with the Trust’s interest in the hotel business to lay the foundation for a huge hospitality empire to aid Ghana’s growth as a tourist destination.
He gave the Vanef deal a clean bill of health. “To date, the company is performing profitably and we are confident that it can be turned around successfully and listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GES) within the next three years. Meanwhile, the Weekend Agenda would like it placed on record that the SNNIT source quoted in the original SNNIT guarantee to Vanef story was not Ernest Thompson of the SNNIT legal department. – Weekend Agenda.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2002 - Barclays customer deposits rose form ¢1,344 billion in 2000 to ¢1,721 billion to maintain its position as the biggest bank in Ghana. The growth has thus underscored the confidence customers have in services the bank provides in its 25 outlets throughout the country.
With a post-tax profit of 169 billion cedis, Barclays has added on to two successive years of excellent performance and actualisation of its mission to be the leading bank in Ghana. Mr Kobina Quansah, Managing Director of the Bank described the results achieved as very pleasing because the year 2001 presented a number of challenges.
“We were able to respond successfully to the challenges and in the process, have laid a solid platform to deliver sustainable, profitable growth in the future”, the Managing Director said. He pointed out that performance in all the bank’s main segments was positive leading to increase in profit before tax from the ¢192 billion in 2000 to ¢256 billion in 2001.
Underlying that performance, he said, was a 28 per cent growth in customer deposits from ¢1,344 billion to the ¢1,720 billion again reflecting the improved service levels, highly reliable delivery channels and processing systems that the bank continues to provide its customers.
Continuing, Mr Quansah said that: “The investment Barclays Bank made in the last few years in its IT infrastructure has provided management with the platform on which to develop new technologically driven products to meet its customers’ ever-changing needs. We successfully launched the US Dollar Visa Card, a card which provides an easy way to settle all types of expenditure anywhere in the world”.
Barclays’ objective of being the market leader in the eyes of its customers in their chosen segments is firmly on course and it is driven by its philosophy of customer primacy.
“In furtherance of this objective”, Mr Quansah said, “we rolled out a new, consistent banking product set for our personal customers, strengthening the customer proposition”, adding, “we also opened two new Prestige Banking Service outlets bringing our Prestige Centres to five with a membership of 4,000.
Additionally, Barclays has responded to the growing sophistication of its financial markets with the formation of specific merchant banking capability and specialist team supporting its large and multinational customers. Barclays has been a key partner in the country’s drive for economic growth.
Over the last few years, the corporate team of Barclays has led the Cocobod financing syndication and got involved in various credit arrangements with the Volta River Authority, to mention a few. Barclays continues to provide innovative cutting edge trade and cash management solutions to meet the challenges faced by its corporate customers. Business Master International (BMI), and Pay Direct are the latest in its management product offerings.
“Our diversity along product lines, customer segments and markets throughout Africa enables us to leverage the benefits of Barclays capabilities to the advantage of our customers”, said Mr Quansah pledging, “we intend to give all our customers an unbeatable range of products and quality of service-offering them what they want, when, where and how they want it. “We will continue to develop propositions to meet our customer needs, by leveraging the internet and telephone as emerging delivery channels”, he added. – Ghanaian Times
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 March 2002 - The Chief Pathologist of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa has been appointed the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, according to Ministry of Health sources.
Prof. Akosa, the immediate past President of the Ghana Medical Association assumed duty at his new post at the beginning of March 2002. Born on 25th December, 1953 Prof Akosa bounced onto the Ghanaian Health scene somewhere in 1998 after studies in Britain, and unlike other health officials, started condemning the unhealthy eating habit and health practices of Ghanaians.
Among other things Prof Akosa fought the Ministry of Food and Agriculture over the importation of chicken feet into the country for consumption, saying it was not wholesome. He has also been campaigning against the importation of frozen foods like turkey tail, the excessive consumption of alcohol and the proliferation of various herbal concoctions especially those labelled as aphrodisiacs.
Prof Akosa has also been involved in the campaign against HIVDS. Recently he led members of the GMA to organise a nation-wide float to educate the people of Ghana about the deadly disease HIV/AIDS and while in the Eastern Region, he and his team managed to get the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin to undergo an HIV test.
Prof. Akosa was also in the forefront of the tobacco war when the British American Tobacco came under attack for painting the Kaneshie Market in the colours of the company’s cigarette brand. A source at the Pathology Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital said in spite of his new position, Dr Akosa would still be working at the pathology department as a result of his love for the job. - Weekend Agenda
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 05 March 2002 - There appears to be arm-twisting at the Customs,
Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) over the sale of red mercury, which is
expected to be auctioned very soon by the Service.
Investigations
by “The Evening News” indicate that CEPS has a quantity of red mercury in its
possession which several people have expressed interest in purchasing, but has
no been made public yet. However, the process involve in the auction has put
the Service in a questionable light. The tussle over the auctioning of the
mercury by the Service has reached a level where the CEPS Commissioner as the
final authority has decided on whether the auction should go ahead and to whom
it must be auctioned.
Information
gathered by “The Evening News” also indicates that the red mercury in question
did not go to the Ghana Standards Board for testing, but was given to one of
the buyers who has already expressed interest in it to go for its testing.
“The
Evening News” can also reveal that the buyer whom the substance was given to
for testing is said to be the one the CEPS Commissioner wants to purchase it
and the one to whom Mr Kit Laryea, in charge of CEPS auctioning team had
decided to give it to. It is also said that the laid down procedure for the
auctioning of any item in CEPS possession has not been followed.
When the
“The Evening News” contacted Mr Kit Laryea he confirmed the story and said CEPS
has a quantity of red mercury but cannot disclose the value. He said for an
item like the red mercury the Service does not make its auction public.
According to him, there are about five people who have already expressed
interest in buying the mercury. He told “The Evening News” that “even there is
a memo before the Commissioner on the auctioning of the red mercury by CEPS but
a decision is yet to be taken on it.”
When the
paper contacted the CEPS Public Relations outfit for further clarification on
the story, Ms Annie Anipa, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Public Relations
confirmed that CEPS has some mercury in its possession but denied that it was
red. She said what CEPS has is white mercury and that it was sent to the Ghana
Standards Board for testing. Ms Anipa said mercury is one of the prohibited
items, which cannot be sold to the public. “CEPS is not going to auction any
mercury as it is speculated,” she said.
The officer in
charge of the mercury investigation who could not give his name but spoke in
the presence of the Evening News in the office of Ms Anipa also confirmed that
CEPS has a quantity of mercury, but that it is not red but white. He said it
had already been sent for testing at the Ghana Standards Board. He said mercury
was one of the banned items, and therefore it cannot be auctioned public. He
denied that there were moves by the Commissioner to auction the mercury in
CEPS’ possession and refuted claims that some people have also expressed
interest in its purchase. – The Evening News
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 05 April 2002 - Alhaji Awudu Ariff Abubakari, former Ashanti
Regional Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sent a protest
note through his solicitors, Law Trust Company to his excellency John Kufuor, President
of the Republic, demanding an immediate investigations into the unlawful
conduct of the Ghana Armed Forces at his residence in Kumasi.
The protest
note, which was copied to the Attorney-General, the Ministry of Defence and the
Ministry of Interior said, it was drawing the attention of his excellency, who
is the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces to such a serious abuse of
power by the Armed Forces. Failure of such an investigation, the note said,
Alhaji Ariff Abubakari would seek redress in the courts of Law.
The Ghana
Palaver sources close to Law Trust Company said on the night of 25 March 2002,
a group of armed men believed to be members of the security agencies invaded
the residence of Alhaji Ariff Abubakari at Aboabo number one in Kumasi.
Two of the
armed men, according to Ghana Palaver sources, jumped the defence wall of the
house, destroyed the gates and entered the premises and at gunpoint, ransacked
the rooms. The source said, when Hajia Zeinab Ariff, the lady of the house
demanded to know the purpose for the heavy military presence, she was ordered
at gunpoint to comply with their mission, creating fear, shock and panic among
members of the household. – Ghana Palaver.
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 05 April 2002 - An April Fool’s Day joke that was over
stretched by a radio station, caused pandemonium at the Kumasi offices of
Millicom Ghana Limited, operators of Mobitel mobile phone service in the
country. A presenter of the radio station had said on his morning talk show
that the company was replacing all analogue Motorola handsets of subscribers
with those of GSM.
The
announcement repeated several times over the airwaves of the radio station,
caused a mad rush of Mobile subscribers to the Nhyiaso office of the company.
And in just a matter of hours, the company offices had been besieged by anxious
subscribers and officials had a hell of a time convincing agitated customers
that the announcement was an all fools day joke.
Management
had no option than to rush to several radio stations to pay for announcements
to counter the earlier information put out by the first radio station. The
Statesman learnt that some subscribers of Mobitel at Obuasi and other areas
also traveled to Kumasi upon hearing the announcement to acquire the so-called
GSM phones.
The same
radio station tried to get someone imitate the voice of the former President
Jerry Rawlings but this time round listeners were quick to recognize the voice
as a pretender.
Last year,
a similar stunt pulled out by another radio station saw the former Kumasi
Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive, Nana Akwasi Agyeman, speeding to the
station to extend felicitations to the Jerry Rawlings pretender. Besides the
anxiety caused by some of the jokes, some were really serious. One radio
station announced that the fair ground of the 2002 Grand Sales, which was then
ongoing had been razed to the ground by fire. – The Statesman.
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