NDC separates founder, leader positions
Rawlings must take back-stage in politics
Woman in a showdown with robbers
Pastor ejects sister for sacking ‘unfashionable’ husband
Akpeteshie distiller dupes two people
NDC separates founder, leader positions
Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 April 2002 - The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has agreed to the proposal of the Committee
that the party's flagbearer should become its leader. The proposal, however,
has to be approved and endorsed by delegates at the party's national congress
scheduled for 27 April at the Trade Fair grounds, La, in Accra.
A highly
placed source of the party who took part in the NEC's deliberations at Hotel
Ravico in Accra on Thursday said the members could not, however, reach a
definite consensus on the idea of co-chairman, which was mooted by the NDC
Youth Forum. The source explained that the proposal adopted by the NEC also
implies that the functions of the founder and the leader, which hitherto were
exercised by the former President, Jerry John Rawlings, have been separated.
It further
explained that the NEC, at the end of their discussions, decided to talk
privately with ex-President Rawlings and Dr Obed Yao Asamoah at their
residences in order to arrive at a logical conclusion on the idea of the
co-chairmanship which has become a bone of contention between the two towering
figures of the NDC and their supporters. The source said the stalemate if not
checked immediately, can undermine the smooth and orderly conduct of the
congress and severely weaken the party's front.
It said the
proponents of the co-chairmanship idea are strongly convinced that both Dr
Asamoah and Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, who have obtained forms to contest the
position of national chairman of the NDC, should jointly manage the party to
save it from being fragmented.
According
to the source, the co-chairmanship proposal will also check possible abuses
which the proponents envisage will emerge on the party's front if either of the
candidates is given the nod by the delegates to steer the affairs of the party.
The source said those against the idea also believe that the national chairman
of the party should be given a free hand to initiate policies that will lead to
the revitalisation of the party's structures and recapturing of political power
from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2004 presidential and parliamentary
elections.
It said
they also contend that real democracy must be allowed to be nurtured and should
permeate all the vital structures of the party, adding that "the fears of
those who think that the party will be hijacked by someone to further his or
her own ambitions, if elected as the national chairman of the NDC, should be
discounted and discontinued." - Daily Graphic.
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Rawlings must take back-stage in politics
Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 April 2002 - The former Press Secretary of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Vincent Asiseh, has suggested to former President
J.J. Rawlings to take a backstage from mainstream politics if he wants his
party to grow.
Mr Asiseh
said President Rawlings is over and above partisan politics and his continued
stay in local polities especially in the NDC where he commands a lot of respect
would not be in his interest. Mr Asiseh was contributing to a Joy FM programme
Friday. He said the NDC is finding leadership problems now because the party
was built around President Rawlings and that his absence as flagbearer is
creating problems in the party.
He also
said it would be wrong for anybody in the party to think that selecting
candidates to contest national positions is the best way of building a party.
He claimed the selection of Prof Mills as the flagbearer in the last election
did not promote democracy in the party and some members openly criticised the
decision.
Mr Asiseh
said if President Rawlings stays clear of selecting candidates the party will
stand united but if it is done otherwise it could disintegrate. On the issue of
electing co-chairmanship he said that will not help the party. He stated that
the NDC must build a constitution that will stand the test of time. – The
Ghanaian Times.
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Woman in a showdown with robbers
Accra
(Greater Accra) 20 April 2002 - A 54-year-old woman, in the early hours of
Wednesday 10 April had a hectic showdown with a gang of men believed to be
robbers, at North Kaneshie in Accra. The robbers attempted to pull away a
handbag the woman was carrying but she mustered courage and held tightly to it,
making it difficult for the robbers to have a field day.
In the end,
the woman found herself being dragged on the street for about half-a-kilometre
by the robbers who were in a moving vehicle. They succeeded in taking away the
handbag which contained ˘200,000 and the woman sustained serious injuries. A
medical bill of about ˘150,000 and eight stitches on her left leg, near the
knee, were also left for her to think about.
Madam
Beatrice Boateng, also known as Fati, the victim, lives at North Kaneshie Night
Market area, a suburb of Accra. A staff of an Accra-based legal firm, the woman
met her unfortunate fate in the early hours of that day while standing by the
roadside to look for a vehicle to go to her office.
Narrating
her ordeal, Madam Fati, wife of Katawere of Daakye Drama Group fame, said her
handbag, which contained the amount and other valuables, was hanging on her
shoulder while she waited for a vehicle by the roadside. Suddenly, a circle
bound tro-tro vehicle passed by her followed by a metallic-blue Tico Saloon
car.
She said
the car, on reaching the spot where she was standing, slowed down. Suddenly a
hand came out of the car and grabbed her bag fiercely. Madam Fati said she held
the bag very firmly in an attempt to save it from being taken away by the
people in the car.
Realising
that the robbers were not ready to let go the bag, even if it would cost them
their lives, she desperately attempted to pull it back. In the process, she
fell down when the robbers moved the car and found her body being dragged on
the street while still holding unto the bag.
Sensing
danger, she gave up the fight. Madam Fati said a few seconds later some people
came to the scene and rushed her to the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital. She had her
wounds stitched, especially those on her left foot close to the knee and was
later discharged. According to the victim, the money was meant for the purchase
of items towards her late mother's first anniversary to be celebrated soon.
The North
Kaneshie Night Market junction, "The Spectator" investigation
indicates, has been turned into a bus-stop for criminals where they often rob
their victims. It is recalled that barely two months ago, a similar predicament
befell a young woman at the same spot. The residents who spoke to "The
Spectator" urged the security agencies to extend their services to that
spot. - The Spectator.
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Pastor ejects sister for sacking ‘unfashionable’ husband
Sunyani
(Brong Ahafo Region) 20 April 2002 - A 35-year-old woman has dragged her
brother, a pastor, to the Police Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) at Sunyani to
explain why the brother was ejecting her from his house.
But the
brother, Pastor Thomas A. Kyeremeh, founder and leader of New Life Revival
Assembly, based in London told officials of the WAJU that he was taking that
action because his sister had divorced her husband on the grounds of not being
fashionable.
Joyce
Konadu, the sister, a second-hand clothes dealer, had been given a week's
ultimatum by the brother, Pastor Kyeremeh, to quit the house or be dealt with
severely. She wondered why the brother who requested her to occupy the house
whiles living in overseas should return only to eject her. Not even the
incessant plea from family members could make the pastor change his decision.
And when
her pleas with the brother to help her with some money to enable her to rent a
room was turned down, Joyce had only one option- to drag the brother to the
WAJU for intervention. But little did she know that the situation would turn
against her. When the pastor was questioned by the WAJU head Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Yartey Tawiah, he created a scene at the
WAJU office.
He queried,
why should a woman divorce her husband on the grounds that the husband does not
know how to dress properly.
Pastor
Kyeremeh then explained that the sister was married to a 38-year-old fitter,
Kwame Anokye, with whom she has three children.
Somewhere
in 1999 she approached the man's family members with a bottle of Schnapps to
dissolve their 17-year-old marriage on the grounds that her husband did not
know how to dress fashionably and that he could not follow him to any function.
According to the pastor, her action came shortly after he had given her some
amount of money to start some business, which had started flourishing.
He said
when he planned to bring his children down to continue with their education, he
asked the sister, who had then rented her own room to occupy his house so that
she would take care of his children during his absence. The pastor said, on his
arrival he was shocked when he realised that the sister had divorced the
husband. "I realised that she was being insolent and that she could not cater
well for my children when I am away and therefore decided to eject her from my
house, he explained. - The Spectator.
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Akpeteshie distiller dupes two people
Asante
Bekwai (Ashanti Region) 20 April 2002 - Benson Adu Gyamera, an akpeteshie
distiller, who duped two persons of about ˘9.2 million, on the pretext of
supplying them with dry cocoa beans has been convicted by a Bekwai circuit
court. Gyamera pleaded guilty with explanation to one of two counts of fraud
for which he was convicted.
He is
however to reappear to answer charges on the second count. He was asked by the
court, presided over by Mr S.F. Manu, to refund ˘4,552,000 to one of his victims
or in default serve five years imprisonment with hard labour.
Prosecuting,
Inspector A.T. Awatey of the Anhwia-Nkwanta Police, told the court that the
complainant, Sylvester Oti, is a cocoa-purchasing clerk attached to OLAM, a
cocoa purchasing company at Atoakrom, in the Amansie-East District. He said
Gyamera is an akpeteshie distiller who lived at Deduako, near Antoakrom.
Inspector
Awatey said during the 1999-2000 cocoa season, Gyamera visited Oti and in a
conversation, Gyamera indicated that he could purchase large quantities of dry
cocoa beans for Mr Oti if he could give him an amount of ˘4,552,000. On the
basis of this, Mr Oti parted with the amount in anticipation of 30 bags of
cocoa beans.
Gyamera
allegedly bolted after collecting the money until 3 April this year when he was
arrested by the Anwhia-Nkwanta Police and remanded in prison custody in Kumasi.
In the
second case, Inspector Awatey told the court that the complainant is Mark Owusu
Amponsah, a district officer for the Royal Commodities, also a cocoa purchasing
company. He said in that case Gyamera took ˘4,658,000, covering 17 bags of dry
cocoa beans on 22 November 2001 with the promise of supplying the beans when
the cocoa season opened.
Gyamera
allegedly failed to supply the beans but bolted and went into hiding. According
to Inspector Awatey, Gyamera was arrested on 13 March at a hide out at
Duabenekrom near Takoradi. He admitted taking the money but explained that his
family went into an agreement with Mr Oti and he had accepted to refund the
˘4,522,000 to him.
He
therefore appealed to the court to deal leniently with him but his pleas were
rejected. Mr Manu however, told him that he would be discharged the very moment
he refunds the money to Mr Oti. - The Mirror.
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