Four robbers arrested after gun battle
Accra (Greater Accra)
22 April 2002 - The Chief Executive of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (GNCCI), Mr Sal Amegavie, has said the signs of the country's economic
development are “good and must be sustained’’ He said if inflation rate is
about 16 per cent during planting season, then there is something to write home
about.
In an interview in Accra on Sunday, he said there was anxiety when the cedi was
depreciating against the major currencies but it seems the cedi is now
recovering and that is a piece of welcome news. He agreed to the suggestion
that the production base is weak and must be looked at critically. "When
energetic efforts are made to strengthen the production base, it would do the
country a lot of good," said the chief executive.
He recommended that we should be able to produce all our staple foodstuffs such
as maize, rice and sorghum, because if we are not able to feed ourselves, then
we do not deserve any respect. "We need to have enough food and replenish
our strategic stock. Indeed such stock should not be in private hands. At
worse, it could be private- public partnership." On commerce, he submitted
that more money should be put in the hands of the people to stimulate
consumption, which has been sluggish for some time now.
Last Wednesday, the Governor of the central bank, Dr Paul Acquah, said a cut in
inflation rate was on course and it stood at 16 per cent as of March.
Consequently, he was optimistic that the end of year target of 13 per cent
would be achieved. He referred to how commercial banks reduced their base rate,
which ranged from 35 to 40 per cent to 27 per cent by the end of March this
year. – Daily Graphic.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
22 April 2002 - Alhaji Abukari Sumani, the Member of Parliament for
Choggu-Tishigu, has formally declared his intention to contest the position of
General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress of the party at the
congress slated for 26 to 28 April, 2002 in Accra.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic at the weekend, Alhaji Sumani, who until
recently was Ghana’s Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, disclosed
that he was answering the call to duty by the NDC and the nation at this
crucial period in the nation’s history.
According to the
Choggu-Tishigu MP, who since the defeat of NDC in the 2000 general elections,
has been very active on the field rallying the members and supporters of the
party, and seeking to win more members and supporters to the fold of the party,
his decision to seek the mandate of the rank and file to oversee affairs at the
national secretariat of the party is to avail to the party his accumulated
knowledge and experience in politics and party organisation to help move the
NDC forward.
“I am of the strong
conviction that now is the time for me to step forward to join hands with other
committed and experienced members of our great party, the NDC, to revitalise
our structures, bring all members and supporters together and knit them into a
cohesive force and fashion out new and appropriate strategies to make the NDC
more attractive to the electorate.
“As General Secretary and member of both the Functional and National Executives
of the party, I would be instrumental in championing the deepening and
broadening of democracy, transparency and the active involvement of the rank
and file at all levels in the making and implementation of decisions that
affect the party. We shall unveil a set of policies and programmes that would
project the NDC as a viable and better alternative to the NPP and thereby put
the NDC and its allies in readiness to convincingly recapture power in the 2004
general elections,” he stressed.
Alhaji Sumani stressed the promotion of unity within the ranks and file of the
party, deepening of the interest and involvement of the members in its running
and collaborating actively with the party’s allies and other parties in the
opposition, would be accorded the priority should the members entrust him and
others with the mandate to steer the affairs of the NDC.
He pointed out that conditions in the country today offer a good opportunity
for the NDC to recapture power in the 2004 elections and called on all members
and supporters of the party to bury their differences and unite to advance the
interest of the NDC and Ghana.
Alhaji Sumani had,
shortly before taking responsibility as an MP, served the nation with
distinction as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia for over six years. He is fondly
remembered and admired especially by the Muslim community for the dedication
and commitment he showed in advancing the interest of pilgrims who patronised
the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
He is also credited with the further improvement in Ghana-Saudi relations and
also for attracting Saudi investment and support for development projects and
programmes in the country.
Alhaji Abukari Sumani, before the return to constitutional rule under the
Fourth Republic, was a founding member of the Eagle Club, which later
metamorphosed into the EGLE Party, which served as a useful alliance partner of
the NDC in the successive national electoral victories it chalked in 1992 and
1996. He was also in the formative years of the NDC the Northern Regional
Secretary of the party, a position he held with distinction until his
appointment as ambassador. – Daily Graphic.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 April 2002 - The factional fighting within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears to be heading for a two-man show between Dr Tony Aidoo, former Deputy Minister of Defence and Dr Obed Asamoah former Attorney General and one time Ghana’s longest serving Foreign Minister.
In an incisive and frontal attacks last Thursday, 18 April Dr Aidoo in a radio interview, accused Dr Asamoah of using state resources to operate branches of the Veranda Boys and Girls Club in Ghana and Great Britain. Dr Aidoo was reacting to press reports that linked him to allegations that Dr Asamoah lacks the leadership qualities to lead NDC to victory in 2004 and that Dr Asamoah would break NDC if elected chairman.
“I don’t need the cover of anonymity to voice out my critical views of Dr Asamoah’s bad leadership”, Aidoo said in reply to question on why he spoke to the press about Dr Asamoah on a plea of anonymity.
Dr Aidoo wondered why during Dr Asamoah’s numerous trips abroad as Foreign Minister he did not find it expedient to open branches of the Veranda Boys and Girls club in London, but used state resources to travel to London for the same purpose after he had served as Foreign Minister.
The outcome of this allegation could be a subject of investigation by the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice and the Attorney’s General’s Department.
When Public Agenda reached Dr Asamoah on phone last Friday to comment on Dr Aidoo’s allegation, he said he was not prepared to talk on ‘polemics of that nature. “I want to talk about principles”, Obed said and announced plans to hold a press conference on Monday at the Teachers Hall, five days to the NDC congress to clear his name.
Since 1992, the opposition and civil society groups had accused the then ruling NDC government of using state resources to run the 31 December Women’s Movement, the Civil Defence Organisation, the Association of Committees for the Defence of Revolution, the June 4 Movement, the Tertiary Education Network (TEIN) of the NDC and the Veranda Boys and Girls Club.
Accusations of wasting state resources on the party organs were vehemently denied by the then NDC government, which called the press all sorts of names for drawing the government’s attention to the misuse of the taxpayers’ money. One and half-years after the NDC lost power to the NPP Dr Aidoo has now confirmed that Dr Asamoah actually used state funds to establish the Veranda Boys and Girls Club, which has become Dr Asamoah’s support base as the race for the chairmanship of the party heats up.
The NPP General Secretary, Dan Botwe simply described Dr Aidoo’s exposure as ‘interesting’. We have always complained that money spent on Veranda Boys and Girls and other NDC organs were a drain on the economy. In reply we were told the clubs were NGOs. It is interesting to hear them now accusing each other of the same allegations they denied”, Botwe said. He added that NPP was monitoring the revelations to find the outcome of the exchanges before it would advise government to take action.
The forthcoming congress is a make or break affair for the NDC, whose founder and leader, Jerry Rawlings used the stick and carrot policy to keep the party together. The issue of one man controlling the party is undoubtedly the major issue for the congress to decide.
The NDC emerged out of the PNDC, which is the offshoot of a military coup staged by Jerry Rawlings in 1981. Since 1991 when the NDC was formed, Mr and Mrs Rawlings have been accused of controlling the party as if it were their personal property. The battle over who controls the party came to a head in 1998 when Rawlings handpicked Professor John Evans Atta Mills as the party’s presidential candidate against the wish of those who were advocating for internal democracy in the party.
Following the nomination of Prof Mills some peeved cadres broke away and formed the National Reform Party. When Prof. Mills lost the 2000 presidential poll the clamour for internal democracy and a clean break from Rawlings’ dominance in the party intensified. The reformists led by Dr Obed Asamoah feel that for the NDC to win the 2004 election all positions must be contested. But a clique who still want to see Rawlings have things his own have vowed to keep the old order. They have thus thrown their weight behind Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, Rawlings’ favourite for the NDC chairmanship.
That appears to be the dividing line between the Rawlings and Obed factions. While Rawlings and his supporters prefer Alhaji Iddrisu, who has been a Rawlings stooge for several years as party chairman, Dr Asamoah is contesting the hot seat in the hope that his chairmanship will put an end to Rawlings’ one-man show. How the election will go and what becomes of the party after the election on 27th April is anyone’s guess. – Public Agenda.
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Ho (Volta Region) 22
April 2002 - The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Professor
Agyeman Badu Akosa, has debunked claims that urine is a therapy for diseases. He
said the claim has no scientific basis because urine is considered a form of
liquid waste excreted from the human body in addition to other forms of waste
such as faecal excreta and sweat from perspiration.
Prof Akosa said this at a press conference to round off a three-day second
quarterly representative board meeting of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA)
at Ho on Sunday.
He was making an intervention in matters arising from the concerns expressed by
the GMA on the increasing rate of false claims on diagnosis, treatment and
prescription for diseases by some health care practitioners in the media. He
said it is difficult to imagine the curative functions of urine in view of its
status as a waste substance from the body.
Meanwhile, the GMA in a communiqué has noted the importance of self-regulation
and good ethical practices towards improved quality health care provision for
the people of the country and called on all stakeholders in health delivery to
collaborate with the GMA to fight the menace of unethical practices to protect
the health of the people.
It has accordingly
announced that the theme for the 44th annual general conference of the
association to he held in Accra in November, this year, will be “Continuous
Quality Improvement in Healthcare”.
The communiqué, however, expressed apprehension about the lack of progress on
negotiations for improved remuneration and conditions of service for all
categories of health professionals and called on the government to act faster
to arrest the high rate of exodus of medical personnel and to avoid the
possible closure of some health institutions due to the lack of adequate staff.
The GMA has also expressed concern about the increasing rate of road traffic
accidents in the country with its consequent injuries and fatalities. It,
therefore, called on all interest groups in the transport sector to take the
necessary and urgent steps to ensure safety on the road in the country.
The communiqué was signed by the President of the GMA, Dr Jacob Plange-Rhule,
and its Honorary Secretary, Dr K. S. Jehu-Appiah, at the end of a three-day
second quarterly representative board meeting at Ho.
According to the GMA, it is seriously concerned about safety on the roads
because of the horrific accident cases that are frequently brought to the
hospitals, adding that, “the spate of accidents could create unnecessary
pressure on any health insurance scheme to be introduced in the country.
It also expressed concern about the high rate of unethical advertisements by
some quack healthcare practitioners in the media and noted that the false
claims about uncertified drugs and concoctions associated with such
advertisements pose serious health hazards to the public.
The GMA said the false claims about diagnosis, treatment and prescription for
many diseases often peddled in the media by untrained people with unverifiable
claims of efficacy attributed to many medical preparations set bad precedents
for drug abuse.
It called on the Ghana Journalists Association (GIJ) and the National Media
Commission (NMC) to collaborate with it and other stakeholders in the health
sector to fight the menace of unethical advertisements on health and quack
health care practices to protect the health of the people.
The communiqué further called on the Ministry of Health to streamline the
procurement system to drugs and called on the ministry to set up as a matter of
urgency an investigation into the recent supply of unwholesome drugs to the
psychiatric hospitals.
Touching on the proposed health insurance scheme, it urged the government to
collaborate with all stakeholders on the proposed scheme and to further
intensify information, education and communication on the issue to ensure a
smooth and early implementation of a comprehensive scheme.
It also urged the government to expedite action on the negotiations with
doctors and other health professionals on the joint proposals for improved
salary and conditions of services for health professionals to forestall the
possible closure of some health facilities due to the lack of adequate staff.
The communiqué urged the government to ensure adequate provision of resources
for the full establishment of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ghana.
It expressed
condolences to the people of Dagbon and called on the government to ensure a
peaceful and permanent solution to the Dagbon crisis and all other chieftaincy
disputes on ethnic conflicts in the country in order to curb the devastating
effects on health and security of people in conflict areas
It also congratulated the security agencies for their recent successes against
armed robbery and urged the government to provide the necessary resources to
the security agencies to enable them to contain the menace of armed robbery in
the country. – Daily Graphic.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 22 April 2002 - His name is Nana Anim Addo. He describes
himself as a businessman who deals in gold. Some say he has the most
comprehensive criminal record; others say he is the richest crook. Some even
call him the ‘Golden Crook,’ but a Special Task Force of the security agencies
says he is a ‘Fraud Star’.
Whichever
way you call him, Nana Anim Addo, the elusive international conman who has the
most impressive curriculum vitae (CV) for duping hundreds of foreign investors,
still walks on the streets of Ghana as a free man, doing what he knows best. He
is usually represented by Messrs Philip Addison and, on some occasions, Atta
Akyea, both of Akufo Addo Prempeh and Co.
According
to documents from the security agencies, Nana Anim Addo and his gang defrauded
about nine international businessmen in 1997 to the tune of about $2,593,000
and about two-thirds of all fraudulent gold transactions are attributed to him.
On 17
November 1997, a task force of the security agencies who had been tasked to
investigate cases of fraudulent gold transaction issued a statement, which read
as follows: “Lately, a number of individuals and companies mostly foreigners
have fallen victim to activities of some unscrupulous persons parading as gold
traders.
“A Task
Force of the Security Agencies has begun the compilation of the cases with the
view to ensuring the expeditious investigation and prosecutions of those who
have duped unsuspecting individuals of huge sums of money. “Two individuals,
Messrs Nana Anim Addo and John Acolatse, and their associates have featured
prominently in these fraudulent gold transactions.
The Task
Force has so far established a trend that some of the foreigners who have
fallen victims in dubious gold transactions have been or are being intimidated
and pressurised by the cheats and their collaborators to leave the country and
thereby thwarting investigations. The Task Force wishes to assure all such
victims of the protection of the security agencies.”
Enter, Guy
Athlan, a Switzerland-based French businessman who has proved too tough for
Nana Anim Addo in spite of threats of death, time buying and intimidation.
Currently Nana Anim Addo is in court with Mr Athlan over $100,000 gold
transaction.
Chronicle
has confirmed that even before Judge Apau could deliver judgement on the case
before his court, Nana Anim Addo put Mr Guy Athlan on notice, threatening to
order his gang to snuff out his life if he did not stop taunting him. According
to Mr Athlan’s statement to the police, it all started on 1 March, this year,
around 11.00 am on the premises of the High Court. He was standing with his
lawyer close to the exit gate of the court when Nana Anim Addo, of Dredge
Master Global Sampa Ltd., and stopped his car in the middle of the gate and
angrily interrupted their conversation and began pouring insults and death
threats on him.
Mr Athlan
quoted Nana Anim as saying, “You insulted me, you do not know me well and you
do not know who you are dealing with. Go and ask of me, Nana Kwaku Anim Addo.
Here in Ghana, from the smallest to the top, Justice, police and government, I
do not fear anybody. I got the Registrar of the court out of his job! You do
not know me. If you care, I still have the boys to beat you up to death. Be
careful or else you will see what will happen if you continue to taunt me.”
Mr Athlan
said in order to avoid public attention at the court premises he turned his
back against him and did not utter a word until Nana Anim Addo jumped into his
car. In his statement to the police, Mr Athlan further said Nana Anim popped up
again and talked to his lawyer, Mr Chris Archer, saying “It is because of the
respect I have for you that I am warning Mr Athlan for the last time, otherwise
he will see something he will never forget.”
The French
businessman said in the midst of the threats, one Mr Obuobi Bompoh, who is an
associate of Mr Athlan, said, “Are you going to kill us on top?”
When
Chronicle reached Mr Chris Archer for his comments on the alleged threats of
death issued by Nana Anim Addo to his client, he confirmed it and said, “I have
looked at the statement to the police and everything is true.” Mr Athlan named
his lawyer, Mr Bampoe and a policeman he said was attached to the bailiff as
his witness.
Mr Athlan
told the Chronicle that he takes the threats against him seriously because
having dealt with Nana Anim Addo, he was convinced that he was capable of
killing him. “This man Kwaku Anim Addo is dangerous. I have seen what he did to
the taxi driver. His bodyguards are known by many stories. I do not take
lightly the treats on my life. I asked for police protection and I shall
request the French, Embassy for protection too,” he said.
Chronicle
has also sighted a petition dated 28 March 2002 and addressed to the
Commissioner of Police (CID) requesting the police for protection and an
assurance that his life is safe. “May I please seek the help of your good
office to assure me of my personal safety after threats of death from Nana
Kwaku Anim Addo on Friday 1 March 2002,” Mr Athlan stated in his petition.
As at
Sunday evening, Chronicle gathered that Nana Anim had still not been invited by
the police but the paper could not trace him for his comments and his side of
the story. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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Wa (Upper
West Region) 22 April 2002 - With immediate effect, pregnant women visiting
ante-natal clinics would undergo screening for HIV/AIDS. The measure forms part
of efforts by the health administration to ensure early detection of the
disease and to avert its spread from mother to baby.
Dr Francis
Banka, Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, made this know at Wa
during the second regional scientific workshop of the Cuban Medical Brigade
Team. The workshop brought together all the 17 Cuban doctors working in the
five districts of the region and their counterparts in the Bole District of the
Northern Region. It was to enable them to review their performance, identify
their weaknesses and shortcomings and the way forward towards enhancing
efficient and effective healthcare delivery, especially, at the rural community
level.
Dr Banka
said counseling centres were to be established at all regional and district
hospitals to counsel the public on the disease, especially, those already
infected with it on their lifestyles so as not infect other people.
The medical
director of the Wa Regional Hospital, Dr Edward Gyader, said that the AIDS
pandemic was a social problem and should not be left in the hands of medical
professionals alone. Dr Gyader, who is president of the Upper West Chapter of
the Ghana Medical Association, regretted that the disease was assuming an
alarming rate in the third world and called for a holistic approach towards the
fight against it.
Dr Gyader
commended the Cuban Medical Brigade Team for their efforts at ensuring quality
health care in the region. He said that apart from the team improving the
doctor-patient ratio in the region, their dedication and patriotism to work had
improved the health status of the people.
Dr Elvis
Pardo Olivares, Head of the Cuban Medical Brigade Team in the region, pledged
that he and his colleagues would continue to use their medical expertise to
ensure efficient health care for the deprived, poor and the vulnerable. Dr
Olivares called for more collaboration and sharing of ideas between them and
their Ghanaian counterparts towards achieving success and sustainable health
care for the people, especially those at the rural community level. – The
Ghanaian Times.
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Tema
(Greater Accra) 22 April 2002 - Four armed robbers, three of them Nigerians and
one Ghanaian, were at dawn on Sunday arrested after a fierce gun-battle with a
police-cum-military patrol team at Dawhenya, near Tema. They were arrested
after they succeeded in robbing Laciokor and Koch Farms both at Dawhenya in the
Greater Accra region.
They are
Wilson Dickson, 20, Michael Charles, 30, and Tunde Akin, 23, the Nigerian and
Kennedy Salley, 29, the Ghanaian. The fifth, Charles George, a Ghanaian named
as the leader, managed to escape with two-pump action guns which they took from
the security men at Laciokor Farms. He is also believed to have taken away over
¢1.5 million cash.
Disclosing
these to the “Times” at Tema Regional Police Commander, said the robbers first
attacked the Laciokor Farms around 1 am, and collected ¢280,000 from two workers
at gun-point. They forced the main door open and made away with ¢1.5 million.
At Korch
Farms, the robbers forced the security-man there at gunpoint to help them
chisel the safe. They were at it when the patrol team arrived at about 3 am. On
seeing the lights of the two military Land Rovers, they fled into the bush.
Some youth of Dawhenya who rushed to the spot assisted the patrol team to
pursue the robbers until four of them were arrested. But this was not without
exchange of fire.
Two locally
made pistols, two heavy clubs and some cartridges were retrieved from them.
Also found on them were some shirts in a bag. Their statements were being taken
at the time the ‘Times’ was leaving the police station. – The Ghanaian Times.
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