NPP congress, Hawa complains
Gov't to cut funds to tertiary institutions
Roll-call of GV vehicles at NPP Congress
Wonder boy steals NPP show
Boniface to contest on NPP ticket in 2004
Vandals raise ¢130m for C'wealth Hall Annex
project
'Probe police, army raid on Wiawoso Omanhene's
palace
Osafo-Maafo tasks District Chief Eexecutives
Coup in Ghana would not succeed U.S. envoy
Salesman in court for embezzlement
NASARA Club wants to be recognized under NPP
constitution
NPP’s policies are making govt unpopular-NPP MP
Sit by me, my son…Asantehemaa tells Rawlings
NDC for congress in December
Ebo Quansah joins Public Agenda
NPP congress, Hawa complains
The Ghanaian Chronicle, writing on the NPP
national delegates congress held last Saturday, says it was almost a perfect
choreography and the script almost specific-and, more than a little alarming,
if you are a democrat.
It
carries that after several hours of voting, delegates at the annual event
settled for the 'chosen ones', with the exception of Lord Enoch Oblitey Commey,
the fiery 32-year old Ga, who did a major re-write of the script for the night.
“He
snatched the post of National Organiser from his 63-years old competitor and
favourite of the pro-Kufuor campaign team, Alhaji Sulemana Yirimea in the
'real' contest of the night.”
But
his victory, which according to his key campaign member, Mohammed Haruna, came
after they had refused to bow to pressures from party gurus to drop out and
throw their support behind Alhaji Sulemana Yirimea.
Instead
of the expected team of Chairman Haruna Esseku: Vice-chairpersons Stephen Ntim,
Mrs Agnes Adzo Okudzeto, Eddie Annan; General secretary Dan Botwe; Treasurer,
Michael Dugan, and National Organiser, Alhaji Yirimea, the Bukom-born Lord
Commey changed the equation.
He
swept the post from the Bawku-based Yirimea and gave the Ga caucus two posts;
his and that of third Vice-Chairperson (Eddie Annan) and deprived the three
northern regions (Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions) of representation
on the National Executive Council.
Immediately,
after the declaration of results, some members of the northern caucus raised
their voices in protest, Tourism Minister Madam Hawa Yakubu expressed her
disappointment at Yirimea's loss to Commey, though she agreed that Commey is
equally a good material.
In
an interview on an Accra radio station, she expressed the view that the
northern caucus had been done in at the congress, adding that Yirimea's loss to
Commey "shouldn't be surprising because it happens."
"Anytime
there is a package, we keep to the package but others don't, so, that is life
and I feel very bad. If we are told that don't contest this because of the
interest of the party', we fulfill it. But others don't fulfill it and there's
a lot of marginalisation in the party."
She
continued; "Naturally, my constituent and my brother, Alhaji Yirimea, has
suffered a lot and he's worked very hard and the pain of the conflict, with
over seven of his relations dying and then the fact that it was quite a number
of the regions who demanded that he should come and contest, I expected that
they should stand by their words.”
More…/
Gov't to cut funds to tertiary institutions
Tertiary education will soon not enjoy higher
funding from the government due to the challenging dictates of the global
economic order and other demands from within, Professor Christopher
Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister for Education, has said.
According
to the Chronicle, "Given the trends in the global economy and the
competing demands from the other sectors of the economy, tertiary education
cannot expect higher funding level from Government in the near future,"
the Minister said.
The
minister, who was the guest speaker at the Homecoming celebration of the
Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, said though budgetary allocations for
tertiary education have shown a continuous increase over a decade now, such
increments have only been half the requirement of the said institutions.
To
this end he called on all hands, alumni, district assemblies, traditional
authorities and religious bodies, to be on deck to address the problem adding,
"tertiary education should be diversified"
More…/
Roll-call of GV vehicles at NPP Congress
The use of state resources for purely partisan
purposes, an art perfected by the former ruling National Democratic Congress
(NDC) during its eight-year stewardship, is being perpetuated under the current
New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, according to the Chronicle.
The
paper says its scouts were able to spot at least twenty state vehicles at last
Saturday's national delegates conference.
The
paper in its story published the list of GV vehicles that it spotted which were
from various institutions and some district assemblies.
GRi…/
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Wonder boy steals NPP show
The Daily Guide says the good number of aged
contestants contested for positions in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at its
national delegates congress on Saturday nearly turned the congress into a
poetry recital competition but for the youthful exuberance and energy of
younger contestants like Lord Enoch Oblitey Commey, 31, and 30-year old
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid.
Commey
and Abdul-Hamid who both vied for the position of national organiser, saved the
day from becoming a snoring competition, as people got bored.
Most
of the contestants who mounted the platform had their ages ranging between 58
and 69 years old and with three minutes allotted to each candidate to address
the electorates, most of them delved into their historical achievements in the
long and tedious route of the Danquah-Busia tradition.
Herman Seshie, 59, who stood as
vice-chairman spent the time allotted to him, reciting a poem. This was to be
followed by Michael Dugan 69, contested for the position of Treasurer and won,
gave a long history about himself.
Edmund Annan, 61, vied for vice-chairman
repeated the well-known Danquah-Busia history.
By
the time some of the septuagenarians finished with their poetry recitals, those
delegates who were still awake had started giggling, while others settled with
sleeping leaving some members to wonder whether the oldies could mount
platforms to campaign vigorously for the 2004 elections.
The
Guide says Lord Commey’s intervention, kept participants spell-bound, speaking
to the admiration of all and succeeded in exhibiting to the delegates that he
is the right choice for the national organiser.
Mustapha
Abdul-Hamid 30, also made the necessary impact and impression that he could.
The
keenly contested position was between Commey, Alhaji Yirimea and Abdul-Hamid
and although all the three succeeded in making a good impact through their
presentations, Commey received a standing ovation for nearly ten minutes.
At
the end of it all, he polled 210 votes as against 183 by his senior man,
Yirimea and Abdul-Hamid’s 38.
More…/
Boniface to contest on NPP ticket in 2004
The Independent Member of Parliament for
Salaga, Boniface Abubakar Saddique, has stated emphatically that he will accept
it wholeheartedly if he is given the chance to contest the 2004 parliamentary
election on the ticket of the NPP.
“My
people in Salaga will vote for me, no matter the party I join”, he said,
stressing that at the moment he has declared his solidarity for the NPP for the
confidence reposed in him. Saddique is currently deputy Minister for Trade and
Industry.
Saddique,
a former member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), made these
statements at the NPP’s congress last Saturday.
Spotted
in the colours of the party, the deputy minister told the Guide that he sees no
reason why he should not reciprocate the confidence reposed in him by the NPP
government.
GRi…/
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Vandals raise ¢130m for C'wealth Hall Annex
project
About ¢130 million has been realised from the
"homecoming" activities embarked upon by the Old Vandals Association
(OVA) for the Commonwealth Hall Annex project.
Harry
Akussah, Commonwealth Hall Master, disclosed at a church service in Accra at
the weekend to mark the end of the activities of the Vandals third Homecoming
Summit.
Akussah
said that the summit had provided the opportunity for the old Vandals to
appreciate the magnitude of the deteriorating conditions at the hall.
Preaching
the sermon, the Rev Ottoo Brepong, pastor of the Baptist Church, urged members
of the association to pool their resources to restore the hall to its previous
position.
"This
is the time to rebuild the walls and restore the damaged gate," he said.
Earlier,
the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, Cecilia Bannerman cut the
sod for work to begin on a five-year Vandal Hall Annex, being funded by the Old
vandal.
The
¢1 billion project is aimed at helping to solve the accommodation problems
facing students.
More…/
'Probe police, army raid on Wiawoso Omanhene's
palace
The people of Sefwi-Wiawso have called on the
government to institute a probe into the raid on the Omanhene's palace last
Tuesday by a team of soldiers and policemen from Takoradi.
During
the raid, the Omanhene, Nana Okuah Okumkom's palace was searched by the
soldiers, when he had traveled to Accra.
The
Gyasehene of the Sefwi-Wiawso Traditional Area, Nana Adu Tawiah, was picked up
in the process by the raiders, who forced him to allow them to search the whole
palace. The house of the chief linguist, Nana Yiadom Boakye, was also cordoned
off and searched.
The
action threw the entire town into panic and confusion. The chief was taken to
Takoradi and released later.
The
MP for the area, Mr I.K. Ofori, in a statement on behalf of the people
condemned the action of the soldiers and policemen.
"We
the people of Sefei Wiaso Traditional Area consider this action as
sacrilegious. It is indeed an
abomination and we condemn it and protest against it in the strongest
term," the statement said.
The
people wondered if such an action could have been visited on any of the palaces
of the paramounties in the country.
"It
is a fact that such military-police action can only be authorised by either the
REGSEC or the National Security Council. Under no circumstances will troops be
moved without the knowledge and approval of the Army Commander," the
statement said and demanded an urgent investigation into the matter.
GRi…/
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Osafo-Maafo tasks District Chief Eexecutives
The Minister of Finance, Yaw Osafo Maafo, has
charged District Chief Executives (DCEs) to map out effective strategies to
plug existing loopholes that deprive district assemblies of substantial revenue
needed for their development, reports the Daily Graphic.
He
described as ironical the current situation at the districts where there is
considerable abuse of revenue that should go into the coffers of assemblies to
enable them undertake viable ventures for the well-being of the people.
Osafo-Maafo
told the national delegates conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the
University of Ghana in Accra last Saturday that DCEs must put in place
appropriate and workable structures to mobilise revenue that is abused,
especially at market centers.
He
said the assemblies are not getting the needed funds that would complement the
District Assemblies Common Fund, stressing that, “This is a serious concern to
the Kufuor administration”.
Osafo-Maafo
said the government has released ¢110 billion to district assemblies, out of
which 20 per cent is to be set aside to address poverty among the people.
GRi…/
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Coup in Ghana would not succeed U.S. envoy
The Dispatch quotes the outgoing United States
Ambassador to Ghana, Kathryn Dee Robinson, as saying in an interaction with
journalists last week that the likelihood of a coup in the country or an
attempt to wrest power by violence is small, very small.
"It
is my reading of the Ghanaian people that a vast majority of them would not
stand for that and that those who try to do that would not be successful. They
might try but I do not think they will succeed," the paper reports her as
stating.
She
said the US government has laws under which all assistance - security and
financial – are withdrawn if a group comes to power through extra
constitutional means.
This
is why since December 1999, nothing has been provided to the government of Cote
d'Ivoire.
Ms
Robinson, who leaves Ghana later this week after a three year stay also said:
"I really do not think any coup attempt will be successful, I think the
chances of people trying to mount a coup are low, I also think the chance of a
coup attempt succeeding is even lower."
She
also admitted that, "rising political temperatures in the run up to the
first round of the 2000 elections was a great source of worry that things would
turn out other than by peaceful electoral process.
The
U.S. envoy, who is retiring from the Foreign Service after 27 years service,
felt that the "path of democracy in any country does not always flow
smoothly and has it's twists and turns.
“Democracy,
to me, is about a people and the government they choose to serve them."
More…/
Salesman in court for embezzlement
Kofi Yeboah, alias Paa Willie, a salesman of a
timber firm at Teshie, is standing trial at an Accra Circuit Tribunal presided
over by Imoru Ziblim, for allegedly embezzling ¢34,453,000 being sales of
timber boards.
He
is on charges of stealing under Section 124(1) of Act 29/60 of the Criminal
Code.
The
court heard that the accused has been working with the timber firm for the past
three years. In February 2000, the complainant and employer of the accused,
Fred Bortieh, allegedly happened to be at the store when a customer came to buy
a quantity of timber boards.
The
accused alleged failed to make entries of the transaction, contrary to laid
down procedures.
The
complainant became alarmed when he detected the anomaly and caused an audit of
the sales book, which revealed that the accused had embezzled the amount.
Investigations
by the Police following the accused’s arrest, led to the discovery of ¢313,000
hidden under his bed.
It
also came out that the accused had bought an Opel car worth ¢10.5 million,
turned it into a taxi cab and has registered it in the name of one Maxwell
Ansah, whilst the address on the car was in a different name. The taxi has
since been impounded and placed in the custody of the Nungua Police Station.
Further
investigations revealed that he bought some household items recently and kept
them with his father.
These
items have also been seized and were tendered in court as evidence at last
Thursday's sitting. The accused however
denied ownership of the taxicab, but was contradicted by Maxwell Ansah in his
statement to the Police.
GRi…/
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NASARA Club wants to be recognized under NPP
constitution
The Eastern Regional branch of the NASARA Club,
a group made up of members from the three northern region, has called for the
inclusion of the club in the NPP Constitution, according to the NPP News.
Making
the call at a recent Regional Delegates meeting at Akwatia, Sheikh Ibrahim
Khahd, Vice-Chairman of the Akwatia constituency of the NPP, noted that the
inclusion of the club in the party's constitution would make its function more
meaningful "since it has become one of the strongest pillars of the NPP in
the Zongo communities.
The
Akwatia Constituency NPP women organiser, Mrs Ankrah who represented the
Minister of Women Affairs expressed her dissatisfaction with the composition of
the club, which had no women.
She
contended that women constituted 50 per cent of the country's population and that
women could influence national policy more than their male counterparts.
Mrs Ankrah therefore advised the Eastern
Regional executives of the NASARA club to go back to conduct fresh election and
include women in the new executives.
GRi…/
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NPP’s policies are making govt unpopular-NPP MP
The Ghanaian Voice carries that it is the view
of the Hon. P.C. Appiah Ofori, MP for Assikuma/Odoben/Brakwa constituency that
his own party, the New Patriotic Party is pursuing certain programmes and
policies which are inflicting hardship on the people that will make the
government unpopular and threaten the nation’s infant democracy being built.
In
a five-page document the NPP MP is said to have attacked certain loan
agreements contracted by the ruling NPP because the conditionalities attached
to them are not in the best interest of the country.
In
a memo dated August 15, Hon Appiah Ofori cited Tema Oil Refinery, Electricity
Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company as being the pain in the neck of the
economy.
He writes, “in other words some people
connected with these companies should continue to enrich themselves, be
inefficient, wasteful and the generality of Ghanaians called upon to make good
the loss”.
He
further described the Kufuor government’s handling of the economy as pouring
water into a leaking tank.
More…/
Sit by me, my son…Asantehemaa tells Rawlings
“Welcome my son, you promised to come back. You
have come welcome, come sit by me.”
The
Voice says with these words spoken in clear distinct and immaculate Asante, the
Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Serwaa Kobi Ampem, welcomed ex-president J.J. Rawlings
to her palace at Manhyia on Friday August 24.
According
to the paper, in the morning when the ex-president’s entourage surprised the
Kumasi Metropolis, after meeting with the Ashanti regional executives of the
NDC, the team went straight to the Asantehema’s palace to, as custom demands,
greet her.
She
pulled the former President from the seat offered him and asked him to sit by
her. Innocent passers-by who were
privileged to sight the ex-president sent word round that the man was around
and the whole precincts of the Asantehemaa’s palace became a beehive of
activity.
People
run helter-skelter to send the news that Rawlings was in town. When the crowd
started thickening, the ex-president and his entourage drove to the Manhyia
Palace and held close door meeting with the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the
Asantehene.
At
the meeting, that observers believe were frank exchange of views, the
ex-president drove off evading the media men who had picked his scent and were
waiting for an interview, says the Voice.
GRi…/
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NDC for congress in December
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has confirmed that its fifth national delegates
congress would take place in the first week of December, this year.
The
venue for the Congress will however be announced later, according to The
Ghanaian Democrat, which says a statement signed by the Chairman of the Media
Committee, Ekwow Spio Garbrah, said the decision was reached at a meeting of
the NEC in Accra over the weekend.
The
meeting was attended by the Leader and Founder, ex-President, Flt. Lt. J.J.
Rawlings, serving national officers, regional chairmen and former Ministers and
their deputies.
According
to the statement, the NEC approved a timetable for the election of branch,
constituency and regional elections to be completed not later than the end of
November, 2001.
According
to the approved timetable, branch elections are to be concluded between August
and September, whilst constituency elections are to be conducted in October.
Regional
conferences and elections are to be held not later than the end of November.
GRi…/
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Ebo Quansah joins Public Agenda
The Public Agenda says it has roped into its
stable veteran journalist, Ebo Quansah, onetime editor of the Ghanaian
Chronicle.
Quansah
replaces George Koomson as editor of the paper.
A
product of both, the Ghana Institute of Journalism and School of Communications
Studies, University of Ghana, Quansah according to the paper, has wide
experience in the practice.
GRi…/
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