GRi Press Review Ghana 31 - 08 – 2001
Akufo-Addo
clears the air …I’m not a candidate for 2004
Jake
to lose one title
No
more individual unguarded statements
Parents
complain about high rents on campuses
106
prisoners died last year …20 killed by AIDS
Ten
million condoms sold in Ghana this year
Ghana
Telecom faces crisis
‘Rawlings
must stop crying wolf’-Kweku Baako
Killer
cop interdicted and charged with murder
Otumfuo
orders probe
We
have unfinished business - NDC
Tears
as Yankey gets quit ultimatum
'We
need visionary leaders, not brainy'
Asantehene,
Konadu clash over cars
Akufo-Addo
clears the air …I’m not a candidate for 2004
Nana
Akufo-Addo, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, says he has no
intentions of contesting the Presidency in the 2004 elections, reports The
Accra Mail.
The
AG made the revelation in an interview with the Accra Mail this week, when he
was responding to the question; “Do you still hold ambitions for higher officer
than the Attorney General?” Nana Akufo-Addo, in a response said, “To be honest,
my mind hasn’t gone nearly that far.”
He
said the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) immediate and most pressing task is to
make sure that the Ghanaian people at the end of the party’s current four-year
term, are satisfied that the NPP which came in on the programme of reform,
revitalisation and renewal of the
nation, was able to deliver and improve the conditions of life of the people of
this country.
According
to him, it is extremely important to recognise that there will be no NPP future
if this first NPP government does not succeed.
“So
far as I’m concerned, that is the hard political fact. If the President’s
government doesn’t succeed, the rest of us don’t have a future. None of us can
have a space to operate unless this first NPP government is seen by the nation
to have succeeded. We can’t dominate the future if we begin with a failure.”
He
said the issue at stake is the NPP, but not any individual, and for that reason
he is very clear in his mind despite speculations that apparently, he is a
candidate for 2004.
“I’m
not a candidate, I’m not preparing myself to be a candidate and I would be very
very surprised, the way that the President is conducting himself and managing
the affairs of the country that there is going to be any challenger to him in
the year 2004. I would be astonished,” the Attorney-General stated.
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Jake
to lose one title
After
eight months in office, there are indications that President John Kufuor will
make major changes at the Office of the President. These changes are likely to
be effected as soon as President Kufuor takes his office at the Castle, Osu.
According
to "The Evening News", a highly placed source at the Castle, which
dropped this hint, said the position of Chief of Staff would be separated from
the Minister for Presidential Affairs.
The
source said Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the current Chief of Staff and Minister for
Presidential Affairs would hold on to the ministerial position.
The
position of Chief of Staff is likely to go to Kojo Mpiani referred to as a
close associate of President Kufuor and a strategist in the campaign team of
the President in the 2000 elections.
The
source said even though Obetsebi-Lamptey was the campaign manager of President
Kufuor, personalities like Mpiani and Dr Amoako Tuffour were behind the scene
also strategising.
Kojo
Mpiani, a professional banker, worked with the National Investment Bank before
joining the erstwhile People's National Party as MP for Mampong South. He later fled into exile after the 1981 coup
detat.
More…/
No
more individual unguarded statements
The
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that henceforth the party's
position on national issues will be discussed and a collective statement issued
to that effect.
"This
is a departure from the past where individuals make unguarded statements on
behalf of the party which later attracted criticisms from the public and the
media”, says the Evening News.
Huudu
Yahaya, General Secretary of the party said in an interview with "The
Evening News" in Accra on the party's views on President Kufuor's call for
a public debate on the funding of political parties in the country.
He
said a collective statement on the issue would be made after the next meeting
of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
The
General Secretary said the NEC decision would take into consideration
grass-root opinion on the subject, which would be thoroughly debated, at the
NEC level for a decision to be taken. “This will ensure that the NEC membership
is able to defend the party's decision at every point in time."
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Parents
complain about high rents on campuses
The
Daily Graphic reports that some parents and students have complained about the
high level of rent being charged by certain hostel owners on some of the
university campuses in the country.
They
have argued that since most Ghanaians are reeling under economic hardships,
coupled with low-income levels in the country, providers of these facilities
should take the plight of parents into consideration when fixing the charges.
They
cited the University of Ghana, which charges ¢150,000 for resident students for
one semester, the Ghana Hostels Limited, ¢1,250,000 per student in a room which
accommodates four students for two semesters of nine months. An amount of ¢2.6
million is charged by the company for two students who share certain categories
of accommodation.
When
contacted, an official of the Ghana Hostels Limited explained that the company
took several factors into consideration before arriving at the charges.
The
official said the charges include water, electricity and a refundable deposit,
which can be used for the replacement of certain items the students may damage.
He
said the company, as a private enterprise, needs to recover its investment at
profit over a certain period and that it took into consideration factors
pertaining to the payment of rental charges.
In
a related development, the Ministry of Education and the Committee of Vice
Chancellors and Principals (CVCP) on Thursday agreed to allow university
students to pay the 2000/2001 academic user fees for this year.
The
arrangement is to give the government time to seek Parliamentary approval for
the release of money from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to reimburse
the universities for the increases in the user fees for this year.
The
two parties also reached an understanding that students who can, in the
meantime, pay the new user fees should be allowed to do so and later credited
with the percentage increases after the government has released the rebate.
The
Deputy Minister of Education, Rashid Bawa, disclosed this to the Graphic after
a meeting between the CVCP and the Minister of Education, Professor Christopher
Ameyaw-Akumfi in Accra.
Earlier
reports had quoted Professor Ivan Addea-Mensah, Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Ghana, as having said that the government’s demand for students
to be allowed to pay old user fees could only work if it (government) pays
fully the rebate it has promised to absorb on behalf of the students.
Explaining
the stand of the university in an interview in Accra, Addae-Mensah, stated; “we
can not run the university on a government promise”.
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106
prisoners died last year …20 killed by AIDS
A
total of 106 prisoners died in various prisons throughout the country last
year, as against 76 in 1999, representing an increase of about 38.7 per cent,
according to a 2000 Annual Report of the Ghana Prisons Service.
HIV/AIDS
accounted for 20 of the deaths, while Tuberculosis and Diarrheoa claimed 17 and
11 lives respectively. Other causes are Pneumonia, nine, Congestive Cardiac
failure, nine, Anaemia, seven, Asthmatic attack, Hypertension, Hernia,
Enclofral Shock and Stroke, three each.
The
list also includes Hypoproteinaemia and Brain Tumor, two each, and Buruli Ulcer
and Snake bites one each.
The
report attributed the increased deaths to the inadequate budgetary allocation
for medical stores and the cash-and-carry system, which made it impossible for
the service to achieve any significant improvement in health care delivery for
inmates.
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Ten
million condoms sold in Ghana this year
Ghanaians
have shown a renewed interest in condoms use with over 10.2 million packs sold
this year alone as against 6 million condoms sold in 1999, according to The
Weekend Statesman.
The
country director of the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), Dr. Frank J. Young who disclosed this in Accra at the launching of the
“Journey of Hope”, an HIV/AIDS educational tool to combat the spread of the
disease, said the feat was achieved through the Stop AIDS, Love Life campaign
launched in February last year.
Dr
Young said prior to the campaign, there had been a decline in the use of
condoms among Ghanaians and expressed the hope that the 14 million target, set
for this year would be achieved.
The
condoms were donated by Ghana Social Marketing Foundation who sold it to the
public through 5000 retail outlets nationwide.
More…/
Ghana
Telecom faces crisis
Ghana
Telecom is in deep crisis over the failure to honour its financial obligations
to the National Communication Authority (NCA), the telecommunication industry
regulatory body.
The
embattled telecom giant has now been asked to pay the debt of over ¢467 billion
to the NCA before September 30 or face legal action. There are no indications
that the company would be able to pay up before the deadline, according to the
Weekend Statesman.
The
Statesman says it has learnt that the one month notice given to the company has
thrown panic among the Malaysians, managers of the company.
Investigations
revealed that ever since the handover of the company on soft terms to the
Malaysians in 1997, the company’s financial obligations to the NCA have not
been honoured leading to the accumulation of the money.
The
debt was incurred between 1997 and last year in respect of regulatory charges,
initial charge for operating mobile cellular phone service in the GSM band,
annual spectrum fees for fixed and cellular operations, and penalty for
non-performance of license requirements.
Since
the divestiture of 30 per cent of the company to G-Comm, a consortium of
telecom operators made up of Telecom Malaysia, Dr Nii Noi Quaynor’s Network
Computer System (NCS) and Alhaji Sulemana an NDC activist, no payment has been
made to the regulatory body.
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‘Rawlings
must stop crying wolf’-Kweku Baako
Kweku
Baako Jnr, Editor of The Crusading Guide and a known critic of former President
Jerry John Rawlings, has expressed surprise at recent statements reportedly
made by the ex-President in Kumasi and during an encounter with the out-going
US Ambassador, Kathryn Dee Robinson.
“Mr.
Rawlings really doesn’t cease to amaze me. How could he be talking about the
truth, perversion of justice and human sensibilities without hurting his own
conscience?
“It
is intriguing but it is politically and downright hypocrisy. He must stop
crying wolf”, Baako charged.
According
to The Dispatch, the state-owned Daily Graphic of August 25 reported the
ex-President, as having told the NDC members in the Ashanti Region that “the
arrogant disregard for human sensibilities and the persistent cowardly
crucifixion of the truth currently going on in this country is resulting in
serious perversion of justice.”
“The
provocations, persecutions and abuses may get worse but with God and truth on
our side, we shall prevail,” Rawlings was quoted as saying.
The
Graphic on August 28 also reported ex-President as having told the outgoing US
Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Kathryn Dee Robinson, during the latter’s courtesy call
on him that “in matters of national interest, the truth is often being
concealed by opponents of the former government, for their own political
expediency.”
He
reportedly cited the killing of women which preceded the last general
elections, and said the matter should not be allowed to rest with the arrest of
“just one or two sick people on the streets.”
In
direct response to the call on the FBI “to get to the bottom of the blooded
murders before the next elections,” Baako wondered why the linkage of the
resolution of the mystery of the murders to the next elections.
“What
exactly is Mr Rawlings imputing? Is he suggesting that there’s any material
evidence that the serial killings were related to the out come of the last
elections, can he come clear?” queried Baako.
More…/
Killer
cop interdicted and charged with murder
Police
Corporal Twumasi Appiah, who shot and killed Joseph Yao Avonor, a student of
Accra Polytechnic at Akoko Foto near Dansoman in Accra on August 16, has been
interdicted.
His
interdiction by the Police Administration on August 22 follows a recommendation
by the Accra Police Regional Command on August 17, just a day after the
incident.
Speaking
to The Dispatch at his office in Accra last Wednesday, Dr K.K. Manfo, Accra
Regional Commander, observed that although investigations were yet to be
concluded, the Corporal’s conduct has brought the image of the Police Service
into disrepute, adding that Corporal Appiah did not act professionally, whether
he killed the student accidentally or intentionally.
Dr
Manfo disclosed that until investigations prove otherwise, the case is being
treated as murder. He said killing is the most serious crime and nothing
deliberate would be done to obstruct the cause of justice because Appiah is a
Policeman.
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Otumfuo
orders probe
Investigations
carried out by the Free Press in Kumasi, indicate that, the Asantehene, Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II has appointed a four-member committee, chaired by Nana Baffour
Kwaku Amankwaah Abunyaa II, Asantehene’s Ankobeahene, to investigate the land
case between the Busumuru stool and the Ghana Education Service (GES), which
the stool is claiming a whooping
compensation of ¢21 billion from the GES.
The
GES had acquired the land for Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School (OKESS). Investigations revealed that as far back as
1957, the late Nana Sir Osei Agyeman "Prempeh II, expressed interest in
education and accordingly consulted the late Nana Akwasi Sarkodie, and Nana
Opoku Mensah, who were then both Busumuruhene and family head respectively, for
a parcel of land to move the then Asante Collegiate School to the site.
Nana
Sarkodie, it was alleged also showed interest in Nana Sir Osei Agyeman
Prempeh's intention, and accordingly bequeathed an alleged 50 acres of his land
of Nkwantwim to him.
That
was in the era of one Mr Blay the first Headmaster of OKESS, the source
disclosed, adding that as time passed by, the school authorities managed to
claim another 108 acres of land in addition to what Nana Sarkodie gave to Nana
Agyeman Prempeh II.
But
luck however run out for the School, as the Nkwantwima - Busumuru Royal family,
detected the deal thus bringing about confusion between the stool and the
school authorities.
To
solve the problem the erstwhile NDC government placed an Executive instrument
on the land in 1988, to finally claim the land for the government.
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We
have unfinished business - NDC
The
Weekend Agenda carries that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is seeking
to return to power in 2004 to conclude a number of unfinished businesses,
according to its General Secretary, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya.
"Vision
2020, the NDC blueprint to bring Ghana to a middle income status, hardly took
off… We have a lot of unfinished business," Yahaya told the Agenda last
week.
He
said the NDC is still a significant and a viable option for the achievement of
socio-economic and political development of the country. "We want to work
to better the lot of our people… to enhance and develop their potentials, to
improve upon their social and economic life and to take Ghana higher than we
left off.
Yahaya
gave a catalogue of the country's problems but said Ghana, like any other
developing country wants to develop as a society,
"By
winning election again we would show to the whole world that we are developing
our democracy,” he said, adding that "whatever party we find ourselves in,
we should not be unnecessarily antagonistic, we are not enemies."
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Tears
as Yankey gets quit ultimatum
The
Ghanaian chronicle reports that the raging row over the decision by Ghana to
withdrew Dr George Yankey from his post as President of the newly-constructed
ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development turned for the worse when Togolese
Prime Minister, Agbeyome Kodjo, gave him ultimatum to quit his offices and
official residence by Monday August 27.
The
ultimatum came in the wake of the ECOWAS Board of Directors meeting in Lome on
Monday to consider preparations made so far for the take-off of the new bank,
as well as the fate of Dr Yankey.
“Tears
flowed freely at the headquarters of the newly-restructured ECOWAS Bank in Lome
when news broke out that Dr George Yankey has been given an ultimatum to quit
office and residence by Monday August 27”.
The
writes: “Many members of staff could not hold back their tears as Dr Yankey,
who has defiantly resisted attempts to get him removed from his position
finally waved goodbye to the staff with whom he has worked over the last few
months to prepare the new regulations and structures for the take-off of the
new bank.”
"It
has come to the point where I have to leave because I do not want to become an
obstacle to the advancement of the bank," Dr Yankey told members of staff
on Thursday.
At
the ECOWAS Evaluation Commission, Dr Yankey came out tops and was subsequently
appointed by the Authority of the ECOWAS heads of State last year.
However,
the new Ghana Government demanded Dr Yankey's withdrawal. But Dr Yankey
resisted, saying the demand was a clear violation of the provisions of the
Revised ECOWAS Treaty which made his appointment statutory and therefore
outside the jurisdiction of Ghana.
Just
as the ECOWAS Board of Directors was scheduled to meet in Lome to decide on Dr.
Yankey's fate, the bombshell dropped last Friday by the Togolese Prime
Minister, reported as saying, "Togo does not want to engage in any fracas
with Ghana."
More…/
'We
need visionary leaders, not brainy'
Rev
Dr Yongi Cho, the visiting leader of what is reputed to be the world's largest
single church, recalled his interactions with Presidents of his country, South
Korea, once a beneficiary of a Ghana Government loan, and noted that a nation
needs a dreamer and a visionary, not a brainy person.
He
said the brainy and technical people could be recruited from the best
universities in the world, like Harvard and Stanford, to put flesh to the
leader's vision and that was what Korea did and eventually became a magnet for
industrialised countries, like Japan and USA, leading to its current status as
a rich independent success story.
"You
must have a dream. I tell my Presidents to set the goal, spell out your dream
and let's work towards them'.
Pastor
Cho is the guest of the National Association of Charismatic and Christian
Churches on a three-day crusade and medical mission in the country.
Drawing
from the Book of Proverbs (4 versus 23), Rev. Cho spoke on the virtues of
persistence, rhema (the Word of God), faith, knowledge of the Word, prayer,
positive attitude and thinking so that they can rise up from the low
self-esteem that his people had in the times of difficulty when they were
'colonised' by the Japanese, Europeans and Chinese and dependent on external help.
He
noted that over time Korea weaned itself from the inferiority complex that took
hold of their lives as ministers mobilised Christians and pastors and the
people themselves voluntarily began to work for themselves, build little
cottage industries, roads and then finally they said 'Yes, we can do it.
If
Government had gotten involved as Government, it might have been a different
story, but there was one great voluntary movement of the people themselves - a
tremendous national force that turned the nation around.
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Asantehene,
Konadu clash over cars
Ghanaians
resident in the United Kingdom (UK) have warned the NPP government to be wary
of both the internal and external activities of the former President, Flt Lt
Jerry Rawlings and his wife, reports The Daily Guide.
The
warning is contained in a statement released at a press conference held by
Ghanaians resident in London, on August 9, 2001 at which Alex Asabere, chairman
of the erstwhile Democratic Movement of Ghana, articulated the concerns of
Ghanaian residents over the recent reception and facilities extended to Flt.
Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings by officials of the Ghana High Commission
in London.
The
fears of the Ghanaian group in the UK were sparked by an alleged switch of cars
from the retinue of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to the service of Nana
Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
The
incident, which was reported on a Ghanaian FM radio station in London is said
to have elicited sharp but strident reactions from the Ghanaian residents who
were angered by the fact that the Asantehene had been slighted to serve the
personal interests of the former First Lady.
The
Ghanaians, expressed their outrage at the development when the radio station
opened its phone lines for listeners to express their views as to whether it
was diplomatically in tune to allow the wife of the former President to use
cars belonging to her country's High Commission while a whole King, the
Otumfuo, was denied that facility.
The
fact of the matter as told to the paper is that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as King
and traditional overlord of Ashanti, had gone to London to address the
International Cocoa conference after which he was to use his influence to seek
investment from Ghanaians living abroad and other financial sources to the
benefit of Ghana.
Information
available to the Daily Guide indicates that the Otumfuo Asantehene, was first
to arrive in London and was therefore accorded diplomatic service by the High
Commission headed by Chris Kpodo.
But
the cars that they allocated to him, were later allegedly withdrawn and
extended to the former First Lady for her exclusive use, according to the Daily
Guide.
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