Kumasi taxi drivers protest…Over delay in fixing new fares
Kufuor's running mate
Bribery allegation against Rawlings
Ghana apologises to the IMF
Adansi chiefs cry foul…Gov't pockets 8.6bnC gold cash
Ohene-Kena under fire
Kumasi taxi drivers protest…Over delay in fixing new fares
Taxi drivers in Kumasi yesterday massed up in violent demonstrations against the directives by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to drivers not to increase fares arbitrarily following the recent hike in the ex-pump prices of fuel, the Daily Graphic reports in its top story.
The Graphic says from 6 a.m. to 12 noon, the drivers blocked major roads to force their colleagues, who were unwilling to join the demonstrations to change their minds. The paper says in the process, 10 policemen out of the two platoons, who were deployed to maintain law and order, were injured, two of them seriously. It named Chief Inspector Minta, Constable Emmanuel Asare and Corporal Douglas Nyakpo, as among those injured. According to the Graphic, the police have arrested 51 people, mainly taxi drivers and suspected hooligans and impounded two taxicabs for obstruction.
The suspects are to be put before court today. The story says the drivers blocked roads, burnt lorry tyres and packing cases. They also forced passengers out of vehicles and smashed windscreens of motorists, who appeared not to be sympathetic to their cause.
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The Evening News
Kufuor's running mate
The Evening news in its lead front-page story, reports that Mr J.A. Kufuor, presidential candidate of the NPP, will nominate a running mate soon. The paper says under the party's constitution, the presidential candidate in consultation with the National Executive Committee party, will nominate a running mate for approval by the various committees of the party. The Evening News says in a telephone conversation, Mr Kufuor said he was considering among party members to nominate the most qualified and suitable person as his running mate. "We have so many people in the party, who are qualified and are capable of holding the position of Vice-President. It is just a matter of time.
When everything is put in place, you will hear from us", he is quoted as saying. According to the paper, Mr Kufuor wondered why people are so much eager to know his running mate, although some of the political parties have not even selected their presidential candidates.
"Even the incumbent NDC whom we are challenging, is yet to name its presidential candidate so why should people be so much eager to know that of the NPP", Mr Kufuor is said to have asked.
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Free Press
Bribery allegation against Rawlings
In a screaming front-page headline story, the Free Press says although General Sani Abacha, the former Nigerian Head of State, is dead and gone over a year ago, his ghost still haunts the Ghanaian President, Flt-Lt Jerry Rawlings at the Castle Osu in Accra.
According to the Free Press, this new development has come at a time when Ghanaians seem to have entirely forgotten and put to rest the $5 million 'bribe' saga, which hit the headlines early this year. The paper says its information is that the anti-corruption campaign steam hovering over Abacha's 'Aso Rock' looting bag, is gradually heading towards the Castle, Osu, the seat of government.
The Free says just at the end of last month, a prominent Nigerian writer and Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, called on the Nigerian government to probe and retrieve a sum of $5 million allegedly given to President Rawlings by the late Gen. Sani Abacha, for image-building abroad.
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Ghana apologises to the IMF
The Dispatch reports that the government of the Republic of Ghana, a sovereign state located in the West African sub-region, last month virtually apologised to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for not religiously following conditions agreed for the disbursement of financial assistance.
According to the paper, a November 3, 1999, letter to the managing director of the IMF, Mr Michel Camdessus, said external shock suffered in the first half of 1999, made it difficult for Ghana to comply with all performance criteria under the programme.
The Dispatch quote the letter as saying: "The government of Ghana hereby requests a waiver for non-observance of the following performance criteria for June 1999 and September 1999; (a) net domestic financing of the central government; (b) domestic primary surplus of the government budget; (c) offer for sale of the Produce Buying Company (PBC); (d) withdrawal of banking licences from banks that do not meet capital adequacy requirements and (e) elimination of external payments arrears.
The paper says the letter signed by the Finance Minister, Mr Kwame Peprah, had this apology: "I can assure you that the government is determined to fully implement the programme and comply with the performance criteria. The non-observance of the above-mentioned performance criteria of the 1999 programme, does not reflect a lack of commitment of the Ghanaian authorities, but, instead, unforeseen difficulties. Every effort is being made to quickly carry out the agreements contained in the attached memorandum. We hope that we can count on the continued support of the Fund".
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Adansi chiefs cry foul…Gov't pockets 8.6bnC gold cash
The Ghanaian Chronicle reports in its lead story that the chiefs of Adansi, the leading gold-producing district in Ghana, are angry with the ruling government over the non-payment of about 8.6 billion cedis being 10% of royalties that have accrued to them for the past 15 months, even though the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) has paid every bit of its obligation as at September, this year.
The paper says according to various official quarterly and annual reports, AGC had paid a total of $7 million to the government as at September 1999. AGC also paid $8.7 million and a further $8.6 million in 1997 and 1998 respectively, bringing the total payments to $24 million. The Chronicle says that using an exchange of 3,500 cedis to the dollar, the 10% of the share of the chiefs should amount to about 8.6 billion cedis.
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Ohene-Kena under fire
In a front-page banner headline story, the Weekly Insight says the propaganda machine of the NDC is determined to smash Mr Fred Ohene-Kena, former Mines and Energy Minister, for daring to challenge the President. According to the paper, Mr Ohene-Kena is being portrayed as a 'liar', a 'coward' and a 'frivolous chap', whose prime occupation is playing to the gallery.
The Weekly Insight says an article published in the November 29, 1999 issue of the "Ghanaian Democrat", official mouthpiece of the NDC stated: "His 9Kena's) utterances, however, portray him as a double-tongued man and a plain coward". The article, said to have been published under the headline: "Ministerial shake-ups -View" and authored by Ama Ohene Danquah, stated: "If Ohene-Kena felt he has lost the confidence of the President, he should have had the guts to step down. After all, honourable people like Emma Mitchell, Dr Kwesi Botchwey and PV. Obeng, have stepped out of government and are conducting themselves maturely".
The publication is said to have described complaints by Ohene-Kena that he was ill-treated by the President as mere noises and stated: "The utterances and actions of Kojo Yankah and Ohene-Kena are raising doubts about their loyalty and commitment to the cause of the party…
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