96 suspected criminals arrested
Banks assure public…No cause for alarm
Otumfuo is "Man of the Year"
Top economists expose root causes of economic woes
Grassroots anger in NPP…
96 suspected criminals arrested
The Ghanaian Times reports in a front-page story that 96 people, including two women, suspected to be involved in recent crimes at Tema , were arrested in a dawn swoop in the municipality yesterday. The Times says that the operation, code-named "Tico Two", was carried out at Site Two and Site 20.
It was jointly led by Police Superintendent George Ankobil of the Railway Police Station and Major Kingsley Lowudjo of the First Battalion of Infantry, Michel Camp and involved 146 military and police personnel.
The story, accompany by a picture of the suspects sitting on the ground with police escorts guarding them, says that the exercise lasted several hours while both communities were cordoned off . The paper says that Sites Two and 20 are heavily populated and are noted for drug peddling and other notorious criminal activities.
A number of items, such as video decks, television sets and motor bikes, which were not covered by receipts, were said to have been seized during the raid. The Times says that also found on some of the suspects were whitish substances believed to be cocaine and dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The paper quotes Mr Joe Danquah, Tema Police Regional Commander as saying that "Tico Two" was aimed at "lessening the rising rate of criminal activities in Tema" It was also to send out a direct signal that the security agents would not rest until all criminals were smoked out of their hideouts.
GRi../
Daily Graphic
Banks assure public…No cause for alarm
In its top story, the Daily Graphic reports that a number commercial banks have denied reports that customers have resorted to panic withdrawals as a result of fears that computers in the banks could break down on January 1, 2000.
The Graphic says that the purported large withdrawals according to the banks, are seasonal and, therefore, have nothing to do with the Y2K problem. The paper says that in separate interviews with four major banks, Ghana Commercial Bank, Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Social Security Bank (SSB), they gave assurance that they have adequate reserves to meet the demands of their respective customers.
Mr S.T.Y. Opoku, Head of Treasury, SSB, is said to have explained that large withdrawals are normally made around this time of the year. He said coca farmers are also being paid and it is obvious that they will also make large withdrawals to meet their Christmas and New Year needs.
Mr John Duncan of the Public Relations Unit of the Ghana Commercial Bank assured the public that withdrawals at this time of the year have nothing to do with the issue of Y2K and said the bank is fully Y2K compliant. Mr Willing Vanderpuije, Head of External Affairs of Standard Chartered Bank said there is no dramatic change as regards withdrawals from the bank.
The Graphic says that on his part, Mr Flex Nyarko-Pong, treasurer at the Barclays Bank stated that while it is true that people are making withdrawals, a variety of reasons accounts for this. He explained for instance, that salaries are being paid out while payments to cocoa farmers are being effected.
GRi../
The Independent
Otumfuo is "Man of the Year"
The Independent in its lead story, reports that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has been voted by its readers as the "Man of the Year 1999". The paper says coming a close second in the annual competition launched by the "Independent" three years ago, is the editor of the "Crusading Guide", Mr Kweku Baako.
The Independent says that the two previous winners of the award have been Mrs Agnes Dordzie, a High Court Judge (1997) and Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Governor of the Bank of Ghana (1998).
It says that other personalities who were nominated through entries by the its readers are Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Director of the Cardio-thoracic Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, President Jerry John Rawlings, Signor Guisseppe Dossena, coach of the senior national soccer team, the Back Stars, Mr Kojo Yankah, former Ashanti Regional Minister and Mr Sam Jonah, Chief Executive of the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC).
GRi../
The Crusading Guide
Top economists expose root causes of economic woes
The Crusading Guide says that Ghana's economy has seriously been de-industrialised because "we did not heed the advice that part of the proceeds from the sale of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) should be used to strengthen the industrial capacity of country".
The paper was quoting Mr Kwame Pianim, an economic consultant, who made this observation in a contribution to a debate on the state of the national economy on "Groove!" FM's 'Hotline' programme recently. Mr Pianim is said to have asserted that before the structural adjustment programme (SAP) was introduced in 1983, manufacturing was contributing about 12% to the gross domestic product (GDP).
"But now manufacturing is contributing only 8% to GDP", he is quoted as saying. According to him, the SAP was supposed to have strengthened the resilience of the national economy so that it could withstand external shocks.
"Obviously, we haven't done that and therefore when coca price fell from $1,700 per tonne to now barely $900 per tonne, it hit us very hard", he said. Mr Pianim is reported to have contended that the lack of alignment between the demand for things produced outside and what are produced in the country, which is reflected in the exchange rate, has given rise to the current economic crisis.
GRi../
Grassroots anger in NPP…
The Guide says that the teeming and genuine millions of ordinary supporters of the NPP are growing with discontent with the leadership of the party. The paper says that this is in respect of what is attributed to the flagbearer, J.A. Kufuor as having said that "money or no money", the party would win the 2000 elections.
According to the Guide, a veritable source at the party's headquarters confirmed the inflows of such grassroots reports of discontent about what the party is supposed to do but is not doing.
The paper says that the party supporters are worried about the statement of Mr Kufuor, when around them, they see hundreds of vehicles of the ruling NDC gearing themselves up for the 2000 elections.
"We are not saying that the NPP can match the resources of the NDC, but we certainly cannot go to the elections without even the minimum amount of logistics", a supporter, who led a group of middle-aged party supporters to the office of the "Guide" is quoted as saying.
They debunked the assertion of the presidential candidate that the party will win next year's elections when in fact, there are even no bicycles for party activists in the rural areas to campaign with.
The Guide says that information at the NPP headquarters also confirms the disgruntled state of party supporters at the grassroots level. "Our people are becoming disenchanted by the day because it seems to them that the party is not ready to take up the power that is lying on the floor" the paper quotes the source as saying.
GRi../