'Repeal
Legislative Instrument 118'
Consultants too will answer for shoddy jobs
Break-away
is unconstitutional - NDC Secretary
‘I want my
¢56,000 back’ – Alex Hamah
No more
beauty contests - Ivy calls it quits after Miss Malaika
NDC
postpones congress
An official of the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD), Mr Kwasi Owusu, has called for co-operation from heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the fight against the problem of ghost names on payrolls in the public sector.
He noted that it is only through the active co-operation and support of MDAs in notifying the Accountant General's Department of staff who have either vacated their posts, died or been dismissed that the phenomenon of ghost names, which is fast becoming a drain on government resources, can be minimised, if not eliminated completely.
Mr Owusu, who is the Director of the Payroll Processing Division of the CAGD, said the collaboration has become necessary because the checking and certification of vouchers by heads of units and Government of Ghana Pensioners Association remain the only authorisation for the preparation of vouchers for payment of salaries of workers by the CAGD.
Briefing journalists about steps being taken to eliminate ghost names from the payroll, he indicated that the CAGD only issues cheques to various banks based on the certification of vouchers by heads of the management units.
He said the only instance when the CAGD can stop the salary of any worker is when it notices that the appointment letter or accompanying documents of a newly-recruited staff of any MDA is found to be dubious.
Mr Owusu, who was assisted by the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr John Prempeh, and Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, Director, Integrated Personnel and Payroll Division, among other top officials of the department, cited instances when conflicting signals from MDAs create problem for the CAGD.
He explained that recently the CAGD received the certification voucher for the payment of salaries of the staff of the Ministry of Finance headquarters on November 15, authorising the payment of staff on the voucher, the department also got another letter from the ministry some few days ago asking that the salaries of some of the workers be stopped since they have either resigned or died since August, this year.
He wondered how the CAGD can stop the salary of a worker whose appointment has been duly validated if it is not notified to stop doing so.
As part of measures to make heads more efficient, he said Mr Prempeh in May. this year, sent a circular to all heads of departments to endeavour “to check and certify the monthly salary vouchers as an authority for the CAGD to continue with the payment of salaries of staff in their respective MDAs.”
The letter warned that any head who fails to exercise “his responsibility of ensuring clean salary vouchers and thereby cause any financial loss to the state, will be surcharged with the loss. The salary stoppage and surcharge of losses will not prejudice the right of government to prosecute any officer for negligence and abetment.”
According to Mr Owusu, a total of 262 heads of departments had their salaries temporarily stopped in August, this year for failing to check, certify and submit vouchers of their respective institutions.
He said the decision to deal with the heads is because they have direct responsibility of managing their personnel and, therefore, it would be unfair to stop the salaries of any other worker if his or her head fails to do his work.
On his part, Mr Prempeh said although he concedes that “ghosts” exist on government payrolls, the basis or assumptions used by the Finance Minister to arrive at the figure of “¢300 billion paid to “ghost” workers monthly is not known to him.
He said he has since the disclosure been making frantic efforts to get in touch with the minister to discuss the matter with him. He said no matter the measures put in place, including the mechanisation of payment, the human factor is crucial to the elimination of “ghost” names from the payroll.
He said people put in the helm of affairs of workers management and the banks must show greater commitment to their duties so that only genuine workers are paid.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has stated that the estimated ¢300 billion lost to “ghost” names is an annual figure and not a monthly one as carried in the news media.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr J. A. Yamoah, to correct the statement made by the sector Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo.
More…/
Workers at Asankrangwa in the Western Region have appealed to the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to intervene on their behalf and negotiate with the management of Social Security
Bank Limited to reduce the bank’s charges levied on salary workers at the end of last October.
Making the appeal through newsmen at Asankrangwa, the District Secretary of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana, Mr Joseph Nkum, said the bank has not been lenient to workers by increasing the bank service charges from ¢6,000 a month to ¢16,000 almost a 150 per cent increment without any prior notice.
He noted that workers only receive their salaries through the bank and do not do any brisk business with it. They will, therefore, find it difficult to cope with the sharp increment with the current harsh economic problem facing workers.
Mr Nkum said almost all the working population in the district received their salaries through the bank so the cordial relationship between the bank and the workers must be maintained.
When the Accountant of the bank, Mr Thomas Aklogo, was contacted, he confirmed the increment and said the directive came from their national headquarters for implementation.
Meanwhile, most workers said they would withdraw their salaries from the bank and join the only rural bank in the town.
More…/
'Repeal
Legislative Instrument 118'
The
GaDangme Council has called on government to repeal Legislative Instrument (LI)
118 because it is a contributory factor to the numerous land litigation in the
Greater Accra Region.
The LI
regulates land and spell out the protection that lane purchasers enjoy in the
Greater Accra Region.
Mr Bright
Akwetey, Head of the Legal Committee of the council who made the appeal at a
public forum in Accra last Tuesday, said the application of the LI has resulted
in the indiscriminate sale of lands in the region. The forum, organized by the
GaDangme Council, was attended by chiefs, opinion leaders and people from the
region.
Speaking on
the topic "GaDangme position on land development (Protection of
Purchasers) Act 1960 (Acts 2)", Mr Akwetey said the law also contradicts
the 1992 Constitution.
He said
Article 17 of the Constitution states that there should be no discrimination
whatsoever in the administration of justice in any of the regions in the
country and said the law is only applied to lands in the Greater Accra Region.
He said
according to the Constitution any law that has been promulgated and does not
conform to the Constitution must be abolished.
Mr Akwetey
explained that LI 118 protects a person who has purchased land in the region,
even unlawfully, and has put up a structure up to the lintel level.
He said if
the real owner of the land decides to fight the case in court, the law provided
that the amount of money for which the land was sold to the developer should be
doubled and paid to the real owner. He said in view of this, some disgruntled
people in the community who are hiding under this law have resorted to
indiscriminate sale of lands in the region.
He said the
issue is the cause of the emergence of landguards, since disgruntled people who
sell stolen lands employ landguards to protect the land from encroachers while
the
real owners
also engage same to safeguard their property.
Mr K.B.
Asante, President of the council, was also not happy about the situation and
appealed to chiefs to complement the efforts of the council in protecting lands
in the region. He called on GaDangme people to accord their chiefs the same
reverence as is accorded the Asantehene by all citizens of Ashanti.
Mr Asante
also appealed to the government to give back lands, which have been taken away
from the people in the region.
More…/
The first
"Our Africa Road Show" with the theme: "Africa can
compete-unearthing the potential of Africa in Textile and Garments," will
take place from December 21-22, 2001, at the Accra International Conference
Centre.
The focus
of this two-day conference is to showcase the best of textiles and garments
produced in Africa from an Afrocentric perspective by bringing together
producers, investors and buyers in the textiles and garments sector.
It will
also feature an exhibition and a catwalk, opening with Kofi Ansah of Ghana and
featuring Mawuli Okudzeto, Abnaa, Didi Designs, Ivana, Kati Dagadu, Kwesi Nti,
Lizdon, Oheneba Accessories, as well as My World of Bags and Remi both from
Lagos. The grand final will be by Meropa Collections of South Africa.
Our Africa
Road Show is to enhance the productive capacity and marketing of Africa's
textiles and garments products. In long term, the objective is to put Africa's
textiles and garments products on the shelves of major distribution outlets in
the United States of America and other parts of the world, taking advantage
particularly of AGOA.
With Ghana
being a major exporter of Africa textiles and garments, and given the special
commitment being given the sector by President J.A Kufuor, the achievement of
these objectives is to make the textiles and garments sector a major player in
the economy.
The
programme is being organised by Business Linkages International Limited, an
Accra based independent investment promotion consultancy and corporate events
management company, with support from USAID and other sponsors.
More…/
Supreme Military Council 2 (SMC) takes place at Akropong Akuapem on December
27 at 4.00 pm.
GRi…/
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Consultants too will answer for shoddy jobs
The Government will hold consultants and contractors jointly liable for any sub-standard work and their involvement in fraudulent payments.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Yaw Barimah, said this in a speech read on his behalf at the National Executive meeting of the Association of Building and Civil Contactors of Ghana (ABCCG) in Accra on Wednesday.
He explained that, projects in the country had failed because of collusion and connivance between some consultants and contractors.
According to him, consultants and contractors who would be found involved in those activities would be black-listed in future award of contracts.
The Minister said that the Ministry would soon establish a data-base on all consultants and contractors working on government projects and would be used for classifying contractors for award of future contracts.
He noted that it was a fact that some contractors had not been paid for works, which had been completed because of the fact that some projects were sometimes awarded without budgetary provision to ensure prompt payment.
He, however assured the contractors that, government would do everything possible to ensure that those contractors who have done genuine work were paid as soon as practicable.
He also appealed to the association to take it upon itself to police its members so as to give the nation value for money on jobs completed.
The National President of ABCCG, Mr Samuel Obeng called on the government to assist them in flushing out the floating contractors who he said do not belong to their organisation but do business in their name.
He urged the government to expedite action on the payment of projects that have been duly completed to enable them to pay their workers.
More…/
The Japanese Embassy is withholding a 940 million cedis grant to the Bolgatanga District Assembly due to its inability to submit a five-year development plan for the release of the money.
For that matter, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Rockson Ayine Bukari, has issued a one-week ultimatum to all heads of the decentralized departments in the district to submit their inputs into the plan or face severe sanctions.
He gave the directive in his report to the Fourth Ordinary Meeting of the third session of the assembly, which began at Bolgatanga on Wednesday.
Mr Bukari expressed his dissatisfaction with the manner in which some Members of Parliament (MPs) misapplied their share of the Common Fund, contrary to the laid down guidelines.
According to him, projects to be sponsored by the MPs with their share of the Common Fund should be within the Development Plan of the assembly.
The DCE therefore noted with concern that some MPs had used the Fund to purchase corn mills for some communities as well as sewing machines for some individuals in their constituencies.
He lamented that records of those transactions were not available at the Assembly, and wondered how public money that was used to purchase those items could be accounted for, how money accrued from the corn mills were managed or whether they were given out as loans or gifts.
Mr Bukari reminded the Assembly Members that the development of the district rested heavily on their shoulders and there was the dire need for them to strive to remain united and demonstrate a sense of purpose so that they could collectively enhance the development of the district.
That, he pointed out, could be achieved if they eschewed all divisive tendencies and parochial interests.
More…/
The Aburi Local Manager of Anglican Schools, Reverend Father Samuel Nii Noi Addo, has suggested the institution of educational levy on every worker in the country.
He explained that the levy could help raise money to support other educational funds available and helps provide resources to arrest the falling standards of education, especially in the rural areas.
Rev. Addo made the suggestion at the Open Day of Aburi Anglican Schools last weekend. It was under the theme, “Together let us invest in our children’s education”.
He said to halt the falling standard of education and reverse the trend would require the collective efforts of all citizens of the country.
The Akuapem South District Director of Education, Mrs Akosua Takyiwaa-Adu, called on Parent-Teacher Association (PTAs) and churches to help enforce discipline in schools.
Mr Samuel Ohene-Addo, Deputy Eastern Regional Manager of Anglican Schools, also called on parents and communities to reduce their expenditure on material things and invest more in the provision of educational structures for their children.
He advised teachers to avoid excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, lateness to work, absenteeism and “unholy” relationship with female students and pupils placed under their care.
Mrs Christiana Ottopa-Kissiedu, Headmistress of the School, appealed to the general public and religious bodies to help clad the school and complete the drainage system.
GRi…/
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Details are
emerging that the band of soldiers and policemen who stormed Major Kojo Boakye
Djan’s house on October 31, 1985 planted some 100 guns there in a deliberate
attempt to convict the family members.
“After
mid-night of October 31, 1985, a security force, comprising heavily armed
soldiers and policemen as well as commandos in their bid to victimise us
stormed the house where Auntie Evelyn Djan, Kyeremeh Djan and I (Ata Boakye)
were residing.”
Ata Boakye,
Managing Director of Sun City Restaurant and also a victim of the October 31,
1985 alleged coup attempt, disclosed this to the Chronicle last week. He said
the 100 rifles deliberately planted in the house by the group was used as a
pretext to victimize them.
He stated
that though Major Boakye-Djan (rtd) may have his own problems with Ghanaians,
it is painful for the innocent family members to lose their lives through a
faked coup attempt, which they knew nothing about.
He told the
Chronicle that before they became aware of the presence of the security force
in their house at Community II, Tema, the weapons had already been planted
there. He said the armed band immediately lined them up and handcuffed them in
the night, led them into three waiting military vehicles and drove to Accra to
the BNI headquarters.
“I can
vehemently protest and defend my statement with clear evidence that the guns
were planted in the house by the brutal soldiers, except an old rusted pistol
in the house that belonged to his late grandfather, the owner of the house,” he
pointed out.
He said the
guns that were planted in the house were the only evidence the PNDC government
and its kangaroo court had against them. He stated, he, (Ata Boakye) and Evelyn
Djan were shattered physically and emotionally due to the heinous treatment
meted out to them by the brute commandos of J.J. Rawlings.
This, he
said, interrupted their personal development educationally and professionally
since he did not complete his ‘A’ level education at Tema Secondary School due
to the constant harassment and pressures that the Junta piled on him. Evelyn
Djan also lost her job as a Laboratory Technician after her release from
prison.
He further
stated that some people whose association with Major Boakye-Djan was cordial
were also affected in one way or the other, while property of others were
confiscated to the state.
He revealed
that the late Corporal Baffoe, a former bodyguard of Major Boakye Djan was
killed without any reason, adding that a personal friend of Kyeremeh Djan,
Godwin Mawuli Goka, the son of Rev Dra-Goka, one time minister of state in the
Nkrumah regime, was also convicted and killed though he was an innocent man.
The
execution of Kyeremeh Djan, then a final year student of KNUST, destabilised
the family of Boakye Djan in a way, because he was a promising young man and a
pillar in the family. “Do we have to be convicted and punished for our
relationship with the enemy of Rawlings and his group,” he queried.
He said the
death of Kyeremeh Djan also created a big problem for his wife, who had just
delivered a baby girl, Maami Abena Djank, in Kumasi.
“Can
reconciliation work in the country if the family members of these victims are
not compensated,” Boakye asked.
When asked
whether the reconciliation bill should address the alleged crimes committed by
ex-President Rawlings alone, Boakye quickly pointed out that even worse things
happened during the regime of Nkrumah, who is described as the father of our
nation.
Referring
to the sad story of Dr. J.B. Danquah, he said Danquah was incarcerated and
killed in prison for opposing some of Nkrumah’s policies and ideas.
Ata Boakye
however, said if the NPP government truly means reconciling the nation, the
families of the executed generals, murdered judges and the hundreds of people
who have suffered untold hardships in the hands of our past leaders since
independence must all be given prior attention or otherwise it is one big,
useless and meaningless exercise.
He added
that during the October 31st upheaval, his uncle, the late Kyeremeh
Djan, also a junior brother of Major (rtd) Kojo Boakye Djan, now exiled in
Britain, and many other innocent Ghanaian citizens were either shot by armed
soldiers for no apparent reason or were forced into exile.
More…/
New Juaben
Newsvendors Association has petitioned the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA)
and the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) over the
newspaper review programme of the FM stations in Ghana.
According
to Mr Felix Adjetey Sowah, Secretary of the Association, who revealed this to
the Chronicle on Thursday, the FM stations’ practice of reading the full
stories in the papers on their stations is running down their business, as
those who would otherwise buy the newspapers now listen to these so-called news
reviews and are thereafter not encouraged to go and buy the papers to read the
stories themselves.
Adjetey
Sowah said what they find most annoying is the habit of some of these stations’
news reviewers reading a story from the first to the last paragraph. He called
on PRINPAG in particular to do something about this development soon to
forestall their being run out of business.
Adjetey
Sowah also called on the PRINPAG executive to tour the regions and interact
with newsvendors so as to learn first hand the problems the vendors are
encountering in the business.
GRi…/
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comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Break-away
is unconstitutional - NDC Secretary
Reactions
to reports of a possible break-away by some NDC-held constituencies within the
Greater Accra Region to form a sub-regional branch has been swift.
Mr Mike
Gizo, MP for Shai Osudoku, on Tuesday stormed the offices of The Evening News
to dissociate himself and that of his constituency from any such plot. He said
he was surprised that such a move involving his constituency would be made
without he, the MP being consulted.
“Nobody has
approached me on the issue and I have not attended any meeting to discuss a
break-away,” Mr Gizo explained.
He was not
happy with attempts to separate Gas from Gadangbes and called on all those
behind such moves to stop before they draw a wedge between the two groups.
The MP said
the activities of those people could undermine the authority of the regional
NDC executives. He said, the regional elections were held in an atmosphere of
peace and fairness and wondered how anybody could create the impression that,
that the elections were not freely and fairly conducted.
“At least,
delegates had the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights without any
undue outside pressure. As far as I am concerned, nobody was influenced to vote
against his conscience,” Mr Gizo emphasised.
He was of
the opinion that, if there was a problem, a break-away was certainly not the
solution. “We need to discuss issues thoroughly in other not to create disunity
within the party.”
On his
part, the newly-elected regional secretary, Nii Djangmah Vanderpuye, said it
was unconstitutional for anybody to attempt a break-away. He said the election
was not conducted on ethnic lines and it would, therefore, be wrong for anybody
to label it as such.
According
to the secretary, the fact that people could not win positions on the executive
did not mean they had been excluded. Nii Vanderpuye explained that by the
party’s constitution, every constituency is expedient to nominate people to
serve on the regional executive.
The
secretary was hopeful that, whatever problem that has cropped up would be
resolved immediately to enable the party to move forward.
More…/
‘I want
my ¢56,000 back’ – Alex Hamah
Mr John
Alex Hamah
Mr John
Alex Hamah, a former trade unionist has appealed to President John Kufuor to
ensure that the state refund to him the sum of ¢56,000 which was seized by a
military tribunal set up by the erstwhile National Redemption Council (NRC) on
January 12, 1974.
In a
petition dated December 5, 2001 to the President copied to the Attorney-General
and Minister for Justice, and the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Hamah said
he was charged with subversion contrary to Section 2 of the subversion Decree,
1972 (NRCD 90) by the NRC. He said as a civilian and a law abiding citizen of
Ghana, he was tried alone by a military tribunal presided over by Col K.
Osei-Boateng, assisted by six other high ranking officers of the Ghana Armed
Forces, whiles His Lordship Justice George Francois was Judge-Advocate.
The
petitioner said he was found guilty under Section (3) of the aforementioned
Act, and was therefore sentenced to suffer death by firing squad on January 12
1974, which was his 37th birthday. That death sentence was later
commuted to life imprisonment.
According
to him, after serving five years in prison, he was released from custody on
December 7, 1978, as a result of a pardon granted by the Supreme Military
Council (SMC II) led by the late General F.W.K. Akuffo.
“Your
humble petitioner, by God’s grace was granted a free, absolute and
unconditional pardon by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) led by
Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings on September 12, 1972,” he said.
According
to Mr Hamah, his family had for the past 27 years suffered untold economic
hardships and social deprivations as a result of the injustices done him by the
military regime and the continuous retention of his money by the state.
He appealed
to the President to order a fair calculation and revaluation of the amount from
1974 to date, plus an appropriate and commensurate interest and the total sum
paid back to him as soon as practicable to help finance the education of his
three children who entered the university this year and also to generally
rehabilitate himself and the family.
GRi…/
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comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
It has been suggested that the final issue that must be a concern to all Ghanaians is the reported flood of amendments that has put the real work on the bill on hold.
Making the suggestion in a statement he faxed from London to the Crusading Guide, the former deputy Chairman and official spokesman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), Major Kojo Boakye Djan (rtd) cautioned Parliamentary constituents in the country not to allow Parliamentarians to make long speeches to delay the passing of the bill into law.
“They must take advantage of the recess to make their representatives in Parliament know in no uncertain terms that a non-partisan consensus to pass the bill within its specified periods of unconstitutional governments is the only way forward for our born again democracy”, he advised.
He then observed, “it will help to clarify the past in ways that will surely provide us with a guide for our common future”.
According to Major Boakye Djan (rtd), there could be no justification for beginning an investigation of the nation’s troubled past from March 6, 1957 as it was a day of independence and “the occasion for boundless joy, celebrations and festivals that nobody has ever challenged”.
He wondered why the exercise should include civilian regimes since, he maintained, during any of the brief interludes of civilian regimes in that period, there were enough machinery to seek redress from most of the abuses the bill is targeting. “Some of these abuses are indeed known to have been challenged and won”, he underscored and wondered, “Why should the Commission now be burdened with willed and wilful omissions of complainants today, if any”?
Major Boakye Djan observed further that only unconstitutional governments are
prevented by the Transitional Provisions from being questioned with dangerous
implications for the country’s constitutional future.
He said however, that nobody is prevented from pursuing his or her case (if any) and
which occurred during those civilian regimes, through the normal courts. “Besides,
references can and will be made to civilian regimes and other attempts to deal with
purely politically motivated attempts to overthrow them by means other than those
provided for under the constitution during any commission hearings”, Boakye Djan
stated.
He said it was in that context that in his previous recommendation he asked that the
period of civil unrest preceding the 1966 coup should be included.
He submitted further, “But even here that period beginning in October 1954 to
February 1966 provides a necessary but not essential backdrop to the investigation of
unconstitutional governments in Ghana as provided for the bill”.
More.../
The people of Sene constituency in the Brong Ahafo have warned the Member of
Parliament (MP) for the area, Honourable Twumasi Appiah to as a matter of urgency,
quit the Assembly’s bungalow situated at Kwame Danso, the capital of the Sene
District.
According them, the MP has no legal and moral right to occupy such facility while the
Government is facing the problem of housing the staff of the District Assembly.
The anxious people, who stormed the offices of The Crusading Guide to lodge their
complaint recently, described the behaviour of the MP as selfish and opportunistic.
According to them, there is no provision in the Forth Republic Constitution and the
Local Government Act 462 compelling any District to give additional accommodation
to its sitting MP.
They submitted that although the previous MPs in the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) era benefited from such facility, the practice should not be allowed in this era
of Positive Change.
Meanwhile, the MP is benefiting from the government’s system of accommodating all
the 200 MPs in Accra or Sakumono, near Tema.
The people disclosed that ever since the bungalow was built, over ¢30 million had
been spent out of the tax payer’s money to renovate it. They appealed to the Local
Government and the Rural Development Minister to intervene in the matter because
Sene is one of the least among the 110 Districts in the country.
Meanwhile, the Sene MP, when he was contacted on Tuesday, said he would not
discuss the issue on telephone and a meeting was therefore scheduled for Parliament
House on Thursday, December 13, 2001. But the Crusading Guide on getting there
discovered that the Honourable MP was not available for any discussions.
A visit to the Parliament House last Friday by the paper also revealed that the
Honourable Twumasi Appiah had come to sign the Attendance Book but was
however, not available.
GRi…/
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No more
beauty contests - Ivy calls it quits after Miss Malaika
After going
through three major beauty pageants and thrice missing the ultimate crowns, Ivy
Naa Koshie Heward Mills has finally put away her bikinis and ball gowns and
said "enough is enough; no more beauty pageants for me."
In 1999,
Ivy entered the Miss Universe Ghana pageant and came a close second runner-up
to Akuba Cudjo who won the pageant and went on to represent Ghana at the Miss
Universe event. The queen's prize package comprised a two-bedroom house and
others.
The
following year, Ivy put her sights on an even bigger and more prestigious
pageant-Miss Ghana 2000. She walked, talked and danced her way admirably into
the final but stopped short at third place yielding to Maame Ewurafua Hawkson
who walked away with the Miss Ghana title, a salon car, and the privilege of
representing her country at the Miss World pageant.
Only last
November, Ivy was the hot favourite of the live audience in South Africa's Sun
City as well as millions of Television viewers across the continent during the
first continental beauty pageant, Miss Malaika.
Again, Ivy
lost. She lost to Brita Masalethulike of Zimbabwe who emerged as the first Miss
Malaika. Ivy came runner-up.
Perhaps,
Ivy's loss at the Miss Malaika pageant was the most significant among all the
pageants she has participated in because she was the favourite among the 28
contestants representing 16 countries.
In the
auditorium itself, the applause was huge whenever it was Ivy's turn to speak.
Back home in Ghana where the event was watched live on GTV via satellite, the
number of people who were rooting for Ivy was large. Then when everything
pointed to her as winner, the announcement came and Ivy was a close second.
Recounting
events leading to the grand final of the pageant to Showbiz, Naa Koshie (as she
prefers to be called) said she was approached by Mr Gaddy Laryea, Chairman of
Media Whizz Kids, organizers of Miss Ghana, about a month after she had taken
part in the Miss Ghana contest and told her about the Miss Malaika contest
which was going to take place in South Africa.
She said
her immediate reaction to another beauty pageant was a "No, No" as
she thought she had had enough. But, her firm stance was soon changed when she
read about the aims and objects of the pageant and she told herself, "go
for it girl." She did.
When asked
how she felt about the fact that she always comes so close to the crown but
never wears it, Naa says she believes it is all about what God has in store for
her and says she is very much content with what she has been able to achieve.
She however maintains that her main aim for taking part in pageants is not all
about winning but about sending out a message, which she believes she has done
even more than she ever dreamed.
Even though
Naa seemed to be the toast of the audience, throughout the Miss Malaika event
she says it was all not a rosy affair and she had to put in all she had to make
the crowd notice her and they did notice her.
In terms of
organization, Naa maintains that of all the pageants she has taken part in,
none can compare with the professionalism with which the Miss Malaika contest
was organized. She said the manner in which members of the team went about
their work showed that they are far beyond us (Ghana) when it comes to putting
programmes of that nature together.
Nana
believes that the way most of our people define a beautiful woman as pretty,
quiet, meek and mild should be disabused as it is a very rough world out there
at international beauty pageants. She said, "you need to be very tough to
be able to survive. Some of the contestants really come on you and do their
best to frustrate you and it only takes a person with a lot of guts to
survive."
She
expressed her gratefulness to Akosombo Textiles for providing her with the
clothing she used for the pageant as well as the many well-meaning individuals
who helped her along the way.
More…/
Miss Ghana
2001 Selasie Kwawu has left for Mali to represent the country in the Miss
ECOWAS Beauty Pageant. By tradition, the winner of Miss Ghana also participates
in Miss ECOWAS.
The
pageant, which is running for the eighth time has seen Ms Matilda Alomatu, Miss
Ghana 1994 carrying the crown and making Ghana proud.
Selasie has
not had a break after returning recently from the Miss World Beauty Pageant in
Sun City where Miss Nigeria made Africa proud by carrying the enviable crown.
It is the
hope of Ghanaians that Selasi will come tops at the event to keep the flag of
Ghana high. The beauty queen will embark on her AIDS campaign project in
secondary schools when she returns from Mali.
GRi…/
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NDC
postpones congress
At its
meeting held on Wednesday, December 19, 2001, the National Executive Committee
(NEC) of the NDC decided to postpone the party's delegates congress originally
scheduled for December 28 and 29, 2001.
This is to
afford the NEC enough time to resolve outstanding issues and concerns brought
to its attention. The issues relate to the smooth organization of the congress
such as the inconclusive elections at some constituency and regional
conferences, which threaten to undermine the objectives of the re-organisation
exercise embarked upon by the party since the beginning of this year.
It said the
postponement will also give the Council of Elders time to handle certain issues
relating to internal party unity and cohesion which need to be solved before
the congress can take place.
The NEC
decided that the congress should take place not later than the end of April
2002.
The meeting
expressed its appreciation to its teeming members and supporters for their
continued commitment and dedication to the Party.
Meanwhile
the party wishes its members and supporters Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
More…/
The
Founder, Chairman and the Flagbearer of the Great Consolidated People's Party
(GCPP) Mr Dan Lartey has called on the NPP Government to as a matter of
urgency, rescind its decision of banning the Private Lotto (Banker to Banker)
business in the country.
Mr
Domestication, as Mr Lartey has become known as a result of his strong leanings
to a home-grown economy, made this call at the Greater Accra Regional party
conference of the GCPP last Saturday in Accra to elect officers to serve the
party for the year 2002-2004.
He
emphasizes that instead of banning the Banker to Banker lotto which generates
and whisk capital outside the banking system to the economy, government should
ban the Malaysian Lotto 6/40 and 5-39 that are a big drain on the country's
domestic capitalization. He added that Ghana's domestic capital is being
drained by foreigners under the banner of attracting foreign investment without
any restrictions.
Mr Lartey
said the Ghana Telecom is a vital sensitive communication network lining Ghana
and the rest of the world therefore it is security risk to be managed by
foreigners using it as a conduit pipe to siphoning domestic capital out of the
country.
The
flagbearer later launched the African Youth League Website (AYLW), which has
been formed in the party to take care of the youth needs of the society.
Mr John
Amedikah, the Secretary General of the party said the policy of the GCPP is to
co-ordinate youth potentials to natural resources of the land and develop to
produce for prosperity and increase Gross Domestic Product (GBP). He further
noted that “domestication is the only path to chart to cancel the economic
hardship in which we find ourselves".
The elected
officers to serve the party for year 2001-2004 are made up of Pastor Henry
Mentle, Chairman, Mr Obubauafo Mensah, Vice Chairman, Mr Freddie Adom Malm
Secretary, Mr Alfred Onibi Lartey, Organiser, Mr Samuel Annoboah, Treasurer, Ms
Linder Brown Women’s Organiser, Pastor Robert Ago Mensah, Education Secretary.
GRi…/
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