(GRi's Paul Osei-Tutu in Accra, reviews the Ghanaian press. The stories have not been verified and therefore we cannot vouch for their accuracy)
Tony Aidoo launches Blistering Attack on Reform Movement and declares "Goosie Tanoh &Co are dishonest!" says a front-page banner story of the Crusading Guide.
The story has it that Dr. Aidoo, a sociologist who is well-known for his uncompromising defence of the NDC has described Goosie and his Reform colleagues as dishonest during a Radio Gold programme, 'Lunch with Kwame'.
Dr. Aidoo whose appointment as a deputy Minister of Defence, the paper think was a reward of his incessant defence of the government, based his assertion on his claim that the agenda of the RM. is a 'carbon copy' of the NDC manifesto.
Of what he made of the RM., he said "the Reform Movement is the most illogical, false, irrational and insincere Movement we have so far seen in the politics of the Fourth Republic", reports the paper.
"Bukom Square jubilates over Ike's defeat, 'he was a women chaser' they say" is the headline of a front-story in the Guide. According to the story, the seat of boxing in Ghana, Bukom Square, in Accra was thrown into frenzy in the early hours of Sunday February 14, after the unexpected defeat of homeboy- Ike Bazooka Quartey.
Even before the fight, started there were verbal wars between groups of young boys and girls who were either in favour of Ike or against him, the paper said.
Fans watched the fight from a big screen mounted by the boxing authorities, and in the twelve round when Ike could not responding to the furious down pour of punches to his face, it was clear that the Ghanaians boast to break the bones of 'Ocar the chicken' as reported in Sports Guide was not a reality.
The paper says immediately the verdict was announced 'the against' boxing fans who prayed that Ike should never win the crown took to the street. They sang and stamped their feet on the streets from Atukpia, Palladium, Bukom, Akoto Lante, Amaamo to Chorkor and Mamprobi.
They carried placards some of which read, 'Ike your time has come' 'Ike you can't beat Oscar', 'Oscar Champions of Champions', 'Ike Quartey too known' 'Ocar too good'.
The Ghana Palaver reporting under the headline; 'Scramble for Ablekuma seat' reports that there is a fierce struggle going on between Mr Ben Annan and Nii Ayittey Boafo over who is to be selected to contest the vacant Ablekuma Central seat, following the death of Mr C.S. Crabbe, the NPP Member of Parliament for the area.
The paper says, according to its scouts, the scramble started just a few hours after Crabbe's death was made known to the NPP hierarchy. It says a crises meeting called in the afternoon of Wednesday, February 10, 1999 by the national executive to discuss arrangements for the burial was overshadowed by what needs to be done to retain the seat.
The fear of loosing the seat to NDC was said to have dominated proceedings to the extent that the executives were sharply divided over who should be fielded, the paper said.
'Ike blasts judges. They're all crooks' is the screaming banner for the Graphic Sports. The story says Ike Bazooka Quartey, disappointed, angry and very bitter over the split points defeat handed to him by the judges in his epic WBC welterweight clash with Oscar De La Hoya last Saturday night isn't sure what is next for him as a boxer.
In an interview with the paper at his Las Vegas Hilton Hotel room hours after he was declared loser of the closely fought bout, Ike said he would have wait till he returned home to hold a meeting with his family and trainer. 'Now I know that Ocar won't give me a rematch, Panel Whitaker won't face me and neither would (IBF) Felix Trinidad. So for the moment, I don't know what the future holds for me. I'll have to wait till I return home to take a decision after consultation with my wife, family and trainer, he was quoted as saying.
The paper says Ike whose purse of $4.6 million is the highest to be earned by any African boxer for a night's work is clearly not happy with certain aspects of the sports he has chosen as his profession.
'Nothing is straight forward in boxing. A lot of crooked things happen and the decision of those two judges who thought I lost to Oscar is a case in point, not to mention what happened when I last fought Jose Luiz Lopez. They awarded me the decision and then changed it to a draw. And now this', Ike said to the paper.
The Ghanaian Times reports the case of a pastor who is in the grips of the law for beating his wife and parading her naked after accusing her of witchcraft.
The 'man of God' evangelist Nsiah Poku; 25; founder and leader of the Salvation Faith Prayer Ministry of Donkorkrom near Jedua Kese, together with three of his accomplices pleaded guilty to the charge of torture and false accusation when they appeared before a community tribunal at Wassa Akropong in the Western Region.
According to the story after normal church service at about 2 PM on September 27 last year, Evangelist Nsiah Poku and the others branded his wife, Madam Comfort Dapaah, 20, and eight-months pregnant as a witch.
They claimed the Holy Spirit had revealed to them that Comfort had caused the death of many people. Consequently, the accused persons beat Comfort mercilessly to confess to being a witch but she insisted that she was not.
The paper says Comfort's plea to her accusers to let her go was not heard. They continued to beat her and finally stripped her naked, and paraded her all over the town.
Comfort was saved from further mental and physical torture when the chief and some opinion leaders of the town went to her rescue and later reported the case to the police.
'Consumers owe the Ghana Water and Sewerage corporation (GWSC) 30b cedis', reports the Graphic in its banner story, adding that Government organisations' share alone is 18b cedis.
GWSC Commercial Director, Mr. Charles Mensah is reported to have made these disclosures at a public forum on the proposed 76 per cent increase of water tariff in Accra yesterday.
The story says the corporation has set up an arrears management section to collect all outstanding bills.
Mr. Mensah emphasised that the pre-carious financial situation of his corporation demands the 76 per cent adjustment to enable it break even.
Most consumers at the forum however felt increase in efficiency in service delivery, removal of wastage, good management and a check on embezzlement are what the corporation needs and not the tariff adjustment.
The consumers also felt there was no justification for the increase at the time when so much funds are in arears.
In another story, the Graphic reports that Friday March 12 has been slated for Ablekuma Central Constituency bye-election to select a replacement for Mr. C.S. Crabbe, former Member of Parliament for the Constituency. The seat became vacant with the death of Mr. Grabbe, the New Patriotic Party MP for the area on February 10.
'Black-out at Kumasi Stadium. No live coverage of Africa Under 20 Championship' is a story on page three of the Independent. The paper reports that the Kumasi Sports Stadium, venue for Group B matches of the eleventh Africa Cup under 20 championships will not be given live coverage of matches unless pleas to Togo, Nigeria and South Africa turn positive.
The story says from the grapevine come the horrifying news that Ghana has gone begging to provide him with live beaming facilities. Togo, the source said is just unwilling to give Ghana the facilities, obviously due to rivalry.
It said Nigerians are also said not to be keen in releasing their beaming facilities to Ghana because of the April Under 20 World Championship.
Nigeria, the paper said faces the threat of losing the right to host the World Championship. In the face of such scare, the West African neighbours would not risk to offer such valuables, est they face the wrath of FIFA, who are not too enthused about facilities in Nigeria stadia.
The story said so far negotiations with the two neighbouring countries have not been fruitful due to other commitments by the sister countries.
According to the story, Ghana is doing everything possible to rectify the situation, which saw Head of Black Satellites Management Committee travelling down south to solicit assistance. The response, according to Mr. Coker, has so far been good.
The week ending February 21, 1999 edition of the statesman reports as its main story a deal, which the paper describes as a scam, involving the NDC, AMA and City and Country Waste, a waste management group.
In a headline 'NDC's Multi-Billion AMA scam', the paper sees NDC's recent concern about the insanitary conditions in Accra as a clear case of self indictment due to the role it played in the multi billion cedi deal.
The story has it that, the government without parliamentary approval, committed the nation to three contracts worth US $14,630, 998, the result of which will be the creation of a virtual monopoly over waste disposal in Accra by City and Country Waste Limited and the multi-million dollar ownership of assets by the company without the investment of a cent of its own.
The paper believes that City and Country Waste Limited, a group without any pre-1997 record of any management or operation experience in waste management, is NDC front for siphoning both donor and tax-payer money into party coffers.