The end of service benefit saga…How NDC shared the money
‘Rename the Nkrumah Mausoleum’
Sell two executive jets – President Kufuor directs
Police probe whereabouts of 18 vehicles
Cash and carry to go, but…
Public turn in their weapons
No petrol increase…Minister Assures
Amidu suffers legal setback at Supreme Court
NPP to create 100,000 jobs by Dec. 2001
‘Soso Libilibi’ ‘Soso Labalaba’
The end of service benefit saga…How NDC shared the money
If anybody thought the appropriation of state vehicles by ex-ministers and political functionaries was scandalous because of the ludicrous prices at which they were pegged, the latest revelation of amounts dished out as End of Service Benefits to the same people would definitely pop out the eyes of any civil servant.
As was the case with the vehicles, the former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie hurriedly signed away millions of cedis to the appointees and even party functionaries for what reasons only he and his colleagues can explain to the people of Ghana.
Nana Ato Dadzie ostensibly set up what is now known as the Chief of Staff ESB Account with the Metropolitan and Allied Bank from where the functionaries cashed their cheques and went home smiling.
The ex-President Flt Lt. J.J. Rawlings was given two cheques, one with 92,053,364.48 cedis and the other 24,691,821.93 cedis whilst his Vice, Professor J.E.A. Mills received 56,792,766.24 cedis and 15,233,741.60 cedis.
Other stalwarts of the former government who received hefty ESBs include Dr Obed Asamoah, 41,454,582.12 cedis and 11,155,101.75 cedis, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu 42,862,601.92 cedis and Professor Kofi Awoonor 30,413,975.62 cedis and 8,451,225.70 cedis.
The man who was the principal signatory to the cheques, Nana Ato Dadzie received a total of 54,364,338.46 cedis in two cheques whilst someone like Owuraku Amofa who had left the government received his share through his wife’s account.
Professor F.T. Sai, chairman of the NPP transitional team aptly expressed his disappointment with the conduct of the former Chief of Staff when he declared on Radio Universe this morning that “the legal principle had been agreed upon but the indecent haste and roundabout way they went about it raises a moral issue.
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‘Rename the Nkrumah Mausoleum’
A suggestion has been made to the government to rename the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum to give it a national character that will be accessible to all fallen heroes.
It should be renamed National Mausoleum for past heroes such as J.B. Danquah, Obetsebi-Lamptey, Paa Grant, Paa Willie, Akufo Addo to be re-buried at the Mausoleum to receive recognition since they were the doyen of Ghanaian politics.
Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, Ashanti Regional President of the African Commission on Health and Human Rights Promoters (CAPSDH) made the suggestion when he delivered a paper on Achieving Peace in Human Affairs-Socio-Economic and historical perspective here at the weekend.
Mr Ayisi-Boateng said should President Kufuor heed to the call by the late Kojo Botsio’s family request to bury him near the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, then the place should be renamed to give it a national character that would be accessible to all heroes.
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Sell two executive jets – President Kufuor directs
President J.A. Kufuor, has directed that the much-talked-about two executive jets, the Gulf Stream and Fokker 28, should be disposed off as quickly as possible and a decision made on the best mode of travel for him, reports The Daily Graphic.
Of late, there has been public discussions on the President’s failure to use any of the aircrafts in his external trips.
A release issued on Tuesday by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Government Spokesman, said for the moment, “the President intends to use scheduled commercial flights as much as possible and chartered flights as and when necessary in the conduct of official business.”
It said the President is determined that the business of government should not suffer because of the absence of a presidential jet and thus, is willing to suffer the inconvenience to attain his objectives.
He expressed the hope that Ghanaians would be understanding until the matter is satisfactorily resolved.
The release said the President believes there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how the Gulf Stream jet was acquired by the previous government and that the questions were worrying enough to make the NPP, then in opposition, to take a decision not to use the plane if voted into power.
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Police probe whereabouts of 18 vehicles
The Graphic says the police are investigating a case of 18 vehicles suspected to belong to the State but which have allegedly been diverted and parked in private warehouses, the Interior Minister, Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, has disclosed.
He said investigations are also being narrowed down to the Registrar-General’s Department to trace the owners of the companies into whose name six of the vehicles have been transferred.
The minister was reacting to an urgent question by Mr Benjamin Kumbour (NDC-Lawra Nandom) whether he was aware of the visit to the premises of Kamara Limited, along the Spintex Road in Accra by heavily-armed policemen on the instructions of the Commissioner of Police (CID) allegedly looking for stolen vehicles, and if so, who the complainant was.
The police, the minister further disclosed, are also investigating Kamara Company which is alleged to have registered seven Nissan Pick-ups out of the 18 vehicles in its name, while two others were registered in the name of Japan Motors. Two other vehicles, a Land Rover and a Defender were also found to have been transferred from the name of Kamara Company Limited to Mabey and Johnson Limited on January 26, 2001.
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Cash and carry to go, but…
The Government is working out a new health delivery system to replace the cash and carry introduced by the previous government, states ‘The Ghanaian Times’.
Although under the new system patients would not be required to pay up front before being attended to, the bills would not be entirely free.
The Minister of Health, Dr Richard Anane, made this disclosure in Accra on Tuesday when a three-member delegation from the British High Commission in Accra called on him.
The meeting was to enable the British side to renew their commitment to help in promoting health care delivery in the country.
It was also to enable the British government to acquaint itself with the ministry’s priorities for this year and render the necessary support.
Dr Anane noted that the Cash and Carry system had not been very helpful in the Ghanaian climate because it could not provide equitable and easily accessible health care to the populace.
He announced that this year, the Ministry would focus on health financing, eradication of communicable diseases, human resource development in critical areas like nurses and laboratory technicians, as well as the eradication of malaria.
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Public turn in their weapons
In response to the two-week ultimatum given by the government to people who are in possession of illegal arms in the country, people have been turning them in to police stations across the country.
The government’s order was part of measures to address the deteriorating security situation in the country.
Mr Richard Baduweh, Superintendent of Police in charge of the Police Public Relations Directorate, Police Headquarters, in Accra confirmed to the ‘Times’ on Tuesday that some people had complied with the order and had returned their weapons.
What he could not tell is the number of weapons surrendered and their make.
He said that it was too early to collate the number since the weapons were being collected at various police stations across the country.
“From the station, it would then be passed on to the district office and then to the regional offices before the headquarters can collate the total figure”, he explained.
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No petrol increase…Minister Assures
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for Mines and Energy, has said that his government has recognised that each day it postpones the increment of the fuel prices, the nation needs to fine 6 billion cedis additionally to get fuel to consumers, says the Guide.
He pointed out that nobody should down play the fact that it was a problem deliberately left for the government by the previous NDC government to sort of make things difficult for it.
Kan-Dapaah, who was on Joy FM radio on Tuesday, to explain the slight shortage of fuel in the Accra Metropolis, however stated that the government is dealing with the situation in a manner that will ensure that the economy continues to grow.
In this direction, he said, there will not be an immediate increase in the prices of fuel.
“If you take any panic action, it is going to do a permanent damage to the economy, if we wanted to recover everything, we will be talking about price increases in the neighbourhood of 400%,” Kan-Dapaah disclosed.
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Amidu suffers legal setback at Supreme Court
Mr Martin Alamisi Amidu former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice appearing before nine justices of the Supreme Court on Tuesday suffered his first legal set back in the case in which he has hauled the President and four of his appointees to court over the alleged unconstitutionality of the President’s conduct in appointing his staff without due consultation to the Council of State.
According to a Chronicle report, the court presided over by Justice E.K. Wiredu in a unanimous decision refused Amidu’s preliminary objection to Justice Wiredu, the acting Chief Justice sitting on the case because there is real likelihood of him being biased.
The other eight members of the panel were Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, F.Y. Kpega, G.K. Acquah, Sophia Akuffo. The rest are A K B Ampiah, E D K Adjabeng, W. A Atuguba and George Lamptey.
Raising his objection, Amidu insisted that he would not have a fair trial because the CJ had interest in the case.
He contended that instead of the Chief Justice listing his ex-parte writ for hearing, he wrote to him requesting that it should be heard on notice.
But a member of the panel, Justice George Lamptey drew his attention to the fact that the court is not bound to fix dates on reception of writs.
“What is special about your case is that just when you file your writ, a date must be fixed for hearing?” he asked Amidu.
Akufu-Addo responding to Amidu’s legal objection earlier on, contended that he was surprised by the application describing it as the most unreal application he has ever come across in his practice as a lawyer. He therefore called on the court to dismiss the application as frivolous and has no merit.
When the Substantive case was called, Nana Akufo-Addo raised a preliminary objection contending that by article 57(4) of the Constitution, the President is not liable to prosecution and therefore, asked the Supreme Court to strike out the case brought against the President by the former Deputy Attorney-General, Mr Martin Alamisi Amidu.
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NPP to create 100,000 jobs by Dec. 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) will deliver his first Sessional Address to Parliament tomorrow, (Thursday, February 15) and there are high expectations, since the Address, is expected to give a hint of the government’s programme for the year, reports the Dispatch.
He may also give a hint of the 2001 Budget, expected within the next two weeks. Many Ghanaians will want to know how the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will create 100,000 jobs by the end of the year, as promised in their Manifesto.
Sources close to the Presidency have hinted that the Address is likely to be a brief overview of the NPP’s Manifesto 2000, dubbed agenda for Positive Change. The address is also expected to have inputs from the just-ended Akosombo Workshop on the economy.
The President is expected to let Ghanaians know how his government will solve what have been identified as the major economic problems; the declining value of the cedis; excessive government debt and fiscal deficit; slow economic growth; rising rural and urban poverty; high unemployment, inflation and interest.
President Kufuor will explain how to strengthen an independent machinery of “justice, which is free of political interference, rule of law in its fullness and the enforceability of contracts under conditions of fair dealing and equity.”
“JAK,” as he is affectionately known, is expected to re-assure Ghanaians, how his government will curb “ the progressively alarming crime rate and make the streets safe for our mothers, sisters and children.”
One of the greatest expectations of the average Ghanaian is the President’s promise of creating more jobs. The NPP’s Manifesto promises the “establishment of a National Youth Corps to create at least 100,000 jobs by the end of its first year and even more in subsequent years.
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‘Soso Libilibi’ ‘Soso Labalaba’
An indepth investigations conducted by the “Free Press” into the activities of the agricultural Development Bank (ADB) have led to some shocking revelations about the dealings of some top executives of the Bank.
The paper says it can firmly report that plans were far advanced by some individuals including top executives of the Bank to snatch Western Union Money Transfer, one of the bank’s lucrative ventures from it and then operate it privately and subsequently pay a “token in the name of dividend” to ADB.
Again the Free Press gathered that the ADB Western Union Agency Agreement had been one of the shabby agreements the bank had entered into, leading to the drain of the economy by some individuals.
At present all commissions ADB gains on Western Union Money Transfer are allegedly shared equally between the Bank and Progeny Ventures, a company owned by Dr. Kofi Amoah, one time presidential aspirant in Ghana.
Meanwhile, all expenses of the Western Union activities are borne by ADB, though profit gained on it is divided evenly with a private company.
ADB is most likely to loose these incomes following a clandestine attempt by some top executives of the bank to take away Western Union activities from the Bank.
A company by name Global Access, which operates at Abeka Lapaz, a suburb of Accra and has its bank account at the Gulf House branch of ADB had been formed as a subsidiary company of the Bank to take over the activities of Western Union and other allied services of ADB and subsequently pay dividend to the Bank.
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Mills is finished
Professor John Evans Ata Mills, former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has come to the end of his political career and according to a Weekly Insight story, he no longer appears to matter in the scheme of things even within his own party and indications are that he would have to find his place in the gallery of the “pasts”.
Right now, the power wheelers in the NDC are former President Jerry John Rawlings, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Dr Obed Asamoah and Honourable ASK Bagbin the Minority Leader.
Insiders say that former President Rawlings and his wife appear hell bent on retaining their control over the party, a state serviced machine, which they helped to build, whiles Dr Obed Asamoah and others appear open to all suggestions on the future of the Party.
Honourable Bagbin, however is reported to be rallying the Parliamentarians around a strategy for restructuring the party and riding it of all unhealthy public perceptions.
Bagbin and the Parliamentarians are working to prove that the NDC can become a party focussed on the improvement of the living conditions of Ghanaians and free from the tentacles of corrupt but powerful elements.
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