Mixed
reactions to President’s address
I won’t open my mouth - Rawlings
Rawlings
for Fast-Track Court
Civic
education body to review strategy
Mixed
reactions to President’s address
The
Minority Leader, Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin has described the President’s State of
the Nation Address as “uninspiring and lacking focus.”
He said
instead of defining policies and programmes aimed at improving the quality of
life of the ordinary Ghanaian, the President set out to attack the former
National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in the opening part of his
address. He said other parts of the address also sought to ridicule the former
regime.
Speaking in
an interview at his office after the delivery of the State of the Nation
Address, he criticised the NPP for claiming credit for all projects initiated
by the former NDC government without acknowledging the efforts of the previous
regime.
He
mentioned the seeking of funds for the rehabilitation of some international
roads as well as the importation of vehicles and the provision of uniforms for
the police service as some projects initiated by the NDC and indicated that the
continuation of such projects by the NPP is an indication that “the former
regime did a good thing.” He said the NDC has thus been vindicated.
Mr Bagbin
also criticised the government’s priorities as outlined in the address and said
they are “misplaced.” According to him, instead of infrastructural development,
good governance should have been the government’s number one area, adding that
this will help in the effective implementation of other set targets. He said
the address cannot in anyway help the NPP to realize its objective of positive
change.
Mr Bagbin
also expressed misgivings about the time frame for the National Reconciliation
Commission Programme and said people did not get aggrieved only under military
regimes but under civilian regimes as well. The Minority Leader also spoke
about what he termed the failure of President Kufuor to address former
President Rawlings before reading his address and said this does not augur well
for reconciliation.
On her part,
Mrs Alice Teni Boon, (NDC-Lambussie), expressed concern about what she termed
inadequate provision made for the newly created Ministry of Women and
Children’s Affairs in the address. She said being a new ministry, it should be
supported and provided with the needed resources and funds to show that the
government has the interest of women and children at heart.
The
Minority Spokesman on Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Ofosu
Ampofo (NDC Fanteakwa), criticised the government for revoking the appointment
of all former government appointees in the district assembly members.
On his
part, the Majority Leader, Papa Owusu-Ankomah (NPP-Sekondi) described
sentiments expressed by the Minority as ‘political talk.” He said the address
is a comprehensive document, which shows the performance of the government in
the year and outlines policies for future development.
He stressed
that the achievements of the NPP in terms of the stabilization of the cedi,
reduction in the rate of inflation and reduction in the interest rate as well
as the initiation of policy interventions to boost rural development under the
President’s Emergency Social Relief Programme are clear manifestation of the
government’s good performance so far.
He
described the NDC’s assessment of the government’s one year in office as
“jaundiced and prejudicial, adding that “being in opposition, the NDC has
decided not to see anything good with the government.”
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Rev Nana
Anyani-Buadum, General Overseer of the Jesus Generation Sanctuary Chapel, has
advised “latter day prophets” to desist from presenting God to unsuspecting
congregations as a visa contractor.
“God is not
a magician and it is unethical, cheap and unchristian to make people believe
that with a wave of their prophet’s hand by the mere pouring of anointed oil or
laying of hands, the people could obtain visa even when the documents are not
in order.
He was
preaching the sermon at a church service held at the church’s Kwame Nkrumah
Circle headquarters branch in Accra. Rev Anyani-Buadum said the dangers of
presenting God as a magician is that after a few days, if the visa applicant
does not get the visa, if the sick are not healed, if the barren does not
conceive, “we make God a liar”.
GRi…/
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The President’s State of the Nation address was greeted with mixed-reaction a characteristic NDC-NPP rivalry with the NDC describing it as “uninspiring and combative” while the NPP hailed it as a positive and a good delivery.
In an interview after the address, Kofi Attor, NDC member of Ho Central said even though the address is worth looking at, it further opens up old wounds. “My problem was that it was too combative. He was still too much in the past,” he said.
According to Attor, it was wrong for President Kufuor to sing the song of reconciliation and at the same time attack his opponents. “It defeats the purpose of reconciliation if we continue to rake into past issues,” he said and added, “There is no need to be more rigid this time.”
John Mahama, NDC MP for Bole and former Communication Minister, said President Kufuor failed to highlight new initiatives to actualise the promises made by the NPP, mostly in the area of health, agriculture and education. “It is disappointing because there was no new initiative,” he emphasised.
Mahama, who applauded the President’s call for self-reliance, however, maintain that in desperation to generate more revenue as announced by the President, the tax would not be over burdened.
Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Finance, however allayed the fears of corporate organisation that no additional taxes would be imposed this year. “Improving revenue mobilisation does mean additional taxes. You can raise more revenue without necessarily imposing new taxes,” he emphasised.
Edward Doe Adjaho, NDC MP for Avenor and Minority Chief Whip, sarcastically described the NPP government as a government of committees, in apparent reference to the number of committees set up by the government, such as the Education Reform Committee. He also condemned the continued retention of the Cash and Carry system, which the government is yet to find a solution to its replacement as promised in the NPP manifesto.
But Harona Esseku, NPP National Chairman, said with the stabilisation of the government, the next step in the quest to move Ghana forward is the implementation of policies that would lead to growth.
Ama Benyiwa-Doe, NDC MP for Gomoa West, took issue with the President for boasting about industrial harmony during the past year. “The numerous industrial disputes which rocked the NDC were instigated by the NPP when they were in opposition.
GRi…/
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I won’t open my mouth - Rawlings
Smarting under recent public criticism and scolding by a judge over alleged contemptuous comments, former President Jerry Rawlings politely turned down entreaties from journalists to comment on Thursday’s sessional address delivered by President John Kufuor.
Rawlings said he feared his opinion about the address might be construed as an attempt to “prejudice the mind of the general public in a certain direction.” The ex-President, who attended the programme, (his first as ex-President) in the company of his wife, Nana Konadu, however intimated he would make his comments known after both Parliament and the general public have thoroughly debated the address.
“I can’t comment. I would comment only after the sessional address has been subjected to debate by Parliament and after comments of the general public have been sought. I don’t want what I say to be construed as trying to prejudice the mind of the people in a certain direction.”
Media personnel numbering about 20 defied a no-comment fiat earlier issued by Special Assistant to the ex-President, Victor Smith, and quickly scurried towards Rawlings, minutes after the programme ended.
Rawlings was making his first public appearance after nearly escaping a date in court in contempt related charges over comments he allegedly made on cases pending before the courts involving former ministers in his government.
Justice Kwame Afreh, an appeals court judge sitting as an additional high court judge, scolded the ex-President over his remarks and warned him never to comment on cases pending before the courts.
The former President, who spotted a calm demeanour during the five odd minutes the interview lasted, was however a different person altogether in the chamber of the House. He relapsed into a rather uncharacteristically pensive mood during the two-hour time frame the sessional address lasted.
His body language was difficult to gauge but in most times he sat gawking, deep in thought and showed little emotion. Nana Konadu was also in a cool mood but more relaxed than her husband.
When his 20-year stewardship came under scrutiny during the President’s address, Rawlings appeared unruffled, not squeamish but visibly uneasy. Kufuor’s criticism centred on the private sector, public perception about the Castle, the rule of law, the management of the economy over the past 20 years.
President Kufuor had argued that the lack of prudent management on the part of the previous administration was the sole reason behind his decision to lead Ghana to access the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
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The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Freddie Blay, has argued that the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ascension of the United States to the pantheon of supremacy in global politics have made it different ideologically to strike a difference between the NPP and the CPP.
“At the moment we have unipolar power block in this world. American philosophy of liberal democracy and market economy is subscribed to by all kinds of people from all kinds of countries. Indeed the Russians themselves happened to have been the bastion of socialism, at the moment it is not what it used to be,” he pointed out.
Justifying his unending support for the NPP in Parliament in an interview with Chronicle on Thursday, Mr Freddie Blay, who is also the CPP Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency, issued an outright dismissal to the notion that there is a marriage of convenience between himself and the NPP MPs, saying the NPP is not hawkish about the social concerns of the populace- one of the cardinal principles of CPP.
“They are talking their belief in property but the same time they believe in government helping the poor and the underprivileged,” he underscored. He however made his resolve unequivocal to oppose any government policy that is detrimental to the interest of the good people of this country.
As to the likelihood of him crossing to the NPP in the next elections, he dismissed it as a debilitating speculation that will never materialize, noting that there is no inducement that will let him abandon the people of his constituency who reposed much confidence in him.
The government, according to him, has met its targets of macroeconomic stability, which has led to the downward spiral of both the inflation and the interest rate, adding that the fight against corruption had led to the plummeting of public expenditure to an appreciable level.
Mr Blay is upbeat about the success of the reunification talk between the Nkrumaist families, arguing that if they can join forces with NPP which hitherto was diametrically opposed to them then it stands to reason that coming together as one people with one tradition would not be something unachievable.
He however warned that if internal bickering and squabbles did not cease within the family then the fortunes of Nkrumah’s traditions will sink into oblivion.
According to him, the walkout of Parliament by the minority is excessive and trivial, noting that it does not achieve a modicum of effect it is intended to. The First Deputy Speaker is however of a fervent belief that the NDC Members of Parliament are performing better than they did when the NDC was in power.
He described Dan Lartey, the leader and founder of Great Consolidated Popular (GCPP) as a dangerous character whose pronouncement can be a recipe for fomenting upheaval.
“That man has been involved in a government that overthrew a legitimate government and played a very significant role, indeed people believe that he was even involved in its planning and execution, now if he talked about anything that suggest that there is going to be an upheaval or some kind of subvention of the constitution the security have to be alert; they have to invite him,” he stressed.
GRi…/
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Rawlings
for Fast-Track Court
Defence
counsel in the Quality Grain Company (OGC) trial, Nana Adjei Ampofo, on
Thursday informed the Fast-Track High Court of his intention to invite the
former President, Jerry Rawlings, to the court to give evidence in the case.
Nana
Ampofo, counsel for the fifth accused person in the trial, Nana Ato Dadzie,
former Chief of Defence Staff, Office of the President, told the court that he
was currently exploring the possibility of calling former President Rawlings as
a witness for his client.
This was
after the court, presided by Justice Kwame Afreh, requested from counsel
whether he intended calling any witness after his client had given evidence in
the case. Counsel said he wanted to inform the court of his intention so that
in case of any difficulty with security, the court could assist.
Mr Kwaku
Baah, counsel for the third accused person, Kwame Preprah, also informed the
court that although he had written to the security service to seek permission
to send experts to the Aveyimeh Project site, prior to his intention to call
them to give evidence, they had still not heard from the police. Counsel said
he intended calling the experts to testify but said they could only give
evidence after visiting the project site.
Prior to
counsel’s submission, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Osafo Sampong,
concluded his cross-examination of Peprah, a former Minister of Finance. Peprah
told the court that the delays in the implementation of the Aveyimeh project
was not caused by any of the accused persons, but had to do with land clearance
among others.
He denied
prosecution’s suggestion that QGC was broke and did not have even money to make
a 15 per cent down payment to source the loan for the project. He was of the
view that the company might have made the necessary arrangements with its
bankers in the US for the 15 per cent down payment, before the loan was granted
by the Exim Bank, stressing that “it is a condition.”
Peprah
explained that the Exim Bank’s regulations were that a company sourcing a loan
should first provide a requirement of 15 per cent of the loan guarantee before
the bank could grant the loan. The 15 per cent, according to him, is paid after
the loan guarantee is signed, but deposited before the disbursement of the
actual loan.
He refuted
a prosecution suggestion that he was instrumental in getting government to
finance the 15 per cent deposit for QGC, stressing that government did not pay
the 15 per cent deposit for the company.
He said as
Minister of Finance, he was always instrumental in sourcing finances for
projects that government was interested in. He said he exercised due care in
his dealings with the project and disagreed with prosecution that financial
loss were encountered.
According
to him, the former Vice President, brought in a Chinese delegation to inspect
the project because of government’s determination not to cause any loss.
Government, he said, took all contingencies and other options were taken to
ensure that the project did not result in a loss. He disagreed that it was because
of lack of prudence that the former Vice-President brought in the Chinese to
explore the possibility of taking over the project.
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With
imminent death staring him in the face after allegedly testing positive at the
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, a 38-year-old man of Kusa, near
Adansi-Fomena in Ashanti, felt that the only option left to him was to end his
life. And true to his word, Francis Kwadwo Amoako, last Saturday committed
suicide by stabbing himself to death.
According
to Mr R.N.A.L. Boye-Bi-Boye, Ashanti Regional Police crime officer, the
deceased, who was resident in Accra, fell sick for some time and later tested
HIV positive following a blood test. Aware of his fate, he returned to his
hometown, Kusa, last week Thursday, to live with his relatives.
The
deceased, who was said to have threatened to take his life, locked himself up
in his room at about 11 am on Saturday and stabbed himself in the chest with a
knife. Relatives and neighbours who heard him screaming forced his door open
only to find him dead. A report was made to the Fomena Police who collected and
deposited the body at the Bekwai Government Hospital for autopsy.
GRi…/
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Civic
education body to review strategy
The
National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) is to review its civic education
campaign strategy from the current non-formal communication to a formal one.
Mr Larry
Bimi, Chairman of the Commission who disclosed these in an interview said his
outfit is reviewing its programme because of the multiplicity of the media that
makes it difficult for it to get to its targeted audience.
Under the
new strategy the NCCE is making efforts to get civic education as an examinable
subject in all tiers of the educational system in Ghana while at the same time
it will strengthen its links with chiefs, opinion leaders and civic society
organizations for the purpose of teaching people the constitution.
Mr Bimi
stated that the commission’s main objective is to demystify the constitution
and explain its values to all segments of the population. One of the
initiatives is to introduce constitution game to schools in the Greater Accra
Region who are the first targets and if it proves successful the programme will
be extended to other schools in the country.
The
objective is for the public to know their responsibilities and disabuse the
minds of those who think that the NCCE is a branch of a particular political
party.
Mr Bimi
said to ensure the commitment of the staff for the task of non-partisan civic
education all staff members of the commission who exhibited political biases
have been dismissed from the commission. He was not happy with some NGOs who in
their attempt to survive label the commission with all manner of descriptions.
Mr Bimi
said the commission’s major problems are the non-availability of funds and
logistics. He said as at now the commission hasn’t got a single roadworthy
vehicle for its operations even though it is represented in the 110 districts
of the country.
For the
whole of last year the commission was given ¢200 million for all the regions.
He was however, hopeful that the various district assemblies will support the
staff in the various assemblies.
GRi…/
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Mr Justice Dixon Kwame Afreh, sitting at the Fast Track High Court in Accra, last Tuesday ruled that ex-President J. J. Rawlings, like any other Ghanaian citizens, has the right to criticise judges and their judgements once those judgements have been delivered. Similarly, the right to criticise the media is also open to the ex-President as a citizen of Ghana.
Justice Afreh was giving his ruling on a complaint brought by the Deputy Attorney General, Ms Gloria Akuffo, against statements made by ex-President Rawlings on the Quality Grain Case and other matters to the effect that they were contemptuous of the court’s proceedings.
Mr Justice Afreh was of the view that though the ex-President had the right to criticise institutions of state, he appeared to have over-stepped the bounds of propriety in his scathing criticisms of the judiciary in particular.
The learned judge, however, declined to invite ex-President Rawlings to appear before the court to apologise and retract the statements he made in his interview. Instead, the judge ruled that the Attorney General might decide to institute proceedings against the ex-President. Justice Afreh also advised ex-President Rawlings to assist in protecting the institutions of state that he had helped to establish.
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The Deputy Executive Director of the Narcotics Control Board, Mr Emmanuel Agyarko, has blamed the judiciary for the increase in illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse in the country. He alleged that none of the suspects arrested by the police and officials of the board in connection with various drug abuses last year were convicted by the courts.
Addressing the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs in Kumasi, Mr Agyarko who could not however, give the number of drug cases sent to the courts last year, said some of the courts granted bails as low a ¢4 million to suspected cocaine traffickers who were arrested at the airport with cocaine valued several billions of cedis.
He noted that while some of the cases “died” slowly, other suspects were clandestinely made to jump bail, adding that the “attitude of some of the judges often frustrated the efforts of the board in carrying out their mandate”.
Mr Agyarko alleged that the board had written several memos to the Chief Justice and the Attorney General on the issue but to no avail. He said Ghana was gradually being classified as one of the biggest transit points for narcotic drugs in the world and appealed to the Chiefs to support the board in its efforts.
He observed that the social and economic implications in drug trafficking and illicit use were very enormous and hinted that 20 students drop out from the country’s universities every year due to the substance abuse.
He said various methods and educational campaigns have been used, especially in the senior secondary schools and district assemblies to press home the dangers of the drug menace, but little have been achieved and was therefore, the need to involve chiefs who had unique positions in the society to support the campaign.
Mr Agyarko called on the chiefs to include drug abuse campaign education in their daily programmes to educate the people on the issue.
The Agogohene, Nana Akuoko Sarpong on behalf of the Ashantihene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, gave the assurance that the chiefs would do everything within their power to support the board in its efforts. He said drug trafficking, which often involved prominent citizens including politicians and businessmen was a worry to many governments around the world and advised the youth to desist from using dangerous drugs which could be harmful for their future.
GRi…/
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