Bank workers now agree to co-operate with liquidator
Ministry won’t privatise schools
High Commissioner sends SOS to Gbeho…Danger looms from Nigeria
NPP ready for genuine reconciliation
Five ministers for contempt
Latest on murder of judges…Autopsy report tells it all
NDC has promoted ‘extraordinary’ corruption in Ghana – Goosie Tanoh
Bank workers now agree to co-operate with liquidator
The Daily Graphic reports that workers of the liquidated Bank for Housing and Construction (BHC) have agreed to co-operate with the liquidator to expedite action on the implementation of the depositor transfer scheme instituted by the government.
The scheme is intended to make for a fast-track transfer of all accounts of depositors of BHC to the nearest branches of the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Agricultural Development Bank as part of measures to reduce the pain of liquidation on both depositors and workers.
The Graphic reports that Mr Ben Amegatcher, chairman of the Professional and Management Staff Union of BHC said in an interview in Accra yesterday that the management last Friday furnished officials of the Bank of Ghana and the consultants to the liquidator, Price Waterhouse Coopers Management Consultants Limited, with the data on depositors, particularly those in the Accra metropolis. Mr Amegatcher is quoted s saying, "we went to all the branches in the metropolis and have given them the necessary details, as well as those of the workers. We are only left with the outstations and that is no big deal".
Last week the BHC and the Ghana Co-operative Bank were liquidated for making persistent losses resulting in the deterioration of their loan portfolios for the past three years and were, therefore, unable to satisfy adequacy and minimum capital requirements set out under the banking law.
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Ministry won’t privatise schools
In its top story, the Ghanaian Times reports that the Ministry of Education has no intention to "privatise" or "sell" any school. Neither will it convert schools into limited liability companies and issue shares in them. The state will continue to own all public schools.
The Times says that these were contained in a statement by the Ministry and signed by Mr Dan Osman, Public Relations Officer, in reaction to recent "Ghanaian Times" reports that the Ministry had confirmed plans for the privatisation of certain public senior secondary schools into "elite schools".
The paper quotes the statement as saying that any recommendation either in favour or against deregulating schools, would be subjected to Cabinet review and public discussion before implementation. The statement recalled that a little over a decade ago, the then PNDC Secretary for Education, Mr K.B. Asante, proposed the deregulation of some public schools.
"In his opinion, those schools were performing better because of the availability of adequate academic facilities and that granting them some measure of autonomy would make available funds, which could be used to upgrade the less endowed schools", the statement said.
According to the statement, not much progress was made in examining the matter because of premature opposition to the concept. Meanwhile Mr K.B. Asante a retired diplomat, s reported to have said that the idea of granting a measure of autonomy to some selected second cycle schools should be considered.
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High Commissioner sends SOS to Gbeho…Danger looms from Nigeria
The Ghanaian Chronicle observes in its lead story that 17 years after Ghana and Nigeria repatriated citizens of each other’s country through the ‘infamous’ Aliens Compliance Acts, tension is brewing over Ghana-Nigeria relations, but this time, the possibility of violence is on the cards.
The Chronicle reports that the Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr J.Y. Kwofie, last week sent an urgent telex message to Mr James Victor Gbeho, Ghana’s Foreign Minister copied to the Inspector-General of Police and the Minister of the Interior, calling for urgent action from Ghana and demanding that "all Nigerians in police cells be released".
The paper says that the usually vocal Nigerian private citizens have been protesting loudly at what they see as alleged brutalities and injustices against Nigerians resident in Ghana by the Ghana Police aided by certain media houses. The paper says that at a news conference held in Lagos recently, some Nigerians claimed that xenophobia and hatred for Nigerians is rife in Ghana as there appears to be a conspiracy against Nigerians, some of whom are arrested for "trumped p charges".
It says the Managing Director of "Contact Marketing", Mr Chris Ogbechie, told Nigerian journalists at the news conference that anti-Nigerian sentiments in Ghana have pitched Ghana’s Police against Nigerian nationals as they arrest and confiscate property belonging to Nigerian residents in Ghana.
According to the Chronicle, as at the time of going to press, information indicated that one Norbert Afesi, a Ghanaian was beaten to death over a very minor issue in Lagos. Commentators foresee danger ahead if the situation is not managed well, the Chronicle concludes.
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The Statesman
NPP ready for genuine reconciliation
In a front-page banner headline story, the Statesman reports Mr S.A. Odoi-Sykes, National Chairman of the NPP as saying that the party will support any effort that will bring genuine reconciliation to Ghana. The paper says that Mr Odoi-Sykes, who was speaking in Accra, in an apparent reference to President Jerry Rawlings ‘half-hearted’ reconciliation gesture, said the NPP would support any effort by the Church to bring true reconciliation.
He said the role of the Church in Ghana’s socio-political development cannot be over-emphasised and called on the Church to spearhead the crusade for national reconciliation. He asked the Church to pursue truth and love and the courage to stand by it.
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Five ministers for contempt
In its lead story, the Evening News reports that a writ has been filed at an Accra High Court seeking to commit for contempt, five Ministers and 10 others for allegedly interfering with the court’s proceedings over the divestiture of City Hotel in Kumasi.
The paper names the Ministers as Mr Kwame Peprah, Finance, Mr Dan Abodakpi, Trade and Industry, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Martin Amidu, Deputy Attorney-General and Mr Paul Peprah, Deputy Trade and Industry Minister.
The Evening News says that the writ, filed on behalf of Ace Hotels and Resorts Limited by its solicitor, Blay and Associates, named Mr Emmanuel Agbodo, Executive Director of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), Mr Christian Appiah Agyei, Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (YUC), Ms. Sherry Aryeetey, Managing Director of GIHOC Distilleries, Richard Bansah and Colonel Modey, as the other respondents.
The rest are, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Salem Al-Ghumatti, Dominic Donkor Mohamed Salem Keiba, Eric Okai and Salem Saleh Serkik.
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The Guide
Latest on murder of judges…Autopsy report tells it all
In a front-page screamer, the Guide says that the case of murder of the three judges and a retired army officer by some elements in Rawlings administration in 1982, cannot go away with "we are sorry", as the son and other victims of the atrocities are not ready to let go without fresh investigations into ‘those dark days’.
According to the paper it has stumbled upon the autopsy report on Mr Justice K.A. Agyepong, which indicates that he had his left leg amputated 11 inches below the knee. The paper says that it is, however, not clear whether the amputation took place before or after death.
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NDC has promoted ‘extraordinary’ corruption in Ghana – Goosie Tanoh
The Crusading Guide reports the national spokesman of the National Reform Party (NRP), Mr Goosie Tanoh as stating that the evidence of governance in Ghana in the last few years, notably from 1992 to date, can be described as ‘extraordinary’ in terms of increased corruption, which has emanated from the ruling NDC party.
Mr Tanoh is said to have asserted that for the mere fact that the ruling party sometimes suggests that corruption is an inevitable consequence of human existence and therefore, cannot be eliminated, is an evidence that the ruling government has failed in its quest to eliminate corruption.
The Crusading Guide says that Mr Tanoh, who was speaking in Tema, stated that the ruling NDC party has become a participant in corruption and cannot, therefore, on any justifiable basis, absolve itself from responsibility and say that it cannot eliminate corruption when it came on the platform of eliminating corruption and ensuring accountability.
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