GRi Press Review 03 - 01 - 2000
Rawlings, Kufuor hold talks
Incoming cabinet Ministers list next week
Kufuor will be sworn in Jan 7
House discusses retiring benefits
Ghana is broke - says Kufuor
Kufuor’s team
Thumb power ends Rawlings era
NPP prepares for the Castle
Minister collapses, Ho silent after results
Rawlings, Kufuor hold talks
The Daily Graphic reports a close-door meeting on Monday between the President-elect, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, and President Jerry John Rawlings, at a location outside Accra, where fruitful discussions aimed at further enhancing the smooth transfer of power to the NPP administration were held. Both sides were said to have been helped by top party officials.
A source disclosed to the paper on Tuesday that the meeting was characterised by harmony and the desire to build bridges of understanding and co-operation between the two sides to ensure that each work to protect and promote the supreme national interest.
The meeting was also designed to erase lingering doubts in the minds of members of both sides of the divide about the extent of commitment of the leadership to work together to move the nation forward and to render unnecessary any acts of politically motivated violence perpetrated by their members and supporters.
Mr Kufuor, sources said, reassured the President and members of his team that there would be no room in his administration for witch-hunting and that in all matters, the pursuit of the national interest and the collective well-being of Ghanaians, without discrimination, would be the guiding principles for action.
He reportedly lauded President Rawlings and Vice-President Professor J.E. Atta Mills for their roles in helping the nation to the present level of democratic development and making the transitional process smooth and peaceful.
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Incoming cabinet Ministers list next week
The incoming NPP Administration is expected to submit the first list of its team of Cabinet Ministers early next week after the inauguration of the President-elect, Mr J.A. Kufuor, on Sunday, January 7.
Information available to the Graphic indicates that certain personalities within the party, academia and other neutral players who see themselves as potential ministers, have intensified their lobbying.
The President-elect, tight-lipped on the issue indicated that the party is very much interested in ensuring a successful handing-over on Sunday before anything else but however, gave the assurance that he has a team of competent men and women to support his administration to set the ball rolling.
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Kufuor will be sworn in Jan 7
The swearing-in of the next President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, and his Vice, Alhaji Aliu Mahama will definitely come off on Sunday, January 7, in Accra.
Mr Justice D.F. Annan, Speaker of Parliament, who said this on Tuesday, explained that there was no constitutional impediment debarring the inauguration of the next President from being held on a Sunday.
Justice Annan, welcoming Members of Parliament back to the House, used the forum to congratulate Mr J.A. Kufuor and all members, who had been returned to the House and wished the losers “better luck next time”, adding “we are in a situation where there are no winners. Ghana being the winner of the elections.”
He also congratulated the Electoral Commission for a good work done saying the electoral body had helped the nurturing of the electoral process.
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House discusses retiring benefits
The Times in its lead story reports that Parliament on Tuesday met behind closed doors to discuss the report on the approved salaries and allowances, facilities and privileges and retiring benefits for the Legislature and the Executive.
This is in accordance with Articles 71 (I) (a) and 71 (2) of the Constitution.
While the first stipulates salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities and privileges available to the Speaker and Deputy Speakers and Members of Parliament, the second deals with those of the President, the Vice-President, the Chairman and other members of the Council of State and their deputies.
The paper says this is what might have perhaps attracted a sizeable number of the MPs, most of whom have lost their seats in the December 7 elections, to Tuesday’s sitting.
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Ghana is broke - says Kufuor
The President-elect, Mr J.A. Kufuor said on Tuesday that Ghanaians should not expect much from the NPP government now because there is no money in the state coffers, reports the Evening News.
Mr Kufuor said the bill accumulating from petroleum imports is so high that it will take some time to settle, and that those expecting magic from his government must wait for some time.
Addressing party supporters who had called at his residence to congratulate him on his victory, he urged his members to work hard to assist the government to overcome these problems first, adding that their expectations would also be met in due course.
“Ghana is not standing well, the economy is bankrupt and therefore needs the support of everybody to be able to be on its feet. When this is done, then all of us will be enjoying the fruits of our labour,” he said.
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Kufuor’s team
According to The Dispatch, sources close to the President-elect, Mr J.A. Kufuor, have indicated that some of the guidelines which will help him in forming his team will be the need to reduce the number of Ministers that the NDC government has; the constitutional provision that majority of Ministers of State must be Members of Parliament; the Directive Principles of State Policy that there must be adequate representation of all ethnic groups in the country and lastly, the need to include women.
Another issue Mr Kufuor is said to be seriously considering is the inclusion of leading members of the five opposition parties who backed him in the Presidential run-off.
A list of names making the rounds for Ministerial appointments, according to the paper, include Gladys Asmah, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Theresa Tagoe, Christine Churcher, Theresa Coleman, Anna Nyamekye and Hawa Yakubu.
Others are P. Amesimeku, Robert Attah and Peter Zwennes.
Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, immediate past Chairman of the NPP has been tipped for the post of Speaker of Parliament with Nana Akufo-Addo taking the position of Attorney-General and Minister for Interior.
The National Reform Party’s General-Secretary, Kyeretwie Opoku is tipped for the post of Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
Dr Edward Mahama, leader and Presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention and Prof. George Hagan, flagbearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), according to Dispatch, would be going for the Council of State.
Dr Kwesi Nduom, Dr Adam Nasser and Mr Kojo Armah of the CPP are also being mentioned for possible appointments.
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Thumb power ends Rawlings era
The Independent chronicles several occurrences, most of which were adverse, in the country’s life since President Jerry John Rawlings first came to the scene in a military take-over in 1979.
It says while the IMF and the World Bank had praised the country for economic successes chalked under Rawlings and the relative peace and stability in the country, the electorates of Ghana thought otherwise and shocked his party when they took away from him as many as 41 parliamentary seats in this year’s general elections.
It said on December 7 and 28, Ghanaians showed that they favoured the choice of Mr J.A. Kufuor over Professor J.E. Atta Mills, the appointed heir of Rawlings.
It states that the massive victory of Kufuor on December 28, after an inconclusive December 7 presidential run, announced hours just before December 31, the day Rawlings made his second-come back to politics through the gun, became more of an anti-climax as plans to hand over to Mills had to be shelved following the Kufuor avalanche.
His submission during the presidential campaign that Kufuor was no good and was sacked from his PNDC government, a rather contrary claim to the exact description why Kufuor left the regime is said to have been ignored by the people of Ghana in their own wisdom and using their God-given endowment – the thumb, slowly but steadily voted out a powerful oligarchy led by Rawlings out.
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The Statesman writing on Mr J.A. Kufuor’s all-inclusive agenda says the President-elect, is savouring his victory with a refreshing message of the all-inclusive administration
“We must now together take hold of the challenges that face our country and the resolve to solve them in a spirit of unity, of reconciliation, of compassion and understanding. We must move forward into the new century as one nation and one people with one manifest destiny” he was quoted to have stated following his victory in the presidential run-off.
He told a group of celebrating party loyalists at his residence in Accra that “we are at the start of a brand new century and with your support, we can all work to make it the Ghanaian century.”
Mr Kufuor is reported to have reiterated his commitment to moving Ghana forward instead of engaging in witch-hunting and repeated his pledge to “accord President Rawlings all the respect and support that are due to an ex-head of state.”
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NPP prepares for the Castle
The Free Press writes that on January 7, 62 year-old John Agyekum Kufuor will take the oath of office administered by the Chief Justice as the fifth president of the Republic of Ghana.
It says an anticipated colourful ceremony at the forecourt of the State House, Accra will see an assemblage of Ghanaians from all walks of life, political leaders, MPs, chiefs, the heads of the security and from other areas of our national life.
The ceremony, it says, will formally mark the end of Flt. Lt. Rawlings’ rule and the beginning of the administration of Mr Agyekum Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party.
The elections in which Mr Kufuor beat outgoing NDC Vice-President, Prof. J.E.A. Mills gave the NPP 99 parliamentary seats as against 92 won by the NDC, with the NPP likely to gain one more from the Asutifi South bye-election in the Brong Ahafo Region, a stronghold of the NPP.
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Minister collapses, Ho silent after results
The outgoing Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Patience Addow, is reported by The Ghanaian Chronicle to have collapsed and fallen into coma late Friday evening when the results of the Presidential run-off were being declared by the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.
The paper says its investigations in regional capital, Koforidua, confirmed by an official of the Regional Security Co-ordinating Council, said Ms Addow was airlifted in a helicopter from Accra to a hospital where she is said to be recuperating.
The NDC in which she is a member won in only three of the 28 constituencies in the region – the Afram Plains South, Afram Plains North and Upper West Akim.
A telephone call by the paper found the Regional Minister’s line disconnected while her Deputy Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo could not be reached, although it was reliably learnt that he had been busily packing his personal belongings from his official residence.
In a related incident, Ms Grace Omaboe, popularly known as Maame Dokono who stood as NDC parliamentary candidate for Birim North Constituency, is reported to have fainted when she lost the seat to the NPPs Boakye Akoto.
The story also carries that the Volta Regional capital, Ho, experienced the longest night last Saturday as residents refused to wake up having heard that their preferred candidate, Vice President John Atta Mills had conceded defeat to NPP’s flagbearer John Agyekum Kufuor in the December 28 Presidential elections.
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