Help Ghana to be rebuild
Kufuor calls for media, govt partnership
NDC to take Kufuor to court over cars
‘Ato Dadzie must face trial’
NDC rejected low price oil in 2000
Nana Konadu in tears
... Jawula, what did you do with the ¢5.2 billion?
Akufo-Addo still eyes Presidency
Coup trial in danger
‘Where’s my 100 days honeymoon?
Who are behind armed robberies?
Help Ghana to be rebuild
The Ghanaian Times says President J.A. Kufuor has called on Ghana’s development partners to provide her with urgent short and medium term economic assistance to facilitate her economic reconstruction process.
Ghana’s efforts should be supported because the severe debt over-hang, with an unacceptable annual debt servicing ratio, would make it impossible for the country to allocate sufficient funds for development budget, the President said when he hosted members of the Diplomatic Corps to a New Year reception.
The reception enabled the diplomats, their spouses and representatives of international organisations in the country to offer in turns, new-year greetings to President Kufuor and his wife, Theresa, in the presence of other leading members of government.
President Kufuor said that Ghana was ready to enter into intensive dialogue with her bilateral and multi-lateral partners to consider ways that would allow the country to meet her financial obligations without condemning her people to continuing abject poverty.
More…/
Wives not punching bags, priest tells husbands
The Vicar-General of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese, Rev. Father Simon Baba Sofo, is reported by the Times to have appealed to husbands not to use their wives as “punching bags” at the least provocation.
The Vicar-General who was officiating at a Mass wedding for 20 couples at the Sacred Heart Parish at the weekend, urged Christians to place the matrimonial sacrament on a higher pedestal rather than relegating it to the background since marriage is a sacred institution.
He pointed out that for a marriage to be successful, the couple should avoid listening to what outsiders tell them.
“Marriage is a very difficult thing and it takes a greater proportion of patience to sustain it.
“I therefore, advise husbands and wives to tolerate each other’s views and live in peace,” he said.
GRi…/
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
Kufuor calls for media, govt partnership
President Agyekum Kufuor has called for an effective partnership between his administration and the media to ensure good governance to speed up the country’s development, reports The Daily Graphic.
Such partnership, he said, does not mean that the media should gloss over any underhand dealings that they come across, but should rather encourage purposeful development of the country.
Speaking at a dinner organised for the media in his honour by Mr B.A. Mensah, a businessman, the President said the object of his administration is to ensure good governance, which entails open, transparent, accountable management and the rule of law.
He told the gathering that his administration welcomes constructive criticism, which would ensure purposeful development.
The nation is confronted with problems such as unemployment and the like, which call for the harmonisation of approaches and the media cannot sit back without constructive criticism, he said adding that vicious and self-serving information would not help the country’s development.
More.../
Chest complications major killer at Korle-Bu
Professor Frimpong Boateng, Head of the National Cardio Thoracic Centre, said on Saturday that twenty-five per cent of accident-related deaths at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital in Accra are result of complications of the chest, the Graphic reports in another story.
He said an operation on the chest costs about $25,000 to perform while it takes about ¢1.5 million to treat post operation heart patients under intensive care.
He told the 13th annual Awards and Dinner Dance of the National Service Scheme in Accra on Saturday that the centre has not received any government subvention since its establishment about three years ago.
This inhibits its effective operation, he said, adding that without a functional health insurance scheme, the centre depends only on donations from individuals and companies.
He said if adequate funds are not provided to maintain the centre, Ghanaians with chest and heart ailments would have to travel abroad for treatment, at a higher cost.
GRi..../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
NDC to take Kufuor to court over cars
Credible reports as at Friday night reveal that there is the likelihood of some ex-Ministers of the NDC defying the directive of President J.A. Kufuor that they pay the difference between old and new values of cars they purchased or give up the cars.
“They have decided to drag President Kufuor and his government to the law courts to determine whether the sale of the vehicles at concessionary rate was legal or not,” quotes The Dispatch.
The NDC held a meeting of some of its top hierarchy and ex-Ministers Friday evening, with the main agenda being the controversy over the vehicles.
There were, heated but friendly exchanges, with some advocating that the ex-Ministers and appointees should return the vehicles. There were equally strong representations that the issue be taken to court.
The group intending to go to court arguably wanted it clearly spelt out that one car is sold to certain categories of public officials when they leave office, claiming the system has been in existence since 1987 and has benefited hundreds of senior public officials including judges, senior civil servants, PNDC Secretaries of State and Ministers.
The group, according to a source close to the meeting said it had a long list, which if released, could make interesting reading.
Analysts believe that those who intend to take the issue to court will not return their cars till the seven-day ultimatum by President Kufuor expires and will go to court depending on what the President intends to do after that.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
‘Ato Dadzie must face trial’
The Guide says some lawyers have called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Nana Ato Dadzie, the former Chief of Staff for what they describe as the falsification of figures and doing acts with the intent of sabotaging the economy of Ghana.
They say that with the abundance of evidence of his tampering with figures that had come from a professional valuer, Nana Ato Dadzie committed an act, which he knew was wrong at the time of its commission.
Mr F.K. Allotey, government valuer, had made it clear that he used his professional judgement to fix the values of most of the over 200 vehicles between 20 and 50 million cedis. But, in a typical style interference, Nana Ato Dadzie, the former Chief of Staff, overruled Mr Allotey’s decisions and called for more ‘reasonable’ concessionary prices saying no car should be sold beyond 9 million cedis.
Members of the public continue to condemn the virtual looting of vehicles that are now being re-valued properly, but Nana Dadzie in the view of the lawyers, had an ill motive bothering on criminal negligence that would have cost the nation billions of cedis.
The lawyers believe that the earlier admission of responsibility for what happened is enough grounds for the prosecution of Ato Dadzie.
Also, the rush with which Ato Dazdie asked the ex-ministers to change the cars into their names also smacked of ill intent and motive to conceal, an act he knew was wrong, one of the lawyers said.
More.../
13 Legon Students sacked
The Guide reports that 13 students of the University of Ghana have been dismissed and 4 others sanctioned for various offences including presentation of false admission papers and examination malpractices.
Others had also made fraudulent declarations on their applications forms to get admission into the university for the 2000/2001 academic year.
An MBA level 600 student, Mrs. Windy Okyere Boateng has also been expelled from the University for attempting to get unfair advantage during the second semester of the 1999/2000 academic year. Mrs. Boateng has also been awarded grade z for the examination.
According to the University Public Relations offices, those dismissed are without prejudice to any further action by the police to deal with any criminal aspect of the student’s activities.
GRi..../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
NDC rejected low price oil in 2000
The Ghanaian Voice says it can reveal that when the country was being crunched under the jack boots of the OPEC, oil cartel, in 2000 a Ghanaian businessman with links in the U.S. sourced for cheap discounted crude oil for the country but this was rejected flatly by the NDC government.
Apart from the oil being of the highest quality, it was to be supplied less 25 per cent of the OPEC price for one year.
The businessman and his local partners were only perceived as being anti NDC.
According to the paper, investigations at the Energy Ministry confirmed the story and confided that the man at the castle who was contacted for the transaction was Mr Dan Markin, leader of the DPP, a progressive partner of the NDC and Egle party.
He did not deny the story when the paper confronted him with the issue and said he does not know why the offer was not grabbed adding that it is still available.
He explained however, that when the offer became available he talked to the Chief Executive of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), the vice-president Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills and the deputy Minister of Finance Mr Victor Selormey, all to no avail.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
Nana Konadu in tears
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the former first lady who doubled as the President of the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) could be feeling uneasy, according to the Free Press.
It said a searchlight has been thrown on the mode of operation of the women’s movement and indications are that a lot of skeletons could be found in the cupboards of the 31st December Women’s Movement.
The non-governmental organisation formed in 1982 with the aim among others, of spearheading women emancipation and empowerment has, over the years, projected the ideals of the (P)NDC government.
Nana Konadu had also, more than anything, relied on the movement to build an economic or business empire around herself.
She had initiated a co-operation arrangement between DWM and the Japan Relief Clothing Centre, SESCO as well as SOKA Gakai International also of Japan by which foreign currency as well as relief assistance were siphoned into the coffers of the movement.
“The manner in which the money was used or the items distributed can be anybody’s guess,” the paper stated.
The story adds that the background to the US$250 million loan that Nana Konadu’s brain-child contracted from the African Development Bank is still being investigated.
It said the loan could have been contracted for a good cause, however, the fact is left to be established whether other NGO’s were not sidelines.
“It is based on the fear that some of the rot in the activities of the 31st December Women’s Movement would be exposed that Nana Konadu is reported to be getting jittery,” states the Free Press.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
... Jawula, what did you do with the ¢5.2 billion?
The Independent writes that the new government, if it is to make a positive impact on the nation’s most popular sport-football, must set up a probe into the affairs of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
It said well-placed sources at the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) organisers of football hinted that the GFA has questions that must be resolved before the next scheduled congress slated for early next month.
The GFA’s head, Alhaji Nurudeen Jawula, who is said to be seeking another term has, reportedly, not run a transparent administration.
The source said that many members in GHALCA intend to question Alhaji Jawula and his team of how the GFA utilized a $250,000 annual grant from FIFA for soccer development in the country and another $450,000 from CAF this year.
It said with his three-year stewardship, the Alhaji and his men have supervised three of such grants which amount to 750,000 dollars which is equivalent to 5.2 billion cedis meant to help in the improvement of the infrastructural bases of soccer especially, football fields.
“But some members of the GFA and civil society can still not fathom whether any stadium had been rehabilitated by the Jawula’s administration”, it said.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
Akufo-Addo still eyes Presidency
The Ghanaian Democrat says the contest for real power in the NPP government of J.A. Kufuor has reached boiling point with Nana Akufo-Addo’s ambitions for the presidency in 2004 exposed, as he schemes to get his loyalists appointed as Regional Ministers and District Chief Executives.
It says an unimpeachable source in the corridors of power who told the paper about Akufo-Addo’s behind the scenes manoeuvres have been uncovered by Kufuor’s aides.
President Kufuor’s aides who knew the unrepentant Akufo Addo loyalists raised eyebrows at the names being put forward for consideration.
When the attention of Mr B.J. da Rocha, Professor F.T. Sai and Dr Amoako-Tuffuor was drawn to those persons owing allegiance to Mr Kufuor, they decided to do a lot more of digging to be sure of the evidence before them.
Dr Amoako-Tuffour and Prince Oppong who are well known confidants of the President are believed to have leaked the somehow disturbing jockeying by Akufo-Addo to him.
The source said President Kufuor out of anger instructed that the appointment committee contact him personally on all the names being put forward for consideration and eventual nomination.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
Coup trial in danger
One of the longest treason trials during the reign of ex-President J.J. Rawlings, according to the Public Agenda, is expected to resume when the Supreme Court reconstitute the panel for the trial.
However, whether the case would actually proceeds at all is in doubt as the new Attorney General may not find the case worth pursuing.
It says the trial of ex-sergeant of the Ghana Army, Karimu Salifu Adam, ended abruptly on April, 1997 due to the death of Justice Kurankyi, the President of the trial panel. With the coming in of the new government under President John Agyekum Kufuor, the case might as well hit a dead end.
Coincidentally, Attorney General, Nana Akufo Addo, was one of the defense counsels, in the trial. Some lawyers say it may not be necessary to continue because the government that brought the matter to court is no more in power.
Other legal experts say it is the prerogative of the new Administration whether to continue or to scrap it all together.
Mr Akoto Ampaw, one of the defense counsels, in an interview with Public Agenda said the defence has appealed to the Supreme Court to reconstitute the panel to hear the case.
He said the defense has written to the registry asking them to forward the docket to the court. “We hope they would fix a day for hearing when everything is through,” Akoto Ampaw said.
Ex-Sergeant Adam, was accused of plotting a violent overthrow of former President Rawlings and his NDC Government and was arrested at his home in Tamale in 1994 in the Northern Region when he came down for visit from Burkina Faso on a visit.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
‘Where’s my 100 days honeymoon?
President J.A. Kufuor on Sunday wondered aloud why he was being denied the minimum 100 days honeymoon traditionally allowed newly elected leaders worldwide to settle down, says The Ghanaian Chronicle.
According to the paper, speaking at a dinner organised by Mr B.A. Mensah, an industrialist and NPP elder statesman, for journalists and friends, he noted that he was expecting the media to extend to him that minimum latitude that was due him, but he was rather being suffocated.
“I am not getting any breathing space, I can hardly breathe”, he moaned.
He took the opportunity to talk about his Government’s objective of having a good, open and transparent relation with the press, which he recognised as a veritable fourth member of the estate.
The President pleaded with journalists to join him in improving the lot of all Ghanaians. Though he was not specific about his complaints, it is clear that his Government had come under a bit of rollicking over the cars issue with the public demanding swift and tough action against the outgoing Ministers and top public officers who made off with cars at ridiculous discounts.
The issue of the recent visit to Lome, Togo had also attracted some flak.
GRi..../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
Who are behind armed robberies?
The NPP News reports that the Police are close to unmasking the powers behind the recent spate of armed robberies, which have rocked the country after the smooth transition.
“Already, investigations and swoops have led to the arrest of several persons believed to be part of the criminal activities which have resulted in armed attacks on filling stations and forex bureau so far”.
The professional and coordinated nature of these attacks and the sophisticated nature of the weapons being used by these criminals have led to speculations over the identity of those involved.
References have been made to the similarity in the upsurge of these activities immediately after Rawlings handed over to President Hilla Limann in 1979, and the recent transition from Rawlings to President Kufuor.
The resultant destabilisation role of these armed robbers partly accounted for the December 31, 1981 coup, which heralded the infamous era of the democratisation of violence.
The story contained that fingers have also been pointed in the direction of Rawlings cronies like Mike Sousoudis and Jack Bebli in whose houses, huge stockpiles of sophisticated arms and ammunitions have been found and whether weapons from such armoury have not found their way into the wrong hands.
GRi.../
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com