Ghana is on right track
More positive results in economy expected
Don’t claim credit for Chamba’s victory
Northern
Ghana wants reparation from the United Kingdom
Contingency fund used for Prez Kufuor’s trips?
Mr President, see how we jam?
The Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Mr E.K. Doe Adjaho, has stated that the Minority will continue to play its role vociferously and without fear or favour as the voice of a significant section of Ghanaians.
“The worst scenario or the greatest threat to any democratic process in any country is for the minority to sink into a state of mere acquiescence to the pressure of an overbearing executive power,” he said.
Mr Adjaho was presenting a paper on “Majority and Minority Relations in Parliament: Prescription for Good Governance” at the 53rd New Year School, which ended on Wednesday.
He said the results of the general elections of 2000 have made it clear that the new role of Parliament, where there is no overwhelming majority, is the preferred choice of Ghanaians. “We the political leaders are being called upon to adopt a new approach to governance, which requires consensus building, constructive engagement and the creation of trust among all political parties.
The Minority Chief Whip pointed out that Ghanaians, by their expectations, are looking up to the political parties to work towards building a new culture and the achievement of set national objectives.
However, Mr Adjaho said, “developments in our Parliament are clearly showing that the Majority does not want to help the Minority in keeping the Executive on its toes to make it accountable to the people”.
For instance, he said, in March last year, Parliament passed the Appropriation Act of 2001, Act 599, in which it authorised ¢1.2 billion to be spent on contingency for the year.
According to Mr Adjaho, when the Mid-Year Review budget was presented to the House, the Minority realised that the government was spending about ¢122.5 billion, which was ¢121 billion over and above what was authorised to be spent, he subsequently moved an amendment motion, asking for a supplementary estimate to be presented, based on Article 179 (8) of the Constitution.
“But the Majority voted against this motion because clearly, they do not want to embarrass the government.” Mr Adjaho said such partisan attitudes towards issues do not only subvert good governance, but also breed mistrust and suspicion between the Majority and Minority.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, in a contribution, said disagreements between the Majority and Minority in Parliament should not be misconstrued as acrimony between the two sides. He deplored certain media reports, which he said portrayed Parliament as a fighting ground between the Majority and the Minority.
Mr Mensah-Bonsu said consensus building between the two sides will progress on a much faster note, if the Minority refrains from staging walkouts from the House.
On the issue of the National Reconciliation Bill, he said the Majority has not taken a bigoted stand on the time frame for the reconciliation exercise, because the exercise is meant to reconcile a whole nation.
He said the time frame for the exercise, which will be determined by the National Reconciliation Commission, will be adhered to by the two sides of the House and all Ghanaians.
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The Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has suggested that productivity must be made a key factor in the determination of a realistic wage policy for the country.
Mrs Rose Karikari Anang, Executive Director of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), who made the suggestion, said “we cannot discuss the issue of realistic wage policy without mentioning productivity.” She contended that “national productivity has generally been very low and there is the need for all stakeholders to come together to identify the factors and find solutions to them”.
Mrs Anang was speaking at the 53rd New Year School, organised by the Institute of Adult Education of the University of Ghana, Legon, to discuss topical issues of national interest.
She was delivering a paper on the topic, “realistic wage policy and good governance”.
Mrs Anang said the private sector is ready to collaborate with government and labour to spearhead the campaign for a realistic wage policy based on productivity and called for lessons to be drawn from the Asian countries, which have succeeded in changing the fortunes of their countries through increased productivity.
She mentioned, as examples, Japan, where workers were involved in efforts to reduce cost, improve efficiency and initiate new work methods, and Singapore, where a productivity movement that took the form of a national campaign encouraged active
and widespread commitment to productivity.
Mrs Anang said Botswana did it with the assistance of Singapore and it is now one of the best performing economies in Africa. The GEA Executive Secretary said Ghana’s economic development is absolutely necessary to create an environment that is conducive to productivity at the national, industrial and enterprise levels.
She said this will be done by gathering the active and widespread commitment and participation of the whole nation in activities that will lead to higher productivity, adding that it will provide the platform for concerted efforts to address all aspects of productivity.
Mrs Anang said with the publishing of the accounts of enterprises, there should be transparency in profit sharing and remuneration mechanisms, which should be invariably linked to productivity levels.
Such transparency in both public and private sectors will, according to her, undoubtedly facilitate the determination of a realistic wage to all stakeholders.
Speaking on the same topic, Mr Kofi Asamoah, Deputy Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), blamed the fallen levels of productivity of labour to bad governance, which he said has militated against what he described as “human decency”.
“For a long time since independence, leadership has failed workers of this country. Essentially, government has not created the friendly environment in which labour can give of its best,” he said.
Mr Asamoah said the first poor governance practice by leadership was the reckless use of the fiscal system to cause macroeconomic instability in the form of inflation and depreciating exchange rates resulting in workers who were on fixed wages losing a substantial value of their real wages.
He said while the incumbent government has made some gains in stabilising the cedi against the major foreign currencies, steps must be taken to ensure that the cedi-dollar rate is properly managed.
Mr Smart Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana, suggested that a realistic wage policy must recognise the unified structure of the Civil and Public services, since both have a common employer (the government) and depend on the consolidated fund for their remuneration and operations.
He also asked that the policy must ensure equity, which, in concrete terms, means that jobs, which have equal evaluation or worth must attract equivalent wages, salaries and other conditions of service.
Mr Chigabatia said the policy must be capable of providing, short, medium to long term real wage targets that provides social protection to ensure that the earnings of workers will enable them to meet their basic physiological needs and financial obligations, which include payment of school fees to educate their children.
“The policy must provide an implementation programme that seeks to bridge the gap between private and public sector compensation, which is certainly unacceptable and demonstrably not justifiable on the grounds of higher productivity,” he added.
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Ghana is on right track
The
Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Dr K.Y.
Amoako, has stated that the ECA is satisfied with the strategies that have been
taken by the government of Ghana to salvage the economy.
He said:
"Looking at the data available and talking to the experts in town, I can
confidently say that the economic recovery effort is on track."
Dr Amoako
stated this when he called on President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu, on
Wednesday. He is in the country for the Christmas holidays. "I am very
encouraged by what I have seen," Dr Amoako said.
The ECA
boss said Ghana stands a good chance of receiving support from the
international community because of the pragmatic strategies taken to rebuild
the economy. Ghana, he said, will always be on the priority list of ECA
programmes.
Dr Amoako
stressed that this year holds a lot of opportunities for Africa, particularly
in terms of poverty reduction and social redirection. President Kufuor assured
the ECA boss that the government will continue to use pragmatic strategies,
however unpleasant they might be in reshaping the economy.
He said the
government will, therefore, not hesitate to draw on the expertise of the ECA to
manage the economy successfully. "Anytime you have an observation or an
input to make to our efforts to revive the economy, you are most welcome,"
the President said.
President
Kufuor said Ghana has a lot of talents and it is time she drew on the rich
experience of her experts to develop.
"It is
not for nothing that Ghanaian experts are manning international
institutions. The coincidence is not
accidental at all; it shows how God has endowed the nation with human
resources," the President said.
President
Kufuor mentioned Mr Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, Dr Amoako himself, and
the newly-elected Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas as
distinguished persons who have brought honour and fame to Ghana.
Present at
the discussions were the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Major Courage
Quashigah (rtd), Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Presidency,
Madam Theresa Amerley Tagoe, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing and Mr
Kwabena Agyapong, Deputy Government Spokesman.
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More positive results in economy expected
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GNCCI), Sal Amegavie, has said more positive results in the economy are expected this year break.
He submitted that the stabilisation of the cedi, the national currency, has been tremendous. Nobody thought the cedi could be ¢7,500 to the dollar in December, he said. "Inflation rate, which was 40.5 per cent in 2000, is now below 25 per cent, whilst interest rate was virtually at 50 per cent. “Though not at the accepted level, it is at 35 per cent.”
“These are all positive signs of good performance of the economy, even though we are not out of the economic woods. The chamber is optimistic that more positive results are yet to come this year,” the executive secretary said.
He expressed the hope that come February, when the NPP administration will announce the national budget the country will have something to cheer about. He cited the conversion of half of the country’s domestic debt into short-term bonds as a major laudable economic decision the government took during the year.
The executive secretary said it is good news to hear that rice and maize production has been good. However, the government should make energetic efforts to encourage small community irrigation schemes to enable farmers to crop their farms three times a year.
He added that it is important that the food basket is always sustained to ease the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian because it constitutes the bulk of his expenditure.
On criticisms that activities have slackened, Amegavie noted that there comes a time that one needs to prioritise and that is the most prudent thing for the government to do. He argued that if this year the focus will be on creating jobs and wealth, then they will enhance growth.
When figures on how the government structured its spending are made available, they will enable it to restructure and put premium on production, he added.
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Members of
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who have constituted themselves into councils of
elders of the party at the constituency level have been asked to dissolve such
councils since they are inconsistent with the party's constitution.
The Central
Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Albert Essuman, who made this appeal, said
the party's constitution indicates that the Council of Elders should only exist
at the national level.
He was
addressing party executives of 108 polling stations of the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam
Constituency after the swearing in of interim executive for the constituency at
Enyan Abaasa.
Mr Essuman
also noted that apart from the women's wing in the constituency, whose
executive is made up of women organizers at the various polling stations, there
should not be parallel women groups in the party.
He noted
that some people in the party are using the formation of such groups to bring
about confusion and cause disunity in the party and urged them to desist from
such acts.
Mr Essuman
called for party unity to enable it to retain political power in the 2004
elections. "There is no way the NPP can lose the 2004 presidential and
parliamentary polls to enable it to consolidate and enhance the country's
economic development," he said.
The Central
Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze, advised members of the party to work hard
to swell the rank of the party in the constituency. He said the Kufuor
administration will strive to improve the living conditions of the people.
The
District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kenneth Obempong, gave the assurance that
the party will fulfil its campaign promises to improve the lot of the people.
The
constituency Chairman, Mr George Appeadu Mensah, pledged on behalf of the
executive, to work hard to ensure that the party retains the seat in the next
parliamentary polls.
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Don’t claim credit for Chamba’s victory
The Youth Wing of the Choggou Tishigu Constituency of the National Democracy Congress (NDC) has said it is unfair for any political party in the country to claim credit for Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas’ elevation as Executive Secretary of ECOWAS.
It explained that any attempt by any political party to politicise Dr Chambas’ appointment for credit will be tantamount to demeaning the stand of the noble son of the country.
This was made known at a news conference held at Tamale and addressed by Mr Yusif Baba, Secretary of the constituency Youth Wing. Mr Baba declared that Dr Chambas’ new appointment is in the right direction since he has portrayed Ghana’s image across her territorial waters for decades, with the rich experience acquired during the PNDC/NDC era, adding that the appointment must be seen as a unifying force, a victory for democracy and a progressive elevation of Ghana as a whole.
The constituency youth secretary congratulated Dr Chambas on his new assignment and expressed his gratitude to the entire 16 heads of state of ECOWAS for their support, which made it possible for his appointment.
On the Reconciliation law, Mr Baba refuted that it is only during military regimes that human rights violations occurred, adding that such abuses have happened in all regimes in the country.
He said the youth wing is convinced that reconciliation should begin from 1957 to date and that anything short of that will be a sham. “What Ghanaians need today is genuine reconciliation not indictiveness, he added.”
Mr Baba recounted some human rights violations that occurred in other regimes, including the Kulungugu bomb episode, the Yendi massacre, Apollo 568 and the recent mobilisation/National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) episode affecting over 4,000 Ghanaian workers, describing it as ‘Apollo 4,000’.
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The
National Youth, Working Committee of the (NDC) has called on the Chairman of
the NPP, Mr Harona Esseku, and its General Secretary, Mr Dan Botwe, to take the
necessary steps to stop the acts of harassment and intimidation by some groups
and individuals on Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, NDC Member of Parliament for
Wenchi West.
The call
was contained in a release signed by Kingsley Asare of the National Secretariat
of the NDC and issued to the press in Accra Wednesday.
The release
catalogued the attack on Mr Nketiah at the car park of Parliament House, at the
premises of a radio station at Sunyani, the ambush of his car on the Sabiya
Banda Highway and the latest by Mrs Rosemary Ekwam, and concluded that these
attacks emanate from the fact that the MP is seen as a threat to the NPP in his
constituency and in Parliament, and that they are aimed at silencing him.
It said in
all these cases the youth wing believes that the groups and individuals
involved are associated with the NPP.
GRi…/
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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has complained about what it described as unlawful acts being meted out to party functionaries in the Northern Region.
For instance, the Member of Parliament for Tolon-Kumbugu, Mr Abdulai Salifu has been banned by the District Chief Executive (DCE) from going to his constituency.
Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary of the NDC who disclosed this to the media at Tamale on Monday said according to the DCE, the MP was a security threat to his constituency. He did not give further details.
Alhaji Yahaya who interacted with the media after a news conference by the regional branch of the NDC to complain about the cancellation of the December 31anniversary celebration by the Regional Security Council and the police also mentioned that the NDC congress at Tolon was banned by the chief of the area and also the offices and posters of the party were vandalized.
According to him NDC supporters at Tolon and Bole were molested and attempt by the party to seek redress from the police proved futile.
Alhaji Yahaya complained about hostile attitude of some journalists against the NDC who often overlooked any unconstitutional acts against the party activists and supporters.
He appealed to the media to ensure rule of law and cautioned that any attempt by the media to sacrifice their constitutional role for political expediency could be injurious to democracy in the country.
The NDC general secretary spoke about the hierarchy of the party and explained that there was nothing wrong or illegitimate about the two titles of founder and leader of the party bestowed on President Jerry Rawlings.
He said contrary to opinions by some political commentators the two titles were bestowed on the former President in 1998 at Takoradi during the national congress of NDC. He indicated that the two titles were enshrined in Article Five (5) of the NDC constitution and wondered how genuine commentators could claim ignorance of that.
Alhaji Yahaya therefore described as unfortunate a publication in one of the private national newspapers that sought to create the impression that the two titles conferred on the former President was illegitimate because it was not in the records of the Electoral Commission.
He accused the paper of skewing the facts in an attempt to embarrass the former President and also expose the party to all sort of bashing by political commentators.
Alhaji Yahaya used the occasion to appeal to the media to be guided by the truth as enjoined by their profession in order to be able to uphold the principles of the constitution.
GRi…/
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Northern
Ghana wants reparation from the United Kingdom
The
Government has been urged to take immediate and urgent steps to demand
reparation for the British Government for Northern Ghana for neglecting the
area during colonial rule.
This was
contained in a 14-point communiqué at the end of the First National Congress of
Bonaboto, and read by Mr Mathew Adombire. The three-day congress, which ended
on Wednesday had the theme: “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, Ignorance and
Marginalisation through Dialogue”, was attended by over 500 delegates from the
Bonaboto Area- Bolgatanga, Bongo, Nangodi and Tongo all in the Bolgatanga
District.
In a
preamble to the communiqué, the delegates said it took cognisance of the fact
that the people of the area are impoverished, marginalized, deprived and faced
a hostile environment resulting in the highest levels of illiteracy, stunted
growth and lacked health and educational facilities.
It pointed
out that the north was “deeply bruised by the pernicious policies of our
British Colonial Masters by denying us access to education resulting in an over
100-year-gap between the North and South and noted with concern the absence of
any policy to address the situation particularly after the first republic.
Consequently,
the communiqué said among others that the reasons for which the Northern
Scholarship Scheme were instituted are more relevant and valid today than
before and should be reinstated in tertiary institutions as well as second
cycle day students.
“That,
consequent upon the long years of marginalisation, a special dispensation
should be given to District Assemblies of Northern Ghana to be allowed to
allocate more funds to education than contained in the guidelines for the
disbursement of the Common Fund.”
They called
on the two District Assemblies within the Bonaboto Area, that is Bolgatanga and
Bongo, to develop incentive packages to attract and retain teachers to
alleviate the acute shortage of qualified teachers.
Furthermore,
the congress noted the perennial food crises in the area and called for a
holistic approach by the government including the provision of small scale dams
for animal watering and irrigated farming.
The
communiqué noted with grave concern that, the concept of poverty and the parameters
used in defining it in Ghana do not adequately capture the stark reality of the
depth of poverty in the Bonaboto area in particular and the North in general
and as a result the various interventions have not impacted positively on our
people.
They regretted
the lack of industries in the area and called on the NPP government to fulfill
its promise by reactivating the Pwalugu Tomato and Meat Factories immediately.
For a more holistic development of the area, the communiqué finally called on
all citizens and other developmental partners to be proactive by establishing
schools, hotels, clinics, hospitals and small agro-processing industries.
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A Dutch,
Pierre Corrias, 50, resident in Ghana and believed to be the leader of a syndicate
involved in defrauding businessmen in the Accra Metropolis has been arrested by
the Kaneshie police.
Corrias and
his Ghanaian accomplices have duped several people in Accra of millions of
cedis under the pretext of doing business with them. However, the law caught up
with him when he duped two businessmen, Mr Kobby Afram and Alhaji Abu Jaja, of
7,200 dollars and 150 million cedis respectively.
Dr K.K.
Manfo, Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, told the Times that in February
last year, an accomplice only named as Ben, approached Mr Afram, a trader at
Abeka Lapaz, and told him that his friend (Corrias) wanted someone who could
supply him with Decis, a chemical used in growing apples.
Ben
convinced Mr Afram that he could buy a bottle of the chemical at 600 dollars
and then sell it to Corrias at 800 dollars. Dr Manfo said that although the
Dutch requested for 72,000 dollars worth of the chemical, Mr Afram could only
afford 7,200 dollars and consequently he gave the money to Ben to purchase the product.
The Police
Commander said after taking the money, both Corrias and Ben were never seen
again until December 27, when Afram spotted Corrias at Kaneshie and caused his
arrest. After his arrest, Alhaji Abu Jaja identified Corrias as the same person
who duped him of 150 million cedis last year on the pretext of supplying him
with chemicals used in melting aluminium.
Dr Manfo
explained that an identification parade would be held after which he would be
sent to court.
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With effect
from March, the government will start hauling kerosene to rural areas at
approved prices. Speaking to the Times in an interview on Wednesday, the
Minister of Energy, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, said surface tanks would be sited in
various parts of the country to be serviced by tankers at regular intervals.
That, he
explained was to ensure that kerosene was always available to avoid the
frequent shortages experienced by the rural folk.
Mr
Kan-Dapaah said the package was under the Emergency Social Relief Programme
(ESRP) aimed at alleviating the plight of the rural folk.
Prof
Dominic Fobi, Minister of Environment and Science, dropped the hint earlier at
Akonsabi in the Central Region, on Tuesday, when he inaugurated the Akonsabi
Youth Association. Prof Fobi advised members of the association to organize the
people to undertake self-help projects to improve their lot.
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Reported
cases of snakebite are on the increase at the Country-side Children’s Home, an
Orphanage at Bawjiase in the Central Region. The Home recorded about six cases
a month on the average within the last five months.
The worst
victims are babies as about 50 out of the 81 children currently at the Home, have
been bitten by snakes. Mrs Emma Boafo Yeboah, Principal of the Home, disclosed
these to newsmen when the children’s department of Macedonia Methodist Church,
Kwashieman Circuit, donated items to the Home.
She said
that there had not been any deaths as all the victims were given emergency
treatment. She explained, however, that the children’s safety could not be
guaranteed if nothing was done about the situation. The situation, according to
her, “is so serious that we sometimes have to keep wake to scare the snakes
away.”
She has
therefore appealed to the government and other non-governmental organisations
to come to the aid of the Home by assisting to wall it.
Mrs Yeboah
said that the Home had a good record of survival of all abandoned children sent
there, but regretted that, the record was being threatened by the snake bites
and pleaded for urgent support, saying “we just want the little babies to
survive.”
She
mentioned lack of electricity, potable water, baby foods and accommodation as
some of the Home’s pressing problems. She expressed appreciation to the
Macedonian Methodist Church for its gesture, which she said would help solve
the needs of the inmates. A cash donation of ¢300,000 was also presented to the
Home.
Meanwhile,
the Asiakwa SOS in the Eastern Region, has also donated food items worth
¢700,000 to the Home.
GRi…/
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Contingency fund used for Prez Kufuor’s trips?
Heated debate surrounded the Mid-year Review Budget submitted to Parliament by the Hon Minister of Finance on the 8th November. The Review Budget called on Parliament to make certain variations in the Appropriations Act 599, which was passed when the so-called Interim Budget was approved in March last year.
Now that the dust has settled, certain troubling variations are coming under scrutiny. One of the major discrepancies the Minority drew attention to, but which was ignored and rail-roaded by the Majority, was the varied increased in the contingency budget from ¢1.2 billion to ¢122.5 billion.
This increase is troubling because during the debate on the Appropriations Act in March, the Honourable Kosi Kedem is said to have drawn the attention of the Minister of Finance to the inadequacy of 1.2 billion for the Contingency Vote.
The Minister replied that he would manage with the amount. The sudden quantum jump in contingency has therefore raised eyebrows and a source close to government has indicated that a large Bulk of this money has been used to fund the frequent travels of the President and his entourage.
The public has been critical of the overly frequent foreign trips of President J.A. Kuffuor, since he assumed the reign of Government and government officials have been hedgy in disclosing how much these travels are costing the Ghanaian taxpayer.
The disclosure by The Ghanaian Voice’s source will therefore seem to explain the source of funding for the expensive travels being undertaken by the President and his large entourage. Estimates obtained by the papers’ research desk indicate that average amount expended on a Presidential trip amounts to $100,000. This includes first class, Business and Economy tickets on commercial airlines, per diems for officials and hotel bills.
With the recent increase in per diems for officials from $70 to $250, this amount is bound to increase dramatically.
Meanwhile it is reported that an urgent question filed by the minority, asking the Minister for Presidential Affairs how much the President’s travels has cost the nation, has not been scheduled by the Business Committee.
Members of the public polled have been unanimous that Government must make a full disclosure of how much the taxpayer has had to pay for the travels of the President, his Ministers and other top government officials.
Other matters relating to the mid-year Review Budget, which are troubling experts despite the loud self-praise of the Finance Minister, are the steep cuts in the investment budget and the increase in the administration budget.
Administration, under item 2, was increased by 384 billion, from 469 billion to 733 billion. This was at the expense of investments, under item 4, in health, education, roads and agriculture etc, which were cut drastically by 47 per cent. With such cuts in investment and the private sector virtually stalled, the experts wonder whether the modest 3.7 per cent GDP growth target can really be met.
This situation is compounded by the fall in revenue targets especially in direct taxes as a result of the difficult HIPC environment created in which business has been operating through out last year.
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The second most popular man in the country, according to the 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, has told the “Ghanaian Voice” in an interview that although the 2000 elections were flawed he decided to concede defeat in the larger interest of the country.
He said he has not regretted taking that line of action because if he had not done so, the country would have been in turmoil. He said Ghanaians have now seen the difference between the old and the new. “Clearly the economic situation was not the best but what we are seeing now is worse than when I was the Vice President”.
The NDC under Prof Mills had more than 44 percent of the popular votes. He is now working at the Centre for Global Issues at the University of Vancouver, Canada. His portfolio at the University is looking at issues of Governance, Development and Education with special focus to Africa.
He said the conceding of defeat to the NPP sent signals to Ghanaians in the country and outside that the NDC stands for peace.
On the seeming fracas within the ranks of the NDC, Prof Mills said it was good that it happened at this time for a solution to found to it. He said the NDC is a mass party with different shades of opinions and that the elders of the party should be given the chance to find solutions to the problems.
“My main concern is that we should use the current situation to focus on what our great party can do for the ordinary man on the street. There is no need to resolve the issue through press wars. I want to appeal to all parties to exercise the greatest restraint and work towards the progress that all the interest groups are yearning for.
“We have to attract more people and to remain focused as a Party for the people. The moment we lose this focus at working to improve the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian, we will lose the justification for our existence.
“No useful purpose can be served by fighting one another. We each have a role to play and we should recognise each other’s strong points and weak ones when dealing with one another. Because at the end of the day what matters most is the ability of out dear party to move away from this present economic predicament.
“Those interested in fighting for positions should do it in a laudable and civil manner devoid of character assassination and mudslinging, for, at the end of the day, win or lose, the candidates will remain in the party and will be expected to work with one another in whatever positions they find themselves.
“I have a message of peace, a message of tolerance, a message of respect for one another, a message of unity of purpose. I will surely come back in April and work towards the National Delegates Congress,” the former Vice President said.
GRi…/
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Mr President, see how we jam?
Poor President Kufuor, he cannot jam as well as ordinary people do whenever he wanted to. So it was a big surprise to see the big man, his wife, his grandchildren and all his men out on Christmas Eve and at the National Theatre to see the Kojo Antwi Show.
The night will go down in Ghanaian showbiz history for many things, but two will forever linger on the minds of patrons. One, that the president chose this particular event to see how his people jam and enjoy themselves and two, for the event itself that was a total thrill.
It has been a long-night wait for the maestro with various performances that seemed to drag on forever. Not only was the audience eagerly awaiting the appearance of Kojo Antwi but they were also wondering what kind of entrance he would make this time.
At approximately midnight the lights went off as MC introduced Kojo Antwi. The whole house went up in an uproar with some patrons screaming themselves hoarse, pointing in all directions and wondering aloud where he was going to appear from.
Then after the tense moments had subsided somewhat, Kojo Antwi emerged from a huge oyster shell located high up on stage and strolled casually to the front to screams of oohs and aaahs.
With that intro over, Kojo went straight to business pouring some sugar in a different mix altogether leaving the audience shouting for more. Then about thirty minutes into the show, Kojo paused and announced that the President was in the house inducing the audience to shouts of “Asee ho, Asee ho” but no one really believed that he was serious until the MC for the evening, Kwesi Kyei Darkwa, formally acknowledged the presence of the President.
That certainly got the attention of the audience who were up on their feet in unison, looking to see him in the first floor. Everything came to a stop as everyone present shouted all manners of greetings to a waving president.
From then on there was no stopping the music with hit after hit as the king of hearts, Kojo Antwi, dished out some of his love brews, as usual getting the ladies and some gentlemen off their seats dancing to almost every song.
Prior to the spectacle that the President and Kojo Antwi created, there were performances by the Marriot International Band, who opened the show with some beautiful renditions of Whiney Houston’s I’ll always Love You and Mariah Carey’s Hero among others, that set the tone for some good old highlife. Then came beautiful Mary Agyapong who sang Ade Dede and Twe No Bre Me, a song on her current album.
When Paapa Yankson was introduced many were expecting more from him after he had done a couple of songs supported by Pauline Oduro but he had to make way for Max Kofi who turned out to be quite a disappointment.
Though Obrafuor was billed to perform he was nowhere on the programme and the organisers did not apologise. But Krontihene was a good substitute. He took the stage to perform Akatasia me se ma fa wo la la la…. Can anything be compared to the songstress accompanied by her Mapuka Dancers? The captivating backsides were enough to get more than the attention of the guys, their dance was nice and certainly not for the faint hearted.
Perhaps it was the not too impressive stage design, or the rather peculiar behaviour of the MC KKD who seemed to be everywhere on the stage that made this year’s show not as impressive as it should have been. Not that the night did not have its high points, it had a lot of that and more but there were too many loose ends that could have been tied with proper management.
That Kojo Antwi is counted among the best in the music business is not an aberration. Rather it is a reinforcement of his absolute control and understanding of the business that requires the most brilliant brains to stay on top. Already expectations have been set for next year’s edition of the 24th night show.
GRi…/
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